82 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Makch 15. 1913. 



population and the advent of better machinery and 

 horse labour soon left the working ox a mere historic 

 relic of the past. The different societies of breeders, 

 already in e.xistence, devoted themselves to selection 

 for milk and beef alone, each society ha\ ing its herd 

 book of registered animals and lists of requisites of 

 merit for admission. One of the ino.st interesting 

 features in the evolutioii of the famous beef breeds. 

 and a feature which may yet have its parallel in the 

 West Indie.*:, was the improvement ctfected within the 

 old working Susse.x breed, by the gradual and ordinary 

 process of selection for beef instead of selection chieHy 

 for power and endurance of labour. 



What has been said above will serve to indicate 

 shortly the great importance attached lo the selection 

 of British working cattle previous to their falling into 

 disuse about the end of the eighteenth century, and it 

 points to the importance of organized breeding and 

 registration, irrespective of what particular economic 

 purpose may be in view. The causes which led to the 

 disappearance of British working cattle do not concern 

 the present considerations; but it may be remarked 

 that had ox labour persisted in England, those breeds 

 already referred to would in all probability have 

 become even more specialized and remained quite dis- 

 tinct from the famous meat and dairy breeds of the 

 present day. 



In considering the possibility of greater speciali- 

 zation and organization in the selection of West Indian 

 ■working cattle, it has to be admitted that the position 

 of the stock owner in the Tropics is generally very 

 different to that of the breeder in (Jreat Britain. In 

 the first place the cattle on large estates in the Tropics 

 constitute merely a factor of production: on estates in 

 temperate countries they yield marketable produce 

 and hence a direct profit. This immediate return in 

 cash has a stimulating eftect and obviously justifies 

 increased attention on the part of the jwner or 

 manager. The net advantages to bo derived from 

 a careful selection of West Indian working cattle are 

 not so a[)j)arent, for the increase in working power and 

 ■valuation of the herd are not easily measured in money. 

 It has to be remembered too, that con.siderable attention 

 is devoted to the breeding of working cattle as it is, 

 and Zebu bulls have already been imported into 

 many of the islands in the West Indies for the 

 purpose of improving the indigenous races. In 

 Jamaica and Barbados particularly is the breeding 

 of cattle receiving increased attention. It would 

 appear then that it is not the lack of material 

 to work upon, nor possibly the want of indivi- 



dual effort that is required, but some organization 

 which would help to direct theselection of working cattle, 

 dairy animals and beef animals along three distinct, 

 lines and guarantee the genuineness of specially select- 

 ed and pedigree animals. 



It seems probable that a West Indian Herd Book 

 would answer this purpose. It is not the object of the 

 present article to enter into the details of such an 

 organization, but merely to introduce the idea in 

 a general way. It is obvious that the co-operation of 

 the various West Indian Agricultural Societies would 

 be a fundamental factor in the arrangement of such 

 a scheme and there can be no doubt that the animal 

 industry in the West Indies would be upraised by its 

 in.stitution. 



It is perhap^ in connexion w^itli milk and meat pro- 

 duction that benefit would be derived most quickly. Ic 

 has already been pointed out that the characteristic 

 feature of the animal industry in temperate countries is 

 the clear line of dem.arcation between beef and dairy 

 breeds. In the West Indies, apart from imported 

 miloh cows, there is no such clear distinction. Native 

 milch cows are often \tsed for working in the fields, and 

 calves reared for 'killing or for labour may frequently 

 have a common origin. It is true that the importance 

 of a well bred bull is fully acknowledged in a 

 general way, but sufficient recognition is not given 

 to the importance of a bull of good milking strain 

 in the breeding of dairy cows, and conversely to 

 the importance of a cow- possessing good 'beef 

 points in the raising of those animals which supply 

 the community with meat. Moreover there is the 

 purely business aspect of the matter to be consid- 

 ered. It has been pointed out in connexion with 

 working cattle that the financial return for the trouble 

 involved will appear in the form of an asset, but in the 

 case of meat and milk production an increase in profits 

 will show itself as surely in the West Indies as it has 

 done in other parts of the world. 



( )no of the chief reasons for organization in these 

 matters is the fact that the grazing of animals and milk 

 supply is to a large extent in the hands of the peasants. 

 If some system of registration were established the 

 progeny of the best animals would in the long run 

 take the place of those of the worst, and an additional 

 advantage would arise in that a system of registration 

 would tend to improve matters in regard to the preva- 

 lence of hereditary diseases. 



It may be put forward as an objection to au\ such 

 organized scheme for selection that the climatic con- 



