2 
ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURE 
chant, banker, mechanic, carpenter, dealer in lands, or- 
follower of any other profession or vocation, one will find 
a knowledge of general agriculture helpful in his work. 
The artist who is familiar with flowers, trees, the contour 
of lands, and with plant and animal life in general, dis¬ 
covers and uses many beautiful models of Nature’s own 
creation, which are pleasing to the eye when portrayed 
in a picture. The busy housewife, who knows good fruits 
and vegetables, poultry, butter, and eggs, will purchase 
Fig. 1.—Pigs in Alfalfa. 
food of good quality at reasonable prices, and thus pre¬ 
vent waste and unnecessary expense in furnishing the 
table. A good merchant needs to know the varieties of 
goods, farm equipment, tools, and luxuries demanded by 
the farmers in his district. If he is familiar with the 
crops and animals produced in his community, he is 
better able to supply the needs of the farmers and pre¬ 
vent loss from credit accounts. Bankers'throughout the 
country have many dealings with farmers and are work¬ 
ing for the betterment of farming. Boys who expect to 
become bankers need agricultural training. 
Many boys and girls who study agriculture in the pub- 
