264 Kansas Academy of Science, 



IS but little more than one hundred years of age. Beginning 

 with the wild cattle with which he was surrounded, the 

 breeder, by selection and proper mating, has developed the 

 wonderful special-purpose types which we have to-day. The 

 observer who looks at the 600-pound cow of the cattle range, 

 and compares her with the 2400-pound cow of the show ring, 

 can see at a glance the wonderful advance that has been made 

 in the development of beef animals, though he may not under- 

 stand how it has been accomplished nor the time required for 

 the development of this pride of the American breeder. Nor 

 IS the average observer aware of the fact that the great beef 

 animals and the splendidly-developed dairy cattle are not only 

 the results of a judicial control of the laws of heredity, but 

 the animals on exhibition are select specimens taken from 

 among those of their kind which have required a century to 

 produce. 



I am firmly convinced that the breeder who produces the 

 great beef animals or the special-purpose dairy animals that 

 are now so common at our exhibitions is worthy of great 

 credit. In fact, he has been termed an artist who is just as 

 much entitled to a niche in the temple of fame as is the man 

 who produces a great painting or he who creates a musical 

 masterpiece. He certainly is entitled to credit, and the animals 

 obtained by his labors are due to his careful observance of 

 the laws of heredity and his careful selection of types whose 

 union will produce what he needs. 



The cattle-breeder of to-day finds that his market demands 

 animals of a certain size with extra or perhaps abnormal 

 development in certain parts. As no two animals are exactly 

 alike and as no one is perfect, it becomes his duty to select 

 animals for mating purposes each of which is the complement 

 of the other. For instance, the part known as the loin in a 

 beef animal contains the highest-priced cuts of meat, and it is 

 the ambition of the breeder to produce an animal that will 

 have the largest amount of fleshy deposit in this region. In 

 doing this he must not only select animals which are strong 

 in this feature, but those which will possess other valuable 

 qualities as well. Both parent animals must be of large vital- 

 ity. They must be of the type known as "easy feeders," and 

 this necessitates large abdominal regions with great digestive 

 powers. Their vitality is indicated by large heart girth and 

 great "spring of rib." Coupled with these must be the bright 

 eyes which at once indicate health and intelligence, because 



