PREFACE TO SIXTH EDITION. 
Although our advance in rural life has not attained, 
and may never reach, the extent mentioned by Mr. Down- 
ing, in his account of his visit to Woburn Abbey, where 
he says, “ there are 20,000 country houses in England, each 
larger than the President’s house at Washington yet our 
progress has been very great — partly, perhaps, from the 
increasing discomfort and expense of our large cities, 
and the great facilities which our numerous railways and 
steamers offer to business persons to reside permanently 
in the country ; but more, let us hope, from an improving 
taste, and love for rural life, which is always one of the 
agreeable and graceful accompaniments of increasing 
civilization. 
As a country advances in age, she improves in a taste 
for all the elegant and artistic pursuits of life, which 
naturally follow in the train of wealth and refinement. 
The sword is turned into the pruning-hook, while “ arma 
cedunt tog 02 ” 
If one could compare the extremely crude condition 
of our rural knowledge, upon the first appearance 
of this book, with the vast progress since made, both 
in the useful and ornamental cultivation of the soil, 
it would seem difficult to realize that a nation could move 
with such giant strides. Still, though much has been 
done, much yet remains to do. Those wdio have already 
put their hand to the plough, do not desire to turn back, 
they wish only to know how to go on ; want of further 
information, like the cry of Ajax, 
“ Give me to see — ” 
pervades the whole land. 
xi 
