HIGH-CLASS SHEEP-BREEDING. 79 



tially artificial, and the infinite variety of type in animals 

 is due to the special application or accidental concurrence 

 of conditions favourable to this production. Once a 

 type, quality, or habit, is established or ' fixed ' in any 

 animal, it becomes hereditary so long as the progeny of 

 such animal continues to exist under the same conditions 

 as those under which it was created ; but, if subjected 

 accidentally or systematically to different treatment, and 

 different influences, such type, quahty, or habit, will ne- 

 cessarily become modified for better or worse ; and there 

 is, unquestionably, an art in adapting treatment to the 

 surrounding natural conditions of soil, climate, &c. so 

 as to produce advantageous modifications in the direction 

 most congenial to those conditions. The perfections or 

 good qualities attained by individuals, or nations, in breed- 

 ing sheep, under the law of hereditary transmission, are 

 available to others for pushing still further the course of 

 refining and adaptation of breeds. 



To avoid a toilsome course, chequered by many failures, 

 in the work of improving and perfecting our sheep, the 

 ' high-caste ' breeder should have at least a fair knowledge 

 of scientific principles, and the various ' cosmic ' influences 

 regulating and affecting the development of animals, their 

 nutrition, and well-being. I will endeavour to condense 

 a few of these principles, and give them a practical appli- 

 cation. I need hardly apologise for here referring to 

 'primary natural laws,' Avith a view to trace their connec- 

 tion with the matter in hand. 



In the whole universe no atom is lost. Force is ever 

 existing — always equal — but ever changing, and passing 

 from one form to another. All things are mutually de- 

 pendent. Decay is the end of production — production 

 the result of decay — life of death — and death of life. 

 All life is the result of certain combinations and influences ; 

 and all growing and living forms are composed of the same 



