ANIMAT. PHODUCTTON. 869 



being deterniined. ... II is apparent that the strong bones have hotli tliiclver 

 walls in the shaft and more mineral matter in the ends." 



Comparative experiments with swine of different breeding (Bcr. K. VcL 

 og Lan(ll)(tli<ijski)h:s Lab. LdiuUikonoin. Fosug [Copenhagen}, 6.J (J90S), pp. 

 239). — The experiments here reported were in continnatiou of work previously 

 noted (E. S. K., 11, p. 68), and connnenced in ISDO and continued for 7 years. 

 The object was to compare the Yorkshire and Danish breeds and crosses be- 

 tween I>anish sows and Yorkshire boars as to the period required to reach 

 slaughterhouse weight and the utilization of the feed eaten by the swine. It 

 was also the plan to study for these breeds the bodily conformation of the 

 animals, the deposition of fat, and the quality of the pork as an export article. 

 The report includes experiments with 1,083 different animals, separated into 202 

 lots, viz, 21 Yorkshire lots, 121 pure Danish lots, 50 tirst crosses, and 4 lots of 

 mixed breeding. 



The main results of the investigation may be briefly stated as follows: The 

 Yorkshire pigs required a little more feed for the production of a pound of 

 pork than the cross-bred pigs and these again slightly more than the Danish 

 pigs. The Yorkshires gave a larger proportion of export pork than the Danish 

 pigs for the same live weight and less shrinkage at slaughtering. They also 

 scored higher in regard to deposition of fat, depth of body, form of hams, and 

 fineness of bone and skin, the crosses coming second with regard to these points. 

 Within the Danish breed there were considerable differences between the dif- 

 ferent lots as to thriftiness and quality, but by separating these into families it 

 was found that for families where a sufficient number of different lots from 

 each generation had been included in the experiments to enable one to judge 

 of the thriftiness and quality of the separate generations, there was nearly 

 always an indication that the feed consumption for a certain gain in live weight 

 was increasing from generation to generation. In the same way the percentage 

 of shrinkage at slaughtering was increasing, while the percentage of export 

 pork was decreasing to the same extent with each generation. On the other 

 hand, in the scores for the quality of bacon, depth of body, form of hams, and 

 fineness of bone some progress was to be traced from one generation to another. 



The feed consumption per pound of increase in live weight in the experiments 

 here reported was found to average for lots weighing from 35 to 75 lbs. per 

 pig, 3.4 lbs. ; for lots weighing from 75 to 115 lbs., 3.8 lbs. ; and for lots weighing 

 from 115 to 155 lbs., 4.4 lbs. The lower consumption of feed per gain in live 

 weight in the experiment here reported as compared with the earlier experi- 

 ments is considered to be explained partly by the fact that nearly all of the 

 former experiments were conducted during the summer and partly by an im- 

 provement in the average quality of the animals experimented with. 



Pork production in Denmark (fiiil. l/rH.s-. Off. Renxcig. Agr. [Paris], 7 

 (1908), No. 10, pp. 125-i-rl256). — Statistical information on the recent develop- 

 ment of the swine industry in that country. 



The horse: Its selection and purchase, F. T. Barton (London, 1907, pp. 

 X-\-252. p/.s. Ih"). — "The object of this book is to show buyers of horses what 

 to select and what to reject when purchasing without professional guid- 

 ance. . . . The chapter on conformation is intended to give the reader a 

 general idea of the good and bad i)oints of the horse." The characteristics of 

 the Shire. Suffolk, and hackney horses are described. There are cliapters 

 on unsoundness, general hints relating to buying, and warranty, and examples 

 are given of typical actions at law (English) relating to the sale and purchase 

 of horses. 



