The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Where Homemakers Look for Information By Diana Ferris The survey findings in this article have been abstracted and condensed from the 8th progress report of the “Special Study of Onâ€" tario Farm Homes and Homemakers.” Capies of this and other progress reports, from the socioâ€"economic study jointly undertaken in 1959 by the Ontario Department of Agricul- ture and the Canada Department of Agriculâ€" ture, may be obtained on request from Home Economics Service, 20 Spadina Road, Toronto 4. Ontario. HAT DO you read, listen to, watch for? 352 Ontario farm homemakers were asked these questions in a much more detailed, specific way several summers ago and, in brief, they told the county home economists who were doing the interviewing that they turned most often to the farm press for “helpful” homemaking news, next often to radio, then to television. After that, they said, they either opened a magazine or wrote away for pamphlets, and least of all, they read neWs- papers. We wanted to know more about this apparâ€" ent preference list of information sources farm women gave us, so we examined care- fully the kinds of articles and programs and pamphlets they described in their answers. Analysis revealed that: In selecting “helpful” radio programs, it was as if farm homemakers were saying: “Most often we want to listen to practical kitchen and howâ€"toâ€"do~it household hint shows. Then we want to hear something about the farm- ing work we, as a family, are engaged in, so we tune in on farm programs. Then, to round out our listening, we usually like to take in some of the extras that are a part of special women's shows." In selecting “helpful” TV programs, it was as if farm women were saying: "When we turn on the TV set looking for homemaking information, most often we want to be enter- tained as well as instructed, and so we choose women's variety shows. Next often, we look at demonstration type household hint proâ€" grams. Then, being farm wives, we like to watch those farm telecasts.” In selecting “helpful” brochures, pamphlets, etc., it was as if farm homemakers were saying: “When we take the time to sit down and write away for leaflets and what-have- you, We most often compose letters to govâ€" ernment agencies. like the Home Economics 22 Service of the Department of Agriculture, ,r we write directly to commercial compan: , like the soap and soup people; and we \\ it specific homemaking information when we t, on a particular topic. And what about various press informal sources? As we‘ve already said, farm pa[ and magazines, the “farm press” was the p most used of all the media we asked ab. Nearly eight out of every ten farm WOI contacted found “helpful” homemaking inl mation in the pages of the farm press, for the nonâ€"farm-press, about four in . women out of ten got some homemakng h from magazines, but only about two out ten from newspapers, Of course, it’s not : prising, actually, that farm women would - the farm press, and our survey just confirmed that they did so, but it was in esting that rural homemakers made comp: tively more use of farm newspapers magazines than of any other media, in st of having other available ways of obtain information readily accessible right in til own homes. For no farm home surveyed without at least two mass media from wh information might be obtained and the ma] ity had four or five available media to chor from. Oh yes, mail boxes were really bulgii 99% of the homes visited took farm pr- publications; 90% of the homes visited boutc newspapers; and 83% of the homes visit subscribed to magazines. And TV aerials were sprouting from i rooftops of three quarters (78%) of the fat houses, and nearly everybody (98%) had radio; in fact, half of the farm families VlSl't owned more than one radio. Farm homes having all of these five met were scattered throughout Ontario, but me of them were concentrated in the southe regions of the province than anywhere at Another thing, five-media households tended be characterized by a greater volume of far business and to have a higher material 16‘ of living, as compared with other survey farff And homemakers and farm operators havn. five mass media to choose from also tendc to have more formal education than the oti ers; and proportionately more of the fart Women in fiveâ€"media homes were members a the Women‘s Institute. What kinds of homemaking information, “- HOME AND COUNTR