LN'-AND-IN BREEDING. 273 



bad quality, being allowed to connect, the predisposition to 

 such defect will exist in their offspring in a twofold de- 

 gree. If, on the other hand, proper care is employed — 

 if those animals only are allowed to breed that possess 

 good forms and healthy constitutions, then undoubtedly the 

 stock will be preserved pure, disease will be warded off, 

 and the proper form and qualifications will be perpetuated." 



It is proper to add, that Mr. Spooner in a subsequent page 

 qualifies somewhat more the tendency of the above, leaving 

 the reader to infer that breeding in and in is a very nice mat- 

 ter, of which the number is exceedingly small in whose hands 

 it can be intrusted with safety, and to be pursued always 

 within proper limits. His views are presented rather to 

 show what can be said in its favor, and not because the wri- 

 ter thinks they should be acquiesced in. In his humble opin- 

 ion, in general, it is to this vile system of breeding that, quite 

 as much as the miserable general management to which Amer- 

 ican flocks have been subjected, we see so many worthless 

 specimens of sheep, both in form and fleece, throughout the 

 length and breadth of the land. It has been the practice of 

 thousands of sheep-farmers to confine themselves to a single 

 tup in their flocks until age, perhaps, had nearly destroyed his 

 procreative powers, putting him to his own progeny for suc- 

 cessive years, which resulted in causing disease and prema- 

 ture death, which, however, was often ignorantly and unjust- 

 ly attributed to imbecility of constitution of the breed : hence 

 in numerous instances the violent prejudices engendered 

 towards the Saxon race. Farmers in general of the North, 

 from the vicissitudes of the climate, if for no other reason, 

 must avoid the system of breeding in question, as they would 

 a reptile. None need imagine for a moment that their sheep 

 are so perfect in all respects, but others either far or near 

 may be found among which can be obtained individuals fully 

 equal if not superior to their own. At all events, the effort 

 should be made to find them, rather than incur the risk of ul- 

 timately making worthless those in their possession. Every 

 flock-master should beware of entering any flock to purchase 

 from, if he knows that its proprietor has pursued for any 

 length of time the breeding in-and-in system, and especially 

 if the flock is small, and the range therefore has been limited 

 for selection. 



The evils incident to breeding in and in have long since 

 been discovered in England, and also among the celebrated 



