FARMING AND FOXHUNTING 



that one's labour does not meet the demands of a 

 standard of Hving to which one had been accustomed. 

 I may have overdrawn the picture a httle, but surely 

 all is not lost because you farm a few acres of arable 

 land. 



Let me draw a picture of another line of country 

 which is not altogether a direct negative, but one 

 which I would call a half-way system, or as I earlier 

 described it, the dovetailing principle. 



My efforts have been directed along these lines 

 since coming out of a totally arable district. My 

 aim has been to keep increasing the income ; this 

 effort has naturally increased the outgoings, but I 

 have always found that on balance it has been a wise 

 policy to follow working along these lines. I am 

 quite willing to admit that without due care and 

 attention the law of " diminishing returns " springs 

 into existence, but these cases are few and far 

 between. I am convinced that we have too many 

 farmers who err on the side of low production. If 

 they thought more about bulk and talked less about 

 price, I rather think they would make a better show. 



Let me describe what I mean when I use the 

 phrase " dovetailing." Naturally it embraces as 

 many branches of farming as can be usefully accom- 

 modated on your farm. Milk, sheep, corn, pigs 

 and poultry cover most of the products on an 

 ordinary farm. I do not cover so many. I have 

 never tackled poultry, probably to my cost. Each 

 one of these branches helps to make the other pay. 

 It may be that if you pick one out and treat it as 

 an economic unit you would find the balance on 



70 



