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the sort of stock to be fed. They have aeglected most important things regarding 
breeding animals, thai in truth they should know are 01 paramount importance, 
without the application of which wise feeding is impossible. Men have studied how 
to feed animals that were a disgrace to intellectual breeding. And the experiment 
stations have done but little to bring light totheeyesof the stockman, in spite of 
the importance of the matter, and the fact that they have been the leaders in the 
quest for knowledge in things agricultural. 
Important breeding experiments will he undertaken in this twentieth century, and 
no doubt much of this should and will he conducted by agricultural experiment 
station men. Just what th< Be will he time only can tell, hut they at least should be 
well planned and he consistently conducted, with many individuals, covering such a 
period of time as will demonstrate its importance. These experiments. BO far as 
possible, should deal with the recognized farm animals for subjects, although work 
with other domestic animals may have high value and will he quite comparable 
with farm animals for accuracy of result If, however, the investigations are made 
upon the horse, cow, sheep, or pig, they will attract the attention of the class the 
station is primarily working for much more readily than if rats, mice, rabbits, or 
guinea pigs are the experimental material. 
In an address on " Suggested experiments in breeding," c Prof. \V. 11. Brewer 
recommends that experiment stations investigate the problem of the transmission of 
acquired characters concerning which there is so much controversy. lie suggests 
using rabbits, taking several breeds, and mixing them by crossing as the experiment 
proceeds, ''in order that the mongrel produced may have a greater tendency to vary 
under the conditions imposed than if one original breed was used, whose characters 
were well fixed and more liable to breed true to the parent type." He recommends 
two sets from the game stock to be bred along two parallel lines. One lot is to be well 
fed during growth and the stock kept of good size and maturity, the other to be 
stunted during growth by underfeeding. This work should be conducted for ten or 
fifteen generations under these different conditions, with careful record kept of each. 
A record of the number of offspring produced would throw some light on the 
question of sex. 
Another experiment is also suggested, using much the same animals of mongrel 
stock, to determine the influence of exercise or disuse of function. One set of 
animals mutilated at birth by a severed limb, or deprived of sight of one eye. might 
be compared with another set in normal condition for fifteen generations or so. 
Disuse could be secured by bandaging or tying up a limb. 
These problems will furnish information of interest and value, but we should be 
able to work at some of our stations, at least with as much valuable material as that 
used by Professor Ewart. Supposing one of our stations should make a careful study 
of telegony, and use therein cattle or swine, suited to the purpose. It would not be 
a difficult thing, for example, to select a line of cattle, such as 10 white Shorthorn 
cows, and breed these to a Galloway bull at their first service, and this later to be 
followed by the use of a white Shorthorn bull for subsequent service. And so a 
type of 10 white sows might be used, being mated for the first time to a black boar 
of a well recognized purity, and subsequent matings to follow with boars of the same 
breed as the females. Other animals might also be used for this same purpose, and 
so a .very extensive, interesting, and no doubt important, investigation would be 
conducted that would receive a respectful consideration from scientific men, espe- 
cially if careful notes and records were kept and the camera made liberal and intelli- 
gent use of. 
A problem long thought important by practical breeders is the influence of sex on 
offspring. That experiment station which would conduct a careful, continuous, and 
extensive experiment on this subject with farm animals would receive a degree of 
applause and approval that would give it fame for a long time to come not only 
among breeders, but also among biologists as well. To be sure the problem is a 
knotty one that has been labored on for over a century, but that makes it all the 
more important and worthy of solution. 
As one studies over the various works on animal breeding, he can but realize 
how little they contain as substantial evidence to demonstrate questions in contro- 
versy. Miscellaneous illustrations are given, but these are often striking in their 
oneness and would seem to demonstrate the proposition with about as much force 
as that one swallow makes a summer. 
What will be demanded of the investigator in future will be facts in generous 
duplication, intelligently interpreted. Valuable aid will be rendered by the practi- 
cal breeder, and the careful scientist will receive his recognition and reward. The 
«U. S. Dept. Agr., Ofhce of Experiment Stations Bui. 16, p. 162. 
