The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-07-27
Agricultural Department.
CONDUCTED by ALBERT CHAPMAN.
THOROUGH BREEDING.

Ill OHtrlnp lew TcfllNrkS OH tnlS SUD-
ject, am not unaware that the drift OF
these ideas presented is contrary to the
generally received opinion of men in
many walks in life; men of varied de-
grees of scientific knowledge. That the
current idea that no animal should be
bred to any other animal which is akin
to 1t has no foundation according to
common practice of breeding is not my
object to controvert. But in the line OF
thought which have come to look upon
as lying at the bottom of this commonly
received opinion came TO the conclu-
sion that with all our domestic animals
it matters not whether there is blood
relation or not between those animals
from which we desire TO produce our
Jocks and herds, provided they are
sound and perfect. A thoroughbred
animal Is one whose ancestors have been
so closely inbred that all cross blood
existing in the original pair has been
bred out by long continued coupling of
nearly related animals, so that all sue
ceeding generations shall possess q GER
tain popularity of type, and shall be
able with certainty TO transmit that
type TO all It's progeny. All efforts to
originate line of stock having pecu-
liaritics adapted to the fancy of the
breeder must begin with single pair,
and the descendants of that pair be so
closely bred together that, under the
law that like begets like, all styles of
animal save that of the ideal pair will
gradually disappear. All the really
thoroughbred stock in the world has
been so produced. The Short Horn of
America is cousin TO every Short Horn
in the world; and only in proportion to
the degree of that cousinship is he of
the capacity to reproduce the true type
of Short Horn. So of the Devons. Who
that sees the beauty in herd of these
finely developed and symmetrical cattle
can fail to detect their common family
origin? So of every other race and
kind of domestic animal. The Essex
or Berkshire, the Suffolk or Yorkshire,
among the swine, the eagle-eyed Hunt
CT or the open-gaited Hambletonian,
each and all show their common parent
age just in proportion as they can trace
their near relation to each other. Among
the fowls this kind of inbreeding may
be rapidly developed, so that in few
years one may establish family char
acteristic so that his future breeding
may show the popularity almost to q
single toe and feather. The Fan Tail
or the Carrier dove may become GER
tainty in few generations. With ami
mails of a less frequent reproductive ca
pacity the process is slower one. The
horse requires the careful and iudicious
oversight and watchfnl persistency of
an intelligent breeder for many years.
SO with the COW, and were it not for the
constant changing of occupations and
fancies, the frequent breaking-up and
division and subdivision of estates, we
might hope for progress in the future
among the farmers of Vermont in de-
veloping breeds of horses, cows for the
dairy, and swine for the market, pos
sessing as indelibly the stamp of family
character as are the already noted YER
mont Merino. What might not the
state of Vermont have gained had her
sons set about inbreedlng. judiciously,
the progeny of Justin Morgan? Instead
of race now extinct we might have
had as true line of Morgans as can be
found among any breed of horses on the
earth. But the opportunity is forever
gone. Why gomez Because men were
everywhere taught TO believe they must
not breed from near relatives. The
aone anu uauSn.cis Me,e outpteu III
steau VI inbred az III Engianu, anu wneh
uNy were sohc .iic s''Hie sca''erlng pro,
cess was continued; we nave had
hoDiG sinSic COWS anu lainiiies Vi COWS,
put Una, ilhe was ilvariaDiy lost because
lhe ho'ion prcNaiIeu that 10 nreeu III
was 10 preeu ioois.
haa Wise selectiois pech made,
choosing oniy sounu, nealthy ANIMALS
on each siue, we mlgnt To-Day nave had
a race oil vermont 1utter, cheese, mix
OF oeei catsle, accoruihs 10 cnolce OF the
breeder, OF as sure atyPe as inc Jerseys
OF 'hc snort horns put ior inns lear
Oh cousins producing loiots III inc am
maj kihSuoH vermont To-Day mlSht
nave become ape 10 SEND Dulter cows
10 all parts OF the world NJ fancy prices
instead OF huhting over the niue Isles OF
'he sea where lts wafer walls nave ior
centuries smut IN the people anu COM
pcheu thcih 10 ucreiope their own STOCK
Oh cattie ihsteau Oh crossing the lines LOT
'fesh lmPortati0ns'
AIN aware tnat some VIII object 10
my posiuon anu VIII 4uotc Dr. Cressy
Ls SAYING that Dy lar the greater part OF
MS proiessiohai Gails are u piooue9
STOCK. Ihey VIII point 10 one-cyed
pigs ana 10 cnildren OF human parents
ana, WIN a WINK Oh a khowihg-eye, say
u guess not.
Leaving the human family out Of cal
culation, because moral aud social rea-
sons, which do not in the least affect
the brute creation, may here have caused
the divine Introduction, let us look for
facts and reasons.
Blood stock is always highly fed, and
pering. Owners have invested heavily
in them, and hence sick animal cost
ing $500 is sure to call the doctor, while
the common or scrub COW will have her
toll cut off, her horn bored and pepper
and vinegar poured in her nose and
left to get we'll or die.
With smaller animals the matter is
TOO often left to the fag end of the litter
or TO accident and the result is simply