Agriculture 9 , version 01

It is recommended that students complete:

1. Grade 8 or
2. have the permission of the Distance Education School to take at the Grade 8 level. This is an introductory course in the study of agriculture, with an emphasis on soil cultivation and the field work of farming.

Module 1:

Section 1: How farming is related to land, climate, crops, livestock, and markets; A broad survey of these factors in the different areas of BC
Section 2: The farmer’s land; Acres and hectares; How soil is still made; What soil contains; Different kinds of soil from forests, grasslands, and peatbogs
Section 3: Water in the soil; Soil as a place to store rain water; Movement of water downwards and upwards through the soil; Needs of growing plants for soil water; Irrigation
Section 4: Air in the soil; Soil structure and pore spaces; Effects of weather and of farm cultivations on structure of soil; Using machinery and tractors
Section 5: Heat in the soil; Effects of temperature on plant growth; Heat from the sun and the effects of solar, slope, water content, and humus contents on soil temperature; Heat from soil bacteria and from the fall of dew; How heat moves through the soil, and how it is exchanged between soil and the atmosphere
Section 6: Food for farm crops made from materials in the air and in the soil; How plants get compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from the soil, and the effects of these substances on the growth of farm crops
Section 7: Other plant foods from the soil and the special value of farmyard manure; Review of course to date
Module 1 Test covers the work of Module 1.

Module 2:

Section 8: The needs for farm cultivation of the soil and the main effects of it on soil and crops; Ploughs and ploughing
Section 9: Farm machinery and implements; Power, from oxen to diesel engines; Tractors and various field implements; Indoor machinery; Electricity on the farm
Section 10: Rotation of crops, to retain soil fertility and improve crop production
Section 11: Similarities and differences between common BC grain crops; Wheat, barley, oats, rye, and corn
Section 12: Forage Crops; Controlled Grazing; Temporary Grasslands; Different Varieties of Grass; Clover
Section 13: Farm cash crops, such as potatoes, small fruits, tree fruits, etc.; Relating production of these crops to soils, climate, labour and markets for the produce
Section 14: How to buy and care for a horse to be used for trail riding or other leisure activities; Review of course to date
Module 2 Test covers the work of Module 2.

Module 3:

Section 15: How to judge the quality of various farm products, how to prepare them for exhibition at an agricultural show or fair
Section 16: How to differentiate between farm livestock for various purposes, how to tell good livestock from poor ones
Section 17: Agricultural pioneers; Work of a few farmers and scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the development of agriculture
Section 18: Review and a brief look at the contents of Agriculture 10
Module 3 Test covers the WHOLE COURSE.