274 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



There were also experiments conducted by the entomologists and by 

 the plant pathologists in more or less co-operation with the horticul- 

 turist that are not here listed. 



BlOLOOY. 



The Department of Biology is chiefly engaged in the study 

 of plant atid animal breeding. The final goal of this work is 

 to find out how the common farm crops and live stock may 

 be improved in quality and productivity by breeding. On the 

 animal side the experimental work is largely with poultry, 

 while on the plant side corn, oats and beans have been the 

 crops chiefly studied. 



WORK WITH POULTRY. 



During nearly the whole existence of the Maine Agricultural 

 Experiment Station it has carried on work with poultry along 

 one line or another. Two phases of the poultry work of this 

 Station have attracted wide attention, namely its experiments 

 in breeding for increased egg production, on the one hand, and 

 in poultry management on the other hand. In recent years an 

 increasing amount of attention has been paid to the former line 

 of work. This is warranted by the great practical importance 

 to agriculture of the subject of breeding for performance in 

 general. Not only will a working out of the fundamental prin- 

 ciples upon which successful breeding for egg production de- 

 pends be useful and valuable to the poultryman, but also to 

 the breeder of any kind of live stock who is seeking to improve 

 utility qualities. Poultry probably furnishes more favorable 

 material for working out the laws of inheritance and breeding 

 than any other of the domestic animals. 



BREEDING FOR EGG PRODUCTION. 



The work in breeding for increased egg production is now 

 drawing to a close. During the past year the essential features 

 of the mechanism by which egg production is inherited have 

 been finally worked out. These final results will be published 

 during the present year, thus completing an investigation which 

 has engaged the attention of the Station for over 14 years. 



The results to date of this work in breeding for increased egg 

 production may be summarily stated as follows : 



