Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-31

Summer Activity of the Farm and
Animal Departments.

Summer Activity of the Farm and
Animal Departments.
Professor H. r. smith Of the Department
of Animal Husbandry returned form the
east August IS and has since been oc-
cupying himself with the regular cor
respondence of the department and mat
tiers pertaining TO the management of
the university herds.
While in the east he spent one week at
Ithaca, N. Y, where a conference of ami
NAL nutrition investigators was held. AS
a result OF this meeting 1t was voted that
an American association OF animal nutri-
ton investigators was desirable, and u
committee Of five was. appointed to form
ulate plans for such organization and to
outline plans for the work that is de-
serving attention in this field of investi-
CATION. The committee named consists
OF DR.. Armsby of Pennsylvania. Director
Jordan of New York. Director Waters of
Missouri. Dean Skinner of Indiana, and
Prof. Smith OF Nebraska. 1t seemed
to be the general opinion that such an
organization would bring about more con-
certed action among the various states,
and that greater progress in feeding ex-
periments throughout the country at large
would follow. The Importance of ev-
tensive and thorough work along these
lines cannot be overestimated.
While attending the conference Of ex-
pertinent station workers at Ithaca, N. Y,
Prof. Smith attended the lectures Of
DR.. Zuntz of Berlin University, Germany,
who is one Of the worlds most noted in
vestigators along the line Of foods as
sources OF energy and heat. While at
Ithaca, he also took occasion to make
tha rrVrafntanra Of aavara1 candidates
for the position OF assistant professor Of
animal husbandry in the university. 1t
was finally decided to recommend Mr..
c. w. Pugsley sas professor Magdanz's
successor. Mr.. Pugsley graduated in the
University OF Nebraska a few years ago
and has icne been operating a large farm
In Iowa. He has been unusually sue
cessfully in conducting short courses and
farmers institute work in Nebraska, and
his knowledge OF animal husbandry sub
Jects will unquestionably make him a val
liable man in the department.
A recent acquisition to the department
is a trio Of mule-foot pigs. shipped from
Indiana. This new breed resembles in
many ways ordinary Poland-Chinas with
the exception that the foot consists OF one
solid hoof, resembling that OF a mule. They
are said to be immune from cholera and
from observations already made at our
station this claim seems to be justified.
DR.. Peters Of the Department OF Animal
Pathology has recently completed the inl-
munization of the entire swine herd belong
ing to this department. This work was
done by the new government process. and
the results would seem TO indicate that Il
is q success. The entire herd is now i'm
mune from future attacks of the disease
and but seven losses resulted from the ef-
fects of the process. There were Of pigs.
most OF P-oiand-Chinas. The reports from
other states are equally favorable and IL
is probable that within a few years a
large number of farmers will be adopting
this method to eliminate the losses result
ing from the rsvasss Of this dreaded dis
ease. Several animals were very sick as
a result OF the immunizing. but a number
showed no effect whatever and did not
lose a single feed in consequence. How