THE SELECTION OF ANIMALS 2) 



is owing to such influences as those exercised by the 

 condition of the male at the time of generation, or of the 

 female during gestation, to the character of the food fed 

 before and after the birth period, and to habit as the out- 

 come of use or training. But it is the best guide 

 considered alone, when selecting animals for feed- 

 ing or performance, especially in the absence of a 

 knowledge of facts bearing on inheritance. 



The relative importance of inheritance and type or form 

 in selecting animals is a disputed question. In this re- 

 spect the object sought will have an influence. In select- 

 ing animals for breeding and prolonged performance, it 

 would seem as though correct inheritance overshadowed 

 in importance correct form, as the results in breeding 

 from correct form, in the absence of correct inheritence, 

 would probably be very disappointing; whereas, correct 

 form may usually be expected to produce fair results 

 during the short period covered by the finishing process 

 for the block, in the absence of any knowledge of inheri- 

 tance other than that which form furnishes. Where the 

 two are combined, the guaranty of correct selection is so 

 far strengthened as to be a reasonably safe guide. 



Quality. Quality in domestic animals as now gener- 

 ally understood means capacity for well doing or capacity 

 for good performance in the line or lines for which the 

 animals may be kept. The indications of quality, there- 

 fore, are the indications of such capacity, hence, it is very 

 evident that the indications of quality will not be the 

 same in some respects with these classes of animals, since 

 they are kept for different uses, in consequence of which 

 the basis of interpretation is different. So important is 

 the possession of quality in domestic animals, that in its 

 absence marked results are unattainable either in the line 

 of breeding or feeding. 



Quality is not easily defined. In the broad sense it 

 would mean the possession of all the essentials requisite 

 to indicate at least average performance and these are 



