191T] RURAL ECONOMICS, 598 



sources. The author concludes, however, that owing to the differences between 

 rural communities and close relationship of rural and urban people, no dis- 

 tinctive American farmer's mind is conceivable. 



The development of rural leadership, G. W. Fiske {Pubs. Social. Soc, 11 

 (1916), pp. 54-70). — The author considers influences in the iniral community 

 itself, such as rural individualism, lack of socialization, and natural difficulties 

 of development, that hinder the development of rural leadership. He concludes 

 that the rural comnmnity will organize and develop its leadership from within 

 its own ranks. 



The consolidated school as a community center, J. H. Cook (Pubs. Amer. 

 Social. Sac, 11 (1916), pp. 97-105). — The author contrasts the advantages of 

 the consolidated school with the one-room school. His conclusion is that " every 

 improvement in rural life and education depends either partially or entirely 

 upon the centralization of schools for its permanent success." 



Social control: Rural religion, C. O. Gill (Pubs. Amer. Social. Sac, 11 

 (1916), pp. 106-112). — Resident ministers and interdenominational cooperation 

 is deemed necessary to organize the rural church more effectively. The author 

 considers this action basic for cooperation in rural business as well as for the 

 conservation of rural life itself. 



Countryside and Nation, G. E. Vincent (Pubs. Amer. Social. Soc, 11 (1916), 

 pp. 1-11). — This article is a review in its broader aspects of American agri- 

 culture to-day. The problem of tenancy and the possibility of land ownership 

 by large corporations are contrasted with the more auspicious tendency to 

 individual ownership. 



Country versus city, W. H. Wilson (Pubs. Amer. Social. Sac, 11 (1916), 

 pp. 12-20). — The relations between country and city are discussed. The author 

 concludes that the country and city are dynamically one. 



Folk depletion as a cause of rural decline, E. A. Ross (Pubs. Amer. Social. 

 Sac, 11 (1916), pp. 21-30). — Prom a personal survey of several rural counties 

 in New England, as well as other districts in various parts of the country, the 

 author concludes that the evident rural decline is due to migration of the natural 

 leaders and not to rural degeneracy. Several remedies for folk depletion are 

 suggested. 



Farm tenantry in the United States, W. J. Spillman and E. A. Golden- 

 wEisER (XJ. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 1916, pp. S21-S46, figs. 9).— The authors dis- 

 cuss the conditions with reference to tenantry in different parts of the United 

 States. 



They conclude that where land is increasing rapidly in value, unless other 

 factors have a preponderating influence, there is a tendency for the percentage 

 of tenantry to increase, while where land is increasing slowly in value the 

 percentage of tenantry does not tend to increase. Among the factors that re- 

 duce the normal percentage of tenantry are the availability of public lands, 

 smallness of farms, and low productivity of land. Factors that tend to in- 

 crease the percentage of tenantry include large size of farms, high productive- 

 ness of land, and the capitalization of the advantages of land ownership. The 

 authors also point out that tenantry is encouraged by the higher rate of in- 

 come on working capital than on fixed capital. 



The principal defect of the American system of tenant farming is considered 

 to be the lack of suitable provision for maintaining the fertility of the soil. 



The land problem and rural welfare, P. L. Vogt (Pubs. Amer. Social. Soc, 

 11 (1916), pp. 82-94). — The author finds the essence of the problem in the 

 centralization of land ownership and the resulting increase in tenantry. De- 

 velopment of a more successful agriculture and better rural life occurs only 

 through effective organization depending on intelligence, homogeneity of popula- 



