43 



been our intention to keep the litter in the scratching shed suflfi- 

 ciently deep so that the fowls should be busy a considerable share 

 of the time in scratching for their grain. 



Subjects Investigated. 



The subjects which have engaged our attentron during the past 

 thirteen years have been as follows : 



I. The effect of condition powder used in accordance with direc- 

 tions furnished by the manufacturers, on egg production; three ex- 

 periments. 



II. Clover rowen compared with cabbages as a source of the: 

 coarser vegetable feed in winter ; one experiment. 



III. The influence of the cock on egg production; two experi- 

 ments. 



IV. Vegetable versus animal albuminoids ; two experiments. 



V. Animal meal versus fresh cut bone ; five experiments. 



VI. Morning versus evening mash; two experiments, one in win- 

 ter and one in summer. 



VII. A wide versus a narrow nutritive ratio, which has practi- 

 cally been a comparison of a ration made up largely of corn and 

 corn meal, with one in which wheat, wheat bran, middlings, etc., were 

 prominent ; thirty-six experiments, under variable conditions as re- 

 gards the following points: nature of the animal food used, the pro- 

 portion of fat in the ration, and the proportion of fibre. 



VIII. A comparison of a ration in which buckwheat is promi- 

 nent, with one in which corn is prominent ; four experiments. 



IX. The effect of fibre in the ration on egg production ; eleven 

 experiments. 



Brief reports of the results of these experiments follow. A word 

 of explanation may be necessary in regard to some of the terms 

 used. The number of " hen days " is calculated by multiplying the 

 total number of days through which the experiment extended by the 

 number of fowls at its commencement, and subtracting from the 

 product the number of days lost because of death or removal of 

 fowls. The number of eggs per hen day is obtained by dividing 

 the total number of eggs produced by the number of hen days ob- 

 tained as above stated. All calculations as to the cost either oi 



