SECOND METHOD. CHANCE ANIMALS. 59 



principle that like produces like may be perfectly true, 

 and in the well-known breeds it is not difficult to find 

 two animals that will be sure to transmit their own 

 characteristics to their offspring ; but, with two animals 

 which cannot be classed with any breed, the defects of 

 an ill-bred ancestry will be liable to appear through sev- 

 eral generations, and thus thwart and disappoint the 

 expectations of the breeder. The objection of time, and 

 expense, and disappointment, attending this method, 

 should have no weight, if there were no more speedy 

 method of accomplishing equally desirable results. 



The second mode is somewhat more feasible ; and 

 that is, to select animals from races already improved 

 and well-nigh perfected, to cross with our cattle, using 

 none but good specimens of pure-bred males, and select- 

 ing, if our object is to improve stock for the dairy, only 

 such as belong to a race distinguished for dairy qual- 

 ities; or, if resort is had to other breeds less remarkable 

 for such qualities, such only as are descended from large 

 and generous milkers. And here it may be remarked 

 that these qualities do not belong to any one breed ex- 

 clusively, though, as they depend mainly on structure 

 and temperament, which are hereditary to a considerable 

 extent, they are themselves transmissible. In almost 

 every breed we can find individual good milkers which 

 greatly surpass the average of the cows of the same 

 race or family, and from such many suppose that good 

 crosses may be expected. How often do we see farm- 

 ers raising the calves of their best milking-cows simply 

 because they are the best cows, without regard to the 

 qualities of the bull, or to the progenitors of either 

 parent ; and how often are they disappointed, at the end 

 of three or four years of labor and expense 1 Now, 

 though a cow of a bad milking family, or of a breed not 

 at all distinguished for dairy qualities, may turn out to 



