Huntsville gazette., 1885-09-05
THE BREEDER.
Necessity That He Should Stick to Hi
Type.

Necessity That He Should Stick to His
Type.
The surge of the sea, driven by the
wind and tossed, is the true illustra-
ton, for all time, of the man who has
no fixed purpose, the man who is al
ways in doubt. In stock breeding, as
in every other subject that can engage
the mind of man, definite aim and an
unwavering effort towards it are the
great essentials of progress. Without
them the course must be erratic, often
retrograde. When the brain is in a
whirl from alcoholic stimulants, the feet
60 zig-zagging across the street; there
is no steady mind to control and direct
them; and in Dickens character of
Cousin Feenix, in Dombey & Son, there
is an admirable consistency between
the aimless speech at the wedding
breakfast and the wilful legs, which
were ever carrying their owner off
sideways, and on that same morning
had caused him to wander out of his
line towards the bride and give away
the wrong woman ito be married to
this man. The stock-breeder must not
be man of manageable legs. His
brain must have full and fixed power
He must see the mark before him and
step out firmly in straight line to it.
Then he may hope to do something to
his credit, in the course of an average
lifetime.
There are two sides of the question,
and mistakes sometimes occur from
persons forgetting upon which side
they look. Nature, left to herself, has
her own system of selection, and it is
perfectly good for her purpose of per-
petuating races of organized beings
adapted to natural circumstances.
Man takes animals out of their natural
conditions, and puts them into a state
of artificial living. All improvement
is departure from the natural state,
which is, for adoption to place, climate,
and all the incidental changes Of
the year, without mans guar
dianship, a state of perfection.
Taken from under Natures pro-
tectorate, the animal must be treated
and governed upon principles suited to
its new life. The principle of selection
must still keep uppermost, but it is no
longer natural selection; it becomes
special selection by man, who, as re-
CARDS the animals under domestication,
has stepped into Natures place. Man,
therefore, must make himself master
of their wants, must study causes and
a{4 ~, md FRO, hi, of
agement upon the results of intelligent
observation, if he would gain his OBJ
jects. His action must not be limited
by arbitrary fancies, or the dictates Of
tyrannical fashion. 1t must be free.
That is one side of the question. On
the other side we have the dangers Of
too much license; and upon this branch
OF the subject we may argue in favor of
very considerable restriction of choice
and action, but the restriction is not to
be imposed by mere caprice, nor ac-
cepted in servile obedience to pop
nlar fancy. The experience and
deliberate Judgment of the breeder
must teach him within what lines his
safe road lies. and how far he may
vary his course to avoid Instructions
and dangers. He who will eventually
succeed must choose type and stick
to it; and in so doing, the chances are
that he will learn, as he goes on. to
regard uniformity as a characteristic
most easily secured and preserved by
keeping within certain limits of choice,
and will act accordingly. These re-
marks are intended to apply mainly to
the production of stock Of the pure or
distinct breeds. but the process of
grading up'' should be also guarded
by careful adherence to one type in
the selection of sires, if smooth and
rapid progress in one direction be de-
sired.--LiUe Stock Journal