78 AGRICULTURE. [CH. 



foundation stones of good and profitable manage- 

 ment. 



1 60. The supply of food should be regular, and of 

 such a character as to keep stock steadily improving. 

 Some few years since, it was very common for the 

 stock kept through the winter months, to lose nearly 

 all the flesh they had gained in the preceding summer, 

 simply because sufficient food was not supplied to 

 prevent this waste of the body. It is now known to 

 be not only cruel, but unprofitable, and such 

 bad management is, in consequence, rarely seen at 

 the present day. 



1 6 1. Improvements have been made in live 

 stock, whereby they have become more economical 

 producers of meat. A certain quantity of food eaten 

 by some of our "improved breeds," will produce more 

 meat than if it were eaten by one of the original 

 unimproved stock. The remark applies to cattle, 

 sheep, and pigs, for in each similar modifications 

 have been produced, although differing in degree. 



162. Before the great changes, which we call " im- 

 provements," were stamped upon the various breeds 

 of stock, there were many points of character in which 

 they agreed. They were generally very active in their 

 habits, able to travel great distances without much 

 trouble, wild and restless in their disposition, fond of 

 liberty, hardy in their constitution, and were able to 

 give abundance of milk to their offspring. 



163. In our " improved breeds" this has been 

 greatly altered. The activity of the body has been 

 diminished, and the animals have become indisposed 

 to much exercise. Instead of ranging over wide tracts 

 of country for their food, they look for its supply 

 without having to take much labour to secure it. 

 They rejoice in quiet and peaceful lives, with abun- 

 dance of food, and the least possible amount of 

 trouble. They are tender and delicate, they breed with 

 great difficulty, and have a very small supply of milk 



