wealbk01-第69章

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much　better；　the　greater　part　of　what　is　brought　to　market　could

not；　I　apprehend；　in　the　present　circumstances　of　the　country；　be

disposed　of　at　a　much　better　price；　and　the　present　price；　it　is

probable　would　not　pay　the　expense　of　the　land　and　labour

necessary　for　producing　a　much　better　quality。　Though　the　greater

part　of　England；　notwithstanding　the　superiority　of　price；　the

dairy　is　not　reckoned　a　more　profitable　employment　of　land　than

the　raising　of　corn；　or　the　fattening　of　cattle；　the　two　great

objects　of　agriculture。　Through　the　greater　part　of　Scotland；

therefore；　it　cannot　yet　be　even　so　profitable。

　　　　　The　lands　of　no　country；　it　is　evident；　can　ever　be

completely　cultivated　and　improved　till　once　the　price　of　every

produce；　which　human　industry　is　obliged　to　raise　upon　them；　has

got　so　high　as　to　pay　for　the　expense　of　complete　improvement　and

cultivation。　In　order　to　do　this；　the　price　of　each　particular

produce　must　be　sufficient；　first；　to　pay　the　rent　of　good　corn

land；　as　it　is　that　which　regulates　the　rent　of　the　greater　part

of　other　cultivated　land；　and；　secondly；　to　pay　the　labour　and

expense　of　the　farmer　as　well　as　they　are　commonly　paid　upon　good

corn　land；　or；　in　other　words；　to　replace　with　the　ordinary

profits　the　stock　which　he　employs　about　it。　This　rise　in　the

price　of　each　particular　produce　must　evidently　be　previous　to

the　improvement　and　cultivation　of　the　land　which　is　destined　for

raising　it。　Gain　is　the　end　of　all　improvement；　and　nothing　could

deserve　that　name　of　which　loss　was　to　be　the　necessary

consequence。　But　loss　must　be　the　necessary　consequence　of

improving　land　for　the　sake　of　a　produce　of　which　the　price　could

never　bring　back　the　expense。　If　the　complete　improvement　and

cultivation　of　the　country　be；　as　it　most　certainly　is；　the

greatest　of　all　public　advantages；　this　rise　in　the　price　of　all

those　different　sorts　of　rude　produce；　instead　of　being

considered　as　a　public　calamity；　ought　to　be　regarded　as　the

necessary　forerunner　and　attendant　of　the　greatest　of　all　public

advantages。

　　　　　This　rise；　too；　in　the　nominal　or　money…price　of　all　those

different　sorts　of　rude　produce　has　been　the　effect；　not　of　any

degradation　in　the　value　of　silver；　but　of　a　rise　in　their　real

price。　They　have　become　worth；　not　only　a　greater　quantity　of

silver；　but　a　greater　quantity　of　labour　and　subsistence　than

before。　As　it　costs　a　greater　quantity　of　labour　and　subsistence

to　bring　them　to　market；　so　when　they　are　brought　thither；　they

represent　or　are　equivalent　to　a　greater　quantity。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THIRD　SORT　

　　　　　The　third　and　last　sort　of　rude　produce；　of　which　the　price

naturally　rises　in　the　progress　of　improvement；　is　that　in　which

the　efficacy　of　human　industry；　in　augmenting　the　quantity；　is

either　limited　or　uncertain。　Though　the　real　price　of　this　sort

of　rude　produce；　therefore；　naturally　tends　to　rise　in　the

progress　of　improvement；　yet；　according　as　different　accidents

happen　to　render　the　efforts　of　human　industry　more　or　less

successful　in　augmenting　the　quantity；　it　may　happen　sometimes

even　to　fall；　sometimes　to　continue　the　same　in　very　different

periods　of　improvement；　and　sometimes　to　rise　more　or　less　in　the

same　period。

　　　　　There　are　some　sorts　of　rude　produce　which　nature　has

rendered　a　kind　of　appendages　to　other　sorts；　so　that　the

quantity　of　the　one　which　any　country　can　afford；　is　necessarily

limited　by　that　of　the　other。　The　quantity　of　wool　or　of　raw

hides；　for　example；　which　any　country　can　afford　is　necessarily

limited　by　the　number　of　great　and　small　cattle　that　are　kept　in

it。　The　state　of　its　improvement；　and　the　nature　of　its

agriculture；　again　necessarily　determine　this　number。

　　　　　The　same　causes　which；　in　the　progress　of　improvement；

gradually　raise　the　price　of　butcher's　meat；　should　have　the　same

effect；　it　may　be　thought；　upon　the　prices　of　wool　and　raw　hides；

and　raise　them；　too；　nearly　in　the　same　proportion。　It　probably

would　be　so　if；　in　the　rude　beginnings　of　improvement；　the　market

for　the　latter　commodities　was　confined　within　as　narrow　bounds

as　that　for　the　former。　But　the　extent　of　their　respective

markets　is　commonly　extremely　different。

　　　　　The　market　for　butcher's　meat　is　almost　everywhere　confined

to　the　country　which　produces　it。　Ireland；　and　some　part　of

British　America　indeed；　carry　on　a　considerable　trade　in　salt

provisions；　but　they　are；　I　believe；　the　only　countries　in　the

commercial　world　which　do　so；　or　which　export　to　other　countries

any　considerable　part　of　their　butcher's　meat。

　　　　　The　market　for　wool　and　raw　hides；　on　the　contrary；　is　in

the　rude　beginnings　of　improvement　very　seldom　confined　to　the

country　which　produces　them。　They　can　easily　be　transported　to

distant　countries；　wool　without　any　preparation；　and　raw　hides

with　very　little：　and　as　they　are　the　materials　of　many

manufactures；　the　industry　of　other　countries　may　occasion　a

demand　for　them；　though　that　of　the　country　which　produces　them

might　not　occasion　any。

　　　　　In　countries　ill　cultivated；　and　therefore　but　thinly

inhabited；　the　price　of　the　wool　and　the　hide　bears　always　a　much

greater　proportion　to　that　of　the　whole　beast　than　in　countries

where；　improvement　and　population　being　further　advanced；　there

is　more　demand　for　butcher's　meat。　Mr。　Hume　observes　that　in　the

Saxon　times　the　fleece　was　estimated　at　two…fifths　of　the　value

of　the　whole　sheep；　and　that　this　was　much　above　the　proportion

of　its　present　estimation。　In　some　provinces　of　Spain；　I　have

been　assured；　the　sheep　is　frequently　killed　merely　for　the　sake

of　the　fleece　and　the　tallow。　The　carcase　is　often　left　to　rot

upon　the　ground；　or　to　be　devoured　by　beasts　and　birds　of　prey。

If　this　sometimes　happens　even　in　Spain；　it　happens　almost

constantly　in　Chili；　at　Buenos　Ayres；　and　in　many　other　parts　of

Spanish　America；　where　the　horned　cattle　are　almost　constantly

killed　merely　for　the　sake　of　the　hide　and　the　tallow。　This；　too；

used　to　happen　almost　constantly　in　Hispaniola；　while　it　was

infested　by　the　Buccaneers；　and　before　the　settlement；

improvement；　and　populousness　of　the　French　plantations　（which

now　extend　round　the　coast　of　almost　the　whole　western　half　of

the　island）　had　given　some　value　to　the　cattle　of　the　Spaniards；

who　still　continue　to　possess；　not　only　the　eastern　part　of　the

coast；　but　the　whole　inland　and　mountainous　part　of　the　country。

　　　　　Though　in　the　progress　of　improvement　and　population　the

price　of　the　whole　beast　necessarily　rises；　yet　the　price　of　the

carcase　is　likely　to　be　much　more　affected　by　this　rise　than　that

of　the　wool　and　the　hide。　The　market　for　the　carcase；　being　in

the　rude　state　of　society　confined　always　to　the　country　which

produces　it；　must　necessarily　be　extended　in　proportion　to　the

improvement　and　population　of　that　country。　But　the　market　for

the　wool　and　the　hides　even　of　a　barbarous　country　often

extending　to　the　whole　commercial　world；　it　can　very　seldom　be

enlarged　in　the　same　proportion。　The　state　of　the　whole

commercial　world　can　seldom　be　much　affected　by　the　improvement

of　any　particular　country；　and　the　market　for　such　commodities

may　remain　the　same　or　very　nearly　the　same　after　such

improvements　as　before。　It　should；　however；　in　the　natural　course

of　things　rather　upon　the　whole　be　somewhat　extended　in

consequence　of　them。　If　the　manufactures；　especially；　of　which

those　commodities　are　the　materials　should　ever　come　to　flourish

in　the　country；　the　market；　though　it　might　not　be　much　enlarged；

would　at　least　be　brought　much　nearer　to　the　place　of　growth　than

before；　and　the　price　of　those　materials　might　at　least　be

increased　by　what　had　usually　been　the　expense　of　transporting

them　to　distant　countries。　Though　it　might　not　rise　therefore　in

the　same　proportion　as　that　of　butcher's　meat；　it　ought　naturally

to　rise　somewhat；　and　it　ought　certain