122 agricultural appropriation bill, 1924. 



Tuesday, November 21, 1922. 



necessary expenses for investigations and experiments in 



dairy industry. 



STATEMENT OF DR. C. W. LARSON, CHIEF OF THE DAIRY 



DIVISION. 



Mr. Anderson. We will now take up your fii-st item on page 58, 

 "Necessary expenses for investigations and experiments m dairy 

 industry," etc. 



Doctor Larson. Mr. Chairman, the work of the dairy division is 

 planned along the same general line as has heen going on this past 

 year. The appropriations are the same, and the program is the same. 

 The work is divided into three general classes: Investigations of the 

 production of milk; second, the manufacture of products of milk; 

 and third, the introduction in the States of the results of these 

 investigations. 



LINES OF PRODUCTION. 



Under the head of production our work is along three lines: First, 

 nutrition; second, breeding; and third, herd management. 



In the nutrition work we have made splendid progress during the 

 past year, especially in studies along the line of mmeral requirements 

 of dairy cows. It has been found that the old standards of feeding, 

 which have included the fat, proteins, and carbohydrates, do not 

 satisf}' milk production. It has also been found that animals may 

 not lose in weight and may not immediateh' go down in milk pro- 

 duction, but we know that some change has taken place, so that even 

 in the next lactation period there may be a very great reduction in 

 milk, and for this study it is necessar^y not only to know the milk 

 produced but to make thorough digestion trials, and for this special 

 equipment is necessary. We have the organization for tloing this 

 work. We have a splendid corps of investigators anil we are espe- 

 cially anxious to have a place in which we can carry on this nutrition 

 work. 



BREEDING OP ANIMALS. 



Mr. Anderson. Is this nutrition work carried on at Beltsvillel 



Doctor Larson. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Anderson. Is that carried along with breetling animals? 



Doctor Larson. As far as it can be. In the breeding work we are 

 now on our third veneration of animals, in which we are attempting 

 to establish some definite basis of iinproveniont of our cattle. There 

 is no known process of breeding that wo know will pruiluci' animals 

 of high production and do it uniformly. We have spurts of high 

 production, but it has never been uniform, and we have various 

 theories and we are trying to work oul sonic priucijiies on which w«' 

 can improve our cattle. 



Mr. Andkrson. 1 think there you have three kiiuls of breeding? 



Doctor Larson. Yes, sir. We have the coni})arison of liiu* breeding 

 with outcrossing; second, comjiarison of inbreeding with outcrossing, 

 and third, the hree(Hng of a pure strain of hi<^h pioihiction hy con- 

 tinuous use generation after generation of sires that have proven 





