Page:Tales in Political Economy by Millicent Garrett Fawcett.djvu/51

 than a year there was not one of the former corn-growers who did not confess, if not to his neighbours, at least to himself, that he had been a great gainer by the discovery of the plantain-trees. The degree of comfort, and even luxury, possessed by everyone on the island had increased fourfold in consequence of finding these friendly trees. Food was now secured to every one almost free of cost; the greater part of the labour that it was formerly necessary to give to obtain daily bread was now set free, and it found new employment in those industries that added to the comfort and enjoyment of life. The growing of wheat was not given up; the brewing was very successful, and, as may be imagined, the beer exchanged at a very high rate of value for other commodities. The wheat-fields, therefore, became as profitable as ever. The brewers were a little jealous at first of the favour with which the plantain-beer and plantain-wine were received; but they gradually learnt that they did not profit by the poverty, but by the prosperity of their neighbours: every discovery or invention that