A Book on i the Sexual Question 



335 



and the effect of disease on the germ- 

 plasm are not supported by any evidence 

 and must be considered as highly 

 exaggerated.^ 



But it would be a mistake to think 

 that the book as a whole is marked by 

 these exaggerations. There have been 

 few published discussions of social 

 hygiene that are so sane, temperate, 

 and national. Dr. Toulouse examines 

 the many questions — the single stand- 

 ard of morality, free love, divorce, the 

 proper age for marriage, monogamy 

 and polygamy, illegitimacy, abortion, 

 the position of women in industry — 

 without dogma or sentiment, and always 

 with a view to determining what solu- 



tion will be most eugenic. In many 

 ways his discussion is in advance of the 

 current social hygiene literature of the 

 United States, for in discussing such a 

 question as the single standard he does 

 not limit himself to arguments based on 

 the fear of venereal infection and 

 illegitimate parentage, as is too often 

 done, but inquires into the philosophical 

 bases on which chastity may be justified. 

 On the whole, the work is stimulating 

 by the ideas it puts forth rather than 

 by its presentation of any mass of data ; 

 for these are largely lacking. But few 

 recent works on eugenics will better 

 repay reading than this little volume by 

 Dr. Toulouse, 



All-Northwest Egg-Laying Contest 



The egg-laying contest is a testing 

 place for the poultry breeders of the 

 state, and is also a testing place for 

 those poultry raisers who want to 

 improve their flock production. The 

 contest, just closed, has clearly demon- 

 strated that high egg production can be 

 had from birds irrespective of altitude 

 or other climatic conditions. The birds 

 in the Second All-Northwest Contest 

 came from places varying widely in all 

 climatic conditions, as well as in avail- 

 able feeds. The high hen in the contest 

 was a Single Comb White Leghorn, 

 Number 251, which was bred, and is now 

 owned by D. Tancred, of Kent, Wash- 

 ington. This bird laid 311 eggs during a 

 period of 365 days. It is also a note- 

 worthy fact that these birds made their 

 records while kept in flocks of 36. The 

 usual number of birds in other contests 

 are from five to ten birds. It is more 

 credit to a breeder to have a high record 

 in a large flock than in a small one. 



Dtiring the past seven years the 

 poiiltry raisers have become more in- 

 terested in the egg-laying contests. Men 

 who are doing good breeding work are 

 anxious to have their birds tested in 

 order that they may have official records 



of their production. Egg-laying contests, 

 have brought clearly before the poultry 

 public that in order to have birds that 

 would produce eggs, it would be neces- 

 sary to have good breeding back of the 

 birds. Feed is, to be sure, an important 

 factor in egg production, but it is 

 necessary to have birds which are able 

 to handle feed and convert it into eggs 

 before high records can be made either 

 at horns or at the contests. The poul- 

 trymen who enter their birds in the 

 egg-laying contests, year after 3^ear, 

 show a marked improvement in the 

 quality of their stock. A few years 

 ago the average poultr5nTian or farmer 

 was rather skeptical about a bird having 

 the ability to lay 200 eggs in one year. 

 The official trap-nesting done during the 

 past few years has demonstrated that a. 

 good percentage of birds entered lay in 

 the neighborhood of 200 eggs in a 3^ear. 

 About 5% of the birds at the Second 

 All-Northwest Egg-Laying Contest laid 

 over 250 eggs each, while 31% of the 

 birds laid over 200 eggs, and 71% over 

 150 eggs. — R. V. Mitchell, Director, 

 Washington Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion, Pullman, Washington. 



2 On pages 47-48 Dr. Toulouse expresses a doubtful belief in the superstition of telegony,, 

 which is now thoroughly discredited among geneticists. 



