AGRICULTURE AND WAR. 29 



taxation has been increased more than thirty-fold ; and foremost 

 among all those branches of business which constitute her 

 public resources, stands agriculture. It is true that during the 

 time referred to, Manchester and Leeds and Birmingham and 

 Sheffield have risen from insignificant towns, to their present 

 opulent condition as the head of the cotton and woollen and 

 hardware manufactures of the world ; and Liverpool, the com- 

 mercial emporium, has increased her population from four 

 thousand to three hundred thousand, and her tonnage from 

 fourteen hundred tons, (" less than the tonnage of a single 

 modern Indiaman,") to five hundred thousand tons. " England 

 is unquestionably the greatest commercial and manufacturing 

 power on the globe ; her navies ride in every sea, and the 

 evidences of her mechanical skill are scattered over every land ; 

 and yet it appears from the returns of her income tax, that the 

 net revenue of all her manufactures and commerce, and of all 

 her immense personal capital, does not exceed two-thirds of the 

 net income from the agricultural productions of that small 

 island," containing less than 123,000 square miles, and smaller 

 than several of tlie largest States of our confederation. It is 

 the agriculture of England which has more than all other 

 pursuits kept pace with her advancement, and has furnished 

 her an unfailing support in every crisis. In 1685, the arable 

 and pasture land amounted to no more than the half of the 

 kingdom. In the moors and forests and fens which occupied 

 the remainder, the deer and wolf and fox and badger held 

 undisputed sway, while the lakes and shores and marshes 

 furnished homes for immense numbers of eagles, bustards and 

 cranes. Since that time probably one-fourth part of England 

 has been turned from a wild into a garden ; the quantity of 

 wheat, rye, barley, oats and beans annually grown has increased 

 from ten millions of quarters to over thirty millions ; the wheat 

 crop alone has increased from sixteen millions of bushels to 

 ninety millions ; and the vast system of root culture, of which 

 it has been said that " the power of the British Empire rests on 

 her coal, her iron, and her turnips," — as well as her ;great 

 supplies of beef and mutton, can hardly be computed. With a 

 population of nearly 28,000,000 and an army consisting of 

 150,000 men, England has never lost sight of that great indus- 

 try, which has made her strong at home and abroad, and has, 



