ON BREEDING AND REARING ANIMALS. 51 



told Mr. Bakewell, at Loughborough market, 

 lie would not have them at the price they cost 

 the tupping. I think the original price was 

 four guineas a-piece, and when he was under 

 his misfortunes, his ewe lambs were valued at 

 no more than eight shillings each : the best 

 things he ever was in possession of, and from 

 which the tups that made hundreds sprang ; 

 these were called the Dishley blood, in distinc- 

 tion from that part of his flock which were 

 dashed with the Durham blood ; the former pos- 

 sessed short legs and thick carcases ; the latter 

 higher legs, longer and larger sheep with de- 

 fective fleeces; sometimes a fine large animal 

 was produced, but not being suited to the poor 

 soils, did not wear like the others. 



Perhaps it would be thought arrogance in 

 any person to say he knows more of sheep 

 breeding than Bakewell did ; but surely one 

 may say some sheep are bred upon a principle 

 different from any other sort of sheep upon the 

 island. Whether they are better or worse, I will 

 leave time and experiment to prove, but am 

 persuaded that if ever that principle becomes 

 generally acted upon, the same quantity of herb- 

 age which now produces two pounds of flesh 

 will produce three pounds ; and then what an 

 increase of wealth to the nation, and what room 

 for an increase of population ! 



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