20 



the value of produce. Yet I cannot but believe, in circum- 

 stances ordinarily favorable, and where the price of lan-d is not 

 exorbitant, the man, who attempts to thrive by the plough, 

 and does himself either " hold or drive," if his management is 

 judicious and persevering, and his habits frugal and temperate, 

 will obtain a fair compensation for his labor and pains. If 

 then the balance of his cultivation is upon the whole in his 

 favor, why should he not extend it as far as it can be extended 

 to advantage ? why should he permit a single acre of his land 

 to remain unproductive, which may be made productive ? if he 

 can plant ten acres to advantage, why not plant twenty 1 if he 

 can produce two hundred bushels of corn, why should he not 

 attempt to raise five hundred 1 in short why should he not carry 

 his cultivation to the utmost limits of a profitable return ? Be- 

 yond that certainly we would not advise him to go. Under 

 such circumstances he engages in no dishonorable competition ; 

 his gains are at no other man's expense or loss ; on the con- 

 trary he contributes essentially to the general good, as the in- 

 crease of his produce tends in a certain proportion to lessen 

 its price in the market ; and renders therefore the comforts 

 and supplies of life more accessible to the poorer classes of tire 

 community, and certainly not less so to the richer. 



This brings us to the great subject of the proper size of 

 farms. It is often said that an acre of land well manured and 

 cultivated is better than two acres poorly or imperfectly ma- 

 nured and cultivated ; but it is not so good as two acres well 

 manured arrd cultivated ; nor is it so good as two acres poorly 

 manured and cultivated, if the profit from the two acres is, 

 after all expenses are allowed, greater than the gain from the 

 one acre, though not in an equal proportion. He is the best 

 farmer, as far as agriculture is considered in a pecuniary view, 

 whether he cultivate much or little, who obtains the greatest 

 amount of produce at the least expense. 



A farm is too large, when from its size any part of it is ne- 

 cessarily left unproductive and uncultivated ; or if from its ex- 

 tent its owner or landlord is incapable of its careful superin- 



