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“Agriculture  is  the  most  Healthful,  the  most  Useful,  the  most  IToble  Employment  of  Man.’’— Washington. 


ORAN®  JUDD,  a.  M . Editor  and  Pkuprietok. 

SMITHSONIAN  INSTITUTION 
WASHINGTON  25,  D.G* 


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VOLUME  EIGHTEEN— FOR  THE  YEAR  1859. 


PUBLISHED  BY  ORANGE  JUDD. 


189  Water-st.,  New-York. 


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INDEX  TO  VOLUME  XVII J, 


1^* *  TAc  stars  0)  asterisks  (*)  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  Index  indicate  Where  engravings 
ccur,  and  the  number  of  them.  Articles 
referring  directly  or  indirectly  to  Bees,  Cat¬ 
tle,  Fruits,  Insects,  Manures,  Trees,  tfc., 
will  be  found  under  these  general  heads. 

A 

Acre— Number  of  Hills,  Trees,  etc.,  in.  36 

Advertisers’  Prices  should  be  given _ 186 

Advertising  Information  Gratis — No.  I 
Employment,  Consumption,  Hun¬ 
ter’s  Secret,  etc . 198 

“  No.  II,  Consumptives,  Addresses, 

Commercial  Agents . 231 

“  No.  Ill,  Young  Folks’  Advocate, 

Puzzle . *.  .264 

“  No.  IV,  Sewing  Machines,  Good 

News,  Honey,  Rheumatism . 296 

“  No.  V,  Roback,*  Tea  Growing, 

Recipes,  Ventriloquism,  Fishes,  etc. 326 
“  No.  VI,  Horse  Dealers— Lotteries  365 

Advertisements— Read  them .  89 

Agricultural  Department  at  Washing¬ 
ton . 103 

Agricultural  Paper — New  one  Wanted 

in  New-York . 282 

Agricultural  Society  of  N.  Y.  State — 

Officers  of . . . 206 

Agricultural  Society— United  States. . .  35 
Air— Compressed  as  a  Motive  Power.. .332 

Almanac  for  1859 .  32 

Aloe— American  or  Century  Plant.  .*. .  17 
American  Agriculturist  at  the  South. .  .154 

“  Circulation  of . 320 

“  What  it  has  accomplished . 102 

Animals— Care  of  in  Winter . 364 

“  Early  Fattening  of . 263 

“  Hunting  Mink  etc .  47 

“  Kindness  vs.  Whip  and  Spur . 333 

“  Look  after  the  Farm  Slock . 75 

“  Mode  of  Suspending  Slaughter¬ 
ed . ** *..332 

“  Prescriptions  for  Diseased . 313 

“  Profit  of  Protecting .  16 

“  Variety  of  Food . 361 

“  Water  the  Stock  . 357 

Ants— Driving  from  Houses .  90 

Apple  Parer— Turn  Table . *..277 

Apples— Baker . *..  84 

“  Drying  and  Preserving. . 277 

“  Dwarf .  50 

“  Falling  before  Ripe . 339 

“  For  Cows .  42 

“  Gathering . *..304 

“  King  of  Tompkins  Co . 154 

“  Rotting  on  Trees  . 146 

“  What  Seeds  to  Plant . 339 

“  What  Varieties  to  Cultivate . 338 

April— Suggestions — Planting  Trees  ...  97 

Aquariums— Price  of .  27 

Arbor— Summer  House  Grape . *..  365 

Architecture — New  Style  of . **..297 

Ashes— Coal— Uses  of . 173 

Asparagus— How  to  Make  a  Bed . 307 

“  Large — How  Raised . 185 

August— Suggestions— Discontent . 225 

Autumn— The  Last  Load . *..272 

SI 

Bank  Bills— Dangerous. . . 219 

Bank  Note— Journey  of  a . 185 

Barley— Will  it  Turn  to  Oats . 313 

Basket— Improved  Fruit . *.  .359 

Basket  Item  worth  $15  .  89 

Beans— Lima— Preserving  for  Winter 

use . 310 

“  Lima— Substitute  for  Poles . 166 

Bee-Hives— Simple  Contrivance  for 

Weighing . 230 

Bee  Keepers — A  Question  for . 219 


Bees  and  Tin  Pans . 203-331 

“  Apiary,  January,  3 — February,  35 
— March,  67— April,  99— May,  131 — 
June,  163— July,  195— August,  227 — 
September,  259— October,  291— No¬ 
vember,  323— December . 355 

“  Bene  Plant  for . 185 

“  Breeding  in  Winter . 263 

“  Consecutive  Swarms  of. . 263-295 

“  Driving  from  Honey  Boxes.  .231-263 

“  Giving  them  a  Hint . 153 

“  Habits  of  the  Queen . 375 

“  Hiving  from  Chimney  or  Hollow 

Trees . 135 

“  Honey  Boxes . *..  14 

“  Hunting . 121-166 

“  Impregnation  of  Queens . 230-263 

“  Information  Wanted . 251 

“  Italian,  etc . 346 — 375 

“  Keeping  New  swarms  in  the  Hive. 166 

“  Killing  Moths . 154 

“  Mistakes  about . 37-109 

“  Movements  when  aboutto  swarm. 135 

“  Natural  and  Artificial  Queens . 294 

“  Rapid  Swarming  of . 231-263 

“  Winter  management  of .  90 

Berberries— Cultivation  of . 313 

Belter  Times  close  at  hand . 168 

Birds — Mocking . *..151 

“  Pigeon  Hawk  and  Woodcock. .. .  47 

“  Robins  Useful . *..177 

“  Sap  Sucker . 185-251 

“  Value  of— Protecting . *..129 

“  White  Breasted  Nut  Hatch _ *.  .333 

Blackberries— New-Rochelle . 276-282 

“  From  Seed . 339 

“  Seed  for  Distribution . 307 

“  Training . 147 

Blacking — Water-proof  Injurious . 149 

Bones— Gather  them— Dissolving .  14 

“  Dissolved  with  Ashes .  27 

Bonnet— How  to  Choose  and  Wear _ 369 

Bookshelves  in  the  Kitchen .  23 

Books — American  Herd  Book,  219 — 
American  Home  Garden,  154 — 
American  Weeds  and  Useful  Plant3 
186 — Atlantic  Monthly,  154 — Ber¬ 
tram  Noel,  155— Bible  Printed  as  it 

• 

should  be,  154— Farm  Drainage,  186 
— Herbert’s  Hints  to  Horse  Keep¬ 
ers,  219— Home  Whispers,  155— In¬ 
sects  of  North  America,  186— Lang- 
stroth’s  Hive  and  Honey  Bee,  186 — 
Milch  Cows  and  Dairy  Farming,  219 
— Downing’s  Landscape  Gardening, 
154— Mothers  and  Infants,  1 86— M  rs. 
Crowen’s  Cookery,  186— Musical 
Guest,  186— New  American  Cyclo¬ 
paedia,  154,346— Our  Musical  Friend 
154— Ricord’s  Roman  History,  155 — 
Wrecks  and  Rescues, 155;  Johnson 
on  Peat,  Muck,  and  manures.  ..375 

Books  Supplied .  60 

‘  Publishers  of  Agricultural . 375 

Boys’  and  Girls’  own  Columns  : 

January — Uncle  Frank’s  Chat  with  the 
Boys  and  Girls,  Old  Father  Janua¬ 
ry;*  Horned  Frog,*  etc.,  Grand¬ 
mother,*  New-Year,  Sweeping 
Clean,  Editor  and  Young  Readers; 
Sunday  School  Festival;  About 

Problems . **..24-25 

F ebrua'y — Uncle  Frank’s  Chat;*Com- 
positions;  Boy  doing  his  own  Think- 
•  ing  ;*  Whip  Behind  ;  Grandmother 
with  the  Little  Girls*;  Neatness, 
Washing  Dishes,  etc. ;  Editor  with 
his  Young  Readers  ;  Merry  Christ¬ 
mas  and  Happy  New-Year ;  Trap¬ 
ping  Birds  ;*  The  Best  Girl; 
Eclipse,  Vote  of  Thanks,  etc.;  New 


Problems . **..56-57-58 

March — Uncle  Frank  on  Lake  Supe¬ 
rior,  The  first  Oath ;  Aunt  Sue’s 
Letter  on  a  New  Play  ;  Wrong  End 
Foremost  by  “M.”;  The  Editor’s 
talk  about  the  Picture  of  a  Sick 
Child  ;*  Being  Cornered ;  Long 

Days;  Problems;*  etc . 87-88-89 

April—  Grandmother  and  the  Little 
Girls*  ;  Note  from  Mary  ;  Uncle 
Frank’s  Letter  from  St.  Augustine  ; 
Kites  and  how  to  make  them  ;***** 
The  Horned  Frog*  ;  Illustrated  Re¬ 
bus  ;  Answers  to  Problems  ;**** 

. 119-120-121 

May— Uncle  Frank’s  Page  ;  Flowers 
and  Fruit ;  People  running  to  Vines  ; 
Being  one's  self ;  Stand  from  un¬ 
der  ;  Mocking  Bird*  ;  Little  Anna’s 
Quarrel;  Our  Little  Bird,  Poetry ; 
Learning  to  Sew*  ;  Editor  with  his 
Young  Readers;  Twenty  Years 
ahead  ;  Boy  who  Loves  to  Whistle  ; 
Boy  trying  to  equal  a  Monkey  ;  Boy 
who  tries  to  equal  a  Bull-Dog;  ‘Fa¬ 
ther,  steer  straight  to  me’;  Lorenzo 
Dow  on  Bad  Thoughts  ;  Problems  ; 
Illustrated  Rebus;  Aunt  Sue’s 

Note,  etc . 151-152-153 

June — Grandmother  and  the  little 
Girls  ;*  Keeping  Rooms  in  Order  ; 
Grandmother  and  child;*  Editor 
with  his  Young  Readers;  Boys 
Wanting  to  Live  in  the  City  ;  Keep¬ 
ing  Pets  ;  About  Bugs  ;  Problems  ; 

A  Labyrinth  ;*  “Come  this  Way, 

Father,”  (poetry) . 183-184-185 

July— The  Cut  Finger  ;*  Editor  with 
his  Young  Readers  ;  Busy  ;  How- 
Working  makes  one  strong ;  It  will 
come  out ;  Poor  Tray  ;  The  faithful 
Chick-hen  :  The  “Fourth”;  Inde¬ 
pendence  ;  Death  of  Uncle  Frank  ; 
Problems ;  Answers ;  Genealogi¬ 
cal  Puzzle  ;  Sharp  Correspondence 
about  Rebus  37  ;*  Let  me  kiss  him 
for  his  Mother  ;  Grandmother  with 
the  Little  Girls  ;*  Bad  habits-.  .216-217 
August— Bird’s  eye  view  of  Northern 
Italy  ;*  Editor  with  his  young  Read¬ 
ers  ;  Lesson  in  Geography  ;  Notes 
on  the  present  War;  Pronouncing 
the  War  Names  ;  Somebody  else  in 
the  Editor’s  Chair ;  A  Vision,  an  In¬ 
sect  Concert;  Why  the  Birds  Sing; 
The  well  chosen  Nesting  Place  ;* 
About  Faces  ;  Grandmother  with 
the  Little  Girls*  (Fidgets)  ;  Abbre¬ 
viations . 248-249-250-251 

September — Picture  by  Punch  ;  Editor 
with  his  Young  Readers;  Useless 
Things  ;  The  Good  Done  by  one 
Little  Fly  ;  Leaving  Home  ;  Build¬ 
ing  Castles;  Answers  to  Problems  ; 
Illustrated  Rebus  ;  Grandmother 
with  the  Little  Girls  :*  Dress ; 
Chance;  Insect  Life;  A  Mouse  in 

Liquor . 280-281 

October — The  First  Effort  ;*  Editor 
with  his  Young  Readers;  “Old 
Patch  ”;  Walking  on  the  Tight 
Rope;  The  Unkind  Word;  About 
that  Picture,  and  Pockets  ;  More 
about  Faces  ;**  Answers  to  Prob¬ 
lems  ;  New  Puzzle,* . 313-314 

November—  Editor  with  his  Young 
Readers  ;  Stingy  Folks  ;  Saving 
Money;  Savings  Bank;*  The  Crows 
and  The  Dog;*  Hen  and  Pig  ;  The 
Cat  and  Squirrel  ;  The  Cat  and  the 
Horse;  Gathering  Chestnuts;*  An 


Adventure;  What  Imagination  will 
do  ;  More  Scared  than  Hurt ;  About 
the  Problems  ;**  Illustrated  Rebus 
Agricultural  Enigma ;  Grandmoth¬ 
er,* . 344,  345 

December — Labyrinth  ;*  Editor  with 
his  Young  Readers ;  One  Brick 
Wrong;  “Room  up  Stairs”;  Toad 
Undressing;  “Old  Jim”;  Young 
Nurses  ;*  $5  per  Day  ;  Showers. 371-372 

Boys— Give  them  a  Chance . 303 

“  Tim  Bunker  on  Raising . 207 

“  What  shall  be  done  with . 358 

Brakes— To  Eradicate . 313 

Bread — My  First  Loaf . 182 

“  Soda  in . 85-119 

Briers— Killing . 90-204 

Broom  Corn  Seed— Cleaning . 186 

Brush— Kindling . 313 

Buckwheat— Culture  of. .  47 

“  Great  yield  of . 153 

“  Sow  a  Patch . 200 

Budding— Cause  of  Failure . 251 

Buildings— House  of  S.  B.  Parsons**44-45 
“  House  of  Associate  Editor  of  Ag¬ 
riculturist.  . '**.'.  137 

“  New  Style  of  Architecture..  .**..297 
Bulb  Pots  for  Crocuses,  etc..********..  21 

Bulbs— By  Mail .  27 

Burning  Fluid— Making .  27 

Bushel— Cubic  Contents . 136 

Butter— That  Western  Grease . 107 

<D 

Cabbage  Tree . *..  6? 

Cabbages— Club-footed . 143 

“  To  make  them  Head . 313 

“  Wintering  .  .T . 358 

Calendar  op  Work  for  Jan.,  2 — Feb., 
34— March,  66— April,  98-May,  130 
June,  162— July,  194— Aug.,  226 — 
Sept.,  258— Oct.,  290 — Nov.,  322 — 

Dec . 354 

California,  Oregon,  and  Washington 

Territory  Subscribers . 188 

Camels — The  Government . 140 

Campaign  for  I860 . 287 

Cancers— A  Talk  about . 277 

Capers— What  they  are . 281 

Capital  Required  for  Farming . 346 

Carbon  Oil . 314 

Carrots — Culture  of. . 103 

“  New  mode  of  preparing  Ground. .  134 

Cattle — Ayr  Shires  and  Herefords . 154 

“  Bedding  for . 324 

“  Breeding  In-and-in,  Bakewell, 
Price,  etc., by  Cattle  Breeder.No.  1.  10 
“  “  Reply  to  Cattle  Breeder,  by  C. 

M.  Clay,  No.  I .  43 

“  “  Analogy,  etc.,  by  Cattle  Breed¬ 
er,  No.  II .  75 

“  “  Stud  Book,  etc.,  by  C.  M.  Clay, 

No.  II . 132 

“  “  The  Bates  Stock — Buckeye 

and  Cattle  Breeder . 138 

“  «  The  Collings,  etc.,  by  Cattle 

Breeder.No  III . 164 

“  “  Pedigree  of  Horses,  by  Cattle 

Breeder.No.  IV . 237 

“  “  General  Review,  by  C.  M. 

Clay,  No.  Ill . 292 

“  “  Examples,  etc.,**  by  Cattle 

Breeder,  No.  V . 323 

“  Amd  Sheep— Sales  of . 282 

“  Comfort  for. . 267 

“  Cows  Slinking  their  Calves . 138 

“  Cut  feed  for . 171 

“  Dealing  with  Refraclory  Cow’s. .  .106 

“  Feeding  Suckling  Calves..,.,  — 237 

'•<  Grubs  in  the  Backs  of . 185 

“  Improved  in  GreeneCo.,N.  Y.,218 


IV 


INDEX. 


I 


Cattle — Description  of  Breeds . 346 

“  Feed  for  Cows . 218 

“  Feeding  for  Spring  Work . 135 

“  Kicking  Cows  Subdued  .  40 

“  Making  Cows  give  down  milk. ...  121 

“  Pixy  2d  and  Fordham . *..20l 

“  Use  of  Still  Slops . 361 

Cement — Hydraulic— How  to  Test _ 218 

Census  of  I860 — Prepare  for . 299 

Challenge— The . *..  41 

Check  Rein — Cruelty  of . 333 

Chicory— Raising  it  in  this  country _ 101 

Children  Plowing . *..112 

Chimneys— How  to  Cure  Smoky  .  ***, .  173 

Chronicles— Eighteenth  Book  of _ (58 

Chrysanthemums— Culture,  etc.**.  .52-340 

Chufas  or  Earth  Almonds. . .  26 

Churns— Patent . 153 

Cider— How  to  Preserve . 3|o 

Cisterns— Filtering  — Construction  of.*.  6 

Improvement  in . **’..118 

Clover — “  Hop  ”  or  Yellow . 251 

Cockroach  Trap . *..245 

Cotfee  Adulterations— Chicory,  Cocoa, 

Chocolate . **..  53 

“  And  Cotfee  Boilers . **..  21-22 

“  From  Carrots . 153 

Cold  Frames . . . 313 

Cold — Taking . 356 

College — N.  Y.  State  Agricul. — Laying 

Corner  Stone . 252 

Consumptives— Rural  Life  for .  363 

Conveniences  in  the  House— by  Anna 

Hope . 23 

Cook  Books— A  reliable  one  Wanted.. 215 
Corn  Cleaner— Simple  Contrivance*  ..325 

Corn — Cost  of  a  Bushel . 173 

“  Crystal  Flint  or  Hominy . 355 

“  Good  Way  to  Shock . 282 

“  How  to  Hoe . 173 

“  III  Luck  in  Growing . 172 

“  Improved  King  Philip . 36-72,355 

“  Is  it  Profitable  to  Raise .  12 

“  King  Philip— Great  Yield  of . 153 

“  Not  too  late  to  Plant . 165 

“  Putting  to  Bed . 358 

“  Seed — Wfien  to  Select . 259 

“  Stalks  Falling .  27 

••  Stalks— Implement  for  Breaking  358 

“  Testing  Seed  before  Planting _ 136 

“  Use  for  Food . 343 

Correspondents— Note  to — Indefinite 

Questions .  251 

Cottage  Door— The . *..208 

Cotton— How  Grown  and  Prepared  for 

Market . 195-239-261 

Cranberries— Cultivation  of  Upland...  121 

Crockery — Care  of . 181 

Crops  — Prospect  of  the . 290 

“  Reports  on . 220-252 

Crows— A  Word  for . 196 

Cucumber — Bedfordshire  Prize . 307 

“  Snake . *..  73 

Curculio— Whale  Oil  Soap  and  Lime 

for . 146 

Currants— Caps  over  . 153 

“  Planting . 9. . 121 

“  Zante . 115 

Cut  Finger — The . *.  .216 

Cuttings  for  next  Spring . 341 

Dahlia  Culture— Amateur’s  Troubles. 20-52 

“  Experience  in. .  . 148 

Dairy— Note  on  Prize  Article .  4 

“  Prize  Article  No.  I— Climate  and 

Soils .  9 

“  No.  II — Selection  of  Cows .  41 

“  No.  Ill— Modes  of  Feeding,  etc. .  73 
“  No.  IV— Parturition,  Management 

of  Milk,  etc . 107 

“  No.  V— Butter  Working . 139 

“  No  VI — Where  Good  Butter  is 

Produced . 186 

“  No.  VH— Cheese,  Kinds,  etc . 201 

“  No  VIII — Cheese,  Process  of 

Making  .  238 

“  No.  IX —  Cheese,  Fancy  Varieties, 

etc . 266 

“  No.  X— General  Remarks . 293 

“  Report  on  Hon.  Z.  Piatt’s  Farm. .  9 

Daisy— To  Eradicate . 233 

Debt— Not  necessarily  an  Evil . 270 

December— Suggestions— Recreation.  .353 

Dogs — Best  for  the  Farm .  218 

“  Sheep- killing . 230 

Dollars— 360  for  1 .  89 

Doors  — Blocks  for. . . .  — . 86-186 

Draining— A  Common  Error  in . 334 

“  Ilow  Deep  to  Dig .  78 

“  In  March .  78 

“  Level  Lands .  27 

“  Machinery  for  Making  Tiles. .*.  . 325 

Drains— Kitchen . 119 

“  Stone . 227 

Dress— For  Traveling,  by  Anna  Hope  .183 
“  Suggestions  about,  by  Anna  Hope. 246 
Drouth— Preventing  the  Effects  of - 154 

E 

Egg  Hatching  Machines . 170 

“  Egypt”— Prospects  of  So.  Illinois _ 299 

Embellishments— Rural  . 365 

Engravings— A  Word  on  Our .  27 

••  Note  on  Sale  of .  60 

Etiquette — A  Point  of  Decided . 311 

Evergreen  Cone  Ornaments . 117 

Exhibitions— Agricultural— Benefits  of 

Attonding . 299 

“  And  Fairs . 20fi 

“  Times  and  places  of. . 252-260-291 

“  Penn.,  N.  Y.,  and  Conn . 347 

Experiments— Try .  157 


Eyes  — Animals— Removing  Film.  .37-218 
Eye  vs.  Mouth — To  Nellie . 279 

F 

Fairs— Tim  Bunker  on  County .  70 

Fallows— Winter . 262 

Fatm— Calendar  for  January.  2— Feb.  34 
March,  66 — April.  98 — May,  130 — 
June,  162 — July. 194 — Aug.  226— Sep.  !r 

258— Oct.  290— Nov.  322— Dec . 33*1 

Farm— Enlarging  w  ithout  Buying  Landl72 

“  How  does  it  Pay . 196 

“  Life— Making  Attractive .  40 

“  Of  Hon.  Z.  Pratt . **..  8 

Farmer — An  Insane . -  ...330 

“  How  to  Become  one . 185 

Farmers  a  Benevolent  Class .  73 

“  Better  Times  for . 136-168 

“  Influence  of  Good . 358 

February — Suggestions — Signs  of  Pro¬ 
gress .  33 

Feet  Slipping— To  Prevent . 206 

“  Water  Proof  Blacking  Injurious  tol49 
Fence  Posts— How  to  Make  Durable..  174 

Fences — Put  up  the  Bars . 218 

Fencing— Hints  on . 199 

“  Note  on  Prize  Articles .  4 

“  Prize  Article  No.  I — Present  Con¬ 
dition,  etc .  13 

“  No.  If— Utility  of  Hedges,  etc —  46 

“  No.  Ill — Planting  Hedges .  78 

“  No.  IV— Stone  Walls . 110 

“  No.  V— Rail  Fences . 174 

“  No.  VI— Postand  Board  Fences.  .234 

“  No.  VII— Portable . ********  300 

“  No.  VIII— Wire  Fence . 327 

Ferrets  Wanted . 346 

Fever  and  Ague . 346 

Figs  —Northern . 281 

Filberts— Cultivation  of . 313 

Fleas — To  Exterminate . 346 

Floor  of  Cement  for  a  Dairy.  . 313 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  — Calen-  i 
dar  for  Jan.  2— Feb.  34— March,  67 
— April,  99 — May,  131 — June,  163— 
July,  194  — Aug."  227— Sept.  259 — 

Oct.  291— Nov.  323— Dec . 354 

Flower  Garden — Howto  Improve . ISO 

“  Plan  of . 84 

Flowers— Bedding  Plants . ISO 

“  Bulbous— Hyacinths  and  Tulips.*. 308 

“  Cardinal . 313 

“  Chrysanthemums— Cultivation..  * 

. *..52-181-340 

“  Cultivation  and  Love  of . 154 

“  Dielytra  or  Diclylra— Dicen¬ 
tra  . . 21  [-274 

“  For  the  House  in  Winter.********  21 

“  Hollyhock . 52 

“  In  a  School  Yard . 229 

“  In  Shells . ***..117 

“  Lantana — How  to  Manage . 273 

“  Morning  Glories  for  Paint . 148 

“  Native  Honeysuckle . 281 

“  Perennial . 244 

“  Pit.... . *..340 

“  Preserving  Cut . *..244 

“  Preserving  for  Winter . 308 

“  Rose  and  Geology . 274 

“  Snap  Dragon . *..  20 

“  The  Cypress  Vine . 218 

“  Time  for  Sowing  Seeds . 273 

“  Verbena  a  Native . 307 

11  Verbena  and  Geraniums  in  Win¬ 
ter . 309 

“  Verbena— History  of . 273 

“  Wild  from  Minnesota . 218 

Fly  Traps — Shaler’s . *.  .245 

Foliage — Autumnal . 335 

Fountains  for  Gardens,  etc . *..180 

Franking  Privilege — The . 225 

Friends— Entertaining,  etc.,  by  Anna 

Hope .  86 

Frost — Effects  of  June . 200 

“  Freaks  of . 197 

Fruit— Best  Mode  of  Preserving _ **.  .213 

“  Colored  Plates  of . .....251 

“  Healthfulness  of . 214 

“  In  Bottles  . 244 

“  “  An  Improvement . *..309 

“  Preparing  for  Market . 228 

“  Securing  Large  Specimens . 149 

“  Stealers— How  to  Cure . 209 

“  Stealing— An  excellent  Cure . 241 

“  “  Melon  Party . 243 

“  Yard— Register  of . 153 

Fruits — American— Past  and  Present—  • 

“  No.  I— Apples .  82 

“  No.  II— The  Peach . Ill 

“  No  III— The  Plum,  etc . 146 

“  No.  IV — The  Quince .  176 

“  Small— No.  of  Plants  per  Aero _ 275 

Fumigating  A ppatatus . * _  85 

Furniture— Chamber,  etc.,  by  Anna 

Hope . '. .  86 

Furniture — House  etc. — by  Anna  Hope  54 

G 

Garden — Fall  Work  in . 339 

Garden — Kitchen  and  Fruit — 

Calendar  for  January,  2— Feb.  31  — 
March,  66— April,  98— May,  130 — 
June,  162— J  u  ly,  194  — Aug.  226 — 
Sept.  258— Oct.  290— Nov.  322— 

December . 354 

“  Planning .  84 

Gardening— A  Talk  on .  17 

Gardening— In-door . *.  .368 

Gardens  for  Farmers . 177 

Gates  for  the  Farm . *.  .332 

Gateways— Ornamental . 229-301 

Geraniums — Hanging  up . 153 

“  Preserving  in  Winter .  51 


Girls— Tim  Bunker  on  Raising . 245 

Glue— Spalding’s  Prepared . 314 

Gooseberries — Large . 218 

“  Mildew— To  Prevent . 153-218 

Planting . 121 

“  Show  at  Paterson,  N.  J . 275 

Grafting — Hints  on . ******  ]  14 

\‘  Old  Trees . 121 

Grafts — Cutting .  50 

Grain  and  Grass— Cutting  before  Ripe.  .205 

“  Marketing . 295 

“  Securing  Good  Seed . 172 

Grape  Growing— Failures  in . 147 

Grapes — Clinton .  26 

“  Con'-ord  at  the  South— Hartford 

Prolific,  etc . 306 

“  Delaware . 356 

“  Dr.  Underhill’s . 367 

“  Grafting  and  Transplanting . 115 

“  In  Western  New-York . 367 

“  McKay’s . 60 

“  Michigan  Seedling . 346 

“  Prices  of  the  Newer .  27 

“  Rebecca  . 367 

“  Standard  of  Excellence  in _ _ _  .209 

“  The  Newer . 115 

Grape  Vine— Effect  of  Ringing  the _ 367 

Grape  Vines— Hints  on  Planting . 147 

“  Profit  of .  81 

“  Prune  Now . *****..337 

“  Root  Grafting . 251 

“  Root  Pruning .  07 

“  Summer  Pruning . 209 

“  Worms  on— Look  after . 209 

Grass  Cutter — Italian  (Exercise  for  Fe¬ 
males)  . *. .233 

“  Honey  Blade . 104 

“  Honey  Blade  Swindle .  71 

“  Sowing  with  Buckwheat . 218 

“  Timothy  after  Hungarian . 121 

Green  and  Hor-IIousn  Calendar — 

Jan.  2 — Feb.  34— March,  67 — April, 
99— May,  131— June,  163— July,  195 
—Aug.  227— Sept.  259— Get.  291— 

Nov.  323— Dec . 355 

Greenland— Horticulture  in . 242 

Ground — Laying  out . **..3o5 

Grounds— Preparing  for  Country  Res¬ 
idence . 138 

ia 

Hair— Proper  Treatment  of . 343 

Harness — Oil  for . 345 

Hay  Caps— Provide . 165 

“  Slows — Cement  Floors  for . 218 

“  Stacking  in  the  Field . 218 

“  The  best  Kind  . 358 

Hedge  and  Fence  rows— Clearup . 229 

“  Plants  for  the  South . 175 

Hedges— Honey  Locust . 251 

“  Norway  Spruce . 121 

“  Osier  Willow . 239 

“  Pruning  Evergreen . 251 

“  To  Preserve  from  Mice . 199 

Help— Hiring .  36 

Hemp— How  grown  etc . 361 

Hired  Men— Treatment  of . 109 

Hogs— Cure  for  Mange  in .  90 

••  Tall  Pork -raising . 154 

Home— A  Pleasant . *.  .148 

Homestead — A  Mechanic’s . 228 

Honey — Artificial . 154 

Honey — Draining  from  Combs . 375 

Hooped  Skirts — Steel  Preferable . 282 

Horse  —Hiring  a  Livery .  12 

“  Points  of  Described . **..  11 

“  Racing  at  Fairs— Ohio  Society  on.  171 

“  Racing  at  Fairs .  358 

“  Why  Daher  did  not  keep .  11 

Horses — Can  Heaves  be  Cured . 218 

U  Colic  in .  27 

“  Longevity  of . 218 

“  Management  of  Balky . 328 

“  Pedigree  of . ’ . 237 

“  Proper  Age  for  Golding . 313 

“  Ringbone  in .  11 

“  Shoeing  over-reaching .  ]] 

Horse-Rake— Parson  &  Houston’s.  .*.  .172 

Horticultural  Societies— Town . 145 

Hot-Bed— Try  one . *. .  83 

Hours  of  Work . 375 

House— Choice  of  Site  for . .  80 

“  Cleaning,  by  Anna  Hope . 118 

Household  Conveniences .  23 

Housekeeper — The  Little . *.  .341 

Housekeepers— Schools  for . 279 

Housekeeping— Girls  should  Learn  *.  .341 

Housework— Monotony  of.  Relieved.. .  149 
Humbug — Agricultural  at  Washington. 326 

“  Honey  Blade  Grass .  71 

“  Impositions  on  Farmers . 232 

“  “Improvement  Organization  ”, . .  186 

“  Our  Exposures  of . 345 

I 

Ice  Cream— How  to  Make . 215 

“  Masser’s  Freezer . **..215 

Ice  Houses — How  Made . 313 

“  In  Cellars .  45 

“  Ventilating . 90 

Illinois  Farmers  Vindicated .  38 

Insects — Ants  Destroyed  by  Fire  Crack¬ 
ers . 181 

Ants— To  Protect  Fruit  from . 313 

Bark  Lice— When  Hatched . 185 

Become  Acquainted  with . 241 

Black  Knot  011  Plum . 177 

Borers— To  Prevent . 121 

Caterpillars  on  Trees . 153-218 

Chinch  Bug— Remedy  for . 324 

Curculio,  a  Word  for . 367 

Curculio — Prevention  of . 339 

Currant  Moth . 269 


1  C  >rm  on  Cabbages . 153 

“  G.  ape  Vine . 209 

‘  Grubs  in  Cattle .  185-346 

“  Look  For  Borers . 210 

“  Look  out  for . 181 

“  Matthews’  Curculio  Remedy. ..  .274 

“  Moths— To  get  rid  of . 278 

“  Ornon  Fly . ***..108 

“  On  Wheat— No.  I . ****..240 

“  On  Wheat—  No.  II . **..269 

“  Peach  Tree  Borer, . 153 

“  Planting  Pea  Weevil . 121 

“  Pomegranate . 231 

“  Potato  Fly  . 359 

“  Protecting  Young  Plants . 218 

“  Request  for  Specimens  . 200 

“  Shooting  the  Army  Worm . 251 

“  Taylor's  Tree  Protector . 251 

“  Tomatoes  injured  by  Worms . 251 

“  Vermin  on  Animals . 109 

“  Weevil— To  Destroy . 316 

“  Walnut  Moth  or  Butterfly  ...***.  .268 

“  Whale  Oil  Soap  for  . 15.3 

“  Wheat  “  Midge  ” — Remedy  for. .  .259 
Iowa  Correspondence . 233 

.1 

January — Suggestions— Privileges .  1 

July —  •*  Meadows.  ..*.  .193 

June —  “  Flowers *..161 

K 

Kohl-Rabi  described .  4 

“  When  to  Cook . 153 


Ladies — Requested  to  Contribute .  21 

Lakes— Frozen  in  Scotland . 121 

Lama  or  Alpaca . *..  77 

Lambs — To  Raise  every  Live-born _  70 

Lamp— For  Coal  Oil.  . *..368 

Lamp  Lighters .  86 

Landscape  Gardening— Talk  About _ 242 

Lantern  Blinks— No.  VII— Steam  Culti¬ 
vation .  12 

“  No.  VHI— An  Old  Style  Farmer.  .166 

“  No.  IX— A  Practical  Farmer . 202 

“  No  X — A  Scientific  Farmer . 235 

“  No.  XI— The  Infatuation  of  much 

Land . 270 

“  No.  Xtr--An  Emigrant  Farmer.. 298 
“  No.  XIII— A  Grand  Hen  Specula¬ 
tion  .  ...  331 

“  No.  XIV — Presumptuous  Farmer362 

Lawsuits— Folly  of . *.  .205 

Layering—  Explained . *. .  103 

Letter — Pod  Auger’s .  50 

Lightning — Protection  from . 313 

Liming  Land  for  Potatoes . .15 

“  Suggestive  Rules . 72 

Locust  Seed— Yellow .  27 

Luck  and  Pluck .  Ill 


Magazine— Am.  Farmer’s  discontinued. 256 

Magazines  and  Fashions . 311 

Magnet — New  Use  for .  6 

Mail  Bags— Roughly  used .  32 

Manure— American  Guano . 121-199 

Application  of . 262 

Bone  Dust  for  Strawberries . 251 

Burned  Sods  and  Weeds  for . 105 

Buying  Artificial .  68 

Chamber  Slops . 219 

Charcoal  Dust . 313 

Coal  Ashes . .  90 

Compost — Why  Made . 346 

Corn  Cobs  . 154 

Guano— Does  it  pxhaust  Soil . 185 

“  Do  not.  Buy . 134 

“  New  Use  for .  90 

Homeopathy  and  Allopathy..  .**. .  105 

Home-made . 232 

Leather  Shavings .  90 

Mapes’  Super-phosphates.. . . . 356 

Muck  and  Lime . 334 

Muck— What  it  is .  89 

Mud . 105 

Puff- Strong  Medicine .  00 

Quantity  to  the  cow . 358 

Smut  for  . 375 

Spoiled  Meat  for . 251 

Substitute  for  Peat . 154 

Sulphuric  Acid.Phosphatic  Guano. 294 

Sit  per- phosphates . . 346 

Weeds  for . 23! 

What  are  Bone  Sawings . 251 

Map  of  Northern  Italy . *.  .248 

March— Suggestions— Superstitions _  65 

Marketing  Garden  Vegetables . 133 

Berries,  Fruits,  etc . 165 

Market— N.  Y. — How  supplied  with 

Meat . 190-230-267 

“  Review,  Weather  Notes,  etc  — Jan. 
26— Feb.  59— March,  91— April,  122 
— May,  155— June,  167 — July,  219 — 
Aug.  252 — Sept.  282— Oct.  314 — Nov. 

347— December . 374 

Marsh— Salt— Reclaiming . 261 

Maryland  Crops  arid  Fruit  Prospects.. .  135 

Match  Safes .  23 

“  Light— by  Alina  Hope . 278 

May  Day  for  Tree  Planting .  145 

“  Suggestions— Birds . *. .  129 

Meadow— Planting  newly  plowed .  89 

Medal— Silver  for  A.g.  Seeds . 90-121 

Melons,  Cucumbers, etc. —How Raised .  143 

“  Pie  or  Japan .  60 

“  Pie  or  Japan  — Ilow  Used . 313 

“  Trimming  Vines . 185 

Mice  in  the  Treadmill . 358 

Michigan— Advantages  for  new  Settlers. 271 


INDEX, 


V 


Milking — Apparatus  for . 313 

“  Clean  .  140 

“  Hints  on . 266 

Milk — Effects  of  first  Milking .  42 

Millet . 345 

Millet— Hungarian  or  Grass . 355 

Moles— To  Destroy . 313 

Moon’s  Influence,  etc .  65 

Mowing  Machines . *.  -193 

Mule  Race  in  Virginia . 332 

Museles — Take  Care  of  the  Young  — 199 
Mushrooms — Cultivation  of . 346 

W 

Neatness — Things  not  Neat . 279 

Nellie’s  Troubles— Poultry— Flowers.  .215 

Newspaper  Discussions . 232 

New-Yorlt— Chances  for  Success  in. . .  121 

Nothing  for  Sale .  26 

November, — Suggestions — Thanksgiv¬ 
ing  . *.  .321 

Nurserymen — Frauds  and  Mistakes....  51 
Nuts— Stocks  for  Madeira,  etc . 121 

© 

Oaten  Cakes— Healthy  Food .  54 

Oats — Rust  on . 165 

“  White  Poland  Free  from  Rust.  ..313 

October — -Suggestions - Nut-bearing 

Trees . 269 

Oil  the  Doors  and  Locks .  86 

Onion  Culture— Prize  Essay . 69 

“  Work  Announced .  96 

Onions — Experience  Wanted— P  ri  ze 

offered .  3 

“  Growing  to  Scallions . 218 

“  Large . 316 

Onion*— New . 134 

“  Winter  Keeping  of .  27 

Orchard  and  Nursery — Calendar 
for  Jan.  2— Feb.  34— March,  66 — 
April,  98— May,  130— June,  162 — 
July,  194— Aug.226— Sept.  258— Oct. 

290 — Nov.  322 — December .  354 

Ornament — Neat  and  Tasteful . 117 

-Osage  Orange  from  Cuttings  . 375 

“  To  Propagate . 185 

IP 

Paint— Morning  Glories  for . 148 

Pantry—  The . 161 

Paper — Blotting .  7 

Papering  a  Room — Hints  on . 341 

Papers— Are  Agricultural  Useful . 172 

“  Giving  them  away . 348 

Papers — Preserve  the  Numbers . ...353 

Park — New-York  Central . 145 

Pastures  -Hints  on  Management .  265 

“  Treatment  of . 313 

patent  Office — Advisory  Board  of  Agri¬ 
culturists . .- .  35 

“  Report  for  1857 . 104 

Peas — Deep  Planting  and  Second  Crop.  134 

“  Supports  fur . 185 

People — a  Fast . 359 

Pennsylvania  Farming . 315 

Pitch  Fork — Gladdings  Horse-power. *.328 

Plants— Geographical  Distribution . 176 

“  In  Houses  not  Unwholesome. .'. .  .277 

“  No.  per  Acre .  36 

“  Originating  Varieties . 274 

“  Thinning . 180 

Plow— A  Primitive, . *..112 

“  Fawkes’  Steam  Locomotive.*.  .359 
Plowing  Deep  and  Plowing  Shallow.. .  71 

“  When  to  do  it . - . 109 

Plums  in  Oregon  . 375 

“  Securing  from  Curculio . .339 

Pomologic.nl  Reprut— Where  to  get _  27 

Postage — Proposition  to  Increase .  60 

Potato  — Buckeye . 103 

“  Culture- — Unsettled  Questions _  78 

“  Planter  Wanted .  90 

“  Prince  Albert . 346 

“  Rot — Questions  about . 166 

Potatoes — Experiments  with . 359 

“  Liming  Land  for .  15 

“  Keeping  Sweet . 359 

“  Lime  on  Seed .  15 

“  Marketable  Varieties .  70 

“  Seed — Smail  and  Large . 131 

“  Sweet . 93-143 

Poultry— Care  of  Young . 141 

“  Dominique  Fowls . *..197 

“  Dorkings  for  Seed .  27 

“  Guinea  Fowls  a  Protection . 302 

“  Hamburgh  Fowls . *..  76 

“  Hens — Why  not  Laying . 141 

“  Hints  on .  ..  77 

“  House  for . *..141 

“  How  to  Fatten . 330 

“  Instinct  of  the  Hen . 171 

Large  Turkeys . 171 

“  Profits  ol  Feeding,  etc .  37 

“  Remarkable  Hens . 267 

“  Second  Year’s  Experience  with..  77 

“  Silver  Spangled  Bantams . *. .  37 

“  Wood  Duck . *..236 

Premiums — Agricultural— Good  ones  . .  136 

“  Not  properly  Distributed . 229 

“  ForVol.  19 — List  of . 314 

“  Special  of  Seeds . 128 

“  Special  of  Seeds — New . 160 

Preserving  Jars — New  Style  of _ **..213 

11  Green  Peas,  etc . 251 

Professional  Pomposity . 345 

Pinning  Fruit  Trees— Best  Time  for. .  .2!  1 
“  Grapevines . *****..337 


Pumpkin  Flour . - . . . . 154 

Puzzles  and  Problems— Dogs,**  25- 
Egg  Problem.  89-121— Enigma,  345 
—Figure  Puzzle,*  313-345— Genea¬ 
logical  Puzzle, 2 1 7-281 — Labyrinth,* 
165-371— Locomotive  Problem,  89- 
121 — Illustrated-  Rebuses,  121—153— 
281-313— Riddle,  153-185— S  t  r  i  n  g 
Puzzles . 58-89 

Questions — Indefinite . 251-313 

M 

Rabbits— Prize  . *..357 

Railroad  Conductors— Hint  to .  64 

Railroads— New  in  Penn,  etc . 314 

Rain — Signs  of . 219 

Ranges — Cooking . 154 

Raspberries— Heading  Back .  27 

“  Dying  in  Spring. . . . 185 

Reading— No  Time  for . 170 

Recipes— See  last  Column  of  Index — 

Religion — True . GO 

Residence — Preparing  Ground  for . 138 

Rest — Occasional  needed . *.  .169 

Rhubarb— Directions  for  Planting . 307 

“  Good . 282 

Rice— How  Grown  and  Prepared  for 

Market . 302-335 

Roads— Good . 174 

“  Repair  the . 296 

Roller-Use  of . 301 

Roofing  of  Gutta  Percha . 313 

Root  Crops  for  Stock .  27 

“  Structure— Curiosity . 306-339 

Rose  and  Geology . 274 

“  Bushes  Blighted  by  Insects . 218 

Roses — Mildew  on . 185 

“  Pot  Culture  of . 160-211 

“  Propagating . 218 

“  Protection  for  Winter . 340 

Row  ing  against  Tide .  27 

Rural  Scene . *. .  148 

Rye— Large  Yield . 7-35 

“  White — Premium  offered . 232 

§ 

Salsafy— Culture  of .  . .  90 

Sap— Rise  and  Fall  of . 243 

Sawdust  in  Stables . 357 

School — Sent  to . *..369 

Schools  —  Agriculture  in  Westfield 

Academy .  27 

“  Farmers’ High  of  Pennsylvania. .  15 

“  Fort  Edward  Institute .  89 

Seasonable  Hints . 1 . 233 

Seasons — Early  and  Late . 135 

Seeds— Agency  Declined . 154 

“  Degeneration  of . 236 

“  Field  and  Garden — Notes  on .  3 

“  Flower  and  Ornamental.. . 11-18 

“  For  Pacific  Coast . 352 

“  Foul— Rogues’ Gallery . 303 

“  Distribution  Closed . 128 

“  List  for  1859 .  28 

“  List  for  1860 . 348 

“  Meehan’s  Catalogue . 281 

“  Notes  on  Culture .  99 

“  Nursing  into  Life . 198 

“  Papers  for  Putting  up**-. . '.309 

“  Save  Ihe  Vegetable . 259 

“  Saving  Flower . 309 

“  Select  Corn  this  month . 259 

“  Sprouting  Locust . 121 

“  Starting  Early .  51 

“  Time  for  Sowing  Flower . 273 

“  Wheat,  Rye,  etc — Sow  ing  Good.  .172 

“  When  will  they  mix . 251 

“  Where  to  procure . 121 

Selling  Out . 272 

September — Suggestions— A  u  t  u  m  n  , 

Fruits,  etc . 257 

Sewing  Machines — Cheap .  90 

“  Explanation .  64 

“  Gift  lo  a  poor  Woman .  28 

Sextant’s  Reply  to  Gasper .  89 

Shade  on  Soils . 243 

Shears— Grape  or  Pruning .  27 

Sheep— Feeding  Lambs — Diseases _ 153 

“  Flock  cheaply  Saved .  40 

“  Improved  for  Texas .  77 

“  Vermin  or  Scab  on . *..109 

“  Winter  Management .  6 

Shells — Flowers  in  Hanging . ***. .  117 

Shower — The  Passing . *..176 

Shrubbery — Uses  of . 179 

Sick  Child — The . *. .  88 

Silkworms’  Eggs  Wanted . 218 

“  for  Euiope . 316 

Skunk  Cabbage— To  Kill . 218 

Skunks — Worth  Catching  and  Skinning.142 

Sleigh— Putting  away  for  Summer . 263 

Smoke-room  in  Attic . *.  .325 

Smoke  Room— Attic . 375 

Soap— Whale-oil  vs.  Curculio . 146 

Soiling— Advantages  of,  etc . 168 

“  Crops  for . 185 

Soldering — Practical  Instruction.  ..**..  342 

Spoons— Inverted . **..371 

Spring  Scene . *..  80 

Springs  for  Equalizing  Draft . **.  .328 

Squash  Culture— Hubbard . 134 

“  Hubbard . **..  73 

“  Kept  two  years . 185 

“  Mammoth  Leghorn . 327 

“  Varieties,  etc .  18 

Stables — Dark  Injurious . . . .  .  .263 

“  Healthy . . ni 


“Stirred  Up’’ — Editor  Feeling  bad . 375 

Stitch  in  Time . . .  79 

Strawberry — Another  White . 153 

Strawberries— Dividing  Roots .  20 

“  For  Everybody . 228 

“  How  to  Raise . 115 

“  Large . 218 

“  Monthly . 346 

“  Preserving . 188 

“  Protection  in  Winter . 367 

Straw — Save  the . 294 

Success — How  to  Obtain . 173 

Sugar  from  Sorghum— Manufactory  de¬ 
scribed . **'.  .360 

Sugar  Cane— Chinese  in  Kansas .  5 

“  How  Grown  and  Manufactured, 

. 101-131 

“  Evaporator — Cook’s . *..205-346 

“  Grove— Best  Conductors  for . 174 

“  Hints  on  Making  Maple .  36 

“  Orchards — Look  after .  81 

Summer  House— Design  for . *..212 

“  Scene... . *..169 

Sun  Strokes— Bottling  up . 203 

Swamps — Use  for  Umlrained . 346 

Swapping — No  time  for . 163 

Sweeping  ami  Dusting — by  Anna  Hope. 149 

“  by  Machinery . **..213 

Swine— Hog  Cholera . 206 

“  How  much  will  fill  a  Pig . 237 

“  My  Neighbor  and  his  Pigs . 203 

“  Pork  unwholesome  Food . 207 

“  The  Hog  Nuisance . 270 

T 

Tax — Dodging  a . 219 

Teeth — Hints  about  by  Anna  Hope . 311 

Territories — Capabilities  of .  39 

Thistles — Canada . .■■■*■  -204 

Tiles — Machinery  for  Making . *.  .325 

Tim  Bunker  at  Home  again . 167 

“  County  Fairs .  70 

“  Dress— Reply  to  his  Neighbors  . .  .333 

“  Hay  Crops — Salt  Marsh . 261 

“  Jake  Frink’s  Apology  for .  46 

“  Jake  Frink’s  Wedding . 370 

“  Letter  from  his  Neighbors . 295 

“  Raising  Boys . . 207 

“  Raising  Girls . 245 

“  Saving  Sixpence— Tile .  4 

“  Shadtown  Parsonage  and  Grand¬ 
son . 303 

Time — Waste .  13 

Tomato  Raising — Hints  on . 142 

Transplanting — Easy  and  Profitable. .  .200 

Trees — An  Insane  Fanner .  330 

“  American  Date  or  Persimmon.. .  .244 

“  Apples — Freaks  of .  84 

“  Apples — What  to  Cultivate . 338 

“  Beech . *..301 

“  Belts  for  Shelter . **. .  5 

“  Borers  in  Apple  Trees . 375 

“  Bread  Fruit . .*..  85 

“  California  Mammoth . *..336 

“  Catalogue  of  Apple . 121 

“  Catalpa  or  Bean . 153 

“  Cedar  of  Lebanon . .*..144 

“  Clearing  from  Lice,  Moss,  etc. ...154 

“  Desirable  Evergreens . 179 

“  Dwarfs  becoming  Standard . 121 

“  Dwarfs— How  far  apart  . . 153 

“  “  Pears — Proper  Treatment . 306 

“  European  Linden . *..  48 

“  Evergreens — Englishmen’s  love 

for . 273 

From  Seed . 113 

Hints  on .  82 

Mistake  in  Names . 306 

Propagation  of . 179 

Time  for  Planting . 144 

Fountain  Pine. . .  *..  49 

“  “  Hardiness  of. . 185 

Frazer’s  Silver  Fir  . 273-365 

Fruit — Hints  on  Planting . 304 

Hardiness  of  Horse  Chestnut . 335 

How  far  apart . 313 

How  long  will  they  Live . 81-112 

Improving  Barren . 178-306 

Labels  for  Fruit . *. .  178 

Magnolia  Macrophvlla . *...  48 

M  aple  Orchards — Preserving . 205 

Mistaken  Notions  about . 178 

Norway  Spruce  for  Hedges.! . 121 

Oaks  profitable  for  Fruit . 153 

Ornamental — Hints  to  Amateurs.  .212 

Partly  Buried . 375 

Pear— Quince  Stocks  for  . 375 

Pear  Shoots  for  Standards . 251 

Pears— Profitable . 178 

Planting — May  Day  for . 145 

Planting  Seeds . 345 

Planting  Shade . 113 

Planting  Straight  . *..113 

Protection  for  Winter . 337 

Protection  from  Rabbits . 313 

Protect  the  Roots . 366 

Pruning— Time  for . 211 

Seedlings— Testing . 313 

Taylor’s  Protector . 251-37 

Torreya  Taxifolia . *..  49 

Transplanting  Budded . 121 

Transplanting  Pear .  346 

Transplanting— Season  for. .  .313-337 

Traveler’s . *..116 

Tyler’s  Powder  a  Humbug . 211) 

Weeping  Juniper . *..  49 

Weeping  Larch— How  to  Make.. 273 

White  Pine .  50 

Wliy  Dwarfed . 218 

Wonderful  in  Oregon  . 305 


Trees — Woods — Young .  50 

Trellises— Cheap  and  Pretty . *.  .212 

“  Materials  for  Grape . 367 

Trenching  Soils . 301 

Tun  of  Hay— Cubic  Contents . 346 

Turnips — Ashcroft’s  Swedish .  89 

“  How  to  Keep . *..346 

“  Sow  ing  in  August . 232 

“  Sowing— Time  for . 154-200 

“  Transplanting— Large  Yield . 166 


Y 

Vacant  Spots— Fill  the . 190 

Varieties  of  Plants— How  Originated..  .274 

Vase  made  of  Moss . *..341 

Vegetables  for  next  Spring . 276 

“  Garden — Origin  of .  17 

Vinegar  Plant . 247-307 

Vines— Head  the  Running . 243 

w 


Wages — Rate  of  in  New-York . 187 

“  Woman’s  . 182-247 

Wagon  Tire— Greasing  the . 235 

Wash  Stand — Convenient  Appendage*.. 368 

Watering  trees  and  Plants . 243 

Watermelons— The  Liltle  Girl's . 24 

Water  Pipes— Hydraulic  Cement.  .136-154 

“  Pipes — Lead  Poisonous . 346 

“  Pump  in  the  House . 186 

“  Pure  from  Sulphur  Wells . *..301 

Webster  and  the  Witness .  27 

Weight  of  Dressed  Animals .  7 

Wells  and  Cisterns— Examining .  5 

Western  Farming — Note  to  Corres¬ 
pondents . .  67 

West— Good  Farming  at  the .  15 

What-Not — The . ]  81 

Wheat,  Poland— in  Oregon... . 375 

Wheat  Sowing — Remedy  for  Midge  . . .  259 

“  Sown  afler  Corn . 259 

Whistling . 7 

Whitewash — The  Best . 118 

“  For  Out  Doors . 136-197 

Willow  s — Basket  for  Fences . 134 

Windmills — Information  Wanted .  7 

Wine— Domestic .  89 

“  How  Sparkling  is  obtained . 340 

Winter  Scene . **..  10-304 

Wood  Pile — The .  40 

Work  Baskets .  23 

Work— Hours  for . 373 

Writing — Note  to  Beginners . 340 


Y 


Yale  Collpge — Agricultural  Lectures. .349 
Yankee  all  round . ISO 


Apple  Fritters .  55 

“  Pie,  Mock .  55 

“  Preserves . .  S7 

Birds’  Nests .  55 

Biscuit— Graham . 150 

"  Indian . 150 

“  Tea .  55 

Bread— Graham . 1 50 

“  Potato .  54 

“  Rice... . 150 

Cake— Cocoanut .  g6 

“  Caroline— Cheap — Dei  icat  e-Lem- 

on—  I, emon  Cheese— Soda— Sponge34 3 


“  Lemon— Plain— Shrewsbury . 150 

CalPs  Head— To  Turtleize . 23 

Cement  lor  G’ass . 369 

Codfish—  Cooking  salt . 150 

“  Cutlets . 150 

Corn  Bread . 343 

“  Cakes . 247 

Doughnuts  not.  Greasy .  55 

Egg  Plant — Baked..". . 343 

“  Tea  or  Coffee . 343 

Fastening  Knife  Handles . . 370 

Fritodella . 247 

Gingerbread — Plain . 150 

Ginger  Snaps .  55 

Glue  —  Liquid . 150 

Graham  Bread .  150 

[lams— Curing  and  Keeping .  55 

Honey — Tomato . 247 

Medical  not  Published . 183 

Mince  Meat — Preserving .  55 

Muffins . 55 

Nonsensical  Recipes . 117 

Oil — Neats  Foot .  55 

Pickle — A . 247 

Pickling  Walnuts .  310 

Pie  Cakes .  54 

“  Lemon .  55 

“  Mince— Hints  on .  55 

“  “  Mock . iso 

“  Crust— Plain . 150 

Potato  Bread .  54 

Potatoes— Sweet  from  Irish . 343 

Pudding— Bread . 150 

“  Boiled .  87 

“  English  Plum . 343 

“  Old  Fashioned . 279 

Rusk— Ilome-made .  86 

Samp— To  Prepare . 27£ 

Snowball  Custard .  55 

Squash— To  Cook . 279 

Strawberry  Short  Cake . 215 

Tomato  Soup .  215 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  VOLUME  XVIII, 


Alligator . 56 

Aloe — American  or  Century  Plant.  .  17 

Animals— Apparatus  for  Suspending . (2) . 332 

Apple  Gathering . 304 

Apple  Parer— Turn  Table . 277 

Apple— The  Baker . 84 

Arbor  and  Summer  House . 365 


Bird— Initial  Letter . 177 

Birds — Mocking  Bird . ..151 

Nesting  Place— Well  Chosen.  . . 250 

••  ‘‘Sap  Sucker” — Nuthatch . 333 

Trapping .  57 

Woodpecker . 129 

Boy  Drawing— First  Effort . . . 312 


Cabbage  Tree . G8 

Cattle— Short  Horn,  Pixy  2d  and  Fordham . 201 

Challenge— The . 41 

Chestnut  Burs . 344 

Chiekory  Plant .  53 

Children  Plowing . 112 

Chimney  Ventilators . (3) . 173 

Chrysanthemums . 52—340 

Cistern  Filtering . 6 

••  •  Improved . (2) . 118 

Cockroach  Trap. . . . . 245 

Coffee  Pots— Improved... . (2) .  22 

Corn  Cleaner . 325 

Cottage  Door— The . 208 

Cucumber— Snake .  73 

Cut  Finger — The . 216 

© 

Dog  and  Crows . 344 

Drain  Tile  Manufactory . 325 

F 

Faces— Character  Shown . . . .313 

Farm  of  Hon.  Z.  Pratt . (2).... _  8 

Fences — Portable . . . (8). .  .300— 301 

Floral  Goddess . 161 

Flower  Garden,  Plan  of . 84 

Pit . 340 

Flowers — Aloe,  or  Century . 17 

Chrysanthemums . 52,340 

Holder  for  Cut . 214 

-•  Hyacinths . . . . . 308 

••  Snap  Dragon . .  20 

Fly  Trap— Shaler’s . . . 245 

Fountain  for  Garden,  etc. . . . ..180 

Frog— Horned . 24 

Fruit  Basket . 359 

••  Bottle — Improved  Cap . . . 310 

••  ••  Yeoman’s . (2) . ..214 

Fumigating  Apparatus . 85 


o 


Garden— Plan  Of  a  Flower.. .  — . .  84 

Gates— Ornamental  Farm... . . . . . . . 333 

Grafting  Knife . . . 114 

Grafting  Process . . . . (5) _ ....  114 

Grandmother.. . 25,  $6,  110,  183,  217,  250,  281,  345 


Grandmother  and  Child— Washing . .....184 

Grape — Delaware . 360 

Grape  Vines— Styles  of  Pruning . (5) . 337 

Grass  Cutter— Italian . 233 

Grounds — Plan  for  Laying  out . (2) . 305 

H 

Honey— Box  for .  14 

Horse — Points  of.. . (2) .  11 

Horse-Rake— Parson  &  Houston’s . 172 

Housekeeper— Little . 341 

Hot-Bed . 83 

House— New  “American  ”  Architecture. .  .(2) . 297 

•  •  Plan  of  an  Editor’s... .  ...  .(2) _ ...  .137 

rian  of  S.  B.  Parsons. . . (3) . 44—45 

Humbug— Portrait  from  Circular. . . 326 


Insects- 


m  Freezer— Masser’s . 

....(2),. 

. 215 

-Acarus,  which  causes  Scab.. .. 

Chinch  Bug . 

Grain  Weevil . 

Hessian  Fly . 

....(2).. 

,.240—241 

Onion  Fly . . . 

....(5)., 

. 108 

Protection  for  Vines . 

. 131 

Walnut  Moth  or  Butterfly.... 

....(3)., 

. 268 

Wheat  Fly . 

....(2).. 

Januarius .  .  24' 

June — Floral  Illustration . 161 

K 

Kites . ......... . (5) . 120 

Kohl  Rabi .  4 


Label  for  Fruit  Trees. . . . . 178 

Lama  or  Alpaca .  77 

Lamp  for  Coal  Oil . 368 

Last  Load . 272 

Lawsuit— The. . . . 265 

Layering . .163 

m 

Map  of  Northern  Italy . . . 248 

Manure— Allopathy . H15 

Homeopathy . 105 

“  Medil  ” . 217 

Mowing  Machine . 193 


Nurses — Young . . . 372 

Nuthatch,  or  Sap  Sucker . 333 


Pedigree  of  Horses. .......  .. 

Plow— Fawkes’  Steam...... 

Pitchfork— Horse  Power - 

Pots— Ornamental  for  Bulbs. 
Poultry— Dominique  Fowl. . 

Hamburgh  Fowls. . 


.(3). 


.(8). 


824 
.329 
.328 
.  21 
.197 
.  76 

House  for . 141 

Silver-Spangled  Bantams .  37 

Wood  Duck . 236 


Problem 


-Dog . 

Labyrinth . 

Rebus . 

Shears. . . . 


•(2). 


......  25 

. 185—371 

.121,  153,  21.7,  281 
. 58,  89 


Square  DLsecled  . . 313,  345 

String  on  Wrists. . . .  58 

Puzzle— Humbug . 264 

IS. 

Rabbits— Prize . 357 

Rural  Scene— Pleasant  Home . 748 


Savings  Bank . 

. 344 

Seed  Papers . . . 

...(2).. 

. 309 

Sewing — Learning — Grandmother  and  Child - 

. 152 

Shells  with  Flowers . 

...(3).. 

. 117 

Shower — The  Passing . 

Sick  Child .  . 

.  88 

Snap  Dragon . 

.  20 

. . 342 

Spoons  inverted . . . . . 

. 371 

.......  80 

Spring  to  prevent  “  Jerks  ” . 

.  ..(2).. 

. 328 

Squash — Hubbard . 

. 73 

“Stand  Behind  Me” . 

. 280 

Sugar  Evaporator — Cook’s . 

Mill  . . . 

. 360 

Summer  House — Design  for  a  Rustic... 

•  •  S  c  **  n  c 

. 169 

Sweeper  for  Carpets . . . . . 

. 213 

T 

Thanksgiving  Dinner . 32( 

Thistle— Canada . . 204 

Trees— Beech . 361 

Belts  for  Shelter. . . . (2) .  5 

Bread  Fruit .  85 

Cedar  of  Lebanon .  177 

Cocoa . 53 

European  Linden .  48 

Fountain  Pine . 79 

Guide  for  Planting... . 113 

Large  Leaved  Magnolia .  48 

Mammoth  of  California . 336 

Traveler’s . '*6 

Yew  Leaved  Torreya.  . .  79 

Weeping  Juniper .  79 

Trellis  for  Semi-Climbing  Plants . 212 

Turnips— Pit  for . 376 

IT 

Uncle  Frank  with  Boys  and  Girls  . 56—87 

Union— Family . 721 


Vases  of  Moss . 741 

Vines — Supporters  for . 212 — 365 

W 

Wash-stand  Roller,  etc . . . 369 

Wells— Apparatus  for  Sulphur . . . 301 

Wheat  Insects . (6) - 240,  241,269 

Winter  Scene— By  Foster . 16 

>•  ••  Feeding  Stock.. . . . . . 364 


Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture 


AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  — ' WASHINGTON 


orange  jvdd,  a.  m., 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR. 


t  $1.00  PER  ANNUM,  IN  ADVANCE, 
}  SINGLE  NUMBERS  10  CENTS. 


VOL.  xviii.  No.  l.]  NEW- YORK,  JANUARY,  1859.  [NEW  series-No.  i44. 


ESPOffice  at  ISO  Water-st.,  (Near  Fulton-stj 
(^“For  tlontent*.  Term's,  ,Vc.  see  pngre  32. 

[copy  RIGHT  SECURED.] 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1858 
by  Or. noe  Judd,  in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District 
Gnurt  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New-York. 

53F*  N.  B.—  Every  Journal  is  invited  freely  to  copy 
any  and  all  desirable  articles,  and  no  use  or  advantage 
will  be  taken  of  the  Copy- Right,  wherever  each  article 
or  illustration  is  duly  accredited  to  the  American  Agri¬ 
culturist.  ORANGE  JUDD,  Proprietor. 


American  Agriculturist  iu  ©mitcm. 

The  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST  is  published  in 
both  the  English  and  German  Languages.  Both 
Editions  are  of  Uniform  size,  and  contain  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  same  Articles  and  Illustra¬ 
tions.  The  German  Edition  is  furnished  at  the 
same  rates  as  the  English- 


January. 


“  Another  Spring  !  his  heart  exulting  cries ; 

Another  year  with  promised  blessings  rise. 

Eternal  Power!  from  whom  these  blessings  flow, 
Teach  me  still  more  to  wonder,  more  to  know  ; 

Seed  time  and  harvest  let  me  see  again  ; 

Wander  the  leif-strewn  wood,  the  frozen  plain  : 

Let  the  first  flower,  corn- waving  field,  plain,  tree, 
Here  round  my  home,  still  lift  my  soul  to  Thee  ; 

And  let  me  ever,  midst  thy  bounties,  raise 
An  humble  note  of  thankfulness  and  praise  J” 

Bloomfield’s  Farmer’s  Boy 

Hail  to  the  New  Year !  Scarcely  has  the  re¬ 
treating  footsteps  of  the  Old  died  away  upon  our 
ears  before  the  New  welcomes  us  with  his  joyous 
smile.  It  comes  with  its  new  experiences  upon 
the  farm  and  in  the  household,  with  its  freight  of 
precious  memories  and  bright  anticipations.  The 
landscape  is  cheerless  without,  the  heavens  som¬ 
bre,  the  bare  forest  a  dull  grey,  and  the  fields 
robed  in  white.  But  within,  all  is  beautiful,  and 
the  more  so  in  contrast  with  the  sober  aspects  of 
Nature.  The  mind  is,  even  now,  all  a  glow  with 
the  bursting  buds  of  Spring-time,  the  full  foliage, 
the  fair  flowers,  and  the  genial  skies  of  Summer. 
No  painter  ever  put  upon  his  canvas  such  color¬ 
ing,  such  combination  of  charms  as  now  light  up 
the  imagination,  when  we  look  forward  to  the  seed 
time  and  harvest,  the  labors  and  enjoyments  of 
another  year. 

It  is  good  for  us  who  till  the  soil  and  receive 
the  fulness  of  its  blessings  to  pause  by  this  new 
landmark  and  consider  the  greatness  of  our  privi¬ 
leges,  our  indebtedness  to  the  Giver  of  all  good, 
and  our  responsibilities.  The  farmer’s  lot,  how¬ 
ever  despised  by  the  ignorant  and  superficial,  in 
town  and  country,  is  one  of  high  privilege  and 
enjoyment. 

He  possesses  at  the  outset  what  so  many  never 
attain,  or  only  late  in  life,  a  fixed  abode.  He  has, 
in  most  cases  in  this  country,  a  home  of  his  own, 
either  wholly  or  in  part  paid  for.  He  owns  the 


soil  that  he  tills,  and  all  the  fix'ures  upon  it  are 
secured  to  him  by  law.  He  knows  nothing  of  a 
landlord  to  impose  higher  rents,  and  drive  him 
out  at  the  close  of  the  year.  The  acres  and  the 
buildings,  the.  trees  and  shrubs,  the  springs  and 
streams  upon  them,  with  all  their  delightful  asso¬ 
ciations,  are  his  for  a  possession.  He  has  an  im¬ 
mediate  and  a  future  reward  for  all  his  industries. 
The  mechanic  who  makes  a  shoe  or  a  garment 
gets  his  pay  in  corn  or  barter,  and  that  is  the 
whole  of  his  income  from  his  toil.  The  farmer 
who  tills  his  fields  wisely,  not  only  gets  his  pres¬ 
ent  crop,  but  an  enlarged  capacity  in  the  soil  to 
yield  better  crops  anoiher  year.  He  plants  a  tree 
that  will  not  only  yield  fruit  this  year,  but  will  in¬ 
crease  its  capacity  for  yielding  for  many  years  to 
come,  and  will,  probably,  give  him  fruit  as  long 
as  he  lives.  He  introduces  improved  stock, 
which  will  not  only  yield  its  increase  the  present 
year,  but  will  perpetuate  itself  for  future  genera¬ 
tions.  No  calling  so  stimulates  hope  and  gilds 
the  future  with  visions  of  comfort  and  joy  as 
this. 

He  has,  or  may  have,  what  so  many  lack,  the 
necessaries  of  life.  His  main  business  is  the 
feeding  of  the  world,  the  production  of  meats 
and  breadstuff's.  At  the  smallest  cost  he  can 
spread  his  table  the  year  round  with  the  most 
wholesome  vegetables  and  meats;  milk,  with  no 
suspicion  of  stump-tail  decoction,  delicious  fruits 
fresh  from  the  tree,  and  bread  made  after  the  pre¬ 
mium  recipe  by  hands  accustomed  to  the  grate¬ 
ful  toil.  Gaunt  famine  can  never  look  in  at  his 
door,  nor  poverty  utter  its  starving  cry  at  his 
basement  window.  He  has  enough  to  eat  and 
drink,  and  to  spare,  and  the  thought  of  want  for 
the  necessities  of  life  never  crosses  his  mind  as 
an  anticipated  reality.  Oh !  what  would  thou¬ 
sands  in  the  city,  at  this  season,  give  for  such  a 
position  1 

He  has,  too,  one  of  life’s  greatest  blessings, 
constant  employment  for  his  head  and  hands,  and 
employment,  too,  that  pays— always  pays,  if  not 
so  well  at  some  periods  as  at  others.  However 
remunerative  the  toil  of  the  mechanic  or  manu¬ 
facturer,  he  has  no  assurance  that  it  will  continue. 
Almost  all  other  occupations  are  liable  to  be  over¬ 
done.  The  market  becomes  glutted  with  an 
over  production,  and  business  must  stand  still  un¬ 
til  the  articles  of  trade  are  consumed.  But  con¬ 
sumption  very  nearly  keeps  pace  with  the  pro¬ 
ducts  of  the  farm.  The  world  must  be  fed,  and 
nothing  but  bread  and  meat  will  satisfy  its  hun¬ 
ger.  Multitudes  are  now  seeking  employment  in 
the  city  and  can  find  nothing  to  do.  But  the 
farmer  has  always  something  on  hand  to  do  that 
will  give  him  bread  and  meat  another  season. 
The  Winter  is  not  lost  to  his  purposes.  It  is  full 
of  cheerful  toil— the  procuring  of  fuel  and  its 
marketing  in  the  neighboring  city  or  village,  the 
care  of  cattle,  the  procuring  of  muck  and  the 
composting  of  manures,  these  all  pay,  and  these 
are  kinds  of  work  never  finished. 


It  is  the  privilege  of  the  farmer,  too,  to  live 
with  his  family,  and  to  retain  his  children  under  his 
influence,  more  completely  than  most  others  can. 
He  is  not  troubled  to  find  employment  for  his 
sons.  There  is  enough  to  do  and  good  pay  for  it 
in  working  the  soil.  He  can  take  hi3  sons  with 
him  to  the  labors  of  the  field,  year  after  year,  and 
if  he  be  something  more  than  a  farmer,  and  worth¬ 
ily  fill  his  place  as  a  father  and  a  citizen,  the  at¬ 
tributes  of  his  manhood  will  pass  over  into  his 
sons.  Wisdom  will  distill  from  his  bps  upon  will¬ 
ing  hearts,  until  the  characters  of  his  children 
are  formed,  and  they  are  fitted  for  their  life 
work. 

All  the  influences  of  the  farm  are  conservative 
and  healthful  in  their  tendencies.  Rightly  pursued, 
there  Is  no  occupation  so  favorable  to  physical 
health.  There  is  manly  exertion  to  strengthen 
the  muscles  and  knit  the  frame.  There  is  pure 
air,  and  refreshing  sleep  in  roomy  apartments. 
There  is  the  Book  of  Nature  ever  unrolled  before 
the  young,  with  all  its  lessons  of  wisdom  and 
faith.  There  is  something  humanizing  in  the 
daily  care  of  the  domestic  animals,  and  the  heart 
must  be  stupid  indeed  that  does  not  learn  pity 
and  tenderness  from  these  ministrations. 

“  To  more  than  man  this  generous  warmth  extends, 

And  oft  the  team  and  shivering  herd  befriends  ; 

Tender  solicitude  the  bosom  fills, 

And  pity  executes  what  reason  wills 

Youth  learns  compassion’s  tale  from  every  tongue, 

And  flies  to  aid  the  helpless  and  the  young.” 

It  is  among  the  objects  of  our  devout  thanks¬ 
giving  that  we  were  born  in  a  farmer’s  house,  and 
grew  up  amid  scenes  like  these ;  that  we  have  a 
bit  of  American  soil  beneath  our  feet  that  we  call 
our  own,  where  we  and  our  sons  get  health,  and 
bread,  and  character.  He  who  murmurs  at  a  lot 
like  this  must  be  hard  to  suit. 

Well,  here  we  are  again  with  our  readers,  at  the 
beginning  of  another  year's  intercourse,  which  we 
fain  hope  will  be  even  more  pleasant  and  pro¬ 
fitable  than  that  of  the  year  just  closed.  But  a 
painful  thought  comes  over  us.  Of  the  multitude 
of  readers  of  the  Agriculturist,  young  and  old, 
whom  we  one  year  ago  addressed  with  our  New 
Year’s  greeting,  probably  full  four  thousand  have 
been  Cut  down  by  the  reaper,  Death,  and  have 
been  gathered  into  the  garner  of  the  grave.  One 
out  of  every  twenty-five  or  thirty  die  annually. 
In  the  year  before  us,  then,  of  those  who  read 
these  lines,  probably  more  than  ten  thousand  at 
least  will  finish  their  labors  here,  and  pass  hence 
Those  of  us  who  least  expect  this  are  quite  as 
likely  to  be  among  the  number  as  those  who  may 
have  forebodings  of  death.  Is  our  work  •'one  1 
Let  us  start  this  very  day  on  such  a  course,  Jiat 
whatever  the  event  may  be  with  us,  whether  we 
remain,  or  emigrate  to  the  regions  beyond  the 
flood,  this  new  year  may  be  a  happy  one.  1  nat 
such  may  be  the  case  with  each  of  you,  dear 
readers,  is  the  ardent  wish  of  your  friends  and 
fellow-laborers — the  Editors. 


\MEKICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


saw-dust,  spent  tan  and  the  refuse  of  almost  any  manu¬ 
factory  in  your  neighborhood.  Road  scrapings,  sods,  or 
even  common  soil  carted  into  the  yard  as  absorbents  of 
liquid  manure,  will  always  pay  richly  for  the  trouble. 

Marketing  produce  can  usually  be  done  to  advantage 
during  this  month.  Attentively  examine  the  “Market 
Review,”  as  it  appears  from  month  to  month  in  the  Agri¬ 
culturist.  This  is  prepared  with  much  care,  and  will 
greatly  assist  the  farmer  in  estimating  the  proper  time  at 
which  to  sell. 

Plowing  heavy  soils  in  open  Winter  weather  will  usu¬ 
ally  improve  them  by  turning  up  the  hard  pan  to  the 
slaking  influence  of  frost,  besides  killing  burrowing  in¬ 
sects  and  roots  of  pestilerous  perennial  plants. 

Poultry— Keep  in  warm  quarters,  feeding  well  while 
the  ground  is  frozen  or  covered  with  snow.  Cellars  under 
barns  or  other  buildings,  or  an  excavation  made  in  the 
side  of  a  hill  with  a  roof  over  it  affords  good  shelter  during 
Winter.  Give  meat,  also  pounded  oyster  shells,  or  lime, 
to  keep  up  the  supply  of  eggs.  Boiled  potatoes  and  buck¬ 
wheat-cakes,  alternating  with  grain  are  good  food. 

Roads— Keep  them  open  to  public  travel  even  if  snow 
storms  are  frequent.  It  shows  a  lack  of  public  spirit  to 
see  a  community  obliged  to  leave  the  highway  blocked 
up  by  snow  drifts  until  thawed  out  in  the  Spring. 

Salt — All  farm  stock  should  have  salt  once  a  week  at 
least.  Salt  hay  will  answer  the  same  purpose. 

Sheep — Provide  suitable  shelter  separate  from  other 
stock.  Give  a  few  cut  roots  each  day.  See  page  16 

Tools— Many  of  those  wanted  another  season  may  be 
made  or  repaired  during  the  stormy  days  of  this  month. 

Vermin,  such  as  rats  and  mice  are  unprofitable  animals. 
Keep  only  a  small  stock  about  the  premises.  Terriers, 
ferrets,  cats,  traps,  strychnine,  and  arsenic  are  the  proper 
antidotes.  A  small  bounty  on  their  tails  will  usually  set 
the  children  astir,  and  rats  too. 

Wood— Cut  and  draw  from  the  swamps  while  they  are 
frozen  and  the  sledding  or  carting  good.  Have  a  full 
year’s  supply,  not  only  at  the  door, but  cut,  split  and  piled 
away  under  cover  if  possible,  before  the  Spring  work 
commences  upon  the  farm.  Remember  the  annoyance 
of  having  men  called  from  the  hay  field  to  get  oven-wood, 
or  the  breakfast  delayed  on  account  of  only  green  stuff 
for  fuel. 

Oi’cliard  and  Nursery. 

Little  needs  to  be  done  here  during  this  month,  at  the 
North.  In  the  Southern  States  ground  may  be  dug  and 
otherwise  prepared,  and  both  orchard  and  nursery  trees 
set  out.  Pruning  may  also  be  commenced  in  mild  lati¬ 
tudes,  where  there  is  no  danger  of  hard  freezing  to  crack 
the  waunds.  We  dislike  Winter  pruning  at  the  North. 

Keep  all  kinds  of  stock  from  orchard  and  nursery. 
Cattle  are  fond  of  the  tender  shoots  which  they  seriously 
injure  by  browsing.  Larger  trees  should  not  bo  used  as 
rubbing  posts.  Alio  w  no  water  to  stand  upon  any  of  the 
grounds. 

Large,  choice  trees  can  be  moved  in  Winter  by  digging 
them  up  with  a  mass  of  frozen  earth  attached.  The  earth 
may  be  six  to  ten  feet  across  according  to  the  size  of  the 
tree.  Oxen  and  chains,  or  ropes  will  be  necessary  to  draw 
them  to  large  holes  previously  dug  to  receive  them.  This 
is  an  expensive  way  ef  moving  trees,  but  is  usually  very 
successful  when  properly  done.  It  is  only  advisable  with 
valuable  fruit,  or  choice  ornamental  trees  desired  for  im¬ 
mediate  effect. 

Clear  off  moss,  rough  bark,  ai.d'scale,  from  orchard  trees, 
also  caterpillar  or  other  eggs  found  on  the  branches. 

Mice  often  girdle  trees,  especially  along  hedges 
and  stone  walls  or  fences.  Trampling  snow  very  com¬ 
pactly  around  the  trees  after  each  fresh  fall  will  usually 
protect  them. 

Cut  Scions  when  there  is  no  frost  in  them,  and  bury  in 
sand  in  the  cellar,  for  Spring  use. 

Prepare  stakes,  labels  and  tallies  for  another  season,  to 
have  a  full  supply  ready  when  you  are  too  busy  to  pro¬ 
cure  them. 


for  early  use.  If  very  early  vegetables  are  wanted  the 
beds  may  be  made,  11,  but  February  and  even  March  is 
soon  enough  for  ordinary  purposes. 

Mushrooms  will  only  succeed  at  this  season  when  under 
cover,  and  protected  from  frost.  A  few  prepared  boxes 
may  be  kept  in  the  cellar  or  green-house. 

Raspberries  covered  last  month  should  be  examined 
occasionally  during  mild  or  thawy  weather.  Renew  the 
covering  where  the  earth  has  been  washed  away. 

Plow  clayey  grounds  in  open  w  eather,  leaving  the  soil 
in  ridges  to  be  acted  upon  and  pulverized  by  frost. 

Flower  Carden  and  Fawn. 

The  directions  of  last  month  being  attended  to,  there  is 
little  to  do  at  present,  save  guarding  shrubbery,  especial¬ 
ly  evergreens,  from  being  broken  down  by  an  accumula¬ 
tion  of  moist  snow,  or  ice  upon  the  branches.  A  gentle 
shake  will  usually  relieve  the  tree  or  shrub  from  its 
burden.  Where  the  branches  are  spreading  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  tie  them  in,  or  pass  strong  twine  around  the  whole 
spirally  to  keep  them  compact. 

If  new  grounds  are  to  be  laid  out  in  the  Spring  this  is  a 
good  season  to  form  the  plans  and  execute  the  drafts. 
Some  of  the  main  walks  may  be  graded  if  the  frost  is  not 
too  severe,  and  hardy  shrubs  and  deciduous  trees  may* 
even  be  planted  whenever  the  ground  will  admit  ofwork- 
ing. 

See  directions  under  “  Orchard  and  Nursery,”  for 
moving  large  trees  while  the  ground  is  frozen.  Those 
fine  evergreens  in  the  skirts  of  the  forest  may  nowr  be 
moved  to  the  lawn  with  safety. 

Prepare  labels  and  stakes  for  Spring  use,  tying  them  in 
neat  packages  to  facilitate  the  operations  of  a  busy  season. 
Examine  the  flower  pits  and  frames  and  admit1  air  every 
mild  day,  but  keep  closely  covered  duiing  heavy  frosts. 
If  covered  with  snow,  leave  it  on  for  a  Winter  protection. 

At  the  South  where  there  is  little  frost,  trees  and  shrubs 
may  be  planted,  layers  and  cuttings  put  in,  grounds  laid 
out  and  dug,  or  trenched,  and  hardy  annuals  and  peren¬ 
nials  sown. 

Grceii-Ilonses. 

As  most  of  the  plants  in  these  houses  are  merely  to  be 
kept  from  frost  or  in  a  moderate  stage  of  growth,  they  re¬ 
quire  less  care  than  in  lording  houses.  The  temperature 
should,  however,  be  kept  tolerably  even,  never  below  35°, 
and  not  above  50°,  if  there  is  a  IIot-House  for  forcing. 
To  do  this  some  fire-heat  will  be  necessary  in  this  lati¬ 
tude,  which  will  also  be  required,  lo  dry  the  atmosphere 
during  rainy  and  foggy  weather ;  carefully  avoid  a  high 
heat.  Long  continued  moisture  is  very  injurious  in  a 
Green-House. 

Every  thing  should  be  kept  neat,  sweeping,  dusting, 
syringing  and  washing  both  plants  and  floors  frequently, 
removing  all  decaying  leaves,  stalks,  moss  and  weeds 
from  the  pots,  and  stirring  the  earth  in  them  frequently. 

In  very  frosty  weather  the  houses  must  be  kept  closed 
and  even  covered  with  mats  or  shutters  for  days  together, 
opening  the  upper  ventilators  for  fresh  air  upon  the  return 
of  a  mild  clear  day.  Carefully  exclude  damps  and  fogs, 
which  are  fruitful  sources  of  mischief. 

The  pots  will  need  turning  occasionally  to  prevent  the 
plants  from  inclining  strongly  towards  the  light. 

Bulbs  placed  here  for  keeping  are  now  growing  moder¬ 
ately.  Carry  them  to  the  parlor  or  forcing  house  as  want¬ 
ed  forblooming.  Watermoi  erately,  unless  a  rapid  growth 
is  desired. 

Insects  will  need  looking  i  fter,  or  they  will  be  multi 
plying  now.  Treat  them  to  tobacco  fumes  and  soapsuds. 

Oranges,  Lemons,  Oleanders  and  Myrtles  beginning  to 
grow  will  need  moderate  waterings,  and  more  light.  Ex¬ 
amine  the  trunks  for  scale  or  other  insects. 

Water  moderately,  most  of  the  plants  in  this  collection. 
They  require  very  little,  while  in  a  state  of  rest.  As  they 
push  into  growth  increase  the  quantity  and  give  more 
frequently. 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  Jan.  1859. 


[We  note  down  sundry  kinds  of  work  to  be  done  during 
the  month,  not  so  much  to  afford  instruction  to  practical 
men,  as  to  call  to  mind  the  various  operations  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to.  A  glance  over  a  table  like  this  will  often  sug¬ 
gest  some  piece  of  work  that  might  otherwise  be  forgotten 
Or  neglected.  Our  remarks  are  more  especially  adapted 
to  the  latitudes  of  38°  to  45°  ;  but  wall  be  equally  applica¬ 
ble  to  points  further  North  and  South  by  making  due 
allowance  for  each  degree  of  latitude,  that  is,  earlier  for 
the  South,  later  for  the  North. 

This  table  will  be  much  fuller,  and  more  important, 
during  the  planting  season  when  there  is  a  greater  variety 
of  work  to  be  done. 

Explanations.—/  indicates  the  first ;  m  the  middle  : 
and  l  the  last  of  the  month. — Doubling  the  letters  thus:/', 
or  mm ,  or  U,  gives  particular  emphasis  to  the  period  indi¬ 
cated.— Two  letters  placed  together,  as  fm  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  m  either  or  in  both  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked. fm..  indicates  that  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  the  month-! 

Farm. 

With  a  good  shelter  for  his  household,  and  for  his  farm 
stock,  provisions  and  fodder  in  abundance,  and  a  mind  in 
keeping  with  the  quietude  which  reigns  about  him,  the 
thrifty  farmer  may  now  sit  contentedly  before  the  fire 
while  the  wintry  blasts  sweep  by  his  door.  He  has  no 
need  of  going  out  every  few  hours,  with  shovel  in  hand, 
to  see  if  the  sheep  are  buried  beneath  a  drift,  or  the  calves 
perishing  with  cold.  He  has  ample  time  for  reading,  and 
to  mature  plans  for  the  year  now  commencing,  and  es¬ 
pecially  to  close  up  all  accounts  of  the  past  season. 

Let  New-Year’s  day  be  a  new  starting  point,  and,  with 
the  experience  of  former  years  fresh  in  memory,  let  a 
strong  effort  be  made  to  render  the  acres  doubly  produc¬ 
tive  at  a  slightly  increased  expense  of  tillage. 

The  Calendar  of  last  month  will  mainly  answer  for  this 
with  a  few  additions. 

Barns  and  stables  require  especial  attention,  for  through 
them  passes  much  of  the  Summer’s  toil.  Remember  “  to 
save,  is  to  earn,”  and  suffer  nothing  to  be  wasted  upon  the 
floors,  in  the  mangers,  or  yards.  Chaff  and  coarse  fodder 
will  readily  be  eaten  if  run  through  a  hay  cutter  and  mix¬ 
ed  with  ground  feed.  Use  dried  muck  or  saw  dust 
for  absorbents  in  the  stables  which  both  benefit  the 
stock  and  increase  the  manure  heap. 

Breeding  A  nimals  of  all  kinds  require  careful  attention, 
but  not  over-feeding.  Give  them  a  good  shelter  in  com¬ 
fortable  quarters. 

Cattle  thrive  better,  on  less  food,  when  comfortably 
housed,  than  when  so  exposed  as  to  require  a  large  quan¬ 
tity  of  fodder  to  keep  up  the  animal  heat.  Read  the  ar¬ 
ticles  on  page  358  of  last  number,  headed  “  Look  out  for 
Incendiaries,”  also  on  “  Feeding  Racks  for  Cattle.” 
Feed  a  portion  of  the  roots  stored  in  the  cellar,  giving 
turnips  to  milch  cows  after,  rather  than  before  milking, 
or  they  may  flavor  the  milk.  Carrots  are 'better  on  this 
account  than  turnips. 

Cellars  may  need  some  extra  protection  to  keep  out 
frost.  Spread  mats  or  straw  over  root  and  potato  bins 
where  frost  can  not  be  excluded  from  the  cellars. 

Corn — Unless  seed  was  saved,  as  it  should  have  been, 
at  the  l-ime  of  harvest,  select  it,  ff,  from  the  best  in  the 
bins....  Grind  or  cook  any  fed  out  so  as  to  get  the  full 
benefit  of  it. 

Fencing  Stuff— Secure  a  good  supply  of  posts,  rails,  and 
board  timber  while  the  swamps  are  frozen.  Posts  may 
be  holed  or  pinned  together,  and  gates  made  during  stormy 
days. 

Hemlock  and  Oak  Bark— Market  early,  that  which  was 
peeled  last  Summer  for  tanning  purposes. 

Hogs— Warm,  snug  and  dry  quarters  are  now  wanted 
for  hogs.  Keep  the  pens  well  coated  with  muck,  leaves, 
straw  or  saw-dust,  for  bedding  and  manure.  Clean  out 
often.  Provide  fur  Spring  pigs  by  turning  in  the  male,  ff, 
if  not  already  done. 

Horses — Take  good  care  of  these  noble  animals,  since 
Winter  with  its  fine  sleighing  and  sledding  scarcely 
affords  a  season  of  rest.  Through  heat  and  cold,  sun, 
rain,  and  snow,  upon  the  road  for  a  pleasure  drive,  or 
to  market  the  surplus  produce,  in  the  woods  for  lumber 
or  fuel,  or  carting  home  the  distant  purchased  manure, 
the  horse  has  an  almost  daily. task,  and  richly  merits  kind 
humane  treatment  and  generous  food.  Cover  with 
blankets  when  not  using,  give  good  bedding  at  night  and 
a  liberal  allowance  of  grain,  alternating  with  carrots 
where  they  can  be  had. 

Lumber — Many  farmers  have  a  surplus  of  pine,  hem¬ 
lock,  cedar,  and  various  kinds  of  hard  wood  lumber,  which 
they  can  now  get  out  for  railroad  ties,  ship-building,  fur 
niture,  or  carpenter  work.  Preserve  the  young  and 
thrifty  trees  from  injury  as  timber  is  yearly  growing  more 
valuable. 

Manure— Continue  to  make,  f,  m,  1,  even  at  this  in¬ 
clement  season.  By  keeping  every  manufactory  well 
supplied  with  muck,  double  the  usual  amount  of  equally 
good  manure  can  be  made.  In  the  absence  of  muck,  use 


MstcSien  and  Fruit  Garden. 

At  the  North  a  snowy  mantle  covers  these,  and  pre¬ 
cludes  many  out-door  operation .  This  covering  serves 
an  admirable  purpose  in  colder  climates,  w  here  it  pre¬ 
serves  many  plants  which  would  be  killed  without  some 
protection.  In  the  far  South  indications  of  Spring  are  al¬ 
ready  visible,  and  the  gardener  is  busily  engaged  pre¬ 
paring  his  ground  and  putting  in  early  and  hardy  seeds. 
In  every  locality,  all  should  be  done  that  can  be  done  to 
forward  the  Spring  work. 

Bean,  Hop,  and  Grape  vine  poles,  pea  brush,  &c.,  should 
be  procured  now.  They  can  be  brought  from  the  forest 
with  the  Winter  fuel. 

Cold  Frames— Watch  them  as  directed  last  month. 
Cabbages,  cauliflowers,  letmce,  spinach,  &c.,  placed  in 
them  for  Winter  keeping,  will  need  frequent  airings  in 
mild  weather,  and  close  covering  with  mats  or  straw  dur¬ 
ing  very  cold  weather. 

Hot  Bed  Frames  and  Sashes— Have  them  in  readiness 


Slot-Mouses  and  Conservatories. 

These  will  require  much  care  during  the  present  month 
as  everything  is  now  growing  rapidly.  Fires  must  be 
tended  with  a  careful  hand.  A  few  moments  neglect 
might  cause  irreparable  damage.  The  temperature  should 
be  as  even  as  possible,  in  most  collections  about  75°  or  80°, 
varying  somewhat  in  different  houses  according  to  the  na¬ 
ture  of  the  plants,  degree  of  forcing,  &c.  The  tempera¬ 
ture  is  more  inclined  to'  fall  at  night,  to  guard  against 
which,  there  is  danger  of  the  opposite  extreme  by  too 
great  a  fire.  Plants  bear  several  degrees  more  heat  in 
sunshine  than  in  dark  cloudy  w'eather. 

Air— It  is  quite  important  to  supply  fresh  air  to  take  the 
place  of  that  rendered  impure  by  the  heat  of  the  furnace, 
and  grow  th  of  plants.  To  avoid  a  draft  of  cool  air,  admit 
it  through  the  upper  ventilators  during  the  middle  of  the 
day,  in  clear  w  eather. 

fizalias  are  now  growing  finely  or  beginning  to  bloom. 
Syringe  and  water  more  freely 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


3 


Bulbs— Bring  a  few  each  week,  from  the  Green-House 
to  keep  up  a  fine  show  of  bloom.  Those  in  glasses  should 
have  the  water  changed  every  week  at  least.  See  illus¬ 
trations  and  directions  on  another  page. 

Calceolarias— Shift  those  needing  it,  to  larger  pots,  turn¬ 
ing  them  frequently  to  secure  an  upright  growth.  Those 
of  flowering  size  should  show  a  fine  bloom  this  month. 

Camellias  should  now  present  a  fine  bloom,  ranking  with 
the  most  showy  flowers  of  the  house.  Wateroneeortwice 
a  week,  as  needful  and  syringe  the  foliage,  but  avoid  wet¬ 
ting  the  flowers  which  will  hasten  their  decay. 

Carnations  in  bloom,  require  staking,  and  should  be 
watered  often.  Shift  those  which  are  pot-bound.  Put  in 
cuttings  for  a  Summer  stock  to  bloom  in  the  open  grounds. 

Cinerarias  will  need  especial  watching  as  they  are  fa¬ 
vorites  of  the  green  fly.  Tobacco  fumes  are  the  best  an¬ 
tidote.  Repotting  will  be  necessary  in  many  instances. 

Cuttings  and  Layers  of  many  growing  plants  may  now 
be  made  to  advantage,  especially  of  those  kinds  intended 
for  bedding  out  in  the  Spring. 

Fuchsias — Prune  to  a  good  head,  healthy  growing 
plants.  If  much  decayed  and  of  unsightly  appearance, 
discard  them  for  young  vigorous  plants.  Cuttings  may 
now  be  made  and  growing  plants  repotted. 

Grapes,  in  the  early  houses  are  beginning  to  color,  or 
even  ripening  off.  They  require  a  dryer  atmosphere  with 
very  little  water  at  the  root.  Air  freely.  Later  houses 
require  more  care.  ,  Some  need  pruning,  thinning,  syr¬ 
inging,  and  an  application  of  sulphur  to  destroy  the  mil¬ 
dew,  according  to  the  amount  of  forcing  they  have  re¬ 
ceived. 

Insects— Prevention  is  better  than  cure.  A  moist  at¬ 
mosphere,  frequent  washing  and  syringing  of  the  foliage, 
hand  picking,  &c.,  are  the  best  preventives.  For  a  cure, 
use  tobacco  fumes  for  thrips  and  green-fly,  soap  and  wa¬ 
ter  for  scale,  and  a  sponge  or  syringe  and  clear  water  for 
red  spider. 

Peach  Trees,  Nectarines,  Figs,  &c.  in  pots,  should  now 
be  placed  in  a  warm  part  of  the  house,  repotting  if  neces¬ 
sary.  With  proper  care,  watering  occasionally  with  li¬ 
quid  manure,  thoy  will  fruit  during  the  latterpart  of  June. 

Petunias,  Verbenas,  Pelargoniums,  &c. — Plant  cuttings, 
and  layer  for  an  increase  of  stock.  A  large  number  will 
be  wanted  for  massing  in  the  Spring. 

Pines— These  begin  to  show  fruit.  A  high  tempera¬ 
ture  is  needed,  say,  80°  to  85°.  Water  each  week. 

Potting— Many  plants  need  an  early  shift  to  pots  of  a 
larger  size,  and  cuttings  inserted  last  month  are  now 
ready  to  pot  off.  Have  a  heap  of  potting  soil  at  all  times 
in  readiness  where  it  will  not  freeze. 

Seeds  of  many  out  do«r  annuals  may  now  be  sown  for 
early  planting  in  the  borders  as  soon  as  made  up  in  the 
Spring. 

Shutters — Have  in  readiness  and  use  during  snow 
storms  and  when  very  c»id  or  windy.  It  is  not  best  to 
leave  them  off  at  night  unless  the  weather  is  quite  mild. 

Water — The  watering  pot  and  syringe  should  be  fre¬ 
quently  used  this  month,  although  the  inexperienced  are 
more  liable  to  injure  the  plants  by  excess  than  by  too  lit¬ 
tle  water.  Thrifty  growing  plants  require  much  more 
moisture  than  those  which  are  in  a  state  of  rest.  An  ex¬ 
amination  of  the  earth  in  the  pots,  affords  the  best  clue  to 
their  wants.  Water  only  when  the  soil  becomes  partial 
ly  dry.  The  water  should  always  bo  soft  and  taken  from 
a  tank  or  cistern  in  the  house  itself. 

Finally  let  order  and  neatness  pervade  every  part  of  the 
house  or  room,  as  the  conservatory  with  its  “  showy 
bloom,  and  sweet  perfume,”  is  a  room  often  visited  by 
the  family  and  strangers. 

Apiary  for  January. 

BY  M.  QUINBY. 

St.  Johnsville,  N.  Y. 

Bees  that  are  out-doors  during  the  severe  weather  of  this 
month,  must  have  air,  or  they  will  smother;  they  need 
almost  as  much  as  in  hot  weather.  Look  to  them  occa¬ 
sionally  to  see  that  the  air  passages  do  not  get  closed  with 
dead  oees,  frost  or  ice.  Should  the  weather  moderate 
enough  to  thaw  the  frost ;  turn  back  the  hive,  and  clean 
the  floor  of  all  filth  that  may  have  accumulated  there. 
Set  a  board  Defore  the  hives  to  shade  them  when  rather 
too  cold  for  the  bees  to  fly  well,  and  yet  sufficiently 
warm  to  induce  some  to  issue.  When  so  warm  that  many 
leave  the  hive  when  so  shaded,  it  will  generally  do  to  let 
them  fly  freely,  even  if  there  is  snow,  unless  it  is  new¬ 
ly  fallen.  In  the  coldest  weathei  let  the  sun  strike  the 
hive.  If  secured  from  the  mice  as  directed  last  month, 
no  trouble  need  be  taken  to  shovel  them  out  when  they 
happen  to  be  buried  in  snow.  Set  traps  for  the  mice;  it 
may  be  an  advantage,  aside  from  the  benefit  to  the  bees. 

Bees  that  are  in  the  house,  snouiu  be  left  as  quiet  as 
possible,  yet  should  be  looked  to  occasionally  to  see  that 
rats  or  mice  do  not  gain  at  cess  to  them.  Small  pieces  of 
comD,  or  crumos  scattered  around,  are  indications  that 
mice  are  about.  Trap  them  at  once— it  would  hardly  do 
to  poison  them  so  near  the  honey.  Air  slaked  lime  sprink¬ 


led  on  the  floor  of  the  room,  will  keep  the  air  sweet,  if  a 
few  bees  should  get  lost  from  the  hives. 


Onion  Experience  Wanted. 

PRIZE  OFFERED. 

We  will  pay  ten  dollars  cash  for  the  best  plain, 
practical  directions  on  raising  onions,  written  by  an  ex¬ 
perienced  onion-grower.  The  article  not  to  exceed  ten 
or  twelve  pages  of  foolscap  paper,  and  to  embrace  the  va¬ 
rious  items— from  the  selection  of  seed  to  the  marketing 
of  the  crop— all  written  out  so  plainly  as  to  be  useful  to 
those  who  have  little  or  no  experience  in  the  cultivation 
of  this  crop.  Practical  directions  and  hints  are  more 
important  than  finished  style.  We  can  attend  to  the  latter 
item.  A  selection  from  the  essays  offered  will  be  made 
on  Feb.  1st,  and  the  article  published  in  the  March  Agri¬ 
culturist. — Ed. 


Notes  upon  the  Field  and  Garden  Seeds 
to  he  Distributed  to  our  Subscribers 

[For  list  of  seeds,  and  mode  of  distribution,  see  page 
28,  For  Notes  on  Flower  and  Ornamental  Seeds, 
seepage  18.] 

Field  Seeds. 

No.  1.  White  Sugar  Beet. — Good  for  feed¬ 
ing.  Making  beet-root  sugar  is  not  feasible  in  this 
country  as  yet.  We  only  offer  these  for  the 
benefit  of  those  remote  from  seed  stores,  who 
may  wish  to  try  a  plot.  Two  3-cent  stamps  carry 
about  1000  seeds,  (1  oz.) 

No.  2.  Kino  Philip  Cohn. — Valuable  chiefly 
for  its  very  early  maturity,  which  adapts  it  pe¬ 
culiarly  to  cold  regions  with  short  seasons,  and 
also  for  replanting  when  corn  has  been  destroyed, 
or  failed  to  come  up.  It  ripens  in  three  months 
or  less  from  planting.  Stalk  small ;  may  be 
planted  in  hills  21  to  3  feet  apart.  Ears  and  kern¬ 
els  of  fair  size,  and  heavv,  with  small  cob.  Yields 
better  than  it  shows  in  field;  in  some  cases  100 
bushels  have  been  reported  to  the  acre. 

No.  3.  Stowell’s  Sweet  Corn. — A  large 
growing  valuable  variety,  requiring  a  pretty  long 
season  to  fully  mature.  It  ripens  slowly,  and 
has  hence  been  called  “Evergreen.”  Is  valuable 
for  the  table,  for  drying,  and  for  cattle  food,  both 
stalks  and  corn.  It  is  pretty  widely  disseminat¬ 
ed,  but  in  remote  localities,  where  not  yet  known, 
our  parcels  of  seed  will  be  valuable  as  an  intro¬ 
duction  to  a  future  supply.  Comparatively  little 
really  pure  seed  is  anywhere  to  be  found. 

No.  4.  White  Poland  Oats. — These  suffered 
in  common  with  other  kinds  of  oats  last  season, 
but  they  are  without  doubt  an  excellent  variety, 
and  we  deem  it  worth  while  to  give  opportunity 
for  their  introduction  into  remote  localities,  where 
they  are  not  known,  and  not  accessible  except  by 
mail. 

No.  5.  Chinese  Sugar  Cane. — The  reports 
this  year  are  on  the  whole  more  favorable  than 
last  year,  and  more  so  than  we  had  looked  for, 
everything  considered.  We  still  adhere  to  the 
opinion  that  in  localities  remote  from  market,  it 
will  be  found  profitable  to  produce  home-grown 
sweetening  from  the  Chinese  Sugar  Cane.  Many 
subscribers,  especially  in  Illinois  and  Iowa,  as 
well  as  our  Western  exchanges,  have  recently 
given  glowing  accounts  of  the  present  prospects 
of  this  crop.  There  is  certainly  much  to  be  yet 
hoped  for  from  it.  Having  secured  a  large  stock  of 
good  seed,  we  offer  it  very  freely  in  our  distri¬ 
bution. 

No.  6.  Ashcroft’s  Swedish  Turnip. 

No.  7.  River’s  Swedish  Turnip. 

Both  of  these  turned  out  well  in  the  experi¬ 
ments  in  1857  ;  and  we  have  generally  good  re¬ 
ports  from  the  limited  amount  of  seed  we  distri¬ 


buted  last  year.  They  are  worthy  of  a  wider  in 
troduction. 

No.  68.  Purple-top  Scotch  (Bullock)  Turnip. 

No.  69.  Green-top  Scotch  (Bullock)  Turnip. 

These  two  varieties  were  sent  out  in  small 
quantities  late  last  year.  The  few  reports  re¬ 
ceived  speak  well  of  them,  and  we  throw  them 
open  to  general  trial  this  year. 

No.  71.  Long  White  French  Turnip. — This 
we  distributed  to  some  extent  last  year,  and  gave 
it  a  good  trial  ourselves.  We  consider  It  the  best 
Turnip  we  know  of.  It  grows  large,  white 
fleshed,  sweet,  with  no  strong  flavor.  May  be 
sown  the  last  of  June  for  a  main  crop,  and  from 
the  first  of  July  to  the  middle  of  August  for  Win¬ 
ter  table  use.  Since  we  introduced  this  to  gene¬ 
ral  public  notice,  a  few  persons  at  the  West  and 
elsewhere  have  claimed  to  have  the  same  va¬ 
riety.  That  they  have  a  similar  kind,  that  is,  a 
white  turnip  called  the  “  White  French,”  we  do 
not  doubt.  Our  seed  we  obtained  of  Joseph  E. 
Macomber,  of  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  who,  with  some 
Friends  thereabouts,  are  extensively  engaged  in 
raising  various  kinds  of  seeds.  They  ha  ve  with¬ 
out  doubt  improved  the  quality  of  the  old  white 
French  Turnip  in  no  small  degree,  and  we  are 
quite  sure,  no  better  table  turnip  is  grown  in  this 
country.  It  keeps  admirably  late  into  Summer. 
We  have  been  able  thus  far  to  secure  only  250  16s 
of  seed.  This  we  shall  distribute  in  half  ounce  par¬ 
cels  as  long  as  we  have  it.  We  distributed  100  16s 
last  Summer,  and  with  comparatively  few  excep¬ 
tions,  so  far  as  we  have  heard,  it  gave  the  high¬ 
est  satisfaction,  though  the  early,  long-continued 
rain  in  Autumn  prevented  a  full  growth. 

No.  93.  “  Hungarian  Grass,”  or  Millet. — 
It  seems  to  be  scarcely  agreed  as  yet  whether  this 
should  be  called,  grass  or  millet.  We  think  it 
valuable,  especially  for  fodder.  Some  large  stories 
are  told  of  its  prodigious  yield  of  forage,  and  of  its 
superior  value  for  feed,  both  in  the  green  and 
dried  state.  We  have  watched  these  reports 
pretty  carefully,  and  attribute  many  of  them  to 
seed  speculation.  Still  this,  and  the  inferior 
kinds  of  millets  are  valuable  as  forage  crops. 
The  seed,  which  is  now  pretty  widely  distributed, 
will  be  sold  somewhat  cheaply  in  some  lo¬ 
calities.  Those  not  having  access  to  it  otherwise, 
may  call  on  us  for  a  small  parcel  to  begin  with. 
The  seeds  being  small,  half  an  ounce  will  sow 
quite  a  plot  for  obtaining  seed  for  another  season. 
This  small  quantity  may  be  cultivated  in  drills, 
and  thus  be  made  to  yield  more  largely.  It  is  an 
annual  not  living  over  Winter.  Sow  early  or  late 
in  Spring,  or  rather  at  several  periods  for  a  suc¬ 
cession  of  green  cattle  feed. 

No.  94.  Crystal  Flint,  or  Hominy  Corn. — 
This  we  now  place  for  the  first  time  in  our  distri¬ 
bution.  It  originated  on  the  Chesapeake,  we  be¬ 
lieve,  but  has  recently  been  cultivated  by  W.  S. 
Carpenter,  of  Westchester  Co.,  N,  Y.  It  is  a 
clear  or  almost  transparent  flint,  large  ear,  with 
an  average  of  14  rows  of  kernels.  Requires  about 
the  usual  period  for  growth. 

Vegetable  and  Garden  Seeds. 

No.  8.  Daniel  O’Rourke  Pea. — This  is  the 
earliest  pea  grown,  and  is  chiefly  valuable  on  this 
account.  It  is  small,  dwarfish,  and  the  flavor  not 
so  good  as  some  others,  but  maturing  for  the 
table  as  it  does,  in  40  to  45  days  from  planting,  it 
deserves  the  most  extensive  introduction.  We 
have  raised  two  crops  on  the  same  ground  in  a 
single  season. 

No.  9.  Champion  of  England  Pea. — Every¬ 
thing  considered,  this  is  the  pea  for  the  main  gar- 


4 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


den  crop.  It  yields  profusely,  is  of  fair  size,  lull 
pods,  and  good  for  the  table. 

Ne  10.  British  Queen  Pea. — This  ranks  next 
to  the  Champion  of  England,  and  deserves  a  place 
along  side  of  it.  Both  of  these  are  now  pretty 
widely  disseminated,  and  can  be  obtained  in  quan¬ 
tity  in  many  places.  Where  this  is  not  the  case, 
a  beginning  should  be  made  with  our  small 
parcels. 

No.  11.  Hairs’  Dwarf  Blue  Mammoth  Pea. — 
One  of  the  best  late  peas;  cooks  rich,  quite  blue  or 
purple.  Did  not  bear  so  well  with  us  last  sum¬ 
mer,  as  during  the  previous  two  seasons.  Valu¬ 
able  as  a  succession  with  Nos.  8,  9,  and  10.  The 
four  kinds  sown  at  the  same  time,  will  come  into 
use  one  after  the  other. 

No.  59.  King  of  the  Marrows  Pea. — Of  the 
several  new  peas  we  experimented  with  the  past 
season,  this  seemed  the  most  promising.  It 
grew  about  five  feet  high,  bore  freely,  and  was  of 
excellent  cooking  quality.  The  seed  was  for¬ 
warded  for  trial  last  season  by  the  propagator, 
Jno.  G.  Waite,  of  London,  and  we  have  ordered 
a  limited  quantity  for  distribution  and  introduc¬ 
tion  the  present  year. 

No.  13.  Enfield  Market  Cabbage. — Thrs  is 
an  excellent  summer  variety,  first  introduced  by 
us  last  season.  We  were  much  pleased  with  it, 
and  so  were  most  of  those  trying  it,  as  far  as  we 
have  heard.  From  the  description  of  it,  as  culti¬ 
vated  in  England,  we  think  it  grows  even  better 
here  than  it  does  there.  At  least  the  heads 
are  larger  with  us.  It  matures  early,  and  is  of 
excellent  quality. 

No.  14.  Alma  Cauliflower. — We  have  never 
been  over  successful  in  raising  this  excellent  ve¬ 
getable,  but  were  more  so  with  the  Alma,  which 
we  introduced  last  season,  than  in  any  previous 
trial.  Judging  from  our  own  observation,  and 
what  we  have  heard  from  others,  this  variety 
ranks  among  the  best — we  think  it  is  the  best. 

No.  16.  Long  Orange  Carrot. — One  of  the 
best;  is  well  distributed,  and  we  offer  it  mainly  for 
persons  in  the  Territories  and  at  distant  points, 
where  seed  is  not  otherwise  accessible. 

No.  15.  Mammoth  Cabbage  Lettuce. — This  is 
a  much  prized  variety  in  England,  and  we  there¬ 
fore  imported  and  distributed  the  seed  last  year, 
though  so  great  was  the  call  for  it,  that  what  we 
supposed  to  be  an  ample  supply,  did  not  half  meet 
the  demand.  We  have  ordered  out  six  times  the 
quantity  for  the  present  year.  It  did  not  do  so 
well  in  our  own  garden  last  Summer  as  we  ex¬ 
pected,  but  others  who  tried  it  succeeded  better 
than  ourselves,  and  a  general  good  opinion  of  it  has 
been  expressed  in  most  of  the  reports  received. 

No.  17.  Red  Strap-Leaf  Turnip. — This  is 
one  of  the  earliest,  quickest  growing  turnips  for 
the  garden,  the  first  one  we  see  in  our  city  mar¬ 
kets  in  Spring.  It  may,  however,  be  sown  at  all 
seasons,  and  after  other  crops.  It  is  of  American 
origin. 

No.  19.  Round  Spinach. — Excellent  for  Spring 
and  Summer  “greens.” 

No.  20.  Salsafv,  or  Vegetable  Oyster. — An 
excellent  root  for  Fall,  Winter,  and  Spring  use. 
Cut  up  and  boiled  soft,  with  a  little  salt  codfish,  it 
makes  a  very  good  substitute  for  oysters.  We 
raise  it  in  large  quantity  for  our  own  Spring  use, 
leaving  it  in  the  ground  over  Winter. 

No.  21.  Winter  Cherry,  ( Physalis  viscosa.) — 
This  is  fully  described  and  illustrated  in  our  last 
volume,  November  number  (Vol.  XVII,  page  340). 
We  shall  probably  have  seed  enough  of  the  Ame¬ 
rican  variety  ( viscosa )  of  our  own  raising,  for  all 


desiring  it.  Each  parcel  will  contain  100  to  150 
seeds — enough  for  three  or  four  families,  if  all 
should  chance  to  vegetate.  Sow  in  April  or 
May.  For  early  use  a  few  of  the  seeds  may  be 
started  like  cabbage  seed,  in  a  green-house,  or 
hot-bed,  or  in  boxes,  or  bits  of  turf.  It  bears 
transplanting  well. 

No.  22.  Boston  Marrow  Squash. — One  of  the 
best  Fall  and  Winter  squashes  we  have,  and 
pretty  well  known. 

No.  55.  White  Globe  Onion. — This,  with  us, 
proved  the  most  valuable  of  several  new  kinds  we 
imported  last  year. 

No.  12.  Green  Kohl  Rabi. — This  is,  in  ap¬ 
pearance,  a  hybrid  or  cross  between  a  turnip  and 
cabbage,  that  is,  it  looks  like  a  turnip  grown 
above  the  ground,  with  a  dozen  long-stem  cab¬ 
bage  leaves  growing  from  its  surface.  To  answer 
continued  inquiries  as  to  “what  it  is  1”  we  re-in¬ 


sert  an  accurate  representation  of  the  plant.  The 
bulb  is  to  be  cooked  like  a  turnip,  during  sum¬ 
mer,  say  when  not  larger  than  a  large  coffee-cup. 
It  will  be  found  more  solid  than  a  cabbage,  but 
less  strong  and  tough  than  a  turnip.  When  fully 
matured  it  becomes  tough  and  difficult  to  cook 
soft.  There  are  two  varieties,  the  green  and 
purple  ;  the  green  is  much  the  best,  we  think. 

No.  72.  Brussels  Sprouts  (Imported). — Belongs 
to  the  cabbage  tribe,  and  is  cultivated  similarly. 
It  bears  on  each  stalk  a  number  of  little  cabbage- 
heads,  hardly  the  size  of  a  hen’s  egg.  These  are 
cooked  like  cabbage,  and  are  considered  a  deli¬ 
cate,  excellent  vegetable. 

No.  73.  Egg  Plants. — We  send  out  seeds  of 
two  kinds — the  purple  and  white.  The  white  is 
very  pretty,  but  worth  little  for  cooking.  We  do 
not  like  either  kind  for  eating.  They  make  a 
very  pretty  show  in  the  garden,  and  many  like 
them  on  the  table. 

No.  74.  Solid  White  Celery. — This  is  the 
best  variety  cultivated  here.  Sow  in  the  hot¬ 
bed  in  Winter,  and  in  the  open  ground  in  Spring. 
A  chapter  on  its  cultivation  will  be  given — per¬ 
haps  in  February. 

No.  75.  Green  Curled  Endive. — Described 
and  illustrated  in  December  Agriculturist,  Vol. 
XVII,  page  368.  Used  as  Fall  and  Winter  salad 
or  lettuce. 

No.  76.  and  77.  Musk  and  Water  Melons. — 
We  have  not  yet  fully  decided  as  to  the  best  kinds 
to  distribute — probably  Skillman’s  nutted  musk- 
melon,  and  Mountain  Sweet  water-melon. 

No.  92.  Okra,  ( Hibiscus  esculenta). — Planted 
in  May,  grows  3  to  5  feet  high ;  capsules  or  pods, 
if  gathered  when  green,  are  an  excellent  ingre¬ 
dient  in  soups.  The  ripe  seeds  are  often  burned 
and  ground  for  coffee.  Plant  one  inch  deep,  in 
drills,  3  to  4  feet  apart.  Thin  out  the  plants  to  9 
inches  asunder.  Hoe  and  draw  a  little  earth 
about  the  stem  two  or  three  times. 


Fencing  and  Dairy.— The  Prize  Articles. 


From  the  large  number  of  Essays  sent  in,  we 
have  selected  what  we  believe  to  be  the  most 
complete  and  practical  series  of  articles  on  these 
two  important  subjects.  The  introductory  chap 
ters  of  each  series  are  given  on  subsequent  pages. 
The  more  directly  practical  chapters,  especially 
on  butter  and  cheese,  will  appear  early  in  Sum¬ 
mer,  when  most  needed.  As  near  as  we  can 
estimate,  each  subject  will  occupy  about  a  page 
in  the  next  eight  or  ten  numbers  of  this 
Journal — equivalent  to  quite  a  hand-book,  in  or¬ 
dinary  large  type — on  each  topic.  It  is  proper  to 
remark  here,  that  in  each  case  the  writer  is  alone 
responsible  for  the  articles — they  do  not  appear 
as  editorials,  and  with  only  a  general  editorial  en¬ 
dorsement.  They  are  printed  as  written,  with 
mere  verbal  corrections,  and  we  shall  take  the 
liberty  to  add,  from  time  to  time,  any  notes  oi 
criticisms  that  seem  to  be  required,  and  we  invite 
others  to  do  the  same. 

The  other  essays  received  will  -be  returned  to 
the  individual  writers  when  desired.  All  of  them 
contain  more  or  less  of  useful  information,  and 
when  not  otherwise  ordered,  we  shall  retain  them 
to  be  extracted  from  as  our  space  may  allow. 

- Ml  1B»'  — — ; — 

Tim  Bunker  on  Saving  a  Sixpence. 

HOW  HF,  BEAT  JAKE  FRINK. 


Mr.  Editor  : 

I  hadn’t  calculated  to  write,  at  all,  this  month 
until  I  got  your  letter.  I  never  was  much  of  a 
hand  for  indoor  work,  and  could  always  use  a 
crowbar  enough  sight  belter  than  a  goose  quill. 
I  must  say,  I  like  to  make  tracks  upon  the  soil  a 
great  deal  better  than  upon  paper.  When  you 
have  turned  over  an  acre  of  sod  a  day,  with  a 
deep  tiller,  it  kind  o’  looks,  as  if  you  had  done 
something.  I  have  a  natural  affection  for  such 
furrows  ;  but  these  scratches  upon  paper  are  ra¬ 
ther  small  potatoes,  and  few  in  the  hill.  If  it 
want  that  I  had  get  interested  in  the  farmers  who 
read  your  paper,  and  could  sort  of  feel  their 
hands  in  mine,  I  would  never  touch  a  quill  again. 

Your  letter  found  me  down  on  that  bit  of 
swamp  pasture,  that  I  bought  of  Jake  Frink  and 
underdrained  last  year — where  I  cured  the  horse 
pond.  I  was  just  putting  down  a  new  bridge 
across  the  ditch,  that  I  had  left  open  on  the  back 
side  of  the  lot.  There  was  an  old  bridge  a  dozen 
rods  above,  going  into  another  lot,  that  Jack  had 
built  when  he  owned  it,  several  years  ago. 
Neighbor  Frink,  you  will  remember,  beat  me  on 
carrots  at  the  Fair,  in  a  way  that  was  not  fair. 
I  have  always  felt  bound  to  keep  up  a  decent  kind 
of  resentment  ever  since,  and  to  beat  him  in  as 
many  honorable  ways,  as  possible 

Well  now,  there  was  that  old  bridge,  the  work 
of  Jake  Frink,  and  looking  just  like  him  in  a  good 
many  respects.  It  answered  its  purpose  well 
enough,  but  it  cost  just  about  four  times  as  much 
as  it  need  to.  A  four-inch  pipe  would  carry  all 
the  water  that  ever  run  in  the  ditch,  even  in  time 
of  a  Spring  thaw.  But  Jake  had  built  a  stone 
culvert  two  feet  square,  and  covered  it  with 
heavy  stone  slabs,  as  if  a  large  brook  was  always 
running  through.  It  must  have  cost  him  twelve 
or  fifteen  dollars,  reckoning  labor  at  any  thing 
like  a  fair  price. 

And  here  is  a  point  I  think  of  a  good  deal  of 
importance  to  farmers.  There  is  not  more  than 
half  of  them  that  does  a  thing  in  the  best  and 
cheapest  way.  They  don’t  save  a  sixpence 
where  they  might  just  as  well  as  not.  What  is 
the  use  of  walling  off  land  into  two  acre  lots. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


5 


when  ten  and  twenty  acre  lots  are  a  good  deal 
more  convenient?  Why,  some  men  up  here  in 
Connecticut  have  kept  themselves  cramped  for 
money  all  their  days,  by  building  stone-fences 
where  they  were  not  wanted.  What  is  the  use 
of  burning  out  twenty  cords  of  wood  to  keep 
warm,  when  you  can  do  it  a  great  deal  better  with 
half  the  quantity  1  Good  stoves  in  a  house  save 
fifty  dollars  a  year  mighty  easy.  What  is  the  use 
of  taking  four  acres  to  grow  a  hundred  bushels  of 
corn,  when  you  can  grow  it  cheaper  upon  one  1 
What  is  the  use  of  paying  fifteen  dollars  for  a 
bridge  across  a  ditch,  when  you  can  have  one  just 
us  good  and  durable  for  three? 

It  was  curious  to  hear  my  neighbors  speculate, 
when  I  got  the  things  together  to  make  the 
bridge. 

“  Going  to  set  up  a  crockery-shop,  Esq.  Bun¬ 
ker,”  said  uncle  Jotham,  as  he  struck  the  tiles 
with  his  staff. 

“  What  new  tricks  you  got  in  your  head 
neow?”  asked  Seth  Twiggs,  as  he  thought  of  the 
tiles  and  the  brain  manure  in  the  garden. 

“  Going  to  dig  a  grave,  and  brick  it  up  ?”  asked 
Jake  Frink  as  he  looked  over  the  fence. 

“  Nothing  of  the  kind,  Mr.  Frink — you  made 
a  grave  for  ten  or  twelve  dollars  in  your  bridge 
up  yonder,  and  I  think,  there  has  been  grave-dig¬ 
ging  enough  of  that  kind  in  this  bit  of  land.” 

I  had  got  a  dozen  horse-shoe  tile  of  seven  inch 
size,  costing,  all  told,  just  one  dollar;  and  a  white 
oak  plank  two  inches  thick,  twelve  feet  long,  and 
about  a  foot  wide,  sound  as  a  nut,  cost  fifty  cents. 

I  laid  the  plank  upon  the  mud  in  the  bottom  of 
the  ditch,  about  three  inches  under  the  water.  I 
then  put  the  tile  upon  the  plank,  covering  them 
with  a  lot  of  old  straw,  and  then  packed  fn  the 
turf,  grass  side  down,  over  them,  and  filled  up  with 
gravel  from  a  neighboring  hill.  There  was 
about  a  half-day’s  work  carting  dirt,  and  the 
whole  was  finished.  That  oak  plank,  I  calculate, 
will  last  a  good  deal  longer  than  I  shall,  and 
should  n’t  wonder,  if  my  grandchildren  found  it  as 
sound  as  it  is  to-day.  The  tile  will  last  as  long 
as  brick  in  a  chimney.  The  whole  cost  of  the 
bridge  is  not  over  three  dollars,  and  it  is  quite  as 
durable,  and  a  good  deal  more  ornamental,  than 
that  rough  stone  affair,  that  cost  fifteen.  Tire 
fact  is,  I  arn  getting  sick  of  the  sight  of  stone 
above  ground,  except  in  line  walls,  since  I  have 
begun  to  drain,  and  to  use  a  horse-mower.  I 
can’t  help  thinking,  how  much  better  they  would 
pay  in  a  good  stone  culvert  under  the  sod,  or 
even  in  raising  up  the  land  in  swampy  places. 
On  the  surface  they  are  unsightly,  they  take  up 
a  good  deal  of  room,  and  are  always  in  the  way 
of  the  plow  and  the  mower.  Beneath  the  sod, 
they  are  out  of  the  way,  and  are  saving  the  six¬ 
pences  in  carrying  off  the  excess  of  water.  There 
is  nothing  on  the  farm  so  handsome,  as  a  clean 
green  meadow,  just  ready  for  the  scythe. 

I  guess  I  have  beat  Jake  Frink  twelve  dollars 
on  the  bridge,  and  that  will  do  to  set  over  agin 
the  carrots.  Yours  to  command, 

Timothy  Bunker,  Esq. 

Hookerstown,  Dec.  15,  1858. 


Chinese  Sugar  Cane  in  Kansas.  —  Chas. 
Dickinson,  Leavenworth  City,  who  received  a 
small  package  of  Chinese  Sugar  Cane  seed  from 
this  office  two  years  ago,  writes  as  follows.  “  I 
planted  it  the  first  year  like  corn.  It  did  well, 
growing  10  to  15  feet  in  hight,  producing  abund¬ 
ance  of  seed.  As  there  was  no  mill  in  this  vicin¬ 
ity,  I  did  not  attempt  grinding  it.  I  planted  again 
the  past  season  in  common  with  my  neighbors1 
who  had  from  to  10  acres  each.  Our  crop  was 
good,  and  some  of  us  clubbed  together,  and  made 


a  wooden  mill,  1dm  the  old  fashioned  cider-mill. 
Several  others  were  made  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  a  few  iron  mills  were  introduced.  With  our 
wooden  mill  we  probably  extracted  two-thirds  of 
the  juice.  From  my  patch  of  seven  rods  I  made 
9  gallons  of  first-rate  syrup.  I  find  it  as  easy  to 
boil  as  maple-sap,  with  very  little  danger  of  burn¬ 
ing.  I  think  there  has  been  sufficient  syrup  made 
in  this  part  of  Kansas  for  one  half  the  consump¬ 
tion,  and  next  season  we  shall  probably  be  ex¬ 
porters.  ...” 

