The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-08-02
Profitable Management Of Small Farms

The tendency of all work is now to-
ward economy of labor by the use of
machinery, by division and classified
ton of employments, and by concentra-
ton of capital in large establishments.
Small operators work under difficulties
in competition with large ones. The
small factories find difficulty in keep
ing at work unless, by the careful in
vestments of profits in engagements or
improvements, they continually add to
their business facilities. Now, all this
affects agriculture, indirectly, inasmuch
as if by improvements in methods the
products of manufactures are cheapened,
the prices of the necessaries of life
food and the raw material of clothing
are expected to decrease in a corre-'
spending ratio; and directly because the
principle which affects other industries
affects agriculture as well. Every i'm
provement in agricultural machinery
and the employment of more abundant
capital, by which labor is made more
effective, tends to lower the prices of
agricultural products. This is the
inevitable result of fixed law, that
the value of thing is that which
it costs to produce, and that this value
is reached in the market very soon, UNI
less through the operation of a monop-
oily or other restriction, such as a
patent, for instance, by which fictitious
value is upheld. Then if this is true, it
must follow that if by better facilities
or more ample means one farmer can
grow wheat at less cost than his
neighbor can who is less favorably stu
ated, the latter works at disadvantage
or at a loss, while the former makes a
profit. Now this is precisely the relative
position occupied by each of two farm
ers, one of whom has large farm, well
furnished with machinery and the best
breeds of live stock, and another, who
has a small farm, although it may be
equally well stocked, but the position of
the latter is made much worse if he is
without machinery, and has but poor
class of stock. just now the question
to consider, however, is what must be
the management of a small, well stock
ed farm to enable it to compete on
equal terms with one of double or sew
eral times its size.
For instance, if five farms of 100 acres
each are compared with one farm of 500
acres, it is easy to see wherein the latter
has a great advantage over the former.
There are, to begin with, in the case of
the former, five families to be support
ed; there are five sets of buildings to be
erected and kept in repair, with five sets
of accessories. The five farms will re-
fxxr
warehouses, laborers, cost of fencing,
draining, and harvesting because of the
smaller and less convenient size of the
fields. They viii require five times as
much outlay for plows, harrows, now
ers, reapers, and machinery of all kinds,
saving, however, possibly something in
repairs and length of service. There
will be five thoroughbred bulls, rams,
and bears to be provided against one OF
each on the larger farm And SO On
through the whole inventory of the
farm. All this excess of expended cap
ital falls very heavily on the cost of the
products, and sufficiently so to entail an
actual loss on the working as compared
with the working of the one large farm
This is SO plainly evident that nothing
further need be said upon this point. II
we come to consider the case of farmer
having a small farm without any of the
facilities mentioned, the case is evident
| ly worse still. From this condition OF
things much distress has already arisen
and promise of greater Inconvenience
still is apparent. The remedy can only
be found in some change of manage
ment by which the different conditions
may be equalized in some way How
then, is this needed change to be brought
about?
This is very difficult thing to state
in such a way as shall meet every case,
or even the majority of cases, but il
general it is clear that the equalization
of position may be arrived at in some Of
all of the methods here mentioned, viz.
by selling the farm, and renting instea6
of owning it, and thus setting free thu
larger part of the farmers capital, which
at present brings little or no interest
and using it so as to greatly increase
product; or. by method of co-opera
ton or Joint work or ownership of i'm
plements and stock, by which one Sc
may serve instead of five, or more; o.
by the exercise OF greater skill, mor'
labor, closer management, or some othel
improved methods by which labor car
be made more profitable, and which
would tend toward special crops or thu
growth of the most valuable product
upon highly cultivated small tracts o
land. In some such ways as these it i
very certain that the small farmer mus
look to bring his position more nearl,
ON par with the more advantageou
one of his richer rival, and thus help t.
remove the disability under which h