62 The Farmstead 



farms located half a score of miles from the 

 city, and the meat- producing farms within sight 

 of it. As the country becomes older, the varied 

 activities in agriculture will fit themselves into 

 their appropriate localities, as they have already 

 done in many parts of Europe; The dairyman 

 of the Channel islands has long since learned 

 that the piebald cattle of the poulders are not 

 suited to his wants, and the boer of the low- 

 land knows that the meek -eyed, thin-skinned 

 Jersey is not best adapted to his cold, windy 

 country and wet pastures. 



Cost of tillage should be considered when 

 valuing land. When produced on friable land, 

 crops may be secured at much less cost than 

 on tenacious clay. On the other hand, while 

 sandy soils are the most easily cultivated, they 

 are ever demanding more jDlant-food, and hence 

 are not well adapted to grass or general agri- 

 culture, as the expense of keeping them pro- 

 ductive is usually so great as to preclude profits. 



Except in special cases, as in truck farming, 

 it is cheaper to purchase natural plant -food 

 in the soil than artificial fertility. One acre of 

 land may have potential plant -food sufficient 

 under superior tillage for one hundred crops, 

 while another unaided will yield but half as 

 many, and yet the two jiieces of land are often 

 priced at the same figure. In other words, land 



