193 
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THE CULTIVATOR. 
lity, is, in general, injurious to the landlord, the te¬ 
nant, and the public. The value of any estate, where 
the system of permanent pasture has been carried to 
an unreasonable extent, may be easily and greatly 
augmented by appropriating the manure of the farm 
to turnips and other green crops, and by the adoption 
of the convertible system of husbandry. 
There are many cases where this doctrine , though in 
general to be recommended , ought not to be carried to its 
full extent. In Norfolk, where the land is commonly 
light, and where sheep are both bred and fed upon 
the same farm, a proportion of permanent pasture is 
essential.— Loudon. 
[From the (London) Farmers’ Magazine.] 
Essay upon the Breeding of lave Stock, and on 
the Comparative Influence of the Male and 1 e- 
male Parents in Impressing the Offspring. 
By John Boswell, Esq. of Balmuto and Kingcausie. 
[In the year 1825, the Highland Society proposed as 
the subject of prize essays, the solution of the question, 
“Whether the breed of live stock connected with agri¬ 
culture be susceptible of the greatest improvement, 
from the qualities conspicuous in the male, or from 
those conspicuous in the female parent?” Four es¬ 
says were received, to which premiums were awarded. 
Those that were written by J. Boswell, Esq. of Balmu¬ 
to, and by the late Rev. Mr. Berry, were considered the 
best. As many persons may not have seen these essays, 
which contain information valuable to all those who 
study the principles of breeding, we have given the es¬ 
say by Mr. Boswell, which will be found interesting to 
every one concerned in the breeding of stock.] 
Te quoque, magna Pales, et te meinorande canemus 
Pastor ab Amphryso.—V irgil. 
The very great utility of a clear knowledge as to the 
best method of improving the breed of live stock, con¬ 
nected with agriculture, must be apparent to all; and as 
one heartily devoted to agriculture in all its branches, I 
cannot help congratulating the farmer on the informa¬ 
tion he is likely to receive on so important a subject 
through the endeavors of the Highland Society. As this 
subject has long (I may say from my earliest youth) 
been one in which I have taken the greatest delight, and 
on which I have bestowed much thought, besides having 
had very great opportunies of seeing experimentally the 
changes produced on stock from crossing, and other cir¬ 
cumstances, I trust I may be justified from any charge 
of self-assurance, in offering a few facts in as short and 
succinct a manner as the nature of the subject and my 
own experience as an author, will permit, being well 
aware that facility of communicating knowledge is al¬ 
most as necessary as experience in order to shine as an 
essay est. 
Hoping, then, for candor in weighing the various facts 
I shall bring forward, and deprecating criticism as to the 
manner in which they are brought together (being a 
mere farmer, and no author,) I shall lay before the so¬ 
ciety such as occur to my recollection. 
The society has put the question, “Whether the breed 
of live stock, connected with agriculture, be susceptible 
of the greatest improvement from the qualities conspi¬ 
cuous in the male, or those conspicuous in the female 
parent?” 
The first thing to be done is to answer the query put 
by the society, and, having done so, to prove by facts 
that the answer given is the proper one. I have not the 
slightest doubt in my own mind that the answer ought 
to be “ the male.”* B ut before proceeding to prove this, 
I would warn all who may turn theii thoughts to the 
subject, that it must be an enlarged view of this or any 
other matter connected with nature, which alone can 
give a true knowledge as to the point at issue. The fa¬ 
ble of the fly on the building ought never to be forgot¬ 
ten; and the stock of a country or a district can only 
lead to the true result as to any particular breed. I 
would also remark, that, before the breed of a country 
can be improved, much more must be looked to than 
the answer to the question put by the Highland Society, 
such as crossing, selection of both parents, attention to 
pedigree, and lastly, food and care of the offspring. 
I shall endeavor to explain my ideas on these heads; 
and then, having given some proofs as to the male being 
the parent having the greatest influence on the progeny, 
I shall endeavor to prove, that, whether I be right or 
wrong, still the male is the parent which we must look 
to, as best calculated to improve the breed of any coun¬ 
try. 
