SOME POINTS IN PRACTICE 



hand it is said, with much truth, that the 

 great need in America to-day is better 

 tillage; that the Red River farmer 

 should produce not 7 or 8 bushels of 

 wheat, but 14 to 16; and that this could 

 be done by better cultivation on smaller 

 holdings. On the other hand the West- 

 erner justly remarks: "I am a pioneer, 

 far removed from the comforts and 

 pleasures of civilization. Land is cheap 

 and abundant. I can live more easily and 

 feed more stock on 320 acres than I can 

 on 160." The writer has an open mind on 

 this subject and does not care to dogma- 

 tize. But the following is possibly a fair 

 statement of the case. For farming 

 under irrigation the small farm unit 40, 

 80, or 160 acres are the figures to be con- 

 sidered; but a much larger unit, 160, 320, 

 640 is essential to the dry-farmer. At 

 any rate every one should possess twice 

 the amount of land he proposes to put in 

 55 



