Dear Sir - I confess my delinquencies as a correspondent; but I have been unusually engaged this past fall in attending Institutes and delivering lectures on the "Education of the Industrial Classes," in neighboring counties, as well as in an unusual pressure of business at home. When I have pushed the matter a little farther in my own state, I shall probably have a word to say, with your leave, through the Horticulturist on this theme.

I see favorable notices of your work on "Country Houses," on all sides, and I have never known a book in the west receive so universal a commendation from all classes and professions. As there was, for some time, no other copy to be had here, I loaned mine until I was obliged positively to refuse to loan it any more, to keep it from being worn out by others.

There are no less than five houses built, or being built, after your models in this village already, all taken from this book; and I think when completed, they will be almost the only tasteful houses in the place. For myself, I may say I expected a good work, but so far as the architecture of houses is concerned, it is at least much more in accordance with true principles of taste, and much better adapted to meet the wants of the country, and. the age, than I could have believed forthcoming in the present state of both the art and the science in this country. And for this, as well as for much else, we Americans owe you our sincere and hearty thanks. I think it ought to be placed on the table of every man who has a family, in the United States, and if so, it would do more to improve their taste, and indirectly to form their morals and manners, than four times the same money expended in the ordinary methods of teaching the "young idea how to shoot." It is a book, too, of first lessons, regarding the very place where all instructions should begin - "home." But I must proceed to my annual report; and first