186 Cattle Problems. 



Breeding that does not increase nutritive value, is breed- 

 ing tliat does not improve. 



Tlie cardinal principle in breeding is, or should be, to 

 increase food-value first, and maintain it subsequently, as 

 the chief basis of commercial value in all meat produced 

 for food. 



Activity or training and selection have supplied good 

 Norman and English horses, variously modified by breed- 

 ing and use in England and America. 



The muscular development for work-value in horses, and 

 food-value in cattle and swine, results from the influence 

 of their regular activity, when fairly fed, as during the 

 muscular contractions the inflow of blood to the muscles 

 takes place at a rate according to activity. 



The law of inheritance being, that the existing state, 

 whether of health or disease, or full or feeble muscles, will 

 be transmitted, makes improvement by breeding a slow 

 process. But by gradual, unconscious selection, a few 

 naturally developed breeds, such as the Devons, Here- 

 fords and Galloways, and others, have come down to us, 

 and been made somewhat uniform in color and quality by 

 special selection and suitable pairing. 



The best horses, cattle and sheep have all descended, or 

 ascended, from inferior common stock, the best in each 

 generation having been long selected in many instances. 

 Finer improved, grasses of digestible quality have made 

 the quality of flesh finer, while vigor was maintained by 

 full activity in sheep, swine and cattle. 



The business of the breeder is mainly confined to select- 

 ing and combining the best forms and qualities within his 

 reach, pairing the animals, so as to cure the defects on 

 one side by excellences on the other. If the paired 

 animals are both good, some improvement may result. 

 But there may be deterioration in form or quality from 



