Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1920-10-05
SOUTH PARIS, MAINE, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1920.
Improvement Of Plants and Animals.

peou worry BEoht Cuouso III eno iuoos Va
the most wide awake breeders all over
the world in regard to the basis on which
practical breeding operations ultimately
depend. This change has been 30 great
that It might almost be called revolu'
tionary.
! Nearly twenty years ago there was be-
gun at the Agricultural Experiment Sta
tion In the southern part of Sweden an
attempt to improve the common grains
go that they should be better adapted to
the conditions in that country and hence
more profitable for the Swedish farmer.
This work In the improvement OF seed
grains was put in tbs hands of practical
men, who had in addition to farming ex-
perience thorough scientific training.
They worked steadily for eight years
with large staff of assistants and plenty
of land and every opportunity TO bring
about the improvement in seed which 1t
was hoped would be produced. The
method which was used In the attempt
to bring about that improvement was
one with which all are familiar and was
in principle the method which Is used by
the majority of dairymen In their breed
ing work every day. This method was
in principle simplicity itself. For exam
pie: In attempting to build up strain
of improved oats the method was at the
beginning to test out numLer of varie-
ties, then to 60 through the fields, pick
out the best heads, and In this way Sc.
lect enough seed for the next years
planting Of the best of the first years
crop. This supposedly best seed selected
in this way was all mixed together and
planted the next year and again men
went through the fields and selected
what seemed to be the best seed, mixed
1t all together and planted 1t the next
year and 80 on. This process of select
ing what seemed to be the best on the
basis of performance alone to breed from
In each successive year was continue ed
for eight years. There was no, distinct
and fixed improvement whatever as re-
suit of this long continued selection.
1t is an interesting and significant fact
that while this work was going on with
crops in Sweden exactly the same kind
of an experiment carried on by exactly
the same kind of methods was going on
In Maine In the attempt to bring about
increased egg production In poultry by
breeding. In 1893 the Maine Agricul
tural Experiment Station began an ex-
pertinent in breeding for egg production
In which the method of procedure was as
follows: A trap nest record was kept of
the egg production of each individual
bird. Only those birds were used as
breeders in each year which made the
highest egg records in the year before.
Just as in dairy work a register of merit
or advanced registry" of hens was es-
tablished. Any bird was eligible to and
was entered In the advanced registry"
II she laid 200 or more eggs in her pullet
year. This kind of breeding from the
highest egg producers, making the selec-
tion simply on the basis of trap nest per.
formance alone, was continued for nine
years. Then, just as in the Swedish
work with plants, an account of stock OF
the results was taken. The general re.
suit was exactly the same as In the case
of the cereal work. Theaverage annual
egg production per bird showed no def
mite increase as result of the close
selection practiced. The plain and def
nite result of this experiment was that
the practice of simply selecting the best
layers as breeders did not improve the
egg production of the flock.
Not satisfied with the results of this
long selection experiment alone, the mat
ter was put to test in another way by
comparing the egg production of the off |
spring of the advanced registry" birds
that is "200.egg'' hens-with the off.
spring of birds not 10 the advanced reg.
istry." The upshot of this experiment,
continued through whole year, was also
perfectly plain and definite. The daugh- |
ters of 200 egg" hens were no better
layers, and in fact were not quite so good |
layers, as the daughters of other birds.
The general results of these two long
and extensive experiments, one with
plants and the other with animals, car.
ried on with the utmost care by different |
people in different parts of the world,
and without any connection whatever,
were in essentials identical. They clearly |
indicated that the general theory of |
breeding on which they were based is
lacking In some essential qualifications
from the standpoint Of the practical as
we'll as the scientific man. There was |
no escape from the conclusion that the |
method of selecting from production |
alone as followed in these experiments is
not q good method for the practical
breeder. A change of method with both |
plants and poultry that will be outlined [
In another letter has given definite re- |
suits. But this change had to be based
on study of the laws of inheritance of
the characters involved. The dairyman |
Is still obliged to depend upon the reg
ister of merit ("Advanced Registry'D
method in bis breeding. In the light of
the experience with oats and poultry, it
Is not to be wondered at that the prog. |
ress is unsatisfactory. 1t is very doubt
ful II much progress is had In increased |
milk and butterfat production until such
time as the essential facts relative to
their inheritance are discovered. The |
discovery of these facts for dairy cattle
Is the sole object of the cross breeding |
experiment begun several years ago by
this station. The results that are accru-
ing make the ultimate solution of this |
intricate and important dairy problem
yery hopeful.-Chas. D. Woods, Director. |