23S THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF

from which nothing can be inferred but the fertility of theAmerican mines. The real wealth of the country, the annualproduce of its land and labour, may, notwithstanding thiscircumstance, be either gradually declining, as in Portugal and Poland ; or gradually advancing, as in most other partsof Europe . But if this rise in the price of some sorts of pro-visions be owing to a rise in the real value of the land whichproduces them, to its increased fertility; or, in consequenceof more extended improvement and good cultivation, to itshaving been rendered fit for producing corn ; it is owing toa circumstance which indicates in the clearest manner'theprosperous and advancing state of the country. The laudconstitutes by far the greatest, the most important, and themost durable part of the wealth of every extensive country.It may surely be of some use, or, at least, it may give somesatisfaction to the public, to have so decisive a proof of theincreasing value of by far the greatest, the most important,and the most durable part of its wealth.

It may too be of some use to the public in regulating thepecuniary reward of some of its inferior servants. If this risein the price of some sorts of provisions be owing to a fall inthe value of silver, their pecuniary reward, provided it wasnot too large before, ought certainly to be augmented in pro-portion to the extent of this fall. If it is not augmented, theirreal recompense will evidently be so much diminished. Butif this rise of price is owing to the increased value, in con-sequence of the improved fertility of the land which producessuch provisions, it becomes a much nicer matter to judgeeither in what proportion any pecuniary reward ought to beaugmented, or whether it ought to be augmented at all. Theextension of improvement and cultivation, as it necessarilyraises more or less, in proportion to the price of corn, that ofevery sort of animal food, so it as necessarily lowers that of, Ibelieve, every sort of vegetable food. It raises the price ofanimal food; because a great part of the land which producesit, being rendered fit for producing corn, must afford to thelandlord and farmer the rent and profit of corn land. Itlowers the price of vegetable food; because, by increasingthe fertility of the land, it increases its abundance. The im-provements of agriculture too introduce many sorts of vege-table food, which, requiring less land and not more labourthan corn, come much cheaper to market. Such are potatoesand maize, or what is called Indian corn, the two most im-