Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-20
Federal Bulletin Shows
Salient Facts on Value
OF Standard Breeding

Raising the standard Of farm ami
mails and poultry and bringing out
certain desirable characteristics by
selective breeding is receiving more
attention as methods Of farming for
profit become intensified.
The breeding of domestic animals
dates back to remote antiquity,
when the most advanced races of the
old world were still on the border
line between savagery and barbarism
If far antedates any but the sim
plest mechanical arts. Yet while
our knowledge of the laws of ma
ture as they apply to machines has
complexity, it IS comparatively only
a few years since the principles of
breeding have been more than a col
lection of unrelated traditional be-
liefs.
Old Superstitions Still Current
The same superstitions on which
the shepherds of Asia based their
practices at least thirty centuries
ago are still widely current, while
the one sound principle known to
the ancients-selection of the best
for breeding stock-is still widely
neglected.
The principles of successful ami
NAL breeding, as they have been
the United States and Older &c coun n
tries, and by careful scientific study
along definite lines. are outlined in
department, bulletin -905, recently is
sued by the United states depart
ment Of agriculture
The bulletin goes into the first
principles of reproduction and fol-
lows the means by which certain
characteristics of one or the other
parent are transmitted to the off
spring, the methods of selection
able characteristics and weed out
the undesirable, the characteristics
which can with certainly be expect
ed to continue from one generation
to another, those which are uncer-
tain, those which will blend and
those which can not be inherited.
Aside from mere increase in num-
bers the purposes which the breed
er is likely to have in mind fall I'M
der two more or less distinct heads,
namely, production of a uniform
product, and Improvement. A uni
troll over the heredity of the stock
that matings can be made with the
assurance that the offspring will be
of certain definite type for which
there is a demand. Improvement is,
of course. closely related to con-
which give the greatest control are
not necessarily those which lead to
the most rapid Improvement
A Basis for Selection
In a broad sense the whole SUBJ
ject of practical breeding comes I'M
obvious basis for such selection is
the performance of the animals
themselves. Unfortunately, the
merits of most kinds of live stock
can not be measured directly. The
study of conformation as an index
held a high place as a basis for
selection of breeding stock. Live
stock judging has this for its pur-
pose. An animal of good breeding
is a better one to breed than one of
equal individual merit but of mixed
though often misused, is a valuable
aid to selection, apart from follow
ing a general policy of mating The
soundest basis of all for selection
of breeding stock is the record of
past performances as a breeder, pro-
vided the record is sufficiently ex-
tens1ve to give a fair test.
The bulletin gives many valuable
pointers on the selection Of cattle
for milk and butter fat production
and for beef: the breeding of sheep
for wool and mutton: of hogs for
meat.
1t falls in line with the Better
Sires-Better Stock movement of
the department of agriculture, by
which farmers are being encouraged
to build up their flocKs and herds
purebred sires. The new bulletin
which contains CT pages and nu-
merous charts and illustrations, is
entitled, principles of Live Stock
breeding" 1t may be obtained "a
the nominal cost of Is cents from
the superintendent of documents
government printing office, Wash
ingtOn. D. c.