MORE ABOUT IN-BREEDING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 25 April 1914, Page 10

MORE ABOUT IN-BREEDING.

Mr John Marr, of Uppermill, the well-known breeder of Shorthorns, recently diehvered an interesting lecture on Shorthorns at the meeting of the Aberdeen University Agricultural Discuasion Society, his remarks being based entirely upon what had come within his own observation and experience.. In regard to in-breeding, he said there was no more striking instance of the severe penalty of extreme and constant in-breeding than the case of the Bates favorite family of Duchesses, which became so weak in constitution and lacking m fertility that a herd cf them would not increase in numbers; it took all the ealvej to replace the deaths When in-breeding was pursued to the extent of seriously injuring the constitution of a herd there was no wore dangerous animal to use than a bull thus affected. A robust constitution was the first and most important poiit in a stock bull, which was usually nccomnamed by a hiech decree of fertility j and longevity. The first bad effect jof in-breeding was loss' of size, and afterwards carae impaired constitution sud fertility. Eemarkine on the likelihood of uniformity of type being disturbed by the introduction of a radical cross, a.nd the consequent indisposition ot breeders to risk breaking ur> their favorite type, he sai^ be believed it was genera dy recognised among breeders taat the most satisfactory results werr> p-pt when the mnle was not too big and +-je females bad nlentv of room about h'7 n ocl °ne this way than the opposite way.

j What they certainly wanted was to get i J vigorous constitutions, and this ex- : plained the immense importance which | : breeders had lately attached to girth j behind the shoulder and thickness ' through the heart as a sign of it. , A very small infusion of fresh blood, Mr Marr said, would correct the bad j effects of a considerable Joss of size from in-breeding. His own experience and observation led him to believe that i one-eighth, one-sixteenth, or even one- | j thirty-second part would usually proj duce a very marked effect. There was no doubt that when in-breeding was ac- ! companied by a concurrent test of muscular vigor and power, it would not be soharn.ful as when this test was wanting. The English thoroughbred was an instance of this, but at the same time he was doubtful if any other breed produced such a large proportion of weeds.