INFORMATION RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY IN GENERAL IIQ 



of Agrictilture {Decree of 6 June 1915, No. 826) to make large purchases 

 of agricultural motors and machines of which agriculturists and rural or- 

 ganizations will be allowed the temporary use. ^Machines thus bought 

 mil be entrusted to the government depots which are managed as follows : 



In ever}- depot of agricultural machines and tools established by the 

 Ministry of Agriculture there is, first, a manager who is helped by a secre- 

 tary and responsible for the care of the machines and the dissemination 

 of their use according to stated rules. 



By satisfying the demands of the agricultural schools, the committes, 

 the associations, and the private agriculturists and macliine-makers, each 

 depot meets the needs of rural economy in a fixed district assigned to it 

 b}' the ministr3\ 



The manager himself keeps a register of all the machines, implements 

 and tools in his depot, numbering and signing its pages himself. When- 

 ever a machine or tool is received he enters its description in the register, 

 sends to the ministry a receipt and certificate of acceptance, and notifies 

 all the local agricultural schools, committees and communes, which are 

 requested to notifj" the public. 



Whoever wishes to make trial of the machines and implements in the 

 depot must apply in writing to the manager, stating which machine or tool 

 he wants, the place in which it will be used and the time for which he in- 

 tends to employ it. 



The manager may exact from any applicant that he give as surety 

 for the price at which the machine is inventoried a person known to be 

 solvent, or deposit a sum equal to such price. Thus it becomes possible 

 to cover the loss of a lent machine, or the cost of necessary repairs, at the 

 expense of the appHcant. The schools and agricultural committees are 

 exempt from obligation to give a guaranteee. 



When a manager receives applications from agricultural schools, com- 

 mittees or individuals outside the district assigned to his depot, he must 

 send them to the ministry which reserves the right to consider and decide 

 on them. 



Applications are granted in the following order : first those of the 

 schools, then those of the committees and of associations existing in the 

 general interest of agriculture, then those of members of the committees, 

 and finally those of private agriculturists and of machine-makers who wish 

 to study and copy the depot's machines in their workshops. 



Applications of the same kind are dealt with in order of priority'. When 

 there are a number of applications for the same machine the manager 

 must give the preference to whoever has not yet made trial of it. 



Without special leave from the ministry machines must not be 

 granted for more than fifteen days or more than twice to the same 

 individual. But they may be granted more frequently and for a longer 

 time to agricultural committees and schools. 



The grantee is responsible from the moment at which he signs a re- 

 ceipt for the machine. All costs of transport and maintenance and of 

 ordinary- and other repairs are chargeable to him. 



