74 Mr. Sutherland on the Unemployed Lands of Great Britain. 



ence, as is evinced by the annual importations of grain, and by crises 

 and depressions occurring almost periodically, consequent on bad 

 harvests. 



To show how much this branch of statistics has been neglected, 

 the evidence of certain Tithe Commissioners, printed last session, 

 represents about 8,000,000 acres of land in England and Wales as 

 lying in wastes and commons, — upwards of one-fifth of the country. 

 This is scarcely credible, and can only be reconciled with the gene- 

 rally received Tables by supposing that the partially improved, or 

 pasture land of the commons, has been included in details of culti- 

 vated area ; for example, the small town of Ledbury has about 7,000 

 acres enclosed, and about 14,000 in commons. 



M The better land is cultivated, the more people it maintains, and 

 the more people it maintains, the greater number will it employ, 

 therefore when people are idle, and lacking food, the severance and 

 enclosure of land is a public benefit." — Adam Smith, B. 1, ch. 2. 



The process of enclosing and improving has been going on actively 

 since 1760. 



During the seventy -two years prior to 1832, not less than 5,500,000 

 acres were enclosed in Great Britain, an extent equal to the whole 

 cultivated area of Scotland, while the produce of the land in the 

 same period has increased four or five-fold. 



The occupants of commons in England are not, as is generally 

 supposed, the community at large, but ascertained classes of persons, 

 as freemen, &c, who have sub-divided, and in general retained the 

 commons as heaths, without cultivation, to the detriment of the com- 

 munity. 



" The natural limit of population" has given rise to much useless 

 discussion. 



During the wars of William III. and Queen Anne, it was believed 

 that tillage had reached its terminus ; yet since that period our num- 

 bers have trebled, and in 1833-4 the home growth was adequate to 

 the maintenance of the population. 



The average density of population in Europe is about 79 persons 

 to each cultivated square mile. In populous countries the density is 

 much greater. Thus — 



France has 159 persons to the square mile. 



Saxony has 183 do. do. 



Holland has 217 do. do. 



Belgium has 322 do. do. 



Great Britain . . . has 189 do. do. 



Ireland has 269 do. do. 



Acres to each Person. 

 France, . . . 2\ \ Great Britain, . 2 | Ireland, ... If 



