An Introduction to a Biology 



tions to the study of heredity would be most valuable would 

 be a man who combined the experience of the practical 

 breeder with the knowledge of the scientific student of 

 heredity. There are few — I had almost said no such men. 



[From a Letter of Application for the post of Director 

 of Experiments in Animal Breeding, . . . February 11th, 

 1915.] 



I do not think that successful breeding is merely a matter 

 of the correct application to practice of a true theory of 

 heredity. Indeed, it is manifestly not so. Successful 

 breeding — or rather, I should say, the most successful breed- 

 ing that we know, for a much more highly successful breed- 

 ing is easily conceivable — successful breeding, I say, is the 

 work and self-expression of the individual man, individual 

 enough to conceive an ideal to breed to, and possessing 

 at the same time an intimate knowledge of what is 

 wanted in the breed he is interested in. Breeding, accord- 

 ing to my behef, is an art. The relation between the science 

 of heredity and the art of breeding is an extremely import- 

 ant question, both to the student of heredity and to the 

 practical breeder, and I think it is desirable that I should 

 state what my attitude towards this question is. 



I was in Aberdeen a month ago, reading a paper on an 

 aspect of heredity to a combined meeting of the Scientific 

 and Agricultural Societies at the University, and on the fol- 

 lowing day I went with a large party of old students to see 

 Mr. Findlay's herd of Aberdeen-Angus cattle at Aberlour. 

 At the luncheon, a speaker quoted a remark of Mr. Duthie's 

 which Mr. Duthie had made on the occasion of a similar 

 visit to his Shorthorns. This remark was quoted by the 

 speaker and delivered by him with a friendly mock emphasis - 

 as a golden rule which was offered by Mr. D at hie to an 

 audience expectant of useful hints as to the breeding of 

 Shorthorns ; "If you are a good man you will breed good 



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