r799.] 
is a curious fact, Mr. Editor, but perhaps 
fomewhat dangerous to publith im thefe 
ticklifh times, that our weft country oxen 
have been much improved of late years, 
in finene(s of flefh and in form, by French 
crofles. I fhould not have ventured to af- 
fert the fuperiovity of French beef, but 
that I fpeak it after Arthur Young, 
whofe political orthodoxy no man will 
difpute. How will the affertors of the 
imprefcriptible rights of Englifh roaft beef 
relifh this? Ilately mentioned the fact to 
a countryman who ftoutly maintained its 
impoflibility. By way of a collateral aid 
to my argument, I introduced the old En- 
glith prejudice of one Englishman being a 
match in the field for ten Frenchmen, 
This home thrutt ftaggered, and rather 
abathed my antagonift, who replied de- 
murely, ‘* no, no, only five Frenchmen; 
which I thought a great conceflion. Thus 
much for prejudice and its boafted utility. 
Who knows but the ufe of this Frenchi- 
fied welt country beef may have contri- 
buted to the increafe of jacobinifmamongft 
us ? a queltion which I fubmit, with the 
moft profound deference, to the unerring 
judgment of the conduétors of a certain 
magazine. 
On the fubject of agricultural improve- 
ment in general, however, we may at 
length reft perfectly well fatisfied : much 
has been done, and the remaining fteps to- 
wards perfection are under the conduét of 
the ableft leaders our country can boaft. 
When fuch men as the Earl of Egremont, 
the Dukes of Bedford and Norfolk, with 
their long lift of honourable and patriotic 
affociates, undertake the increafe and im- 
provement of our breeds of cattle, we are 
not only confident of the beft {cientific 
aids being engaged, but there is no longer 
any danger to be apprehended of thofe 
low horfe-dealing intrigues and tricks, by 
which the public was formerly gulled. 
The plans of improvement by the mode 
of annual fhews and prizes, in Suffex, 
Bedfordfhire, and in the Weft, are highly 
judicious and liberal ; and the appendage 
of a Smithfield Society in London (lately 
inftituted), which will as it were conneét 
the judgment of town and country, is an 
ideaygwhich cannot be too much com- 
mendtd. Allideas of private intereft are 
out of queftion with thele patriotic focie- 
ties, fince, by covenant, the animals which 
from cheir fuperiority command the prize, 
are to be let out to hire, at rates perfectly 
reafonable. Here then is a fair challenge 
to the farmers of England. The coun- 
ties in which the beft {tock is te be pur- 
chafed, either for keep, or breeding, are 
MONTHLY Maa. No, ximt. 
Agricultural Obfervations. 
209 
pointed out ; and there will remain now 
no farther excufe to thofe men of pro- 
perty, who are either underftocked’ with 
cattle, or their farms difgraced with un- 
productive rubbifh. Without pretending 
to doubt the judgment of thofe very able 
and experienced men, who are engaged in 
this affair, I would wifh to throw out a 
hint. The true form of the horfe has 
long been fettled, paft all difpute; but 
that leems not to be the cafe with refpeé& 
to oxen, faeep and pigs. Thofe animals 
which are candidates for the prizes, and 
which are, in confequence of fuccefs, to 
be recommended to the country, have 
their merits decided upon, by the arbitrary 
judgment ef certain perfons, appointed 
to that end. But ought not thefe to have 
fome fettled principles on which to decide, 
and what are they ? Since the principle of 
form laid down in Mr. Culley’s otherwile 
very ufetul Treatife on Live Stock, (the 
barrel fhape) is now generally exploded, it 
would be of infinite ufe to the agricul- 
tural readers of the Monthly Magazine, 
if fome experienced gentlemen would 
come forward, and give their fentiments as 
to the true natural torm of thofe animals ; 
that from the collifion of various judge- 
ments, a ftandard principle, worthy of 
dependence, might be at length ftruck 
out ; and this requeft I make bold to ex- 
tend to the numerous foreign corref{pon- 
dents of the magazine. : 
A PRACTICAL FARMER, 
February 105 1799. 
TEI 
For the Montily Magazine. 
Me. EvITOR, 
MA TES your permiflion, I will give 
mylelf the pleafure of making 
a farther anfwer to your refpectable cor- 
re{pondent, G, A. of Bedford. 
I conceive, there can be no doubt, but 
that the rage recommended by the Mid- 
Lothian Report, the colefeed ot the fen, of 
Suffolk and Effex, where I have fo often 
viewed it, and the rape cultivated laf 
year, by G. A. are precifely the fame 
genus and even fpecies. ‘The diiterence 
of product avifes merely from difference 
of foil and management. This uncer- 
tainty, both with refpe&t to rape and 
eoleworts (as I before hinted), is no new 
matter, When the feed of the latter was 
fent to England, fome years fince, by the 
Marquis de Turbilly, with the higheft re- 
commendation, I well recolleét, it was 
tried by various able cultivators in differ- 
ent parts of the country, without the 
fmalleit fuccefs; whilft at the fame time, 
Mr, 
