CRITICAL FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE EVALUATION AND USE OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE IN THE NORTH-CENTRAL REGION by Tollie Raymond Buie A THESIS Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION School of Education 1953 ACKNOWLED GME NT S The writer is indebted to Harold M. Byram, chairman of the guidance committee, under whose supervision this study was conducted, and to other members of the committee who were: H. Paul Sweany, Cecil V. Millard, Harry W. Sundwall, and Alvin L. Kenworthy. Kenneth G. Nelson also made many helpful suggestions regarding the development of the study, and William D. Baten was helpful regarding the statistical methods used in the analysis of the data. The State supervisors of agriculture of the North-Central Region assisted in the selection of the cooperating teachers of vocational agriculture; these teachers and their students gave freely of their time and effort in furnishing data for this study, for which the writer is grateful. The writer is also indebted to his wife (Ruby May Buie) whose assistance, inspiration, and sacrifices have greatly contributed to this study. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. II. PAGE THE PROBLEM AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED . . . . 1 Statement of the p r o b l e m ........................ 3 Scope of the s t u d y .............................. 3 Importance of the s t u d y ........................ 54- Definitions of terms u s e d ..................... 8 REVIEW OF RELATED L I T E R A T U R E ..................... 12 Importance of occupational information ........ 13 Some factors and techniques influencing the choice of an o c c u p a t i o n ..................... 15 Opportunities, placement, and satisfaction . . . 19 Evaluating occupational information 23 .......... Availability of occupational information in agriculture and related fields ............... Filing occupational information III. 28 . . ........... 29 SECURING, ANALYZING, AND USING D A T A ............. 33 General plan for securing d a t a ................. 33 Development of the questionnaires and of the plan for a d m i n i s t r a t i o n .- . 3*+ Trial use and revisions of the instructions and the qu es ti on n ai re s....................... 37 Selection of teachers of vocational agriculture. 39 Distribution and administration of materials for collecting, d a t a .......................... *+0 iv CHAPTER IV. PAGE Methods of analyzing d a t a ...................... 1+1 Uses of the d a t a ................................. 1+2 Limitations of the s t u d y ................. 1+3 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF D A T A ................ 1+1+ I n t r o d u c t i o n ............. 1+1+ Preferences for p i c t u r e s ........................ 1+6 Preferences for writing s t y l e .................. 1+8 Preferences for tables 50 .......................... Value of occupational information materials . . 50 Preferences of students for source of occupa­ .................. 53 Value of field t r i p s ............................. 53 tional information materials Persons from whom students of vocational agri­ culture preferred to obtain occupational in­ formation .............................. 50 Type of occupation most likely to be chosen as a career ................................... 58 Preferences for some selected characteristics of occupational information Evaluative instrument . ................ 60 .......................... 71 Status of l i b r a r y ............................... 83 Filing systems ................................... 85 Demand by teachers for occupational information in a g r i c u l t u r e .......... 85 V CHAPTER PAGE Demand by students for occupational information in agriculture . ............................... 90 Experiences of teachers as to ease of securing, teaching value, and frequency of use of cer­ tain occupational information materials in a g r i c u l t u r e ................................. 99 Preferences of teachers as to source of stu­ d e n t s ’ occupational information in agricul­ ture ............................ 103 Number of days occupational information was t a u g h t .............................................105 V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . 108 S u m m a r y .............................................108 The p r o b l e m ................................... 108 Method of a t t a c k ................................. 108 The s a m p l e .......................... 109 Preferences concerning occupational informa­ tion ..................................... .. 110 .......... 112 Occupational choices... ........................ 113 Demand for occupational information Libraries, filing systems, and extent of use of occupational information ............... 113 C o n c l u s i o n s ..................................... 1 1 5 CHAPTER PAGE Recommendations ......................... 115 Problems for further study ...................... 116 B I B L I O G R A P H Y ............................................117 APPENDIX A .............................................. 122 Directory of state leaders cooperating in the study . 123 Directory of cooperating teachers of vocational agri­ culture ................................................ 125 Copy of letter to State Supervisors in the NorthCentral Region requesting names and addresses of five t e a c h e r s ............................... ....... 128 Copy of typical letter received from the State Super­ visors supplying names and addresses of teachers . . 129 Copy of a progress report letter written to the State S u p e r v i s o r s ....................................... 130 Copy of typical letter from State Supervisors acknowl­ edging the progress r e p o r t ........................ 131 Copy of letter to teachers soliciting their coopera­ tion .....................................................132 Copy of information requested on postal card sent with the letter soliciting the cooperation of teachers . 133 Copy of letter which accompanied questionnaires and pamphlets ..................................... 13^ Copy of plan for administering the questionnaires to the s t u d e n t s ....................................... 135 vii CHAPTER PAGE Copy of teacher’s questionnaire Copy of student's questionnaire .................. 139 ....................... lM-5 Copy of forms used in summarizing results of students' questionnaires .............................. 150 Copy of reminder letter requesting return <£f teach­ er's questionnaire and results of students' tionnaires ques­ ...........................................151* APPENDIX B .................................................. 155 Annotated bibliography of selected occupational in­ formation in a g r i c u l t u r e ............................... 156 APPENDIX C ................................................... 188 Sample of occupational information pamphlets .......... 189 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 'I. PAGE Distribution of Cooperating Students of Voca­ tional Agriculture by States with Average and Range per C l a s s ............................... II. *+5 Preferences of Students and Teachers for Pic­ tures in Occupational Information in Agriculr t u r e ............................... III. *+7 Preferences of Students and Teachers for Writing Style of Occupational Information in Agricul-' t u r e ....................................... IV. ^9 Preferences of Students and Teachers for Tables in Occupational Information in Agriculture V. ... 52 Preferences of Students for Source of Occupa­ tional Information in Agriculture VII. 51 Opinions of Students and Teachers of Value of Occupational Information in Agriculture VI. . . ......... 51*- Opinions of Students and Teachers of Value of Field Trips for Information about an Occupa­ tion in Agriculture VIII. ............... Persons from Whom Students Prefer to Obtain Occupational Information in Agriculture IX. 55 ... Students* Opinions of Their Most Likely Choice of an Occupation as a C a r e e r ............. 59 57 ix TABLE PAGE «-.• I-*- X. Preferences of Students in Class I for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupational Information in Agriculture XI. .................. 6l Preferences of Students in Class I for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupational Information in Agriculture by Percentage and Critical R a t i o .......... XII. 62 Preferences of Students in Class II for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupational Information in Agriculture XIII. . . ............... 63 Preferences of Students in Class II for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupational Information in Agriculture by Percentage and Critical Ratio XIV. . 6^+ Preferences of Students in Classes III and IV for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupa­ tional Information in Agriculture XV. ........... 65 Preferences of Students in Classes III and IV for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupa­ tional Information in Agriculture by Per­ centage and Critical R a t i o .................... XVI. 66 Preferences of Students in All Classes for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupational Information in Agriculture .................... 67 x PAGE TABLE XVII. Preferences of Students in All Classes for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupational In­ formation in Agriculture by Percentage and Critical Ratio XVIII. . . . . . ...................... 68 Preferences of Teachers for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupational Information in Agriculture XIX. ................................... 69 Preferences of Teachers for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupational Information in Agriculture by Percentage and Critical Ratio • XX. 70 Preferences of Students and Teachers for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupational I n ­ formation in Agriculture by Average Percent XXI. 73 Preferences of Students and Teachers for Some Selected Characteristics of Occupational In­ formation in Agriculture Rated as Very Impor­ tant with Preferences of Tables, Pictures, and Writing Style by Average Percent ......... XXII. Evaluative Instrument for Occupational Informa­ tion in A g r i c u l t u r e .................... .. XXII A.. 75 79 Evaluations of Pamphlets on Occupational Infor­ mation by Five Teachers and Five Counselors 82 xi TABLE XXIII. PAGE Number of Pamphlets and Books on Occupational Information in Agriculture Library by States and Number of Occupations Presented XXIV. 8*+ Status of Filing Systems of Occupational In­ formation in Agriculture by S t a t e s ........... XXV. 86 Distribution of Teachers1 Needs of Occupational Information in Agriculture by Production . O c c u p a t i o n s ................................... XXVI. Distribution of Teachers' 87 Needs of Occupational Information in Agriculture by Farm Service and Other Related Occupations XXVII. Distribution of Students' ............... Interests in Produc­ tion Occupations as Possible Vocations . . . . XXVIII. 88 91 Distribution of Students' Interests in Produc­ tion Occupations as Possible Vocations by Percent and Significance of Difference between Classes at Five-Percent Level XXIX. ... Distribution of Students' Interests .......... 92 in Farm Service and Other Related Occupations as Possible V o c a t i o n s ............................. XXX. Distribution of Students' Interests ice and Other Related Occupations 91*- in Farm Serv­ as Possible Vocations by Percent and Significance of Differ­ ence between Classes at the Five-Percent Level. 96 xii TABLE XXXI. PAGE Experiences of Teachers Concerning Ease of Securing, Teaching Value, and Frequency of Use of Certain Occupational Information in A g r i c u l t u r e ...................................... 100 XXXII® Experiences of Teachers Concerning Ease of Securing, Teaching Value, and Frequency of Use of Certain Occupational Information in Agriculture XXXIII. byPercent ............... 101 Preferences of Teachers for Source of Students’ Occupational Information in Agriculture by S t a t e s ............................................ lOU- XXXIV. Average Number of Days per Class Devoted to Studying Occupational Information . 106 CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AMD DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED For the past several decades teachers of vocational agriculture have sensed an Increasing need for materials con­ taining occupational information in their fields which might be used for career guidance of their pupils. But in more or less recent years the advancement of agricultural opportuni­ ties beyond one's own community has demonstrated that pam­ phlets and bulletins of occupational information have increased in importance as a method of disseminating informa­ tion for guidance in the choice of an occupation. When World War II came to an end the demand for these materials became tremendous, and in an endeavor to meet it, several United States governmental agencies and a number of private publishers began to produce a variety of materials, with the following chaotic results: (1) a large amount of materials has been prepared on certain vocations, while on others the materials are either severely limited or completely lacking; (2) some of the materials are written in a popular style for promotional or publicity purposes; others relate facts in a simple, objective manner; (3) some of the materials are free or inexpensive; others are costly; (*+) some are directed toward special groups in a specific locality; others are more general in their coverage; (5) some present only 2 general information, while others,deal with specific details; j and (6) some, such as bulletins and monographs, may be easily and inexpensively revised, whereas books and films can be revised only with difficulty and at considerable expense. These conditions have created a serious problem for teachers of vocational agriculture in the selection of cur­ rent and reliable occupational information for use by them­ selves and their pupils, and it would seem that some means should be devised whereby, through the use of certain crite­ ria, a standard form of evaluation might be placed upon pub­ lished works for the benefit of interested persons. following questions arise: Thus the (1) What are the critical factors in evaluating occupational information in agriculture? (2) What type of information about an occupation does the stu­ dent want? (3) What are the preferred characteristics of format and style of a bulletin, pamphlet, tion? or similar publica­ (U-) Where can reliable and inexpensive materials be obtained on careers in agriculture and related fields? (5) How can such publications best be filed so as to provide maximum efficiency in their use? Satisfactory answers to these questions should produce reliable information which would assist high-school students in making their choices in agriculture and related occupa­ tions . 3 Statement of the problem. The problem which presents itself, therefore, may be stated generally as follows: To ascertain the characteristics of the desired informational materials and the best means for their evaluation. But a further analysis of the problem suggests that this be broken down more specifically into four parts; and these form a convenient and accurate statement of the purpose of this study: (1) to determine the critical factors of occupational information in agriculture desired by teachers of vocational agriculture; (2) to determine these same factors as desired by students in vocational agriculture; (3) to prepare an evaluative instrument in the light of these critical factors for the appraising of such occupational information; and (*+) to evaluate the available, inexpensive information in this area of interest. Scope of the study. It was not the intent of this study to test the significance of all the factors concerning all occupational information with the entire population of teachers and students of vocational agriculture in the United States. Only those factors which the authorities in the field have discussed most frequently in the literature were used. These were submitted in questionnaires to selected teachers of vocational agriculture and their students in the Worth-Central Region. b Data concerning the status of occupational information available in the agriculture departments in the respective schools were gathered, i.e., size of the library (number of pamphlets and number of job-opportunities encompassed), the students1 desire for the materials, the teachers’ need for the materials, their experiences in securing and using such m ate­ rials, and the number of days spent in teaching each class the content of the materials. Since it would have been an undertaking far too stupen­ dous for this study to assemble and evaluate all occupational information in agriculture, only such publications were used for evaluation as conformed to the following criteria! (1) they should be written to provide occupational but not technical information; (2) they should be adapted for use in the North-Central Region; (3) they should be inexpensive, costing one dollar or less; and (*+) they should be concerned only with productive and related occupations in agriculture. No attempt has been made in this connection to determine the teachers’ or pup il s’ methods of using the information or to measure their effectiveness in class. Importance of the study. Providing information on op­ portunities in all vocations, including agriculture, is one of the essential services of a good guidance program in any high school, and therefore evaluation of the appropriate 5 materials is usually made by trained personnel attached to larger schools. However, in the smaller schools the responsi­ bility of counseling students of agriculture falls upon the teacher of vocational agriculture or others who are often in­ adequately trained in this skill. This presents a problem, the significance of which is emphasized by the recent litera­ ture in the field. Weiss states: There are few secondary schools that are staffed with trained individuals in counseling and guidance. Because such a person is rarely found in the schools that offer vocational agriculture, it is becoming more and more necessary for the vocational agriculture teacher to equip himself to offer that service. In another study, made in 1953} Sommerville found that no organized guidance work was being done in a large percent­ age of rural high schools in Virginia, and that therefore teachers of vocational agriculture, upon whom the duty of counseling students interested in agriculture generally falls, need more guidance information and more publications which relate to agricultural and related occupations. He recom­ mended that these teachers use more and better guidance practices in order to advise their students effectively toward 1 J. N. Weiss, "Counseling and Guidance,11JThe Agricul tural Education Magazine, 23:110, November, 1950. making an intelligent choice of a life work. 2 The importance of providing students with the right kind and amount of information has been spotlighted by Williamson, who listed as many as thirteen common fallacies which may misdirect a young person in choosing an occupation.3 But it is not enough to prepare and evaluate materials; some central place should be provided where interested stu­ dents may have easy access to the information. Of this Long and Worthington said* Guidance is growing and concomitant with the tremendous growth of guidance is the development of vocational libraries. The urgent need for occupa­ tional information was recognized during the de­ pression days of the 1 930’s. The creation of occu­ pational information gained impetus during the World War II emergency.^ The extent to which the total area of agricultural occu­ pations has entered into guidance literature still remains to be analyzed, but that they have not received adequate atten­ tion is indicated by Brayfield and Mickelson, who found that career guidance of all types and for all occupations was more 2 James Harris Sommerville, MA Survey of the Guidance Practices Followed by Virginia Teachers of Vocational Agriculture," (unpublished Master*s thesis, Virginia Poly­ technic Institute, Blacksburg, 1953), p. 106. 3 E. G. Williamson, Students and Occupations (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1937)5 Chap. II, passim. L. Louis Long and Henietta Worthington, "The Vocational Library," Occupations, 30:115-18, November, 1951. 7 or less concentrated upon the white-collar and professional occupations, and that the manual and minimal skill level vocations, together with farming, were relatively neglected.' Brayfield had previously stated that "occupational in­ formation as one phase of guidance methodology had not had z sufficient critical analysis or research." He also empha­ sized that the "shot-gun1* method of using materials in giving assistance in the choice of a career was fruitless. He stated, at the same time, that whereas no specific formula had been devised for using published occupational information, increasing emphasis was being placed upon its use in a highly selective and individualized manner by integrating it care­ fully into the counseling program.^ Speaking in this connection, Hamlin had this to say: "Evaluation is the key to improvement. . . . We shall not O improve if we value too highly what we have." Then, drawing his conclusions regarding the process of appraisal, he stated 5 Arthur H. Brayfield and Grace T. Mickelson, "Disparities in Occupational Information Coverage," Occupations. 20:506-8, April, 1951* ^ Arthur H. Brayfield, "'Dissemination* of Occupational Information," Occupations, 29:^11-13? March, 19517 Ibid., p. >+12. ^ H. M. Hamlin, "What Is of Value?" The Agricultural Education Magazine. 23:220, April, 1951- 8 also: "Evaluation is a shared process, not a prerogative delegated exclusively to teachers."^ Thus, he suggests the desirability of having students assist in making evaluations. It is the hope of the writer that the findings and implications of this study will be of assistance in solving many of the problems in assembling, evaluating, and filing occupational information in agriculture, both for "production occupations" and "farm services and other related occupa­ tions ." Definitions of terms u s e d . In order to make this study more meaningful it seems desirable to find a common ground of understanding of some of the basic terms. The terms which may have different connotation to different individuals are there­ fore defined. 1. Critical factors. Characteristics, conditions, or other elements analyzed which produce results, or careful judgments. 2. Evaluation. A term used to denote the process of appraising or judging the worth or value of some­ thing. The process includes the selection and weighting of criteria, also the gathering and sum­ marizing of evidence. 9 Ibid., p. 229 Evaluation reveals the 9 weaknesses and strengths of the item being evaluated. 3. Evaluative instrument. A device, scale, or score card which assists in determining an objective judg­ ment or v alue. North-Central Region. This is one of the four geographic regions in organization of Federal a d ­ ministration for vocational education. are: The states Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. 5. Occupational information in agriculture. There seems to be general agreement on the general scope of the term "occupational information." A National Conference committee report on occupational informa­ tion gives the following description: Occupational information, as used in this report, is defined as accurate, up-to-date treatment and interpretation of data important to the process of occupa­ tional selection, preparation, placement, and adjustment. Socio-economic trends, which affect all areas of occupational information, are important elements in this field. Federal Security Agency, United States Office of E du ­ cation, Division of Vocational Education, Counselor Competen­ cies in Occupational Information (Miscellaneous Publication 331^-3. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 19^9), p. 1. 10 This description represents the concept of occupational information as used in this study, except that it is limited to occupations in agricul­ ture and those related to agriculture. 6. Production occupations. In this study the term refers to those occupations where raw products are produced on the farm. 7. Farm service and other related occupations. The farm service occupations render services to farmers, such as tractor or equipment repairs. Other related occupations are those which require some agricul­ tural knowledge, for example, salesmen or distrib­ utors of farm equipment and special supplies. 8. State supervisor of vocational agriculture. The person directly responsible for the administration of vocational agriculture from the state level. 9. Student of vocational agriculture. A n individual who is regularly enrolled in high school and studying vocational agriculture as specified by the Smith-Hughes1"1" and subsequent acts. -1-1 United States Congress, Public Laws of the United States of America Passed by the Sixty-Fourth Congress, 19151917 (Vol. XXXIX, Part I. Washington, D.C.j United States Government Printing Office, 1917), pp. 929-3&. i 11 10. Teacher of vocational agriculture. One who is employed by a public school and who teaches one or more classes of vocational agriculture for which reimbursement is paid to the school from funds provided by the Smith-Hughes and subsequent acts. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE In view of the rapid growth in the publication, since World War II, of materials relating to the various agricul­ tural vocations, a number of educators have interested them­ selves in reviewing these materials from the standpoint of their efficacy in proper guidance. They have seen that while the problem of establishing young men in farming and related occupations is naturally associated with the opportunities at hand, yet the channeling of youth into the most suitable occupations is often dependent upon their contact with reli­ able printed information. They have seen, too, that since farming has become highly mechanized and the demand for man­ power has decreased, many farm boys who have wished to main­ tain their connection with some phase of agricultural life have found it necessary to leave their own community and often their own state in search of work. These educators have felt that proper materials in the hands of such boys would assist them in finding the opportunities which would suit them individually and lead them to a successful career. A. survey of the work of these educators discloses that their studies are divisible into six categories. This chap­ ter will be devoted to a brief survey of the literature as it is grouped in each of theses (1) importance of occupational 13 information, (2 ) some techniques and factors influencing oc­ cupational choice, faction, (3 ) opportunities, placement, and satis­ (*+) evaluating occupational information, (5) availa­ bility of occupational information in agriculture and related fields, and .(6 ) filing of occupational information materials. Importance of occupational information. As will be pointed out later in this chapter, a large percentage of the people abandon the occupation of their first choice within a few years. Maier suggests in his study of the problems re­ lating to teaching vocational guidance that the number of these unintelligent choices made by students justifies the idea of giving assistance to young people in school.^ That teachers themselves are aware of the need was pointed out by Ross, who administered an opinion scale to ^62 Iowa teachers in 19*+8 , and reported that 90 percent recognized the impor­ tance of occupational information and were interested in 2 making it a part of their classwork. Bedell and Nelson con­ ducted a survey on the use of occupational information in 300 rural high schools in Nebraska, each having twelve years of instruction. These schools were located in towns with a •*- William J. Maier, "The Problem of Teaching for Voca­ tional Choice in Trumanburg, New York," (unpublished Master’s thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1923)5 P- 116. ^.Roland R. Ross, "Occupational Information in the Schools," Occupations, 27:397-98, March, 19^+9• Ilf population of 2,500 or less. The opinions of 311 teachers in these schools showed that 80 percent of them thought that the study of occupational information should he included in the high-school curriculum; less than ^+0 percent of them felt that they were qualified to teach it in their courses; and 60 percent believed that courses in occupational information relating to a teacher's major field of study should be a pre­ requisite for the granting of a teaching certificate. The educators felt that teacher-training institutions should offer these courses both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.^ Christensen was of the opinion that occupational informa­ tion was important in that it could and should perform four distinct functions for the student. He believed, however, that in order to do so it should possess the following four characteristics. It should be (1) instructional by providing adequate data for making an occupational choice, (2) instru­ mental in convincing the client of the need for occupational planning, (3) distributional by being available, and (if) ther­ apeutical by assisting the counselor in scaling down the ambi­ tions of the client without losing face, especially when occupational choices are dictated by emotions, glamour, or 3 Ralph Bedell and William Howard Nelson, "Educators' Opinions on Occupational Information Used in Rural High Schools," Occupations. 29:205-6, December, 1950. romance. L. Baer and Roeber, in discussing the importance of occupational information, had this to says Occupational information is an educational es­ sential, whatever the conditions of the labor market m ay be. In periods of widespread unemployment, when jobs are hard to find, counselors, students, and parents all recognize the need for occupational infor­ mation. As a result, they demand and use more and more occupational literature. During periods of full employment, when jobs are easy to obtain, however, many of these persons unfortunately do not fully appreciate the values of occupational information.? Some factors and techniques influencing the choice of an occupation. The choice of a career is seldom a simple affair, but rather, because of a number of influences operating upon the individual when endeavoring to arrive at a decision for a life work, it may become a complex process. Speer and Jasker conducted a study w i th 107 persons desiring occupational in- . formation. They reported that those who lacked adequate occu­ pational information and also lacked adequate information about their own abilities were more likely to select unsuit­ able occupational goals, but that those who had direct contact with the occupation had more adequate information and more appropriate vocational plans. They pointed out that occupa­ tional information may be obtained from reading materials; ^ Thomas E. Christensen, "Functions of Occupational Information in Counseling," Occupations, SSsll-l^, May, 1950. 5 Max F. Baer and Edward C. Roeber, 0ccupati onal Informa­ t io n, Its Nature and Use (Chicago: Science Research Associates Inc., 195l) 9 p. 2. 16 from friends, relatives, and others engaged in the occupa­ tion; from personal work experiences; or from general educa/: tion. That it should not he difficult for a person to ob­ tain career information was proved by Lowenstein and Hoppock, whose study showed that enrollment in courses for guidance in the United States exceeded 150,000, and that every state e x ­ cept Nevada included such courses in its school offerings.^ Cochrane expressed the following view with regard to the choice of a vocations A. person planning his future should know the personal characteristics and requirements of workers in various occupations and the level of intelli­ gence, general education, special aptitudes, and training expected of one who enters a specific occu­ pation. He must asks Do I have or can I acquire these requisites? Other questions pertain to i n ­ terest in the work, stability of employment, earnings, chances of promotion, competition, social prestige, and the like. Qualitative data on occupations are necessary for sound vocational planning. Olshansky took quite a different view of the matter of choosing an occupation by saying that jobs choose people and that people do not choose jobs. His premise was based upon ^ George S. Speer and Leslie Jasker, "The Influence of Occupational Information on Occupational Goals,’1 Occupations. 28:15-17, October, 19*+9^ N. Lowenstein and R. Hoppock, "Teaching of Occupations in 1952," Personnel and Guidance Journal. Bljk-^-l-^, April, 1953O R. Cochrane, "Helping Youth Discover Opportunities," California Journal of Secondary Education. 21:96-98, February, 19^6 . 17 the fact that a high percentage of siblings choose the occu­ pation levels of their parents.^ Beilen stressed what he calls "the community occupational survey” as a technique for obtaining occupation information. His assumption was that students who had knowledge of the types of job opportunities actually available made more real­ istic occupational c h o i c e s . ^ At the same time, a study by Nick indicated that the occupational choices of groups of high-school students may be changed by providing occupational information to these g r o u p s . ^ The use of films and visits to places of employment has gained in popularity in recent years as techniques in teach­ ing occupational information. with these two techniques. Miller conducted an experiment He used three matched groups, two experimental and one control, each consisting of 33 members. One experimental group visited ten industries, while the other group saw ten vocational guidance films. Each group was given comparable instruction following the visitation or use of the film. The gains for the experimental groups were 9 s . S. Olshansky, "New Light on Job Choice," Occupations, 2 9 s603~5+, May, 1951. H. Beilen, "Community Occupational Surveys and Studies of Occupational Choice," Personnel and G-uidance Journal, 31*^55-57, April, 1953H E. W. Nick, "High School Boys Choose Vocations," Occupations, 20:26^4— 69, January, 19^2. 18 significant at the one-percent level of confidence. Miller concluded that students learn about occupations and jobs when vocational films and job visits followed by discussion were used as primary teaching techniques. Both experimental techniques appeared to be almost equally effective as in­ structional tools in the areas under investigation, but job visits yielded more significant results than vocational films in terms of gains in occupational information, selection of career choices, and stability of occupational c h o i c e . Fisher designed a questionnaire to obtain information regarding the selection of vocations. It was submitted to 1 ?356 students enrolled in the general curriculum of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of the University of Illinois. He reported that one-third of the freshmen and two-thirds of the seniors had indicated that they had se­ lected vocations. Fifty-one percent of the students' rea­ sons for selection of vocations were directly associated with interest in the vocation, while only 11 percent were associated with anticipated ability to do the work, and 6 percent were associated with what the student believed to be available opportunities for future employment in chosen 12 Ray A. Miller, "Teaching Occupations Using Films and Field Trips," Personnel and Guidance Journal, 31:373-75? March, 1953- vocations. Only 1 percent based their decision for choice of vocation upon descriptive liter at ur e. ^ Opportunities. placement. and satisfaction. Many stud­ ies have been made to determine occupational opportunities, occupational placement, and occupational satisfaction. Only a few of the major studies which are closely related to this study are reviewed, i.e., occupations in agriculture and r e ­ lated occupations. Nylund conducted a study in the Spencer-Van Etten C om ­ munity in the State of New York and found no real opportuni­ ties for full-time men on the farms in that community except for the chance to become a hired man. Occupational oppor­ tunities were available, however, in "related service occupa­ tions," such as services or businesses which assemble, grade, lli. process, and transport the products of the farm to market. Knight reported that in 19^0 the Tennessee vocational agriculture teachers commenced to study the placementestablishment problem under the combined sponsorship of the State Division for Vocational Education and the Department of 13 Robert P. Fisher, "Need for Vocational Information," Journal of Higher Education. 