Agriculture for Beginners

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Copyright

2015-12-27T05:04:00.000-03:00

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 School
Columbus, 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 winter

	CHAPTER I. THE SOIL
	SECTION	PAGE

I.	Origin of the Soil
II.	Tillage of the Soil
III.	The Moisture of the Soil
IV.	How the Water rises in the Soil
V.	Draining the Soil
VI.	Improving the Soil
VII.	Manuring the Soil

	CHAPTER II. THE SOIL AND THE PLANT

VIII.	Roots
IX.	How the Plant feeds from the Soil
X.	Root-Tubercles
XI.	The Rotation of Crops

	CHAPTER III. THE PLANT

XII.	How the Plant feeds from the Air
XIII.	The Sap Current
XIV.	The Flower and the Seed
XV.	Pollination
XVI.	Crosses, Hybrids, and Cross-Pollination
XVII.	Propagation by Buds
XVIII.	Plant Seeding
XIX.	Selecting Seed Corn
XX.	Weeds
XXI.	Seed Purity and Vitality

	CHAPTER IV. HOW TO RAISE A FRUIT TREE

XXII.	Grafting
XXIII.	Budding
XXIV.	Planting and Pruning

	CHAPTER V. HORTICULTURE

XXV.	Market-gardening
XXVI.	Flower-gardening

	CHAPTER VI. THE DISEASES OF PLANTS

XXVII.	The Cause and Nature of Plant Disease
XXVIII.	Yeast and Bacteria
XXIX.	Prevention of Plant Disease
XXX.	Some Special Plant Diseases

	CHAPTER VII. ORCHARD, GARDEN, AND FIELD INSECTS

XXXI.	Insects in General
XXXII.	Orchard Insects
XXXIII.	Garden and Field Insects
XXXIV.	The Cotton-Boll Weevil

	CHAPTER VIII. FARM CROPS

XXXV.	Cotton
XXXVI.	Tobacco
XXXVII.	Wheat
XXXVIII.	Corn
XXXIX.	Peanuts
XL.	Sweet Potatoes
XLI.	White, Or Irish, Potatoes
XLII.	Oats
XLIII.	Rye
XLIV.	Barley
XLV.	Sugar Plants
XLVI.	Hemp and Flax
XLVII.	Buckwheat
XLVIII.	Rice
XLIX.	The Timber Crop
L.	The Farm Garden

	CHAPTER IX. FEED STUFFS

LI.	Grasses
LII.	Legumes

	CHAPTER X. DOMESTIC ANIMALS

LIII.	Horses
LIV.	Cattle
LV.	Sheep
LVI.	Swine
LVII.	Farm Poultry
LVIII.	Bee Culture
LIX.	Why we feed Animals

	CHAPTER XI. FARM DAIRYING

LX.	The Dairy Cow
LXI.	Milk, Cream, Churning, and Butter
LXII.	How Milk sours
LXIII.	The Babcock Milk-Tester

	CHAPTER XII. MISCELLANEOUS

LXIV.	Growing Feed Stuffs on the Farm
LXV.	Farm Tools and Machines
LXVI.	Liming the Land
LXVII.	Birds
LXVIII.	Farming on Dry Land
LXIX.	Irrigation
LXX.	Life in the Country

APPENDIX

GLOSSARY

This book is now a public domain material.

To the teacher the textbook on agriculture

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To the teacher the textbook on agriculture

TO THE TEACHER

Teachers 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 or does not deal with conditions in your state.

The United States government and the different state experiment stations publish hundreds of bulletins on agricultural subjects. These are sent without cost, on application. It will be very helpful to get such of these bulletins as bear on the different sections of the book. These will be valuable additions to your school library. The authors would like to give a list of these bulletins bearing on each chapter, but it would soon be out of date, for the bulletins get out of print and are supplanted by newer ones. However, the United States Department of Agriculture prints a monthly list of its publications, and each state experiment station keeps a list of its bulletins. A note to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., or to your own state experiment station will promptly bring you these lists, and from them you can select what you need for your school.

A soil which has never been cultivated

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A soil which has never been cultivated

Virgin soil: a soil which has never been cultivated.

Vitality (of seed): vitality is the ability to grow. Seed are of good vitality if a large per cent of them will sprout.

Weathering: the action of moisture, air, frost, etc. upon rocks.

Weed: a plant out of place. A wheat plant in a rose bed or a rose in the wheat field would be regarded as a weed, as would any plant growing in a place in which it is not wanted.

Wilt (of cotton): a disease of cotton in which the whole plant droops or wilts.

Withers: the ridge between the shoulder bones of a horse, at the base of the neck.

Yeast: a preparation containing the yeast plant used to make bread rise, etc.

Wart-like growth on the roots of legumes

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Wart-like growth on the roots of legumes

Tubercle: a small, wart-like growth on the roots of legumes.

Udder: the milk vessel of a cow.

