Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1914-05-01


all good breeding is not
simply to retain what we already have,
but to produce new types better adap-
ted to the purpose of man.
The first problem to be taken up is:
m what extent are the characters of
AN individual, at maturity, due to
heredity, and to what extent are they
dine to environment? We will take the
ease of a mich cow that is giving a
good flow of rich milk She must
nossess, first, that character of giving
milk which comes from her ancestry.
But she would never give milk up to
her capacity if she had not received
plenty of feed and good care from
birth. Many stockmen do not realize
the value of good care of an animal
during its growing period The best
of care after maturity viii never
make an animal as useful as it would
have been if it had received good care
when young. The proper amount of
exercise during the growing period is
also essential for a good development
Of heart and lungs. Unkindness, such
as kicking and beating, poor shelter
from bad weather and no dry place to
lie down will do a great deal to check
any animal s usefulness.
But if an animal has received per-
feet care in every way from birth, that
alone will never make it useful to
man. 1t has to possess that quality
given by its ancestry sometimes called
blood This is the first essential, then
comes care and management. We will
not deal here with the care and man
agement of animals, but discuss some
means of improving the animal by
breeding.
Are the effects of environment OF
the parent inherited by the offspring
This subject is not as well understood
as we would like, although there are a
few facts we'll known to men who
have been careful students along this
line. The only way that character or
quality can be transmitted from the
parent to offspring is through the
germ which finally develops into the
offspring. 1t is very natural to sup
pose that, when an animal attains
high state of development by much
exercise of some quality, it will trans
nit this high state of development to
the offspring. But such is not neces-
sarily true. A breed Of animals does
not reach a high state of development
in this way. Those animals best fitted
to the environment will live longer and
be used as breeding animals more
than the poorer ones. The strongest
and best fitted individuals from these
animals are used for breeding, thus
eliminating the weaker class. In this
way breed would be far removed, in
few generations, from the original
type, without the effect of environ
ment being hereditary.
1t is thought by many people that
strong mental impressions or exciting
experiences of the mother before the
young is born will be transmitted III
some way. That is, if a cow is fright
ened with white or spotted sheet, the
calf will be the same color as the sheet,
or If pleasing color is displayed be-
fore mare the colt will be that color
when born. Some people claim that
the nervous condition or strong
thoughts are transmitted to the young.
This is no proof that these beliefs are
true.
Half the material which forms the
germ that develops into the offspring
comes from the mother, and all OF the
characters and habits which come
from the mother are through this germ
These characters or qualities are not
changed from the time the germ is
formed, which is a few minutes after
mating, until after the offspring IS
born, and environment might modify
them. The only possible way that the
young can be influenced by the mother,