AGKICULTURAL ENGINEERING. 507 



was found to be most susceptible to the disease. In this bird the virulence of the 

 organism was increased and fixed by repeated inoculations. Experimental trans- 

 mission of the diphtheria of birds was found to be an easy matter in the pigeon, both 

 by inoculation and by injection of virulent products, especially the excretions of dis- 

 eased birds. It was found possible to produce an active permanent immunity to the 

 disease in susceptible animals by inoculation of an attenuated virus into the peritoneal 

 cavity. Hypodermic inoculations were without effect. An antibacterial preventive 

 serum was obtained from a horse by means of which active immunity could be pro- 

 duced in susceptible animals through serum vaccination. 



Infestation of ducks with Dermanyssus avium, R. Kt.ee {Deut. Tierarztl. 

 Wchnschr., 9 {1901), No. 1, p. S). — An account is given of a serious infestation of 

 ducks from this mite. It is recommended that ducks be kept in special inclosures 

 or buildings and not allowed to occupy liuildings along with chickens and pigeons, 

 since infestation by this mite may be thus spread from the pigeons and chickens to 

 the ducks. 



AGRICULTURAL EJfGINEERING. 



Irrigation of rice in the United States, F. Boxn and G. H. Keexey ( TJ. S. 

 Dipt. Agr., Office of E.rperiiiu-nt Stntiunx Bui. 113, pj). 77, p/.s. S9, figs. 10).— In this 

 bulletin ^Ir. Bond describes the rice industry of Louisiana and Texas, and gives 

 measurements of the quantities of water used in irrigating rice in these States. He 

 also discusses the water laws and the difficulties which have arisen from overappro- 

 priation of the streams. Mr. Keeney's report deals with the rice industry in the 

 South Atlantic States (North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia), and is almost 

 wholly descriptive. 



The control of water from melted snow by means of terraces, P. Jaxkovski 

 (Zliur. Opniin. Agron. [Jour. I-J.rpt. Landw.'], 3 {1902), No. 3, pp. 34S-354). 



liist of references to publications relating- to irrigation and land drainage, 

 Ellen A. Hedrick {U. S. Dept. Agr., Library Bui. 41, PP- 181).— The list, which 

 was prepared in cooperation with this Office, "includes references to irrigation and 

 land drainage principally, but . . . includes, also, references to a few allied subjects, 

 such as hydraulics, and some departments of engineering. No attempt has been 

 made to catalogue articles in periodicals except in the following cases, namely: 

 Transactions and Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Trans- 

 actions and Proceedings of the Technical Society of the Pacific Coast, Minutes of the 

 Proceedings of the Institute of Civil Engineers, Journal and Proceedings of the Royal 

 Society of New South "Wales, and Annales des Fonts et Chaussees: Memoires et docu- 

 ments. The work has been done in the libraries of "Washington containing the 

 largest collection of l)ooks on the subjects mentioned. Books which are available 

 for reference in these libraries are indicated by abbreviations after the entries." 



Tests of agricultural machines at Plessis, E. Leplae {Rev. Gin. Agron. [Loti- 

 rain], 11 {1903), .Y(as. 7-S, pp. 376-382; 9, pp. 390-394, fig. i).— This article refers 

 briefly to Ringelmann's work in the testing of agricultural machinery, and discusses 

 the development and perfecting of the plow and steam cultivation. 



Report on agricultural implements and machines at the agricultural expo- 

 sition of Hasselt in 1900, J. PvRO (Bui. Agr. [Brussels], IS {1902), Xo. 4, pp. 

 549-593). — A brief discussion of the relative merits of different forms of plows, 

 grain seeders, fertilizer distributors, harvesting and thrashing machines, rakes, mills, 

 feed cutters, petroleum locomobiles, etc., displayed at this exposition. Attention is 

 also called to a simple but apparently efficient device for equalizing tension and 

 transmitting force, in case of horses, without shock. 



Notes on the application of cold to agricultural products in commerce 

 {Rev. Gen. Agron. [Louvain^, 11 {1902), No. 7-8, pp. 368-375) .—Briei notes are giyen 

 on the commercial application of cold in the storage and transportation of agri- 

 cultural products. 



