Animal Husbandry Investigation. xiii 



dent. The Legislature was in session at the time but the Gov- 

 ernor thought it wiser that we should at once proceed to rebuild 

 and if the maintenance appropriation was not sufficient to care 

 for the reconstruction that the matter be presented to the Coun- 

 cil at the end of the year. The investigations for 19 19 used up 

 the whole of the appropriation for investigations at the Farm 

 and the matter of the deficiency has been referred to the Gov- 

 ernor and Council. 



In November 1919 the tool shed at Highmoor Farm and its 

 contents were completely destroyed by fire. The loss as shown 

 by the inventory totalled $1838.75. Proof of loss was presented 

 to the Insurance Companies, has been accepted by them and 

 will be paid. 



In common with all other experiment stations with fixed 

 incomes, the Station has been greatly embarrassed by the in- 

 creased cost of service and of equipment. This situation is 

 partially relieved by an appropriation made by the Legislature 

 of 1919 of $5000 a year for the next 2 years for the investiga- 

 tions at Highmoor Farm. 



Animal Husbandry Investigation. 



• In 191 1 when the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station 

 announced that it had found that for poultry, high egg produc- 

 tion was transmitted through the sons rather than through the 

 daughters, the idea that milk and butter-fat porduction might 

 be similarly inherited seemed to take hold upon the dairymen of 

 the country and in some breeds they began advanced registries- 

 for sires based upon the milk and butter-fat production of their 

 get. This has gone on increasingly until quite large amounts of 

 data have thus been accumulated. When this announcement 

 was first made in 191 1 for poultry it was necessary to use tested 

 sires, in order to make high laying progeny sure. But two other 

 laws have been since discovered whereby it is possible now 

 without testing the sire to be pretty sure of what the get shall 

 be with poultry. 



This thought appealed to the Maine Dairymen's Associa- 

 tion so greatly, that at their meeting in 191 1 they appointed a. 

 committee consisting of Rutillus Alden, W. G. Hunton. F. S. 

 Adams and Raymond Pearl, "to provide ways and means where- 



