26 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



boned and unequal milkers. Even if the best had been culled 

 out from time to time during the preceding two and a half cen- 

 turies, the law of diversity would have precluded the formation of 

 a good breed with hereditary qualities of transmission, unless the 

 bulls had been of pure descent, and such breeding continued to 

 the progeny. 



Owing to their variegated origin, the natives have unfixed 

 hereditary traits, and even those possessing desirable character- 

 istics cannot be relied on as breeders to produce progeny of a 

 like excellence. " Instead of constancy there is continual varia- 

 tion and frequent breeding-back, exhibiting the undesirable 

 traits of inferior ancestors." In all thoroughbred animals the 

 good qualities are concentrated ; that is to say, they breed alike 

 from sire to son, mother to daughter, and so on down to indef- 

 inite generations, and they infuse their blood so strongly into 

 their offspring that the fixed characteristics of the pure-bred 

 animal will in time modify and eradicate the irregular qualities 

 of the mixed stock. Such was the origin of the improved Short' 

 horn, of the Ayrshire and other known breeds ; and Col. Jacques 

 of Massachusetts, came near rivalling his English prototypes in 

 producing a breed of" Cream-pots " from his imported Shorthorn 

 bull Coelebs, and would undoubtedly have succeeded in establish- 

 ing a fine tribe of cattle if he could have continued his breeding 

 long enough. The native or even the half pure-bred bull produces 

 inferior instead of improved progeny ; because in the case of the 

 first all the inferior qualities of the ancestor arc subject to trans- 

 mission, and as to the other one-half, or rather more than that — 

 as the bad qualities, both in two and four footed animal nature, 

 since Madam Eve's transgression, are more likely to crop out 

 than the good ones, when opportunity is offered. I don't wonder 

 at the Irishman's explosion after being annoyed by the frequent 

 jiltings of his lady love, " Oh ! Father_^Adam, why didn't ye die 

 with all your ribs inside of ye ! " 



Our ancestors were at great pains in settling their colonies ; 

 they themselves were mostly persons of high intelligence, knew 

 what good farming was and how to choose their stock, and 

 brought over the best animals they could find and kept a sharp 

 lookout for good milkers. But their descendants failed to keep 

 up their interest in the matter, and for want of good selection 

 of calves, good breeding, and good care and abundant feed during 



