Too much Land under the Plough. 49 



This however, in my humble opinion, should 

 always have reference to climate, and be regu- 

 lated by the annual quantity of rain received 

 on the hills. The present season is so pecu- 

 liarly favourable, that no correct judgment can 

 be formed of the crops in other years. Moun- 

 tainous countries, it should seem, are more 

 adapted to pasture than the plough, from the 

 prevailing humidity; rain being a source of 

 riches to the former, which, in superabundance* 

 has the reverse effect on productions from lands 

 under aration. 



* 



The high price of grain has tempted farmers 

 to bring too great a proportion of their lands 

 under the plough : the evil will cure itself; for 

 if, on the return of peace, the legislature should 

 not interdict the importation of foreign corn, 

 the agriculture of the empire will decline more 

 rapidly than it has advanced. The manufac- 

 turing classes, as on former occasions, will 

 strenuously oppose any measure which may 

 have for its object the encouragement of agri- 

 culture, at the expense of what is considered 

 by them as their interest. 



I do not mean to contend that the landed 

 proprietors are more exempt from a bias of this 

 description than commercial persons; because 



VOL. I. E 