16:270-73, May, 19^5 • llf F. A.. Nylund, "The Discovery and Analysis of the Occupational Opportunities in Farming and Related Service Occupations for Former Students of Vocational Agriculture," (unpublished D o c t o r ^ dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 19^6), pp. 221-25- 20 Agricultural Education at the University of Tennessee. The investigation included approximately 70 percent of the 2^6 Tennessee communities which were served by both white and negro teachers of vocational agriculture. with two groups of potential employers: Contacts were made (a) 1 3 ,05*f farm oper ators, and (b) 1,568 individuals who owned or managed local businesses closely related to agriculture. They found that few Tennessee farmers reached ownership by passing progres­ sively from hired hand to renter to owner, but that ownership and tenancy were most frequently immediate. The opportuni­ ties in related occupations for boys with training in voca­ tional agriculture were few.1^ Wright, in 19^3» made a critical review of 106 studies in agricultural education conducted during the previous 20 years in all parts of the country. The majority of these studies had dealt with the problems of occupational distribu­ tion of former students of vocational agriculture, but very few of them were devoted exclusively to the discovery and analysis of occupational opportunities in farming and in re­ lated occupations. Wright found great differences in the oc­ cupational distribution of former students of vocational agriculture in the various sections of the country and in ^■5 E. B. Knight, "Placement Opportunities in Farming and Related Occupations for Tennessee Students of Vocational Agriculture," Occupations. 20:116-21, November, 19^1• 21 specific areas within states. His survey revealed that larger proportions of former students enter farming who meet the following conditions than those who do not: leave school before graduation, study vocational agriculture, receive lower grades, attend fewer years of high school, sons of farmers, attend small schools, attend special schools of ag­ riculture, study more years of agriculture, have larger and more successful supervised farming programs, and participate in extracurricular activities of an agricultural nature . ^ In 1933, Hamlin reviewed the studies in agricultural education pertaining to occupational distribution of persons who had taken courses in vocational agriculture. On the basis of the studies available he concluded that one may ex­ pect one-third to one-half of the members of any given highschool class to spend their lives in occupations not directly related to agriculture.1 '7 In 1939 Deyoe surveyed the careers of 9*+l boys who took one or more years of vocational agriculture in 20 Michigan high schools during the period from 1918 to 1935 and reported Carlton E. Wright, "Occupational Distribution, E n ­ trance into Farming, and Opportunities for Farming of Former Students of Vocational Agriculture," (unpublished Doc to r’s dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 19^3)? PP. 532-3*+. ^ H. M. Hamlin, "Summary of Measurement Studies in Agricultural Education," Agricultural Education Magazine, 6 :7*+-77, 80, November; 90-93, 98, December, 1933* 22 that 60«5 percent were farming, 6.6 percent were in occupa­ tions related to farming, and 32.9 percent were in nonlft agricultural occupations. Very few studies have been made in agricultural educa­ tion to determine the degree of satisfaction of occupational choices. Anderson, in studying young men ten years after they left Pennsylvania rural high schools, found that only 20 per­ cent of the boys actually entered immediately the occupations of their first choice; after ten years 50 percent of them had abandoned the occupation of their first choice.-*-9 Gregory wished to determine the various factors influencing students of vocational agriculture to choose farming as a vocation and found that *f0 percent of those studied had changed either "into” or "out of" farming during the six-year period, 1931 to 1937. Of those leaving farming, 29 percent had returned to farming by 19 3 7 .20 -1-® George Percy Deyoe, Young Men from Michigan Farms (State Board of Control for Vocational Education, Bulletin No. 256. Lansing, Michigan: 1939)? 56 pp. Clarence Scott Anderson, "Young Men 10 Years after Leaving Pennsylvania Rural High Schools," (nonthesis study, Pennsylvania State College, State College, 19*+6), p. 3 8 . 2(^ Raymond William Gregory, "Factors Influencing Estab­ lishment in Farming of Former Students in Vocational Agricul­ ture," (unpublished Doctor1s dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1937)1 PP* 120-22. 23 Studying a group of out-of-school farm youth, Bender found that 90 percent of the young farmers wished to establish their homes on farms, as compared with 60 percent of the young farm women. He stated that this was significant at the five-percent level of confidence, and that if these preferences were typi­ cal of the young farm men and women throughout the country there would likely be more bachelor farmers in the future.2'*' Evaluating occupational information. If the teacher of vocational agriculture is to make intelligent use of the great variety of occupational literature which is available, he must have in mind standards for judging the adequacy of these mate­ rials. The standards reviewed here are those which have been used to some extent by counselors and librarians in appraising occupational literature• Early efforts to evaluate occupational literature were made by Lane, the results of whose work were published in 1926,22 and revised in 1 9 3 1 . The National Vocational p *1 Ralph E. Bender, "The Development of a Problem Check List and a Demonstration of Its Use in Planning Rural Youth Programs," (unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Ohio State University, Columbus, 191+7) 5 p. 307* 22 Mary Rogers Lane, "The Content, Volume, and Uses of Occupational Studies," Vocational G-uidance Magazine, 1f:32633, April, 1926. 23 The outline was accepted under the title, "The Outline Used in Preparing Occupational Studies; Form A for a Long Study; Form B for a Short Study," Vocational Guidance Maga­ zine. 9:356-59, May, 1931- 2*+ Guidance Association, under the direction of Mary P. Corre and Josephine Streit Shapiro, revised Lane's works still 2*+ further. The resulting outline became known as the "Basic Outline." Later revisions of the Basic Outline were pub­ lished in 1 9 * + 0 , a n d 1950.2^ In 193^-35 Porter and Sumner, in an endeavor to measure format and style of agricultural college bulletins, contacted the editors of bulletins in the agricultural colleges and asked them to give their personal opinions concerning the factors that make a popular or unpopular publication. Professor Bristow Adams of Cornell University made the following reply: So far, I have seen very little relation between the style of a bulletin and the demand for that bulle­ tin; in other words, demand is based on the number of persons engaged in the farming enterprise, rather than on the qualities of the bulletin itself. For example, Cornell poultry bulletins are printed in large edi­ tions and the supply is soon exhausted, in spite of the fact that some of them are by no means models of what a bulletin should be. ph. The National Vocational Guidance Association, "Dis­ tinguishing Marks of a Good Occupational Monograph," Occupa­ tions « 18:129-30, November, 1939* The National Vocational Guidance Association, "Content of a Good Occupational Monograph--The Basic Outline," Occupa­ tions . 19:20-23, October, 19^0. The National Vocational Guidance Association, "Stand­ ards for Use in Preparing and Evaluating Occupational Litera­ ture," Occupations. 28:319-2I+, February, 19?0. 2 ^ Of the bulletins which have not had a popular appeal, 286, "The Common, or Air-Cooled, Apple Storage and Its Management," might have been ex­ pected to have a considerable demand because the apple crop is commercially important in New York. The bulletin has not been popular. I think it is because it is too technical and too long, and be­ cause a large number of apple growers have progressed beyond the air-cooled storage stage, and depend upon modern cold-storage warehouses.2 /7 Professor A. J. Patch of Michigan State College expressed his views to Porter and Sumner as follows: Special 231 is a technical bulletin masquerading in a costume to simulate a popular bulletin. No one was deceived very much. This is one of the most ex­ pensive jobs ever published here, which should prove that mere expenditure of money does not make a bulle­ tin popular. . . . In the group of bulletins which have had a large distribution, Special bulletin 18'3 has been revised and reprinted many times. It con­ tains essential information of importance to many people. Technicalities are avoided, the style is terse and understandable, and the language is simple without showing any evidence of being written down. The cuts are numerous and of good q u a l i t y . 2 ° Lincoln has prepared an outline fpr the evaluation of occupational pamphlets in which five main topics are con­ sidered. They are; To which individuals (pupils, teachers, or parents) would the pamphlets be valuable? How is the subject matter presented? (story, descriptive, etc.) 2? Wilford Dowdle Porter and W. A. Sumner, Measuring Format and Style of Agricultural College Bulletins (Depart­ ment of Agricultural Journalism, College of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 7« Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin, 1936), p. 7. 2^ Ibid., pp. 11 f. • 26 Who collected information? Was information verified? What uses can he made of the pamphlet? ^ Woellner and Lyman developed a score card for estimating the value of a vocational book used for individual reading. In this card they assigned to the section on content 800 of a possible 1,000 points: occupational information *+00 points, reader’s interest 150 points, and appreciation and ideals 250 points. The second main section dealt with mechanical make­ up to which were given 100 points; and the remaining 100 points were distributed to subtopics under the general heading of composition and rhetoric. •30 For evaluating occupational literature, Froelich designed a checklist which consists of five sections, each having a numerical value: content 60 points, author 10 points, illus­ trations 5 points, and format 15 points. The numerical values were determined in the following manner: Forty separate pieces of occupational information were checked by two full­ time counselors. Those items which the counselors said were characteristic of 75 percent of the publications were re­ tained in the final scale. A rough index of discrimination 29 Mildred E. Lincoln, Teaching about Vocational Life (Scranton, Pennsylvania: International Textbook Company, 1937), PP. *+30-32• 3° R. C. Woellner and R. H. Lyman, "Score Card for Evaluating the Value of a Vocational Book Used for Individual Reading,” School Review. 38:191-99, March, 1930. 27 was computed. Twenty “good” and 20 "poor" publications were selected, each of which was then checked against all items in the checklist. If the counselors agreed that an item was characteristic of a publication, one point was given. Sepa­ rate totals for the "good" and "poor" groups were computed for each item and the total "good" points were divided by the total "poor" points for each of the thirteen items in the scale, the dividend serving as the index of discrimination. For example, they assigned ten points to the "good" group for illustration, while the "poor" group received only four points. Thus, ten divided by four gave an index discrimina­ tion of 2.5. Weights were then assigned with regard for the relative discriminatory power of the items. The scale thus developed is referred to as the "North Dakota Checklist for Evaluation of Occupational Literature."31 This checklist appears to be more of a quantitative nature, and does not provide for rating of the quality of the materials presented. Drucker has made only slight modifications of the "North Dakota Checklist for Evaluation of Occupational Literature" for use in Ohio. ■52 31 Clifford P. Froelich, "An Instrument for Evaluating Occupational Literature," Occupations, 20:581-85, May, 19*+2. 32 Mary J. Drucker, Evaluating an Occupational Information Library (Division of Vocational Education, Bulletin No. GP-1. Columbus, Ohio: State Department of Education, November, 1951)» P. 7. 28 Oxhandler worked with 50 freshman homemaking girls at Ohio State University to determine what makes an occupational information pamphlet popular, and found that the most popular ones had fewer words per heading, more outlining of subject matter, more pictures, and large type with more white space between lines and paragraphs. Therefore the pamphlets that appeared easy to read, and from which information could be easily obtained were the most popular o n e s . ^ Brayfield and Reed applied the revised Flesch^^ method of measuring readability and human interest to sample passages from current occupational literature on skilled and semi­ skilled occupations. They reported that 65 percent of the publications studied for ease of reading were rated "very difficult” and the remainder rated ”difficult.M For human interest, 71 percent were judged "dull,” and the remaining ones were judged "mildly interesting.”35 Availability of occupational information in agriculture and related fields. Very little has been written directly 33 Avis Oxhandler, ”What Makes an Occupational Informa­ tion Pamphlet Popular?” Occupations. 29:26-29, October, 1950. 3^ R. A. Flesch, "A New Readability Yardstick,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 32:221-23, June, 19^8. 35 Arthur H. Brayfield and P. A. Reed, ”How Readable Are Occupational Information Booklets?” Journal of Applied Psy­ chology, 3^:325-28, October, 1950. 29 on this subject, but most studies pertaining to occupational information imply that there is a paucity of adequate mate­ rials. Byram prepared a list of occupations in and related to agriculture other than productive farming, and there were indications of an inadequacy of occupational information available to farm boys.-^ Brayfield and Mickelson made a study of occupational in­ formation coverage. As mentioned in another connection in this paper, they reported that occupational information was concentrated upon the white-collar and professional occupa­ tions; manual and minimal skill level occupations and farming were relatively neglected. They stated also that a realistic analysis of occupational structure and trends by writers and publishers was needed so that gaps in coverage could be re- duced.^? Filing occupational information. In a recent publica­ tion Baer and Roeber point out that there are several goals which are common to all good plans for filing occupational information. plan, They are: (1) a simple plan, (2) an expandable (3 ) an attractive plan, and (*+) a psychologically 36 Harold M. Byram, "Opportunities for the Farm-Reared Boy,” Occupations. lysll^-Sl, November, 1938. 37 Arthur H. Brayfield and Grace T. Mickelson, "Disparities in Occupational Information Coverage,'1 Occupations. 29:506-8, April, 1951. 30 appropriate plan, meaning one which meets the needs of the students rather than the needs of counselors•and librari­ ans.-^ Shartle, in reviewing several filing plans, had this to says In filing occupational information the impor­ tant thing is to have a system that meets the needs rather than copy or adapt a particular system.— Adopting the Dictionary or a modification of it has the advantage of grouping similar occupations to­ gether. Regardless of what system is used the number of breakdowns can be governed by the amount and variety of information one has to file and by the breadth of information that one deals with at any specific t i m e . -^9 Filing systems may be one of two distinct types, the alphabetical system and the system based on titles and codes of the Dictionary of Occupational T i t l e s Each type is being modified and adjusted to meet the filing needs through­ out the country. The SRA (Science Research Associates) plan is alphabetical and can be expanded indefinitely. This plan includes a guidebook, How to Build an Occupational Library. 38 Baer and Roeber, Occupational Information. Its Nature and U s e . pp. 36-3 7 0 . 39 Carroll L. Shartle, Occupational Information. Its Development and Application (New Yorks Prentice-Hall, Inc., 194-6 ) , p . lM+ • ^ United States Employment Service, United States D e ­ partment of Labor, Dictionary of Occupational Titles (Washing­ ton, D.C.; United States Government Printing Office, 19^9), Vols. I, lie ^ John R. Yale, How to Build an Occupational Information Library (Chicagos Science Research Associates, 19^+6 ), 120 pp. 31 The Compton College Plan,1*2 the Virginia P l a n , ^ and the Missouri Plan cations. Uh are the alphabetical type with slight modifi­ H a n d s v i l l e G a c h e t , ^ and K e n n e d y ^ developed plans strongly resembling one another but with slight modifi! cations, all based on the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. The Michigan filing plan is an alphabetical subject in­ dex by fields of work based upon those used in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. The terms of the plan were so de­ fined that materials for all occupations are filed in 165 J. o folders.This appears to be a simple, and very practical plan for small libraries where semiskilled persons are ^ Elizabeth Weal, "Filing Occupational Information Alphabetically," Occupations. 22:503-6, May, 19Mf. ^•3 state Consultation Service, Division of Secondary Education, Occupational Informations A Manual (Richmond, Virginia; Library and Textbook Service of the Division of Related Instructional Services, 19*+9)> PP* 31-53* ^ Edward C. Roeber, Missouri Plan for Filing Unbound Materials on Occupations (Columbus, Missouri; University of Missouri, 1950)• Raymond M. Handsville, "How to File Occupational In­ formation," Occupations. 22:35-38, October, 19**3* ^ Rochelle R. Gachet, "Filing Occupational Information for Women," Occupations. 22:35**-57> March, 19**5*. ^ E. G. Kennedy, Occupational Information. A Course of Study (Topeka. Kansas: State Board for Vocational Education, March, 195+9)? PP* 78-91* ^ Michigan Plan for Filing and Indexing Occupational Material can be purchased from the Sturgis Printing Company, Sturgis, Michigan. 32 employed as librarians. Furthermore, high-school students may be easily taught how to use it. In this chapter an attempt has been made to show the im ­ portance and availability of occupational information in agriculture and related fields. The practices which have been used in evaluating these materials have been reviewed in order that a satisfactory method may be developed for evalu­ ating occupational information in agriculture. After a thor­ ough investigation of the research on the problem defined in this study, it was concluded that there were no studies di­ rectly concerned with this problem. Therefore, closely re­ lated literature of occupational information has been r e ­ viewed. Since filing of such materials may create a problem, the most popular filing systems for occupational information have been cited and will be used as a basis for recommending a satisfactory filing system for use in agricultural librar­ ies. In the next chapter will be discussed the methods of collecting, analyzing, and using data which were gathered for this study. CHAPTER III SECURING, ANALYZING, AND USING DATA This chapter treats the following phases of the study: (1 ) the general plan adopted for securing the data on occupa­ tional information in agriculture; (2 ) the development of the questionnaires and of the plan for administration; (3 ) the trial use and subsequent revision of the instructions and questionnaires; (*+) the selection of the teachers of voca­ tional agriculture to whom the questionnaires were to be sent (5) the distribution and administration of materials for col­ lecting data; (6 ) the methods of analyzing the data; and (7 ) the uses of the data. General plan for securing data. As previously discussed in Chapter I, one purpose of the study was to determine the critical factors of occupational information in agriculture which teachers and students of vocational agriculture in the North-Central Region found most useful for their needs. To accomplish this objective two questionnaires were developed, one for the teachers of vocational agriculture and the other for the students. According to methods described later, teachers were selected and then asked to cooperate in the following ways: (1 ) by personally answering a questionnaire; (2) by directing 3*+ their students in checking questionnaires; and (3 ) by tab­ ulating the results of each class. These three steps are presented more fully in separate sections of this chapter. Development of the questionnaires and of the plan for administration. After a review of the literature to deter­ mine the important characteristics of and the critical fac­ tors in occupational information, only those characteristics and factors on which there was general agreement in the literature were selected for use in the questionnaires. It was desirable also to secure both teachers' and students' opinions on most of the items selected, but there were cer­ tain items which required only the teachers' answers, e.g., the number of occupational pamphlets in the school's agri­ culture library; and there were some which pertained only to the students, e.g., their preference for certain occupa­ tions as a possible vocation. As a consequence it was de­ cided to prepare two different forms. Both questionnaires contained a list of "characteris­ tics of occupational pamphlets" which were to be rated as "very important," "important," or "unimportant." Appendix A.) (See The first sixteen characteristics on the questionnaire were modifications of those listed in "Stand­ ards for Use in Preparing and Evaluating Occupational 35 Literature.'1 The remaining two characteristics were emphap sized in the early literature by Porter and Sumner, and more recently by Oxhandler.^ There were other important charac­ teristics of occupational information emphasized by Oxhandler,^ i.e., pictures, tables, and writing style. A preference r e ­ sponse for these items was more desirable than the ratings applied to the other items. These characteristics are defined in Chapter IV. The teacher's questionnaire included items which sought to obtain data concerning the number of occupational pam­ phlets and books in the library of the department of voca­ tional agriculture, the number of agricultural occupations presented in these pamphlets and books, the number of days spent presenting to classes the available occupational informa­ tion in agriculture, the kind and suitability of the filing system, and the teacher's preference as to where his students should obtain information concerning agricultural occupations. 1 The National Vocational Guidance Association, "Stand­ ards for Use in Preparing and Evaluating Occupational Litera­ ture," Occupations. 28:319-21+, February, 1950. ^ Wilford Dowdle Porter and W. A. Sumner, Measuring Format and Style of Agricultural College Bulletins (Depart­ ment of Agricultural Journalism, College of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 7* Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin, 1936), p. 7. 3 Avis- Oxhandler, "What Makes an Occupational Informa­ tion Pamphlet Popular?" Occupations, 29:26-29) October, 1950. ** L o c . c i t . 36 The teachers were asked to check the items relating their experiences with these sources of occupational infor­ mation: slides, (1 ) printed materials, (2 )' films, filmstrips, and (3 ) field trips to farms, and (*+) people engaged in the occupation. The above sources were each checked for the ease of securing them, their teaching value, and their fre­ quency of use. (See teacher’s questionnaire in Appendix A.) The students' questionnaires were designed to obtain such personal data as their preferences for sources of occu­ pational information, their opinions of the value of occupa­ tional information in agriculture, and their opinions of the value of field trips to farms or to other places of work to learn about an occupation. The last section in both questionnaires was devoted to an "Occupation Checklist in Agriculture." were placed in two classifications, The occupations "Production Occupations," and "Farm Service and Other Related Occupations." (These two terms have been previously defined in the section, "Defi­ nitions of Terms Used.") The teachers were asked to check those occupations on which materials were needed, but which were lacking in the agricultural library. The students were asked to check the occupations in which they were interested as a possible vocation. The checklist was developed after a careful considera­ tion of the classifications of agriculture and related 37 occupations in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles.^ and Byram's classification of occupations for the agriculturally trained. The titles found on the available publications in agricultural and related occupations also influenced the entries on the checklist. In order that the questionnaires might be uniformly ad­ ministered, it seemed important that a well-organized plan be developed for use in collecting the data. The following p r o­ cedure was devised to be tested in an experimental situations (1) giving the teacher opportunity to answer his questionnaire before distributing questionnaires to the students (to prevent the students’ opinions from influencing the teacher’s reac­ tion); (2 ) thoroughly acquainting the students with the m a t e ­ rials under consideration by providing an opportunity for them to examine them carefully; and (3 ) determining the approximate length of time necessary for examining the materials, check­ ing of the questionnaires and tabulating the responses. Trial use and revisions of the instructions and the questionnaires. Because of the importance of testing not ^ United States Employment Service, United States Depart­ ment of Labor, Dictionary of Occupational Titles (Washington, D.C.; United States Government Printing Office, 19^-9), Vols. I, II. ^ Harold M. Byram, Occupations for the Agriculturally Trained (Ames, Iowas Collegiate Press, Iowa State College, 1936), 28 p p . 38 only the questionnaires, hut also the proposed plan for a d ­ ministering them to the students, as previously mentioned, arrangements were made with five Michigan teachers of voca­ tional agriculture for a trial test. The agriculture de­ partments used were Charlotte, Grand Ledge, Olivet, Owosso, and Williamston. For this purpose only one agriculture class was used at each school, but a good sampling resulted in that there were three freshman classes of 52 students, one junior class of 1 1 , and one senior class of 1 6 . The writer was present at each trial test to observe and to make note of any questions by the students or teacher per­ taining to the questionnaires or any additional instructions necessary for administering the questionnaires to the groups. The time required in each of the following steps was also noted: (1 ) for the teacher to introduce the study to the students, (2 ) for the students to examine the pamphlets, (3 ) for the students to check the questionnaires, and (*4-) for the teacher to tabulate the results with the assistance of the class members. These trial tests proved to be very help­ ful in clarifying several questions and statements in the instructions. The timing of each step made it possible to plan a smooth sequence of operation and to recommend a time schedule so that the gathering of the data might be completed in one class period. 39 Selection of teachers of vocational agriculture. It was stated in Chapter I that selected teachers of vocational agriculture in the North-Central Region were used for this study. This region was selected for the following reasons: (1 ) the writer had an opportunity to make personal contacts with the leaders in agricultural education of each state of the region, (2 ) the states of this region appeared,to be fairly homogeneous in opportunities for farming and related occupations, and (3 ) to hold the expenditure to an amount which would not be prohibitive. In an effort to have each of the states in this region represented in the study, the in­ vestigator attended the Regional Conference of Supervisors and Teacher-Trainers in Agriculture at Chicago in March, 1952. He made a special effort at that time to meet each super­ visor and to discuss this research problem with him. Then, immediately following the conference, a letter was written to each of these officials (see Appendix A) requesting the names and addresses of five teachers of vocational agricul­ ture in his area and mentioning that those who had used occupational information materials with their classes were preferred. The State Supervisors responded by recommending the five teachers or by sending a copy of their teacher di­ rectory. Thereupon five teachers of vocational agriculture In each state in this Region were contacted by letter (see *fO Appendix A) and their cooperation was solicited. The letter explained briefly and gave the approximate time required for participation. (83 percent) Of the 65 teachers who were contacted, 5*+ signified their agreement to participate in the study by returning a self-addressed postal card which had been enclosed in the explanatory letter. The card also gave the number of students in each class of vocational agricul­ ture. Distribution and administration of materials for col­ lecting data. When the postal card was received from each teacher, the necessary materials were mailed to him immedi­ ately. They consisted of: the study; (1) instructions for conducting (2 ) student questionnaires sufficient for total enrollment in all vocational agriculture classes; e r ’s questionnaire; (3 ) teach­ (*+) occupational pamphlets in sufficient number to meet the needs of the largest class; and (5) selfaddressed envelope for mailing the results. A.) (See Appendix The occupational pamphlets sent covered twelve different occupations in agriculture and were representative of the inexpensive materials available. The instructions recommended that the teachers conduct the study as follows: (1 ) to answer their own questionnaires before presenting the forms to their students (for reasons previously mentioned); (2 ) to use about five minutes to k-x introduce the study to the class by relating certain experi­ ences as that suggested on page two of the instructions, and then to distribute the pamphlets to the students, allowing them about 15“ minutes to become familiar with the materials under consideration; (3) to place a student’s questionnaire in the hands of each’member in the class and allow 12 to 15 minutes for checking; (*+) to summarize the students’ answers on the forms provided for that purpose; and (5) to mail im­ mediately the completed tea ch er ’s questionnaire and the sum­ mary of the students' responses in the self-addressed en­ velope which was provided. (A. copy of these instructions is found in Appendix A.) Of the 5b teachers who agreed to cooperate in the study, 51, or 95 percent, returned the required materials containing the results in a highly satisfactory condition. Methods of analyzing d a t a . A composite tabulation was subsequently made of the teachers’ responses to the question­ naires and one was likewise made of the responses of the stu­ dents participating in the study. Since the results in many instances reported both juniors and seniors in Classes III and IV, it seemed advisable to combine the results of these two groups. Some of the data are shown in tabulated form when statistical treatment was not required; however, for most of the data it was necessary to determine the U-2 significance of differences or the levels of significance. When it was necessary to do this, the proportions of re­ sponses for each of the three categories were computed for those factors according to the opinions expressed hy each group, namely, teachers, Class I, Class II, Classes III and IV, and the total of all classes. In order to determine the significance of the difference "between proportions, it was necessary to compute the standard error of the two largest proportions, the standard error of the difference between these two proportions, and the critical ratio. The critical ratio is equal to the difference of two proportions divided by the standard error of the difference. A critical ratio of two or more of the difference to the standard error of the difference between two proportions is not likely to be a chance difference. Critical ratios of two, and two and six- tenths are significant at the five- and the one-percent levels, respectively. The critical ratio of two, or the five percent level of significance was used as the cutting point throughout this study, although in many instances the one percent level of significance was pointed out. Additional methods used are discussed in Chapter IV as they were applied to specific data. Uses of the data. useds The data secured by these means were (1 ) to prepare an evaluative instrument (score card); ^3 (2) to evaluate the available materials which were selected by the criteria set forth in the "Scope of the Study," Chap­ ter I; (3) to discover the sources and coverage of the cur­ rent materials by preparing an annotated bibliography; and (i+) to recommend a filing system to teachers of vocational agriculture. Limitations of the study. Because of conditions beyond control of the writer, certain limitations are inherent in this study, though it is doubtful that the reliability of the results obtained is affected by them. (1) Because of the i r ­ regular responses of the teachers, the number of schools in the respective states varied from two to five. (2) The num­ ber of students and teachers represented varied from state to state. (3) The study did not encompass periods of both high and low farmer income, but only a period of relative prosper­ ity. (b-) The findings of this study are not necessarily applicable to other regions in the United States or to any specific area in the North-Central Region, but may be helpful to other regions. CHAPTER IV PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA Introduction. As was stated in the previous chapter, the sampling used in this study was a purposive selection of certain teachers of vocational agriculture and their stu­ dents in the North-Central Region. Of the 65 teachers (5 from each of the 13 states) who were solicited to cooperate in the study, 51 or 78 percent participated. Each teacher checked or answered the questionnaire which had been sent to him. Also, according to the proposed plan, each teacher motivated his students to examine some occupational information pam­ phlets in agriculture and directed their checking of indi­ vidual questionnaires. The results furnished by the execu­ tion of the above plan provided the data used in this study. Table I shows that the teachers of vocational agriculture of 51 schools cooperated in this study. The range was from 2 to 5 teachers per state, or an average of 3.9 teachers per state. The 2,150 students consisted of 738 in Class I (freshmen), 6U-2 in Class II (sophomores), and 770 in Classes III and IV (juniors and seniors). Classes III and IV were combined since most schools reported that they were composed of both junior and senior students. There was an average of l1+.5 students per school in Class I, with a range of 8 to 27»5» Class II had an average of 12.6 students per school with a range of k5 TABLE I DISTRIBUTION OF COOPERATING STUDENTS OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE BY STATES WITH AVERAGE AND RANGE PER CLASS State Number of cooperating schools Number of students per class I II III & IV Total Illinois k 50 32 59 lkl Indiana b 32 27 2k 83 Iowa b 66 63 5k 183 Kansas 2 55 32 29 116 Kentucky 3 51 k5 82 178 Michigan 5 99 6k 69 232 Minnesota 3 37 38 k6 121 Missouri b b9 kl 37 127 Nebraska b k8 58 67 173 North Dakota 5 5b 77 78 209 Ohio 3 33 33 36 102 South Dakota 5 55 61 8k 200 Wisconsin 5 109 71 105 285 2,150 51 738 6k 2 770 Average 3.9* lk. 5 12.6 13-1 Range 2-5* 8-27.5 Total * Number of schools. 6 .8-16 1+2.2 6-27-3 20.8-59 J+6 6.8 to 16• For Classes XII and IV combined, the average was 13.1 students per school with a range of 6 to 2 7 .3 . The average and range of the total of all classes represent the number of students in the vocational agriculture depart­ ments per school, namely 1+2 .2 , and 20.8 to 59 •3 students respectively. (A, list of the cooperating teachers, names of the schools, and addresses may be seen in Appendix A.) These data have been analyzed by computing the propor­ tions and the critical ratios. Critical ratios of 2 and of 2.6 designate the 5 and the 1 percent levels of significance respectively. The discussion of these data follows the order of a p ­ pearance on the students' questionnaire. Special data con­ cerning occupational information are discussed near the end of this chapter. Preferences for -pictures. Teachers and students were asked to give their preferences concerning colored pictures, black and white pictures, or the necessity of pictures in occupational information in agriculture. Preferences of teachers were similar to preferences of students. Table II.) (See Preferences for colored pictures over black and white were significant at the 1 percent level; all groups had critical ratios greater than 2.6. Preferences for black TABLE II PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FOR PICTURES IN OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Students and teachers reporting Group Number Preference for colored pictures Preference for black and white pictures Number Percent Number Percent Pictures were not necessary Number Percent Critical ratio Class I 738 533 72.2 169 22.9 36 if.9 21.9 Class II 6^2 V73 73.7 153 23.8 16 2.5 20.6 Classes III and IV 770 9*6 70.9 18^ 23.9 ^0 5.2 17.7 All classes 2,150 1,552 72.2 506 23.5 92 V.3 36.5 72.0 13 26.0 1 5.2 5.2 Teachers 50 36 4* Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. •r S] 1+8 and white pictures ranged from 22.9 to 26 percent, slightly increasing from Class I to the teachers. 