— — - — ■  ■  — - — ►  «- - 


Planting  Trees  for  Shelter. 

At  this  season  of  the  year,  when  bleak  sites, 
and  indeed  all  sites,  are  swept  by  severe  winds, 
we  need  not  spend  much  time  in  showing  the  im¬ 
portance  of  planting  trees  for  shelter.  Cold 
weather  can  be  borne  easily,  if  the  air  is  still,  but 
frost  and  wind  combined  make  even  strong  men 
flinch.  Most  houses  need  the  protection  ef  trees 
for  the  comfort  of  their  inmates.  Barns  and 
sheds  and  cattle-yards  need  it  for  the  comfort  and 
health  of  stock.  Orchards  and  gardens  with 
young  and  tender  trees  and  shrubs  need  it.  And 
how  shall  it  be  obtained  ? 

In  the  accompanying  illustrations  we  introduce 
two  belts  of  trees  re-engrave  1  from  sketches  in 
Kemp’s  (English)  Landscape  Gardening.  Though 
introduced  in  that  work  purposely  to  critizise 
their  sameness  of  appearance,  we  think  just  such 
belts  of  trees  would  be  a  decided  improvement 


along  thousands  of  farms  upon  the  broad,  and 
level  or  rolling  prairies,  where  it  is  particularly 
desirable  to  secure  a  screen  from  the  winds 
which  sweep  on  with  almost  the  fierceness 
they  do  over  the  level  ocean. 

Evergreens,  undoubtedly,  make  the  best  screen, 
because  they  retain  their  foliage  in  winter ;  and 
where  they  can  be  had  at  reasonable  cost,  they 
should  be  planted  first  and  chiefly.  They  should 
be  set  in  double  rows,  the  outer  or  most  exposed 
being  made  of  pines  and  spruces,  and  the  inner 
of  hemlock  and  arbor-vitae.  By  a  little  care,  a 
dense  wall  of  verdure  may  soon  be  formed  in  this 
way.  But  where  evergreens  are  scarce  or  expen¬ 
sive,  let  the  shelter  be  made  of  deciduous  trees, 
or  of  these  and  evergreens  mixed  together.  Of 
deciduous  trees,  one  of  the  best  for  this  is  the 

European  Larch. — It  harmonizes  well  with  ev¬ 
ergreens,  and  has  quite  a  compact  net-work  of 
branches.  It  is  perfectly  hardy  and  grows  rapid¬ 
ly.  It  can  be  bought  very  cheaply  in  the  nurseries. 

The  Yellow  Locust  is  another  good  screen  tree. 
It  is  as  hardy  as  can  be  desired,  accommodates  it¬ 
self  to  all  kinds  of  soils  and  situations,  and  grows 
fast  enough  for  anybody.  Even  if  raised  from 
seed,  it  becomes  a  large  tree  in  a  few  years,  es¬ 
pecially  if  sown  in  good  soil  and  helped  on  by  a 


little  cultivation.  The  raising  of  locust-trees  is 
attended  with  this  great  advantage,  (hat  if  one’s 
grove  becomes  too  thick,  the  trees  c«*  be  thinned 
out  and  will  sell  at  a  good  price  in  market  for  tim¬ 
ber.  In  ship-building  towns,  this  is  worth  fifty 
cents  a  cubic  foot.  For  rails,  fence-posts,  mil] 
works,  building  timber,  rail  road  ties,  hubs  for 
wagon-wheels,  and  in  short  for  any  purpose  re¬ 
quiring  strength  and  durability,  the  yellow  locust 
has  hardly  any  superior. 

The  Scarlet  Maple  is  an  excellent  tree  for  shel¬ 
ter.  It  has  a  fancy  for 
moist  ground,  but  suc¬ 
ceeds  well  anywhere. 
In  good  soil,  it  makes 
shoots  annually  from  five 
to  seven  feet.  Its  scarlet 
flowers  in  early  Spring, 
its  bright  green  foliage 
with  a  silvery  lining,  in 
Summer,  and  its  brilliant 
tints  in  Autumn,  are  among  its  many  recommen¬ 
dations. 

The  White  Ash  should  be  named  in  this  connec¬ 
tion,  because  it  thrives  best  in  the  soil  which  the 
maple  loves,  is  as  hardy  as  an  oak,  and  harmon¬ 
izes  well  with  the  maple  and  locust  in  landscape 
scenery. 

For  low  trees  and  shrubs,  to  make  an  under¬ 
growth,  we  recommend  the  Buckthorn,  Mahaleb 
cherry  and  Privet.  The  Dogwoods  are  also  ex¬ 
cellent, 

- -»  * - - -  - - 

Examining  Bottoms  of  Wells  and  Cisterns- 

It  is  not  generally  known,  we  think,  how  easy 
a  matter  it  is  to  examine  the  bottom  of  a  well, 
cistern,  or  pond  of  water  by  the  use  of  a  common 
mirror  (“looking-glass.”)  When  the  sun  is  shin¬ 
ing  brightly,  hold  a  mirror  so  that  the  reflected 
rays  of  light  will  fall  into  the 
water.  A  bright  spot  will 
be  seen  at  the  bottom,  so 
light  as  to  show  the  small¬ 
est  object  very  plainly.  By 
this  means  we  have  exam¬ 
ined  the  bottom  of  wells 
fifty  to  eighty  feet  deep,  when 
half  full  or  more  of  water- 
The  smallest  straw,  or  othei 
small  object,  can  be  perfectly  seen  from  the  sur¬ 
face.  In  the  same  way  one  can  examine  the  but 
tom  of  ponds  and  rivers,  if  the  water  be  somewhat 
clear,  and  not  agitated  by  winds  or  rapid  motion. 
If  a  well  or  cistern  be  under  cover,  or  shaded  by 
buildings,  so  that  the  sun  light  w-ll  not  fall  near 
the  opening,  it  is  oniv  necessary  it.  employ  two 
mirrors,  using  one  to  reflect  the  light  to  the 
opening,  and  another  to  send  it  down  perpendi¬ 
cularly  into  the  water.  Light  may  be  thrown 
fifty  or  a  hundred  yards  to  the  precise  spot  desired, 
and  then  reflected  downward.  We  have  used 
the  mirrors  with  success  to  reflect  the  light 
around  a  field  to  a  shaded  spot,  and  also  to  carry 
it  from  a  south  window  through  two  rooms,  and 
then  into  a  cistern  under  the  north-side  of  the 
house.  Half  a  dozen  reflections  of  the  light  may 
be  made,  though  each  mirror  diminishes  the  bril¬ 
liancy  of  the  light.  Let  any  one  not  familiar  with 
this  method  try  it,  and  ho  will  find  it  not  only 
useful,  but  a  nleasing  expe-iment.  It  will  per¬ 
haps  reveal  a  mass  of  sediment  at  the  bottom  of 
a  well,  which  has  been  little  thought  of.  but  which 
may  have  been  a  fruitful  source  of  disease,  by  its 
decay  in  the  water. 

- - -»  - - —=:©«* - - 

A  small  leak  will  sink  a  great,  shin 


6 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Cistern-Building— Cistern  Water  Cheaper 
and  Better  than  Well  Water. 

In  the  March  No.  of  last  volume,  page  88,  we 
discussed  the  properties  of  water,  its  impurities, 
etc.,  and  gave  a  description  of  a  simple  filtering 
apparatus.  It  was  there  stated  that  in  the  water 
of  most  wells  and  springs, there  is  no  small  amount 
of  impurities  derived  from  the  soil,  and  that  the 
purest  water,  except  that  artificially  distilled,  is 
rain  water.  But  even  the  rain  washes  down 
dusty  particles  floating  in  the  air,  or  lodged  upon 
the  roofs  of  houses.  For  this  and  other  reasons 
it  is  desirable  to  have  even  cistern  water  filtered. 
Early  last  year  we  received  from  Wm.  Ben¬ 
nett,  of  Alleghany  Co.,  Pa  ,  sketches  and  a  de¬ 
scription  of  a  double  or  filtering  cistern  construct¬ 
ed  by  him.  The  general  plan  we  have  been  fa¬ 
miliar  with  for  several  years,  and  we  believe  it 
to  be  a  very  good  one.  We  have  therefore  kept 
the  communication  on  file  for  insertion  when 
we  could  fill  up  the  sketches  and  procure  the 
engraving  which  we  present  herewith.  We  ful¬ 
ly  indorse  the  remarks  in  regard  to  the  economy 
and  utility  of  cistern  water.  In  constructing  the 
walls  of  the  cistern,  we  think  that  in  most  soils  it 
is  safer  to  put  a  layer  of  brick  or  small  stones,  laid 
in  cement,  around  the  outside,  and  coat  the  inside 
well  with  mortar  of  hydraulic  lime.  Mr.  Burnett’s 
communication  is  essentially  as  follows  : 

Your  call  for  hints  on  various  useful  topics  in¬ 
duces  me  to  give  some  items  respecting  a  cistern 
we  had  constructed  last  Spring.  I  had  derived 
some  good  hints  from  the  Agriculturist  and  other 
sources,  but,  Yankee  like,  1  tried  to  improve  on 
all  other  plans.  I  give  the  result,  with  the  de¬ 
sire  of  putting  others  on  the  track  of  obtaining 
easily  and  cheaply  the  inestimable  blessing  of  a 
full  supply  of  pure  soft  water,  both  for  drinking 
and  cooking,  as  well  as  for  washing  purposes. 

We  sunk  two  cisterns,  R,  and  C,  3  feet  apart, 
right  alongside  of  the  Piazza,  so  that  we  could 
put  the  roof  conductor  perpendicularly  into 
the  receiving  cistern,  thereby  preventing  its 
freezing  up,  and  also  that  we  could  have  the 
pump  under  cover.  The  receiving  cistern,  R,  is 
7£  feet  deep  from  spring  of  arch  ;  the  other  14 
feet  deep.  Both  are  6  feet  in  diameter.  They  are 
both  covered  with  an  arch  of  hard  burned  bricks, 
laid  in  mortar.  Each  has  a  man-hole  at  the  top, 
and  a  brick  flue  or  chimney  in  one  for.the  running 
spout,  and  in  the  other  for  a  pump.  Both  man 
holes  are  well  covered  with  large  flat  stones  laid 
in  mortar,  sufficiently  deep  to  be  uninjured  by 
frost.  Neither  one  of  the  cisterns  is  lined  with 
bricks  as  the  cement  sticks  best  on  earth,  clay, 
stone,  &c.,  and  does  not  leak  so  soon. 

The  first  coat  of  cement  was  composed  of  one- 
third  cement  (water-lime  or  hydraulic  cement),  and 
two-thirds  good  sharp  sand  The  second  was 
one-half  of  each,  and  the  third  was  pure  cement 
(a  thin  coaty  One  man  mixed  a  bucket  full  only 
at  a  time ,  while  another  put  it  on. 

Any  one  who  has  seen  a  plasterer  at  work  can 
put  it  on,  hut  he  must  be  quick  at  it,  or  the  ce¬ 
ment  will  set,  like  plaster  of  Paris,  before  it  is  laid 
on  smoothly.  There  is  a  drain  (of  brick  laid  in 
mortar  and  lined  with  cement)  leading  from  the 
receiving  cistern,  and  both  this  and  all  the  other 
apertures,  are  so  well  secured  that  even  a  worm 
can  not  get  in. 

In  the  bottom  of  the  receiving  cistern,  R,  we 
sunk  a  small  cistern  24  feet  deep  and  3  feet  wide, 
to  hold  the  filtering  materials.  It  is  (of  course)  on 
the  side  nearest  to  the  deep  cistern.  At  its  bottom, 
we  put  through  into  the  deep  cistern,  a  hard  burned 
stone-ware  pipe,  2  inches  in  diameter.  The  end 


in  the  small  cistern  is  covered  with  a  piece  of 
copper  having  a  number  of  small  holes  punched 
through  it.  This  prevents  displacement  of  gravel. 
The  other  end  is  plugged  up  with  wood,  and  a 
4  inch  hole  bored  through  the  wood  to  prevent  a 
too  rapid  rush  of  water  through  the  filtering  ma¬ 
terials.  The  first  layer  of  these  is  clean  gravel,  g, 
say  to  the  depth  of  8  inches;  then  a  piece  of  can¬ 
ton  flannel  ;  then  a  layer  of  pounded  charcoal,  c, 
4  inches  ;  then  a  layer  of  coarse  clean  sand,  say 
6  inches  ;  and  so  on,  flannel,  charcoal  and  sand  to 
six  inches  above  top,  making  a  bed  of  filtering  ma¬ 
terials,  about  3  feet  deep.  The  upper  six  inches 
are  held  in  position  by  two  courses  of  bricks 
around  the  edge. 

You  will  notice  that  the  pipe  connecting  the 
two  cisterns  is  four  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the 
deep  cistern,  so  that  if  we  wish  to  replace  the 
present  with  fresh  filtering  materials,  we  have  4 
feet  depth  of  water  to  use,  until  more  rain  comes. 
And  notice,  also,  that  the  receiving  cistern  is  so 


large  as  to  hold  a  very  copious  shower  of  rain. 
Showers  sometimes  are  few  and  far  between,  and 
a  small  cistern  is  a  nuisance  anywhere.  Water 
will  keep  better  in  large  quantities  than  in  small. 
We  have  now  a  full  supply  of  the  best  of  water, 
only  6  feet  from  and  on  a  level  with  the  kitchen 
door,  and  under  cover  too.  We  use  the  water  for 
every  purpose  and  greatly  prefer  it  to  any  other. 
We  have  an  excellent  spring  about  a  hundred 
yards  from  the  house  but  we  almost  forget  it.  The 
water  is  so  much  purer — and  it  never  gets  mud¬ 
dy.  It  is  out  of  the  way  too  of  all  the  crabs,  frogs, 
worms,  rats,  mice,  etc.,  etc. 

If  it  does  not  rain  for  8  or  10  months  we  are 
still  supplied  with  plenty  of  soft  water  as  clear  as 
crystal.  The  whole  cost  (including  pump  and 
pipe,  $12.20,  and  94  barrels  cement  at  $2.50)  was 
$90,  which  is  less  by  considerably  than  the  cost  of 
sinking  a  well  in  addition  to  making  the  usual  soft 
water  cistern,  with  pumps  or  windlass  to  both  of 
them.  If  my  health  had  permitted  me  to  have 
done  the  work,  the  cost  would  have  been  much 
less,  say  $65.  One  more  advantage  of  the  filter¬ 
ed  water  is,  the  women  can  make  the  clothes 
look  so  much  cleaner. 

P.  S.  In  a  letter  just  at  hand  (Dec.  20.),  Mr. 
Berinet  writes:  “The  filtering  cistern ,  I  wrote 
about  some-time  ago,  has  now  been  in  use  about 
14  years, and  we  are  better  pleased  with  it  the 
longer  we  use  it.  While  many  springs  and  wells 
have  been  dry,  subjecting  tie  owners  to  great 
labor  and  inconvenience  (especially  the  women), 
we  have  had  an  abundant  supply  of  pure,  soft 
water  for  all  purposes.  You  may  confidently  urge 
similar  constructions.” 

- - - - «<>•— - - - 

Pride  arises  from  self-ignorance. 


New  Use  for  a  Magnet 

A  key  having  been  dropped  into  the  Mississippi 
river,  where  it  was  impracticable  to  dive  for  it,  a 
strong  steel  magnet  was  procured,  and  let  down 
by  a  long  string.  By  trailing  it  about  a  few  mi¬ 
nutes,  it  was  brought  into  contact  with  the  iron 
ring  upon  the  brass  key,  and  held  it  fast  until 
raised  to  the  surface.  A  magnet  will  not  attract 
brass  or  copper.  This  mode  of  raising  iron  and 
steel  articles  from  deep  water,  may  be  success¬ 
fully  used  in  many  other  instances.  A  large  piece 
of  steel  may  be  readily  made  a  strong,  permanent 
magnet  with  the  aid  of  a  small  galvanic  batten 
See  explanation  and  illustrations  of  electn 
magnets,  Vol.  XVII.,  page  281. 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Winter  Management  of  Sheep. 

BY  A  MICHIGAN  FARMER. 


The  sheep  is  perhaps  more  sensibly  affected  b) 
ill  treatment,  than  any  other  of  our  domestic  ani 
mals  ;  and  it  may  be  as  truly  said  that  none  re¬ 
pay  the  owner  as  well  for  good  keeping,  and  con¬ 
stant  care  and  attention  during  Winter.  The 
losses  usually  sustained  by  the  country  at  large, 
in  consequence  of  negligence  in  the  care  of  sheep 
during  the  feeding  season,  is  immense.  During 
the  Winter  of  1852 — 3,  a  friend  of  mine  lost  70 
fine  sheep.  He  trusted  a  careless  man  to  take 
care  of  his  flecks,  being  absent  himself  most  of 
the  time,  and  this  man  neglected  to  shelter,  ne¬ 
glected  to  feed  properly,  to  water,  to  salt,  etc., 
etc.,  and  the  result  was  70  rotten  pelts  in  Spring. 
Another  farmer  within  my  acquaintance  lost, 
during  the  last  Winter  and  Spring,  upwards  of 
forty,  just  from  sheer  negligence.  And  it  is  so 
the  country  over — immense  numbers  die  every 
Winter  for  want  of  care. 

Shelter. — Two  purposes  are  served  by  shel¬ 
ters — they  save  food,  and  they  preserve  the  wool 
from  the  highly  injurious  effects  of  storms  and 
changes  of  weather.  Where  sheep  are  kept 
without  shelter,  the  wool  is  wanting  in  those  fine 
felting  properties,  which  sheltered  wool  always 
possesses  in  so  superior  a  degree.  An  old  woolen 
manufacturer  once  told  me,  he  could  tell  without 
fail,  whether  sheep  had  been  sheltered  or  not,  as 
soon  as  he  began  to  work  the  wool. 

Shelter  is  equivalent  to  food,  in  some  degree. 
Food  is  required  to  keep  up  the  animal  heat — it 
is  the  fuel ;  the  stomach  is  the  fire  place,  where 
it  is  consumed,  and  the  body  is  the  house  to  be 
warmed.  The  warmer  a  dwelling-house  is,  the 
less  fuel  is  required.  Even  a  belt  of  trees  about 
the  exposed  portions  saves  a  large  amount  of  fuel. 
So  with  sheep,  or  other  animals,  the  warmer  they 
are  kept,  the  less  food  is  required  to  preserve 
the  natural  warmth  of  the  body.  Shelter,  there¬ 
fore,  serves  as  an  equivalent  for  food  to  a  certain 
extent. 

Furthermore  :  Good  shelters  reduce  the  losses 
to  mere  nothing.  The  most  successful  cases  ol 
the  Winter  management  of  sheep,  are  where  the 
flocks  are  comfortably  housed  during  the  entire 
Winter  ;  and  not  allowed  in  the  fields  at  all.  I 
know  of  cases,  where  this  practice  has  been  con¬ 
tinued  for  six  or  seven  years,  and  the  losses  have 
not  amounted  to  more  than  one  quarter  of  one 
per  cent.  The  stables  were  well  ventilated,  and 
littered  daily. 

Food. — Sheep  need  a  great  variety  a f  food.  No 
animal  partakes  of  so  many  different  plants,  hence 
they  are  fond  of  change,  even  from  better  to 
worse,  sometimes,  rather  than  to  feed  on  one 
kind  continually.  A  constant  adherence  to  dry 
food,  the  Winter  through,  is  sure  to  engender  the 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


7 


ailment  known  as  stretches,  which,  if  not  attended 
to,  often  proves  fatal  to  sheep.  A  feed  of  routs, 
apples,  or  any  succulent  vegetables,  three  times  a 
week,  will  obviate  all  danger  in  this  direction. 
To  produce  the  finest  and  evenest  fleeces,  or  an 
even-sized  and  even-lengthed  fiber,  nothing  is 
more  important  than  good  food,  and  an  even  con¬ 
dition  of  flesh  throughout  the  year.  Fat  at  one 
time,  and  poor  at  another,  will  surely  produce  an 
uneven  fiber,  and  materially  injure  the  qualities 
of  the  wool  for  most  manufacturing  purposes. 
High  feeding  is  certainly  not  favorable  for  the 
growth  of  the  finest  wool.  Ruta-barga  turnips  in 
large  quantities,  fed  to  sheep  during  the  Winter, 
injure  the  quality  of  wool  for  fine  fabrics,  and  so 
does  Indian  corn,  when  given  plentifully.  These 
articles  of  food  sparingly  do  little  harm — other 
grains,  roots,  and  beans  are  preferable. 

Water. — Many  farmers  hold  to  the  notion  that 
sheep  need  no  water  during  Winter  ;  but  surely 
there  is  no  ground  for  it,  for  no  animal  drinks 
more  freely,  or  with  a  better  relish ;  and  it  is  as 
essential  to  their  health  and  condition,  that  they 
have  a  full  supply  regularly,  as  that  they  have  a 
full  supply  of  good  food  regularly. 

Every  good  and  experienced  flock-master 
knows  how  important  it  is,  to  keep  sheep  up  in 
good  condition  in  the  Fall,  and  to  have  them  come 
to  the  sheds  at  this  season  in  full  flesh  and  health. 
No  animal  is  so  hard  to  bring  up  again,  after  be¬ 
coming  poor,  as  the  sheep.  Indeed,  having  had 
the  experience  myself,  I  speek  feelingly  on  the 
subject.  There  is  nothing  more  unsatisfying  than 
the  very  humane  occupation  of  nursing  up  a  poor, 
weak,  diseased  animal,  which  has  been  reduced, 
and  brought  upon  the  sick-list  by  one’s  own  care¬ 
lessness  and  neglect. 


Dressed  or  Net  Weight  of  Animals, 


Cattle.  At  the  West,  and  generally  among 
farmers,  where  cattle  are  sold  by  weight,  instead 
of  by  the  head,  the  live  weight  is  understood 
This  is  obtained  at  the  scales,  or  perhaps  more 
frequently  by  estimate.  At  the  New-York  cattle 
market,  cattle  are  usually  sold  by  the  weight  of  the 
four  quarters  dressed.  Thus,  when  a  butcher  buys 
a  bullock  at  9  cents  per  lb.,  it  is  this  price  for  the 
dressed  meat,  and  does  not  include  the  feet,  head, 
hide,  and  loose  tallow.  If  he  retails  the  meat  by 
the  pound,  at  prices  which  average  9c.,  he  gets 
the  hide,  tallow,  head,  and  feet,  for  the  expeiue  of 
killing,  selling,  and  profit,  and  this  usually  pays. 
At  the  cattle  market  the  net  weight  is  generally 
estimated  by  the  eye.  Sometimes  cattle  ate  sold 
at  so  much  per  pound,  to  be  weighed  soon  after 
killing.  Sometimes  they  are  weighed  alive,  and 
an  agreed  allowance  deducted  for  offal  cr  shrink¬ 
age.  A  bullock  of  average  size  and  in  #ood  flesh, 
will  generally  shrink  about  44  lbs.  on  each  100 
lbs. ;  that  is,  each  100  lbs.  of  live  weight  will  give 
56  pounds  of  meat  in  the  quarters.  Large  fat 
bullocks  will  sometimes  dress  as  high  as  58  to  61 
or  62  lbs.  to  the  100  lbs.  live  weight ;  while  some 
poorer,  thin  animals,  will  dress  no  more  than  48 
to  52  lbs.  to  the  100  lbs.  live  weight.  Frequently 
“scalawags’’  will  run  considerably  lower,  their  feet 
bead,  and  horns  making  up  a  considerable  portion 
of  their  live  weight. — In.  Boston,  (or  its  cattle 
market  at  Brighton),  and  indeed  in  most  markets 
aside  from  New-York,  the  selling  net  weight  in¬ 
cludes  what  is  called  the  “  fifth  quarter,”  that  is, 
the  head,  hide,  and  loose  tallow.  This  fact 
should  be  kapt  in  mind  when  reading  and  compar¬ 
ing  the  cattle  reports  from  different  cities. 

Calves.  These  are  almost  universally  sold  by 
the  pound  for  the  live  or  gross  weight.  A  calf 


shrinks  just  about  one  third  in  dressing.  Small 
young  calves  in  the  New-York  markets  are  usu¬ 
ally  styled  “bobs,”  and  sometimes  “kittens  ”  ; 
these  are  generally  sold  by  the  head,  without 
weighing. 

Sheep  are  sold  more  frequently  by  the  head, 
though  very  often  by  the  pound,  live  weight. 
Sheep  shrink  in  dressing  about  one  half.  This  de¬ 
pends  somewhat  upon  the  length  or  weight  of  the 
wool,  and  considerably,  of  course,  on  the  fatness. 
In  Autumn,  as  a  general  rule  for  sheep  in  fair 
condition,  the  net  weight  of  the  dressed  carcases 
is  estimated  at  about  5  (a)  5 $  lbs.  for  each  10  lbs. 
of  live  weight. 

Hogs.  These  are  usually  sold,  before  killing,  by 
the  live  weight,  at  an  agreed  price  per  lb.  After 
killing,  the  pork  is  sold  by  the  weight  of  the  car¬ 
cases,  including  the  head  and  feet,  the  entrails  and 
loose  fat  being  removed,  and  also  the  heart,  liver 
and  lights  (lungs).  The  net  weight  varies  less  in 
hogs,  than  in  other  animals.  A  general  rule  for 
medium  hogs  is  to  allow  one  pound  in  five  for 
shrinkage.  The  old  Kentucky  rule  for  fat  hogs 
is,  we  believe,  as  follows :  From  the  first  100 
pounds  of  live  weight  deduct  one  pound  in  every 
four  for  offal. — For  what  is  over  100  lbs.  up  to 
200  lbs.,  deduct  one  pound  from  every  eight 
pounds  for  offal.  For  what  is  over  200  lbs.  up  to 
300  lbs.,  deduct  one  pound  from  eveiy  sixteen 
pounds.  All  above  three  hundred  is  counted  net 
weight.  Examples:  From  a  hog  weighing  164 
lbs.  alive,  deduct  25  lbs.  for  the  first  100  lbs.,  and 
8  lbs.  (1  in  8)  for  the  64  lbs.,  that  is,  33  lbs.  in  all 
from  the  164  lbs.,  leaving  131  lbs.  for  the  dressed 
or  net  weight.  From  the  live  hog  weighing  280 
lbs.,  deduct  25  lbs.  for  the  first  hundred,  12£  lbs. 
(1  in  8)  for  the  second  hundred  pounds,  and  5  lbs. 
(1  in  16)  for  the  eighty  pounds  ;  in  all  42J-  lbs., 
leaving  237i  lbs.  as  the  net  or  dressed  weight. 
From  a  live  hog  weighing  400  lbs.,  deduct  25 
lbs  for  the  first  hundred  pounds,  12^  pounds  for 
the  second  hundred  pounds,  and  6£  lhs.  for  the 
third  hundred  pounds,  and  nothing  for  the  fourth 
hundred  pounds,  in  all  say  44  lbs.,  leaving  a  net 
weight  of  356  lbs.  We  think,  however,  that  2  or 
3  lbs.  should  be  deducted  from  the  fourth  and  fifth 
hundred  pounds.  These,  as  well  as  the  previous 
figures,  will  vary  somewhat  with  age,  rize  of 
frame,  and  degree  of  fatness  of  the  animal. 
- — — - - *-«. - 

Whistling. — We  believe  in  whistling — we  love 
to  hear  it,  and  to  do  it.  The  boy  or  man  at  the 
plow  who  whistles  indicates,  that  he  is  contend¬ 
ed,  and  he  will  plow  more  than  your  silent,  glum 
one,  who  hath  no  music  in  his  soul,  nor  in  his  lips. 
The  Albany  Times  is  right  when  it  says  :  The 
man  who  don’t  believe  in  whistling,  should  go  a 
step  further,  and  put  a  muzzle  on  bobolinks  and 
mocking  birds.  Whistling  is  a  great  institution. 
It  oils  the  wheels  of  care,  and  supplies  the  place 
of  sunshine.  A  rnan  who  whistles  has  a  good 
heart  under  his  shirt  front.  Such  a  man  not  only 
works  more  willingly  than  any  other  man,  but  he 
works  more  constantly.  A  whistling  cobbler  will 
earn  as  much  again  money  as  a  cordwainer  who 
gives  way  to  low  spirits  and  indigestion.  Mean 
or  avatacious  men  never  whistle.  Who  ever 
heard  of  a  whistler  among  the  sharp  practicioners 
of  Wall  St.  1  We  pause  for  an  answer.  The  man 
who  attacks  whistling,  throws  a  stone  at  the 
head  of  hilarity,  and  would,  if  he  could,  rob  June 
of  its  roses — August  of  its  meadow  larks.  Such 
a  man  should  be  looked  to. 


Dr.  Adam  Clark,  who  had  a  strong  aversion  to 
pork,  was  called  upon  to  say  grace  at  a  dinner, 
where  the  principal  dish  was  roast  pig.  He  is 
reported  to  have  said  :  '•  O  1  Lord,  if  Thou  can’st 
bless  under  the  Gospel  what  Thou  did’st  curse 
under  the  Law,  bless  this  pig.” 


Wind  Mills. 


There  are.  doubtless  very  many  locations,  where 
power  may  be  obtained  for  farm  purposes  by  the 
erection  of  wind  mills.  Many  flour  mills  in  this 
country,  as  well  as  in  Europe,  have  long 
been  driven  by  this  power,  and  the  fact  of  their 
continued  use,  is  demonstrative  of  their  utility. 
We  are  constantly  inquired  of  as  to  the  best 
form.  We  have  also  some  half-a-dozen  commen¬ 
datory  communications  on  the  subject,  but  all  of 
them,  or  all  but  one,  are  from  individuals,  direct¬ 
ly  or  indirectly  interested  in  some  particular  pa¬ 
tent.  We  are  very  desirous  of  supplying  our 
readers  with  correct  information  on  the  subject, 
for  it  is  needed  ;  but  we  frankly  confess  that  we 
are  not  yet  able  to  give  a  well-grounded  opinion, 
and  in  this,  as  in  other  instances,  we  prefer  to  be 
silent,  until  able  to  judge  and  speak  intelligently 
— even  at  the  risk  of  losing  an  editor's  reputation 
for  knowing  everything.  We  hardly  know  how 
to  get  at  this  matter,  without  spending  a  month 
or  two,  or  more,  and  traveling  several  thousands 
of  miles  to  thoroughly  and  carefully  examine  the 
various  mills  constructed,  and  in  operation  in  dif¬ 
ferent  parts  of  the  country.  If  we  can  get  at  the 
matter  in  any  way  during  the  year,  we  shall  cer¬ 
tainly  do  so.  Details  of  their  operation  from  un¬ 
interested  persons  will  be  gladly  received.  Let 
us  know,  for  example,  what  kind  is  used.describ 
ing  its  construction  ;  how  long  it  has  been  used  ; 
what  was  its  first  cost,  and  the  after  cost  for  re¬ 
pairs  ;  what  is  its  capacity  ;  whether  you  would 
put  up  another  at  once,  just  like  it,  if  this  were 
burned  down.  This  last  question  is  a  good  test 
one,  which  may  well  be  applied  to  other  struc¬ 
tures,  when  estimating  their  real  value  to  the 
owner,  or  for  others.  We  often  form  a  kind  of 
attachment  to  a  thing,  more  because  it  is  on 
hand,  and  we  are  used  to  it,  than  from  its  real 
utility. 


Large  Yield  of  Rye. 


George  J.  Ryerson,  of  Wayne,  Passaic  Co., 
N.  J.,  informs  us  that  he  cut  within  a  fraction  of 
75  bushels  of  rye  from  two  acres.  It  was  the 
common  rye,  sown  early  in  October,  on  “dark 
sandy  loam.”  The  field,  a  meadow,  was  plowed 
in  Spring  of  1856,  and  planted  to  corn.  In  Spring 
of  1857  planted  with  potatoes,  and  a  single  hand¬ 
ful  of  unleached  ashes  scattered  on  the  top  of 
each  hill  after  planting.  After  digging  the  pota¬ 
toes,  the  ground  was  plowed,  and  10  loads  (25 
bushels  each)  of  well-rotted  yard  manure  per  acre 
harrowed  in.  The  rye  was  then  sown  broadcast, 
about  H  bushel  to  the  acre. 

- - - ■— ga^taoi  - 

Blotting  Paper  usually  becomes  nearly  use¬ 
less  in  a  short  time.  Cause  :  The  oil  from  fingers 
rubbed  over  it  coats  the  surface,  and  prevents  its 
absorbing  the  fluid  ink.  Remedy  :  Always  keep 
the  same  side  up,  and  apply  the  fingers  only  to 
that  side.  This  is  an  “  original  discovery” — a 
small  one,  but  nevertheless  a  useful  one  to  those 
who  have  much  writing  to  do.  We  shall  not  ap¬ 
ply  for  a  “  patent.” — Ed. 

“  Sir  :  Your  account  has  been  standing  for  two 
years,  I  must  have  it  settled  immediately.”  Re¬ 
ply,  “  Sir,  things  do  usually  settle  by  standing,  I 
regret  that  my  account  is  an  exception.  As  it 
has  been  standing  so  long,  suppose  you  let  it  run 
a  while.” 

A  spendthrift,  who  had  wasted  his  valuable  in¬ 
heritance,  rallying  a  frugal  country  gentleman, 
said,  among  other  things,  “  I’ll  warrant  those 
buttons  on  your  coat  were  your  grandfather’s.’ 
“Yes,”  said  the  other,  “but  1  have  still  got  my 
grandfather's  lands,  tool" 


8 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  144 


PERSPECTIVE  VIEW  OF  THE  FARM  OF  HON.  ZADOCK  PRATT — Prattsville,  Greene  County,  N.  Y. — Area  365  acres. 


{Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist.) 


References, 
a  a — Barn-yard. 

1.  1— Sheds  and  Pig-pens. 

2 —  Horse  and  Wagon-house. 

3—  Barn,  30x40  feet— Stable  in  basement; 


I  elevated  entrance  to  left. 

4 — Door-yard. 

5-  Wash  and  Wood-house. 

I  6— Milk-House — cement  bottom. 
I  7— Dwelling-house. 


|  8— Water-tanks. 

9— Granary. 

I  10— Corn-house. 

I  11  — Water-pipes  to  yard  and  pens. 
12— Butler-milk  Pipes  to  Pig-pens. 


Size  of  Lots. 

No.  1,  11  acres — No.  2,  16  a. — No.  3, 
17  a. — No.  4,  361  a.— No.  5,  14  a— Nos. 
6  and  7,  45  a  —No.  8,  7}  a.— No.  9,  0  a. 
—No.  10,  11  a.— No.  11,  203  a. 


We  present  above  a  sketch  engraved  expressly 
for  this  journal.  A  lithograph  of  the  farm  ap¬ 
peared  in  the  Report  of  the  N.  Y.  State  Agricul¬ 
tural  Society  for  1857,  recently  issued.  The  farm 
is  owned  and  cultivated  by  Hon.  Zadock  Pratt, 
formerly  a  large  tanner.  He  recently  informed 
us  that  he  had  tanned  over  a  million  hides — a 
much  larger  number,  probably,  than  has  been 
dressed  by  any  other  man  in  the  world.  Mr.  Pratt, 
who  is  now  some  68  years  of  age,  has  latterly 
turned  his  attention  to  tilling  the  land  which 
formerly  furnished  a  portion  of  the  hemlock  bark 
for  his  tanneries,  and  he  takes  much  pride  in  his 


present  profession.  His  example,  and  the  results, 
show  that  the  same  skill  and  energy  which  will 
give  success  in  other  pursuits  will  render  profit¬ 
able  the  cultivation  of  even  mountainous  hemlock 
soils.  This  farm  was  awarded  an  honorary  Di¬ 
ploma  by  the  State  Agricultural  Society  in  1857, 
as  the  best  Dairy  Farm. 

The  general  features  of  the  farm  and  its  divi¬ 
sions  are  shown  in  the  diagram  above.  It  is  sit¬ 
uated  on  the  Schoharie  Kill  (creek),  36  miles  west 
of  the  Hudson  river,  in  the  northwest  corner  of 
Greene  County,  and  lies  upon  a  slope  of  the  Cats- 
kill  mountain.  The  soil  is  mainly  a  sandy  loam 


and  gravel,  with  about  60  acres  of  fine  alluvial 
soil  along  the  creek.  Some  corn,  potatoes,  buck¬ 
wheat.  etc.,  are  raised,  but  the  chief  business  of 
the  farm  is  butter-making,  and  the  mode  of  pro 
cedure,  and  the  results  given  below,  will  serve 
as  an  example,  if  not  a  stimulus,  to  thousands 
of  farmers  both  in  New  York  State  and  else¬ 
where. 

The  buildings  are  specially  arranged  for  dai¬ 
ry  operations.  The  main  objects  kept  in  view 
are,  convenience  and  profit,  with  some  attention 
to  appearance  of  neatness  and  comfort.  The  dai¬ 
ry,  or  milk-room  (fig.  6  in  ground  plan),  is  con- 


January ,  1859 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


9 


venient  to  the  yard.  It  lias  a  cement  bottom, 
with  racks  for  holding  the  pans  of  milk.  The 
butter  is  here  churned  in  large  dash  churns  driv¬ 
en  by  water.  The  buttermilk  is  carried  in  pump- 
logs  (12)  under  ground  to  the  piggery  (1 ).  The 
wl>  r  from  the  reservoir,  after  turning  the  wheel 
n  the  milk-room,  is  also  conveyed  in  logs  under 
ground  to  a  trough  in  the  cattle  yards.  The  sur¬ 
plus  water  is  then  carried  to  irrigate  the  fields,  1 
and  2.  This  irrigation  has  largely  increased  the 
yield  of  grass — the  hay  gathered  sometimes 
amounting  to  four  tuns  per  acre. 

We  may  add  here,  that  on  portions  of  the  up¬ 
land  the  brush  has  been  burned  over,  and  sown 
with  seeds  of  maple,  beech,  locust,  &c.  ; 
hickory  and  black  walnut  have  also  been  set 
out — all  of  which  are  growing  well,  and 
promise  an  abundance  of  good  timber  and  fuel. 
Buckwheat,  millet,  oats,  rye,  carrots,  potatoes  and 
turnips  are  grown  to  advantage  in  the  lowlands. 
Millet  has  been  found  profitable,  as  food  both  for 
cows  and  swine. 

The  past  year  50  cows,  and  about  70  hogs  and 
pigs  have  been  kept.  The  animals  are  mostly 
natives,  or  common  stock  raised  in  the  vicinity. 
The  cows  show  a  little  admixture  of  Devon  blood. 
The  farm  help  consists  of  a  man  and  his  wife, 
two  girls  and  a  boy — each  of  whom  milks  ten  cows. 

The  cream  only  is  churned,  experience  having 
shown  that  on  this  farm  this  mode  is  preferable 
to  churning  the  whole  milk.  The  milk-room  is 
kept  scrupulously  clean,  and  well  ventilated.  Af¬ 
ter  churning — in  large  dash-churns  of  the  com¬ 
mon  form — the  butter  is  thoroughly  worked,  and 
an  ounce  to  the  pound  of  fine-ground  Ashton 
salt  is  then  carefully  and  evenly  incorporated.  The 
butter  is  packed  hard  into  white  oak  firkins,  and 
afterwards  kept  in  a  cool  place.  Special  care  in 
making  butter  of  the  first  quality  only,  is  here,  as 
everywhere  else,  well  repaid  by  the  higher  price 
it  brings  in  the  market.  The  whole  product  of 
this  dairy  amounting  to  over  8,000  lbs.  netted  very 
nearly  24  cents  per  lb.  in  market.  The  extra  care 
in  making  butter  of  this  quality  did  not  cost 
any  more  than  it  would  to  have  produced 
the  millions  of  pounds  of  butter  that  has  been 
sold  in  this  market  at  14  to  18  cents  per  lb.  The 
most  essential  requisites  here  sought  after  are 
pure  cold  water,  cleanliness,  good  salt,  and  espe¬ 
cially,  thorough  working  of  the  butter,  and  hav¬ 
ing  a  good  dairy-woman. 


STATISTICS  OF  DAIRY,  ETC. 

We  gathered  from  Mr.  Pratt  himself  the  follow¬ 
ing  statistics  for  the  past  year  (1858),  which  will 
be  found  valuable  for  comparison  and  reference 
in  several  respects.  For  comparison  also,  we 
add  the  statistics  for  1857,  which  we  glean  from 
the  State  Agricultural  Report.  Avery  strict  daily 
account  is  kept  of  the  weight  of  the  milk  and 
other  items. 


Number  of  Cows  kept. 

185  J. 

50 

Number  of  Hogs  kept  .. 

50 

MILK. 

Whole  weight,  April  1st  to  Dec. 

1st  (8  months) . 

245,736 

Equal  to . 

31,842 

Average  for  each  Cow. . 

5,0941 

636) 

A-verage  daily  yield-. . . 

1,044 

130) 

Average  yield  per  Cow, 

, daily,  .lbs 
galls 
rday.ibs 

20) 

2) 

26) 

Maximum  per  Cow,  pei 

BUTTER. 


S  858. 

50 

70 


260,450 

32.556 

5,209 

651) 

1,067) 

133) 

21) 

21 

311 


Total  product  in  8  months. . . . 

lbs 

6,590 

8.050 

Which  sold  for . 

.  $1,547.54 

$1,924.02 

Average  amount  per  Cow  . . . 

lbs 

130 

161 

Average  daily  yield  of  50  Cows 

■lbs 

26) 

33 

Average  per  Cow,  per  day. . . . 

ozs 

10) 

Average  milk  to  lb  of  butler. . 

•  lbs 

39) 

32) 

.  . qu 

trts 

20 

16) 

XV  note  amount  of  Pork  made.. 

lbs 

4,627 

7,403 

l’"rk  for  each  Cow . 

lbs 

92} 

148 

Which  sold  for . 

$4.56 

$8  42 

Butter  sold  per  Cow . 

$30.95 

$38.48 

Total  receipts  for  each  Cow. . 

$35.51 

$46.90 

Summary,  1857. 

6,500  lbs.  Butter  sold  for .  $1,547.54 

4.627  lbs.  Pork  sold  for .  328.16 

Total  Product . $1,875.70 

Labor  and  other  expenses . $715.50 

Interest  on  estimated  capital  ($10,000) . . .  7t0  00 


Total  expenses . $1,415.50 

Net  profit  for  1857 . $460.20 

Summary,  1858. 

8,050  lbs.  of  Butter  sold  for . $1,924.02 

7,403  lbs.  of  SI  .oats  and  Pork  sold  at  4e.(H)6c .  421.08 

Total  receipts . $2,345. 10 

Labor  and  other  expenses . $608.50 

Interest  on  capital .  780  00 

Total  expenses . $  1,380  50 

Net  profit  for  1858 . $964.60 

In  addition  to  the  Butter  and  Pork,  the  farm 
has  produced  the  past  year,  (1858),  250  bushels  of 
potatoes,  100  bushels  of  turnips,  100  tons  of  hay, 
besides  a  fair  amount  of  corn  and  other  cereal 
crops.  Five  head  of  cattle  have  also  been  fatten¬ 
ed.  In  attempting  to  raise  a  crop  of  carrots,  the 
past  season,  Mr.  Pratt  failed  from  having  poor 
seed  which  did  not  vegetate. 

- - >-► - 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist — Prize  Articles. 


The  Dairy — No.  I. 


As  this  subject,  from  the  extent  of  investiga¬ 
tion  it  will  require  in  the  articles  of  Butter  and 
Cheese,  will  demand  a  series  of  chapters,  which, 
in  the  end,  will  be  fully  equivalent  to  a  cheap  and 
available  hand-book  for  every  rural  housekeeper, 
we  shall,  even  at  the  risk  of  appearing  tedious  at 
first,  try  to  cover  all  the  necessary  ground,  and  in 
the  most  condensed  manner  possible,  to  embrace 
this  entire  interest  of  our  agriculture,  namely  : 
the  Proper  Soils  and  Climates ;  the  best  kinds  of 
Cows;  the  proper  Grasses  and  Foods;  the  best 
methods  of  making  Balter  and  Cheese.  We  shall 
not  follow  the  modern  custom  of  going  to  Eng¬ 
land,  Ireland,  Holland,  France,  or  Switzerland  for 
our  main  ideas,  but  endeavor  to  discuss  the  best 
and  most  approved  modes  of  dairy  practice  at 
home — contending,  by  the  way,  that  we  both  can 
and  do  make  as  good  butter  and  cheese  in  the 
United  States  as  in  any  other  country  whatever. 
The  Dairy  is  a  largely  productive  branch  of  our 
agricultural  wealth.  Millions  of  capital  in  land, 
buildings,  cows,  and  labor  are  invested  in  it — more 
or  less  productive,  as  the  soil  and  climate  where¬ 
on  and  wherein  it  is  located,  are  appropriate,  and 
the  labor  applied  skillfully  directed.  Of  its  im¬ 
portance,  then,  no  argument  is  necessary. 


THE  BEST  DAIRY  CLIMATE, 


of  the  United  States,  as  so  far  developed,  may 
be  said  to  commence  at  about  the  parallel  of  41° 
north,  and  extend  to  about  45°,  while  its  pres¬ 
ent  practical  longitude  extends  from  the  Atlantic 
Coast  to  about  5°  west  from  the  meridian  at  Wash¬ 
ington,  taking  in  the  majority  of  the  “  Western 
Reserve”  lands  in  Ohio,  bordering  on  Lake  Erie, 
and  embracing  in  its  range  that  section  of  Ohio, 
Northern  Pennsylvania,  the  ‘‘Southern  tier”  of 
counties  in  New-York — or  all  the  western  part  of 
the  State  south  of  the  lime-stone  wheat  region,  and 
near  Syracuse,  running  north  to  Lake  Ontario,  and 
following  its  southern  border  to  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  thence  east  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  There 
are  some  exceptions,  however,  even  within  these 
boundaries,  caused  chiefly  by  the  soil,  and  geo¬ 
logical  character  of  the  country ;  but,  so  far,  this 
region  comprehends  the  chief  present  Cheese¬ 
making,  as  well  as  the  best  Butter-making,  dis¬ 
trict  of  the  United  Stales. 

There  are  many  localities,  however,  outside, 
both  south,  west,  and  north  in  the  Canadas, 
where  good  butter  is  made,  such  as  the  “  Sweet- 
scented-vernal-grass  ”  neighborhoods  of  Philadel¬ 


phia,  and  other  portions  of  Pennsylvania,  anu 
some  others  not  now  necessary  to  recount.  To 
explain  the  term,  “  good  butter,”  we  mean  but¬ 
ter  that  can  be  packed  for  market,  which  will 
keep  sweet  for  table  purposes  six  months  to  a 
year,  including  its  shipment  for  “  Navy  ”  con¬ 
sumption — like  the  “Irish  Rose  Butter,”  or  that 
of  Holland.  Every-day  table  butter  of  fair  quali¬ 
ty  can  be  made  almost  anywhere  that  good  grass 
will  grow,  or  other  succulent  food  can  be  obtained 
for  cows  ;  but  such  butter  will  not  keep  for  any 
length  of  time,  and  for  distant  market  purposes,  is 
unprofitable  to  the  purchaser.  The  new  States  oi 
the  Northwest  may  in  time  produce  good  butter 
for  the  Eastern  markets  when  their  artificial 
grasses  shall  have  become  properly  developed, 
but  as  yet  their  soils  have  not  proved  them  to  be 
a  part  of  the  favored  dairy  region. 

THE  DAIRY  SOILS, 

so  far  as  producing  the  best  butter  and  cheese  is 
concerned,  are  peculiar,  particularly  in  cheese. 
What  the  peculiarities  are  it  is  not,  in  all  cases, 
easy  to  describe.  A  rolling,  elevated  country, 
hilly  oftentimes,  abounding  in  springs  of  soft 
water,  and  drained  by  clear,  rippling  streams 
flowing  over  gravelly  beds,  compose  its  predomi¬ 
nating  character  ;  while  loamy  soils,  inclining  to 
clay — or  argillacious,  running  into  shale,  are  the 
strongest  usually,  as  being  the  natural  blue-grass 
and  white  clover  lands,  and  usually  of  “  second¬ 
ary”  formation.  Yet  fine  dairy  lands  are  found 
in  the  “  primitive  ”  districts,  loamy,  in  general, 
with  a  friable  warm  subsoil  beneath,  and  some¬ 
times  abounding  in  loose  stones,  or  fixed  rock, 
either  granite,  or  trap — as  in  New-England,  East¬ 
ern  New-York  and  Northern  New-Jersey — while 
the  shales  and  clays  predominate  chiefly  in  the 
dairy  lands  of  Northern,  Southern,  and  Western 
New-York ;  Northern  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio. 
In  all  these  the  best  and  sweetest  natural  grasses 
obtain — and  perhaps  half  a  dozen  or  more  differ¬ 
ent  varieties  abound,  in  themselves  full  of  the  best 
milk-producing  qualities.  Among  them  the  com¬ 
mon  blue-grass  ( poa-comprcssa ,)  and  white  clover 
( trifolium-repens ,)  predominate,  while  they  are 
filled  in  with  timothy,  red-top,  red-clover,  spear, 
or  June-grass  ( poa-pratensis),  and  some  others 
less  conspicuous.  We  say  natural  pastures,  as 
distinguished  from  such  as  require  re-sowing 
every  few  years  on  soils  not  tenaciously  holding 
these  grasses  by  their  natural  tendency — like  some 
of  the  strong  limestone  lands,  the  very  best  for 
wheat,  but  not  so  friendly  to  natural  pastures. 
Indeed,  we  contend  that  no  lands  are  of  the  best 
quality  for  either  the  butter  or  cheese  dairy  where 
the  grasses  upon  them  are  not  of  the  above-named 
varieties,  and  where  they  will  not  flourish  con¬ 
tinuously  from  year  to  year  without  plowing  and 
re-seeding.  Such  varieties  are  eminently  healthy, 
and  nutritious,  producing  milk  in  the  largest  quan¬ 
tity,  and  richest  quality. 

It  may  be  asked,  why  are  not  the  wide  prairies, 
and  vveoded  regions  of  the  Western  and  North¬ 
western  States  equally  good  for  the  dairy,  produc 
ing,  as  they  do,  the  finest  beef,  and  wool,  and  in  a 
climate  essentially  the  same  as  the  soils  above 
described  1  In  answer,  we  say  that  the  soil  is  es 
sentialiy  different ;  the  water  is  hard,  and  the  face 
of  the  country  unlike.  Besides,  no  butter  oj 
cheese  of  the  best  quality  has  been  yd  produced 
there,  although  frequent  trials  by  experienced 
Eastern  dairymen  have  been  made.  “  Western” 
butter,  of  any  age,  is  usually  quoted  in  the  East 
ern  Markets  as  “  grease  ”  at  a  low  price,  and 
cheese  made  west  of  the  “  Western  Reserve  ”  is 
scarcely  known,  any  where.  So  far,  then,  the 
cheese  districts  of  our  country  seem  to  be  pretty 
well  defined,  while  the  table  butter  of  those  re 


10 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


gious  outside  of  them,  appears  to  be  Gonfined 
chiefly  to  the  local  markets  within  them. 

Such  facts — if  facts  they  be — and  of  them  the 
writer  has  no  doubt — might  open  a  wide  field  for 
speculations  in  the  future  agricultural  economy  of 
our  country,  in  the  absence  of  other  new  dairy 
lands  opening  in  the  future  at  the  West  and 
North-west ;  but  as  this  is  no  part  of  our  present 
subject,  wo  shall  not  further  notice  it,  other  than 
by  simply  remarking,  that  our  present  dairy  lands 
bid  fair  to  be  ultimately  much  more  valuable  than 
at  present  considered,  when  the  demands  upon 
their  annual  yield  shall  have  crowded  their  pro¬ 
duction  to  their  proximate  limits.  Understand  : 
these  dairy  lands  are  not  all  productive  alike. 
They  vary  in  producing  value,  as  much  as  our 
corn,  wheat,  or  ordinary  farm  lands,  according  to 
natural  fertility,  location,  or  improvement,  facili¬ 
ties  forgetting  to  market,  or  otherwise,  and  may 
now  range  in  value  from  twenty  to  one  hundred 
dollars  per  acre.  We  note  the  facts  incident  to 
dairy  lands,  generally,  to  guard  against  the 
oelief,  with  many,  that  dairies  can  be  adopted  any 
where,  and  by  any  body,  without  regard  to  soil, 
climate,  or  position. 

Good  pasture  soils  are  usually  good  hay  soils 
llso.  Timothy,  red,  and  white  clovers,  and  red- 
op  will  flourish  wherever  the  pasture  grasses  vve 
have  named  naturally  grow.  They  form  the  best 
of  bay  for  winter  forage,  and  although  they  may, 
under  ordinary  usage,  “run  out,’’  after  a  few 
years,  with  the  pasture  grasses  altogether,  yet,  by 
plowing  and  manuring,  they  will  still  hold  their 
productiveness  in  hay  for  all  coming  time.  Al¬ 
though  not  intending  to  now  treat  of  the  manage¬ 
ment  of  either  meadow  or  pasture  lands,  as  a  sys¬ 
tem,  we  will  remark  that  pastures,  once  well  set, 
properly  used,  need  never  be  broken  up,  for  the 
reasons,  that  it  take's  them  half-a-dozen  years  to 
get  well  re-seeded,  and  acquire  a  thick,  heavy 
turf,  and  that  the  grass  of  an  old  sod  is  every  way 
sweeter,  and  more  nutritious  than  that  of  a  new 
seeding.  Of  this  fact  all  experienced  dairymen 
are  aware. 

We  know  extensive  ranges  of  pasture,  and 
mowing  lands  in  our  best  dairy  regions  which 
have  never  been  disturbed  by  the  plow,,  even  on 
their  first  clearing — two  hundred  years  ago,  and 
down  to  fifty — the  grasses  having  been  simply 
sowed  upon  them  with  a  first  harrowed-in  crop  of 
oats,  wheat,  barley,  or  rye,  and  remained  ever 
since  in  the  full  and  profitable  production  of  grass, 
either  pasture  or  meadow.  We  are  a  much 
younger  country  than  England,  and  our  climates 
are  unlike,  forming,  therefore,  no  exact  parallel  in 
the  mode  of  cultivation  which  should  govern 
them ;  but  it  is  well  enough  to  remark  that  in  her 
best  dairy  districts,  as  Cheshire,  Gloucester,  and 
others,  the  lands  devoted  to  that  object  have  lain 
in  grass  from  time  immemorial — perhaps  a  thous¬ 
and  years,  and  upwards.  We  know  large  farms 
in  the  rich  lime-stone  and  blue.grass  regions  of 
the  “Valley”  of  Virginia,  and  in  Central  Ken¬ 
tucky,  worth  a  hundred  dollars  an  acre,  which 
have  lain  in  grass,  devoted  to  grazing  of  beef  cat¬ 
tle  ever  since  their  first  clearing — eighty  years — 
and  said  to  be  at  this  day  better  than  ever.  We 
do  not  say  that  these  natural  grass  lands  will  not, 
at  some  time,  need  re-breaking  and  manuring ; 
but  of  the  general  policy  of  letting  them  lie  in 
permanent  grass,  so  long  as  they  produce  well, 
there  can  be  little  dispute. 

Saying  thus  much  in  favor  of  congenial  soils, 
and  the  proper  climate  for  the  dairy  in  producing 
the  lest  butter  and  cheese,  we  do  not  deny  that 
there  are  wide,  and  frequent  districts  which  will 
produce  passable  butter,  and  indifferent  cheese  ; 
but  they  are  of  such  character  as  to  render  these 
articles  unprofitable  as  staples  of  their  produc¬ 


tion.  They  can  be  better  turned  to  ordinary 
crops,  c  raising  cattle,  feeding  beef,  breeding- 
sheep,  and  growing  wool.  So,  then,  let  him  who 
is  about  to  embark  in  the  dairy  select  the  proper 
soil,  unattractive  even,  though  it  be  at  first,  yet 
by  the  proper  application  of  labor,  skill,  and  capi¬ 
tal  he  will  find,  in  the  course  of  time,  that  he  has 
judged  wisely  to  plant  himself  where  the  aid  of 
natural  advantages  are  in  his  favor,  and  he  has 
only  to  apply  his  best  energies  to  a  successful  re¬ 
sult.  In  our  next  we  will  talk  of  cows,  and  their 
selection. 


Improvement  of  Farm  Stock. 


BREEDING  IN-AND-IN. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

In  the  Ohio  Farmer,  of  November  27,  last,  I  find 
the  following  from  the  pen  of  Hon.  Cassius  M. 
Clay,  of  Kentucky  : 

“  Breeding  in-and-in  ;  that  is  to  say,  breeding 
to  dam  or  sire,  or  near  of  kin,  has  been  too  fully 
discussed  by  some  of  the  most  intelligent  men  in 
this  country  and  England  for  further  argument. 
Its  advantages  are  :  1st.  It  reduces  the  bone, 
and  gives,  to  a  certain  extent,  more  fineness  and 
symmetry.  2nd.  It  produces  a  tendency  to  ear¬ 
lier  maturity.  3rd.  It  suits  an  indolent  breeder 
—he  gets  at  home  what  others  go  far  to  seek  ;  he 
chooses  once  for  all,  while  others  make  a  yearly 
choice  through  life  1  4th.  It  is  urged  as  the  nat¬ 
ural  order. 

“  Its  disadvantages  are  :  1st.  It  produces  idio¬ 
cy,  blindness,  want  of  constitution,  disease,  and 
impotency  !  2nd.  It  takes  away  all  the  advan¬ 
tages  of  a  wide  and  wise  selection  of  superior 
animals.  3rd.  It  is  practiced  now  and  always  by 
that  large  class  of  mankind  who  never  have, 
and  never  will,  produce  anything  memorable.  4th 
It  falsely  bases  all  “  improvement”  upon  feeding 
and  shelter,  ignoring  selection  of  superior  points. 
5th.  It  is  not  the  natural  order  as  alleged.  In  a 
state  of  nature  the  feeble  creatures  of  ‘in-and-in’ 
breeding  are  driven  off  and  killed  by  the  superior 
types  from  all  sources.  When  man  attempts  to 
keep  up  ‘  in-and-in  ’  breeding  he  violates  this 
great  law  of  selection  ;  and  Nature  closes  his  false 
practice  by  impotency,  disease,  and  death.  From 
all  which,  I  conclude  the  rule — never  breed  ‘  in- 
and-in  ’  when  you  can  get  an  equal  animal  of  the 
same  race,  breed,  or  family.” 

To  the  above  I  must  dissent,  and,  if  the  writer 
will  permit  a  humble  New  York  farmer  to  do  so, 
I  will  take  an  opposite  side.  Mr.  Clay  is  a  gen¬ 
tleman,  a  statesman,  a  philanthropist,  a  farmer — 
four  of  the  noblest  qualifications  which  can  be  ac¬ 
corded  to  any  man.  lie  is,  withal,  a  capital  stock 
breeder,  and  on  his  magnificent  fifteen  hundred  or 
two  thousand-acre  blue-grass  farm,  in  Central 
Kentucky,  there  is  a  splendid  collection  of  short¬ 
horn  cattle,  of  sheep  and  of  pigs — all  of  the  best. 
When  he  discourses  upon  any  topic,  I  hear,  or 
read  him  with  great  respect  and  attention,  as  I  do 
now ;  but  thinking  him  exceedingly  hoisted  on 
that  of  “  in:and-in  breeding,”  I  beg  the  use  of  your 
columns,  Mr.  Editor,  to  express,  most  respect¬ 
fully  to  him,  my  own  opinions  in  the  matter. 

What  is  “  in-and-in”  breeding,  as  usually  un¬ 
derstood  by  breeders  of  “improved  stock”— for 
I  take  it,  that  those  who  only  breed  “  common 
things  ”  either  know,  or  care  precious  little  about 
it,  so  that  they  only  obtain  the  procreation  of  their 
beasts  in  any  cheap  and  convenient  way  1  As  I 
have  been  taught,  all  the  great  and  marked  im¬ 
provements  which  have  been  made  during  the 
past  century  by  the  most  distinguished  stock  im¬ 
provers  in  England,  whether  of  horses,  cattle, 
sheep,  pigs,  or  poultry,  and  the  perfection  to 
which  they  have  brought  their  animals,  has  been 
by  a  series  of  the  most  persistent  course  of  coup¬ 
ling  sire  to  daughter,  son  to  dam,  brother  to  sister, 
and  any,  and  all  other  collateral  relationships  in 
which  the  particular  qualities  they  desired  to 


transmit  in  the  offspring  of  their  breeding  animals 
predominated.  Take  the  “  Stud  Book,”  contain¬ 
ing  the  pedigrees  of  the  most  celebrated  “  blood  ” 
horses  on  record,  and  you  will  find  those  of 
marked  celebrity  on  the  turf  and  in  breeding,  were 
frequently  bred  from  the  closest  affinities  in  both 
sire  and  dam,  even  down  to  a  late  day.  Bakewell 
— who  is  quoted  by  all  as  one  of  the  greatest 
stock  improvers  of  the  last  century,  in  the  draught- 

horse,  long-horned  cattle, and  long-wooled  sheep _ 

bred  in  and-in  without  scruple,  and  to  the  closest 
connections,  and  persisted  in  it  until  in  each  of 
those  varieties  of  stock  he  effected  his  purposes. 
He  had  a  design,  of  course,  and  knowing  what 
he  was  about,  and  how  to  use  his  material,  con¬ 
tinued  it  so  long  as  was  necessary.  His  cattle 
to  be  sure,  from  being  of  the  wrong  breed,  al¬ 
though  perfected  in  that  breed,  were  superseded 
by  other  breeds  ;  but  his  horses  and  his  sheep,  as 
he  left  them,  now  stand  as  models  for  every  good 
breeder  in  England  and  have  so  stood  since  his 
time. 

Bakewell,  in  the  outset  of  his  career,  saw  the 
imperfections  of  the  breeds  which  he  wanted  to 
improve,  and  in  starting,  availed  himself  of  the 
labors  of  the  “  improvers  ”  before  him,  such  as 
they  were,  and  obtained  the  best  stock  from  them 
that  he  could,  and  then  worked  upon  them  for 
two  score  years,  at  least,  until  all  the  fine  stock¬ 
breeders  of  England,  who  bred  his  kinds  of  ani¬ 
mals,  had  either  purchased  of  him  at  high  prices, 
or  essentially  followed  his  lead  in  the  way  of 
breeding  their  own.  His  rule  was  breeding  “  in- 
and-in  his  exception,  that  of  finding  anything  fi 
to  breed  to  his  own  stock  in  the  hands  of  others. 
He  bred  for  symmetry  of  form  and  a  high  quality 
of  fieoh,  disregaiding  ail  else  in  his  cattle  and 
sheep,  while  his  ponderous  cart-horses  hauled 
mountains  of  coal,  and  butts  of  beer,  with  ele¬ 
phantine  carcasses,  a  development  of  muscle,  and 
a  beauty  of  form,  which,  at  the  present  day,  are 
the  pride  and  admiration  of  the  coal-dealers  and 
brewers  of  London  and  Liverpool.  He  estab¬ 
lished  in  public  approbation  the  present  metro¬ 
politan  draught-horse. 

Price,  also,  the  most  successful  Hereford  cattle 
breeder  on  record,  until  twenty  years  ago,  whose 
prizes  during  his  active  life  ranged  in  the  first  lists 
at  all  the  shows  where  he  exhibited,  never  went 
out  of  his  own  herd  for  a  breeding  bull  or  cow, 
for  forty  years,  and  when  he  retired,  left  the  best 
herd  of  its  kind  in  all  England.  His  breeding  was 
not  promiscuous,  letting  all  his  things  run  togeth¬ 
er,  as  in  common  herds :  but,  like  Bakewell, 
wanting  to  perpetuate,  or  improve  certain  quali¬ 
ties  in  his  herd,  he  selected  the  materials  having 
those  qualities  of  excellence — not  defect — which 
were  required,  regardless  of  close  relationship  in 
blood,  and  he  used  them  with  entire  success.  He 
lost,  while  perfecting  form  and  flesh,  neither 
constitution,  size,  nor  stamina,  but  increased  them 
all.  His  cattle  were  neither  diseased,  nor  were 
they  idiots  or  imbeciles,  but  models  for  other 
breeders,  who  eagerly  sought  his  herds,  and,  as 
far  as  their  skill  permitted,  followed  his  example. 

But  enough  for  this  once  ;  and  if  Mr.  Clay,  or 
some  other  opponent  of  “  in-and-in,”  shall  not 
speedily  demolish  me,  I  will  say  a  little  something 
hereafter  about  the  Collings,  and  other  noted 
Short-horn  breeders  of  the  last  and  present  cen  • 
luries.  A  Cattle  Breeder. 


There  is  a  class  of  selfish  persons  who  only 
make  friends  to  use  them.  If  they  can  get  nothing 
out  of  a  man,  they  do  not  want  his  friendship. 
Such  people  treat  their  friends  like  cigars — they 
hang  on  to  them,  get  all  the  good  from  ihem,  then 
throw  them  away  and  spit  affor  them. 


11 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


1.  Muzzle.  -2.  Race. — 3.  Fotehcad. — 4.  Poll. — 5.  Crest. — 6.  Withers. — 7.  Back.— 
8.  Loins.— 9.  Ilip.— 10.  Croup. — 11.  Dock. — 12.  Quarter.— 13.  Thigh,  or  Gaskin.— 
14.  Ham-string. — 15.  Point  of  the  Hock. — 1G.  Cannon.— 17.  Fetlock. — 18.  Large 
Pastern.— 19.  Small  Pastern  —20.  Hoof.— 21.  Coronet.— 22.  Ham,  or  Hock.— 23 
Sheath.— 24.  Flank.— 25.  Girth.— 28.  Elbow.— 27.  Heel.— 28.  Hoof.— 29.  Small  Pas¬ 
tern.— 30.  Large  Pastern. — 31.  Fetlock.— 32.  Cannon.— 33.  Knee. — 34.  Arm.— 35. 
Breast,  or  Bosom.— 36.  Point  of  the  Shoulder. — 37.  Windpipe.— 33.  Gullet.— 39 
iowL 

Description  op  Horses — We  present  herewith  engravings  and 
the  specific  names  of  both  the  live  animals  and  the  skeleton.  As 
these  terms  are  constantly  referrad  to  in  articles  treating  upon 
horses,  it  will  be  well  for  all  to  preserve  this  number  and  keep  it 
for  constant  reference,  or  if  the  numbers  are  not  preserved,  cut  out 
this  page  at  least.  For  the  first  cut  we  are  indebted  to  “Allen’s 
Domestic  Animals.”  Had  we  prepared  it  originally,  we  should 
certainly  have  given  the  animal  a  whole,  natural  tail,  f-r  we  are 
decidedly  opposed  to  any  such  fantastic  unnatural  form  as  is  here 
represented.  The  only  animal  requiring  the  tail  to  be  cut  off  is  the 
dog  (sheep-killer) ;  and  in  this  case  it  should  be  bobhe  1  short  up — 
close  behind  the  ears. 

The  skeleton  cut  is  from  an  original  drawing  prepared  by  the  la  e 
Wm.  Henry  Herbert,  previous  to  the  date  of  his  untimely  death. 


A.  Tim  Head.— a  The  posterior  maxillary  or  under  jaw.— b  The  superior  maxillary  or  upper 
jaw. — c  The  orbit,  or  cavity  contain!  i  g  the  eye  — d  The  nasal  bones,  or  bones  of  the  nose. — e  The 
suture  dividing  the  parietal  bones  below  from  the  occipital  bones  above.— /The  inferior  maxillary 
bone. 

B  The  Seven  Cervical  Vertebra},  or  bones  of  the  neck. — C  The  Eighteen  Dorsal  Vertebrae,  or 
bones  of  the  back. — D  The  Six  Lumbar  Vertebra},  or  bones  of  the  loins  — E  The  Five  Sacral 
Vertebr®.  or  bones  of  the  haunch.—  F  The  Caudal  Vertebrae,  or  bones  of  the  tail,  generally  about 
fifteen.- G  The  Scapula,  or  shoulder-blade.— II  The  Sternum,  or  fore-part  of  the  chest.— I  The 
Cost®  or  ribs,  seven  or  eight  articulating  with  the  sternum,  ami  called  the  true  ribs  ;  and  ten  or 
eleven  united  together  by  cartilage,  callod  the  false  ribs. — J  Tho  Humerus,  or  upper  bone  of  the 
arm.— Iv.  The  Radius,  or  upper  bone  of  the  arm.— L  The  Ulna,  or  elbow.  The  point  of  the  el¬ 
bow  is  called  the  Olecranon. — M  The  Carpus,  or  knee,  consisting  of  seven  bones. 

N  The  Metacarpal  Bones.  The  larger  metacarpal  or  cannon  or  shank  in  front,  and  the  smaller 
metacarpal  or  splint  bone  behind. — g  The  fore  pastern  and  foot,  consisting  of  the  Os  Suffraginis, 
or  the  upper  and  larger  pastern  bone,  with  the  sesamoid  bones  behind,  articulating  with  the  can¬ 
non  and  greater  pastern,  the  Os  Coron®,  or  lesser  pastern  ;  the  Os  Pedis,  or  coffin-bone  ;  and  the 
Os  Naviculare,  or  navicular,  or  shuttle-bone,  not  seen,  and  articulating  with  the  smaller  pastern 
and  coffin  bones. — h  The  corresponding  bones  of  the  hind-feet. 

O  The  Haunch,  consisting  of  three  portions  :  the  Ilium,  the  Ischium,  and  the  Pubis.— P  The 
Femur,  or  thigh. — Q  the  stiff  joint  with  the  Patella.—  R  The  Tibia,  or  proper  leg  bone  ;  behind  is 
a  small  bone  called  the  fibula. — S  The  Tarsus,  or  hock,  composed  of  six  bones.  The  prominent 
part  is  the  Os  Calcis,  or  point  of  the  Hock. — T  The  Metatarsals  of  the  hind  leg. 


Ring-Bone  in  Horses- 


The  nature  of  this  disease  is  not  very  different 
from  that  of  spavin  or  splint.  It  is  a  circular  ring 
of  bony  matter  formed  on  the  pastern  bone,  gen¬ 
erally  affecting  the  joint,  and  causing  stiffness  and 
loss  of  motion  in  it.  Sometimes,  small  deposits 
of  osseous  (bony)  matter  are  made  on  the  pastern 
bones,  of  different  shape  and  size,  which  do  not 
produce  lameness,  and  are  called  by  horsemen, 
“eling-fasts,”  and  other  names  ;  but.  they  are  all 
of  the  same  general  nature,  and  are  called  by  ve¬ 
terinarians,  exostoses. 

As  to  the  origin  of  this  disease,  it  is  hereditary 
in  very  many  cases.  Colts  only  a  few  weeks 
old  have  been  found  affected  with  it.  Unweaned 
colts,  which  have  been  brought  up  by  hand  have 
disclosed  at  the  age  of  four  months,  swellings  on 
the  pastern  of  both  hind  legs,  which  ultimately 
resulted  in  stiff  joints.  In  such  cases,  the  ani¬ 
mals  had  not  been  subject  to  any  sort  of  labor  or 
improper  exercise  to  produce  lameness,  and  the 
disease  must  have  been  generated  at  birth.  This 
ailment  is  less  common  now  than  formerly,  and 
the  reason  doubtless  is  that  breeders  are  too  wise 
now-a-days  to  send  their  mares  to  horses  having 
ring-bones. 

Aside  from  tainted  blood,  it  is  believed  that 
horses  of  a  peculiar  formation  are  more  liable  to 
contract  this  disease  than  others  One  author 
says  that  “  a  coarse,  or  half-bred,  fleshy  or  bony- 
legged  horso,  with  short  and  upright  pasterns,  is 
a  frequent  subject  of  this  disease.”  Youatt  adds 
that  “  horses  with  short,  upright  joints,  and  with 
small  feet  and  high  action,  are  oftenest  the  sub¬ 
jects  of  this  disease,  which  is  the  consequence 
either  of  concussion  or  sprain  of  the  pastern- 
joints.”  The  exciting  causes  of  ring-bone  are 


strains  of  tlie  ligaments,  produced  by  over-work, 
or  too  fast  driving,  or  by  any  kind  of  bruise,  sprain 
or  blow  in  the  region  of  the  pastern-joint.  Yet, 
even  in  such  cases,  it  is  believed  by  surgeons  that 
there  is  lurking  in  the  system  of  the  subject,  “  a 
pre-disposition,  a  weakness  in  bone  or  ligament  or 
limb,  the  result  of  errors  in  breeding,  aggravated 
by  a  too  early  use  of  the  muscular  powers,  and 
want  of  proper  attention  to  food  and  stable  man¬ 
agement.” 

The  treatment  of  ring-bone  should  not  aim  at 
curing  it.  Nature  never  intended  a  cure.  The 
incrustations  formed,  and  the  changes  in  the  joint, 
are  a  part  of  Nature’s  own  means  to  strengthen 
a  weak  point,  and  all  we  should  try  to  do  is  to 
help  nature.  A  notion  has  long  prevailed,  and  it 
has  crept  into  many  popular  works  on  farriery, 
that  “ring-bone  is  fed  by  a  bladder  at  the  back 
part  of  the  pastern  and  this  notion  has  led  to  a 
cruel  operation  in  the  treatment  of  this  disease. 
There  is  indeed  a  bladder  there,  called  a  “  bursal 
sac,"  the  design  of  which  is  to  secrete  a  joint-oil 
to  lubricate  the  tendons,  and  to  prevent  the  fric¬ 
tion  of  surfaces  :  how  barbarous,  then,  to  destroy 
it! 

When  ring-bone  develops  itself,  about  all  we 
can  do  is  to  give  the  animal  rest,  and  then  apply 
remedies  to  lessen  pain  and  inflammation  and 
lameness.  If  the  parts  are  inactive,  it  may  be 
necessary  to  apply  counter-irritants,  blisters,  &c. 
A  very  simple,  unstimulating  diet  should  be  com¬ 
menced  and  insisted  on.  By  this  general  treat¬ 
ment  we  may  not  remove  the  bony  tumor,  (and 
that  is  unnecessary,  as  it  seldom  causes  pain, 
when  once  established,)  but  we  shall  do  all  that 
can  be  done  to  aid  nature  in  effecting  all  the  cure 
that  is  possible. 


Shoeing  Horses  that  Over-reach. 


“  Why  not  put  the  front  shoes  a  little  further 
forward,  and  the  hind  shoes  a  littlg  further  back¬ 
ward!”  I’  ainly,  because  that  will  not  increase 
the  speed  of  the  fore-feet  and  retard  that  of  the 
hinder,  which  is  just  what  you  want  to  accom¬ 
plish.  But  to  do  this,  make  the  toe-calks  of  the 
fore-feet  very  low,  and  set  the  shoe  back  as  far 
as  possible,  with  high-heel  calks.  Then,  re¬ 
verse  this  method  upon  the  hind  feet.  Thus,  the 
fore-feet  will  be  enabled  to  get  out  of  the  way  of 
the  hind-feet,  and  the  clicking  and  loosening  of 
shoes  will  cease.  This  will  also  help  the  speed 
of  the  horse. 

• - - - — ►  — - 

Why  Daher  did’nt  keep  the  Horse- 

Lamartine  tells  the  following  story,  which  in¬ 
culcates  an  excellent  moral :  Daher  was  very 
anxious  to  possess  a  famous  horse  owned  by  a 
Bedouin  of  another  tribe,  named  Naber,  but  fail¬ 
ing  tc  secure  it  by  offering  everything  he  could 
pa*  with,  he  resorted  to  stratagem.  Disguising 
himself  as  a  lame  beggar,  he  waited  by  the  road¬ 
side  where  Naber  was  to  pass.  As  Naber  rode 
by  on  his  beautiful  steed,  Daher  cried  out  in  a 
weak  voice,  “I  am  a  poor  stranger;  for  three 
days  I  have  been  unable  to  move  from  this  spot 
to  seek  for  food.  I  am  dying,  help  me,  and  heaven 
will  reward  you.” 

The  Bedouin  kindly  offered  to  take  him  up  on 
his  horse  and  carry  him  home,  but  the  rogue  re¬ 
plied,  “  I  can  not  rise,  I  have  no  strength  left.” 

Naber,  touched  with  pity,  dismounted,  led  his 
horse  to  the  spot,  and  with  great  difficulty  set  the 
I  seoming  beggar  on  his  back.  But  no  sooner  did 


12 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Daher  feel  himself  in  the  saddle  than  he  set  spurs 
to  the  horse  and  galloped  off,  calling  out  as  he 
did  so : 

“  It  is  I,  Daher.  I  have  got  the  horse,  and  am 
oil  with  it.” 

Naber  called  after  him  to  stop  and  listen.  Cer 
tain  of  not  being  pursued,  he  turned  and  halted  a 
short  distance  from  Naber,  who  was  armed  with 
only  a  spear.  “  You  have  taken  my  horse,”  said 
the  latter.  “Since  heaven  has  willed  it,  I  wish 
you  joy  of  it ;  but  I  do  conjure  you  never  to  tell 
any  one  how  you  obtained  it.” 

“And  why  not!”  said-Daher. 

“  Because,”  said  the  noble  Arab,  “  another 
man  might  be  really  ill,  and  men  would  fear  to 
help  him.  You  would  be  the  cause  of  many  re¬ 
fusing  to  perform  an  act  of  charity  for  fear  of  being 
duped  as  I  have  been.” 

Struck  with  shame  at  these  words,  Daher  was 
silent  for  a  moment,  then  springing  from  the 
horse,  returned  it  to  its  owner,  embracing  him  to 
his  tent,  where  they  spent  a  few  days  together, 
and  became  fast  friends  for  life. 


Is  Corn  Raising  Profitable  ! 


Doubtless  it  is  in  most  cases — but  not  always 
so.  It  occurs  to  us  that  it  will  be  instructive  to 
gather  from  practical  men  in  different  parts  of 
the  country,  during  the  present  year,  some  defin¬ 
ite  items,  in  regard  to  the  cost  and  profit  of  differ¬ 
ent  crops.  Such  estimates  will  not  only  help  in 
deciding  as  to  the  comparative  value  of  this  or 
that  crop,  but  will  also  tend  to  develop  among 
farmers,  a  habit  of  keeping  accounts  with  their 
various  farm  operations. 

We  commence  with  a  report  on  corn,  from  T. 
J.  E.,  of  London  Grove,  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  who 
writes  that  he  kept  an  accurate  account  with  this 
year’s  crop  for  the  purpose  of  settling  in  his  own 
mind  a  question  often  asked  but  never  answered, 
viz.  :  “  How  much  does  it  cost  to  raise  a  bushel 
of  Corn  i”  The  following  calculations  are  based 
upon  the  allowance  of  75  cents  per  day  for  the 
labor  and  board  of  a  man  ;  the  same  for  the  labor 
of  a  horse,  and  the  same  for  a  yoke  of  oxen. 

Cornfield  No.  1—9  Acres  and  10  Rods— Sod  Land. 

Dr. 

To  Plowing  and  Harrow ing  9  1-16  acres . $28.83! 

“  Seed;  marking  out  and  Planting .  9.25 

“  Re-planting  and  dressing  with  Plaster .  3.851 

“  Doe-Harrowing .  18.37} 

“  Cutting .  4.87} 

“  Dusking,  rve  straw  binding,  hauling  in  corn.  22.05 

“  Hauling  in  Fodder .  2.81! 

“  Shelling  and  hauling  to  market  (estimated).  29.54 
“  Interest  on  Land .  59.81} 


Total  outlay  or  Cost . $179.45! 

Cr. 

By  422  Bushels  Sound  Corn.  ©56e . $236.32 

“  60  (double)  Bushels  nubbins,  (a)37}c.  22.50 

“  1758  Bundels  of  Fodder,  (®2c .  35.16 


Total  Credit . $293.98 

Net  Profit  on  field . $114.52} 

Co't  of  Corn  about  28}  cents  per  bushel. 

Profit  about  27}  cents  per  bushel. 

Yield  per  acre  of  Sound  Corn,  46  bushels  and  305  quarts. 
Yield  per  acre  of  Nubbins,  11  bushels  and  30}  quarts. 

Cornfield  No.  2— 3ac.resand  123  rods,  or{  18-25  acres. 
(Second  crop  of  corn  after  breaking  up.) 

Dn. 

To  Sundry  items,  as  above,  viz. ;  Plowing  and  Har¬ 
rowing,  $8.25  — Seed  and  Planting,  $4.75— Piaster 
and  Re  planting,  $2.00 — Hoe-harrowing,  $10.12} 
Cutting,  $2.61}— Husking  and  hauling  in  Corn, 
$7.371— Hauling  in  Fodder,  $2.25 — Shelling  and 
hauling  to  market  (estimated),  $11.27— Interest 


on  land,  $24.88. 

Total  outlay  or  cost . $73.71} 

Cr. 

y  161  bushels  of  Sound  Corn,  fH>56c.  $90.16 
27  (double)  bushels  of  nubbins,  (3>37}c..  $10.12} 

890  bundles  of  fodder,  (&2c .  $17.80 


Total  Income . $118.08} 

Net  Profit . $44.37} 


Cost  per  bushel  of  Corn,  about  28}  cents. 

Profit  per  bushel  of  Corn,  about  27}  cents. 

Yield  per  acre  of  Sound  Corn.  44  bushels.  11}  quarts. 
Yield  per  acre  of  Nubbins,  14  bushels,  20  quarts. 

The  above,  though  instructive,  would  he  morn 


perfect  if  the  kind  and  quality  ofsoil  were  stated, 
together  with  previous  cropping  and  culture.  It 
should  also  be  stated  that  in  estimating  the  cost 
and  profit  per  bushel,  the  sound  corn  only  is  taken 
into  account,  the  proceeds  of  the  nubbins  and  fod¬ 
der  being  first  deducted  from  the  cost  of  the 
whole  crop. 

- —  ina<frB rw  - - 

Hiring  a  Livery  Horse. — Keepers  of  livery 
stables  have  not  usually  the  easiest  occupation  for 
obtaining  a  livelihood — their  horses  have  not,  cer¬ 
tainly.  But  having  received  scripture  treatment 
at  the  hands  of  one  of  them  when  traveling  at 
the  West  a  few  years  ago,  and  our  stage  broke 
down,  (we  were  a  stranger  and  he  took  us  in),  we 
can  not  help  enjoying  a  joke  at  the  expense  of 
the  fraternity.  Here  is  one  :  A  man  hired  a  horse 
“to  go  to  Dedham,”  for  $1.50.  When  he  returned 
he  was  charged  another  $1.50  for  coming  back. 
To  avoid  trouble  he  paid  it.  Shortly  after  lie 
hired  a  horse  at  the  same  stable  “to  go  to  Salem 
for  $5 — the  horse  to  be  watered  and  fed  at  a  ho¬ 
tel  on  his  arrival.”  He  drove  there,  put  up  the 
horse,  came  back  by  railroad,  and  handed  over 
the  $5  to  the  livery  keeper.  “  Where  is  my 
horse!”  said  the  proprietor.  “  Taking  his  feed  at 
Salem,”  was  the  reply  ;  “  I  only  hired  him  ‘  to  go 
to  Salem’.” 


Blinks  from  a  Lantern .  VII. 


BY  DIOGENES  REDIVIVUS. 


STEAM  CULTIVATION. 

In  my  hunt  after  a  farmer,  I  am  so  much  dis¬ 
heartened,  that  I  will  pause,  for  a  while,  to  look 
at  the  implement  with  which  he  is  to  cultivate 
the  earth.  It  is  a  question  whether  the  “coming 
man  ” — the  model  farmer  whom  we  so  long  to  see 
— has  the  necessary  tools  to  work  with.  Has  he 
not  to  make  his  own  place  in  the  world,  and  the 
implements  with  which  he  will  illustrate  his  own 
skill,  and  evoke  from  the  stubborn  soil  the  maxi¬ 
mum  crops,  with  minimum  labor.  The  curse 
of  “  eating  bread  in  the  sweat  of  the  face,”  has 
been  amply  fulfilled.  The  coming  man  must  re¬ 
duce  the  sweat,  and  enlarge  the  loaf,  of  which  a 
grateful  humanity  will  eat. 

Long  before  my  day,  there  were  efforts  to  im¬ 
prove  upon  the  primitive  method  of  cultivation, 
by  introducing  the  labor  of  beasts,  in  breaking  up 
the  soil.  The  primitive  cultivator  was  the  man 
himself,  with  sucli  rude  implements  as  he  could 
make,  for  disturbing  the  surface  of  the  soil.  The 
hoe  and  spade,  of  which  the  modern  articles  are 
the  perfected  types,  were  his  first  essays,  at  aid¬ 
ing  Nature,  in  growing  the  fruits  and  grains  that 
he  desired.  They  were  well  adapted  to  this  pur¬ 
pose,  and  nothing  better  than  these  can  be  de¬ 
vised,  if  we  are  to  break  up  the  soil  with  manual 
labor  alone.  The  osseous  structure  of  the  human 
frame  is  such,  that  man  can  lift,  better  than  he 
can  do  any  thing  else.  The  spade  is  thrust  into 
the  sod,  and  with  a  quick  easy  motion,  a  portion 
of  earth  is  lifted,  inverted,  and  shaken  up  loosely, 
so  that  the  air  and  water  readily  penetrate  the 
whole  mass.  The  spade  makes  a  very  good, 
though  not  a  perfect  seed  bed.  With  man  as  the 
cultivating  power,  there  is  no  improvement  upon 
the  spade. 


But  man  was  not  long  in  finding  out  the  stipe 
rior  strength  of  the  ox,  the  horse,  and  the  ass, 
and  sought  to  use  this  new  force  in  his  tillage. 
A  new  power  gave  birth  to  a  new  tool,  adapted  to 
the  peculiar  structure  of  these  beasts  of  burden. 
The  spade  was  useless  to  this  power — a  doomed 
implement,  from  the  moment  that  the  bullocks 
were  yoked,  or  the  ass  was  harnessed.  These 
animals  could  not  lift,  but  they  could  pull,  and 
whatever  the  new  tool  was,  it  must-be  worked  hv 
traction.  A  tree  top,  with  one  of  its  stout  branch¬ 
es  cut  off,  sharpened,  and  hardened  in  the  fire, 
was  probably  the  first  essay  at  a  plow.  The 
hardened  point  was,  after  a  while,  tipped  with  iron, 
and  the  frequent  repairs  upon  this  instrument,  in 
due  time,  suggested  a  prong  altogether  made  of 
iron.  The  furrow  was  of  the  most  shallow  and 
unsatisfactory  character,  that  enabled  men  to  de¬ 
stroy  a  part  of  the  grass,  and  to  grow  grain  and 
edible  roots,  instead. 

This  iron  prong  of  the  plow  beam  was  gradu 
ally  lengthened  and  widened  at  the  point,  so  as 
not  only  to  tear  the  sod,  but  to  invert  it.  This 
suggested  the  mold  board,  from  the  butt  of  twist¬ 
ed  oak,  which,  in  a  rude  way  facilitated  the  turn¬ 
ing  of  the  sod.  In  later  ages  the  wooden  mold 
board  was  plaited  with  iron  or  steel,  which  les¬ 
sened  the  friction,  and  made  a  more  durable  ar¬ 
ticle.  Thus  the  plow  remained  for  many  centu¬ 
ries  a  very  clumsy  affair.  It  was  not  until  the 
present  generation  that  science  lent  its  aid  to  the 
plow,  and  perfected  it.  We  have  now  plows 
adapted  to  all  kinds  of  work,  made  wholly,  or  in 
part,  of  iron  and  steel,  so  that  the  team  can  ac¬ 
complish  the  greatest  amount  of  work,  with  the 
least  expenditure  of  strength.  Given;  beasts  of 
burden  as  the  moving  power,  we  can  expect  no 
striking  improvement  in  the  plow,  or  any 
other  improvement,  that  shall  be  a  substitute 
for  it.  The  sod  is  turned  as  evenly,  or  laid  as 
much  at  the  option  of  the  plowman,  as  it  is  possi¬ 
ble  to  be,  with  any  implement  of  traction.  But 
it  should  not  be  forgotten,  that  there  are  certain 
infelicities  in  the  tool  itself,  that  can  never  be  got 
rid  of.  It  does  not  leave  the  soil  in  so  good  con¬ 
dition,  for  nourishing  plants  as  the  spade,  or  fork, 
and  nothing,  but  the  greater  economy  of  brute 
labor,  reconciles  the  intelligent  cultivator  to  its 
use.  The  spade  loosens  the  whole  mass  of  the 
spit  it  lifts,  and  if  the  soil  is  in  good  working  con¬ 
dition,  almost  all  its  particles  change  position,  so 
that  they  are  brought  into  new  relations  to  each 
other,  as  well  as  to  the  air,  and  the  rain.  Tlie 
plow,  on  the  contrary,  presses  the  sod  upward, 
before  it  can  turn  it,  and,  of  course,  the  particles 
of  a  large  part  of  the  sod  are  forced  more  closely 
together.  One  sees  this  very  plainly  in  green¬ 
sward  plowing.  It  needs  the  harrow  and  cultiva¬ 
tor,  to  make  a  seed  bed,  after  the  plow  has  done 
its  work.  Nor  is  this  all;  the  plow  packs  the  sub¬ 
soil  over  which  it  moves,  year  after  year,  until 
it  forms  a  sort  of  hard  pan,  through  which  the 
roots  of  plants  and  the  air  penetrate  with  great 
difficulty.  This  is  one  of  the  great  advantages  ot 
the  deeper  plowing,  which  has  come  into  favor  in 
recent  years.  It  loosens  this  hard  pan,  and  makes 
the  soil  itself,  and  the  salts  of  the  manure,  that 
have  leached  down  into  it,  available  for  the  sus¬ 
tenance  of  the  crops.  This  packing  of  the  soil, 
it  will  be  seen  at  a  glance,  is  an  evil  that  inheres 
in  the  very  structure  of  this  implement.  We  can 
only  get  rid  of  it,  by  having  a  new  implement 
adapted  to  a  new  power. 

Steam  is  such  a  power,  and  indicates  an  en 
tirely  new  tool,  as  unlike  the  plow,  as  the  plow 
is  unlike  the  spade.  The  spade  is  for  human 
hands  to  lift  the  soil  with,  the  plow  is  for  brute 
force  to  divide,  and  turn  it,  because  animals  are 
fitted  only  for  pulling.  Steam  does  not  indicate 


AMERICAN  AGrRIC  U  LTURI  ST. 


13 


an  implement  of  draft,  with  all  the  evil  of  packing 
the  earth  above  and  below.  Wherever  it  is  ap¬ 
plied,  we  find  rotary  motion.  This  is  its  forte ,  as 
lifting  is  of  the  human  frame,  and  pulling  is  of 
the  ox.  It  turns  the  crank  of  the  steamer,  the 
wheels  of  the  locomotive  and  of  the  manufactory. 

It  takes  to  rotary  motion  as  naturally,  as  a  duck 
does  to  water,  and  it  can  only  be  put  to  draft,  at 
a  great  loss  of  power. 

This  point  has  been  overlooked  by  the  inven¬ 
tors,  who  have  turned  their  attention  to  cultiva¬ 
tion  by  steam.  They  have  treated  steam  as  a 
beast  of  draft,  and  have  sought  to  yoke  it  up  to 
the  plow,  an  implement  suggested  by  the  ox,  and 
destined  to  go  out  of  use  with  the  ox,  in  field  cul¬ 
ture.  This  oversight  has,  thus  far,  vitiated  all 
efforts  at  improvement,  by  using  this  new  pow¬ 
er  in  the  field.  We  hear  of  steam  plows,  both 
those  hitched  on  to  a  locomotive,  and  those 
drawn  by  a  stationary  engine.  But  these  are 
bungling  contrivances,  and  not  at  all  what  is 
wanted. 

Of  course,  we  must  have  a  locomotive  that  the 
engineer  can  guide  at  pleasure  over  the  field. 
Behind  the  hind  wheels  there  might  be  suspended 
a  transvere  cylinder,  three  or  four  feet  in  diam¬ 
eter,  and  six  or  eight  feet  long.  This  cylinder 
should  be  armed  with  steel  claws,  or  tine  points, 
spirally  arranged,  and  long  enough  and  close 
enough  when  the  cylinder  is  set  in  motion,  to 
tear  and  toss  into  a  light  smooth  seed  bed  the 
whole  mass  of  the  surface  soil  to  the  depth  of  a 
foot  or  more.  The  ends  of  the  cylinder  should 
just  follow  the  wheel  tracks.  It  should  also  be 
under  the  control  of  the  engineer,  to  be  raised  or 
lowered — to  revolve  faster  or  slower  at  his  pleas¬ 
ure.  This  is  the  implement,  the  coming  farmer 
needs,  an  implement  to  which  steam  is  admira¬ 
bly  adapted,  and  which  shall  do  up,  in  cheaper  and 
better  style,  all  the  work  which  the  plow,  har¬ 
row,  and  cultivator  accomplish.  Invention  will 
accomplish  nothing  with  steam  in  the  field,  until 
it  abandons  the  plow,  and  looks  after  some  sort 
of  rotator  to  rasp  up  the  earth,  and  mix  sod,  ma¬ 
nure,  and  subsoil, into  one  finely  comminuted  mass. 
This  will  avoid  the  essential  defects  of  the  plow, 
and  give  in  the  field,  at  a  single  operation,  a  seed 
bed,  as  nicely  prepared,  as  we  have  in  the  garden. 

I  trust  the  mechanical  genius  is  now  living,  that 
will  get  a  glimmering  of  the  great  invention  of  the 
age,  from  these  blinks  of  my  lantern.  This  coun¬ 
try  is  well  fitted  for  its  achievements.  Its  broad 
prairies  and  bottom  lands,  and  even  the  worn  out 
plains  and  meadows  of  the  sea  board,  would 
teem  with  new  fertility  and  beauty,  under  its  tri¬ 
umphant  march. 

- »-4 - - -  •» - 

“  Waste  Time.” — Professor  Agassiz  was  im¬ 
portuned  to  interrupt  his  scientific  investigations 
and  go  to  a  distant  town  to  deliver  a  lecture  be¬ 
fore  a  lyceum.  As  an  extra  inducement  he  was 
assured  that  the  Society  would  pay  him  liberally, 
to  which  he  replied :  “  That  is  no  inducement ;  I 
can  not  afford  to  waste  time  in  making  money.” 
How  many  waste  time  solely  to  make  money. 

Cincinnati  Spare-bibs. — In  referring  to  a 
statement  that  a  large  number  of  young  ladies  in 
Pork-opolis  (pork-city)  had  recently  been  married 
away  to  other  places,  an  exchange  dryly  remarks 
that:  “No  other  city  is  so  well  able  to  supply 
spar eribs  in  the  universe.” 

“  Have  you  read  my  last  speech  V  said  a  vain 
orator  to  a  friend.  “  I  hope  so,”  was  the  reply. 

A  man,  who  had  complained  much  of  the  want 
of  eddication  in  the  schoolmaster,  kept  his  son 
f-  •'m  the  school  to  work  a  couple  of  days,  and 


sent  him  with  the  following  excuse  for  absence  : 
“  Keptuhumsortinlaters.” 

— : - 1*-* »-  » - 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist — Prize  Articles. 

Farm  Inclosures— Fencing — No.  I. 


It  is  no  new  thing  to  say,  that  the  proper  in¬ 
closure  of  our  farms  is  one  of  the  rigidly  indis¬ 
pensable  facts  with  which,  among  others,  the 
American  husbandman  has  to  deal.  Whether 
we  commence  a  farm  in  the  woods,  or  on  the 
prairie,  a  substantial,  permanent  inclosing  of  the 
cultivated  ground  is  the  first  thing  to  be  secured, 
if  we  keep  teams  and  cattle,  sheep  or  swine,  as 
a  part  of  our  out-door  economy.  Or  purchasing  a 
farm  already  subdued,  the  chances  are  three  to 
one  that  immediate  repairs  of  the  old,  or  a  con¬ 
siderable  outlay  for  new  fencing  have  to  be  en¬ 
countered,  before  the  premises  are  thoroughly  se¬ 
cure  from  the  depredations  of  even  our  own  ani¬ 
mals,  or  from  those  of  our  lawless  neighbors, 
which  run  abroad,  free-commoners,  upon  the  high¬ 
way — according  to  immemorial  custom  in  this 
vaunted  land  of  liberty  and  equality. 

It  is  useless  to  go  into  a  calculation  by  statistics 
of  the  enormous,  and  in  a  great  majority ‘of  cases, 
useless  amount  of  fencing  erected  and  built  on 
our  farms  ;  but  any  one  with  a  few  hours’  labor  in 
examination  will  readily  find,  that  the  cost  of  not 
only  new  fences,  but  the  annual  repairs  of  old 
ones,  amount  to  a  sum  in  the  course  of  an  ordi¬ 
nary  life  that  he  has  little  dreamed  of.  Therefore, 
in  discussing  the  subject  intelligently,  we  have  to 
go  over  a  territory  as  wide  and  diversified  as  that 
of  our  entire  agricultural  range,  and  examine  all 
the  material  of  which  our  fences  are  now,  or  are 
hereafter  likely  to  be  constructed,  taking  several 
chapters  to  embrace  and  treat  it  in  a  proper  man¬ 
ner  ;  and  this  we  shall  strive  to  do  in  as  thorough, 
economical,  and  substantial  a  way  as  our  oppor¬ 
tunities  and  observation  will  permit. 

A  permanently  systematic  mode  of  fencing,  our 
American  farmers  have  scarcely  yet  adopted — the 
make-shift  method  not  having  as  yet  gone  out  of 
use.  On  stony  soils,  after  the  first  series  of  wooden 
fences  (which  were  laid  up  in  the  superabundance 
of  timber  our  fathers  had  to  cut  away)  had  de¬ 
cayed,  the  loose  stones  which  encumbered  the 
soil  supplied  their  places.  With  great  toil,  and 
through  a  long  series  of  years,  the  common  stone 
walls  were  gradually  constructed,  and  made,  after 
a  fashion,  the  inclosures  around  and  within  their 
farms.  These  were  extended,  or  multiplied,  as 
the  quantity  of  material  at  hand  supplied  the  ne¬ 
cessity  of  sufficient  inclosure,  or  the  superabun¬ 
dance  of  it  tempted  them  in  getting  rid  of  it,  to 
cut  up,  and  sub-divide  their  fields  into  larger  or 
smaller  inclosures,  in  many  cases  much  beyond 
what  the  most  economical  working  of  their  lands 
demanded — in  short,  men  built  walls  to  get  the 
stones  off'  their  fields.  This  will  sufficiently  ac¬ 
count  for  the  enormous  quantity  of  stone  walls 
which  disfigure  so  many  farms  in  the  older  States 
where  stones  abound.  In  a  vast  many  instances, 
if  a  correct  calculation  were  made,  of  the 
amount  of  cost  in  labor  at  hiring  prices,  it  exceeds 
what  the  land,  walls  and  all,  will  now  sell  for. 
Nor  is  that  all.  So  imperfectly  and  rudely  have 
the  walls  been  built,  that  they  need  annual  re¬ 
pairs,  caused  by  the  dilapidations  by  frost  and 
accidental  falling,  and  their  annual  repairs  entail 
a  tax  upon  their  owmers,  creating  a  serious  draw¬ 
back  on  their  incomes  and  profits. 

Other  lands,  well  wooded  at  first  and  free  from 
surface  stones,  were  inclosed  on  clearing,  with 
long  lines  of  log  fences,  enoimously  wasteful  if 
the  timber  were  wmrth  anything,  but  serving  a 


good  purpose  for  many  years,  according  to  the  du¬ 
rability  of  the  timber  itself.  They  were  afterwards 
replaced  by  rails,  or  posts  and  boards,  and  are  so 
continued  to  the  present  time  ;  while  considera¬ 
ble  portions  of  the  farms  are  yet  held  in  wood, 
reserves — dead  property — for  future  fencing. 
Among  these  are  embraced  wide  tracts  of  pine 
land,  where  the  first  fences  decaying,  and  “  pine 
stumps  were  rotting  out,”  enormous  quantities 
of  them  have  been  drawn  out  by  stump  macnines 
and  turned  into  effectual  and  durable  fences — the 
most  unsightly  things  imaginable,  but  answering 
the  double  purpose  of  ridding  the  land  of  their 
presence,  and  putting  them  where  they  will  be 
useful,  almost  if  not  quite  a  lifetime. 

There,  again,  are  our  prairies.  Those  con- 
tigious  to  cheap  timber  were  easily  fenced  at  first, 
but  decaying  in  time,  a  new  supply  of  fencing  ma¬ 
terial  has  to  be  hunted  up  and  provided  at  large 
expense  ;  while  new  and  wide-spread  prairies 
have  to  be  furnished  with  material  from  a  dis¬ 
tance,  from  the  beginning — posts  and  boards,  or 
rails,  as  the  case  may  be,  but  alike  perishable 
and  expensive.  All  these  have  to  be  obtained  ; 
and  while  the  wooded  regions  furnish  their  own 
material  cheap  and  abundant,  the  labor  is  still 
expensive  in  all,  their  repairs  and  looking  af¬ 
ter  is  a  perpetual  tax  on  the  farmer,  inexorable 
as  the  taxation  put  upon  him  by  town,  county  or 
State,  and  much  exceeding  it  in  annual  amount. 

Such,  then,  is  the  present  condition  of  our  farm 
fencing  throughout  the  country;  and  although, 
from  the  immense  extent  of  territory  we  occupy, 
we  have  vast  tracts  of  land  which  may  supply 
fencing  material  at  a  cheap  rate  for  many  years 
to  come,  there  are  large  sections  of  the  country, 
and  in  them  some  of  our  most  valuable  agricul¬ 
tural  lands,  where  the  material  is  already  ex¬ 
hausted,  and  the  why  and  wherefore  of  our  fu¬ 
ture  inclosures  are  becoming,  or  have  already 
become  a  formidable  subject  for  calculation. 

A  preliminary  question,  as  to  the  extent  or  ne¬ 
cessity  of  the  fencing  which  our  farms  require, 
may  be  considered,  and  is  not  out  of  place 
in  discussing  the  subject.  By  the  recent  con¬ 
struction  of  the  multitudinous  railways  through¬ 
out  the  country,  our  agriculture  is  becoming  more 
divided  into  distinct  and  separate  branches.  We 
can  now  appropriate  our  lands  to  those  products 
to  which  they  are  best  fitted,  or  can  most  proper¬ 
ly  be  devoted.  In  past  times  he  was  considered 
a  poor  farmer  who  did  not  produce  on  his  own 
lands,  every  article  of  food  which  it  would  pro¬ 
duce  that  his  family  needed  for  their  support— 
be  the  cost  of  producing  it  what  it  might.  Inter¬ 
change  of  commodity  was  more  difficult  than 
new  ;  markets  were  distant,  and  the  cost  of  trans¬ 
portation,  and  the  trouble  of  selling  one  thing  and 
buying  another  was  too  great ;  hence  the  farmer 
had  to  raise  his  own  supplies  for  himself.  Now 
the  case  is  altered.  The  dairyman  whose  lands 
are  well  fitted  for  making  butter  and  cheese  often- 
er  buys  his  own  corn  and  wheat,  and  frequently 
his  beef  and  pork,  cheaper  than  he  can  raise  it. 
He  makes  more  money  in  his  increased  quantity 
of  butter  or  cheese,  than  if  he  dovoted  but  part  of 
his  land  and  labor  to  such  purposes.  Another,  or, 
a  grain  farm,  finds  his  interest  better  promoted  in 
producing  all  the  grains  he  ^an,  and  of  fatting  beet 
and  pork.  Others  breed  rattle,  and  rear  them  ; 
while  others  graze  and  fat  beef,  or  raise  sheep  and 
wool.  The  planting  States  have  long  pursued 
such  practice,  and  from  persisting  in  it,  we  have 
reason  to  suppose  that  they  but  study  their  own 
interests  in  such  a  course.  Particular  circum¬ 
stances,  to  be  sure,  may  vary  this  division  of  ag¬ 
ricultural  labor  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
where  the  soil  and  markets  are  adapted  alike  to 


14 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


the  production  of  a  multiplicity  of  crops  ;  but  we 
think  that  in  process  of  time  our  American 
agriculture  will  find  its  best  interests  to  lie  in  re¬ 
stricting  its  productions  to  such  particular  crops 
as  the  land  shall  most  freely  and  profitably  produce 
with  a  given  amount  of  labor,  and  outlay  in  ma¬ 
nures. 

Such  considerations,  therefore,  will  form  an  im¬ 
portant  item  of  calculation  in  the  amount  of  fenc¬ 
ing  which  a  farm  of  a  given  size  will  require  in 
the  convenience  of  working  it,  or  the  range  to  be 
given  to  the  stock  kept  upon  it. 

To  a  large  grain  grower,  “  short  bouts  ”  in  plow¬ 
ing  are  an  unmitigated  nuisance.  Extensive  bot¬ 
tom  lands,  overflown  by  annual  or  occasional 
floods,  will  not  admit  fences  at  all,  and  in  such 
cases,  contiguous  owners  resort  to  conventional 
modes  of  securing  their  fields  and  crops,  and 
which,  when  necessity  compels  them,  they  find 
no  difficulty  in  effecting.  In  many  parts  of  the 
country  we  have  often  seen  a  large  farmer  re¬ 
move  into  a  neighborhood  and  buy  out  two,  three, 
or  half  a  dozen  small  ones,  contiguous  to  each 
other.  He  enters  at  once  upon  the  new  estate, 
takes  up  all,  or  most  of  the  intermediate  fences 
which  separated  their  small  lots,  and  lays  them 
out  into  larger  ones  ;  pulls  down  their  small  and 
inferior  tenements,  and  builds  for  his  own  occu¬ 
pation  on  a  site  suitable  for  his  own  future  wants 
and  objects.  There  is  positive  economy  in  this  ; 
ror  while  with  additional  capital  he  starts  and 
works  the  farm  better  than  before,  he  makes  it 
doubly  productive,  with  a  less  amount  of  labor, 
and  a  greatly  lessened  amount  of  fence  repairs. 
Thus,  therefore,  large  farms  require  less  fencing 
to  the  acre  than  small  ones. 

Again,  much  depends,  in  the  extent  of  fencing 
required,  upon  the  face  of  the  land  and  the  char¬ 
acter  of  the  soil.  We  have  seen  farms  in  some 
parts  of  New  England  and  Eastern  New  York  so 
cut  up  in  their  natural  conditions  of  stony  and 
free,  hilly  and  swampy  land,  that  without  enor¬ 
mous  comparative  outlay  to  equalize  them,  in  or¬ 
der  to  devote  their  mixed  spots  of  ground  to  their 
best  uses,  numerous  small  inclosures,  without  re¬ 
gard  to  form,  had  to  be  made.  Hence  those 
crooked  walls,  shapeless  fields,  and  inconvenient 
approaches  have  to  be  submitted  to,  which  takes 
away  half  the  profit  and  all  the  pleasure  of  their 
cultivation.  Such  are  in  a  bad  fix,  decidedly  ;  and 
we  fear  that  we  shall  have  to  pass  them  over  in 
the  main  points  of  our  discussion,  or  leave  their 
proprietors  to  such  incidental  benefit  as  they  may 
gather  from  what  we  have  to  say  on  the  subject 
of  fencing  at  large. 

With  these  preliminaries  then,  we  see  no  way 
to  proceed  but  commence  at  the  beginning,  as  if 
on  a  farm  we  are  about  to  enclose  and  sub-divide 
there  were  no  fences  at  all,  casting  about  to  know 
where  the  farms  are,  what  are  the  best  and  most 
available  fencing  materials  at  hand,  and  proceed 
to  build  them  in  the  cheapest  and  most  permanent 
manner — presuming  by  the  way,  that  the  “make¬ 
shift”  process  has  already  passed,  and  that  a  sub¬ 
stantial  system  is  to  be  adopted  for  the  coming 
time.  We  shall  suppose,  also,  that  the  business, 
or  branch  of  agriculture  to  which  the  farm  is  to  be 
devoted  is  already  settled  in  the  mind  of  its  own¬ 
er,  and  he  knows  exactly  what  he  wants,  and 
has  the  means  to  accomplish  it.  In  this  view,  in 
our  next  number,  we  shall  proceed  to  describe  the 
different  kinds  of  fences  best  adapted  to  the  coun¬ 
try,  and  the  manner  of  making  them. 


It  is  in  vain  to  put  wealth  within  the  reach  of 
him  who  will  not  stretch  out  his  hand  to  take  it. 

Politeness  is  like  an  air-cushion— there  may  be 
nothing  in  it,  but  it  eases  your  jolts  wonderfully. 


Honey  Boxes. 

Several  recent  subscribers,  ask  for  a  descrip¬ 
tion  of  what  we  last  month  (page  363)  called  “  the 
simple  unpatented  glass  honey  boxes  used  by  Mr. 
Quinby.”  The  annexed  engraving  of  a  box  re¬ 
ceived  from  Mr.  Q.,  in  1857,  will  show  the  gener¬ 
al  form.  It  is,  say  5  inches  wide,  6  inches  long, 
and  5£  inches  high.  The  top  and  bottom  are  made 
of  boards  £  inch  thick.  The  four  corner  uprights 
are  square  pieces  say  five-eights  ofan  inch  through 
and  5  inches  long.  These  are  set  up  at  the  cor¬ 
ners  and  held  in  place  by  small  nails  driven  into 
their  ends,  through  the  bottom  and  top  board. 

For  the  sides,  common  window  glass  is  cut  into 
the  required  size.  It  can  be  cut  without  waste, 
by  choosing  the  panes  of  the  right  size.  The 
glass  pieces  are  placed  against  the  uprights,  on  the 


outside,  to  complete  the  box,  and  are  held  there 
by  bits  of  tin,  slit  with  shears  part  way  through 
the  middle,  and  the  slit  enl  shoved  through  the 
uprights,  corner-wise,  from  the  inside  outward. 
The  slit  end  is  then  bent  over  the  edges  of  the 
glass,  one'  part  to  the  right,  the  other  to  the  left. 

The  box  is  here  represented  bottom  side  up  to 
show  the  hole  in  the  bottom  piece.  These  boxes 
are  set  side  by  side  over  a  common  box  hive, 
the  holes  meeting  other  holes  in  the  top  of  the 
hive.  A  box  cover  is  set  over  the  whole  tightly, 
to  shut  out  rain  and  keep  the  boxes  dark,  other¬ 
wise  the  bees  will  not  work  in  them. 

ANOTHER  FORM. 

“  Cassius,”  of  Macon  County,  III.,  sends  us 
drawings  and  a  description  of  what  he  considers 
an  improvement  upon  the  above.  He  constructs 
the  box  essentially  as  above,  but  uses  glass  in  the 
ends  only.  The  object  is  to  secure  a  strong  box 
suitable  for  carrying  honey  safely  a  longdistance 
to  market.  They  might  be  made  entirely  of  wood, 
but  *he  glass  ends  allow  opportunity  to  examine 
them  from  time  to  time  to  ascertain  when  full, 
&c.  Further,  the  honey  is  more  salable  if  it  is 
open  to  view.  “  Cassius’  ”  description  is  essen¬ 
tially  as  follows : 

The  box  is,  say  12  inches  long,  or  of  any  other 
desired  dimensions.  Pine,  oak,  walnut  or  other 
easily  dressed  £  inch  boards  are  used.  The  bot¬ 
tom,  top  and  two  side-pieces  are  12  inches  long  ; 
the  top  pieces  8£  inches  wide,  and  the  side  pieces 
4J  inches  wide.  In  each  of  these,  at  £  inch  from 
the  end,  a  groove  is  cut  with  a  saw,  £  inch  deep. 
Pieces  of  glass  8  by  5  inches  are  made  by  cutting 
8  by  10  panes  across  the  middle. 

The  bottom  is  fastened  to  the  side  pieces  with 
nails  ;  the  glass  is  then  slipped  into  the  grooves, 
and  the  top  put  on,  and  fastened  down  with  small 
screws.  The  outside  of  the  -box  is  then  4  J  by  7f 
by  12  inches  and  contain  44 If-  cubic  inches,  and 
according  to  the  writer’s  experience,  will  hold  15 
lbs.  of  honey  when  well  filled. 

[As  above  remarked,  the  size  may  be  varied  at 
pkasure.  We  think  the  smaller  sizes,  holding  5 
to  7  pounds  of  honey,  are  better  adapted  to  gen¬ 
eral  use  and  sale.  Five  pound  boxes  are  about 
the  size  for  general  retailing.  Besides,  when  a 
box  is  to  be  broken,  it  is  desirable  to  have  as  lit¬ 
tle  honey  as  possible  to  be  disturbed.  A  form, 


somewhat  similar  to  the  above,  will  be  found 
described  in  Langstroth’s  book,  “  The  Hive  and 
Honey-Bee.” — Ed  ] 

■ - - - 

“  Gather  the  Bones!” 

A  dozen  or  more  letters  have  accumulated, 
making  inquiries  about  the  value,  treatment,  etc., 
of  hones.  We  have,  in  former  numbers  and  vol¬ 
umes,  answered  every  question,  but  will  sum  up 
a  few  hints  here.  We  firmly  believe  there  is  no 
fertilizer  so  good  for  all  crops,  and  on  almost  all 
soils,  as  unburned  bones.  We  buy  no  other  ma¬ 
nure.  When  immediate  benefit  is  desired,  we  use 
bone  sawings,  obtained  from  factories  where  bones 
are  worked  into  buttons,  knife-handles,  and  other 
articles.  This  material  costs  us,  delivered,  13  75 
per  barrel  of  about  300  or  more  pounds.  It  is 
packed  solid,  and  attracts  moisture  enough  to  keep 
damp.  It  is  first  mingled  with  four  or  five  times 
its  bulk  of  fine  dry  surface  soil,  and  well  mixed 
by  mashing  and  sifting.  A  handful  of  it.  is  then 
scattered  in  the  soil  immediately  in  contact  with, 
and  around  seed  sown  and  the  roots  of  plants  set 
out.  It  is  delightful  to  witness  the  effect.  We 
use  it  for  everything  grown,  with  unvarying  good 
results.  The  quantity  used  varies  from  two  to 
eight  barrels  per  acre,  according  to  the  previous 
good  or  poor  quality  of  the  soil.  Il  pays  well. 

For  fruit-trees  and  grape-vines  we  use  large 
quantities  of  ground  or  broken  bones.  The  larger 
the  pieces  the  slower  will  be  their  decay,  and  the 
more  lasting  their  effect.  If  bones  merely  broken 
with  a  hammer  are  used,  some  finely  ground 
bones  or  bone  sawings  are  added  for  more  imme¬ 
diate  effect. 

Bones  crushed  or  ground  in  an  ordinary  bone- 
mill  contain  less  fine  material  than  is  required 
for  immediate  effect,  unless  considerable  quanti¬ 
ties  are  used.  It  is  desirable  to  have  them  as 
near  a  powdered  condition  as  possible.  But  if  free¬ 
ly  applied  the  fine  material  will  be  immediately 
beneficial,  while  the  coarser  portion  will  continue 
to  yield  good  results  for  several  years,  according 
to  the  coldness  or  warmth  of  the  soil,  and  their 
consequent  slow  or  rapid  decay. 

TO  DISSOLVE  BONES. 

If  no  mills  are  accessible,  bones  may  be  dis¬ 
solved  in  sulphuric  acid.  For  100  lbs.  of  bones 
take  about  30  lbs.  of  acid  (2  gallons),  and  mix 
with  it,  say  32  lbs.  of  water  (4  gallons).  First, 
put  the  water  into  a  strong  wooden-hooped  cask  oi 
barrel,  and  add  the  acid  slowly — stirring  it,  as  ad 
ded,  with  a  stick.  Crack  the  bones,  or  not,  as  may 
be  convenient,  and  put  them  into  and  above  the 
fluid.  Punch  them  down  and  stir  them  occasion¬ 
ally  with  a  stick.  Let  them  stand,  four,  six,  ot 
eight  weeks,  until  softened  and  mostly  dissolved. 

Many  assert  that  they  cannot  dissolve  whole 
bones,  but  they  do  not  take  time  enough.  From  re¬ 
peated  trials  we  know  they  will  dissolve.  The 
time  will  depend  upon  the  dryness  of  the  bones, 
and  their  freedom  from  fat. 

After  standing  two  months,  more  or  less,  mix 
the  mass  thoroughly,  with  six  or  eight  times,  or 
more,  its  bulk  of  muck,  or  even  with  common 
soil,  if  need  be.  This  makes  an  excellent  ferti¬ 
lizer,  worth  anywhere  all  it  costs,  and  more.  Sul¬ 
phuric  acid,  in  carboys  of  120  to  160  lbs.,  costs 
from  two  to  three  cents  per  pound,  according  to 
distance  from  the  manufactory.  It  needs  to  be 
handled  with  care,  as  it  is  corrosive  to  the  flesh 
and  clothing. 

S.  W.  Joy  will  find  his  queries  answered  above, 
except  as  to  warmth.  The  dissolving  liquid  will 
not  freeze  during  the  first  week  or  two  at  least. 
It  is  not  worth  while  to  take  any  trouble  to  keep 
it  warm  or  cold. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


15 


Without  any  preparation  except  breaking  fine, 
inhumed  bones  are  worth  15  to  50  cents  per  bush¬ 
el,  according  to  the  necessities  of  the  soil,  the 
value  of  the  products,  and  the  cost  of  other  ma¬ 
tures.  The  best  mode  of  using  is  to  have  them 
finely  ground. 

WHERE  ARE  THE  BONE  MILLS  1 

To  answer  a  multitude  of  inquiries,  we  will 
publish  without  charge  a  list  of  all  the  bone-mills 
in  the  country  (there  are  but  few — there  ought 
to  be  hundreds  where  there  is  one),  if  the  pro¬ 
prietors  will  send  us  their  location,  the  fineness 
to  which  they  reduce  bones',  and  the  charge  for 
grinding  when  customers  bring  in  300  or  more 
pounds  at  a  time. 


Liming  Land  for  Potatoes,  Culture,  etc. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

I  will  respond  to  “  Long  Island  Farmer,”  who 
inquires  of  the  effects  of  Lime  in  potato  culture. 
Having  tried  a  great  many  experiments  with  the 
potato  disease,  liming  included,  I  am  prepared  to 
say  that  lime  will  in  no  way  prevent  or  cure  the 
disease  To  raise  good  potatoes,  lime  is  most 
essential,  and  in  my  opinion  a  good  potato  (that  is 
a  good  mealy  one)  can  not  be  raised  without  it. 
The  quantity  required  per  acre  no  one  can  tell 
without  seeing  the  quality  and  the  nature  of  the 
soil,  as  the  amount  varies  from  30  to  300  bushels 
per  acre,  the  first  on  a  light  sandy  loam,  the  lat¬ 
ter  on  a  heavy  clay — with  proportionate  quantities 
on  intermediate  soils.  If  the  land  lie  on  a  lime 
stone  bed,  whether  it  be  clay  or  light  loam,  a  less 
quantify  will  be  required,  than  if  on  free-stone, 
slate,  etc.  If  in  the  application  of  lime  to  the  soil 
it  is  desired  to  obtain  its  effects  on  all  crops,  the 
aim  should  be  to  keep  it  on  the  surface.  My  sys¬ 
tem  is  as  follows: 

If  the  land  upon  which  I  purpose  applying  lime 
is  sod,  broken  in  the  Fall  and  intended  for  pota¬ 
toes,  I  cross  plow  and  harrow  it  in  the  Spring,  and 
then  apply  the  lime  and  harrow  it  in  ;  then  open 
the  drills  and  plant.  Even  then  the  lime  will  work 
to  the  subsoil  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  years. 
To  avoid  this  the  next  plowing  is  shallow,  and 
this  followed  with  plowing  as  deep  as  I  can,  throw¬ 
ing  to  the  top  the  bottom  soil  which  contains  the 
lime.  The  following  year  the  plowing  is  light 
again.  After  this,  if  the  land  is  laid  down  to 
meadow  and  remains  so  for  three  or  more  years, 
in  breaking  it  up  I  use  a  deep  plow  which  again 
brings  the  lime  to  the  surface.  In  this  plan  it  is 
supposed  that  the  land  in  the  first  place  received 
ill  that  it  will  bear  or  needs,  of  the  best  quality  of 
ime  which  is  fossil  lime-stone  as  a  general  thing. 
The  great  secret  in  using  lime  on  land,  if  we  would 
see  results,  is  to  apply  the  proper  quantity.  As  in 
ether  things  it  can  be  half  done  or  over  done  ;  in 
either  case  the  result  is  not  satisfactory.  I  have 
known  men  err  in  both  ways,  and  they  arc  ready 
to  say  that  liming  is  “  all  humbug,”  whereas  the 
Unit  was  with  themselves.  Lime  is  as  necessa¬ 
ry  to  land  as  is  barn-yard  manure,  and  this  fact  I 
tai  happy  to  say  farmers  hereabouts  are  learning 
6  very  day. 

As  to  applying  lime  to  the  stems  and  leaves  of 
potatoes  to  prevent  or  cure  disease,  it  is  of  little, 
or  no  use.  This  idea  originated  from  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  applying  quick  lime  to  the  vines  to  kill  in¬ 
sects,  potato  bugs,  etc.,  which  at  times  are  so 
abundant  that  they  quickly  destroy  the  vitality  of 
the  plant  by  destroying  the  leaves,  and  making 
them  look  as  if  they  were  diseased,  and  which  ia 
fact  is  as  bad  as  disease.  I  have  had  potato 
fields  so  attacked  with  these  vermin,  in  which 
case  I  have  sown  lime  on  the  leaves  until  the  field 


looked  as  white  as  a  miller’s  jacket.  Another  good 
result  of  this  is,  it  kills  wire  worms  and  grubs  that 
lay  on  the  surface  and  eat  the  stems  and  leaves. 
Grubs  infest  broken  sod  ground  more  than  any 
other.  In  applying  the  lime  to  them,  do  it  in  the 
morning  when  the  dew  is  on  the  leaves,  or  if 
practicable,  immediately  after  rain.  If  applied 
when  dry  there  is  nothing  to  retain  it. 

My  method  of  preparing  potatoes  for  planting, 
is  to  cut  them  three  weeks  or  a  month  previous 
to  using — cutting  one  eye  to  each  set.  I  lay  them 
in  a  heap,  say  three  or  four  inches  thick,  and  throw- 
on  about  the  same  depth  of  quicklime.  They  are 
then  turned  all  over  so  that  each  part  of  the  cut 
gets  a  coat  of  lime.  This  is  done  while  the  cut  is 
fresh  so  that  the  lime  will  adhere.  I  then  spread 
them  out  an  inch  thick,  letting  them  lay  thus  until 
the  eye  begins  to  break,  and  then  plant  them.  If 
after  this  time,  they  appear  quite  soft  and  the  skin 
in  wrinkles,  it  is  a  good  sign.  The  eyes  may 
sometimes  get  too  long;  if  so,  break  them  off,  as 
this  does  no  harm,  for  the  sets  will  immediately 
break  again. 

