614 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The spark of electricity flashing between the two poles of an electrical 

 machine gives but the faintest conception of the thousand volts in the 

 niighty thundorbolt. 



It is not my intention to dwell upon an enumeration ot the multitudes 

 of Utile things that cause pain, sorrow and pleasure, but to invite your 

 attention to two phases of life and to certain of the smallest forms of 

 the vegetable kingdom, commonly called microbes or bacteria. While 

 probal)ly not the lowest of the plants, they are unquestionably the small- 

 est, but no group has more to do with the weal or woe of the human race 

 than these. The results of their vital activities are not measured by their 

 size or weight. Forts, war-ships and mines could not stop our admiral 

 at ^lanilla, l)ut a little colony of s])irilluin ])ro(lucing Asiatic cholera 

 could quarantine him 11 days in any port in the civilized world where 

 protection of life is regarded as important. The navies of all countries 

 woidd unite in enforcing these regulations. 



The borderland between the plant and animal kingdom is not sharply 

 defined, and for the last fifty years students of these low forms have been 

 at variance as to the exact position of certain mdividuals. Bacteria are 

 simply one-celled plants containing a mass of protoplasm with varying 

 characters and provided with a well-detined wall of cellulose. 



It is hard to liken these small forms to any other members of the 

 plant kingdom with which we are familiar.- In their absence of color 

 and manner of taking food they somewhat resemble the common bread 

 mold. This is in marked contrast to the gi'een plants that get so much 

 food from ihe air. 



There are but few forms of bacteria, and this fact has produced no 

 little confusion in establishing the identity of certain individuals. These 

 minute forms are recognized by Avhat they do rather than by their appear- 

 ance. However, like Dr. Jekyl and Mi*. Hyde, bacteria may assume 

 somewhat different forms imder different conditions, in the one case 

 becoming producers of loathsome diseases and in the other mere harmless 

 parasites. 



It is therefore certain that an absolute classification based on ana- 

 tomical grounds is impossible, because of the smallness of the object and 

 its~variability during its life existence. Of the several hundred species of 

 bacteria, there are but three or four forms; these in the main may be 

 represented by an egg, a short lead pencil and a segment of a cork 

 screw; again, they are ellipsoidal, rod-shaped and spiral. The rod-shape 

 ones constitiite the gi'oup of bacillus of which the forms producing ty- 

 phoid fever and consumption may be taken as types. Those of egg-shape 

 form are called microcccus, and to this division belong the common pus- 

 producing germ and others. The spiral form constitute the smallest 

 group, and are called spirilla. To this class belong the one producing 

 Asiatic cholera. The other groups are smaller and less important. Let 

 us remember that "bactei-ia" includes all of the forms mentioned and 



