PREFACE THE present volume was undertaken in the hope of accom plishing two distinct but closely related aims to provide a text book in agricultural economics suitable for the use of be ginning students and one also adapted to the needs of the large class of general readers whose interest in the economic problems of agriculture is being awakened. The fulfillment of these two aims seemed to require on the one hand simplicity of treatment and of style, together with the mechanical features requisite for a text adapted to use in the schools, arid on the other hand comprehensiveness of scope. With the latter idea in mind the book has been made to cover the important phases of agricultural economics with reasonable completeness. Chapters are devoted to the subjects commonly included in the field of farm management as well as to those considered to belong to agricultural economics in the narrow sense. In some respects the order of treatment may be considered a little unusual, and a few remarks may be offered in justification. Following the introductory chapter, attention is first directed to the idea of systems of farming as determined by physical, economic, and social conditions In this connection the opportunity is afforded the teacher to devote some time to the study of agricultural geography. The next ten chapters are devoted to those aspects of the subject usually classified under farm management. Because the point of view is largely that of yiii PREFACE the individual farm it seems desirable that these chapters precede the more generalized topics connected with the con sideration of the collective economic phenomena of agri cultural production and marketing. It is said that value andprice are the central themes of economics. Nevertheless the chapters on value and price are near the end of the book. This is due to the writers belief that value and price cannot be adequately discussed without a previous knowledge of the mechanism of purchase and sale and of the various facilities for price deter mination discovery. Consequently the discussion of value and price is made to follow the chapters on marketing. One would be rash indeed to write a book in so new a field without drawing heavily on the pioneer work of others. For the most part no attempt has been made in the present book to give specific credit for these obligations. In fact, the obligation in many cases is not easily traceable to a particular source. It is proper, therefore, that the present opportunity be em ployed to acknowledge the present writers indebtedness to the writings or oral suggestions of H. C. Taylor, G. F. Warren, R. T. Ely, W. J. Spillman, B. H. Hibbard f. N. Carver, and E. Jouzicr, as well as to many other writers on the subject of agricultural economics and . to numerous writers in the field of general economics. A close intellectual association of nearly fifteen years with Doctor II. C. Taylor and Professor R. T. Ely has made their influence especially potent. I am obliged to the following for generous aid in reading various parts of the manuscript and making valuable sugges tions Professor John D. Black, of the University of Minnesota G. W. Forster, C. R. Chambers, Charles L. Stewart, Bertha Henderson, 0. E. Baker, John S. Cotton, H. R. Tolley, L. A. Rcynoldson, H. W. Hawthorne, S. W. Mendum, O. A. Juve, R. R. Spafford, and L. A...