64 DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 



firm. Everything about the mills, pipes, pumps, float, valves, &c.,have worked 

 "without any trouble from the start and a three months' trial seems to justify our 

 confidence in the quality of their work. The skill and mechanical genius of 

 their foreman, Mr. Joseph W. Gunnison, an old student of the college, deserve 

 mention. 



EXPEKIMENTS 



' The proposed feeding experiments referred to in my report a year ago were 

 carried out with the assistance of Mr. H. D. French of the Senior class. The 

 results were enibodied in a bulletin issued in July and also published in the 

 last report of the State Board of Agriculture. 



The Legislature at its last session appropriated means to carry on these ex- 

 periments. I had desired to secure two calves of each of the leading breeds as 

 nearly of the same age as possible, and then under same conditions, except 

 amount of food, to feed them together until three years old. Could good speci- 

 mens of the Hereford, Shorthorn, Holstein Galloway, Polled Angus, Ayrshire, 

 Devon, Jersey and native be procured and fed in this way, they could not fail 

 to be an object lesson of interest and profit to all interested in growing cattle, 

 from the beginning to the close of the feeding period. A careful record of all 

 food consumed and the comparative data as to food, of growth, time of matur- 

 ing, gain for food consumed, etc., would be of permanent value. Breeders may 

 make fair or extravagant claims for their favorites ; but too often the claim has 

 little foundation, except " I guess so." Actual knowledge of the value of breeds 

 is what we want. It seem somewhat difficult to get the animals to start with, 

 Hereford and Holsteins especially. 



At our spring sale in March, Mr. H. H. Hinds, President of the Michigan 

 Shorthorn Breeders' Association, who has always manifested a cordial interest 

 in all of our work presented this matter to the State Board of Agriculture and 

 thought that the different Breeders' Associations would be glad to donate the 

 calves, selecting such as they believed would be likely to make the best showing 

 for the respective breeds. Mr. Robert Gibbons, editor of the Michigan Farmer, 

 was present, and I herewith append his report of the remarks of Mr. Hinds and 

 the resolutions adopted by the Board. 



TESTING THE BREEDS. 



At the stock sale at the Agricultural College last week, all the members of 

 the State Board of Agriculture being present, Mr. H. H. Hinds, President of 

 the State Shorthorn Breeders' Association, after a few words of explanation, 

 made the offer that if the Board would select one or two choice specimens of each 

 of the beef breeds, of about the same age, giving them equal care and attention, 

 and keeping a full record of the feed consumed and the gain made by each, he, 

 on behalf of the Siiorthorn breeders, would offer such selected animals free of 

 expense to the college. He said he did this without consultation with liis 

 brother breeders, but he knew they would stand by him. He wanted to see 

 the breeds tested fairly, and each rej^resented by animals selected by the friends 

 of the breeds to represent it. He would also like to see some good native steers, 

 free from any admixture of thoroughbred blood, fed with the others, so as to 

 bring out the true merits of each. These animals could then be exhibited at 

 the State and other fairs, and farmers could draw their own conclusions. The 

 college was in shape, since its experimental barn was built, to conduct such an 

 experiment with the carefulness and attention to details it should have, and he 

 hoped breeders of each of the beef breeds would take an interest in such a test. 



