384 
Polled Aberdeen and Angus Cattle. 
Polled cattle is the building up of distinct, well-defined, line- 
bred families. I cannot here enter into a discussion of the 
interesting and disputed question of in-and-in breeding. In 
competent hands I believe in-and-in breeding to be a valuable 
and powerful agency for good ; but if it is not thoroughly well 
conducted — and there are few capable of doing that — it may 
lead to disastrous results. I do not therefore desire to see it 
pursued by the general body of breeders of Polled cattle, or of 
any other race of farm-stock. I should rejoice, however, to 
see a few of the leading breeders, those best able intellectually 
and financially to undertake the work, following the example of 
the great improvers and pioneers of Shorthorns, and building 
up for themselves distinct line-bred families. I should like 
to see a few families of the breed built up in such a way as that 
they would not only be uniform in shape and character, but 
would also be possessed of one strong, unbroken, unadulterated 
family current. I believe in the doctrine that " like begets 
like ;" but if we breed from composite animals — animals con- 
taining several conflicting family currents, perhaps the living 
influence of dead ancestors — we can have no confidence in the 
result. We do not know which likeness is to be produced — that 
of the immediate, or of more remote ancestors. Practical expe- 
rience and scientific reasoning both teach us that no animal is 
so likely to reproduce an exact copy of itself as one that has 
been in-bred, or, in other words, one that contains one dominant, 
all-powerful family current. I therefore think that the existence 
of a few in-bred families of Polled cattle would help greatly to 
maintain, and even still further to improve, the high character of 
the breed generally. These families would be, as it were, strong 
• springs of pure blood, from which fresh draughts might be 
drawn from time to time by the breeders of mixed herds. While 
these two points seem deserving of special attention, I also hope 
to see the general characteristics of the breed still further im- 
proved. If folly and fashion are not allowed to take the place 
of reason and utility, I think there can be little doubt that the 
breed has before it a brilliant and useful future. 
