Agriculture and Knowledge 3 



of what others have observed and thought. Hence, 

 book information is not always in accord with the 

 actual conditions; and, by placing too much confidence 

 in the printed page, one is sometimes misled. An ancient 

 writer stated that a cow had eight upper front teeth. 

 For centuries afterward, this statement was believed 

 and repeated in many books, until one more careful 

 looked into a cow's mouth and found, not eight, but 

 no upper front teeth. Practical farmers, teachers, and 

 books may guide us as to how best to find out; but we 

 must use our own hands, eyes, and minds to acquire 

 knowledge, if we wish to really know. In writing out 

 our observations, we must be careful to distinguish 

 between what is observed and the conclusions which 

 we make from our observations. 



QUESTIONS 



1. What is the object of Agriculture? 2. Why should Americans 

 particularly study Agriculture? 3. What are the three phases of 

 Agriculture? Distinguish between these by familiar examples. 

 4. What is a Natural Science? 5. How does Botany differ from 

 the Science of Agriculture? 6. In what way is a knowledge of the 

 Science of Agriculture desirable? 7. How may this knowledge be 

 gained? 



