236 on varieties of domestic animals. Oct. 16. 
with striped and blotched leaved plants, as our 
‘court yards are with poultry of various colours, 
which never are preserved, while they are in a 
wild state. Thus dees man produce varieties 
both in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, that 
are differcnt from those diversities that nature had ~ 
originally formed ; but these are ‘of a lefser kind, 
and though differing in certain respects from the 
parent stock from which they sprang, they still re- 
tain the general habitudes and appezrance of the pa- 
rents, and may rae be recognised as their descend- 
ants. 
In another manner man has it in his power to 
diversify the breeds of animals, (and of some vege- 
tables) to suit the purpose he has in view. All the 
varieties of any one species of animal are seldom to 
be found naturally in one place. One kind prevails 
in one region of the world, and another kind in an- 
other district ; and so of a third or fourth, or any 
indefinite number. Each of these pofsefs certain pe- 
culiar characteristic qualities, which may render 
one breed much more proper for one purpose than an- 
other is*. To select from all this diversity, that par 
* I here speak as a practical improver, without hesitation or doubt; 
for in whatever way the philosophical question about the varieties of 
domestic animals may be finally solved, there can be no doubt, but 
that the practical farmer may safely trust to €ach breed propagating 
its kind in preference to that of another. Let the philosopher argue 
as long as he pleases to convince him that all the varieties of horses 
are the same, and that therefore it is of no consequence to him what 
kind he breeds from, seeing culture, food, and care, have produced all 
the diversities ; the plain farmer knows, that the man who wastoexpect 
to have a horse that would excel in the race, by breeding from a hea- 
vy Flanders mare and stallion, would be little better than a bedla- 
