892 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECOED. 



technical and practical details of the use of electricity for farm lighting and for 

 driving the different liinds of farm machinery. 



Competitive tests of drills, G. Fischer {Arh. Deut. Landw. Gesell., 1912, No. 

 222, pp. 25, 1)1. 1, figs. iO).— The methods and results of tests of 11 drills having 

 working breadths of from 2 to 4 meters, wheel diameters ranging from 1 to 11 

 meters, weights ranging from 400 to 1.200 kg., and prices ranging between 400 and 

 1,500 marks are described. The drills were tested with oats, i^eas. beans, wheat, 

 rape seed, corn, and various mixtures of these in single and multiple row work 

 under varying ground conditions, especially noting the influence of ground 

 slope on the working of the machines and the distribution of the grain in the 

 rows. 



The results show that with one or two exceptions the drills did fairly good 

 work in distributing the seed, and that the percentage of injured seed was 

 small, although there is still room for improvement. The change in ground 

 surface affected the machines materially, some of them giving very unsatis- 

 factory results on hilly or sloping ground. The principal objections were to the 

 general construction and prices of the machines. 



Test of a mowing' machine, J. Rezek {Mitt. Landiv. Lehrkanis. K. K. 

 Hochsch. Bodenlcul. Wien, 1 {1912), No. 2, pp. 2^5-250, pi. 1, figs. 3).— This is 

 an ordinary mowing machine, set on 2 wheels, in which the axle transmits the 

 motion by a ratchet to a set of 4 properly geared cogwheels, one of which is 

 connected to a shaft. The shaft transmits the motion to a wheel and a wooden 

 connecting rod which works the knives back and forth in the sickle. The cogs 

 are thrown in and out of gear by means of a foot lever and the sickle elevation 

 is regulated by a hand lever. 



The machine was tested in heavy clover and in green corn in both wet and 

 dry weather and under varying conditions of temperature and ground surface 

 and was found to be a light running, good working, and durable mowing ma- 

 chine. A plan and elevation drawing of the machine accompany this report. 



An investigation of the air lift pump, G. J. Davis and C. R. Weidnek 

 (Bui. Univ. Wis., 1911, No. .',50, pp. 167, figs. J,0).— This bulletin deals with the 

 air lift pump in general, discussing the principles and theory of its operation, 

 as set forth by leading authorities, together with a general description of sev- 

 eral tyi)es of air lift pumping plants, consisting essentially of an eduction 

 pipe, air compressor, air receiver, air line, foot piece, and tail piece. The dis- 

 advantages of the air lift pump are set forth as low efficiency, averaging from 

 25 to 33 per cent; great depth of submergence necessary for ordinary lifts; 

 limited horizontal pumping capacity; and aeration, causing rusting of parts. 

 The advantages are set forth as large capacity ; low maintenance and operating 

 costs; indifference to high temperatures; aeration, causing oxidation of impuri- 

 ties ; and reliability. A large amount of data are given resulting from a num- 

 ber of experiments conducted on several different types of this pump showing 

 that the variables which may affect a particular tjTpe and size of pump are 

 the percentage of submergence, lift, discharge, volume, and pressure of air. 



Fann building's for landowners, agents, and tenants, C. E. Curtis {London, 

 1912, pp. Tlll+l.'f.'i, pi. 1, figs. 22). — This work deals with the arrangement, 

 design, and construction of farm buildings in a manner simple enough to be 

 intelligible and useful to landowners and their agents and tenants. It con- 

 tains chapters on farm buildings, farm homesteads, buildings and their arrange- 

 ment, plans, sections, and elevations, cow stables and covered yards, preserva- 

 tion of rain water, and buildings for small holdings. 



A colony poultry house {Ann. Rpt. Agr. Socs. Ontario, 12 {1912), pp. 

 76-78, figs. S). — A description is given of a portable colony poultry house 12 ft. 

 long and 8 ft. deep set on 4 by 6 in. runners with a frame of 2 by 4 in. scantling, 



