NOTES ON BREEDING. 263 



superior quality in themselves, have proved remarkably good getters, 

 may be named Robert Ceiling's Lancaster (360), white, calved in 

 1814; and Thomas Bates' Short Tail (2621), red and white, calved 

 in 1824; both small and inferior looking bulls, yet they begat many 

 among the best animals of their day. We mention these not to give 

 any preference to their particular bloods, or families, but because 

 they were comparatively mean in appearance. Others and parallel 

 instances of the kind may occur to the recollection of the reader. 



THOROUGH-BREDS FULL-BLOODS. 



The above terms have been frequently applied, for many years 

 past, among the Short-horn breeders of the Mississippi valley, to 

 designate a difference in the bloods of Short-horns "thorough- 

 breds" meaning such animals as run their pedigrees back into the 

 Herd Books without taint of known other blood ; while " full-blobds " 

 mean such pedigrees as run back through many Herd Book crosses 

 into unknown lineage. We consider the term "full-blood," thus used, 

 as simply conventional with those applying it. Thorough-bit^, and 

 /^//-blood are identical in meaning, if language has any signification. 

 Thorough means full, and full means thorough, according to the 

 dictionaries. The manner in which the terms have been used is 

 erroneous, and the practice of it only confuses the inexperienced 

 breeder, is of no service to the matured one, and should be discon- 

 tinued. If a convention of Short-horn breeders, representing all the 

 different sentiments and opinions which prevail relating to bloods 

 and pedigrees could declare, through unanimity of opinion, at what 

 fraction of outside or foreign blood, a pedigree should be admitted to, 

 or excluded from a Herd Book record, an important point might be 

 gained; but until such decision can be made, "thorough-bred" and 

 " full-blood " may mean something, or nothing, in the way of distinc- 

 tion, as those who use the terms may decide. The entire pedigree of 

 the animal in question, so far as ascertainable, is the only proof of 

 breeding, and that must be determined by the Herd Book, if no better 

 record can be found. 



We here conclude our historical labors. Much collateral matter 

 has, of necessity, been introduced as explanatory to incidents and 

 facts which would appear uncertain or doubtful without it. Much 

 more than has been gathered into these pages we might have written 

 relating to sundry animals in many of the English, as well as our 



