24 A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



Cruickshank were all known as great constructive breeders. 

 These men had their ideals or standards, and bred up to 

 them as closely as possible. Two men start out with herds 

 of cattle of equal merit. One man has ideals of what he 

 should do. He carefully studies his cattle and the laws of 

 heredity, and seeks constantly to improve his herd. At the 

 end of 25 years he has a fine herd, that is a marked improve- 

 ment over his foundation stock, and from which he derives 

 much praiseworthy fame and substantial profit. The other 

 man has no ideals or policy. He is satisfied with things as 

 he receives them, he does not study his business, and, as 

 might have been expected, his stock becomes inferior and 

 unprofitable, he gets in debt, and ends possibly in bank- 

 ruptcy. One man is a benefit to his community, the other 

 is not; yet each had an equal chance at the start. 



Certain useful and valuable forms of inheritance exist 

 among the improved types and breeds of farm animals, and 

 the perpetuation of these qualities is most important, if one 

 is to make a success of breeding. Some of these forms that 

 directly concern the stockman are the following: 



(1) Color markings. One of the most important features 

 of breed identification is the color. Some breeds possess a 

 solid, uniform color, as the red of the Red Polled cattle, the 

 black of the Aberdeen-Angus, the white of the Chester White 

 and Large Yorkshire pigs, and the red of the Duroc-Jersey. 

 Fach breed has its standard color or colors, and anything 

 varying from this, as a rule, causes disqualification. 



(2) Milk production. The Holstein-Friesian breed is 

 noted for the large milk flow of the cows. No other breed 

 of cows equals these in heavy flow of milk, and no feature 

 does more to make the Holstein-Friesian famous than that 

 of milk production. 



(3) Fecundity is especially a hereditary character. Shrop- 

 shire sheep have been noted for many years for the large 

 percentage of twins dropped by the ewes. The Large York- 



