S4 



principles of his own, in Great Britain. " Th€ pfiocipk^ hf. 

 began upon (says Mr. Young) vf ere fine forms ^ small bones<^ mid 

 » true disposition to make readily fat, which is indeed inseparaWe 

 from small bones, or rather fine bones, and fine forms, or true 

 symmetry of the parts." Before BakewelPs day, the rules 

 which governed Breeders of Live Stock, Mr. Young pronounces 

 " a tissae of absurdities." 



He began his improvement of sheep, by selecting from the 

 best in his neighbourhood. And so little had any correct princi- 

 ple of improvement been known or regarded, that a guinea or 

 Jiaif a guinea extraordinary would give Mr. Bakewell the choice 

 of any sheep in any flock. And his uncommon sagacity enabled 

 *him, by the best selections and judicious crossings, to form a 

 breed distinguished above all others, for the disposition to fatten^ 

 ■early maturity, a form indicating strength of constitution, weight 

 in the most valuable parts, with lightness of offals. Mr. Young 

 ^expresses his opinion, that there is not a breed of any sort of live 

 *tock in Great-Britain, that does not derive its improvement from 

 the skill, knowledge and principles of Mr. Bakewell. Another 

 eminent Agriculturalist declares (and Mr. Young does not think 

 he exaggerates) '' that Mr. Bakewell enabled those who follow- 

 ed his ideas, to produce two pounds of mutton where only one 

 ivas produced before." 



Mr. Young adds, that Bakewell was the most careful feeder 

 of stock that he ever met with, and who made his food go the 

 farthest. To horses and cattle in stalls, he did not permit more 

 than a handful of hay to be given at a time ; and the same econo- 

 my was used in all other feeding. — But his stocks were so large 

 as to require on« or more persons to be appropriated to that ser- 

 vice. This practice, on our small farms and with our small 

 stocks, cannot be fully adopted : but it may be imitated, in some 

 degree, during the season (winter) most requiring such atten- 

 tion. By feeding them in this manner, the cattle will doubtless 

 £at more, but they will waste less: so that while, in the whole, 

 no more fodder will be consumed, the stock will be put into 

 ?nuch better plight. 



Cleanliness, also, will materially contribute to the health and 

 •^hriving^ of stock* The common cattle-stalls of our country are 



