ANNUAL REPORT, 1942 33 



45° had colored best; those stored at 35°, least; and those kept in common storage 

 were half way between. 



Samples of Early Blacks from the Experiment Station bog were stored in a 

 modified atmosphere in sealed sheet-iron cabinets in the refrigerated rooms held 

 at 45° and 35°. This is a repetition of the trials made in 1941 and reported in the 

 1941 Annual Report. As explained at that time, it was difficult to remove the 

 moisture produced by the respiration of the berries. This year more adequate 

 means were provided for circulating the air from the cabinets through calcium 

 chloride and no such difficulty was experienced. It was found, however, that the 

 temperature inside the steel cabinets remained considerably higher than the 

 temperature within the rooms in which the cabinets were placed. The cabinet 

 in the 35° room had an average temperature of 43° and the one in the 45° room had 

 a temperature of 50°. In comparing storage losses in the modified atmosphere 

 with the losses in air, it was necessary to make allowance for these variations in 

 temperature. While the results are by no means conclusive, they indicate a 

 smaller storage loss in the modified atmosphere. It is obvious that this experi- 

 ment cannot be carried out satisfactorily until a small sealed room is provided 

 having its own refrigerating coil. 



Fruit and Vegetable Drying. (C. I. Gunness in cooperation with Department 

 of Horticultural Manufactures.) A small electric dehydrator was built during the 

 summer of 1942 for use in the Department of Horticultural Manufactures. While 

 planned for experimental work, the drier is of a size and design which makes it 

 suitable for home use. 



A variety of vegetables was dried during the summer and trials on the dr\ing 

 of cranberries are now in progress. 



Poultry House Investigation. (C. I. Gunness and W. C. Sanctuary.) The 

 housing project for 1941-42 showed an average water content of the litter varying 

 inversely with the amount of insulation all winter from December 1 to March 11. 

 On March 11 the water content of the litter from the non-insulated, partially 

 insulated, and fully insulated pens was 36.6, 26.3 and 25.9 percent, respectively; 

 the average number of birds was 77, 82, and 84; the food consumption from 

 December 1 to February 9 was 24, 22, and 20 pounds per bird; and egg production 

 45, 42, and 41 eggs per bird. "Blue comb" disease and paralysis reduced produc- 

 tion and caused considerable mortality. Each pen started in the fall with 100 

 Barred Rock pullets. 



Horizontal and vertical temperature gradients were taken under electric 

 hovers, some commercial and one home-made. The brooders producing the best 

 results have a rather even temperature gradient from a low point at the outside 

 edge of the hover to a high point in the center of the hover. 



One commercial hover had a lower temperature over a rather large portion of 

 the central area. This has been associated with a depression in the litter in the 

 central area under the hover as if made by chicks crowding to keep warm. This 

 particular hover has had high mortality, associated apparently with this crowding, 

 on several occasions during severe cold snaps, sometimes early in the brooding 

 period and sometimes during the lattier part of the brooding period. 



The study of soil heating cable to dry the litter in a brooder house equipped 

 with an electric brooder was continued during the winter of 1941-42. While the 

 litter can be dried by this means, it was necessary to rake the litter daih to get 

 full value from the heating. Otherwise, the dry litter near the cable becomes a 

 good heat insulator allowing very little drying at the top and permits caking at 

 the surface. The extra work required, together with relatively high cost of current 

 makes the practice impractical. 



