156 THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OF 



selves have rendered their small and peculiar forms permanent 

 in the race ; and with unerring precision, " like begets like" 



The permanent varieties that now exist among the cattle of 

 the British Isles, is due to local circumstances and the art of 

 man ; most of the fine breeds now owned by English husband- 

 men, are named after the location in which they are said to 

 originate ; these are permanent varieties, yet the most of them, 

 in fact all except importations, are descendants of the " Wild, 

 or White, Forest breed." Hence the Highland breed, dis- 

 persed over the mountains of North Britain ; the Alderney, 

 of the Norman Isles ; and the Devon from the Bristol Chan- 

 nel, etc., etc., are all permanent varieties, originally of the 

 White Forest breed. 



Yorkshire is celebrated for the production of a permanent 

 variety of horses know as " Clevelands ; " they are an ancient 

 and unmixed race ; their bodies have peculiar markings, and 

 if a foal should be born without them the owner would give 

 orders for its immediate destruction. I presume it is now un- 

 derstood what is meant by permanent variety. 



ANIMALS BECOME PARENTS TOO EARLY. 



Victor Gilbert never allowed ewes to have lambs until they 

 had passed their third year ; and the bucks were never used 

 until they had arrived at full maturity. lie, as well as many 

 other sagacious stock raisers, that I might name, are probably 

 conversant with the fact, that during the period of growth and 

 development, up to maturity, the reproductive organs are dor- 

 mant, while at the same time the nutritive function was wholly 

 engaged in elaborating chyle and blood for the development of 

 bone, muscle, and nerve ; and that by calling into requisition 

 the reproductive or generative organs, before the animal had 

 attained full growth, must necessarily divert the elements of 

 matter intended for nutrition, from their legitimate channel and 

 direct them to the reproductive organs. This is precisely what 

 takes place. A too early use of the purely animal functions 

 induces weakness and stunted growth. 



The author remembers that in his schoolboy days, it was 



