270 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.36 



In a second test five lots of S-month-old pigs were fed as above. These pigs 

 made average daily gains per pig of 1.14, 1.19, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.33 lbs., costing per 

 pound of gain 4.23, 4.07, 4.76, 3.34, and 4.32 cts. for the respective lots. 



Three lots of pigs were fed the same grain ration and an equal allowance of 

 skim milk, lot 1 running on rape pasture, lot 2 on clover pasture, and lot 3 in dry 

 ■pen. These pigs made average daily gains per pig of 1.01, 1.16, and 1.19 lbs., 

 costing per pound of gain 4.4, 4.08, and 4.26 cts. for the respective lots. 



Feeding for beef in Alberta, G. H. Hutton and W. H. Faiefield (Canada 

 Expt. Farms Sta. Bui. 30', 2. ser. (1916), pp. 38, figs. 19).— This bulletin reports 

 feeding experiments with steers conducted at the Lacombe and Lethbridge sub- 

 stations from 1909 to 1915, the results of which have for the most part been 

 noted from the annual reports of the Canada Experimental Farms (E. S. R., 

 36, p. 65). 



One hundred and two head of 2 and 3 year old cattle of average quality grazed 

 on a fenced portion of well-watered pasture of native prairie grass at Lacombe 

 during the summer of 1915 made an average gain of 358 lbs. per head. The 

 grazing period in this test varied from 150 to 175 days. 



The characteristics of sheep wool and a new chemical method of deter- 

 mining its quality, K. von Allwoeden (Ztschr. Angew. Chem., 29 (1916), No. 

 17, Aufsatzteil, pp. 77, 78, fig. 1). — This article treats of the structure, elas- 

 ticity, quality, and general physical characteristics of wool fiber, and describes 

 a chemical method for determining its quality. 



The fleece of coarse-wool sheep, S. N. Kovalevskii (Selsk. Khoz. i Libsov., 

 250 (1916), Jan., pp. 20-67, figs. 31). — Experiments were undertaken to deter- 

 mine the moisture content, commercial weight, and fat content of wool, the 

 effect of washing upon foreign substances, the loss through carbonization, and 

 the fineness, elasticity, and strength of the fibers. 



It was found that the wool close to the skin may successfully take the place 

 of Merino wool, and even excel it in strength when tested for tearing. The hair 

 of all kinds of wool is subject to polymorphism in the shape and position of 

 epidermal scales. The coarser parts of the hair are covered with small scales 

 disposed bridge-wise at its thicker parts, while at the thin places, which are 

 generally void of core, the scales are in the shape of small laminge. The possi- 

 bility of recognizing the race of sheep according to the scales of the hair can 

 take place only after the study of all variations belonging to one and the same 

 race. The bluish tint belonging to the Romanoff sheep is due to the two colors 

 of the intermediary hair, which is dark at the top and gray at the bottom. 



It is suggested that studies should be made of the under wool to determine its 

 properties and its quantity. The caracul lower and upper wool ought to be 

 experimented with as to the quantity of down in the wool. Scientific investi- 

 gation of the wool should precede the establishment of sheep-breeding methods 

 for the purpose of increasing the quantity and quality of wool. 



Sorrel color in horses, L. P. McCann (Jour. Heredity, 7 (1916), No. 8, pp. 

 370-372). — A study was made of records in the Belgian studbook covering a 

 total of 427 matings and involving the color of over 1,250 animals. 



" The chestnut by chestnut matings, while few in number, serve to demon- 

 strate that sorrel is recessive to chestnut. In order to conform exactly to 

 Mendel's law the offspring should be in the proportion of three chestnuts to one 

 sorrel, and they do approach this proportion rather closely, being 13 to 5, 

 respectively. There is a predominance of sorrels as compared to chestnuts in 

 the Belgian breed studied, and it would therefore be expected that a larger num- 

 ber of tlie chestnut animals would be heterozygous for sorrel than if these two 

 colors were present in equal numbers. This is more clearly shown in the chest- 



