Essays on trade and navigation in five parts / by Sir Francis Brewster, Kt.

Of Agriculture and Rural Imployments.

BEfore I enter upon the Subject, I must A∣pologize for my self, that I am to the last degree ignorant of the Practick part of Hus∣bandry; the whole Course of my Life having been spent in Maritine-Towns, or on the Sea.

I beg pardon, contrary to Custom, before I commit the Error, giving an instance of my ignorance in Country Matters; which I should not trouble the Reader with, if I did not think it divertive.

It was in the 32 year of my Age, that I first had a thought of Acres; and being im∣portun'd by Friends to fix something on the Land, and not have all on the Sea, I made a Purchase before I saw it, for that I might do with as much Judgment, as if had; some time after I went to see the Purchase I had made, and on the Road gave as much Diversion to my Friends, in declaring my want of Un∣derstanding the Distinction and Names of eve∣ry thing the Field produced, as I did trouble to them to inform me; tho it was near Har∣vest, I knew not Barly from Wheat in the Ear; and when I came to the Estate, and riding thorow the Woods (of which there

were great Quantities on the Land); I was yet more troublesome in asking the Names of Trees, not being able to distinguish an Oak from an Ash, or that from Wich-Hazel, which made a merry Fellow, a Ranger in the Woods, say, He had a Master he was sure would not que∣stion his Care or Honesty, since he knew not a Tree from a Weed. After this Account of my self, I hope to be excused, if I mistake in any Point of Country and Land-Improvement; nor shall I attempt to prescribe Rules, or give my Opi∣nion in these matters, as I may venture to do in that of Trade; and therefore as Rural Mat∣ters have relation to that, so I shall here treat of the Plow, and of the Pruning-Hook; the Field, and the Orchard.

How Land may be improved, there cannot be a truer or greater President, than that of the Land of Canaan, a spot of Ground not so large, as one third part of England, yet main∣tained double the People England doth. That the Fertility of the Soil did not make the dif∣ference in their great increase above ours, is observed by such as Travel there; that at this time under the manage of the Lazy Turk, that Land is much worse, and brings forth less increase than ours. So then it is apparent, Labour and Industry makes the difference. Now, if the foregoing Computation be right, that there were near double the People in that little Spot than there are in England, (as there is reason to believe) for that in David's Reign the Number of Fighting-men was 1510000,

besides the Two Tribes not brought into the Account; this being allowed, it will follow, that there is not one Sixth part made of the Land of England, as might be: But to this, might be said, the want of Hands is the cause of our scant Production; and that nothing but Crouds forceth Labour; this is true as to mat∣ter of fact, but not so as to be without a Reme∣dy: Nmbers of People make Laws for Indu∣stry out of necessity, and good Laws may do the same with this Advantage, that enlarging the Labour in Rural Affairs, will produce more than is consumed in the Nation; and that adds to the Treasure of it: Whereas Numbers of Hands that only work to feed themselves, adds nothing to the Riches of the Kingdom. Now as Riches increase, so will the Bo∣dies of Men (which is indeed the best Trea∣sure); we see this in the United Provinces, where all Nations flock as Fowl where they find best feeding; Money is so to Men, and where that abounds, Labour and Industry is encouraged; but to sit down with an Opi∣nion, that England cannot be improved for want of People, is too mean and abject for En∣glishmen.

There is a visible Prospect how great Im∣provements may be made in this Kingdom by the Hands we have; and if that were done, we should soon have more.

There are thousands of Persons in this Kingdom that beg, who might be serviceable in many things relating to the Plow; if lame

in their Feet, yet they may weed Corn, that perchance now takes up the time of a lusty Man.

A Blind man may carry Burthens in compa∣ny with other; a Man without Hands may look to Cattle, &c.

There are numbers of Men of no Employ∣ment, that we have Laws that might ob∣lige to Work, and if they are not full e∣nough to reach them, they may be made to do it.

