The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-02-20
SHEPHERD PIONEER
OF INVESTIGATING
CATTLE POISONING
Symptoms at First Ascribed to
Dehorning and BaffIed Re-
search Long Time
AFFECTS RABBITS ALSO
Scientists Likewise Found Flax
Wilt a Hard Problem, but
Bred Resistant Type
AFFECTS RABBITS ALSO

Grand Forks, N. D.. Feb. lover
looking a host Of research problems
conducted by himself, DR.. J. H.
Shepperd, acting president Of North
Dakota Agricultural college, chose two
of his associates projects, n on flax
wilt and one on cattle poisoning by
sweet clover hay, to illustrate some of
the problems confronting the inves-
tigator before the University Of Pro-
lessons association meeting In Grand
Forks recently.
LAS a student In the University Of
Minnesota in 1890, I met DR.. Otto
Lugar, then entomologist and botan-
ist at that institution, who found flax
plants whiting when at q height OF
three to four inches" d.. Shepperd
told his audience. A series Of expert
ments was carried on by d.. Dugar,
and he finally concluded that the
trouble came from something alive.
Three years passed by and DR.. Lugar
did nothing more with this study so
far as DR.. Shepperd could learn. but
the Minnesota scientist had left him
curious.
Took mp Problem at Fargo
In 1893 DR.. Shepperd came to North
Dakota Agricultural college, and 1t
that time announced to Professor =.
F. Ladd,. chemist, and H. L. Bolley,
plant pathologist, that he was going
to produce DR.. Luger's flax wilt
trouble at Fargo. In seven years time
he produced badly wilted flax.
Long years Of trials with flax wilt
by DR.. Bolley were finally rewarded
with a wilt resistant flax which would
Yield flax on flax sick land. Profess
sor Bolley found, according to DR..
Shepperd, that such varieties as the
NDR-l14 and NDR-52 produced at
the college retain the wilt resistance
in Holland, Ireland, japan and many
other foreign countries.
Now DR.. c. I. Nelson, bacteriologist
at the college, has been at work for
some time trying to find what factors
are present in resistent flax plants
which are not found in n~on-resist-
ant ones. His studies have led him
into an intricate investigation Of the
protein substances which he has
separated and classified. DR.. Nelson
/ has made marked progress by follow
ing his hypothesis that immunology
in plant life would occur through the
protein substance as in animal life.
Solve Bleeding Deaths
In 1922 DR.. A. F. Schalk, head OF
the veterinary department at North
Dakota Agricultural college, began to
get reports of cattle bleeding to death
from dehorning or from other minor
wounds and Of occasional heavy
losses in herds where no cuts or in
luries were received. The symptoms
were always similar and usually fatal.
according to DR.. Shepherd. The sick
/. beasts. became stiff, sometimes lost
blood from the nose, their joints
swelled and swellings appeared on the
backs, thighs. shoulders or necks.
Suspicion fell to sweet clover and was
finally laid at the door Of spoiled
sweet clover hay.
The experiments carried on by Dr..
Schalk with cattle poisoned by sweet
clover hay proved the suspicious cor
rect, but only after many trials and
checks. Rabbits were found suscep-
tible to the disease, and were use with
success to determine If q certain
mouldy sweet clover hay was unfit for
cattle.
In concluding his talk DR.. Shep-
perd pointed out that a person en-
gagged in research is supported and
sustained by his eternal search for
truth and is consoled by the fact that
the true sci.-tist rejoices as much IN
the negative as in positive results.