1

Studies in abdominal purulent conditions of the hen and some studies in the resistance of the fowl to the pus-producing organisms, B. F. Kaupp (Jour. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc., 53 (1918), No. 3, pp. 381-406, figs. 14).—Some typical cases of purulent peritonitis of the hen are recorded, together with studies in experimental inoculation of birds with the various common pusproducing organisms. The latter studies show that the domestic fowl has great resistance to pus-forming organisms, such as Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus and S. pyogenes albus. It is only after a prolonged course of injections that changes in the internal organs are produced and local purulent inflammation of the peritoneum results.

Amyloidosis can be produced in the domestic fowl by repeated injections of large doses of staphylococci extending over long periods. The amyloid deposits are found in the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Products of suppuration produce acute parenchymatous nephritis in the hen.

Poultry diseases, B. F. KAUPP (Chicago: Amer. Vet. Pub. Co., 1917, 2. ed., rev. and enl., pp. 245, figs. 80).—A revised and enlarged edition of the work previously noted (E. S. R., 31, p. 88).

RURAL ENGINEERING.

Durability of concrete draintile, II, O. B. WINTER (Michigan Sta. Spec. Bul. 82 (1917), pp. 12).—This is a more complete account of the experimental data previously noted (E. S. R., 35, p. 386), from which the following conclusions are drawn:

"An examination of the disintegrated parts of concrete draintile showed that nearly all of the calcium hydrate, together with a large part of the fine material, had been removed.

"When tile are exposed to the elements in such a way that no solution is forced through their walls, there probably is very little if any disintegration. "Every solution which was passed through a concrete tile wall had a solvent action on some of the essential constituents of the tile. All of the solutions dissolved considerable lime and most of them dissolved a small amount of the other constituents, as iron, aluminum, magnesium, and sulphur compounds. "Change of volume also destroyed the tile wall.

"The problem of preparing durable concrete draintile resolves itself into the preparation of a practically impervious tile wall. . . . Of the factors necessary to prepare practically impervious tile, besides good material and good workmanship, the most essential is the proper grading of the aggregate. The reduction of the surface tension of the hydrating water, by regulation of the temperature or the use of some foreign substance, is also important.

"Tile which were graded according to Fuller's maximum density curve were almost impervious, and those graded according to Fuller's maximum density curve and gauged with water and 10 per cent of heavy oil were entirely so." [Marl handling experiments], H. H. MUSSELMAN (Michigan Sta. Rpt. 1917, pp. 342, 343).—In pumping tests with a diaphragm pump, marl more than 50 per cent solid was pumped efficiently from marl beds underlying small marshes. Field tests indicated, however, that some means of agitating and starting the marl must be provided.

Fire protection for grain fields, W. METCALF (California Sta. Bul. 295 (1918), pp. 349–368, figs. 10).—Data as to the causes of grain fires in California in 1915, 1916, and 1917 are tabulated, and precautions to minimize losses are discussed. Grain-harvesting machinery is held responsible for 30 per cent of the fires, and means for safeguarding machinery through the use of air clarifiers, spark ar

resters, fire extinguishers, and other appliances are described. Two homemade spark arresters are described and illustrated.

Tests of the absorption and penetration of coal tar and creosote in longleaf pine, C. H. TEESDALE and J. D. MACLEAN (U. S. Dept. Agr. Bul. 607 (1918), pp. 42, pls. 11, figs. 14).—This paper reports the results of an investigation into the effect of tar in creosote upon absorption and penetration of the preservative. The study was made at the Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wis. To eliminate the variability due to species and reduce that due to the character and condition of the wood, the experiments were confined to the wood of one species, longleaf pine. The tests included penetration tests, in which the preservative was applied to a small area in the specimen and measurements made of the penetration secured; and impregnation tests, in which specimens were treated with the preservative under pressure in a cylinder. Experiments were also conducted to determine the effect of varying pressure, time of treatment, and temperature as factors in obtaining absorptions and penetrations from tar and creosote mixtures equivalent to those obtained with creosote. The tests are described in detail and the results are presented in tables and graphs and fully discussed.

Briefly summarized, the addition of coal tar to coal-tar creosote increased materially the difficulty of injection into heart longleaf pine. The resistance to impregnation was increased as the amount of tar was increased, and was greater to coal tars of high than to those of low free-carbon content, even after the free carbon was removed. This indicates that the character of the bitumens as well as the free carbon influenced impregnation. Coal tars produced at relatively low temperatures penetrate better than those produced at relatively high temperatures. Coal tars containing relatively large-sized free-carbon particles favor better penetration of the preservative than those containing small-sized freecarbon particles. In these tests the viscosities of mixtures containing different tars did not appear to have any definite relation to the ease or difficulty of penetration.

