CROSSING. 



Ill 



body imprinted on tnem, by the full living of trie parents, 

 would require a more nutritious food to bring it to the 

 adult age, than what might be necessary for the sus- 

 tenance of any child descended from the possessors of 

 the soil. If such then is the case with the young of 

 an animal shielded from inclemency on every hand, how 

 can we expect the progeny of a rather heavy variety of a 

 defenceless creature like the sheep to thrive, in defiance 

 of every thing ungenial, on a pasture which requires for 

 its collection, in any quantity, a degree of experience 

 and activity, the result of time and well-trained instinct. 

 The mongrel is not unfitted for the locality, as Mr Hogg 

 would have it, by a weakness resulting from '* the con- 

 stant and continued exertions of the two bloods, the one 

 endeavouring to overpower the other," there is no war 

 waging in the progeny between the blood of sire and dam ; 

 the secret lies in the animal being unsuited for the 

 pasture where it is produced. Place it in a country 

 possessing a herbage something between that of the 

 Highland and Cheviot hills, and it will do passing well ; 

 but do not ascribe the want of success to a natural 

 hatred of the breeds. Again, do not fall into the error, 

 that " the figure, vvool, and other qualities, of the 

 Cheviot ram, are most conspicuous (in this cross) in 

 the smallest and feeblest of the progeny, while the pro- 

 perties of the mountain breed are more fully exhibited 

 in the strongest and most robust lambs," a circumstance 

 which, unfortunately, induced many of the store-farmers 

 " to throw aside the best of the lambs, and select those 

 to breed from, which had apparently most of the Cheviot 

 figure ;" or, in other words, do not suppose, as Mr Hogg 

 strangely enough infers, that only the weak animals 



