Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-08-12
A Disadvantage of Large Farms.

The Sacramento tCal) Record Union
presents the following argument against
large farms:
In ordinary business the more man
can do the better he can systematic that
business and the more he can economic
If the business be merchandising-the
buying and selling of goods-the larger
his sales the larger his purchases; and the
larger his purchases the cheaper he can
buy, the cheaper he can get the goods
moved and the lower he can sell them
The very amount of business done OPP
crates TO the advantage of the man doing
it, and 20 the advantage of his customers
those who sell TO him and those who
buy Of him. He can keep his business,
as il were, in hand and under good con
troll. us....s
So, too, with manufacturing any one
kind of goods The more manuiactory
under one good head has TO do, the cheap.
er the manufactured goods can be turned
out 1t costs less in proportion TO run
steam power for 10000 spindles, for in
stance, than for 1000. The machinery
for large factory costs less in proportion
than the machinery for small one. In
the purchase and collecting together OF
the raw material for the supply OF an ex-
tensiye mandatory of any kind the adj
vantage is always in favor of the one who
buys more extensively. The reason Is,
that in merchandising and manufacturing
the business is Of such a character that,
however much may be done, IL can be
kept compact and in the hand Of the man
ager.
But the moment you begin to enlarge
the operatious on farm that moment the
business must get out from under the i'm.
mediate eye and out of the hands OF the
manager The more he enlarges his
business the greater area OF country II
must spread over, and the more cumber.
some and unwieldy il will become, and
the less closely can be applied the rules OF
economy. There must be on every farm
a base Of eperations-a place at which the
men and teams are fed three times day,
and from which must be distributed all
supplies--a point ut which all repairs
must be doBe-a general starting-point
from which all orders emanate, and frcfn
which all hands go outto their daily labor
This point on the farm is generally the
farm-h house.
Now, on farm of 100 acres, the time
spent in going out TO and returning from
work three times day is considerable:
but when you increase that farm from 100
acres to one hundred times that size
say 5000 acres-and still keep but one
base of operations, imagine the amount OF
unnecessary travel that must be performed
to get the men and teams spread over the
place andreturned again three times day.
Look at the expense that the wear and
tear Of this travel of itself will necessarily
impose. Look at the time lost by the
number Of men necessary TO do the labor
on such farm, in going TO and returning
from work two or three times day.
-"If you dare TO play marbles for
keeps again" said Mr.. Hurtleseamp TO his
eldest boy, III whip you within an inch
OF your life" And then Mr.. Hurtle-
scamp went on Change and lifted up his
voice at the call board, and raised his
hand and shook 1t in the air, and got red
in the face as he cried: "Sixty.seyeni
sixty-seyenl for $1,000 cash or August
Put up or shut up! Sixty seven cents a
bushel, cash p
--"How much for the broad faced
chicken on the fencef'' inquired an Irish
man OF a farmer on Staten Island the
other day. That's not a chicken, it's an
owl" replied the farmer. +" don't care
how ould he is, would like TO buy him"
says the Irishman.