36 Farmers' Bulletin 1167. 



law of inheritance. If the color before the cow's eyes at the time of 

 service had anything to do with the color of the calf, the red barns 

 of the Corn Belt would long since have had an astonishing effect on 

 our American Angus cattle. 



Even monstrosities in animals are probably the appearance of 

 some long-submerged character, brought up out of the. stream of 

 inheritance by some peculiar combination of the hereditary ele- 

 ments. Certain animals and certain strains produce monstrosities 

 more often than others. Many of these can be brought out readily 

 by intensive inbreeding. 



The pregnant mother, whether of the human or of the animal 

 family, should be an object of the utmost solicitude and should 

 receive the most thoughtful, tender care. She is engaged in a double 

 duty. The development of the young creature in her body taxes 



How Good Breeding Affects Size. 



FIG. 31. The large animal is a yearling Aberdeen- Angus steer. The smaller one is a 

 three-year-old Piney-Woods steer. The difference between the two is due almost 

 entirely to difference in breeding. 



both bodily strength and nervous organization. We must not for- 

 get, however, that there is no direct connection of circulation or 

 nervous system between the mother and the fetus. Therefore the 

 fetus can not be affected by what the mother sees or hears. Acci- 

 dents to the mother, however, such as sudden strains, falls, etc., 

 may have effects resulting in the serious injury or death of the 

 young. These, again, are not due to heredity, no matter what the 

 effect on the young may be. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



The writer does not presume by any means to believe that his 

 effort will succeed in removing completely from the minds of men 

 their fallacious beliefs concerning animal inheritance, but he does 

 hope that he may have some influence in causing those who breed 

 animals to look more to nature herself and to tlie operation of her 



