FARMERS’ COLUMN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 159, 10 March 1915, Page 2

FARMERS’ COLUMN.

IMPROVING STOCK. USE OF IN-BREEDING. The repeated warnings of live stock experts against promiscuous and careless in-and-in breeding quite justified and neecssary, have, nevertheless, giv. en rise to a regrettable dislike to the practice of mating closely related animals under all circumstances (writes “R. 0.8.” in the course of an interesting article in a recent issue of the “Sydney Daily Telegraph”)- That stockmen should let fall into disuse such a valuable short-cut to desirable qualities is indeed to be regretted; first, because by its aid w,e can arrive more quickly at any given type; and secondly, because the results so obtained are far more permanent and likely to be transmitted to future generations. Uncontrolled and promiscuous mating of distant or immediate relatives without due regard- to suitability of temperament, constitution or type is attended by disappointment, failure, or retrogression. On the ether hand, guided, controlled, and directed by intelligence and an extensive knowledge of the principle of heredity and variation, it is a powerful and valuable aid to success. Therefore, it is to the advantage of all interested in live stock to thoroughly acquaint themselves with the principles underlying this.

SETTING THE TYPE. The first and most important result of thi s practice is, in breeders’ parlance, “to set the type”—i.e., to enhance prepotency to such a degree that it is quite possible to forecast just what the result of a given mating will be, because the parents are practically certain to beget progeny bearing a marked resemblance to themselves and each other. The next in importance is the tendency, unless carefully watched and forestalled, towards an impaired constitution, reduced fecundity, and diminished size. Fortunately, skill and watchfulness can prevent or delay this, otherwise in-breeding would be far too dangerous a tool for even experienced stud masters to meddle with. Then it must never be overlooked that since the in breeding of animals possessing any marked characteristic tends to perpetuate it, it follows that faults are quite as liable to be transmitted in an aggravated degree as desirable qualities. “It sets the type.”

GENERAL EFFECT OF AN OUT-CROSS. Faults present in a closely-bred sire will, with more or less certainty, dependant on the degree to which the in-breeding has been carried, appear in all his get. Further, an out-cross designed to correct faults long in-bred will be doomed to almost certain failure, because “the type is set,” and will strongly resist any alteration. Ob. viously the only hope is to select for the out-cross a beast line-bred from a family noted for the excellence in the character which is faulty in the family under discussion. This may or may not give the desired result; it is rather a matter-for hope than expectation, since the number and complexity of hte circumstances governing heredity in this ease is quite beyond our ken.

IN-BREEDING DOES NOT ELIMINATE FAULTS.

It is most important- to kc-bp in view the fact that in-breedh;,; is a method to be employed rather in per petuatlng exo llnoe than for eliminat ing faults. “It sets the type.” A number of cases are met with where in-breeding is afforded to be of yeoman service to the breeder striving after success. It frequently happens that a beast of remarkably good type and excellence fails to beget stock up to the same standard of excellenceold exhibitors could point to numbers whose successes in the show ring are phenomenal, and repeated with a regularity that becomes monotonous, more especially to unsuccessful competitors. Yet “the slayer Time,” with its attendant decline, eventually makes retirement necessary without a single representative being fit to take up the running cut of the numbers of the retired champion’s progeny. Nine times out of 10 it appears irhat the animal in question is a “sport.” The word as used here is not the popular colloquialism, but is to a student of heredity used to denote offspring which bears little or no resemblance to either its immediate or distant progenitors. It is a “fluke” and such stock cannot be depended upon to transmit their own personal characteristics, the progeny being far more liable to revert to a breeding generation—usually the third.

“BREEDING-ON.’-’ But if a suitable mate be selected quite unrelated, and possessing great stamina and virility, and as near in type as possible, and if the result of such mating be bred back to the sijre or dam ,as the case may be, and the result of this be s(gain bred back, vve are almost certain to breed something so closely resembling in colour, type, and individuality the old champion that there will be no difficulty in finding a worthy successor# Moreover, the strain will “breed on.” The “type has been set.” The general rule that the fundamental laws of breeding, operate similarly in all kinds of stock and all breeds has its exception in the dis-

similarity noticed in the effects of in-and-in breeding upon different varieties and breeds. Thus, while with due oeution and skill it is particularly successful in breeding sheep dogs and cattle dogs, it i s questionable ,in view of their marked susceptibility to its ill-effects, whether it would be wise to use it upon swine. The latter begin to shew a decline in virility and fecundity very quickly, and unless exceptional forethought and skilful management is brought to bear, it only requires four cr five drastic “breed-ings-in” to produce swine, the young of which are imbecile or have the fundamental instincts so atrophied that they cannot or do not suck. Nevertheless this should not absolutely debar the practice where the circumstances warrant it, such as a solitary specimen possessed of excellent individuality, marked vigour, and whose type it is desired to perpetuate.

DISTINCTLY RELATED STOCK. In galloping horses it seems probable that the continued mating of somewhat distantly-related! stock is indicated as the method most likely to succeed. At least this is the practice of most successful breeders. Beef cattle, notably Shorthorns, have longbeen bred im families extending back for many decades, and that this procedure answers well is unquestionable. Among the oldest and best-known are the famous Bates and Booth strains, and the Cruikshank combination of these* The noted bull Comet is a remarkable instance of clcse-breedinjg. Bred by the founder and greatest exponent of in-breeding, Robert Bakewell, he was eminently successful at the stud, and realised a price seldom, if ever, equalled since. With English breeds of sheep it has been very successful. The old Mertoun Lodge Border Leicesters provide the most notable example of this. For at least a century no cut-cross has been used. The flosk is noted for the excellent individuality of the sires, and their marked prepotency when introduced into other flocks.