PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN THE BREEDING OF STOCK.

Otago Witness, Issue 1916, 30 October 1890, Page 6

PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN THE BREEDING OF STOCK.

During the preceding 10 years fc^e distinguishing features of agricultural progress in most civilised countries — old and new — has been the awakened attention given to the general improvement of the breeds of live stock. Everywhere alike has the old adage been exemplified, " Down corn, up horn," for correspondingly with the decline in the values of cereals, there has been an appreciable rise in those for most animal products. Simultaneously, however, there has been growing competition among suppliers and a more exacting discrimination ou the part ,of consumers regarding the quality of productions offered them. But while quality must receive due attention, a primary consideration must be cheapness of production, and this can only be realised by developing breeds of animals most suitable for the purposes intended. The sustained demand for animals from noted herds and flocks in the United Kingdom — on behalf of the United States, South American, and other stock breeders in sparsely settled but extensive exporting countries — sufficiently attest the importance now attached to the subject, and the efforts that are being made to so improve the common stock of a country, so that in the near future animals odlv will be bred that will give satisfactory returns for the food consumed. While the economical production of animal foods has acquired wide-spread attention, the breeding of superior horses to eligible standards ha* not been overlooked, particularly in regard to draught, carriage, and hackney breeds, and the query suggests itself : To what extent have we in this colony endeavoured, or are endeavouring, to keep abreast of the times? The answer must be a distinctly qualified one, as the average quality of the t took of the country testifies. Yet;, many years ago importations were commenced, and subsequently continued from time to time, of nearly all desirable breeds of horses, cattle, sheep, and swine ; and therefore the marvel is that a higher general standard of excellence than obtains has not been attained, the more especially as in recent years the means of improving his stock at little cost have been within reach of the farmer, on however small a scale. Fees for the services of eligible entire horses have ruled very low indeed for some years past ; while purebred bulls and rams have been obtainable at but little over prices for stores, indeed bo slight has been the demand that several prominent breeders have at last elected to emasulate highly bred bull calves, and ram lambs. Yet the while, the great majority of farmers continue the breeding of horses, which, as three-year-olds and over, are difficult of sale upbroken at prices ranging from £3 to £5 per head ; ordinary cattle bringing at the like ago 303 to 50s ; and nondescript sheep when two-tooth are worth about 5s or 6s per head. Then after these unsuccessful results, follows the retrain, "breeding doesn't pay." It is not questioned that coarsely bred herds and flocks may be graded up by the judicious use of suitable sire?, but it is in the selection of the latter the most common mistakes are made, intensified frequently by the retention for service of a crossbred animal descended from a favourite mare, cow, or ewe, or from sires of some note. Undoubtedly it is the non-observance of the first principles observed by successful exnerts in stud stock breeding that leads up to the innumerable failures in grading up farm live stock ; whereas were the established rules complied with, the farmer would gradually, almost insensibly, add materially to his resources by the acquisition of superior classes of animals on the farm. It has been very truly observed that to the farmer, especially the small farmer, live stock of superior quality are as important as credit. His business is usually inelastic. His land can produce corn but once a year, and he cannot turn over his capital bo invested ; but when once he is the owner of horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs— all excellent of their kind -he can sell and re-invest on every market day, or other fitting opportunity. Superior animals are always in demand, and command a satisfactory price, whereas inferior sorts, more especially if young, are a drug on the owner's hands and wasters of feed. It is not the present purpose to discuss or advise the breeding of pure-bred stock ; but as the rules observed in that pursuit equally apply to cross-breeding, it is presumed a recapitulation of the recognised principles will prove instructive to those who now include stock-rearing in their farming pursuits. Some years ngo Dr Hitchman, the author of »n able paper, quoted in the Complete Grazier on " Breeding and Form of Stock," stated certain conclusions arrived at by him, and which have been- assented to by all competent authorities on the subject. They are as follow : 1. That man has been endowed with the means of controlling and modifying the forms of all animals. 2. That such modified forms can be handed down to the progeny, but being departures from the primitive or natural type, the form oan only be maintained by the assiduous attention of the breeder. 3. That not only because the qualities of the male oan be immediately brought to bear upon larger numbers, but also because of his own special endowments, it i 8 best to seek^ for improvement in form and quality through him. 4. That qualities both of the form and also of the character become hereditary in proportion to the frequency cf the repetition in past generations, but that it is dangerous to breed from any animal with important defects, however high bia pedigree. 5. Thathealtbful, well-formed animals/without hereditary taint, even if closely related, may be safely permitted to propagate their kind, provided the practice be nob continued through

many generations. (This applies only to pure breeds.) 6. That young nnimals, for their first impregnation, should be placed to the best of their own kind, in order to avoid thd reappearance of stain in any futuro progcuy. 7 That ecience h^.a not revealed any trustworthy arrangement by which the proportion of the sexes can be determined upon nnd secured. In reference to cross breeding, tho c< lebrated Bakewell said, " That to cross with a breed not decidedly better than the other should never be at.h »opti»d ; but if a superior breed could bo obtniccd, it was a truly desirable measure." Another opiniou ' quoted in the " Complete Grazier," that of Mr Campbell, of CharltOD, an acknowledged authority is to tho following effect : — " As to the art and mystery of generation or conception, all that I pretend to know and that I do, by m*ny experiments, to a certainty know — is that ill shapes and properties of a particular breed, when introduced into others, will continue to have effect;, sometimes more, sometimes leas, and sometimes lurking for generations, pcarce prrceivable, or even totally out of sight or feeling, and then break out on some individual as strongly, and with as bad effect, as if there had never been any further naixbure or addition of blood on the other side."

(To be continued.)