PREFACE 



As early as 1824 a. text-book of agriculture was published in 

 the United States. This book was an agricultural reader, by 

 Daniel Adams. In 1837 a " Farmer's School Book," by Orville 

 Taylor, was published at Albany and Ithaca, N. Y. For one 

 hundred years there has been pressure for the introduction of 

 agriculture into schools. The subject has waited, however, 

 for many reasons. The industrial development of the middle 

 of the last century undoubtedly obscured the importance of 

 agriculture. The colleges of agriculture were expected to 

 satisfy much of the demand. In the later years of the last 

 century the profits in farming were difficult and small. Schools 

 have been unadapted to teaching in agriculture. 



Now, however, the way has opened. A national law of vast 

 significance (The Smith-Hughes Act) has provided the means 

 for redirecting the schools and providing instruction in agricul- 

 ture and home-making. Many schools have learned to teach 

 these subjects. It is admitted by all that the vocational 

 subjects dealing with land and its produce are essential to any 

 school system that would help maintain the best kind of civiliza- 

 tion. Our first duty is to care for the earth. If we cannot 

 produce our supplies for food and clothing, all the other elements 

 of society perish. A text-book of agriculture, therefore, deals 

 not only with an interesting set of subjects but it also strikes 

 at the foundations of human institutions. 



No longer shall we feed ourselves by chance or by foraging ; 

 the time is rapidly passing when we may longer till the earth 

 carelessly or ignorantly. All the people demand that the 

 farmer shall be intelligent, alert, and resourceful, providing a 

 proper support for society. We cannot live on the past. We 



