592 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



RURAL ECONOMICS. 



The logged-off lands of western Washington, H. F. Giles (Olympia, Wash.: 

 Bur. Statis. and Iminigr., 1911, pp. 71, pis. 2, figs. 13). — This publication was 

 prepared especially for the purpose of giving to prospective settlers aud outside 

 inquirers information relative to what has been done, and the iwssibilities of 

 what may be done, along agi-icultural lines on the logged-off lands In the western 

 half of the State of Washington. 



It is noted that some of the land may be bought as low as $10 i)er acre. The 

 leading agricultural products are hay, potatoes, oats, etc., the soil and climate 

 being deemed especially adaptetl to the raising of fruits, nuts, and grain. Dairj-- 

 iug promises to be one of the leading industries. 



Southern agriculture, plantation system, and the negro problem, L. C. 

 Gkay (Ann. Amer. Acad. Polit. and Soc. Sci., J,0 {1912), Xo. 129, pp. 90-99).— 

 This article discusses at length several phases of the economic institutions 

 which relate particularly to southern agriculture and the negro problem, among 

 which are the growth and status of the plantation system, agricultural methods, 

 large v. small scale industry, suijervisiou of labor, merits and defects of the 

 different forms of tenancy, sources and effect of credit, labor legislation, and 

 the relation that the negro's social, ethical, educational, and religious life bears 

 to his economic development. 



Small holdings, G. Symons (Agr. students' Gaz., n. ser., 1.5 (1911), Xo. 5, 

 pp. 153-156). — The author discusses the effect and workings of the small 

 holdings act as applied to the district in East England. 



As regards those v/ho require a 40 to 50-acre farm, and intend to make their 

 entire living off it, it is stated that the outlook for them is not very hopeful, for, 

 as a rule, they are at considerable distance from the nearest market and station, 

 and have no choice but to grow the same crops as the larger farmers in their 

 neighborhood and thus enter into direct competition with them. " It is very 

 doubtful whether such holdings can be largely increased with any certainly of 

 success," the chief cause of failure being due to the lack of sufficient capital on 

 the part of the average small holder. 



It is suggested that the class who require from 2 to 10 acres to work in 

 addition to or in conjunction with other occupations, and who run compara- 

 tively little risk, should in most cases be successful. The measure of success 

 of any of the small holders, according to the author's point of view, will depend 

 largely to what extent they amalgamate themselves into cooperative societies, 

 especially cooperative credit societies which will enable a man to bori-ow money 

 for short iieriods on reasonable terms. 



Small holdings and the small holder, T. Smith (Jour. Roy. Hart. Soc, 

 [London], 37 (1911), Xo. 2, pp. 295-301). — This paper inquires into the causes 

 of rural depopulation and the circumstances which make a recolonization of the 

 country districts by means of small holdings desirable. It discusses the con- 

 ditions under which the small holder should work and the qualifications he 

 should possess in oi'der that he may have a reasonable propect of success. 



Tenants v. occupying owners, W. Rr.^dwood (Abs. in Field [Londoni, 119 

 (1912), Xo. 3082. p. lOJf). — This ai-ticle presents a brief «bstract of an address 

 recently delivered by Lord Carrington regarding the small holdings of England. 

 In his opinion " an occupier is better off as tenant than as freeholder, inasmuch 

 as purchase entails a locking up of capital which might otherwise be profitably 

 employed in the business, or at the high prices of land could be invested in 

 securities aud yield a tangible margin of surplus after deducting the holding's 

 rent. 



