Hutchinson gazette., 1901-06-20
The Science Of Breeding.

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ments and failures which occur In
stock-breedlng are mainly due TO an
imperfect knowledge or a disregard OF
these laws, A consideration Of some
Of the principles and conditions which
should guide the breeders art may ac-
cordlngly form profitable subject for
examination.
The primary and generally recog-
nlzed axiom, that like produces like,
need not be enlarged upon nor illus
trated, The distinctive racial types are
notably hereditary, Darwin taught
"that all characters Of all kinds,
whether new or old, tend to be lnher-
tied, and those which have already
withstood all counteractlng influences
and have been truly transmitted will, as
general rule, continued TO Withstand
them, and consequently be faithfully
inherited" But like does not always
produce like, Male and female OF the
same breed, or even of the same fam
ily when mated, produce progeny ex-
hibiting notable individual differences,
This tendency to variation 10 bome-
times exaggerated, and sports as the
hortlculturist terms them, result,
These variations have afforded mate
rials from which have been formed the
numerous so-called breeds of our do
mestic animals, Variation is some
times traceable to the law Of reversion,
!. e., Of the appearance OF ancestral
characters. Examples of reverson are
constantly met with, and are especially
frequent where short-pedlgreed, cross
bred, or otherwise faulty sires have
been used Among the heavier breeds
OF horses, the light carcass and thrift
less habit, rough, coarse, round limbs,
short pasterns predisposing to ring
bone, as we'll as peculiaritles Of gait or
temper, which have marred the remote
ancestors of the sire are liable to ap-
pear in his descendants Of the third
and fourth generation. Amongst some
of our longest cultivated white breeds
of hornless sheep occasional individ-
uals appear with black spots and rud-
imentary horns, testitylng to the per-
sstent descent Of ancient character
which crop out after having remained
latent for several generations. Dar-
win, in his work on Animals and
Plants under Domestcation, records
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tence Of ancestral character In pigeons.
The numerous varieties, differing SO
greatly in color, feather, and even In
structure, are descended from the Blue
Rock, which has slaty blue color
with dark bars on the wing feathers.
In many modern sorts the blue color
and feather markings have disap-
peared; but, although absent for gen
eratlons, when two Of these varieties
are crossed, the ancient insignia reap
pear In many Of the progeny In
molding animals for special uses, and
maintaining acquired types, breeders
have constantly to battle with this ten
dency to reverslon. In few genera
tions the numerous artificial varieties
Of pigeons, If allowed naturally to In
termix, would revert to the original
Blue Rock. Modern dairy cows.
amidst unfavorable surroundings, in
much less time than 1t has taken to
bring them to their profitable yield of
milk would furnish only sufficient for
their own calves.
Prepotency Is principle not well
understood, 1t occurs in certain races
species, and individuals. The jackass Is
prepotent over the dog, the ass over
the horse, the pheasant over the chick
en-. The Blue Rock male, as already
indicated, imparts its slaty blue color
to Its progeny when crossed with al
most any other distinctive breed OF
pigeons, Of whatever color. Among
cattle, the prepotency of the Texas
and the Shorthorn is very marked, as
may be shown by the rapidity with
which few crosses Of either OF these
sorts absorb or obliterate the charac-
ter Of other bovine breeds. The darker
colored sheep seem to have q stronger
transmitting power than the lighter
ones. Prepotency cannot always be
measured by the antiquity Of the breed.
Darwin pointed out that trumpeter and
fantall pigeons, although distlnctlvely
bred for upwards Of hundred years,
and breeding perfectly true within
their own kind, when crossed with 9th
er varieties Of pigeons, some Of more
recent origin, quickly lost their dis
tinctive characters. Prepotency issome-
times notable In one, sometimes In the
other sex. The male donkey appears
more prepotent than the female, as ex-
hibited in the distinctive characters of
the mule and the hinny. The Arabs
look to the pedigree Of the mare ratE +
than the horse, which attests their be-
lief In the prepotency Of the mare.
Darwin offers the following explana-
tion Of prepotency: 1T apparently de-
pends upon the same character being
present and visible in one Of the two
breeds which are crossed, ana latent
or invisible in the other breed; and in
this case It is natural that the charac-
ter which is potentially present In both
should be prepotent. Thus we have a
reason to believe that there is a latent
tendency in all horses to be dun col
ored and striped; and when O. horse
of this kind Is crossed with one Of any
other color, 1t is said that the off
spring are almost sure 10 be striped,
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