1916] DAIRY FARMING DAIRYING. 481 



arches, or from the keel bone to the base of the tail is used as a basis of selec- 

 tion, as these parts are very closely correlated in size. After a bird has stopped 

 laying or as it gets ready to stop the abdomen shrinks. The actual distance be- 

 tween these parts depends on the size of the bird and the size of her egg, as 

 well as the number of eggs about to be laid. The system is of value in telling 

 what the bird may do for the next two or three weeks, or, by knowing that the 

 bird is laying at certain times of year, it indicates high or low production. 



Occurrence and significance of Bacterium pullorum. in eggs, L. F. Rettgeb 

 (Jour. Amer. Assoc. Instr. and Invest. Poultry Husb., 2 {1916), No. 3, pp. 62, 

 63). — The material reported is noted from another source (E. S. R., 35, p. 264). 



DAIRY FARMING— DAIRYING. 



The mineral m.etabolism of the milch cow; first paper, E. B. Foebes, F. M. 

 Beegle, et al. {Ohio Sta. Bui. 295 {1916), pp. 323-3^8) .—Two groups of 3 

 Holstein-Friesian cows each were fed during three periods of 19 or 20 days 

 each, with 10-day intervals between periods, as follows : During the first 

 period, group 1, corn, cotton-seed meal, timothy hay, and corn silage, and group 2, 

 corn, cotton-seed meal, and clover hay ; second period, group 1, corn, cotton-seed 

 meal, clover hay, and corn silage, and group 2, corn, distillers' grains, clover 

 hay, and corn silage; third period, group 1, corn, linseed meal, clover hay, and 

 corn silage, and group 2, corn, gluten feed, clorer hay, and corn silage. 



It was found that liberal milk production on common practical winter 

 rations fed in quantities sufficient to maintain the live weight and to cause 

 regular nitrogen and sulphur storage caused consistent losses of calcium, 

 magnesium, and phosphorus from the cows' skeletons. These losses occurred 

 in spite of liberal supplies of these nutrients in the food. The limited response 

 of the cows to an increase in the intake of these elements indicated that their 

 utilization of these nutrients on a profitable plane of food consumption and 

 milk production was surprisingly inefficient. The cause of this inadequate 

 utilization of minerals, especially calcium, and the possibility of preventing 

 losses of these nutrients stand in need of further investigation. 



An extensive metabolism of silicon was demonstrated. An excess of inor- 

 ganic acids over inorganic bases in a ration, due largely to the silicon of 

 timothy hay, caused an acid reaction and an increase in the ammonia of the 

 urine. 



No important specific effects were observed of the nitrogenous concentrates, 

 cotton-seed meal, linseed meal, gluten feed, and distillers' grains, on the digesti- 

 bility of the rations in which they were fed. 



The results of this study indicate that special attention should be given to 

 the calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus contents of the rations of heavily- 

 producing cows in order that the loss of these elements from the skeleton may 

 be kept as low as possible. A liberal supply of foods which are rich in these 

 elements should be allowed after the cow has ceased to produce abundantly, 

 during the latter part of the period of lactation, in order to refund previous 

 overdrafts before the birth of the next calf. 



Silage made from oats and tares as a food for milking cows, A. W. Oldeb- 

 SHAw {Jour. Bd. Agr. [London'], 23 {1916), No. 3, pp. 224-229) .—In this experi- 

 ment six cows fed a daily ration of concentrated foods and chaff, supple- 

 mented by 60 lbs. of silage made from oats and tares, gave approximately the 

 same quantity of milk as six cows fed a similar quantity of concentrated foods 

 and chafC, supplemented by a daily ration of 60 lbs. of mangolds. 



Value of the seven-day test, T. E. Woodwabd {Hoard's Dairyman, 51 {1916), 

 No. 25, p. 960, fig. i).— In a study of data collected from the advanced registry 