I  send  you  a  sample  of  “Prince  Albert  ”  pota¬ 
toes  which  I  have  grown  this  season  on  the  farm 
of  A.  Horton,  Esq.,  on  the  above  one-eye  system, 
and  prepared  as  above.  They  are  from  an  old 
reclaimed  piece  of  marsh  that  we  drained  last 
Summer  (1857),  which  previous  to  this  grew  noth¬ 
ing  but  wild  grass  and  calamus.  I  plowed  it  in 
the  Fall  and  applied  a  heavy  dose  of  lime  before 
planting.  They  will  show  you  what  underdrain¬ 
ing  and  lime  will  accomplish.  These  potatoes 
have  had  no  manure  of  any  kind,  barn-yard  or 
special,  excepting  lime.  Persons  not  acquainted 
with  this  system,  and  seeing  how  they  are  cut 
would  not  believe  that  they  could  be  grown,  or  in 
fact,  that  they  could  sprout ;  I  did  not  intend  en¬ 
tering  so  far  at  present  into  potato  culture,  but  at 
some  future  period  will  give  you  more  particulars 
of  my  practice.  Gerald  Howatt. 

Newton,  N.  J.,  Oct.  Ill,  1 86N. 

Remarks. — The  Prin  »  Albeits  wo  e  received, 
and  princes  they  were— a  hall  bushel  or  more,  8 
to  13  inches  long,  2^ to  31  inches  in  diameter, 
and  sound  to  the  core.  I’lio  cookirq  quality  is 
also  good,  precisely  like  tlioso  grown  in  our  own 
neighborhood,  where  wo  look  some  puns  to  in¬ 
troduce  this  variety  two  years  since  and  where 
they  were  largely  planted  last  Spring,  and  were 
much  liked  on  account  or’  their  laige  yield  and 
freedom  from  rot.  For  eating,  Uow6ver,  we  do 
not  like  them  quite  as  well  as  the  old  Mercers, 
and  scarcely  as  well  as  the  Peach  Blows. 

Mr.  Howatt’s practice  in  liming  land  is  mainly 
correct,  though  we  differ  from  him  in  I  he  theory. 
In  a  future  article  we  will  endeavoi  In  set  forth 
what  we  believe  to  be  the  true  theory  us  well  as 
practice  in  liming  land.  There  are  several  im¬ 
portant  considerations  respecting  Hie  use  of  lime 
which  should  be  more  generally  undeistood. — Ed. 


Lime  on  Seed  Potatoes. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agr,rulturisl : 

In  reply  to  “Long  Island  Farmer”  (  page  298 
October  number)  I  will  say  ;  l  cut  my  seed  the 
past  season  into  a  bed  of  ground  stone  litr.e,  turn¬ 
ing  them  over  and  over  until  each  piece  has  the 
appearance  of  a  lump  of  lima.  I  am  happy  to  say 
the  result  has  exceeded  my  expect  at  ior.s,  as  I 
this  year  raised  a  prolific  crop  of  good  uiyfi)  pota¬ 
toes,  of  excellent  quality,  on  land  which  last  year 
yielded  less  than  enough  to  pay  for  digging.  I 
used  seed  of  the  Dykeman  or  Excelsior  variety. 

Gardener. 

Stolen  Island. 


Good  Farming  at  the  West. 


When  Western  New-York  and  Ohio  were  first 
settled,  the  pioneers  had  to  spend  several  toil¬ 
some  years  in  felling  the  forests  and  in  grubbing 
out  the  stumps,  before  they  could  really  commence 
farming.  But  not  so  now,  in  many  of  the  States 
further  West :  the  broad  prairies  dotted  here  and 
there  with  groves,  seem  as  if  Providence  had 
prepared  them  expressly  for  the  convenience  of 
the  farmer ;  they  seem  almost  to  invite  the  plow 
and  the  mowing  and  reaping-machines  to  come 
and  exhibit  themselves.  It  is  perhaps  not  too 
much  to  say  that  the  farmer  on  breaking  up  a 
piece  of  land  in  those  prairies,  finds  his  work 
easier  and  pleasanter  than  it  would  be  on  most  of 
the  old  farms  at  the  East.  And  when  to  this  is 
added  the  increasing  facilities  for  getting  all  kinds 
of  produce  to  market,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  so  many  young  farmers  leave  “down  East  ” 
every  year,  to  try  their  fortunes  nearer  the  set¬ 
ting  sun. 

But  the  easy  culture  of  the  ready-cleared 
prairies  has  a  tendency  to  induce  slack  farming, 
as  our  own  observation  and  that  of  others  abun¬ 
dantly  prove.  There  is,  all  over  the  West,  a 
mania  for  very  large  farms — though  not  confined 
to  that  region  by  any  means.  And  as  a  conse¬ 
quence  of  attempting  to  till  so  much  land,  the 
work  is  done  imperfectly.  How  much  better  it 
would  be  if  the  mass  of  farmers  cultivated  less 
land,  and  that  more  thoroughly.  Why  not  spend 
more  time  in  planting  trees,  both  for  shelter  and 
for  fruit  1  Timber  and  fruit  will  be  wanted  by- 
and-by,  and  why  not  have  them  growing  1  At  the 
East,  it  is  thought  both  humane  and  profitable  to 
give  stock  good  shelter  in  Winter ;  might  it  not 
be  equally  so  on  those  vast,  and  wind-swept 
prairies  ?  Plenty  of  sheds  and  other  out-buildings 
for  sheltering  wagons,  carts,  plows  and  all  kinds 
of  implements  are  thought  essential  to  good 
farming.  It  is  believed  that  tools,  large  and  small, 
decay  faster  by  being  exposed  to  the  weather  in 
one  Winter,  than  they  do  by  constant  usage  in  one 
Summer.  It  is,  moreover,  more  profitable  and 
more  honorable  to  raise  the  same  amount  of  pro¬ 
duce  from  five  acres  of  land,  than  from  ten. 

Farmer's  High  School,  Pennsylvania. — We 
are  glad  to  be  officially  informed  that  this  Institu¬ 
tion  is  in  such  a  state  of  forwardness,  that  at  the 
meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  at  Harrisbunr, 
Dec.  8th,  it  was  ordered  that  the  School  be 
mally  opened  on  the  third  Wednesday  in  Febru¬ 
ary.  The  School  year  will  close  on  the  third 
Wednesday  of  December.  Students  are  to  be  ad¬ 
mitted  only  from  Pennsylvania  for  the  present. 
Applications  will  be  received  up  to  the  15th  oi 
this  month,  (Jan.,)  for  100  students  from  the  dif¬ 
ferent  counties  of  the  State,  in  proportion  to  the 
taxable  inhabitants — one  for  each  5,796.  The 
applications  must  come  through  the  regular 
County  Societies,  if  such  exist — if  not,  then 
direct  to  the  Secretary,  Wm.  G.  Waring,  Farm 
School  Post-Office,  Center  Co.,  Pa. — to  whom  all 
communications  are  to  be  addressed,  and  from 
whom  full  information  may  be  obtained. 


Ossification  and  Petrifaction. — Figuratively 
speaking,  when  a  man’s  heart  ossifies,  that  is,  turns 
to  hone,  he  dies  at  once  ;  but  if  it  petrifiics,  that 
is,  turns  to  stone,  he  invariably  lives  too  long  for 
any  useful  purpose. 

“  Keep  your  dog  away  from  me,”  said  a  village 
dandy  to  a  farmer’s  boy.  “  I  can’t,”  replied  the 
boy,  “  for  he  i3  always  running  after  puppies. 


16 


No.  144 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


WINTER,  SCENE — drawn  by  foster. 
(Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist.) 


Above  we  present  a  very  striking  picture,  drawn 
originally  by  the  celebrated  English  delineator, 
Foster,  and  re-engraved  for  this  journal.  Though 
sr  '-’asing  and  beautiful  the  sketch,  as  a  picture, 
we  could  wish  it  represented  only  an  English 
scene,  instead  of  being  so  applicable  to  what  may 
be  found  on  thousands  of  American  farms.  After 
what  we  have  so  often  written  in  regard  to  the 
importance,  the  economy,  the  humanity,  so  to 
speak,  of  furnishing  good,  warm,  comfortable  shel¬ 
ter  for  all  kinds  of  animals,  it  would  seem  unne¬ 
cessary  to  add  a  word  more  on  the  topic.  Yet 
line  upon  line,  precept  upon  preeept,  here  a  little 
and  there — a  good  deal,  must  still  be  written,  be¬ 
fore  many  persons  will  become  convinced  of  even 
the 

PROFIT  OF  PROTECTING  ANIMALS  FROM  COLD. 

We  have  before  us  a  letter  in  which  the  wri¬ 
ter’s  argument,  with  a  slight  change  in  phraseol¬ 
ogy  runs  thus  :  . .  .While  you  generally  deal  in 

matter  of  facts — more  so  than  any  other  journal 
I  know  of — yet  you  do  sometimes  run  after  vis¬ 
ionary  theories.  Take,  for  example,  your  teach¬ 
ings  about  housing  animals  in  Winter.  You  say 
they  are  healthier,  etc.,  for  being  kept  in  warm 
shelter.  Now  my  practice  teaches  me  differently. 
My  sheep  are  kept  out  all  Winter  in  a  bleak  field, 
and  fed  at  stacks  of  hay  built  over  rail  pens.  They 
eat  even  the  coarsest  bog  hay  with  an  avidity  and 
relish  whieh  is  exhibited  by  none  of  your  warm 


housed,  nursed  flocks.  Why,  neighbor  L.’s  sheep 
are  kept  under  the  barn  which  is  built  on  high 
posts  and  walled  completely  around  except  a  nar¬ 
row  entrance ;  and  they  go  moping  around  all 
day,  or  lie  chewing  their  cuds  and  looking  as 
sleepy  as  a  sloth.  They  do  not  eat  half  as  heartily 
nor  half  as  much  as  mine,  and  how  can  you  ex¬ 
pect  them  to  increase  in  flesh  if  they  do  not  eat!” 

That  is  just  what  hundreds  of  others  think,  or 
at  least  practice  upon,  if  they  do  not  write  out 
their  thoughts.  But  our  correspondent  has  failed 
to  carry  his  observations  far  enough — just  as  mul¬ 
titudes  of  farmers  continually  do.  If  he  will  make 
one  experiment  carefully,  and  the  result  does  not 
confound  his  practice,  we  will  say  no  more — to 
him.  Next  Autumn,  let  him  select  and  mark, 
say  twenty  ewes  in  his  own  flock,  and  an  equal 
number  in  his  neighbor’s  of  about  the  same  weight 
and  condition.  Weigh  these  and  then  keep  an 
account  of  about  the  amount  of  food  consumed  by 
each.  We  hazard  nothing  in  saying  that  the 
warmly  sheltered  sheep  will  increase  double  or 
treble  in  weight  for  each  100  lbs.  of  hay  consumed, 
over  those  which  are  left  in  the  open  field.  Fur¬ 
ther,  the  increase  in  lambs  will  be  much  greater, 
and  the  sheep  will  go  into  the  Summer  in  far 
better  health,  yielding  heavier  fleeces  and  more 
mutton. 

Ample  experiments  have  established  the  truth 
of  these  statements,  and  they  are  perfectly  con¬ 


sonant  with  reason.  How  do  animals  keep  warm  1 
Evidently  by  means  of  the  food  they  consume. 
If  a  quantity  of  hay  be  burned  in  a  stove  it  unites 
rapidly  with  the  air  (its  oxygen),  and  gives  out 
much  heat.  The  same  hay  gradually  consumed 
within  an  animal’s  body,  there  unites  slowly  with 
the  air  which  is  inhaled  in  breathing  and  absorbed 
into  the  blood  through  the  lungs.  Just  as  much 
heat  is  given  out  by  the  hay  as  if  it  v/ere  burned 
in  an  hour,  but  it  is  slowly  produced,  and  keeps 
the  whole  body  warm  through  the  circulation  oi 
the  blood.  This  is  precisely  the  way  our  bodies 
are  kept  warm.  The  more  heat  there  is  abstract¬ 
ed  from  the  surface  in  cold  weather,  the  more  we 
must  eat  to  keep  up  the  fire  within.  If  we  put 
on  a  warmer  covering  outside,  less  heat  will  es¬ 
cape,  less  will  need  to  be  produced  within,  and 
less  fuel  (food)  will  be  needed  to  produce  it.  This 
is  exactly  the  case  with  all  animals;  they  will 
eat  more,  they  must  eat  more,  when  unprotected, 
or  they  will  perish  with  cold ;  and  less  of  that 
which  is  eaten  can  be  reserved  for  increasing  the 
flesh. 

To  say  no  more  of  the  waste  of  food  in  keeping 
exposed  animals  warm,  they  can  not  be  as  healthy 
The  boiler  of  a  steam  engine  which  requires  two 
tons  of  coal  to  keep  a  quantity  of  water  at  steam 
heat,  will  wear  out  much  sooner  than  one  requrir 
ing  only  one  ton.  Just  so  the  stomach  of  a  sheep 
when  required  to  digest  200  lbs.  of  hay  to  keep  the 


Januavy,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


17 


body  warm  for  a  week,  will  suffer  more  wear  and 
irritation  than  if  required  only  to  digest  100  lbs. 
Test  the  matter  in  whatever  way  you  will,  by 
sound  reasoning  from  well  known  laws  and  prin¬ 
ciples,  or  by  thorough  experiments,  the  conclu¬ 
sion  will  inevitably  be,  that  warm  clothing  for  our 
bodies,  and  warm  shelter  for  both  ourselves  and 
animals  is  healthful  and  every  way  convenient. 

- - - — ■  «- - 

Gardening. 

Driven  in  by  the  Winter’s  cold  from  our  beloved 
garden,  may  we  not  pause  and  drop  a  word  in  its 
praise  !  The  experience  of  another  season  has 
only  the  more  confirmed  us  in  our  attachment  to 
the  pursuits  of  horticulture.  This  is  an  occupa¬ 
tion  of  which  we  seldom  tire.  The  love  of  it  grows 
upon  us  from  year  to  year.  In  Spring,  we  watch 
with  an  increasing  interest  for  the  first  upshoot- 
ing  crocus  and  snow-drop,  the  first  adventur¬ 
ous  violet  and  daisy.  Even  in  mid-summer,  when 
almost  everything  else  fails,  the  garden  seldom 
fails  to  enliven  us ;  and  when  Autumn  comes, 
with  its  wealth  of  gorgeous  flowers  and  its  rich 
fruits,  we  can  ask  for  nothing  more.  Even  at 
the  approach  of  Winter,  when  our  trees  and  plants 
are  stripped  of  leaf  and  flower  by  the  frost,  what 
more  pleasing  employment  than,  like  a  good  moth¬ 
erly  nurse,  to  prepare  them  for  their  Winter’s 
sleep  1 

Wrap  up  this  delicate  one  in  a  blanket  of  clean 
straw  ;  lay  that  flexible  one  upon  the  bosom  of 
mother  earth,  and  cover  it  with  leaves,  and  a  lit¬ 
tle  soil  to  keep  the  wind  from  blowing  off  its  man¬ 
tle.  before  you  finally  cover  up  those  herbaceous 
plants,  just  draw  away  the  earth  a  little,  and  see 
what  fine  strong  buds  are  forming  about  the 
crowns  of  the  roots,  ready  to  shoot  up  at  the  ear¬ 
liest  breath  of  Spring.  But  cover  them  all  up 
now,  and  leave  them  to  the  sleep  Nature  designs 
for  them.  Yonder  ever-blooming  roses,  natives 
of  a  warmer  latitude,  don’t  neglect  them  now, 
after  they  have  greeted  you  with  flowers  all  the 
Summer ;  let  them  lie  close  upon  the  warm 
ground,  in  a  nest  of  forest  leaves,  with  a  cover¬ 
ing  of  boards  to  keep  out  the  wet.  And  those 
other  rare  trees  and  shrubs,  which  have  diffused 
the  air  of  different  climes  in  your  northern  gar¬ 
den,  don’t  forget  to  bank  up  their  stems,  and  to 
open  a  little  trench  to  carry  off  all  surplus  water 
from  their  roots.  You  did  well  to  put  some  stakes 
around  those  newiy  planted  trees,  and  to  tie  them 
up  with  leather  and  hay  bands  to  keep  them  from 
blowing  about. . .  .Well,  we  have  now  got  all  the 
sails  reefed,  and  everything  snug  and  trim,  let  the 
Winter  winds  blow ;  our  dear  garden  is  having  a 
fine  sleep,  and  nothing  can  harm  it. 

But  this  is  wandering.  Let  it,  however,  go  to 
show  where  our  heart  is.  Do  you  say,  sir,  that 
gardening,  requires  no  intelligence!  Please, 
prove  that !  The  best  gardens  we  ever  saw  were 
managed  by  very  sensible  men.  It  requires  no 
little  study  to  arrange  one’s  grounds  well,  then  to 
plant  and  sow  in  the  best  manner,  and  to  take 
care  of  the  whole  wisely  through  the  whole  sea¬ 
son.  There  arc  those,  indeed,  with  whom  gar¬ 
dening  is  a  mere  stupid  use  of  spade  and  hoe, 
an  ignorant  wear  of  bone  and  muscle,  a  drudgery 
unrelieved  by  a  single  flash  of  intelligence  ;  but 
these  are  not  the  men  we  here  speak  of. 

Do  you  say  that  horticulture  exerts  no  good 
moral  influence  1  Does  it  do  no  good  to  withdraw 
a  man  from  scenes  of  temptation,  and  to  surround 
him  with  the  pure  and  beautiful  works  of  God! 
The  steady  and  cheerful  employment  of  his  time, 
which  his  garden  requires,  favors  morality.  It 
was  for  the  idle  boy,  according  to  the  catechism, 
that  Satan  found  so  much  mischief  to  do.  “  A 


wicked  man,”  says  one,  “  can  not  make  a  garden, 
for  the  very  labor  is  so  virtuous  and  beautiful  that 
it  will  rebuke  him,  and  the  things  he  produces 
will  preach  him  sermons  on  morality  and  virtue.” 

But  hold  1  Let  us  not  go  on  in  this  serious  strain, 
as  if  our  favorite  pursuit  were  falling  into  neglect 
and  dishonor,  and  needed  an  argument  to  uphold 
and  defend  it.  Never  before,  we  believe,  was 
the  earth  covered  with  so  many  smiling  gardens 
as  now,  and  never  before  were  there  so  many 
enthusiastic  workers  in  them. 

.  - - - - - 


American  Aloe,  or  Century  Plant. 

(Agave  Americana.) 


We  present  above,  an  engraving  of  a  plant 
which  is  truly  “  wonderful  ”  as  its  name,  Agave , 
signifies.  It  is  called  the  Century  riant,  because 
it  is  popularly  supposed  to  require  one  hundred 
years  to  arrive  at  the  blooming  state.  This  is 
not  strictly  so,  for  in  its  native  home,  in  the  trop¬ 
ical  climates  of  the  American  Continent,  it  some¬ 
times  blooms  in  ten  years,  under  specially  favora¬ 
ble  circumstances,  and  usually  in  from  thirty  to 
sixty  years.  When  cultivated  in  Northern  cli¬ 
mates  it  seldom  matures  in  less  than  eighty  to  a 
hundred  or  more  years.  It  blooms  but  once.  Hav¬ 
ing  arrived  at  maturity,  the  plant  sends  up  a  gi¬ 
gantic  flower  stem,  and  then  perishes.  The  num¬ 
ber  of  flowers  is  immense.  An  Agave  plant  in 
the  Royal  Botanic  Society’s  Garden,  in  Regent’s 
Park,  London,  commenced  blooming  last  June, 
and  in  October  contained  full  three  thousand  flow¬ 
ers  !  This  was  supposed  to  be  120  years  old. 

As  grown  in  the  hot-house  at  the  North  it  con¬ 
tinues  for  many  years  with  a  short  semi-woody 
stem.  The  leaves  are  hard,  thick,  fleshy,  spiny 
and  sharp  pointed — of  a  bluish  green  color.  These 
leaves  continue  for  a  long  period,  so  that  very 
few  decay  or  are  replaced  until  the  plant  is  many 
years  old.  Except  a  very  gradual  enlargement  of 
the  stem  and  elongation  of  the  leaves,  the  plant 
undergoes  little  change  until  it  is  ready  to  send 
out  its  flower  stem.  This  stem  shoots  up  quick¬ 
ly  under  favorable  circumstances,  often  attaining 
the  hight  of  30  to  40  feet  in  its  native  locality, 
but  seldom  more  than  10  to  15  feet  in  the  house. 
The  flower  stem  grows  very  rapidly  after  starting, 
and  begins  to  bloom  in  about  three  months.  In 
shape  it  appears  like  an  enormous  Candelabrum  of 
pyramidal  form,  bearing  on  the  extremity  clusters 
of  greenish  yellow  flowers  which  continue  to  be 
produced  for  two  or  three  months  in  succession. 

Such  is  one  of  the  wonderful  plants  with  which 
our  beautiful  earth  is  beautifully  adorned. 


Garden  Vegetables,  and  their  Origin. 

Enjoying  as  we  do,  a  succession  of  healthful 
and  delicious  vegetables  throughout  the  year,  it 
is  interesting  to  learn  as  much  as  possible  of  their 
origin  and  history.  Some  are  natives,  ( indigen¬ 
ous ,)  hut  many  are  foreigners,  {exotics).  We  owe 
a  debt  of  gratitude  to  those  men  who  have  lived 
before  us  and  have  introduced  into  our  gardens 
these  useful  esculents.  For  the  present,  let  us 
inquire  into  the  origin  of  several  of  the  most 
common  vegetables.  And  first, 

The  Cabbage.  This  was  first  found  growing 
wild  on  the  cliffs  of  the  sea-coast,  in  the  South 
of  England.  In  its  native  state,  the  plant  is  small 
and  the  leaves  are  few.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
district  called  it  sca-colewort.  In  this  state  it  was 
known  to  the  ancient  Romans,  and  was  esteemed 
highly  as  an  article  of  food.  One  would  hardly 
have  supposed  that  the  little,  wild  plant,  weighing 
only  about  an  ounce,  would  give  origin  to  the 
bouncing  cabbages  of  our  gardens,  weighing  often 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  pounds.  Cultivation  has 
already  produced  many  varieties  of  cabbage,  and 
the  end  is  not  yet.  In  a  catalogue  before  us,  we 
notice  that  one  seedsman  advertises  twenty-two 
sorts  for  sale.  The  cauliflower  and  broccoli  be¬ 
long  to  the  cabbage  tribe ;  but  they  require  more 
care  in  their  management.  The  first  named  of 
these  always  reminds  us  of  the  saying  of  old  Dr. 
Johnson,  that  “of  all  flowers,  he  admired  none 
more  than  the  cauli-flower  !” 

Lettuce  came  from  the  coast  of  the  Levant  and 
from  one  of  the  islands  of  the  Greek  Archipelago, 
as  the  name  of  one  of  its  varieties  (the  Cos.)  indi¬ 
cates.  It  was  introduced  into  England  in  the 
year  1562.  In  its  wild  state,  it  was  only  a  weed, 
so  bitter  and  so  strongly-scented  as  to  be  dis¬ 
agreeable  to  the  taste.  Some  sorts  were  even 
poisonous.  It  has  now  been  run  into  many  va¬ 
rieties.  Lettuce  has  some  of  the  medical  prop¬ 
erties  of  opium,  soothing  the  nerves  and  induc¬ 
ing  sleep.  It  is  one  of  the  most  cooling  and  agree¬ 
able  salads  for  the  table. 

The  Tomato  is  a  South  American,  and  received 
its  name  from  the  Portugese  colonists.  It  is  of 
the  same  botanical  family  as  the  potato,  ( solanum ,)* 
and  is  now  about  as  widely  diffused.  No  vegeta¬ 
ble  has  attained  so  great  a  popularity  so  suddenly. 
Twenty-five  years  ago,  it  was  but  little  known, 
and  much  detested.  Then  shortly  it  was  intro¬ 
duced  into  gardens  as  an  ornamental  plant,  called 
“love-apple.”  Then  it  became  an  ingredient  in 
all  sorts  of  pills  and  panaceas.  Now,  it  is  every¬ 
where  cultivated  as  a  delicious  and  healthy  arti¬ 
cle  of  diet ;  it  is  served  up  raw  and  cooked,  stew 
ed  and  seasoned,  stuffed  and  fried,  and  roasted; 
is  used  as  a  pickle,  a  catsup  and  a  sweetmeat, 
and  is  preserved  in  air-tight  cans  for  Winter  use 
It  contains  a  cooling  acid,  and  possesses  some  oi 
the  medicinal  qualities  of  calomel.  Speaking  ol 
its  use  abroad,  Mr  Loudon,  says  :  “  Though  a 

good  deal  used  in  England,  in  soups,  and  as  a 
principal  ingredient  in  a  well-known  sauce  fot 
mutton,  yet  our  estimation  and  uses  of  the  fruit 
are  nothing  to  Ihose  of  the  French  and  Italians 
and  especially  the  latter.  Near  Rome  and  Naples 
whole  fields  are  covered  with  it;  and  scarcely  a 
dinner  is  served  up  in  which  it  does  not,  in  some 
way  or  other,  form  a  part.” 

The  Beet  root  came  from  Southern  Europe,  and 
was  first  found  growing  wild  on  the  shore  of  the 
Mediterranean  Sea.  It  got  its  name  in  Greece 
from  the  resemblance  of  its  seed-vessel  when 
swollen,  to  the  Greek  letter,  Beta.  Most  varie¬ 
ties  contain  a  good  deal  of  saccharine  matter,  and 
some  of  them  so  much,  that  in  France,  sugar  is 
extensively  manufactured  from  them. 

Turnips  were  found  wild  in  England  "nd  Hoi- 


18 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


'and  ;  but  in  their  primitive  state  they  are  small, 
worthless  weeds,  almost  destitute  ofroots.  They 
save  been  cultivated  in  gardens  and  fields  for  250 
rears  past.  Cultivation  has  done  as  much  for 
his  vegetable  as  for  any  other.  In  ihe  catalogue 
jefore  referred  to,  we  find  fifteen  kinds  of  seed 
offered  for  sale.  The  finer  kinds  of  turnip,  if 
properly  cooked  and  dressed,  make  a  palatable 
dish  for  the  table  ;  though  for  persons  of  weak 
stomachs  they  are  hard  of  digestion.  A  prepara¬ 
tion  of  turnip  is  sometimes  used  for  coughs, 
hoarseness  and  other  asthmatic  disorders.  Expe¬ 
rience,  as  well  as  analysis,  shows  that  the  turnip 
is  nutritious,  nearly  as  much  so  as  the  potato; 
and  in  late  years,  when  that  crop  was  cut  off  in 
frelar.d,  great  use  was  made  of  this  valuable  root. 
The  importance  of  the  turnip  for  feeding  stock  is 
too  well  known  to  be  dwelt  upon  here. 

The  Carrot  hails  from  Spain,  and  has  long  been 
cultivated.  Fessenden  says  it  has  been  found 
growing  wild  in  England  ;  and  Buist  adds  that 
“  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  introduced  into 
Europe  from  the  Island  of  Crete.”  The  Spanish 
ladies  anciently  used  to  deck  their  hair  with  its 
beautiful  green  leaves,  before  its  usefulness  for 
(bod  had  become  known.  It  was- once  supposed 
that  the  carrot  was  peculiarly  beneficial  in  pulmo¬ 
nary  affections.  As  a  food  for  horses  and  cattle, 
it  is  unsurpassed  in  excellence. 

Of  the  Potato  the  birth-place  does  not  seem  to 
be  as  certainly  known  now,  as  it  was  supposed  to 
be  a  few  years  ago.  It  is  commonly  ascribed, 
however,  to  Peru  and  Chili.  One  writer  says  it 
was  first  carried  to  Spain  from  the  mountains  near 
Quito.  It  found  its  way  into  England  by  another 
route,  having  been  brought  from  South  America 
to  Virginia,  in  1584,  and  thence  carried  over  to 
England  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  in  1586.  On  its 
first  introduction,  it  encountered  many  prejudices, 
some  persons  utterly  refusing  to  taste  it,  declar¬ 
ing  it  was  fit  only  for  swine.  But  it  soon  made 
its  way  to  popularity,  and  is  now  the  most  com¬ 
mon  and  the  most  useful  vegetable  in  the 
world.  A  writer  happily  observes.  “  With  the 
lower  classes  of  people,  it  is  one  of  the  greatest 
blessings  the  soil  produces,  forming  flour  without 
a  mill,  and  bread  without  an  oven  ;  and  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year,  an  agreeable,  wholesome 
dish,  without  the  use  of  expensive  condiments.” 

The  Artichoke  originated  everywhere  ;  at  least, 
it  has  been  found  wild  in  Europe  and  Asia,  and  in 
both  North  and  South  America.  It  is  a  maritime 
plant,  grows  best  in  a  moist  soil,  and  likes  an 
occasional  dressing  of  salt. 

The  Radish  is  a  Chinaman,  and  was  first  intro¬ 
duced  into  England  in  1584.  It  will  not  fatten 
anybody,  but  it  makes  a  fine  relish  with  other 
food,  and  may  have  a  corner  in  every  garden, 
where  liked. 

Finally,  let  not  the  memorable  Onion  fail  of  an 
honorable  notice.  It  was  known  to  the  Egyptians 
some  2000  years  before  the  Christian  era,  and  was 
worshipped  by  the  ancient  Egyptians  as  a  god. 
It  used  to  be  called  Unio,  because  the  bulb  never 
divided  ;  hence  the  English  name  onion.  Disa¬ 
greeable  as  its  smell  is,  it  has  been  long  in  use 
by  every  nation  on  earth,  as  a  seasoning  for 
meats  and  soups.  It  gives  an  excellent  relish 
to  other  articles  of  food,  and  possesses  nutriment, 
and  medicinal  qualities  of  considerable  value. 
Scientific  analysis  declares  that  it  is  composed 
of  “  water,  sulphur,  phosphoric  and  acetic  acids, 
some  vegeto-animal  matter,  and  a  little  manna.” 
We  hope  that  this  piece  of  information  will  im¬ 
prove  its  odor  for  our  learned  readers  ;  but  for 
common  folks,  we  will  add  that  a  few  leaves  of 
parsley  eaten  after  partaking  of  onions,  will  re¬ 
move  the  scent  and  help  their  digestion. 


About  Squashes. 


There  arc  not  so  many  varieties  of  the  squash 
as  is  commonly  supposed.  The  Summer  squash¬ 
es  include  the  round  (or  scolloped)  and  crooked- 
neck  sorts.  These  must  be  eaten  before  ripen¬ 
ing  :  after  the  rind  has  become  so  hard  that  the 
finger  nail  can  not  easily  pierce  it,  the  squash  is 
not  suitable  for  the  kitchen.  Another  class  em¬ 
braces  the  Valparaiso,  the  Acorn,  Vegetable 
Marrow  and  Canada  Crook-necked  squashes. 
These  are  not  to  be  eaten  until  fully  ripe,  which 
occurs  in  the  Autumn.  A  variety,  called  the 
Hubbard  Squash,  has  lately  been  disseminated  in 
some  quarters,  and  said  to  be  equal  to  the  Marrow, 
and  a  better  keeper  in  Winter.  We  hope  it  will 
prove  to  be  so.  All  these  late  squashes  should 
be  kept  cool  and  dry,  and  not  much  exposed  to  the 
light :  so  managed,  they  can  he  preserved  nearly 
all  Winter. 

These  several  sorts  have  been  hybridized,  by 
being  raised  in  the  vicinity  of  each  other  and  of 
pumpkins  and  melons,  but  no  improvement  has 
been  made  on  the  originals.  For  pies,  or  as  a 
vegetable  for  the  dinner-table,  nothing  is  better 
than  a  good  Winter  squash  ;  and  from  among  the 
whole  lot,  give  us  but  the  pure  Boston  Vegetable 
Marrow,  and  we  will  be  content. 

Notes  on  the  Flower  and  Ornamental 
Seeds  in  Our  Distribution. 

A  few  running  notes  on  these  seeds  may  be 
useful  to  those  not  already  acquainted  with  the 
several  varieties.  Many  of  them  have  been  illus¬ 
trated,  and  full  descriptions  and  modes  of  culture 
given,  in  the  course  of  the  last  volume.  Further 
directions  and  engravings  will  appear  from  time 
to  time.  The  date  of  planting,  etc.,  is  named  from 
month  to  month  in  the  calendar  of  operations. 

Carefully  preserve  the  following  notes  for  future 
reference. 

No.  23 — Mignonetve  ( Reseda  odorata).  A  fra¬ 
grant  annual,  with  moderate  claims  to  beauty  of 
flower,  but  a  favorite  for  its  perfume.  Of  easy 
culture  ;  grows  on  almost  any  soil  ;  blooms  pro¬ 
fusely  until  killed  by  frost ;  sown  May  1st,  to 
June  15th. 

No.  25 — Nasturtiums  (Tropceolum  majus).  A 
semi-creeping  annual,  often  trained  on  a  trellis 
or  allowed  to  run  over  rocks  or  walls.  Bears  a 
profusion  of  flowers,  the  mixed  seed  we  distrib¬ 
ute  giving  yellow  and  crimson  colors  ;  is  doubly 
valuable,  as  it  yields  beautiful  flowers,  and  its 
seed  capsules  picked  green  make  an  excellent 
spicy  pickle. 

No.  27 — Cockscomb  ( celosia  crislala).  A  pretty 
well  known  plant,  named  from  its  corymb  or  head 
which  in  some  varieties  resembles  a  cock’s  comb. 
This  is  made  up  of  an  infinite  number  of  minute 
scarlet  flowers.  We  have  seed  of  a  variety  which 
produces  a  cone-shaped  head,  of  a  splendid  deep 
crimson  color.  (The  seed  cost  us  $24  per  lb.)  It 
is  often  grown  in  pots,  but  flourishes  well  in  the 
open  ground  ;  continues  long  in  bloom  ;  sown  in 
Spring  ;  grows  2  to  3J  feet  high. 

No.  28 — Dwarf  Rocket  Larkspur  ( Delphinium 
ajacis).  A  pretty  annual,  growing  1  to  2  feet  high. 
The  double  varieties  are  quite  showy.  Color, 
white,  lilac,  pink,  purple,  and  intermediate  shades. 
May  be  sown  in  Spring  or  Autumn. 

No.  29 — Double  Balsams  (Impatiens  balsamina). 
Called  also  “Garden  Ladies’ Slipper,”  in  dis¬ 
tinction  from  the  wild  Ladies’  Slipper.  They  are 
sometimes  called  “  Touch-me-not,”  as  the  seed 


capsules,  or  pods  suddenly  burst  when  touched. 
We  send  out  several  varieties  of  seeds  mixed,  to 
give  a  diversity  of  color  in  the  flowers,  which 
range  from  pure  white,  lilac,  pink,  rose,  and  a 
blending  of  these  colors.  The  double  flowers  are 
very  pretty,  but  it  is  difficult  to  preserve  them 
double,  as  they  are  prone  to  return  to  their  nat¬ 
ural  single  state.  The  balsams  are  annuals  ;  grow 
H  to  2  feet  high  ;  branching  when  not  too  thickly 
planted  ;  easily  grown  on  every  variety  of  soil ; 
usually  sow  themselves,  but  seed  of  double  flow¬ 
ers  should  be  cultivated  for  propagation. 

No.  30 — Tassel  Flower  ( Cacalia  coccinca). 
This  is  most  appropriately  named,  as  the  flower  is 
a  perfect  “  tassel”  with  scarlet  fringe.  We  have 
admired  it  as  much  as  any  flower  grown  in  our 
garden.  It  has  been  called  “  Venus’  Paint  Brush.” 
Sow  in  the  Spring ;  it  usually  blooms  from  July 
until  killed  by  frost ;  bight,  1  to  H  feet. 

No.  31 — Chinese  Pink  ( Dianthus  Chinensis). 
Dianthus  signifies  “  Flower  of  God,”  and  embraces 
the  Sweet  William,  Carnation  and  garden  or 
common  Pink.  They  are  mostly  perennial,  or  bi¬ 
ennial  like  the  Chinese  variety.  This  is  a  pretty 
flower,  though  without  the  fragrance  of  several  of 
the  species.  Though  biennial  it  blooms  some¬ 
what  the  first  year.  The  flowers  range  from  the 
richly  colored  crimson,  with  edgings  of  pink,  lilac, 
and  other  shades,  to  pure  white  with  a  center 
of  dark  red,  nearly  approaching  a  black  color  ; 
even  in  the  largest  collections  it  is  almost  impos¬ 
sible  to  find  two  flowers  alike.  They  continue  to 
bloom  for  several  months  in  succession.  Sown 
in  Spring. 

No.  32— Splendid  Portolaca,  Mixed  ( Portu - 
laca  splendens,  lulca,  alba,  elegans ,  <?-c  ).  A  bed  ot 
either  of  the  above,  or  of  the  whole  combined 
makes  a  fine  show.  We  send  out  mixed  seeds. 
The  portulaca  is  a  trailing  plant  of  only  a  few 
inches  in  flight.  On  rich  soil  a  single  plant  will 
cover  a  circle  of  one  foot  in  diameter.  They  are 
usually  grown  too  thickly.  Colors  white,  red, 
yellow,  scarlet  and  crimson,  but  not  blended  in 
the  same  flower.  They  are  very  hardy  annuals 
blooming  the  entire  season  and  leaving  ample 
seed  in  the  ground  for  a  crop  the  next  season. 
Sow  in  Spring,  or  even  in  Autumn. 

No.  33 — Cypress  Vine  (Ipomcaquamoclit).  This 
is  the  finest  hardy  annual  climber  of  the  flower 
garden.  There  are  two  colors,  white  and  scarlet, 
the  latter  being  much  the  prettier.  Sow  when  the 
ground  is  warm  and  dry,  previously  soaking  the 
seed  for  twenty-four  hours,  or  it  will  vegetate 
shyly.  See  description  and  illustration  of  Cypress 
Vine  trellis  on  page  339,  Vol.  XVII,  November 
last. 

Nos.  34  and  35 — Chinese  and  German  Asters 
( Aster  Chinensis ),  are  so  near  alike  that  one  dis- 
cription  will  suffice  for  both.  Skillful  German 
florists  have  simply  improved  the  Chinese  vari¬ 
eties.  Some  of  them  are  very  double  or  fully 
quilled,  and  rank  among  the  prettiest  flowers  ol 
the  garden.  Sown  in  early  Spring,  they  come 
into  bloom  in  August  and  September,  and  con¬ 
tinue  until  severe  frost.  They  are  among  the 
latest  flowers  of  the  garden.  Color  white,  red, 
yellow,  and  intervening  shades. 

No.  37 — Zinnia  elegans,  with  its  varieties  coc- 
cinea  (scarlet),  alba  (white),  and panciflora  (jellow), 
are  showy  annuals  of  two  to  three  feet  in  hight. 
Some  of  the  colors  are  very  brilliant  and  they  con¬ 
tinue  a  long  time  in  flower. 

No.  3S — Sweet  William  ( Dianthus  barbalus), 
belongs  to  the  same  family  as  Chinese  Pink.  It 
is  one  of  the  choicest  perennials  blooming  the 
second  year  from  seed,  and  so  on  through  a  long 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


10 


series  of  years.  The  great  variety  of  colors,  often 
combined  in  the  same  cluster,  the  delightful  fra¬ 
grance  and  richness  of  its  bloom  render  the  Sweet 
William  a  universal  favorite  which  no  garden 
should  fail  to  have. 

No.  39 — Marvel  of  Peru  or  Four  O’Clock 
(Mirabilis  jalapa).  This  is  usually  treated  as  an 
annual,  flowering  profusely  and  ripening  seed  the 
first  season.  The  large  roots  may,  however,  be 
taken  up  and  kept  like  the  dahlia,  blooming  finer 
the  seoond  season  than  the  first.  The  flowers  are 
of  pure  white,  pink,  scarlet,  yellow  and  variegat¬ 
ed  colors,  open  early  in  the  morning,  close  when 
the  sun  is  hot,  and  unfold  again  about  4  o’clock, 
P.  M.,  whence  the  name.  They  usually  spring  up 
in  abundance  from  seed  dropped  the  previous 
season.  One  variety,  the  Mirabalis,  longiflora, 
has  a  white  flower  with  a  long  tube,  and  purple 
center.  It  is  also  fragrant. 

No.  40. — Escholtzia,  ( Calif ornica ,)  or  California 
Poppy.  A  hardy  and  very  showy  annual  from 
California  and  Oregon.  It  is  trailing  in  habit, 
seldom  growing  more  than  a  foot  in  hight.  The 
flowers  are  bright  yellow,  and  continue  in  bloom 
for  a  long  time.  A  bed  of  thorn  in  full  bloom  al¬ 
most  dazzles  the  eye  with  their  brilliancy.  (See 
illustration  and  description  in  Vol.  XVII.,  p.  339.) 

No.  41. — Elegant  Clarkia,  ( clarkia  clegans.) 
Most  of  the  Clarkias  are  natives  of  the  liocky 
Mountains  and  Oregon,  and  consequently  are 
very  hardy.  The  clarkia  elegans  is  an  anjiual  of 
fine  rose  color,  and  well  adapied  for  massing. 
Sow  in  spring. 

No.  42. — Fox  Glove,  ( Digitalis  alba,  purpurea, 
lanata,  etc.)  A  perennial  of  marked  beauty.  Some 
of  the  species  are  little  more  than  biennials,  dying 
out  every  few  years.  It  grows  from  two  to  four 
feet  in  hight,  and  produces  tubular  flowers  along 
its  spire-like  spike.  Many  of  the  flowers  are 
finely  mottled  in  appearance,  and  vary  in  color 
from  pure  white  to  lilac,  pink,  reol  and  yellow.  It 
is  in  bloom  most  of  the  season,  and  may  be  pro¬ 
pagated  from  seed  or  divisions  of  the  root.  It 
yields  the  medicine  digitalis.  The  seed  we  send 
out  will  be  a  mixture  of  the  finest  varieties. 

No.  45. — Sweet  Pea,  ( Lathyrus  odoratus.)  A 
fine,  sweet-scented  annual  climber,  growing  five 
to  six  feet  in  hight.  It  is  in  bloom  from  July  un¬ 
til  killed  by  frosts. 

No.  46 — Mixed  Lupins,  ( Lupinus ,  pilosas,  albus, 
hirsutas,  etc).  Hardy  annuals  succeeding  best  in 
a  partial  shade.  Some  of  the  late  seedlings, 
such  as  Hartwig’s,  Cruikshank’s,  etc.,  are  quite 
pretty.  In  color  they  are  white,  yellow,  rose, 
blue,  etc.  The  plant  grows  from  one  to  three 
feet  in  hight.  Sow  early  in  May. 

No.  47 — Morning  Glory,  ( convolvulus  major  and 
minor).  An  annual  climber  too  well  known  to 
require  much  description.  They  flourish  in  al¬ 
most  any  position,  and  when  allowed  full  free¬ 
dom,  extend  along  a  fence  or  up  a  trellis  eight  to 
ten  or  more  feet.  They  open  very  early  in  the 
morning — whence  the  name — and  close  when  the 
hot  sun  comes  out.  They  are  white,  blue,  purple, 
and  various  intermediate  tints.  Sow  at  anytime 
in  Spring  and  Fall.  Where  once  raised  there  is 
little  danger  of  losing  the  seed.  We  send  out 
two  varieties  of  seed  mixed,  the  C.  major  and  the 
C.  minor.  The  minor  grows  more  dwarfish  and 
branching,  spreading  out  over  a  bed.  It  bears 
blue  and  yellow  flowers,  which  continue  in  bloom 
later  in  the  day  than  the  major. 

No.  48.  Flos  .Adonis,  or  Pheasant’s  Eye, 
(Adonis  miniata.)  This  is  a  pretty  hardy  annual, 
growing  H  and  2  feet  in  hight.  The  foliage  is 
quite  haxdsome,  and,  with  its  spike  of  blood  red 


flowers,  is  an  attractive  plant  for  border  culture. 
Sow  in  Spring. 

No.  49.  Candy  Tuft,  (Iberis  umbcllata,  amara, 
etc)  A  good  plant  for  sowing  in  masses.  It  is 
dwarfish  and  bears  flowers  of  various  shades 
from  pure  white  to  purple.  It  may  be  sown  in 
Spring  or  Autumn.  It  seeds  itself  in  Autumn, 
and  blooms  the  next  season,  six  inches  to  one 
foot  from  the  ground,  in  small  but  massive 
clusters. 

No.  51.  Drummond’s  Phlox,  ( Phlox  Drummon- 
dii).  This  is  one  of  our  special  favorites — an 
annual  variety  of  the  Phlox  family,  worthy  a 
place  in  every  collection  of  flowers.  It  is  very 
hardy  and  finely  adapted  for  massing.  Flowers 
of  white,  pink,  scarlet,  crimson  and  purple  with 
the  intermediate  tints.  A  showy  spreading  plant 
of  near  one  foot  high.  Sow  in  Spring. 

No.  50.  Schizanthus,  ( humilis ,  pinnatus,  etc  ) 
A  pretty  class  of  plants,  blooming  from  August 
to  October.  The  colors  vary  through  several 
shades  in  which  yellow  and  purple  predominate. 
They  grow  about  two  feet  high,  and  are  annuals 
well  suited  to  garden  or  pot  culture.  Sow  in 
Spring. 

No.  78. — Ageratum  Mexicanum,  or  blue-flow¬ 
ered  Ageratum.  A  rather  tender  annual  of  Mexi¬ 
can  origin,  but  flourishes  well  on  a  warm  border, 
when  sown  about  the  middle  of  May.  Some  va¬ 
rieties  are  of  a  very  pale  blue,  nearly  approaching 
to  white.  They  may  be  taken  up  before  frosts, 
and  transferred  to  the  house  in  pots,  where  they 
form  fine  winter  blooming  plants. 

No.  79. — Ten-Week  Stock,  ( matlhiola  grandi- 
Jlora.)  It  is  frequently  called  “  Stock-gilly.’’  It 
blooms  in  spikes.  Each  flower  is  double  and 
somewhat  ragged  in  appearance.  Sow  in  spring. 
They  require  a  long  season  to  arrive  at  perfection, 
and  are  frequently  transferred  to  pots  for  winter 
blooming. 

No.  80 — Yellow  Hawkweed,  ( Hieracium  muta- 
bilis)  This  was  introduced  into  our  garden  last 
season  for  the  first  time,  and  gave  much  satis¬ 
faction.  A  description  hereafter. 

No.  82. — Canary  Bird  Flower,  ( Tropceolum 
peregrinum.)  This  is  an  annual  of  the  same  fam¬ 
ily  as  the  Nasturtium  ;  a  fine  climber,  with  pretty 
little  canary-colored  blossoms,  which,  when  open¬ 
ing,  have  a  fancied  resemblance  to  a  bird.  It 
blooms  from  July  until  killed  by  frosts.  Sow  on 
light  soil  about  the  middle  of  May.  It  requires  a 
trellis  to  run  upon. 

No.  82.— Thunbergia,  ( alata ,  alba,  aurantiaca,  etc.) 
This  fine  climber  was  illustrated  on  Page  339  of 
last  volume,  to  which  we  refer  for  full  directions 
for  culture,  etc.  It  is  very  pretty.  Sow  in  spring. 

No.  83. — Snap  Dragon,  ( Antirrhinum  majus,) 
one  variety  is  described  and  illustrated  on  the 
next  page.  Sow  in  spring. 

No.  84. — African  Marigold,  ( Tagctes  crccta.) 
A  showy  annual,  with  flowers  of  large  size,  and 
rich  colors  of  orange,  yellow,  and  purple.  Sow 
any  time  in  May,  and  they  will  flower  in  profusion 
from  July  until  frost. 

No.  85.  Gaillardia,  (picta  and  bicolor).  Often 
called  “  Painted  Gaillardia.”  It  is  usually 
classed  as  a  perennial,  but,  when  sown  early,  say 
May  first,  on  a  warm  soil,  flowers  the  first  sea- 
ton.  It  will  not  bear  the  "Winter  without  some 
protection.  Flowers  large,  crimson  and  yellow, 
borne  on  stalks  one  to  two  feet  in  hight,  and  of  a 
showy  appearance. 

Fo.  86.  Mixed  Euphorbia,  ( Euphorbia  varie- 
gata).  An  elegant  flower  from  Missouri,  bloom 


ing  late  in  the  season.  Sow  the  latter  part  oi 
April  or  early  in  May,  on  a  warm  soil.  It  is  an 
annual.  Some  of  the  species  are  tender  Green¬ 
house  plants. 

No.  87.  Golden  Coreopsis,  ( coreopsis  tinctoria, 
atropurpurea,  etc)  A  well  known  hardy  annual 
with  genuine  claims  to  beauty.  The  tinctoria  is 
the  most  common,  with  its  bright  yellow  flowers 
having  a  dark  center.  It  blooms  profusely  in 
June  and  July,  and  stands  one  and  a  half  to  three 
feet  in  hight. 

No.  88 — Globe  Amaranth  ( Gomphrena  globosa). 
Called  amaranth  (never  dying)  from  the  unfading 
nature  of  its  flowers  which  retain  their  color  and 
beauty  for  years  if  plucked  just  before  they  are 
ripe.  They  are  purple,  white  and  striped  in  col¬ 
or,  and  quite  pretty.  Like  other  hardy  annuals,  it 
vegetates  slowly  unless  the  seed  be  scalded,  or 
soaked  in  tepid  water  for  twenty-four  hours  pre¬ 
vious  to  sowing.  Sow  early  in  May. 

No.  89 — Cotton  Plant  ( Gossypium  herbaccum, 
arborcum,  barbadensc,  A,-c.).  The  common  varie¬ 
ties  of  the  South  are  arborcum  or  Sea  Island, 
known  as  “  Long  staple;”  herbaccum  or  “  Short 
staple,”  called  in  commerce  Upland  cotton;  and 
barbadensc,  or  Mexican.  The  seeds  we  send  out 
are  Sea  Island  ( arboreum ,)  and  Upland  ( hcrbaceum ,) 
mixed.  The  seed  of  the  Upland  variety  is  cover¬ 
ed  with  down  ;  the  Sea  Island  is  smooth  and 
glossy.  They  are  easily  separated  and  we  there¬ 
fore  mix  the  two.  See  notes  in  November  last. 

No.  90— Norway  Spruce  (Abies  cxcelsa).  Seeds 
of  this  and  the  following  variety  are  only  kept  by 
a  few  extensive  seedsmen ;  consequently  they 
are  difficult  for  people  in  the  country  to  obtain. 
Every  one  admires  this  stately  and  very  pretty 
evergreen  tree  growing  from  one  hundred  to  one- 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  hight.  A  good  represen¬ 
tation,  from  nature,  will  be  found  on  page  144  ol 
last  volume.  Sow  the  first  of  May  on  moist  but 
well  drained  sandy  loam,  or  still  better  in  box?s, 
covering  slightly  and  partially  shading.  Watei 
occasionally,  but  if  too  wet  they  will  damp  off. 
There  is  little  danger  after  two  years  old,  hen 
they  may  be  transplanted  to  the  garden  or  nur¬ 
sery. 

No.  91 — Arbor  Vithi  American  (Thuja  occiden¬ 
tal).  This  is  too  well  known  to  need  much  de¬ 
scription  ;  forms  a  beautiful  evergreen  shrub  or 
small  tree,  whether  planted  singly  or  in  rows  for 
a  hedge.  It  is  sometimes  found  50  feet  in  hight. 
Treat  as  the  Norway  Spruce,  save  that  it  maybe 
sown  in  the  Fall  as  well  as  Spring.  Boxes  of 
light  loam  with  an  admixture  of  sand  and  muck 
contain  the  best  soil. 

- - - — m  9  «■- - -a- - 

Those  people  who  turn  up  their  noses  at  the 
world  might  do  well  to  reflect  that  it  is  as  good  a 
world  as  they  ever  were  in,  and  without  an  im¬ 
mediate  reform,  it  is  a  much  better  one  than  they 
are  likely  ever  to  get  into  again. 

The  heart  is  a  small  thing,  but  desireth  great 
matters.  It  is  not  sufficient  for  a  kite’s  dinnei 
yet  the  whole  world  is  not  sufficient  for  it. 

Do  good  with  what  thou  hast,  or  it  will  do  thee 
no  good. 

Simple  diet — healthy  children. 

A  young  man  idle,  an  old  man  needy. 

A  careless  watchman  invites  the  foe. 

A  little  pot  soon  gets  hot. 

You  may  even  buy  gold  too  dear. 

A  pin  a  day  is  two  dimes  a  year. 


20 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


c\sC? 


ANTIRRHINUM  GRA3CUM — snap-dragon. 


Snap-Dragon. — (Antirrhinum  ) 


In  our  seed  list  (No.  83)  is  the  Snap-Dragon, 
(Antirrhinum  majus,)  so  called  from  a  peculiarity 
cf  its  flower,  which,  when  gently  pressed  with  the 
thumb  and  finger  opens  and  shuts  somew’hat  like 
an  animal’s  mouth.  The  Toad  Flax  (Antirrhinum 
linaria)  of  (he  road  side,  with  its  bright  yellow 
and  orange  flowers,  is  a  good  type  of  this  family, 
though  greatly  inferior  to  the  cultivated  varieties. 

The  garden  Snap-Dragon  is  considered  a  per¬ 
ennial,  but  is  very  apt  to  die  out  after  a  few  years. 
It  often  flowers  the  same  season  it  is  sown. 
Latterly  some  very  fine  varieties  have  been  pro¬ 
duced,  of  pure  white,  bright  red,  rich  crimson,  and 
variegated  colors.  The  flowers  are  mainly  soli¬ 
tary  on  the  armpits  of  the  leaves,  and  in  most  va¬ 
rieties  of  the  Antirrhinum  majus  are  very  pretty. 
The  plants  are  easily  propagated  from  seed,  cut¬ 
tings,  or  divisions  of  the  roots. 

Above  we  present  a  beautiful  e.ngraving  re¬ 
produced  from  a  foreign  journal,  which  show’s  a 
growing  plant,  together  with  a  separate  flower 
and  seed  capsule,  both  enlarged  to  show  the  form. 
This  is  taken  from  a  new  variety,  Antirrhinum 
Morea,  lately  found  in  the  Morea  (Greece).  Though 
not  yet  introduced  into  this  country,  it  doubtless 
soon  will  be,  and  take  a  favorable  rank  with  the 
new,  improved  seedlings  of  the  present  day.  It 
is  of  elegant  form,  as  the  engraving  shows,  and 
is  described  as  bearing  flowers  of  lively  yellow 
color  which  continue  in  succession  during  sever¬ 
al  weeks.  Its  fine  cut  leaves,  and  down-covered, 
slende*  stems  add  greatly  to  its  beauty. 


An  Amateur’s  Troubles  with  Dahlias. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

Supposing  you  know  everything,  and  are  ready 
to  sympathize  with  everybody,  I  wish  to  pour  into 
your  ears  a  tale  of  woe — all  about  dahlias.  I  once 
thought  I  understood  the  subject  thoroughly.  Sev¬ 
eral  years  ago,  I  bought  a  dozen  sorts,  and,  the 
first  season  being  a  very  favorable  one,  I  had  con¬ 
siderable  success.  In  the  following  Winter,  how¬ 
ever,  I  lost  them  :  they  molded  and  died.  Last 
Summer,  I  tried  again.  Determined  to  outshine 
my  neighbors,  I  gathered  up  several  catalogues 
of  the  florists  and  nurserymen,  made  out  a  long 
list  of  the  most  showy  varieties,  ordered  them 
from  East  and  West  regardless  of  expense,  and 
planted  them  in  the  most  “learned”  manner.  I 
had  read  somewhere  that  the  dahlia  was  a  native 
of  Mexico,  and  thrived  best  on  the  sandy  shores  of 
the  rivers.  Keeping  the  secret  from  my  ambitious 
neighbors,  I  carted  several  loads  of  sand  into  my 
garden, and  set  out  my  far-fetched  and  dear-bought 
plants  in  it.  Then,  I  got  some  long  stakes  of 
white  pine,  neatly  planed  and  painted  green,  and 
to  the  top  of  each,  attached  the  name  of  every 
plant  in  conspicuous  letters.  It  was  a  grand 
thing,  sir,  to  pace  up  qpd  down  my  flower-garden, 
reading  these  high-sounding  names  all  in  a  row. 
Here  wras  Agnes,  described  in  the  catalogues,  as 
“pure  white,  beautiful Cherubim,  yellow,  mark¬ 
ed  with  purple  ;  Dul;e  of  Cambridge,  silvery  lilac; 
Earl  of  Clarendon,  mottled  orange  ;  Gem  of  the 
Grove,  dark  maroon  ;  Louis  Phillippe,  Millard 
Fillmore,  Nigger,  Morning  Star,  Sir  John  Franklin. 


Shylock,  Queen  Victoria,  Don  Quixotle,  and  many 
others  with  equally  grand  names,  and  promises  of 
the  most  brilliant  blossoms.  It  was  my  daily  de¬ 
light  to  bring  in  my  family  and  friends,  and  march 
them  along  the  walks,  showing  them  my  magnifi¬ 
cent  array  of  stakes  and  promising  plants.  “  These 
stakes  are  all  very  well,”  said  a  crusty  old  man, 
one  day  late  in  Summer,  “  and  the  names  are  well 
printed  on  the  top,  and  the  plants  are  beginning 
to  grow,  but  I  would  like  better  to  see  the  flow¬ 
ers  themselves.”  “  Never  fear  sir,”  I  replied,  a 
little  nettled,  “  the  flowers  are  sure  to  come,  for 
the  plants  are  of  the  most  costly  kinds  and  are 
set  out  on  a  new  and  improved  method.”  About 
this  time,  too,  so  full  was  I  of  dahlia  knowledge 
and  zeal,  I  prepared  a  long  article  on  the  culture 
of  this  plant,  and  sent  it  to  a  horticultural  paper, 
and,  for  a  wonder,  it  was  printed. 

Well  sir,  to  cut  this  tale  short,  my  dahlias  were 
a  grand  failure!  The  plants  made  only  a  weak 
growth,  and  formed  a  few  flower-buds  early  in 
the  season  ;  but  when  the  extreme  heat  of  Au¬ 
gust  and  September  came  on,  they  “  dried  up,”  and 
were  eaten  up  by  insects ;  and  so  in  the  end  I 
had  only  about  half  a  dozen  blooms !  And, 
(plague  on  them  !)my  neighbors  looked  over  the 
garden  fence  at  my  forlorn  plants,  and  professed 
to  pity  me.  Now,  sir,  it  has  cost  me  some  sac¬ 
rifice  of  feeling  to  make  this  confession  of  ill- 
luck  ;  but  I  know  you  will  not  blaze  my  name 
abroad,  and  that  you  will  give  me  the  advice  I 
need.  .  Sadly,  Yours, 

A  Crest-fallen  Amateur. 

To  the  above  piteous  complaint,  the  following 
was  the  bulk  of  our  reply  : 

Dear  sir  : — We  deeply  sympathize  with  you  in 
your  misfortunes.  It  must  have  been  a  cruel 
mockery  to  see  those  grand  names  and  those 
high-flown  promises  of  rainbow  colors  turn  to 
nothing.  But  it’s  not  the  first  time  such  things 
have  happened.  The  dahlia  is  a  very  capricious 
flower.  Its  blooming  seems  to  depend  very  much 
upon  the  soil,  situation,  and  the  season.  You 
doubtless  mistook  in  planting  your  roots  in  the 
sand.  That  might  have  answered  well  enough  il 
the  season  had  been  rainy,  but  in  your  region  it 
was  uncommonly  dry.  The  dahlia  does  not  need 
a  very  rich  soil,  but  it  wants  a  deep  one,  so  that 
it  can  draw  upon  the  earth  below  for  moisture  in 
dry  weather.  As  to  position,  no  invariable  rule 
can  be  given;  but  we  think  it  should  not  be  a 
sunny,  dry  exposure;  because,  in  the  latter  part 
of  Summer,  when  the  plants  are  expected  to 
bloom,  the  weather  is  hot,  the  ground  parched, 
and  the  plants  suffer  for  lack  of  moisture.  On  the 
sea-coast,  or  on  the  shores  of  lakes  and  rivers,  the 
nightly  exhalations  from  the  water  may  keep  them 
sufficiently  moist,  whatever  their  position  may 
be  ;  but  in  the  interior,  this  is  of  considerable 
importance.  In  dry  seasons,  we  have  had  our 
best  flowers  from  plants  on  the  north  side  of  the 
house  or  a  high  fence,  or  under  the  partial  shade 
of  trees.  It  is  well  also  to  set  some  where  they 
will  get  the  drippings  from  the  eaves  of  small 
buildings.  Others  may  be  set  on  the  lawn,  if  a 
little  shaded,  and  they  will  often  outshine  those 
in  the  open  garden.  The  turf,  however,  should 
be  taken  off  for  a  foot  and  a  half  in  diameter,  the 
soil  deepened,  and  a  slight  depression  left  about 
the  stalk  when  planted.  An  application  of  soap¬ 
suds  from  the  weekly  wash  will  help  matters 
along. 

Your  method  of  procuring  good  and  strong 
stakes  for  your  plants,  and  affixing  the  name  to 
each,  is  an  excellent  one.  The  coarse,  dirty  sticks 
sometimes  used,  are  a  nuisance  in  a  well-kept 
garden,  and  the  short  and  slender  ones  often  seen, 
are  continually  blowing  down,  to  the  injury  or  de- 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


21 


struction  of  the  plants.  It  is  also  very  gratifying 
to  an  intelligent  -visiter,  in  walking  through  a 
flower-garden,  to  know  the  varieties  his  friend 
cultivates,  especially,  if  they  bloom  well  ! 

iTou  failed  in  preserving  your  roots  through  the 
Winter,  just  as  many  others  have  done.  There 
.s  no  infallible  method  of  Wintering  them.  The 
object  to  be  gained  is  to  keep  the  tubers  from  be¬ 
coming  too  moist  or  too  dry.  If  they  become  too 
damp,  they  mold  and  rot ;  if  too  dry,  they  wither 
and  perish.  Burying  in  dry  sand  is  highly  re¬ 
commended  ;  packing  them  in  bins  with  potatoes 
is  also  a  good  method.  However  treated,  they 
should  be  thoroughly  dried  before  storing  them. 


To  the  Ladies — As  it  is  our  intention  to  de¬ 
vote  considerable  space  to  giving  hints  or  sug¬ 
gestions  of  practical  use  to  House-keepers,  we 
shall  be  thankful  for  all  the  help  possible.  Dis¬ 
cussions  of  mooted  questions,  such  as  the  rights 
and  position  of  woman,  etc.,  are  less  appropriate 
to  these  pages — our  aim  being  to  inculcate  im¬ 
provements  in  the  practical  details  of  female  la¬ 
bor,  and  a  more  intelligent  understanding  of  the 
principles  entering  into  many  common  opera¬ 
tions.  Almost  every  lady  has  some  mode  of  do¬ 
ing  this  or  that  kind  of  work  which  she  knows  is 
better  than  the  usual  method  in  vogue  among  a 
part,  at  least,  of  her  immediate  neighbors.  The 
chances  are  that  a  knowledge  of  her  practice 
would  be  useful  to  tens  of  thousands  of  families. 
No  lady  can  spend  a  day  with  another, — even 
one  she  considers  her  inferior — without  carrying 
home  some  useful  hints.  So  no  one  giving  her 
experience  or  practice  in  these  columns  can  fail 
of  conveying  some  new  thoughts  to  many  of  the 
fifty  thousand  or  more  families  visited  by  the 
Agriculturist.  Let  us  have,  then,  your  individual 
modes  of  conducting  various  household  labors, 
and  in  this  way  all  will  be  materially  benefitted. 


Winter  Flowers  for  the  House- 


ORNAMENTAL  CROCUS  POTS. 

.just  month,  vol.  XVII.,  page  371,  we  gave  an 
engraving  of  the  Hyacinth  in  a  glass  containing 
water,  and  now  follow  it  up  with  various  designs  of 
earthen  and  wedge-wood  ware,  for  the  crocus  and 
other  bulbs,  which  are  very  beautiful  and  present 
a  charming  appearance  when  blooming  in  the 
house,  or  green-house  during  winter. 


Fig.  1.  Fig.  2. 


l  here  is  a  great  variety  of  these  pots,  only  a  few 
of  which  are  here  presented.  They  are  usually 
found  on  sale  at  first-class  seed-stores,  and  when 
purchased  in  the  Fall  or  early  Winter  will  be  filled 
with  bulbs  at  the  prices  below  named,  the  same 
as  if  unfilled,  since  these  bulbs  are  not  very  costly. 

Fig.  1  is  a  column  made  of  earthen  or  wedge- 
wood  ware— usually  the  latter.  It  is  12  to  14 


inches  high,  and  4  to  5  inches  in  diameter,  and 
usually  fluted,  as  shown  in  the  engraving.  It  is 
in  two  parts — the  column,  and  the  base  which 
serves  as  a  saucer  to  contain  water. 

Fig.  2  is  an  urn  of  common  earthenware,  8  to 


Fig.  3.  Fig.  4. 

12  inches  in  higlit.  This  is  shown  filled  with 
soil,  and  the  bulbs  beginning  to  shoot  out  of  the 
holes  in  the  sides,  and  also  from  the  earth  at  the 
top.  This  form  retails  at  about  75  cents. 

Fig.  3  is  quite  an  amusing  form,  that  of  a 
hedgehog,  set  in  a  trough  or  saucer,  and  quite  re¬ 
sembles  that  animal  when  the  bulb3  shoot  out  a 
few  inches  all  over  its  surface.  They  are  made  of 
colored  wedge-wood,  with  a  rough,  bristly  sur¬ 
face.  They  vary  in  size  and  price,  similarly  to 
the  bee-hive  form. 

Fig.  4  goes  by  the  name  of  a  “  bellied  pot.” 
The  bulbs  are  planted  at  the  apertures,  and  in  the 
soil  at  the  top. 

Fig.  5,  the  basket  form,  is  quite  common,  and 
when  varied  upon  the  outside  with  white  and  blue 
colored  checks  or  squares  it  is  quite  pretty.  The 
saucers  are  made  both  separate  and  attached  to 


Fig.  5.  Fig.  6. 

the  bottom  of  the  baskets.  They  are  also  made 
with  covers,  as  in  fig.  5,  or  without  them.  The 
price  depends  upon  the  size,  form,  and  quality  of 
material — say  from  $2  to  $5,  and  upward.  All  of 
these  pots  will,  of  course,  last  a  lifetime,  if  not 
carelessly  broken. 

Fig.  6  is  very  similar  to  fig.  5,  the  bail  being 
omitted.  It  is  usually  of  same  ware  as  fig.  5, 
and  sells  for  $1  to  $2. 

Fig.  7  is  one  form  of  several  little  vessels  for 
holding  such  small  bulbs  as  snow'-drops,  oxalis, 
etc.  They  are  usually  only  two  or  three  inches  in 
diameter,  and  when  made  of  porcelain  or  wedge- 
wood,  cost  but  a  few  shillings. 

Fig.  8  is  in  the  form  of  a  straw  beehive ,  set  in  a 
saucer,  with  a  handle  at  the  top.  This  form  is 
usually  made  of  wedge-wood,  and  of  a  variety  of 
sizes,  from  the  capacity  of  a  quart  to  10  or  12 
quarts,  or  larger ;  and  the  prices  vary  corres 
pondingly — say  from  $1.25  upward. 

We  have  engraved  only  a  few  of  the  prettier 
forms  of  bulb-pots — they  may  be  made  in  an  in¬ 
finite  variety  of  shapes  and  sizes,  and  of  various 
kinds  of  materials.  Any  one  may  even  fashion 
one  out  of  wood  to  suit  his  or  her  taste  or  conve¬ 
nience.  All  that  is  essential  is  a  vessel  to  hold 
the  earth,  with  a  basin  to  hold  water  at  the  bot¬ 
tom,  and  £  to  i  inch  holes  for  the  bulbs  to  shoot 
through,  scattered  over  the  surface.  A  vessel 
with  crocuses  blooming  at  the  side  apertures,  and 
a  hyacinth  or  crown-imperial  shooting  up  at  the 
top  makes  a  fine  appearance. 

They  are  easily  filled.  Invert  the  vessel,  when 


the  larger  opening  is  at  the  bottom,  arrange  the 
bulbs  upon  the  holes,  the  sprouting  end  outward, 
and  pack  in  the  soil  so  firm  that  it  will  not 
fall  out  in  turning  over  the  pot.  The  best  soil 
for  bulbs  is  the  compost  described  at  page 
281  of  our  XVth  volume — viz:  a  mixture  of  say, 
one  part  well  rotted  cow  manure  and  one 
part  of  leaf  mold  from  the  woods,  with  two  parts 
each  of  sand,  muck,  and  fresh  loam.  The  pro¬ 
portion  is  not  material.  A  mixture  of  leaf  mold 
and  good  garden  soil,  with  as  much  of  well  rotted 
manure,  will  suffice.  Cow  droppings  well  decayed 
are  preferable  to  other  manure,  being  less  odor¬ 
ous,  and  less  exciting  to  the  plants. 

Several  varieties  of  crocus  put  into  the  same 
pot  give  a  pleasing  diversity  of  color  to  the  bloom. 
They  may  be  planted  in  the  pots  at  different  pe¬ 
riods  as  desired.  The  usual  time  is  October  to 
December.  They  may  be  prepared  early  in  Octo- 


Fig.  7.  Fig.  8. 

ber  and  placed  in  a  cool  darkroom  in  the  cellar  to 
get  started,  and  then  a  portion  at  a  time  be  brought 
to  light  and  warmth  to  be  developed  into  bloom  at 
successive  periods.  They  can  be  left  in  the  open 
air  quite  late,  as  a  light  frost  even  will  not  injure 
them.  Take  them  to  the  parlor,  conservatory  or 
green-house,  watering  moderately.  Avoid  too 
great  a  heat  at  first,  but  increase  it  gradually  as 
they  approach  the  blooming  period,  bearing  in 
mind  that  their  natural  flowering  season  is  in  early 
Spring,  before  it  is  very  warm.  Much  heat  short¬ 
ens  their  period  of  bloom.  Light  is  essential  to 
their  growth  and  flowering,  and  the  pots  need  to 
be  turned  frequently  to  prevent  their  inclining  to¬ 
ward  the  strongest  light. 

— — - - < - ^  ^  - • » - - 

About  Coffee- 

[ Continued  from  page  370,  Vol.  XVII.] 

In  our  previous  article  we  described  and  illus¬ 
trated  the  coffee  plant,  and  also  the  character 
and  composition  of  the  berry.  Coffee  is  greatly 
adulterated  which  we  shall  refer  to  further  on, 
but  the  majority  of  persons  who  have  the  best 
pure  coffee,  fail  to  get  a  really  good  infusion  for 
the  table.  The  aroma,  upon  which  the  good  taste 
of  coffee  depends,  is  only  developed  in  the  berry 
by  the  roasting  process,  which  also  is  necessary 
to  diminish  its  toughness  and  fit  it  for  grinding. 
While  roasting,  coffee  loses  from  15  to  25  per  cent 
of  its  weight,  and  gains  from  30  to  50  percent, 
in  hulk.  More  depends  upon  the  proper  roasting 
than  upon  the  quality  of  the  coffee  itself.  One  or 
two  scorched  or  burned  berries  will  materially 
injure  the  flavor  of  several  cupfuls.  Even  a  slight 
over-heating  diminishes  the  good  taste. 

The  best  mode  of  roasting,  where  it  is  done  at 
home,  is  to  dry  it  first  in  an  open  vessel  until  its 
color  is  slightly  changed.  This  allows  the  mois¬ 
ture  to  escape.  Then  cover  it  closely  and  scorch 
it,  keeping  up  a  constant  agitation  so  that  no  por¬ 
tion  of  a  kernel  may  be  unequally  heated.  Too 
low  and  too  slow  a  heat  dries  it  up  without  pro¬ 
ducing  the  full  aromatic  flavor  ;  while  too  great 
heat  dissipates  the  oily  matter  and  leaves  only 
bitter  charred  kernels.  It  should  be  heated  so  as 
to  acquire  a  uniform  deep  cinnamon  color  and  an 


22 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


oily  appearance,  but  never  a  deep  dark  brown 
color.  It  should  then  be  taken  from  the  fire  and 
kept  closely  covered  until  cold,  and  further  until 
used.  While  unroasted  coffee  improves  by  age, 
the  roasted  berries  will  very  generally  lose  'heir 
aroma  if  not  covered  very  closely.  The  ground 
stuff  kept  on  sale  in  barrels  or  boxes,  or  in  pa¬ 
pers,  is  not  worthy  the  name  of  coffee. 

In  roasting  coffee,  if  a  closed  roaster  be  not  at 
hand,  we  know  of  no  better  method  than  to  put 
it  into  a  long-handled  iron  “spider”  or  old 
fashioned  frying-pan,  and  turn  a  tin  basin  or  shal¬ 
low  milk  pan  closely  over  it,  and  then  hold  it  over 
the  fire  constantly  shaking  it.  After  completing 
the  scorching,  keep  the  tin  cover  over  until 
perfectly  cold,  and  then  transfer  it  to  a  vessel  with 
a  closely  fitting  cover.  If  properly  covered  it  may 
be  kept  for  several  days  or  even  weeks  without 
much  deterioration. 

Coffee  should  not  be  ground  until  just  before 
using  If  ground  over  night  it  should  be  covered  ; 
or  what  is  quite  as  well,  put  it  into  the  boiler  and 
cover  it  with  cold  water.  The  water  not  only 
retains  the  valuable  oil  and  other  aromatic  ele¬ 
ments,  but  also  prepares  it  by  soaking  for  imme¬ 
diate  boiling  in  the  morning.  This  is  a  sugges¬ 
tion  we  have  not  seen  elsewhere,  but  we  have 
practiced  and  can  commend  it.  Finely  ground 
coffee  yields  a  much  larger  portion  of  soluble  mat¬ 
ter  than  that  coarsely  ground.  It  is  always  bet¬ 
ter  to  put  coffee  into  cold  water  and  then  heat  it, 
than  to  pour  boiling  water  upon  it.  Double  the 
amount  of  nutriment  will  be  extracted  in  this  way. 
With  an  ordinary  coffee  pot  or  boiler,  coffee  should 
be  steeped  slowly,  and  never  boil  more  than  three 
or  four  minutes  at  most.  Every  moment  it  is 
boiling  a  large  amount  of  the  flavor  is  lost  by  evap¬ 
oration.  This  brings  us  to  the  subject  of 

COFFEE-BOILERS  OR  COFFEE-POTS. 

In  discussing  the  best  mode  of  boiling  meats 
a  year  or  two  since,  we  recommended  to  set  a 
tin  pan  closely  over  the  kettle,  and  keep  it  filled 
with  cool  water,  the  object  being  to  condense  the 
steam  and  meat  flavor  upon  the  underside,  where 
it  would  fallback  into  the  kettle,  instead  of  being 
dissipated  in  the  air.  We  recommend  a  similar 
process  for  cooking  coffee.  Take  a  tin  basin  or 
cup  that  will  just  fit  in  the  top  of  the  coffee-pot, 
and  fill  it  with  cold  water.  The  steam  rising  against 
the  bottom  of  the  basin  will  be  condensed  and  fall 
back,  so  long  as  the  water  in  the  basin  is  not  hot. 
If  it  gets  hot,  pour  it  out  quickly,  and  fill  up  with 
cold  water  again.  Try  this  method  and  you  will 
surely  find  the  flavor  of  the  coffee  improved  veiy 
greatly.  Furthermore,  with  this  arrangement  you 
can  boil  your  coffee  longer  without  diminishing 
its  good  flavor,  and  thus  get  out  more  of  its  solu¬ 
ble,  nutritious  as  well  as  aromatic  materials.  In 
this  manner  a  much  smaller  amount  of  coffee  will 
beiequiredto  produce  an  equally  good  cup  of 
liquid,  than  when  it  is  exposed  to  evaporation. 

Several  valuable  improvements  have  been  re¬ 
cently  made  in  the  construction  of  coffee-boilers 
or  coffee-pots,  which  operate  on  precisely  the 
plan  we  have  indicated,  and  they  are  what  the 
manufacturers  claim  for  them,  coffee  saving  im¬ 
plements.  A  description  of  one  or  two  of  them 
will  explain  their  principles  and  afford  instruction. 
We  will  first  name  the  one  widely  advertised  as 
the  “Old  Dominion  Coffee  Pot.” — We  do  not 
Know  why  called  by  this  name  unless  from  fancy. 
We  have  used  one  for  some  months,  and  have 
made  the  annexed  engraving,  Fig.  1,  which  better 
shows  its  construction  than  the  cut  used  hitherto 
by  the  manufacturers.  The  main  body  is  like  the 
old  coffee-pot,  with  a  cap  on  the  nozzle  to  pre¬ 
vent  the  small  evaporation  from  that  aperture. 
Within  is  a  deeo  hasiu  let  down  from  the  top,  with 


a  perforated  bottom  c,  into  which  the  coarsely 
ground  coffee  is  placed.  We  do  not  consider 
this  part  specially  Important,  since  the  coffee  must 
be  ground  coarse  to  keep  it  from  sifting  through. 
The  old  mode  of  grinding  very  fine  and  clari¬ 
fying  with  an  egg,  or  fish  skin,  or  isinglass,  will 
secure  a  more  thorough  dissolving  out  of  the 
soluble  material,  as  stated  above.  However,  when 
the  coffee  is  longer  steeped,  as  it  can  be  in  one  of 
these  boilers,  the  extraction  will  be  sufficiently 
complete  even  when  the  berries  are  but  coarsely 
ground.  The  convenience  of  the  vessel  c  is  in 
its  favor.  To  the  top  of  the  main  boiler  is  fitted 
a  tin  cup  with  a  close  cover  upon  it.  The  bottom 
of  this  cup  is  concave  or  bent  inward  like  an  in¬ 
verted  funnel.  From  the  center  of  the  concave 
bottom  an  open  pipe,  p,  extends  into  the  cup, 
and  is  bent  downward,  terminating  near  the  bot¬ 
tom  as  shown  in  the  engraving.  Another  tube, 
s,  starts  from  the  lowest  part  of  the  cup  (at  which 
point  the  tube  is  partly  open)  and  after  rising  up 
say  two-thirds  of  the  length  of  the  cap  it  bends 
down  and  passing  through  the  bottom  extends 
down  a  little  way  into  the  body  of  the  main  boil¬ 
er. 

The  operation  is  as  follows  :  The  water  to  be 
used  is  divided — part  being  put  into  the  cup,  w. 
and  part  into  the  main  boiler  to  surround  and 
saturate  the  coffee  in  the  strainer.  When  boiled, 
the  rising  vapor  will  for  a  time  be  condensed 
upon  the  under  concave  side  of  the  cup,  (by  the 
cold  water  within  it)  and  fall  back  into  the  boil¬ 
er.  After  the  cup  is  too  warm  to  condense  all  the 
vapor,  part  will  rise  at  a,  in  the  tube,  p,  and 
pass  out  of  its  lower  end  into  the  water  which 
surrounds  it.  If  the  boiling  be  long  continued,  as 
it  may  be,  the  water,  w,  will  become  quite  aro¬ 
matic,  both  to  taste  and  smell,  showing  that  it 
has  caught  and  retained  a  large  amount  of  deli¬ 
cious  flavor  that  would  otherwise  have  been  lost 
in  the  air.  When  taken  to  the  table,  by  inclining 
the  apparatus  a  little  to  one  side  the  water  will 
rise  over  the  top  of  the  syphon  tube,  s,  which 
will  then  draw  it  all  over  and  empty  it  down  upon 


the  coffee  below.  In  this  manner,  you  can  boil 
the  coffee  as  long  as  may  be  necessary  to  extract 
most  of  its  soluble  ingredients, or  as  long  as  a  care¬ 
less  or  ignorant  cook  may  chance  to  keep  it  on 
the  fire,  without  injuring  its  quality  or  flavor. 

THE  PEOPLE’S  COFFEE  POT, 

shown  in  fig.  2,  is  somewhat  similar  to  the  above, 
and  designed  to  secure  a  similar  end.  We  have 
tested  one  for  several  weeks,  and  find  it  a  decided 
improvement  upon  the  old  form.  Il  is  without 
the  strainer,  though  a  simple  covered  perforated 
canister  to  hold  the  cofTee  may  be  dropped  into 
the  boiler,  if  desired.  The  general  form  of  the 
main  boiler,  and  covering  cup  is  shown  in  the 
engraving.  The  bottom  of  the  cup,  C,  is  precisely 


like  a  funnel  with  a  small  tube,  turned  upward. 

The  coflee  is  put  below  with  water,  and  the 
cup  above  nearly  filled  with  cold  water,  W.  When 
boiling  or  evaporation  commences,  the  vapors  are 
condensed  upon  the  cool  bottom,  C,  and  fall  back. 
Any  excess  of  vapor  is  carried  up  through  the 
opened  pipe,  p,  and  a  considerable  portion  of  it 
condenses  into  the  water,  W.  The  manufacturer’s 
directions  intimate  that  the  essential  vapors  will 
be  condensed  upon  the  bottom,  C,  and  that  the 
water,  W,  may  be  thrown  away.  But  in  several 
recent  experiments,  when  the  coffee  has  boiled 
from  15  to  30  minutes,  we  have  found  a  consid 
erable  amount  of  flavor  in  the  water  in  the  cup. 
We  therefore  recommend  to  divide  the  water  to 
to  be  used,  putting  only  a  part  with  the  coffee, 
and  a  part  in  the  upper  cup  ;  and  when  it  is  car¬ 
ried  to  the  table,  pour  the  water,  W,  back  into  the 


Fig.  2. - people’s  COFFEE-POT. 

main  boiler.  W'ith  this  precaution,  we  have  found 
that  in  the  “  People’s,  ”  as  well  as  in  the  “  Old 
Dominion  ”  coffee-pot,  the  beverage  is  equal  in 
flavor  when  it  has  been  purposely  or  necessarily 
left  upon  the  stove  an  hour,  to  that  made  in  five 
minutes  in  the  old-fashioned  coffee-pot.  We 
consider  both  of  these  arrangements  as  decided 
improvements  and  worthy  the  attention  of  all 
coffee-lovers. 

ALWAYS  BOIL  MILK  FOR  COFFEE. 

Those  who  use  uncooked  or  raw  milk  in  cof¬ 
fee  have  no  conception  of  the  decided  improve¬ 
ment  there  is  in  previously  boiling  the  milk. 
To  our  taste  there  is  as  much  difference  be¬ 
tween  unboiled  milk  for  coffee,  and  that  boiled 
— if  not  scorched — as  there  is  between  a  raw 
and  a  cooked  beef  steak.  We  confess  to  hav¬ 
ing  never  yet  learned  to  love  the  taste  of  pure 
coffee  itself,  but  boiled  milk,  and  good  sugar,  with 
cream  when  it  is  to  be  had,  flavored  with  well 
made  coffee,  is  not  “  bad  to  take.”  Our  obser¬ 
vation  in  traveling  through  the  country  has  been, 
that  not  one  family,  or  hotel,  in  five,  habitually 
boils  milk  for  coffee.  Let  the  other  four-fifths  try 
boiling  the  milk  for  a  few  weeks,  and  our  word 
for  it,  they  will  not  return  to  raw  milk.  The 
slightly  cathartic  effect  of  coffee  alluded  to  in  a 
former  article  is  probably  about  counterbalanced 
by  boiling  the  milk,  when  any  considerable  quan¬ 
tity  of  it  is  used  with  the  coffee. 

All  we  have  written  is  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  will  use  coffee.  If  eels  must  be  skinned  we 
would  try  and  show  how  to  do  it  as  scientifically 
as  possible — at  least  until  they  “get  used  to  it  ” 
For  reasons  set  forth  last  month,  and  before,  we 
would  advise  no  one  to  use  tea  or  coffee  except 
as  a  medicine.  To  the  young  we  would  say  by 
all  means  avoid  cultivating  a  taste  for  it. 

We  have  engravings  made  fora  brief  chapter 
on  chicory  which  is  used  largely  with  coffee  as  an 
adulteration,  and  also  of  cocoa,  or  chocolate,  but 
must  defer  their  discussion  to  another  paper. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


23 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Cheap  home-made  Household  Conveniences. 

BY  ANNA  HOPE. 


“I  could  live  without  a  closet,”  said  a  lady  to 
me,  “  but  I  don’t  know  how  I  could  live  without 
a  closet  door.”  As  she  spoke  she  opened  this 
valued  door,  and  displayed  its  various  conve¬ 
niences.  Upon  it  hung  her  dressing  gown,  her 
working  apron,  and  other  articles,  suspended  from 
small  brass  nails  or  hooks.  On  the  Iowgt  part  of 
the  door  was  a  shoe  bag  from  which  shoes,  and 
gaiters  and  India  rubbers  were  peeping  out,  ready 
for  her  selection  at  any  moment. 

A  shoe-bag  is  a  great  convenience.  After  be¬ 
coming  accustomed  to  use  it,  a  lady  would  scarce¬ 
ly  be  willing  to  be  without  one.  Shoe-bags  are 
made  in  various  forms.  Sometimes  a  square 
piece  of  calico  is  taken,  and  two  rows  of  pockets 
felled  on.  These  pockets  are  wide  and  deep 
enough  to  admit  easily  a  pair  of  gaiters  or  slip¬ 
pers,  yet  not  so  deep  as  to  conceal  the  whole  shoe. 
A  larger  pocket  may  be  made  for  “  leggins,”  or 
stockings,  or  any  comforts  for  the  feet.  These 
bags  may  be  tacked  to  the  closet  door. 

Other  shoe-bags  are  made  of  two  circular  pieces 
of  calico — the  larger  about  a  yard  in  diameter, 
and  the  smaller  a  little  more  than  two-thirds  of  a 
yard.  These  circles  are  so  folded  as  to  make 
eight  divisions,  and  are  sewed  together  where 
they  are  creased.  Through  the  hem  of  the  larger 
circle  a  string  is  drawn,  thus  forming  a  bag  for 
stockings. 

Pockets  may  be  made  in  a  straight  piece  of  cal¬ 
ico,  and  this  gathered  around  a  small  circle,  like 
the  bottom  of  a  basket,  and  the  top  drawn. 

These  bags  may  be  made  of  calico,  or  delaine, 
or  merino,  or  of  any  material  one  chooses.  The 
pockets  can  be  made  of  different  colors.  Brown 
linen,  trimmed  with  colored  braid,  is  pretty. 

A  traveling  toilet-bag  of  oiled  silk  is  another  con¬ 
venience.  It  should  be  made  with  different  sized 
pockets  for  the  brush,  comb,  fine  comb,  nail  brush, 
tooth-brush,  wash-cloth,  or  sponge,  and  soap. 

Much  of  the  furniture  of  a  chamber  may  be 
made  with  very  little  expense,  where  economy  is 
a  consideration.  Soap-boxes  lined  with  paper, 
and  covered  with  chintz,  make  not  only  good  seats, 
but  are  useful  as  substitutes  for  drawers.  As 
receptacles  of  pamphlets  and  newspapers,  they 
are  not  to  be  despised.  Shoe-boxes,  thus  lined,  and 
covered,  form  quite  respectable  “divans.”  A 
long  box  for  a  lounge,  with  a  top  that  can  be 
raised,  is  a  nice  place  for  dresses  not  in  common 
use.  Dresses  hung  in  closets  become  “  stringy,” 
and  if  folded  in  a  small  compass  they  are  wrinkled. 
Almost  every  one  has  seen  the  hour-glass  work¬ 
tables.  They  are  frequently  made  too  high,  but 
when  they  are  not,  they  are  very  pretty  arti 
cles  of  furniture,  and  the  pockets  around  the  top 
are  always  convenient.  Toilet  tables  are  some¬ 
times  made  by  putting  a  substantial  top  over  a 
barrel  and  covering  it  with  furniture  calico.  Such 
a  barrel  is  pretty  sure  to  be  full  of  what,  other 
wise,  no  one  knows  exactly  what  to  do  with.  Very 
comfortable  hassocks,  for  the  feet,  may  be  made 
by  cutting  out  two  circles  of  cotton,  twelve  or 
fourteen  inches  in  diameter,  and  stitching  between 
them  a  strip  six  or  seven  inches  wide.  Stuff  this 
evenly  and  firmly  with  the  contents  of  the  rag¬ 
bag,  if  you  have  nothing  better,  and  then  cover 
it  with  carpeting  or  drugget. 

A  cutting-board  is  desirable  in  every  family. 
This  is  made  to  lie  on  the  lap.  The  outer  edge  is 
somewhat  rounded,  and  the  inner  is  cut  out  so  as 
partly  to  inclose  the  body,  thus  keeping  it  in 
place  with  less  difficulty  than  otherwise.  It  is 
very  wearisome  to  stand  by  a  table  to  cut,  as 


every  one  knows.  Even  a  common  square  piece 
of  board  is  much  better  than  nothing  for  this 
purpose. 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 


About  Small  Matters. 

WORK-BASKETS - MATCH  SAFES - KITCHEN  BOOK¬ 

SHELVES. 

There  are  sundry  little  conveniences  about 
which  it  may  seem  trifling  to  speak  ;  yet,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  writer’s  observation,  a  useful  hint  or 
two  may  be  given  to  many  families.  Take  a 
lady’s  work-basket,  for  example  Every  woman, 
and  girl  perhaps,  has  one,  but  how  few  have  a 
well-contrived  one.  Usually,  the  common  work- 
basket  is  a  more  or  less  capacious  receptacle  for 
sewing  utensils  and  materials ;  but  with  these 
are  thrown  together  promiscuously  odds  and  ends 
of  almost  every  description,  such  as  unfinished 
knitting,  patches  for  the  good  man's  clothing, 
stockings  to  be  darned,  balls  of  worsted,  skeins 
of  silk,  tangled  bunches  of  thread,  bits  of  wax, 
buttons,  scissors,  thimbles,  paper  of  needles,  etc., 
etc. — and  to  find  any  one  article  all  must  be  ran¬ 
sacked.  Did  any  one  ever  estimate  how  much 
time  is  lost  in  a  year  in  tumbling  over  the  work- 
basket  1  The  golden  motto  of  order — “Have  a 
place  for  everything,  and  everything  in  its  place” 
— is  here  very  singularly  shown  to  be  a  most 
defective  rule,  the  work-basket  being  literally  a 
place  for  everything,  with  everything  in  it. 

This  confusion  may  be  easily  remedied  by  hav¬ 
ing  the  work-basket  divided  into  compartments 
of  different  sizes,  each  to  be  appropriated  to  a 
particular  use  :  say  one  for  the  thread,  another 
for  thimble  and  scissors,  a  third  for  patches,  etc. 
If  basket  makers  do  not  furnish  such,  the  divis¬ 
ions  can  easily  be  made  with  thin  slips  of  wood, 
or  pasteboard  neatly  covered  with  silk  or  fancy 
paper.  A  strip  of  silk  fastened  around  the  sides 
of  the  baskets,  and  divided  into  separate  pockets, 
will  be  found  a  very  convenient  appendage.  As 
each  lady’s  taste  will  suggest  different  forms  for 
her  basket  and  its  fixtures,  I  merely  give  general 
suggestions,  leaving  them  to  be  carried  out 
according  to  each  one’s  fancy. 

MATCH  SAFES. 

AVere  I  an  insurance  agent,  I  would  make  it 
an  imperative  rule  that  every  house  insured  by 
me  should  be  provided  with  metal  or  earthen 
boxes,  in  which  matches  should  be  kept.  They 
are  often  seen  lying  loosely  upon  the  shelf  or  in 
the  closet,  where  a  careless  servant,  an  unthink¬ 
ing  child,  or  even  a  mischievous  mouse,  may 
produce  disastrous  results  with  them.  A  little 
incident  has  made  me  very  careful  in  this  mat¬ 
ter.  One  day,  when  about  closing  my  room,  I 
hastily  threw  a  key  into  a  drawer  where  were 
several  loose  papers  and  miscellaneous  articles, 
and  closed  it ;  but  just  as  it  was  closed  there 
was  a  glimmer  of  light  within  the  drawer  which 
attracted  attention  from  its  novelty.  Opening  it 
I  found  that  the  key  had  struck  the  end  of  a  fric¬ 
tion  match,  fired  it,  and,  if  undiscovered,  the 
building,  worth  many  thousand  dollars,  would 
probably  have  been  consumed,  and  no  one  could 
have  guessed  how  it  took  fire.  It  is  unquestion¬ 
ably  true  that  many  fires  have  originated  from 
mice  nibbling  the  ends  of  matches,  and  we  know 
that  many  children  have  been  poisoned  by  biting 
matches  carelessly  left  within  their  reach.  Buy 
or  make  a  metallic  or  earthen  match  safe ,  and  keep 
it  in  a  safe  place. 

A  BOOK-SHELF  FOR  THE  KITCHEN. 

I  do  not  mean  the  mantel-piece,  for  that  is  the 
catch-all  of  the  room,  but  a  shelf  expressly  for 
books.  I  believe  that  one-third  more  reading 


would  be  done  were  this ,  simple  appendage 
attached  to  every  kitchen.  I  name  the  kitchen, 
for  this  is  the  room  most  used  in  many  if  not 
most  farm-houses.  I  say  a  book  sheif  rather 
than  a  book  case,  because  we  want  the  books  to 
stand  where  they  will  be  seen,  extending  their 
kind  invitation  to  occupy  the  hour  of  nooning 
or  the  evening,  so  often  spent  in  a  most  unso¬ 
cial  snooze.  A  few  may  be  selected  at  a  time 
from  the  library,  which  I  hope  yet  to  see  in 
every  farm-house,  to  occupy  places  upon  the 
kitchen  shell,  and  they  will  surely  receive  much 
more  attention  from  simply  being  handy  to  take 
UP-  Housekeeper, 

(To  he  continued.) 

~  '<Q  4  ■— i|  im  f  (j| _ _ 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

To  Turtleize  a  Calf’s  Head. 


Old  Way. — Have  ready  a  calf’s  head,  pluck, 
and  feet.  Put  the  head  and  pluck  in  a  large  pot 
to  par-boil.  Boil  the  feet  by  themselves.  Make 
stuffing  for  the  heart  (if  you  choose  to  roast  it)  of 
bread,  butter,  cloves,  pepper,  salt,  some  sweet 
herbs,  and  an  egg.  Sometimes  the  heart  is  sliced 
with  the  head.  When  the  head  is  par-boiled, 
take  it  out,  cut  it  in  neat  slices,  with  a  little  of 
the  “lights,”  and  lay  it  in  a  stew  pan  with  some 
cloves  and  mace,  anu  an  onion  or  two.  Cover  it 
with  the  liquor  it  was  boiled  in,  and  let  it  stew 
for  an  hour  or  more;  then  roll  a  good  lump  of 
butter  in  some  flour,  stir  in  a  cup  of  wine  if  you 
choose  ;  boil  two  eggs  hard,  and  chop  fine  to  mix 
with  the  brains  which,  with  the  tongue,  must  be 
very  well  boiled  ;  let  them  be  laid  in  one  dish,  the 
tongue  in  the  middle.  Pour  melted  butter  ovei 
the  brains.  Lay  the  roasted  heart  in  a  dish,  with 
some  liver  fried  brown  and  laid  round  it.  The 
feet  must  be  in  a  dish  with  some  butter  and  vine¬ 
gar  poured  over  them.  The  balls  must  be  made 
thus  :  Take  a  pound  of  pork  and  a  pound  of 
veal,  made  very  fine  ;  chop  in  two  small  onions, 
some  alspice,  salt,  pepper,  sweet  herbs,  parsley, 
crumbs  ol  bread  and  an  egg,  and  a  good  lump  of 
butter.  Roll  them  into  balls,  fry  them  brown, 
lay  some  round  every  dish  and  send  to  the 
table. 

New  Way. — Choose  a  calf’s  head  with  the  skin 
on  if  you  can  get  it.  Take  £  lb.  of  resin  pounded 
fine,  and  rub  it  in  the  hair,  then  dip  in  boiling  wa¬ 
ter  till  the  hair  starts,  and  clean  nicely;  clean  the 
liver,  part  of  the  lights,  heart  and  tongue.  Boil 
the  heart  and  tongue  1£  hours,  the  head  1£  hours, 
and  the  livers  and  lights  an  hour.  Take  out  the 
head  ;  cut  in  slices,  and  put  it  in  the  pot  with 
cloves,  pepper,  salt  and  mace,  and  a  piece  of  butter. 
Fill  up  with  the  liquor.  Let  it  boil  up  well,  then 
thicken  with  pounded  crackers  or  flour  and  water; 
put  in  a  glass  of  wine,  if  you  choose.  Make  balls 
of  1  lb.  veal,  i  lb.  pork  (an  onion  if  you  like) ; 
chop  in  very  fine,  some  cloves,  pepper,  and  salt, 
crumbs  of  bread  or  crackers,  an  egg,  and  a  good 
lump- of  butter  with  some  sweet  herbs — parsley  if 
you  like.  Roll  into  balls  and  fry  very  brown. 
Take  the  brains,  and  beat  fine  with  a  knife,  beat 
in  an  egg  and  add  a  little  salt.  Mix  with  flour  to 
a  batter  like  paneakes  and  fry. 

[The  above  we  find  in  our  drawermarked  “In¬ 
sert  when  room,”  but  can  not  recall  the  name  ol 
the  writer,  which  is  not  on  the  manuscript. — Ed.] 

- -  - - - - - 

Hecipes. 

A  large  batch  of  good  ones  is  being  prepared 
to  be  given  “all  in  a  heap  ”  next  month  :  send 
on  more  early — if  you  have  good  ones. 


2\ 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  144 


UmcIc  Frank’s  CJiat  with  tUe  Hoys 
and  Girls. 

Having  wished  all  my  dear  nephews  and  nieces 
a  Happy  New  Year,  which  I  most  sincerely  and 
devoutly  do,  1  beg  to  introduce  to  them  a  person¬ 
age  who  is  reputed  to  take  a  great  interest  in  their 
affairs  about  these  days.  There  t3F“  he  is,  little 
folks.  He  is  called  “  Old  Father  January.” 

You  see  what  his  vocation  is,  don’t  you  ?  He 
drives  the  same  business  which  our  excellent 
friend  Santa  Claus  follows  so  industriously.  The 
difference  between  the  two  characters  is  mainly 
the  difference  between  a  Dutchman  and  an  Eng¬ 
lishman,  or  more  correctly,  an  Anglo-Saxon  ;  that 
is  to  say,  he  holds  the  same  office  among  English 
people  that  Santa  Claus  does  among  the  Dutch 
people.  Now,  please  don’t  confound  this  Father 
January  with  that  Roman  chap,  Janus,  who  had 
four  faces,  and  who  looked  at  the  four  quarters 
of  the  globe  at  once,  and  who  had  a  splendid 
temple  built  for  him,  which  stood  open  during  the 
Roman  wars,  and  was  closed  in  times  of  peace. 

Nor  would  I  have  you  jumble  him  up  with  Saint 
Janarius,  who  was  a  martyr  early  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  era,  and  whose  blood  is  said  to  liquefy  once 
every  year  in  the  Cathedral  called  by.  his  name. 

Take  a  good  look  at  the  man  now.  What  do 
you  think  of  him  ?  Can’t  you  judge  somewhat  cf 
his  character  from  that  open  face  of  his  ?  He 
looks  a  little  shy,  to  be  sure.  But  the  reason  for 
that  is,  that  he  prides  himself,  like  Santa  Claus,  in 
distributing  his  gifts  very  secretly  and  stealthily. 

I  think,  however,  that  I  can  discover  genial  feel¬ 
ing,  and  innocent  mirth  in  that  face  half  concealed 
under  the  skin. 

“  But  what  does  he  carry  that  log  on  his  back  for  1” 

That  is  the  “  Yule  log.” 

“And  what  is  the  Yule  log?” 

A  great  many  years  ago,  our  English  ancestors  ealled 
the  festival  of  Christmas  by  the  name  of  “  Yule.”  Now 
this  same  Father  January,  you  must  know,  like  his 
Dutch  friend,  Santa  Claus,  was  supposed  to  begin  to  per¬ 
form  his  good  deeds  on  Christmas  eve,  though  of  course 
he  kept  them  up  during  the  succeeding  week,  until  the 
coming  in  of  the  New  Year.  This  log  the  kind-hearted 
old  fellow  contributes  to  make  a  merry  blaze  on  the 
hearth  lor  the  feats  of  Yule,  and  so  it  is  called  the  yule 
log. 

“  And  what  has  he  in  that  huge  bowl,  which  lie  seems 
to  carry  so  carefully?” 

I'm  sure  I  can’t  tell  you.  It  is  something  good.  I’ll 
answer  for  that.  But  what  the  beverage  is,  I  know  no 
more  than  the  man  in  the  moon. 

“  I  guess  it  is  punch.” 

No.  I  am  quite  sure  that  our  ancestors,  away  back 
there,  a  thousand  years  ago,  before  the  Normans  had 
come  over  from  France,  were  profoundly  ignorant  of 
whisky  punches,  sherry  cobblers,  gin-cocktails,  and  the 
like.  These  are  modern  in¬ 
ventions.  I  don’t  see,  then, 
that  a  wiser  thing  can  be  done 
in  relation  to  this  question, 
than  to  give  it  up— to  “  let  it 
pass.”  as  the  cow  is  said  to 
have  remarked  of  the  train  of 
cars,  when  it  passed. 

Now,  boys,  and  girls,  I 
have  another  odd  personage 
to  introduce  to  you— quite  as 
odd  as  the  one  we  have  just 
dismissed  ;  and  this  one  is  a 
real  character,  whereas  the 
other,  as  you  don’t  need  to 
ce  informed,  is  fanciful  and 
fabulous. 

There  !  what  do  you  say 
to  that  chap  ?  I  have  no 
doubt  he  strikes  you  at  first 
as  rather  ugly— and  perhaps 
he  is  so — but  I  am  very  m-uch 
mistaken  if  it  w  ill  not  pay  us 
well  to  give  him  a  carefin 
examination,  and  to  inquire 
a  little  into  his  history  and  habits.  He  deserves  some 
civility  from  us,  too,  for  the  journey  he  has  taken  to  |. re¬ 
sent  himself  in  our  charmed  circle. 

“  Why,  how  far  has  lie  traveled,  Uncle  Frank?” 

All  the  way  from  Texas.  I  must,  tell  you  the  whole 
story.  Not  many  weeks  ago,  there  came  a  large  parcel 
through  the  mail.  What  could  it  be?  It  was  charged 
letter  postage.  It  is  something  valuable,  that’s  clear. 
There  seemed  to  be  something  moving  inside  of  it,  Whew  ! 
Wonder  if  it  is’nt  a  scorpion,  just  such  a  vagabond  as 


Cleopatra  employed  one  day.  It  is’nt  an  infernal  machine. 
Infernal  machines  don’t  hive  live  things  about  them. 
Well,  let  us  solve  the  mystery.  Here  goes  for  opening  the 
parcel.  On  removing  the  envelop  there  appeared  a  com¬ 
mon  tin  box.  We  opened  the  box— opened  it,  possibly, 
with  some  fear  and  trembling— when  lo  !  the  animal  whose 
portrait  is  so  correctly  presented  to  you,  made  his  appear¬ 
ance.  He  seemed  to  be  taking  life  very  coolly  and  calm¬ 
ly.  We  soon  found  him  to  be  a  perfectly  innocent  and 
well-disposed  sort  of  personage,  who  manifested  no  ob¬ 
jection  to  our  examining  him  as  closely  as  we  chose. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  describe  his  personal  appear¬ 
ance.  He  is  marvellously  well  represented  in  the  picture, 
which  was  engraved  from  a  portrait  carefully  taken  by 
Lawrence.  As  to  his  habits,  they  seem  to  be  not  greatly 
unlike  those  of  our  Northern  tree-toad.  He  has  extreme¬ 
ly  sharp  claws,  which  seem  to  fithtm  for  climbing  on  trees. 
One  marked  feature  about  him  is  his  bright  and  expres¬ 
sive  eye.  His  horns,  perhaps,  are  the  most  odd  and  gro¬ 
tesque  things  which  he  wears.  They  tend  to  give  him  a 
ferocious  aspect ;  though  that  is  a  trait  of  character  which 
seems  by  no  means  to  belong  to  him. 

The  most  striking  difference  which  I  have  noticed,  in 


the  habitsofthis  “  Texan  Ranger,  as  compared  with  those 
of  our  toad  and  frog,  is  that  while  the  locomotion  of  the 
latter  is  performed  by  means  of  vaulting  or  hopping,  the 
former  walks  off  like  a  turtle  or  an  alligator.  The  Tex¬ 
an  lady  to  whose  politeness  the  readers  of  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist  are  indebted  for  this  rare  curiosity,  says,  that,  when 
he  is  on  his  native  soil,  he  will  sometime?  run  so  fast, 
that  it  is  quite  difficult  to  overtake  him— a  fact  of  which 
our  visitor  has  given  us  some  pretty  good  proof,  during 
his  residence  in  these  parts.  The  same  lady  informs  us 


that  the  animal  is  a  little  addicted,  chameleon  like,  to 
changing  his  color.  But  the  most  interesting  fact  whir  h 
she  slates  is  this  :  that  a  gentleman  of  her  acquaintam  e 
had  one  in  his  study,  so  tame  [that  he  would  follow  the 
motion  of  his  master’s  pen  on  the  paper.  The  common 
name  of  this  (to  us  Northern  people)  singular  reptile,  ;s 
the  Horned  Frog.  I  will  not  trouble  my  young  readeis 
with  the  very  long  Latin  name  by  which  he  is  designated 
among  men  of  science.  I  wish  some  of  our  subscribers 
in  Texas  would  write  us  all  they  know  about  this  animal 
I  have  no  doubt  but  many  of  his  exploits  are  well  worth 
recording.  This  is  the  first  one  we  have  ever  seen— pro 
bably  the  first  one  that  ever  came  here,  and  we  know  lit 
tie  about  the  creature.  [If  our  friends  in  Texas,  and  else¬ 
where,  have  other  such  like  queer  animals  that  will  bear 
transit  by  mail  send  them  along,  and  we  will  show  them 
up.  Our  delineators,  and  draughtsmen,  and  engravets, 
have  a  marvelous  knack  of  making  them  walk  on  paper, 
so  that  we  can  introduce  them  into  tens  of  thousands  of 
households.  There  is  room  enough  in  the  Agriculturist 
to  get  up  quite  a  cabinet  of  Natural  History,  without 
crowding  upon  the  amount  of  space  needed  for  farming, 
gardening,  house-keeping,  etc.  Why  there  is  a  world  of 
wonders  right  around  us  in  the  country,  that  we  have 
hardly  a  conception  of  yet.  We  have  an  engraver  at 
work  upon  an  insect  that  lives  upon  the  rommou  butter¬ 
nut  tree  that  will  make  your  eyes  glisten  when  you  see 
him  shown  up  in  “black  and  white.”  But  this  is  an  epi¬ 
sode  ;  go  on  Uncle  Frank,  we  see  you  have  some  crooked 
words  coming  out  — Ed.] 

There  are  ever  so  many  ways  to  make  Winter  evenings 
happy  in  a  family  of  children.  The  calendar  of  in-door 
amusements  is  almost  inexhaustible  now-a-days.  As  a 
general  rule,  though,  those  amusements  are  best  which 
blend  more  or  less  instruction  with  them.  It  has  occurred 
to  me  that  among  the  many  thousands  of  my  nephews  and 
nieces,  there  are  not  a  few  French  scholars,  and  some  who 
are  quite  advanced  in  the  study  of  the  language.  Now,  I 
can  not  think  it  would  fail  to  be  a  pleasant  as  well  as  a 
rational  exercise  for  these  French  students  to  take  up 
little  French  lyrics  and  to  render  them  into  English  verse. 
Here  is  a  simple  thing  from  Victor  Hugo,  to  begin  with. 

La  tombe  dit  a  la  rose  : 

Des  pleurs  dont  l’abue  t’arrose 
Que  fais-tu,  fleur  des  amours? 

La  rose  dit  a  la  tombe  : 

Que  fais-tu  de  ce  qui  tombe 
Dans  ton  gouffre  ouvert  toujours  ? 

La  rose  dit  :^-Tombeau  sombre, 

De  ces  pleurs,  je  fats  dans  l’ombre 
Un  parfum  d’ambre  et  de  miel. 

La  tombe  dit: — Fleur  plaintive, 

De  chaque  ame  qui  m’arrive, 

Je  fais  un  ange  du  ciel. 

It  is  easy  enough  to  translate  the  author’s  meaning, 
you  see.  The  difficulty  consists  in  rendering  the  ideas  in 
good  English  verse.  Those  who  have  not  taxed  their 
brains  over  this  species  of  composition,  may  be  almost  dis¬ 
couraged  at  the  result  of  their  first  efforts.  They  have 
only  to  persevere,  however,  and  they  will  succeed,  in 
nine  cases  out  of  ten,  in  fitting  the  lyric  with  a  becoming 
suit  of  clothes  made  after  the  English  fashion.  For  the 
encouragement  of  my  young  readers,  1  will  give  them  a 
translation  made,  at  my  request,  on  purpose  for  them,  by 
a  lady  friend  of  mine  who  styles  herself  “  Aunt  Sue,”  and 
who  is  never  so  happy  as  when  she  is  entertaining  a  tmnn 
of  little  folks. 

The  Tomb  a  sweet  Rose  thus  addressed  : 

“With  die  tears  that  dawn  sheds  on  thy  breast, 
What  makest  thou,  beautiful  flower  ?” 

“  And  thou,  solemn  Tomb,”  said  the  Rose, 

Say,  what  dost  thou  make  with  all  those 
Engulfed  by  thee  every  hour? 

“With  the  tear-drops  my  bosom  that  fill 
Delicious  perfume  I  distill. 

In  the  twilight  and  shadowsof  even  ” 

“  And  I,  Charming  Rose,”  said  the  Tomb 
“  Of  the  millions  which  unto  me  come 


Introduce  holy  angels  to  heaven.” 


A  Little  Girl’s  Water-melons.— Mr.  D.  Coon, 
Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  writes  that  his  little  girl,  seven 
years  old,  raised  on  a  vine  in  her  flower-bed,  five  melons 
weighing  respectively,  22),  20,  20,  15  and  15  lbs.  She 
thinks  that  is  doing  pretty  well  for  so  small  a  girl  [so  it  is] 
and  wants  to  know  if  any  one  of  her  age  have  beat  it.  If 
they  have,  she  will  “  try  again.” 

The  Chinese  Cement  which  is  enquired  for  by  C 
Hoffman,  jr.,  Dauphin  Co.,  Pa.,  we  cannot  describe.  The 
paper  he  inquires  about,  is,  in  our  private  opinion,  a  little 
on  the  humbug  order. 

Keeping  Weather  Notes.— We  can  not  judge  of  the 
merits  of  the  Minnesota  boy’s  method  of  keeping  Weathei 
Notes,  until  we  examine  it. 


January,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


35 


THE  NEW  TEAR— SWEEPING  CLEAN. 

Thank  you,  my  girls,  for  your  kind  wishes.  It  makes 
the  beginning  of  my  year  very  happy  to  have  you  around 
me  again.  I’m  sure  I  wish  you  many  a  happy  New  Year. 
Well,  well,  how  time  flies— I  can  scarcely  believe  that 
another  whole  year  has  gone.  It  seems  to  me  more  like 
a  month.  Time  passes  very  rapidly  with  old  people. 
When  I  was  a  little  girl  a  month  seemed  very,  very  long, 
and  a  year,  I  thought,  would  never  come  to  an  end— for  I 
used  to  look  forward  to  my  Christmas  and  New-Year 
holidays  as  you  do  now,  and  that  made  me  impatient  fot 
the  time  to  pass.  Sometimes  my  father  told  me  about 
things  that  happened  ten  years  before,  and  I  thought  he 
must  be  very  old  to  remember  so  far  back.  But  ten  years 
do  not  seem  very  long  now.  Life  is  like  a  journey  over  a 
hill ;  we  travel  slowly  till  we  reach  the  top.  and  then  we 
go  faster  and  faster  to  the  bottom,  like  boys  riding  dowr 
on  their  sleds. 

Do  you  wish  to  grow  older  •  I  did  when  I  was  young. 
I  wanted  to  be  grown  up,  and  sometimes  when  I  laydown 
at  night  I  wished  I  might  wake  up  in  the  morning  and  find 
myself  a  woman.  But  I  found  the  time  was  short  enough 
to  learn  all  I  ought  to  know,  when  I  was  ebliged  to  do  for 
myself,  instead  of  having  almost  everything  done  for  me. 
Why,  there  were  a  hundred  necessary  things  I  did  not 
know  anything  about  when  I  went  to  housekeeping,  and 
so  I  made  mistakes,  and  many  a  crying  spell  I  had  over 
my  work. 

Sometimes  I’m  afraid  the  folks  now-a-days  are  spoiling 
their  girls.  They  keep  them  studying  all  the  time  about 
everything  on  the  earth  and  above  the  earth,  filling  their 
heads  full  of  book  learning,  teaching  them  to  play  on  the 
piano,  and  to  make  worsted-work,  and  wax-work,  and 
leather-work,  and  all  kinds  of  work  except  hous  work, 
and  they  call  this  education.  Wax-work  wont  make  good 
preserves,  and  I  don’t  believe  one  of  you  would  eat  a 
leather- work  pie.  I've  tasted  pies  sometimes  that  seemed 
tough  enough  for  leather. 

And  how  some  of  the  poor  girls  look  when  they  have 
“finished,”  as  they  call  it.  They  are  justabout  finished  in¬ 
deed.  If  they  had  taken  lessons  in  sweeping  and  dusting, 
and  washing  and  ironing,  as  well  as  in  books  and  fancy- 
work,  they  might  have  been  healthy  and  happy.  I  don’t 
mean  to  run  down  a  good  education— I  only  want  it 
should  be  really  good.  Tire  body  should  be  educated  as 
well  as  the  mind.  There’s  nothing  like  housework  to 
brace  up  the  strength.  And  every  girl  ought  to  know  how 
to  do  it,  so  that  she  may  see  that  it  is  well  done,  even  il 
she  is  rich  enough  to  keep  ever  so  many  servants. 

SWEEPING  AND  DUSTING. 

Every  body  feels,  or  ought  to  feel,  on  New- Year’s,  like 
making  a  clean  sweep,  and  getting  everything  to  rights.  I 
have  noticed  that  people  who  keep  their  houses  neat  and 
tidy,  are  more  apt  to  keep  themselves  right. 

Let  me  tell  you  how  to  sweep  and  dust,  for  who  does 
not  like  to  see  a  neat  room  ?  It  is  easy,  but  it  requires 
care  and  practice  to  do  it  well  A  thoughtless  girl  may 
send  the  dust  flying  about  every  way  into  the  air,  to  come 
down  again  after  she  has  finished  chasing  it  with  the 
broom,  leaving  the  room  about  as  unclean  as  before. 

First,  shut  the  doors  and  windows  if  it  be  windy,  for 
the  wind  Geems  to  love  to  scatter  the  dust  about.  If  there 
is  nice  furniture  in  the  room,  cover  it  with  sheets,  or  with 
newspapers.  Then  take  moist  tea  leaves  and  sprinkle 


plenty  of  them  over  the  floor ;  they 
will  catch  the  dust.  Sweep  first 
under  the  beds,  tables,  sofas,  etc. 
A  clean  damp  flannel  mop  is  the 
best  thing  to  use  in  such  places. 
Of  course  it  should  be  well  wash¬ 
ed  out  after  using  it.  Where  the 
broom  is  used,  be  careful  not  to 
raise  it  hastily,  or  high,  as  that 
would  drive  the,  dust  upward. 
Quietly  and  gently  roll  the  leaves 
and  dust  together  into  one  place, 
where  they  may  be  taken  up  to¬ 
gether  into  the  dust-pan,  or  if  you 
have  not  a  dust-pan,  lay  a  paper 
flat  on  the  floor,  and  sweep  the 
leaves  and  dust  upon  it. 

After  sweeping  always  give 
each  article  of  furniture  a  good 
thorough  dusting.  Do  not  flirt  the 
dust  off  with  a  brush,  but  wipe  it 
off  very  carefully.  For  fine  furni¬ 
ture,  use  a  piece  of  soft  flannel. 
Oocasionally  shake  the  duster  out 
the  window,  as  it  becomes  filled, 
and  always  keep  your  dusting 
cloth  very  clean,  so  as  not  to  rub 
the  dirt  into,  instead  of  away  from 
the  furniture. 

There,  I  think  that  will  do  for 
a  holiday  lesson,  only  don’t  for 
get,  my  dear,  girls,  to  keep  the  best  room  you  have  well 
swept.  I  mean  the  room  where  you  keep  your  thoughts. 
Sweep  out  all  the  naughty  thoughts,  the  cross  and  unkind 
i  clings,  and  then  every  new  year  will  be  a  happy  one. 


The  Editor  with  his  Young  Readers. 


( To  be  read  on  January  1st,  1859.) 

A  “  Happy  New-Year,”  to  you  all ,  Boys  and  Girls.  We 
said  two  months  ago,  this  would  be  a  very  busy  season — 
and  it  is  so  indeed — such  lots  of  new  and  old  subscribers 
send  in  their  letters  to  ihe  editor  when  they  forward  sub¬ 
scriptions  that  it  would  take  more  than  all  the  time  and 
room  if  every  letter  was  answered  or  printed  at  once. 
But  they  are  generally  good  materials  and  will  “  keep,” 
until  they  can  be  used.  Well,  we  have  let  Uncle  Frank 
and  Grandmother  have  about  all  the  room— but  have  saved 
enough  to  send  the  above  greeting  and  a  word  more.  As 
we  shall  try  to  have  this  number  reach  nearly  all  of  you, 


by  New-Year’s  day,  we  shall  just  fancy  that  you  each  re¬ 
spond  “A  Happy  New-Year  to  you  sir.”  Our  greeting 
has  to  be  sent  to  the  printer  before  Christmas  even,  but 
it  will  be  fresh  a  week  later. 

Wonder  how  you’ll  spend  your  Christmas  and  New- 
Year’s  Days.  Would  you  like  to  know  how  we  shall 
spend  ours?  Well,  on  January  1st,  1859,  we  shall  proba¬ 
bly  he— at  least  all  the  forenoon— in  our  “Sancium,”  at 
189  Water-street,  attending  to  the  lots  of  letters  that  al¬ 
ways  come  in  just  then.  But  Christmas  Day,  we  shall 
have  a  “time”  with  our  little  folks  near  home— ournear- 
ly  two-hundred  Sabbath  School  Scholars  and  their  teach¬ 
ers. 

“  What  are  we  going  to  do  1”  Why  we  have  now  one 
of  the  prettiest  Sunday  School  rooms  you  ever  saw,  fitted 


up  for  us  mainly  by  one  of  our  subscribers,  a  New 
York  merchant  (we  wish  there  were  ten  thousand 
who  could  and  would  do  just  like  him).  Ferhaps  you’ll 
have  a  picture  of  this  “model  room”  sometime.  Well, 
the  Ladies  are  trimming  that  room  all  up  with  evergreens. 
Across  one  end,  is  to  be  a  long  table,  with  two  Christmas 
trees,  one  each  side  of  the  center.  On  these  trees  will  be 
hung  such  a  lot  of  Cornucopias — one  for  each  scholar — 
filled  with  candies  ;  there  will  be  oranges  and  other  things 
hanging  on  these  trees.  On  the  table,  in  one  place  will  be 
quite  a  mountain  of  cakes,  and  two  or  three  hills  made 
of  a  barrel  of  oranges  ;  and  other  heaps  of  candies,  of 
various  kinds— thirty  or  forty  pounds  in  all.  But  the  best 
of  all  will  be  a  great  pile  of  new  Books — one  for  each  boy 
and  girl  belonging  to  the  School,  with  his  or  her  name  in 
it. 

Then  on  Christmas  afternoon,  at  21  o’clock,  all  the 
School  will  assemble  in  the  Church  nearby,  with  their  pa¬ 
rents  and  friends,  and  such  singing  as  we  shall  have, 
“  will  be  hard  to  beat.”  Some  gentlemen  will  make  short 
addresses,  and  some  rewards  will  be  given  out ;  and  then 
the  parents  and  all  who  do  not  belong  to  the  school  will 
be  invited  to  go  into  the  Schoolroom  to  merely  look  at 
it.  When  they  have  gone  we  shall  go  in  there  with  the 

scholars  and  teachers  and - well  you  can  guess  w  hat 

will  follow.  Wo’nt  we  all  enjoy  ourselves  though'. 
Would’nt  you  like  to  be  there  ?  We  would  like  to  have 
you.  [Private — You  need  not  say  anything  about  it,  but 
this  pre-report  is  given  just  to  hint  to  your  friends  how 
they  may  sometime  get  up  a  “festival”  for  you  if  you 
are  good  children— or  how  we  would  have  them  do  once 
a  year  for  those  who  deserve  it.] 

ABOUT  THE  PROBLEMS. 

W e  have  neither  time  nor  room  to  say  much  about  these , 
until  after  New-Year’s.  But  our  Drawer  must  be  emptied 
of  the  stacks  of  answers  to  the  “  Dog  Problem  ”  No.  32. 
All  the  boys  and  girls  whose  names  a^e  given  below,  have 
written  us  that  they  worked  it  out  “  by  their  own  ingenu¬ 
ity.”  We  asked  this  because,  as  we  stated  last  month,  it 
is  not  a  new  one,  audit  has  therefore  been  seen  by  some— 
though,  we  are  sure,  not  by  one  in  ten  of  the  boys  and 
girls.  Very  few  comparatively  have  the  English  book 
in  which  it  appeared,  or  one  of  these  into  which  it  has 
been  copied  in  this  country.  We  have  seen  some  grown 
people  laugh  very  heartily  over  it  since  they  first  saw  it  in 
the  Agriculturist.  By  the  way,  two  or  three  misconstrued 
our  promise  of  “  a  picture  with  the  names  of  those  who 
worked  it  out.”  We  intended  to  say  we  would  give  the 
picture  and  their  names  in  this  paper,  and  we  do  so.  You 
see  how  4  lines  added  to  the  dead  dogs  in  fig.  1,  set  them 
to  running  in  fig.  2.  Here  are  the  names  of  those  who 
sent  in  correct  drawings  like  fig.  2,  prior  to  Dec.  17  • 
E.  H.  Slatesive,  Monmouth  Co.,  N,  J. ;  Alex.  Kirkman, 
and  Henry  R.  Oliver,  Kings  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  B.  C.  Parke. 


Fig.  2. 


Dauphin  Co.,  Pa. ;  Stephen  H.  Miller,  Col.  Co.,  Pa.  , 
Daniel  E.  Hervey,  N.  Y. ;  Geo.  Dinmer,  Phila.  ;  John 
Lane,  N.  Y. ;  John  Pilkington,  Essex  Co.,  N.  J. ;  Charle: 
H.  Smith,  N.  Y.  ;  Thomas  W.  Wightman,  Somerset  Co. 

N.  J.  ;  Walter  Milne,  Westchester  Co.,N.  Y.  ;  Harriets 
Williams.  N.  Y.  ;  Isaac  H.  Mayer,  no  address  ;  Thoma’ 

L.  Baily,  Chester,  Co.,  Pa.  ;  Markle  Smith,  Westmore 
land  Co.,  Pa.  ;  Orlin  O.  Hard,  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  Wit 
field  Scott  Thompson,  Salem  Co.,  N.  J. ;  C.  B.  Kitlredgi 
Hampden  Co.,  Mass. ;  Franklin  Miller,  Berks  Co.,  P- 
(with  the  very  pretty  addition  of  a  rabbit  running  befm 
each  dog) ;  George  Rowband,  Kings  Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  W 

M.  Dales,  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  Elmir l  M.  Vocrliie- 
Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  O.  A.  Kittredge  Mor  gmory  O’. 

