Page:Works of Voltaire Volume 02.djvu/280

252 .—One hundred and thirty millions, of which almost half is in roads, in towns, villages, moors, heaths, marshes, sands, barren lands, useless convents, gardens of more pleasure than profit, uncultivated grounds, and bad grounds ill cultivated. We might reduce all the land which yields good returns to seventy-five millions of square acres; but let us state them at fourscore millions. One cannot do too much for one's country.

.—How much may you think each acre brings in yearly, one year with another, in corn, seeds of all kinds, wine, fishponds, wood, metals, cattle, fruit, wool, silk, oil, milk, clear of all charges, without reckoning the tax?

.—Why, if they produce each twenty-five livres (about twenty English shillings) it is a great deal; but not to discourage our countrymen, let us put them at thirty livres. There are acres which produce constantly regenerating value, and which are estimated at three hundred livres; there are others which only produce three livres. The mean proportion between three and three hundred is thirty, for you must allow that three is to thirty as thirty is to three hundred. If, indeed, there were comparatively many acres at thirty livres, and very few at three hundred, our account would not hold good; but, once more, I would not be over-punctilious.