33 



when perhaps too late to remedy your mistake, that spirit of 

 false economy . which persuaded you to purchase mediocre 

 animals. Cceteris paribus, of course the cheapest are the best. 



If a breeder wishes to make his mark and see success in his 

 own lifetime, he must be content to learn from the example 

 and experience of his predecessors and contemporaries. Life 

 is rarely long enough for a man to start out and establish a 

 breed, although he may make vast improvements in existing 

 breeds, and place many stones in the stairway which leads 

 towards the summit of perfection. 



Breeding is a science. The field for experiment is boundless; 

 but only such men as Darwin mentions can reap a full harvest, 

 although many may receive adequate and even satisfactory 

 returns for the labor and expense incurred. Let us look at 

 some of the principles of breeding as laid down by Prof. James 

 Law, which should receive the serious attention of every one 

 who desires to be a successful breeder. 



The laws of variation, he says, are quite as important to 

 study as the laws of hereditary transmission, for without vari- 

 ations improvements would be impossible. Among the causes 

 of variation are mentioned food, climate, soil, use, disuse, 

 reversion or breeding back, prepotency, imagination of the 

 mother, the influence of a former pregnancy, disease and 

 accident. One can easily see the influence of food by noticing 

 the difference between two herds of the same breed, the one 

 kept by a generous, the other by a niggardly, feeder. High 

 feeding, Prof L. says, tends directly to variation and im- 

 provement. 



Climate and soil have a marked influence on a race of cattle, 

 which will be evident in its effects long after a removal to a 

 dissimilar location. For this reason, we should be careful to 

 select only such animals as are adapted to the climate and soil 

 of our own farms. On this subject, the " Northern Farmer " 

 writes, — " It is highly necessary to take into consideration the 

 class of animals that will suit the farm, it being much better to 

 get them of a size rather under than over the capabilities of 

 the soil, as in that case improvement will begin at once; 



