1. The technique for assessing rejection and acceptance thresholds for gustatory sense in goats is described.

2. Quinine dihydrochloride is rejected at a level of 125 mg./100 ml. and accepted at 12·5 mg./100 ml.

3. Sodium chloride has a rejected threshold of 5·0 g./100 ml. and an acceptance threshold of 1·25 g./100 ml.

4. Acetic acid is rejected at 5 ml/100 ml. but is accepted at 1·25 ml./100 ml.

5. Glucose does not provide data for the assessment of thresholds, since all the goats consume solutions containing the highest concentration of glucose offered, viz. 40 g./100 ml.

1. Four varieties of marrow stem kale, three of thousand headed kales, Hungry Gap Kale and Rape-Kale were grown at three centres in mid-Wales. They were sampled in the early winter period and separate leaf and stem samples analysed for the proximate constituents and minerals.

2. Leaf to stem ratios were measured on both a green and dry matter basis and the latter values used to calculate whole plant values for the chemical constituents.

3. The leaves of the marrow stem kales were higher in dry matter than the stems, except in the case of the Purple Stem Kale. This variety resembled the thousand headed and rape-type kales in having a higher dry matter in the stems. On a dry matter basis, the leaves of all the varieties were richer than the stems in ether extract, crude protein, total ash and all the minerals except potassium and sodium. These elements occurred to a greater extent in the stems of the fleshy stemmed marrow stem kales than in the leaves. The stems were higher in crude fibre and nitrogen-free extractives.

4. The leaves of the rape-type kales were higher than those of the other varieties in silica, phosphorus and potassium. They were the best source of phosphorus on a whole plant basis. The marrow stem kales had considerably higher leaf and stem values for sodium and were markedly superior to the other varieties as a source of the element.

1. The structure of the muzzle of the cow, its blood supply and the histochemistry of its glands have been studied.

2. The nasolabial glands are multilobular compound tubulo-acinar glands similar in structure to salivary glands. They secrete a watery mucincontaining fluid. It is suggested that they may be sweat gland homologues.

3. Arterio-venous anastomoses are present in the muzzle. Their possible function is discussed.

4. Although this investigation has shown how much the muzzle differs from the rest of the integument no particular function can be ascribed to it on the basis of the findings described.

1. Three varieties of giant rape, two broad leaved Essex rapes, Hungry Gap Kale and Rape-Kale, were grown at two centres in mid-Wales. They were sampled in the early winter period and the samples divided into separate leaf and stem samples. These samples were used to calculate leaf to stem ratios on a green and dry-matter basis.

2. The levels of the proximate constituents, silica, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, chlorine, total sulphur, sulphate sulphur and ‘organic’ sulphur were determined in the dried samples. Whole plant values were calculated from the leaf and stem values with the appropriate leaf to stem ratios.

3. The leaf values for ether extract, crude protein, silica-free ash, silica, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, chlorine, total sulphur and ‘organic’ sulphur are higher than the corresponding stem values. For dry matter, crude fibre, nitrogen-free extractives and sodium the reverse is found, whilst for sulphate sulphur there is no definite distribution.

4. There are no significant differences in composition between the main groups of varieties, and the rape-type kales are very similar to the other rapes in this respect.

Small doses of oxalic acid were given to sheep and typical results in sheep receiving 3 and 6 g. per day are given in detail. Little was excreted in the faeces, although sufficient calcium was present in the faeces to combine with 12 times the amount of oxalate present. The blood urea value rose, the blood calcium fell and there was an increase in the CO2 combining power. Only very small amounts of oxalic acid were found in the tissues after death. Sheep receiving the larger dose showed typical acute changes in the kidneys with deposition of crystals. Nevertheless, little evidence of renal failure or actual obstruction was obtained, the volume of the urine being maintained and the urea concentration remaining normal.

Ten calves were exposed for 3 hr. to an atmosphere in which the dry-bulb temperature was 40° C. and the wet-bulb temperature 33° C, (a) with their normal coats, and (b) after their coats had been clipped.

When clipped the calves tolerated the same hot environment better than they did before they were clipped, as evidenced by significant reductions in skin temperature, rectal temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate, as well as by a lessening of various manifestations of distress.

This effect of clipping was thought to be due mainly to an improvement in skin, evaporative cooling.

Farmyard manure affected the response of the potato crop to fertilizers similarly in seven series of experiments (sixty-two in all) at Rothamsted, and in the West Midlands and north of England.

In the absence of f.y.m. there were large interactions between each of the fertilizer nutrients, but with f.y.m. the interactions were small. These interactions appear to have been ignored by previous workers, who claimed that N responses ar unaffected by dressings of f.y.m. In fact, f.y.m. increased the response to N applied alone, but decreased the N response where basal P and K fertilizers were also applied. For P the results were similar to those for N.

Most of the experimental sites were low in K, and K responses were very large, especially in the presence of basal NP fertilizer. Farmyard manure greatly reduced the response to K, particularly in presence of basal NP fertilizer.

A few Rothamsted experiments with f.y.m. and fertilizers and several times of planting showed that the large responses to f.y.m. alone and to fertilizers used in combination (but without f.y.m.) were not reduced by late planting. The result conflicts with previous reports of these data, in which interactions between nutrients were ignored. The combined effect of f.y.m. and fertilizers at late planting was little more than their separate effects, presumably due to delayed maturity, the influence of which would be exaggerated by the early burning-off of haulm in this series of experiments.

