22 N. H. AGR. EXPERIMENT STATION. [Bulletin 198 



and fungicides, lime, wood ashes, etc., were also made for individual farmers 

 in the state. 



The Dairy Department continued its Advanced Registry work, with 178 

 cows on yearly test and 49 on seven-day tests. 



Work in analyses and tests similar to the above was also done the pre- 

 ceding year. 



Steer Feeding Experiment. — The steer-feeding experiment with the Texas- 

 bred Herefords, begun in December, 1917, was brought to a close at the end of 

 the pasture season of 1919, when the cattle were shipped to the Brighton 

 market. 



The first year's operation has already been reported in Station Bulletin No. 

 182. 



The results of the experiment show that as a matter of practice in winter 

 feeding between heavy and hght rations it would seem that feeding a small 

 surplus of protein and carbohydrates over what would be required for main- 

 tenance during winter is more economical than feeding a ration that forces 

 growth, provided the animals are turned on good pastures the following season. 

 It also seems that it pays to force growth during winter only when the fatten- 

 ing period is to follow immediately. 



White Diarrhea Tests. — The white diarrhea work at the New Hampshire Sta- 

 tion was started in the winter of 1918. It was hoped that some funds might 

 be obtained from the Legislature that winter to do the work, but no money 

 was appropriated. Nevertheless, the work was started and 4000 samples 

 taken the fu-st j^ear. Dm-ing the second j-ear over 11,000 samples were taken. 



The work is self-supporting. The poultrjTnen are charged 10 cents for each 

 bird tested, this covering all the laboratory expenses, the salary of the tester 

 in the laboratory and the traveling expenses involved in taking the samples. 



As a result of the tests the loss of chicks from stock which has been tested 

 has been less by 29 per cent than in previous years when no testing was done. 



The total number of chicks hatched in the state in a year is approximately 

 1,000,000. If the mortality can be lowered from an unusually high figure to a 

 normal or low figure by means of the white diarrhea testing, the saving will 

 surely run into many thousands and the effect of the work will go on for many 

 poultry generations. Many of our poultrymen have reported losses as high as 

 60 per cent of all the chicks hatched in years before the testing was done and 

 losses since the testing running as low as 5 to 8 per cent. 



Furthermore, there have been located in the state several commercial flocks 

 of various breeds which are free from the disease, so that many farmers and 

 poultrymen have been able to purchase eggs and chicks from white diarrhea 

 free stock. The effects of the testing will continue tlirough several future years 

 and the benefits will cover an ever-widening area. 



Practically all the men whose flocks have been tested one year have sent to 

 the Station to have them tested a second year. 



To show how general the disease is, the following figures were taken from last 

 year's testing: 



Number of flocks tested 60 Number of birds tested . . . 13,059 



Number of flocks infected 42 Number of birds infected . . 999 



Per cent of flocks infected 60 Per cent of birds infected. . 7.66 



