PREPOTENCY 567 



the meantime it will be well to remember that, to the best of our 

 present knowledge, some individuals seem to be preeminently 

 breeders of performers ; others, breeders of sires ; and still others, 

 breeders of dams ; while a few are breeders of all three classes. 



Importance of the actual test. The student cannot fail to note 

 that the bulk of the business 'of real improvement is done by a 

 very few really great animals, and that the work of most of the 

 so-called breeding stock is merely that of reproduction in the 

 sense of increase of numbers. 



It is perfectly clear that he who is bent upon accomplishing 

 real results will seek for the occasional phenomenal breeder, 

 and, having found him, will make the most of him while he is 

 able to reproduce. It is matter of deep regret that so many of 

 our phenomenal animals, like Hambletonian 10, were never 

 recognized as such until long after they were dead and the 

 opportunity to utilize them to the best advantage had passed 

 forever, leaving us to do the best we can and make the most of 

 the " accidents " that are left behind. 



In seeking these phenomenal breeders too much cannot be 

 said concerning the importance of the actual breeding test as 

 the last and final criterion of breeding powers, a subject on 

 which more will be said later. 



SECTION II PREPOTENCY IN SEX 



There is a traditional belief that in general the sire is pre- 

 potent over the dam. In actual practice this is likely to be the 

 case, for the sire is, in most cases, the better bred of the two 

 parents. If a breeder starts out to breed half bloods, and to give 

 his stock the most benefit possible of good blood at the least 

 expense, he will of course provide it through the male side ; for 

 with one male he can influence the blood of many offspring, 

 while with the female he can influence but one in horses or 

 cattle, and but few in swine. So it comes about, for purely 

 economic reasons alone, that in general sires are better bred 

 than dams, and on this account should be prepotent. 



But, the question of breeding aside, are they prepotent be- 

 cause of sex ? On this point speculation has long been at work, 



