Bulgaria chiefly imports soft wood and in the form of manufactured articles; during the above-mentioned period, 75 per cent, of the wood imported was of this kind, while 50.5 per cent. of the exported wood, was deal. Of late years, the wood industry af Bulgaria has increased, but formely only small articles of common use were made in household industry. The timber of the State and communal forests is felled annually according to a plan drawn up by the ministry. The State either does the felling in its own and the communal forests, or else gives the work, by tender, to a contractor; often the right of felling is disposed of by agreement to large contractors. Afforestation is done on the initiative of the State and carried out under the supervision of the latter. As the ground is rich in nutritive substances, the young trees soon make strong roots and grow well. Regeneration in already existing forests is done by natural means and according to a system of periodical felling, which is settled by the ministry according to the requirements of the different species of trees. The State employs 500 foresters in the care of its forests, and 2135 are entrusted with those belonging to the communes; this amounts to one forest guardian for every 4 461 acres of State forest and one for every 1 814 acres of the communal woods. In spite of all regulations to the contrary, the peasants, as a rule, still allow their cattle to graze where they like, without the least consideration for the young plantations. The writer considers that if systematic and energetic measures were adopted, the time would yet come, when the forests would play a part of considerable importance in the State Budget, and the capital invested would bring in a satisfactory return. LIVE STOCK AND BREEDING. An Enquiry made in 1912 to Determine the Causes, Frequency and Gravity of Rickets in Foals in West Flanders: the Measures to be Taken to Hinder the Spread of the Disease. ZWAENEPOEL: in Annales de Médecine Vétérinaire, Year 62, No. 2, pp. 69-87; No. 3, pp. 129-151. Ixelles-Bruxelles, February and March 1913. Compiled from observations made on the subject by 23 horse-breeders. 542 - The Disinfection of Hides and Skins Containing Anthrax Spores. - JEEB: in Deutsche Schlacht- und Viehhof - Zeitung, Year 13, No. 7, pp. 97-98. Berlin, February 1913. Schattenfroh recommends common salt and hydrochloric acid for the destruction of anthrax spores. Another method worked out by Seymour-Jones consist in placing the hides for a long time in a mixture. of formic acid and corrosive sublimate. Moegle (Stuttgart) set himself the task of testing the methods of both investigators and, at the same time, he tried to substitute formalin for corrosive sublimate in Seymour-Jones' method. Zeeb describes his experiments in the above article. 543 - Piroplasmosis in Sheep. — VON BÁTZ, STEFAN: in Zentralblatt für Bakteriologte, Parasttenkunde und Infektionskrankheiten, Vol. 68, Part 2, pp. 194-200. Jena March 1, 1913. The writer's researches have proved that the sheep disease caused by Piroplasma ovis, which occurs in Rumania, Bulgaria and Turkey, as well as in Italy, Dalmatia and France, also exists in Hungary. Detailed investigations have shown that the disease can assume an acute and a chronic form. 544 The Passage of Products of the Digestion of Albuminoids from the Mother to the Foetus. BUGLIA in Biochemische Zeitschrift, Vol. 48, Part 5, pp. 362-372. Berlin, February 11, 1913. The above-mentioned investigations into the passage of non-albuminous nitrogen through the placenta were carried ont at the Physiological Institute of the University of Naples. The writer injected into the vena femoralis of four bitches, far advanced in pregnancy, artificial products of the breaking up of albumen, which no longer possessed any albuminous properties, and then sought to discover these products in the blood of the foetus. The injections were performed with extreme slowness, and with relatively large quantities. After the injections were concluded, the body of the bitch was opened, the large vessels were ligatured, and the still living foetus. taken out and beheaded. The blood from the blood vessels of the neck was allowed to coagulate of its own accord, and then examined for albuminous and nonalbuminous nitrogen. Before and after injection the albuminons and non-albuminous nitrogen content of the bitches' blood was determined. In some cases; the writer also examined the urine of the bitch, as well as the amnion and allantoid liquids. For a comparison the blood of foeti and their mothers, which had received no injections, or only common salt injections, was afterwards examined as to its albuminous content. From a comparison of the results of the experiments, it was clearly proved that a portion of the non-albuminous nitrogen injected into the mother's blood had found. its way into that of the foetus. 545 Utilization of Food by Zebus. PUCCI, C.: in l'Agricoltura Coloniale. Year VII, No. 1, pp. 11-282 figs., Florence, January 1913. The writer, Director of the Stock Breeding Laboratory of the Royal Superior Institute of Experimental Agriculture at Perugia, having under his charge a young zebu bull of about two years of age and belonging to the Gujerat breed, which was completely accustomed to its new surroundings, set himself the task of observing the power of these ANATOMY AND FEEDS AND FEEDING Indian cattle for digesting various food stuffs in comparison with the capability shown by European breeds in this respect. As a control was selected a young Podolian bull 20 months old from Todi, the result of a cross between the Val di Chiana (Umbrian variety) and the Maremma breeds. At the time of the experiment, the weight of both animals was the same. The experiments were divided into two series: in the first, the animals were fed on average quality meadow hay; in the second, on hay and earthnut cake. Both animals were kept in the same shed and their dung and urine were collected with particular care. After having ascertained the amount of food consumed by the two bulls, each was assigned a similar ration, according to its require ments. The forage was examined first and subsequently the dung and urine. The results of the first series of experiments proved that the two subjects showed no special difference in their power of absorbing various substances, with the exception of fat, of which the zebu absorbed a greater proportion. Nevertheless, the latter animal showed a slight difference in favour of nitrogen, while the former absorbed more nitrogen-free extract and mineral substances. Both bulls evinced a gain in nitrogen; this was, however, more noteworthy in the case of the Todi animal, since the zebu consumed more of this substance. In the second series, with meadow hay and earthnut cake, the zebu absorbed more ritrogen, fats, nitrogen-free extract and mineral substances than did the other bull, which showed a slightly higher capacity for the absorption of cellulose. Further, the zebu show a considerably larger gain in nitrogen than the other animal. Both bulls, ou receiving more concentrated rations, increased in their absorption of almost all the nutritive principles, but the zebu did this to the larger extent. This proves its greater aptitude to digest and assimilate nitrogenous matters, fats, nitrogen-free extract and mineral substances. This agrees with the two animals' increase in weight and the proportion of nitrogen acquired by them during the experiment. It is well to mention in conclusion that the two bulls drank different amounts; the zebu always required less water, which according to the writer, points to its being adapted to living in hot climates subject to periods of drought. 