796 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Poultry and Produce Co., the Truro (X. S.) Agricultural College, and by private 

 individuals, are described and plans given. In these houses several points were spe- 

 cially sought — warm roosting pens, plenty of sunlight, fresh air without drafts, and 

 convenience in cleaning. According to the authors the houses may be built with or 

 without foundations. 



"A cement or stone wall sufficiently underground to exclude rats and vermin is 

 an advantage. The cost varies according to the price of lumber and help. The floor 

 in most cases is the soil, though cement or wooden floors will give good satisfaction. 

 ... In calculating the number of fowls these buildings will accommodate, allow (i 

 to 8 sq. ft. of floor surface- for each breeding fowl and give them from 5 to 10 times as 

 much yard space. For each pen one male will be found sufficient, but it is sometimes 

 advisable to change the male if not specially mated." 



On the relative efficiency of poultry houses with and without ground ven- 

 tilation, T. R. Robinson and E. J. Russell {Jour. Southeast. Agr. Col. Wye, 1905, 

 Xo. 14, pp. 175-186, fig. 1, dgms. 2) . — The experiments reported show that poultry 

 houses without floors are not as satisfactory as those with floors, at any rate during 

 the winter, notwithstanding the fact that from studies previously reported (E. S. R., 

 16, p. 588) the unfloored houses were found to be twice as efficient from the point of 

 ventilation. 



It was found that birds raised in floorless houses laid fewer eggs than the others, 

 the difference in the value of eggs produced amounting to 25 cts. per bird for a period 

 of 15 weeks. The temperature of the two houses and the carbon-dioxid content of 

 the air was the same, so in the authors' opinion the reason for the differences observed 

 was neither the purity nor the temperature of the air. 



"The quantity of heat lost by the birds in the raised floorless house is, however, 

 greater than in the other; more of their food is consequently required for fuel pur- 

 poses, leaving less for other requirements. It appears to us that this is the reason of 

 the superiority of the house with a floor. 



"Poultry houses cost so little relative to the return they give that it is hardly 

 worth while trying to overcome the difficulty. The simplest plan is to increase the 

 accommodation for the birds, giving each one 10 cu. ft. of air space. Floors, either 

 of wood or brick can then be put in. 



" The above conclusions apply in their entirety to movable houses on wheels. If 

 raised above the ground, they become floorless houses, placed on the ground they 

 behave like houses with floors. 



"It is absolutely essential "to secure top ventilation. The houses received by us 

 from the makers have usually been deficient in this respect, and we have had to bore 

 holes in the eaves. By doing this we reduced the amount of carbonic acid in the air 

 from 30 to 9 parts in 10,000 volumes, and effected an improvement in the eggs." 



A practical poultry plant for southern California, E. P. Mitchell (Los 

 Angeles, Cat: Out West Pub. Co., 1904, pp. 105, pis. 6, figs. 34, chart 1). — In the author's 

 opinion, the poultry industry in southern California is capable of great development 

 and on the basis of experience he discusses such topics as buildings, hatching, brood- 

 ers, houses, feed, water supply, and expenses for equipping a poultry plant w T ith spe- 

 cial reference to local conditions. 



The poultry, T. R. Robinson (Jour. Southeast. *Agr. Col. Wye, 1905, Xo. 14, p- 

 25). — Brief notes are given regarding the station poultry flock and cross-breeding 

 experiments which have been undertaken. From White Minorcas crossed with 

 Black Court-pattes a strain has been developed which it is proposed to call the White 

 Crowns. These are distinguished by white plumage, short white shanks, and a long 

 breast bone. They lay large white eggs, feather early as chickens, and make very 

 fair table poultry. 



The adaptability of concentrated by-products for poultry feeding 1 , W. P. 

 Wheeler (New York State Sta. Bui. 271, pp. 387-408) .—The tests reported were made 