In the treatment of paving blocks the most general practice is to inject about 16 lbs. of the preservative per cubic foot of wood. When coal tar was added to coal-tar creosote it was possible to obtain an absorption of 16 lbs. per cubic foot by increasing the pressure, the temperature, and the time of treatment, the amount of the increase required depending upon the kind and amount of tar added. Generally speaking, the tests indicate that the pressure period should be as long as possible, the intensity of pressure being regulated to obtain the desired pressure, while the preservative should be at as high a temperature as it is practicable to work without injuring the wood. From 190 to 220° F. may be satisfactorily used in treating longleaf-pine paving blocks. Better treatments may be obtained in wood which has narrow annual rings.

RURAL ECONOMICS.

A farm management study in southeastern Minnesota, A Boss, A. H. BENTON, and W. L. Cavert (Minnesota Sta. Bul. 172 (1917), pp. 3–51, figs. 15).—The area included in this survey consists of four townships in the eastern part of Rice County, Minn. The records were obtained in 1912-13. The farms average 135 acres in size and $14,401 in value. The labor income was $319, and of the 400 farms surveyed, 25.3 per cent made minus labor incomes, 35.7 per cent made incomes varying from $100 to $400, 32.8 per cent made labor incomes from $400 to $1,000, and 6.2 per cent, incomes of more than $1,000. The men averaged 249 days of productive labor per year, and horses, 81. The average cost of man and horse labor was $11.94 per crop acre. On the average one man

cared for 53.9 acres of crops and 11 units of productive live stock; a horse cared for 20.9 acres of crops.

On farms where less than 30 per cent of the receipts were for cash crops, higher labor incomes were made than on farms where the larger proportion came from this source. Farmers with less than six acres of farm for each unit of productive live stock showed higher average labor incomes than those with more than six acres for each unit. The five factors found to be important in obtaining satisfactory labor incomes were size of farm, crop yield per acre, returns per unit of productive live stock, number of days of labor annually accomplished per man, and number of days of productive labor annually accomplished per horse.

Status of farming in the lower Rio Grande irrigated district of Texas, R. E. WILLARD (U. S. Dept. Agr. Bul. 665 (1918), pp. 24, figs. 10).—The area surveyed is located in the southern portion of Cameron and Hidalgo Counties, Tex., and the findings relate to conditions during 1915.

It is pointed out that good land can be secured at prices ranging from $15 to $250 per acre or may be rented for from $3 to $10 per acre. It also appears that farms of less than 40 acres are not so successful as those of a larger size. In general, staple crop and stock farms are larger in acreage than truck farms, although the last named type, being more intense, does a larger business, acre for acre, than do farms of other types. When 50 per cent of the crop land is utilized for a second crop, the net returns are greater than when a smaller acreage is double cropped. The most successful farms are those which produce a considerable diversity of truck crops during the winter months, practically the whole farm being in staple crops during the summer. The growing of truck and feed crops, with hogs as a side line, makes one of the most satisfactory types of organization from the standpoint of stability and profits.

A farm management study of cotton farms of Ellis County, Tex., R. E. WILLARD (U. S. Dept. Agr. Bul. 659 (1918), pp. 54, figs. 19).-The data on which this bulletin is based are obtained from a survey of the business of 120 farms in 1914.

Among the findings set forth by the author are that every operator with less than $4,000 was a tenant, while everyone with more than this was an owner. Also in spite of the fact that tenants with an average capital of only $1,200 made nearly as much as owners with $10,000, tenants with $2,500 invested made distinctly greater incomes than owners with an investment four times as great. He points out the following facts with reference to the size of farms:

"There is better utilization of capital on the large farms than on the small ones. Each dollar of working capital (stock, equipment, etc.) accomplishes more work on the large than on the small farms. The management is more economical, although possibly not quite so efficient, on the large farms than on the farms of less acreage. The most efficient size for two-horse farms here appears to be from 55 to 60 acres of crops; for four-horse farms from 95 to 105 acres, and for six-horse farms from 140 to 155 acres.

'There is a slightly greater percentage return on the large farms than on the small ones, due to better utilization of labor and lower unit cost of operation. The total net receipts are greater on the large farms than on the small ones. The small farms show a greater yield of cotton per acre than the large farms. "Farmers of this region have not generally made the mistake of operating too small an area for the efficient utilization of capital and labor; the smallest farm studied consists of 39 acres of crop land, and the largest, 522 acres."

The author also notes that there are a few farms in the county which may be classified as dairy or diversified farms. The average number of productive

live stock found per farm was equivalent to 4.26 mature animals, which usually consisted of a cow or two for the production of milk and butter, a few hogs for meat, and a moderate-sized flock of poultry for eggs and meat.

He also gives data as to the cost and value of lint and cotton seed. He estimates that the cost of producing a pound of lint was 8.3 cents, and the cost of seed per ton, $12.34. The value of the lint per pound was 11.2 cts., and the seed per ton, $16.03.

Farm making in upper Wisconsin, B. G. PACKER and E. J. DELWICHE (Wisconsin Sta. Bul. 290 (1918), pp. 71, figs. 42).-This pamphlet is issued by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the station, to supply information to settlers in this State. Information is given as to how land may be selected according to soil fertility, how it may be managed during the pioneer stage, and how to secure further information with respect to the soil, crops, and market facilities.

