144 



FARMERS' REGISTER— SHEEP AND CATTLE BREEDING, 



closely, and one or two defects were, in consequence, 

 becoming prominent and treneral. Mr. Blomfield 

 appeared to be fully sensible of this, and to admit 

 the necessity ot a cross. He informed me his cows 

 would average an ounce of butter to a pint of milk, 

 and that experience had convinced him, he could 

 graze, and keep in hiyh condition, four Devon 

 cows, on tlie same quantity of land as would sup- 

 port three home-breds, or Norfolk cattle, in indif- 

 ferent condition. Strange, that, with ficts such as 

 this before them, and stated on t.he authoritv of so 

 respectable a man, and able a farmer as Mr. Blom- 

 field, the Norfolk tenantry should not at once, and 

 for ever, banish the home-breds. 



With regard to stock, the grand ft?ature, and one 

 that everv day assumes, and -will continue to as- 

 sume, additional importance, is the improvement 

 of the Southdown flock at Holkham. When Mr. 

 Coke first came to the estate, the lonff-leo-gexl, 

 misshapen, unsightly, and unthrifty Noifolk breed, 

 had possession of the country, keeping alive an 

 active struggle with the rabbits, for the scanty 

 herbage, a struggle which their length of limb and 

 great speed well fitted them to maintain. 



* « * * # Very shortly after this, the 

 Southdowns were seen in possession of the inclo- 

 sures at Holkham, and long continued to bask in 

 the rays of public approbation, and to e\'ince pro- 

 perties well deserving it. But they did not, under 

 succeeding circumstances, satisfy the enterprising 

 mind of their breeder. One of those fluctuations 

 which are perpetually occurring in manufactures, 

 as in every thing else, demanded a difierent de- 

 scription of wool, and the question was how to ob- 

 tain it? Other circumstances also forced them- 

 selves on attention. The Southdowns, like the 

 Leicesters, and all improved breeds of sheep and 

 cattle, under similar circumstances, beiran to run to 

 fat, and to want, in both fat and lean condition, 

 lean meat. The le;^s of mutton were becoming 

 abridged of their fiiir proportions; delicacy of con- 

 stitution threatened a dangerous inroad; lambs fell 

 Aveakly, and often perished; and the ewes were be- 

 comin<T worse nurses to those that survived., How 

 long Mr. Coke may have pondered the matter be- 

 fore he ventured on the experiment, I am unable 

 to say, but he resorted to the Hampshire sheep for 

 a cross, with the most brilliant results. This expe- 

 riment I consider the boldest ever entered on by a 

 breeder, and, I think, any one will agree with me 

 who sees the Hampshire sheep. Let the charac- 

 ter of the experiment, however, be what it may, 

 its success is not equivocal. Mr. Coke has lost 

 nothing of early maturity, and has gained in the 

 constitution of his flock. " His lambs are dropped 

 stronger, stand the cold better, and are better 

 nursed. He has wonderfully increased the lean 

 meat, and, in particular, enlarged the leg of mut- 

 ton; while, to crown all, I was assured by Mr. 

 Waller, whose authority will not be questioned, 

 that the Holkham wool is, at the present moment, 

 the most valuable in the island. His shearlings of 

 this improved flock, sold last year at sixteeii to 

 eighteen months old, averaged, wool and carcass, 

 £2. 10s. each! 



I have frequently had occasion to rcmarlc, that 

 few errors prevail to a greater extent, and with 

 more injurious eflect, as regards the progress of 

 the science of breeding, than that of adopting one 



age and growth. I admit, and indeed, have alwayf3 

 contended, that there exists one model, which may 

 be safely adopted for all, but this model may be 

 perfected by a number of varying particulars, in 

 difl'erent individual breeds. Perhaj s I iDay be 

 better understood by stating the opinion that cer- 

 tain constituent parts may produce a whole in one 

 animal, similar to the result derived from very dif- 

 ferent constituents in anolhcr, and as it is to the 

 whole — to the result — we are finally to look, re- 

 garding constituents only as indicative of it, I can- 

 not but consider the common practice of judging 

 one breed according to its correspondence with 

 another breed, as a common error. A breeder of 

 Leicester sheep, for instance, will condemn the 

 Southdow"ns because they are not like Leicesters; 

 whereas he ouirht either to judge Southdowns by 

 comparison with Southdowns, or, if he will insti- 

 tute a foreign comparison, it should be at the last 

 moment onlj-, when both are made up for the 

 butcher: he will then find they have attained the 

 same object — utility — by different means, and 

 though, compared together at earlier periods, they 

 would have evinced striking differences of forma- 

 tion, yet the process of feeding has developed two 

 carcasses very much alike, and each exhibiting a 

 profitable Avhole. Thus, also, a breeder of Here- 

 ford cattle passes, generally speaking, a sweeping 

 condemnation of improved short-horns, because 

 they are not like Herefords; — he forgets, or, per- 

 haps, has never reflected, that for short-horns to 

 resemble Herefords, or Herefords short-horns, 

 during the period of their growth, or at any time 

 but when made up for slaughter, would be to indi- 

 cate degeneracy. They arrive at the same finish- 

 ed and profitable state, aftera periodical exhibition 

 of difierent characteristics. To render this slill 

 more obvious, I will repeat the objections I have 

 heard made to good short-horns, by men Avliose 

 general information would lead to the expectation 

 that, even on this occasion, they would penetrate 

 beyond the surfiice in pursuit of truth, with eyes 

 undimmed by the mists of prejudice. I will sup- 

 pose myself exhibitinff half a dozen yearlings to 

 such a person; I should be favored, as 1 have been 

 a hundred times, with remarks similar to the fol- 

 lowing: "They are very good nf the sort; but the 

 bone is too large — the frame not neat enough — the 

 quality of the flesh too loose, and the hide too thin." 

 Such objections are urged by men who annually 

 visit Smithfield, and see the same sort of animals 

 thus censured beating the Herefords at that time 

 when only comparison ought to be instituted. But 

 what are the sentiments of an unbiassed looker on, 

 placed in similar circumstances? He remarks, at 

 once, "an animal so much larger in frame as the 

 short-liorn, must necessarily have more bone, and, 

 I->robab]y,less neatness; indeed, if reduced to the 

 Heref()rd degree of neatness, constitutional degen- 

 eracy, and utter worthlessness, would be una'\"oid- 

 ably implied. Again, with respect to a less firm 

 quality of flesh in an unfed state, every one ac- 

 quainted with the subject knows that the early ma- 

 turity, so conspicuous in the improved short-horns, 

 would be incompatible with any other r|uality of 

 flesh and hide, for there can be no doubt the later 

 maturity of the Herefords is owing to the unyield- 

 ing nature of their hide and flesh. A beast, there- 

 fore, which is to come into the market, matured a 



and the same standard, whereby to judge of ani- { year earlier than his opponent, may well be allow 

 mals of dillerent breeds, at various periods of their ' ed those qualities on which his quicker growth and 



