STOCK-RAISIXG : ORGANISATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT 



I-^OI 



Kach family had sprung from an ancestor which had transmitted its pre- 

 potency to a number of its descendants. He further concludes that the char- 

 acter in question is probably increased by in-breeding, although some Amer- 

 ican prepotent sires are the result of crosses between members of different 

 prepotent families. 



990 - A Sex-limited Colour in Ayrshire Cattle. — wkntworth Edward n., m journal of 



As,ricultuyal Research, Vol. VI, No. 4, pp. 141-147. Washington, D. C, April 24, iyi6. 



In the Ayrshire breed the coat is generally red and white, nevertheless 

 in the United States animals of black piebald colour have been observed 

 from time to time (i). Up to the present day. no attention has been paid 

 to the mode of transmission of this coat, because in America it was consider- 

 ed as being undesirable and it w^as sought to eliminate it by selection. It 

 is diiScult to ascertain whether the black is due to a true black pigment, or 

 whether it is simply a very intense red. Under the microscope, typically 

 black granules appear to be present, but no attempt has yet been made to 

 obtain a chemical solution of the pigments. 



The writer, for his studies, had recourse to the pedigree (ancestors 

 and descendants) of the Ayrshire bull of the scientific Agricultural Station 

 of Kansas, with white and very dark mahogany red coat (called above black 

 piebald). 63 individuals were taken into account altogether. After clas- 

 sification and discussion of the results, the following conclusions are arriv- 

 ed at : 



i) The black piebald colour is a simple allelomorph of the red pie- 

 bald colour in Ayrshire cattle. 



2) In the males, the black piebald character is dominant ; in the 

 females the red piebald character is dominant. 



3) Males heterozygous in respect to the two characters have black 

 piebald coat, while heterozygous females have red piebald coat. 



Appended is a bibliography of 4 works. 



991 - Encouragement of the Breeding of Small Livestock and Bee Keeping by the 

 Prussian State Railway Administration. — b.'vdermann, in Deutsche LanchvuischafiUchc 



Tierzucht, 20th Year, No. 20, pp. 159-160. Hanover, May 19, 1916. 



In 1906 it was proposed in the Prussian Diet to place a sum at the dispo- 

 sal of the State Railway Administration for distribution to minor officials 

 and workmen already possessing hives or desiring to obtain them. In 1907 

 the proposal was carried into effect and the Railway Administration was also 

 recommended to make provision for bee-keeping when planting trees and 

 hedges on slopes and to arouse the interest of workmen and employees in 

 bee-keeping by means of lectures and the distribution of suitable publica- 

 tions. The Railway Administration was furthermore authorised to give 

 financial and moral encouragement to the purchasing of lives, and it facili- 

 tated attendance to lectures and bee-keeping exhibitions by workmen and 

 employees. 



STOCK kaisi.vg: 



ORGANISATION 



AND 



E.VCOUR.AC.E- 



MENT 



(i) See B. 1915, No. 10G3. 

 6 



[Ed.] 



