Sheep versus Cattle. 549 



munity to bear the loss, any more than they conlcl erpect them to 

 pay their premiums for insurance against fire. Not long ago, farmers 

 instead of insuring against fire had begging collections to save them 

 from losses arising from that cause : but now they were insured to the 

 extent of 70,000,000/., and he felt sure tliat if they found that it was 

 their interest to insure their live stock they would do it in time. But 

 they must bo educated on the subject of insurance by means of 

 discussions of that kind. Everybody knew that farmers were, as a 

 body, as acute as any men in the world, and they must in time see 

 what was their own interest in this matter. He put his paper before 

 them for consideration, and he asked them to take into account the 

 facts there presented. He fully concurred with Mr. Clode that 

 the Eoyal Agricultural Society might, without committing itself to 

 any scheme, ask the Government to obtain a complete return of all the 

 diseases of cattle in different parts of the country. 



Meeting of WeeJdy Council, Wednesdaij, June 20iJt. Lord Feyebsham 



in the Chair. 



Sheep versus Cattle. 



Mr. ToRR said : In introducing this question to the notice of the 

 Society, allow me to observe that I take for my motto the old Dutch 

 proverb, " The sheep wears a golden foot," and that it is not my 

 intention to read what may be termed " a paper" respecting it, inas- 

 much as I entertain strong objections to everything in the shape of 

 paper farming. I shall merely start some points generally in favour 

 of sheep versus cattle (if you like to call it so) for your consideration 

 and discussion. I will not go into any description of the different 

 breeds of sheep, nor draw any invidious comparison between the 

 Leicester and the Lincoln, the Southdown, the Shi-oj^shire, and the 

 Improved Oxford, believing, as I do, that an intelligent farmer should 

 know what suits his own mode of farming and occupation best. It 

 is extremely difficult to distinguish the various improved breeds, and 

 far more than even the breeders themselves can do, to determine 

 where one tribe ends and another begins. I therefore disclaim any 

 prejudice in favour of a real good pm-e-bred Leicester, of substance 

 and constitution, though he seems to have done great service 

 wherever he has gone amongst the long-wools of the nation ; whilst, 

 as far as I have seen, no admixtm-e has done aught but harm to this 

 Bakewell breed itself. It is my sacred resolve, therefore, to keep 

 the Aylesbury flock pure, as it has been now for something like 

 eighty years. 



These preliminaries being settled, I think that at the present 

 moment, when that awful scourge, the cattle plague, has denuded of 

 their stock many districts of the kingdom, the consideration how that 

 stock is to be replaced is of paramount importance. Cattle are of 

 slow growth. Say you want a three-year-old, you must wait four 

 years, and then the supply will be limited, so many females having 

 been swept oft' the homesteads. 



