POULTRY NOTES. ' 35 



This new nest has now been installed throughout the plant. A 

 complete description of it is given in a special circular which 

 will be sent to anyone who may apply for it. 



Notes on New Methods. 

 Every progressive poultry plant whether conducted for 

 experimental purposes or commercially is continually trying to 

 improve its methods of management or devising new methods 

 to meet new conditions which may arise. Certain new methods 

 worked out at the Station are deemed of sufficient general inter- 

 est to warrant description here. 



METHODS USED IN TEDIGREE POULTRY BREEDING. 



There is an increasing tendency in all stock breeding work to 

 give closer attention to pedigree records than has hitherto been 

 the case. All progress in breeding depends on having carefully 

 pedigreed stock. The importance of this has been generally rec- 

 ognized for the larger domestic animals, like horses and cattle, 

 but it has not been recognized that it is equally important for 

 small animals like poultry. The moment one begins to make any 

 systematic attempt to breed a desired character such as high egg 

 production into a strain of poultry, the keeping of accurate pedi- 

 grees becomes absolutely essential. Furthermore such pedigrees 

 must be known for both sides of the ancestry. It is not 

 sufficient merely to take account of the female line and let the 

 male line go, but it is necessary for successful work to know the 

 individual ancestors of both sexes. The Experiment Station is 

 carrying on investigations in breeding for egg production.. In 

 this work it is necessary to know the individual ancestors of 

 every bird. This is known at the present time for one genera- 

 tion. The band numbers of the mother and the father of every 

 pullet put into the laying houses of the Experiment Station plant 

 in the fall of 1908 are known. 



In order to rear poultry of known pedigree it is necessary to 

 have methods particularly adapted to this kind of breeding work. 

 During the last year special study has been made in the direc- 

 tion of devising such methods and putting them on a practical 

 bnsis. A bulletin (Bulletin No. 159) has been issued giving a 

 detailed account of the methods and devices which the Station 



