244 General Obsei^vations. Bk. iii. 



Universally, when the population of a country 

 is for a longer or shorter time stationary, owing 

 to the low corn wages of labour, a case which is 

 not unfrequent, it is obvious that nothing but a 

 previous increase of food, or at least an increase 

 of the portion awarded to the labourer, can enable 

 the population again to proceed forwards. 



And, in the same manner, with a view to any 

 essential improvement in the condition of the la- 

 bourer, which is to give him a greater command 

 over the means of comfortable subsistence, it is 

 absolutely necessary that, setting out from the 

 lowest point, the increase of food must precede 

 and be greater than the increase of population. 



Strictly speaking then, as man cannot live with- 

 out food, there can be no doubt that in the order 

 of precedence food must take the lead ; although 

 when, from the state of cultivation and other 

 causes, the average quantity of food awarded to 

 the labourer is considerably more than sufficient 

 to maintain a stationary population, it is quite na- 

 tural that the diminution of this quantity, from the 

 tendency of population to increase, should be one 

 of the most powerful and constant stimulants to 

 agriculture. 



It is worthy also of remark that on this account 

 a stimulus to the increase of agriculture is much 

 more easy when, from the prevalence of prudential 

 restraint, or any other cause, the labourer is well 

 paid ; as in this case a rise in the price of corn, 

 occasioned either by the increase of population or 

 a foreign demand, will increase for a time the 



