James Wilson

“ Among stock-breeders generally there is a very strong aversion to in-breeding, although it was the method of the great pioneers and is still the method in a modified form, called line breeding, among breeders of the highest class. ”

“ Families and tribes that once had the highest reputation are now no more, nearly extinct, or relegated to an inferior position. But would the type that was best half a century ago be the best to-day? Have not some that formerly were less regarded now found favour? ”

“ Nature herself seems to have no special aversion to the practice. The wild bull keeps possession of his own glen and his own herd till he is ousted perhaps by some stranger from across the hills, but more likely by his biggest brother or his eldest son who so far has been kept at a distance by the fear of his parent's horns. According to some authors the evils of in-breeding are almost innumerable: barrenness, lack of size, milk, constitution, hair, and so on ”

“ Bred to a short-legged beast, this animal's progeny will be short-legged, but not pure. It will be a masquerader. If it be a bull and put to short-legged cows, the progeny will also be short-legged, but half their number will be impure. If that bull be followed by another of similar character, a quarter of his progeny from the previous bull's daughters will be long-legged. ”

“ Besides when a tribe or type gets into a prominent position, and its individual members rise in money value and so get into the hands of wealthier men but poorer judges, who is to see to their proper mating, and the elimination of such animals as are below the standard? ”

“ There may still be something more—there may still be the constantly accumulating change which Darwin believed in, although it is hard to think that changes which formerly took thousands and thousands of years may now be induced by man's action in two or three centuries ”

“ Perhaps the best way to make the possible power of Mendelism clearer is to consider what signs ought to be looked for in reference to a matter of some considerable importance, namely, milking capacity. ”

“ Some may have been raised by continued infusion of the highest into lower types—by grading, as it is called—but most of our great stock-breeders date their entry into the highest ranks from the time they acquired the highest class of stock and commenced to eliminate the lower. ”