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It is very certain that if the same breed of Sheep and Cattle were in 

 existence now that were sixty or seventy years ago, it would be quite 

 impossible to supply the greatly increased population of this country, 

 with a sufficient quantity of animal food The first person who turned 

 his whole attention to the improvement of the breed of sheep and cattle, 

 was the late Mr. Bakewell, of Dishley, Leicestershire, whose memory 

 will ever be respected by the breeders and feeders of cattle, and de- 

 serves to be by the country generally ; he, by selecting from the different 

 breeds of sheep then in being those which showed the greatest aptitude 

 to fatten, and with nice discrimination in crossing, in the course of time 

 had a flock of sheep superior to any other man's in the kingdom. He 

 turned his attention also at the same time to cattle, and produced some 

 very fine animals, but was not so successful in establishing a breed for 

 posterity as he was in sheep, which are of such inestimable value to the 

 country that it is not likely it will ever become extinct. Breeders in 

 other parts of the kingdom where their cattle were finer, and thus had 

 a better foundation to work upon than Mr. Bakewell, followed his ex- 

 ample, and by carefully selecting for breeding, animals of the finest 

 form, softest skin, and the other usual signs denoting the greatest pro- 

 pensity to fatten, have by these means produced in this country some 

 breeds of cattle superior to any other in the world, namely, the Herefords, 

 Durhams, and Devons; the first two both so good that the most com- 

 petent judges are puzzled to decide which are really the best; to which 

 may be added the Scotch, a smaller kind, well adapted to breeding in 

 Scotland; and, fed in England, producing beef of as fine, or perhaps 

 finer quality than any other. 



The late Duke of Bedford was the first to establish a meeting for a 

 show of sheep and cattle, to bring the different breeds together for com- 

 petition, for prizes liberally offered by his Grace; by the Woburn, and by 

 other exibitions, the improved breeds have got into pretty general cir- 

 culation throughout the country ; but as there are yet in different parts 

 of the kingdom numbers of inferior animals bred and fed, where superior 

 ones might be kept at the same, I may say at less expense, it is certainly 

 most judicious to continue these exhibitions of animals till the inferior 

 breeds are become nearly extinct. 



Your correspondent says as Lord Althorp so strongly encourages the 

 feeding and exhibiting such fat cattle, that it must be right, although he 

 cannot see it ; permit me to observe, that it is evident your correspon- 

 dent well knows that Noble Lord. 



That there are animals fed fatter for these exhibitions than your cor- 

 respondent and many others may like to eat, I will readily agree to; 

 but as there are yet many old fashioned stomachs left in the country, 

 strangers to bile, persons who are fond of this very fat meat, and can 

 eat it without any inconvenience, there is not the waste your correspon- 

 dent imagines ; but supposing that there is some waste of provender in 

 making animals so very fat, the numbers so fed, compared with the 

 number fed to produce meat enough to supply the country, is so very 



