876 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. [Vol. 38 



Winter cycle of eg^g production in the Rhode Island Red breed of the 

 domestic fowl, H. D. Goodale {U. S. Dcpt. Agr., Jour. Agr. Research, 1& 

 (1918), No. 9, pp. 547-574). — At the Massachusetts Experiment Station the 

 daily egg records of tliree flocks of Rliode Island Red pullets, hatched, respec- 

 tively, in 1913, 1915, and 1916, were biometrically analyzed and compared with 

 montlily egg records of White Wyandottes and Barred Plymouth Itocks re- 

 ported by Gowell from the Maine Experiment Station (E. S. R., 15, p. 394). 



The winter cycle was found to be much more characteristic in the Maine 

 Station flocks than in the Massachu.set-ts Station flock. In the case of the 

 Rhode Island Reds the winter cycle could be determined In only a portion of 

 the flock. As to the evidence of a winter cycle in tlie individual, it is concluded 

 that (1) the rate of production as shown by the montlily egg records is not a 

 satisfactory index of a winter cycle in the individual Rhod:e Island Red pullet. 

 (2) The best criterion of the existence of a winter cycle in the individual is 

 the existence of a pause in production in one or more of the winter months, 

 followed by a period of continuous egg production, and usually exceeding 10 

 days in length. (3) In some instances a pause of 10 days or less occurring in 

 February or March, and following a period of sev-eral weeks of continuous egg 

 production, may delimit the winter cycle. In cases where winter pauses could 

 be determined with some accuracy, practically no correlation was found be- 

 tween the number of eggs laid before the pause and the length of the pause. 



Evidence is presented which indicates that the winter cycle of egg produc- 

 tion may be inherited in some definite but undetermined manner. 



Successful incubation practices in New Jersey, embryo mortality, R. R. 

 Hannas (New Jersey Stas. Hints to Poultry men, 6 (1918), No. 5, pp. 4)- — • 

 Among points considered are the location of the machine, the holding of the 

 eggs at a low temperature with moist air in the room, and daily turning, and 

 the operation of the incubator at the proper temperature, with care in turning, 

 cooling, and sanitation. 



In a trial in holding, eggs with 900 eggs in three lots those kept at 45 to 50° 

 gave 57 per cent hatch; those at 60 to 65°, 51.8 per cent hatch; and those at 

 75 to 80°, 33.7 per cent hatch. 



Cooling seems to make no difference in the percentage in the hatch, but 

 there is possibly a heavier chick produced where it is practiced. From a trial 

 with 1,500 eggs in three lots extreme cooling gave 66.7 per cent hatch, medium 

 cooling 68.8 per cent, and no cooling 65.5 per cent. Those receiving extreme 

 cooling hatched a day late, with medium cooling on time, and with no cooling 

 a day ahead of time. The chiclis averaged in weight 1.35, 1.32, and 1.27 oz., 

 for the respective lots. 



DAIRY FARMING— DAIE-YING. 



Feeding for milk production, J. M. Scott (Florida Sta. Bui. 143 (1918), 

 pp. 79-88, fig. 1). — Part of the experiments here reported, comparing sorghum 

 silage with Japanese cane silage and with sweet potato silage for dairy cows, 

 has already been noted (E. S. R., 37, p. 683). 



In an experiment with three lots of three cows each, covering three 20-day 

 periods, the rations consisted of 9 lbs. of wheat bran and 12 lbs. of silage, and 

 in addition 3 lbs. of cottonseed meal for lot 1, 4 lbs. of peanut meal for lot 2, 

 and 6 lbs. of velvet bean meal for lot 3, these concentrates being changed so 

 that each lot of cows received a different concentrate during each 20-day period. 

 The cows varied but little in live weight during the test. On velvet bean meal 

 the cows produced 2,818.4 lbs. of milk, on peanut meal 2,755.3 lbs., and on 



