FARM MANAGEMENT IN THE PROVO AREA. 39 
mer, is bought over the grocery or market counter. In many cases 
the quality of the vegetables bought is not as high as that of those 
raised on the farm. The variety is apt to be somewhat more lim- 
ited than if grown in a farm garden. As a rule, a smaller quantity of 
fruit and vegetables is " put up " during the summer for winter use 
than when a good garden is available. This is an item of far greater 
importance than sometimes is supposed. A study made by the Office 
of Farm Management in other sections of the country indicates that 
about 63 per cent of the food consumed by the farm family is pro- 
duced on the farm. 1 
When the operator lives in town several miles from the farm he 
neglects many seemingly insignificant sources of food supply which 
in the aggregate form a large sum. By no means the least important 
is the item of animal foods, or animal products consumed. These are 
the most costly and constitute nearly three-fifths of the total value 
of the food supply. Often they are conspicuously lacking in the con- 
tribution made by the farm to the family living under the above con- 
ditions. Considerable money which otherwise would be available for 
various comforts and conveniences goes for their purchase. On the 
score of farm management there seems no doubt that the man op- 
erating his farm as outlined above is doing so at a serious sacrifice. 
There is another side to this question, however. The farmers in- 
terviewed readily agreed as to the shortcomings of their system. The 
wives did the same, but presented facts that put an entirely different 
aspect upon the case. Many of the families live in town because of 
the school facilities. In those sections where the country schools have 
been brought to a high state of efficiency, and they are very numerous 
in Utah, the farmers habitually live on the farm. Many of those who 
live in town do so because of the distance the children would have 
to travel to the country school and because of the better schooling 
often secured in the town schools. In a severe winter considerable 
time is lost from the rural school in many cases, particularly by the 
younger children. Furthermore, the urban conveniences and the 
urban social advantages have a strong appeal, especially to the wives, 
and this seems to be as general a reason for living in town as superior 
schooling, perhaps more general. These wives have a strong argu- 
ment, as is attested by the fact that they do live in town. When this 
argument is added to that of the school facilities, their case is 
strengthened considerably. 
It is seriously open to question, however, whether the urban en- 
vironment, on the whole, is the more wholesome for the children. 
Certain educators strongly believe that it is not. In general the rural 
sociologist agrees with the educators. At the same time, the farmers 
state that they profit but little by the social advantages of the town, 
and the children less, so far as real advantages are concerned. 
1 Farmers' Bulletin 635, What the Farm Contributes Directly to the Farmer's Living. 
