Project Gutenberg's The First Book of Farming, by Charles L. GoodrichThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away orre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.netTitle: The First Book of FarmingAuthor: Charles L. GoodrichRelease Date: October 18, 2005 [EBook #16900]Language: EnglishCharacter set encoding: ISO-8859-1*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FIRST BOOK OF FARMING ***Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Jeannie Howse and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.netThe First Book of Farming[Illustration: THE FARM EQUIPMENT--PLANTS, SOILS, ANIMALS, TOOLS,BUILDINGS.] 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 1905, by DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY PUBLISHED MARCH, 1905 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N.Y.PREFACEThe 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 ...
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
[Illustration: THE FARM EQUIPMENT--PLANTS, SOILS, ANIMALS, TOOLS,
BUILDINGS.]
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 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 UNDERLYING PLANT CULTURE
Chapter Page
I.--INTRODUCTION TO PLANTS 3
II.--ROOTS 9
Uses of roots to plants 9
Habit of growth of roots 11
Conditions necessary for root growth 20
III.--SOILS 23
Relation of soil to plants 23
Classification of soils 26
How were soils made? 30
Soil texture 37 IV.--RELATION OF SOILS TO WATER 39
Importance of water to plants 39
Sources of soil water 40
Attitude of soils toward water:
Percolation
Absorption from below
Power to hold water 40
The effect of working soils when wet 45
V.--FORMS OF SOIL WATER 48
Free water 48
Capillary water 49
Film water 50
VI.--LOSS OF SOIL WATER
By surface wash
By percolation and leaching
By evaporation
By transpiration
How to check these losses 53
VII.--SOIL TEMPERATURE 57
How soils are warmed 58
How soils lose heat
How to check loss of heat 59
Conditions which influence soil temperature 60
Value of organic matter 61
VIII.--PLANT FOOD IN THE SOIL 63
IX.--SEEDS 70
Conditions necessary for sprouting 70
Seed testing 75
How the seeds come up 77
Use of cotyledons and endosperm 79
X.--SEED PLANTING 81
Depth of planting:
Operation of planting
Planting machines 81
Seed classification 85
Transplanting 87
XI.--SPADING AND PLOWING 90
Spading the soil 90
Plowing 91
Why we spade and plow 91
Parts of a plow 92
Characteristics of a good plow 95
The furrow slice 96
How deep to plow 96
"Breaking out the middles" 97
Ridging the land 98
Time to plow 98
Bare fallow 100
XII.--HARROWING AND ROLLING 101
Harrowing:
Why we harrow
Time to harrow 101
Types of harrows 102
Rolling 106 XIII.--LEAVES 108
Facts about leaves 108
The uses of leaves to plants:
Transpiration
Starch making
Digestion of food
Conditions necessary for leaf work 109
How the work of leaves is interfered with 115
XIV.--STEMS 120
What are stems for? 120
How the work of the stem may be interfered with 126
XV.--FLOWERS 128
Function of flowers 128
Parts of flowers 129
Functions of the parts:
Cross pollination 130
Value of a knowledge of the flowers 134
Fruit 136
PART II
SOIL FERTILITY AS AFFECTED BY FARM OPERATIONS AND
FARM PRACTICES
Chapter Page
XVI.--A FERTILE SOIL 141
Physical properties:
Power to absorb and hold water
Power of ventilation
Power to absorb and hold heat 142
Biological properties 143
Nitrogen-fixing germs 144
Nitrifying germs 145
Denitrifying germs 147
Chemical properties: