54 



SCIENTIFIC AC4RICULTURE. 



February, 1921. 



desirability of encouraging eo-operation between the 

 O. A. C. Alumni Association and the Canadian Society 

 of Technical Agriculturists. Our first purpose is a 

 very unselfish one — the latter not quite so nuich so. 



We know that the C. S. T. A. lias, at this moment, 

 no branch in western Ontario, and that there are nearly 

 one hundred C. S. T. A. members in that community 

 who are therefore unorganized ; we know that there 

 have been meetings between representatives of tlie 

 0. A. C. Alumni and of the C. S. T. A. ; and we know 

 that there is a desire, b.v both parties, to come to a 

 mutual agreement, when organizing, that will benefit 

 each. ■'■'■* 



We believe there is a place for both societies although 

 the objects of each are, in the main, quite distinct. 

 Apart from the wide difference there will necessarily 

 be in the M'ork which each organization ma.y be ex- 

 pected to do, there are some distinctions in the general 

 character of the two societies. One society is provincial, 

 the other is national; one is an alumni association, and 

 therefore more fraternal in its purposes than the other: 

 the C. S. T. A. is devoting itself mainly to the improve- 

 ment of agriculture as a science, the l)etter recognition 

 of trained men, the raising of the standard and status 

 of the industry, and other objects somewhat remote 

 from the purposes for wliich an alumni association is 

 usually formed. 



There should be, and there pi-obably will be, an op- 

 portunity provided on March 10th for a meeting of the 

 present C. 8. T. A. members, many of whom belong to 

 the 0. A. C. Alumni. At that meeting the organization 

 of a western Ontario branch of the C. S. T. A. can be 

 considered, and if sucli a Itrauch is formed aiul officers 

 elected, there is no doubt that a co-operative agreement 

 can snbsequentl.v l)e made witli the O. A. C. Alumni 

 A.ssociation. 



THE REINDEER IN ALASKA. 



We have read with a great deal of intei-est a well 

 illustrated article in the July-August * 1920, issue of 

 the Journal of Heredity, on "The Reindeer Industry in 

 Ala.ska", by 6. J. Lomer, LL.B. The article is written 

 in a popular manner, describing the rapid growth in 

 the number of animals, from 1,280 in 1892 to 200,000 

 at the present time; the history of the industry is 

 traced, and details are furnished as to the character- 

 istics, habits, breeding methods, etc., of the animals 

 themselves. 



The significant part of the article, from our point 

 of view, is a short paragraph which points out that 

 the United States Bureau of Biological Survey, has 

 established an Experiment Station near Unalakleet, 



Alaska. It appears that there has been some deteriora- 

 tion caused by inbreeding and due to the difficulty of 

 suppl.ving new blood; the pi'cvalence of animal dis- 

 eases and pests, as well as of predatory animals, lias 

 also been encountered. These difficulties made the 

 establishment of an Experiment Station advisable, and 

 work is now being inulertakeu, under the direction of 

 Dr. E. W. Nelson, Chief of the Bureau of Biological 

 Surveys, towards the introduction of new breeding 

 methods, and towards the eradication of the diseases 

 and pests concerned. 



Of greater significance still, is the fact that we have 

 traced in this article, the whereabouts and the present 

 duties of Dr. Seymour Hadwen, formerly Chief Animal 

 Pathologist at the' Central Experimental Farm, Ot- 

 tawa. Dr. Hadwen resigned his position in the De- 

 jiartment of Agriculture early last summer, and we 

 knew that he had gone to Alaska. The reference in 

 the Journal of Heredity to the work which Dr. Had- 

 wen is doing, under the direction of Dr. Nelson, will 

 be of special interest to many of his former friends 

 and associates. Possibly mention has been made of it 

 elsewhere, and at the time of his departure probably 

 some publicity was given to his new duties — if so, we 

 missed it, and we are grateful to ]Mr. Lomer, the 

 author of the reindeer article, for furnishing iis with 

 the desired news in a most interesting manner. 



We hope to get in direct touch with Dr. Hadwen, 

 and to give to our readers at a later date, some details 

 regarding his present work. 



AFFILIATIONS. 



* The lateness of this magazine, appearing six 

 months after date of issue, is due to a suspension of 

 publication last summer. An effort is now being made 

 to overtake the regular date of publication. 



The ultimate strength of the Canadian Society of 

 Technical Agriculturists will be built up partly by 

 affiliations with other technical societies. Such affilia- 

 tions should only be formed after careful consideration 

 liy the Executive of the C. S. T. A., and should be based 

 upon a definite agreement. The eligibility require- 

 ments and the objects of bodies seeking affiliation 

 should i)e ipiite similar to those of the C. S. T. A., as 

 otherwise there could be no sound object in linking up 

 with the parent society. A defmite plan of affiliation 

 would have to be drawn up, and this could probably 

 not be applied to all cases, but would have to be varied 

 from time to time to meet different conditions.. 

 Affiliation should not be pre-supposed \>y any society; 

 the terms upon which affiliation is desired should be 

 submitted for the consideration of the proper com- 

 mittee of the C. S. T. A. and the subsequent details 

 arranged when such consideration has been given. 



It is doubtful if any affiliations will be completed 

 until full consideration is given, at the June conven- 

 tion of the C. S. T. A., to the details involved, and to 

 the general terms upon which affiliations would be 

 arranged. The question will probably, therefore, be 

 among the agenda of the Convention. 



