REVIEWS. 
137 
in England can be traced to one of four or five celebrated 
horses which existed two centuries ago : and none are full- 
blood except for many generations the same blood flows in 
their veins. One single cross of a common animal breaks 
the charm, and it is no longer full-blood. What then is it ? 
It is Grade ; that is a mixture, however slight , between the 
perfect, and the common or imperfect breeds. The word is 
probably derived from the latin, Gradus , f a degree in con- 
sanguinity, 5 or the French Grade , ‘a degree of rank, 5 the 
inferior having taken a step upwards, as we say a young man 
at College graduates . The word is not to be found in English 
dictionaries or books. Except it may chance to be a local 
provincialism among the many dialects of the mother country, 
it appears to be unknown there. 
“ All animals, therefore, that are a mixture, if only by one 
cross, and that within several generations, between an indi- 
vidual of an improved breed of pure blood and a common 
one, on either the male or female side, is, in strictness, grade; 
but probably among us, one cross two generations back 
might not be considered so, or not be perceived. Thus I 
have a cow which I believe to be three quarters pure Durham 
and one quarter common ; and it has a calf by a full-blood 
Durham bull; that calf is not full-blood, it is still a grade ; 
the common-blood cannot be extinguished for several gene- 
rations ; if, indeed, in practice , it ever can be. Some rule, 
however, ought to be laid down by competent persons on 
this subject. This word is likewise practically used by some 
to define the admixture of pure stock among sheep, where 
they are of widely-diflerent families : as for instance of a long- 
wooled Leicester and a Merino ; but we have our doubts as 
to the correctness of its use in this sense ; though w T e have 
no doubt at all of the exceeding impolicy of making such a 
cross. 
“ Lastly, the Cross-Blood is the admixture between two 
full-blood animals of different breeds. Thus a calf got by 
Mr. Askew’s, of Malden, C. W., noble Durham bull, on 
Mr. Smith’s of Coldwater, beautiful imported Devonshire 
cow, would be a cross-blood , and one which we should greatly 
like to possess, as owning perhaps more good qualities for 
common practical use than any pure breed, or other admixture 
of breeds. However, this division is so plain that nothing 
more need be said, except that we hope, before ten years are 
passed, every farmer in Michigan will have his farm well 
stocked with either full-blood, or high grade animals — (the 
latter for most of us, perhaps, the most profitable at present, 
but to have them, we must have pure-blooded males,) — and 
xxvi. 19 
