1920.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 39a 



in close confinement. One or two members of the flock began 

 laying in November, but most of them did not mature till 

 December. The average production for the flock, November 

 1 to October 31, was 185 eggs each, or a gross income per 

 bird of S9.25, with eggs at an average price of (30 cents per 

 dozen. 



Previous reports have emphasized the value of maintaining 

 poultry under disease-free conditions, and have pointed the 

 way toward the attainment of this condition. Facilities have 

 been lacking to carry out our recommendations, except while 

 the birds were on range. However, several people in the State 

 have put this method to practical test,' some of the tests ex- 

 tending over a period of four years, and with uniformly suc- 

 cessful results, thus demonstrating that by starting with eggs 

 or baby chicks, and rearing them under clean environmental 

 circumstances, the disease problem in poultry can be controlled. 



Owning to environmental circumstances beyond my control, 

 very marked alterations in projects have been necessary which 

 involve the practical abandonment of those phases that were 

 being actively pursued. Other phases, not subject to unfavor- 

 able effect from the environment, will be substituted. 



Inbreeding is a highly desirable method for fixing desirable 

 traits in a strain. On the other hand, it often yields very 

 poor results from the standpoint of vitality. Investigations 

 of this subject might well be undertaken in a systematic man- 

 ner if suitable facilities were available. 



