732 
REVIEWS. 
amove ” into his subject, and passed in review all the im- 
portant points connected with the breeding of stock. We 
have only space to quote the following 
“ Summary : — In bringing; to a close these somewhat 
© © 
desultory observations, I would remark, by way of resume , 
that although much of late years has been done in the way 
of improving the breeds of the domesticated animals, much 
yet remains to be done. No one who has studied the culti- 
vation of plants, and who has observed how roses, geraniums, 
or the now fashionable foliage plants have been trained to 
excellence — no one who has watched during the past ten 
years the steadily-increasing perfection and marvellous variety 
amongst the poultry and pigeons of our best shows — can 
doubt that the ordinary horses, cattle, and sheep of this 
country are still far short of perfection. Not 10 per cent, of 
the 200 to 300 colts and fillies entered for the Derby, Oaks, 
or Leger are ever good enough to come to the post. Greatly 
more than half the steeds bred at considerable expense for 
the hunting field, at five years old prove leggy, weedy, un- 
sound, or otherwise unfit to carry thirteen stone across 
country. Amongst other descriptions of horses, the plain- 
looking, unsound, and unserviceable unfortunately almost 
everywhere outnumber the symmetrical, the sound, and the 
serviceable. With the majority of herds and flocks through- 
out the country similar shortcomings are discoverable. How 
few animals, even in our largest fairs or markets, exhibit the 
shape, style, and quality which satisfy a really good judge ; 
or to take another standard, how few produce the highest 
money return for care and capital invested. Such short- 
comings in the art of breeding may be in part overcome by 
diffusing, as has been attempted in this paper, sounder views 
of the science and principles of breeding. 
“ In order to obtain sound, healthy, vigorous, aud remu- 
nerative stock, whether horses, cattle, sheep, or swine, the 
best and healthiest parents must be selected. All imperfec- 
tions and faults of form, and all habits, vices, and diseases 
that are natural and inborn, and even some that are acquired 
are, as I have endeavoured to prove, distinctly hereditary, 
and must be sedulously avoided. 
“ To ensure the certain transmission of the qualities which 
it is desirable to retain and perpetuate — to prevent the dis- 
appointment of animals breeding back to anything objec- 
tionable — pains must be taken to ascertain that the parents 
themselves have been descended for several generations from 
well-selected and good sorts. In the case of the male, whose 
sphere of influence amongst the domesticated animals is so 
