218 IV' (;ONKKi;i;\(:i-; i\ti:i;n\ti(inai,k dk ckm'.tk.h k. 



Tlio (|UPSlion of riiiiniiif;- lo sood is pcrha])s inoro imporlaiil in Cabbiig-es 

 llian in Mangels. In Cabhaf^os iiowever liic quoslion is apparcnlly innre cum- 

 pliialcd liy liie inllucnro of conditions c. g. early sowing. Tlicre is no douM 

 liowi'Nci- llial difl'cronl slocivs of Cai)ljages give dillercnl proportion- oT 

 " rniiniTs " cvcn wlieii sown al Ihe same lime and under siniiiar ronililions. 

 l'or instance, in llie ï slocivs sown licre at Ihc same lime lasl aulumn, Ihc iirst 

 gave '■2W), the second '2 tiLT), llic lliirJ u H'J'J and Ihe fourlh l'J l'iT ninncrs pcr 

 acre in Ihe seed bcds. IIow far thèse figures would liave licni aUccIcd liad 

 tlie seed been sown a montii earUer is problemalical. Tliis ycar, a séries of 

 sowings hâve been made Iwice a week llirougii July and Augusl lo furllier les! 

 lliis important matter. 



Piiullrij. — A number of ciiickens of \\'iiile Leghorns and White W'yan- 

 dotles, bred from two distinct " '2(MI egg " sLrains, bave been reared, and an 

 altempt will be made to raise from tiiem homozygous Hnes thaï will maintain 

 lliis slandai'd of egg-produclion. To do tliis in the case of llie W'yandotle, il 

 may jiossiiily be necessary lo ehminate Uie jjroody instinct, wliicli in my previons 

 expcrimenls appeared to behave as a Mentieiian dominant character in Bull' 

 Coehins. In snch a case, il will be interesling lo see whelher the coloured egg 

 disappears wilh the lir()ody instinct. 



Pigeons. — We bave lliis year Iaken up the breeding of llie lloming or 

 Racing pigeon at Ihe Station and liave found il a most inleresliiig study. The 

 princijial characters Ihal go lo make an efficient racing pigeon in good training, 

 appear to jje mainly mental and lemperamental. The rapid developmenl ot 

 the modem homer in récent years seems to hâve been due to the rigid sélection 

 or nalural weeding oui proccss, which lakes place in the best lofls. The 

 System beiiig thaï only Ihose birds thaï bave the intelligence and détermination 

 to return home quickly from long dislances, are bred from. The " wasters 

 either succumbing by Ihe way, or are trapped and bred from by second-rate 

 fanciers. Nolwithslanding this rigid sélection of breeding stock, Ihe best 

 birds slill throw " waslers ", and our objecl islo altempt to raise homozygous 

 lines which will throw no " waslers". Two distinct slrains bave been l)red from 

 this year, a pure-breeding blue and a pure-breeding red slrain; a numlier of 

 " squeakers " bave been reared. Irained, and raced wilh a local FlyingClub this 

 summer. 



Il is interesling lo note Ihat feeble-mindedness seems lo be a récessive cha- 

 racter in pigeons, as well as in Man. 



lUdibits. — In the whole range of fancy live stock, perhaps the mosl diffi- 

 cull animal lo Ijreed is a Champion Dulch Rabbit. Il is quile an ordinary 

 expérience with Dulch lanciers to breed 1000 animais of the best pedigree, 

 wilhout oblaining a Champion. One of the reasons for this is undoublediy 

 Ihat the model markings required in a Champion winner are fluctuating varia- 

 tions whicli are nol germinal. Al the same lime my experimenls show Ihat al 

 leasl 2") of Ihe " waslei's " i. e. the spolted forms, can be eliminatcd. The 

 " Dulch ■■ winner bas about cqual proportions of coloured and white fui' 

 arranged in a regular paltern. The otTspring of winners however vaiy cousi- 

 derably in thèse proportions of coloured and white fur. If ."> lie Iaken to 



