16 PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 



given set of animals, the farmer gets a return of five 

 dollars worth of labor, or meat, or wool, or milk. He 

 is selling his croj^ at cost, and makes no profit. Sup- 

 pose by employing other animals, better horses, better 

 cows, oxen and sheep, he can get ten dollars per ton 

 in returns. How much are the latter worth more than 

 the former? Have they not doubled the value of the 

 crops, and increased the profit of farming from nothing 

 to a hundred per cent? Except that the manure is 

 not doubled, and the animals would some day need to 

 be replaced, could he not as well afford to give the 

 price of his farm for one set as to accept the other as a 

 gift? 



Among many, who are in fact ignorant of what goes 

 to constitute merit in a breeding animal, there is an 

 inclination to treat as imaginary and unreal the higher 

 values placed upon well-bred animals over those of 

 mixed origin, unless they are larger and handsomer in 

 proportion to the price demanded. The sums paid for 

 qualities which are not at once apparent to the eye are 

 stigmatized a^ fancy iDrices. It is not denied that fancy 

 prices are sometimes, perhaps often paid, for there are 

 probably few who are not willing occasionally to pay 

 dearly for what merely pleases them, aside from any 

 other merit commensurate to the price. 



But, on the other hand, it is fully as true that great 



