BUL 



BUR 



47 



tend, that the offspring of a bull, 

 if well bred, becomes generally 

 better till he reaches seven or 

 eight years, and indeed till his 

 constitution is impaired by age. 

 This doctrine, however, does not 

 agree with the practice of Mr. 

 Vandergoes in Holland ; nor can 

 the question be finally decided 

 without a rej^ular course of ex- 

 periments. Code of Agriculture 

 p. 61 : Am. Edition. 



It was formerly believed that a 

 frequent change of animals, from 

 one country, or one section of 

 a country, to another, was indis- 

 pensable to the preservation of a 

 pure and excellent breed of cattle, 

 but this idea is almost exploded. 

 Bakewell, Princeps, and other noted 

 graziers and raisers of stock in Eng- 

 land have proved, that it is by care- 

 ful selection of individuals of good 

 farms and properties, that the race 

 of cattle can be best improved. 

 The system of " breeding in and 

 in," which confines the improved 

 races or animals to their own 

 families, is now much more in 

 fashion, and the success of the 

 British graziers, and the best 

 experience of our own country 

 seem to justify the opinion. Im- 

 portations of the best animals of 

 Great Britain have been made, it 

 is true, and they have essentially 

 and manifestly improved our stock. 

 But this does not disprove the 

 utility of " breeding in and in." 

 because these excellent imported 

 animals were produced, and bought 

 to their present perfection by the 

 principle of selection from the 

 same excellent flock. And when 

 imported here, the principle of 



" breeding in and in," or preserv- 

 ing the stock, has been scrupu* 

 lously adhered to with highly 

 beneficial effects. 



Before we quit this article, it 

 may be adduced as a proof of the 

 soundiiess of the modern doctrine, 

 as opposed to the old practice of 

 crossing the breeds constantly, 

 that, as to horses, the interest in 

 which is much greater in some 

 countries on account of the rage 

 for the pleasures of the chace 

 and of the turf, it is an established 

 law, that the race should be kept 

 pure and the pedigree of a race- 

 horse is as accurately preserved 

 as that of a line of kings. 



BURNING THE SOIL. In 

 this process the turfs of swarded 

 land are cut up with a kind of hoe, 

 called a beating axe, which, after 

 drying, are piled and burnt. The 

 ashes and burnt soil are spread 

 over the surface, from whence the 

 turfs were taken, by way of ma- 

 nure ; then ploughed in, and mix- 

 ed with the soil ; first with a shoal 

 furrow, and deeper at the second 

 ploughing. 



The Marquis of Tourbilly says, 

 " The paring mattock, or beating 

 axe,should have an edgelike an adze, 

 of well tempered steel, and about 

 nine inches wide, that the iron part 

 should be six inches in l(;ngth,grow- 

 ing narrower towards the handle ; 

 that the hole to receive the handle 

 should be two inches in diameter; 

 that the handle should be of wood, 

 about three feet long ; that the in- 

 strument withoutthe handle should 

 weigh from ten to twelve pounds ; 

 that the turfs raised will be about 

 18 inches long, afoot broad, and 



