1918] RURAL ENGINEERING. 437 



Studies of an obscure cattle disease in western Nevada, W. B. Mack and 

 E. Records {Jour. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc, 52 (1911), No. 2, pp. HS-155).— The 

 authors' conclusions are as follows : 



"Whatever the nature of this infection, it appears to be taken up from the 

 intestine and carried to the liver by the portal vein, where it establishes itself, 

 produces severe local damage, and later overwhelms the animal, either by exten- 

 sion into the blood stream or by the liberation of a soluble toxin. 



" The original hypothesis that this is an atypical form of hemorrhagic sep- 

 ticemia has not been proved. The bacteriological and serological findings are 

 rather against this theory. The clinical observations, anatomical changes, and 

 the results of immunization and serum therapy seem to favor it." 



The results of an experiment to note the effects of freezing on antihog 

 cholera serum, H. C. H. Kernkamp {Cornell Vet., 8 {1918), No. 1, pp. 7-9). — 

 Experiments are cited which would seem to prove that freezing under condi- 

 tions that would be likely to occur in transit does not destroy the immunizing 

 properties of antihog cholera serum or render it unfit for use. 



Ticks affecting big game, F. Bradshaw {Ami. Rpt. Dept. Agr. Saskatche- 

 wan, 11 {1916), pp. 232-235, figs. 2).— This reports upon the infestation of moose 

 by the winter tick {Dermacentor albipictvs), which resulted in the death of 

 large numbers. 



RURAL ENGINEERING. 



Irrigation by borders, or sloping checks, R. W. Allen (U. S. Dept. Agr., 

 Bur. Plant Indus., Work Vm<itilla Expt. Farm, 1915-16, pp. 20-22). — "A series 

 of preliminary investigations to determine the manner in which irrigation water 

 moves in coarse sandy soil showed that it went down very quickly in all 

 instances and spread out to a very limited extent. In furrow irrigation it 

 was found that when water was applied by means of furrows 2 ft. apart it 

 moved laterally through the soil so little that a portion of the soil to a depth 

 of 6 ft. between the furrows remained dry, although the water was run for 

 several hours in the furrows. Water was run through shallow furrows 2 ft. 

 apart for six days in raw land without moistening the surface soil between 

 them. It was then found that by flooding the land it could be uniformly 

 moistened to depths which were determined by the quantity of water applied. 

 Level checks could not be irrigated successfully, because the water disappeared 

 so rapidly near the box that much waste occurred unless very small checks were 

 used, or else the head of water must be very large and so cover the ground 

 quickly. . . . 



"An experiment was begun in 1916 to determine the influence of the length 

 of the border on the amount of water required for successful irrigation \vith a 

 given head. Three borders were made, 22 ft. wide, 100, 175. and 250 ft. long, 

 and lettered a, b, c, respectively. The slope in each border is uniform and rela- 

 tively similar in all of them, the total fall being 1.2 ft. in a, 1.8 ft. in 6, and 

 1.9 ft. in e. Twenty-one irrigations were applied during the season, using a 

 head of water that varied from 1 to 1.5 second-feet. . . . With this head of 

 water and width of borders the 175-ft. border is irrigated as economically as 

 the 100-ft. one. The 250-ft. border is not so economically irrigated, but no 

 more water was applied to it than the soil was capable of holding. However, 

 some waste probably resulted from deep percolation near the upper end. 

 With a larger head of water it might be irrigated satisfactorily, but 250 ft. 

 appears to be the maximum distance the water should be run under the best 

 conditions found on the.se sandy soils. With a larger head of water, which 

 should be used in general practice, the borders could be made much Avider and 

 the number correspondingly reduced." 

 49984°— 18 7 



