190 CATTLE-BREEDING. 



A wise man and judicious breeder who had 

 made a thoughtful study and a careful analysis 

 of the character of the stock from which he 

 was breeding, and who clearly saw that a defect 

 in one breed was to be amended by seeking 

 another breed with a corresponding excellence 

 in that point, and who blended and waited pa- 

 tiently for the result, not expecting too much 

 from the first generation, often secured very 

 good results. But the work thus accomplished 

 was occasional and spasmodic, and the results 

 as recorded and finally summed up in history 

 are without evidence of any material progress. 

 The most that can be claimed for the epoch is 

 that it was a period of preparation during 

 which the theatre was being made ready and 

 the instruments prepared for the activities of 

 the succeeding age. 



The progress made by individual breeders 

 must have oftentimes seemed of a high de- 

 gree, otherwise it is impossible to see why this 

 method was so long adhered to to the exclu- 

 sion of every other. It has been well settled 

 that such crosses are very fruitful in vigor and 

 vitality. It was perhaps this which tempted 

 the unsatisfied experimenters on, and still on, 

 even -when the ultimate results were not what 

 was looked for. 



It thus soon became necessary to come to 

 some sort of definite conception as to a perma- 



