RIKNNIAL RKPORT, 1927 AND 1928 301 



desirable by providing more time for leisure and greater opportunities 

 for recreation. 



They are demanding a better equipped and more intelligent rural popu- 

 lation because the effective application of modern scientific developments 

 to agricultural practice can utilize to advantage the best preparation that 

 our educational institutions can supply. 



Since these and many other changes or transformations in our social 

 and industrial life have taken jilace during tlie jieriod that agricultural 

 experiment statMMis have been in existence, and since these institutions 

 were primarily established to furnish the consuming public with a more 

 abundant and satisfactory sil])ply of life's essentials, it is reasonable that 

 the experiment stations should be given at least a considerable portion of 

 the credit for the results. 



'I'hat the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station has played a 

 prominent part in this field is evidenced by the results of its findings as 

 published from time to time in bulletins, in scientific and technical jour- 

 nals, and in Director's reports. This report shows the progress made dur- 

 ing the last two->ear period on those jirojects that have been a<'tively 

 pursued. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 

 Alexander E. Cance in Charge 



Research work in agricultural economics, 1926-28, has been conducted 

 along three general lines, one dealing with the taxation of farm property, 

 one with jiart-time farming, and the third with economic problems of food 

 production and distribution. 



Taxation of Farm Property. (Hubert W. Yount). This project was 

 undertaken to discover the important facts relating to farm taxes and 

 public ex]ienditures in the State. The study was divided into two parts 

 and the first part, relating to assessment practice and taxation problems 

 on the individual farm, was published in 1927 as Bulletin 235, "Farm 

 Taxes and Assessments in Massachusetts". In this study inequalities in 

 assessments were analyzed and certain remedies were proposed. 



The second part of the project is an analysis of public expenditures 

 in Massachusetts from 1910 to 1926, showing the increased expenditures 

 for various purposes in towns of different sizes. The increase in rural 

 towns is analyzed in considerable detail. It is intended that this section 

 be. i)ublislied as "The Cost of Government in Massachusetts, with Particular 

 Reference to Small Towns". 



Part-Time Farming. (David Rozinan). It is intended to investigate 

 the nature of land utilization and agricultural developments in the vicin- 

 ity of the industrial centers of the State. To obtain an adequate picture 

 of part-time farming, it is proposed to investigate at least three different 

 sections of the State. The survey is already completed in the first area 

 selected for investigation, which included four towns in the vicinity of 

 Lowell. A number of part-time farmers were visited with a detailed 

 questionnaire, taking the history of their occupations, date of settling on 

 the land, extent of farming operations, living conditions, and earnings 

 both on the farm and outside of it. .\ total of 115 part-time farmers 

 were visited in tlws district, and the material assembled is now being 

 tabulated. 



