LEG. Doc.]

LIBRARY R

BOARD OF

GRICULTURE.

PENNSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY,

CALIFORNI

plain these drawings and harts, so that, I think, you will have no difficulty in gaining an insigh to AllelGuénon system"

Mr. MORRIS illustrated his essay by a number of fine drawings, showing the different classes and orders according to Guénon, and gave a plain exposition of the whole system. The marked attention with which his remarks were received by the large audience was a strong proof of not only their interest in the question, but also of his ability to explain it. Those of our readers who are interested in this matter will find the system explained and illustrated in the report of the State Guénon Commission, appointed by His Excellency Governor Hartranft, at the request of this Board.

The essay and remarks of Captain Morris being open for discussion,

The SECRETARY. Inasmuch as we believe that milk is tallow turned in another direction, is not the theory as valuable in selecting beef cattle as for cows?

Mr. MORRIS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BEEBE. Do you not find those marks of the Guénon theory on cows of heavy heads and shoulders?

Mr. MORRIS. Yes, sir. I give in my description what I call a handsome cow. But you find these points in a measure. I told you I have found a very great many homely cows, which were used with thorough-bred bulls. Yon can breed anything you please in the cow, sheep, or hog. As I have already said before the Board, I have bred scientifically with rabbits. And I got so I could breed a good, square-looking butterfly on the rabbit's head. You can breed anything; but you must go about it in a scientific

manner.

A GENTLEMAN. What is your choice?

Mr. MORRIS. Durham Short-Horn. I breed for different colors, by choosing the male and the female. For instance, if you want a roan, you would get a red bull, and a white cow. If you wanted to breed red, you would keep on breeding from a red animal. For white, you would breed with a white animal. For beef, you would look for a sire in a bull with heavy fore quarters. A gentleman in an essay at one of our sessions, said that he undertook to breed a certain kind of sheep, but after a certain number of attempts, failed, He did not continue on long enough. He quit just at the wrong time.

Mr. ENGLE, of Lancaster. I looked into the Guénon system twenty-five years ago, and have believed in it ever since; although I have not studied it up as closely as I might have done. As to selection, there is in my neighborhood an evidence that it can be done properly. A neighbor of mine bought a Guernsey bull calf, a number of years ago. He had a small, ordinary farm, and I have been surprised how his young milk cows have improved. There has been a decided advance in breeding from this bull. This proves the idea of Mr. Morris.

Now, there is another matter I would like to know, whether, in Mr. Morris' experience, there can be anything calculated upon in this system, as to the quality of the milk?

Mr. MORRIS. Yes, sir.

Mr. ENGLE. A number of years ago I was in the dairy business, and had a fine large cow. I never had a cow give as large a quantity of as good milk. But just as soon as she was with calf, she would dry down, and it would take her a whole year to recuperate again. Then I had another large milker, and she would hold out, but had some other fault. So I came to the conclusion that you cannot have all the points combined. With my dairy experience, if I could get a cow that would milk twenty

quarts a day regularly, or one that would give thirty to forty irregularly, I would prefer the one giving the least milk. With the dairyman, quantity is desirable.

Mr. MORRIS. The marks are not on her that I have indicated.

Mr. ENGLE. At what age of the calf do you consider it safe to judge? Mr. MORRIS. In riding around the country, I see great numbers of young stock. I very often jump out of my wagon, and over into a field, to look at the animals. A very short time ago I was riding along the North Branch, and saw a number of calves. Two of them struck me as being uncommonly fine. I jumped out and went over, and I said to the man: "You have some good calves." "Yes." "Are you going to sell?" "Yes." 66 I want them," pointing to the two. "Those are the calves I am going to keep; they are from the best cows I have." I knew they could not help being good. They had all of the wide escutcheon of a good

cow.

The SECRETARY. Suppose these marks to be equally well developed on two heifer calves of six months old. One of them I feed well and take good care of, and the other I neglect and feed but poorly. It will, of course, affect the future quality of the cows, but will it interfere with the proper development of the marks?

Mr. MORRIS. It will not alter the marks; but it will make a difference in the cows. The best treatment will produce the best cow.

Mr. WILSON, of Juniata county. Do you believe in "hollow horn," or "wolf in the tail?"

Mr. MORRIS. No, sir.

The man who would undertake to cut off his cow's tail, might as well cut off her ear. No man, who will study veterinary surgery, will say that there are such things. I believe just as much in them as botts in horses. They are all about the same thing.

