EDWARD LEWIS STURTEVANT 3 



The immediate concern of the Sturtevant brothers, however, was 

 the development of a model dairy farm of Ayrshire cattle. Waushakum 

 Farm soon became the home of this breed. Several scientific aspects of 

 this work with Ayrshires are worth noting. Milk records of the herd 

 and of individual animals, covering many milking periods, were kept and 

 still constitute, according to dairymen of our day, a most valuable con- 

 tribution to dairying. As an outcome of their researches with this breed, 

 a monograph of 252 pages was published on Ayrshire cattle by the brothers 

 in 1875. Out of their work with Ayrshires came the North American 

 Ayrshire Register published by E. Lewis and Joseph N. Sturtevant in 

 several annual voltimes. These books are still in use by breeders of 

 Ayrshires and are of permanent value as records of the breed. E. Lewis 

 Sturtevant in particular gave attention to the physiology of milk and 

 milk secretion. His studies of fat globules in milk of different breeds 

 of cows attracted much attention in the agricultural press, and he was soon 

 in great demand as a speaker before agricultural and dairy associations. 



But even in these first days on Waushakiim Farm, the Ayrshires 

 did not occupy all of his time. One is amazed in looking through the 

 agricultural papers of the late sixties and early seventies at the number 

 of articles signed by E. L. Sturtevant still in his twenties. These early 

 articles show originality, intense curiosity in regard to everything new, 

 scientific imagination, a mind fertile in fruitful ideas and tremendous 

 industry. These first articles in the press, too, show that he early possessed 

 initiative, a trait which he retained throughout his scientific life. In all of 

 his work it was seldom that he had to seek ideas or suggestions from others, 

 though he was possessed of a mind which appreciated new trains of 

 thought, and many there were of his day who coiild speak of his kindly 

 interest in the work of others. 



Indian corn attracted Sttortevant from the first. No sooner had he 

 settled on Waushakum Farm than he began a botanical and cultural study 

 of maize which he continued to the time of his death. The first fruits 

 of his work with corn was the introduction of an improved variety of Yellow 

 Flint, the new sort being called " Waushakum." This variety was wonder- 

 fvilly productive, yields of 125 bushels of shelled com to the acre being 

 common. Breeding this new variety was a piece of practical work that 

 brought the head of Waushaktim Farm more prominence in agriculture 

 than any of his scientific work, " scientific farming " at that time not 

 being in high repute with tillers of the soil. 



