The Code of Health and Longevity

ON ATHLET I C EXERC I SES . T5 3 Parentage is certainly of great confequence, though there is often a very material difference between cocks hatched at the fame time, and from the fame parents. The blood principally comes from the female. The iikenefs or outward fhape from the male. The hensof the game breed arevery fpirited and even violent,and will not fuffer a ftrange cock to have any connexion with them. Breeding cocks in andin, or ftalebreed as it is called, (that is keeping uniformly the fame ftock), is a very bad fyftem. It reduces their fize, and takes away their vigour to fo greata degree, that they canhardly propa­ gate theirfpecies, and the fame is remarked in horfes. If game- cocks are bred in and in, theywill ftandto be killed without flinching, but they havenot fpirit or ac­ tivity enough to attack their foes withany efleft. If intended for fighting, they fliould never becroffed with dunghil fowls, for any taint of that blood makes them unfit for a long conteil. The beilplan is, occafionally to crofs with fome of the game breed of a different flock. It is of great importance to have cocks inwardly clean, that isfree from fat, for on that dependstheir being in wind. Neither race-horfes nor game cocks that are in­ wardly fat can be in wind. To give them a good con- ftitution, it is better to keep them as much as poffible in the open air,on a grafs-plot, and with agravel-walk to go to. The more gravelly the foil on which they are kept thebetter. Yards are dangerous, more efpecially where horfes are phyficked, as the cocks may pick up what may do them mifchief. Cleanlinefs is particular­ ly neceffary. When young,the chickens arc kept with fhe henunder ahutch, and fed with oat groats ;when they becomeolder, they get unhulled barley, which is reckoned