l»20] RURAL ECONOMICS. 793 



iiiiule ill 1913^1910, inclusive, on Iowa farms (E. S. R., 43, p. 593), in Wisconsin 

 (E. S. K., 41, p. 90), Indiana, as noted by Dixon aliove, and in Missouri. 



Charts are given witli explanatory notes illustrating the dilTerence between 

 cost and price indexes by years, 1915-1920, percentage of the previous year's 

 number in Missouri, and in the United States January 1, and trend of home 

 consumption in the United States in the same years for hogs and cattle. Simi- 

 larly, charts are given for corn and wheat, showing the difference between the 

 cost and i)rice indexes, and percentage of the previous year's acreage seeded in 

 Mi.s.souri and the United States by years. 



This study illustrates the close relation between the supply of one year and 

 the favorable and unfavorable margins of profit of earlier years. 



[Farm management studies in Missouri], R. M. Green {Missouri Sta. Bui. 

 112 (1920), p. 32). — Brief reports are nrade here on two studies, one carried on 

 in two regions representing, respectively, typical grain and live-stock feeding 

 sections of the State, and the other of the lluctuation in amount of labor done 

 month by month on different farms. 



In the first, 56 farnrs in the live-stock feeding section, whose operators had 

 only $2,500 capital or less, were studied. The difference in income in favor of 

 the more successful farms was accounted for as folio, s: Larger crop yields 30 

 per cent, larger size of enterprise 29.4 per cent, saving in running expenses 15.5 

 per cent, better net returns from live stock 11.4 per cent, more acres in farm 11 

 per cent, less interest charge on investment 2.2 per cent, and larger price for 

 crop sold 0.5 per cent. 



Profit-sharing in agriculture, R. Cecil (Scot. Jour. Agr., 3 (1920), Xo. 2, 

 pp. 151-l.')Jt). — A scheme whicli has been drawn up by practical farmers in the 

 author's own constituency, Hertford, England, is briefly outlined. 



Social significance of hired labor, small holdings, and small farms, 

 F. A. Pe.\ksox (Jour. Farm Ecoii., 2 (1920), Ao. 3. pp. 163-168) .—Thin paper is 

 principally concerned with the effect of size of farm on the population. Tabu- 

 lations are given which represent the relation between the size of the farm and 

 the number of children under and over 16 years of age on farms in northern 

 Ulinoi.s. The number of children under 16 years of age was not influenced by 

 the size of farms, but tlie number over 16 years varied with the size of the 

 farms. The significance of the fact that small farms, small holdings, and mar- 

 ried hii'ed farm labor are factors in the production of urban labor and do not 

 in any way produce a selective population is noted. 



Agricultural labor, Schick (Ztsclir. Landiv. Kammcr Schlesien, 24 (1920), 

 Nos. 18, pp. 482-484; 19, pp. 513-516). — Various contributing factors to the rise 

 in wages of agricultural labor, such as cityward trends in iwpulation, a de- 

 crea.sed birth rate in the rural districts, housing facilities in the country, and 

 the substitution of money wages for payment in kind are discus.sed. A table is 

 given which shows the average wage in several sections of Silesia through the 

 years 1904-5 to 1918-19, inclusive. 



Land speculation, R. T. Ely (Jour. Farm Econ., 2 (1920), No. 5, pp. 121- 

 135). — It is pointed out that land speculation may be good in the economic sense 

 in that it may bring into use land otherwise unproductive, but that legislation 

 and control by means of land commLssions and planning boards is needed. The 

 question of public and private ownership is raised. It is said that public 

 ownership is desirable for submarginal lands, while at the same time laud 

 investments are recommended as sound and conservative for certain economic 

 classes. 



The human side of farm economy, C. J. Galpin (Jour. Farm Econ., 2 

 (1920), No. 2. pp. 101-109). — The author seeks to point out the growing interest 

 in the purely human factor in farm labor and farm-management problems, and 



