wealbk01-第45章

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food　for　men；　must　be　understood　to　take　place　only　through　the

greater　part　of　the　improved　lands　of　a　great　country。　In　some

particular　local　situations　it　is　quite　otherwise；　and　the　rent

and　profit　of　grass　are　much　superior　to　what　can　be　made　by

corn。

　　　　　Thus　in　the　neighbourhood　of　a　great　town　the　demand　for

milk　and　for　forage　to　horses　frequently　contribute；　together

with　the　high　price　of　butcher's　meat；　to　raise　the　value　of

grass　above　what　may　be　called　its　natural　proportion　to　that　of

corn。　This　local　advantage；　it　is　evident；　cannot　be　communicated

to　the　lands　at　a　distance。

　　　　　Particular　circumstances　have　sometimes　rendered　some

countries　so　populous　that　the　whole　territory；　like　the　lands　in

the　neighbourhood　of　a　great　town；　has　not　been　sufficient　to

produce　both　the　grass　and　the　corn　necessary　for　the　subsistence

of　their　inhabitants。　Their　lands；　therefore；　have　been

principally　employed　in　the　production　of　grass；　the　more　bulky

commodity；　and　which　cannot　be　so　easily　brought　from　a　great

distance；　and　corn；　the　food　of　the　great　body　of　the　people；　has

been　chiefly　imported　from　foreign　countries。　Holland　is　at

present　in　this　situation；　and　a　considerable　part　of　ancient

Italy　seems　to　have　been　so　during　the　prosperity　of　the　Romans。

To　feed　well；　old　Cato　said；　as　we　are　told　by　Cicero；　was　the

first　and　most　profitable　thing　in　the　management　of　a　private

estate；　to　feed　tolerably　well；　the　second；　and　to　feed　ill；　the

third。　To　plough；　he　ranked　only　in　the　fourth　place　of　profit

and　advantage。　Tillage；　indeed；　in　that　part　of　ancient　Italy

which　lay　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Rome；　must　have　been　very　much

