THE BREEDING OF ANIMALS, IN GENERAL 



81 



good. There is no factor of more use than the record of per- 

 formance, although some breeders push it to an extreme. If 

 one wishes to increase the performance, he must select the indi- 

 viduals upon their performance rather than on fancy. If ani- 

 mals are selected, however, wholly by performance, without 

 regard to form, we are likely to lose the best conformation. 



There is another reason for selecting animals with a pedigree 

 and a record of performance, which is entirely a commercial 

 one. Animals registered in a herd book and that have a rec- 

 ord of performance back of them are more likely to reproduce 

 themselves and will command a higher price in the market ; 

 and there is always a good market for such stock, as the 

 supply is limited. 



Mating. — In selecting animals, we must consider the suit- 

 ability of the two animals to mate together. We have already 

 seen that no two animals are alike, and since two animals are 

 essential in the reproduction, the offspring can never be exactly 

 like both parents. We must 

 strike an average between the 

 characteristics of the parents 

 and what we expect to get in 

 the offspring. As compared 

 with its parents the offspring 

 of two individuals will fall 

 into one of the following three 

 classes: First, a perfect com- 

 bination of the qualities of 

 both parents; this is called 

 breeding true. Second, a pre- 

 ponderance of characters of 

 either parent; this is called 

 prepotency ; and third, the offspring may exhibit none or few 

 of the characters of either parent ; this is called reversion. 



When the offspring shows equal blending of the qualities of 



Fig. 38. — Hackney Stallion "Fan- 

 dango M." Owned by A. R. Gillis. 



