E. I. IVANOFF 



253 



Table II. 



Results of artificial insemination of 



horses on the zootechnioal station 



of Askania-Nova in 1912 



Results of natural insemination 



by the same stallions in 



the same year 



Total 



39 



31 



84-1) 



43-4 



10 



23 



Thus, the practical work of veterinary surgeons, carried out on some 

 thousands of horses in various parts of Russia and generally under very 

 primitive conditions, bears out all the fundamental conclusions of the 

 preliminary investigations and shows the great usefulness and value of 

 artificial insemination of domestic animals for the population. 



Reports and the material of the enquiry clearly indicate that where 

 the work was conducted more or less succes.sfully, where the veterinary 

 surgeon was able to devote to the artificial insemination of horses 

 sufficient time and attention, there the number of horses inseminated 

 durinc the pairing .season on one station reached sometimes 850, and the 

 majority of these in such a case were peasants' horses. In the estimation 

 of Rural Councils (Zemstvos) that work was gaining greater and greater 

 importance, and in the year before the war meetings and conferences 

 were being convened for the special purpose of discussing the problems 

 of more efficient organization of the work of artificial insemination, in 

 connection with mass-improvement and mass-raising of stocks of horses 

 and other domestic animals; also for the purpose of preparing a definite 

 plan of work and publishing special instructions binding for all those 

 doing practical work in the subject (governments of Kherson, Taurida, 

 Bessarabia, etc.). 



The interruption of the work, which was getting into stride and 

 assuming large proportions, was due entirely to the war and revolution, 

 and as soon as problems of organization in cattle-farming again came to 

 the front, artificial insemination became a matter of prime importance, 

 as shortage of procreators was the greatest obstacle in the way of all 

 former endeavours. 



Already in 1919 at one of the All-Russian conferences of zootech- 

 nicists of the Department of Cattle-farming of the People's Commissariat 



