On Lave STOCK.
Though horses, neat cattle, sheep, and swine, are of equal importance to the British farmer with corn crops, yet, we have few treatises concerning these animals, compared with the immense number that have been written on the management of arable land, or the crops produced upon it. 'Whether this difference of attention proceeds from an erroneous preference of the plough, or vt hither it i, ow ing to the ignorance of agricultu rists respecting the properties of live stock, Y.'e shall not stop to consider. The tact is, however, as we have stated it ; though, according to the present improved system of farming, there is such a connexion between the c 'titivation of the ground and the breeding, rearing, and fattening of domestic animals, that the one cannot be neglected without injury to the oultr.
Though so little has been w ritten concerning the do. mestic animals of Britain, it deserves to be remarked. that the improvement of those animals has not been ne glected ; on the contrary, it has been studied like a sci ence, and carried into execution with the most sedulous attention and dexterity. We wish it could be stated, that one half of the care had been applied to the select ing and breeding of wheat and other grains, which has been displayed in selecting and breeding the best pro portioned and most kindly feeding sheep. A comparison cannot, however, be made with the slightest degree of success; the exertions of the sheep-farmers haying, in every point of view, far exceeded what has been done by the renters of arable land. Even with cattle, considera ble improvement has taken place. With horses, those of the racing kind excepted, there has been little im provement ; and as to swine, an animal of great benefit to the farmer, in consuming offal which would other wise be of no value, matters remain pretty niticli on their former footing.
Having made these general remarks, we proceed to illustrate the several Sections of this Chapter. These. of course, are limited to the four kinds of animals al ready mentioned; and on each of these we shall treat at some length, considering the live stock of Britain to be a subject of vast importance to the national welfare.
when the demand for horses is so extensive, and a full supply of butcher meat so necessary for public comfort, and luxury.
Of Homes.
Mr Colley is of opinion, that there are three distinct breeds of horses in the island, viz, the heavy Blacks, the Racers, and the Shetland Ponies. We should suspect, however, that there are many more, though it is not easy to say any thing about the origin of these breeds, and they have been occasioned by crosses at different periods, till a new breed, or variety was actually produced. The horses in the low-country districts of Scotland are evidently of many breeds; and from what we have seen in England, the breeds are innumerable; and in shape, size, action, and other properties, are as incongruous and separate as the breeds of sheep in the different districts. What a difference, for instance, is there between the Suffolk Punches and the Cleveland Bays? If the latter arc compared with the Northamp tonshire horses, it can hardly be said that there is the slightest affinity, as to size, shape, and action ; and the most that can be advanced is, that both belong to the tribe of animals called horses. Again, view the Welch horses, a hardy breed, no doubt, though of a size capa ble of being contained in the inside of the Northampton shire animal. In short, so many breeds prevail in the island, and these are so frittered down and intermixed, that it is hardly practicable to distinguish the source from which each proceeded. That there are good horses in all breeds, is indisputable ; and the object of the farmer is therefore to select such as are best qualified for the uses to which they are to be appropriated. For the plough, both strength and agility are required ; a dash of blood, therefore, is not disadvantageous.