best men among them to do the fighting, while others looked after the
crop. We find that agriculture began at a very, very early period in
both continents. In our own continent we cannot tell when agriculture
was first in use--the main crop being the maize, or Indian corn. It
was raised by the more advanced tribes from the extreme north, where
its profitable culture invited, to the extreme south, from about the
northern line of Wisconsin in North America to the latitude of
southern Chile in South--extending, therefore, over some seven to
eight thousand miles of linear distance.

In the old world (going back to the time of the lake dwellers) we know
they had barley, rye and a species of millet; and later on they were
introduced to oats and wheat and a variety of others. Rice was of the
very earliest of our cereals, in the extreme east of the old world.
Wherever we find a very ancient civilization we also find that it is
intimately connected with some important cereal, and it has been said
that all you have to do is to study botany--the history of botany--and
you will find the history of human culture; and much there is that
could be said for that.

Fourth, and finally, those who divide human culture according to the
food supply consider that the highest stage is reached through
commerce. Commerce brings to all the great centers of human life the
food essential to their sustenance. It would be absolutely
impossible--obviously so--to have a city like Philadelphia in
existence for a month without constant and ceaseless commerce brought
here the food for its inhabitants. It is quite likely that, were
Philadelphia shut off at once from all connection with the world,
within ten days there would be an absolute famine here--so closely do
we depend upon our commercial supplies for our subsistence. These