Cli. xiv. General Observations. 247 



greatest, in countries which have not yet completed 

 the cultivation of all their territory. If every inch 

 of land in this country were well cultivated, there 

 would be no reason to expect, merely from this 

 circumstance, that we should be able to export 

 corn. Our power in this respect would depend 

 entirely on the proportion of the surplus produce 

 to the commercial population; and this of course 

 would in its turn depend on the direction of capital 

 to agriculture or commerce. 



It is not probable that any country with a large 

 territory should ever be completely cultivated : 

 and I am inclined to think that we often draw very- 

 inconsiderate conclusions against the industry and 

 government of states from the appearance of un- 

 cultivated lands in them. It seems to be the clear 

 and express duty of every government to remove 

 all obstacles and give every facility to the inclo- 

 sure and cultivation of land ; but when this has 

 been done, the rest must be left to the operation 

 of individual interest ; and upon this principle it 

 cannot be expected that any new land should be 

 brought into cultivation, tlie manure and the 

 labour necessary for which might be employed to 

 greater advantage on the improvement of land 

 already in cultivation ; and this is a case which 

 will very frequently occur. In countries possessed 

 of a large territory, there will always be a great 

 quantity of land of a middling quality, which re- 

 quires constant dressing to prevent it from grow- 

 ing worse, but which would admit of very great 

 improvement, if a greater quantity of manure and 



