CROSSING. 109 



a foreign ram to raise the improved cross-bred animals 

 for fatting either as lambs or sheep. This plan is 

 adopted by many breeders of Leicester sheep, who thus 

 employ South Down rams to improve the quality of 

 the mutton. One inconvenience attending this plan, is 

 the necessity of fatting the maiden ewes as well as the 

 wethers ; they may however be disposed of as fat lambs, 

 or the practice of spaying might be adopted, so as to 

 increase the fatting disposition of the animal. Cross- 

 ing, therefore, should be adopted with the greatest 

 caution and skill where the object is to improve the breed 

 of animals ; it should never be practiced carelessly or 

 capriciously, but it may be advantageously pursued 

 with a view to raising superior and profitable animals 

 for the butcher.'' 



In another paper on this subject, after presenting 

 many interesting details regarding British breeds of 

 sheep and the results of crossing, Mr. Spooner says : 



" We cannot do better, in concluding our paper, than 

 gather up and arrange in a collected form, the various 

 points of our subject, which appear to be of suflScient 

 importance to be again presented to the attention of 

 our readers. We think, therefore, we are justified in 

 coming to the conclusions : 



1st. That there is a direct pecuniary advantage in 

 judicious cross-breeding ; that increased size, disposi- 

 tion to fatten, and early maturity, are thereby induced. 



2d. That while this may be caused for the most part, 

 by the very fact of crossing, yet it is principally due to 



