THE FARMER'S STANDARD OF LIVING 
25 
New England families, than for the southern or north central 
families. Only 16 of the 2,886 families reported no expenditures for 
advancement goods. 
Because of the many kinds and varieties of advancement goods, 
the range of expenditures here was broad, varying somewhat with 
the number of sons and daughters attending school and college. 
Occasionally an extended vacation or trip by automobile or train in- 
creased the costs classified in this group. The distribution of the 
average expenditures for advancement among the principal kinds 
of goods is evident from Table 5. 
Table 5. — Average value per family of the different kinds of advancement goods 
used during one year, 2,886 farm families of selected localities of 11 States, 
1922-1924, owners, tenants, and hired men 
All 
States, 
2,886 
families 
New- 
England 
States, 
317 
families 
Southern 
States, 
1,130 
families 
North 
Central 
States, 
1,439 
families 
Advancement goods 
Formal education 
Reading matter 
Organization dues 
Church, Sunday school, and missions 
Red Cr^s and other welfare 
Recreation 
$104. 80 
$117.90 
$104. ; 
37.90 
11.20 
3.90 
28.20 
1.10 
22.50 
42.60 
11.70 
6.00 
26.60 
1.70 
29.30 
46.00 
8.20 
1.90 
29.10 
1.10 
18.00 
$102. 30 
30.50 
13.40 
5.10 
27.90 
1.00 
24.40 
The largest item of expenditure under advancement is for formal 
education, $37.90 per family for all families, which includes money 
spent for lessons, school books, and supplies in the elementary schools 
and tuition, books, board and lodging, and miscellaneous purposes at 
high schools or colleges. School taxes are not included. The 
southern families spent the most for formal education. 
Next to the expenditure for formal education, the largest item 
under advancement is the contribution to the church, including Sun- 
day school and missionary offerings, averaging $28.20 per family. It 
is interesting to note the very small differences in the averages of 
church contributions for the three sections. 
It should be noted that approximately a fifth of the families, 603 
in number, reported no expenditure for church work in any form. 
Of the 2,283 families reporting expenditures for this purpose, 239 
were in the New England group, 966 in the southern group, and 1,078 
in the north central group. Thus, for the families reporting, the 
average expenditures per family for church purposes are approxi- 
mately $35, $34, and $37 for the three groups of States in the order 
named. 
The next largest item of expenditure under advancement is for 
recreation, $22.50 per family. The average expenditure for this item 
varies considerably with the three sections. 
The average cost of reading matter, including newspapers, farm 
journals, general magazines, and books not for school purposes, is 
$11.20 per family. Families of the North Central States spent most 
for this purpose. Less than 7 per cent, 199 of the 2,886 families re- 
ported>no expenditure for reading matter. Of these, 19 were in the 
New England States, 155 in the Southern States, and 25 in the North 
Central States. 
13102°— 26 4 
