572 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Tlip (lisfribiitioii of fat-soluJ)le dyos within the organism depends upon the 

 presence of fat and its migrations. Thns they may be carried to and from 

 adipose tissues, deposited in the egg yollv, or secreted in the company of fat in 

 the milk of animals, but apparently do not trauverse the placenta. No in- 

 ability on the part of animals to utilize fats in which Sudau III has been de- 

 posited was noted. 



Some aspects of cytology in relation to the study of genetics, E. B. Wilson 

 (Amcr. Nat., J,6 {l'.)12), No. 5.'i2, pp. 57-67). — The author is not convinced that 

 the hei-edity of particular traits can be traced to cell elements, though unit 

 characters may be in some way connected with material substances. The 

 " determiners " or chemical substances are thought to be differential factors of 

 ontogenetic reactions that belong to the germ cell as a whole, and though 

 present conceptions of cell organizations are extremely crude, they are deemed 

 of value in suggesting methods for further inquiry. 



Heredity one of the large controllable forces, W. M. Hays (Amrr. Breeders 

 Mag., 2 {Id 11), No. 4, pp. 276-284). — An address before the American Breeders' 

 Association, February, 1911, in which is emphasized the importance to the 

 human race of controlling heredity in plants, animals, and man. 



Inheritance of nontraumatic eye defects in horses, E. Ehrensbkrgek (Die 

 Vererbung nicJil TramnatiscJicr Augcndefckte beim Pfcrde. Inavg. Diss., Univ. 

 Bern, 1010, pp. 55, pis. J/). — Inheritance charts of a number of strains of horses 

 are presented to show that congenital eye defects are a dominant character in 

 inheritance. 



The "chestnuts" in Equidas, F. Hock (Die Kastcmie der Equidcn. Inang. 

 Diss., Univ. Bern, 1910, pp. 50, pi. 1). — ^A histological study of the "chestnuts" 

 and a review of theories as to their nature. It is suggested that they are of 

 glandular origin and have become abnormal through friction. 



A bibliography is apiiendod. 



DAIEY FARMING— DAIRYING. 



Report on milking machine trials in 1909 and 1911, W. Goodwin (Midland 

 Agr. and Dainj Col. Bnl. 1, 1911-12, pp. 16). — As a result of these trials the 

 following conclusions are drawn : 



" With a milking machine of the type in question the milk yield appears to 

 decrease more rapidly than is the case where the cows are milked by hand. 

 The fat in machine-drawn milk compares favorably with, and is often higher 

 than, that in hand-drawn milk. When the machine is used the cows must be 

 stripped by hand. The strippings may be as little as 5 per cent, but are often 

 more if the machine is worked with ordinary unskilled labor. The difficulty 

 of preventing the teat cups falling off was not overcome in the trials in ques- 

 tion, although great attention was paid to this point in view of the prevention 

 of contamination of the milk. It was difficult to keep various parts of the 

 machine in a suitably clean state, and the milk was in consequence often of a 

 bad flavor. In the second trials a marked improvement was shown in the clean- 

 liness of the machine milk, due to the special care which was taken. 



" It would appear that the various parts of the milking machine harbor 

 bacteria, which are often detrimental to the production of a good, clean-flavored 

 product. While such organisms are certainly present in ordinary hand-drawn 

 milk to a slight extent, the contamination is commonly nullified by the natural 

 bacterial flora of the milk. Whilst the number of bacteria in the machine- 

 drawn milk was in excess of that in hand-drawn milk, many of the organisms 

 had no action upon milk. The mere counting of bacteria is, therefore, not an 

 absolute guide in such cases. 



