Clarissa is not well authenticated. In the first volume of the 'Herd Book' she
was entered as having six descents from Favourite, "which was a palpable
mistake," and in all subsequent editions she was spoken of as having only four
descents. Mr. Storer doubts even about the four, as no names of the dams are
given. Moreover, Clarissa bore "only two bulls and one heifer, and in the next
generation her progeny became extinct." Analogous cases of close interbreeding
are given in a pamphlet published by Mr. C. Macknight and Dr. H. Madden 'On
the True Principles of Breeding' Melbourne Australia 1865.) Nevertheless
Collings, who reared these animals, and was a strong advocate for close
breeding, once crossed his stock with a Galloway, and the cows from this cross
realised the highest prices. Bates's herd was esteemed the most celebrated in
the world. For thirteen years he bred most closely in and in; but during the
next seventeen years, though he had the most exalted notion of the value of
his own stock, he thrice infused fresh blood into his herd: it is said that he
did this, not to improve the form of his animals, but on account of their
lessened fertility. Mr. Bates's own view, as given by a celebrated breeder
(17/6. Mr. Willoughby Wood in 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1855 page 411; and 1860
page 270. See the very clear tables and pedigrees given in Nathusius
'Rindvieh' s. 72-77.), was, that "to breed in-and-in from a bad stock was ruin
and devastation; yet that the practice may be safely followed within certain
limits when the parents so related are descended from first-rate animals." We
thus see that there has been much close interbreeding with Shorthorns; but
Nathusius, after the most careful study of their pedigrees, says that he can
find no instance of a breeder who has strictly followed this practice during
his whole life. From this study and his own experience, he concludes that
close interbreeding is necessary to ennoble the stock; but that in effecting
this the greatest care is necessary, on account of the tendency to infertility
and weakness. It may be added, that another high authority (17/7. Mr. Wright
'Journal of Royal Agricult. Soc.' volume 7 1846 page 204. Mr. J. Downing (a
successful breeder of Shorthorns in Ireland) informs me that the raisers of