The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-11
Influence Of Sires.

The law which shall make breeding
pass from the condition OF conJect-
nrlll to that of a positive science Is as
vet unWritten. Given a mare that
invariably produces the reflex OF the
stallion, no matter how often the
stallion be changed; or-vice versa,
REVERSING the sexes-a horse, no mat
ter how many mares no serves, that
invariably lmpresSeS his mint mark
on his progeny, and the problem Is
solved. Perfect animals OF such con-
slant and reliable reproductive pow
ars are few and far between, and
when found, are priceless, for with
them the breeder knCw VS. beforehand
what to expect. We know how that
certain lines have their own charac-
teristics, and we trace back, not 80
much TO the immediate parents as to
some potent ancestor. The black
spots indicate the influence of camel
blood, the white hairs that of Sir
Hercules. There are the big top
cared Melbournes, the dapper Arab
h.eaded venisons, with their coats shot
with white; the descendants of Cham
ticleer, handing down his grey color
ing and Too often his sour head the
get OF Newminister, almost all good
race horAcss, and with few exceptions,
delicate in training the Knights OF
kArs, all natural tencers and, in
America, that marvellous little horse
Justin Morgan. A Morgan horse is
Morgan horse all over. The deep
chest, muscular launches, bold, fear
less eye, proud bearing and color, tell
him at a glance. What we want in a
stallion is the power to transmit his
excellencies to his offspring, the
blood which dominates over
and absorbS that of any 9TH
or strain with which it may mingle, "A
potent imasterful blood, filling tbs
veins o. hose born Of it. Such a sire
deprives breeding of a great measure
OF its uncertainty. The best stallion
Is VINO being really good in him
Self, most surely and closely begets
stock after his own image. or that OF
some great ancestor, when mated with
mares of every variety of blood and
form. When you chance to come across
such an animal, go mark him WE'LL
Let your choice tall on one not only
great in himself, but in his ancestry;
patroniZe stations the result of whose
amours you have seen. Having met
with the model and strain OF blood
you have been carrying inyour minds
eye, and to see his toals before de-
Gliding to send your mares to him. BY
his get we shall know him. Blood and
performance alone will not suffice. Re-
member the failures of the Earl, the
great gladiator, or the pig-eyed Blue
Gown, and host of Others too nu-
merous to name. Horses that verify
the Arab maxim. The foa follows
AZ, 10 n.ar tho hrnA6ar
over his difficulties.
AS a rule, the old law, that like
produces like is subject to many va
Ration. The influences which COM
pass the breeder who aims at the best
alone are so numerous and intricate
that he for the most part, is compelled
to walk by faith and not by sight. In
enbryology there is u point beyond
which mortal ken has not pierced, a
Rubicon which the most scientific in
yestigator cannot cross. There are
secrets of reproduction which the Gre
ator has reserved for himself. To
begin, with, we cannot even fix
the sex. Among the causes and
variation are soil, climate, breed
ing back, disease, accident, I'M
agInation of the mother, the influences
or former pregnancy. One of the
most dominant laws Is that Of heredi-
kary transmission known as "atavisp."
Ngassiz has stated: children are not
only children of their father and
mother, but they are also children of
the grandfathers and grandmothers;
they are the children OF generations
preceding them, so much so that it is
a well established TACT that very often
1ildren resemble their grandparents
more than they resemble their parents.
Quoting such an authority Us OAR
win, we have the testimony that: "As
general rule crossed offspring in the
hrst generation arenearly intermediate
between their parents; but the grand
children and succeeding generations
continually revert, ID greater or less
degree, to one or both\ot these progeni-
tors. With crossed breeds, the act of
crossing in itself certif nly leads to the
recovery of long losA characters, as
well rs of those deri Ned from either
parent form. We canl thus under
stand how, for instknce, IL is
possible for a good milking cow
TO transmit her godh qualities
through her male offsIting to fu-
ture generations; for wei may conf
IDENTIFY believe that those Qualities are
present, though latent, in he males of
each generation" The vital impor-
lance of pure-bred and distinguish
ed prepotent ancestry on boNh sides is
here demonstrated.
Law gives his opinion tht: "Pre-
potency is less frequently thdpreroga-
tive of the individual thaIA Of the
breed, which has been bred ling and
carefully to particular type" Hence
the value OF Short-horns am other
pure races in imparing to other
breeds, with which the may b GROSS
edtheir own qualities = a propd ktion-
ately greater extent tan the hare
they have had in begettlg themv
This grand law of inleritanceW lis a
force as uniform in its ,ction an0 as
invariable ~ the law of erayity. Nike
gravity, its action is motfied and in
terferred with by opp - les,
which oftentimes disguis - 10
mena As gravity acts ike on the
feather and the bullet, SC, les atavisfn
alike on animals. Bewart Mat you dc
r,.,f ooxrr f.,r 80, NTH xrc..r xs'ok