Farm surveys are an indispensable tool for use at all levels of agricultural policy and in important phases in agricultural economics research. This paper is an attempt to synthesise some of the more important recent discussions that have centred round the roles of surveys in economics in general and in farming in particular. Farm surveys are comparatively recent in Australia. There is need for more of them, covering not only technical and financial data, but personal, subjective and institutional data also. Such surveys should be regarded as prerequisites for more effective policy-making in agriculture, and as such, provision for them should be incorporated within policy for its guidance and evaluation.

This publication is intended to supply an account of the extent and distribution of the major agricultural land uses and a general analysis of the land use situation in the United States as of 1954.

Pumping ground water for relief of drainage problems in agricultural lands is an established practice. However, there are many situations in California where pumping has not been used and where it might—or might not—be the solution to severe drainage problems costing farmers thousands of dollars annually in crops and soil damage.

Before the war French agriculture lagged far behind that of other countries. Both then and since it had been better north than south of the Loire. This was caused by many differences such as those in climate, soil type, aspect and use of the soil, variety and quality of crops, types of cattle, agricultural education, extension and cooperation. In farm size the monocultures in south-east (wine) and southern France were an exception. Co-operatives included some wine caves and fruit- marketing organizations. Owned and rented properties occurred throughout France. The 'métayage' and its consequences existed only south of the Loire and was one of the most harmful factors in central and southern France. The 'Statut du fermage et du métayage' of 1946 had already caused much improvement.After a discussion of rural depopulation the writer pointed out that wheat, pig meat and butter were not of sufficient quality and cheese did not keep well enough for large-scale export. Alcohol surpluses and alcoholism were further problems. Those agricultural regions and farms which had already been most modernized, and had taken the most initiatives, had profited most by State aid after the war.This had accentuated the difference between the regions and between farms.

Before the war French agriculture lagged far behind that of other countries. Both then and since it had been better north than south of the Loire. This was caused by many differences such as those in climate, soil type, aspect and use of the soil, variety and quality of crops, types of cattle, agricultural education, extension and cooperation. In farm size the monocultures in south-east (wine) and southern France were an exception. Co-operatives included some wine caves and fruit- marketing organizations. Owned and rented properties occurred throughout France. The 'métayage' and its consequences existed only south of the Loire and was one of the most harmful factors in central and southern France. The 'Statut du fermage et du métayage' of 1946 had already caused much improvement.After a discussion of rural depopulation the writer pointed out that wheat, pig meat and butter were not of sufficient quality and cheese did not keep well enough for large-scale export. Alcohol surpluses and alcoholism were further problems. Those agricultural regions and farms which had already been most modernized, and had taken the most initiatives, had profited most by State aid after the war.This had accentuated the difference between the regions and between farms.

The Oscar Clemen Stine Papers are handwritten and typed notes on wheat history, colonial wheat culture, wheat exports and imports, insects and diseases, business and wheat crops, acreage, consumption, demand, and foreign markets. Additionally, there are publications by Stine and a manuscript of his autobiography, "Reminiscences of O.C. Stine."

Basic information on soil moisture availability for proper plant growth and development is essential in irrigated areas. This has practical applications for determining the rate and zone of moisture use by plants as well as the over-all irrigation requirements of crops. It has been recognized that the thermal method of soil moisture measurement offers one of the best possibilities of being unaffected by salt in addition to covering the available moisture range with acceptable sensitivity. By using a thermistor as a combination heating element and temperature indicator, it has been found that such a unit, when cast in a porous material, serves as an accurate moisture indicating device. Laboratory experiments have indicated that this method of moisture measurement covers the available moisture range, with its greatest sensitivity near and below field capacity. The thermal units have been unaffected by salt concentrations normally found in agricultural soils.

Common agricultural practices contribute to the loss of favorable soil structure. On the other hand, certain natural forces appear to contribute to the recovery of porosity and tilth. These include wetting and drying, freezing and thawing, the effects of root growth and decay, and the activity of soil organisms. In order to learn more about the nature and interplay of these forces, a method was developed for studying structural changes in buried cores of compacted soil. The technique of preparing these with various additives is described. The cores were buried under three types of cover: Forest, grass, and clean cultivation. The additives were fresh organic matter, lime and fertilizer, and an insecticide. During a 2-year period the following relationships have come to light: A platy structure forms as a result of wetting and drying, and plant roots tend to enter the shrinkage cracks. Earthworms and other small invertebrates are active in transporting and mixing the core soil with surrounding soil, particularly with added organic matter. Added organic matter results in a rapid increase in aggregate stability, followed, under cultivated conditions, by a seasonally fluctuating decline. Changes take place more slowly under forest cover than in an open field. The restorative process appears to be essentially a result of the interaction of physical and biological factors.