POLLED BREEDS 155 



of the Shorthorn parent prevail, and to this is added the firm 

 fleshing and, according to some authorities, the abundance of 

 lean meat from the Galloway dam. Blue-greys are said to be 

 more hardy than Shorthorns, but I have no experience in this, 

 and probably the point is only rarely put to the test, for, after 

 weaning, the calves are well cared for ; it is the cows that -are 

 expected to stand a great deal of exposure in the altitudes of 

 the rigorous climate in which they live. Nor have I ever been 

 able to find reliable evidence that Blue-greys "do" particularly 

 well; this term, implying a profitable return for food consumed, 

 is, however, frequently applied to them by men of experience. 

 One is compelled to distrust popular beliefs founded upon 

 appearances. When neither the animals nor the rations are 

 weighed, obviously the eye is the only guide. How often the eye 

 is misleading only those who have experience of recording 

 weights and amounts of food consumed can thoroughly realize. 

 The beautiful Blue-grey always shows to advantage ; it is very 

 seldom that a beast of this colour looks otherwise than thriving, 

 and so it is quite possible that, when judging by appearances 

 rather than by ascertained fact, this colour creates a prejudice. 

 The belief is so widely held and the knowing feeders pay such 

 high prices for the stores, that it is important to learn the truth. 

 Until we know the truth, it is difficult to dogmatize about Blue- 

 greys. The value of first-cross bred animals is held to be very 

 great. Many practitioners will assert freely that the first-cross 

 produce of two breeds is better than either of the parents. The 

 origin of this belief can very frequently be traced to the alleged 

 superiority of the Blue-grey; and to accept the whole theory 

 on this assumed superiority seems most unwise. The import- 

 ance, then, of testing the belief by proper trial is clear. 



In plant-breeding there appears to be greatly increased vigour 

 in the "hybrid" offspring of two different varieties crossed 

 together. Many observers working on Mendelian lines have 

 noted this. It may be that the Blue-grey is an instance of what 

 Mendel's disciples call an 7^, showing the same increased 

 vitality as is believed to be seen in the plant. On the other hand, 

 it is permissible to doubt whether the factors governing utility 

 characters are fixed to the same extent in the different breeds 



