By using the literature retrieval tool of China Academic Journal Network Publishing Database,the agricultural economic papers in four periods during 1949 and 2008 were statistically analyzed.The results indicated that,during the 60 years since the foundation of new China,the agricultural economic research around agriculture and rural social development kept developing closely with China economic development practices,going through four stages of start-up,initial development,stagnancy,continued develpment and prospering.As shown by the statistical analysis from three perspectives of the total q...