650 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR. 



desired. Short-Horns and Herefords among cattle, and racing horses 

 are thoroughbred. 



Full-Blood. — Full-blood is a term that should not be used to denote 

 either purity of blood or thorough-blood, though much confusion has 

 existed in the popular use of these three terms. High-grade animals are 

 the produce of pure stock upon common stock, and when pure stock is 

 repeatedly bred to the progtJnj of such unions the progeny in the course 

 of some generations nearly approaches the pure race in every character- 

 istic and is then called " full-blooded." 



Grades- — This term was partly defined in the preceding paragraph. 

 It is used to denote the offspring of pure-blooded or highly-bred animals 

 with those of less breeding, and is generally applied to a cross of pure- 

 blood on common stock. 



Cross-Breeding- — The breeding together of animals of different breeds 

 is called cross-breeding, as for instance the union of Hereford and Short- 

 Horn blood.- In the first cross, the progeny theoretically possess equal 

 proportions of the blood of sire and dam, but the 'blood of pure animals 

 being prepotent the progeny will possess more strongly the charateristics 

 of the Wghly-bred parent than of the other. Hence the advantage of 

 using a buil ojf pure blood on a herd of mixed blood. 



XV. How to Start a Herd. 

 From among the best cows of the ordinary mixed farm stock, select 

 those possessing in the highest degree the characteristics desired in the 

 offspring. For ten two-year old heifers select a pure-blood yearling bull, 

 that has come of stock noted for getting uniform milkers, if this be the 

 object ; or, if beef be the object, he should be of excellent fineness, with 

 great loins, rump and thighs and round barrel-ribs well sprung out, and 

 ribbed close to the hips. The next season's produce should be ten calves, 

 half of which are likely to be heifers. Save these and geld the bulls at 

 the age of about three or four weeks. When these heifers are two 

 years old breed them to their sire, who will then be four years old. 

 The female produce of this union may again be bred to the same bull, 

 and this process may continue to the fourth generation, if the bull lasts so 

 long in the possession of vigor. H.s last get will thus inherit fifteen six- 

 teenths of the blood of the sire. Select from these the heifers that show 

 the strongest constitutional vigor, and follow this down through the inter- 

 mediate grades, keeping the families distinct. That is, record the breeding 

 of each animal separately in a book specially prepared for the purpose. 



XVI. How the Herd will Grade. 

 -Your herd will grade as follows : The first generation will be half-blood 

 grades; the second three-quarters blood; the third, seven-eighths blood 



