REPORT. 



To the Senate and House of Representatives : \ 



The Board of Agriculture commenced its Annual Session at the 

 State House, in Augusta, on the twentieth of January, 1869, and 

 elected officers as follows : 



Samuel Wasson, President. 

 Seth Scamman, Vice President. 

 Stephen L. Goodale, Secretary. 



After the announcement of Standing Committees, and the trans- 

 action of other usual preliminary business, Mr. Luther Chamberlain 

 presented the following ad interim report on 



The Degeneratiox of Animals through the Use of Young and 



Undeveloped Parents. 



Dean Swift being once called upon to preach a charity sermon, 

 founded his discourse upon this text: "He that giveth to the 

 poor, lendeth to the Lord ;" and his sermon was in the following 

 words: "My hearers, if you like the security, down with the 

 dust." He says this was one of the most effective sermons he 

 ever delivered, although containing one word less than the text. 



In treating of the topic assigned me, if I could be as brief and as 

 successful, it would not only be a source of gratification to myself, 

 but to all interested in the theory and practice of stock-breeding ; and 

 when asked the question, "Do animals degenerate through the use 

 of young and undeveloped parents ?" I might with propriety 

 answer in the shortest possible affirmative, and this answer would 

 be satisfactoiy, not only to all the members of this Board, but to 

 every intelligent farmer who thoroughly understood his business. 

 But the inquisitive Yankee is not generally satisfied with a plain 

 Anglo-Saxon answer, but wishes to know the reasons for arriving 

 at certain conclusions ; therefore it will be necessary for me to give 

 reasons founded on facts, and, as far as I may be able, defend my 



