6 FIELD CROPS 



be less dominant in the interest of a local community and 

 by limiting the number of exercises that are undertaken. 



The study of Field Crops does not presuppose a previous 

 course in botany or general science. 



Supplementary references have been given at the close 

 of each chapter in the waj^ of Farmers' Bulletins, which may 

 be obtained free from the Department of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington, D. C, and of standard volumes which should find a 

 place in the school library. The publications of local experi- 

 ment stations should also be obtained. 



The laboratory exercices and field projects which appear 

 at the close of the chapters are merely suggestive, as it i: 

 thought that the local conditions and the individual judg- 

 ment of the teacher will in most instances determine the 

 character of the experiments. In each classroom special em- 

 phasis should be given to the particular crops which are of 

 importance in the region where the instruction is given. Fre- 

 quent visits should be made to farms in the vicinity, and as 

 many of the crops as possible studied at first hand. Small 

 plats of some crops not common in the community may well 

 be grown on the school farm to supply illustrative material. 



While the book is designed primarily for text use, the 

 authors trust that it will also be of interest to farmers and 

 to those who desire to become farmers. The results of many^ 

 experiments have been embodied in the text, as have also 

 the practical experiences of many good farmers. The aim 

 throughout has been to make a simple, practical, readable 

 manual. 



Our acknowledgments are due to various officials of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, and to the Ohio, 

 Kansas, and Minnesota experiment stations for illustrative 

 material. 



A. D. WILSON. 

 C. W. WARBURTON 

 October 1, 1918. 



