564 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.35 



and 1.2 lbs. wheat bran) per head daily gained 2.36 lbs. per head daily. A lot 

 fed 13.5 lbs. concentrates (9 lbs. corn, 2 lbs. cotton-seed meal, and 2..5 lbs. 

 wheat bran), with 28.8 lbs. silage and 3.2 lbs. clover hay, gained 2.59 lbs. per 

 head daily. However, the feed cost of the gains of these steers fed the heavier 

 concentrate allowance was 16 per cent higher and the margin necessary in 

 feeding was 31 cts. greater. 



Studies in animal breeding {Wisconsin Sta. Bui. 268 (1916), pp. 9, 10). — 

 Studies on the effect of such poisons as lead on the germ cells of the male 

 showed the same deleterious results as were obtained the year before (E. S. 

 R., 33, p. 368). 



Work on the inheritance of epilepsy in guinea pigs has shown that this dis- 

 ease is inheritable and follows Mendel's law. 



In a study, carried on by H. L. Ib.sen, of the growth of guinea pigs in embryo 

 and after birth it has been observed that the weights of the different embryos 

 in a litter show that the first and last embryos are invariably larger than tho.se 

 in the middle of the same horn of the uterus. It is popularly believed that the 

 " titman " or runt of a litter of pigs is the last one to be born, but this ob- 

 servation would seem to indicate that such is not the case, as the smaller 

 embryos are always found in the middle of the row of young in the uterus. 



In experimental work on the influence of clo.se inbreeding, carried on by J. G. 

 Halpin, it is reported that with Rhode Island Reds results of a detrimental 

 character are beginning to be observed, that the closely inbred stock takes 

 longer to hatch and frequently does not produce so strong chicks as those 

 from the control pens. 



The influence of sires on production, C. C. Hayden (Mo. Bui. Ohio Sta., 

 1 (}!il6), No. 7, pp. 211-21.'), fujH. 2). — Partial records were kept of the results 

 of the use of various bulls in the station dairy herd. The first bull used on 

 the first group of cows came from a dam which had a good official record, and 

 the granddam on the sire's side had a record of large production. His sire 

 was more noted as a show-ring favorite than as a sire of producing daughters. 

 The results showed an average gain of the daughters over their dams of 1,902 

 lbs. of milk and 60 lbs. of fat for the first year, and an average yearly difference 

 of 1,176 lbs. of milk and 42 lbs. of fat for all periods. 



A second bull was selected for this group, the price paid being about twice 

 that for the first bull. He had better records of production back of him, and 

 the results justified the greater expenditure. The gain over the original dams 

 by the u.se of this bull was for the first calf 4,074 lbs. of milk and 156 lbs. of 

 fat, and for one year of all lactation periods, 4,207 lbs. of milk and 153 lbs. of 

 fat. The gain over the daughters of the previous bull was for the fir.st year 

 only 2,172 lbs. of milk and 96 lbs. of fat, and for one year of each lactation 

 period, 3,031 lbs. of milk and 111 lbs. of fat. 



The first bull used on the second group was selected from one of the best 

 herds in Ohio, though his sire and dam had no oflicial records. A decrease of 

 687 lbs. of milk and 39 lbs. of fat showed that the use of this sire greatly re- 

 duced the productive capacity. His double daughters produced 3,520 lbs. of 

 milk and 202 lbs. of fat, or a decrease of 521 lbs. of milk j nd 32 lbs. of fat be- 

 low their dams. 



The daughters of a second bull used on this group show an increa.se over the 

 daughters of the first bull of 752 Ib.s. of milk and 32 Ib.s. of fat per year. For 

 ftie first lactation period only they show an increa.se of 1,205 lbs. of milk and 

 49 lbs. of fat, indicating that they will be far superior to the daughters of the 

 first bull when they are mature. At the time this second bull was purchased 

 his ancestry had no oflTicial records, but his dam was said to be a heavy per- 

 sistent milker and liis sire was imported. 



