ON FAMINES. 



131 



responsible, in cases of famine, to give the best principles 

 to be pursued for the alleviation of the misery. They ought 

 to know beforehand where food is deficient; they ought to 

 know where food is in excess ; and they ought to know the 

 kind of food which should be imported to remedy the mis- 

 chief. 



(512.) Private individuals, private enterprise, must and 

 would do the rest, if the price of provisions were not artifi- 

 cially tampered with. The more the executive regulates 

 the principles, and the less it regulates the practice of the 

 supply of food, the better will be the result permanently 

 for mankind in general. 



(513.) If we regard the following list of alimentary sub- 

 stances given by Pereira, we shall be enabled to form a 

 feeble idea of the ravages which the vastator may commit.* 

 If, moreover, we regard how large a proportion of the re- 

 mainder are attacked by other Aphides, the numbers of 

 which are influenced by the vastator, we may form a more 

 correct estimate of the terrible injury which the vastator 

 may effect. 



* The items marked V are those which the vastator has attacked ; 

 those marked A are those attacked by other Aphides. 



