1882.] TOOLS, IMPLEMENTS, ETC. 327 



the great bulk being grown in regions brought into competition 

 with us comparatively lately. 



Now, what is the immediate effect on our own agriculture of 

 this competition with new and fertile regions of such vast produc- 

 tive power? First, it causes a greater specialization of our crops. 

 We do not try to grow our bread. If wheat is grown, it is inci- 

 dental to something else; and in this way there will always be 

 some grown here. We no longer grow hemp, nor flax, nor woad, 

 etc., etc., but concentrate our attention on such products as pay 

 best. We do such things as can be done on our scale just as eco- 

 nomically as on a large scale. It is only some of the farming 

 operations that can be done cheaper and cheaper as the scale upon 

 which it is done increases, in fact this is true of but few farm 

 operations. 



Next, we strive for excellence of product, as well as greater 

 yield. Hence improved animals, improved crops, such as we grow. 

 I never saw more attractive exhibitions of corn than this State 

 can show, although we cannot show so much of it as the bigger 

 western states can. 



The next effect of this new order of things is a decrease in the 

 strictly rural population of all the older districts. This, however, 

 is not necessarily accompanied with a decline in agricultural pro- 

 duction. The decrease in rural population is brought about in 

 several ways, viz. : 



1st. Fewer people are required to run the farm. With mod- 

 ern tools and machines, land is tilled and crops managed and 

 gathered with much less human labor, as has been explained. So, 

 with the same amount of land tilled, and same product obtained, 

 fewer hands are necessary. 



2d. Less land is tilled and more put into pasture. This re- 

 quires less population on the farms. Such has been the effect in 

 all countries. 



3d. Country mechanics are less needed. In former times, each 

 farming neighborhood had its blacksmith to make and mend farm 

 tools, wagon-makers, shoemakers, harness-makers, tailors, etc., etc. 

 Now these have gone into the towns. 



4th. Country manufacturers on a small scale, here a carding ma- 

 chine, there a grist mill, or a tannery, and the many scattered 

 small establishments which have given way and succumbed to 

 changes in methods of manufacturing. 



5th. Country stores have declined, and country professional 



