BREEDING IN THE LINE. 121 



erty, and on which every thing should appear to be in 

 natural keeping, and be turned to the best advantage. 

 The best beast for him is that which suits his farm the 

 best, and with a view to this, he studies, or ought to 

 Study, the points and qualities of his own cattle, and 

 those of others. The dairyman will regard the quantity 

 of milk — ^the quality — its value for the production of 

 butter and cheese — the time that the cow continues in 

 milk — the character of the breed for quietness, or as 

 being good nurses — the predisposition to garget or 

 other disease, or dropping after calving — the natural 

 tendency to turn every thing to nutriment — the ease 

 with which she is fattened when given up as a milker, 

 and the proportion of food requisite to keep her in full 

 milk or to fatten her when dry. The grazier will con- 

 sider the kind of beast which his land will bear — the 

 kind of meat most in demand in his neighborhood — the 

 early maturity — the quickness of fattening at any age— 

 the quality of the meat — the parts on which the flesh 

 and fat are principally laid — and more than all the 

 hardihood and the adaptation to the climate and soil. 



In order to obtain these valuable properties the good 

 iarmer will make himself perfectly master of the char- 

 acters and qualities of his own stock. He will trace 

 the connection of certain good qualities and certain bad 

 ones, with an almost invariable peculiarity of shape and 



