122 



MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 266 



Table 15. — Occupation of part-time farsiers. 



Lowell area Taunton area 



Occupation 



Number Per cent Number Per cent 



Farm laborers 1 .9 8 9.5 



Industrial laborers 89 774 62 73.8 



General laborers.. 19 16.5 . 5 6.0 



Artisans 6 5.2 9 10.7 



Total 115 100.0 84 100.0 



regular farmers before they became part-time farmers.' The rest were 

 engaged in one or more of the following types of labor: Industrial labor, 

 general labor, farm labor, and artisan trades. 



Table 16 shows the number of operators engaged in each type of labor 

 mentioned, and the average number of years spent by them in tTiat 

 employment. The figures indicate that industrial employment had been 

 the most important type of occupational experience for the operators pfTor 

 to their entering part-time farming. Outside of independent farming, 

 artisan trades in Lowell area and general labor in Taunton area had given 

 employment to the smallest number of operators in the same period of 

 time. 



Table 16. — Lexgth of time spext by operators ix differext occupations 



BEFORE becoming PART-TIME FARMERS. 



*Many operators had previous experience in two or more occupations. 



Early Training of Operators and Their Wives 



Although most of the operators entered part-time farming from various 

 industrial occupations, the majority of them were brought up and re- 

 ceived their early training on farms. Especially is this true with respect 

 to foreign-born operators. (Table 17.) In Lowell area 78.3 per cent 

 of the operators, and in Taunton area 76.2 per cent, came originally 

 from farms. If only American-born operators are considered, the figures 

 for those reared on farms are 53.7 per cent in Lowell area and 66.7 per 

 cent in Taunton area. The data with regard to the early environment of 

 wives show, with some slight variations, similar relations. 



• This refers only to experience in independent farming in this country. Foreign- 

 born operators, with a few exceptions, were engaged as farm laborers or dependent 

 tenants before coming to this country. The latter group, from the American stand- 

 point, may well be designated as a class of farm laborers. 



