EURAL ECOXOMICS. 91 



provements such as draiuing, irrigatiou, and clearing laud; (2) improveuieuts 

 lu such special branches of rural economy as horticulture, sylviculture, and 

 cattle breeding and the organization of mills, dairies, and establishments for 

 the working of timber; and (3) construction of elevators, warehouses, kilns, 

 etc., for facilitating the export of the products of rural economy. These loans 

 can be made through zemstvos, rural and credit associations, and various agri- 

 cultural organizations to an amount not exceeding 75 per cent of the cost of 

 the proposed improvement at 4* per cent interest. On loans for the improve- 

 ment of roads only 2 per cent interest is to be charged. The loans may run 

 from 5 to 30 years and are secured by mortgage of lands if the loan exceeds 

 $500, or if less by a simple bill of exchange. 



The insurance of farm laborers against accidents at their work, I. Baxdini 

 ET Ai.. (Bol. Quind. Soc. Agr. Ital., 14 (1909), No. 18, pp. 899-905).— Objections 

 raised by Professors Gioda and Ferrari to the plan of insurance proposed by 

 I. Bandiui (E. S. K., 21, p. 492) are published in letters to the editor, together 

 with the reply of I. Bandini who not only answers the objections, but also gives 

 additional reasons for a flexible system of insurance based upon assessed valua- 

 tion of farms and adapted to the agricultural conditions and practices in the 

 different provinces of Italy as compared with the obligatory and uniform plan 

 proposed by the government. 



The proposed law of E. Conti regarding accidents at agricultural labor, 

 P. Ferrari (Atti R. Accad. Econ. Agr. Georg. Firenze, 5. ser., 6 {1909), No. 3-4, 

 pp. 261-288). — This article discusses some of the more important features of the 

 law proposed by Senator E. Conti regarding obligatory insurance of farm 

 laborers against accidents at their work, points out wherein the law should be 

 modified as regards its methods of fixing the rates of premiums, and calls 

 attention by means of statistics and discussion to the results secured under the 

 voluntary system by the mutual insurance societies of Vercelli and Tuscany. 



The insurance of farm laborers in Switzerland against accidents at their 

 work, J. Aguet (Bol. Quind. Soc. Agr. Ital., 1', (1009), No. 11, pp. 838-841).— 

 This article presents a brief summary of legislation in Switzerland with refer- 

 ence to the insurance of laborers against sickness and accident, including the 

 provisions of the kiw relating to agricultural laborers. The important features 

 of the Swiss laws are compared with the provisions of the law proposed by 

 Senator E. Conti, which favors obligatory insurance. Experience in Switzer- 

 land has shown the advantage of optional insurance, and this system is urged 

 for Italy as more just and less burdensome to employing farmers than obliga- 

 tory insurance. 



Agriculture in Japan, C. Shimooka (Tokyo: Govt., 1908, pp. X+455). — This 

 volume discusses the geography, governmental administrative system, popula- 

 tion, land tenure system, condition of agriculture, agricultural products, govern- 

 mental provisions for agricultural research and education, the encouragement 

 and protection of agriculture, and the commerce in agricultural products of 

 Japan. A table of Japanese terms relating to money, weights, and measures 

 with English equivalents is included. The sections dealing with most of these 

 topics are abstracted separately elsewhere in this issue. 



The cultivation of tobacco from the economic point of view, D. Vigiani 

 (Atti R. Accad. Econ. Agr. Georg. Firenze, 5. ser., 6 (1909), No. 3-4, pp. 309- 

 318). — Statistics on the cost of raising tobacco in different parts of Italy, the 

 net returns to the producer under the systems of independent farming and farm- 

 ing on shares, and the economic advantages to farmers in the cultivation of 

 tobacco are discussed in this article. 



Crop Reporter (U. 8. Dept. Agr., Bur. Stalls. Crop Reporter, 11 (1909), No. 10, 

 pp. 65-72), — Notes and statistics on the condition of crops in the United States 



