164 The improved hreed of Shfcp defended. . ^^a)' 



on the male than on the flock, equally laid on, and as free 

 from a mixture of grey hairs as pollible, as they are more 

 congenial to tlie nature of flieep than fpots, and more apt to be 

 communicated to the produce. I am your.>, &:c. A. S. L. 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OF THK FARMER'S MAGAZINT. 



The Improved breed of Sheep defended. 



Sir, 

 Although I feel myfelf very incompetent to anfwcr your cor- 

 refpondent Epicurus, in fuch high-flown epithets as he has made 

 ufe of, I, however, confider it a duty which I owe to myfelf and my 

 country, to give anfwers to fuch parts of his remarks as I am able. 

 Firji, Refpe6lingMr Brodie of UpperKeith. Although I never 

 faw tiie advertilenient referred to, 1 cannot help thinking that Mr 

 Brodie has fhewn true fpirit and enterprife, in giving confider- 

 able prices for ewes and tups, by way of introducing a mod 'va- 

 luable breed of fheep into Scotland ; as I hope to prove, if not to 

 Epicurus, to all your impartial readers, before I have done with 

 thefe remarks. 



I may be wrong informed, but I have it from good authority, 

 that Mr Brodie has \r- every branch of agriculture acled \vith 

 •uncommon f[)irit, and great exertion, /^.nd if it be true, as I have 

 alfo been told, that h^?. '^;is beneiited himfelf by thofc exertions, I 

 have not a doubt but he will benefit himfelf Ifill more by intro- 

 ducing this breed of fheep, which is perhaps much wanted in Scot- 

 land. Now, " if a man defervcs well of his country, who raife=; 

 -' two blades of graf5,or two ears of corn, wlicrc only one woidd 

 *' grow before ;" i:i he not alfo deferving of praifc who produces 

 tw^o pounds of mutton where only one was formerly produced ? 

 And that this was the cafe with the celebrated Mr Bakewell, \\\\o 

 was the firfl fcle61:or and promoter of this invaluable breed, 1 be- 

 lieve few will deny, wlio eitlier are acquainted with that breed, 

 or have taken any pains to inform themfclves of its merits. And, 

 if what I have now faid be right, then not only Mr Brodie, but 

 every man, who, in a rational way, endeavouis to dilTcminate that 

 breed deferves well of his country. 



But I do not mean to conteil with Epicurus, the fuperior 

 taftc or delicacy of the mountain mutton, or the more claret-like 

 colour, or higlier ^(/I'o//;- of tlie ^/Y/ir^. i only wilh to recom- 

 mend a kind of mutton faited to the vulgnr tallc of a Newcjftle 

 Coal-hca'vcr, and adapted to fapport the exertions of thofe labo- 

 rious 



