Fields meet the edge of a village somewhere in Northern France. Unlike in the United States, in Europe there is a clear distinction between town and country. Towns are always compact clusters of houses on tiny lots, usually clustered around a single church and possibly a few small industries. The town abruptly stops at its limits, and the surrounding fields are vast and utterly devoid of structures. In the United States, of course, much valuable farm land has been overrun by low-density human settlements, often situated on large five-acre lots which are mowed and "used" as lawn.

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