34 



SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



never have been farmed. There are farms, once productive, that have 

 been robbed of fertility and neglected until they are no longer fit for 

 occupation. There are also some types of fanning in some localities, 

 once profitable, that are not paying under the changed economic con- 

 ditions. These are sonic of the more acute problems that call for a fuller 

 knowledge of the soil than we have previously possessed. The following 

 chapters in Book I will deal with the essentials in a non-technical manner. 



Rock Weathering and the Process of Soil Formation. 1 



It is hoped it may all be profitable reading for any one engaged in the 

 business of farming. 



The Science of the Soil. — In recent years science has been directed 

 towards the soil in search of new truths. The reasons for methods of 

 tillage, crop rotations, use of manures, need for lime and many other 

 things have been explained. Soils are being classified and mapped. Crop 

 adaptation is being studied. Field experiments with fertilizers and cul- 

 tural methods are being conducted extensively in every state in the Union. 

 As a result of all this activity, much progress has been made and we now 

 have a voluminous literature relating to the soil. The subject is recognized 

 as vital to successful farming everywhere, because the soil is the founda- 

 tion of all agriculture. 



JCourtesy of E. P. Dutton & Co., N. Y. From " The Soil," by Hall. 



