72 Rents > Wages, and Profits in Agriculture 



tion : the population practically doubled. 

 At the same time, on the whole, the country, 

 as regards food supplies, was self-supporting. 

 It was only in years of exceptional scarcity 

 that the importation was considerable. In 

 the first thirty years of the century probably 

 not 5 per cent, of the people were fed on 

 foreign corn; from 1831 to 1840 the pro- 

 portion was at the outside 7 per cent., and 

 even in the five years preceding the repeal 

 of the Corn Laws it did not exceed 12 per 

 cent. On these figures Porter makes the 

 following comment : " The foregoing cal- 

 culations show in how small a degree this 

 country has hitherto been dependent upon 

 foreigners in ordinary seasons for a due 

 supply of our staple article of food. It is 

 not, however," he continues, " with this view 

 that these calculations are brought forward, 

 but rather to prove how exceedingly great 

 the increase of agricultural production must 



