608 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.35 



or joint ownership. Of late, however, some difficulties have been 

 experienced in securing the allotment of petrol for their operation. 

 It was announced during the past summer that the Italian Govern- 

 ment contemplated extensive purchases of labor-saving agricultural 

 machines, to meet the difficulties caused by lack of farm hands — a 

 new experience in that country. 



Naturally the effect on the character of the agricultural literature 

 from abroad has been quite marked. The standard journals come 

 less frequently and several have been suspended. Many of the re- 

 search articles now published relate to work done prior to the war, 

 rather than current investigation; and summaries of old work are 

 common, to point out the practical application of the results. The 

 more strictly scientific publications, especially the publications of 

 scientific academies and the general review journals, show a much 

 reduced size as compared with the volumes of 1913 and 1914. This 

 is, of course, to be expected, and the wonder is, not that so relatively 

 little but that so much new investigation is being recorded at this 

 time. 



As noted above, there is unusual activity in the direction of popu- 

 lar articles based on good scientific practice, results of tests of sub- 

 stitutes for the customary articles of food, feeding stuffs, fungicides, 

 fertilizers, textiles, etc., immunization against disease, and advocacy 

 of the raising of small animals for food, such as poultry, rabbits, 

 goats, etc., the latter occupying much space. There are reports of 

 field crops tried out to supply local deficiencies, such as oilseeds and 

 fiber plants in Germany ; new varieties developed with a view to in- 

 creased production on limited areas, tests of crops in regions in which 

 they have not previously been grown to advantage, such as sugar 

 be^pts in southern France, the feeding value of various unusual or 

 waste products, and the like. 



Several standard periodicals have suspended publication, among 

 them apparently the Annates de VInstitut Agraywmique de France 

 and Annales de VEcole NaturaZe Agronomique de Montpellier; and 

 nearly all the Belgian literature has ceased entirely. A notable ex- 

 ception is the Bulletin Agricole du Congo Beige, published by the 

 Belgian Ministry of Colonies, which is now being issued in London, 

 and two numbers of a new series Etudes de Biologie Agricole, which 

 have been published by this ministry. 



The agricultural literature from France has considerably dimin- 

 ished. Practically no scientific literature has been received from 

 Germany since June, 1916, presumably on account of difficulties of 

 transportation. The Italian literature shows less variation from the 

 previous subject matter than does the French, German, and English. 



