310 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the bureau selected the animals for such a herd early in the past 

 fiscal \cni\ and has continued to give assistance and supervision in 

 the management of the herd. Since October 1, 1911, this herd has 

 been sujjplying milk to the academy. For the first two months of 

 this period it was necessary to continue a portion of the contract 

 supply, but since then the entire supply has been furnished by the 

 academy herd. 



Paymaster Biyan has compiled figures showing the health of the 

 midshipmen for one year before and one year since the installation 

 of the academy herd. Taking into account only illness of a digestive 

 or intestinal character, and counting each day that a midshipman 

 was sick or excused on this account, it is found that during the year 

 from October 1, 1010, to September 30, 1911, with milk from outside 

 sources, the " sick days " numbered 1,598, or an average of 133 a 

 month; while for the following year, with milk from the academy 

 herd, there were only 296 "sick days," averaging less than 25 a month. 

 For more than two months (including September and October, 1912) 

 there has not been a single case of illness of the character mentioned. 

 The number of midshipmen at the academy was practically the same 

 each year, ranging from about 750 for the greater part of the year to 

 about 250 during the summer. 



The great decrease in illness from digestive disturbances is 

 attributed entirely to the better quality of milk, as other dietary 

 conditions have remained unchanged. 



A chart showing graphically the figures above given was exhibited 

 by the bureau at the recent International Congress of Hygiene and 

 Demography in Washington, and at other gatherings, and attracted 

 much attention from hygienists. 



REDUCING THE LOSSES FROM BAD EGGS. 



A few years ago a study of the losses from the spoiling of eggs 

 because of bad methods of producing and handling showed that these 

 losses probably amounted to $15,000,000 annually, and that one-third 

 of this loss was caused by the formation of " blood rings " in the eggs, 

 due to the development of the germ by heat. As this loss from blood 

 rings is directly preventable on the farm, the bureau has been en- 

 deavoring to bring to the notice of farmers and poultry raisers the 

 means by which this can be done. The remedy is to produce infertile 

 eggs; that is, eggs from hens that are not allowed to run with male 

 birds. Such eggs will not hatch and blood rings will not develop in 

 them. Early in the past fiscal year Bulletin 141, The Improvement 

 of the Farm Egg, was issued, and a bulletin on The Care of the Farm 

 Eg/T ^s in press, A very striking poster, arranged by Mr. Harry M. 

 J^amon, of the Animal Husbandry Division, has also been issued. It 

 shows pictures of fertile and infertile eggs after incubation from one 

 to seven days, the former showing blood rings and chick development, 

 while the latter are apparently unchanged from the perfectly fresh 

 condition. 



As another means of improving the quality of eggs and preventing 

 losses the bureau is advocating the " loss-off " or quality basis of buy- 

 ing by merchants. Cooperative work to establish this method has 

 been carried on in some of the leading egg-producing States. 