The art of improving the breeds of different animals 
was almost, if not altogether, unkown to the ancients. 
Virgil, who seems to have paid some attention to it, has 
stated things which experience has since taught us are 
erroneous. In this part of the island it has yet to be in¬ 
troduced, and we are forced to go to England for au¬ 
thorities on the subject. A few of our countrymen have 
indeed, of late years, come forth, as it were—and in this 
number we must rank Mr. Stirling of Keir, Mr. Robin¬ 
son of Ladykirk, and Mr. Rennie junior, of Pliantassie, 
who having seen the value of improved stock, and of 
attending to pedigree, or breeding from parents, “ de 
bonne race,” as the French well express it: but with 
* It often happens that an author who has distinctly es¬ 
poused one side in a question so difficult as this, feels dispos¬ 
ed, after the.lapse of two or three years, to modify, or even 
altqr, his opinions ; but it is consistent with our knowledge, 
that the accurate observations and farther experience of two 
years have only strengthened the author of this essay in the 
assertions which it contains.— Editor Farmers’ Magazine. 
the exception of these, and some few others, we are yet 
miserably behind. The very term “a great breeder,” 
signifies two totally different things in England and 
Scotland: in the former, it means a judge, and one who 
delights in improved breeds; in the latter, a person who 
has a great number of (commonly speaking) half-starved 
calves or miserable lambs, and in whose stock we may 
see every variety of shape and colour. We have only 
to look to any drove of Scotch beasts on the road, to sa¬ 
tisfy ourselves of the want of all care in our breeders. 
The cattle are of all different shapes, some with horns, 
and some without; and if you inquire of the owner, you 
will find that he purchased some of those dissimilar 
beasts, not from different breeders, not in different dis¬ 
tricts, but from the same farmer —and his own cattle in 
one fair. How and why is this? Because our Scotch 
farmer is ignorant of his own trade! They all know 
and admit, that “ breeding-in-and-in,” or “ oure sib,”* 
as they call it, is bad; they know the value of crossing, 
and they wish to cross, and do so; hut it is without judg¬ 
ment. A farmer no sooner hears that his neighbor has 
got a good bull, most likely from a distance, than he 
says, “ I must have a breed of him,” as he calls the first 
offspring between his own cow and this bull; and the 
cow is put to this animal, although the one should be 
Galloway, and the other a shorthorn: thus his calves 
are so unlike, that, when his stock is carried to market, 
they present that tag-rag appearance which I have men¬ 
tioned before, and which the best dealers are now recti¬ 
fying to themselves for their own profit, by carefully 
classing them into horned or polled, &c. and thereby 
raising the value of the self-same animal from 10s. to 
20s. a-head in the markets of the south, by giving them 
that uniformity which the breeder ought to have done. 
When I would praise the advantage of crossing, I 
would have it then to be clearly understood, that it is 
only to bring together animals, not nearly related, but 
always of the same breed, never attempting to breed 
from a race-horse and a cart-mare, or vice versa. Such 
a thing may do well enough for once to get an insulated 
animal, hut will end in vexation, if attempted to be pro¬ 
longed into a line. 
We know that crossing, even however ill-done, is pro¬ 
ductive of good. It uniformly frees an animal from 
many of the weaknesses and maladies to which those 
bred in and in are subject, and almost invariably pro¬ 
cures a much larger animal than either of the parents. 
That enlightened gentleman and accurate observer of 
everything connected with animals, Sir John Sebright, 
whom I shall frequently have occasion to quote, says, 
“I have tried many experiments by breeding in and in, 
upon dogs, fowls, and pigeons; the dogs become, from 
strong spaniels, weak and diminutive lap dogs; the 
fowls become long in the legs, small in the body, and 
bad breeders.” 
