ment officials over the world, but we usually get the necessary information from officials such as the minister of agriculture or veterinary officer of the country that wants to do some exporting. Mr. THURSTON. We have quite a large number of Federal employees in each of the other nations and probably none of them with any great amount of duties to perform. It seems to me if they could have that service available to you it might be helpful. Dr. MOHLER. Yes. We get a considerable amount of information from them, but it is not uniform, and we do not get it at any stated period, However when we make a specific request, we get it very promptly. PASSENGER-CARRYING VEHICLES Mr. CANNON. The next item gives the total for the Bureau of Animal Industry and provides that "not to exceed $54,300 shall be available for the purchase of motor-propelled and horse-drawn passenger-carrying vehicles necessary in the conduct of field work outside the District of Columbia." Dr. MOHLER. The following statement is presented to explain the requested allotment for purchase of automobiles: Authorization for the purchase of 104 passenger-carrying automobiles for the Bureau of Animal Industry is proposed in 1937, at an estimated cost of $54,300; 64 are replacements and 40 are additional, in lieu of 14 trucks to be turned in, making a net increase of 26 vehicles. These are needed in connection with the various activities of the Tuberculosis Eradication Division. Compared with the authorization of $55,325 for 1936, this represents an estimated decrease of $1,025 in expenditure. The proposed purchase would enable the avoidance of the continued use of worn-out cars at excessive maintenance costs. Automobiles are an absolute necessity in carrying on the Bureau's activities in the eradication and control of animal diseases, such as cattle ticks, scabies, bovine tuberculosis, and control measures on hog cholera. Ranches and farms to which there are no means of public conveyance are constantly visited in the application of the tuberculin tests, enforcement of dipping regulations, and in supervision of the cleaning and disinfection of infected premises. The Bureau finds also that it is more economical and satisfactory to own its cars than to authorize the general use of privately owned vehicles for official work. ANIMAL HUSBANDRY Mr. CANNON. We will now return to the item which was temporarily passed over, which reads as follows: Animal husbandry: For all necessary expenses for investigations and experiments in animal husbandry; for experiments in animal feeding and breeding, including cooperation with the State agricultural experiment stations and other agencies, including repairs and additions to and erection of buildings absolutely necessary to carry on the experiments, including the employment of labor in the city of Washington and elsewhere, rent outside the District of Columbia, and all other necessary expenses, $808,503, including $12,500 for livestock experiments and demonstrations at Big Springs or elsewhere in Texas, to be available only when the State of Texas, or other cooperating agency in Texas shall have appropriated an equal amount or, in the opinion of the Secretary of Agriculture, shall have furnished its equivalent in value in cooperation for the same purpose during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1936: Provided, That the of sum thus appropriated [$231,180] $240,180 may be used for experiments in poultry feeding and breeding, of which amount $40,000 may be used in cooperation with State authorities in the administration of regulations for the improvement of poultry, poultry products, and hatcheries. Dr. MOHLER. Dr. McPhee is here. He is Chief of the Animal Husbandry Division. The justification is on page 94. Dr. MCPHEE. The following presentation of this estimate is submitted for the record: Appropriation Act, 1936. Allotment from "Experiments in livestock production in southern United States". Transferred to "Dairy investigations", Bureau of Dairy Industry, for Total available, 1936_ Budget estimate, 1937. Increase Part of total appropriation of $39,900 (miscellaneous section). This appropriation is omitted as a separate item for 1937. ? Transferred from project for "Dual purpose cattle investigations." The increase of $50,000 for 1937 includes: (1) A total increase of $35,000 under the five projects indicated by note 1 in the preceding table to provide for the more effective use of facilities at the Beltsville Research Center and at the Poultry Experiment Station, Glendale, Ariz.; $3,500 for the Poultry Experiment Station, Glendale, Ariz., is included in the $9,000 for the project "Poultry husbandry investigations.' This increase of $35,000 is urgently needed by the present staff for the proper conduct of research already under way. It is required to provide necessary additional fuel, electric current, water, janitor labor, and engineering services for the new laboratory buildings and for the purchase of necessary scientific instruments and supplies. (2) An increase of $15,000 for "Horse and mule husbandry investigations" to develop true-breeding studs of mares and jacks for use in the production of superior mules of the types required in various farm operations. According to the figures of the Crop Reporting Beard of the Department of Agriculture, there has been a decrease of 1,120,000 mules on the farms of the United States during the 10 years ending December 31, 1934. There was a decrease of 130,000 mules during the year ending December 31, 1934. The valuation of mules on farms on January 1, 1935, was $470.900,000, an average of $98.21, compared with a total of $401,596,500, or an average of $81.54 for the previous vear. The farm valuation of mules on September 1, 1935, was $103.40, compared with $83.90 on September 1, 1934. It seems now that the downward trend of mule production has stopped, and there has been an active demand for mules of various classes from farmers, especially in those States where the mule has become firmly established as a work animal. These States are principally in the Cotton Belt and the bordering States of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. There seems to be a real shortage of good work mules, and this shortage is accompanied with a rapid upswing in prices. Since the interest in breeding mules has revived, it has become apparent that there is a real shortage of good jacks for breeding purposes. It is proposed to establish a jackstock nursery for the purpose of producing jacks of superior breeding qualities for mule