BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 129 



attention given to breeding has improved the quality of pork. More 

 attention is now paid to the finishing of hogs for market. 



Poultry demonstrations conducted in 28 communities have brought 

 about a marked improvement in the quality of poultry on farms in 

 all parts of the State. In addition to the help given local demon- 

 strators, more than 50 one-day demonstrations were conducted in 

 caponizing, selecting breeding stock, egg candling, and poultry-house 

 construction, and considerable time was devoted to the food-prepared- 

 ness campaign. 



In addition to demonstrations in curing pork and pork products 

 for home use and encouraging the use of local ice plants for preserv- 

 ing meat, cooperative shipping of live stock was begun in 12 parishes, 

 and arrangements were made for shipment in 12 others. Personal 

 assistance was given in grading and shipping 23 carloads of cattle, 

 hogs, and sheep. To facilitate the shipment of live stock to northern 

 markets a special fast-train service has been arranged with two of 

 the railroads. The marketing of live stock has been greatly im- 

 proved through the reorganization of the New Orleans market and 

 the completion of a packing plant. Assistance was also rendered to 

 woolgrowers in the marketing of 200,000 pounds of wool. 



Although there are five creameries in Louisiana, a very large part 

 of the dairy interest is made up of farmers who ship their milk to 

 New Orleans. These dairymen were advised in building silos and 

 barns, and assistance was given in the construction of 17 silos, 8 

 milk houses, and 13 barns. Among the latter was one erected on the 

 State fairgrounds at Shreveport which will serve as a model and a 

 •demonstration. Great interest is manifested by the dairymen in 

 better dairy cattle, with the result that assistance was given in the 

 selection of 256 head of cattle, consisting of 23 pure-bred bulls and 

 233 good dairy cows. As an indication of the quality of cattle intro- 

 duced, one Holstein-Friesian bull was purchased at a cost of $1,750. 

 Herd records were begun and carried on in 20 herds. The records 

 obtained enabled the dairymen to dispose of unprofitable producers 

 and in one instance the income from the dairy was increased $29 a 

 cow for the year. Besides the direct benefit from the disposal of 

 uneconomical cows, the herd-record work has improved the quality 

 of milk, and little sour milk is now shipped to New Orleans. These 

 herd owners are raising more feed and are pushing tick eradication, 

 and they have less trouble with city dealers on weights and tests. 



33382°— AGE 1917 9 



