On Cropping and Cultivating Light Land. 



95 



cap itaV that he can plough and sow a very large farm, and the 

 idea of being a large farmer pleases him ; but if he acts upon 

 this advice, he soon finds out to his cost that he would realize 

 a much larger percentage for his capital upon a farm of half 

 the size, and that he has been tempted to sin against every 

 principle of economy and good farming. On the other hand, a 

 man of large capital may be persuaded to take a moderate-sized 

 farm, and, by way of setting an example to the neighbourhood, 

 to invest an amount of capital in a superabundance of stock, in 

 unnecessary implements, and in labour, which may make it 

 absolutely impossible for the farm income to cover the farm 

 expenditure. 



The latter is a comparatively rare case — the former a too 

 common one, and is undoubtedly one of the most unhealthy 

 elements in the agricultural atmosphere. That a purifying in- 

 fluence is at work none can doubt who see around them the 

 working of capital and energy in the midst of our rural districts, 

 while thorough drainage, felling of timber, grubbing, and I wish 

 it could be said the erection of new farm-buildings, are percep- 

 tibly changing the aspect of the country. 



As to our agricultural implements, they occupied a prominent 

 place at the late gigantic and almost fabulous collection of the 

 choicest works of all the united industries of the world. Hun- 

 dreds of thousands of spectators, while they wondered at and 

 admired the skill which had supplied these pieces of mechanism, 

 were also impressed with the advancing dignity of the art which 

 had called them forth. 



The most sagacious use of capital in farming will doubtless 

 be made by those who accept fearlessly and honestly the evidence 

 supplied by such facts as these, and who recognize the law of 

 constant progression as inseparable from the true interests of 

 agriculture. That numbers of farmers have long been eager to 

 adopt every improvement, and willing to assist their less enlight- 

 ened and less patriotic neighbours, no one can for a moment 

 doubt. And these are the men who have the clearest idea of 

 that amount of capital which can be used upon a given quantity 

 of land to secure the largest percentage. Without specifying the 

 amount necessary for every 100 acres, if we could get a verdict 

 on the point from such men as we have spoken of, judging by 

 the test of their own actual practice, it would be a verdict which 

 would associate the best farming with a very large amount of 

 stock, and a great consumption of hand, horse, and machine 

 labour, the whole presided over by never-satisfied knowledge and 

 searching intelligence. 



In tracing the steps of improvement and in recognising the 

 features of progression, as we see them assume their legitimate 



