wealbk01-第47章

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wines　that　is　brought　to　market　falls　short　of　the　effectual

demand；　or　the　demand　of　those　who　would　be　willing　to　pay　the

whole　rent；　profit；　and　wages；　necessary　for　preparing　and

bringing　them　thither；　according　to　the　ordinary　rate；　or

according　to　the　rate　at　which　they　are　paid　in　common　vineyards。

The　whole　quantity；　therefore；　can　be　disposed　of　to　those　who

are　willing　to　pay　more；　which　necessarily　raises　the　price　above

that　of　common　wine。　The　difference　is　greater　or　less　according

as　the　fashionableness　and　scarcity　of　the　wine　render　the

competition　of　the　buyers　more　or　less　eager。　Whatever　it　be；　the

greater　part　of　it　goes　to　the　rent　of　the　landlord。　For　though

such　vineyards　are　in　general　more　carefully　cultivated　than　most

others；　the　high　price　of　the　wine　seems　to　be　not　so　much　the

effect　as　the　cause　of　this　careful　cultivation。　In　so　valuable　a

produce　the　loss　occasioned　by　negligence　is　so　great　as　to　force

even　the　most　careless　to　attention。　A　small　part　of　this　high

price；　therefore；　is　sufficient　to　pay　the　wages　of　the

extraordinary　labour　bestowed　upon　their　cultivation；　and　the

profits　of　the　extraordinary　stock　which　puts　that　labour　into

motion。

　　　　　The　sugar　colonies　possessed　by　the　European　nations　in　the

West　Indies　may　be　compared　to　those　precious　vineyards。　Their

whole　produce　falls　short　of　the　effectual　demand　of　Europe；　and

can　be　disposed　of　to　those　who　are　willing　to　give　more　than

what　is　sufficient　to　pay　the　whole　rent；　profit；　and　wages

necessary　for　preparing　and　bringing　it　to　market；　according　to

the　rate　at　which　they　are　commonly　paid　by　any　other　produce。　In

Cochin　China　the　finest　white　sugar　commonly　sells　for　three

piasters　the　quintal；　about　thirteen　shillings　and　sixpence　of

our　money；　as　we　are　told　by　Mr。　Poivre；　a　very　careful　observer

of　the　agriculture　of　that　country。　What　is　there　called　the

quintal　weighs　from　a　hundred　and　fifty　to　two　hundred　Paris

pounds；　or　a　hundred　and　seventy…five　Paris　pounds　at　a　medium；

which　reduces　the　price　of　the　hundred…weight　English　to　about

eight　shillings　sterling；　not　a　fourth　part　of　what　is　commonly

paid　for　the　brown　or　muskavada　sugars　imported　from　our

colonies；　and　not　a　sixth　part　of　what　is　paid　for　the　finest

white　sugar。　The　greater　part　of　the　cultivated　lands　in　Cochin

China　are　employed　in　producing　corn　and　rice；　the　food　of　the

great　body　of　the　people。　The　respective　prices　of　corn；　rice；

and　sugar；　are　there　probably　in　the　natural　proportion；　or　in

that　which　naturally　takes　place　in　the　different　crops　of　the

greater　part　of　cultivated　land；　and　which　recompenses　the

landlord　and　farmer；　as　nearly　as　can　be　computed　according　to

what　is　usually　the　original　expense　of　improvement　and　the

annual　expense　of　cultivation。　But　in　our　sugar　colonies　the

price　of　sugar　bears　no　such　proportion　to　that　of　the　produce　of

a　rice　or　corn　field　either　in　Europe　or　in　America。　It　is

commonly　said　that　a　sugar　planter　expects　that　the　rum　and

molasses　should　defray　the　whole　expense　of　his　cultivation；　and

that　his　sugar　should　be　all　clear　profit。　If　this　be　true；　for　I

pretend　not　to　affirm　it；　it　is　as　if　a　corn　farmer　expected　to

defray　the　expense　of　his　cultivation　with　the　chaff　and　the

straw；　and　that　the　grain　should　be　all　clear　profit。　We　see

frequently　societies　of　merchants　in　London　and　other　trading

town's　purchase　waste　lands　in　our　sugar　colonies；　which　they

expect　to　improve　and　cultivate　with　profit　by　means　of　factors

and　agents；　notwithstanding　the　great　distance　and　the　uncertain

returns　from　the　defective　administration　of　justice　in　those

countries。　Nobody　will　attempt　to　improve　and　cultivate　in　the

same　manner　the　most　fertile　lands　of　Scotland；　Ireland；　or　the

corn　provinces　of　North　America；　though　from　the　more　exact

administration　of　justice　in　these　countries　more　regular　returns

might　be　expected。

