The Early Fattening of Cattle and Sheep. 
53 
of the more " disgraceful " types, was due to the earlier matu- 
rity of the new comers. Mr. Youatt says of the Teeswaters 
that the first effect of the cross with the Dishley sheep — a some- 
what kindred breed, as he points out — was a very considerable 
diminution in size. But if the carcass was smaller, it was 
rounder and more compact, and the animal came to maturity 
earlier ; so that considerably more sheep were kept, and more 
mutton was produced, on the same quantity of land than before. 
The wool of the Teeswaters was not so much improved by the 
cross as the carcass, because " like produces like," and the 
Dishley sheep had been bred principally, or almost exclusively, 
with a view to quick fattening and early maturity. These, 
says Youatt, were the characteristic points of the sheep, " and 
were sure to be transmitted to the offspring." 
Without describing the methods of the great breeders, from 
Ellman and Bakewell downwards, it has seemed desirable to 
direct attention for a moment to the golden age of discovery in 
the breeding of live-stock, for the purpose of showing that early 
maturity has been kept constantly in view by the great breeders 
for the past two hundred years at least. That there has been 
continuous progress up to the present time is shown conclu- 
sively by a comparison of weights and ages, such as Youatt's 
synopsis in the Complete Grazier (1846) enables us to make. 
The following figures apply to a period between sixty and seventy 
years ago : The average weight of Southdown wethers at two 
years old was 181b. per quarter, or 9 st. the carcass; of im- 
proved Cheviots, at three and a half years old, 19 lb. ; cf Cheviots, 
at four and a half years, 16 lb. ; of Bomney Marsh sheep, at two 
and a half years, 24 lb. ; of Dishley-Leicesters, at two years, 
22 lb. ; of Lincolns, at three years, 25 lb. per quarter. Previous to 
Ellman's improvements wethers of the older Southdown breed 
were rarely killed till three years old. After the improvements, 
and about fifty years ago, they were usually fattened at two years 
old, and in the case of superior flocks at fifteen months old. 
They are now sent to the butcher at a year old, or less. 
Plants and animals have been "improved" by man till 
they have assumed something of the character of monstrosi- 
ties. To mention only a few of the modifications occasioned by 
selection with a view to utility, it has given sheep their heavy 
fleeces, and all the meat-making animals their power of forming 
flesh rapidly ; it has given a dairy of twenty-five Shorthorn 
cows an average of 885 gallons of milk each during their ten or 
eleven months of yield, and 1,200 gallons apiece for ten selected 
cows ; it has conferred on horses size, strength, endurance, 
sneed ; and it has endowed our domestic fowls, since the first 
