Requisites of production.THE production of every species of wealth requires the application of man's labour. The forces of nature, acting upon the materials of which the earth is composed, have created products from which wealth is immediately derived. The seams of coal were deposited without any human agency; but the coal is not available to satisfy any of the wants of life until man's labour has dug this coal from the mine, and placed it in those situations in which it is required. But labour, in order to produce anything, must have some materials upon which to work. These are supplied by nature, and may be termed natural agents. The steam-engine, for example, is fashioned out of metals, deposited as the result of certain forces acting in remote geological ages.
Labour, natural agents,Production, therefore, has manifestly two requisites—labour, and appropriate natural agents upon which this labour may work. But there is a third requisite, the necessity of which will, perhaps, not appear so self-evident. The casual observer might be very possibly satisfied to accept as sufficient the two requisites of production we have mentioned; for it might be said, Does not properly trained labour, acting upon suitable materials, suffice to produce the required commodity? But there is something which is requisite to this labour itself. The labourer must be fed. How can he be fed but by food which has been previously accumulated? This food also required the application of labour; therefore, since the labourer must be fed by previously accumulated food, a third requisite of production is suggested, for some of the results of past labour are required to be
