300 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



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difficulties in the way of immediate results, and the good we hope 

 to accomplish by patient and continued effort. It takes time to 

 do all this. An experiment of ten years is not a long experiment, 

 and yet, how frequently has it happened that the eleventh year, 

 that which seemed to be certain and fixed, has failed. I am con- 

 fident we must not look to a compromise with those who would 

 push us* on to declarations, as principles of things, which we have 

 not sufficiently tested. 



Dr. Miles. I would like to say a word or two more. The 

 separation of animals in feeding exper'ments has been objected to 

 on what seem to me to be purely theoretical grounds. It is easy 

 to make an assumption, and from that, reason to erroneous conclu- 

 sions. We are all aware that solitary confinement is not profita- 

 ble, yet from that, fact it would hardly be safe to reason that we 

 could not separate animals for experimentation. The question 

 really is, how have we found it in our experience in the treatment 

 of animals ? 



The facts are simply these, so far as my experience goes : that 

 the animals in a pen by themselves are more quiet, and thrive 

 better, and do better every way, than where there are a number 

 of them together. Take the case that Professor Swallow suggests 

 of animals that have been associated together for a long time, and 

 then separated. Take a span of horses that have been together 

 all their lives, and then separate them in the expectation of getting 

 a good result in feeding them, and you will be very much disap- 

 pointed. I have tried that — placing a numbej of animals together, 

 and then separating them after they became acquainted with one 

 another, and when the}' were separated they fell away at once, 

 notwithstanding there was an increase in their feed. In selecting 

 animals for experiments, it would be desirable to get those that 

 have not these strong attachments. If there were two or three 

 together, it would not be well to separate them and commence 

 experimenting at once, but they might be first separated for 

 a sufficient time to form new habits. We keep a large number 

 in pens lyy themselves, and they do not come in contact with 

 other animals except occasionally, they seem to be as contented 

 as those where there are two, three or more in the same pen. 

 Calves that we keep in box stalls are better contented than those 

 where there are two or three together ; so that really this is not a 

 question of theory, but is to be determined practically — how we 

 can best promote the growth of animals. 



