THE LAMP OF EXPERIENCE. 843 



nated the trade have been created. On the 

 other hand, over-indulgence in the practice has 

 proved the destruction of more than one family 

 of great original merit. Dealing with raw ma- 

 terials, as it were, the pioneer breeders were 

 able to reap the highest possible measure of 

 benefit from an appeal to the Bakewell prac- 

 tice, but a century of breeding within herd- 

 book lines has brought the Short-horns of the 

 present in such close relationships that what 

 was wise procedure in the early days would 

 now be the height of folly. What was once 

 heterogeneous in its composition has by the 

 operation of the pedigree registry system been 

 rendered homogeneous. 



The fact that close breeding proved effective 

 many years ago in the hands of a few men of 

 rare capacity affords no justification whatever 

 for continued in-and-in breeding by their suc- 

 cessors. Efforts have been made to enforce, as 

 a test of loyalty to some of these great breeders 

 of other days, opposition to the idea of resort- 

 ing in any shape, form or manner to fresh 

 blood for the rejuvenation of cattle so de- 

 scended. It must be apparent to even the 

 dullest comprehension that this proposition is 

 not only illogical on its face, but is really the 

 most effective of all methods of destroying the 

 good work done by those who bequeathed stock 

 that had already been subjected to the severe 



