ALBERT

Description: There is a toast which, in the writer's opinion, ought to be drunk whenever the great deeds of an expedition and its leader are being honoured, and that is “To the Second in Command”. After a few such toasts someone might be moved to write a book on the famous Seconds-in-Command who grace the pages of polar narrative, and an impressive list it is. To mention but a few there are Crozier for Ross in the early part of last century, Sverdrup for Nansen in the latter part, Frank Wild for Shackleton, and the subject of this note, Armitage, for Scott on his Discovery Expedition, 1901–04.

Description: It has been shown in these breeding investigations that it is possible to combine the winter hardiness of low-yielding varieties possessing characters unsuited for cultivation in this country, with many of the desirable features of the best two-row spring varieties at present grown for malting purposes. Although, with the production of the new hybrid variety Pioneer, a definite advance has been made in the production of a two-row winter barley for malting, there is no reason to suppose that further improvements cannot be made, and work is proceeding with this object in view. But in addition to the special problem of malting barley, the results so far obtained indicate that there is considerable scope in this hybridization of winter and spring varieties for the production of forms suitable for growing as feeding barleys. The hybridization of varieties differing so widely in their morphological and physiological characters, and also in their ecological adaptation, gives a wide basis for the selection of a great range of forms. On the other hand, distant hybridization of this type is liable to result in the production of a very high proportion of worthless material, involving the loss of the highest expression of the very specialized characters necessary in a barley possessing the attributes of a high-yielding malting variety with satisfactory field characters.

Description: 1. The grazing habits of Aberdeen-Angus and Hereford beef cows, on pasture without supplementary feed, were studied over continuous periods of 24 hr. during the months of July, August and September. The pastures were from 3 to 7 acres in extent and contained a good growth of Kentucky bluegrass and wild white clover, with an average moisture content of 72 %.2. During each 24 hr. period the cows spent from 7 to 8 hr. only in grazing, whatever the length of the herbage. Of this time, only some 5 hr. could be counted as actually employed in gathering herbage, as the remainder was spent in walking short distances and in selecting the area to be grazed. On the average 60 % of the grazing was performed by day, when the average distance travelled was 2 miles, and 40 % by night, when the cows travelled only about half a mile. With a dense sward of from 4 to 5 in. in height, representing about 4500 lb. green herbage to the acre, each cow was able to consume about 150 lb. of green herbage, or 32 lb. of dry matter, daily. As the amount of green herbage decreased through grazing to 2200 and 1100 lb. respectively, the daily intake was correspondingly reduced to 90 lb. (20 lb. dry matter) and 45 lb. (10 lb. dry matter). On a pasture containing about 5000 lb. green herbage of about 10 in. in height, the average daily intake was only 70 lb. (20 lb. dry matter).3. Records were made also (the average figure for the 24 hr. period being given in parentheses) of time spent in lying down (12 hr.); time spent in cudding (7 hr.); frequency of defaecation (12); amount of manure (46 lb., covering an area of 8 sq. ft.); frequency of urination (9); frequency of drinking (once only, usually in late afternoon); and frequency of suckling calf (3, each for about 15 min. at 8 hr. intervals).4. The application of the results to pasture management is discussed.

Description: A brief account is given of the work done in these laboratories on swayback and a comparison is made with a similar disease occurring in Australia. The Australian disease is due to an uncomplicated Cu deficiency of soil and herbage, but it is shown that swayback in this country is due to neither a Cu deficiency of soil nor herbage but nevertheless the affected animals suffer from a Cu deficiency and respond to Cu medication.It is shown that ewes with a low blood Cu in Derbyshire on being transferred to Cambridge rapidly attained a normal blood Cu.Analyses of grass from widely separated swayback-affected areas showed that in no case was the Cu content low.A short discussion is given of the possibility of lead being implicated in the causation of the disease, but it is concluded that lead plays only a secondary role.In the discussion it is pointed out that there is much fluorspar in the affected area of Derbyshire.

Description: 1. Growing young sugar-beet plants under continuous illumination before transplanting into the field induced stem elongation and anthesis in considerably greater proportions than in plants not exposed to continuous light exposure.2. The technique of growing young plants under continuous light exposure during the winter offers a means of rapid multiplication of small seed stocks, and also of isolating the various physiological types comprising the population. In particular, the technique should make it possible to select types resistant to bolting.3. Analysis of the glomerule populations obtained from the plants showing anthesis at definite dates indicates that there is a definite trend in the proportions of large, medium and small glomerules as the season progresses.

Description: 1. Field experiments on the use of cut ware setts with the potato varieties Arran Banner, King Edward and Majestic have shown that with proper handling no loss in plant establishment need result. When the cut setts are planted at the same distances as whole setts, there is liable to be a reduction in the yield per acre because of the lower yield per plant, but the actual rate of increase may be increased considerably by cutting because of the larger number of plants obtainable.2. No benefit has been found from the practice of dusting the cut surfaces of tubers of Majestic with slag, lime or ashes, while adverse effects resulted from the use of a fungicide and alum.3. The exposure of cut setts to drying conditions lowers their resistance to attacks by micro-organisms, and encourages the breakdown of the tuber flesh by bacteria of the carotovorum group.4. In general, the use of certain fungicides, either directly on the cut surface, or as a means of moistening sack coverings, is not to be recommended because of the adverse effects of the fungicide on the natural resistance of the live tissue of the tuber flesh.

Description: 1. Experiments are described demonstrating a technique for raising sugar beet seedlings under glass during the winter to provide plants for seed production after transplanting into the field.2. The use of 24 hr. illumination for this purpose is discussed, and the effect of this illumination in resolving a heterogeneous population is described.3. The association between the growth habit of the seeding plant and root characters, glomerule yield, weight and size, and the time of anthesis is considered in relation to the recognition of types showing B. maritima and B. vulgaris characteristics.

Description: The influence upon milk production of changes in level of feeding and in proportion of bulky foods has been investigated, using all available experimental material.The experimental results show that increases in level of feeding, to rates well in excess of conventional English standards, are capable of giving substantial increases in milk production (Fig. 1).It is shown that physiological efficiency falls off as food intake is increased. A curve representing physiological efficiency has been constructed by taking account of changes in live weight as well as changes in yield of milk (Fig. 4).

Description: Calcification on 1% of controlled cod-liver oil was less satisfactory than on 1% of genuine cod-liver oil as judged by radiography at 5 weeks old. Growth rates were not significantly different.⅔ of 1% of the genuine cod-liver oil promoted calcification as satisfactorily as (and significantly better on one diet than) 1% of controlled oil. The mean tarso-metatarsal distances on ⅔ of 1% of controlled oil were too wide for the calcification to be regarded as normal. It has thus been shown that satisfactory growth is no criteria of adequate calcification and bone structure.From the age of 6—16 weeks, ⅔ of 1% of controlled cod-liver oil mixture was not adequate, as demonstrated by radiographic examination, for optimal calcification; but using the criteria of naked eye examination and weight, no significant difference would have been found between genuine cod-liver oil and the controlled mixture. These birds showing subnormal calcification could not be expected to stand up well to the strain of laying, which puts heavy demands upon the calcium metabolism.