SELECTION OF BREEDING ANIMALS. 289 



animal. That sounds like a most formidable 

 catalogue of requirements, but it contains noth- 

 ing that is not of the most important nature. 

 The breeder in actual practice lumps them all 

 in a general way instead of drawing them out 

 in a long analysis, but no practical man would 

 think of foregoing one of them. 



Thus far I have spoken of selection exclusively 

 from the standpoint of the beginner, as offering 

 the most logical method of discussion, and 

 because the established breeder can readily 

 apply to his particular case the principles laid 

 down. Nevertheless, lest there should seem to 

 be some lack of definiteness in this most 

 important matter, a few words of special appli- 

 cation may perhaps not be out of place. 



The text for the fully established breeder is, 

 Reject fearlessly all poor animals. If heroic 

 pruning is good for the tree, the same policy is 

 good for the herd. Let no unworthy animal 

 be spared. Let the shambles have its own, and 

 never run the risk of getting the average of the 

 herd lowered. The mere moral effect of having 

 a few mean animals in the herd is bad; bad on 

 the owner by constantly lowering his standard 

 of excellence, and worse on the purchasers who 

 want as little to do with mean stock as possible. 

 Weed out the herd, then, every year, on this 

 account, but even more because the bad tree 

 will inevitably yield evil fruit. The poor cattle 



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