THE FARMER AND NATURE 



found it hard to live at all. Especially did many children 

 die from lack of proper food and clothing. To some minds 

 it became a problem to supply the food and clothing needed. 

 The first farmer who stirred a plot of ground with a crooked 

 stick and then sowed there the seed of a wild wheat plant 

 instead of eating it made a wonderful advance. It 



PLOWING ALONG THE NILE. 

 Early farmers probably used some such simple tools. 



was no longer necessary to depend wholly on wild crops 

 for food. 



It had been noticed that the seeds of certain wild 

 plants were covered with strong fiber*, and women had 

 sometimes woven these fibers together for clothing. At 

 last a few of these hairy seeds were planted in a cultivated 

 plot. This was the first cotton field. 



