110 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



sheep of the breed improvement series. These fleece samples are 

 used in the wool laboratory to determine the percentages of grease, 

 dirt, and clean wool. Eesults of examinations of 89 representative 

 whole fleeces during the past two years show consistently that samples 

 taken from the sides of the fleeces are distinctly more representative 

 of the entire fleece than any other parts as an indication of the con- 

 tent of grease, dirt, and clean wool in the entire fleeces. Department 

 Bulletin 1100, A Method of Determining Grease and Dirt in Wool, 

 is in press. 



MILIC-GOAT INVESTIGATIONS. 



Marked improvement of the bureau's herd of milk goats at the 

 Beltsville farm has resulted from the continued use of purebred 

 Toggenburg and Saanen sires of outstanding merit in breeding and 

 individuality. Goats having five consecutive top crosses of purebred 

 sires have been produced. The herd numbers 39 animals. Complete 

 records are kept of breeding, feeding, and milk production, and 

 these records are used in the study of factors affecting the production 

 of goats' milk. Milk has been supplied to families about Washing- 

 ton for the use of infants and invalids. This milk has been used 

 according to the directions of attending physicians, and useful re- 

 ports based on carefully kept records have been obtained. 



HORSE AND MULE INVESTIGATIONS. 



BREEDING AMERICAN UTILITY HORSES. 



In the work for the development of a breed of mature utility 

 horses for general farm and ranch work, conducted in cooperation 

 with the State of Wyoming at Buffalo, Wyo., there were in the stud 

 at the close of the fiscal year 12 mature stallions, 1 three-year-old 

 stallion, 4 two-year-old stallions, 21 mature mares, 2 three-year-old 

 mares, 2 two-year-old mares, 4 yearling mares, and 4 foals, a total 

 of 50 animals. 



The stallion Carmon 32917, which had been at the head of this 

 stud since the work was begun, died during the year. The stallion 

 Harvest Aid 63908, which has been used extensively during the past 

 two years, has proved to be a prepotent sire and has been placed at 

 the head of the stud. There is marked improvement in the standard 

 of the stud since this stallion has been used in mating with mares 

 of Carmon breeding. The remaining mature stallions were leased 

 for public service in 1921 and practically all of them have been 

 placed for the 1922 season. 



BREEDING MORGAN HORSES. 



At the close of the fiscal year there were in the stud at the Morgan 

 Horse Farm, Middlebury, Vt., 2 mature stallions, 1 four-year-old 

 stallion, 1 three-year-old stallion, 1 two-year-old stallion, 1 yearling 

 stallion, 15 mature mares, 3 four-year-old mares, 2 three-year-old 

 mares, 8 two-year-old mares, 6 yearling mares, and 16 foals, a total 

 of 56 animals. 



The stallions Oakwood and Orient were transferred to the Re- 

 mount Service of the War Department for use in breeding work for 



