FOR PEACE AND WAR. 45 



I read that in the Highland Agricultural Society of Scot- 

 land; was opened an interesting physiological prol^lem as to 

 the relative influence of male and female parent in the 

 propagation of horses, which was propounded in this 

 manner : Whether the breeding of live stock be susceptible 

 of the greatest improvement from the qualities consj)icuous 

 in male or female parents ? A variety of opinions were 

 elicited, and some from names standing very high both as 

 the greatest scientific authorities of the day and as the best 

 practical breeders. 



Mr. Boswell, of Balmuto, was on the side that awards to 

 the male the greatest transmissive power; and after an 

 elaborate investigation concludes ihat he is the parent to 

 which we can alone look, from motives of sense and sound 

 polity, for improvement of any stock. 



A more modified view was taken by Mr. Dallas, of Edin- 

 burgh, who gives his opinion that, while the male is more 

 potent in imprinting external qualities, the female is more 

 influential for those which are internal. Hence he teaches 

 that the sire should be selected for improvement of coat, 

 colour, size, bone, action, and general configuration, and the 

 female for hardihood, and, in fact, all purely constitutional 

 attributes. 



Mr. Christian, of Mull, takes a middle course, and con- 

 tends that the offspring partakes of the qualities of that 

 parent which exerts the strongest influence in formation of 

 the foetus, and recommends the selection on both sides of 

 the best animals of the breed sought to be improved that 

 can be found. That such a theory is a very safe one there 

 can be no doubt ; but it is by no means so convenient in 

 the breeding of gregarious animals as that which allows to 

 the male a preponderating influence. One stallion may 

 beget in one season one hundred foals, while the mare only 

 produces one. Therefore, from such an example we can 



