THE DISEASES OF CATTLE. 147 



a great many unnecessary diseases arise in consequence ; there- 

 fore I recommend the reader to make an experiment in the 

 opposite direction, and ascertain how small a quantity of good 

 food will answer the purpose of nutrition. 



Should the quantity be insufficient for the animal's wants, 

 we shall soon be made aware of the fact, by loss of flesh and 

 other unmistakable signs. On the other hand, the error alluded 

 to is not so easily corrected, for the animal may die over- 

 burdened with fat, of an acute disease, before we can reduce 

 his svstem. 



ON THE PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 



It is a law of nature that peculiarities of form, size, color, 

 etc., shall be transmitted by parents to offspring — " like begets 

 lil-e,^'' — although under certain circumstances a modification of 

 this law is to be expected. If, for example, we liberate an 

 animal from domestication and its influences which are known 

 to operate very markedly on animal organizations and habits, 

 the creature thus liberated loses its acquirements, and in suc- 

 cessive generations gradually returns to the original type ; this 

 is a modification of the above law, and supposing our pecuniary 

 interests are the object of the experiment, it will be an im- 

 provement in the wrong direction. 



On the other hand, take a wild animal ; bring him under the 

 influences of domestication, and he gradually loses all his dis- 

 tinctive characteristics of size, form and instinct, and in pop- 

 ular language becomes a new creature ; improved or not, as the 

 case may be ; under the direction of his lord and master. So 

 that the inferior orders of creation, are really the creatures of 

 circumstances, — these changes are the result of man's experi- 

 ence, or non -experience. These are general propositions which 

 " precede beaut?/ and symmetry." 



Beauty and Symmetry. — If we examine into the methods 

 pursued by some of the most successful raisers of live stock, 



