Live Stock Methods of improving of what necejfiiry in. 637 



Jiorfe are perpetuated and preferved. The fame thing likewife takes place in the 

 vegetable economy, the fineft and moft perfect productions of the fort b-ring pro 

 pagated by fowing feed felected from the beft and moft perfect plants of the fame 

 kind, and taking the buds or offsets from the beft and moft perfect trees of the 

 fame fpecies. 



There is alfo another circumftance that feems to mow the propriety and fuperior 

 advantage of this method of proceeding in the breeding of domeftic animals ; which 

 is, that however much the breeds of live frock may be altered by climate, pafture, 

 and other caufes, in what refpects their colour, and other trifling particulars, their 

 fpecific characters remain invariably the fame. No caufes of thefe kinds have ever- 

 been capable of changing any one of the diftinct breeds, whether of neat cattle, 

 fheep, horfes, or hogs, in fuch a manner as to have the characteristic distinctions of 

 thofe of any of the others. It would therefore appear that by having recourfe to 

 occafional crofling in the above intentions, and the careful felection of the mod 

 perfect animals of the fame breed or kind, with due attention to conftant 

 good feeding, the improvement of live ftock may be carried ro the greateft per 

 fection.* 



* Mr. Clinehas given the following examples of the good and bad effects of the crofling fyftem of 

 Breeding: with refpect to the lirft he fays. &quot; The great improvement of the breed of horfes in England 

 arofe from croffing the breed with thofe diminutive ftallions, Barbs and Arabians; and the introduction 

 of Flanders mares into this country was the fource of improvement in the breed of cart horfcs.The form 

 of fwine has alfo beeu greatly improved, by crofling with the mallChinefe boar. And in regard to the for 

 mer, he obferves,when it became the falhion inLondon,to drive large bay horfes, the farmers inYorkfhi re 

 put their mares to much larger ftallioos than ufual, and thus did infinite mifchief to their breed, by 

 producing a race of fmall chefted, long legged,, large boned,, worthlefs animals. A fimilar project 

 was adopted in Normandy, to enlarge the breed of horfes there, by the ufe of ftallions from Holftein, 

 and. in confequence, the beft breed of horfes in France would have been fpoiled, had not the farmers 

 discovered their miftake in time, by obfervingthe offspring much inferior in form to that of the native 

 ftallions. 



&quot;Some graziers in thelfle of Sheppy,conceired that, they could improve their fheep, by largeLincolnfhire 

 rams, the produce of which, however, was much inferior in the fbape of the carcafes and the quality of 

 the wool ; and their flocks were greatly injured by this attempt to improve them. Attempts to inv 

 prove the native animals of a country by any plan of crofling, mould be made with the greateft cau? 

 tion ; for by a miftaken practice extensively purfued, irreparable mifchief may be done. In any 

 country where a particular race of animals has continued for centuries, it may be p re fumed: that 

 their conftitution is adapted to the food and climate.. The pliancy of ihe animal economy,, is fuch, 

 s that an animal will gradually accommodate itfelf to great viciffitudes in. climate, and alterations in. 



