PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 149 



certain failure ; on the other hand, when judiciously practiced, 

 the results will usually be satisfactory. 



"When a blood is kept pure to its own type, in its own 

 family, possessed of the same blood instinct in both male and 

 female, then like begets like, and not until then. As an illus- 

 tration of this great truth I refer my readers to the buffalo, 

 the elk, and the deer of our country in their primitive states. 

 I might also mention the wild turkey, the wild goose, and birds 

 and wild fowls of different classes, which have undoubtedly 

 bred in and in from time immemorial, and whose offspring 

 presents an uniform type and a degree of hardiness rarely at- 

 tainable by any of our domestic animals or birds. 



Breed only your best mares, for it is now conceded by the 

 most talented students of breeding that the dam transmits 

 sixty per cent, of her characteristics to her foal. 



Intelligence and beauty are important market values for a 

 horse for our own use or to sell. If you have a crazy, ill-look- 

 ing mare I would not advise using her for breeding purposes ; 

 doing so would but propagate her uselessness and ugliness. 

 Disposition should bear great weight in the selection of found- 

 ation stock in forming a stud of whatever breed. 



Upwards of twenty years ago when a resident of the State 

 of Connecticut and President of the Woodstock Farmers' Club, 

 and knowing a man in the adjoining State of Massachusetts 

 who had achieved success far above his neighbors in stock rais- 

 ing and farming, I invited him to cross the dividing line- (of 

 States) and tell the members of our club something of his 

 management. He, being flattered by the invitation, readily 

 assented and gave us much information yi a few words. 



"Gentlemen," said Deacon D wight, "if I have been success- 

 ful above my neighbors I must attribute such success to strict 

 attention to business and constant hard work, for I work hard 

 all summer getting ready for winter and all winter getting 

 ready for summer." 



I introduce this incident in my life's history, not as being 

 particularly connected with the science of horse-breeding, but 



