Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-02-10
INCESTUOUS

SlOShs ~.
INCESTUOUS BREEDING.
The address which Judge Jones delivered
at the meeting of the American Association
of Shorthorn Breeders, held at Toronto,
was unusually able. He grouped facts in a
logical, convincing manner. Two or three
illustrations are all that we have room for at
present. The Judge referred to Comet, the
pride of Mr.. Ceilings herd, an animal of
symmetry and perfection of form, unequaled
in his day, and never since excelled, and re-
marked
"Here was in-and-in breeding much more
intense and extended than in the case Of
Favorite, and with the identical material +;
for Favorite, being bred to his own dam,
produced the COW, Young Phoenix, and she,
being bred to Fayorite produced Comet.
Here, then, we have what is called concen-
t%ration, which should give potency to a
breeding animal to impress his character
istics on his progeny-to reproduce the very
likeness of himself! But how was it? Will
any one claim that Comet, with all his
matchless excellence, was ever to be COM
pared as a breeder with his sire? Why, sir,
Mr.. Bates has told us that his Duchess by
Comet was by no means equal to his Ouch
ess by Daisy Duke, another son of Favorite.
who was not an inbred bull at all-and that
although his Duchess LIST was by Comet,
yet he had ever considered Comet the
worst blood that had ever been in that valu-
ohio friha of oo+f1a - (Goo pafoo3 II:c+onr,
p. 1917
Judge Jones regarded the statement as
mere assumption that uniformity of type
can only be established by in-and-in breed.
ing. 10 settle this point he gave at some
length the history of the Renick herd in
Kentucky. He pointed out what is nov
generally overlooked, that it was by selec
ton, and not by incestuous breeding, tina
Mr.. Renick gave uniformity and quality to
his herd. Then he proceeded to rguet tina
it was a grave error to claim that the power
to transmit qualities of style and form wa.
increased by the fact of in-breeding:
according to the teachings of scienc'
and experience, the hereditary power rest
upO1 1AColtll, SISOl dIlN IOUuSUllCSS OI CGIlStl
tuition quite as much as upon purity 0
blood; and surely [ need not add to wha
has already been said to prove that long
continued incestuous breeding will impai
these essential qualities. How far in-and-il
breeding may be safely carried is a matter Q
dispute but that che tendency of the sys
tenn is to diminish the robustness of the cor
stitution, / think the great mass of intell
gent breeders admit.
Coming now, sir, to the very pith an
marrow of our sub ject, | PROFOUND to thi
association of American breeders the ques
ton, What is, at this day, the pressing an
all-essential matter to be attended to in oil
practice? Is it not true, as stated by tn
great British naturalist, already quoted, tbs
we have carried refinement far enough =? Ha
7 not the external form been brought to a
) the perfection that art seems capable of in
parting,to it.
. Have we not been wrong in assumin
that we are to follow Blackwell and folio
Q Colling, without considering the wonde
l fua difference in the material we are workin
, with?
:, IF we,are to, credit the, dissatisfaction
: and meagsre history Of. the proceedings.