xii PREFACE 



I have aimed at showing the inner working of the deve- 

 lopment. It is often supposed that the Danish Government 

 initiates the various new departures in the agricultural deve- 

 lopment ; but that is not so, as I have also tried to show in a 

 previous publication (" Co-operation in Danish Agriculture," 

 1918). The initiative to the various steps in the development 

 of the forage crops has been taken by farmers, sometimes in 

 co-operation with merchants, or as the result of the work of 

 scientifically-minded men, often of small means. A good deal 

 of useful information and material was obtained from farmers 

 and seed merchants in Great Britain and other countries. 

 In several cases where it appeared that useful work, begun 

 by private initiative, could not be kept going without support, 

 or where a wider application of a method, proved to be good, 

 was considered desirable, did the State step in to support 

 or to take over such work. The State did, indeed, on one 

 occasion try to take the lead by a Bill to regulate the trade in 

 seed, but the Bill was opposed and fell through; after which, 

 by gradual education and voluntary action, all that was aimed 

 at by the Bill, and even more, was accomplished some years 

 later, culminating in the guarantee of genuineness of strain. 

 The following pages will give many proofs that this has been 

 the system of the development, the aid of the State being 

 Help to Self-help. 



For all the very useful and encouraging help so freely 

 given me by experts, both in Great Britain and in Denmark, 

 I hereby render my grateful acknowledgment. 



HARALD FABER 

 LONDON, 



January, 1920, 



