674 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



colts last year cost about $15 less per head than the mature horses, and it is 

 estimated that they will last from 2 to 4 years louger." 



Draft horse judg'ing, A. S. Alexander (Wisconsin Sta. Circ Inform. 11, pp. 

 26, figs. 26). — General directions for examining draft horses are given in this 

 circular. A scale of points is presented, and instructions for scoring are de- 

 scribed in detail. The difference between good and bad points is illustrated. 

 The more common defects and vices are briefly noted. 



Draft animals in the Philippine Islands (Philippine Ayr. Rvr. [English 

 Ed.^, 3 (1910), No. 6, pp. 527-iJM).— Attention is called to the decrease of draft 

 animals in the Islands. Suggestions are offered for increasing the supply to 

 meet the demand necessary for the development of agriculture. 



Poultry notes, R. Pearl and F. M. Surface (Maine Sta. Bui. 170, pp. 65-124, 

 Ills. 5, figs. 5). — This bulletin contains studies with hybrid poultry, a brief 

 report of the progress of the work of the station in 1909, and also abstracts of 

 technical papers published by the authors, which have been previously noted 

 from other sources. 



Details are given of the methods of feeding practiced at the station. The 

 dry mash fed to pullets is less rich than that formerly fed, this change having 

 been made so as not to force egg production in the fall. From September to 

 December, inclusive, 300 Barred Plymouth Rock pullets laid 4,774 eggs. 



Mangolds as a green food in winter have been gi\en up and sprouted oats 

 used instead. These ai'e sprouted in a ix)ultry house containing a hot water 

 system and are fed when from 4 to 6 in. in height. Directions are given for 

 keeping the poultry free from lice and for making a cresol disinfectant solution. 



The following points regarding the hybrids of the first generation from recip- 

 rocally crossing Barred Plymouth Ifocks and Cornish Indian Games are noted : 



" The barred color pattern is found to be inherited in a sex -limited fashion, 

 equivalent to a phenomenon of segregation in the Fi generation. 



" The percentage fertility of eggs is found to be much higher when the cross 

 is made in one direction (B. P. R. 5 X C. I. G. 9 ) than in the reciprocal. 



" The hatching quality of the fertile eggs is not found to be greatly different 

 in the cross and its reciprocal. In both cases, however, the hybrid matings 

 gave a much higher average percentage of fertile eggs hatched than did the 

 pure matings. 



" Study of the sex ratios indicate that proportionally more males were pro- 

 duced among the hybrid chicks than among those fi-om pure matings. The 

 difference in the sex ratios cannot, however, be regarded as significant in com- 

 parison with their probable errors. 



" The mortality rec-ords show that the percentage mortality of hybrid chicks 

 from Cornish mothers was about the same as that of pure Cornish chicks. 

 Similarly the percentage mortality of hybrid chicks from Barred Rock mothers 

 was about the same as that of pure Barred Rock chicks. The percentage mor- 

 tality of all chicks whether hybrid or pure from Cornish mothers was some- 

 what greater than that of all chicks of corresponding matings from Barred 

 Rock mothers. 



'• The hybrid pullets fall into two distinct classes in regard to winter egg 

 liroduction according to the direction of the cross. Hybrid pullets from Game 

 mothers are relatively good layers, whereas hybrid pullets from Barred Rock 

 mothers are relatively poor layers. A Mendelian discussion of this result is 

 given. 



" Shank and beak color are shown to be inherited in a sex-limited fashion as 

 is the barred color pattern. 



" The down color of the chicks is different in the F, hybrids from what It is 

 in either of the pure breeds crossed. 