O.  ;  James  R.  Sutton,  N.  Y  Thai!-  7  t\'  ,1’  P  e’  •  c 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


36 


Pa.  ;  P..  B.  Dawson,  Steuben  Co  ,  N.  Y.  (very  well  done)  , 
Albert  F.  Kelly.  Providence  Co.,  R.  X. ;  Charles  Edward 
Raymond,  Fairfield  Co.,  Conn.  ;  Joel  B.  Bertolet,  Berks 
Co  ,  Pa.  ;  Benj.  F.  Carpenter,  Huron  Co.,  O.  ;  Frank 
Hayward.  Peoria  Co.,  Ill.  ;  Arthur  Warren,  Union  Co., 
N  J.  ;  W.  S.  Haigh,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  John  W.  Foulks, 
Indiana  Co.,  Pa. ;  Robert  VVellstood,  N.  Y.  ;  Isaiah  Mich- 
ener.  Bunks  Co.,  Pa.;  R.  Harvey,  Jo  Davies  Co.,  Ill.: 
Annie  S.  Foster,  Queens  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  Philo  Mix,  Kew- 
Haven  Co.,  Conn. ;  Elias  (b  y.)  and  Amos  (11  y.)  Manma, 
Cumberland  Co.,  Pa.  ;  Calvin  H.  Gaylord,  Broome  Co., 
N.  Y  (the  picture  represents  Live  dogs)  ;  Lester  Winfield, 
Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y.  (thanks  for  kind  words);  Jas.  K.  Ex¬ 
line,  Tuscarawas  Co.,  0. ;  Mary  J.  Ford,  (13  y.)  Adams 
Co.,  Ill. ;  W.  H.  Golder,  Scott  Co.,  Iowa;  Edwin  C. 
Burleigh,  Aroostook  Co.,  Me.  ;  D.  Webster  Spicer,  Jeff. 
Co.,  N  Y. ;  Jno.  Crowell,  Jr.,  Kenton  Co  ,  Ky  ;  Geo. 
S.  Redsecker,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa.  ;  A.  H.  Duricomb, 
Westchester  Co.,  N  Y. ;  O.  S.  Coffin,  Hancock  Co.,  Ind.; 
L.  W.  Beach,  St  Clair  Co.,  Mich.;  George  Ingraham, 
(7  y  )  Queens  Co.,  N..Y.;  C  .  G.  P.  Chittenden  Co.,  Vt.  ; 
Chas.  Ross.  Waterloo  Co.,  C.  W.;  E.  D.  Newton,  Queens 
Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  J.  A.  Proctor,  Middlesex  Co  ,  Mass.  ;  Philo 
J.  Barnes,  Orange  Co.,  Vt  :  John  Fleming,  Hunterdon 
Co.,  N.  J. ;'  S.  Davis  and  A.  Knod,  Huntingdon  Co  ,  Pa. 
(sorry  you  cut  the  paper,  better  exercise  the  pencil  in 
drawing );  Chas.  H.  Osgood,  Windham  Co.,  Ct. ;  E.  P. 
Brown  and  F.  A.  Bliss,  Orange  Co.,  Vt.  ;  J.  T.  Downs, 
Anarundel  Co.,  Md.  (the  tree  problem  you  send  has  al¬ 
ready  been  published,  Sept.  1857);  Andrew  J.  Gilbert, 
Huron  Co..  O.;  Geo.  E  Halloday,  Ionia  Co.,  Mich.; 
David  L.  Phillips,  Cuyahoga  Co.,  0.;  C.  V.  V.,  N.  Y. 
city,  answers  thus : 

“  The  process  is  simp'e  and  easily  seen, 

Unless  the  beholder  is  unusually  green, 

For  it  is  readily  clone,  without  any  bother, 

Hitch  the  head  of  one  clog  to  the  tail  of  the  other.” 

Problem  31.  — This  problem  is  a  very  useful  though 
difficult  one,  but  it  is  a  good  arithmetical  exercise,  and 
should  be  worked  out  by  every  boy  and  girl  old  enough  to 
do  so  without  aid  from  others.  Few  seem  to  have  mast¬ 
ered  it,  and  we  will  still  delay  publishing  the  correct  so¬ 
lution  and  names  until  all  have  had  time  to  send  in  an¬ 
swers.  Rules  for  the  solution  are  in  most  school  arithmet¬ 
ics.  The  4th  and  7th  questions  in  this  problem  are  the  only 
really  difficult  ones.  Those  who  have  not  advanced  far 
enough  in  mathematics  for  these,  may  give  the  other  ten 
answers. 

Spell  the  word  Butt,  correctly,  using  14  letters. 

What  short  word  does  8  chew  tea,  spell  1 
What  short  word  does  Are  80,  spell  ? 


Market  Review,  Weather  Notes,  &o. 

American  Agriculturist  Office,  ) 
New  York,  Dec.  22,  1858  i 

The  closing  ot  the  Canals,  since  our  last,— has  had  the 
effect  of  lessening  the  receipts  of  Produce.  The  Rail¬ 
roads  have  not  brought  much  forward.  The  Coastwise 
arrivals  have  also  been  moderate.  The  supplies  of  Flour 
and  Wheat,  here,  have,  however,  been  quite  heavy.  The 
demand  has  been  less  active,  and  mair.ly  for  the  home 
trade.  There  has  been  very  little  disposition  to  purchase 
for  shipment,  or  on  speculation.  Prices  have  not  varied 
remarkably,  as  holders  have  not  pressed  their  supplies  on 
the  market.  Corn  has  fluctuated  considerably.  A  week, 
or  ten  days  ago,  there  was  a  lively  demand  from  parties, 
having  Western  speculators’  orders  to  fill.  This  occa¬ 
sioned  an  advance.  Such  demand  soon  died  out;  leav¬ 
ing  the  market  heavier  than  it  had  previously  been.  It 

closed  tamely,  though  sellers  ask  full  prices _ Rye  has 

been  in  limited  request.  It  has  been  sparingly  offered, 
however,  and  a  rise  in  prices  has  been  established.  The 
movements  in  Barley,  have  been  much  less  extensive, 
and  this  kind  of  grain  closes  quite  heavily. ..  .Oats  have 
been  in  active  demand  partly  for  shipment  to  New-Or- 
leans,  at  higher  rates. ...The  transactions  in  Cotton  have 
been  to  a  moderate  extent,  and  prices  have  advanced  ic. 

®$c.  I?  lb . Our  available  supply  is  44,193  bales,  against 

10,313  bales  same  period  last  ye'ar.  The  receipts  at  all 
the  shipping  ports  to  latest  dates  this  season  have  been 
1,362.447  bales,  against  732,1 16  bales  to  the  corresponding 
period  of  last  season.  The  total  exports  from  the  United 
States  so  far  this  season  have  been  622,767  bales,  against 
B73,627  bales  to  the  same  date  last  season.  The  total  stock 
on  hand  and  on  shipboard  in  the  shipping  ports  at  the 
latest  dates  was  659,820  bales,  against  384,007  bales  at  the 
same  time  last  year.  The  stock,  in  the  interior  towns  at 
the  latest  dates  was  164,248  bales,  against  72,289  bales  at 
the  corresponding  date  a  year  ago.  With  regard  to  the 
crop,  the  most  general  estimate  appears  to  be  3,500,000 
bales  ;  while  we  find  many  intelligent  opinions  favorable 
to  3,600,000  as  likely  to  be  nearer  the  mark.  The  lowest 
estimates  come  from  New-Orleans;  the  highest  from  the 
Atlantic  States _ Provisions  nave  been  quite  freely  pur¬ 


chased,  especially  hog  products,  for  future  delivery. 
Prices  have  been  unsettled,  closing,  however,  buoyantly 
for  Pork  and  Lard;  and  languidly  for  Beef.  The  latter  is 
unusually^lenty.  It  is  now  pretty  generally  conceded 
that  there  will  be  an  increase  in  the  number  of  Hogs 
packed  at  the  West,  this  season,  but  great  stress  is  laid 
upon  the  falling  off  in  weight,  and  as  this  is  admitted,  the 
arguments  the  next  four  weeks-will  be  based  upon  it  with 
a  good  degree  of  confidence  ;  if,  however,  the  receipts  the 
coming  week  should  reach  forty  or  fifty  thousand,  it  will 
be  difficult  to  withstand  the  force  of  such  an  argument  as 
this  will  furnish,  or  keep  up  prices  under  its  influence. 
Already  the  receipts  at  Cincinnati,  alone,  reach,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  latest  returns,  279,000,  against  163,000  same 
time  last  season.  The  indications  are  that  the  receipts 
will  be  fair  during  December,  at  least,  and  it  will  be  in 

January  before  the  season  will  “wind  up.” _ Hay  is 

less  plenty,  and  is  dearer,  but  not  active - Hemp,  Hops, 

Seeds,  and  Tobacco  attract  less  attention. ...  Wool  has 
been  in  lively  request,  and  with  much  reduced  available 
slocks  of  desirable  qualities  of  domestic,  prices  have  ad¬ 
vanced.  The  bulk  of  the  sales  have  been  to  manufactur¬ 
ers.  Two  extensive  auction  sales  of  Foreign  Wool  oc¬ 
curred  during  the  month,  one  here,  and  the  other  in  Bos¬ 
ton  ;  both  resulted  very  satisfactorily _ In  other  com¬ 

modities.  there  has  been  very  little  variation  during  the 
month. 

Receipts,  Flour.  Wheat ,  Corn.  By,  Barley,  Oats 

24  bus.  days  this  iron,  273,053  210,313  240,529  9,167  132,468  187,37(1 
24  bus.  daysfas!  iron  ,  487,200  932,295  668,283  26,748  334,548  197,285 

Sales.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye,  Barley. 

24  business  days  this  month,  266.420  312,150  611,000  46,700  116  300 
24  busiuess  days  last  moil,  332,(67  467,400  661,066  28,400  247,600 

Exports  from  N.  Y.,  from  Jan.  1st,  to  Dec.  14. 


1857. 

1858. 

Wheat  Flour,  bbls. ... 

. 1,003,871 

■  1,351,885 

Rye  Flour,  bbls . 

.  3,790 

4,525 

63.354 

Corn  Meal,  bbls . 

Wheat,  bush . 

. 3,583,468 

3,285,861 

Corn,  bush . 

. 1,950,664 

1,639,304 

Rye,  bush . 

12,487 

Current 

Wholesale  Prices. 

Nov.  24. 

Dec.  22. 

$4 

20. 

4 

90 

$1 

25 

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6 

75 

4 

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Extra  Western . 

Fancy  to  Extra  Genesee . 

Mixed  to  Extra  Southern . 

Rye  Flour— Fine  and  Super. 

Corn  Meal .  3  75 

Wheat — Canada  White 

Western  White  . 

Southern  White .  1  25 

All  kindsof  Red . 

Corn— Yellow . . . . 

White . 

Mixed . 

Oats — Western . 

State . 

Southern . 

Rye . 

Barley  . 

White  Beans . 

Hay,  in  bales,  per  100  Ihs .  45 

Cotton — Middlings,  per  lb _ 

Rice,  per  100  lbs . 

Hops,  crop  of  1858  per  lb .  10  (55  16 

Pork — Mess,  per  bbl .  17  30 

Prime,  nevbbl .  13  75 

Beef — Repacked  Mess . 

Countiy  mess  . 

Hogs,  Dressed  corn,  per  lu 

Lard,  in  bills,  per  lb . 

Butter— Western,  per  lb. . 

State,  per  lb .  20  (a) 

Cheese,  per  lb . 

Eggs — Fresh,  per  dozen . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  lb. 

Seed — Clover,  per  lb . 

Timothy,  per  bushel . 

Sugar,  Brown,  per  lb . 

Molasses,  New-Orleans,  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio,  per  lb . 

Tobacco — Kentucky,  See.  pr  lb 

Seed  Leaf  per  lb . 

WooL-Dumestic  fleece,  per  lb. 

Domestic,  pulled,  per  lb  . 

Hf.mp— Undr’d  Amer’n  pr  ton.  115 

Dressed  American,  per  ton _ 17(1 

Tallow,  per  lb . 

Oil  Cake,  perton .  31  00 

Potatoes — Peach  Blow...  ,..  1  62 

Mercers,  per  bbl .  1  37 

Sweet  Virginia,  per  bbl  .  1  50 

Sweet  Camden,  per  bbl .  2  75 

Turnips — Rutabagas,  per  bbl.  75 

Onions,  per  bbl .  2  00 

Cabbages,  per  100 .  150 

Squashes,  Marrow,  per  bbl.  " 

PUMnu.NS — Cheese,  ner  100.. 

Cranberries,  per  bbl . 

Apples— Common,  Per  bbl.. 

Prime  winter.  Per  bbl .  3  00 

Quinces— Dried,  per  lb.. 

Poultry— Fowls,  per  lb.. 

Ducks,  per  lb . 

Turkeys,  per  lb . 

Geese,  per  lb . 

Partridge,  per  pair . 

Prairie  Hens,  per  pair - 

Rabbits,  per  pair . 

Venison  — Carcass,  perlb. 

N.  Y.  Live  Sto. 

Markets  have  been  rather  scantily  supplied  since  our 
last  report.  Receipts  the  past  three  weeks  only  9  601 
against  14,566  for  the  preceding  threo  weeks.  Prices 
have  advanced  regularly  .}c.  per  lb.  each  week,  making 
the  closing  figures  Dec.  15  (the  last  general  marked  day) 
101c.®llc.  for  premium  bullocks;  ]0o.®10ic.  for  first 
quality;  8c.®9jc.  for  common  to  medium,  and  7c.®7jc. 
for  the  poorer  animals.  Generally  selling  at  8c.®10c., 


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00 

.  12 

00 

(5)15 

00 

12 

00 

fa)  16 

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00 

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f® 

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8 

(a) 

12 

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8 

fa) 

9 

8 

(ill 

10 

56 

fa) 

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/5 

(a)  1 

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8 

Markets..- 

■The 

Cattle 

with  an  average  of  81c.®8Jc.,  making  an  advance  of  lie 
for  the  three  weeks.  These  prices  are  for  the  estimated 
dressed  weight  of  the  four  quarters.  The  “fifth  quarter” 
(head,  hide  and  tallow)  are  not  taken  into  account  in  the 
estimated  weight  in  this  market. 

Sheep  and  Lambs. — Receipts  have  been  light,  number¬ 
ing  but  24,2b7  for  the  past  three  weeks,  which  is  a  (ailing 
off  of  12,031  from  the  reeeiptsof  the  three  previous  weeks. 
The  markers  are  now  active  at  advanced  rates,  good 
sheep  bringing  4ic.®5ic  ,  and  extras  5fc.®6c.  per  ft. 
gross  alive  weight.  Pelts  are  quick  at  $1.00®$1  50 
each. 

Hogs.— Arrivals  fair,  although  less  than  last  month. 
For  the  past  three  weeks  61,855  have  been  received. 
The  weather  has  mainly  favored  packers  who  have 
bought  freely  at  advanced  rates.  Good  corn  fed  hogs  are 
now  worth  6ic.®6ic.  For  a  few  lots  of  extra  fat  ones 
7c.  was  paid  Dec.  15th. 

The  Weather  during  the  past  month  has  been 
changeable,  with  a  few  touches  of  winter.  Very  little 
snow  has  fallen  in  this  vicinity,  however,  and  the  ground 
has  been  open  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time.  The 
abundance  of  wet  weather  has  checked  out-door  opera¬ 
tions  in  part,  but  ample  opportunity  has  been  afforded  for 
securing  late  root  crops  and  otherwise  preparing  for  win¬ 
ter.  Our  Daily  Weather  Notes,  condensed,  read  ; 
November  26,  27.  clear  and  cool ;  28,  snow  storm,  chang¬ 
ing  to  rain  on  29th.  but  leaving  some  three  inches  snow- 
on  the  ground;  30,  clear  and  mild,  snow  mostly  gone 
December  1,  clear  and  frosty;  2,  rainy  dav;  3,  clear  and 
warm  ;  4,  cloudy  a.m  ,  rain  p  m.,  which  continued  to  fall 
moderately  during  the  5th  ;  6,  clear  and  fine  ;  7,  rain 
p.m.  ;  8,  N.  E  rain  till  M..  cloudy  and  warm  p  m.  ;  9,  clear 
and  cold ;  10,  coldest  day  as  yet,  thermometer  12r 
ground  frozen  hard  ;  11,  cool ;  12,  clear  a.m.,  cloudy  p.m. 
and  milder  ;  13,  rainy  day  ;  14,  thick  fog  and  warm  rain  ; 
15,  rain;  16  and  17,  clear  and  warm;  18,  cooler;  19, 
cloudy  and  cold.  Mercury  16°,  with  snow  at  night;  20, 
cloudy,  milder,  slight  flurry  of  snow. 


Into  Which  are  thrown  all  sorts  of  paragraphs — such  as 


Notes  and  Replies  to  Correspondents,  with  Useful  or 
Interesting  Extracts  from  their  Letters,  together  with  Glean¬ 
ings  of  various  kinds  from  various  sources. 

Late  Communications.— Very  often  when  the 
paper  is  all  planned  and  half  in  type,  in  comes  a  good  letter 
which  ought  to  appear  at  once.  Please  keep  in  mind, 
friends,  that  we  need  about  all  the  matter  on  hand  a 
month  before  date,  in  order  to  make  up  an  assortment  for 
the  several  departments,  and  then  have  time  to  work 
upon  the  matter  in  hand,  have  it  put  in  type,  stereotyped, 
printed  and  mailed  to  go  off  at  least  a  week  before  its 
date,  or  it  will  be  behind  time  at  distant  points.  The  in 
side  sheet  must  be  all  completed  and  sent  to  press  by  the 
10th  of  the  preceding  month. 

Nothing-  for  Sale.— Constant  inquiries  whether 
we  can  supply  this  or  that  farm  or  garden  implement,  or 
animal,  &c.,  compel  us  to  say  for  the  twentieth  time  that 
we  have  not  the  remotest  interest  in  anything  of  the  kind 
directly  or  indirectly :  should  it  become  apparent  that  any 
one  of  the  editors  of  the  Agriculturist  was  so  interested 
as  to  in  the  least  influence  his  articles  in  these  pages,  he 
would  have  immediate  notice  that  his  services  could  be 
dispensed  with.  The  editorial  pages  of  this  journal  must 
and  shall  be  independent  of  all  private  interests. 

ESce-Mjintmg.— Description  of  mode  and  illustra¬ 
tion  of  hunters’  box,  from  H.  C.  Comins,  received  and 
laid  over,  to  be  given  at  the  hunting  season  with  others 
that  may  be  received. 

Dividing-  old  Strawberry  Boots.— A.  H. 

Butt,  Sullivan  Co.,  N.  H.,  and  others.  Better  get  new 
plants  from  the  runners  than  separate  old  strawberry 
roots. 

Clinton  drape.— L.  F.  Pierce,  Kossuth,  Iowa.— 
Your  queries  are  answered  pretty  fully  at  pages  158  and 
211  of  Vol.  XVI.,  where  an  illustration  is  given.  The 
Clinton  is  a  hardy  grape,  and  earlier  than  the  Isabella 
(some  say  two  weeks  ?)  It  is  not  of  the  first  quality  in 
flavor,  and  is  rather  acid.  Owing  to  its  hardiness  and  ear¬ 
ly  maturity  it  is  adapted  to  northern  culture. 

Cluifas,  or  Barth  Almonds,  ( Cypervs  escu- 
lentus.)—L.  F.  Pierce,  Desmoines  Co.,  Iowa,  w  rites  that 
he  planted  130  tubers  last  Spring,  and  gathered  12  quarts. 
They  were  put  in  rows  14  inches  apart,  6  inches  from 
each  other  in  the  row,  and  3  inches  deep.  This  is  rather 
deeper  and  closer  than  they  need  to  be.  We  can  not 
answer  as  to  the  amount  of  crop  that  may  be  produced 
per  acre,  nor  are  we  fully  satisfied  as  to  the  value  of  the 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


27 


plant  for  general  cultivation.  They  should  only  be  plant¬ 
ed  where  they  can  remain  permanently,  for  it  is  difficult 
to  eradicate  them  after  they  are  once  introduced  into  a 
plot  of  ground.  We  hear  that  poultry  are  very  fond  of 
them,  though  chiefly  raised  for  hogs,  which  dig  them 
themselves.  Foriurther  notes  see  last  volume,  page  150 
(May  No.) 

Fsil  ling:  Corn  Stalks. — Orlando  Bland,  of  Suffolk 
Co  informs  us  that  the  corn  on  land  whi'-h  has  been  fre¬ 
quently  dosed  with  ashes  falls  down  in  August  without 
any  apparent  cause.  Much  of  the  land  on  the  east  end 
of  Long  Island  has  been  treated  too  exclusively  with 
fish  and  ashes.  It  wants  carbonaceous  matter,  either  in 
the  form  of  muck  or  turning  in  green  crops,  to  keep  it  in 
balance.  Sow  plaster  and  clover,  and  turn  in  the  crop 
when  in  full  blos-om,  and  plant  corn  only  once  in  six 
years,  and  the  stalks  will  hold  out  until  the  end. 

Root  Crops  lor  Stock. — Thomas  D.  Burral, 
Geneva,  N.  Y-,  favors  us  with  a  copy  of  his  address  de¬ 
livered  before  the  Ontario  Agricultural  Society  away  back 
in  1622,  in  which  he  speaks  disparagingly  of  root  crops, 
lie  remarks  that  he  sends  the  address  as  a  matter  of  curi¬ 
osity  to  show  how  we  thought  and  talked  upon  “  the  sub¬ 
ject  in  the  woods  before  we  had  the  means  of  getting  to 
market  by  Railroads  and  Canals  ’’—These  records  of  the 
olden  time  agriculture,  and  of  the  efforts  then  being  made 
at  improvement  are  interesting. 

Winter  Keeping-  of  Onions— M.  1).  Seward, 
Christian  Co.,  Ill. — Keep  onions  cool  and  dry  during  win¬ 
ter.  Light  freezing  even  will  not  hurt  them  if  they  are 
covered  and  not  handled  while  frozen.  Cellars  aie  usu¬ 
ally  too  warm  and  especially  too  damp  to  keep  them  well. 
An  attic  or  garret  floor  is  belter.  Further  information 
will  be  called  out  by  the  prizes  offered  on  page  5. 

Bulbs  by  Mail— Thos  Frazer,  Luzerne  Co.,  Fa., 
and  others.— Small  bulbs,  such  as  snow-drop,  crocus,  ox- 
alis,  &c  ,  can  be  sent  by  mail.  The  larger  ones  better  go 
by  express,  and  even  smaller  ones,  if  many  are  wanted. 
We  can  hand  orders  or  remittances  to  reliable  dealers  ; 
but,  except  in  special  cases,  we  would  prefer  orders  sent 
directly  to  those  who  advertise  them. 

Hrading  Back  Raspberries  and  Black¬ 
berries— Wm.  Weaver,  McDonough  Co.,  III.  —  We 
prefer  heading  back  old  canes  w hen  they  first  start  in 
Spring,  and  new  shoots  as  soon  as  they  have  attained  a 
height  of  say  four  feet  in  mid-summer.  This  induces 
side  branches,  and  consequently  an  increased  fruit  sur¬ 
face. 

Ifelloxv  Locust  Seetl— W.  C.  H.  John,  Cayuga 
Co.,  N  Y. — You  will  find  this  frequently  advertised  in 
this  paper.  The  tree  is  ornamental  when  young,  but 
quite  the  reverse  w  hen  old.  It  is  readily  distinguished 
by  the  yellow  color  of  its  heart-wood.  Is  excellent  for 
timber.  See  page  5. 

Price  off  the  Newer  Grapes.— F.  B.  Parker, 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.  These  can  now  be  had  of  most  nursery¬ 
men.  Parsons  &  Co.,  of  Flushing,  quote  them  as  fol¬ 
lows  in  their  last  catalogue.  Hartford  Prolific,  50c  ; 
Concord.  75c.  for  one  year  old,  and  $1,  for  ;wo  year  old 
plants;  Diana,  $1  ;  Delaware,  $2  50  ;  and  Rebecca,  $1 
each. 

Root  Pruning  Grape  Vines.— Win.  M.  Reed, 
Macon  Co.,  Ala.  We  differ  from  those  nurserymen  who 
recommend  “cutting  away  all' the  upper  roots  of  the 
Grape.”  We  would  cut  away  the  top  rather  than  the 
root,  but  not  this  as  much  as  many  advocates.  Save  all 
the  roots  you  can,  to  draw  up  moisture  for  the  long  vines. 

Grape  or  Pruning  Shears — We  have  received 
from  Messrs.  John  Rowe  &  Co.,  269  Pearl  street,  N.  Y., 
a  very  efficient  implement,  of  American  manufacture,  for 
pruning  grape  vines,  etc.  The  form  of  the  handies  is  su¬ 
perior  to  those  of  the  imported  kind.  Tne  cutting  blades 
sever  a  i-inch  grape  vine  w  ith  a  clear  cut  and  very  easily, 
without  crushing  or  bruising  it. 

Braining  Level  Land.— Thos.  F.  Davis,  of  O., 
makes  inquiries  upon  this  topic.  Much  land  that  lies  ap¬ 
parently  level  has  fall  enough  to  clear  it  of  water.  A 
competent  engineer  should  examine  it  wilh  his  leveling 
instrument,  and  determine  the  lowest  point  and  the  pros¬ 
pect  cf  an  outlet  beyond  If  entirely  level,  a  small  pond 
and  a  wind-mill  pump  may  be  necessary.  * 

.Dissolved  Rones  with  Asbes— S.  W.  Joy, 
Straflord  Co  ,  N  H.,  writes  ;  “  The  inclosed  dollar  is  for 
the  Agriculturist  for  1859 — it  is  worth  many  dollars. 
Query  :  Is  it  well  to  mix  ashes  wth  dissolved  lime  J”  It 
is  not.  They  withdraw  a  part  of  the  acid  from  the  lime 
and  render  it  insoluble. 

Barilla.— G.  G.  Ruth,  Berks  County  Pa.  The  near¬ 
est  di.uggist  will  procure  the  article  for  you,  if  he  has  it 
not  ali,  ady  on 


Homological  Report.— S.  W.  Providence,  R.  1. 
The  proceedings  of  the  last  Pomological  Convention  have 
not  yet  been  published  officially.  For  copies,  when  issued, 
apply  to  the  President,  M.  P.  Wilder,  of  Boston,  or  Ihe 
Secretary,  T.  W.  Field,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  A  perfect 
list  of  the  fruits  commended,  at  the  last  meeting,  togeth¬ 
er  with  the  present  officers  of  the  Society,  &c.,  is  given 
in  the  Agriculturist  (Vol.  XVII  page  314). 

Wcstffield.  (Mass.)  Academy— Agricul- 
lnrc.-We  learn  from  the  Circular  of  this  old  Institu- 
tution  that  $5,000  were  given  by  Will  to  found  an  Agr.  De¬ 
partment,  and  the  town  of  Westfield,  in  its  corporate  ca- 
paciiy,  has  contributed  an  additional  $5,000.  This  De¬ 
partment  is  now  ip.  operation.  The  Institute  is  under  the 
caie  of  J.  B.  Holland,  A.  M.,  Principal.  Rev.  E.  Davis, 
D  D  ,  President,  and  N.  T.  Leonard,  Esq.,  Secretary  of 
Board  of  Trustees.  Term  began  Dec  8. 

Making  Burning  Fluid.— W.  C.  A.,  Oswego, 
N.  Y.  The  common  burning  fluid  is  simply  a  mixture  of 
about  Jive  gallons  of  95  percent  alcohol  (the  strongest  you 
can  get)  with  one  galbrn  of  esmphene.  They  are  put  to¬ 
gether  cold  and  shaken  well  two  or  three  times.  Alcohol 
varies  in  strength,  and  the  right  proportions  of  camphene 
is  all  that  will  dissolve  in  the  alcohol.  If  more  be  added 
a  smoky  light  will  result.  If  much  less,  a  dim  light  will 
be  given.  If  an  excess  of  camphene  be  added  it  will  sep¬ 
arate,  in  a  layer  by  itself,  and  the  perfect  mixture  may  be 
decanted  or  drawn  off.  Burning  fluid  is  dangerous  stuff 
in  careless  hands,  but  not  in  careful  hands  if  tight  metal- 
ic  lamps  be  only  used.  We  now  use  the  “  Carbon  Oil  ” 
instead,  and  would  advise  every  one  else  to  do  so,  but 
unfortunately  there  is  not  enough  of  it  produced,  as  yet, 
to  half  supply  the  demand. 

Aquariums,  i'riccs,  etc.— W.  A.  P.,  Putnam 
Co.,  III. — These  differ  greatly  in  price,  depending  upon 
size,  finish,  stocking,  &c.  A  plain  one,  like  fig.  1  on  page 
256,  vol.  16,  fourteen  by  twenty  inches  and  ten  inches 
high,  costs,  without  the  table,  $7  to  $8,  if  not  fitted  up 
with  animals  and  plants.  Some  very  small  ones  are  got 
up  lor  $2.50  to  $3.  Others  of  large  size  and  fine  finish 
cost  all  the  way  up  from  $12  to  $100. 

Cholic  isj  Morses. — A  New  Jeisey  subscriber 
says  he  has  seen  obstinate  cases  frequently  cured  by 
drenching  the  animal  freely  with  urine.  He  does  not 
state  the  amount  of  urine  to  be  given,  nor  from  which 
animals.  But  this  is  not  material,  for  we  would  not  ad¬ 
vise  its  use.  It  has  doubtless  been  useful  at  times— w-e 
have  known  of  its  being  given  to  children  for  colds,  and 
sometimes  successfully  ;  but  the  urinary  organs  carry  off 
much  foreign  material  from  the  body,  anil  the  urine  is  of 
very  variable  character,  and,  on  the  whole,  as  likely  to 
produce  injury  as  good. 

Borkings  for  Seed.— W.  R.  Pierce,  Plymouth 
Co.,  Mass.,  infers  from  a  note  on  page  347,  vol.  17,  that  we 
are  breeding  Dorking  fowls,  and  probably  have  them  for 
sale,  and  he  “  wishes  to  get  tvvo  or  three  white  ones  for 
seed.”  We  have  never  “taken”  the  “hen  fever”  strongly 
enough  to  go  into  raising  poultry  for  the  market.  In 
short,  the  only  stock  we  are  propagating  or  improving  for 
sale  is  the  Agriculturist. 

Milk  Sickness,  or  “  Trembles.”— A  lengthy 
article  from  C.  W.  V.,  of  Ill.,  is  received,  and  reserved  to 
appear  early  in  summer. 

- -o- - 

Webster  and  the  Witness. — Everybody  who  has 
had  the  misfortune  to  stand  in  a  witness  box,  enjoys  hear¬ 
ing  a  pettifogger  wound  up  by  the  subject  of  his  cross¬ 
questions.  Even  the  skillful  Daniel  Webster  more  than 
once  met  his  match.  In  the  famous  trial  of  the  Boyden 
will  case,  the  wife  of  Rev.  Wm.  Greenough  was  an  im¬ 
portant  witness,  and  Webster  tried  hard  to  break  down 
her  evidence.  She  remarked,  “she  believed,  etc.,”  when 
he  roared  out,  “We  don’t  want  to  hear  what  you  believe, 
but  what  you  know.”  “  That,  sir,  is  just  what  I  am  about 
to  say,”  she  replied,  and  went  on  with  her  statement. 
Shortly  after,  as  was  his  wont,  he  look  a  large  pinch  of 
snuff,  and  drawing  out  his  large  handkerchief  blew  his 
nose  wilh  a  report  that  rang  through  the  crowded  hall. 
Shortly  after  he  asked  Mrs.  Greenough  if  Mrs.  Boydon 
was  a  neat  woman.  She  replied  that  she  could  not  answer 
definilelv,  but  Mrs  B.  had  one  dirty  trick.  “What’s  that 
ma’am  I”  said  Webster.  Ans.  “She  took  snuff.”— The 
effect  of  this  reply  may  be  conceived. 

A  sweet  little  girl  was  looking  at  the  twilight  sky, 
wherein  the  stars  were  fast  overcoming  the  daylight. 
Suddenly  she  discovered  a  constellation  brightening  glori¬ 
ously  out  of  the  blue,  and  eqelaimed  with  delight;  “  Oh 
mother,  mother,  see,  see  !  God  is  making  a  brqutt  out  of 
the  stars 

A  Dublin  mercer,  recommending  a  piece  of  silk  to  a 
lady  for  a  gown,  said,  “  Madam,  it  will  wear  forever,  and 
make  a  petticoat  afterwards. 


“My  dearest  Maria,”  wrote  a  quite  affectionate  husband 
to  his  wife,  a  strong  minded  woman.  She  wrote  him 
back,  “Dearest,  let  me  correct  either  your  grammar  or 
your  morals.  You  address  me,  ‘  Mv  dearest  Maria.’  Am 
I  to  suppose  you  have  other  ‘dear  Marias?’  ” 

“  I  would  not  be  a  woman,”  said  Jean  Paul  Ritcher, 
“  for  then  I  could  not  love  one.” 

- - — aeo— - »  - 

A  Word  on  our  Engravings. 

We  are  laying  out  our  plans  for  an  unprecedented  num¬ 
ber  of  large  as  well  as  smaller  new  engravings  to  be  giv¬ 
en  in  this  volume.  Many  of  these  will  alone  be  worth 
the  price  of  the  volume.  We  doubt  whether  one  sub¬ 
scriber  in  a  hundred  would  for  one  or  even  ten  dollars, 
part  with  the  knowledge  and  pleasure  derived  from  the 
engravings  in  our  last  volume,  on  the  Telegraph,  the  Hy¬ 
draulic  Ram,  the  Sewing  Machine,  Dining  Table,  Cattle, 
Farm  Buildings,  Flowers,  Trees,  etc.,  etc.  We  do  not 
intend  to  publish  a  “  picture  book,”  but  we  believe  al¬ 
most  any  topic  can  be  better  explained  by  illustrations 
addressed  to  the  eye  ;  and  further,  why  should  not  the 
farmer's  own  family  paper  or  magazine  have  not  only  a 
pi  actical  character,  but  also  be  got  up  in  the  best  style  and 
in  a  form  to  please,  instruct  and  inculcate  true  artistic 
taste.  Other  classes  have  access  to  avenues  of  art  which 
are  denied  to  the  family  isolated  upon  the  farm.  The 
Agriculturist  it  is  hoped  will  in  some  degree  make 
up  this  deficiency.  We  are  exceedingly  pleased  that  the 
increasing  circulation  of  this  journal  bids  fair  to  enable 
the  publisher  not  only  to  take  the  front  rank,  but  to  far 
excel  in  beauty  as  well  as  intrinsic  value  and  cheapness, 
and  in  this  respect  to  far  surpass  anything  that  has  ever 
been  attempted  or  thought  of,  hithc-to.  Last  year  we 
published  engravings  costing  some  $2,500.  This  year  we 
hope  to  double  that  amount.  We  shall  do  so  if  our  read¬ 
ers  continue  to  bring  in  their  friends  and  neighbors,  as 
they  have  been  doing  during  December. 


Rowing  Against  the  Title. 

note  to  readers  and  correspondents. 

The  editorial  preparation  of  this  (Jan.)  number  of  the 
Agriculturist  has  been  rather  more  of  an  up-stream  job  with 
us  than  any  previous  number  we  have  ever  issued.  Ne 
ver  before  has  the  month  of  December  brought  us  any 
thing  like  such  a  rush  of  letters  on  business,  letters  of  in 
quiry,  etc.  For  example,  we  have  received  more  new 
subscribers  since  December  1st,  than  the  entire  number  on 
our  books  two  or  three  years  since.  We  had  looked  for 
this  and  provided  for  it,  not  only  by  an  increase  of  busi¬ 
ness  help,  but  also  by  engaging  an  additional  office  editor. 
But  unfortunately,  just  the  man  we  wanted  could  not 
come  into  the  office  until  after  this  number  goes  to  press. 
Added  to  this,  a  troublesome  affection  of  one  side  of  the 
head  during  the  first  part  of  Ihe  month  almost  incapacita¬ 
ted  us  for  very  effective  duty.  With  these  explanations 
we  must  beg  the  indulgence  of  our  readers  if  they  find  in 
this  number  any  less  variety  or  depth  of  thought  th* 
they  had  been  led  to  expect — with  the  assurance  that : 
will  be  made  up,  and  more,  during  the  volume.  \ 
should  not  consider  this  apology  necessary,  but  from  the 
fact  that  most  journals  are  expected  to  put  on  their  best 
show  at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  while  wilh  us  it  has 
necessarily  been  the  reverse. 

For  the  reasons  given,  we  must  also  ask  pardon  of  many 
nundreds  of  correspondents  w  hose  enquiries,  communica¬ 
tions,  etc-,  yet  remain  to  be  answered,  or  otherwise  at¬ 
tended  to.  A  multitude  of  letters  on  various  topics  have 
been  examined,  and  assorted  into  drawers  labelled  with 
the  twelve  successive  months  in  the  year,  to  be  “worked 
up”  each  in  its  appropriate  season— and  thousands  of 
others  will  be  similarly  treated.  From  our  fifty  thousand 
intelligent  subscribers  (and  we  may  say  almost  half  a 
million  of  readers )  a  vast  number  of  hints,  suggestions  and 
experiences  are  accumulating  for  profitable  use  in  these 
pages. 


Show-Rills. 


We  have  a  new,  large  and  beautiful  Agriculturist  show¬ 
bill,  illustrated  with  forty-four  engravings.  Copies  have 
been  sent  to  several  Post-Offices.  O  her  copies  will  be 
forwarded,  post-paid,  to  News  Dealers,  or  others  who 
may  desire  to  use  them  in  procuring  subscribers. 


Rank  Rills. 

Bills  on  all  solvent  or  specie-paying  Banks,  in  the 
United  States  and  British  Provinces,  will  be  received 
at  par,  for  subscriptions  to  the  Agriculturist.  Bills  on 
New-England,  New-York,  New-Jersey,  Pennsylvania, 
and  Delaware  are  most  desirable,  because  worth  more 
here.  Drafts  on  New-York  City  banks  cost  but  little,  and 
are  the  most  desirable  method  of  sending  sums  of  $10  and 
upwards. 


48 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


PREMIUMS! 

We  purpose  to  make  the  present  volume  of  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  far  superior  even  to  the  past  one,  in  greater  va¬ 
ne  y  of  topics,  in  mote  and  better  engravings,  in  short  in 
evi  -y  respect.  We  also  desire  to  extend  its  circulation 
mi  ,  tens  of  thousands  of  families  where  it  is  still  un¬ 
its  .wn.  To  accomplish  this,  we  offer  to  those  who  will 
as)  ft  in  the  work,  the  following  piemiums,  which  are  cer- 
tai  )y  liberal,  if  the  cost  of  the  paper,  and  the  low  price  at 
wKch  it  is  furnished  be  taken  into  account. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  Premiums  in  each  case 
(ex  ept  No.  X)  depend  upon  a  given  number  of  names, 
an(  not  upon  competition  between  unknown  persons  ;  so 
tha  every  person  know  s  exactly  what  he  or  she  is  work¬ 
ing  or. 

II  rcmilim  I. — A  liberal  distribution  of  valuable  seeds 
w  il  be  made  during  this  Winter,  to  all  regular  subscri¬ 
ber- alike,  whether  single  or  in  clubs,  and  whether  re- 
oei  ed  from  agents,  or  otherwise. 

f'remiiiin  51.—  We  have  obtained  more  pieces  of  the 
genuine  Atlantic  Cable — each  piece  four  inches  in  length, 
with  the  ends  secured  by  brass  ferules.  When  desired 
one  of  these  will  be  presented  to  any  club  of  six  sub¬ 
scribers  at  $5  (N.  B  — Twenty-one  cents  extra  must  be 
sent  to  pre-pay  postage  on  the  Cable.) 

Premium  SSI.— Any  person  sending  in  a  club  of 
10  subscribers  at  $8,  may  order  a  free  copy  of  either  Vol. 
XVI  or  Vol.  XVII,  which  will  be  sent  in  numbers. 

Premium  IV. — Any  person  sending  15  subscribers 
and  $12,  will  be  entitled  to  .16  copies  (that  is  one  extra 
copy),  for  the  coming  year. 

Premium  T. — Any  person  sending  25  subscribers 
and  $20,  will  be  entitled  to  both  Volumes  XVI  and  XVII, 
sent  in  numbers  post-paid.  (N.  B— If  $21  be  sent,  the  tw  o 
Volumes  will  be  bound  neatly  in  one  cover,  and  forward¬ 
ed  post-paid.) 

Premium  VI.— Any  person  sending  in  $24  for  30 
subscribers,  one-third  or  more  of  them  new  ones,  will  be 
emitled  to  a  silver  cased  Microscope,  with  the  celebrated 
“Coddington  lens”— the  same  as  fig.  4.  in  July  No.,  page 
219.  Price  $4.  (It  will  be  safely  packed  and  sent  by 
mail,  post-paid.) 

Premium  VII.—  Any  person  sending  $32  for  40 
subscribers,  (one-half  new  names,)  will  be  entitled  to  the 
large  unabridged.  Webster's  Dictionary,  containing  1,376 
3-column  pages— the  best  and  most  complete  work  of  the 
kind  in  the  world.  Price  $6.  It  weighs  7  lbs  ,  and  can 
be  sent  by  express  or  by  mail  ($1.12)  at  the  expense  of  the 
recipient  after  leaving  the  city. 


Premium  VIII. — Any  person  sending  in  $80  for 
100  subscribers,  (one-half  new)  will  be  entitled  to  each  of 
the  six  above  premiums,  numbered  1, 2,  4,  5,  6  and  7. 


Premium  IX— Important  €!i;i use.— In 

consequence  of  the  reduction  in  the  price  of  the  Best 
Sewing  Machines,  we  are  able  to  reduce  the  terms  of  the 
premium  materially.  That  is  to  say  :  Any  person  or  com¬ 
pany  of  persons  sending  in  144  new  subscribers  at  the  low¬ 
est  club  price  (80  cents  each)  or  one  hundred  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  $1  00  each,  will  be  presented  with  one 
of  Wheeler  &  Wilson’s  best  $50  Sewing  Machines,  new 
from  Ihe  manufactory.  These  $50  machines  are  just  as 
good  for  all  working  purposes  as  those  recently  sold  at 
$100.  No  better  working  machines  are  made.  We  con¬ 
sider  this  an  excellent  chance  for  hundreds  of  ladies  to 
secure  an  invaluable  prize  at  a  little  outlay  of  time  and 
effort.  The  names  can  be  easily  gathered  in  single  towns 
or  in  two  or  three  adjoining  ones  (they  need  not  all  be  at 
the  same  Post  office).  A  committee  of  ladies  may  unite 
their  efforts  and  secure  a  Sewing  Machine  as  common 
pioperty  w-ith  as  little  solicitation  ortrouble  as  they  could 
get  up  a  Fair,  and  if  they  collect  144  names,  all  they  get 
above  80  cents  each  will  be  clear  gain.  Perhaps  they  can 
enlist  their  brothers,  husbands  or  other  male  relatives  to 
aid  them.  Last  year  we  received  subscribers  enough 
from  single  Post  offices  in  Illinois,  and  elsewhere,  to  se¬ 
cure  this  premium.  (See  remarks  below.)— As  fast  as 
these  machines  are  secured  by  the  requisite  number  of 
subscribers,  they  are  selected  at  the  manufactory  by  the 
Publisher,  and  securely  packed  and  forwarded  by  any 
route  or  conveyance  desired.  There  are  no  charges  of 
any  kind,  except  for  transportation  after  leaving  the  city. 
Full  instructions  for  setting  up  and  using  go  wilh  each 
machine. 

Premium  X.— The  Lady  or  company  of  Ladies 
sending  the  largest  list  of  names  above  144  will  be  pre¬ 
sented  wilh  a  higher  priced  machine,  that  is  one  put  up 
in  an  extra  case. 

Remarks.— It  will  be  noticed  that  any  person  trying 
lor  one  of  the  higher  premiums,  and  failing  to  get  names 


enough,  can  still  take  one  of  the  lower  ones,  according  to 
the  number  of  names  obtained. 

Every  person  collecting  names  for  premiums  can  send 
them  in  with  the  money  as  fast  as  received  ;  but  if  de¬ 
signed  for  premiums,  a  double  list  of  the  names  should  be 
sent,  one  of  them  marked  at  the  top,  “  For  premiums,” 
and  with  the  name  of  the  sender.  These  duplicate  lists 
will  be  kept  on  file  by  themselves  to  be  referred  to  in 
making  up  the  premium  when  any  person  has  completed 
sending  in  names  for  Volume  XVIII. 

We  do  not  set  any  time  for  the  completion  of  the  lisl  s 
it  being  understood  that  these  premiums  are  only  for  sub¬ 
scriptions  for  volume  XVIII  (1859),  whenever  received. 
The  premiums  willbe  paid  as  soon  as  the  names  are  in. 

- -  ■  »  » - 

Tile  Sewing  Machines 

Are  really  going  at  a  rapid  rate.  (See  addition  to  Prem. 
IX.)  When  first  offering  them,  we  supposed  that  ten  or  a 
dozen  would  he  all  that  would  be  required.  But  from 
what  has  already  been  done  and  is  still  doing,  we  begin 
to  calculate  upon  giving  out  over  one  hundred  Sewing 
Machines  before  the  close  of  February.  Our  offer  is  not 
limited  by  time.  The  only  requisite  is  that  144  sub¬ 
scribers  (or  100)  be  procured  to  begin  with  the  present 
Volume.  Those  who  have  already  secured  only  forty, 
fifty,  sixty,  or  more  names,  have  still  ample  time  to  fill 
up  their  lists.  And  the  same  may  be  said  to  those  who 
have  hardly  commenced  as  yet.  This  and  the  follow¬ 
ing  month  will  furnish  leisure  for  canvasing  two  or 
three  towns,  or  more,  at  odd  spells. 

SEWING  MACHINE  GIFT  TO  A  WORTHY  POOR  WOMAN. 

Two  gentlemen,  living  widely  separated,  write  nearly 
the  same  words.  Here  is  w  hat  the  one  in  Ohio  says  : 
“ ....  We  have  in  our  neighborhood  a  very  poor  but  very 
worthy  woman,  who  is  disposed  to  help  herself.  In  look 
ing  over  the  Agriculturist  at  our  Farmers’  Club  room  we 
noticed  your  offer  of  a  Sewing  Machine,  and  six  of  us  at 
once  agreed  to  try  to  raise  a  couple  of  dozen  subscribers 
each,  to  secure  this  premium  and  present  it  to  the  lady 
above  referred  to.  Well,  we  have  partly  succeeded, 
having  obtained  nearly  100  subscribers  in  one  town.  But 
we  may  not  get  the  144,  and  as  every  one  who  has 
subscribed  would  willingly  pay  the  full  price  to  help  an 
enterprise,  I  write  to  ask  how  many  names  at  $1  each 
will  bring  us  the  machine.” 

Answer. — To  meet  this  and  other  similar  cases,  we 
have  introduced  a  new  proposition  in  Premium  IX— 
viz  :  to  give  the  sewing  machine  when  100  names  are 
sent  at  the  full  price  ($1  each.) 

^Business  Strikes. 

Fifty  Cents  a  Line • 

Wlieeler  aaatl  Wilson’s  Sewing  Mil* 
climes. 

“  None  are  better  adapted  to  Family  Use.” 

American  Agriculturist.  Dec.  1858 

PRICES  GREATLY  REDUCED. 

Office  505  Broadway,  New-York. 
Send  for  a  Circular. 

- - - - —»i^ - -  - - - 

GROVER  &  BAKER’S 

CELEBRATED 

FAMILY  SEWING  MACHINES, 

A  New  Style.  Fi’ice  #50. 

495  BROADWAY,  NEW-YORK. 

18  SUMMER-STREET,  BOSTON. 

730  CHESTNUT-STREET,  PHILADELPHIA. 

For  our  own  family  use,  became  fully  satisfied  that  Grover 
&  Baker’s  machine  is  the  best,  and  we  accordingly  purchased 
it.” — American  Agriculturist. 

Agencies  in  all  the  principal  Cities  and  Towns  in  the 
United  States. 

- -  m  +  m* - - - 

“OLD  DOMINION”  COFFEE  POT 

AN© 

©U©  DOMINION  TEA  POT. 

E-  P.  T0RREY,  Manufacturer’s  Depot. 

9  Platt-si*eet,  N.  Y. 


Stocks  and  Seedling  Trees  for  Nurseries,  Ever¬ 
green  Tree  and  other  Ornamental  Tree  Seeds.  Chinese 
Potato  or  Yam,  $3  per  109,  $20  per  1009.  Hardy  Native 
Grapes,  140  varieties,  100  Foreign  varieties.  Priced  Ca¬ 
talogues  gratis,  if  stamps  s  ent. 

WM.  R.  PRINCE  &  CO.,  Flushing,  N.  Y. 


Catalogue  of  Seeds  for  Eree  Distribution 
in  1859 

Each  person  whose  subscription  to  the  American  Agricul¬ 
turist  is  paid  beyond  February ,  1859,  will  be  entitled  to 
select  three  parcels  of  seeds  from  the  general  list  given 
m  the  next  column.  (If  only  flower  seeds  are  chosen,  five 
parcels  may  be  selected  by  each  person— or  three  of  flowers, 
and  one  other  kind.) 

8^  See  Descriptive  Notes  on  pages  3  and  18. 

lEF"  Two  or  three  typographical  errors,  by  some  inex¬ 
plicable  blunder,  crept  into  our  list  as  given  in  December. 
They  are  here  corrected-  Thus  ;  No.  73  is  changed  to 
No.  93— No.  24  to  No.  34— No.  80  to  No.  81.  In  part  of 
our  last  edition  No.  12  was  omitted,  and  in  part  No.  21. 
The  list  now  appears  correct. 

A.  It  is  of  absolute  importance  that  the  following  direc¬ 
tions  be  strictly  followed,  even  to  the  minutest  particu¬ 
lars,  We  have  73  distinct  varieties  of  seeds,  to  be  dis¬ 
tributed  among  50,000  or  more  persons  scattered  all  over 
the  country,  which,  at  the  best,  will  involve  immense 
labor;  and  some  mistakes  must  unavoidably  occur,  unless 
each  subscriber  take  special  pains  to  facilitate  the  work. 

B.  The  seeds  can  be  called  for  at  the  office,  or  be  sent 
by  express,  or  in  ready  prepared  envelopes  to  be  fur¬ 
nished  by  the  subscriber,  as  described  below. 

C.  Subscribers  at  different  points  can  estimate  whether 
they  can  receive  their  seeds  cheapest  by  Mail  to  separate 
individuals,  or  in  a  package  by  Express. 

D.  If  to  go  by  Express,  no  envelopes  will  be  needed. 
In  that  case,  simply  send  us  a  written  list  of  the  names, 
marking  against  each  name  the  kinds  of  seed  desired, 
using  the  numbers  in  the  Catalogue.  Keep  a  duplicate  of 
the  list  sent,  and  give  particular  directions,  on  the  list, 
how  the  packages  are  to  be  forwarded,  and  to  whom 
directed. 

E.  If  to  go  by  mail,  the  applicant  will  (of  course)  fur¬ 
nish  prepaid  envelopes,  of  ordinary  size,  which  should  be 
prepared  as  in  the  engraving  here  given — that  is :  Put  the 
figures  corresponding 
to  the  Catalogue  plainly 
on  the  upper  left  hand 
of  the  envelope,  and 
put  all  the  postage 
stamps  upon  the  right 
side  of'the  envelope — 
one  above  the  other 
when  two  or  more  are  heeded,  as  shown  in  this  pat¬ 
tern.  This  will  prevent  the  seeds  being  crushed  in 
the  stamping  process,  in  the  Post-Office.  One  ordinary 
envelope  will  generally  hold  the  amount  of  seed-packages 
carried  by  two  or  three  stamps.  J6ST  The  amount  of 
stamps  can  be  calculated  from  the  Catalogue.  Single  1-cent 
stamps  on  letters  are  of  no  value,  unless  there  be  even 
threes  of  them,  as  letter  postage  is  rated  by  the  half  ounce. 

F.  Let  letters  referring  to  seeds  be  as  brief  as  possible, 
and  yet  plain.  All  such  communications  are  referred 
directly  to  the  clerk  superintending  that  department.  It 
is  especially  desirable  that  whatever  relates  to  seeds 
should  be  on  a  separate  slip  of  paper.  (We  shajl  probably 
distribute  over  two  hundred  thousand  packages,  and  a  min¬ 
ute’s  time  saved  on  each  of  these  would  amount  to  333 
working  days  of  10  hours  each — more  than  a  whole 
year !) 

G.  Canada,  California  and  Oregon  subscribers  will 
need  to  substitute  10-cent  stamps  in  all  cases  where 
3-cent  stamps  are  nam'ed  in  the  catalogue.  When  several 
send  together  from  Canada,  it  will  usually  be  cheaper 
to  receive  the  seeds  by  Express.  (Postage  need  not 
necessarily  be  prepaid  here,  on  Canada  letters.) 

H.  Always  put  the  stamps  upon  the  envelopes,  and 
not  drop  them  loosely  into  the  enclosing  letter. 

I.  It  is  always  better  to  send  envelopes  of  the  ordinary 
size,  and  made  after  what  is  called  the  “  Government 
pattern ’’—that  is,  those  in  which  the  back  comes  under 
the  piece  lapping  over  ;  these  seal  up  more  firmly.  This 
point  is  not  essential,  however. 

J.  Usually,  the  lighter  the  envelope  the  better,  that 
more  seeds  may  go  under  the  same  stamps. 

K.  Send  only  the  number  of  stamps  required  for  post¬ 
age  on  the  seed.  We  have  no  seeds  of  any  kind  to  sell. 

la.  Those  forwarding  unpaid  envelopes  will  of  course 
not  be  disappointed  if  they  do  not  return.  We  offer  seeds 
free,  but  cannot,  in  addition,  afford  t-o  pay  postage  also. 

R5.  All  seeds  sent  by  mail  are  put  up  at  our  country 
residence,  and  each  package  is  there  mailed  direct,  to 
avoid  its  being  overhauled  at  the  Distributing  Offices. 

N.  We  shall  take  time  to  mail  all  the  seeds  care¬ 
fully  and  regularly.  This  will  occupy  the  entire  months 
of  January  and  February.  Those  going  to  subscribers  on 
the  Pacific  Coast,  and  in  Southern  States  where  the  sea¬ 
sons  are  earlier,  will  be  mailed  first,  and  with  dispatch. 
To  others  they  will  go  as  fast  as  the  putting  up  and  mai 


9 

13 

40 

JOHN  JONES. 

BARRY 

DANE  CO. 

WIS. 

AMEJ{  i can  agriculturist. 


29 


ing  can  be  accomplished — but  to  all  in  ample  season  for 
Spring  planting  and  sowing. 

LIST  OF  SEEDS. 

Field  Seeds. 

1 _ White  Sugar  Beet— Single  or  doubje  packages,  as 

may  be  desired,  requiring  one  or  two  3-cent  postage 

stamps.  . 

2—  King  Philip  Corn— Single,  double,  or  triple  pack¬ 
ages,  as  may  be  desired,  requiring  one,  two,  or  three 
3-<  ent  stamps. 

3—  Stowell's  Sweet  Corn— Same  packages  as  No.  1. 
4_ White  Poland  Oats— Same  packages  as  No.  2. 

5—  Chinese  Sugar  Cane— Any  subicriber  may  select 
any  amount,  from  half  an  ounce  up  to  a  full  pound  of 
this,  by  providing  for  the  transportation  by  mail,  or  ex¬ 
press,  or  otherwise.  If  to  go  by  mail,  a  3-cent  stamp 
must  be  sent  for  each  half  ounce.  No  prepared  envelopes 
will  be  needed  if  the  address  be  plainly  given. 

6—  Ashcroft's  Swedish  Turnip— Half  of  3-cent  stamp. 

7—  River’s  Swedish  Stubble  Turnip—  do.  do. 

6§ — Purple-top  Scotch,  or  Bullock  Turnip —  do. 

69 —  Green-top  Scotch,  or  Bullock  Turnip —  do. 

70—  Waite’s  London  purple-top  Swede  Turnip —  do. 

93—  Hungarian  Grass — One  3-cent  stamp. 

94—  Crystal  Flint  or  Hominy  Corn— One  3-cent  stamp. 

Vegetable  or  Garden  Seeds. 

8—  Daniel  O’Rourke  Pea— Packages  same  as  No.  1. 

9—  Champion  of  England  Pea — One  3-cent  stamp. 

10 —  British  Queen  Pea —  do  do. 

11 —  Hair’s  Dwarf  Mammoth  Pea —  do.  do. 

59— King  of  the  Marrows  Pea —  do.  do. 

12—  Green  Kohl  Rabi— One-third  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 

1 3—  Enfield  Market  Cabbage—  do.  do. 

1 4 —  Alma  Cauliflower—  do.  do. 

1 5—  Mammoth  Cabbage  Lettuce—  do.  do. 

21— Winter  Cherry —  do.  do. 

17— Red  Strap-Leaf  Turnip— One-half  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 


19 — Round  Spinach- 

do. 

do. 

SO — Salsafy — 

do. 

do. 

22— Boston  Marrow  Squash- 

do. 

do. 

55— White  Globe  Onion — 

do. 

do. 

72 — Imported  Brussels  Sprouts — 

do. 

do. 

73— Egg  Plants,  (mixed)— 

do. 

do. 

74— Solid  White  Celery- 

do. 

do. 

75 — Green  Curled  Endive — 

d*o. 

do, 

7G— Musk  Melon- 

do. 

do. 

77 — Water  Melon — 

do. 

do. 

92 — Okra- 

do. 

do. 

16— Long  Orange  Carrot — 

do. 

do. 

7  1  —Long  White  French  Turnip- 

-One  3-cent  stamp. 

FOR  BOTH  EDITIONS — ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN. 
Thirty-one  cents  per  line  ;  S38  per  column. 

Business  Notices  Sixty-five  cents  per  line. 


THE  PEOPLES’  COFFEE  POT- 
The  Cheapest  by  far  amt 
the  Hcst. 

The  Peoples'  Coffee  Pot  is  one  of  the  most  recent  inventions 
for  securing  good  coffee  under  all  circumstances.  It  has  all  t  he 
principal  advantages  of  oilier  Coffee  Pots  in  use,  while  it  is  less 
complicated  and  is  sold  at  about 

HALF  THE  PRICE  OF  OTHERS. 

Manufactured  and  sold  by  __ 

JOHN  D.  LOCKE, 

193  Water-street,  New-York. 


The  Metropolitan  Washing: 
Machine. 

This  machine  is  constantly  coming  into  favor.  No  person  who 
gives  it  a  fair  trial  fails  to  like  it.  It  revolutionizes  Washing 
Day,  saving  more  than  half  the  expense,  time  and  labor,  of 
Washi'  g— is  perfectly  simple,  admirably  adapted  to  the  wants  of 
North  and  the  South.  Send  for  a  circular. 

r  DAVID  LYMAN. 

(  Middlefield,  Ct. 

I  Sole  owner  of  North  and  South 
.  I  Carolina,  Florida,  Alabama 
IMissinpi.  Louisiana.  Texas, 
^California  and  Oregon. 


LEROY  &  CO., Hartford, Ct. 


FARM 

Sold  on  Commission, 

Such  as  Flour  Butter.  Cheese,  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds 
Grain,  Eggs,  Ponltrv,  Game,  &c.  Stc. 

HAIGHT  &  E MENS.  226  Front-st.,  New-York. 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

R.  H.  Haydock,  Cashier  Market  Bank,  New-York. 


Every  Family  should  use 
Houchin’s 
Starch 


%A_Ro 


Polish 

Wafers. 


Flower  and  Ornamental  Seeds. 

Of  these  any  subscriber  may  choose  three  parcels,  with 
one  of  thosit  above  ;  or  five  parcels,  with  none  of  the 
above.  The  Flower  and  Ornamental  Seeds  are  put  up  in 
small  packages,  the  amount  in  each  depending  upon  the 
variety  of  the  seeds,  their  size,  the  number  required  for  a 
common  flower-bed,  etc. 

♦  ~ 

39 —  Marvel  of  Peru — One-third  of  a  3  cent  stamp. 

45 —  Sweet  Peas —  do.  do. 

46 —  Mixed  Lupins —  do.  do. 

89—  Cotton  Plant  (2  kinds)— One  3-cent  stamp. 

90 —  Norwavr  Spruce  Seed — One-half  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 

91 —  Arbor  Vitae  Seed —  do.  do. 

On  an  average ,  about  Jive  of  the  following  32  varieties 
will  go  under  a  3 -cent  postage  stamp. 

23 — Mignonette.  47— Mornine  Glory-,  mixed. 

25— Mixed  Nasturtiums,  48— Flos  Adonis. 

27 —  Extra  Cockscomb.  49 — Candy  Tuft. 

28—  Dwf.  Rocket  Larkspur. 50 — Scliizantbus. 

29 —  Double  Balsams,  mix’d. 5 1  — Phlox  Drummondii. 

30—  Tassel  Flower.  78— Ageratum  Mexicanum. 

31—  Chinese  Pink.  79— Germ.  10-weeks  Stock. 

32 —  Portulanas,  mixed.  80 — Yellow  Hawkweed. 

33 —  Cypress  Vine.  81— Canary  Bird  Flower. 

34—  China  Asters,  mixed.  8  2— Thunbergia. 

35 —  German  Asters,  mixed  83 — Snap-Dragon. 

37—  Zinnia  Klegans.  84— African  Marigold. 

38—  Sweet  William.  85— Gaillardia,  mixed. 

40 —  Esr.holt7.ia  Californica. 86— Euphorbia,  mined. 

41—  Elegant  Clarkia.  87— Coreopsis. 

42 —  Foxglove. 


88 — Globe  Amaranth. 


3Ufrutmm*nts. 

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It  gives  tol:nen  a  superior  lustre  and  finish,  and  an  extra  stiff¬ 
ness  Ii  will  prevent  the  iron  sticking.  Shiris,  Bosoms  Col¬ 
lars,  &c..  can  be  done  up  quicker  and  will  look  better,  and  in 
damp  weai  her  will  keep  clean  longer  by  using  this  Polish. 

Ladies  who  have  u-ed  it  will  have  no  oilier 

Samples  gratis  by  call i •  g  on  J.  B  MORRILL, 

Sole  Agent,  wholesale  and  retail. 

304  Broadway,  New-York  City. 

J.  A.  DIX,  New  York, 

General  Pnrclsasing'  Ageaacy, 

No.  1  Nassau-street. 

This  Agency  is  established  for  the  use  of  families  or  individu¬ 
als  wanting  any  ar  icle  of  use  or  luxury,  or  of  met  chants  in  col¬ 
lecting  and  dispatching  goods  to  their  order— he  v  Books.  Fur¬ 
niture.  Dress  Patterns,  Agricultural  Implements,  Machinery, 
Jewelry,  Domestic  Animals  Carriages. Steam  Ens mes, or  what¬ 
ever  is  offered  for  sale  in  this  or  any  foreign  market. 

Purchases  made  at  all  times  at.  the  lowest,  market  prices— tip 
commission  to  be  agreed  upon,  but  never  to  exceed  live  per  cent 
unless  in  very  small  transactions  : 

References. 

Wm.  B.  Meecker.  Cashier  Rank  of  New-York. 

Prof.  Benj.  Silliman,  Jr  ,  of  Yale  College 

S.  T.  Headley,  Ass’t  Pres.  N.  Y.  &  Erie  R.  R. 

- »®§gg8£!I 


A.G-RXCUX.TTmAXj 

PUBLISHED  BY 


BOOKS 


Ao  O.  MOORE  &  CO 

140  Fulton  street.  New 

Sent  by  mail  to  any  part  of  the  XT.  S.  on  receipt  of  price. 


•9 

York 


60 


60 


1  American  Farmer's  Encyclopedia — 

A  Work  of  great  value . 4  00 

2  Allen’s  American  Farm  Book .  1  00 

8  Allen's  Diseases  of  Domestic  Animals  75 

4  Allen’s  Rural  Architecture .  1  25 

5  Allen  on  the  Culture  of  the  Grape. ...  1  00 

6  American  Architect,  or  Plans  for 

Country  Dwellings .  6  00 

7  American  Florist’s  Guide .  75 

8  Barry’s  Fruit  Garden .  1  25 

9  Blake’s  Farmer  at  Home .  1  25 

10  Boussingault’s  Rural  Economy .  1  25 

11  Browne’s  Bird  Faucier .  50 

12  Browne’s  Poultry  Yard .  1  00 

13  Browne’s  Field  Book  of  Manures .  1  25 

14  Bridgeman’sGardener’3  Assistant.. .  1  50 

15  Bridgeman's  Florist’s  Guide .  60 

16  Bridgeman’s  Kitchen  Gardener's  In¬ 

structor . . 

17  Bridgeman’s  Fruit  Cultivator’s  Ma¬ 

nual . 

18  Breck’s  Book  of  Flowers .  1  00 

19  Buist’s  Flower  Garden  Directory .  1  25 

20  Buist’s  Family  Kitchen  Gardener...  75 

21  Chinese  SugarCane  and  Sugar  Mak¬ 

ing .  25 

22  Chorlton’s  Grape  Grower's  Guide...  60 

23  Cobbett’s  American  Gardener .  50 

24  Cottage  and  Farm  Bee-keeper .  25 

25  Cole's  American  Fruit  Book .  50 

26  Cole's  American  Veterinarian .  50 

27  Dadd’s  Modern  Horse  Doctor .  1  00 

28  Dadd’s  American  Cattle  Doctor .  1  00 

29  Dadd’s  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of 

the  Horse .  2  00 

Do.  colored  plates . . 4  00 

80  Dana’s  Muck  Manual .  1  00 

81  Dana's  Prize  Essay  on  Manures .  25 

82  Darlington's  Weeds  and  Useful 

Plants .  1  50 

88  Domestic  and  Ornamental  Poultry..  1  00 
Do.  colored  plates .  2  00 

84  Downing’s  Landscape  Gardening....  8  50 

85  Downing’s  Rural  Essays . .  3  00 

86  Eastwood’s  Cranberry  Culture .  50 

87  Elliott’s  Western  Fruit  Book .  1  25 

38  Every  Lady  her  own  Flower  Gardener  50 

39  Fessenden’s  Farmer  and  Gardener. .  1  25 

40  Fessenden's  Am.  Kitchen  Gardener.  50 

41  Field’s  Pear  Culture .  1  00 

42  Fish  Culture .  1  00 

43  Flint  on  Grasses .  1  25 

44  Guenon  on  Milch  Cows .  60 

45  Herbert’s  Hints  to  norse-keepers _ 1  00 

46  Hooper’s  Dog  and  Gun .  25 

47  Hyde's  Chinese  Sugar  Cano .  25 

4S  JohnBton’s  Agricultural  Chemistry..  1  25 


49  Johnston’s  Elements  of  Agricul¬ 

tural  Chemistry  and  Geology .  1  00 

50  Johnston’s  Catechism  of  Agricul¬ 

tural  Chemistry  for  Schools .  25 

51  Langstroth  on  the  Hive  and  Honey 

Bee .  1  25 

52  Leuchar’s  Hot  Houses .  1  25 

53  Liebig’s  Familiar  Letters  to  Farmers  50 

54  Linsley’s  Morgan  Horses .  1  00 

55  Miner’s  Bee-keeper’s  Manual .  1  00 

56  Miles  on  the  Horse’s  Foot .  50 

57  Milburn  on  the  Cow .  25 

5S  Moore’s  Rural  Hand  Books,  bound 

in  4  Series, . each  1  25 

59  Munn’s  Land  Drainer .  60 

60  Nash’s  Progressive  Farmer .  60 

61  Neill’s  Gardener’s  Companion .  1  00 

62  Norton’s  Elements  of  Agriculture..  60 

63  Olcott’s  Sorgho  and  Impliee . 1  00 

64  Pardee  on  the  Strawberry .  60 

65  Pedder’s  Land  Measurer .  50 

66  Persoz’  New  Culture  of  the  Vino. . .  25 

67  Phelps’  Bee-keeper’s  Chart .  25 

6S  Quinby’s  Mysteries  of  Bee-keeping..  1  00 

69  Rabbit  Fancier . .  60 

70  Randall’s  Sheep  Husbandry .  1  25 

71  Richardson  on  the  Horse .  .  25 

72  Richardson’s  Pests  of  the  Farm .  25 

73  Richardson’s  Domestic  Fowls .  25 

74  Richardson  on  the  Hog .  25 

75  Richardson  on  the  Honey  Bee .  25 

76  Richardson  on  the  Dog .  25 

77  Reemelin’s  Vine-dresser’s  Manual,,  50 

78  Shepherd's  Own  Book .  2  00 

79  Stewart's  Stable  Book .  l  00 

80  Stray  Leaves  from  the  Book  of 

Nature .  1  00 

81  Stephens’  Book  of  the  Farm,  2  vols.  4  00 

82  Stockhardt’s  Chem.  Field  Lectures.  1  00 

83  Skillful  Housewife .  25 

84  Skinner’s  Elements  of  Agriculture. .  25 

85  Smith’s  Landscape  Gardening .  1  25 

86  Timer’s  Principles  of  Agriculture.. .  2  00 

87  Thomas’  Farm  Implements .  1  00 

88  Thompson’s  Food  of  Animals .  75 

89  The  Rose  Culturist .  25 

90  Topham’s  Chemistry  Made  Easy. .. .  25 

91  Turner’s  Cotton  Planter’s  Manual..  1  00 

92  Warder’s  Hedges  and  Evergreens..  1  00 

93  Waring’s  Elements  of  Agriculture..  75 

94  Week’s  on  Bees .  25 

95  White’s  Gardening  for  the  South...  1  25 

96  Wilson  on  Flax .  25 

97  Youatt  &  Martin  on  Cattle .  1  25 

98  Youatt  on  the  Horse .  1  25 

99  Youatt  on  Sheep .  75 

100  Youatt  on  the  Hog .  75 


30 


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WEBSTER’S  QUARTO  DICTSONARir. 

THE  ENTIRE  WORK  UNABRIDGED. 

‘‘All  young  persons  should  have  a  standard 

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eroundwell  prepared,  with  the  avails  ofwhichthey  may  buy  it 
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The  American  Fruit  Culturist, 

CONTAINING  DIRECTIONS  FOR  TUB 

PROPAGATION  AND  CULTURE  OF  FRUIT  TREES, 
IN  THK 

NURSERY,  ORCHARD  AND  GARDEN- 

With  descriptions  of  the  Principal  American’and  Foreign  Va¬ 
rieties cultivated  ...  the  Unit  ed  States,  with  3(10  accurate  figures. 
By  JOHN  J.  Thomas.  Twelfth  Edition.  Revised. 

NOTICES  OF  THE  FRF.SS.  . 

“  It  is  worth  its  weight  in  gold  to  any  new  beginner  m  Fruit 
Puli ii re” — Moore's  Rural  New-Yorker. 

C“  It  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  Fruit  Grower,  and  espoc- 
iollv  nf  every  Nurseryman.” — Ohio  Cultivator. 

“II  isftill  There  is  no  vacant  space  in  it.  It  is  like  afresh 
eve-ali  good  and  packed  full  to  the  shell.”— Frame  Farmer. 

it-  m-.nifesis  careful  research,  close  observation,  and  an  ex- 
eelle  it W  “.  emifticclassification  Western  Horticultural  Rev, ew 
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most  comprehensive  and  reliable  work  for  the  Farmer’s  Libra- 

L  a _ \  or th  Western  Farmer.  ... 

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T 


THE  HOUSE, 

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ARCHITECTURE  ;  or  how  to  Build  Dwellings,  Barns,  Stables, 
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sentials  of  a  Dwelling  ;  Building  Materials;  Choice  of  aSitua- 
tion;  Styles  of  Architecture;  Cottages  in  the  Various  Styles; 
the  '  Nevv-England  Cottage;  Prairie  Cottages;  Southern 
Houses-  Out-Houses;  Ornamental  Fences,  Gates,  Arbors, 
Trellises,  etc.  Handsomely  Illustrated  with  Plans,  Elevations, 
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HE  GREAT  FAMILY  PAPER! 

THE  GREAT  FAMILY  PAPER  ! 

THE  GREAT  FAMILY  PAPER! 

THE  GREAT  FAMILY  PAPER! 

THE  GREAT  FAMILY  PAPER ! 

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YOUAW  Off  THE  HORSE, 

IIIS  STRUCTURE  AND  DISEASES; 

WITH  THEIR  REMEDIES.  ALSO, 

Practical  Rules  to  Buyers,  Breeders,  Breakers.  Smiths,  etc., 
with  notes  by  Spooner,  and  an  account  of  Breeds  in  the  United 
States,  by  H  S.  Randall. 

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own  name  from  this  date  J.  Q  A.  WARREN. 

S&iu  Francisco,  July  1,  1858. 

AD  communications  9hou'.1  bs  directed  to  111  Sansome-st., 

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must  each  send  us  twenty-six  cents  in  addition  to  the  subscrip¬ 
tion  price  of  the  Ledger,  to  pay  the  American  postage. 

Subscribers  must  write  their  addresses,  including  the 
names  of  the  place,  county  and  State  in  which  they  reside,  in  a 
plain  hand,  so  as  to  avoid  mistakes. 

No  subscriptions  are  wanted  from  aities,  large  villages 
or  other  place  where  news  offices  are  permanently  established. 

ESP*  All  communications  must  be  addressed,  postage  paid,  to 
ROBERT  BONNER, 

Proprietor  of  the  New-York  Ledger, 

No.  44  Ann-st.,  N.  Y. 

N.  R.— The  number  of  the  Ledger  dated  January  1st,  1859, 
•will  be  a  good  one  for  subscriptions  to  date  from,  as  in  that  num¬ 
ber  the  “MOUNT  VERNON  PAPERS,”  by  the  HON.  ED¬ 
WARD  EVERETT,  will  be  commenced.  Mr.  Everett’s  ar¬ 
ticles  will  be  copyrighted,  so  as  to  prevent  publication  in  any 
other  paper. 


CAUTION 

TO  PURCHASERS  OF 

Movable  Comb  Bee  Hives. 

As  sundry  persons  are  selling  hives  with  MOVABLE 
FRAMES,  the  public  are  hereby  informed  that  the  owners  of 
L.  L.  Langstroth’s  Patent,  believe  that  such  Hives  are 'infringe¬ 
ments  upon  then  rights.  They  are  preparing  to  e-iablish  the 
validity  of  the  Langslroth  Patent  by  an  appeal  to  the  Courts  <*f 
Law— and  those  purchasing  interfering  patents  may  lose  the 
money  invested  in  them. 


tOE  PLOWS,  SAWS,  GROO VERS,  CH  IS- 

ELS,  HOOKS,  TONGS.  & c  ,  at  manufacturer’s  urines. 

R.  L  ALLEN,  191  Water  st  ,  New-York. 


Thermometers,  barometers,  &c.,  of 

reliable  quality  and  various de^cript  or  s  among  which 
are  those  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  register  the  coldest  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24  hours,  in  the  absence  of  the  observer.  For 
Bale  bj  D.  EGGERT  &  SON,  209  Pearl  st. 


AMERICAN  STOCK  JOURNAL, 

FOR 

1859. 

A  MONTHLY  PAPER  of  32  large  oclavo  pages,  devoted 
exclusively  t.o  the  subject  of  Stock-Growing.  It  is  the  ONLY 
PAPER  OF  THE  KIND  PUBLISHED  IN  THE  UNITED 
STATES,  and  the  tonics  treated  of  are  deeply  interesting  to 
every  owner  of  a  dumestic  animal,  whether  living  in  the  town 
or  country. 

The  Volume  will  commence  with  the  first  of  January,  1859, 
and  the  numbers  will  bo  issued  promptly  on  the  first  of  each 
month.  It  will  be  printed  on  fine,  clear  paper,  with  entirely 
new  type;  and  each  number  will  be  illusnated  with  Cuts  of 
Animais,  in  the  best  s'vle  of  art.  Our  motto  is:  A  GOOD 
PAPER,  A  LARGE  CIRCULATION.  AND  A  SMALL 
PRICE,  INVARIABLY  IN  ADVANCE. 

TERMS: 

Single  Copies,  one  year . $1  00 

Six  Copies,  one  year . .  . 5  00 

Clubs  of  Ten  Copies,  one  ye  r . 80  cents  each. 

Clubs  of  Twenty  or  more  Copies,  one  year. . .  .75  cents  each. 

An  extra  copy  to  the  poison  sending  us  15  or  more  names 
at  8J  cents  each. 

Specimen  Copies,  Prosp'ectuses,  and  Posters  sent  gratis  to  all 
who  wish  to  examine  them  or  get  up  clubs  of  subscribers. 

IdlF3  All  orders  should  be  addressed  to  the  “American  Stock 
Journal,”  No.  140  Fulton-st„  New-York  City. 

D  C.  LTNSLEY. 

A.  O.  MOORE,  Agent,  Agricultural  Book  Publisher, 

No.  140  Fnlton-sr.,  New-York. 


Flying  Dutchman.  —  stallion 

FOR  SALE. — The  proprietor  being  unable  to  attend  to  this 
splendid  Stallion,  will  part  with  him  at  a  low  price,  or  exchange 
him  for  Real  Estate.  He  is  five  years  old;  was  got  by  “Flying 
<  loud”  out  of  Odessa  from  Henry  ('lay,  etc.  Pedigree,  of  first 
class,  will  be  furnished  to  applicants.  This  horse  netted  over 
$400  last  season.  Add  ess  GEO.  POPLE,  Flushing,  N.Y. 


TO  FARMER’S  SONS, 
PROFITABLE  EMPLOYMENT  FOR  THE  WINTER. 

WANTED.  An  Agent  in  every  County,  to  engage  in  the  sale 
of  New  Beautifully  Illustrated  Works,  SOLD  BY 
AGENTS  ONLY.  Circulars  giving  full  information,  with 
terms  to  Agent**,  and  a  full  list  of  my  Publications,  sent  on  ap¬ 
plication.  Address 

DUANE  RITLTSON,  Publisher, 

No.  33  South-Third  st.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


PROFITABLE  Empl  ivmi'nt  map  he  hart 

by  addressing  (post-paid )  R.  SEARS  181  William-st,  N,  Y. 


Wholesome  Bread* 


JAMES 

|3YLE’S 

DIETETIC 

SALERATUS. 

JAMES 

•  pYLES 

DIETETIC 

SALERATUS. 


James 

pYLE’S 

DIETETIC 

SALERATUS. 


JAMES 

pYLE’S 

DIETETIC 

SALERATUS. 


JAMES 

pYLE’S 

DIETETIC 

SALERATUS. 


HOUSEKEEPERS ! 

THE  BEST  IS  THE  CHEAPEST. 

This  SALERATUS  should  be 
found  in  the  culinary  department  of 
every  house  in  this  land.  Its  unques¬ 
tionable  purity,  and  excellence  in 
producing  Good  Bread,  must  bring 
it  into  general  use.  The  wide-spread 
repul  at  ion  it  has  already  gained  is 
the  result  of  real  merit,,  and  shows 
the  abiiitA  of  the  American  People  to 
discriminate  in  favor  of  a  wholesome 
article* 

there  are  thousands  of  sufferers 
from  dyspepsia,  decayed  teeth,  and 
oilier  derangements  of  the  svsiem, 
brought  on  by  the  use  ol  common 
Caustic  Saleratus.  It  is  a  sad  spec¬ 
tacle.  too.  to  look  upon  the  “puny- 
faced  chi  id”  of  the  present  c  ay,  with¬ 
out,  constitution,  and  with  iis  teeth 
all  eaten  out.  and  think  cf  the  cause 
being  impurities  in  food. 

How  much  longer,  good  mothers ,  is 
this  state  ofthings  t^>  last  ?  Ask  for 
JAMES  PYLE’S 
DIETETIC  SALERATUS, 
which  is  FREE  FROM  EVERY  IMPURI¬ 
TY.  and  as  harmless  to  the  stomach 
as  flour  itself 

If  you  want  nice  Biscuit,  Cake. &c  , 
vou  can  find  nothing  to  equal  it. 
Tell  your  Grocer  yon  want,  no  other. 
No  doubt,  he  will  tell  yon  it  is  no  bet¬ 
ter  than  any  o' her,  in  order  to  get  rid 
of  his  old  stock,  or  som- thing  on 
which  he  can  realise  larger  profit; 
but  persevere  until  vou  get  it,  and 
JUDGE  FOR  YOURSELF. 

BEWARE  OF  COUNTERFEITS 

The  readiness  of  unscrupulous  ri¬ 
vals  to  imitate  our  labels,  signifies 
much  in  our  favor.  The  eenuiue  is 
done  up  iu  pounds,  halves  and  quar¬ 
ters,  with  the  name  of  “James 
Pyle”  on  each. 

DEPOT,  313  WASHINGTON 
STREET,  New  York.  Sold  by 
Grocers  generally. 


Mitclieu  Mill. 

This  simple,  useful  and  durable  hand-mill,  it  is  believed,  ex¬ 
cels  all  others  in  use  and  should  find  its  way  into  the  kitchen 
of  every  farm  house  and  ho'el  'n  America  It  is  especially  a- 
dapted  to  the  wants  of  emigrant  companies,  being  adjusted  with 
facility  to  do  coarse  or  fine  grinding,  and  may  be  used  for  corn, 
wheat,  rye.  buck  win- at,  coffee  or  spices.  With  hand-power  it 
makes  about  a  bushel  of  meal  or  flour,  and  four  bushels  of  gritz 
or  hominy  Der  hour.  The  box  on  which  it  rests  serves  to  pack  it 
securely  for  shipment 

Weight,  including  box.  seventy-five  pounds.  Price  $7. 

HEDGES,  FHEE  &  CO., Cincinnati,  O. 

METROPOLITAN  WASHING  MA- 

CHINE — Washes  with  little  labor lapidly  and  clean— de- 
scibed  'll  Sept..  Agriculturist..  Price  S 10. 

WrSNER’S  WASHING  MACHINE,  described  in  March 
Agriculturist.  Price  S5  50.  Forsale  by 

R  L.  ALLEN,  191  Wa'er-st. 

USSIA  OR  BASS  MATS^  selected 

expressly  for  budding  and  tying.  GUNNY  BAGS, 
TWINES,  &c.,  suitable  for  Nursery  purposes,  for  sale  in  lots  to 
suit  by  D.  W.  MAN  WARING,  Importer. 

248  Front-street,  New-York, 


31 


A IVL  E  RICA  N  AGRl  CULTURIST. 


THE  MOST  BEAUTIFUL 

MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS 

IN  THE  WORLD. 

George  A.  Prince  &  Co.’s 

CELEBRATED  IELODEON S. 

FOR  DURABILITY,  NEATNESS,  AND  BEAUTY  OF 

EXTERIOR  FINISH,  AND  MORE  THAN  ALL,  FOR 

Richness,  Depth  and  Purity  of  Tone, 

THESE  MELODEONS  STAND  UNRIVALED. 

THE  DIVIDED  SWELL, 

A  very  desirable  feature  and  secured  to  us  by  Letters  Patent, 
can  only  be  obtained  in  Melodeons  of  our  own  manufacture.  By 
means  of  this  improvement  Tenor  and  Treble  Solos  or  Duetts 
may  be  played  with  the  full  power  of  the  Instrument,  while  the 
Bass  can  be  performed  in  a  soft,  subdued  tone,  not  otherwise  at¬ 
tainable. 

Our  Reeds  are  so  constructed  that  the 

Meiodeon  Bemains  in  Perfect  Tune. 

Thousands  of  them  have  been  in  use  for  many  years  that  have 
never  needed  any  repairs  whatever,  and  we  believe  there  is  no 
Musical  Instrument  used  that  requires  LESS  EXPENSE  to 
keep  it  in  perfect  order* 

Our  Melodeons  are  all  cased  in  Rosewood,  and  finished  as 
smoothly  as  the  best  Pianos.  They  are  compactly  boxed  for 
shipping,  and  the  cost  of  freight  is  but  little  to  any  part  of  the 
United  States.  They  are  so  arranged  that  any  one  can  unpack 
and  put  them  up  without  difficulty. 

We  have  been  awarded 

FIRST  PREMIUMS 

For  our  Melodeons  wherever  we  have  exhibited  them  in  com 
petition  with  others,  and  we  have  the  satisfaction  of  believing 
that 

OUR  CONSTANT  AIM  TO  EXCEL 

Is  appreciated  by  the  Musical  Public. 

LIST  OF  PRICES. 

IN  PORTABLE  CASE— 

Four  Octaves,  C  to  C . $45  00 

Four  and  a  half  Octaves,  C  to  F .  60  00  jv 

Five  Octaves,  F  to  F .  75  00 

Five  Octaves,  Double  Reed,  F  to  F . 130  00 

IN  PIANO  CASE— 

Five  Octaves,  F  to  F . . . $100  00 

Six  Octaves,  F  to  F .  150  00 

Five  Octaves,  Double  Reed .  150  00 

Five  Octaves,  Two  Banks  Keys .  200  00 

The  Organ  Melodeen,  C  to  G .  350  00 

This  last  is  a  most  MAGNIFICENT  INSTRUMENT  for 

Churches,  Halls  and  Conceit  Rooms. 

It  has  two  banks  of  Kevs  five  sets  of  Reeds,  eight  Stops,  one 
r».id  a  half  ©clave  Foot  Pedals,  and  one  set  of  Reeds  in  Pedal 
Bass,  independent.  It  has  all  the  power  and  volume  of  an  $800 
Organ,  a1  less  than  half  the  cost,  aud  is  much  less  liable  to  get 
out  of  order. 

TESTIMONIALS. 

Messrs.  G.  A.  Prince  k  Co. : 

Gentlemen — The  Double  Reed  Meiodeon  has  arrived,  and  a 
most  charming  instrument  it  is.  It  has  been  played  upon  by 
Wallace.  Dr.  Hodges,  Wni.  Mason  and  a  host  of  others,  and 
they  all  pronounce  it  one  of  the  most  beautiful  tonod  instru¬ 
ments  they  have  ever  touched. 

Yours  respectfully, 

JAMES  F  HALL, 

New-York  City. 

From  the  Home  Journal ,  April  3, 1858. 

The  Melodeons  manufactured  by  Prince  k  Co.,  and  for  sale  at 
87  Fulton-st.,  are  the  best  in  the  world.  We  have  tried  them, 
and  therefore  speak  understanding^  of  their  merits.  They  are 
afforded  at  a  very  moderate  cost. 

From  Nicholas'  New-York  Bank  Note  Reporter. 

Melodeons.— We  have  frequently  seen  ana  heard  the  Melo¬ 
deons  manufactured  by  Geo.  A  Prince  &  Co.,  and  for  sale  at 
their  depot,  No.  87  Fulton-st.,  and  we  honestly  think  that  the 
instruments  are  the  best  finished  and  the  sweetest  toned  of  any  in 
the  market. 

Prof.  A.  Morris,  of  Richmond,  Va.r  alludes  to  the  Prince  Me¬ 
iodeon  as  follows  : 

“  For  beauty  and  purity  of  tone  combining  strength  suitable 
for  hails  and  small  churches,  with  also  the  subdued  quality  de¬ 
sired  for  the  parlor,  these  specimens  of  mechanical  skill  are 
really  unequaled  in  the  world,  in  this  department  of  musical 
merchandise.” 

The  following  is  the  opinion  of  the  Musical  World: 

“Parlor  Organs.— Messrs  George  A.  Prince  &  Co.,  have 
earned  an  enviable  reputation  for  their  manufacture  of  superior 
melodeons.  In  awee'ness  and  purity  of  tone,  and  sensibility  to 
the  touch,  these  excel  all  o.hers.  The  same  qualities  belong  to 
their  Parlor  Organs,  whichare  equal  in  volume  to  the  Alexandre 
Organs,  while  they  far  surpass  them  in  pleasing  effect  A  fair 
comparison  will  convince  any  one  that  we  need  not  patronize  a 
foreign  manufacturer,  since  our  own  furnish  an  article  far  supe¬ 
rior.” 

Extracts  from  Letters  Received. 

“Our  clergyman  says: — A  Prince  Meiodeon  is  one  of  {he 
necessaries  of  life." 

“  I  have  used  a  Trince  Meiodeon  for  eight  years,  and  it  is  still 
in  perfect  order.” 

"  Th  •  *  Divided  Swell  ’  is  just  what  was  needed  to  make  the 
Prince  Meiodeon  a  perfect  instrument 

”  I  have  examined  various  kinds,  and  have  decided  that  those 
made  by  Prince  k  Co.  are  the  best.” 

“  The  Organ  Meiodeon  is  received,  and  it  affords  entire  satis¬ 
faction  to  the  whole  congregation.” 

ORDERS  PROMPTLY  FILLED  AND  EACH  MELO- 
DEON  WARRANTED  PERFECT.  Address 

GEO.  A.  PRINCE  k  CO.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

GEO.  A.  PRINCE  k  CO.,  HOLake-st ,  Chicago,  Ill. 

GEO.  A.  PRINCE  <fc  Co., 

87  Fulton-st.,  New-York  City. 


Seeds  of  Evergreen,  &c.,  Trees. 

We  are  in  receipt  of  a  few  of  the  leading  sorts  of  Tree  Seeds 
in  advance  of  our  annual  assortment,  embracing  nearly  300  sorts, 
among  which  we  can  furnish  immediately  : 

Biack  Austrian  Pine  Seed . at.. $3  00  per  lb 

SeaSide  do.  do . at.  .St  00  per  lb 

Scotch  Fir  do . at.  .$1  50  per  lb 

European  Silver  do  do . . . J,t..$i  50  per  lb 

Laburnum  do . at..  75  per  lb 

European  Larch  do . at.  .$2  00  per  lb 

American  Arbor  Yits  do . at.  .$3  00  per  lb 

Honey  Locust  do . at..  75  per  lb 

Yellow  Locust  do . . . at..  75  per  lb 

American  Elm  do . at  $2  00  per  lb 

Ailanthus  do . at.  .$2  00  per  lb 

Pitch  Pine  do.  . . . . . at. .$3.  00  per  lb 

Black  Ash  do.  . at.  .$2  00  per  lb 

Yirgilia  Lutea  do.  (very  scarce) . at.. $2  OOperoz 

ALSO, 

Fresh  Apple  Seed,  50  els.  per  quart ;  $10  per  bushel. 

Fresh  Pear  Seed,  $2  50  per  lb. 

Apricot  Pits,  75  cts.  per  lb. 

Black  Mazzard  Cherry  Pits,  50  cents  per  quart. 

Malialeb  Cherry  Pits,  75  cts.  per  quart. 

To  be  successful  in  germinating  Pine,  Larch,  Fir,  and  most 
fruit  seeds,  it  is  deemeu  important  to  sow  immediately  in  boxes 
in  layers  alternated  with  sand  or  light  soil,  ana  kept  in  a  cool 
cellar  during  the  Winter,  protected  from  mice  and  rats,  and 
transferred  to  the  open  ground  in  Spring. 

J.  M.  THORBURN  k  CO., 

Seed  Warehouse, 

15  John-st., 

New-York. 

Fruit  and  Tree  Seeds. 

THOS.  MEEHAN  can  still  furnish  the  following,  in  good  or¬ 
der  for  growing  next  Spring,  per  lb. : 

Norway-Spruce,  $1  50;  Silver  Fir,  $1  50;  Scotch  Pine,  $2  00; 
Austrian  Pine,  $3  00;  Larch,  $2  1)0  ;  Laburnum.  $2  (JO  ;  Althea, 
$2  00;  Chinese  Arbor  Vitae,  S4  00  ;  Sea  Pine,  SI  50;  Corsican 
Pine,  $3  00;  Cembran,  $3  00  ;  Buckthorn,  $1  00;  Yellow  Lo¬ 
cust,  Si  00. 

Fruit  Seeds — Pear,  $4  00  per  lb;  Berberries,  SI  00  per  lb; 
Apricots,  50  cts  per  quart ;  Maz.  Cherries,  $7  00  per  bushel. 

GERMANTOWN  NURSERIES. 

near  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Seeds  at  Wholesale. 

By  reason  '  f  the  abundant  crops  generally,  this  season,  we  are 
prepared  to  offer  unusuul  inducements  to  purchasers  of  Seeds  in 
large  quantities. 

Our  Annual  Trade  List  for  1859.  is  just  published,  and  will  be 
mai  ed  to  applicants  enclosing  a  3-ceut  stamp.  Although  most 
seeds  are  plentiful,  we  would  advise  our  customers  to  send  their 
orders  early,  as  no  matter  how  abundant,  the  stock  of  some  of  the 
raier  varieties  generally  becomes  exhausted  as  the  season  ad¬ 
vances.  J.  M.  THORBURN  k  CO  , 

15  John-st., 

New-York. 

Garden,  Field,  Flower  and  Fruit 
Seeds. 

A  full  assortment  of  Field  and  Garden  Seeds  of  the  growth  of 
1858,  among  which  are : 

Fruit  Seeds — Apple,  Pear,  Quince,  Currant,  Gooseberry  and 
Raspberry  Seeds  ;  Peach.  Mum.  Cherry  and  Apricot  Pitts. 

Grass  Seeds — Timothv,  Red  Top,  Blue,  Orchard,  Ray,  Foul 
Medow,  Sweet  Vernal,  Hungarian,  Lawn,  &c. 

Clovers — Red,  White  Dutch,  Lucerne,  Yellow  Trefoil,  Al- 
sike,  Sainfoin. 

A  Cal alogue  containing  full  list  of  Seeds  and  prices  will  be 
published  about  the  1 0th  of  January,  furnished  on  application. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  1 9 L  Water-st.,  New-York. 

LAWTON  BLACKBERRY. 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

WM  LAWTON.  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 

Tlse  “Little  Giant”  Corn  Crusher. 

The  advantages  to  farmers  and  feeders  from  possession  of  a 
compact  portable  plantation  mill,  with  which  they  can  crush 
corn  and  cobs  for  s’oek,  or  prepare  coarse  grists  and  homim 
from  corn  and  other  g'ains  for  family  use  or  feeding,  no  one 
well  informed  can  quest  ion.  The  “  Little  Giant”  is  a  cast  iron 
mill  of  this  class,  very  efficient,  simple  and  durable  It  is  made 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  readily  set  up  and  regulated  by  any 
sensible  farmer,  and  once  arranged  may  be  safely  entrusted  to  a 
boy.  Being  constructed  with  due  regard  to  mechanical  princi¬ 
ples,  it  performs  its  work  rapidly  and  in  a  superior  manner.  It 
is  now  favorably  known  in  nearly  every  State  of  ihe  Union,  but 
it  is  recommended  best,  perhaps,  by  the  fact  of  its  having  out¬ 
lived  the  numerous  imitations  which  worthless  persons  have  en- 
deavr.ed  to  vend  in  placeswhere  its  popnlaritv  was  established. 
It  is  sold  complete  ready  to  slake  to  the  ground  and  hitch  a  team 
t*,  as  follows :  Two  coned  one-horse  nail,  capable  of  grinding 
six  to  eight  bushels  feed  per  hour,  $25  ;  three  coned  mill,  very 
stout,  will  grind  fifteen  to  twenty  bushels,  $50.  We  will  mail 
to  any  one  sending  us  three  postage  stamps,  our  caralogue,  con¬ 
taining  a  full  consideration  of  the  economy  of  feeding  Eipund, 
unground,  raw  and  cooked  grain,  also  embodying  treatise  on 
the  new  sugar  cane  and  manual  of  its  manufacture. 

HEDGES,  FREE  &  CO  , 

Dec.  4,  1858.  Cincinnati.  Ohio. 

Hay,  straw  and  stalk  cut- 

TER — Cumming’fl  latest  improved,  one  of  the  best  in  the 
market,  and  all  other  approved  Cutters. 

HAY  PRESSES  of  all  kinds  to  work  by 

hand  and  power.  R.  L.  ALLEN 

191  Water-st., New-York. 

Ingersoll’s  Patent  Hay  Press. 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  Near¬ 
ly  500  of  them  have  been  sold  in  the  last,  two  years.  Price  $50 
and  $75.  delivered  in  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  satisfac¬ 
tion.  For  circulars,  containing  full  information.  Address 
FARMER’S  MANUFACTURING  CO.. 

Green  Point  P.  O.,  (Brooklyn,)  N.  Y, 

IMPROVED  IRON  FARM  MILL— Will 

g'ind  all  kinds  of  Grain,  also  Corn  and  Cob — can  be  driven 
with  one  or  more  horses,  and  will  grind  4  to  15 bushels  per  hour. 
We  consider  it  the  only  efficient  and  durable  Iron  Mill  in  use, 
and  is  just.  what,  is  required  by  the  Farmer  and  Planter.  Price 
$50.  Price  with  bolt  for  making  familv  flour.  $75. 

Horse  powers  and  threshers 

— Of  grea‘  variety,  most  approved  patterns. 

CORN  SH ELLERS — For  hand  or  horse-power,  will  shell 
clean  200  r<»  1,500  b"shels  per  day. 

FAN  MILLS — Hay  and  Stalk  Cutters;  Sausage  Cutters; 
Pumps;  Water  Rains;  Vegetable  Boilers;  Weather  Vanes: 
Grain  Mills;  Smiit  Machines,  and  machinery  of  all  kinds,  of 
most  approved  kinds,  and  at  low  prices  For  sale  by 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


MOrrMCo, 


52  John-st.,  New-York 


JOHN  MILNE, 

Grapery  «Sc  Grctss-Monasc  Builder, 

YONKERS,  N.  Y. 

Frames  and  Sashes  for  Hot-Houses.  Green  and  Hoi-Iiouses 
and  Conservatories  erected,  and  warranted. 


Agriciaataral  §teaaa  Kefflle. 

SAVE  YOUR  MONEY,  GRAIN,  LABOR,  TIME  &  FUEL 

The  undert-igned  manufacture  a  cauldron  steamer,  healer  or 
cooker,  which  for  simplicity,  safety,  ami  general  adaptability, 
has  no  equal.  This  consists  of  a  cast  iron  cauldron  arranged, 
with  refeience  to  the  greatest  economy  of  heat  and  fuel,  and 
cal  ulaied  for  setting  in  brick  work,  in  a  manner  so  simple,  as  to 
be  understood  by  farmers  or  any  unmechanical  person  For 
heating  water  for  hog  slaughtering,  family  washing,  tanners  or 
dyer’s  vats,  hotel  luundrys,  or  wherever  rapid,  convenient  and 
economic  boiling  is  desirable,  the  advantages  of  this  useful  de¬ 
vice  are  conspicuously  manifested.  The  steam  is  rapidly  gener¬ 
ated  in  the  cauldron  and  conveyed  fh.o ugh  vulcanized  pipes  into 
boxes,  tanka,  barrels,  tubs,  or  whatever  convenient  vessels  best 
suit  the  operator,  or  the  several  processes  of  heating,  steaming, 
and  cooking  may  proceed  simulianeously  with  scarcely  more 
fuel  than  is  required  for  a  cook  stove.  The  possession  of  one  by 
the  farmer  enables  him  to  cook  ground  feed  pumpkins  or  pota¬ 
toes,  orsteam  his  chopped  stalk,  straw,  or  hav  for  his  stock,  heat 
water  for  the  family  washing,  and  fast,  enough,  if  need  be,  to 
scald  three  hundred  hogs  per  day.  Prices  for  t  he  three  sizes  re¬ 
spectively,  835,  $45.  and  $60.  Ca'alogues  with  description,  to¬ 
gether  with  full  treatise  on  the  soighum  sugar  cane,  will  be  for¬ 
warded  on  receipt  of  three  postage  stamps  to 

HEDGES,  FREE  &  CO, 

Dec.  4,  1858.  Cincinnati.  ‘Ohio. 


C«me  Mills  and  SMstiEleries. 

GENERAL  COPPER-SMITH  WORK. 
Distilleries  of  all  kinds,  for  making  brandy  and  alcohol  from 
Chinese  Syrup.  Steam  and  horse  cane  mills,  svrup  pans, skim¬ 
mers,  dippers,  syrup  guages  and  pumps,  brewing  apparatus  by 
steam  or  fire.  JOHN  W.  REID,  11  Old-slip. 


Corn-stalk  Cutter  and  Grander, 
HICKOa’S  patent. 
Coleman’s  Faraaa  Mill. 

GRIFFING.  BROTHER  &  CO., 

60  Cortlandt  st., 

New-York  City. 

Farmers  sending  their  address  to  us  will  receive  our  Illustrat¬ 
ed  Catalogue  and  Almanac  for  1859. 


W'lLLARD’S  ROOT  CUTTER— A  new 

pattern,  superior  to  any.  It  does  not  slice— but  leaves 
vegetables  in  small  broken  pieces — so  that  there  is  no  liability 
for  aimnimal  tochoke.  Willcur.  one  bu-he!  tier  minute.  Price 
SIO.  Forsale  by  R.  L.  ALLEN,  i9l  Water-st. 


Agricnltnral  InaplemenSs 

of  all  kinds,  for  sale  by  J*  B.  RYAN,  Importer  of  Hardware, 
114  Yonge-st.,  Toronto,  Canada  West. 

Manufacturers  of  above  goods  will  send  tlieir  lists. 


The  Lodi  Manufacturing  Co. 

“  Pondrette  ”  “  Pondrctte  ” 

Is  offered  for  sale  by  the  subscribe-s  wholesale  and  retail  in 
lets  to  suit  customers.  This  article  has  been  now  in  use  for 
over  17  years  and  is  the  most  popular  manure  for  corn  and  early 
vegetables,  in  nia'ket. 

It  is  quick  and  powerful  and  can  be  put  in  direct  contact  with 
the  seed  without  injury.  Price  $150  per  barrel  delivered  on 
board  of  vessel  for  any  quantity  over  6  barrels.  $2  00  for  a 
single  barrel. 

CERTIFICATES. 

The  undersigned  have  used  the  Poudrette  of  the  Lodi  Man¬ 
ufacturing  Co  ,  for  the  number  of  years,  and  upon  the  crops  set 
opposite  to  their  names  and  can  recommend  it  as  a  cheap,  and 
most  excellent  fertilizer. 


Charles  Smith, 

Bloomfield, 

N.  J. 

10  years,  Corn. 

Cyrus  Canfield, 

Caldwell, 

do. 

10 

do 

do. 

John  Squires, 

Livingston, 

do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

&  Garden  Truck 

A.  J.  Jacobus, 

Livingston, 

do. 

17 

do. 

Coni. 

do. 

H.  W  Harrison, 

Caldwell, 

do. 

30 

do. 

do. 

do. 

J.  Simpson, 

Franklin, 

do. 

8 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Hiram  Farnham,  Livingston, 

do. 

15 

do. 

do. 

do. 

J.  A.  Harrison, 

Orange, 

do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

do. 

B.  P.  Lum, 

Chatham, 

do. 

15 

do. 

do. 

do. 

A  pamphlet  containing  certificates  of  practical  farmers  in  al 
parts  of  the  United  Siates,  with  every  infnimalion  and  direction 
fur  use  will  be  mailed  to  any  one  sending  their  address. 

GRIEFING  BROTHER  &  CO., 

General  Agents  for  the  Company, 
North  River  Agricultural  Warehouse  ) 

60  Cortland  Street,  N.  Y.  } 


BLOOD  AND  WOOL  MANURE.— Pe¬ 
ruvian  Guano.  Bone  Dust.  Land  Plaster,  Super  Phosphate 
all  of  best  and  most  reliable  quality,  mid  on  the  best  terms. 
Fur  sale  by  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st 


RONE.  DUST.  PERUVIAN  GUANO 

FERTILIZERS,  all  of  best  quality,  for  sale  in 
large  or  small  quantities. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st.,  New-York. 


32 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Contents  for  January  1859. 


Almanac  for  1859 . 32 

Aloe— American,  or  Century  Plant . Illustrated. .  17 

Aquariums  — Prices  of .  27 

Bank  Bills . 27 

Basket — Our. . . . . Illestratek.  .26 

Bees  -Aprary  in  January .  3 

Bees— Honey  Boxes . Illustrated. .  14 

Bookshelves  in  the  Kitchen . 23 

Bones— Gather  them — Dissolving . 14 

Bones — Dis-solved  with  Ashes . 27 

Bound  Volumes . 32 

Bulbs— Croouses,  etc.,  in  Pots . 8  Illustrations.  .21 

Bulbs  by  Mail. . . 27 

BurningJFluid — Making . _ . 27 

Calf's  Head — Turtleizing . 23 

Calendar  of  Operations  fob  the  Month .  2 

Cistern’s  Building  for  Filtering . Illustrated..  6 

Clubs . Illustrated.  .32 

Coffee  and  Coffee  Boilers . 2  Illustrations.  .21 

Communications  received  late . 26 

Corn  liaising— Is  it  Profitable . 12 

Corn  Stalks— Falling . 27 

Chufas  or  Earth  Almonds . 26 

Dahlias— An  Amateur’s  troubles  with . 20 

Dairy — Prize  Articles— No.  I— Climate  and  soils .  9 

Dairy — Note  on .  4 

Dairy — Report  of  Hon.  Z.  Pratt’s  Farm . ...  9 

Draining  Level  Lands  . 27 

Editor  and  his  Young  Readers— Sunday  School  Festi¬ 
val-Problems,  answers,  etc . 2  Illustrations.  .25 

Engravings— A  word  on  Our . 27 

Farm-Calendar  for  January .  2 

Farm  of  Hon.  Zadock  Pratt . 2  Illustrations..  8 

Fencing — No.  I — Prize  Articles . 13 

Fencing — Note  on  Prize  Articles .  4 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn — Care  of  in  January .  2 

Flowers  for  the  House  in  Winter — Bulb  Pots _ 8  Ill.. 21 

Flowers — Snap  Dragon . Illustrated.  .20 

Garden— Kitchen  and  Fruit,  in  January .  2 

Gardening— A  Talk  on . 17 

Grandmother  with  the  Girls— II— Sweeping _ Illust..25 

Grape— Clinton .  26 

Grape,  Vines— Root  Pruning . 27 

Grapes— Prices  of  the  Newer . 27 

Green  and  Hot  Houses  in  January .  3 

Horse— Poin  s  of  described . 2 Illustrations..  11 

Horse  — Why  Daher  did’nt  keep . 11 

Horses — Cholic  in . 27 

Horses— Ring-Bone  in  . 11 

Horses— shoeing  those  over  reaching  . 11 

Household  Conveniences— Cheap  llome-made . 23 

In  Door  Work— Winter  House  Flowers — Coffee  Pots 
Shoe-bags — Cheap  Chamber  Furniture — Work  bas- 
ki  is— Match  Safes — Kitchio  Hook  shelves — Turtle¬ 
izing  a  Calf's  Head,  etc .  2  Illustrations.  .21— 23 

January — Sugges iions  fob  thb  Month .  1 

Kohl  Rabi . Illustrated..  4 

Ladies— Note  to . 21 

Lantern  Blinks— VII— Steam  Cultivation . 12 

Liming  Land  for  Potatoes . 15 

Locust  Seed— Yellow . 27 

Mail  Bags  Roughly  used . 32 

Magnet — New  use  for .  6 

Market  Review . 26 

Match  Safes . 23 

Nothing  for  Sale . 26 

Onion  Experience  Wanted — Prize  offered .  3 

Onions -Winter  Keeping  of . 27 

Orchard  and  Nursery— Opel ations  in  January .  2 

Paper— Blotting . 7 

Pomological  Repoit — Wheietogel  . 27 

Postage  on  the  Agriculturist . 32 

Potatoes  — Liming  Land  for  .  15 

Potatoes— Lime  on  Seed . 15 

Poultry — Dorkings  for  See.' . 07 

Premiums .  . s . 28 

Problems— Dogs . Illustrated.  .25 

Raspberries — Heading  back. . . . 27 

Root  f  rops  for  Stock . 27 

Rowing  against  the  Tide . 27 

Rye— Large  Yield  of . .  7 

School— Farmer’s  High  of  Pennsylvania . 15 

Seeds  — Field  and  Garden- Notes  on .  3 

Seeds —Flower  and  Ornamental — Notes  on . 18 

Seeds— List  of  those  dtstnb  •  ed . 28 

Sewing  Machines . 28 

Shears— Gr  ipe  or  Pruning.  . 27 

Sheep— Winter  Management  of .  6 

Show  Bills . 27 

Squashes— About . 18 

Stock— Improvement  of  Fai nr..  .In-and-in-Breeding _ 10 

Stock- Profits  of  Protecting  from  cold . 16 

Sugar  Cane — Chinese  in  Kansas .  5 

Sweeping  and  Dusting . 25 

Tim  Bunker  on  Saving  Sixpences— Tile .  4 

Time— Waste . 13 

Trees  for  Shelter— Belts . 2  Illustrations..  5 

Uncle  Frank’s  Chat  with  Hoys  and  Girls — IV — Father 
January— Horned  Frog  .  Ftench. .  .2  Illustrations.  .24 

Vegetables  of  the  Garden-  O-jgin  of . 17 

Water  Melons — The  Little  Gill’s . 24 

Weight  of  Animals .  7 

Wells  and  Cisterns — Examining .  5 

Whistling . 7 

Windmills .  7 

Winter  Scene .  . Illustrated..  16 

Webster  and  the  Witness . 27 

Westfield  Academy . ....27 

West— Good  Farming  atthc. . 15 

Work  Baskets . 23 


A  Wisconsin  subscriber  writes  :  “  We  have  already 

sent  you  ‘  a  big  club  ’  for  the  Agriculturist  next  year,  but 
there  are  ‘a  few  more  left  (not)  of  the  same  sort’  who 
are  now  anxious  to  join  us  at  the  club  price.  Can  they  do 
so  ?”  AYE  ;  take  them  in  even  at  the  thirteenth  hour  and 
send  for  each  the  price  paid  by  the  members  of  the  origi¬ 
nal  club.  This  is  our  present  rule,  viz.  :  Any  club  may 
at  any  time  be  enlarged  by  one,  two,  three,  or  more  names 
at  the  same  rate,  if  the  subscriptions  all  begin  at  the  same 
date.  Allow  us  to  ask  each  of  our  friends  who  have  been 
influential  in  forming  clubs,  to  add  a  dozen,  or  even  one 
more  name.  We’ll  re-pay  you  by  putting  more  expense 
upon  the  paper.  Every  fifty  or  sixty  dollars  profit  added 
to  our  income,  will  pay  for  some  fine  useful  or  interesting 
engtaving  which  we  could  not  otherwise  procure. 

- «-• - - *  «• - 

Mail  Bags  arc  Roughly  Used 

As  everybody  knows,  who  has  ever  seen  them  on  their 
travels,  whether  in  cars  or  steamboats,  or  in  the  boot  of  a 
stage,  or  carried  dangling  over  a  horse’s  back.  A  letter 
inside  must  of  course  get  a  terrible  jamming,  mashing, 
and  crumpling.  Ergo,  let  no  one  expect  that  a  gold  coin- 
dropped  loosely  into  a  half-sealed  envelope  or  stuck  to  the 
letter  with  brittle  sealing  wax— will  faillo  slip  out  There 
are  loose  gold  dollars  enough  in  the  mail  bags  every  year 
to  pay  at  least  one  man  a  good  salary.  Lesson  1st.  In 
mailing  gold  coins,  slip  them  into  a  split  card,  or  paste¬ 
board,  and  paste  them  in  ;  or  paste  two  pieces  of  paper 
together  with  the  coins  between  them.  2nd  — Whenever 
money  is  mailed,  paste  the  letter  thoroughly  together,  so 
that  nothing  can  get  out,  and  nobody  get  in  by  wetting 
the  paste  or  otherwise. 

,  - * - - 

Postage  on  the  Agriculturist 


Almanac  for  1858. 


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Notwithstanding  all  that  we  have  published  on  this 
topic,  weekly  and  almost,  daily  complaints  come  to  us  of 
overcharge  in  the  postage.  We  now  make  what  we  hope 
will  be  a  final  statement.  All  future  complaints  will  be 
referred  directly  and  promptly  to  the  Department  at 
Washington.  The  law  is  that  periodicals  weighing  not 
over  three  ounces  (avoirdupois)  shall  be  rated  at  one  cent 
postage  per  number;  but  when  postage  is  paid  quarterly 
or  yearly  in  advance,  only  one-half  this  rate  shall  be 
charged.  This  then  is  one-half  cent  per  number  for  12 
montnly  numbers,  or  six  cents  per  annum.  To  bring  the 
postage  within  this  amount  we  are  careful  to  have  all  our 
paper  uniformly  made  88  lbs.  to  the  double  ream  of  500 
sheets  (not  480  sheets  the  usual  ream).  Dividing  88  lbs. 
by  500  double  sheets,  gives  just  2  ounces  and  814-1000lhs 
for  each  copy,  or  allowing  for  the  ink,  2  and  9-10ths 
ounces,  at  most.  Here  is  a  recent  letter  from  the  De¬ 
partment  at  Washington,  in  reply  to  our  complaint  of  an 
over-charge  by  an  Iowa  Postmaster.  We  give  the  letter 
just  as  we  received  it,  except  omitting  the  name  of  the 
Post  Master. 

P.  O.  Department,  ) 
Appt.  Office,  Nov.  26,  1858  i 

Sir: — Your  monthly  paper,  the  '•  American  Agricultur¬ 
ist,"  is  subject  to  a  postage  of  six  cents  a  year,  if  paid  in 
advance,  or  one  cent  and  a  half  a  quarter  in  advance- 
each  number  weighing  under  three  ounces,  exclusive  of 
the  wrapper. 

The  Post  Master  of  Q - ,  Iowa,  will  be  instructed 

on  tlfe  subject ;  and  if  other  Post  Masters  err  in  not 
charging  the  proper  postage,  on  being  advised  thereof, 
the  Department  will  in  ail  such  cases,  also,  adopt  meas¬ 
ures  of  correction.  Respectfully,  Your  Ohd’t.  Servt. 

Horatio  Kino, 

Orange  Judd.  Esq.,  1st  Asst.  P.  M.  Gen. 

New-Yorlc. 

- — — — - — •©«- - - - 

Bound  Volumes— Binding— Covers. 

We  have  bound  sets,  of  Vols.  XVI  and  XVII,  singly,  and  also 
both  volumes  in  one  cover.  The  piices  of  these  are  : 

Vol.  XVI, or  Vol.  XVII,  unbound.  Si  00  each, 
do  do  ntatly  bound,  $1. 50  each. 

Volume XVI  and  Vol  XVII  neatly  bound  inone  cover,  S2 .60 

N.  B. — These  volumes  unbound  can  he  sent  by  mail,  pre-paid, 
at  SI.  12  per  volume.  If  bound  the  postage  (which  must  be  pre¬ 
paid)  is4Z  cents  forvolume  XVI,  und  50  cents  tor  Vol.  XVlI, 
making  the  cost  of  Vol  XVI  bound  and  sent  pre-paid  by  mail, 
£1.92,  and  of  Vol.  XVII,  *2  00. 

Cost  of  Vols  XVI  and  XVII  bound  together  and  sent  by  mail 
post-paid,  $3  40. 

Of  Vol.  XV,  we  have  nocopies,  and  unfortunately,  no  stereo¬ 
type  plates. 

Of  Vols.  XII.  XIII  and  XIV.  we  have  some  sets  bound  and 
unbound,  at  the  same  prices  as  named  above  for  Vols.  XVI  and 

XVII. 

Binding. — Sets  of  numbers  brought  to  this  office  will  be 
bound  up  neatly  (in  our  regular  sty'e  of  binning  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist)  for  50  cents  n  volume.  Vols.  XVI  and  XVII  will  he  bound 
together  in  one  cover  for  60  c-nts 

Prepared  Covers.— Stamped  Muslin  Covers,  neatly  made 
with  names.  &c  ,  gilt  upon  the  hack,  and  ready  for  the  insertion 
of  the  sheets  by  tiny  book-binder,  can  ho  furnished  for  Vols 
XII  to  XVII  inclusive,  at  25  cents  per  volumo.  They  can  not 
well  go  by  mail. 


Jlmmro  Agriculturist. 

(ISSUED  IN  BOTH  ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN.) 

A  thorough  going,  RELIABLE,  and  PRACTICAL 
Journal,  devoted  to  the  different  departments  of  SOIL 
CULTURE  — such  as  growing  field  CROPS;  orchard 
and  garden  FRUITS;  garden  VEGETABLES  and 
FLOWERS;  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  for  the 
LAWN  or  YARD;  in-door  and  out  door  work  around 
the  DWELLING;  care  of  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 
&c  &c. 

5^“  The  matter  of  each  number  will  be  prepared  main¬ 
ly  with  reference  to  the  month  of  issue  and  the  paper  will 
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AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 

Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture 

AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  —WASHINGTON 


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VOL  XVIII.— No,  2.] 


NEW-YORK,  FEBRUARY,  1850. 


[NEW  SERIES— No.  145. 


t^Oftice  18D  Watcr-st.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
^Contents,  Terms,  Arc.  on  pajes  GO,  01, 

[CuPY  RIGHT  SECURED.] 

Entered  ac  ording  10  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1 858, 
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2lmericcmj  Agriculturist  iu  German. 

The  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST  is  published  in 
both  the  English  and  German  Languiges.  Both 
Editions  are  of  Uniform  size,  and  contain  as 
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February- 


And  all  this  uniform,  uncolored  scene 
Shall  be  dismantled  of  its  fleecy  load, 

And  flush  into  variety  again. 

From  dearth  to  plenty,  and  from  death  to  iite, 

Is  Nature’s  progress,  when  she  lectures  man 
In  heavenly  truth  ;  evincing,  as  she  makes 
The  grand  transition,  that  there  lives  and  works 
A  soul  in  all  things,  and  that  soul  is  God 

COWPER. 

The  change  of  the  season  in  passing  from  Win¬ 
ter  to  Spring  is  not  more  marked  and  obvious  than 
the  transition  now  taking  place  in  our  rural  dis¬ 
tricts.  The  last  six  or  eight  years  has  been  a 
period  of  unexampled  activity  in  agricultural  im¬ 
provement.  It  has  witnessed  a  great  increase  in 
the  number  and  excellence  of  our  agricultural 
iournals,  and  societies.  Not  only  have  new  pa¬ 
pers  devoted  to  husbandry  as  a  specialty  been 
started,  hut  many  of  our  political,  literary,  and  re¬ 
ligious  journals  have  established  a  department  de¬ 
voted  to  this  art,  and  spread  the  teachings  of 
science,  and  the  experiments  of  our  best  farmers 
among  multitudes,  who  never  see  a  farm  journal. 
These  records  of  husbandry  so  widely  circulated 
have  stirred  the  minds  of  our  rural  population  as 
never  before,  and  State  and  County  Societies 
have  been  firmed  so  generally,  that  those  with¬ 
out  them  are  rare  exceptions  in  all  the  northern 
and  western  States.  These  societies  have  their 
annual  fairs,  at  which  the  best  products  of  the 
farm  and  work  shop  are  displayed,  and  the  whole 
tural  population  turn  out  to  enjoy  a  holiday,  and 
learn  something  new  of  their  neighbors.  In  ad¬ 
dition  to  all  these  means  of  instruction,  Farmers’ 
Clubs  have  been  established  in  many  villages  and 
neighborhoods,  meeting  monthly,  or  oftener,  to 
discuss  in  a  social  way  crops,  stock,  and  other 
matters  of  mutual  interest. 

The  results  of  these  multiplied  teachings,  ex¬ 
hibitions,  and  discussions,  are  already  apparent, 
so  *cn‘  the  most  careless  observer  can  hardly  fail 


to  notice  them.  No  part  of  the  country  has  felt 
these  influences  more  powerfully  than  New-Eng- 
land,  and  nowhere  do  we  behold  more  substan¬ 
tial  changes  upon  the  farm.  The  whole  popula¬ 
tion  is  astir,  and  the  great  event  of  the  year  is 
the  County  Fair,  that  calls  out  its  ten  or  fifteen 
thousand  people  to  witness  the  triumphs  of  the 
plow-share  and  the  pruning  knife.  The  spirit,  if 
not  the  letter  of  prophecy  is  here  in  the  process 
of  fulfilment. 

A  pleasing  indication  of  this  progress  is  the 
improvement  in  the  style  of  farm  houses.  With 
rare  exceptions  every  new  house  put  up  is  much 
better  than  its  predecessor.  It  is  not  only  more 
conveniently  arranged  within,  but  its  exterior  is 
attractive,  indicating  that  the  owner  has  studied 
Downing,  or  consulted  some  competent  architect 
in  the  location  and  building  of  his  home.  It  is 
not  thrust  so  entirely  into  the  street,  has  an  in¬ 
closure,  and  a  carriage  drive,  and  its  ornamental 
trees.  It  does  not  belong  to  the  packing  box 
order  of  architecture,  hut  has  tasteful  features 
that  readily  distinguish  it  from  a  barn  or  work¬ 
shop.  The  whole  expression  of  the  home  indi¬ 
cates  that  the  owner  has  a  new  ideal  of  domestic 
wants. 

The  barns  and  out  buildings  are  even  more  im¬ 
proved  than  the  dwellings.  Almost  without  ex¬ 
ception  every  new  barn  is  furnished  with  a  cellar 
for  the  storing  and  manufacture  of  manures,  and 
not  unfrequently  the  yards  are  surrounded  with 
sheds  for  the  same  purposes.  Old  barns  are  fre¬ 
quently  removed  to  a  new  place  where  they  can 
be  put  over  a  cellar.  The  conviction  is  pretty 
thoroughly  wrought,  into  the  minds  of  farmers, 
that  manure  made  under  cover  is  far  more  val¬ 
uable,  and  that  no  good  cultivator  can  afford 
the  loss  on  stable  manures  exposed  to  the 
weather. 

The  use  of  absorbents  is  another  sign  of  pro 
gress  upon  the  farm.  One  sees  almost  every¬ 
where  long  lines  of  muck  thrown  out  from  ditch¬ 
es,  or  large  heaps  drawn  to  fields  that  are  to  be 
planted  the  next  season.  The  benefits  derived  from 
its  use  are  so  manifest,  and  so  generally  known 
that  most  farmers  regard  their  muck  swamps  as 
mines  Of  wealth.  The  shore  farmers  resort  ex¬ 
tensively  to  sea  weeds,  and  mud  taken  from  the 
harbors  and  creeks.  These  are  carted  into  the 
yard  and  slys,  and  mixed  in  various  ways  with 
stable  manures,  they  not  only  furnish  large  quan¬ 
tities  of  carbonaceous  matters,  but  the  salt  in 
them  serves  to  fix  the  ammonia,  and  prevent  all 
loss.  Many  have  doubled  the  quantity  of  manure 
made  upon  the  farm,  and  cultivators  are  becom¬ 
ing  settled  in  the  opinion,  that  it  is  far  better  to 
make,  than  to  purchase  manures.  Guano,  dis¬ 
solved  bones  and  bone-dust  are  very  good  for 
special  crops,  but  do  not  pay  so  well  as  the  home¬ 
made  article.  The  results  of  fifty  loads  of  stable 
manure  applied  to  an  acre  rarely  fail  to  be  satis¬ 
factory. 

