QUALIFICATIONS OF BREEDING ANIMALS 73 



hilly, and the pastures are scant and not of the best quality. 

 Because of these rather unfavorable conditions the Ayrshire 

 has developed into a breed which is especially noted for 

 its adaptation to rough, sparse pasturage conditions. In 

 selecting a breed of dairy cattle for a rough, hilly country 

 where pasture lands are not of the best quality, the Ayrshire 

 is credited as being an excellent breed to suit these conditions. 



The Hereford has developed into an excellent breed for 

 western range conditions, largely because of its adaptability 

 to range country conditions. The Shorthorn, although an 

 excellent breed, is more favorablj'^ adapted to sections where 

 pasture lands are naturally abundant. Usually this breed 

 has found its home under these conditions notably in Ken- 

 tucky, Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana. Although 

 rightly considered the cosmopolitan breed of beef cattle, be- 

 cause of their wide distribution, it is better naturally adapted 

 to conditions like those mentioned. 



Confining the discussion to certain types of animals, it is 

 a fixed principle that small breeds of animals, for example, 

 are more thrifty under sparse or average pasturage conditions 

 than otherwise. The large breeds of sheep may be main- 

 tained under rather artificial conditions and attain a certain 

 degree of success. However, they are very much better 

 adapted to sections where they have access to rich, natural 

 pasture lands. The same principle may be applied to all 

 breeds of live stock, and in so doing it will be found upon 

 close study and observation that these breeds have become 

 disseminated largely according to this principle. 



Breeding Test. — If circumstances will permit, it is prefer- 

 able to select breeding animals which have been rigidly 

 tried out in the herd. This is impossible, however, with 

 young stock which has not reached breeding age. The only 

 guarantee of breeding qualities which the purchaser usually 

 gets with an individual is the fact that the ancestors were 

 successful breeders according to the records. This is not an 

 absolute guarantee, however, that the progeny will breed 

 as satisfactorily as the parents. The purchaser is reasonably 

 safe in selecting breeding animals if he takes special pre- 

 cautions to select the descendants of animals having a long 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



