As I understand it, we are seeking the usage of "factors of production" to mean land, labor, and capital (plus possibly entrepreneurship tacked on as a 4th factor, later). Yuri Tulupenko's citation from Ripley and Dana deals with "laborer, capitalist, merchant, and employer" - which they attribute to Proudhon. Proudhon was known for distinguishing land from capital - Marx attacked him for doing so. So I wonder if Ripley and Dana accurately portrayed Proudhon. Also, "capitalist" is not the same as "capital". Also, "employer" is one who advances capital, and should not be listed separately. I strongly suspect, therefore, that Ripley and Dana were careless writers, who simply used the word "factor" with no clear meaning. Mason Gaffney