farms and market-gardens. Such a community of interests would find not
only the advantages of exchange between each other, as well as the rest of
the world, but would soon build up bodies of expert young men in the
several specialties, whose work would be at a premium everywhere.
With these interests recognized, still greater division of labor is
possible. An expert in the care of trees and prevention of diseases to
fruits and vegetables can quickly find employment, and may perfect himself
in all the requirements of successive seasons. A dairy expert may find use
for his superior knowledge and skill on successive tours among the dairy
farms. Every farm large enough to employ several men gains some of the
advantages of division by making each man responsible for a definite part
of the farm work. The less the workmen are handled in gangs, the better
each one's abilities can be trained to meet his responsibilities. These
possibilities are greatly increased by every device for diminishing the
effect of weather changes. Under-drainage gives large advantages in this
direction from lengthening the time during which the same operation can go
forward. Means of protecting crops in the field serve a similar end.
Perhaps the easiest application to be made in any neighborhood is a system
of marketing, through keeping an expert collector and distributor of
produce busy in a limited region. All the waste of articles too few to be
carried to market is practically saved, and constant association with the
markets of the world is made possible. Especially is this applicable to
small fruits, milk, butter and eggs. If this market wagon can also serve
to carry the daily mail for all the neighborhood, the problem of rural
delivery would be almost solved with a trifling expense. Even where such a
measure is not possible, neighboring farmers may approach such results by
combining for market and mail days in a circle, each taking a different
day of the week when he will do his neighbor's errands.
With increased confidence in mutual interests, it seems possible that
specialists in various directions might grow up among a united circle of
farmers. The use of machinery and blooded stock can certainly be greatly
increased by careful adjustment of interests. Great improvements in seed
and in methods of culture may be discovered by agreement among a body of
farmers that certain individuals shall make a specialty of those
improvements. It is even co
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