44 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



haps the most experienced breeder in this country, and he told 

 me that he thought there was nothing in it. I have been 

 engaged in breeding the greater part of my hfe, either for 

 myself or others, and I will state my experience, which satisfies 

 me there is nothing in the doctrine whatever. 



As long ago as 1840, 1 bought a scrub bull to mate a Durham 

 bull. I worked my Durham bull to give him exercise, in order 

 that he might be a good stock-getter. By accident this scrub 

 bull got to a young Durham heifer, white, and she had a mon- 

 grel calf resembling the father. After that I mated her with a 

 pure Durham, and I never saw a single trace of that first 

 impregnation in her offspring. About that time I had an Afri- 

 can gander, which differs as widely from the Bremen as the 

 African from the Caucasian. The African gander has a broad 

 head, bill black, with a crown on tlie top, a long neck, and is 

 of rather a slate color. The Bremen is a sliort, thick, milk- 

 white goose. I mated this African gander with a white Bremen 

 goose, and her first brood resembled this African gander. Sub- 

 sequently I mated her with a pure Bremen gander for years, 

 and I never saw a trace of the African blood in feature, color or 

 anytliing. 



Again. Somewhere about that time a friend of mine had 

 what was denominated a cross-breed hog — a very thrifty, large 

 hog, but the color was black. I at that time had a young 

 Mackey sow, pure white. Wishing to enlarge the size of the 

 Mackey, I put this pure black cross-breed boar to this pure 

 Mackey sow, and ever afterwards bred her to a pure Mackey, 

 and I never saw a trace — not a single trace — of the first impreg- 

 nation. And in breeding fowl, pigeons, dogs, geese, rabbits, 

 sheep, horses and cattle for thirty years, I have never seen a 

 single fact to convince me of the truth of the proposition that 

 the first impregnation influences the future offspring. 



With regard to the feeding of animals, I think, with the 

 chairman, that there is no subject upon which individuals differ 

 more, in the expense and in the results, than in feeding cattle. 

 I have one neighbor who I think feeds his cattle full fifty per 

 cent, cheaper than his other neighbors. I was astonished at the 

 small quantity of food with which he carried his cattle through, 

 getting the usual quantity of milk, and keeping his cattle in 

 good condition. He adopted the practice of mixing up his 



