2 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. IQI/. 



It is this fundamental attribute of self-reproduction which 

 the art of animal-breeding makes use of for the benefit of 

 mankind. The breeder attempts to direct and control the 

 reproduction of certain species and varieties of animals which 

 possess qualities that are of value. Thus the breeder of dairy 

 cattle endeavors so to control and direct the reproduction of 

 these animals that he shall be able to produce cows which will 

 3deld a large amount of milk. The beef-cattle breeder tries to 

 produce animals which carry on their frames a large amount of 

 meat of good edible quality. The sheep-breeder has for his 

 object to bring about the plentiful reproduction of animals bear- 

 ing a large amount of wool. And so on, always the breeder is 

 trying to control, guide and direct a fundamental biological pro- 

 cess (reproduction) in such way that the product may be most 

 valuable to him in some direction, either utilitarian, ?esthetic or 

 other. The more complete this control is, and the more defi- 

 nitely it is directed towards a particular desired end, the greater 

 is the success of the breeder. 



Man's needs or fancies have led to the production of many 

 and diverse breeds of the domestic animals. In every civi- 

 lized country special breeds and sub-breeds or varieties have 

 been developed to meet the particular conditions prevailing 

 there. In the number of such specialized and diversified races 

 of animals, all of which must have come originally from a very 

 small number of unspecialized ancestral forms, is perhaps to be 

 found the most striking measure of the degree to which man 

 has developed and extended his control over the natural pro- 

 cesses of reproduction. Some idea of the extent to wdiich this 

 dififerentiation and specialization of animals for particular ends 

 has been carried may be gained from Table I. This table shows 

 the number of different breeds and varieties of farm live stock 

 which are found in the British Isles.' Some are local varieties, 

 but still distinct. All these are essentially native British breeds. 

 Other countries, especially the older ones, show in greater or 

 less degree the same conditions. They have developed breeds 

 of live stock to suit their own special needs and fancies. 



'This table is compiled from "British Breeds of Live Stock," Lon- 

 don (Board of Agriculture and Fisheries'), 1910. 