546 The Drawing Up and Printing of Pedigrees. WILSDORF in Merkblatt der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Züchtungskunde, and in Zeitschrift für Gestütkunde und Pferdezucht, Year 8, Part 3, pp. 63-67. Hannover, March 1913. A glance at the more recent literature dealing with the subject of animal breeding shows that the pedigrees are drawn up and printed in different ways, which greatly increases the difficulty in tracing lines of ancestry. The writer suggests that pedigree tables should be drawn up uniformly in the manner adopted by the "Institut für Zuchtstudien and the "Deutschen Gesellschaft für Züchtingskunde" in the publications dealing with animal breeding. The form suggested by the writer, is given on page 779 on a somewhat smaller scale, on which is shown the pedigree of "Undine." The following points should be noticed in drawing up and in using these pedigree tables: 1) Pedigree tables must be symmetrical in all their parts. 2) The normal-sized form (1) for manuscript entries is 7.3X4.6 in. A thick black line should enclose the table, which should be divided in the centre by a thick horizontal line drawn from the line marking off the first division (i. e. from left to right). In the case of short pedigrees, forms of half or a quarter the size are sufficient. 3) The list of ancestors should always be printed with the narrow side up; the descendant (Undine 8348) on the left in the first longitudinal division. 4) The father of the offspring is entered in the upper half of the second longitudinal division, the mother in the lower half, and the grandparents are then entered in the 4 compartments of the third longitudinal division. 5) In the first three narrow divisions (on the left) the names and number must be written in a perpendicular direction; but horizontally in the three following divisions; the names in the latter divisions should be written immediately before the line separating off the small divisions on the right. 6) In the 1st, 2nd and 3rd longitudinal divisions, the names are to be written in each compartment, in such a manner that the dividing line, which cuts the right edge of the table, reaches the centre of the name with the number. 7) The numbers are placed, without the letters "No.", exactly after the names in divisions 4 and 5; in the case of longer names, the number can come immediately below the latter. 8) In the 6th longitudinal division, the parents of the animals therein, entered are frequently given, in which case it is necessary that the name of the father shonld be written above that of the mother in the right half of the division; a more distant progenitor can be entered (1) To be obtained from the Geschäftsstelle der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Züchtungskunde, Berlin-Halensee, Halberstadtstr. 3. WORK OF AND OTHERS MENT OF on the right; thus in the 6th division of the accompanying pedigree table belonging to "Undine," beside Olga I are given the names of her parents, Matador 589 and Olga 4817 and, further, their father Primus 91 is also clearly entered. If the names are written small, there is room in the division for several generations of ancestors. 9) Wherever the name of an ancestor is missing, a short horizontal stroke should be made in the right place in the written table, (see in the cases of Robert and Hulda). In printing, these strokes may be omitted. They should only be used when it is certain that the ancestors are unknown. 10) Should more distant ancestors, or other important relationships or combinations be known in the case of the animals figuring in division 6, which it is impossible or undesirable to enter, the sign should be entered behind the name of the animal in the manuscript pedigree. (See Primus 91 next to Olga). II) Entries in the pedigree tables must be written legibly. 12) The reading of manuscript pedigrees is greatly facilitated if the names to not adjoin the lines. In the sixth longitudinal division, sufficient space should be left (about 5 mm) to allow of the insertion of figures if necessary. 13) In the longitudinal divisions 4 and 5, the initials of names of equal length should come directly under one another, and this arrangement should be observed in the case of all the initials in division 6. 14) The names of animals which occur many times in a pedigree can be represented by filled or unfilled signs; these must be placed behind the numbers of the animals in divisions 2 and 4, above the centre of the name in divisions 3 and 5, and before the names in division 6. Large signs are used for the nearest ancestors and smaller for the more distant concestors, which are entered further to the right. Animals which are related, but have a somewhat different line of descent, are represented by unfilled signs, in which the amount of "blood" which they have in common with their mate, can be expressed by a fraction. (1) 15) The compositor must use exactly the same signs as those given in the written pedigree. Larger and smaller signs of the same kind must only be used for the same animals, or related ancestors. 16) In manuscript pedigrees, the signs which denote ancestors, or relatives on both the father's and mother's sides, should be written with black ink (e. g. Matador); signs which only represent ancestry on the one side should be red (e. g. Elso 2011); those which only represent a quarter or an eighth of common ancestry are coloured green (Sturm 1213). (1) Example: Enzian 4237 has 1⁄2 the blood of Gregor 2358 and 1⁄2 that of Eiche 1811, or he has 1/4 of the blood of Elmar 1656, Gesine 6404, Matador 589 and Einhorn; of these animals, only Gesine 6404 docs not appear in the pedigree of Editha 1817; Enzian 4237 has therefore 3/4 of the same blood as the last-mentioned animal. |