868 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



and pork have come to this country. There has been a marked increase in the 

 pedigree registration of the bacon breeds of hogs and a material decrease in the 

 fat-hog breeds during the past few years. 



Swine, G. E. Day (Ontario Dept. Agr. Bui. 225 (1914), pp. 80, figs. 28).— A 

 general treatise on the feeding, care, and management of swine. 



The breeds of horses in Norway, C. Wbiedt (Abs. in Internat. Imt. Agr. 

 \_Rotne'\, Mo. Bui. Agr. Intel, and Plant DiseaseH, 5 (1914), No. 9, pp. ll'DJ^- 

 1196). — An account of the origin, development, and breed characteristics of the 

 horses of Norway, one being the native breed known as Fjord, the other a special 

 breed developed in eastern Norway and known as Gudbrandsdal. 



IReport of] poultry section {Minnesota Sta. Rpt. 191Jf, p. 37). — From feed- 

 ing records kept of a flock of ducks " it would appear that in flocks of 20 or 

 more the feeder would realize about 25 cts. per hour for his time, with in- 

 creased returns as the number is increased. Ducks, when fed unstintingly, 

 are retidy for market in from 9 to 11 weeks." 



Records kept of the cost of growing the chick during the fattening age " in- 

 dicate that at this, the most expensive period of production, the cost of feed 

 exceeds one-half the lowest market price, which in this locality is usually about 

 16 cts. per pound live weight for prime young stock." 



A flock of White Leghorns kept on range and fed by the hopper method 

 doubled in weight in 57 days at a feeding cost of less than 7 cts. per pound 

 gained. "At the low average price of 20 cts. per dozen for the eggs produced, a 

 flock of 39 White Leghorns shows receipts of over 30 per cent above the maxi- 

 mum feeding cost. That a younger flock and one that had been confined for a 

 shorter space of time would have shown a larger egg yield is certain." 



[Report of] poultry husbandry department (Oregon Sta. Rpt. 1913-1914, 

 pp. 22-24). — It has been found that the humidity surrounding eggs during 

 incubation has a highly important function to perform and that this, taken in 

 connection with ventilation of the incubator and the supply of oxygen, is prob- 

 ably the factor to be reckoned with in solving the problem of losses in connec- 

 tion with the hatching of chickens. 



Results of crossbreeding experiments with Plymouth Rocks and Leghorns 

 indicate that it is possible to produce a bird with a higher egg yield than the 

 average of either parent, while the meat quality is also such as better to meet 

 the needs of the consumer. 



Experiments on egg laying in different breeds of poultry (Abs. in Internat. 

 Inst. Agr. [Rome], Mo. Bui. Agr. Intel, and Plant Diseases, 5 (1914), No. 9, pp. 

 1199, 1200). — In these trials conducted at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural 

 College at Copenhagen, of the 7 breeds represented the Leghorns took first place 

 for both number and total weight of the eggs. Most hens laid the greatest num- 

 ber of eggs during the first or second year, but there were some that produced 

 more in the third year. As for summer and winter laying, there was no 

 large difference between Plymouth Rocks and Leghorns, the former laying a 

 slightl.v greater percentage of their eggs during the winter months than the 

 latter. The older hens laid a smaller percentage of their eggs during the 

 winter months than the younger ones. 



The weight of individual eggs was greater for Minorcas and Leghorns than 

 for White Wyandottes and Houdans. and appeared to increase with the age of 

 the hens. The weight of the birds increased with age, but only up to the end 

 of the third year, when they were fully grown. There appeared to be a growth 

 from autumn to spring and a sinking from spring to summer. This was 

 especially noticeable in good layers, the body weight of which decreased to a 

 greater extent than that of poor layers during the spring months when egg 

 laying was more active. 



