More Reading





About the Interlibrary Loan Service

    Agricultural books, especially older ones, are not usually available at local libraries. But most municipal libraries and all universities offer access to an on-line database listing the holdings of other cooperating libraries throughout the United States. Almost any book published in this century will be promptly mailed to the requesting library. Anyone who is serious about learning by reading should discover how easy and inexpensive (or free) it is to use the Interlibrary Loan Service.


Carter, Vernon Gill, and Tom, Dale. Topsoil and Civilization.
Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, 1974.

The history of civilization's destruction of one ecosystem after another by plowing and deforestation, and its grave implications for our country's long-term survival.


Cleveland, David A., and Daniela Soleri. Food from Dryland Gardens: An Ecological, Nutritional and Social Approach to Small-Scale Household Food Production. Tucson: Center for People, Food and Environment, 1991.

World-conscious survey of low-tech food production in semiarid regions.


Faulkner, Edward H. Plowman's Folly. Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, 1943.

This book created quite a controversy in the 1940s. Faulkner stresses the vital importance of capillarity. He explains how conventional plowing stops this moisture flow.


Foth, Henry D. Fundamentals of Soil Science. Eighth Edition. New York: John Wylie & Sons, 1990.

A thorough yet readable basic soil science text at a level comfortable for university non-science majors.


Hamaker, John. D. The Survival of Civilization. Annotated by Donald A. Weaver. Michigan/California: Hamaker-Weaver Publishers, 1982.

Hamaker contradicts our current preoccupation with global warming and makes a believable case that a new epoch of planetary glaciation is coming, caused by an increase in greenhouse gas. The book is also a guide to soil enrichment with rock powders.


Nabhan, Gary. The Desert Smells like Rain: A Naturalist in Papago Indian Country. San Francisco: North Point Press, 1962.

Describes regionally useful Native American dry-gardening techniques


Russell, Sir E. John. Soil Conditions and Plant Growth. Eighth Edition. New York: Longmans, Green & Co., 1950.

Probably the finest, most human soil science text ever written. Russell avoids unnecessary mathematics and obscure terminology. I do not recommend the recent in-print edition, revised and enlarged by a committee.


Smith, J. Russell. Tree Crops: a Permanent Agriculture. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1929.

Smith's visionary solution to upland erosion is growing unirrigated tree crops that produce cereal-like foods and nuts. Should sit on the "family bible shelf" of every permaculturalist.


Solomon, Stephen J. Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades. Seattle: Sasquatch Books, 1989.

The complete regional gardening textbook.


-------------------------. Backyard Composting. Portland, Ore.: George van Patten Publishing, 1992.

Especially useful for its unique discussion of the overuse of compost and a nonideological approach to raising the most nutritious food possible.


Stout, Ruth. Gardening Without Work for the Aging, the Busy and the Indolent. Old Greenwich, Conn.: Devin-Adair, 1961.

Stout presents the original thesis of permanent mulching.


Turner, Frank Newman. Fertility, Pastures and Cover Crops Based on Nature's Own Balanced Organic Pasture Feeds. San Diego: Rateaver, 1975. Reprinted from the 1955 Faber and Faber, edition.

Organic farming using long rotations, including deeply rooted green manures developed to a high art. Turner maintained a productive organic dairy farm using subsoiling and long rotations involving tilled crops and semipermanent grass/herb mixtures.


ven der Leeden, Frits, Fred L. Troise, and David K. Todd. The Water Encyclopedia, Second Edition. Chelsea, Mich.: Lewis Publishers, 1990.

Reference data concerning every possible aspect of water.


Weaver, John E., and William E. Bruner. Root Development of Vegetable Crops. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1927.

Contains very interesting drawings showing the amazing depth and extent that vegetable roots are capable of in favorable soil.


Widtsoe, John A. Dry Farming: A System of Agriculture for Countries Under Low Rainfall. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1920.

The best single review ever made of the possibilities of dry farming and dry gardening, sagely discussing the scientific basis behind the techniques. The quality of Widtsoe's understanding proves that newer is not necessarily better.