ANIMAL PEODUCTION. 271 



fully equal to the clean imported wool and was mixed with the imported lot 

 for manufacturing, but had received 3.3 cts. per clean pound less than its 

 actual value. 



The adoption of the Australian system in preparing American clips for 

 market is recommended. It would be necessary to allow selling agents to 

 group together lots of similar wools from various clips to make up sufficiently 

 large offerings to interest the buyers in the trade who prefer to buy in lots 

 of 50,000 lbs. and upward. In time it is thought that buying agents would be 

 more willing to buy in smaller lots in order to Insure the continuation of the 

 improvement. 



Breaking and training colts, V. G. Stambaugh (f7. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' 

 Bui. 667 {1915), pp. 16, figs. 11). — ^A general discussion. 



Average and frequency curves, C. Potts {Dcpt. Agr. N^ S. Wales, Farmers' 

 Bui. 93 (1914), pp. 12, IS). — The author demonstrated, by the use of average 

 and frequency curves, that in the pens supplied for the egg-laying competitions 

 for the past ten years " there appear to be two distinct families in each breed 

 throwing true as regards egg-laying capacity, one of these families, aptly called 

 the ' low-bred,' having a lower average egg-laying capacity than the other. 

 While each family has a definite average egg-laying capacity, individual pullets 

 will lay above or below that average. 



" Examining the curves for three breeds it was shown that the high and 

 low bred families are about equally balanced in the case of the White Leg- 

 horn ; hence there should be scope for considerable improvement by careful 

 selection. Further, the Leghorns exhibit indications of having a higher egg- 

 laying capacity than any other breed. The low-bred family predominates in 

 the case of the Black Orpingtons; hence improvement by selection has a great 

 deal of bad material to dispose of. The possibilities of the high-bred family, 

 however, show that they are worthy of more attention than they have so far 

 received. In the case of the Silver Wyandottes the high-bred family predomi- 

 nates. The curve indicates that they could not attain the egg-laying capacity 

 of either of the breeds mentioned above; still with the high-bred family pre- 

 dominating, it should be a matter of ease to establish a flock having a good 

 average capacity for egg laying." 



It was further demonstrated that " if a pullet of exceptionally high egg- 

 laying capacity is chosen, it is more than probable that she belongs to the 

 high-bred family, while it is doubtful whether a pullet of average capacity 

 belongs to the low or to the high bred family ; and, in all probability, she is a 

 cross between the two. To establish the high-bred family it is essential to 

 choose the breeders from the family of higher egg-laying capacity. It has 

 been seen that the exceptionally good layer probably belongs to this family. 

 However, it would appear to be unwise to breed from her ; she is an exception, 

 and her progeny, in order to maintain the average of the family, would be low 

 layers by way of compensation. The best birds to breed from would be the 

 true sisters and brothers of the exceptional pullet, and the hens should not be 

 much above the average of the family." 



Sex-linked inheritance in poultry, G. Lefevre {Missouri Sta. Bui. 131 

 {1915), pp. 488, 489). — In continuation of work previously noted (E. S. R., 31, 

 p. 368) a Silver Spangled Hamburg male was crossed on an Fi hybrid female 

 (from Leghorn male X Hamburg female), the resulting F2 generation being 

 spangled in both sexes. In mating an Fi hybrid male and Fi hybrid female 

 (both from Hamburg male X Leghorn female) the resulting F2 generation gave 

 spangled and nonspangled females, the males showing all degrees of spangling. 

 In mating an Fi hybrid male and Fi hybrid female (both from Leghorn 



3451°— No. 3—15 6 



