IX 



THE SCIENCE OF BREEDING 



The breeding of pedigree stock of any de- 

 scription, whether it be guinea-pigs or race- 

 horses, casts an irresistible spell over the 

 minds of men, who are continually straining 

 after an unattainable ideal. While some 

 devote their attention to means of reaching 

 the North Pole, others range the forests of 

 South America and brave untold hardships 

 in the hope of discovering a rare orchid, but 

 thousands of us are doomed to spend our 

 days at home in humble obscurity. We 

 must have hobbies and pursuits to afford us 

 relaxation if we are busy people, or occupa- 

 tion if we are ranked among the idle, so we 

 turn our spare energies towards improving 



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