FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 119 



when close in-and-in breeding between the artificial 

 species which have been parity moulded by man pro- 

 duces loss of vigor and degeneracy, and sometimes 

 this fatal overthrow is but one step away from the 

 pinnacle of apparent success. 



But I would quite as sedulously abstain from run- 

 ning round from family to family and individual to 

 individual to obtain a perpetual recurrence of disturb- 

 ing and unnecessary crosses. 



And when crossing is resorted to, let it be in a uni- 

 form way and direction. Let every breeder establish 

 his own standard and breed steadily to it. The 

 French did this. Mr. Jarvis did this. Both, there- 

 fore, succeeded in establishing a new variety, not as 

 uniform as an old variety, yet far more so than if 

 either had pursued a deviating and changeable course. 



The sheep owner who changes the family and style 

 of his rams every two or three years now, for ex- 

 ample, getting short, thick fleeced, and now long, 

 open fleeced ones ; now yolky and dark, and now dry 

 and light-colored ones ; now low, broad carcassed, and 



who has not an abundance of theoretical knowledge, and an abundance 

 of experience and long observation united. And even then I am in- 

 clined to think that, like the poet, he must be lorn to his business 1 

 Inasmuch then as it requires so much skill to detect those qualities 

 and tendencies (some of them invisible and qjily to be ascertained by 

 inferences drawn from numerous minor facts) which should prevent 

 in-and-in breeding in one instance, or indicate its propriety in another, 

 it is perhaps best that the time-honored public and traditionary belief 

 on the subject should remain unshaken, viz. : that interbreeding be- 

 tween animals of any degree of affinity is wrong and highly danger- 

 ous. As long as mankind started peopling the earth in this way, 

 under the direct eye and provision of their Creator, it will hardly do to 

 pronounce it malum in se, but let tit be considered malum prohibitum, 

 if the public pleases, in the strongest sense I 



