32 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



must to a certain extent lay aside others, as 

 asserted. Again, it is well known that stock 

 bred to milking properties admit of different 

 classes — for instance, a Jersey cow gives you 

 milk, the cream of which, in some instances, 

 is fifty per cent butter, while the cream from 

 some cows will not make butter without much 

 effort, and some not at all. I have several 

 instances of this in my mind ; yet these cows 

 grew the finest calves. The Dutch stock, for 

 instance, have been mostly bred for cheese 

 making ; they do not excel in butter making, 

 but excel all others in growing their calves. 

 The best milk for butter is poor milk to grow 

 stock. 



A point worthy of discussion in this connec- 

 tion, which my own small experience endorses, 

 is, that what forcing a calf or other young ani- 

 mal has the first six months, especially the 

 first three months, determines his subsequent 

 value. I know that what is not done for a 

 colt in the first eight months, cannot be rem- 

 edied afterward. And on this point I will 

 urge breeders to spare no pains or extra ex- 

 pense in feed or care of the dam four months 

 before foaling, and for six months after, if 

 she feeds the colt so long. While the bone 

 is forming in the colt, give it all that will be 

 of benefit to it. In some the bone attach- 

 ments become more positive, and such animals 

 are less likely to meet with trouble incident to 

 weak, underfed animals, ringbones, spavins, 

 curbs, &c. 



1 do not assume to urge this point upon jon 

 as notional ideas of my own, but as the expe- 

 rience of better observers than myself. While 

 in Europe, in 1867, I visited several times, a 

 large breeding establishment where twelve 

 different breeds of cattle were kept, and in 

 conversation with the herdsmen this point was 

 dwelt upon as very important, especially in 

 the breeding of representative animals of 

 stock, as a horse or a cow. The herdsman 

 said, "Feed strong while a calf. If he will 

 take the milk of two or three cows, give it. 

 You v/ill be paid. [n other words," said 

 he, "hoe and weed and water the plant while 

 it is growing, if you care for its perfection." 

 A few weeks since a letter from J. Keene 

 Richmond of Kentucky, who has expended so 

 much in bringing to this country from England 

 and Arabia the finest horses in the world, 

 ui'ges the necessity of feeding the mare and 

 foal that the growth of the colt may be as 

 great as possible while the bone is forming. 



Having selected the class of animals one 

 wishes to breed, the selection of the animal is 

 of the first importance, for in the finest herds 

 or flocks of carefully bred animals are to be 

 found those which do not represent their class, 

 and are incapable of transmitting the charac- 

 teristics desired. The safe way is to select 

 representative animals that do breed in line. 

 A defective animal may breed fine progeny, 

 but the progeny may breed the defective sire 

 or dam's qualifications. Theiefore the bi'ceder 



I should be sure of a sire as nearly perfect as 

 possible in physical qualifications, and also 

 one that has proved his get to be so. The 

 more generations of fine animals In the 

 line, the more certain of success In breeding 

 them. However good a sire or dam may be, 

 selected from mixed stock bred out of line, 

 the chances will be often against you to breed 

 like sire or dam. I speak more particularly 

 of horses, but believe it is equally applicable 

 ! to other stock. 



Were I to select horses to breed as close to 

 perfection as possible, I would select only 

 such sires as were bred In a long line of care- 

 ful, judicious breeding, to the qualifications 

 desired, either for speed, the sixteen-hands 

 carriage horse, or the horse for draft and work, 

 endeavoring, at the same time, to select color, 

 style, movements and temper, in each gener- 

 ation, as far as possible ; then I should feel 

 quite sure of success. I would go further, 

 and never accept a dam who had been previ- 

 ously bred to a defective horse, as his defects 

 often crop out in the subsequent progeny, al- 

 though by a good sire in the line desired. 



1 have In my stable a chestnut gelding, 

 sired by Gen. Knox, v/ho Is black, and the 

 gelding's dam is. white, and the grandsires on 

 both sides are white and black, yet the geld- 

 ing Is the color, marks, temper and gait of the 

 sire of a colt dropped prior to her being bred 

 to the black horse, and a very close resemb- 

 lance to that colt by the first sire. I have 

 seen repeated instances of like results in the 

 course of my breeding. 



Another point desirable in the sire or dam. 

 If we wish to reproduce him. Is thorough 

 health and nervous energy. Let his constitu- 

 tional powers be as perfect as possible. I 

 often hear surprise expressed at the uniform 

 gait given to colts by the stallion Gen. Knox. 

 1 attribute the marked similarity to the splen- 

 did health and determining energy of his con- 

 stitutional habit. Impair It, and those mares 

 who possess energy will blot out his inlluence 

 in their progeny. 



Ill temper Is always to be avoided, as it 

 unfits an animal for efforts of high speed or 

 draft., and is always unsafe. How many 

 breeders carefully consider the points neces- 

 sary to success in their efforts, but accept such 

 chances as may be thrown before them, at a 

 small price, or such sires as are of easy access ? 



In selecting a mare for breeding a fine 

 horse, select such as will be sure to sustain 

 the colt after Its appearance, and as the sire 

 as a rule gives general configuration and mo- 

 tion, let her add to and sustain them by her 

 nutritive powers, giving constitution and en- 

 ergy. Let her temper be good, yet filled with 

 nervous susceptibility, bearing in mind that 

 the most nervous animal becomes the most 

 tractable and easily trained or educated. If 

 I could fix the matter, no mare^who had a con- 

 stitutional defect should ever be bred. A 

 dam having spavins produced by light muscle 