Most of the experiments were limited to testing fertilizers at two levels (presence and absence), so the effective quantities of nutrients provided by f.y.m. for the crop to which it was applied could only be estimated approximately; the average amounts suggested for normal f.y.m. are 0·3 cwt. N, 0·4 cwt. P2O5 and 0·75 cwt. K2O in 10 tons f.y.m.

These results lead to the practical conclusion that, in manuring potato crops on average land, much the same plant food ratios will be appropriate whether or not F.Y.M. is given, and the amount of fertilizer applied can be decreased to allow for the nutrients contained in the f.y.m.

Subacute oxalic acid poisoning was reproduced by the administration of varying doses of oxalic acid. The amount needed varied according to the nutritional status of the animal immediately prior to the experimental period. If lucerne was present in the diet or if calcium or strontium was added much larger doses were tolerated. Such an animal excreted large amounts of oxalic acid as oxalate in the faeces, and as carbonate and oxalate in the urine. In animals which failed to survive the blood urea rose, while the amount of carbonate in the urine did not. In many such animals there was a decrease in blood calcium. It is considered that the major portion of the oxalate is decomposed by bacterial action in the rumen and that the primary factor in subacute oxalic acid poisoning in sheep is rumen dysfunction due to its effect on the pH of the rumen.

Since this paper was completed, Reith & Inkson (1958) have presented results for a further series of factorial experiments with f.y.m. and fertilizers in north-east Scotland, 1947–54. The authors claimed that for N their results confirmed those of Crowther & Yates; however, their Table 3 gives results very similar to those presented here: i.e. in the absence of f.y.m., PK basal greatly increased the response to N, but was ineffective where f.y.m. was also applied. The authors appear to have appreciated that these results, based on individual plot yields, were inconsistent with their main conclusions drawn from main effects and first-order interactions only, but do not seem to have realized their significance.

Field experiments are described comparing the yield of herbage on a series of grass-clover plots which were irrigated after various deficits had developed. In addition to the irrigation treatments, different rates of nitrogen were applied.

The maximum yields were obtained when only small deficits were allowed (maximum pF 3·3). This applied particularly to grass-clover swards to which no nitrogen fertilizer was applied.

There was not much reduction in yield on predominantly perennial ryegrass swards liberally supplied with nitrogen when larger deficits were allowed to develop (pF c. 4·0).

Estimates of soil water deficit from meteorological data using Penman's method agreed very well with direct measurements.

Eighty-three fertilized sheep ova were stored at 0–8° C. for 6–72 hr. in sterile sheep serum or Ringer's solution and subsequently transferred to suitable recipient ewes in order to determine their viability following storage.

In Exp. 1, nine out of twelve ova stored in sheep serum, but none out of five ova stored in Ringer's solution, continued development after subjection to storage at 5–8° C. for 6–9 hr. Seven out of fifteen, none of nineteen, and none of nine ova were found developing in recipients after subjection to 5–8° C. in serum for 24, 48 and 72 hr., respectively.

In Exp. 2, lambs were born to recipients of four out of six ova stored for 24 hr. at 4·5–7° C, and of two out of five ova stored for 72 hr. at these temperatures. None of the recipients of twelve ova stored for 24, 48 and 72 hr. (four ova of each duration) at 0·4° C. produced live lambs.

In Exp. 3, none of thirty-four ova developed after subjection to freezing to −79° C. in 12·5% glycerol in serum.

1. Six methods of diluting chicken's blood prior to counting erythrocytes and leucocytes in haemacytometers have been studied. No difficulty is found in recognizing erythrocytes. The most satisfactory method of counting leucocytes was the method described by Natt & Herrick (1952) in which the diluent contains methyl violet. Formulae are given which enable standard errors of estimates to be calculated.

2. Three methods of staining blood smears for the differentiation of the various leucocytes have been studied. The method using Leishman's stain appeared to result in good differentiation and was simple to use. However, an experiment to study sampling errors has shown that there may be considerable differences between observers in the percentages of lymphocytes and heterophils when the latter are high, showing that the estimates of these quantities may be biassed. These differences may have been caused by a tendency for heterophils to concentrate to the edges of the smears and for the observers to select different fields for their counts.

3. Although blood counts varied only slightly during the day, there were considerable differences from day to day. The average erythrocyte count for ten chickens fluctuated between about 2·9 and 3·5 millions per mm.3 during the first 3 weeks after hatching and was more steady for the next 4 weeks at about 2·9 millions per mm.3. The average leucocyte count rose from about 10,000 to 35,000 per mm.3 during the first 7 weeks of life, the rate of increase being greatest when the chickens were youngest; the rise was mainly due to a rise in the number of lymphocytes.

4. There were also considerable differences in blood counts between chickens even though environmental and genetic conditions were standardized as far as possible.

1. Symptoms of zinc deficiency and toxicity have been studied in guar, brinjal, maize, tobacco and Mosambi (Mozambique) using a sand-culture technique.

2. In zinc-deficient guar plants, depressed vegetative growth and smaller leaves than normal ones were found. Only few flower buds were seen, and there was abscission of leaves at the time of flowering.

3. Chlorosis followed by necrosis and finally the drying up of leaves was the most characteristic deficiency symptom in the case of brinjal; growth was stunted and flowers failed to set fruits.

4. In the newer leaves of maize, intermittent light yellow bands were formed just parallel to the midrib.

5. In the lower leaves of tobacco, chlorosis followed by necrosis was observed; growth was stunted and leaves were small in size.

6. In Mosambi (Mozambique), whitish yellow patches in between the veins were observed; leaves were small, pointed and quite unhealthy.

7. There was an increase in zinc uptake with increased rates of application of zinc.

8. Crude protein increased with increasing zinc supply up to levels beyond the optimum for growth.