228 ANNUAL, REPORT. OF THE Off. Doc. 



tell how far that can be done. We should not want to undertake 

 it very far. Some men have in-bred a good deal and have accom- 

 plished quite wonderful results^ but in a general way I believe it is 

 safe to let it alone. 



PROF. HAN'TZ: We know there are different opinions; some men 

 claim that it can be done successfully and others do not. 1 am not 

 experimenting in that line but I would like some information about 

 it. 



PROF. WATSON: It is well known that many of our breeds have 

 been established by in-breeding; also that that improvement has 

 been made by master hands, as has been said. I am sorry that I can- 

 not quote the author, but one man in a thousand — this was quoted 

 by some Englishman — but one man in a thousand could make a good 

 member of Parliament. One man in ten thousand would make a 

 good general, and one man in a hundred thousand by putting his 

 hand on an animal could tell what that animal was worth. 



DR. THAYER: I have a question here written by some pretty 

 sharp^ hard-headed Pennsylvania Yankee: 



"Has any set of men tried to intelligently estimate the worth of 

 the humus in the voiding of the horse or cow?" 



To that I answer no, because he can't do it. Now then, he can tell 

 the worth from the standpoint of the chemist; he can tell how much 

 nitrogen there is and how much that is worth. He can tell how much 

 phosphoric acid there is, and we know how much that is worth. 

 Potash the same way; he can tell very closely what it is worth in 

 plant food, but I want to express to you my firm conviction that the 

 value in plant food is not more than one-half the real value of that 

 manure as a humus, as an agent to increase the bacterial life of the 

 soil, as a fertilizer. In all these respects, I fully believe it has as 

 much value as the other, but no man can estimate that value accu- 

 rately. I believe there isn't anything for our farmers like stable 

 manure if it is properly cared for, to start the other things, to fill 

 the soil with life; I have an illustration right in my own experience 

 that shows to me very clearly that is quite true. 



QUESTION: "Don't you think it unlocks the soil?" 



DR. THAYER: Certainly. If you are going to use lime or com- 

 mercial fertilizer their effects are very largely increased by having 

 preceded them with stable manure. I have my doubts sometimes if 

 it would not be as cheap to buy commercial fertilizers, if the ele- 

 ments in the manure was all we would have, but really we have more 

 than that, I should judge, twice as much in value. 



