160 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



suggested that from five to ten grains of permanganate of potash 

 be added to each gallon of drinking water, the water to be sup- 

 plied fresh twice daily, and kept as free as possible from organic 

 matter, which destroys the antiseptic properties of the potash salt. 

 These measures, supplemented by frequent cleaning of houses, 

 disinfection of faeces, etc., seem to have completely stamped 

 out the disease, as nothing has been learned of its recurrence. 



Judging from the reports that have been made of the few 

 previous outbreaks of fowl cholera that have occurred in this 

 country, it would seem that the two in question have been of a 

 mild type, for in each outbreak previously reported the spread 

 of the disease has been much more rapid and the mortality 

 greater, amounting in some instances to one hundred per cent., 

 as is frequently the case with the outbreaks in Europe. The 

 successful treatment adopted in dealing with the second case, 

 which consisted of mild measures, also tend to show that the 

 disease was not of that virulent nature frequently met with. 



Considering the few outbreaks of fowl cholera that have oc- 

 curred in this country, and the benefit to be gained from know- 

 ing the source of the infection in combating this disease, it is 

 to be regretted that the source of the contagion in the cases 

 under consideration could not have been determined. It seems 

 fair to conclude that it must have been introduced on one of the 

 farms through some of the fowls purchased of the traveling 

 dealers in live poultry. 



Another interesting and, so far as can be determined, new 

 disease for poultry was brought to the attention of the depart- 

 ment through a communication from a poultryman on the Cape 

 in the summer of 1906. An investigation of the disease was 

 begun on June 27 of that year and concluded in October of the 

 present year. During this time a series of experiments have 

 been carried on at the college in conjunction with those con- 

 ducted at the farm. 



The part of the farm given up to poultry culture consisted 

 in the main of a sand plain. A portion on which the chicks 

 were kept consisted of pure white quartz sand, and was devoid 

 of vegetation except for an occasional weed growing upon it. 

 This locality had many years previously been the site of salt 

 works. 



