24 ^^ H. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 319 



Seed Inspection 



The regular seed inspection work for the State Department of 

 Agriculture was conducted as usual. During the year 482 samples of 

 seed were handled in the laboratory. Of this number 426 were col- 

 lected by the State Inspector and are rei)orted in Bulletin 31.6; the 

 remaining- 56 samples were sent in by ])rivate individuals. The ref- 

 eree work was done as usual. 



The work was done by Mrs. Bessie G. Sanborn, seed analyst, as- 

 sisted by students. (Miscellaneous Income) 



The agronomic i"»rojects rejiorted above have been in charge of 

 Ford S. Prince, assisted by Paul T. Blood and L. J. Higgins. Chemi- 

 cal soil studies have been conducted l)y T. G. Phillips, G. P. Percival 

 and P. X. Scrii)ture. Soil surveys were made by C. S. Simmons. Di- 

 vision of Soil Surve}'. United States Deimrtmcnt of Agriculture : 

 Reeshon Feuer. New Ham]:)shire -Agricultural Experiment Station in 

 Hillsboroug-h count v ; and A. K. Shearin, Division of Soil Survev. 

 United States Department of Ag-riculture : T". J. Gladwin. Soil Con- 

 servation Service. United States Department of Agriculture, and W. 

 H. Coates. Xew Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, in 

 Strafiford countv. Erosion studies \\ere in charge of \\ . tl. Ln- 

 ford. Jr. 



Animal Husbandry 



A Study of the Metabolism of Dairy Cattle During Growth 



This study, first reported un last year, has been continued by E. G. 

 Ritzman to the point where cattle are due to drop their first calves. 



-At about eight months of age when the experiments were first be- 

 gun, the basal metabolism was very high, average 13,300 calories per 

 500 kgs. weight ; but some twelve months later this had dropped 

 twenty-five ])er cent. From this ])eriod to date, various stages of 

 ])regnancy indicate that up to four or five months this condition does 

 not materially affect the basal metal)olisni. l)ut that a month before 

 parturition (8 to 8I/2 months pregnant) the basal metabolism is about 

 30 jK-r cent higher than in the non-i)regnant heifer. The extent to 

 which these values may be affected by seasonal variations in metab- 

 olism due to other factors is as yet not clear. 



A beginning has been made this year to determine the basic cause 

 of these seasonal variations in basal metabolism by a study of the 

 influence of light. This study has been begmi with the consultant 

 cooperation of Dr. bihn W. M. Bunker, ]ihysiologist of the Massa- 

 chusetts Institute of Technology, and Dr. Milton O. T>ee. endocrinol- 

 ogist of the Harvard Medical School. 



I*'ight heifers were used in this study, four being subjected to ac- 

 cessory illumination and four being kept in stalls in which most of 

 the light was through heavily shaded windows. The illumination 

 around the dark stalls was so low that with a reasonably sensitive 

 illuminometer no readings could be recorded. 



Delays in securing e(|uipment i^revented the start of the experi- 

 ment until the luifldle of January when the animals had already been 

 subjected to the normal shortage of natural daylight for about three 