production. The jacks produced would be distributed in different States in cooperation with the State experiment stations in which they are placed, and records would be kept of their performance in producing mules when mated with different types of mares. This work will assist materially in rehabilitating an important livestock industry and provide valuable research data in mule production that will be of great value to the future of the mule industry. WORK DONE UNDER THIS APPROPRIATION General. The animal husbandry investigations of the Bureau of Animal Ind stry deal with the collection and dissemination of information on livestock problems of regional and national importance having to do with the breeding, feeding, and management of domestic farm animals, including poultry. Results are measured in terms of quantity and quality of the animals and their products, such as meat, eggs, wool, mohair, and farm power. These experiments often are conducted in cooperation with other bureaus and divisions of the Department, with one or a group of State agricultural experiment stations, with farmers, and other agencies. Swine husbandry investigations. This work includes studies to identify and develop strains of swine and to develop methods of feeding and management that will make possible the production of pork meat economically and profitably; and studies on conformation and yields, proportion of meat to bone, composition, tenderness, flavor, juiciness, and other characteristics of pork and pork products as influenced by variations in production factors and in processing and preparation, including slaughtering, chilling, cutting, curing, rendering of lard, storing, canning, and cooking. Swine normally represent about 10 percent of the value of all agricultural production in this country. Many problems exist and new problems are constantly arising which call for solution. Results achieved have been highly valuable, and continuation of the work is undoubtedly essential if the needs of the industry are to be served. Sheep and goat husbandry investigations.-This work deals with the factors affecting production of lamb meat, wool, goats' milk, and mohair. Studies in breeding and development of types most suitable for production and studies in the methods of management and feeding are made with sheep and goats and the results tabulated and interpreted for other workers and for the industry. The experimental animals are of known ancestry for many generations back. Data are kept on them from birth to slaughtered carcass, including such factors as productivity, rate of growth, earliness of maturity, and quality of production. Many of the new principles which have resulted from these studies in the past have been made use of by the sheep and wool and mohair industries. Horse and mule husbandry investigations.-This project consists of studies in breeding, feeding, management, cost of production and maintenance, and utilization of horses and mules, including work with both light and draft breeds of horses and physiological studies in the rearing of orphan foals. Information on stallion enrollment in the various States having stallion enrollment laws is compiled and distributed. A Nation-wide shortage of work stock and increased interest in the breeding of horse and mule replacements created a demand for information looking toward improved breeding stock. Beef cattle husbandry investigations. This work consists chiefly of research in problems affecting breeding, feeding, and management of beef cattle and the quality of their meat. It includes studies in range livestock production in feeding and fattening various classes of beef cattle under both farm and range conditions, beef cattle record-of-performance studies, breeding studies to develop crossbred cattle which will be especially adaptable to certain sections of the United States having unfavorable climate, and the development of strains within the established beef breeds that will have superior germ plasm for efficiency and quality of production. Pasture management and grazing studies, mineral deficiency problems affecting range cattle production, and special vitamin and other nutritive requirements also are dealt with. Dual-purpose cattle husbandry investigations. This work consists chiefly of research in problems relating to breeding. It includes studies in the development of true breeding strains of Milking Shorthorn and Red Polled cattle for high fertility, desirable conformation, and comparatively high production of both beef and milk; studies of the performance of the offspring to determine the relative values of germ plasm of different strains; meat studies to determine the quality of the meat; and studies of the nutritive requirements of dual-purpose cattle for growth and production. The Poultry husbandry investigations.-The work under this project consists chiefly of research in breeding, feeding, hatchability, and flock management. breeding studies are conducted for the purpose of enabling producers to develop, through selection and breeding, more efficient egg- and meat-producing strains to improve the quality of eggs, breeding stock, and poultry meat. Studies in poultry nutrition are carried on in order to develop efficient diets for all classes of poultry and to develop methods for the most efficient utilization of feed in order to promote the most economical production of eggs and poultry meat of superior quality. Other lines of research embrace a study of fundamental principles involved in various physiological practices associated with the production of poultry and poultry products and studies on the most efficient methods of incubation. Cooperation is had with the States through official State agencies in putting the regulations of the national poultry improvement plan into effect, designed to improve the quality of hatching eggs, baby chicks, and breeding stock produced by those participating in the plan. Over 6,000,000 farmers raise poultry, and there are several thousand commercial poultry producers. There are over 400,000,000 laying hens kept in the United States annually and the average egg production is approximately 90, whereas improved methods of feeding and proper selection could readily increase this to 150, and further improved methods to an average of 170. Approximately 800,000,000 chicks are raised in the United States annually, most of them in commercial hatcheries, of which there are approximately 12,000. Certification of pedigrees of imported registered livestock.