BREEDS OF HORSES 25 



blood, the progeny would be a three-quarter blood; and each suc- 

 ceeding mating in this manner would reduce the amount of native 

 or scrub blood by one half. From the first mating, which produced 

 the half-blood, to that after successive generations where the native 

 or scrub blood is very slight, the animals thus produced are called 

 grades. As long as the sire contains native or scrub blood, one can- 

 not feel sure that this undesirable native or scrub blood tendency 

 will not be manifest at any time. Of course, the chances of its being 

 manifested are lessened as the quality of scrub blood is reduced, yet 

 horse breeders do not feel warranted in ever assuming any unneces- 

 sary risks. We should not forget that the offspring of a grade sire with 

 a grade female makes no advance in breeding, the result in progeny 

 as a grade. The object of the horse owner who is breeding grades 

 should be to breed higher grades in each successive generation. In 

 all of our pure breeds prepotency is a fixed character to a greater or 

 less degree. Grade sires on the contrary lack both breed and indi- 

 vidual prepotency, and therefore should not be used for breeding 

 purposes. 



Value of a Pedigree. The pedigree is simply a record showing 

 the animals that have in succession entered into the breeding of the 

 individual in question. It also shows that the animal belongs to a 

 distinct breed possessing to some extent at least the prepotency of the 

 breed. It should also guarantee to some extent individual prepo- 

 tency. To insure both breed and individual prepotency, the pedi- 

 gree should contain the record of animals having individual excel- 

 lency both as near and distant ancestors. This condition should 

 exist on the dam's side as well as on the sire's side of the pedigree. 

 A pedigree tells the story of the animal's breeding and is of value 

 according to the story that it tells. If it tells that many excellent 

 animals occur all along the line both as near and remote ancestors, 

 the story is a good one ; if but few excellent animals are in the record 

 and they are very remote, the pedigree can not be said to be desirable. 



Importance of Liberal Feeding. In the improvement of our 

 domestic animals breeding and feeding have gone hand in hand 

 wherever marked success has been attained. Almost without excep- 

 tion a considerable part of the improvement has been due to the skill 

 of the feeder. One is almost sure to fail of success if he depends upon 

 blood alone in the improvement of his stock. The use of an im- 

 proved sire endows the progeny with a propensity to develop char- 

 acter and qualities akin to his own and of the breed he represents, 

 but these desirable qualities can not properly develop unless the 

 progeny is given suitable food, care and shelter. The negligent 

 farmer is careless of his stock and maintains them under conditions 

 in which lasting improvement is impossible. Should he introduce 

 improved blood in his flock or herd, as the case may be, without 

 improved feeding and care, improvement will be noticed for a time, 

 but will gradually disappear until it sinks to the level that his food 

 and care will maintain. As the spring will not rise higher than its 

 source, so neither can improved breeds be maintained at a higher 



