No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. fi37 



fields of grass and corn to the hogs, and in the South, fields of corn, 

 peas, and other crops, to save labor of harvesting; but that method 

 seems wasteful to us here. 



I would like to see on every farm in Pennsylvania, one or more 

 brood sows kept; and if the farmers will do this, they will, I am sure, 

 bless the hog, as a scavenger and a money-maker. 



THE PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 



By F. R. MARSHALL, Ohio University. 



The President has slightly confused the title of my speech. I do 

 want to talk about the outlines of breeding, but I want to talk about 

 how to apply these principles to the selection of type from which to 

 breed. About four years ago I considered that in studying the science 

 of breeding, I Avas pretty sure how it would come out, but in the last 

 three years, I have learned to modify my opinion in regard to that. 

 About five years ago I gave a lecture, and about three years ago, a 

 talk on ''The Control of Heredity.'' I know now it was the biggest 

 fake that was ever brought before an audience. 



I first became interested in the study of this subject when Joe 

 Wing came to visit our Texas Agriculture College. At the Fort Worth 

 Show and Horse Institute, there was a herd of curiously colored 

 mules, with white, blue and green spots on the rumps. Joe said "That 

 is a very curious mutation, isn't it?" I said "Yes." "At least," he 

 said, "it is mutation, adaptation, or something of the kind." "How 

 do you account for it?" "Mr. Wing," I said, "I admit to you frankly 

 that I can't tell you. I have read a great deal of Luther Burbank'a 

 wonderful work among the vegetables, and the articles in the Breed- 

 ers' Gazette by Hays, and others, but I can't understand it." Joe's 

 only reply was that "Up in Arkansas they don't know anything about 

 it, either." So I thought I had better get busy, if he was going to put 

 me in the Arkansas class, and I started in on the study of biology 

 as applied to breeding. About that time the Carnegie Institute and 

 the Professor of Biology at Harvard started out to tell people about 

 biology in breeding; they covered the result of their laboratory work. 

 So I started out, and soon found that the breeders knew nothing about 

 biology, nor did the scientist know anything from the breeders' stand- 

 point, so I decided to try to make a cross between the two, and see 

 if I could not get at it, but, as in crossing breeds, I soon found myself 

 back where I started. 



Spillman and Prof. Castle say the breeders are to take on new 

 crosses, and in that way improve existing breeds. That is all very 

 well, but the important point with the breeders is not so much better 

 crosses, as what it means to them from a financial standi)oint, to 

 get a larger percentage of increase. To raise only one show champioTi 

 is a big loss and disappointment. He wants to breed a larger percent- 

 age with a greater degree of certainty. What the breeder wants is 

 not so much to grow something new, as to get results from what he 

 already has. That is the point I wish to emphasize in taking up the 

 subject. It has taken much time and money to breed along in the 

 way breeding has been done for so many years. 



Now, take the subject of mixing blood. We say that this blood 

 stands for certain character, and that bloods stands for certain other 



