The Red Cloud chief., 1901-02-22

A new beginner asks: DO you think
1t likely that the daughter OF a SOW
that has been noted for her large lit
tiers will be a breeder Of the same sort
or more SO than a SOW from q dam that
has always had small litters?" We
have to say In answer to this that 1t Is
to be expected that she would inherit
the good characteristics OF her lam. II
she did not in some measure. there
would be what is called 'atavism," or
barking back to the characteristics OF
a remote ancestor, which 10 unusual
and not 70 be counted upon. The whole
plan Of breeding is based upon b
truth Of the saying that like begets
like" We would not expect to get q
good milking COW from q poor milking
one unless the sire influenced the prog
eny towards milk production. The lat
ter effect is to be counted upon to help
the prepotency Of the dam, but the dam
should also have prepotency towards
the production Of that product for
which she Is kept. The scrub COW Is
bred to withstand the rigors OF the eli
mate without shelter and to live upon
poor food. but she has no prepotency
towards the production Of a large fiow
Of milk or towards producing a max
imum amount of flesh or fat from a
minimum amount OF food. The breed
ing of sows is based upon the same
laws as those applying to cattle breed
ing and indeed the breeding Of all ami
mails. The sow is expected to produce
after her OWN kind and like herself,
and the boar Is to be chosen possessed
of those attributes and characteristics
which will not countersct the prepo-
tency of the SOW, but being OF the
same sort, join with it and make the
progeny even stronger In those attri-
butes than Is either OF the parents, or
at least as strong. The SOW OF a dam
that had always proved to be the
breeder Of small filters would be like
~ to have small litters also unless she
were bred to a boar that had descended
from a line Of females noted for their
prolificacy. The boar might not al
together overcome the prepotency o.
OF the SOW to produce q small litter
but 1t would be found that he would
help matters and In time the sows o.
the small litter-producing SOW woulC
increase In their prolifcacy and &
prove profitable breeders. In the sam,
way the breeding qualifications OF tn,
family of large litter-producing quail
ifcations could be improved by matin,
with boars having the same sort o
prepotency, but would be spoiled II
time by breeding to boars from tn,
other kind of family. From thes
points It is to be seen that, In breed
ing, prepotency towards a desired en-
should be present on both sides Of tn
family. and when 1t is there. 1t is I
> be improved upon by continued breed
ing of the males and females OF tn
same family or line of descent. So we
was this proved by the early breeder
that they hated to change the NAL
which had given good results. for the
I found that his work as a breeder wi
even stronger In the desired directio
when he was bred owe and over agai
S to his own offspring or their descenS
h ants. In fact. Is was found that in-ans
s in breeding would clinch the progress
d made by selection and establish Il
- strongest kind Of prepotency. Sue
prepotency is found today in the c.
pacity possessed by the Poland CHR
d hog to make lard out of corn, a pr
! potency which has been established |
r. the continued breeding OF the san
line OF blood. When carried too IA
close breeding gradually lost It's val,
ID and showed bad effects In loss OF '
tality and constitution and invariab