f their life. Strong evidence of
this community identity is seen in the large numbers of Floris young
people who, even in the face of urban opportunities, elected to stay on
the family farm, or chose careers in the agriculture-related fields of
veterinary medicine, extension work or fish and wildlife
protection.[277]

* * * * *

Floris and the other closely knit agricultural villages of Fairfax
County were exceptionally unified and supportive. Yet even these
communities had fringe groups, which were not entirely fulfilled within
the neighborhood or accepted by the majority of farmers. In some cases,
this was caused by under-stimulation and exasperation at the slow
patterns of rural movement. "We were bored to tears," wrote one Floris
resident of the long Sunday afternoons spent discussing nothing but
politics.[278] More frequently an individual was ignored or shunned by
the society because of personal problems which had become a community
nuisance: drinking, drugs or sexual indiscretions. The families of such
social deviants were pitied and aided, but the offending individuals
were avoided--"To whatever extent we could we would ostracize them." In
one extreme case the neighborhood took the law into its own hands and
lynched a man suspected of rape. "This man may have been innocent as you
look back on it now but they thought he did it and they got rid of him
right then," related one local citizen. "They just wouldn't put up with
that. It just wasn't tolerated, that's all."[279]

The largest group outside the community's mainstream was the black
agricultural workers. Except in the realm of employer/employee relations
they had little social intercourse with their neighbors. Floris
Vocational High School was not open to Negro students and the schools
that were available to blacks were much inferior to those which taught
white children. No high school existed at all for the blacks and the
one-to three-room schools that existed were "in the most dilapidated
condition," with no water, heat or adequate toilet facilities.[280]
Edith Rogers made a revealing comment about the quality of the teachers
when she stated that she knew of one that had a degree.[281] In
extension activities blacks were also often overlooked. The first black
4-H club was organized in 1934 without the help of the county agent's
office, and it was only after two years of exceptional work that he
belatedly recognized its exis