^4 ON BREEDING AND REARING ANIMALS. 



ing to their qualities and habits, when selecting 

 the breeders ; and again, to the means, by which 

 those qualities and habits are sustained. If great 

 size be the valuable quality, and the utmost 

 nature will admit of) has been produced by an 

 artificial climate and lodging, and a selection of 

 food, it must be obvious, that with the same 

 climate, lodging, and food, the same stock may 

 be kept up, by breeding in and in ; but with a 

 less congenial climate, lodging, and food, the 

 progeny of such animals, must decline, and be- 

 come less in size ; and at the same time, it 

 might be observed, that under those circum- 

 stances, no crossing can keep up the size and pro- 

 pensities. And again, if animals or vegetables, of 

 whatever size, bred in a certain climate, and with 

 certain lodging and food, can be furnished with 

 a lodging, climate, and food, more congenial and 

 nutritive, they may be increased and improved, 

 by breeding in and in. 



Sir John proceeds, — "It may, indeed, prove 

 " beneficial, if not carried too far, in fixing any 

 '* variety that may be thought valuable, but on 

 " the whole it is only in appearance. Under 

 " this system, the young animal comes into the 

 " world on comparatively a very small scale j by 

 *' keeping it fat from the first moments of its ex- 

 " istence, it is made to attain a greater size than 



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