128 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



have a peculiar flavor of flesh which recommends their 

 mutton ; and the small sheep upon the Welsh hills possess 

 a great reputation for flavor, and bring a higher price than 

 the sheep of the lowlands. But a change made for a few 

 years with each also changes the comparative quality. The 

 Swiss cow, feeding upon her high-flavored native grasses 

 upon the Swiss mountains, yields higher-flavored milk, 

 butter and cheese than the same cow when fed upon the 

 lowlands. 



The intelligent dairyman knows that the quality of his 

 milk is dependent upon the food provided for his cows. 

 He does not expect to produce rich milk from straw, what- 

 ever may be the strain of blood in his cows. The finest 

 Jersey is not expected to produce delicious flavored milk 

 upon leeks and garlic ; but you might as well attempt to 

 breed a cow that would give as delicious flavored milk 

 upon leeks, cabbages, onions and turnips as upon the 

 sweetest June grasses, as to expect to succeed in breeding 

 animals the flavor of whose flesh will be independent of the 

 quality of their food. 



It is quite true that an animal of fixed characteristics 

 will select and appropriate such elements in its food as its 

 system requires for the reproduction of all its peculiarities; 

 but the animal which has produced nicely-marbled and 

 highly-flavored flesh under circumstances of appropriate 

 food and conditions, cannot long continue to do this under 

 changed food and conditions. 



If you wish to imitate the flavor of the wild animal you 

 must furnish the food of the wild animal. 



These facts are dwelt upon to show the folly of attempt- 

 ing to breed an animal that shall be independent of the 

 quality of its food. If you find offshoots from animals, 

 both male and female, of the highest possible quality of 

 flesh, it will be well to breed from them, because " like pro- 

 duces like," under the same circumstances ; but the animal 



