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aBIe ft'ate of drainage, as it is only by the richnsfs and 

 abiiTidance of food that fuch changes can be effefted in the 

 rm!l advivitageous way, or the ftock be bn:^g'ht t(* any hi ^h 

 djjjree of pcne£tion.'' The ciixumllances which are to be 

 ;.ioie particuhirly confidored, in undertaking improvL-ments 

 in the nature of hvo-ftock, cfpecially in wliat relates to them- 

 f<.lve"=, arc thofc of the f.iape, the fiz;, the difpofition, the 

 hardmcfs, the arriving quickly at maturity, the peculiar na- 

 ture of the flelh, the property of fattening with expedition, 

 the affording milk in furacier.t plenty, the quality of the 

 hide, the fitnefs for performing labour, and the [)articular 

 quality or nature of the breed, of whatever fort of animal 

 it may be. All of which are particuiar'y confidercdin eif- 

 plaiiiing the nature and raeihods of management that are the 

 inoft proper to be adopted in breeding, rearing, and bring- 

 ing to r.ei^edtion diiTerent forts of animals of the domelUc 

 kind for the nfes of the f.irmer. See Bueeding. 



In refpcft to the introduction of all forts of live-dock 

 upon a farm, the cultivator (hould conilantly and carefully 

 confider the nature and extent of his keep, or the means 

 ■which he has of providing them with proper fupplies of 

 proper kind of food, as on this, the fize and other proper- 

 ties ef the animals mull in a great meafurc depend. The 

 idea of good keep is conftantly neceiTary to be kept in 

 view, as without it, little can be t-ilefted in this part of 

 htiibandry. It h:is been forcibly remarked by the writer of 

 the Staffordfhire Agricultural Report ; that " all good 

 Rock muit be both bred with attention and well fed; and 

 that it is neceffary, that thcfe two eiJentials in this fpecics of 

 improvement fliould always accompany each o:her; for 

 without good refourccs for keeping it would be in vain to 

 attempt fnpporting a capital ftock, and with fnch refources, 

 it would be abfurd not to aim at a breed fowewhat de- 

 cent in quality." Tins fort of improvement mull, how- 

 ever, be much regulated by the ci.-cumllances of the farmer, 

 and be often only gradually edecled on account cf the want 

 of money for the purjsofe of making a more full change in 

 the ftock of the farm. 



In the Agricultural Report for Perth, it is ftated, 

 that, " there is one circumftanee, relative to the introduc- 

 tion of all new breeds, whieh mnft not be paiTed over in 

 Glence, becaufe no farmer can negleft it without a certain 

 L)fs. Every kind of pailure is litted to raife animals to a 

 particular lize. When bealls of a larger fize are brought in, 

 than the quality of the food is ca'culated to fupport, thefe 

 animals, whether cows, or horfesj or (heep, or any other 

 kind, will degenerate apace, and never prove ufeful, until 

 they come down to that llaudard or fize adapted to their 

 fituation and fuited to their food." And that, " on the 

 other hand, when a fnialler breed than ordinary is brought 

 in, they continue to increafe in bulk, until they come up to 

 the pitch which is fuited to their nourifiiment. But there 

 is.tkis rem;;rkable difference betwixt thefe two progrelBons, 

 in refpeS to profit, that i i the retr Jgrade progrefs, when 

 animals are brought from rich pafture^and a comfortable 

 iltuation to the reverfe, thev are in every inftance worfe 

 than the indigenous breed ; whereao the animals, which are 

 brought from worfe to better, continue to improve, till 

 they arrive at that perfeftion, which the change in their 

 fituatiim is calculjied to produce. Tiicfe caufes may not 

 immediately have tlicir full eflecl ; but in a few years they 

 certainly and evidently will. He makes, for this reafon, a 

 much fafer experiment, who brings cattle from worfe to 

 better, ihan he who brings them from better to worfe. 

 Tliis reafoniiiff applies to all plants, as well as animals. 

