one half of all the grain consumed, especially as there is a good
quantity of rye made use of, which is worth more than the barley,
though less than the wheat; let us suppose the grain worth 32s.
per quarter, at a medium; then ten millions sterling will
purchase six millions of quarters of grain, or thereabouts;
which, used for nourishment, in bread and beer, gives the mean
quantity of one quarter, or 512 pounds troy of grain for every
inhabitant, including the nourishment of his proportional part of
animals; supposing that Sir William attended to this
circumstance, for it is not mentioned by Chambers. And I must
observe, by-the-bye, that this computation may hold good as to
England, where people eat so little bread; but would not answer
in France, nor in almost any other country I have seen.
Dr Davenant, correcting Sir William's calculation, makes the
inhabitants 5,545,000. These, according to Sir William's prices
and proportions, would consume to the amount of 8,872,000l.
sterling. but the Dr carries it, with reason, a little higher,
and states it at 9,075,000l. sterling; the difference, however,
is inconsiderable. From this he concludes the gross produce of
the corn-fields to be about 9,075,000l. sterling. I make no
criticism upon this computation.
Next, as to the value of other lands; I find Sir William
reckons the gross produce of them in butter, cheese, milk, wool,
horses yearly bred, flesh for food, tallow, hides, hay, and
timber, to amount to 12,000,000l. sterling: The amount therefore
of the gross produce of all the lands in England must be equal to
these two sums added together, that is, to 21,075,000l. sterling.
From these data, the Dr values the yearly rent of corn-lands
at two million sterling, and those of pasture, &c. at seven
millions; in all, nine millions.
From this it appears, that the land-rents of England are to
the gross produce, as nine is to twenty-one, or thereabouts.
Let me now examine some other proportions.
The rents of the corn-lands are to the gross produce of them,
as two is to nine; those of pasture, as seven to twelve.
Now it is very certain, that all rents are in a pretty just
proportion to the gross produce, after deducting three principal
articles.
First, The nourishment of the farmer, his family, and
servants.
Secondly, The necessary expences of his family, for
manufactures, and instruments for cultivating the ground.
Thirdly, His reasonable profits, according to the custom of
every country.
Of these three articles, let us distinguish what part implies
the direct consumption of the pure produce, from what does not.
Of the first sort are the nourishment of men and cattle, wool
and flax for clothing, firing, and other smaller articles.
Of the second are all manufactures bought, servants' wages,
the hire of labourers occasionally, and profits, either spent in
luxury, (that is, superfluity,) lent, or laid up.
The three articles above mentioned (which we have distributed
under two heads) being deducted from the gross produce, the
remaining value shews the land-rent.
This being the case, I am next to examine the cause of the
great disproportion between the rents of corn-lands, and those of
pasture, when compared with the gross produce, in order to draw
some conclusion, which may lead to the solution of the question
here proposed.
This difference must proceed from the greater proportion of
labouring and other inhabitants employed in consequence of