THE GLEANERS 77 



of "unearned increment." Corn belt acres had 

 begun to demand too much coal to start the 

 boilers according to their way of farming. 



These two types of farmers are growing to 

 be clearly defined now that the last of our 

 public land has passed into private hands. One 

 is like the owner of the two-story building 

 on the sky-scraper plot. When land values 

 get beyond his methods he either improves his 

 plant or sells out to some one who can, and 

 migrates to cheaper land. The best is too 

 good for him. He will take second best if 

 he can find it. 



The other type and it still numbers nearly 

 seventy per cent, of the farmers of to-day 

 is like an old druggist in lower Broadway, 

 New York City, who won local fame by re- 

 fusing an offer of enough five-dollar gold 

 pieces to cover his plot. He refused to sell. 

 Why should he sell, he argued? He got his 

 plant for nothing inherited it from his father 

 when Canal street was a cow path. His pills 

 still pay his taxes and keep his roof whole. 

 That is all he wants. 



Of the latter class are the competitors, our 

 hypothetical friend, Jeremiah (whom we met 

 in the first chapter) , encountered when he bor- 



