90 Live Stock. 



will sell at very different prices, merely from the known cha- 

 racter of their meat ( 95 ). 



8. A disposition to fatten. This is a great object in ani- 

 mals destined for the shambles. Some animals possess this 

 property during the whole progress of their lives, while in 

 others, it only takes place at a more advanced period, when 

 they have attained their full growth, and are furnished at 

 the same time with a suitable supply of food. There are in 

 this respect other distinctions : 1. Most sorts of cattle and 

 sheep which have been bred in hilly countries, will become 

 fat on lowland pastures, where the more refined breeds 

 would barely live; and, 2. Some animals take on fat very 

 quickly, when the proper food has been supplied; and some 

 individuals have been found, even in the same breed, which 

 have, in a given time, consumed the least proportional weight, 

 of the same kind of food, and yet have become fat at the quick- 

 est rate. Even in the human race, with little food, some 

 will grow immoderately corpulent. It is probably from in- 

 ternal conformation, that this property of rapid fattening is 

 derived ( 97 ). 



The advantages and disadvantages of fattening cattle and 

 sheep, at least to the extent frequently practised at present, 

 are points, that have of late attracted much public attention. 

 But any controversy on that subject, can only arise from 

 want of proper discrimination. Fat meat is unquestionably 

 more nourishing than lean, though, to digest this oily matter, 

 there are required, on account of its difficult solubility, 

 much saliva, a strong stomach, and good bile ; consequently 

 none, excepting those who are in the most vigorous state of 

 health, or who are employed in hard labour, can properly 

 digest it ( 98 ). Though fat meat, however, is unfit for general 

 consumption, yet experiments in the art of fattening ani- 

 mals, are likely to promote useful discoveries; and though, 

 in the course of trying a number of experiments, errors and 

 excesses may be committed, yet, on the whole, advantage 

 may be derived from the knowledge thus to be obtained ("). 

 It has been found, that to kill even hogs till they are tho- 

 roughly fat, is exceeding bad economy. An ox or cow, 

 though the little flesh it has may be of good quality, yet 

 presents, when lean, little but skin and bone ; and if slaugh- 

 tered in that state, would neither indemnify the owner for 

 the expense of breeding and maintaining it, nor benefit the 

 public. A coarse and heavy fleshed ox, which would re- 

 quire a very long time, and much good food to fatten, may 



