RICE. 85 



cured at their natural price. Happily for the in- 

 terests of humanity, dearths are becoming less and 

 less frequent of occurrence, through the better un- 

 derstanding of subjects connected with the pro- 

 duction and distribution of commodities. In Eng- 

 land the people are especially guarded against this 

 calamity by the diversity of the crops which are 

 raised, and by the opportunity they thence enjoy of 

 falling back upon articles of consumption Jess costly 

 than those to which they are ordinarily accustomed. 

 It is this circumstance which constitutes the advan- 

 tage of the general use of wheaten bread a taste 

 which has been slowly but steadily acquired amongst 

 us. In no way, perhaps, is the progress of a nation 

 in civilization more unequivocally shown than in 

 the improvement which it realizes in the food of the 

 community. In the infancy of societies, the people 

 are necessarily satisfied with the enjoyment of such 

 indigenous productions as fall most naturally within 

 their reach. But in the more advanced stages of 

 society, when articles of food, which at one time 

 have been introduced as luxuries, are so far na- 

 turalized as to form a part at least of the suste- 

 nance of the common people, they, in the event 

 of an unkindly season, have something upon which 

 they can still fall back, so that what would other- 

 wise be famine is at worst changed into privation. 

 ' In those countries,' it has been judiciously ob- 

 served by the late David Ricardo, ' where the 

 labouring classes have the fewest wants, and are 

 contented with the cheapest food, the people are 

 exposed to the greatest vicissitudes and miseries. 

 They have no place of refuge from calamity ; they 

 cannot seek refuge in a lower station ; they are 

 already so low, that they can fall no lower. On 

 any deficiency of the chief article of their subsist- 

 ence, there are few substitutes of which they can 

 VOL. xv. 8 