Mr. BEEBE, of Venango county. There are hundreds of cows, some fat and some poor. Some of these cows begin to look badly; refuse to feed; their eyes have a deadly look; the eyes are closed, and there are other indications of debility. I do not care what you call it. In course of time that disease comes to a point, when many seem to think it necessary to bore the horns, and when it is alleged that by so doing relief is given. Now, science owes it to the farmer to tell what that disease is, and how it can be treated. I know our papers say there is no such thing. I know it will be put down with a sneer; and yet there is not a farmer but knows he sees these symptoms again and again. When you say to farmers, "There is no such disease as hollow horn," then you name that disease and its treatment. The case is, that when your patient is dying, and you write to the editor of some paper to know what kind of treatment should be resorted to, the reply comes: "You must feed her well," when she will not touch a mouthful! [Laughter and applause.] I appeal to the experience of every farmer here, if he has not had such a disease among his cattle.

Mr. MORRIS. I have had such cases of my own, but I do not think I ever had one so poor that she had a hollow horn, or that I had to cut her tail. But I have had cows that had fevers. A cow loses her strength. She goes down and down, until she comes to the condition described. She had been thrown into what I call a fever. Now, as to the only point made, that she will not eat. The way is to put the food down her throat with a horn. In the first place, you want to remove the trouble. The best thing would be to give her a light physic. I have always found that salts have served me better than anything else. After I have physicked her which I have found an easy thing to do then the next thing is to build her up.

as

Then, in some cases, there is milk fever. I have had cows with milk fever, where I have been told that I could not save them. I have said that 66 long as there is life, there's hope." With a few drops of aconite, I have brought her through, straight as a string, although I didn't go to bed for two nights. I felt well re-paid in successfully combating the disease.

A GENTLEMAN. Do you discover that cows with very dark horns are liable to give less milk?

Mr. MORRIS. Yes, sir; I wouldn't take such a cow.

Mr. BEEBE. Then you denominate those cows that have "hollow horn" cases of fever?

Mr. MORRIS. Yes, sir; she has what you call the "hollow horn," and all cows have the hollow horn just as soon as they have a fever. I don't care what it is; as soon as the circulation becomes clogged, then comes the hollow horn. You take hold of the cow's horns, and you will find them cold. There is no mystery about it. These things with us farmers require a great deal of care and attention. I have several farms and a good deal of stock; but I make it a rule to go and look after them just as often as I can. Three times a day I go into my own yard. I would not hire the best man with the expectation of his doing my work. He has not the same interest that I have; it is not natural. He does not own the cattle.

Mr. BEEBE. There is a certain and distinct disease that we call "hollow horn." The symtoms indicate what they name the disease, "hollow horn." I want scientific men, if it is not hollow horn, to say what the disease is.

Mr. MORRIS. I know that some of the fattest cows have "hollow horn." Any cow that has a fever, or is absolutely sick, has what you term “hollow horn."

Mr. WILSON, of Juniata. In regard to the end bones of the tail, they sometimes become absorbed and disentegrated, you can easily tell that by feeling the parts. This malady is commonly called "wolf tail.” remedy usually is to cut the tail and put in salt and pepper.

The

Mr. MORRIS. Does not blood circulate there? If that part has not the blood circulating in it the hair will die and it will fall off. Now, for a cure, people will come along and split the cow's tail. How would you like to have your fingers split and salt put in it? That is on the same principle that you treat the cow. As long as the cow is not affected, and it is not a running sore, let it alone.

A GENTLEMAN. Is such a cow likely to be in good health?

Mr. MORRIS. I never saw a cow with that disease, and know nothing about it. I have seen a handsome switch on the tail; perhaps it had several inches with no bone in it. A cow could have health and not have bone there.

THE LAWS OF BREEDING AND THE CAUSES WHICH INFLUENCE THE CHARACTER, COLOR, FORM, AND SEX OF THE OFFSPRING OF OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS.

By THE SECRETARY.

In my examination into the question involving the laws of breeding, I shall assume, as a corollorary upon which to found the argument, that in breeding, as in all other results in nature, nothing is left to chance, and that each effect, however trivial it may seem, is but the working out of 11 AGRICULTURE.

some fixed law, unrecognized it may be, but none the less powerful or certain in its results, because unknown. The question may then very properly be asked, why, if the laws are of such a fixed character, the results should be so varied and often so different from that which might very reasonably have been expected? To this I can only answer that these laws may all be reduced to one of two classes, one of which, for the sake of destruction, we may style the laws of hereditary transmission, and the other the laws of variation.

By the action of the former, the offspring should always resemble or represent a mingling of the character, color, and form of both parents; that such results are not always produced is due to the action of the laws of variation. To illustrate: By the operation of one series of nature's laws we should always find the wind passing in a well-defined and general direction around the globe, but by counter causes and counter currents this course is changed. Occasionally the first series of laws assert their power and produce a general storm, the direction and speed of which may be calculated for miles in advance. So it is with the conflicting laws of hereditary transmission and variation, the former working in a certain well-defined direction, while the latter are at cross purposes, producing seeming confusion.

