DESTRUCTION OF CAPITAL 47 



farmer to intend growing a crop of wheat. He 

 first has to apply a quantity of labour to the 

 land ; he has to use machines on it, worked by 

 horses or steam, and he has to cart out and 

 spread manure. It is evident that he is here 

 expending capital, or, as we say, destroying it, 

 because capital expended cannot be used again 

 until restored by the destruction of fresh capital. 

 The farmer, in this instance, has expended 

 labour-wages, wear or hire of machines, horse- 

 food, cost of manure, and so forth. Next he has 

 to sow the seed itself, and to reap the crop and 

 put it into ricks. These operations also all imply 

 the using up of capital. He cannot sell fat cattle 

 in the market without growing and preparing 

 food for them, just as he grew and reaped his 

 wheat-crop : here too he uses up capital. If 

 agricultural operations be considered, it will be 

 found that the destruction and reappearing of 

 capital, in more valuable forms, are incessant, 

 and that in each case the appearance of capital 

 in the higher form has invariably followed the 

 destruction of capital in a lower form. 



When we come to the transporting agencies 

 the case is equally plain. When a quantity of 

 goods removed in railway-trucks from one place 

 arrive at another place, certain capitals have been 

 consumed. These capitals are coal, oil, grease, 

 and other railway stores ; the labour of engine- 

 drivers, stokers, guards, and porters ; the wear 

 and tear of the rolling-stock and of the line itself. 

 But the articles moved are always more valuable 

 at the end of the journey than they were at its 



