Inheritance Studies of Dairy and Beef Breeds. 131 



Data are given on the milk and fat production of some of 

 the crossbreds. The results indicate that milk and fat produc- 

 tion are inherited separately. High milk production is domi- 

 nant to low, high fat per cent is recessive to a low fat per cent 

 in the milk. Put in less technical language the results of this 

 cross indicate that in a cross between an animal from a high 

 milking strain mated to one of a low milking strain, the result- 

 ing female offspring will have the milk production of the high 

 strain. In a cross between animals one of which is from a high 

 test line and the other from a low test line the resulting offspring 

 will have a butter fat test of the low test line. The number of 

 these milking first generation females is not great enough to 

 make this statement an absolutely sure conclusion. 



INTRODUCTION 



The investigation reported in the present papert deals with 

 the results of 4 years' crosses for certain characters found in 

 the different breeds of domestic cattle. The original plan and 

 three years' direction of the work were carried on by Dr. Ray- 

 mond Pearl. The present analysis of the material and the fur- 

 ther continuance of the studies have, through the exigencies of 

 the war, fallen to the present author. The conclusion expressed 

 as the results of these studies are the author's own and he is 

 alone responsible for them. 



This paper is the first of a series which will deal with the 

 inheritance in cattle. The chief objects in undertaking the work 

 have been to learn the mode of inheritance of milk production. 

 Results from such studies are obtained very slowly and are not 

 yet available in sufficient quantity to justify any conclusions. 



fThe cattle breeding work has been made possible by the use of the 

 University of Maine herd. In all of this work it has been necessary to 

 to use pure bred animals. By placing their herd at our disposal it has 

 been impossible for the College of Agriculture to build up their pure 

 bred herd. To date more than 50 pure bred matings have been sacrificed 

 for this work. From this time on it will not be necessary to use many 

 of the pure bred females for experimental purposes and will allow the 

 college the opportunity to develop their herd. The Experiment Station 

 desires to express its appreciation of the services rendered in this work 

 by the College and in particular by the Department of Animal Hus- 

 bandry, — C. D. Woods Director. 



