12 GUAM AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



of about IS months, Gl sows were bred to the two boars, and the pigs 

 farrowed as a result of these breedings seem to possess the hardiness 

 of the ordinary ishind type, wliile their distinct superiority may be 

 recognized at sight. Prior to the time of death of the "boars the 

 station was fortunate in having bred and raised a number of lialf- 

 ]-)loo(l ])igs by one of these boars and out of a native sow and in having 

 selected live of the sows, two of which were bred to the unrelated 

 Berkshire boar before liis death, for breeding purposes. As a result 

 of this latter cross we now have one very good young boar pig and 

 two good young sow pigs, all carr3dng three-quarters of the Berkshire 

 blood. The illustrations here^\"ith show the almost phenomenal 

 improvernent of the type by the use of the Berksliire boar. Plate 

 III, figure 1 shows native sow No. 1, the native parent of all the half- 

 blood Berkshire hogs now owned by the station; Plate III, figure 2, 

 illustrates the half Berkshire sow No. 22, a daughter of sow No. 1 ; 

 and Plate III, figure 3, represents a three-quarter Berkshire boar, 

 No. 37, a second generation descendant of native sow No. 1. 



POULTRY RAISING. 



The work of the past year in poultry raising has been specially 

 interesting. Chicken pox has been less prevalent than it was during 

 the preceding year. Artificial incubation has been practiced, with 

 increased success. In handling the incubator it has been found that 

 better hatches and stronger chicks are obtained by maintaining a 

 temperature of from 100° to 101° F. in the egg chamber during the 

 hatch than by running at a higher temperature. Two incubators, 

 both of which are provided with hanging thermometers, have been 

 employed in the work. Chicks hatched from the incubator in which 

 the usual incubating temperature of 103° F. has been maintained 

 begin to hatch on the nineteenth day, indicating the subjection of 

 the eggs to undue heat during the hatch. The chicks, too, hatched 

 under an incubating temperature of 103° F. often show less vitality 

 than is the case wdth chicks hatched under a temperature of from 

 100° to 101° F. The results of two years' experimentation also indi- 

 cate that chicks hatched during the cool dry season from November 

 to March have much greater vitahty than those hatched at a later 

 date in the dry season. The conclusion indicated in previous work 

 that eggs intended for hatcliing should not be held under the usual 

 conditions for more than a week prior to their being placed in the 

 incubator have been further substantiated in experiments conducted 

 during the past season. Tlie station has raised during the season 

 just ended more than 550 chickens of the Brow^l Leghorn and Barred 

 Plymouth Rock breeds, more than four-fifths of that number being 

 of the former breed. 



I 



