404 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



RURAL ORGANIZATION INVESTIGATIONS. 



The various lines of work relating to rural organization which 

 were reported last year have been continued and certain new lines 

 begun. Mr. C. W. Thompson directs these investigations. 



RURAL CREDIT, INSURANCE, AND COMMUNICATION. 



The work of rural credit, farmers' mutual insurance, and rural 

 communication has been associated since the beginning of the in- 

 vestigations. 



RURAL CREDIT. 



The investigation of the costs and sources of farm loans (both 

 farm-mortgage loans and loans on personal and collateral security) 

 has been continued, and tables showing averages for interest and com- 

 mission or extra charges, by States and for districts within the States, 

 have been compiled. The relative importance of the different rates 

 in each State is shown, together with the proportion of the farm- 

 mortgage business done without commision, with advance commis- 

 sion, and with installment commission. From statements submitted 

 by 220 companies, representing more than 99 per cent of the total 

 assets of life insurance companies in the country, figures have been 

 compiled showing, by States, the amount of farm mortgages held 

 by such companies. Estimates have been made, by States, for the 

 total farm-mortgage debt outstanding, and a table has been prepared 

 showing the proportion of this total amount in each State held by 

 life insurance companies and by banks. A number of charts, repre- 

 senting in graphic form the most important of the items here men- 

 tioned, have been prepared, and the major part of the information 

 has been included in two publications, Department Bulletin 384, 

 Costs and Sources of Farm Mortgage Loans in the United States, 

 and Department Bulletin 409, Factors Affecting Interest Kates and 

 Other Charges on Short Time Farm Loans. Another publication on 

 Amortization Methods for Farm Mortgage Loans, Circular 60, Office 

 of the Secretary, has been issued. 



An investigation has been made to determine the extent to which 

 farmers in the Southern States obtained credit from merchants, either 

 under the advancing system or otherwise. The work of tabulating 

 the information received on this subject is nearly completed. 



A digest of existing State laws for the organization of credit 

 unions is nearly completed. Suggestions have been given to various 

 States in matters bearing on legislation for cooperative credit asso- 

 ciations, and articles of agreement have been prepared for farmers' 

 credit exchanges. 



INSURANCE. 



Additional information concerning special problems confronting 

 farmers' mutual fire, windstorm, live-stock, and hail insurance com- 

 panies has been gathered, and the divergent business methods em- 

 ployed by these companies have been studied. Special questionnaires 

 have been prepared for each of the three classes of companies last 

 mentioned, the total number of which is 124, and replies have been 

 received from about one-half of them. Information concerning the 



