The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-05-27
agricultural department.
BY ALERT CHAPMAN.
Golden Truths In breeding.

rectlng our attention 10 size OF the SUD-
ject OF thoroughbred stock seldom consid.
cred, and with irankness of statement
DO less rare than praiseworthy He says:
" An W.Jred Thoroughbred is the WorSt
animal a tarmer can breed FROM" This
seems to me to be one Of those golden
truths in breeding, to which the breeder
must be holden who has success in his
efforts, either in retaining the acquiring
quality of his animals, or III imparting to
them new excelences 1t is truth that
should have larger following more
full acceptance and appreciation. But it
is so related and akin to another truth
not more or less important, but OF equal
worth-that TO state the one seems to re-
qure of us the statement of the other
also. To dwell upon the mischiefs that
the ill.bred thoroughbred may do us, and
not at the same time to consider the sur
passing benefits accruing from the well.
bred thoroughbred, might lead the minds
of some persons to entertain prejudice,
or to the ignoring of the merits of the one
sort in the condemnation Of the other.
Though this result would imply very i'll.
ogical reasoning, or reasoning very in
complete, it is important to guard against
it.
Were an inference unfavorable to thor
oughbred stock, to secure foothold in
mems minds, hundred years or more. In
nv humble judgment, the acceptance of
Mr.. Burleigh's language, without quail
fcation and unjustifable differences, must
advance very considerably the stock inter-
ests of the country, by promoting high
er standard of excellence for thorough
breds, and further their diffusion.
That there may be, and indeed are,
thoroughbreds of Indifferent quality, in
every breed, we ought to be ready to ad-
mit-persuaded that the encomiumns
upon thoroughbred stock in general will
not otherwise have their proper influence.
1t is obvious that the much praise of the
thoroughbred will not have much weight
with persons whose entire knowledge
upon the subject is derived from observ-
alton of, or experience WITH animals of
Indifferent quality. The common sense
Of such, protests against the reasonable
ness Of such praise-they not being aware
ofthe more excellent sort that justify the
full measure of praise bestowed. 1t not
uncommonly occurs that the poorer stock
precede the better, in the order of intro
duction in locality, and are liable to
fall below that high appreciation to which
the better is deserving and afterwards
obtains.
The diffusion Of the better sorts will
be promoted by the admission of the error
which assumes an equality of merit for
thoroughbreds, to such degree as to en-
title any two or three specimens to be a
representative sample of q breed. 1t is
right enough that we decide the value of
a breed, excellencies to an average de.
gree. 1t is the data of what the average
animal Of breed will do for US, that
should guide to an estimate of the value
Of such breed for extensive introduction
and cultivation. The specimens Of excep-
tional excellence discover to us the pro-
liabilities that await the action of the
skilled judgment, and are Of more immed.
late value to the few who have this judg.
men:, than to farmers in general. But
the farmer cannot be too much cautioned
against forming Opinions of the value Of
breed from very limited observation
which likely has been afforded by animals
ranking below the average quality of the
breed, and possibly by such as do not be.
long to the breed to which they are nc.
credited.
The other truth-that witch opens to
view another aspect of the subject, is this
thoroughbred blood affords the single 5a.
SIS upon ,Uhich improvement in any d.
rection may be both predicted and secur-
ed. The law of inheritance has no ex-
ception: its operations, however, seem.
ingly proceed after simple plan, or one
more readily understood by the human
mind when engaged with so called thor
oughbred animals, than with those of O
different nature.
A thoroughbred family Of cattle art
such as are possessed of homogeneous
ancestry, for a sufficient number of gen.
erations to insure real similarity and
correspondence in their ofsprings.
How many generations it requires tc
bring about this likeness in the progeny
will depend upon the nature of the con
ditions that oppose out when these are
most favorable, and each generation ad
vances the breeder a step toward the de
sired goal, it is undermined. If upol
large roomy, square COWS of no breed, 0
Short-Horn bul. is used, and Short orr
sire is employed thereafter, the fourtl
generation will give an animal-commou
ly-not very dissimiar to, and havin,
much of the qualifications of the thorough
BREEDS. Animals whose prevailing char
acteristic have been thus effected, car
ONLY be considered thoroughbred on con
dition that the breeding from such togeth
err, produces calves that upon maturin,
shall bear an obvious correspondence t
their immediate progonitors. When the
do this, there is family founded enttle,
to be considered thoroughbred. Tn
number ofsuch families that may be form
ed is beyond calculation. But in the us
Of the word thoroughbred there is moth
ing more presumed than this. IL doe
not conrey any notion Of excellence.
only implies likeness in family, and tn
Inherent power to transmit the same. TIL
Hereford, the Devon, the Jersey, and en-
other sort are no more thoroughbred
than the American buffalo that roams owe
the prairies of the West, unless it can b
shown that the buffalo breeds yonng les
true to his type, than the domesticate
breeds do to their several types.
There is a view of the subject thu
should find place here. The term thor
oughbred as attached to cattle is employ
ed relatively and without exactness
meaning. Were there to be found val
iety Of animals so similar, each to tn
othnr ~ pok 10 diSoouon ~ .Ln ala !. i;