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l>reeding, fecundity, and some other subjects in which little has yet been 

 attempted. This work will necessarily cover considerable time and may involve 

 Aarious kinds of animals, but it is clear in my mind that it should be done. 

 There are two good reasons lor this work : One. to secure definite knowledge 

 •on some things involving the principles of breeding; the other to furnish scien- 

 tific aid to farm practice, such as relates to methods of breeding, and in its 

 spplication to such things as fecundity, prepotency, etc. 



"The cooperative feature of breeding work can be made very useful, but it 

 will have to be worked into, it seems to me, gradually, with the station also 

 checking up, if possible, in the same line of investigation." 



By Prof. .James W. Wilson, of South Dakota : " I am starting a new breed of 

 hogs. I think there is a demand in this State for a lard breed more prolific 

 and with greater fecundity than the Duroc Jerseys or Poland Chinas. We are 

 carrying on an experiment with sheep. It is our intention to include the six 

 leading breed-* of sheep and ewes of connnoTi range breeding. We will breed ten 

 head of each each year to each of these rams, rotating the rams each year and 

 using the same ewes, fattening the lambs off at 1 year old, which experiment will 

 ^ive us some idea of the best breed of sheep to use for our conditions. A similar 

 experiment with cattle is now under way." 



By Prof. Andrew Boss, of INIinuesota: "The line of work that I have most 

 ■completely in mind is that of founding breeds that have the intrinsic qualities 

 demanded by the market. In view of this I have been selecting certain 

 families of hogs that conform to the market demands and recording their breed 

 ing, and in most cases working out the good qualities of the litters when fatted. 

 This, however, has given us only the most meager kind of a foundation for good 

 work in the future. .\s soon as we learn the value and characteristics of the 

 foundation stock on hand it will be our object to fasten, if possible, the charac- 

 teristics of the breed either by cross breeding, inbreeding, or whatever other 

 method we may find satisfactory. 



"I believe that in order to get good results we must know just exactly w^hat 

 the individuals are worth that we are working with, and that we must have 

 definite knowledge as to the best means of itrop.agating their usefulness. 



" My ideas in regard to the problems in animal breeding are not so extensive, 

 possibly, as some other iieople may have. As I see it the problems must be 

 solved by large moneyed interests. Results come so slowly in animal breeding 

 that one individual is not able to accomplish very much in the way of permanent 

 results. I believe the colleges and stations could do a great work in this line if 

 they were organized into a cooperative association, and select for director of the 

 work some man or a conunittee of men who are well up in the subject, and who 

 would give promise of long service. The institutions could also work with the 

 individual breeders, but it is so hard to control conditions there, or rather to 

 control the inclinations of the individual breeders, that I believe better results 

 would be obtained under experiment station management. 



" I have no outline to submit of any plan of work with the colleges and experi- 

 ment stations. My individual plan for animal breeding in experiments is not 

 on a basis that would be of value to such an organization. They include sim- 

 ply the measuring of individuals for foundation work and of further testing the 

 value of these animals by measuring the value of the offspring. When these 

 tacts have been learned, then comes a plan for fixing the qualities, or possibly 

 developing a new breed." 



By Prof. F. B. Mumford, of Missouri : " In my opinion the greatest need in 

 animal breeding at the present time is for experimental data secured by pains- 

 taking, accurate research, which will help us to decide with much more definite- 

 ness upon some of the questions which are now largely matters of opinion. 

 This opinion. I think, is held by the leading biologists of this and other 

 countries. 



" The investigations in this subject by the stations should, it seems to me. 

 contribute to the upbuilding of the science of breeding. Following this sugges- 

 tion to its logical conclusion means long and laborious experimentation, using 

 large numbers of animals. The expense of this work with farm animals, and 

 the small numb^- of individuals, makes it difticult or impossible to carry on this 

 work with such animals. It will be necessary to investigate many of these 

 questions by the use of small animals that breed rapidly. 



"Another line of experiments which are of the greatest practical value to 

 breeders is an investigation of the influence of environment, including exercise, 

 feed, shelter, etc., ou the breeding efficieucy of auimuls, There are great possi- 



