PREFACE. Vll 



As was to be expected from the manifold advances made 

 in all mechanical matters in recent years, it appeared on 

 investigation that many of the articles described and illus- 

 trated in the last edition, under the heads of Farm and Dairy 

 Implements and Machinery, had passed out of date. While 

 some have been superseded by new inventions, most of the rest 

 have been improved in form and in detail. It was necessary, 

 therefore, to re-write the Implement sections almost entirely, 

 and to obtain fresh illustrations, for which thanks are tendered 

 to the several firms named in those portions of the work. 



With respect to illustrations of Live Stock, it has not been 

 deemed desirable to displace well -executed and typical repre- 

 sentatives of the several breeds simply on account of their 



being portraits of prize- winning animals of former years. On 





 the contrary, while substituting, for what would now be 



unsatisfactory illustrations, those of champions at the latest 

 show of the Royal Agricultural Society, it has been regarded 

 as better to retain and give with them the portraits of many 

 famous animals of the past, than to represent present-day 

 animals exclusively. Amongst those retained are some 

 which were supplied by Professor Wallace, who has kindly 

 consented to their reappearance. The new frontispiece, 

 which depicts one of the most perfect specimens of the 

 Shorthorn breed of cattle ever bred, is referred to in the 

 division of the work relating to that breed. 



The valuable assistance of most of the specialists who were 

 contributors to the last two editions has been enlisted for the 



