322 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



now approaching a close. During the past year the final solution of 

 the main features of the problem of how egg production is inherited 

 in the domestic fowl has been reached. It remains now only to work 

 out some minor points of detail. 



The egg investigations and poultry-fattening work in the State of 

 Kansas that were started in 1910 were continued during 1911. Bulle- 

 tins on the work done and results secured have been presented for 

 publication. Considerable time has been spent, in conjunction with 

 the Dairy Division of this bureau, in advocating in Texas and Iowa 

 the cooperative handling of eggs through creameries. One of the 

 bureau men spent practically all his time during the latter part of 

 the winter and spring months assisting in the organization of the 

 buying of eggs on a quality or " loss-off " basis in Michigan and 

 Minnesota. 



At the Beltsville experiment farm, with a breeding stock of about 

 60 hens, about 1,200 chicks have been hatched. Some color-breeding 

 work has been carried on with a pen of Rhode Island Eeds, and a 

 crossing experiment with a White Plymouth Rock male on a Silver 

 Grey Dorking female is in progress. 



The organization of girls' and boys' poultry clubs in Virginia is 

 beino; undertaken in cooperation with the farmers' cooperative demon- 

 stration work of the Bureau of Plant Industry. 



A poultry book is being prepared that will touch on practically all 

 the important phases of the poultry industry. It is thought that this 

 book will be of value to poultrymen throughout the country. 



ANIMAL NUTRITION INVESTIGATIONS. 



The principal subject of the investigation during the fiscal year in 

 cooperation Avith the Pennsylvania State College has been the effect 

 of fine grinding upon the amount of energy which must be expended 

 by cattle in the mastication and digestion of their food and upon 

 the proportion of the total feed energy remaining available for main- 

 tenance or productive purposes. During 1911-12 the experiments 

 were upon alfalfa hay as compared with the so-called "alfalfa 

 meal " produced commercially by grinding the hay. It is expected 

 to continue the study of digestive work in succeeding years to cover 

 other materials and other factors besides grinding. 



In addition to this main line of work, an improved form of adia- 

 bactic calorimeter has been devised, and experiments have been 

 made upon the methods of drying urine for analysis, upon the alkali 

 excretion of cattle, and upon the electrical measurement of the body 

 temperature of the experimental animal. Provision has also been 

 made for equipping the respiration calorimeter Avith an automatic 

 temperature-difference recorder, which will materially facilitate the 

 work. 



The junior animal husbandman engaged in the compilation of the 

 results of American feeding experiments has been working prin- 

 cipally on the analyses made of foodstuffs since 1890. The card-index 

 system is used, and up to the present time the reports of about one- 

 half the States have been recorded. The results of digestion experi- 

 ments will also be included in this compilation. "Wlien the index is 

 completed summaries and averages will be made and the results 

 published. 



