86 BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS 



not now plentiful enough to secure for the nation the 

 utmost agricultural output. 



These few classes of men would, however, never be 

 likely to absorb more than a small proportion of our 

 land. Any attempt to force all our country under the 

 Small Holdings Act is foredoomed to failure. It is, 

 to exemplify, like what reverting to the days of the 

 handloom in the textile industry would be. A small- 

 holding, per se, is intrinsically economically unsound. 

 The proportion of waste land is increased, the accom- 

 modation of the farm-buildings and of house room is 

 proportionately reduced, and the capital outlay on 

 implements of tillage is proportionately increased. 

 Waste of material, such as the trimmings of corn- 

 stacks and outsides of hayricks, is quite needlessly 

 increased. Above all, the skill of the men working 

 such small units of land single-handed, is diffused 

 over so many classes of work as to lower the per- 

 formance of nearly every operation carried out to the 

 level of work done by the apprentice. At best, as on 

 large farms, the skill of the men employed must be 

 very varied, but on the large holding it is possible to 

 select, and so to put the best thatcher on to thatching, 

 the best " builder' on to stack-building, the best 

 horseman on to control the more difficult colts, the 

 best machinery man on to the more complicated im- 

 plements, like the self-binder, &c. On the other 

 hand, the small-holder has to do everything, regard- 

 less of his ability in one particular direction. The 

 policy of establishing all our land as small-holders' 

 farms is such poor strategy, that it only wants some 

 little knowledge and enough consideration to ensure 

 the country's rejection of the plan. 



The " industrial farm' has much more to recom- 

 mend it; on paper the " small-holding' has not a 

 look in. The theory which establishes the perfection 



