872 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECOKD. 



virgata, Atriplex vesicaria, Kochia salsoloides (?), Anisostigma scliencMi, and 

 Tamarix usneoidcs. 



The common names of these plants are given in German. 



Report of the animal husbandman, E. G. Ritzman {Porto Rico Sta. Rpt. 

 1911, PI). .'fO-J-fJ/). — ^This contains a brief account of zebu crosses, African wool- 

 less sheep, and other station work in relation to animal husbandry. 



Three years' investigation indicates that good silage can be made, and that 

 native stock as well as the imported animals will eat it readily. Corn, whole 

 cane, cane tops, and malojilla or Para grass have all given satisfactory results 

 when fed as silage. Para grass when put in the silo was so light that it did 

 not make good silage unless heavily ballasted. Six ft. of cut corn silage made 

 a satisfactory ballast. 



It was found that calcium chlorid could be used profitably as a supplement 

 to bone meal in rations deficient in calcium. Middlings, shorts, and other 

 mill feeds poor in calcium were too high in magnesium, and this excess of 

 magnesium retarded assimilation and increased the cost of growth unless the 

 effect was neutralized by calcium. Comparisons of calcium chlorid with tri- 

 calcium phosphate (bone meal) showed that there was only a small variation 

 among individual pigs in utilization of calcium chlorid whereas there was a 

 wide difference among indiwdual pigs as regards utilization of bone meal. 



Silos and silage, R. C. Ashby (Washington Sta. Popular Bid. ^6, pp. -i)- — 

 This discusses the advantages of including silage in the ration for live stock, 

 and gives estimates on the cost of raising silage crops and building silos. 



Feeding stuffs inspection for 1912, B. E. Cukry and T. O. Smith (Neio 

 Hampshire Sta. Bui. 158, pp. 30). — ^This contains the results of the annual 

 feeding stuflis inspection, including analyses of 267 samples of cotton-seed meal. 

 Unseed meal, beef scraps, bone meal, cob meal, shredded wheat waste, corn-oil 

 meal, buckwheat middlings, distillers' dried grains, malt sprouts, dried beet 

 pulp, rye grains, gluten feed, hominy feed, wheat bran, wheat middlings, 

 alfalfa meal, and proprietary mixed feeds. A discussion showing the expensive 

 nature of low-grade feeds is also given. 



Feeding stuffs, F. Mach (Ber. Grossh. Bad. Landw. Vers. Anst. Augustenb., 

 1911, pp. 18-32). — Analyses are reported of peanut cake, coconut cake, linsee«l 

 cake, maize-oil cake, poppy cake, palm-nut cake, rape cake, sesame cake, soy- 

 bean cake, wheat bran, wheat germ, distillers' slop, maize, fresh unshelled 

 acorns, dried shelled acorns, dried sugar beet leaves, meat meal, fish meal, 

 potato flakes, sugar-beet flakes, and apple pomace. 



The microscopic identification of cattle foods, G. H. Chapman ( Massa- 

 chusetts Sta. Bui. l.'il, pp. Jf-ll, figs. 52). — This bulletin contains brief descrip- 

 tions of the characteristics of grains and grain products, legumes and oil seeds, 

 weed seeds, and miscellaneous products, condiments, chemicals, and miscel- 

 laneous substances commonly found in commercial feeding stuffs, so that the 

 ingredients can be easily identified by means of the microscope. 



The text is accompanied by figures showing microscopic sections of cells, 

 starch grains, etc. An analytical key to some commonly occurring starches is 

 included. 



Corn silage and roots for steers, J. W. Wilson (South Dakota Sta. Bui. 

 137, pp. 35't-367, fnjs. 11). — This bulletin gives the results of 2 experiments in 

 feeding corn silage to steers. 



In the first experiment 20 yearling steers were divided into V) lots of 4 each 

 and fed for 90 days in order to test silage as a sole ration for wintering steers, 

 as follows: Lot 1, silage from green com cut when in the dent stage; lot 2, 

 one-half as much silage as was consumed by lot 1 and all the hay they would 

 eat; lot 3, silage from corn fodder cut at the same time as for lot 1 but put 



