298 BOARD OF AGRICULTUKE. 



we do not know all the elements which go to make up the animal we are 

 using. Line breeding, too, has its particular difficulties. A sii'e bred from 

 animals of his own or closely allied tribes has comparatively few causes 

 of variation— that is, he is very potent— his capacities are pretty sure to 

 descend; but then his capacities may be good or bad, and as any good 

 tendency becomes strongly developed, so does any bad one. The number 

 of 'blue-blooded weeds' which have been produced of late years since line 

 breeding became fashionable is good evidence of the danger which .is 

 sure to come unless the system is worked by an unerring genius. Let 

 us take the experience of Thomas Bates. He believed in his own blood 

 beyond any other man. What was his practice? Up to 1S23 and 1824 he 

 used hardly any other than Duchess bulls, and it is said that rickety 

 calves compelled him to change. Be that as it may, between the years 

 1823 and 1828 the great bulk of his calves were from Red Rose and 

 Princess sires; between 1836 and 1843 he fell back on the Duke of North- 

 umberland (1940), a Duchess bull, it is true, but with the double cross of 

 a Princess sire and a Red Rose great-grandsire. Fi'om 1843 to the time 

 of his death his calves were principally sired by Oxford bulls, soLie of 

 whose recorded pedigrees would not now entitle them to registration. 

 He was too wise a man to be bound by his own theories. 



"The best plan seems to be to take a middle course— in a general way 

 stick as much as possible to animals bred by men who have successfully 

 carried the ideas at which you aim— and if possible keep to animals with 

 some blood connection. Similarity in blood is of advantage, as it reduces 

 the tendency to sport, as botanists would say; but do not let a desire to 

 have similar blood confine your judgment to too narrow a circle. When 

 you have a good sort do not let any prejudice or whim persuade you to 

 part with it. That breeder is the best off who has a herd of sufficiently 

 good character and enough variety of origin to enable him to keep the best 

 of his own produce for his own use without danger of lessening constitu- 

 tional vigor; but before a man tries to breed his own sires let him be very 

 sure that he has the right sort of stuff to work with. 



"This opinion is no mere theory. It expresses the practice of most of 

 the successful men of old, and in the few instances in which it has been 

 carried out in modern times its safety has been proved. When the men of 

 old found that they had not what they wanted within their own herds 

 they never hesitated to make a change. 



"The details of cattle management must vary with soil and climate, 

 but there is one general principle which ought to be kept in view every- 

 where—let your plan be as nearly as possible nature's plan. Do not give 

 unduly stimulating food; do not fatten at one time and starve at another; 

 do not expose unnecessarily to extremes of climate, and do not coddle your 

 cattle. 



"Breeders of short-horns have notliing to fear so long as they keep 

 utility in view. Let the proof of the pudding bo always in the eating." 



