1 66 The 'Book of the Goat. 



weight at two years and four months was i9olb., and his 

 height 36in. 



Importance of 'Pedigree. 



One of the most important conditions as regards the 

 selection of breeding-stock is a good pedigree. When I 

 say pedigree I do not mean merely a long list of ancestors 

 without any qualifications, but a traceable descent from 

 prize-winners on both sides, and in particular milking- 

 prize winners, for the milking qualities are inherited as 

 much from the sire's side as from the dam's. It is 

 singular how this matter of pedigree has until compara- 

 tively recently been overlooked by goat-fanciers, and it is 

 owing to the neglect of this important consideration that 

 in the early days so few strains of goats could be depended 

 on to transmit their characteristics to their offspring. 



Goat shows have done much towards bringing about a 

 change in this respect. It frequently happens now that 

 kids take prizes in their class, whilst either one or 

 perhaps both of the parents are winning honours in 

 another class at the same show. This was specially 

 noticeable at a Dairy Show some years ago, where a kid 

 exhibited by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts was very highly 

 commended, its dam winning second in the she-goat class, 

 whilst its granddam had previously been the winner of 

 a champion prize, and its great-granddam also a prize- 

 taker at the first Crystal Palace Show. Similarly, the 

 sire of this kid had taken a first prize, and the sire of its 

 dam and granddam had won honours also. I could 

 furnish other illustrations of a similar kind to show how 

 an extraordinary yield had likewise been transmitted, 

 but what I have said will suffice to show the importance 

 of pedigree. 



There is no difficulty in these days in selecting breeding- 

 stock whose descent can be traced, as the Herd Book 



