wealbk01-第46章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



occasional　losses；　must　afford　something　like　the　profit　of

insurance。　The　circumstances　of　gardeners；　generally　mean；　and

always　moderate；　may　satisfy　us　that　their　great　ingenuity　is　not

commonly　over…recompensed。　Their　delightful　art　is　practised　by

so　many　rich　people　for　amusement；　that　little　advantage　is　to　be

made　by　those　who　practise　it　for　profit；　because　the　persons　who

should　naturally　be　their　best　customers　supply　themselves　with

all　their　most　precious　productions。

　　　　　The　advantage　which　the　landlord　derives　from　such

improvements　seems　at　no　time　to　have　been　greater　than　what　was

sufficient　to　compensate　the　original　expense　of　making　them。　In

the　ancient　husbandry；　after　the　vineyard；　a　well…watered　kitchen

garden　seems　to　have　been　the　part　of　the　farm　which　was　supposed

to　yield　the　most　valuable　produce。　But　Democritus；　who　wrote

upon　husbandry　about　two　thousand　years　ago；　and　who　was　regarded

by　the　ancients　as　one　of　the　fathers　of　the　art；　thought　they

did　not　act　wisely　who　enclosed　a　kitchen　garden。　The　profit；　he

said；　would　not　compensate　the　expense　of　a　stone　wall；　and

bricks　（he　meant；　I　suppose；　bricks　baked　in　the　sun）　mouldered

with　the　rain；　and　the　winter　storm；　and　required　continual

repairs。　Columella；　who　reports　this　judgment　of　Democritus；　does

not　controvert　it；　but　proposes　a　very　frugal　method　of　enclosing

with　a　hedge　of　brambles　and　briars；　which；　he　says；　he　had　found

by　experience　to　be　both　a　lasting　and　an　impenetrable　fence；　but

which；　it　seems；　was　not　commonly　known　in　the　time　of

Democritus。　Palladius　adopts　the　opinion　of　Columella；　which　had

before　been　recommended　by　Varro。　In　the　judgment　of　those

ancient　improvers；　the　produce　of　a　kitchen　garden　had；　it　seems；

been　little　more　than　sufficient　to　pay　the　extraordinary　culture

and　the　expense　of　watering；　for　in　countries　so　near　the　sun；　it

was　thought　proper；　in　those　times　as　in　the　present；　to　have　the

command　of　a　stream　of　water　which　could　be　conducted　to　every

bed　in　the　garden。　Through　the　greater　part　of　Europe　a　kitchen

garden　is　not　at　present　supposed　to　deserve　a　better　enclosure

than　that　recommended　by　Columella。　In　Great　Britain；　and　some

other　northern　countries；　the　finer　fruits　cannot　be　brought　to

perfection　but　by　the　assistance　of　a　wall。　Their　price；

therefore；　in　such　countries　must　be　sufficient　to　pay　the

expense　of　building　and　maintaining　what　they　cannot　be　had

without。　The　fruit…wall　frequently　surrounds　the　kitchen　garden；

which　thus　enjoys　the　benefit　of　an　enclosure　which　its　own

produce　could　seldom　pay　for。

　　　　　That　the　vineyard；　when　properly　planted　and　brought　to

perfection；　was　the　most　valuable　part　of　the　farm；　seems　to　have

been　an　undoubted　maxim　in　the　ancient　agriculture；　as　it　is　in

the　modern　through　all　the　wine　countries。　But　whether　it　was

advantageous　to　plant　a　new　vineyard　was　a　matter　of　dispute

among　the　ancient　Italian　husbandmen；　as　we　learn　from　Columella。

He　decides；　like　a　true　lover　of　all　curious　cultivation；　in

favour　of　the　vineyard；　and　endeavours　to　show；　by　a　comparison

of　the　profit　and　expense；　that　it　was　a　most　advantageous

improvement。　Such　comparisons；　however；　between　the　profit　and

expense　of　new　projects　are　commonly　very　fallacious；　and　in

nothing　more　so　than　in　agriculture。　Had　the　gain　actually　made

by　such　plantations　been　commonly　as　great　as　he　imagined　it

might　have　been；　there　could　have　been　no　dispute　about　it。　The

same　point　is　frequently　at　this　day　a　matter　of　controversy　in

the　wine　countries。　Their　writers　on　agriculture；　indeed；　the

lovers　and　promoters　of　high　cultivation；　seem　generally　disposed

to　decide　with　Columella　in　favour　of　the　vineyard。　In　France　the

anxiety　of　the　proprietors　of　the　old　vineyards　to　prevent　the

planting　of　any　new　ones；　seems　to　favour　their　opinion；　and　to

indicate　a　consciousness　in　those　who　must　have　the　experience

