1. The first lactation shews greater variability than the second, third, fourth or fifth.

2. The estimation of one lactation from another cannot be made with great accuracy, since the correlation coefficient between even successive lactations does not rise above + ·6.

3. It is necessary, in classing a cow, to decide on one lactation that shall represent her mature capability. It is suggested that the maximum lactation is the most suitable one to chose.

4. The correlation coefficient with the maximum lactation increases from ·394 for first to ·762 for fifth lactation.

5. The mean of the first and second lactations however gives a correlation coefficient of ·526 with maximum lactation, which is higher than any of the first three taken separately.

The rain analyses summarised in this paper bring out very clearly the marked difference in the purity of the atmosphere between the industrial-rural area to the west and south and the purely agricultural area to the north and north-east of Leeds.

They show that the sulphur-content of the rain falling at a given station affords a fairly reliable diagnosis of the degree of pollution of the atmosphere by smoke, provided the observations be prolonged over several months. Further, evidence has been obtained in confirmation of that adduced by earlier observers, that the sulphur-content of the leaves of trees may afford useful assistance in the diagnosis of smoke-pollution. In preliminary tests the proportion of sulphur present in the leaf as sulphate gave a sharper grading of the pollution in different districts than the total sulphur.

The rain analyses show further that appreciable smoke-pollution still remains throughout the agricultural area at distances of seven miles from the city, the rate of improvement of the atmosphere on passing away from the city into the purely agricultural areas being appreciably slower in the direction of the prevailing winds than in other directions.

In a general way the analyses tend to show that the smoke, though in greater quantity, is in a higher state of oxidation in the dirtier or more industrial districts—due to more efficient combustion of the coal.

Throughout the industrial-rural area abundant evidence of damage to leaves was found, and there can be no doubt of the consequent check to growth.

Under digestive conditions cyanogenesis is likely to be inhibited by acids and alkalies, digestive juices, cellulose, glucose, and molasses, salt and many other feeding-stuff constituents and adjuncts.

Owing to the time the food remains in the digestive tract before coming to the true stomach or the acid secreting portion of the stomach, normal inhibition is caused by the alkaline character of the salivary juices. This is likely to be the chief cause of the innocuous character of linseed cake.

In the case of sheep fed with linseed cake shortly before being killed small amounts of hydrocyanic acid were to be found, chiefly in the rumen.

Cyanogenetic feeding-stuffs are most likely to be poisonous when fed with acid containing or acid producing food-stuffs, or where the hydrocyanic acid is pre-formed, as in the case of an improperly made linseed gruel.

The small quantities of hydrocyanic acid normally produced from cyanogenetic feeding-stuffs may possibly have a strongly beneficial action.

Black pigment is very frequently, but not invariably present in the mammary tissue of Large-Black, Berkshire and other dark-coloured sows. It is stated that the presence of this pigment (apart altogether from the question of the pigs being “on heat”) renders the bacon less saleable, owing to its discoloured or “seedy” appearance. If this is the case, it ought to be possible to remedy this fault, by breeding from individuals in which this pigment is absent, and so building up a strain of increased commercial value.

If on the other hand it be the case that the presence of black pigment is not in itself objectionable, but that the changes in the mammary area due to the occurrence of heat are what are not desired, the remedy is to be sought in spaying, a practice which must be carried out on a sufficient scale and be efficiently performed. That imperfect spaying (in which one, or a part of one, ovary is left behind, while the bed is wholly or partly removed) sometimes happens is shown by the facts described in this paper.

The expenses of the investigation described in this paper have been very largely defrayed by a grant made by the Development Commissioners through the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Expression is frequently given to an apparently widespread belief that irrigated in comparison with non-irrigated fruits are flat in taste and less resistant to the various agencies which effect decay. In support of that belief this statement in substance is almost invariably advanced: “The irrigated fruits contain abnormally high percentages of water and consequently low percentages of solid or dry matter; they are, therefore, deficient in the particular compounds upon which taste and body or solidity of structure depend.” We do not presume to say that from analyses alone can the many questions relating to quality in fruits be definitely settled, but since those alleged characteristics of irrigated fruits are charged by this statement to radical deficiencies in certain compounds, it would seem that analytical data would be of material service in the settlement of questions relating to quality. This view of the matter and the fact that here in the north-west, in both the irrigated and the non-irrigated sections, the hardy fruits are grown extensively and shipped to distant markets induced us to undertake some two years ago extensive analyses of fruits grown with and without irrigation. We wish to report here in summarised form the results of that work on the apple; for it, in point of commercial importance, stands pre-eminent among all other fruits grown in the north-west.

The experimental determination of the digestibility of feeding stuffs has been carried out only to a very limited extent in this country. Nearly all the tables of digestibility-coefficients are of Continental origin, those of Kellner having pre-eminence and being generally adopted. The desirability of carrying out digestibility trials with home-grown feeding stuffs and with new feeding materials obtained from the Colonies and India is, however, apparent, and this is also the case with many of the proprietary feeds which are much used in this country.

It is frequently necessary, especially in dealing with plant and animal extracts, to concentrate large volumes of liquid in vacuo. In such cases, the operation is often a very tedious one, owing to the necessity of closely watching the apparatus so as to control frothing and avoid the passing over of the liquid into the distillate. Having experienced this, more particularly in the distillation of alcoholic plant extracts, which show a great tendency to froth, the simple apparatus shown in the sketch has been devised which completely overcomes all the difficulties encountered in such work.

Certain sources of error encountered in the estimation of sugars in plant extracts are dealt with. Large errors in the gravimetric method may be obtained unless special care is taken in purifying the asbestos by boiling for at least 30 minutes with 20% sodium hydroxide. Weighing the reduced copper as cuprous oxide is likely to give rise to large error, and a process of weighing as cupric oxide, with certain precautions, is recommended.

The volumetric methods of Ling and of Bertrand have been studied; the former is preferable in all respects to the latter, which we regard as only roughly approximate.

In dealing with plant extracts, owing to the accumulation of sodium acetate in the solutions analysed, inversion by citric acid of lower concentration than 10% is generally incomplete. Inversion by invertase is, however, not interfered with by this salt. To estimate cane sugar inversion both by invertase and 10% citric acid is recommended. No loss of sugars occurs owing to the use of basic lead acetate as has been sometimes stated; the supposed loss is probably due to incomplete inversion caused by the presence of sodium acetate.

It is shown by a detailed study of the action of dilute hydrochloric acid on different sugars that it is impossible completely to hydrolyse maltose at either 70° or 100° without simultaneously destroying large quantities of laevulose or dextrose.

The only available method for the accurate estimation of maltose consists in the employment of special maltase-free yeasts, such as S. exiguus, S. marxiarnus or S. anomalus, introducing a correction (for pentoses, etc.) obtained by a special fermentation with baker's or brewer's yeast.

6. A scheme for the quantitative estimation of sugars in plant material is given.

The attentiou of all scientists in Egypt has been more and more closely directed to the problems of Soil-water since about the year 1907. In the first instance this attention was of necessity devoted to the water-logged layer of the soil and sub-soil, to the fluctuations of this layer in time and in space, and to its effects on the cotton plant.

Bastard Trenching as ordinarily performed consists of two distinct operations; loosening the lower spit of soil, and digging into it farmyard manure or other fertilising material. A considerable volume of data has been accumulated to show the effect of the addition of farmyard manure to soil, but little is known of the effect of loosening the bottom spit, either on the soil or on the plant.