If the former alone had an influence, the work of the breeder, who aims to improve his stock, would be a simple one, and, instead of being slow, and subject to many disappointments as at present, would be a succession of rapid strides. The whole work of the intelligent breeder is a constant series of struggles against these laws of variation, and hence it is to these mainly that I shall call your attention.

Preceding our general investigation into the matter, there are a few principles of a general nature to which I wish more particularly to call your attention, and which may, perhaps, seem to be more appropriate when we come to investigate the question of sex, but which have a general bearing upon the whole subject under investigation.

In her provision for the reproduction of species, nature seems to have followed a general law which involves the use of two sets of organs which we have termed male and female; from the organs of the female the ovum or egg is produced, and when fully mature, which occurs only at periods of heat, passes out. The organs of the male produce a fluid which contains (in a healthy and perfect animal) the spermule. When the ovum is mature its contact with even the smallest individual spermule will cause pregnancy. In some classes of animals, as the pig and dog, the ovum or eggs are detached in masses and a litter is produced; in most domestic animals but one is detached at a time, but in certain cases, and under certain cases, two or three are detached and produce twins or triplets.

From this it is evident that we may, in general terms, assert that the male can only influence the progeny through the spermule, but the female may exercise an effect in various ways and from many causes.

Of the laws of hereditary transmission we need say but little, for their working and results are so evident that any one may in an amature way understand them. After providing a perfect and unblemished male it would seem that the breeder could do but little more to assist in the carrying out of this special class of laws, and if the offspring does not then resemble one or both of its parents, the difference can only be charged to the effect of the laws of variation.

Before passing to a consideration of the laws which cause variation in breeding, it would seem proper that we should give some attention to barrenness and its causes, for this is a prolific cause of trouble, especially to

the breeder of improved stock, of which pigs are a prominent instance, the very improvement of the breed seems to be productive of barrenness.

The possible causes of barrenness are many, and the length of our paper will only allow of the enumeration of the most prominent.

If the period of breeding is put off until late in the life of the female, it would seem that the difficulties in the way of the production of offspring are increased, and often become so great as to effectually prohibit it. Too great a deposit of fatty tissue may also effectually thwart the desire of the breeder. It has been claimed that an excess of fatty matter effectually closes up the passage leading from the ovary, and although all the other functions are perfect, the ovum, from this cause, cannot pass into fallopian tube, to meet the spermule of the male. The remedy is to reduce the animal by cutting off a portion of the supply of food.

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Improper food may produce barrenness, not only by producing early abortion, but also by preventing the proper development of the ovum, or by causing its detachment from the ovary before it is fully mature. goted grasses or grains produce this effect, and it has been claimed by good authority that in many cases rye, by producing an excitable condition of the ovary, may prevent pregnancy, or if properly used, may bring on the period of heat at any desired time.

With some females the excitement at this period of heat is so intense as to effectually prevent pregnancy; this can only be obviated by preventing access to the male until very late in the heat. In some cases disease may permanently close the mouth or neck of the womb, or disease of the ovaries may prevent the proper exercise of their functions. Among thorough-bred stock there is, perhaps, no cause so productive of barrenness as close or in and in breeding. While we admit the necessity, to a certain extent, for close breeding in the production of the best class of animals, yet the certainty with which barrenness follows should cause great caution on the part of the breeder. In some cases a failure to produce pregnancy has been charged to a defect in the female, when the fault was in the male, whose organs may have been injured by disease, or rendered useless by malformation.

In our consideration of the laws of variation we may thus sum them, previous to a special consideration of each: Prepotency, or the Power to fix the Character of the Offspring; Reversion, or Breeding Back; Effect of Previous Impregnation; Imagination; Accident; Disease; and though not strictly in place, we may add, The Effect of Soil, Food, and Climate.

Prepotency,

Or the power to transmit character, may be intensified or increased to an almost indefinite degree by constant and careful selection, and if properly managed, is a power in the hands of the intelligent breeder to counteract, in great measure, the other laws of variation, and it is for this reason that we have assigned it the first place in our list of causes. By constant and careful selection this power may be rendered so strong as to warrant the claim for a new breed which is capable of transmitting its peculiar qualities to its offspring with a great degree of certainty. It is by this careful selection that we have obtained from the same original stock our Durhams, Jerseys, Ayrshires, and other breeds, and the door for further improvement and other new breeds is by no means closed. But notwithstanding the care which has been exercised by such men as Bates and Colliery, we do not find that the prepotent power of even our best herds is invariably able to cope with other opposing laws of variation. Just