wealbk01-第43节

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other　cultivated　land；　which　can　never　be　turned　to　that　produce。

　　　　　The　food　produced　by　a　field　of　potatoes　is　not　inferior　in

quantity　to　that　produced　by　a　field　of　rice；　and　much　superior

to　what　is　produced　by　a　field　of　wheat。　Twelve　thousand　weight

of　potatoes　from　an　acre　of　land　is　not　a　greater　produce　than

two　thousand　weight　of　wheat。　The　food　or　solid　nourishment；

indeed；　which　can　be　drawn　from　each　of　those　two　plants；　is　not

altogether　in　proportion　to　their　weight；　on　account　of　the

watery　nature　of　potatoes。　Allowing；　however；　half　the　weight　of

this　root　to　go　to　water；　a　very　large　allowance；　such　an　acre　of

potatoes　will　still　produce　six　thousand　weight　of　solid

nourishment；　three　times　the　quantity　produced　by　the　acre　of

wheat。　An　acre　of　potatoes　is　cultivated　with　less　expense　than

an　acre　of　wheat；　the　fallow；　which　generally　precedes　the　sowing

of　wheat；　more　than　compensating　the　hoeing　and　other

extraordinary　culture　which　is　always　given　to　potatoes。　Should

this　root　ever　become　in　any　part　of　Europe；　like　rice　in　some

rice　countries；　the　common　and　favourite　vegetable　food　of　the

people；　so　as　to　occupy　the　same　proportion　of　the　lands　in

tillage　which　wheat　and　other　sorts　of　grain　for　human　food　do　at

present；　the　same　quantity　of　cultivated　land　would　maintain　a

much　greater　number　of　people；　and　the　labourers　being　generally

fed　with　potatoes；　a　greater　surplus　would　remain　after　replacing

all　the　stock　and　maintaining　all　the　labour　employed　in

cultivation。　A　greater　share　of　this　surplus；　too；　would　belong

to　the　landlord。　Population　would　increase；　and　rents　would　rise

much　beyond　what　they　are　at　present。

　　　　　The　land　which　is　fit　for　potatoes　is　fit　for　almost　every

other　useful　vegetable。　If　they　occupied　the　same　proportion　of

cultivated　land　which　corn　does　at　present；　they　would　regulate；

in　the　same　manner；　the　rent　of　the　greater　part　of　other

cultivated　land。

　　　　　In　some　parts　of　Lancashire　it　is　pretended；　I　have　been

told；　that　bread　of　oatmeal　is　a　heartier　food　for　labouring

people　than　wheaten　bread；　and　I　have　frequently　heard　the　same

doctrine　held　in　Scotland。　I　am；　however；　somewhat　doubtful　of

the　truth　of　it。　The　common　people　in　Scotland；　who　are　fed　with

oatmeal；　are　in　general　neither　so　strong；　nor　so　handsome　as　the

same　rank　of　people　in　England　who　are　fed　with　wheaten　bread。

They　neither　work　so　well；　nor　look　so　well；　and　as　there　is　not

the　same　difference　between　the　people　of　fashion　in　the　two

countries；　experience　would　seem　to　show　that　the　food　of　the

common　people　in　Scotland　is　not　so　suitable　to　the　human

constitution　as　that　of　their　neighbours　of　the　same　rank　in

England。　But　it　seems　to　be　otherwise　with　potatoes。　The

chairmen；　porters；　and　coalheavers　in　London；　and　those

unfortunate　women　who　live　by　prostitution；　the　strongest　men　and

the　most　beautiful　women　perhaps　in　the　British　dominions；　are

said　to　be　the　greater　part　of　them　from　the　lowest　rank　of

people　in　Ireland；　who　are　generally　fed　with　this　root。　No　food

can　afford　a　more　decisive　proof　of　its　nourishing　quality；　or　of

its　being　peculiarly　suitable　to　the　health　of　the　human

constitution。

　　　　　It　is　difficult　to　preserve　potatoes　through　the　year；　and

impossible　to　store　them　like　corn；　for　two　or　three　years

together。　The　fear　of　not　being　able　to　sell　them　before　they　rot

discourages　their　cultivation；　and　is；　perhaps；　the　chief

obstacle　to　their　ever　becoming　in　any　great　country；　like　bread；

the　principal　vegetable　food　of　all　the　different　ranks　of　the

people。　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PART　2

　　　　　　　　　　　Of　the　Produce　of　Land　which　sometimes　does；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　and　sometimes　does　not；　afford　Rent　

