The Early Farming 31 



to the contrary; (3) good farmers are better 

 off today than they ever were before. 



We have heard so much about the abandon- 

 ment of farms that we are likely to think that 

 it measures a lessening efficiency of agriculture. 

 We must not be misled, however, by surface 

 indications. We are now in the midst of a 

 process of the survival of the fit. Two oppo- 

 site movements are very apparent in the agri- 

 culture of the time : certain farmers are increas- 

 ing in prosperity, and certain other farmers 

 are decreasing in prosperity. The former class 

 is gradually occupying the land and extending 

 its power and influence. 



The older farming was practically a com- 

 pletely self-regulating business, comprising not 

 only the raising of food and of material for 

 clothing, but also the preparation and manu- 

 facture of these products. The farmer de- 

 pended on himself, having little necessity for 

 neighbors or for association with other crafts. 

 In the breaking up of the old stratification 

 under the development of manufacture and 

 transportation and the consequent recrystalliz- 



