wealbk01-第67章

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another　portion　ploughed　up　to　be　in　the　same　manner　exhausted

and　rested　again　in　its　turn。　Such　accordingly　was　the　general

system　of　management　all　over　the　low　country　of　Scotland　before

the　union。　The　lands　which　were　kept　constantly　well　manured　and

in　good　condition　seldom　exceeded　a　third　or　a　fourth　part　of　the

whole　farm；　and　sometimes　did　not　amount　to　a　fifth　or　a　sixth

part　of　it。　The　rest　were　never　manured；　but　a　certain　portion　of

them　was　in　its　turn；　notwithstanding；　regularly　cultivated　and

exhausted。　Under　this　system　of　management；　it　is　evident；　even

that　part　of　the　land　of　Scotland　which　is　capable　of　good

cultivation　could　produce　but　little　in　comparison　of　what　it　may

be　capable　of　producing。　But　how　disadvantageous　soever　this

system　may　appear；　yet　before　the　union　the　low　price　of　cattle

seems　to　have　rendered　it　almost　unavoidable。　If；　notwithstanding

a　great　rise　in　their　price；　it　still　continues　to　prevail

through　a　considerable　part　of　the　country；　it　is　owing；　in　many

places；　no　doubt；　to　ignorance　and　attachment　to　old　customs；　but

in　most　places　to　the　unavoidable　obstructions　which　the　natural

course　of　things　opposes　to　the　immediate　or　speedy　establishment

of　a　better　system：　first；　to　the　poverty　of　the　tenants；　to

their　not　having　yet　had　time　to　acquire　a　stock　of　cattle

sufficient　to　cultivate　their　lands　more　completely；　the　same

rise　of　price　which　would　render　it　advantageous　for　them　to

maintain　a　greater　stock　rendering　it　more　difficult　for　them　to

acquire　it；　and；　secondly；　to　their　not　having　yet　had　time　to

put　their　lands　in　condition　to　maintain　this　greater　stock

properly；　supposing　they　were　capable　of　acquiring　it。　The

increase　of　stock　and　the　improvement　of　land　are　two　events

which　must　go　hand　in　hand；　and　of　which　the　one　can　nowhere　much

outrun　the　other。　Without　some　increase　of　stock　there　can　be

scarce　any　improvement　of　land；　but　there　can　be　no　considerable

increase　of　stock　but　in　consequence　of　a　considerable

improvement　of　land；　because　otherwise　the　land　could　not

maintain　it。　These　natural　obstructions　to　the　establishment　of　a

better　system　cannot　be　removed　but　by　a　long　course　of　frugality

and　industry；　and　half　a　century　or　a　century　more；　perhaps；　must

pass　away　before　the　old　system；　which　is　wearing　out　gradually；

can　be　completely　abolished　through　all　the　different　parts　of

the　country。　Of　all　the　commercial　advantages；　however；　which

Scotland　has　derived　from　the　union　with　England；　this　rise　in

the　price　of　cattle　is；　perhaps；　the　greatest。　It　has　not　only

raised　the　value　of　all　highland　estates；　but　it　has；　perhaps；

been　the　principal　cause　of　the　improvement　of　the　low　country。

　　　　　In　all　new　colonies　the　great　quantity　of　waste　land；　which

can　for　many　years　be　applied　to　no　other　purpose　but　the　feeding

of　cattle；　soon　renders　them　extremely　abundant；　and　in

everything　great　cheapness　is　the　necessary　consequence　of　great

abundance。　Though　all　the　cattle　of　the　European　colonies　in

America　were　originally　carried　from　Europe；　they　soon　multiplied

so　much　there；　and　became　of　so　little　value　that　even　horses

were　allowed　to　run　wild　in　the　woods　without　any　owner　thinking

it　worth　while　to　claim　them。　It　must　be　a　long　time；　after　the

first　establishment　of　such　colonies；　before　it　can　become

profitable　to　feed　cattle　upon　the　produce　of　cultivated　land。

The　same　causes；　therefore；　the　want　of　manure；　and　the

disproportion　between　the　stock　employed　in　cultivation；　and　the

land　which　it　is　destined　to　cultivate；　are　likely　to　introduce

there　a　system　of　husbandry　not　unlike　that　which　still　continues

to　take　place　in　so　many　parts　of　Scotland。　Mr。　Kalm；　the　Swedish

traveller；　when　he　gives　an　account　of　the　husbandry　of　some　of

the　English　colonies　in　North　America；　as　he　found　it　in　1749；

observes；　accordingly；　that　he　can　with　difficulty　discover　there

