IN-AND-IN BREEDING. ‘ 245 
are, the more likely this result is—excepting in. the last litter 
which the bitch has, for, this being often composed of only one 
or two puppies, they are not smaller than the average, and some- 
times even larger. All bitches should be allowed to reach full 
maturity before they are allowed to breed, and this period varies 
according to size, small dogs being adult at one year, whereas, 
large onés are still in their: puppyhood at that time, and take fully 
twice as long to develop their proportions. The mastiff is barely 
full-grown at two years; large hounds at a year and:a half; grey- 
hounds at the same time; pointers and setters from a year and 
a quarter to a year anda half; while terriers and small toy-doos 
reach. maturity at.a-year old, or even earlier. 
IN- AND- IN BREEDING. | 
The questions relating ~ to wn-and-in. Fvubiling nih crossing are 
of the greatest importance, each plan being strongly advocated 
by-some people, and by. others as strenuonsly opposed. Like 
many ‘other practices essentially good, in-breeding has beem grossly 
abused, owners of a good kennel having become. bigoted to their 
own strain, and, from keeping to it exclusively, having at length 
reduced their dogs to a state of idiocy and delicacy of constitution 
which has rendered him quite useless, Thus I have. seen in the 
course of twenty years a most valuable breed of pointers, by a 
persistence in avoiding any cross, become so full of excitability 
that they were perpetually at ‘a false point,” and backing one 
another at the same time without game near them; and, what is: 
worse, they could not be stirred from their position.. This last 
was from a want of mental capacity, for itis by their reasoning 
powers that these dogs find out when they have made a mistake, 
and without a good knowledge-box the.pointer and setter are for 
this reason quite useless. But the breed [ allude to, when once 
they had become stiff, were like Chinese idols, and must absolutely 
be kicked or whipped up in order to make them start off beating 
again. Mr. A. Graham, who has had a long experience in breeding 
greyhounds, and was at one time so successful as to obtain the 
name of “The Emperor of Coursers,” has laid’down the rule that 
“once-in and twice out.” is the proper extent to which breeding’ 
