96 Live Stock. 



they become worse in form, less hardy, and more liable to 

 disease ( iao ). The only satisfactory, and judicious mode, of 

 enlarging the size of any race of animals is, by maintaining 

 better the original stock of the country, more especially 

 during their youth. In every case, where the enlargement 

 of the carcase is the object, the cross breed must be better 

 fed than the native parent. Hence, if a good stock can be 

 otherwise obtained, crossing ought to be avoided ; for it 

 produces a species of mongrel ; and it is more difficult to 

 get rid of the imperfections thus introduced into a breed, 

 than is commonly imagined ( ISI ), 



The eminent surgeon already alluded to, (Henry Cline, 

 Esq.)> is of opinion, that any improvement of form by cross- 

 ing, must entirely depend, on selecting a well- formed fe- 

 male, larger in size than the usual proportion between fe- 

 males and males ( Ia *). The foetus will thus be better nourish- 

 ed, which is so essential to the production of an animal with 

 the most perfect form, abundant nourishment being necessary, 

 from the earliest period of its existence, until its growth is 

 complete. Upon this principle, the breed of English horses 

 have reached their present state of perfection, by crossing 

 them with diminutive stallions, Barbs, and Arabians; and 

 our hogs have been improved, by the use of small Chinese 

 boars. Other experiments on the same principle, have al- 

 so succeeded. Mr Spearman, a farmer in Northumberland, 

 tried a cross between the Kyloe or Highland bull, and the 

 large short-horned cow ; and during the experience of twen- 

 ty years, found it to answer. The plan recommended by 

 Mr Cline, has likewise been most successfully practised by 

 M. Van de Poes, near the Hague, who has perhaps the finest 

 stock of dairy cows in Holland. The excellence of his 

 breed he entirely attributes to his using none but young 

 bulls, which have not attained their full growth or size, and 

 which he always parts with at three years of age. 



The improvement of the fleece depends, however, upon 

 the male ; it being proved that, by always using the Merino 

 ram, fleeces, rivalling the Spanish, may be obtained from ewes 

 of British stock, in the course of four or five generations ( Iz3 ). 



In regard to the period of commencing breeding, a cow 

 in general, should not produce a calf, at an earlier period 

 than three years old. A bull may be first used at fourteen 

 or eighteen months. He then shews most vigour, and more 

 energy may be expected in his produce. At two or three 

 years old, bulls frequently become ungovernable, and are 

 killed ( IZ4 ). Many contend, that the offspring of a bull, if 



