THE FOOD QUESTION. 97 



and starch by beasts, in the production of meat and dairy products 

 at the lowest cost. 



Third. Science appUed to the consumption of food b}' man. 



To these must be added the most difficult problem of all — sci- 

 ence applied to the retail distribution of perishable products. 



There is one street in Boston which I suppose is the most costh' 

 one to pass across that can anywhere be named. It is Commer- 

 cial Street. On its eastern side good fish are often sold at whole- 

 sale for one-half a cent per pound. On the western side of the 

 street fish of the same qualit}' are sold at from six to ten cents per 

 pound. Why does it cost so much to carr}' fish across that street 

 for distribution ? 



Here is Samuel Howe's bread. Three cents a pound for most 

 excellent bread. Here is the bread sold b}^ a prominent baker at 

 his shop in Boston which is nearest to the dwelling places of the 

 poor. The price is nearly six cents per pound. The bread is no 

 better than that made b}' Samuel How^e, if as good. Where is the 

 Samuel Howe of Boston ? 



The meat in this cooking vessel is good meat, of which enough 

 can be bought in Quinc}' Market every day to feed one thousand 

 people — as I am assured by the market-men. 



Where is the measure of intelligence, on the part of those who 

 need to save their money, which may enable them to buy this 

 meat, and to cook it properly, as readily as I can do it? To be 

 sure the price would rise a little if it were in demand for anything 

 but rendering into fat — yet now it is all wasted. 



It has been in dealing with these subtle problems in economic 

 science that I have gone so far afield in the treatment of matters 

 of which I found myself very ignorant at the beginning, and of 

 which even today I know but little if any more than ^'ourselves. 

 All that I can do is to urge upon you the vast importance of these 

 matters, and to suggest to the members of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society that there is need of the application of right 

 principles and accurate methods, like those of horticulture, in the 

 .production of beef, milk, butter, cheese, and eggs, as well as in 

 the production of vegetables and fruit. 



When this shall have been done, the science of agriculture will 

 perhaps be as far advanced as the science of floriculture and of 

 fruit production has already' been througli the efforts of this 

 Society. 



