Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III A POPULAR SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE There can be no intensive agriculture without a scientific agriculture. The conservation of the fertility of the soil implies the application of scientific methods to the art of plant and animal production. These two things are inseparable; for the former is a result that may be obtained only through using the latter as a means. Before the state can realize the benefits of an intensive agriculture, it must first produce a generation of farmers who are educated in the principles of the science and art of agriculture. Unscientific agriculture is wasteful. Just as an automobile may be wrecked by an unskilled person who does not understand the principles of its operation and has not acquired the necessary practice in such operation, so the soil may be depleted of its fertility by being farmed by one who does not understand the underlying principles of soil fertility and the proper methods of soil management. Likewise improper methods of feeding and caring for live stock, and the disposal of animal products, will not secure the highest returns. Farmers should approach their life's work with a thorough understanding of its underlying principles, AGEIC. EDUC.—2 17 and this knowledge can be received by the vast majority of farmers' sons only through the instruction which is obtained through the local public school. The conservation of soil fertility must be emphasized and universally taught. Should the farmers of the nation disregard this need, results more dire than those apprehended from over-population would overtake us. The unscientific management of the soil would surely serve to hasten the impending calamity. Let an example be given. Soil is rarely cultivated more than eight inches deep. Most of its available fertility ...