June, 1939] Agricultural Research ix X. H. 31 



It was found, also, that labor for feeding and cleaning in the cage 

 groups for a year of production was two times as many man hours as 

 for the floor groups with 74.81 hours of labor to care for a pen of 120 

 hens on the floor, against 147.99 hours for 120-hen laying cage. 



Controlling Moisture in Poultry Litter 



In cooperation with W. T. Ackerman and G. M. Foulkrod of the 

 agricultural engineering department, Mr. Charles and Mr. Tepper 

 have begun this new project, which, it is hoped, will reveal the fac- 

 tors causing excess litter moisture and the practical steps for its 

 correction. In November, 1938, an experimental "plot house" was 

 built to shelter the sample litters from the weather and still expose 

 them to the action of the outside air. Records of litter moisture, air 

 temperature and air humidity are being plotted into curves. (Pur- 

 nell Fund) 



New Hampshire Sets Pullorum Eradication Record 



A new record for the largest per cent of adult birds in the state 

 tested and the lowest per cent of pullorum of any state in the United 

 States was established during the season 1937-38 under the super- 

 vision of the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Division 

 of Animal Industry. Forty-seven per cent of the total adult birds of 

 the state were tested with 99.94 per cent not reacting ; i. e., pullorum 

 free. This was the highest per cent of non-reacting birds found 

 since the work was started in 1918. There were 549,064 blood sam- 

 ples tested from 420 flocks as compared to 549,482 samples from 442 

 flocks the previous season. 



Eleven flocks were added to the pullorum clean list making a total 

 of 96 flocks in which were tested 167,834 birds. One flock was 

 removed from the pullorum clean list because of infection, and four 

 on account of failure to test. 



There were ten breeds of chickens, four breeds of turkeys and one 

 breed of geese tested during the season. This large volume of test- 

 ing was probably due to the low cost of testing to the poultrymen 

 since the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture shares in the 

 laboratory costs. {Miscellaneous Income) 



Studies on the Control of Coceidiosis in Poultry 



Birds artificially infected with chronic coceidiosis showed definite 

 improvement under litter treatment with sulphur in one case and the 

 feeding of bicarbonate of soda in another case, according to studies 

 made by C. L. Martin, T. B. Charles and R. C. Durgin. Working 

 with five pens of infected birds and one control group, they found 

 that although sulphur in feed had no beneficial efi'ect on q^^ produc- 

 tion, the groups treated with sulphur in litter and fed bicarbonate of 

 soda led all the rest in egg production. The experiment also showed 

 that the feeding of 10 per cent milk sugar seems unwarranted as a 

 means of combating chronic coceidiosis. There was also some evi- 

 dence to prove that birds may be so slightly infected with chronic 

 coceidiosis that no clinical symptoms appear, and yet they will pro- 

 duce a less number of eggs. This work is to be continued to check 

 these results. {Piirnell Fund) 



Epidemic Tremors 



Since epidemic tremors is on the increase as a poultry disease in 



