50 ON BREEDING AND BEARING ANIMALS. 



Utmost limits, and having succeeded in attract- 

 ing the attention of those tliat were able and 

 willing to pay for fancy, he committed but a 

 common fault in availing himself of such an 

 ample resource for retrieving his fortune. 



Mr. Robinson's experience in every respect 

 sustains Bakewell's principles of breeding, but 

 he has the merit of marking the true point 

 where the husbandman ought to stop, and he 

 justly describes what ought to be the object of 

 every man who seeks to make the most of his 

 land. The landlord often drives, and rides, a 

 horse high-bred ; but from this, it is not to be 

 concluded that the tenant ought to breed his 

 horses from the same stock. Strange as it may ap- 

 pear, it is well known, that fashion reigns as para- 

 mount among what are called, the simple plodding 

 farmers, in determining their choice of stock, as 

 among the weaker sex in their dress ; and the 

 farmer looks with as much envy on the esquire's 

 made-up ram, or bull, as his wife or daughter, does 

 at the lady's bonnet : and thus, although from 

 the nature of the farm, he carmot support in 

 health and vigour a sheep of one -fourth the 

 size of tliose which the esquire produces, or 

 purchases at great prices, and sustains by artifi- 

 cial means, lie will do the best he can by buy- 

 ing his cast-ofi' rams : and thus he produces a 

 long, shanky race of animals, with almost as 



