RURAL ECONOMICS. 795 



Cooperative organizations of fruit-growers {Dept. Agr. N. S. Wales, Fann- 

 ers' Bui. 26 pp. IV +15). — Information is given regarding the constitution of 

 fruit-growing associations in California, the agreements mutually entered into 

 l).v the grower and the exchange as to sales, rates of selling commissions, pur- 

 chase of supplies, disbursements, dividends, and minor details, and methods 

 of handling and marketing the frnit. Among the associations particularlj- 

 described are the California Frnit Exchange, Loomis Fruit-grower's Associa- 

 tion, California Fruit-growers Exchange, and the California Itaisin Growers' 

 Association. 



Agricultural organizations in New York State, R. R. Riddell (N. Y. Dept. 

 Agr. Bill. 13, pp. 50). — A list of 9S4 active organizations which have been estab- 

 lished for the pui-pose of advancing one or more phases of agriculture within 

 the State of New York, together with the names and addresses of officers, date 

 of organization, monibei'ship, etc., is given in this lnill(»tin. 



The Jewish Agricultural and Industrial Aid Society, I.. G. Robinson {.Jew- 

 ish Agr. and Indus. Aid Soe. Ann. Rpt. 1909, pp. 65). — This report for 1909, 

 while conforming largely in plan and purpose to that of preceding years 

 (E. S. R., 20, p. 1195), contains a summary of the first ten years' work of the 

 society, including the method of furnishing financial assistance. 



" It will be interesting to note that, whereas in the first year of our ex- 

 istence we made but .'>9 loans, aggregating $14,425 to 41 fanners, in the past 

 year we made 250 loans, aggregating over $141,000 to 311 farmers. Our out- 

 standing farm loans during the period in question have increased from $7,500 

 to nearly half a million dollars, and the total amount of farm loans made during 

 the ten years aggregates nearly $800,000. The first loans were virtually confined 

 to New Jer.sey and Connecticut; to-day our operations cover 24 States and 

 Canada." 



Loans bear a low rate of interest, generally 4 per cent, repayable in moderate 

 annual installments, and are usually secured by a second mortgage frecpieutly 

 supplemented by a chattel mortgage or other collateral. A table arrangetl 

 alphabetically by States gives the total number of known Jewish farmers in 

 the rnitetl States at the close of 1909 as 3.040 occupying 2.701 farms. The 

 educational and cooperative work of the society is also described in detail. 



The union of agricultural associations of the southeast, H. Sagnier (.Jour. 

 Agr. Prat., n. ser., IS (19(19), Xo. ^S, pp. 733-735). — This is a summarized ac- 

 count of the proceedings of the organization at its twentieth annual meeting 

 held at Lyon. France. November 23 and 24. 1900. 



The union oiierates in 10 departments, and on October 31. 1909, consisted of a 

 coalition of 42.8 associations with 117.000 members. The business transacted 

 in 1908 included cooperative buying and selling 2,856.803 francs (about 

 $551,363); furnishing credit through 115 local banks 2.572.838 francs; live 

 stock insurance through 76 banks l.OOO.OOO francs; fire insurance by 340 banks 

 with 15,000 members totaling 88.000,000 francs; and insurance against accidents 

 with 20,000 families embracing 200,000 hectares. A new feature was the estab- 

 lishment of the "caisses dotales." or banks for encouraging the young rural 

 people of both sexes to accumulate their savings as a marriage dowry. Other 

 lines of work conducted in 1908 are also discussed. 



The law of January 2, 1910. establishing a fund for the promotion of 

 agricultural credit in the provinces of Marches and Umbria (BoL Min. Agr. 

 Indus, e Com. [Rome], 9 (1910), Ser. A, No. 5, pp. 81-85).— The text of the law 

 is reported. Funds of 700,000 lires (about $135,100) and 400,000 lires, of which 

 200.000 lires and 300,000 lires, respectively, are advanced by the government, 

 are established for promoting agricultural credit in the respective provinces. 

 For the first 10 years no interest is required on the government fund, but there- 



