Cut-Over Pine Lands in the South. 9 



The theory, which has had wide circulation in the South, that 

 the small size and poor quality of native cattle in general are due 

 to lack of feed and care and not to heredity or breeding, is con- 

 trary to the established laws of heredity. Such a theory if given 

 general credence would greatly retard the improvement of the cattle 

 through the introduction of improved blood. 



The foundation stock of the native cattle was probably early 

 Spanish importations and the original cattle themselves were small. 

 They have remained small and of inferior quality, principally be- 

 cause of failure to make good selection and to introduce better blood. 



Proper use of feed and care is no doubt a very important factor 

 in the development of the individual, but the size and quality ac- 



Fig. 3. — Native " Piney Woods " steers in the feed lot. 



quired through feeding are not transmitted to the offspring and no 

 continued improvement can be made by feed and care alone without 

 selection and the use of improved blood. However, the fact that 

 no continued improvement can be made in the size or quality of 

 cattle through the influence of feed and care alone is not an argu- 

 ment for not caring for the native cattle, as feed is the most impor- 

 tant factor in developing the individual. Certainly the native cattle 

 may be made to weigh much more by proper feeding, but can not 

 be made to approach the weight of improved cattle raised under 

 the same conditions. 



The argument often advanced that pure-bred animals put under 

 the same conditions as the native cattle will rapidly deteriorate into 

 141959°— 21— Bull. 827 2 



