RURAL AND AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION 63 



This means that the true value will stand fifty chances out 

 of a hundred of being not more than .035 greater or less than the 

 obtained value. It means that a coefficient of .600 would not be 

 greater than .635 or less than .565 in fifty out of one hundred 

 cases. However, the more nearly a coefficient approximates 

 zero, the larger the probable error will be but even so, the prob- 

 able error of a zero coefficient would equal only .054. So far as 

 the present study is concerned, these values are practically neg- 

 ligible. 



The writer, of course, must be considered as a prejudiced 

 witness. Nevertheless, he would like to state in further defense 

 of the method that a conception of its reliability has grown upon 

 him, largely due to the fact that scarcely ever did even a second 

 or third order partial coefficient prove inconsistent with the gen- 

 eral results of the study. For a time it seemed impossible to accept 

 some of the relationships indicated by the partial correlations 

 having to do with general education, but the further those re- 

 sults were considered in connection with 



The resulting coeffi- actual farm communities, the more their 

 cients show a re- possible truth came to be recognized. It 

 markable consist- is suggested that the age-old indifference 

 ency. of farming communities to much general 



education for themselves, beyond the com- 

 munity level, may be a little positive evidence in this particular. 

 Again, a third set of data was separately obtained and so 

 far as it has been worked up it fully 



The rating of 2,000,- substantiates the data used and in sev- 

 000 men would in- eral cases actually proves identical. This 

 crease the reliability leads to the belief that the central ten- 

 but would probably dencies accepted for the 2,000 middle 

 not greatly change western farmers and also found practically 

 the actually accept- the same for the eastern groups and still 

 ed values. further backed up by the third or final set, 



so far as computed, would be the most 



probable central tendencies were two million men rated instead 

 of the four or five thousand that were actually considered. 



