RURAL ECONOMICS. Til 



agriculture, the department usee every opportunity to stimulate their Lnteresl and 

 activity. In preparing agricultural regulations and bills it consults these clubs, and 

 also helps materially their shows, lectures, or any other of their public enterprises." 

 And again, "the literature of cooperation has for a long time been subsidized by 

 government. " 



" The Department of Agriculture has issued, for many years, reports on the condi- 

 tion <>i' both home ami foreign crops, for the use of the farmers, ami these have 

 continually increased in scope. . . . Tin- number of correspondents was in 1895 

 only 875, but in IDOL' already 1,143. There are, besides these, 87 correspondents 

 dealing with insect pests." . . . 



The measures taken to promote hemp .L r ro\vinjz illustrate the methods of promoting 

 plant industries. "Hop growing, which is unable to supply more than hall' the 

 home demand, i> one of the industries in process of development. There i- a regular 

 and special instructor for hop growing, since special knowledge is required. To 

 stimulate and equalize hop growing, the department distributes yearly tested hop 

 seedlings among the producers." 



The business side of farming, F. W. Oard ( .1////. Rpt. H<l. Agr. II. / 

 }>[>. 66-81). — This is mainly a discussion of the necessity of strict accounting on the 

 part of the farmer, and of methods of keeping >uch accounts. It contains also a 

 general discussion of the relation of fixed and movable capital on the farms. 



At present in New England ahout one-half of the capital belonging to farmer- is 

 invested in land. It is pointed out that it is to the advantage of the farmer to 

 decrease the proportion of his capital which is in land, in order to decrease fixed 

 charges. These charges may also be decreased by arranging the farm work in such 

 a way that both men and teams may he continuously employed. 



The economics of good roads, YV. K. McClintock {Ann. J!/>t. Bd. Agr. R. /., 

 190 ; ), ]>[>. 86-94)-— This paper reviews the conditions which have in earlier times 

 and in other countries made the construction of good country roads necessary, and 

 forms an estimate of the advantages to be derived at the present time by the con- 

 struction of good roads. 



The first argument is that products can he placed upon the market more cheaply. 

 The second argument is that good roads would facilitate tin- consolidation of the 

 country schools and thus improve the quality of rural education. It is argued 

 also that good roads would tend to keep the young people in the country who at 

 present have such a strong tendency to seek their fortunes in the cities. 



The sugar production of the world, II. Paasche Du Zuckerproduktion der IT-//. 

 Leipsic: />'. G. Teubner, 1905, />/>. 17 • SS8). — This volume contains a statistical and 

 descriptive discussion of the sugar production of the world. 



The book is divided into three main divisions. The first part is devoted to the 

 beet-sugar industry of the principal Bugar-beet producing countries, the second part 

 to the cane-sugar industry of the various countries where t his industry is carried on, 

 and the third to the competition of beel and cane sugar on the world market. 



Crop Reporter ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Jim-. Stalls. Crop Report . Vos. 7, pp. 



. 8, /'j'. 63 ,'".• Sup., [>i>. 71-78). — Number 7 contains descriptive and statistical 

 materials concerning yield and quality of crops in the United States, cotton seed and 

 cotton-seed products in the United Kingdom, the United state- exports and imports 

 of rice and the exports of grain, the hop movement in the United State-, and prices 

 of agricultural products. 



In No. s, crop areas in Argentina, live stock in Germany, the area and production 

 of tobacco in various countries, and flax seed and it< products in the United King- 

 dom are the principal subjects discussed. The supplement to No. 8 contains the 

 annual report of the Bureau and tables showing the acreage, production, and value 

 of the principal farm crops of the United States in L905. 



2040S— No. 7—06 7 



