604 GENETICS IN RELATION TO AGRICULTURE 



veniently have on its back a pedigree blank for recording all the ancestors 

 for at least four generations back. A separate sheet of this kind should 

 be made out for at least each breeding individual; individuals which are 

 not to be kept for breeding purposes may be noted on other specially 

 devised condensed blanks, which give only the necessary essential data 

 respecting them. 



The Description Sheet. The purpose of the description sheet is to 

 provide space for notes bearing upon the characteristics of the animal 

 in question, short items which may be jotted down from time to time 

 whenever they occur to the breeder. This sheet should also bear what- 

 ever extended individual descriptions may be necessary. In many cases, 

 the use of a printed outline such as that shown in Fig. 235, which is used 

 in the investigations of pigeon breeding at the Wisconsin Station, aids 

 greatly in making such descriptions definite and detailed without much 

 labor. An outline form for instance will aid materially in recording the 

 extent and position of black and white areas in Holstein-Friesian and 

 other cattle which usually have broken colors. 



The Progeny Sheet. For recording matings and progeny a special 

 sheet is often useful, although it is often possible to provide space for 

 this data on the individual sheet. This blank will generally be used in 

 the form of a follow sheet to accompany other sheets of each breeding 

 female. Space should be provided for recording dates of service, name 

 of sire used, date of delivery, sex of offspring, and other vital data of 

 this type. There should be a place for recording the disposition of the 

 offspring; if added to the breeding herd, a cross-reference should be 

 made to its individual sheet. 



The Performance Sheet. The performance sheet is necessary only 

 when the data obtained under this heading are relatively extensive as is 

 the case in milking records of dairy cows or egg records of hens. This 

 sheet should be devised in such a fashion as to permit the recording of 

 data quickly and accurately. In Fig. 236 is reproduced a summary egg 

 sheet such as is used in breeding investigations at the Wisconsin Station. 

 It will serve as a type of the kind of sheets which may be used in recording 

 data of performance. 



Sheets for Special Purposes. If the breeder is following out any 

 particular type of operations which require special data it should be an 

 easy matter to devise sheets which will help him in that matter. As an 

 illustration we give in Fig. 237 a reproduction of a sheet used at the 

 Wisconsin Station in an investigation of multiple births in cattle. 



General Considerations. Any system which is adopted should be 

 convenient. For that reason a loose leaf system, because it is not bulky 

 and offers the maximum freedom in rearrangement and filing, will prob- 

 ably prove most satisfactory in practical work. Such systems have 



