304 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



other plants which are known or suspected of having caused poisoning among cattle, 

 sheep, and horses. 



Loco weed, L. E. Sayre {Trans. Kansas Acad. Set., 18 [1901-2), pp. 141-144)' — 

 A number of experiments are reported in which feeding tests were made with 

 Astragalus 77wllisshnus. The plant was not found to be uniformly poisonous — in fact, 

 in some instances, no effects whatever were produced by eating it. A brief account 

 is given of the various theories which have been suggested in explanation of loco 

 disease. 



Bet in steep [Jour. Bd. Agr. [London:], 10 [1903), No. 1, pp. 22-26, Jig. 1).— 

 Brief notes on the life history of the liver fluke, together with an account of the 

 symptoms of infestation by this worm, and a discussion of preventive and remedial 

 measures. 



Contagious gangrenous mammitis in sheep, J. A. Gilruth [NeiD Zealand 

 Dept. Agr. Leaflets for Farmers, Xo. 63, pp. 4)- — An investigation of this disease dis- 

 closed the fact that it is of an infectious nature and is caused by a specific organism 

 of the Coccus type. Inoctilation experiments showed that the disease could be 

 transmitted through the milk sinus. No direct curative treatment is practical and 

 the only method of controlling the disease consists in stamping out the infection and 

 the use of preventive remedies. 



Parasites in sheep, J. A. Gilruth {New Zealand Dept. Agr. Leaflets for Farmers, 

 No. 64, pp. 10). — Notes on stomach and lung worms, tapeworms, liver flukes, and 

 other parasitic worms of sheep, together with a discussion of the predisposing factors 

 of the infection by these worms and a brief statement of the remedies commonly 

 recommended for destroying the pests. 



Damaged ■wool and its relation to sheep dips, S. B. Hollings {Bradford, 

 England: William Byles tl- So7is, 1903, pp. 15). — The author made an extensive inves- 

 tigation of the relationship between sheep dips and damaged wool. These investi- 

 gations covered the greater part of Europe, Australia, Tasmania, etc. It was found 

 that as a rule the low prices paid for inferior grades of wool were due to injury from 

 the use of certain dips. The lime and sulphur dip is condemned as always injuri- 

 ous. It was found to cause trouble in scouring, dyeing, and weaving of the wool. 

 This dip is said to have been abandoned in Australia, Tasmania, the Argentine 

 Republic, Ireland, and certain other sheep-raising countries. 



Tobacco dips were found to stain the wool in a large percentage of cases, except 

 where sheep were dipped immediately after shearing. Tobacco dips are objected to 

 furthermore on the ground of injurious action upon the sheep. Carbolic dips, and 

 especially pitch oil, formerly used in Scotland, are condemned as causing consider- 

 able injury to the wool staple, except when properly made. The author believes that 

 arsenical dips are effective in curing scab, and his investigations indicate that these 

 dips cause the least injury to wool when properly prepared and applied. If, how- 

 ever, an excess of either alkali or arsenic be present in the dip as a result of careless 

 preparation or inaccurate measurements of ingredients, great harm results to the 

 wool. 



The author recommends that no home-made arsenical or carbolic dips be used, on 

 account of the careless methods which are so frequently observed on farms and 

 ranches. On the other hand, arsenical dips, when accurately made, so as to avoid 

 any excess of either alkali or arsenic, are recommended as safe and as least liable of 

 all dips to cause serious harm to the color or structure of the wool fiber. 



Takosis, a contagious disease of goats, J. R. Mohler and H. J. Washburn 

 ( V. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Animal Industry Bid. 45, p>P- 44, pls. 5). — An extensive 

 outbreak of an apparently new disease occurred among Angora goats in Pennsylvania 

 during December, 1901, and was investigated by the authors. While the common 

 goat is comparatively refractory to ordinary diseases, the authors believe that the 



