216 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



"No trouble or expense will be spared by those who expect 

 to derive profit, not from the quantity, but from the quality 

 of the animals which they breed. The competition, which must 

 always exist between breeders of this description, will be a never- 

 failing stimulus to exertion. 



"The common farmer, who seldom sees any stock but his own 

 and that of his neighbors, generally concludes, that his own have 

 arrived at the summit of perfection. But the breeder must 

 frequently submit his male animals to the inspection of the pub- 

 lic and criticism of his rivals, who will certainly not encourage 

 any prejudices he may entertain of their superiority. 



"These observations are the result of many years' experience, 

 in breeding animals of various descriptions. But the life of man 

 is not long enough to form very decisive conclusions upon a sub- 

 ject which is so little understood, and which is darkened by 

 innumerable prejudices. Many experiments must be tried, to 

 establish a single fact ; for nature is sometimes so capricious in her 

 productions, that the most accurate observer will be frequently 

 deceived, if he draws any inference from a single experiment." 



To conclude, we give a different view to the supposed benefits 

 o'f in-and-in breeding, against which some of our most experi- 

 enced stock breeders entertain, as they conceive, well fortified 

 opinions. Mr. Thomas C. Jones, an eminent lawyer, as well as 

 a veteran short-horn cattle breeder, of Delaware, Ohio, from 

 whom we requested a paper on the subject, says the following: 



"Your idea of my preparing a paper, giving facts to show the 

 advantages of 'out-crossing,' as compared with in-and-in breed- 

 ing, I find to be impracticable, for several reasons. The number 

 of instances that could be cited in such a paper, or indeed in an 

 article of any length, is so small in comparison with the number 

 of cattle bred, that the value of such instances, as evidence, in 

 support of my position, would amount to very little. All dis- 

 cussions based upon such evidence have been unsatisfactory. 



