The First Book of Farming

Charles Landon Goodrich

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• Publié par: urzui
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 24
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

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Project Gutenberg's The First Book of Farming, by Charles L. Goodrich This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The First Book of Farming Author: Charles L. Goodrich Release Date: October 18, 2005 [EBook #16900] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FIRST BOOK OF FARMING *** Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Jeannie Howse and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net The First Book of Farming 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 in harmony with the forces and laws of nature which control the growth and development of plants and animals. These men have gained their knowledge of those laws and forces by careful observation, experiment and study. This book is a result of the author's search for these facts and truths as a student and farmer and his endeavor as a teacher to present them in a simple manner to others. The object in presenting the book to the general public is the hope that it may be of assistance to farmers, students and teachers, in their search for the fundamental truths and principles of farming. In the first part of the book an attempt has been made to select the most important and fundamental truths and principles underlying all agriculture 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 and student in a simple and interesting manner. As far as possible each advance step is based on a previously stated fact or truth. A number of side truths are introduced at various places. A number of simple experiments have been introduced into the text in the belief that they will make the work more interesting to the general reader, and will aid the student in learning to make simple investigations for himself. The author recommends all who use the book to perform the experiments and to make the observations, and so come actively in touch with the work. The observations begin on the farm. The author considers the plant the central and all-important factor or agent on the farm. The root is regarded as the most important part of the plant to itself, and consequently to the plant grower. The general truths or principles which state the conditions necessary for the growth and development of plant roots are regarded as the foundation truths or fundamental principles of all agriculture. These truths are as follows: The roots of farm plants need for their best growth and development: A firm, mellow soil. A moist soil. A ventilated soil. A warm soil. A soil supplied with plant food. The first two chapters lead the reader quickly through logical reasoning to these fundamental truths, on which the remainder of the work is based. A study of soils is made in connection with the root studies, as the two are so closely related. After the study of roots and soils the other parts of the plant are considered in the order of their importance to the farmer or plant grower. The aim is always to get at fundamental facts and principles underlying all agricultural and horticultural practice. The author regards the conditions necessary to root growth and development as the important factor constituting soil fertility, and in the last ten chapters takes up the discussion of certain farm operations and practices and their effects on these necessary conditions, and consequently their effect on the fertility of the soil. The author extends gratitude to all who have in any way assisted in the preparation of this book, whether through advice, preparation of the text, preparation of the illustrations, or any other way in which he has received assistance. C.L. GOODRICH. GLENNDALE, Prince George Co., Maryland, January 21, 1905. CONTENTS PART I GENERAL PRINCIPLES U NDERLYING PLANT C ULTURE Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION TO PLANTS II. R OOTS Uses of roots to plants Habit of growth of roots Conditions necessary for root growth III. SOILS Relation of soil to plants 3 9 9 11 20 23 23 IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. Classification of soils How were soils made? Soil texture R ELATION OF SOILS TO WATER Importance of water to plants Sources of soil water Attitude of soils toward water: Percolation Absorption from below Power to hold water The effect of working soils when wet FORMS OF SOIL WATER Free water Capillary water Film water LOSS OF SOIL WATER By surface wash By percolation and leaching By evaporation By transpiration How to check these losses SOIL TEMPERATURE How soils are warmed How soils lose heat How to check loss of heat Conditions which