Excerpt from Gardens for Small Country Houses After the publication of the first and second editions of this book kindly readers indicated many points on which they thought our advice to the makers of gardens could usefully be expanded, and we gladly met their wishes. Perhaps we may. without offence, be pleased that during the currency of the third edition few such suggestions came to us. So it happens that this fourth edition is little different from the third hut since the latter appeared the times have changed greatly. Without seeking to fill the role of the gloomy prophet, we cannot escape the belief that the changes in social life and habit, which are the mark of our economic troubles, are striking at the maintenance of great gardens, as of great houses, in this pleasant land. But if those who have built up. kept, and loved so well their spacious gardens must needs be content with smaller houses, and if, as seems likely, the wider distribution of wealth will lead to-morrow to the creation of many more small country houses, the art of making gardens for such houses will increase in importance. If this prove true, we hope our work will still achieve some measure of usefulness, and help us, in Dr. Johnson's phrase. "to keep our friendship in repair" with many unknown and too appreciative readers. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.