COCKER S MANUAL. 2J 



shire sheep and Southdowns ; and the long-wooled Cotswold were 

 improved by crosses with the Leicester, which latter is again believed 

 to have been a cross between several long-wooled sheep. Mr. Spoon- 

 er, after considering the various cases which have been carefully re- 

 corded, concludes, 'that from a judicious pairing of cross-bred ani- 

 mals it is practicable to establish a new breed.' On the Continent 

 the history of several crossed races of cattle and other animals, has 

 been well ascertained. To give one instance : The King of Wurtem- 

 berg, after twenty-five years' careful breeding, that is after six or sev- 

 en generations, made a new breed of cattle from a cross between a 

 Dutch and Swiss breed, combined with other breeds. The Sebright 

 bantam, which breeds as true as any other kind of fowl, was formed 

 about sixty years ago by a complicated cross. Dark Brahmas, which 

 are believed by some fanciers to constitute species, were undoubtedly 

 formed in the United States, within a recent period, by a cross be- 

 tween Chittagongs and Cochins. With plants I believe there is little 

 doubt that some kinds of turnips, now extensively cultivated, are 

 crossed races ; and the history of a variety of wheat which was raised 

 from two very distinct varieties, and which after six years' culture 

 presented an even sample, has been recorded on good authority. 



"Until quite lately, cautious and experienced breeders, though not 

 averse to a single infusion of foreign blood, were almost universally 

 convinced that the attempt to establish a new race, intermediate be- 

 tween two widely distinct races, was hopeless. 'They clung with su- 

 perstitious tenacity to the doctrine of purity of blood, believing it to 

 be the ark in which alone true safety could be found.,' Nor was this 

 conviction unreasonable : when two distinct races are crossed, the 

 offspring of the first generation are generally nearly uniform in char- 

 acter ; but even this sometimes fails to be the case, especially with 

 crossed dogs and fowls, the young of which from the first are some- . 

 times much diversified. As cross-bred animals are generally of large 

 size and vigorous, they have been raised in great numbers for imme- 

 consumption. But for breeding they are found to be utterly useless; 

 for though they may be themselves uniform in character, when paired 

 together they yield during many generations offspring astonishingly 

 diversified. The breeder is driven to despair, and concludes that he 

 will never form an intermediate race. Bat from the cases already 

 given, and from others which have been recorded, it appears that pa- 



