186 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



June 5. — Tested herd of Mr. J Iv — near Zeeland. One re- 

 action. 



June 7. — Cow reported as suspicions of tuberculosis at Decatur. 

 Notliing especially suspicious found. 



June 8. — Found herd of 90 sheep, western and native, badly affected 

 with scab. Stomach worms also present. 



June 14. — At Bellaire cattle had died, probably on account of so-called 

 Grand Traverse disease. 



June 18. — Two cattle were autopsied near Flint. One other had died. 

 Symptoms were such as to suggest rabies. Autopsy showed subepi- 

 cardial, endocardial and pericardial hemorrhages and acute nephritis. 

 No Negri bodies found in comu ammonis. Diagnosis not made. 



June 21. — Tested herd of Mr. J H near Overisel. Eight 



tested, of which 5 reacted. 



WARD GILTNER. 



Dr. van Suchtelen has been busily engaged during the past year en- 

 deavoring to find a basis upon which to construct his microbial investi- 

 gations. BLis attitude may be presented best in his own language: 



*'As the successor of ^Ir. Wentworth, I am continuing his work re- 

 garding various widely different soils in relation to their bacterial 

 flora. From the few preliminary results, one may conclude that the 

 influence of frost upon the total number of soil bacteria is not as 

 decisive as was formerly supposed. 



In connection with my former work, I have endeavored to find an 

 economical quotient for a momentary condition of the organic com- 

 pounds in soil. Conformable to its nature, such a numerical expression 

 can only represent a maximum value. However, it is the writer's belief 

 that this quotient might possibly add to the amplification of the agrogeo- 

 logical valuation of the soil. 



As a disturbing factor was perceived both in relation to accuracy and 

 significance, the deficiency of the present methods for the determina- 

 tion of those conditions, which we know empirically, influence the Mikro- 

 flora in soil most profoundly. 



A priori one can scarcely assume that the present methods which have 

 originated from other inner necessities, and therefore must have un- 

 avoidably a different scope and purpose, could have the same signifi- 

 cance in other spheres with different demands. 



It has been necessar}^ for this reason to submit these different methods 

 to an extensive critical consideration. Since from previous experiments, 

 it was made probable that the instantaneous microbiological condition 

 of a soil differs quite markedly in two adjoining places, so it is evident 

 that for soil bacteriological purposes only a modification of the present 

 customary methods of soil investigation has to be applied, a modifica- 

 tion of which not the entire field but the individual sample must be 

 necessarily regarded as the unit. 



The investigations of the flora of two extreme soil types, peat and 

 sand, begun by Mr. Wentworth in 1910, have been continued. The data 

 allow no definite conclusions, but it may be stated that the influence of 

 frost upon the bacteria was not as decided as other investigators found 

 in other soil types. 



