204 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



to their live weight; but others assert it, and quote 

 him as their authority, while his experiments, clear- 

 ly, have no bearing on the question. 



We do not wisli to be hypercritical, but we do 

 not think it has been proved that, irrespective of 

 the hreed^ " the same amount of grain will fat sheep 

 weighing 140 lbs. as quickly, and make them, gain 

 more weight, than those weighing 85 or 100 lbs." 

 True, it has been proved that, in proportion to the 

 food consumed, the lar^e Cotswolds will fatten 

 more rapidly than the smaller Leicesters, and still 

 'more so than the yet smaller South-Downs; but it 

 does not follow from this that, irrespective of the 

 breed, the larger sheep will fatten most rnpidly for 

 the food consumed. We do not think our experienced 

 friend Mr. Johnston wishes to be understood as mak- 

 ing such an assertion. A long-legged, big-boned, 

 thick-eared, slab-sided, bare-bellied sheep, however 

 large, would not fat as readily for the food consumed 

 as a smalk-r, well-bred slieep of the same breed. 



The experience of breeders seems to indicate that 

 early maturity and a tendency to fatten rapidly are 

 obtained at the expense of size. The old-fashioned 

 Leicester sheep was a much larger animal than that 

 produced by long years of careful selection and 

 judicious bi'eeding by Robert Bakewell. Mor- 

 ton's Cyclopedia of Agriculture says "there is ev- 

 ery reason to believe that Bakewell's flock was 

 composed of the old Leicester, the then common 

 breed of the district. These were characteristics 

 of the long-wooled breeds of the day — large, un- 

 gainly, and coarse-boned animals, seldom ready for 

 the butcher before they were three yeai-s old, at 

 which age they weighed from 25 lbs. to 35 lbs. per 

 quarter — the wool being long and coarse in the 

 staple, and weighing about 10 lbs. per fleece. It 

 was obvious that the large carcase of these breeds 

 was connected with, and counterbalanced by, a slow 

 development of fat; while the rich food consumed 

 by two sheep was quite adequate to the maintenance 

 of three of smaller size, whose aggregate weight in 

 mutton and wool would still be greater." 



The result of Bakewell's labors was to increase 

 the early maturity and fattening properties of these 

 sheep; to develope the more valuable points of the 

 animal, and to reduce the weight of bone and of- 

 fal ; and this was not accomplished without reduc- 

 ing the total size and weight of the sheep, and, 

 what is more to be regretted, without lessening the 

 growth of wool. Now, no one will claim that one 

 of these old Leicester sheep, weighing 140 lbs., 

 would fat as quickly on the same amount of food as 

 an Improved Leicester weighing from 85 to 100 lbs. 

 We have no doubt that what Mr. Johnston 



means is true ; but what he says, when understood 

 as a general principle, applicable to all cases and 

 under all circumstances, without qualification, is, to 

 say the least, destitute of satisfactory proof. 



Our 'correspondent's remarks in regard to Mr. 

 Lawes are uncalled for. Few men have done more 

 for agriculture than he. None are entitled to more 

 respectful consideration. But the question under 

 consideration is not one which can be settled by 

 loose observations, even if the observer is a man 

 possessed of the judgment, sagacity and experience 

 of our respected friend, John Johnston. It is a 

 question which can be answered only by actual 

 experiments. Mr. Johnston claims to have made 

 such experiments. But the experiments do not 

 show how much food either the large or small sheep 

 consumed. They may show which sheep were the 

 most profitahle; but that is not the question. Mr. 

 Lawes' experiments, on the other hand, show ex- 

 actly how much food was consumed, how much 

 the sheep weighed, and how much they increased 

 in weight. The facts were all ascertained, not by 

 " Patrick or Jemmy," but by gentlemen every way 

 qualified for the task, and whose special business it 

 was to see that every thing was done with care 

 and accuracy. Nothing was left to chance. There 

 was no guess-work. The experiments were made 

 for the simple purpose of ascertaining truth. The 

 facts as ascertained are put on record. No one can 

 doubt that they are lacts. Mr. Johnston should 

 so regard them ; and if he has any counter-facts, 

 let us have .them, and they shall receive due con- 

 sideration. Do not say "I have fed cattle and 

 sheep all my life, and I ought to know whether 

 animals consume food in proportion to their live 

 weight as well as Mr. Lawes, or else I am a greal 

 dunce." If it was a matter of opinion, the argu 

 nient would be a good one ; but it is a question oi 

 facts — and Mr. Lawes has ascertained the facts, 

 and Mr. Johnston, so far as appears to the contra 

 ry, has not. eds. 



Chester County Hogs. — In the June number of 

 the Farmer, B. H. Wilder asks for "a description 

 of the Chester county hogs, and their peculiarities.'' 

 I would say that, from the experience I have had, 

 I like them much. They are distinguished for theii. 

 early maturity, great facility for fattening, and are' 

 very quiet and docile. Some of these hogs, when 

 well fed, attain to a weight of six or seven Ima 

 dred Iba. They are well covered with bristles, and,. 

 unlike the Sutiblk, can endure the heat and cold 

 The Chesters will probably make as much pork 

 (and of a superior quality), on a given amount ofl 

 food, as any other breed. Where the Chesters ar<*" 

 known, they are universally esteemed. — D. Cutti 

 Nte, Lexington^ Mass. 



