Consumption of Corn in Great Britain, Sec. 311 



CHAPTER Vir. 



Increased Capitals may be ew ployed in Agriculture ; Vegetable Diet ; Fisheries ; 



Beverage from Fruit. 



If trade, manufactures, and commerce had met widi no greater encouragement 

 and been supported by no greater attention and capital, than practical agriculture, 

 this country would never have attained its present height of commercial prosperity; 

 and perhaps it is in some degree to be lamented that these, from affording a greater 

 prospect of gain, have been supported, and flourished at the expence of that atten- 

 tion and capital which oughr, in part, to have been applied to agriculture : at pre- 

 sent it is very certain there is not sufficient capital employed in the latter, and that 

 it will be found necessary to extend and increase that capital, in order to produce 

 subsistence for an increased population. 



At present, too, the preference so generally given by men of property and capital 

 to grass land, to the neglect of corn culture, and the leaving of the latter generally 

 in the hands of people of the smallest capital, and who have the least means of im- 

 provement, is one cause of an occasional scarciiy of corn, 



Mr. Mahhus says, " if a populous country direct its industry and capital to agri- 

 culture, it may have a surplus of corn, but not otherwise;" and again, " if every 

 inch of land in this country were well cultivated, there would be no reason to ex- 

 pect, merely on that account, that we should have a surplus of corn ; that would 

 depend entirely on the commercial population, and on the direction of capital to 

 agriculture, or to commerce." 



As the great and leadmg feature of improvement upon an estate, such as drain- 

 ing, watermg, 6cc, can be often much better done upon a general system, and with- 

 out regarding particular occupations; these should bt; set on foot by the landlord, 

 who might charge interest for his expenditure, in proportion to the benefit each one 

 received. The bringing up a main drain from the lowest level, and complete drainage 

 into it ; the colltcling wateis at the head of a stream in any particular estate fpr 

 irrigation; and drawing floating water courses along the highest practicable level, 

 are of this nature. If gentlenien of large landed property would employ proper 

 persons and take necessary measures for the general iniproveinent of their estates, it 



