How did Asian farmers work the same fields for 40,000 years without destroying the land's fertility and without applying artificial fertilizer? At the turn of the 20th century, a former official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture travelled to Asia to learn the answer. This landmark book chronicles his travels and observations on waste-free methods of cultivation that conserve natural resources. "One of the richest sources of information about peasant agriculture .. . one of the pioneer books on organic farming." "The Last Whole Earth Catalog.""