592 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



purchased for £2,493,121, and 45,631 acres lease<l for rents amounting to 

 £55,637. Of these, 94,154 acres had been let to 6,916 small holders, 186 acres 

 sold to 13 small holders, and 4,597 acres let to 39 cooperative small holdings 

 associations, which sublet the land to 732 of their members. Other applicants 

 have been provided with land by private landowners, mainly through the in- 

 strumentality of the councils, making a total of 12,529 who have been provided 

 with land. 



Applications were received during 1911 from 4.301 individuals and 27 asso- 

 ciations, of which 2,544 of the individuals and 16 associations have been 

 provisionally approved for a total of 43,338 acres. During the 4 years since 

 the act came into operation applications have been received from 35,187 indi- 

 viduals and 61 associations, for a total of 584,802 acres. Only 2.12 per cent 

 of the applicants expressed a desire to purchase holdings. 



Agricultural credit and its benefit to the colonies, A. Zimmeemann (Rev, 

 Econ. Internat., 9 {1912), II, No. 2, pp. 28^-295).— This article discusses at 

 length the pi'oblem of agricultural credit, the relation loans on mortgages, agri- 

 cultural credit banks, and mutual cooperative organizations bear toward its 

 solution, and how the systems as adopted by France, Germany. England, and 

 Holland have affected the agriculture and the farmer in those countries. 



Bural credit banks (Rural World [London], 2// (1912), lYo. 783, p. 128).— 

 The author maintains that the establishment of these banks in England and 

 Wales " has evidently not only added to the prosperity of many of the villagers, 

 but has stimulated neighborly feeling by showing men how they can help their 

 fellows by the exercise of care and mutual trust, without any real pecuniary 

 risk to themselves, has encouraged thrift and efficient methods of cultivation, 

 and has at the same time increased the self-respect of the individual members, 

 and inspired them with hopes of progress." 



Seasonal distribution of labor on the farm, W. J. Spillman (U. 8. Dept. 

 Agr. Yearbook 1911, pp. 269-28.), figs. 6). — This article presents a study as to 

 the labor requirements of different crops and farm operations, looking to the 

 formation of working plans that will secure a more economic use of the time of 

 the farmer, his laborers, and his work stock. The possibility and expediency of 

 planning cropping systems which will give regular employment to labor and 

 thereby increase the area of land which a man or a definite number of men can 

 farm are pointed out and emphasized, as well as some of the difficulties en- 

 countered. It is noted that when the farmer conducts some other industry in 

 which the labor may well be intermittent, such as quarrying, mixing fertilizers, 

 grinding agricultural lime, clearing land, cutting railroad ties, and the like, 

 he may disregard the distribution of labor in planning a system of management, 

 and devote his land only to those crops which are most profitable, but in doing 

 this he must still take into account the cost of keeping idle horses and must 

 plan a system of soil management that takes account of the future productivity 

 of his land. 



Charts are given illustrating the distribution of man and horse labor for each 

 month of the year on field crops on a New England dairy farm, a New Yoik 

 potato and bean farm, a Dakota grain f.-irm, and a general farm in the Middle 

 West. A detailed work schedule of field labor on 240 aci-es of crops consisting of 

 corn, wheat, hay, and an estimated seasonal requirement and distribution of 

 labor necessary to produce 80 acres each of corn, of wheat, and of timothy and 

 clover hay in a 6-year rotation in the latitude of central Missouri are also 

 presented. 



Agricultural opportunities (U. 8. Dept. Com. and Labor, Bur. Immigr. and 

 Nat. Agr. Opportunities. 1912, Nos. 1, pp. 32; 2, pp. 36; 3, pp. 23; //, pp. 32; 5, pp. 

 S6; [6], pp. 32; [71, /)/). 32). — These publications present information concern- 

 ing physical characteristics, resources, aud products of the various States of the 



