352 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



cheese making- as from excelling in what they did. The profits 

 consisted mainly, if not wholly, in the margin of difference in 

 price between a common and a "gilt-edged " or superior article. 

 Eminent superiority cannot be obtained by rambling practice at 

 all branches. The field is too broad for one man to master the 

 whole art nnd science of agriculture. The principle of division 

 of labor can be applied in agriculture to as real advantage as in 

 any other branch of manufacture whatever. How far it may be 

 carried no one can tell until the problem is worked out. The 

 principle is right, therefore let us tend thitherward, not with 

 blind rush, but with such speed as may attend safe and sure- 

 footed steps. 



Suppose a man had predicted, twenty years ago, the changes 

 which we have seen pass over shoemalcing — which we then 

 thought a very simple branch of manufacture ; and very simple it 

 is, compared with almost any branch of agriculture — who would 

 have believed him ? Then, little ten- foot shops dotted the 

 country, each with a workman or two, doing all the work upon a 

 a boot or shoe by hand labor. Now, large factories, great num- 

 bers of workmen, steam power and elaborate machinery ! 



And the tendency in agriculture is away from small farming ; 

 and the sooner we look this fact squarely in the face the better. 

 If any farms are being abandoned they are the small ones ; small 

 either in area or in production. "A little farm well tilled " is 

 pretty enough to talk about, but the little farm, if ever so well 

 tilled, unless it be situated where a large amount of manual labor 

 can be profitably bestowed (as in market gardening), won't pay. 



If you would have work economically performed in the country 

 there must be expensive implements and costly power to do it 

 with ; and if you would have it done profitably, there must be scope 

 enough to enable both implements and power to yield a profit 

 upon their use. And when a profit cannot be had it is better to 

 be content with earning good wages. 



The cost of keeping a single pair of good farm horses, including 

 interest on the value, care and feeding, deterioration, harnesses, 

 shoeing, and other incidentals is not less than four hundred, some 

 say five hundred, dollars per. year. Now unless they can earn, 

 of clean money, more than two dollars per day for two hundred 

 to two hundred and fifty days in the year, they are not kept at 

 any profit, and the small farm does not furnish so much work. 



As things are, the small farm needs more outlay in proportion 



