EUEAL ECONOMICS. 291 



p. 492), and discusses some of the features of the new law with particular 

 reference to farm properties and rural conditions. 



The chief difficulty has been to prevent the further subdivision of farms 

 imder the largely general custom of the inheritance of equal shares in real 

 property among sons and daughters. Under the new law provisions are made 

 for the keeping intact of a farm property and the operation of a farm by the 

 oldest son or other heir most competent to conduct the holding to the best ad- 

 vantage. The law provides for the protection of the other heirs in their 

 rights, whether the property is sold or operated as a family holding. 



According to the author, " the chief significance of the law lies in the fact 

 that it has prevented the division of farm properties without overburdening 

 in indebtedness the party who undertakes to operate the holding and without 

 depriving him of his natural share in liis inheritance." 



Report and tables relating to Irish agricultural laborers, W. G. S. Adams 

 (Dept. Agr. and Tech. Instr. Ireland, Agr. Stat is. 1908-9, pp. //8). — Complete 

 returns relating to the Irish migratory laborers in 1908 and of the wages of 

 agricultural laborers in Ireland in 190S-9 are reported, discussed, and sum- 

 marized as follows : 



" In 190S approximately 22,500 agricultural laborers migrated for an average 

 of 5 to 7 months to England and Scotland, where they found employment as 

 farm laborers. The wages earned by these laborers (excepting women work- 

 ers), when engaged by the week, month, or season, commonly ranged from 

 16s. to 22s. per week and the average wage may be placed at not less than 

 ISs. a week. When working on piece-work, which the workers much prefer, 

 considerably higher earnings were made, exceeding in some cases 30s. per week. 



"As a rule, employers of Irish workers in England and Scotland express a 

 high opinion of their capacity as workers, 



" The number of agricultural laborers in Ireland has seriously decreased. 



" While in some cases wages of agricultural laborers in Ireland reach from 

 14s. to IGs. per vi'eek, and even higher, the average wage, taking the country 

 as a whole, including the value of allowances in kind, is estimated to be from 

 12s. to 13s. per week. 



" The number of farms exceeding 30 acres, on most of which hired labor is 

 required, exceeds 1G5.000, and embraces three-fourths of the total agricultural 

 area of Ireland. While there has been a considerable increase in the use of 

 agricultural machinery there are many districts where there is little machin- 

 ery available, and where the work of tillage is carried on almost entirely by 

 manual labor." 



The usefulness of rural banks, G. Htnek {Boh R. (Uittcdre AnibiiL Agr. 

 Sardcgna, 1 {1909), No. 4, pp. J, 9-5 2) .—The advantages of cooperation, and 

 especially of the formation of agricultural mutual credit banks, to small holders 

 in Sardinia are pointed out in this article. The chief benefits mentioned are 

 the ability to purchase better and cheaper commercial fertilizers, purer and 

 better seeds, stronger plows and other implements, and the reduction of interest 

 to rates ranging from 5 to 6 per cent, instead of rates ranging from 100 to 200 

 per cent the small farmer has been accustomed to pay to money-lenders in 

 Sardinia. 



The Bank of Spain and agriculture, Viscount dk Eza {BoJ. Asoc. Agr. 

 Espai'ia, 1 {1909), II, No. 6, pp. 1.55-169).— This article discusses the sections of 

 the law which enable the Bank of Spain to extend credit to agricultural asso- 

 ciations, gives statistics to prove that with the extension of agricultural credit 

 there has been a rapid increase in the number of such associations, describes 

 the manner in which the associations borrow money of the bank and the limita- 

 tions of their business relations, and outlines the causes which have operated 



