238 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



"Other bacteriological tests have been made whose significanee is 

 not apparent as yet. However, several interesting phenomena have 

 occurred which will bear further investigation. It has been found that 

 many species of actinomycetes have the power of digesting cellulose 

 aerobically and under partial anaerobic conditions also. Assuming 

 that the cellulose of peat can be attacked by this group of organisms, 

 this may account for the great increase in numbers, at least proportion- 

 ately, of the actinomycetes in the different depths of the compost pit. 



"Nothing so far indicates that the nitrogen of the peat has been at- 

 tacked to any extent. 



"At this time (June 1919) the contents of the concrete compost i)it 

 are being removed and placed under more aerobic conditions in four bins 

 eight feet square by three feet high, each bin representing a layer from 

 the pit of about two feet deep. Studies of the contents of these bins are 

 to be continued to ascertain the change in rate of the microbial decom- 

 position, and consequently in the type of microbial flora and the changes 

 they bring about. The pit is then to be filled with a similar mixture, 

 employing some of the mixture taken out, as the inoculum in place of 

 manure. Studies both bacteriological and chemical are to be made of 

 this mixture." 



Dr. Strafseth makes the following report: 



"The research work on bovine infectious abortion has not progressed 

 very rapidly since Mr. I. F. Huddleson enlisted in the army. Shortly 

 after the outbreak of the war seven members of this department entered 

 the service. This, of course, left the department facing a very difficult 

 situation. No one was left to take charge of the problem and to secure 

 suitable assistants was almost impossible, as every young man was subject 

 to military duty. Through the kind aid of Dr. E. T. Hallman of the De- 

 partment of Animal Pathology and Dr. D. J. Lamoureaux, his assistant, 

 the maintenance of the experimental herd was made possible. Various 

 projects were outhned and the work was progressing smoothly, when Dr. 

 Lamoureaux was taken away after a short illness of pneumonia. This 

 happened about two weeks after my return from the army. Dr. Lamou- 

 reaux had just started to compile his data and I had not yet become fami- 

 liar with his work at the time of his death, so I am unable to render any 

 report on the results which he obtained. From his outlines, I judge that 

 his work was mainly along the same lines as that which I have planned for 

 next year. Records of the breeding and blood reactions of the animals in 

 our experimental herd were kept which will be of great value to us in the 

 future. 



"Our herd now consists of ten cows, eleven heifers, six calves and two 

 bulls. _ . 



"The work outlined for next year is as follows: 



1. Determination of the avenue of entrance of the Bad. abortus. 



2. Persistence and localization of same in the animal body. 



3. Mode of dissemination. 



4. Study of concomitant infections to determine their relation 4,o 



infectious abortion and sterility. 



5. Immunization by means of lipo-vaccines. 



6. Finding the better methods for the isolation and cultivation of 



the Bad. abortus. 



