Fundamentals of agriculture
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| Fundamentals of agriculture |
The world lives on the products of agriculture, and consequently, some knowledge of this subject should be of importance to everyone independent of his vocation in life. It is the object of this book, therefore, to pre-sent the fundamentals of this important subject, so as to answer questions and conditions which prevail in everybody's life. Every subject in this book is written by an expert in his line.
This idea was carried out in order to furnish the student with the best information that could be obtained. The editor thought it would be better to have authorities treat of the various topics rather than write the book alone, as there are very few men who are competent enough to warrant their writing the best textbook on agriculture.
A list of bulletins and reference books is appended at the end of each chapter. The teacher should send for the bulletins (which can be had free of charge) some time before the particular subject is assigned, in order that fuller information may be offered to the students than is included in the text. The teacher should endeavour to present the subjects in season, and not necessarily in the order they are given, so that field trips may be taken to impress the topic or topics on the student's mind and to excite interest. In propounding questions to the class originality should predominate. At the end of most sections, a few questions are asked to give the teacher an idea of what is required. Field experiments should be conducted, and the text should be followed only to furnish the student with the principles or working knowledge.
Farming a Subject of Study. — In our study of the means of promoting agriculture and country life in America, we are first of all obliged to take into account the wonderful progress which agricultural science has made during recent years. The United States Department of Agriculture and the State Experiment Stations are constantly placing at our disposal new truths which can be successfully worked over into the actual practice of the farm.
A new generation of young farmers is being trained for successful agricultural practice In ways far different from those which their fathers used, and in a much more thorough manner. Farming Is no longer a matter of experience only — It has become a subject of study. A Farmer Must Be an Educated Man.
The very fact that there Is so much that Is new to learn about agriculture, and that farm practice must be worked over In the light of this new knowledge, makes it Important that everything possible is done to give wide distribution to what we already know about the science of agriculture. As in every other industrial occupation in modern life, the farmer must make a profit. It Is not fair to say that in thus encouraging farmers to make more money, we are devoting ourselves simply to greater material gain, although there Is a possible danger that this may be the result.
As a matter of fact, the education of a good farmer under. modern conditions mean a real education of the man himself. A modern farmer must have a wide range of knowledge, appreciate the reign of law, and adapt himself to the rapidly changing conditions of the market. He must be a broadly educated man. Thus there has developed a great need for agricultural schools and colleges, experiment stations, farmers' institutes, farmers' organizations for social and business ends, — all the machinery that is now working to give increased prosperity to the farming industry.
We cannot put too much energy, and thought, and money, into the running of this social machinery, because it is vital to the development of the greatest business in America. How the Profits Should Be Used. — But at the same time that a man is being educated in order to make a better success of the business of farming, he is also learning that when he has made this greater profit, he has not really reached the end of the road. He has not yet reached his goal. The next step is to learn how to use this profit in a way that shall build him up as a man, develop the right sort of family life, and contribute to the welfare of the neighbourhood. One of the serious difficulties in our agricultural development arises from the fact that a good many farmers when they have attained business success on a farm, leave it for village or city life
. They seem to have no interest in the rural community after they have reached a certain degree of wealth. A Higher Life. — All these considerations lead to the thought that in our attempts to improve farm conditions, we must keep in sight the great human problems, as well as the great questions of better crops, and of better methods of selling these crops at a profit. We must develop the right sort of home life. We must have in the country those facilities for enjoyment and culture that will keep people alive to all of those things that make for higher manhood and nobler womanhood.
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