AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. 829 



1903, was 17.39 in., with a mean temperature of 62.9° F. and an elevation of 4,865 ft. 

 above sea level. 



Sources and cost of power for pumping irrigating water (Irrig. News, 52 

 (1904), No. 24, p. 54-8). — An abstract of a paper by EL A. Storrs read at the Irriga- 

 tion Congress at El Paso, Texas, November, 1904. The paper discusses the relative 

 cost and efficiency of hydro-electric power and power from coal, crude oil, and gas- 

 oline or kerosene, the actual cost of distilled and crude oil in California, and pro- 

 ducer gas as fuel. 



The author concludes "that where hydro-electric power is impracticable steam 

 1 toilers and engines six mid be selected only for large plants and in localities where 

 fuel, either coal or crude oil, is exceptionally cheap; that, for small plants, internal 

 combustion engines should generally be used, wherever crude oil, distillate, gasoline 

 or kerosene can be obtained at reasonable prices, and that the greatest economy 

 may be expected where crude oil is used; that in the majority of cases, where fuel 

 of some kind must be the source of power, the combination of gas engines with fuel 

 gas producing plants should give the most satisfactory results." 



Irrigation, H. 8. Lawrence (Dept. Land Records and Agr., Bombay Pres., Season 

 and Crop Rpt. 1903-4, pp. 8-10, XLH-XL VII).— Data are given regarding the irri- 

 gated area; details of irrigation from canals, wells, and tanks; and number of wells, 

 tanks, and other sources of irrigation water in the Bombay Presidency, and amount 

 of water furnished by them. 



Meeting of the River Improvement and Drainage Association of Califor- 

 nia at San Francisco I River Imp. and Drainage Assoc. California Bui. 3, pp. 22). — 

 This is a brief account of the meeting, January 5, 1905, of this association, which 

 was organized May 23 and 24, 1904. 



A contribution to the question of irrigation in Germany, P. Holdefleiss 

 {Dent. Landw. Presse, 32 (1905), No. 1, pp. 3, 4).— This article describes a special 

 form of apparatus for measuring evaporation and records the results of observations 

 from June, 1903, to September, 1904, on evaporation from a water surface, from 

 gypsum, and from sand and garden soil, as compared with the rainfall for the same 

 period. 



On certain phases of water rights in Switzerland, Italy, France, Austria- 

 Hungary, and Baden, A. Aastrodq (A'. Jordbruksdept. [Sin den] Meddel. 11, 1904, 

 pp. 104).— The report deals with the legal questions concerning water rights in the 

 countries named, the technical and economic phases having been discussed in the 

 report of S. Arrhenius, published as No. 1 of this series.— f. w. woll. 



Report upon the administration of the public works department in Egypt 

 for 1903, W. Garstin et al. (Cairo: Public Works Ministry, 1904, pp. 430, pis. 6).— 

 This includes a report on irrigation works in 1903, which deals with the season and 

 the water supply, assistance rendered by the Assuan reservoir, measures taken to 

 insure water distribution, duty of water, the Zifta Barrage, the Mex pumps on Lake 

 Mareotis, drainage, gage readings on Lake Victoria Nyanza, and miscellaneous 

 operations. 



Historic highways of America, A. B. IIflbert (Cleveland, Ohio: Arthur H. 

 (lark Co., 1905, vol. 15, pp. 211, pis. 9).— This volume deals with the future of road- 

 making in America, and contains special articles on Government Cooperation in 

 Object Lesson Road Work, by Martin Dodge; Good Roads for Fanners, by M. O. 

 Eldridge; The Selection of Materials for Macadam Roads, by L. W. Page, and Stone 

 Roads in New Jersey, by E. G. Harrison. 



Good roads in the United States, A. P. Brigham (Bui. Ana r. Geogr. Soc, 36 

 (1904), No. 12, pp. 721-735; abs. in Science, n. ser., 21 (1905), No. 524, pp- 75, 76).— 

 This article shows how great a handicap bad roads are to farmers and to railroads 

 and the importance of having roads which are not affected by the weather. 



Recent progress in the field of agricultural machinery, H. Walter, Strecker, 

 E. Wrobel, A. Nachtweh, and Puchner (Fuhling's Landw. Ztg., 53 (1904), Xos. 1, 



