wealbk01- 第54部分

increase　of　stock　but　in　consequence　of　a　considerable

improvement　of　land；　because　otherwise　the　land　could　not

maintain　it。　These　natural　obstructions　to　the　establishment　of　a

better　system　cannot　be　removed　but　by　a　long　course　of　frugality

and　industry；　and　half　a　century　or　a　century　more；　perhaps；　must

pass　away　before　the　old　system；　which　is　wearing　out　gradually；

can　be　completely　abolished　through　all　the　different　parts　of

the　country。　Of　all　the　commercial　advantages；　however；　which

Scotland　has　derived　from　the　union　with　England；　this　rise　in

the　price　of　cattle　is；　perhaps；　the　greatest。　It　has　not　only

raised　the　value　of　all　highland　estates；　but　it　has；　perhaps；

been　the　principal　cause　of　the　improvement　of　the　low　country。

　　　　　In　all　new　colonies　the　great　quantity　of　waste　land；　which

can　for　many　years　be　applied　to　no　other　purpose　but　the　feeding

of　cattle；　soon　renders　them　extremely　abundant；　and　in

everything　great　cheapness　is　the　necessary　consequence　of　great

abundance。　Though　all　the　cattle　of　the　European　colonies　in

America　were　originally　carried　from　Europe；　they　soon　multiplied

so　much　there；　and　became　of　so　little　value　that　even　horses

were　allowed　to　run　wild　in　the　woods　without　any　owner　thinking

it　worth　while　to　claim　them。　It　must　be　a　long　time；　after　the

first　establishment　of　such　colonies；　before　it　can　become

profitable　to　feed　cattle　upon　the　produce　of　cultivated　land。

The　same　causes；　therefore；　the　want　of　manure；　and　the

disproportion　between　the　stock　employed　in　cultivation；　and　the

land　which　it　is　destined　to　cultivate；　are　likely　to　introduce

there　a　system　of　husbandry　not　unlike　that　which　still　continues

to　take　place　in　so　many　parts　of　Scotland。　Mr。　Kalm；　the　Swedish

traveller；　when　he　gives　an　account　of　the　husbandry　of　some　of

the　English　colonies　in　North　America；　as　he　found　it　in　1749；

observes；　accordingly；　that　he　can　with　difficulty　discover　there

the　character　of　the　English　nation；　so　well　skilled　in　all　the

different　branches　of　agriculture。　They　make　scarce　any　manure

for　their　corn　fields；　he　says；　but　when　one　piece　of　ground　has

been　exhausted　by　continual　cropping；　they　clear　and　cultivate

another　piece　of　fresh　land；　and　when　that　is　exhausted；　proceed

to　the　third。　Their　cattle　are　allowed　to　wander　through　the

woods　and　other　uncultivated　grounds；　where　they　are

half…starved；　having　long　ago　extirpated　almost　all　the　annual

grasses　by　cropping　them　too　early　in　the　spring；　before　they　had

time　to　form　their　flowers；　or　to　shed　their　seeds。　The　annual

grasses　were；　it　seems；　the　best　natural　grasses　in　that　part　of

North　America；　and　when　the　Europeans　first　settled　there；　they

used　to　grow　very　thick；　and　to　rise　three　or　four　feet　high。　A

piece　of　ground　which；　when　he　wrote；　could　not　maintain　one　cow；

would　in　former　times；　he　was　assured；　have　maintained　four；　each

of　which　would　have　given　four　times　the　quantity　of　milk　which

that　one　was　capable　of　giving。　The　poorness　of　the　pasture　had；

in　his　opinion；　occasioned　the　degradation　of　their　cattle；　which

degenerated　sensibly　from　one　generation　to　another。　They　were

probably　not　unlike　that　stunted　breed　which　was　common　all　over

Scotland　thirty　or　forty　years　ago；　and　which　is　now　so　much

