AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 257 



BEPORT OP VETERINARIAN. 



DR. F. L. RUSSELL. 



BREEDING STATISTICS. 



Last year there was sent out with the Annual Report the fol- 

 lowing blank form to be filled out and returned in July '90. 

 Although the time mentioned for the return of the blanks has not 

 yet arrived a few have already been received. It was not 

 expected that all the data asked for would be furnished in all 

 cases, but it was expected that some of the returns would be com- 

 plete, especially those from the Experiment Stations and from 

 leading diarymen. The returns thus far have justified our 

 expectations. 



It is impossible to say just what use will be made of these sta- 

 tistics, but it is our purpose to continue to accumulate them with 

 the hope that they may help to solve some very important prob- 

 lems of stock breeding. The science of stock breeding, if in its 

 present state it can be called a science, is in a very unsatisfactory 

 condition. Theories in regard to breeding problems are abundant, 

 but there are very few well established facts from which any 

 reliable conclusions can be drawn. 



The hearty co operation of all who receive our blanks is desired 

 in order that we may get as complete returns as possible. 



CAPONIZING EXPERIMENTS. 



Last season we undertook to conduct some experiments with 

 capons and cockerels to determine the comparative growth in feed- 

 ing them with different rations. 



Owing to unforeseen difficulties the experiments were not a suc- 

 cess. But we regard the poultry interests of the State as among 

 the most important, and intend to give increased attention to the 

 subject. Considerable time will be required to arrive at results 

 of value, but it is regarded as a promising field for careful 

 investigations. 



HOG CHOLERA. 



During the past five or six years a great amount of time and 

 money has been expended in studying the contagious diseases of 

 swine. If the results obtained have not satisfied the expectations 

 of the most sanguine or the demands of those who fail to appre- 



