THIS communication records a relationship between the occurrence of Sporidesmium bakeri and facial eczema disease of sheep in the field. It has already been demonstrated that experimental animals fed cultures of this fungus developed characteristic lesions of the disease1,2.

THE screened immersion-plate method1–3 for isolating soil fungi has the disadvantages that the plates are not very simple to make and are not suitable for use in stony ground. In addition, when a pit is dug or a cut is made for insertion of plates, the gas relations of the soil are disturbed and some drying of the exposed surface occurs, and these factors may influence the growth of fungi. A development of the screened immersion plate which appears to show promise in overcoming these disadvantages is described here. Essentially the method involves the removal of a soil core and its replacement by a tubular version of the screened immersion plate within one piece of apparatus. The apparatus consists of a stainless steel rod which fits quite closely into a stainless steel tube. Water agar is contained in a number of holes bored through the rod which oppose the same number of holes bored in the tube. A metal stop on the rod fits into two slots in the tube and ensures alignment of the two sets of holes. The lengths of rod and tube employed, and the arrangement of the metal stop and of the holes are such that, when assembled, the section of rod with the agar-filled holes occupies only half the length of the tube. When the unoccupied half of the tube is pushed into soil a core or plug is cut. When the tube is pushed farther, the core and the soil ahead are compressed farther, and the cored space is then occupied by the section of the tube containing the rod. This enables exposure of the agar to a soil surface, through the apertures in the tube, in much the same manner as in screened immersion plates. The soil surface thus exposed has been little disturbed, and isolation of those fungi capable of growing from soil on to the agar can readily be effected. The compression of the soil involved in the removal of the core occurs beyond the area of soil to be sampled and will have little effect on the growth of fungi.

FOLLOWING warm autumn rains after summers of above-average temperatures, rapidly growing pastures in some districts of New Zealand are capable of producing an hepatotoxin causing serious losses in sheep and cattle. A minority of the affected animals exhibit the clinical symptoms described as ‘facial eczema’1.

AN investigation into various aspects of the microbiology of natural grassland soils is being carried out in these laboratories to serve as a guide in future studies on the microbiology of soils under introduced pasture grasses.

THE influence of soil micro-organisms upon the physical condition of soil has received some attention in recent years. Various workers1 have shown that fungi and bacteria and their associated metabolic products are capable of affecting the structure of soils. Fungi act largely by the entangling effect of their hyphæ, and bacteria produce cementing and binding substances of a polysaccharide nature2.

Public AdministrationVolume 28, Issue 3 p. 208-210 Nationalisation in Practice, the Civil Aviation Experiment* R. H. Thornton, R. H. ThorntonSearch for more papers by this author R. H. Thornton, R. H. ThorntonSearch for more papers by this author First published: September 1950 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1950.tb02753.x * By John Longhurst. Temple Press, Ltd., London, 1950. pp. 227. 12s. 6d. AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Volume28, Issue3September 1950Pages 208-210 RelatedInformation

Public AdministrationVolume 25, Issue 1 p. 10-28 Nationalisation: Administrative problems inherent in a State-owned enterprise R. H. Thornton, R. H. ThorntonSearch for more papers by this author R. H. Thornton, R. H. ThorntonSearch for more papers by this author First published: March 1947 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1947.tb01964.xCitations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume25, Issue1March 1947Pages 10-28 RelatedInformation