FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 187 



changes of capital made necessary by a change of products, and thus avoid the 

 waste of time now spent in becoming accustomed to new forms of productions. 

 On hirge farms, Avhere several luinds are employed, everything should, as much 

 as possible, be arranged for keeping one man constantly at the same labor : keep 

 one man constantly at work with the team, and doing the same chores. 



By reducing the number of crops raised, tlie varieties of farm labor will be 

 proportionately reduced, and a sufficient number of crops still be left to furnish 

 a good rotation. It will frequently be found that, owmg to the peculiar soil or 

 location, certain cro^is can be purchased for less than it costs to produce them, 

 and these should be the ones sacrificed. There are in Oakland county to-day,, 

 many intelligent farmers dividing their labor and attention among eight or ten 

 crops, two or three of Avhich they could purchase for less than it is costing to- 

 produce them, and any five of which would give them a sufficient rotation. 



Could we not, by a slight change in our present system of farming, carry 

 much farther the principle now applied, in thrashing and sheep-shearing? One- 

 man or one set of men can be constantly employed in running the machinery 

 for a community, another in doing their plowing. Thus let every neighborhood 

 have a gang for doing each variety of labor, and keep one gang constantly 

 employed at the same kind of labor. In this way skill would surely be devel- 

 oped, accidents done away Avith, and carelessness diminished. Consider the cost 

 of teaching inexperienced men to run your machinery; compare your break- 

 downs and accidents with those of the skilled thrasher, and you will be willing 

 to pay for skill. You find it more profitable to pay skilled sheep-shearers two 

 dollars per day, than to set your inexperienced hand, whom you are paying 

 twenty dollars a month, at the work. The principle is the same, and it is of 

 wider application. 



It would seem that by a radical change in our present system of farming 

 division of labor can Ije carried much farther. Let a community of farmers 

 unite in a company, much as capitalists now do in a manufactory, calling the 

 value of their farm property so much stock. Let them elect one man general 

 manager, who shall have the oversight and general management of the entire 

 farm ; another shall be superintendent of the wheat department, and he shall 

 have for his business the raising of wheat ; a third shall be superintendent of 

 the fruit department, and he shall have the superintendence of matters con- 

 nected with the production of fruit. All the departments should thus be filled, 

 taking care to select for supGrintondonts men well skilled in the peculiar work 

 of their department. 



Those farmers best succeed who make a sjiccialty of some particular crop.. 

 When we hear of a great farmer's success, Ave naturally ask, "What is his 

 specialty?" and are not disappointed at the ansAver, AA'heat, corn, or barley. 

 It will frequently be found that one farmer is having good success Avitli Avheat 

 as his specialty, Avhile his neighbor, on the same kind of soil, is succeeding- 

 equally Avell by making potatoes his prominent crop, thus showing that success 

 is oAving more to the knoAvledge gained by close attention to some particular 

 crop, than to auy peculiarity of soil. 



If farmers can thus acquire skill, and succeed in raising some particular 

 crop l>y merely making it the prominent feature of a rotation, how much more 

 would be the slcill acquired and success gained by these su2)erintendents, wha 

 could dcA'ote their entire attention to the production of one crop. By this plan 

 every employe AAOuld find his entire labor in one department, and the larger the- 



