3g S C 1 E N T 1 F 1 C A G R 1 C U L T U R E. Jauuary, 1921. 



that liad had two full time calves and lias calved satis- calves, may be chronic earriem and disseminators of 



factorilv since the test, but gave a positive reaction, abortion bacilli; and that the abortion bacillus m an 



As tliese yearlings had been mixing freely witli the obligatory parasite so far as determined, hence the 



herd it is possible tliat those that gave a positive reac- chronic persistence of the microparasite in the liodies 



tion had contracted the infection. It will be interesting of infected cows probably is tlie most important among 



to follow their subsequent history. the causes responsible for the propagation, tlie per- 



The dairv herd comprised 29 breeding cows 2 years petuation and wide prevalence of the disease." 

 old or over" and ."> vearlings not bred. In view of the above, and taking into consideration 



The results of tb"e test on this herd are as follows : that the agglutination test has been shown by a mui.br,- 



of investigators to be equal in value to the more dil- 



Breeding cows that gave a positive reac- fi''"lt complement fixation test, we consider that segre- 



tion and had liisfrv of abortion.. .. 2 f^tion of positive reactors to the agglutination test 



Breeding .'ows that gave a negative reac- fo^ contagious abortion is the only logica procedure 



tion and had no history of abortion 19 and would be of great help m an attempt to eradicate 



the intection trom a herd. 



Value of test confirmed liy 21 



Breeding cows that gave a positive reaction EXCHANGES. 



and had no history of abortion 3 



Breeding cows that gave a negative reac- " Exchanges of "Scientific Agriculture" with other 



tion and had history of abortion .... 1 agricultural publications can be arranged upon aitplica- 



~ tion. We have alreadv made arrangements to receive 



Value of test negatived by 4 ^^^ Farmers' Advocate, Grain Growers' Guide, Exper- 



.^ ,. ,, ^ •, , ... , iment Station Record, United Farmers' Guide, Journal 



Breeding cows that gave a doubttul reac- * a • ix m ^ ^ e n ^ ■ i on * • 



,. ^ , , J 1- i f 1, „i-„., i of Agriculture, Abstracts of Bacteriologv, The Agri- 



tion and had no history of abortion . . 4 i^. i n *.* t + *■ , u ■ 1 a ■ it i 



^ .. ,, , -, . +i.-„i „„„„ cultural (Tazette, International Review or Agricultural 



Breeding cows that gave a doubttul reac- • t <- f i d • e i.\ a ■ i 



^. ^ -1 T J I,- I e K„„*.:^« i\ Economics, International Review or the Science and 



tion and had history ot abortion .. .. U r, .■ ^ a • i^ t i c a • ii i t> 



Practice ot Agriculture, Journal of Agricultural Re- 



Tx • ji-c- li * 1-1 ■.. ,..i,;.i, ,.n+o„/x,.„ fv- ,.t. search, Canadian Countryman, Canadian Farm, "Weekly 

 It IS difficult to decide in wliicli category, tor or .' \ c w i j n 



against the test, these 4 doubtful reactors should be {^^lletin of Department of Trade and Commerce, 



placed. Seeing that the reactions were not distinctly L Agronomie Coloniale, Agi-icutural Index, Canadian 



... 1 if i e +i,„ ...,;,,,.,K. i,.>^) i.iot^..,. ^f Horticulturist, Journal ot Hereditv, American Journal 



positive and that none ot the animals had historj oi '. • , i^ ■ e i 



1 i.- Tee- u,, 4., u^„„^;„« ti.a i.qIq,,,.^ i.r^.iM ot Botaiiv, Scientitic iMonthh-, l-iarm and Dairv, Soil 



abortion or ditriculty in breeding the balance would ; t^ n i- i a • i* i ^i i 



i 1 • +• ,„„ ^t *!,„ tacf TTr>«roTro.. «.. tu^ Sciencc, Le Bulletin des Agriculteurs. and other pub- 

 appear to lie in tavor ot the test. ±lowever, on the . . '^ ' 



other hand seeing that the tests were not distinctly 'leatious. 



negative, some may contend tliat the findings should 



be considered against the test. 



If Ave leave the doubtfuls out of consideration and NEW MEMBERS. 



estimate the value of the test on the same basis as for . . . 



.1 1 £ 1 1 e- 1 ti ,ff ,;^,. ... ,.f ti.o ♦act i.^ Ko It there are any Uiuversity graduates receiving this 



the beef herd, we tind tlie efticiency ot the test to he . ^ .^ v, c ti r^ j- 



.,, ^ , , ..n- • „,. n- magazine who are not members ot the Canadian 



as 21 to 4, or a percentage etticiency ot 84. . , ■ ^ j- rr , ■ , a • i* ■ * i i • u t 



' ' Society of Technical Ariculturists, and who wish to 



„ ,. . 1 1 ii t „t;„„ ^«„^t; .., •) .ioin, thev should communicate at once with the nearest 



Yearlings not bred that gave a negative reaction.. •> ' • • • , ^ -ti ti n i o 



,< ^ <■ M positive reaction 1 local or provincial secretary, or with the General Sec- 



,. <. .i doubtful reaetioiK ! 1 ^tary. Full particulars will be furnished upon appli- 



cation. 



As in the case of the yearling beef animals these The membershij) list is increasing rajndly, and the 



dairy yearlings had been" running with the breeding names of new members will be published in current 



cows and so those giving positive reaction might have issues of "Scientific Agrieulture". 



picked up the infection. . 



In both these herds abortion has been occurring for 



years. Some seasons only a few cases were in evidence OFFICERS ELECTED FOR WESTERN CANADIAN 

 while in other seasons the number of abortions ap- SOCIETY OF AGRONOMY 



proached an epidemic. 



Seeing that in the beef herd 3 out of 21 breeding At the recent annual meeting of the Western Can- 

 cows had given a positive reaetion \et had never, adian Society of Agronomy, the following officers were 

 according to their history, aborted or given trouble in elected for the ensuing year: — 



breeding, and that Ihad'given a negative reaction and president :-T. J. Harrison, Agrieultural College. 



yet had aborted lie manager ,s somewhat dubious ^.j,,,,; . j^j^,, X-i.e-President-G. 11. Cutler. Univ- 

 about the advisabilitv ot taking the trouble to segre- -t p aii<.„+ t<- i t \u < t rn 



, , f ^1 t ersitv of Alberta, hdmonton, Alta. Secretarv-Treas- 



"ati' the reactors trom the non-reactors. ' r> tt tt • t i? o i t i " oi i 



^ , ,, j.^ urer — R. Han.sen, Universitv ot Saskatchewan, Sask- 



It has been concluded by Schrc.der and ( otton, atter ^^^^^^ g^gj^ 

 prolonged investigation, "that cows often remain car- 

 riers of aljortion bacilli long after they have ceased to Members of Committee — F. S. Grisdale, Agricultural 



abort: and that cows that have never aborted and School, Olds, Alia.: W. C. .McKillican, Experimental 



regularly and normally produce seemingly heallhy Farm, Brandon, .Man. 