Utensil: a vessel used for household purposes.

Variety: a particular kind. For example, the Winesap, Bonum, Æsop, etc., are different varieties of apples.

Ventilate: to open to the free passage of air.

The middle part of the body of an insect

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The middle part of the body of an insect

Thorax: the middle part of the body of an insect. The thorax lies between the abdomen and the head.

Thermometer: an instrument for measuring heat.

Tillage: the act of preparing land for seed, and keeping the ground in a proper state for the growth of crops.

Transplant: a plant grown in a bed with a view to being removed to other soil; a technical term used by gardeners.

Stover as used in this book the

2015-12-22T05:04:00.000-03:00

Stover as used in this book the

Stover: as used in this book the word means the dry stalks of corn from which the ears have been removed.

Subsoil: the soil under the topsoil.

Sulphur: a yellowish chemical element; brimstone.

Taproot: the main root of a plant, which runs directly down into the earth to a considerable depth without dividing.

Terrace: a ridge of earth run on a level around a slope or hillside to keep the land from washing.

The part of the flower that bears the pollen

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The part of the flower that bears the pollen

Stamen: the part of the flower that bears the pollen.

Stamina: endurance.

Sterilize: to destroy all the germs or spores in or on anything. Sterilizing is often done by heat or chemicals.

Stigma: the part of the pistil that receives the pollen.

Stock: the stem or main part of a tree or plant. In grafting or budding the scion is inserted upon the stock.

A lengthened flower cluster with stalkless flowers

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A lengthened flower cluster with stalkless flowers

Spike: a lengthened flower cluster with stalkless flowers.

Spiracle: an air opening in the body of an insect.

Spore: a small body formed by a fungus to reproduce the fungus. It serves the same use as seeds do for flowering plants.

Spray: to apply a liquid in the form of a very fine mist by the aid of a spraying pump for the purpose of killing fungi or insects.

A young plant just from the seed

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A young plant just from the seed

Seedling: a young plant just from the seed.

Sepal: one of the leaves in the calyx.

Set: a young plant for propagation.

Silo: a house or pit for packing away green food for winter use so as to exclude air and moisture.

Sire: father.

Smut: a disease of plants, particularly of cereals, which causes the plant or some part of it to become a powdery mass.

A well-arranged succession of different crops on the same land

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A well-arranged succession of different crops on the same land

Rotation (of crops): a well-arranged succession of different crops on the same land.

Scion: a shoot, sprout, or branch taken to graft or bud upon another plant.

Seed bed: the layer of earth in which seeds are sown.

Seed selection: the careful selection of seed from particular plants with the object of keeping or increasing some desirable quality.

Pupa an insect in the stage of

2015-12-17T05:04:00.000-03:00

Pupa an insect in the stage of

Pupa: an insect in the stage of its life that comes just before the adult condition.

Purity (of seed): seeds are pure when they contain only one kind of seed and no foreign matter.

Ration: a fixed daily allowance of food for an animal.

Raupenleim: a patented sticky substance used to catch the cankerworm.

Resistant: a plant is resistant to disease when it can ward off attacks of the disease; for example, some varieties of the grape are resistant to the phylloxera.

To cause plants or animals to increase in number

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To cause plants or animals to increase in number

Propagate: to cause plants or animals to increase in number.

Protein: the name of a group of substances containing nitrogen. It is one of the most important of feeding stuffs.

Pruning: trimming or cutting parts that are not needed or that are injurious.

Pulverize: to reduce to a dustlike state.

The act of carrying pollen from stamens to pistils

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The act of carrying pollen from stamens to pistils

Pollination: the act of carrying pollen from stamens to pistils. It is usually done by the wind or by insects.

Porosity: the state of having small openings or passages between the particles of matter.

Potash: an important part of plant foods. The chief source of potash is kainit, muriate of potash, sulphate of potash, wood ashes, and cotton-hull ashes.

Perennial living through several years All

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Perennial living through several years All

Perennial: living through several years. All trees are perennial.

Petal: a single leaf of the corolla.

Phosphoric acid: an important plant food occurring in bones and rock phosphates.

Pistil: the part of the blossom that contains the immature seeds.

Pollen: the powdery substance borne by the stamen of the flower. It is necessary to seed production.

Substances made through the growth of plants or animals

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Substances made through the growth of plants or animals

Organic matter: substances made through the growth of plants or animals.

Ovary: the particular part of the pistil that bears the immature seed.

Ovipositor: the organ with which an insect deposits its eggs.

Oxygen: a gas present in the air and necessary to breathing.

Particle: any very small part of a body.

A readily usable form of nitrogen

2015-12-12T05:04:00.000-03:00

A readily usable form of nitrogen

Nitrate: a readily usable form of nitrogen. The most common nitrate is saltpeter.

Nitrogen: a chemical element, one of the most important and most expensive plant foods. It exists in fertilizers, in ammonia, in nitrates, and in organic matter.

