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nation; but with an equal or even with a much larger territory;



with an equal or a much larger population; it will perhaps scarcely



obtain a fifth; probably scarcely a tenth; part of that material



wealth which a perfect nation is able to procure; and this for the



same reason owing to which in a very complicated manufactory ten



persons produce not merely ten times more; but perhaps thirty times



more; than one person; or a man with one arm cannot merely work



half as little; but infinitely less; than a man with two arms。 This



loss in productive power will be so much greater; the more that the



manufacturing operations can be furthered by machinery; and the



less that machinery can be applied in agriculture。 A part of the



productive power which the agricultural nation thus loses; will



fall to the lot of that nation which exchanges its manufactured



goods for agricultural products。 This will; however; be a positive



loss only in case the agricultural nation has already reached that



stage of civilisation and political development which is necessary



for the establishment of a manufacturing power。 If it has not yet



attained that stage; and still remains in a barbarous or



half…civilised state; if its agricultural power of production has



not yet developed itself even from the most primitive condition; if



by the importation of foreign fabrics and the exportation of raw



products its prosperity nevertheless increases considerably from



year to year; and its mental and social powers continue to be



awakened and increased; if such commerce as it can thus carry on is



not interrupted by foreign prohibition of importation of raw



products; or by wars; or if the territory of the agricultural



nation is situated in a tropical climate; the gain on both sides



will then be equal and in conformity with the laws of nature;



because under the influence of such an exchange of the native



products for foreign fabrics; a nation so situated will attain to



civilisation and development of its productive powers more quickly



and safely than when it has to develop them entirely out of its



resources。 If; however; the agricultural nation has already reached



the culminating point of its agricultural development; as far as



that can be attained by the influence of foreign commerce; or if



the manufacturing nation refuses to take the products of the



agricultural nation in exchange for its manufactured goods; and if



nevertheless; owing to the successful competition of the



manufacturing nation in the markets of the agricultural nation; no



manufactures can spring up in the latter; in such a case the



agricultural productive power of the agricultural nation is exposed



to the danger of being crippled。



    By a crippled state of agriculture we mean that state of things



in which; from want of a powerful and steadily developing



manufacturing industry; the entire increase of population tends to



throw itself on agriculture for employment; consumes all the



surplus agricultural production of the country; and as soon as it



has considerably increased either has to emigrate or share with the



agriculturists already in existence the land immediately at hand;



till the landed property of every family has become so small that



it produces only the most elementary and necessary portion of that



family's requirements of food and raw materials; but no



considerable surplus which it might exchange with the manufacturers



for the manufactured products which it requires。 Under a normal



development of the productive powers of the State; the greater part



of the increase of population of an agricultural nation (as soon as



it has attained a certain degree of culture) should transfer itself



to manufacturing industry; and the excess of the agricultural



products should partly serve for supplying the manufacturing



population with provisions and raw materials; and partly for



procuring for the agriculturists the manufactured goods; machines;



and utensils which they require for their consumption; and for the



increase of their own production。



    If this state of things sets in at the proper time;



agricultural and industrial productive power will increase



reciprocally; and indeed ad infinitum。 The demand for agricultural



products on the part of the industrial population will be so great;



that no greater number of labourers will be diverted to



agriculture; nor any greater division of the existing land be made;



than is necessary to obtain the greatest possible surplus produce



from it。 In proportion to this surplus produce the population



occupied in agriculture will be enabled to consume the products of



the workmen employed in manufacturing。 A continuous increase of the



agricultural surplus produce will occasion a continuous increase of



the demand for manufacturing workmen。 The excess of the



agricultural population will therefore continually find work in the



manufactories; and the manufacturing population will at length not



only equal the agricultural population in numbers; but will far



exceed it。 This latter is the condition of England; that which we



formerly described is that of part of France and Germany。 England



was principally brought to this natural division of industrial



pursuits between the two great branches of industry; by means of



her flocks of sheep and woollen manufactures; which existed there



on a large scale much sooner than in other countries。 In other



countries agriculture was crippled mainly by the influence of



feudalism and arbitrary power。 The possession of land gave



influence and power; merely because by it a certain number of



retainers could be maintained which the feudal proprietor could



make use of in his feuds。 The more vassals he possessed; so many



more warriors he could muster。 It was besides impossible; owing to



the rudeness of those times; for the landed proprietor to consume



his income in any other manner than by keeping a large number of



servants; and he could not pay these better and attach them to his



own person more surely than by giving them a bit of land to



cultivate under the condition of rendering him personal service and



of paying a smaller tax in produce。 Thus the foundation for



excessive division of the soil was laid in an artificial manner;



and if in the present day the Government seeks by artificial means



to alter that system; in so doing it is merely restoring the



original state of things。



    In order to restrain the continued depreciation of the



agricultural power of a nation; and gradually to apply a remedy to



that evil in so far as it is the result of previous institutions;



no better means exists (apart from the promotion of emigration)



than to establish an internal manufacturing power; by which the



increase of population may be gradually drawn over to the latter;



and a greater demand created for agricultural produce; by which



consequently the cultivation of larger estates may be rendered more



profitable; and the cultivator induced and encouraged to gain from



his land the greatest possible amount of surplus produce。



    The productive power of the cultivator and of the labourer in



agriculture will always be greater or smaller according to the



degree in which the exchange of agricultural produce for



manufactures and other products of various kinds can proceed more



or less readily。 That in this respect the foreign trade of any



nation which is but little advanced can prove in the highest degree



beneficial; we have shown in another chapter by the example of



England。 But a nation which has already made considerable advances



in civilisation; in possession of capital; and in population; will



find the development of a manufacturing power of its own infinitely



more beneficial to its agriculture than the most flourishing



foreign trade can be without such manufactures; because it thereby



secures itself against all fluctuations to which it may be exposed



by war; by foreign restrictions on trade; and by commercial crises;



because it thereby saves the greatest part of the costs of



transport and commercial charges incurred in exporting its own



products and in importing manufactured articles; because it derives



the greatest advantages from the improvements in transport which



are called into existence by its own manufacturing industry; while



from the same cause a mass of personal and natural powers hitherto



unemployed will be developed; and especially because the reciprocal



exchange between manufact

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