KUEAL ECONOMICS. 895 



marketing, and improving agricultural production. Several of the speakers 

 gave descriptions of the various agencies working to solve these problems. 



Report of the Missouri Country Life Conference, 1914 {Mlssoiifi Bd. Agr. 

 Mo. Bill. 12 (1914), No. Ii, pp. 138, figs. 29). — At this conference were discussed 

 means of improving rural conditions as they have been actually worked out 

 through the school, church, public organizations, and better credit facilities. 



Facts and fiction about crops, C. G. Hopkijsts {Science, n. ser. 37 {1913), No. 

 952, pp. 470-476). — The author in this article alleges that there are serious 

 discrepancies between the estimates of the U. S. Department of Agriculture 

 and the returns obtained by the Census, and that crop yields have been de- 

 creasing. 



Statistics of crops, G. F. Warren {Science, n. ser., 4^ {1914), No. 1021, pp. 

 121-126, fig. 1). — The author maintains that there are errors in reasoning in 

 the above article, and gives an explanation for the apparent differences be- 

 tween the estimates of the Department of Agriculture and the Census returns. 

 He calls attention to the fact that by the bringing into cultivation of large 

 areas of land with low yields the average yield for the United States has de- 

 creased, but that in the region east of the Mississippi there has been very little 

 change in the farm acreage. Considering the five eastern geographic divisions 

 and the six important crops, corn, wheat, oats, hay and forage, cotton, and 

 potatoes, it is found that in 19 instances the highest rank occurred in 1909 as 

 against 5 instances in 1899, 3 in 1SS9, and none in 1879. • 



Agricultural statistics of Ireland, 1913 {Dept. Agr. and Tech. Instr. Ire- 

 land, Agr. Statis. 1913, pp. XXXV-\-2-145). — This annual statement contains 

 statistical tables showing the acreage and production of crops, the number of 

 occupiers and holdings, and the number of live stock. Between 1851 and 1913 

 the acreage in cereal crops decreased from 3,099.401 to 1,263,963 acres, and green / 

 crops and flax from 1,513,142 to 1,068,786 acres, while hay increased from/ 

 1,246,408 to 2.481,822 acres. The number of holdings under one acre increased |/ / 

 from 37,728 to 88,133 and those above one acre decreased from 570,388 toi/ / 

 519,941. / 



Agriculture under the influence of mining and manufacturing in the 

 Ruhr coal region of the Rhine, W. Amcrkck {Volksiv. u. Wirtschaftsgcsch. 

 AbJiandL, 3. ser., No. 1 {1913), pp. YZ-f- 87). —Between 1882-1907 the number of 

 agricultural establishments increased from 34,163 to 44.221. Those under 2 

 hectares (5 acres) comprising 91.24 and 94.81 per cent, resi>ectively, of the 

 total number. The land used for agricultural purposes decreased from 37.877 

 to 28,845 hectares. In 1878 agricultural land comprised 68.6 per cent of the 

 total land surface, whereas in 1907 it comprised only 43.1 per cent. The most 

 marked decrease took place in the pasture and grazing land. The number of 

 horses and swine increased while the number of cattle, sheep, and goats de- 

 creased. The increase of the value of land, foodstuffs, and farm animals had 

 a tendency to decrease the profits. 



Statistics of agriculture, in Switzerland {Statis. Jahrh. Sclnoeis, 21 {1912), 

 pp. 58-75). — Contained in this annual report are statistical data showing for 

 cantons the area, production, and value of the principal agi-icultural products, 

 the production of butter and cheese, and the number of live stock. 



In foreign fields, J. E. Wing {Chicago, 1913, pp. 549, pi. 1, figs, ^i).— This 

 book contains a description of agriculture as noted by the author in his travels 

 through South America and Western Europe. The facts observed relate prin- 

 cipally to the sheep industry. 



