Cover

The First Book of Farming
THE FARM EQUIPMENT
THE FARM EQUIPMENT—PLANTS, SOILS, ANIMALS, TOOLS,BUILDINGS.ToList



The
First Book of Farming

By

CHARLES L. GOODRICH

 Farmer

Expert in the Bureau of Plant Industry, 
United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.


 Illustrated





GARDEN CITY NEW YORK
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
1923




Copyright 1905, by
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
Published March, 1905



PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES
AT
THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N.Y.





PREFACE

The most successful farmers of the present day are those who work inharmony with the forces and laws of nature which control the growthand development of plants and animals. These men have gained theirknowledge of those laws and forces by careful observation, experimentand study.
This book is a result of the author's search for these facts andtruths as a student and farmer and his endeavor as a teacher topresent them in a simple manner to others.
The object in presenting the book to the general public is the hopethat it may be of assistance to farmers, students and teachers, intheir search for the fundamental truths and principles of farming.
In the first part of the book an attempt has been made to select themost important and fundamental truths and principles underlying allagriculture and to present them in the order of their importance,beginning with the most important.
An endeavor has been made to present these truths to the reader andstudent in a simple and interesting manner. As far as possible eachadvance step is based on a previously stated fact or truth. A numberof side truths are introduced at various places.
A number of simple experiments have been introduced into the text inthe belief that they will make the work more interesting to thegeneral reader, and will aid the student in learning to make simpleinvestigations for himself.
The author recommends all who use the book to perform the experimentsand to make the observations, and so come actively in touch with thework.
The observations begin on the farm. The author considers the plant thecentral and all-important factor or agent on the farm.
The root is regarded as the most important part of the plant toitself, and consequently to the plant grower.
The general truths or principles which state the conditions necessaryfor the growth and development of plant roots are regarded as thefoundation truths or fundamental principles of all agriculture. Thesetruths are as follows:
The roots of farm plants need for their best growth and development: