Live Stock. 97 



well bred, becomes generally better till he reaches seven or 

 eight years, and indeed till his constitution is impaired by 

 age( ! * 5 ). This doctrine, however, does not agree with the 

 practice of that intelligent breeder, Mr Van de Poes in Hol- 

 land ; nor can the question be finally decided, without a re- 

 gular course of experiments. In breeding sheep, the age of 

 the ram is considered to be a point of less importance. 

 . Some breeders maintain, that the offspring take consider- 

 ably more after the male, than the female parent, and that 

 the male possesses an independent quality of conferring pecu- 

 liar properties on his offspring ( lz6 ). The correctness of 

 that opinion, is disputed in a recent essay, by an author who 

 has paid much attention to that particular point, and has 

 discussed it with considerable ability ( Ia? ). He admits that 

 the male animal affords advantages superior to the female 

 for the improvement of the species, in as much as the female 

 is in general restricted to a single production, whereas the 

 services of the male are available to. a great number of the 

 other. It is admitted, that well-bred females will produce 

 good stock with inferior bulls, as well as that well-bred bulls 

 will produce good stock with inferior females. But the ex- 

 cellencies of the male are, in general, the accumulated ac- 

 quisitions of many ancestors. They are positive, and in 

 comparison fixed. Whereas cows frequently possess little, 

 or no character, and have been bred without regard to any 

 particular object, but the production of animals to increase 

 the stock upon the farm. No stock, however, can be de- 

 pended on for excellence, unless where both parents have 

 acquired from their progenitors, by great perseverance, 

 those important requisites, which are considered to be essen- 

 tial for the formation of a perfect breed. Where those re- 

 quisites are not confirmed by great attention for a number of 

 years, an animal will breed back in point of merit. It is ne- 

 cessary, therefore, in order to retain excellence in stock, that 

 the animals be distinguished by high blood, or have a pedi- 

 gree, as little dubious as possible 5i /or several generations. 



There is reason, however, to believe, that some parts of 

 the offspring take after the male, and some after the female. 

 If the female be small, and such a habit be permanent in her 

 family, the length of the legs of the offspring will seldom be 

 influenced by the male, but much by the female parent, while 

 in the womb, and will not subsequently change. The width 

 and depth, and consequently the weight of carcase, will be 

 greatly influenced by the male ; and if it be of a large kind, 

 the offspring will present great weight in a small compass. 



