z8o3* On the Modern Improvement of Farm Stock, 35 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OF THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



On the Modern Iinpro'Dejncnt of Farm Stock, 

 Sir, 



I obferved a few weeks ago, in all the Edinburgh newfpapers, 

 a high panegyric paid to Mr Hrodie, at Upper Keith, " for the 

 '* amazing expence and trouble he has been at, in improving his 

 ** breed of fheep, bj giving one hundred guineas for twenty ewes, 

 " fifty and eighty guineas for the hire of a ram, and having in 

 " his polfeflion a grandfon of the famous LeicefterQiire ram, which 

 *^ was let to this country at no lefs a fum than three hundred 

 *' guineas per feafon : and that our butcher-markets have often 

 ** flood indebted to Mr Brodie, who was the firfl perfon that in- 

 " troduced the feeding of houfe-lamb into Scotland." Such puff- 

 ing will, no doubt, prove extremely difagreeable to a perfon of 

 Mr Brodie's modefcy and good fenfe, as he never fed what is call- 

 ed houfe-lamb in his life •, nor has there been a fingle carcafe of 

 houfe-lamb to be feen in the Edinburgh market for many years 

 paft. I believe houfe-lamb was firfl fed in Scotland by the late 

 Mr Prefident Dundas, principally for the ufe of his own table ; it 

 being well known, that this gentleman gave equal fatisfaftion, when 

 prefiding at the feflive board, as on the bench of juflice. Robert 

 Vv^ight, farmer at Murrays, in Eafl Lothian, afterwards attempted 

 to introduce them into the Edinburgh market, as a regular branch 

 of bufinefs, but complained that the citizens of Edinburgh did 

 not underfland good eating well enough, and therefore would 

 not give a fufHcient price, to indemnify the expence of fattening 

 lamb entirely upon milk in the houfe. It is ax:ertain fa£l, that 

 a quarter of his lamb, fo fed, weighing eight pounds, completely- 

 fat, and its flelh as v/hite and delicate as any chicken, could, at 

 that period (about twenty years ago), bring no more than 2s. 6d. 

 peii quarter ; on which account, after trying it one feafon, he wife- 

 ly gave up the trade, as all the old reputable butchers in the Edin- 

 burgh market can teflify. It is no doubt true, that Mr Brodie, 

 fome time ago, bred early lamb for fupplying the Edinburgh 

 market; but a quarter of this early lamb, weighing, perhaps, 

 22 or 3 lbs. no more refembled the houfe-lamb 1 have mentioned, 

 or what is brought every day to the London market, than the leg 

 of a cat, or calf brought to light, in the Caefarean operation, by 

 the butcher's knife, refemblcs a quarter of Strathaven veal, when 

 fed in the befl flyle ; nor can it be faid that Mr Brodie was the 

 ■firfl who introduced early lamb ; for it was fold by Deacons Cum- 

 iqing and Mellis, in the Edinburgh market, long before he enter- 

 ed upon bufinefs. 



If 



