AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. 393 



I>i;it<>m;icr,c. The, organisms tlmt have been the cause of trouble in water supplies 

 are prominently noted. 



On diphtheria cultures on nonalbumenous culture media, X. Uschinsky 

 Wentbl. Bakt. u. Par. 1. AM., 21 (1897), No. f.pp. 146. 147). 



Spirillum obermeieri and blood of relapsing fever, J. TlCTlN (Centhl. Unit. it. 

 Far.. 1. AM., .'/ (1897), No.o,pp. 179-186; a bs. in Jour. Roy. Micro*. Soc. [London]. 1897, 

 No. ■'■■ pp. -40, 241). — In spirillons blood in vJass vessels at room temperature the organ- 

 isms degenerated and soon died. Cover glass preparations from such blood showed 

 the presence of Spiroclueta> in the white corpuscles. Since phauacytocis was not 

 noted in blood of patients or of apes suffering from relapsing lever the author 

 concludes that the leucocytes can successfully attack enfeebled spirilla only. 



Trichorrhexis nodosa, St. Markusfeld (Centhl. Bakt. it. Par.. 1. AM., SI (1897), 

 No. i,-7, pp. 230-234). — This disease is shown to be due to a bacillus capable of bein»- 

 demonstrated by cultivation or by staining. The organism is endosporous and about 

 2 // long by 0.5// broad. It lignifies gelatin and coagulates milk. An inoculation 

 of bouillon cultures produces the disease. 



The sanitation of farm buildings, J. Scott (Trans. Highland ami Agr. Soc. Scot- 

 land, 9(1897), i>t>- 40-60, fie/s. 7). — The conditions necessary for the maintenance of 

 the health of animals in buildings is discussed under tin- following heads: Site and 

 foundations, ventilation, lighting, drainage, water supply, disinfectants, and pre- 

 servatives. The application in the construction of farm buildings of the various 

 principles discussed is explained. 



AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. 



The construction of silos and the making and handling of silage, 

 F. Ii. King- ( Wisconsin Sta. Bui. 59, pp. 31, jigs. 14). — This is an excel- 

 lent popular bulletin on the subject, describing and illustrating - the 

 methods of building different kinds of silos, the advantages of dif- 

 ferent methods of construction, kind of lining, ventilation, the capacity 

 of silos, the making and feeding of silage, proper degree of maturity of 

 corn and clover for making silage, losses of dry matter in the silo, cost 

 of silos, etc. 



"The necessary loss of dry matter in the silo means the loss in the interior where 

 all outside air is excluded, and which occurs in developing those conditions which 

 arrest further fermentation until air is again admitted to the silage. 



"In 1893-94 with corn containing 35.68 per cent dry matter, when put in, the 

 necessary loss was 4.95 per cent. In 1894-95 with corn containing 29.55 per cent of 

 dry matter the necessary loss was 9.38 per cent. In 1895-'96 with corn containing 

 25.72 per cent of dry matter the necessary loss was 12.93 per cent. In 1896-'97 we 

 had the silage arranged in definite layers, giving several trials in one season, and 

 with corn containing 29.33 per cent of dry matter the loss was 8.63 per cent; con- 

 taining 25.39 per cent, the loss was 10.01 per cent; and when containing 20.66 per 

 cent, the loss was 24.35 per cent. In this last case the loss is at least 4 per cent 

 too high on account of its including the losses at the surface and around 2 doors. 



"In another case where 2 small samples were made by splitting stalks, ears, and 

 leaves into halves to get exact duplicates, one to put into the silo and the other to 

 use in determining the dry matter put into the silo, it was found that 2 samples side 

 by side sustained the following losses: 



" Flint corn containing 35.26 per cent dry matter, lost 8.59 per cent of the amount 

 put in. 



" Dent corn containing 24.05 per cent dry matter, lost 17.22 per cent of the amount 

 put in. 



