From vast southern plantations, to western farms and ranches, to sod shanties on desolate prairies, much of America's population lived in the country. For many, this meant developing a degree of self-sufficiency that was unknown in much of the rest of the "civilized" Victorian world. It might mean that one was miles away from the nearest neighbor, and a day's drive from the nearest town, doctor or store. Occasionally, as these articles show, a British family might venture into the American West, and would find it a very different world from "back home." This section looks at the rural way of life in America; our Farming & Agriculture page looks at the business side of farming and agriculture.

Scientific Farming (Atlantic Monthly, 1865)

A delightful article that takes one on a rhapsodic tour of a classic American farm.

Woman's Love of the Beautiful, by Lucy Snow (Demorest, 1874)

How women are making the homes of the western prairies beautiful.

Air Towns and Their Inhabitants (Harper's Monthly, 1875B)

"Air Towns" are a term for the brief-lived towns that sprang up around the West and vanished again almost overnight - we'd call them "ghost towns" today.

Gentleman Farming (Harper's Monthly, 1875B)

Christmas in the Far West, by W.H. Wiltshire (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

What Christmas was like on the bleak, empty, freezing Kansas prairie (illustrated with a picture of a log cabin surrounded by heavy woods!).

Picturesque Aspects of Farm Life in New York (Scribners, 1879A)

A Woman Farmer (Demorest, 1879)

Young Man, Go West (Harper's Monthly, 1881A)

A look at the Close Colony of Iowa, with interesting details about the costs of farming and other ventures of the period.

A Lady's Journey to Texas and Back Again, by Julia Conron (Girl's Own Paper, 1883-84)

In 1880, having suffered "great losses in business," a British family "resolved to try what a new country could do for us -- or rather what we could manage to do in another land." A fascinating look at the journey (the San Antonio hotel was a whopping $1 per night), and life on a small Texas ranch.

Western Careers for Eastern Young Men (Century Magazine, 1883A)

Opportunities in the frontiers and homesteads of the West.

A Word with Countrywomen, by Julia Dorr (Century Magazine, 1884)

On the follies of trying to keep up with city fashions and ways - and ruining one's life and health in the process!

Farmers' Boys, by Mrs. F.M. Leighton (Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture, 1886)

"We wish for more consideration for the boys on the farm, alike removed from the exacting severity which wears out the hope and courage of the boy, or, what is worse, the foolish indulgence which fosters idleness, and, by a large allowance of pocket-money, opens all the avenues to temptation. The consideration which makes a confidante and companion of your son, which invites his confidence and takes an interest in his plans, will bear precious fruit in the near future..."

Farmers' Mistakes, by E.M. Tewksbury (Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture, 1886)

An amusing roundup of potential mistakes, beginning with the mistake of birth: If one is not inclined to pursue the avocation into which one is born, it is a mistake to be born a farmer!

Four Friends in a Phaeton [in Nebraska] (Demorest, 1886) (Demorest, 1886)

Four friends embark on a driving tour of Nebraska! The results are actually quite delightful!

How [Farming] Success Is Achieved, by M.W. Oliver (Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture, 1886)

The secret of success is to choose a calling and follow it.

Notes from the Prairie, by John Burroughs (Century Magazine, 1886B)

The author's correspondence with Mrs. Beardslee of Manchester, Iowa, who provides lovely descriptions of prairie wildlife, flowers, etc. (plus a lively account of her pet squirrel).

The Texan Farmer (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1886)

What Advantages Does Agriculture Offer a Young Man About to Choose an Occupation? by Gabriel Heister (Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture, 1886)

Many, this author believes, including true happiness.

Prescriptions from the Far West (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1888)

Frontier Types, by Theodore Roosevelt (Century Magazine, 1888B)

With illustrations by Frederic Remington.

The Ranchman's Rifle on Crag and Prairie, by Theodore Roosevelt (Century Magazine, 1888B)

With illustrations by Frederic Remington.

Sheriff's Work on a Ranch, by Theodore Roosevelt (Century Magazine, 1888B)

With illustrations by Frederic Remington.

American Farming for Women (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1890)

The Distaste for Solitude (Century Magazine, 1890B)

The editor argues that this is one cause of farmers abandoning farm life.

Middle Georgia Rural Life, by R.M. Johnston (Century Magazine, 1892A)

Naming a Country House, by Frances E. Lanigan (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

Some delightful suggestions on how to name your country retreat.

The Isolation of Life on Prairie Farms, by E.V. Smalley (Atlantic Monthly, 1893)

In Cow-Boy Land, by Theodore Roosevelt (Century Magazine, 1893B)

With pictures by Frederic Remington.

Hunting an Abandoned Farm in Connecticut/New England, by William Henry Bishop (Century Magazine, 1894A, 1894B)

Charming account of searching for just the right farmhouse.

Home Seekers in Western Lands, by F. Balgarnie (English Illustrated Magazine, 1895B)

A British look at the mass of immigrants at Ellis Island, New York, and their hopes and prospects.

Pests, by Warren Cooper (The Strand, 1897B)

How Americans battle such pets as locusts, moths, rabbits, and invasive plants.

A Tenderfoot in Texas by Stanley L. Wood (Windsor, 1897A)

A British artist's delightful account (and illustrations) of his visit to a Texas ranch.

Starting a Village Library, by Neltje Blanchan (Ladies Home Journal, 1898)

The Arks of Arktown, by Laura B. Starr (The Strand, 1899B)

California houseboats.

Chronicles of an Anglo-Californian Ranch, by Margaret Innes(Girl's Own Paper, 1899)

A 13-part series describing a British family's adventures in California - the midnight hunt for a rattlesnake is not to be missed!

• See also Farming & Agriculture for articles about the business of agriculture in America.