SUMMER FEEDING OF SMALL FLOCKS. 411 



no longer regarded as an experiment. The progeny are 

 found to feed nearly as well as the full blood, and the 

 improvement on the first generation is considered a full 

 return for the expense. The next generation approximates 

 still closer to the type of the male, and, of course, the cost 

 of this system of breeding becomes less and less the longer 

 it is continued. There is no loss upon those discarded as 

 breeders, for they pay their full cost when sent to the 

 butcher. The temptation to keep defective animals for 

 breeding will not exist in this case as in the case of pure 

 breeding, for the value of the animal will be measured by 

 its value for mutton and wool. There is nothing sacrificed 

 here, either in carcass or fleece, for the mode of improving 

 the one will also improve the other. The Merino blood 

 will improve the wool, and the Cotswold blood will improve 

 the meat. 



SUMMER FEEDING OF SMALL FLOCKS. 



There has been a great deal of speculation as to all the 

 minutiae of Bakewell's methods of breeding, and many 

 contrary opinions entertained, but little has ever been said 

 or curiosity manifested as to Bakewell's mode of feeding. 

 All his success was attributed to some occult system of 

 breeding, and they neglected to inquire into one of 

 the principal causes of his success his system of feed- 

 ing. His principles of breeding brought him a sym- 

 metrical animal, but improved feeding was absolutely 

 necessary to develop it. This point seems to be well 

 established in regard to his system. He sought to develop 

 a sheep that should produce the largest amount of meat 

 for a given amount of food. This hint shows that the 

 question of food, or economy of production, was the point 

 he sought to solve, which shows, further, that his system 

 was complete, and not a mere half system, as it must have 

 been had he provided merely for improved breeding, treat- 



