So many people appear to be content with the knowledge that the sire which they are purchasing has a recorded pedigree and is a pure bred sire eligible for entry in the herd book of its breed, but they forget that it is possible in the crossing of two pedigree animals of a similar breed to obtain as great a mixture of blood and points as in the mating of two cross-breds or two come-by-chances. Uniformity in a herd, stud, or flock can only be rendered comparatively certain by the continued use of sires of similar breeding. In making a compound, its character is determined by the proportion of the various ingredients used in its manufacture. So it is in the breeding of stock, those points which are most predominant in proportion in the blood of the sire and dam will, on the average, be represented in an equal degree in the joint produce. This it is which renders so impressive a sire which is descended from closely bred parents. Each of its forbears has handed down a proportion of its own particular characteristics so that the larger the number of animals amongst its forbears which possessed these particular points the greater the certainty of their being possessed by the produce. The meaning of this may be made more clear by pointing out that the result of the mixing together of various mixtures will depend entirely on the proportion of the substances used in the manufacture or compounding of those mixtures. In each animal is embodied the characteristics of its forbears. There exists generally an opinion that the produce of two parents of distinct breeds, or as it is termed a first cross is commonly superior to a pure bred of either of the two breeds represented by the parents. It is difficult to discover the cause of this, if it be a fact. If one of the parents were deficient in stamina the produce might conceivably be more robust, and it might also occasionally happen that the mixture of the qualities or properties possessed by the parents would result in improvement, as happens when a distinct new breed is originated; but as a rule the good and the bad qualities of the produce from the mating of two animals of diverse breeds are in direct proportion to the qualities possessed by the parents. The mere mixing of the blood of two animals differently bred cannot increase the good or bad properties, but the combination might possibly result in a blend more suitable for the purpose in hand. Another claim commonly made for the crossing of animals is that the risk of that delicacy of constitution which they assert is far too common amongst pure bred animals, and is due to close breeding, is hereby avoided. It must be admitted that in times past there was a certain amount of cause for this complaint of want of constitution amongst pedigree animals, but the cause has been considerably if not entirely removed by the more careful recording of the breeding, and by the more drastic screening out of any animals suspected of delicacy of constitution.