RICE. 133 



heights. It is surprising, says M. Bourgeois, 

 that the Europeans have not availed them- 

 selves of that kind of rice which grows on 

 cold dry earths, as it would add to the trea- 

 sures of agricultural productions. This au- 

 thor was of opinion, that the rice which 

 grows on the mountains of Cochin China, 

 where it often freezes during winter, would 

 succeed in several provinces of France as well 

 as in Switzerland ; but these unfortunate 

 people have been so occupied in making 

 temporary conquests of other countries, and 

 ineffectually defending their own, that France 

 has not advanced so rapidly in either agricul- 

 tural or horticultural pursuits, as Great Bri- 

 tain has done during the long war, and which 

 their poet Delille has noticed in his Homme 

 , des Champs. 



" II avait, devinant Tart heureux d'Angleterre, 

 Petri, decompose, recompose la terre ;" 



Skill'd in the fruitful art of Albion's isle, 

 Fallowed, concocted, and composed the soil. 



Nieuhoff informs us, that the rice which 

 grows in Kiangsi, near the city of Kienchang, 

 is called the Silver Corn by the Chinese, from 

 its excellent quality, and that the emperors 

 are furnished with this rice. The same 

 author states, that the Chinese grow a sort oi 



