678 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.38 



per bird was 161.8 eggs, or a 44.4 per cent lay. The 1,000 birds weighed 2.06 

 tons, and they produced 10.1 tons of eggs, the average weight per egg being 

 2.01 oz. To do this the birds consumed 41,312.1 lbs. of mash and 38,247.9 lbs. 

 of grain, or an average consumption of 79.56 lbs. of feed per hen. With mash 

 at $2.70 and grain $3 per hundredweight, the feed cost was $2.26 per bird. It 

 required an average of 3.9 lbs. of feed to produce 1 lb. of eggs, but in the 

 highest producing pen, which averaged 221.2 eggs per bird, it required but 2.9 

 lbs. of feed to produce 1 lb. of eggs. On the basis of 45.4 cts. per dozen for 

 brown eggs and 50.2 cts. per dozen for white eggs, the contest birds earned 

 an average of $6.06 each. Deducting from this the cost of feed, there was a 

 net return per bird of $3.80. With an additional charge of $1.50 for labor, 

 interest, depreciation, insurance, and other overhead charges, there was a net 

 profit of $2.30 per bird. 



The number of eggs per bird for the different breeds was 169.7 for the Leg- 

 horns, 155 for the Plymouth Rocks, 150.6 for the Rhode Island Reds, and 144.3 

 for the Wyandottes. The actual returns above feed per bird varied from $2.91 

 for the Plymouth Roclcs to $4.30 for the Leghorns. There were 10 hens in the 

 contest that laid 265 or more eggs each during the year, the highest-producing 

 hen being a White Plymouth Rock which laid 301 eggs. 



Poultry experiments (Neiv Mexico Sta. Rpt. 1917, pp. 87-91). — The results 

 of a three months' feeding experiment with ground oats, shorts, bran, beef scrap, 

 and cottonseed meal are reported. They indicate that there are possibilities 

 in cottonseed meal as a poultry feed. 



Very early hatclies pay best, Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Shoup {Washington Sta,, 

 West. Wash. Sta. Mo. Bill., 5 {1918), No. 10, pp. 152-155).— In three seasons' 

 experiments at this station the early hatching of chickens gave the best returns. 

 The scarcity of good hatching eggs early in the season is the greatest draw- 

 back. The lighting of the hoiises and the feeding have an influence on forcing 

 early laying. 



In 1917 the February 1 hatch consisted of 160 pullets and the April 1 hatch 

 of 320. The cost of the former to 6 months of age was $1.02 each and the 

 latter $1 each. The net profit per bird to December 1 was $1.75 for the Febru- 

 ary hatch and 74 cts. for the April hatch. 



Poultry on the farm, J. E. Dougheety {California Sta. Circ. 186 {1917), 

 pp. J/). — A general discussion of returns to be expected from poultry under 

 average farm conditions in California. Suggestions as to feeds, feeding, and 

 housing are incorporated. 



DAIRY FARMING— DAIRYING. 



Dairy cattle, E. S. Archibald et al. {Canada Expt. Farms Rpts. 1916, pp. 

 Ji23-505, pis. 7). — Corn silage was compared with a soiling crop of peas and 

 oats as supplements to a grain mixture for summer feeding of milch cows. 

 This test was conducted in three tri-weekly periods, during the first and third of 

 which silage was fed and during the second peas and oats. On the peas and 

 oats ration the 18 cows produced 7,947.5 lbs. of milk containing 300.32 lbs. of 

 fat, and their average production during the two periods on silage was 7,744 

 lbs. of milk containing 304.15 lbs. of fat. However, the cost of the green feed 

 fed was $25.70 and of the silage an average of $5.29. 



A comparison was made of the relative value, palatability, and economy of 

 linseed meal, cottonseed meal, gluten feed, fish meal, and peanut meal for 

 milch cows. Mixtures of these protein feeds with bran and ground oats were 

 fed so that the cows received tlie same number of pounds of protein in each 

 period. The concentrates were supplemented with turnips, silage, and hay. In 



