86 
The Labour Bill in Farming. 
the nominal rate was 10s. when mine was lis., while at this 
moment we all seem to be pretty firmly fixed at 13s. per week. 
Wheat has now fallen considerably in value without reducing 
wages, as was formerly the case ; and I think in this neigh- 
bourhood the price of corn will never influence wages again. 
The high price of corn, lately prevalent, has hitherto prevented 
farmers from realising the effect of the extra cost of labour ; 
but now, with wheat at 21s. per coomb, the case must be very 
different." 
I have found it difficult to arrive at any satisfactory con- 
clusion upon the comparative cost of labour on large and small 
farms per acre and relatively to production. The statistics 
already given do not deal with farms of very extended acreage. 
Indeed, it is not easy to define with accuracy what constitutes 
a large farm. For example, a farm of 500 acres would be 
reckoned small in Lincolnshire and large in Leicestershire. 
The general opinion expressed, in answer to many questions 
put to practical men, is that the cost per acre for manual 
and horse labour is less on large than on small farms. Here 
is one reply : — " A hundred acres of stiff arable land would be 
worked with 5 horses, while 140 acres would require only one 
more. Moreover, in all agricultural operations it is an enormous 
advantage to have a large and competent staff of men always at 
your call to execute work at the proper time. For these and 
other reasons the relative production is likely to be greater, and 
certainly the relative cost of production would be less on large 
than on small farms. But there are many exceptions in favour 
of small farms, where these are well managed." 
Another farmer writes : — " However difficult it may be to 
reduce to actual figures the relative cost of labour on large and 
small farms, everyone who has had any practical experience 
in agriculture is well aware that the difference is very great. 
Within my own experience I have found that in the occupation 
of a farm of nearly 600 acres which had previously been held by 
two tenants, the saving in horse-labour was about 30 per cent., 
and in manual labour 20 per cent. This saving arose from 
greater concentration of force in the larger occupation which was 
wanting in the smaller one, and from a better supervision in the 
large, which would not be remunerative in the small occupation. 
There is no doubt also that the results obtained bore an exceed- 
ingly favourable comparison with regard to production, as was 
shown by the repeated enlargement of the rick-yards. On large 
holdings the labourers work in larger gangs, superintended by 
a working foreman. Thus the work progresses quickly, is soon 
finished, and something else is commenced before the men are 
tired by that particular kind of labour. Again, special men can 