discouraged　by　the　distributions　of　corn　which　were　frequently

made　to　the　people；　either　gratuitously；　or　at　a　very　low　price。

This　corn　was　brought　from　the　conquered　provinces；　of　which

several；　instead　of　taxes；　were　obliged　to　furnish　a　tenth　part

of　their　produce　at　a　stated　price；　about　sixpence　a　peck；　to　the

republic。　The　low　price　at　which　this　corn　was　distributed　to　the

people　must　necessarily　have　sunk　the　price　of　what　could　be

brought　to　the　Roman　market　from　Latium；　or　the　ancient　territory

of　Rome；　and　must　have　discouraged　its　cultivation　in　that

country。

　　　　　In　an　open　country　too；　of　which　the　principal　produce　is

corn；　a　well…enclosed　piece　of　grass　will　frequently　rent　higher

than　any　corn　field　in　its　neighbourhood。　It　is　convenient　for

the　maintenance　of　the　cattle　employed　in　the　cultivation　of　the

corn；　and　its　high　rent　is；　in　this　case；　not　so　properly　paid

from　the　value　of　its　own　produce　as　from　that　of　the　corn　lands

which　are　cultivated　by　means　of　it。　It　is　likely　to　fall；　if

ever　the　neighbouring　lands　are　completely　enclosed。　The　present

high　rent　of　enclosed　land　in　Scotland　seems　owing　to　the

scarcity　of　enclosure；　and　will　probably　last　no　longer　than　that

scarcity。　The　advantage　of　enclosure　is　greater　for　pasture　than

for　corn。　It　saves　the　labour　of　guarding　the　cattle；　which　feed

better；　too；　when　they　are　not　liable　to　be　disturbed　by　their

keeper　or　his　dog。

　　　　　But　where　there　is　no　local　advantage　of　this　kind；　the　rent

and　profit　of　corn；　or　whatever　else　is　the　common　vegetable　food

or　the　people；　must　naturally　regulate；　upon　the　land　which　is

fit　for　producing　it；　the　rent　and　profit　of　pasture。

　　　　　The　use　of　the　artificial　grasses；　of　turnips；　carrots；

cabbages；　and　the　other　expedients　which　have　been　fallen　upon　to

make　an　equal　quantity　of　land　feed　a　greater　number　of　cattle

than　when　in　natural　grass；　should　somewhat　reduce；　it　might　be

expected；　the　superiority　which；　in　an　improved　country；　the

price　of　butcher's　meat　naturally　has　over　that　of　bread。　It

seems　accordingly　to　have　done　so；　and　there　is　some　reason　for

believing　that；　at　least　in　the　London　market；　the　price　of

butcher's　meat　in　proportion　to　the　price　of　bread　is　a　good　deal

lower　in　the　present　times　than　it　was　in　the　beginning　of　the

last　century。

　　　　　In　the　appendix　to　the　Life　of　Prince　Henry；　Doctor　Birch

has　given　us　an　account　of　the　prices　of　butcher's　meat　as

commonly　paid　by　that　prince。　It　is　there　said　that　the　four

quarters　of　an　ox　weighing　six　hundred　pounds　usually　cost　him

nine　pounds　ten　shillings；　or　thereabouts；　that　is；　thirty…one

shillings　and　eightpence　per　hundred　pounds　weight。　Prince　Henry

died　on　the　6th　of　November　1612；　in　the　nineteenth　year　of　his

age。

　　　　　In　March　1764；　there　was　a　Parliamentary　inquiry　into　the

causes　of　the　high　price　of　provisions　at　that　time。　It　was　then；

among　other　proof　to　the　same　purpose；　given　in　evidence　by　a

Virginia　merchant；　that　in　March　1763；　he　had　victualled　his

ships　for　twenty…four　or　twenty…five　shillings　the　hundredweight

of　beef；　which　he　considered　as　the　ordinary　price；　whereas；　in

that　dear　year；　he　had　paid　twenty…seven　shillings　for　the　same

weight　and　sort。　This　high　price　in　1764　is；　however；　four

shillings　and　eightpence　cheaper　than　the　ordinary　price　paid　by

Prince　Henry；　and　it　is　the　best　beef　only；　it　must　be　observed；

which　is　fit　to　be　salted　for　those　distant　voyages。

　　　　　The　price　paid　by　Prince　Henry　amounts　to　3　3/4d。　per　pound

weight　of　the　whole　carcase；　coarse　and　choice　pieces　taken

together；　and　at　that　rate　the　choice　pieces　could　not　have　been

sold　by　retail　for　less　than　4　1/2d。　or　5d。　the　pound。

　　　　　In　the　Parliamentary　inquiry　in　1764；　the　witnesses　stated

the　price　of　the　choice　pieces　of　the　best　beef　to　be　to　the

consumer　4d。　and　4　1/4d。　the　pound；　and　the　coarse　pieces　in

general　to　be　from　seven　farthings　to　2　1/2d。　and　this　they　said

was　in　general　one　halfpenny　dearer　than　the　same　sort　of　pieces

had　usually　been　sold　in　the　month　of　March。　But　even　this　high

price　is　still　a　good　deal　cheaper　than　what　we　can　well　suppose

the　ordinary　retail　price　to　have　been　the　time　of　Prince　Henry。

　　　　　During　the　twelve　first　years　of　the　last　century；　the

average　price　of　the　best　wheat　at　the　Windsor　market　was　L1　18s。

3　1/6d。　the　quarter　of　nine　Winchester　bushels。

　　　　　But　in　the　twelve　years　preceding　1764；　including　that　year；

the　average　price　of　the　same　measure　of　the　best　wheat　at　the

same　market　was　L2　1s。　9　1/2d。

　　　　　In　the　twelve　first　years　of　the　last　century；　therefore；

wheat　appears　to　have　been　a　good　deal　cheaper；　and　butcher's

meat　a　good　deal　dearer；　than　in　the　twelve　years　preceding　1764；

including　that　year。

　　　　　In　all　great　countries　the　greater　part　of　the　cultivated

lands　are　employed　in　producing　either　food　for　men　or　food　for

cattle。　The　rent　and　profit　of　these　regulate　the　rent　and　profit

of　all　other　cultivated　land。　If　any　particular　produce　afforded

less；　the　land　would　soon　be　turned　into　corn　or　pasture；　and　if

any　afforded　more；　some　part　of　the　lands　in　corn　or　pasture

would　soon　be　turned　to　that　produce。

　　　　　Those　productions；　indeed；　which　require　either　a　greater

original　expense　of　improvement；　or　a　greater　annual　expense　of

cultivation；　in　order　to　fit　the　land　for　them；　appear　commonly

to　afford；　the　one　a　greater　rent；　the　other　a　greater　profit

than　corn　or　pasture。　This　superiority；　however；　will　seldom　be

found　to　amount　to　more　than　a　reasonable　interest　or

compensation　for　this　superior　expense。

　　　　　In　a　hop　garden；　a　fruit　garden；　a　kitchen　garden；　both　the

rent　of　the　landlord；　and　the　profit　of　the　farmer；　are　generally

greater　than　in　a　corn　or　grass　field。　But　to　bring　the　ground

into　this　condition　requires　more　expense。　Hence　a　greater　rent

becomes　due　to　the　landlord。　It　requires；　too；　a　more　attentive

and　skilful　management。　Hence　a　greater　profit　becomes　due　to　the

farmer。　The　crop　too；　at　least　in　the　hop　and　fruit　garden；　is

more　precarious。　Its　price；　therefore；　besides　compensating　all

occasional　losses；　must　afford　something　like　the　profit　of

insurance。　The　circumstances　of　gardeners；　generally　mean；　and

al