156 Large and Small Holdings 



When the good and bad qualities of the various types in regard of 

 the various products, or the special qualities of each unit of holding, 

 have been established, it will remain to consider what general qualities 

 may be ascribed to each ; qualities, that is to say, which belong to a 

 particular type of holding whatever use it may serve. The cost of 

 buildings is always higher per given area under small farming than 

 under large, for example, and this is a disadvantage of small holdings 

 which has nothing to do with any question of the branch of production 

 pursued : for the cost of buildings varies very little whether a farm is 

 devoted to corn or to vegetables. The influence of these general 

 advantages or disadvantages on the competition between the various 

 units must therefore be estimated, as also their effect in weakening or 

 strengthening any special qualities of a unit. These special qualities, 

 however, will first be dealt with. 



A. IN RELATION TO THE VARIOUS BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE. 

 (a) Corn-Production. 



Small farms have proved profitable in recent times, but, as has 

 been shown, they are still not as a rule devoted to corn-growing, 

 which remains the prerogative of the large farm. Small farms which 

 did grow corn felt the crisis severely, and their occupiers apparently 

 suffered even more than the larger holders under the depression. 

 The question is therefore as to the causes of the superiority of large 

 farming in regard of corn-production. 



It will be remembered that Arthur Young laid much emphasis on 

 the relative cost of ploughing on large and small farms, and the point 

 seems still to be one of great importance. The expense of purchasing 

 horses obviously falls very heavily on the small agriculturist. In 

 addition, he is not as a rule in a position to make full use of these 

 expensive animals when he has bought them. Mr C. S. Read stated 

 that to give full employment to two horses an arable holding must 

 cover at least 40 acres 1 . Small holders, if they keep horses, are 

 consequently obliged as a rule to find some by-employment for them 2 . 

 Often they send them to work on the holdings of other small farmers 

 when they are not using them themselves. Others undertake carrying 

 work in addition to their farm work, and so make use of their horses 



1 Read, op. cit. p. 8. 



2 See e.g. Small Holdings Report, 1889, qu. 2647-2648. 



