RURAL ENGINEERING. 885 



cium chlorid led to the conclusion that it appears to be a particularly suitable, 

 effective, and cheap dust preventive for estate and farm roads. 



Ontario highway laws (Toronto: Comr. Jlif/hwaijs, 191 '/, pp. l-'t~i). — The text 

 of these laws is j^iveu. 



Notes on the tests of some large reinforced concrete pipe, W. J. Sciilick 

 (lotca Engineer, 15 (1914), No. 3, pp. lOJ-ltO, figs. 5). — Tests of the supportini? 

 strength of a number of reinforced concrete bell and spigot tile in 8-ft. lengths 

 and with diameters of fi'om IS in. to 48 in. are reported. The reinforcing in 

 the 3G-in. and 48-in. pipe was of i-in. bars spaced 3 in. and 3| in., respectively, 

 with §-in. longitudinal bars to which the circular rings were wired. Triangular 

 mesh reinforcing was used fur the other three sizes, No. 4 mesh being used for 

 the IS-in. pipe and No. 23 mesh for the 24-in. and 30-in. sizes. 



In the bar reinforced pipes cracking, esiiecinlly on the sides, was confined 

 to a few main cracks, while in the mesh reinforced pipes the cracking in the 

 sides was much more distributed and regular. In all cases cracking in the 

 top and bottom was confined to a fewer number of cracks than in the sides, and 

 there was apparently no fixed relation between the load at which cracking be- 

 gins and the maximum load. "All difference in the character and number of 

 cracks seems to be traceable to the amount, kind, and location of the rein- 

 forcing." Corrugated reinforcing was no more effective than smooth rein- 

 forcing. The elongation of the horizontal diameter of the pipe at the critical 

 load averaged from 0.05 to 0.75 in. " For lateral extension of 0.01 in. to 0.05 

 in. the ditch filling would not be sufficiently compressed to give any lateral 

 support. ... It seems evident that some method of anchoring the reinforcing 

 at the top and bottom would have made the steel more effective. The develop- 

 ment of the principal side cracks so near to the point where the reinforcing 

 crosses the neutral axis indicates that the reinforcing would have been more 

 efficient had it been so located as to cross the neutral axis of the pipe wall at 

 the 45-degree point. Although no definite turning point was evident during the 

 tests, the data show that the stife load for these pipes was somewhat less than 

 one-half the ma.ximum load." 



Farm surveying, R. H. Smith (Farm Engin.. 2 (1914), Xo. 5. pp. 83-85, 

 figs. 5). — This article describes and illustrates the process of leveling with 

 homemade instruments. 



Alcohol as fuel, B. O. Jenkins (Set. Amer., Ill (1914), No. 25, p. 509).— In 

 summarizing the relative positions of the possible sources of cheap industrial 

 alcohol, particularly for use in farm gas engines, it is stated that colonial-grown 

 maize stands first in importance, followed by wood sawdust. " With the present 

 information available, neither potatoes, beets, nor peat appear as favorable as 

 is generally supposed." 



Electricity in rural districts, J. L. White (Jour. Electricity, 34 (1915), 

 No. 1, pp. 10, 11). — ^^This article gives suggestions as to the means whereby 

 central stations can increase the use of electric current in rural districts. 



Small motor applications for farm work, C J. Rohrer (Trans. Amer. 8oc. 

 Agr. Engin., 7 (Wl.i). pp. 151-176, figs. 15).— The author deals with the use of 

 electricity on the farm. He points out that electricity is being used for over 

 325 different farm operations, of which there are 50 in the farm home, 20 in 

 the dairy, and 30 for farm and field machineiy. 



It is stated that 1 cent's worth of electricity at 10 cts. per kilowatt-hour will 

 operate a 6-lb. flatiron for fifteen minutes, drive an electric vacuum cleaner long 

 enough to clean 450 sq. ft. of carpet, lift 100 gal. of water 100 ft., keep a heat- 

 ing pad hot for from two to three hours, or run a sewing machine two hours, 

 a 12-in. electric fan two hours, or a buffer ard grinder 1} hours. 

 94863°— No. 9—15 7 



