MICHIGAN ACADEMY OP SCIENCE. 149 



Legal Questions. Cooperation. 



Law of contracts. Cooperative production. 



Leases. Cooperative manufacture. 



Landlord and tenant. Cooperative marketing. 



Master and servant. Cooperative buying. 



Trespass. 



Fence laws. 



Control of live-stock. 



Water rights. 



Overhanging trees, etc. 



Specific Types of Farming. 



Mixed farming. Grass farming- 

 (Inventory, farm balance, probable expenses, Terry rotation, 



probable returns.) (Wheat, clover.'potatoes.) 



Dairy farming. Fruit farming. 



Beef farming. Poultry farming. 



Sheep farming. Truck farming. 



Grain farming. Farming under glass. 



OUTLINE FOR A BRIEF COURSE IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS. 



PREPARED BY PRESIDENT K. L. BUTTERFIELD, RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE OP 



AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS. 



I. Characteristics of the agiicultural industry. 



Dependence upon nature. 



Capital and labor as applied to agriculture. 



The laws of rent and of decreasing returns in agriculture. 



Relation of agriculture to other industries and to the welfare of mankind. 



II. History of the Agricultural Industry. 



In ancient times. 



Status in Europe prior to the eighteenth century. 



The struggle to maintain its standing after the advent of commerce and manufacture. 



In the United States. 



The pioneer stage. 



Development of commercial agriculture. 



The new farming. 



III. Present status of the Farming Industry. 



The world's food supply. 

 Agricultural resources of the United States. 

 Geographical factors. 



Soils, climate, fertility, natural enemies, etc. 

 Statistics of farms, farm wealth, production, etc. 

 Leading sub-industries, cereals, stock, etc. 

 Distribution of production. 



IV. The agricultural Market. 



Description of the market, — local, domestic, foreign. 

 Mechanism of the market. 



Banks and local exchange facilities. 



Middlemen. 



Boards of trade. 

 Prices of agricultural products. 



Movements of prices. 



Agricultural competition. 



Depressions of agriculture. 



Influence of "options". 

 Transportation of agricultural products. 



Primary transportation — wagon roads and trolley lines. 



Railroad and water transportation. 

 Facilities. 

 Rates. 



Discriminations. 

 Delivery methods. 



Incidents of the transportation system — elevators, etc. 



Imperfect distribution of agricultural products. 

 Development of the market. 



Increase of consumption of products — Manufacture of farm products as a factor. 



The factor of choicer products. 



The factor of better distribution of products. 



The local market as a factor. 



The foreign market as a factor. 



V. Business Cooperation in Agriculture. 



Historical sketch. 

 Present status. 



Production. 



Marketing. 



Buying. 



Miscellaneous business cooperation. 

 Difficulties and tendencies. 



