wealbk01-第68章

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

meat；　or　any　other　sort　of　animal　food。　But　the　whole　quantity　of

poultry；　which　the　farm　in　this　manner　produces　without　expense；

must　always　be　much　smaller　than　the　whole　quantity　of　butcher's

meat　which　is　reared　upon　it；　and　in　times　of　wealth　and　luxury

what　is　rare；　with　only　nearly　equal　merit；　is　always　preferred

to　what　is　common。　As　wealth　and　luxury　increase；　therefore；　in

consequence　of　improvement　and　cultivation；　the　price　of　poultry

gradually　rises　above　that　of　butcher's　meat；　till　at　last　it

gets　so　high　that　it　becomes　profitable　to　cultivate　land　for　the

sake　of　feeding　them。　When　it　has　got　to　this　height　it　cannot

well　go　higher。　If　it　did；　more　land　would　soon　be　turned　to　this

purpose。　In　several　provinces　of　France；　the　feeding　of　poultry

is　considered　as　a　very　important　article　in　rural　economy；　and

sufficiently　profitable　to　encourage　the　farmer　to　raise　a

considerable　quantity　of　Indian　corn　and　buck…wheat　for　this

purpose。　A　middling　farmer　will　there　sometimes　have　four　hundred

fowls　in　his　yard。　The　feeding　of　poultry　seems　scarce　yet　to　be

generally　considered　as　a　matter　of　so　much　importance　in

England。　They　are　certainly；　however；　dearer　in　England　than　in

France；　as　England　receives　considerable　supplies　from　France。　In

the　progress　of　improvement；　the　period　at　which　every　particular

sort　of　animal　food　is　dearest　must　naturally　be　that　which

immediately　precedes　the　general　practice　of　cultivating　land　for

the　sake　of　raising　it。　For　some　time　before　this　practice

becomes　general；　the　scarcity　must　necessarily　raise　the　price。

After　it　has　become　general；　new　methods　of　feeding　are　commonly

fallen　upon；　which　enable　the　farmer　to　raise　upon　the　same

quantity　of　ground　a　much　greater　quantity　of　that　particular

sort　of　animal　food。　The　plenty　not　only　obliges　him　to　sell

cheaper；　but　in　consequence　of　these　improvements　he　can　afford

to　sell　cheaper；　for　if　he　could　not　afford　it；　the　plenty　would

not　be　of　long　continuance。　It　has　been　probably　in　this　manner

that　the　introduction　of　clover；　turnips；　carrots；　cabbage；　etc。；

has　contributed　to　sink　the　common　price　of　butcher's　meat　in　the

London　market　somewhat　below　what　it　was　about　the　beginning　of

the　last　century。

　　　　　The　hog；　that　finds　his　food　among　ordure　and　greedily

devours　many　things　rejected　by　every　other　useful　animal；　is；

like　poultry；　originally　kept　as　a　save…all。　As　long　as　the

number　of　such　animals；　which　can　thus　be　reared　at　little　or　no

expense；　is　fully　sufficient　to　supply　the　demand；　this　sort　of

butcher's　meat　comes　to　market　at　a　much　lower　price　than　any

other。　But　when　the　demand　rises　beyond　what　this　quantity　can

supply；　when　it　becomes　necessary　to　raise　food　on　purpose　for

feeding　and　fattening　hogs；　in　the　same　manner　as　for　feeding　and

fattening　other　cattle；　the　price　necessarily　rises；　and　becomes

proportionably　higher　or　lower　than　that　of　other　butcher's　meat；

according　as　the　nature　of　the　country；　and　the　state　of　its

agriculture；　happen　to　render　the　feeding　of　hogs　more　or　less

expensive　than　that　of　other　cattle。　In　France；　according　to　Mr。

Buffon；　the　price　of　pork　is　nearly　equal　to　that　of　beef。　In

most　parts　of　Great　Britain　it　is　at　present　somewhat　higher。

　　　　　The　great　rise　in　the　price　of　both　hogs　and　poultry　has　in

Great　Britain　been　frequently　imputed　to　the　diminution　of　the

number　of　cottagers　and　other　small　occupiers　of　land；　an　event

which　has　in　every　part　of　Europe　been　the　immediate　forerunner

of　improvement　and　better　cultivation；　but　which　at　the　same　time

may　have　contributed　to　raise　the　price　of　those　articles　both

somewhat　sooner　and　somewhat　faster　than　it　would　otherwise　have

risen。　As　the　poorest　family　can　often　maintain　a　cat　or　a　dog

without　any　expense；　so　the　poorest　occupiers　of　land　can

commonly　maintain　a　few　poultry；　or　a　sow　and　a　few　pigs；　at　very

