Abstract
THE subject of the “Early Maturity of Live Stock” is, no doubt, bucolical in some of its aspects; but, like many other agricultural questions, it is of great national importance, and is closely related to scientific investigations of much interest. The age at which the live stock of the farm becomes sufficiently mature has been considerably reduced during the past hundred years, both by improved methods of feeding, and still more by the altered habit of the breeds of animals—that is, by their earlier maturity induced by the modern system of breeding. Most persons are aware that the “improved shorthorns” were the artificial creation of two eminent breeders, the Messrs. Colling; that the “improved long-horn” cattle and Leicester sheep were the result of skilful selection and inter-breeding by Mr. Bakewell; and that Mr. Ellman conducted similar “improvements” on the Southdown breed of sheep. All these operations upon the earlier types of animals were initiated in the last century, and they were so successful, from a practical point of view, that both bulls and rams were raised in price from about 5l. to 20l. respectively to 1000 guineas for single animals of high character and esteemed pedigree in the flocks and herds of Colling and Bakewell.
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E., H. Early Maturity of live Stock . Nature 31, 582–583 (1885). https://doi.org/10.1038/031582a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/031582a0