22 ON BREEDING AND REARING ANIMALS. 



" having spared no pains or expense in obtain- 

 " ing the choicest individuals, from all the best 

 " kinds of long or combing wooUed sheep, 

 ** wherever they were met with : and it cannot 

 " be doubted, that any breed may be improved in 

 " the same manner ; namely, that of putting the 

 ** best males to the finest females. After a su- 

 *♦ perior breed, however, has been thus obtained, 

 " it is a point that has been much disputed, 

 " whether it is proper to raise stock ; 1st, from 

 " the same family ; or, 2d, from the same 

 " race, but of different families ; or, 3d, from 

 " races entirely different.'* 



This explanation of Sir John Sinclair, without 

 doubt, is clear enough j but as he found the 

 subject much disputed, so he seems to have left 

 it, at any rate, but resting on very indetermi- 

 nate grounds ; for although he gives an ample 

 detail of the observations, and practical results, 

 of many of the most eminent men, on both sides 

 the question, his own conclusions are by no 

 means demonstrated, but calculated to confuse 

 and mislead ; for he further says, " On breeding 

 " from the same family — this method is called, 

 " breeding in and in, or putting animals of the 

 " nearest relationship together : though this 

 " plan was for some time in fashion, under the 

 " sanction of Bakewell's authority, yet experi- 



