92 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



many pure-bred herds has been lowered to a serious 

 extent by this method of breeding cannot be questioned. 

 It would seem correct to say that heifers of this class 

 should be bred so as to produce the first calf at the age 

 of 30 to 23 months. 



The objections to breeding too young, already 

 touched upon, may be summarized as follows: (i) 

 Lowering the size in the individual; (2) loss of size in 

 its immediate descendants; (3) lowering of stamina in 

 the individual, and (4) lowering of stamina in the im- 

 mediate descendants. That size is thus lost is shown 

 by experience and observation. This loss may not be 

 very pronounced in a single generation, but, though 

 thus gradual, the loss is cumulative where the practice 

 is continued and at length becomes serious. That there 

 is loss of stamina is well shown by declension in perform- 

 ance in animals thus managed. That such a view is 

 firmly lodged in the minds of breeders is evidenced in 

 the common practice among dairymen of usually re- 

 jecting the first calf produced by a heifer when deter- 

 mining which shall be retained for replenishing the herd. 

 It is further shown in the almost invariable choice of 

 animals to be grown for show purposes in beef classes, 

 which are the progeny of dams that are mature or almost 

 mature. The evil results from immature breeding would 

 be vastly more apparent than they are if the only animals 

 retained for future breeding were the progeny of those 

 produced by immature dams. In such a herd it is rea- 

 sonable to suppose, and it is even certain, that deteriora- 

 tion would be rapid. 



As it is, declension is counteracted by the large num- 

 ber of the animals retained in the herd from mature 

 dams. It would seem correct to say that the world has 

 never yet seen the high average of excellence in studs, 

 herds and flocks that may be attained by a system of 

 selection to which no objection can be offered. 



There are some objections to breeding long de- 



