The Washington times., 1938-11-19
BREEDERS URGE.
SEX CONTROL OF.
FARM ANIMALS.
Dairy Men Impressed
By Result of Tests
BY CARL WARREN

~ SAAA~A4 NNAAASASAzAN
: Copyright by the New York Daily New,
NEW YORK, Nov. ia tor
rent of demands for a tryout Of
The News-sponsored rat sex con
troll tests on farm animals-by
the Government or any other
scientific agency-poured in today
fl ON livestock breeders and genet
iciSts across the land.
Success in predetermining the
sex ratio in two more rat filters
this week added to the urgency
of pleas for cattle, hog and horse
experiments.
The Applied Research Labora-
tories, Dayton. N. j.. now have DO
tanned desired preponderance of
male or female offspring in seven
teen successive rat filters in which
acid or alkaline douches were
given just before mating.
EXCITEMENT SPREADS
Skepticism among the agricul-
tural scientists dwindled and ex-
element spread as news of the
latest findings spread through the
west. Typical comments were:
"A century of progress in Is
years"
THE experiments should be
pursued to the utmost.
Continue the tests by all
means"
1T would be of inestimable
value to the livestock and dairy
industry"
Millions of breeders will
make use of it,"
DAIRY MEN APPEAL
These and similar statements
came from the ablest animal hus-
bandry men in the United States.
They included seasoned cattle
men, owners of dairy herds, agri-
cultural college professors and
eugenics experimenters. Unlike
a majority of physicians, many
of those familiar with progress
in. breeding and artificial insem-
ination stressed the practical po-
tentialities of the project.
IF we could control sex 1t
would revolutionize stock breed
ing and be of incalculable value
in many ways" declared Ferdi-
nand r. Balm, Of Los Angeles,
manager of large Jersey herd.
IT do not see how your method
could cause injury to any ami
NAL. think it is a method
which should be taken up by all
farm bureaus throughout the
United States under your direc-
ton and formula"
BY WIRE PHONE AND MAIL
Other typical statements, re-
ceived by wire, telephone and
letter, follow:
Leland King, of Findlay, Ohio,
leader in the American jersey
Cattle Club, oldest organization
of its kind in the nation:
I see no reason why the expert
ments cannot be extended to
dairy cattle. BY producing daugh-
ters as his first offspring, the sue
cess of a sire could be more
quickly proven. Predetermina-
ton would help breeders rebuild
their herds much faster if the
calves were all females.
Clarence Roberts, of Oklahoma
City, editor of the Farmer Stock
man:
A steer calf about months old
is worth SO to IS more than a
l heifer of the same age. Two-year-
old steers are easily worth $40
more. With predetermination of
sex, beef cattlemen would at once
produce at least two-thirds male
calves.
NEW DEAL FOR FARMER
Joseph S. Wishart, of Lincoln,
Neb., dairy cattle owner and
breeder:
Predetermination is too good to
be true. If it works, it will be a
new deal for the dairy cattle farm
er. Economic waste through de-
Struction at birth Of unwanted
males alone would justify the ef-
fort. Culling of an increased num-
Der of females would put high pro
duction cows in the small farm
herd and long looked for dollars
in the farmers pocket. I hope you
have something.
Lynn Copeland, former professor
at the University of South Dakota,
now chief Of production testing
for the American Jersey Cattle
Club, with 10000 purebreds under
his control:
At present about so per cent Of
all calves born are heifers. About
80 percent of the bulls are slaugh.
tered. If sex could be controlled
IS per cent would be heifers. This
would mean overproduction OF
dairy products unless breeders
culled their herds rigidly but
would facilitate proving of young
bulls.
Mavnr HanIIn FARGO