SECRETARY'S REPORT. 59 



its fruits. That immense achievements have been accomph'shed is 

 beyond doubt. 



The improvement of the domestic animals of a country so as 

 greatly to enhance their individual and aggregate value, and to 

 render the rearing of them more profitable to all concerned, is 

 surely one of the achievements of advanced civilization and en- 

 lightenment, and is as much a triumph of science and skill as is 

 the construction of a railroad, a steamship, an electric telegraph, 

 or any work of architectui-e. If any doubt this, let them ponder 

 the history of those breeds of animals which have made England 

 the stock nursery of the world, the perfection of which enables her 

 to export thousands of animals at prices almost fabulously beyond 

 their value for any purpose but to propagate their kind ; let them 

 note the patient industry, the genius and application which have 

 been put forth to bring them to the condition they have attained, 

 and their doubts must cease. 



Robert Bakewell of Dishley, was one of the first of these improv- 

 ers. Let us stop for a moment's glance at him. Born in 1^25, on 

 the farm where his father and grandfather had been tenants, he 

 began at the age of thirty to carry out the plans for the improve- 

 ment of domestic animals upon which he had resolved as the re- 

 sults of long and patient study and reflection. He was a man of 

 genius, energy and perseverance. With sagacity to conceive and 

 fortitude to perfect his designs, he laid his plans and struggled 

 against many disappointments, amid the ridicule and predictions 

 of failure freely bestowed by his neighbors, — often against serious 

 pecuniary embarrassments ; and at last was crowned by a wonder- 

 ful degree of success. When he commenced letting his rams, (a 

 system first introduced by him and adhered to during his life, in 

 place of selling,) they brought him lis. 6d. each, for the season. 

 This was ten years after he commenced his improvements. Soon 

 the price came to a guinea, then to two or three guineas — rapidly 

 increasing with the reputation of his stock, until in 1784, they 

 brought him 100 guineas each ! Five years later his lettings for 

 one season amounted to $30,000 ! 



With all his skill and success he seemed afraid lest others might 

 profit by the knowledge he had so laboriously acquired. He put 

 no pen to paper and at death left not even the slightest memoran- 

 dum throwing light upon his operations, and it is chiefly through 

 his cotemporaries, who gathered somewhat from verbal communi- 

 cations, that we know anything regarding them. From these we 