2 to A very low percent, stated pictures were not necessary in the materials. Preferences for writing style. Table III shows that students and teachers preferred a style which combined para­ graphing and outlining. This preference, with a critical ratio slightly above two, was significant at the five-percent level for Class I students. For all other classes and for teachers it was significant at the one-percent level. A larger percent (7b. 5 ) of teachers than students (1+6 .7 ) indi­ cated a preference for a combination of paragraphing and outlining. Also, a greater proportion of teachers preferred outlining to paragraphing. The preceding two findings may be explained by the fact that teachers usually read more ex­ tensively and may appreciate the terseness of materials. students preferred paragraphing to outlining. The A logical hypothesis might be that materials which are outlined are more difficult for students to interpret and are less inter­ esting . Approximately the same percentage of teachers preferred a combination of outline and paragraph writing style as those who preferred colored pictures. students. This was not true of the Considering all classes, only 1+6.7 percent pre­ ferred a combination of outline and paragraph writing, where­ as 72.2 percent preferred colored pictures. TABLE III PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FOR WRITING STYLE OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Students and teachers reporting Preference for paragraph form Preference for outline form Number Percent Number Percent Preference for combination of par­M agraph and outline Critical ratio ' Number Percent Group Number Class I 738 283 38.if 128 17.3 327 Mf.,3 2.3 Class II 6lf2 2^0 37.^ 95 lif.8 307 V 7.8 3.8 Classes III and IY 770 27^ 35.6 127 16.5 369 ^ 7.9 5A All classes 2,150 797 37.1 350 16.3 1,003 1*6.7 6.3 51 5 7.8 8 15.7 38 7^.5 7.*f Teachers % Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. -r vo 50 Preferences for tables. The teachers and students were asked if they "like,’* ’'dislike,*1 or "neither like nor dis­ like" tables in occupational information materials. Both students and teachers preferred information presented in tables. (See Table IV.) Preferences of all groups were sig­ nificant at the one-percent level. The critical ratio was between "like" and "dislike" for information presented in tables. Twelve percent or less of all groups disliked tables. The proportion of each group neither liking nor disliking tables ranged from 27 to 3*+ percent. Sixty percent of the teachers preferred information pre­ sented in tables, as compared with 7) + percent who preferred a combination of paragraph and outline writing style; 72 per­ cent preferred colored pictures. for the three items werej The students’ preferences 60.3 percent for tables, *+6.7 percent for combination of paragraph and outline writing style, and 72.2 percent for colored pictures. Value of occupational information materials. The teach­ ers and students did not agree in their opinions as to the value of these materials. (See Table V.) Fifty-six to 57 percent of the students thought that occupational information was "valuable" as compared to 39.1 percent of the teachers. Sixty-one percent of the teachers recognized "some value" of these materials compared to about 37 percent of the students. ,*<, sW TABLE IV PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FOR TABLES IN OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Students and teachers reporting Like tables Dislike tables Neither like nor dislike! tables Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Critical ratio Group Number Class I 738 ^69 63.6 60 8.1 209 28.3 1^.6 Class II 6^2 390 60.8 80 12.5 172 26.8 13.0 Classes III and IV 770 1*38 56.9 86 11.2 2h6 32.0 10.2 All classes 2,150 1,297 60.3 226 10.5 627 29*2 21.7 50 30 60.0 3 6.0 17 3^.0 2.7 Teachers Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. vn H TABLE V OPINIONS OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF VALUE OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Students and teachers reporting Information has much value Information has some value Number Percent Number Percent Information has little value Critical Number Percent ratio* Group Number Class I 738 klk 56.1 277 37.5 b7 6 ,1+ 7.3 Class II 6^2 371 229 35.7 b2 6.5 8.2 Classes III and IV 57.8 '* 770 V38 56.9 280 36.^ 52 6.8 8.3 All classes 2,150 1,223 56.9 786 36.6 1^1 6.6 13.6 if6 18 39.1 28 60.9 0 0.0 2.1 Teachers *Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. 53 Only a small percent of the students (6.8 or less) thought that these materials were of only "little value" as compared to the fact that no teachers expressed preferences for "little value." The preferences of all groups of the stu­ dents were significant at the one-percent level, as compared to the five-percent level for teachers. Preferences of students for source of occupational in­ formation materials. As indicated in Table VI, students preferred field trips to films or printed materials as a source of occupational information in agriculture. The critical ratios revealed that the preference of all groups for field trips was highly significant at the one-percent level. Films were preferred to printed materials. Of the students in all classes, 5^ percent preferred field trips, 28.9 percent preferred films, and 17 percent preferred printed materials. Homogeneity existed in all groups. Value of field trips. In reference to the value of field trips to learn about an occupation in agriculture, 75.8 to 83.3 percent of the students and teachers thought that they were of "much value." Only a small percent of the students and teachers thought that field trips were of "no value." The opinions of all groups that field trips have "much value" were highly significant at the one-percent level (Table VII). TABLE VI PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS FOR SOURCE OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Students reporting Number Group Preference for printed materials Number Percent Preference for films Number Percent Preference for field trips Number Percent Critica! ratio* Class I 738 131 17.8 195 26.:1+ •+12 55.8 12.1 Class II 6h-2 98 15.3 196 30.5 3^8 5V .2 8.8 Classes III and IV 77 0 137 17.8 231 30.0 *f02 52.2 9.3 All classes 2,150 366 17.0 622 28.9 1,162 5^.1 17.3 * Based, on the difference of the two largest proportions. * TABLE VII OPINIONS OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF VALUE OF FIELD TRIPS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT AN OCCUPATION IN AGRICULTURE Students and teachers reporting Field trips have much value Field trips have some value Field trips have no value Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Critical ratio* Group Number Class I 738 580 78.6 lb6 19.8 12 1.6 27.9 Class II 6b2 513 79.9 118 18 11 1.7 27.9 Classes III and IV 770 58^ 75.8 162 21.0 2b 3.1 25.8 All classes 2,150 1,677 78.0 U26 19.8 b7 2.2 b6.7 bO 83.3 8 16.7 0 0.0 8.8 Teachers Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. va v-a 56 Although 9+ percent of the students in all classes pre­ ferred field trips, 78 percent recognized field trips as of "much value” in teaching occupational information in agricul­ ture . Persons from whom students of vocational agriculture pre­ ferred to obtain occupational information. It was interesting to note in Table VIII that 53 percent of Class I, 57 percent of Class II, and 6l percent of Classes III and IV (a gradual increase) preferred to obtain occupational information from people who were engaged in the occupation. In each case these percentages were significant at the one-percent level. The percentages of students who preferred the teacher of agriculture as the source of occupational information were *fl.6 for Class I, *-1-0.3 for ClassII, and 33*6 for Classes III and IV. A gradual decrease was noted. However, the per­ centages are not significantly different. The percentage of students who preferred to obtain occu­ pational information from the school counselor was very small, only *+.6 percent for all classes. To determine whether there was a difference between the preferences of the students from the smaller schools and of the students from the larger schools, the following data were secured and analyzed. The population of each town or city in which the schools were located was secured from the Census of Population: 195Q« TABLE VIII PERSONS FROM WHOM STUDENTS PREFER TO OBTAIN OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Students reporting Group Number From the agriculture teacher Number Percent From the school counselor Number Percent From people engaged, in the occupation Number Percent Critical ratii Class I 738 307 tfl.6 ^0 5.b 391 53.0 b.k- Class II 6k2 259 *+0.3 17 2.7 366 57.0 6.1 Classes III and IV 770 259 33.6 kl 5.3 k-70 61.0 11.2 All classes 2,150 825 38 A 98 tf.6 1,227 57.1 12.5 Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. 58 There were nine towns with a population of less than 1,000, and. nine towns with a population greater than 7,75c.1 When the critical ratio was computed, there was no significant difference between the percentage of students who preferred counselors in the nine smaller towns (3.8 percent) and those in the nine larger towns (M-.O percent). Type of occupation most likely to be chosen as a career. Table IX gives the results of the students' responses to the question, "What type of occupation are you most likely to choose as a career, farming, one related to farming, or nonagricultural?" Opinions of all groups were highly signifi­ cant at the one-percent level, with percentages for farming of 72.8 for Glass I, 70*7 tor Class II, 72.2 for Classes III and IV, and 72.0 for all classes. The next largest percent­ ages were for careers related to farming. Students of all classes considered, 91 percent thought that they would choose a career in farming or one related to farming. Only 9 per­ cent thought that they would choose a nonagricultural career. These data are in agreement with studies reported in the review of related literature (Chapter II) that siblings tend to choose the occupational levels of their parents. The 1 Census of Population: 1950 (Bureau of the Census, United States Department of Commerce, Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1952). TABLE IX STUDENTS' OPINIONS OF THEIR MOST LIKELY CHOICE OF A N OCCUPATION AS A CAREER Students reporting Group Number Farming Occupation Number Occupation Related to Farming Nonagricultural occupation Percent Number percent Number Critica Percent ratio* Class I 738 537 72.8 128 17.3 73 9.9 25.8 Class II 6k2 k$+ 70.7 137 21.3 51 7.9 20.^ Classes III and IV 770 556 72.2 1^5 18.8 69 9.0 23.6 All classes 2,150 1,5^7 72.0 if10 19.1 193 9.0 ifl.O Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. 60 data also validate the selection of students for classes in vocational agriculture as is required by the Smith-Hughes a 42 Acts. Preferences for some selected characteristics of occupa­ tional information. As was stated in Chapter III, both the student's and the teacher's questionnaires contained a list of 18 characteristics of occupational pamphlets which were rated as "very important," "important," or "unimportant." These data were tabulated, as previously, in the following groups: Class I, Class II, Classes III and IV, all classes, and teachers. Tables X, XII, XIV, XVI, and XVIII reveal the preferences by numbers for the various groups. Likewise, Tables XI, XIII, XV, XVII, and XIX reveal percentages for each group. Homogeneity was noted in all groups. The dis­ cussion will be based upon Tables XVII and XIX, and the sig­ nificant differences will be pointed out for two groups, "all students" and "teachers." In Table XVII the characteristic, "advancement in an occupation," showed no significant difference in the propor­ tion of the students, but in Table XIX (for teachers), there was significant difference in the proportions at the 2 United States Congress, Public Laws of the United States of America Passed by the Sixtv-Fourth Congress, 19151917 (Vol. XXXIX, Part I. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1917). 6l TABLE X PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS IN CLASS I FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Numbei* of students Characteristics V I U Total Brief general history 157 4-50 91 698 Importance to society 266 324- 108 698 Duties and responsibilities 523 154- 21 698 Number employees and trends 203 34-7 14-8 698 Qualifications 319 267 112 698 Preparation 503 174- 21 698 Methods of entering 269 383 4-6 698 Time required to attain skill 24-1 384- 73 698 Advancement 305 34-0 . 53 698 Related occupations 106 4-13 179 698 Earnings 4-79 201 18 698 Conditions of work 2+27 235 36 698 Professional organizations 126 4-23 14-9 698 Typical places of employment 191 4-10 97 698 Advantages and disadvantages 196 4-19 83 698 Sources of information 171 4-4-5 82 698 Easy to read 298 331 69 698 Easy to understand 4-06 276 16 698 62 TABLE XI PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS IN CLASS I FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BY PERCENTAGE AND CRITICAL RATIO Characteristics Percent of students „ ... ___________________ Critica V I U ratio* Brief general history 22.5 6b.5 13-0 17.5 Importance to society 38.1 1+6 .1+ 15-5 3-2 Duties and responsibilities 7b.9 22.1 3-0 23-2 Number employees and trends 29.1 b9.7 21.2 8 .1+ Qualifications ^5-7 38.3 16.1 2.9 Preparation 72.1 2^.9 3-0 20.1 Methods of entering 38.5 5^-9 6.6 6.2 Time required to attain skill 3^.5 55.0 10.5 8.2 Advancement >+3.7 1+8.7 7-6 1-9 Related occupations 15.2 59.2 25-6 13-6 Earnings 68.6 28.8 2.6 16.3 Conditions of work 61.2 33-7 5-2 10.7 Professional organizations 18.1 60.6 21.1+ 16.3 Typical places of employment 27 .b 58-7 13-9 12.5 Advantages and disadvantages 28.1 60.0 11.9 12.7 Sources of information 2*+. 5 63.8 11.8 16.1 Easy to read 1+2.7 1+7 -it 9-9 1.8 Easy to understand 58.2 39-5 2.3 7-1 *Based on the difference of the two largest proportions 63 TABLE XII PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS IN CLASS II FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Number of students Characteristics V I Brief general history 163 385 92 6*+0 Importance to society 230 339 71 61+0 Duties and responsibilities J+71 153 16 61+0 Number employees and trends 200 319 121 61+0 Qualifications 328 2^6 66 61+0 Preparation 1+83 l*+8 . 9 6k0 Methods of entering 272 332 36 6*f0 Time required to attain skill 273 317 50 61+0 Advancement 306 297 37 61+0 99 388 153 61+0 Earnings i+30 192 18 6i+0 Conditions of work 398 211 31 61+0 97 386 157 61+0 Typical places of employment 158 391 91 61+0 Advantages and disadvantages 18*+ 365 91 61+0 Sources of information 155 396 89 6i+0 Easy to read 259 311 70 6i+0 Easy to understand 333 278 29 61+0 Related occupations Professional organizations U Total 6t*- TABLE XIII PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS IN CLASS II FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BI PERCENTAGE AND CRITICAL RATIO Characteristics Percent of students V I u Critical ratio* Brief general history 25.5 60 .2 l*f .*f 13.^ Importance to society 35-9 53 .0 11.1 6.2 Duties and responsibilities 73.6 23 .9 2.5 20 .if Number employees and trends 31.3 ^9 .8 18.9 6.9 Qualifications 51.3 38 .*+ 10.3 b.7 Preparation 75.5 23 .1 l.b 21.9 Methods of entering V2.5 51 .9 5.6 3-*f Time required to attain skill *+2.7 k-9.5 7.8 2.5 Advancement V 7.8 k-6.b 5.8 .5 Related occupations 15.5 60 •6 23.9 lb.3 Earnings 67.2 30 .0 . 2.8 1^.3 Conditions of work 62.2 33 .0 kr.8 11.0 Professional organizations 15.2 60 .3 2b. 5 13.9 Typical places of employment 2b.7 61 .1 l*f .2 lb .2 Advantages and disadvantages 28.8 57 .0 lb. 2 10.7 Sources of information 2k-.2 61 .9 13.9 1^.7 Easy to read k-0.5 b8 .6 10.9 2.9 Easy to understand 52.0 b.5 3.2 *+3 .If *Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. 65 TABLE XIV PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS IN CLASSES III AND IV FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Characteristics V Number of students I U Total Brief general history 203 2+77 89 76 9 Importance to society 253 bch 112 76 9 Duties and responsibilities 5*+o 201 28 769 Number employees and trends 239 *+08 122 769 Qualifications 3^7 302 120 769 Preparation 5^0 207 22 769 Methods of entering 313 399 57 76 9 Time required to attain skill 306 2+05 58 76 9 Advancement 372 331 66 769 Related occupations l>+6 2+79 l*+2+ 769 Earnings 2+73 22+9 2+7 769 Conditions of work 2+63 252 52+ 769 Professional organizations 157 2+57 155 769 Typical places of employment 202+ 1+61 102+ 769 Advantages and disadvantages 213 2+55 101 769 Sources of information 1^3 512 112+ 769 Easy to read 262 2+10 97 769 Easy to understand 3 72+ 359 36 769 66 TABLE XV PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS IN CLASSES III AND IV FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BY PERCENTAGE AND CRITICAL RATIO Characteristics Percent of students V I U Critical ratio Brief general history 2 6 .1+ 62.0 11.6 15.0 Importance to society 32.9 52.5 lb .6 8.0 Duties and responsibilities 70.2 26.1 3*6 19.3 Number employees and trends 31.1 53.1 15.9 9.0 Qualifications 1+5-1 39.3 15.6 2.3 Preparation 7 0.2 26.9 2.9 18.8 Methods of entering *+0.7 51.9 7.b Time required to attain skill 39.8 52.7 7.5 b.7 Advancement b 8 .b ^3.0 8.6 2.1 Related occupations 19.0 62.3 18.7 19.2 Earnings 6l. 5 32.1+ 6.1 12.0 Conditions of work 60.2 32.8 7.0 11.3 Professional organizations 20.1+ 59.^ 20.2 17.0 Typical places of employment 26.5 60.0 13.5 l*+.0 Advantages and disadvantages 27-7 59.2 13.1 13.2 Sources of information 18.6 66.6 lb.8 21.9 Easy to read 3^.1 53.3 12.6 7.8 Easy to understand 1+8.6 1+6.7 If.7 .8 . b.l *Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. 67 TABLE XVI PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS IN ALL CLASSES FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Characteristics V Number of students I U Total Brief general history 523 1,312 272 2,107 Importance to society 7*+9 1,067 291 2,107 Duties and responsibilities 1,53**- 508 65 2,107 Number employees and trends 6*4-2 1,07*4- 391 2,107 Qualifications 99^ 815 298 2,107 1,526 529 52 2,107 Methods of entering 85*+ 1,11*4- 139 2,107 Time required to attain skill 820 1,106 181 2,107 Advancement 983 968 156 2,107 -351 1,280 *4-76 2,107 Earnings 1,382 6*4-2 83 2,107 Conditions of work 1,288 698 121 2,107 Professional organizations 380 1,266 *4-61 2,107 Typical places of employment 553 1,262 292 2,107 Advantages and disadvantages 593 1,239 275 2,107 Sources of information *+69 1,353 285 2,107 Easy to read 819 1,052 236 2,107 1,113 913 81 2,107 Preparation Related occupations Easy to understand 68 TABLE XVII PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS IN ALL CLASSES FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BY PERCENTAGE AND CRITICAL RATIO Characteristics Percent of students V I u Critical ratio Brief general history 2>+.8 62.3 12.9 26.6 Importance to society 35.6 50.6 13.8 10.0 Duties and responsibilities 72.8 2^.1 3.1 36.1 Number employees and trends 30.5 51.0 18.6 13.8 Qualifications *+7.2 38.7 l*+.l 5.6 Preparation 72.tf 25.1 2.5 3^.7 Methods of entering 5+0.5 52.9 6.6 8.2 Time required to attain skill 38.9 52.5 8.6 9.3 Advancement h-6 .7 5+5.9 7.5+ .5 Related occupations 16.7 60.8 22.6 27.5+ Earnings 65.6 30.5 3.9 25+.5+ Conditions of work 6i .1 33.1 5.7 18.9 Professional organizations 18.0 60.1 21.9 27.^ Typical places of employment 26.3 59.9 13.9 23.5+ Advantages and disadvantages 28.1 58.8 13.1 21.1 Sources of information 22.3 65+.2 13.5 30.5+ Easy to read 38.9 5+9.9 11.2 7.3 Easy to understand 52.8 5+3.3 3.8 6.2 *Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. 69 TABLE XVIII PREFERENCES OF TEACHERS FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Characteristics _____ Number of teachers V I U Total Brief general history 9 35 7 51 Importance to society 19 29 3 51 Duties and responsibilities ^0 11 0 51 Number employees and trends 22 27 2 51 Qualif ications k-1 10 0 51 Preparation >+5 6 0 51 Methods of entering 22 28 1 51 Time required to attain skill 2k- 26 1 51 Advancement 35 16 0 51 9 5+1 1 51 Earnings 32 19 0 51 Conditions of work 3k- 16 1 51 2 30 19 51 Typical places of employment 13 36 2 51 Advantages and disadvantages 12 37 2 51 7 k-1 3 51 Easy to read 27 25 1 51 Easy to understand 30 21 0 51 Related occupations Professional organizations Sources of information 70 TABLE XIX PREFERENCES OF TEACHERS FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BY PERCENTAGE. AND CRITICAL RATIO Characteristics Percent of teachers V I U Critical ratio Brief general history 17.7 68.6 13.7 6.1 Importance to society 37.3 56.9 5.9 2.0 Duties and responsibilities 78.^ 21.6 0.0 7.0 Number employees and trends ^3.1 52.9 3.9 1.0 Qualifications 8O.1+ 19.6 0.0 7.7 Preparation 88.2 11.8 0.0 12.0 Methods of entering *+3 *1 5^.9 2.0 1.2 Time required to attain skill 1+7.1 51.0 2.0 .!»- Advancement 68.6 31.1+ 0.0 l+.l Related occupations 17.7 8O.1+ 2.0 8.2 Earnings 62.8 37.3 0.0 2.7 Conditions of work 66.7 31 2.0 3.8 3.9 58.8 37.3 2.2 Typical places of employment 25.5 70.6 3.9 5.2 Advantages and disadvantages 23*5 72.6 3.9 5.7 Sources of information 13.7 8 0 .1+ 5.9 9.1 Easy to read 1+9.0 1+9.0 2.0 .0 Easy to understand 58.8 1+1.2 .0 1.8 Professional organizations *Based on the difference of the two largest proportions. one-percent level. All other characteristics in Table XVII were significant at the one-percent level for Mall students." There were no significant differences in the proportions of teachers for the following characteristics; employees and trends in occupation, the occupation, cupation, (1) number of (2) methods of entering (3) time required to attain skill in the oc­ (*+) readability, and (5) easiness of comprehension. Two characteristics were significant at the five-percent level: (1) importance of the occupation to society, and (2) professional organizations of the occupation. The re­ maining characteristics were significant at the one-percent level. It was interesting to note that the students and teachers did not agree on a single characteristic as being insignificant. Therefore all characteristics were used in the evaluative instrument for appraising occupational infor­ mation in agriculture. On the form used to summarize the students' preferences for the characteristics of occupational information in agri­ culture, the teachers were asked to list other characteristics which the students agreed should be added to the proposed list. There were no additional items recommended. Ho\*ever, one teacher suggested that the size of pamphlets should be standardized in order to facilitate filing. Evaluative instrument. In developing this instrument or score card for evaluating occupational information 72 materials in agriculture, the selected, characteristics dis­ cussed in the previous section were.used. Three other char­ acteristics were also used, namely, pictures, writing style, and tables. These data were shown in Tables II, III, and IV respectively. The next step in developing the evaluative instrument was to determine the proper value of each characteristic. Naturally, this value should reflect the preferences of the students and the teachers. Although there was a ratio of k-2 students to one teacher, it seemed reasonable and desirable to give equal value to the preferences of both groups. This was done by adding the proportions of corresponding prefer­ ences of each characteristic and dividing by two to obtain an average. (See Table XX.) Several attempts were made to use weighted values on each of the three preference categories and to use the sum of the proportionate values as a value for each characteristic, but in every case this method failed to give a wide enough spread of the values between the charac­ teristics. Since the characteristics were carefully selected and were highly significant to the students or to the teach­ ers, or to both, every attempt to produce normalized values was unsatisfactory. The most satisfactory value for each characteristic was produced by totaling the average propor­ tions of the rating "very important," and the largest average proportion for pictures, writing style, and tables. 73 TABLE XX PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BY AVERAGE'"PERCENT Characteristics Average percent V I U Brief general history 21.2 6 5.5 13-.3 Importance to society- 36.*+ 53*8 b t.9 Duties and responsibilities 75.6 22.8 1 ,.5 Number employees and trends 36.8 52.0 1 1 ,,2 Qualifications 63.8 29*2 7..1 Preparation 80.3 I8 .1+ l,►2 Methods of entering *+1.8 53*9 i+..3 Time required to attain skill ^3.0 51.7' 5«.3 Advancement 57.6 38.7 3-.7 Related occupations 17.2 70.6 1 2 ,.3 Earnings 61+.2 33*9 2..0 Conditions of work 63.9 32.3 3..9 Professional organizations 11.0 59*5 29..6 Typical places of employment 25.9 65*3 8.►9 Advantages and disadvantages 25.8 65*7 8,.5 Sources of information 18.0 72.3 9-.7 Easy to read 1+^.0 ^9*5 6 ,.6 Easy to understand 55*8 *+2.3 1 ,.9 7b (See Table XXI.) In order that the values of the character­ istics total 100 points on the evaluative instrument, it was necessary to calculate a shrinking factor. This was done by dividing 100 (total points desired on the instrument) by the sum of the proportions and multiplying by 1 0 0 , i.e., i22___ 975.2 x 100 = 10.25, the shrinking factor. This factor multiplied by the average proportion value of each character­ istic gave the desired value for each item on the score card. These values were rounded to the nearest whole number to simplify the use of the instrument (Table XXI). The last two characteristics on the evaluative instru­ ment, pictures and writing style, were different from the others in that there were preferences for different types, i.e., colored pictures or black and white pictures. ences for writing style were (1 ) all paragraph, Prefer­ (2 ) all out­ line, or (3 ) a combination of paragraph and outline. It was necessary to compute the average proportion of students and teachers for the other preferences. for black and white pictures, These values were . 2 ^ .225+ for all paragraph form, and .160 for all outline form. These values for the evalu­ ative instrument were derived by multiplying the average proportion of students' and teachers' preferences for each item by the shrinking factor used on the preceding page, i.e., .2^8 x 10.25 = 2.5^2. When the value was rounded to 75 TABLE XXI PREFERENCES OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FOR SOME SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCUPATIONAL* INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE RATED AS VERY IMPORTANT WITH PREFERENCES OF TABLES, PICTURES, AND WRITING STYLE BY AVERAGE PERCENT Characteristics Brief general history Percent x 10.25 21.2 Percent 2.18 Value 2 Importance to society 36.2+ 3.73 2+ Duties and responsibilities 75.6 7.75 8 Number employees and trends 36.8 3.77 2+ Qualifications 63.8 6 .52+ 6 Preparation 8O .3 8.23 8 Methods of entering 2+I.8 b.29 2+ Time required to attain skill 2+3.0 2+.2+1 2+ Advancement 57.6 5.91 6 Related occupations 17.2 1.76 2 Earnings 62+.2 6.58 7 Conditions of work 63.9 6.55 7 . 11.0 1.13 1 Typical places of employment 25.9 2.65 3 Advantages and disadvantages 25.8 2.65 3 Sources of information 18.0 1.82+ 2 Easy to read 2+2+. 0 2+.50 2+ Easy to understand 55.8 5.72 6 Information in tables 60.2 6.17 6 Pictures 72.1 7.39 7 60.6 975.2 6.21 99.96 6 100 Professional organizations Writing style Total 76 the nearest whole number, the value for black and white pic­ tures was three. The same method was.used to determine the value of each type of writing style. These values were not placed on the evaluative instrument, but their function was explained in the directions for using the instrument. The selected characteristics were condensed for con­ venience in use of the instrument. However, a more detailed explanation of these terms seemed desirable for a complete understanding of their use. The interpretation of the charac­ teristics used in the evaluative instrument was: 1. Brief general history: the origin, the stages of development, and surpassing major difficulties. 2. Importance to society: the necessity of the occupa­ tion and its contribution. 3. Duties and responsibilities: the definition of the occupation, laws and regulations, nature of tasks, and necessary equipment and materials. *+. Number of employees and trends: number engaged, sex, age, geographical distribution, special population segments, increase or decrease in number of workers, reasons for oversupply or undersupply of workers, and need for annual replacements. 5. Qualifications: physical, mental, social, and per­ sonal abilities, age range, sex, essential skills, special tools and equipment, and requirements for license or certificate. 6. Preparation: general education requirements, experi ence, special training, and opportunities for training. 7. Methods of entering the occupation: apprenticing, hiring, renting, managing, or owning. 8. Time required to attain skill: length of appren­ ticeship, and special training period. 9- Advancement: the expansion of the enterprise and the opportunity for advancement. 10. Related occupations: occupations to which jobs may lead and occupations from which one may transfer. 11. Earnings: beginning wage, wage range, average wage, and maximum wage. May include considerations other than cash. 12. Conditions of work: daily and weekly schedules, regularity of hours, health and occupational hazards, vacations, and general routine. 13. Professional organizations: their function, purpose activities, size, and benefits. 1^+. Typical places of employment: geographical loca­ tion, indoor, outdoor, and availability of con­ veniences . 15. Advantages and disadvantages not otherwise enu­ merated: roads, utility services, markets, schools, 78 churches, housing, insurance, and retirement. 16. Sources of information: a list of available sup­ plementary materials concerning the occupation and a list of associations, firms, or individuals who may provide further information. 17. Ease of reading: type of paper, type of print, length of sentences, and length of paragraphs. 18. Ease of understanding: clarity and vocabulary. 19. Information in tables: groups of figures with explanatory statements in table form. 20. Pictures: occupational activity in colored pic­ tures, or black and white 21. Writing style: (plain) pictures. paragraphing, outlining, or combina­ tion of paragraphing and outlining. The characteristics on the instrument were classified into two sections, ''characteristics of content" and "charac­ teristics of mechanical make-up." (See Table XXII.) The maximum points allowed were given, and a space was provided for scoring each characteristic. 79 TABLE XXII EVALUATIVE INSTRUMENT FOR OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Characteristics A. B. Maximum points Characteristics of content Brief general history 2 Importance to society b Duties and responsibilities 8 Number employees and trends b Qualifications 6 Preparation 8 Methods of entering occupation b Time required to attain skill b Advancement 6 Related occupations 2 Earnings 7 Conditions of work 7 Professional organizations 1 Typical places of employment 3 Advantages and disadvantages 3 Sources of information 2 Characteristics of mechanical make-up Ease of reading if. Ease of understanding 6 Information in tables 6 Pictures 7 Writing style Total 6 100 Score 80 The directions for use of the instrument are as fol­ lows s A. Characteristics of Content 1. Condition or provision is present or made to a very satisfactory degree--maximum -points 2. Condition or provision is present or made to a fair degree--one-half of maximum points 3. Condition or provision is not present or is not made to a satisfactory degree— no points B. Characteristics of Mechanical Make-Up 1. Scoring ease of reading and ease of under­ standing a. Very satisfactory for group--maximum points b. Some difficulty encountered by group— one-half of maximum points c. 2. Difficult for group— no points Scoring tables a. All adaptable information is satisfactorily shown in simple tables— maximum points b. Most of the adaptable information is shown in acceptable degree--one-half of maximum points c. Tables not present or not acceptable--no points 3. Scoring pictures (maximum points for colored— 7* 81 for black and white— 3 . only a. Score is given for one type, not both.) Pictures (according to type) are present in a very satisfactory degree— maximum points b. Pictures (according to type) present in a fair degree--one-half of maximum points c. Pictures are not present or are not satisfactory--no points Scoring writing style a. Very satisfactory degree of combination outline and paragraph— maximum points b. Fair degree of combination outline and paragraph— one-half maximum points c. All paragraph— 2 points d. All outline— 2 points Ratings Superior . . . 85-100 points Fair . . . G o o d ............ 70-8^- Poor • . . ^0-5*+ points points Unsatisfactory . . . 55-&9 points 39 points or less In order to test the reliability of the evaluative instrument, three occupational information pamphlets were selected: (1) a publication written by a professional association, (2) one by a commercial publisher, and (3) one 82 published by the United States Department of Agriculture. The three pamphlets were representative of typical occupa­ tional information which can be secured on agriculture and related occupations. (See Appendix C.) Five teachers of vocational agriculture and five school counselors were then solicited to rate the three pamphlets individually. The average scores of these two groups for each pamphlet are shown in Table XXIIA. An average score for each character­ istic of each pamphlet was computed for the five teachers and likewise for the five counselors. The correlation co­ efficients were computed between the teachers1 and coun­ selors’ scores for the 21 characteristics. They were: t.92 for pamphlet I, 4-.97 for pamphlet II, and 4-.91 for pamphlet III. These coefficients were found to be sig­ nificant at the 5 percent level which indicate that the evaluative instrument yields consistent results. TABLE XXIIA EVALUATIONS OF PAMPHLETS ON OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION BY FIVE TEACHERS AND FIVE COUNSELORS Teachers1 average score Counselors 1 average score Pamphlet I 80 8*f Pamphlet II 85 86 Pamphlet III 62 k-7 83 To test the instrument further, the available inex­ pensive occupational information pamphlets, bulletins, ab­ stracts, and monographs in agriculture which are adapted for use in the Worth-Central Region were collected and evaluated by the instrument. An annotated bibliography of these m a ­ terials revealing the rating derived by this instrument or score card has been prepared and placed in Appendix B. Neither the criteria used in the selection of the materials nor the ratings given the materials are intended to cast a reflection upon the writers, publishers, or anyone connected with the preparation of the materials evaluated in this study. Status of library. An attempt was made to determine the number of pamphlets and books pertaining to occupational in­ formation available in the agricultural library. As is borne out in Table XXIII, an average of 3^f pamphlets and books in the agricultural libraries was reported by the b2 schools. These materials presented an average of 18.6 occu­ pations. As for the range, there was an average of 9-3 to 180 pamphlets and books per library, presenting an average of 2.7 to 57•5 occupations. Further study of the data show that apparently the schools included in the study from Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin were making available more occupational information pamphlets and books than were the schools of other states in the Region. Qb TABLE XXIII NUMBER OP PAMPHLETS AND BOOKS ON OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE LIBRARY BY STATES AND NUMBER OF OCCUPATIONS PRESENTED State Number of schools reporting Number of copies Number of occupations Illinois if 6l 91 Indiana h 137 111 Iowa Jf 257 90 Kansas 1 50 50 Kentucky 3 77 33 Michigan 5 D+Q 86 Minnesota 2 20 10 Missouri 3 28 8 ^5 23 Nebraska North Dakota h 56 k-6 Ohio 2 360 115 South Dakota 2 h6 h2 Wisconsin h l¥f 76 h-2 1,^29 781 Total Average per school Range per school 3*+ 9.3-180 18.6 2.7-57.5 85 Filing systems. Table XXIV shows the number of teach­ ers who reported having satisfactory or unsatisfactory filing systems for occupational information in agriculture. be seen that only 19 teachers, or 37percent, reported factory filing systems for occupational agricultural department library. It can satis­ information inthe Those reporting satis­ factory filing systems were asked to describe the systems briefly. types. follows: The descriptions have been classified into four These and the number of schools using each were as (1) seven were filing occupational pamphlets with subject-matter bulletins, (2) five were filing all occupa­ tional pamphlets in one folder or bulletin box and they were labeled "occupational pamphlets," (3) two were using materials filed in the regular library which was conveniently accessi­ ble to the agriculture department, and (*+) five were filing occupational information materials alphabetically by occupa­ tions . Demand by teachers for occupational information in agriculture. The list of agricultural occupations, classi­ fied into "production" and "farm service and other related occupations," was checked by the teachers to indicate whether they needed materials on certain occupations. The results in Tables XXV and XXVI, obviously, point out the occupations on which materials were in the greatest demand by the 51 TABLE XXIV STATUS OF FILING SYSTEMS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BY STATES State Number of schools reporting Illinois Satisfactory filing system Yes No b 1 3 Indiana b 1 3 Iowa b 1 3 Kansas 2 0 2 Kentucky 3 2 1 Michigan 5 2 3 Minnesota 3 0 3 Missouri i+ 2 2 Nebraska it 2 2 North Dakota 5 1 b Ohio 3 2 1 South Dakota 5 1 b Wisconsin 5 b l 51 19 32 Total 87 TABLE XXV DISTRIBUTION OF TEACHERS' NEEDS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BY PRODUCTION OCCUPATIONS 51 teachers reporting Occupations Number Percent Farm manager 32 62.8 Nurseryman 28 5*+.0 Florist 25 5+9 *0 Herdsman 25 >+9.o Wildlife producer 25 ^ 9.0 Fur farmer 21 ifl.2 Seed producer 21 if1.2 Beekeeper 19 37.3 Forest farmer 17 33-3 Dairy breeder 15 29.if Livestock breeder 13 25.5 Vegetable farmer 13 25.5 Fruit farmer 12 23.5 Rabbit farmer 12 23-5 Poultry breeder 11 21.6 Dairy farmer 9 17.6 Small grain farmer 9 17.6 Livestock farmer 8 15.7 Poultry farmer 8 15.7 Livestock feeder 7 13.7 Corn farmer 5 9.8 Hay producer 5 9.8 Tobacco farmer h 7.8 Cotton farmer 2 3.9 88 TABLE XXVI DISTRIBUTION OF TEACHERS * NEEDS OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BY FARM SERVICE AND OTHER RELATED OCCUPATIONS Occupations 51 teachers reporting Number Percent Agricultural radio announcer 37 72.6 Livestock buyer or shipper 33 6*+. 