390 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The second congress of mutual credit and agricultural cooperative societies, 

 F. Lksouki) i./oiir. Aiir. Pint., n. sci:. 16 {I'JOS), Xo. .iS, pp. ol-o)). — A suui- 

 luarizeil account of the topics discussed at the uaeetiugs of this congress. These 

 topics related in general to the limitations of mutual agricultural credit banks, 

 the utilization of agricultural credit in relation to forest conservation, agricul- 

 tural credit in nature, credit based on word of honor, security for the future 

 of mutual agricultural credit, agricultural insurance in relation to mutual 

 credit, etc. 



Mutual ag'ricultural insurance societies in 1908 iBul. Mens. Off. Renseig. 

 Agr. [Pan's], 7 {1908), Nos. 8, pp. 953-96-',; 9, pp. 10S7-1098; Rev. Vit., 30 

 (1908), Xo. 763, pp. 1.^8, 129; Semaine Agr. [Paris], 21 (1908), Xo. l',19, p. 2^2; 

 Jour. Agr. Prat., n. ser., 16 {1908), Xo. 31, pp. 133, 13',). —The number of socie- 

 ties in France was 8,780 in June, 1908. Of this number there were 7,241 socie- 

 ties insuring live stock with 53 banks, 1,442 against fire with 16 banks, and 24 

 against hail. The live stock insurance societies had 398,375 members and the 

 cattle insured were worth 429,209,667 francs. The fire insurance societies had 

 31,964 members with property insui-ed valued at 277,556,706 francs. 



Annual report on the working of cooperative societies in the Punjab for 

 the fifteen months ending June 30, 1907, S. Wilberforce {Ann. Rpt. Work. 

 Coop. Soc. Punjdh, 1907, pp. 2-'i-{-TII). — Detailed statistics of number of co- 

 operative credit societies, memberships, receipts, disbursements, loans, etc., are 

 presented and discussed. At the close of the period the societies numbered 174 

 as compared with 28 at the beginning, the corresponding figures of membership 

 being 17,254 and 1,525, respectively. The financial standing of the societies was 

 equally flourishing. 



International agricultural institute, L. C. Grtscom {Daily Consular and 

 Trade Rpis. [U. »S'.l, 1908, Xo. 3252, pp. 6, 7). — A brief report is given of the first 

 session of the permanent committee of the International Institute of Agriculture 

 held at Rome from May 23 to June 6, 1908. The general desii-e was to create 

 an international statistical bureau for the compilation of the world's agricul- 

 tural products. The permanent committee was to meet again on November 10 

 and the general assembly on November 20. 



The modern state and agriculture, A. Gomes Carmo (0 Estado Moderno 

 e a Agricitltnra. Rio de Janeiro: Govt., 1908, pp. LXXXV+^19, j)ls. -}, 

 figs. 62). — This volume presents statistics and other data relating to the devel- 

 opment, condition, and government aid of agriculture in the United States, 

 Canada, ^Mexico, Argentina, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Denmark, 

 and some of the British colonies, with lists of the publications consulted in the 

 compilation of the work. 



America's amazing agricultural advance {Manfrs.' Rec, 54 {1908), No. 5, 

 pp. J/l, Ji2). — Statistics of agricultural wealth production, value of farm prop- 

 erty, and of population engaged in agriculture during the years 1870 to 1908, 

 inclusive, are presented and discussed in this article. 



The increase in value of farm products is shown by the statement that " in 

 the 20-year period between 1870 and 1890 the gain was only $500,000,000; in 

 the 30-year period between 1870 and 1900 the gain was only $2,800,000,000; 

 whereas in the 8-year period from 1900 to 1908 the gain was $3,300,000,000, or 

 $500,000,000 more than for the 30 years from 1870 to 1900." In 1907 the value 

 of farm products raised was $7,412,000,000, the value of all farm property 

 $28,077,000,000, and the number of people engaged in or dependent on agricul- 

 ture 11,991,000. The great increase in wealth production is attributed to the 

 rapid growth in scientific farming. 



The American farmer feeding the world, W. M. Hays (World's Work, 16 

 (1908), Xo. 4, pp. 10597-10603, figs. 27). — Statistics of the quantity, value, and 



