ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 773 



" ' Bran disease,' ' shorts disease,' or ' miller's liorse rickets ' appears to be 

 caused, in part, by the excessive proportion of magnesium to calcium in wheat 

 bran and shorts." 



The feeding of bran extract produced muscles low in pliosphorus, liver high 

 in phosphorus, and kidneys low in fat and ash but high in water. The ration 

 containing lecithin appeared palatable, excelled in the rapidity and the economy 

 of the gain produced, and the muscles, livers, and kidneys all contained a high 

 percentage of phosphorus. The phosphorus of bone meal did not appear to 

 add to the muscle-producing capacity of a low phosphorus ration; in fact, there 

 was some evidence to suggest that it interfered to a slight extent with the 

 utilization of protein. 



" The muscles of the pigs which receiveil bone meal were lower in ash, and 

 percentage of phosphorus in the ash, than the muscles of pigs which had 

 received a low-phos]ihorus ration lacking the bone meal. 



"A ration which was very low in phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, but 

 which contained an abundance of protein and other organic nutrients, made 

 very little increase in muscles and in bone ash. 



" The ration lowest in phosphorus produced muscles which were especially 

 low In water, both in tlie whole tissues and in the fat-free substance; high in 

 protein, ash, and phosphorus, but low in the proportion of phosphorus to pro- 

 tein. . . , 



" The phosphorus compounds of the food do not directly favor fattening, as 

 they do muscular growth, but they may do so indirectly, through affecting the 

 general health of the animal. On the other hand, -they are apt to discourage 

 fattening in growing animals through making possible the normal use of the 

 nutriment in the formation of proteid increase." 



First report of comparative expferiments with swine from, different breed- 

 ing' centers, N. O. H. Bang, N. Beck, and P. Gommesen (Ber. K. Vet. og Land- 

 hoh'ijskoles Lab. Landokonom. Forsiig {Copenhagen}, 67 {1910), pp. 86, figs. 

 5). — The experiments here reported were conducted at two Danish estates, 

 Elsesminde and Rodstenseje, during 1907 and 190S for the purpose of discover- 

 ing certain families of swine or single individuals within such families which 

 may be supposed to satisfy in a marked degree present demands of producton 

 and market both through inner qualities (exceptional health and vigor) and 

 exterior conformation (high slaughter value), and which may therefore safely 

 be used as foundation stock for the swine husbandry of the future. 



Average data obtained at slaughtering time for 8S Yorkshires and 363 swine 

 of the native Danish bi-eeds of Funen and Jutland swine breeding centers are 

 jiresented in detail. While the average amount of feed eaten and gains made 

 by the different breeds did not vary greatly in either experiment, the York- 

 shire swine proved superior to the Danish breeds for market purposes, espe- 

 cially in point of firmness of pork, form and fullness of belly, form and size of 

 liam, fineness of head, bone and skin, as well as " general impression," the total 

 number of points awarded being (on a scale of 15) 13.1 for Yorkshires and 11.9 

 for Danish swine in the first series of experiments, and in the second series, 

 12.6 and 11.7, respectively. Better results were obtained with sows than with 

 barrows in the case of both breeds. Illustrated descriptions of the modern 

 hog houses in which the experiments were conducted are included in the report. 



The new hog barn, J. A. Ceaig and W. A. Linklater (Oklahoma Sta. Rpt. 

 1909, pp. Sl-J/O, figs. 2). — This is a description of a hog barn built purely for ex- 

 perimental purposes. The ground plan and photographs of the exterior are 

 also given. 



