380 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Go back one generation and the progeny has 50 per cent of the properties 

 of the first sire; the second generation he has 25 per cent only; you 

 go on back four or five generations and the amount of blood of the sires 

 previous to that, why, farmers, what does it amount to? My contention 

 is that the blood of the first, second, third and the fourth sires is the 

 controlling factor in the properties of the animal that will be purchased 

 into a herd or flock as a sire. Now do not misunderstand me. I do not 

 mean to say that the blood and properties beyond that are of no account, 

 but the greatly important thing for a person to look into in the pur- 

 chase of a sire is the character of the first, second, third and fourth 

 generations. If these are good, farmers, if they have bestowed the 

 properties that the individual desires to have in his flock or herd, he has a 

 strong guarantee that in the purchase of that sire he is going to get the 

 animal he is looking after. 



Now I go a step further and will make this statement, that the 

 evidence of the fact that that sire possesses the properties that he ought 

 to have will be strongest if that sire is line breeding. Now do not mis- 

 understand me. I am not an advocate of inbreeding, but I will say this, 

 that if the properties of an animal can be maintained, if the useful 

 properties of an animal can be maintained, that animal will be more pre- 

 potent as a sire if he is line bred and still more potent as a sire if 

 in-bred. I do not think that is a good plan for farmers to practice to any 

 great extent, because of the fact that experience has shown that men 

 engaged in those lines of breeding alter a while flnd the breeding results 

 in physical determination; but if the stamina can be secured the fact 

 that that sire has been line bred will make him more prepotent and more 

 certain of transmitting his properties to his descendants than if he were 

 not so line bred. 



The flrst guarantee is the animal shall be purely bred for a number 

 of generations and the important fact in connection with that is that 

 his ancestors shall be noted for breeding the qualities that have been 

 sought. The second is that the animal shall be line bred. Here comes 

 the third — it is the question of the indications of physical vigor in a 

 marked degree. I might illustrate that in this way. — you farmers pro- 

 bably have noticed a Southdown ram walking in the distance. You 

 notice how proudly he carries his head; his ears will be erect, his eyes 

 alert noticing everything; every step he takes denotes activity and vigor, 

 an indication of constitution in that animal. That is one of the greatest 

 guarantees that you can have in connection with the other properties that 

 that animal is going to be prepotent. You get these three indications in a 

 marked degree and I assure you in ninety-nine cases in one hundred 

 when you select a sire with proper form that you are not going to be dis- 

 appointed in the selection of that sire. 



There has been a good deal said today about cheapening the cost of 

 production in dairy products. I propose to touch somewhat, Mr. Chaii- 

 man upon the same line but in an entirely different way. A good deal 

 has been said about the low standard of the average dairy cow in the 

 state of Iowa, and that is true of every state in the Union. The important 

 question was put to the last speaker on this platform "How shall that 



