360 On increasing our Supplies of Animal Food. 



2. All the carcase is not meat ; and some breeds of the hog, 

 the sheep, and the ox respectively are more remarkable for 

 fineness of bone and lightness of offal — from being of larger 

 growth in their best parts and of smaller growth where the meat is 

 coarse — than others. And thus the next question is, what breed 

 is best to adopt. But this is a question to which, if it be put to 

 agriculturists generally, no one need ever expect to receive a 

 unanimous answer. The circumstances of localities differ so 

 much, and the habits and constitutions of animals are so variable, 

 that a variety of breeds will, and indeed should, always exist. 



The Cheviot sheep and the blackfaced will retain their position 

 on their hills and heaths, however superior to them the Leicester, 

 or Cotswold, or Down may be either in carcase or wool : these 

 breeds could not live under the exposure which those must bear. 

 And so with cattle — the Kylo and the Galloway will still be 

 bred notwithstanding the superiority of the short-horn and 

 Hereford. And when meat is not the exclusive, nor even the 

 main produce of a breed, other reasons for maintaining existing 

 varieties come in to complicate the matter. The Ayrshire breed 

 and the Jersey are not likely to be dispossessed of their respective 

 localities, however suitable the better breeds of Durham and 

 North Devon may be for the agriculture there : their character 

 as milkers saves them. 



There seems to be less reason for maintaining the existing 

 varieties of the hog; for this animal is kept so much in shelter 

 that any climate would suit any sort ; but even here we need 

 large breeds and small breeds to meet the market, and to suit the 

 calls respectively for bacon and for pork. 



The answer to the question about breeds, if any be attempted, 

 is thus not likely to satisfy either our readers or truth itself. For 

 our own locality we have no hesitation in choosing the Hereford 

 ox, the cross-bred (Down and Cotswold) sheep, and the Berk- 

 shire hog ; but I do not pretend to dictate this as a right 

 decision for all localities. Farther north one would probably 

 prefer a short-horn and a Leicester, and farther south a Devon 

 and a Down, simply because there it would be easier to procure 

 good individuals of these breeds respectively, our plan having 

 been to purchase our fattening animals, not to breed them. 



But to be more particular : — I have been unable to discover 

 any exact information on the relative merits of the different 

 breeds of the hog, as meat-makers ; and all 1 can say on this 

 point is, that taking all the circumstances of rapid growth, con- 

 stitution, and lightness of offal, it is a general idea that a well- 

 bred Berkshire hog is as likely as any other variety to manu- 

 facture food into pork or bacon with economy. 



Regarding sheep there certainly is more information, but not 



