Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1885-05-02
SECURING A TYPE BY In
BREEDING.

practicablEty Of fixing type Of cattle
without resorting TO in and in breeding,
the National LtVe- Siock Journal of
Chicago says: We will try to do so in
general way, briefly, as to answer
each of his inquiries singly would nee
essarily call out an article of considera-
BILE length, involving perhaps, repittions
as well as the bringing forward of points
that have often, Of late, appeared in
these columns.
The Tonynaiwas called into existence
for the purpose of aiding efforts being
made to improve farm animals, and all
Improvements are based upon SECRETION.
If any one thing has been urged in these
columns more vigorously than any
other, it is that breeders should weed
out more vigorously than has been the
custom. We have often cited the fact
that in state of nature "survival of
the fittest" was the rule, aud everything
bending to this insured the preservation
of outward type and inward physioIogi-
cal vigor, no matter whether the partic.
ulsr species referred to was beast or
fowl. II in any country the question OF
the improvement of the race Of men,
physically, should come up, would Sc
lections be made from the race of Kings
because of their geneaology1 If it
was desired to perpetrate mental char
acteristics in connection with physical
symmetry and stamina, other things be-
ing equal, selections would be made
from the highet classes if they greatly
excelled the commoners in the first
named quality. Our correspondent
asks whether the best results have not
followed where line. bred bulls of extra
form and constitution have been in use.
No other than an affirmative answer
could be given to this, provided all the
conditions on the female side were
favorable; but there is no rule of prac-
tice in any business or scientific pursuit
that is SO fixed, as a rule, that ciIcum.
spection and well trained judgment are
not continually required to insure sue.
cess.
a type may be fixed by selecting
specimens from the bottom of the herd
an inferior type-but it is presumed
to be The type outlined in the personnel
OF animals al the top Of the herd that
all breeders are.aiming 10 initiate. As
the Journal has taught, type would
be whatever it was wlled, through Sc
lections, to make it; but bear in mind
always TINT IL requires q Ike dcgyte of
skill 10 hell a tybe as 10 originate IL.
Breeders cannot keep fast hold Of out.
ward symmetrical shape and fattening
tendency in the beef animal, nor large
yield from the udder of the dairy COW,
if, through lack of judgement in breed
ing, or of vigilance in care taking, they
part with any material measure Of
physiological stamina. Breeding is not
an art TO be tried by mathematical rule.
They cannot couple animals by any rule
of the tape-line and square, nor can
they by any rule of lineage; that is,
they cannot do this on any one plan or
proposition and expect the animals to
fashion themselves to the ends they are
aiming at. 1t is well to ask how often
rigid, unbending line breeding has di-
rectly produced stock for the show ring.
Indirectly, it has done so very often,
by tapping fountain that no ordinary
so 10 speak-cold bloodcd cross could
have done. Breeding is eminently a
progressive art, when it is made so by
bringing TO bear all the physiological
principles that govern animal life, but
when men Aatter themselves that they
have so excellent thing that they can
not in any way lose, merely because
they have it on the record, they will
now and then be made TO see their er.
ror. 1t is not safe to depend upon line
breeding as always giving guarantee
of typical breeding. All things being
equal, it will certainly. as in the case
of animals outside of the domestic state,
more regularly do SO than will animals
otherwise bred; yet it is important to
remember the impress made by Hub