THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



Vol. IV. 



SEPTEMBER, 1836, 



No. 5. 



EDMUND RUFFIN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 



CLINE ON THE FORMATION OF ANIMALS. 



To ihe Editor of the Fanners' Register. 



Sir: It is notlonn; since I rcturnow from nn agri 

 cultural excursion throuji'li some of the most inte- 

 restinfj portions ofEngland and Scotland. Being 

 at Holkliam, NorlblU, the seat of Thos. Wm. 

 Coke, Esq. I met a large party ofagricnlturists 

 whose attention was much devoted to the im- 

 provement ot stock. Mr. Coke distributed in small 

 pamphlet form, a concise statement of the general 

 prniciples by which he had (or years been govern- 

 ed, in the selection and breeding of his stock — 

 which is acknowledged to be among the finest in 

 that country. 



I was not so fortunate as to obtain a printed co- 

 py of the pamphlet, but subsequently procured a 

 manuscript copy which I place at your disposal, 

 hoping you will give it an insertion in (he Regis- 

 ter, if you deem it worthy of being laid before your 

 readers. P. II. 



July Uth, 1S36. 



The form of domestic animals has been greatly 

 improved, by selecting with much care the best 

 formed for breeding; JDUt, the theory of improve- 

 ment has not been so well understood, that rules 

 could be laid down for directing the practice. 

 There is one point |)articularly, respecting which, 

 the opinions of breeders have much varied, which 

 is, whether crossing the breed be essential to im- 

 provement. 



It is the intention of this communication to as- 

 certain in what instances crossing is proper, and in 

 what prejudicial; and the principles on which the 

 propriety of it depends. 



It has generally been supposed that the breed of 

 animals is improved by the largest males. This 

 opinion has done considerable mischiefj and wouKI 

 have done more injury if it had not been counter- 

 acted by the desire of selecting animals of the best 

 form and proportion, which are rarely to be met 

 with m those ol' the largest size. 



Experience has proved, that crossing has only 

 succeeded in an eminent degree, in those instances 

 in which the females were larger, than in the usual 

 proportion of females to n)ales; and that it has usu- 

 ally failed, when the males were disproportionally 

 large. 



The infernal form of domestic animals has been 

 much studied, and the proportions are well ascer- 

 tained. But the external Ibrm is an indication on- 

 ly of internal structure. The principles of improv- 

 ing it, must therefore be f()unded on a knowledge 

 ol the structure and use of internal parts. 



The lungs are of the first importance. It is on 

 their size and soundness, that the health and 

 etrength of an animal principally depends: their 

 power of converting food into nourishment, is in 

 proportion to their size. An animal with large 

 lungs, is capable of converting a given quantity of 

 food into more nourishment than one with smaller 

 lungs; and therefore, has a greater aptitude to fat- 

 ten. 



Vol. IV-33 



The Chest. 



The external indications of the size of the lungs, 

 are the size and form of the chest, the Ibnn'^of 

 which should approach fo the figure of a cone, 

 leaving its apex situated between the shoulders, 

 and its base towards the loins. 



The capacity of the chest depends on its form 

 more than on t'he extent of its circumference, for 

 where the girth is equal in two animals, one may 

 have much larger lungs than the other. A circle 

 contains more than an ellipsis of equal circumfer- 

 ence, and in proportion as the ellipsis deviates 

 from the circle, it contains loss. A deep chest, 

 theref()re, is not capacious, unless it is proportion- 

 ately broad. 



The Pelvis. 



The pelvis is the cavity formed by the junction 

 of the haunch-bones with the bone of the rump. 

 It is essential that this cavity should be large in 

 the female, that she may be enabled to brmgTbrth 

 her young with less difficult}-. 



When this cavity is small, the life of the mother 

 and her offspring is endangered. 



The size of the pelvis is chiefly indicated by the 

 width of the hips, and the breadth of the twist, 

 which is the space between the thighs. 



The breadth of the loins is always in proportion 

 to that of the chest and pelvis. 



The Head. 



The head should be small, by which the birth 

 is much fiicilitaled; the smallness affords other ad- 

 vantages, and generally indicates that the animal 

 is ot a good breed. 



Horns are useless to domestic animals, and they 

 are often causes of accidents. It is not difhcult to 

 breed animals without horns. 



The breeders of horned cattle and horned sheep, 

 sustain a loss more extensive than they may con- 

 ceive; for it is not the horns alone, but also much 

 more bone in the skulls of such animals to support 

 their horns, for which the butcher pays nothing; 

 and besides this, there is an additional quantity of 

 ligament and muscle in the neck, which is of stiiall 

 value. 



The skull of a ram with its horns weighed five 

 times more than another skull which was hornless. 

 IJolh these skulls were taken from sheep of the 

 same age, each being four years old. The great 

 difference in weight depended chiefly on the horns, 

 tor the lower jaws were nearly equal; one weigh- 

 ing seven ounces, and the other six ounces and 

 three quarters, which proves that the natural size 

 of the head was nearly the same in both, indepen- 

 dantly of the horns, and the thickness of bone 

 which supports them. 



In a horned animal, the skull is extremely thick. 

 In a hornless animal, it is much thinner, especially 

 in that part where the horns usually grow. 



To those who have not reflected on the subject, 

 it may appear of little importance whether sheep 



