Book VI. Sand of BARBADOS. a 
OF ! : 
GRAMINEOUS PLANTS 
{ R. Ray, in treating of the Wifdom of Ghd in the Creation, juftly 
obferves, that it is no {mall Inftance of his Goodnefs, that Wheat, 
and we may add Rye, the moft common Corn uféd for Food, fhould 
be the Growth of moft Parts of Exrope and Afia. It is likewife no le& 
worthy our Notice to obferve, that where the Soil under ‘the Torrid Zones is 
too hot to produce fuch, the fame divine Wifdom hath appointed other Kinds 
of Corn to grow and ripen there in great Plenty. Thus in Africa, and the 
Weft-Indies, the Want of Wheat is fupplied by Indian and Guiney Corn. 
And in fome Places, where the exceffive Heat of the Climate renders Labour, 
and the Cultivation of Corn, painful, there bountiful Providence, with an 
unfparing Hand, ordains Food without Labour, by caufing Plantain and 
Banana ‘Trees to grow in great Plenty; whofe Fruit is, by many Perfons, 
preferred to any Kind of Bread whatfoever. It was under the Shade of thefe 
that many harmlefs Nations of Tdians lived fecuré, until Luxury taught 
their more artful Neighbours unneceflary Wants: And fuccefsful Tyranny 
called that a glorious Conqueft, which was the Effe@ of Fraud and Op- 
preffion. — ° ; 
The INDIAN CoRN; Lat. Mays. 
ee Roots of this Plant are many: Its Stalk, which is jointed at uncer- 
tain Diftances, and within pithy, is ftrong, and of a Reed-like Subftance: 
It hath likewife feveral long Reed-like Leaves. The Extremity of the Stalk is 
decorated with a Tuft of waving chaffy Glumes, which are called the 
Male-flowers. 
From the Side of the Stalk, generally neat the Summit, appear the 
Ears, which are fometimes three in Number: Thefe ftand upon {hort Foot- 
ftalks, and are inwrapped in fometiies ten or eleven green hufky Leaves, 
the Whole having the Appearance of a long Cone, from whofe Summit ap- 
pears a Taffel of long filky Filaments, each having its Rife from one of the 
Grains: Thefe are looked upon to be the Female Flowers. The clofe-folded 
Leaves prevent the inclofed Grains from the Injury of Weather whilft young, 
and from Vermin and Birds when ripe ; and anfwer every Intention of a 
Pod in leguminous Plants. The Ear, which is generally from five to eight 
Inches long, contains often three hundred Grains, which clofely, and in per- 
pendicular Rows, regularly furround a ftrong chaffy Hutk, whofe Infide 
is pithy. This is delineated in Plate XXIII. Fig. 2. 
I Jos’s 
