Management of Aberdeen Angus Cattle. 103 
Pedigree. 
Observant breeders quickly realise the all-pervading powers 
of heredity and atavism. To breed good animals we must 
start with good parents, and to prevent any ill results from 
atavism (throwing back to a remote ancestor) we must as far as 
possible make sure that the ancestors of the animals we breed 
from were good ones. I have great faith in a good pedigree, 
and I would not buy any animal unless the pedigree pleased me. 
The pedigree is the title-deed by which we know whether or not 
its possessor is a good and safe investment. The so-called 
fashionable pedigree, or the long pedigree, is no guarantee of ex- 
cellence, and both may be rendered objectionable by the inclu- 
sion of some inferior animal in them. Neither is the ordinary 
pedigree, where simply the direct dams and sires are given, to 
be implicitly relied upon. 
To establish a good pedigree it should be possible to trace 
every animal to its foundation, and in none of the collateral 
branches must there be a stain. At the same time individual 
merit must be our first consideration, and the pedigree comes 
afterwards. 
Occasionally an old bull that has proved himself to be a 
good getter may from one cause or another come into the 
market for sale ; opportunities such as this should never be 
missed. Young bulls can always be bought, but their power to 
produce stock of the right sort has to be proved, and in doing 
so much time may be lost. Therefore a good old bull should 
always be looked after, and bought if still active and efficient. 
In using old bulls a word of caution is required. As age ad- 
vances a time comes when, although the bull serves as well as ever 
he did, the cows break to his service at the third, sixth, or 
ninth week ; this is evidently due to want of vitality in the 
spermatozoa, and when this is found to exist the bull should be 
sent to the butcher at once. There must be no hesitation about 
this step, nor any thought of giving the bull another trial ; othei’- 
wise the cows will become demoralised, some will become non- 
breeders, and at best the calving season will be thrown incon- 
veniently late. 
Treatment of the Bulls. 
Bulls should at all times be well fed — not made fat, but kept 
in vigorous condition — and when being used pretty freely they 
should have their ordinary diet supplemented by an allowance 
of stronger, more nitrogenous food, such as bean-meal or crushed 
oats. The bull-house should be well lighted and ventilated. 
