BREEDING. 



cular fibre than fat. Hence it is ev- 1 

 ident that the greater profit is in fat- 1 

 tening animals that have finished their 

 growth ; and also that there is a su- ! 

 periority in those breeds which have 

 small bones and no horns. This is j 

 an important point to be attended to i 

 by a breeder, as is also the time when | 

 the bony secretion is completed. A I 

 breed of animals that will cease to i 

 grow, or have attained their full size ; 

 of bone at an early age, will be much I 

 more profitable to the grazier than one 

 of slower growth. It is in this respect , 

 chiefly that certain breeds of sheep 

 and cattle are so far superior to oth- 

 ers. The principles which apply to 

 cattle are equally applicable, mutatis 

 mutandis, to sheep. In no case are 

 strong bones or horns of much im- 

 portance to the sheep in its domestic 

 state. The principal objects are wool 

 and flesh, which appear to be depend- 

 ant on distinct and, perhaps, incom- 

 patible qualities. The attempt to 

 unite the two is perhaps the reason 

 why the Spanish breed, which has 

 been improved w hen transported into 

 Saxony, has degenerated in England, 

 so that even its crosses are not in re- 

 pute. It is a matter of mere calcula- 

 tion, whether sheep kept for their 

 wool chiefly are more profitable than 

 those which give an increase of meat 

 at the expense of the quality of the 

 wool. A breeder of sheep who at- 

 tends only to the quality of the wool 

 will not have his attention taken off 

 from the mam object by any deficien- 

 cy in the carcass, or the disposition 

 of the animal to increase in flesh and 

 fat. It is possible that mixed breeds 

 may be more profitable than the pure. 

 Fine wool may not repay the breeder 

 and rearer of sheep so well as mod- 

 erate wool and good meat. But the 

 principle we contend for is that of 

 producing the most perfect animal of 

 any one variety existing, by correct- 

 ing individual defects gradually, and 

 avoiding fanciful crosses, which may 

 destroy in one generation all the ad- 

 vantages obtained in a great many. 

 Hence it is a matter of great impor- 

 tance to consider well the qualities of 

 the individuals with which you begin 



your improvement, and to know that 

 these qualities have existed in their 

 progenitors, and are not merely acci- 

 dental. If crossing appear necessa- 

 ry, let it be done very gradually and 

 cautiously. No experienced breeder 

 would ever expect to improve the 

 fleece of a sheep of the Leicester 

 breed or the carcass of the Merino by 

 a direct cross between these two 

 breeds. The offspring would most 

 probably lose all the good qualities 

 for which each hreed is noted, and 

 produce a mongrel breed worth little 

 in comparison. But a cross of Meri- 

 noes with South Downs, or Leicester 

 with Costwold, might produce new 

 and useful breeds, and these, carefully 

 selected, as has been done, have pro- 

 duced mixed breeds, which by great 

 attention may become very valuable. 



AVhen it is determined wliat breed 

 of animals you wish to perpetuate and 

 improve, the individuals which are to 

 be the parents of the stock cannot be 

 too carefully selected. The more 

 nearly they are alike in form, colour, 

 and exterior appearance, the more 

 likely they are to produce a distinct 

 race. They should neither be above 

 nor under the usual size. They should 

 be of such an age as to have entirely 

 ceased growing, and be arrived at 

 perfect maturity ; and, whatever may 

 be their good qualities, they should 

 not be selected, if they are the prod- 

 uce of very aged parents, at least on 

 the female side. 



In horses and horned cattle many 

 breeders prefer a male rather less in 

 size than the female, and pretend that 

 the ftetus has more room to develop 

 its members in what they term a roomy 

 female. There may be some truth in 

 this, but equality of size, or rather the 

 due proportion established in nature, 

 seems most likely to produce a well- 

 formed offspring. Any considerable 

 deviation from this is generally at- 

 tended with defect. Nothing is more 

 common than for a country gentle- 

 man who has a useful, favourite mare, 

 not particularly well bred, when any 

 accident has rendered her unfit for 

 work, to have her covered by some 

 very high-bred stallion, expecting to 



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