64 CATTLE-BREEDING. 



grisled," is perhaps the earliest clear recogni- 

 tion of the influence of imagination at the time 

 of conception on the dam. One of the most 

 striking instances one however, which may be 

 either classed as the effect of imagination at 

 the time of conception or during pregnancy, or 

 as the combined result of both is that set out 

 in the following statement made by Mr. John 

 B. Poyntz of Maysville, Ky. "In the month of 

 July, 1863, the cattle,"" a lot of Alderney heifers 

 and a bull none of which "were marked or 

 branded, nor were their ancestors" after 1850 

 "were placed in a woodland pasture well pro- 

 vided with water and blue-grass, and in the 

 pasture were placed a number of Government 

 horses for a period of several weeks. Each 

 and every horse was branded on the lower 

 part of the left shoulder with the letters U. S. 

 In the spring and summer of 1864 the heifers 

 had calves. One of the number produced a fawn- 

 colored or reddish calf, and on the lower part of 

 the shoulder were the letters U. S., formed of 

 white hairs, plainly to be seen by casual observ- 

 ers, and shown by me to friends and visitors. 

 In due time my U. S. heifer had a calf, which 

 was marked with U. S. on the same place as 

 her dam. The letter S. was not so perfectly 

 formed as on the clam, but was too plain to be 

 taken for anything other than the letter S. In 

 the growth of these cattle or cows the letter 



