180 Large and Small Holdings 



exhibitions and competitions, and a variety of other items, all necessi- 

 tating the command of a large capital. On the other hand undoubtedly 

 personal care, personal judgment and attention to details are required. 

 But if these are often wanting in the employee of the large farmer, it 

 is nevertheless true that this branch of production can be pursued 

 by them, while want of capital absolutely prohibits the small holder 

 from undertaking it. The breeding of pedigree stock is accordingly 

 the economic privilege of the large holdings of England. 



Summarising the conclusions of this section, it may be said that 

 there are very few departments of stock-farming in which the large 

 holding is superior to the small. There are cases in which their 

 chances are practically equal. In others the small holding has a 

 decided economic advantage over the large. This is especially so 

 in the rearing of young cattle, in the sale and manufacture of 

 dairy-products, in pig- and poultry-keeping. The main reason for 

 this advantage is that these branches of agriculture demand as a 

 fundamental condition of success that qualitative intensity of labour 

 which is only to be found where the occupier and his family them- 

 selves do the work of the farm. In this lies the great advantage 

 possessed by the small holder, and in these branches of stock-farming 

 it suffices to throw into the shade any advantages on the side of the 

 large farmer. 



(d) Summary and Conclusions. 



The economic advantages of the various types of holding in regard 

 of the main branches of agricultural production have now been con- 

 sidered. Large and small holdings have been the terms chiefly 

 employed : the medium-sized holding has received less attention. 

 This is because the economic characteristics of the various units can 

 best be understood by a study of the extremes. The medium-sized 

 holding has much in common with the large holding, and much in 

 common also with the small. In some departments therefore it will 

 have advantages as compared with the large holding and disadvan- 

 tages as compared with the small, while in others the reverse will be 

 the case. For example, if a medium-sized corn-growing farm, or 

 on the other hand a medium-sized dairy-farm, is in question, it is 

 only necessary to apply the laws discovered in regard of the relation 

 of these particular branches of production to holdings of the two 

 extreme types, and the position of the middle type will become 

 evident. Instead, therefore, of tracing out in detail the particular 



