26 



NATURE 



[January 5, 1922 



ininiense quantity of starchy food, far exceeding wheat 

 in output per acre, and the crop can be obtained in 

 shorter time and harvested at different periods of 

 spring, summer, and autumn. Potatoes are, however, 

 relatively deficient in fat and protein, but these can 

 be supplied, by way of supplement, by pig-meat. The 

 production of pigs in war-time should, therefore, be 

 encouraged, and not discouraged as during the late 

 war; their capacity for rapid reproduction, large 

 families, high percentage of fat-yield, and great variety 

 of food products render them invaluable meat-pro- 

 viders in a national emergency. Grazing varieties 

 deserve special encouragement. Another reason for 

 the encouragement of potato-growing lies in the large 

 areas of permanent and temporary pasture, valuable 

 storehouses of accumulated fertility, which can be 

 utilised in time of war when fertilisers are bound to 

 be scarce ; no crop thrives better in newly-turned 

 pasture than potatoes. Potato-flour is also useful, for 

 it can be converted into wholesome and palatable 

 bread, scones, and cakes, while surplus or unsuitable 

 potatoes can be utilised both as stock food and as 

 the source of motor spirit, commercial starch, etc. 

 The home production of breadstuffs in the form of 

 potatoes will reduce to a minimum the costs and risks 

 of marine transport, and their production in every 

 part of the kingdom for local needs will largely reduce 

 the strain on internal transport. 



In the discussion which followed some doubt was 

 expressed as to whether it would be wise to rely so' 

 exclusively on one crop as a source of food, especially 

 in view of the danger of the total failure of the crop 

 by disease. 



Sir Henry Rew communicated a paper on "Agricul- 

 tural Statistics : Their Collection and Use " (Journal 

 of the Ministry of Agriculture, vol. 28, p. 636, 192 1); 

 Mr. A. VV. Ashby dealt with "Standards of Produc- 

 tion in Agriculture," and Mr. Pryse Howell with 

 "Economic Surveys of Agriculture in Wales." 



On Tuesday the papers contributed dealt mostly 

 with nutrition problems. Dr. W. E. Elliot and Mr. 

 Arthur Crichton contributed a paper describing a 

 series of feeding and metabolic experiments which had 

 been conducted on pigs with the object of determining 

 the cause of a disease variously known as "rheu- 

 matism," "cramp," or "rickets." They conclude 

 from the results of their experiments that the condi- 

 tion is produced in animals deprived of access to earth 

 or other mixtures of minerals, and fed only on grains 

 and certain other concentrates commonly used in pig- 

 feeding. The inorganic constituents in these feeding- 

 stuffs do not correspond with the requirements of the 

 growing pig, for there is a marked deficiency of 

 calcium and an excess of acid radicles. If the mineral 

 matter of a ration composed of these feeding-stuffs 

 be adjusted to the requirements of the animal by a 

 mixture of salts compounded to correct the deficiences 

 the disease does not occur. The addition of fat 

 soluble A or of wacer soluble C to a ration that pro- 

 duces the condition does not prevent the onset of the 

 symptoms. Mr. John Golding exhibited photographs 

 of a littpr of pigs from a sow which was frd on a 

 diet deficient In vitamins ; they all suffered from 

 serious malformation of the hindquarters. In the dis- 

 cussion which followed exception was taken to the 

 conclusions arrived at bv Dr. Elliot and Mr. Crichton. 

 and It was considered by some speakers that it had 

 not been proved that the disease In question was solelv 

 due to a deficlencv In mineral matter in the ration. 



Dr. J. B. Orr then gave an account of "The Applica- 

 tion of an Indirect Method of Calorlmetry to the 

 Ruminant," and described the apparatus as adapted 

 for experiments with goats. 



Major C C. Hirst gave a paper on "The 

 NO. 2723, VOL. 109] 



Genetics of Egg-production in Poultry." Major 

 Hirst described the results of five years' experi- 

 mental breeding on Mendelian lines, and showed 

 that the first year's egg-production of a hen depends 

 on the combined action of at least seven main genetic 

 factors. The economic significance of the results was 

 discussed in detail, and the effects of the old methods 

 of grading by winter and annual records were pointed 

 out. The new system of grading production has :i 

 double value to the practical breeder, because th( 

 descriptive somatic gradings, being based on th' 

 genetic factors concerned, give a line also to the 

 breeding value of the bird, for the extreme grades 

 tend to breed true. The adoption of this grading 

 system for laying corT' petitions would lead to rapid 

 progress in poultry-breeding, and be of educational 

 value to poultry-keepers in general, for the winning 

 birds would breed winners with more frequency than 

 they do now. 



Miss Dorothy J. Jackson desciibed an investigation 

 i which she had carried out in the genus Sitones with 

 the object of investigating which species were in- 

 jurious to leguminous crops in Britain ; the life- 

 history of these species has also been determined. 

 No satisfactory method of control is at present known. 

 In the case of the species which breed on clover 

 control would be extremely difficult on account of 

 their prolonged period of egg-laying, but this difficulty 

 would not apply to the species which breed upon 

 peas and beans. Laboratory experiments on Infection 

 with the various fungus spores of Botrytis hassiana 

 (Balsamo), Montagne, have proved successful, death 

 invariably occurring in from nine to thirteenth days. 



In a paper by Miss M. S. G. Breeze "The Degenera- 

 tion in Anthers of Potato " was discussed. Two 

 definite types of degeneration have been observed : — 

 (i) Where the pollen-grains are formed, but degenerate 

 at various stages of development, and (2) in which 

 the pollen mother-cells are apparently normal, but no 

 reduction division takes place. The question of the 

 inheritance of degenerate condition of anthers was 

 also discussed. 



In addition to the formal meetings a visit was paid 

 to the Station for Research in Animal Breeding, where 

 a demonstration on the wools of primitive breeds of 

 sheep was given bv Dr. F. A. E. Crew. Dr. R. 

 Stewart MacDougall had an interesting exhibit of in- 

 sects injurious to stock, while in the library of the Agri- 

 cultural Department there was an exhibition of early 

 works dealing with agriculture and kindred subjects. 



On the Friday afternoon the new Plant-Breeding 

 Station at East Craigs, Corstorphlne,- was inspected. 

 The party was received by Dr. C. M. Douglas, of 

 Auchlochan, chairman of the committee, and Mr. 

 Drummond described the work of the station. After- 

 wards the farm of Mr. John Cowper at Gogar Mains 

 was visited. 



On the Saturday a whole-dav excursion took place 

 to typical farms in East Lothian. The concluding 

 visits were to the well-known farms of East Barns 

 and Barnevhill. where the party was received by Sir 

 Harry and Lady Hope. 



If a word of criticism mav be Indulged In, attention 

 might be directed to the fact that few of the readers 

 of papers seriously tried to confine themselves to the 

 time allotted to them in the programme or made a 

 real endeavour to prepare an abstract of their work 

 suitable for presentation to the meeting. In this way 

 the amount of time available for discussion was much 

 too short. The number of papers accepted was prob- 

 ably rather large, but much time would have been 

 saved had some of the readers appreciated the fact 

 that the time at their disposal was necessarily very 

 limited. A. Lauder, 



