32 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



he began. He trusted to breed and to blood, and laid aside his 

 common sense, and nature fell back, as she always will do in 

 matters of agriculture, to the point from which she started, 

 where science and art fail to come to her aid. 



The origin of the varieties. in the races and breeds of domes- 

 tic animals lies beyond the limits of our research. But it 

 doubtless depends very much upon the accidental circumstances 

 of soil, climate, and food, or on all these combined. And what 

 is more remarkable, these accidental peculiarities and charac- 

 teristics, however caused, are transmitted and perpetuated by 

 descent from one generation to another. We see it in man as 

 well as in animals of a lower grade. It was upon this hint that 

 Bakewcll, some one hundred and fifty years ago, conceived the 

 notion of improving the English breeds of sheep and cattle. 

 And it was by carrying out tliis idea into practical agriculture, 

 that Colling and his coadjutors, at a later period, achieved a 

 revolution in stock culture whicli has added untold millions to 

 the wealth of England and the world. Now, that our own far- 

 mers might practise upon this hint, is too plain for argument. 



But whoever hopes to bring up the character of our farm 

 stock to the standard of that of England, by depending upon 

 importation alone, mistakes, most obviously, the, first element 

 of success. Our climate is different, the food upon which they 

 feed is different, and one might as well expect to change the 

 thin, nervous, wiry Yankee race into the shape and phlegm of 

 John Bull — who feeds on Smithfield beef and London porter — 

 by now and then importing a family of Cockneys or burly York- 

 shire-men, and feeding them upon poor coifee and half-baked hot 

 rolls for breakfast, as to have a thorough-bred race of American 

 animals, by any other means than improving such as have been 

 acclimated here. So far, however, from this being a cause for 

 discouragement, it furnishes a strong incentive to effort and 

 exertion on the part of our stock-growers. The same physical 

 laws of improvement in races, apply on this as on the other 

 side of the Atlantic. 



We have already a seemingly infinite variety of shades and 

 mixtures of races and breeds of animals which have become 

 hardy and acclimated. And who can doubt that by the same 

 care in selecting from these for propagation, the same caution 

 in respect to crosses, and the same regard for the health and 