　　　　　HUMAN　food　seems　to　be　the　only　produce　of　land　which　always

and　necessarily　affords　some　rent　to　the　landlord。　Other　sorts　of

produce　sometimes　may　and　sometimes　may　not；　according　to

different　circumstances。

　　　　　After　food；　clothing　and　lodging　are　the　two　great　wants　of

mankind。

　　　　　Land　in　its　original　rude　state　can　afford　the　materials　of

clothing　and　lodging　to　a　much　greater　number　of　people　than　it

can　feed。　In　its　improved　state　it　can　sometimes　feed　a　greater

number　of　people　than　it　can　supply　with　those　materials；　at

least　in　the　way　in　which　they　require　them；　and　are　willing　to

pay　for　them。　In　the　one　state；　therefore；　there　is　always　a

superabundance　of　those　materials；　which　are　frequently；　upon

that　account；　of　little　or　no　value。　In　the　other　there　is　often

a　scarcity；　which　necessarily　augments　their　value。　In　the　one

state　a　great　part　of　them　is　thrown　away　as　useless；　and　the

price　of　what　is　used　is　considered　as　equal　only　to　the　labour

and　expense　of　fitting　it　for　use；　and　can；　therefore；　afford　no

rent　to　the　landlord。　In　the　other　they　are　all　made　use　of；　and

there　is　frequently　a　demand　for　more　than　can　be　had。　Somebody

is　always　willing　to　give　more　for　every　part　of　them　than　what

is　sufficient　to　pay　the　expense　of　bringing　them　to　market。

Their　price；　therefore；　can　always　afford　some　rent　to　the

landlord。

　　　　　The　skins　of　the　larger　animals　were　the　original　materials

of　clothing。　Among　nations　of　hunters　and　shepherds；　therefore；

whose　food　consists　chiefly　in　the　flesh　of　those　animals；　every

man；　by　providing　himself　with　food；　provides　himself　with　the

materials　of　more　clothing　than　he　can　wear。　If　there　was　no

foreign　commerce；　the　greater　part　of　them　would　be　thrown　away

as　things　of　no　value。　This　was　probably　the　case　among　the

hunting　nations　of　North　America　before　their　country　was

discovered　by　the　Europeans；　with　whom　they　now　exchange　their

surplus　peltry　for　blankets；　fire…arms；　and　brandy；　which　gives

it　some　value。　In　the　present　commercial　state　of　the　known

world；　the　most　barbarous　nations；　I　believe；　among　whom　land

property　is　established；　have　some　foreign　commerce　of　this　kind；

and　find　among　their　wealthier　neighbours　such　a　demand　for　all

the　materials　of　clothing　which　their　land　produces；　and　which

can　neither　be　wrought　up　nor　consumed　at　home；　as　raises　their

price　above　what　it　costs　to　send　them　to　those　wealthier

neighbours。　It　affords；　therefore；　some　rent　to　the　landlord。

When　the　greater　part　of　the　highland　cattle　were　consumed　on

their　own　hills；　the　exportation　of　their　hides　made　the　most

considerable　article　of　the　commerce　of　that　country；　and　what

they　were　exchanged　for　afforded　some　addition　to　the　rent　of　the

highland　estates。　The　wool　of　England；　which　in　old　times　could

neither　be　consumed　nor　wrought　up　at　home；　found　a　market　in　the

then　wealthier　and　more　industrious　country　of　Flanders；　and　its

price　afforded　something　to　the　rent　of　the　land　which　produced

it。　In　countries　not　better　cultivated　than　England　was　then；　or

than　the　highlands　of　Scotland　are　now；　and　which　had　no　foreign

commerce；　the　materials　of　clothing　would　evidently　be　so

superabundant　that　a　great　part　of　them　would　be　thrown　away　as

useless；　and　no　part　could　afford　any　rent　to　the　landlord。

　　　　　The　materials　of　lodging　cannot　always　be　transported　to　so

great　a　distance　as　those　of　clothing；　and　do　not　so　readily

become　an　object　of　foreign　commerce。　When　they　are　superabundant

in　the　country　which　produces　them；　it　frequently　happens；　even

in　the　present　commercial　state　of　the　world；　that　they　are　of　no

value　to　the　landlord。　A　good　stone　quarry　in　the　neighbourhood

of　London　would　afford　a　considerable　rent。　In　many　parts　of

Scotland　and　Wales　it　affords　none。　Barren　timber　for　building　is

of　great　value　in　a　populous　and　well…cultivated　country；　and　the

land　which　produces　it　affords　a　considerable　rent。　But　in　many

parts　of　North　America　the　landlord　would　be　much　obliged　to

anybody　who　would　carry　away　the　greater　part　of　his　large　trees。

In　some　parts　of　the　highlands　of　Scotland　the　bark　is　the　only

part　of　the　wood　which；　for　want　of　roads　and　water…carriage；　can

be　sent　to　market。　The　timber　is　left　to　rot　upon　the　ground。

When　the　materials　of　lodging　are　so　superabundant；　the　part　made

use　of　is　worth　only　the　labour　and　expense　of　fitting　it　for

that　use。　It　affords　no　rent　to　the　landlord；　who　generally

grants　the　use　of　it　to　whoever　takes　the　trouble　of　asking　it。

The　demand　of　wealthier　nations；　however；　sometimes　enables　him

to　get　a　rent　for　it。　The　paving　of　the　streets　of　London　has

enabled　the　owners　of　some　barren　rocks　on　the　coast　of　Scotland

to　draw　a　rent　from　what　never　afforded　any　before。　The　woods　of

Norway　and　of　the　coasts　of　the　Baltic　find　a　market　in　many

parts　of　Great　Britain　which　they　could　not　find　at　home；　and

thereby　afford　some　rent　to　their　proprietors。

　　　　　Countries　are　populous　not　in　proportion　to　the　number　of

people　whom　their　produce　can　clothe　and　lodge；　but　in　proportion

to　that　of　those　whom　it　can　feed。　When　food　is　provide