I spent three hours yesterday with M. Robillard, knight of the King's Order, Surgeon Major of the French army in America. He examined your hemisphere as an educated man, and seems to me to have brought back observations from that country which would interest you, the legislator of the new world. I assumed that it would be useful that you see him, and I proposed to take him to see you, Monsieur, one day next week that you would please choose for me. M. Robillard's remarks have mainly to do with the physical constitution, and with those things which contribute to its impairment in certain regions of America.

You guess correctly, Monsieur, that M. Parmentier and I questioned him about the state of baking over there and we learned, with some surprise, that the Americans are still for the most part making unleavened bread. This subject being worthy of your attention, I ask your permission to discuss it with you, together with M. Parmentier, whom I will have the honor of introducing to you, on the day that I accompany M. Robillard. The School of Baking committee could correspond with the Philadelphia Society on topics of rural economy. I will be so happy if these marks of my enthusiasm please you. I am with a deep respect, Monsieur, Your very humble and obedient servant