468 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



average daily gains per head of 0.93 and 1.02 lb.s., lot 1 requiring 1.95 lbs. of 

 grain, 10.77 lbs. of alfalfa, and 10.77 lbs. of silage, and lot 2, 1.76 lbs. of grain 

 and 17.62 lbs. of alfalfa per pound of gain. The cost per pound of gain was 

 for lot 1, 11.05, and for lot 2, 12.77 cts., the daily cost of ratioris per heifer 

 being 10.5 cts. and 13 cts., respectively. 



In order to test the value of the oat and pea silage as completely as possible, 

 5 of the heifers were fed for 112 days reversible rations during 4-week periods. 

 The total gain of 5 head on silage was 347 lbs., and of 5 head without silage 

 253 lbs. In the total daily gain for the 5 heifers 36 lbs. of silage and 22.5 lbs. 

 of alfalfa were fed Interchangeably, with gains considerably in favor of the 

 silage. 



Analyses of the feeds used are appended. 



The structure of the wool of pure-bred wool-producing' sheep and that of 

 crosses with the kemp-producing race, H. GUldexpfen.nig (Kiihn Arch., 6 

 (1915), pt. 1, pp. 85-92, fig 1; abs. in Intcrnat. Inst. Agr. [i?o?ne]. Mo. Bui. Agr. 

 Intel, and Plant Diseases, 6 {1915), Xo. 10, pp. 139S-1400).— In his studies the 

 author found that as regards fineness of wool, mutton-producing Merinos are 

 equal to the animals of the Electoral breed and their fleeces are twice as long. 

 The Meriuo-Rambouillet and Merino-Dishley breeds have a fleece of the same 

 length but their wool is coarser. Among the stralght-wooled sheep, the East 

 Friesian milk-producing breed, like the Lincoln, constitutes a special tj-pe. The 

 former is distinguished in its particular group by the small amount of crimp 

 and the smooth appearance of its wool, while the wool of the Lincoln sheep 

 is long and fine with a greasy luster. 



From the quality of their coat, the mixed wool and kemp-producing breeds 

 can form a group apart, for which the rule may be formulated that the coarser 

 the kemp the finer the wool. The very fine wool of the Somali breed has lost 

 its fineness through crossing with other breeds. The determination of the 

 proportion between the weight and the respective members of the kemp fibers 

 and of wool fibers is deemed of great importance. When determined. It was 

 seen In the offspring of crosses to have an Intermediate value. 



The consistency of the kemp fibers of wool varies considerably in d liferent 

 breeds and between one animal and another. The wool of Merino sheep has 

 an average elasticity and a more uniform and perhaps greater resistance to 

 strain than that of any other breed. The products of crossing give, even in 

 this case, intermediate values. The elasticity coefficients of the wool of Merinos 

 and their hybrids are approximately equal. The highest average coefticicnt 

 is that of the smooth and the mixed wool breeds. 



Value and use of green fodders in the feeding of hogs, N. Hansson (Con- 

 tralanst. Jordbruksforsok Flygbl., 50 (191 5), pp. J,; Nord. Mcjcri Tidn., 30 (1915), 

 No. 26, pp. 305, 306). — It is said that roots, potatoes, and alfalfa are being useil 

 to some extent as a hog feed in Sweden. The value of green feeds for hogs 

 has been demonstrated by experiments in that country, it being found that 

 from 7 to 7.5 kg. of alfalfa and green clover and from 9 to 10 kg. of coarser 

 green feed were equal in value to 1 kg. of gralih The food value of these 

 fodders was not Increased by fermentation or boiling, although they made the 

 feed more appetizing. It was found that the best results were obtained by in- 

 creasing the amount of green fodder until the hog reached 70 to 86 kg. In 

 weight and then gradually decreasing the green feed until the end of the fat- 

 tening period. The gains of hogs fed In this way were greater than the 

 gains of those not receiving the green feed, but the dressing percentage was 

 less. The green feed had no influence on the quality of the meat. 



