PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 117 



CHAPTER VIII. 



PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING, 



Effects of Crops — Tendency to Deterioration. — Relative Size 

 of Animals, Male or Female.— Constitutional Ailments, 



The attention of farmers has of late been turned 

 to the improvement of their stock by the introduc- 

 tion of pure-blooded animals into the country ; and 

 the subject is one which vitally affects their inter- 

 est, and should be well understood by them. The 

 extension of the alternate system of husbandry, 

 while it will not lessen the quantity of grain grown, 

 will afford the means of greatly adding to our stock 

 of cattle, and render apparent the necessity of pay- 

 ing more atlention to the principles upon which 

 breeding can alone be profitably conducted. 



There are nuiltitudes of farmers practically ac- 

 quainted with raising cattle (and our remarks will 

 equally apply to horses, sheep, &c,), who, unac- 

 quainted with the laws which govern propagation, 

 and the mixing of blood by crossing breeds, know 

 not how to determine the increase or deterioration 

 of pure blood that will result from employing two 

 animals of different breeds. Having a superficial 

 knowledge of such breeds, but unacquainted with 

 tlie principles that determine their origin and con- 

 tribute to their preservation, it is not to be wondered 

 at that mistakes in management should occur that 

 defeat their purposes, and which have, in some 

 cases, the effect of preventing any farther attempts 

 at improvement. 



Farmers understand that, by coupling a pure-blood 

 Short Horn with a cow of our common or ordinary 



