Part II.] IMPROVEMENT OF LIVE STOCK. 91 



Let me ask, what is a pure-bred animal? A pure-bred animal 

 is one whose ancestors for many generations have all been 

 selected for the same purpose. And if it is to be a valuable 

 animal for the breeder, the ancestors must not only have been 

 selected for that purpose, but they must have accomplished 

 what they were selected for. 



The animal is, as far as nature can make it, a combination 

 of its ancestors; it is the ancestors boiled down to one indi- 

 vidual. Of course all the characteristics of all the ancestors 

 cannot be pronounced and visible, yet they are likely to be 

 there, dormant, somewhere in its make-up, ready to crop out 

 in the offspring when the right condition or mating occurs. 



I do not care to enter into a discussion of Mendel's law in 

 heredity, because to the practical breeder — and it is the prac- 

 tical folks who have to feed and clothe the world — Mendel's 

 law offers but little help. We would emphasize the impor- 

 tance of having as far as possible the ancestors of pure-bred 

 stock on both maternal and paternal sides, — individuals of 

 the type we are aiming to produce. This not only insures 

 uniformity in the pure-bred families, but makes the pure-bred 

 animal better able to stamp his likeness on the offspring when 

 used in the grade herd; in other words, it makes for prepotency. 

 That is a wonderful word in the live-stock world. Prepotent 

 animals — animals that can be relied upon to reproduce them- 

 selves — in a measure take away the uncertainty in live-stock 

 production, and after all, that is the real work of pure-bred 

 animals and test and record associations. Take the uncertainty 

 out of any deal and it at once becomes a good deal; we know 

 what to do with it. Many a so-called pure-bred animal has 

 proven a disappointment because in his pedigree there were 

 too many kinds of ancestors and too much inferior quality. 



We need to get a better vision of the value of pedigrees. 

 A pedigree is a family history; and the meanest mongrel in 

 New England has as much, perhaps more, family history than 

 the best pure bred. A pedigree to add worth to an animal 

 must be more than a string of names on a sheet of paper, 

 accompanied by a certificate of registration. It must be a 

 family history showing that the animal had ancestors of merit 

 and that they came from flocks and herds of honest men. 