7 Agricultural editor 32 62.8 Inspector (milk, feed, etc.) 31 60.8 Game warden 30 58.8 Wildlife specialist 30 58.8 Airplane dusting service 28 5^.9 Veterinarian 28 5^.9 Farm implement dealer 25 1+9*0 Grain elevator operator 2h 1+7.1 Milk plant operator 23 1+5.1 Seed, feed, fertilizer dealer 23 !+5.l Hatchery operator 22 >+3.1 Tree surgeon 22 !+3-l Agricultural engineer 21 hi. 2 Artificial inseminator 20 39-2 Cold storage operator 20 39.2 Cow tester (D.H.I.A.) 20 39.2 Agricultural economist 19 37-3 89 TABLE XXVI (continued) Occupations 51 teachers reporting Number Percent Landscape architect 19 37.3 Field crop Buyer 18 35.3 Soil conservationist 18 35.3 Marketing specialist 18 35.3 Landscape gardener 17 33.3 Entomologist 17 33.3 Crop specialist 16 31.5- Forester 16 31.5- Research specialist 16 31.5- Animal husbandry specialist 15 29.5- Blacksmith or farm mechanic 15- 27.5 Agricultural county agent lb 27.5 Food technologist 15- 27.5 Dairy specialist 13 25.5 Poultry products buyer 13 25.5 Agricultural teacher 12 23.5 Sheep shearer 12 23*5 Poultry specialist 11 21.6 Fruit or vegetable buyer 10 19.6 Fruit specialist 10 19.6 7 13.7 Vegetable crop specialist 90 teachers. For instance, in Table XXV, the needs most fre­ quently reported were for materials pertaining to farm managers, nurserymen, florists, herdsmen, wildlife producers, and fur farmers. There was less need for materials about cotton, tobacco, corn, hay, livestock feeding, and poultry farming. The minute need for these materials did not neces­ sarily mean that there was a lack of interest in these occu­ pations, for the teachers may have had an ample supply of available materials; but some of these occupations may not have been adapted to the North-Central Region as a whole, therefore, the needs for these materials were small. The greatest demand by the teachers for materials was "farm service and other related occupations." In studying the needs for occupational materials of the two classifications (Tables XXV and XXVI), it appears that materials are limited in this area of study. Demand by students for occupational information in agriculture. Students were asked to check those occupations in which they were interested as a possible career. Their interests in production occupations are shown In Table XXVII. More meaningful comparisons may be made by examining the ranked percentages In Table XXVIII. In each instance where there was a significant difference at the five-percent level in the proportions of the students in Class I and Class II 91 TABLE XXVII DISTRIBUTION OF STUDENTS' INTERESTS IN PRODUCTION OCCUPATIONS AS POSSIBLE VOCATIONS I 698 Number of students II III & IV 61+0 669 Livestock farmer >+35 392 1+76 1,303 Small grain farmer 392 360 ^31 1,183 Dairy farmer 36*+ 325 393 1,082 Corn farmer 333 285 337 955 Livestock feeder 277 256 313 81+6 Hay producer 280 221 313 8li+ Farm manager 26V 220 315 799 Livestock breeder 23*+ 235 299 768 Wildlife producer 276 2^7 2M+ 767 Herdsman 233 206 282 721 Dairy breeder 219 173 202 59^ Seed producer 170 139 212 521 Poultry farmer 166 120 11+8 1+31+ Forest farmer 125 1^1 133 399 Fur farmer 151 110 105 366 Fruit farmer 107 88 69 261+ Vegetable farmer 73 65 53 191 Beekeeper 59 b6 53 158 Tobacco farmer 51 63 157 Rabbit farmer 68 b3 b5 bl i$b Poultry breeder 56 35 b2 133 Nurseryman 1+1 32 31 101+ Florist 2b 29 23 76 Cotton farmer 11 15 23 b9 Occupations Total 2,007 92 TABLE XXVIII DISTRIBUTION OF STUDENTS' INTERESTS IN PRODUCTION OCCUPATIONS AS POSSIBLE VOCATIONS BY PERCENT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLASSES AT FIVE-PERCENT LEVEL Occupations I 698 Percent of students II III & IV 6»+0 669 61.8 61.3 Total 2,007 6b.9 Livestock farmer 62.3 Small grain farmer 56.2 56.3 56.0 58.9 Dairy farmer 52.1 50.8 51.0 53.9 Corn farmer k-7.7 kb. 5 ^ 3.7 b7 .6 Livestock feeder 33.5 36.7 38.8 ^-2.2 Hay producer bo.ia 3^. 5ac *+0.6c ^•0.6 Farm manager 37.8 3 ^ c b0.9c 39.8 Livestock breeder 33-5b 36.7 38.8b 38.3 Wildlife producer 39.5b 38.6° 31.7bc 38.2 Herdsman 33 -1+ 32.2 36.6 35.9 Dairy breeder 31.9ab 27 .oa 26 ,2b 29.6 Seed producer 2b.b 21.7° 27.5° 26.0 Poultry farmer 2 3 .8ab 18.8a 19.2b 21.6 Forest farmer 17.9 22.0° 17-3° 19.9 Fur farmer 21.6ab 17. 2a 13.6b 18.2 Fruit farmer 15.3b 13.8° 9.0bc 13.2 Vegetable farmer 10.5b 10.2C 6.9bc 9.5 Beekeeper 8.5 7.2 6.9 7.9 Tobacco farmer 7.3 6.7 8.2 7.8 Rabbit farmer 9 .7ab 7.0a 5-3b 7.7 Poultry breeder 8 .Oab 5.5a 5.5b 6.6 Nurseryman 5.9 5.0 b.O 5.2 Florist 3.^ b.5c 3.0C 3.8 Cotton farmer 1.6 2.3 3.0 2.b aSignificant difference between classes I and II5 ^ I and classes III & IV: cclass II and classes III & IV. c l a s s 93 and also in Class I and Classes III and IV, the greater in­ terest was in favor of Class I students. Of the nine occu­ pations where there was a significant difference between Class II and Classes III and IV, Class II had the greatest proportion in five instances, and Classes III and IV in the other four instances. In light of these data, one might safely conclude that Class I students were more interested in exploring career opportunities in farming than were the stu­ dents in the other classes. To test the degree of association between the teachers' stated needs for materials in "production occupations" (Table XXV) with those of the students (Table XXVIII), the correlation coefficient (r) was determined. The Spearman Rank Correlation gave a negative value of .1913, and by the Product Moment Method a negative, r of .15]+1 was obtained. According to the F test, in a universe where there is no correlation, an F of this size (.506) would be expected. Therefore, these correlation coefficients are not signifi­ cant • The occupations concerning the students' interests in "farm service and other related occupations" were ranked in order of importance (Tables XXIX and XXX). The number of students per class is shown in the first table, and the percent is shown in the latter. Analysis of the significant differences in the percentages of the classes shows that the 9^ TABLE XXIX DISTRIBUTION OF STUDENTS' INTERESTS IN FARM SERVICE AND OTHER RELATED OCCUPATIONS AS POSSIBLE VOCATIONS Occupations Number of students I II III & IV Total 698 61+0 669 2,007 Game warden 308 285 32i+ 917 Blacksmith or farm mechanic 283 2>+8 328 859 Wildlife specialist 315 269 258 81+2 Farm implement dealer 33>+ 226 288 71+8 Airplane dusting service 216 190 258 661+ Veterinarian 22*+ 176 2i+3 61+3 Forester 198 185 188 571 Agricultural engineer 15*+ 169 . 187 510 Soil conservationist 165 153 172 1+90 Seed, feed, fertilizer dealer 11+1+ 103 151 398 Livestock huyer and shipper 120 120 151 391 Cow tester (D.H.I.A.) 132 98 131 361 Grain elevator operator 118 81+ 139 3*fl Tree surgeon 125 90 81 296 Artificial inseminator 87 81 117 285 Animal husbandry specialist 83 82 118 283 106 85 90 281 County agricultural agent 9^ 81 87 263 Inspector, milk, feed, etc. 90 7*+ 99 263 Dairy specialist 95 TABLE XXIX (continued) Occupations I 698 Number of students II III & IV Total 6!+0 669 2,007 Landscape architect 83 75 79 237 Agricultural teacher 83 65 79 227 Sheep shearer 80 65 76 221 Field crop buyer 76 b9 77 202 Milk plant operator 83 1+8 69 200 Crop specialist 82 59 52 193 Agricultural radio announcer 57 57 70 181+ Hatchery operator 61 37 bi 139 Research specialist 50 37 b7 13*+ Fruit or vegetable buyer 5b 29 *+5 128 b5 b2 128 Landscape gardener Agricultural editor 51 32 38 121 Marketing specialist 3^ 3b 50 118 Poultry products buyer b6 27 36 109 Cold storage operator b2 28 3*+ 101+ Agricultural economist bo 25 38 103 Poultry specialist 38 2b bo 102 Vegetable crop specialist bb 25 22 91 Entomologist 21 32 30 83 Fruit specialist 37 25 17 79 Food technologist 19 17 18 5b 96 TABLE XXX DISTRIBUTION OF STUDENTS’ INTERESTS IN FARM SERVICE AND OTHER RELATED OCCUPATIONS AS POSSIBLE VOCATIONS BY PERCENT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLASSES AT THE FIVE-PERCENT LEVEL Occupations Percent of students I II III & IV Total 698 6*+0 669 2,007 Game warden ¥f.l Blacksmith or farm mechanic ifO.5 Wildlife specialist if2.1 i+5.6 38.8 if2.6 if2.8 if2 .Oc 33•5bc if2.0 Farm implement dealer 33.5 35.3 37.^ 37.3 Airplane dusting service 30.9b 29.7 33.5b 33.1 Veterinarian 32. la 2 7 .5ac 31.6° 32.0 Forester 28 A 2 8 .9C 2if.ifc 28.5 Agricultural engineer 22.1 26 .if 2if.3 25.^ Soil conservationist 23.6 23.9 22.3 2if.if Seed, feed, fertilizer dealer 2 0 .6a 16 ,iac 19 -6 ° 19.8 Livestock buyer and shipper 17.2 18.8 19.6 19.5 Cow tester (D.H.I.A.) 1 8 .9a 15.3a 17.0 18.0 Grain elevator operator 1 6 .9a 13 .laC 1 8 .1° 17.0 Tree surgeon 17.9ab l*+.la 10.lb lif.7 Artificial inseminator 12.5 12.7 15.2 lif.2 Animal husbandry specialist 11.9 12.8 15.3 lif .1 Dairy specialist 15.2 13.3 11.7 lif.O County agricultural agent 13.5 12.7 11.3 13.1 Inspector, milk, feed, etc. 12.9 11.6 12.9 13.1 97 TABLE XXX (continued) Occupations Percent of students II III & IV Total 6if0 669 2,007 I 698 Landscape architect 11.9 11.7 10.3 11.8 Agricultural teacher 11.9 10.2 10.3 11.3 Sheep shearer 11.5 10.2 9.8 11.0 Field crop buyer 10.9 7.7 10.0 10.1 Milk plant operator 1 1 .9a 7.5a 9.0 10.0 Crop specialist 1 1 .7b 9.2 6 .8b 9.6 Agricultural radio announcer 8.2 8.9 9.1 9.2 Hatchery operator 8.7ab 5.8a 5.3b 6.9 Research specialist 7-2 5.8 6.1 6.7 Fruit or vegetable buyer 7 «7a if.5a 5.8 6 .if Landscape gardener 5.9 7.0 5.5 6 .if Agricultural editor 7.3 5.0 **.9 6.0 9 5.3 6 .5 5.9 Marketing specialist Poultry products buyer 6 .6a if.2a if.7 5.if Cold storage operator 6.0 k.if if.if 5-2 Agricultural economist 5.7 3.9 if.9 5.1 Poultry specialist 5.if 3.8 5.2 5.0 Vegetable crop specialist 6 .3b 3.9 2.9b if.5 Entomologist 3.0 5.0 3-9 if.1 Fruit specialist 5-3b 3 -9° 2 .2ac 3.9 Food technologist 2.7 2.7 2.3 2.7 Sig n i f i c a n t difference between classes I and II; ^class I and classes III & IV; cclass II and classes III & IV. 98 same condition was found to exist as in the production occupations; that is, where significant difference occurs, the greater proportion favors Class I over the other classes. There was one exception; students in Classes III and IV showed greater interest in airplane dusting service as a career than did Class I students. When the rank correlation coefficient was computed be­ tween the teachers' need for and the students’ interest in materials concerning farm service and other related occupa­ tions in agriculture, a positive r of .*+777 was obtained. The Product Moment Method gave a positive r of .^-013. Both r ’s were tested by the F test with one and 38 degrees of freedom. They were found to be insignificant at the five- percent level of confidence. Although r was insignificant, it may be said that slight to moderate correlation existed. To ascertain further the students1 occupational inter­ ests, the teachers were asked to report occupations other than those pertaining to agriculture and related fields which students had definitely selected as vocations. Auto me­ chanics and aviation were the most popular; they were re­ ported five and four times respectively. reported by three teachers. reported twice each: Carpentry was The following occupations were architectural work, military service, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, professional basketball and baseball, safety patrol, and truck driving. 99 Those mentioned only once were bank clerking, car dealing, civil engineering, diesel engineering, drafting, factory work, medicine, painting, and radio engineering. No effort was made to determine the number of students who had made the above choices. Experiences of teachers as to ease of securing. teaching value, and frequency of use of certain occupational informa­ tion materials in agriculture. The materials were divided into four groups for consideration: (2) films, filmstrips, and slides, (1) printed materials, (3) field trips to farms and other places of work, and (h-) information from resource people. (See Table XXXI.) For further comparison, Table XXXII gives the percent of the teachers* experiences for each of the four groups. The teachers indicated that they had had "some diffi­ culty" in securing printed materials. It was further re­ vealed that these materials had "some" teaching value and that they w e r e ’"seldom" used. There was found to be a sig­ nificant difference in the proportion of the teachers * ex­ periences at the five-percent level between "easy" to secure and "some difficulty" in securing, between "some" teaching value and "no" teaching value, and between "often" and "seldom** used. From these data it can be concluded that these teachers had "some difficulty" in securing printed TABLE XKXE EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS CONCERNING EASE OF SECURING, TEACHING VALUE, AND FREQUENCY OF USE OF CERTAIN OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE Ease of securing Number Teaching value Number How often used Number >> p rH » to d -P H o •H & H d p 0 EH Printed Materials 10 26 Ik 5o 18 .28 0 k6 18 29 0 k7 Films, filmstrips, and slides 13 12 23 b8 CVI 19 1 b-5 13 27 6 k6 Field trips to farms, etc. 21 22 7 50 ^0 8 0 kQ 27 23 1 51 Resource people 13 30 6 ^9 29 15 1 k5 10 33 5 ^8 OOt 3 O •ri TABLE XXXII EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS CONCERNING EASE OF SECURING, TEACHING VALUE, AND FREQUENCY OF USE OF CERTAIN OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BY PERCENT cd 13 w> 61* 12 * 2 ^Differences are statistically significant at five-percent level. 101 102 materials, that these materials had "some" teaching value, but that they were 11seldom” used. There was no significant difference in the proportions of teachers' experiences pertaining to the ease of securing films, filmstrips, and slides. However, significant dif­ ferences at the five-percent level were found in the propor­ tions between "much” teaching value and "no" teaching value, and between "often" used and "seldom” used. It might be concluded that these teachers recognized the important teaching value of films, filmstrips, and slides, but seldom used them. There were no significant differences in proportions of experiences concerning ease of securing or arranging field trips to farms or other places of work related to agricul­ tural occupations. However, significant differences at the five-percent level were noted between the proportions for "much" teaching value and "some" teaching value, and how "often” used and "never" used. It was evident that these teachers thought there was "much" teaching value in field trips and that they used them extensively. Another very important source of occupational informa­ tion was people who were engaged in agricultural occupations. These people were often referred to as "resource people," and they were sometimes invited to discuss their occupations with the students. In this study significant differences 103 were found at the five-percent level in the teachers' ex­ periences concerning ease of securing, teaching value, and frequency of use of resource people. The significant dif­ ferences occurred in the proportions concerning ease of securing, between "some difficulty" and "difficult," between "much" and "some" teaching value, and between "often" and "seldom" used. It was evident that teachers had "some diffi­ culty" in securing resource people, that there was "much" value in their use, but that they were "seldom" used. Preferences of teachers as to source of students1 occupa­ tional information in agriculture. The source from which students should obtain their occupational information appears to have been a controversial matter among educators for the past decade. In Table XXXIII the data indicate rather strongly the preference of teachers of vocational agriculture for the sources of occupational information in agriculture for their students. Of the 51 teachers, *+5 preferred to integrate occupational information in their teaching of agri­ culture; six preferred that their students obtain occupational information in an occupations course; and three designated the occupations course as a second choice. Reading in the library only, as a source of occupational information was not the first choice of any teacher. However, it was designated as a second choice by four teachers and third choice by one 101+ TABLE XXXIII PREFERENCES OF TEACHERS FOR SOURCE OF STUDENTS* OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE BY STATES State Number of schools - reporting Integrated in agriculture Occupations course Reading in library Illinois 5+ 3 1 0 Indiana 5+ 3 1 0 Iowa b 2 2+1* 0 Kansas 2 2 1* 1** Kentucky 3 3 0 0 Michigan 5 5 0 0 Minnesota 3 2 1 0 1+ 1* 0 0 1* Missouri Nebraska >+ North Dakota 5 5 0 0 Ohio 3 3 0 2* South Dakota 5 b 1 0 Wisconsin 5 5 0 1* 51 ^5 6 0 Total *Second choice (not included in total). **Third choice (not included in total). io5 teacher. The second and third choices were not solicited. The preferences of teachers as to the source of occupa­ tional information for their students tend to parallel the preferences of students, as has been previously discussed and shown in Tables VI and VIII; i.e., students preferred field trips and people who were engaged in the occupation as sources of occupational information. Number of days occupational information was taught. The data in Table XXXIV reveal the average number of days that occupational information was taught in each class. Of the 50 schools reporting in the 13 states, the average number of days per class was 3*5 for Class I, 2 for Class II, and 3.7 for Classes III and IV combined. ranges existed; However, the following 0 to 18 for Class 1, 0 to b.J for Class II, and 1 to 7 for the combined Classes III and IV. With two ex­ ceptions the selected schools in five states which had the greatest supply of pamphlets and books presenting occupation­ al information, as was shown in Table XXIII, led in the total number of days spent in teaching occupational information. The exceptions were the selected schools in Kentucky, which ranked sixth in number of pamphlets and books, but were first in the total number of days spent teaching occupational in­ formation in all classes; the second were the selected schools 106 TABLE XXXIV AVERAGE NUMBER OP DAYS PER CLASS DEVOTED TO STUDYING OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION State Number of schools reporting Vocational agriculture class I II III & IV Total Illinois 1+ 3.5 .3 5.6 9.*+ Indiana b .7 1.7 i+.O 6 .1+ Iowa b 2.2 3-5 5.5 11.2 Kansas 1 0 0 2.5 2.5 Kentucky 3 18.0 1.7 1.5 21.2 Michigan 5 5.6 1.6 3.6 10.8 Minnesota 3 2.3 *+.0 ^+.1 1 0 .1+ Missouri i+ 3-5 2.5 3.*+ 9.^ Nebraska i+ 1.0 1.2 2 .1+ 1+.6 North Dakota 5 1.8 .8 1.0 3.6 Ohio 3 3.3 b.7 7.0 15.0 South Dakota 5 1.0 lA 3.5 5.9 Wi sconsin 5 2.2 1.8 1+.2 8.2 50 i+5-l 25.2 b8.3 118.6 2.0 3.7 3.3 0-b.7 1-7 Total Average 3.9 3.5 Range 1-5 0-18 2 .5-21.2 107 in Minnesota, which had the smallest supply of pamphlets and books, but ranked fifth in the total number of days spent in teaching occupational information to all classes. Apparently other types of occupational information, such as field trips and films, were used extensively in these two states. In summarizing these data it appears that the teaching of occupational information in general was given a small amount of time. Scarcity of suitable materials and time spent in teaching such information may be concomitant factors. The following chapter, 11Summary, Conclusions, and Recom­ mendations," is a resume of the problem, the method of at­ tack, the findings presented in this chapter, and the con­ clusions which are based upon the relevant findings of this study. CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS The organization of this chapter is as follows: (1) the summary, which consists of a statement of the problem and the method of attack} the findings, which are organized as to the sample, the characteristics of occupational information, oc­ cupational choice, the demand for occupational information, and the library and filing system; (2) conclusions; (3) recoin-- mendations; and (*+) problems for further study. Summary The problem. The purposes of this study were: (1) to determine the critical factors of occupational information in agriculture desired by teachers of vocational agricul­ ture, (2) to determine the same factors desired by the stu­ dents of vocational agriculture, (3) to develop an evaluative instrument, in light of the critical factors found above, for evaluating occupational information in agriculture, and (*+) to evaluate the available inexpensive occupational in­ formation in agriculture. Method of attack. The problem was attacked by the development of two questionnaires concerning occupational information in agriculture. One questionnaire was for 109 teachers of vocational agriculture and the second was for students of vocational agriculture. Both questionnaires ob­ tained the individual's opinion regarding certain charac­ teristics of occupational information in agriculture. differed in two respects: They (1 ) information concerning the availability and use of occupational information could be more accurately obtained from the teachers, and (2 ) the teachers checked a list of agricultural and related occupa­ tions about which they needed materials, whereas the stu­ dents checked occupations in which they were interested as possible vocations. With the assistance of the state supervisors of voca­ tional agriculture in the North-Central Region, five teachers were selected in each state and were solicited to cooperate in answering and checking a questionnaire and to direct the students in their classes to check individually a copy of the students' questionnaire. Fifty-one of the 65 selected teach­ ers cooperated in furnishing the data for this study. were 2,150 students who participated. There The information ob­ tained was used in developing an instrument.by which occupa­ tional information in agriculture can be objectively evalu­ ated. The sample. 1. The average number of students per class in 110 vocational agriculture was Class I, l5*.5; Class II, 12.6; and 2. The range Classes III and IV, 13.1. of students per class, based on averages of schools by states, was Class I, 8 to 27-5; Class II, 6.8 to 16; and Classes III and IV, 6 to 27-3 . 3. There was an average of *+2.2 students per department of agriculture, and the range based on averages of schools by states was 20.8 to 59-3 - Preferences concerning occupational information. 1. Students (72.2 percent) and teachers (72 percent) preferred colored pictures to black and white (plain) . 2. Students (*+6.7 percent) and teachers (7*+.5 per­ cent) preferred occupational information written in combination paragraph and outline form. 3» Students** (60.3 percent) and teachers** (60 percent) liked tabulated information. 1+. Students (56.9 percent) recognized occupational information as having "much value"; teachers* (60.9 percent) recognized occupational information as **Significant at the one-percent level. ^Significant at the five-percent level Ill having "some value." 5* Students** (52.2 percent) and teachers** (5k-.1 per cent) preferred field trips to films and printed materials. 6. Students** (78 percent) and teachers** (83.3 per­ cent) thought that field trips had "much" value in obtaining occupational information. 7. Students** (57-1 percent) preferred to obtain occu­ pational information from people who were engaged in the occupation. 8. Only a low percent (J+.6 ) of the students preferred to obtain occupational information from counselors. The critical ratio showed that there was no signifi­ cant difference between the students of large and of small towns in this preference. 9. Students preferred all characteristics used in the evaluative instrument except "advancement," which they thought was insignificant. 10. Teachers disagreed with the students by preferring that information concerning "advancement" be in­ cluded. 11. All characteristics used in the evaluative instrument were significant at the one-percent level of **Significant at the one-percent level 112 confidence for the proportions of the students and/or teachers. 12. To test the reliability of the instrument, three selected pamphlets were scored by five teachers of vocational agriculture and by five counselors. Average item scores were computed for the teachers and for the counselors and then correlated. correlation coefficients were: The .92 for pamphlet I, .97 for pamphlet IX, and .91 for pamphlet III. These coefficients were found to be significant at the five-percent level. Demand for occupational information. 1. From to 63 percent of the teachers reported need for materials on specified production occupations. 2. From 1^- to 73 percent of the teachers reported need for materials on specified farm service and other related occupations. 3. From 2.b to 69 percent of the students showed an interest in materials on specified production occupa­ tions as possible careers. >+. From 2 to *+6 percent of the students showed an interest in specified farm service and other related occupations• 5. Greater interest in occupational information in 113 agriculture was shown by students in Class I than was shown by the other classes. 6. A negative correlation coefficient of .151+1 existed between the teachers' need for and the students' interest in materials on production occupations. 7- A positive correlation coefficient of .*+013 was found between the teachers’ needs for and the stu­ dents' interests in materials on farm service and other related occupations. Occupational choices. 1. Seventy-two percent of the students thought that they were most likely to choose farming as a career. 2. Nineteen percent of the students thought that they were most likely to enter occupations related to farming. 3. Only nine percent of the students thought that they were most likely to choose nonagricultural occupa­ tions . Libraries. filing systems, and extent of use of occupational information. 1. There was an average of 3^ occupational information pamphlets covering 18.6 agricultural and related occupations per department library. 2. Six:ty-five percent of the teachers reported that they lib did not have satisfactory filing systems for occupa­ tional information in agriculture. 3. Teachers revealed that they had had '•some*' difficulty in securing printed materials, that these materials had "some” teaching value, but had been "seldom1' used. b. Teachers revealed that films were "difficult" to secure, that they had "much" teaching value, and that they had been "seldom" used. 5. Teachers revealed that they had had "some" diffi­ culty in arranging field trips to farms and places where people worked, that these trips had "much" teaching value, and that .they had been "often" used. 6. Teachers reported that they had had "some" difficulty in securing resource people, that they had been of "much" teaching value, and that they had been "seldom" used. 7. Approximately 90 percent of the teachers preferred to integrate occupational information in agriculture in their classes rather than to have the students obtain such information either in an occupations course or by reading in the library. 8. In teaching occupational information the average number of days per class was 3»5 for Class I, 2 for Class II, and 3.7 for Classes III and IV combined. I 115 Conclusions This study revealed the critical factors of occupational information in agriculture desired by students and teachers of vocational agriculture. These critical factors were used in the construction of an instrument to evaluate occupational information in agriculture. found to be satisfactory. The instrument was tested and Also, this instrument was used to evaluate the available inexpensive occupational information materials in agriculture and related occupations. Recommendations 1. Teachers of vocational agriculture should expand their efforts in securing, evaluating, systemati­ cally filing, and using current occupational i n­ formation in agriculture. 2. Information concerning the occupation should be integrated in each agricultural enterprise when taught to each class. 3. Field trips should be well planned in order to integrate occupational with technical information. More extensive use should be made of resource people in disseminating occupational information in agriculture. 5. The evaluative instrument developed in this study can reliably be used in evaluating all printed occu­ pational information in agriculture. It may also be helpful in evaluating field trips, films, and resource people for purposes of occupational infor­ mation in agriculture. Agricultural specialists and teachers should prepare for publication information pertaining to those occupations which are in demand by teachers and/or students. In schools which have counselors and/or occupations courses, the teacher of vocational agriculture should be used as a consultant concerning agricultural and related occupations. Institutions preparing teachers of agriculture should provide at both the undergraduate and graduate levels for opportunities for studying occupational information. Problems for Further Study To determine the most effective techniques in the use of occupational information in agriculture. i To determine the basic criteria necessary to con­ sider in choosing a permanent and successful career. To determine the most effective filing system for occupational information in a library for a depart­ ment of vocational agriculture. BIBLIOGRAPHY A. BOOKS Baer, Max P., and Edward C. Roeber, Occupational Information. Its Nature and U s e . Chicago: Science Research Associ­ ates, Inc., 1951• 603 pp. Lincoln, Mildred E., Teaching about Vocational Life. Scranton, Pennsylvania: International Textbook Company, 1937. 617 p p . Shartle, Carroll L., Occupational Information. Its Develop­ ment and Application. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 339 PP. Williamson, E. G., Students and Occupations. Holt and Company, 1937. *+37 PP* B. New York: Henry PERIODICALS Bedell, Ralph, and William Howard Nelson, "Educators* Opinions on Occupational Information Used in Rural High Schools," Occupations. 29:205-6, December, 1950. Beilen, H., "Community Occupational Surveys and Studies of Occupational Choice," personnel and Guidance Journal, 3 1 :5+55-57, April, 1953* Brayfield, Arthur H., " 'Dissemination* of Occupational In­ formation," Occupations. 29:^11-13, March, 1951. _______ , and Grace T. Mickelson, "Disparities in Occupational Information Coverage," Occupations. 29s506-8, April, 1951* _______ , and P. A. Reed, "How Readable Are Occupational In­ formation Booklets?'* Journal of Applied Psychology, 3^:325-28, October, 1950. Byram, Harold M., "Opportunities for the Farm-Reared Boy," Occupations, 17:11*+-21, November, 1938* Christensen, Thomas E., "Functions of Occupational Information in Counseling," Occupations, 28sll-l1+, May, 1950. 118 Cochrane, R., "Helping Youth Discover Opportunities," California Journal of Secondary Education. 21:96-98, February, 19*+6. Fisher, Robert P., "Heed for Vocational Information." Journal of Higher Education. 16:270-73, May, 19^5. Flesch, R. A., "A Hew Readability Yardstick," Journal of Applied Psychology. 32:221-23, June, 19I+8 . Froelich, Clifford P., "An Instrument for Evaluating Occupa­ tional Literature," Occupations. 20:581-85, May, 19^2. Gachet, Rochelle R., "Filing Occupational Information for Women," Occupations. 22:35*+-57, March, 19W . Hamlin, H. M . , "Summary of Measurement Studies in Agricul­ tural Education," Agricultural Education Magazine. 6:7*+-77, 80, November; 90-93, 9 6 , December, 1933. _______ , "What Is of Value?" The Agricultural Education Magazine. 23s220, 229, April, 1951. Handsville, Raymond M., "How to File Occupational Informa­ tion," Occupations. 22:35-38, October, 19*+3» Knight, E. B . , "Placement Opportunities in Farming and Related Occupations for Tennessee Students of Vocational Agricul­ ture," Occupations. 20:116-21, November, 19^+1 • Lane, Mary Rogers, "The Content, Volume, and Uses of Occupa­ tional Studies," Vocational Guidance Magazine. *+:326-33, April, 1926. _______ , "The Outline Used in Preparing Occupational Studies; Form A for a Long Study; Form B for a Short Study," Vocational Guidance Magazine. 9:356-59, May, 1931* Long, Louis, and Henietta Worthington, "The Vocational Library," Occupations. 30:115-18, November, 1951. Lowenstein, N . , and R. Hoppock, "Teaching of Occupations in 1952," Personnel and Guidance Journal, 3 1 :Mj+1-lh +, April, 1953• Miller, Ray A., "Teaching Occupations Using Films and Field Trips," Personnel and Guidance Journal, 31:373-75, Mar ch , 19 53 • 119 National Vocational Guidance Association, "Content of a Good Occupational Monograph— The Basic Outline," Occupations, 19:20-23, October, 19^-0. _______ ? "Distinguishing Marks of a Good Occupational Mono­ graph," Occupations, 18;129-30, November, 1939. _______ ? "Standards for Use in Preparing and Evaluating Occupational Literature," Occupations. 28;319-2^, February, 1950. Neal, Elizabeth, "Filing Occupational Information Alpha­ betically," Occupations. 22:503-6, May, 1 9 ^ . Nick, E. W., "High School Boys Choose Vocations," Occupations. 20:26^— 69, January, 19^2. Olshansky, S. S., "New Light on Job Choice," Occupations. 29:603-*+, May, 1951. Oxhandler, Avis, "What Makes an Occupational Information Pamphlet Popular?" Occupations, 29:26-29; October, 1950. Ross, Roland R., "Occupational Information in the Schools," Occupations, 27:397-98? March, 19^9. Speer, George S., and Leslie Jasker, "The Influence of Occupa­ tional Information on Occupational Goals," Occupations, 28:15-17, October, 19^9Weiss, J. N., "Counseling and Guidance," The Agricultural Education Magazine, 23:110? November, 1950* Woeliner, R. C., and R. H. Lyman, "Score Card for Evaluating the Value of a Vocational Book Used for Individual Reading," School Review, 38:191-99? March, 1930. C. BULLETINS AND GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS An Evaluation of Local Programs of Vocational Education in Agriculture. United States Office of Education, Voca­ tional Division, Bulletin No. 2*fr0. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 19*+9. 75 pp. Byram, Harold M., Occupations for the Agriculturally Trained. Ames, Iowa: Collegiate Press, Iowa State College, 1936. 28 pp. 120 Census of Population: 1950. Bureau of the Census, United States Department of Commerce, Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1952. Deyoe, George Percy, Young Men from Michigan Farms. State Board of Control for Vocational Education, Bulletin Wo. 256. Lansing, Michigan: 1939. 56 pp. Drucker, Mary J ., Evaluating an Occupational Information Library. Division of Vocational Education, Bulletin Wo. GP-1. Columbus, Ohio: State Department of Educa­ tion, Wovember, 1951. 7 pp. Federal Security Agency, United States Office of Education, Division of Vocational Education, Counselor Competencies in Occupational Information. Miscellaneous Publication 331*+-3 • Washing ton, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 19*+9• 28 pp. Kennedy, E. G., Occupational Information. A Course of Study. Topeka, Kansas: State Board for Vocational Education, March, 195-9 • Michigan Plan for Filing and Indexing Occupational Material. Sturgis, Michigan: Sturgis Printing Company. 8 pp. Porter, Wilford Dowdle, and W. A. Sumner, Measuring Format and Style of Agricultural College Bulletins. Department of Agricultural Journalism, College of Agriculture, Bulletin Wo. 7 . Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin, 1936. 