THE DOMESTICATED ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 
89 
for the first six months, which is less than 
fell in the last three months, by 3 inches. Up 
to the arrival of the Potato disease, in the 
beginning of September, there had been no 
excess of rain — rather the contrary. October 
was a particularly wet month, and on the 
second and third days of that month there 
fell upwards of an inch and three quarters 
of rain in twenty-four hours — a quantity 
quite unparalleled in this latitude. It was the 
wettest October on record, the nearest ap- 
proach to it being in 1804 and 1841. 
The consequence of the wet autumn, was a 
difficulty in getting Potatoes properly housed, 
and in obtaining seeds from Dahlias, and from 
Asters and other annuals. In this part of 
the country no seeds were saved this year, 
which have any chance of germination. The 
planting of Tulips was also delayed very much 
beyond the usual time, from the same cause ; 
and out-door work in general was found to be 
quite impracticable for many weeks together. 
In other respects, the effects of the weather 
have not been more remarkable, probably, 
than in other years. Still there is a difference 
of effects in each year, and, in 1845, the 
spring flowers were late in blooming, the fruit 
blossoms late in appearing, the fruit late in 
ripening ; succession crops, such as peas, &c. 
slow in following each other ; and this was 
remarkably the case with gooseberries and 
plums. In this neighbourhood the Dahlias 
had scarcely got into good flower, ere they 
were damaged by the frost; and some annuals, 
which in former years bloomed very freely, 
scarcely struggled into a single flower. On 
the other hand, we had a great abundance of 
fruit and vegetables, and were thus enabled to 
pick up some small crumbs of comfort, even 
during the dark year that is past. 
Joseph Atkinson. 
Ilarrabv, Carlisle, 
Jan. 1846. 
THE DOMESTICATED ANIMALS OF THE 
BRITISH ISLANDS.* 
It may, at the first blush, be rather unexpected 
to find a review of a work of this description 
in a book devoted to the garden ; but there is 
a good deal more connexion between (he 
general objects of this Magazine, and Mr. 
Low's volume, than at first appears. There 
are few gardens of any vast importance 
which have not the usual attributes of a gen- 
tleman's establishment, paddocks, parks, com- 
n'.i i ii -rights, a small farm-yard, and the usual 
inhabitants, and especially cows and pigs, 
* " On die Domesticated Animals of die British 
Islands." Hy David Low, Esq., F.R.S.E. London: 
Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. 1845. 
while the park has its proper number of 
animals to feed it off in season, and stables 
well peopled — we were going to say, but at 
all events, occupied with a horse or two. In 
short, suppose there were not half that wc 
have mentioned, no one ought to keep a single 
animal of any kind, whether for use or orna- 
ment, without knowing something of its 
nature and general habits, and Mr. Low's is 
a book for all men. But we confess we were 
more especially induced to notice it, in con- 
sequence of the affinity which exists between 
the author's notions of breeds and races, and 
our best writers' opinions on the hybridisation 
of plants and flowers. The similarity in the 
effect of crossing subjects of various proper- 
ties in plants and animals is so great, as to 
induce us to quote the author's introductory 
remarks. For, after showing clearly the ne- 
cessity of our becoming acquainted with the 
distinct characteristics of races, or breeds, 
and of adapting the breed of any animal to 
the circumstances in which it is to be placed, 
he proceeds to show the evil of rearing such 
as cannot thrive on lands and in counties 
where others would succeed. He observes, 
that, by rearing, for instance, a breed of lar"-e 
and delicate oxen in a country unsuited from 
its natural and artificial productions, to main- 
tain it, we incur the hazard of loss in various 
ways; while, on the other hand, by rearing an 
inferior breed in situations whereone of greater 
value could be maintained, we deprive our- 
selves of the profit which the natural or ac- 
quired advantages of our situation present. 
So, indeed, is it with plants, as all gardeners, 
professional and amateur, roust know ; for one 
will flourish where another would starve and 
die. A dear crop on unsuitable land would 
be a total loss of quantity; and to grow a cheap 
crop on land that would carry a dear one, is a 
loss of quality. In either case, there is an 
evil which, to be remedied, only requires that 
the tiller of the ground should know what it 
would produce best and cheapest, and brings 
the most money. Mr. Low says : — 
" An error of another kind is the subject of 
constant observation, the result likewise of im- 
perfect knowledge of the distinctive characters 
of breeds. For the procuring of a breed 
adapted to the situation in which it is to be 
reared, two general methods may be pursued ; 
either a new breed may be substituted for that 
which exists, or the old one may have its 
characters modified or changed by crossing 
with other races. There arc many cases in 
which scarcely an error can be committed in 
our practice in these respects, provided we 
resort to a really superior race; but there are 
] many other cases in which a change of this 
i kind may be injurious, or attended with doubt- 
