uriiAL I'.coxoMics. 48 



re\'io\\>i the (-((ursc of ;i^ci'i«'iillur;il cvolul ion llml lias taken iilacc in I>t'lf<iuiii 

 (lurlnjj the past 120 years, and shows how the changes have operated to ini|H"ove 

 the moral and social welfai'e of the rural population. 



Among the causes of improvement brought about by the department of 

 agriculture and the organization of farmers into unions and mutual aid socie- 

 lics .ire iiK'utiniicd the jMjpidarization of scientific agricultiu'al knowledge, the 

 use of conuuercial fertilizers, breeding of improved cattle, new i)rocesses in the 

 manufacture of dairy products, feeding experiments witli dairy cows, and the 

 raising of crops adajited to local conditions. The results are shown in greatly 

 increased i)roducts. which directly alfect the economic well-being of the pro- 

 ducers. 



lmi)rovement in tlie social welfare of farmers and farm laborers has Iieen due 

 to information imp.-irted in ]K)pular form regarding domestic hygiene, to the 

 beautifying of homes and bom(> surroundings, to a better standard of living, 

 to th<> improved relations between i)roprietors, tenants, laborers, and the general 

 public, and to the more numerous opportunities for social intercourse afforded 

 by the various rural organizations. The progress made in these directions is 

 briefly nt)ted not only for Belgium, but for many other European countries and 

 the United States. 



Besides ccipious notes referring to the literature of the subject an extended 

 bililiogra|)by is appended. 



The negro farmer, W. E. B. Du Bois (tiHj)i)leme>i1ari/ Analysis and Deriva- 

 lirc 'I'dhlcs. Bur. of the Census [V. *S'.], 1906, pp. 511-5HK maps 3). — The author 

 gives statistics relating to the number of farms operated by colored farmers in 

 the I'nited States in 1!»(»0. total acreage and acreage under crops, value of farm 

 propert.v, and tlu> value of products raised, and discusses many other matters 

 bearing upon the economit* development of the race from 1805 to 1900. 



Of the 74(),7ir) farms operated by negroes, 21 per cent were owned entirely, -l.l* 

 per cent were owned in part, and 71<>.514 were improved by buildings. They 

 contained ;^8,2o;^),933 acres, of which 23,302,798 acres, or Gl per cent, were 

 improved. The total value of farms and improvements was $499,943,734, and 

 the gross value of products raised in 1899 was .$255,751,145. "The Southern 

 States contain more than 98 per cent of all farms operated by negroes and move 

 than 97 per cent of the total acreage of these farms." 



Ueast>ning from these facts and figures and ri'viewing a detailed study of 

 ownershi]) county by count.v the author finds two kinds of conditions prevailing 

 in tile bl;iclc farming belt: "In the one case . . . economic conditions are 

 favorable and tlie negroes migrate to or remain in the region and enjo.v there a 

 fair degree of agricultural prosperity : in the otlier case the economic conditions 

 are less favoraI)li', but they render emigration diHicult by providing little educa- 

 tion for the negroes, and by a general resort to the cr<)]i-lieu s.ystem, under 

 \,-hich the acquisition of landed jtroperty by negroes is impeded by the high 

 value (if land." 



Prussia and its agricultural relations, A. Meitzex i:t al. (Dcr liixUii iukI 

 die hiJiilirirlsclKiftlicltrii Wrlniltnissr dcs I'rcitssiscJioi Sfaatcs. Brrliii: I'aiil 

 I'arcjj, 1[)0(L pts. 1. pp. XIY -\- 901, figs. 16 ; 2, maps 27). — This publication con- 

 sists of a series of i)apers by various authors giving statistical data and dis- 

 cussions which I'elate to the de\'elo|iment of agriculture in Prussia. 



The following topics are treated in Part 1 : I'rogress in the knowledge of 

 plant and animal nutrition; culture and use of field crops from 1878 to 1900: 

 the development of agriculture since 1866; drainage, irrigation, and high-water 

 protection: moor cultivation: vegetable, fruit, and grape culture: extent and 

 management of forests: cattle breeding, improvement, and statistics: voter- 



