Show WORK AT beltsville FARM potta X F R S 4 A 01 3 S 1 xit W q I 1 Z 3 horse barn erected in 1912 prepared by the united states Ie ll enart part merit ment of agriculture in the summer of 1910 the department of purchased a far farm of acres acrea at beltsville maryland alch which Is about twelve miles from the city of washington to bo be used for experimental work ork in ati animal linal breeding and nd feeding and related subjects about acres of tills this aro are devoted to dairy interests and tile the remainder 0 of o which about 95 acres tire are timber land to other branc branches bea of animal husbandry on tills this farm many problems of economic importance to the public and particularly to the agricultural public aro are given much attention the farm work Is done largely by mares tome some of which are purebred per cher ons ona and tho the other grades these mares are bred to a stat lion ilon and therefore ther eforo not only earn their living by the farm work they do but in addition produce foals in tho the slim mer aier of 1913 the imported Perc beron stallion isoland was purchased by the department lie ile Is a 41 common doe and her kid sired by Tog roggenberg genberg suck buck largo black stallion compact ad ad well muscled standing 17 hands in height and nd weighing ing more than a ton durane to rail fall of 0 i 1912 20 horse foals and 20 weanling mule foals purchased tor for the purpose of determining ter mining the comparative costs of raising these under farm conditions from the time of weaning until they are old enough tor for work purposes A careful record Is being kept of all costs including that of breaking and full credit will be given to the animals for or the amount of work done by them it Is expected that the test will be closed in 1916 when all of the animals will be old enough for work purposes there Is on the farm a flock of the barbados wool less sheep these sheep are very prolific commonly having baving three and occasionally four lambs at XA N tl Z i is R sheep barn erected in 1912 airth aney will also conceive at any tine time of the year barbados ewes are being graded up by the use of purebred southdown rams aud and selections are determined mainly by the prolificacy and frequency of lambing with it a view to producing good mutton conformation with ability to breed early tor for winter lambs the barbados ha have also been crossed wih wh merinos marinos Me the great difference in the fleeces and breeding habits of the barbados and tim lo 10 southdown and merino alerino yields very wit able material in the at ai their offspring for studying the W arl sr of inheritance of wool cud alia b ceding characteristics another industry attracting consid ft a able attention Is that of the production of persian lamb skins which are t the ne product of the young of the karat amlo ule or abbl sheep which are native to lo russian turkestan Turk estan the industry in n this country Is in its infancy and there is great need of more information regarding it the department departs nten in its work at the farm Is crossing a karakula Kor Kar akule ram on cotswold Cots wold leicester cheviot and lincoln ewes and has baa also mode oases on oa barbados ewes this work has not been carried far adough to determine just how bow falu able tile the skills from such crosses will be in this country in ill connection with tile the two expert ments mentioned about head 0 of owes ewes are kept A roomy and conveniently arranged barn for housing sheep and goats has just juat beet been i completed and will render it possible to test methods of winter feeding of hothouse lambs and breeding owes during summer bummer months the sheep are carried upon a succession of 0 forage crops with a view to dotor mining tile the vest best plans of planting and grazing forage crops in eastern baates for the past fow few years there has baa been great gre it interest in tile the goat which has often been hailed as aa tho the poor mans cow today however goats in tills country which are good sell bell for as much as the average dairy cow on the continent of europe particularly switzerland breeds of goats which are heavy milk ers era have been developed but on oil ao ac count of tho the prevalence of animal diseases in continental europe their importation por tation Is prohibited in order to determine the value of the mitch goat blood in crossing on our native stock a flock of common does was obtained and these wera were bred to saanen daanen and toggenburg roggenburg enburg bucks milk records were kept of the native doea anji such records will be kept of mhd th half bred does in order to obtain a comparison A herd of hogs Is maintained tor for tho the purpose of studying breeding and feeding problems A modern sanitary house bouse has been built and equipped tor for conducting this work there aro are also a number of small portable houses with sufficient space for a sow BOW and utter or two or three mature pies at tho ahe farra farm houas there thera is also a laboratory for tile the study of breeding questions there aro are usually about 1000 guinea pigs on hand representing 30 families the effects of inbreeding are being studied an aa the results from such investigations with guinea pigs throw light upon principles that operate in larger animals results that the existence of law of inheritance lu these small animals can be tested out on larger animals by using guinea pigs a great saying saving in time is effected it Is possible to secure three genera generations tiona in a year thus showing the effects of any special method of breeding in a fraction of the time needed with sheep or cattle and at much smaller expense I 1 the poultry on an the farm to ie located in and on the edge of a beautiful oal oak grove which furnishes ideal shade anil ani range for the fowls ani and especially for the young chickens the equip ment consists of ono one long breeding house IS 18 by feet at attached tachel to a feed house containing an ollice office and laboratory the buien basement tent of which vilich I 1 la 9 fitted up as aa un an incubator cellar most of the poultry houses bouses are of the colony type and are built on runners so that they may easily be moved onto fresh ground the front of the long house contains large muslin curtains for ventilation ti and glass doors for light the curtains are closed lamp cincu batora banors and small outdoor brooders broaders bro oders art am used in hatching and rearing be ba stock while many of the chickene are reared under hens the stock consists of selected folz of the following varieties les barred plymouth rock white wyandotte rhode island rod red single corob comb chita L leg e C horn and buff orpington with a few white plymouth rocks butt buff leghorn and dorkings the foundation stock was secured from somo some of the betti benl poultry breeders bleeders bre eders in this country and Is in being kept up to a high standard ol 01 excellence both from exhibition rue an utility standpoints |