The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-06-26
aaritulturul.
Less Land or More Labor !

I" IL IL true that We want les lanu or ulOre
hbor?" asks Prof. J. A. Nash Of the New
England Farmer. In review Of our for
iner article ON this subject, the Professor en-
tcrs into further discussion OF the question,
but it, remarks occupy too much space for
our columns. We will try to give briel
idea Of the argument.
Ii is the nature Of land to be productive,
whether cultivated OF uncul,iyated, but the
value Of its products depends upon their
uses to man. An acre Of wood is very val
liable near large city; 1t is worth nothing
on the Rocky Mountains. Ii is the province
of Agriculture to make land produce the
greatest yalue, IN demand, above the cost OF
production, or the greatest profit. 10 do
this there must be the requisite proportion
between car!tal and labor.
A hundred acres Of high-priced land, with
one mans work put upon IL, is, in great
part at least, so much dead capital. Its
products will not pay the interest on the in
vcstment. lts capabilities are not drawn
out-they are unused and proitless. 1t is
the same as though shoemaker should build
q shop one hundred feet long, and then alone
occupy few feet space in one corner. Its
as If u merchant should lay out all his capi-
tai in building a fine store and filling il with
goods, and then refuse to hire clerks to sell
them. A due proportion between floating
and fixed capital is observed in every busi-
ness, more carefully than in farming. The
" track" is not only laid, but the rolling
stock" IS provided aud kept in motion.
a thousand acres of wild land might sup
port an Indian hunter and his family. Set
thousand strong men to work ON these
acres, one man to each, and the whole would
shortly be cleared, drained, fenced, and cul-
tiyated-the whole would involve large
outlay. Ten thousand dollars day is u
large sum to pay for labor, and might not
prove profitable. There might be other work
which would produce better return for
portion of the labor.
These are .ho extremes. The golden mean
is between them. Hundreds, however, in
vest the last penny in land, for units who
give their land too thorough culture. Thou
sands of dollars are spent for +" moro land"
where tens are laid out in reclaiming wastes,
in undertaking and irrigation.
Never was there better encouragement to
increase the productiyeness Of our farms
than now. Never, in this country, did it
take less produce to pay days wages than
at present. But how many farmers have
proGted by this? How many have lost the
high prices by having nothing to sellG And
why? Not because their farms could pro-
ducc nothing, but because they were not
worked. The farmer himself has labored as
hard ~ any one ought, perhaps too hard,
but what is one man on hundred acres
lie cannot amend soils cannot half cult
vate those good by nature; cannot gather
materials for manure nor find money to buy
them. If he had cultivated ten acres lrcY
with his own hand, or ir he had pui through
hundred acres with the help of four men,
five men can do about as well with hun
drcd acres rs one can with ten.) il would
have been otherwise. In tho first place he
might have had little to sell and in the
latter he might havl shown an improved
farm, at least. Land well cultivated pays
better than land run over. Ii IS true that
''mOrc labor or less land - is wanted.
But which Is it-morc labor, or less land ?
The first, beyond question, if circumstances
favor the enterprise. You cannot afford,
for a small farm, the variety and excellence
Of implements that are requisite to good
and profitable production of crops. The
best mplements-buildingS ample and con-
ycnient-cheIpen the cost of production on
largo farms, but increase It in small ones
On few acres crops are grown at higher
cost than ON large Elrm-hcnco they can
not be made as profitable. Still small farm.
ing pays as well rs other small business. Ii
suits some men better than Others, and if
ono has the desire to farm with himself. let
him reduce his acres until he can work them.
II will be his best course, without question.
To make farming truly profitable, give u.
more labor and land enough to employ it
fully. With talent for the business, a 1--we
for it, and the faculty to manage workmen,
biz farm is better than small one. A
large farm well titled il a mine Of wealth TO
the owner. Rural Nclc Yorker.
Trapsplanting Cabbages.