108 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



In the first place, all bulls are ugly. They are morose and 

 dangerous by nature. The really sweet tempered bulls are just 

 where Custer's good Indians were — all dead. Whoever has 

 occasion to keep a bull should know that he is a dangerous animal 

 at any age, and he shouldn't be sold simply because he gives 

 evidence that the milk of human kindness has soured in his stom- 

 ach. 



Then as to inbreeding: If our farmers were half as careful 

 to avoid other mistakes in breeding as they are those of inbreed- 

 ing, we should make progress faster. I am not ignorant of the 

 fact that disaster may follow inbreeding among animals already 

 closely bred for many generations. It does not necessarily fol- 

 low, however, and in practice all good breeding is, and must be, 

 the result of close breeding. Not only that — there is no authentic 

 case on record of untoward results from inbreeding among half 

 bloods, three-quarter bloods, or even much higher grades. I 

 do not say that it could not happen, but I do say that the chances 

 of disaster are .extremely remote and in practice can be safely 

 disregarded. 



The best advice that can be given in the light of the most re- 

 cent knowledge, is that the bull, even for grading purposes, 

 should be a good individual, and then he may be safely retained 

 as long as he will do good service. It involves, of course, his 

 breeding upon his own offspring, but this in grading is as safe 

 as any breeding proposition ever can be. It is well, of course, 

 in selecting the next sire, to buy one of slightly different family 

 blood lines and then the dairyman may rest easy in his mind. 



I know' what is said and what is firmly rooted in the minds 

 of all people, about the matter of incestuous breeding, as it is 

 called, but we are not to confuse the sociological question of 

 human relations with the purely physiological one that concerns 

 us here. The question of morals does not enter into our problem, 

 and out in nature, the head of the herd is head as long as he can 

 maintain his supremacy. 



I hope these matters will receive consideration, and that 

 the present useless slaughter of young bulls will speedily cease. 



