Agriculture for Beginners - Revised Edition

Charles William Burkett, Frank Lincoln Stevens, Daniel Harvey Hill

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• Publié par: chowyer
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 42
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Agriculture for Beginners, by
Charles William Burkett and Frank Lincoln Stevens and Daniel Harvey Hill
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Title: Agriculture for Beginners
Revised Edition
Author: Charles William Burkett
Frank Lincoln Stevens
Daniel Harvey Hill
Release Date: March 8, 2007 [EBook #20772]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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AGRICULTURE FOR
BEGINNERS
BY
CHARLES WILLIAM BURKETT
Editor of the American Agriculturist
formerly Director of Agricultural Experiment Station
Kansas State Agricultural College
FRANK LINCOLN STEVENS
Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Illinois
formerly Teacher of Science in High SchoolColumbus, Ohio
AND
DANIEL HARVEY HILL
Formerly President of the North Carolina College of
Agriculture and Mechanic Arts
REVISED EDITION
GINN AND COMPANY
BOSTON · NEW YORK · CHICAGO · LONDON
ATLANTA · DALLAS · COLUMBUS · SAN FRANCISCO
COPYRIGHT, 1903, 1904, 1914, BY
CHARLES WILLIAM BURKETT, FRANK LINCOLN STEVENS
AND DANIEL HARVEY HILL
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
329.7
The Athenæum Press
GINN AND COMPANY · PROPRIETORS · BOSTON · U.S.A.
GETTING READY FOR WINTERPREFACE
Since its first publication "Agriculture for Beginners" has found a welcome in
thousands of schools and homes. Naturally many suggestions as to changes,
additions, and other improvements have reached its authors. Naturally, too, the
authors have busied themselves in devising methods to add to the
effectiveness of the book. Some additions have been made almost every year
since the book was published. To embody all these changes and helpful
suggestions into a strictly unified volume; to add some further topics and
sections; to bring all farm practices up to the ideals of to-day; to include the
most recent teaching of scientific investigators—these were the objects sought
in the thorough revision which has just been given the book. The authors hope
and think that the remaking of the book has added to its usefulness and
attractiveness.
They believe now, as they believed before, that there is no line of separation
between the science of agriculture and the practical art of agriculture. They are
assured by the success of this book that agriculture is eminently a teachable
subject. They see no difference between teaching the child the fundamental
principles of farming and teaching the same child the fundamental truths of
arithmetic, geography, or grammar. They hold that a youth should be trained for
the farm just as carefully as he is trained for any other occupation, and that it is
unreasonable to expect him to succeed without training.
If they are right in these views, the training must begin in the public schools.
This is true for two reasons:
1. It is universally admitted that aptitudes are developed, tastes acquired, and
life habits formed during the years that a child is in the public school. Hence,
during these important years every child intended for the farm should be taught
to know and love nature, should be led to form habits of observation, and
should be required to begin a study of those great laws upon which agriculture
is based. A training like this goes far toward making his life-work profitable and
delightful.
2. Most boys and girls reared on a farm get no educational training except that
given in the public schools. If, then, the truths that unlock the doors of nature are
not taught in the public schools, nature and nature's laws will always be hid in
night to a majority of our bread-winners. They must still in ignorance and
hopeless drudgery tear their bread from a reluctant soil.
The authors return hearty thanks to Professor Thomas F. Hunt, University of
California; Professor Augustine D. Selby, Ohio Experiment Station; Professor
W. F. Massey, horticulturist and agricultural writer; and Professor Franklin
Sherman, Jr., State Entomologist of North Carolina, for aid in proofreading and
in the preparation of some of the material.CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. THE SOIL
SECTION PAGE

I. ORIGIN OF THE SOIL 1
II. TILLAGE OF THE SOIL 6
III. THE MOISTURE OF THE SOIL 9
IV. HOW THE WATER RISES IN THE SOIL 13
V. DRAINING THE SOIL 14
VI. IMPROVING THE SOIL 17
VII. MANURING THE SOIL 21

CHAPTER II. THE SOIL AND THE PLANT

VIII. ROOTS 25
IX. HOW THE PLANT FEEDS FROM THE SOIL 29
X. ROOT-TUBERCLES 30
XI. THE ROTATION OF CROPS 33

CHAPTER III. THE PLANT

XII. HOW THE PLANT FEEDS FROM THE AIR 39
XIII. THE SAP CURRENT 40
XIV. THE FLOWER AND THE SEED 42
XV. POLLINATION 46
XVI. CROSSES, HYBRIDS, AND CROSS-POLLINATION 48
XVII. PROPAGATION BY BUDS 51
XVIII. PLANT SEEDING 59
XIX. SELECTING SEED CORN 66
XX. WEEDS 69
XXI. SEED PURITY AND VITALITY 72

