DEVELOrMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF BREEDS. 685 



take the Hereford for heavy work, and the Devon for lighter and more 

 active work, such as ordinary farm labor. For cheese or quantity of 

 milk alone, take the Holsteins. For butter and cheese the Ayi-shires 

 are best, while for milk, exceedingly rich in cream, but, of course, not so 

 great in quantity, the Jerseys, Alderneys or Guernseys would be indi- 

 cated, according to the fancy of the breeder. In every case select the best 

 cows possible as dams, at least for the animals intended to continue the 

 cross. 



vni. Variation in Type. 



We have spoken of variation in type, even of cattle bred with a view 

 of perpetuating distinct characteristics. How common this is, any 

 person may satisfy himself by inspecting the animals of any given kind 

 at our animal fairs, especially horses and cattle. Among animals pro- 

 ducing twins, such as sheep, the type may be established sooner, since 

 there is a greater number of young to select from. In swine it may be 

 established in a still shorter time, for they not only have many young at 

 a birth, but they breed twice a year, and a sow has even been known to 

 produce five litters in less than two years. In the longest-established 

 breeds of swine, however, pigs of a litter will vary materially. Hence, 

 in breeding swine, while it is comparatively easy to perpetuate a particular 

 strain by careful selection, it is also as easy to destroy the effects of 

 previous good breeding by bad selections as it is to depreciate them by 

 neglect in feeding. For it is an axiom which should be more generally 

 understood than it is, that bad feeding will soon mar good breeding. 

 And as no success can be had with any breed, however ordinary it may 

 be, without good feeding, it is essential that the improved breeds be care- 

 fully and liberally provided for, especially since the better the breed the 

 better do the animals pay for their feeding. 



IX. In-and-in Breeding and Breeding in Line. 



The meaning of these terms has been defined in a previous part of 

 this volume. One is the breeding together of animals very closely re- 

 lated ; the other is the perpetuation of qualities, by continuing to breed 

 together animals having similar characteristics. From in-an-in and line 

 breeding we get, more often, what is called a "nick" — that is, the inheri- 

 tance of some essentially good quality — than by what is known as out- 

 crossing, or breeding to animals of dissimilar quality. The careful 

 breeder will hesitate long before he resorts to out-crossing, and should 

 only consent so to do where the family has become too fine, and con- 

 stitutionally weak, from being bred very closely together for a considera- 

 ble lenirth of time. 



