P11EFACE TO SIXTH EDITION. 



ALTHOUGH our advance in rural life has not attained, 

 and may never reach, the extent mentioned by Mr. DOWN- 

 ING, in his account of his visit to Woburn Abbey, where 

 he says, " there are 20,000 country houses in England, each 

 larger than the President's house at Washington ;" yet our 

 progress has been very great partly, perhaps, from the 

 increasing discomfort and expense of our large cities, 

 and the great facilities which our numerous railways and 

 steamers offer to business persons to reside permanently 

 in the country ; but more, let us hope, from an improving 

 taste, and love for rural life, which is always one of the 

 agreeable and graceful accompaniments of increasing 

 civilization. 



As a country advances in age, she improves in a taste 

 for all the elegant and artistic pursuits of life, which 

 naturally follow in the train of wealth and refinement. 

 The sword is turned into the pruning-hook, while " arma 

 cedunt togaz" 



If one could compare the extremely crude condition 

 of our rural knowledge, upon the first appearance 

 of this book, with the vast progress since made, both 

 in the useful and ornamental cultivation of the soil, 

 it would seem difficult to realize that a nation could move 

 Avith such giant strides. Still, though much has been 

 done, much } r et remains to do. Those who have already 

 put their hand to the plough, do not desire to turn back, 

 they wish only to know how to go on ; want of further 

 information, like the cry of Ajax, 



" Give me to see " 



pervades the whole land. 



xi 



