58 READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



increase, in the agricultural industry, as reported for the several 

 sections of the country, are shown in the following table : 



POPULATION ENGAGED IN AGRICULTURE 



The foregoing table shows that women, much more rapidly than 

 men, are turning to agricultural pursuits. The introduction and 

 use of machine power, by decreasing the requirements of physical 

 strength, has placed men and women upon a more .equal footing, 

 and women promise now to invade the agricultural industry as 

 they have heretofore invaded that of manufactures. 



We may ascertain the extent of the movement to or from any 

 occupation class during any period by comparing the distribution 

 of the people among the various occupation classes at the begin- 

 ning of such period with their distribution at its close. 



The first table on page 59 shows, for the United States and for 

 the several geographical divisions, what per cent of the total num- 

 ber of those engaged in gainful occupations in 1870 and in 1900 

 were in the several occupation classes. 



Finding the difference between these several pairs of per cents, 

 and representing increases by positive numbers and decreases by 

 negative numbers, we get the per cent of those engaged in gainful 

 occupations who have shifted to or from the several occupation 

 classes, during the period from 1870 to 1900 : 1 



1 See the second table on page 59. 



