236 THE POSSIBILITIES 



that extent, we surely need not divide the land 

 into one-acre plots, and attempt to grow what 

 we are in need of by everyone's separate in- 

 dividual exertions, on everyone's separate plot 

 with no better tools than the spade ; under 

 such conditions we inevitably should fail. Those 

 who have been so much struck with the won- 

 derful results obtained in the petite culture, 

 that they go about representing the small 

 culture of the French peasant, or maraicher, as 

 an ideal for mankind, are evidently mistaken. 

 They are as much mistaken as those other 

 extremists who would like to turn every country 

 into a small number of huge Bonanza farms, 

 worked by militarily organised " labour bat- 

 talions." In Bonanza farms human labour is 

 certainly reduced, but the crops taken from 

 the soil are far too small, and the whole system 

 is robbery-culture, taking no heed of the ex- 

 haustion of the soil. This is why the Bonanza 

 farms have disappeared from their former 

 home, Ohio ; and when I crossed part of this 

 State in 1901 I saw its plains thickly dotted with 

 medium-sized farms, from 100 to 200 acres, 

 and with windmills pumping water for the 

 orchards and the vegetable gardens. On the 

 other side, in the spade culture, on isolated 

 small plots, by isolated men or families, too 

 much human labour is wasted, even though the 



