588 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



good roads to rural life in Missouri, deals with general road administration, 

 and discusses the tractive resistance of roads in its relation to height of wheel, 

 width of tire, and general form of wagon, indicating that 6 in. is the best width 

 of tire for a combination farm and road wagon, and that the best form of all- 

 round farm wagon is one with axles of equal length, broad tires, front wheels 

 from 30 to 3G in. high, and rear wheels from 40 to 44 in. high. 



Final report on the work of the hig"hway division of the Maryland Geo- 

 logical Survey, 189S-1910, W. B. Clark {Md. Geol. Survey [Rpt.]. 9 (1911), 

 pp. 81-96). — This report briefly reviews the condition of roads in the State and 

 the best means for improving them, the classification and distribution of road 

 building materials of the several counties, road surveys for the preparation of 

 plans and cost estimates of road improvement, free technical advice to towns 

 and counties, and the state aid highway law, and gives a summarized financial 

 statement. 



Fourth and final report on state highway construction, W. W. Crosby (Bid. 

 Geol. Survey [Rpt.], 9 (1911), pp. 97-120). — A rei)ort on the physical and finan- 

 cial conditions of roads in Maryland from 1S9S to 1910, including tabulated data 

 of road mileage and cost. During the 12 years, the total expenditure on high- 

 way improvement and construction amounted to $506,342.04. 



Highway construction in the State of Washington by convict labor, F. A. 

 KiTTREDGE (Engiti. and Contract., 31 (1912), No. 26, pp. 722-726, figs. 18).— 

 This article notes that convict labor is being used to great economic advantage 

 in Washington on highway construction, and describes in detail the construction 

 of a rock road on the Columbia River. A cost estimate is given showing a 

 saving of $82,264.84, or $3.69 per day per man, through the use of convict labor. 



State control of highway bridge construction (Engin. Ncivs, 67 (1912), No. 

 2^, pp. 1137, 1138). — Attention is called to the frequent incompetency among 

 county highway commissioners for letting highway bridge contracts and over- 

 seeing construction, pointing out the evils of the present system, employed more 

 especially in the middle western States, of leaving design, specifications, contract, 

 and construction entirely to the contractor, and noting the aversion of the 

 average county commissioner to incurring the additional expense of employing a 

 competent engineer. As a remedy, the plan is advocated of supervision by state 

 engineer's office of all highway bridge design and construction. 



The agricultural motor contest at Chelles, L. Fournier and L. W. Ellis 

 (Sci. Amer. Sup., 73 (1912), No. 190J,, pp. 407-^11, figs. l.',).—This is a com- 

 parison of European and American machines, giving a description of each 

 machine and general conclusions as to their good and bad points, and indicating 

 the advantages of the endless chain as a traction mechanism. 



Manure spreader with moving box bottom (Masehinen Ztg., 10 (1912), No. 

 Ih pp. 130, 131, figs. 5). — A description of a manure spreader which has 

 rotating parts in the box bottom which shake up the manure and pass it down 

 to a grating below, through which it is pressed to be scattered over the field 

 by flapping boards. This machine presents the advantages of simplicity in its 

 working parts, making it easy to dismantle and clean, and durability, as its 

 principal working parts and bearings are forged steel instead of castings. 



The first electric plow in Spain, R. Goizueta (Prog. Agr. y Pecuario, 18 

 (1912), No. 771, pp. 275-279, figs. 5). — ^An electric plowing system is described 

 consisting of a transmission line, 2 transformers, 2 motor cars, and a balance- 

 plow oijerated by motor-driven windlasses on the motor cars. The cars 

 advance for each new furrow. The current is supplied at 10.000 volts pressure 

 and is reduced by the transformers to 750 volts for distribution. 



Motor-driven grubbing machines (Bl. Zuckerriibcnbau, 19 (1912), No. 9, pp. 

 ] 40-1 43). — A general discussion of the use of animal, steam, electric, and 

 Internal combustion engine power in agriculture, favoring the last, is followed 



