NEW ENGLAND FARxMER. 



261 



riection, in which they existed separately in 

 ch. We h.ive occasionally been amused with 

 :h pretensions, yet he who is a careful ob- 

 rvcr of facts, will scarcely, 1 think, be inclin- 

 to credit them. I have seen much of the 

 ture of crossing, for reasons that I shall aftcr- 

 irds mention, but never yet saw the accom- 

 shraent of an object so desirable, as the full 

 ainment of the good properties in each, with- 

 t any mixture of the bad. Indeed it must be 

 vious to every man of sense, that there is no 

 ason to expect a perfect union of the former, 

 ther than of the latter. The one are just as 

 ely to be inherited as the other, and for the ve- 

 same reason. The thing generally to be ex- 

 cted from mixing the breeds of animals, pos- 

 ssing properties differing in degree, in such 

 union of those properties in the progeny, 

 at they may be greater than in the ancestry 

 the one side, but less than in that of the oth- 

 : though it is also true, as you have observ- 

 , and as I have before hinted, that the ofi- 

 ring will sometimes nearly resemble one pa- 

 nt only. In crossing the cart mare with a 

 ood horse, no man expects to obtain from the 

 oduce, the strength of the former, with the 

 eed of the latter ; but an animal, that is swift- 

 than the cart horse, yet incapable of drawing 

 great a burthen. It does not follow, howev- 

 , that no cross can be useful ; it may be very 

 ich so. For instance, there are many situa- 

 ns, which will readily suggest themselves to 

 e mind, where an animal with less speed, or 

 ■s strength, than such a one as might reasona- 

 I be expected from the cross in the forego- 

 j example, would by no means be so useful ; 

 d yet, where more of either speed or 

 ength, would be almost, if not altogether un- 

 cessary. Again, it occasionally happens, that 

 breed of cattle wliich is possessed of' the 

 aatest excellence, may be too large for the 

 sturage of a particular situation ; and yet a 

 ■)ss from these might obtain a very considera- 

 ! advantage. Or a breed, which is unprolita- 

 ; on the whole, is sometimes kept for the 

 te of a particular quality, which it possesses 

 80 high a degree, that it would scarcely be 

 e worse, if this quality were somewhat di- 

 .nisbed. And this I think is the case with the 

 derney cow ; a breed which is kept by some 

 the nobility and gentry, entirely on account 

 the richness of the cream ; but yet, the quan- 

 y of milk afforded by them is so small, as to 

 ake them extremely unprofitable, even as 

 ilkers. I have frequently known this breed 

 be crossed however by a well-bred short 

 )rned bull ; the produce are generally much 

 tter milkers than the Alderneys; are more 

 lautiful in their appearance, as not being so 

 wboned ; and frequently come to a very con- 

 derable weight. It will be inferred from what 

 IS been already said, and it is an inference 

 hich I have seen supported by numerous ex- 

 aples ; that where one breed is inferior to an- 

 her in each individual point, the worse will 

 jnerally be improved by the better, not par- 

 lily, but altogether. But where distinct 

 :eeds possess their several advantages in dif- 

 ircnt ways, to expect a full and complete un- 

 ■n of the good qualities of each, without any 

 ixture of the bad, is to expect a result, con- 

 ary to the whole analogy of nature. 

 1 shall inquire secondly, whether a cross from 

 fo distinct breeds can be ohiaiwA and covninu- 



ed^ so as to unite in almost an equal proportion, 

 ihu properties of both; and I am fully of opin- 

 ion that this can be accomplished. The former 

 part of the question has, 1 think, been already 

 answered : and 1 have seen the latter effected 

 between the long and short horned cattle. In 

 this neighborhood there were many dairies of 

 long horned cows, descended from the stock of 

 the late Jlr. Bakewell; and it was not at all 

 surprising, that the possessors of such stock 

 should be much prejudiced in their favor, on 

 account of the eminence of so great a breeder. 

 When however the improved short horned cat- 

 tle began to make such rapid strides as they did 

 about thirty years ago; many were willing to 

 try a cross from them, but were not willing to 

 proceed further for the present. This cross 

 being extremely approved of, they rejected 

 such as inclined too much after the one or the 

 other; and continuing to breed from those that 

 partook of the mean, a breed, usually called 

 half horned ones, was at length established ; as 

 well known by their particular characteristics, 

 as either of the former. 



There is another mode of crossing, which has 

 frequently been attended with the greatest ad- 

 vantage for the improvement of inferior breeds; 

 which is, by crossing the females of the worse 

 with the males of the better, and their produce 

 again in the same manner, through several suc- 

 ceeding generations. By this method, the blood 

 of the former will be more and more exhaust- 

 ed, and a breed at length obtained nearly re- 

 sembling the latter;* according to the example 

 you have given of Merino — Ryeland Sheep. 

