AGRICULTURE IN EUROPE. 99 



and agricultural chemistry and science can furnish in a decade. 

 It is discouraging to the farmer to know that he does not obtain 

 that fair reward for his labor which the consumer would be 

 willing to pay. " What is the price of your strawberries ? " asked 

 a friend of a market-man in Boston. " Forty cents a box," 

 was the reply. " But I have strawberries to sell, what will you 

 give?" "Well if they are well picked, I will give you ten 

 cents a box ! " No further comment is necessary. This con- 

 versation illustrates the whole difficulty. 



There is another lesson many Americans learn from a visit 

 across the ocean, which, I doubt not, may appear trivial to many 

 before me, but which to my mind is of vital importance. I do 

 not remember of seeing a roll of hot bread during my absence, 

 and, except in Italy, no bread which was not good, sweet, light, 

 and slowly and thoroughly baked. I cannot speak confidently 

 of the domestic habits of the people. Warm bread or biscuit 

 may possibly be sometimes served in private houses, but not 

 generally, because almost all bread is purchased of the baker. 

 Private cooking is avoided as much as possible. Fuel, especially 

 wood, is dear, and fires are dispensed with as much as possible. 

 Our people do not realize what miserable, sour, heavy, half-baked 

 stuff under the name of bread is served and devoured at the 

 family table in this country ; and even this is bolted down steam- 

 ing and hot. Ladies and gentlemen, you are responsible in most 

 cases for the sin of dyspepsia, so prevalent in this country, so 

 much less known in Europe. When a foreigner comes among 

 you, or an American who has tarried abroad, I recognize, as 

 they do, the anxious and pointed countenances, which are not 

 familiar to their eyes. Other causes may contribute to this 

 national characteristic, upon which it is beside my purpose to 

 enlarge, but bad cooking, hot bread, overhaste and overwork, 

 are the most prominent causes for our continual decline in 

 physical vigor. You are saying to yourselves this moment that 

 these things do not injure you. Ask the physician, inquire 

 of the chemist, question the dentist, — they will give you the 

 same answer. 



A large proportion of the travellers from this country whom 

 one meets in Europe are persons who have broken down by 

 overwork, whose nervous system has been disturbed, and who 

 have overtaxed the brain. I am happy to state that few farmers 



