SUGGESTIONS ON SELECTION 79 



SUGGESTIONS ON SELECTION. 



In the selection of animals, especially for breeding purposes, 

 there are special points of significance on which more than 

 the usual stress should be placed. More attention should 

 be given to the breeder and his methods, the adaptability 

 of his animals, the uniformity of the breeding qualities, 

 and the particular lines followed in developing the herd. 

 These are points specifically differentiated from the methods 

 and practices used in judging or depicting the best indi- 

 viduals. 



Breeder. In selecting breeding annuals it is a judicious 

 practice to purchase from a breeder who has a substantial 

 reputation for producing high-class animals and selling them 

 for what they are represented to be in the pedigree. The 

 pedigree of an animal is no more reliable than the breeder 

 who furnishes it. Breeders who have made the greatest 

 success in their work are those who have bred unswervingly 

 toward a specific ideal and kept permanent breeding records, 

 showing not only the lines of ancestry, but also the value of 

 all individuals in the herd or flock. This permits close 

 culling and the maintenance of a high standard in the herd. 



Breeders may be divided into two classes, the true con- 

 structive breeder and the dealer or vendor whose operations 

 are largely limited to a multiplication of individuals. The 

 former type should be patronized, as their animals and first- 

 hand statements concerning them are more dependable than 

 from breeders of the other sort. This is an important con- 

 sideration in determining where the initial start in the pure- 

 bred or even-grade herd will be obtained. The best bred 

 animals originated with breeders of the constructive type. 

 While few live stock breeders have attained the position 

 deserving of this distinction, they should be patronized, 

 whenever accessible, as the vendor of live stock is ordinarily 

 not a constructive breeder. The purchaser should therefore 

 take every precaution in determining the character and 

 reliability of the breeder and the desirability of the animals 

 which are selected from the herd. 



Pedigrees should be carefully considered, as every breeding 



