MICHIGAN. 131 



Work was also done with yeasts and torulse found in milk and butter, 

 with various strains of Bactermm lactis acidi, and on troubles with 

 off flavors in milk and cream. A paper was published on the fer- 

 menting capacity of the average single cell of B. lactis acidi. 



The investigation of infectious abortion in cattle during the past 

 year resulted in the isolation from the exudate and cotyledons of an 

 aborting cow the bacterium described by Bang and others as occurring 

 in epizootic abortion, and work was taken up with a view to estab- 

 lishing a lactic flora on the genital mucosa for the purpose of over- 

 coming and of preventing the reappearance of the abortion and other 

 objectionable bacteria. The problem was approached by studying 

 the normal and abnormal flora of the genital passages and of the 

 flora after treatment with lactic cultures. 



The chemist continued the study of the organic nitrogenous com- 

 pounds in soils and their variability, together with the study of the 

 chemical factors rendering soluble the insoluble phosphates of the 

 soil. The laboratory investigations in connection with these studies 

 were supplemented by pot experiments. Papers were published 

 during the year on the neutral ammonium citrate solutions and the 

 use of Busch's nitron for the determination of nitrate nitrogen in 

 soils and fertilizers. 



The botanist entered upon a study of the twig and branch cankers 

 of apple and peach, and the entomologist continued to give attention 

 to the agents instrumental in destroying insects. A bulletin on part 

 of the entomological problem and entitled " How do contact insecti- 

 cides kill insects ? " was published. 



Among different lines of work conducted with Hatch and other 

 funds the veterinarian studied several diseases which broke out in 

 the State during the year. These included infectious anemia in 

 horses, malignant catarrh and granular vaginitis of cattle, avian 

 tuberculosis, worms in pigs, and an unknown disease in cattle and 

 one in sheep. The agglutination work conducted for two or three 

 years past in connection with the Dorset-Niles serum production was 

 completed, and the results were published as Technical Bulletin 8. 

 This department also tested 510 cattle for tuberculosis, of which 8 

 were condemned. > 



In soil bacteriology, a study was made of the role of microorgan- 

 isms in the building up of the barren sand of the Jack pine plains 

 and of peat. Particular attention was given to the formation of 

 humus, the decomposition and availability of peat compounds, and 

 the peculiarities of peat as a soil. Other problems in hand con- 

 cerned largely the technique and reliability of methods in common 

 practice. The department of bacteriology also prepared and dis- 

 tributed cultures for the inoculation of leguminous crops, alcohol- 

 acetic cultures and lactic cultures, and hog-cholera serum. 



