CHAPTER IX 

 THE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH, WITH ESPECIAL 



REFERENCE TO THE RENT OF FARM LAND AND TO THE CON- 

 DITIONS WHICH ENABLE FARMERS TO SAVE FROM THEIR 

 EARNINGS. 



Having sold his products upon the local market, 

 what determines the share of the gross receipts 

 which the farmer may keep as payment for his 

 labor and enterprise, and what determines the pro- 

 portion which must be paid for the use of land 

 and capital-goods? Farmers of varying degrees 

 of efficiency employ capital-goods of varying de- 

 grees of usefulness upon land of varying degrees 

 of productivity. With these three variables 

 united in varying proportions in the production 

 of articles which vary in their market value from 

 place to place and from time to time, the problem 

 before us is to determine the share of the gross 

 returns which each factor will receive. 



This is by no means a simple problem. There 

 is a very complex set of forces and conditions 

 which make it necessary for a given farmer at a 

 given time and place, to credit a certain propor- 

 tion of his gross returns to capital-goods, and 

 another certain share to land ; but at another time 

 on the same farm or on another farm at the same 



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