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which exists; or can be obtained; is unemployed; the various



mineral products which the manufacturers so well understand how to



utilise profitably; lie dead; various sorts of fuel are wasted or



regarded (as; for instance; peat turf) as a mere hindrance to



cultivation; stone; sand; and lime are used but little as building



materials; the rivers; instead of being means of freight and



transport for man; or of fertilising the neighbouring fields; are



allowed to devastate the country by floods; warmer climates and the



sea yield to the agricultural country but few of their products。



    In fact; in the agricultural State; that power of nature on



which production especially depends; the natural fertility of the



soil; can only be utilised to a smaller extent so long as



agriculture is not supported by manufacturing industry。



    Every district in the agricultural State must itself produce as



much of the things necessary to it as it requires to use; for it



can neither effect considerable sales of that which it has in



excess to other districts; nor procure that which it requires from



other districts。 A district may be ever so fertile and adapted for



the culture of plants yielding oil; dyeing materials; and fodder;



yet it must plant forests for fuel; because to procure fuel from



distant mountain districts; over wretched country roads; would be



too expensive。 Land which if utilised for the cultivation of the



vine and for garden produce could be made to yield three to four



times more returns must be used for cultivating corn and fodder。 He



who could most profitably devote himself solely to the breeding of



cattle must also fatten them: on the other hand; he who could most



profitably devote himself merely to fattening stock; must also



carry on cattle breeding。 How advantageous it would be to make use



of mineral manures (gypsum; lime; marl); or to burn peat; coal; &c。



instead of wood; and to bring the forest lands under cultivation;



but in such a State there exists no means of transport by means of



which these articles can be conveyed with advantage for more than



very short distances。 What rich returns would the meadows in the



valleys yield; if irrigation works on a large scale were



established  the rivers now merely serve to wash down and carry



away the fertile soil。



    Through the establishment of manufacturing power in an



agricultural State; roads are made; railways constructed; canals



excavated; rivers rendered navigable; and lines of steamers



established。 By these not merely is the surplus produce of the



agricultural land converted into machinery for yielding income; not



merely are the powers of labour of those who are employed by it



brought into activity; not only is the agricultural population



enabled to obtain from the natural resources which it possesses an



infinitely greater return than before; but all minerals; all



metals; which heretofore were lying idle in the earth are now



rendered useful and valuable。 Articles which could formerly only



bear a freight of a few miles; such as salt; coals; stone; marble;



slate; gypsum; lime; timber; bark; &c。; can now be distributed over



the surface of an entire kingdom。 Hence such articles; formerly



quite valueless; can now assume a degree of importance in the



statistical returns of the national produce; which far surpasses



the total of the entire agricultural production in previous times。



Not a cubic foot of water…fall will then exist which is not made to



perform some service; even in the most distant districts of a



manufacturing country; timber and fuel will now become valuable; of



which previously no one knew how to make any use。



    Through the introduction of manufactures; a demand for a



quantity of articles of food and raw materials is created; to the



production of which certain districts can be far more profitably



devoted than to the growth of corn (the usual staple article of



rude agricultural countries)。 The demand which now springs up for



milk; butter; and meat adds a higher value to the existing pasture



land; and leads to the breaking up of fallows and the erection of



works of irrigation。 The demand for fruit and garden produce



converts the former bare agricultural land into vegetable gardens



and orchards。



    The loss which the mere agricultural State sustains by not



making use of these natural powers; is so much the greater the more



it is fitted by nature for carrying on manufactures; and the more



its territory is adapted for the production of raw materials and



natural powers which manufacturers specially require; that loss



will therefore be the greatest in mountainous and hilly countries



less suitable for agriculture on the whole; but which offer to



manufactures plenty of water power; of minerals; timber; and stone;



and to the farmer the opportunity of cultivating the products which



are specially required by the manufacturer。



    Countries with a temperate climate are (almost without



exception) adapted for factories and manufacturing industry。 The



moderate temperature of the air promotes the development and



exertion of power far more than a hot temperature。 But the severe



season of the year; which appears to the superficial observer as an



unfavourable effect of nature; is the most powerful promoter of



habits of energetic activity; of forethought; order; and economy。



A man who has the prospect before him of six months in which he is



not merely unable to obtain any fruits from the earth; but also



requires special provisions and clothing materials for the



sustenance of himself and his cattle; and for protection against



the effects of cold; must necessarily become far more industrious



and economical than the one who merely requires protection from the



rain; and into whose mouth the fruits are ready to drop during the



whole year。 Diligence; economy; order; and forethought are at first



produced by necessity afterwards by habit; and by the steady



cultivation of those virtues。 Morality goes hand in hand with the



exertion of one's powers and economy; and immorality with idleness



and extravagance: each are reciprocally fertile sources; the one of



power; the other of weakness。



    An agricultural nation; which inhabits a country of temperate



climate; leaves therefore the richest part of its natural resources



unutilised。



    The school; inasmuch as; in judging the influences of climate



on the production of wealth; it has not distinguished between



agriculture and manufacturing industry; has fallen into the gravest



errors in respect to the advantages and disadvantages of protective



regulations; which we cannot here omit thoroughly to expose;



although we have already made mention of them in general terms



elsewhere。



    In order to prove that it is foolish to seek to produce



everything in one and the same country; the school asks the



question: whether it would be reasonable if we sought to produce



wine by growing grapes in Scottish and English greenhouses? It is



of course possible to produce wine in this manner; only lt would be



of much worse quality and more expensive than that which England



and Scotland could procure in exchange for their manufactured



goods。 To anyone who either is unwilling or unable to penetrate



more deeply into the nature of things; this argument is a striking



one; and the school is indebted to it for a large portion of its



popularity; at any rate among the French vine growers and silk



manufacturers; and among the North American cotton planters and



cotton merchants。 Regarded in the light of day; however; it is



fundamentally false; since restrictions on commercial intercourse



operate quite differently on the productive power of agriculture



than they do on the productive power of manufacturing industry。



    Let us first see how they operate on agriculture。



    If France rejects from her frontiers German fat cattle; or



corn; what will she effect thereby? In the first place; Germany



will thereby be unable to buy French wines。 France will therefore



have to use those portions of her soil which are fitted for the



cultivation of the vine less profitably in proportion as this



destruction of commercial interchange lessens her exportation of



wines。 So many fewer persons will be exclusively occupied with the



cultivation of the vine; and therefore so much less native



agricultural products will be required; which these persons would



have consumed; who would have otherwise devoted themselves



exclusively to vine culture。 This will be the case in the



production of oil as well as in that of wine。 France will therefore



always lose in her agricultural power on other points much more



than she gains on one single point; because by her exclusion of the



German cattle she protects a trade in the rearing and fattening of



cattle which had not been spontaneously developed; and for which;



therefore; probably the agriculture of those districts where this



branch of industry has had to be artificially developed is not



adapted。 Thus will it be if we consider France merely as an



agricultural State opposed to Germany as a merely agricultural



State; and if we also assume that Germany will not retaliate on



that policy by a similar one。 This policy; however; appears still



more injurious if we assume that Germany; as she will be compelled



to out of regard to her own interests; adopts similarly restrictive



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