that　this　species　of　cultivation　is　at　present　in　that　country

more　profitable　than　any　other。　It　seems　at　the　same　time；

however；　to　indicate　another　opinion；　that　this　superior　profit

can　last　no　longer　than　the　laws　which　at　present　restrain　the

free　cultivation　of　the　vine。　In　1731；　they　obtained　an　order　of

council　prohibiting　both　the　planting　of　new　vineyards　and　the

renewal　of　those　old　ones；　of　which　the　cultivation　had　been

interrupted　for　two　years；　without　a　particular　permission　from

the　king；　to　be　granted　only　in　consequence　of　an　information

from　the　intendant　of　the　province；　certifying　that　he　had

examined　the　land；　and　that　it　was　incapable　of　any　other

culture。　The　pretence　of　this　order　was　the　scarcity　of　corn　and

pasture；　and　the　superabundance　of　wine。　But　had　this

superabundance　been　real；　it　would；　without　any　order　of　council；

have　effectually　prevented　the　plantation　of　new　vineyards；　by

reducing　the　profits　of　this　species　of　cultivation　below　their

natural　proportion　to　those　of　corn　and　pasture。　With　regard　to

the　supposed　scarcity　of　corn；　occasioned　by　the　multiplication

of　vineyards；　corn　is　nowhere　in　France　more　carefully　cultivated

than　in　the　wine　provinces；　where　the　land　is　fit　for　producing

it；　as　in　Burgundy；　Guienne；　and　the　Upper　Languedoc。　The

numerous　hands　employed　in　the　one　species　of　cultivation

necessarily　encourage　the　other；　by　affording　a　ready　market　for

its　produce。　To　diminish　the　number　of　those　who　are　capable　of

paying　for　it　is　surely　a　most　unpromising　expedient　for

encouraging　the　cultivation　of　corn。　It　is　like　the　policy　which

would　promote　agriculture　by　discouraging　manufactures。

　　　　　The　rent　and　profit　of　those　productions；　therefore；　which

require　either　a　greater　original　expense　of　improvement　in　order

to　fit　the　land　for　them；　or　a　greater　annual　expense　of

cultivation；　though　often　much　superior　to　those　of　corn　and

pasture；　yet　when　they　do　no　more　than　compensate　such

extraordinary　expense；　are　in　reality　regulated　by　the　rent　and

profit　of　those　common　crops。

　　　　　It　sometimes　happens；　indeed；　that　the　quantity　of　land；

which　can　be　fitted　for　some　particular　produce；　is　too　small　to

supply　the　effectual　demand。　The　whole　produce　can　be　disposed　of

to　those　who　are　willing　to　give　somewhat　more　than　what　is

sufficient　to　pay　the　whole　rent；　wages；　and　profit　necessary　for

raising　and　bringing　it　to　market；　according　to　their　natural

rates；　or　according　to　the　rates　at　which　they　are　paid　in　the

greater　part　of　other　cultivated　land。　The　surplus　part　of　the

price　which　remains　after　defraying　the　whole　expense　of

improvement　and　cultivation　may　commonly；　in　this　case；　and　in

this　case　only；　bear　no　regular　proportion　to　the　like　surplus　in

corn　or　pasture；　but　may　exceed　it　in　almost　any　degree；　and　the

greater　part　of　this　excess　naturally　goes　to　the　rent　of　the

landlord。

　　　　　The　usual　and　natural　proportion；　for　example；　between　the

rent　and　profit　of　wine　and　those　of　corn　and　pasture　must　be

understood　to　take　place　only　with　regard　to　those　vineyards

which　produce　nothing　but　good　common　wine；　such　as　can　be　raised

almost　anywhere；　upon　any　light；　gravelly；　or　sandy　soil；　and

which　has　nothing　to　recommend　it　but　its　strength　and

wholesomeness。　It　is　with　such　vineyards　only　that　the　common

land　of　the　country　can　be　brought　into　competition；　for　with

those　of　a　peculiar　quality　it　is　evident　that　it　cannot。

　　　　　The　vine　is　more　affected　by　the　difference　of　soils　than

any　other　fruit　tree。　From　some　it　derives　a　flavour　which　no

culture　or　management　can　equal；　it　is　supposed；　upon　any　other。

This　flavour；　real　or　imaginary；　is　sometimes　peculiar　to　the

produce　of　a　few　vineyards；　sometimes　it　extends　through　the

greater　part　of　a　small　district；　and　sometimes　through　a

considerable　part　of　a　large　province。　The　whole　quantity　of　such

wines　that　is　brought　to　market　falls　short　of　the　effectual

demand；　or　the　demand　of　those