APPENDIX 355 



eration the influences of each of the sixty-four forbears is 

 only iuVs- which, according to Davenport,* is practically 

 negligible, although of course not entirely so. 



Thus we see that while a good foundation is desirable and 

 even necessary, it is the more immediate ancestors which 

 have the greatest influence on the offspring. However, 

 although the effect of long-past generations may appear to 

 be slight, it is they which give to a family stability, reduced 

 variation and adherence to type. How best to establish 

 and continue a family or strain of the highest quality has 

 long been the Mecca of breeders. 



The discovery of the phenomena known as Mendel's law 

 gave a fresh impetus to research in heredity and great things 

 were predicted. So far, however, from the animal breeder's 

 point of view, practical results have not equaled expectations. 



Mendel was an Austrian monk, who experimented in his 

 garden, chiefly with peas. His results, published from 

 i866-67,t were; not appreciated by the scientists of the 

 period, and it was not until 19CK) that the value of his work 

 was realized. From that time on an army of investigators 

 has worked on Mendelism and much important material has 

 been amassed. 



To thoroughly understand Mendel's law we must realize 

 that every individual is composed of a certain number of 

 independent characters — color, coat, comb, size, etc. It is 

 on the pairing of these characters that Mendelism depends. 

 Units which are inherited according to this law must be 

 opposites and are known as paired characters. Such are 

 black and white, long hair and short, rose and single comb, 

 large size and small. 



When a black and a white animal of known purity are 

 crossed, all of the young in most cases will be black, be- 



* Davenport, E. : Principles of Breeding, p. 596. 

 t Locy, Wm. A.: Biology and Its Makers, p. 314. 



