A Factorial Arrangement of Comparisons of Family Size

Census enumeration data were used to answer for French farm families of the Province of Quebec the question: Are farm families smaller near cities than far from cities, other things being equal? The sample of 1,056 families was arranged in a 2 factorial design which not only controlled 15 extraneous variables (income, education, etc.) but incidentally measured the effect of 5 of these on family size. A significant effect of distance from cities was found, from which is inferred a geographical dimension for the currents of social change.