Nodule: a little knot or bump.

Nutrient: any substance which nourishes or promotes growth.

A cobwebby growth of fungi on diseased or decaying things

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A cobwebby growth of fungi on diseased or decaying things

Mildew: a cobwebby growth of fungi on diseased or decaying things.

Mold: see mildew.

Mulch: a covering of straw, leaves, or like substances over the roots of plants to protect them from heat, drought, etc., and to preserve moisture.

Nectar: a sweetish substance in blossoms of flowers from which bees make honey.

An earthy mixture of clay and sand with organic matter

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An earthy mixture of clay and sand with organic matter

Loam: an earthy mixture of clay and sand with organic matter.

Magnesia: an earthy white substance somewhat similar to lime.

Magnify: to make a thing larger in fact or in appearance; to enlarge the appearance of a thing so that the parts may be seen more easily.

Membrane: a thin layer or fold of animal or vegetable matter.

To propagate plants by a method similar to cutting

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To propagate plants by a method similar to cutting

Layer: to propagate plants by a method similar to cutting, but differing from cutting in that the young plant takes root before it is separated from the parent plant.

Legume: a plant belonging to the family of the pea, clover, and bean; that is, having a flower of similar structure.

Lichen: a kind of flowerless plant that grows on stones, trees, boards, etc.

Insectivorous anything that eats insects

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Insectivorous anything that eats insects

Insectivorous: anything that eats insects.

Kainit: salts of potash used in making fertilizers.

Kernel: a single seed or grain, as a kernel of corn.

Kerosene emulsion: see Appendix.

Larva (plural larvæ): the young or immature form of an insect.

Larval: belonging to larva.

The result of breeding two different kinds of plants together

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The result of breeding two different kinds of plants together

Hybrid: the result of breeding two different kinds of plants together.

Hydrogen: a chemical element. It is present in water and in all living things.

Individual: a single person, plant, animal, or thing of any kind.

Inoculate: to give a disease by inserting the germ that causes it in a healthy being.

The resemblance of offspring to parent

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The resemblance of offspring to parent

Heredity: the resemblance of offspring to parent.

Hibernating: to pass the winter in a torpid or inactive state in close quarters.

Hock: the joint in the hind leg of quadrupeds between the leg and the shank. It corresponds to the ankle in man.

Host: the plant upon which a fungus or insect is preying.

Humus: the portion of the soil caused by the decay of animal or vegetable matter.

A vegetable form of protein found in cereals

2015-12-05T05:04:00.000-03:00

A vegetable form of protein found in cereals

Gluten: a vegetable form of protein found in cereals.

Graft: to place a living branch or stem on another living stem so that it may grow there. It insures the growth of the desired kind of plant.

Granule: a little grain.

Gypsum: land plaster.

"Head back": to cut or prune a tree so as to form its head, that is, the place where the main trunk first gives off its branches.

Agriculture for Beginners

How to cite our website

Safety Warning

Copyright

AGRICULTURE FOR BEGINNERS

BY

CHARLES WILLIAM BURKETT

FRANK LINCOLN STEVENS

AND

DANIEL HARVEY HILL

REVISED EDITION

CONTENTS

To the teacher the textbook on agriculture

TO THE TEACHER

A soil which has never been cultivated

A soil which has never been cultivated

Wart-like growth on the roots of legumes

Wart-like growth on the roots of legumes

The middle part of the body of an insect

The middle part of the body of an insect

Stover as used in this book the

Stover as used in this book the

The part of the flower that bears the pollen

The part of the flower that bears the pollen

A lengthened flower cluster with stalkless flowers

A lengthened flower cluster with stalkless flowers

A young plant just from the seed

A young plant just from the seed

A well-arranged succession of different crops on the same land

A well-arranged succession of different crops on the same land

Pupa an insect in the stage of

Pupa an insect in the stage of

To cause plants or animals to increase in number

To cause plants or animals to increase in number

The act of carrying pollen from stamens to pistils

The act of carrying pollen from stamens to pistils

Perennial living through several years All

Perennial living through several years All

Substances made through the growth of plants or animals

Substances made through the growth of plants or animals

A readily usable form of nitrogen

A readily usable form of nitrogen

A cobwebby growth of fungi on diseased or decaying things

A cobwebby growth of fungi on diseased or decaying things

An earthy mixture of clay and sand with organic matter

An earthy mixture of clay and sand with organic matter

To propagate plants by a method similar to cutting

To propagate plants by a method similar to cutting

Insectivorous anything that eats insects

Insectivorous anything that eats insects

The result of breeding two different kinds of plants together

The result of breeding two different kinds of plants together

The resemblance of offspring to parent

The resemblance of offspring to parent

A vegetable form of protein found in cereals

A vegetable form of protein found in cereals

AGRICULTURE FOR
BEGINNERS