The writers are at present engaged in carrying out investigations into the relative supplemental values of the proteins in certain feeding stuffs that are commonly used to correct the protein deficiencies, in respect both of amount and quality, of the cereal grains and their by-products. As a preliminary to this work, it was necessary to obtain information about the digestibility of these protein supplements and their content of digestible protein and ‘total digestible nutrients’.

Changes in the percentage of dry matter, sugars, starch and nitrogen present in Arran Banner and Majestic potato tubers during storage in clamps until July or later were studied in two seasons. In the first season, the ascorbic-acid content and the distribution of nitrogen between three fractions (insoluble, soluble coagulable, soluble non-coagulable) were also determined. In the second season, weighed samples of tubers were introduced into the clamps, so that changes in absolute amounts of the different constituents present in the tubers or sprouts could be measured. The effects of removing or retaining the soil cover on the clamps after early April were compared.

It has been shown in a previous communication that the meal-replacement value of young grass in actual pig-feeding practice is considerably poorer than would be anticipated from a consideration of its content of ‘total digestible nutrients’ as determined by means of pig digestion trials. This is because the figure for ‘total digestible nutrients’ takes no account of the energy expended by the pig in consuming and masticating its food. Although this wastage of energy does not represent a serious loss in relation to the rate of live-weight increase in the case of ordinary pig meals fed in the form of a thick slop, it becomes of considerable significance when grass forms a major component of the diet, on account of the bulkiness of the grass and its unfavourable physical texture from the standpoint of consumption by pigs.

When maize forms a large part of the diet of any group of people, pellagra can be prevented by increasing the amount of nicotinic acid or by increasing the amount of tryptophane in the diet. The possibility of increasing the nicotinic acid content of maize by genetical means presents a promising field.

A method is described for economizing in the use of fertilizers on deficient soil by soaking the cereal seeds in nutrient solutions containing the deficient element at a sufficiently high concentration to supply a large part of the total requirements of the plants.

The result of greatest potential practical importance was obtained on oats. Soaking oats in molecular tribasic potassium phosphate brought about an increase in yield from 17 to 25 cwt./acre (46 %) on phosphate-deficient soil at the cost of 13·6 lb./acre of the potassium phosphate (or 4·6 lb. P2O6) without the addition of any phosphate to the soil. There was a correspondingly large increase in the weight of straw. Nearly 75% of the P2O5 introduced in this way was recovered from the harvested grain. Sodium phosphate appears equally efficaceous for oats. Strikingly beneficial effects were also obtained on barley and wheat.

1. The effect of iodinated casein feeding on the respiratory metabolism of the female sheep has been studied, using a spirometer technique with direct analysis of expired air.

2. The effect of iodinated casein on basal metabolism was linearly related to the dosage expressed in mg./kg. W0·73. The effect on pulse rate was not linear: there was a greater acceleration at the higher levels.

1. Sexually immature White Wyandotte pullets have been treated with gonadal hormones with the object of simulating those changes in calcium and phosphorus metabolism which normally take place during the fortnight or so before laying begins.

2. It is shown that certain treatments of the sexually immature pullet with oestradiol dipropionate evoked hypertrophy of the oviduct and changes in blood calcium and phosphorus similar to those encountered in the normal laying pullet, but did not produce any significant increase in the rate of calcium or phosphorus retention.

1. Some data are given for the relative buffer-index values of saps from underground parts of wheat, barley, oats, potatoes and turnips.

2. The correlation of these values with limits of tolerances of soil-pHranges by the plants is discussed.

3. Some possible practical applications for these data are indicated.

Moisture content and temperature are of first importance in the storage of seeds. Seeds are usually stored in porous containers like sacks and paper bags, and their water content fluctuates with the humidity of the surrounding atmosphere. In sealed chambers, on the other hand, the humidity of the atmosphere will be determined by the water content of the seeds and, with different kinds of seeds in an enclosed space, an exchange of water will occur until equilibrium has been reached. This does not mean, however, that different kinds of seeds, or even different samples of the same kind will have exactly the same final water content, since the water content/humidity relations are affected by differences in structure, chemical composition and previous drying treatment; it is permissible, however, for practical purposes, to ignore the slight differences which occur between samples of the same kind of seed.

