RURAL ENGINEERING. 789 



A draft of a proposed state drainage law is included as an appendix to the 

 report. 



Laud drainage by pumping, S. M. Woodward (Engin. Mag., ffS (1912), No. 1, 

 pp. 107-109). — This article calls attention to the growing use of pumps for land 

 drainage, discusses the cost of drainage by this method, and states the essential 

 points to be considered in the general design, construction, and operation of a 

 drainage system of this kind. 



The art of road making-, H. Frost (New York and London, 1910, pp. 

 XVII-\-5'i't, pis. 3, figs. 261). — This volume outlines the history of road build- 

 ing, discusses the problems of location, construction, and maintenance of roads, 

 and presents the fundamental and essential principles of road building. It pre- 

 sents a general knowledge of the art of road building to the nontechnical man 

 and indicates to the technical expert where reliable and specialized information 

 can be obtained. 



The chemistry of modern highway engineering, P. Hubbard (Surveyor, 4i 

 (1912), No. 1051, pp. 400-Jf02). — This*is an address before the American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science, December 30, 1911. 



Inasmuch as bituminous materials are rapidly replacing mineral constit- 

 uents of rocks as road binders, the author suggests that the highway engineer or 

 commissioner should have a knowledge of hydrocarbon chemistry and the 

 chemistry of bitumens to aid in tests and specifications of bituminous binders. 



Road improvement in the South, past and present, L. W. Page (Manfrs. 

 Rec, 61 (1912), No. 7, pt. 2, pp. 57-59).— This article deals with the poor 

 road conditions and administration in the 16 southern States in the past, and 

 calls attention to the rapid improvement in road construction, maintenance, and 

 administration in these States during the past 8 years. In 1911 the estimated 

 expenditures for road improvements amounted to $46,225,000. 



The use of electricity in agriculture, W. D. Buchanan (Amer. Thresher- 

 man,^ IJf (1912), No. 11, pp. 7, 8, fig. 1). — This is a paper read before the 

 Oregon Thresherman's Association, December, 1911. An outline Gf the uses to 

 which electrical energy can be put on the farm is given and the saving in time 

 and labor is given, and some of the present practical methods of installing 

 electrical service in farming localities are briefly discussed. 



The small farm tractor, W. J. Brandon (Amer. Thresherman, I't (1912), 

 No. 11, pp. 18-20). — This is a paper read before the American Society of 

 Agricultural Engineers held at St. Paul, Minn., December 28, 1911. The author 

 points out the growing need for a small farm tractor which is equipped to 

 do the general field work of plowing, harrowing, disking, etc., the road haul- 

 ing, heavy and light, and the general belt work on a farm of average size. 



Farm wagons, F. Schiffmann (ArT). Deut. Landw. GeseU., 1910, No. 173, 

 pp. 1-33, figs. 23). — In this report may be found a general description of the 

 construction and operation of 4 tyiies of farm wagons, viz, the Old German, 

 or Silesian, wagon; the Magdeburg, or Thuringian, wagon; the platform, or 

 American, wagon ; and the Hornburg wagon. Results are given of tests made 

 by the German Agricultural Society under the general headings of load 

 capacity, management, tractive power required, materials, and cost, the wagons 

 being tested with loads of grain, hay, straw, sand, earth, stones, manure, root 

 products, and packed farm produce. Tractive power results were taken on 

 firm roads and in the fields, and loading capacity results on each wagon by 

 using all its equipment for all the uses to which it could be put. 



The results of all tests favored the Magdeburg wagon as the best all- 

 round farm wagon, with the Silesian second, the American third, and the 

 Hornburg fourth. 



