ME. HA^mOXD'S PRACTICE. 115 



sure, are very much interested in this subject, and for that 

 reason I am sorry I have occupied so much time. 



Mr. Wetherell. I would like to make a remark upon 

 this question of hereditary descent. One of the best experi- 

 ments in breeding that has ever been made in this country 

 was made by Mr. Hammond, of Vermont, in breeding merino 

 sheep, what we call the high-priced, best quality of breeding 

 merinos. Mr. Hammond told me with regard to that partic- 

 ular branch of farm stock, that he had already attained a very 

 high quality, and in order to continue to improve, when he 

 had a ram lamb dropped that he thought came nearer to his 

 ideal than any other, he always marked that lamb, and put 

 him aside for further improvement ; but before starting to 

 breeding generally from that lamb, he would examine him 

 thoroughly, and then look over his ewe lambs and see with 

 which of them that ram would best cross, and after letting 

 him serve one or two, or perhaps three, for the purpose of 

 testing him, "he used him no further that year, but waited 

 imtil the lambs were dropped to see what the result was ; and 

 he said that in a great many cases he was wholly disappointed, 

 ^nd used that ram no more for that purpose, but put him into 

 the flock to be sold with the others, as a thorough-bred ram ; 

 ■he did not say that, but' I may say it. Then he took another 

 ram and tested him in the same way, "untU," said he, "by 

 and by, I would find a ram which would cross exactly with 

 the ewe I wanted, and then I had taken one step in the line 

 of progress which I desire to make." "In that way," said 

 Mr. Hammond, in a prolonged discussion, "I made constant 

 improvements in my stock from lambs which I had in my own 

 flock." In that way I think a principle, or a practice was 

 developed, which farmers too often overlook. You have un- 

 doubtedly heard it said, as I have frequently, that a particular 

 ram, or bull, or stallion is pure-bred, without knowing any- 

 thing further about the animal, and he is sold as a stock 

 animal ; whereas, he may prove very imperfect ; his get may 

 be the opposite of what you desired. Now, I think that this 

 principle lies at the foundation of stock breeding. I have 

 here in connection with this subject, a fact which I wish to 

 present from one of the best breeders in England. I think 

 that my friend, Dr. Allen, to whose address I listened with a 



