vi FOREWORD 



taken up preferably in winter or early spring when their use is 

 seasonable. Suit all studies to the season when possible. 



Exercises and Projects. — The newer trend in agricultural 

 teaching is to make the study as concrete and practical as possible. 

 To aid in this as far as possible the present volume offers numerous 

 suggestions for questionnaires, surveys, local investigations, prac- 

 ticums, field and laboratory exercises, field trips, home projects, 

 reports, etc. These will be found at the close of the chapters. 

 They are suggestive enough so that the thoughtful instructor may 

 easily adapt them to his local condition?. In many cases he will 

 omit some and perhaps add others. Where the school equipment 

 is very limited the suggestions for home exercises and home pro- 

 jects should all be followed and others added. 



Chapters on seasonal suggestions, XIV, XV, and XXVI, 

 should be of much aid in conducting home projects either by 

 students or other practical growers. 



Illustrations. — No picture is given for embellishment, but each 

 illustration is intended to teach something to the student. The 

 figures are to bring to the mind more clearly some of the lessons of 

 the text. 



Questions are given at the close of each chapter. These are 

 not merely for review, but also to extend the thought of the stu- 

 dent to his own local conditions and surroundings. They might be 

 called "thought questions." 



Acknowledgements. — The Author wishes to extend his grate- 

 ful acknowledgements to many specialists in horticulture, agri- 

 culture, and agricultural education who have materially aided in 

 the production of this volume. The bulletins of many such spe- 

 cialists have been freely offered and their lessons embodied in this 

 text. Illustrations have been supplied by many who have used 

 their special knowledge in producing the photographs. Credit is 

 given the different experiment stations under the cuts. 



Thanks are especially due to Prof. A. V. Storm of the Univer- 

 sity of Minnesota, who first suggested the general plan of such a 

 text and who has critically gone over the contents of the book, both 

 before and after manuscript was written. 



Mrs. K. C. Davis has made pen and ink drawings for many of 

 the illustrations, and has read and criticised the manuscript and 

 proof sheets. 