19 pp. Roeber, Edward C., Missouri Plan for Filing Unbound Materials on Occupations. Columbus, Missouri: University of Mi ssouri, 1950. State Consultation Service, Division of Secondary Education, Occupational Information: A. Manual. Richmond, Virginia: Library and Textbook Service of the Division of Related Instructional Services, 195-9* United States Congress, Public Laws of the United States of America Passed by the Sixty-Fourth Congress, 1915-1917■ Vol. XXXIX, Part I. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1917* United States Employment Service, United_States Department of Labor, Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 195-9. Vols. I, II. 121 Yale, John R., How to Build an Occupational Information Library. Chicago: Science Research Associates, 19^6. 120 p p . D. UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS Anderson, Clarence Scott, “Young Men 10 Years after Leaving Pennsylvania Rural High Schools.’1 Nonthesis study, Pennsylvania State College, State College, 19^-6. 38 pp. Bender, Ralph E., “The Development of a Problem Check List and a Demonstration of Its Use in Planning Rural Youth Pro­ grams." Unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Ohio State University, Columbus, 19^7• 307 pp. Gregory, Raymond William, "Factors Influencing Establishment in Farming of Former Students of Vocational Agriculture." Unpublished Doctor’s dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 19^6. 283 pp. Maier, William J., "The Problem of Teaching for Vocational Choice in Trumanburg, New York." Unpublished Master's thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1923* 116 pp. McClelland, John Barnhart, "Opportunities for Placement and Establishment on Farms in Selected Ohio Communities Where Vocational Agriculture Is Taught." Unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Ohio State University, Columbus, 19^0 • 273 PP. Nylund, F. A., "The Discovery and Analysis of the Occupa­ tional Opportunities in Farming and Related Service Occupations for Former Students of Vocational Agricul­ ture." Unpublished Doctor’s dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 19*+6. 2bk- pp. Sommerville, James Harris, "A Survey of the Guidance Prac­ tices Followed by Virginia Teachers of Vocational Agriculture." Unpublished Master's thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, 1953* PP» Wright, Carlton E., "Occupational Distribution, Entrance into Farming, and Opportunities for Farming of Former Stu­ dents of Vocational Agriculture." Unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 19LK3» 572 pp. APPENDIX A 123 DIRECTORY OF STATE LEADERS COOPERATING IN THE STUDY H. M. Strubinger, Supervisor of Agricultural Education, 216 East Monroe Street, Springfield, Illinois Harold B. Taylor, State Supervisor of Agricultural Education, Room 215, State House, Indianapolis, Indiana H. T. Hall, Supervisor, Agricultural Education, Board for Vocational Education, Des Moines, Iowa Lester B. Pollom, Supervisor, State Board for Vocational Education, Topeka, Kansas E. P. Hilton, Director, Agricultural Education, Department of Education, Division of Vocational Education, Frankfort, Kentucky H. M. Byram, Head, Department of Agricultural Education, Michigan State College, East Lansing, Michigan G. R. Cockran, State Supervisor of Agricultural Education, 255 Shubert Building, St. Paul, Minnesota Carl M. Humphrey, Director of Agricultural Education, Depart­ ment of Education, Jefferson, Missouri Harold F. Duis, State Supervisor of Agricultural Services, Board of Vocational Education, Lincoln 9, Nebraska Ernest L. DeAlton, State Supervisor of Agricultural Education, North Dakota Agricultural College, State College Station, Fargo, North Dakota 12b Warren G. Weller, Supervisor of Vocational Agriculture, Department of Education, Columbus, Ohio H. E. Urton, State Supervisor of Agricultural Education, Department of Public Instruction, Division of Vocational Education, Pierre, South Dakota Louis M. Sasman, Chief of Agricultural Education, State Board of Vocational and Adult Education, State Office Building, Madison 2, Wisconsin 125 directory op cooperating teachers op v o c a t i o n a l agriculture ILLINOIS Elwyn Wilson, Durand Gale Gossett, Princeton Frank 0. Young, Table Grove Richard J. Martin, Wyoming INDIANA Paul Bateman, Garrett Glendon Sears, Washington TWF, Gaston Burton Brinkerhoff, Montpelier Roger Van Winkle, Salomie TWP, Warren IOWA. Joe Cerwinske, Dallas Center Rex E. Ruch, Denison R. V. Diggins, Eagle Grove M. F. Grosscup, Jesup KANSAS Maurice Little, Sherman High School, Goodland Ira L. Plank, Windfield KENTUCKY Horace Nicholson, Old Kentucky Home H.S., Bardstown H. 0. Williams, Warren County H.S., Bowling Green R. L. Kelly, Mumfordville 126 MICHIGAN Charles F. Jessup, Climax Ronald C. Warner, Lapeer E. K. Sell, Lawrence Glen Nesman, Springport Archibald R. Earl, Arenac Eastern H.S., Twining MINNESOTA Thomas W. Raine, Owatonna C. W. Dowling, St. peter H. L. Beucler, Tracy MISSOURI George L. Roberts, Charleston Oliver E. Barnard, Kirksville Maxwell Lampo, Neosho J. L. Evans, St. Charles NEBRASKA Duane M. Nielson, Auburn Robert 0. Gingery, David City Walter M. Crumbliss, Ravenna Dean Lancaster, West Point NORTH DAKOTA Harold Holte, Harvey Emil Villager, Langdon Carl R. Arnstrup, Park River Charles J. Challey, Valley City Elmer L. Olson, Williston OHIO George H. Krill, Ashland C. E. Wood, Bryan L. J. George, Piqua SOUTH DAKOTA Robert Thompson, Brookings W. R. Bryant, Canton Warren Miller, Clark Delmer J. Dooley, Platte Wayne C. Gray, Sturgis WISCONSIN John A. Perkins, Neillsville F. J. Miller, Oshkosh R. J. Delorit, Plymouth Charles Kucirek, Portage C. B. Campbell, River Falls 128 COPY OP LETTER TO STATE SUPERVISORS IN THE NORTH-CENTRAL REGION REQUESTING NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF FIVE TEACHERS 318 Albert A v e . East Lansing, Michigan March 16, 1952 Mr. ______________ __________ Supervisor of Agricultural Education Dear Mr. I enjoyed the two days that I spent at your regional conference last week in Chicago. One could not help being impressed with the friendliness and sincerity of the entire group as they proceeded with their meetings. I probably mentioned to you about the nature of a study that I have started at Michigan State College. It is an attempt to determine the critical factors of occupational information materials desired by teachers and students of vocational agriculture. When these factors have been de­ termined I will develop a rating instrument for evaluating occupational materials. The available materials in agri­ culture and related occupations will be evaluated anc£ an annotated bibliography prepared. In making the study, I plan to use five vocational agri­ culture teachers and their students in each state of the North-Central Region. I have carefully prepared a question­ naire for the teachers and one for the students. The ques­ tionnaires are to be checked which will require about fifteen minutes. I need the names and addresses of five of your teachers so that I can contact them immediately and solicit their cooperation. Teachers who have used occupational information materials with their classes are preferred. Your cooperation in selection of these five teachers will be greatly appreci­ ated. A copy of the summary of the study will be sent to you and to each cooperating teacher. Please let me hear from you soon. Yours very truly, T. R. Buie 129 COPY OF TYPICAL LETTER RECEIVED FROM THE STATE SUPERVISORS SUPPLYING NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF TEACHERS March 19, 1952 Mr. T. R. Buie 318 Albert Ave. East Lansing, Michigan Dear Mr. Buies It was a pleasure to meet you at our Conference and I am glad it was possible for you to attend and meet the men in our region. I am sure that the following five Vocational Agriculture Instructors- will be willing to assist you in your study: __________ ? _________ ? --------- j _________ _________ > --------- ? — --------------- Sincerely yours, State Supervisor Agricultural Education 130 COPY OF A PROGRESS REPORT LETTER WRITTEN TO THE STATE SUPERVISORS 318 Albert Ave. East Lansing, Michigan July 5, 1952 ? Dear Mr. ____ I thought that you might be interested in the progress of my study concerning the evaluation of occupational informa­ tion materials in agriculture. I solicited five vocational agriculture teachers from each state of the North-Central Region to participate in the study. I am pleased to report that of the sixty-five teachers contacted, fifty-four agreed to participate in the study. I have received the results from fifty-one teachers which included 2,150 students of vocational agriculture. I am elated over the fine cooperation that I have re­ ceived and I would like to express to you my sincere apprecia­ tion for the assistance that you gave in supplying the names and addresses of teachers in your state. Sincerely yours, T. R. Buie 131 COPY OF TYPICAL LETTER FROM STATE SUPERVISORS ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROGRESS REPORT July 9, 1952 Mr. T. R. Buie 318 Albert Avenue East Lansing, Michigan Dear M r . Buie s I appreciate your letter of July 5th making a report of progress in your study. I shall look forward to receiving a copy of the findings. Sincerely yours, 132 COPY OF LETTER TO TEACHERS SOLICITING T H E I R .COOPERATION 318 Albert Ave. East Lansing, Mich. April 10, 1952 Dear Mr. I have contacted your State Supervisor of Agricultural Education and you have been selected as one of five in your state who would probably be interested in participating in a study with your classes of vocational agriculture. The study attempts to determine the characteristics desired by teachers and students of vocational agriculture in occupational informa­ tion or career materials. The outcome of this study should provide the basis of improving these materials to better meet the needs of the teachers and students in agriculture. The study will involve your checking a simple question­ naire and directing a short study unit in each of your voca­ tional agriculture classes. The study unit will consist of the students' reading and examining several occupational pamphlets to develop an understanding of occupational information before checking a questionnaire. The unit can be completed in a one hour period, including the summarization of the students' questionnaires. All of the materials necessary for the study can be sent to you immediately. The pamphlets will cover a number of occupations in agri­ culture and related occupations. These pamphlets are for your department library after the study. I think that they will be a welcome asset to you in your teaching. As you probably realize, the area of occupational informa­ tion has been sadly neglected by most of us in the past. We should begin to place more emphasis upon it in the future in order to assist our students in making intelligent choices of agricultural occupations. You are probably aware of the impor­ tance of this problem and I hope that you will be able to find time to make a valuable contribution. This study is being done under the supervision of the department of Agricultural Educa­ tion, Michigan State College. Your participation in the study will be appreciated and I will send you a summary of the study. Please fill out the at­ tached postal card and return immediately. Sincerely yours, T. R. Buie 133 COPY OF INFORMATION REQUESTED ON POSTAL CARD SENT WITH THE LETTER SOLICITING THE COOPERATION OF TEACHERS PLEASE RETURN IMMEDIATELY Yes No I will participate in making the study* Yes No I would like a summary of your study* Number of students in each v o c . agriculture class 1st yr. ____ 2nd yr. School 3rd yr * *+th yr. Address Sign __ 13^ GOPY OF LETTER WHICH ACCOMPANIED QUESTIONNAIRES AND PAMPHLETS 318 Albert Ave. East Lansing, Mich. April 17, 1952 Dear M r . I appreciate your promptness in returning the postal card stating that you will participate with your classes of vocational agriculture in the occupational information study. The materials for the study are being sent to you under separate cover. They consist of (1) instructions, a suggested procedure; (2 ) occupational pamphlets; (3 ) a teacher’s ques­ tionnaire; (*+) questionnaire for each student in vocational agriculture; and (5) a form for summarizing the questionnaires. Only the teacher’s questionnaire and the summary of the stu­ dents’ questionnaires are to be returned to me. The pamphlets are yours to keep after the study. I think that you will find these pamphlets very interesting and helpful to your students. I am looking forward to receiving the results of the study from you and your department. You will receive a copy of the summary of the study as soon as it is completed. With best wishes to you and your department, I remain, Sincerely yours, T. R. Buie 135 COPY OF PLAN FOR ADMINISTERING THE QUESTIONNAIRES TO THE STUDENTS Instructions for Conducting the Study General Information This study has been tested in several vocational agri­ culture classes in order to estimate the minimum time re­ quired, to eliminate the possible errors, and to plan a smooth sequence for conducting the study. The pamphlets of occupational information are used in the study merely to develop a sound basis for each individual to express his opinions. By the students1 having an oppor­ tunity to examine and read portions of three or four pamphlets, they should thoroughly understand the questions and statements in the questionnaire concerning Occupational Information Materials. The following procedure for conducting the study is recommended for several reasons. First, so that all partici­ pating vocational agriculture departments will perform the study on the same basis. And second, it secures the opinions of each individual without the influence of others. factor is very important. This 136 Procedure Step 1. The teacher will fill out the questionnaire (labeled Teacher's Questionnaire) before submitting the study to his classes. This will eliminate the influence of the students' reactions upon the teacher. Step 2. The teacher should use about five minutes to intro­ duce the study to each class of vocational agriculture by relating the following or similar information. A person's knowledge of an occupation before entering it, appears to be of great importance to his success and happiness. Studies reveal that many young people are slow to select an occupation and that a large number of them abandon the occupation of their first choice after entering it. This may be due to the lack of knowledge about occupa­ tions • In 19*+!? Robert P. Fisher of the University of Illinois designed a questionnaire to obtain information regarding several vocational problems. It was submitted to 1,356 students enrolled in the general curriculum of the Liberal Arts and Sciences of the University. He reported that twothirds of the freshmen and one-third of the seniors had not selected a vocation. In 19^+6 C. S. Anderson, Pennsylvania State College, studied young men ten years after leaving Pennsylvania Rural High Schools. He found that only 20$ of boys actually entered immediately the occupation of their first choice; after ten years, 50$ of them had left the occupation of their first choice. George P. Deyoe reported from studying 9^1 boys who took one or more years of vocational agriculture in 20 Michigan high schools during the period of 1918 to 1935* that 6 0 .5$ were farming, 6 .6$ were in occupations related to farming, and 3 2 .9$ were in nonagricultural occupations. 137 It seems safe to assume that good occupational materials properly used might assist in solving the problem. Also, it seems safe to assume that if occupational materials are to be effective, they must present the information needed by the student in the manner desired by them. Therefore, we have been selected to participate in a very important study. I have pamphlets on a number of agricultural occupa­ tions. You should be able to examine and read portions of three or four of your choice in about fifteen minutes. When you have finished with your first pamphlet, exchange with someone for another. Pay close attention to the type of in­ formation presented about each occupation, tables, pictures, ease of reading, and ease of understanding. I shall list these five points on the blackboard. Also, note the characteristics that you like or dislike about each pamphlet that you read. Distribute the pamphlets to the class. Allow approxi­ mately fifteen minutes for reading, then distribute the questionnaire. Step 3 . Direct students to fill out questionnaire. They should rapidly check only one answer to each question. plain that there are no correct answers. Ex­ Each individual's opinions are the correct answers for him. Please do not permit students to discuss their opinions until after all students have completed the questionnaire. The question­ naire should be completed in fifteen minutes or less. Step b . Please summarize the students' form provided for this purpose. questionnaires on the Summarization can be done quickly and easily by asking the students to raise their hands to the item that they checked in each question when called. For example, those checking item "a" in question one will 138 raise their hands. Make the count and record the number. Do this for item »b,T and "c." all have been summarized. Go to the next question until Fifteen to twenty minutes will be needed for summarizing the questionnaires. Step Mail immediately, both the Teacher's questionnaire and summary of the students' questionnaire, in the selfaddressed envelope. 139 COPY OF TEACHER’S QUESTIONNAIRE Teacher’s Questionnaire School Address Please answer questions by filling in the blanks. 1. How many occupational pamphlets and books do you have? 2. How many agricultural occupations do these cover? 3. How many days per year do you usually spend with each class in teaching occupational information? 1 st yr. __ ^ 2nd yr. ___ 3rd y r . *+th y r . __ a. Do you have a satisfactory filing system of occupa­ tional information materials? ________ b. If so, describe briefly. __________________________ Please check (x) your preference to each of the following questions. 5. 6. Where do you prefer that your students get their informa­ tion about agricultural occupations? a. integrated into agricultural courses __________ b. in occupations course ____________ c. reading information in the school library ___________ How do you feel about the use of pictures in occupational materials, which is your preference? a. colored _____ b. black and white necessary _____ c. not l>+0 7. 8. Which writing style do you prefer in reading about occupations? a. written in paragraph __ b. written in outline form _ c. combination of paragraphing and outlining __ How well do you like pamphlets with tables? a. like __ b. dislike c. neither like nor dislike Please check (x) in the columns which best express your experience concerning occupational information materials. Printed occupational information materials Films, filmstrips, slides Field trips to farms, etc. to study the occupation in action Resource people--those en­ gaged in the occupation Never Seldom How ofter used Often None Some Teaching value Much Difficult Some difficulty Factors Easy Ease of securing m-i Characteristics of Occupational Pamphlets Please encircle one of the letters at the end of each item to express your opinion as to the value of that type of information in occupational materials. V means "very important." I means "important." U means "unimportant." 1. Brief general history of the occupation. V I •u 2. Importance of occupation to society. V I u 3- Duties and responsibilities of the occupation. V I u >+. Number of workers engaged in occupation & trends. V I u 5. Qualifications: V I u 6. Preparation: V I u 7. Methods of entering the occupation. V I u 8. Time required to attain skill in occupation. V I u 9. Opportunity for advancement. V I u 10. Related occupations. V I u 11. Earnings: V I u 12. Conditions of work: V I u 13. Professional organizations in the occupation. V I u 1*+. Typical places of employment. V I u 15. Advantages & disadvantages not otherwise enumerated. V I u 16. Suggested sources of additional information. V I u 17. Materials easy to read. V I u 18. Materials easy to understand. V I u sex, age, skills, etc. education, training, & experience. salary or range of income. hours, regularity, hazards. Occupation Checklist in Agriculture Student; Please check those occupations which you are interest­ ed in as a possible vocation. Teacher: Please check those occupations in which you need materials and do not have them. Production Occupations 1._____ Beekeeper 2._____ Dairy breeder (registered cattle) 3._____ Dairy farmer Corn farmer 5*__ ___ Cotton farmer 6 .__ ___ Farm manager 7.__ ___ Florist 8 .__ ___ Forest farmer 9.__ ___ Fruit farmer 10. ___ Fur farmer (fox, mink, etc.) 11. ___ Hay producer 12. ___ Herdsman (livestock) 13. ___ Livestock breeder (all other, except dairy cattle) I1*. ___ Livestock farmer 15. ___ Livestock feeder (finishing for market) 16. ___ Nurseryman 17. ___ Poultry breeder 18. ___ Poultry farmer (meat, eggs, etc.) 1^3 19- ___ Rabbit farmer (meat) 20. ___ Seed producer 21. ___ Small grain farmer (oats, wheat, etc.) 22. ___ Tobacco farmer 23. ___ Vegetable farmer 2*+. ___ Wildlife producer Farm Service and Other Related Occupations 1 . Airplane crop dusting service 2. __ Agricultural economist Agricultural editor or reporter 3. Agricultural engineer Agricultural radio announcer 5. 6 . Agricultural teacher 7. Animal husbandry specialist 8. Artificial inseminator _ __ Blacksmith or farm machinery mechanic 10. County agricultural or *f-H agent 11. Crop specialist 12. Cold storage operator 13. Cow tester (D.H.I.A.) • H Dairy specialist 1 9. 1 ?. Entomologist (insect specialist) 16. Farm implement dealer 17. Field crop buyer or shipper Food technologist Forester Fruit or vegetable buyer or shipper Fruit specialist Game warden Grain elevator operator Hatchery operator Inspector (meat, milk, feed, seed, etc.) Landscape architect Landscape gardener Livestock auctioneer, buyer or shipper Marketing specialist Milk plant operator Poultry and poultry products buyer or shipper Poultry specialist Research specialist Seed, feed, fertilizer dealer Sheep shearer Soil conservationist Tree surgeon Vegetable crop specialist Veterinarian Wildlife specialist 1^5 COPY GF STUDENT'S QUESTIONNAIRE Please check your first preference to each of the fol­ lowing que sti o n s • 1. How do you feel about the use of pictures in occupational materials, which is your preference? a. 2. 3. c. combination of paragraphing and outlining ___ 8. b. written In outline form How well do you like pamphlets with tables? like __ b. dislike ___ c. neither like nor dislike How valuable are occupational information materials in agriculture to you? valuable b . . some value c. little value From which of these sources do you prefer to get occupa­ tional information? printed materials ___ b. films ___ c. field trips How valuable are field trips to farms or places where people work to learn about an occupation? a. 7, not written in paragraph ___ a. 6. c. a. a. 5. black and white Which writing style do you prefer in reading about occu­ pations? a. i+. colored __ b. necessary ___ much value ___ b. some value ___ c. no value____ From whom do you prefer to get your occupational informa­ tion? a. agriculture teacher ____ b. school counselor____ c. talking with people in the occupation ___ Which type of occupation are you most likely to choose as a career? a. farming __ b. related to agriculture (agricultural knowledge required) ___ c. nonagricultural (agricul­ tural knowledge not required) ___ m-6 Characteristics of Occupational Pamphlets Please encircle one of the letters at the end of each item to express your opinion as to the value of that type of information in occupational materials. V means '’very important." I means "important." U means "unimportant." 1. Brief general history of the occupation. 2. Importance 3. Duties and responsibilities of the occupation. V I u V I u V I u 1+. Number of workers engaged in occupation & trends. V I u 5. Qualifications: V I u 6. Preparation: V I u 7. Methods of entering the occupation. V I u 8. Time required to attain skill in occupation. V I u 9. Opportunity for advancement. V I u 10. Related occupations. V I u 11. Earnings: V I u 12. Conditions of work: V I u 13. Professional organizations in the occupation. V I u 1*+. Typical places of employment. V I u 15. Advantages & disadvantages not enumerated. V I u V I u of occupation to society. sex, age, skills, etc. education, training, experience. salary or range of income. hours, regularity, hazards. information* 16. Suggested sources of additiona 17. Materials easy to read. V I u 18. Materials easy to understand. V I u Occupation Checklist in Agriculture Students Please check those occupations in which you are interested in as a possible vocation* Teachers Please check those occupations in which you need materials and do not have them. Production Occupations 1.__ ___ Beekeeper 2._____ Dairy breeder (registered cattle) 3. ___ Dairy farmer Corn farmer 5-__ ___ Cotton farmer 6. ___ Farm manager 7. ___ Florist 8. ___ Forest farmer 9. ___ Fruit farmer 10. ___ Fur farmer (fox, mink, etc.) 11. ___ Hay producer 12. ___ Herdsman (livestock) 13. ___ Livestock breeder (all other, except dairy cattle) ll+. ___ Livestock farmer 15. ___ Livestock feeder (finishing for market) 16. ___ Nurseryman 17. ___ Poultry breeder 18. ___ Poultry farmer (meat, eggs, etc.) 1^8 19 •_____ Rabbit farmer (meat) 20.__ ___ Seed producer 21._____ Small grain farmer (oats, wheat, etc.) 22.__ ___ Tobacco farmer 23*__ ___ Vegetable farmer 21+.__ ___ Wildlife producer Farm Service and Other Related Occupations 1. ___ Airplane crop dusting service 2.__ ___ Agricultural economist 3._____ Agricultural editor or reporter *+. ___ Agricultural engineer 5._____ Agricultural radio announcer 6. ___ Agricultural teacher 7. ___ Animal husbandry specialist 8. ___ Artificial inseminator 9 ._____ Blacksmith or farm machinery mechanic 10. ___ County agricultural or V-H agent 11. ___ Crop specialist 12. ___ Cold storage operator 13. ___ Cow tester (D.H.I.A.) l^f. ___ Dairy specialist 15. ___ Entomologist (insect specialist) 16. ___ Farm implement dealer 17. ___ Field crop buyer or shipper 18. __ Food technologist Forester 19. 20. __ Fruit or vegetable buyer or shipper 21. __ Fruit specialist 22. __ Game warden 23. Grain elevator operator 2*f. Hatchery operator 25. Inspector (meat, milk, feed, seed, etc.) 26. Landscape architect 27. ___ Landscape gardener 28. Livestock auctioneer, buyer or shipper 29. Marketing specialist 3031. 32. 33. ___ Milk plant operator ' Poultry and poultry products buyer or shipper Poultry specialist _ __ Research specialist 3^. Seed, feed, fertilizer dealer 35. Sheep shearer 36. Soil conservationist 37. _ __ Tree surgeon 38. ___ Vegetable crop specialist 39. Veterinarian U-0. Wildlife specialist 150 i COPY OF FORMS USED IN SUMMARIZING RESULTS OF STUDENTS* QUESTIONNAIRES Summary of Students' Questionnaire by Classes School Address The number of students choosing each item in each question by classes of Vocational Agriculture. Questions 1 2 3 b 5 6 7 8 Class I b a c Class II a c b Class III a b c Class IV c a b 151 Summary of Ratings of Characteristics by Classes Item Cl ass I V I U Class II V I U Class ![II V I U Cl.ass IV V I u 1 2 3 if 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1>+ 15 16 17 18 List the Items Which the Classes Agree Should Be Added 1 2 I 152 Summary of Occupations Checklist by Classes in Agriculture Item Number A Group 1 2 3 b 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 lb 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 2b Class I Class II Class III Class IV 153 Summary of Occupations Checklist by Classes in Agriculture Item lAimber Class I Class II Class III Class IV B Group 1 2 3 b ] 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 - lb 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 2b 2o 27 28 29 30 31 32 3,3 3*+ 35 3o-----37 38 39 •* bo List those occupations outside of agriculture and related fields which class members have definitely selected as a voca­ tion: 1 3 2 b ifk- COPY OF REMINDER LETTER REQUESTING RETURN OF TEACHER'S QUESTIONNAIRE AND RESULTS OF STUDENTS' QUESTIONNAIRES 318 Albert A v e . East Lansing, Mich, May 19, 1952 Dear Sir: I have received the results from about two-thirds of the schools participating in the study of occupational information materials. They appear to be interesting and significant. I feel confident that the study will make a valuable contribution toward the improvement of occupa­ tional materials in agriculture, as well as provide an annotated bibliography of the current materials that are available• If you have not mailed your results, you are probably in the process of making the study. I. am looking forward to receiving your results at your earliest possible convenience Sincerely yours, T. R. Buie APPENDIX B 156 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SELECTED OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IN AGRICULTURE The following materials have been evaluated by the investigator with the instrument developed in this study and their ratings are given as either superior, good, fair, poor, or unsatisfactory. (Those bulletins marked *, dealing with specialized fields where only job description is given, are often superior within their limited coverage, but may be marked "poor" because of their omission of information neces­ sary to a full understanding of even the specialized field.) Furthermore, they have been classified into two groups* first, Production Occupations, with ten subgroups; and second, Farm Service and Other Related Occupations, with 12 subgroups. These categories may be used as a basis for filing occupa­ tional information. One drawer of the filing cabinet, with 22 properly labeled, manila folders or 22 bulletin boxes would be satisfactory to contain the materials. A. 1. Production Occupations Cash Grain Farmer The Job of the Wheat Farmer. Occupational Brief No. 6 7 , Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19^7 • Fair. 1*+ PP» % • This pamphlet is easy to read and understand. It very briefly discusses the occupation with emphasis on duties and earnings. 157 2. Cotton Farmer The Job of the Cotton Farmer, Occupational Brief No. 56, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19^7Fair. 13 pp. 50. This pamphlet portrays very briefly the life of the cotton farmer. It emphasizes duties, qualifications, methods of becoming established, and earnings. 3. Crop Speciality Farmer Beekeeper. Vocational Guidance Centre, Ontario College of Education, University of Toronto,.Toronto 5? Ontario, Canada, 1950. Good. k- pp. 70. A well written monograph covering very adequately such items as history and importance of the occupation to society, duties, and earnings of those engaged in the work. Beginning in the Nursery Business. John J . Pinney, American Nurseryman, 3^3 South Dearborn St., Chicago, Illinois, 19*+6. 1+8 pp. Fair. 500. A guide for planning a nursery business. Deals with retailing, landscaping, mail orders, financing and keeping records. Florist. Vocational Guidance Centre, Ontario College of Education, University of Toronto, Toronto 5? Ontario, Canada, 1952. !+ pp. 15^ • 158 Good. A valuable aid bo those persons planning to be­ come florists. A concise discussion covers such topics as becoming established, nature of the work, qualifications, preparation, and earnings. Flower Shoo Management as a Career. Research No. 63 , The Institute for Research, 537 South Dearborn St., Chicago 5, Illinois, 1950. Fair. of flowers. 2b pp. 950. Deals with the retailing, wholesaling, and growing It discusses the attractive and unattractive features of the enterprises and the expected income. Fur Farming. Research No. l55j The Institute for Research, 537 South Dearborn St., Chicago 5? Illinois, 19*+6. 19 pp. 950. Good. discussed. The history and the importance of the industry are The qualifications, duties, and expected income are emphasized. The Job of the Speciality Farmer. Occupational Brief No. 6 8 , Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19*+7• Fair. I1* PP- 50. This pamphlet was designed to acquaint the veteran of World War II with the possibilities of occupations that produce seeds, flowers, unusual fruits, mushrooms, medicine plants, fur animals, rabbits, fish, and snakes. It emphasizes abilities and preparation which a person should possess for the various occupations. 159 The Job of the Tobacco Farmer, Occupational Brief No. 65, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., I9V 7. Fair. pation. 13 pp. 5#. A brief discussion of tobacco growing as an occu­ Emphasis is placed upon financial aid for the World War II veterans who are interested in becoming tobacco farmers. b, Dairy Farmer Dairy Farming as a Career. Research No. 79, The Institute for Research, 19*+5• 2b pp. Good. of the work, 537 South Dearborn St., Chicago 5, Illinois, 950- A. well written publication describing the nature qualifications, duties, and expected income. The Job of the Dairy Farmer. Occupational Brief No. 57, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19^7• Fair. 1^ P P • 50* A pamphlet prepared for the war veterans with particular emphasis on securing financial help to enter the occupation. It also covers the duties and responsibilities of the dairy farmer. 5. Forest and Wildlife Farmer Careers in Forestry. Occupational Monograph by Charles N. Elliott, Science Research Associates, Chicago 10, Illinois, 19*+7• *+8 pp. 57 West Grand Avenue, ^0^. 16 0 Superior. An excellent monograph describing the duties, qualifications, earnings, and nature of the work. Professional Opportunities in the Wildlife Field. David B. Turner, Wildlife Management Institute, 822 Investment Bldg., Washington 5, D.C., 19^8. Good. careers. 208 pp. $1.00. This bulletin deals with information about outdoor The desired training, the opportunities for employ­ ment and the expected earnings are discussed. This Is Our Company. Davey Tree Expert Company, Kent, Ohio, 27 pp. Fair. Free. This pamphlet with its supplemental pamphlets, i.e., The Story of the Davey Organization and Training and Work of Davey Tree Experts. was written to advertise the training program in tree surgery. All three describe per­ sonal qualifications, preparation requirements, nature of the work, and expected income. 6. Fruit Farmer Horticulture as a Career. Research No. 21, The Institute for Research, 19^ . 20 pp. Fair. 537 South Dearborn St., Chicago 5> Illinois, 950* Opportunities for the trained and unskilled in horticulture are discussed in this panorama. and expected income are emphasized. Job preparation 161 Jobs in Horticulture. Occupational Monograph by Gilbert W. Wernicke, Science Research Associates, Avenue, Chicago 10, Illinois, 1 9 ^ . Superior. 57 West Grand *f8 pp. bO Illinois, 950. Although many of the farm problems have changed since this booklet was written, its discussion of the oppor­ tunities for employment, training requirements, and the ad­ vantages and disadvantages of the occupation remain pertinent. General Farmer, Vocational Guidance Centre, Ontario College of Education, University of Toronto, Toronto 5> Ontario, Canada, 1950. Good. ^ pp. 100• A well written pamphlet covering the nature of the work on the general farm. Qualifications, preparation, earnings, advantages, and disadvantages are emphasized. General Farm Jobs, Michigan Unemployment Compensation Commission, 7310 Woodward Avenue, Detroit 2, Michigan, 1951* 30 pp. 250. 162+ Superior. This booklet deals with job titles, job locations, and wage ranges. It also discusses the nature of the work, training requirements, and qualifications. Getting Started in Farming. Farmers' Bulletin No. 1961, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19^9• Good. 3*+ pp. l5<2. A bulletin on the problems of getting started in the various types of farming. Emphasis is placed on farming conditions in the various regions of the country and the expected income. If Y o u 1re Thinking of a Little Place in the Country. AIS lV, Bureau of Agricultural Economics, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 192+6 . 12 pp. Free . Poor. This pamphlet rates poor because of its narrow scope of information. However, as it pertains to city workers who anticipate part-time farming, it may be considered an excellent bulletin for its purpose. Living and Working on a F arm, Prepared by College of Agriculture, University of Illinois, Issued by Illinois State Council of Defense, Springfield, Illinois, 192+3. Superior. very vividly. 60 pp. Free. Living and working on the farm are portrayed Duties and training requirements are emphasized. 16 ? Modern Agriculture as a Career. Research No. 20, The Institute for Research, 537 South Dearborn St., Chicago 5, Illinois, 1950. Good. 2b pp. 95^. A discussion of the nature of the work and duties of the general farmer. Emphasis is on modern machinery and laborsaving devices. Opportunities in Farming. Paul W. Chapman, Science Research Associates, Illinois, 19*+7• Superior. 57 West Grand Avenue, Chicago 10, *+8 PP- b0+7. l*f pp. 50 • Fair. A brief discussion of the production of corn and its use as feed for hogs and cattle, stressing the duties and nature of the work. Mention is made of qualifications, earn­ ings, and sources of financial aid for veterans. The Job of the Livestock Farmer, Occupational Brief No. 6l, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.G., 19^7 • Fair. 1*+ pp. 50 • This occupational brief describes the nature of work, personal qualifications and training requirements, earnings, and sources of financial aid. 9. Poultry Farmer Poultryman. Vocational Guidance Centre, Ontario College of Education, University of Toronto, Toronto 5? Ontario, Canada, 1950. Good. b pp. ±00. Although this monograph was written for the poultryman in Canada, it has many practical adaptations for the North-Central region of the United States. The publica­ tion treats very adequately the importance of occupations, nature of the work, personal qualifications necessary for success, and earnings. 