BREEDma OF HORSES. Hg 



I do not wish to be understood that I believe there are laws 

 which may be studied and conclusions which may be adopted that 

 will lead one in a successful road always. 



For one constantly finds exceptions which are without the 

 accepted rule of "like producing like," but are generally made 

 plain if we carefully study cause and effect, allowing our investi- 

 gations to go back through several generations. All such 

 investigations will make us stronger in the belief of the correctness 

 of the general theory of generation. 



Here is a point to which I would like especially to call the 

 breeder's attention, although I do not doubt your own observations 

 have led you to adopt the conclusions (and it is ajiplicable to all 

 kinds of stock-breeding): That the safe plan in selecting a represen- 

 tative animal, a dam or sire, especially the sire, is that they should 

 not only be in the line of acceptable stock for several generations, 

 but that they should be individually capable of transmitting these 

 desirable qualifications. 



I have in my mind several animals of good antecedents and such 

 as I would select if pedigree and configuration only were to be 

 consulted, who never produced an acceptable animal. And I may 

 go further and say that I have known own brothers, one of them 

 capable of determining the character of most of his get, while the 

 other was worthless in this respect, and was not followed by ani- 

 mals of his size, color, or constitutional powers, yet these brothers 

 were nearly alike in general appearance. 



The fact is noticed by many writers upon the subject of breed- 

 ing of horses. 



I. H. Walsh, author of British Rural Sports, treats of this sub- 

 ject at some length, citing such examples as Touchstone and 

 Launcelot, own brothers, of same color and appearance, yet the 

 get of Touchstone were nearly all patterns of himself even to color, 

 dark bay or brown, while Launcelot's were of all colors and of but 

 little account upon the turf. 



If then we grant that there is no certainty in our efforts, it 

 would seem that we are afloat for a safe course to pursue as a rule. 



I do not wish to convey that I believe it chance, beyond our 

 reach, although it may be to a certain extent beyond our control, 

 unless experience step into the place left for it by science. 



To repeat : I do believe in breeding in a line of desirable quali- 

 fications as the foundation of our success in any branch of breed- 



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