There is also another Set of Men that are lost in the Nation under the Cover of being Serving-men and Footmen. Now this might be restrained, and Men confined to the Numbers they keep according to their Quality, which if done, might add to the Plow, and other Country Employments, many thousands in this Nation.

I differ with them, who complain of our Gentries humour of taking French Valets de Chambres. I wish there were a Law that none but such should be taken into such Employ∣ments, or at least that no Gentleman should have above one Englishman in his Family in Service, as a Waiter or Foot-man; this would drive Young men into the Country to Labour, when they had no expectation of a Lazy Life and Maintenance, as now they have.

Tho this is a General Complaint thorow the Kingdom, of the want of Men for the Plow, and that the Wages of a Plow-man is

risen from 5 to 10 l. per Annum, no man will say, it is because there are not Men in the Kingdom, but it is because there are easier ways to get a Living; tho at the same time, if those that chuse that idle Life of waiting on Gentlemen, did but consider their hazard of begging their Bread in their Old Age, or sooner, if Sickness, or any other Accident be∣fal them: Whereas there are few instances of Labouring-men in the Country that come to such misfortunes; many from the Plow or Orchard, arrive to a decent Living and Competency, but few from holding a Plate.

I have often lamented the sight of Four or five lusty young Fellows hanging at the Tail of a Coach, when they are wanted at the Plow; and since it is not practicable to get Plow-men from France, but is to get Foot-men and Valets de Chambres, to me it would seem a good Law to prohibit Englishmen from such Employments, and that would bring in French and other Foreigners enough to supply their places.

Thus I have laid down my thoughts of adding hands to our Country Employments, which may be improved by better Judgments. All I shall further say, is, That to me it seems plain, that there might be 40000 Persons added to those we now have in Country Employments, and they would so advance, and enlarge Rural Production, as would in∣vite

Numbers, both at home and from abroad, into the Country, which hath been for some Ages so much neglected; the humor of this Nation running too much after the French, I mean those of them that come abroad; for their Peasantry never do; those we have from them are Artizans or Lacquies, and such too many of our Nation affect to be, and so quit their Country Employments; I mean not by this, any discouragement to Manufactories, they cannot exceed; but some have too many that attend them, especially such as are consumed in the Kingdom, which ad∣vanceth the Vanity of the Nation, whilst the most solid Improvements and Employ∣ments of it are neglected for want of hands; and if what is here proposed may produce and bring Numbers into Country Labours, the next enquiry will be, how to Employ them, so as to make Plowing and Land-Improvements as much a Trade and Manufactory as other Manual Arts; for that which hath always discouraged Tillage in this Kingdom, hath been the practice of making Provision for no more than the Expence of the Nation; whereas if such quantities of Grain was Sowed as might make it a Commodity for Exports, that would soon invite Merchants to Ex∣portation.

The Statute which was made for encou∣ragement of Tillage, was for that part of al∣lowance

at the Custom-House of good use; but something more must be done to make Corn a Commodity for Exportation, and that must be to have quantities yearly Sowed beyond the Expence of the Nation, that so Merchants may be sure of a constant Trade, as they have in the Sound; where the Coun∣try depend as much on their Harvest, as France doth on its Vintage; and Merchants being sure of a constant supply, make Provi∣sion for the Trade; whereas ours is only a chance Market, when the Harvest proves be∣yond expectation, and often failing, puts us upon Importing Corn from other parts: This in a Country so natural for Grain, and that lies so near Holland, which fetcheth such quantities from abroad, may be thought not the least of our mistakes in Trade and Com∣merce: To me, I confess, it seems a great neglect, to see so many Acres set for Five or Ten Shillings an Acre, and the Tenants scarce able to pay that, which under Corn might yeild to the Farmer Five Pounds; and though part of that goes in Labour, yet the whole is so much added to the Treasure of the Nation; and would be the greatest advantage to the Rent of Lands that ever was, or can be by any other means raised in the Kingdom.

