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Continent, and rice predominates in the southern provinces of the United 

 States. 



" In the torrid zone, maize predominates in America, rice in Asia, and 

 both these grains in nearly equal quantity in Africa. The cause of this dis- 

 tribution is, without doubt, historical ; for Asia is the native country of rice, 

 and America of maize. In some situations, especially in the neighbourhood 

 of the tropics, wheat is also met with, but always subordinate to these other 

 kinds of grain. Besides rice and maize, there are, in the torrid zone, several 

 kinds of grain, as well as other plants, which supply the inhabitants with 

 food, either used along with them, or entirely occupying their place. Such 

 are, in the New Continent, Yams (Dioscorea alata), the Manihot (Jatropha 

 manihot), and the Batatas (Convolvulus batatas), the root of which, and the 

 fruit of the Pisang (Banana, Musa), furnish universal articles of food. In 

 the same zone, in Africa, Doura (Sorghum), Pisang, IManihot, Yams, and 

 Arachis hypogaea. In the East Indies, and on the Indian Islands, Eleusine 

 coracana, E. stricta, Panicum frumentaceum ; several Palms and Cycadea^, 

 which produce the Sago; Pisang, Yams, Batatas, and the Bread-fruit 

 (Artocarpus incisa). In the islands of the South Sea, grain of every kind 

 disappears, its place being supplied by the Bread-fruit tree, the Pisang, and 

 Tacca pinnatifida. In the tropical parts of New Holland there is no agricul- 

 ture, the inhabitants living on the produce of the Sago, of various Palms, and 

 some species of Arum. 



" In the high lands of South America there is a distribution similar to 

 that of the degrees of latitude. Maize, indeed, grows to the height of 7200 

 feet above the level of the sea, but only predominates between 3000 and 

 6000 of elevation. Below 3000 feet it is associated with the Pisang, and the 

 above-mentioned vegetables ; while, from 6000 to 9260 feet, the European 

 grains abound ; wheat in the lower regions, and rye and barley in the higher ; 

 along with which Chenopodium Quinoa, as a nutritious plant, must also be 

 enumerated. Potatoes alone are cultivated from 9260 to 12,300 feet. 



" To the south of the tropic of Capricorn, wherever agriculture is prac- 

 tised, considerable resemblance with the northern temperate zone may be 

 observed. In the southern parts of Brazil, in Buenos Ayres, in Chile, at 

 the Cape of Good Hope, and in the temperate zone of New Holland, wheat 

 predominates; barley, however, and rye, make their appearance in the 

 southernmost parts of these countries, and in Van Diemen's Land. In New 

 Zealand the culture of wheat is said to have been tried with success; but the 

 inhabitants avail themselves of the Acrostichum furcatum as the main article 

 of sustenance. 



" Hence it appears, that, in respect of the predominating kinds of grain, 

 the earth may be divided into five grand divisions, or kingdoms. The king- 

 dom of Rice, of Maize, Wheat, and Rye, and lastly of Barley and Oats. 

 The first three are the most extensive ; the Maize has the greatest range of 

 temperature ; but Rice may be said to support the greatest number of the 

 human race." 



Properties. The uses of this most important tribe of plants, for fodder, 

 for food, and for clothing, require little illustration. The abundance of whole- 

 some faecula contained in all their seeds renders them peculiarly well adapted 

 for the sustenance of man ; and if the Corn tribe only, such as Wheat, Barley, 

 Oats, Maize, Rice, and Guinea Corn, are the kinds commonly employed, 

 it is because of the large size of their seeds compared with those of other 

 Grasses, for none are unwholesome in their natural state, with the single ex- 

 ception of Lolium temulentum, a common weed in many parts of England, 

 the effects of which are undoubtedly deleterious, although perhaps much 

 exaggerated. In this respect an approach seems to be naturally made to the 



