Principles and Practice of Planning Villages The demand for agricultural produce is continuously on the increase. Therefore it has become a necessity to embark upon new methods of pro-duction in agriculture. For the last decennia this has been encouraged by a rapid development of the industries, especially the engineering industry. Not until large areas of arable land were cultivated by means of modern machines and implements, the conditions have been reached which ensure both a substan-tial increase in yields and remarkable reduction in time and energy required.

Higher yields in agriculture are prerequisite to an increase of the livestock. The use of more machines and implements, higher yields of corn and hoed vegetable, increased livestock and brood cattle require more farm buildings. The use of modern agricultural machines and implements is, especially under tropical and sub-tropical conditions, dependent on the solution of a number of problems which are closely associated with the realisation of construction projects in the countryside.

For example, this applies to the construction of roads and tracks in rural areas and of small and medium-size bridges. Farm tracks which could be used by draught-animals are no longer suitable for self-propelled agricultural machines, e.g. combines.

Consequently road and highway engineering has to take the new relations of production into account. The same applies to the construction of silos and store-rooms which have to shelter the increased yields. Modern agricultural production exerts an influence on the village, trans-forming it together with its environs. Increased livestocks require a greater volume of housings which comply with the principles of veterinary science and the regulations regarding safety and the prevention of accidents.

The village, dwelling-houses, buildings for cultural, civic, and farming purposes as well as health facilities must be adapted to the modern conditions. In this connection much depends on power and water supply installations and sewer pipe systems. Our series of publications on include several booklets devoted to the planning, construction and architecture of villages and the requisite installations and facilities.

The author not only deals with the construction of new buildings but also offers a great number of hints as to how the existing old buildings can be adapted to the new conditions and reconstructed by rational methods of construction.