INHERITANCE— IMPRO VEMENT B V BREEDING i 2 7 



degeneration, and it is the only race-degeneration known in CHAP, 

 the history of cattle or men. The scrawny, lean, infertile herd V ' 

 is the natural offspring of the same type of parents. On the 

 other hand, if we sell or destroy the rough, lean, or feeble 

 calves, we shall have a herd descended from the best. . . . 



" In selective breeding with any domesticated animal or 

 plant, it is possible, with a little attention, to produce wonder- 

 ful changes for the better. Almost anything may be accom- 

 plished with time and patience. To select for posterity those 

 individuals which best meet our need or please our fancy, and 

 to destroy those with unfavourable qualities, is the function of 

 artifi qal s election. Add to this the occasional crossing of 

 unhklT~fbTrns to promote new and desirable variations, and we 

 have the whole secret of selective breeding. This process 

 Youatt calls the 'magician's wand' by which man may sum- 

 mon up and bring into existence any form of animal or plant 

 useful to him or pleasing to his fancy " ( Jordan, 2). 



To accomplish the best results possible from breeding, it 

 is necessary (a) to understand something about the manner in 

 which characters are inherited from the parent ; {b) to be well 

 acquainted with the characteristics and variability of the plants 

 or animals with which one is dealing ; and (c) to understand 

 clearly what characters are required by the market, or are in 

 other ways desirable or undesirable. 



98. The Necessity for Improvement of Crops. — South Africa 

 produces good maize and has established a good name in the 

 maize market, thanks to the assistance rendered by the several 

 Governments. There is no difficulty in selling the maize of South 

 Africa ; the difficulty is to supply the demand. There is even 

 danger that, unless the output is increased, she may lose 

 the market that she has gained, for Europe requires a steady 

 and dependable supply ; irregularity of supply tends to dis- 

 credit the crop with the merchant, and reacts unfavourably on 

 the producer. 



South Africa must produce more if she is to become the 

 " maize granary of Europe ". Increased production depends 

 upon three things: (1) more intensive cultivation of the area 

 now under crop ; (2) a larger farming population to increase 

 that area ; (3) increase of the yield per acre by scientific maize- 

 breeding. 



