154 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



3. In the comparison of buckwheat and corn, with milk 

 albumin as the source of animal food, the egg yield has 

 been rather small, with the advantage decidedly in favor of 

 the corn. 



It may be remembered that, in experiments carried out 

 in 1899 and reported in our annual report for 1900, the 

 comparisons between corn and wheat gave results decidedly 

 in favor of the corn. A similar line of inquiry was 

 continued during the years 1900 and 1901. A number of 

 comparisons were made during these years between rations 

 respectively rich in wheat and in corn, in connection with 

 which in all cases beef scraps were used as the source of 

 animal food. In the experiments of these two years, as in 

 the experiment for this year, where beef scraps are used as 

 the source of animal food the yields are slightly in favor 

 of the wheat. It is not believed that we are yet in position 

 to account for the difference in results made evident by the 

 statements just given ; but it is thought that a possible 

 explanation is offered by the fact that in the tests comparing 

 wheat and corn in 1899 animal meal was used as the source 

 of animal food. The principal differences between such 

 animal meal as we have employed and beef scra])s are, that 

 the animal meal contains the more mineral matter (undoubt- 

 edly derived from bone) and less fat than the scraps. It is 

 the latter point especially which is believed to be significant. 

 Corn is rich in fat ; wheat is relatively poor in that con- 

 stituent. With animal meal as a source of animal food, 

 corn gave the best results. It has given the best results this 

 year where milk albumin (which is still lower in fat than 

 animal meal) is used as the source of animal food. And 

 ajrain, althoug-h this is less sio-nificant because buckwheat 

 and corn differ from each other in marked degree in the 

 amount of fibre they contain, we find the corn when com- 

 pared with buckwheat, which is relatively low in fat, with 

 milk albumin as the source of animal food, gives much 

 superior results. It is fully recognized that the conditions 

 determining the egg yield from a flock are numerous, and 

 that the relation between the different nutrients in the rations 



