ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 465 



[Analyses of] fodders and feeding stuffs, F. T. Shutt {Cannda E.rijt. 

 Farms A'p/.s. I'Jl.'}, pp. 22.i-.iIiO. — Analyses are reported of bran, oats, iiiiddliu;^s, 

 shorts, feed flciir, rice meal, distillery grains, dried brewers' grains, bean meal, 

 liiix meal, tankage, molasses meals, corn silage, clover silage, oat hay, teff 

 hay (Eragrostis abyssinica), and mangels, turnips, and carrots of various 

 varieties. 



The importance of the inoi-ganic constituents of feeding stuffs, A. Zait- 

 scnEK (Alhitorvosi Lapok, 37 (19U), No. 19, pp. 225-229; abs. in Intcnuit. 

 iust. A{/r. [Rome], Mo. Bui. Agr. Intel, and Plant Diseases, 5 (1914), No. 8, pp. 

 in'/G. lO.'fl). — In studies on the inliuonce of the inorganic constituents of feeding 

 stuffs on the develoi)ment of bone in young pigs, it was found that when the 

 animals were fed exclusively on coiti they excreted more calcium than they 

 retained and made up the deficit with magnesium. When the quantity of dry 

 matter was increased and 5 gm. of calcium carbonate added to the ration, the 

 amount of calcium retained was increased, the magnesium retained decreased, 

 and the phosphoric acid retained rose from 13 to 30 per cent. Similar results 

 were obtained when barley instead of corn was fed. 



A high absorption of calcium and phos])horic acid resulteil when from 10 to 

 11 gm. of calcium carbonate was added to the feed per 100 kg. live weight. 

 Inasmuch as the bones did not develop properly on the grain rations the neces- 

 sity of adding calcium to the ration, especially with young pigs in the dry lot, 

 is deemed evident, but it is believed that this may be in the form of cai'bonate 

 instead of the more exj>ensive phosphate. 



Influence of calcium-poor and calcium-rich nourishment on the growth 

 and composition of the bone, S. Weiser {KisMet. Krhlem., 11 {191-'/), No. Jf, 

 pp. 539-558, pis. 2). — Two lots of growing jiigs were fed for Si months on corn 

 and blood meal, 10 : 1, one lot receiving calcium carbonate in addition. 



In growth and body weight the animals receiving little calcium were 20 

 per cent lower, and their bones were deformed, flexible, fragile, and light in 

 cross-section measurement, although the weight and growth of their skeletons 

 was no lower than those of the lot fed the calcium-rich ration. The weight of 

 ihe fresh bones and dry matter comprised a larger percentage of the body 

 weight in the low-calcium (11.29 to 5.05) than in the high-calcimn (S.74 to 3.91) 

 lots. The water content of the bones of the low-ealcium lot was the greater, 

 the fat contents practically equal. The ash content of the bones of the low- 

 calcium pigs was considerably lowex', the greatest difference occurring in the 

 ribs and the least in the skull. Hence the skulls of the low-calcium pigs car- 

 ried a greater percentage of the total ash of the skeleton than the high-calcium 

 lot. The bone ash of the low-calcium lot was poorer in CaO and P20r„ but the 

 essential difference consisted in the higher alkali content, there being more 

 NanO and KiO in the low-calcium lot. The variations in the ash coniiionents 

 were not alike in all the bones, being least in the skull and greatest in the ribs 

 and spine. 



On some factors controlling fertility in domestic animals, J. Hammond 

 {■Jour. Agr. Sci. [England], 6 {191. 't). No. 3, pp. 263-277, pi. i).— In a study of 

 the factors which limit the fertility of domestic animals it was concluded that 

 the low fertility of young as compared with adult sows is due to the fact that 

 not so many ova are shed, it appearing that various circumstances control the 

 number of ova shed at each heat period. " Counts have been made of the 

 numljcr of corpora lutea present in the ovaries and number of fetuses lu-esent 

 in the uteri of i)reguant rabbits and i)igs. The results show that many more 

 ova are shed at the heat period than young are produced at biith. .Some ova 

 possibly may be lost but many after fertilization atrophy at some period of 



