STARTING A DAIRY HERD 113 



Crossing Breeds. Crossing distinct breeds defeats the 

 very object for which breeds have been developed. Breeds 

 have been developed and kept pure in order that certain 

 characters might become fixed so strongly that they will be 

 transmitted regularly. Crossing breaks the chain of inherit- 

 ance, and makes it impossible to predict what will be the 

 outcome. As a rule, little is gained, and the outcome often 

 is very disastrous. However, it is a very common practice 

 with many. A farmer having perhaps a good grade herd of 

 Jerseys observes the much larger yield of milk secured by his 

 neighbor who breeds Holsteins and decides to make a Hoi- 

 stein cross, thinking he will combine the quality of the Jersey 

 with the quantity of the Holstein. Occasionally this end is 

 partially attained, but just as often the animal inherits the 

 quantity of the Jersey and the quality of the Holstein. 

 The next year the farmer possibly decides his animals are too 

 small, and uses a Shorthorn to increase the size. The result 

 of such practice is to lose the breed characters, and the occa- 

 sional good animal that appears from such a mixture does 

 not transmit any definite characteristics. 



It is a well-known fact that as a rule the first cross between 

 distinct breeds is good, and some animals may have the good 

 characteristics of both breeds to some extent. Many in- 

 ferior animals appear in the second generation, making the 

 results of crossing unsatisfactory. The proper course to pur- 

 sue is to first select the breed, after due consideration, thatT 

 seems to meet the requirements or tastes of the breeder, then 

 select the best individuals and the ones most likely to trans- 

 mit these characters from this breed, and continue along the 

 same line unless it is found after sufficient trial that a serious 

 mistake has been made. 



