1803. Ohfervaiwns on the AB refpeclwg Parochial SchoohnaJierT. 415 



proper management, and by rele£llon of the bed formed indi- 

 viduals of both fexes to breed from, may become a very valuable 

 variety fome time hence, when the new Leiccflcr may, perhaps, 

 have been too largely diiTufcd. On this fubjcti:, however, we need 

 be under no apprehenfions : The fagacity of agriculturiils is ever 

 alive, as it ought to be, to difcovcr what is bell for their prcfent 

 interefts ; and, whenever long combing wool fhall be no longer in 

 rcqueil, and iine ihort wool is in demand, their attention will natu- 

 rally turn to tlie fide on which profit Is mofl'readily to be procured. 

 In the mean time, it is highly laudable for Iplritcd country gentle- 

 men to try any breed, which, either fpeculatively or experiment- 

 ally, promifes to be ufeful. Such conduiSl: keeps alive the fpirit 

 of inquiry and comparifon ; and preferves and propagates varieties 

 of tliat moll ufeful animal, ready at all times to be taken up, on 

 an extenfive fcale, by the profeffional and experienced agricultu- 

 riil. My own opinion, though of little value on this fubjeft, is, 

 that the South-down is better adapted for dry upland paflures, 

 not coarfe mountain fituations ; and the new Lcicefter for improv- 

 ed low-land grounds, which can always command a full fufE- 

 ciency of fucculent winter food ; and that witliout this laft, efpe- 

 cially tu-nips, the new Leicefler cannot be profitably kept any 

 where. 



In thofe parts of England, where the barbarous townfnip huf- 

 bandry prevails, and where its almoft neceflary concomitant, fold- 

 ing the fallows, is ilill even enjoined, to attempt a flock of new 

 Leicefler fheep, mud be th^ height of folly \ and, if obftinately 

 perfifted in, mud neceflarily end in ruin both to the flock and the 

 mafter. But, I believe, the South-down fheep po fiefs fufficient 

 hardihood to bear up againfl all the miferies of that wretched 

 fyftem, with tolerable negative fuccefs : They can live and pro- 

 duce a fcanty fleece, and a ftarved ftore lamb, where the new 

 Leicefler rnuft of necefTity fall a martyr to ancient prejudices, 

 leaving little elfe than its naked pelt to the farmer. 



Merfey 15. Sept. 1803. R- r. 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OF THE FARMER S AIAGAZINE. 



Obfervaiions en th€ Acf for making htfer Provificfi for Parochial 



Schcoliunjlers, 



Sir, 



You have at different times recommended an augmentation 

 of the falaries, paid by the landed interefl to parochial fchool- 

 ima.fteys } and in lail Number, (p. 352), exprcfs much fatisfacSlion 



O o 4 thai: 



