410 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



Down, Leicester or Cotswold ram. But, as in BakewelPs 

 case, the selection of the best must continue, and the 

 defective be constantly weeded out. In-and-in breeding 

 produced no evil effects in his case, because he constantly 

 coupled such males and females as tended to remedy the 

 defects that existed on either side. This mode of selection 

 resulted in the most remarkable improvement in the Leices- 

 ter sheep as a meat-producing animal that has ever occurred 

 in the history of breeding. The change in external appear- 

 ance of the old and new Leicesters was so great as to be 

 regarded by some as a new variety of sheep, and led many 

 to suppose that Bakewell had crossed different breeds in 

 producing the result ; but this is clearly disproved. There 

 can, however, be no doubt that if our sheep- breeders will 

 make such selections of ewes as we have indicated, and 

 proceed to cross one of these fixed breeds of mutton- sheep 

 upon them, continuing with males from the same strain of 

 blood, the result, in a few generations, will be an extremely 

 uniform animal; and then males may be selected from the 

 same flock. Our readers must not suppose this to be an 

 expensive plan of improving a flock. The ewes may be 

 selected at a mere trifle above orflinary price. A Leicester, 

 Southdown, or Cotswold ram can be purchased or leased 

 at a small sum. 



The outlay above purchasing an ordinary flock need not 

 exceed $50 to $100, if a start is made with from 25 to 50 

 ewes. If such a system of breeding should be multiplied 

 to any considerable extent, it would also produce a class of 

 ram-breeders, as it has in England ; and the system of ram- 

 letting would also be here introduced, which has many 

 advantages, for this would enable the breeder to select a 

 ram from a considerable number, and he could change the 

 ram as often as he found advantageous. The result of 

 crossing the Southdown and Cotswold rams upon grade 

 Merinos has been so well tested in this country as to be 



