96 TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY REPORT. 
fed in part separately. live hundred eggs, in all, from each lot 
were examined and incubated. Of the eggs from hens fed the 
ration with animal food, 86 per ct. were fertile, 19 per ct. of the 
fertile eggs had weak germs, and 77 per ct. of the tested eggs 
hatched strong chicks. Of the eggs from hens fed vegetable food, 
78 per ct. were fertile, 34 per ct. of the fertile eggs had weak germs, 
and 64 per ct. of the tested eggs hatched strong chicks. No differ- 
ence in the vigor of the chicks from the two lots while growing 
was apparent. 
Summary of the three series of experiments. These experiments 
with animal food may be summarized about as follows: 
Of rations which contained practically the same proportions of 
the groups of constituents ordinarily considered, those wholly and 
those very largely of vegetable origin proved much inferior for 
growing chicks to other rations, higher in ash content, containing 
animal food. When the deficiency of mineral matter was made 
good by the addition of bone ash, vegetable food rations for chicks 
equaled or somewhat surpassed in efficiency corresponding rations 
in which three-eighths of the protein was derived from animal food. 
For laying hens rations containing animal food proved superior 
to others in which all or most of the organic matter was derived 
from vegetable sources. The vegetable food ration supplemented 
by bone ash proved equally efficient for several months, but egg 
production held up longer under the animal food ration, and the 
eggs were better for hatching. 
Rations containing animal food proved very much superior for 
ducklings to rations wholly or largely of vegetable origin which, 
according to the ordinary methods of estimation, had practically 
the same nutritive value. A ration of vegetable food supplemented 
by bone ash proved inferior to another ration of similar “ compo- 
sition’ in which three-eighths of the protein came from animal 
food. The ash-supplemented ration seemed palatable and equally 
healthful, but failed to induce a rapid growth, though permitting 
ultimate attainment of full size. 
THE PROPORTION OF ANIMAL FOOD IN THE RATION FOR DUCKLINGS. 
Under ordinary conditions grain or grain products of some sort 
must constitute the larger part of all rations for poultry, but the 
grains usually available contain but a small percentage of mineral 
matter. In the experiments recorded it was found that rations 
containinge animal food gave better results than those consisting 
