310 
Of the Evolution of Rent, fyc. 
[Oct, 
To the further elucidation of the subject of rent, I will here bring to notice 
how very much nature and her ways have been overlooked in the theories of later 
writers ; and how sadly her influence, in her procreative and reproductive cha- 
racter, has been misunderstood. 
It has latterly been usual to suppose, that in agriculture, even in the most fa- 
vorable situations, the net produce can continually be reduced, till an increase of 
only 10 or 20 per cent, or whatever may be the ordinary rate of profits in trade, is 
obtained through the influence of the reproductive principle ; and consequently, it 
has been inferred that the last doses of capital applied to land, and the last tracts 
taken under the plough, give nothing in the shape of increase greater than 
serves to yield a return only equal to that obtained by other employers of pro- 
ductive capital. I have endeavoured throughout to shew, that this is a false 
assumption, and that the extension of employment to capital on the land, can 
only continue to be made, so long as increasing volumes of produce are given 
off in the shape of net gains for the use of those who are interested in fixing 
production at some particular point. Let us now take the matter a little more 
in detail, and see how a cultivator could be brought to commit the egregious 
folly, of which theorists confidently assume that he must be guilty. 
M. Humboldt, for instance, bears witness, that the reproductive powers of the 
Banana are such, that 50 perches of land yield, when planted with these trees, 
sufficient for the subsistence of fifty individuals ; and this in return for the invest- 
ment of capital amounting almost to an evanescent quantity ; for the fruitsgrow 
in this abundance almost spontaneously ; the sole labour requisite, being that of 
removing the old trees, after the fruit they have borne is ripe. With such repro- 
ductive power at command, can any circumstances be conceived possibly to exist, 
under which it could be to the advantage of the cultivator to sink so much 
capital in this employment, that the net proceeds should so sink, as to yidd 
only 10 or 20 per cent, on the capital employed? Suppose, the labour now 
requiied in removing the old trees to be equal to what one man can bestow; 
estimate this capital at £10 and in return for £10 sunk, there is £500 worth 
of net return; or a clear gain of 2500 per cent. (4900 per cent.) 
Again I have reason to believe, that in ordinary rice grounds in Bengal, which 
yield only one crop a year, the outlay on tenbiggalis of 1,600 square yards each, is 
in round numbers as follows : — 
£ ». d. 
5 maunds of 80 /fo.each, for seed, at 2 shillings per maund, 0 10 0 
5 ploughs hired for 12 days, at 5 pence per day, 0 19 0 
10 days labour of 10 men, at 2 pence per day, 1 ® ® 
10 days labour of 5 men for cutting the crop, 0 10 0 
10 days labour of 5 men for bringing home the crop, 0 10 0 
2 days labour of 5 men for thrashing and winnowing, 6 ^ 
♦Total outlay, £3 13 2 
The ordinary produce of this land is 100 maunds of grain in the husk, <> rof 
clean rice, ready for consumption, about 50 maunds; which sells in the market a 
2 shillings and 8 pence per maund. 
50 Maunds of rice, at 2 shillings and 8 pence per maund, 6 13 ^ 
15 Kohuns of straw, at4 shillings per kohun, 3 
♦Total produce, £9 