Mr. Bakewell, that illustrious breeder, denied this; 
and was the first, I believe, who said that a cross was 
unnecessary, that animals would not degenerate by be¬ 
ing bred in-and-in, &c. but let us look to the result. His 
admirable breed of sheep are fast going to decay; they 
have even now become small, and are, to a great degree, 
what is termed soft sheep, i. e. liable to many com¬ 
plaints. The malady to which sheep are most subject, 
decay of the liver, attacks them very frequently, and 
altogether, they make good the old adage, of soon ripe 
soon rotten; more quickly coming to maturity than any 
animal we know, and as speedily going to decay. I have 
seen the wonderful effects produced by crossing, in re¬ 
novating this breed, having, for several years, been in 
the habit of buying in a couple of scores of Highland 
ewes, and putting them to a pure Bakewell ram. They 
were always poor small things, worth not more than 
from 3s. or 3s. 6d. to 6s. each; yet these ewes produced 
lambs which astonished every one who saw them, and 
which sold to the butcher at 10s. 6d. a head. As to the 
appearance of those lambs I shall have occasion to 
speak in another place. Did the limits of an essay per¬ 
mit I could bring many more instances to prove this 
my first position, that it is absolutely necessary to shun 
breeding in-and-in; but, as I must hasten to the main 
question, I shall only remark, that the benefit of cross¬ 
ing extends even to the vegetable creation, a fact which 
is now pretty well known, and may easily be proved in 
the cultivation of various plants. In none is it more 
conspicuous than in the turnip. It is now some years 
since it occurred to Mr. Gordon, farmer, at Orrock, 
near Aberdeen, that, as the brassica tribe easily breed 
together, as it were, it might be possible to cross the 
ruta baga with some of the other sorts. He did so, 
and found that the crosses which he had got were far 
superior in size to either of the sorts he put together, 
and also very hardy as to standing frost. I know another 
small farmer, who, after a very severe winter, tried put¬ 
ting red-top and Norfolk white turnips together, which 
are both very easily destroyed by frost. From these he 
procured a cross which stood the frost uncommonly well, 
and grew to a large size on poor soil. But to proceed 
to selection. 
In this term I would include, not only the choice of 
two well-made parents, but the guarding carefully that 
the same defects, however slight, did not occur in both; 
for it is a fact, stated by Sir John Sebright, and which 
has uniformly been proved by my own experience, that 
it is not always^by putting the best male to the best fe¬ 
male that the best produce will be obtained ; for should 
they both have a tendency to the same defect, although, 
in ever so slight a degree, it will, in general, preponde. 
rate so much in the produce as to render it of little value 
♦Nearly related. 
I found the truth of this in a very striking instance 
about ten years ago. Having a cart mare of a very su¬ 
perior description (and which has twice gained pre- 
rniums at agricultural shows) I looked out for a first- 
rate stallion, intending to breed from her. At that time 
a horse, belonging to Mr. Buchan, near Crief, called 
Blaizc, was carrying all before him.* I thought I could 
not do better than breed from this horse, not taking into 
consideration that both sire and dam were of the same 
make, viz. rather long in the leg; the consequence was; 
that I had a very fine foal to be sure, but with longer 
legs than either of the parents. The next time I had 
learned to correct my former error, and bred from a 
short-legged horse from Cheshire, which was a great 
cross to my Scotch mare, and also differed from her in 
shape. The effect was immediately visible. I had a 
mare which it would be difficult to produce an equal to, 
the leg not being so short as the father’s, although the 
whole appearance much resembled him, nor quite so 
long as that of the dam. Another very striking instance 
of this came under my notice a few years ago. A friend 
of mine (General Burneti) had a mare what is called 
three parts bred, certainly a very fine mare to breed 
from, but a very tall mare, with long legs, which was 
put to the longest legged thorough-bred horse I ever saw 
(Bethlem Gober, the property of lord Aboyne.) The 
produce quite resembled the sire, and, at two years old, 
had reached the height of seventeen hands ; but he was 
a monster, all legs, and very soon proved this by knuck¬ 
ling over at the pastern joint, till at last he could not 
walk; and at three years old was shot. The same mare 
was next covered by Hospitality, a horse as remarkable 
for being short in the leg, and what is termed short- 
jointed. The produce Avas noAv a low sturdy animal, 
greatly resembling the sire, and short in the leg;] thus 
in both instances proving, not only what I mention to be 
requisite, viz. judicious selection of the Iavo parents in 
reference to the make of each, but also the great power 
of the male to change the whole shape and appearance 
of the produce. 
