ANNUAL REPORT. 1940 99 



had been sprayed during this season with cryoHte and it was estimated 

 that about two pounds per tree had been applied. Cryolite contains, in 

 addition to fluorine, considerable aluminum. Samples of the top soil were 

 taken under four trees where the herbage was dead, together with check 

 samples taken near by but between the trees where herbage growth was 

 good, also similar samples taken beneath and outside a more vigorous 

 tree with good grass beneath. Determinations of pH value and easily 

 soluble aluminum were made by Professor Everson of the Department 

 of Agronomy. The pH value varied from 3.98 to 4.62 and averaged 4.31 ; 

 there were no consistent differences between the samples from the dififer- 

 ent locations. On the other hand, the soluble aluminum was rated as 

 "very high" on all the samples taken where the herbage was dead and 

 only "medium" or "high" in all cases where herbage was good. The pH 

 value 4.50 is considered to be on the border line; below it there is danger 

 and above it less danger of aluminum toxicity. It may be that the ad- 

 dition of aluminum from the spray was enough to increase the aluminum 

 so that a toxic condition prevailed. Of course, a moderately heavy appli- 

 cation of lime would correct such a condition. 



DEPARTMENT OF POULTRY HUSBANDRY 

 R. T. Parkhurst in Charge 



Broodiness in Poultry. (F. A. Hays.) Efforts are still being made to 

 develop a genetically non-broody line of Rhode Island Reds by selective 

 breeding using aged breeding stock. Birds for breeding are selected not 

 only on their performance record but also on the broody behavior of 

 their daughters. 



A recent report on the inheritance of broodiness (Bui. Zll) confirmed 

 previous findings that degree of broodiness as measured by the number 

 of broody periods is inherited. This study showed further that deferred 

 broodiness was an important characteristic in dealing with the brood}^ 

 problem. Females exhibiting broody behavior first in the second or 

 third laying year transmitted the broody instinct to about as many daugh- 

 ters as did females that expressed the broody instinct in their first year 

 of laying. Rather definite evidence was presented to indicate the com- 

 plete absence of sex-linked factors affecting broody behavior in Rhode 

 Island Reds. 



Statistical Study of Heredity in Rhode Island Reds. (F. A. Hays and 

 Ruby Sanborn.) This project is devoted entirely to the preparation and 

 analysis of experimental data for publication. During the year the follow- 

 ing papers have been prepared: Inheritance of Broodiness in Rhode 

 Island Reds, Station Bulletin Zll \ Color Markings in Rhode Island Red 

 Chicks as Related to Sex and Adult Color, Jour. Agr. Res. July, 1940; 

 Breeding Small Flocks of Domestic Fowl for High Fecundity, Poult. Sci. 

 19 (6), 1940; Transmitting Ability in Males of Genes for Egg Size, Poult. 

 Sci. in press; Sex Ratio in Domestic Chickens, Am. Nat. in press; and 

 Correlation in Egg Weight Between Mothers and Daughters, Jour. Hered. 

 in press. 



A Genetic Study of Rhode Island Red Color. (F. A. Hays.) Two 

 lines of Rhode Island Reds are being developed in a study of the mode 

 of inheritance of plumage color and the relation of plumage color to char- 



