ADVERSE INFLUENCES IN THE BREEDING OF LIVE STOCK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2650, 28 December 1904, Page 6

ADVERSE INFLUENCES IN THE BREEDING OF LIVE STOCK.

It is a matter of great importance to consider well the qualities of the individual animals with which you begin the improvement of your farm live stock, and to know that these qualities have existed in their progenitors and are not merely accidental. Although it is desirable to enforce the importance of pedigree in sires, it is necessary at the same time to have it clearly understood that mere length does not always constitute a valuable pedigree. It would be an easy, though perhaps a somewhat invidious, matter to point out certain pedis»rces whose chief, if not in a great measure their sole, merit consists in their length. Such pedigrees merely show that a mass of incongruous material has been heaped together ; while a much shorter pedigree, which some persons might overlook on acccunt of its shortness, will show an amount of potent impressiveness that renders it infinitely more value than the other, notwithstanding its much greater length. Experienced breeders in the Home country hove long recognised the fact that peculiarities "of even remote ancestors will fiom time to time show themselves, or ciop out." This leads us to the consideration of what is technically termed atavism, or breeding back, which occasionally produces some very curious and unexpected results. Experienced breeders will have no difficulty in recalling various examples of this peculiarity. A lew illustrotions, however, will be found interesting. Ti-e&e we quote from standard authorities. -The late Mr Boswell. of Balmuto. stated in o prize report on "Breeding," which appeared in the seventh volume of the "Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural Society." that "a great many years ago the ft' t her of the present Sir Alexander Ramsay, of Caique, bi ought a tew of the Lan-

cashire cattle to Scotland — a breed then much m fashion, and, a.s everyone knows, remarkable for having uncommonly wide(spreading horns, and all with some white, especially on the back. These cattle were ml ermixed with the cows of the country ; nnd when Sir Alexander came to his estate, the cattle were all horned. About thattime the polled or dodded came greatly into vogue in Angus, and Sir Alexander purchased, from time to time, jet-black polled bulls, so tkat in a short time all his cows were of this sort. Nevertheless every year, even to this day [1825], one or two calves 'cry back' to the Lancashire, having white and hoins ; and — what is singularit is almost invariably in the male than this takes place." An illustration of atavism rame under xhe personal notice of MrPi ingle, author of "Farm Live Stock." He says : "In the early part of 1871, a cow v fth at least six crosses of high-class and ■s\ ell -known shorthorn bulls in her pedigiee produced a co'f which was a perfect West Highland in colour, etc. There could be no mistake about the breeding of the call, for there was not a Highland bull in the district, and probably mot a single animal of the Highland breed within many miles, while the bull to which the cow had been put was a purebred shorthorn, a nrtcd prize winner." The explanation given by the breeder wds simply this : About 25 previous to the birth of this calf he became the owner of a very handsome black West Highland heifer, which lie put to a highly-bred shorthorn bull. Since that time the descendants of that heifer were regularly bred to first-rate shorthorn bulls, and presented every characteisic of the purebred shorthorn, until, ir the seventh generation, the produce bred back at a bound to the original. Some years ago an extensive landed proprietor in Scotland purchased a, thoroughbred stallion in England, of which he allowed his tenants to have the service for their mares. This horse was a bay. having a very small star on his forehead and a few white hairs round one fetlock. He was put to- his owner's mares and to all that were sent to him ; and as he bore a high ckaracter on account of his blood, the number of country mares ?ent to him were of the usual shades of colour — black, brown, and bay, — yet with very few exceptions nearly all the fouls got by that horse were light chestnut, having" white legs, and in many cases also, white, bellies. In consequence of this undesirable and unlooked-for result the owner set on foot a strict inquiry in England into the history of the sire's ancestors, when it was tkat his great-great-granddam, a famous mare in ker time, had been a light chestnut, with white legs and white belly. In selecting a sire, the influence wkick the dam exercises on tke character of her progeny should receive due consideration. In many cases the selection of a bull is determined chiefly, if not altogether, by his own character, or that of his sire. The same principle guides many persons in the selection of stallions, rams, and boars. Hence the disappointment that has not unfrequently been experienced where a good-looking and very promising sire, or one which has been got by a "crack" bull i or stallion, has got very unsatisfactory j stock. On the other hand, a well-bred but plain sire has often got very superior animals. These contrarieties are usually due to the influence of the sire's dam. The prudent breeder should therefore endeavour to ascertain ths character of the dam of the sire he intends to use. Much mere depends upon this point t-han is generally supposed ; and, unfortunately, the male produce of veiy worthless females is frequently retained, to be used for breeding purposes. The male produce of a female which has a delicate constitution, a narrow chest, and weak loins sliould be rigidly rejected.