191 1.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 1015 



milk to rear both lambs. With this exception the ewes were good 

 mothers, and their lambs have done well. There were no cases of diffi- 

 cult parturition, possibly on account of the small type of ram used (South- 

 down) and the naturally narrow head of the Half-bred, a feature which 

 is inherited by its offspring. The ewes were weighed at eight months, 

 and at one year eight months of age, and the figures show that in 

 comparison with those that were not tupped, each ewe that produced 

 and reared a lamb was, on the average, seventeen pounds lighter. It 

 is estimated in the report of the experiment that the production of a 

 lamb entails a loss of only 55. 8d. on the ewe. The ewes are being- 

 kept on ; both lots were put to ram when one year eight months of 

 age, and the weights will be taken again at two years eight months. 



Milk Records (Edinburgh and E. of Scotland Coll. of Agric, Bull. 

 22). — This inquiry into the yield and composition of the milk of the 

 dairy herd at the Midlothian and Peebles County Asylum, Rosslynlee, 

 has been carried on since 1905. Accounts of the results obtained in 

 former years have appeared in the Journal for July, 1907, p. 205 ; 

 March, 1909, p. 953; December, 1909, p. 753; and February, 191 1, 

 p. 930. They have emphasised two points in particular — first, the 

 importance to the dairy farmer of keeping systematic records of the 

 yield and quality of the milk of his herd, and secondly, the necessity 

 of milking at as even intervals as possible in order to maintain a 

 uniform quality in the morning and evening milk. 



The average yield and percentage of fat of the ten best cows in 

 each of the last five years are shown in the following table : — 



1905-6. 1905-7. 1907-8. 1903-9. 1909-10. 



Average yield in gallons ..! 991 912 1,008 811 928 



Average percentage of fat . 3*69 374 3*63 376 3*80 



It is remarked that the greatest difference in the average yields is 

 that between the years 1907-8 and 1908-9, w'hen it amounts to no less 

 than 197 gallons per cow, which for the ten cows would give a difference 

 of nearly 2,000 gallons. This was undoubtedly due to the many changes 

 in the herd in the two years, and shows the difficulty and uncertainty 

 attending the selection in the open market of cows for dairy purposes. 

 Were the keeping of certified milk records a general practice, the 

 difficulty of selection would be considerably lessened. 



The introduction into the herd of heifers bred from the heaviest 

 yielding cows in it continues. There are at present four in the herd, 

 and two others are expected to calve during the present year. It is, of 

 course, too soon at present to pronounce an opinion on their merits. The 

 effect of so many young cows has rather been to reduce slightly the 

 average yield for the year. 



Diseases of Live Stock. 



A New Test for Tuberculosis in Cattle (Univ. Coll. of Wales, 

 Aberystwyth, Agric. Dept., Bull. 1). — During the last few years a new 

 test for tuberculosis has proved of great service in the case of human 

 patients. The method is the introduction of a special tuberculin into 

 the eye, and its simplicity is a considerable advantage. As Continental 

 investigations on the use of this test for cattle proved inconclusive, 

 a trial was made on the College farm in 1909. The plan followed was 

 to test a number of animals by the eye method, to apply the ordinary 



