Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-04

lation through the transfer to the farm
OF men born in the city-especially those
who have inherited love for the land
from some farm ancestor, but who now
hesitate to make the venture because OF
the physical burden and the personal
limitations which they see in farming
as an occupation"
1t Is too often overlooked that while
thousands are leaving their farms for
cities there Is a stream of repentant
farmers returning from their city ven-
lures to the farms. Even In 1924, when
the movement from farms to cities and
towns was 2,075,00O. there was a
counterfiow of persons arriving upon
farms from cities numbering 1896, 900.
Last year l,978,000 farmers left the land
for the imagined ease of city life, and
l,374,O00 returned from cities to the
tarms-some being city-bred without
farm experience, but most of them
prod1gals" returning to the land of
independence.
Dr. Galpin has made a research of
the experience of the migrants to and
from the farms
He sums up his findings as to far
merS reasons. for leaving as follows:
The predominant reason for leaving
the farm was evidently of an economic
character: 1913 per cent of all reasons
were OF this character: High prices"
nigh taxes" mot being able to make
ends meet" The next most prevalent
set of reasons was that of physical
disability" ''old age" and Inability
to obtain enough help to carry on the
farm and the household; 25.2 per cent
OF all reasons were of this nature.
One OF the most significant reasons
pertaining both to the owners and to
the tenants was the small opportllnitv
on the farm for schooling children: IL
per cent OF the reasons of owners and
SO per cent OF the reasons OF tenants
were OF this character. A small per-
centage, l.8 per cent, gave as reason
to let son or Son-in-law come on to
the farm"
Perhaps the most significant reason
Is that the family has obtained a COM
potency and is economically able" to
go to the city. lead an easier life"
and obtain those things which 'the
family has long craved but has not
mad opportunity to obtain" OF all the
reasons for leaving the farm rs per
cent were of this character
~
What are the motives for leaving the
cities?
The outstanding set of reasons for
changes of occupations among those
who became farm owners and tenants
was that including health" better
living conditions, better place to
bring up children" love of nature and
country life" The dominant set of
reasons among those who became hired
men included cost of living too high
In cities" could do better on farm"
could make more money on farm"
although this set of inducements was
closely followed by that which had the
first place with farm owners and ten
ants. Got tired OF city life" figures
frequently in the replies from these
migrants. Wanting to live an indie
pendent life" was strong enough to
be 6.6 per cent of all the reasons for
all three classes of persons.
There has always been much guess
work as to the type of persons who
change from city life and work to farm
ing. and as to the inducements which
prevail. This small preliminary study
will furnish some clues, at least, to this
problem. Let us briefly summarize the
main characteristics of these migrants
to farmS:
The outstanding fact about these per-
sons is that 86.7 per cent had previous
ly had farm experience.
One-third and more of those who
had had previous farm experience had
owned farms before. and one-third had
tried their hand at being tenants.
tcopynght. 1928. BY Paul v. Collins.l