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