EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 



Principles of Farm Practice is written with the fundamental 

 fact in mind that Agriculture teaching, like agricultural life, must 

 be lived from day to day. Instruction in theory and the accumula- 

 tion of facts are of little value in themselves. The textbook and 

 teaching process that make the things taught part of the student's 

 life, because of logical arrangement and practical application to 

 every day affairs, are alone worth while. Such it is hoped, the 

 present book will prove to be. 



In teaching such a primary subject as agriculture, it is well 

 to keep in mind that food, clothing and shelter come first in the 

 list of human wants. Until they are provided the people, either 

 savage or civilized, will pay little attention to the other desirable 

 things of life. If modern agricultural people, therefore, are to 

 live well rounded lives they must first of all be put in a position 

 to make a good living out of the land. In the United States about 

 seventy-five percent of the nation's wealth comes immediately out 

 of the land in one form or another. The farmers are the greatest 

 wealth producers we have, although not the greatest wealth 

 keepers; for, under the present system of agricultural organization 

 the farmers are able to keep only a small part of this wealth for 

 themselves. The schools must, accordingly, teach new things, 

 not alone .in agricultural production acre by acre, but also 

 in how to prepare products for market and how to market them. 



This book accordingly aims to help the children to become better 

 and more scientific farm folk than those who have gone before 

 them; but most of all it aims to help them to live happy, contented 

 lives in the open country, in fullest harmony with the nature en- 

 vironment round about them. It is not enough to instruct in 

 agricultural objects and practices; the educational and spiritual 

 views of agricultural life are fully as essential. All of these are 

 given careful consideration in the book. 



