CHAPTER IV. 

 PRINCIPLES THAT GOVERN DEVELOPMENT 



The principles that govern development in animals 

 include the following: (i) Possible development is usu- 

 ally less rapid as the birth period is receded from; (2) 

 more food -is called for to make development with advancing 

 a g e >* (3) periods of stagnation during development lessen 

 capacity for future development; (4) when animals that 

 are being fattened reach that stage of high finish, termed 

 ripeness, further increase is made at a loss; (5) the rela- 

 tion between the character of the development and the foods 

 used in making it is close and intimate; (6) undue energy 

 expended or undue exposure incurred by animals when tak- 

 ing food results in relatively lessened increase in flesh or 

 wool, and in a lessened production of milk; (7) relative 

 production gradually decreases after animals have reached 

 the meridian of vigor; (8) development inferior in char- 

 acter will sometimes occur, howsoever perfect the breeding 

 and management may be and (9) development in what 

 may be termed equilibrium is most conducive to continued 

 well doing in the animals of a stud, herd or flock. Each of 

 these principles has the strength of inexorable law. 



Development and decrease. That possible develop- 

 ment is usually less rapid as the birth period is receded 

 from arises, first, from the changing character of the diges- 

 tion ; second, from the changing character of the foods fed, 

 and third, from the gradual increase called for in the food 

 of maintenance from birth_to maturity. 



The digestive and assimilative processes are most 

 active at birth, and become gradually less so, until finally 

 these become unable longer to sustain life. It is not the 

 amount of food consumed which sustains labor or furnishes 

 tissue to promote growth, but rather the amount digested 



