l€03- -er Jmprovecl Breed cf Sheep y isfc. 45 r 



manner, till the {heep arc two, three, or four years ohh Similar 

 trials ought alfo to be made with the LeiccfUrs and Cheviot 

 breed, Ryeland and South-down, not forgetting the Caithnefs 

 and Zetland, in various iituations, from the mo(t Uieltercd, to the 

 coldefl: expofures : and afrer repeated triads, it would then be 

 Renown, if the Nev/-Leicefters are the mod proper and profit- 

 able khid of Iheep, for confuming the iheep padures of England 

 and Scotland, or within what range of foil and climate they 

 ought to be reared ; for I cannot at prefent admit, that they alone 

 are the favourites of nature, and that the particular forms and 

 <}ua]ities which f!ie has given to the different breeds of every 

 animal, as well as Oieep, to fuit their local fituations, were not 

 given for wife a>nd ufeful parpofe«. It is obvious, that in making 

 this experiment, it would not be a fair trial, to bring the black- 

 faced or Cheviot breed, dire<?Lly from the mountains, and con- 

 fine them to padure in the enciofure : it is as impoffible that fuch 

 iheep could <:hrive as well there as the new Leiceders, as to fup- 

 pofe, that this lail would thrive as well, If carried to the moun- 

 tains, as the nntive breeds of thefe regions. The mountain fheep 

 in the enciofure, would be in the fituation of a wild buck in a 

 cage ; they would negle£c their padure, and pant after liberty oil 

 -their native mountains ; for fuch is the effeOs of habit, that even 

 man, with all his fuperior intellectual powers, cannot refid, and 

 mud bend to its force. Whild, on the other hand, the New-Lei- 

 ceder, crammed like a duffed turkey by the hand of man from the 

 day it was dropped, and brought up in the lap of plenty ; if left 

 to d)ift for itfelf upon the mountains, it would die for want of 

 energy to procure food ; a virtue, the offspring of neceffity, which 

 can only be reared, and broughr to perfc'(Slion, by rigid difcipline, 

 in the fchool of adverlity. In order, rher^rfore, that the compara- 

 tive trial of the different breeds may be fair, -ihe two kinds com- 

 pared, fliould always be bred in the fame padure, and inured to 

 the fame food and habits of life, as mentioned above. I know 

 from experience, that black-faced lambs or hogs brought from 

 the mountains, do not thrive fo well in an enciofure, panicularly 

 upon turnips, as the white-faced or Engliili breed ; the former 

 like every other wild animal, being condantly in motion, and en- 

 deavouring to efcape \ whild the more judicious amufcment which 

 the Engiilh dieep took was, like lioned John Bull, quietly to fill 

 their bellies. But this was only the efffdl; of early habits^ for the 

 Engiilh lambs, gorged from the day of their birth with the readieft 

 food, had been taught by their dams to eat the turnip, and hail 

 lain at their eafe when their mothers fed, or padured around 

 them ; whild the mountain Iambs, every day fince they were 

 dropped, had been condantly in the practice of ranging about with 



F p p 4 theirSj 



