94 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



tiou of the bull-dog has acquired a sharp nose, thin body and 

 hanging ears, and his native pluck is equally gone. The Thibet 

 mastiff, taken from his native mountains to the humid plains of 

 India, speedily dies out. 



Horses, as we have seen, fall off in size in bleak islands. The 

 same appears to hold concerning very humid countries, as in 

 the Falkland Islands, and to the east of the Bay of Bengal, in 

 Pegu, Ava, Malabar, Siam, the Eastern Archipelago, and most 

 of China, They on the other hand attain their greatest native 

 excellence in a clear, dry climate, like that of Northern Africa. 



Shorthorns removed from England to Ireland are found to 

 become more hairy and coarse in their coats. A once celebrated 

 breeder of Shorthorns on this side the Atlantic, when remonstra- 

 ted with for keeping his cow-houses so warm, tersely remarked 

 that he " could better afford to lose one of his herd at intervals 

 than to render them hardier at the expense of some of the 

 excellences due to the forcing system." 



It was attempted to breed high class Leicester sheep on the 

 bleak Lammermuir Hills, in Scotland, but they deteriorated so 

 rapidly that the attempt had to be abandoned. At Angora 

 not only goats, but shepherd's dogs, and cats, have fine fleecy 

 hair (Ainsworili). Tlie sheep of Korakool lose their black 

 curled fleeces when removed to any other country (Burnes). 

 The European sheep loses all its wool except on the loins, after 

 the third generation, in Antigua and the west of Africa, appear- 

 ing like a goat with a dirty door-mat on its back (Nicholson). 

 In the lower heated valleys of the Cordilleras the wool of 

 the sheep becomes thin and hairy, unless frequently shorn. 

 Changes of a lesser degree take place in the wool of sheep kept 

 in different localities in England, as well as of those taken 

 to Australia. 



These rapid changes are but indices of the more extensive 

 ones to whicli climate has largely conduced in producing the 

 many widely distinguished varieties of animals native to different 

 localities. 



S^. Soil. — The influences of feeding and climate are closely 

 allied to those of soil. A rich soil abounding in limestone 

 appears essential to the full development of the larger and 

 more improved breeds of animals. Mr. Thorn, Dutchess County, 

 N. y., .gave up breeding Shorthorns because of the deficiency 



