286 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE;. 



laws of the inheritance of the function of milk production in 

 dairy cattle. \Miatever progress has been made up to this time 

 in breeding for this quality has been built largely on an empiri- 

 cal basis. There is no body of well-grounded scientific princi- 

 ples to guide a person at the present time in building up a high 

 producing dairy herd or improving what he already has in such 

 a way that the improvement shall be definite and permanent. 

 The need for investigation which shall lead to the accumula- 

 tion of knowledge of the principles referred to has been keenly 

 felt for sometime past by the dairymen in the State. The dairy 

 industry in Maine is just now in a critical condition. The in- 

 creased prices of feed without anything like a corresponding 

 increase in the price of milk and other dairy products has 

 materially reduced the profits of the business. For several 

 years past the Maine Dairymen's Association has had a Com- 

 mittee empowered to discover ways and means if possible 

 whereby the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station might 

 undertake a comprehensive investigation along the lines indi- 

 cated. Furthermore, this matter has been taken up by the 

 Experiment Station Council and efforts have been made by 

 that body to secure funds for this purpose. It is felt that the 

 experience which the Station has gained in its long continued 

 experiments on breeding for increased egg production in poul- 

 try would be of very material advantage in undertaking work 

 on the problem of breeding for dairy production. The amount 

 of work, however, under way at the Station uses up all the funds 

 which it has available and it is therefore not possible to embark 

 on any new project of this kind until additional funds are pro- 

 vided from some source. 



A plan of cooperation between the Agricultural College and 

 the Experiment Station has been worked out, whereby the barns 

 and herd of the College will be available for this investigation. 

 It is hoped that during the year the necessary funds will be 

 provided and the Station can then undertake this important line 

 of work. 



Triplet Calves. 



A tendency towards increased fecundity in any domestic 

 animal, provided it is not associated with loss of other valuable 



