98 Breeding Plants and Animals. 



mal breeding the importance of these statistical methods 

 will be magnified. Now these institutions teach the 

 judging of animals by the eye and the laying on of 

 hands, and this artistic work is a long stride in the 

 right direction, but they will also devise and teach 

 scientific methods of breed improvement and breed for- 

 mation. The statistical and artistic methods will be 

 combined, giving each due consideration. 



There is a realm of effort yet untouched in hybrid- 

 izing breeds and even in hybridizing species. Hybrid- 

 izing in plants has become a most potent force in plant 

 improvement. But in animals hybridizing requires so 

 much time, such large numbers of expensive individu- 

 als must be used and there is after all such an element 

 of uncertainty that individuals, large corporations, and 

 even very large co-operative associations engaged in 

 breeding as a rule had far better limit their work to 

 existing breeds. One very important reason for this is 

 that the animals bred by such an association, having 

 originated from registered stock, would all be eligible 

 for registration and would be available to use on all 

 other registered herds of the same breed all over the 

 country. Breeders of registered animals, not farmers 

 who wish only to grade up, form the market for high- 

 priced breeding animals. The general breeders, how- 

 ever, will in turn depend on the farmers for a market 

 for their males and surplus females. 



The greatest drawback to profits in breeding dairy 

 cattle, as compared with breeding beef cattle, is that 

 the bulls become a drug on the market and few can be 

 sold at high prices. This method of statistical records 

 to emphasize the value of the blood of certain .strains 

 would overcome the low prices now placed on bulls. 

 Figures would help the farmer to see the value of 

 blood ^otent at the butter-tub, and he would be willing 

 to pay better prices for the best blood. The breeder 

 of pedigreed cattle in turn, having bulls supplied to 

 head his herd, with records of performance in the fam- 

 ilies behind them, could pay more and could command 



