132 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



fully brought out, and can be made much more productive. Its pro- 

 ductive capabilities are as yet lying dormant under our feet, while we 

 go about scratching it on the surface, supposing that all its fertility lies 

 there. We are now, however, beginning to know a little more of the 

 constitution of the soil than we did, or than our fathers knew, and we 

 also begin to understand how our land can be made more fertile ; and if 

 we in one generation have made some advance on the knowledge which 

 our forefathers brought to bear on the land, what is to be expected in 

 future generations ? Our forefathers, with their knowledge and system 

 of agriculture, made out to pay their rents, and in their day entertained 

 the opinion that the land was high enough rented. We in our day, 

 with our better system of agriculture, pay much higher rents than they 

 did, and we admit that even still higher rents may be paid under a 

 further improved system. We think and act in regard to land according 

 to the condition in which we find it, and improve it according to the 

 best of our knowledge, giving higher and higher rents for it. The next 

 generation will also deal with it as they find it, and will make improve- 

 ments on our modes, and from these be able to raise more produce to 

 pay higher rents in proportion ; and so on, one generation improving 

 upon the modes of the other, till without doubt, some time hence, one 

 acre will produce more crop than we can make two or even three pro- 

 duce now. Then, I have no doubt, much of our hill-lands, which are at 

 present comparatively of little value, will be so dealt with as to produce 

 more valuable crops than our best low-lying and cultivated lands yield 

 at present. This to many may seem Utopian ; but for my own part I have 

 great confidence in what can be achieved by the intellect of man, with 

 science and wealth at command. What seemed impossible less than a 

 hundred years ago, is now performed every day, and thought nothing 

 of ; and what now seems impossible to many, will be found a thing of 

 common occurrence less than a hundred years hence. 



