Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1920-11-09
Improvement Of Plants and Animals

shown that both In the case of grain and
poultry that selection by performances
alone did not make any Improvement In
the stock. As matter Of fact In both
cases the failure of the old methods OF
selection to obtain results led 10 the
adoption Of . new method essentially
alike In the two cases, differing only "a
to details conditioned by different modes
OF reproduction In plants and animals.
This new method has proved itself In the
hands of plant breeders all over the
world, but led by the Swedish investigs,
tors and farmers, to be brilliantly suc.
oessful. 1t has resulted In putting cereal
breeding on Q sure and definite basis. It
has been tried thoroughly by the Maine
Agricultural Experiment Station In
breeding poultry for increased egg pro
duction with very striking and sure re-
suits.
Now, just what is this new method of
breedingp It can be best explained by
contrasting 1t with the old method. In
the old method of breeding emphasis
was laid on performance as the basis OF
breeding. To make 1t concrete, 1t was
assumed In this method that Q 1900 egg"
hen was better to breed from than q
"190-egg' hen because she had laid q
larger number of eggs In . given time.
Her performance alone was made the
basis of the estimation OF her worth as q
breeder. The new method of breeding
starts out from the standpoint that per.
formance Is only one of many factors
that make an animal or plant valuable as
q breeder. In other words, 1t says that
a 1900 egg" hen is of no value az q
breeder unless her daughters are high
layers. The ability of an individual to
transmit It's performing qualities, and
not merely to have them, is made the
basis Of breeding work according to the
new method. As matter of fact, actual
experiments with hens show that the
high performer in the great majority of
cases does not produce chickens which
are themselves high performers. The
high performers usually are the the off.
spring Of birds which were not them
selves such extraordinary producers.
But 1t is plain, cnmmon-sepse PROPOSE
tion that the most valuable animal az q
breeder is the one that gets progeny that
are high grade performers. II one can
fiud ben whose daughters invariably
lay more than ITO eggs apiece in a year
it is Of no particular consequence whether
that hen herself lays 100 or 200 eggs in
the year. The case is the same with
cows. There have been many Jersey
cows that were greater milk producers
than was Figgis or Marina Pogis, but
how many of them have produced q son
that has nine or fifteen daughters In the
advanced registry.
M instance illustrates better the dis
tinction between the two methods OF
breeding than Ia to be found In the ad-
vanced registry OF dairy cattle. A COW is
eligible to advanced registry essentially
on the basis Of her own performance
alone. In other words, this is the old
principle OF selection, in so far as sd-
vanced registry relates 10 breeding. On
the other hand, bull is eligible to ad.
vanced registry IL certain number of
his daughters have made records which
entitle them to entry In the advanced
registry. This is essentially the new
method Of selection. If moments con-
sideration is given to the subject 1t will
be plain that that which admits Q COW to
the advanced registry has no necessary
relation whatever to her breeding worth.
Advanced registry of COW tells nothing
as to whether her beifer calves either are
or are likely to be good producers. But
the case Is quite different with the bull.
The bull in advanced registry Is there
because he has proven bis ability to
transmit high dairy qualities. But less
than one half of the bulls that have been
admitted to advanced registry have i'm
proved their get as compared with their
dams. AS pointed out In an earlier let
ter in this series this fact emphasizes
with startling clearness the need of ex.
act knowledge OF the transmitting quail.
ties of bulls to be bred az sires and of
the necessity Of exact knowledge of the
Inheritance of milk and butter-fat pro.
duction. The sire whose performance
test is known is good only as long as be
lives and with his death ends the value
of bis test. This would not be so IL the
way In which milk and butter-fat pro.
duction are transmitted were known.
For by the application of these rules,
once they are discovered, 1t would be
possible to produce from that sire Sons
or daughters whose progeny perform.
ance would be known from conception.
To discover these laws of milk and but
ter.fat Inheritance is the object of the
carefully controlled matings of high and
low milking animals by the Maine Agri.
cultural Experiment Station that 60 to
make up the so-called "cross bred herd"
at its Highmoor Farm.-Chas. D. Woods,
Director.