398 PRINCIPLES OF STOCK-BREEDING. 



them from a family that is more highly bred than the 

 rest of their stock. 



It seems to be the prevailing opinion that almost 

 any pure-bred male will answer the purpose of those 

 who are breeding grades, and comparatively few think 

 of making their selection in accordance with any defi- 

 nite system. 



In the improvement of grade-stock the breeder 

 should have clearly-defined ideas of the kind of ani- 

 mal he would produce, and the rules of the art that 

 have been established by the breeders of pure-bred 

 animals will be found the safest guides in his practice. 



High-bred males, of the particular type it is pro- 

 posed to establish, will impress their own characteris- 

 tics upon their offspring with greater certainty and 

 uniformity than those that, although of pure blood, 

 have been bred from an admixture of a variety of 

 elements without reference to any definite standard. 



Even for the purpose of improving grades it will 

 be found more profitable to select a high-bred animal 

 of superior merit than to use one that cost half the 

 money, whose qualities are not so well defined. 



As the dangers of in-and-in breeding are not so 

 great in breeding grades (a pure-bred sire always being 

 used) as in breeding pure-bred stock, a well-bred male 

 that is free from defects may be used upon his own 

 get with advantage, while a similar practice with an 

 inferior animal would not be desirable. In some of 

 the best grade-herds that have come under my obser- 

 vation, in-and-in breeding (on the part of the sire) has 

 been practised for several generations without any 

 indications of unfavorable results. The sires in these 



