The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-01-19
Effect of Imagination in Breeding.

The editor Of the Lire Stock journal
relates the following incident, and refers
to the case of Jacob, in the Both chapter
of Genesis, in which he placed peeled
rods before the cattle to secure certain re.
suits Of interest to himself in his contract
with his father-in-law, Laban:
One very clearly defined case came un-
der the writer's observation when he was
lad on his fathers farm. A flock of
sheep had been bred on this farm without
any infusion of fresh blood for many years.
Not black sheep, nor one with a black
spot or mottled face, had ever been known
among them On one occasion, after
most Of the ewes had been bred, black
ram was turned into small lot with them.
Had strange dog, wolf, or any other
wild animal been suddenly let down among
them they could not have been more ter
ribly frightened. They circled round
and round the lot, and made the most
frantic efforts to escape from the supposed
monster, while he kept turning round and
round in the centre of the circle, in vain
trying to approach the ewes, that seemed
almost ready to die with fright This was
kept up until, from sheer exhaustion, the
ewes began to slacken their pace, but it
was long time before the flock became
reconciled to the presence Of the stranger
Now, what was the result ? Every eve
that was pregnant at the time of this fright
dropped offspring more or less marked
with black, while some of those that were
served by this ram few weeks later, after
they had become accustomed to his pres
ence, dropped lambs that were pure white.
The case attracted much attention In the
neighborhood at the time, and has often
been referred to since as convincing IL
lustration of the effects of color marking
from severe fright
! Other instances have come under our
Observation-nOue of them so convincing
as the one above narrated, but showing
unmistakably the effect of imagination or
association. We once knew a gray mare
that was bred to gray French horse for
four years in succession and produced four
foals. During her first impregnation she
had for stable companion and working
mate a bay mare, and the foal was q bay.
The next year her mate was q chestnut
and the foal was a chestnut. Afterwards
she was worked and kept with several diff
ferant animals of various colors, and her
foals were all gray, like herself and the SIRE
These cases, with very many others Jf
a similar character that have come under
our own observation, as well as hundreds
that have been noted by others, have, as
before stated, confirmed us in the belief
that markings" do sometimes occur from
strong mental impressions; but the precise
conditions under which this phenomenon
takes place is unknown. The effect is SO
uncertain, that, practically, it may be en-
tirely ignored by the breeder with impu-
nifty, until some modern Jacob shall arise,
who can tell us just how and when to use
the peeled rods.
1t is said by men who have made ex-
periments in breeding, that the white
! washing of barn or stable, or of stable
; yard or a cattle yard fence, will affect the
/ color of colts or calves. This may be true
) under some peculiar circumstances, but
: not always. Ii is n subject which is but
imperfectly understood Not as well now
as it was in the days of Jacob, but one
worthy of the closest inyestigation.-EDs.