ANIMAL INDUSTRY 125 



lies of their class is large. The risk involved is 

 therefore great, and although great care has 

 been exercised to mate animals of superior merit 

 for many generations in all the well-established 

 breeds, it does not follow that every individual 

 will prove to be a potent stock getter. Animals 

 with great prepotency are highly prized. They 

 give character to the family and often guaran- 

 tee ready sale at high prices for all offspring of 

 their get. The male is usually the dominant 

 factor both in breeding cattle and horses, but 

 the female transmits through her male offspring 

 such superior qualities as great butter or milk 

 production, or in the case of horses great track 

 performance. It is, therefore, of the greatest 

 importance that both sides of the house be noted 

 for the same line of performance. 



While these records are important and are 

 likely to give the desired result, they are not a 

 guarantee. Experience proves that certain 

 animals from the same litter will possess marked 

 value as breeding individuals, while an own 

 brother from the same litter will be almost 

 worthless. There are many records of this sort 

 among dogs and pigs. The development of 

 special purpose breeds of animals has come 

 about entirely as a result of the skill of the 

 breeders. The peculiar markings of the breeds 



