Evening star., 1939-05-21
StreamIined Turkeys
Tomorrow w'sFood,
Mrs. Roosevelt Told
Presidents Wife Poys
Visit to BeItsviIIe
Research Center
BY FRANCES LIDE.


flower cups) and liens may sport
blue tined toenails and lay blue
yolked eggs-or red or green-ac-
cording to order
The Presidents wife, by driving
few miles out of Washington, also
was introduced to such exhibits as:
The Heart Beat of Cock Roach"
and "An I. @. Test for Farm Dog"
Not World Fair, but curiosity
about what is going on at one of
the Department of Agricultures
priced establishments led Mrs.
Roosevelt to take a jaunt to the
National Agricultural Research Gen.
ter at Beltsville, Md.
There on the center's $4,000 acres
greatly expanded since the Roose-
welt administration and equipped
with new buildings erected by both
w. P. A. and P. w. A. labor-the
Presidents wife, and the press
women who cover her" enjoyed
some of the amusing by-products of
research designed to advance agri-
culture as we'll as its more signifi-
cant aspects
Accompanied by Mrs. Henry Nor
genthau, jr., and driving the latter's
convertible coupe throughout the
day, Mrs. Roosevelt was in holiday
mood and posed for number of pic
lures. Though she refused to pet
tiny pig for the benefit of pho
tographers, she laughingly donned,
over her beret, bee veil and the
gray wide-brimmed hat which goes
with it. and persuaded Mrs. Nor
genthau and Mrs. Henry Wallace,
who joined the group, to do the same.
Fed Capsules of Dye.
At the poultry house, where the
chickens greeted the visitors with
loud squaWks, the frivolous effect of
feeding capsules of dye to laying
hens was demonstrated. The yellow"
of their eggs was not yellow, but a
vivid green, blue or red. according
to the dye, and the hens skin and
nails also were slightly colored The
same tone carried on to their chicks
Especially gay was cross section
of a hard-boiled egg from a hen
that had received a limited dose of
blue dye. The white of the egg
seemed unaffected, but the yolk was
trimmed with blue and the center
had a pink tone. So the kiddies
of tomorrow may have their eggs
dyed inside as well as out, though the
dye has not yet been certified as a
proper food
The department doesn't know
whether blue eggs are harmful food
because it hasn't eaten any of them
yet.
While the chief purpose of the
color experiments seemed to be to
see the effect of dye consumption.
most of the poultry research is con-
Quoted to meet consumer demand
Experiments to increase the thick
ness of egg white are definitely
practical, it was said, because eggs
with thick albumen poach and fry
uniformly and appeal to the cook
Also cakes made with these eggs are
said to hold up better.
Streamlined Turkeys.
Streamlined turkeys are bred to
meet the needs of small families
with small ovens who are eating
turkey all year around these days
but do not want too much of it at
one time. Strains of these stream
liners" or smaller bodied turkeys, are
being developed so that well-fin-
ished male may weigh from IA to
81 pounds and plump young tur-
key hen from to II pounds.
Breeding experiments also are be-
ing directed toward greater egg pro-
duction and uniform egg size as well
as improving quality. A prize ex-
hibit was hen with II daughters.
whose production averaged 238
standard size eggs annually. BY way
Of contrast another hens Is "daugh-
ters' averaged only 189 eggs yearly
and eight of her children died,
though the first family was raised
to maturity.
CrosS-breeding in one instance re-
suited in production OF more than
300 eggs, though the average is
1919, it was said.
Just why the center should be
measuring the heart beat of cock
roach was puzzling until it was ex-
planned that Archie was exposed to
some of the department. most
promising insecticides while being
subjected to the elaborate photo
graphic and microscopic equipment.
The method also makes it possible
to learn more about how insect heart
mechanism operates to gain infor-
nation helpful in the search of i'm
proved ways to control insect pests.
Ofhcials were not very definite
about what advantage to the farmer
would come from 1. O. tests for dogs,
except that they are trying to deter
mine canine inheritance and tenn
perament.
Perfect Score for Two.
AT any rate, the l. @. test was a
good show. The apparatus consisted
OF an entrance pen which led into
large inclosure where four exit
alleyWays were closed by doors.
Three OF the doors were fastened,
leaving only one available exit. If
the dog-with the prospect of dish
OF meat on the outside-tries anv
one of the doors more than once he
rates an error. In spite of yester-
days crowd, performers in two DEM
onstrations made perfect score
and won an approving pat from Mrs.
Roosevelt's hand.
At the Beltsville dairy, the press
women scented future campaign
to make America yellow-butter con-
scious. 1t was explained experiments
indicate the effect of different kinds
and quality of hay may be seen in
the natural color of milk or butter
and that the better quality hays
| have higher carotene content.