992 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. ' 



the principle of the oltl-time .srist mill, are the real hope of the farmer. " Even 

 if small distilleries can be installed at a comparatively low cost alcohol can be 

 distilled economically and profitably only when the production is continuous 

 and on a larger scale than is possible on the average farm." 



The engineering index, II. II. Suplee, J. H. Guntz, and C. B. Going {^'Mew 

 York and London: Engin. Mar/., 1907, vol. Jf, pp. 123Ji). — A large volume contain- 

 ing an index and brief digest of articles which have ai)peared in foreign and 

 domestic periodicals during the past three years on all phases of engineering 

 information, the book being of value to the rural engineer particularly for its 

 references to irrigation, drainage, farm machinery, and related toincs. 



RURAL ECONOMICS. 



Farm management, F. W. Caud (Xcw York: Doiihlcdaij, Page d- Co., 1907. 

 pp. XI 1 1 +270). — This is the fourth A'olume in the Farm Library series. 



The book is an outgrowth of a course of lectures to students at the Khodo 

 Island College of Agriculture on the problems of the farm, the aim being to 

 awaken interest and suggest methods of studying these problems rather than to 

 present solutions of them. I'ractical suggestions regarding many economic 

 phases of farm management are made with the view of showing that, under 

 capable direction, farming as a business will compare favorably with many pro- 

 fessional and industrial pur.suits. In the author's opinion " farm administra- 

 tion, rather than farm production, is likely to receive special emphasis in the 

 next forward movement for agriculture." 



The scarcity of farm help and the remedy, K. Oldenberg {Ztschr. Ayrar- 

 politik, 5 {1907), 'No. 2, pp. 7 '/-NO'). — The author calls attention to the lack of 

 trained farm laborers in Germany due to the exodus into cities and to foreign 

 emigration. The shorter hours of service, steady employment, and higher 

 wages of industries, together with the social advantages in towns and cities 

 over country life, are regarded as the chief causes of rural depopulation. 

 Among the remedies suggested are the adoption by landowners of industrial 

 methods as to hours, wages, employment, etc., the establishment of a government 

 bureau to place the unemployed on farm.s, land colonization, and the teaching 

 of agriculture in ])ul)lic schools. The last is regarded as likely to be most 

 effective in ultimately turning the tide of emigration back to farm life. 



Foreign agricultural laborers in France, M. Lair {Rev. Econ. Internat., 

 1 (1907), Xo. 3, pp. 527-570). — Statistics are given which show that there has 

 been a gradual reduction in the number of native farm laborers in France and 

 a corresponding immigration of Belgians, Swiss, Germans, Italians, and Span- 

 iards to do farm work. 



The author describes the method of securing foreign laborers, their mode of 

 living, hours of labor, wages received, and the advantages and disadvantages 

 of this class of labor from the economic and national points of view. The 

 majority of farm laborers work from sjiring to fall in France and then with- 

 draw to their respective countries, taking with them annually in wages about 

 20,000,000 francs. At the same time statistics secured from magistrates in 

 numerous districts show that crops could not be harvested without foreign help 

 on account of rural depopulation in France. For this reason the difiiculties in 

 the way of legislation regarding foi'eign farm immigration are pointed out. 

 This class of farm helj) is regarded as industrious, as of great importance in 

 increasing the wealth of the coimtry, and as presenting no danger regarding 

 the deterioration of the French race. 



