IV 



PREFACE. 



Tliough not perfect, farmers will find this book a useful one. If 

 not invaluable, I hope it is one that they can not afford to do with- 

 out. In its comjiilation, the author has enjoyed many facilities 

 and much experience ; he has also labored under many difficulties, 

 while daily engaged as an agricultural editor of a groat daily and 

 weekly paper. You will liiul here stored up for future use many 

 of the valuable little items that you have read approvingly from 

 time to time but have forgotten, useful to every man's family, and 

 worthy of preservation. Usefulness instead of elegance has been 

 aimed at. I have given more facts than theories. I have often 

 given the opinions of several upon the same subject, and, as some 

 of these vary, I leave the reader to adjust differences. 



In trying to avoid difTuseness, I have left much for inference, and 

 purposely treated subjects in such a manner as to induce readers to 

 make further research. A word of explanation. At the end of the 

 volume you will find a list of individuals, nearly five hundr^, some 

 of whom are eminent authority in agricultural knowledge. These 

 individuals haVe materially aided the author in producing a w-ork 

 which has been long needed by the American farmer, gardener, 

 florist, fruit-grower, and housekeeper. From all these he has drawn 

 matter, sometimes wuth, and sometimes without, credit to individ- 

 uals, when facts have been condensed from their articles. Con- 

 ciseness has been a study ; else, how could twelve hundred subjects 

 be crowded into a thousand pages ? Those whose articles I have 

 used, must not complain that I have pruned too closely, or failed to 

 give credit in all cases where credit is due. I freely acknowledge 

 my obligations to all. 



This book is one that may be opened at any page, profitably, 

 to occupy five minutes' leisure. It is printed in such large, clear 

 type that it can be easily read. The author and publisher hope that 

 it will be. Then it is illustrated as no agricultural book published 

 in America ever has been. Look at the many large, handsome, 



