788 EXPERIMENT STATION" RECORD. [Vol.38 



trichinae may start an epidemic such as occurred at Habersleben, where 337 

 persons were affected and 101 died. 



Fern poisoning or fern staggers, B. T. Simms (Oreg. Countryman, 10 (1917), 

 No. 2, pp. 15. 33, 34). — The author reports that a very lieavy loss of horses in 

 western Oregon extending over several months has resulted from fern poisoning. 

 The cause appears to be the same as that described by Hadwen and Bruce in 

 a report previously noted (E. S. R.. 38, p. 5S9). 



Insect transmission of infectious anemia of horses, C. W. Howard {Jour. 

 Parasitology. If {1911), No. 2, pp. 70-79). — A brief discussion of swamp fever, 

 including a review of previous investigations, followed by a report of experi- 

 mental work conducted at the Minnesota Experiment Station. The results of 

 the experiment indicate that the disease can be carried from one horse to 

 another by the stable fly, but the author is not fully convinced that insects are 

 the usual or only carriers of the disease. 



The treatment of pneumonia by intratracheal injections. Chambers {Vet. 

 Jour., 75 {1917), No. 510, pp. Jf21-425). — The author reports upon his experience 

 in the treatment of pneumonia at a port of embarkation, which extended over 

 a period of ten months. 



He found a remarkable decrease in the mortality among horses to follow the 

 routine procedure of giving an intratracheal injection of 10 cc. of a slightly 

 warm solution of formalin in water or 10 cc. of creosote 1 part and 63 

 per cent alcohol 10 parts to every animal admitted to the port with catarrh 

 or catarrhal fever. Over 400 cases of chest affections were treated by both, 

 and while the two mixtures appear equally beneficial the author favors 

 the use of creosote on account of its nonirritability. With the formalin solution 

 one or two Injections may be given daily but it is not advisable to make more 

 than four or five consecutive injections, while with creosote four or more 

 consecutive injections may be given without danger. 



Fowl typhoid, Pfeiler and Roepke {Ccntbl. Bald, [etc.], 1. AM., Orig., 79 

 {1917), pp. 125-139; abs. in Jour. Compar. Path, and Ther., 30 {1917), No. 3, pp. 

 263-266. — This is a report of studies of a disease identical with that first de- 

 scribed by Pfeiler and Rehse in 1912 (E. S. R., 30, p. 385) as due to Bacillus 

 typhi gallinamm alcalifaciens. The present paper deals mainly with the bio- 

 chemical and agglutinating properties of this organism. 



RURAL ENGINEERING. 



Surface irrigation for eastern farms, F. W. Stanley {U. S. Dept. Agr., 

 Farmers' Bui. 899 {1917), pp. S5, figs. 21). — This publication "discusses the so- 

 called surface methods of irrigation and their possibilities for the farmer whose 

 pocketbook, crops, and market facilities do not justify consideration of the 

 other methods." Among the points discussed are the conditions adapted to 

 surface irrigation, the amount of water needed in furrow irrigation, obtaining a 

 water supply, conveying the water to the land, details of the pumping plant, 

 distributing the water by terra cotta pipe systems, reinforced concrete, and 

 sewer pipe, and applying the water to crops by the use of portable pipe and 

 hose and furrow irrigation, and the cost of irrigation. 



Artificial spray irrigation {Tijdschr. Nederland. Heidem/i<it., 29 {1917), No. 

 7, pp. 193-210, pis. 2, figs. 2). — This article gives data on the design, installa- 

 tion, operation, and cost of overhead irrigation systems. 



The quantities of water and the frequency of irrigation as influenced by 

 the physical properties of soil, A. Muntz and E. Lain^ {Bnl. Soc. Encour. 

 Indus. Nat. [Paris], 116 (1917), I, No. 2, pp. 386-397; abs. in Internnt. Inst. 

 Agr. [Rome], Internat. Rev. Sci. and Pract. Agr., 8 {1917), No. 7, pp. 974-978).— 

 Further experiments (E. S. R., 32, p. 586) are reported on the relation between 



