The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-05-30
4sf'fnltaral9e Department.
W. S. SHIELDS. EDITOR.
improvement by Wen Bred sires.

Nevertheless, we trace pedigree by
the dams line; and not a few ply
siologists regard the female as the
more perfect animal, as compared
with the male of the same species,
throughout all nature. In the study
of pedigree, however, the sires are
regarded as giving chief value to it,
but particularly the sires upon the
dams side. 1t would be exceeding.
ly interesting to know the relative
Importance given by the most sue
cessful breeders to equally distin-
guished animals of other sex occur
ring at various points in a pedigree.
For instance, would it be preferable
to have a celebrated animal as grand
sires on the sire's side, or on the
dam sside!
When animals run wild like the
horses on the plains, or the half
wild cattle of Texas and California,
or the still wilder one of Sou b
America, the types become fixed
after a few generations from the
fact. first, that sire, grandsire, and
great-grandsire are often combined
in one, the leader of the herd. A
vigorous young stallion gathers his
knot of mares, fights off other males,
keeps his own, and retains daughters
and grandaughters in his seraglio,
until at last his vigor is impaired.
and he yields to stronger rivals. This
is in-and-in breeding to an extent
rarely approved in domestic studs.
Among wild cattle it is very much
the same, except, as they breed
younger, the third cross is no doubt
more frequent.
There is a deep-rooted prejudice
against breeding either a horse or
a bull to his own daughters. Is this
we'll founded? | have yet to know
of a single case, where the sire had
not some decided hereditary defect
or obvious weakness, when the second
cross did not result well. The in
fuence of this course of breeding in
fixing the type is, of course, very
great. There are many instances of
the third cross being tried with in
creased good effect. Almost all the
marked families among the
originated through Judi
cious in-breeding.
Nevertheless, the practice is held
up to general reprobation by most
writer's on the subject; and we are
given TO understand that, Though
Blackwell and Bates, Stevenson and
the Ceilings, might have practiced
it, it will not do for US.
A breeder who is over-stocked with
young bulls, is not likely to tell
young man who wants to get rid OF
his four-year-old bull, and get an
other, from the supposition that he
ought not to breed him to his
"You do not need an
other bull now; use the old bull
three years yet. provided he is all
right, and his heifers, as they come
to milk. show both good form and |
good qualities" Yet, are not the |
really greater for achieving
some success in breeding, than by |
changing the sire every two years? |
[ cannot decide, but it seems as il |
and self-interest answered |
The question before reason and OBJ
had a chance to.
The better bred the female, the |
more important it is to investigate |
veil the pedigrees of the sire whose
service is desired. Hitherto, in this
among cattle, the highest
grade animals have not been admis-
'ibie to the herd-0ooks. In Eng
and, four or five crosses with named
md recorded bulls have admitted
to registration. This, of
course, has been great inducement
o breeders to be careful of their
'edigrees, to preserve their best
Iade cows and heifers, and, finally,
0 record the most worthy. the
there IS, that the line
egins with what is called q" CON-
1on cow that is cow of the same
ace, among Short-horn, with one
f the old Yorkshire COWS, or with
rade COW Of good, but uni,
lood. The movemn-- nown
asst two con sc made in the
rpo1 .i,,,- of Sbort- h.,
.er, is certainly in the right
direction. AS the matter was left
T understand that the animals, hav-
inc six or seven well-bred bulls, will
he admitted TO record. The result
will be of great advantage to the
country at large, in making it i'm
portant to keep pedigrees. and still
more to SO understand them, and to
estimate them at their true value.
knowledge, thus gained, will act
effectively upon the breeding OF
every kind of stock; and before
long, the good results Of close in
breeding will be looked for as the
best evidence of constancy and
probable permanence of the type or
family. If there Is weakness or OBJ
yious defect, of course the particular
cross will be set down as q failure
but, when it is successful, the evid-
ence of it in the pedigree will add to
the value of the animal, in giving
confidence to the purchaser that his
or her good qualities viii! be perpe-
tuated.
How any man of common sence
who has ever thought upon this sub
iect. or observed the results Of breed
ing any class of domestic stock,
from chickens TO horses, can ever
breed from cross.bred or scrub, sires,
when well-bred ones can be used.
passes my comprehension. -Mason
b. Yield, IN WaLLace'S Monthly.
Cleanliness in Butter-Baling
A oorraenondent to the Prairie