120 DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



that they be well bred, and excellent of their kind. To the dairy far- 

 mer, the most important points are, the quantity of milk yielded, its 

 quality, its value for the production of butter, or of cheese, a freedom in 

 the cows from vicious habits and ill temper, their character as good and 

 he.aUhy breeders, the ease with which, when useless as milkers, they 

 become fattened for the market, and the nature and quantity of food 

 requisite for this purpose. To the grazier, the quickness of becoming 

 fat, and at as little expense as possible, the fineness of the grain of the 

 meat, or of the muscular fibers, the mode of laying on the fat, the small- 

 ness of bone, soundness of constitution, and congeniality with the soil 

 and the climate, are the chief points which he takes into consideration. 

 If he is wise, he will never stint keep, nor transfer his stock from a good 

 to an indifferent soil; and this is true also with respect to the dairy-farmer. 

 Contour, or beauty of form, is desirable ; indeed, it is more or less 

 connected with what may be termed utility of form, that is, a prepon- 

 derance of those parts in the beast which are most delicate for the table, 

 and bear the highest price, over the parts of inferior quality, or offal. 

 This is connected with smallness of bone, but not a preternatural small- 

 ness, and with a tendency to depositions of fat, which, however, should 

 not be carried to an extreme, otherwise the quantity of flesh is dispropor- 

 tionate, and its fiber is dry and insipid ; nor is the weight of the beast pro- 

 portionate to its admeasurement. Previously to the time of Mr. Bake- 

 well,* the cattle in general were large, long-bodied, big-boned, flat-sided, 

 slow to fatten, great consumers of food, and often black, or foul-fleshed, 

 or, as it is called in Yorkshire, " lyery." This truly patriotic breeder, 

 acting npon true principles, energetically set to work upon the improve- 

 ment of cattle, and in defiance of opposition and a thousand difficulties, 

 lived to see the success of his long-continued efforts. Experience and a 

 close and acute observation had taught him that "like produces like ;" 

 in other words, that the qualities of the parents, such as beauty, or 

 utility of form, disposition to fatness, goodness of flesh, abundance of 

 milk, and even temper, were inherited by their offspring; and that by 

 careful selections on the side both of the sire and dam, a breed might 

 be ultimately established to which the title hlood could be distinctly 

 applied. This, of course supposes a primary selection, then a selection 

 of such of the offspring as exhibited the properiies which constituted 

 their perfection, in the highest degree; and again of the offspring of 

 these, and so on progressively.f At first Mr. Bakewell was necessitated 

 to breed in and in, but as his stock increased, he was enabled to inter- 

 pose more or less remote removes between the members of the same 

 family; and ultimately he established the Dishley, or New Leicester 

 long-horns, a breed remarkable for smallness of bone, roundness of 

 form, aptitude to fatten upon a moderate allowance, and fineness of flesh. 



* Bom at Dishley, in Leicestershire, 1725. His father and grandfather resided on 

 tl.'" estate before him. 



f ivj. Bates' rule was, " Breed in and in froma oaa stocK, and you commit ruin and 

 devastation • hut if a good stock he selected, you may breed in and in as much as you 

 please ;" and lie followed this practice for tifty years, and yet had one of the £nest 

 herds ever known. 



