ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 277 



were sickly, poorly feathered, and had very little appetite for their food. A certain 

 amount of animal protein seems to be necessary for poultry, and perljaps the poor 

 developuient of the carbonaceous lot was caused as much by this factor as by the 

 composition of the ration. Of the two breeds, the White Leghorns seemed to be 

 much better able to thrive on the carbonaceous ration than the White Wyandottes, 

 for they were much better feathered, and more vigorous than the White Wyandottes 

 in the same pen." 



The imjiortance of a liberal supply of green food for laying hens was tested with 2 

 lots of AVhite Leghorns about 5 years old. Each lot contained 20 hens and 2 cocks. 

 The test covered 12 periods of 30 days each. Both lots were fed a mixed ration, largely 

 grain, and the poultry runs furnished some grass. In addition, an abundance of cab- 

 bage, rape, and apples was fed to the lots alternately, to do away with the effects of 

 individual peculiarities. During the test the fowls receiving green food consumed a 

 total of 58 lbs. each of ground bone and beef scrap; those receiving no green food, Gl 

 lbs. per fowl. The average weight of the fowls receiving green food was 3.89 lbs.; 

 of those receiving no green food, 3.86 lbs. The total number of eggs produced per 

 fowl on green food was 114.52; on a ration containing no green food, 90.39 per fowl. 

 The eggs on the former ration weighed 11.89 lbs. per hundred; on the latter, 11.88 lbs. 



The influence of an unrestricted range upon the hatching of eggs was also tested. 

 Half of the station flock of Whito Leghorn fowls was allowed to remain undisturbed 

 in the house and yard to which they were accustomed. The remainder of the flock 

 was allowed to run at large. Both lots were fed the same ration. The eggs were 

 tested in incubators; 80.5 per cent of those from poultry having free range and 24.4 

 per cent from those confined were unfertile. Of the fertile eggs, 83 per cent hatched 

 in the former and 67. 5 per cent in the latter case. 



Poultry experiments, J. H. Stewart and H. Atwood ( West Virginia Sta. Bui. 

 73, pp. 35-47) . — Three tests on the loss of eggs during incubation are reported. The 

 authors summarize the results as follows: 



"Fertile eggs, when incubated in a normal manner, decrease in weight. The eggs 

 which hatched lost 4.17 per cent of their weight during the first 5 days of incubation. 

 During the 7 succeeding days they lost 6.35 per cent of the weight of the eggs at the 

 end of the fifth day, and during the next 7 days lost 6.98 per cent of their weight at 

 the end of the twelfth day. One hmidred fertile eggs of average size will lose 234.9 

 gm., or 8.28 oz., during the first 5 days of incubation; 341.8 gm., or 12.05 oz., during 

 the next 7 days; and 352.8 gm., or 12.44 oz., during the next 7 days. 



"The unfertile eggs lost 3.6 j^er cent of their original weight during the first 5 days 

 of incubation. During the 7 succeeding days they lost 5.6 per cent of what they 

 weighed at the end of the fifth day, and during the next 7 days lost 5.6 per cent of 

 their weight on the twelfth day. One hundred unfertile eggs will lose 217.2 gm., or 

 7.66 oz., during the first 5 days; 323.3 gm., or 11.40 oz., during the next 7 days; 

 306.9 gm., or 10.82 oz., during the next 7 days." 



Report of the poultry manager, A. G. Gilbert {Canada Expt. Farms Rpts. 

 1900, pp. .iol-277, ph. 2, jigs. 10) . — The usual data are given regarding the poultry 

 kept at the Ottawa Station, the growth of chickens, numlier of eggs laid, and similar 

 topics. General directions are also given for the management of chickens, turkeys, 

 ducks, and geese, and the characteristics of a number of breeds of chickens are 

 discussed. A comparison of the number of eggs hatched by hens and in incubators 

 led to the following conclusions: 



"Early spring eggs from hens which have laid steadily all winter and have been 

 gently stiumlated to do so, are not likely to produce a satisfactory percentage of 

 strong germs. Eggs from the same hens after they have run outside give nmch better 

 results. The condition of the laying stock at the end of the winter seems to be the 

 source of the troul)le." 



The relative merits of a number of methods of preserving eggs were tested, includ- 

 ing immersion in saturated limewater, in a solution containing 2 i>er cent sodium 



