Agriculture

Agriculture – is a fourth edition (1901) of work written by Charles C. James, who was the formerly Professor of Chemistry at the Ontario Agricultural College, Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Ontario. The goal of this book is to help the reader and student gain knowledge about agriculture other than the art of agriculture; that means, knowledge of the "why", rather than knowledge of the "how." Agricultural science consists of a mixture of chemistry, geology, botany, entomology, physiology, bacteriology, and other sciences as they relate to agriculture. The aim was to include only the first principles of these various sciences and show their application in agriculture. In such a vast field and with such limited space at the disposal of the author, this work claims to deal only with the simple first principles of agricultural science. Based on his experience of several years of teaching at the Ontario College of Agriculture, the author believes that teaching agriculture in public and high schools soundly is not only possible but extremely profitable. A reasonable understanding of the science behind the art of agriculture will add a lot of interest to what is otherwise hard work, and as a natural consequence, the enjoyment of such work can be greatly increased. The agronomists of this country will work in a very disadvantageous position in the future if they do not have some knowledge of the very interesting science that underlies their work. The inhabitants of our cities will also find that some knowledge of agricultural science can be useful to them and can increase respect and respect for the vocation that so much contributes to the general well-being and welfare of this country.