BREEDING. 



elements. An abundance of whole- 

 some food and pure water is essen- 

 tial to the healthy state of every ani- 

 mal, as well as exercise proportioned 

 to its strength. These are circum- 

 stances which it is obvious must be 

 carefully attended to. There are 

 others, the result of long experience, 

 which are equally necessary to be 

 known, but which are not so obvious. 

 These vary according to the species 

 and variety of the animals bred, and 

 it is seldom that the same breeder is 

 equally successful in rearing different 

 species of animals. 



In the animals selected to breed 

 from, there are points, as they are 

 called, which are peculiar conforma- 

 tions, some of which are connected 

 with the natural formation of the 

 skeleton, and others appear to be the 

 result of an association derived from 

 the known qualities of certain indi- 

 viduals. That high withers and a 

 freely-moving shoulder-blade in a 

 horse are connected with his speed, 

 is readily perceived, and that the 

 length of the muscles of the quarter, 

 and the manner of their insertion, 

 should affect his power, is equally 

 evident ; but it is not so apparent 

 that the manner in which the ears 

 are placed on the head, the shape of 

 the nose or jaw, and the insertion 

 of the tail higher or lower, has an im- 

 portant effect on the value of the an- 

 imal, independently of any arbitrary 

 idea of beauty. A breeder who should 

 not attend to these circumstances in 

 the animals chosen to perpetuate the 

 breed would find, to his cost, that it 

 is more than mere taste which has 

 determined these points. It is the 

 result of observation and experience 

 that certain breeds are invariably 

 distinguished by certain peculiarities, 

 and that these are almost as invaria- 

 bly connected with good qualities, ap- 

 parently quite independent of the 

 parts on which these points appear. 



There is an indication of the dispo- 

 sition of an animal in the eye, in the 

 shape of the head, and in the manner 

 in which it is carried, which seldom 

 deceives an experienced judge. He 

 •will not risk introducing a vicious or 



sulky disposition into his breed, which 

 might counterbalance all the good 

 qualities the animal might possess, 

 and introduce a greater hereditary 

 fault than any imperfection of form. 

 But nothing is so deceitful as the 

 prejudices which exist with respect 

 to peculiarities and colours. In some 

 countries no ox or cow would be 

 thought good of its kind that was not 

 red or brown without spots ; in oth- 

 ers a certain portion of white is es- 

 sential. This IS owing to the common 

 colour of the breeds most esteemed 

 in each country. The reason of the 

 prejudice is the association of the 

 colour with some defect, and those 

 who breed for profit by sale must be 

 ruled by the taste of their customers. 

 The rational mode of proceeding is 

 to be well acquainted with the anat- 

 omy of the kind of animal which we 

 make the subject of our attention ; to 

 learn by experience what are the pe- 

 culiar qualities of the different breeds, 

 distinguished by any particular fea- 

 ture, and whether these qualities 

 have any apparent connexion with 

 the peculiarity in make or colour. 

 We may then be guided by the knowl- 

 edge thus acquired in our choice of 

 individuals to perpetuate tlie breed, 

 and not only preserve ths useful qual- 

 ities which tliey already possess, but 

 gradually improve them. No greater 

 mistake can be committed than that 

 of making what are called violent 

 crosses, such as coupling a very spir- 

 ited male with a sluggish female, an 

 animal with large bones with one of 

 very slender make, a long-limbed 

 animal with a compact one. By such 

 crosses the first produce has often 

 appeared much improved ; but nature 

 is not to be forced, and if the breed 

 is continued, innumerable deformi- 

 ties and defects are certain to follow. 

 The safe way is, to choose the ani- 

 mals as nearly alike in their general 

 qualities as possible, taking care that 

 where there is a defect in one it ex- 

 ist not in the other, which would in- 

 fallibly perpetuate it. A defect can 

 never be remedied by means of an- 

 other of an opposite kind, but, by 

 great attention, it may be diminished 



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