The  reclaiming  ot  waste  land  is  another  cheer¬ 


ing  indication.  Almost  every  farm  contains  more 
or  less  of  these  unproductive  acres,  swamps, 
marshes,  or  rocky  pastures.  The  swamps  are 
generally  the  first  to  be  improved  because  the 
necessary  ditches  furnish  large  quantities  of 
muck.  Every  year  there  is.  a  spirited  competi¬ 
tion  both  in  the  State  and  County  Societies  for 
the  premiums  offered  for  this  class  of  improve¬ 
ments.  In  every  county  hundreds  of  acres  of 
these  wild  brush  swamps  have  been  turned  into 
beautiful  meadows,  including  bountiful  crops  of 
corn,  potatoes,  and  grass.  They  are  esteemedby 
their  owners,  as  the  best  lands  upon  the  farm. 
The  reclaiming  of  rocky  pastures  is  mainly  con¬ 
fined  to  the  vicinity  of  cities  and  villages,  where 
land  is  high,  and  commands  a  great  rent  for  pas¬ 
turage,  or  for  gardening  purposes.  A  hundred 
dollars  will  clear  a  very  rough  acre  of  land,  and 
it  is  claimed  by  those  who  have  tried  the  experi¬ 
ment,  that  where  lands  are  worth  two  hundred 
dollars  an  acre  for  cultivation,  it  will  pay  a  good 
interest  on  the  investment  necessary  to  remove 
the  boulders. 

The  reclaiming  of  salt  marshes,  and  under- 
draining,  are  beginning  to  attract  attention,  though 
the  majority  of  farmers  have  not  full  faith  in  these 
improvements.  Several  tide  gates  have  been  put 
down  within  the  past  year  on  the  sea  board,  and 
farmers  are  waiting  for  the  results  with  great  in¬ 
terest.  Experiments  in  underdraining  are  much 
more  common.  The  fact,  that  Albany  has  been 
the  nearest  depot  for  tile  has  retarded  their  use. 
A  manufactory  has  been  started  the  pres¬ 
ent  season  at  Hartford,  Ct.,  and  the  home-made 
article  is  coming  into  use.  But  the  stone  under¬ 
drains  work  well  for  a  time,  and  demonstrate  the 
economy  of  this  operation  for  wet  lands.  There 
are  also  tile  factories  recently  started  at  Whate- 
ly,  and  Manchester,  Mass.,  and  at  Exeter,  N.  H., 
good  indications  of  the  new  leaven  that  is  work¬ 
ing  among  our  rural  population. 

But  the  greatest  change  of  all,  is  in  the  mind 
of  the  farmer  himself.  There  has  been  a  great 
deal  of  mental  quickening,  and  he  sees  that  his 
business  belongs  to  the  class  of  improvable  arts. 
Mind  as  well  as  muscle  has  a  fair  field  for  exer¬ 
cise  upon  the  farm.  This  conviction  is  rapidly 
gaining  strength  in  the  rural  parishes,  and  in  some 
of  them,  the  process  of  depopulation,  that  has 
been  going  on  for  forty  years  is  already  arrested. 
Enough  of  the  sons  are  retained  at  home  to  make 
good  the  place  of  the  fathers.  Many  a  pastor's 
heart  is  cheered  by  this  new  spirit  that  is  abroad 
upon  the  farm.  There  are  fuller  congregations 
upon  the  Sabbath,  and  evidence  of  increasing  in¬ 
dustry  and  thrift  during  the  week.  In  many 
places  the  day  of  “  the  good  time  coming  ”  has 
already  dawned.  Its  brightness  even  now  il¬ 
lumines  many  an  eye,  cheers  many  a  household, 
and  causes  many  a  desert  place  “to  blossom  as 
the  lose.”  May  its  full  power  soon  dispel  every 
shade  of  ignorance,  and  scatter  every  mist  of 
error. 


34 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  Feb.  1859. 
Farm. 

Judicious  planning  and  care  in  retaining  are  equally 
important  with  the  more  apparent  efforts  made  in  secur¬ 
ing  successful  resulis  :  thus,  though  the  farmer  has  now 
neither  fields  to  plow  nor  harvests  to  gather,  he  can  do 
much  this  month  that  will  “tell”  before  the  year  is 
ended.  In  addition  to  the  various  employments  indicated, 
the  thrifty  cultivator  will  thoroughly  mature  his  plans  for 
the  campaign  before  him — studying  not  only  his  own  past 
experience,  but  that  of  others,  and  thus,  with  the  aid  of 
his  journal  and  his  books,  he  w  ill  be  prepared  to  do  the 
right  thing,  in  the  right  way  and  at  the  right  time.  This 
will  leave  him  no  time  to  lounge  away  and  worse  than 
waste  at  the  tavern  or  grocery. 

Buddings— If  any  are  to  be  erected  this  Spring,  fell  and 
hew  the  timber  now,  unless  it  has  been  on  hand  season¬ 
ing  the  past  year,  which  is  preferable.  Replace  the  nails 
which  the  frost  or  high  winds  may  have  started,  and  bat¬ 
ten  up  cracks  through  which  cold  and  snow  enter  the 
.•tables. 

Cattle— Attend  carefully  to  feediDg  now.  Remember, 

‘  well  wintered  is  half  summered.”  Give  roots,  carrots  if 
you  have  them,  with  hay.  Do  not  let  the  straw  cutter 
vust  for  want  of  use.  Make  feeding  racks  for  the  yard. 
For  good  patterns  see  pages  43  and  358  of  last  Vol. 
Cows  about  to  calve,  should  be  well  fed,  and  securely 
housed  m  roomy  stalls. 

Cellars— Look  out  for  frost ;  examine  and  sort  fruit  and 
vegetables  if  decaying  ;  send  rats  and  mice  on  a  long 
journey  ;  and  battle  cider  for  Summer  use. 

Drains — Examine  frequently  during  thaws,  and  keep 
open.  Much  grain  is  lost  by  neglecting  drain  furrows  in 
Winter. 

Fencing— Continue  to  prepare  materials.  Work  out 
posts  and  rails  under  cover  on  stormy  days.  Put  old 
fences  in  order  and  build  new  as  soon  as  frost  will  allow. 
Read  the  prize  articles  in  course  of  publication. 

Flax  and  Hemp— Finish  dressing. 

Grain— Thresh  out  any  remaining  on  hand,  and  guard 
bins  from  rats  and  mice.  Keep  an  eye  to  the  market  re¬ 
ports,  and  improve  a  good  opportunity  for  selling. 

Grain  Fields — Keep  all  stock  from  grazing  on  those  not 
covered  with  snow. 

Help— Engage  for  coming  season,  before  choice  hands 
are  employed. 

Horses  and  Mules— Keep  them  sharp  shod.  Give  roots 
with  their  feed  as  directed  last  month.  Cut  feed  is  most 
economical.  Let  them  be  well  blanketed  when  not  in 
use,  and  have  plenty  of  bedding  at  night,  also  litter  under 
them  to  absorb  moisture  when  standing. 

Hogs— Feed  liberally,  with  warm,  cooked  food,  with 
which  mix  charcoal  and  salt  occasionally,  especially  for 
breeding  sows.  Keep  pens  well  littered  with  leaves  or 
thort  straw,  to  increase  the  stock  of  manure. 

Ice  Houses— Secure  a  good  supply  of  ice  if  not  already 
tone,  and  see  that  the  house  is  in  good  condition  for  pre¬ 
serving.  Read  Ice  Houses  in  cellars,  page  45. 

Manures— Follow  up  the  manufacturing  as  directed 
'.ast  month.  The  deeper  the  muck  saturated  with  ma¬ 
nure  droppings  and  ammonia,  the  higher  the  corn  in  the 
crib  next  Fall.  It  may  be  carted  to  the  fields  for  use, 
during-  the  latter  part  of  the  month  ;  if  so,  cover  the  heaps 
With  soil  or  muck  to  absorb  escaping  ammonia.  Better 
leave  it  under  cover  if  practicable,  till  wanted  to  spread. 

Maple  Sugar  may  be  made  in  some  localities  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  month.  Examine  apparatus,  put  in-order 
and  provide  w  hat  is  necessary.  Read  “  Hints  on  Maple 
Sugar  making,”  in  this  No. 

Plowing— Will  commence  this  month  in  southern  lati¬ 
tudes.  Try  the  subsoilcr  on  one  field  at  least,  and  make 
a  note  of  its  effects. 

Potatoes— Let  seed  be  carefully  selected.  Keep  differ¬ 
ent  varieties  from  mixing.  At  tiie  south,  plant  as  early  as 
the  ground  will  answer,  for  northern  market. 

Roads— Notice  where  drifts  obstruct,  and  shelter  with 
trees  as  soon  as  ground  will  answer.  See  “Planting 
trees  for  Shelter”  on  page  5. 

Sheep— Give  grain  and  cut  roots  with  hay.  Shelter 
from  storms,  and  keep  separate  from  horses  and  cattle. 
Salt  regularly,  and  supply  with  plenty  of  water. 

Tools— Look  to  steel  or  iron,  and  prevent  rust  by  oiling 
■with  lard  having  a  little  resin  melted  into  it.  Put  all  in 
thorough  repair.  Look  over  last  year’s  Agriculturist ,  and 
select  new  tools  for  the  coming  season. 

Wood — Read  article  on  page  40  and  complete  the  di¬ 
rections  of  last  month. 

Orchard  atsad  Nursery. 

There  is  usually  very  little  to  do  in  these  during  the 
present  month.  Occasionally  an  early  Spring  will  admit 
of  planting  during  the  latter  part  of  February.  Nursery¬ 
men  having  southern  orders  to  fill,  in  their  anxiety  to  get 
them  off  at  an  early  date,  should  guard  especially  against 


the  danger  of  freezing  on  the  way.  If  the  trees  or  shrubs 
chance  to  be  frozen,  unpack  carefully,  and  bury  the  roots 
at  once  in  earth  or  sand,  leaving  them  until  all  the  frost  is 
out. 

Everything  should  be  In  readiness,  especially  with  the 
nurseryman,  for  the  first  working  weather,  as  early  plant¬ 
ing  is  most  desirable. 

Unless  old  orchard  trees  have  been  well  scraped  as 
heretofore  directed,  attend  to  them  now  while  there  is 
leisure. 

Grafting  may  be  done  at  the  South,  and  even  in  this 
latitude,  during  the  latter  part  of  this  month,  if  the  weath¬ 
er  is  open.  Make  no  attempts  while  the  limbs  are  frozen. 
March  is  the  better  month  for  grafting. 

Pruning— Many  old  orchardists  still  prefer  this  season 
for  pruning.  Our  advice  is,  if  you  will  prune  in  the 
Spring,  do  it  now  rather  than  wait  until  March  or  April. 
Select  mild  weather  for  the  operation,  when  frost  is  out  of 
the  limbs.  We  greatly  prefer  Summer  and  Autumn  for 
pruning,  even  though  they  are  more  busy  seasons  Hay 
must  be  attended  to  when  it  is  ready,  if  a  good  article 
is  wanted,  and  not  when  it  suits  your  convenience,  and 
if  pruning  is  properly  done,  you  must  do  this  also  at 
the  right  time  even  if  there  is  a  press  of  business.  We 
have  in  mind  several  orchards  whiph  were  nearly  ruined 
by  heavy  Spring  pruning. 

Scions — Cut  at  any  time  during  this  month  when  not 
frozen.  Use  every  precaution  against  errors  in  varieties. 
Select  well  known  or  labelled  bearing  trees  to  cut  from, 
as  much  as  possible.  Read  articles  on  pages  50  and  51. 

Sn#w  banks  as  they  melt  away  in  the  Spring  often  do 
much  damage  to  low  branching  standard  and  nursery 
trees.  Examine  such  and  shovel  away  the  snow  where- 
ever  it  is  splitting  down  the  branches  in  settling. 

Stakes,  labels,  tallies,  packing  bags,  mats,  etc.— Have  a 
good  stock  in  readiness  for  Spring  use  during  the  busy 
season  of  nursery  sales  and  planting. 

Transplanting  may  commence  as  soon  as  the  frost  is 
out  of  the  ground,  and  the  soil  is  in  working  order. 

Mitclseaa  aisd  Fruit  Gardena. 

The  rapid  communication  with  northern  cities  by  steam¬ 
ers  and  railroads,  has  made  gardening  in  many  places  at 
the  South  a  very  profitable  business  ;  and  as  the  first  pro¬ 
duce  in  market  commands  the  readiest  sale  and  best  price, 
the-southern  gardener  will  be  actively  engaged  this  month 
in  sowing  his  early  vegetables  or  transplanting  from  the 
frames  at  the  very  first  opportunity.  At  the  nortli  little 
more  can  be  done  than  to  get  well  prepared,  by  planning 
the  garden,  arranging  for  hot  beds,  securing  abundance  of 
food  for  the  plants  in  the  shape  of  manure,  providing 
brush,  poles,  and  other  necessary  apparatus,  and  putting 
tools  in  order. 

Cold  Frames— Attend  to  as  directed  last  month.  When 
the  weather  is  mild,  those  which  may  have  been  covered 
with  snow  can  be  cleared,  and  air  admitted.  Keep  out 
frosts  with  suitable  covering  of  matting,  or  straw. 

Cuttings  of  Currants,  Gooseberries,  grapes  and  quinces, 
may  be  taken  any  time  this  month,  when  the  wood  is  not 
frozen.  To  preserve  till  wanted,  pack  them  in  sand  and 
keep  from  the  light.  Some  bury  them  in  a  snow  drift  ; 
they  are,  however,  liable  to  be  neglected  and  spoiled 
when  the  snow  melts. 

Fences— Repairing  them  is  always  in  order.  “  A  nail 
in  time  ”  may  save  much  vexation  by  keeping  out  ma¬ 
rauding  pigs,  fowls,  etc. 

Grape  Vines— If  not  trimmed,  as  they  should  have  been 
last  Fall,  prune  early  this  month. 

Horse  Radish — May  be  dug  for  family  use  or  marketing, 
when  frost  will  allow.  Save  tops  if  needed  for  resetting. 

Hot  Beds— To  secure  very  early  vegetables,  make  the 
latter  part  of  the  month.'  See  full  directions  on  page  53, 
Vol.  XVII. 

Manures -Collect  and  make  at  every  opportunity. 
Have  what  is  needed  for  the  hot-bed  properly  prepared 
and  in  readiness. 

Prune  Currants  and  Gooseberries  early,  if  neglected  at 
the  proper  season  last  Fall. 

Rhubarb— To  bring  forward  early,  when  frost  allows 
take  up  a  few  roots  and  transplant  in  boxes  in  the  green 
house.  A  box  say  one  foot  high,  open  at  top  and  bottom, 
or  a  barrel  sawed  in  halves,  with  both  heads  out,  placed 
over  the  roots  and  filled  with  stable  manure,  will  give  a 
good  start. 

Seeds— Try  these  for  yourselves  in  the  house  before 
sowing.  Lay  cotton  in  a  vessel  of  water  and  sprinkle  a 
few  seeds  of  each  kind  upon  it  and  place  near  the  stove. 
They  will  germinate  in  a  few  days,  if  good.  See  article 
on  page  51. 

Tools-Procure  improved  kinds  that  have  been  tested. 
Most  tools  look  well  on  paper.  An  ingenious  gardener 
will  make  many  for  himself. 

Trees  and  Vines— The  bark,  like  the  skin  of  an  animal, 
should  be  kept  free  from  parasites.  Remove  moss,  and 
insects. 

Trellises  and  Arbors— Repair  old  ones,  erect  new,  and 


in  the  latter  have  an  eye  to  improvement  in  design.  Slight 
embellishment  even,  adds  greatly  to  the  market  value  of 
your  place. 

Flower  Gas’tleaa  and  1L»wbb. 

There  is  little  to  be  done  here  this  month  ;  unless  mild 
weather  should  admit  of  setting  out  additional  trees, 
or  shrubs.  New  grounds,  however,  can  be  plotted,  and 
the  plan  accurately  delineated  on  paper.  The  general 
effect  can  thus  be  pretty  well  judged  of,  and  much  time 
saved.  If  frost  will  permit,  warm  borders  may  be  dug, 
manured,  and  even  planted  with  perennial  roots  and  some 
hardy  annuals.  But  except  at  the  south  it  is  usually  bet¬ 
ter  to  defer  this  untill  next  month. 

Evergreens— Should  be  preserved  from  injury  by  snow, 
which  sometimes  accumulates  sufficiently  to  break  down 
the  outer  branches. 

Hot  Beds— Provide  materials  for  and  make  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  month  for  eariy  annuals,  cuttings,  etc. 

Manures— Collect  a  good  supply  of  muck  and  stable 
manure  for  Spring  use.  A  free  dressing  will  promote  a 
vigorous  growth  and  a  free  bloom. 

Prune  Altheas.  Roses,  Honeysuckles,  etc  ,  during  the 
•mild  days  of  this  month,  unless  they  were  attended  to  last 
Fall.  Save  the  cuttings  for  propagating  a  new  stock. 

Transplanting — Hardy  trees  and  shrubs  may  be  set  out 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  month  if  the  frost  will  permit. 

€Sirecsa“lS©ii§e§. 

The  extreme  cold  of  last  month  made  artificial  heat  ne¬ 
cessary  in  these.  The  dampness  from  fogs  also  could  only 
be  effectually  dispelled  by’ a  stove  or  other  apparatus  to 
dry  the  atmosphere;  but  much  heat  should  be  avoided  as 
it  would  push  the  plants  into  grow  th — 45°  is  the  highest 
point  the  mercury  should  reach. 

During  mild  clear  weather,  open  the  upper  ventilators 
to  change  the  atmosphere  and  prevent  a  weak  slender 
growth  of  wood.  This  is  of  great  importance. 

Cape  Bulbs  in  pots,  such  as  gladioluses,  ixias,  oxalis, 
bsbianas,  moreas,  etc.,  are  now  growing  finely  and  should 
be  kept  near  the  light  to  prevent  a  weak  spindling  appear¬ 
ance. 

Cuttings— Put  in  Fuchsias,  Geraniums,  Verbenas,  II y 
drangeas,  Myrtles,  Jasmines,  etc.,  to  furnish  a  good  stock 
for  out-door  planting. 

Decaying  leaves  and  branches  should  be  removed  at 
once  to  prevent  any  taint  in  the  atmosphere.  Cleanliness 
is  also  essential. 

Insects— Prevention  is  better  than  cure.  Allow  them 
no  foothold.  Mice  are  sometimes  troublesome  among  the 
bulbs  and  small  shrubbery.  Entrap  them  or  leave  “  pussy” 
to  do  it  at  night. 

Top  dress  unthrifty  plants,  and  give  a  little  manure 
water  from  time  to  time. 

Water— Increase  the  amount  as  the  plants  push  into 
growth,  but  avoid  an  excess.  See  that  the  drainage  is 
good. 

II©t-ia<m§es  awd  Comscrvat©ri<?s. 

Great  care  will  be  requisite  to  maintain  an  even  tem¬ 
perature  during  the  changeable  weather  this  month.  In¬ 
attention  to  this  particular,  even  for  a  few  hours,  may  in¬ 
jure  or  even  destroy  the  fruits  of  many  days’  patient  care 
The  rapidly  growing  plants  are  very  sensitive,  and  the 
successful  culturist  will  now  find  some  night  work  lie 
cessary  to  regulate  the  heating  apparatus  properly.  The 
thermometer  should  often  be  consulted  and  every  precau 
tion  taken  to  guard  against  sudden  changes  of  tempera 
ture. 

Many  of  the  directions  of  last  month  are  equally  appli¬ 
cable  for  this. 

Air — Now  that  the  plants  are  in  a  rapidly  growing  state 
they  will  need  frequent  changes  of  air  in  ciear  mild 
weather,  but  cold  currents  should  be  avoided. 

Azalias  should  now  show  a  fine  bloom  if  they  have  been 
properly  cared  for.  Syringe  freely. 

Bedding  Plants — Insert  cuttings  and  make  layers  foi 
a  good  stock  of  Petunias,  Pelargoniums,  Verbenas,  Dian- 
thus,  Candytuft,  Pansies,  Dielytras,  Daisies,  etc.,  for  early 
planting  in  the  open  border. 

Bulbs — Keep  a  succession  of  plants  in  bloom  by  bring 
ing  forward  those  kept  in  a  cool  room,  or  the  Green- 
House.  Change  the  water  of  those  in  glasses,  about 
twice  a  week. 

Camellias  still  show  a  fine  bloom.  Attend  to  as  directed 
last  month. 

Carnations — Make  layers  and  cuttings  for  an  increase 
of  stock. 

Cleanliness  will  add  very  much  to  the  appearance  of 
the  houses  or  rooms  and  the  healthiness  of  the  plants. 

Cuttings— A  large  number  of  growing  plants  now  afford 
good  shoots  for  cuttings.  Plunge  them  at  once  into  pre¬ 
pared  pots  of  soil  and  cover  with  glasses. 

Grapes  require  much  care  in  the  early  houses  this 
month.  Those  beginning  to  color  or  about  ripening,  need 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


a  comparatively  dry  and  warm  atmosphere.  Later  vines 
require  thinning,  while  others  have  been  so  kept  back  as 
to  have  scarcely  “  burst  ”  into  growth.  Use  sulphur  to 
counteract  or  destroy  mildew. 

Insects  are  now  troublesome,  unless  they  have  been 
kept  in  check  by  following  the  directions  already  given. 
Fumigating  with  tobacco  will  be  found  effectual  to  de¬ 
stroy  any  which  have  established  themselves. 

Repotting— Many  rapid  growing  plants  will  now  require 
a  shif'  to  pots  of  a  larger  size.  Keep  potting  soil  at  all 
times  in  readiness 

Seeds  of  many  of  the  hardy  annuals  should  be  sown  for 
an  early  blooming  stock  to  be  planted  in  the  open  grounds. 

Soil  in  Pots— Stir  often  to  prevent  its  crusting.  Kec-p 
free  from  weeds. 

Syringing  often  will  maintain  a  humid  atmosphere, 
which  is  requisite  at  this  season.  Dampening  the  walls 
and  floors  has  a  similar  effect. 

Water— Give  judiciously  according  to  the  wants  of 
growing  plants.  Excess  is  quite  as  injurious  as  too  little 
Twice  a  week  will  usually  be  sufficient.  Evaporating 
pans  filled  with  water,  and  placed  in  different  parts  of  the 
houses  or  rooms  will  be  beneficial. 

Tine  Apiary. 

The  period  of  inactivity  in  the  hive  still  continues,  but 
the  first  indications  of  life  in  nature  without,  will  speedi¬ 
ly  awaken  the  dormant  energies  of  the  industrious  com¬ 
munity.  When  the  warm  beams  of  the  sun  begin  to  give 
promise  of  approaching  Spring,  pioneer  bees  will  be  seen 
circling  away  exploring  the  woods  seeking  sunny  spots 
where  the  sap  is  starting  from  the  new  stumps,  or  the  blue 
violet  is  timidly  peeping  from  its  covering  of  snow.  It  is 
natural  for  them  to  improve  every  mild  day,  and  they 
should  therefore  be  permitted  to  do  so,  care  being  neces¬ 
sary  to  prevent  the  inroads  of  robbers  from  neighboring 
swarms.  This  can  be  done  by  nearly  closing  the  entrance 
so  as  to  admit  of  the  passage  o  f  one  bee  at  a  time. 

The  bee  is  a  pattern  housekeeper,  and  will  leave  no 
offensive  material  in  the  hive,  if  it  can  be  removed.  They 
may  be  observed  tugging  away  at  bits  of  decayed  comb, 
dead  bees,  etc.,  to  get  them  out  of  the  way.  The  atten¬ 
tive  bee-keeper  wilt  lighten  their  labors  by  sweeping  out 
all  filth  from  the  shelves  on  which  the  hives  are  set. 

Great  care  should  be  continued  to  allow  sufficient  ven¬ 
tilation.  Bees  resemble  human  beings  in  this  respect  as 
in  many  others,  they  must  have  fresh  air.  Keep  the  air 
passages  free  from  all  obstructions. 

If  bees  have  been  housed  be  in  no  haste  to  remove  them 
to  the  open  air.  If  removed  during  the  mild  weather, 
occurring  in  the  latter  part  of  this  month,  you  may  be  put 
to  the  trouble  of  returning  them  again  on  account  of  severe 
weather.  Watch  against  all  depredations  of  rats,  mice 
and  other  vermin,  as  mentioned  last  month. 

If  any  weak  stocks  should  need  feeding,  place  the  food 
on  tops  of  the  hive  covering  the  dishes  in  which  the  food 
is  placed, mnd  giving  the  bees  access  by  means  of  holes 
through  the  hive  ;  this  will  prevent  its  being  plundered  by 
other  swarms. 


United  States  Agricultural  Society- 


The  Annum.  Meeting  of  this  Association  was 
held  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  January  12,  13,  and 
14.  We  have  received  from  two  correspondents 
full  reports  of  the  proceedings  from  day  to  day, 
but  we  confess  to  being  unable  to  find  that  any¬ 
thing,  of  special  interest  or  practical  utility  to  the 
public,  transpired  during  the  entire  session,  ex¬ 
cept  the  address  of  Prof.  Henry,  a  portion  of 
which  we  give  on  page  49.  The  object,  scope, 
and  intentions  of  the  “  Fairs  ”  of  the  Society 
were  set  forth  by  the  President,  Gen.  Tilghman, 
as  follows  : 

“  . . .  .They  are  intended  to  elevate  the  stand¬ 
ard  of  excellence  in  agricultural  productions  and 
processes,  and  increase  the  amount  of  agricultur¬ 
al  information  in  the  various  parts  of  the  country, 
by  carrying  into  each,  successively,  articles  of  a 
superior  quality,  and  in  some  instances  of  a  dif¬ 
ferent  kind  from  those  previously  exhibited  at  the 
local  fairs ;  and,  secondly,  to  disseminate  infor¬ 
mation  in  regard  to  the  improvements  and  insti¬ 
tutions  of  each  portion  of  the  country  among  the 
people  of  the  other  portions,  by  inducing  indi¬ 
viduals  and  delegations  from  remote  sections  t-o 
congregate  in  a  degree  which  the  local  fairs,  how¬ 
ever  important,  do  not  seem  to  effect.” 


These  are  laudable  objects,  and  if  properly  fol¬ 
lowed,  would  all  be  very  well.  How  sad  have 
been  the  failures  hitherto,  we  have  shown  from 
year  to  year.  In  subsequent  discussions  with  re¬ 
ference  to  the  location  of  the  next  Show,  there 
seemed  to  be  a  general  concurrence  in  the  opin¬ 
ion,  that  the  main  point  to  be  considered  was 
“  where  would  the  most  money  be  likely  to  be 
made.”  After  a  strong  effort  on  the  part  of  gentle¬ 
men  from  the  West,  it  was  finally 

“Resolved,  as  the  sense  of  this  meeting,  that  the  region 
of  the  great  Northwest  and  valley  of  the  Mississippi  is  en¬ 
titled  to  the  holding  of  the  next  exhibition  of  the  United 
States  Agricultural  Society  in  its  midst,  and  it  recom¬ 
mends  that  the  said  exhibition  be  held  in  that  region, 
provided  the  inducements  offered  by  it  are  equally  advantage, 
ous  with  those  offered  by  any  other  place  or  section  of  the 
country .” 

OFFICERS  ELECTED  FOR  1859. 

President — General  Tench  Tilghman,  Maryland. 

For  Vice  Presidents— Ezekiel  Holmes,  Me.;  II.  F. 
French,  N.  H. ;  F.  Holbrook,  Vt. ;  John  Brooks,  Mass.  ; 
E.  Dyer,  K.  I.;  II.  A.  Dyer,  Conn.;  B.  P.  Johnson,  N.  Y. 

J.  II.  Frazee,  N.  J.;  A.  Clemens,  Pa.;  John  Jones,  Del.; 
A.  Kimmell,  Md.  ;  W.  A.  Spence,  Va.  ;  H.  K.  Burgwyn., 
N.  C.;  F.  VV.  Allston,  S.  C.;  R.  Peters,  Ga.;  N.  B.  Cloud, 
Ala.;  N.  N.  Harrison,  Miss.;  J.  D.  B.  De  Bow,  La.;  F. 
G.  Cary,  0,;  W.  L.  Underwood,  Ky. ;  D.  P.  Holloway, 
Ltd.;  D.  S.  Curtis,  Wis.;  J.  A.  Kennicott,  Ill.;  J.  R.  Bar¬ 
ret,  Mo.;  II.  Ledyard,  Mich.;  S.  A.  Mallory,  Fla.;  Thos. 
Affleck,  Texas  ;  Legrand  Byinglon,  Iowa  ;  A.  W.  Mc¬ 
Kee,  Cal.;  II.  M.  Rich,  Minn.;  W.  W.  Corcoran,  D.  C.; 
M.  H.  Otero,  New-Mexico  ;  J.  II.  Lane,  Oregon;  L.  S. 
Stevens,  Washington  Territory  ;  W.  T.  Brown,  Nebras¬ 
ka  ;  W.  F.  M.  Army,  Kansas;  Sylvester  Mowray,  Arizona; 
A.  G.  Fuller,  Dacotah. 

Executive  Committee — H.  Wager,  N.  Y.;  J.  McGowan, 
Pa. ;  Josiah  Ware,  Va.;  F.  Smyth,  N.  II.:  J.  Merryman, 
Md.;  II.  Capro.n,  Ill.;  J.  M.  Cannon,  Iowa. 

Treasurer — B.  B.  French,  D  .  C. 

Secretary— Ben  Parley  Poore,  Mass.  (Washington, 

D.  C.) 

- <1  —I  H-V4i)-CgT»i  >  Cr» - 

“The  Advisory  Board  of  Agriculturists 
of  the  Patent  Office.” 

Under  this  specious  name  a  sort  of  select  co¬ 
terie  of  persons,  privately  summoned  from  vari¬ 
ous  parts  of  the  country,  assembled  at  Washing¬ 
ton  during  the  past  month.  So  far  as  we  can 
learn,  this  secret  gathering  consisted  mainly  of 
individuals  who  could  be  moulded  to  the  purposes 
and  to  do  the  bidding  of  the  “  Agricultural  Clerk-” 
To  make  all  sure  on  this  point  they  were  in¬ 
formed  that  they  would  be  paid  $25  each,  and 
five  cents  per  mile  each  way  in  going  to  and  return¬ 
ing  from  Washington.  They  went — they  saw — and 
Browne  conquered — if  we  may  judge  from  the  re¬ 
sults  of  the  council,  which  seemed  to  be  a  sort  of 
indorsement  of  the  operations  of  the  “  seed  clerk.” 
The  whole  affair  was  a  sham,  so  far  as  any  prac¬ 
tical  good  to  the  country  is  concerned.  We  will 
copy  here  a  “  notice  ”  of  the  affair,  as  given  by 
a  daily  paper  at  the  head-quarters,  the  Washing¬ 
ton  Stales: 

“  In  another  column  of  this  paper  we  insert  the 
introductory  proceedings  of  the  Agricultural  Con¬ 
gress,  which  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  has 
assumed  the  prerogative  of  convening  at  the  Fe¬ 
deral  Capital.  We  had  intended  to  furnish  our 
own  report  of  this  august  assemblage,  but  its  de¬ 
liberations  are  conducted  in  secrecy.  The  mo¬ 
tive  of  such  an  arrangement  is  not  intelligible, 
except  upon  the  hypothesis  that  it  is  designed  to 
screen  the  ignorance  of  members  from  the 
contemptuous  criticism  of  the  farmers  of  the 
'country. 

It  will  be  observed  by  reference  to  the  list  of 
delegates,  that  it  contains  no  name  of  conspicu¬ 
ous  reputation  in  the  agricultural  community,  un¬ 
less  the  inevitable  Wilder  and  the  ubiquitous 
Poore  are  to  be  regarded  as  celebrities  in  that 


department  of  human  achievement.  Take  Vir¬ 
ginia  for  example  ;  neither  Ruffin,  nor  Cocke, 
nor  Seddon,  nor  any  other  eminent  agriculturist 
from  that  State,  is  present  to  redeem  the  Conven¬ 
tion  from  ridicule.  But  Mr.  W.  W,  Corcoran  is 
there,  in  all  the  glory  of  conscious  millions,  and 
with  that  authoritative  aspect  which  awes  the 
vulgar  multitude  into  reluctant  admiration.  If 
the  problem  were  to  devise  the  readiest  expedi¬ 
ent  for  depleting  the  public  treasury  by  the  exac¬ 
tion  of  usurious  interest,  we  could  imagine  no 
more  suggestive  representative  than  Crresus 
Corcoran.  Wha4  possible  light  he  may  shed  on 
the  mysteries  of  agricultural  science,  is  more 
than  we  can  conjecture,  seeing  that  his  only  ex¬ 
ploit  in  this  province  is  the  successful  cultivation 
of  grass  on  the  numerous  lots  in  the  city,  which 
he  has  dressed  out  for  speculative  prices.  How¬ 
ever,  according  to  the  maxim  of  the  King  of 
Brobdignag,  this  service  may  be  thought  to  en¬ 
title  him  to  the  gratitude  of  mankind. 

What  with  Wilder’s  impartial  presidency  and 
Corcoran’s  luminous  intellect,  some  people  may 
anticipate  splendid  results  of  this  Agricultural 
Congress.  When  we  add  the  stimulus  of  5  cents 
mileage  and  $25  for  personal  expenses,  which 
the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  generously  allows 
out  of,  the  public  treasury,  we  may  expect  the 
members  to  exert  themselves  with  the  most  pro¬ 
ductive  industry.  Nor  should  we  omit  the  con¬ 
tributions  of  the  statistical  Browne  from  our  cal¬ 
culations — from  Browne  historically  known  as  D. 
Jay — of  Browne  who,  like  another  Xerxes,  has 
exhausted  empires  in  his  travels,  and  has  en¬ 
riched  this  favored  land  with  the  accumulated 
treasures  of  his  researches  in  “furrin  parts  ” — of 
Browne  who,  after  years  of  laborious  apprentice¬ 
ship  in  the  subordinate  position  of  clerk  to  a  De¬ 
partment,  cherishes  the  commendable  ambition 
of  creating  a  Bureau  of  Agriculture,  and  himself 
presiding  over  its  operations — of  Browne  who, 
having  distributed  seed  enough  to  nourish  a  forest 
of  canaries,  is  at  last  impatient  to  reap  the  har¬ 
vest  of  reward  in  his  own  personal  promotion. 

After  all,  however,  we  would  be  pleased  if 
some  one  of  the  notabilities  associated  with  Mr. 
D.  J.  Browne  in  this  laudable  (?)  enterprise  would 
indicate  the  particular  clause  of  the  Constitution 
which  authorizes  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  to  ap¬ 
propriate  money  from  the  public  treasury  in  the 
shape  of  contributions  to  an  Agricultural  Congress  1 
Whence  does  he  derive  the  power  of  creating 
any  such  anomalous  body  I  It  is  a  fungus  on  the 
political  system.  It  is  one  of  these  unhealthy 
developements  which  betray  a  constitutional  dis¬ 
order.’ 


Larger  Yield  of  Rye. 


A.  J.  Horton,  of  Southold,  Suffolk  Co.,  L.  I., 
referring  to  Mr.  Ilyerson’s  account  of  a  “  Large 
Yield  of  Lye,”  in  Jan.  No.  p.  7,  says  he  can  beat 
that.  He  gathered  76£  bushels  of  rye  from  If 
acres,  or  43  and  47  bushels  per  acre.  The  soil 
was  a  heavy  loam.  The  sward  was  broken  up 
in  the  Spring  of  1856,  and  cropped  with  corn. 
This  was  followed  in  1857  by  potatoes,  25  loads 
of  barnyard  manure  having  been  plowed  under 
in  the  Spring.  On  Sept.  26,  he  sowed  1£  bushels 
per  acre  of  common  rye,  without  further  manur¬ 
ing,  and  harvested  the  above  product  in  1858. 
This  will  do  for  Suffolk  Co.,  L.  I.  Yfho  speaks 
next  ? 


In  Sweden,  a  man  who  is  seen  four  times 
drunk  is  deprived  of  a  vote  at  elections.  A  good 
law  for  any  country. 


36 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Hiring  Help. 

Have  you  hired  your  help  for  the  coming  sea¬ 
son?  If  not,  no  time  should  be  lost  in  looking 
out  for  such  as  you  will  like.  In  a  few  weeks 
you  may  only  be  able  to  get  such  as  are  without 
places  for  just  cause.  Cheap  help,  so  called, 
may  prove  very  dear,  before  the  summer  is  over. 
A  hired  man  often  wastes  more  than  his  wages 
in  poor  plowing,  careless  planting  or  hoeing,  and 
unskillful  harvesting. 

Where  the  cultivator  labors  in  the  field  with 
his  hired  hands,  it  may  do  to  employ  one  or  two 
inexperienced  men,  but  where  they  are  to  work 
by  themselves,  it  is  very  poor  economy.  An  un¬ 
derpaid  man  will  frequently  make  his  tvages  an 
excuse  for  neglect,  but  where  full  price  is  paid, 
you  may  reasonably  demand  full  work. 

Regard  should  be  had  to  the  moral  character 
of  hired  men.  A  faithful,  trustworthy  man, 
though  inferior  in  physical  strength  or  in  skill, 
will  prove  more  valuable  than  a  reckless  charac¬ 
ter,  whatever  may  be  his  other  qualifications. 
Especially  is  this  true  where  there  are  children 
in  the  family.  Their  welfare  is  superior  to  every 
consideration  of  mere  profit ;  and  association 
with  profane  or  immoral  hired  men  has  corrupted 
many  a  promising  youth. 

In  concluding  a  bargain,  nothing  should  be  left 
indefinite.  The  terms  should  be  plainly  com¬ 
mitted  to  writing,  for  the  best  memories  some¬ 
times  prove  treacherous,  and  it  is  curious  to  no¬ 
tice,  how  mistakes  are  usually  made  in  favor  of 
those  interested.  A  lawr-suit  at  the  end  of  a  sum¬ 
mer’s  work  is  a  costly  luxury,  which  few  can 
afford,  and  none  enjoy  ;  and  a  little  precaution 
now  may  save  all  its  unpleasantness. 

- ■»  . - — .  - - -- 

Note  on  Improved  King  Philip  Corn. 

A  NEW  VARIETY  TO  BE  DISTRIBUTED. 

The  “  King  Philip  Corn  ”  we  have  hitherto 
distributed,  has  been  fully  described.  Its  chief 
excellence  has  been  stated  to  be  its  very  early 
maturity,  which  specially  adapted  it  to  localities 
where  the  seasons  are  short  and  cold,  and  for  re¬ 
planting  where  a  first  planting  of  other  varieties 
had  failed  to  vegetate.  The  average  ripening  has 
been  in  90  to  93  days,  though  it  has  often  been 
ready  to  gather  in  85  days  from  planting.  The 
main  objection  has  been  its  small  growth  of  stalk, 
and  comparatively  moderate  yield,  as  a  general 
rule,  though  very  large  crops  have  often  been  ob¬ 
tained.  We  intended  to  distribute  this  year  the 
same  variety  as  hitherto,  but  have  obtained  a  few 
bushels  of  what  we  think  to  be 

An  improved  Kind. — This  we  have  just  pro¬ 
cured  of  Mr.  Carpenter,  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y. 
In  the  samples  we  have  examined,  the  ears  are 
much  larger  than  in  the  former  kind.  It  is  said 
to  have  been  obtained,  at  first,  by  crossing  the  old 
King  Philip  with  the  Dutton,  and  carefully  select¬ 
ing  the  best  ears  for  the  past  three  seasons.  It  is 
of  larger  growth  than  the  King  Philip,  and  re¬ 
quires  about  ten  days  longer  to  mature.  This 
last  fact  is  the  only  objection  ;  still  a  large,  proli¬ 
fic  corn  that  will  mature  in  100  days  is  very  de¬ 
sirable.  From  all  we  can  learn  in  regard  to  this, 
we  think  it  abundantly  worthy  of  trial,  and  we 
shall  gladly  avail  ourselves  of  the  opportunity  to 
substitute  it  for  the  old  King  Philip  variety,  which 
we  had  prepared  to  distribute.  Our  supply  may 
not  hold  out  for  all  applicants,  but  we  shall  send 
it  as  long  as  it  lasts.  If  obliged  towards  the 
close  of  our  distribution  to  return  to  the  other  va¬ 
riety,  we  will,  with  a  pen,  mark  the  word  old  on 
such  package?  All  who  get  unmarked  packages 


will  then  understand  that  they  are  of  what  is 
termed  the  “Improved  King  Philip.” 


Number  of  Squares  in  an  Acre. 


The  followingtable  is  convenient  for  reference 
when  desiring  to  know  the  number  of  trees  or 
plants  which  will  occupy  an  acre  when  set  out  at 
given  distances  apart.  It  will  also  assist  in  de¬ 
termining  the  amount  of  manure  to  be  applied  to 
a  hill,  when  distributing  a  certain  number  of 
pounds  or  loads  upon  an  acre.  An  acre  contains 
4.3,560  square  feet.  It  is  usually  better  to  keep 
this  number  in  mind,  and  at  once  obtain  the 
number  of  squares  by  dividing  this  sum  (43,500) 
by  the  number  of  feet  inclosed  by  four  hills. 


Distance  apart 

No.  of  sqrs. 

Distance  apart 

No.  of  sqrs. 

each  way. 

or  hills. 

each  way. 

or  hills. 

1  foot . 

. 43.560112  feet . 

JJ  feet . 

1P3 

2  “  . 

. 1 0,890 1 !  8  “  . 

.  134 

21  “  . 

.  6,'Jrtji20  “  . 

3  “  . 

22  “  . 

00 

31  “  . 

09 

4  “  . . 

30  “  . 

48 

5  “  ........ 

....  1,742 

35  “  . 

35 

6  “  . 

.  j/210 

40  “  . 

27 

8  «  . 

45  «*  . 

91 

10  “  . 

.  435 

50  “  .  I? 

If  the  rows  are  three  feet  apart  each  wav, 
there  will  be  3  times  3  feet,  or  9  feet  in  each 
square,  and  43,560  divided  by  9  gives  4840 
squares,  trees,  or  hills.  If  the  rows  be  2  feet 
apart  one  way  and  3  feet  the  other,  the  enclosed 
space  will  be  2  times  3,  or  6  feet.  43,560  divided 
by  6,  gives  7260  as  the  number  of  squares.  In 
rows  3  by  3^  feet  there  are  10?r  feet.  43,560  di¬ 
vided  by  10$,  gives  4148  squares ;  and  so  for 
other  distances. 

This  table  would  not  be  quite  accurate  if  al¬ 
lowance  be  made  for  rows  around  the  entire  out¬ 
side,  as  in  that  case  there  would  be  one  more 
row  each  way  than  the  number  of  squares.  Thus, 
in  a  square  plot  of  one  acre,  with  the  rows  3  feet 
apart  each  way,  there  would  be,  say  69  rows  each 
way.  As  two  of  the  corner  trees  would  count 
both  ways,  we  must  add  to  the  4840  hills,  (in  the 
table),  4  times  69  hills,  less  2,  or  274,  making  the 
total  number  5114.  These  figures  are  illustra¬ 
tive  only,  and  not  exact,  as  the  precise  number 
of  rows  in  the  instance  given  is  a  little  over  69£. 


Hints  on  Making  Maple  Sugar. 

Last  year  several  essays  were  received  in  re¬ 
sponse  to  our  call  for  experience  on  this  import¬ 
ant  topic,  which  were  published  on  pages  5  and  37 
of  Vol.  17.  Other  lengthy  communications,  for 
which  we  had  not  room,  were  received  from  A. 
Brown,  Somerset  Co.,  Pa.  ;  S.  R.  Griggs,  Fay- 
ston  (?) ;  L.  F.  A.,  Andover,  Me.  ;  J.  K.  M.,  Can¬ 
terbury,  N.  II.  ;  H.  H.  Doolittle,  Ontario  Co., 
N.  Y.,  etc.  We  embody  here  the  principal  sug¬ 
gestions  contained  in  these  letters. 

The  time  for  tapping  of  course  varies  with  the 
locality  and  the  character  of  the  season.  In 
many  places  in  ordinary  seasons,  a  large  amount 
of  sugar  is  made  during  February.  The  business 
should  commence  as  early  as  the  sap  will  flow. 

Where  but  few  trees  are  attended  to,  the  ordi¬ 
nary  utensils  and  fixtures  used  for  household 
purposes  will  be  sufficient ;  but  where  sugar¬ 
making  is  a  part  of  the  business  of  the  farm,  the 
grove  or  “  sap  bush,”  numbering  from  a  hundred 
to  thousands  of  trees,  special,  and  in  some  cases 
extensive  preparations  are  necessary. 

For  tapping,  a  l  inch  bit  is  generally  preferred. 
The  holes  should  be  1)  to  2  inches  deep,  enter¬ 
ing  only  the  sap  wood,  and  inclining  slightly  up¬ 
wards,  to  prevent  the  sap  remaining  and  souring 
in  the  orifice.  “Boxing,”  or  chipping  is  con¬ 
demned,  as  injurious  to  the  tree,  and  the  gash 


being  exposed  to  the  light  and  air,  the  wood  soon 
dries,  so  as  to  require  additional  cutting  or 
“  freshening.” 

Wooden  tubes,  of  quill  elder,  sumach,  or  pine, 
as  may  be  most  convenient,  are  preferable  to  tin 
or  sheet  iron.  They  should  be  fitted  closely  into 
the  opening.  Pails  or  tubs  of  cedar  or  pine,  the 
inside  unpainted,  with  a  board  cover  to  exclude 
leaves  and  dust,  are  the  best  vessels  for  receiving 
the  sap  from  the  tree.  They  may  be  hooped 
with  wood,  and  made  quite  cheaply.  It  is  well  to 
have  the  top  of  larger  diameter  than  the  bottom, 
so  that  ice  may  be  easily  removed,  in  case  the 
sap  should  freeze  in  them.  An  auger  hole  or 
notch  cut  in  the  edge  of  the  cover,  admits  the 
sap  into  the  pail. 

When  the  trees  are  quite  near  each  other,  labor 
may  be  saved  by  using  leading  troughs,  run¬ 
ning  from  tree  to  tree,  and  all  finally  emptying 
into  a  receiving  tub.  Or  a  line  of  troughs  from 
near  the  centre  of  the  bush  to  the  tub,  may  be 
made,  into  which  the  collecting  vessels  are  emp¬ 
tied.  There  is  more  wasted  in  this  manner  from 
leaking,  spilling,  and  evaporation,  than  in  the 
common  method  of  hauling  the  sap  to  the  boiling 
place  in  a  capacious  covered  tub,  mounted  on  a 
sled. 

Sheet  iron  pans,  (Russia  iron  is  best),  five  or 
six  inches  deep,  set  in  mason  work,  so  that  the 
bottom  is  exposed  to  the  heat,  will  evaporate  the 
sap  much  more  rapidly,  than  can  be  done  in  the 
old-fashioned  arch  kettle. 

A  brick  wall  built  across  the  middle  of  the  fire 
chamber,  to  within  two  inches  of  the  bottom  of 
the  pan,  will  throw  the  heat  against  the  bottom 
of  the  pan,  and  save  much  fuel. 

Some  of  the  most  successful  sugar  makers 
say,  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance  in  sugar 
making,  that  the  sap  be  reduced  to  syrup  in  the 
shortest  possible  time  after  being  collected.  Al¬ 
though  the  sap  may  not  sour  in  several  days,  its 
properties  are  undoubtedly  affected  by  light  and 
air,  and  the  amount  of  crystallizable  matter  con¬ 
siderably  diminished,  so  that  even  if  the  “run” 
be  light  for  a  few  days,  it  is  best  to  reduce  to  sy¬ 
rup  eve.y  8  or  12  hours.  This  precaution  is  even 
more  necessary  in  the  latter  part  of  the  season, 
when  the  sap  crystallizes  with  more  difficulty 
By  judicious  boiling  the  available  run  may  be  pio 
longed  several  days. 

To  “  sugar  off,”  the  syrup  should  be  strained 
through  a  thick  woolen  cloth  into  a  medium  sized 
kettle,  and  reduced  slowly,  carefully  guarding 
against  burning,  as  this  would  greatly  injure  the 
color  and  quality  of  the  sugar.  It  is  sufficiently 
done,  when  threads  of  the  thick  syrup  break  off 
short  like  glass,  after  cooling  quickly  in  water  or 
on  snow.  Then  remove  it  from  the  fire,  stir  it 
continually,  and  when  it  begins  to  “grain,”  imme¬ 
diately  turn  it  into  the  moulds.  Grained  sugar  is 
prepared  in  the  same  manner,  only  that  the  stir¬ 
ring  is  continued  until  the  mass  is  dry. 

We  have  said  nothing  of  clarifying,  for  experi¬ 
ence  has  proved  that  if  proper  care  be  taken  to 
keep  every  article  used  in  the  various  processes 
scrupulously  clean,  and  to  prevent  leaves,  insects, 
etc.,  from  falling  into  the  sap,  no  clarifying  agents 
are  needed.  We  have  eaten  maple  sugar  of  the 
finest  quality  both  as  to  flavor  and  color,  made 
entirely  without  clarifying. 

The  best  form  for  city  retail  market,  is  in 
small  cakes,  weighing  from  two  to  four  ounces, 
as  these  are  more  convenient  for  peddling  out. 
- - - —•<»>—- — »«■ - 

A  lazy  fellow  lying  down  on  the  grass  said, 
Oh,  how  I  do  wish  that  this  was  called  work, 
and  well  paid  for?”  Plenty  more  of  same  sort 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


37 


Diseased  Eyes  of  Animals- 


Profit  of  Poultry,  No.  II  —  Feeding,  etc. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist  : 

To  provoke  interesting  and  useful  comparisons, 
I  send  an  account  of  the  products  of  my  hen-yard 
during  the  year  just  closed.  I  had  on  hand  Jan.  1, 
1858,  31  fowls,  of  which  vve  lost  4  hens  by  casu¬ 
alties  before  July  1.  During  the  year  we  used  in 
the  family  81  fowls,  and  had  on  hand  at  the  end 
of  the  year  45  more,  making  a  total  increase  of  95 
fowls.  The  yield  of  eggs  during  the  year  amount¬ 
ed  to  3465  ! — ranging  by  months  as  follows  : 

January . 274  May .  327  September. ..  .212 

February _ ,368  June . 309  October . 184 

March . 385  July .  252  November _ 295 

April . 345  August _ 281  December _ 233 

Total  cost  of  grain  for  these  hens,  including 
also  the  food  of  about  fifty  pigeons,  $70.03. 
There  is  nothing  to  boast  of  in  the  pecuniary  re¬ 
sults,  and  nothing  to  be  particularly  remarked  in 
the  account,  except,  perhaps,  the  constant  yield 
of  eggs,  which  I  attribute  entirely  to  the  fact  that 
my  hens  have  grain  of  all  kinds  always  before 
them.  This  I  find  invariably  the  case  wherever 
hens  lay  all  the  time. 

My  fowls  are  of  mixed  breed,  have  a  warm 
house,  a  large  yard,  and  a  wide  range,*  whenever 
no  harm  can  be  done  by  their  scratching.  They 
get,  besides  the  grain,  all  the  refuse  of  the  house, 
and  chopped  meat  two  or  three  times  a  week  in 
winter. t  Instead  of  eighty-one  fowls  for  the 
table,  I  should  have  had  at  least  125,  but  lost  a 
good  many  by  the  intrusion  of  a  strange  dog,t 

*  A  needful  thing  for  poultry  in  all  circumstances. 

t  An  important  point.  Hens  must  have  animal  food 
supplied,  when  shut  off  from  picking  up  insects,  or  it  is 
useless  to  expect  them  to  lay  well. 

t  Dogs  are  almost  always  in  mischief  of  some  kind,  un¬ 
less  their  tails  are  cut  off  close— as  close  as  the  Dutchman 
would  have  them  cut,  that  is,  close  behind  the  ears. 


and  more  were  lost  by  an  unfortunate  experiment 
with  grease,  against  a  too  copious  use  of  which  I 
would  warn  your  readers.  In  November  my 
March  pullets  began  to  lay.  As  a  matter  of 
course,  my  hen-house  is  kept  clean,  with  a  full 
supply  of  ashes  for  dusting,  and  broken  oyster- 
shells  to  furnish  lime  for  the  eggs. 

January  3rd,  1859.  Subscriber. 


Silver  Spangled  Bantams. 

The  Bantam  is  the  smallest  specimen  of  fowl, 
and  may  with  propriety  be  called  the  pigmy  of  the 
gallinaceous  tribe  Diminutive  size  and  bold  car¬ 
riage  are  important  points  in  all  Bantams.  These 
beautiful  emblems  of  pride  and  consequence,  are 
peculiarly  fancy  fowls  ;  they  have  been  accused 
of  not  being  a  useful  kind,  as  of  course  there  is 
little  meat  in  a  fowl  which,  when  full  grown, 
should  weigh,  the  cock  about  one  pound,  the 
hen  less — the  eggs  being  small  in  proportion  ;  but 
their  eggs  are  delicacies  which  would  tempt  al¬ 
most  any. invalid.  They  must  be  considered  more 
an  object  of  curiosity  than  utility,  and  of  course 
must  expect  to  be  viewed  with  no  peculiar  favor 
in  this  country  except  as  “  pets.” 

Though  extremely  small  in  size,  the  Bantam 
cock  is  elegantly  formed,  and  remarkable  for  his 
grotesque  figure,  his  courageous  and  passionate 
temper,  his  amusing  pompousness  of  manner,  his 
overweening  assumption  and  arrogance  ;  and  his 
propensity  to  fight,  and  force  every  rival  to  “  turn 
tail,”  has  caused  him  many  difficulties.  He  is  a 
beautiful  example  of  a  great  soul  in  a  small  body. 
He  will  attack  a  Cochin  or  Brahma  ten  times  his 
own  weight.  Dixon  says,  “  His  full  rose-comb, 
and  deep  depending  wattles  are  plump  and  red  ; 
but  this  disproportionate  size  affords  a  most  un¬ 
fortunate  hold  for  the  beak  of  his  adversary  ;  but 
be  cares  not  for  that ;  a  little  glory  is  worth  a 
good  deal  of  pecking  and  pinching,  and  it  is  not  a 
slight  punishment,  nor  a  merely  occasional  inflic¬ 
tion  of  it,  that  will  make  him  give  in  The  great 
hens,  too,  look  down  upon  him  on  a  first  in¬ 
troduction,  though  they  afterwards  find  out  that 
they  might  as  well  have  received  him  in  a  more 
feminine  manner.” 

He  is  a  pleasing  little  fellow,  though  an  impu¬ 
dent  consequential  atom.  Oh !  the  little  saucy, 
strutting,  foppish  scamp !  Who  would  think  that 
such  a  contemptible  minikin  as  that,  should  have 
the  assurance  to  strut  and  parade  his  insignifi¬ 
cant  person  in  the  presence  ot  great  hens,  and 
should  presume  to  show  such  marked  attention 
to  the  members  of  families  of  weight  and  sub¬ 
stance — before  the  Misses,  and  still  more,  the 


Mistresses  Cochin,  Brahma  and  Dorking  1  I  de¬ 
clare,  there  is  no  telling  to  what  length  impu¬ 
dence  will  go,  so  long  as  Bantams  escape  exter¬ 
mination. 

The  Silver  Spangled  Bantam,  is,  perhaps,  the 
most  beautiful  of  the  whole  family.  For  perfec¬ 
tion  of  model  and  beauty  of  plumage,  nothing 
can  exceed  them.  The  pair  figured  at  the  head 
of  this  article,  are  the  property  of  M.  Vas- 
son,  Esq.,  Springside.  They  are,  as  may 
be  seen  in  the  portraits,  beautifully  mark¬ 
ed  ;  the  tail  of  the  cock  is  square,  like 
that  of  the  hen,  without  sickle-feathers, 
and  carried  high  ;  and  the  head  thrown 
back,  the  head  and  tail  nearly  meeting ; 
the  wings  jauntily  dropping  until  they 
nearly  brush  the  ground  ;  they  have  a  rose- 
comb  nicely  pointed,  and  projecting  be¬ 
hind;  and  light  blue  legs.  The  accuracy  of 
marking  is  a  very  important  point  The 
feathers  are  spangled,  that  is,  the  ends 
tipped  with  black  ;  and  the  more  exact  this 
marking,  and  the  more  it  extends  to  all  the 
feathers  of  the  bird,  the  greater  its  value. 
The  ground  color  is  ivory-white  or  rich 
cream,  the  ends  of  the  feathers  tipped 
with  black.  The  cocks  are  hen-feathered 
as  well  as  hen-tailed  ;  they  have  neither 
hackles  nor  plumes. 

The  plumage  of  the  hen  is  similar  to  that 
of  the  cock.  They  are  very  good  and  early  layers, 
most  excellent  sitters,  sedulous  and  affectionate 
mothers,  but  murderous  step-mothers — that  is,  if 
you  attempt  to  change,  or  add  to,  the  number  of 
the  brood  they  have  hatched  themselves  ;  they 
will  welcome  the  little  strangers  by  making  raw 
heads  and  bloody  bones  of  them  before  you  can 
say  “  Jack  Robinson.”  Their  chickens  are  of  a 
creamy  white,  with  two  longitudinal  dark  stripes 
on  the  body. 

The  Bantams  are  the  fowls  of  all  others  for 
the  village  or  city.  We  have  known  them  to 
prosper  and  lay  well  through  the  winter  in  an 
under-ground  room  or  cellar,  well  lighted.  They 
are  very  domestic,  often  making  their  nests  in 
the  kitchen,  depositing  their  eggs  in  the  cradle 
or  cupboard,  when  permitted.  They  have  been 
known  to  lay  even  in  a  lady’s  work-basket. 

From  their  size  and  delicacy  they  are  very  con¬ 
venient,  as  they  always  stand  in  the  place  of 
chickens,  where  small  ones  are  not  to  be  had  ■ 
and  as  they  are  full-breasted  and  plump,  they 
make  a  tolerable  substitute  for  a  partridge  when 
potted  and  “smothered.”  C.  N.  Bement 

Springside,  Poughkeepsie. 

• - —  1  O  —  »— O* - . 

Mistakes  about  Bees. 

A  great  many  people  have  undertaken  to  write 
about  bees,  without  much  knowledge  of  the  sub¬ 
ject  themselves  ;  and  others,  who  have  had  ex¬ 
perience  in  bee-keeping  for  many  years,  have 
gained  very  little  insight  into  the  nature  and 
habits  of  this  wonderful  insect.  Many  of  the 
books  in  the  long  list  of  publications  on  bees  and 
bee-culture,  which  was  printed  in  the  Agriculturist 
in  September,  (vol.  17,  p.  270,)  profess  to  give  the 
results  of  long  and  patient  study  of  their  habits,  but 
so  many  of  these  works  abound  with  errors,  that 
we  are  tempted  sometimes  to  indorse  David’s  has¬ 
ty  utterance,  and  say  that  “all  men  are  liars.”  Not 
that  these  misrepresentations  are  intentional,  but 
when  vision  fails,  imagination  helps  out  the  de¬ 
ficiency.  And  then,  again,  people  often  see 
things  through  other  persons’  eyes.  If  neighbor 
So-and-so  says  that  drones  lay  eggs,  they  will  be 
sure  to  see  the  thing  done  the  next  time  they 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

We  have  an  ox  which,  (we  suppose,)  in  some 
frolic  of  his,  had  an  eye  injured.  For  several 
days,  perhaps  two  weeks,  water  ran  freely,  and 
it  appeared  to  be  very  painful — even  the  light 
added  to  the  pain.  Supposing  he  would  soon  get 
over  it  we  did  nothing  about  it,  until  a  white 
coating  commenced  covering  the  eye-ball. 

We  then  applied  burned  alum.  The  film 
has  covered  the  whole  ball,  and  he  seems 
to  be  blind  in  that  eye.  Will  you,  Sir,  or 
any  of  your  correspondents,  inform  me 
what  is  the  proper  course  to  pursue  1  By 
so  doing  you  will  very  much  oblige  one  sub¬ 
scriber — perhaps  many  more  besides.  J.  W« 

Bowcna  Prairie,  Jones  Co.,  Iowa. 

The  above  was  handed  to  an  intelligent 
medical  friend,  and  he  replied  as  follows  : 

The  ox  of  thy  correspondent  had  inflam¬ 
mation  of  the  conjunctiva,  (a  delicate  mem¬ 
brane  lining  the  lid  and  covering  the  front 
of  the  eye).  He  should  have  placed  the 
animal  in  a  dark  stall,  reduced  its  allow¬ 
ance  of  food,  applied  cold  evaporating 
washes,  and  given  every  morning,  a  dose  of 
salts,  (sulphate  of  magnesia).  The  ‘film’  was 
caused  by  an  effusion  of  fibrin  beneath  the 
membrane.  If  blood  vessels  are  seen  snoot¬ 
ing  across,  the  prospect  of  cure  is  unpromis¬ 
ing.  Alum  is  best  applied  by  blowing  it  through  a 
quill.  If  this  fails,  use  every  morning  a  few 
drops  of  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver  (lunar  caus¬ 
tic),  four  grains  to  an  ounce  of  water,  or  a  solu¬ 
tion  of  iodine,  two  grains  to  an  ounce  of  water. 
Be  careful  not  to  overdo  the  treatment  and  thus 
awaken  a  new  inflammation.  Perseverance  in 
this  plan  is  essential  to  success. 


38 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


peep  into  the  hive.  If  it  is  a  time-honored  tra¬ 
dition  that  beating  tin  pails  will  make  a  swarm 
alight,  they  will  be  able  to  demonstrate  its  truth 
by  twenty  cases  in  their  own  experience  ;  and  if 
they  lirnl  anything  in  print,  they  will  appeal  to 
the  types  as  settling  the  facts  beyond  all  contto- 
versy.  This  willingness  to  assent  to  the  views 
of  others,  often  reminds  us  of  a  scene  m  one  of 
Shakespeare’s  plays  : 

“  Hamlet.  Do  you  see  yonder  cloud,  that’s  almost  in  the 
shape  of  a  camel ? 

Polonius.  By  the  mass,  and  'tis  like  a  camel,  indeed. 
Ham.  Melhinks  it  is  like  a  weasel. 

Pol.  It  is  backed  like  a  weasel. 

Ham.  Or  like  a  whale? 

Pol.  Very  like  a  whale.” 

But  this  is  a  digression  from  our  purpose,  viz.,  to 
speak  of  some  mistakes  and  inaccuracies  about 
bees  which  have  found  their  way  into  print. 

THE  CYCLOPEDIA  ON  BEES. 

In  the  very  high  commendation  we  lately  gave 
to  the  New  American  Cyclopedia,  we  said  there 
were  some  things,  as  the  articles  on  scientific 
agriculture,  agricultural  chemistry,  etc.,  which 
we  should  have  preferred  to  change  had  they 
been  submitted  to  us.  With  these  articles  we 
must  class  those  on  bees  and  bee-keeping,  which 
are  decidedly  defective  and  behind  the  age.  We 

judge  from  these  articles  that  the  writer  was  en¬ 
tirely  indebted  to  books  for  his  facts,  and  that  he 
had  not  access  to  the  latest  authorities,  either  in 
the  practical  or  theoretical  department.  Only 
thus  can  we  explain  the  absence  of  all  allusion 
to  Langstroth,  Dzrierzon,  Von  Berlepsch,  and 
Von  Siebold,  and  to  the  discovery  of  the  Italian 
or  Virgilian  bee,  which  has  recently  found  such 
favor  in  Germany,  and  the  failure  even  to  men¬ 
tion  the  subject  of  Parthenogcri.  And  then, 
some  of  the  statements  and  opinions  expressed  in 
the  article,  seem  to  us  quite  wide  of  the  mark. 
The  writer  says  the  queen  “is  easily  recognized 
by  the  slowness  of  her  march.”  On  the  contrary, 
we  have  often  been  struck  with  the  rapidity  with 
which  she  moves  through  the  crowd  of  workers, 
her  long  legs  fitting  her  to  make  better  progress 
than  they. 

“  If  she  be  removed  from  the  hive,  the  whole 
swarm  will  follow  her.”  A  swarm  of  bees  will 
follow  and  cluster  around  a  queen  when  on  their 
Hight  in  search  of  a  new  home.  But  we  doubt 
whether  the  bees  of  a  hive  would  leave  it  to  seek 
a  queen  that  had  been  quietly  taken  from  them. 
They  certainly  do  not  follow  her  in  any  consider¬ 
able  numbers  in  her  flight  to  seek  the  drones  ; 
and  in  attempting  to  force  swarms,  we  find  that 
many  bees  will  remain  on  the  brood  comb  after 
the  queen  has  gone. 

“  It  is  inferred  that  bees  have  an  imperfect  sense 
of  taste  and  smell,  from  their  collecting  honey  in¬ 
discriminately  from  sweet  scented  and  offensive 
flowers.”  Perhaps  it  is  inferred  ;  but  there  are  a 
score  of  facts  to  show  that  their  sense  of  smell, 
at  least,  is  far  from  being  imperfect.  Some  odors 
are  exceedingly  offensive  to  them,  and  others  at¬ 
tract  them  speedily. 

The  use  of  drones  is  “  only  to  impregnate  the 
females,  and  secondarily  to  supply  food  to  the 
swallows  and  carnivorous  insects  which  prey 
upon  them  when  they  take  their  mid-day  flights.” 
If  they  serve  only  one  purpose,  there  is  no  need 
of  “  secondarily.”  But  what  are  carnivorous  in¬ 
sects1  “  Carnivorous”  means  eating  or  feeding 
on  flesh,  and  we  think  a  drone  can  fairly  claim  to 
be  “neither  fish  r  flesh,  nor  fowl.”  Besides,  there’s 
another  use.;-  toads  eat  them,  and  toads  are  not 
carnivorous  insects. 

“  The  eggs  producing  workers  are  deposited  in 
6-sided  horizontal  cells  ;  the  cells  of  the  drones 


are  somewhat  irregular  in  their  form,  and  those  of 
the  queens  are  large,  circular,  and  hang  perpen¬ 
dicularly.”  Does  this  writer  understand  his 
subject  when  he  makes  such  a  comparison  be¬ 
tween  worker  and  drone  cells  1  If  he  has  seen 
cells  “  somewhat  irregular  in  form  ”  used  for 
drone  brood,  he  has  certainly  made  a  discovery. 

During  the  construction  of  the  royal  cells 
“  the  queen  lays  the  eggs  of  workers,  and  when 
they  are  finished,  she  deposits  a  single  egg  in  each, 
at  one  or  two  days’  interval,  worker  eggs  being 
laid  in  the  interval.”  Perhaps  so  ;  only  we  do 
not  believe  it.  We  do  not  know  of  an  observer 
who  ha3  seen  a  queen-cell  carried  on  to  its  com¬ 
pletion  before  an  egg  was  placed  in  it.  Indeed, 
we  think  the  queen  would  be  somewhat  puzzled 
to  lay  the  egg  after  the  cell  was  finished  ;  it 
would  need  to  be  laid  on  the  outside. 

“  How  workers  that  lay  eggs  become  impreg¬ 
nated,  has  not  been  ascertained.  The  eggs  thus 
produced  are  always  those  of  males  ;  this  (!  !)  is 
accounted  for,  by  their  having  passed  their  grub 
state  in  cells  contiguous  to  the  royal  ones.”  Not 
a  very  satisfactory  explanation  of  a  mystery. 

The  results  of  iveigldng  hives  “  go  to  prove 
that  the  bee-keeper  should  have  some  means  of 
ascertaining  the  weight  of  his  hives  daily 
throughout  the  season.”  Not  at  all !  It  is  in¬ 
teresting  as  a  matter  of  fact  to  know  how  much 
or  how  little  honey  is  accumulated  from  day  to 
day;  and  if  anybody  can  spend  time  to  ascertain, 
we  shall  be  glad  to  publish  results  ;  but  an  apia¬ 
rist  can  find  a  much  better  use  for  Ins  time  than  to 
weigh  every  hive,  morning  and  evening,  and  re¬ 
cord  the  result.  We  should  as  soon  advise  a 
farmer  to  make  an  hourly  record  of  the  state  of 
his  barometer.  We  will  not  devote  more  space 
to  these  articles,  with  which,  as  our  comments 
show,  we  are  not  satisfied. 


Illinois  Farmers  Tindicated- 


To  the  Etlitor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

I  notice  in  the  December  Agriculturist  (vol.  17, 
p.  364)  “  Notes  on  Prairie  Farming,”  from  the 
pen  of  H.  H.,  Prairie  Cottage,  Christian  Co.,  Ill. 
Upon  the  perusal  of  his  letter  it  struck  me  as  very 
unchristian,  though  emanating  from  Christian  Co. 
Lest  the  system  of  farming  in  Illinois  should 
be  judged,  (and  necessarily  condemned),  by  such 
an  epistle,  I  think  a  “  counter  irritant  ”  should  be 
introduced.  Now  for  one,  I  enter  my  protest  to 
to  all  such  representations  of  Illinois  farming.  1 
do  not  think  H.  H.  knowingly  misrepresented 
facts,  but  his  picture  is  over-drawn,  and  presents 
matters  in  a  wrong  light.  Such  a  letter,  in  such 
a  paper,  with  such  a  circulation,  and  wielding 
such  influence,  is  entitled  to  consideration.  A 
system  of  farming  more  ridiculous,  Slovenish, 
wasteful,  and  ignorant,  than  the  one  described, 
could  not  well  be  conceived.  Take  for  example 
the  description  of  how  prairie  farmers  har¬ 
vest  here  in  Illinois.  If  the  writer  had  con¬ 
fined  his  remarks  to  Christian  Co.,  or  a  few  iso¬ 
lated  localities  in  his  vicinity,  I  should  have  no¬ 
thing  to  say,  knowing  nothing  about  the  manage¬ 
ment  of  affairs  thereabouts.  But  the  remarks 
apparently  refer  to  the  State  generally.  Indeed 
he  says  :  “  Want  of  order  and  economy  charac¬ 
terize  the  harvest  in  nearly  all  Illinois.”  No 
Eastern  man  could  read  the  description  without 
exclaiming:  “What  a  miserable  set  of  farmers 
those  Illinois  cultivators  are  !”  so  blind  to  their 
own  good,  so  negligent  of  business,  so  ignorant 
of  husbandry,  and  so  criminally  wasteful  of  what 
little  they  do  raise.” 

Let  us  look  at  the  statements.  1st.  “Without 
the  aid  of  reaping  machines  it  would  be  impos¬ 


sible  to  save  sufficient  grain  in  Illinois,  to  bread 
the  people  of  the  State  ;”  and  in  proof  it  is 
said  that  :  “  The  waste  of  grain  in  cutting,  shock¬ 
ing,  stacking,  and  threshing  is,  in  the  writer’s 
opinion,  all  of  30  percent.  There  is  in  fact  suf¬ 
ficient  grain  wasted  in  Illinois  every  year,  to  feed 
some  of  the  small  States.”  No  comment  is  ne¬ 
cessary. 

Again,  threshing  is  done  in  such  a  hurry,  and 
the  waste  and  extra  expense  of  feeding  so  many 
extra  hands  is  enormous.  Here  is  a  question  for 
Daboll  :  If  a  threshing  machine,  threshing  three 
hundred  bushels  of  wheat  in  a  day,  with  14  men 
to  tend,  require  7  pounds  of  bread,  10  pounds  of 
pork,  and  the  necessary  trimmings  to  fill  out,  how 
much  would  one  man  with  a  common  flail  re¬ 
quire,  while  threshing  the  same  amount  ? 

I  will  say  here,  that  the  necessary  waste  in¬ 
curred  in  threshing  in  the  field,  need  not  be 
1  bushel  in  500  greater  than  in  barn  threshing. 
Burning  of  straw  is  not  practiced  in  the  North¬ 
eastern  counties.  Neatness,  order,  and  dispatch 
characterize  harvest  operations  ;  farm  buildings 
are  numerous  ;  there  is  no  storing  of  small  grain 
in  rail  cribs  among  most  of  the  farmers  ;  fields 
well  cultivated  and  well  fenced,  abound. 
Dairying,  wool  growing,  fruit  raising,  the  culture 
of  wheat,  oats,  and  corn,  are  all  understood  and 
practiced,  I  will  say,  as  well,  and  to  as  great  an 
extent  by  our  farmers,  as  by  farmers  in  Eastern 
States.  Economy,  intelligence,  prudence,  and 
thrift  characterize  a  large  portion  of  the  farming 
community.  There  are  exceptions,  of  course  ; 
point  us  to  the  State  that  claims  perfection  in  all 
points. 

The  being  obliged  to  sell  crops  as  soon  as  har¬ 
vested,  is  an  evil,  it  is  true.  But  the  statement 
that  half  or  more  goes  to  pay  unnecessary  store 
bills,  is  a  little  uncharitable.  Our  State  is  new. 
our  land  was  cheap  and  reasonable,  but  the  fann¬ 
ing  population,  in  the  main,  are  men  of  limited 
means.  Many  have  bought  lands,  in  the  purchase 
of  which  all  their  resources  have  been  exhausted. 
Houses,  barns,  and  fences  are  needed  ;  teams, 
tools,  sheep,  and  cows  must  be  purchased,  all  of 
which  must  be  paid  for  from  the  uroceeds  of  yet 
unimproved  farms.  The  new  comer,  a  single 
handed  man,  with  an  empty  purse,  yet  with  un¬ 
flinching  nerves  and  indomitable  will,  sets  t* 
work  to  improve,  beautify,  and  pay  for  a  home 
Small  sums  of  money  are  hired  of  land-sharks 
(there’s  nothing  made  in  vain),  at  enormous  rate-' 
of  interest.  Credit  is  obtained  on  lumber,  tools, 
ete.,  all  in  good  faith  for  prompt  payment  aftei 
harvest.  And  this  prompt  selling  of  crops  to  pay 
honest  debts,  instead  of  putting  off  creditors  in 
hopes  of  getting  better  prices,  is  to  be  set  down 
to  the,  credit  of  our  farmers,  rather  than  to  he 
brought  up  against  them.  Securing  and  culti¬ 
vating  a  farm  under  these  adverse  circumstances 
is  preferable  to  living  homeless. 

I  admit  that  many  have  miscalculated,  and  got 
into  inextricable  debt,  and  multitudes,  in  avoid¬ 
ing  debt,  have  been  obliged  to  slight  every  thing 
on  their  farms  not  yielding  direct  and  immediate¬ 
ly  profitable  returns  ;  but  failures  in  e>-ops,  a 
tight  money  market,  depreciation  of  bread  stum 
and  other  drawbacks  incident  to  new  countries, 
should  have  much  weight  in  excusing  defects  in 
farming,  and  delinquencies  in  liquidation  of  debts. 
But  even  this  class  embraces  only  a  portion  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  State. 

An  unobservant  person,  thinking  only  of  the 
rich  product  of  our  new  lands,  may  wonder  that 
Western,  farmers  do  not  keep  out  of  debt,  and  get 
rich  immediately.  It  should  be  kept  in  mind  that 
a  large  portion  of  the  proceeds  of  the  first  years 
must  go  for  fences,  dwellings,  barns,  live  stock, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


39 


implements,  etc.  “  The  credit  system — running 
up  large  store-hills,  half  of  which  could  be  dis¬ 
pensed  with,”  H.  H.  would  have  you  believe,  is 
the  great  drawback  upon  Illinois  farmers.  Where 
is  (he  evidence  of  this  1  Do  you  find  them  clad 
in  purple  and  fine  linen  1  Far  from  it.  “  Ken¬ 
tucky  jeans  ”  and  “  hickory  shirtings,”  bottomed 
with  coarse  but  substantial  cowhide  boots,  are 
the  more  common  habiliments  of  farmers.  Tea, 
sugar,  coffee,  etc.,  are  supposed  to  be  only  ne¬ 
cessary  for  kid-gloved,  silk-hatted,  patent-leather¬ 
ed,  rose-scented  gents,  and  never  intended  for 
hard-fisted,  sun-browned  tillers  of  the  soil. 

But  enough  of  this— perhaps  too  much.  I  hope 
those  better  posted,  perhaps,  than  H.  H.  or  my¬ 
self,  in  Illinois  matters  generally,  will  speak  out 
on  both  sides  of  the  subject,  and  let  us  have  it  set 
forth  in  its  proper  light.  For  myself  I  must  say 
that  no  other  State  in  the  Union  has,  in  the  same 
length  of  time,  made  more  rapid  strides  in  agricul¬ 
tural  development  on  a  healthy  basis,  in  improv¬ 
ing  and  beautifying  the  surface,  dotting  it  with 
convenient  buildings  ;  and  in  producing  according 
to  its  population,  a  greater  surplus  of  the  staples 
of  life.  G.  D.  Smith. 

Newport,  Lake  Co.,  III. 


Our  Ear-West  Territories. 

INTERESTING  STATEMENTS  IN  REGARD  TO  THEIR 
AGRICULTURAL  CAPABILITIES  AND  DEFECTS. 

Many  enthusiastic  writers  upon  the  agricultural 
resources  of  our  country  have  marshalled  forth  a 
startling  array  of  figures  to  show  that  we  have 
available  land  enough  to  s-upport  a  population 
equal,  perhaps,  to  the  present  entire  inhabitants 
of  the  earth.  They  have  pointed  to  a  territory 
westward,  larger  than  the  whole  area  of  the  or¬ 
ganized  States.  Prof.  Joseph  Henry  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institute  at  Washington,  in  a  recent 
address,  throws  a  “  wet  blanket  ”  (or  rather  a  dry 
one)  upon  the  agricultural  prospects  of  the  vast 
region  lying  west  of  Iowa  and  Nebraska,  and  ex¬ 
tending  to  and  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in¬ 
cluding  the  corresponding  wide  belt  in  Mexico, 
and  strcmhing  northward  indefinitely  towards  the 
polar  regions.  After  referring  to  the  extended 
observations  made  upon  the  metereology  of  the 
country,  he  says  : 

“  My  experience  has  already  demonstrated 
the  correctness  of  the  views  previously  held  by 
scientific  men,  and  based  upon  the  theory  of  the 
motions  of  the  atmosphere.  The  wind  blowing 
from  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  in  an  easterly  di¬ 
rection  were  at  first  laden  with  moisture,  but  this 
was  deposited  on  the  western  slopes  of  the  suc¬ 
cessive  ranges  of  mountains,  until,  having  de¬ 
scended  to  the  plain  country  to  the  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  they  came  almost  with  the  hot 
breath  or  a  simoon  to  parch  vegetation,  and  ren¬ 
dered  a  vast  extent  of  country,  almost  one  half 
of  the  width  of  the  American  Continent  quite  un¬ 
fit  for  tillage. 

The  general  character  of  the  soil  between  the 
Mississippi  River  and  the  Atlantic  is  that  of  great 
fertility,  and  as  a  whole,  in  its  natural  condition, 
with  some  exceptions  at  the  West,  is  well  sup¬ 
plied  with  timber.  That  portion  also  on  the 
western  side  of  the  Mississippi,  as  far  as  the  98th 
meridian,  including  the  States  of  Texas,  Louisi¬ 
ana,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  Iowa,  and  Minnesota, 
and  portions  of  the  Territory  of  Kansas  and  Ne¬ 
braska,  are  fertile,  though  abounding  in  prairies, 
and  subject  occasionally  to  drouths.  But  the 
whole  space  to  the  West,  between  the  meridian 
and  the  Rocky  Mountains,  denominated  the  Great 
American  Plains,  is  a  barren  waste,  over  which 


the  eye  may  roam  to  the  extent  of  the  visible  ho¬ 
rizon  with  scarcely  an  object  to  break  the  mo¬ 
notony. 

From  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Pacific,  with 
the  exception  of  the  rich  but  narrow'  belt  along 
the  ocean,  the  country  may  also  be  considered, 
in  comparison  with  other  portions  of  the  United 
States,  a  wilderness  unfitted  for  the  uses  of  the 
husbandman  ;  although  in  some  of  the  mountain 
valleys,  as  at  Salt  Lake,  by  means  of  irrigation,  a 
precarious  supply  of  food  may  be  obtained  suffi¬ 
cient  to  sustain  a  considerable  population,  pro¬ 
vided  they  can  be  induced  to  submit  to  priva¬ 
tions,  from  which  American  citizens  generally 
would  shrink. 

The  portions  of  the  mountain  system  further 
south  are  equally  inhospitable,  though  they  have 
been  represented  to  be  of  a  different  character. 
In  traversing  this  region,  whole  days  are  fre¬ 
quently  passed  -without  meeting  a  rivulet  or  spring 
of  water  to  slake  the  thirst  of  the  weary  traveler. 
Dr.  I.etherman,  surgeon  of  the  United  States  ar¬ 
my  at  Fort  Defiance,  describes  the  entire  country 
along  the  parallel  of  35°  [that  is  west  of  Arkan¬ 
sas]  as  consisting  of  a  series  of  mountain  ridges, 
with  a  general  direction  north  and  south  inclin- 
ning  to  the  west,  and  broken  in  many  places  by 
deep  cracks,  as  it  wrere,  across  the  ridge,  deno¬ 
minated  canons,  which  afford  in  some  cases  the 
only  means  of  traversing  the  country,  except  with 
great  labor  and  difficulty. 

The  district  inhabited  by  the  Navajo  Indians 
[northern  Central  New  Mexico]  has  had  the  re¬ 
putation  of  being  a  good  grazing  country,  and  its 
fame  has  reached  the  eastern  portions  of  the 
United  States  ;  but,  taking  the  region  at  large,  it 
will  be  found  that,  with  regard  to  abundance  of 
natural  pasturage,  it  has  been  vastly  overrated, 
and  we  have  no  hesitation  in  stating,  says  the 
same  authority,  that  were  the  Hocks  and  herds 
now  belonging  to  the  Indians  doubled,  they  could 
not  be  sustained.  There  is  required  for  grazing 
and  producing  hay  for  the  consumption  of  ani¬ 
mals  at  Fort  Defiance,  garrisoned  by  two  com¬ 
panies,  one  of  which  is  partly  mounted,  fifty 
square  miles  ;  and  this  is  barely  sufficient  for  the 
purpose.  The  barrenness  and  desolation  so  in¬ 
separably  connected  with  immense  masses  of 
rocks  and  hills  scantily  supplied  with  Water,  are 
here  seen  and  felt  in  their  fullest  extent  The 
character  of  the  districts  lying  across  the  moun¬ 
tain  system,  along  the  32d  parallel,  which  has 
been  still  more  highly  lauded  for  its  productive¬ 
ness,  is,  from  reliable  accounts,  in  strict  accord¬ 
ance  with  the  a  priori  inferences  which  may  be 
drawn  in  regard  to  its  climate  from  the  influence 
of  the  mountain  ranges,  and  the  direction  of  the 
prevailing  winds. 

Dr.  Antisell,  geologist  to  one  of  the  exploring 
expeditions,  describes  the  country  along  the  pa¬ 
rallels  of  32°  to  3.3°  [in  the  latitude  of  northern 
Texas]  as  equally  deficient  in  the  essentials  of 
support  for  an  ordinary  civilized  community.  On 
the  west,  within  these  parallels,  occurs  the  great 
Colorado  desert,  extending  to  the  river  of  the 
same  name,  which  empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Cal¬ 
ifornia.  From  the  Colorado  River,  which  is 
generally  regarded  as  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Co¬ 
lorado  basin,  in  its  southern  portion,  the  land  rises 
eastward  by  a  series  of  easy  grades,  until  the 
summit  of  the  main  ridge  of  the  mountain  system 
is  gained,  at  a  point  about  500  miles  east  of  that 
river.  For  the  first  250  miles,  the  ascent  is 
across  a  series  of  erupted  hills,  of  comparatively 
recent  date,  and  similar  in  constitution  to  the  line 
hills  and  ridges  which  are  dotted  over  the  various 
levels  of  the  basin  country.  The  . entire  district  is 
bare  of  soil  and  vegetation,  except  a  few  varie 


ties  of  cactus.  Over  the  greater  portion  of  the 
northern  part  of  Sonora  and  the  southern  part  of 
New  Mexico  sterility  reigns  supreme. 

At  the  mountain  bases  may  exist  a  few  springs 
and  wells,  and  in  a  few  depressions  of  the  gene¬ 
ral  level  of  the  surface  sloping  to  the  Pacific  may 
be  grassy  spots ;  but  such  are  the  exceptions. 
A  dry,  parched,  disintegrated  sand  and  gravel  is 
the  usual  soil,  completely  destitute  of  vegetable 
matter,  and  not  capable  of  retaining  moisture. 
The  Winter  rains  which  fall  on  the  Pacific  coast, 
west  of  the  coast  range  of  mountains,  do  not 
reach  to  the  region  eastward.  This  is  partly  sup¬ 
plied  with  its  moisture  from  the  Gulf  of  Califor¬ 
nia,  but  chiefly  by  the  southeast  wind  from  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  flowing  up  between  the  ridges  of 
mountains.  We  hazard  nothing  in  saying  that 
the  mountains,  as  a  whole,  can  be  of  little  value 
as  the  theatre  of  civilized  life  in  the  present  state 
of  general  science  and  practical  agriculture.  It 
is  true  that  a  considerable  portion  of  the  interior 
is  comparatively  little  known  from  actual  explora¬ 
tion ;  but  its  general  character  can  be  inferred 
from  that  which  has  been  explored.  As  has  been 
said  before,  it  consists  of  an  elevated  swell  of 
land,  covered  with  ridges  running  in  a  northerly 
direction,  inclining  to  the  west. 

The  western  slopes,  or  those  which  face  the 
ocean,  are  better  supplied  with  moisture,  and 
contain  more  vegetation  than  the  eastern  slopes  ; 
and  this  increases  as  we  approach  the  Pacific, 
along  the  coast  of  which,  throughout  the  whole 
boundary  of  the  United  States  to  the  Gulf  of  Cal¬ 
ifornia,  exists  a  border  of  land  of  delightful  cli¬ 
mate  and  of  fertile  soil,  varying  from  fifty  to  two 
hundred  miles  in  width.  The  transition,  how¬ 
ever,  from  this  border  to  a  parallel  district  in  the 
interior,  is  of  the  most  marked  and  astonishing 
character.  Starting  from  the  sea-coast,  and  leav¬ 
ing  a  temperature  of  65°,  we  may,  in  the  course 
of  a  single  day’s  journey,  in  some  cases,  reach  an 
arid  valley,  in  which  the  thermometer  in  the  shade 
marks  a  temperature  of  110°. 

We  have  stated  that  the  entire  region  west  of 
the  98th  degree  of  west  longitude,  with  the  ex¬ 
ception  of  a  small  portion  of  western  Texas,  and 
the  narrow  border  along  the  Pacific,  is  a  country 
of  comparatively  little  value  to  the  agriculturist ; 
and,  perhaps,  it  will  astonish  the  reader,  if  we  di¬ 
rect  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  this  line,  which 
passes  southward  from  Lake  Winnipeg  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  will  divide  the  whole  surface  of 
the  United  Stales  into  two  nearly  equal  parts. 
This  statement,  when  fully  appreciated,  will  serve 
to  dissipate  some  of  the  dreams  which  have  been 
considered  as  realities,  as  to  the  destiny  of  the 
western  part  of  the  North  American  Continent. 
Truth,  however,  transcends  even  the  laudable 
feelings  of  pride  of  country ;  and,  in  order 
properly  to  direct  the  policy  of  this  great  confed¬ 
eracy,  it  is  necessary  to  be  well  acquainted  with 
the  theatre  on  which  its  future  history  is  to  be 
enacted,  and  by  whose  character  it  will  mainly  be 
shaped. 

A  young  man  called  one  evening  upon  a 
wealthy  person,  to  know  how  he  had  made  his 
money.  The  rich  man  having  learned  his  busi¬ 
ness,  gave  the  first  exemplification  of  it  by  blow¬ 
ing  out  the  lamp,  saying  they  could  talk  as  well 
in  the  dark. 

Instead  of  retaliating  upon  the  man  who  calls 
you  a  villain,  a  liar,  or  a  thief,  coolly  inform  him 
that  you  have  not  sufficient  confidence  in  his  ve¬ 
racity  to  believe  him. 

An  untarnished  character  is  of  vastly  more  im 
portance  than  glossy  boots. 


40 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Mo.  145. 


tjin  i  '  ■— - “ 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Making  Farm  Life  Attractive. 

A  few  months  ago,  something  was  said  of  the 
importance  to  farmers,  of  cultivating  a  habit  of 
observation,  and  of  making  notes  of  their  expeii- 
ence  for  the  benefit  of  others.  A  few  thoughts 
on  this  general  subject  may  well  be  added : 

Why  should  not  every  farmer  make  a  cabinet 
collection  of  every  kind  of  rock  upon  his  land  1 
All  soils  are  made  up,  in  no  small  measure,  ol 
these  rocks  disintegrated  (worn  down)  by  the 
action  of  the  elements.  Having  small  specimens 
of  these  rocks  arranged  on  shelves  in  his  house, 
he  can  daily  see  the  chief  constituent  elements  oi 
his  farm.  To  do  this,  he  need  not  himself  be  a 
scientific  chemist  or  mineralogist ;  the  neighbor¬ 
ing  school-teacher  or  educated  physician  will  tell 
him  the  precise  name  and  quality  of  every  stone. 
Then  let  him  label  them,  and  at  his  leisure  read 
and  learn  all  he  can  about  his  cabinet  of  minerals. 

Near  by,  let  him  have  a  collection  of  the  differ¬ 
ent  soils  on  his  farm;  from  the  hill  and  valley, 
top  soil,  subsoil,  alluvial,  clay,  gravel,  and  sand. 
Let  these  be  arranged  in  vials  and  bottles,  and 
neatly  labeled.  And  let  him  not  stop  here.  Do 
not  trees  grow  in  his  wood-lot  and  orchard,  and 
grasses  and  grains  in  his  fields  '!  Let  him  select 
specimens  of  every  variety  of  wood — say  a  small 
cross-section  of  every  sort  of  tree,  specimens  of 
their  leaves,  flowers,  and  seed,  and  samples  ot 
dried  grasses  and  grains,  neatly  prepared  and  la¬ 
beled.  And  as  to  fruits,  if  he  has  a  son  or 
daughter  skilled  in  drawing,  they  should  make 
pictures  of  all  the  fruits  growing  in  his  orchard 
and  garden.  A  gentleman  of  our  acquaintance 
has  begun  to  make  such  a  collection  of  fruits, 
drawn  and  colored  by  his  own  hand  in  leisure 
hours,  and  it  is  very  beautiful.  He  takes  the 
fruits  as  they  successively  ripen,  drawing  and 
painting  them  in  water-colors.  He  began  with 
the  earliest  strawberry,  and  included  the  cherries, 
raspberries,  currants,  summer  pears,  apples,  and 
Fall  and  Winter  fruit.  Those  which  escape  him 
one  year,  he  obtains  the  next  year.  When  he  has 
copied  the  whole  circle  of  fruits  growing  in  his 
neighborhood,  he  intends  to  have  the  drawings 
handsomely  bound.  They  will  make  a  set  of 
books  of  rare  interest  and  value  ! 

Let  the  farmer  and  his  family  make  some  col¬ 
lection  of  this  sort.  And  to  these  things  let  him 
add  specimens  of  the  insects  injurious  to  vegeta¬ 
tion,  classified  and  named.  Nor  would  it  be 
amiss  to  make  or  purchase  drawings  of  useful 
animals,  farm  implements,  and  various  works  of 
ait  and  taste. 

But  enough  has  now  been  said  to  show  that  a 
wide  field  of  pleasing  and  useful  observation  lies 
open  before  any  farmer.  How  much  would  the 
habit  we  have  advocated  tend  to  liberalize  his 
views,  give  him  a  new  and  stronger  interest  in 
his  chosen  profession,  and  elevate  it  also  in  the 
minds  of  others  !  It  would  then  be  plainly  seen 
that  there  is  no  end  to  the  subjects  of  interest¬ 
ing  and  useful  observation  and  thought  suggested 
by°the  pursuits  of  agriculture.  And  what  a  happy 
influence  would  this  habit  of  observation  exert  on 
the  children  educated  on  a  farm  so  conducted  ! 
They  would  grow  up,  thinking  men  and  women, 
and  they  would  honor  and  fondly  love  the  calling 
of  agriculture. 

How  foolish  it  is  for  farmers  to  complain  of 
their  children  forsaking  the  homestead  at  the  ear¬ 
liest  opportunity,  while  such  parents  do  nothing 
to  invest  farming  with  some  kind  of  attractions! 
Their  children  would  be  dolts,  if  they  didn’t  wish 
to  get  away  from  some  farms  that  we  know  of. 
But  let  parents  show  them  that  agriculture  is 


something  besides  drudgery  ;  show  them  that  it 
awakens  thought,  demands  thought,  and  honors 
thought,  and  they  will  not  run  away  from  it. 
They  will  not  hasten  to  towns  and  cities  to  en¬ 
gage  in  trades  and  professions  less  honorable, 
more  uncertain  of  yielding  pecuniary  advantage, 
and  less  healthful  to  body  and  mind  and  morals. 

One  who  tries  to  practice 

WHAT  HE  PREACHES. 

A  Flock  of  Sheep  Cheaply  Saved, 

AND  SOME  OTHER  MATTERS. 


Many  noteworthy  incidents,  as  well  as  valuable 
suggestions,  not  designed  for  publication,  come 
interwoven  with  business  letters,  or  as  post¬ 
scripts.  From  a  letter  before  us,  written  by  an 
Illinois  clergyman  enclosing  his  subscription,  we 
gather  that  the  writer  joined  the  Illinois  (Method¬ 
ist)  Conference  32  years  ago,  when  that  confer¬ 
ence  embraced  the  whole  of  that  great  State,  and 
Indiana  also.  He  refers  to  the  progress  he  has 
witnessed  during  thirty  years  in  that  region — 
which  has  been  very  great,  surely.  The  writer, 
like  many  others  of  his  class,  has  lahored  to  pro¬ 
mote  the  physical  as  well  as  spiritual  well-being 
his  wide  parish,  and  as  one  means  of  securing 
this  end,  he  has  endeavored  to  increase  their  in¬ 
telligence,  by  inducing  them  to  read  agricultural 
papers.  We  will  give  one  instance  of  his  success 
in  his  own  words  : 

“  I  once,  with  much  persuasion,  got  a  rich 
farmer — a  brother  in  the  church — to  take  an  agri¬ 
cultural  paper.  It  so  chanced  that  he  had  a  fine 
flock  of  sheep,  several  of  which  were  just  then 
attacked  with  a  disease  which  carried  them  off, 
and  he  was  in  great  fear  that  he  would  lose  the 
whole.  Going  to  the  village  post-office  for  his 
agricultural  paper,  and  opening  it,  the  first  article 
that  caught  his  eye  was  on  sheep,  which  described 
the  disease  in  his  own  flock,  and  the  remedy.  He 
went  to  the  drug  store  at  once,  procured  the  me¬ 
dicine  and  cured  his  sheep.  When  I  came  round 
again  to  preach  at  his  house,  he  was  quite  jubi¬ 
lant  over  what  his  paper  had  done  for  him.  I 
took  occasion  to  point  out  the  advantages  of  such 
papers ;  but  with  what  success  you  shall  see. 
At  the  end  of  the  year  I  remarked  to  him  that  it 
was  time  to  send  on  for  the  next  volume.  His  re¬ 
ply  was  ;  1  O  !  I  have  twelve  numbers  already, 
and  they  will  do  as  long  as  I  live  and  there  he 
quit,  I  suppose  forever.  But  such  things  are 
doubtless  familiar  to  you.  I  have  often  thought 
it  strange,  when  visiting  wealthy  farmers,  to  find 
any  quantity  of  trifling  ‘  Dollar  Papers  ’  on  their 
tables,  but  very  seldom  a  good  agricultural  work. 
I  should  be  glad  to  see  this  remedied  ;  I  hope  it 
may  be.” 

We  can  bring  hundreds  of  farmers  who  will 
cheerfully  acknowledge  that  a  single  hint  in  a 
little  paragraph  in  the  Agriculturist  has  set  in  mo¬ 
tion  a  train  of  thought,  which  resulted  in  the  ad¬ 
dition  of  hundreds  of  dollars  to  their  income. 
But  we  think  the  number  is  not  large  of  those 
who  have  once  tested  the  advantage  of  reading 
and  thinking  upon  their  own  profession,  who  will 
afterwards  neglect  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
continuance  of  such  advantages.  If  we  employed 
agents  to  canvass,  we  should  send  them  first  into 
those  places,  where  there  were  the  greatest  num¬ 
ber  of  agricultural  papers  already  taken,  believ¬ 
ing,  as  we  do,  that  those  who  have  read  most, 
are  the  most  eager  to  add  to  the  sources  of  their 
information.  Still,  there  are  many  instances  like 
the  one  detailed  above.  We  seldom  keep  track 
of  them  in  our  business  experience,  but  here  is 
one  in  point.  We  have  on  file  a  letter  from  a 
Ncw-Jersey  farmer,  written  early  in  1857,  in 


which  he  voluntarily  states  that  a  single  hint  in 
the  Agriculturist  had  certainly  put  at  least  $100 
into  his  pocket ;  yet,  in  January,  1858,  when  a 
neighbor  called  upon  him  in  making  up  a  club,  he 
said,  “  Times  were  hard,  and  he  guessed  he 
would  not  take  any  agricultural  paper  at  present.” 
We  happen  to  know  that  in  the  same  month  he 
purchased  four  $100  shares  of  Railroad  stock  as 
an  investment.  We  are  glad  to  have  on  record 
that  the  Agriculturist  enabled  him  to  pay  for  at 
least  one  of  those  shares,  from  each  of  which  he  is 
now  deriving  $10  annual  dividend.  Perhaps  if 
he  had  continued  taking  the  paper,  he  might 
have  added  another  R.  R.  share.  But  this  is  a 
matter  he  must  look  to.  The  profit  of  three  or 
five  cents  on  his  single  subscription,  and  a  hun¬ 
dred  other  similar  ones,  is  not  a  matter  to  be 
worried  about. 

This  instance  was  only  introduced  for  illustra¬ 
tion.  We  feel  confident  that  no  man  can  take 
and  read  the  very  poorest  agricultural  paper  in 
the  land,  without  getting  hints  every  year,  that 
will  directly  or  indirectly  repay  him  many  times 
the  cost.  Evidences  of  this  in  our  own  experience 
and  in  that  of  others,  more  than  anything  else, 
led  us  to  our  present  calling.  We  expect  to  con¬ 
tinue  in  it,  and  we  shall  continue  to  use  every 
honorable  exertion  to  increase  our  circulation, 
by  advertisements  as  we  can  afford  them,  (though 
odd  or  ‘ outre'  as  our  friend  Major  Freas  calls- 
them) ;  and  by  offers  of  premiums,  seeds,  etc  , 
etc.  (clap-trap  if  you  like),  to  catch  the  public  eye 
and  stir  up  the  farmer  to  read,  read,  READ  and 
THINK.  If  we  can  get  their  attention  one 
year,  the  main  work  will  be  accomplished  as  a 
general  thing.  They  may  afterwards  change  to 
other  agricultural  papers,  which  happen  to  suit 
their  taste  or  fancy  better,  if  they  like.  We  shall 
seek  out  methods  of  drawing  other  readers, — and 
they  are  coming  in  by  thousands.  Our  main  ef¬ 
fort  is  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  masses. 
Others  may  put  what  construction  they  like  upon 
our  mode  of  doing  business,  (some  of  our  staid 
cotemporaries  have  buttoned  up  their  coats  and 
shrugged  their  shoulders,  as  much  as  to  say — well 
we  can’t  exactly  tell  what  they  would  say),  but 
we  believe  we  are  doing  a  positive  good  to  the 
country,  in  the  course  we  are  pursuing,  and  our 
conservative  cotemporaries  will  reap  a  benefit  in 
increased  circulation,  at  which  we  shall  rejoice 

greatly. - Take  another  look  at  our  premiums 

for  new  subscribers. 


To  Prevent  Cows  from  Kicking 

Mr.  Smith,  of  Saratoga  Co ,  N.  Y.,  says  he 
subdues  refractory  cows  thus  :  “  Take  a  rope  or 
leather  strap,  18  inches  long,  and  fasten  the  two 
ends  firmly  together.  Raise  the  fore  leg  of  the 
animal,  upon  the  side  of  the  milker,  and  bending 
the  foot  back  upon  the  leg,  slip  the  strap  or  rope 
over  the  knee  joint,  so  that  the  animal  cannot 
get  her  foot  upon  the  ground.  This  will  prevent 
the  possibility  of  the  cow’s  kicking,  for,  to  raise 
either  hind  foot  she  must  stand  upon  both  fore 
feet.  When  properly  adjusted  the  pail  is  safe.” 

- ^-4  — — was  O  - ►  - - 

A  coach-driver  stopped  at  a  house  to  get  some 
water  for  the  young  ladies  in  the  carriage.  Being 
asked  why. he  stopped,  he  promptly  replied  :  “to 
water  my  flowers.” 

Rarely  trust  a  person  who  solicits  your  confi¬ 
dence.  It  is  usually  done  for  betrayal. 

The  world  makes  us  talkers,  but  solitude  makes 
us  thinkers. 

Evil  does  not  always  come  to  injure. 


February,  1859. 


41 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


THE  CHALLENGE — From  a  Painting  by  Landseer. 


From  among  the  large  number  of  beautiful 
sketches  on  hand,  and  in  course  of  preparation 
by  our  engravers  for  the  present  volume,  we  se¬ 
lect  for  this  number,  as  appropriate  to  the  season, 
the  above  fine  engraving  from  a  painting  by  one 
of  England’s  most  celebrated  artists,  Edwin 
Landseer,  who  is  considered  the  best  painter  of 
animals,  of  the  present  age.  No  engraving  can 
exhibit  the  striking  effect  of  a  painting  of  this 
character,  on  which  the  colors  stand  out  promi¬ 
nent,  yet  a  picture  like  the  above — which  is  as 
perfect  a  representation  of  the  painting  as  can  be 
given  in  black  and  white,  on  a  reduced  scale — will 
afford  the  reader  a  very  correct  idea  of  this  “mas¬ 
ter  piece  ”  which  comparatively  few  will  ever 
have  the  privilege  of  seeing. 

The  scene  is  one  of  those  wild,  grand  ones,  for 
which  Scotland  is  so  famous.  The  chief  object 
of  interest  is  the  noble  but  enraged  Stag  in  the 
foreground.  The  story  connected  with  the  pic¬ 
ture  runs  thus  :  On  a  fine  moonlight  evening,  in 
winter,  a  stag  was  observed  to  approach  the  border 
of  a  lake,  and  bellow  out  his  notes  of  defiance  or 
challenge,  to  another  stag  standing  on  the  oppo¬ 
site  shore.  The  animal  thus  challenged,  instantly 
plunged  into  the  water  and  swam  across  to  meet 
his  foe.  (The  head  and  antlers  of  the  swimming 
animal  can  be  seen  in  the  picture.)  They  engaged 
in  a  fierce  combat  which  resulted  in  the  death  of 
noth,  for  they  were  found  dead  the  next  morning, 
with  their  long  branching  antlers  firmly  and  al¬ 
most  inextricably  locked  together.  Landseer 
executed  two  accompanying  paintings,  one 
‘The  Combat,”  and  the  other  “The  Result,” 
which  it  is  unnecessary  to  copy  here,  as  the  imagi¬ 
nation  will  very  readily  supply  them  after  an  ex¬ 
amination  of  the  above.  We  need  make  no 
apology  for  the  introduction  of  engravings  like 
these.  They  not  only  give  pleasure,  but  cultivate 
a  correct  taste  for  the  beautiful  in  art.  While 
our  aim  is  to  give  the  Agriculturist  a  general 
practical  character,  we  also  believe  it  may,  in  a 


measure,  take  the  place  of  an  artistic  magazine, 
and  be  an  ornamental  volume  upon  the  table  of 
every  country  resident.  We  are  more  than 
pleased,  that  the  constantly  increasing  circulation 
of  this  journal,  bids  fair  to  enable  us  to  furnish  a 
still  larger  number  of  engravings  of  high  order, 
and  at  the  same  time  supply  the  paper  to  sub¬ 
scribers  at  a  price  unprecedented  in  the  history  of 
literature.  Our  readers  must  have  already  noted 
that  while  the  Agriculturist  is  furnished  to  clubs 
at  barely  80  cents  per  annum,  its  size,  variety  of 
instructive  articles,  and  amount  of  engravings, 
are  scarcely  excelled  by  any  of  the  three  dollar 
magazines. 

- - - - - 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist. — Prize  Articles 

The  Dairy . II. 


SELECTION  OP  COWS. 

We  are  not  going  into  a  discussion  of  the  dif¬ 
ferent  breeds  of  the  cow,  as  understood  by  cattle 
breeders, but  ofthe  general  characteristics  of  those 
best  suited  to  dairy  purposes.  We  care  not  what 
her  breed,  whether  it  be  Short  Horn,  Ayrshire, 
Devon,  Hereford,  Alderney,  or  Native,  further 
titan  that  she  be  a  good  milker.  As  to  the  quality 
of  her  milk,  it  should  always  be  rich;  as  to  the 
quantity,  that  may  depend  upon  the  size  of  the 
cow,  and  the  amount  of  food  she  consumes  We 
have  known  cows  that  yielded  thirty  quarts  of  milk 
in  the  height  of  the  season,  which  were  not 
so  economical  to  the  dairyman  as  others  not  giv¬ 
ing  over  twenty  quarts.  One  ate  enormously,  the 
other  moderately.  It  depends  much,  also,  on  the 
quality  of  the  pasturage  as  to  what  description  of 
cow  the  dairyman  should  adopt.  A  compact,  even 
bodied  cow  will  frequently  live  and  thrive,  and  do 
her  best  in  milk,  where  a  large  rangy  beast  would 
barely  live,  and  yield  less  milk  than  the  oilier; 
while,  in  abundant  pastures,  where  the  food  is 
easily  obtained,  the  largest  animal,  giving  a  pro¬ 


portionate  quantity,  would  be  preferable.  So,  in 
the  selection  of  his  cows  the  dairyman  should 
understand  the  quality  of  his  pastures,  equally 
with  the  description  of  cows  with  which  he  is 
to  stock  them. 

DESCRIPTION  OP  A  DAIRY  COW. 

As  a  rule,  we  would  say,  that  a  compact,  small 
boned  cow  of  her  kind,  whatever  the  breed  may 
be,  is  the  most  economical  for  the  dairy.  A  raw- 
boned,  big-jointed,  loose-made  beast  is  usually  a 
huge  feeder,  and  a  poor  keeper,  and  although 
sometimes  an  extraordinary  milker,  is  not,  on 
the  whole,  a  profitable  one  to  keep.  Our  own 
style  of  dairy  cow  should  have  a  small  head,  with 
a  lively  eye,  and  a  light  horn.  Her  neck  should  be 
thin,  her  shoulders  open,  or  well  spread  apart ;  her 
ribs  round,  and  extend  well  back  towards  her  hips; 
her  back  straight ;  her  loins  and  hips  broad  ;  her 
rump  level ;  her  flanks  deep  ;  her  belly  capacious, 
without  being  paunchy;  her  twist  full,  and  low; 
her  udder  clean,  silky  in  the  hair,  with  fair  sized 
taper  teats,  standing  well  apart  as  they  issue 
from  the  bag.  When  milked  dry,  the  udder  should 
be  small, and  shrunken — not  meaty — but  when  full, 
it  should  be  plump,  and  hard  ;  her  tail  fine  ;  her 
legs  and  feet  small ;  and  with  all  these  she  should 
possess  a  quiet  disposition.  It  may  also  be  added, 
that  she  have  a  yellow  skin  beneath  the  hair,  be  the 
hair  what  color  it  may,  and  the  hair  be  fine,  silky, 
and  if  possible,  waving,  or  slightly  curling.  These 
qualities,  of  course,  will  make  a  handsome  cow — 
an  objection  in  the  eye  of  no  one,  and  certainly 
none  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  cow  possessing 
good  milking  properties.  A  beast  the  contrary 
of  this  description,  although  possibly  a  good  milk¬ 
er,  is  not  desirable ;  and  when  the  kind  we  have 
described  is  just  as  easy  to  be  obtained,  as  its 
opposite,  if  one  will  but  take  a  little  pains,  the 
standard  of  perfection,  or  as  near  to  it  as  possible, 
may  as  well  be  adhered  to  as  otherwise.  We  say 
a  yellow  skin,  as  distinguished  from  a  white,  oi 


42 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


pale  one.  A  yellow  skin  usually  indicates  a  rich 
milker,  while  a  pale  skin  indicates  that  ofinferior 
quality.  All  observing  dairymen  will  acknowledge 
this  fact.  Exceptions  occur,  but  the  rule  obtains. 

Now,  in  contra-distinction  to  our  choice  of  a 
cow,  let  us  see,  for  a  moment,  how  the  mass  of 
dairy  cows  are  •  generally  obtained.  At  “the 
West,”  where  the  cattle  breeders  usually  pay  lit¬ 
tle  attention  to  the  milking  qualities  of  their  cows, 
and  breed  them  promiscuously  without  regard  to 
that  quality,  and  also  in  various  other  parts  of  the 
country  among  poor  farmers  who  raise  now  and 
then  a  cow  to  sell,  the  cow  drovers,  or  buyers  go 
out  to  make  their  purchases  for  the  dairy  mark¬ 
ets — tire  dairymen,  as  a  rule,  do  not  rear 
their  heifer  calves,  but  depend  upon  purchasing 
their  cows,  either  of  the  drovers,  or  go  out  and 
pick  them  up  themselves,  as  best  they  may. 
Of  course,  the  selection  by  the  drovers  or 
dairymen,  is  not  of  the  best,  for  the  owners  of 
them  prize  their  superior  quality  as  valuable  to 
themselves,  and  the  purchasers,  consequently,  are 
enabled  to  buy  such  only  as  the  owners  are  dis¬ 
posed  to  sell.  They  are  therefore  a  promiscuous 
lot — a  few  good,  some  indifferent,  and  many  in¬ 
ferior,  if  not  decidedly  bad.  These  cows  are  taken 
by  the  dairymen,  and  after  trial  a  year  or  two, 
the  worst  are  culled  out  by  them  as  not  being 
worth  keeping,  and  in  turn  are  sold  to  another 
passing  drover,  who  proceeds  on  his  journey  to¬ 
wards  market,  and  sells  to  a  further  dairyman,  till 
the  poor  rejected  beasts  are  finally  brought  up  in 
the  butcher’s  shambles  !  And  such  is  the  history 
of  very  many  of  the  dairy  herds  in  our  country — a 
short  sighted,  miserable,  unprofitable  mode  of 
keeping  up  a  supply  of  milch  cows. 

In  opposition  to  this,  we  would  propose  a  dif¬ 
ferent  plan.  Having  selected  the  best  herd  of 
cows  we  could  find,  instead  of  getting  a  wretched 
inferior  bull,  with  just  vitality  enough  in  him  to 
beget  a  calf,  as  the  means  of  enabling  the  cow  to 
produce,  her  yearly  supply  of  milk,  and  then  des¬ 
troying  the  calf  soon  after  birth,  we  would  select 
ahull  of  some  distinct  milk  producing  breed — and 
that  breed  should  be  of  a  kind  fitted  for  our  own 
soil,  and  climate.  This  bull  should  be  descended 
from  a  good  milking  dam,  and  also  from  a  sire 
whose  ancestors  were  of  a  good  milking  tribe,  if 
possible.  A  close  examination  into  these  facts 
would  give  the  bull  a  pedigree,  of  course,  which 
we  would  demand.  In  addition  to  his  milk  be¬ 
getting  qualities,  he  should  add  those  of  good 
shape,  fineness,  and  general  quality  peculiar  to  his 
breed.  We  would  preserve  the  heifer  calves  by 
this  bull  from  the  best  cows,  and  rear  them  to  keep 
the  number  of  our  cows  good,  as  the  calves  grow 
up  and  the  cows  are  worn  out  or  displaced.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  the  general  physiological  rules  of 
“like  begetting  like,”  our  young  cows  would 
nearly  all  turn  out  the  first  class  of  milkers.  We 
would  educate  the  calves  to  the  development 
of  their  best  milking  faculties,  thus  :  They  should 
be  well  fed — not  pampered  ;  allowed  plenty  of 
new  milk  for  the  first  month,  then  gradually  led 
off  into  skimmed  milk,  or  whey,  with  a  little  oat, 
corn,  or  oil  meal,  and  be  kept  all  the  while  in  a 
sweet  grass  pasture.  At  four  months  they  would 
be  fit  to  wean.  From  that  time  forward,  pas¬ 
ture  in  good  grass  until  Winter.  Through  the 
Winter,  soft  sweet  hay,  and  perhaps  a  quart  of 
oats,  or  half  the  quantity  olTndianmeal  a  day,  until 
grass  in  the  Spring.  Then  good  grass  pasture  an¬ 
other  Summer,  and  hay  through  the  Winter.  At 
two  years  old,  grass  again  for  the  Summer,  and 
turned  to  the  bull  in  July — even  her  own  sire,  if  he 
has  proved  a  good  getter,  for  such  close  breeding 
is  not  hurtful  for  a  second  generation.  The  young 
cow  then  comes  in,  a  finely  developed  beast,  and 
being  gentle  and  docile,  as  she  would  be  if  prop¬ 


erly  treated,  she  furnishes  a  fine  milking  cow, 
perhaps  at  a  little  extra  cost,  but  one  which,  in 
the  natural  order  of  things,  is  worth  one-and-a- 
half,  or  two  that  can  be  obtained  out  of  a  com¬ 
mon  drove  for  dairy  use.  Three  or  four  good 
heifer  calves  thus  raised  every  year  by  an  intel¬ 
ligent  dairyman,  will  well  keep  up  his  herd  of 
twenty  cows,  and  in  that  proportion  for  a  smaller 
or  larger  number. 

As  a  proof  of  the  advantage  of  thus  breeding 
up  a  herd  of  dairy  cows,  the  writer  would  relate 
his  own  experience  :  Many  years  ago  we  kept  a 
milk  dairy  for  supplying  the  town  people  near  by 
with  milk.  Our  herd  was  a  mixed  one  of 
different  breeds — Short  Horns,  Devons,  and  na¬ 
tives,  with  intermediate  crosses,  and  grades. 
We  selected  two  compact,  well  made  bulls — 
one  Short  Horn,  and  one  Devon,  pure  in  blood, 
each  of  his  kind.  To  the  pure  bred  cows  of 
each  breed  we  bred  the  same  blooded  bull, 
and  crossed  them  upon  the  grade  and  native 
cows,  as  we  judged  best  to  effect  our  object  of 
producing  good  milkers.  Our  thorough  bred  calves 
of  each  breed,  we  of  course  raised,  and  selected 
the  most  promising  of  the  grade  heifer  calves  to 
raise  for  future  dairy  cows.  In  the  course  of our 
operations  we  bred  and  reared  about  sixty  heif¬ 
ers,  and  with  one  exception  only,  when  they  came 
into  cow’s  estate,  every  individual  turned  out  a 
superior  milker,  with  fine  form,  and  excellent 
quality  of  carcase  as  well.  But  we  will  give  the 
sequel.  After  some  years  continuance,  not  be¬ 
cause  the  business  was  unprofitable,  but  because 
we  could  not.  give  the  personal  attention  to  it  that 
it  required,  we  discontinued  the  occupation,  and 
sold  off  the  most  of  our  herd,  chiefly  grades — a 
part  of  them  at  public  sale.  Coming  in,  as  they 
did,  at  different  seasons  of  the  year  to  give  a  reg¬ 
ular  supply  of  milk  as  far  as  possible,  our  cows 
were  in  different  conditions  as  to  flesh.  The  full 
milkers  were  in  moderate  flesh  ;  the  dry,  and 
nearly  dry  ones  were  in  excellent  condition.  As 
they  were  put  up  to  be  sold,  since  every  buyer 
wanted  “  a  first-rate  milker,”  the  question  as  to 
her  milking  quality  was  asked  of  each  one  when 
offered.  There  was  a  difference,  of  course,  some 
better,  some  not  equally  good.  Yet,  no  matter 
what  the  answer  might  be,  the  fattest  cows,  in 
every  instance,  brought  the  most  money !  So  much 
for  the  eye,  over  utility  ! 

But  many  dairymen  say  they  “  can’t  afford  to 
raise  their  cows.  It  is  cheaper  to  buy  them,  and 
run  the  chances.”  We  do  not  believe  it — at  least, 
as  the  chances  run  within  our  own  experience, 
and  observation.  It  may  be  objected,  and  with 
considerable  truth,  we  admit,  as  in  late  examples, 
that  the  Short  Horns  and  Devons  are  not  milkers. 
To  this  we  reply,  that  they  are,  naturally,  good 
milkers  ;  but  the  modern  breeders  have  bred  for 
flesh,  and  symmetry  of  shape,  chiefly,  and  in 
striving  for  these  have  measurably  bred  out,  or 
sacrificed  the  milking  quality.  But  the  milk  can 
be  brought  back  again  by  breeding.  That  quality 
is  still  latent  in  the  animal,  and  use  and  educa¬ 
tion  will  restore  it  in  the  manner  we  have  indi¬ 
cated.  Still,  we  are  not  advocating  breeds  of  cat¬ 
tle,  we  speak  only  of  selecting  good  dairy  cows, 
and  perpetuating  their  best  milking  qualities  in 
their  descendants. 

We  will  talk  about  treatment  and  feeding  in  our 
next. 

- «o— >5 Miurg-O-gsj  ■  {>—<£» - 

Love  is  better  than  a  pair  of  spectacles  to  make 
everything  seem  greater  which  is  seen  through  it. 

Pantaloons  obtained  on  credit  are  considered 
breeches  of  trust. 

It  is  a  good  horse  that  never  stumbles. 


Apples  for  Cows, 

Some  persons  withhold  apples  from  cows,  be¬ 
cause  the  eating  of  them  sometimes  occasions  a 
drying  up  of  their  milk.  An  immoderate  gorging 
of  fruit  by  half-starved  animals  will  undoubtedly 
produce  this  result,  but  a  rational  and  systematic 
feeding  of  them  will  not.  One  might  as  well  deny 
oats  and  corn  and  water  to  horses,  because  when 
taken  to  excess  they  do  injury.  Sweet  apples, 
regularly  fed  to  milch  cows,  at  the  rate  of  about 
six  quarts,  morning  and  night,  during  the  Fall  and 
Winter,  will  promote  their  general  health  and  in¬ 
crease  the  quantity  and  quality  of  their  milk. 

It  would  be  good  economy  for  farmers  to  graft 
over  some  of  their  old  trees  with  such  fruit,  and 
to  plant  a  portion  of  their  new  orchards  with  the 
same.  The  kinds  wanted  are,  not  the  fine-grained 
and  delicate  sorts,  such  as  are  suitable  for  the 
table,  but  rather  those  which  are  rich,  dry  and 
firm.  These  do  not  bruise  very  much  in  gather¬ 
ing  and  storing,  they  keep  better  and  are  more 
nutritious  than  the  nicer  and  more  juicy  varieties. 
The  black  Gillifiower,  as  an  example,  is  excel¬ 
lent  for  feeding  out  late  in  Spring.  Probably  there 
are  many  native  sorts  throughout  the  country, 
which  are  abundant  bearers,  good  keepers,  and  of 
the  right  quality.  All  that  is  wanted  is  a  series 
of  experiments  to  test  them,  and  a  report  of  lhe 
same  through  the  papers  and  the  pomological  so¬ 
cieties. 

Did  any  of  our  readers  ever  reflect  how  easily 
and  cheaply  an  annual  crop  of  such  apples  can  be 
raised  ?  We  have  lately  seen  an  estimate,  care¬ 
fully  made,  which  allows  ten  bushels  a  tree  for 
productive  sorts,  and  amounting  to  400  bushels 
per  acre.  Fifty  dollars  was  allowed  for  the  cost 
of  land,  and  ten  dollars  for  forty  trees  and  the 
transplanting.  The  land  was  to  be  cultivated, 
and  the  crops  from  it  preserved  to  pay  the 
interest  and  the  cost  of  cultivation  until  the  trees 
came  into  bearing,  Admitting  the  bearing  or¬ 
chard  to  cost  $80.00,  and  the  tillage  $10.00,  an¬ 
nually,  the  yearly  crop  cost  $15.60,  at  7  per 
cent  interest ;  or  less  than  four  cents  a  bushel. 
Isn’t  that  cheap  enough  1  Can  any  other  crop  be 
raised  as  easily  and  economically  1 

The  following  sorts  are  recommended  by  the 
author  of  the  “  Fruit  Culturist,”  as  among  the 
best  for  stock  feeding  :  The  High-Top  or  Sum¬ 
mer  Sweet,  for  early  feeding  ;  the  Munson  Sweet¬ 
ing,  the  Haskell  Sweet,  Pumpkin  Sweet,  the  Sweet 
Pcarmam,  the  Wing  Sioccting  and  the  Green 
Sweet,  for  Fall  and  Winter. 

That  apples  are  excellent  for  fattening  hogs, 
and  as  Fall  and  Winter  feed  for  horses  and  other 
stock,  we  need  not  spend  time  in  proving.  Some 
even  assert  that  for  horses  they  are  equal  to 
oats.  This  we  do  not  maintain.  In  feeding  ap¬ 
ples  to  cows,  it  is  the  safest  way  to  cut  or  mash 
them,  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  choking  the 
animals. 


Singular  Effect  of  first  Milkings. 

Some  have  supposed  that  the  first  drawings  ol 
milk  from  animals  newly  calved,  is  poisonous,  be¬ 
cause  of  the  strange  effect  produced  on  those  who 
use  it.  We  have  heard  of  a  Hibernian  who 
nearly  died  of  colic  and  inflammation  of  the  bow¬ 
els,  caused  by  drinking  freely  of  the  first  milking 
of  a  cow.  Swine  fed  upon  it  often  suffer  grtfat 
pain,  and  sometimes  die  in  consequence. 

Such  milk,  however,  is  not  poisonous.  It  con¬ 
tains  a  substance  which  the  doctors  call  colostrum, 
which  acts  as  a  cathartic.  Such  milk  is  adapt¬ 
ed  to  the  wants  of  the  offspring,  and  is  provided 
by  nature  to  carry  off  “  the  viscid  contents  of  the 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


43 


intestinal  canal.”  It  is  not  confined  to  the  brute 
creation. 

The  first  milk  of  cows  should  not  be  thrown 
away.  Half  a  pail  full  may  be  given  to  the  new¬ 
ly-calved  cow,  and  it  will  benefit  her.  The  milk 
may  also  be  thrown  into  the  swill-barrel,  and 
when  mixed  with  other  slops  can  be  fed  out  to 
pigs. 

- -eg-  4  — — - »  qa> - — 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Breeding  in-and-in— Cassius  M  Clay’s 
Reply  to  “A  Cattle  Breeder.” 

My  November  article  in  the  Ohio  Farmer,  has 
aroused  the  “  in-and-in’s  ”  like  the  bursting  of  a 
bomb-shell !  Two  articles  in  the  Ohio  Farmer, 
one  in  the  American  Agriculturist  (page  10),  and 
two  more  promised !  I  am  likely  to  have  my 
hands  full!  My  very  distinguished  friend  the 
Rev.  Robert  J.  Breckinridge,  for  whose  opinions 
on  Theology  I  have  the  most  profound  respect, 
led  off  in  this  error  some  years  ago,  and  was 
followed  up  by  Geo.  W.  Johnson,  Esq.,  of  Scott 
Co.,  Ky.,  in  a  still  more  elaborate  article.  I  have 
been  often  asked  to  reply  to  those  articles  by 
Kentucky  breeders  ;  but  so  general  was  the 
opposite  belief  and  practice,  that  we  all  regarded 
the  theory  as  the  amiable  eccentricity  of  those 
excellent  gentlemen  :  and  when  the  agricultural 
report  of  the  Ohio  Board  of  Agriculture  renewed 
the  theory,  I  deemed  it  only  necessary  to  glance 
at  the  arguments  on  both  sides,  trusting  to  the 
axiomatic  statement  of  philosophical  facts  to 
carry  my  point  with  reflecting  men.  “  A  Buck¬ 
eye  ”  comes  to  my  relief  very  promptly,  claiming 
my  theory  as  his  own  !  and  my  special  and  worthy 
friend  the  secretary  of  the  Board,  only  attempts 
a  defence  by  widening  the  meaning  of  “  in-and- 
in  ”  breeding  to  the  extent  of  breeding  only  spe¬ 
cific  or  quasi  specific  breeds  to  each  other  and 
not  “  crossing  !,:  My  complimentary  friend  of 
New-York,  therefore  deserves  a  notice  in  passing, 
whilst  the  smoke  is  clearing  off  the  home  battle 
field! 

