38

REMARKS.

food for his fellow-creatures, lie is laying the foundation of healthand longevity to himself and his offspring. Innumerable benefitsare connected with the culture of grain. While the artificer is sit-ting in some awkward posture, breathing confined, and, perhaps,contaminated air, the cultivator of the soil rises with the sun, eatshis wholesome K^eal of milk and farinaceous food, hies him to thefield, where he spends the day in useful labour, inhales the freshbreezes, and at eve returns home with a keen appetite, to enjoyhis simple repast and sound repose.

It has been said, as artificers can earn more money than thosewho cultivate the ground, that arts ought to be encouraged, andgrain, if necessary, imported. No manufacture is equal to themanufacture of grain. It supplies food for man and beast, whilethe surplus, by being exported, enriches the nation. Nor is itsubject to the uncertainty of other manufactures. They often de-pend on fashion and caprice, but the necessaries of life will alwaysfind their value somewhere. Though I am convinced that someregulations are wanting for the encouragement of agriculture, I donot consider it as my province to dictate to the wisdom of the le-gislature. They know their duty, and I have reason to believe thatthey are inclined to pay it all due attention.

I will venture, however, to assert, that if proper encouragement ■were given to agriculture, Britain would at all times not only havea sufficiency of grain for her own consumption, but a surplus forexportation. This would contribute more to her real wealth, thehappiness of her people, and the stability of her government, thaneither the increase of her trade, the flourishing of lier manufac-tures, or the extension of her territory.

It is a matter of real regret and wonder that Britain, at a timewhen agriculture is cultivated as a science, should not be able toraise grain for the supply of her own inhabitants, but become everyyear more dependent on foreign states for even the necessaries oflife. Until an adequate remedy can be found for this growingevil, the free use of the various substitutes for bread, cannot fail toalleviate the calamities of the poor, and to reduce the price oflabour.

The great consumption of animal food, and the immense num-ber of horses kept in this country, are to be reckoned among thecauses of the scarcity of grain. Mr. Mackie computes the numberof horses in this country to be about two millions, and that everyhorse, on an average, consumes the produce of three fertile acres,consequently the produce of six millions of fertile acres is annuallyconsumed by horses. These would produce a quantity of grain morethan sufficient to maintain half the inhabitants of Great Britain.Two hundred and sixty thousand of these animals are kept forpleasure. I shall be told that they contribute to health. That Ideny. Did our ladies of fashion and fine gentlemen make use oftheir limbs, instead of being dragged about in carriages, theywould both benefit themselves and the public. I shall concludethese remarks with the advice of the humane and benevolent Thom»