bb A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



ram if I desired to increase the density of the 

 fleece; and I would breed large draft mares to 

 thoroughbred or trotting sires if I desired to 

 procure fine style, better action and greater 

 powers of endurance. But all of this is inde- 

 pendent of, and does not conflict with, the gen- 

 eral law of relative size, and does not disprove 

 the proposition that it is Nature's plan that the 

 male should be the larger of the two parents. 



INFLUENCE OF FIRST IMPREGNATION. 



One of the most interesting as well as one of 

 the most stoutly-disputed questions connected 

 with the business of stock-breeding is this: 

 Does the first impregnation of a female have 

 any influence over the character of the prod- 

 uce from subsequent impregnations? Experi- 

 enced practical breeders have been arrayed on 

 opposing sides in discussing this question, and 

 each has been ready to maintain his position by 

 illustrations from his own observation. Prof. 

 James Law, of Cornell University, who is one 

 of the most learned and eminent of living vet- 

 erinarians, and whose reputation as a patient, 

 conscientious, painstaking investigator of prob- 

 lems of this nature is second to that of no 

 other man in the world, was requested by me 

 some years ago to prepare an exhaustive article 

 upon this subject. He complied with this re- 

 quest, and the article, which was published at 



