154 Of Systems of Agriculture Bk. iii. 



Yet, even this limit is very far short of what the 

 earth is capable of producing, if all were em- 

 ployed upon it who were not employed in the pro- 

 duction of other necessaries ; that is, if soldiers, 

 sailors, menial servants, and all the artificers of 

 luxuries, were made to labour upon the land. 

 They would not, indeed, produce the support of a 

 family, and ultimately not even of themselves ; but, 

 till the earth absolutely refused to yield any more, 

 they would continue to add something to the com- 

 mon stock ; and, by increasing the means of sub- 

 sistence, would afford the means of supporting an 

 increasing population. The whole people of a coun- 

 try might thus be employed during their whole 

 time in the production of mere necessaries, and 

 no leisure be left for other pursuits of any kind. 

 But this state of things could only be effected by 

 the forced direction of the national industry into 

 one channel by public authority. Upon the prin- 

 cipal of private property, which it may be fairly 

 presumed will always prevail in society, it could 

 never happen. With a view to the individual in- 

 terest, either of a landlord or farmer, no labourer 

 can ever be employed on the soil, who does not 

 produce more than the value of his wages; and if 

 these wages be not on an average suificient to 

 maintain a wife, and rear two children to the age 

 of marriage, it is evident that both the population 

 and produce must come to a stand. Consequent- 

 ly, at the most extreme practical limit of popula- 

 tion, the state of the land must be such as to ena- 

 ble the last employed labourers to produce the 

 maintenance of as many, probably, as four persons. 



