Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-09-09
Agricultural.
Effect of Imagination on Cows.

1t is we'll known to breeders that try as
much as possible TO get pure and well
marked stoCk-now and then a singular ex-
cepion will occur to throw all their notions
and principles into confusion. Several the
cries have been brought forward TO account
for this fact. One is that in various cross
ings thai have taken place, some peculiarly
of forgotten ancestor, alter having lam
dormant for several generations, has repro
tuced itself This is admitted as an I'M
doubted principle in human physiology, and
without a sad work would sometimes be
made in families We have III our mind,
family where both The parents are Of dark
complexion, black hair and eyes, and one
OF the children has red hair and light blue
eyes. This seeming anomaly is made to be
plain affair, when we know that in the
mothers family one Of The parents was pos
sesSed Of a red head with blue eyes, and
portion of the children had a similar com.
plexion The same principle holds good
of diseases. Certain hereditary diseases
may not be visible in an entire generation,
and yet make their appearance in the next
generation.
Another theory, by which these excep-
tiona products are accounted for, is that if
a COW or mare have young by any particular
male, the young while in the womb and pos
sessed of a nature, constitution and pecu-
liarties similar to and deprived from said
male, produces change in the nature, blood
constitution, &c, Of the female, to such an
extent, that in any after connection with a
different male there is liability that the faint
of tie original impregnation may manifest
itself in those succeeding. Facts, appa-
rently lnconlestabIe, have been brought for
ward to sustain this position. That all the
results as yet witnessed, not assignable to
the first theory we have mentioned, may be
another, should give us pause" from any
haste TO adopt the notion.
The third theory to which we have allu.
ded, is the effect Of Imagination on tie
mother.
That this is powerful force in the hu-
man race, cannot in the least be doubted.
Too many well authenticated instances of
INDUSTRIOUS births, as the result OF excite
ment to the mind of the mother, have been
recorded in scientific works, to admit of u
doubt. Every one has some instance OF
this kind in mind
The imagination of the brute is lower III
the scale, as regards power extent, or quick
ness Of action-but is not different in every
particular. Hope, fear, love, friendship,
disgust &c. are really properties of the
mind, and many may be expected TO pro-
duce the same effects.
The memorable instance of the bargain
between Laban and Jacob, relative.to the
division of the herds, is in every mind
Jacob was to have as the wages of his labor
all the " ring-Streaked and spotted" of the
cattle, or the brown sheep Of the f1ocks.-
Laban, an avariclous and selfish man, i'm
mediately removed every animal that pos
sessed these pecuIiarltles from the hocks
and herds, and gave them to his sons aud
put under Jacobs charge only those that
remained, Jacob resorted confluence over
the Imagination, to secure for himself fair
return for his labors lie took rods Of
green poplar and of the hazel and chest
nut tree, and piled white streaks in them,
and made the white appear that was in the
rods" He placed these rods by the brook,
or the gutter Of the watering trough when
the aocks came 10 drink, "that they should
conceive when they came 10 drink" To
show clearly that the effect produced was
through the eye and mind Of the individual
operated upon, it is remarked, " And Il
came TO pass whatsoever the stronger cattle
did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods be-
fore the eyes of the cattle in the cutters,
that they might conceive among the rods
But when the cattle were feeble, he pu
them not in, so tie feeble were Labans ant
the sronger Jacobs.
An instance is recorded that a pure
blooded polled COW was served with pure
blooded red polIed bull. During the day
however, she had been with a red and white
horned OK. The calf produced was red ant
white, and horned.
An instance was related to us as having
occurred on the Manchester City Farm.
red COW was served with red bull. After
wards the COW was with and had quite al
attachment to an OK peculiarly marked will
white. The calf was marked with white
as was the OK.
We need more careful observation rea
tive to the results Of breeding There car
be, however, no mistake in saying that al
breeders should seek out the best animal.
from which to breed BY best animals We
do not mean the best accidental animal, bu
one who has been closely bred for somC