80 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTTJRE. 



POTJLTRY CLUB8. 



Poultry-club specialists in 8 States supervised 13,664 members in 

 boys' and girls' poultry clubs. Approximately SI 8,000 worth of 

 poultry and eggs for market and breeding purposes were sold or con- 

 sumed at home by the members, and the total value of their receipts, 

 stock on hand, and prizes won amounted to $41,312.42. In addition 

 to the exhibits of fowls and eggs made at county fairs and other 

 poultry shows, these poultry club members are now demonstrating 

 m many instances their ability to judge poultry and to carry on the 

 various phases of poultry work, such as setting hens, operating incu- 

 bators, preserving eggs, caponizing cockerels, killing and dressing 

 fowls for market, etc. In addition to the increased production 

 brought about through the direct efforts of these boys and girls, they 

 have been the means of interesting their parents and have served as 

 entering wedges for the introduction of better methods of poultry 

 keeping on the farms and of improved stock in general. 



ANIMAL HUSBANDRY EXTENSION WORK. 



In view of the stress of war requirements practically the entire 

 Animal Husbandry Division has been and is doing extension work. 

 The principles of the plan for cooperative extension work set forth in 

 last year's report have been applied in the appointment of cooperative 

 specialists to handle details of policy relating to animal husbandry 

 extension work in cooperation with the States. The extension work is 

 reported under other headings. 



BEEF-CATTLE INVESTIGATIONS. 



BEEF PRODUCTION. 



The beef-cattle experimental work in Mississippi, North Carolina, 

 and West Virginia, in cooperation with the State agricultural colleges, 

 was continued. 



At Canton, Miss., a comparison was made between rations of (1) 

 corn silage, cottonseed meal, and oat straw, and (2) corn silage, 

 cottonseed meal, and cowpea hay; also between rations of (1) corn 

 silage and cottonseed meal and (2) corn silage, cottonseed meal, and 

 oat straw, using 3 lots of 22 steers each. In the first comparison 

 oat straw was more economical than the cowpea hay. In the second 

 comparison no advantage was shown in adding oat straw to the ration. 



At ColHns, Miss., a comparison was made between a ration of whole 

 velvet beans and corn silage and a ration of ground velvet beans and 

 corn silage, using 2 lots of 11 steers each. It was found more economi- 

 cal to feed the beans whole. 



At Springdale, N. C, five lots of steers were wintered and then 

 pastured the following summer to determine the most economical 

 method of wintering. It was found that wintering on pasture was 

 more economical, and the steers wintered in that way made better 

 gains on pasture the following summer. 



At Lewisburg, W. Va., three lots of calves and four lots of yearlings 

 were carried through the winter experimentally to determine the best 

 methods of wintering. It was found most practicable to winter calves 

 on silage and clover hay when the difB.culty of getting cottonseed meal 