169 Poultry Farming: as a Career. Research No. 170, The Institute for Research, Illinois, 19*4-7. Good. 20 pp. 537 South Dearborn St., Chicago 5, 95s*. The various phases of poultry raising are de­ scribed as to the nature of the work to be performed. Qualifi­ cations, training requirements, earnings, and duties are discussed concerning each phase of the poultry industry. The Job of the Poultry F a r m e r . Occupational Brief No. 6*+, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19^+7. Fair. 13 pp. 5^* This pamphlet presents a general description of poultry farming and the basic qualifications which are neces­ sary for success. The estimated amount of investment in land, buildings, and equipment is presented, as well as the ex­ pected income. 10. Truck Farmer The Job of the Truck Farmer, Occupational Brief No. 6 6 , Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.G., 19*+7• Fair. 13 PP* 5^* This pamphlet was prepared to assist war veterans to decide whether they possess the qualifications and ability to succeed in truck farming. The facilities necessary for truck farming and expected income are presented. 170 Vegetable Farming as a Career. Research No. 175, The Institute for Research, 537 South Dearborn St., Chicago 5, Illinois, 19^7Good. sented. 16 pp. 9 5$. The history of commercial production is pre­ The nature of the work, qualifications, preparation, and earnings are discussed. B. 1. Farm Service and Other Related Occupations Economist The Job of the Economist« Occupational Brief No. 12, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19*+7• Fair. l^t- pp» 5^. It presents a good description of the duties, qualifications, necessary preparation, and salary of an economist. 2. Educational Worker Careers as County Agricultural Agent, Research No. 160, The Institute for Research, Illinois, 1950. Good. 20 pp. 537 South Dearborn St., Chicago 5? 95^- A history of the development of county agricultural extension work is discussed quite adequately. The pamphlet also deals with their qualifications, training requirements, nature of the work, and their expected earnings. jobs in Rural Service. Occupational Monograph by Paul W. Chapman, Science Research Associates, 57 West Grand Avenue, 171 Chicago 10, Illinois, 19*+7 • Superior. ^8 pp. bO#. This booklet presents the modern educational and technical services available to farmers. It deals with the opportunities, nature of the work, personal qualifica­ tions, training, and salaries for all the major occupations related to agriculture. Rural Teacher, Occupational Abstract No. 15? Occupational Index, Inc., New York University, Washington Square, New York 3, New York, 19W . Fair. 6 pp. 50 950• The various types of research in agriculture are Qualifications, training requirements, and-salaries are emphasized. The Agricultural Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Handbook *+3, A gri­ cultural Research Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 1952. Good. ^8 pp. Free. A bulletin dealing primarily with the. nature of the work conducted at the research center. It discusses the number of persons employed and the specialized fields. *The Jobs of the Agricultural and Biological Scientists. Occupational Brief No. 3, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19b7, 22 pp. 50 • Fair. This pamphlet presents excellent descriptions of the professions in agriculture and biology. Qualifications, 185+ preparation, and salaries are emphasized. The Jobs of the Animal, D a i r y . and Poultry Husbandmen and Technologists. Occupational Brief No. *+, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.G., 19^7 • Fair. 1*+ pp. 5^. This pamphlet very briefly presents the nature of the work, qualifications, and earnings of the jobs listed in the title. The Jobs of the Botanist. Plant Pathologist. and Plant Physiologist. Occupational Brief No. 7, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washing­ ton, D.G . , 19^7 • Fair. 1*+ PP • 5{£ • The jobs listed in the title are defined and the qualifications, preparation, and earnings are discussed. *The Jobs of the Horticulturist. Agronomist. and Soil Scientist, Occupational Brief No. 27, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washing­ ton, D .C ., 19^7 • Fair. 15+ PP • • This pamphlet deals with the nature of the work, qualifications, preparation, and earnings of persons filling the jobs mentioned in the title. pj; "The Jobs of the Zoologist. Parasitology, and Entomologist. Occupational Brief No. 53, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19^7* 13 PP. 5^- 185 Fair. The nature of the work of the above jobs is described and the qualifications, preparation, and earnings are presented. 10. Service Technician Blacksmith. Occupational Abstract No. 3 6 , Occupational Brief No. 3 6 , Occupational Index, Inc., New York University, Washington Square, New York 3, New York, 19 I+8 . Fair. 6 pp. 50^. This leaflet emphasizes the blacksmith in industry rather than the rural blacksmith which services farming equip­ ment. The nature of the work, qualifications, unions, prep­ aration, earnings, and advancement are discussed. Blacksmith. Occupational Guide, Employment Service, United States Department of Labor, Washington, D.G., 19U-7 • 5 pp. Free. Fair. trade. A leaflet defining terms used in the blacksmith The nature of the work, training, qualifications, and working conditions are discussed. 11. Trucker Getting into the Trucking Industry. American Trucking A s s o ciates,. I n c ., 1^2*+ 16th Street, N . W . , Washington 6, D.C., 1953- 22 pp. Good. Free. This pamphlet deals quite adequately with the steps in becoming established in the trucking business, such as obtaining permits, the regulations (state and federal), 186 margin of profit, management, and safety precautions. 12. Veterinarian Careers in the U . S . Army Veterinary Corns I Department of the Army, Office of the Surgeon General, Washington, D.C., 19^9 • 12 pp. Good. Free. This pamphlet presents the opportunities in the army veterinary corps, the nature of the work, qualifications, and salary. The Job of the Veterinarian, Occupational Brief No. 50, Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19^7. Fair. 10 pp. 50. The type of work, qualifications, opportunities, and training are discussed. Veterinarian. Occupational Abstract No. 52, Occupational Index, Inc., New York University, Washington Square, New York 3, New York, 19^5* Fair. 6 pp. 500. This leaflet emphasizes the nature of the work, abilities required, training, earnings, method of entrance, and advancement. Veterinarian, Vocational Guidance Centre, Ontario College of Education, University of Toronto, Toronto 5> Ontario, Canada, 195°• Good. PP • 70. This up-to-date pamphlet discusses the number employed, working conditions, training opportunities, 187 employment opportunities, special regulations, salaries, and trends. Veterinarian, Michigan Unemployment Compensation Com­ mission, 7310 Woodward Avenue, Detroit 2, Michigan, 19*+8. 19 pp. -250. Good. This pamphlet deals with the veterinary oppor­ tunities in the Detroit area.Qualifications, training r e ­ quirements, and earnings are also discussed. Veterinary Medicine as a Career. American Veterinary Medical Association, 600 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago 5? Illinois, 1951. Good. 15 PP- Free. This pamphlet briefly discusses the college study required, the opportunities for service in the profession, the personal qualifications that make for success, and the rewards that may be expected. Veterinary Medicine as a Career, Research No. 71> The Institute of Research, Illinois, 1936. Fair. 18 pp. 537 South Dearborn St., Chicago 5? 95^• The history and employment opportunities are discussed in this pamphlet. Also, the qualifications, train­ ing requirements, and earnings are emphasized. APPENDIX C Pamphlet I, Pamphlet II, Pamphlet III, V e t e r i n a r y M e c i c i n e as a C a r e e r Opportunities The in F a r m i n g Job of the C o r n - H o g - C a t t l e P a r m e r a(jwm Veterinary M ed ic in e A s a Career T h i s b o o k le t a n sw ers q u e s tio n s o fte n a sk e d b y h igh sc h o o l s t u d e n t s w h o a re c o n s id e r in g v e te r in a r y m e d i ­ cin e as a career. I t briefly d iscusses th e co lleg e s t u d y r e q u i r e d , th e o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r se rvice in th e p r o f e s ­ sion , th e p e r s o n a l q u a lific a tio n s th a t m a k e fo r success, a n d th e r e w a rd s t h a t m a y b e e x p e c te d . Published by American Veteri nar y Medical Association 600 South Michigan Avenue Chicago 5 Illinois C o p y rig h t 1951 A m e ric a n V e te r in a r y M e d ic a l A s s o c ia tio n P rin te d in U.S.A. ’I / ’E T E R I NARY M E D IC IN E is th e science and art ’ th a t deals w ith all aspects o f th e health a n d re p ro ­ d u ctio n of dom estic anim als a n d of w ild anim als in captivity, in cluding th e p rev en tio n , cure, alleviation, an d eradication o f th e ir diseases. T h e scien ce of veterinary m edicine em bodies the know ledge gained th ro u g h m any ind iv id u als’ observa­ tions, p lan n ed research, an d testing. T h e a r t of veteri­ nary m edicine is th e personal ab ility to m ake practical, effective use of th a t know ledge. L ike th e p ra c titio n e r of h u m a n m edicine an d o th er branches of m edical science, th e v eterin arian is guided by a code of ethics th a t guards b o th th e h o n o r of his profession an d th e w elfare o f th e p atien ts an d clients lie serves. H is w ork is divided in to th re e phases: (1) P reven­ tion o f anim al diseases by th e use of vaccines and by h elp in g ow ners to im prove san itary practices, feeding stan d ard s, and m an ag em en t m ethods. (2) M edical and surgical treatm en t o f ailm ents an d injuries. (3) Safe­ g u ard in g and im p ro v in g th e n a tio n ’s su p p ly of foods derived from a n im a ls -m e a t, d airy products, poultry, and e g g s-a n d p ro tectin g th e p u b lic from diseases w hich m ay be tran sm itted from anim als to m an , such as brucellosis an d rabies. T h ese broad an d varied responsibilities o f th e gen­ eral p ractitio n er ex p lain w hy to d ay ’s stu d en ts m ust tra in six years in college to o b ta in a degree in veteri­ nary m edicine. In fact, th e typical present-day general practice can no longer be com pared w ith th a t o f th irty o r forty years ago, w hen care o f horses an d m ules was th e p rin cip al field a n d w hen fo u r years of college tra in ­ ing was considered sufficient p rep aratio n . H istorical Background It has been said th a t “ veterinary m edicine developed contem poraneously w ith th e dom estication o f anim als.” T h e ancient E gyptians left traces of th e ir know ledge of th is art, and th e first a u th e n tic record of anim al physicians was fo u n d in th e law s of A ssyria as laid dow n by H am m u rab i in 2200 B .C .-a h n o st a thousand years before Moses. In th e centuries th a t followed, veterinary m edicine experienced periods of p o p u larity and progress, as w ell as periods o f suppression, before it finally becam e established as a respected profession on a scientific p a r w ith h u m a n m edicine a n d dentistry. R ecords of form al education in veterinary m edicine trace back to a b o u t 1740, w hen a priv ately owned academ y of e q u ita tio n in L yon, France, in clu d ed in ­ stru ctio n on eq u in e m edicine in its cu rricu lu m . T h is academ y was absorbed in to th e p u b lic educational system of F rance in 1761, by decree of Louis XV. T h e first E nglish'college of veterinary m edicine was estab ­ lished in L ondon in 1791. college of veterinary m edicine to w hich he expects to apply for adm ission. H igh school study of th e above-m entioned subjects is valuable, b u t not essential. K now ledge of L atin, w ill m ake it easier to u n d erstan d m edical term inology. A lth o u g h th e cu rricu lu m is n o t th e sam e in all col­ leges of v eterin ary m edicine, each school m ust m eet certain m in im u m req u irem en ts in o rd e r to qualify for recognition by th e A m erican V eterinary M edical Asso­ ciation. T h e fo u r years o f professional stu d y m ust in ­ clude n o t less th an 4,000 clock ho u rs of in stru ctio n , divided on th e follow ing percentage basis: Per O u t ,t ! i ; Every college o f ve te rin a ry medicine has Its own well-equipped classrooms where students learn modern techniques o f animal care and disease diagnosis. V eterinary m edical education in th e U nited States began as a privately financed o p eratio n in 1852 w ith th e ch arterin g of th e V eterinary C ollege of P h ila d e l­ phia, w hich w ent o u t of existence w ith o u t ever g ra d u ­ atin g a class. T h e first U n ited States school th at a c tu ­ ally op erated and g rad u ated a few v eterin arian s was . the B oston V eterinary In stitu te , organized in 1854: C anada’s first school of veterinary m edicine was . the O ntario V eterinary College, established in 1862 and still in o p eratio n today. S ubsequently, schools began to spring u p all over th e U nited States and C anada, reaching a p eak of 25 in 1916. A few publicly s u p ­ ported schools w ere am ong them , b u t th e great m a jo r­ ity were privately financed. A t the close of W orld W ar I, how ever, th e n u m b er of p rivate in stitu tio n s began to dw indle an d eventually all of them gave way to schools of veterinary m edicine o p erated in connection w ith state or provincial colleges a n d universities. A natom y, in clu d in g histology and em bryology 15.0 to 17.0 Physiology an d b io ch em istry ....................... 7.5 to 11.0 Pathology, bacteriology, an d im m u n o lo g y .. 10.5 Lo 14.0 Parasitology 3.0 to 5.0 Pharm acology an d m ateria m ed ica................ 3.0 to 4.0 Food hygiene ................................................ 3.0 to 4.0 Surgery (exclusive of c lin ic s )....................... 5.0 to 6.5 Diseases o f th e rep ro d u ctiv e system ............. 2.0 to 3.0. M edicine (exclusive o f c lin ic s )................. 9.0 to 10.0 Clinics (com bined) ............................... .25.0 to 30.0 4.0 to 6.0 M iscellaneous and electives............... Recognized Schools T h e C ouncil on E ducation of the A m erican V eteri­ nary M edical Association m akes an inspection of each recognized school at least once every th re e years, to d eterm in e w h eth er th a t school is c o n tin u in g to satisfy req u irem en ts for recognition and accred itatio n by th e Prerequisites for a Degree B efore a h ig h school g rad u ate m ay enroll in a col­ lege of v eterin ary m edicine for th e four-year profes­ sional course, he m ust com plete tw o years of p re -p ro ­ fessional college study. T h e req u irem en ts for p re -p ro ­ fessional courses a n d credits arc specified by each in stitu tio n an d vary w ith different colleges. C hem istry (inorganic and, organic an d b io ch em istry ), zoology, botany, physics, English com position, a n d speech are helpful. H ow ever, the prospective s tu d e n t’s exact selec­ tion of courses should be guided by advice from the 6 This c a lf Is seriously III. Its life rests on the veteri­ narian's ability to make a speedy diagnosis o f the trouble and sta rt appropriate tre a tm e n t without delay. 7 A ssociation. In the case o f a new school, inspection is m ade d u rin g th e year p rio r to th e g ra d u a tio n of th e first class. Prospective stu d en ts should ask ab o u t th e accreditation statu s of th e school to w h ich they apply. Follow ing are th e schools o f v eterin ary m edicine in the U nited States and C anada; unless otherw ise in ­ dicated, each school qualified for ap p ro v al on the basis of inspection m ade by th e A ssociation’s C ouncil on E ducation p rio r to th e fall of 1951: License to P ractice A labam a Polytechnic In s titu te , College o f V eterinary M edicine, A u b u rn , A la. T h e degree, D octor o f V eterin ary M edicine (usually designated D .V .M .), is conferred a t g rad u atio n , a fte r w hich th e v eterin arian m u st o b tain a license to p rac­ tice in th e state of his choice. E x am in atio n s, w hich generally a re rigid, are given by th e state b o ard of v eterin ary m edical ex am in ers a n n u ally o r sem ian n u ­ ally. T h e re also is a N atio n al B oard of V eterinary M edical E xam iners w hich gives ex am in atio n s th a t m ay be accepted in lieu of certain p arts o f any sta te ’s ow n ex am in atio n . ♦C alifornia, U niversity of, School of V eterin ary M edi cine, Davis, C alif. The Profession a t Work C olorado A g ricu ltu ral and M echanical College, D ivi­ sion of V eterinary M edicine, F ort C ollins, Colo. G eorgia, U niversity of, School of V eterinary M edicine, A thens, G a. ♦Illinois, U niversity of, C ollege of V eterin ary M edicine, U rb an a, 111. Figures com piled by th e A m erican V eterinary M ed ­ ical A ssociation in 1951 show ed 16,000 v eterin arian s in the U n ite d States. I t is estim ated th a t th e profes­ sion’s p o p u la tio n will increase by ap p ro x im ately 500 each year u n til a total o f 20,000 to 25,000 is reached. Iow a State C ollege, D ivision of V eterinary M edicine, Ames, Iow a. Kansas State College, School o f V eterin ary M edicine, M an h attan , K an. M ichigan S tate College, School of V eterin ary M edicine, East L ansing, M ich. M innesota, U niversity of, School of V eterinary M edi­ cine, St. P a u l, M inn. M issouri, U niversity of, C ollege of V eterin ary M edi­ cine, C olum bia, Mo, New York State V eterinary College, C ornell U niversity, Ithaca, N . Y. O hio State U niversity, College of V eterin ary 'M ed icin e, . C olum bus, O hio. O klahom a A gricultural and M echanical College, School o f V eterinary M edicine, S tillw ater, O kla. O n tario V eterinary College, U niversity of T o ro n to , G uelph, O u t, (Canada) Pennsylvania, U niversity of, School o f V eterinary M edicine, P h ilad elp h ia, Pa. Q uebec, School of V eterinary M edicine o f th e Province o f (affiliate o f U niversity of M o n tre a l), St. Hyacinthe, Q ue. (C a n a d a ). F rench in stru ctio n only. T ex as A g ricu ltu ral and M echanical C ollege, School of V eterinary M edicine, C ollege Station, T exas. T uskegee In s titu te , School of V eterinary M edicine, T uskegee In stitu te , Ala. W ashington, S tate College of, College o f V eterinary M edicine, P u llm a n , W ash. ♦Opened in th e fall of 194S; n o t y e t inspected for AVMA a c c r e d ita tio n a t th e tim e th is b o o k le t w as published. 8 Veterinarians work constantly to insure the safety and purity of milk by p ro te c tin g th e health of the cows th a t produce It. The veterinarian shown here is taking a sample of milk which he will te s t to r the presence of disease germs, such as mastitis. I t the cow proves to be infected, he will tre a t her and work closely w ith the ow ner to p revent fu rth e r Infection. A bout 60 p er cent engage in p riv ate general p ra c ­ tice, w hich involves th e care of all species of dom estic anim als. A n o th e r 10 p e r cent specialize, devoting all o r nearly all of th eir tim e to th e care o f one class of anim als, su ch as pets, d airy cattle, beef cattle, race horses, hogs, o r p o ultry. T h e re also are o p p o rtu n itie s for specialized w ork w ith ranch-raised fu r anim als, zoo ancl circus anim als. T h e re m a in in g 30 p er cen t are em ployed in various 9 Development and testing of vaccines fo r p ro te c tin g ani­ mals against disease Is an­ o th er phase o f th e profes­ sion's w o rk. This v e te rin a r­ ian Is w orking w ith chicken embryos to make a vaccine th a t w ill be used fo r horses. branches of federal, state, and local governm ents, in teaching and research, in agricu ltu ral extension work, an d in com m ercial fields. A T y p ical R u ra l P ractice.—P rev en tin g th e ou tb reak a n d sp read of diseases am ong farm anim als and the econom ic loss caused thereby is a prim ary responsibility of th e v eterin arian w ho engages in general practice. T h is includes reg u lar physical ex am inations an d d is­ ease-testing of livestock, an d counseling w ith th e ow ner on san itary m easures, environm ental conditions, feed­ ing, a n d breeding. Also included is preventive vac­ cin atio n for such diseases as blackleg an d brucellosis in cattle, cholera an d erysipelas in hogs, cnterotoxem ia and sorem outh in lam bs and sheep, eq u in e en cep h alo ­ m yelitis (sleeping sickness) in horses, fow lpox and N ew castle disease in poultry, rabies and d istem p er in dogs. W hen p revention fails, th e v eterin arian d iag ­ noses th e ailm ent an d treats th e p a tie n t w ith th e best drugs an d techniques a t his com m and. Surgery is p erform ed tinder anesthesia an d u n d e r th e m ost aseptic conditions th a t farm su rro u n d in g s w ill p erm it. Some veterinarians carry on general practice from p riv ate clinics and from hospitals having accom m oda­ tions fo r both livestock an d pets, b u t th e m ajo rity treat th eir patients rig h t on th e farm . W h ile thus serving a ru ral p o p u latio n , th e p ra c ti­ tio n er has many o p p o rtu n itie s to h elp p re v e n t h u m an illness through th e control of anim al diseases th a t arc dangerous to m an. In this connection, h e m ay give advice, on the protection of farm fam ilies ag ain st any of a b o u t 20 anim al diseases know n to be of m ajor im p o rtan ce to p u b lic h ealth in N o rth A m erica. If he has spare hours after atten d in g to the dem ands of his p rivate practice, lie m ay o b tain p a rt-tim e em ­ plo y m en t in disease eradication w ork w ith th e B ureau of A nim al In d u stry of th e U n ited States D ep artm en t of A gricu ltu re or w ith state regulatory agencies. T h e re also are o p p o rtu n ities for sideline w ork w ith slate 10 Houtine physical examinations of pets and livestock a re a g ra tify in g p a r t o f the ve te rin a ria n 's w ork because th e y give him an opportunity to d e te c t . disease and o th er abnormal conditions before I t Is to o la te fo r successful tre a tm e n t. I Photo courtesy TV program, "T h e Anim al Clinic."! an d m unicipal h e a lth d ep artm en ts an d as p art-tim e in spector in local m eat-packing plants. A T y p ical U rb a n Practice.—T h e v eterin arian w ho locates in a large city usually devotes all o r a su b ­ sta n tia l p a rt of his tim e to th e care of pets an d needs a specially constructed, w ell-equipped hospital for this.. Besides th e in itia l investm ent in lan d and b u ild ­ ing, an outlay of several th o u san d dollars is req u ired for clinical, surgical, x-ray, an d lab o rato ry eq u ip m en t. In som e areas, th e n u m b e r of p et hospitals already m atches or m ay even be in excess of p u b lic needs, a n d for this reason th e specialized sm all an im al field F ederally employed v e te ri­ narians are on d u ty in every governm ent-inspected meat packing p la n t to make sure th a t only sound, healthful m eat gets to Am erican din­ ner tables. Here, a v e te ri­ narian Is Inspecting Internal organs to see I f th e re Is any animal disease or d e te rio ra ­ tio n th a t may be dangerous to consumers. offers th e new g rad u ate few er o p p o rtu n itie s th a n a general practice. H ow ever, th e v eterin arian w ho b e­ comes successfully established in sm all anim al practice finds m uch gratification in his work. F ederal G overnm ent W o rk ,- T h e U n ited States D e­ p a rtm e n t o f A gricu ltu re m ain tain s a fu ll-tim e staff of ab o u t 1,500 veterin arian s w hose p rin cip al assignm ents are m eat inspection in federally inspected packing plants a n d field w ork in anim al disease erad icatio n . T h e D e p a rtm e n t’s B u reau of A nim al In d u stry is th e largest single governm ent em ployer o f v eterin arian s in peacetim e. M eat inspection is a p u b lic h e a lth service, th a t the federal governm ent a n d certain states and cities p ro ­ vide for th e protection o f consum ers. By in specting anim als before, a t th e tim e of, an d a fte r slau g h ter, as well as d u rin g processing operations, v eterin arian s d e­ tect an d b a r from p u b lic channels any m eat th a t is m ade unsafe by an im al disease or o th e r co n tam in atio n . A dd itio n al o p p o rtu n itie s in th e D e p a rtm e n t o f A g ri­ cu ltu re in clu d e stockyards supervision, p o u ltry in sp ec­ tion, enforcem ent of im p o rt and ex p o rt regulations, research w ork on an im al h e a lth problem s, and licen s­ ing supervision over th e m an u factu re of serum s and vaccines fo r anim als. T h e n e x t largest gov ern m en t users of v eterin arian s are th e A rm y and A ir Force. A p proxim ately 2,200 v eterinarians served as com m issioned officers in the arm ed forces d u rin g W o rld W ar II. A t present, ab o u t 600 are on active d u ty , a lth o u g h th e n u m b er flu ctu ­ ates w ith th e size of th e arm ed forces. T h e p rin cip al activity is inspection o f foods, especially m eat and dairy p ro d u cts, to p re v e n t unw holesom e or p o o r-q u al­ ity foods from being served to troops. T h e strikingly low incidence of food p o isoning an d o th er food-borne diseases in th e U n ited States arm ed forces is largely a ttrib u ta b le to this activity. O th er services p erform ed by the v eterin arian in un ifo rm are care of m ilitary anim als, such as g u ard dogs and pack anim als, san itary inspection of cam ps, research on an im al diseases, con­ trol of diseases th a t m ay be spread from anim als to troops, a n d care o f p ets ow ned by arm ed forces personnel. O th e r agencies of th e federal gov ern m en t th a t em ­ ploy v eterin arian s are th e U n ited States P u b lic H e a lth Service a n d th e Food a n d D ru g A d m in istratio n . A m er­ ican v eterin arian s also serve w ith in te rn a tio n a l agen­ cies, such as the W orld H ealth O rganization. State a n d M unicipal G overnm ent W ork.—V e te rin a r­ ians em ployed by state governm ent b u reau s are con­ cerned p rim a rily w ith disease control an d erad icatio n in cooperation w ith federal v eterin arian s and p riv ate practitio n ers, and w ith public h ealth pro tectio n 12 V eterinarians supervise food Inspection as commis­ sioned officers o f the armed forces, In addition to earing fo r the health o f m ilita ry animals. The Vet­ erinary Corps officer here Is Inspecting turkeys, th ro u g h th e inspection of m eat, m ilk, an d o th e r foods. Some counties a n d m any cities engage veterinarians to in sp ect m eat, m eat products, m eat m arkets, dairy farm s, d airy p lan ts, and restau ran ts. O p p o rtu n itie s fo r W om en.—Som e w om en have en­ joyed success in th e practice o f veterinary m edicine, b u t th e n u m b e r w ho have so u g h t to e n te r this pro- These girls w ere students In a mldwestern school of v e te rin a ry medicine a t th e tim e this p ictu re was taken. There a re about T20 women veterinar­ ians In the United States. 13 fession is sm all. Also, several oE th e vetenna'ry m ed­ ical colleges are relu ctan t o r refuse to enroll w om en because th e physical d em an d s are so g reat, particu larly w here large farm anim als are concerned, I t is gen er­ ally felt th a t th e w om an v ete rin a ria n ’s greatest o p p o r­ tu n ity for service is in th e field of sm all anim al p ra c ­ tice and in lab o rato ry o r research work, although a few d eterm in ed an d capable individuals have distinguished them selves in o th er fields, including th e care of zoo anim als an d dairy cattle. ex p lan a tio n of the case and w ants to be assured th a t the anim al will g et best possible care. The Financial Side ta m in g s of p racticing v eterin arian s arc m odest, despite the years sp en t on stu d y and th e long hours of .work. le e s for m ost veterinary m edical an d su r­ gical services are sm all com pared w ith those o f a physician or d en tist. T h e average g rad u ate m ust in ­ vest a b o u t $2,500 in drugs an d in stru m en ts to begin p riv ate practice in a farm ing area and a great deal m ore than th a t if h e wants' to o p en a h o spital. Also needed is an au to m o b ile for m aking calls. In retu rn , he m ay expect to have a net incom e of $3,000 to $4,000 th e first year, if h e selects his location wisely. H is in ­ com e will increase as he becom es established an d may be expected to d o u b le in five o r six years, b u t from th en on the rise is slower. Personal Qualifications P h y sica l s ta m in a is needed because o f th e Jong w ork­ in g hours a n d the fact th a t difficult em ergency calls usually com e d u rin g th e h o u rs th a t are ordinarily d e ­ voted to r e s t- la te a t n ig h t an d early in th e m orning.. G o o d h e a l t h also is im p o rta n t because calls are m ade in all kinds o f w eather, an d there are m anv risks of exposure to disease. V eterin arian s in cities o rd in a rily have larg er in ­ comes than those in ru ral, areas, b u t living costs are correspondingly higher. Som e individuals advance m ore rapidly th a n others, an d som e go on to special­ ize in fields th a t call for u n u su al skill and, therefore, b etter financial retu rn s. A specialist m ay have an incom e of $15,000 a year, b u t only th e exceptional v eterin arian earns m ore th an th at. S tren g th is an advantage because th e v eterin arian m ust freq u en tly h an d le large, stru g g lin g anim als alone, train ed help often n o t being av ailab le on co u n ­ try calls. U n d e r s t a n d i n g o j a n im a ls , gained by close associa­ tion w ith them , is very desirable because it enables a person to h a n d le them w ith o u t fear of personal in ju ry . M oreover, anim als sense fear and react unfavorably to it—a factor th a t will p re v e n t necessary cooperation b e­ tw een v eterin arian and p a tie n t. In fo rm atio n a b o u t salaries an d o p p o rtu n itie s for em ­ ploym ent w ith th e federal governm ent, such as in th e D ep artm en t o f A g ric u ltu re /c a n be o b tained from any local office of the U nited States Civil Service C om m is­ sion. A t the tim e of p u b licatio n of this booklet, v et­ erin arian s being engaged for m eat inspection o r field w ork in anim al disease control w ould sta rt w ith a classification o f GS-7 a t an a n n u a l salary o f $3,825, w ith stip u lated yearly increases an d re tire m e n t provi­ sions and w ith o p p o rtu n ities for advancem ent to higher-salary grades. V G o o d p o w e r s o f o b s e w a l i o n are essential. T he a n i­ m al p a tie n t can not answ er questions, so it is necessary for the v eterin arian to observe all deviations from th e norm al in o rd er to ju d g e th e n a tu re an d ex ten t of trouble. T h e diagnosis depends upon evidence g a th ­ ered as h e w atches an d exam ines th e p a tie n t and upon th e in te rp re ta tio n lie places on th e bits of evidence he gathers. A t t e n t i o n to n e w s c ie n tific d e v e l o p m e n t s is im p o r­ tan t. Im p ro v ed drugs, op eratio n s, an d in strum ents are being rep o rted a t all professional m eetings and in th e jo u rn als and books d evoted to v eterin ary m edicine. T h e v eterin arian w ho does n o t read c u rre n t literatu re and m ain tain active m em bership in local, state, an d national veterinary m edical associations is guilty o f neglecting his patien ts as well as him self. . I n te r e s t in th e c o m m u n i t y gives th e v eterin arian an o p p o rtu n ity to expand his usefulness. By taking an active role in com m unity affairs, b e finds m any chances to apply his scientific know ledge tow ard th e b etterm en t o f his n eig h b o rs’ h ealth an d welfare. t Salaries of v eterinarians in state, county, and m u ­ nicipal em ploy are, in m ost cases, below the scale paid by th e federal governm ent. i V eterin arian s e n te rin g the A rm y o r A ir F orce are com m issioned as officers,w ith in itia l ran k d ep en d in g upon th eir experience and age a n d w ith excellent o p ­ p o rtu n ity for g rad u al elevation to th e ra n k o f colonel. A b o u t 2.5 p e r cent of the n a tio n ’s v eterin arian s p u r­ sue careers in p riv a te in d u stry —in executive posts, re­ search, and sales, often w ith m an u factu rers of pharm aceutical an d biological products. T h e salaries aie attractiv e and com pare w ith those of o th e r p ro ­ fessional m en in sim ilar lines of work. A b i l i t y to m e e t c lie n ts can not be overem phasized. T h e an im al ow ner expects a courteous, und erstan d ab le ■ 14 15 If you could look Info f h e mind o f a veterinarian who has had a busy d a y . this Is w h a t you might see . . . or p ic tu re o f many di f f erent kinds o f animal p a t i e n t s he has t r e a t e d during t h a t d a y . Like t h e d o c to r o f human m e d icin e, t h e ve terina rian is devotee! t o his p a t ie n ts — n e v e r l e ts th e m ou t o f his mind until he has done e v e ryth in g within his p o w e r t o help th e m . AMERICAN JOB SERIES SCIENCE RESEARCH A SSO C IA TES GUIDANCE MONOGRAPH File U n d e r AGRICULTURE OPPORTUNITIES IN 2932 SRA OCCUPATIONAL FILING PLAN This m o n o g r a p h h a s b e e n classified a c c o r d i n g to t h e S R A O c c u p a t i o n a l Filing Plan, a s i m p l e vertical f iling s y s t e m w h i c h p r o v i d e s f o r l o g i c a l a r r a n g e m e n t o f o c c u p a t i o n a l material. T h e classification s y s t e m g r o u p s o c c u p a t i o n s into 7 0 m a j o r job areas, e a c h with a general subject heading, a n d suggests a d di ­ tional h e a d i n g s suitable for s u p p l e m e n t a r y g u i d ­ a n c e material o f a non-vocational nature. T h r o u g h the subject h e ad i n g s printed o n the front cover, ell t h e m o n o g r a p h s o f t h e A m e r i c a n J o b S e r i e s are n o w m a d e a n integral part of the O c c u p a t i o n a l F i li n g P l a n , r e a d y f o r filing in t h e a p p r o p r i a t e f o l d e r . by PAUL W. CHAPMAN Dean, College o f Agriculture University of G eorgia Formerly Consultant to the Occupational Information and Guidance Service United States Office o f Education Illustrations by Eigil Rasmussen AMERICAN JOB SERIES GUIDANCE 'M ONOGRAPH SC IEN C E RESEA RCH A S S O C IA T E S 228 So. W abash' Ave., Chicago 4, III. 1947 Copyright 1941,1947 by TABLE OF CONTENTS SCIENCE RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC. REVISED EDITION I Farming as a C a re e r................... PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - - ...... 5 Farming an 'Essential Occupation— A Way of L ife— Numbers Decline as Efficiency Increases - Number of Farms - Interest ■ Test - Advantages and Disadvantages - Outlook for Fanning, II Form O ccupations................... 13 Agriculture Defined - Types of Farming - Incomes by Types — Classes of Farm Workers — Kinds of Tenants — Trends in Farming, III W ork on th e F arm ............. 20 Machines Reduce Labor - Seasonal Work - Length of Work­ ing Day - Cooperative Services — Personal Freedom. IV Incomes From Farm ing..................... .............. ., ,24 Variation, in Incomes - Property of Farmers - Income Factors — City vs, Farm Incomes - Distribution of Earnings -In co m es Vary with Investments and Prices— Master Farmers V Training for Farm ing ...... .31 No Entrance Requirements - Training Pays - Land-Grant Colleges — Short Courses — High School Training - 4-H Clubs — Services of Agricultural Education Agencies. VI G etting a S tart in Farm ing . ............... .38 Job Levels in Farming - Apprenticeship - On-the-job Train­ in g -F a r m M anagers— Junior P a r tn e r s-T e n a n ts-F u tu r e Farmers of America - Importance of Personal Achievement. VII Farm Ownership and O p eratio n Photograph on page 5, courtesy of G oodyear; p age 16, Louisiana Tourist Bureau; p age IB, C aterpillar Tractor C o.; p ag e 21, Soil Conservation Service; p age 22, International H ar­ vester; page 26, Prairie F anner; p age 28, U.S.D.A. photo by Stenhouse; p age 32, Lord and Burnham C o.; page 39, U .S.D A ,; page 41, C hicago Public Schools; page 48, John Deere. ............ 