92 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



Belgimii is shown to be a nation of small lioldings. In 1905 out of a total 

 of 286,250 farms, no less than 193,845 were from 1 to 5 hectares in size; 89,459 

 from 5 to 50 hectares; 2,392 from 50 to 100 hectares, and only 554 above 100 

 hectares (247.1 acres) in size. Many of the data presented are discussed with 

 reference to their bearing on the present economic and social status of the 

 rural population. 



Work of the agricultural commission, 1907-8 {Trav. Com. Agr. [Russia'\, 

 ]i)01-8, pp. 25+5+13, maps 39). — The duties of this commission in Russia as 

 prescribed by liiw are as follows: (1) To enable peasants to free themselves 

 from the cumbersome and uneconomic methods of cultivating their holdings, 

 which are now cut up into extremely small narrow strips; (2) to assist those 

 jieasants who possess only a very little land to increase it to an average-size 

 holding by funds secured through the agricultural peasant bank or by the 

 purchase of government land. The need of such a commission for relieving the 

 agrarian situation in Russia is shown by the fact that in many villages part of 

 the peasant land ("nadiel") received at the time of emancipation by each 

 peasant has been subdivided into many lots, sometimes as high as a hundred, 

 of insignificant narrow strips, and in others so scattered that sometimes some 

 of them are situated more than six miles from the peasant's dwelling house. 



The detailed work of the commission during the two years is described and 

 illustrated in this report. 



Agricultural credit (Eitgrais, 25 {1910), No. 13, pp. 355, 3.56).— This is the 

 text of the new French law of March 19, 1910, authorizing agricultural mutual 

 credit societies to grant long-term loans to members in order to facilitate the 

 acquisition, exploitation, and reconstruction of small holdings. 



The union of the associations of the Alps and Provence, H. Sagnier (Jour. 

 Agr. Prat., n. .scr., 18 {1909). No. 51, pp. S27, 828). — This article summarizes 

 the proceedings of the annual meeting held at Marseille, December 11 and 12, 

 1909. The union embraces nine departments of France and is composed of 

 about 250 affiliated societies with 50,000 members. 



The article shows that the farms in this section of France consist largely 

 of small holdings, which fact has brought the associations into closer coopera- 

 tive action and yielded greater returns to the farmers for their products than 

 would have been possible without the union. 



Agricultural cooperative societies in Egypt, B. P. Nubab {Egypte Con- 

 teinporainc, 1910, No. 2, pp. 197-206). — This article discusses the economic value 

 to the small landowning class in Egypt of societies for the cooperative purchase 

 and sale of farm pi-oducts and of agricultural credit banks. 



Egypt, so far as the rural population is concerned, is a country of small 

 hok|ings. Of 1,090,000 rural proprietors, no less than 1,018.000 own lands 

 ranging from about 1 to 10 acres in size. With a view to improving the eco- 

 nomic condition of this class, and particularly to free them from the hands of 

 professional money lenders, a commission was appointed by the Khedival So- 

 ciety of Agriculture to Investigate and make suggestions regarding the best 

 forms of cooperative societies adapted to Egyptian rural conditions. This 

 paper, by one of the members of the commission, i)oints out the objections th.st 

 have been raised against the organization of such societies in Egypt, shows 

 that the difficulties mentioned have been overcome in Germany, France, and 

 other countries, and urges the government to pass a law whereby such coojiera- 

 tive societies dan be easily organized. Such a law, it is believed, would o])en a 

 new era of prosperity to small proprietors, the farm laboring class, and ]»articu- 

 lai-ly to Egyptian agriculture. 



Why is cooperation not more successful among farmers? J. E. Johnson 

 {Rpt, Agr, New Brunswick 1909, pp. 221-230). — This is an address delivered 



