Independent Farmer Becoming Tenant. 117 



larger yield of crops. Experience lias taught that un- 

 interrupted success for this cause is rarely enjoyed. 



(2) To a very large foreign demand. The continu- 

 ance here depends partly on the size of home crops, part- 

 ly on the size of the crops of foreign nations, further, 

 to events; and again to the continuance of low export 



prices. 



(3) To a far more diversified farming. Instead of 

 confining attention chiefly to the production of corn, 

 wheat, oats, the raising of swine, horses and cattle, the 

 latter mainly for beef, for many years a large portion 

 of the western farmers have gone into the poultry, Qgg 

 and dairy business ; the growing of hay and vegetables ; 

 the production of apples and small fruits. There is a 

 limit to the market for these things. When competition 

 for this market becomes too intense the profit sinks below 

 the living line. In our opinion a close approach has 

 already been made to the dead-line. 



(4) To a smaller surplus of agricultural products. 

 This is chiefly due to what is said to be a fact that most 

 of the land desirable for agricultural purposes has been 

 portioned out into farms and is now more or less under 

 cultivation. This means a smaller annual gain in quan- 

 tity of products— a lessening of degree of competition. 

 In other words demand is gaining on supply. This to 

 farmers is the most encouraging feature. Still this may 

 be offset by more intensified farming in the future, and 

 by success in great irrigating schemes by which vast 

 tracts of land now worthless may be made exceedingly 

 productive. 



But suppose the good times to continue for many 

 years, will the larger part of the benefit be reaped by the 

 farmers? We think not. Unless we are much mistaken 



