ORGANIZATION OF THE FARM 



of the products will be the greatest possible, as 

 for example, (2x3x12) + (4x5x10) + (8xix6) = 

 only 320, whereas (2x1x8) + (4x3x10) -f-(6x5x 

 12) =496, which is the maximum product which 

 can be obtained. 



The question arises at once as to the willing- 

 ness of the farmers to select land according to 

 this principle. There is no apparent reason why 

 the best farmers should object to using the best 

 land and the best live stock and equipment, but 

 it is clear that the least efficient farmer could pro- 

 duce larger crops upon the more productive 

 grades of land and by using the more productive 

 forms of capital-goods than he can on the less 

 productive land and by using the less productive 

 horses and tools to which this formula assigns 

 him. The fact which reconciles the less efficient 

 farmers to the use of the lower grades of the fac- 

 tors of production, is the competitive price which 

 must be paid for the use of the higher grades, 

 For example, the farmers who are qualitatively 

 more efficient can pay more for the use of the 

 more productive land than their less efficient com- 

 petitors can possibly pay, and yet at these higher 

 rents these more efficient farmers find it to their 

 interest to select the higher grades of land. This 

 proposition will be further developed in the chap- 

 ter on the distribution of wealth, where it will be 

 shown more clearly why it is that the interest of 



61 



