490 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Depopulation of rural districts in Germany, P. Clerget {Gdographie, 2Jt 

 {1911), No. 1, pp. Ji6--'i9). — It is pointed out that the proportion of persons 

 engaged in agriculture in Germany has been steadily diminishing. In 1830 the 

 number so engaged was 80 per cent of the total population ; In 18G0, 60 per 

 cent ; in 1882, 42.5 per cent ; and in 1895, 35.7 per cent. 



Emigration from the nation for the last 20 years has decreased, but the 

 exodus from the rural districts to towns has steadily increased. The in- 

 tensity of this depopulation is said to be due to the increase in size of the 

 farms, or rather the larger scale upon which they are worked, larger farms 

 meaning fewer hands per acre. It is shown that farms of from 5 to 20 

 hectai'es employ on an average 44 persons per 100 hectares, while farms from 

 20 to 100 hectares employ 22, and those exceeding 100 hectares only 17 per- 

 sons per 100 hectares. It is argued that this Is not due to the fact that more 

 produce, economically speaking, can be obtained with less labor on large farms, 

 but because the large estates are usually not so successful economically as 

 the small ones. The establishment of small holdings is recommended as a 

 means to check the exodus of the rural population. 



Agriculture in the Transvaal and neig'hboring provinces, F. T. Nicholson 

 {Rev. Econ. Intermit., 8 (1911), IV, Ao. 3, pp. 1,90-520). — This is a discussion of 

 the recent development of the agricultural industry in the Ti-ansvaal, the 

 number and classes of live stock common to that section, and the various crops 

 raised, together with a discussion of the question of a permanent supply of 

 cheap farm labor. Tables are given showing the exijenditures for farm 

 requisites such as farm machinery, live stock, material for dipping sheep, 

 fertilizers, etc., in British Central Africa for 1907-1910, together with acreage, 

 yield, income, etc., of various agricultural products. 



Supply and distribution of cotton for the year ended August 31, 1911 

 {Bur. of the Ccmus {U. S.] Bui. 113, 1911, pp. 31, figs. 4).— This bulletin shows 

 that the supply of cotton in the United States for the year ended August 31, 

 1911, was 13,873,423 bales, including 1,040,040 bales of stock carried over from 

 the previous year. Other notes and tables show the distribution of cotton, 

 together with statistics of spindles, cotton consumed, stocks, Imports and ex- 

 ports of cotton and cotton goods, including comparative statistics for previous 

 years, the world's spindles and consumption of cotton for 1900 and 1911, and 

 statistics of the trade in cotton and its manufactures for selected countries. 

 See also a previous note (E. S. R., 24, p. 539). 



Crop Reporter {U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Statis. Crop Reporter, 13 ClOll), No. 

 12, pp. 89-96, figs. 2). — This report presents statistical data pertaining to the 

 cotton crop for 1911-12 ; acreage and condition of winter wheat, rye, and other 

 crops ; data as to the farm value of imix)rtant crops ; acreage, yield, and value 

 of specific crops ; comparative price of articles purchased by farmers and 

 quantities purchasable by value of 1 acre; together with the annual report of 

 the Bureau of Statistics for the fiscal year 1911, including a description of the 

 system of reporting crops. 



The value of 1 acre of the farmer's crops in 1910 is estimated as about 5.8 

 per cent less than in 1909 but 62.7 more than in 1899, the purchasing power of 

 the produce of 1 acre in 1910 as about 7.3 per cent less than in 1909 but about 

 44.1 per cent more than in 1899, and the average increase in the cost of articles 

 purchased by farmers as about 1.5 per cent more in 1910 than in 1909. 



Crop Reporter {U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Statis. Crop Reporter, 13 {1911), No. 

 12, Sup., pp. 91-10.'!). — The report shows areas, yields, and values of important 

 farm crops by States for 1909 to 1911, inclusive; area, yield i>er acre, produc- 

 tion, and farm value of tobacco by types and districts, 1909 to 1911, inclusive; 



