Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-11-28
FARM AND GARDEN.
RREEDING ANIMALS.

How TO Select Them-Laws That Should
BE Observed to Obtain Best Results in
Breeding.
The person who purchases two breed
ing animals as nearly alike as possible
and of opposite sex and couples them to-
gether may obtain offspring resembling
the parents, if upon examination he also
ascertains that the ancestry of each Of
the parents were also of similar form,
color and quality; and to this add the
further condition that the said offspring
have also the same feed, care and atten-
ton. If, says the Breeders Gazette, the
animals coupled be very similar and the
ancestry dissimilar, either in color or
form, and the treatm and care the
same, still the offspring are liable to as
sumo as many different forms and colors
as there are numbers of such progeny.
The doctrine of evolution in animals
and plants is in direct conflict with the
saying that like produces like. Animals
are improved by selecting the best and
then giving the selected ones additional
care and attention in the way of better
and more generous food and shelter. De-
fects are overcome by combating such
defects with strong line of ancestral
opposites; and such changes are not
usually radical and immediate, but re-
quire the persistent fighting of years.
Selecting breeding animals means
more than picking out two animals of
opposite sex and coupling them to-
gether. 1t means a study of the an
of hot ba NJ, 10
so selected and a weighing of the diff
ferent currents of blood that are cours-
ing through their veins. The question
should be mentally asked of each breeder
BY himself What are the strong
characteristics of the male and his
ancestry for at least five generations
and seven are still better; and like in
quiries as to the female. When the
selections are TO be made in the herd
which you have been handling for
years the difficulty is perplexing
enough. but when the breeder must re-
sort to other herds dangers multiply IN
proportion to lack of knowledge. If
you must gO-and it is matter of fire.
uuent occurrence that drafts from other
herds are neces sary-it is better to go
in person and do your own selecting.
When you arrive at the place or places
where you expect to purchase first look
at the animal you think will answer,
then 90 and look at as many of its
ancestry as are accessible, and do not
be put off with the statement that the
dam, grandam, or other ancestry are
away of in the woods, pasture, or in
distant clover field, but go and see them
one and all; and not only see them, but
study their peculiarities of form, color,
action and quality.
II they are not accessible, then in
ouire about them, especially as to the
defects you are seeking to avoid. 1t is
impossible for you to learn too much
about them. Do not be in hurry either
in selecting the animal or looking at its
immediate and remote ancestry. l
know from experience that it is rather
humiliating for person to go and select
a pig, for instance, and after getting it
home and again carefully looking it
over to find defects that he had not OBJ
served when purchasing, and it is
doubly notifying to have a neighbor
come in and point out some imperfec-
ton which had heretofore passed I'M
noticed. Before you go out on a chase
for breeding stock first Gull your own
herd without mercy. Get right down to
business and weed out without allowing
your affection for a particular animal,
because it is kind and gentle, to warp
your Judgment as to its money value as
breeder. After you have reduced your
own herd down to its best fighting
point then make up your mind what
kind of new material you want and get
that material if possible, and if not pos
Sible get as near it as you can. Get it
as cheap as you can, but get it.
Do not allow yourself to get an idea
that numbers count for any thing, I'M
less quantity is coupled with quality.
1t costs no more to keep a good animal,
so far as feed and care are concerned,
than an ordinary one. Let the other
fellows keep the numbers if you can OBJ
tain quality. | used to think that if an
animal bred we'll, keep it, even if ugly,
understood or off color, but the longer
live the more l am impressed by ex-
perience and observation that the second
DR. third generation turns up lot of
those same ugly, understood and Off
colored progeny. In other words, that
undesirable quality will keep cropping
out to plague and humiliate you. 1t
takes lots of nerve to pork favOrite old
brood SOW, even if she is ugly, but
pork is her proper end, for her grand
children or great-grandchildren will as
a rule bring back to their owners that
same old ugliness. OF course there are
exceptions to all general rules, but they
are few and far between.