The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-09-07
Farm. Garden lad Household,
ThOrOuEhbrsd Animals.


The improvement in live stock, says
Prof. Brewer before the Science Con-
gress, has been greater thRn in tiilage.
II has been accomplished by ~ selec-
ton OF breeding animals, and (2) by
care OF them. Both OF these are essen
tiRl. Starved animals will not thrive,
no matter how we'll bred, and no skill
in care and feeding will give from poor
breeds the best OF animals. Special ex-
oellences are the accumulated improve
ments Of several generations.
II is often claimed that II the care OF
man be withdrawn the improved breed
will retrace the steps OF is ancestry and
revert TO It's original characteristics.
This theory has been made a dogma
and the basis OF deductions regarding
the permanence of original types and
the Aeeting nature OF acquired charac.
tiers. The dogma finds place in scien.
tific literature in papers read before
learned societies, and from these
sources the notion spreads through our
popular. literature. It has weight with
n class OF farmers who do not wish TO
expend money and care on their live
stock-to have the best and care for it
in the best manner. They suppose that
the moment their care Is Withdrawn,
the objects OF II will begin to hrevert"
to original inieriority. This wide
spread belief greatly impodes the gen.
eral improvement OF live stock.
1nstances Of this alleged reyersion"
were brought forward at the last m.
nuAl meeting OF this Association, and
are printed among the papers then de.
livered. About month later there was
q meeting held in neighboring State.
Stockholders came from England,
from California, from even the very
State where they had Just been told
that "shorthorns." were prone to re.
turn TO their original state. The meet.
ing was for tho sale Of improved ami.
mails, and In thirty minutes the sale OF
shorthorns amounted to $3.50, 900, and
there also, within yeryshort time, 100
head OF cattle were sold for $685., 900.
For Ave ooEs-the Duchess strain
sl5S,O00 were paid-all showing tho
faith oil the purchasers in the perma-
nenee OF the improved stock.
For some years Prof. Brewer has
been investigating this subject and
seeking for proof OF the alleged ten.
dency TO reversion. To careiully.word.
ed inquiries in writing, following upon
every report OF such "reversion, I"
Prof. Brewer has received very numer.
Gus replies, and they are unanimously
in the negative. This is certainly 70.
markable, following upon the confident
assertions that animals so frequently
exhibited the alleged tendency. The
inquiries were pushed in tho specific
localities where the reversion was said
to have occurred; the questions have
been put to large number Of stock.
breeders, and finally have been made
by means OF a printed circular. But
the result was always the same, except
that Q smile OF inoredulity extended
over the faces OF some stock.breeders
when such inquiries were put to them,
and they feared they were 10 be made
the victims OF o "sell." No instances
ofthe alleged "reversion " having been
authenticated in Prof. Brewers expert
ence, he asks the Association to aid in
exposing and reiuting tho pernicious
notion. ~.
breeding Horses.
A writer in the London Mark Lane
Express, in discussing the points to be
considered in breaking horses for farm
labor, says: "The head should be
comedy, but not so small as that OF the
running horse, as II enables the animal
to throw more weight into tho collar.
BE should be broad and fat in tho fore
head, have neat, we'll seton ears, prom.
tnent placed eyes, thin Oyelids, large
noStrils, neat neck, and deep towards
the chest not very high in the withers,
with upright shoulders, forearm broad,
fiat bone below the knee, rather short
pasterns, good ronnd ieet-not too fiat
or too upright, plenty OF hooi, clean
leg, straight back with plenty Of loins,
and ribs well arched. he should be
long on the back rib aud long in the
quarter; the hAunch should be strong,
the hip well down, the hock.joint
broad and for q breeder no animal
should DO used who Is not free from
curb, bog or bone spawn, splint or side
bones. Horses with well developed
muscle and q strong constitution are
easy to keep and can endure a great