"Our object in reading and studying this book is to find out some facts that will help those of us who are thinking of going into farming and gardening as a business or recreation to start right and will also help those of us that are already in the business to make our farms and gardens more productive. In order to make the book of greatest value to you I would urge you not only to read and study it but also to make the excursions suggested and to perform the experiments. In other words it will be of much greater value to you if you will make the obser vations and investigations and find out for yourselves the important facts and principles rather than simply take statements of the book unquestioned"