RURAL ENGINEERING. 785 



Kansas it is stated that the average operating expense for pumping irrigation 

 water, exclusive of interest and depreciation, is about 4 cts. per acre foot per 

 foot of lift, and that depreciation expense equals from 50 to 75 per cent of the 

 operating expense, making the combined cost about 6 cts. per acre foot per foot 

 of lift. Since only first-class machinery of standard make can be profitably 

 installed it is stated that interest on the investment must also be considered. 

 Because of the high operating expense it is considered doubtful if a lift exceed- 

 ing 80 ft. is profitable for the ordinary field crops, but it is stated that sugar 

 beets, vegetables, and small fruits may be profitably irrigated under somewhat 

 higher heads. 



Lazwell drainage-pumping plant (Power, 37 {1913'), No. 24, pp. 846-848, 

 figs. 4)- — Tke mechanical and operating details of a novel pumping plant used 

 to drain an area of approximately 50,000 acres of swamp land are described. 

 In this plant three 54 in. centrifugal pumps are directly connected to 3 condens- 

 ing engines. Three water tube boilers with induced draft supply steam at 

 150 lbs. pressure, superheated to 125°. 



A novel system of monthly operation reports and general supervision is 

 claimed to maintain the plant at its highest efiiciency and economy. 



Water conservation and drainage branch, H. H. Dare (Rpt. Dept. Pul). 

 Works N. S. Wales, 1912, pp. 59-92). — This is a report on sewerage and storm 

 water drainage, drainage of swamp lands, and water conservation operations in 

 New South Wales for the year ended June, 1912. A large amount of data is 

 given on well boring, water supplies, and water analyses. 



Drainage experiments (Min Agr. et Trav. Pub. [Belgium], Off. Rural Raps, 

 et Communs., 1913, No. 5, pp. 75-77). — A plat of about 2i acres of swampy 

 compact ground was divided into 4 equal parts which were drained at respective 

 depths of 1.4, 1.2, 1, and O.S meters, all drains being placed 10 meters apart. 

 The plat drained to a depth of 1 meter yielded the largest and best crop of 

 potatoes, with the plat drained to 0.8 meter second. The poorest yield was 

 obtained from the deepest drained plat. 



The principles of land drainage, J. L. Hills, C. H. Jones, C. G. William- 

 son, and R. T. Burdick (Vermont Sta. Bui. 173, pp. 275-312, pis. 2, figs. 13).— 

 This article deals in particular with the underlying principles of land drainage 

 as practiced in the North Atlantic States, including a discussion of the history 

 and effects of drainage, types of drains and their construction, and a bibliog- 

 raphy. 



Explosives in agriculture, H. C. Coggins (Agr. Oaz. N. 8. Wales, 24 (1913), 

 No. 5, pp. 375-380, figs. 2). — A discussion of the benefits of subsoiling to plant 

 growth is followed by a description of the methods and results of experiments 

 on subsoiling with gelignite. 



It is stated that the strength, depth, and spacing of charges must be deter- 

 mined in each case by experiment and will depend on the character and physical 

 condition of the soil. In these experiments charges of i plug and 1 plug of ex- 

 plosives were tested, the holes being spaced 10, 12, 15, 18, and 20 ft. apart with, 

 respectively, 435, 302, 194, 128, and 109 charges per acre. Exclusive of labor, 

 which depends on local rates, the total costs per acre for the i plug charges 

 were, respectively, $12.85, $8.89, $5.81, $3.74, and $3.11; and for the whole 

 plug charges $18.15, $12.55, $8.26, $5.01, and $4.38. 



A comparison of the different types of wearing surfaces used for the 

 roadways of bridges (Engin. and Contract., 40 (1913), No. 2, pp. 43-46). — Com- 

 parative data are given from a report presented by H. B. Browne at the Third 

 International Road Congress at London on wood plank, wood block, sheet 

 asphalt, stone block, brick, concrete, various types of bituminous pavements, 

 macadam, gravel, and earth as used for roadways of highway bridges. 



