So vast an increase of importation is perhaps unprecedented in so short a period; for, before the change was made, the importation was so trifling that, on an average of five years ending in 1835, it had sunk to 398,000 quarters. Indeed, the importation before the five bad harvests, from 1846 to 1840, had been so trifling, that it had become nominal merely, and the nation had gained the inestimable advantage of being self-supporting.[26] With truth did that decided free-trader, Mr Porter, say, in the last edition of his valuable work, entitled the _Progress of the Nation_--"The foregoing calculations show in how small a degree this country has hitherto been dependent upon foreigners, in ordinary seasons, for a due supply of our staple article of food. These calculations are brought forward to show how exceedingly great the increase of agricultural production must have been, to have thus effectively kept in a state of independence a population which has advanced with so great a degree of rapidity. To show the fact, the one article of wheat has been selected, because it is that which is the most generally consumed in England; but the position advanced would be found to hold good, were we to go through the whole list of the consumable products of the earth. The supply of meat, during the whole years comprised in this inquiry, has certainly kept pace with the growth of the population; and, as regards this portion of human food, our home agriculturists have, during almost the whole period, enjoyed a strict monopoly."[27] [26] Quarters of wheat and wheat-flour imported into Britain from 1807 to 1836, both inclusive:-- Quarters. 1807, 379,833 1808, -- 1809, 424,709 1810, 1,491,341* 1811, 238,366 1812, 244,385 1813, 125,559 1814, 681,333 1815, -- 1816, 227,263 1817, 1,020,949* 1818, 1,593,518* 1819, 1,122,133 1820, 34,274 1821, 2 1822, -- 1823, 12,137 1824, 15,777 1825, 525,231 1826, 315,892 1827, 772,133 1828, 842,050 1829, 1,364,220* 1830, 1,701,889* 1831, 1,491,631 1832, 325,425 1833, 82,346 1834, 64,653 1835, 28,483 1836, 24,826 1837, 244,087 1838, 1,834,452* 1839, 2,590,734* 1840, 2,389,732* *Bad seasons. AVERAGE QUARTERS. 1801 to 1810, 600,946 1811 -- 1820, 458,578 1821 -- 1830, 534,292 1831 -- 1835, 398,509 1836 -- 1840, 1,992,548** **Five bad years in succession. --PORTER'S _Progress of the Nation_, 137, 138, second edition. [27] PORTER'S _Progress of the Nation,_ second edition, p. 139.