BREEDING. AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 307 



unthrifty, and defective animals. 1 am aware, however, thai Jib 

 evils of domestication are operative, to a certain extent, on all 

 animals. Still, I contend that the " well-bred " animal can resist 

 the insidious encroachments of disease, and survive longer under 

 its depressing influence than "ill-favored" creatures. Illustra- 

 tions are not wanting to prove the correctness of Blakewell's 

 theory; tlierefore, I advise the reader to follow the example of 

 one who has been styled the " Napoleon of breeders." 



In-and-in Breeding. 



We now inquire. What is breeding in-and-in? I answer, It 

 implies consanguinity — breeding from. animals of the same blood, 

 or j)ropagating in a close degree of relationship. Some persona 

 have an idea that this system is pernicious, and leads to degen- 

 eracy and premature decay ; but that is a matter of argument, and, 

 as I shall attempt to prove, depends on the skill of the " breeder," 

 and his ability to make wise selections. The human rac(! — the 

 sons and daughters of Adam and Eve — ailbrd a stuj)eudous illus- 

 tration of the practicability of in-and-in breeding. The millions 

 terrestrial all originated (so the Good Book informs us) from oar 

 common parents, and, consequently, we are ail "blood" relations; 

 and this fact goes to show that in-and-in breeding is in accord- 

 ance with the laws of physiology, and does not conflict with the 

 intentions of " Him who doeth all things well." It is a part of 

 the great scheme of creation, a physiological law, the i)roblem of 

 Ufe, to solve which God has endowed us with reason, " God-li^e 

 reason," the exercise of which puti^ us in })ossession of the fruit 

 of the "tree of knowledge." The non-exercise of the same fur- 

 nishes us with forbidden fruit. 



111-a.ssorted marriages — consumption mating with consumption, 

 and scrofula with scrofula — seeks at the altar an introduction to 

 an early grave. The same is true of animals. Bad selections 

 thwart the intentions of the Creator, mar his handiwork, and if a 

 friendly e})izootic sweeps them from the face of the earth, it is 

 more of a blessing than a curse. From the great human family 

 I select a branch to illustrate this principle, and I choose to refer 

 bo the Jews. So long as they are so in faith and practice — mar- 

 rying their own kindred — they are a living illustration of the 

 tbove principle. Have they degenerated? Xo. The distinctive 



