16 THE VARSITY ENGINEER. August, 1913.
A Commentary on "The Control of Water."
A Book written by P. a'M. Parker, B.C.E., Melb., etc.
One of the best books upon Hydraulics and Hydraulic Engi- neering that has ever been written has just arrived from England.
It is the work of Philip Worley Parker, B.C.E. (Melbourne), B.A. (Cantab.) , M. D.I. V., etc., etc., and is entitled "The Control of Water." '1 he author has had irrigation experience in India, and has visited Egypt and California, consequently the book is written from the point of view of an engineer who applies hydraulics to irrigation works; nevertheless it contains much that is of interest to civil engineers generally Upwards of 1000 pages of closely printed matter are devoted to the subject, diagrams (or sketches, as the author calls them) being as numerous as
necessary. It may be mentioned here that if the book has a fault, it is that the diagrams are printed on too small a scale. Mathematical methods are not shirked when they afford the simplest means of obtaining the desired results; but, at the same time, experi- ments and their results are clearly described. Besides treating of the flow of clear water in pipes and channels, the author dis- cusses the flow of silt-bearing water, and dwells at length upon the important investigations of R. G. Kennedy in India. The regulation of the supply of water to land has its importance emphasised, and the methods of regulation are outlined; but readers who practise irrigation may wish that this very interest- ing and difficult question had more space allotted to it. Turbines are discussed, and centrifugal pumps, but the latter very briefly;
nevertheless the author brings to bear on these portions of the subject, as on others, his fresh and original modes of thought.
At the end of the volume graphic diagrams for 'discharges in the cases of weirs, orifices and channels are given, which resemble those for pipes, as used by Turneauve and Russell. The work will prove serviceable, not only to students, but to engineers in practice. We are greatly pleased that one of our fellow students has produced such an excellent volume, and are glad to learn that his abilities are recognised in other parts of the world besides Australia.
G.H.
