866 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 36 



tinct toxic substance (the chemical nature of which is unknown) which may 

 be largely extracted with ether along with the fat. When swine were fed a 

 ration of wheat meal, wheat gluten, milk fat, and suitable salts they failed 

 to grow after nine months and lost weight, finally showing difficulty in moving 

 about, labored breathing, and muscular twitching. An examination of the 

 spinal cord showed that the motor cells were shrunken, a condition similar 

 to that produced in beri-beri. 



Effect of restricted rations on poultry, by J. G. Halpin, E. B. Hart, and E. V. 

 McCk)llum. — In experiments with poultry which have extended over a period 

 of five years, it has been found that, while the death rate has been higher, 

 fowls have made normal growth and produced fertile eggs on a wheat ration 

 in most cases equally as well as on a corn ration. Young chicks fed cracked 

 corn, green clover, and milk gained an average of 225.9 gm. in six weeks with 

 no death loss; those fed wheat and green clover gained 58.8 gm., the death 

 loss being 16 per cent ; and those fed on corn and green clover gained 50.1 gm. 

 with a higher death rate than those fed wheat and clover. 



In a test of the effect of lime in the ration upon egg production, a scant 

 supply of calcium has not caused the production of soft-shelled eggs, but has 

 decreased the egg production. It is apparent that the hen draws upon her 

 skeleton for the needed calcium when it is lacking in the ration. 



Crushed v. whole oats for work horses, by P. B. Morrison, J. G. Fuller, and 

 G. Bohstedt. — Tests for two winters with moderately worked horses showed no 

 benefit from crushed oats during the first winter, but during the second winter 

 the horses fed crushed oats and ear corn received 2 per cent less grain and 

 gained 14.9 lbs. more per head in 18 weeks than those fed whole oats and ear 

 corn. In a test with 18 hard-working horses during the spring and summer 

 one horse in each team was fed whole oats and the other crushed oats, the 

 horses fed crushed oats getting one-tenth less than the others. Both lots were 

 fed the same amount of hay. At the end of 12 weeks the rations were reversed 

 and continued for another 10 weeks. During the 24 weeks the horses fed 

 crushed oats lost 38.5 lbs. each, and those fed whole oats lost 8.3 lbs. each, the 

 results being similar during both periods. 



Forage crops for pigs, by F. B. Morrison, J. G. Fuller, and G. Bohstedt. — 

 In a test of forage crops v. dry lot for fattening pigs, rape pasture furnished 

 excellent grazing throughout the experiment, July 20 to November 23. During 

 this time the pigs on this forage gained 1.36 lbs. per head daily and required 

 3.77 lbs. shelled corn and 0.18 lb. tankage per pound of gain in addition to the 

 rape. At 9.1 cts. per pound live weight for pork, 87 cts. per bushel for corn, 

 and $50 per ton for tankage, these pigs returned $63.82 per acre of forage over 

 the cost of concentrates. Another lot of the same number of pigs self-fed 

 shelled com and tankage on dry lot returned $14.58 over the cost of the con- 

 centrates. 



[Feeding experiments loith lamhs], by G. 0. Humphrey, F. Kleinheinz, and 

 P. B. Morrison. — In a comparison of roots and corn silage for wintering ewe 

 lambs, three trials of 105 days each were made during 1912 to 1915. Each 

 winter one lot of lambs received 2 lbs. of ruta-bagas, 2 lbs. of hay, and 0.37 

 lb. of oats and bran (3:1) per head daily, and the other lot received 1.8 lbs. 

 silage, 1.8 lbs. hay, and the same amount of concentrates as the first lot. Each 

 year the silage-fed lambs made better gains, the average being 0.14 lb. per 

 head daily, while those fed roots averaged 0.11 lb. daily. The silage-fed lambs 

 were fully as thrifty as those fed roots, and sheared slightly heavier fleeces. 



During one winter one lot of lambs was fed 0.5 lb. per head daily of a mix- 

 ture of gluten feed and whole oats (1:1), and another lot an equal amount of 

 a mixture of wheat bran and oats (1:1). In addition each lot received corn 



