1&20] RURAL ECONOMICS. 895 



The agriculture of Creuse, G. Maumy (La Creuse Agricole. Paris: l^mile 

 La Rose, 1919, pp. 11+291, p/s. /f). — This is a description of geograpliic and 

 geologic features of this department in central France, also of methods of 

 agriculture, acreage and yields of the principal agricultural products, and the 

 prevalent practices of live-stock raising. Tlie discussion includes local economk- 

 and social problems such as land values, typical methods of farm operation, 

 taxes on agriculture, bookkeeping, labor, marketing, and prices of agricultural 

 products. An account is given of the movement of population into the city, 

 the death rate, and the organization of rural life. 



Peasant holdings and the property tax, F. Schwabzachee {Nachr. Deut. 

 Landic. GeseU. Osten:, n. ser., S {1919), No. 32, pp. 270-274).— Some of the diffi- 

 culties of an equitable assessment of farm business for the property tax are dis- 

 cussed. The author advances his theory that the tax should be levied after the 

 busine.ss has paid all expenses, including the upkeep of the household and wages 

 for the family labor, taxes, interest, etc., and others a formula for the deter- 

 mination of the amount of the tax. It is granted that this computation for each 

 individual peasant undertaking is complex and expensive, and so it is recom- 

 mended that for the present the assessment be made on the basis of the income 

 as reported on the laud register. 



Profit and loss sharing in agriculture, J. Wyllie (Jour. Min. Agr. [Lon- 

 don], 21 (1920), No. S, pp. 25.',-261). — Certain farm accounts kept since 1905 are 

 summarized and analyzed to show how a scheme of profit and loss sharing actu- 

 ally worked out in practice. 



What the N. F. U. is doing for the farmer {London: Natl. Farmers' Union, 

 1920, pp. 45). — In this bulletin is given the outline of work of committees of the 

 National Farmers' Union during the past year. 



The progress of agricultural cooperation in England and Wales since 

 the Armistice {Jour. Min. Agr. [London], 27 {1920), No. .5, pp. 428-436") .— This 

 takes up briefly the various phases of the spread of the principles of this move- 

 ment in England recently. ■ 



Cooperation in Scotland, J. Lucas {Manchester, England: The Cooperative 

 Union, Ltd., 1920, pp. 98, pis. 13). — This is another of the international cooper- 

 ative series, which has been previously noted (E. S. R., 43, p. 694). The de- 

 velopment of cooperative effort in Scotland is traced briefly, and some of the 

 chief phases of modern cooperation are exhibited. 



In the appendix, detailed statistics have been compiled by counties for various 

 years and periods of years. A bibliography is appended. 



The organization of cooperative grain elevator companies, J. M. Mehl 

 and O. B. Jesness {U. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 860 {1920), pp. 40).— A plan of organi- 

 zation and method of procedure in the formation of cooperative grain elevator 

 companies is furnished, with .special reference to conditions existing in the grain 

 States. The three forms of organizations noted are joint stock companies and 

 unincorporated societies, ordinary private corporations of the capital-stock 

 form, and cooperative associations incorporated under special cooperative law. 

 It is said that success depends upon the social or economic need, a sound organ- 

 ization plan, and efficient manngement. 



In the appendix are given suggested forms for various technical details. 



The Grain Corporation and the guarantied wheat price, W. Eldreo 

 {Quart. Jour. Econ., 34 {1920), No. 4, pp. 698-719, pi. i).— This is a review, 

 annotated with official statistics and including a graph of average Chicago prices 

 of No. 1 northern spring wheat weekly through the crop years 1918-19 and 

 1919-20, of tl " scheme of control of the Nation's wheat crop, beginning with the 

 export and import embargo through the suspension of future trading, license 

 control, price fixation in 1917, and minimum guarantied prices in 1918 and 