CHAPTER IV. HOW TO RAISE A FRUIT TREE

XXII. GRAFTING 78
XXIII. BUDDING 81
XXIV. PLANTING AND PRUNING 83
CHAPTER V. HORTICULTURE

XXV. MARKET-GARDENING 89
XXVI. FLOWER-GARDENING 108

CHAPTER VI. THE DISEASES OF PLANTS

XXVII. THE CAUSE AND NATURE OF PLANT DISEASE 122
XXVIII. YEAST AND BACTERIA 127
XXIX. PREVENTION OF PLANT DISEASE 129
XXX. SOME SPECIAL PLANT DISEASES 130

CHAPTER VII. ORCHARD, GARDEN, AND FIELD

INSECTS

XXXI. INSECTS IN GENERAL 144
XXXII. ORCHARD INSECTS 152
XXXIII. GARDEN AND FIELD INSECTS 165
XXXIV. THE COTTON-BOLL WEEVIL 173

CHAPTER VIII. FARM CROPS

XXXV. COTTON 180
XXXVI. TOBACCO 189
XXXVII. WHEAT 192
XXXVIII. CORN 197
XXXIX. PEANUTS 202
XL. SWEET POTATOES 204
XLI. WHITE, OR IRISH, POTATOES 206
XLII. OATS 209
XLIII. RYE 213
XLIV. BARLEY 215
XLV. SUGAR PLANTS 217
XLVI. HEMP AND FLAX 226
XLVII. BUCKWHEAT 229
XLVIII. RICE 231
XLIX. THE TIMBER CROP 232
L. THE FARM GARDEN 235

CHAPTER IX. FEED STUFFS
LI. GRASSES 238
LII. LEGUMES 244

CHAPTER X. DOMESTIC ANIMALS

LIII. HORSES 262
LIV. CATTLE 270
LV. SHEEP 276
LVI. SWINE 279
LVII. FARM POULTRY 282
LVIII. BEE CULTURE 286
LIX. WHY WE FEED ANIMALS 290

CHAPTER XI. FARM DAIRYING

LX. THE DAIRY COW 293
LXI. MILK, CREAM, CHURNING, AND BUTTER 297
LXII. HOW MILK SOURS 302
LXIII. THE BABCOCK MILK-TESTER 304

CHAPTER XII. MISCELLANEOUS

LXIV. GROWING FEED STUFFS ON THE FARM 309
LXV. FARM TOOLS AND MACHINES 313
LXVI. LIMING THE LAND 315
LXVII. BIRDS 318
LXVIII. FARMING ON DRY LAND 323
LXIX. IRRIGATION 326
LXX. LIFE IN THE COUNTRY 330

APPENDIX 339

GLOSSARY 342

INDEX 351
TO THE TEACHERTeachers sometimes shrink from undertaking the teaching of a simple textbook
on agriculture because they are not familiar with all the processes of farming.
By the same reasoning they might hesitate to teach arithmetic because they do
not know calculus or to teach a primary history of the United States because
they are not versed in all history. The art of farming is based on the sciences
dealing with the growth of plants and animals. This book presents in a simple
way these fundamental scientific truths and suggests some practices drawn
from them. Hence, even though many teachers may not have plowed or sowed
or harvested, such teachers need not be embarrassed in mastering and heartily
instructing a class in nature's primary laws.
If teachers realize how much the efficiency, comfort, and happiness of their
pupils will be increased throughout their lives from being taught to coöperate
with nature and to take advantage of her wonderful laws, they will eagerly
begin this study. They will find also that their pupils will be actively interested in
these studies bearing on their daily lives, and this interest will be carried over to
other subjects. Whenever you can, take the pupils into the field, the garden, the
orchard, and the dairy. Teach them to make experiments and to learn by the
use of their own eyes and brains. They will, if properly led, astonish you by their
efforts and growth.
You will find in the practical exercises many suggestions as to experiments that
you can make with your class or with individual members. Do not neglect this
first-hand teaching. It will be a delight to your pupils. In many cases it will be
best to finish the experiments or observational work first, and later turn to the
text to amplify the pupil's knowledge.
Although the book is arranged in logical order, the teacher ought to feel free to
teach any topic in the season best suited to its study. Omit any chapter or
section that does not bear on your crops