72 
THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE OX. 
REMARKS ON EARLY MATURITY, BREEDING FROM THE NEAREST 
AFFINITIES, AND CROSSES. 
By Mr. W. F. Karkeek, V.S., Truro. 
[Continued from p. 189, vol. xvi.] 
It is a very common opinion amongst breeders, that the system 
of breeding from the nearest affinities tends to communicate early 
maturity. Bake well is said by this system to have established 
the new Leicester sheep, and the improved breed of long-horned 
cattle — Charles Colling, the short-horns — and Tomkins the im- 
proved Herefords. Professor Low, in his “ Illustrations of the 
Breeds of the Domestic Animals of the British Isles,” alluding to 
the system of breeding by Bakewell, says — “ that he adopted the 
practice of breeding from animals without relation to their affinities 
of blood, in a degree, perhaps, never before attempted. The effect of 
which was that he not only gave a permanent uniformity of cha- 
racter to his breed, but a delicacy of temperament and form to the 
progeny — diminishing thereby the size of the horns, and producing 
a tendency to arrive at premature age. The animals getting soon 
old, arrive quickly at maturity of bone and muscle, which is the 
very end aimed at by the breeder.” That breeding from the 
nearest affinities will have the effect of establishing a permanency 
of character in a breed, I have not the slightest doubt. Every 
circumstance concurs in proving that there were originally but one 
species of each of our domesticated animals created, suited to a 
particular locality ; but these, in consequence of multiplying and 
spreading over the different parts of the globe, where they are 
found at present, have undergone considerable alterations from 
their original type, the influence of climate, food, and mode of 
living. This is one of the causes that have tended to produce 
such a diversity amongst animals of the same kind. Another 
cause arises from accidental varieties, which at first was not so con- 
spicuous, and produce only individual varieties; but which after- 
wards became more specific, because they were rendered more perma- 
nent by the continual action of the same cause; such as continually 
breeding in the same family or blood, by which either excellencies 
or defects, beauties or deformities, more speedily and surely pass from 
parents to progeny. It, however, by no means follows that breed- 
ing from the nearest affinities should produce that peculiar character 
which Professor Low would lead us to suppose, since the qualities 
perpetuated must altogether depend on the selection at the com- 
