NATURAL BREEDING. 131 



the struggle to simply hold what has been 

 gained, new elements intrude and local modi- 

 fications arise and become, often unconsciously, 

 deeply set in the animal type. 



Mark the close analogy of all of these in- 

 stances to the gardener's experience in secur- 

 ing desirable variations in his plants: trans- 

 plantation, rich soils, oft-repeated changes, 

 frequent cross fertilization, temporary close 

 fertilization when the desired variety is se- 

 cured, then cross fertilization with a degree of 

 frequency corresponding to the natural habit 

 of the plant. The analogy is striking and the 

 principle is probably universal. 



A gentleman who was once a large cattle- 

 breeder and always a strong advocate of in- 

 and-in breeding in cattle, said to me recently 

 that a cross of Cruickshank bulls on the Eose 

 of Sharons was remarkably successful. It was 

 very contrary to his natural view, but in per- 

 fect accord with the best experience of scien- 

 tists and breeders. In a long acquaintance with 

 cattle-breeding and familiarity with the meth- 

 ods pursued in many herds, I have seen much 

 which has led me to a thorough persuasion 

 that the correct system was to breed the best 

 to the best, and to avoid close affinities. Close 

 study of the results in the show-ring lead me 

 to the conclusion that while an occasional ani- 

 mal of great merit is found to.be the result of 