43 Buying a Farm — Borrowing Money - Government Farm Loans - r Farm Credit Administration - Farmers Home Administration - Loans to Veterans - Farm Management Marketing Products - Farm Careers, . FOREWORD From any point of view, farming is one of the world’s most im­ portant occupations. Approximately one-fourth' of the population of the United States lives on farms. Each year almost 500,000 young men enter upon the business of farming. Few occupations offer employment for so many young Americans. No occupation provides such a high degree of independence and selfsufficiency as farming. Farmers produce, or may produce, their own food; the occupation of farming provides a place in which to live. Food and shelter are two of life’s necessities; they are the items in the family budget which normally call for the largest expenditures, Few workers are more independent than farmers. They do not depend for employment upon others, who, for one reason or another, may prevent their working. While farmers who make a success work hard and sometimes for long hours, they are free from the regular hours of urban workers. . No. work offers a greater variety of employment than farming. Re­ gardless of the place where one lives, or the-type of farming in which he is engaged,, there is some change in the work each season. Farming is also a mode of life. To be a farmer means that one must live on a farm. Whether or not this has an appeal depends upon the interests of the individual. Farm life becomes more attractive as modern conveniences — electricity, telephones, butane gas, and others — are made available. Good roads, cars, radios, mail delivery, and other develop­ ments make farm life more and more like life in towns and cities so far as conveniences and comforts are concerned. It is often said that farmers do not make much money. This is true. It is also true of most other people, regardless of their vocations. But farmers do as well as city workers in the matter of saving money and acquiring property. In fact, the average farm family owns more property than the typical city family, Farming is important in the economy of the nation because farmers supply the raw materials for most of our food, clothing, and shelter. It is also important for the reason that it makes possible so many other vocations, including those that transport, process, and sell farm products. For these reasons all of us, regardless of where we live or what we do, should be interested in learning more about the vocation of farming. 4 1 ' FARMING AS A CAREER \ ' ■• ■ ARMING, which is the oldest of all occupations, has lost none of its importance with the passing of time. , All of us, regardless of where we live or what we do, are dependent upon farming for the food we eat, most of the fibers from which our clothes are made, and some of the materials used in the homes in which we live. Farming is the most essential of all occupations. Not only are we dependent upon it for food and other necessities, but it also provides jobs for more than half of America’s urban workers, These jobs involve buying, packing, processing, transporting, selling, and using farm com­ modities, Methods of working change rapidly in this day of science and engineering, New occupations are created; old vocations pass out of existence, But the business of farming is so vital in supplying the needs of mankind that the time will never come when civilization can exist without farmers. Farmers make possible the existence of large cities. If there were no farmers, each individual would find it necessary to spend the major portion of his time producing food for himself and those dependent upon him. F s Farming is one of America’s major occupations from the standpoint of the number of persons for whom it provides employment. Nine million workers were engaged in farming just'prior to World War II; at that time approximately one-fourth of the nation’s population lived on farms. During the war the number of farm workers declined. In the future the percentage of the nation’s labor force engaged in farming will continue to decrease, but this will mean better and more favorable oppor­ tunities for those who choose this type of employment. In the colonial period of our history, 97 per cent of the nation’s population was engaged in farming. At that time farming was a mode of living, rather than a business devoted to the production of com­ modities for sale. Commercial farming began with the establishment of the plantation system of operation in the South and the use of laborsaving machinery in the Middle West. It is the extended use of farm machinery that has made Americans the most efficient; producers of farm products in the world, Over a long period of years, each new labor-saving machine invented and manufactured for use on farms has decreased the percentage of our labor force required in agricultural occupations. As recently as 1850, almost 70 per cent of our employed people were working on farms. With each new patented farm tool that was made available — including the chilled steel plow, the reaper, thresher, haying machine, combine, tractor — the percentage of workers needed on farms decreased. It is now less than 20 per cent. The number of workers needed will continue to decline. Better tools make farm work easier and add to the appeal of the occupation, They also tend to increase farm income, hut add to the capital requirements for farming not only, through the cost of the machines but also because they increase the amount of land required for efficient operation of the family-size farm, which is now approaching a national average of 200 acres. enjoy the advantages of country life and, perhaps, to reduce living expenses, but which are not designed to provide all of the family’s income. Usually one or more members of such families are employed in some non-farm vocation and commute daily to the office, factory, or store in which they work.' That farming is a way of life has, no doubt, added to the popularity of the vocation, It is said that Thomas Jefferson loved his farm home at Monticello so much that he continued to spend money improving it after his income had been reduced and his savings depleted through public service. Today, countless successful men who have accumulated a for­ tune turn to farming not for the .money they can make but for the pleasure which farming and farm life make possible. Farming has never lacked for recruits, For one hundred years the number of farms in the United States has increased quite consistently. As shown in Table 1, entitled Num ber of Farms in the United States, there are, and have been for many years, more than six million farms in the nation. Since each operator manages his farm for an average of not more than thirty years, this means that to hold the number approxi­ mately constant, about 200,000 young men must enter upon the business of farming for themselves each year. This is a large number; it is about 20 per cent of any given age group. But there have always been enough of these young men who selected farming as their vocation to take the places of those who dropped out. TABLE 1 N um ber o r Farms in t h e U n it e d S t a t e s P er Cent V est Number of Farms Cain or L obs 1850 1,449,073 A W ay of Life I860 2,004,077 41.1 Farming is still, however, a way of life, since the operator must live on the land for which he assumes managerial responsibility,. But con­ veniences and rural improvements have added to the attractiveness of country life. During recent years electricity has been made available to most rural sections. Telephone lines are being extended to rural homes everywhere. Highways are paved or hard-surfaced. In fact, life in the country has been made so attractive that thousands of families have left the congested sections of cities to make their homes in suburban and rural communities. Also, the number of subsistence or part-time farms is increasing, These are small farms on which people live in order to 1870 2,659,985 30.1 1880 4,008,907 50,7 1890 , 4,564,641 13.9 1900 5,737,372 25.7 1910 6,361,502 10.9 1920 6,448,343 1.4 1930 6,288,648 - 2 .5 1910 6,096,799 1950* 6,157,766 6 .. - 2 .2 1.0 •Estimated 7 It is evident that the number of farms in the United States is tending to become stabilized at about six million. The number of cotton farms in the South is decreasing; the, number of part-time or suburban farms is increasing, ■ H ere’s W ork That Satisfies What is the peculiar appeal which farming holds for so many men and women? Perhaps the explanation lies in the fact that it is a business which enables one to satisfy the creative urge which is universal in all persons with ambition and ability. For some this desire is expressed in creating books, pictures, and music; for others the same impulse finds expression in the building of houses, bridges, and roads. But there are no more satisfying materials with which to work than plants and animals. Security is another factor which gives life on the land an appeal to many. But the majority of those young men and women who choose farming a 13493431 s ' J : so because they are the sons and daughters of farmers. In the past it has been relatively easy for them to establish themselves in farming and difficult for them to enter other occupations. Their comparative isolation from other types of work, as compared with boys and girls in cities, has often led to a career in farming for the reason that they knew little or nothing about other types of work. This is no longer true to the same extent that it has been in the past, and, as a result, a larger number of boys and girls have left the farm in recent years than ever before. Again, this trend increases the opportunities of farming for those who choose the vocation. 6, Are you satisfied to spend much of your time alone? ■ 7. Are you willing to work long hours during certain seasons of the year? 8. Do you like to plan your own work? 9. Do you have enough will power to control your own ac’ tions; to work when no one tells you to do so? 10. Can you manage your financial affairs successfully? 11. Are you strong enough to handle the tools that are used in farming? ' If you can answer yes, to all these questions, you doubtless possess the more important personal characteristics required for success in farm­ ing. Those who answer the majority in the negative should seek some other vocation. Not all the persons who possess the qualifications for success in farming will wish to choose this occupation as a career. Many will feel that they will be happier in some other type of work. Some may think that other types of employment offer greater opportunities for making money or other rewards in which they are interested. Such individuals will, perhaps, want to compare the advantages and disadvantages of farming with other work opportunities. It is well to remember, however, that in the final analysis the advantages and disadvantages of any kind of work are, to a great extent, matters of personal opinion.1 Are You Interested in Farming? Personal interest should, in most cases, be the determining factor in the selection of an occupation. In every walk of life there are successful men and women. To paraphrase a line from one of Sidney Lanier’s poems, there is more in ike man than there is in the job! To determine whether one is interested in farming, it will be helpful to think jibout the following questions; 1. 2. 3. 4. Do you like to work outdoors? Does living in the open country appeal to you? Do you like plants and animals? Are you interested in watching their growth from day to day? , 5. Do you enjoy visiting farms and market places where farm products are sold? # S u m / tin odvgnlogii and diwdvdnlagti For those who wish to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of fanning as an occupation, the following lists will stimulate helpful thinking: Advantages of Forming 1. 2, 3, 4. 5. 6, 7, 8, 9. A man works for himself., It is healthful outdoor work, Farming offers security from unemployment, There is a variety in the work to he done, Personal and household expenses are small A farmer may he home with his family, There is no danger of losing the job. It is a. mode of living that makes saving possible. Farmers live well compared with city workers who earn the same amount of money. 10. Farming provides opportunities for stimulating employment in the improvement of crops and livestock and other creative achievements. Disadvantages of Farming 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Capital is required to get established. Income is uncertain. There is no weekly or monthly pay check. Farmers cannot as a rule set a price on their own products. A farmer competes with untrained workers, making for low wage scales.' 6. There may be overproduction and low prices. 7. Outdoor work must be done in had weather, 8. Schools, churches, and entertainment facilities may not he convenient, or of sufficiently high standard, in rural districts. 9. It is difficult to get away for vacations, 10. The achievements in farming are not recognized to the same extent as success in other lines of work. Many of the former disadvantages of farming no longer exist. Improved machinery is removing drudgery. Radios, highways, and cars have eliminated isolation. Science is reducing the hazards of production and farm cooperatives are improving marketing. Nationwide .programs . are seeking to bring supply and demand closer together so there will be a more stable price for farm commodities. And, perhaps most im­ portant of all for young men who wish to enter the business, a loan program has been placed in operation by the federal government through which any young man with a farm background may borrow the money to buy a farm and be given forty years, if necessary, in which to pay for it. This loan plan, directed by the Farmers Home Administration, has special privileges provided for the veterans of World War II. It is ■ , much easier for a young man to buy a farm for himself today than it • was before this favorable loan policy was established. W hat Does th e Future Hold? The outlook for farming is, on the whole, quite promising. During the war it was impossible to produce enough food and feed to meet the demands of the American people. This condition was due not only to the fact that many people left farms to enter the armed forces and work in war plants but also to; increased demand. Food was sent over­ seas to our lighting forces and also to the armies of all members of the United Nations family. Under terms of what was called lend-lease, food was also sent to the civilian population of England. To meet the condi­ tions which these exports created, food was rationed in the United States, During the war, feed for.American livestock and poultry was imported from Canada and South America.; After the war was over there was little decrease'^ 11 1 1 for food because of the relief program carried on in Europe and Asia. American food was shipped into these war-ravaged countries. Many years are required to adjust production after a great war, American food relief was carried on for six years following the close of World War I, While the war was in progress and during the period of postwar adjustment our population has been increasing, and with-it a greater demand for farm products has been created. This demand will doubtless remain at a permanently higher level; also, as our supply of natural resources is depleted, farm products are used more and more as raw materials for industry. Henry Ford said,^ for example, that we will soon be growing our automobiles, Already the Ford Motor Company and associated industries use; vast quantities of farm products, including cotton, wool, sugar cane, and soybeans. Plastics are made from soybeans, fiberboard from sugar cane, upholstery from wool, and, among other uses, cotton goes into tires. In’ every section of the nation there are specialized crops grown for industrial uses, Flax is grown for the making of- linen in the North­ west; hemp is produced for the- making of rope in a wide area of our country. In Florida there are many crops produced for industry. Ramie, ' a new liber plant imported from China, is being grown to supply the demands of several industrial plants. Lcmongrass, a plant also imported II from the Orient, is used for the making of oil that goes into perfumes and cosmetics. Cloth is being made from milk. Through chemistry, scientists have learned that all organic substances contain, in the main, the same elements, This means that through the processes of chemistry these substances can be changed from one form to another. This is why cloth can be made from coal; and. rubber, from oil, The same knowledge makes it clear that alcohol can be made from any starchy plant and that such plants can be converted into many useful products, including fuel to operate automobiles. All these scientific discoveries are helpful to both industry and agriculture. They will in­ crease the employment opportunities of our people. In commenting upon the outlook for farming, Edward A. O’Neal, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, an organization which includes among its members farmers from all parts of our country, said recently, “I am convinced that the' outlook is more favorable for equality for agriculture than it has been for many years. So I would say that any young man who is a countryman at heart can prepare to follow this vocation with a fair prospect that he will be able to live well. T here. will never be opportunities for accumulating great wealth on the farm, ^ be abundant opportunities to live purposefully and con­ structively, and to achieve a fair measure of financial success.” II FARM OCCUPATIONS A GRICULTURE literally means the care, or cultivation, of fields.' During the heyday of the Roman Empire, the word had a restricted meaning in keeping with its derivation—nger, a noun meaning “field” and cultura, a verb meaning “to cultivate.” Today the term also embraces a man’s production of all forms of plant and animal life, ' In the days of Horace and Virgil, cities were enclosed by walls, Outside the gates large fields were devoted to the production of grain and forage crops. The limited space within the walls was used for the growing of fruits and vegetables, In the event of attack, the people of the city could withdraw from the fields and live for a time within the walls, where the crops most valuable for food were produced, The care of those crops grown within the walls was known as horticulture. Latin, hortus, means an “enclosure” or a “garden.” Agriculture is a Brood Field The word agriculture today in the United States is used as a com­ prehensive, . all-embracing term, which includes the “culture” of all plants, It also includes the production of all livestock. Formerly, the care of animals was spoken of as “husbandry,” a word which implies ' wise management, We now use the term “animal husbandry,” to mean livestock farming, but it is regarded also as a part — an essential part of agriculture. . Strictly speaking, all persons engaging in the production of plants and animals for use or sale are agriculturists. But according to custom and usage they are known as farmers, The word “agriculturist” has come to apply to those persons engaged in scientific and economic occupations related to farming. Farming is not just one occupation, but many, and today many kinds of farming are practiced in the United States. The U. S. Census • Bureau classifies all farms into twelve groups, These are called farm types, The name of the type is taken from the crop which brings in 40 per cent or more of the total farm income. Thus, if 40 per cent or more of a farmer’s income is derived from the sale of milk, his farm is known as a d a ily farm, even though he produces products for sale other than those II U - .obtained through the management of dairy cattle. The twelve types of farms recognized by the Bureau of the Census are: general, cash-grain, cotton, crop-specialty, fruit, truck, dairy, animal-specialty, stock-ranch, poultry, self-sufficing, and abnormal, A brief explanation of these terms is as follows: ■ G eneral— farms producing a great variety of products, no one of which accounts for as much as 40 per cent'of the total gross .income. Cash-Graiii — farms depending on the sale of one or more of the following crops: wheat, corn, oats, barley, (lax, rye, buck­ wheat, rice, and grain sorghum. ‘ Cotton■-? farms deriving at least 40 per cent of their earnings from cotton (lint) and cottonseed. Crop-Specialty — farms selling sweet sorghum, sugar cane, sugar beets, maple sugar, soybeans, , cowpeas, field peas and beans, tobacco, hay, peanuts, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, mush­ rooms, or other minor field crops, . Fruit — farms specializing in the production of apples,, peaches, all tree fruits, nuts, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, cran­ berries and other like crops. Truck — farms growing and selling vegetables. D airy — farms producing and selling milk, cream, butter, dairy cows, and calves. Animal Specialty — fern s specializing in the production and sale of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats, wool, mohair and, possibly, slaughtered animals. Stock-Randi — ranches, mostly in the Far West, devoted to the ' production of animals grown largely on grass. Poultry — farms selling chickens, ducks, turkeys,, geese, and eggs- . • , ' Self-Suficm g — farms on which the value of the products used by the operator’s family is 50 per cent or more of the total . farm production,' . Abnormal — includes five sub-types: farms of institution or coun­ try estates, farms operated on.part time, boarding and lodging farms, farms emphasizing forest products, or farms operated by a dealer in livestock. Locality Helps Decide Type of Farming . ■ Climate, soil, rainfall, markets, and many other factors play a part in determining the type of farming which dominates in any section. Apples, 14 for example, cannot be grown profitably in all parts of the country. There are usually logical, practical reasons for the type of farming found in any community or section. It represents the collective experience of all the people who have ever farmed in the locality. While there are only twelve types of farming listed by the Bureau of the Census, this list does not by any means present a complete picture of America’s farming opportunities. Most of the types may be subdivided into different kinds of farming, each of which is a distinct occupation, To illustrate, there are about 150,000 fruit farmers in the United States, But this number, includes, men growing apples in Washington, peaches in Georgia, walnuts in California, and cranberries in New Jersey. Each is actually a separate occupation, In the same way, each type may be sub­ divided many times. There are, perhaps, around 100 kinds of farming in which one may engage. Each of these requires special technical information; each presents different problems; and each has some peculiar appeal which seems to present unique opportunities. TABLE 2 P r o d u c ts T h a t F a rm s P r o d u c e M ajor Source ol Number of F itm i Income Livestock 726,162' Dairy Products 217,418 Other livestock > N Vegetables Subsistence ■ 359,000,000 50,000,000 2,185,986. 3,016,000,000 ... 80,116 , Horticulture . (Special Crops) Forest Products 1,214,000,000 ‘ 20,251 Field Crops Fruits $1,800,000,000 619,006 ; Poultry ♦ Value of Products 133,685 . 179,000,000. . 300,000,000 18,950 23,300 1,942,729 131,000,000 , 25,000,000 ■ 966,000,000 Furthermore, an analysis of the products produced on any farm is necessary to have a complete understanding of the scope of its produc­ tion activities. This is not revealed by a classification according to type, The fruit farm, for example, may also produce hay for sale and the cotton farm may sell pecans, eggs, and some milk. When farms are classified on the basis of their main source of income, which is really a type-of-farming classification, it is revealed that there are more farmers who derive the major portion of their income 1J from field crops than any other source; there were 2,185,986 such farms, These are mainly cotton farms in the South and wheat farms in the belt from North Dakota through Oklahoma. The second largest group of farms is the subsistence type; these' are self-sufficing farms on which the major portion of the commodities pro­ duced are, used by the farm family, These include the part-time farms from which one or more members of the family go each day to work in factories, stores and offices. ■Livestock farms, dairy farms, and poultry farms — in the order listed — follow; the total value of products, produced on these farms almost equals the combined value of the field crops, fruits, and vegetables, The smallest farms in size are those producing poultry, vegetables, fruit, and cotton, These farms average less than 70 acres in size. The largest farms, averaging almost 3,000 acres in size, are those of the stock-ranch type, which are found in the West, Grain farms rank second from the standpoint of size, averaging approximately 500 acres. On the basis of type of farming followed, gross returns are highest on stock-ranch farms and lowest on cotton farms, if self-sufficing farms are not considered. On the basis of normal income the types of farms rank as follows: stock-ranch, animal-specially, fruit, cash-grain, dairy, poultry, crop-specialty, vegetable, general, and cotton, The income derived from farms of the several types is, for the most part, in direct proportion of the capital invested in farm and equipment, including livestock, ' Different Kinds of Farm W ork Within each type of farming there are employment possibilities for four classes of workers.' These are: (1) farm owners, (2) managers, (3) tenants, and (4) laborers, often called “hired hands." A “farmer” or “farm.operator,” according to the census classifica­ tion, is a man who directs the operation of a farm, Hence, owners of farms, who do not themselves direct the operations, are not reported as farmers. Farmers are divided into three general classes, owners, man­ agers, and tenants, Farm owners include (1) farmers operating only their own land and (2) those operating their own land and some land rented from others. Managers are farmers who are conducting farm operations for the owners for wages or salaries, Farm tenants are farmers who, as tenants, croppers, or renters, operate only hired land. Five classes of tenants are recognized, as follows: (1) Share Tenants — those,.who pay the owner of the land a.,; certain share of the products, as one-half, one-third, or one-quarter, for the use of the farm, but furnish their own farm equipment and animals. (2) Croppers — share tenants who. do not furnish their work animals. (3) Share-Cash Tenants — those who pay a share of the prod­ ucts for part of the land rented by them and cash for another part, (4) Cash Tenants — those who pay a cash rental, as §7 per acre for crop land, or 1500 for the use of the entire farm. :' (5) Standing Renters — those who pay a stated amount of farm products for the use of the farm, as three bales of cotton, or 500 bushels of corn, Hired hands are laborers employed for cash payments on a tem­ porary or permanent basis. Trends In Farming Dairying is a major source o f farm income 16 To give some idea of the approximate number of workers in each group, when there were 6,288,000 farms reported for the nation, there were 3,368,000 owners, 56,000 managers, and 2,664,000 tenants. At the same time, about 4,390,000 farm hands were employed, largely on a seasonal basis. Tr For many years the number of “hands” required on farms has been decreasing. This is due mainly to the improvement, and increased use of farm machinery, Years ago, for example, thousands upon thousands of transient workers and college students obtained summer employment in the wheat fields of the West, This work opportunity no longer exists, except for a limited few. Under the harvesting methods used at the opening of the century, many “hands” were needed to cut the grain, operate the thresh­ ing machine, and carry the wheat to the granary or elevator, Now a machine, called a combine, cuts and threshes the grain at one operation, Human labor has become a minor factor in the growing of grain. The com bine savei the labor o f many hands \ Labor-saving machinery has been applied to most farm operations. Cotton was the last important crop in the. nation to be produced entirely by hand. But recently a mechanical cotton picker has been placed on the market which will harvest as much cotton in a day as fifty handpickers, This machine will revolutionize cotton growing, In addition, machines will be used for cultivating and doing the other jobs once done by hand. High wages for city workers have finally forced the mechaniza■tion of farming in all parts of the nation. The mule in the South is to be replaced by the tractor. This is a sign of progress. Farmers using mules in the past have cultivated but an average of 25 acres as compared with 125 acres for farmers using tractors and modern equipment. This '■'S. U change will increase farm, income per worker, but it will reduce the number of farm operators and increase the number of acres in the averagefarm. For decades the percentage of tenant farmers has been increasing. Prior to 1880,75 per cent of the farmers of the United States owned their own land. By 1935, fewer than one-half of the nation’s farm operators were full owners. That tenancy should have increased was a logical development, It was only little more than two generations ago when the settlement of the great middle-western portion of our country was made possible by the development of transportation facilities. Men (some still alive) took part in the “run” that opened the State of Okla­ homa to homesteaders. Land was cheap and easily acquired.. But with the passing of the frontier and the dissipation of the public domain, land became limited and hence relatively expensive. It is generally assumed that tenancy is an undesirable position, a s . compared with ownership.- This is true insofar' as ownership represents a. capital reserve, or accumulation of earnings. It is not necessarily true, however, that a farm operator with limited capital can earn more,money as an owner than he can as a renter. Through wise management he‘may be able to get a larger income through investments in stock and equip­ ment than in land. Probably the majority of our better farmers rent land in addition to that which they own. This is a modern trend in farming which has resulted from the extensive use of labor-saving machinery. . Tenancy itself is not a social blight, except insofar as it is a symptom of unfair distribution of earnings which makes it necessary for farmers to live on their capital rather than on their incomes. And tenancy is often a step toward ownership, A young man preparing to enter upon the business of farming with capital limited to a few hundred dollars can become a share tenant much more easily than he can become a farm owner. Farming occupations are so varied in their requirements that any individual who desires to enter the business can find some opportunity suited to his means and experience. . 19 Ill WORK ON THE FARM ARMING, is today, thanks to power and laborsaving machinery, far easier from the standpoint of working hours and drudgery than in the early history of our country. In the early period of our history, farm workers during the winter months pulled the fiber from cotton seeds with their lingers — one pound in a day. Then, Eli Whitney in­ vented the cotton gin to do this work, Now a bale of cotton — 1,500 pounds as it comes from the field — may be separated from the seed at the community gin in a few minutes. The same progress, generally speaking, has been made in the jobs that are involved in livestock farming, Dairy cows are milked with machines that enable one worker to care for more cows than was possible when milking was done by hand. Science has discovered that animals know how to balance'their own rations,' so they may get the protein, carbohydrates,-and other nutrients required, This has led, especially with chickens and hogs, to use of self-feeders, which can be filled with feed in sufficient quantities to meet the requirements of the flock or herd for several days, ; There are, however, still a few jobs to be done on the farm that require hand labor, such as the picking of fruits and vegetables. But some of these are being eliminated; for example, in the sections growing English peas for canning plants, the crop is gathered with machines like hay — and the peas are separated from the vines with machinery, and in the canning plants they are hulled with machines,. Every year farming is made easier and machines make it possible for one person to produce more with fewer hours of labor. F Timing is Important Farming is seasonal work. Most crops are annuals; that is, they are planted once every year and produce one harvest. During the plant­ ing and harvesting seasons, farmers must often work long hours. But, on the other hand, there are days during the “off season” when there is little or no work to be done. Each year, for example, farmers have what is sometimes called the “laying by” period. This is a time, perhaps a month or more in late summer, after the crops have been cultivated 30 F arm m find enjoym ent in "off-w aion" recreation the last time and before harvest, when there is very little work to be done on the farm. During this period, in some sections of the country there are farm festivals and other public, gatherings of a social nature, Also, during this period; farmers may, if they like, go fishing or engage in other forms of recreation. The farmer has the advantage of planning his operations, so that work may be increased or decreased, in accord with his own personal needs and desires, ■ Some farmers; grow only annual field crops. This means that during the winter season they have little or no work to do, But such farmers, as a rule, make little money; they are really under-employed because to produce such crops requires only about 150 to 200 days of work each year, If some animal enterprises, like dairy cows or chickens, are added to the program, then work is added and the income increased.' Also, some farmers devote‘all their land to the growing of perennial crops — -crops that are not planted, each. year. Among such crops, for example;'are trees — forest .trees and fruit trees, permanent pastures with such crops as kudzu, alfalfa; and lespedeza, Growing such crops . reduces the hours of labor on the farm. How Much W ork is There? v With any modern system of farming the length pf the. typical workTng-day on the farm is getting shorter. To illustrate: on the farms where horses or mules are used, it is necessary for farm workers to get up early in the morning and go to the barn and feed the workstock as soon as possible after getting out of bed. Then, while, the farm hands are eating breakfast, the horses are eating, too. After breakfast, or before, the horses must he curried and brushed; often, in the evening at the close of the day’s work, they must be washed to prevent harness sores. But these time-consuming chores are eliminated on farms where tractors are used and that means, today, almost 2,000,000 American farms. At one time people in all vocations worked ten or more hours, each day. Later, the working day for most industrial and commercial em­ ployees was reduced to eight hours. It was said about this time in our history, that the fanner was the first'to adopt the eight-hour, day — eight in the morning and eight in the afternoon, Such a working schedule, which even., then was seasonal, is a thing of the past; today farmers, with good management programs, work about the same number of hours as those in other occupations. In some sections of the country, farmers, by adopting new methods, are making material reductions in the amount of work which they must do. For example, in some fruit-growing regions producers are members of cooperative associations, which fertilize, prune, and spray the trees and gather the fruit, These same organizations market the crops. Also, in some communities processing plants gather the crops, In the Everglades of Florida, where ramie — a perennial, fiber-producing plant — is grown, the crop is gathered by the “factory” for which it is produced under contract, "Off to Marked" Good farm eri ihould bo good oaleim en 32 Dehydration plants in the South harvest feed crops for fanners, chop, grind, and dry the feed, and then haul it to the farmer's storage bins. This reduces the amount of labor required to operate a farm. Selling farm products is a job that must be done. Often farmers use much of their time selling the products they produce, Frequently, if they are good salesmen, time spent in this way is very profitable. But more and more farm products are sold by farmers’ cooperative associa­ tions or by marketing concerns or agencies that come to the farm to pick up the commodities. This eliminates another time-consuming task and permits the farmer to devote all his time and energy to the jobs involved in production. Usually this is a step toward greater efficiency and higher farm incomes. Only the most efficient methods of working can he tolerated on farms today, if satisfactory incomes are to be made, This condition grows out of high wages for labor. When farm workers could be em­ ployed for fifty cents a day, or even one dollar, workers could “earn” the money by producing little. Under these conditions it was possible to use hand.tools. But when wages paid industrial workers increased to five dollars a day or more, then farmers were compelled to meet this competition by greater production, This could be achieved only through the use of power-operated tools and machinery. Such a change made farm work easier and more desirable, but ft also increased the capital required for farming.' ■ : / In spite of the fact that farm work is easier today than ever before, due to improved tools, equipment, and machines, it .is still a strenuous task. Only persons physically fit should choose this vocation, On the’ other hand, it is healthful outdoor life that will make strong, bodies, It has the appeal of offering a variety of work, Above all else