ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 



anything like important results. The years 

 of the first registrations of the different swine 

 breeders' associations are as follows : American 

 Berkshire, 1875; Standard Poland-China, 1877; 

 Central Poland -China, 1879; American Ches- 

 ter White, 1884; American Essex, 1887; 

 American Duroc- Jersey, 1890. 



But, while great improvement has been made 

 through the introduction of new blood, per- 

 haps the greatest improvement in the life of 

 domestic animals in America has been that 

 effected through what may be termed animal 

 culture. This includes not only a strengthen- 

 ing of the stock through the most careful 

 selection in breeding, so that new combina- 

 tions and crosses may be made to produce 

 better cattle, better sheep, better poultry than 

 any that preceded, but the most painstaking 

 and systematic experiments in feeding. Feed- 

 ing and breeding lie at the base of the progress 

 of animal husbandry in the period of the New 

 Earth. This feeding has been two -fold in 

 object : to produce better animals, stronger, 

 more profitable on the block or on the farm, 

 but to do it at a minimum of cost. Waste, 

 most foolish and extravagant waste, has been 



213 



