184 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



bred as possible. He will find, if he breeds carefully, that his 

 stock is continually growing better as it reaches toward the full 

 blood, until for all economical uses it is just as good — except for 

 thorough breeding. But no man should ever buy or use a cross 

 bred, or grade bull for breeding, when he can get a pure bred 

 one, for the reason that the grade is quite as apt to throw his 

 had blood into his progeny, as his good blood, and thus stop the 

 improvement. Some breeders are quite apt to think when they 

 have got a really good thing, although of mixed blood, and a 

 part of it bad, it is good enough. They therefore stop at that, 

 use the imperfect bull, and from that time their stock remains 

 stationary, or more probably goes back. Improvement and pro- 

 gressive excellence, is only to be obtained by a constant persistence 

 in the use of the best pure blood, either in grade animals, or 

 thorough hreds. 



Thus, every man may have " the best breed of cattle '' for his 

 own land, and for his own uses. He may complain that a con- 

 tinuous use of thorough bred bulls, after having stretched his 

 purse to make the purchase of his first one, costs too much. 

 But that is a very narrow and uneconomical view to take of the 

 matter. If he studies and observes su£Bciently to surmount 

 the prevailing popular prejudice, about in-and-in breeding, he 

 may keep his first bull from two, or three, to ten years, if a 

 good one, and he can be useful so long — breeding him to his 

 own heifers and grand-heifers; or he may exchange him with 

 one in like circumstances, and by such means, only have to 

 buy a fresh bull once in several years. If this idea of breeding 

 a bull to his own progeny proves a staggering proposition, tlie 

 breeder is referred to our chapter "on breeding,'' wherein his 

 views may be enlightened, and possibly, his prejudices some- 

 what abated. 



In suggesting our views in this matter, we may be thought 

 speculative, or theorizing, by the ordinary observer. Let us see. 



