EURAL ECONOMICS. 587 



small farmers fail in Ireland is attributed to inability to secure more land on 

 wbich to bestow their labor. This is regarded as the chief source of poverty 

 among the Irish peasantry, the cause of emigration, the reason of agitation; 

 and the solution of this problem, it is believed, lies in the creation of a peas- 

 antry who own their land and enough of it from which to make a good living. 



The other factors which have entered into the improvement of agricultural 

 conditions and which are briefly discussed are the agricultural organization 

 society, cooperative associations, and the department of agriculture. The aims 

 of these organizations are described and a review of the work thus far accom- 

 plished is also given. 



Land ownership in Russia, K. Raph {Econ. Europeen, 32 {1901), No. 820, 

 pp. 393-305). — This is a discussion of the agrarian question in Russia with ref- 

 erence to the number and classes of the population owning the land. 



Of a total of 395,192,443 acres owned in 1905, 101,7.35,343 acres, or 25.8 per 

 cent, were owned by private parties, 138.767,587 acres, or 35.1 per cent, were 

 owned by communes, and 154,689,513 acres, or 39.1 per cent, were owned by 

 the government, the church, and other corporate bodies or institutions. The 

 principal owning classes among private owners are the nobles, peasants, and 

 merchants, who own 61.9, 15.4, and 15 per cent, respectively, of the land. Of the 

 90,500,000 peasants in European Russia in 1905, 73,500,000 were engaged in 

 agriculture. Of this number 62,500,000 owned their land, while 11,000,000 were 

 nonowuers. 



The condition of small farming in Russia, A. von Yillkoff (Inaug. Diss.. 

 Univ. Berlin, pp. 85). — The author shows by statistics derived from reliable 

 sources in 50 provinces of Russia that the condition of the small farmer has not 

 improved, but rather has become worse since his emancipation in 1861. 



Not only the condition of the agricultural industry as a whole but the social 

 and economic life of the peasant class are described, and the causes of failure 

 together with suggestions for the improvement of the condition of the small 

 farmer are discussed. lu the author's opinion the chief remedy is more capital, 

 which is designated as "the new life of small farming in Russia." 



Agricultural cooperation in Great Britain, R. A. Yerburgh {.Jour. Soc. 

 Arts, 55 {1007), No. 2862, pp. lOJ/O, 1050).— This is a paper read before the 

 British Association at Leicester on the development of agrieultui-al cooperation. 



The problems to be solved by this movement are, according to the author, the 

 limitation of the rural exodus and the rehabilitation of rural life. By coopera- 

 tion farmers secure goods of guaranteed quality and purity more cheaply and 

 thus decrease the cost of production, cheaper transportation rates through 

 shipments in bulk, a larger share of the profit upon goods sold, better prices 

 because of the production of more uniform grades of goods, and other benefits, 

 .such as the developuient of character and of the intellect. 



Statistics are presented on the development of agricultural coopex-ation in 

 Cireat Britain with particular reference to the Agricultural Organization 

 Society. The number of affiliated societies reached 153 in June, 1907, with a 

 membership of about 10,000, and a business appi'oximating £450,000 for the 

 year, which indicate decided gains over 1906 (E. S. R., 18, p. 786). 



A new application of productive cooperation in agriculture, J. Hitieb 

 {Rcr. Econ. Polit., 21 {1901). No. 3. pp. 201-221; Jour. Anr. Prat., n. ser., 13 

 {1901), No. 20, pp. 616-618; Mitt. Deut. Landw. GesclL, 22 {1901), No. 16, pp. 

 160-16.'/). — This article describes the cooperative associations of agricultural 

 laborers in Italy and Sicily, and gives an account of the causes and results of 

 the movement to April 30. 1906. 

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