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present system. In order to the highest success and profit in his 

 business, he needs to be posted in agricultural chemistry, botany, and 

 entomology ; the nature of different soils and the best mode of treating 

 them ; the relative values and effects of all varieties of fertilizers ; the 

 best processes of tilling and culture for each kind of crop; the compara- 

 tive profit in raising them ; the relation of supply and demand in mar- 

 ket for each ; the adaptation of all varieties of grains, grasses, vegetables, 

 and fruits to soil and climate ; the breeds, characteristics, and relative 

 adaptation and i)rotits of all kinds of farm-animals ; and so on, almost 

 without limit. And then, in addition to these demands for manifold in- 

 telligence and manifold skill in applying it to departments of agricul- 

 ture so distinct and varied that they are equivalent to a dozen distinct 

 arts in mechanics, there is the further demand for sufficient ciapital to 

 carry on all these branches advantageously. " Is it surprising, under such 

 circumstances, that country-life and agriculture are so little attractive ? 

 Can we wonder that capital and population accumulate in the cities and 

 towns out of all proportion to what they do in the country "P 



Some steps have already been taken in the division of agricultural 

 labor, greatly to the advantage of the farmer. At a remote period 

 every farmer ground his own grain by hand ; at a period comparatively 

 recent every farmer thrashed out his own grain. Now, at much less 

 trouble and expense to the farmer, thrashing is done very extensively 

 by those who make that a business. Formerly, each farmer had to keep 

 great teams and wagons, and spend a large share of time in hauling his 

 products, it might be a hundred miles, to market, and hauling back his 

 supplies ; now this is generally done by the railroads, and " at a third or 

 fourth of the former cost." Is it not practicable to carry this division of 

 labor in farming still further, and thus, by a greater concentration of 

 capital and skill employed in agriculture, to bring back to the rural dis- 

 tricts a portion of the wealth and population which have been drawn 

 off from them to the cities? For example, may not that fundamental 

 branch of successful farming, plowing, be done, at least to a wide ex- 

 tent, much better and much cheaper than it now is, by a class who 

 shall concentrate capital and skill on that as a distinct business? 



" So long as agriculture depends on individual enterprise, steam-plow- 

 ing will be regarded as impracticable. It requires too much capital, 

 and its capabilities are too colossal for individual farmers in connection 

 "with all other farm-work. There may be a few who possess sufficient 

 means to make the experiment on a small scale; but in order to success, 

 it must be done on a scale sufficiently large to make that the business." 

 Mr. Goodloe recognizes the fact that the business of plowing would not 

 last all the year round, but thinks that the same company that should 

 do the plowing could profitably apply the steam-power to various other 

 uses; among which are specified thrashing and grinding grain, sawing 

 lumber, pulling stumps, picking and packing cotton, and manufacturing 

 sugar. He believes that such a division of labor, once introduced, would 

 result in the formation of companies for the use of steam in agriculture, 

 who would have the requisite capital, intelligence, and enterprise for 

 bringing science to their aid, would make plowing by steam and im- 

 provements therein a thorough study, and consequently would effect, 

 throughout the sphere of their operations, a large increase in the pro- 

 ductiveness of the soil and profits of farming. ''Deep plowing and 

 subsoiliug would everywhere and thoroughly be introduced," and the ex- 

 penses for teams, plows, &c., would be so diminished as to enable " thou- 

 sands of laboring-men to set up as farmers, who, under the present sys- 

 tem, are unable to do so." 



