PREFACE 



A GLANCE at the table of contents will show that this book 

 treats, first, the subject of plant life and growth, and methods of 

 improving plants. A preliminary study of botany is not essential 

 to the understanding of these lessons. Soils and their improve- 

 ment and maintenance are next considered. The treatments of 

 the various farm crops, including fruits, vegetables, field crops 

 and forestry, are given in much more detail than in texts which 

 attempt to include also the study of livestock. The latter is 

 omitted from this book except as it enters into the discussion of 

 the principles of farm management, the business of farming, or 

 the principles of breeding. The enemies of crops weeds, insects, 

 and diseases are considered somewhat fully. Much emphasis 

 is laid upon the improvement of the home and the community. 



The field and laboratory exercises at the close of each of the 

 chapters are given so fully that it is believed they will be easily 

 understood and may be readily followed. 



The time allowed to complete the studies and the exercises in 

 the book should be one school year. In many instances there are 

 more exercises in field and laboratory work, suggested at the ends of 

 the chapters, than can be performed by all students. A good plan 

 may be to divide the exercises among the students. In other 

 cases the materials may not be available in the particular region, 

 but similar exercises will naturally suggest themselves. The 

 different sections of the country have been in the writer's mind 

 while preparing the text and suggesting the exercises. 



More than 4,600 high schools are giving courses in agriculture. 

 The courses offered vary from one-half to four years of agri- 

 cultural work. In addition to these regular high schools there are 

 many agricultural schools offering much more agriculture, and 

 also giving courses in manual training for boys and home eco- 

 nomics for girls. At the present day there is a tendency to for- 

 mulate more systematic courses in the agriculture offered by high 

 schools. In the past, too many have started -with a one-year 

 course of general agriculture and then later tried to change it by 

 adding one, two, or three years of agricultural work. Students 

 continuing under such a plan found that the first year of work 



369934 



