108 CATTLE-BREEDING. 



only true definition of line breeding. But as 

 this has been largely devised to fit actual cases 

 much deviation has occurred. Some have taken 

 their own herds at a given period and made 

 that a starting point and counted all as line 

 bred which showed no cross outside of the 

 animals thus started with. A well-known in- 

 stance of such a case is that of a number of 

 breeders who bred exclusively from the seven 

 families which were owned by Mr. Bates at the 

 later period of his life, admitting also such 

 outcrosses as Mr. Bates himself used on these 

 families. 



The idea is from a narrow standpoint to breed 

 only to animals showing no cross outside of a 

 single family; from a latitudinarian point of 

 view the family may be represented by a dozen 

 or more families, a whole herd or any other 

 body. Perhaps to the uninitiated he who breeds 

 only to such cattle as are admitted to the herd 

 book would as properly be a line breeder if he 

 chose to take that as a basis. But he would 

 probably be quickly convinced of the fact that 

 he was uninitiated. It is not included in the 

 definition, but it is nevertheless true that the 

 basis of a system of line breeding ought to be 

 small enough to give the line breeder a " cor- 

 ner" in the stock. An unprolific family is thus 

 the chosen ground of most line breeders. If 

 the family become too prolific it would be soon 



