EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 171 



possessed of a pedigree, nor equal the full bloods from a standpoint 

 of prepotenc}' in breeding ; this is the principal argument used against 

 grade sires. 



In illustration No. 1 four yearling females are shown. The two in 

 the upper row are pedigreed Shorthorns bred from college stocks; the 

 one in the upper left hand corner, Sharon Princess, sired by Gwenallen 

 38892, out of College Sharon, Vol. 49, p. 949; the one in the 

 upper right-hand corner is Mysie's Opal, sired by Gwenallen, and out 

 of College Mysie 5th, Vol. 40, p. 753. The two females in the lower 

 row are simply high grade Shorthorns which are out of Shorthorn 

 grade cows purchased in Tuscola county, Mich:, by the Michigan Agri- 

 cultural College in the fall of 1904; as the cows were in calf at the 

 time of purchase and as the carload was picked up one by one, it was 

 not possible to trace the sires of individual calves. While these two 

 grade heifers illustrate well the possibilities of up-grading, it is unfor- 

 tunate that the number of generations since their improvement began 

 cannot be determined. We again remind our readers of the statement 

 made in a preceding paragraph relative to the possibilities through up- 

 grading, and leave them to judge for themselves to what extent the 

 illustration bears out our argument. 



Breeding experiments are now in progress at this college to deter- 

 mine how many generations must be produced before animals can be 

 secured equal to the improving breed, from a standpoint of utility, but 

 some years must elapse before results can be secured. 



We also suggest that at the time of the purchase of the pure bred 

 sire, one cow, or possibly two of the same breed be secured. The 

 progeny of these two or three registered animals should grow into a 

 nice little herd at the end of ten years, which could be used to replace 

 the poorer of the high grades. That the high grade can be success- 

 fully produced as described, cannot be disputed, and its values have 

 already been clearly demonstrated. The high grade forms the bulk of 

 the western feeders coming to our feed lots; it makes up almost the 

 sum total of the 400,000 prime steers which a^anually cross the Atlantic ; 

 it has occupied no mean place in the list of awards in fat classes at 

 st?te, national and international live stock shows. 



We desire at this point to emphasize the fact that the use of im- 

 proved methods of breeding alone will not avail, it is absolutely neces- 

 sary f©r these to be supplemented by liberal feeding and proper care 

 and management. 



THE GRADE SIRE. 



Attention has been directed to the fact that high grade animals may 

 be eventually produced capable of equalling those of the pure breed 

 used in their improvement, insofar as meat or milk production are con- 

 cerned, but at the same time they can never equal them in prepotency, 

 nor become possessed of pedigrees, except in rare instances. So far 

 as external form and indications of quality are concerned, a high grade 

 sire may look equally as good as a pure bred one, and still this is no 

 justification f'^r his use. Though an animal may be an exceptionally 

 good individual, if he is lacking in prepotency, as the grade derived 

 from mixed blood on the dam's side is sure to be, his offspring cannot 



