RURAL ECONOMICS. 493 



the institutions furnishiuLc agricultural credit had their orijrin with the State, 

 yet the State does not own a single credit institution of public importance and 

 confines its activities to regulating and supporting them financially. 



A description is given of the various types of agricultural credit institutions, 

 showing that the Hungarian Land Mortgage Institute was started to give credit 

 to the large estate owners, and that later the National Small Holdings Land 

 Mortgage Institute arose to furnish small holders with similar credit. The 

 various private and public agencies granting credit to the farmer are noted, 

 the most important being the Hungarian Central Credit Cooperative Society. 

 This organization consists of 2,412 local societies, with 700,000 members, and 

 grants most of its loans to small holders. 



The methods employed for the cooperative use of machinery are given. Be- 

 tween 1S97 and 1911 the number of dairy unions increascHl from 84 to 5ST, and 

 the number of cows belonging to the members increased from n.OoT to over 

 100,000. A brief discussion of the distributive cooperative societies and the 

 agricultural labor question in that country is included. 



Causes and effects of the recent want of success in the department of 

 cooperative agricultural credit in Germany and the lessons to be learned 

 from it, Grabein {Inlernat. Inst. Agr. [Rome], Mo. Bui. Econ. and Soc. Intel., 

 4 {1913), No. 12, pp. 1-17). — The author concludes that the lessons to be learned 

 from the failure of cooperative credit banks in Germany are that the field of 

 action of the rural loan and savings banks should be limited, not only as 

 regards the granting of credits, but also as regards the credits received. The 

 districts should not be too large. Inasmuch as the purpose of these banks is to 

 satisfy the needs of the country districts for short term loans, loans to large 

 manufacturers and der.lers should not be substituted, nor too large a part of 

 the working capital be used for the purchase of real estate on long term loans. 

 At least 30 per cent of the investments should consist of loans repayable before 

 the next harvest. It is also recommended that the loan banks deposit their 

 surplus cash with the central banks and require the central banks to use the 

 most scrupulous diligence in the management of the amounts intrusted to 

 them. Lastly, there should be a rigorous inspection and energetic measures 

 taken to correct any faults at the time of their discovery. 



The experience of animal insurance societies in Holland (Jour. Bd. Agr. 

 [London], 20 {1918), No. 7, pp. 628, 6.25).— A brief financial and statistical 

 account of the cattle, horse, and pig insurance societies of Holland. 



Ontario's white coal, F. A. Gaby (Ann. Rpt. Agr. Socs. Ontario, IS {1913), 

 pp. 29-34, figs. 5). — The author describes methods of organizing the farmers so 

 that they can obtain electricity from large corporations to use in farm 

 industries. 



Farm efficiency, K. C. Livermore {Cornell Countryman, 11 {1914), No. 4, 

 pp. 121-127, figs. 3). — By representing the size, production, diversity, and work 

 rate on an average farm by 100, the efficiency of an individual farm can be 

 obtained by comparisons. The author illustrates his method by comparing 6 

 farms with the average conditions, pointing out the good and bad features of 

 each farm. 



[Agricultural statistics] {Statis. Ahs. Brit. Sclf-Gov. Dominions [etc.], 50 

 {189S-1912), pp. 310-372).— The acreage and pro^luction of the principal farm 

 crops, together with the number of live stock, are given for a series of years 

 for the several British self-governing dominions, crown colonies, possessions, 

 and protectorates. See also a previous note (E. S. R., 27, p. 92). 



Agricultural statistics of Austria {Statis. Riickblicke Osterr., 1913, pp. 23- 

 31, 4~)- — Statistics are given showing the areas devoted to cultivated land, 

 meadows, gardens, pastures, and woods for 1897, and the acreage and harvest 



