MISCELLANEOUS CONSIDERATIONS 513 



That the sire exercises an influence on the size of the 

 progeny at birth has been denied. Of course, such influ- 

 ence is less on the part of the sire than on that of the 

 dam in the very nature of things. But that the sire does 

 exercise such an influence is clearly shown in cross breed- 

 ing where the size of the sire is much in excess of that of 

 the dam. The influence thus exerted by the sire, however, 

 in determining the limit of possible development in the 

 progeny at maturity is greater than in determining actual 

 size at birth because of the various influences intra uterine 

 in character that offset foetal development, and that cease 

 to be operative subsequently. In other words, ultimate 

 development, the outcome of influence exerted by the sire, 

 may be greater relatively at maturity than at the birth of the 

 progeny. 



It follows, therefore, that possible size at maturity is 

 not fixed by relative size at birth, although there is doubt- 

 less some relation between these. Possible size at maturity 

 is determined by inheritance from both sire and dam, and 

 to some extent from the ancestry of these. Illiberal feeding 

 may result in possible development being unattained. But 

 no feeding, however liberal, can result in development be- 

 yond the limit set by inheritance, that is to say, feeding 

 more food than would be regarded as a sufficient ration will 

 not carry development beyond what it would attain by giv- 

 ing simply a sufficient ration, but it may reach such develop- 

 ment more quickly. 



It is evident, therefore, that it is not possible to state 

 exactly the maximum, minimum or average weights of 

 young animals at birth. However, basing the es- 

 timates on records of weights that have been taken, 

 it would be approximately correct to say that the 

 average weight of standard bred foals whose dams 

 and sires range between 1000 and noo pounds would 

 be somewhere in the vicinity of 100 to no pounds, 

 and that draught foals would be proportionately heavier ac- 

 cording to the weight of the parents, in normal condition as 



