INTRODUCTION TO SECOND EDITION. 



THE first edition of. "Soiling, Summer and Win- 

 ter "has been exhausted since 1885. I have been 

 trying to find time ever since to go over the ground 

 again and present the work in better form, but the 

 convenient season has ever seemed to be to-morrow, 

 so that between business cares on the one hand, and 

 the thief of time on the other, weeks have stolen 

 into months, and months into years, leaving the 

 work unfinished. 



There was another reason (but I never liked to let 

 myself admit it) . I felt that my work on soiling was 

 a little premature, and I have been waiting for a 

 sign that would indicate that it was wanted. 



I published the 1880 edition myself, because no 

 publisher could be found who had the courage to 

 undertake it. In the mean time, the Farmers' Insti- 

 tutes were inaugurated throughout the country, and 

 Experimental Stations in nearly every State are delv- 

 ing into every possible nook and corner in a legiti- 

 mate strife among themselves to be the first to mas- 

 ter and give to the public the latest ideas in regard 

 to every known subject pertaining to agriculture. 

 So that, in a great measure, they robbed one of that 



