2 36 LETTER IL

LETT. I. 2 confiderably quantity of grain, at one half or two thirds of Fe le price itcould be raifed at home, the agriculture of Bri- tain muft either be protected, by granting to the cultivators a monopoly of the home market, or if left free, agriculture would decline in the laft mentioned country. On the other hand, let us fuppofe that the foil and climate of Poland and Britain are equally good and fertile, and that two hundred years ago, the wealth, population, and induftry of the two countries were exa@tly fimilar, and that only one fourth of the lands in each country, being kept under the plough, was fuflicient to fup- port their refpective inhabitants. In this fitnation, both coun- tries would be upon a par for raifing corn, and a free inter- courfe in grain could not hurt the agriculture of either country. if, however, from the blefhing of a free government, or any

ther caufe, Great Britain fhould, inthe courfe of two or three hundred years, by extending every branch of national induitry, quadruple her population and wealth, fo as now to require feven-eighths of the land to be kept in conftant culti- vation, for fupplying food for the inhabitants; the improve- ment of the productive powers of agriculture, not depending entirely on capital and ingenuity, as in manufactures, but being in a great meafure influenced by the good or bad qua- lities of the foil and climate, no fkill or capital pofiefled by the cultivators could prevent the money price of corn in Bri- tain from rifing very confiderably above the money price of “corn in Poland: for two reafons,#r/, the fall in the value of money; and /écoxdly, the additional Hibour and expence that muit now be beftowed in raifing and bringing it to market, To prove the Jaft pofition, I muit revert to the œconomy af

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