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Rural-teacher preparation in county training schools and high schools, H. W. FOGHT (U. S. Bur. Ed. Bul. 31 (1917), pp. 71).—Part 1 of this bulletin presents the present status of teacher training in secondary schools now carried on in 21 States. This includes the Wisconsin county training schools, which are considered the only genuine county training schools in every respect separate from the public high schools; schools with teacher preparation in separate departments, called county training schools or classes, which use public-school buildings and equipment for their work, as in New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, and Ohio; and teacher preparation as a part of the regular high-school work, as in Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Reference is made to instruction in agriculture and home economics in some of these schools. Part 2 gives the views of educators on teacher-training schools in their own States, and part 3 contains a summary of teacher-training courses in secondary schools, with suggestions for their improvement.

Elementary agriculture in public schools (Ann. Rpt. Dept. Agr. Prince Edward Island, 1917, pp. 51–70, pls. 4).-This report includes a discussion of rural science as a regular subject in the school curriculum of Prince Edward Island, a schedule of grants for the teaching of rural science, rural science in Prince of Wales Co:lege, consisting of regular class work and assistance to teachers, home project work in the schools of the Province for 1917, and the organization of rural-school fairs and extent of the movement.

Home and school gardening in Detroit, MRS. M. H. GROSVENOR (Ann. Rpt. Hort. Socs. Ontario, 12 (1917), pp. 105-107, fig. 1).-This is a report on the organization and work of the garden department in Detroit.

Children's gardening in Detroit is conducted by the city as one of the activities of its recreation commission. The policy of the department is home gardening, but one large community garden was maintained which provided several hundred children with small plats. The department also conducted demonstration gardens at two of the public schools and cooperated with other organizations in six community gardens and a patriotic garden bureau and garden school for the benefit of garden teachers and the public who desired information on modern scientific gardening.

Gardening and canning clubs were organized and an advisory council and local leader sought among the people of the community or teachers of the school

to which the club belonged. The kitchens of a number of public schools, settlements, and private homes were opened to the recreation commission for canning centers, and canning meetings were held regularly once a week and many times oftener. Exhibits of fresh and canned products were held and prizes awarded. Annual garden festivals were held in the public schools in September.

Garden clubs in the schools of Englewood, N. J., C. O. SMITH (U. S. Bur. Ed. Bul. 26 (1917), pp. 44, figs. 39).—This is an account of the organization, methods of instruction, and garden and publicity work of the garden clubs in the schools of Englewood, N. J., which were organized in the summer of 1916 and were directed by the local board of education and the superintendent of schools through a supervisor of gardens employed for this special purpose. The club members were taken in club groups on excursions to various well-managed farms, nurseries, etc. A boy's narrative of a trip to a farm, follow-up plans, blanks and circulars used, and a copy of a garden notebook are included. Methods of teaching types and breeds and poultry judging, QUAST (Jour. Amer. Assoc. Instr. and Invest. Poultry Husb., 4 (1918), No. 7, pp. 53-56).—The author discusses the teaching of (1) types and breeds of poultry in the following order, viz, a history of breeds and varieties, a study of types, and a study of color, and (2) judging. Suggestions are offered for conducting a student poultry show to complete the work.

Mounted charts on display frame for teaching breeds of poultry in the classroom (Jour. Amer. Assoc. Instr. and Invest. Poultry Husb., 4 (1918), No. 7, pp. 50–52, 53, pl. 1, figs. 9).-Directions are given for the construction of a display frame mounted with bromides and feathers for class study in teaching breeds of poultry.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Thirtieth Annual Report of Colorado Station 1917 (Colorado Sta. Rpt. 1917, pp. 32).—This contains the organization list, a financial statement for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1917, a report of the director on the work of the station, and departmental reports.

Annual Report of Idaho Station, 1917 (Idaho Sta. Bul. 104 (1918), pp. 51).— This contains the organization list, reports by the director and heads of departments, the experimental features of which are for the most part abstracted elsewhere in this issue, and a financial statement for the Federal funds for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1917, for local station funds from July 1 to December 31, 1917, and for the substations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1917.

Thirtieth Annual Report of Michigan Station, 1917 (Michigan Sta. Rpt. 1917, pp. 261-678, figs. 39).—This contains reports of the director and heads of departments on the work of the station during the year, the experimental features of which are for the most part abstracted elsewhere in this issue ; a financial statement for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1917; and reprints of Bulletins 276-278, Special Bulletins 80 and 81, Technical Bulletins 28-32, and Circulars 31 and 32, all of which have been previously noted.

Twenty-fifth Annual Report of Minnesota Station, 1917 (Minnesota Sta. Rpt. 1917, pp. 89).-This contains the organization list, a financial statement for the Federal funds for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1917, and for the State funds for the fiscal year ended July 31, 1917, and reports of the director, heads of divisions, and the various substations. The experimental work recorded is for the most part abstracted elsewhere in this issue.

Fortieth Annual Report of North Carolina Station, 1917 (North Carolina Sta. Rpt. 1917, pp. 335, pl. 1, figs. 127).-This contains the organization list, a