rom each acre, plant, and animal.

Farmers could use the savings in time brought by better implements and
new machines to increase the amount of land farmed and the number of
animals cared for. Presumably, the farmer could also use the saved time
for greater leisure. In fact, however, they usually used the extra time
for more work. In the 20th century they often used the saved time for
outside employment. Farmers did this in the 19th century, but not so
commonly as later. Greater man-hour efficiency gave the farmer more time
to devote to managing his enterprise, to keeping records, and to
studying his business.

Technological efficiency also allowed farmers to use more land and more
animals. The average size of farms steadily increased across the
century. Furthermore, the new machines and the pure-bred livestock cost
money which could be most profitable only if the farmer specialized in
one, or at most two, types of enterprise. So the greater efficiency
created by technology impelled farmers to greater specialization, and
with specialization came even greater efficiency. Anyone who specializes
will likely be more efficient because of the mastering of skills. He
will also have a minimum of other cares to distract him. Of course, for
the consumers, foreign or domestic, greater farming efficiencies
resulted in abundant food at comparatively low cost.

Plant and animal importation, improvement of breeds, and discoveries in
genetics, soil chemistry, the use of fertilizers, and in controlling
plant and animal diseases all helped the living things which form the
basis of farming yield. Grain farmers not only had to have a wheat which
yielded well but a wheat which resisted the attacks of nature. For
example, Turkey Red wheat, introduced in 1873 by Mennonites from Russia,
not only survived drought and yielded well but provided the genetic
elements for newer breeds of wheat. The farmer not only wanted
good-producing meat cattle, such as the Herefords, but had to control
diseases and predators which killed the animals. Sick animals do not
grow properly or, in the case of dairy animals, give much milk. Steady
advances in disease control for both plants and animals brought fewer
losses and greater productivity to farmers.

The 19th century also brought scientific discoveries in both plant and
animal nutrition. Fertilizer and soil chemistry made great advances
through scientific experiments, at first by farmers and later by
gove