quent knowledge— nor even in the same class as that of the later 

 investigations of Lawson, Flint, Faunce de Laune, and 

 many other scientific authorities. It is rather a sizing-up of the 

 world's practical experience brought down to date, sifted, winnowed 

 and freed of all extraneous matter, and put into such short and 

 compact shape as can be readily assimilated in a short time by 

 the farmer and seedsman— the always busy! It is a thoughtful 

 resume of the subject; the ripe fruit of the brain of a practical 

 seedsman and farmer; trained by many years of experience and 

 study, verified by travel and observation in foreign countries, and 

 an intimate knowledge of the subject in every direction. It is full 

 of "meat", and worthy of the most respectful attention. 



What Vilmorin's book stands for in the vegetable-world, 

 Barenbrug's treatise on the grasses although of smaller bulk 

 takes equal rank as to quality and importance. The men of to-day 

 may be no better physically, mentally, morally, than the higher 

 types of the ancient civilizations; but they have one great advan- 

 tage : they can stand on the mountain-tops and look back on the 

 achievements of their forefathers, adding the result of past expe- 

 rience to their own and thereby doing their little share for the 

 advancement of the human race and helping: "to rise on stepping- 

 stones of their dead-selves to higher things." 



Some naive and quaint expressions in the treatise caused by the 

 author having written same in a foreign language while doing his 

 thinking in his own, might easily have been reduced to English 

 and American crispness; but such trimming and polishing would 

 undoubtedly have spoiled the piquance and native simplicity and 

 sincerity of the text which, in its original form, appeals to the 

 reader with more force than if amended. 



As already stated the writer of this introductory, while wishing 

 to be within the bounds of good taste, can honestly aver that he 

 is no novice in this particular field. Yet he has found much in the 

 treatise in thought and practice, that is new even to him, and he 

 has therefore all the more confidence in commending the work 

 not only to the novice, but in many cases to the most advanced 

 farmer and seedsman. And it is surely voicing a general sentiment 

 to exclaim : — "hats off to Joseph Theodore Barenbrug!" 

 for he has certainly put the agricultural interests and the world 

 generally under a debt of gratitude for a good work, well done. 



GEORGE COOPER WATSON. 



Philadelphia, Pa, U. S. A. February 1908. 



