THE SOCIAL SIDE OF FARM LIFE 385 



general ideas on the scope and character of rural survey work : 

 The real rural survey, he stated,should be a slowly and studiously 

 made record, rather than a mere exploration, an inspection, a 

 canvass, or a campaign. It was his belief that any lighter efforts, 

 however necessary for temporary uses, belong to a different order 

 of inquiry. Then, too, according to the chairman, the survey 

 should be strictly scientific in spirit, taking account of every 

 significant fact, wholly apart from bias in the mind of the sur- 

 veyor, the goal being the making of a record of the entire situ- 

 ation, and the telling of the whole truth, in order to accumulate 

 a substantial body of fact, so that every community might build 

 its life upon the fact of the community. It was the plan of the 

 chairman that these surveys should be made by many agencies, 

 such as colleges, schools, departments of agriculture, and experi- 

 ment stations, assisted by societies, churches, welfare agencies, 

 and individuals, all working under a plan of cooperation. 1 



Some rural surveys. In response to the policy of study, in- 

 vestigation, and survey set forth by the Country Life Commis- 

 sion, "an agricultural survey" in 1911 in Tompkins County, 

 New York, although devoted mainly to labor-incomes, took 

 stock of certain country life features, and pioneered the way 

 in survey making. Consideration, for example, was given 

 women farmers. Their labor incomes were compared with the 

 labor incomes of men. Their help problem on the farm was 

 inspected. Their total opportunity was assessed. 



To take another instance, the farm near town or city, as a 

 residence, home, and side occupation for people in town or city 

 occupations was considered. The opportunity for a lawyer, 

 teacher, mechanic, and the like, to live in the country, operate 

 a farm, and still carry on work in town was estimated on the basis 

 of the instances encountered. 



The value of good country roads was not allowed to pass 

 unnoticed. The empty houses in the country were explained, 

 interpreted, and differentiated from abandoned farms. 



An interesting correlation was made between the education 

 and labor incomes of farmers in Tompkins County. A high school 



> L. H. Bailey, "The Survey Idea in Country Life Work." 

 2C 



