PREFACE. 



THESE admirable lectures of George Yille were originally 

 translated from the French by Miss E. L. Howard for the 

 columns of The Plantation, a weekly agricultural paper pub- 

 lished in Atlanta, Georgia. 



This was, perhaps, the first instance in this country in which 

 an agricultural paper had ventured upon the translation of a 

 foreign scientific work to be published in its columns. It was also, 

 perhaps, the first instance in which a scientific agricultural work 

 had been translated by a Southern we may add an American 

 lady. It was a task of much difficulty, requiring not only a 

 thorough knowledge of the French language and familiarity with 

 scientific terms, but a change from French weights, measures and 

 currency to our own. The whole work has been patiently and 

 skillfully executed. 



So great was the impression made by this translation that the 

 State Agricultural Society of Georgia, at its recent Convention, 

 held October 8th at Eome in Georgia, took the following com- 

 plimentary notice of it : 



" Mr. Barnett, of Wilkes, offered the following preamble and 

 resolution : 



" Whereas, The exceedingly interesting work of George Yille, 

 whp has done so much to advance the science of Agriculture 

 among mankind, and to promote it almost to the rank of an 

 exact science by his wonderful combination of skill, knowledge 

 and common sense, has been translated by a Southern lady a 

 native Georgian in a style of great elegance and perspicuity ; 



