306 THE PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURE 



PART II. THE PLANT AND CROPS 



We have now completed a general review of 

 the characteristics of the soil, the means of im- 

 proving its condition and of adding to its rich- 

 ness. We now come to the second of our great 

 subjects the growing of plants. The growing of 

 many plants together results in the securing of 

 a crop. Ordinarily the general farmer considers 

 the crop rather than the individual plant, whereas 

 the gardener considers individual plants rather 

 than crops. That is, the gardener gives each 

 plant special care. He often grows the plant in 

 a pot and every vacancy is noticed. The gar- 

 dener, therefore, is likely to secure greater results 

 from each plant than the general farmer is. 



It will be seen that this Part II is laid out in 

 six chapters: (vn) what the offices of the plant 

 are to the agriculturist ; (vm) how the plant 

 lives and grows; (ix) how plants may be prop- 

 agated; (x) how land may be prepared in order 

 to receive the seed; (xi) how a plant is cared 

 for after it has germinated ; (xn) a discussion 

 of a few fundamental crops, as pasturage, mea- 

 dow, and forage. 



Chapter 7 



The following questions will elucidate the 

 range of the offices of the plant. Note that the 



