36 RUEAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



It appears, at first sight, that the work which our 

 cattle are made to go through should have but little 

 influence upon the return they give in meat. It might 

 even be supposed that this work, since it turned the life 

 of the animal to account, admitted of a cheaper produc- 

 tion of meat. Experience, however, has shown, that if in 

 some particular instances such was the case, it is a mis- 

 take as a rule. Habitual labour causes animals to become 

 hardy, vigorous, and slow; which, like man given to labo- 

 rious work, causes them to eat much and fatten little, 

 to increase in bony structure, make little available flesh, 

 and that but slowly. Habitual inaction, on the contrary, 

 produces a soft and lazy race, which fatten early, assume 

 rotundity of form and fleshiness, and on an equal 

 amount of food give a better produce for the butcher. 

 Attention on the part of the breeder assists this natural 

 disposition, and increases it, in some measure, to an un- 

 limited extent. To this general cause of superiority may 

 be added other secondary ones, all arising out of the same 

 principle. Thus, where labour is the first consideration, 

 the animal is not killed until it has finished its office ; 

 but, on the other hand, where meat only is sought, it is 

 slaughtered just at that period when it gives most. Again, 

 with animals of draught, poor agriculturists are easily 

 induced to increase the number in proportion to their 

 requirements, without considering the quantity of food 

 they can give them. In this way they are led to breed 

 small and lean animals, which, after all, like the ass, 

 fulfil their intended purpose, but beyond that are value- 

 less : when on the other hand, however, the object is 

 meat, they very soon learn to have only as many as 

 they can afford to feed well, because these derive more 

 benefit from what they eat. 



The result of all this is, that, contrary to appearances, 



