Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1901-12-21
DAIRY AND POULTRY.
INTERESTING CHAPTERS FOR OUR
RURAL READERS.
How Successful Farmers Operate This
Department of the Farm--A Few
Hints as to the Care of Live stock
and Poultry
r.lsganr and varlatlon.


(From the Farmers Reyiew)
II Is quite a common thing to hear
stockmen claim that where a female
has been bred to male OF allen piooa
las for instance where Polano-ohina
SOW is bred to Berkshire boar, or
purebred SOW OF any breed by accident
to a scrub boar-she will ever aiter-
wards be influenced by that service
and ''taint" or Infect" her future PRIV
geny with some of the characteristics
of the alien boar to which she was lot
merly bred. We have even heard oreeu"
ers go farther than this and actaaiiy
claim that where purebred poar vi
any particular breed had been ailo"ea
to mate with SOW of scrub or non
descript blood that he would be taintea
for all time and propagate IN future
matings with sows of his own pure
breed some of the undesirable eharac-
teristics OF his alien mate. These IDEAS
are antequated and erroneous. Inc
first idea has been termed "telegohy,
by which we mean the alleged IN
fluence OF a previous alien mate upon
a purebred females future progeny 10
the service OF purebred mate Oh her
own breed. This theory has still many
followers but that is because they are
ignorant of facts which have been
proved of recent years and show con-
clusiyely that the theory Is erroneous.
The most extended and careful experl-
ments have been made by Prof. J. Cos
sar Ewart of Scotland TO prove or dis
prove this theory. Year after year he
mated mares with zebras and the ny
brid progeny showed all the marked
stripes and colors OF the zebra. When,
however. the mare that had one year
given birth to hybrid zebra was the
next season mated with a male OF ner
own blood and breed she did not pro-
duce hybrid foal or one that showed
the slightest trace Of zebra character
lsties. The foal was invariably true TO
the breed characteristics OF the sire
and dam-not to the characteristics OF
the previous zebra mate. This was
proved over and over again and not
one single case OF Infection or
faint" has been noted to date nor Is II
likely to occur. II need scarcely be add
ed that the mating Of the zebra male
with the domesticated mare had NO
after effect In changing the type and
characteristics OF his pure bred zebra
offspring. Nothing could be more
strong In prepoteucy than the zebra.
There have been no admIxtures OF
blood in his production. He breeds
true to his type every time. There are
no sports or examples OF "atayism
Throwing back TO the characteristics
of remote ancestorJ in his history
and breed. His stripes are hxed quan-
titles and features SO TO speak and
hence would be stamped upon his do
nestle mate II anything Of tAe sort
could be so stamped. but such has not
proved to be the case. This being so
1t becomes very apparent that there
would be far less possibility OF such
infection" Of the female when bred
to a sire of different breed but do
nestle origin. II cannot be denied thar
far back in the foundation of crosses
OF each modern breed of animals STINT.
lar blood has been used. or that present
progeny does not occasionally bark
back" to some ancient ancestor used TO
effect the formation OF a pure breed.
That barking back Is atavlsm in cases
where there Is very marked depar-
ture from the parental type or color
to a known ancestor Of that type or
color: and the variation when present
progeny do not accord with either pa
rent in type, color, characteristics or
any other particular. Such variation
Ia to be looked for at all times. II Is
liable to occur in every breed. Il Ia
usually the true explanation OF cases
considered corroboratlve OF the enron.
eous theory Of telegony. II Is an In.
fuence in breeding which cannot be
controlled absolutely yet explains some
OF the strangest yagaries in the mat
ing OF animals. Variation is seen in
short time when a breed OF swine pro-
duced by selection, proper environ
ment and generous feeding IN for n
generation or too Ill housed. uoorlv
fed and inbred. The established tvne
may be largely lost but this IL yaria.
ton from the original type and reyer.
sion to the more ancient type OF the
scrub ancestors. Variation is either
backward or forward according to cir
cumstances. Variation toward i'm
provement is possible where a con.
tinued effort is made to use better strca
and dams each year, and to feed and
shelter better. Neglect In these mat
tiers may as speedily make breed or
herd retrogress