106 MODERN MILK GOATS 



inanj' of the practical aspects of goat keeping that sjaace 

 must be taken at least to present a few of the arguments 

 for and against these various systems. 



Cross Breeding. — If one is dealing witli pure l)red or 

 high grade animals of any given breed, there is very 

 little to recommend in cross breeding and nnicli to be said 

 against it. The object of cross breeding is to create a 

 new type better than any existing type. Such an under- 

 taking requires time and means, and involves many dis- 

 appointments. It requires, above all, scientific knowl- 

 edge and long experience with the working of the laws 

 of inheritance. Cross breeding, then, is a game for the 

 few. The only practical aspects that it jjresents are two : 

 first, when there is no buck of one's breed available so 

 good as some buck of another breed that is at hand, then 

 it might be advisable, rather than to use an inferior ani- 

 mal. The second practical employment of cross breeding 

 is in the case of a herd of straight native does, bred to a 

 inn-e buck of any of the three tyjjes. This, of course, is 

 cross breeding. After one has obtained a number of 

 half blood does from this cross, it would be folly to breed 

 them to a pure buck of another type than their own sire. 

 Such a proceeding only scatters the improvement al- 

 ready made, while continued mating to superior bucks of 

 their sire's breed rapidly strengthens and establishes the 

 best characteristics of that breed in tlie offspring. To 



