ON BREEDING AND REARING ANIMALS. 33 



*' seed of the kind of grain they cultivate, but 

 ** to procure males from the flocks and herds 

 " of those who have the same, or similar with 

 *• their own. It has been remarked that those 

 " farmers have in general the worst flocks, who 

 " bred from rams produced on their own farms, 

 *' and that an interchange of males is mutually 

 *' beneficial." 



These observations, like many others of Sir 

 John Sinclair, are calculated more to mislead, 

 than to inform, the ignorant agriculturist, for 

 instead of grounding his judgment and prac- 

 tice, on the established principles of science, he 

 is here recommended to rely on blind chance, 

 or the casual observation and imitation of others. 



By crossing different varieties of vegetables, 

 no doubt, other varieties may be obtained, and, 

 perhaps, such as possess more valuable qualities 

 than the parent plants ; but with vegetables as 

 with animals, food and climate, possess the 

 greatest influence, in varying their qualities; thus 

 the seeds of plants, transplanted from a sterile 

 soil and uncongenial climate, to a luxuriant soil 

 and congenial climate, will increase in the luxu- 

 riance of their produce, with every generation, 

 until they have reached the bounds prescribed 

 by nature, and vice versa. 



Sir Humphry Davy very justly observes, 



