THE LAND SYSTEM OF BELGIUM AND HOLLAND 451 



It has often been argued from the example of Ireland that the 

 subdivision of land must tend to produce an excessive increase 

 of the population. Arthur Young prophesied that the subdivision 

 of the soil would convert France into a rabbit-warren. 



Now the fact is that in no other country, not actually in a 

 state of decadency, is the increase of the population slower than 

 in France. The same may be said of Flanders, where the popu- 

 lation increases at a rate much inferior to that of the rest of the 

 kingdom ; viz. : 



Population in 



1S46 



Proportional 

 Increase 



Flanders, West 

 Flanders, East . 

 Entire kingdom 



643,004 I 659,938 



793,264 824,175 



4,337>!9 6 U'S^oS 1 



Per cent 

 2.6 



3-8 



Yet in Flanders the soil is greatly subdivided, as shown by figures 

 given above. 



To prove the superiority of large farming, Arthur Young made 

 the following calculation : 



To cultivate a district of 4000 hectares, divided into farms of 

 a single plough, 666 men and 1000 horses would be required ; 

 whereas in farms of three ploughs apiece the same district would 

 require only 545 men and 681 horses; being a saving of 121 

 men and 319 horses, capable of other useful employment in the 

 production of manufactured articles. Therefore the district with 

 large farms will be better provided for than the one with small 

 holdings, and consequently large farming is preferable to small 

 farming. 



Young's calculation is perfectly correct so far as it goes ; never- 

 theless only one thing is necessary to overthrow his conclusion 

 namely, that the smaller farms should yield more produce, and 

 more valuable produce, than the large ones ; and this is precisely 

 the case all over the continent of Europe, without a single ex- 

 ception that I know of, wherever la petite and la grande pro- 

 priete are seen in competition. "At the present day," says 