the　character　of　the　English　nation；　so　well　skilled　in　all　the

different　branches　of　agriculture。　They　make　scarce　any　manure

for　their　corn　fields；　he　says；　but　when　one　piece　of　ground　has

been　exhausted　by　continual　cropping；　they　clear　and　cultivate

another　piece　of　fresh　land；　and　when　that　is　exhausted；　proceed

to　the　third。　Their　cattle　are　allowed　to　wander　through　the

woods　and　other　uncultivated　grounds；　where　they　are

half…starved；　having　long　ago　extirpated　almost　all　the　annual

grasses　by　cropping　them　too　early　in　the　spring；　before　they　had

time　to　form　their　flowers；　or　to　shed　their　seeds。　The　annual

grasses　were；　it　seems；　the　best　natural　grasses　in　that　part　of

North　America；　and　when　the　Europeans　first　settled　there；　they

used　to　grow　very　thick；　and　to　rise　three　or　four　feet　high。　A

piece　of　ground　which；　when　he　wrote；　could　not　maintain　one　cow；

would　in　former　times；　he　was　assured；　have　maintained　four；　each

of　which　would　have　given　four　times　the　quantity　of　milk　which

that　one　was　capable　of　giving。　The　poorness　of　the　pasture　had；

in　his　opinion；　occasioned　the　degradation　of　their　cattle；　which

degenerated　sensibly　from　one　generation　to　another。　They　were

probably　not　unlike　that　stunted　breed　which　was　common　all　over

Scotland　thirty　or　forty　years　ago；　and　which　is　now　so　much

mended　through　the　greater　part　of　the　low　country；　not　so　much

by　a　change　of　the　breed；　though　that　expedient　has　been　employed

in　some　places；　as　by　a　more　plentiful　method　of　feeding　them。

　　　　　Though　it　is　late；　therefore；　in　the　progress　of　improvement

before　cattle　can　bring　such　a　price　as　to　render　it　profitable

to　cultivate　land　for　the　sake　of　feeding　them；　yet　of　all　the

different　parts　which　compose　this　second　sort　of　rude　produce；

they　are　perhaps　the　first　which　bring　this　price；　because　till

they　bring　it；　it　seems　impossible　that　improvement　can　be

brought　near　even　to　that　degree　of　perfection　to　which　it　has

arrived　in　many　parts　of　Europe。

　　　　　As　cattle　are　among　the　first；　so　perhaps　venison　is　among

the　last　parts　of　this　sort　of　rude　produce　which　bring　this

price。　The　price　of　venison　in　Great　Britain；　how　extravagant

soever　it　may　appear；　is　not　near　sufficient　to　compensate　the

expense　of　a　deer　park；　as　is　well　known　to　all　those　who　have

had　any　experience　in　the　feeding　of　deer。　If　it　was　otherwise；

the　feeding　of　deer　would　soon　become　an　article　of　common

farming；　in　the　same　manner　as　the　feeding　of　those　small　birds

called　Turdi　was　among　the　ancient　Romans。　Varro　and　Columella

assure　us　that　it　was　a　most　profitable　article。　The　fattening　of

ortolans；　birds　of　passage　which　arrive　lean　in　the　country；　is

said　to　be　so　in　some　parts　of　France。　If　venison　continues　in

fashion；　and　the　wealth　and　luxury　of　Great　Britain　increase　as

they　have　done　for　some　time　past；　its　price　may　very　probably

rise　still　higher　than　it　is　at　present。

　　　　　Between　that　period　in　the　progress　of　improvement　which

brings　to　its　height　the　price　of　so　necessary　an　article　as

cattle；　and　that　which　brings　to　it　the　price　of　such　a

superfluity　as　venison；　there　is　a　very　long　interval；　in　the

course　of　which　many　other　sorts　of　rude　produce　gradually　arrive

at　their　highest　price；　some　sooner　and　some　later；　according　to

different　circumstances。

　　　　　Thus　in　every　farm　the　offals　of　the　barn　and　stables　will

maintain　a　certain　number　of　poultry。　These；　as　they　are　fed　with

what　would　otherwise　be　lost；　are　a　mere　save…all；　and　as　they

cost　the　farmer　scarce　anything；　so　he　can　afford　to　sell　them

for　very　little。　Almost　all　that　he　gets　is　pure　gain；　and　their

price　can　scarce　be　so　low　as　to　discourage　him　from　feeding　this

number。　But　in　countries　ill　cultivated；　and　therefore　but　thinly

inhabited；　the　poultry；　which　are　thus　raised　without　expense；

are　often　fully　sufficient　to　supply　the　whole　demand。　In　this

state　of　things；　therefore；　they　are　often　as　cheap　as　butcher's

meat；　or　any　other　sort　of