THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE 



In this book it has been the aim of the author to 

 discuss, in a manner at once brief and concise, all the 

 pedigreed breeds of cattle, sheep and swine at pres- 

 ent existing in America, and also the more important 

 of the sub-breeds. It has been written in the hope 

 that the student of the college and the farm will not 

 be necessitated to travel the same toilsome road trod- 

 den by the author when gathering the information 

 which it contains. 



When the author w r as called to the chair of 

 Animal Husbandry, no way marks relating to -this 

 study had been set up for the guidance of either 

 teacher or student. No work had ever been written 

 on the study of breeds as such. The historical truths 

 relating to the subject existed, but they were strewn 

 about as though with the winds of centuries. No 

 one had dealt in a systematic way with the character- 

 istics of the breeds. No one had presumed to formu- 

 late standards of excellence where they did not exist, 

 nor had the standards in existence for the pure 

 breeds been all collected and published in one volume. 

 The leading truths relating to this great study had 

 of course been discovered, but no one had undertaken 

 the work of collecting and systematizing them so 

 that they would be of easy access to the student or 

 the farmer. To thus gather and systematize these 

 truths has been the aim of the author. 



It is expected that exception will be taken to 

 some of the statements made, more especially with 



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