BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 83 



At the ranch headquarters an abundant supply of water for stock 

 was procured by driUing to a depth of 740 feet. Such development 

 of supplies of stock water has a most important bearing upon the 

 problem of the utilization of grazing lands. 



Studies to procure data upon practices in developing the farm 

 sheep industry were continued so far as could be done after losing 

 the services of men in immediate charge of experimental work who 

 entered military service. 



HORSE AND MULE INVESTIGATIONS 



BREEDING AMERICAN CARRIAGE HORSES. 



At the close of the fiscal year there were in the stud at Fort CoUins, 

 Colo., 7 mature stallions, 2 3-year-old stallions, 2 2-year-old stallions, 

 9 yearling stallions, 7 suckling colts, 23 brood mares, 3 3-year-old 

 mares, 7 2-year-old fillies, 7 yearling fillies, and 10 suckling fillies. 

 Four of the mature stallions were leased for public service and stood 

 at Montrose and Longmont, Colo., and Riverton and Shell, Wyo. 

 Twenty- two of the brood mares were bred in 1917; 17 produced foals 

 and 1 other is safe in foal. Fourteen of the animals were eliminated 

 from the stud as unsuitable for breeding purposes. 



During the past winter the brood mares were left out in the f©ot- 

 hills pasture all winter, and a little hay was given them when the 

 ground was covered with snow. The mares came through the winter 

 in good condition and foaled without any losses among the mares or 

 foals. 



BREEDING MORGAN HORSES. 



At the close of the fiscal year there were at the Morgan Horse 

 Farm, Middlebury, Vt., 8 mature stallions, 6 young stallions, and 30 

 mares, 18 of which are mature. The 18 mares bred in 1917 have 

 produced 13 foals, and 3 mares are to foal. Five of the mature 

 stallions were sent to other points in Vermont and New Hampshire 

 for the 1918 breeding season for the production of horses suitable for 

 miUtary purposes. In October, 1917, the bureau exchanged the 

 stallion Red Oak for the 3-year-old Morgan stallion Sealskin. 



Under authority of the appropriation act for the Department of 

 Agriculture for the fiscal year 1918 a tract of land consisting of 517 

 acres adjoining the Morgan Horse Farm was purchased. The farm 

 now contains 950 acres and affords ample pasture land and much 

 additional land for the production of hay and grain. 



BREEDING HORSES FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 



In the breeding of horses for military purposes the 2,019 mares 

 bred in 1916 produced 930 living foals in 1917. During the calendar 

 year 1917 there were 1,594 mares bred to the 35 stallions used in this 

 work, and 428 living foals were reported up to June 30, 1918. Dur- 

 ing the first half of 1918 there were 1,022 mares bred to the 32 

 stallions. 



COTTONSEED MEAL FOR FARM WORK STOCK. 



A test in feeding cottonseed meal to horses and mules was begun 

 in October, 1917, at the bureau's farm at Beltsville, Md. Seven 

 draft mares and 2 driving horses were fed cottonseed meal in small 



