PREFACE 



THE rich man needs no such work as this. His 

 ample purse will enable him to purchase land where- 

 ever his fancy may lead, paying for other men s im 

 provements, and lavishly expending his means on 

 new ones. He has his idols in common with the 

 poor man. The first thought of the former is to im 

 prove and embellish ; that of the latter is simply to 

 acquire. 



The now wealthy man was at one time actuated 

 by a similar impulse. Henceforth his ambition is 

 to spend. As the poor are always with us, there is 

 a constantly existing crowd whose aspirations are 

 identical with those which he once entertained. 

 Many of them are equally deserving with their 

 successful predecessors. Many of them have no 

 thought of achieving fortune by commerce, trade, 

 or manufactures, or the national vice of office-seek 

 ing. Their attention is directed exclusively to agri 

 culture, and the acquisition of land. They have 

 either been brought up as farmers, or a passion has 

 been born with them to become such, or disappoint- 



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