206 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Once a hybrid is established, then selection and cultivation enter into 

 the problem of fixing it. The selection requires keen discriminating 

 powers, and is in man}- wa_ys more important than the act which pro- 

 duced the hybrid. 



Another thought brought out quite prominently was the necessity 

 for breeding to meet definite requirements. Changed seasonal, soil, 

 and climatic conditions will often render worthless what are otherwise 

 promising varieties. It is believed to be impossible to originate a 

 variet}^ of plant that is of universal value, and the transfer of valuable 

 sorts to regions of markedly different character was said to be usually 

 followed b}' disappointing results. 



A high compliment was paid to the plant-breeding work that has 

 been carried on in this countrj^. One of the foreign guests declared 

 that greater advance is being made along this line in the United States 

 than in any other country, the great range of soil, climate, and neces- 

 sities making such work possible. 



The value of such a meeting in arousing an interest in the subject 

 of plant breeding can hardly be estimated. The description of meth- 

 ods, criticism of results, and the application of principles were given 

 and taken in a spirit of scientific earnestness, and the enthusiasm 

 aroused will be continued and exhibited in the wide extension of the 

 work. 



The sj'stematic work which is being done in plant breeding, includ- 

 ing the stud}' of principles governing it, is worthy of imitation in 

 animal breeding. The field is quite as attractive, as far as possibilities 

 of useful results are concerned. The breeding or selection of plants 

 resistant to disease suggests that something might be done with ani- 

 mals in producing strains more vigorous or resistant to some of our 

 troublesome diseases. In this connection some recent experiments 

 reported from Algeria in attempts to combat Texas fever are interest- 

 ing.** In the search for some animal of the bovine kind which was 

 immune to Texas fever, it was found that both the buffalo and zebu 

 were naturally resistant to this disease. The buffalo could not be 

 crossed with the domestic cattle, and appeared to be for other reasons 

 less desirable than the zebu as a substitute for cattle. It was found 

 that the zebu crossed readily Avith different races of cattle, and that 

 all hybrids thus obtained were perfectly immune to Texas fever. The 

 female hybrids l)etween the zebu and domestic cattle were found to 

 be very fertile, while the males were well adapted to the production 

 of beef or to performing work of various kinds. The hybrids 

 attained a weight of about 360 kg. (792 lbs.) at an age of 3 years and 

 the dressed weight averaged about 62 per cent of the live weight. 

 The large hump composed of muscle and fat tissue and situated over 



« Jour. Agr. Prat., n. ser., 4 (1902), No. 29, pp. 75-80. 



