80(5 KXrKKIMENT STATION HKroUD. 



Dried grains v. crushed oats as food for fattening- sheep, T. Wintkr {Bd. 



A(/r. mid /•V.s7(/r/i .< [I^oihIdii], I!j>I. Agr. Kdurdlimi mid fiisenrrli, lOO.'-.i, pp. 08-70). — 

 In ji test covi'rin<r 10 \\ook.« the irlative iiu-ritH of dried hrewern' graiiiH and crushed 

 oafs were stndie<l with 2 lot«, eai-h containing 3;5 Border-Leicester-Cheviot sheep. 

 The grains tested were fed witli decorticated cotton-seed cake and in addition Swed- 

 isli turnips and hay ad lil)ittnn. On the ration containing driiMl lirewers' grains the 

 average gain in weight was 15.12 Ihs. i)er sliceji and mi the crushed oat ration 

 Ui.Sti Ihs. Tlie author calculates tliat there was a net pmlit of 8:5.20 in favor of the 

 slieeii fed tlie oat ration. 



Annual wool review, W. J. B.xrnsoN {Boalun: JiockurlUind ChiircJiill Prcxa, 1903, 

 jip. ./',\- ri'jir. from liid. X<il. As.sor. Wool M(tm(fadurer>^, 1903, Dec). — This pu))lica- 

 tion contains estimates of tiie number of sheep and <if the wool i)roducts of the United 

 States for 1908, discussions of forest reserves and sheep raising, weight of fleece and 

 shrinkage of wool, and anumber of tables furnishing statistical data of interest to 

 those engaged in wool production and the wool trade. 



The ('stimated value of the wool crop of 1903, "based on the value of the scoured 

 jHiuiid at the seal)oard," is 124,366,205 lbs., having a total value of $58,775,378, 

 the value jier pomid for fleece lieing 48.8 cts. and for pulled wool 43.4 cts. The total 

 value of the wool croj) is 3.14 per cent less than that of the previous year, the 

 decrease being due to a reduction in the total quantity of wool produced. On the 

 other hand, the value of fleece wool, it is stated, has increase<l 7.86 ])er cent and that 

 of pulled wool 9.32 jier cent. In 1903 the average weight of fleeces was 6.25 lbs. as 

 compared with 6.50 lbs. in 1902, and the average skrinkage 60.8 per cent as compared 

 with 60 per cent. 



Regarding the sheep industry in the United States the conditions indicate "that 

 the future prosperity of the American sheep industry lies in a gradual but radical 

 change in the manner in which it is conducted. The day of extremely large flocks 

 on unlinuted ranges is beginning to pass away. The sheep will have to be kept 

 in smaller flocks, and those adapted to closer confinement substituted for breeds 

 whicli aix' dependent on a wide range for profitable existence. . . . Surprise 

 has often been expressed that farmers in the Eastern and Middle States do not pay 

 more attention to sheep. The cause aj^pears to be, in a great measure, the same as 

 that which prevents the growing of carpet wools in this country. Other branches of 

 agriculture require less care and exertion, or yield better returns for capital invested 

 and time and labor expended. . . . Notwithstanding the disadvantages, there is 

 still a good profit to be made from sheep, and we note a tendency in New York 

 State toward an increase in the number of small flocks, on farms in heretofore 

 exclusive dairy sections, the sheep being kept i)artially for the purpose of destroying 

 weeds in tlie pasture." 



Feeding dried potatoes, W. Schneidewind {Illva. Lavdir. Ztrj., 33 {1903),. No. 48, 

 p. 623; alts, in Centbl. Agr. Chem., 32 {1903), No. 12, pp. 830, ^5i).— Feeding experi- 

 ments with pigs convinced the author that dried potatoes, even if finely ground, 

 were less digestible than ground barley; so different methods of preparation were 

 tested with a view to increasing their digestibility, including very fine grinding, 

 soaking in hot and cold water, and treatment with malt. The last method was the 

 only one which gave satisfactory results. Malting was easily accomplished, malt 

 being simply added to potatoes wet with hot water and allowed to stand for several 

 hours. The mass was thick at first but soon became rather thin and was readily 

 eaten in this form. Cattle and horses, it is stated, digest dried potatoes more 

 thoroughly than pigs. 



Bacon production, G. E. D.vy {Ontario Agr. Col. and Expt. Farm Bid. 129, pp. 

 23, figa. 2, dgms. 5). — Various problems connected with bacon production are discussed 

 on the basis of results obtained at the station, such topics as the following being con- 



