DEGENERATION OF ANIMALS. 9 



Antony and Conductor were the fii'st foals of their dams ; and 

 more recently, Shuttle, Pope, Sultan, Pericles, Doctor Syntax, 

 Manfred and Pantaloon, have all been first born. Still, these are 

 exceptions, and the great bulk of superior horses are produced 

 later in the series. 



The youngest dam on record was Monstrosity, foaled in 1838, 

 who produced Ugly Buck at three years old, having been put to 

 Venison when only two years of age. Her dam was only one year 

 older when she was foaled, and Venison himself was quite a young 

 stallion, being only seven years old when he got Ugly Buck ; so 

 that altogether the last mentioned horse was a remarkable instance 

 of successful breeding from young parents. As in most cases of 

 this kind, his early promises were not carried out, and he showed 

 better as a two-year-old, and early in the following year, than in 

 his maturity. Such is often the case, and I believe is a general 

 rule in breeding all animals, whether horses, dogs or cattle. The 

 general practice is to use young stallions with old mares, and to 

 put young mares to old stallions ; and such appears to be the best 

 plan, judging from theory as well as practice." Such is the testi- 

 mony of one who has made the theory of horse-breeding a life 

 study, and is worthy of belief. 



Youatt, in his Treatise on Cattle, says : " The proper age at 

 which the process of breeding may be commenced will depend upon 

 a variety of circumstances. Even with the early maturity of the 

 Short Horns, if the heifers could be suffered to run until they were 

 two and a half or three years old, they would become larger, finer 

 and more valuable, and their progeny would be larger and stronger ; 

 but the expense of the keep for so long a time is a question that 

 must be taken into consideration. The custom which at one period 

 was beginning to be prevalent in the breeding districts, of putting 

 the male at one year old, or even at an earlier period, cannot be 

 too much reprobated. At the time when they are most rapidly 

 growing themselves, a suiBcient quantity of nutriment cannot be 

 devoted to the full development of the foetus, and both the mother 

 and the offspring must invitably suffer. From two, to two and a 

 half years old, according to the quality of the pasture, will be the 

 most advantageous time for putting the heifer to bull. In fair 

 pasture, the heifer will probably have attained a sufficient growth 

 at two years. If the period is prolonged after three years, and 

 especially with good keep, the animal will often be too high in 

 condition, and there will be much uncertainty as to her becoming 



