IN-AND-IN BREEDING.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume 1, Issue 15, 4 January 1873, Page 3

IN-AND-IN BREEDING.

BY GEORGE GEDDES. All improvers of domestic animals, I believe, are sticklers for what is called pedigree, which is simply proof of unbroken descent in all the quarterings from some admitted pure stock. This is a very general definition, and does not cover all the ground that is in the mind of a breeder. He will require a history of the particular line through which any individual has descended, so that purity of blood is not all that is held of -value in a pedigree. It is the one thing that must belong to all pedigrees of thoroughbred animals, but much more than this is required to make an animal bring the highest price. This point is well shewn in the market prices of the Improved Shortho’rn Durham cattle. There are thousands of animals whose pedigrees can be as perfectly traced to the common ancestry as can be that of the Duchess family—that just because they are not of the particular family, sell for scores of pounds while could they but show that they were sufficiently strong in this most esteemed. Durham blood, would bring hundreds. This may appear absurd and unreasonable to persons who have not considered the whole subject, but the men who make these distinctions, and prove their sincerity by paying their money, say that the Duchess family has for so long a time produced the very best of animals, without anything like the ordinary per-centage of second-rate ones, that their progeny are certain to be first-rates, or so nearly so that their value is really as great as the market price indicates. The advocates of in-and-in breeding constantly cite this family as the best proof that by close breeding this great excellence is obtained—and certainly no person w’ho knows the history of this family of Durhams will pay their market value unless he is a firm believer in the closest breeding.

The Duchess family has been bred so closely that it may be said, with almost literal truth, that the nearest relations have been mated without any hesitation on that acceunt, as long as their ability to procreate continued —breeding a bull to his own dam, aud sisters and daughters, and grand-daughters, and so down. The fact is undisputed that the bulls of this Duchess family produce the most marked improvements upon other families of the Durhams, and in this fact lies a large part of their selling value. This ability to make the marks is believed to be due to the fact of their having descended from the close breeding I have stated. Individuality has been intensified and however the progeny may “ tack back,” it can hardly fail to resemble and inherit the good qualities of the family as it now exists. The owners of thoroughbred females that are not of this particular family pay largely for Duke bulls, as the intensity of their blood is supposed to be able to prevail over the blood of families less closely bred in-and-in. Owners of ordinary, or so called native cattle, have not the same reasons for paying a very high price for a Duke bull, as any well-bred short-horn Durham bull will have strength enough to prevail over the mongrels and cross-bred cattle.

Having pointed out some of the advantages and dangers of in-in-breeding, I wish to close by stating the only case that occurs to me, in which there is nothing but plain sailing, and where the novice may fearlessly venture. There are many flocks of sheep, whose wool is so thin and poor that the animal is of but little value except as furnishing the foundation of grade flocks, that, though not as good as full blood Merinos, are still of great value. On ■ these ewes, Merino rams may be put, and the same rams put to their progeny, daughters, grand-daughters, and great-grand-daughters, and so on as long as they live. The only condition requisite is, that the ram should be of the best quality, and be a getter of good stock, and I should prefer to have his pedigree show thatif he was from a family closely bred in-and-in, till his blood had become greatly intensified without having approached or shown any signs of disease or degeneration in the flocks. A ram from a flock that for many generations had been handled after the plan of Mr. Fischer, should have constitution enough to make a great impression on. mongrel blood, and I am satisfied from what I have seen of breeding sheep, that such a ram might be safely used in such a flock and amongst his own descendants there as long as he may live, and I believe that under parallel circumstances, a Duke bull may be used the same manner. Having procured half-bloods, threequarters, and seven-eights, and higher grades still by the use of the same male, never commit the folly of breeding these grades together, but continusdly resort to the flock or herd, towards which you wish to breed for sires, and always procure full blooded animals. And in selecting them aim to resort to such sources as have not only produced the individual you want, but that have produced many more like him. Skill in selecting, so as to cure defects, will at all stages of breeding be important, and that skill can orily. come from experience. Books may aid, but practical knowledge must he had, to enable the student to duly understand what may be written by the most skilled flock-master. If I have written so as to aid the beginner in acquiring practical knowledge on this difficult branch of sheep husbandry, then I have accomplished all that I hoped for when I commenced. —Napier Telegraph.