ABOUT FRUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMING. 41 



IMPROVED BREEDS OF HOGS AND CATTLE. 



No farmer ever owns a fine animal without being proud 

 of it. Yet, the same man will have an inveterate prejudice 

 against what are called improved breeds. The &quot;fancy&quot; 

 prices which have been extravagantly paid, the miserable 

 failure which some have made in attempting to stock their 

 farm with foreign breeds, together with a suspicion of 

 whatever is new, and a lack of enterprise, have deterred 

 many farmers from seeking a better stock than the common 

 run. It is in this way that speculators, besides ruining 

 themselves, which is of no great consequence, seriously 

 retard the progress of enlightened husbandry. 



Let us take a plain and practical view of the matter. 



1. Every man who has had anything to do with cattle, 

 horses and swine, knows very well what a difference there 

 is between different animals, in respect to size, form, and 

 aptitude to fatten. Among twenty steers there will be a few 

 that without any reason that the owner can see, out-grow 

 and out-fatten all the rest. A lot of fifty hogs gathered up 

 from one neighborhood, will naturally divide itself into 

 three sorts, those which fatten with remarkable rapidity 

 and on little food ; those that eat voraciously without 

 taking on fat; and those that lie between these two 

 extremes and are not remarkable in one way or the other. 

 Every man that buys a horse knows that some horses re 

 quire as much again food as others to keep them fat. 



2. It is equally true that these qualities can be trans 

 mitted, by careful breeding, from parent to offspring ; 

 until the qualities become fixed in the breed. A particular 

 strain of blood, is then said to be established! By this pro 

 cess, English breeders of stock, with the greatest persever 

 ance and with admirable skill, have established several truly 

 improved breeds. It is not mere beauty of form that has 

 been gained, although this has been eminently attained ; 

 but also all those qualities which make an ox valuable for 



