208 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICTTLTTIliE 



thorough study of mr organisms for quality of fiber produced, but I have 

 produced on a small scale fiber which Mr. Davis. Asst. Plant Breeder. 

 Office of Fiber-Plant Investigations. Bureau of Plant Industry, said 

 compares well with Courtrai fiber. I expect to be able to do more with 

 fiber quality this summer on morphological and cultural characteristics. 

 I have done a small amount of work with ^ix organisms which have been 

 quite extensively tried for retting. They were isolated from four 

 sources and seem to be two different types of organisms. I have not 

 carried this studv far enough as ret to make any definite statements. 

 I can say that my organisms are facultative aerobes and that I have 

 found so far that 30" C is the best temperature for retting although 

 retting will take place from 20 C. to 35' C. Mr. Davis and I spent 

 considerable time last fall ti-ying to work up a more efficient retting 

 test. Mr. Davis has submitted for publication the results of this work. 

 I might also add that I have been trying to become more efficient at 

 detecting the grade of fiber as determined by fineness, luster, softness 

 and other properties. 



[A>'TOINETTE TREVITHICK.] 



We are recommending that Assistant Professor W. L. Mallmann be 

 made also Research Assistant in the Experiment Station. The needs 

 of this Section as well as the training and ambitions of Mr. Mallmann 

 make this a logical procedure. His report follows : 



Report of W. L. Mali ma nn. 



The number of samples of water examined this year was less than 

 last year but the number of inquiries in regard to water supplies was 

 much larger. 



The results of the tests made are given in the following table : 



WATER SAMPLES EXAMIXED 



J.:v2. 



23 



31 



M 



Examination of three swimming pools in nearby cities was made and 

 the results obtained indicate the need of regulations by State legislation. 

 Several states have laws regulating the care and construction of swim- 

 ming pools. 



In two of the pools examined no bacteriological examinations are 

 made at all and in the third the examinations are extremely irregular. 

 Furthermore, one of these pools has received no treatment and the 