 Highland cattle rife to a great fize, not only by the keep- 

 ing iu South Britain, but in rich pallures at ho.ne.'' And 



he adds, tliat it is " in vain to attempt to improve a breed 

 of animals beyond the circumflances of the country as to 

 climate and pailure ; while, at the fame time, it is no eafy 

 matter to difcern, without proper trials, how far thefe clr- 

 cumtlances can fupport a better llock. Kere is great room, 

 he fuppofes, for the ingenious to cxercife their judgment 

 in improving the breeds of different animals. One fpccies 

 has evidently dcgejierated in this country, by a change m 

 their fituation to the worfe. The red or foreft-deer i.- but 

 a puny animal in comparifon of thofe of former times. 

 This will be apparent to any perfon, wlio compares the 

 horns of a deer that is killed at prefent to thofe of the 

 fame fpecies, which arc iu different places dug out of the 

 moffes:. The caufe is obvious." It is therefore conceived, 

 that " the improvf^ment of the foil ought to go hand iu 

 liand with the in'roduftion of a larger breed of cattle : and 

 a large breed ought, for the fame reafon, to be introduced, 

 in that degree, in which the flyle of agriculture is im- 

 proved.'' 



Ill fupport of this, Mr. Middleton, in the Agricultural 

 Report of Middlefex ttates, that " the richeft grazing land, 

 and the moll nourifhing artificial food, will certainlv pay 

 more in feeding large bu'locks, (heep. ar.d fwine, than it 

 would do in feeding the fmaller fizes of the fame fpecies," 

 and that " it is crpially obvious that the fmaller breeds will', 

 anfwer better on the poor pafture than the large.'' 



Further, the particular qualities which the farmer has in 

 contemplation, islikewile a point which muft be attended to 

 in fixing upon breeds of domellic animals for particular 

 farms. Confidering the various breeds of domellic animals, 

 as the machines by which the farmer is enabled to fend his 

 herbage and other forts of food to market, Mr. Donaldfon 

 thinks he ought, by the lludy of every proper mean, to 

 advance their improvement, in refpeft to form as well as the 

 difpofition to fatten, that the produce of his farm maybe- 

 difpofed of in th- mod advanta.:eous manner ; and that be- 

 fides the benefit he would derive individually, from their 

 being thus rendered lefs tedious in the procefs of fattening, 

 and lefs produitive of offal, the community would gain vait 

 advantage in .the great increafe of animal food. 



As foon as proper forts of live-dock have been introduced 

 according to the particular circumftances of the land,, the 

 farmtr fliould be extremely careful in the management of 

 them, whether they be of the catt'e, flieep, or other kinds, iac 

 the providing them vi'ith due and full fupplies of food, - 

 whether in the changes of padui-e during the fummer fea- 

 fon, or in that of other forts in the winter; fo as to keep 

 them condantly in a proper thriving condition ; in affording 

 them fyitable degrees of (helter and warmth, and in having 

 them properly littered down, when confined to the yards or 

 ilalls ; and under all circumflances well fupplied with good 

 water ; as all thefe have much cffeCl in promoting the i.m- 

 provement of the ftock. and, of courfe, that of the advantage 

 ot the farm.'r : different methods are purfucd in different 

 didriils, with this view, in animals of different kinds, which 

 will be particularly noticed under the heads to which they 

 belong. See Cattle, Sueep, Horse, Sivise, &c. 



In many parti of the ifland, great advances have been . 

 made to a more perfeft flate in the nature of different forts of, 

 live-dock, by feletliiig and employing the bell and mod per- 

 feftly formed animals, both ma'e and female, but cfpecially 

 the former, as llock to breed from ; and in the midland, as 

 well as fome other counties, vaft advantage has been gained ' 

 in the fame view, by the pradlice of the large and more opu- 

 lent breeders and graziers letting their fuperior male ftock 

 of different kinds of animals ; and it would probably llill 

 further promote this material objeft, if the more cxtenfive ■ 



proprieters 



