MAINE AGRICUI^TUItAI, EXPERIMENT STATION. 287 



qualities, is a thing much to be desired. During the past year 

 a bulletin (No. 204) has been published, dealing with the sub- 

 ject of multiple gestation in cattle in general, and describing a 

 case of triplet calves in detail. 



The triplets were the progeny of a grade Guernsey cow that 

 produced 14 calves in her first eight pregnancies, bearing trip- 

 lets twice, twins twice, and single young four times. This cow 

 undoubtedly inherited and transmitted a tendency to high fe- 

 cundity. 



The triplets described consisted of two females and one male. 

 The latter was sexually normal in every particular, and was 

 used in service, getting normal offspring. The females never 

 came in heat and probably were freemartins. 



In color and pattern inheritance the triplets exhibited the 

 following peculiarities : The male was typically a Guernsey, 

 resembling closely his dam. The females were of quite different 

 color and pattern, resembling more closely their sire, a grade 

 Hereford. A possible Mendelian interpretation of these facts 

 is discussed in the bulletin. 



Work with Plants. 



Beans. 



During the year the experiments looking towards the im- 

 provement of the old-fashioned yellow-eye bean were continued. 

 Owing to the unfavorable season, however, but little progress 

 was made. A committee of the Station Council and Maine 

 Seed Improvement Association have been actively engaged in 

 the question of bean grading and standardization. Considerable 

 progress has been made, and it is possible now to go forward 

 with the breeding work with a definite standard as to types and 

 quality in yellow eye beans, which wi-ll be in accord with the 

 demands of the market. 



Variety Tests of Oats. 



In 191 2 the oat variety tests were continued at Highmoor. 

 It was a very unfavorable season but the yields considerably 

 exceeded those of the year before. 



The yields in 1912 are shown in the following table. 