　　　　　In　Virginia　and　Maryland　the　cultivation　of　tobacco　is

preferred；　as　more　profitable；　to　that　of　corn。　Tobacco　might　be

cultivated　with　advantage　through　the　greater　part　of　Europe；　but

in　almost　every　part　of　Europe　it　has　become　a　principal　subject

of　taxation；　and　to　collect　a　tax　from　every　different　farm　in

the　country　where　this　plant　might　happen　to　be　cultivated　would

be　more　difficult；　it　has　been　supposed；　than　to　levy　one　upon

its　importation　at　the　custom…house。　The　cultivation　of　tobacco

has　upon　this　account　been　most　absurdly　prohibited　through　the

greater　part　of　Europe；　which　necessarily　gives　a　sort　of

monopoly　to　the　countries　where　it　is　allowed；　and　as　Virginia

and　Maryland　produce　the　greatest　quantity　of　it；　they　share

largely；　though　with　some　competitors；　in　the　advantage　of　this

monopoly。　The　cultivation　of　tobacco；　however；　seems　not　to　be　so

advantageous　as　that　of　sugar。　I　have　never　even　heard　of　any

tobacco　plantation　that　was　improved　and　cultivated　by　the

capital　of　merchants　who　resided　in　Great　Britain；　and　our

tobacco　colonies　send　us　home　no　such　wealthy　planters　as　we　see

frequently　arrive　from　our　sugar　islands。　Though　from　the

preference　given　in　those　colonies　to　the　cultivation　of　tobacco

above　that　of　corn；　it　would　appear　that　the　effectual　demand　of

Europe　for　tobacco　is　not　completely　supplied；　it　probably　is

more　nearly　so　than　that　for　sugar；　and　though　the　present　price

of　tobacco　is　probably　more　than　sufficient　to　pay　the　whole

rent；　wages；　and　profit　necessary　for　preparing　and　bring　it　to

market；　according　to　the　rate　at　which　they　are　commonly　paid　in

corn　land；　it　must　not　be　so　much　more　as　the　present　price　of

sugar。　Our　tobacco　planters；　accordingly；　have　shown　the　same

fear　of　the　superabundance　of　tobacco　which　the　proprietors　of

the　old　vineyards　in　France　have　of　the　superabundance　of　wine。

By　act　of　assembly　they　have　restrained　its　cultivation　to　six

thousand　plants；　supposed　to　yield　a　thousand　weight　of　tobacco；

for　every　negro　between　sixteen　and　sixty　years　of　age。　Such　a

negro；　over　and　above　this　quantity　of　tobacco；　can　manage；　they

reckon；　four　acres　of　Indian　corn。　To　prevent　the　market　from

being　overstocked；　too；　they　have　sometimes；　in　plentiful　years；

we　are　told　by　Dr。　Douglas　（I　suspect　he　has　been　ill　informed）；

burnt　a　certain　quantity　of　tobacco　for　every　negro；　in　the　same

manner　as　the　Dutch　are　said　to　do　of　spices。　If　such　violent

methods　are　necessary　to　keep　up　the　present　price　of　tobacco；

the　superior　advantage　of　its　culture　over　that　of　corn；　if　it

still　has　any；　will　not　probably　be　of　long　continuance。

　　　　　It　is　in　this　manner　that　the　rent　of　the　cultivated　land；

of　which　the　produce　is　human　food；　regulates　the　rent　of　the

greater　part　of　other　cultivated　land。　No　particular　produce　can

long　afford　less；　because　the　land　would　immediately　be　turned　to

another　use。　And　if　any　particular　produce　commonly　affords　more；

it　is　because　the　quantity　of　land　which　can　be　fitted　for　it　is

too　small　to　supply　the　effectual　demand。

　　　　　In　Europe；　corn　is　the　principal　produce　of　land　which

serves　immediately　for　human　food。　Except　in　particular

situations；　therefore；　the　rent　of　corn　land　regulates　in　Europe

that　of　all　other　cultivated　land。　Britain　need　envy　neither　the

vineyards　of　France　nor　the　olive　plantations　of　Italy。　Except　in

particular　situations；　the　value　of　these　is　regulated　by　that　of

corn；　in　which　the　fertility　of　Britain　is　not　much　inferior　to

that　of　either　of　those　two　countries。

　　　　　If　in　any　country　the　common　and　favourite　vegetable　food　of

the　people　should　be　drawn　from　a　plant　of　which　the　most　common

land；　with　the　same　or　nearly　the　same　culture；　produced　a　much

greater　quantity　than　the　most　fertile　does　of　corn；　the　rent　of

the　landlord；　or　the　surplus　quantity　of　food　which　would　remain

to　him；　after　paying　the　labour　and　replacing　the　stock　of　the

farmer；　together　with　its　ordinary　profits；　wo