388 EXPEEIMEXT STATION EECORD. 



The comparative costs of the cultivation of land by power machinery 

 and animals, W. Claassen (Deut. Laudic. Presse, 3^ (1907), Xo. 63, pp. oil, 

 512). — The author compares the cost of plowing and cultivatiug different kinds 

 of lands by meaus of steam aud other power machinery with the cost of culti- 

 vating land with horses or oxen. The cost of power machinery for the small 

 farmer is regarded as prohibitive, but where the character of the land permits 

 and a steam plow can be procured through cooperative societies it is believed to 

 be of unquestionable advantage. Team plowing and cultivation, however, 

 rather than working with a single animal, are believed to be best for the average 

 farmer. 



Agricultural cooperation in Belgium {BuJ. Hens. Off. Renseig. Agr. [Paris'\, 

 6 (1907). So. 5. pp. 073-080). — The data presented in this article were fur- 

 nished by the different cooperative societies to the minister of agriculture in 



1906, and are grouped under 5 general divisions. 



The returns at the close of 1905 show 814 agricultural federations, composed 

 of those who are engaged in one particular industry, as hop raising, beet cul- 

 ture, the production of goats, horses, dairy cows, pigs, etc. In addition there 

 were 907 societies with 53,01() members for the cooperative purchase of seeds, 

 fertilizers, feeding stuffs, and machinery, 552 cooperative dairies with 55,118 

 members controlling the products of 140,674 cows, and 960 live stock insurance 

 societies with 84.983 members insuring 249,273 head of stock. Statistics are 

 also given on the progress of the agricultural banks and credit societies, includ- 

 ing their number, loans, deposits, forms of security, number and classes of 

 borrowers, etc. 



Agricultural credit in Sicily and its application according to law, 

 C. Grimaldi (BoL Quiiid. Soc. Agr. Ital, 12 (1907), Xo. 12-13. pp. -',7.J-494)-— 

 A brief sketch is given of the laws relating to agricultural credit in Sicily, and 

 the different credit societies formed under the laws with the means of giving 

 and securing credit to different classes of peasants are discussed. 



Agricultural exchanges, F. Xicolle (Jour. Agr. Prat.. 11. ser., 13 (1907), 

 No. 2^, pp. 749-752). — The author advocates the organization of cooperative 

 agricultural exchanges in France for the sale particularly of cereal products in 

 order to bring larger returns to producers by eliminating in great measure the 

 profits of middlemen. He believes that the cooperative associations now iu 

 active operation are the proper means to this end. 



Crop Reporter (V. 8. Dept. Agr., Bur. Statis. Crop Reporter, 9 (1907), No. 

 10, pp. 73-80). — Statistics on the condition, acreage, yields, and prices of agri- 

 cultural products in the United States and foreign countries are summarized 

 and discussed. 



Official report on the condition of crops, also tables of agricultural sta- 

 tistics for 1905 and 1906 (Ohio Dept. Agr., Div. Crops and Htock Htatis. Rpt., 



1907, pp. .'/}). — The condition of crops on August 1, 1907, and statistical data 

 for 2 years collected by county auditors and reported to the State secretary of 

 agriculture are reported. 



Preliminary returns of the agricultural census of Austria from June 3, 

 1902, F. K. vox .JuRASCHEK and W. Schiff (Osterr. Statis.. 83 (1907). Sup., 

 pp. 45).— Tabulated data on the acreage devoted to different forms of agricul- 

 tural production, yields of crops, number of live stock, use of machinery, num- 

 ber of persons of both sexes engaged in agriculture, etc., are reported. 



Report on the profitableness of agriculture in Switzerland during 1905 

 (Ann. Agr. Suisse, S (1907), No. 2, pp. 13-112).— lu addition to reviewing the 

 agricultural conditions of Switzerland for 1905, a detailed report is presented 

 of the receipts and expenditures from different-size farms. The receipts 

 from 206 farms averaging 13.35 hectares in size were at the rate of 477.85 

 francs per hectare, while the average expenses per hectare were for labor 



