308 THE ox. 



the country. A true breed, it is to be observed, is never 

 to be formed by casual crossing, but by long perseverance in 

 breeding from similar animals, until a uniform class of cha- 

 racters is acquired and rendered permanent. For this rea- 

 son, it is generally better to adopt a good breed already 

 formed, than to attempt to produce a new one by a mixture 

 of the blood of dissimilar animals. 



The Pembroke Breed is well adapted to all the moun- 

 tainous parts of Wales ; and it is important that it should be 

 cultivated with care. It is not necessary that the breeders 

 resort to other races for its improvement. They have merely 

 to apply those principles of selection, which in all other cases 

 have been successful, to render the breed good with relation 

 to the circumstances in which it is reared. 



The district of Castle-Martin is that from which the finest 

 of the Pembrokes are at present derived. The breeders in 

 this district strictly adhere to the black colour, which has 

 become at length regarded as indicative of the purity of the 

 breed. This colour has, indeed, no necessary connexion with 

 the really useful properties of the animals ; but having be- 

 come a test of the purity of the breed, both on the part of 

 the producers and consumers, it is to be believed that the 

 character will, on this account, be preserved, just, as in the 

 case of the North Devon s, the red colour is retained as 

 an index of the purity of descent. The breeders of the 

 Castle-Martins, however, have fortunately not confined their 

 attention to the secondary character of colour. They have 

 devoted assiduous care to the really useful characters of the 

 breed. Preserving its essential characteristics, they have 

 removed the too great lightness of the hinder quarters, and 

 given that general symmetry of form, which experience shews 

 to have an intimate connexion with the economical proper- 

 ties of all animals cultivated for human food. 



