BURAL ECONOMICS. 487 



ers, and municipalities should seek a water sup;»]y well below the present water 

 table. 



"Witching" for water and other things, J. T. Lovewfxl {Trans. Kans. 

 Acad. Sci., 26 (191S), pp. 101-103).— The author concludes "that all the claims 

 of water witches are delusions unworthy scientific consideration." 



Analyses of private water supplies, H. E. Barnard, J. A. Craven, and J. C. 

 DiGGS (Ind. Bd. Health, Ann. Rpt. Chem. Div., 8 (1913), pp. 297-333, figs. 22).— 

 Analyses of a large number of private water supplies from wells, springs, and 

 cisterns show that the deep well waters were in most instances of good quality. 

 The shallow -<lug well waters wei-e in nearly all cases bad or doubtful, as were 

 also the majority of the cistern and spring waters examined. A number of 

 photographs of bad conditions existing in the immediate vicinity of wells, 

 siirings. and cisterns are included. 



The water supply of farm homesteads, F. T. Shutt (Canada Expt. Farms 

 Rpts. 1013, pp. 225, 268-275). — Of 188 Siimples of water from various parts of 

 the Dominion submitte<l to complete sanitary analysis 89 were pure and whole- 

 some, 43 susiiicious and probably dangerous, 41 severely contaminated, and 15 

 too saline to be used as a potable supply. The worst waters were from shallow 

 wells dug in barnyards or in the neighborhood of similar sources of pollution. 



Illuminating' power of kerosenes, W. Kltnerth {loxca Engin. Expt. Sta. 

 Bui. 37 iWlIf), pp. 29, figs. 6). — A series of experiments conducted to detemiine 

 the quality of kerosene oils used in the State of Iowa and the relations existing 

 betweeii the illuminating power of a kerosene oil and some of its physical prop- 

 erties are reported. Sixty -one samples of kerosene were tested. 



By the application of ordinary photometric methods great differences in the 

 illuminating power of different samples of kerosene oils were shown. Oils 

 having a high illuminating power were found also to be high in density, index 

 of refraction, viscosity, surface tension, flash point, and burn point. With these 

 oils the length of wick charred was shorter and the fogging of the chimney 

 was more marked than for the oils of low illuminating power. 



Putting coloring matter into the oil and exposing it to light and draft reduced 

 the illuminating power. The denser the oil the greater was the intrinsic bril- 

 liancy of the flame, and the lighter the oil the more nearly white was the flame. 



It was further shown that the oils used in Iowa have practically the same 

 burning quality, that oils from the East have a lower density and ai'e sold at 

 a higher price, and that oils which were retailed at a lower pi-ice gave the most 

 light. 



It is concluded in connection with these tests that kerosene oil lamps are 

 not very desirable as standards of comparison. 



RURAL ECONOMICS. 



What the farm contributes directly to the farmer's living, W. C. Funk 

 iU. .S'. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 635 {191Jf), pp. 21, figs. 2).— This contains the 

 result of a study to determine the value of that part of the farmer's living 

 which is furnished directly by the farm. The practice was to drive along a 

 road in the district selected and visit every farmhouse, the aim being to obt;iin 

 a true average for the conditions of that community. The regions studied 

 include counties in North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, 

 Ohio. Pennsylvania. New York, and Vermont, and deal with 483 farmers hav- 

 ing an average of 4.6 persons to a family. 



It was found that the average annual value of food, fuel, and use of a dwell- 

 ing as furnished by the farm were $421.17 per family, $261.35 being for food, 

 $34.72 for fuel, and $125.10 for house rent. The average value of the food, 

 84079°— No. 5—15 7 



