127 



bilities in this latter worlc. This does not by any means exhaust the possibil- 

 ities of research iu animal breeding."' 



By Prtjf. W. K. Dodson. of Louisiana: "As you Icnow, we have been working 

 for several years on the inununization of northern cattle to the Texas fever. 

 We now have on hand a small herd, consisting of nine mothers, grade Angus, 

 purchased nearly three years ago in Clinton, 111., immunized at Baton Rouge, 

 and bred to a registered Angus bull purchased at the same place at the same 

 time. All of the.se heifers have calves that have passed through the summer, 

 and all have been heavily infested with ticks. Two of the cows 'aave a second 

 calf, and all of them will Jiave their second calf this winter. We have ten head 

 of grade Hereford calves, raised on the station. The oldest one of these will 

 have a calf about February ; several others will come in about May. These 

 animals will compare favorably with any to be found on the farms of Illinois, 

 Missouri, or elsewliere outside of the barns of the fancy breeder. Of cour.se, 

 you ai"e aware that our native cattle all have the fever when they are calves, as 

 has been brought out by our work, and while the disease to a considerable 

 extent retards the development of the animal, as soon as the ticks are removed 

 the animal soon begins to recover from the effects ; and if the ticks are not 

 allowed to become excessively abundant the animal thrives apparently as well 

 as in the North. Our calves running on the pasture are as fat from the latter 

 part of April to the latter part of October as they are in the blue-grass section. 

 We have also demonstrated that it is possible to rid our pastures of ticks. This, 

 of course, puts a different future before the stockman of the South. Though it 

 will t)e more trouble, and require greater vigilance. I see no reason why the 

 intelligent and industrious farmer of the South should not equal or excel the 

 northern man in the production of beef and milch cattle. 



" We are not doing anything with otlier lines of animal breeding. I might 

 remind you of the fact that we topi-ed the market at Chicago with some beef 

 steers purchased as calves iu Illinois, inununized in Louisiana, fattened after 

 having been there two years, and reshijiped to Chicago." 



By Prof. E. W. Ma.lor, of California: "The live-stock work here has been 

 started such a short time that we have not had oitportunlty to carry on any 

 breeding experiments so far. At present I am purchasing some hogs. Shall 

 have some Berkshires, Poland Chinas, and Tamworths, and shall try some experi- 

 ments with these. I am rather looking to see if we can not find a hog that will 

 do better in the alfalfa sections than tlie Poland Chinas. These experiments 

 will be largely along the line of feeding, but I expect to do some at the pre.sent 

 time in cross breeding. We intend to do some experimenting right away in 

 poultry breeding. 



" In regard to suggestions, the one that appeals to me most forcibly is this: 

 If experiment station workers would start a discussion, it would have to be 

 done by correspondence, in regard to the data to be recorded in breeding experi- 

 ments. Those of us who are situated so far from the center, and tlierefore are 

 unable to attend many meetings, have little opportunity of discussing the ques- 

 tion with other experiment station men and getting in touch with the work they 

 are doing." 



Aside from this, the work largely done at several of the stations is familiar 

 to the members of this body. The work of the Wisconsin Experiment Station 

 in crossing and grading unimproved types of sheep has given striking results 

 that have been of practical and scientific value. The provisions for the investi- 

 gations of Professor Davenport at the newly equipped laboratory under the 

 auspices of the Carnegie Institute is significant of tlie growing interest in this 

 field of inquiry, and tlie results (.'f these investigations will be looked forward to 

 with unusual interest. 



At the Iowa station several lines of animal-breeding work are in progress. 

 It is well known that we have no breed of sheep in America adai»ted to the 

 range conditions and meeting the re(iuirements of the range in any adequate 

 manner. Sheep raisers in the range territory resort to freciuent crossing, 

 alternating from the Merino to the coarse-wooled mutton breeds for compactness 

 of fieece, ability to graze in large numbers, size, length of staple, ;ind then to 

 the Down breeds for improvement of mutton (pialities. It is necessary to make 

 frequent changes in the use of these tyi)es. and there is a lack of uniformity and 

 stability in breed characteristics and qualities desired for range conditions. 



We have taken up work in crossing these types with a view to gradually 

 evolving something that will meet the requirements of range conditions and 



23S80— No. 153—05 ii 9 



