The results indicate that the usually accepted methods of sampling mangel roots by means of horizontal cores in a north-south direction through the largest diameter of the root or one-third way down from the crown, are subject to greater inaccuracies than similar cores taken twothirds to three-quarters way down, which gave consistently samples of satisfactory accuracy.

Our best thanks are due to members of the College StafE for helpful criticism of all stages of the work, also to the Edinburgh and East of Scotland College of Agriculture for a detailed description of technique and apparatus in use for their work on dry matter in root crops.

This paper reports the results of a study of pollination and fertilisation in alfalfa. The experimental material consisted of plants of the Grimm variety and certain high seed-setting selections which are normally self-fertilised.

The high seed-setting types do not differ from the low seed-setting types with respect to the stage of anther dehiscence, amount and distribution of the pollen, or relative length of pistil and anthers. Anther dehiscence in both types regularly begins in the pointed bud stage and pollination is completed at the erect standard stage.

Pod-setting is shown to depend upon flower tripping. Tripped flowers set a high proportion of pods, while untripped flowers invariably wilt and drop.

1. A reliable identification of grain samples of related wheat varieties of different grain values is of economic importance.

2. The distensometer test distinguishes with a high degree of reliability between Tuscan and Cross 7 grain, whereas eye inspection, baking and fermentation tests cannot be relied upon for differentiation between the two varieties.

3. A testing service for the use of farmers, grain merchants and millers would involve no technical difficulties.

In field experimentation the effects involved can often only be satisfactorily evaluated on the basis of dry matter yield. The size of plots usually renders the drying of the whole produce impracticable; this necessitates the determination of dry matter content by means of sampling. Since it is essential, on statistical grounds, that each plot should be separately sampled, an experiment may entail the determination of a large number of dry matter percentages. Agricultural produce is generally bulky and subject to fermentation, and therefore apparatus of a larger capacity than that usually found in laboratories is required. In the past much use has been made of uncovered gas heated hot plates, but these are unsatisfactory. Such hot plates do not lend themselves to accurate control of temperature, nor is uniformity of temperature over the plate easy to attain. It is therefore necessary either to run the risk of occasionally burning samples or to dry more slowly than is desirable. Hot plates are very wasteful of heat and the samples are unprotected during drying.

The exposure of turkey eggs during the latter part of incubation, to temperatures (uniform around the egg) ranging from 30–5 to 41–5° C, in intervals of one degree, showed that:

1. The hatchability was best at temperatures of from 36 to 38° C.; then it declined with a greater slope towards high than towards low temperature.

(2) The time of hatching was progressively delayed, from 1 to 3 days, towards high and low temperatures.

(3) The weight of birds at hatching from eggs exposed to various temperatures was fairly uniform.

The normal body temperature of the pigs used in these experiments showed an appreciably greater variability than has hitherto been considered normal for pigs, the limits being 98·3–104·80° F. and the variation is independent of environmental temperature, or season of the year. The average normal temperature of the adult hog is 101·7° F.

In fasting for from two to five days a reduction of body temperature was noted in a large majority of cases, amounting on the average to 1·7° F.

Whether the normal or fasting figures are taken, the mean body temperature is higher in youth (50 days) than in the adult hog by about 1·5° F.

The task of wheat growing in New Zealand is limited to providing for the needs of a population of 1½ million. Owing to the long distance from other wheat-growing countries it is considered essential for the Dominion to remain independent in its supply of wheat and flour. A sliding scale duty fixes the price of wheat at a level sufficiently remunerative to the grower to insure the production of approximately the required amount. Since 1927, when this duty was introduced, the area under wheat has varied between 236,000 and 302,000 acres, and the annual production between 6½ and 11 million bushels. The requirements for flour milling, seed and stock food being slightly less than 9 million bushels, shortages due to unfavourable seasons are covered by the carry-over from the previous season, and/or by importation. It is only in seasons of excessive yields that export of wheat becomes necessary. Under the compulsory pooling system in force since 1932·3, losses due to the difference between local and export prices are distributed amongst all the wheat growers in the Dominion.

