ORGANIZATION OF THE FARM 



tensely the land should be cultivated in the case 

 of each crop, and how large a farm he should at- 

 tempt to operate in order that, after he has 

 counted out the rent of the land (or the interest 

 on the value of the land and the cost of repairs, 

 etc., if he owns the land), the expense (in the 

 forms of interest and wear and tear) to which he 

 has been for the use of capital-goods, and the cost 

 of hired labor, the total net profit which is left to 

 him and his family in return for their own labor, 

 skill, and enterprise shall be as large as possible. 



We find it desirable in this treatise to look upon 

 the farmer and his family as a unit, and to use the 

 phrase "net profit" to designate that share of the 

 entire product of the farm, which is attributed to 

 the personal services of the farmer and his family. 

 It is not essential that the net profit be in the form 

 of money, a portion of it may well be retained in 

 the form of commodities which may be used 

 directly by the family. The articles so used have 

 their value quite as clearly as do those which are 

 sold. In speaking of the farmer's net profit, 

 therefore, the value of the products retained for 

 home consumption should be included. 



From the standpoint of economy in production, 

 the modern system which is called commercial 

 agriculture, is without question, far superior to 

 the old self-sufficing system, for it undoubtedly 

 enables the farmers to win a larger net profit; 

 but from the standpoint of justice in distribution, 



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