Chap. XVII. EVIL FROM INTEEBREEDING. 99 



Although by the aid of careful selection the near interbreeding 

 of sheep may be long continued without any manifest evil, yet it 

 has often been the practice with farmers to cross distinct breeds to 

 obtain animals for the butcher, which plainly shows that good of 

 some kind is derived from this practice. We have excellent evi- 

 dence on this head from Mr. S. Druce/* who gives in detail the 

 comparative numbers of four pure breeds and of a cross-breed 

 which can be supported on the same ground, and he gives their pro- 

 duce in fleece and carcase. A high authority, Mr. Pusey, sums up 

 the result in money value during an equal length of time, namely 

 (neglecting shilhngs), for Cotswolds 248?., for Leicesters 223?., for 

 Southdowns 204/., for Hampshire Downs 264/., and for the cross- 

 bred 293/. A former celebrated breeder, Lord Somerville, states 

 that his half-breeds from Eyelauds and Spanish sheep were larger 

 animals than either the pure Eyelands or pure Spanish sheep. 

 Mr. Spooner concludes his excellent Essay on Crossing by asserting 

 that there is a pecuniary advantage in judicious cross-breeding, 

 esjiecially when the male is larger than the female.'^ 



As some of our British parks are ancient, it occurred to me that 

 there must have been long-continued close interbreeding with the 

 fallow-deer (Cerv^Ks dama) kept in them ; but on inquiry I find that 

 it is a common practice to infuse new blood by procuring bucks 

 from other parks. Mr. Shirley ,^^ who has carefully studied the 

 management of deer, admits that in some parks there has been no 

 admixture of foreign blood from a time beyond the memory of man. 

 But he concludes " that in the end the constant breeding in-and-in 

 " is sure to tell to the disadvantage of the whole herd, though it 

 " may take a very long time to prove it ; moreover, when we find, 

 " as is very constantly the case, that the introduction of fresh blood 

 " has been of the very greatest use to deer, both by improving their 

 " size and appearance, and particularly by being of service in re- 

 "■ moving the taint of ' rickback,' if not of other diseases, to which 

 " deer are sometimes subject when the blood has not been changed, 

 " there can, I think, be no doubt but that a judicious cross with a 

 " good stock is of the greatest consequence, and is indeed essential, 

 " sooner or later, to the prosperity of every well-ordered park." 



Mr. Meynell's famous foxhounds have been adduced, as showing 

 that no ill effects follow from close interbreeding; and Sir J, 

 Sebright ascertained from him that he frequently bred from father 

 and daughter, mother and son, and sometimes even from brothers 

 and sisters. With greyhounds also there has been much close 

 interbreeding, but the best breeders agree that it may be carried 



'* 'Journal R. Agricult. Soc.,' vol. ii. See also an excellent paper on 



xiv., 1853, p. 212. the same subjectin ' Gard. Chronicle,' 



^^ Lord Somerville, 'Facts on 1860, p. 321, by Mr. Charles Howard. 

 Sheep and Husbandry,' p. 6. Mr. '^ ' Some Account of English De&l 



Spooner, in ' Journal of Royal Agri- Parks,' by Evelyn P. Shirley, 1867. 

 cult. Soc. of England,* vol. xx. part 



