l82 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



get to the perfection point so much the quicker because he is 

 two-thirds of the way now. You see the point. 



O. What is the expense of such a sire as you speak of, 

 and where would I go to work to find such a sire? 



Prof. Shaw. It is impossible to answer that question defi- 

 nitely. The price might run all the way from fifty dollars to 

 five hundred dollars. Of course, it would be absolutely ab- 

 surd for an ordinary farmer to buy a five hundred dollar sire 

 for a common herd, but I think he might afiford, probably, to 

 pay a hundred dollars, and, generally speaking, good sires of 

 that kind can be gotten for near that price. For thorough- 

 bred sires, of course, a man has to pay more. 



Mr. TiLLiNGHAST. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the 

 Professor if what he has said about animals would apply to 

 poultry. Would the same law govern in poultry breeding? 



Prof. Shaw. I am almost sorry that the gentleman put 

 that question. Inasmuch as he puts it, I will answer it, but it 

 conflicts with what I heard on this platform a little while ago. 

 I should answer unhesitatingly yes, but I heard the statement 

 from this platform, if I understood the speaker aright, and I 

 am sorry he is not here to correct me, if I am mistaken — I 

 heard him say that cross breeding, which is just the kind of 

 grading I am talking about, would give seventeen cent eggs 

 instead of forty cent eggs. I cannot understand that, gentle- 

 men. I think I would rather trust to cross breeding to im- 

 prove my stock, whether animals or poultry. 



The President. This convention will stand adjourned un- 

 til seven-thirty this evening. 



EVENING SESSION. 



December 13, 1905. 

 Music. 



Convention called to order at 8 p. m., Vice-President See- 

 ley in the chair. 



