quent, and Rice is found to predominate. The cause of this differ- 

 ence between the east and the west of the old continent appears to be 

 in the manners and peculiarities of the people. In North America 

 Wheat and Rye are grown as in Europe, but more sparingly. 

 Maize is more reared in the western than in the old world ; 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 distribution is, without doubt, historical ; for 

 Asia is the native eountry 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 other kinds of grain. 



" In respect of the predominating kinds of grain, the earth may 

 be divided into five grand divisions or kingdoms : — the kingdom of 

 Rice, of Maize, of Wheat, of 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 considered as supporting 

 the largest number of the human race." 



With a single positively determined exception in the Lolium 

 temulentum or Bearded Darnel Grass, and a few other alleged, but 

 scarcely substantiated instances of deleterious character, the seeds of 

 the Grasses are wholesome, and vary only in degree as to their nutri- 

 tive qualities : hence the original selection of the kinds cultivated as 

 Corn seems rather to have been a consequence of the larger size of 

 the grain, and experience of its palatability and ready conversion 

 into meal, than of necessity. In agreement with this view, many 

 other Grasses have acquired local or occasional value in cultivation, 

 owing to the abundance in which their small seeds are matured, 

 and the facility of their growth and collection. Among these are 

 some species of Panicum and Setaria, especially Panicum miliaceum 

 and Setaria Italica and Germanica, the seeds of which are used as 

 Millet in the south of Europe. In certain districts in the East 

 Indies, and in Africa, other kinds are occasionally met with under 



