January, 1912.] 



68 



Miscellaneous. 



keeping agricultural labourers on the 

 soil. Finally, the section recommended 

 a series of legislative measures designed 

 to facilitate the creation of small hold- 

 ings, to foster co-operation and all 

 movements directed towards the pro- 

 motion of the general welfare. It in- 

 sisted, also, on the advantage that 

 would result from a reduction in the 

 excessive subdivision of holdings. It 

 also pointed out the advantage to 

 muncipalities, in conjuction with large 

 landowners, of forming " back to the 

 land" committees, for the purpose of 

 facilitating, where desirable, the return 

 of agricultural families to the soil. 



The second subject related to agri- 

 cultural education, and papers were 

 contributed by M. H. Grosjean on the 

 agricultural instruction to be given to 

 the rural classes in Prance ; by W. 

 Westerman on agricultural education 

 in Denmark ; and by M. Paul de Vuyst 

 on associations for women agriculturists 

 in Belgium. 



Co-operation and agricultural credit 

 formed the third subject dealt with. 

 The conclusions arrived at were mainly 

 of a general character. The section 

 insisted strongly on the necessity for 

 freedom in the creation and develop- 

 ment of agricultural co-operative socie- 

 ties, especially those for the purposes 

 of supply, production, and sale. Sug- 

 gestions were made in regard to the 

 organisation of credit societies that will 

 be useful in countries where such 

 societies are not numerous. 



Questions relating to water supply 

 are of the first importance in Spain, 

 and numerous papers on the subject 

 were contributed. These dealt especi- 

 ally with State intervention in irriga- 

 tion. In that country the demand is 

 unanimous that the State should supply 

 at the proper times the water that is 

 indispensable for agricultural operations. 

 To this end the establishment of a 

 hydrological department is advocated 

 for the purpose of surveying and im- 

 pi oving the water supply. The principle 

 of subventions in aid of the construction 

 of irrigation canals was approved on the 

 ground of the eminently productive 

 character of such undertakings, and 

 assistance was asked, not only for new 

 undertakings, but also for the extension 

 of those already existing. In addition 

 to the utilisation of surface streams, the 

 investigation of underground sources of 

 water was included. 



The section also considered the ques- 

 tion of weirs and the use of water power 

 for electric power stations, undertakings 

 that have a direct effect on the water 



supply for agricultural purposes. On 

 this subject M. Leon Dabat presented a 

 paper on the distribution of electric 

 power, the conclusions of which were 

 adopted by the section. They may be 

 summarised as follows :— In granting 

 concessions for the use of water for the 

 purpose of electric power works, the 

 concessionaires should only be allowed 

 to charge a certain price for the 

 sale of power for arising water pur- 

 poses of general utility, particularly 

 for irrigation, sanitary purposes, drink- 

 ing water, &e. 



Statistics,— The second section dealt 

 with the collection and use of statistics. 

 The discussion resulted in a series of 

 resolutions in the following terms :— 



1. That an Official Statistical Depart- 

 ment should be organised in every 

 country for the purpose of providing 

 farmers with all the information they 

 require to enable them to arrange their 

 production, and that sufficient financial 

 resources should be placed at the dis- 

 posal of this department. If should be 

 arranged that the statistics should be 

 published as often and as rapidly as 

 possible. 



2. That legislative or administrative 

 means should be taken in each country 

 to verify and publish as frequently as 

 possible, not only the prices actually 

 current for the products of agriculture 

 and agricultuial industries, but also the 

 quantities offered and sold at each rate 

 quoted in the official lists. 



3. That the International Institute of 

 Agriculture at Rome should be re- 

 commended to continue the plan which 

 it has adopted of putting at the disposal 

 of the world the statistical material 

 transmitted to it by the various Govern- 

 ments, and to develop, on as extensive a 

 scale as possible, the series of statis- 

 tical inquiries at present in course of 

 publication. 



4. That, in order to facilitate the com- 

 parative study of the statistics of 

 different countries, relating to the trade 

 in the products of agriculture and agri- 

 cultural industries, standards of quality 

 should be established in each country, 

 which would serve as a basis for com- 

 parison. The Congress suggested that 

 the International Agricultural Institute 

 at Rome should examine this question 

 with the object of defining useful types. 



5. That for the most important crops, 

 cereals, for example, the reports pub- 

 lished should begin at the earliest stage 

 of the growth, and should be published 

 every month, up to the time immediately 

 preceding the harvest. 



