lBo3. tr Iwprcved Breed of Sheep y b'r. 435' 



cxprefsly written to undeceive the public, by ftiowinfj tbat Mr 

 Brodic never did feed what is cnlled hoiife hiir.b, and even that 

 jjonc i'uch were ever it(\ in Scotland for fale, but in one year ? 

 Did 1 not exprcfsly fay, that Mr Brodie, fonie time ago, bred 

 early lamh for fupplyin^ the Edinburgh market ? How, there- 

 fore, can he put me right on a point which 1 had exprefsly ad- 

 mitted ? Ke further adds, * that Mr Brodie, by fome means 

 beji kmicn to hbufelf had the addrefs to make the ewes of this 

 very breed take tiie tup at a very early feafcn, fo as to bring the 

 earlieft lambs to the Edinburgh marker, of any perfon in that vi- 

 cinity at that period ; and I have been informed, that he fold 

 'thefe lambs, to the amount of a hundred,* at twenty fhillings, or 

 one guinea each. Now, Epicurus talks of thefe lambs of Mr 

 Brodie's weighing only 24 or 3 lib. per quarter,' &c. I mud 

 here inform him, that the purchafers of early lamb in the Edin- 

 burgh market are ladies and gentlemen, who enjoy, in that ele- 

 gant city, their ctium cum dignitale — or lawyers, who do not re- 

 quire a fop in the pan to relrefli them after hard labour. They 

 herefore prefer delicate early lamb, of a fmall fize, which is 

 ferved up cold at fupper ; and on that account, it is believed, 

 1 will be found pretty correal with refpccl to ilie fize of Mr 

 Brodie's early lamb. But if any doubt remains with him, let 

 him confult the Edinburgh butchers, who will inform him 

 as to the weight and fat of Mr Brodie's early lamb, when 

 compared with what is now brought to market from other 

 places. Your correfpondent judges it was motives of prudence 

 that made Mr Brodie give up the rearing of early lamb. I am 

 of the fame opinion. Probably his farm of Upper Keith, al- 

 though of a dry foil and warm expofure, is fituated at too great 

 a diftance from the fea, for raifing a bellyful of rich paf- 

 ture grafs, always fo necefTary for the New-Leiceilers, parti- 

 cularly when fattening their iamb. 



Mr Brodie, according to your correfpondent's account, ^by 

 fome means bed known to himfelf, had the addrefs of making 

 his fheep, which are fometimes tardy at procreating, take 

 the tup at a very early feafon. This is a mod important dif- 

 covery : why does he conceal his light under a bu{hel, or 

 hide his talents in a napkin ? If INlr Brodie does not chufe 

 tliat his country (hould dand indebted to him for a free 

 difcovery of this valuable fecret, let him boldly go to the 

 Houfe of Commons, and demand a bonus for his fecret, out of 

 the public purfe. It is certainly of ten times more value than 

 Elkington's mode of draining -, and he will undoubtedly be fup- 

 ported in his demand by a formidable band of patriots, on both 

 fides of the Houfe, who now fliew their regard for their coun- 

 try, by reforming hxm ftock. A refpe<^aW^ author on agri,. 



culture 