 Since however, the blood of the former, though 

 less and less in each succeeding generation, can 

 never entirely be taken away ; it will follow 

 that the value of the produce at any particular 

 time, must depend partly on the value of the 

 iemoles from whence the cross originally de- 

 scended. I mentioned under the last head, a 

 cross introduced by many in this neighborhood, 

 between the Long and Short Horned Cattle, par- 

 taking in nearly an equal proportion of the pro- 

 perties of both. But afterwards, when the im- 

 proved Short Horns had gained so complete an 

 ascendency over the Long, and prejudice in fa- 

 vor of the latter, was borne down by experi- 

 ence ; this cross, as well as the remaining Long 

 Horned Cows, were put to bulls of the former 

 description, and their produce again, through 

 many generations ; the result of which agrees 

 with my present position ; namely, that the fu- 

 ture crosses, at length, so nearly resembled the 

 Short Horned Cattle, as scarcely to be distin- 

 guished from them. The same thing has been 

 effected by crossing Scot's in like manner ; and 

 I doubt not, might be from any breeds whatever. 



It may be observed generally, and lastly, that 

 no arguments against the system of crossing can 

 be drawn from the naturet of the case ; because 

 it is highly probable that the various breeds of 



* It has before been remarked on the subject of 

 crossing;, that though the produce may be expected 

 generally to partake of nearly an equal proportion of 

 the properties of both ; yet it not unfrequently happens, 

 that some individuals take very much after one parent, 

 and some to the other. And hence it will follow, that the 

 approximation above mentioned, may be accelerated or 

 retarded by a judicious or improper election in each 

 succeeding cross. 



t That crosses are unnatural, seems to be a phrase 

 used by some, without understanding its meaning •, and 

 taken upby others without cousideraticn. 



Cattle, descended originally from the commoi! 

 stock; and it is ahsohttcly ciriaiii, thai the origi- 

 nal breeds ii more than one, could not have 

 been numcrou?. This, therefore, must iircessu- 

 rily exclude all objections, drawn prior to expe- 

 rience ; and experience itself has iVequcntly 

 proved it to be higlily beneficial. I have al- 

 ready mentioned a valuable cross, where rich- 

 ness of cream is preferred, between the Alder- 

 ney Cow and improved Short Horned Bull. 1 

 have seen moreover, both Devons, Ilerefords, 

 Lancashire, and Scots, all crossed with these 

 Bulls, and all producing very valuable Stock. 

 In Lincolnshire also, they arc beginning to use 

 them very much. Since indeed the improved 

 Short Horned Cattle have been in such great 

 request, as they have of late, there is scarcely 

 any breed in the kingdom, where individu- 

 als have not been crossed with them ; or any 

 county into which some of them have not been 

 sent. 



But it is proper to remark, that the object of 

 every cross, as well as of every distinct breed, 

 ought to be the attainment of an animal, adapt- 

 ed to that particular situation, for which it is 

 designed : for what may be most advantageous 

 in one situation may be unprofitable in another. 

 And unless this observation be attended to, we 

 can never reasonably look forward to success. 

 For instance, though I consider the improved 

 Short Horned Cattle as by far the best for the 

 country at large, yet there are situations where 

 I should by no means recommend them. I do 

 not think that the mountains of Scotland could 

 be better stocked, than with that hardy, nimble 

 little race, which at present possesses them ; 

 while some of their more fertile situations, 

 might very well bear a cross from the breed 

 just mentioned ; and some the breed itself. On 

 the otlier hand, scarcely any greater blessing 

 could befal Ireland, than the introduction of the 

 breed to a considerable extent. For land which 

 is capable of bringing to any tolerable state of 

 condition, a race of such hard, bad fleshed ones, 

 as are generally found to infest that country, 

 would be capable of bringing a better kind to 

 the greatest state of perfection. 



Nothing can be more contradictory than what 

 has frequently been advanced by various per- 

 sons on the whole system of crossing ; the un- 

 derstatement of some, seems only to have call- 

 ed forth the overstatement of others ; and in- 

 terest or prejudice have rarely been forgotten. 

 It would have been well, Sir, had some of these 

 gentlemen attended to you on the subject ; they 

 would have been directed to an example where 

 the result was likely to be beneficial, and their 

 own reflections might have suggested many 

 more. They would have seen also the idea of 

 the union of the good properties, existing separately 

 in distinct breeds, ■without any mixture of the bad, 

 discarded on the ground both of reason and ex- 

 perience. In a word, they might have perceiv- 

 ed, what they ought reasonably to expect, and 

 what they ought not. 



The reason I have been thus diffuse in the 

 present part of the inquiry, is, that prejudice 

 may not prevent a partial improvement, where 

 a full and perfect one cannot be immediately ef- 

 fected ; and to save others an expense, which 

 some have unnecessarily incurred. Several 

 gentlemen who have been convinced of the 

 great advantage of improved Short Horned Cat- 

 tle, have CO sooner been in possession of a bull 



