fgo3» ^r Improved Breed cf Sht'cp, ^l\ 433 



with that of n, large Englifli ox. Travelling or cxercife can never 

 improve the flcfli of any of the domtilicated jininials, but mull 

 piake \'i worfe, by increafmg the llrength of the mufcular^ fibre : 

 hence the fleih of wild animals is alv^'ays tough, hard, and dry; 

 and the flelli of the domeilicated animals will always be found the 

 moft delicate eating, when they are fattened on the richeft paf- 

 tures, where they lye at their eafe, as Milton dcfcribes the cattLc 

 ill paradife, 



* On the grafs 



Couch'd, and now filled with pailurc gazing fat.' 



It may alfo be added, that the flcfli of the female of every ani- 

 mal is more delicate eating than that of the male, their mufcular 

 iibres not being fo ilrong, even as the male when caftrated at an 

 early period •, and on that account, they are alfo eafier fattened. 

 The popular predile6lion for wedder mutton, feems therefore, 

 amongil many others, to be a popular error. 



I have no predile'£lIon for black-faced flicep, otherwifc than oa 

 account of their fmall fize •, and prefer fmall animals of any breed, 

 not only on account of their being more delicate eating, but be- 

 caufe I think they are fattened at lefs expence, that is to fay, that 

 they will increafe more in weight, in proportion to the food they 

 eat, than the larger animal : And rny reafons for thinking fo are, 

 I/?, That the fine and lefs tenfe fibres of the fmall animal more 

 eafily expand, and allow the internal veficles interfperfed through 

 the ikih, to be filled with fat, and ether animal juices, in the 

 procefs of feeding, which renders it more marbled, juicy, and 

 delicate eating, than that of larger animals ; the mufcular fibres of 

 thole being more rigid, refill, in a greater degree, the entry of 

 the fat and juices into the internal veficles, which, added to the 

 flrength of the fibre, occafions the large animal to be more dif- 

 ficult to feed, and its flefh coarfer, and lefs juicy and pala- 

 table, than that of fmall ones : 2dly, The greatefi; increafe of 

 weight in the procefs of fattening, is laid on upon the furface. 

 Now it is obvious, to mathematical dcmonftraiion, and confe- 

 ,quently may, with feme propriety, be received as an axiom, 

 that the furface of fmall animals is much larger, in proportion 

 to their weight or fize, than the furface of large ones. There- 

 fore, for both thefe reafons, the fitnefs of the fmall animal to 

 fatten and increafe in weight, is much greater than in the large 

 one 5 and if that is the cafe, the additional weight will be laid up- 

 on the fmall animal, with lefs expenditure of food. I frankly 

 however confefs, that this opinion is in a great meafure founded 

 upon theory, having never proved it by fadls myfclf j but I think 

 it has been fupported, in many infiiances, from the allonifhing in- 

 creafe of v/eight to which fmall Highland cattle have frequently- 

 been brought I believe it hiis been proved, by pretty accurate 



experiments. 



