On the Breeding of Cattle and Sheep, 



27 



the object they have in view^ and endeavour to select such males as 

 shall be likely to get offspring possessing these qualities ; that they 

 shall carefully and candidly examine the females from which they 

 intend to breed, observe the faults in shape or quality which pre- 

 vail among them, and select males who shall possess corresponding 

 perfections. That the safest mode of ascertaining what are likely 

 to be the qualities of the produce from a male in future is, where 

 there is the opportunity, to see what are the qualities of the offspring 

 already produced from them ; then, the next to this is, to observe 

 what are the qualities of the family to which he belongs ; and that 

 in the case of not having the opportunity of making use of either of 

 these guides, they may assume that it is probable that the qualities 

 of the individual himself, which in all cases ought to be attended to, 

 will, if he is well-bred, descend to his offspring. 



It has already been said that there are two classes among the 

 farmers who breed cattle and sheep ; the one, of those who breed 

 bulls or rams, and the other, of those who breed oxen or wethers 

 for the purpose of grazing only : the above observations are in- 

 tended to apply to both. But much more attention ought to be 

 paid by the first of these classes to the selection of the animals 

 from which they breed than is absolutely necessary in the other. 

 This is essential to their own interest, because a male animal very 

 often shows faults in his shape, which, if he had been castrated, 

 would not have appeared. It frequently, therefore, happens that 

 the produce from a bull or a ram may prove excellent cattle or 

 sheep for grazing purposes only, but may be totally unfit to be 

 kept as the sires of future stock. Their duty, also, to those who 

 hire or buy from them imposes upon them the obligation to pay 

 the strictest and most minute attention to the qualities of their male 

 animals ; more particularly, they are bound not to offer to their 

 customers any one, of the health of which they have any reason 

 whatever to doubt, whether this doubt arises from any weakness of 

 constitution, which may have appeared in the individual himself, 

 or whether it arises from their knowledge of the family from which 

 he is descended. They are bound, also, not to keep as males any 

 animals who are not perfectly v/ell-bred. It does not follow from 

 this, that a long pedigree is in all cases necessary, although it is 

 generally desirable ; but it sometimes happens that a female, of 

 whose pedigree the owner is. ignorant, will have produced offspring 

 which have all possessed extraordinary merit, and which have 

 proved themselves good breeders also : a male descended from 

 such a female may be considered perfectly well-bred on her side ; 

 and will, very possibly, prove a better sire than many whose pedi- 

 gree on paper is much longer. 



In paying this minute attention to their occupation, the breeders 

 of male animals have some advantages not possessed by others; 



