. Genetics in relation to agriculture. Livestock; Heredity; Variation (Biology); Plant breeding. DISEASE AND liELATED PHENOMENA IN ANIMAL BREEDING Tj.'U new breeds. The former manner of utilization is relatively' simple— it requires merely that herds of both pure-bred cattle and zebus be main- tained; the latter mode of employment necessitates long continued selec- tion before stability of characters will have been reached. If zebu cattle are to be used for obtaining cross-bred commercial stock, it is necessary that the immediate hybrids possess superior charac- ters for such purposes. This ma
. Genetics in relation to agriculture. Livestock; Heredity; Variation (Biology); Plant breeding. DISEASE AND liELATED PHENOMENA IN ANIMAL BREEDING Tj.'U new breeds. The former manner of utilization is relatively' simple— it requires merely that herds of both pure-bred cattle and zebus be main- tained; the latter mode of employment necessitates long continued selec- tion before stability of characters will have been reached. If zebu cattle are to be used for obtaining cross-bred commercial stock, it is necessary that the immediate hybrids possess superior charac- ters for such purposes. This matter appears to be in some doubt, but discounting the opinion of those who are blind partisans of the Northern breeds, it appears that zebu-Northern crosses unite many of the favorable characters of both breeds. The cross is very easily made. Thus Pucci. Fig. 206.—An Fi zebu-Hereford heifer. The Hereford appear to be predom- inant. (From the Journal of Heredity.) reports upon the results of using a Gujarat bull on cows of the Maremma, Romagnola, and Perugia breeds in experiments conducted at the Perugia Institute of Animal Husbandry in Italy. Of 113 cows used only nine failed to give calves, and these nine were also barren when mated with bulls of their own breeds. With respect to the characters of the Fi offspring there seems to be a considerable difference of opinion. Pucci who has apparently studied the matter most thoroughly states that zebu characters are dominant with respect to fineness of skeleton, abundance of dewlap, development of ear, slope of rump, and general muscular development. It appears to be generally agreed that the crosses are more vigorous and growthy than the parents; according to early reports, they exceeded either parent by 50 per cent, in this respect. According to Nabours the predominant appearance of zebu characters in the Fi offspring occurs only when range cattle are used. He ascribes this fact to the presence in range cattle of a
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