which continued to feed its own people, if instead of a demand
for its raw produce, there was the same increasing demand for its
manufactures. These manufactures, if from such a demand the value
of their amount in foreign countries was greatly to increase,
would bring back a great increase of value in return, which
increase of value could not fail to increase the value of the raw
produce. The demand for agricultural as well as manufactured
produce would be augmented; and a considerable stimulus, though
not perhaps to the same extent as in the last case, would be
given to every kind of improvement on the land.

A similar effect would be produced by the introduction of new
machinery, and a more judicious division of labour in
manufactures. It almost always happens in this case, not only
that the quantity of manufactures is very greatly increased, but
that the value of the whole mass is augmented, from the great
extension of the demand for them, occasioned by their cheapness.
We see, in consequence, that in all rich manufacturing and
commercial countries, the value of manufactured and commercial
products bears a very high proportion to the raw products;(10)
whereas, in comparatively poor countries, without much internal
trade and foreign commerce, the value of their raw produce
constitutes almost the whole of their wealth. If we suppose the
wages of labour so to rise with the rise of produce, as to give
the labourer the same command of the means of subsistence as
before, yet if he is able to purchase a greater quantity of other
necessaries and conveniencies, both foreign and domestic, with
the price of a given quantity of corn, he may be equally well
fed, clothed, and lodged, and population may be equally
encouraged, although the wages of labour may not rise so high in