the farmer is his own boss. Perhaps there is no vocation which offers greater freedom to the individual. - ' IV ' INCOMES FROM FARMING ARM incomes vary widely, There are thousands of farm families that eke out a hare existence; other thousands make more money each year than independent professional men, whose average earnings are higher than any of those of any large group of American citizens. Wide differences in income characterize any group in which the use of capital is involved, or in any group in which the individual is a worker, an executive, and a proprietor. Who can say, for example, how much a merchant makes? A merchant may he one of America’s sixty wealthiest, families or he may be a man scarcely able to meet his monthly living expenses. The same variation applies to farm incomes. When management and capital are factors in determining the income of individuals, earnings are unequally divided, Thirty-five per cent of the farmers of America earn 80 per cent of the national farm income. A similar unequal division applies to stores, factories, hotels, and other business enterprises. F The Truth About Farm Incomes Years ago farming was thought to be a very profitable occupation; in fact, it was regarded as a way of getting rich, More recently, the conclusion has been reached by the general public that farming offers less opportunity for personal gain than any vocation which might be selected. Both viewpoints are somewhat in error. Farmers who made “fortunes” years ago did so, not so much from farming operations as from increases in the price of land. In our early history land was cheap; as a matter of fact the Department of the Interior was created by the federal government to give away land, At one time, it was possible for any young man to get a farm for nothing, simply by living on the land. This was known as homesteading. But with the in­ crease in population land became valuable; it sold for high prices, com­ pared with those that had been paid for it earlier., It is interesting to note that many farmers fifty years ago retired with as little as $10,000 in savings. This was possible because living costs were low and interest rates were high. Money “rented” for 10 per cent or more. Now, you know, the interest rate paid on savings accounts averages about 2 per cent, 24 Today a man with a family to support could not live on the income de­ rived from a capital investment of $10,000, But if the picture of farming as painted in popular fancy during the early days of the century was too rosy, today it is often too dark. Fiction writers and political speakers have sometimes given the impression that farmers are a poverty-stricken group. In our best-selling, novels we often read of unfortunate groups of farm people with a low standard of living, and for many years between the great world wars politicians talked much of the need for farm relief. Neither of these presentations is accurate, Farm Incomes Vary Millions. of farm families are today earning satisfactory incomes which compare favorably twith other groups of American citizens; In the accumulation of property the farmer has done as well as the urban worker, Farmers, who constitute, about one-fourth of the nation’s population, also own one-fourth of the nation’s property. The average value of the prop­ erty owned by farm families in the United States is $9,668, as,compared with property holdings of $8,709 for urban families. In California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and perhaps one or two other states, farmers earn more than urban workers. In the major­ ity of states, however, farmers’ earnings are lower than those of persons engaged in urban occupations. Climatic advantages, intensive farming,-large-scale operations, and nearness-to-markets account for those farm incomes which are excessively high, in relation to what may be regarded as normal earnings. . California probably ranks ,first among the states in the variety of farm commodities produced. Many of these crops, such as fruits, repre­ sent a high investment of capital, when compared with general farming throughout the nation. Irrigation', which brings high returns,; is, also costly. California’s crops, many of which are advertised in the nation’s leading magazines, are usually sold by cooperative associations owned by farmers. Cooperative marketing associations usually increase the cam-, ings of their farmer members. v Florida, also a fruit-producing state,with high pcr-acre investments in citrus,groves, is, in the main, a large-scale farming area. Many of its cattle and timber operators own thousands of acres of land, Also, Florida’s farmers earn high incomes from producing winter vegetables and other out-of-season crops. . Farmers in Massachusetts.and New Jersey have the advantage of being located near,the nation’s largest consuming centers, It is always a distinct advantage for producers to be located close to dependable markets. It will be noted, for example, that dairy farmers are usually concentrated 25 around large cities, where they may sell fluid milk, since that brings higher returns than milk sold in the form of butter or cheese, ' I Gross Income of Farms | From the figures given in the table entitled, Per Farm Falue of Prod­ ucts Produced, it is possible to secure, for a normal year, a classification of the farms of the United States on die basis of gross income, It will be noted, for example, that 5.4 per cent of all the farms in the nation pro­ duced crops and commodities worth less than $100. These farms were, of course, primarily places of residence; in most instances the families on these farms earned their living by working in "some nearby town or industrial community. The same may be-said for a high percentage of the low-income farms, Part-time farming, combined with part-time indus­ trial or other employment, is increasing very rapidly and will doubtless continue to do so, It Costs More to Live In th e City City incomes are usually higher than those earned by farm or rural people. They have to he. It costs more to live in a city than it does to live on a farm or in a small town. This is one of the reasons why it is difficult to compare incomes. TABLE 3 P er F a r m V a l u e Value, Per 1 P roducts P roduced of 5.4 1 0 0 - 249 13,3 1.8 2 5 0 - 399 13.5 3.4 4 0 6 - 599 14.3 5.5 6 0 0 - 749 7,9 ' " 4.1 ' 9,4 , 6.4 1,000-1,499 .1 1 .6 1 1.1 6.8 9.2 2,000-2,499 4,3 7.5 2,500-3,999 : 6.2 15.0. . ' 4,000-5,999 2.7 10,000 . and over ; 1 0 .2 • 1.5 8.5 ■■■' 1.0 17.2 ■' 16 0 ,2 '7 5 0 - 999 6,000-9,999 1 The “savings” of farm families as against city families in rent, food, and other normal living expenses, are substantial. For example, the typical city family spent, before the war, about $52.50 a month, or more than $600 a year, for food, This was from one-half to one-third the total an­ nual earnings of the average urban worker at that time, So, in calculating the total earnings of farmers, it is necessary to include the “savings” that are possible in the cost of living. Product* 1 - 99 1,500-1,999 : Modtrn form s offer millions of A m em oni on ideal w oy o f life F«Catill P er Cent of All Farms faim ■ 97.9 : : v ; 100.1 . The table shows also that 1 per cent of the nation’s farmers produced commodities worth $10,000 or more in this typical prewar year. And it is also interesting to note that these farmers — 1 per cent of the nation’s total number — made 17.2 per cent of the nation’s total farm production. Adding those farmers in the four high-incorae brackets, it is shown that 11.3 per cent of the nation’s farmers produced 40.9 per cent of the nation’s farm products. 17 This same unequal division of income applies to all occupations of the same general nature as farming. Consider, for example, the hotel business, There are more than 30,000 hotels in the United States, But onefourth of all the money earned from the hotel business goes to 150 hotels, each of which has more than 500 rooms, These 150 hotels earn more than the 22,000 hotels at the bottom of the list, which have fewer than 50 guest rooms each. This uneven distribution is typical of the incomes of mer­ chants, industrialists, lawyers, authors, actors, and all vocations which de­ pend for income upon the ability of management or the use of invested capital, With respect to farming, it should be pointed out that half the farms in the nation are less than 100 acres in size, and the majority of these are less than 50 acres in size. Such farms are too small to provide an ade­ quate income from the growing of field crops or the production of beef or dairy cattle, The typical general farm in the United States is 174 acres in size; this is a “family size” farm, which means that.most of the work is done'by the farm operator and the members of his family. Of course, such farms use improved, labor-saving machinery. It is said by officials of the U. S, Department of Agriculture that the size of the “family” farm will increase in the future. It is believed that such farms will be at least 200 acres in size, Small farms will produce a satisfactory income only when devoted to some specialized production such as fruit, flowers, vegetables, or chickens, Poultry offer! a profitable ipecialitolion for tniall farnii 21 Farm Income and Capital Invested As a principle it may be stated, for farms large and small, that farm income varies directly with the amount of capital invested. This applies to all types of farming operations, For example, it was pointed out b y Theodore W. Schultz, Professor of Agricultural Economics, University of Chicago, that farms devoted to the growing of crops could, in most instances, make larger incomes if some animal enterprise were added to the program of farm production. But such a change means, of course, that a larger amount of capital would be required to carry out the more complete and well-rounded program. Supply and Demand Farm incomes vary widely from time to time, depending upon gen­ eral business conditions. For instance, during World War I, cotton was selling for 45 cents a pound, Many farmers held their cotton, believing that it would go to 50 cents a pound. But it never did, By 1933, it was selling for less than 5 cents, a pound. Then, during World War II, it in­ creased again to more than 20 cents a pound, When farm prices go up,-land values increase. During World War I and the two years that followed, land that normally sold for $75 an acre brought $200 or more. Then it declined in price so that it was difficult to find a buyer at $50. Again, during and after World War II, land prices increased. Farmers should not buy land when it is too high. Land is never worth more for farming purposes, than the amount which it will earn from the sale of the products which it will produce. The price of farm products, and land, varies with the demand, When factories are operating at capacity, workers buy more and better food, They also buy more and better clothing. This buying helps increase farm incomes. But when factories are closed and laborers are out of work, there is little demand for farm products. Farmers cannot quit farming as easily as a factory can stop operations. Farming is, for the most part, a long-time business., It requires, for instance, three years to produce a dairy cow. To help farmers meet the situation resulting from varying demand, laws have been passed by Congress which seek to keep supply and demand in the proper relationship. Such laws have been helpful to. farmers and to the nation as a whole, but they are not within the control of individual farmers, The young man who wishes to earn a good income from farm­ ing must be prepared to study the business, and follow the' examples, so far as this is possible, of men in the occupation who have been successful. 29 The M aster Farmer Years ago, the Prairie Farmer, a farm magazine published in Illinois, began an unique program of selecting and honoring outstanding farmers — it was called the Master Farmer program. Other farm papers accepted and carried forward the plan, A score card was developed as a basis for selecting farmers worthy of recognition. It provided for a scale of points under each of the following heads: (1) management of farm, (2) busi■ ness ability, (3) appearance of farm and home, (4) home life, and (5) >citizenship, Those who meet the test of standing high in these five classifications are good farmers and good citizens. And, on the basis of accurate records, after a large number of Master Farmers had been selected in all parts of the United States, it was found that all of them were men whose earnings compared favorably with those in other walks of life. I 1 1 I I 1 1 | J I I I * ; ' H I j ■ • i ! 1: \ 1 >’ I ■ \ \ ' 1 s 30 J v TRAINING FOR FARMING NYONE may enter the business of farming, There are no specific training requirements to be met. Lawyers, accountants, and pharmacists must pass examination. Airplane pilots must have a license; teachers must hold a certificate. Special qualifications are required for entering many occupations, but anyone who cares to do so may become a farmer. This does not mean that farming is a simple, routine type of work which requires no preparation. Not at all! It merely means that farmers and society have erected no barriers around the vocation, As a matter of fact, farming is a complex business. It involves production in accord with the principles of science; it embraces sales responsibilities; it deals with the management of capital and labor. To become outstandingly suc­ cessful, farmers^ must possess the best qualities of laborers, businessmen, and scientists. William Dempster Hoard, one-time governor of Wisconsin, said, “The truth of the whole matter is this — that as far as mental effort, extensive learning, and applied knowledge are concerned — the management of soil and animal life call for the exercise of brain power a thousand times greater than is required in the so-called learned professions.” . Farmers have not always agreed with the viewpoint concerning their work expressed by. Governor Hoard, Years ago they did not look with favor upon what they often called “book” farming, One farm boy who was studying in an agricultural college in the South pointed out the fal­ lacy of this point of view in the following statement: A “My father was ‘agin’ education for farm folks, yet lie got out of bed every morning from the signal of a clock made by a skilled workman and put on shoes and clothes made by educated'manufacturers, His breakfast was cooked on a stove and in utensils made by skilled hands. Every tool he used during the day was the product of scientific and mechanical training, At night lie slept in a bed made in a well-organized factory operated under the supervision of trained executives. “In our factory-built truck, he hauled our produce to educated buyers and bought our supplies from educated merchants. Our meager earnings he first deposited with educated bankers, and sometimes invested them in the schemes concocted by educated crooks, He lost enough money in this way to give a good education to all his children, But he had never seen any use in ‘edjicashun’ for folks that was 'farmin’ and thus he handicapped nine persons who, with »1 j the proper education, might hare become successful farm ers and leaders in rural life.” I ] The point of view expressed in this statement no longer exists, except in rare instances. Farmers today are quick to understand that while teachers of agriculture are not always practical men with extensive experience, they do have information that wise farmers may convert into profits, • . . . Education Pays ■ 'V Trainingfor farmers pays dividends, CornellUniversity, forexample, makes farm management studies through which the business operations of farmers in New York State are analyzed, These studies show that there is a close correlation between education and income. As a group, farmers with training in agriculture have higher incomes than those who have never studied farm operation as a business and a science, The same relalive advantage holds true for those farmers who study vocational agriculture in high school as compared with those who do not have this edu­ cational experience, ’ \ specific information about any problem or subject in which they may be interested. Formal education for the vocation of farming may be obtained on both the high school, and the college level. j ' ; ' i j I \ i j \ \ j The Land-grant Colleges Years ago, when Lincoln was President of the United States, a bill was passed, by Congress which created an agricultural college in every state in the nation. This was called the Morrill Act; the institutions created were known as land-grant colleges, All land-grant colleges are affiliated with the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the U. S. Office of Education ; all receive some federal funds for carrying on their program of activities. All programs involve three types of work known as leaching, extension, and research. The teaching activities deal with formal education for agri­ cultural occupations, including farming, at the college level. Any boy who is a high school graduate, or any person over twentyone' years of age, may enter a state agricultural college. In about onehalf the states of our nation these agricultural colleges are part of the state university; in the other half they are separate institutions, some­ times called technical or agricultural and mechanical colleges. Good fanners must know as much as professors Fortunately, every person interested in farming may secure excellent training.for the vocation, Training opportunities for farming may be divi­ ded into two groups — formal and informal. Formal training opportuni­ ties are those that involve regular schooling on an organized basis, in­ formal facilities include those aids through which farmers may obtain M Thete boyi will be tcianlific farmers • 3) . .Agricultural colleges offer courses leading to degrees. At the end of what is thought as a four-year course, which may he completed in three calendar years, a graduate earns a bachelor, of science degree. By doing graduate work for one year a master’s degree may be secured; about onethird of the colleges also award the doctor’s degree, which normally re­ quires graduate study for three years beyond the first college degree obtained, Farmers are not interested in graduate degrees, as a rule, Such educational programs are designed for the training of scientists. Not all land-grant college programs leading to the bachelor’s degree are alike; they vary with each college. But all, after certain basic courses have been taken, permit the student to specialize in some field in which he has a primary interest. For example; one student may “major” in poultry, another in dairying, a third in farm management. This does not mean that other types of studies are eliminated from the program. Not at all! There will be many elective courses to be chosen, A student interested mainly in livestock enterprises will study agronomy — the science of field crop production; a specialist in floriculture may outline a program that will include a list of subjects ranging from genetics to marketing, Students in agricultural colleges need not plan to secure a degree, Many institutions have a one-year course which includes the basic sub­ jects of primary interest to farmers. Some of the colleges offer short courses, varying in length from one week to one year, in which training is offered in specialized fields. The school year in agricultural colleges, as in other institutions of higher learning, is divided into quarters or semesters, which makes it pos­ sible for students to enter these colleges or universities at intervals of three or four months throughout the year, For example, in a college oper­ ating on the quarter system, a student may begin his training program in September, January, April, and June, ] | I \ \ I j ^' ' ' ‘ all farmers go to college; in fact, the number of college graduates engaged in farming is very small, But during recent years a very large number of young farmers have been studying agriculture as a part of their high school education. j j 99 ] 1 ; Don't choose your vocation blindfolded The V eteran Veterans of World War II may attend colleges of agriculture, and, ajl other institutions of higher learning, and get most, if not all, expenses paid by the federal government, Under provisions of the G. I. Bill of Rights and other rejated legislation, federal funds are available for paying all fees, buying books, and meeting other expenses incident to securing a college education up to a maximum of $500 a year. In addition, the vet­ erans get $65, or more, each month, to pay living expenses. Benefits of this legislation were extended to men entering the Army and Navy after the close of World War II; this will mean that for the next ten years men and women will be entitled to go to college with little or no cost to them­ selves. Thousands have availed themselves of the opportunity. The Smlth'Hughes Act ! I ■I I I 1 In 1917 the National Vocational Education Act, commonly called the Smith-Hughes Act, was passed by the Congress of the United States. Under the terms of this legislation a teacher of vocational agriculture may be employed in every rural high school of the nation, These teachers are employed for twelve months in the year; they teach agriculture in the classroom, laboratory, and shop; they supervise the practical farm work of their students in the field. This is a very desirable and practical type of training for a boy who wishes to become a farmer. The teachers of vocational agriculture are all farm-reared; they are men who have had practical farming experience, In addition, it is a requirement that they must be graduates of an agricultural college with special preparation for the teaching of agriculture and related subjects. ■ ' ^ ‘ Help Farmers The informal training aids available to farmers are numerous, Most of these services are supplied by the federal, state, and local governments. In 1914, the Agricultural Extension Service was created through the passage of the Smith-Lever Act. Funds available through this legislation make it possible to place a county agent and a home demonstration agent in every county in the nation, In addition, many counties, under the same general legislation, are able to employ a man and a woman to work with farm boys and girls. These men and women organize and carry on the 4-H Club program, County agents work with farmers; home demonstra- • lion agents work with farm women. All of these agents of the Extension Service have offices in the county seat towns; they are glad to have anyone call on them who is interested in farming. They will give or secure information on any subject related to farming; they will provide bulletins free of charge on any farming activity of local importance. ' O ther Farm Services In addition to the agents provided under the Smith-Lever Act, there are many other agricultural service workers located in county seat towns throughout the nation, Several years ago, there was created what is called the Soil Conservation Service. This is an agency designed to help farmers control the erosion of their soils. Many soil conservation districts have been formed. In these districts, which are created by the farmers living in them, there are conservation specialists who will help farmers plan their farming systerns with a view to conserving the fertility of the land, During the economic depression which followed World War I, the Farm Security Administration was created. In 1946 it became the Fanners Home Administration. The most important work this agency is doing, from the standpoint of general interest, is the loaning of money for the purchase of land, (see Chapter VII). I I 1 I I 1 1 1 I 1 I I 1 I | 1 j I \ j ;j j | j j ! 1 I There are several other farm service agencies, In many towns, for example, there is an office of the Farm Credit Administration (see Chapter VII) which loans money to farmers for producing crops, buying machinery and supplies, and for other like purposes, These are called Production Credit Associations, Also, in every county there is an office of the Production and Marketing Administration, This is the agency, formerly called the Triple-A (Agricultural Adjustment Administration), which is charged with the responsibility of helping fanners with business matters related to production and marketing. All agricultural agency workers are glad to explain their work to anyone who is interested, I 1 1 1 I 1 § I i 1 Of course, the United States Department of Agriculture, with head­ quarters in Washington, is the parent or head of' most of the agricultural agencies that have local offices throughout the nation.- Also, in every state j It there are experimental stations operated by the state college of agriculture in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture. W here to G et Farm Information Any person wishing information on any important agricultural sub­ ject may secure a bulletin — for the most part distributed free — on the subject simply by writing to the state college of agriculture. The I). S. Most of these may be obtained without cost by writing to the Department in Washington, or by writing to one’s congressman or senators. There are some publications of the Department which are not distributed free.These may be obtained from the Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C,, through the Superintendent of Documents. In addition to the printed matter available to farmers without cost, all agricultural colleges welcome letters of inquiry. Each letter received is turned over to a specialist for reply. No group of American citizens is ’served so completely and freely with educational aids as the farmer. But to no group are such aids so essential. , , VI GETTING A START IN FARMING ( EVERY occupational field there are several job I levels, Today’s office boy may eventually become T ffM the owner of a business. The apprentice in a machine R /M shop looks forward to the time when he will become l? S t shop foreman. Bellboys in hotels aspire to clerkships, and clerks wish to become managers. For convenience in classification, it may be said that in each occu­ pational field there are beginning jobs, intermediate jobs, and terminal jobs, Beginning jobs are open to those with little or no experience.' Intermediate jobs are steps that lead to terminal, jdbs, Terminal jobs are those in any field to which the majority of those in the work aspire, 'In farming, “hired men” or “wage hands”, apprentices, and'farmers’ sons hold what may be regarded as beginning jobs. Tenants, junior part­ ners, and managers occupy what may be considered intermediate jobs. Landowner-operalors represent the terminal positions which most farm workers hope to reach. Low Earnings, but Good Experiences for KiredjHands Hired hands make very little money. A few years ago they were the lowest paid workers, in terms of cash salary, in the nation, Board, room, and’laundry are, in most parts of the country, supplied as part of the compensation of farm hands. Men with families are given houses in which to live; often they receive part or all their food supply. At one time in American history, when farm lands were cheap and all wages were low, such a beginning job in farming was a step toward land ownership. Today, the possible savings from such employment would never enable one to accumulate enough capital to buy a farm of his own. Such work may, however, be the means of acquiring needed and valuable experience — an essential for successful farm management, Even a young man reared on a farm may need additional experience. Suppose for example, that a boy grew up on an all-cotton farm, or a farm on which nothing was produced except wheat, and decided that in farming for himself he wished to operate a dairy farm, It would be helpful if, for a time, he could work for a good dairyman, The same thing would apply with respect to a change from any one type of farming to another; or for that matter, to any change from one section of the nation to another. II In borrowing money to buy land it is often necessary to “have a farm background.” Experience acquired on a good farm adds, not alone to one’s chances for success, but also to one’s credit rating, Veterans of World War II, who wish to go into farming for them -. selves, have an excellent opportunity to secure useful experience. As part of the training program provided by the Veterans Administration, provi­ sion has been made for what is called on-the-job M in in g. Under this program an ex-service man may get a job on a farm and draw, in addi­ tion to what he earns as a beginner, funds for maintenance or subsistence, This is a form of apprenticeship. Apprenticeship has for centuries been the accepted way of learning a trade. This, you will recall, was the way Benjamin Franklin learned to be a printer. All farmers’ sons are virtually apprentices; their work ex­ perience is the most valuable asset that the majority of these hoys possess; a very large percentage of the nation’s farmers are recruited from their ranks. Such training may be used later in life when these boys begin farming for themselves, or it may be used also in the many vocations that are related to farming. City boys may apprentice themselves to farmers as a means of learning the fundamentals of farm operation. They should enter into an agreement to stay for a definite period of time — perhaps two or three years — and have some understanding about wages, The ser­ vice man’s on-the-job training program follows these general principles, Information concerning the program may be secured from any office of the Veterans Administration. Beef on the hoof it m oney in the bonk for th eie young form er! If M anagers, Junior Partners, Tenants, Owners After having had experience in a beginning job, the following jobs in farming may be open to an individual: farm manager, junior partner, tenant, or farm owner. There are fewer than 70,000 farm managers in the United States, Most of them make very little money, The majority operate farms for persons living in cities who inherited the land. Most owners of this class have little interest in farming. They look upon their inheritance as capi­ tal which should return dividends. Where such farms are large enough to have promising income possibilities, their managers should seek a work­ ing contract — extending over a period of years — which will give them an increasing share of the net earnings. In this way successful managers will-be able to accumulate some capital. A few managers, most of whom ■ are working on private estates or corporation farms, receive such attract­ ive salaries that they have no desire to become owner-operators,' Junior partners are, for the most part, farmers’ sons. Such a rela­ tionship between father and son is ideal. Such relationships should be encouraged, especially since the time will come, in' most instances, when the son must assume the responsibilities of the father. Most such arrange­ ments which are not successful fail because there is no definite provision for a division of the earnings, Young men want money of their own, and failure to get it explains why many boys leave the farm. he could make more money if he had some dairy cows. We loaned him the money to buy cows — $3,500, Then, he decided that he should grow more feed. This meant a tractor, so we let him have the money to get a tractor and the implements he needed; this equipment cost about $2,200. Soon he found that he needed a combine, so we let him have another ^“1,177. He got along fine, working hard and paying the bank something out of every milk check. Soon he decided that he needed more land, Fifty acres adjoining 11321338 ’ 1 were for sale, so we let him have the money to buy it, Now he grows wheat, oats, and hay, and has developed excel­ lent pastures. By the end of this year he will be worth $10,000. He will have paid back all the money he has borrowed, During the time he owed us several thousand dollars he carried some life insurance payable to the bank. We are glad we had a part in helping this young man make a suc­ cess of farming," Learn to Save Any young man who is interested in farming for himself will, upon n, see the necessity for acquiring capital. For the majority of young men this means earning and saving. Tenancy represents a step toward ownership. How well tenants get along depends upon many factors, other than their own ability. They can­ not make much progress' if, fof example, the farm they operate is too small a unit for efficient returns on labor; they must have tools that will enable them to compete with the better class of farmers producing the same prod­ ucts. Some tenants make more money than landowners; they find it more profitable to invest capital in tools and livestock than in land, Of course, many who make little more than “farm hands” will never be able to im­ prove their economic position. Under the so-called Tenant Purchase Pro­ gram, initiated several years ago by the'Farmers Home Administration, any capable individual in the status of a tenant was given the opportunity to buy a farm of his own, even though he had no.substantial sum to in­ vest as a down payment, Thousands of tenants through this program have become landowners. Here is the story of one such farmer owner as told by a county banker, who took an interest in this young man. Many other such stories' could be told; “A young man in our community obtained help from FHA in buying a small farm. This government agency built him a nice home and a barn, He started on a program of crop farming, but soon decided 40 Farm youth organizations stress working, earning, saving Most farm boys have some opportunity to make money. Earning and saving are emphasized in the work of 4-H Clubs and in the program of the FFA — Future Farmers of America. 41 In attempting to do anything worth while, it is advisable to set a goal. The farm boys of one state decided they would set a goal of earning and saving $1,000 during the four years they were in high school, Perhaps this was too large a sum, but the idea was sound. It might have been better to set a goal of $100, or more, for the first year and then have in­ creased the sum annually, Saving money is difficult. One of the best plans for saving available to farm boys is that of investing in something that grows — say a calf, Some of today’s successful dairymen with large, valuable herds began the enterprise as boys by buying calves, All live­ stock and poultry projects lend themselves to this desirable type of in­ vestment for those farm boys who want to make and save some money. The progress of an individual from one job level to another common­ ly is spoken of as climbitfg'the vocational ladder. In a bulletin published by the United States Office of Education en­ titled, Young Men in Fum ing, a report indicates that the development of the young farmer often occurs in the following order: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Allowances Developing a single farm enterprise Working as a hired hand Having a share in' a farm business Renting a farm Becoming a part owner Buy a farm Through these steps, and some work at other occupations for short periods, the majority of farm owners ascend the ladder of farming. Indi­ viduals may skip some of the seven rungs, but, in the main, each leads to a higher level of responsibility and success in farming. VII FARM OWNERSHIP AND OPERATION ARMING, like all business, involves the use of capital. Capital, of course, refers to money in­ vested in the business. Farmers need money, in the main, for two reasons: (1) to buy a farm, and (2) to equip and operate the farm. Buying a farm may involve selecting a location and a specific place, On the other hand, many young men buy the family farm, or one in their neighborhood. In buying a farm, however, the purchaser is selecting a place to live and work. He should, therefore, ask and answer these questions: (1) Fhat are the characteristics of the rural community in which I wish to live? (2) IFhat are the essential requirements of a ja m from the standpoint of profitable development and operation? F Your Neighbors Wise buyers will wish to select a community in which they will find'' congenial neighbors. This means, normally, people who are progressive and industrious. These characteristics of people are indicated in a com­ munity by good schools, churches, roads, and facilities for recreation. Good rural communities always have markets for the farm commodities purchased in the locality. Often there are local plants such as creameries, canneries, and flour mills, for processing farm products, Usually farmers’ cooperative associations are found in outstanding rural communities, Also, it is advisable to locate in a community where farmers are already making a success of the type of farming in which the buyer wishes to engage. Your Farm and Its Soil As to the choice of a farm, nothing can be more important than the basic character of the soil, It pays to buy land that is, or can be made, productive. The productivity of any land is indicated by the native plants that it produces, and, of course, by the crops and yields made by farmers in the locality. Wherever trees grow big and plants have a glossy, dark green color, land is fertile and productive. Also, of course, the farm must be suited to the type of farming to be practiced. Rolling hills may, for example, be desirable for pastures but not for cultivated crops. For live- 42 43 4 ** $ 'H *\V;.V: «t