102 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



very different things. Kich is a relative term. A man 

 may be poor with a large property, and rich with a small 

 one. In the hands of one thousand proprietors, who 

 have only ten hectares each, and who lay out 1000 francs 

 per hectare, the land will be twice as productive as in 

 the hands of a man who himself possesses the whole ten 

 thousand hectares, and lays out only 500 francs. Some- 

 times it is the large property which is rich, sometimes 

 the small, sometimes the middle-sized ; all depends upon 

 circumstances. The best constitution of property is that 

 which attracts to the soil most capital, either owing to 

 the owners being richer relatively to the extent of the 

 land they possess, or because they are induced to lay 

 out upon it a larger proportion of their income. Now, 

 there is no doubt that, in the present state of things, 

 our French proprietors are not in general so rich as the 

 English proprietors, and are consequently less disposed 

 to make advances to the soil. It is our smallest pro- 

 prietors who are most liberal to their lands, and this is 

 one of the reasons why small properties are looked on 

 with such favour among us. 



In England, on the contrary, if it is not altogether the 

 very large proprietary, it is at least the best half of the 

 middle-sized, who can be, and in fact who are, the most 

 generous towards the soil. The best cultivated and most 

 productive lands are those whose owners enjoy about 

 1000 a-year of income. Among this class we find 

 both capital, too often wanting with the smaller pro- 

 prietors, and a taste for agricultural improvements, not 

 always to be found among the very large proprietors, 

 owing to their want of acquaintance with rural affairs. 



When this love of country pursuits is found in a large 

 proprietor, it is perfection. All England must remember 

 with gratitude the great services rendered to the cause 



