xii Introduction to Second Edition. 



made its appearance, manufacturers of feed cutters 

 sent catalogues and circulars (advertising their ma- 

 chines) broadcast over the country, agents can- 

 vassed towns, exhibited their machines at fairs, and 

 told exaggerated stories of the advantages to be 

 gained by ensilaging corn fodder. They said that 

 ensilage was a good thing, and that their particular 

 machine was the only thing. Ensilage being a new 

 departure, a new discovery, the agricultural papers 

 were full of it, and later it became a popular theme 

 for discussion at the Farmers' Institutes, where it 

 was listened to because it was new and sensational. 



Soiling, on the other hand, was a question that 

 every farmer was familiar with. Few could be found 

 but that had practised it to the extent of cutting 

 clover green, and feeding it to their workhorses in 

 the barns, or had sown a patch of corn for their cows 

 to be fed over the fence in the pasture field to help 

 out the pasture in a dry season. In doing this they 

 never discovered anything very wonderful, or strik- 

 ing, or sensational, as was the case in the introduc- 

 tion of ensilage. 



No one talked soiling, and altogether it had little 

 to force itself upon the attention of the public. 



Soiling has been unfortunate in not being properly 

 introduced. No one in all the country has a far- 

 thing to gain out of the farmer by advocating the 

 system or encouraging its adoption. 



I have lived long enough to discover that people 

 will listen to good advice, and admit that it is good 

 advice, but if they can obtain it for nothing, it is 



