8 GUAM AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



insuring the presence of some of the workers at the station at all times. 

 This latter object has grown more and more pressing with the growth 

 of the station, and since the acquisition of live stock the constant 

 presence of some one has become almost imperative. 



A small jKitting house and propagating shed has also been added to 

 the station improvements withm the year. The need of a building of 

 this nature has been seriously felt, and this one adds much to the 

 facilities for handling work in plant propagation. 



An open shed suitable for housing wagons and other vehicles and 

 implements in daily use has also been constructed. 



ACQUISITION OF ADDITIONAL LAND. 



Through the kindness of ex-Gov. G. R. Salisbury, a tract of land 

 consisting of 130 acres was transferred from the island government 

 for use of the station during the past year. This land, which adjoins 

 the origmal station tract (fig. 1), is mostly rough grazing land; but 

 with the present increasing number of live stock to feed the station is 

 in serious need of more land and can use this additional tract to good 

 advantage. 



NOTES ON NATIVE LIVE STOCK. 



NATIVE CATTLE. 



The history of the cattle industry of Guam is known to date back 

 more than two centuries, and it is probable that the earliest importa- 

 tions were made from Mexico. The present stock is inferior, small 

 and lean, and of an unfixed type. The mdividuals of this class are 

 variable in color, conformation, and size. Weights of mature cows 

 generally range between 500 and 750 pounds, and those of mature 

 males usually vary between 600 and 1,000 pounds, the latter weight 

 seldom being attained. The weight of the calf at birth is from 25 

 to 40 pounds. The small spotted calf illustrated in this report (PL I, 

 fig. 1) was 2 days old at the time the photograph was taken, and 

 weighed 28 pounds. 



The present unimproved condition of the native strain undoubtedly 

 results from a combination of causes, chief among which are a general 

 lack of care and an indifference toward the selection of breeding 

 animals, and this latter cause involving a long period of indiscriminate 

 inbreeding. In this connection a practice that works in direct opposi- 

 tion to improvement of the type arises naturally from the uses to 

 which these animals are put. There is a demand for heavy draft ani- 

 mals of great strength for hauling heavy timbers from the forest and 

 for drawing copra to market, and bulls showing the greatest devel- 

 opment in size and strength are selected for these purposes. These 

 animals are employed exclusively in performing heavy draft work, 

 and to render them more docile and more easily managed they are 



