16 INTRODUCTION. 



Short-horn than an indifferent feeder will out of the 

 longest and most fashionably pedigreed Short-horn. 



Darwin expresses the opinion that food is one of the 

 most powerful causes of variation in animals,* and when 

 an improvement is thus begun by judicious feeding it may 

 be perpetuated by breeding ; but feeding leads the improve- 

 ment. This position does not undervalue pedigree, for it 

 takes a long effort of both breeding and feeding to establish 

 the fixed characteristics of the Short-horns, or other pure 

 breeds ; but it is folly to magnify the pedigree extrava- 

 gantly, and forget the essential agency that established the 

 improvement and made the pedigree valuable. But all 

 this is gradually changing, and farmers are beginning to 

 see the importance of closely studying the effect of food 

 upon the animals they rear and feed. 



The Germans have felt the want of knowledge upon this 

 subject, and have been diligently experimenting upon it, 

 especially for the last fifteen years. They are assisting in 

 laying a foundation for the science of feeding, and the 

 experiment stations of this country, we trust, will soon 

 be working in the same direction. 



The author, from extensive observation among stock 

 raisers and feeders, believes that a practical work upon 

 feeding animals, which shall use only so much of scientific 

 formula as is necessary to a proper understanding of the 

 subject, is now more needed than upon any other branch 

 of agriculture. And it has been his primary object, in the 

 preparation of this book, to discuss every topic from a 

 practical standpoint, adding to the personal experience 

 of the author all well-established data and experiments 

 of the most intelligent investigators. Science and practice 

 must go hand-in-hand. Happily, the prejudice of the 

 farmer against science in his calling is fast dying out ; and 

 the scientific investigator cordially welcomes the practical 



*Animalsand Plants, vol. 2,' p. 809. 



