io26 Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [march, 



cider made at the National Fruit and Cider Institute were examined. 

 This was a section of an investigation of the organisms concerned in 

 the fermentation of cider with a view to the improvement of the 

 process, e.g., by the use of selected yeasts. Three of the samples were 

 made from Sweet Alford apples only, each lot from a different district 

 of Devon. The other two samples were made from Kingston Black 

 apples only, one lot from Devon and the other from Somerset. From 

 the five samples thirteen different yeasts were isolated, of which two 

 occurred in two varieties. As far as the results go they afford no 

 support to the ideas that certain yeasts may be regularly associated 

 with certain apples, or that the fermentations in a cider factory may 

 be carried on mainly by any group of yeasts with a regular habitat 

 there. The results also give no support to the idea that certain yeasts 

 may be specially prevalent in one season and may dominate the 

 fermentations in that season, while others may fill their place in other 

 seasons. Since the various lots of fruit came from different localities, 

 nothing definite can be said as to whether the yeast flora of the ciders 

 was in any way representative of the yeast flora of the district in 

 which the fruit was grown. Such may have been the case, but failing 

 that there seems no other obvious source to which to look for an 

 explanation of the character of the yeast flora of ciders. The five 

 samples examined had floras so diverse that it is clear that the fermenta- 

 tion of cider in the ordinary manner is most uncertain in character. 



Experiments with Hops (Jour. South-Eastern Agric. Coll., No. 17, 

 1908).- — A paper by Messrs. E. S. Salmon and Arthur Amos gives the 

 results of an investigation into the value of the Male Hop. 



It is shown that it is only when a certain number of the bracteoles 

 of the hops bear seeds that the hops " grow out " properly, and in 

 order for seed to be produced it is absolutely necessary for the flower 

 which grows at the base of each bracteole to be fertilised by pollen 

 dust from a male hop. 



The amount of resins (lupulin) contained in seeded and seedless 

 hops was also investigated and it was found that the effect of fertilisa- 

 tion was to increase the amount of resins. 



A beginning has also been made since 1906 in the breeding of 

 improved varieties. 



Poultry. 



Use of Charcoal in Fattening Ducks and Geese. — The Board have 

 been furnished by Mr. H. de Courcy with an account of some experi- 

 ments carried out by him for the purpose of deciding the exact value 

 of charcoal as a means of keeping birds that are closely confined 

 during fattening in good health. 



Eighteen large healthy Aylesbury ducklings were selected from a 

 large flock and divided into three pens, each pen containing six 

 ducklings of as uniform weight as possible. Each batch of six duck- 

 lings weighed fifteen pounds, or an average of two-and-a-half pounds 

 per head. 



Throughout the experiments the ducklings were fed upon foods 

 which previous experiments had shown to be profitable and economical, 

 namely, boiled potatoes, barley meal, ground oats, skim milk, and 

 tallow greaves. The method of preparing the food was tP boil, strain, 



