The traditional textbook on agriculture tends to be compartmentalized along discipline lines, for example, soils, climate, crop production, pastures, livestock, farm machinery, economics. This book approaches agriculture as the farmer must in terms of the various system components, how the operation and management of each affects the others and how it affects the resource base of soil, water and biological assets. Farming should be both profitable and sustainable; this book, dealing with the principles and practice, explains how.