11-1. MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 266 



and other afiricultiiral products in liberal quantities, part-time farmers 

 and their families enjoyed a more wholesome and better balanced diet 

 than the averaa:e city wasre earner has or can aflt'ord to have. 



The participation of children in farminc; operations and their interest 

 in the work they were doing united tlie family more closely and main- 

 tained harmony between children and jiarents, which is often lacking 

 among the families of city laborers. The wives seemed to he esi)ecially 

 satisfied with the fact that their husbands were spending their .spare time 

 around the house. 



Tiie difference in economic conditions and morale of part-time farmers 

 and city laborers is especially prominent at the time of imemployment. 

 In addition to giving a certain return for the labor, the work in part-time 

 farming enterprises saves the operator from the demoralization and gen- 

 eral discouragement that presses so heavily on the industrial laborer who 

 is left witlunit work. While a city laborer is forced to waste his time in 

 idleness, the i)art-time farmer can jnit his labor to ]iroductive use. 

 Many an operator, at the time of unemployment, has brought his land 

 into better condition by clearing it of stones and brush, made additions 

 to his house, or otherwise improved his property. 



Part-Time Farming as a Means of Saving 



Ownership in jiart-time farming enterprises jiroved to l)e an important 

 factor in developing habits of thrift and in increasing savings. Table 

 46 shows that the eipiity in property owned by operators in Lowell area 

 increased from .$86,;383 at the time of purchase to >p207,060, an increase 

 of $120,677; and in Taunton area from .'f7.5,.560 to $165,200, an increase of 

 $89,64.0. The average increase in ecpiity per ojierator owner was $1,138 

 in the fir.st area and $1,338 in the second. It should not be assumed, 

 however, that all these savings were eff'ected during the period the opera- 

 tors owned their enterprises. Some of the increase in equity came from 

 the savings of operators prior to their settlement on the land, and some 

 came from the general increase in land values in the community; but most 

 of it was due to the efforts of operators since going into part-time farming. 

 Through the improvements gradually effected on their land and build- 

 ings, they succeeded in increasing tlie value of their property far in 

 excess of additional mortgage indebtedness contracted for that ]iuriiose. 



Table 46. — Moutoage indebtedness and equity of operators in part-time 

 FARSriNo enterprises.* 



Lowell area Taunton area 



Cost of property purchased §195,263 $157,960 



Mortgage indebtedness at purchase 108,880 82,400 



Equity in property 86,383 75,560 



Present value of property 335,840 249,800 



Present mortgage indebtedness 128,780 84.600 



Present equity in property 207,060 165,200 



Increase in equity 120,677 89,640 



Average increase per operator 1,138 1,338 



*Not counting tliose who were previously engaged in independent fanning on the ?ame holdings 



