BREEDS AND THE PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 433 



interfered with by the efforts we have to make to establish and perpetuate certain peculiarities 

 of the animal system, the extraordinary development of which is unnatural and artificial, but 

 which development may be essential to our interests. The tendency to secrete milk, for 

 instance, is a natural one, found in all animals that suckle their young ; but the extraordinary 

 development of milking powers is artificial. In the wild state the cow yields milk for only a 

 short time, and that only in sufficient quantities, probably, to nourish her young. 



In a wild state among gregarious animals, the strongest male leads the herd, taking his 

 choice from it during his vigor, to be again and again succeeded by other strong males; 

 hence, among such animals the same sire will often be found for two or three successive 

 generations. A traveler in South America tells of seeing an immense and aged spotted bull, 

 that was known by the inhabitants of that locality to have sired the wild herd for three gene 

 rations, and who bore the scars of many a hard fought battle. Darwin maintains that a sys 

 tem of influences not wholly unlike those which man brings to bear in the breeding of 

 animals, is found in the circumstances with which they are often surrounded in a state of 

 nature. It is well-known, however, that, like savage tribes, wild animals are subject to but 

 few diseases, and that artificial surroundings, artificial living and methods of breeding, 

 have a tendency to produce diseases unknown in a state of nature. Animals that are con 

 fined much of the time in close, ill-ventilated stables, are more liable to disease than those 

 that are much of the time in the open air; hence, farm animals in the country are less sus 

 ceptible to disease than those in city stables, where the life of the horse, for instance, is 

 wholly an artificial one. The same might be said of artificial breeding, as previously shown. 



As we recede therefore from this wild condition by domestication, and subject the animal to 

 a variety of circumstances which modify form and system, we frequently do it at the expense of 

 certain qualities, for the sake of gaining other qualities better calculated to promote our 

 immediate interest. The reproductive powers become weaker, the vitality and vigor of 

 constitution lessened; but the formation of fat, or the tendency to produce meat, and the 

 profitable production of milk, may be largely increased. That high breeding has this 

 tendency to diminish the vital force and strength of constitution, is apparent enough when 

 we consider how utterly absurd it would be to attempt to pit an improved Short-horn bull 

 against a rough and ill-bred bull in a Spanish arena. The former would have the improvement 

 knocked out of him before he had time to turn round. 



BREEDING CALENDAR, 



THE following breeding calendar will be found of value in determining the period of 

 gestation of different kinds of farm stock; that of mares being usually 340 days; 

 cows 285 days; ewes 154 days, and swine 130 days. The column of dates at the 

 left denotes the time of service, and applies to the other columns as follows: for instance, if 

 a mare be served January 1st, her period of gestation being 340 days will bring the time of 

 her parturition to December 6th; if served January 6th, the time of foaling will be December 

 llth, and so on. A cow served January 1st will drop hot calf October 12th; a ewe served 

 at that time will drop her lamb June 3d; a sow April 30th, etc. Of course slight variations 

 may result from various causes, but the dates given will be found to cover the usual period 

 of gestation. 



