CROSS BREEDING. 197 



storemasters. They did not consider that there 

 was as much Cheviot blood in the coarsest (as 

 they were pleased to call them) as in the finest, 

 though not so clearly exhibited in its external 

 qualities. This induced them to throw aside 

 the best of the lambs and select those to breed 

 from which had apparently most of the Cheviot 

 figure.'' The true method for the breeders to 

 have pursued was to select the most vigorous 

 of the ewe lambs and to continue the use of 

 pure Cheviot rams till the wool and flesh were 

 improved without any loss of physical vigor. 

 Although thus somewhat discouraged the in- 

 terfusion of the Cheviot blood was persisted in 

 till a large proportion of the flocks of the old 

 black-faced sheep had been supplanted by cross- 

 bred or purely-bred Cheviot stock. 



Many varieties of swine have arisen from 

 crosses of breed with breed, and the same sys- 

 tem has at one time or another been tried 

 more or less widely on almost all farm stock. 

 Sometimes where the animals produced are 

 hybrids and infertile, crosses are resorted to 

 on account of the vigor of the produce. The 

 mule resulting from a cross between the jack 

 and mare is the best known of these cases. 

 A cross between any of the ordinary breeds of 

 the domestic duck with a Muscovy drake has 

 been frequently used to secure a large and 

 very easily fattened hybrid fowl for table use. 