1. During the fermentation of water-logged soil containing added substances with different carbon-nitrogen ratios, the reaction first turns slightly acid, but soon returns to the original hydrogen-ion concentration (pH 7·6).

2. The quantities of ammonia present in the medium increase up to a point, after which there is steady decrease.

3. There is nitrification only in the case of substances with narrow C/N ratios. The production of nitrate generally commences only after about a month, when the vigour of the initial fermentation has subsided and fairly large quantities of ammonia have accumulated in the medium.

4. The extent of mineralisation of nitrogen is determined chiefly by the C/N ratio, though in the cases of substances like mahua and lantana the presence of other constituents may also influence the processes. The quantities of mineralised nitrogen present in the soil system generally tend to decrease after about two months.

The study of the effect of rainfall on the yields of wheat from the continuous experiments on Broadbalk, Rothamsted, gave clear evidence of a close relation between the response in yield to rainfall and the manurial treatment of the soil. In later investigations of a similar nature on barley at Rothamsted and on wheat and barley at Woburn, however, the evidence did not point to a significant effect of rainfall on yields, and on this account little can be said with confidence from these investigations. The present note shows that the relation between seasonal variations in yield and manurial treatment is just as clear at Woburn as on Broadbalk, the difference between the two centres being that similar studies on rainfall effects have had more definite and successful results on Broadbalk. At Woburn, indeed, little progress has been made towards elucidating the particular weather factors whose quantitative influence is important.

1. Increase of acidity with depth, is a common feature of Nigerian soils.

2. Examples and possible explanations are given for three types of acidity increase with depth. In the first, the greater acidity is confined to the depths immediately below the surface and is possibly dependent on a permanently undisturbed vegetation. In the second, the acidity continues to increase to a certain depth below which there is a regular decrease. This is more evident on mature soils, and may be dependent on a short but intense rainfall followed by a prolonged drought. In immature soils, derived from igneous acidic rocks under alternate wet and dry seasons, the acidity increases steadily with depth into the decaying rock mass.

The results of experiments conducted on 156 swine, from time of weaning till bacon weights were reached, are reported. One hundred and twenty of these animals were subjected to complete dietary control as regards the quantity of food consumed and the composition of the diet.

Twenty-nine treatments, consisting of different amounts of Ca, P and vitamin D added to an otherwise adequate diet, were imposed.

The reaction of the animals to the treatments was studied in relation to growth (increase in weight), appetite, utilisation of the food, the blood picture (concentration of serum Ca, blood inorganic phosphate, serum phosphatase and blood Hb), and the morphology and chemical composition of the bone. The results obtained are summarised in Table XVIII.

1. A soil moisture meter which gives direct and continuous measurement of the soil moisture content is described. The instrument consists of a special porous pot filled with water, connected by a tube to a mercury manometer. The pot is buried in the soil, whose capillary pull causes the mercury to rise. The height to which the mercury rises depends on the amount of moisture in the soil, and also on the size of soil particles and the degree of compactness of the soil. (The last two factors remain constant for an instrument in one position.)

2. To read actual moisture percentage each instrument has to be calibrated for the soil in which it is placed. Once this is done, all sampling and weighing is eliminated.

For the purpose of describing the development of the Romney lambs’ coats it was found convenient to divide the skin into six areas, A, B, C, D, E and F, each being formed by the grouping of all regions that develop at the same time and rate.

These areas are determined by the following methods:

1. All regions where X and Y follicles begin growth at the same time belong to the same area.

2. All regions attaining the trio stage of development at the same time belong to the same area.

Stimulatory effects upon germination and growth were observed in a very wide range of dosages, upon exposing seeds and seedlings to the radiation from a radioactive mud of Hungarian origin. Emanation was not excluded, but interposed lead sheet practically abolished the significant differences. Stimulation was observed whether the seeds were placed directly in contact with, or at a little distance from, all but the largest amounts of mud. Treatment of seeds, before sowing, with the radiation from large amounts of mud for periods exceeding about 48 hours was harmful to germination and to growth; this harmful effect was more marked when the seeds were moistened.

