Preface ix 



mately half of our people are directly interested in agri- 

 culture as a business. Why not give them the benefit 

 of what is known about the soil, plants and animals? 

 "If any man were to find himself in a new country, 

 wholly devoid of schools, and were to be set the task 

 of originating and organizing a school system, he would 

 almost unconsciously introduce some subjects that 

 would be related to the habits of the people and the 

 welfare of the community.'' Agriculture is taught not 

 merely because it is an important industry, but as a 

 school subject, to be studied from the point of view of 

 science. As a field of study and investigation, it has 

 attracted the highest talent. Agricultural science is 

 now developed to a plane where it takes rank with the 

 older and more popular lines of scientific investigation, 

 such as chemistry, physics, biology, etc. 



We study language in order that we may more easily 

 exchange ideas with our fellows; we study history and 

 civics in order that we may better understand our social 

 relations; we encourage the development of our artistic 

 and emotional natures by singing, declamations, draw- 

 ing, etc.; we study geography to get a knowledge of 

 "the earth as the home of man," but not until recent 

 years have we stopped to study the conditions that 

 affect our immediate material environment, the soil on 

 which we live and grow the materials for food, shelter 

 and raiment. It is surely no fad to study the things that 

 are closest to us. 



As a broad, general statement, it is plain that a sub- 

 ject so universal as agriculture should be studied, even 

 though, as individuals, our work will be restricted to 

 other lines. We shall still have a large interest in the 

 ideas that belong to our country's greatest industry. 



