PEDIGREE. 343 



seems desirable, another, of the same general type 

 and qualities, is selected with the same care and judg- 

 ment, and regardless of expense, the only considera- 

 tion that determines his choice being the usefulness 

 of the animal in the improvement of the herd. When 

 better animals of the desired type cannot be obtained 

 elsewhere, some favorite male of his own herd is 

 selected to perpetuate the valuable qualities already 

 established. 



After practising this system of selection rigorously 

 for many years, the herd may become celebrated for 

 its uniformity and excellence, and other breeders will 

 find it for their interest to resort to it for males to 

 improve their own stock, that has not been so care- 

 fully bred. 



Mr. B, with the same opportunities for improve- 

 ment, has no definite standard of excellence, and is, 

 moreover, unable to detect the defects of the females 

 he has selected as the foundation of a herd. In the 

 selection of a male he might consider purity of blood 

 the most important, and perhaps the only, considera- 

 tion. As he does not realize the fact that the male, 

 in effect, constitutes one-half of the breeding elements 

 of his herd, he may, perhaps, think he cannot afford 

 to buy a high-priced bull, the purchase already made 

 having nearly exhausted his supply of ready money. 

 A neighbor has a pure-bred bull he does not wish to 

 use any longer, which he offers to sell at one-half the 

 price originally paid for him. 



This bull may have all the defects and but few of 

 the good qualities of the females already purchased, 

 yet he is placed at the head of the herd simply be- 



