APPENDIX. 445 



a country may contain. On the contrary, it is niore fre- 

 quently found in countries which are very thinly peopled, 

 than in those which are populous. 



The bent of my argument on the subject of population 

 may be illustrated by the instance of a pasture farm. If a 

 young grazier were told to stock his laud well, as on his 

 stock would depend his profits and the ultimate success of 

 his undertaking, he would certainly have been told nothing 

 but what vvas strictly true : and he would have to accuse 

 himself, not his advisers, if, in pursuance of these instruc- 

 tions, he were to push the breeding of his cattle till they 

 became lean and half-starved. His instructor, when he 

 talked of the advantages of a large stock, meant undoubt- 

 edly stock in proper condition, and not such a stock as, 

 though it might be numerically greater, was in value much 

 less. The expression of stocking a farm well does not refer 

 to particular numbers, but merely to that proportion which 

 is best adapted to the farm, whether it be a poor or a rich 

 one, whether it will carry fifty head of cattle or five hundred. 

 It is undoubtedly extremely desirable that it should carry 

 the greater number, and every effort should be made to 

 effect this object : but surely that farmer could not be con- 

 sidered as an enemy to a large quantity of stock, who should 

 insist upon the folly and impropriety of attempting to breed 

 such a quantity, before the land was put into a condition to 

 bear it. 



The arguments which I have used respecting the increase 

 of population are exactly of the same nature as these just 

 mentioned. 1 believe that it is the intention of the Creator 

 that the earth should be replenished ;* but certainly with a 

 healthy, virtuous and happy population, not an unhealthy, 

 vicious and miserable one. And if, in endeavouring to obey 

 the command to increase and multiply, we people it only 

 with beings of this latter description and suffer accordingly, 

 we have no right to impeach the justice of the command, 

 but our irrational mode of executing it. 



In the desirableness of a great and efficient population, I 

 do not differ from the warmest advocates of increase. I am 

 perfectly ready to acknowledge with the writers of old that 

 it is not extent of territory, but extent of population that 



• This opinion I have expressed, page 491 of the 4to. edit, and p. 266, vol. 

 ii. of this edit, (the 6th). 



