little delays the animars inendinq. The diseases 

 peculiar to such a constitution and such a pas- 

 ture are of a plethoric description. W the spir- 

 its are broken by any misfortune, ill-usage, 

 [frit;ht by dotrs] or a severe winter, the rot, with 

 ail its enfeebling symptoms, appears. Should 

 tlijs disease not manifest itself, yet the creature 

 falls into an unprosperous, unthriving condition, 

 having slight signs of sundry diseases though 

 the exclusive symptoms of none. It, however, 

 turns useless and dies. From these facts it must 

 not be surmised that I suggest this as the com- 

 luoii fate of entire stocks bred on soft pastures. 

 Thontjli tlie constitution is far from being un- 

 sound, yet it is quite inferior to those reared on 

 the first division : it is not so strong and hardj'. 

 The soft constitution is burthened with infirmi- 

 ties and di.sabilities which the fonner is alto- 

 getlier unconnected with, and an interruption 

 of tliriving, which ill-usage or ill seasons bring 

 on individual sheep of this constitution, generally 

 terminates in the rot. or ailments similar to it. — 

 Asain, almost each 'listinct pasture gives a tinge 

 to the fleece: this tincture is generally attribut- 

 ed to the color of the upper sti-atum of the soils: 

 and, when wc consider ho%v assiduously thriv- 

 ing sheep amuse them.selves on disruptions or 

 ope.iings of the stratum, this catmot be doubted ; 

 yet tliere is an imbuing oiuality in the herbage 

 which communicates a tinge to wool independ- 

 ent of that inserted into it by friction ; but 

 whether this is produced by the quaH'ty of its 

 food after being eaten, or is imparted to the wool 

 as the animal traverses its pasture in search of 

 food, I can scarcely determine. But pasture e.x- 

 erci.ses an almost uncontrollable power over the 

 shape. If it does not interfere too much with 

 the breed, the pasture will adjust the size to 

 what it can itself support ; but how it determines 

 the external shape remains as j-et unaccounted 

 for. In some cases the shape is unexception- 

 able, that is, the figure, motion, and mien of the 

 stock indicate strength, spirits, and health ; in 

 others, it is ill-proportioned or defective in those 

 points which ensure animation and activity. — 

 The most common as well as the most hurtful 

 defects are. low and thin in the fore quarters, 

 coar.se and lumpi.sh in the posteriors, narrow or 

 sharp-backed — its a-ail oblique and ambling, 

 splayfooted, &c. Tliough the last two are con- 

 spicuous among individuals, they can scarcely 

 be said to be peculiar to a stock in general, but 

 the obstinacy with which any of these defects 

 resist a change for the better indicates they are 

 communicated by the soil, are interwoven with 

 the con.stitution. and. if strenuous and uninter- 

 rupted means are used for their removal, they 

 may, in a small niea.sure. disappear, or the distin- 

 g-iiishing peculiarities of the deformity not be so 

 strongly marked. But, rather than relinquish 

 the animal altosrether, if vigorous exertions are 

 still made for their utter suppression, the con- 

 stitution not unfrequently yields with the strug- 

 gle — it falls into an unprosperou.s, sickly state, 

 and, finally, en<is in being an unprofitable, u.se- 

 less creature. Indeed, man, for no end what- 

 ever, regularly and constantly interferes with 

 the propagation of sheep, though acces,sion of 

 fresh blood be necessary at times, for keeping 

 the animals healthy, recruiting the spirits, in- 

 crexsing animation. &c.; yet an often transmis- 

 sion of nei" blood [crossing with a diilcrcnt 

 breed] into the progeny prevents the spirits from 

 acquiring a permanent and steady liovv or the 

 body from settling into a fixed and useful pro- 

 portion of strength. From an actual survey of 

 (735) 



the position, altitude, and qualities of such an 

 extent of hill-pasture as is generally set off as a 

 sheep-farm, one accustomed to the rearing of 

 sheep stocks, and to notice the connection which 

 exists between the animal and its pasture, may 

 discover with tolerable certainty whether the 

 constitution will be hardy or sickly — whether 

 of a large or small bone — whether yield a scanty 

 or abundant fleece ; and, from these peculiari- 

 ties, may be enabled to say, with an accuracy 

 which may be depended on, and which will be 

 found in general to be correct, what are the most 

 prevalent diseases to which the stock is liable ; 

 but the properties in the soil which so forcibly 

 confer the external figure have never yet, that I 

 know, been discovered. Wherever that plastic 

 power resides, 1 am convinced that the \vay and 

 manner which tlie sheep accustom themselves 

 to, in pasturing their allotted range, has not a 

 little influence in forming the exterior shape ; 

 and it is certain that the method of pasturing is 

 regulated by the soil, so that still the qualities of 

 the i)asture lie at the foundation of all peculiar- 

 ities, whether natural or acquired ; but yet an 

 uneasy manner of collecting the food, if contin- 

 ued in for a length of time, maj' come in to the 

 aid of those occult qualities in the .soil which give 

 the .shape, and enable them to act with greater 

 and more certain vigor. It may be thought that, 

 if tlie figure of each individual in the stock is 

 unexceptionable in its first application to the 

 pasture, there will be no difficulty in perpetuat- 

 ing this shape almost to any length of time ; the 

 reverse, however, is certain. The pasture may 

 accord with the proper figure — may support it 

 in its most important points; but if an adverse 

 property reside in the pasture, it if ill ivipercep- 

 libly (liter the original form, hi/ impo.'ini!^ on 

 each successive crop of lambs that mould a7id 

 manner which it is its own exclusive ])roperty 

 to give* 



There is atrainofcircnm.stances which never 

 fail to alter the true shape, not only of the sub- 

 ject on which they immediately act, but also on 

 their progeny. Suppose an individual sheep, or 

 say stock of .sheep, are reduced very lovv in 

 habit by the sufferings of a severe winter : First 

 sea.son they somewhat shrink from the true figure; 

 but suppo.se, as is often the case, that for two or 

 three seasons the same privations continue, the 

 departure from the true figure is evidently on 

 the increase, is transmitted to the issue, and the 

 deformity becomes in a sen.se habitual, though 

 not in .so absolute a degree as that which the 

 soil imposes. In this case, if good sea.«)ns and 

 l)rudent management cooperate, a restoration of 

 the right shape is po.ssible ; but to establish a 

 true and fashionable form on a stock whose 

 plastic influence .^eems to confirm a defect in 

 the shape is impossible. The change of stocks 

 from the Heath to the Cheviot bi-eed has not a 

 little altered the disposition, look, and manner 

 of sheep ; but when all traces of the former are 

 completely obliterated, and the peculiaHties of 

 the latter .startlingly confirmed, what reprelien- 

 sible points the pa.iture was the cau.se of in the 

 old breed are still found to be blemishes in the 

 new. From the above notices, it may be in- 

 ferred that tlie proper figure and shape of some 

 stocks can with lar greater easiness be brought 

 to a just proportion of parts, and kept at them 



' So, too, we have maintained as to grain, tobacco, 

 fruit, (to. — Namre will not be forced ; soil and cli- 

 mate will force things connected to them to alter 

 their nature to suit them while JAey remain uachaneed. 

 [Ed. Farm. Lib. 



