1. What is the significance of rural life?
2. What is the nature of the rural problem?
3. Why is the rural problem of recent origin?
4. What is meant by the cityward drift?
5. To what extent is this drift desirable? To what extent is it undesirable?
6. What can be said as to the "back to the land" movement?
7. How does the Department of Agriculture help the farmer?
8. What is the object of the Federal Farm Loan Act?
9. Why is the marketing of farm products a problem?
10. What are some suggestions for solving this problem?
11. Discuss the recent improvement in rural health.
12. In what way is rural health still in an unsatisfactory condition?
13. What is the purpose of consolidating the rural schools?
14. What can be said as to the condition of the rural church?
15. What is the effect of isolation upon farm life?
16. What has been the effect of improved means of transportation and communication upon community spirit in rural districts?
REQUIRED READINGS
1. Williamson, _Readings in American Democracy_, chapter xxv.
Or all of the following:
2. b.u.t.terfield, _The Farmer and the New Day_, chapter iii.
3. Carney, _Country Life and the Country School,_ chapter i.
4. Carver, _Rural Economics,_ chapter vi.
5. Ely, _Principles of Economics,_ chapter x.x.xix.
QUESTIONS ON THE REQUIRED READINGS
1. In what way is the rural problem threefold? (b.u.t.terfield, pages 30- 31)
2. What changes have taken place since 1850 with regard to the size of American farms? (Ely, pages 596-603.)
3. What problem arises in connection with the control of land in this country? (b.u.t.terfield, pages 40-41.)
4. Is absentee landlordism a danger in American rural life? (Ely, page 605.)
5. How could farm management in this country be improved?
(b.u.t.terfield, pages 42-45.)
6. Discuss cooperation among Danish farmers. (Carver, pages 357-358.)
7. Discuss agricultural credit in Europe. (Ely, pages 611-613.)
8. In what way is rural local government a problem? (b.u.t.terfield, page 47.)
9. Name an important defect of the rural church. (Carver, pages 343- 344.)
10. What are the chief organizations which are aiding in the reconstruction of the rural community? (Carney, page 13.)
11. What is the importance of community building in the country?
(Carney, pages 9-10.)
12. What is the importance of federating all of the social organizations of a rural community? (Carney, page 16.)
TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND REPORT
I
1. Nature of the cityward drift in your section.
2. Extent to which there is a "back to the land" movement in your section.
3. Work of the Federal Farm Loan Bank of your district. If possible, interview a farmer as to the advantages and disadvantages of the Federal Farm Loan system.
4. Work of the agricultural college in your state.
5. Use of the automobile by farmers in your locality.
6. Food markets in your neighborhood.
7. Draw up a program for reducing the cost of food distribution in your section. (Consult King, _Lower Living Costs in Cities_, chapter xiii.)
II
8. Transportation in rural districts. (Vogt, _Introduction to Rural Sociology_, chapter iv; Gillette, _Constructive Rural Sociology_, chapter ix; Waugh, _Rural Improvement_, chapter iii.)