ANIMAL BUEEDING 97 



in any or all lines within the realm of animal variation desired 

 by the breeder. 



The first point in this process of improving animals is 

 that there must be variation. This is always present in all 

 animals. The second point is that the breeder must be able 

 to see these and select the animals for mating that have desir- 

 able variations. This again brings in the ability of the man in 

 charge in a very prominent way and it must not be overlooked 

 that the value of a breeding herd depends upon this ability of 

 the breeder. With this consideration in mind, it can readily 

 be seen why an improved pure-bred animal, provided it has 

 been properly bred, is better than a native or scrub. 



Breeding in nature is done at random and there is no selec- 

 tion or mating according to man's idea of improvement. 

 These animals in nature do mate frequently on a basis of im- 

 proved strength and vigor and consequently we have some 

 valuable characteristics well developed in nature's normal 

 animals. The American broncho is not set up as an ideal 

 horse, nevertheless it has wonderful endurance. The moose 

 is not the standard beef animal but can live in a climate and 

 subsist on feeds which would be certain death in a very short 

 time to the modern improved beef cow. 



An inferior pure-bred animal sometimes called a pure-bred 

 scrub is one whose variation deviated toward the lower level 

 or toward inferiority. Such an animal is the worst kind of a 

 scrub because it has these characteristics well fixed by breed- 

 ing and will produce inferior offspring. 



Many times people buy a pure-bred animal at a "long 

 price," comparatively speaking, just because they get a 

 piece of paper or registration certificate with it. If this ani- 

 mal has been well selected it is all right but if it has not been 

 well selected it is all wrong. Such an inferior pure-bred 

 animal is not so good for livestock work as a grade or scrub 

 animal that has been better selected. 



Value of a Sire. — The value of a good sire is frequently 

 underestimated. Altogether too frequently he is purchased 

 because he is a pure bred, because someone wants to sell him 

 or because the buyer has not the ability to select a good one. 

 It is a common saying that the sire is "half of the herd." 



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