32 ON BREEDING AND REARING ANIMALS. 



are also with difficulty furnished with llesh, 

 may of" course be produced, by observing the 

 same principles. 



Sir John Sinclair likewise says, " Mr. Knight's 

 " experiments with plants have fully convinced 

 " him, that in the vegetable as well as the ani- 

 " mal kingdom, the offspring of a male and 

 " female, not related, will possess more strength 

 " and vigour than when they are of the same 

 " family, which proves how unprofitable sucli 

 " connections are." 



Pecuhar cases may have occurred, partially 

 to sustain such remarks, but these cannot justify 

 such a general conclusion. The terms ** more 

 strength and vigour," can only be understood 

 as comparative. If a male from a plant of vi- 

 gorous habits and full health, be coupled with 

 a female of languid habits and bad health, is it 

 to be expected that the offspring will be more 

 vigorous and healthy than the male parent ? 

 Surely not ; it would be as contrary to nature 

 as to reason : it might be more so than the 

 female, but this does not justify such a general 

 conclusion. 



And further. Sir John says, " A change of 

 " seed is in general advantageous, in regard 

 " both to animals and vegetables j hence many 

 " farmers are induced, not only to change the 



