RURAL ENGINEERING. 989 



covering' llif .•Hlministralivc anil nllicr work (if llic State eiitiim'or diiriui: llie 

 period l!»(»."i-(;. 



Great progress is reported in tlie develoimieiit i<t' iiTij^ation in ^yyonlill,l,^ per- 

 mits liaviiifr l)eeii Kninted duriu.ii tlie past two years for irritratiiiij; more land 

 tlian is nnder irrij^ation in the State at the present time. These permits nnm- 

 lier I.IL'T and provide for the reclamation of l.in.l.Oll acres of land, with 2.()S:> 

 iiiik's of canal and ditches, at a total estimated cost of construction of 

 .'i;4.427,27r). A j;o(id si.t;n of substantial irrigation development is the lunniter 

 of reseivoirs constructed, there having been '.ii'l ])ermits for such structures 

 issued in the past two years. 



The report includes detail tables of the various permits and certificates 

 issued, some discussion of the operation of laud laws, a report of the surveys 

 conducted by the State on the Shoshone Reservation, reports of the superin- 

 tendents of the various water divisions, and the report of a committee appointed 

 to revise, codify, and simplify the laws of Wyoming i-elating to water rights. 



Farm irrigation in the Transvaal, C. D. H. Braine (Transvaal Agr. Jour., 

 o (IDOl), .\u. 18, 1)1). 3.j.'t-361, fif/s. 3). — In discussing suitable methods to be 

 used in the irrigation of orchards the author suggests a new system which it is 

 claimed will supply the water where it is most needed, at the roots of the tree. 

 The method proposed is, in brief, to sink one or more pits the size of a post hole 

 and about 2 ft. deep betweeiLjjach pair of fully grown trees, the depth and dis- 

 tance apart depending, however, upon the root system of the trees, the nature 

 of the ground and subsoil, and the kinds of trees or plants. The holes are filled 

 with grass, leaves, or straw to ])revent the subsoil from dying out. Permanent 

 holes may be lined with old brici<s or drain pipes. 



Hydraulic-ram boring apparatus {Eng'tu. and Min. Jour., 83 (1907), Ao, 

 16. pp. nil. 1(12. figs. J,}. — A description of a deep-boring apparatus developed in 

 Germany and embodying several novel features ajjplicable to the boring of 

 deep wells and exi)lorations of underground strata. 



The principle of the apparatus is that of the hydraulic ram. A number of 

 plungers, to the lower ends of which are attached the chisels, are contained in 

 a drum-like casing which is slowly revolved. Water admitted through a pipe 

 extending to the surface acts upon the plungers, to which a. reciprocating 

 motion is given as a result of the hydraulic-ram effect of the descending water, 

 which acts upon and closes a valve, causing impact upon the plunger, after 

 which the latter is returned to its original position by a spring. The water 

 used flows over the surface acted ui)ou by the chisels and produces a thorough 

 rinsing, most of the sediment being conveyed to the surface by the upward 

 "•urrcnt. 



From (Uio to l.(M»o blows of the chisels are claimed i)er minute, and it is 

 stated that holes of veiy large diameter may be bored. The use of such appa- 

 ratus for deep-well boring in the artesian districts of this country and in those 

 localities whei-e wells arc used lor irrigatiim might be attended with some 

 success. 



Some notes on the storage and regulation of water for irrigation purposes, 

 T. W. Skavkk (Jour, and I'roc. Roij. Soc. A. n. Wnhs, 3!) (l!)0o), pp. XLIII- 

 I.XII. fig. 1). — The author describes in the course of his discussion a simple 

 but ingenious module, which is intended to provide a means for delivering a 

 fixed (piantity of water per minute independent of the stage of water in the 

 supply tank or canal. It consists of a gate, free to slide up and down in front 

 of the outlet, and suspended by a chain from one end of a lever, the other end 

 of which is attached to a tank floating in the main canal. 



To adjust the ai)paratus the gate is so placed that it will discharge the re- 

 quired amount of water under a given head. The chains from the gate and 



