28 THE FOXHOUND 



torn does not prevail to any extent in this 

 country and should be judiciously encouraged. 

 I am afraid that we have adopted the " hand- 

 some is as handsome does " policy too freely. 



The efficiency of the hounds depends entirely 

 upon the breeding, and to maintain a pack or 

 strain up to the required standard of excel- 

 lence continual selection of superior animals is 

 necessary. One of the soundest principles of 

 breeding is that the longer certain desirable 

 qualities have been handed down from genera- 

 tion to generation the more certainly you can 

 depend upon a continuance of the same. 

 Heredity is undoubtedly the strongest force in 

 nature. To be sure, it does not control the 

 individual peculiarities of a sire or dam, but 

 where these characteristics existed for several 

 generations we may expect many of them, and 

 the farther back they extend the larger and 

 more pronounced will be their percentage. 



Stonehenge says inbreeding is not injurious 

 to the dog, as has been proven by theory and 

 practice. On the other hand, Darwin says in- 

 breeding diminishes vigor and fertility. Some 

 claim that by inbreeding alone one can fix and 

 perpetuate good qualities in succeeding genera- 

 tions. My experience is that inbreeding, when 

 judiciously and not excessively practiced, is 



