46 A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



as producers, and individual merit. The great-grandparents 

 are accorded one point each on production, individuality, 

 and ancestry. This is an interesting score card, that may 

 come into considerable use. 



The accuracy of the pedigree is of first importance. It 

 may not be accurate for two reasons; first, because of errors 

 in writing it, due to carelessness or otherwise; and, second, 

 from dishonesty. Mistakes will occur among the most care- 

 ful and conscientious. The published herd-books of registry 

 associations have in the past contained many errors, although 

 conditions now are greatly improved. Also honest men 

 have copied from sale catalogues pedigrees that contained 

 mistakes, and have republished these errors. The most 

 unfortunate pedigree is the "doctored," or crooked, one. 

 Fraudulent pedigrees exist, and men have on more than one 

 occasion been prohibited from doing business with registry 

 associations on account of fraud. If guilty, the penitentiary 

 is what they deserve. Integrity is the foundation on which 

 the pure-bred live-stock business is based, and all premedi- 

 tated cases of fraud should be regarded as of criminal 

 character, and be punished accordingly. 



A study of pedigree is a necessity, if one is to become a 

 successful breeder of pure-bred stock. There are several 

 ways by which one may become familiar with pedigrees. 

 Suppose one is to breed Jersey cattle. Then, if in the busi- 

 ness in a serious way, one should try to secure the herd-books 

 published by the American Jersey Cattle Club. These are 

 the original source from which all Jersey pedigrees are made 

 up in the United States. 



Bracketed pedigree blanks may be purchased from some 

 of the larger associations registering live stock, and publishers 

 of some of the special breed journals also supply them. With 

 the herd-books at hand, and these blanks, one may, as a 

 rule, trace out pedigrees without difficulty, after becoming 

 acquainted with the method of doing so. 



