EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 193 



RURAL ECONOMICS. 



Measure of rural migration and other factors of urban increase in the 

 United States, J. M. Gillette and G. R. Davies (Quart. Pubs. Amer. Statis. 

 Assoc, n. ser., 14. (1915), No. Ill, pp. 642-653). — The authors have attempted 

 to measure the urban increase as it is influenced by various causes. 



Among the conclusions reached were that the decennial birth rate was 24.7 

 per cent for the urban population as against 30.36 for rural. By subtracting the 

 losses by death, it is estimated that the natural increase for urban districts 

 was S.S and for rural districts 1G.9. Of the gain in urban districts between 

 1900 and 1910 of 11.826,000 persons, it is estimated that 4,866,000 was due to 

 immigration from abroad, 2,509,000 to the natural increase in population, 

 924,000 to the incorporation of new territory with urban territory, and 3,527,000 

 to migration from rural districts. 



Contributions to urban growth, E. Clark {Quart. Pubs. Amer. Statis. 

 Assoc, n. scr., 14 (1915), ^^o. 111, pp. 654-671, fig. i).— The author, by a study 

 of comparative birth and death rates and migration, concludes that between 

 1900 and 1910 from 30 to 37.1 per cent of the total increase in urban population 

 was due to alien immigration, 27.3 per cent to natural increase, and 35.6 to 42.7 

 to migration from the country to the city. 



Farm leases in Iowa, O. G. Lloyd (Iowa Sta. Bui. 159 (1915), pp. 157-206, 

 figs. 8). — This report is based partially upon a detailed study of 114 selected 

 farms previously noted (E. S. R., 32, p. 390), and partially upon the Census re- 

 turns for agriculture. Among the conclusions drawn are the following : 



" Farms with double the amount of total capital produced double the amount 

 of labor income. The advance in the price of land caused owners to enlarge 

 their farms in order to get the rise in price. Large farms used labor more effi- 

 ciently than small farms and had less per acre, but in each group of farms of the 

 same size tho.se with the highest labor cost made the highest labor income. . . . 

 Live stock farms with about four times as many animal units per acre as grain 

 farms made about four times the labor income and produced one-half more corn 

 per acre. The group of tenants with five times the capital of the smallest capital 

 group remained on the same farms nearly three times as long and made more 

 than eight times the labor income." 



He found that there is a reasonably fair division of the net income on these 

 farms at the present time. Tenants received a net income of about $1,7.50, or 

 more than three times the net income of a farm hand. Landlords receive a net 

 income of about 8i per cent, or more than double the time deposit rate of the 

 State. Speculation in land is deemed largely responsible for the difference be- 

 tween the market price and the productive value of land. Land has advanced in 

 price at a more rapid rate than rent, due to an anticipated rise being added to the 

 present price. 



It is held that the method of renting could be improved by supplying adequate 

 capital and capable supervision to equip and manage the farm. A number of 

 systems were found, designated as the stock-share system, the share-cash sys- 

 tem, and the cash system. The stock-share and cash rented farms have more 

 than one-half larger business than farms under other methods of renting, and 

 have one-fourth larger farms and more labor per acre. Stock-share rented farms 

 had three times the number of live stock kept on bushel rented farms and obtained 

 one-third higher corn yields. Tenants remained on the same farm the longest 

 time when renting under the cash and stock-share plans. The stock-share rented 

 farms were more profitable, and considering the risk and trouble in each method 

 of renting, the stock-share method is deemed more fair thau any of the others. 



