production. {120} No country, in which the people live much upon
animal food, can be well peopled. Two hundred persons to a square
mile of country is nearly the highest population of any nation in
Europe, that is, as near as may be, three acres and a quarter to each
person; but, on an average, even in France, there are more than four
acres to each.

Supposing that one-half of the land is cultivated, then that gives about
two acres to each person.

Supposing, again, that one-third of this is consumed by horses or other
animals who labour; or, supposing that they do not serve for the food
of man, then there will be nearly about one acre and a quarter for the
maintenance of each person.

It will, however, only require half an acre to one person, if they all
lived on field vegetables; {121} and, if they all lived on fresh meat, it
would require four acres; the natural conclusion is, that one-fourth live
on animal food, and the other three-fourths on vegetables, or what is
the same thing, that the proportions of the two sorts of food are as one
to three.

According to the proportion of the prices in France, of four to one, it
would certainly cost double the price to live on animal food that =sic=
it does on vegetables; that is to say, if the only vegetable was bread,
supposing which is the case, that one pound of meat supplies the place
of two pounds of bread, as it certainly does. In England, where beef is
only twice the price of bread, {122} it is almost a matter of
indifference as to price, whether a working man lives on vegetables or
animal food. To the taste and the stomach, however, it is no matter of