1.  Argument  from  Analogy. — In  the  human 
race  the  laws  of  “  in-and-in  breeding  ”  are  not 
questioned  as  I  have  laid  them  down.  Near  of 
kin  in  almost  all  nations  have  been  forbidden  to 
marry — not  as  is  contended,  for  moral  considera¬ 
tions  simply,  but  principally  on  account  of  the 
physical  ills  which  follow.  If  such  laws  are  based 
on  moral  considerations,  and  to  preserve  the 
sanctity  of  the  family  relation  even  in  thought, 
then  should  the  brother  be  forbidden  to  maVry  the 
brother’s  wife,  and  not  allowed  to  marry  two  or 
more  sisters,  &c.  But  such  has  not  been  the 
case  :  on  the  contrary,  the  every  day  observation 
of  every  one  proves  the  physical  evils  of  marry¬ 
ing  near  of  kin.  Georgia  has  just  prohibited  the 
intermarriage  of  first  cousins,  by  very  heavy  pen¬ 
alties  :  and  such  a  law  had  nearly  passed  this 
State  Legislature  last  year :  and  such  ought  to  be 
the  law  the  world  over.  In-and-in  breeding,  therty 
in  the  human  race,  producing,  idiocy,  a  loss  of 
all  the  senses,  weakness  of  constitution,  dimin¬ 
ution  in  size,  disease,  and  impotence,  imposes 
on  the  advocates  of  this  theory  to  prove  that  the 
laws  of  other  animals  are  not  the  same.  It  is 
not  sufficient  to  say  that  man  is  governed  by  his 
mind  and  sentiments,  as  well  as  the  appetites  and 
instincts,  since  it  is  not  a  ’psychological  but  physical 
fact  which  is  to  be  determined.  I  boldly  assert 
without  fear  of  successful  refutation,  that  man, 
outside  of  mental  and  sentimental  phenomena, 
is  governed  by  the  same  physical  laws  as  other  ani¬ 
mals. 

2.  Experience. — “  A  Cattle  Breeder  ”  attempts 


to  avoid  the  stunning  force  of  the  argument  that 
the  million  who  produce  nothing  memorable,  are 
in-and-in  breeders,  by  claiming  that  they  do  not 
select  within  the  rules  of  his  theory  !  Now  the 
in-and-in  theory  logically  rejects  selection  :  for  if 
breeding  the  sire  to  the  offspring  does  the  work 
of  improvement,  what  right  has  he  to  select,  which 
is  our  theory  1  But  the  truth  is,  your  correspondent 
assumes  that  which  is  not  the  fact,  viz.,  that  there 
is  generally  an  indiscriminate  breeding  without 
regard  to  the  best  in  each  man’s  possession.  On 
the  contrary,  I  venture  the  assertion,  that  among 
the  rudest  and  most  careless  breeders,  the  best 
lamb,  the  best  calf,  the  best  colt,  and  the  best  pig, 
is  reserved  as  a  stock  animal ! 

3.  Special  Proof. — Let  us  now  examine  our 
own  practice :  I  give  my  experience  for  what  it 
is  worth,  and  I  say  I  have  all  my  life  found  emi¬ 
nent  advantage  in  introducing  blood  not  of  near 
of  kin  into  my  live  stock — chickens  not  excepted. 

I  ask  every  reader,  what  is  his  experience  1  with¬ 
out  fear  of  the  answer.  The  Campbells  of  oui- 
county  for  many  years  have  carried  the  largest 
hogs  to  the  Cincinnati  and  Louisville  markets, 
the  largest  swine  markets  in  this  country  or  the 
world  ;  they  have  never  been  beaten..  Now  their 
theory  and  practice  is,  when  they  have  generally 
600  hogs,  to  go  from  home  to  select  a  breeder, 
and  never  to  breed  in-and-in  !  We  have  all  been 
convinced  of  this  theory  as  Short  Horn  breeders  ; 
so  that  we  have  repeatedly  sent  to  England  for 
new  bloods  and  have  even  gone  to  Ohio  for  the 
same  purpose  ! 

4.  False  Proof. — Race  Horses. — Your  corres¬ 
pondent  refers  to  the  “  Stud  Book,”  as  proof  that 
in-and-in  breeding  is  the  thing — saying  such  was 
the  practice  “  even  down  to  a  late  day  !”  Well, 

I  am  glad  these  breeders  are  growing  wiser  than 
their  sires  for  at  “a  late  day,”  then,  he  admits  they 
have  changed  their  practice  !  I  have  not  been 
familiar  with  the  “  Stud  Book,”  and  can  not  an¬ 
swer  for  the  first  part  of  the  statement ;  but  I  do 
say,  here  in  Kentucky,  where  we  have  produced 
race  horses  making  the  best  time  in  the  world, 
there  is  not  a  single  breeder  that  would  ever  think 
of  such  a  thing  as  in-and-in  breeding  ! 

5.  False  Proof. — Bakewell. — I  deny  that  Bake- 
well’s  “rule  was  breeding  in-and-in.”  W.  C. 
Spooner,  says  that  Bakewell  kept  his  method  of 
breeding  “  a  profound  secret,”  and  “  it  died  with 
him  !”  This  same  author,  member  of  the  Roy¬ 
al  Council  of  Veterinary  Surgeons  in  England, 
says  :  that  it  was  known,  however,  that  Bake¬ 
well,  on  the  contrary  did  make  a  “wide  selection 
of  sheep  ”  in  the  beginning.  The  Leicester  being 
the  principal  stock,  he  is  supposed  to  have  used 
also  the  Warwickshire,  the  old  Lincoln,  theTees- 
water,  the  Rvland,  and  the  South  Down.”  Now, 
here  is  a  man  on  the  ground— and  one  of  the  best 
English  writers  on  sheep,  who  proves  all  the  op¬ 
posite  of  the  in-and-in  theory,  so  far  as  Bakewell 
is  concerned.  But  so  soon  as  Bakewell  died, and 
close  breeding  was  kept  up  by  his  successors,  the 
sheep  failed,  as  all  impure  bloods  will  do,  when 
the  original  active  methods  of  crossing  fail !  This, 
Spooner,  who  was  a  great  admirer  of  the  Dishley 
Sheep,  admitted  ;  for  he  says  that :  “  weakness 
of  constitution  and  sterility,”  and  a  “tendency 
to  lessen  in  size  ”  came  to  be  defects  of  that  breed 
of  sheep  which  since  Bakewell’s  time  have  been 
remedied  “  by  crossing  with  the  Cotswolds  and 
Bampton  Notts.” 

6.  Coleman  on  the  Disnley's. — Coleman  in  his 
European  agriculture,  Vol.  2,  p.  336,  says  ;  in  “a 
letter  from  an  eminent  Smithfield  salesman,”  he 
finds  these  words  :  “  It  is  necessary  that  I  should 
qualify  these  observations  by  saying  that  no  doubt 
Leicester  sheep  (Dishleys,  or  Bakewells,)  have 


been  of  immense  service  ;  and  some  of  the  best 
of  them  have  been  exceedingly  good,  having  tho 
tendency  to  fatten  more  quickly  than  others 
But  you  will  find  my  dislike  of  them  shared  by  al¬ 
most  all  practical  men.  They  certainly  have  degen¬ 
erated  exceedingly,  becoming  small  andlighl  of  flesh 
*  *  *  *  The  average  weight  of  those  coming  to  mark¬ 
et  is  about  seventeen  pounds  per  quarter.  *  *  *  * 
They  have  lost  size,  flesh  and  worth  /”  The  italics 
are  mine.  Again  Coleman  says  :  “  it  is  admitted 
that  the  Dishleys  are  not  hardy.'"  Now  what 
does  all  this  prove  1  1,  That  Bakewell  did  not 

take  a  pair  of  Leicesters  and  breed  in-and-in  with 
them,  and  with  good  feed  and  shelter  (all  the  re¬ 
quisites)  make  a  celebrated  flock  !  But  that  he 
first  made  “  a  wide  selection  ”  of  the  “  improved  ” 
Leicesters  from  other  flocks,  like  the  Collings,  and 
then  used  a  very  wide  range  of  crosses  running  into 
not  only  varieties  of  long  wooled  sheep,  but  into 
distinct  specific  varieties,  as  the  South  Downs  ! 
2.  That  by  this  process  he  made  a  flock  of  world¬ 
wide  reputation.  3.  That  the  Rules  of  the  Bake¬ 
well  Club  kept  up  a  close  breeding,  and  in  conse¬ 
quence,  the  breed  and  fame  of  the  Dishleys  ran 
down,  and  was  only  saved  from  utter  ruin  by 
crossing  on  the  Cotswolds  and  Bampton  Notts! 

7.  R.  L.  Allen’s  “Domestic  Animals,  N.  Y., 
1852,”  page  12;  says:  “  Breeding  in-and-in,  or 
propagating  from  animals  nearly  allied,  may  be 
tolerated  under  certain  circumstances,  between 
those  of  the  same  generation  as  brother  and  sis¬ 
ter.”  But  “  It  is  always  better  to  avoid  close  re¬ 
lationship,  by  the  selection  of  equally  meritorious 
stock-getters  of  the  same  breed  from  other 
sources.” 

8.  Jonas  Webb. — South  Downs. — Jonas  Webb, 
of  Babraham,  Cambridgeshire,  England,  has  pur¬ 
sued  neither  the  practice  of  in-and-in  breeding, 
nor  crossing  on  sheep  of  specific  differences.  He 
began  his  herd  by  “  a  wide  selection  ”  of  the  best 
of  the  breed,  and  placed  them  in  three  distinct 
classes,  and  is  now  forming  four  or  five  ;  with  a 
view  to  judicious  avoidance  of  “  close-breeding.” 
The  consequence  is,  his  flock  is  world  wide  in  its 
reputation  ;  clear  of  all  the  defects  of  the  Bake¬ 
well  breed,  and  still  advancing  in  reputation  ;  be¬ 
cause  he  has  followed,  and  yet  follows  the  true 
physiological  laws.  But  why  need  I  multiply  au¬ 
thority,  or  argument  1  I  know  nothing  of  the 
Hereford  Herd  alluded  to;  but  venture  that  if  the 
truth  was  all  known,  “  A  Cattle  Breeder  ”  would 
be  as  wide  of  the  mark  there,  as  in  the  Bakewell 
case,  and  the  “  Stud  Book  !”  With  regard  to 
the  old  Colling’s  tale,  which  has  made  fools  of  so 
many  men,  the  ground  is  too  old  to  be  again 
traversed  in  this  article,  and  in  this  day  !  I  will 
only  say  again  that  C.  Colling:  1.  Made  a  wide 
selection  of  the  best  herds  to  start  upon.  2.  That 
from  all  the  evidence,  he  never  had  a  better  breed¬ 
er  than  Hubback,  which  he  bought  of  another.  3. 
That  he  admitted  himself  that  he  never  had  a 
better  cow  than  Lady  Maynard.  4.  That  the 
breeding  in-and-in,  so  far  as  it  went,  injured  the 
stock.  The  “  Dutchess  tribe,”  which  stock  I 
am  now  breeding  to,  through  a  grandson  of  Grand 
Duke  (10,264)  is  all  the  worse  for  the  close  breed¬ 
ing,  which  is  now  abandoned  by  Mr.  Thorne,  and 
others  holding  that  stock.  5.  That  purity  of 
blood  is  better  than  crosses  on  specific  breeds. 

6.  The  Galloway  and  Kyloe  alloy  is  repudiated. 

7.  That  the  Collings,  or  at  least  Charles,  was  a 
prime  Barnum  and  Humbug,  and  should  never 
again  be  named  by  philosophical  breeders,  or  log¬ 
ical  essayists.  Asking  your  pardon  for  so  long 
trespassing  upon  your  columns,  in  a  controversy 
so  manifestly  one-sided,  I  await  another  broad¬ 
side  from  the  “  Rest  of  mankind.” 

White  Hall,  Ky.,  Jan.  5, 1859.  C.  M.  Clav. 


44 


AMERICAN  AGrRIO  i  LTURlST, 


RESIDENCE  OF  SAMUEL  B.  PARSONS,  FLUSHING,  L.  !. 


In  our  last  volume,  we  published  a  regular  se¬ 
ries  of  articles  and  illustrations  upon  Farm  Build¬ 
ings,  according  to  a  general  plan.  In  the  present 
volume  we  propose  to  give  a  variety,  including 
both  large  and  costly  structures  as  well  as  small, 
low  priced  ones.  We  have  no  definite  plan,  but 
shall  select  from  a  variety  of  sources.  We  give 
herewith,  the  elevation,  and  floor  plans  of  the 
dwelling  of  Samuel  B.  Parsons,  of  Flushing,  L.  I., 
with  such  specific  descriptions  as  may  serve  for 
useful  hints  to  others  contemplating  building. 
This  house  stands  at  the  head  of  and  facing 
Rowne  Avenue,  (just  north  of  the  “Fox  Oak” 
pictured  in  December,  Vol.  17,  page  359).  The 
site  is  an  elevated  one,  overlooking  Flushing  Bay 
and  most  of  Flushing  Village,  as  well  as  the  Pal¬ 
isades  on  the  Hudson  River,  and  the  East  River 
(i.e.  western  part  of  Long  Island  Sound).  The  view 
from  the  house  North  and  AVest  is  a  magnificent 
one,  while  East  and  South-east  are  the  extensive 
green  and  hot-houses  and  the  commercial  gar¬ 
dens  and  Nurseries. 

The  style  of  the  house  is  plain — rather  too 
much  so  for  one  so  large  and  expensive,  to  suit 
the  general  taste — but  it  is  in  keeping  with  the 
views  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  to  which  the  pro¬ 
prietor  belongs.  We  think  it  would  appear  bet¬ 
ter  if  the  first  floor  were  somewhat  higher,  to  raise 
the  whole  building  to  a  greater  hight,  and  give  a 
more  commanding  appearance.  As  shown  in  the 
elevation  and  ground  plan  (fig.  2),  it  is  surrounded 
on  three  sides  (East,  South,  West)  and  on  a  part 
of  the  North  side,  with  a  wide  (10  feet)  piazza,  the 
roof  of  which  is  supported  by  a  row  of  plain,  round, 
Doric  columns. 

The  general  color  is  a  light  drab.  The  struc¬ 
ture  is  of  wood,  the  outer  eoverinc  being  plank 


I  or  boards  1£  inches  thick,  tongued  and  groved, 
j  the  joints  put  together  with  white  lead  ground  in 
oil.  The  walls  are  filled  in  with  bricks,  laid  flat, 
an  inch  space  being  left  between  e bricks,  and 
outside  covering.  Both  main  and  piazza  roofs 
are  covered  with  tin.  The  blinds  and  also  the 
close  sliding  shutters  all  open  inside,  and  are  thus 
accessible  without  going  outside,  or  opening  the 
windows.  This  plan  is,  we  think,  the  better  one 
generally,  where  dwellings  are  not  exposed  in 
crowded  streets  to  missiles  or  other  damage, 
and  especially  where  the  windows  are  protect¬ 
ed  from  hail  stones  by  piazza  roofs  or  window 
caps. 

A  circular  carriage  path  passes  in  front  of  the 
south  entrance.  From  this  is  a  side  carriage  way 
along  side  the  east  piazza,  and  passing  under  the 
covered  porch,  or  port-cochhe  (carriage  gate  or 
way),  the  roof  of  which  is  supported  by  the  two 
pillars  shown  on  the  extreme  right  of  fig.  2.  This 
is  a  special  convenience  which  should  be  provided 
in  connection  with  every  house,  where  it  can  be 
afforded,  as  it  enables  persons  to  get  into  or  out 
of  a  carriage  under  cover. 

FIRST  FLOOR  OR  GROUND  PLAN. 

Entering  the  Vestibule  on  the  south,  which  is 
provided  with  outside  and  inside  doors,  we  come 
to  the  main  hall,  14  by  16  feet,  which  also  an¬ 
swers  for  an  occasional  sitting  room.  On  the 
I >ft  of  the  Vestibule  is  a  closet  for  hanging  over¬ 
coats,  and  other  articles  not  in  constant  use,  and 
on  the  right  is  a  sort  of  business  closet  provided 
with  a  standing  writing  desk,  etc. 

The  stairs  which  are  of  solid  oak,  are  in  an  in¬ 
ner  hall,  shut  off  from  the  rest  of  the  house,  and 
1  lighted  from  above.  The  Library  is  connected  with 


:  the  Parlor  or  Drawing-room,  by  sliding  doors,  and 
!  is  also  accessible  from  the  stair  hall.  The  library 
is  finished  with  solid  English  oak,  the  book¬ 
cases  being  set  into  the  walls.  The  bay  window 
of  the  library,  on  the  north,  opens  upon  the  pros¬ 
pect  referred  to  above.  The  china  pantry  opens 
into  the  dining-room,  and  is  connected  with  the 
butler’s  (waiter’s)  pantry,  which  is  supplied 
with  gas,  and  with  pipes  of  hot  and  cold  water, 
and  a  sink  with  waste-pipe,  or  drain. 

A  hall  or  entry-way  between  the  dining-room 
and  kitchen  opens  out  to  the  porte-cochhe  or  car¬ 
riage  way.  On  one  side  of  this  hall  is  the  store¬ 
room,  opening  both  into  the  hall  and  kitchen,  and 
also  into  the  kitchen-dresser  by  a  sliding  window. 
The  kitchen  sinks,  as  well  as  the  bathing  rooms 
above  (fig.  3),  are  supplied  with  both  hot  and  cold- 
water — the  cold  water  coming  from  a  tank  which 
is  kept  filled  from  a  spring  on  much  lower  ground, 
some  75  or  100  rods  distant,  by  means  of  a  wind¬ 
mill,  and  a  water-ram  (such  as  was  described  in 
our  last  volume,  page  324). 

Underneath  the  kitchen  is  a  dairy  room,  and 
also  a  laundry  and  drying  room,  supplied  with 
permanent  wash-tubs,  ironing  range,  etc.  A  cool 
closet  in  the  ice-house  is  connected  with  the  cel¬ 
lar  by  a  passage  way — the  ice-house  is  an  under 
ground  one,  back  of  the  east  piazza.  In  the 
rear  is  a  covered  passage  or  hall  leading  to  the 
water-closets — a  continuous  roof  extending  ovoi 
the  whole  structure.  The  other  features,  the 
closets  of  which  there  is  a  good  supply,  the  back 
stairs,  etc.,  etc.,  are  sufficiently  indicated  in  fig.  2. 
The  general  impression  from  an  examination  of 
the  diagram,  is  that  too  much  space  is  devoted 
to  halls — there  is  not  available  room  enough  for 
so  large  a  building.  We  think  he  proprietor 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


45 


would  himself  make  a  different  arrangement,  if 
he  were  planning  the  dwelling  anew. 

SECOND  FLOOR. 

This  is  shown  in  fig.  3 — the  darker  position  in¬ 
dicating  the  roof  of  the  piazza  which  is  but  one 
6tory  in  hight.  A  note-worthy  feature,  in  the  ar¬ 
rangement  of  the  rooms  on  this  floor,  is  the  fact 
that  they  are  all  communicate  so  as  to  admit  of 
thorough  ventilation  by  means  of  doors,  windows, 
and  the  stair  hall  which  opens  above  into  the 
cupola  or  observatory.  At  the  north-east,  in  the 
rear  of  the  stair  hall,  in  the  angle  formed  by  the 
L,  and  main  building,  is  a  balcony  always  shaded 
until  late  in  the  afternoon.  This  is  used  as  a  sit¬ 
ting  place  in  Summer. 

THIRD  FLOOR. 

In  the  third  story  there  are  four  chambers,  a 
hall,  and  a  children’s  play  room ,  16  by  40  feet. 
This  last  is  a  very  important  thing  and  should 
always  be  provided  for.  An  ample  room,  cool, 
and  well  aired,  where  children  may  romp  and 
play  in  all  weathers,  and  where  they  should  be 
sent  two  or  three  hours  daily,  will  do  more  than 
anything  else  to  promote  physical 
development  and  health,  and  its 
expense  will  be  saved  in  physi¬ 
cian’s  fees.  We  have  recently 
referred  to  the  fact  that  coughs, 
colds,  and  consumption,  are  on  the 
increase  in  our  country,  owing  n 
part  to  the  growing  habits  of  lux¬ 
ury  in  eating,  dress,  etc.,  but 
mainly  to  the  “  improvements’’  in 
the  construction  of  the  dwelling 
houses  which  render  them  imper- 


Much  is  said  of  the  unhealthfulness  of  stoves  and 
hot-air  furnaces.  The  fault  lies  not  in  the  stoves 
or  furnaces  themselves,  which  supply  an  even  uni¬ 
form  atmosphere,  more  healthful  than  the  “  one 
side  hot — one  side  cold,”  grate  and  fire-place  ar¬ 
rangements,  but  in  the  absence  of  that  ventila¬ 
tion  secured  by  the  wide-throated  chimneys  which 
carried  up  a  large  amount  of  impure  air,  the  place 
of  which  was  supplied  by  fresh  air  coming  in 
through  various  apertures  and  even  down  one 
portion  of  the  chimney-flue  itself.  Let  the  best 
possible  means  be  adopted  for  securing  a  moder¬ 
ately  warm  uniform  atmosphere,  with  no  cold  cur¬ 
rents,  but  let  the  fullest  provisions  be  made  fora 
frequent  ex¬ 
change  of  the 
entire  air  of 
an  occupied 
room  —  day 
and  night— for 
pure  air;  and 
let  every 
member  of  the 
family  have  a 
large  amount 


ing,  noon  and  afternoon 
recesses.  We  can  con¬ 
ceive  of  no  better  attach¬ 
ment  to  any  public  or 
private  school  building 
than  this — it  should  be 
everywhere  patterned 
after.] 

Mr.  Parsons’  house  is 
heated  by  a  furnace  in 
the  basement,  which  is 
provided  witli  two  fire 
chambers  entering  one 
flue,  one  only  of  which  is 
used  in  moderate  weath¬ 
er — both  being  required 
only  during  severe  cold. 


GROUND  PLAN,  OR  FIRST  FLOOR. 

vious  to  the  external  pure  air,  and  confine  the 
constant  occupants,  the  adult  females,  and  chil¬ 
dren  of  both  sexes,  in  a  close,  heated,  impure  at¬ 
mosphere,  which  is  weakening  to  the  lungs,  and 
debilitating  to  the  whole  muscular  and  nervous 
system.  The  “Appeal  to  the  Sexton  of  the 
Meeting-house,”  published  in  December,  (Vol.  17, 
page  372),  ought  to  be  framed  and  hung  in  every 
church,  school-house,  and  dwel  ing  in  the  land. 


of  daily  physical  exercise  in 
a  cold,  bracing  atmosphere. 
An  attic  room,  like  the  one 
above  described,  of  ample 
dimensions  for  brisk  exer¬ 
cise,  is  an  admirable  ar¬ 
rangement  for  this  pur¬ 
pose,  since  the  children  of 
a  family  can  here  enjoy 
the  full  benefit  of  out-door 
air,  and  muscular  activity, 
Summer  and  Winter,  rain 
or  ;hine,  without  the  expo¬ 
sure  of  damp  feet,  or  chills. 
When  the  mother  or  nurse 
feels  in  herself  a  sense  of 
weariness,  and  a  growing 
fretfulness  on  the  part  of 
the  little  ones,  let  her  take 
them  to  the  ventilated  play¬ 
room,  and  spend  a  little 
season  in  romping  and  frolic,  and  she  will  be  sur¬ 
prised  at  the  magic  effect  both  upon  herself  and 
those  under  her  care.  The  daily  and  frequent 
practice  of  this  will  work  a  wonderful  change 
in  that  weak,  puny  child,  that  now  appears  to 
be  a  candidate  for  an  early  grave.  [In  the  large 
public  school  building  in  Middletown  city,  Conn., 
the  entire  attic  is  thrown  into  one  monster  room 
where  the  girls  play  and  exercise  at  the  morn- 


Tliis  is  convenient  and  economical,  and  worthy 
of  attention. 

We  can  not  describe  particularly  the  grounds 
surrounding  the  house,  which  consist  of  some  17 
acres,  planted  with  a  variety  of  trees,  in  belts 
and  groups,  including  a  large  number  of  ever¬ 
greens,  together  with  shrubbery,  etc.  The  finest 
addition,  to  our  eye,  is  the  plots  of  rhododendrons 
which  retain  their  foliage  throughout  the  year,  and 
afford  a  magnificent  bloom  during  early  Summer. 

The  Expense  of  the  above  house  we  can  not 
give,  as  the  proprietor  is  absent  in  Europe,  and 
we  have  had  no  opportunity  for  consultation — our 
description  being  made  up  from  personal  observa¬ 
tion,  and  the  builder’s  plans. 


Ice-houses  in  Cellars- 

In  reply  to  a  correspondent,  on  this  subject,  we 
would  say  that  it  is  nothing  new  to  construct  ice- 
receptacles  in  cellars  ;  though  for  our  own  use, 
we  prefer  one  out  of  doors.  All  you  need  to  do 
in  the  case  proposed,  is  to  choose  a  cool  and  dry 
corner  of  your  cellar,  use  the  cellar  walls  for  two 
sides,  and  make  the  other  two  of  some  non-con¬ 
ducting  material,  filling  in  on  all  sides  with  tan 
or  saw-dust.  It  will  be  well  to  choose  a  side  o( 
the  cellar  where  you  have,  or  can  have  a  large 
window  for  unloading  the  ice  directly  into  the 
house.  Do  not  neglect  drainage  and  ventilation, 
or  your  labor  will  be  lost — and  your  ice. 

- - -^Omi  — >-•- - - 

The  worthiest  people  are  the  most  assailed  by 
slander ;  as  we  usually  find  that  to  be  the  best 
fruit,  which  the  birds  have  been  pecking  at. 


46 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


The  Wood  Pile- 

Has  the  next  season’s  supply  of  wood  been 
gathered  as  we  strongly  advised  in  December 
last!  You  know  that  it  is  not  economical  to 
burn  green  wood.  A  cord  ol  it  often  contains 
1500  lbs.  of  water.  Of  course  this  water  will 
not  burn,  and  it  must  be  got  rid  of  somehow  be¬ 
fore  the  wood  containing  it  can  burn.  It  may  be 
disposed  of  by  seasoning  the  wood  beforehand  in 
the  open  air,  or  by  applying  fire  to  the  wood 
while  green.  The  first  process  costs  nothing  ;  the 
latter  costs  a  good  deal  of  wood  and  patience.  In 
other  words,  it  takes  more  green  wood  to  make 
the  same  amount  of  heat  than  it  does  of  dry 
wood,  and  causes  much  trouble  besides. 

No  man  deserves  the  name  of  a  good  provider, 
who  neglects  to  lay  up  a  good  stock  of  seasoned 
wood  for  the  use  of  his  family.  How  much  an¬ 
noyance  in  kindling  fires  on  cold  mornings  is 
saved  by  having  good  wood,  and  how  much  labor 
in  cooking  food  and  in  warming  apartments,  no 
one  knows  who  has  not  tried  it.  Let  no  man 
blame  his  wife  for  late  and  irregular  and  poorly 
cooked  meals,  or  for  a  clouded  brow  or  impatient 
words,  or  fretful  children  and  a  disorderly  house, 
if  he  compels  her  to  use  green  wood. 

Hear,  then,  our  final  word  of  admonition  for 
this  season !  Now,  before  the  ice  breaks  up  in 
the  swamps,  and  the  snow  melts  from  the  roads, 
see  to  it  that  a  good  supply  of  wood  is  cut  and 
drawn  into  the  back-yard.  Arrived  there,  let  it  be 
sawed  into  convenient  lengths  and  split,  and  then 
piled  up  so  that  the  winds  of  March  and  April 
can  blow  through  it,  and  the  bright  sun  shine 
upon  it.  In  the  lattei  part  of  April  or  early  in 
May,  let  it  be  got  under  cover.  If  t'his  don’t  help 
answer  the  question,  “  How  to  make  home  hap¬ 
py,”  we  should  like  to  know  it. 


An  Apology  for  Tim  Bunker. 

LETTER  FROM  JAKE  FRINK. 

Mr.  Editur  : 

Square  Bunker  went  by  our  house  this  mornin 
jest  arter  sunrise  on  his  way  to  the  deepo.  He 
sed  he  hadn’t  a  bit  of  time  to  write,  but  he’d  like 
to  have  me  tell  you,  that  he  had  been  called  out 
o’  town,  suddently  on  bizziness,  and  should’nt  be 
back  in  sum  weeks.  He  axed  me  to  write  in  bis 
place  this  time,  and  I  deklare  I  never  felt  sokuris 
in  my  life — I  han't  got  much  ederkashun,  and 
never  had,  and  I  could’nt  help  thinkin’ the  Square 
was  krackin  one  of  his  dry  jokes  on  me,  when 
he  put  me  up  to  sich  a  thing— guess  he’d  be  more 
astonished  than  the  next  man,  if  you  should 
take  it  into  yer  head  to  print  this  ere  riting.  But 
you  jest  du  it,  and  I’ll  give  you  a  dollar  out  of  my 
own  pocket,  for  the  sake  of  gitting  the  start  on 
the  Square  for  oncet.  He  is  a  hard  man  to  beet 
i  kno,  but  Hookertown  is  a  great  country — and 
there  is  sum  more  peeple  in  it  than  you  have 
lieerd  on.  Them  karrots,  that  Tim  Bunker ’s  al- 
lers  runnin  me  on,  I  wan’t  so  much  to  blame 
about — I’d  like  to  have  my  sa  on  that  subjeckt. 
Ye  see,  I  knew  mi  man  jest  as  well  as  the  Square 
did,  and  a  leetle  better.  I  alters  understood 
trade,  better  than  farmin,  and  I  knew  i  culd  git 
the  premium  by  a  leetle  kalkulashun.  Now  kal- 
kulashun  I  hold  to  be  the  cheef  eend  of  man,  that 
which  distinguishes  him  above  all  kattle-kind, 
and  so  i  used  it  in  the  kase  of  the  karrots  and 
carried  my  pint. 

Sum  folks  perhaps  thinks,  that  all  Square  Bunk¬ 
er  rites  abeout  is  made  up  eout  of  his  lied,  kind 
o’  novil  fashun.  I  tell  you  it’s  a  mistake.  The 
hull  on’t  is  a  rekord  of  fax,  and  pretty  much  as 
they  happened,  so  that  up  heer  in  Hookertown 


they  look  for  the  Square’s  tetter  in  yeur  paper,  to 
know  what  has  happened.  That  story  about  the 
hoss-pond  is  all  true  as  preachin,  and  a  great  deel 
truer  than  sum  on’t,  i  guess.  The  bottom  is  all 
dry  neow,  and  the  lot  is  abeout  the  best  one  on 
the  farm.  That  tile  bridge  was  a  kuris  notion, 
and  I  must  own  beet  on  it.  I  might  have  thunk, 
and  thunk,  forever,  and  i  should  never  have 
thunk  that  eout— but  the  watter  rushes  threw 
there,  as  if  it  had  been  shot  eout  of  a  kannon.  I 
dew  declare  I  bleeve  he  greesed  the  plank,  it 
goes  so  slick. 

I  don't  kno  what  the  Square  has  gone  off  fur — 
but  I  guess  its  to  bi  kattle.  Kattle  have  been 
mighty  low  all  the  Fall,  and  the  Square  has  plenty 
of  hay,  and  fodder,  and  makes  a  considerable  biz¬ 
ziness  of  fattin  kattle  in  the  winter,  tho’  he  han’t 
sed  any  thing  on  that  pint  yit  in  the  paper.  In¬ 
deed  he  han’t  told  half  he  kno’s,  and  i  spect  he 
wont  if  he  rites  a  dozen  years.  I  guess  hee’l  git 
a  new  idee  when  he  sees  this  in  print.  I  never 
had  a  tetter  printed,  and  indeed,  folks  in  gineral 
have  never  dun  much  for  me,  but  Jake  Frink  is  a 
man  of  his  wurd,  and  will  pay,  if  you’ll  put  it  in. 

Yourn  furever,  Jacob  Frink. 

Hookertoum,  Dec.  30,  1858. 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist— Prize  Articles. 

Farm  Fencing. ....  .II- 

HEDGES. 

We  do  not  propose  to  inflict  on  the  American 
farmer  a  theoretical  discussion  on  such  a  contro¬ 
verted  subject  as  hedging  our  farms  and  fields. 
The  writer  has  watched  the  progress  of  hedges 
in  this  country  for  forty  years,  as  they  occurred 
at  various  intervals  of  time,  and  space  in  our 
travels  ;  and  since  our  first  familiarity  with  farm 
labors  commenced,  our  reading  and  observations 
relating  to  their  success  in  our  own  country  have 
been  constant  and  sharp.  England  has  been  held 
up  to  us  from  time  immemorial  for  the  beauty  and 
security  of  its  Hawthorn  Hedges.  The  whole 
country  is  checkered  with  them.  “  Ditching  and 
hedging”  are  English  institutions;  and  the 
“Hawthorn,”  and  its  poetic  associations  have 
for  many  centuries  been  household  words  with  its 
people.  Coupled  with  the  “hedge,”  also,  are 
tales  of  poaching,  the  rabbit-warrens,  the  fox- 
burrows,  and  the  haunts  of  all  sorts  of  four  leg¬ 
ged  vermin,  and  winged  small  birds — saying 
nothing  of  “game.” 

Let  us  examine  somewhat  into  the  English 
hedges  as  a  thing  of  utility  and  protection  to  their 
fields,  and  crops.  There  are  hedges  in  England, 
men  say,  centuries  old.  Growing  along  in  their 
lines  are  grand  old  trees,  “pollarded” — many  of 
them,  that  is :  their  tops  cut  off  from  time  to 
time  to  make  fuel.  They  stand  on  banks  of  earth 
thrown  out  of  adjoining  ditches,  in  some  cases 
many  feet  wide  including  ditch,  and  bank.  They 
are  barriers  against  all  animals  roaming  at  large, 
and  to  men,  but  are  wonderful  and  prolific  protect¬ 
ors  and  harbors  of  birds  noxious  to  the  farmer, 
and  his  crops.  They  occupy  a  deal  of  valuable 
cropping  land,  and  pasturage.  In  the  olden  days 
of  small  farms,  and  numerous  freeholds,  they  were 
multitudinous  in  number  ;  but  in  later  days  of  im¬ 
proved  and  extending  farming,  thousands  of  mites 
of  them  have  been  cut  down  and  rooted  out,  their 
banks  leveled,  and  ditches  filled,  for  the  purpose 
of  enlarging  the  fields,  and  saving  labor  in  culti¬ 
vating  the  crops.  Yet  the  main  dividingjines  of 
the  farms  and  fields  and  enclosures  from  the 
highway,  remain  in  hedge,  although  subjected  to 
perpetual  repairs,  filling  up,  plashing,  trimming 
and  cultivating,  at  a  very  considerable  expense. 

Now,  what  is  the  climate  of  England!  Moist 


and  cool,  as  general  features.  The  thermometer 
—Fahrenheit— rarely  rises  to  80°  in  Summer, 
and  scarcely  ever  falls  below  20°  above  zero,  in 
M  inter  ;  consequently,  heavy  frosts,  or  extreme 
drouths  are  rarely  ever  felt,  and  never  prevail 
— at  least,  as  we  have  them  in  America.  As 
a  rule,  the  ground  is  also  always  moist,  and  re¬ 
freshed  with  frequent  gentle  rains.  The  banks 
supporting  the  hedges  do  not  crumble  with  the 
frosts,  and  their  usual  moisture  holds  them  in 
place,  as  laid  up.  The  hawthorn  does  not  blight 
nor  mildew,  as  in  America.  It  takes  firm  hold  in 
its  native  earth,  for  it  is  indigenous  to  the  soil, 
and  grows  everywhere,  either  with,  or  without 
cultivation.  Taken  altogether,  then,  the  Haw¬ 
thorn  is  a  natural  fencing  plant  in  England,  south¬ 
ern  Scotland,  and  in  Ireland, their  immediate  neigh¬ 
bor.  Timber,  either  split  into  rails  or  paling,  is 
too  scarce  and  dear  for  fencing  ;  and  stone  is,  com¬ 
paratively,  but  little  used.  Probably,  therefore, 
hedges  are  the  best,  and  most  economical  for 
farm  fences  in  those  countries. 

With  us,  in  America,  the  climate  is  far  differ¬ 
ent.  We  have  deep  frosts  in  Winter,  and  exces¬ 
sive  drouths  in  Summer.  The  Hawthorn  does 
not  thrive  with  us.  It  winter-kills  in  many  local¬ 
ities,  and  blights  and  mildews  almost  everywhere. 

It  has  been  tried  for  more  than  a  century  in 
various  places  as  a  hedge  plant,  and  after  a  few 
years’  cultivation,  has  been  abandoned— not  in 
every  instance,  we  admit ;  but  among  all  its  trials, 
we  never  yet  saw  or  heard  of  a  mite  of  good,  con¬ 
tinuous  Hawthorn  hedge,  in  America.  Therefore, 
we  put  down  the  Hawthorn  as  an  impracticable 
hedge  for  our  farmers  to  cultivate. 

Now,  as  to  American  hedges  of  any  kind,  as  a 
system  of  farm  fencing.  Failing  with  the  Haw¬ 
thorn,  the  common  American  White,  and  Black¬ 
thorns  have  been  repeatedly  tried.  We  saw  a 
few  apparently  successful  thorn  hedges  many 
years  ago,  in  the  State  of  Delaware.  But  they 
were  imperfect  in  growth,  and  many  wide,  un¬ 
sightly  gaps  were  visible,  filled  in  with  boards  and 
posts,  or  rails,  showing,  evidently,  that  either  the 
system,  or  the  farmer  himself  was  in  fault.  We 
have  seen,  also,  in  several  other  States,  attempts 
at  hedge  enclosure,  but  never  a  perfect  hedge  to 
the  extent  of  enclosing  a  hundred  acres  of  ground. 
These  “  attempts  ”  have  been  repeated  for  a  cen¬ 
tury  past ;  page  after  page  has  been  enthusias¬ 
tically  written  in  their  favor  ;  a  large  amount  of 
money  and  labor  have  been  expended  to  estab¬ 
lish  them  as  enclosures — and  still  we  have  no 
hedges,  to  speak  of.  There  must  be  a  radical 
difficulty  somewhere — either  the  hedges  will  not 
grow,  or  we  do  not  know  how  to  grow  them. 
Yet,  hedge  growing  Englishmen,  at  home,  have 
tried  them  thoroughly  here,  and  after  a  white  have 
given  them  up,  equally  with  our  own  native  cul¬ 
tivators,  and  adopted,  in  common  with  them,  wall¬ 
ing,  railing,  or  boarding  in  their  farms  and  fields, 
as  circumstances  best  determined. 

Thus  far,  then,  it  has  been  practically  settled 
that  thorn  hedging  will  not  do  for  America. 
But  since  the  great  prairie  regions  of' the  West¬ 
ern  States  have  been  partially  settled,  and 
brought  into  cultivation,  the  subject  of  hedges  has 
been  actively  canvassed  in  our  papers  and  peri¬ 
odicals,  and  numerous  attempts  have  been  made 
to  adopt  those  of  some  new  material  of  American 
growth.  The  Buckthorn  has  been  proposed,  and 
canvassed.  The  Apple — wild  crab,  and  that  of 
the  nurseries — has  been  recommended.  The 
common  Yellow  Locust ;  the  American  three- 
thorned  Acacia  ( Gledilschia  triacantlios )  ;  the 
American  Arbor  Vitas,  the  White  Cedar;  and, 
more  extensively,  the  Osage  Orange  have  been 
highly  recommended,  as  locality,  partiality,  or  pro¬ 
babilities  of  success  have  prevailed  with  their  ad- 


47 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


voeates.  Of  all  these,  however,  the  Osage  Orange 
has  decidedly  been  the  choice,  as  the  most  prom¬ 
ising  in  utility  and  ultimate  success.  The  ob- 
iections  to  the  Yellow  Locust,  and  three-thorned 
Acacia  are,  that  they  are  trees,  not  shrubs,  and 
besides,  they  throw  out  numerous  suckers,  far 
away  from  their  trunks,  and  create  a  perpetual 
pest  to  cultivation.  The  Arbor  Vita;  is  also  a 
tree,  and  although  by  its  being  an  evergreen,  it 
might  afford  protection  to  the  fields,  and  crops, 
it  becomes,  in  time,  unmanagable,  and  too  bulky 
for  the  purpose,  of  fencing,  simply — a  fault  com¬ 
mon  to  the  other  trees  already  named,  even  were 
they  free  from  suckers.  The  Osage  Orange,  then, 
stands  alone  as  the  present  popularly  proposed 
hedge  plant  in  our  Northern,  and  Middle  States. 
It  is  indigenous  in  the  Mississippi  latitudes  of  32° 
to  38°,  and  in  most  localities  within  these,  per¬ 
fectly  hardy.  It  is  a  beautiful,  thi'ifty  shrub  of 
maximum  size, rapid  in  growth, and  if  thickly  plant¬ 
ed,  is  impervious  to  the  entrance  of  farm  stock  of 
any  kind.  It  produces  no  suckers,  and  in  its 
training  and  habits  is  entirely  managable.  Thus 
far  its  characteristics  are  in  its  favor. 

Within  the  last  ten  years  so  rapidly  has  it  come 
into  favor  with  the  advocates  of  hedging  that  ex¬ 
tensive  nurseries  of  the  Osage  Orange  have  been 
sown  and  cultivated  ;  thousands  of  miles  of  it  have 
been  planted  on  the  Western-prairies,  and  on  old 
farms,  once  wooded,  where  fencing  timber  has  be¬ 
come  scarce  ;  and  professional  hedgers  have  ad¬ 
vertised,  and  contracted  for  planting  it  by  the 
mile,  embracing  millions  of  plants,  and  extending 
many  miles  in  distance.  These  experiments, 
however,  have  been  too  recent  to  form  an  accu¬ 
rate  opinion  of  their  future  success.  There  is 
this  drawback,  however.  They  are,  in  any  lati¬ 
tude  above  37°  north,  liable  to  winter-kill.  We 
have  seen  mile  after  mile  of  them  in  Southern  and 
Central  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois,  with  the  past 
year’s  growth  of  four,  five  or  six  feet,  ltttlcd  to  the 
ground.  There  was  no  fault  in  cultivation,  for 
the  land  was  well  ridged,  plowed,  and  hoed  along 
the  lines  of  hedge — want  of  hardihood,  only,  be¬ 
ing  the  apparent  difficulty.  To  such  extent  have 
a  multitude  of  these  young  Osage  hedges  been 
successively  winter-killed,  that  many  who 
attempted  them  became  discouraged,  and  aban¬ 
doned  them,  after  a  few  years  trial,  and  resorted 
to  other  modes  of  enclosure.  Yet,  even  further 
north,  as  high  as  latitude  42°,  occasional  lines  of 
Osage  hedges  are  seen,  apparently  promising, 
but,  as  yet,  too  recently  planted  to  judge  of  their 
ultimate  success.  Occasional  trees,  single,  and 
alone  are  planted  with  success.  We  have  one  in 
our  own  grounds  near  latitude  43v  north,  planted 
twenty  years  ago,  eight  inches  in  diameter  near 
the  ground,  and  fifteen  feet  high,  which  has  suf¬ 
fered  hut  occasional  killing  back  in  its  young  wood 
through  the  late  severe  Winters.  Taken  alto¬ 
gether,  we  can  give  no  conclusive  opinion  of  the 
value  or  the  Osage  Orange  as  a  successful  hedge 
plant.  Years  to  come  must  determine  the  ques¬ 
tion.  l  et,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  there  may  be  lo¬ 
calities  north  of  37°  where  it  may,  and  probably 
will  succ-eed,  and  a  grand  desideratum  will  be 
established  in  our  fencing  economy,  if  it  shall  be 
found  to  be  more  generally  successful. 

Thus,  the  adoption  of  hedges  as  a  permanent 
American  farm  fence  is  undecided ;  or,  at  all 
events,  is  wanting  further  trial  than  it  has  yet 
had,  to  base  any  immediate  calculation  on  its 
adoption  ;  and  even  should  it  succeed,  the  farm, 
and  its  fields  must  be  temporarily  fenced  with 
rails,  or  boards  for  some  years,  while  the  hedges 
are  growing — no  trifling  expense.  But  of  this  we 
need  not  speak,  only  incidentally.  Sufficient  for 
the  day  is  the  evil  thereof. 


For  ornamental  enclosures  in  home  grounds,  in 
villages,  or  about  country  dwellings,  and  where 
the  hedge  is  not  relied  on  as  a  protection  against 
animals  roaming  at  large,  various  shrubs  are  used 
with  decidedly  agreeable  effect.  The  Arbor  Vital 
for  many  years  answers  an  excellent  purpose,  with 
a  deal  of  labor  in  trimming.  The  privet  is  a  beau¬ 
tiful  shrub — almost  an  evergreen — managable,  and 
easy  to  cultivate,  and  control.  It  is  sometimes, 
in  our  severe  latitude,  liable  to  winter-kill,  but 
not  often.  Some  of  the  hardier  roses,  as  the 
“  Prairie  Rose,”  in  the  Northern  and  Middle 
States,  and  the  “  Cherokee  Rose”  in  the  South, 
with  an  intermixture  of  the  privet  to  hold  them 
up,  they  being  climbers,  frequently  make  a  beauti¬ 
ful  hedge,  with  considerable  strength  of  resist¬ 
ance.  The  Buckthorn,  and  crab-apple  are  also 
fine  plants  for  the  larger  class  of  ornamental 
hedges — the  latter,  in  its  magnificent  bloom, 
overpowering  odor,  and  rich  yellow,  but  nearly 
worthless  fruit,  is  unique  in  its  effect,  while  the 
other  is  uninteresting,  and  sombre  in  appearance. 

After  all,  it  is  not  impossible  that  in  our  broad 
American  woods  yet  unpenetrated,  some  valua¬ 
ble  hedge  plant  may  be  discovered,  applica¬ 
ble  to  all  our  soils,  and  climates.  Should  such 
be  the  case,  untold  benefits  may  in  the  future  be 
derived  from  its  discovery  ;  although  we  are  free 
to  say,  that  while  the  present  changeable  tenure 
of  our  landed  system  prevails  in  the  sale  and 
transfer  of  our  farms  from  one  owner  to  another, 
their  sub-division,  and  extension,  hedges  should 
be  permanently  adopted  for  no  other  than  roadside 
enclosures.  We  must  become  a  more  fixed,  and 
stable  people  in  our  agricultural  homes  and  hab¬ 
its  before  the  full  benefits  of  hedges,  as  a  fencing 
material,  can  be  fully  appreciated  and  adopted. 
In  our  next  article  we  shall  give  the  most  ap¬ 
proved  modes  of  planting,  growing,  and  training 
the  hedge. 


Culture  of  Buckwheat- 


Enjoying  daily,  as  perhaps  all  our  readers  now 
are,  the  welcome  dish  of  “  hot  cakes,  piping  hot,” 
what  more  timely  than  a  word  about  growing 
buckwheat  1  It  was  formerly  called  Beech- wheat 
from  the  resemblance  of  the  kernel  to  the  beech¬ 
nut.  It  is  supposed  to  be  a  native  of  Asia,  and 
is  now  extensively  used  in  China  and  other  ori¬ 
ental  countries  and  in  Europe,  for  making  bread 
and  cakes  and  gruel.  It  is  cultivated  extensively 
in  many  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  in  some 
sections  is  hardly  less  important  than  the  wheat- 
crop.  The  average  price  per  bushel  is  fifty  cents. 
Considering  the  short  time  required  for  growing 
it — about  seventy-five  days — it  is  a  very  profita¬ 
ble  crop. 

The  land  on  which  it  is  to  be  grown,  should  be 
brought  into  fine  tilth  and  be  well  manured. 
Bone-dust  or  plaster  and  ashes  make  an  excellent 
dressing  for  it,  and  barn-yard  manure  is  not  lost 
upon  it,  if  judiciously  applied.  The  old  notion 
that  the  poorest  land  is  good  enough  for  buck¬ 
wheat,  is  now  well  nigh  discarded.  And  the  truth 
of  another  notion,  that  it  is  a  very  exhausting  crop, 
is  also  doubted.  One  reason  why  it  kills  out 
weeds  and  grass  is,  that  the  land  for  growing  it 
is  plowed  and  harrowed  in  mid-summer,  and  so 
exposes  the  roots  of  every  green  thing  to  the 
scorching  sun  ;  and  then  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
grain  overshadows  and  smothers  every  other 
thing  that  springs  up.  It  is  almost  sure  death  to 
Canada  thistles,  if  this  crop  is  followed  by  oats 
and  clover.  The  time  of  sowing  varies  with  the 
season,  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  middle  of 
July,  though  in  ordinary  seasons,  it  is  hazardous 
to  sow  later  than  the  fourth  of  July.  If  sown 


too  early,  it  is  liable  to  blast,  if  too  late,  the  frost 
overtakes  it.  Half  or  three-quarters  of  a  bushel 
of  good  seed  is  enough  for  an  acre.  The  average 
yield  is  from  twenty  to  thirty  bushels.  If  cut  be¬ 
fore  frost,  the  straw  is  very  palatable  to  cattle, 
and  especially  to  sheep.  All  things  considered, 
buckwheat  is  one  of  the  most  remunerating 
crops  a  farmer  can  raise. 


Mink  and  Muskrat  Hunting. 


“  And  what  in  the  world,  has  hunting  minks, 
and  muskrats  to  do  with  farming  V’  say  our 
sober  readers.  No  matter.  Ask  the  boys,  and 
hear  what  they  say  about  it.  If  they  live  where 
such  “  varmints  ”  congregate,  and  don’t  brighten 
up  their  faces  with  the  idea,  why,,  then  they  are 
not  such  hoys  as— we  used  to  be.  That’s  all. 

There  are  a  great  many  farms  near  woods,  and 
water  courses,  small  ponds,  and  big  lakes,  where 
minks  and  muskrals  live,  and  multiply,  and  do  a 
deal  of  damage  to  the  farmer.  The  minks  kill 
the  poultry.  The  muskrats  play  the  deuce  with 
the  ditches,  and  embankments,  and  we  have  not 
yet  found  that  either  of  them  do  half  as  much 
good,  as  they  do  mischief;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  mink  skins  are  now  worth  a  dollar  and  a- 
half  to  two  dollars  or  more  a  pair,  and  muskrats — 
just  as  much  as  you  can  get  for  them— perhaps 
a  quarter  of  a  dollar.  The  “  furriers  ”  tell  us  that 
fur  caught  in  any  month  without  an  “  r”  in  it,  is 
worthless  ;  and  as  April  runs,  in  some  parts  of 
the  country,  into  warm  weather,  when  the  crea¬ 
tures  are  breeding,  March  is  the  latest  month  to 
hunt  them  in,  while  February  is  still  better.  Now 
then  is  the  time  to  stir  about  and  catch  them. 

Minks  frequently  live  in  the  woods,  in  Winter, 
not  far  from  streams,  if  there  be  any  in  the  vicin¬ 
ity,  and  their  haunts  are  found  by  their  tracks  in 
the  snow.  They  may  be  caught  with  any  kind  of 
small  steel-traps,  box-traps,  or  figure  4,  which 
last  ones,  every  boy  knows  how  to  make  ;  and 
the  trays  are  baited  with  a  piece  of  fresh  meat, 
or  fish,  of  almost  any  kind.  Good  steel-traps  are, 
however,  the  best.  So,  set  them  towards  night, 
where  you  know  the  minks  and  muskrats  run. 
Secure  them  by  a  hit  of  cord  to  a  peg  in  the  ground, 
sapling,  or  old  log,  and  leave  them.  Next  morn¬ 
ing,  go  to  the  traps.  If  you  have  caught  the  crea¬ 
ture,  you  know  well  enough  what  to  do  with  him. 
If  not,  why,  try  again,  and  hope  for  better  luck- 
next  time. 

But,  there  is  great  sport  in  mink  hunting  with 
a  smart  terrier  dog — two  are  better — unless  the 
minks  get  into  along  hole  where  they  can  not  be 
followed,  the  dogs  are  sure  to  have  them,  in  short 
order.  Our  own  terriers  are  famous  in  that  line, 
and  from  being  overrun  with  minks  and  weasels 
a  few  years  ago,  we  now  scarcely  find  one  in  a 
twelve-month.  Our  poultry  are  safe— from  them, 
at  least. 

- O  < -  naa-$^gns»— - h-<*> - - — 

Tiie  Pigeon-Hawk  and  the  Woodcock. — E. 
Y.  B.,  of  Wallingford,  Ct.,  relates  the  following 
incident  which  he  witnessed  when  a  boy,  which 
was  recalled  by  the  illustrated  article  on  the 
Sparrow-hawk,  given  in  December  Agriculturist, 
Vol.  17,  p.  366.  Returning  one  morning  from 
visiting  a  trap  set  by  him,  a  woodcock  went 
whistling  up  a  short  distance  before  him,  when 
almost  at  the  same  instant,  a  pigeon-hawk 
swooped  down  with  unerring  aim  from  a  tree 
near  by,  and  bore  the  woodcock  to  the  ground. 
Not  having  a  gun,  Mr.  B.  thought  he  would  be 
“  in  at  the  death,”  and  secure  the  woodcock. 
Having  waited  long  enough  as  he  supposed,  for 
the  bird  to  be  dead  and  picked,  he  walked  up  and 
the  hawk  retreated,  leaving  the  woodcock,  who, 
finding  himself  released,  took  to  the  woods,  naked, 
leaving  only  feathers  for  the  disappointed  hunter 


48 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  1  45 


'A.O.mORd.DEL. 


Fig.  1 — European  Linden,  ( Tilia  Europcea) — Hight  78  feet. 


Shade  and  Ornamental  Trees. 


February  is  already  here.  The  last  Winter 
month,  and  that  the  shortest  one,  is  upon  us. 
Spring  will  soon  come,  and  with  it  the  appro¬ 
priate  labors.  Even  now  our  more  southern 
readers  have  either  begun  to  plant  out  trees,  or 
are  getting  ready  to  do  so.  The  question,  “  What 
shade  and  ornamental  trees  shall  we  plant  1”  will 
be  more  frequently  asked  than  ever  before,  and 
We  would  wish  the  number  of  inquirers  could  by 
any  means  be  multiplied  by  thousands.  A  beau¬ 
tiful  tree,  planted  near  the  dwelling  or  by  the  road¬ 
side,  will  in  a  brief  period  afford  a  world  of 
pleasure  to  the  proprietor  and  to  a  multitude  of 
other  beholders.  There  are  very  many  native 
trees  adapted  to  this  purpose,  with  others  of  for¬ 
eign  origin,  which  can  be  obtained  at  the  com¬ 
monest  nurseries  and  gardens.  We  have,  in 
former  pages,  indicated  and  described  many  of 
these,  and  will  from  time  to  time  introduce 
others.  We  have  secured  fine  original  illustra¬ 
tions*  of  five  valuable  trees,  which  we  will  briefly 
describe. 

Fig.  1,  European  Linden,  or  Lime  Tree,  (Tilia 
Europcea.)  The  engraving  is  a  very  accurate  por- 


*  A  new  and  greatly  improved  edition  of  Downing’s 
Landscape  Gardening  is  in  preparation,  by  the  well- 
known  II.  W.  Sargent.,  which  will  soon  be  published  by 
A.  O.  Moore  &  Co.  Many  new  and  valuable  illustrations 
are  being  got  up  for  the  work,  among  which  will  be  found 
the  five  beautiful  original  engravings  in  this  article.  We 
admired  them  so  much  that  we  paid  the  publishers  a 
large  sum  for  permission  to  use  them  in  advance  of  their 
regular  publication.  Asa  protection  to  the  proprietors, 
it  should  be  stated  that  they  are  copyrighted  both  for  the 
book  as  well  ns  in  these  pages,  and  we  must,  in  this  case, 
make  an  exception  to  our  general  rule  of  allowing  arti¬ 
cles  and  illustrations  to  be  copied  when  due  credit  is 
g  "-0.1  —Ed 


fined  rural  comfort.  Many  an  expensive  house, 
bald  and  comfortless  in  spite  of  its  expense,  would, 
by  the  introduction  of  even  one  such  tree  into 
the  stiffly  planted  or  naked  grounds,  become  an 
object  of  interest  to  its  possessor,  and  to  every 
passer  by.  Yet  we  by  no  means  recommend  that 
all,  or  even  a  large  proportion  of  the  trees  on  any 
one  place  should  have  this  form.  Indeed  the 
circumstances  which  allow  a  tree  to  develop  in 
this  way,  cannot  be  conveniently  secured  for  a 
great  number.  It  is  the  shape  most  desirable  for 
a  single  tree  planted  upon  the  lawn,  or  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  house. 

The  conditions  necessary  are  these :  Any 
round-headed  spreading  species,  such  as  the  Lin¬ 
den,  Maple,  Elm,  etc.,  may  be  selected.  It 
should  be  a  vigorous  young  tree,  which  has  not 
been  crowded  or  deprived  of  its  lower  branches. 
If  it  has  suffered  from  either  of  these  causes,  the 
top  must  be  cut  off  for  one-third  or  one-half  of 
the  hight  of  the  tree.  This  will  give  vigor  to 
the  lower  limbs.  The  soil  should  be  rich  and 
trenched  or  dug  8  to  12  feet  in  circumference, 
and  4  feet  deep,  unless  that  depth  should  penetrate 
a  retentive  “hard  pan,’’  in  which  case  2£  or  3 
feet  will  be  better.  No  other  tree  should  grow 
near  it,  and  even  weens  and  high  grass  should 
never  overhang  or  smother  its  lower  leaves.  No 
animal  should  be  allowed  to  browse  or  rub  the 
branches,  and  even  in  mowing  or  walking  about 
the  tree,  disturb  them  as  little  as  possible. 
Less  care  in  each  particular  may  produce,  per¬ 
haps,  a  fine  tree,  but  in  proportion  to  the  care  will 
be  its  beauty.  Aside  from  a  slight  heading  back 
when  young,  or  in  case  of  injury,  no  trimming 
should  be  allowed.  If  the  soil  is  not  naturally 
rich,  a  top  dressing  of  long  manure  each  Autumn 
will  be  advantageous,  forking  it  in  the  following 
Spring. 

The  beauty  and  value  of  the  European  Linden 
has  long  been  appreciated  in  Europe,  and  it  is 
being  extensively  planted  in  this  country.  As  a 
symmetrical  tree,  adapted  to  quiet  and  beautiful 
effects,  singly  on  the  lawn,  or  as  an  avenue  tree, 
it  has  no  superior,  and  in  the  proximity  of  gar 


trait  of  a  tree — probably  the  largest  of  the  kind 
in  the  country — which  is  now  growing  on  the 
estate  of  Wm.  Denning, 

Esq.,  at  Presqu-ile,  a  beau¬ 
tiful  point  jutting  out  into  the 
Hudson  River,  some  60  miles 
above  New-York  city.  This 
tree  has  been  planted  about 
44  years,  and  is  now'  57  feet 
in  height,  its  branches  grow¬ 
ing  in  a  beautifully  dense 
mass  from  the  ground  to  the 
summit — the  low'er  ones 
resting  upon  the  smooth  turf 
inclosing  the  space  within, 
where  an  embowered  seat  in¬ 
vites  our  entrance.  Some  of 
our  readers  may  inquire  how 
this  form  of  growth  is  se¬ 
cured  1  Whether  it  is  pecu¬ 
liar  to  this  kind  of  tree,  or  is 
the  result  of  training  1  And 
further,  whether  this  is  the 
desirable  form  for  our  orna¬ 
mental  shade  trees  1 

We  will  answer  the  last 
question  first.  That  it  is  de¬ 
sirable  in  certain  situations, 
no  one  who  sees  our  engrav¬ 
ing  will  question.  For  a 
lawn  or  a  door  yard,  of  suita¬ 
ble  dimensions,  there  can  be 
nothing  more  beautiful,  or 
which  would  express  so 
perfectly  the  idea  of  re-  Fig.  2 — Large-leaved  Magnolia,  ( Magnolia  macrophylia) — Hight  25  ft 


A.  C.  f/OORC. .  CEL 


February ,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


4,3 


Fig.  3 — Fountain  Pine — or  Wide-spreading  Mexi 
can  Pine  (Pinus  patulu) — Higlit  about  5  feet. 


dens  or  orchards,  it  is  preferable  to  the  elm  or 
almost  any  other  tree,  as  its  roots  do  not  expand 
much,  or  exhaust  the  soil.  On  the  roadside  and 
public  walks,  it  is,  in  Europe,  a  most  common 
tree,  and  we  doubt  whether  any  other  has  so 
many  pleasant  associations  connected  with  it  in 
the  minds  of  the  people.  Around  the 
dwellings  of  rich  and  poor  it  sheds  the 
sweet  fragrance  of  its  blossoms,  and  al 
most  every  neighborhood  has  its  renowned 
Old  Linden,  under  whose  spreadingbranch- 
es  the  young  and  the  old,  have  convened 
for  centuries  past ;  and  even  kings, 
throughout  successive  generations, have  de 
lighted  to  honor  the  aged  Linden  by  build¬ 
ing  inscribed  pillars  and  monuments  to 
support  its  huge  branches.  From  its  blos¬ 
soms  bees  make  that  best  of  all  honey,  so 
valuable  that  it  is  used  exclusively  for  me¬ 
dicinal  purposes.  Its  wood,  being  soft, 
even,  and  white,  is  much  used  in  the  arts  ; 
its  bark  furnishes  the  bast  (bass)  of  which 
the  Russian  matting  is  made,  and  even 
shoes  and  rude  clothing  are  manufactured 
from  it  by  the  peasantry.  Sugar  is  some¬ 
times  made  from  the  sap — indeed,  so  many 
are  the  sources  of  value  to  the  people  that 
it  is  no  wonder  it  is  so  loved  and  revered 
by  them. 

The  American  Linden  (basswood)  is  also 
a  valuable  tree,  but  of  coarse  foliage  and 
robust  growth,  and  is  inferior  to  the  Euro¬ 
pean  variety  in  symmetry  and  grace. 

Fig.  2  is  the  Magnolia,  of  the  variety 
called  Macrophylla,  or  large-leaved.  This 
is  the  portrait  of  a  tree  growing  in  that 
charming  place  “  Laurel  Hill  Cemetery,” 
near  Philadelphia.  It  is  about  39  feet  high,  and 
has  been  planted  20  years.  In  its  native  woods  of 
Georgia  and  the  Carolinas,  it  does  not  usually 
grow  more  than  50  or  60  feet  in  high*..  Its 
large  glossy  leaves  clustering  around  the  snow 


white  blossoms  or  scarlet  fruit,  make  it  a 
very  desirable  tree,  although  it  is  some¬ 
times  killed  by  our  severe  Winters  in  the 
latitude  of  New-York.  In  this  Cemetery 
are  several  specimens  in  perfect  thrift,  and 
the  visitor  will  find  here  a  large  collection 
of  rare  trees,  evincing  the  care  and  good 
taste  of  its  founder,  Mr.  John  Jay  Smith. 
The  secret  of  the  success  of  Mr.  Smith 
and  others,  in  raising  this  and  similat 
semi-hardy  trees,  is  probably  owing  to 
their  planting  them  where  they  are  sur¬ 
rounded  and  protected  by  other  large  trees 
of  a  more  hardy  character. 

Fig.  3,  is  the  Wide  Spreading  Mexican 
Pine  ( Pinus  patula).  This  and  the  two 
succeeding  evergreens  are  portraits  ot 
trees  growing  on  the  grounds  of  Mr.  H.  W. 
Sargent.  They  are  but  little  known  in  this 
part  of  the  country,  and  their  value  for 
general  cultivation  is  being  tested  by  Mr. 

S ,  with  that  disinterested  enthusiasm 
which  has  prompted  him  to  devote  his  am¬ 
ple  means  and  leisure  to  the  collection  and 
cultivation  of  rare  plants.  “  Wodenethe," 
his  residence,  has  therefore  become  justly- 
noted  for  its  rare  trees,  and  is,  perhaps,  for 
its  size,  the  most  perfectly  kept  and  taste¬ 
fully  embellished  place  in  this  country. 

This  tree  may  not  be  entirely  hardy  in 
northern  latitudes,  yet  it  may  be  every 
where  used  as  a  Summer  embellishment 
to  the  grounds,  by  keeping  it  in  a  tub  or 
pot  plunged  in  the  earth  and  removed  to  a 
shelter  in  the  Winter.  For  a  further  description 
we  quote  Mr.  Sargent’s  words  :  Of  all  the  pines 
which  I  have  ever  seen,  this  is  beyond  measure 
the  most  graceful  and  charming — not  only  in  its 
growth  and  habit,  a  representation  of  which  is 
given  in  the  annexed  plate,  but  in  the  softness  and 


color  of  its  leaves.  It  resembles  a  beautiful, 
delicate  green  fountain  of  glass,  and  has  a  parti- 
color  like  that  of  silk  which  catches  the  sun  like 
a  Kaleidoscope.  The  leaves  resemble  the  silk 
of  mr  ize,  (Indian  corn),  being  similarlv  soft  and 


Fig.  5 — Weeping  Juniper,  ( Juniperus  pcndula.) 


Higlit  6  feet. 

delicate,  and  not.  unlike  it  in  color. 

Although  found  in  the  colder  regions  of  Mexico 
on  the  Real  del  Monte  mountains,  it  has  not  the 
appearance  of  being  hardy,  and  I  have  not  yet 
attempted  to  acclimatize  it,  having  but  two  plants 
which  are  quite  beautiful  enough  for  pot  culture 
to  satisfy  anybody.  It  would  unquestion¬ 
ably  grow  at  the  South.  I  have  no  re¬ 
ports  about  it  and  know  but  one  other 
specimen  in  the  country  which  is  at  '*Wel- 
lerly  ”  near  Boston,  grown  like  mine  in  a 
pot. 

Fig.  4.  The  Yew  Leaved  Torreya. — 
(Torreya  \axifolia)  This  is  one  of  the 
beautiful  family  of  evergreens  named  in 
honor  of  our  distinguished  botanist  T> 
Torrey,  and  we  again  quote  from  Mr.  Sar¬ 
gent’s  description  :  “  This  is  one  of  our 

greatest  accessions  in  the  middie  States— 
being  now  perfectly  hardy  with  us.  It  is  a 
handsome  pyramidal  tree  with  numerous 
spreading  branches — growing  from  40  to  50 
feet  high — found  in  the  middle  and  north¬ 
ern  parts  of  Florida,  where  it  is  commonly 
known  by  the  inhabitants  as  Stinking  Ce¬ 
dar  and  Wild  Nutmeg.  My  best  specimen 
is  about  10  feet  high — very  dense — show¬ 
ing  nothing  but  foliage  like  a  dense  arbor 
vitas  and  remarkable,  particularly  in  the 
Winter,  for  the  star  like  appearance  of  the 
extreme  tip  of  its  young  shoots.  I  have 
reports  of  this  tree  from  Elizabethtown, 
N.  J.,  Dobbs  Ferry,  Yorkville,  Flushing, 
and  Newport,  in  all  of  which  places  it  suc¬ 
ceeds  well;  considered  hardy  except  in 
Newport  where  it  is  reported  tender.” 
Fig.  5.  The  Weeping  Juniper  ( Juniptrus 
pendula),  is  a  peculiarly  beautiful  little  tree  ;  its 
form  and  attitude  being  a  mimicry  of  a  large  tree 
so  that  one  may  almost  imagine  he  is  looking  at 
a  tree  of  fifty  feet  if  he  would  only  exclude  sur¬ 
rounding  objects  from  the  view,  while  indeed  it 


Fig.  4 — Yew-leaved  Torreya,  ( Torreya  taxifolia) — Hight  10  ft 


50 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


is  little  more  than  five  feet  high.  Of  this  Mr. 
Sargent  says  :  The  Weeping  Juniper  is  unques¬ 
tionably  the  most  attractive  of  the  Junipers — a 
small  tree  15  to  20  feet  high,  from  Japan,  perfect¬ 
ly  hardy  with  us  and  the  most  graceful  and  pendu¬ 
lous  of  evergreens.  My  best  specimen  has  been 
planted  10  years.  It  is  nearly  6  feet  high,  though 
only  a  few  inches  when  set  out.  It  takes  several 
years  to  get  under  way,  and  often  dies  back  from 
the  effects  of  the  sun,  but  when  once  started,  suc¬ 
ceeds  admirably. 

. — - - 

The  White  Pine. 


“  Beneath  the  forest’s  skirt  I  rest, 

Whose  branching  Pines  rise  dark  and  high, 

And  hear  the  breezes  of  the  West 
Among  the  threaded  foliage  sigh.” 

Few  trees  have  stronger  claims  upon  the  plant¬ 
er  than  the  native  White,  or  Weymouth  Pine. 
The  objections  often  urged  against  coniferous 
trees,  as  a  class,  that  they  are  stiff,  and  lack  in 
ease  of  motion,  can  hardly  be  brought  against  this 
tree.  There  is  no  primness  about  it.  Its  long, 
silken  tassels  sway  and  float  in  the  breeze  almost 
as  gracefully  as  the  foliage  of  deciduous  trees ; 
and  being  an  evergreen,  it  always  retains  what¬ 
ever  beauty  it  possesses.  As  commonly  seen  in 
the  forest,  this  tree  is  a  tall,  picturesque  object, 
towering  above  its  fellows  in  majestic  and  almost 
solemn  grandeur.  Its  trunk,  furrowed  at  the 
base,  rises  with  arrowy  straitness,  gradually  ta¬ 
pering  from  the  bottom,  until  it  reaches  often  a 
bight  of  120  or  150  feet.  When  young,  the  bark 
is  smooth,  and  greyish  green,  and  the  branches 
shoot  out  in  regular  whorls,  one  above  the  other, 
around  the  stem.  As  one  whorl  is  formed  every 
year,  the  age  of  the  tree,  when  less  than  twenty 
years  old,  can  be  ascertained  by  counting  the 
number  of  whorls.  As  the  tree  becomes  old,  the 
lower  whorls,  (if growing  in  a  forest,)  die  out,  and 
the  upper  branches  shoot  out  irregularly,  giving 
the  tree  a  wild  and  picturesque  expression.  This 
is  its  way  in  its  native  state.  But  plant  a  good 
specimen  in  an  open  park  or  lawn,  and  it  will 
throw  out  its  lower  branches  in  the  most  queen¬ 
ly  manner  over  the  sod,  and  retain  them  too  ;  and 
Us  whole  mass  will  present  a  great  globe  of  wav¬ 
ing  foliage  of  silvery  green. 

This  tree  will  thrive  in  light,  poor  soils,  and 
bv  its  annual  deposit  of  leavqs  improve  the  land 
on  which  it  grows.  Yet  it  prefers  a  good,  rich, 
and  somewhat  moist  soil,  and  attains  its  highest 
excellence  only  in  such  situations.  Its  annual 
growth  is  a  foot  or  more  in  hight.  Its  geograph¬ 
ical  range  is  from  New  Jersey  to  the  4-7th  degree 
of  north  latitude,  indicating  that  it  likes  neither 
the  extremes  of  heat  nor  cold.  It  is  sometimes 
found  as  far  south  as  North  Carolina,  but  it  is 
only  seen  there  on  the  ridges  of  the  Alleghanies. 

As  an  ornamental  tree,  it  belongs  to  large  parks 
or  extensive  grounds,  rather  than  the  small  lawns 
of  ordinary  houses.  At  least,  it  should  be  con¬ 
fined  to  the  boundaries  of  such  lawns,  where  it 
makes  an  excellent  shelter  from  the  Winter  winds. 
Speaking  of  this  tree,  as  it  is  sometimes  seen  in 
open  situations,  Wilson  Flagg  says,  very  happi¬ 
ly  :  “  At  the  very  first  sight  of  a  full-grown  and 

well-developed  White  Pine,  every  one  is  struck 
with  its  evident  serviceability  for  all  purposes  of 
shade  and  shelter.  It  wears  the  evidence  of  these 
qualities  in  every  part  of  its  form  and  appearance  : 
in  its  wide-spread  and  horizontal  branches,  in  the 
density  of  its  foliage,  and  its  general  amplitude. 
It  is  not  impenetrable  to  the  sunshine,  but  admits 
it  only  in  small  portions  of  light,  which  are  con¬ 
stantly  flickering  with  the  easy  sway  of  its  foliage 
and  branches.  One  perceives  immediately  that 


there  is  no  other  tree  under  whose  shade  it  would 
be  more  agreeable  to  recline  on  a  hot  Summer’s 
day,  or  under  whose  protection  one  could  obtain 
a  greater  amount  of  comfort  in  Winter.” 

It  has  been  supposed  by  many  that  the  Pine 
would  not  admit  of  pruning  ;  that  if  lean,  or  strag¬ 
gling,  or  lop-sided,  it  must  always  remain  so. 
But  this  is  a  mistake.  If  it  has  lost  its  lower 
branches,  probably  no  skill  can  replace  them.  But 
a  long,  straggling  branch  may  be  safely  taken  off, 
if  it  is  done  in  the  Summer,  just  before  the 
new  growth  has  hardened.  If  it  is  desired  to 
thicken  up  the  foliage,  prune  in  the  Spring,  by 
taking  out  the  terminal  buds.  This  will  cause 
the  inner  buds  to  push,  and  so  fill  up  vacant  spaces. 

As  to  the  practical  uses  of  the  White  Pine,  our 
readers  well  know’  that  it  is  indispensable  in  all 
kinds  of  naval  and  civil  architecture.  Its  stately 
trunks  furnish  the  best  possible  masts  and  spars 
for  vessels,  and  when  cut  into  planks  and  boards 
the  wood  is  easily  wrought  into  all  kinds  of  car¬ 
pentry'  and  cabinetwork.  Its  lightness,  softness, 
beauty  and  durability  combine  to  render  it  one 
of  the  most  useful  of  all  the  trees  of  the  forest. 


Cutting  Grafts- 


For  the  Northern  and  Middle  States,  the  pres¬ 
ent  is  a  good  month  for  cutting  scions.  If  it  is  in¬ 
tended  to  propagate  currant  bushes  or  gooseber¬ 
ries,  take  cuttings  now  before  the  sap  starts,  and 
bury  them  in  sand  in  the  cellar.  And  so,  ifgrafts 
are  wanted  of  the  apple  or  pear  or  cherry,  let 
them  be  got  soon,  and  either  buried  in  the  garden 
in  a  dry  place,  or,  what  is  better,  be  taken  into 
the  cellar  and  covered  with  damp  sand  or  moss 
or  saw-dust.  What  is  needed  is  to  keep  them 
just  damp  enough  to  prevent  their  shriveling, 
and  cold  enough  to  prevent  the  buds  starting  be¬ 
fore  they  are  wanted  in  the  Spring.  In  cutting 
scions,  remember  that  only  the  wood  of  the  last 
season’s  growth  is  of  any  use,  and  that  it  should 
be  plump  and  healthy.  After  being  gathered,  tie 
each  sort  in  a  bundle  by  itself,  and  attach  a  label 
to  it,  so  that  no  mistake  shall  occur  through  for¬ 
getfulness  of  names  or  mixture  of  sorts.  Between 
this  time  and  Spring,  overhaul  the  bundles  once 
or  twice,  to  see  that  they  are  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation. 

- -0-4 — ■ssSOE*— - ><*■ - 


<w — — —  +-* 

Young  Woods. 


We  do  not  expect  that  those  of  our  readers 
who  are  making  new  clearings  in  the  forest  on 
which  to  establish  their  future  homes  and  farms, 
will  pay  particular  attention  to  this  article  ;  but 
to  those  who  dwell  on  prairies,  and  other  sparse¬ 
ly  timbered  sections  of  the  country’,  and  wish  to 
save,  and  grow  their  timber,  a  moderate  atten¬ 
tion  to  their  young  woods  at  this  season  of  the 
year,  is  important.  It  will  be  recollected  by  those 
who  read  our  papers  of  last  year,  that  we  gave 
them  some  good  advice  on  this  subject.  We  par¬ 
tially  repeat  it  now  ;  and  as  our  own  experience 
since  has  confirmed  the  suggestions  then  made  to 
others,  we  now  add  it.  From  now  till  April  is  a 
capital  time  to  thin  out,  and  trim  the  young  groves 
which  have  sprung  up  from  the  old  “  slashings,” 
choppings,  and  other  places  which  we  seldom 
preserve  as  future  wood-lands,  and  timber.  Last 
year  we  took  a  piece  of  such  young  wood  in  hand, 
cut  out  the  superfluous  underbrush,  pulled  out  the 
old  decayed  logs,  tree-tops,  and  oilier  rubbish, 
and  made  it  clean  ;  then  thinned  out,  and  trimmed 
the  young  saplings  which  we  wanted  to  stand, 
and  the  past  Summer's  growth  has  been  truly 
surprising. 

Our  young  oaks,  of  all  varieties  which  grow  in 
our  climate,  and  soil — and  they  are  proverbially 
slow  growers — have  shot  up  two,  three,  and  even 
four  feet  in  hight,  where  previously  they  had 
made  but  a  few  inches  growth  in  a  season ; 
while  the  ashes,  lindens,  elms,  maples,  and  others, 
have  made  a  proportionally  higher  growth,  for  the 
reason  that  the  wind,  air,  and  sun  have  been  let 
in  among  them,  and  they  have  had  the  soil  all  to 
themselves.  The  change  in  one  year  has  been 
surprising.  We  drained  off  the  long  standing 
puddles  of  water  standing  round  among  them, 
which  left  the  ground  dry  and  warm — a  wonder¬ 
ful  promoter  of  tree-growth.  The  young  grass 
has  also  sprung  up  under  the  trees,  keeping  the 
earth  clean,  and  there  it  will  stay  until  they  get 
so  full  in  the  top  as  to  overshadow,  and  kill  it 
out,  if  thick  enough.  We  know  many  a  barren 
spot,  which,  a  few  years  ago  was  a  tangled  mass 
of  worthless  underbrush,  by  the  process  of  clear¬ 
ing  out,  and  trimming,  now  worth  many  dollars 
an  acre  in  its  future  promise  of  wood  and  timber, 
from  a  little  well  timed  care  and  labor  in  thus 
training  them.  We  repeat,  now  is  the  time  to 
look  after  all  such  grounds. 


Letter  from  Pod  Auger,  Esq. 

DWARF  APPLES - WHITE  STRAWBERRIES,  ETC 

Up  the  Mountains,  Tioga  Co..  Pa.,  ) 
Towards  the  end  of  1858.  j 

Mr.  Editor  : — You  being  a  horticultural  and 
pomological  editor,  it  follows,  of  course,  that 
every  one  who  has  a  rood  of  ground,  if  he  have 
handed  up  his  dollar  in  advance,  is  entitled  to 
walk  into  you  on  the  “  pod  auger  ”  principle,  to 
the  amount  of  a  full  foolscap  sheet,  at  least  once 
a  year,  and  not  only  give  you  the  result  of  sundry 
experiments,  but  ask  not  less  than  sixty-five 
questions,  to  all  of  which  you  are  expected  to 
respond  instanter,  and  with  the  utmost  readiness, 
by  letter  (paying  your  own  postage,  of  course,)  or 
otherwise,  and  with  all  the  particulars  required 
in  matters  of  fact.  Don’t  every  one  of  our  Pod 
Auger  family  know  that  you  have  plenty  of  time 
to  attend  to  the  particular  wants  of  each  of  your 
fifty  thousand  readers,  and  that  it  is  your  busi¬ 
ness  to  also  make  known  to  the  “  agricultural 
sovereigns,”  that  P.  A.  Esq.,  is  propagating  a 
wonderful  strawberry,  which  is  a  matter  of  the 
utmost  moment  to  the  public,  though  of  no  im¬ 
portance  totthe  said  P.  A.,  save  that  he  is  anxious 
to  share  his  prize  with  the  public,  by  sending  ten 
seeds  to  every  one  who  will  remit  him  two  stamps 
— one  for  return  postage,  and  one  for  profit,  of 
course.  Is  it  right  for  you  to  bluff  him  off  in  his 
patriotic  desires  by  pointing  to  your  “25  cents 
per  line  of  space  1”  Never! 

Well,  Sir,  I,  Pod  Auger,  Esq.,  am  duly  enrolled 
on  your  books,  and  I  have  you  now  by  the  button¬ 
hole,  so  hear  me  for  my  cause  and  be  not  silent. 
Away  up  here  in  the  mountains,  many  hundred 
feet  above  the  tide  level,  the  peach  will  not  flour¬ 
ish  ;  Catawba  grapes  are  a  myth,  even  the  Isabella 
fails  to  ripen  ;  there  is  not  unfrequently  frost  in 
eleven  out  of  the  twelve  months  ;  and  dwarf  pear 
trees  are  almost  to  a  certainty  killed  to  the 
ground  once  in  two  or  three  years.  So  we  are 
driven  to  turn  our  attention  to  the  hardy  grapes, 
and  to  that  king  of  fruits,  the  apple.  The  latter, 
as  a  dwarf  or  pyramid,  makes  a  beautiful  garden 
ornament,  but  though  I  know  of  some  promising 
collections  that  have  been  planted  four  or  five 
years,  I  have  yet  seen  only  one  variety  that  has 
succeeded,  viz.:  the  “  Wagener.” 

Now  for  my  string  of  questions.  Who  will  give 
us  a  terse,  practical  article  on  dwarf  apple  cul¬ 
ture  1  Who  has  an  orchard  on  the  Doueain 
stock  in  successful  bearing  1  -  If  anybody,  now 
long  has  it  been  planted  1  How  treated  1  What 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


51 


varieties  succeed  best,  and  come  earliest  into 
bearing  1  I  see  the  American  Pomological  So¬ 
ciety  recommend  the  Garden  Royale  apple  for  gar¬ 
den  culture.  In  what  way — as  a  dwarf  or  stand¬ 
ard  1  What  are  its  peculiar  merits  !  Is  this  the 
Pomme  royale  of  the  catalogues  1  According  to 
my  arithmetic,  at  eight  feet  apart  an  acre  will 
contain  680  trees,  or  at  ten  feet  apart,  436  trees. 
Now  if  a  durable,  fruitful,  dwarf  apple  plantation 
can  be  secured  in  three  or  four  years,  it  must 
pay.  Can  this  be  done  ?  Will  dwarf  apples  pay  ? 
That’s  the  question.  I  call  for  light.  Your  arti¬ 
cles  last  year  on  the  grape  and  strawberry  paid 
me  more  than  three  times  the  subscription  price, 
and  here  is  a  chance  for  you  or  some  of  your 
correspondents  to  greatly  increase  my  obliga¬ 
tions. — [Somebody  please  do  so.  Ed.] 

By  the  way,  I  see  in  Sept.,  Vol.  17,  p.  276,  a 
notice  of  a  native  white  strawberry.  You  may 
be  interested  to  learn  that  we  have  two  distinct 
varieties  of  them  here.  (N.  B. — No  postage 
stamps  hinted  at  in  this.)  One  variety  grows 
only  in  the  woods  or  in  the  shade  of  fences 
near  the  woods ;  tall  foot-stalk,  slim  foliage, 
with  an  appearance  of  varnish  on  the  leaves  ; 
berry  small,  soft,  with  a  flashy  taste.  The  other 
kind  flourishes  in  pastures  and  meadows  only; 
foot-stalk  short,  leaves  broad,  dull  green  ;  berry 
large,  sweet,  of  a  cream  white,  with  prominent 
yellow  seeds.  This  was  the  largest  wild  berry 
sent  to  our  village  market  the  past  season.  This 
variety  appears  to  be  multiplying  very  rapidly, 

I  am  testing  both  varieties  in  my  garden,  and  if 
they  prove  to  be  of  special  worth,  I  will  send 
you  some  of  the  plants.  Here  endeth  the  first 
offence  of  this  Pod  Auger. 


Frauds  and  Mistakes  of  Nurserymen- 

Not  a  season  passes,  in  which  we  do  not  hear 
complaints  of  trickery  or  gross  errors  committed 
by  venders  of  trees.  Says  one  man  :  “  I  ordered 

five  Rebecca  grapes  of  - ,  paying  fancy 

prices  for  them,  and  after  waiting  two  years  for 
the  little  starvelings  to  show  their  first  cluster, 
they  turned  out  to  be  the  second-rate  Clinton 
grape.”  And  another  :  “  I  ordered  a  lot  ol  first- 
class  cherry-trees,  apples  and  pears,  and  orna¬ 
mental  trees  from  a  distant  nursery,  and  on  re¬ 
ceiving  them  by  express,  I  found  nearly  half  of 
them  dried  up,  the  limbs  broken,  the  roots  in 
taking  them  up,  had  been  chopped  off  withii  a 
few  inches  of  the  trunk,  and  altogether  they 
were  a  sorry  sight.  When  the  cherries  came  into 
bearing,  part  of  them  proved  to  be  only  bitter  lit¬ 
tle  mazzards;  the  apples,  many  of  them,  wore 
untrue  to  their  names,  and  the  ornamental  tiens 
were  a  long  time  in  becoming  ornamental  ” 
Such  occurrences  are  so  frequent,  that  some  per¬ 
sons  have  come  to  regard  nurserymen  as  a  set  of 
sharpers,  and  many  are  so  afraid  of  imposition 
that  they  go  to  the  trouble  of  raising  their  own 
seedlings  and  grafting  and  budding  their  own 
fruit. 

Undoubtedly,  there  are  dishonest  nurserymen, 
as  well  as  dishonest  men  in  other  callings.  With 
them,  indeed,  there  is  a  strong  temptation  to  de¬ 
fraud,  in  that  the  gain  is  immediate,  and  the  dis¬ 
honesty  cannot  generally  be  detected  under  sev¬ 
eral  years.  Tree-peddlers  are  more  likely  to  be  en¬ 
snared  by  this  temptation  than  established  nur¬ 
serymen  whose  success  in  business  depends  upon 
careful  and  faithful  dealing,  and  is  sure  to  follow 
it.  There  is  not  so  much  dishonesty  among  nur¬ 
serymen  as  is  sometimes  supposed.  What  are 
often  called  frauds,  are  only  mistakes,  which  they 
regret  and  in  most  cases  will  try  to  make  good. 
These  mistakes  oft°n  occur  in  ways  like  these  : 


A  young  nurseryman  wishing  to  stock  his 
ground  speedily  with  certain  kinds  of  fruit,  sends 
to  an  older  establishment  at  a  distance  for  speci¬ 
men  trees,  and,  taking  for  granted  their  correct¬ 
ness,  begins  forthwith  to  bud  and  engraft  his 
seedlings  from  them.  Next  year,  he  sells  the 
young  trees  by  the  thousand,  and  the  same  thing 
is  repeated  next  year,  on  a  larger  scale.  But  in 
a  few  years  he  begins  to  receive  letters  from  in¬ 
dignant  customers  all  over  the  land,  complaining 
of  fraud  and  injustice:  he  has  sent  out  vile  and 
worthless  trash,  causing  a  loss  of  time  and  money 
and  patience  to  his  purchasers !  Now  where  was 
the  dishonesty  1  There  was  none  :  it  was  simply 
carelessness  in  not  first  proving  the  trees  from 
which  he  propagated.  Yet  it  was  a  highly  culpa¬ 
ble  carelessness. 

Some  foreign  nurserymen  are  less  conscientious 
in  their  business  than  American  dealers.  Several 
years  ago  a  gentleman  in  New-York,  having  been 
frequently  imposed  upon  by  a  certain  French  nur¬ 
seryman,  determined  to  show  up  his  character 
effectually ;  and  so  he  invented  a  list  of  trees 
such  as  no  mortal  had  ever  heard  of,  and  ordered 
them.  Forthwith  his  order  was  filled  under  those 
very  names  1  What  Yankee  nurseryman  ever 
did  the  like  of  that!  We  understand  that  Euro¬ 
pean  dealers  have  lately  found  out  that  Americans 
are  not  all  ignorant  savages,  and  that  it  is  worth 
their  while  to  treat  them  so  as  to  retain  their  large 
custom. 

Some  of  the  so-called  “frauds  and  mistakes  of 
nurserymen”  should  be  charged  over  to  the  pur¬ 
chaser.  Some  men  order  trees  without  knowing 
much  about  them,  and  then  are  disappointed  be¬ 
cause  they  don’t  realize  their  expectations.  Others 
suffer  their  young  trees  to  be  browsed  off  by  cat¬ 
tle,  or  to  be  otherwise  broken  down,  so  that  the 
stock  grows  up  instead  of  the  graft.  Others, 
again,  give  their  trees  such  poor  soil  and  tillage 
that  the  result  is  almost  a  total  failure. 

Then,  the  tree-peddlers,  before  mentioned,  must 
take  a  share  of  the  blame.  Many  of  them  are 
honest  and  worthy  men,  but  not  all.  These  last, 
with  an  eye  to  a  fine  speculation,  gather  up  the 
catalogues  of  respectable  nurserymen,  and  a  lot 
of  highly  colored  pictures  of  fruits  and  flowers, 
and  go  about  the  country,  representing  them¬ 
selves  as  the  agents  of  these  establishments,  or 
even  partners  in  the  business,  and  by  much  fair 
speech  and  large  promises  effect  great  sales.  But 
it  generally  turns  out  that  the  trees  they  furnish 
are  only  the  refuse  stock  of  various  unknown 
nurseries,  bought  for  a  song  and  sold  at  full  or 
even  higher  prices  ;  and  it  often  proves  that  they 
are  untrue  to  their  names,  if  not  mere  wildlings. 
Such  peddlers  seldom  travel  twice  in  the  same 
track  :  it  would  be  hardly  safe  for  them  to  do  so. 
Yet,  the  country  is  full  of  just  such  men  ;  and  it 
becomes  prudent  people  to  look  out  for  them. 
We  must  be  allowed  to  say  here,  that  the  per¬ 
sons  who  get  most  sadly  imposed  upon  in  this 
way  are,  generally,  those  who  do  not  patronize 
well  established  nurseries  near  home.  The  pic¬ 
tures,  the  showy  catalogues,  the  distant  nur¬ 
sery  and  the  brazen  assurance  of  the  peddler,  are 
too  much  for  them.  The  only  safe  way  is  to  let 
these  itinerants  alone,  unless  they  can  give  satis¬ 
factory  evidence  of  honesty. 

Meanwhile,  it  becomes  nurserymen  to  exercise 
increasing  care  in  all  the  details  of  their  business, 
so  that  fewer  mistakes  shall  occur.  For  every 
mistake  is  likely  to  make  an  enemy  of  the  cus¬ 
tomer,  and  to  injure  the  reputation  of  the  nur¬ 
sery  wherever  it  i’s  known. 

Note. — To  the  above,  written  by  an  associate 
editor,  we  will  add,  that  a  subscriber  recently 
wrote  a  strong  protest  against  our  frequent  on¬ 


slaught  against  the  peddlers.  We  have  not  his 
protest  before  us,  but  the  substance  of  it  was,  that 
he  had  sold  many  good  trees  all  over  the  coun¬ 
try,  to  the  great  convenience  of  purchasers,  who 
were  thus  saved  the  necessity  of  ordering  of  dis¬ 
tant  nurserymen,  or  going  a  long  distance  to  se¬ 
lect  trees.  He  also  stated  that  he  had  been  the 
means  of  introducing  fruit  trees  upon  a  great 
number  of  farms,  where,  but  for  his  efforts,  they 
would  never  have  gone.  There  is  much  trutt 
in  what  he  says,  so  far  as  he  is  personally  con¬ 
cerned,  but  his  case  is  one  of  the  few  honorable 
exceptions.  We  could  name  not  a  few  persons 
who  would  hardly  dare  to  be  seen  in  a  neighbor¬ 
hood  where  they  had  sold  trees  a  few  years  pre¬ 
viously. — Ed. 

- «*-. - — .  - - 

Starting  Seeds  Early. 

Rev.  Daniel  Emerson,  Summit  Co.,  0.,  writes 
that  he  has  been  successful  in  giving  garden 
seeds  an  early  start,  in  the  following  manner  : 
Having  selected  the  quantity  needed,  each  sort  is 
tied  by  itself  in  a  cloth,  the  name  being  plainly 
written  on  a  slip  of  paper,  and  inclosed  with  the 
seed.  The  packages  are  then  buried  about  two 
inches  deep  in  the  ground,  for  a  week  or  two. 
When  ready  to  plant,  the  kinds  needed  for  plant¬ 
ing  are  taken  from  the  bags  and  used.  They 
will  be  found  to  have  swelled,  perhaps  sprouted, 
and  ready  to  grow.  If  the  ground  should  be 
quite  dry,  it  is  best  to  water  the  drills  after  drop¬ 
ping  the  seed,  and  then  cover  with  dry  earth. 
Mr.  E.  says  that  by  this  plan  he  has  never  failed 
to  raise  plants  from  every  seed  planted,  though 
when  put  out  they  were  often  sprouted.  If  each 
seed  is  placed  where  it  is  wanted  to  grow,  it  will 
save  the  labor  of  thinning,  though  many  prefer  to 
thin  their  rows,  leaving  the  most  prominent 
plants  to  grow. 

- g®  ft  Mnaa^B—  '  »  Cs* - 

To  Preserve  Scarlet  Geraniums  in  Winter. 


Mr.  Downing  once  said,  in  the  Horticulturist, 
that  the  various  scarlet  Geraniums  could  be  kept 
through  the  Winter,  by  simply  taking  them  up  in 
the  Fall  and  hanging  them  by  the  heels  in  a 
cellar.  For  persons  who  have  no  green-house, 
and  yet  wish  these  Geraniums  for  border  plants 
in  Summer,  this  would  be  an  important  fact,  if  it 
were  a  fact.  The  writer  questions  il.  On  the 
strength  of  Mr.  D.’s  recommendation,  we,  a  year 
since,  took  in  our  geraniums  from  the  garden,  and 
treated  them  as  he  directed.  In  the  Spring,  not 
one  of  them  was  alive.  Mr.  D.,  seldom  made 
such  mistakes.  Perhaps,  if  the  top  had  oeen  cut 
off  pretty  close,  and  the  roots  buried  in  sand, 
they  would  have  lived.  If  any  of  our  readers 
have  any  light  on  this  subject,  will  the/  please 
let  it  shine. 

Speaking  of  the  preservation  of  roots  in  Win¬ 
ter,  reminds  us  to  say  that  the  bulbs  of  the  Tiger 
Flower  are  favorite  morsels  for  mice,  ana  should 
be  kept  in  a  box  of  sand  where  these  pests  can 
not  reach  them.  Dahlias  are  their  abhorrence, 
and  Gladioli  and  Madeira  vines  please  them  not, 
but  for  these  Mexican  plants  they  have  a  great 
passion. 


Franklin  seized  lightning,  held  it  fast,  and 
tamed  it.  Morse  clothed  it,  taught  it  to  read  and 
write,  and  go  on  errands. 

The  man  who  is  afraid  to  be  called  a  coward 
has  no  apprehension  of  genuine  courage. 

He  that  goes  borrowing,  goes  sorrowing. 


52 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


The  Hollyhock. 

Does  any  body  fully  appreciate  this  flower  1 
The  poetical  and  domestic  associations  connect¬ 
ed  with  it  are  a  part  of  its  recommendations.  It 
lias  long  been  cultivated  in  the  gardens  of  our 
fathers.  The  poets  have  loved  it  and  sung  its 
praises.  It  was  Wordsworth’s  pet  among  the 
flowers  ;  he  had  groups  and  rows  of  them  in  his 
garden,  where  he  walked  with  great  delight.  And 
then,  it  is  a  robust  flower,  asking  no  tender  nuis- 
ing,  and  blooming  profusely  without  any  care. 

So  much  for  the  old-l'ashioried,  single  sorts  ; 
hut  much  more  for  the  newer  and  double  varities 
These  have  been  so  much  improved  of  late  by  the 
English  and  French  gardeners,  that  they  are  now- 
advanced  to  the  rank  of  “Florists'  Flowers.” 
Some  amateurs  even  prefer  them  to  the  Dahlia. 
The  old,  bell-shaped  blossoms  have  given  place  to 
“  semi-spherical  flowers,  exceedingly 
double,  with  closely  serried  petals, 
and  a  flat,  regular  guarded  leaf — the 
blossoms  so  thickly  packed  around 
the  stem  that  green  leaves  can 
scarcely  peep  between  them.”  So 
says  Beck’s  Florist.  Every  color  is 
represented,  too,  from  fine  white  to 
nearly  black.  The  flowers  last,  as  all 
double  flowers  do,  much  longer  than 
single  ones. 

The  common  and  simplest  way  of 
propagating  the  hollyhock,  is  by  di¬ 
vision  of  the  roots.  But  as  this  would 
not  satisfy  the  yearly  demand  for  the 
choice  varieties,  it  is  propagated  ex¬ 
tensively  by  cuttings.  These  are 
made  in  the  Summer,  as  soon  as  the 
blossoming  season  is  over.  The  cut¬ 
tings,  each  two  inches  long  and  con¬ 
taining  a  single  bud,  are  split  in  two, 
the  pith  taken  out,  and  then  they 
are  placed  in  propagating  pans  of 
sandy  soil  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
deep,  and  covered  with  a  hand-glass. 

In  a  few  weens  roots  are  formed, 
and  the  plants  are  potted  and  ready 
for  sale.  The  hollyhock  will  live  and 
grow  almost  anywhere,  but  to  attain 
perfection,  it  should  be  planted  in  a 
deep,  strong  soil  well  manured  and 
worked.  Good  treatment  of  any 
plant  is  always  well  repaid, 

- o - 

Dalilia  Culture 

amateur’s  troubles. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Amer.  Agriculturist : 

I  must  differ  from  your  remarks  in 
reply  to  the  letter  of  “crest  fallen  ” 
dahlia  raiser  in  the  Jan.  Agricultur¬ 
ist,  (p.  20).  All  dahlias  of  one  color 
should  be  planted  in  deep  rich  loam, 
well  mixed  with  decayed  cow  ma¬ 
nure — the  ground  being  dug  to  the 
depth  of  15  inches.  All  those  of  two 
or  more  colors,  striped  or  shaded,  should  be 
planted  in  soil  not  as  rich,  and  without  manure. 
Light  loam -(not  “sand”)  is  preferable.  If  the 
soil  be  very  rich,  the  deepest  color  will  predomi¬ 
nate,  and  the  bloom  will  not  be  of  distinct  colors 
and  shades.  Such  has  been  my  experience. 

I  do  not  believe  in  planting  dahlias  in  the 
shade,  or  on  the  north  side  of  houses  or  fences. 
They  should  be  in  the  sun,  and  where  the  air  can 
circulate  freely  under  the  branches.  The  soil 
over  the  roots  should  be  loosened  often,  but 
without  injuring  the  tubers.  If  the  plants  droop 
••n  a  hot  day,  supply  them  liberally  with  soap  sud¬ 


or  manure  water,  using  it  in  the  evening.  In  a 
dry  season  water  two  or  three  times  a  week. 

As  soon  as  the  blossoms  begin  to  fade,  cut 
them  off,  thereby  obtaining  an  earlier  and  freer 
bloom.  When  the  top  has  been  killed  by  the 
frost,  cover  the  root  to  prevent  freezing,  and  let 
them  stand  and  mature  until  there  is  danger  of 
their  being  frozen  in  ;  then  cut  the  stalk  about  10 
inches  from  the  root,  take  up,  label,  and  hang  in  a 
room  where  they  will  not  freeze  and  not  dry  too 
fast.  As  soon  as  dry,  pack  them  in  dried  sand 
and  place  them  where  they  will  not  freeze.  In 
the  spring  the  tubers  should  be  put  into  a  hot  bed 
or  heating  manure,  and  as  soon  as  well  started, 
cut  out  each  sprout  with  the  whole  or  part  of  a 
tuber  attached,  and  plant  as  before  stated. 

Your  “  crest  fallen  ”  friend  will  be  able  to  crow 
next  year  if  he  follows  this  course.  E.  D. 

Mittincaquc,  Massachusetts,  Jan.  1859. 


Chrysanthemums. 

During  this  winter,  so  far,  we  have  greatly  en¬ 
joyed  the  flowers  of  these  plants,  which  have  sur¬ 
vived  the  heavy  frosts  of  Autumn,  and  even  now 
challenge  the  snows  to  deprive  them  of  their  fresh¬ 
ness,  and  we  feel  moved  to  speak  of  them  to  our 
readers.  The  old  fashioned  sorts,  (the  large-flow¬ 
ering,  or  Indian  varieties,)  are  still  desirable  in  a 
collection,  although  many  cultivators  now  prefer 
the  Pompor.es  or  Chinese,  especially  for  house 
and  pot  culture.  We  present  above  a  beautiful 
engraving  of  the  Vespa,  one  of  the  finest  of  the 


large  flowering  sorts.  It  is  a  free  blooming  pure 
white  variety,  scarcely  known  in  this  country. 
The  sketch,  of  which  the  above  is  an  engraving, 
was  taken  from  a  flower  blooming  in  October  last, 
in  the  “Temple  Gardens”  of  London,  (Eng.l 
The  Pompones  were  imported  from  China, 
some  twelve  years  since,  by  Mr.  Fortune,  dur¬ 
ing  his  first  visit  to  that  country.  They  are 
called  by  the  Chinese,  the  Chusan  Daisy ;  and 
are  said  to  be  their  favorite  flower.  Some  one 
writes  that  the  Chinaman  bestows  great  pains 
upon  their  cultivation,  and  they  reward  his  pains : 
“  they  seem  to  meet  him  half-way,  and  grow 
just  as  he  pleases.  They  are  in  great  request 
among  the  people,  and  are  used  in  the  decoration 
of  court-yards,  halls  and  temples.  They  are  every¬ 
body’s  plant,  blooming  alike  in  the  garden  of  the 
lowly  Chinese  cottager,  and  in  that  of  the  blue- 
buttoned  Mandarin.” 

The  flowers  are  about  the  size  o. 
an  American  quarter  of  a  dollar, 
formed  somewhat  like  the  mountain 
daisy,  double  and  compact,  and  ot 
almost  every  color  and  shade.  Alas  ! 
with  perhaps  one  or  two  exceptions, 
they  are  without  fragrance.  Still, 
they  nearly  atone  for  this  by  the 
symmetry,  perfection  and  brilliancy 
of  their  blossoms,  and  by  the  length 
of  time  they  remain  in  bloom.  Their 
foliage  also,  is  dense,  and  pleasing 
to  the  eye.  They  are  as  hardy  as 
the  majority  of  herbaceous  plants, 
often  wintering  out  of  doors  un¬ 
harmed,  and  at  most  needing  only 
slight  protection.  They  are  best 
adapted,  however,  for  blooming  in¬ 
doors,  their  period  of  flowering  ex¬ 
tending  from  October  to  January, 
The  fact  that  they  blossom  at  this 
season,  when  most  plants  are  flower¬ 
less,  enhances  their  value.  We  can 
not  now  recall  any  plant  which  blos¬ 
soms  so  freely  and  so  abundantly 
with  so  little  care. 

CULTURE. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  in  this 
latitude,  take  cuttings  from  the  ole 
roots,  and  set  them  in  the  open  bor¬ 
der.  If  the  soil  has  a  plentiful  ad 
mixture  of  sand,  they  will  strike 
more  freely.  Keep  the  ground  moist 
around  them  by  a  mulching  of  cut 
grass,  and  an  occasional  watering  in 
dry  weather.  They  will  form  roots 
and  begin  to  grow  in  a  few  weeks 
After  they  have  grown  two  or  three 
inches,  pinch  out  the  top,  so  as  to 
cause  the  lower  branches  to  break 
and  to  give  the  plants  a  broad  base  ; 
for  nothing  looks  worse  in  a  chrysan¬ 
themum  than  a  lean  and  naked  stem. 
If  they  have  grown  three  or  four 
inches  more,  pinch  again  ;  but  do  not 
pursue  this  operation  after  August.  After  that 
time,  they  should  be  allowed  to  form  their  flower- 
buds.  About  July,  commence  potting  them,  using 
a  good  loam  mixed  with  one-third  rotten  dung.  If 
you  have  time  and  patience  to  give  them  the  best 
possible  culture,  begin  with  very  small  pots  and 
shift  them  several  times  until  the  first  of  Septem¬ 
ber,  when  they  should  receive  their  final  shill  in 
quart  pots,  or  a  size  larger.  If  you  have  not  pa¬ 
tience,  defer  potting  until  August,  and  then  give 
them  quart  pots  at  once. 

Formerly,  it  was  recommended  to  strike  the 
cuttings  and  to  grow  the  plants  during  Summer, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


53 


in  a  shaded  aspect.  But  experience  has  shown 
that  if  we  want  strong,  bushy  plants,  with  foliage 
to  the  rims  of  the  pots,  and  covered  with  blos¬ 
som-buds,  we  must  give  them  the  opposite  treat¬ 
ment.  It  is  often  recommended  to  keep  the  pots 
standing  on  boards  during  the  Summer,  and  to 
keep  them  moist  by  frequent  waterings.  But  we 
find  it  to  work  well  and  to  save  much  trouble  in 
watering,  to  plunge  the  pots  in  the  ground,  let¬ 
ting  each  pot  rest  on  coal  ashes  so  as  to  keep 
away  worms  from  the  roots. 

After  the  middle  of  September,  they  should  be 
taken  into  the  house,  or  removed  to  some  warm 
and  sheltered  spot,  safe  from  frost.  If  they  can 
be  kept  out  until  October,  it  will  be  all  the  better 
If  you  want  very  fine  foliage  and  flowers,  give 
the  plants  a  weekly  application  of  manure-water, 
beginning  in  August  or  first  of  September,  and 
continue  until  the  blooming  period  is  passed. 
Of  course,  watering  with  clear  water  also  must 
not  be  forgotten.  These  plants  are  great  topers, 
and  can’t  get  along  without  frequent  and  copious 
draughts.  After  they  have  done  flowering — which 
with  most  varieties  will  be  about  New  Year’s — 
they  may  be  set  under  the  staging  of  the  green¬ 
house,  or  carried  into  the  cellar,  to  remain  dor¬ 
mant  until  cuttings  are  wanted  in  the  Spring. 

Some  varieties  of  the  chrysanthemum  bloom 
so  early  that  they  can  be  flowered  out  of  doors, 
by  the  following  management :  When  the  plants 
have  become  well  established,  bring  them  to  the 
south  side  of  a  wall  or  house,  and  set  them  near 
it.  Instead  of  pinching  offthe  tops,  letthemgrow, 
and  train  them  up  on  the  side  of  the  wall.  When 
frosty  nights  come,  cover  them  with  old  mats  or 
with  hot-bed  sash,  and  they  will  flower  through¬ 
out  October  and  the  first  of  November,  in  mild 
seasons.  Among  the  early  bloomers,  the  follow¬ 
ing  are  good  sorts  :  Hendcrsonii.  yellow  ;  An¬ 
dromeda,  rose  colored  ;  Orion,  canary  yellow ; 
Autumn *,  bronzy  buff,  (a  great  bloomer  ;)  Helena, 
deep  rosy  purple  :  Belle  d'Aout,  rose  colored ; 
Surprise,  white,  tipped  with  blush. 

Of  those  which  flower  later,  and  are  proper 
house-plants,  the  variety  is  so  great,  (numbering 
several  hundred,)  that  we  can  not  attempt  to  give 
a  catalogue. 


Coffee  Adulterations  and  SubstitiFes— 
Chicory— Cocoa— Chocolate. 


IContinued  from  page  22.  ] 

We  were  not  a  little  amused  a  few  months 
since  at  what  we  saw  in  front  of  an  establish¬ 
ment  in  this  city,  the  sign-board  of  which  reads  : 
“  Pure  ground  coffee  supplied  to  the  Trade  and  to 
Families.”  Workmen  were  busy  in  removing 
from  a  loaded  cart  what  appeared  to  be  the  usual 
coffee  sacks  filled,  one  would  suppose — when  go¬ 
ing  into  such  an  establishment — with  pure  old 
Mocha  or  Java.  But  just  as  we  were  passing,  one 
of  the  coffee  sacks  burst  open,  and  out  poured  a 
quantity  of  peas  upon  the  sidewalk.  But  this  is 
not  an  exceptional  case.  Let  any  one  take  a 
common  magnifying  glass  and  examine  the  “pure 
ground  coffee  ”  generally  sold  in  the  country,  and 
he  will  be  surprised,  perhaps,  to  find  that  r.othalf 
of  the  material  sold  is  the  genuine  coffee.  We 
doubt  not  that  it  would  be  better  on  the  whole  if 
the  entire  mass  were  pure  peas,  and  nothing  else. 
The  material  would  doubtless  be  quite  as  health¬ 
ful — the  fraud  suffered  is  in  paying  the  price  of 
coffee,  for  the  vastly  cheaper  article  of  peas,  the 
latter  being  worth  less  than  two  cents  a  pound, 
since  a  bushel  weighing  60  lbs.  is  seldom  worth 
in  the  market  as  much  as  $1.20.  With  our  views 


of  the  effects  of  coffee  upon  the  system,  we  can 
not  find  fault  with,  but  rather  commend  the  cus¬ 
tom  in  many  families  of  making  their  “  warm 
drink  ”  for  breakfast  from  burned  crusts,  or  peas 
roasted  and  ground  at  home.  We  of  course  have 
reference  to  health  and  economy — not  to  a  culti¬ 
vated  taste  for  genuine  coffee. 

Acorns,  chestnuts,  and  various  roots,  roasted 
and  ground,  are  common  adulterations.  Chest¬ 
nuts  make  a  not  unpleasant  beverage,  after  one 


Fig.  1 — Chicory  Plant — ( Cichorium  intybus.) 

is  a  little  accustomed  to  it.  Dandelion  roots  are 
considerably  used,  and  in  certain  conditions  of  the 
system  are  not  without  a  beneficial  medicinal 
effect ;  but  the  efforts  made  by  interested  parties, 
through  newspaper  advertisements  and  “  notices,” 
to  make  people  believe  in,  and  purchase  “  Dande¬ 
lion  root  coffee  ”  for  habitual  use,  are  little  short 
of  humbug,  If  the  dandelion  root  is  thoroughly 
cooked,  it  is  little  better  than  burned  peas,  or 
charcoal  even,  while  if  not  thus  cooked  it  posses¬ 
ses  a  powerful  alterative  effect  which  is  delete¬ 
rious  except  when  taken  as  a  specific  medicine  for 
a  particular  ailment. 

Chicory,  called  also  wild  Endive,  Succory,  etc., 
is  one  of  the  most  common  coffee  adulterations 
abroad,  and  is  coming  more  and  more  into  use 
here.  The  general  form  of  the  plant  is  shown  in 
fig  2.  The  stalk  grows  three  to  four  feet  high, 
and  bears  large  pale-blue  flowers.  When  culti¬ 
vated,  the  large  parsnep-like  tap-root  extends 
down  11  to  2  feet  in  favorable  soils.  It  grows  in 
most  temperate  and  warm  climates,  and  is  culti¬ 
vated  most  largely,  perhaps,  in  France,  Belgium, 
and  in  Prussia  and  other  parts  of  Germany. 

The  root  is  dug  before  the  plant  shoots  into 
flower,  and  washed,  cut  into  slices,  dried  and  roast¬ 
ed  to  a  chocolate  color.  In  roasting,  one  pound  of 
lard  is  added  to  from  40  to  60  lbs.  of  the  root.  It 
is  then  ground  with  coffee,  and  can  not  be  readily 
distinguished  from  it  by  the  unpracticed  eye.  To 
detect  its  presence  in  coffee,  however,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  put  the  mixture  in  cold  water.  Chic¬ 
ory  gives  a  colored  infusion  in  the  cold  water, 
while  coffee  does  not  impart  a  color  until  heated. 

Chicory  gives  a  bitter  taste  to  the  coffee,  and 
it  thus  answers  a  double  purpose  as  an  adulter¬ 
ation.  A  smaller  quantity  is  required  to  give  a 
deep  color,  and  strong  taste,  and  on  this  account 
is  ccommical  to  the  consumer  ;  while  its  com¬ 
parative  cheapness  enables  the  dealer,  who  sells 
it  for  or  with  coffee,  to  make  a  great  profit. 

But  the  adulteration  is  highly  objectionable  for 
two  reasons.  First. — Though  when  taken  in  small 
quantities  chicory  is  not  very  deleterious,  and  its 
bitter  principle  may  even  be  beneficial  as  a  tonic 
if  used  temporarily,  yet  its  prolonged  free  use  pro¬ 
duces  cramp  in  the  stomach,  heartburn,  loss  of 
appetite,  acidity,  constipation  or  diarrhea,  weak¬ 
ness  of  the  limbs,  tremblings  and  sleeplessness, 


cloudiness  of  the  senses,  etc.,  etc.  Second.— 
Chicory  itself  is  seldom  pure.  The  dealer  mix¬ 
es  with  it  Venetian  red  to  give  it  a  coffee  color  ; 
and  the  Venetian  red  manufacturer  mixes  with 
his  article  more  or  less  of  brick-dust,  colored  earth, 
etc.  Yet  with  all  these  objections  there  are  proba¬ 
bly  twenty-five  million  pounds  of  dried  chicory 
root  consumed  annually  in  England  and  France 
alone.  We  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  the 
amount  brought  to  this  country.  It  is  not  yet 
cultivated  here  to  any  extent,  and  we  hope  will 
not  be.  We  may  add  that  those  accustomed  to 
use  chicory  infusions  soon  become  chicory -topers. 
Strumpf  mentions  a  class  of  women  in  Germany, 
who  make  chicory  a  prominent  article  of  their 
diet.  He  calls  them  “  chicorien-kaffe-schwelgerin- 
nen  ”  (chicory-coffee-topers). 

THE  COCOAS. 

These  are  preparations  of  oily  seeds,  usually, 
though  they  are  often  largely  mixed  with  earth- 
nuts,  such  as  the  underground  pea  ( arachis  hypo 
gca),  earth-chestnuts  or  earth-almonds  ( chvfas — 
cypcrus  esculcnlus),  etc.  Cocoa,  proper,  ( theo - 
broma  cacao)  is  a  species  of  bean,  growing  upon  a 
tree,  found  wild  and  also  cultivated  extensively  in 
Mexico,  and  other  parts  of  Central  America,  in 
South  America,  in  the  West  Indies,  in  Spain, 
France,  Italy,  etc. 

Fig.  2  shows  the  general  form  of  the  cocoa  tree, 
growing  12  to  18  feet  in  hight ;  and  also  the  leaf 
flower,  and  fruit— these  are  largely  magnified  as 
compared  with  the  engraving  of  the  tree.  The 
fruit  grows  directly  from  the  stem  and  principal 
branches.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a  thick  cucumber. 


Fig.  2 — Cocoa  or  Chocolate,  ( Theobroma  cacao ) — Tree 


—Magnified  Leaf  and  Flower  Cl),  and  Fruit  Pod  (2). 

or  small  oblong  melon  four  to  five  inches  in  length, 
like  (2)  in  fig.  2.  This  pod  contains  from  ten  to 
thirty  beans  or  seeds  embedded  in  rows,  in  a  pulp 
or  spongy  substance  like  that  of  a  watermelon. 
These  seeds  are  taken  out  when  ripe,  cleaned  and 
dried,  and  are  then  ready  for  market. 

The  seeds  are  subsequently  prepared  in  several 
ways.  1.  The  beans  are  freed  from  the  surrounding 
husks,  and  broken  or  ground  into  coarse  frag¬ 
ments.  These  are  sold  like  coffee,  and  after¬ 
wards  treated  and  prepared  for  the  table  in  a  sim¬ 
ilar  manner.  2.  The  bean  including  the  husk 
(which  forms  about  one-tenth  of  its  weight)  is 
roasted  and  made  into  a  paste  by  beating  in  a 


54 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


mortar  or  grinding  between  hot  rollers.  This  paste 
is  then  mixed  with  various  ingredients,  such  as 
starch,  sugar,  etc.,  and  often  much  adulteiated. 
It  is  made  into  cakes  and  sold  as  cocoa,  rock  co¬ 
coa,  or  soluble  cocoa.  3.  The  hulled  beans  are 
ground  into  a  paste  by  means  of  hot  rollers  which 
partially  roast  them  at  the  same  time  ;  sugar, 
and  various  kinds  of  seasoning  such  as  vanilla, 
cinnamon,  cloves,  etc.,  are  added.  This  forms 
the  well-known  chocolate.  Its  value,  taste,  and 
flavor  depend  upon  the  skill  or  taste,  or  honesty 
of  the  particular  manufacturer.  The  name  choco¬ 
late  is  derived  from  the  Mexican  name  of  the 
plant  “  Chocollatl. ”  It  is  said  to  have  been  used 
by  the  Mexicans  from  time  immemorial.  The 
Spaniards  found  it  in  common  use  so  long  ago  as 
A.  D.  1520,  and  brought  it  thence  to  Europe. 
Linnaeus  was  so  exceedingly  fond  of  the  beverage 
prepared  from  the  cocoa  that  in  naming  the  plant 
he  called  it  Thco-broma ,  or  Food  of  the  Gods,  (from 
Thcos,  god,  and  hroma,  food). 

Chocolate,  prepared  as  above,  is  made  up  into 
sweet  cakes  and  eaten  as  a  nutritious  solid  food. 
It  is  also  scraped  into  powder  and  dissolved  in 
water  forming  a  thick  nutritious  beverage  or  soup. 
The  husks  of  the  beans  are  also  used  alone  in 
preparing  what  is  called  cocoa-tea.  They  can 
usually  be  bought  separately.  They  are  more 
frequently  mixed  in  large  proportions  with  infe¬ 
rior  cocoa  beans,  and  sold  cheaply  as  cocoa,  or 
chocolate,  to  the  poorer  classes,  especially  in 
Europe. 

Cocoa,  and  its  preparations,  chocolate,  etc.,  are 
somewhat  stimulant,  like  tea  and  coffee,  and  pro¬ 
duce  similar  effects  upon  the  system,  though  in 
a  much  less  degree.  It  is  far  more  nutritious, 
containing  a  large  amount  of  oil,  as  well  as  a  con¬ 
siderable  proportion  of  gluten,  starch,  gum,  etc., 
as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  table  which  gives 
the  composition  of  100  parts  of  the  unroasted 
cocoa  bean  when  deprived  of  its  husk. 

Oil  (cocoa  butter) . 56  parts. 

Gluten . 17  “ 

Starch,  gum,  etc . 22  “ 

Water . .  5  “ 

It  will  be  interesting  to  compare  the  composi¬ 
tion  of  the  cocoa  bean  with  the  solid  portion  of 
milk,  after  the  water  is  evaporated  from  both — 
100  parts  of  the  dry  substances  being  taken. 

Cocoa-bean.  Dried  milk. 


Oil  (or  butter) . . . 

.55 

24 

Gluten  (easeine  in  milk). 

.18 

35 

Sugar,  starch,  etc . 

.23 

37 

Ashes  or  mineral  matter. 

.  4 

4 

According  to  this  table  the  solid  nutriment  in 
one  pound  of  cocoa  is  about  equal  to  that  in  7  lbs. 
of  milk,  since  only  about  one-seventh  part  of  milk 
is  solid  matter,  the  rest  being  water.  Cocoa  dif¬ 
fers  from  milk  in  having  more  oil,  and  less  gluten, 
sugar,  and  starch.  The  amount  of  oil  renders  it 
harder  to  digest  than  milk,  beef-tea,  and  other 
similar  beverages,  and  it  does  not  agree  with 
some  persons,  but  when  ground  with  sugar, 
starch,  etc.,  as  in  chocolate,  it  is  usually  a  very 
good  diet,  especially  for  invalids,  since  it  com¬ 
bines  nourishment  with  moderate  tonic  and  ex- 
hilerating  properties. 

- ^ - >-® - . 

A  Healthy  Article  of  Food. 


We  do  not  intend  making  our  paper  a  journal 
of  dietetics  ;  yet  we  mean  to  recommend  healthy 
food,  if  for  no  better  reason,  as  a  means  of  mak¬ 
ing  better  farmers.  Oaten  cakes  and  puddings 
and  gruel  have  been  sufficiently  used  in  our  house¬ 
hold,  of  late,  to  convince  us  that  this  grain  is  very 
nutritious  and  healthful.  The  chemists  tell  us 
that  the  pure  meal  contains  more  material  for 
making  bone  and  muscle  and  blood,  than  any  other 


vegetable  substance.  In  England,  a  process  has 
been  invented  for  bolting  the  meal  so  as  to  make 
it  nearly  as  white  as  wheat  flour.  If  this  new 
mode  comes  into  general  use,  it  will  do  much  to- 
ward  recommending  the  meal  to  those  who  have 
prejudices  against  color ! 

The  author  of  Rasselas,  being  once  asked  for 
a  definition  of  the  word  “  oats,”  replied,  (with  his 
usual  sarcasm  when  referring  to  Scotland,) — “  It 
is  a  grain  which  horses  are  fed  on  in  England,  and 
men  in  Scotland!”  A  Scotchman  present  re¬ 
plied  quickly  :  “And  where  will  you  find  such 
horses  and  such  men  /” 

- <a  t  - »-  <£> - - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Suggestions  on  House  Furniture,  etc. 

BY  ANNA  HOPE. 

Carpets  — Sofas —  Chairs —  Wall  Paper —  Window 
Curtains. 

The  appearance  of  a  room  is  much  affected  by 
the  carpet,  and  it  is  astonishing  that  while  it  is  so 
easy  to  make  a  pretty  one,  so  many  that  are  ugly 
should  be  manufactured.  For  small  rooms  car¬ 
pets  with  small  figures  should  be  selected.  Large 
patterns  diminish  the  apparent  size  of  a  room,  as 
large  plaids  on  a  small  woman  make  her  look 
still  more  diminutive.  Good  colors  should  be 
chosen — not  dull  reds  and  faded  greens,  which 
always  have  an  air  of  cheapness  and  meanness, 
but  clear,  bright  colors,  such  as  please  and  refresh 
the  eye.  By  bright  I  do  not  mean  flashy,  but,  if 
I  may  be  allowed  the  expression,  I  mean  a  healthy 
color — one  that  has  come  from  a  good  stock  and 
enjoyed  the  pure  air  and  never  been  paled  and 
weakened  in  tenant  houses.  Crimson,  (not  red) 
green,  and  wood  color,  are  always  durable,  and 
they  form  a  harmonious  contrast.  Crimson,  as 
the  prevailing  color,  gives  a  warm,  cheerful  as¬ 
pect,  and  it  lights  up  well  in  the  evening.  Green 
is  also  cheerful  and  pleasing.  It  is  Nature’s  own 
color,  and  for  rooms  in  Summer,  nothing  has  an 
influence  more  cool  and  refreshing.  I  like  it  at 
all  times.  Wood  color  is  unassuming  and  never 
offends  the  eye. 

Very  small  patterns  are  suitable  only  for  cham¬ 
bers.  The  breadths  of  carpets  are  always  cut  in 
the  middle  of  a  figure,  consequently  small  fig¬ 
ured  carpets  are  more  economical  than  large,  un¬ 
less  it  so  happens  that  the  room  is  of  such  a  size 
that  there  will  be  no  waste. 

