80 THE LURE OF THE LAND 



the traction plow, would also be economical in diminish- 

 ing the number of working horses and mules required. 

 I have made a somewhat accurate computation of the 

 cost of keeping a working horse or mule a year, and it 

 is not to be forgotten that the horse or mule must be fed 

 every day whether it works or is idle. The winter and 

 the needs of the farm permit the horse or the mule to 

 be idle almost, if not quite, half the time. The hay 

 and oats and Indian corn necessary to keep a working 

 animal in good condition cost not less than fifteen cents 

 a day for the entire year. In round numbers, then, 

 it costs from $55 to $60 to feed a working horse or mule 

 a year. This does not include the attention which is 

 given in the way of currying, carrying out the manure, 

 keeping the harness, et cetera. Two horses or mules 

 are necessary for every fifty acres under cultivation. 

 A man with one hundred acres, therefore, must keep 

 at least four working animals, and the cost of keeping 

 these animals is pretty close to $250 a year. 



On the other hand, the traction engine eats only when 

 it works, and while it costs a great deal more per day, 

 the traction engine will probably not be employed over 

 forty or fifty days a year, hardly that long. So that 

 upon the whole, it becomes less expensive to use this 

 kind of labor than it does that of horses or mules. 



THE ADVANCING PRICE OF LAND. 



Again, I see in the advancing price of land greater 

 difficulties towards the acquirement of small hold- 

 ings. There is a distinct tendency, in my opinion, to 

 larger agricultural holdings, and that means the de- 

 velopment of the agricultural farm labor class, which 

 to my mind is greatly to be deplored. If we are to 



