RURAL AND AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION 59 



task. Moreover, the number of groups to be rated would be so 

 limited that local variations would be a serious factor, making it 

 inadvisable to draw generalized conclusions from the data ob- 

 tainable. Finally, after repeated try-outs which tended to show 

 certain constant results in spite of possible imperfections the 

 method used in the study was decided upon and pursued in as 

 guarded a way as possible. 



In general, racings by these men may be defended from 



the following standpoints : To begin with each man stated that 



the farmers in his group were well known 



Students from farm to him. In fact, in the great majority of 

 communities are pe- the cases they were men of his home com- 

 culiarly fitted to munity onto whose farms and into whose 

 provide the desired homes he had repeatedly gone. Only a 

 ratings. person who has grown up in such an en- 



vironment can realize how fully these 



qualities and characteristics are known and discussed by all of 

 the members of the community. It is this very intimate com- 

 mon knowledge of the financial and other affairs of the neigh- 

 borhood that is used as a basis for loans in some of the co-op- 

 erative enterprises that have grown up. "Change of work", for 

 example, has brought families into close contact with each oth- 

 er's skills, physical capacities, personalities, etc. Moreover, the 

 students making the rankings are as a class a selected group of 

 the finest young men, endowed with keen observation and judg- 

 ing powers. Of this, the writer was often reminded in the brief 

 discussions that followed the exercise. Very few of the men 

 seriously questioned their ability to place the upper and lower 

 two-thirds of the groups. Sometimes they were less sure about 

 the order of those who were finally numbered 6, 7 or 8. But 

 the misplacement of these men one, two or three places would 

 tend to effect the final value of the coefficient very little indeed 

 as may be learned by working out various trial orders. A some- 

 what significant reaction to the method came from the instruc- 

 tors or professors. An attempt was made to get ratings by mail 

 from a number of schools. To this, in general, a poor response 

 was obtained. A few did not answer at all, others did not have 

 the right type of students or the special opportunity and a few 



