362 VETERINARY STATE BOARD 



What points should be especially considered in the selection of animals 

 for breeding purposes? 

 We should consider the individual and its ancestry, noting 

 particularly that the high standard of the ancestors has been main- 

 tained in each individual in the line of parentage. "Like begets 

 like"; therefore, the desirable, as well as the undesirable, points of 

 the selected animal are likely to be transmitted to the offspring. 



What influence on the offspring does heredity play and what environ- 

 ment? 



Heredity should not be considered from the stand-point of the 

 individuals mated only, but of the race as a whole. Consider the 

 ancestors and the desirable characteristics which they uniformly 

 possessed. Prom individuals whose ancestry has shown a uniform- 

 ity of certain characteristics it is reasonable to expect that these 

 points will be transmitted to offspring. Among the characteristics 

 inherited are : conformation, type, color, temperament, milk-pro- 

 duction, wool-production, speed, endurance, style, action, etc. 



Environment, likewise, deserves general consideration. The 

 effect of environment on the immediate offspring is of little impor- 

 tance. Insufficient food, overwork, and improper care may result 

 in the production of an individual offspring of inferior size and 

 development. But the succeeding generation may lack in neither of 

 these respects. However, if a great number of generations are 

 kept in the same improper environment, there will be a tendency 

 toward retrogression. 



What is the value of a pedigree and upon what does it depend ? 



A pedigree is a record of ancestry, and its value depends upon the 

 reputation of the ancestors. If the ancestors for five or six genera- 

 tions back have been individuals of a uniformly good character, the 

 pedigree is valuable, and the individual, which it represents, is 

 desirable as a breeding animal. On the contrary, if there has been 

 a lack of uniformity in the previous generations, the pedigree is of 

 little account, and the individual is more or less undesirable as a 

 factor in breeding. 



An ideal pedigree would be one which contains definite infor- 

 mation regarding the merits and demerits of the individuals 

 recorded. 



Name the conditions of the tarsus that cause unsoundness. 



Arthritis chronica deformans, curb, bog-spavin, and thorough- 

 pin. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



