cw 4) 
Both cattle and fheep are not only fatted by pro- 
feffed graziers, but frequently by the dairymen, 
and fometimes to the injury of the dairy, particu- 
larly when fheep, by being kept on too late in the 
fpring, injure the hay crop, or prevent the cows 
from being turned early to grafs. 
Sheep.—Many fheep are bred in this diftrict, part 
6n a folding fyftem, and part purpofely for fatting. 
The number of fheep folded in this: diftrict has 
certainly decreafed, and perhaps a ftill greater de- 
éreafe will and ought to take place on land which 
cali be better appropriated than under that fyftem. 
The decreafe of the number of fheep bred in 
many parts of the kingdom, and the vaft increafe 
in the confumption of mutton, feems a paradox to 
be accounted for in no other way, than by fup- 
pofing the animal to be killed at an earlier age, 
and this certainly is the fact. Sheep were formerly 
not thought ea/ad/e till four, five, or even fix years 
old; at this time, three-fourths of the mutton is 
killed at two years old. The old forts of fheep did 
not come early enough to perfection to do this, and 
new forts were neceflary ; this laid the foundation of 
that fpirit of fheep-breeding, which has been carried 
to a pitch, particularly in Leicefterfhire, almoft be- 
yond credibility: and this f{pirit (though fometimes 
wrong applied, and particularly in the South-eaft 
part of this diftrict) has enabled the kingdom to 
find a fupply for the increafing demand of mutton. 
VOL. VII. 0 It 
