EDITORIAL NOTES. 191 



many experiments lately made in Germany, England, Sweden and America, 

 to determine the properties of iron and steel, and especially to point out 

 some serious errors in the methods of calculating the dimeiisions of con- 

 structions of these metals, which have led engineers into erecting insecure 

 structures in bridges and buildings. The many accidents occurring in rail- 

 road bridges and large public buildings lately, render such a work especially 

 valuable just at this time, and it is claimed that by its careful study practi- 

 cal engineers will be placed at the present standpoint of critical judgment. 

 Wq have quoted two chapters from this brochure, under the head of 

 Technology, which give an idea of the general scope of the first part. The 

 remainder of the work is devoted to similar subjects of discussion, together 

 with formulas, calculations, laws, tables and plates, all of which must be of 

 inestimable advantage and value to civil engineers. 



*' Shall We Ever Eeaoh the Pole?" London: Provost & Co., 36 Henri- 

 etta Street. 1877. 



This is a pamphlet by an anonymous writer, who takes the remarkable 

 position that the earth must be hollow areund the axis, in consequence of 

 its rotary motion, {. e., that the axis is a kind of cylinder more or less en- 

 larged as the velocity of the rotary motion about it varies. 



Various other novel propositions respecting the conditions at the Poles 

 are supported with considerable ingenuity, and the work is well worthy of 

 perusal. 



Circular 6. Monthly Eepokts op the Kansas State Board of Agricul- 

 ture, for February and March, 1877, by Alfred GtRay, Secretary. 



The Board of Agriculture of the State of Kansas has wisely resolved to 

 expend the appropriations, heretofore made by the legislature for annual 

 fairs and cattle shows, upon official publications, such as annual and month- 

 ly reports, for general distribution. These reports are carefully prepared 

 by the secretary, Hon. Alfred Gray, who is a most able and efficient officer. 



The number before us contains a large amount of valuable and interest- 

 ing information concerning the soil, climate, products, railroads, public 

 lands, cost of living, taxes, etc., which must necessarily be of great service 

 to those persons proposing settling in Kansas. 



Publications Eeceived. — Popular Science Monthly for May, 1877; Li- 

 brary Table — New York: American Bookseller; Chicago Field, Vol, 7, No. 

 9; Fruit Recorder, Eoehester, New York; Journal of Applied Science, Lon- 

 don, January, February, March and April, 1877; Druggists' Circular and 

 Chemical Gazette, April and May, 1877, New York; American Meteorolo- 

 gist, J. H. Tice, St. Louis, March, 1877; Description of Sweet Springs, 

 Brownsville, Mo.; Catalogue Marietta (Ohio) College, 1876-7; Monthly Rc- 

 port State Board of Agriculture, Kansas; Leavenworth Times, daily; Bos- 

 ton Journal of Chemistry, April, 1877. 



