ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
345 
this cross sold for enormous prices at his sale, and at the present 
day a majority of the best short-horned cattle are descended from 
it. My opinion, then, the result of my own practical experience, 
is, that if a man considers the female animals which he possesses 
to be smaller than he wishes, he may safely put them to a male of 
large size, provided he is well-bred, of good quality, and is well- 
shaped. But I am bound to add, that I know, in giving this opi- 
nion, I differ from the most skilful and successful breeders with 
whom I am acquainted. 
It follows from the above observations, if they are correct, that 
the first and most indispensable object which all breeders must 
try to obtain, whatever may be the sort of animals they wish to 
have, whatever may be the shape or size they prefer, is that the male 
animal which they select shall possess a strong and healthy con- 
stitution. This is absolutely essential ; but it is also most conducive 
to their success that they shall, after due consideration, make up 
their minds as to the qualities which they wish their stock to 
possess ; that, having made this decision, they shall steadily pursue 
the object they have in view, and endeavour to select such males as 
shall be likely to get offspring possessing these qualities; that they 
shall carefully and candidly examine the females from which they 
intend to breed, observe the faults in shape or quality which pre- 
vail among them, and select males who shall possess corresponding 
perfections. That the safest mode of ascertaining what are likely 
hereafter to be the qualities of the produce from a male is, where 
there is the opportunity, to see what are the qualities of the offspring 
already produced from him ; then, the next to this is, to observe 
what are^the qualities of the family to which he belongs ; and that, 
in the case of not having the opportunity of making use of either of 
these guides, they may assume that it is probable that the qualities 
of the individual himself, which in all cases ought to be attended to, 
will, if he is well-bred, descend to his offspring. 
It has already been said that there are two classes among the 
farmers who breed cattle and sheep ; the one, of those who breed 
bulls or rams — and the other, of those who breed oxen or wethers 
for the purpose of grazing only : the above observations are in- 
tended to apply to both. But much more attention ought to be 
paid by the first of these classes to the selection of the animals 
from which they breed than is absolutely necessary in the other. 
This is essential to their own interest, because a male animal very 
often shews faults in his shape, which, if he had been castrated, 
would not have appeared. It frequently, therefore, happens that 
the produce from a bull or a ram may prove excellent cattle or 
sheep for grazing purposes only, but may be totally unfit to be 
kept as the sires of future stock. Their duty, also, to those who 
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