I Animal Life

Types of sheep vary greatly, depending on the relative demand for their wool and meat. Similarly, man's influence on animal life has resulted in swine that excel in bacon production or a high yield of lard, depending on the breed selected. Differences in types of animals extend to horses, goats, poultry and pet stock. These differences have been brought about through systematic breeding for a long term of years, giving rise to the establish ment of recognized breeds embodying the conformation and other qualities sought. Record associations for the various breeds have served to maintain uniform standards and otherwise to aid in development and improvement. Live-stock shows and expositions at which prizes are offered for animals of superior merit likewise have been influential in stimulating breeders to their best efforts. In the case of food animals especially man's skill in the selection of breeding stock has greatly increased the utility value of his herds and flocks. Whereas the dressed carcass of an ordinary hog weighs, usually, between 65% and 75% of its live weight, the pro portion sometimes exceeds 8o% in well-bred, well-managed swine. Moreover, good breeding tends to result in earlier maturity so that animals may be marketed profitably at younger ages, with a resulting saving in feed, labour and other expenses. So highly has this feature of stock raising developed that it is not unusual for a litter of pigs from one sow to weigh a ton or more at six months of age. Improved breeding has numerous practical benefits in the raising of other kinds of live stock. Consequently there is keen competition among progressive stock owners throughout the world in obtaining choice breeding animals.

Since the world's population tends to increase continuously, much study has been given the conservation of animal life in order that it may yield more meat and live stock products per unit of area. In regions where land values have increased there is need also for economic reasons to reduce losses and to seek greater economy in production. As a consequence public officials and

stockmen have engaged in co-operative endeavours to combat animal diseases and parasites and to stop the ravages of predatory animals. Improved housing and equipment also have reduced losses from exposure and mortality, especially among young animals.

Veterinary Medicine and Surgery.

Beginning originally in France as a means of saving horses injured in war, there has developed in the more important live-stock countries a system of medical service for animals. The science of veterinary medicine and surgery, though designed chiefly to conserve animal life, has made many direct contributions to human welfare. Knowledge of animal anatomy is the basis for the official inspection of meat and meat food products, and the veterinary inspection of dairy cows safeguards the milk supplies of progressive municipalities. With veterinary medicine there has developed also research into problems affecting the health and well-being of man and animals alike. The discovery, by veterinarians, of means to eradicate tick fever from cattle led shortly afterwards to success in combating malaria and yellow fever in man. Knowledge concerning tuber culosis among animals has led similarly to a reduced incidence of this scourge in the human population, especially among children.

In the light of such information, any statistical measure of the world's animal resources and their usefulness to man in the form of food and clothing must necessarily be incomplete. There can be no accurate appraisement of the service rendered by man's noble friend, the horse, nor by his faithful companion and guarding sentry, the dog. And in the frozen wastes of the globe the oily flesh of animals constitutes the very home fires which maintain human existence. The lower animals are resources which adapt themselves to man's changing needs, and if wisely managed give promise of abundance for many generations to come.