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general head) : it will constitute the chief part of this discussion ;both because Agriculture is in itself the art of primary import-ance, and because it ought to hold the chief place in a work somaterially connected with agricultural inquiries. Sect. III. willmore slightly treat of the Industry employed in Mines and Fish-eries. Sect. IV. will take the same slight notice of Manufactur-ing and Commercial Industry. Sect. V. will treat of the Poor,or those who are incapable of exercising Industry—the only le-gitimate poor entitled to be supported by charity. Sect. VI. willtreat of the Population of Scotland in general.
Sect. I.
Or Industry in general, and the Classes into which it
MAY BE DIVIDED.
The materials of all human industry are drawn from the soil,the waters, or the bowels of the earth; by Agriculture, by Fish-ing, or by Mining. *
As those engaged in these professions furnish all the materialsupon which every other species of industry is employed, andalso the substance of every thing that is consumed, they may,therefore, in this sense, be considered as the only producers. Instrictness of speech, the power of man cannot produce a bladeof grass, an ear of corn, nor a single animal ; extending no far-ther than to the direction of the earth’s fertility to the produc-tion and nourishment of such plants and animals as best suit hisases. As little can he cause a fish to exist in the waters, or amineral to be formed within the earth’s bowels ; he can only ex-tract them from the regions where they have been generated,and place them under the command of human power, to be usedat pleasure. As the manufacturer, however, only effects a mo-dification upon the form of those subjects which are broughtwithin the power of man by agriculture, fishing, and mining,there seems ground for the distinction, of producing and manu-facturing industry. It is, nevertheless, by no means to be un-derstood, that manufacturing industry ought to be held as unpro-ductive, in the sense, at least, of its producing nothing of valueln exchange ; in which case, according to the proverbial modeef speech, the manufacturer could have nothing but his labour‘or his pains. For the adaptation of the subject, through his la-bour, f or jjjgj-g pleasurable or convenient human use, communi-oates to it such additional value, that he can exchange it againsta greater quantity of the same subject in its rude state, or a-gninst other kinds of manufacture for which he may find occasion.
IVere a division of industry, and of its subjects, to be affected, so pedan-’dally exact as to comprehend every thing, the air might also be taken in, asyielding materials of industry * and hunting and fowling might be enumeratedalon ? with fishing,
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