[ 886 ] 
fumption at home, and confequently about the fame 
number of people, unlefs there is a much greater 
quantity of land improved. But it feems evident, 
that if we were in an increafing ftate, our late im- 
provements of land could not caufe fuch a furplus, 
over our home-confumption. For there is near abouc 
a fifth part, of our whole crop of wheat exported an- 
nually. A quantity that fhews we want people to 
confume our natural produce, and that our country 
is but thinly peopled. 
Now, to account for the caufe of the want of in- 
creafe in our Britifh Ifles, it feems to be chiefly ow- 
ing to three things, that operate together. The 
fafhionable humour that greatly prevails, by which 
above one-third of our people in England above 
twenty-one years of age are lingle, occafioned by a 
variety of circumfiances ; and to our wars and com- 
merce at Sea, which are rather beyond our natural 
ftrcngth, by deftroying more of our people than can 
well be fpared, and which, if preferved, might im- 
prove our country, and augment our power j and 
laftly, to the ufe of fpirituous liquors, by which 
numbers have been and are daily loft. But there 
may be eafy remedies for two of thofe evils, by a 
little attention of the.Legiflaturej which would greatly 
conduce to the public happinefs. 
And thus, Sir, I have wrote this third Letter to 
you, 'upon a very uncommon fubjed : but I hope 
the importance of it will plead my excufe. And if I 
have difcovered any thing that has not been known, 
and that may be ufeful in our fpeculations upon 
Government, 1 fhall think my time and pains have 
.5 not 
