PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 
25 
REMARKS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 
Breeding, with a view to improvement, may be 
said to be founded on Nature's established law, 
that " like begets like." This, however, is only- 
true in part, for there is a constant tendency to 
change, arising from a variety of causes ; such' as 
domestication, living in a different climate, or on a 
different kind of food. The management to which 
animals are subject has, also, its influence. While 
these may be looked upon as the chief causes in 
operation, that produce this constant change, they 
are the means, at the same time, in connection with 
other causes, which are used to effect an improve- 
ment. 
In order to improve the breed, there are two 
modes advocated by practical breeders. One is 
commonly called the " in-and-in system," and the 
other that of " crossing." The former was prac- 
tised many years ago, by Mr. Bakewell, of Eng- 
land, which, at least, had the effect of destroying 
the prejudice that had previously existed against 
breeding from animals of the same race, or blood. 
But the system of breeding in-and-in, it has since 
been ascertained, has a tendency, after a time, to 
deteriorate the breed; in fact, it is limited, so far 
as its benefits are concerned, unless the utmost care 
is observed in the selection and management of the 
stock, avoiding everything that can possibly tend 
to hereditary disease. To accomplish this, the 
breeder must select such animals as his judgment 
and experience will convince him will be likely to 
unite in their offspring the qualities sought. From 
their progeny, again must be selected only those 
animals which more completely exhibit the requi- 
site qualities, and so on, from generation to gene- 
ration, until the character desired is fully developed. 
The importance of continuing this process for a 
number of successive generations is obvious, from 
the fact, that peculiar traits of character, often dis- 
appear in the first, and reappear again in the second 
or third generation. A desired character may be 
found in the parent, and inherited by only a part of 
the offspring, and the requisite point can only be 
uniformly developed by a careful selection through 
several consecutive generations. By this process, 
it is apparent that this system must be adopted ; yet, 
at the same time, it is desirable to avoid too close 
alliances. Hence, it is considered better to breed 
more distant members of the same family together 
than those that are more nearly related. 
In improving the breeds of animals, the chief 
points to be arrived at, consist in reducing the parts 
of the least value to the least possible dimensions, 
which may be regarded as offal, as the head, neck ; 
legs, &c, while the large quarter or ham and deep 
chest, for fattening, and square, well-set udder, 
large milk veins, mellow skin, and kind temper for 
milking qualities, should all be developed to the 
greatest possible extent. In order to produce 
these, a strict regard should be paid to pairing with 
the view of correcting an imperfection in one ani- 
mal by a corresponding excellence in another. For, 
the character of the parent is more fully impressed 
upon the offspring when the former is in the most 
vigorous period of life. Consequently, neither 
very young nor very old animals should be selected 
for the purpose of breeding. All the conditions of 
soil, situation, climate, treatment, and food should 
be favorable to the object sought, and particular 
care should be taken to bring the male to the mind 
and taste of the female, and for the first year, at 
least, that the young are well supplied with an 
abundance of nutritious food, and with comfortable 
shelter and shade. Furthermore, every female, 
while pregnant, should not only be well fed, but 
care should be observed that the food be of a proper 
kind. Let it be remembered, also, that the growing 
foetus has blood, flesh, and bones to form, as well 
as its mother ; and therefore a greater proportion 
than usual of the constituents which go to make 
these, must be supplied by the food of the dam : 
otherwise, the foetus will suffer, as well as its pa- 
rent. Again, it should be borne in mind, that, 
no breeding animal, either male or female, should 
be made too fat ■ for the former would often become 
too heavy and unwieldly by their joints and sinews 
being, as it were, possessed with little action, or 
effect, by a load of useless and injurious fat ; nei- 
ther would a female, in a state of pregnancy, be in 
a natural and safe condition, either as regards her- 
self or her young, when thus unnaturally encum- 
bered. To, illustrate more clearly my meaning, let 
us take, for instance, a breeding sow, as denoted 
by fig. 2, which has been too highly fed, and it 
will be obvious that she must have been incommo- 
ded with an unnecessary and cumbrous weight dur- 
ing the latter stages of pregnancy ; and besides, her 
offspring, would become contaminated with sick- 
ness and disease, which, sooner or later would be 
communicated to their progeny. 
The system of " crossing" is founded on a prin- 
ciple just as secure, as regards care in selection, as 
that adopted by Bakewell in breeding in-and-in. 
For, it is well known that certain diseases are 
hereditary, and so is color, none of which can be 
changed nor got rid of except by crossing. This 
system, therefore, requires great care in selection, as 
well as in management. This tendency of " like be- 
getting like," is forcibly illustrated in the results of 
crossing various breeds of cattle, such as Devons 
with Herefords, both the color and form of the pa- 
rent animals being thereby modified or changed. 
As a general rule, animals produced by crossing 
are the most profitable either for meat or milk. 
Most of our good breeds have been perfected by 
this system, and selection has long maintained 
them. A cross is comparatively the operation of a 
moment ; and its end once attained, the breeder's 
object is not to repeat, but to maintain it. B. 
Beware of the Ring Bone. — If colts stand on 
a plank or any hard floor that is not well littered, 
they will be subject to the ring bone. When 
breeding horses, we left the floor of the colt's 
stables, of the soil over which they were built. If 
this should be a deep loam, or of a clayey texture, 
then remove the soil about two feet deep, and re- 
place it with sand, or the finest gravel to be obtain- 
ed. Colts should also be let out to exercise in a 
yard, or open space ; every day during the winter, 
when not particularly stormy; and in this yard 
there should not be older horses, or any horned ani 
mal which can do them injury. Being very play- 
ful, they are more apt to provoke attacks upon them 
than other animals. 
