OF SCOTLAND.

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slaughtered. If the quantity of food consumed by each wereaccurately ascertained, the result would determine whether aquick feeding animal of a moderate size, or a larger onewhich did not attain maturity so soon, were the most profita-ble. The present demand for butcher-meat, the practice ofbreeders, and the quality of the pastures of Scotland , seemto justify a preference for the former.

It has also been made a question, whether animals eat inproportion to their weight. Though this were correctlyknown, it does not appear what advantages w'ould result.Perhaps the question ought rather to be, whether all animalscat in proportion to their improvement, or return the sameweight of meat for any given quantity of food. This is thesame thing as if it were asked, whether all animals wereequally valuable, so far at least as respects the weight ofcarcase, though not the quality of flesh. The answer to thisquestion must be a decided negative; for from any givenquantity of food, animals of different races, and even of thesame family, certainly return different quantities both of meatand offals.

III. It may now be proper to mention some of the ruleswhich are generally observed in the breeding and manage-ment of live-stock.

1. Young animals much below the size to which theyusually attain before being put on fattening food, should notbe allowed to procreate. The male however may be employ-ed at an earlier age than the female. Any little profit ob-tained by too early breeding is more than compensated bythe deterioration of both the parents and the offspring.

2. Their young should be brought at the season whenthere is usually a full supply of suitable food. On high ex-posed situations, where there is little or no other provisionthan the common pastures, this rule should be always attend-ed to, and very great loss has been sustained by neglectingit.