OREGON FARMER 123 



newness of Central Oregon and the large size of the ranches account 

 in no small degree for the comparatively low percentage of women 

 who are able to belong to social organizations. With the rapid 

 increase of settlement in that region, it is predicted that within a 

 few years these organizations will multiply rapidly. Many more 

 women could belong to these clubs if their interest were once awak- 

 ened. Women are naturally conservative and they permit family 

 duties to so engross them that they may neglect neighborly associa- 

 tions. That 75% of all the women thus represented in these 

 statistics have access to libraries, that 61% of those families are 

 accessible to high schools, while 56% receive daily deliveries of mail, 

 and 80% have telephones, all goes to show that the Oregon homes are 

 not isolated from the world. 



There are almost no statistics indicating the type of occupation 

 in these houses. It is safe to conclude that much of the poultry 

 raising is done by women and that there is much farm dairying 

 practiced. The making of the butter on the farm is always a prelim- 

 inary condition to the establishment of creameries, so that within 

 a few years the farm woman will be relieved of the butter making, 

 and the cream will be handled in local creameries or sent to the cities. 



Poultry raising is generally proving profitable and men are begin- 

 ning to appreciate this "farm crop." Soon the burden of the care 

 of the poultry will in part at least, pass to the men on the farm and 

 the women be relieved of much of this labor. 



That the families living on large farms live better, is to be doubted, 

 though the table elsewhere given might be taken to indicate this. 

 The higher expenses of the family on the homestead is accounted for 

 in one of several ways. The small farm often produces much of its 

 own food supplies while the large ranches are often specialized to the 

 production of stock. It is possible also that the owner of the large 

 ranch more often entertains outsiders than does the owner of the 

 small homestead. 



The charts indicate that but an average of $50.00 per family was 

 spent for recreation, medicine, etc. It is probable that the greater 

 portion of this was expended for other purposes than medicine. The 

 climatic conditions are so favorable for health that it would not be 

 expected that much would be devoted to medical attendance. 



It is so easy for families to spend delightful vacations in the 

 mountains or by the sea shore that it is not strange that every one 

 does some inexpensive camping each year. 



The conclusion is that the conditions are all favorable for satis- 

 factory rural homes being established in all parts of Oregon. 



To find out what success the ordinary farmer has attained, 

 study these statistics. What the ordinary man has done 

 on an average, is a safe guide as to what the average, indus- 

 trious newcomer can accomplish. Here are the unvarnished 

 facts. Scrutinize them closely. 



