CHAPTER XVI 

 THE MANAGEMENT OF STOCK 



/. P. ROBERTS 



1. The Breeding of Stock 



la. What is meant by breeding 



474. Animals grow old and die, or they are 

 slaughtered for food. Other animals are born 



and take their places. Not only is a new ani- 

 mal born, but every pair of animals is able to 

 produce more than two : that is, the total num- 

 ber of animals increases. This birth and multi- 

 plication is known as propagation. 



475. But it is not enough that new animals 

 and more of them shall appear : these new 

 animals must be desirable. They must have 

 certain attributes or characters which make 

 them valuable. In order that these desirable 

 qualities shall arise, the stockman selects cer- 

 tain animals to propagate the race ; and this 

 control of the kind of offspring which shall 

 appear is known as breeding. 



476. Breeding may have two objects ; to 



(259) 



