CHAP.T.

14 AN INQUIRY INTO

tinues to be imprefled upon the bulk of mankind, from the

mean ftate in which our early farmers were placed.

By the encouragement of agriculture, we not only fecure plenty, and moderate prices at home, and raife a new trade and employment for frefh numbers of people, by the expor- tation of our excrefcent ftock; but we make ground, otherwife barren, to be fruitful; and the employment of one additional man, Or the improvement of one acre of ground at home, is certainly of more confequence to the community, than of an hundred fuch in a colony.

It is from plenty alone, that cheapnefs and equal prices can proceed, and this plenty can only be procured by raifing corn at home; for if we fhall depend upon foreign importa-

tion, the fupply and the prices muft both be precarious.

Ft is generally believed, that the number of inhabitants in sreat Britain is about eight millions; and we may fuppofe, that each perfon will confume rather more than à quarter of

wheat yearly; or of wheat and other grain to that value*.

* Maitland in his Survey of London, 2d edition, fol.#56, fays, that the bakers unanimoufly agreed, that, including puddings, pies, and other paftry ware, people in London over-head, confumed 10 ounces of flour each day, which requires 5 bufhels, 2 pecks of wheat for each, yearly.

Mr Hume in his Efay on Antient Nations, Edin. Edit. 1752, page 235, fays‘the ‘ portion of corn given every month, toevery man of full years in Rome, was& “modu.” This Mr Hume computed at 1 qr. 2 bufhels yearly; but according to Dr

Arbuthnot it amounted to à qr. 7 b. 1 p. yearly.

Effai fur les Monies, printed at Paris in 1746, p. 52, in the notes fays,©. lt is not À L L,ù 4<