Application of Statistical Methods to Agricultural Sciences

For some time the author has been engaged in teaching biometrical methods to students in America and China. During this time he has ha opportunity to examine and analyse data collected by investigators engaged in many fields of research. These contacts have impressed him with the need of a text that would present in simple form the fundamentals of statistical analysis, including the application of the experimental error concept and the method of variance analysis, in such a way as to enable the beginner to follow through the various steps needed for the analysis of his data. The author realizes that there are many excellent texts, both general and specific, available on the subject. However, there does not seem to be any text combining in one volume methods for the measurement of variance, correlation, curve fitting, the probable error concept, and the analysis of variance. It is for this purpose that the present volume is prepared, and emphasis is placed on the interpretation and application of formulas rather than on their derivation and development.
While particular consideration is given to the application of the different methods to agricultural data and examples are largely drawn from this field, the methods can be applied to any data that can be treated satisfactorily.