wealbk01-第40节
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times; generally worth more than two pounds of the best white
bread; and in plentiful years it is sometimes worth three or four
pounds。
It is thus that in the progress of improvement the rent and
profit of unimproved pasture come to be regulated in some measure
by the rent and profit of what is improved; and these again by
the rent and profit of corn。 Corn is an annual crop。 Butcher's
meat; a crop which requires four or five years to grow。 As an
acre of land; therefore; will produce a much smaller quantity of
the one species of food than of the other; the inferiority of the
quantity must be compensated by the superiority of the price。 If
it was more than compensated; more corn land would be turned into
pasture; and if it was not compensated; part of what was in
pasture would be brought back into corn。
This equality; however; between the rent and profit of grass
and those of corn; of the land of which the immediate produce is
food for cattle; and of that of which the immediate produce is
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