The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-07-18
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

Probable Mana re ment of Small Farms
The tendency of all work is now toward
economy of labor by the use OF machinery,
by division and classification ofemployments,
and by concentration of capital in large es-
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 investments
OF profits in engagements or Improvements,
they continually add to their business facili-
ties. Now, all this affects agriculture, indi-
rectly, ;nasmuch as il by improvements in
methods the product of manufactures are
cheapened, the prices OF the necessaries of
iife-food and the raw material of clothing
are expected to decrease in corresponding
ratio; and directly because the principle
which affects other industries affects agri-
culture as well. Every improvement in ag-
ricultrral machinery and the employment of
more abundant capital, by which labor is
made more effective, tend to lower the
prices of agricultural products. This is the
Inevitable result of a fixed law, that the
value Of a thing is that which it costs to pro-
duce, and that this value is reached in the
market very soon, unless through the opera
ton of a monopoly or other restrictions, such
as patent, for instance, by which fcti-
tious 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 a less cost than his neigbbor can
who is less favorably situated, the latter
works at disadvantage or at loss, while
the former makes a profit, Now this Is
precisely the relative position occupied by
each farmer, one of whom has large farm,
well furnished with machinery and the best
breed of stock, and another, who has small
farm, although it may be equally well stock
ed, but the position of the latter is made
much worse if he is without machinery, and
has but a poor class of stock. just now the
question to consider, however, is what must
be the management of a small, wellstocked
farm to enable it to compete on equal terms
with one of double or several 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 great
advantage over the former. There are, to
begin with, in the case of the former, five
families to be supported; there are five sets
of buildings to be erected and kept in repair,
with five sets of accessories. The five farms
will require three times as much outlay for
work-horses, laborefs, cost OF fencing. drain
ing and harvestinglbecause of the smaller and
less convenient size Of the fields. They will
require five times as much ontlay for plows,
harrows, mowers, reapers, and machinery of
all kinds, saving, however, possibly some
thing In repairs and length ofservice. There
will be five thoroughbred bulls, rams, boars
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 ex-
pended capital falls very heavily on the cost
of the products, and sufficiently SO to entail
an actual loss on 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 small farm without any of the facili-
aforementioned, thecase is evidently worse STILL
From this condition OF things much distre IS
has already arisen, and a. promise of greater
Inconvenience still is apparent. The remedy
can only be found in some change of manage
ment by which the different conditions can
be equalized in some way. How, then, is
this needed change to be brought about?
This is very difficult thing to state in such
way as shall meet every case, or even the
majority Of cases but in general 1t is clear
that the equalization of positions may be ar
rived at in some or all of the methods here
mentioned, viz: by selling the farm, and
renting instead of owning it, and thus set
ting free the larger part of the farmers capt.
tai, which at present brings little or no in
terest, and using it so as to greatly increase
the product, or by methodIof cooperation or
joint work or ownership of implements and
stock, by which one set may serve instead of
five or more; or by the exercise of greater
skill, more labor, closer management. or
some other improved methods by which labor
can be made more profitable. and which
would tend toward special crops or the
growth of the most valuable products upon
highly cultivated small facts of land. In
some such ways as these it is very Ger tain
that the small farmer must look to bring his
position more nearly on a par with the more
advantageous one Of his richer rival, and thus
help to remove the disability under which
he now labors by reason of narrow means
and cramped and narrow boundaries. N.
Y. Times.