Excerpt from Complete Farmer's Guide: Fundamentals of Farming and Farm Life

It was also the purpose of the authors to provide a book that did not stop with giving mere advice about farm prae tices to be memorized by the pupils, but taught first of all the fundamental principles of plant and animal growth and reproduction and of soil management. In this way the pupils are made able to understand the reasons for farm practices and to criticise any old or new practice independently. By emphasizing these far-reaching principles first, the thousand and one details of practice in the study of farm crops and animal husbandry which are later given become a matter for simple reasoning instead of a mere dead weight to be carried in memory. In order still further to develop the powers of observation, exercise the reason, and connect the lessons with the daily life and home needs of the pupils, lists of suggestive questions, exercises, and problems are provided for each subject.

It is an astonishing fact that no text-book has given to the work of the farmer girls and farmers' wives more than a pass ing mention. Undoubtedly, the conditions in the country schools make this problem difficult, but it is believed that, with the aid of the experts in domestic economy and rural teaching who generously co - operated, a very valuable be ginning has been made in this text in enabling the school to give somewhat the same preparation for her life work on the farm to the farmer girl that is now given to the farmer boy.

We have in general tried to broaden the conception of the course in elementary agriculture from that of a mere treatise on raising plants and animals for sale to that of a means of preparation for living intelligently and happily, as well as profitably, on the farm.

It is a great pleasure to express here our appreciation of the assistance generously given by our colleagues in prepar ing this book.

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