2U ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



at a loss to know what particular phase of the work would be of most 

 interest to us or what we could discuss most profitably together. I 

 have, however^ decided to try and confine myself to a comparatively 

 narrow phase of what might be called animal indusliy work. 



As raan began to study the breeding of domestic animals with a 

 view to improving them for his purpose, he found that certain condi- 

 tions tended to bring about certain results; that there were well- 

 fixed laws governing their propagation. He found that nature' did not 

 depend upon any chance in perpetuating the various species of plants 

 and animals with which he was familiar. By studying conditions and 

 results certain laws have been formulated and have been accepted 

 both by the breeders and the scientists. The fact is, these laws have 

 been ascertained by trial; the laws of breeding have been found out 

 by trial or by the results of many trials, rather. They have not been 

 reasoned out by analogy, but have been formulated from general 

 practices and recorded results. That is the way the laws or so- 

 called recognized laws of transmission or principles of breeding have 

 been determined. Of all the laws pertaining to stock breeding which 

 we recognize, a few are considered to be of more importance than 

 others. Practical men as well as scientists lay more stress upon 

 some laws than upon others and it is these few that I shall try to 

 call your attention to this afternoon. 



The recognized laws of breeding are founded upon certain well- 

 known facts or principles which are accepted, for we must have cer- 

 tain accepted facts as fundamental principles for a foundation on 

 which to build our structure if we are going to arrange any system 

 for a series of laws; and I may say that various authorities have 

 formulated these principles according to their different judgments. 

 We find that they are essentially alike but differ in some minor de- 

 tails. The laws which I have had printed on the sheets now in your 

 hands were enunciated by Prof. William H. Brewer, of Yale 

 Universit}', whom I hold to be one of the best authorities on the 

 principles of breeding in this country. These we may call funda- 

 mental propositions upon which the laws of stock breeding are 

 founded. We will read them over together. As I have arranged 

 them they are 



SIX FUNDAMENTAL, PROPOSITIONS. 



I. Every animal must have two parents, and every animal resem- 

 bles its parents in most of its characteristics. There is a force or 

 tendency to keep offspring, like their parents or descendants, like 

 their ancestors. This is called the ''Law of Inheritance," "Similar- 

 ity," ''Like Produces Like." 



IL No two animals are alike or identical in all respects; hence off- 



