KEPOUT OF THE DIRECTOR 79 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



of food and care. One new team has ueeu added to the force, a pair of tlirce-ycar 

 purej-bred Clydesdale fillies. The.-e were bought at the close of the year. The 

 horses were kept busy throughout the entire year with the various improvements, 

 roadmaking, etc., and are in good condition at the present time. 



With the herd of grade Holstciu-Friesian cattle, breeding work has been c »n- 

 tinued, and at the same time a careful testing of each individual has been kept up, 

 with the object of obtaining uniform groups for experimental work. 



The whole herd shows a better average performance than last year. Of the 

 calves born, 50 per cent were heifers, and all these have been raised. The total 

 number of animals now in the herd is sixty. This year figures were collected on 

 the cost of raising yearling heifers and some work was done to find the cost of 

 vealing dairy bull calves. Some 'bacteriological testing was done by Mr. G. IT. 

 ITnwin, of the lleallh of Animals Branch. The results show the important part 

 played by air-borne organisms in milk contamination. This is more particularly 

 the case where care and cleanliness are observed in handling the milk and utensils; 

 since a dust-laden air is shown to be capable of producing n dirty sample of milk, 

 even with the most careful handling and the cleanest of milk pails. 



With hogs, the work in breeding and feeding has been very successful. The 

 breeding stock at present consists of t^s-enty-seven head; one aged boar, two young 

 boars, eight sows over one year, and sixteen sows under one year. The breeding 

 stock was kept in the " A " shaped cots. This method of housing has proved very 

 satisfactory, both in the number of pigs farrowed and the number raised. 



Some useful information has been gathered on the cost of raising a litter of 

 young pigs. A record was kept of the cost of the sow's maintenance during the 

 winter, and during the period from farrowing to weaning time. Tt "was found that 

 the cost of food per pig raised, during the whole period, was $1.5.5. 



A great deal of work has been done to ascertain the value of rice-meLiI for 

 fattening hogs, and the results are important. Though the accommodation for this 

 work was limited, over one hundred pigs have been put through these trials. Tt 

 has been proved conclusively "that rice-ineal is not a profitable food for fatlenirg 

 hogs. It has been proved, moreover, that it is injurious. In every case where the 

 rice-meal was fed either exclusively or in a half-and-half mixture with other grains, 

 it produced a diseased condition, strongly resembling beri-beri in man. The 

 diseased pigs were examined by Dr. Hawden. Health of Animals Branch. His post- 

 mortem findings determined the specific nature of the disease. 



In the flock of T)orset Horned sheep no experimental work was done owing to 

 lack of accommodation. The winter being mild the sheep were pasturing the whole 

 year, with the exception of one week. 



It is pleasing to be able to report an advance in the poultry work, which was 

 reorganized at the beginning of the year. Mr. V. Kuhn has been placed in charge 

 of the details of the work and has collected a groat deal of information which forms a 

 good foundation for future experiments. The entire flock, for laying and breeding, 

 numbers 342 birds, 'of which 66 are Barred Plymouth Ilocks. the remainder While 

 Leghorns. 



The farm dairy since June has been in the charge of Miss R. Keene. The 

 work (has been, first, the handling of the product of the dairy herd in the form of 

 sweet cream, butter, soft cheese, and a limited amount of high-class bottled milk, 

 BoM locally. A considerable amount of milk -testing has been done. In addi- 

 tion to the regular testing of the herd individuals, there have been some special 

 tests for the pure-bred cows. Also, a number of samples ha.ve been sent in for 

 testing from the surrounding district. Experiments were made with corrosive 

 sublimate and lorraalin as preservatives of milk for testing. 



In the making of soft cheese fair success can be reported, though the dairy is 

 too small and the equipment too limited for any extensive work. 



