298 
On Cross Breeding. 
tion of everything indolent and lethargic, and the very antipodes 
of that high organization and nervous development which belong 
to a high-bred liorse. Examples of pure breeding are probably 
to be found in greater perfection in cattle than in sheep. The 
Devon and Hereford cattle have descended through many gene- 
rations in unbroken lines, and owe the perfection which they 
have attained to careful selection. The Short-horns, although con- 
siderably more modern in their origin, and moulded into their 
present form by a series of successful crosses, have yet been 
preserved pure with even more rigorous care than the other breeds 
which we have mentioned. The solid frame and great feeding 
properties of the Herefords — the quality of beef and richness 
of cream, as well as working properties of the Devons, are well 
known and generally appreciated ; and yet these qualitie sare 
insufficient to resist successfully the encroachments of the Short- 
horns, whose early maturity and disposition to lay on both flesh 
and fat, joined with fair milking properties, are such that they 
outnumber both the other breeds combined. As, however, the 
leading purpose for which a breed of cattle is kept is gene- 
rally well defined, whether for the purpose of the dairy, or for 
that and early fatting, or simply for beef or for working as well, 
and, as each of these purposes can be well attained by keeping a 
pure breed, there is not the same temptation or inducement to 
cross, which is often experienced in sheep-farming, in order to 
insure specific advantages which cannot otherwise be attained. 
This being the case, we may most advantageously devote our 
remaining space to the practice of crossing, as illustrated in 
sheep- breeding. We may start, then, with this principle, that 
to cross for crossing sake is decidedly icrong ; that, unless some 
specific purpose is sought for by crossing, it is far better to culti- 
vate a pure breed. The country is, indeed, under great obligations 
to those gentlemen who carefully preserve their breed intact, and 
endeavour to improve it by weeding and selection. We can 
readily excuse their prejudices, if they have any, and have no 
wish to interfere with their creed. Let theirs be the office to 
preserve our fountains pure and undcfiled, and to supply others 
with the best sources of improvement by crossing. And we do 
not confine our praise to those merely who, keeping in the high 
road of fashion, have succeeded in securing, both by prizes and 
prices, a full and sufficient reward for their labours, but would 
award it to those also who, keeping perhaps in the second rank, 
have yet supplied their neighbours and the public with valuable 
pure- bred sheep at moderate prices. 
History fails to supply us with the origin of our various 
breeds of sheep ; but wc doubt not that, for many centuries after 
