IMPROVEMENTS IN BRITAIN. 73 



is true of 60,000,000. The amount of credit 

 to which the soil is entitled is almost in- 

 credible. There are very few farmers who 

 have not invested the greatest portion of 1 07. 

 per acre, before they got their farms into a 

 profitable state, while many have considerably 

 exceeded that sum. The practical question, 

 however, to which we must confine ourselves 

 at present, is the source from which this enor- 

 mous sum is to be obtained by landlords, or 

 rather the machinery with which they are to 

 create capital to this amount : unless this is 

 obtained, the scheme of spade husbandry falls 

 to the ground for want of the necessary means 

 to reduce it to general practice. 



Taking a limited view of the subject, no 

 doubt money must be had before a single spit 

 is turned over, and the whole sum of 

 600,000,0007. before the whole work is finished : 

 but taking a more comprehensive view of it, 

 not a single farthing more is required by land- 

 lords than they at present possess. All that is 

 necessary on their part is to turn the industry of 

 one and a half million of their subjects, at 

 present idle, or only nominally employed, into 

 this improveable field, which may return them 



