The First Book of Farming

About This Book

Published in 1905, The First Book of Farming is a practical guide to agricultural science by Charles Lathrop Goodrich, a farmer and plant expert at the United States Department of Agriculture. Written for students, teachers, and working farmers, the book focuses on the fundamental principles underlying all agricultural and horticultural practice — particularly soil fertility, root development, and the conditions necessary for healthy plant growth.

Goodrich structured the book around hands-on experiments that readers can perform themselves, making abstract scientific principles concrete and observable. Topics range from soil composition and drainage to seed selection, crop rotation, and the role of organic matter in maintaining productive land. The writing is clear, methodical, and free of jargon, reflecting the progressive agricultural education movement of the early 1900s.

The book was completed in Glendale, Prince George County, Maryland, and published by Doubleday, Page and Company in New York. It remains a valuable snapshot of American farming knowledge at the turn of the twentieth century. The work is in the public domain and freely available through Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive.

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