The degree and the kind of stimulation varied with the kind of seed and its history. Wheat seeds treated with vital stains showed responses to irradiation which appeared to depend upon the stain.

The variations in sticky point of homionic soils as determined by kneading with electrolytic solutions have been examined. In the case of sodium soils, a well-marked maximum has been found in the sticky-point/electrolytic concentration curve; and the form of the curve shows parallelism with the extent of flocculation produced by varying electrolytic concentrations.

In this paper, which is the third of a series dealing with the nutritive properties of the lucerne crop, an account is given of the results of an investigation into the composition, digestibility and nutritive value of lucerne hay, lucerne meal and lucerne leaf meal.

Three samples of lucerne hay were dealt with, the first two having been made by baling direct from the field and the third by the usual procedure of filling into the stack. It is shown that by baling from the field, it is possible to conserve forage at a higher moisture content than would be considered safe when filling the material into a stack. In such circumstances, however, too tight a compression of the bales should be avoided, since if the process of partial drying-out during storage be retarded by over-compression, there is danger of extensive mould development and spoiling. It is advisable that the bales should be stored under good cover and in such a manner as to permit of free circulation of air between them. The hay from the bales was of much poorer quality than that made in the stack.

This study treats of the progress in the milk production of a cow during a single lactation, and the relation of this trend to various factors associated with the particular lactation. The analysis is based on the monthly milk production records of all cows having six or more lactations, in a single large herd of pure-bred Jerseys. The herd provided records on ninety-nine such cows having a total of 679 lactations. Since the trend in the amount of milk produced in a lactation may be described by a simple exponential curve, this equation was fitted to the first 8-months’ production records for each of the 679 lactations. From these curves, constants were obtained which measure for each lactation: the theoretical initial yield; the decline of milk yield with time, or in other words the persistency rate; and the scatter of the observed monthly yields about the smooth curve. It is these constants which were studied relative to certain general and biological factors.

1. New and old seed beans have been compared for three years, in the last two of which precise field experiments have been conducted with two different strains.

2. In general new seed gave higher yields than old seed, but the difference was only of the order of 10 per cent. There was some evidence that conditions when the seed was harvested might be more important than age.

3. New seed produced more branches in early spring, and a greater number of pod-bearing stems at harvest; on the other hand, old seed produced stems that were more thickly podded at harvest, and pods that contained a greater number of beans.

4. In one case abnormally large seed produced very vigorous plants, and very large beans at harvest.

The present paper reports the results of experiments which were carried out to obtain information on the types and amounts of the common foodstuffs which should be included in a ration for the prevention of avitaminosis A in swine. The actual vitamin A requirement of swine in terms of carotene was also investigated.

Ten different diets were used and three animals were placed on each. Seven of these diets produced the classical symptoms of avitaminosis A in the animals, two contained minimal or just subminimal amounts of the vitamin, while one appeared to permit storage.

The rations on which the symptoms of avitaminosis A did not appear included maize meal and alfalfa meal. Both these foodstuffs, however, have been shown to produce undesirable effects in the animals at the levels at which they must be fed to prevent the onset of the disease symptoms.

The crude-fibre determination is misleading, because the fraction obtained does not bear any definite relationship to the structural constituents of the material. The cellulose is partially attacked, and lignin extensively removed. Considerable variation is found in the lignin content of crude-fibre fractions. Highly lignified materials do not necessarily yield a crude fibre high in lignin.

Since the presence of lignin exercises a direct effect on the digestibility of the material, any empirical method should include all the lignin, and alkaline treatment must be avoided. Acid hydrolysis may be a possible alternative method, if a correction for protein be made in the case of materials high in nitrogen, and a determination of the lignin content made.