THE 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



In the work now published, I present the results of the inquiries 

 in which I have been engaged for many years, and which were un- 

 dertaken in the hope of throwing light upon various points of prac- 

 tical agriculture. My first idea was, to confine myself to the mere 

 re-impression of the several papers which I had communicated from 

 time to time to different periodicals, with the addition of a quantity 

 of inedited matter which I had by me. But upon more mature con- 

 sideration, I was led to believe that I should be doing a useful thing 

 did I fill up the numerous gaps which must necessarily occur be- 

 tween papers published isolatedly, at dates more or less remote from 

 one another, and treating of the most dissimilar subjects. I have 

 thus been led, in addition to my own observations, to give those of 

 numerous writers on almost every branch of agricultural science, 

 being only careful to confine myself in each instance to the most 

 authentic practical conclusions ; for it is certain, that practical data 

 have the most direct interest for rural economy, both in itself and 

 in its bearings upon the general science of political economy. 



I have a further reason for the plan which I have adopted, which 

 [ am the less disposed to pass by in silence, inasmuch as it may 

 plead in excuse with those who might be disposed to criticize the 

 tone, perhaps somewhat too didactic, of my work. 



I was invited, in conjunction with several other professors attached 

 to a great educational institution, to give a course embracing my 

 views upon the science of agriculture. I consented to this, and 

 prepared my lectures ^ but motives, to which I was entirely a 

 stranger, having prevented the project from being carried out, 1 

 made up my mind to publish, not the lectures such as I should have 



