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About this quote

What does it mean?
Johnson notes that oats are fed to horses in England but sustain people in Scotland.
In plain terms
Oats feed animals in England, but people in Scotland.
What can you take from it?
The same crop can serve different roles in nearby regions.

Where it applies

  • food policy
  • agricultural planning

Putting it to work

  • adapt crops to local needs
  • study regional food traditions

Questions to consider

  • Why do food uses differ across borders?
  • How does climate affect crop roles?

Another view

The statement oversimplifies complex agricultural economies.

More from Samuel Johnson

  1. NETWORK - Any thing reticulated or decussated, at equal distances, with interstices between the intersections.

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  2. It is commonly observed, that when two Englishmen meet, their first talk is of the weather; they are in haste to tell each other, what each must already know, …

    Permalink to quote #70
  3. LEXICOGRAPHER - A writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge.

    Permalink to quote #67

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