FARM ANIMALS 65 



in both of these fields. Some are very fat and others are very 

 lean, both for market and breeding purposes. 



TEMPERAMENT 



By temperament, frequently spoken of as nervous tempera- 

 ment, or nerve force, etc., is meant the power and willingness 

 to do things. No matter how large or good a farm, factory, 

 or other business one has, if it is to do business in the right 

 way there must be a capable man in charge. This is the 

 " power behind the throne" and the business will not go 

 without this factor. 



So it is with the animal body. The operator and driver of 

 all the activities of the body is the nerve force centered in the 

 brain and communic.ated to all parts of the body by means 

 of the nerves. This factor must be well developed so that 

 the animal can drive the forces of its body with vigor and 

 action. Temperament or nerve force is not nervousness or 

 fretfulness. It is alertness, responsiveness to suggestion, 

 style in carriage, vigor in action, and power in doing the things 

 for which the animal is bred. 



The difference in value between different animals frequently 

 is not so much in difference of muscular development as dif- 

 ference in nerve force. It is not intended to minimize the 

 value of muscular development but the two must be developed 

 together. One is just as important as the other. 



It is a fact that when a house is on fire two men can carry 

 a piano which at other times it would take four men to carry. 

 Also, two men can hold down an ordinary man while it takes 

 four to hold down a maniac. Cases like these which show 

 extreme nerve stimulus indicate possibilities and also seem to 

 indicate that the lack of productive capacity of animals is 

 due perhaps more often to a lack of nerve force than to other 

 factors. 



The indication of well-developed force of this kind are skull 

 capacity for brains and well-developed eyes together with the 

 factors mentioned above. 



