Ir ish A(/) {culture. 
7 
look at the immediate outlay, and thus, notwithstandinjj; the 
good Shorthorn blood which has been widely disseminated 
throughout Ireland during the last twenty years, a large number 
of unthrifty animals are still bred in the country and exported 
to England as store beasts. It should therefore be the object 
of all farming associations in Ireland, and of all landed 
j)roprietors who are willing to promote the prosperity of the 
country, to discourage by every means the retention of cross-bred 
males as stock-getting bulls. It is impossible to estimate the 
loss sustained by the nation at large from the use of such 
bulls ; and it would be a positive blessing to the country 
if there existed some autlunity possessing the power to have 
all cross-bred mongrel bulls rendered harmless. It is only 
right, however, to say that many landed proprietors in Ireland 
have evinced a laudable desire to further the improvement of the 
cattle bred on their estates. They have purchased first-class bulls, 
which have been placed at the disposal of their tenants ; some 
keep select breeding herds of Shorthorns, and by distributing the 
bull calves at nominal prices, aid materially in diffusing good 
blood. Where such steps have been carried on systematically 
for a number of years a vast improvement has taken place in the 
character of the cattle bred, even by the smallest class of land- 
holders. This is a kind of estate improvement which may be 
effected with comparatively little outlay, while it is at the same 
time very remunerative, for it puts the farmers in possession of a 
saleable class of stock. 
Shefp. 
The Irish native breeds of sheep are of an inferior descrip- 
tion, and the Kerry may be taken as an illustration. These 
sheep are thin on the back and narrow in front, but when the 
wedders are kept until they are four years old, and fed on fair 
pasture for twelve months previous to being slaughtered, they 
are full of fat, and their mutton is much prized on account of its 
delicacy. A flock of Kerry sheep presents none of the character- 
istics of a well-bred variety. There is considerable dissimilarity 
in the countenance ; some are tolerably wide in the skull, but in 
general they are narrow in that point. Some are covered over 
the skull and brows with wool, like a Merino, while others are 
quite bare. Some are short-legged, but the majority are the 
reverse ; and some, but not all, have horns. There are also 
black-nosed and white-nosed varieties ; those having black noses 
are considered the best, whilst those with white noses are soft 
and inferior. Their breeders evidently do not apply the principle 
of selection to the breeding ewes and rams. 
A great change has been effected in the breed of sheep known 