There  should  always  be  a  regard  to  harmony  of 
color  in  furnishing  a  room.  This  should  be  pro¬ 
cured  not  only  in  the  carpet  and  paper,  but  if  pos¬ 
sible,  in  every  article  of  furniture.  If  green, 
crimson,  and  wood -color  is  the  style  of  the  carpet, 
green,  crimson,  or  wood-color  may  be  selected 
for  curtains  and  the  covering  of  furniture.  Crim¬ 
son  curtains  give  a  warm,  comfortable  look  to  a 
winter  parlor,  while  in  Summer  they  would  im¬ 
part  a  most  uncomfortable  and  heated  appearance. 
I  can  never  forget  the  effect  of  a  red  and  black 
French  print  worn  by  a  young  lady  at  a  watering 
place,  when  those  dresses  were  so  fashionable  for 
a  winter  morning.  She  came  out  in  hers  during 
the  dog  days  and  it  required  all  the  power  of  the 
cooling  sea-breezes  not  to  be,  in  imagination, 
scorched  by  it. 

The  great  merit  of  hair  cloth  furniture,  aside 
from  its  economy,  is  that  it  looks  as  well  with 
one  carpet  as  another,  but  it  is  too  sombre  to  be 
chosen  a-s  a  matter  of  taste.  The  gloomiest  par¬ 
lor  I  ever  entered  was  furnished  with  a  very  dark 
crimson  or  maroon  carpet,  and  the  sofas  and 
chairs  were  all  of  rosewood  and  hair-cloth.  If  it 
had  been  draped  for  a  funeral  it  could  scarcely 
have  been  more  cheerless.  I  should  grow  mel¬ 
ancholy  in  such  a  room  in  spite  of  myself. 


A  sofa  covered  with  hair-cloth  can  he  enlivened 
by  bright  cushions,  or  by  an  Afghan,  or  African 
blanket  thrown  over  the  back.  These  Afghans 
are  twist  of  the  double  embroidery  wool  in  stripes 
of  different  colors,  and  are  designed  to  be  thrown 
over  a  person  reclining  upon  the  sofa. 

“  Reps  ”  is  now  much  used  for  furniture.  Its 
first  cost  is  less  than  hair-cloth,  but  it  does  not 
wear  so  well.  It  has,  however,  the  advantage  of 
color. 

If  furniture  chintz  is  used  its  colors  must  be  in 
agreement  with  the  carpet.  Never  select  that 
which  has  great,  glowing  flowers,  or  gaudy  birds, 
but  such  as  is  simple  in  its  style,  and  remember 
the  same  hint  when  buying  window-shades.  A 
plain  buff,  or  white,  for  these  shades,  is  never  dis¬ 
agreeable,  and  never  out  of  taste. 

For  papering  walls  some  neutral  tint  is  always 
preferable  to  a  bright  colored  paper,  especially  if 
pictures  are  to  be  hung  upon  it.  The  paper  itself 
does  much  toward  furnishing  a  room  and  relieves 
it  of  the  bareness  which  a  plain  white  wall  al¬ 
ways  presents.  The  quality  of  the  paper  should 
depend  somewhat  upon  the  size  and  dignity  of 
the  room.  A  too  expensive  paper  is  scarcely  bet¬ 
ter  than  that  which  is  too  poor.  The  figure  of 
a  wall  paper  should  not  be  too  marked.  I  have 
seen  the  picture  of  a  railroad  train  driving  at  full 
speed,  repeated  hundreds  of  times  on  the  paper 
of  a  small  dining-room.  If  I  eat  in  that  room,  I 
should  be  tempted  to  disobey  all  physiological 
law,  and  eat  at  railroad  speed,  and  should  listen 
anxiously  for  the  ringing  of  the  bell  and  the  “all 
aboard  ”  of  the  conductor. 

Curtain-cords  and  picture-cords  should  be  in 
harmony  with  the  general  spirit  of  the  room.  So 
should  table  covers,  if  they  are  used. 

Rocking-chairs  are  not  the  fashion  in  parlors 
for  the  very  good  reason  that  the  rockers  are  al¬ 
ways  in  the  way,  and  are  liable  to  injure  other 
furniture  and  the  base-board,  to  say  nothing  of 
unfortunate  ankles.  Arm-chairs  of  various  styles 
have  taken  their  place.  It  is  always  well  to  have 
a  few  low  chairs  in  the  parlor  for  the  accommo¬ 
dation  of  “women  and  children.” 

- - — aaa  Q  BffE— - >— «= - - 

A  Batch  of  Recipes. 


For  convenience  of  reference  we  throw  togeth¬ 
er  here  a  large  number  of  recipes  prepared  or 
contributed  specially  for  the  Agriculturist.  We 
can  only  vouch  for  those  signed  Ed. — the  others 
being  furnished  by  subscribers  personally  un¬ 
known. 

Pie  Calies. 

The  best  mode  of  cooking  rice,  that  is  to  our 
taste,  and  an  excellent  breakfast  dish  or  dinner 
dessert,  is  the  following :  Boil  the  rice  soft,  and 
while  warm  make  it  into  flattened  balls,  say  an 
inch  thick  and  3  inches  in  diameter.  When  wanted 
for  use  dip  the  balls  in  beaten  egg  and  cook  upon 
a  greased  griddle  the  same  as  buckwheat  flat- 
jacks.  The  thin  film  of  egg  on  the  surface  pre¬ 
vents  the  absorption  of  grease.  The  cakes  thus 
prepared  and  eaten  with  butter  or  sauce  of  any 
kind  liked,  are  very  far  from  being  “  bad  to  take.” 

Ed. 

Potato  Bread. 

“  Jeanne,”  of  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  writes  :  “  We 
were  glad  to  find  in  a  former  volume  of  the  Agri¬ 
culturist,  directions  for  ‘pstato  bread.’  We  have 
long  been  in  the  habit  of  using  a  few  potatoes  in 
bread,  and  think  them  an  excellent  addition,  es¬ 
pecially  if  the  flour  be  dark  or  of  inferior  quality. 
For  ordinary  use  we  think  our  recipe  better  than 
the  one  given.  For  five  loaves  of  bread  we  se 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


55 


lect  twelve  nice  white  potatoes,  and  when  cook¬ 
ing  supper,  boil  them  without  breaking  the  skins 
if  possible  ;  then  pour  oil' the  water,  peel  and  mash 
very  fine.  Put  with  them  a  pint  of  cold  water  and 
stir  in  flour  enough  to  make  the  whole  a  thick 
bottom.  To  this  only  lukewarm — avoid  scalding 
it — add  a  teacupful  of  domestic  yeast,  or  less  it 
brewer’s  yeast  be  used.  If  kept  warm  over  night 
it  will  be  all  in  a  foam  in  the  morning,  ready  to 
pour  or  sift  through  a  colander.  The  sifting  is 
facilitated  by  pouring  in  a  quart  or  so  of  warm 
water  while  the  colander  is  kept  in  motion  with 
the  other  hand.  Then  stir  and  raise  in  a  1  sponge  ’ 
as  in  ordinary  preparation  ot  bread.  It  rises  both 
in  the  sponge  and  in  the  loaf,  much  quicker  than 
common  yeast.  This  is  a  great  improvement 
for  biscuit,  as  it  does  not  require  half  the  ‘  short- 
ei  ,ing.’  ” — [Remark — Potatoes  boiled  and  mashed 
hue  so  as  to  pass  through  a  seive  or  colander  is 
without  doubt  a  valuable  addition  to  flour  for  both 
bread  and  pastry.  The  starchy,  brittle  character 
of  the  potatoes  adds  to  the  tenderness  as  well  as 
the  sweetness  of  bread,  and  wheie  potatoes  are 
not  as  costly  as  flour,  the  addition  is  an  economi¬ 
cal  one.  The  above  mode  may  be  adopted  ;  or 
the  sifted  potatoes  tnay  be  added  directly  to  the 
flour,  and  the  whole  treated  in  the  ordinary  mode. 
Try  it  you  who  have  not. — Ed.] 

Ulock  Apple  Pic. 

In  this  as  in  many  sections  of  the  country,  ap¬ 
ples  are  from  their  scarcity  a  luxury  little  indulged 
in  this  Winter.  Some  were  fortunate  enough  to 
have  dried  fruit  left  over,  and  dried  apple  pies 
properly  prepared  are  palatable.  In  absence  of 
these,  however,  the  following  answers  pretty  well 
as  we  know  :  Take  stale  pieces  of  bread,  such 
as  are  usually  saved  for  puddings,  and  crumble 
them  fine.  Add  to  one  cup  of  these  crumbs  one 
pint  of  warm  water,  one  teaspoonful  tartaric  acid, 
and  sugar  and  spice  according-  to  taste.  Bake 
precisely  as  you  would  an  apple  pie. — Ed. 

Apple  Fritters. 

This  is  a  favorite  dish  with  many,  and  often 
preferred  to  dumplings  Wc  like  them  prepared 
thus  :  Make  a  batter,  not  very  stiff,  with  1  quart 
milk,  3  eggs,  and  flour  to  bring  it  to  a  right  con¬ 
sistence.  Pare  and  core  a  dozen  large  apples, 
and  chop  them  to  about  the  size  of  small  peas, 
and  mix  them  well  in  the  batter.  Fry  them  in 
lard  as  you  would  dough  nuts.  For  trimmings 
we  like  powdered  white  sugar  best,  though  good 
molasses  answers  very  well.  They  are  good  with 
either. — Ed. 

muffins. 

These  deserve  “extensive  circulation.”  We 
have  the  receipe  as  a  special  favor  from  a  lady 
friend,  at  whose  table  we  have  enjoyed  some 
capital  specimens,  made  as  follows  ;  To  1  quart 
of  milk,  add  2  eggs  well  beaten,  a  lump  of  butter 
half  the  size  of  an  egg,  and  flour  enough  to  make 
a  stiff  batter,  Stir  in  half  a  pint  of  yeast.  Let 
them  stand  until  perfectly  light,  and  then  bake 
on  a  griddle,  in  tin  rings  made  for  the  purpose. 
These  are  merely  strips  of  tin  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  wide,  made  into  rings  from  2^  to  3  inches 
in  diameter,  without  bottom — the  ring  being  sim¬ 
ply  placed  on  a  griddle,  and  the  batter  poured  in 
to  fill  it. — Ed. 

Tea  ES5scu.it. 

Mrs.  E.  L.  Howard,  of  Darien,  0.,  writes  : 
Having  been  much  annoyed  by  seeing  so  many 
good  cooks  make  rich,  greasy,  heavy  biscuit,  I 
suggest  the  following :  take  1  pint  new  milk,  2 
teaspoonfuls  cream  tartar,  1  of  soda  and  1  of 
salt ;  mix  moderately  stiff,  roll  out  about  1£ 
inches  thick,  cut  in  cakes,  and  let  it  stand  a  short 
time  by  the  stove  to  rise.  Instead  of  cream  tar¬ 


tar,  sour  milk  may  be  used.  The  dough  may  be 
made  in  small  loaves  and  baked  as  bread.  If 
shortening  must  be  used,  take  one-third  cream  ; 
more  than  this  will  prevent  its  rising  well 

Giwger  Sumps. 

Good  for  this  snapping  weather,  when  a  body 
wants  “  something  a  little  warm  ”  on  a  long 
sleigh  ride,  or  chopping  in  the  woods  with  snow 
knee  deep,  and  the  thermometer  below  “  com¬ 
fortable.”  They  also  make  a  very  pleasant  ac¬ 
companiment  for  the  children’s  cold  dinners 
which  they  carry  to  school ;  they  are  what  the 
writer’s  own  mother  used  to  give  him  on  such 
occasions,  “  long  time  ago.”  Here  is  the  recipe  ; 

1  cup  butter,  1  of  molasses,  1  of  sugar,  1  tea¬ 
spoonful  saleratus,  1  table  spoonful  ginger.  These 
should  be  well  mixed  with  flour  enough  to  make 
them  roll  easily.  Spread  them  thin  with  the 
roller,  a  little  thicker  than  pie-crust,  divide  into 
cakes  about  as  large  as  a  tumbler  would  cut,  and 
bake  in  a  quick  oven. 

E}{mgli=imts  isot  “  Greasy.” 

Here  i£  an  1  invention  ’  of  ‘  our  own  ’  which 
we  might  ‘  patent,’  but  being  employed  to  labor 
for  the  ‘public’  that  public  is  entitled  to  our  en¬ 
tire  ‘  services.’  Everybody  and  his  wife — and 
particularly  his  little  folks — love  the  good  old 
fashioned  dough-nuts,  or  “  nut-cakes,”  or  “  crul¬ 
lers,”  or  whatever  name  you  call  them.  But 
many  persons  are  troubled  with  1  weak  digestion  ’ 
(dyspepsia),  and  the  large  amount  of  lard  or  grease 
absorbed  by  the  said  dough-nuts  does  not  always 
‘  set  well,’  but  produces  a  ‘rising in  the  stomach.’ 
When  this  is  the  case  try  our  invention.  The 
dough  nuts  being  prepared  as  usual,  just  before 
immersing  them  in  the  hot  fat,  plump  them  into 
a  well  beaten  egg.  This  will  give  a  thin  coating 
of  albumen  which  will  keep  out  the  grease  effect¬ 
ually.  Furthermore,  this  coating  will  retain  the 
moisture,  and  make  them  keep  in  good  condition 
much  longer  than  if  not  thus  treated. — Ed. 

Saiowball  Custard. 

Contributed  by  Jeanne,  Erie  Co.,  Pa. :  Beat  the 
whites  of  3  or  4  eggs  to  a  froth,  as  you  would  to 
make  frosting  for  cake.  Then  beat  the  yolks  in  a 
separate  dish,  and  add  to  them  2  tablespoonfuls 
of  sugar — brown  will  answer.  Heat  over  a  slow 
fire  a  quart  of  milk  in  a  large  “  spider  ”  or  shal¬ 
low  kettle.  When  it  is  just  scalding  hot,  drop 
into  the  milk  6  or  7  tablespoonfuls,  1  at  a  time, 
of  the  whites.  Do  not  let  the  milk  boil  as  this 
would  break  the  balls.  In  a  few  moments  turn 
them  carefully,  and  when  cooked  lay  off  on  a 
plate.  Finish  with  the  whites  in  the  same  way. 
Next  stir  the  yolks  into  the  milk,  and  continue 
stirring  for  about  five  minutes — do  not  allow  it  to 
boil.  Pour  this  last  into  a  deep  dish,  add  a  few 
drops  of  essence  lemon,  vanilla,  or  other  flavor¬ 
ing,  to  suit  the  taste.  Lay  the  balls  on  this,  and 
— help  yourself. 

ESirds’  Nests. 

Pare  six  or  eight  large  apples,  Spitzbergen  or 
Greenings  are  best  for  this  purpose,  and  remove 
the  core  by  cutting  from  the  end  down  into  the 
middle,  so  as  to  leave  the  apple  whole  except 
where  the  core  has  been  removed.  Place  them 
as  near  together  as  they  can  stand,  with  the  open 
part  upward,  in  a  deep  earthen  pie  dish.  Next 
make  a  thin  batter,  using  1  quart  sweet  milk,  3 
eggs,  with  sufficient  flour,  and  pour  it  into  the 
dish  around  the  apples,  also  filling  the  cavities  in 
them ;  bake  in  a  quick  oven.  Eat  them  with  but¬ 
ter  and  sugar,  but  let  not  their  delicious  taste 
make  you  forget  the  bounds  of  prudence. 
iLcmoiu  Fie. 

Grate  the  peel  of  a  lemon  and  squeeze  the 
juice  into  it.  Mix  with  it  1  cup  water,  1  of  sugar, 


1}  teaspoonfuls  corn  starch,  and  a  lump  of  butter 
the  size  of  an  egg.  Roll  the  top  crust  quite  thin, 
or  cut  it  into  strips  and  lay  over  the  pie  cross¬ 
wise,  as  you  would  with  a  tart  pie.  So  says  the 
wife  of  one  of  our  associates,  who  is  considered 
good  authority. 

Maiace  Fie  Mints. 

A  lady  friend  of  ours  says  a  friend  of  hers  re¬ 
cently  visited  one  of  her  friends,  and  found  some 
superior  mince  pies  ;  and  on  inquiry  as  to  their 
manufacture,  she  derived  one  or  two  hints  new 
to  her.  First,  no  wine,  brandy,  or  other  alco¬ 
holic  ingredient  was  used,  but  simply  a  mixture 
of  good  molasses  and  water,  with  rose  water. 
Second,  no  suet  or  butter  was  used,  but  instead, 
the  beef  was  boiled  with  fat  pork,  and  the  two 
chopped  together  with  the  apples.  “  Other  con¬ 
diments  or  spices  as  usual.”  This  third-handed 
information  may  very  good,  but  we  are  not  pre¬ 
pared  to  judge,  being  a  semi-Israelite  in  regard 
to  fat  pork,  and  a  Grahamite  in  regard  to  putting 
any  kind  of  meat  in  our  apple  pies. 

Mince  Meat — Preserving-. 

A  lady  correspondent  writes  :  I  prepare  mince 
meat  for  the  entire  Winter  and  Spring,  and  pre¬ 
serve  it  in  excellent  order  by  simply  packing  it 
solid  in  jars  and  covering  the  top  with  melted 
lard,  which  entirely  shuts  out„all  access  of  air. 
When  a  portion  is  required  for  use,  the  lard  cover 
is  removed,  and  the  desired  quantity  of  meat  is 
taken  out,  when  the  remainder  is  again  packed 
smooth  on  the  top  and  the  remelted  lard  poured 
over.  This  may  or  may  not  be  new  to  some 
others,  but  it  is  a  long  tried  and  approved  method 
with  me. 

Mams— Curing,  and  Keeping  in  a  New- 
Way. 

0.  R.  Palmer,  of  Susquehanna  Co.,  Pa.,  writes  : 
To  the  number  of  directions  for  curing  hams  al¬ 
ready  given  in  the  Agriculturist,  let  me  add  ours, 
which  if  once  tried,  my  word  for  it  (or  rather  my 
wife’s  word)  you  will  find  it  the  best  way  hams 
were  ever  packed.  For  100  lbs.  of  hams,  make  a 
brine  of  8  lbs.  rock  salt,  3  ounces  of  saltpetre,  3 
pints  of  molasses,  and  4  gallons  of  water.  Let 
the  hams  lie  in  this  pickle  three  weeks,  and  then 
take  out  and  repack  them,  to  expose  every  part 
to  the  brine.  Let  them  lie  three  weeks  more, 
then  take  out  and  dry  them  thoroughly  and 
smoke  to  your  liking.  Next  cut  them  in  slices 
£  inch  thick,  removing  the  skin  and  bone.  Pack 
the  pieces  as  lightly  as  possible  in  stone  jars,  and 
pour  over  melted  lard  enough  to  cover  the  whole. 
If  the  care  be  taken,  taking  out  pieces  for  use,  to 
cover  the  rest  with  lard,  they  will  keep  admirably, 
and  the  last  pieces  at  the  bottom  of  the  jars  will 
be  as  fresh  as  when  just  smoked.  [This  strikes 
us  as  an  effectual  and  valuable  plan.  The  lard 
will  not  be  spoiled  for  cooking  purposes  ;  and  if 
the  pieces  be  well  cleared  from  lard,  there  will  be 
no  more  left  upon  them  than  will  be  needed  for 
frying. — Ed.] 

Nca.ts-£oot  ©il. 

J.  N.  Baker,  High  Prairie,  Ill.,  writes  :  Taxe 
the  knee  joints  of  cattle,  and  boil  them  three  or 
four  hours,  when  the  oil  will  rise  to  the  top  of  the 
water.  Remove  the  kettle  from  the  fire,  and 
when  cold  skim  off  the  oil.  Every  farmer  and 
every  one  who  would  preserve  leather,  should 
keep  a  supply  of  this  article  on  hand.  For  soften¬ 
ing  and  preserving  leather  of  harness,  boots  and 
shoes,  etc.,  it  has  no  equal.  It  is  also  highly  re¬ 
commended  for  sore  teats  ot  cows. 


More  of  Them. — Our  room  run  out  muen 
sooner  than  our  stock  of  recipes. 


56 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  145. 


Uncle  Franlt’s  Cliat  with  tHc  Boys  and 
Girls. 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  COMPOSITIONS 

Oh  dear !  I  wish  that  composition  was  w  ritten.  I 
don’t  know  what  to  say,  and  if  I  did,  I  shouldn’t  know 
how  to  say  it.  I  hate  compositions.  I  wonder  why  Mrs. 
Steele,  is  so  particular  about  them.  She  makes  us  all 
write,  whether  we  have  any  brains  or  not.  I  wish  some¬ 
body  would  invent  a  machine  for  grinding  out  composi¬ 
tions.  I  am  sure  I  would  give  all  my  spending  money 
for  six  months,  to  get  one  that  would  do  up  the  thing 
handsomely.” 

So  said  little  Anna,  a  good  friend  of  mine,  not  many 
evenings  since.  She  said  it  with  some  peevishness, 
though  I  must  do  her  the  justice  to  say  that  generally  she 
is  a  very  good  natured  girl. 

Now,  it  would  be  strange  if  my  readers  did  not  em¬ 
brace  a  large  number,  both  of  boys  and  girls,  who  go  to 
schools  where  it  is  necessary  to  writG  compositions  ;  and 
though  I  am  not  a  clairvoyant,  and  don’t  profess  to  have 
the  hope  of  seeing  things  a  thousand  miles  off,  I  dare  say, 
that  there  arc  whole  regiments  of  you  who  dislike  com¬ 
positions  as  much  as  Anna  does  !  It  was  on  this  account 
that  I  took  it  into  my  head  to  give  you  a  few  hints  about 
compositions,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  put  you  in  the  way 
of  making  the  planning  and  building  of  them  somewhat 
easier  and  pleasanter. 

1.  My  first  hint  is,  that  the  writing  of  compositions  is 
one  of  the  most  important  of  all  your  school  exercises  ; 
your  teachers  do  well  in  making  this  thing  prominent  in 
your  studies.  You  will  see  this  plainly  enough,  one  of 
these  days. 

2.  In  chosing  a  subject,  don’t  take  one  beyond  your 
grasp.  Select  a  theme  which  you  can  make  yourself 
in  some  measure,  master  of.  I  think  that  just  in  this  di¬ 
rection  there  is  a  very  common  error,  and  a  very  fatal  one, 
for,  unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken,  it  tends  to  make  a 
wearisome  task  of  the  composition,  at  the  same  time  that 
it  robs  the  composition  itself  of  all  its  sprightliness,  and 
sets  it  to  limping  and  staggering,  like  an  old  blind,  worn- 
out  horse. 

3.  Don’t  walk  on  stilts.  They  are  well  enough  in  their 
way,  but  in  w  alking  and  writing,  you  had  better  give  them 
a  thorough  letting  alone.  Use  plain,  simple,  common, 
every-day  language.  That  is  natural,  and  what  is  natur¬ 
al  is  generally  best.  You  are  not  yet  a  fully  expanded 
Milton,  or  an  Addison,  or  a  Washington  Irving,  or  a 
Hannah  More,  or  a  Mrs.  Browning,  or  a  Mrs.  Stowe.  So 
we  do  not  expect  you  to  soar  with  them  in  their  wonder¬ 
ful  flights  of  genius.  Don't  use  long  words.  Short  ones 
are  best.  If  I  tell  you  a  story  about  a  man  who  lost  his 
way  among  the  snows  of  the  Alps,  wouldn’t  it  be  better 
to  say  that  he  i cent  up  rather  than  that  he  ascended  the 
slope  of  the  mountain?  If  I  wished  to  impress  it  on  your 
mind  that  he  was  to  blame  for  not  taking  a  guide  with 
him,  would  it  not  be  in  bettei  taste  to  say  that  his  neglect 
was  wrong,  than  that  it  was  reprehensible  ?  I  think  so; 
and  my  advice  is,  that  you  give  the  big  words  a  “  wide 
berth,”  as  the  sailors  say  of  dangerous  rocks. 

4.  Don’t  dip  very  deep  into  poetry.  Serve  up  that  ar¬ 
ticle  in  small  quantities,  and  only  once  in  a  great  while 
[if  at.  all— Ed.].  The  fact  is,  that  good  prose  is  w  orth 
much  more  than  poor  poetry.  I  know  well,  that  it  is  not 
uncommon  for  young  people,  in  most  of  our  schools,  to 
tty  their  hands  at  this  branch  of  composition  ;  but  I  know 


equally  well  that  they  are  apt  to  make  sorry  work  of  it. 
They  spend  a  great  deal  of  time,  and  accomplish  but  lit¬ 
tle.  Their  lines  are  hard  to  write,  and  hard  to  read,  re¬ 
minding  one  of  the  wag’s  description  of  his  horse,  who 
had  but  two  faults,  one  that  he  was  hard  to  catch,  and 
the  other  that  he  was  good  for  nothing  after  he  was 
caught  I  wouldn’t  cut  you  off  from  the  pleasure  of  mak¬ 
ing  a  stray  rhyme  now  and  then,  but  in  your  compositions, 

I  would  decidedly  recommend  prose. 

5.  If  it  is  possible  to  do  so,  take  a  subject  that  interests 
you.  If  it  interests  you  deeply,  so  much  the  better. 
Those  things  which  you  see  and  hear,  every  day  of  your 
life,  if  you  will  take  a  suitable  note  of  them,  and  have  a 
place  for  them  in  your  mind,  and  make  the  most  of  them, 
will  furnish  you  with  a  great  deal  of  excellent  material. 
Let  me  illustrate  this  a  little,  for  I  have  a  case  in  point 
which  is  fresh  in  my  mind.  I  spent  last  Christmas  day  at 
the  house  of  a  friend,  who  has  a  daughter  about  twelve 
years  of  age.  While  I  was  there,  this  girl  went  out  into 
the  street  on  some  errand.  When  she  came  in,  her  coun¬ 
tenance  expressed  the  greatest  possible  interest.  It  was 
evident  she  had  seen  or  heard  something  of  which  her 
mind  was  full  and  running  over.  The  story  soon  came 
out,  I  doubt  whether  we  could  have  kept  it  in,  if  we  had 
tried,  which,  of  course,  we  had  no  disposition  to  do.  She 
had  seen  a  man  w  ith  a  hand  organ — an  organ  w  hich  not 
only  ground  out  music,  but  performed  far  more  wonderful 
feats.  Attached  to  the  instrument  was  a  table,  with  a 
circular  railw  ay.  As  soon  as  the  musician  commenced 
turning  his  crank,  a  door  flew  open,  and  a  procession 
started  out  from  a  place  of  concealment,  which  moved 
around  in  grand  style,  on  the  railway.  The  procession 
proved  to  be  a  miniature  imitation  of  the  one  which  the 
New-Yorkers  got  up  last  September,  in  honor  of  the  lay¬ 
ing  of  the  Atlantic  Telegraph.  There  were  the  military, 
and  lots  of  great  men,  with  the  famous  Mr.  Field  ,  to  wind 
up  with.  I  w  ish  you  could  have  seen  and  heard  that  girl, 
while  she  w  as  telling  her  story.  She  was  really  eloquent 
I  assure  you.  “  Mary,”  said  I,  after  she  had  finished, 
“  there  is  a  composition  for  you.”  “Good!”  said  she, 
half  crazy  with  delight,  “  so  there  is.  I’ll  write  it  this 
very  day.”  And  so  she  did,  putting  into  it  a  little  fun, 
just  enough,  as  she  said  afterwards,  to  make  her  teacher 
laugh  heartily. 

THE  BOY  WHO  DOES  HIS  OWN  THINKING. 

There  is  a  pretty  sharp  boy  living  at  Bridgeport,  in  the 
good  old  state  of  Connecticut — I  mean  the  chap  who  has 
just  written  me  a  letter.  And  by  the  way,  I’ve  a  notion 
that  the  boys  down  in  that  region  are  all  a  little  sharper 
than  they  are  in  most  other  States,  and  that  they  get  their 
‘‘eye  teeth”  cut  pretty  early.  But  whether  that  is  so  or 
not,  I’ll  answer  for  there  being  one  smart  boy  in  Bridge¬ 
port.  His  letter  is  about  that  horned  frog  I  told  you  about 
in  the  January  number  of  the  Agriculturist.  Listen  to 
him  :  “lam  almost  sure,  Uncle  Frank,  that  this  Texas 
animal  is  a  Saurian.  He  seems  to  me,  according  to  his 
picture  and  the  description  given  of  him,  to  have  very 
few  affinities  with  the  Batrachian  family.”  Well,  well, 
this  young  colt  will  make  it  necessary  for  me  to  brush  up 
my  learning  somewhat,  that’s  clear.  The  Saurian  or 
lizard  family  is  thus  laconically  described  by  one  of  the 
best  naturalists  in  this  country  :  “An  order  of  reptiles 
including  all  which  are  covered  with  scales,  and  have 
four  legs.”  So  it  appears  that  we  can’t  make  a  Saurian 
without  scales,  of  which  our  horned  frog  was  destitute. 
Here  is  a  picture  of  a  most  undoubted  member  of  the 


family— one  who  is  every  inch  a  Saurian  You  don’t 
need  to  be  told  that  this  is  the  Alligator.  I  call  your  at¬ 
tention  to  him,  to  show  how  wide  is  the  difference  in  the 
characteristics  of  the  two  families.  Do  you  think  there 
is  much  blood  relation  between  our  modest  frog  and  this 
scaly  fellow? 

Now  let  us  see  what  are  the  distinctive  peculiarities  of 
the  Batrachian  or  frog  family.  I  quote  from  the  same 
authority  :  “An  order  of  reptiles  with  a  naked  body,  and 
two  or  four  feet,  including  frogs,  toads,  salamanders,  &c.” 

This  letter,  boys  and  girls,  pleased  me  very  much,  and 


I’ll  tell  you  why.  It  shows  that  the  boy  is  disposed  to 
think  for  himself,  and  not  rely  altogether  on  the  thinking 
machinery  of  others.  That  boy  will  be  somebody,  one  of 
these  days,  though  he  may  first  make  a  hundred  mistakes 
as  bad  as  to  call  our  Texan  toad  a  Saurian  instead  of  a 
Batrachian. 

“  WHIP  BEHIND.” 

This  is  not  an  uncommon  street  cry  in  New-York.  It 
comes  from  a  boy,  and  is  addressed  to  the  driver  of  an 
omnibus.  The  meaning  of  it  is,  “  There’s  a  chap  hold¬ 
ing  on  to  the  back  of  your  stage,  and  you  would  do  well 
to  whip  him  off.”  I  often  encounter  a  boy,  who  is  steal¬ 
ing  a  ride  in  this  way ;  and  he  always  makes  me  think  of 
those  plants  which  are  called  parasites.  You  know  what 
a  parasite  is,  don’t  you  ?  It  is  a  plant  which  gets  its  liv¬ 
ing  by  sucking  the  juices  of  other  plants.  I  should  be 
very  sorry  to  see  a  young  friend  of  mine  making  a  para¬ 
site  of  himself  in  this  manner.  He  would  sink  in  my  es¬ 
timation  a  good  many  degrees.  I  should  be  almost  afiaid 
he  would  be  a  hanger-on  to  society  some  day,  just  as  he 
is  now  a  hanger-on  to  an  omnibus. 


Grandmother  with  the  Little  Girls. 


NO.  3— ABOUT  NEATNESS  IN  GENERAL,  AND  WASHING 
DISHES  IN  PARTICULAR. 

How  d'ye  do,  my  girls  ?  And  how  have  you  all  been 
since  our  last  visit?  I  hope  none  of  you  made  yourselves 
sick  with  all  the  good  things  brought  you  by  “  Santa 
Claus,”  and  “  Old  January,”  whom  Uncle  Frank  told 
about.  If  you’ll  remember  to  eat  only  candies  that  are 
not  colored,  and  not  eat  too  much,  they  will  not  harm 
you.  The  green  and  yellow  and  blue  candies  have  all 
sorts  of  poison  stuff  in  them.  When  I  was  young  we 
didn’t  see  much  candy  ;  our  folks  used  to  make  maple 
sugar  every  Spring,  and  when  mother  wanted  to  give  us 
something  nice,  she  would  go  to  the  pantry,  take  down 
the  big  wooden  box  where  it  was  kept,  and  hand  out  a 
good  large  lump.  We  were  not  afraid  to  eat  it,  for  we 
knew  it  was  made  just  as  neat  as  could  be.  I  dont  see 
how  folks  can  bear  to  eat  what  is  not  clean— no  matter  if 
they  can’t  see  the  dirt,  it  wasn’t  made  to  eat.  I  went 
down  to  the  City  once,  to  visit  a  friend,  and  while  I  was 
there,  we  had  baker’s  bread  to  eat.  At  first  I  thought  it 
was  very  nice  ;  it  was  so  light  and  white  ;  but  one  day 
when  I  was  walking  out,  I  passed  a  cellar  where  a  baker 
was  at  work  mixing  bread.  0,  my  !  He  was  a  great 
blc.usy  looking  man,  with  a  dirty  checked  shirt  on,  and  as 
true  as  I  live  he  was  smoking  a  filthy  pipe,  right  over 
where  he  was  kneading  the  dough.  And  such  a  looking 
cellar!  I  couldn’t  eat  any  more  baker’s  bread  after  look¬ 
ing  in  there. 

My  old  minister  used  to  say  “Cleanliness  is  next  to  god¬ 
liness,”  and  I  think  he  was  very  near  right,  for  I  never 
saw  many  filthy  people  that  were  very  good  people.  Above 
all  things  I  love  to  see  every  thing  neat  about  the  cooking, 
anil  the  dishes,  and  the  table. 

Some  people  look  pretty  nice  themselves,  and  if  you  call 
on  them,  their  parlors  will  look  very  handsome,  but  when 
you  happen  to  get  a  peep  into  the  kitchen,  you  wonder  how 
they  can  live  so,  and  you  do  not  care  even  to  stay  to  tea. 
I  suppose  they  leave  it  all  to  the  “help,”  and  many  girls 
employed  as  servants,  having  never  been  taught  how  to 
do  work  properly,  are  very  careless  and  untidy.  But  the 
mistress  of  the  house  should  always  be  able  to  supervise 
all  the  work,  and  give  such  instructions  to  her  domestics, 
as  to  lhave  them  no  excuse  for  such  neglect. 


February ,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


57 


WASHING  DISHES. 

I  think  it  would  puzzle  some  radies  very  much  to  tell 
their  girls  how  to  wash  dishes  properly.  This  is  work 
which  little  girls  can  learn  to  do  quite  easily,  and  if  you 
will  remember  my  way  of  doing  it,  I  am  sure  you  will 
never  be  ashamed  to  have  your  dishes  come  on  the  table. 
I  used  always  lo  have  two  dish-pans,  one  to  wash  and  one 
to  rinse  in.  First  I  would  make  a  strong  suds,  in  the 
washing  pan,  and  partly  fill  the  other  with  clean  hot  water. 
Then,  the  dishes  which  are  not  greasy,  such  as  the  oread 
and  cake  plates,  cups  and  saucers,  &c.,  should  be  put  into 
the  suds,  and  each  washed  with  a  clean  cloth— not  some 
old  rag,  all  worn  out  and  “  linty,”  but  a  neat  coarse  cloth 
nicely  hemmed.  A  short  stick  with  a  piece  of  new 
linen  cloth  tied  on  the  end  of  it,  like  a  small  mop,  is  a 
very  nice  thing  to  wash  deep  dishes  or  those  that  have 
many  “ creases  ”  and  “  dents ”  in  them,  such  as  fancy 
glass  preserve  dishes. 

As  fast  as  the  dishes  are  taken  from  the  suds'they  should 
be  put  into  the  rinsing  pan,  before  the  suds  can  dry  on  ; 
and  then  they  should  be  placed  on  something  to  drain.  An 
old  tea-board  is  very  good  for  this  purpose.  A  shelf  over 
the  sink,  made  slanting  to  carry  the  water  into  the  sink,  is 
better  still.  After  the  nicer  dishes  are  washed,  more  hot 
suds  should  be  put  into  the  first  pan.  and  the  greasy  dishes 
washed  with  a  different  dish  cloth,  for  it  is  not  neat  to 
use  the  same  one  for  all  kinds  of  dishes.  I’ve  seen  cloths 
in  some  kitchens  that  looked  as  if  they  were  used  to  keep 
dirt  off  from  every  thing  in  the  house. 

After  the  greasy  dishes  are  w  ashed,  the  knives  and  forks 
have  their  turn-  But  don’t  put  the  handles  into  the  hot 
w  ater  ;  it  will  make  them  warp  and  separate  from  the 
blades;  I’ve  seen  many  a  good  set  spoiled  in  this  way. 
The  pots  and  kettles  come  last,  and  the  dish  cloth  ought 
never  to  go  into  these  ;  a  separate  cloth  should  be  kept 
on  purpose,  and  when  they  are  washed,  set  them  by  the  fire 
to  dry,  to  keep  them  from  rusting. 

While  you  are  washing  your  dishes,  your  sister  may  be 
wiping  them,  after  they  have  been  well  drained.  This 
can  be  done  much  more  quickly  and  nicely  with  two 
towels,  taking  one  in  each  hand,  for  then  you  need  not 
leave  any  finger  marks  on  the  dishes,  but  make  them  shine 
all  over,  as  bright  as  your  eyes— and  they  will,  if  the 
work  is  well  done. 

Always  be  careful  in  washing  glass  vessels,  not  to  put 
them  into  very  hot  water  at  first,  as  they  may  be  cracked 
by  it.  The  rinsing  water  may  be  made  hotter  than  the 
first  water,  as  dishes  bear  heat  better  if  it  be  not  applied 
too  suddenly. 

The  sink  should  be  thoroughly  washed  out  after  finish 
ing  with  the  dishes.  If  you  wash  it  once  or  twice  a  week 
with  strong  ley  made  from  wood  ashes,  it  will  take  out 
the  grease  and  prevent  the  unpleasant  smell  that  a  neg¬ 
lected  sink  always  has. 

Do  you  think  you  can  remember  all  this  ?  You  must 
try,  for  when  I  come  to  take  tea  w  ith  you  I  shall  pul  on 
my  best  spectacles,  and  see  if  you  have  heeded  w  hat  I 
have  told  you.  You  may  go  and  play  now'.  Good  after¬ 
noon. 


The  Editor  witli  his  Young-  Readers. 


Well,  young  friends,  here  we  are  again— come  to  a 
resting  place  in  our  journey  through  the  year,  where  w  e 
may  sit  down  and  have  an  evening’s  chat.  Lets  call  the 
roll  and  see  if  all  have  arrived  safely  at  the  Station. 
“John  1”  “  Here  sir  1” — “James  1”  “  Here  “  William  1” 
“  Here  — “  Mary  1”  “  Here  “  Jane  1”  “  Here  !” — 

'•  Ellen  1”  “  Here  1” —  Hold  on  ;  we  can't  call  the  w  hole 
roll,  it’s  too  long.  Let’s  "count  noses  ”  as  they  say,  and 
see  how  many  are  here.  “  One,  two,  three _ one  hun¬ 
dred _ two-hundred _ five-hundred. .  .one-thousand. . . 

ten-thousand fifty-thousand  —  a  hundred  thousand. . . 

two-hundred  thousand” _ Stop,  stop — Two  hundred 

thousand  boys  and  girls  in  our  company  !  How  can  that 
be  1  You  havecounted  some  of  themtwice,  have  younot? 
Let  us  see.  We  shall  print  of  this  number  just  about 
fifty-thousand  copies — perhaps  a  few  thousand  more.  Let 
us  try  Colburn’s  Mental  Arithmetic— one  of  the  best  school 
books  ever  published,  by  the  way,  because  it  taught  boys 
and  girls  to  carry  their  slates  and  pencils  in  their  heads.— 
Well  50.000  copies  go  to  50.000  families.  In  these  families 
there  is  an  average  of  about  four  boys  and  girls  who  can 
read.  (Fanny  Fern  says  a  house  is  not  well  furnished 
until  there  are  six  or  eight  little  ones  in  it- she  said  nine 
or  ten  we  think,  but  we  have  forgotten).  In  some  house¬ 
holds  there  are  less  than  four,  and  in  some  none  :  but  in 
others  there  are  more  than  four,  and  to  make  up  any  de¬ 
ficiency  we  will  count  in  those  w  here  the  paper  is  loaned, 
and  allow  also  for  the  groat  number  of  papers  which  are 
constantly  read  by  two  or  more  families.  So  our  company 
of  little  folks  must  number  at  least  4  times  50.000,  or  200. 000! 
Don’t  you  feel  a  great  deal  larger  w  hen  you  think  what 
an  immense  company  you  help  makeup.  We  begin  to 
feel— to  feel — to  feel— well  we  weie  going  to  say  scared, 
when  we  look  at  you  all,  in  imagination,  and  see  so  many 


pairs  of  bright  eyes  all  turned  towards  us;  but  it  is  not 
exactly  scared  we  are.  In  short  we  don’t  know  exactly 
how  we  do  feel.  We  once  stood  up  to  talk  to  2,000  chil¬ 
dren,  and  it  was  about  the  most  pleasing  sight  we  ever 
saw,  and  we  never  felt  better  in  our  life-  that’s  just  about 
how  we  feel  now. 

A  MERRY  CHRISTMAS  AND  A  HAPPY  NEW  YEAR 

we  wished  you  all  last  month.  Did  you  have  them  1 
We  believe  you  all  “  wished  us  the  same,”  and  the  wish 
was  granted,  for  we  did  have  “the  same  ’’—specially  the 
“  merry  Christmas.”  That  gathering  of  children  we  told 
you  about  last  month,  turned  out  to  be  the  best  thing  of 
the  kind  we  ever  did  see.  This  page  is  not  iarge  enough 
to  tell  you  all  the  nice  things  done  and  said— of  the  splen¬ 
did  table  lo?ded  with  such  lots  ofthings  ;  of  the  Christmas 
trees  reaching  to  the  ceiling  and  their  branches  bending 
under  the  knick-knacks  hung  on  them— and  of  the  sur¬ 
prise  presents  we  got  that  day  and  now  preserve  as  me¬ 
mentoes.  Our  head  has  been  so  full  of  the  subject  ever 
since  that  we  could  hardly  keep  from  letting  a  little  out. 
But  we’ll  not  give  you  a  “  report."— Imagine  the  whole 
affair  got  up  in  a  way  to  please  you  most,  and  you  will 
hit  it — for  the  children  who  were  there  all  said  it  was  as 
good  as  it  could  be,  and  “children  are  all  alike”  you  know. 


TRAPPING  BIRDS. 

Being  very  busy,  we  commissioned  an  artist  to  get  up 
for  us  a  picture  for  the  little  folks,  to  go  on  this  page— one 
to  suit  himself,  but  appropriate  to  the  season — and  the 
engraving  given  above  is  what  he  brought  us  at  the  last 
moment.  As  a  picture  it  is  beautiful.  See  how  natural 
every  thing  is  brought  out  by  means  of  little  points  and 
lines  left  upon  the  block.  You  can  even  see  the  snow  on 
the  tree.  But  we  confess  we  don’t  like  the  subject  of  the 
picture.  We  don’t  like  the  looks  of  those  boys  trying  to 
catch  the  innocent  little  snow  birds.  If  the  birds  knew, 
wouldn’t  they  be  off?  One  little  fellow,  not  quite  under 
the  trap,  seems  to  be  a  little  suspicious  of  danger.  He  is 
peering  about  to  see  if  any  harm  is  near.  Don’t  you  hope 
he’ll  fly  away  and  scare  the  rest  too  ?  Do  you  quite  like 
the  appearance  of  the  boy  who  holds  the  string,  and  is  no 
doubt  the  head  of  the  party?  With  his  coat  off,  his  trow- 
sers  tucked  into  his  boots,  and  his  hat  set  on  one  side,  we 
think  there  is  a  “  don’t  care  ”  look  about  him  that  is  not 
very  promising.  “  Don’t  care  ”  is  a  bad  beginning  for 
any  boy  to  make.  Ifthe  truth  could  be  known,  perhaps 
we  should  find  him  one  who  has  left  his  threshing  in  the 
barn,  the  roof  of  which  you  can  just  see  over  the  fence  in 
the  background,  and  taking  the  grain  screen,  lie  has 
coaxed  the  other  boys  who  should  be  at  school,  to  go  out 
with  him  to  trap  the  snow-birds.  A  boy  that  would  trap 
such  innocent  little  fellows,  that  do  no  harm  and  lhat  are 
useless  when  caught,  would  he  likely  to  do  such  tricks. 
Some  one  should  sing  to  him  that  sweet  little  song 
“  Chick-a-dee-dee,”— written  by  our  “  Uncle  Frank,”— to 
soften  his  hard  nature  a  little. 

“the  best  GtnL.” 

In  our  school  last  Sabbath,  there  was  one  vacant  seat. 
It  was  that  of  little  Mary,  who  was  with  us  on  Christmas 
Day— so  joyful,  so  happy.  Alas!  she  is  with  ns  no  more. 
Scarcely  had  the  New-Year  dawned,  ere  Death  came  and 
plucked  away  one  of  our  loveliest  flowers.  How  often  w  e 
think  of  Death  as  the  keeper  of  a  garden,  w  ho  goes  around 
continually  among  the  flower  beds,  sometimes  to  dig  up 
weeds,  and  cut  out  full  grown  stalks  that  have  served  the 


purpose  of  their  existence;  and  at  others  to  gather  a  bo- 
qnet  of  flowers  foi  his  master.  Mark  how  he  chooses  the 
loveliest,  sweete  st  blossoms,  until  he  has  his  hands  full  of 
them.  So  Death  will  go  around  among  our  company 
many  times  this  year  and  pick  one  here  and  another  there¬ 
in  all  a  great  number.  If  he  take  you,  my  child,  will  it  be 
as  a  useless  or  noxious  weed,  ora  flower  fragrantin  good 
deeds  ?  How  is  it?  Sometimes  we  think  of  Death  as  a 
reaper  who  cuts  down  the  tall  ripening  grain,  but  wdiose 
scythe  also  clips  off  the  heads  of  the  flowers  that  grow 
among  it.  Here  is  the  way  the  poet  Longfellow  has  ex¬ 
pressed  it  ; 

“  There  is  a  reaper  w  hose  name  is  Death, 

And,  with  his  sickle  keen, 

He  reaps  the  bearded  grain  at  a  breath 
And  the  flowers  that  grow  between 

In  another  verse  it  is  said  ; 

“  But  not  in  cruelty,  not  in  wrath, 

The  reaper  came  that  day - 

An  angel  visited  the  green  earth, 

And  took  the  flowers  away'.” 

Are  not  those  beautiful  thoughts?  But  we  commenced 
to  give  you  an  item  about  our  departed  Mary,  which  was 
related  last  Sabbath  by  her  former  teacher  in  the  public 
school.  It  was  this  :  A  few  weeks  ago  a  gentleman  visit¬ 
ed  the  school,  and  while  there  he  took  out  a 
curiosity  from  his  pocket  and  showed  it  to  the 
scholars.  “  Now,”  said  he,  “if  I  knew  who  was 
the  best  girl  in  the  school  I  would  call  her  here  to 
examine  this  particularly.  If  the  school  can  decide 
w  ho  is  Ihe  best  girl  I  will  call  her.”  This  he  said 
ns  an  introduction  to  a  speech,  not  thinking  the 
scholars  would  agree  among  themselves.  But  he 
had  hardly  slated  the  proposition  when  the  whole 
school  called  out  “Mary  A.!”  Was  not  that  a  real 
honor?  By  her  goodness  alone — for  she  was  a 
meek  unobtrusive  child — she  drew  forth  the  unan¬ 
imous  approval  of  the  whole  of  the  little  world 
around  her.  This  incident  teaches  at  least  one 
important  lesson,  viz.,  that  all  persons,  young  as 
well  as  old,  really  admire  genuine  goodness  of 
heart  in  others,  no  matter  how  bad  they  may  be 
themselves,  and  when  their  sentiments  come  out 
spontaneously,  as  on  the  occasion  referred  to,  they 
approve  the  right.  Remember,  then,  that  however 
much  others  may  pretend  to  praise  your  unworthv 
acts,  and  cry  “bravo!”  when  you  stubbornly  dis- 
-  obey  commands  or  show  forth  a  wrong  spirit,  or 

jeeringly  taunt  you  for  doing  rightly,  yet  these 
same  persons  in  their  hearts  really  respect  and 
love  truth  and  uprightness.  Their  pretended  ap¬ 
probation  of  wrong  doing  is  merely  the  offspring 
of  a  wish  that  others  may  sink  as  low  as  them¬ 
selves.  Strive  then  to  do  right  under  all  ciro.um- 
tanc.es,  for  then  you  will  not  only  secure  the  real 
approbation  of  all  who  know  you,  and  also  have  the 
approval  of  your  own  hearts,  but  more  than  all  this, 
you  will  be  honored  by  that  Good  Being  who  made  and 
w  ho  sustains  you. 

THE  ECLIPSE  THIS  MONTH. 

Every  boy  and  girl  of  you  must  remember  to  go  to  bed 
very  early  on  Tuseday,  the  16th  day  of  February,  for  you 
will  want  to  be  up  bright  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
17th  to  see  the  grand  sight  of  a  total  eclipse  of  the  moon. 
The  eclipse  will  not  be  seen  at  the  same  o’clock, 
everywhere,  for  when  it  begins  it  will  be  not  quite 
three  o’clock,  in  the  morning  out  in  Iowa,  while  it 
will  be  7  minutes  past  3  at  Chicago,  Ill.,  and  plaoies 
north  and  south  of  there  ;  20  minutes  past  3  at  Cincinna¬ 
ti,  O.,  Macon,  Geo.,  etc.  ;  and  about  40  minutes  past  3  at 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  Charleston,  S.  C.,etc. ;  about  4  o’clock  at 
New-York,  Philadelphia,  etc.  ;  and  13  to  18  minutes  past 
4  in  Boston,  Augusta,  Me.,  etc. 

The  eclipse  will  be  total  (the  moon  all  dark)  in  57  min¬ 
utes  after  it  begins,  and  remain  so  for  98  minutes,  and 
afterwards  be  partially  eclipsed  for  57  minutes  longer,  or 
in  all  212  minutes  (3  hours  and  32  minutes).  Those  living 
furthest  West  will  have  the  advantage,  as  the  eclipse 
begins  so  early  there,  that  they  can  see  the  whole  of  it, 
for  their  part  of  the  earth  will  not  be  turned  round  to  the 
sun  in  time  to  bring  daylight  before  the  eclipse  will  all 
be  over. 

The  moon  will  be  in  the  West  of  course,  because  it 
must  be  on  the  opposite  side  from  the  sun  which  will 
then  be  about  to  rise  in  the  East.  You  know  that  an 
eclipse  of  the  moon  is  caused  by  the  earth  getting  be¬ 
tween  the  sun  and  moon,  and  shutting  the  light  ofthesun 
off;  that  is,  the  moon  gets  in  the  earth’s  great  shadow. 
(An  eclipse  of  the  sun  is  caused  by  the  moon  getting  on  the 
same  side  of  us,  that  is  the  moon  gets  between  us  and  the 
sun  and  hides  from  us  a  part  and  sometimes  the  whole  of 
the  light  of  the  sun.) 

The  moon  does  not  send  out  light  itself,  but  only  shines 
when  the  sun’s  light  falls  on  it  and  is  reflected  or  thrown 


58 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


back  to  us.  On  the  17th  of  February,  the  earth  will  stop  the 
li^-ht  from  falling  on  the  moon  for  a  while.  The  moon  moves 
around  the  earth,  and  if  you  watch  it  you  wjll  see  when  one 
side  of  it  gets  into  the  earth’s  great  shadow.  It  will  then 
move  further  and  further  into  the  shadow,  and  bye  and  bye 
(in  57  minutes)  get  wholly  in  it.  In  98  minutes  more,  it  will 
have  moved  across  or  through  the  earth’s  shadow,  and 
you  will  see  the  other  side  of  the  moon  begin  to  come  out 
where  the  sun  can  again  shine  upon  it— it  will  keep  mov¬ 
ing  on  until  it  gets  clear  out  into  light  again.  Just  about 
then,  that  is  in  the  Western  and  South-western  States,  the 
earth  will  have  turned  around  to  the  East,  away  from  the 
sight  of  the  moon,  and  into  sight  of  the  sun.  We  explained 
this  turning  of  the  earth,  and  difference  of  time,  in  last 
volume,  page  S44. 

A  VOTE  OF  THANKS  TO  THE  LITTLE  FOLKS. 

We  think  we  could  pick  out  from  the  business  letters 
received  this  year  so  :ar,  as  many  as  a  hundred  at  least, 

which  each  contain  a  sentence  like  this:  “ . The 

crops  have  been  so  poor  and  times  so  hard  that  I  thought 
we  must  do  without  the  Agriculturist  this  year,  but  my 
children  beg  so  hard  for  it  that  I  must  send  on  my  sub¬ 
scription  and  cut  off  some  other  outlay . ”  We  don’t 

know  how  many  others  there  are  who  might  have  writ¬ 
ten  in  the  same  way,  but  probably  a  good  many.  The 
publisher  is  very  grateful  for  this  kind  interest  on  the  part 
of  his  young  friends,  and,  meeting  being  called  to  order 
he  hereby  and  herein  offers  a  unanimous  vole  of  thanks 
to  each  and  all  of  them.  He  wishes  he  could  send  every 
one  of  them  a  copy  of  the  “  Big  Dictionary,”  such  as  has 
been  sent  tr  a  f'od  many  boys  and  a  few  little  girls  too. 


Vew  Problems. 


"voblem  33.  — To  separate  the  above  two' individuals 
xMhoui  unlying  the  strings,  or  removing  them  from  the 
«  Ats  It  can  be  easily  done  when  you  find  out  how 


Problem  34.— To  remove  the  shears  from  the  string— 
the  end  of  the  string  being  firmly  fastened  to  a  nail  in  the 
wall,  or  some  other  immovable  object,  w  hich  can  not  be 
put  through  the  handles  of  the  shears.  This  is  also  easi¬ 
ly  performed  when  you  know  how. 

32— Doo  Problem.— Further  answers.  Our  last  num¬ 
ber  had  scarcely  gone  to  the  stereotypers  when  in  came 
a  lot  more  of  answers  from  boys  and  girls  who  lived  too 
far  off  for  their  letters  to  arrive  sooner.  As  we  mean  to  be 
impartial,  we  will  add  here  the  names  of  those  who  sent 
answers  before  they  had  time  to  get  the  solution  in  the 
January  number  :  A.  Buckhart,  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  F. 
W.  Fletcher,  Southington;  F.  A.  Allen,  Bradford  Co., 
Pa.;  A  Bodine,  (lush  Co  ,  Ind. ;  Sallie  E.  Fort,  Ocean 
Co.,  N.  J.  :  II.  A.  Simpson,  Pike  Co.,  III.;  Wm.  J. 
Badger,  Clark  Co.,  Ind.;  E.  E.  Stearns,  no  address; 
Emily  G.  Curtis  (10y.),  Fairfield  Co.,  Ct.  ;  J.  Dalesman,  jr. 
no  address;  S.  E.  Theus,  Savannah,  Geo.  ivety  neat); 
0.  W.  Brown,  Worcester  Co  ,  Ill  ;  II.  Conklin,  Fon  du 
Lac  Co.,  Wis.  ;  C.  Hoffman,  jr.,  Dauphin  Co.,  Pa.;  H. 
E.  Tainter,  Windham  Co.,  Conn. ;  T.  Ford,  (8y.)  Ritchie 
Co.,  Va.  ;  W.  II.  Ken,  and  J.  V.  Veach,  Henry  Co.,  Ind  ; 
Benj.  Andrews,  Knox  Co.,  Ill.  (says  “they  swap  heads”) ; 
S.  F.  Dyer,  Kendall  Co.,  Ill.  ;  E.  P.  McClure,  Desmoines 
Co.,  Iowa;  S.  Marvin,  Morrow  Go.,  0.  ;  J.  W.  Botsfield, 


Delaware  Co.,  Ind. ;  S.  K.  Bare,  York  Co.,  Pa.  ;  B.  C. 
Lowe,  Jackson  Co.,  Ind. ;  J.  Pearsall,  no  address  ;  J. 
W.  Nichols,  Mahaska  Co.,  Iowa  ;  II.  Wickerson,  C.  W.  ; 
Wm.  Paul,  Washington  Co.,  Pa. ;  Geo.  Wilcox,  Hart¬ 
ford  Co.,  Conn.  ;  K.,  Louisa  Co.,  Iowa  ;  C.  G.  Whiting, 
Suffolk  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  J.  M.  Smith,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y. 
(sorry  you  cut  your  Agriculturist) ;  Annie  Foggin,  Upper 
Canada;  W.  A.,  Wayne  Co.,  Pa.;  J,  Hamilton,  Davis 
Co.,  0.  ;  Geo.  L.  Church  (I3y.),  Newport  Co  ,  R.  I.  ;  N. 
Warren,  Upshur  Co.,  Va.  ;  Sarah  W.  Taylor,  Saratoga 
Co.,  N,  Y.  ;  C.  L.  Miller,  St.  Jos.  Co.,  Mich.  ;  D.  W. 
Stanley,  Wayne  Co.,  Ind.;  D.  Davis,  Rush  Co,  Ind.; 
Josephine  Shepard,  Hartford  Co.,  Conn.  ;  F.  B.  Hen¬ 
dricks,  De  Kalb  Co.,  Ind. ;  W.  Phillips,  Edward  Co.,  Ill. 

Problem  31  still  remains  unanswered,  except  by  a  very 
few.  As  this  problem  is  useful  and  will  help  to  fix 
several  important  facts  in  the  mind,  we  believe  it  worth 
while  to  re-publish  it  here  for  a  multitude  of  new  subscri¬ 
bers  and  those  not  having  preserved  the  November  num¬ 
bers.  It  runs  thus : 

The  present  inhabitants  of  the  world  number  about 
1,28  3,000,000  (viz.:  in  Asia,  720,000,000;  Europe, 
272,000,000;  America,  200.000,000  ;  Africa,  89,000,000  ; 
Islands  of  the  Ocean,  2,000,000).  If  all  were  gathered 
upon  a  plain  and  only  a  yard  square  (3  feet  each  way) 
of  standing  room  allowed  to  each. 

Question  1st.— How  many  acres  would  they  cover! 

Quest.  2nd. — How  many  square  miles  ? 

Quest.  3d  — If  standingin  a  square  body,  how  farwould 
the  multitude  extend  each  way  ? 

Quest.  4th — If  they  stood  in  a  circular  mass,  what 
would  be  the  distance  through  the  circle  1 

Suppose  them  to  form  in  marching  order,  like  soldiers 
in  single  file,  and  allow  only  3  feet  for  each  individual  to 
walk  in  : 

Quest  5th.— How  many  miles  would  the  line  extend  T 

Quest.  6th.— How  many  times  around  the  globe  would 
the  line  reach? 

Suppose  1  he  earth  to  be  exactly  25,000  miles  in  circumfer¬ 
ence.  and  three-quarters  of  its  surface  to  be  covered  with 
water  and  rocks. 

Quest.  7.— How  many  acres  of  tillable  land  are  there  left 
for  each  man,  woman  and  child? 

Suppose  only  one  person  out  of  thirty  dies  each  year  (a 
very  low  estimate) : 

Quest.  8.— IIovv  many  die  every  year  ? 

Quest.  9.— How  many  die  every  day  ? 

Quest.  10. — How  many  die  every  hour  ? 

Quest.  11.— How  many  die  every  minute? 

Quest.  12- — If  every  human  being  in  the  whole  United 
States  (say  25,000,000)  were  swept  off  in  a  single 
year,  How  many  more  would  die  elsewhere  each 
year,  to  equal  the  whole  number  of  deaths  annu¬ 
ally  in  the  human  family,  allowing  as,  before,  only 
one  in  30  to  die  ? 

The  correct  or  nearly  correct  answers  received  so  far 
are  from  :  Nathan  Blakeslee,  Oakland  Co.,  Mich.  ;  S.  P. 
Sharpie,  Chester  Co.,  Pa.  ;  Ebenezer  Caldwell,  Allegha¬ 
ny  Co.,  Pa.  (ail  except  Quest.  4)  ;  R.  Harvey,  Jo  Davis 
Co.,  III.  (all  except  Quest.  7) ;  Sparks  Wall,  Guernsey  Co., 
O.  (all  except  Quest.  4  &  7)  ;  R.  E-  Tlickinger,  Juniata 
Co.,  Pa.  (all  except  Quests.  3,  4,  7, 12)  ;  From  Leedsville, 
N.  Y.,  we  have  the  following:  Ira  H.  Dean,  all  right. 
Harry  Swift,  James  Chaffee,  John  Reed,  Kate  Reed,  and 
Helen  Bird,  all  except  Quests.  3,  4  &  7.  H.  V.  D.  Reed 
and  Edward  Swift,  solved  the  3,  4&  7  questions. 


PREMIUM SI 


We  desire  to  extend  the  circulation  of  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  into  lens  o(  thousands  o(  families  where  it  is  still 
unknown.  To  accomplish  this,  we  offer  to  those  who  will 
assist  in  the  work,  the  following  ptemiums,  which  are  cer¬ 
tainly  liberal,  if  the  cgstof  the  paper,  and  the  low  price  at 
which  it  is  furnished  be  taken  into  account.  fA  few  of  the 
less  important  premiums,  though  still  given  when  de¬ 
sired,  are  omitted  here.  They  can  be  found  in  the  Janu¬ 
ary  number.] 

rmniuin  SII.— Any  person  sending  in  a  club  of 
10  subscribers  at  $8,  may  order  a  free  copy  of  either  Vol. 
XVI  or  Vol.  XVII,  which  will  be  sent  in  numbers. 

Premium  V.— Any  person  sending  25  subscribers 
and  $20,  will  be  entitled  to  both  Volumes  XVI  and  XVII, 
sent  in  numbers  post-paid.  (N.  B.— If  $21  be  sent,  the  two 
Volumes  will  be  bound  neatly  in  one  cover,  and  forward¬ 
ed  post-paid.) 

Premium  VI,— Any  person  sending  in  $24  for  30 
subscribers,  one-third  or  more  of  them  neiv  ones,  will  be 
entitled  to  a  silver  cased  Microscope,  with  the  celebrated 
“Coddington  lens”— the  same  as  fig.  4.  in  July  No.,  page 
219.  Price  $4.  (It  will  be  safely  packed  and  sent  by 
mail,  post-paid.) 

Premium  VHI.—  Any  person  sending  $32  for  40 
subscribers,  (one-half  new  names,)  will  be  entitled  to  the 
large  unabridged  Webster's  Dictionary,  containing  1,376 
3-column  pages— the  best  and  most  complete  work  of  the 
kind  in  the  w'orld.  Price  $6.  It  weighs  7  lbs  ,  and  can 


te  sent  by  express  or  by  mail  ($1.12)  at  the  expense  o?  the 
recipient,  after  leaving  the  city. 


Premium  IX — Any  person  or  company  of  per¬ 
sons  sending  in  144  new  subscribers  at  the  lowest 
club  price  (80  cents  each)  or  one  hundred  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  $1  00  each,  will  be  presented  with  one 
of  Wheeler  &  Wilson’s  best  $50  Sewing  Machines,  new 
from  the  manufactory.  These  $50  machines  are  just  as 
good  for  all  working  purposes  as  those  recently  sold  at 
$100.  No  better  working  machines  are  made.  The 
names  can  be  easily  gathered  in  single  towns  or  in  two  or 
three  adjoining  ones  (they  need  not  all  be  at  the  same 
Post  office).  Two  or  more  ladies  may  unite  their  efforts 
and  secure  a  Sewing  Machine  as  eommon  property.  As 
fast  as  these  machines  are  secured  by  the  requisite  number 
of  subscribers,  they  are  selected  at  the  manufactory  by 
the  Publisher,  and  securely  packed  and  forwarded  by  any 
route  or  conveyance  desired.  There  are  no  charges  of 
any  kind,  except  for  transportation  after  leaving  the  city. 
Full  instructions  for  setting  up  and  using  go  with  each 
machine. 

Premium  IK.— The  Lady  or  company  of  Ladies 
sending  the  largest  list  of  names  above  144,  before  May 
1st,  will  be  presented  with  a  higher  priced  machine,  that 
is,  one  put  up  in  an  extra  case. 

Remarks. — It  will  be  noticed  that  any  person  trying 
for  one  of  the  higher  premiums,  and  failing  to  get  names 
enough,  can  still  take  one  of  the  lower  ones,  according  to 
the  number  of  names  obtained. 

Every  person  collecting  names  for  premiums,  can  send 
them  in  with  the  money  as  fast  as  received  ;  but  if  de¬ 
signed  for  premiums,  a  double  list  of  the  names  should  be 
sent,  one  of  them  marked  at  the  top,  “  For  premiums,” 
and  with  the  name  of  the  sender.  These  duplicate  lists 
will  be  kept  on  file  by  themselves  to  be  referred  to  in 
making  up  the  premium  when  any  person  has  completed 
sending  in  names  for  Volume  XVIII. 

We  do  not  set  any  time  for  the  completion  of  the  lists 
it  being  understood  that  these  premiums  are  only  for  sub¬ 
scriptions  for  volume  XVIII  (1859),  w-henever  received. 
The  premiums  will  be  paid  as  soon  as  the  names  are  in. 

- « - — n aa-O-teacrx  Sr-^a. - 

Seeds  for  Free  Distribution  in  1859 

Each  person  whose  subscription  to  the  American  Agricul¬ 
turist  is  paid  beyond  February,  1859,  will  be  entitled  to 
select  tliree  parcels  of  seeds  from  the  general  list  given 
below.  (If  only  flower  seeds  are  chosen,  5  parcels  may  be 
selected  by  each  person— or  3  of  flowers,  and  one  other  kind.) 

A .  It  is  of  absolute  importance  that  the  following  direc¬ 
tions  be  strictly  followed,  even  to  the  minutest  particu 
lars,  We  have  7  3  distinct  varieties  of  seeds,  to  be  dis¬ 
tributed  among  50,000  or  more  persons  scattered  all  over 
the  country,  which,  at  the  best,  will  involve  immense 
labor  ;  and  some  mistakes  must  unavoidably  occur,  unless 
each  subscriber  take  special  pains  to  facilitate  the  work, 

52.  The  seeds  can  be  called  for  at  the  office,  or  be  sent 
by  express,  or  in  ready  prepared  envelopes  to  be  fur¬ 
nished  by  the  subscriber,  as  described  below. 

€.  Subscribers  at  different  points  can  estimate  whether 
they  can  receive  their  seeds  cheapest  by  Mail  to  separate 
individuals,  or  in  a  package  by  Express. 

H5.  If  to  go  by  Express,  no  envelopes  will  be  needed. 
In  that  case,  simply  send  us  a  written  list  of  the  names 
marking  against  each  name  the  kinds  of  seed  desired, 
using  the  numbers  in  the  Catalogue.  Keep  a  duplicate  of 
the  list  sent,  and  give  particular  directions,  on  the  list, 
how  the  packages  are  lo  be  forwarded,  and  to  whom 
directed. 

E.  If  to  go  by  mail,  the  applicant  will  (of  course)  fur¬ 
nish  prepaid  envelopes,  of  ordinary  size,  which  should  be 
prepared  as  in  the  engraving  here  given— that  is :  Rut  the 
figures  corresponding 
to  the  Catalogue  plainly 
on  the  upper  left  hand 
of  the  envelope,  and 
put  aU  the  postage 
stamps  upon  the  right 
WIS.  I  sic'e  of  the  envelope — 

— - - - J  one  above  the  other 

when  two  or  more  are  needed,  as  shown  in  this  pat¬ 
tern.  This  will  prevent  the  seeds  being  crushed  in 
the  stamping  process,  in  the  Port-Office.  One  ordinary 
envelope  will  generally  hold  the  amount  of  seed-packages 
carried  by  two  or  three  stamps.  HOT  The  amount  of 
stamps  can  be  calculated  from  the  Catalogue.  Single  l -cent 
stamps  on  letters  are  of  no  value,  unless  there  be  even 
threes  of  them,  as  letter  postage  is  rated  by  the  half  ounce. 

jy.  Let  letters  referring  to  seeds  be  as  brief  as  possible, 
and  yet  plain.  All  such  communications  are  referred 
directly  to  the  clerk  superintending  that  department.  It 
is  especially  desirable  that  whatever  relates  to  seeds 


JOHN  JONES. 

BARRY 

DANE  CO. ! 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


59 


should  be  on  a  separate  slip  of  paper.  (We  shall  probably 
distribute  over  two  hundred  thousand  packages ,  and  a  min¬ 
ute’s  time  saved  on  each  of  these  would  amount  to  333 
working  days  of  10  hours  each— more  than  a  whole 
year!) 

<K.  Canada,  California  and  Oregon  subscribers  will 
need  to  substitute  10-cent  stamps  in  all  cases  where 

3-cent  stamps  are  named  in  the  catalogue.  When  several 
send  together  from  Canada,  it  will  usually  be  cheaper 
to  receive  the  seeds  by  Express.  (Postage- need  not 
necessarily  be  prepaid  here,  on  Canada  letters.) 

SI.  Always  put  the  stamps  upon  the  envelopes,  and 
not  drop  them  loosely  into  the  enclosing  letter. 

I.  It  is  always  better  to  send  envelopes  of  the  ordinary 
size,  and  made  after  what  is  called  the  “Government 
pattern”— that  is,  those  in  which  the  back  comes  under 
the  piece  lapping  over  ;  these  seal  up  more  firmly.  This 
point  is  not  essential,  however. 

3.  Usually,  the  lighter  the  envelope  the  better,  that 
more  seeds  may  go  under  the  same  stamps. 

E£.  Send  only  the  number  of  stamps  required  for  post¬ 
age  on  the  seed.  We  have  no  seeds  of  any  kind  to  sell. 

JG.  Those  forwarding  unpaid  envelopes  will  of  course 
not  be  disappointed  if  they  do  not  return.  We  offer  seeds 
free ,  but  cannot,  in  addition,  afford  to  pay  postage  also. 

SI.  All  seeds  sent  by  mail  are  put  up  at  our  country 
residence,  and  each  package  is  there  mailed  direct ,  to 
avoid  its  being  overhauled  at  the  Distributing  Offices. 

N.  We  shall  take  time  to  mail  all  the  seeds  care¬ 
fully  and  regularly.  This  will  occupy  the  entire  months 
of  February  and  March  Those  going  to  subscribers  on 
the  Pacific  Coast,  and  in  Southern  States  where  the  sea¬ 
sons  are  earlier,  will  be  mailed  first,  and  with  dispatch. 
To  others  they  will  go  as  fast  as  the  putting  up  and  mail¬ 
ing  can  be  accomplished— but  to  all  in  ample  season  for 
Spring  planting  and  sowing. 

LIST  OF  SEEDS. 

Ficlsl  Seeds. 

1 —  White  Sugar  Beet — Single  or  double  packages,  as 
may  be  desired,  requiring  one  or  two  3-cent  postage 
stamps. 

2 —  King  Philip  Corn— Single,  double,  or  triple  pack¬ 
ages,  as  may  be  desired,  requiring  one,  two,  or  three 

3-rent  stamps. 

3 —  Stowell's  Sweet  Corn — Same  packages  as  No.  1. 

4 —  White  Poland  Oats — Same  packages  as  No.  2. 

5 —  Chinese  Sugar  Cane — Any  subscriber  may  select 
any  amount,  from  half  an  ounce  up  to  a  full  pound  of 
this,  by  providing  for  the  transportation  by  mail,  or  ex¬ 
press,  or  otherwise.  If  to  go  by  mail,  a  3-cent  stamp 
must  be  sent  for  each  half  ounce.  No  prepared  envelopes 
will  be  needed  if  the  address  be  plainly  given. 

G — Ashcroft’s  Swedish  Turnip — Half  of  3-cent  stamp. 

T — River’s  Swedish  Stubble  Turnip —  do.  do. 

GS — Purple-top  Scotch,  or  Bullock  Turnip —  do. 

GO — Green-top  Scotch,  or  Bullock  Turnip  do. 

70 — Waite’s  London  purple-top  Swede  Turnip — do. 

03 — Hungarian  Grass — One  3-cent  stamp. 

94— Crystal  Flint  or  Hominy  Corn— One  3-cent  stamp. 

Vegetable  or  Garden  Seeds. 


S — Daniel  O'Rourke  Pea — Packages  same  as  No.  1, 
0 — Champion  of  England  Pea — One  3-cent  stamp. 


10 — British  Queen  Pea — 

do. 

do. 

11  — Hair’s  Dwarf  Mammoth  Pea — 

do. 

do. 

50 — King  of  the  Marrows  Pea — 

do. 

do. 

5  2 — Green  Kohl  Rabi — One-third 

of  a 

3-oent  stamp. 

1  3 — Enfield  Market  Cabbage — 

do. 

do. 

1  4 — Alma  Cauliflower— 

do. 

do. 

1  5 — Mammoth  Cabbage  Lettuce — 

do. 

do. 

2  jl-r  Winter  Cherry— 

do. 

do. 

1  7— Red  Strap-Leaf  Turnip — One-half  of  a  3-centstamo 

10-^-Round  Spinach — 

do. 

do. 

20 — Salsafy — - 

do. 

do. 

22 — Boston  Marrow  Squash- 

do. 

do. 

55 — White  Globe  Onion — 

do. 

do. 

72 — Imported  Brussels  Sprouts — 

do. 

do. 

7  3 — Egg  Plants,  (mixed) — 

do. 

do. 

74 — Solid  White  Celery — 

do. 

do. 

75— Green  Curled  Endive — 

do. 

do, 

7G — Musk  Melon — 

do. 

do. 

77 — Water  Melon — 

do. 

do. 

f)2 — Okra — 

do. 

do. 

1G — Bong  Orange  Carrot — 

do. 

do. 

7  1  — Long  White  French  Turnip — One  3- 

cent  stamp. 

Flower  and  GranaEuesttal  Seeds. 

Of  these  any  subscriber  may  choose  three  parcels,  with 
one  of  those  above  ;  or  five’  parcels,  with  none  of  the 
above.  The  Flower  and  Ornamental  Seeds  are  put  up  in 
small  packages,  the  amount  in  each  de'pending  upon  the 
variety  of  the  seeds,  their  size,  the  number  required  for  a 
common  flower-bed,  etc. 

39 — Marvel  of  Peru— One-third  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 
45 — Sweet  Peas —  do.  do. 

4G — Mixed  Lupins —  do.  do. 

89—  Cotton  Plant  (2  kinds)— One  3-cent  stamp. 

90—  Norway  Spruce  Seed— One-half  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 

91—  Arbor ’Vitae  Seed—  do.  do. 


On  an  average ,  about  Jive  of  the  following  32  varieties 
will  go  under  a  3-cent  postage  stamp. 

23 — Mignonette.  47— Morning  Glory,  mixed. 

25 — Mixed  Nasturtiums,  48 — Flos  Adonis. 

27 — Extra  Cockscomb.  49 — Candy  Tuft. 

2  8 — L)wf.  Rocket  Larkspur.50 — Schizanthus. 

29 —  Double  Balsams,  mix’d. 5 1  —  Phlox  Drummondii. 

30 —  Tassel  Flower.  78 — Ageratum  Mexicanum. 

31 —  Chinese  Pink.  79 — Germ.  10-weeks  Stock. 

32 —  Portulacas,  mixed.  80 — Yellow  Havvkweed. 

33 —  Cypress  Vine.  81 — Canary  Bird  Flower. 

34—  China  Asters,  mixed.  8  2 — Thunbergia. 

35 —  German  Asters,  mixed. 83 — Snap-Dragon. 

37 —  Zinnia  Elegans.  84 — African  Marigold. 

38 —  Sweet  William.  8  5— Gaillardia,  mixed. 

40 —  Escholtzia  Californica.SG — Euphorbia,  mixed. 

41 —  Elegant  Clarkia.  87 — Coreopsis. 

42 —  Foxglove.  8  8 — Globe  Amaranth. 

Special  Seed.  Preniiiinss  to  JLadies. 

To  any  lady  procuring  and  forwarding  (after  Feb.  1) 
six  subscribers  and  $5,  we  will  forward  post-paid  for  her 
own  use  an  extra  package  of  fifteen  papers  of  the  above 
flower  seeds. 

To  any  lady  forwarding  (after  Feb.  1)  ten  subscribers 
and  $8,  we  will  send  a  post-paid  package  containing  the 
last  named  32  varieties  of  flovvei*  seeds  in  the  above  list 
(No.  32  to  No.  8S.) 


Market  Review,  Weather  Notes,  &c. 

American  Agriculturist  Office,  ) 
New  York,  Jan.  21,  1859.  ) 

Christmas  and  New-Year’s  shortened  the  business  of 
the  month  two  days ;  otherwise,  movements  in  the  Pro¬ 
duce  Markets  have  hardly  been  interrupted.  Receipts  of 
Bread  Stuffs,  limited,  which  inclines  receivers  to  hold 
them  firmly,  in  hopes  of  better  prices.  Demand  from  home 
trade,  good,  but  from  shippers  light.  The  continued 
abundance  of  money  has  fostered  speculation,  since  the 
advances  of  money  easily  obtained  from  bankers  enabled 
dealers  to  meet  all  their  engagements  on  January  1st ;  and 
as  some  of  them  have  remarked  to  us,  they  now  feel  se¬ 
cure  for  ninety  days  more,  during  which  time  we  shall 

not  look  for  any  pressure  to  sell . Western  dealers 

who  hold  the  bulk  of  produce  within  their  control,  are 
mutually  interested  with  Eastern  speculators,  in  keeping 
up  prices.  There  seems  to  be  little  hope  of  a  large  foreign 
demand.  Besides  considerable  amounts  of  produce  re¬ 
maining  in  the  interior,  stocks  here  are  pretty  heavy.  Tin- 
holders  are  very  quiet,  save  the  occasional  exhibition  of 
samples,  at  prices  above  the  views  of  purchasers.  Little 
new  corn  has  come  from  the  South  as  yet,  which  some 
attribute  to  the  unfitness  of  the  crop  for  shipping,  while 
others  contend  that  it  is  an  indication  of  a  deficient  yield. 
At  present  the  Bread  stuff  Market  may  be  quoted  as  very 

firm . Cotton  has  fluctuated  considerably  in  demand 

and  price— closing  quite  briskly,  however.  On  Wednes¬ 
day,  January.  19,  sales  were  made  of  7,000  bales,  being 
about  the  heaviest  day’s  business  ever  transacted  in  this 

Market _ Pork  and  Lard  have  been  quite  active— much 

of  the  -former  having  been  sold  for  future  delivery.  Prices 

favor  sellers . Packed  Beef  has  been  in  good  request 

at  full  rates . Butter  and  Cheese  have  been  in  fair  de¬ 
mand  at  steady  figures . Coffee,  Sugars,  Molasses, 

Teas,  Rice,  Spices  and  Clover  Seed,  have  been  actively 

inquired  for,  at  improved  and  rising  prices - Hay,  Hemp, 

Hops,  with  Flax  and  Timothy  Seeds  have  been  quiet.... 
Tobacco  lias  been  more  sought  after  at  steady  rates. . .. 
Wool  has  been  less  freely  offered,  and  has  been  in  good 
demand,  at  buoyant  prices . In  other  varieties  of  Pro¬ 

duce,  the  variations  have  not  been  very  remarkable. 

Receipts.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Eye.  Barley.  Oats. 

24  bus.  dnysthis  mon  ,  112,923  6,688  118,318  -  2,496  8,672 

24  bus.  days  last  mon,  273,053  210,313  240,529  9,167  132,468  187,870 

Sales.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley. 

24  business  days  this  mon.  239,200  338,570  413,550  15.650  46,590 
24  business  days  last  month,  266,420  312,150  C 1 1 ,000  46,700  116,300 


Exports  from  N.  Y.,  from  Jan.  1st,  to  Jan.  17. 


Wheat  Flour,  bbls . 

1858. 

75,724 

1859. 

22,816 

Rye  Flour,  bbls . 

467 

666 

Corn  Meal,  bbls . 

3,997 

4,825 

Wheat,  bush . 

112,872 

600 

Corn,  bush . 

110,004 

4,393 

Current  Wholesale  Prices. 

Dec.  22. 

Jan.  21. 

Flour— Superf  to  Extra  State  $  J  25 

®  4  75 

$4  80 

OO  5  85 

Common  to  Fancy  Western. . 

4  40 

(a)  5  10 

4  85 

00  5  50 

Extra  Western . 

4  90 

®  8  fill 

5  50 

(w  8  50 

Fancy  to  Extra  Genesee . 

5  35 

(®  7  75 

5  85 

(a)  7  75 

Mixed  to  Extra  Southern . 

4  84 

1®  8  75 

5  25 

fed  8  75 

Rye  Flour— Fine  and  Super. 

3  25 

I®  4  10 

3  40 

OO  4  10 

Corn  Meal . 

3  40 

(a)  4  00 

3  50 

fa)  4  10 

Wheat— Canada  White . 

1  20 

(a)  I  40 

1  30 

fa)  1  50 

Western  White . 

1  18 

(a)  1  45 

1  27)4  a)  1  65 

Southern  White . 

1  20 

®  t  50 

1  30 

OO  l  65 

All  kinds  of  Red . 

66 

®  1  23 

80 

fa)  1  37*5 

Corn— Yellow . . . 

75 

( a )  85 

fa)  87 

White . 

72 

(a)  81 

00  88 

Mixed . . 

76 

®  77 

87 

(a)  8834 

Oats— Western . 

53 

(a)  55 

61 

fa)  63 

State . 

48 

(a)  51 

56 

fa)  60 

Southern . 

42 

OO  45 

48 

(a)  52 

Rye . 

75 

®  80 

86 

fa)  88 

Barley . 

White  Beans . 

Hay,  in  bales,  per  100  lbs . 

Cotton— Middlings,  peril). . . . 

Rice,  per  100  lbs . 

Hops,  crop  of  1858  per  lb . 

Pork — Mess,  per  bbl . 

Prime,  per  bbl . 

Beef — Repacked  Mess . 

Country  mess  . 

Hogs,  Dressed  corn,  per  in  .. 

Lard,  in  bids,  per  lb  . 

Butter— Western,  per  lb . 

State,  per  lb . 

Cheesf.,  per  lb . 

Eggs — Fresh,  per  dozen . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  lb. 

Seed — Clover,  per  lb . 

Timothy,  per  bushel . 

Sugar,  Brown,  per  lb . 

Molasses,  New-Orleans,  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio,  per  lb . 

Tobacco — Kentucky,  &c.  pr  ]b 

Seed  Leaf,  per  lb . 

WoOL-Domestic  fleece,  per  lb. 

Domestic,  pulled,  per  lb  . 

Hemp — Undr’d  Amer’n  pr  ton. 
Dressed  American,  per  ton. . . . 

Tallow,  per  lb . 

Oil  Cake,  per  ton . 

Potatoes— Peach  Blow,  prbri 

Mercers,  per  bbl . 

Sweet  Camden,  per  bbl 

Turnips— Rutabagas,  per  bbl! 

Onions,  per  bbl . 

Squashes,  Marrow,  per  bbl.. 
Pumpkins — Cheese,  per  too  . 

Cranberries,  per  bbl . 

Apples— Common,  Per  bbl 

Prime  winter,  Per  bbl . 

Dried,  per  lb . 

Poultry— Fowls,  per  ib! !.’."! 

Ducks,  per  lb . 

Turkeys,  per  lb . 

Geese,  per  lb . ' " 

Venison  — Carcass,  per  lb . 


70 

®  9234 

70 

®  923*s 

1  12  ViCcO  1  25 

1  00 

®  I  25 

60 

®  80 

75 

®  1  00 

12 

®  1234 

12 

®  1234 

2  62%(a)  3  75 

2  75 

®  4  00 

10 

®  17 

10 

®  18 

17  50 

®I8  00 

17  50 

®I8  00 

13  50 

®I3  60 

13  50 

® 

8  50 

®10  50 

8  75 

®I0  50 

7  50 

®  9  00 

7  75 

®  9  00 

734®  0 

7  Hfcb  T/k 

11 

®  llH 

1134®  U% 

12 

®  19 

12 

00  20 

16 

®  26 

15 

00  25 

8)4®  934 

8 

to)  9% 

24 

(a)  25 

20 

00  22 

44 

(a)  50 

44 

OO  50 

.  9  34  fa)  10 

10 

oo  io y> 

2  00 

®  2  6234 

2  1234®  2  6234 

5  34®  734 

534®  834 

3534®  36 

40 

OO  42 

93 4®  12 

934®  12 

6 

00  14 

6 

®  14 

6 

00  25 

6 

®  25 

36 

00  56 

36 

®  56 

30 

00  45 

30 

®  45 

115 

®135  115 

®  135 

170 

®!90  170 

®I90 

®  10J4 

1034® 

31  00 

®36  00 

32  50 

®36  50 

1  62 

®  2  25 

1  62 

®  2  no 

1  37 

®  2  00 

1  25 

®  1  87 

3  50 

®  4  00 

4  00 

® 

75 

®  87 

87 

®  1  12 

1  87 

®  3  50 

2  50 

®  4  00 

1  25 

®  1  50 

2  25 

®  2  50 

7  00 

®10  00 

12  00 

®13  00 

12  00 

®16  00 

10  00 

®!6  00 

2  00 

®  2  50 

2  00 

®  2  50 

3  00 

®  3  50 

3  50 

®  4  00 

8  ®  834  9  fa)  934 

10  fa)  1234  8  <®  9 

12  (a)  14  It  (a)  14 

9  fa)  13  9  (a)  12 

8  fa)  10  7  (a)  10 

7  fa)  8  6  fa)  7 


The  reported  receipts  of  the  leading  kinds  of  produce, 
by  the  Hudson  River  boats,  from  March  25  to  Dec.  22, 
1858,  or  while  the  river  was  navigable,  as  well  as  by  the 
Erie  Railroad  and  the  Southern  boats,  during  the  whole 
of  the  year  1858,  were  as  follows  ; 


Hudson  R.  Erie  Southern 
boats.  Railroad.  boats.  Total. 


Ashes,  bbls .  6,383 

Flour,  bbls . 2,237,733 

Wheat,  bushels. . .  .5,781  001 

Corn,  bushels . 4,544,730 

Rye,  bushels .  216,416 

Barley,  bushels _  846,617 

Oats,  bushels . 2,783,744 

Malt,  bushels .  305,795 

Provisions,  pkgs. . .  141,654 
Whiskey,  bbls .  77,388 


9,626  175  16,184 

665,766  1,272,117  4,175,616 

132,959  672,368  6,586,328 

11,423  3,689,337  8.255.490 

1,552  5,132  223,200 

25,192  33  871,842 

243.513  314,808  3,342,065 

07,267  21.150  394.212 

180.106  187,785  509,545 

50,630  30,129  158,147 


The  foregoing  is  only  a  partial  exhibit  of  the  receipts  of 
produce  here.  The  receipts  by  the  Hudson  River  Rail¬ 
road,  as  well  as  those  by  transient  boats  and  other  con¬ 
veyances  from  various  sources,  which  together  have 
constitued  a  very  large  amount,  have  not  been  ascer¬ 
tained  ;  hence  they  are  not  included  in  the  preceding 
statement. 


Stocks  of  various  articles  in  New-York,  about  Jan.  1 : 


„  ^  ,  1858. 

Coffee,  pkgs . 127,297 

Cotton,  bales . j^’sog 

Western  Canal  flour,  bbls . ..476,900 

Canadian  flour,  bbls .  7,800 

Southern  flour,  bbls . !. 118, 450 

Wheat,  bushels . 389,000 

Corn,  bushels .  97,000 

Rye,  bushels . . ’ 

Oats,  bushels .  . 

Barley,  bushels .  . 

Hemp,  bales .  22,173 

Hemp,  tons . ’550 

Molasses,  hlids .  4,613 

Molasses,  bbls .  4^512 

Provisions : 

Pork,  bbls . .  10, 558 

Beetles  and  bbls .  39,144 

Rice,  casks . *.  3,161 

Rice,  bags . 4,71)8 

Sugars,  hhds .  16.036 

Sugars,  boxes .  8^731 

Sugars,  bags .  1,400 

Tobacco,  Crude,  hhds .  4,641 

Tobacco,  Crude,  bales .  8  797 


1851 
67,11  > 
32,81  ) 
558.2  i 
2,3  5 
1 60,4  10 
1,211,  12 
669  ‘90 
43  100 
5G(.  200 
53  ,410 
S  1,502 
375 
4,314 
2,041 


60  828 
71,880 
3,910 

12.873 

14,489 

9,461 

14,005 


FT.  If.  Give  Stoelc  Markets..— 7  r Cattle 
Markets  have  been  moderately  supplied  d-  tg  the  past 
five  weeks,  except  on  Jan.  19th,  (the  lutes  Market  day] 
when  a  few  hundred  more  were  offered  thai  were  needed. 
The  total  receipts  for  five  weeks,  ej  ling  Jan.  19, 
amount  to  17,183,  or  an  average  of  3,430  p<  ■-  week.  Prices 
have  declined  }c.®jc.  per  lb.  during  that  ireo.  Averagt 
prices  on  Jan.  19th  were  10c.®101c.  per  II  dressed  weigh 
for  prime  ;  8e.f58ic.  for  medium  ,  and  6j ■i,f®7ic.  for  pool 
while  some  animals,  totally  unfit  to  kill  brought  no  mors 
than  5c.  per  lb.  net.  The  average  was  stumt  8c. 


Sheep  and  Lambs.— Receipts  of  lf-v;  sheep  have  no, 
been  large  ;  footing  up  30,839  for  the  p*st  fi  ve  w-eeks,  01 
7,308  per  week.  There  is  a  good  dem  .jfd  for  prime  sheep 
at  5c.®5ie.  per  lb.  gross  or  live  weig’-t.  Common  stock 
commands  about  4c.®4ic.  Dead  irutton  is  coming  in 
freely  by  railroad. 


Hogs. — Receipts  for  the  five  weeku  just  ended  amount 
to  53,174,  which  is  less  than  for  the  Ihree  weeks  immedi¬ 
ately  preceding.  Large  numbers of  the  late  arrivalshave 
been  poor,  and  have  sold  at  5-ic.®5jc.  mostly  for  feeding 


60 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


deary  corn  hogs  arej  now  worth  6hic.'a>6l c.  per  lb.  live 
weight. 

Tine  Weather  during  the  past  month  has  been 
sxccedingly  variable,  including  one  heavy  fall  of  snow, 
nd  a  “  cold  term  ”  which  the  weather  prophet  of  Brook- 
,yn  Hights  (Merriam)  called  the  coldest  for  70  years. 
Ouit  Daily  Weather  Notes,  condensed,  read  :  Decern- 
ter  21;  rainy  day— 22,  cool  and  rough  wind— 23,  clear  A. 
M.,  cloudy  P.  M.,  with  light  rain  at  night— 24,  clear  and 
warm— 25,  26,  freezing  weather— 27,  28,  mild— 29,  30,  light 
fall  of  snow— 31,  thick  fog  with  some  rain.— 1859.  Janu¬ 
ary  1,  moderate  rain— 2,  clear  and  cool — 3,  cloudy,  snow 
at  night — 4,  heavy  N.  E.  snow'  storm,  18  inches  deep— 5, 
clear  and  fine — 6,  fine  day  with  rain  at  night  and  on  most 
of  the  7th— 8,  snow  squalls — 9,  clear  and  cold  (10°) — 10, 
coldest  day  for  many  years,  mercury  9“  to  10°  below  zero 
here,  and  20°  to  30°  degrees  in  some  places,  all  day, 
people  badly  frostbitten,  some  fatal  cases — 11,  very  cold 
morning,  1C°  below  zero,  but  moderating  during  the  day — 
12,  cloudy  and  milder— 13,  foggy  and  cloudy— 14,  light 
rain— 15  tr  20  mostly  clear,  fine  and  mild  weather,  the 
past  few  <i*ys  very  fine  and  even  warm — 21,  still  warm  as 
Spring,  wtth  considerable  rain  to-day. 


business  ibtro. 

t§p"  Fifty  Cents  a  Line ■> 


GROYEK  &  ISASiEirS 
CELEBRATED 


FAMILY  SEWING  MACHINES, 

495  BROADWAY,  NEW-YORK. 

A  New  Style.  Price  $50. 

WlK-eler  &  Wilson’s,  Singer’s,  and  Grover  &  Baker's  Ma¬ 
chine^,  nil  work  under  Howe’s  Patent,  and  are  so  far  the  best 
Macr.lnes.  *  *  For  our  own  family  use,  we  became  fully  sa- 

tisfi.,  1  that  Grover  &  Baker’s  Machine  is  the  best,  and  we  ac¬ 
cord  ugly  purchased  it.— Am.  Agriculturist. 


V#  heeler  and  Wilson’s  Sewing  Ma¬ 
chines. 

•None  are  better  adapted  to  Family  Use.” 

American  Agriculturist,  Dec .  1858. 

PRICES  GREATLY  REDUCED. 

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Sale  of  Engravings. 


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Mauy  Thanks 

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and  charges  more  than  one  dollar  a  pound  for  all  letters 
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The  Department  is  running  behind  its  expenses,  it  is 
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income  by  raising  the  postage  on  letters— already  higher 
than  it  should  be.  Any  one  of  our  large  Express  Com¬ 
panies  w'ill  very  gladly  pay  the  Government  a  large  bonus 
for  the  privilege  of  delivering  all  legitimate  letters,  news¬ 
papers,  etc.,  now  carried  by  mail,  both  in  this 
country,  and  in  Canada,  Europe,  California,  Oregon, 
etc.,  and  do  it  at  a  less  rate  than  is  now  charged  ;  and 
they  would  furthermore  become  responsible  for  all 
losses  of  valuable  letters  entrusted  to  their  care. 

It  is  idle  to  expect  that  the  income  of  the  Department 
should  meet  its  expenses,  as  things  are  now  arranged. 


Shall  the  epistolatry  correspondence  of  the  people  be 
taxed  for  the  carriage  of  six  tuns  of  franked  matter  sent 
to  a  country  post-office  where  the  entire  letters  of  a  year 
would  not  weigh  a  tun  1  We  have  known  of  such  an  in¬ 
stance.  Shall  every  letter  between  friends— weighing 
less  than  half  an  ounce— be  taxed  5  cents  instead  of 
3  cents,  as  is  proposed,  to  enable  the  Department  to 
pay  enormous  salaries  to  political  favorites  1 


The  SSasket  Missing:. 

The  more  pressing  labors  of  our  “  harvest  season  ”  are 
nearly  over,  and  we  shall  soon  have  time  to  devote  to  the 
mass  of  communications,  notes,  queries,  books,  maga¬ 
zines,  reports,  etc.,  received  during  the  past  two  months. 
The  “  basket  ”  now  buried  beneath  its  over-flowing  con¬ 
tents  will  be  “  dug  out  ’’—and  kept  in  sight  hereafter. 

- —  •> -  «>» - -  •- - - 

“Pure  Religion.” — One  who  signs  himself  a 
Free  Thinker,”  writes  us  at  length,  wishing  our  opinion, 
of  what  pure  religion  is,  and  a-ltempts  to  depreciate  the 
influence  of  the  Bible,  etc.  These  pages  are  not  the  ap¬ 
propriate  place  for  the  discussion  of  such  questions,  but 
to  “  Free  Thinker,”  who  is  so  much  troubled  with  the 
defects  of  Christians,  and  the  crimes  in  Bible  lands,  we 
would  say:  If  people  under  the  influence  of  the  Bible  are 
so  bad,  what  would  they  be  without  it  1  What  people 
without  the  Bible  would  he  be  willing  to  exchange  places 
with!  Among  what  people  without  the  Bible  is  to  be 
found  the  philosophy,  the  astronomy,  and  the  basis  of  any 
“moral  education”  which  he  would  teach  his  child.  Oh 
no,  friend.  The  unregenerate  human  heart  is  deceitful 
above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked,  and  let  us  be 
thankful  for  what  of  good  we  have  received  from  the  Bi¬ 
ble,  and  try  to  get  more  of  it. 

McKay’s  Grapes.-We  have  to-day  (Jan.  17), 
eaten  Isabella  grapes,  in  very  good  condition  from  a  box 
received  in  November,  from  the  well-known  “one  acre,” 
cultivated  by  E.  A.  McKay,  at  Naples,  Ontario  Co.,  N- 
Y.  They  are  put  up  in  paper  boxes,  three  inches  deep, 
w'ith  cotton  batting  under, betw  een, and  above  the  bunches. 
They  came  by  express  without  injury. 

A  Strono  Medicine. — The  following  story,  perhaps  on 
its  fortieth  round,  is  as  good  as  ever,  and  specially  appli¬ 
cable  to  some  of  the  recent  puffs  of  artificial  fertilizers. 
A  manufacturer  of  patent  medicines  sent  some  of  his 
“  Balsam  ”  to  a  friend,  and  requested  a  strong  recommen¬ 
dation,  and  received  this  reply:  “Dear  Sir— The  land 
composing  my  farm  had  hitherto  been  so  poor  that  a 
Scotchman  could  not  get  a  living  off  it ;  and  so  stony  that 
we  had  to  slice  our  potatoes  and  plant  them  edgewise , 
but  hearing  of  your  ‘  balsam,’ I  put  some  on  a  ten-acre 
lot,  surrounded  by  a  rail-fence,  and  in  the  morning  I  found 
that  the  rocks  had  entirely  disappeared,  a  neat  stone  wall 
encircled  the  field,  and  the  rails  were  split  intooven-wood, 
and  piled  up  systematically  in  my  back  yard.  I  put  half 
an  ounce  in  the  middle  of  a  blackberry  swamp;  in  two 
days  it  was  cleared  off,  planted  with  corn  and  pumpkins, 
and  a  row  of  peach-Lees'in  full  blossom  through  the  mid¬ 
dle.  As  an  evidence  of  its  tremendous  strength,  I  would 
say  that  it  drew  a  striking  likeness  ef  my  eldest  son  out  of 
a  mill-pond,  drew  a  blister  all  over  his  stomach,  drew  a 
load  of  potatoes  four  miles  to  market,  and  eventually 
drew  a  prize  of  ninety-seven  dollars  in  a  lottery.” 

Landlord— “  Mr.  Editor,  I’ll  thank  you  to  say  I  keep 
the  best  table  in  the  city.”  Editor—"  I’ll  thank  you  to 
supply  my  family  with  board  gratis.”  Landlord—"  I 
thought  you  were  glad  to  get  something  to  fill  up  your  pa¬ 
per.”  Editor — “  I  thought  you  were  glad  to  get  somebody 
to  fill  your  house.  It’s  a  poor  rule  that  wont  work  both 
ways.”  Exit  landlord  in  a  rage,  threatening  to  have 
nothing  more  to  do  with  that  stingy  office. 

A  Mnd  hearted  Vermont  physician,  having  frequently 
missed  wood  from  his  yard',  kept  watch,  and  discovered 
a  neighbor  carefully  selecting  an  armful  of  dry  wood  and 
starting  for  home  with  it.  The  Doctor  hastily  gathered  up 
an  armful  of  green  wood,  and  followed,  tugging  as  fast 
as  he  could,  and  just  as  the  man  threw  down  his  armfnll, 
the  doctor  did  the  same,  exclaiming,  “  There,  you  must 
burn  green  w'ood  a  part  of  the  time— I  have  to,”  and  de¬ 
parted,  leaving  the  thief  to  his  own  reflection. 

A  confirmed  tippler  was  bothered  how  to  honor  his 
birth-day;  he  wished  to  do  something  extraordinary.  A 
brilliant  idea  struck  him.  He  kept  sober. 

200,000  pounds  weight  of  women’s  hair  i-s  annually  sold 
in  France,  and  that  the  price  paid  for  it  is  usually  six  cents 
an  ounce. 

“  Mike,  what  sort  of  potatoes  aro  you  planting  there?” 
“  Raw  ones,  sure— your  honor  would’nt  be  thinking  I  was 
planting  boiled  ones.” 

Some  young  men  are  so  fast  that  they  keep  always  ahead 
of  common  sense. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


61 


(EP  The  circulation  of  the  Agriculturist  to  regular 
subscribers,  is  much  larger  than  that  of  any  other 
Agricultural  or  Horticultural  Journal  in  the  world. 


2Uhrtisements. 

Advertisements  to  be  sure  of  insertion  must  be  received  at 
latest  by  the  15th  of  the  preceding  month. 

TERMS  — (invariably  cash  before  insertion): 

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9  words  make  a  line.,  if  undisplayed. 

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Business  Notices  Fifty  cents  per  liue. 

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B 


O  Y  WANTS  A  SITUATION  —  A 

5  young  lad,  16  years  old,  strong  and  active,  with  a  scientific 
farmer,  where  he  can  learn  farming  in  all  its  branches,  for  a 
ic  m  of  five  years.  He  lias  been  for  two  years  at  a  small  place 
in  the  country.  Would  prefer  State  of  New  York  or  one  of  the 
middle  or  Western  States.  Would  expect  wanes  enough  to  rind 
him  in  clothes,  &c.  Address  S.  H.  A.,  Box  2688  New  York  City 
P.  <). 


FARM  a#RORU€E 

Sold  on  C  o  m  m  i  s  s  i  o  n  , 

Such  as  Flour.  Butter,  Cheese.  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds 
Grain,  Eggs,  Poultrv,  Game,  &c.  &c. 

HAIGHT  &  EMENS,  226  Front-st.,  New- York. 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

R.  H.  Haydock,  Cashier  Market  Bank,  New-York. 


CAUTION 

TO  PURCHASERS  OF 

Movable  Comb  Bee  Hives. 

As  sundry  persons  are  selling  hives  with  MOVABLE 
FRAMES,  the  public  are  hereby  informed  that  the  owners  of 
L.  L.  Langstrotn’s  Patent,  believe  that  such  Hives  are  infringe¬ 
ments  upon  their  rights.  They  are  preparing  to  establish  the 
validity  of  the  Laugstroth  Patent  by  an  appeal  to  the  Courts  of 
Law — and  those  purchasing  interfering  patents  may  lose  the 
money  invested  in  them. 


Wasl&BBflS 


The  Metropolitan 
machine. 

This  machine  is  constantly  coming  into  favor.  No  person  who 
gives  it  a  fair  trial  fails  to  like  it.  It  revolutionizes  Washing 
Day,  saving  more  than  half  the  expense,  time  and  labor,  of 
Washing— is  perfectly  simple,  admiraoly  adapted  to  the  wants  of 
North  and  the  South.  Send  for  a  circular. 

f  DAVID  LYMAN, 

Middleiield,  Ct. 


LE  ROY  &  CO.  Hartford 


niiuuieueiu,  a. t. 

I  Sole  owner  of  North  and  South 
,  Ct.  I  Carolina,  Florida,  Alabama, 
I  Mississippi. Louisiana,  Texas, 
(.California,  Oregon,  k  Georgia. 


Every  agriculturist  should 

have  a  good  barometer  to  foretel  the  weather  in  securing 
his  crops.  TIMBY’S  MERCURIAL  BAROMETER  is  the 
only  reliable  one  manufactured  that  is  portable. 

E.  H.  BABCOCK,  Agent,  411  Broadway,  N.  Y. 


TO  PARMER’S  SONS, 
PROFITABLE  EMPLOYMENT  FOR  THE  WINTER. 

WANTED.  An  Agent  in  every  County,  to  engage  in  the  sale 
of  New  beautifully  Illustrated  Works,  SOLD  BY 
AGENTS  ONLY.  Circulars,  giving  full  information,  with 
terms  to  Agents,  and  a  full  list  of  my  Publications,  sent  on  ap¬ 
plication.  Address 

DUANE  RULISON,  Publisher, 

No.  33  South-Third  st.,  Pliiludelpnia,  Pa. 


)ROFITABLE  Employment  may  be  had 

by  addressing  (post-paid)  Ii.  SEARS  181  Williani-st,  N,  Y 


\AfE  CALL  ATTENTION  to  Mr.  C.  M 

»  ▼  SAXTON,  Publisher,  25  Park-row.  His  list  of  Books 
is  well  selected.  Country  agents  and  young  men  out  of  em¬ 
ployment  would  do  well  to  give  his  list  their  par'icular  atten¬ 
tion.  a  new 

AGENT’S  CATALOGUE 
is  now  ready, 

MAILED  FREE  ON  APPLICATION. 


MARRIED  LIFE. — Its  Duties  and  Dan- 

gers.  Just  published  by  the  Am  Female  Guardian  Soc. 
HOME  WHISPERS,  by  Melva. 

Sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price,  75c.,  gilt,  $1.  Sold 
by  Booksellers  generally,  and  at  the  office  of  the  Advocate  and 
Guardian ,  29  East  29th-street,  New-York. 

The  A.  and  G.  is  an  interesting  family  paper.  16  pages, 
semi-monthly,  (384  pages  a  year,)  at  $1  single  copy;  10  copies,  to 
one  address,  $5  a  year. 

E^AU  the  piofits  of  our  publications  are  devoted  to  the 
Home  for  the  Friendless. 


A  NEW  CATALOGUE 

OE  POPULAR 

BOOKS  FOR  THE  PEOPLE  ! 

Is  now  ready— mailed  free  to  any  applicant. 

Address  C.  M.  SAXTON.  Publisher, 

No.  25  Park-row,  New-York. 

HARDY  NATIVE  EVERGREENS.— J  W.  Adams,  Port¬ 
land.  Me,  continues  to  supply  at  low  prices.  Sent  on  application. 


PARSONS  &  CO. 

OFFER  AT  THEIR 

NURSERIES  AN©  6  E  E  E  IV  H  O  11  S  E  S  , 

AT 

FJLUSIIINCr  wear  NEW-YOB5.lt. 

A  LARGE  AND  WELL  GROWN  STOCK  OF  THE 

TREES  AND  PLANTS 


more  or  less  of  vvhu  h  every  one  needs  who  has  the  small¬ 
est  piece  of  ground  for  cultivation.  Planters  of  Orchards 
find  our  trees  succeeding  well,  where  they  have  given  the 
requisite  culture,  and  multitudes  who  are  unable  to  plant 
so  largely  are  annually  enjoying  the  fruit,  flower,  and 
shade  which  they  have  procured  from  us. 

We  invite  the  attention  of  buyers  to  our  collection  of 
standard  and  dwarf  FRUIT  TREES,  Grape  Vines  and 
all  the  different  smaller  fruits,  berries,  &c. 

To  tho-e  who  are  adorning  their  places  whether  large 
or  small,  we  shall  he  glad  to  show  our  collection  of  Orna- 
meutal  Trees  and  Plants  which  is  unsurpassed  in  the 
country.  Our  Avenue  Trees  are  large  and  vigorous. 
Our  Lawn  Trees  and  Shrubs  are  of  the  finest  varieties, 
and  we  know  will  give  satisfaction  to  the  purchaser. 

Of  hardy  EVERGREENS,  we  have  a  large  and  well 
grown  stock  and  to  these  we  invite  special  attention. 
Those  who  are  forming  or  increasing  their  collection  of 
Green-House  Plants  will,  we  are  confident,  find  here  a 
stock  unsurpassed  in  variety  and  thriftiness. 

The  Rose,  so  necessary  to  every  garden,  we  grow  on  its 
own  root,  our  experience  having  taught  us  that  budded 
roses  w  ill  disappoint  those  who  cultivate  them.  We  can 
not  name  here  all  the.  choice  varieties  of  our  FRUITS, 
nor  give  in  detail  the  ORNAMENTAL  list,  but  must 
refer  purchasers  to  oar  general  priced  catalogues,  which 
will  be  supplied  to  all  applicants. 

Our  List  of  Apples  contains  the  best  Summer,  Autumn 
and  Winter  varieties,  both  for  market  and  for  family  use. 
Peaks,  bath  Standard  and  Dwarf  for  the  different  seasons. 
Peaches,  a  large  stuck  of  the  best  sorts. 

Plums.  t 

Apricots’  f  ®°l It  Standards  and  Dwarfs. 

Nectarines,  j 

OuK  Grape  Vines  for  culture  under  glass  aro  well  known 
to  be  of  strong,  vigorous  growth.  Our  collection  of 
Native  Grapes  embraces  both  the  old  standard  sorts,  and 
the  newer  ones  now  so  popular. 

Of  the  smaller  fruits,  we  name  here  the 
New-Rochelle  Blackberry 
Cherry  and  other  Currants. 

Raspberries,  Antwerp.  Fastoi.it,  and  others. 

Linn/eus  Rhubarb. 

Among  our 

LAWN  AND  AVENUE  TREES  are 
Maple,  Norway,  Sugar.  Sycamore,  Silver-leaf.  These  are  all 
very  valuable  cither  for  stately  growth  or  beautiful  foliage. 

The  Tulip  Tree,  in  form  unsurpassed. 

The  Oaks,  English  and  American. 

The  Paulownia,  with  its  monster  leaves  and  beautiful  flow¬ 
ers. 

Lindens,  European  and  American. 

The  Elm  of  different  sorts. 

The  Magnolia  with  its  superb  flowers  and  handsome  form. 
Deciduous  Cypress,  of  beautiful  foliage. 

Oriental  Plane,  a  noble  Avenue  tiee. 

The  Ash,  of  bolli  the  erect,  and  weeping  varieties. 

The  Willow  of  many  sorts. 

Liquidambar,  one  of  the  finest  of  our  native  trees. 

The  Larch,  one  of  the  most  attractive  Conifers. 

Kentucky  Coffee  Tree. 

The  Beech,  American  and  European,  ercc',  purn'e,  and  pen¬ 
dulous  sorts. 

IIalesia,  Purple  Fringe,  &c.,  &c. 

Many  other  kinds  indispensable  to  a  good  collect  m  will  be 
found  in  our  Catalogue  and  will  be  showr.  of  fine  quality  to  Vis¬ 
itors  to  our  grounds. 

Among  our  valuable  DECIDUOUS  SHRUBS  are 
The  Azaleas  of  the  Ghent  and  uther  sorts  which,  properly 
planted,  form  a  gorgeous  mass  of  bloom. 

Deutzia  in  its  varieties, 

W EIGF.LIA  do  do 


S tuautia,  a  most  desirable  late  blooming  American  plant, 
Chinese  Plum,  a  double  flowering  and  beautiful  new  variety 
Pyrus  Japonica,  a  brilliant  bloomer. 

Holly-leaved  Berberry. 

Spiraeas,  of  the  best  new  sorts. 

Lilacs  of  the  rarer  sorts. 

Buffalo  Berry. 

Deciduous  Euonymus  or  Burning  Bush. 

Andromeda  Arborea,  a  very  rare,  fine  American  plant. 
Foiisythia,  a  profuse  and  eaily  bloomer. 

Rises  Sanguinea. 

Hydrangea  Quercifolia,  and  many  other  fine  kinds. 

We  devote  special  attention  to  the  culture  ol 
E\ ERGREGNS  and  have  n  very  fine  stock  of  well- 
formed  and  well-rooted  plants  of  many  sizes,  including 
Norway  Spruce,  tho  most  desirable  for  general  planting 
White  Spruce. 

Hemlock  Spruce. 

Morinda  Spruce. 

American  Balsam  Fir. 

European  Silver  Fir. 

Austrian  Pine. 

White  Pine. 

Exoelsa  Pine,  quite  the  best  of  the  Pine  tribe. 

Scotch  Fir. 

Atlas  Cedar. 

Cedar  of  Lebanon, 

Deodar  Cedar. 

Irish  Juniper,  pyramidal  and  striking'in  appearance 
Sweedish  Juniper. 

Siberian  Arbor  Viwe,  the  best  of  this  genua. 

American  do  do.  &c.,  &c„  Ac. 

Of  the  EVERGREEN  SHRUBS,  we  have  only  space 
to  mention  : 

Hardy  Rhododendrons,  both  seedling  and  grafted,  delight- 
lul  to  the  eye,  both  in  Summer  and  in  Winter. 

Among  our  VINES  are  : 

Glycine  Sinensis,  and  its  varieties. 

Bignonia  Grandiflora. 

Clematis  of  ihe  fine  new  sorts. 

Honeysuckles  of  new  varieties 
Ivy  &c„  &c„  &c, 

Of  the  tree  and  herbaceous  Peonies  we  have  i  fine 
collection. 

The  different  Hedge  plants  w  e  can  also  offer. 

Our  GREEN-HOUSE  PLANTS  filling  eight  Houses, 
are  enumerated  in  Catalogue  No.  2,  and  are  of  the  finest 
and  rarest  sorts,  and  are  healthy  and  vigorous. 

All  the  above  named  Trees  and  Plants  with  the  rest  of 
our  collection  we  offer  at  prices,  which  we  are  sure  will 
compare  favorably  with  those  of  any  grower  in  the  coun¬ 
try.  We  seek  by  fairness  and  liberality,  and  by  careful 
execution  and  shipment  of  orders  to  preserve  for  our  es¬ 
tablishment  the  reputation  which  it  has  for  many  years 
passessed.  1 

All  Trees,  Plants,  etc.,  ordered  of  us  will  be  carefully 
packed  at  a  charge  barely  covering  cost,  and  they 
will  be  delivered  at  Fulton  Market  Wharf,  New-York 
City, /ree  of  freight  charges. 

Catalogues  will  be  forwarded  by  mail  without  charge 
and  can  also  be  obtained  at  No.  179  Broadway,  N.  Y.° 


N.  B.— Any  one  wishing  to  visit  the  above  Nurseries,  Cai 
dens,  Green-Houses,  etc  ,  can  easily  do  so  at  almost  all’houi 
of  the  day.  The  through  time  from  Fulton  Wharf,  N.  Y.  Cin 
to  Flushing,  is  only  50  minutes.  By  going  themselves  and  mak 
ing  their  selections,  purchasers  will  perhaps  suit  themselve 
better,  and  know  exactly  what  they  are  buying.  Orders  left  t 
the  selection  of  the  Proprietors  will  be  attended  to  with  th 
utmost  cave. 


THE  HORTICULTURIST  and  Journal  of  Rural  Art. 

Established  by  A.  J.  Downing,  in  IS46,  Edited  by  J.  jay  sm;tI) 
Is  published  monthly,  by 
C.  M.  SAXTON.  No.  25  Park-row,  New-York. 
TERMS : 

The  Edition  with  Plain  Plates . $2  fiO  yearly,  in  advance. 

The  Edition  with  Colored  Plates . $5  00  yearly,  in  advance. 

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The  POSTAGE  of  the  Horticulturist  is  only  eighteen 
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Volumes  commence  with  the  January  number,  are  indexed  ac- 
cordinsly,  and  we  send  from  that,  number  unless  otherwise  or¬ 
dered,  but  subscriptions  may  commence  with  any  number  at 
the  option  of  the  subscriber. 


G 


R  A  PE  v  [  N  ES.— IS  A  BE LLA ,  C  ATA  W 

bn,  and  Northern  Muscadine  -The  subscribers  beim 
largely  engaged  in  the  Grape  culture,  now  ofier  to  the  nu bib 
several  thousand  Vines,  in  lots  to  suit  purchasers,  of  hefr  ow 
raising,  with  prices  according  to  age  and  quality.  Particula 
attention  paid  lo  the  forming  of  vineyards.  Address  Denew* 
Nurseries,  Nyack  Rockland  Co.,  N.  Y.  City  referener.  M, 

Greenwich^’  “  Bctkman  s'-  ’  Mr .  Job,! H.  Stephen's,  TO 

Y?S/"AN  TED  A  quantity  of  large  sizec 

i  Fruit  Trees.  Also  Firs  and  Horse-chestnuL  Apply  hi 
Idler,  slating  quality  and  prices  to  w 

WM.  &  CHAS.  HODGES,  Paterson,  N.  J. 


.  .LAWTON  BLACKBERRY. 

1'  or  the  original  varierv,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

WM  LAWTON.  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 


62 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


THE  §¥ffiACU§E  MUE§EMIE§ 
OFFER  FOR  SALE  FOR  THE  SPRING  OF  1859, 
OF  FRUIT  TREES, 

APPLES— 3  \  ears  old;  a  very  general  assortment 

4  years  old  ;  a  limited  assortment  of  early  and  late 

vnriptipc 

2  years  old  Dwarfs,  very  fine. 

PEARS— land  2  years  old  ;  Dwarf  and  Standard,  so  extensive 
m  variety  as  to  enable  us  to- fill  almost  any  order. 
CHERRY— i  and  2  years  old  ;  Dwarf  and  Standard,  beautiful 
Trees. 

PEACH,  APRICOT,  PLUM  and  NECTARINE— Best  varie¬ 
ties. 

CURRANTS— White  and  Red  Dutch,  Victoria,  and  twelve 
newer  varieties. 

GOOSEBERRIES— Houghton’s  Seedling,  a  good  stock,  and 
some  of  the  best  English  sorts. 

BLACKBERRIES — Lawton,  or  New  Rochelle,  and  Dorchester. 
RASPBERRIES  AND  STRAW  BERRIES — Assortment  espe- 
cialy  large  and  desirable,  of  all  the  best  old  and  new 
kinds 

GRAPES — An  immense  stock  of  Isabella.  Catawba  and  Clin¬ 
ton,  1  and  2  years  old,  exceedingly  strong  and  well 
rooted  ;  also,  very  fine  plants  ot  the  Concord,  Dela¬ 
ware,  Hartford  Prolific,  Northern  Muscadine,  and 
Union  Village ;  besides  a  superior  collection  of 
Foreign  Grapes,  in  pots. 

EVERGREENS— European  Silver  Fir  ;  American  and  Norway 
Spruce;  American  Aibor  Vine;  Balsam  ;  Hemlock; 
Austrian,  Corsican  and  Scotch  Pines. 

DECIDUOUS — American  and  European  Mountain  Ash;  Weep¬ 
ing  Ash;  American  Elms  ;  Weeping  Elms  ;  English 
Weening  Elms;  (veiy  graceful)  Horse  Chestnuts; 
Cataipas;  European  Larch;  Silver  and  Sugar  Ma¬ 
ples  ;  i  iuden;  Tulip  Trees,  Nursery  grown  and  very 
line  ;  Walnut;  and  Weeping  Willow. 

SHRUBS — Altheas;  Fringe  Trees,  Purple  and  White;  Double 
Flowering  Alnfond.  Chen-y  and  Peach  ;  Honeysuck¬ 
les;  Lilacs;  Snowballs;  Sweet  Briar;  Spireas ; 
D  >uble  Flowering  Thorn,  White  and  Rose  Colored, 
&c. 

ROSES— One  of  the  best  and  largest  collections  in  America ; 

best  plants  of  the  Augusta  at  Si. 

DAHLIAS,  PiEONIES,  BORDER  PLANTS,  BULBOUS 
ROOTS,  &c  ,  in  great  variety. 

OF  M  2  §  C  E  L  L  A  ft E 0 U S  ARTICLES. 
RHUBARB— CalmotTs,  Giant,  Victoria  and  Linnaeus 
ASPARAGUS— Very  strong,  1  year  old  roots 
ViEDGE  PLANTS— Osage  Orange  ;  Honey  Locust,  Privit,  1 
and  2  years;  Red  and  White  Cedar. 

'for  nurserymen. 

500  000  Apple  Grafts,  worked  on  strong  roots,  at  $6 
50,000  Maneiti  Rose  stocks,  very  fine,  “  15 

30,000  Mazzard,  Cherry  do  do  do  “  4 

200,000  Apple  Seedlings,  1  year,  do  “  4 

OP*  Nurserymen  will  find  these  very  superior. 

Our  articles  generally  are  of  the  finest  growth,  and  will  be 
sold  at  the  lowest  rates.  For  particular  information  see 
Our  Several  Catalogues,  Viz  : 

No.  1.  A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  all  our  productions. 

No.  2.  A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Fruits. 

No.  3.  A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs, 
Roses,  &c. 

No  4.  A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Green  House, 
and  Bedding  Plants  &c. 

No.  5  A  Wholesale  Catalogue  for  Nurserymen  and  Dealers. 

Forwarded  on  receipt  of  a  stamp  for  each. 

THORP,  SMITH  &  HANCHETT. 

Syracuse,  January  17,  1859. 

HIGHLAND  NURSERIES. 

COWLES  •  WARREN,  SYRACUSE,  N.  Y. 

Cultivate  extensively  all  hardy  varieties  of  Fruits.  Trees 
grown  on  our  uplands  are  unsurpassed  in  vigor.-  Planters  and 
Tree  Dealers  supplied  at  satisfactory  prices.  Seedlings  and 
young  stock  for  Nurserymen  cheap. 


50. 


POUNDS  Y PL LOW  LOCUST  SEED 

—No  charge  for  packing— at  75c.  per  pound,  by 

JOHN  W.  BAILEY.  Haltsbuvgh  Nurseries, 

Hlattsburg,  N.  Y. 


BRXDGEMAN’S 

Est&MIsIaaaies&t, 
Nos.  87S  and  878  Broadway, 
NSW-YORK, 

ALFRED  BRfDGEMAN,  PRINCIPAL  OF 
SEED  DEPARTMENT, 

Respectfully  invites  the  attention  of  FARMERS,  GARDEN¬ 
ERS,  and  all  those  in  want  of  Seeds  to  his  unsurpassed  collec¬ 
tion  of  NEW  CHOP  FIRST  QUALITY  GRASS,  VEGETA¬ 
BLE,  HERB  AND  FLOWER  SEEDS,  including  all  tiie  good 
old  varieties  mid  several  that  are  new  and  worthy  of  general 
cultivation. 

Also  a  full  assortment  of  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLE¬ 
MENTS,  AGRICULTURAL  AND  HORTICULTURAL 
BOOKS.  Priced  Catalogues  furnished  on  application.  All  or¬ 
ders  attended  to  promptly,  and  with  exactness.  '  Goods  packed 
securely  to  go  any  Distance. 


G-arden  Field  and  Flower  Seeds. 

The  Subscriber  has  now  on  hand  a  full  assortment  of  Garden» 
Field,  Fruit,  Herb,  and  Flower  Seeds  of  the  growth  of  1858,  of 
the  best  qualities,  I  have  added  to  my  already  numerous  varie¬ 
ties  several  new  kinds  for  sale,  wholesale  and  retail,  at  low 
prices.  Among  these  will  be  found — 

Artichoke,  Asoaragus,  Beans,  Broccoli,  Beet,  Cucumber, 
Cabbage,  Cauliflower,  Carrot,  Celery,  Corn,  Cress,  EggPlant, 
Endive,  Kale,  Leek,  Lettuce.  Melon,  Mustard,  Okra,  Onion, 
Parsley.  Farsncp,  Peas— several  new  varieties,  Peppers,  Pump¬ 
kin,  Radish.  Rape,  Rhubarb,  Sage,  Salsafy,  Savory,  Spinach, 
Squash,  Marjorurn,  Thyme,  Tomato,  Turnip,  &c. 

Oats— heavy  and  choice  varieties. 

Potatoes — Prince  Albert,  Peach  Blow,  Early  Dyckman,  and 
all  other  approved  kinds. 

'Jobdcco  Seed — Havanna,  Connecticut  Seed  Leaf,  Virginia, 
Maryland.  &.c. 

Spring  Wheat— of  several  varieties. 

Spring  Rye,  Spring  Barley 

Grass  and  Clover  Seeds  of  all  kinds. 

Fruit  Seeds— Osage  Orange,  kc. 

A  Catalogue  containing  a  full  list  of  seeds  and  prices  furnished 
on  application.  R.  L-  ALLEN,  19L  Water  Street,  N.  Y 

HINESE  SUGAR  CANE  AND  AFRL 

CAN  IMPHEE,  at  very  low  price. 

It.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  St.,  N  Y. 


Seeds— Seeds. 


