l£6 The Impi'oved Breed of Sheep deftnded. May 



nials, *^ but not by the butchers before they bring it to the mar- 

 ket, for the purpole of making foap and candles," but is taken 

 from off the fatteil parts by thefe faid manufafturers, then flired 

 nnd put into dumplings, a moll nutritive, excellent, and, 1 am 

 perfuaded. wholefome dlfti, of which I have eaten many a time 

 with great pleahire, and with a natural, uiivitiated appetite, pro- 

 duced by hard working. Nay, I can tell him more, that the 

 writer, 'when hungry from the plough, has frequently dip- 

 ped tcajicd bread into the drippings of this deiicious mutton, 

 whilft roailing at the fire, and then eat the bread with pleaiure 

 and avidity I Epicurus mud allow me to put him right alfo in 

 one other article : Mr Brodie never did breed what is known by 

 the name of houfe-lamb, but by fome means bed: known to him- 

 self, had the addrefs to make the ewes of this very breed, which 

 Epicurus has fo much abuled, take the tup at a very early iea- 

 fon, fo as to bring the earlieil lambs to the Edinburgh market of 

 any perfon in that vicinity, at that period ; and I have been in- 

 formed, that he fold thefe lambs, to the amDJiiit of one hundred, 

 at twenty fliillings, or one guinea each ; and furely a fair price, 

 confidering it was fome years back. Now, Epicurus talks of 

 ti:is lamb of Mr Brodie's weighing only two pounds and an half, 

 or three pounds per quarter: I cannot contradicl this from any 

 perfonal knowledge of the matter, but cannot help thinking, 

 that neither the butcher who bought thefe lambs from Mr Bro- 

 die, nor the families, to who.n they were retailed, would have gi- 

 ven the butcher fuch a price, as to afford him a profit on thefe 

 fmall quarters ! Beiides, we know that this kind of fneep will 

 breed and feed full as heavy a lamb, as the Dorfetfliire ewes 5 

 therefore I apprehend, that Epicurus muft not have been well 

 informed refpeding this matter- Why Mr Brodie has dropped 

 the breeding and feeding of fat lambs, and taken to rear the fame 

 kind to old&eep, is bell known to himfelf ; but no doubt remains 

 with me, that he has done it from motives of prudence ^ and I 

 trufi that he will profit by the alteration. 



I cannot pretend to fay who firft fupplied Edinburgh market 

 -with real houfe-lamb ; but I can jnftly fay, that the late Mr John 

 Hunter of the Crookfes, near Coldftream, more than thirty years 

 ago, fent into Dorfetlhire for ewes, from \v]);ch l.e bred and fed 

 iambs which he fold to a Deacon Mellifs of P-:dinburgh, a very 

 reputable butcher, (if I am right in the name). Epicurus being, 

 I fuppofe, well informed refpeding houfe-lamb of eight pounds 

 per quarter being fold for no more than 2s 6d, twenty 

 years ago, 1 cannot pretend to contradicl ; but it is very extra- 

 ordinary, that Mr Hunter did, more than thirty years ago, 

 ooutinue (to my knowledge) to fupply Mr Mellifs with real Dor- 



fetfliire 



