154 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 

 MANY NEW LINES OF WORK. 



The work relating to the live-stock industry, which includes not 

 only fostering the interests of those engaged in production but lielp- 

 ing the consumers of the countr}' to obtain a supply of wholesome 

 animal food, such as meat, milk, and eggs, has been greatly enlarged 

 during the 16 years under review. Prior to 1897 the work of the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry related almost entirely to disease^s of 

 animals, meat inspection, etc., and very scant attention was given to 

 such important things as animal husbandry and dairying. 



ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. 

 BEGINNINGS. 



Animal husbandry as a separate branch of the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry at Washington was first recognized on Julj' 1, 1901, when an 

 expert in animal husbandry was appointed. In 1904 a specific appro- 

 priation for such work was requested, and Congress appropriated 

 $25,000 for cooperative experiments in animal feeding and breeding, 

 to be spent during the fiscal year 1905. The animal husbandry work 

 began to be informally designated the "Animal Husbandry Office" 

 about this time, and was formally designated the "Animal Husbandry 

 Division " by the Secretary's order on January 1, 1910. 



HOBSE BREEDING. 



The Animal Husbandry Division started the revival of interest 

 in the breeding of Morgan horses. In cooperation with the Colorado 

 Experiment Station the division is demonstrating that the utility 

 characteristics of the American trotter, to which frequent attention 

 has been called by show-ring performances, can be perpetuated by 

 proper selection. 



It has brought about a complete reversal in the procedure of 

 importing animals into the United States for breeding purposes, and 

 now a man in the horse-importing business must not only import a 

 pedigree certificate, but a horse as well whose description agrees with 

 that outlined in the certificate. 



INFERTILE EGGS. 



It has shown that by producing infertile eggs the keeping quality 

 of eggs can be greatly improved and millions of dollars in losses from 

 bad eggs can be saved. At its instigation and with the cordial coop- 

 eration of local authorities, the egg trade of Kansas was placed on 

 a qualify basis in a single year. Other States have followed the 

 example set in Kansas. 



