hat　I　have　written　is　doomed　to　swift　oblivion；　since；　even　if　it　were　all　equally　good；　in　the　crowded　days　that　are　to　e；　days　even　more　crowded　than　our　own；　posterity　will　not　need　much　of　the　work　of　any　individual。　If　he　is　remembered　at　all　it　will　be　by　but　a　few　books。　The　present　question　is；　What　chance　have　I　of　being　so　remembered；　and　I　can　only　hope　that　my　belief　in　the　vitality　of　at　any　rate　some　of　my　books　may　be　justified。

As　it　happens　with　reference　to　this　question　of　the　possible　endurance　of　my　work；　I　am　in　the　position　of　having　a　second　string　to　my　bow。　Years　ago　I　turned　my　attention　to　agriculture　and　to　all　the　group　of　problems　connected　with　the　land。　First　I　wrote　“A　Farmer’s　Year。”　My　object　in　piling　that　record　—　which；　if　I　live；　I　hope　to　amplify　some　day　by　the　addition　of　a　second　volume　on　the　same　plan　—　was　that　in　its　pages　future　generations　might　see　a　picture　of　the　conditions　under　which　agriculture　was　practised　in　England　at　the　end　of　the　nieenth　century。

Afterwards　I　attempted　something　much　more　ambitious；　namely；　a　full　account　of　agricultural　and　social　researches　carried　out　during　the　years　1901　and　1902；　which　was　published　under　the　title　of　“Rural　England。”　To　be　frank；　this　description　is　perhaps　a　little　too　inclusive；　seeing　that　all　England　is　not　described　in　the　multitudinous　pages　of　my　book。　It　deals；　however；　with　twenty…seven　counties　and　the　Channel　Islands；　or　one　more　than　were　treated　of　by　Arthur　Young　a　century　or　so　earlier。　After　this　prolonged　effort　exhaustion　overtook　me；　and　I　retired　to　spend　an　arduous　year　or　so　in　classifying　and　writing　down　my　experiences。　Even　now　I　have　not　abandoned　the　hope　of　dealing　with　the　remaining　counties；　and　after　these　with　Wales；　Scotl