1921.] 



Canada of an Ontario dairyman who started 12 years ago with 

 n common herd of cows each producing only about 5,000 lb. of 

 milk per annum. By careful selection and a ruthless weeding- 

 out of poor cows, he possessed last jear a herd whose produce 

 averaged more than double that weight of first-class milk, lliree 

 of his cows each produced more thr.n IB, 000 lb. of milk and 

 4(30 lb. of fat. 



It is impossible to emphasise too strongly the importance of 

 milk I'ecords in the selection of the best strains of milking cow^s 

 for the production of the best dairy sires. Many a bull calf 

 looks very promising, but it is impossible to judge its value as 

 a potential factor in a milk herd without figures of the milking 

 properties on both sides of its ancestry. 



Particulars of a successful experiment, whicii has been in 

 progress since 1919, to improve the native fowl in Northern 



T • 3.-L, Nigeria by crossing them with pure breeds 

 Improving the . ^ i . i j t i u 



Na-ive Fowl in ^"^P°^'^^^^ trom England, are supphed by 

 1.1. 1.T- • ^Jr. P. H. Lamb. Director of Agriculture 

 Northern Nigeria. . • f .i, . ^ 



tor the Northern Provinces ot that country. 



Through Mr. P. Hedwwth Foulkes. Principal of Harper 

 Adams Agricultural College, Newport, Salop, two cockerels and 

 six pullets of each of the following: breeds were obtained : — 

 Indian Game, Light Sussex and Phode Island Piods. The 

 cockerels were not related to the pullets or to one another, for 

 the future introduction of fresh, pure blood w^ould be difficult. 

 Two of the Light Sussex died on the voyage : the remainder were 

 placed on arrival at Kaduna in specially prepared pens affordi] g 

 protection from the mongoose and wild cat. The site w^as elevated, 

 w'ell drained, and previously free from poultry. 



The native fowl is described as having the appearanco of i n 

 ill-conditioned bantam, and its utility quahties either as a tabh^ 

 fowl or as a producer of eggs are very poor. The conntrv experi- 

 ences great extremes of temperature. During the hot (which 

 is also the wet) season from April to September the thermometer 

 rises to 104° F. in the shade: w^hile during the cold dry season, 

 from October to March, it drops to 45° F. There is almost 

 continuous rain for six months, and the country is pnrched 

 and produces no natural green food for the remaining six months. 

 The staple food of the country is Dari (S>orrih}im vfdnarc) known 

 as guinea corn. It is also the corn commonly fed to the poultry, 

 and in the case of the imported fowls it wns diu: into the litter 



