BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 313 



rTfcation the same law holds good. In fact, there can be no devi- 

 ation from it without incurring the hazard of paying the penalty. 



Heifers should never be put to the bull until they have attained 

 the age of three or four years. At this period they are in their 

 prime. If they happen to have acquired too much fat, their daily 

 allowance must be reduced. 



Human growth, according to the best authority, ceases between 

 the ages of twenty and twenty-five. In very warm regions, how- 

 ever, where development and decay are universally allowed to be 

 more rapid, the inhabitants come to maturity much earlier. A 

 superior class of human beings can only be produced by selectioca 

 and exclusions similar to those so successfully employed in rear- 

 ing the inferior orders. We may rejoice in a Fulton, Franklin, 

 or Webster occasionally, (by mere accident,) the parents of such 

 being absolutely ignorant of the first principles of physiology 

 but, in the breeder's language, such are in possession of the " pre- 

 requisites." In the first place, they had not entered the marriage 

 relationship prior to the age of reason. The parents, if we mis- 

 take not, were full-grown men and women, not boys nor girls. 

 They possibly possessed a sound mind and healthy constitution, 

 free from hereditary defect of mind and body, which stunted 

 growtli, aided by artificial modes of life, are almost sure to entail. 

 Until within a few years, a wise and salutary law was in oper- 

 ation in the British Isles which interdicted marriage until the 

 candidates had arrived at the age of twenty-one. That law has 

 been set aside, and, consequently, the mass of the population of 

 the present day will not bear comparison with that of the past. 



One safeguard, therefore, against stunted growth and ill-health 

 is to avoid a too early use of the reproductive function. And here- 

 in we are not safe unless proper selections have been made, and 

 faulty animals or persons rejected. I am persuaded that if hus- 

 bandmen of these United States could all view this important 

 matter in its right light, a very decided improvement would soon 

 be the result. The subject will, however, eventually command 

 the attention of all. 



Many persons urge that the ofispring of blood relatives are 

 weak, nervous, deficient in intellect, complete idiots, etc., and 

 that further intercourse in tlie same direction only makes bad 

 worse. These are facts which can not be controverted, yet the 

 f?eakness, nervousness, etc.. dues not occur from the relationship 



