BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 87 



information on the subject and based largely on the observations of 

 the division's representative in the field on farms where turkeys are 

 successfully raised, has been prepared. 



PIGEON AND SQUAB INVESTIGATIONS. 



One end of the new breeding house at Beltsville has been fitted up 

 for pigeons, and about 15 pairs of popular breeds of pigeons used for 

 squab production have been purchased. These breeds include the 

 German Runts, Carneaux, French Larks, Homers, White Kings, and 

 Hen pigeons. Several pairs of offspring have been obtained and are 

 being reared for breeding purposes. Records are being kept of the 

 production from each pair, also of the weights of the squabs at hatch- 

 ing and at the end of each week until they leave the nest. A ration 

 composed of equal parts by weight of wheat, cracked corn, kafir corn, 

 and Canada peas is being fed, and records are being kept of the 

 amount of feed consumed. 



OSTRICH INVESTIGATIONS. 



The ostrich work which is conducted on a ranch at Glendale, Ariz., 

 in cooperation with the Arizona Ostrich Breeders' Association, has 

 made favorable progress. Studies in the feeding and breeding of 

 ostriches for the purpose of increasing the production of high-qual- 

 ity feathers have been made. Among the young chicks raised are 

 several from the cross of the Nubian and South African birds. It is 

 believed that by such a cross an improvement in the quality of the 

 feathers may be accomplished. Feeding experiments are also being 

 made with these chicks, and the work in artificial incubation and 

 brooding is being continued. 



POULTRY CLUBS. 



The work of forming and conducting poultry clubs for boys and 

 girls in cooperation with the States Relations Service of the depart- 

 ment and State agricultural colleges has been continued. Oklahoma 

 has been added to the list of States in which this work is being 

 carried on, making in all seven States, the others being Virginia, 

 North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. 

 Clubs have been organized in 216 counties in these States, as com- 

 pared with 95 counties for the preceding year. The membership now 

 numbers 8,506, an increase of 4,769 over the year before. 



In the fall of 1915, 994 of the members exhibited 3,322 fowls and 

 151 dozen eggs at 40 different exhibitions. The cash and special prize 

 awards which these members earned as the result of exhibiting their 

 products amounted to $1,476.74. Some of the members were able to 

 win with their fowls in open competition with the exhibits of ex- 

 perienced poultrymen. Great interest is being shown in poultry club 

 work, both on the part of the club members and on the part of 

 parents and other persons in the localities in which the clubs exist. 

 Many of the children are able to earn considerable sums of money 

 as a result of their poultry work, and many of them express the 

 intention of using this money in further education, particularly in 

 agricultural education. 



