ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 565 



1-12). — Results obtained with cattle, sheep, and hogs at the Smithfleld Show 

 indicated that there is a difference of but 409 lbs. in live weight and 266 lbs. 

 in carcass weight between 2 and 3 year old fat steers. This suggests that it 

 can not pay the feeder to retain a steer for the additional year involved, since 

 the actual weight of beef produced would barely exceed 5 lbs. a week. In the 

 classes for heifers similar results were obtained, showing the economical value 

 of early maturity. Likewise with sheep and hogs it is seen that in the open 

 classes these are fattened too much without any corresponding advantage, while 

 those which are fitted for the carcass competition realize higher prices. 



It is concluded from these observations that breeders and feeders will obtain 

 better I'esults by finishing their fattening cattle as early as possible and by 

 avoiding excessive fatness in general. 



The cattle industry in Britain, R. Wallace and J. A. S. Watson (Internat. 

 Inst. Af/r. [Rome], 2Io. Bui. Agr. Intel, and Plant Diseases, 5 (1914), No. 3, 

 pp. 306-312, figs. 2). — The authors trace the development of the cattle industry 

 in Britain since 1878. It is shown that whereas the number of " cows or heifers 

 in milk or in calf" has remained fairly constant, varying between 35.7 and 37.3 per 

 cent, the number of " other cattle two years old or over " has fairly steadily 

 decreased from 24 per cent in 1893 to just under 20 per cent in 1912, with a 

 corresponding increase in the proportion of yearling cattle and calves. There 

 appears to have been a long-continued tendency to market cattle for slaughter 

 at a diminishing age. With regard to available supplies of feed for cattle, 

 there has been a considerable decrease in the root crop in the past 35 years, 

 and an increase in the total area of pasture and hay up till about 10 years 

 ago, since when it has shown a decrease and a very great increase in imports 

 of cakes and meals, etc. 



During the five years, 1906-1910, inclusive, the annual exportation of pedigreed 

 breeding cattle from Great Britain averaged 3,097 head and the average value 

 about £60. The United States took about 32 per cent and Argentina and Uru- 

 guay about 30 i)er cent of the total exports. The Shorthorn breed is most 

 numerously represented in the exports. It is stated that at the present time 

 one of the main features of the cattle industry of Britain is the scarcity of 

 feeder cattle, with consequent high price for such stock and a diminution in the 

 profits of feeding. 



Attention is called to the increased importance of the dairy industry. British 

 methods of feeding and fattening are discussed. 



The cattle of the valleys of Saint-Girons and Aure, A. Guy (Vie Agr. et 

 Rurale, 3 (1914), No. 20, pp. 545-549, figs. 5). — An account of the breed charac- 

 teristics, utility value, and improvement of the local breeds of cattle of the 

 valleys of Saint-Girons and Aure. 



Cattle of Buanda, K. Sommerfeld (Tropcnpflanzer, 18 (1914), No. 4, pp. 

 177-201, figs. 5). — This article treats of the weights, measurements, and breed 

 characteristics of several types of cattle in Ruanda, German East Africa. 



Variation in the tongue color of Jersey cattle, R. Pearl (Proc. Soc. Prom. 

 Agr. 8ci., 34 (1913), pp. 49-57). — The results of studies made of the recorded 

 tongue color of 6,917 registered Jersey cattle in the herd register for 1893 and 

 of 7,450 cattle in that of 1913 indicate that at the present time something 

 over 75 per cent of registered Jersey cattle have black tongues; that in the last 

 20 years the proportion of black-tongued individuals has increased slightly, in 

 males about 1 per cent and in females nearly 4 per cent ; and that a higher 

 propoi'tion of males than of females have black tongues, though the difference 

 was somewhat larger 20 years ago than now. The cause of these relations 

 between the sexes is attributed to the influence of " fashion " in tongue color in 

 the Jersey breed. It is thought that "more pigmented tongues are actually 



