102 corn. — Harvest — Fmd, A*r, 



and which borders pretty closely on the rale of day- 

 labor in England, he would have a yearly surplus for 

 clothing*, lodging, &c. of about 6 £ sterling. A day- 

 labourer in England is able to earn about a peck of 

 wheat, in got*! times, daily. An American help can 

 earn two pecks. A common Chinese labourer here 

 can easily enough earn one peek of rice. The peck of 

 wheat is about the average value here of 22 cents, 

 and the peck of rice about 17J or 18 cents. A Ma- 

 lay can earn nearly half a peck of rice daily. In 

 China* it is understood, the agricultural labourer cannot 

 (tarn above 12 j pecks of rice in a month, by daily and 

 uninterrupted labour. 



There can be no doubt that wheaten bread is a 

 more nourishing substantial food than rice, and yet 

 die latter is well adapted to the climate and people, 

 and Europeans in the East often insensibly become 

 greater consumers of rice than of w heat. 



But w heat inquires to !>e ground, and made into 

 bread before it becomes fitted for general consump- 

 tion, while rice is used immediately after being clear- 

 ed from the husk. 



A reference to Europe prhres will shew that a peck 

 of wheat there will probably always purchase one- 

 third more of other commodities than a peck of rice 

 will here. 



Wheat being thus a much more substantial ibori 

 than rice, it will exchange tor much larger quantities 

 of other commodities than rice will. But the differ- 

 ence Ijetwixt the price of a peck of wheat and a peck 

 of rice is about 4 cents onTy, and sometimes less, the 

 dearness of wheat com [tared with rice lying in the 

 cost of preparing it for food ; while rice, after the se- 

 paration from the husk, recpiires no grinding and, 

 baking to make it ready for use. A cattie or one and 

 a third tb. of fine flour costs 15 cents, of coarse flour 7 



