THE WESTERN COUNTIES. 243 



Among the productions of rural industry, this, in my 

 opinion, is one of the most interesting ; besides furnish- 

 ing the mass of the population in all countries with a 

 wholesome, palatable, and nourishing food, easily carried 

 and easily procured, cut in any quantity which may be 

 needed, and requiring no preparation, I cannot forget that 

 it was the manufacture of cheese which enabled Holland 

 and Switzerland, two of the noblest nations of modern 

 Europe, to establish their independence. There is more 

 connection than is generally supposed between a nation's 

 political history and its rural economy. This industry 

 passed into England from Holland, along with turnip 

 cultivation, and the latter of these gifts is worth nearly 

 as much as the other. 



The trade in cheese appears likely to be greatly 

 extended in the present day. In the producing countries, 

 especially in Holland, the rise in price shows the increased 

 demand ; wherever the condition of the labourer improves, 

 the first addition he makes to his piece of bread is a 

 morsel of cheese. The European colonies in the New 

 World offer, besides, an almost unlimited market, and it 

 is principally for these new colonies that the Dutch 

 cheeses are purchased. France also makes excellent 

 cheeses, but not as yet in sufficient quantity, especially 

 for exportation. Nothing, however, is more simple than 

 to imitate the most esteemed qualities of Dutch, Swiss, 

 and English cheeses ; it only requires a little attention 

 and a certain amount of capital. France, besides, has 

 certain kinds of her own which compare advantageously 

 with the best of the foreign kinds ; among others, for 

 example, is the ewe-mi]k cheese of the Eoquefort moun- 

 tains, which has nothing analogous in Europe, and which 

 may become one of our most valuable sources of wealth, 

 as it is already one of the oldest. 



