PREFACE. V 



to the rearing, managing and treatment of sheep ; it 

 is intimately connected with the wants, conveniences 

 and enjoyments of life, and as such, is deserving the 

 attention of the philosopher, the naturalist, the in- 

 genious artist, the husbandman and patriot. At a 

 time when the state of foreign commerce and of the 

 world seems to say to the people and government of 

 the United States, husband your resources ! look at 

 home for your enjoyments ! lessen your foreign inter- 

 course and relations ! learn to depend less upon oth- 

 ers, and more upon yourselves ! to esteem, respect, 

 and love one another ! to cultivate and promote your 

 own industry, arts and manufactures, on which your 

 individual as well as national safety and happiness 

 essentially depend ! at such a period, a work of this 

 sort, must be rendered peculiarly interesting : it is 

 practical, founded on experience, and minute obser- 

 vation : written in a plain and intelligent style to suit 

 the objects and pursuits for which it was designed : 

 the humble title under which it appears, and the plain 

 manner in which it is handled, in the form of question 

 and answer, added to the apparent simplicity of some 

 of the subjects on which it treats, may at first excite 

 some prejudice against it ; but a more minute exam- 

 ination of its contents will shew it to be a work of 

 great merit, much information, extensive public util- 

 ity, and admirably calculated for publication at this 

 time. 



The translator has only to apologize for the short 

 time and little pains he has been able to bestow upon 



