THE WEALTH OF NATION’S.

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been principally employed in the production of grass, themore bulky commodity, and which cannot be so easilybrought from a great distance ; and corn, the food of the greatbody of the people, has been chielly imported from foreigncountries. Holland is at present in this situation, and a con-siderable part of ancient Italy seems to have been so duringthe prosperity of the Romans. To feed well, old Cato said,as we are told by Cicero, was the first and most profitablething in the management of a private estate ; to feed tolerablywell, the second; and to feed ill, the third. To plough, heranked only in the fourth place of profit and advantage. Til-lage, indeed, in that part of ancient Italy which lay in theneighbourhood of Rome , must have been very much discou-raged by the distributions of corn which were frequently madeto the people either gratuitously, or at a very low price. Thiscorn was brought from the conquered provinces, of whichseveral, instead of taxes, were obliged to furnish a tenth partof their produce at a stated price, about sixpence a peck, tothe republic. The low price at which this corn was distri-buted to the people must necessarily have sunk the price ofwhat could be brought to the Roman market from Latium , orthe ancient territory of Rome , and must have discouraged itscultivation in that country.

In an open country too, of which the principal produce iscorn, a well-enclosed piece of grass will frequently rent higherthan any corn-field in its neighbourhood. It is convenientfor the maintenance of the cattle employed in the cultivationof the corn, and its high rent is, in this case, not so properlypaid from the value of its own produce, as from that of thecorn lands which are cultivated by means of it. It is likelyto fall, if ever the neighbouring lands arc completely enclosed.The present high rent of enclosed land in Scotland seemsowing to the scarcity of enclosure, and will probably last nolonger than that scarcity. The advantage of enclosure isgreater for pasture than for corn. It saves the labour ofguarding the cattle, which feed better too when they are notliable to be disturbed by their keeper or his dog.

But where there is no local advantage of this kind, the rentand profit of corn, or whatever iclse is the common vegetablefood of the people, must naturally regulate, upon the landwhich is fit for producing it, the rent and profit of pasture.

The use of the artificial grasses, of turnips, carrots, cabbages,and the other expedients which have been fallen upon to make