little。　The　little　offals　of　their　own　table；　their　whey；　skimmed

milk；　and　buttermilk；　supply　those　animals　with　a　part　of　their

food；　and　they　find　the　rest　in　the　neighbouring　fields　without

doing　any　sensible　damage　to　anybody。　By　diminishing　the　number

of　those　small　occupiers；　therefore；　the　quantity　of　this　sort　of

provisions；　which　is　thus　produced　at　little　or　no　expense；　must

certainly　have　been　a　good　deal　diminished；　and　their　price　must

consequently　have　been　raised　both　sooner　and　faster　than　it

would　otherwise　have　risen。　Sooner　or　later；　however；　in　the

progress　of　improvement；　it　must　at　any　rate　have　risen　to　the

utmost　height　to　which　it　is　capable　of　rising；　or　to　the　price

which　pays　the　labour　and　expense　of　cultivating　the　land　which

furnishes　them　with　food　as　well　as　these　are　paid　upon　the

greater　part　of　other　cultivated　land。

　　　　　The　business　of　the　dairy；　like　the　feeding　of　hogs　and

poultry；　is　originally　carried　on　as　a　save…all。　The　cattle

necessarily　kept　upon　the　farm　produce　more　milk　than　either　the

rearing　of　their　own　young　or　the　consumption　of　the　farmer's

family　requires；　and　they　produce　most　at　one　particular　season。

But　of　all　the　productions　of　land；　milk　is　perhaps　the　most

perishable。　In　the　warm　season；　when　it　is　most　abundant；　it　will

scarce　keep　four…and…twenty　hours。　The　farmer；　by　making　it　into

fresh　butter；　stores　a　small　part　of　it　for　a　week：　by　making　it

into　salt　butter；　for　a　year：　and　by　making　it　into　cheese；　he

stores　a　much　greater　part　of　it　for　several　years。　Part　of　all

these　is　reserved　for　the　use　of　his　own　family。　The　rest　goes　to

market；　in　order　to　find　the　best　price　which　is　to　be　had；　and

which　can　scarce　be　so　low　as　to　discourage　him　from　sending

thither　whatever　is　over　and　above　the　use　of　his　own　family。　If

it　is　very　low；　indeed；　he　will　be　likely　to　manage　his　dairy　in

a　very　slovenly　and　dirty　manner；　and　will　scarce　perhaps　think

it　worth　while　to　have　a　particular　room　or　building　on　purpose

for　it；　but　will　suffer　the　business　to　be　carried　on　amidst　the

smoke；　filth；　and　nastiness　of　his　own　kitchen；　as　was　the　case

of　almost　all　the　farmers'　dairies　in　Scotland　thirty　or　forty

years　ago；　and　as　is　the　case　of　many　of　them　still。　The　same

causes　which　gradually　raise　the　price　of　butcher's　meat；　the

increase　of　the　demand；　and；　in　consequence　of　the　improvement　of

the　country；　the　diminution　of　the　quantity　which　can　be　fed　at

little　or　no　expense；　raise；　in　the　same　manner；　that　of　the

produce　of　the　dairy；　of　which　the　price　naturally　connects　with

that　of　butcher's　meat；　or　with　the　expense　of　feeding　cattle。

The　increase　of　price　pays　for　more　labour；　care；　and

cleanliness。　The　dairy　becomes　more　worthy　of　the　farmer's

attention；　and　the　quality　of　its　produce　gradually　improves。　The

price　at　last　gets　so　high　that　it　becomes　worth　while　to　employ

some　of　the　most　fertile　and　best　cultivated　lands　in　feeding

cattle　merely　for　the　purpose　of　the　dairy；　and　when　it　has　got

to　this　height；　it　cannot　well　go　higher。　If　it　did；　more　land

would　soon　be　turned　to　this　purpose。　It　seems　to　have　got　to

this　height　through　the　greater　part　of　England；　where　much　good

land　is　commonly　employed　in　this　manner。　If　you　except　the

neighbourhood　of　a　few　considerable　towns；　it　seems　not　yet　to

have　got　to　this　height　anywhere　in　Scotland；　where　common

farmers　seldom　employ　much　good　land　in　raising　food　for　cattle

merely　for　the　purpose　of　the　dairy。　The　price　of　the　produce；

though　it　has　risen　very　considerably　within　these　few　years；　is

probably　still　too　low　to　admit　of　it。　The　inferiority　of　the

quality；　indeed；　compared　with　that　of　the　produce　of　English

dairies；　is　fully　equal　to　that　of　the　price。　But　this

inferiority　of　quality　is；　perhaps；　rather　the　effect　of　this

lowness　of　price　than　the　cause　of　it。　Though　the　quality　was

much　better；　the　greater　part　of　what　is　brought　to　market　could

not；