Evening star., 1926-04-18
RADIO ON FARMS
CROWDS TRACTORS
Runs Machine Close Race in
Matter of Popularity
Generally.

Radio receiving sets which were in
stalled last year on / out of every
20 farms in the United States are
cfowding tractors for the honor of be.
ing the most useful farm accessory.
tractors were in operation last year
on l out of every 13 farms.
Inc total number of receiving sets
on farms in 1925 as announced yes
terday by the Department of Agri-
culture was 2S4,053, as against $685.
745 tractors. The total number of
farms in the United States is 6,448, ,343
The figures were obtained from the
tabulation sof information given by
farm operators to census enumerators
in a personal canvass of the indi-
vidual farms and ranges Of the coun-
try. and showed a surprising amount
of interest in radio reception, par
ticularly among the farm population
of New England and the Middle
West.
Little Used i'm South.
In many of the Southern farm
States, on the other hand, little or
no interest was displayed IN radio and
the receiving set was found in opera
ton chiefly among the wealthy class,
where 1t was considered a luxury,
rather than the source of informa-
ton that other communities re.
garded 1t.
Rhode Island was found to be the
principal radio farming State, with
radio reported on / 246 farms out of a
total of 3,911, approximately out
of 8. New York was second, with
24,620 out of 1SS,754 farms equip
ped with radio, and Massachusetts
was third, with 6.434 radio farms out
of 33,454, or approximately l out OF
every 5.
In three Middle Western States
Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa-and IN
California and Connecticut the pro-
portionate number of radios on FARMS
was approximately l out of 10.
The farming element least inter
ested in radio was found in Alabama,
where out of 237.563 farms only 739
radios were reported, radio to every
900 farms. Other States with little
radio interest were North Carolina,
with 1868 radios on 283,4S2 farms;
Mississippi, with 92S radios on 2oI, ,lzS
farms, and Louisiana, with 44S radios
on 1872, ,431 farms.
Beat Tractors i'll Six.
An interesting feature of the de-
M rtment'S statistics Is shown in the
fact that radios are found on more
farms than are tractors in six states
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri,
New Jersey, Rhode Island and YER
mont. The case Of Missouri Is the
most noticeable. wherein out OF
total Of 260,47S farms, 1882 have r1a-
dos and only 1872 have tractors.
In the South the tractors outnnm-
ber the radios about four to one.
According to the increase In the
number of tractors in the past nVe
wears. radio receiving sets, because or
their lower prices, can be expected to
multiply themselves in the rural dis
tricts about four or five times in the
next five wears, according to officials
of the department. The tractors
showed a little more than so per
cent increase from 1920 to 1925.
Uruguay is expected to initiate the
United States methods of govern
mental supervision of radio as it is at
present, according to advices to the
Department of Commerce. A bill Tor
the control of radio recently was in
troduced in the Uruguayan Congress
by the President, containing only
mild regulations that will require
broadcasters to obtain licenses from
the government, but will permit the
listeners to tune in without fees.
Wave lengths will be assigned to
the broadcasters from the bands not
now used by official stations.
Amateurs also will be assigned to
low wave bands and will be restricted
in hours of operation. Provisions are
made for penalties for the broadca St
ing of any malicious or indecent ma
terial.