THE HORhE- BREEDING. 545 



ting and running-horses, and demoralize the race-tracks, and curse 

 the horse-business generally. They wear out smart mares by 

 hippodroming the circuits, and then breed their remains to some 

 cheap stallion of like qualities, and the produce is usually of no 

 more value than the ancestors or owners. 



In-and-in Breeding. This term is generally used to mean 

 the breeding of animals that are nearly related. There is want- 

 ing among farmers and breeders generally a clearly defined idea 

 of its meaning and of its use. The results of close marriages in 

 the human family, persisted in from generation to generation, 

 have been so disastrous that there is a common idea that ani- 

 mals nearly related should never be bred together. This is not 

 founded on a large acquaintance with the methods of the most 

 successful breeders of all kinds of domestic animals. 



Improvement of animals comes by increasing, and even fixing, 

 the traits of excellence sought. If speed be the trait sought, 

 and a given family excels all others, then by crossing sire on 

 daughter, or son on dam, we double the chances of the offspring 

 having that trait of excellence which marks the family. On this 

 principle, horses that have the greatest number of Messenger 

 crosses have excelled as trotters. They have not only had 

 speed, but much of that nerve and resoluteness which carries 

 them to the front. 



Defects Inheritable. If the family excelling in speed 

 has marked defects or objectionable traits, as corby legs, thick- 

 ness of wind, or weakness of eye or loin, then an attempt to re- 

 peat crosses of this family is attended with too great risk, for 

 the law of inherited traits is as strong, or stronger, in regard to 

 defects as excellences. It may be laid down as a rule, that in- 

 and-in breeding must not be practiced in families possessing 

 prominent objectionable traits. Animals of ideal types are few. 

 Hence, when found, how can their like be produced again, but 

 by breeding to those of like blood, so near as may be found. 



Close Breeding. It is on this principle that Bakewell 

 established the Bakewell Sheep and Longhorn Cattle, and Col- 

 lings their improved and world-renowned Shorthorns. The 

 Booths practised close breeding of their cattle to a great extent, 



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