1 92 PRINCIPLES OF RURAL ECONOMICS 



If, now, there should be still further immigration, or increase 

 of numbers from any source, so that there would be one man 

 for every 20 acres, the following results would occur, under the 

 terms of the illustration : One man on 20 acres produces 1 500 

 bushels ; on 40 acres, therefore, two men would produce 3000 

 bushels, or 600 bushels more than i^ men. This 600 bushels, 

 therefore, is to be attributed to the increase of two thirds of a 

 man, or two thirds of a man's time. If two thirds of a man's 

 time adds 600 bushels to the product of 40 acres over and above 

 what was produced without it, the whole of a man's time would 

 add 900 bushels. That quantity, therefore, is the amount to be 

 attributed to each of the new installment of men who have come 

 to that community. That is all that they add to the quantity 

 which was produced before they came, or which could be pro- 

 duced without their aid. 



If, finally, there should be a still further increase in the 

 number of men so that there would be one man to every 10 

 acres, the following results would happen, under the terms of 

 the illustration : Since one man on 10 acres produces 1000 

 bushels, two such men, each cultivating 10 acres, would pro- 

 duce a total of 2000 bushels. But one man to every 20 acres 

 produces 1500. Two men on the same area produce only 

 500 bushels more than one man. Therefore 500 bushels per 

 man is all that can be attributed to each of this new supply of 

 men. That is all they add to the crop which was produced be- 

 fore they came, or to the crop which would have been produced 

 without their aid. If this is not a waste of labor, it is certainly 

 something very much like it. However, if there is actually 

 that much labor power in the community, it must of course be 

 employed, and there is nothing to be done except to make the 

 most of the situation, but it necessarily means a low produc- 

 tivity per man. The diagram on the following page shows 

 graphically the results of this analysis : 



