1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. Ill 



feed sweet clover hay, and you cannot better it much on 

 that. There is no forage crop that the farmer raises that is 

 so profitable as good ensilage, provided he has the machinery 

 to do it with, and does it systematically. 



Secretary Sessions. The gentlemen who has just ad- 

 dressed you has been on the farm of Mr. Wilkinson, 

 " Bright-side Farm," for a number of years, and has had the 

 charge of about a hundred cows, making several hundred 

 pounds of butter a week for the Springfield market, and 

 selling it at the very highest price. 



Mr. J. H. Hale of Connecticut. I do not propose to 

 say anything in regard to the ensilage question, because I 

 think, when we have Governor Hoard here, with his experi- 

 ence and his knowledge of the success of Wisconsin farmers 

 in the use of ensilage, he can tell more about it than any 

 man in the country. I think Wisconsin is way ahead of any 

 State in growing ensilage corn and feeding it. 



I was considerably interested in the paper which the 

 doctor gave us on the subject of New England forming. 

 I think he touched upon quite an important point when he 

 hinted at the fact there is too much grumbling and growling 

 among farmers about their disadvantages, and altogether too 

 little said about their advantages. I think that is a question 

 that we should all consider. I have been satisfied for some 

 years that if one-half as much had been told of the advantages 

 of agricultural life in New England as has been told of the 

 advantages of other sections of the United States in getting 

 up the "booms," there would have been such a rush of 

 emigration to New England as has never been seen in any 

 boomed section of America. I have had the privilege within 

 the past two or three years of visiting farmers' homes in 

 nearly every State of this Union, and nowhere in the United 

 States have I found so many attractive farm-homes, so many 

 of the comforts of life, such well-dressed and intelligent 

 people, as are to be found among farmers of New England 

 to-day. 



But, sir, the gentleman spoke in regard to a better knowl- 

 edge of our business, and the adoption of better business 

 methods. There he touches the key-note of our success. We 

 do have better business methods than formerly, but we have 



