IV PREFACE. 



by several striking peculiarities, but, by no one 

 are they so strongly distinguished as by their 

 fondness of their gardens, and by the diligence, 

 care and taste, which they show in the man- 

 agement of them. The reproach which Solo- 

 mon, in the words of my motto, affixes on the sloth- 

 ful and ignorant husbandman, they seem to have 

 constantly in their minds; and to be constantly 

 on the watch to prevent it from applying to 

 themselves. Poverty may apologize fora dirty 

 dress or an unshaven face; men may be negli- 

 gent of their persons ; but the sentence of the 

 ivht.-ie nation is, that he, who is a sloven in his gar- 

 den, js a sloven indeed. The inside of a labour- 

 er's house, his habits, his qualities as a workman, 

 and almost his morality, may be judged of from 

 the appearance of his garden. If that be neg- 

 lected, he is, nine times out of ten, a sluggard or 

 a drunkard, or both. 



3. It seems, at first sight, very odd that this 

 taste for gardening should not have been pre- 

 served in America ; but, it is accounted for by 

 reflecting, that, where land is abundant, attach- 

 ment and even attention to small spots wear 

 away. To desire to possess land is an universal 

 desire; and vanity makes us prefer quantity to 

 quality. You may prove as clearly as daylight, 

 that it is better, in certain cases, to possess one 

 acre than a hundred ; but where do you find the 

 man that prefers the one acre ? When large 

 parcels of land are undertaken to be cultivated, 

 smaU ones are held in contempt ; and, though a 

 good garden supplies so large a part of what is 

 consumed by a family, and keeps supplying it all 

 the year round too, there are many farmers 



