In agriculture, " on the contrary, the best machines , that is, " the best soils, are brought first into use, and " recourse is afterwards had to inferior soils, " which require greater expenditure to make " them yield the same supplies."
In manufactures, " the worst machinery is first set in motion, " and every day its powers are improved by " new inventions, and it is rendered capable " of yielding a greater amount of produce " with the same expense ; and as no limits " can be assigned to the quantity of improved " machinery that may be introduced, — as a " million of steam-engines maybe constructed " for the same, or rather for a less, propor " tional expense than would be required for " the construction of one, — competition " never fails of reducing the price of manu " factured commodities to the sum for which " they may be produced according to the " least expensive method.  In agriculture, " on the contrary, the best machines , that is, " the best soils, are brought first into use, and " recourse is afterwards had to inferior soils, " which require greater expenditure to make " them yield the same supplies."  Thus it appears, that, whilst the market price of commodities is regulated by the cheapest method of producing them, in all cases wherein unlimited quantities can be produced at the same comparative expense, it is regulated by the dearest method of pro ducing them in all cases wherein additional