mended　through　the　greater　part　of　the　low　country；　not　so　much

by　a　change　of　the　breed；　though　that　expedient　has　been　employed

in　some　places；　as　by　a　more　plentiful　method　of　feeding　them。

　　　　　Though　it　is　late；　therefore；　in　the　progress　of　improvement

before　cattle　can　bring　such　a　price　as　to　render　it　profitable

to　cultivate　land　for　the　sake　of　feeding　them；　yet　of　all　the

different　parts　which　compose　this　second　sort　of　rude　produce；

they　are　perhaps　the　first　which　bring　this　price；　because　till

they　bring　it；　it　seems　impossible　that　improvement　can　be

brought　near　even　to　that　degree　of　perfection　to　which　it　has

arrived　in　many　parts　of　Europe。

　　　　　As　cattle　are　among　the　first；　so　perhaps　venison　is　among

the　last　parts　of　this　sort　of　rude　produce　which　bring　this

price。　The　price　of　venison　in　Great　Britain；　how　extravagant

soever　it　may　appear；　is　not　near　sufficient　to　compensate　the

expense　of　a　deer　park；　as　is　well　known　to　all　those　who　have

had　any　experience　in　the　feeding　of　deer。　If　it　was　otherwise；

the　feeding　of　deer　would　soon　become　an　article　of　common

farming；　in　the　same　manner　as　the　feeding　of　those　small　birds

called　Turdi　was　among　the　ancient　Romans。　Varro　and　Columella

assure　us　that　it　was　a　most　profitable　article。　The　fattening　of

ortolans；　birds　of　passage　which　arrive　lean　in　the　country；　is

said　to　be　so　in　some　parts　of　France。　If　venison　continues　in

fashion；　and　the　wealth　and　luxury　of　Great　Britain　increase　as

they　have　done　for　some　time　past；　its　price　may　very　probably

rise　still　higher　than　it　is　at　present。

　　　　　Between　that　period　in　the　progress　of　improvement　which

brings　to　its　height　the　price　of　so　necessary　an　article　as

cattle；　and　that　which　brings　to　it　the　price　of　such　a

superfluity　as　venison；　there　is　a　very　long　interval；　in　the

course　of　which　many　other　sorts　of　rude　produce　gradually　arrive

at　their　highest　price；　some　sooner　and　some　later；　according　to

different　circumstances。

　　　　　Thus　in　every　farm　the　offals　of　the　barn　and　stables　will

maintain　a　certain　number　of　poultry。　These；　as　they　are　fed　with

what　would　otherwise　be　lost；　are　a　mere　save…all；　and　as　they

cost　the　farmer　scarce　anything；　so　he　can　afford　to　sell　them

for　very　little。　Almost　all　that　he　gets　is　pure　gain；　and　their

price　can　scarce　be　so　low　as　to　discourage　him　from　feeding　this

number。　But　in　countries　ill　cultivated；　and　therefore　but　thinly

inhabited；　the　poultry；　which　are　thus　raised　without　expense；

are　often　fully　sufficient　to　supply　the　whole　demand。　In　this

state　of　things；　therefore；　they　are　often　as　cheap　as　butcher's

meat；　or　any　other　sort　of　animal　food。　But　the　whole　quantity　of

poultry；　which　the　farm　in　this　manner　produces　without　expense；

must　always　be　much　smaller　than　the　whole　quantity　of　butcher's

meat　which　is　reared　upon　it；　and　in　times　of　wealth　and　luxury

what　is　rare；　with　only　nearly　equal　merit；　is　always　preferred

to　what　is　common。　As　wealth　and　luxury　increase；　therefore；　in

consequence　of　improvement　and　cultivation；　the　price　of　poultry

gradually　rises　above　that　of　butcher's　meat；　till　at　last　it

gets　so　high　that　it　becomes　profitable　to　cultivate　land　for　the

sake　of　feeding　them。　When　it　has　got　to　this　height　it　cannot

