THE TURN OF THE TIDE. 545 



nels of those bloods would have ceased to cut 

 much figure upon the Short-horn map. The 

 "pure" Duchesses about this time became ex- 

 tinct both in Europe and America, leaving the 

 field, so far as Mr. Bates' favorite family was 

 concerned, to the outcrossed branches. The 

 effort to preserve the Kirklevington tribes for 

 an indefinite period free from admixture of 

 other blood met with no success so far as sus- 

 taining the individual merit of the cattle was 

 concerned. 



Evils of speculation, There is nothing so 

 dangerous as popularity. Whenever it is dem- 

 onstrated that cattle of any particular line of 

 breeding possess pronounced merit and repre- 

 sent a blood concentration likely to insure pre- 

 potency a widespread demand leads to the re- 

 tention for breeding purposes of "all sorts and 

 conditions" of cattle carrying the coveted ped- 

 igree. The really good specimens are taken 

 by leading breeders or wealthy speculators at 

 fancy prices, leaving the inferior and indiffer- 

 ent "misfits" for those whose purse does not 

 permit of the purchase of the best. Thus it 

 came to pass that during the years of inflated 

 values the tendency of Short-horn breeding 

 was away from correct standards, so far as 

 practical excellence for the farm, the dairy, or 

 the feed-lot was concerned. The entire breed 

 was "honeycombed" by the speculative mania. 



