28 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Much diflBciilty was experienced during the fall term in teaching the 

 subjects, study of breeds and stock judging. This was largely due to 

 the fact that the various breeds of sheep were sadly lacking the infusion 

 of fresh blood, youthfulness and vigor so necessary to present true breed 

 type. There were no fat sheep to use for judging purposes. Only three 

 breeds of swine were found, Duroc Jersey, Tamworth and Chester White 

 and only one specimen of the "latter. Eepresentatives of a number of 

 other breeds have since been added. 



The only available animals for use in studying breed type and horse 

 judging are the common work teams of the farm. No doubt various 

 breeders of the State could be induced to furnish suitable specimens of 

 a number of breeds to permit this work to be carried on satisfactorily. 

 A number of other institutions are furnished with specimens in this way. 



Plans have been made to give a series of demonstrations and instruc- 

 tion in meat cutting. We feel this to be a very necessary complement to 

 the live stock judging work. In judging live animals only, the question 

 of quality in the carcass remains largely a matter of speculation in the 

 mind of the student. But if a number of animals can be judged on foot 

 and the carcasses compared after slaughtering, much more good will be 

 derived from the woVk. 



During the fall and winter terms facilities were provided enabling 

 students to carry out certain feeding experiments bearing on their in- 

 struction work. Fifty-one lambs were fed by students of the senior 

 class, the primary object being to test various methods of feeding and 

 combinations of food calculated to produce meat of good quality. Qual- 

 ity more specifically defined is here applied to carcasses possessed of 

 depth and mellowness of flesh, rather than excessive fatness. After the 

 feeding period was finished the lambs were slaughtered in the presence 

 of the students, thus enabling them to judge as to the quality of the 

 carcasses and secure data relative to the percentages of dressed meat, 

 hide, loose tallow, offal, etc. The shrinkage resulting from storage of the 

 carcasses during certain periods under different temperatures was also 

 noted. 



A number of carcasses were sent to dealers in Detroit, Grand Rapids, 

 Lansing, Battle Creek, Adrian, Kalamazoo and Owosso, where the public 

 was given opportunity to inspect them. The extent to which these 

 students were successful in producing meat of prime quality is well 

 expressed by the report of F. J. Dettenthaler of Grand Rapids, as fol- 

 lows: "Your shipment of lambs made us February 27th, arrived in most 

 excellent condition. We take great pleasure in saying that they are by 

 far the best fed stock we ever had. The meat in the rib and loin chop 

 was extra thick with a large amount of lean meat, and the flavor more 

 like spring lamb. If you can induce the Michigan sheep raisers to pro- 

 duce stock such as you shipped us it will be a great benefit to the State." 

 These lambs were marketed making very creditable profits. 



Experiments in swine feeding were also conducted during the spring 

 term by junior and senior students. The object of this work was to de- 

 termine the comparative results from feeding meal in the form of a slop 

 versus meal with water supplied separately. Those receiving the moist- 

 ened meal made a daily gain of 1.14 lbs. per capita per day while those 

 receiving the dry feed gained but .86 lb. per capita in the same time. 

 The percentages of dressed carcass were about the same in both cases, 

 viz. : 79.65^ and 79.89j^. 



