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 It should be emphasized that not all farms in a particular region will be

characterized by either Figure 2 or 3. Often in a given community, a potential

innovation will be juxtaposed against farms of both types. This fact explains

why certain innovations experience differential diffusion. Larger farms and

those farmers with larger assets are much more likely to be similar to Figure 3

or to have levels of output even utilizing traditional varieties which are

considerably above their Sms.

 The recent experience with the new rice varieties from the International

Rice Research Institute is perhaps indicative. The-rapidity with which the new

varieties (especially IR8 and IR5) have been spreading in Asia refutes the stereo-

type of the non-economic peasant. The Philippines has traditionally been a rice

importer -- some 230,000 tons annually from 1961 to 1967. The very rapid adoption

of the new high yielding varieties first introduced in 1966 has already made the

Philippines self-sufficient in rice for the first time in recent history.

 Some micro-economic data on the adoption is interesting from two standpoints

 (Table 2).

 First, the variance in yields per hectare ( 67 ) associated with the newer

varieties is considerably larger than with the traditional varieties (6.86 to

2.76 metric tons per hectare in the dry season and 3.61 to 1.74 in the wet season).

Hence the new varieties result in a wider variation in possible results -- both

positive and negative. If the average yields for the new and old varieties had
 have ed
 been fairly similar, then the average farmer would probably/resist/adoption

 because even though the average output with the new practice would offer a

 bigger prize, the negative prospects would have him end up below the traditional

 yields.