ADAPTATION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS S7/ 
compares unfavorably with a corresponding individual of an 
“improved” breed. He repeated that there is only one real measure 
of superiority in domestic animals, that is adaptation to the con- 
ditions of agriculture into which the breed must fit. In discussing 
the suitability of animals to arid zones, he stated: “One sheep 
weighing a hundred pounds has only one head and one set of legs; 
two sheep, weighing a hundred pounds together, have two heads 
and two sets of legs so that they can be in two different places to 
hunt the scanty herbs, and for this reason, in conditions where the 
sheep of fifty pounds can just live, a hundred-pound sheep must 
necessarily starve.” He was referring to differences in comparative 
adaptability of breeds. However, in any one breed or line, it is 
obvious that fewer, larger, thriftier animals kept in good flesh are 
certainly better than a greater number of small undernourished 
ones. 
Cooperative Planning in One Country 
In planning for improvement of production under arid condi- 
tions it is essential to treat all phases of the problem. A. T. Semple 
believes that cooperative work could be accomplished if plant 
scientists handle the problems of plant production and study the 
effect of animals on plants. Meanwhile, animal scientists would 
handle the livestock problems and determine the effects of plants 
upon animals. This division of responsibility, if carefully planned 
within a research organization, would maintain cooperative work 
and lessen both duplication and the chance of overlooking any part 
of the problem. Tackling a group of problems from all angles at 
one time might be the best screening procedure for selection of 
better adapted plants or animals for arid regions. 
The establishment and adequate financing of one or more arid 
zone experiment stations may thus be a good approach to the 
problem. The plan for the Ras el Hekma Desert Range Research 
Station, which covers 25,000 acres in a 6-inch rainfall area, 
includes the following points: 
1. Analysis of background information to indicate potentialities, 
covering climatological studies, topographic mapping, soil mois- 
ture, land survey, and classification. Aerial surveying through 
