Estimation of the opportunity costs of land clearing/breaking in the antebellum North

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Other Title
  • 1860年の合衆国北部における開墾の機会費用 : 生産関数の推定による接近
  • 1860ネン ノ ガッシュウコク ホクブ ニオケル カイコン ノ キカイ ヒヨウ : セイサン カンスウ ノ スイテイ ニヨル セッキン

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Abstract

In Danhof's and Primack's articles, the land clearing/breaking costs―including the expenditure on labor―have been presented as among the factors of farm-making costs. This paper aims to estimate the land clearing/breaking costs as opportunity costs against agricultural production. The results of the analysis are as follows. (1) Opportunity costs existed in the Western States―at least 5% of the agricultural production in the Lakes States and 16% of the agricultural production in the Frontier States. (2) In the Eastern States, clearing was almost finished, or was done without opportunity costs as mentioned in Primack's work. (3) In the Western States, the labor used included both farmers and land laborers. This was because the holdings of personal property or some factors of the farmers with unimproved land were smaller than those of the farmers with fully improved land.

Journal

  • 經濟學論叢

    經濟學論叢 61 (4), 811-848, 2010-03-20

    The Doshisha Economic Association

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