40 My Little Farm 



capital outlay on the field about 3 an acre. I 

 cannot charge the main cutting against it, because 

 this was done for the drainage of the house, while 

 the field could not possibly be such a success 

 without it. In addition to the drains closed, 

 there are some still open, but the peat dug out of 

 them and dried has made valuable bedding. On 

 the whole, at 3 an acre, we must be near enough 

 to the mark for any practical farmer to form his 

 own judgment, and I hope it is the spirit of this 

 book to stimulate judgment rather than to dictate 

 it. There is no use inviting men to capital 

 expenditure with their eyes shut. They must see 

 where they go or remain where they are, and too 

 many of them will remain where they are even 

 when they see where to go. 



I think the fair conclusion is that there is no 

 " bad land," but only bad farmers and bad owners. 

 It must be clear to anybody that the capital value 

 of my field, as it is, will many times over cover the 

 cost of changing it from what it was, with a rent- 

 value still at 35. yd. an acre and a production value 

 as I have shown. I am satisfied that, on all work- 

 able land, the worst can always be made as pro- 

 ductive as the best at something less cost than the 

 difference in letting value between them. It is 

 so at least as a general fact, and probably more so 

 in the peasant farms than elsewhere. In any case, 

 for myself, I would always prefer the " bad " land 

 at its lower capital liability. Let the peasant 

 mind once grasp this and we are on the way to an 

 economic revolution in food production, but it is 



