78 ANNUAL EEPOBTS OF DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



more outstanding beef calves. The Shorthorn herd bull of the Kan- 

 sas Station, Matchless Dale, 291609, is being used to head the herd. 

 This bull is an individual of exceptional scale and quality, and is the 

 sire of more show steers than any other living bull. The first crop 

 of his calves out of the cows in the experiment will arrive during the 

 coming fall and winter. 



Shorthorn breeders are very much interested in the outcome of this 

 investigation. Tentative studies seem to indicate that the conditions 

 outlined above are not peculiarly problems confronting Shorthorn 

 breeders, but probably apply in other breeds of beef cattle. There 

 is, however, a further and wider application of this problem. If the 

 theory is correct that a good beef animal must have a good milking 

 mother it will have a profoimd effect on the range practice of elimi- 

 nating the thin cows. 



BEEF-CATTLE EXTENSION WORK. 



The beef-cattle work in the Panhandle of Texas was continued. 

 The object is to promote the growing of forage crops and the fatten- 

 ing of beef cattle for market, instead of producing " feeder " cattle 

 exclusively as heretofore. The regular work was conducted in 20 

 counties and preliminary work was done in about the same number 

 of other counties. There was not as much feeding in the Panhandle 

 during the past winter as during the winter of 1914—15, but the work 

 was far more satisfactory, financially and otherwise. Good profits 

 were made by most of the feeders, and the nonsaccharine sorghums 

 are proving very satisfactory for cattle feeding. 



The first cattle sale held by the Panhandle Hereford Breeders' 

 Association proved a success. Our agent there has aided the breed- 

 ers materially in disposing of their surplus breeding animals. 



LIVE-STOCK DEMONSTRATION. 



The live-stock demonstration work carried out under the provisions 

 of the tick-eradication appropriation is almost entirely devoted to 

 the promotion of the beef -cattle industry. Under the limitations of 

 the appropriation it is conducted only in areas which have been freed 

 of ticks. This work is carried on in North Carolina, South Carolina, 

 Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, and Mississippi, the two 

 last-named States having been added during the year. It is done 

 in cooperation with the Field Inspection Division of the bureau, the 

 States Relations Service of the department, and the State agricultural 

 colleges. 



During the past fiscal year the agents were directly responsible for 

 the introduction of 862 head of registered beef cattle, about 40 per 

 cent of which were bulls, and they assisted indirectly in the purchase 

 of many more. They visited and gave specific information to 3,552 

 farmers on beef-cattle problems, attended and addressed 584 meet- 

 ings with a total attendance of about 62,454 persons, assisted in get- 

 ting 217 beef -cattle farmers to build silos, and conducted 181 feeding 

 demonstrations with a total of 11,284 cattle. One or more field meet- 

 ings were held on the farms on which the demonstrations Avere con- 

 ducted and the results were explained to those present. This has 

 proved to be one of the most popular and forceful methods of pre- 



