140 AGRICULTURE IN THE TROPICS [PT. II 



cases, and get but poor quantity or quality of food. Were the 

 breed suddenly " improved " and larger or more powerful or 

 energetic beasts produced, the villager would be utterly unable 

 to feed them properly. This is a very important consideration 

 which is generally lost sight of. 



Again, the present size and habit of the beasts is suitable to 

 the present size and build of the various agricultural tools in 

 use in any locality, and were the former altered in any serious 

 degree, the latter must be altered likewise, or there would be 

 simply a waste of power. The alteration of the beasts employed 

 for draught purposes must go on hand in hand with that of the 

 tools or implements they are to use, and we shall see that any 

 alteration in the latter must be very slow and gradual. 



In breeding in the tropics, we must not be in too great a 

 hurry to make what we may imagine to be improvements in 

 the breed. There may, for instance, be certain characters in a 

 given breed which we may think to be objectionable, and yet 

 which may in reality be due to the climate or other local condi- 

 tions, and which if removed would spoil or seriously deteriorate 

 the breed. 



Strictly speaking, we want to know the history of the steps 

 by which each breed has come into its present condition, and 

 the forms from which it was originally evolved. But in prac- 

 tice this is quite beyond the skill of the average breeder, and 

 we must be content to go slowly, and to improve the breeds by 

 the selection of the best only for parents, by prevention of 

 indiscriminate crossing, and by an occasional cross with another 

 nearly related breed. At the same time that the breed is thus 

 gradually improved, the improvement of the implements that 

 are to be used by the cattle can be taken in hand, and for this 

 among many other reasons, the veterinary department should 

 in all cases form a branch of the department of agriculture, so 

 that the work may be properly coordinated. 



Proper selection and mating of the male and female wants 

 careful attention ; it is very little use giving good males to 

 cross inferior females. Attention must be directed to the 

 improvement of the females also, and to the liberal feeding of 

 the young, which will let them grow up into better beasts. 



