lis Thirtii-Fii-st Annual Meeting 



breeding domestie fowl, animals and plants nnder a similar hap- 

 hazard system : and I deem it fair to assume that if we get simi- 

 lar results from a similar system that the same causes have pro- 

 duced those results. 



Sir James C4ibson-jMaitIand, Scotland's greatest fish cultur- 

 ist, in speaking against the introduction of foreign trout into the 

 streams of Scotland said, "Civilization must breed its trout as its 

 cattle, or civilization will have no trout.'' The truth of this 

 statement is evident to me, though T have no doubt he wrought 

 better than he knew. 



The ordinary breeder of domestic aninuils considers it neces- 

 sarv to introduce new blood into his yards from time to time by 

 selecting a male to breed to his stock. In making this selection 

 he does not choose a scrawny, undersized specimen, but obtains 

 the best his means and other circumstances permit. He saves the 

 best specimens of his flock to mate to the male thus selected, and 

 in this way he prevents degeneration of his stock and perhaps in- 

 creases their size and usefulness. 



The fish culturist does not as a rule make a selection of his 

 stock with a view to increasing the size and hence the usefulness 

 of the individuals. His matings are haphazard and the results 

 of a corresponding nature. H is true that lie introduces new 

 blood into his ponds, but of what avail is such new blood if it is 

 of the same quality as the old ? 



The careful and precise breeder of domestic animals selects 

 and breeds his stock to the end that he may improve them, and 

 lo i»ci'|)etiiat(' tlie good qualities in the ()tTsi)ring from generation 

 to geiiei-alioii ; hut the system ])raeticc(l hy the trout culturist has 

 for its only object the perpetuity of the species, and the results 

 indicate that he would ultimately fail even in this. 



Among wihl birds and animals, and 1 may say tislies, the law 

 i>r natural selection operates to insui-e indefinitely the continued 

 existence of tlie species until the environment changes in such 

 manner as to cut off its existence without regard to the natural 

 laws of breeding. In their ])rimeval state, there is no question 

 hut birds, animals and lishes inhrt'ed closely; but the laws of 

 Jiature operate in such manner that only the strongest and most 

 vigorous of the offspring survive and reproduce. The weaklings 



