DAIRY FARMING DAIRYHSTG AGROTECHNY. 571 



As regards the effect of green feed, a lot having access to green rj-e hiid 240 

 eggs in 3 mouths, while a similar lot fed no rye laid 177 eggs. The basal 

 rations fed and other conditions were uniform. 



In a test of the relative keeping quality, the fertile and infertile eggs were 

 gathered for two weeks and kept in a comparatively cool incubator cellar for 

 an additional week and then broken and examined. Fifteen per cent of the 

 eggs from the pens with male birds were bad and the quality of the remainder 

 was not as good as was the case with the infertile eggs, none of which were bad 

 though some were slightly shrunken. 



Advanced methods of poultry farming-, A. W. Foley (Prov. Alberta Dept. 

 Agr., Poultry Bui. 1, pp. 63, figs. .'id). — The author has iucoi-porated the results 

 of Canadian station experience in poultry farming in this general discussion 

 of poultry houses, nests, and other appliances, the feeding and marlceting of 

 [loultry, and other questions concerned with the general subject of {joultry 

 raising. 



Experiments with ostriches, I, J. E. Duerden {Agr. Jour. Cape Good Hope, 

 30 (1!>07), No. 5, pp. 668-670, pi. i).— Experimental data on the effect of feed 

 and other conditions on feather development are summarized as follows: 



" The ostrich is naturally very sensitive to changes in its surroundings or 

 treatment, readily falling off in condition when moved from one set of condi- 

 tions to another, or changed from one kind of food to another. This falling 

 off tends to produce a check in the feather growth, and may result in the pro- 

 duction of a bar. 



" Different strains of ostriches differ greatly in their responsiveness to such 

 changes, and this should be taken into account in selective breeding. 



" A prolonged low state of health of a bird may result in very imperfect 

 growth of the feathers during the period, independently of any checl: in the 

 growth. 



" For the best feather production the constitution of the bird, its actual 

 state of health, and freedom from injuries and parasites must be inquired into, 

 as well as the quantity and nature of the food." 



DAIRY FARMING— DAIRYING— AGROTECHNY. 



Protein requirements for dairy cows, A. M. Soule, J. R. Fain and M. P. 

 Jarnagin (Virginia Sta. Bui. 169, pp. 293-313, figs. 8). — Four groups of 4 cows 

 each, quite uniform in weight and in stage of lactation, were fed for 30 das'S 

 on a ration practically uniform for each group, supplying each cow on an a^ er- 

 age about 23 lbs. of dry matter containing about 1.8 lbs. of protein per day 

 iiiid having a nutritive ratio of about 1 : 8. For the next 80 days the ration 

 was changed so that while the quantity of dry matter did not vary much from 

 23 lbs. for the different groups, the digestible protein in the rations ranged from 

 1.49 lbs. per cow in the lowest case to- 2.39 lbs. in the highest, and the corre- 

 sponding nutritive ratios from 1 : 10.2 to 1 : 6.4. In the final 30 days the ration 

 was nearly the same as that of the initial period. 



From a comparison of the yields of milk and butter and the gains or losses 

 in weight hy the several groups on the different rations, the authors conclude 

 that rations supplying less dry matter and less digestible protein than called 

 for by the Lehmann standard may be fed to dairy cows, while maintaining 

 ^satisfactory yields of milk and biitter and keeping the cows hi good health. 



The increase of the quantity of dry substance in the ration, A. G. Morstin 

 {Brr. Physiol. Lab. u. Vers. Anst. Landw. Iitst. Halle, 1907, .\o. 18, pp. ',2-9.5).— 

 The author conducted a series of feeding experiments with G cows of 3 difl'erent 



25729— No. G— 08 6 



