ON BREEDING AND REARING ANIMALS. 



Although one sort of sheep cannot be right 

 for all soils, if we must have two sorts of wool, 

 one principle may be right to breed all sorts of 

 sheep upon, viz. that which will turn a given 

 quantity of herbage to the most advantage. 



Notwithstanding all the quackery and mystery 

 generally practised, there can be but two ways of 

 improving animals, viz. to breed from stock of a 

 good stamina, and train them in a proper manner 

 when bred. Dame Nature cannot be led, but 

 may be followed and assisted by human art. 



Had Bakewell fixed a criterion, by which the 

 public might ascertain what constituted a right 

 animal for breeding stock, surely after thirty 

 years' steady pursuit of the object, the best 

 sheep would be found in more hands than they 

 are at this time, and the tupmen in different 

 counties not for ever destined to a dependance 

 on the few tupmen in Leicestershire for support, 

 and the public mind would have been at rest. I 

 suppose the Dishley Society were formed for 

 something like that, and to keep the best blood 

 entire, that the public might know where to find 

 it, but they seem as much divided in opinion 

 as others; some say one thing is the best, and 

 some say another ; like Dr. Priestley when he 

 offered his services to make up a creed for 

 the Church of England, and had not made up 

 his own. 



