98 BREEDING FROM FAULTY ANIMALS 



trifle too short in the back, or not over-clean in his neck ; 

 still, as possessing the points which require development 

 in the other, any such little drawbacks may be dis- 

 regarded, and from the union of the two a progeny may 

 be fairly calculated upon as near perfection as possible. 



But if, on the other hand, a dog of similar proportions 

 to the bitch be made use of, the whelps will be in all 

 probability long, loose-made, leggy animals, without any 

 pretensions to symmetry or power. But a vice versa case 

 will not succeed, that is, a short-bodied, narrow-flanked 

 dam will seldom produce a clever litter of whelps, although 

 coupled with a dog as long as a hurdle. The fact is too 

 often disregarded, that the mother is generally the pro- 

 ducer of perfection or imperfection according with her 

 own frame ; and from the ignorance of or inattention to 

 this first law of nature, the numerous weeds in every 

 establishment date their origin. 



A smart-looking, handsome-topped mare is too often 

 consigned to the stud, for which purpose in all other 

 respects she is totally unfitted ; length and depth of flank 

 being an indispensable point in brood mares as well as 

 in brood bitches. Horses will go in all shapes, evenly or 

 comfortably to their riders is another question ; but go 

 they do and will, even with crooked legs, if not over- 

 weighted or overworked, provided there is muscular 

 power somewhere. But, however high couraged and 

 intrinsically good in themselves, it would be a hazardous 

 experiment indeed breeding from such faulty animals. 

 I have as yet only alluded to the shape or framework, 

 which in cattle-breeding is the chief if not only consider- 

 ation ; in fact, a bullock can scarcely be too long or too 

 large, provided he possess aptitude to fatten, as all his 

 faults and deficiencies may be easily concealed under 



