The Portland daily press., 1875-01-25
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

Pedigree Essential TO GOOD breeding
A pedigree is more or less complete accord
ing as the animals are traced backward
through several successive generations with
or without omission of any of the ancestry.
If we know the earlier parents, and are una
BILE to trace the connective link that ties them
in relationship to the animal under consider
alton, then the missing links are so much out
of our knowledge of the animal. We come
lust so far short of full acquaintance with
the antecedents of our animal. The impor-
tance of the knowledge or the antecedents of
our animals, from which we derive success
sion, depends ON the circumstances, in great
part, that all animals are what they are, IN
body, in mind, IN capacity for useful services
to man, because particular animals, rather
than others, are related to them. The mat
ing of male and female not only insures of
spring, but offspring impressed with the indi-
yidual stamp of the parentage, more or less
disguised. A change of mating is followed
by change in the nature OF the fruit. Each
parent is the architect, to certain degree, of
its children's fortunes. Each contributes to
formthe general mould in which the offspring
is cast.
The influence of near ancestry is common
ly more obvious than of ancestry lying at two
or three or dozen removes. Peculiarities
we are apt to ascribe to the moulding force OF
near kindred. But we must not forget that
this moulding force passes from generation to
generation, each stamping somewhat OF its
own quality on the succession. Successive
steps have led up to the production OF the an
iinal before us, and none could have been dlt-
ferent without occasioning an animal differ
ing in some particulars. improvement is not
readily fixed in family by two or three or a
half-dozen successive steps OF judicious mat
ing, with rational treatment. No existing
breed OF cattle, of marked value, is less than
hundred years old, though it is little less
time since some have come to have their mer-
its commonly recognized, We know what
value is attached to Short-Horn cattle whose
lineage can be traced to famous animals lv-
ing at the close of the last century. The
best Devons descend from animals famous in
the early part of the century, The fountain
head of the breed was with one family, who
gave them reputation, and who have kept the
lead since. A large number of American
Devons trace their lineage to well-known an
imals, prize-takers wherever shown, and bred
by the same person. The history OF the mod
ern Devon bespeaks the value of antiquity of
pedigree; but it is the same with every breed
that has so full opportunities OF development.
Commonly, the most valuable Ayrshires in
Scotland are such as have most length of
traceable pedigree. 1t is not always the last
mating, but often a mating several genera
tions back, that the Scotch breeder refers to-.
And he who remembers this and the subse-
uuent matings, is likely to be among the win
ners at the fairs so much in favor in Scotland !;
and if one looks over the premium lists for
many years, the chances are he will lind that
of the careful breeders the Oldest win most
frequently, when the competition lies be-
tween animals bred by their owners.
These statements and considerations are
all calculated to impress upon us the impor-
tance of a knowledge of pedigree. 1t mat
tiers little whether we have a mixed breed,
common cattle, or the thoroughbred. The
same need of attending to the ancestry ex-
lists, If we would have much assurance of
what nature of cattle we may have from our
breeding herd, ten years hence, we should
know much of the ancestry of the animals
that form the herd for ten years past For it
is on the past with the present that we rely
10 guide us to the future. To desire to build
upon the present alone, regardless of the
past, is as wise as it would be for the archi-
tect to build his stone house without regard
ing the nature of the foundation soil upon
which it is to be placed
think It is want of knowledge of the
ancestry of choice animals imported from
abroad that occasions the frequent observa-
ton that the progeny is interior to them
selves. The young with which they come
laden may lie superior, and is not uncom-
monty of fine quality, but the American
breeding is disappointment The valuable
imported animal is thus shorn of a part Of
his value, when put into strangers hands.
Thus it is rarely the case that the much
praised foreign animal quite fultils expecta-
tion when moved from his native neighbor-
hood and put to breeding. Then the ac-
quaintance with his pedgree-the animals
that enter into it, with their merits, defects,
and tendency to the cropping out of particu-
lar traits, is put to practical use.
To realize in its tullness the idea of ped
igree would be to bring in array before us the
living animals, and the portraits of the de-
ceased ancestry. To realize the idea of a
Herd-Book in its fulness, would require that
there be introduced the sun portrait of every
animal named, and the naming OF all ami
mails, without any omission, for many gen.
erations. 1t is well to carry this ideal in ouI
minds, and rejecting what is manifestly i'm
practicable, realize what we can.