THE FARMERS OF THE SOUTHEAST FACED WITH THE PROBLEM OF SUCCESSION

An inquiry was carried out in 1964 on the attitude of farmers to technical & instit'al changes. The questions posed were: Will one of your children take your place in the cultivation of the farm? Do you desire to be succeeded in this manner or no? 866 farmers with children answered these questions. A res hypothesis was posited that a connection exists between the adoption of a technical innovation & the presence of a successor. The responses re desire for & probability of a successor were found to be greater among, the innovators. The method of X, was used to test the signif nature of the distribution diff's. Responses of desire for & probability of a successor were analyzed in relation to characteristics associated with agri: membership in professional org's, educ level, age, studies pursued by their children; & econ characteristics: expenses re cultivation & size of farm & geographic location. The influence of psycho-sociol'al variables on the att's re the problem of succession appear to be affirmed by the evidence. AA Tr & Modified by E. Weiman.