862 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [April i, 1882. 
an amount of motive power is lost equal to that em- 
ployed during the night. In order to utilize this power 
I have devised means of working the dynamo-machine 
also during the daytime and of transmitting the electric 
energy thus produced by means of wires to different 
points of the farm where such operations as chaff- 
cutting, swede-slicing, timber-sawing, and water-pumping 
have to be performed. These objects are accomplished by 
means of small dynamo-machines, placed at the points 
where power is required for these various purposes, and 
which are in metallic connection with the current- 
generating dynamo-machine near the engine. The con- 
necting wires employed consists each of a naked strand 
of copper wire, supported on wooden poles, or on trees, 
without the use of insulators, while the return circuit 
is effected through the park railing or wire fencing of 
the place, which is connected with both transmitting and 
working machines, by means of short pieces of_ con- 
necting wire. In order to insure the metallic continuity 
of the wire fencing, care has to be taken wherever 
there are gates to solder a piece of wire buried below the 
gate to the wire fencing on either side. As regards 
pumping the water, a three-horse-power steam-engine 
was originally used, working two force-pumps, of 3^-inch 
diameter, making 36 double strokes per minute. The 
same pumps are still employed, now being worked by a 
dynamo-machine weighing 4 cwt. When the cisterns 
at the house, the gardens, and the farm require filling, 
the pumps are started by simply turning the commu- 
tator at the engine station, and in like manner the 
mechanical operations of the farm already referred to 
are accomplished by one and the same prime mover. 
It would be difficult in this instance to state accurately 
the percentage of power actually received at the dis- 
tant station, but in trying the same machines under 
similar circumstances of resistance with the aid of dyna- 
mometers as much as 60 per cent has been realized. 
In conclusion, I have pleasure to state that the work- 
ing of the electric light and transmission of power for 
the various operations just named are entirely under 
the charge of my head gardener, Mr. Buchanan, assisted 
by the ordinary staff of under- gardeners and field 
labourers, who probably never before heard of the 
power of electricity. Electric transmission of power 
may eventually be applied also to thrashing, reaping, 
and ploughing. These objects are at the present time 
accomplished to a large extent by means of portable 
steam engines, a class of engine which has attained a 
high degree of perfection, but the electric moter pre- 
sents the great advantage of lightness, its weight per 
horse-power being only 2 cwt., while the weight of a 
portable engine with its boiler filled with water may be 
taken at 15 cwt. per horse-power. Moreover, the port- 
able engine requires a continuous supply of water and 
fuel, and involves skilled labour in the field, while the. 
electrical engine receives its food through the wire (for 
a light rail upon which it may be made to move about) 
from the central station, where power can be produced 
at a cheaper rate of expenditure for fuel ana labour 
than in the field. The use of secondary batteries may 
also be resorted to with advantage to store electrical 
energy when it cannot be utilized. In thus accom- 
plishing the work of a farm from a central power 
station, considerable savings of plant and labour may 
be effected, the engine power will be chiefly required 
for day work, and its night work, for the purposes of 
electro-horticulture, will be a secondary utilization of the 
establishment involving little extra expense. At the same 
time the means are provided of lighting the hall and 
shrubberies in the most perfect manner, and of producing 
effects in landscape gardening that are strikingly beauti- 
ful. 
Cultivation of Hops. — M. Miintz. — The author con- 
cludes that hop manures should be especially rich in 
nitrogen.— Chemical News, 
Manurial Experiments with Saltpetre on Wheat, 
Barley, and Oats. — Horatio Chancellor.— Saltpetre is 
most beneficial in dry seasons, and fhould be applied 
in successive doses. — Chemical News. 
Manurial Action of Gypsum on Lucerne.— V. 
Nanquette, Prof. Medicus, and M. Schell. — Gypsum 
has proved useful in the cultivation of lucerne, even 
on decidedly calcareous soils. (This agrees with the 
view of Prof. Ville.) — Ibid. 
Comparative Manurial Experiments.— C. Nerger.— 
In the experiments trier 1 , a manuring, containing 
otherwise all the constituents of the crop (barley), 
but deficient in silica, gave the poorest results, being 
on a level with a plot totally unmanured. — lb'td. 
Manurial Garden Experiments. — W. Lauche and 
Prof. A. Orth. — The highest results were obtained 
with farmyard manure plus ammonium and potas- 
sium sulphates and superphosphate. The crop was 
the sugar-beet. — Ibid. 
Influence of Atmospheric Electricity on Growth 
of the Vine. — Dr. J. Macagno. — The vines experi- 
mented on yielded grapes richer in grape-sugar 
and poorer in acid than those growing under natural 
conditions. — lb id. 
Researches on thb Heat op the Ground.— Dr. von 
Liebenberg. — All air-dry soils at equal temperatures 
radiate heat equally. The author insists strongly. on 
the injurious effect of any agency that lowers the 
temperature of the ground in spring, as reducing both 
the quantity and quality of the crop. — Ibid. 
New Eesearches on the Passage op Bain-waters 
through Arable Soils. — A. Audoynaud and B. 
Chauzit.— The chief loes of nitrogen is in the form 
of nitrates. Sulphuric acid is removed in considerable 
quantity ; phosphoric acid only in traces. The loss 
of potash and sodium chloride is great. — Ibid. 
Manurial Experiments on Fruit Trees.— Dr. P. 
Sorauer. — If liquid manures are too much diluted, 
the trees are injured by being compelled in seeking 
nourishment to take up more water than they need. 
On the other hand, too concentrated solutions oc- 
casion a decay of the roots. — Biedermann's Centralblatl. 
Experiments on Manuring Beets. — MM. Cbainpon- 
nois and Pellet. — The authors have tried two manures, 
one based on Ville's manure and the other on the 
residue of the refuse from refining beet-sugar on 
Porion's process. The latter was richar in potash, 
and of course in organic matter, and gave heavier 
crops. — Chemical News. 
Changes in Farm- yard Manure on Prolonged Keep- 
ing. — Prof. Birner and Dr. Brimmer. — The loss of nitro- 
gen is considerable, but almost disappears if the manure 
is protected against moisture. On the addition of 1 
per cent kainite and 1 per cent magnesium "sulphate, 
the nitrogen is increased by absorption from the at- 
mosphere. — Ibid. 
A New Method op Determining the Absorptive 
Power of the Soil. — R. Zalomanoff. — The author re- 
commends the filtration method. He concludes that 
the results obtained by agitation in a flask are con- 
clusive ; that Liebig's opinion on the identity of 
drainage-water and ground-water is erroneous, and 
that compounds existing in solution and separated 
on passing through pulverised bodies or through capil- 
lary tubes assume another molecular condition. — Ibid. 
The Value of Different Forms of Reverted Phos- 
phoric Acid compared with the Soluble Phosphoric 
Acid of Superphosphates. — Prof. M. Maercker. — In 
general, precipitated phosphate of lime appears of equal 
value with superphosphates with an equal quantity 
of soluble phosphoric acid. Root crops form an ex- 
ception, as in them soluble phosphoric acid gives a 
somewhat better return. In light soils the precipit- 
ated phosphate was found much superior. Precipit- 
ated aluminium phosphate is as the same value as 
the calcium phosphate, — Ibid. 
