]00 AXMAL IU:rOHTS OF DLl'AHTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



sliowM ail increase of 18.8 per cent of lambs produced by increased 

 nutrition of ewes durin<j: muting season, for both Beltsville and Mid- 

 dleburv. Tliis is an increase of 25.9 per cent in the Beltsville flock 

 and 8.55 ])er cent in the Middlebury flock. 



In experiments with 120 western ewes at the Middlebury farm to 

 test the efl'ect of running sheep in permanent pasture upon the growth 

 of Aveeds, and the carrying capacity of the fields, it has been demon- 

 strated that sheep are beneficuil in cleaning pastures of weeds, l)ut 

 that it must be accomplished gradually and sliould not be overempha- 

 sized as a reason for engaging in sheep raising. 



The results of the foregoing work are embodied in two papers pre- 

 pared for publication. 



RANGE-SHEEP INVESTIGATIONS. 



The work with range sheep at the Government sheep experiment 

 station in Dubois, Idaho, is yielding very gratifying results, espe- 

 cially in the development of a true-breeding type of sheep, suited to 

 range conditions, from the Lincoln-Eumbouillet cross. In the five 

 years during which this work has been under way the desired type 

 has been quite definitel}'^ fixed. This has been accomplished in much 

 less time than would have been possible by usual breeding methods. 

 Instead of going bavk to one or the other of the parent breeds, the 

 crossbred progeny Avere interbred in each succeeding generation. It 

 is believed that this is the first time that an attempt has been made 

 to establish a breed of the larger animals by such methods. The 

 name " Columbia " has Ijeen adopted for these sheep. The value of 

 the experiment is expected to come not through the distribution and 

 use of the Columbia sheep but rather by demonstrating what can be 

 accomplished by l)reeding methods similar to those used in this 

 project. 



Other investigations at the sheep experiment station are the cohi- 

 parison of Eambouillet sheep wath crossbreds and the study of the 

 suitability of Corriedale sheep to range conditions. 



The receipts from the station for the year were $15,811.84, of which 

 $9,477.84 was cash turned in to the United States Treasury, the bal- 

 ance being represented by exchanges for other animals as authorized 

 by Congress. The coarse wool for 1919 was still on hand at the close 

 of the fiscal year, and 375 yearling ewes were added to the flock. A 

 conservati\e estimate wouhl i^lace the value of the products from the 

 station for the year at $25,000. 



FARM-SHEEP DEMONSTRATIONS. 



Tlie demonstration and extension work relative to farm sheep was 

 carried on by l)ureau specialists in 17 States in cooperation Avith 

 the college extension forces and county agents. This has included 

 demonstrations in sheep management, including docking, castration, 

 shearing, culling, and treatment for parasites, as well as the introduc- 

 tion of l:)etter breeding stock, the promotion of boys' and girls' clubs, 

 assistance in the organization of farmers' cooperative wool pools, 

 instruction in grading wool and preparing it for market, and en- 

 couraging the larger consumption of lamb in the diet. The spe- 

 cialists gave 776 lectures before audiences aggregating 42,916 persons, 



