1864. ] ( 439 ) 
CHRONICLES OF SCIENCE. 
I. AGRICULTURE. 
THE second quarter of 1864 commenced in the agricultural world 
amidst important sales of home-bred short-horn herds of cattle, and it 
closes in the midst of important agricultural meetings. These are 
matters rather of commercial than of scientific interest, and yet they 
have aspects interesting to the man of science. The enormous prices 
realized for certain families or strains of blood among pure bred live 
stock possess an interest apart from that which they present to the 
crowd of enterprising men who are following in the steps of Lord 
Spencer, or Lord Ducie, Thomas Bates, Jonas Webb, Colonel 
Towneley. These who have realized hundreds of pounds for indi- 
vidual bulls and cows—the last, who obtained last March upwards of 
7,000/. for a herd of 56 animals of all ages—have not only illustrated 
the enterprise and wealth of English agriculturists, a matter only of 
commercial importance, but they have proved the power of the breeder 
to create that fixity of type in his animals, out of which this extra- 
ordinary value has arisen ; and this is a matter of scientific interest. 
It may be illustrated by the history of what is called the 
“Duchess” tribe of short-horns. More than fifty years ago, when 
Charles Colling’s herd was sold, a young heifer named Duchess was 
bought by Mr. Thomas Bates, of Kirkleavington. From her was 
descended this tribe, which are believed to possess all the leading 
merits of the breed in an extraordinary degree. In particular they 
are possessed of a remarkably soft and silken touch—abundant hair, 
and other indications of vigour-- most symmetrical form, great and 
equal width of back, well-arched ribs, and prominence and width of 
bosom. ‘They possess, in fact, great precocity of growth, and a ten- 
dency to grow most and fastest in those parts where the flesh is of the 
best quality for food. They have the highest reputation also for the 
certainty with which their bulls hand down these properties to their 
offspring ; and they thus command the very highest prices in the market. 
This is one of the results of what is called “breeding in and in.” 
Animals that have inherited again and again, in the course of their 
pedigree, the qualities which relationship in blood has conferred in 
common, possess those qualities much more energetically than others 
do in whom they are observed for the first time. A cross-bred ram 
may have a very desirable coat upon his back, and a very well made 
carcase of mutton within that coat; but it is exactly a toss-up whether 
his progeny acquire the character of his sire or of his dam. If sire 
and dam for generations back, however, have exhibited constancy and 
uniformity of character, then that character is certain to reappear in 
their offspring, which, in his or her turn, will possess still greater 
