6 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



Attempts were also made to discover the insect-carrier of 

 a short period fever which was seriously impairing the 

 efficiency of ship's crews in the Bombay Docks. At the 

 time of his death Mr. Howlett was engaged on a survey of 

 flies in the Punjab and the North- West Frontier Province 

 in connection with the transmission of surra amongst 

 camels. 



Bacteriological Section. A large amount of work on 

 nitrification and fixation of nitrogen has already been done 

 by the Bacteriological Section. During the year under 

 report, investigations were carried out regarding the nitri- 

 fication of cow-dung, cow-urine and sheep fold manure, 

 along with their effects on plant growth. The losses of 

 nitrogen during the storage of these manures are being, 

 further investigated. A study of the wide variations in 

 the accumulation of nitrate during the decomposition of 

 various oil-cakes tends to the conclusion that these are 

 intimately connected with the carbohydrate-nitrogen ratio 

 of the cakes, the oil content having apparently very slight 

 influence on nitrification. A comparison of the nitrogen 

 content of soil under fallow and growing crops showed that 

 not only the nitrate but also the organic nitrogen content 

 of the cropped plots were lower than those of the fallow 

 plot. Further work on the sterilization of water by the 

 new sterilizer (electro-chlorogen), mentioned in last year's 

 report, was continued. 



Proto zoological Section. Dr. Pringle Jameson, who 

 joined his appointment on the 17th October, 1919, has 

 taken up the work on the pebrine disease of silkworms 

 from the point where Mr. Hutchinson, who initiated the 

 investigations, left off. 



The work done by the Indigo Section is published in a 

 special series of Indigo Publications started by the Insti- 

 tute. A separate annual report has, therefore, not been 

 considered necessary. 



Training. The number of post-graduate students 

 under training at the Institute, during the year, are 



