TI PREFACE. 



cultural community. The most studious aud iutelligeut 

 farmers,, if actively engaged in agriculture, could rarely 

 devote the time required for such a collection of infor- 

 mation as is here offered to them, even were the expense 

 of purchasing several journals of no consideration. And 

 yet there is scarcely a single number of our ably con- 

 ducted agricultural periodicals -nhich docs not contain 

 some matter of interest or practical utility not to be 

 found elsewhere. 



The brilliant development of agriculture, which, witliin 

 the last, comparatively, few years, has been steadily ad- 

 vancing from a state of vague and almost hopelessly 

 unprogressive empiricism to the rank and dignity of a- 

 science, lias, by increasing the amount of intellectual 

 energy apphed to it, also greatly augmented the sum of 

 the published results of all that application : and already 

 the task of comparing, sifting, condensiiig, seems to have 

 become useful and necessary. This task it is attempted, 

 in a very Kmited measure, and merely as an experimental 

 essay, to perform in the following pages. 



Should it be considered that too many extracts relating to 

 the same class of subjects have been introduced in some 

 parts of this work, it is hoped that, on reflection, the error, 

 if such it be, may be regarded as one on the safe side. Into 

 many minds it is very difficult to gain admission for impor- 

 tant practical truths, wliich, therefore, need to be presented 

 in all varieties of form. It requnes a reiterated succession 

 of blows to drive a nail weU home into tough heart-of-oak. 

 Cobbett clearly understood tliis when he kept his powerful 



