WEST OXFORD SOCIETY. 79 



of England where bred in perfection ? Do they not receive more 

 care and cossetting than falls to the lot of common animals ? 



With regard to the Devons and the Ilerefords, they have many 

 points in common. They are prolific, but not suited, remarks an 

 Englishniifn, to a larmer whose rent is to be made bj'' the produce 

 of his dairy. Human labor is said to be worth too much in Eng- 

 land to be profitably associated with so slow a team as that of 

 bullocks. They have good constitutions, bear hardships without 

 much suffering, are kept with less care, and furnish beef superior 

 to that of the breeds. Between the two races, says the same writer, 

 would you please the eye, take the Devons : if the pocket is re- 

 garded, take the Ilerefords. The West Highlander is a more hardy 

 race than either of the preceding, but is defective in the hind quar- 

 ters, — a grave fault in the eye of the farmer. The beef is said to 

 be very delicious. 



In regard to sheep, the South Downs are the most comely and 

 valuable for agricultural purposes of any breed known. They are 

 hardy, grazing on short and dry pastures, yielding wool and miittou 

 considerably above the average ; and, therefore, better for common 

 purposes than any of their congeners. The New Leicester is deemed 

 by some the most valuable of the white-faced variety ; but inferior 

 for mutton to the South Down, "A little fat mutton makes many 

 fat potatoes." To furnish such mutton, the New Leicester and the 

 South Down must be bred. The South Down has been introduced 

 into this State by Mr. Whittier and others, and bred with success. 

 A cross with the Spanish merino, makes both a good mutton sheep 

 and a good wool-bearing sheep. 



A race is distinguished from a breed by uniformity of size and 

 shape, a self-color, similarity of disposition and aspect, recurring 

 generation after generation. In short, Nature where man has not 

 interfered, seems to have fixed the type of the races ; and, more- 

 over, it does not require the interference of man to prevent deterio- 

 ration. On the other hand, it is stated that Sir John Sebright of 

 England, bred pigeons to a feather. Col. Jaques of Massachusetts, 

 did the same with dunghill fowls. But all artificial breeds have a 

 tendency to return to the primitive type. Man has the power of 

 making breeds, — whether races or not is quite uncertain. Colling 

 and Bakewell each created breeds of cattle, and the latter a breed 

 of sheep also. Devons or Herefords removed from their native 

 countries ever remain Devons and Ilerefords. Not so of the Short 

 horns, or the Ayrshires, as now known. No one visiting England, 



