The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-10-07
Agricultural.
Breeding In and In.

Breeding In and In.
The following points Oh the subject
of breeding, is from a lecture dallv-
cred by Mr. Jas. Mcdonald of the
.Scotsmun, before the students OF the
North Scotland school. Those inter-
ested in stock raising should read it
carefully;
In animal h1lsbandry, three sys-
TENS of breeding are pursued-'ln-and-
in smixed,' and cross breeding.
No point in regard to stock breeding
has created keener discussion than
.in-and-in' breeding. Some advocate
it as the surest and best means OF
stamping uniformity of character up
on q herd. Others tell us as emphaC-
ically that it is a ruinous system,
certain in course Of time to most Sc
riously impair, if not indeed entirely
destroy, both the constitution and
the fecundity OF the animal so bred.
The great majority of farmers oppose
in-and-in breeding, believing it weak
ems the constitution and breeding
properties Of animals. ln-and~in
breeding is not of necessity the ruin
o.4s system it has been generally sup
posed; when skillfully applied under
Favorable circumstances it is the
shortest and surest road to the rear
ing Of pure-bred animals. An animal
is the composite product of numerous
ancestors; it will follow the charac-
teristics Of it's parents, yet inherit
also characteristics that belonged to
its ancestors. 4 cow and bull, of
great individual merit, and resem-
Bling each other closely, might produce
IL calf far inferior to them in general
merit. Next year the same pair
might produce most successful
blending OF both parents. Some at
tribute such instances to 'spontane-
ous generation or spontaneous Vari-
ution,' but breeders generally regard
such variation III offspring as breed
ing hack to remote ancestors. 1t we
are to insure uniformity in the pro-
<l.ct we must have uniformity not
only in parents but also in the ances-
try. M. Colcombet, 4 French farmer
who set to work to build up herd OF
white Short-horns, not satisfied with
animals that were themselves white,
snquired their ancestry. and bred
from animals most OF whose recent
ancestors were white. He has bred
about forty calves, each perfectly
white.
Animals bred for several genera
tions in close relationship have a
much stronger preponent power or
family current. to mark and regulate
offspring than a tribe Of different
strains of blood. The more noted
early Short-horns were closely bred.
IT in-and-in breeding he applied to
animals Of pure and similar blood, of
good sound constitution, inlabiting
climate suited to them, and properly
fed and managed, the good points
would be rapidly developed, while
the tenacity for making offspring
would become more potential each
succeeding generation. II animals
had no constitutional weakness, no
marked tendency in that direction, in
:,nd-in breeding would not develop
blemishes. 1t would rather, if skill
fully pursued, bar engxafting all
ments. for in-and-in breeding avoids
infusing constitutional defects
through strains OF strange blood.
Apply in-and-in breeding to animals
possessing in latent form constitu-
tional defects of any kind. and ;,roba-
bly, the scheme would be Il failure,
each generation would most likely
inherit Il double share of the defects
of the preceding generation. It de-
velops and intensilies. and perpetu-
:.tes every force for good or for evel
in the animal; but properly conducted,
it creates no new force. Perhaps the
most difficult point connected with i'll
and-in breeding is to know how to
choose new blood, and how to apply
it to correct growing defects in the
herd without interfering with the
fixity Of character, and type Of the
animals that compose the herd. In
.:mixed'' breeding the most important
point is the selection of Il sire. The !
breeder should select uniform and
well-bred COWS, but should steadily
keep in view that in the production
of stock, the bull represents one-half
the whole herd. The bull should be