78 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



remained somewhat heavier. The percentage of deaths from all causes in 

 the case of the 2 lots of chickens was exactly the same. Apparently the chick 

 embryo has the power to adapt itself to a considerable extent to varying de- 

 grees of humidity during development. Though the chicks with the lower 

 moisture content seemed more vigorous, yet there are certain limits beyond 

 which this would not be true, and the practice recommended is so to incubate 

 eggs that the loss in weight will agree as closely as possible with the normal. 



Miscellaneous information concerning' the live-stock industry ( U. S. Dept. 

 Agr., Bur. Aiiiiii. liidiis. Rpt. 1908, pi>. 393-427). — This information includes a 

 review of the live stock market in 1908, meat prices at home and abroad, the 

 foreign trade in animals and animal products, federal meat inspection, and 

 data as to the number of live stock registered in the United States, certified 

 pedigree record associations, national and state stock breeders' associations, 

 legal standards for dairy products, contagious diseases of animals in foreign 

 countries, and a list of state live stock sanitary officers. 



The live stock situation in Illinois, H. W. Mumford (lUinois' 8ta. Circ. 140, 

 pp. 15). — This is an address before the Illinois Live Stock Breeders' Asso- 

 ciation, Jani;?j'y 27, 1910, in which the author calls attention to tlie tendency 

 of the present lime in the Central West to abandon live stock production. The 

 causes for this a.re discussed and measui-es are suggested for the encourage- 

 ment of the live s\ock industry. 



Notes on the an^jnal industry of Argentina, G. M. Rommel (U. S. Dept. 

 Agr., Bur. Ariijii. Iiiiluft. Rpt. 190S, pp. 815-333. pis. 6, figs. /.5).— This article 

 contains statistics of the live stock industry, descriptions of stock management 

 as practiced on the large Argentine ranches, and an account of the meat packing 

 plants on the Kiver Plate. Among suggestions offered for developing trade with 

 South America are the following : " Only good animals should be sent. Argentine 

 breeders are just as good judges as those in other countries. The best de- 

 mand exists for beef cattle in the following order : Shorthorns, Herefords, Aber- 

 deen-Angus; for horses. Thoroughbreds and Hackneys; for sheep, Lincolns are 

 by far the most in demand ; for hogs, Berkshires and Poland-Chinas, but the 

 hog trade ... is limited." 



The development of live-stock shows and their influence on cattle breed- 

 ing and feeding, E. G. Ritzman {U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Anim. Indus. Rpt. 

 1908, pp. 345-3-'G). — An account of the development of live-stock shows and 

 their educational value for the feeder and breeder. It is suggested that more 

 detailed information should be obtainable concerning the carcass competitions 

 and the methods of feeding and preparing all animals for exhibition purposes. 



The value of the poultry show, R. R. Slocum ( U. S. Dept. Agr,, Bur. Anim, 

 Indus. Rpt. 1908, pp. 357-363). — The educational, commercial, and social values 

 of poultry shows are discussed. It is pointed out that the utility side of the 

 industry should be emphasized in the future, as up to the present time purely 

 fancy points have been pushed forward faster than utility qualities. 



DAIRY FARMING— DAIRYING. 



[Velvet beans for milk production], J. M. Scott {Florida Sta. Bui. 102, 

 pp. 56, 57). — During the winter of 1908-9 a test of feeds for milk production 

 was made in which velvet beans in the pod, wheat bran, and sorghum silage 

 were compared with cotton-seed meal, wheat bran, and sorghum silage. 



It was found that 5,660 lbs. of the velvet beans in the pod, which it is esti- 

 mated can be grown by the farmer for .$16.98. were equal in feeding value to 

 2,000 lbs. of cotton-seed-meal analyzing 7.5 per cent of ammonia and costing $30. 

 Some stockmen reported unfa\orable results from feeding the velvet beans, but 



