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The price which the town really pays for the provisions and

materials annually imported into it, is the quantity of

manufactures and other goods annually exported from it. The

dearer the latter are sold, the cheaper the former are bought.

The industry of the town becomes more, and that of the country

less advantageous.

That the industry which is carried on in towns is, everywhere in

Europe, more advantageous than that which is carried on in the

country, without entering into any very nice computations, we may

satisfy ourselves by one very simple and obvious observation. In

every country of Europe, we find at least a hundred people who

have acquired great fortunes, from small beginnings, by trade and

manufactures, the industry which properly belongs to towns, for

one who has done so by that which properly belongs to the

country, the raising of rude produce by the improvement and

cultivation of land. Industry, therefore, must be better

rewarded, the wages of labour and the profits of stock must

evidently be greater, in the one situation than in the other. But

stock and labour naturally seek the most advantageous employment.

They naturally, therefore, resort as much as they can to the

town, and desert the country.