Now that what I here propose may appear practicable, something shall be offer'd that, I conceive may shew what I here set down to be more than meerly Notional.

1. First then as to the Grain, which is most in demand in Foreign Markets, and they are Rye for Holland, Horse-Beans for Bilboa, and Barly for Portugal; I mention not Wheat, be∣cause that we have most of, but the other three is least propagated in England, though the most proper for Exportation, and seems possible, considering how much nearer we lye to a Market than Dantzick, to be exported from England as Cheap as from any Part; and as Quantities in other Commodities enables the Seller of them to abate in Price of what they can when they are scarce; so it would be in this of Corn; when a Farmer is more sure of a Market for Twenty Acres of Corn, than he is now of Five; he may abate of his Price, and yet be a greater Gainer than when he hath but a little, and a greater Price; we account it so in all other Commodities.

2. For Encouragement of making Corn an Export, it is to be remembred, That we send most of our Ships light to Bilboa and Lisbon; so that will help our Navigation that loads our Ships; then it is to be considered, that our Ex∣ports to Lisbon, do not answer our Imports from thence, since we fetch so much Wine from Portugal; and it is hoped since we have fallen into it, we shall never exceed in French Wine: They neither can, nor will take off our Commodities; Corn they never did, as Portugal will.

The difficulty that appears to the introdu∣ction of this so profitable a disposition of the

Lands of England, is how to bring the Na∣tion to it; for all new things are hardly pro∣pagated.

Three things I submit, that to me seem of strength to bring the Nation into it: And they are these,

1. That a Statute be made to oblige all per∣sons to a certain Proportion of Plowing, ac∣cording to what they keep in Grazing.

2. That all Land under Tillage shall be free from any manner of Tax.

3. That some ease may be given as to the Tythe for what is Exported; it is a heavy load and discouragement, one tenth for that which goes out; care should be taken to make what goes out as Cheap as possible, that so no other Country might Undersel us; I would not be thought to lessen the Income of the Clergy; to the contrary, I think, they ought to partake of all the Increase of the Kingdom; and what I here propose, would be for their advantage, by encouraging the greater Ex∣ports; and ways might be found to give some encouragement from them to the Plow-man, that might be easy to both. But to all that hath been said for encouragement of Tillage, there appears a seeming Objection, and that is, We often see Corn so Cheap, that the Farmers are broke by it, and what would they do with double the Quantities, as it is hoped this Law and Encouragement might produce? This is partly answered before,

That the reason why we want a Market for our Corn, is because we have not always Store, and so Merchants make no Provision for the Trade, nor will quit a place where they are sure of Supply; so if once it were known that England set upon the Trade of Corn, there would not be want of Buyers; it is not to be imagined how soon the Plenty of a Commodity makes a Trade; I remember when we imported quantities of Silk Stockins from the Levant, but as soon as we had the Inven∣tion of Looms, the stream turned, and we send them there. Plenty makes Cheapness, and that increaseth Trade.

But there is another Answer to be given for the want of a Market for our Corn, and that is, We run most on Wheat, and neglect those sorts before-mentioned, which are most in demand abroad, and of which we could never exceed, but the more we provide, the greater will the Price be; for Quantities, as is before said, brings numbers of Buyers; whereas where there are not Stores of a Com∣modity, Buyers are but few, and then they set the Market, and have the Commodity at their own Rate.

I shall end this First Part of my Essays as I be∣gan them, Truth may be allowed repetition; That as this Nation never more wanted Thoughts and Endeavours to enlarge and im∣prove their Navigation and Commerce than now (having so Potent a Neighbour as the

French that grow upon us) so, Blessed be God, England never had a greater Monarch that lays out himself to make us a great and flourishing People: If we are wanting to our selves, it is our fault, and will be our misfor∣tune; Measures for Trade must arise from the Subject, Grants and Concessions from the King.