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Abstract

The number of persons that may be employed upon the
land varies with the country, with the form of cultivation,
and with the degree of civilisation. But whatever the civilisation
may be, there are natural limits to occupation on the
land which bar the introduction of more than a certain
number. The natural conditions which principally determine
these limits are:
—
(a.) The total extent of land surface of
the particular country, (b.) The degree of fertility and the
extent of land open to hunting wild animals, or gathering
natural vegetable roots or fruits ; cultivation for pasturage
only ; cultivation for either crops or pasturage, (c.) Knowledge
and capital as factors in determining and employing
the best methods for extracting the greatest amount of
produce from a definite area, (d.) The absolute number of
hands necessary to cultivate a given area in any form, beyond
which limit human labour is wasted in fruitless effort or in
positive idleness. (e.) The proportion of cultivable area
already occupied. If, in addition, we employ the indices
m, e, and n as indicating maximum, medium, and minimum
of each condition, we may express by simple formulae the
conditions which determine the largest (Dm) and smallest
(Dn) number of hands which can find occupation on the land ;
always assuming that their time is wholly occupied within
the field of their own division of labour.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Johnston, Robert Mackenzie
Keywords:	Royal Society of Tasmania, Van Diemens Land, VDL, Hobart Town, natural sciences, proceedings, records
Journal or Publication Title:	Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
Collections:	Royal Society Collection > Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
Additional Information:	In 1843 the Horticultural and Botanical Society of Van Diemen's Land was founded and became the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science in 1844. In 1855 its name changed to Royal Society of Tasmania for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science. In 1911 the name was shortened to Royal Society of Tasmania.
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