fc 



RURAL ECONOMICS. 191 



more limited knowledge of agriculture, with little or no idea of how to manage 

 the holding." 



In view of the government's recent efforts to encourage the increase of small 

 holdings, the author maintains that " the success or failure of additional 

 small holdings in this county will depend to a great extent on the' system of 

 cooperation adopted. If an enlightened cooperative movement could be fos- 

 tered and made a success, there is no doubt that many districts, where produce 

 can not under present conditions be satisfactorily marketed, would become 

 flourishing and prosperous, to the advantage not only of the occupier and the 

 county, but also of the nation as a whole." 



The English peasantry and the enclosure of common fields, G. Slatkr {Lon- 

 don. I'.xn, 1)1). \1 H -\-3,n, pis. O). — This boolc gives a history of common lield 

 enclosure in England, with iiarticular reference to the effects of the movement 

 upon agricultural production, increase of rent, rural depopulation, industrial 

 development, increase of pauperism, national resources, etc. 



Some reflections upon the reassignment of small farms, A. IIaeymaeckers 

 {Ann. Gcmbloiu; 18 {1D08), No. 6, pp. 3 6t -31 2). —This article describes how 

 the present system of small farms owned by the peasant classes in Belgium 

 consists generally of a number of small, noncontiguou.s pieces, and shows how 

 this system in many ways interferes with the effectiveness of agriculture and 

 the welfare of the landowners. The author outlines by means of statistics and 

 discussion derived from the experience of Denmark the economic and social 

 advantages which would accrue to the peasantry as a result of a reassignment 

 of land under government supervision of a single allotment as nearly equal as 

 possible in extent, fertility, and market facilities to the present numerous small 

 parcels. 



The law of April 10, 1908, relating to small holdings and cheap houses 

 {Jour. Agr. Prat., n. ser., 15 {1908), No. 17, pp. 530, 531).— Thin is the text of 

 the law which provides for the advancement by the French government of a 

 sum not to exceed 100,000,000 francs for the purpose of enabling the poorer 

 classes of peasants to acquire land, to inq)rove their dwellings or to construct 

 new ones, and to increase the size of their holdings, and for the management 

 of the property in case of the decease of the owner. The funds are advanced 

 at 2 per cent interest to local credit societies, through which the peasants are to 

 transact business, and the societies are prohibited from charging borrowers 

 more than 4 per cent interest. 



The holdings of agricultural laborers, F. Convert {Rev. Vit., 29 {1908), No. 

 I.'i9, PI). .'liil-'ilO). — This article briefly reviews the efforts of various countries 

 to enable agricultural laborers to become property owners and discusses the 

 law noted above. The author believes the law will enable the poore:- classes of 

 l»easants to improve the social and economic welfare of their families by in- 

 creasing their incomes and will greatly encourage the rural population to 

 remain on the land. 



The opportunity of acquiring property afforded the agricultural laborer, 

 P. Antoine {Jour. Agr, Prat., n. sen, 15 {1908), No. 17,, pp. 528, 529).— An 

 article similar to the above. 



Mutual agricultural credit, P. Decharme {Semaine Agr. [Pfwis], 27 {1908), 

 No. 1399, p. 85). — This is a review of the development of mutual agricultural 

 credit banks in France, with a discussion of the aims and results of the move- 

 ment. The mutual credit societies at the beginning of 1908 numbered about 

 2,000, had 100,000 members, and had advanced in loans to poor peasants during 

 the past 7 years no less than $40,000,000, at interest from 3* to 4 per cent. The 

 author maintains that there were 83,000 rural communes in France which had 

 Jiot yet put the plan of mutual credit into operatiou. 



