90 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOBD. 



Periosteotomy in spavin, J. J. Westee (Tijdschr. Veeartsenijlc, 36 (1909), 

 No. 15, pp. 913-926; abs. in Vet. Rec, 23 (1910), No. 1152, pp. 8J,, 85).— After 

 having employed n majority of the usual methods of treating spavin the author 

 has finally given preference to periosteotomy. His method of operation, which 

 is a modification of that of Peters, is described in detail. 



Symbiotic otacariasis of the cat, J. \V. Kalkus (Amcr. Vet. Rev., 39 (1911), 

 No. 1, pp. 53-56, pg. 1). — The occurrence in the State of Washington of several 

 cases of auricular acariasis is reported. The first cases are said to have ap- 

 peared in cats brought to tliis eountiy in 1908 from the Isle of Man. 



A sarcoma of the fowl transmissible by an agent separable from the 

 tumor cells, P. Rous (Jour. Expt. Med., 13 (1911), No. Jf, pp. 391-.'fll, pis. 6, 

 figs. 2).— In the experiments reported small quantities of the cell-free filtrate 

 were sufficient to transmit the growth to susceptible fowls. 



RTJEAL ECONOMICS. 



The cost of living, H. P. Faiechild (Pop. 8ci. Mo., 78 (1911), No. //, pp. 

 377-380). — Maintaining that the price of foodstuffs is determined by the law 

 of supply and demand and the proportion between those who produce and 

 those who consume, the author attributes the cause of increased price of food 

 commodities in the United States to the preponderance of the urban population. 

 He asserts that the greatest total wealth of society can be produced only when 

 the efforts of the agricultural classes are supplemented by those engaged in 

 certain vocations of the city, and points out that there is a point in the economic 

 development of a country when the number of those engaged in the city becomes 

 excessive. 



He questions whether that point has been reached in the United States. He 

 shows that for every inhabitant in 1790 in cities of more than 8,000 population 

 there were 28 persons living in the smaller towns and country districts; 50 

 years later there was one city dweller to 11 country dwellers ; in 18S0 the pro- 

 portion had reached 1 to 3.4 ; and in 1900 1.2. 



With this condition of affairs it would be supposed that owing to the high 

 price of farm products there would be large profits to the farmer, country life 

 would be more attractive, and the rush to the city checked. However, it is 

 observed that the large excess over the actual cost of production does not find 

 its way back to the pockets of the producers but is absorbed by transportation 

 companies, commission merchants, packers, and retail dealers. 



Prices of farm products to producer and consumer, James Wilson (U. 8. 

 Dept. Agr. Rpts. 1910, pp. 19-26). — This report shows that the price received by 

 the farmer for agricultural products is not exorbitant, and is much below that 

 paid by the consumer. The wide difference in prices is attributed to the exist- 

 ing system of marketing farm produce, and it is shown that of every dollar the 

 consumer pays for poultry, potatoes, fruit, dairy products, and some other 

 necessaries, the pi'oducer receives on an average about 53 cts., the railroad 

 company about 7 cts., and the middlemen about 40 cts. Other illustrations are 

 given showing the costliness of the system under which farm products are 

 transferred from farmer to consumer, and it is pointed out that part of the 

 cost could be eliminated by substituting cooperative selling associations on the 

 part of the farmers, and direct buying or cooperative buying by the consumer 

 from these cooi>erative selling associations. 



Current agricultural wag'es (Amer. Agr., 87 (1911), No. 13, p. 526). — In 

 addition to other statistics relative to farm labor the article gives a table 



