l6o BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



stand for, then please write a letter to each one of the Sena- 

 tors and Representatives from Connecticut in Congress, and 

 say, " I am familiar with that bill. As I know the needs of 

 agriculture in Connecticut, and as a favor to me, as a Connec- 

 ticut citizen, and to the people of my township, whose senti- 

 ments I know in regard to it, will you please lend your efforts 

 to the passage of this measure ? " Let us work together. The 

 bane of farming in the past has been incredulity and divided 

 endeavor. In union there is strength. (Applause.) 



The President. Any further remarks ? Are you ready for 

 the question? All in favor of passing these resolutions signify 

 by saying " Aye." Contrary minds, " No." It is unanimously 

 passed. 



We must now go on with the program. Professor Thomas 

 Shaw, of St. Anthony's Park, St. Paul, Minn., will now give 

 us a paper on " Breeding Animals on the Farm." I have the 

 honor of introducing Professor Shaw to you now. 



BREEDING ANIMALS ON THE FARM. 



By Prof. Thomas Shaw, St. Anthony's Park, 



St. Paul, Minn. 



Mr. Chairman, and Ladies and Gentlemen: 

 Before leaving home to visit New England, one of my 

 friends was good enough a short time before I left to call my 

 attention to an article in one of the St. Paul papers. It referred 

 to the subject of abandoned farms in New England. He 

 wanted to know why I was going down to New England, the 

 country of abandoned farms, to talk to the people on agricul- 

 ture. The next morning I happened to get hold of a copy of 

 the census report on agriculture in the United States. He 

 aroused my curiosity a little bit, and I wanted to know a little 

 more about that country of abandoned farms, so I looked up 

 the question in regard to the production of corn, and I found 

 that the average production of corn per acre in the six New 

 England States for the ten years ending in 1899 was thirty- 

 five bushels per acre. I then turned to the report regarding 

 the production of corn in seven States of the corn belt of the 



