THE 



JOURNAL OF RURAL ART AND RURAL TASTE. 



No. I. 



JULY, 1846. 



Vol. I. 



Bright and beautiful June ! Embroider- 

 ed with clusters of odorous roses, and laden 

 with ruddy cherries and strawberries ; rich 

 with the freshness of spring, and the luxu- 

 riance of summer, — leafy June ! If any one's 

 heart does not swell with the unwritten 

 thoughts that belong to this season, then is 

 he only fit for " treasons, stratagems and 

 spoils." He does not practically believe 

 that "God made the country.'''' 



Flora and Pomona, from amid the blos- 

 soming gardens and orchards of June, smile 

 graciously as we write these few intro- 

 ductory words to their circle of devotees. 

 Happy are we to know that it is not to us a 

 new or strange circle, but to feel that large 

 numbers of our readers are already conge- 

 nial and familiar spirits. Angry volumes 

 of politics have we written none ; but peace- 

 ful books, humbly aiming to weave some- 

 thing more into the fair garland of the 

 beautiful, and useful, that encircles this ex- 

 cellent old Earth. 



To the thousands, who have kindly made 

 our rural volumes part of their household 

 library, we offer this new production, which 

 begins to unfold itself now, in the mid-sum- 

 mer of the year. In its pages, from month 

 to month, we shall give them a collection 

 of all that can most interest those whose 



feelings are firmly rooted in the soil, and 

 its kindred avocations. The garden and 

 the orchard ; the hot-house and the conser- 

 vatory ; the park and the pleasure grounds ; 

 all, if we can read them rightly, shall be 

 made to preach useful lessons in our pages. 

 All fruitful and luxuriant grounds shall we 

 revel in, and delight to honor. Blooming 

 trees, and fruitful vines, we shall open our 

 lips to praise. And if nature has been 

 over-partial to any one part of the globe, 

 either in good gardens, fair flowers, or good 

 fruits, — if she has any where lavished secret 

 vegetable treasures that our cultivators 

 have not yet made prizes of, we promise 

 our readers to watch closely, and to give a 

 faithful account of them. Skilful cultiva- 

 tors promise to make these sheets the re- 

 pository of their knowledge. Sound prac- 

 tice, and ingenious theory will be continually 

 developed and illustrated. The humblest 

 cottage kitchen garden, as well as the most 

 extended pleasure grounds, will occupy the 

 attention of the pens in our service. Beau- 

 tiful flowers shall picture themselves in our 

 columns, till even our sterner utilitarians 

 shall be tempted to admire and cultivate 

 them ; and the honeyed, juicy gifts of Po- 

 mona shall be treated of till every one who 

 reads shall discover that the most delicious 



