BREEDING OF FARM STOCK. 
721 
ties may predominate in the offspring which were almost 
latent in the parent. If, therefore, any quality or character 
is rendered hereditary, it must correspond with that inherent 
in the parent from w r hich it descended. If, however, I breed 
from a female possessing certain qualities by a male distin¬ 
guished by an opposite character, it is clear that the offspring 
cannot perpetuate both of these characteristics, and the result 
appears antagonistic to the maxim that “like produces like.” 
This brings us at once to the consideration of one of the 
most important principles connected with breeding, namely, 
that although “like produces like” (for it can produce 
nothing else), still when the parents possess opposing quali¬ 
ties the preponderance is exercised by that one which pos¬ 
sesses the hereditary tendency in the greatest strength. If, 
for instance, a cow having any special peculiarity of form is 
put to a bull having the opposite character, the offspring 
will assume the character of that parent which possessed 
the greatest hereditary powers in this respect, or, in other 
words, the greatest purity and unity of influence. If these 
hereditary powers are under our control, it is important 
to consider by what means they may be increased or di¬ 
minished. 
In breeding from a ram and ewe possessing a similarity of 
type, the produce of such a union will of necessity also 
possess the like character, but in a higher degree. Thus the 
result of breeding stock of similar character is that these* 
peculiarities are not only perpetuated but intensified in the 
offspring. Provided that the parents possess similarity of 
type in any given particular, every successive generation 
thus produced acquires an increase of hereditary force, by 
which we mean the power of imprinting its own stamp upon 
its progeny. But in like manner as this power accumulates 
when there is a similarity of character, so also does it di¬ 
minish when the parents have opposite or antagonistic cha¬ 
racters. Suppose that a well-bred ram, by careful breeding 
through several successive generations, has acquired strong 
and valuable hereditary powers (which, for illustration sake, 
we will represent in figures), say equal to 100. If this 
animal be put to a ewe of a totally different character, say 
having hereditary power equal to 60, the result would be 
that the offspring would still possess the same character as 
the ram, because of his superior hereditary power; but the 
hereditary capability of the offspring would be reduced to 
say 100 — 60 = 40. Supposing the offspring to be a ram, 
at a subsequent period both the sire and offspring may 
appear equally perfect in form and general character; but 
xxxiv. 53 