well　go　higher。　If　it　did；　more　land　would　soon　be　turned　to　this

purpose。　In　several　provinces　of　France；　the　feeding　of　poultry

is　considered　as　a　very　important　article　in　rural　economy；　and

sufficiently　profitable　to　encourage　the　farmer　to　raise　a

considerable　quantity　of　Indian　corn　and　buck…wheat　for　this

purpose。　A　middling　farmer　will　there　sometimes　have　four　hundred

fowls　in　his　yard。　The　feeding　of　poultry　seems　scarce　yet　to　be

generally　considered　as　a　matter　of　so　much　importance　in

England。　They　are　certainly；　however；　dearer　in　England　than　in

France；　as　England　receives　considerable　supplies　from　France。　In

the　progress　of　improvement；　the　period　at　which　every　particular

sort　of　animal　food　is　dearest　must　naturally　be　that　which

immediately　precedes　the　general　practice　of　cultivating　land　for

the　sake　of　raising　it。　For　some　time　before　this　practice

becomes　general；　the　scarcity　must　necessarily　raise　the　price。

After　it　has　become　general；　new　methods　of　feeding　are　commonly

fallen　upon；　which　enable　the　farmer　to　raise　upon　the　same

quantity　of　ground　a　much　greater　quantity　of　that　particular

sort　of　animal　food。　The　plenty　not　only　obliges　him　to　sell

cheaper；　but　in　consequence　of　these　improvements　he　can　afford

to　sell　cheaper；　for　if　he　could　not　afford　it；　the　plenty　would

not　be　of　long　continuance。　It　has　been　probably　in　this　manner

that　the　introduction　of　clover；　turnips；　carrots；　cabbage；　etc。；

has　contributed　to　sink　the　common　price　of　butcher's　meat　in　the

London　market　somewhat　below　what　it　was　about　the　beginning　of

the　last　century。

　　　　　The　hog；　that　finds　his　food　among　ordure　and　greedily

devours　many　things　rejected　by　every　other　useful　animal；　is；

like　poultry；　originally　kept　as　a　save…all。　As　long　as　the

number　of　such　animals；　which　can　thus　be　reared　at　little　or　no

expense；　is　fully　sufficient　to　supply　the　demand；　this　sort　of

butcher's　meat　comes　to　market　at　a　much　lower　price　than　any

other。　But　when　the　demand　rises　beyond　what　this　quantity　can

supply；　when　it　becomes　necessary　to　raise　food　on　purpose　for

feeding　and　fattening　hogs；　in　the　same　manner　as　for　feeding　and

fattening　other　cattle；　the　price　necessarily　rises；　and　becomes

proportionably　higher　or　lower　than　that　of　other　butcher's　meat；

according　as　the　nature　of　the　country；　and　the　state　of　its

agriculture；　happen　to　render　the　feeding　of　hogs　more　or　less

expensive　than　that　of　other　cattle。　In　France；　according　to　Mr。

Buffon；　the　price　of　pork　is　nearly　equal　to　that　of　beef。　In

most　parts　of　Great　Britain　it　is　at　present　somewhat　higher。

　　　　　The　great　rise　in　the　price　of　both　hogs　and　poultry　has　in

Great　Britain　been　frequently　imputed　to　the　diminution　of　the

number　of　cottagers　and　other　small　occupiers　of　land；　an　event

which　has　in　every　part　of　Europe　been　the　immediate　forerunner

of　improvement　and　better　cultivation；　but　which　at　the　same　time

may　have　contributed　to　raise　the　price　of　those　articles　both

somewhat　sooner　and　somewhat　faster　than　it　would　otherwise　have

risen。　As　the　poorest　family　can　often　maintain　a　cat　or　a　dog

without　any　expense；　so　the　poorest　occupiers　of　land　can

commonly　maintain　a　few　poultry；　or　a　sow　and　a　few　pigs；　at　very

little。　The　little　offals　of　their　own　table；　th