influence soil temperature Value of organic matter PLANT FOOD IN THE SOIL SEEDS Conditions necessary for sprouting Seed testing How the seeds come up Use of cotyledons and endosperm SEED PLANTING Depth of planting: Operation of planting Planting machines Seed classification Transplanting SPADING AND PLOWING Spading the soil Plowing Why we spade and plow Parts of a plow Characteristics of a good plow The furrow slice How deep to plow "Breaking out the middles" Ridging the land Time to plow Bare fallow H ARROWING AND R OLLING Harrowing: Why we harrow Time to harrow 26 30 37 39 39 40 40 45 48 48 49 50 53 57 58 59 60 61 63 70 70 75 77 79 81 81 85 87 90 90 91 91 92 95 96 96 97 98 98 100 101 101 Types of harrows Rolling XIII. LEAVES Facts about leaves The uses of leaves to plants: Transpiration Starch making Digestion of food Conditions necessary for leaf work How the work of leaves is interfered with XIV. STEMS What are stems for? How the work of the stem may be interfered with XV. FLOWERS Function of flowers Parts of flowers Functions of the parts: Cross pollination Value of a knowledge of the flowers Fruit 102 106 108 108 109 115 120 120 126 128 128 129 130 134 136 PART II SOIL FERTILITY A S A FFECTED BY FARM OPERATIONS A ND FARM PRACTICES Chapter Page XVI. A FERTILE SOIL Physical properties: Power to absorb and hold water Power of ventilation Power to absorb and hold heat Biological properties Nitrogen-fixing germs Nitrifying germs Denitrifying germs Chemical properties: Nitrogen in the soil Phosphoric acid in the soil Potash in the soil Lime in the soil Great importance of physical properties Maintenance of fertility XVII. SOIL WATER Importance of soil water Necessity of soil water Sources and forms of soil water Too much water Not enough water Loss of soil water How some farm operations influence soil water Hoeing, raking, harrowing and cultivating Manures and soil water Methods of cropping and soil water Selection of crops with reference to soil water 141 142 143 144 145 147 147 150 151 151 151 153 154 154 155 156 158 159 159 160 XVIII. THE AFTER-CULTIVATION OF C ROPS Loss of water by evaporation Loss of water through weeds Saving the water Time to cultivate Tools for after-cultivation Hilling and ridging XIX. FARM MANURES The functions of manures and fertilizers Classification Importance of farm manures Barn or stable manure Loss of value Checking the losses Applying the manure to the soil Proper condition of manure when applied Composts XX. FARM MANURES, C ONCLUDED Green-crop manures: Functions Benefits Character of best plants for green-crop manuring The time for green-manure crops Leguminous green-manure crops Non-leguminous green-manure plants XXI. C OMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS The raw materials Sources of nitrogen Sources of phosphoric acid Sources of potash Sources of lime XXII. C OMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS, C ONTINUED Mixed fertilizers: What they are Many brands Safeguard for the farmer Low grade materials Inflating the guarantee Valuation Low grade mixtures Buy on the plant food basis XXIII. C OMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS, C ONCLUDED Home mixing of fertilizers Kind and amount to buy The crop The soil The system of farming Testing the soil XXIV. R OTATION OF C ROPS Systems of cropping The one crop system Rotation of crops Benefits derived from rotation of crops The typical rotation Conditions which modify the rotation 164 164 165 165 166 167 169 171 171 171 172 173 173 176 177 179 181 183 183 185 185 186 186 191 192 192 193 195 199 200 202 202 205 207 209 211 211 212 213 215 215 215 219 219 221 224 230 231 232 General rules Length of rotation XXV. FARM D RAINAGE How surplus water affects fertility Indications of a need of drainage Drains: Surface drains Open ditch drains Covered drains or under drains Influence of covered drains on fertility Location of drains: Grade Tile drains GLOSSARY 233 233 235 235 235 236 237 238 241 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS The farm equipment--plants, soils, animals, tools, Frontispiece buildings Figure Facing Page 1. Specimen plants for study 6 2. The first effort of a sprouting seed 7 3. Germinating seeds with roots 7 4. To show that plant roots take water from the soil 10 5. To show that plant roots take food from the soil 10 6. A radish root, from which the stored food has been 11 used to help produce a crop of seeds 7. A sweet-potato root producing new plants 11 8. Sweet-potato roots 14 9. Soy-bean roots 15 10. A plow stopped in the furrow, to show what it does to 18 the roots of plants when used for after-cultivation 11. A corn-plant ten days after planting the seed 19 12. To show where growth in length of the root takes 22 place 13. Radish seeds sprouted on dark cloth 22 14. To sho