VOL. XLIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS^. 623 



tity of wheat ; and there seems to be no way at present of knowing it, but by 

 considering what proportion it may have to the barley ; for the quantity of that 

 is nearly known from the malt-tax. Now, if we compare the quantity of the 

 wheat in England, it is evident, that there is at least as much ground sowed 

 with the one as with the other. For there are vast tracts of land that will not 

 bear good wheat, but are frequently sowed with barley; and even those lands 

 that will produce good wheat, they are often alternately sowed with it : the land 

 that is rich and well manured, after one crop of wheat it is usual to sow it with 

 barley. And if this be admitted that the quantity of land sowed with the one 

 is equal to that sowed with the other, there must then be a much greater quan- 

 tity of barley; because the same number of acres will produce much more of it, 

 and generally in a greater proportion than 3 to 2. 



If then we assume that the barley used in malt is to the wheat used in food 

 at home, as 3 to 2, we shall then be able to compute the quantity of each of 

 them in this manner: the malt- tax from the year J 747 to the year 1753 inclu- 

 sive, amounted to the sum of 4,254,8131. of which the 7 th part, the tax for one 

 year, is607830l. and as the tax is 4 shillings on every quarter of barley, it 

 follows that there are 303gi30 quarters of barley consumed yearly in malt; 

 and therefore there must be 2026100 quarters of wheat consumed at home. 

 Now, as it is known, that labouring healthy people at an average consume 

 about one quarter of wheat in the year, which is about 5 12 lb. of flour, or lib. 

 6oz. in a day, we may allow that healthy and unhealthy, grown people and 

 children, do not consume the half of that quantity, one with another. And 

 therefore, that we may make the consumption of each person at an average as 

 small as can reasonably be imagined, we will suppose that 3 people, children in- 

 cluded, do not consume more than one hearty labouring person, that is one 

 quarter in the year, or each person about 7 oz. in a day ; and by this supposition 

 the above number of quarters of wheat 2026 100, consumed at home, will be 

 sufficient for 6078300, or six millions of people. And this quantity of a quarter 

 to 3 persons, though it appears too little, may be admitted, as in some of the 

 northern countries they use some oat-bread and rye-bread; and every healthy 

 person may, one with another, be allowed to consume this quantity at least. 

 From this calculation it seems that there cannot be above 6 millions of people in 

 England. And as, from the other method of computing from houses, we found 

 the number to be about 6,257400, from which at least 200,000 is to be taken 

 for those lost in the wars since 1710, or near that time; it appears that both 

 these calculations confirm each other, and that the number of people may be 

 considered at about 6 millions, or rather less. In which, according to Dr. 

 Halley's nile, there will be about 1 5 hundred thousand men able to carry arms. 



Dr. Derham, from the computations of Mr. King, supposes there is about 5+ 