-This work is regulatory and consists of the certification of purebred animals imported into the United States under the provisions of paragraph 1606 of the Tariff Act of 1930. It comprises the examination of pedigrees of the animals imported and certification to the collector of customs at the port for entry free of duty. GENERAL STATEMENT Mr. CANNON. Doctor, do you wish to make a preliminary statement? Dr. MCPHEE. The work of the Animal Husbandry Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry deals with the collection and dissemination of information on livestock problems of regional and national importance, having to do with the breeding, feeding, and management of swine, sheep and goats, horses and mules, beef and dualpurpose cattle, and poultry. Results are measured in terms of quantity and quality of the animals and their products, such as meat, eggs, wool, mohair, and farm power. Some of these experiments are conducted in cooperation with other Divisions and Bureaus of the Department, as well as with one or more State agricultural experiment stations, with farmers, and with other agencies. The work is organized with each class of livestock as a unit and includes breeding, feeding, and management investigations with each. I have here statements on breeding, feeding, and management investigations of the various classes of animals. If its is your pleasure that I continue through these, I will be glad to do so. SWINE HUSBANDRY INVESTIGATIONS This work includes studies to identify and develop superior strains of swine and to develop methods of feeding and management that will make possible more economical and profitable production of pork; studies on conformation and yields of different cuts; proportion of meat to bone; tenderness; flavor; juiciness; and other characteristics of pork and pork products as influenced by variations in the various production and processing factors including slaughter, chilling, cutting, curing, rendering of lard, storing, canning, and cooking. SWINE BREEDING Swine breeding investigations include projects dealing with inbreeding and crossbreeding, the investigation of the hereditary basis for type variations in swine, record-of-performance tests for identifying superior strains, and the development of superior breeding strains through the use of selective breeding. The inbred project deals with the use of this method in the segregation of inherited traits rather than trying to find out what the effects of inbreeding will be. The inherited characteristics of economic importance in swine are so complex that only by a system of very close breeding can strains be developed in which the differences are known for a certainty to be due to inheritance rather than other factors. Not all strains of hogs will stand close inbreeding, but the process brings to light many undesirable inherited traits which can then be eliminated from the swine population. The Department has developed two inbred lines of Chester White swine, one of which has reached seven generations of continuous brother-sister mating. Although many weak and undesirable pigs appeared during the progress of this experiment there have also appeared individual pigs with outstanding characteristics such as economy of gain, quality of carcass, and fertility. Although there still remains considerable variation in type among the inbred pigs, indicating that absolute purity of breeding has not yet been obtained, the carcasses from these pigs showed unusual ham development and indicated that there has been fixed inheritance affecting the development of ham. It is the purpose of such inbreeding work to bring out inherited traits of this kind so that they may be combined with other traits in the production of superior and true breeding strains. The breeding project dealing with the inheritance of type in swine is concerned with ascertaining which type is most profitable to the producer and to show how variations in type can be eliminated in the breeding herd. In view of the fact that variations in type are associated with weight and economy of gain, fertility, proportion of cuts, and quality of products, this work is of great importance to the producer and consumer of pork. True breeding strains are being developed in the small, the medium, and the large type of PolandChina swine by a system of close breeding and selection. This step is essential n order that breeding strains of known inheritance relative to type are available for making other studies, particularly on the inherent basis for the type variations. Results to date show that the very small type sows farrow smaller litters and wean fewer pigs than either the medium or the large type sows The small type pigs also gain slower and require a longer period of time to reach market weight than do the pigs of either of the other two types. In general, the smaller type pig seems to have the greater plumpness of ham. In our investigations the "small-plus" type showed about 27 percent greater plumpness than the hams of the "large-plus" type. Furthermore, the plumper hams showed the greater proportion of edible meat. Pigs of the small type are more homogeneous and breed truer to type due probably to the fact that much close breeding has been practiced in their propagation during the past decade. At present they are not a factor in swine production in this country, but in this investigation they may prove to be exceedingly valuable as experimental material for inheritance studies. The outstanding problem involved in this work is to unify the inheritance for type in swine so that the enormous variability now' existing among the different breeds of swine in this country can be lessened and a more uniform product placed upon the market. An extensive swine-breeding project is under way to develop true breeding strains of superior swine in the Duroc Jersey breed. This work is being conducted in part at Beltsville, Md.; at the United States Range Livestock Experiment Station, Miles City, Mont.; at the New Iberia Experiment Station, Jeanerette, La.; and at Tifton, Ga., in cooperation with the Georgia Experiment Station. The procedure followed is to test the pigs by a record-of-performance test and fix the inheritance for desirable characteristics through selective breeding. It is planned to develop and improve strains at each of these four points and then by an exchange of breeding material gradually to combine all of the inheritance for the superior qualities in one or two strains and to purify these so that they may be used as sources of prepotent breeding stock of this breed. Particular attention is |