BUREAU OF NATURE-STUDY and 



FARMERS' READING-COURSE. 



BEING A PART OF 



CORNELL UNIVERSITY, 



College of Agriculture. 

 NOVEMBER, 1900. 



UNIVERSITY EXTENSION 

 IN AGRICULTURE. 



I. P. ROBERTS, Director. 



General Statement. 



The Farmers' Readiiio^-Course of the Colleo^e of Agriculture of 

 Cornell University was organized four years ago. Our reading 

 circle of fifteen thousand farmers has been built up in that time. 

 We believe that the suggestive Lessons issued have been appreciated 

 and have done good work. We are led to this conclusion bv the 

 testimonv of the readers of the Lessons. We wish to retain all our 

 old readers and to add many new ones in order to make this Read- 

 ino'-Course of still o-reater use to the farmer. Tliis is leoTtimate 

 university extension. Farmers may not find it possible to come to 

 the University themselves, but they can co-operate by sending their 

 sons to the University, by helping in the formation of reading-clubs 

 and by bringing their farming difficulties to the members of the 

 staff of the College of Agriculture. If we cannot help you imme- 

 diately, we will ask your assistance in carrying on experiments 

 designed to solve your problems. The College of Agriculture will 

 then attempt to aid the farmer with direct advice and suggestive 

 hints gathered from its own experience and by direct experimenta- 

 tion on the farmer's fields. Through this latter means the farmer 

 and the experimentalist are brought into close touch to their mutual 

 benefit. 



Ground Covered Thus Far. 



The Reading-Course thus far has dealt with three fundamental 

 things : the soil, the plant, the animal. A proper understanding of 

 the method of soil formation suggests the way in which its fertility 

 is best maintained ; a knowledge of the way in which a plant obtains 



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