andthemoreextensivethatmarket，itisalwaysthemoreadvantageoustoagreatnumber。Thecornwhichgrowswithinamileofthetownsellsthereforthesamepricewiththatwhichcomesfromtwentymilesdistance。Butthepriceofthelattermustgenerallynotonlypaytheexpenseofraisingandbringingittomarket，butafford，too，theordinaryprofitsofagriculturetothefarmer。Theproprietorsandcultivatorsofthecountry，therefore，whichliesintheneighbourhoodofthetown，overandabovetheordinaryprofitsofagriculture，gain，inthepriceofwhattheysell，thewholevalueofthecarriageofthelikeproducethatisbroughtfrommoredistantparts，andtheyhave，besides，thewholevalueofthiscarriageinthepriceofwhattheybuy。Comparethecultivationofthelandsintheneighbourhoodofanyconsiderabletownwiththatofthosewhichlieatsomedistancefromit，andyouwilleasilysatisfyyourselfhowmuchthecountryisbenefitedbythecommerceofthetown。Amongalltheabsurdspeculationsthathavebeenpropagatedconcerningthebalanceoftrade，ithasneverbeenpretendedthateitherthecountrylosesbyitscommercewiththetown，orthetownbythatwiththecountrywhichmaintainsit。
Assubsistenceis，inthenatureofthings，priortoconveniencyandluxury，sotheindustrywhichprocurestheformermustnecessarilybepriortothatwhichministerstothelatter。
Thecultivationandimprovementofthecountry，therefore，whichaffordssubsistence，must，necessarily，bepriortotheincreaseofthetown，whichfurnishesonlythemeansofconveniencyandluxury。Itisthesurplusproduceofthecountryonly，orwhatisoverandabovethemaintenanceofthecultivators，thatconstitutesthesubsistenceofthetown，whichcanthereforeincreaseonlywiththeincreaseofthissurplusproduce。Thetown，indeed，maynotalwaysderiveitswholesubsistencefromthecountryinitsneighbourhood，orevenfromtheterritorytowhichitbelongs，butfromverydistantcountries;andthis，thoughitformsnoexceptionfromthegeneralrule，hasoccasionedconsiderablevariationsintheprogressofopulenceindifferentagesandnations。
Thatorderofthingswhichnecessityimposesingeneral，thoughnotineveryparticularcountry，is，ineveryparticularcountry，promotedbythenaturalinclinationsofman。Ifhumaninstitutionshadneverthwartedthosenaturalinclinations，thetownscouldnowherehaveincreasedbeyondwhattheimprovementandcultivationoftheterritoryinwhichtheyweresituatedcouldsupport;tillsuchtime，atleast，asthewholeofthatterritorywascompletelycultivatedandimproved。Uponequal，ornearlyequalprofits，mostmenwillchoosetoemploytheircapitalsratherintheimprovementandcultivationoflandthaneitherinmanufacturesorinforeigntrade。Themanwhoemployshiscapitalinlandhasitmoreunderhisviewandcommand，andhisfortuneismuchlessliabletoaccidentsthanthatofthetrader，whoisobligedfrequentlytocommitit，notonlytothewindsandthewaves，buttothemoreuncertainelementsofhumanfollyandinjustice，bygivinggreatcreditsindistantcountriestomenwithwhosecharacterandsituationhecanseldombethoroughlyacquainted。Thecapitalofthelandlord，onthecontrary，whichisfixedintheimprovementofhisland，seemstobeaswellsecuredasthenatureofhumanaffairscanadmitof。
Thebeautyofthecountrybesides，thepleasuresofacountrylife，thetranquillityofmindwhichitpromises，andwherevertheinjusticeofhumanlawsdoesnotdisturbit，theindependencywhichitreallyaffords，havecharmsthatmoreorlessattracteverybody;andastocultivatethegroundwastheoriginaldestinationofman，soineverystageofhisexistenceheseemstoretainapredilectionforthisprimitiveemployment。