I proceed next to mention the necessity of attending 
to 'pedigree. 
If we look, with an attentive eye, to Nature and to her 
productions, we shall see that they are not only beauti¬ 
ful, but that all she does is uniform. Thus, every Avild 
animal is of the same colour, and nearly of the same 
shape; every flower resembles another; but man must 
always be assisting nature, as he terms it. Then we 
see flowers grow many coloured, or perhaps double; 
beasts and birds change their shape, colour aud nature, 
so that we see such varieties as were altogether unlook¬ 
ed for. 
. The only way Ave can guard against this, is to knoAV 
well Avhat the ancestors of the animals Ave breed from 
were. Without this, our produce ■will every noAv and 
then be breaking through the general rules, and annoy¬ 
ing us Avith odd-lookmg animals, deriving their shape 
from some of their ancestors, perhaps, two or three ge¬ 
nerations back. 
Few words will suffice as to food, and care of the off¬ 
spring. Nothing can be more absurd than to suppose 
that animals can improve if neglected in their youth. 
We have the strongest proof of this in the starved ani¬ 
mals brought from the West Highlands, which croAvd 
our fairs, particularly those of Falkirk and Hallow Fail 
of Edinburgh. Let a farmer buy some of those Avhen 
“ year olds,” and place them (ere they be at the age of 
maturity) in a more genial climate, and on good keep. 
See Avhat beautiful cattle they become. Let him buy 
two-year olds, and the improvement will be less—at three, 
and they will only lay on fat, without reaching large 
size. On the other hand, let him purchase half a dozen 
starved looking small coavs, from the same part of the 
country, in calf (provided they shall be of the pure 
breed;) let him take those cows home, and suffer the 
produce to suckle the dam while she feeds in good pas¬ 
ture. InAvinter, let them be Avell fed, and lie in a shed or 
house tolerably Avarm. What sort of beast has he noAv ? 
Let the reader call to miud the West Highlanders shown 
at Queensbury House for the two last years, every one 
of Avhich Aveighed from 70 to 80 stone, and the question 
is answered. I was once taken to see the cattle of the 
late General Simpson, avIio had the purest short-horn 
blood, a breed which, Avithout all doubt, are capable of 
being made the fattest. These cattle Avere in such a 
state as I have never seen any other animals. They 
Avere all bone and skin, their eyes looked unhealthy; 
and altogether, from starvation, and I rather think from 
* This horse generally cleared £150 per annum to hi 8 
owner, gaining every prize at all the agricultural shows for 
many years; frequently being selected as the best, when 25 
to 30 of the finest stallions from Clydesdale and File were 
shewn in the same field ; and w r as, without all doubt, a most 
superb horse. 
T In the Philosophical Transactions for 1809, in a paper by 
Mr. Knight, on the same subject as this essay, the author, in 
contending for the impropriety of propagating from large in 
preference to small females, brings forward a very interesting 
remark upon length of leg in the offspring. “ Nature,” says 
he, “ has given to the offspring of many animals (those of 
the sheep, the cow, and the mare, afford familiar examples) 
the power, at an early age to accompany their parents in 
bight; and legs of such animals are nearly of the same length 
at the birth as when they have attained their perfect growth.” 
The natural result from which would be, that the offspring 
should resemble their mother in length of leg, and conse¬ 
quently, while there was an excess in tins respect on her part, 
cure ought to be taken to breed from a male, calculated by 
the comparative shortness of his legs, or the great depth of his 
chest and shoulders, either to correct the tendency or impart 
a body of proportional power.— Ed. Mag. 
