386 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



be held with very much less pressure than is necessary with the bars set 

 lengthwise. 



Poultry house construction and yarding, H. L. Kempster {Michigan Sta. 

 Bui. 266, pp. Ii5-13, figs. 18). — This bulletin discusses the location and construc- 

 tion of poultry houses. Plans for a commercial laying house, a farmer's colony 

 house, and a portable colony house are illustrated and described. 



Ice houses, L. C. Corbett (U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 475, pp. 20, figs. 

 11 ) . — This publication treats of the advantages of a supply of ice for farm use, 

 and gives directions for harvesting ice and constructing ice houses. 



The differences in procedure between harvesting thin and thick ice are ex- 

 plained, as is also the manufacture of ice in metal cans and by a combination of 

 natural and artificial means. The methods of storing ice which are described 

 include inexpensive houses, masonry structures, refrigerators, ice chests, and 

 combination houses for ice and dairies or for ice and fruit storage. 



It is pointed out that an amply sujiply of ice is of even greater economic im- 

 portance in the country than in the city home, and that in many sections of the 

 United States a sufficient supply can be readily secured at reasonable cost. 



The use of paint on the farm, P. H. Walker {U. 8. Dept. Agr., Farmers' 

 Bui. Jf74, pp. 22, fig. 1 ) . — This publication has for its purpose the calling of at- 

 tention to the economic importance of painting farm buildings and farm equip- 

 ment and gives nontechnical direction as to the purchase and use of painting 

 materials. It discusses the following topics: Brushes and other implements, 

 care of brushes, drying of paints, preparation of surfaces for painting, painting 

 exterior woodwork, interior painting, painting of metal, mixing paints, compo- 

 sition of paints and their cost, whitewash, calcimine, and precautions to be 

 observed in painting. 



Public hygiene, T. S. Blair {Boston, 1911, vols. 1, pp. VI+IO+SIO, pis. 61, 

 figs. 11; 2, pp. 8+311-6^, pis. 64, figs. 19). — These volumes constitute a sum- 

 mary and discussion of data based upon a personal study of the subject. Gen- 

 eral questions of hygiene, contagious diseases, and similar matters are discussed 

 as well as a number of special topics, including hotels, lodging houses, and 

 l)ublic buildings; school inspection and college sanitation; slums and town 

 nuisances; special rural hygiene and sanitation; home hygiene and interior 

 sanitary installations; pure food and drugs; public carriers and sanitation; and 

 laboratory methods and sanitation. 



The author includes a list of contributors and collaborators. 



RURAL ECONOMICS. 



The place of economics in agricultural education and research, H. C. 

 Taylor {Wisconsin Sta. Research Bui. 16, pp. 93-130, figs, 19). — This is a re- 

 search bulletin in which is presented a studied discussion of the scope of agri- 

 cultural economics, its place in agricultural education and research, and the 

 methods applicable to the study of economic problems in agriculture. 



The function of economics, when applied to agriculture, as distinguished from 

 physical and biological forces, is characterized as " to make clear the economic 

 forces with which the farmer has to deal and to develop methods of ascertain- 

 ing what to produce and how to produce it in order to secure maximum net 

 profits for the farmer and maximum well-being for the nation." The methods 

 applicable to the study of economic problems in agriculture are described as 

 historical, geographical, statistical, accounting, and experimental. A number 

 of concrete illustrations are submitted, for instance, charts showing the shift- 

 ing of the centers of wool production in the United States, from 1840 to 1900, 

 to illustrate the operation of the economic forces which tend to push the prg- 