Ten fully grown Border Leicester-Cheviot ewes were divided into two groups of five; the heavier ones being about 150 lb. live weight, and the lighter ones about 70 lb. The former were placed on a low plane of nutrition, and the latter on a high plane. As the weights changed by successive amounts of 20 lb. animals were killed and dissected, and their organs and tissues weighed.

Evidence is provided to prove that the nutritional malady, Coast Disease, which affects sheep de-pastured without change on the shell-sand littoral of South Australia is due solely to the inability of the pastures to provide the quantity of cobalt and copper necessary to fulfil the nutritional requirements of grazing sheep.

An experiment started in 1936 in which five evenly matched groups of young cross-bred ewe hoggets were dosed thrice weekly with cobalt, copper, cobalt plus copper, and with cobalt plus copper together with iron, manganese, zinc and nickel is described.

The metabolism trials described in the present communication were undertaken with the object of testing the conclusions arrived at in farm-scale feeding trials, designed in accordance with the requirements of the modern statistical lay-out, respecting the minimum protein supply needed to support the maximum rate of growth in bacon pigs.

Certain vegetable seeds show such a marked loss of viability on storage that they are generally useless after 1–2 years storage under average commercial conditions; the most valuable seeds which store particularly badly are parsnip, onion and carrot. Storage experiments were therefore designed and set up to show the effect of the following factors on the viability of the seeds:

(a) The water content as determined by the humidity of the atmosphere in which the seeds were stored.

(b) Atmospheric conditions, viz. ventilated air, unventilated air and nitrogen.

(c) Temperature.

The effects of cobalt deficiency and of varying degrees of copper deficiency in young sheep were investigated.

Five of six evenly matched groups of hoggets aged about 8 months when transferred to the deficient pastures were supplemented with the equivalent of 1 mg. Co/day, 10 mg. Cu/day, 1 mg Co + 1 mg. Cu/day, 1 mg. Co + 5 mg. Cu/day, 1 mg. Co + 10 mg. Cu/day, respectively, administered thrice weekly as a drench; the sixth group was untreated.

All individuals that received no cobalt developed typical symptoms of cobalt deficiency and most of them died within a year. After 11 months the remaining cases were removed to the laboratory. They were then in the advanced stages of the terminal cachexia.

The effects of copper deficiency and of copper excess on mature Merino and Border-Leicester ewes were studied experimentally over a period of 3½ years with five evenly matched groups of each breed which were all depastured together as one flock on terrain where sheep develop cobalt and copper deficiency. All were treated with the equivalent of 1 mg. Co/day. Copper was administered thrice weekly in doses which provided for individuals of the respective groups the equivalent of nil, 1, 5, 50 and 100 mg. Cu/day.

All of the individuals that received only cobalt became anaemic; they lost weight and developed marked symptoms of copper deficiency.

The supplement of 1 mg. Cu/day was sufficient to delay the onset of these symptoms, but it failed to increase significantly the concentration of copper in the blood and it was insufficient to ensure normal myelin formation in the central nervous system of lambs born of the ewes which had received this treatment for 2 years prior to mating.

The loss of viability of seeds of Chewing's Fescue Grass has been a serious problem to both the producers in New Zealand and the trade in the United Kingdom. It has been shown by Foy (1934) that seeds with a high moisture content (20 %) held at 30° C. deteriorated rapidly after 10–14 days and even more quickly at 40° and 50° C. Seeds with a water content of 13 % deteriorated more slowly but it was not until the water content was reduced to and maintained at 5 % that seeds retained their viability at 30°, 40° or 50° C. for 42 days. Even at room temperature (16–20° C.) the loss of viability occurred after 4–5 months at 20 % water content and after 8–9 months at 13 % but at 5 % water content there was no loss. Foy discusses the effects of temperature and humidity that may occur during transport; Hyde (1935) has examined the effect of heating seeds to 50°, 60°, 70°, 80° and 90° C. with a view to working out the conditions for artificial drying of the seeds before transport, and Lewis (1934) has found that, in some seasons, there was a marked loss of viability in storing these seeds in the United Kingdom.