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Show INCREASE OF BETTER SIRES During Lst Quarter of Year Many Peron Have Done Away With Scrubs and Grades. (Prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture.) The "Better Sires Better Stock" campaign, inaugurated by the United States Department of Agriculture in the autumn of 1919 to stimulate tho replacement of low-class breeding animals ani-mals with purebred sires and improved females, has gone ahead with Increased In-creased impetus in recent months in spite of depression in the farming and live-stock business. During the last quarter year ending September 30, S94 persons were enrolled as having done away with all scrub and grade or crossbred sires and having determined to use only purebred sires henceforth for all classes of stock raised. This shows a promising increase over tho two preceding quarters in which 714 and 333 persons, respectively, were enrolled. There was a corresponding gain in both animals and poultry re ported by these owners, the combined com-bined total for the three months reaching 108,900. One of the encouraging developments develop-ments of the campaign is the spread of this Improvement Idea throughout the country. Farmers and breeders of all kinds in nearly all the states are signing the pledge to eliminate poor blood In their herds and flocks. The leading state In the number of new members for the last three months was Virginia, with 287. Ohio was a good second, with 259, and exceeded ex-ceeded Virginia by a considerable mnrgln in the number of animals and poultry pledged to be bred only to purebred sires. Nebraska was third, with 153, and Kentucky fourth, with 145. Oklahoma, the next in order, although al-though havl.;g comparatively few signers, showed a widespread Interest, with " 19 new counties joining the ranks. Belmont county, Ohio, led the counties coun-ties lp (he country in the progress made during the last quarter, with 54 new signers. Hardin, another Ohio county, had 45, and Licking county 39, Six counties in VIrginin had more than 20 each. Three counties in Kentucky had more than 25 . each, and three in Nebraska each exceeded 20. In the two years that the campaign has been In progress 102,437 cattle have been listed by men who have signed the Better Sires Better Stock plodge ; also 11,829 horses, 403 asses, 40,357 swine, 72,321 sheep, 2,780 goats, and 404,717 poultry have bee listed. This makes a total of 643,043 animals fe i ' n It An Excellent Type of Bull Calf. and fowls. Of the breeding stock owned by persons using only purebred males the highest percentage of purebred pure-bred females is found among swine 64.7 per cent. Of the cows listed 36.8 per cent are purebred, of mares 12.8 per cent, of asses 33 per cent, of ewes IS. 7 per cent, and of nanny goats 16.6 per cent. Of the female poultry entered en-tered by the signers 60.1 per cent were standard bred. In the number of persons to whom certificates have been issued Virginia leads with 1,500, and Nebraska Is second with. 892. The latter state however, leads In number of animals and poultry listed, having 51.066 and 101,633, respectively, against Virginia's 43.110 and 91,363. The ten leading stntes In membership member-ship are VIrginin, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Kentucky, Washington, Washing-ton, Massachusetts, Texas, Vermont nnd Connecticut There Is now a total of 5.1S4 persons In the United States who have pledged to use no more sires of any kind not of pure breeding. There are six pledges In the island of Guam and one In I'orto Rico. Feeding Silage t Sheep. In feeding silage to sheep Cnre should be taken not to give the animals ani-mals any that Is spoiled. Sheep are peculiarly susceptible to Injury from feeds which form gas. |