THE MANSE GARDEN. 243 



APPENDIX. 



GARDEN-BOOKS commonly terminate in a de- 

 scription of garden-tools; and something indeed, as 

 to the best means of accomplishing the end their 

 authors have in view, may very naturally be expected. 

 But as the dealers in tools, as well as others in trade, 

 are usually quicksighted enough to discover what 

 sorts have the readiest sale, and as that sale soon 

 comes to progress in the ratio of merit, the writer of 

 the previous treatise is quite satisfied with the market 

 as it is, together with the law which, without check- 

 ing the multiplicity of inventions, circulates only the 

 best. Instead therefore of describing the shape, size, 

 or otherwise improved construction of spades, rakes, 

 mattocks, and mousetraps, he proceeds to consider 

 only one implement of the manse garden, and which 

 truly needs no little attention to its proper use arid 

 amendment namely, the minister's boy. 



In former years the minister's man was a func- 

 tionary of some note in the parish ; but whether of 

 late servants have risen in rank, or ministers fallen, 

 certain it is that the minister's man has now very 

 generally dwindled to a boy. It may be however 

 that a better economy, without supposing either a 

 rise or fall in the rank of either, may account for the 

 change. Descending from feudal times, when ser- 