Our  DESCRIPTIVE  PRICED  CATALOGUE  of  VEGE 
TABLE  AND  AGRICULTURAL  SEEDS  FOR  1859  is  now 
ready  lor  mailing  to  applicants  enclosing  a  o'pe  cent  stamp. 

J.  M.  THORBURN  &  CO,., 

Seed  Warehouse, 

15  John  Street, 

New  York. 

N.B. — A  Catalogue  of  Tree  and  Shrub  Seeds  will  be  published 
shortly  and  mailed  as  above,  containing  directions  for  managing 
Evergreen,  &c.  Seeds. 


Spring  Garden  Seeds. 

J.  M.  THORBURN  &  CO., 

15  John  Street, 

New  York. 

Have  now  in  store  their  entirely  new  stock  of  SEEDS,  com¬ 
prising  Vegetable,  Field,  Herb,  Flower,  aud  Tree  Seeds, 
warranted  fresh  and  true  to  name.  The  superior  quality  of  the 
following  we  particularly  recommend,  all  of  which  are  required 
early  :  cl  s. 

Broad  Windsor  Beans .  . per  qt.  20 

Extra  Early  and  BLood  Turnip  Beet,  each . per  oz.  10 

Purple  and  White  Cape  Brocoli,  each .  “  40 

Early  Winningstadt,  and  Oxheart  Cabbage,  e  tch .  “  20 

Early  and  Giant.  White  Solid  Celery,  each! .  “  20 

Prize  Fighter  and  other  Frame  Cucumbers, . per  pkt.  25 

Improved  N.  Y.  Purple  EggPlant . per  oz.  80 

Eariy  White  Vienna  Kohl  Rabi .  “  20 

Karly  Curled  Silesia  Lettuce, .  “  20 

Extra  Curled  Parsley, . .  “  10 

Extra  Early  Daniel  O’Rourke  Peas, . per  qt.  30 

“  “  Sangsters  No  1,  do  .  “  30 

“  “  Burlington,  do  “  30 

“  **  Tom  Thumb,  do  .  “  75 

Fairbeard’s  Champion  of  England,  do .  “  30 

Napoleon  and  Eugenie,  do  . each  *•  75 

Long  Cayenne  and  Squash  Pepper,  each . per  oz.  4O 

Early  Scarlet  Turnip  and  Frame  Radish,  each . !  ••  ]0 

Round  Spinach, . per  lb.  r>0 

Early  Red,  Smooth,  and  Mammoth  Tomato,  each. . per  oz.  25 

Norway  Spruce,  and  European  Silver  Fir,  each, _ per  lb.  1  o0 

Deciduous  Cypress  Seed, . perqt.  30 

Red  Cedar .  ••  25 

Black,  Austrian,  and  Pitch  Pine,  each . per  lb.  3.00 

Scotch  Fir .  “  1  50 

Chinese  Arbor  Vi  tie .  “  300 

Yellow  and  Honey  Locust,  each . ‘ _ “  75 

Osage  Orange,...' . perqt.  75 

Kentucky  Coffee  Tree, .  “  1.50 

Virgilia  Lutea  (a  very  rare  tree,) . per  oz.  2.00 

Apple  Seed,  per  bushel  $9, . per  qt.  50 

Pear  and  Quince  Seed,  each . per  lb.  2.50 

Apricot  Pits, . perqt.  75 

Lucerne  Seed, . per  lb.  25 

Best  White  Clover, .  *•  30 

French  Mixed  Lawn  Grass  (extra) . per  bushel  5.00 

Perennial  Rye  do .  “  3.00 

Orchard  do .  “  1.50 

Ky.  Blue  do .  “  1.75 

Early  Potatoes,  6  varieties,  from  $1.50  to  $2.50  per  bushel. 
Dioscorea  Batatas,  or  Chinese  Potatoes,  fine  roots,  $1.25  per 
dozen. 

The  following  Catalogues  will  be  sent  to  all  desiring  them, 
by  enclosing  for  each  or  any  of  them  a  one  cent  stamp  : 

Catalogue  of  Flower  Seeds. 

Catalogue  of  Vegetable  and  Agricultural  Seeds. 

Catalogue  of  Tree  and  Shrub  Seeds. 

EIP  Also  Trade  Lists  of  the  above  for  Seed  Merchants. 

J.  M.  THORBURN  k  CO., 

Growers  and  Importers  of  Seeds, 

15  John  Street, 

New  York. 

K  ING  PHILIP  CORN,  SELECTED  FOR 

seed  in  barrels  of  two  and  a  half  bushels  of  ears  (about 
250  ears,)  at  S2  50  per  barrel,  delivered  onboard  railway  at  New¬ 
burgh.  Address  George  Haigh,  Walden,  Orange  Co  ,  'N.  Y. 


Seeds  at  Wholesale. 

By  reason  'f  the  abundant  crops  generally,  last  season,  we  are 
prepared  to  offer  unusual  inducements  to  purchasers  of  Seeds  in 
large  quantities. 

Our  Annual  Trade  List  for  1859,  is  just,  published,  and  will  be 
mailed  to  applicants  enclosing  a  3-cent  stamp.  Although  most 
seeds  are  plentiful,  we  would  advise  our  customers  to  send  their 
orders  early,  as  no  matter  how  abundant,  the  stock  of  some  of  the 
raier  varieties  generally  becomes  exhausted  as  the  season  ad¬ 
vances.  J.  M.  THORBURN  &  CO., 

15  John-st., 

New- York. 


"G&'S  SHE  SEST” 

webster  mimw&mi 


c 


GET  THE  BEST.’ 


WEI2STEI£’S  <f£ETAR'ir©  SIC'S’IONAKY. 
THE  ENTIRE  WORK  UNABRIDGED. 

“All  young  persons  should  have  a  standard 

DICTIONARY 

at  their  elbows.  And  while  you  are  about  it,  get  the  best ;  that 
Dictionary  is 

NOAM 

The  great  ivork  unabridged.  If  you  are  too  poor,  save  the 
amount  from  off  your  back,  to  put  it  into  your  head.’— Phreno¬ 
logical  Journal. 

“  A  MAN  WHO  WOULD  KNOW  EVERYTHING,  OR 
ANYTHING,  AS  HE  OUGHT  TO  KNOW,  MUST  OWN 
WEBSTER’S  LARGE  DICTIONARY.  It  is  a  great  light,  and 
he  that  will  not  avail  himself  of  it  must  walk  in  darkness.  Ev¬ 
ery  young  housekeeper  should  lay  it  in,  to  occupy  the  place 
which  was  formerly  filled  with  decanters  and  wine  glasses. 
“Every  farmer  should  give  his  sons  two  or  t  liree  square  rods  of 
ground,  well  prepared,  with  the  avails  ofwhicht.liey  may  buy  it 
Every  mechanic  should  put.  a  receiving  box  in  some  conspicuous 
place  in  1  lie  house,  to  catch  the  stray  pennies,  for  the  like  pur¬ 
pose  ’’ — Massachusetts  l  ife  Boat.. 

“  Constantly  cited  and  relied  on  in  our  Courts  of  Justice,  in 
our  legislative  bodies,  and  in  public  discussions,  as  entirely  con¬ 
clusive.” — John  C.  Spencer. 

Published  by 

G.  k  C.  MERRIAM, 

SPRINGFIELD,  MASS. 

^  SOLD  BY  ALL  BOOKSELLERS, 

ALSO, 

WEBSTER’S  SCHOOL  DICTIONARIES. 


NEW  ILLUSTRATED  RURAL  MANUALS. 

THE  HOUSE : 

A  Pocket  Manual  op  Rural  Architecture  ;  or  How 
to  Build  Dwellings,  Barns,  Stables,  etc.  Embracing  a 
Sketch  of  the  History  of  Architecture  ;  Essentials  of  a 
Dwelling;  Building  Materials  ;  Choice  of  a  Situation; 
Styles  of  Architecture  ;  Cottages  in  the  Various  Styles  ; 
the  New-England  Cottage  ;  Prairie  Cottages  ;  South¬ 
ern  Houses  :  Out-Houses  ;  Ornamental  Fences,  Gates, 
Arbors,  Trellises,  etc.  Handsomely  Illustrated  with 
Plans,  Elevations,  and  Perspective  Views.  Price, 
isi  pajser,  30  cents  5  im  rawslisi,  50  cents. 

THE  GARDEN : 

A  Pocket  Manual  of  Horticulture  ;  or  IIow  to  Cul- 
tivate  Vegetables,  Fruits,  and  Flowers  ;  Structure  and 
Growth  of  Plants;  Directions  for  forming  a  Garden; 
Description  of  Implements  and  Fixtures;  Instructions 
for  Sowing,  Transplanting,  Budding,  Grafting,  and 
Cultivating  Vegetables,  Fruits,  and  Flowers;  with  a 
Chapleron  Ornamental  Trees  and  Shrubs.  Illustrated. 
Price,  isi  patpev,  SO  cts.;  in  namtsSiu,  50  cts. 

THE  FARM : 

A  Pocket  Manual  of  Practical  Agriculture  ;  or  How 
to  Cultivate  all  the  Field  Crops.  Embracing  an  Ex¬ 
position  of  the  Nature  and  Action  of  Soils  and  Manures  ; 
the  Principles  of  Rotation  in  Cropping  ;  Directions  for 
Irrigation,  Draining,  Subsoiling,  Fencing,  and  Planting 
Hedges;  Descriptions  of  Improved  Farm  Implements; 
Instructions  in  the  Cultivation  of  various  Field  Crops  ; 
Ilow  to  Plant  and  Manage  Orchards,  etc.  With  “  Prize 
Essay  on  Farm  Management.”  Illustrated.  Paper, 
3Q  ci-nils ;  muslin,  50  cents. 

DOMESTIC  ANIMALS  : 

A  Pocket  Manual  of  Horse,  Cattle,  and  Sheep  Hus¬ 
bandry  ;  or  How  10  Breed,  Rear,  arid  Use  all  the  Com¬ 
mon  Domestic  Animals.  Embracing  Descriptions  of  the 
various  Breeds  of  Horses,  Cattle,  Sheep,  Swine,  Poul¬ 
try,  etc.  ;  the  “Points”  or  Characteristics  by  u  liich  to 
judge  Animals  ;  Feeding  and  General  Mangement  of 
Stock;  How  to  Improve  Breeds;  Howto  Cure  Sick 
Animals,  etc.  Willi  a  Chapter  on  Bees.  Handsomely 
Illustrated.  Pi-ice,  in  yaper,  30  cent's 5  in 
ssmasl! isi,  50  cents. 

The  House-The  Garden— The  Farm— and  Domestic 
Animals,  bound  in  one  large  handsome  gilt 
volume,  may  bo  had  for  $1 50, 

It  forms,  of  itself ,  a  Complete  Library  of  Rural  Af¬ 
fairs,  and  should  have  a  place  on  the  book-shelf  of  every 

resident  of  the  country.  Sent  prepaid  bi/  First  Mail. 
Address  FOWLER  &  WELLS,  308  Broadway,  N.  Y. 


Every  Faiaslly  §IaoisM  m§c 


It  gives  tolinen  a  superior  lustre  and  finish,  and  an  extra  stiff¬ 
ness  It  will  prevent  the  iron  sticking.  Shirts,  Bosoms  Col¬ 
lars,  & c..  can  be  done  up  quicker  and  will  look  better,  and  in 
damp  weather  will  keep  clean  longer  by  using  this  Polish. 

Ladies  who  have  used  it  will  have  no  other. 

Samples  gratis  by  calling  on  J.  B.  MORRILL, 

Sole  Agent,  wholesale  and  retail, 

304  Broadway,  New-York  City. 


68 

AND 

70 


SomietMBig’  New. — 15.  T.  liatofoitl’s 

BEST  1/^0 

MEDICINAL  SALERAUS 
Is  manufactured  from  Common  Salt. 

B.  T.  BABBITT’S 

BEST  SALERATUS  AND 

Is  prepared  entirely  different  fiom  other  Salera- 
tus.  All  the  deleterious  matter  extracted  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  produce  Bread.  Biscuit,  and  al’ 
kinds  of  Cake,  without  containing  a  particle  of 
Saleratus  when  the  Bread  or  Cake  is  baked  ; 
thereby  producing  wholesome  results.  Every 
particle  of  Saleratus  is  turned  to  gas,  and  passU 
through  the  Bread  or  Biscuit  while  baking;  con¬ 
sequently  nothing  remains  but  common  salt, 

AND  water  and  flour.  You  will  readily  perceive,  bv 
the  taste  of  this  Saleratus,  that  it  is  entirely  dif¬ 
ferent  fr<  m  other  Saleratus.  When  you  purchase 
one  paper  you  should  take  the  old  paper  with 
you,  and  be  very  particular  and  get  the  next 
exactly  like  the  first,  (name  and  picture,  twisted 
loaf  bi  ead,  with  a  glass  efiervescing  water  on  the 
top.  as  you  see  in  the  bill  ) 

Full  directions  for  making  Bread  with  Sour 
Milk  and  Cream  Tartar,  and  all  kinds  of  Pastry  ; 

AND  also  for  making  Soda  Water;  also  directions  for  ,\ND 
making  Seidlitz  Powders  will  accompany  each 
ksyr*.  package.  B.  T.  BABBITT, 

7  |  tt  Nos.  G8  and  70  Washington-st.,  New  York, 
w  and  No.  38  Indi&r'stJ  Boston. 


68 


AND 


PURE  CONCENTRATED  POTASH  m  Gib 
CANS.— Six  pounds  of  .this  Potash  are  equal  to 
twelve  pounds  of  common  Potash  Thisan  icle  is 
broken  into  small  pieces,  suitable  for  retailing  in 
i he  smallest  quantities.  The  attention  of  drug--1 
gists  especially  is  called  to  this  Potash.  Cases  ol 
1  doz.,  2  doz.,  3  doz.  and  6  doz.  For  sale  by 
B.  T.  BABBITT, 

Nos.  G8  and  70  Washington-st.,  New  York, 

and  No  38India-st.,  Boston. 


68 

AND 

70 


68 

AND 

76 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


63 


THE  MOST  BEAUTIFUL 

MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS 

IN  THE  WOULD, 

©eoi’ge  A.  Prince  &  Co.’s 

CELEBRATED  MELODEOIS, 

FOR  DURABILITY,  NEATNESS,  AND  BEAUTY  OF 
EXTERIOR  FINISH,  AND  MORE  THAN  ALL,  FOR 

Richness,  Depth  and  Furity  of  Tone, 

THESE  MELODEONS  STAND  UNRIVALED. 

THE  DIVIDED  SWELL, 

A  very  desirable  feature  and  secured  to  us  by  Letters  Patent, 
can  only  be  obtained  in  Melodeons  of  our  own  manufacture.  By 
means  of  this  improvement  Tenor  and  Treble  Solos  or  Duetts 
may  be  played  with  the  full  power  of  the  Instrument,  while  the 
Bass  can  be  performed  in  a  soft,  subdued  tone,  not  otherwise  at¬ 
tainable. 

Our  Reeds  are  so  constructed  that  the 

Melodeon  Kemains  in  Perfect  Tune. 

Thousands  of  them  have  been  in  use  for  many  years  that  have 
never  needed  any  repairs  whatever,  and  we  believe  there  is  no 
Musical  Instrument  used  that  requires  LESS  EXPENSE  to 
beep  it  in  perfect  order. 

Our  Melodeons  are  all  cased  in  Rosewood,  and  finished  as 
smbothly  as  the  best  Pianos.  They  are  compactly  boxed  for 
shipping,  and  the  cost  of  freight  is  but  little  to  any  part  of  the 
United  States.  They  are  so  arranged  that  any  one  nan  unpack 
and  put  them  up  without  difficulty. 

We  have  been  awarded 

FIRST  PREMIUMS 

For  our  Melodeons  wherever  we  have  exhibited  them  in  com 
petition  with  others,  and  we  have  the  satisfaction  of  believing 
that 

OTJB  CONSTANT  AIM  TO  EXCEL 

Is  appreciated  by  the  Musical  Public. 

LIST  OF  PRICES. 


IN  PORTABLE  CASE— 

Four  Octaves,  C  to  C .  ...  .$15  00 

Four  and  a  half  Octaves,  C  to  F .  60  00 

Five  Octaves,  F  to  F .  75  00 

Five  Octaves,  Double  Reed,  F  to  F. . . . . 130  01) 

IN  PIANO  CASE— 

Five  Octaves,  F  to  F. . . $100  00 

Six  Octaves,  F  to  F .  150  00 

Five  Octaves,  Double  Reed .  150  00 

Five  Ocaves,  Two  Banks  Keys .  200  00 

The  Organ  Melodeon,  C  to  C .  350  00 


This  last  is  a  most  MAGNIFICENT  INSTRUMENT  for 

Churches,  Halls  aud  Concert  Rooms. 

It  has  two  banks  of  Keys  five  sets  of  Reeds,  eight  Stops,  one 
and  a  half  Octave  Foot  Pedals,  and  one  set  of  Reeds  in  Pedal 
Bass,  independent.  It  has  all  the  power  and  volume  of  an  $800 
Organ,  a’  less  than  half  the  cost,  and  is  much  less  liable  to  get 
out  of  order. 

TESTIMONIALS. 

Messrs.  G.  A.  Prince  &  Co. : 

Gentlemen— The  Double  Reed  Melodeon  has  arrived,  and  a 
most  charming  instrument  it  is.  It  has  been  played  upon  by 
Wallace,  Dr.  Hodges,  Wm.  Mason  and  a  host  of  others,  and 
they  all  pronounce  it  one  of  the  most  beautiful  toned  instru¬ 
ments  they  have  ever  touched. 

Yours  respectfully, 

JAMES  F  HALL, 

New-York  City. 

From  the  Home  Journal ,  April  3, 1858. 

The  Melodeons  manufactured  by  Prince  &  Co.,  and  for  salG  at 
87  Fulton-st.,  are  the  best  in  the  world.  We  have  tried  them, 
and  therefore  speak  understandingly  of  their  merits.  They  are 
afforded  at  a  very  moderate  cost. 

From  Nicholas'  New-York  Bank  Note  Reporter. 

Melodeons.— We  have  frequently  seen  and  heard  the  Melo¬ 
deons  manufactured  by  Geo.  A  Prince  &  Co.,  and  for  sale  at 
their  depot,  No.  87  Fulton-st.,  and  we  honestly  think  that  the 
instruments  are  the  best  finished  and  the  sioeetest  toned  of  any  in 
tlie  market. 

Prof.  A.  Morris,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  alludes  to  the  Prince  Me¬ 
lodeon  as  follows : 

“  For  beauty  and  purity  of  tone  combining  strength  suitable 
for  halls  and  small  churches,  with  also  the  subdued  quality  de¬ 
sired  for  the  parlor,  these  specimens  of  mechanical  skill  are 
really  unequaled  in  the  world,  in  this  department  of  musical 
merchandise. ” 

The  following  is  the  opinion  of  the  Musical  World: 

“Parlor  Organs. — Messrs  George  A.  Prince  &  Co.,  have 
earned  an  enviable  reputation  for  t  heir  manufacture  of  superior 
melodeons.  In  sweet  ness  and  purity  of  tone,  and  sensibility  to 
the  touch,  these  excel  all  others.  The  same  qualities  belong  to 
their  Parlor  Organs,  which  are  equal  in  volume  to  the  Alexandre 
Organs,  while  they  far  surpass  them  in  pleasing  effect  A  fair 
comparison  will  convince  any  one  that  we  need  not  patronize  a 
foreign  manufacturer,  since  our  own  furnish  an  article  far  supe¬ 
rior.”  „ 

Extracts  from  Letters  Received. 

“Our  clergyman  says :— A  Prince  Melodeon  is  one  of  the 
necessaries  of  life.” 

u  I  have  used  a  Trince  Melodeon  for  eight  years,  and  it  is  still 
in  perfect  order.” 

“  Th  '  ‘  Divided  Swell  ’  is  just  what  was  needed  to  make  the 
Prince  Melodeon  a  perfect  instrument 

“  I  have  examined  various  kinds,  and  have  decided  that  those 
made  by  Prince  &  Co.  are  the  best.” 

“  The  Organ  Melodeon  is  received,  and  it  affords  entire  satis¬ 
faction  to  the  whole  congregation.” 

ORDERS  PROMPTLY  FILLED  AND  EACH  MELO¬ 
DEON  WARRANTED.  PERFECT.  Address 

GEO.  A.  PRINCE  &  CO.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

GEO.  A.  PRINCE  &  CO.,  110  Lake-st ,  Chicago,  Ill. 

G2SO.  A.  PI&aNCE  &  Co., 

87  Fnll©jv>st.,  New-York  City. 


JOHN  MILNE, 

Grapery  Ǥc  GreeBi-Momse  Builder, 

YONKERS,  N.  Y. 

Frames  and  Sashes  for  Hot-Houses.  Green  and  Hot-Houses 
and  Conservatories  erected,  and  warranted. 


JE.  §.  S33VEEY, 

Engraver  and  Printer, 

CUMBERLAND,  MD  . 

Has  been  for  more  than  eight  years  engaged 
in  furnishing  good  marking  and  rating 
STAMPS  to  postmasters  at  very  low  prices; 
for  example,  an  office  stamp  with  changes  for 
dates  complete  for  only  one  dollar,  delivered 
by  mail  free. 

He  also  publishes  the  Postmaster’s  Month¬ 
ly  Bulletin  at  only  25  cents  a  yea>,  for  which 
everv  Postmaster  should  remit. 

He  also  manufactures  a  ne  plus  ultra 
all  iron  SMALL  HAND  PRINTING 
PRESS  for  general  use,  at  only  $15,  packed. 

Also  every  description  of  Engraving,  Print¬ 
ing,  Stamp,  Seal,  or  Stencil,  supplied  at  rea¬ 
sonable  prices,  and  delivered  in  any  part  of 
the  Union. 

[The  Postmaster’s  Month’y  Bulletin  being 
the  only  post  al  paper  published  in  the  Union, 
will  be  found  valuable  to  many  others  be¬ 
sides  Postmasters.] 

January,  1859.  


NEW 


AGRICULTURAL  WAREHOUSE 

AND 

SEED  STORE, 

Ho.  54  Yesey  Street,  3sL  Y- 

Between  Broadway  and  Greenwich  Street,  near  Washington 
Market. 

A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO.. 

Where  will  he  found  the  largest,  bost  and  most  varied  assort¬ 
ment  of  AGRICULTURAL  and  HORTICULTULAL  IMPLE¬ 
MENTS,  SEEDS,  and  FERTILIZERS  ever  offered  for  sale  in 
the  United  States,  which  we  will  sell  lower  than  any  other 
house  in  the  trade,  (and  warrant  our  goods  superior  in  quality.) 
Merchants,  Farmers  and  dealers  are' most  respectfully  invited 
to  give  us  a  call  before  purchasing  elsewhere. 

ALL  GOODS  SOLD  BY  US  ABE  WARRANTED  TO  BE 
AS  REPRESENTED.  A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO., 

(Successors  to  John  Mayher  &  Co.,) 

No  54  Yesey  Street, 

Please  don’t  forget  the  number  and  street.  New  York. 


Something  Entirely  Hew. 

And  now  is  the  time  to  send  for  these  three  articles,  which 
will  produce  an  entire  change  in  the  labor  of  t lie  Farm.  They 
are  -SHARES’  PATENT  POTATO  AND  CORN  COVER¬ 
ING,”  and  -  CULTIVATING,  HOEING  AND  HILLING 
MACHINES,”  and  -COULTER  HARROWS  OR  SUBSOIL 
PULVERIZERS  AND  GRAIN  COVERING  MACHINES,” 
costing  only  S35,  all  complete,  saving  thice  times  their  cost  the 
first  season  they  are  useu.  The  demand  for  them  is  constantly 
increasing,  and  those  who  want  will  have  to  apply  soon  in  order 
to  get  them  in  time  for  Spring  work.  “First  come,  first  served.” 
A  Catalogue  forwarded  on  receipt  of  one  postage  stamp.  Ad¬ 
dress  PEASE  &  EGGLESTON, 

Albany,  N.  Y. 


POSTMASTERS. 

POSTMASTERS 

POSTMASTERS. 

PRINTERS. 

PRINTERS. 

PRINTERS. 


EVERYBODY. 

EVERYBODY. 

EVERYBODY. 


PRUNING  SHEARS — Or  Garden  Snips — 

See  what  the  Editor  of  this  paper  says  of  them  in  the  Jan¬ 
uary  No.,  (page  27.)  Made  and  sold  at  wholesale  and  retail,  by 
JOHN  ROWE  &  CO.,  269  Pearl-st. 


Metropolitan  washing  ma¬ 

chine — Washes  with  little  labor  rapidly  and. clean— de¬ 
scribed  <n  Sept.  Agriculturist.  Price  $10. 

WISNER’S  WASHING  MACHINE,  described  in  March 
Agriculturist.  Price  $5  50.  For  sale  by 

 R-  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


Russia  or  bass  mats,  selected 

expressly  forbudding  and  tying,  GUNNY  BAGS, TWINES, 

HAY  ROPES,  Stc.,  suitable  for  Nursery  purposes  for  sale  in 
lots  to  suit  by  D.  W.  MANWARING,  Importer, 

_ _ 248  Front  Street,  New  York. 

PLOWS,  HARROWS  AND  CULTIVAT¬ 
ORS,  of  most  approved  patterns  and  for  every  variety  of  use. 
Garden  aud  Horticultural  Tools,  a  complete  assortment  For 
sale  by  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  St. 


Agricultural  Implements, 

The  undersigned,  having  opened  an  Agricultural  Warehouse 
for  the  sale  of  Agricultural  Implements,  are  willing  to  sell  all 
good  Machines  on  commission.  Manufacturers  will  please 
send  their  Catalogues.  New-York  City  references  given.  Ad¬ 
dress  JOHNSON  &  VAN  SLYKE, 

Bloomfield,  Greene  Co.,  Indiana. 


Thermometers,  barometers,  &c.,  of 

reliable  quality  and  various  descriptions,  among  which 
are  those  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  register  the  coldest  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24  hours,  in  the  absence  of  the  observer.  For 
sale  by  D.  EGGEaT  &  SON,  239  Pearl  st. 


TMPROVED  IRON  FARM  MILL— Will 

grind  all  kinds  of  Grain,  also  Corn  and  Cob— can  be  driven 
with  one  or  more  horses,  and  will  grind  4  to  I5l,ushe!s  per  hour. 
We  consider  it  the  only  efficient;  and  durable  Iron  Mill  in  use, 
and  is  just  what  is  required  bv  the  Farmer  and  Planter.  Price 
$50.  Price  with  bolt  for  making  family  flour,  $75.  ' 

HAY,  STRAW  AND  STALK  CUT- 

TER — Cumming’s  latest  improved,  one  of  the  best  in  the 
market,  and  all  oilier  approved  Cutters. 

HAY  PRESSES  of  all  kinds  to  work  by 

hand  and  power.  R.  L.  ALLEN 

191 W  uter-st.,  New-York. 


Ingersoll’s  Patent  Hay  Press. 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  Near¬ 
ly  500  of  them  have  been  sold  in  the  last  two  years.  Price  $50 
and  $75,  delivered  in  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  sali .'fac¬ 
tion.  For  circulars,  containing  full  informat  ion.  Address 
FARMER’S  MANUFACTURING  CO.. 

Green  Point  P.  Q.,  (Brooklyn,)  N.  Y, 


Coras-stalk  Cutter  and  Grinder, 
HICKOK’S  PATENT. 
Coleraaim’s  Farm  Mil!, 

GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO., 

60  Cortlandt  st., 

New-York  City. 

Farmers  sending  their  address  to  us  will  receive  our  Illustrat 
ed  Catalogue  and  Almanac  for  1859. 


WILLARD’S  ROOT  CUTTER— A  new 

pattern,  superior  to  any.  It  docs  not  slice— but  leaves 
vegetables  in  small  broken  pieces— so  that  there  is  no  liability 
for  an  animal  to  choke.  Willcut  one  bushel  per  minute.  Price 
§10.  For  sale  by  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


Agricultural  Implements 

of  all  kinds,  for  sale  by  J.  B.  RYAN,  Importer  of  Hardware 
114  Yonge-st.,  Toronto,  Canada  West. 

Manufacturers  of  above  goods  will  send  their  lists. 


Poultry  for  Sale. 

Wild  Turkeys,  with  several  of  the  host  varieties  of  Fancy 
Fowls.  Breed  all  pure.  Enquire  of  S.  Smith,  Darien  Depot, 
Conn. 


FANCY  STOCK  FOR  SALE. 

DOMESTICATED  DEER — 3  pair  of  Fawn,  bred  at  Spring- 
side  Price  $30  per  pair 

WHITE  TURK II0S — One  cock  and  two  hens,  $8. 

BROWN  CHINESE  GEESE,  per  pair  $6.  WHITE  DO., 
very  fine,  per  pair,  $10. 

The  above  prices  include  cages  and  delivery  at  Express  Office, 
Poughkeepsie.  Apply  to  C.  N  Bement. 


Thorough  Bred  Stock. 

I  have  always  on  hand  for  sale,  which  will  be  put  upon  the 
railroad  cars  and  sent  carefully  bv  Adams’  Express  to  purchas¬ 
ers,  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE,  SOUTH-DOWN  SHEEP,  aud 
SPANISH  HOGS.  C.  M.  CLAY. 

Address — 1‘  Whitehall  Post  Office,”  Madison  County.  Ky. 


npHOROUGHBRED  NORTH  DEVONS. 

Four  Females,  with  Herd  Book  pedigrees.  Two  Thorough¬ 
bred  Ayrshire  Bull  Calves.  For  sale.  Address  Allred  M, 
Tredwell,  No.  251  Pearl  street,  New  York. 


The  Lodi  Manufacturing  Co.  ■ 
“  Poudretfe  ”  “  IPoudrefltc  ” 

Is  offered  for  sale  by  the  subscribers  wholesale  and  retail  in 
lots  to  suit  customers.  This  article  has  been  now  in  use  for 
over  17  years  and  is  the  most  popular  manure  for  corn  and  early 
vegetables,  in  market. 

It  is  quick  and  powerful  and  can  be  put  in  direct  contact  with 
tlie  seed  without  injury.  Price  $1.50  per  barrel  delivered  on 
board  of  vessel  for  any  quantity  over  6  barrels.  $2  00  for  a 
single  barrel. 

CERTIFICATES. 

The  undersigned  have  used  the  Poudrette  of  the  Lodi  Man¬ 
ufacturing  Co.,  for  the  number  of  years,  and  upon  the  crops  set 
opposite  to  their  names  and  can  recommend  it  as  a  cheap,  and 
most  excellent  fertilizer. 


Charles  Smith, 

Bloomfield, 

N.  J. 

10  years,  Corn. 

Cyrus  Canfield, 

Caldwell, 

do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

John  Squires, 

Livingston, 

do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

&  Garden  Truck. 

A.  J.  Jacobus, 

Livingston, 

do. 

17 

do. 

Com. 

do. 

H.  W.  Harrison, 

Caldwell, 

do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

do. 

J.  Simpson, 

Franklin, 

do. 

8 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Hiram  Farnham,  Livingston, 

do. 

15 

do. 

do. 

do. 

J.  A.  Harrison, 

Orange, 

do. 

no 

do. 

do. 

do. 

B.  P.  Lum, 

Chatham, 

do. 

15 

do. 

do. 

do 

A  pamphlet  containing  certificates  of  practical  farmers  in  all 
parts  of  the  United  S  ates,  wit  h  every  information  and  direction 
for  use  will  be  mailed  to  any  one  sending  their  address. 

GRIEFING  BROTHER  &  CO., 

General  Agents  for  the  Company, 
North  River  Agricultural  Warehouse,) 

60  Cortland  Street,  N.  Y.  5 


To  Plamtcrs  and.  Farmers. 

Special  attention  is  directed  to  the  NATIONAL  FERTIL¬ 
IZER,  prepared  of  Green  Sand  Marl,  Animal  Bone  and  Fish. 
Manufactured  for  application  according  to  the  analyses  of  vege¬ 
tables,  plants,  and  all  cereals,  cotton,  sugar-cane,  and  tobacco. 
Unlike  Guano,  it  imparts  persistent  fertility  to  the  soil. 

Delivered  in  New  York  at  $35  per  ton  of  2000  lbs.  Orders 
must  state  the  crop  for  which  it  is  wanted. 

For  descriptive  Circulars,  with  Analysis,  address  JOS.  C. 
CANNING,  37  Fulton  Slreet,  N.  Y. 


Bone  dust,  Peruvian  and  elide 

Guano,  Super  Phosphate  of  Lime,  Land  Plaster,  National 
Fertilizer — all  of  the  best  and  most  reliable  quality  and  on  the 
best  terms.  For  sale  by  R.  L.  ALLEN, 

391  Water  street. 


AffiEniCAI  GUANO. 

To  Farmers  and  Dealers  in  Gnano 

This  Guano  from  Jarvis  Island,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  con¬ 
taining  80  per  cent  of  phosphate  and  sulphate  of  lime,  and  i lie 
most  valuable  fertilizer  known,  is  offered  for  sale  in  quantities 
large  or  small,  at  about  two-thirds  the  price  of  Peruvian  Guano. 
For  full  information  and  particulars,  address 

C.  S.  MARSHALL.  Pres.  Ant.  Guano  Co., 

66  William  slreet,  New  York. 

Dried  blood  and  wool  manure! 

—The  best  and  cheapest  manure  in  use— an  active  manure 
for  the  present  crop,  and  permanent  in  its  effects  on  the  land. 
Worth  as  much  as  guano,  and  costs  about  half  as  much.  Price 
$35  for  2000 lbs.  in  brls.  2C0  lbs.  For  sale  by 

&.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  St. 


64 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


Index  for  February,  1859- 


Acre— Number  of  hills,  trees,  etc.,  in . 36 

Agricullural  Society— United  States . 35 

Apples— D  warf . 5° 

Apples  for  Cows . 42 

Bees— Apiary  in  February . 35 

Bees— Mistakes  about . 37 

Birds— Pigeon  Hawk  and  Woodcock . 47 

Books— Supplied . 60 

Buckwheat— Culture  of . 47 

Buildings— House  of  S.  B.  Parsons _ 3  Illustrations.  .44 

Calendar  of  Operations  for  the  Month . 34 

Cattle-Breeding  in-and-in  [by  C.  M.  Clay] . 43 

Cattle— Kicking  Cows  Subdued. .  .1 . 40 

Coffee  Adulterations— Chicory,  Cocoa,  Chocolate. 2  111.53 

Challenge,  The . Illustrated.  .41 

Chrysanthemums — Culture,  etc . Illustrated.  .50 

Corn— Improved  King  Philip  Distributed . 3G 

Dahlia  Culture— Amateur’s  troubles . 52 

Dairy— Prize  Article  IT.,  Selection  of  Cows;  Descrip¬ 
tion  of  a  Dairy  Cow . 41 

Delays— Unavoidable . 64 

Editor  with  his  Young  Readers— Merry  Christmas  and 
a  Happy  New  Year  ;  Trapping  Birds  ;  The  Best 

Girl;  Eclipse;  Vote  of  Thanks,  Ac . Illus.. 57 

Engravings— Note  on  Sale  of . 60 

Eyes — Disease  of  in  Animals . 37 

Farm— Calendar  for  February . 34 

Farm  Life— Making  attractive . 40 

February— Sugoestions  for  the  Month . 33 

Fencing  II.— Prize  Articles— Hedges  discussed . 46 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  in  February . 34 

Garden — Kitchen  and  Fruit  in  February . 34 

Geraniums — Preserving  in  Winter . 5i 

Grafts— Cutting . 50 

Grandmother  with  the  Girls— Neatness,  Washing  D.sli- 

es,  etc . Illustrated.  .56 

Grapes — McKay’s . 60 

Green-house  Calendar  for  February . • . 34 

Help- Hiring . 36 

Hollyhock— The . 52 

Hot  House  and  Conservatory  in  February . 34 

House  Furniture— Carpets,  Sofas,  Chairs,  Wall  Papers, 

Window  Curtains . 54 

Ice-Houses  in  Cellars . 45 

Illinois  Farmers  Vindicated . 36 

In  Door  Work . 53 

Manure  Puff— Strong  medicine . 60 

Market  Review,  etc . 59 

Milk— Singular  effect  of  first  milkings . 42 

Mink  and  Muskrat  Hunting . 47 

Nurserymen — Frauds  and  mistakes  of . 51 

Oalen  Cakes— Healthy  Food . 54 

Orchard  and  Nursery — Operations  in  February . 34 

Patent  Office— Advisory  Board  of  Agriculturists . 35 

Pod  Auger’s  Letter — Dwarf  Apples  and  White  Straw¬ 
berries . • . 50 

Postage  Stamps — Remittances . 64 

Postage  —Proposition  to.Increase . 60 

Poultry — Profits  of— Feeding, etc . 37 

Poultry— Silver  Spangled  Bantams . Illustrated.  .37 

Premiums . 58 

Premiums — Plenty  of  time  to  secure . . . 60 

Problems — New . 2  Illustrations.  .58 

Railroad  Conductors— Hint  to  . 64 


Recipes — Apple  Fritters  ;  Apple  Pie,  mock  ;  Bird’s 
Nests;  Dough-nuts;  Ginger  Snaps;  Hams,  curing 
and  keeping  ;  Lemon  Pie  ;  Mince  Meat,  preserving ; 
Minee  Pie  hints;  Muffins;  Neats-foot  Oil;  Pie 
Cakes  ;  Potato  Bread  ;  Snowball  Custard  ;  Tea 

Biscuit . 54—55 

Religion— Pure . GO 

Rye— Larger  Yield  of . 35 

Seeds  Distributed  in  1859 . 58 

Seeds— Starting  Early . 51 

Sewing  Machine  Explanation . 64 

Sheep— A  flock  cheaply  saved,  etc . 40 

Sugar— Hints  on  making  Maple . 36 

Territories— Far  Western,  Capabilities  of  the . 39 

Thanks— Many . 60 

Tim  Bunker— Jake  Frink’s  Apology  for . 46 

Trees— Shade  and  Ornamental — European  Linden, 
Fountain  Pine,  Magnolia  macrophylla,  Torreya 
taxifolia,  and  Weeping  Juniper.. .  .5  Illustrations.  .48 

Trees,  Plants,  or  Hills  upon  an  acre  of  ground . 36 

Trees— White  Pine . 50 

Undo  Frank’s  Chat  with  Boys  and  Girls,  about  Com¬ 
positions  ;  Boy  doing  his  own  business  ;  Whip  Be¬ 
hind,  etc . 2  Illustrations.  .5G 

Wood  Pile— The . 46 

Woods— Young . 50 


can  at  any  time  be  increased,  by  remitting  for  each  ad¬ 
dition  the  price  paid  by  the  original  members — provided 
the  subscriptions  all  date  back  to  the  same  starting  point 
The  back  numbers  will  of  course  be  sent  to  all  added 
names. 

- •»—  - - — - - - 

Unavoidable  Belays— Explanations. 

Delay  of  Papers.— With  six  to  twelve  hundred 
subscribers  arriving  daily,  it  lias  been  impossible  to  al¬ 
ways  get  the  names  all  selected  from  the  letters,  proper¬ 
ly  arranged  on  the  books,  and  the  p  ipers  started  off  at 
once.  Three  times,  our  entire  stock  of  Dec.  and  Jan. 
numbers  have  run  out,  and  a  little  delay  has  been  caused 
by  waiting  for  new  editions  to  be  printed.  In  a  few  cases 
—certainly  very  few— there  may  have  been  an  accidental 
omission  or  mistake  in  forwarding  the  back  numbers,  and 
in  others  the  mails  have  been  at  fault.  In  at  least  one 
case  a  whole  mail  was  submerged  by  a  freshet,  and  the 
newspapers,  with  some  letters,  spoiled— we  know  not-how 
many  of  ours.  In  all  these  cases  we  shall  be  happy  to  be 
informed  of  the  non-arrival  of  any  number,  and  will 
promptly  forward  a  duplicate  We  have,  as  usual,  sev¬ 
eral  remittances  where  the  name,  or  Post  Office,  or  State, 
lias  been  omitted  by  the  sender.  These  must  remain  un¬ 
attended  to  until  further  information  is  forwarded — with 
the  usual  “  blow  ing  up”  of  course. 

Delay  of  Seeds.— Our  seeds  of  American  growth 
are  put  up  and  ready  for  forwarding— but  a  large  lot  from 
Europe,  which  should  have  been  here  the  first  of  the  year, 
have  not  yet  (Jan.  20)  come  to  hand.  We  have  an  in¬ 
voice  of  them,  and  advice  of  their  shipment  in  December 
We  expect  them  at  any  moment,  and  as  soon  as  they 
come  and  can  be  got  through  the  Custom  House,  w  e  shall 
have  them  put  up  and  started  off  as  rapidly  as  possible. 
We  have  already  a  large  accumulation  of  envelopes  sent 
in,  which  are  sorted  for  being  filled  as  soon  as  all  the 
varieties  of  seeds  are  ready. 

N.B.— As  the  envelopes  are  classified  according  to  the 
kinds  to  be  put  into  them,  it  will  not  unfrequently  hap¬ 
ped  that  different  letters  to  the  same  individual  will  go 
at  intervals  of  a  week  or  two  ;  thus  :  No.  71  may  chance 
to  go  one  week,  No.  21  the  next  week,  and  No.  2  a  week 
or  two  later  still,  and  so  of  other  kinds. 

The  above  explanations  will  answer  a  score  or  two  of 
queries  already  received. 

—  o  *  .  ■■ 

Mint  to  Elailroail  Conductors. 

A  Conductor  on  a  Railroad  in  one  of  the  farming  val¬ 
leys  of  Pennsylvania,  put  an  Agriculturist  in  his  pocket 
as  a  sample,  and  when  opportunity  offered  exhibited  it  to 
farmers  who  chanced  to  take  passage  in  his  train.  As 
the  result  he  sent  us  14G  subscribers,  Dec.  24,  and  w  e  at 
once  forwarded  him  the  prize  of  a  $50  Wheeler  A  Wilson 
sewing  machine.  He  has  since,  up  to  this  dale  (Jan.  18,) 
sent  in  114  additional  names,  and  expects  to  do  much 
more.  All  this  has  been  done  without  detriment  to  the 
R.  R.  Company,  but  rather  to  their  advantage,  for  the  Agri¬ 
culturist  will  doubtless  help  to  increase  the  product  of  the 
256  farms  where  these  numbers  go,  so  much  that  in  a  few 
years  the  freight  business  of  the  road  will  be  largely  ad¬ 
vanced  from  this  cause  alone.  .  .  At  least  two  other 
Conductors  are  engaged  in  a  similar  enterprise.  “A  word 
to  the  wise,”  etc. 


Sewing:  Blacliines— Explanations. 

We  have  purposely  avoided  expressing  any  preference 
between  the  Wheeler  A  Wilson  and  the  Grover  A  Baker 
Sew  ing  Machines,  simply  from  the  reason  that  we  have 
used  both  for  a  year  past,  and  like  both  exceedingly  well. 
They  each  have  peculiar  excellences.  In  response  to  the 
oft  repeated  enquiry  ”  why  we  offer  only  one  kind  in  om 
premium  list,  when  we  formerly  expressed  a  preference 
for  the  other,”  we  reply  that  that  opinion  was  given  when 
we  had  only  used  one.  Our  more  recent  experience,  with 
both  machines  in  daily  use,  led  us  to  believe  that,  every 
thing  considered,  those  we  offer  would  best  suit  the  wants 
of  those  who  would  be  likely  lo  receive  them  as  premi¬ 
ums.  We  therefore  decided  to  offer  this  kind  only,  since 
by  concentrating  our  purchases  upon  one  kind,  we  could 
take  a  larger  number,  and  get  and  offer  them  at  a  lower 
rate. 


3-  cut  vs.  10-ccnt  Postage  Stamps. 

Owing  to  a  large  California  subscription,  where  lO  ccnt 
P.  O  Stamps  are  chiefly  in  vogue,  we  have  received  re¬ 
mittances  of  many  hundreds  of  dollars  in  this  currency- 
more  than  we  can  find  sale  for  in  this  City,  as  the  P.  O. 


Department  never  redeems  its  own  “  issues.”  Since 
3-cent  stamps  are  in  more  common  use,  and  therefore 
more  readily  disposed  of,  we  request  that  when  just  as 
convenient,  subscribers  would  send  these  instead  of  10- 
cent  stamps.  N.  B. — A  piece  of  paper  should  always  be 
placed  against  tne  gummed  side  when  sheets  of  stamps 
are  folded  in  a  letter — to  prevent  their  adhering. 

- «-  - - —  •  — - - 

When  Subscriptions  Begin. 

When  not  directly  stated  to  the  contrary,  we  invaria¬ 
bly  consider  every  new  subscription  received,  as  designed 
to  begin  with  the  volume,  and  the  names  are  so  entered 
on  the  Mail  Books  and  the  back  numbers  forwarded.  All 
the  numbers  being  stereotyped,  we  always  have  on  hand 
back  numbers  for  any  month— in  English,  from  January 
1857,  ahd  in  German,  from  July  1858. 


Mound  Volumes— Binding— Covers. 

We  have  hound  sets,  of  Vols.  XVI  and  XVII,  singly,  and  also 
both  volumes  in  one  cover.  The  prices  of  these  are  : 

Vol.  XVI, or  Vol.  XVII,  unbound,  $1.00  each, 
do  do  matly  bound,  SI. 50  each. 

Volume  XVI  and  Vol.  XVII  neatly  bound  inone  cover,  S2  69 

N.  B. — These  volumes  unbound  can  be  sent  by  mail,  pre-puid, 
a'  SI. 12  per  volume.  If  bound  the  pos'age  (which  must  be  pre¬ 
paid)  i«44  cents  fur  volume  XVI,  and  50  cents  for  Vol.  XVII 
making  the  cost  of  Vol.  XVI  hound  and  sent  pre-paid  by  mail, 
$1.92,  ami  of  Vol.  XVII,  $2.00. 

Cost  ofVols  XVI  and  XVII  bound  together  and  sent  bymail 
post-paid.  S3  40 

Of  Vol.  XV,  we  have  nocopies,  and  unfortunately,  no  stereo¬ 
type  plates. 

Of  Vols.  XII,  XIII  and  XIV,  we  have  some  sets  bound  and 
unbound,  at  the  same  prices  as  named  above  for  Vols.  XVI  an! 
XVII. 

Binding. — Se's  of  numbers  brought  to  this  office  will  be 
bound  up  neatly  (in  our  regular  style  of  binding  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist)  for  SO  cents  a  volume.  Vols.  XVI  and  XVII  will  he  bound 
together  in  one  cover  for  69  cents. 

Prepared  Covers. — Stamped  Muslin  Covers,  neatly  made, 
with  names,  &c.,  gilt  upon  the  back,  and  ready  for  the  insertion 
of  the  sheets  by  any  book-binder,  can  be  furnished  for  Vols. 
XII  lo  XVII  inclusive,  at  25  cents  per  volume.  They  can  not 
well  go  by  mail. 


^militarist. 

(ISSUED  IN  BOTH  ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN.) 

A  thorough  going,  RELIABLE,  and  PRACTICAL 
Journal,  devoted  to  the  different  departments  of  SOIL 
CULTURE— such  as  growing  field  CROPS;  orchard 
and  OAnDEN  FRUITS ;  garden  VEGETABLES  and 
FLOWERS;  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  for  the 
LAWN  or  YARD;  in-door  and  out  door  work  around 
the  DWELLING;  care  of  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 
Ac.  Ac. 

I'®5’  The  matterof  each  number  will  be  prepared  main¬ 
ly  with  reference  to  the  month  of  issue  and  the  paper  will 
be  promptly  and  regularly  mailed  at  least  one  day  before 
the  beginning  of  the  month. 

A  full  CALENDAR  OF  OPERATIONS  fortheseason 
is  given  every  month. 

FOUR  to  FIVE  hundred  or  more,  Illustrative  EN¬ 
GRAVINGS  will  appear  in  each  volume. 

Over  SIX  HUNDRED  plain,  practical,  instructive 
articles  will  be  given  every  year. 

The  Editors  and  Contributors  are  all  practical, 
WORKING  MEN. 

The  teachings  of  the  Agriculturist  are  confined  to  no 
State  or  Territory,  but  are  adapted  to  the  wants  of  all  sec¬ 
tions  of  the  country— it  is,  as  its  name  indicates,  truly 
American  in  its  character. 

The  German  edition  is  of  the  same  size  and  price 
the  English,  and  contains  all  of  its  reading  matter,  and 
its  numerous  illustrative  engravings. 


TERMS— INVARIABLY  IN  ADVANCE. 

One  copy  one  year . $1  00 

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Ten  or  more  copies  one  year _ SO  cents  each. 


An  extra  copy  to  the  person  sending  15  or  more  names, 
at  80  cents  each. 

[gjpln  addition  to  the  above  rates :  Postage  to  Canada  6 
cents,  to  England  and  France  24  cents,  to  Germany  24 
cents,  and  to  Russia  72  cents  per  annum 
Delivery  in  New-Yorkcity  and  Brooklyn,  12  cents  a  year. 

Postage  anywhere  in  the  United  States  and  Territories 
must  be  paid  by  the  subscriber,  and  Is  only  six  cents  a  year, 
if  paid  in  advance  at  the  office  where  received. 

Subscriptions  can  begin  Jan.  1st.,  July  1st.,  or  at  any 
other  dale  if  specially  desired. 

The  paper  is  considered  paid  for  whenever  it  is  sent, 
and  will  be  promptly  discontinued  when  the  time  for  which 
it  is  ordered  expires. 

All  business  and  other  communications  should  be  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  Editor  and  Proprietor, 

ORANGE  JUDD, 

No.  189  Water  st ,  New- York. 


Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture 


AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  —WASHINGTON 


JRANOE  JUDD,  A.  HE., 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR. 


«  $1.00  PER  ANNUM,  IN  ADVANCE. 
I  SINGLE  NUMBERS  10  CENTS. 


VOL.  XVIII.-NO,  3.]  NEW- YORK,  MARCH,  1859.  [new  series-No.  i46. 


E^Offlce  at  189  Water- st.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
^’Contents,  Terms,  4c.  on  pascs  91,  96. 

[copy  BIGHT  SECURED.] 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1858, 
by  Orange  Judd,  in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of 
Nevv-York. 

13*  N.  B.— Every  Journal  is  invited  freely  to  copy 
any  and  all  desirable  articles,  and  no  use  or  advantage 
will  be  taken  of  the  Copy- Right,  wherever  each  article 
or  illustration  is  duly  accredited  to  the  American  Agri¬ 
culturist.  ORANGE  JUDD,  Proprietor. 


American  ^tgviculturist  in  (German. 

The  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST  is  published  in 
both  the  English  and  German  Languages.  Both 
Editions  ara  of  Uniform  size,  and  contain  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  same  Articles  and  Illustra¬ 
tions,  The  German  Edition  is  furnished  at  the 
same  rates  as  the  English- 


March. 


The  eighth,  no  less  the  ninth,  with  favoring  skies, 

Speeds,  of  the  increasing  month,  each  rustic  enterprise  ; 
And  on  the  eleventh  let  thy  flocks  be  shorn. 

And  on  the  twelfth  be  reaped  thy  laughing  corn. 

On  the  thirteenth  forbear  to  sow  thy  grain  ; 

But  then  the  plant  shall  not  be  set  in  vain. 

The  sixteenth  profitless  to  plants  is  deemed, 

Auspicious  to  the  birth  of  men  esteemed  ; 

But  to  the  virgin  shall  unprosperous  prove 
Then  born  to  light,  or  joined  in  wedded  love. 

Hesiod's  Days. 

We  are  accustomed  to  look  upon  these  old 
omens  of  classic  days  as  relics  of  a  decayed  su¬ 
perstition.  Hesiod  does  but  record  the  popular 
faith  of  his  times,  in  these  prophetic  signs.  Every 
day  in  the  month  had  its  good  or  ill  omen,  and 
date  had  much  more  to  do  with  the  success  or 
failure  of  any  enterprize,  than  any  other  circum¬ 
stance.  Events  were  determined  in  the  moon, 
rather  than  on  earth,  and  human  sagacity  had  its 
legitimate  field  of  exercise  in  watching  the  moon 
for  a  good  dinner,  rather  than  the  pot  in  which  it 
was  boiling.  If  the  meat  was  killed  and  the  cab¬ 
bage  sowed  in  the  right  phase  of  the  moon,  some¬ 
thing  worth  eating  might  be  expected ;  but  if  the 
jiatcr-familias  has  been  careless  in  these  respects, 
he  might  count  upon  very  poor  pot  luck.  Certain 
days  were  perilous,  and  a  man  had  better  lie  still 
than  to  attempt  any  labor. 

“  Beware  the  fifth,  with  horror  fraught  and  woe  : 

’  ’Tis  said  the  furies  walk  their  round  below, 
Avenging  the  dread  oath  ;  whose  awful  birlli 
From  discord  rose,  to  scourge  the  perjured  earth.” 
We  frequently  boast  of  our  own  as  an  enlight- 
ed  age,  and  of  the  light  of  the  nineteenth  cen¬ 
tury  as  something  particularly  luminous.  We 
look  back  with  pity  upon  the  superstitions  of  the 
Greeks,  and  yet  if  we  studied  the  popular  mind 
among  us,  we  should  probably  find  it  about  as 
much  influenced  by  superstition  as  it  was  in  the 
days  of  Hesiod  and  Homer.  Indeed,  some  of 
their  signs  and  omens  have  come  down,  in  un¬ 


broken  line  of  descent,  to  our  own  times.  If  one 
could  gather  up  all  these  superstitious  signs,  as 
they  are  now  found  in  the  homes  of  the  laboring 
classes,  they  would  make  a  large  volume.  Many 
of  them  are  of  Grecian  and  Roman  origin,  while 
more  still  come  down  from  the  days  of  the  Druids. 
Some  were  imported  from  Germany,  and  Ireland, 
and  have  found  new  life  by  our  firesides. 

The  influence  of  the  moon  upon  the  weather  is 
fully  believed  in,  probably,  by  the  large  majority 
of  our  population.  If  the  weather  is  foul,  no 
change  is  anticipated  until  the  moon  quarters. 
The  new  moon  is  particularly  efficacious  in  bring¬ 
ing  changes.  This  luminary  also  foreshadows 
the  character  of  the  weather  by  the  angle  at 
which  its  horns  make  their  appearance  in  refer¬ 
ence  to  the  horizon.  If  the  crescent  holds  water 
like  a  bowl — then  look  out  for  dry  times.  But  if 
the  crescent  dips,  so  as  to  let  the  water  out,  look 
out  for  foul  weather  and  floods!  The  Almanac 
makers  are  supposed  to  be  on  particularly  good 
terms  with  the  moon,  and  to  have  got  all  the  se¬ 
crets  out  of  her,  for  the  year  ahead.  The  prog¬ 
nostics  of  snow,  rain,  wind,  thunder  and  light¬ 
ning,  found  in  these  household  annuals,  are  by 
some  people  still  received  with  as  undoubting 
faith  as  the  articles  of  the  creed.  It  matters  not 
that  the  lightning  or  the  hot  term  is  but  a  week 
too  early  or  too  late  in  July,  the  Almanac  is  none 
the  less  a  veritable  prophet. 

So  also  particular  days  in  the  month  or  week  are 
supposed  to  have  a  controlling  influence  over  the 
subsequent  days.  When  the  first  Sunday  in  the 
month  is  rainy,  rain  will  fall  on  all  the  following 
Sabbaths.  The  last  Friday  in  each  month  is 
called  the  Almanac  day  for  the  next  month.  If 
clear,  cloudy,  rainy  or  windy,  it  determines  the 
character  of  the  succeeding  month.  The  twelve 
days  that  follow  Christmas,  are  also  prophetic  of 
the  comin-g  months  of  the  year.  If  the  first  is 
clear  and  cold,  January  will  have  like  weather 
We  have  seen  an  Almanac  made  out  in  due  form, 
following  this  guide.  The  indices  were  twelve 
circles  over  the  kitchen  fire  place,  in  chalk  marks. 
If  the  day  was  clear,  the  circle  was  left  unspot¬ 
ted.  If  rainy  and  cloudy,  the  circle  was  filled  up 
with  chalk  to  the  extent  to  which  the  rain  pre¬ 
vailed.  This  stood  till  the  next  Christmas,  when 
it  was  rubbed  out  to  make  room  for  another.  This 
made  a  very  summary  guide  to  the  weather,  and 
just  as  reliable  as  any  thing  the  astronomer  could 
give  us. 

But  the  moon  has  also  a  great  influence  over 
vegetable  and  animal  life.  Many  a  man,  intelli¬ 
gent  in  other  things,  will  watch  the  phase  of  the 
moon  to  sow  his  onions  this  Spring.  If  the  old 
of  the  moon  ends  with  the  last  day  of  March — the 
sowing  will  be  put  off  three  weeks  or  more  till 
the  old  of  the  moon  in  April.  The  seed  would 
not  sprout  well,  and  they  would  all  run  to  tops, 
unless  an  old  moon  shone  on  the  seed  time.  So 
in  sowing  the  later  crops,  this  luminary  must  be 
consulted  in  order  to  have  good  luck.  Beans, 


peas,  squashes  and  cucumbers  planted  in  the  new 
moon,  run  to  vines  with  inevitable  certainty.  Its 
influence  is  quite  as  powerful  upon  animal  life. 
That  your  pork  may  swell  in  the  pot,  always 
butcher  in  the  increase  of  the  moon.  If  this  be 
done  after  the  full,  there  will  be  a  collapse  in  the 
salt  junk,  no  matter  how  much  corn  and  meal  may 
have  been  put  into  the  cellular  tissue  ! 

The  sun  also  has  a  mysterious  influence  over 
the  animal  functions,  and  its  place  in  the  signs  of 
the  zodiac  must  be  studied,  to  fix  the  time  of 
successful  breeding  and  yeaning.  The  sun  in  a 
certain  sign,  makes  the  altering  of  males  a  suc¬ 
cess,  while  in  another  it  brings  peril  and  death. 
The  weather  and  care  of  the  animal  under  treat¬ 
ment  are  supposed  to  be  matters  of  secondary  im¬ 
portance. 

The  superstition  in  regard  to  Friday  is  as  wide¬ 
spread  as  the  Christian  religion,  and  is  undoubt¬ 
edly  owing  to  church  traditions  in  the  dark  ages' 
From  the  reputed  death  of  Christ  on  Friday  it  is 
supposed  that  that  day  is  tinged  with  a  melan¬ 
choly  hue,  for  all  coming  time.  Multitudes  of 
intelligent  people  never  leave  home  or  begin  any 
new  enterprize  on  this  day.  All  accidents  and  evils 
come  to  them  on  Friday.  Sailors,  universally,  are 
influenced  by  this  superstition.  To  break  down 
this  belief,  the  ship  owners  in  one.  of  our  seaports 
laid  the  keel  of  a  vessel  on  Friday,  launched  it  on 
Friday,  named  it  Friday,  and  had  her  sail  on  Fri¬ 
day.  As  she  had  a  competent  captain  and  crew, 
she  proved  to  be  a  very  fortunate  vessel,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  tradition. 

It  may  be  thought  that  these  and  kindred  su¬ 
perstitions  are  harmless,  but  as  they  stand  in  the 
place  of  truth,  they  must  always  work  evil  to  the 
mind  that  receives  them.  The  true  faith  for  the 
farmer  and  for  every  man  is,  that  he  is  the  maker 
of  his  own  fortune,  and  the  maker  of  his  own  des¬ 
tiny.  If  he  prepare  the  soil  well,  and  sow  his 
crops  seasonably,  he  will  secure  good  harvests 
without  reference  to  the  phases  of  the  moon.  Il 
he  is  careless  of  these  points,  it  is  lunacy  to  ex¬ 
pect  that  the  moon  will  save  him  from  loss.  If 
he  fatten  his  beef  and  pork  on  corn  meal,  he  need 
never  fear  the  influence  of  the  moon  upon  his 
corned  meats.  They  will  come  to  the  fable  plump 
and  swollen,  showing  the  power  of  the  meal  bar¬ 
rel  much  more  distinctly  than  the  power  of  the 
moon.  The  whole  tendency  of  these  supersti¬ 
tions  is  in  favor  of  routine  farming.  There  is  lit¬ 
tle  occasion  for  investigation  and  forethought, 
where  the  moon  and  the  Almanac  rule  all  farm 
operations.  The  teachings  of  science  and  of  ex¬ 
perience  can  come  in  to  mold  our  husbandry,  only 
as  these  miserable  superstitions  are  driven  out 
But  their  domain  is  already  broken.  The  light 
of  a  better  day  is  shining  in  upon  the  dark  re¬ 
gions  of  superstition.  Men  and  women  are  learn¬ 
ing  to  perform  their  labors  at  the  best  season  and 
in  the  best  manner,  regardless  of  any  imaginary 
Lunar  or  Solar  influence. 


66 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  March  1859. 

[We  note  down  sundry  kinds  of  work  to  be  done  during 
the  month,  not  so  much  to  afford  instruction  to  practical 
men,  as  to  call  to  mind  the  various  operations  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to.  A  glance  over  a  table  like  this  -will  often  sug¬ 
gest  some  piece  of  work  that  might  otherwise  be  forgotten 
or  neglected.  Our  remarks  are  more  especially  adapted 
to  the  latitudes  of  38°  to  45°  ;  but  will  be  equally  applica¬ 
ble  to  points  further  North  and  South  by  making  due 
allowance  for  each  degree  of  latitude,  that  is,  earlier  for 
the  South,  later  for  the  North. 

Explanations.— /  indicates  the  first ;  m  the  middle  : 
and  l  the  last  of  the  month.— Doubl'ing  the  letters  tlius:^', 
or  mm,  or  ll,  gives  particular  emphasis  to  the  period  indi¬ 
cated.— Two  letters  placed  together,  as  fm  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  in  either  or  in  both  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked/m.  indicates  that  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  the  month-! 

Farm. 

March  brings  much  appropriate  work,  chiefly  of  prepa¬ 
ration,  yet  important,  and  enough  to  break  the  monotony 
of  the  partial  rest  of  previous  months.  As  the  careful  bird 
provides  her  nest  for  the  little  fledglings  she  hopes  will  ere 
long  employ  her  care,  so  the  tiller  of  the  soil  should  have 
every  thing  in  readiness  to  receive  and  guard  the  tender 
offspring  of  the  fields,  which  the  advancing  season  will 
soon  bring,  to  demand  his  supervision.— But  let  not  too 
great  eagerness  for  an  early  start  lead  to  preparation  of 
the  soil  by  plowing  before  it  would  be  a  benefit.  Many  a 
field  has  remained  “  lumpy  ”  through  the  summer  from 
having  a  clayey  soil  turned  up  while  wet.  A  brickyard  is 
not  a  good  place  in  which  to  grow  crops.  Nor  are  those 
plants  healthy,  which  vegetate  in  a  soil  barely  warm 
enough  to  start  them,  with  an  atmosphere  but  little  re¬ 
moved  from  the  freezing  point  to  welcome  their  first  ap¬ 
pearance.  In  farming,  as  in  other  things,  “  haste  some¬ 
times  makes  waste.”  It  will  be  found  that  deeply  worked, 
underdrained  soils  are  both  warmer  and  dryer,  than  shal¬ 
low,  undrained  lands. 

Cattle— Continue  the  directions  of  last  month,  giving 
plenty  of  feed,  but  wasting  none.  Place  coarse  fodder  in 
racks  in  the  yards,  rather  than  on  the  ground  to  be  trod¬ 
den  under  foot.  Let  no  animal  fall  away  in  flesh,  though 
Winter  is  nearly  over.  Put  working  teams  in  good  trim 
for  heavy  labors,  and  train  steers  to  the  yoke.  Look  well 
to  cows  about  coming  in,  and  provide  suitable  stalls  for 
them  at  night.  Keep  the  straw-cutter  in  use,  and  make 
judicious  drafts  upon  the  root  bin.  Let  grain  be  ground 
or  cooked  before  foeding,  or  much  ofiis  value  is  lost 

Cellars — Keep  sweet  and  clean,  removing  all  garbage 
and  decaying  vegetables.  Sort  over  fruit,  potatoes,  etc. 
See  that  a  good  supply  of  all  kinds  of  vegetables  is  pre¬ 
served  for  seed. 

Clover— Sow,  m,  1.  A  light  snow  is  beneficial  to  sow 
upon,  both  showing  the  breadths  and  carrying  the  seed  in- 
lo  the  soil  as  it  melts  away.  Scatter  in  the  morning  upon 
a  smow  which  will  melt  before  night.  Use  from  6  to  12 
quarts  of  seed  to  the  acre.  Usually  about  8  quarts  is  suf¬ 
ficient. 

Draining — Commence  early  on  lands  dry  enough  to  dig. 
A  subsoil  plow  will  greatly  assist  in  loosening  the  soil  in 
l  he  ditches.  A  cross  drain  at  the  head  of  a  piece  of  land 
will  sometimes  cut  off  the  flow  from  above,  and  render 
few  drains  necessary  upon  the  piece,  or  field  itself. 

Fencing  should  be  put  up  early,  as  soon  as  the  frost  will 
permit.  Hedges  may  be  planted,  m,  1,  in  many  localities. 
Split  rails,  prepare  posts,  and  make  gates  during  stoimy 
w  ealher. 

Forests— Remember  they  are  yearly  growing  more  val¬ 
uable.  Preserve  the  small  growth,  and  transplant  a  few 
locusts,  chestnuts,  etc.,  upon  land  which  is  now  useless. 

Grain— Have  a  supply  of  choice  quality  in  readiness  for 
Spring  sowing.  Fields  may  be  sown  m,  1,  at  the  South. 

Harrow  out  the  corn  roots  of  last  year’s  crop  as  soon  as 
frost,  will  permit.  It  can  be  often  done  to  advantage  when 
only  a  few  inches  of  the  surface  soil  is  thawed. 

Hedge  rows  and  shrubby  spots  in  the  meadows 
may  now  be  grubbed  up  to  advantage.  They  should  not 
be  allowed  to  disfigure  the  farm,  draw  nourishment  from 
the  soil,  and  afford  harbors  for  vermin. 

Hogs  should  be  kept  at  work  rootingover  muck,  leaves, 
or  even  sawdust  in  the  yards  and  pens.  An  increase  of 
slock  ought  soon  to  be  expected.  Give  breeding  sows 
charcoal  and  a  little  animal  food  occasionally.  If  in¬ 
clined  to  destroy  their  pigs,  make  them  drunk  with 
liquor. 

Horse  and  Mule  Teams— Harden  with  suitable  food 
and  appropriate  labor  for  the  heavy  work  approaching. 
Cut  feed  with  a  few  roots  is  belter  than  constant  dry 
food. 

Ice  Houses  are  filled  in  some  localities,  and  only  parti¬ 
ally  so  in  others.  See  that  a  good  stock  is  secured  be¬ 
fore  it  is  too  late.  Cover  with  sawdust  and  straw. 

Laborers—  Engage,  ff,  if  not  already  done  as  advised  on 
page  36  of  the  February  Agriculturist. 

Manures— Cart  to  the  lots  where  they  are  to  be  applied  ; 
dump  in  large  hes.ne  and  cover  with  muck  or  plaster 


Keep  the  manufactories  at  work,  from  the  horse  and  cow 
stables  to  the  hog  pens,  privies  and  hen  roosts.  A  little 
lime  spent  among  these  daily,  adding  muck,  house  slops, 
etc.,  and  throwing  into  heaps  under  cover  will  pay  a  good 
interest  in  the  next  corn  crop. 

Map  of  the  Farm — Make,  or  rather  have  the  younger 
members  of  the  family  do  it,  for  a  drawing  exercise.  It 
may  be  drawn  to  a  scale,  and  all  of  your  proposed  season’s 
work  indicated  upon  it. 

Meadows  or  grain  fields  should  not  be  trampled  over  or 
gnawed  down  at  this  season.  Open  ditches  to  carry  away 
standing  water. 

Plowing  will  be  in  order  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
month  in  many  localities.  For  most  crops  it  is  not  enough 
that  the  land  was  plowed  in  the  Fall ;  go  over  it  again, 
using  the  subsoiler  where  practicable. 

Potatoes  should  be  in  readiness  for  planting.  Read  ar¬ 
ticles  on  another  page  relative  to  the  best  varieties  for 
market.  The  planting  season  is  at  hand  in  the  southern 
States. 

Poultry— Save  eggs,m,  1,  for  setting  early.  A  few  may 
be  set,  1,  this  month.  Give  freely  of  chopped  meat,  pound¬ 
ed  oyster  shells,  boiled  potatoes,  raw  cabbage,  with  some 
grain,  and  expect  an  abundant  supply  of  eggs,  if  in  addi¬ 
tion  they  have  warm  quarters  with  gravel  and  ashes  to 
scratch  in. 

Salt  should  be  given  to  stock  of  all  kinds  once  a  week. 
Sedge  or  salt  hay  fed  out  occasionally  answers  the  same 
purpose. 

Sheep  will  perhaps  be  dropping  their  lambs  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  month.  Provide  warm  quarters  for  them. 
Feed  roots  or  grain  to  those  with  lamb,  and  keep  separate 
from  other  slock.  See  article  “  How  to  raise  every  live- 
born  lamb,”  in  this  number. 

Sugar  Maples  may  be  tapped,  f  to  m.  See  chapters  else¬ 
where,  both  in  this  and  the  former  number. 

Tools  for  Spring  work  are  presumed  to  be  in  good  re¬ 
pair,  or  new  ones  provided  as  necessary. 

Wood— Take  another  look  at  the  pile,  and  see  if  there 
is  sufficient  to  go  through  the  year.  If  not,  add  a  little,  ff. 

Oi'eBtausl  am!  Msursery. 

As  the  nurseryman’s  harvest  time  is  now  at  hand,  there 
will  be  no  lack  of  employment  in  preparing  to  fid  the 
orders  which  have  accumulated,  and  which  are,  or  should 
be  now  pouring  in. 

Nor  need  the  orchardist  be  idle.  Unless  all  the  moss 
and  rough  bark  have  been  scraped  from  both  apple  and 
pear  trees,  attend  to  them  at  once.  Many  embryo  insects 
will  be  destroyed  at  the  same  time. 

Planting  can  also  be  done  in  many  localities,  and  the 
sooner  the  belter  after  the  soil  is  in  working  order  ;  that  is, 
free  from  frost,  and  dry. 

Apple  Trees — Remove  rough  bark,  moss  and  scale  from 
orchard  trees.  Graft  natural  or  poor  fruit  as  directed  be¬ 
low.  Plant  standards  in  the  orchard  and  along  lanes, 
avenues,  about  buildings,  etc. 

Cherries,  Peaches  and  Plums — Set  out  for  orchard  cul¬ 
ture,  m,  1,  or  as  soon  as  frost  will  permit.  Cherry  trees 
start  early  in  Spring  and  require  early  planting  to  suc¬ 
ceed  well.  See  if  there  are  not  vacant  spots  about  the 
house  or  yards  where  a  few  trees  may  be  both  ornament¬ 
al  and  useful. 

Evergreen  Trees— It  is  better  to  leave  transplanting 
these  until  May.  They  can  be  moved  now  if  done  with 
care. 

Grafting — Begin,  11,  on  those  kinds  which  start  first— 
usually  the  cherry.  Apple  and  most  other  fruit  trees  suc¬ 
ceed  best  in  this  latitude,  earlier  at  the  south. 

Hedge  Plants— Plant  seeds  and  set  seedlings  in  nur¬ 
sery  rows,  m,  1. 

Insects— Allow  no  trees  to  go  from  the  nursery  covered 
with  scale.  It  will  soon  injure  a  nurseryman’s  reputa¬ 
tion.  Neither  should  they  be  left  to  suck  out  the  life 
blood  of  the  young  orchard.  They  are  perfect  vampires 
and  should  be  extinguished  at  once  by  soft  soap  or  potash 
and  water.  Apply  with  a  brush  or  rag  tied  to  a  stick. 

Manures— Provide  a  full  supply  to  use  in  both  orchard 
and  nursery.  Make  a  compost  of  manure  and  muck  and 
mix  with  soil  for  standard  trees.  A  top  dressing  of  lime 
or  ashes  will  benefit  the  old  orchard,  also  spreading  stable 
manure  liberally  about  the  trunks. 

Mice-girdled  Trees— Bank  up  with  earth,  or  better,  cov¬ 
er  with  grafting  clay  or  cement  to  exclude  the  air. 

Pack  with  moss,  trees  that  are  to  go  far,  covering  with 
straw  as  shown  on  page  117  of  last  volume. 

Pear  Trees— Plant  standards,  m,  1  A  few  dwarfs  of 
proved  kinds  may  be  set  in  the  garden— very  few  will 
suffice.  Many  varieties  come  into  bearing  young  on  their 
own  roots,  and  are  preferable.  Don’t  neglect  the  Barlletts. 

Planting  seedlings  and  stocks  should  be  followed  up 
before  the  hurried  season  comes  on. 

Plums— Cut  away  any  black  warts  found  on  the  branch¬ 
es.  Plant  trees,  11. 

Pruning— We  prefer  omitting  this  operation  till  mid¬ 
summer  for  reasons  previously  set  forth,  though  small 
twigs  may  be  removed 


Seeds  or  Pits— Plant,  ff,  m,  apple,  pear,  quince,  cherry, 
peach,  plum,  walnut  and  chestnut  seeds,  or  pits  which 
were  put  in  boxes  last  Fall.  Also  put  in,  m,  1,  evergreen 
tree  seeds,  and  the  various  deciduous  kinds,  such  as  lo¬ 
cust,  maple,  birch,  etc. 

Scions— The  cutting  of  these  should  be  attended  to,  ff, 
if  more  are  wanted.  Examine  those  cut  heretofore  to  see 
that  they  are  neither  too  dry  or  too  moist. 

Stocks  budded  last  season-Cut  off  the  head  two  or 
three  inches  above  the  bud,  where  the  latter  has  taken. 

Taking  up  Trees— Do  it  carefully,  preserving  as  many 
of  the  roots  and  fibers  as  possible.  Keep  the  roots  from 
the  sun. 

Trench  or  subsoil  new  grounds,  11,  both  for  orchard  and 
nursery.  If  inclined  to  moisture  pul  in  drain  tile. 

Mitclueaa  am!  Fi-aift  Garden. 

In  the  northern  States  and  the  Canadas  the  weather  ad 
mits  of  little  active  work,  save  preparing  manures,  and 
arranging  for  the  approaching  Spring.  Our  directions  of 
last  month  are  mainly  applicable  to  such  latitutes  for  the 
present  month.  In  the  middle  States  Spring  work  is  in 
order,  and  manuring,  plowing,  spading,  and  planting  are 
going  on  according  to  the  calendar  below,  while  our 
southern  neighbors  are  hoeing,  weeding,  and  thinning  the 
crops  we  are  just  planting. 

For  family  use,  especially  during  Winter,  quick  grown 
vegetables  are  much  to  be  preferred.  To  produce  such, 
do  not  sow  until  the  ground  is  both  warm  and  dry.  Sow 
a  portion  for  early  use,  as  soon  as  the  season  will  permit, 
and  put  in  the  balance  later. 

Artichokes— Dress  old  beds  and  plant  new,  m,  11. 

Asparagus— Uncover  beds,  11,  and  fork  in  manure,  un¬ 
less  the  nights  continue  frosty.  New  beds  may  be  made 
at  the  same  time,  both  from  roots  and  seed. 

Blackberries— Plant  canes  or  roots  of  New-Rochelle, 
High  Bush,  or  some  other  improved  variety. 

Borecole  and  Kale — Sow,  11,  where  the  ground  will 
permit. 

Cabbages  and  Cauliflowers— Sow  in  hot-keds,  ff,  m,  and 
in  the  open  ground,  11.  Set  out  stumps  and  heads  for 
seed,  11. 

Caraway— Sow  seed,  II. 

Celery— Sow  in  hot  beds,  m,  1. 

Cold  Frames — Watch  them  more  closely  and  air  freely, 
as  warmer  weather  approaches.  The  sash  should  be  re¬ 
moved  every  day,  unless  the  weather  is  freezing.  Sow 
cabbages,  lettuce,  radishes,  etc.,  to  take  the  place  of  plants 
soon  to  be  set  out. 

Compost— Prepare  a  supply  for  hot-beds,  ff,  if  it  is  not 
now  in  readiness,  and  have  a  good  quantity  for  general 
use. 

Cress— Sow,  11,  in  open  ground. 

Currants  and  Gooseberries— Put  in  cuttings,  and  set  out 
rooted  plants,  m,  11.  If  cuttings  have  not  been  taken  off, 
attend  to  it  at  once,  ff— it  will  soon  be  too  late. 

Drain,  f,  m,  soils  which  incline  to  moisture.  The  mar¬ 
ket  gardener  will  find  this  a  great  advantage,  enabling 
him  to  work  his  ground  much  earlier.  It  is  bolh  warmth 
and  dryness  to  the  soil. 

Egg  Plants— Sow  in  hot-beds,  m,  1. 

Fences— Construct  or  repair,  making  them  poultry 
proof,  unless  fowls  are  kept  in  their  appropriate  places. 

Fruit  Trees— Plant  along  borders,  11.  A  lew  selected 
kinds  of  dwarf  pears,  peaches,  cherries,  quinces,  and 
plums  may  be  planted  exclusively  as  a  trait  garden,  among 
which  raspberries  or  blackberries  may  be  grown  with  ad¬ 
vantage,  provided  the  ground  is  thoroughly  manured. 

Grapes— Plant  bolh  roots  and  cuttings,  11.  Do  not 
prune  at  this  season.  Uncover  any  buried  vines,  11,  if  the 
weather  appears  settled  and  mild.  Fork  in  a  good  dress¬ 
ing  of  manure  about  the  roots.  See  “  Profits  of  a  Single 
Vine  ”  on  a  subsequent  page. 

Herbs— Divide  and  reset  roots,  m,  11,  sowing  seed  at  the 
same  time. 

Hops— Plant  roots,  11,  providing  poles  for,  ff,  m. 

Horse-radish— Divide  and  replant,  m,  1. 

Hot  Beds— Make  ff,  m,  as  per  full  directions  elsewhere 
given.  Give  air  in  mild  weather  to  beds  previously 
planted. 

Leeks— Sow,  11. 

Lettuce— Sow,  f,  m,  in  hot-beds,  and,  11,  in  open  ground, 
scattering  seeds  in  the  cold  frames  at  the  same  time. 

Manures — Heavy  manuring  and  deep  plowing  or  trench¬ 
ing  are  the  secrets  of  success  with  market  gardeners, 

Mustard— Sow,  m,  1. 

Onions— Read  “Prize  article”  in  the  present  Agri¬ 
culturist. 

Parsley— Sow,  11. 

Parsneps— Dig  as  wanted  for  use  or  market.  A  few' 
may  be  left  or  set  out  for  seed,  11. 

Peas— Sow  on  warm  be*  ders,  11,  scalding  in  hot  water 
previously,  to  destroy  the  weevil  or  bug.  Provide  brush, 
ff,  m. 

Plow,  subsoil,  and  trench  garden  soils,  11,  if  dry  and  free 
of  frost. 


1 


AMEKICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


G7 


Potatoes— Plant  early  varieties,  11,  covering  pretty  deep 
to  protect  from  frost.  A  few  may  be  sprouted  by  putting 
in  boxes,  and  burying  in  the  manure  heap. 

Radishes— Sow  at  intervals,  in  hot-beds,  ff,  m,  1 ;  and,  11, 
in  the  open  ground. 

Raspberries — Uncover  buried  canes,  11,  if  the  weather 
is  settled.  Stake  up  at  once  and  head  back  to  four  or  five 
feet  in  hight. 

Rhubarb — Uncover  protected  roots,  II,  and  spade  or  fork 
in  a  good  dressing  of  manure.  Set  out  new  plants  on  well 
prepared  and  rich  soil,  1. 

Salsafy— Dig  as  wanted  for  use  or  market.  Save  some 
of  the  best  roots  for  seed. 

Seeds— Procure  and  test  at  once.  In  milder  latitudes 
set  out  roots,  etc.,  for  seed,  11.  See  directionson  page51, 
last  number  relative  to  starting  early. 

Spinach— Uncover  Fall  plants  and  sow  seed,  11.  Thin 
out  for  use. 

Strawberries— Rake  off  the  Winter  covering,  11,  top- 
dress  with  fine,  well  rotted  manure,  hoeing  it  in. 

Sweet  Potatoes— Plant  in  hot-beds,  m,  1,  to  obtain  sets 
for  planting  out. 

Tools  of  the  most  approved  kinds  are  supposed  to  be  in 
working  order.  Try  the  spade  fork  instead  of  the  blade 
spade  for  digging. 

Tomatoes— So  w  in  hot-beds,  f,  m,  and  in  open  ground,  11. 
Trellises  and  Arbors— See  that  the  old  are  repaired  and 
new  ones  built,  before  planting  comes  on. 

Trench  garden  soils,  11,  if  warm  and  dry. 

Turnips— Sow,  11,  in  open  grounds  for  early  use.  If  to 
be  forced,  sow  in  hot-beds,  m,  1. 

Winter  Cherries  (Pliysalis)  -Sow,  f,  in,  in  hot-beds,  and, 
11.  in  open  ground.  The  Alkekengi  will  rarely  ripen 
without  forcing. 

Flower  Gardesi  and  Lawsi. 

An  early  or  backward  Spring  will  materially  vary  the 
labors  of  “  embellishing  the  home.”  Planting  can  some¬ 
times  be  done  during  the  latter  part  of  March  in  this  lati¬ 
tude,  while  at  other  seasons  it  must  be  delayed  until  the 
rnidd'e  of  April,  or  later.  Some  things  however,  can 
always  be  done  by  way  of  preparation,  such  as  clearing 
away  rubbish,  renewing  gravel  walks,  and  w  here  the  sea¬ 
son  promises  continued  miM  weather,  the  tender  shrubs 
may  be  leleased  from  their  protection  of  straw,  and  the 
bulbs  and  other  roots  uncovered.  The  borders  may  also 
be  prepared  and  some  of  the  hardy  annuals  sown,  II,  such 
as  mignonette,  portulaccas,  coreopsis,  petunias,  e'e. 
Ollier  varieties  may  be  sown,  f,  m,  in  a  hot-bed. 

Biennial  and  Perennial  Roots— Divide  and  reset,  11. 
Box  and  Grass  Edgings— Plant  and  trim,  11,  renewing 
any  defective  places. 

Bulbs— If  any  have  been  kept  out  of  ground,  plant  them, 
ff,  if  the  ground  admits  of  working. 

Carnations,  Pinks,  and  Daisies— Admit  air  to  those  in 
(rames  or  pits  thus  hardening  them  for  planting  out. 

Drain  heavy  and  wet  soils  as  recommended  under 
Kitchen  Garden. 

Gravel— Procure  a  supply  and  replenish  old,  and  make 
new  walks.  Let  it  be  pretly  coarse. 

Hedges— Set  out  deciduous,  II,  if  the  ground  is  in  work¬ 
ing  order.  Buckthorn  or  privet  will  serve  as  a  good  pro¬ 
tection,  while  aliheas  make  a  fine  screen. 

Honeysuckles  and  other  Vines— Prune,  in,  1,  and  ar¬ 
range  upon  lattice  w  ork  or  trellises,  11.  Plant  cuttings  or 
roots  at  l  he  same  time. 

Hot-Beds— Make,  ff',  for  propagating  cuttings  and  sow¬ 
ing  annuals  for  early  flowering. 

Labels,  Stakes,  Dahlia  poles,  etc. —Provide  what  arc 
needed,  ff,  m. 

Lawn— Rake  over,  II,  to  remove  the  accumulation  of 
leaves  and  decayed  grass.  Spread  over  a  dressing  of 
bone  manure,  plaster,  ashes,  guano,  or  fine  barnyard  ma¬ 
nure.  Replace  bare  spots  with  turf  or  scatter  on  seed, 
pressing  down  with  a  heavy  roller* 

New  Grounds— Lay  out  and  grade,  m,  1,  according  to 
previously  matured  plans.  Read  hints  on  “Planning  the 
Garden,”  page  84. 

Ornamental  Shade  Trees— Plant  deciduous,  11,  if  the 
ground  is  in  working  order. 

Plow  lawn,  11,  for  early  planting,  manuring  heavily. 
Roses— Plant  cuttings  and  roots,  11.  Prune  and  regu¬ 
late  pillar  and  climbing  varieties 
Shrubs— Uncover,  II,  those  which  were  strawed  up  or 
otherwise  protected,  if  the  w-eather  appears  settled  ;  if 
not,  leave  till  next  month. 

Transplanting  of  trees,  shrubs,  flowers,  etc.,  may  be 
done,  11,  or  earlier  where  Spring  has  fairly  set  in 

Greesa  ISoiasc. 

Fire  heat  may  still  be  needed  if  the  weather  continues 
cold.  Towmrds  the  end  of  the  month  it  may  be  nearly 
dispensed  with,  if  the  houses  be  closed  early  in  the  after¬ 
noon.  Abundance  of  air  will  be  needed  as  the  plants  at¬ 
tain  a  more  vigorous  growth.  It  is  also  necessary  to  har¬ 
den  off  the  plants. 


Bedding  Plants— Have  a  stock  of  verbenas,  petunias, 
pansies,  daisies.etc.,  now  hardening  for  out-door  planting. 

Cleanse  plants,  pots,  tubs  and  houses  from  dead  leaves, 
moss,  weeds,  etc.,  to  keep  everything  sweet  and  clean. 
Wash  the  leaves  and  syringe  the  foliage. 

Insects  still  require  looking  after  or  they  will  increase 
in  numbers. 

Oranges,  Lemons,  Oleanders,  Myrtles,  etc.— Examine, 
cutting  to  a  good  shaped  head,  and  clearing  tubs  from 
wreeds,  moss,  etc.  Repot  and  dress  those  requiring  more 
room  and  a  richer  soil. 

Pelargoniums — Pick  off  decaying  leaves  and  cut  away 
any  branches  showing  mold.  Give  fresh  supplies  of  pure 
air  and  more  water  as  they  begin  to  bloom. 

Seeds— Sow,  m,  1,  for  early  out-door  planting. 

Water— Give  moderate  supplies  to  succulents,  and  more 
frequent  applications  to  woody  plants  now  in  a  fair  stage 
of  growth. 

Mot  House  and  Coaaservatory. 

These  still  require  much  care  through  the  changeable 
weather  of  March.  A  warm  sunny  day  is  often  followed 
by  a  frosty  night,  with  high  chilling  winds,  making  it 
necessary  to  watch  the  furnaces  carefully  and  perhaps 
cover  the  glass  wilh  shutters  at  night,  or  during  snow 
storms.  The  various  houses  or  rooms  will  present  a  dif¬ 
ferent  appearance  and  require  different  treatment  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  collections  they  contain  and  the  amount  of 
forcingthey  have  received.  A  house  devoted  exclusively 
to  Camellias  will  require  different  care  from  one  having 
Camellias  interspersed  with  Epacris,  Heaths,  Cactuses, 
Pelargoniums,  Bignonias,  Cissus,  Fuchsias,  Gloxinias, 
Lilliums,  etc.,  etc.,  which  are  occasionally  met  wilh  in  the 
same  collection.  We  can  only  give  general  directions, 
observing  that  in  every  and  all  departments,  neatness  and 
order  should  be  preserved  and  the  whole  made  as  attrac¬ 
tive  as  possible,  especially  at  this  season  when  an  abund¬ 
ance  of  bloom  invites  frequent  visitors. 

Abutilons  are  easily  managed  and  succeed  in  almost 
any  collection.  Give  moderate  waterings,  sufficient  room, 
and  pinch  to  a  well  shaped  head. 

Acacias  should  show'  a  fine  bloom.  Water  lightly  and 
expose  in  an  airy  situation. 

Annuals— Pot  off  those  sown  last  month  and  sow  anew 
if  a  larger  stock  is  needed. 

Azalias  are  passing  out  ofbloom.  Head  back  the  strag¬ 
gling  growth. 

Bedding  Plants — Increase  the  stock,  unless  sufficiently 
large,  by  putting  in  cuttings  of  the  varieties  recommended 
last  month.  Place  established  plants  in  frames,  m,  1,  for 
hardening  off. 

Bulbs— Bring  forward  from  the  Green-House  or  other 
cool  place  for  a  succession  of  b.oom.  Change  the  water 
in  glasses  twice  a  week.  Those  done  blooming  may  be 
set  away  to  dry  off. 

Calceolarias— Shift  plants  requiring  more  room  to 
larger  sized  pots,  watering  freely.  Flowering  plants 
should  now  show  a  fine  bloom. 

Camellias  are  still  among  the  most  attractive  flowers 
of  the  house  where  a  fine  collection  is  in  full  bloom. 
They  require  only  a  medium  heat  with  a  good  supply  of 
water  at  the  root.  Avoid  wetting  the  flowers  which 
hastens  their  decay.  Young  plants  may  be  inarched,  m,  1, 

Chrysanthemums — Increase  by  cuttings  and  layers. 

Cinerarias— Shift  pot-bound  plants,  keeping  down  green 
fly  with  fumigations. 

Cuttings  of  many  plants,  both  succulent  and  woody 
may  be  put  in  to  good  advantage.  Keep  moderately 
moist  and  cover  the  more  delicate  with  hand  glasses. 

Flowering  Plants— Keep  up  a  succession  by  potting  and 
bringing  to  heat  and  light,  as  great  a  variety  as  possible. 
As  they  pass  out  of  bloom,  lay  away,  heading  back  and 
otherwise  regulating  as  necessary. 

Fuchsias— Bring  from  Green-House  to  forward  the 
flowering  season.  Train  to  a  neat  round  or  pyramidal 
form.  Repot  young  plants. 

Hydrangeas,  Pinks,  Carnations  and  Daisies  may  also 
have  a  place  in  the  Hot-IIouse,  m,  1,  to  force  into  flower. 

Grapes— Attend  to  as  tho  stage  of  growth  requires. 
Green-House  plants  are  just  bursting,  and  those  in 
forcing  houses  may  be  in  bloom,  setting  fruit,  in  the  last 
stages  of  swelling  or  ripening  off  according  to  length  of 
time  fire-heat  has  been  used.  Particular  directions  can 
not  therefore  be  given.  Outside  borders  may  be  uncov¬ 
ered  and  manured,  11,  if  the  weather  is  warm  and  dry. 

Heaths— Shift  to  larger  pots  as  necessary. 

Insects — Destroy  by  tobacco  fumes. 

Lantar.as— Repot,  f,  m,  plants  for  blooming  early. 

Layer  w  oody  plants  fur  an  increase  of  stock. 

Musas— Water  freely  w  hen  in  agrowing  state.  Change 
those  needing  it  to  tubs  of  fruiting  size. 

Peach,  Fig,  Orange,  Lemon,  and  other  trees  in  pots, 
now  require  an  even  temperature,  abundance  of  air,  and 
light.  Water  freely  and  keep  down  insects. 

Pelargoniums — Place  in  a  light  airy  situation,  watering 
j  rather  sparingly. 

Roses— Shift  established  cuttings  and  those  intended 


for  early  flowering,  to  large  pots.  Harden  off  a  portion 
for  out-door  planting,  by  putting  in  frames  out  side. 

Seeds— Sow  an  abundance  ofannual  exotics  and  natives. 

Syringe  the  walls  and  plants,  and*  sprinkitj  the  floors 
each  morning  to  maintain  a  moist  atmosphere. 

Water— Give  moderately,  especially  woody  plants. 
An  excess  is  more  to  be  feared  than  too  little.  See  that 
the  drainage  is  perfect. 

Apiary  isa  Marcia. 

BY  Jl.  ipiiarY. 

St.  Johnsville,  N.  V. 

As  soon  as  the  frost  about  the  nive  is  melted,  scrape  out 
all  dead  bees  and  dirt  from  under  the  combs,  leaving  no¬ 
thing  that  can  mold  and  make  it  unhealthy  for  the  bees. 
Turn  the  hive  back  carefully,  without  disturbing  the  bees, 
until  the  cluster  can  be  seen,  and  ascertain  if  there  are 
any  dead  ones  between  any  of  the  combs  ;  if  so,  remove 
them  before  they  putrefy— a  large  wire,  crooked  at  the 
end,  will  answer  very  well  for  the  purpose  of  working 
them  down.  If  already  moldy,  the  combs  in  such  place 
should  be  cut  out  Keep  the  bees  quiet  with  tobacco 
smoke  during  the  operation. 

The  inexperienced  should  avoid  feeding  as  long  as  it 
will  answer  to  wait ;  it  is  quite  sure  to  induce  rob¬ 
beries  and  contentions  with  other  bees  ;  often  resulting  in 
more  mischief,  than  to  let  a  colony  or  two  starve.  The 
condition  of  the  colony  in  respect  to  food,  may  be  frequent¬ 
ly  ascertained  by  inverting  the  hive  carefully  some  clear 
morning,  and  getting  such  a  position,  that  the  sunlight 
may  go,  if  possible,  between  the  combs  to  the  top  of  the 
hive.  If  any  sealed  honey  can  be  seen  near  the  top,  or 
outside,  there  is  no  particular  danger  of  the  bets  starving 
short  of  two  weeks.  If  the  movable  frames  are  used,  the 
exact  quantity  of  honey  on  hand  can  be  ascertained.  If 
any  colony  is  nearly  out,  some  other  one  is  quite  sure  to 
hav«  a  surplus.  By  changing  a  comb  or  two  from  the 
heavy  one  to  the  other,  both  may  be  benefitted.  To  feed 
bees  in  the  common  hive,  take  pieces  of  comb  containing 
honey,  lay  them  on  the  top,  and  open  the  holes  for 
communication  ;  then  set  over  a  close  box,  to  keep  away 
allother  bees— if  practicable  such  box  should  be  close 
enough  to  prevent  others  from  even  scenting  the  honey. 
A  box  with  honey  worked  in  by  the  bees  is  a  very  con¬ 
venient  way  of  feeding.  When  strained  honey  is  to  be 
fed,  it  is  best  to  scald  and  skim  it,  adding  water  to  pre¬ 
vent  burning.  If  nothing  else  is  to  be  had,  sugar  made 
into  a  thick  syrup,  will  answer  to  prevent  starving.  This, 
or  the  liquid  honey,  may  be  poured  into  a  shallow  dish, 
and  set  on  the  hive.  Wood  shavings  or  other  light  ma 
terials  will  float  on  the  top,  and  prevent  the  bees  from 
drowning.  The  bees  soon  learn  the  way,  if  a  few  drops 
are  trailed  over  the  side  at  first. 

Bees  should  occupy  their  Summer  stand  as  soon 
as  possible  in  the  Spring ;  there  is  a  great  loss  in  changing 
after  they  commence  labor,  Unless  to  a  distance  of  at 
least  a  mile. 

In  sections  where  there  are  but  few  early  flowers,  and 
the  stocks  have  a  good  supply  of  honey,  a  very  good  sub¬ 
stitute  for  pollen  can  be  obtained  in  rye,  ground  and 
unbolted,  and  placed  where  bees  can  have  access  to  it. 
It  is  said  early  and  extensive  breeding  will  be  induced, 
and  they  will  become  strong  in  time  to  take  advantage  of 
the  first  yield  of  honey  from  the  flowers. 

A  light  snow  during  this  month,  followed  by  clear  sun¬ 
shine,  will  attract  the  bees  from  the  hive  more  readily 
than  in  mid-winter,  and  until  it  begins  to  pack,  it  is  gene¬ 
rally  fatal  to  those  that  settle  on  it.  If  shading  the  hive 
will  not  prevent  their  issuing,  they  may  be  stopped  in  for 
a  few  hours. 

Bees  that  are  in  the  house,  may  be  kept  tolerably  quiet 
during  the  turns  of  moderate  w'eather,  and  until  a  good 
day  occurs  to  set  them  out,  by  putting  snow  or  ice  in  the 
room.  For  setting  them  out,  choose  a  clear,  warm  day, 
any  time  from  nine  o’clock  till  three.  Have  the  stands 
all  ready,  and  as  far  apart  as  possible.  A  dozen  stocks 
every  two  hours  is  about  the  right  number.  Old  snow  on 
the  ground  will  do  no  harm. 

If  too  many  bees  gather  into  one  or  more  hives,  and 
leave  others  correspondingly  short,  it  is  well  to  change 
them  the  next  day,  putting  the  weak  one  where  the  strong 
one  stood,  and  the  strong  one  in  the  place  of  the  other  ; 
it  will  usually  set  them  right. 

If  severe  weather  occurs  after  they  are  out,  return  the 
weaker  ones,  if  not  all,  to  the  house.  Nearly  close  the 
entrance  as  a  protection  against  robbers,  also  to  preserve 
the  animal  heat,  which  is  needed  at  this  season. 

- ^  I imiU  »P— -  p  <£&■  ■  ■  ■■ 

Condition  oJ  Farining  on  Westerns 
Prairies.— In  December,  (Vol  17,  p.  364.)  we  published 
a  letter  from  H  II.,  showing  the  defects  and  the  dark  side 
of  farming  on  the  Western  Prairies,  particularly  in  Illi¬ 
nois.  Last  month,  (pace  38.)  G.  D.  Smith  gave  an  oppo¬ 
site  view  of  the  matter.  There  is  much  truth  in  the 
statements  of  both  correspondents,  as  we  can  testify  from 
personal  observation,  and  we  hope  what  they  have  writ¬ 
ten  may  be  the  means  of  awakening  inquiry  and  thought. 
We  have  a  rejoinder  irom  II.  II.,  in  which  he  quotes  from 
Illinois  journals  several  passages  to  confirm  his  former 
statements  If  we  publish  this  we  must  admit  a  reply 
from  Mr.  Smith,  and  the  discussion  would  be  quite  likely 
to  degenerate  into  a  personal  one.  We  have  not  room  for 
this,  and  having  heard  both,  prefer  to  drop  the  debat  -’  here 


AMERICAN  AGrRIC  ULT  UR1ST, 


Eighteenth  Book  of  Chronicles. 


CHAPTER  i. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  reign  of  Franklin,  whose 
surname  was  Pierce,  that  there  lived  in  the  Province  of 
New-Jersey  a  man  named  Thomas. 

2.  And  Thomas  was  a  husbandman,  who  dwelt  upon  the 
land  which  his  fathers  had  given  unto  him. 

3.  But  by  reason  of  much  sickness  and  of  floods  and 
drouths,  he  had  not  dwelt  in  prosperity,  as  had  his  fathers. 

4.  His  land  was  not  fruitful,  neither  his  flocks  nor  his 
herds.  Only  his  asses  yielded  any  profit  of  all  his  labors. 

5.  Now  Thomas  had  taken  unto  him  a  wife  from  the 
daughters  of  the  princes  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  her  name  was  Catharina. 

6.  But  Catharina  was  discontented  in  the  house  of  her 
husband,  and  wearied  him  much  with  her  daily  entreaties. 

7.  For  she  said  daily  unto  Thomas,  Thou  art  not  like 
unto  my  brethren  in  the 
house  of  my  father  in  the 
Province  of  Pennsylvania. 

8.  Their  lands  yield  plenti¬ 
fully,  and  they  eat  of  the  good 
things  of  the  earth,  both  they 
and  their  wives  and  their 
little  ones,  while  I  dwell  in 
poverty  and  sorrow. 

9.  Then  said  Thomas  unto 
her,  What  wilt  thou,  Catha¬ 
rina?  Behold,  I  toil  even 
from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to 
the  going  down  thereof.  My 
fathers  dwelt  here  in  abun¬ 
dance,  and  I  labor  more  than 
they,  but  yet  prosperity  com- 
eth  not. 

10.  But  Catharina  re¬ 
proached  him  still  the  more, 
and  upbraided  him  for  lack 
of  knowledge. 

11.  .And  she  said  unto  him, 

Thou  art  ignorant,  Thomas. 

Hast  thou  not  heard  that  in 
he  Province  of  New-York, 

even  in  the  great  city  of  that 
province,  called  Gotham, 
that  knowledge  doth  abound? 

12.  And  is  there  not  on  the 
great  street  of  that  city  a 
temple,  where  wise  men  do 
gather  on  the  second  day  of 
the  first  and  of  the  third 
weeks  in  every  month  ? 

13.  And  do  not  those  who  are  skillful  to  make  the  earth 
bring  forth  abundantly,  meet  there  and  make  know  n  to 
each  other  the  secrets  of  gaining  riches  from  stubborn  land 
like  thine  own  ? 

14.  Go  thou  up  thither,  and  thou  too  shalt  be  wise,  and 
our  lands  shall  become  fruitful. 

13.  But  Thomas  was  simple  minded,  and  heeded  not  the 
counsels  of  his  wile  ; 

16.  For  he  said,  I  have  heard  that  they  are  chiefly  crafty 
men,  and  they  who  gather  together  into  that  temple  are 
those  who  would  draw  simple  men  into  a  snare  by  their 
specious  words. 

17.  Nevertheless,  Catharina  left  no  peace  unto  Thomas, 
but  she  said  daily  unto  him,  Go  up  and  get  thee  wisdom. 

18.  And  when  his  soul  was  weary  within  him  from  her 
urging,  he  said  unto  her,  I  will  get  me  up  to  the  temple 
of  wisdom  as  thou  desirest. 

19.  And  great  was  t-he  joy  of  Catharina,  and  that  night 
she  slept  not,  but  she  mended  his  garments,  and  made 
ready  for  him  cakes  and  cooked  meats  for  his  journey. 

20.  Neither  did  Thomas  sleep,  for  his  heart  was  troubled. 


CHAPTER  II. 

1.  And  very  early  in  the  morning  Thomas  arose,  and 
saddled  his  mule,  and  Catharina  filled  the  panniers  with 
much  provision  for  his  journey. 

2.  And  before  midday  he  reached  the  Great  River,  and 
gave  his  beast  to  an  inn-keeper  hard  by,  and  hastened  him 
over,  and  through  much  people  running  to  and  fro. 

3.  And  after  much  travel  through  the  Great  Street  that 
is  called  the  Broad  Way,  he  came  to  a  narrow  entrance 
to  a  second  story,  and  there  he  saw  it  written :  “Farm¬ 
ers’  Club  meets  here  to-day.  Strangers  particularly 
welcome 

4.  Then  he  knew  that  his  journey  was  ended,  and  he 
ascended  wilh  joy  to  an  upper  room. 

5.  And  there  he  found  gathered  of  the  wise  men  a  small 
number,  and  many  others  like  himself  who  had  come 
hither  seeking  knowledge. 

G.  And  Thomas  was  much  afraid,  and  sat  him  dowrn  in 


a  corner  to  listen  to  the  words  of  the  wise  men. 

7.  And  one  of  them  read  from  many  heathen  languages 
curious  and  marvelous  things. 

8.  And  after  him  stood  up  one,  and  another,  and  talked 
very  skillfully  (slily  speaking  of  what  they  had  to  sell)  ; 
but  Thomas  knew  not  whereof  they  talked,  and  his 
heart  fell  within  him,  for  he  thought,  What  shall  I  say 
unto  Catharina  of  my  journey  ? 

9.  But  there  rose  up  one  from  his  own  province,  even 
of  the  province  of  New.  Jersey,  one  of  the  land  princes 
who  had  got  himself  a  very  great  name  in  all  the  pro¬ 
vinces,  and  professed  to  know  all  things. 

10.  And  his  words  did  flow  very  smoothly,  and  he 
talked  much  of  his  own  land,  and  what  money  lie  had 
gathered  from  his  husbandry. 

11.  And  Thomas  gave  good  heed  unto  his  words,  and 
heard  him  gladly,  for  the  man  had  the  skill  to  draw 
much  people  after  him  by  his  crafty  speech. 

12.  But  most  of  all  did  Thomas  rejoice  in  the  man’s 


“A  DREAM  THAT  WAS  NOT  ALL  A  DREAM.” 

prosperity  in  raising  callages  for  the  markets  of  the  great 
city,  from  which  he  did  get  great  bags  full  of  silver 
and  gold. 

13.  And  the  man  pretended  to  keep  not  back  the  se¬ 
crets  of  his  success,  but  to  reveal  all  things. 

14.  And  he  said  his  land  was  very  poor,  but  he  put 
upon  it  a  medicine  he  had  discovered,  that  charmed  it. 
Only  a  very  little  was  needed,  so  much  as  a  man  could 
take  in  his  hand  for  the  land  one  could  stride  over. 

15.  And  the  land  brought  forth  abundantly,  even  great 
cabbages,  as  large  as  a  bushel  measure. 

10.  And  the  land  when  treated  to  the  medicine  yield¬ 
ed  at  the  rate  of  ten  thousand  nine  hundred,  and  four 
score  and  ten  such  great  cabbages  upon  one  acre,  or  so 
little  a  space  as  a  man  could  walk  over  in  three  score 
and  five  steps. 

17.  And  when  Thomas  heard  the  man  say  he  would  sell 
the  medicine,  he  waited  no  longer,  but  gat  him  out  from 
the  assembly,  and  hastened  him  back  to  his  beast  and 
paid  the  inn-keeper. 

18.  And  with  much  beating  of  his  mule,  he  hastened  on 
and  reached  his  home  at  the  going  down  of  the  sun. 

19.  And  Catharina  met  him  at  the  gate,  and  even  before 
they  went  into  the  house  lie  told  her  of  the  wonderful 
things  he  had  heard,  and  of  that  wonderful  medicine, 
called  super-human  horsefat  (wdiich  in  the  Latin  tongue 
signifieth  super-phosphate.) 

20.  And  until  the  sixth  hour  of  the  night  did  they  talk  of 
the  fields  they  would  plant  in  cabbages,  and  of  the  gold 
that  would  come  unto  them.  And  then  did  they  go  to 
their  couch  with  joyful  hearts. 

CHAPTER  III. 

1.  But  Thomas  slept  not  soundly,  and  in  his  night  vision 
he  dreamed  a  dream. 

2.  And  in  his  dream  he  saw  a  towering  cabbage,  that  like 
Jonah’s  gourd  rose  up  in  a  night,  and  the  birds  of  the  air 
lodged  and  built  their  nests  in  the  top  thereof. 

3.  And  in  his  dream  he  called  his  neighbors,  and  pro¬ 
vided  him  horses  and  wagons,  and  began  with  an  ax  to 
cut  down  the  stem  of  the  cabbage. 


4.  And  as  it  fell,  the  great  noise  of  the  falling  awoke 
him,  and  he  related  his  dream  unto  Catharina,  wfco  had 
not  yet  slept.  And  she  interpreted  the  dream  to  be  a  fore¬ 
shadowing  of  the  great  riches  in  store  for  them. 

5.  And  they  talked  of  what  they  would  do  with  their 
riches  until  the  tenth  hour  of  the  night,  and  then  arose. 

6.  And  while  Thomas  harnessed  hts  mules,  Catharina 
made  ready  his  morning  repast,  and  at  the  break  of  day 
Thomas  began  his  journey, to  see  the  smooth-tongued  man. 

7.  And  he  carried  with  him  in  a  bag  all  the  gold  and 
silver  in  the  house,  both  his  own  and  Catharina’s,  to  buy 
of  the  medicine,  even  all  his  mules  could  carry. 

8.  And  he  delayed  not  in  Ins  journey,  even  seven 
leagues,  until  he  came  to  the  house  of  the  smooth-tongued 
man. 

9.  But  his  heart  failed  within  him  when  the  man’s  ser 
vant  told  him  that  his  master  was  gone,  as  was  his  wont, 
to  the  great  city,  to  sell  his  medicine  for  sick  land. 

10.  Then  Thomas  asked  the  servant  to  show  him  the 
great  fields  of  cabbages. 

11.  But  the  servant  seemed 
not  to  know  whereof  he 
talked.  And  he  said,  My 
master  hath  in  the  corner  of 
his  garden  a  few  cabbages, 
but  I  know  not  of  the  fields 
whereof  thou  speakest. 

12.  Then  the  servant 
showed  him  the  cabbages 
and  tarried  long  at  one 
larger  than  the  rest 

13.  It  may  be,  said  the  ser¬ 
vant,  that  thou  hast  heard 
my  master  speak  of  this  cab¬ 
bage.  I  have  indeed  heard 
him  say,  that  if  an  acre  w  as 
covered  with  sucli  cabbages, 
the  sum  would  be  very  great, 
even  ten  thousand  or  more. 

14.  And  moreover,  1  did 
hear  my  master  say  that  this 
cabbage  yielded  at  the  rate 
of  ten  thousand  nine  hun¬ 
dred  and  four  score  and  ten 
cabbages. 

15.  But  as  my  soul  livelh, 
this  is  all  the  cabbages  I 
have  seen  my  master  raise 
in  the  many  years  that  1 
have  served  him. 

16.  And  Thomas  asked  the 
servant  what  was  put  upon 
the  land  ? 

17.  And  the  servant  ans¬ 
wered  that  the  new  medicine  made  by  his  master  for  to 
sell,  was  put  with  the  plant. 

18.  But  he  could  not  say  more  of  it.  He  had  seen 
his  master  take  it  from  a  bag,  and  privately  put  with 
it  as  much  more  of  something  yellow,  brought  in  a  bag 
from  the  heathen  land  of  Peru. 

19.  Then  was  Thomas  much  cast  down  in  spirit,  and 
he  gat  him  to  his  mules  and  turned  his  face  homeward 

20.  And  the  rest  of  the  deeds  of  Thomas,  and  of  his  wife 
Catharina.  and  of  the  deeds  of  the  smooth  tongued  man, 
and  of  the  sayings  of  the  wise  men  of  Gotham,  are  they 
not  recorded  in  the  Chronicles  of  the  land  princes  of  the 
Province  of  New-Jersey,  and  are  they  not  laid  up  in  the 
archives  of  the  Agriculturist  even  on  the  street  that  is 
called  Water,  in  the  great  city  of  Gotham? 

- ♦-! -  - ,  - - 

Huyine  Artificial  Manures, 

Not  a  day  passes  without  inquiries  in  regard  to  the 
value  oflhis  or  that  fertilizer  offered  to  the  public.  Mineral 
manures,  as  a  class,  are  not  worth  the  price  asked  for 
them  after  they  have  been  through  manufacturers’  hands. 
We  look  upon  the  w  hole  genus  of  super  phosphates,  as  not 
worth  purchasing— except  when  unadulterated  and  made 
from  unburned  bones ,  which  is  rarely  the  case.  In  Hie 
same  category  we  place  all  the  “  phosphatic  guanos”— 
no  m  liter  whethercalled  “  Mexican,”  "American,”  “Pa¬ 
cific,  Ocean,”  “  Columbian,”  “  Patagonian,”  “  Sombrero,” 
or  by  any  other  name.  We  believe  that  the  value  of  any 
concentrated  manure  depends  mainly  upon  ihe  amount  of 
organic  matter  (that  is,  animal  or  vegetable  matter) 
which  it  contains.  And  any  fertilizer,  to  be  worth  $15  a 
ton  or  more,  must  contain  a  considerable  per  cent  of  actu. 
al  ammonia-yielding  elements— not  merely  “  organic  mat¬ 
ter  yielding  ammonia,”  as  many  of  the  published  analyses 
read.  The  seller  of  any  one  of  the  dozen  “guanos  ”  now 
advertised,  must  show  us  that  the  article  contains  a  fair 
proportion  of  rich  ammonia-yielding  organic  matter,  he 
fore  we  can  have  confidence  enough  in  it  to  buy  or  recom 
mend  it.  We  care  nothing  for  the  certificates  of  effects, 
or  the  (purchased)  analyses  exhibited.  Such  recommen 
dationscan  be  easily  ontained,  and  are  obtained,  for  the 
sheerest  humbug  of  a  patent  medicine  in  the  land  Pe¬ 
ruvian  guano,  unburned  bones,  and  such  as  are  made  al¬ 
most  wholly  of  animal  matters— not  worked  over  with  a 
large  admixture  of  other  less  valuable  material — are  the 
chief  concentrated  fertilizers  w  orthy  of  an  investment 


69 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


I 

Onion  Culture — (Prize  Essay.*) 

BY  WM.  T.  JENNINGS  OF  WESTPORT,  CONN. 


[The  writer  of  the  following  has,  we  believe,  had  an 
experience  of  some  thirty  years  in  growing  onions  for 
market, — Ed.] 

SELECTION  OF  GROUND. 

A  deep  loamy  soil  is  considered  the  best  for  onions, 
though  they  will  grow  on  soil,  a  large  proportion  of  which 
is  clay.  A  light  porous  soil  with  a  gravelly  subsoil  should 
be  avoided.  The  surface  of  the  ground  should  be  nearly 
level,  as  hilly  ground  is  liable  to  wash  from  heavy  rains. 
In  selecting  a  piece  of  ground  for  onions,  there  are  sever¬ 
al  things  that  should  be  considered. 

1st.  Ground  that  is  stony  should  be  avoided,  un¬ 
less  the  cost  of  removing  the  stones  is  first  considered. 

2nd.  Ground  that  is  overrun  by  weeds  and  troublesome 
grasses,  should  not  be  chosen  until  they  are  first  subdued. 

3d.  Ground  that  is  shaded  will  not  do;  neither  that 
which  is  too  wet  to  be  worked  early  in  the  Spring. 

Having  attended  to  the  foregoing  hints,  it  is  also  impor¬ 
tant  to  select  with  reference  to  cultivating  the  same 
ground  for  onions  for  an  indefinite  length  of  time, 
(or  in  so  doing,  the  labor  of  first  preparation  is  avoided, 
besides  each  succeeding  crop  is  more  easily  cultivated, 
provided  the  previous  work  has  been  thoroughly  done. 

PREPARATION  OF  GROUND  FOR  SOWING. 

Having  made  a  suitable  selection  of  ground,  the  next 
thing  to  be  considered  is  its  preparation.  First  gather  out 
the  stones  pretty  thoroughly— putting  the  largest  ones  into 
fences,  the  middling  sized  ones  into  blind  ditches,  and 
the  smallest  ones  into  the  mud  holes  of  the  roads.  In 
this  way  some  good  is  done.  Above  all  avoid  the  heathen¬ 
ish  practice  of  emptying  them  by  the  road  side,  not  only 
disfiguring  the  roads,  but  giving  a  harbor  for  briers,  elders, 
and  the  ten  thousand  noxious  weeds  that  now  infest  such 
places.  In  the  ne*t  place  give  the  ground  a  heavy  coat 
of  the  best  manure.  Hog-pen  is  the  best  home-made  ma¬ 
nure,  next,  stable,  if  not  too  coarse  ;  next,  common  barn¬ 
yard  well  rotted.  As  to  the  quantity  of  manure  on  an 
acre,  that  must  be  determined  in  part  by  the  condition  of 
the  soil.  From  20  to  30  loads  of  40  bushels  per  load,  make 
-i  very  good  coat  to  begin  with.  After  this,  is  deeply 
■plowed  in,  a  top  dressing  of  wood  ashes— say  150  or  200 
mshels  to  the  acre  may  be  given,  or  from  300  to  500  lbs. 
of  guano,  or  bones  ground  or  sawed  are  good,  or  any  well 
pulverized  manure  that  will  not  be  in  the  way  of  Ihe  har¬ 
row  and  rake,  may  be  used.  But  take  care  not  to  use 
seedy  manure  if  you  w  ish  to  save  much  labor  and  patience. 
Manure  may  be  carted  on  and  plowed  under  in  the  Fall, 
or  in  the  Spring  just  before  sowing.  If  the  ground  is 
plowed  in  the  Fall,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  replow  in 
the  Spring.  Fail  plowing  should  be  put  off  as  long  as 
possible— say  to  the  middle  of  November. 

Having  manured  and  plowed  your  ground,  it  is  now  to 
be  harrowed  and  raked,  until  it  is  as  even  and  smooth  as 
a  beet  bed.  Harrows  of  either  iron  or  wooden  teeth  are 
first  used  to  bring  the  ground  to  a  general  level,  and  the 
stones  to  the  surface,  the  brush  or  bush  harrows  are  then 
used  until  the  lumps  are  pulverized,  and  the  surface  of 
the  ground  made  smooth,  then  wooden  hand-rakes  of 
twelve  teeth  each,  are  applied  to  take  off  the  small  stones 
and  finish  for  sowing. 

Manure  for  top  dressing  may  be  harrowed  or  raked  in, 
and  if  guano  is  used,  it  is  well  to  make  a  second  applica¬ 
tion  during  the  growth  of  the  crop,  which  may  be  scuf¬ 
fled  in  by  the  hoe.  All  manure  used  should  be  plowed 
under  or  mixed  with  the  soil  immediately  after  it  is 
spread. 

SOWING. 

Now  then  the  seed  is  to  be  committed  to  the  ground. 
And  here  a  word  or  two  of  caution  is  necessary.  Be  care¬ 
ful  what  seed  is  sown.  If  you  are  under  the  necessity 
of  buying  seed,  procure  it  of  some  reliable  man,  a  reg¬ 
ular,  honest  onion  grower.  It  should  not  be  over  one 

*  In  response  to  the  call  upon  experienced  cult ivators  for  prac¬ 
tical  information  on  ihe  Culture  of  Onions,  twenty  seven  essays 
were  received,  of  which  six  were  too  late,  or  were  ruled  out  be¬ 
cause  from  practical  writers  but  not  practical  onion  growers. 
l’be  remaining  tweutv-one  essays  were  submitted  to  a  commit¬ 
tee  of  intelligent  gentlemen — our  own  time  and  health  not  al¬ 
lowing:  us  ro  do  more  than  take  a  cursory  glance  at  a  pari  of  the 
articles.  The  committee  devoted  several  days  to  the  subject, 
separately  reading  each  article  carefully  through,  and  first  se¬ 
lecting  six  ff  the  best.  These  six  they  read  twice  again,  and 
two  were  SLtected,  and  on  a  final  reading  the  one  was  selected 
which  most  nearly  responded  to  the  terms  of  the  call.  On  com¬ 
ing  together,  it  was  found  that  each  gentleman  had,  without 
consultation,  fixed  upon  the  same  essay — the  one  which  is  here- 
with  published.  The  Committeewish  nsto  say  that  tlipv  found 
great  merit  in  nearly  all  the  essays,  and  it  was  with  difficulty 
■that  they  con  hi  come  to  a  final  decision — so  nearly  equal  in  value 

were  many  of  the  essays _ In  consideration  of  the  increasing 

importance  of  this  subject,  and  the  little  that  has  been  written 
on  it,  we  have  addressed  a  note  to  eighteen  of  those  contribut¬ 
ing  essavs,  requesting  permission  to  print  their  articles  together 
in  book,  or  pamphlet  form.  Replies  have  not  yet  been  received 
■from  all,  hut  if  permission  be  given  the  work  will  be  announced 
Mi  thebuqinoss.or  advertising  columns.— Ed. 


year  old,  and  should  sink  when  placed  in  water.  Better 
not  trust  to  seed  merchants,  unless  actually  obliged  to. 
Rather  pay  $5  per  pound  for  reliable  seed,  than  gel  doubt¬ 
ful  seed  for  nothing.  Having  obtained  your  seed,  say 
from  3  to  4  lbs.  per  acre,  you  now  proceed  to  deposit  it  in 
the  ground,  which  is  done,  where  onions  are  raised  to 
much  extent,  by  a  simple  machine  (costing  $5)  drawn  by 
hand,  making  tw'o  drills  twelve  inches  apart,  and  drop¬ 
ping  the  seed  in  them  at  the  same  time.  Next  comes  the 
covering  process  which  consists  in  drawing  a  hand  roller 
over  the  ground  lengthwise  the  rows;  or  which  is  the 
most  common  way,  pushing  a  clean  bright  hoe  over  the 
drills.  This  may  be  done  by  boys,  as  they  make  smaller 
and  lighter  tracks  than  men.  Commence  the  work 
straight,  and  then  be  careful  to  keep  it  so;  not  but  that 
crooked  rows  make  straight  onions,  but  for  the  beauly 
and  neatness  of  the  thing.  A  man  accustomed  to  it  will 
sow  three  acres  a  day.  The  time  for  sowing  is  the  month 
of  April,  earlier  or  later  according  to  the  state  of  the 
ground.  It  is  generally  found  that  the  earliest  sowed 
onions,  other  things  being  equal,  do  the  best. 

CULTIVATION. 

About  four  weeks  from  the  time  of  sowing,  cultivation 
commences  in  earnest.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  in 
this  department  is  to  go  through  them  with  an  onion  hoe, 
as  soon  as  (he  rows  can  be  distinctly  seen  when  the  dew 
is  on  in  the  morning.  The  hoeing  this  time  must  be 
light— just  skimming  the  top  of  the  ground — the  hoe  being 
put  forward  and  drawn  toward  the  hoer.  In  the  course 
of  a  few  days  weeding  must  be  commenced;  removing 
all  the  weeds  from  among  the  onions.  This  part  of  the 
work  is  usually  performed  by  boys,  for  various  reasons. 
1st.  Because  they  can  be  hired  for  about  half  the  price  of 
men.  2nd.  A  good  active  boy,  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  old, 
can  do  as  much,  or  more  work  than  a  man  ;  and  also  be¬ 
cause  it  is  less  tiresome  for  boys  than  full  grown  men  : 
for  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  stooping,  or  crawling 
posture  must  be  assumed  in  weeding  onions.  In  other 
words,  whoever  does  this  work  must  get  down  to  them, 
eyes,  fingers  and  all,  and  not  be  ashamed  of  his  occupa¬ 
tion,  or  of  soiling  his  clothes.  The  tools  needed  for  hoe¬ 
ing  and  weeding  onions  are  few  and  simple.  The  most 
approved  hoe  in  use,  is  usually  made  from  a  buck  saw 
plate,  either  new  or  worn,  cut  about  eight  inches  in 
length,  and  from  one  to  two  inches  in  width,  with  a  goose 
neck  riveted  on  the  inside  of  it  ;  or  to  make  the  hoe  stif- 
fer,  two  goosenecks  are  used,  riveted  as  before,  but  about 
one  and-a-ha  if  inches  from  the  ends  of  the  plate,  and 
uniting  in  one  shank  in  the  handle,  w  hich  may  be  about 
five  feet  long.  This  hoe  should  be  kept  clean  and  bright 
so  that  the  dirt  will  slide  over  it  without  being  much  dis¬ 
placed.  A  push  or  scuffle  hoe  is  sometimes  used  in  the 
advanced  grow  th  of  the  crop.  The  tools  used  for  weed¬ 
ing,  aside  from  what  nature  has  provided,  are  a  crooked 
knife,  (common  case  or  shoe  knife  with  the  lower  end 
bent  up)  and  a  weeder  made  of  thin  steel  plate,  about  two 
inches  long  and  one  wide,  riveted  with  a  goose  neck,  like 
the  hoes,  and  fixed  in  a  handle  about  eight  inches  long. 
Later  in  the  season,  a  larger  weeder  is  used,  about  four 
inches  in  length,  and  set  in  a  handle  about  two  feet  long. 
This  is  used,  w  hen  the  onion  tops  have  become  large,  for 
the  purpose  of  taking  out  single  w'eeds,  and  when  hoeing 
the  ground  would  injure  the  onions. 

After  this  description  of  tools,  we  will  return  to  hoeing 
and  weeding.  As  no  definite  rule  can  be  given  for  the 
number  of  hoeings  or  weedings,  this  must  be  left  to  the 
discretion  of  the  owner,  or  the  person  in  charge.  Suffice 
it  to  say,  the  oftener  the  ground  is  stirred,  the  better  for 
the  crop.  Ground  should  usually  be  hoed  about  once  in 
two  weeks  during  the  earlier  Dart  of  the  season,  and  the 
weeding  must  he  governed  by  numbers  and  growth  of  the 
weeds.  It  is  all  important  that  the  weeds  be  not  suffered 
to  get  the  advantage.  Keep  them  do  wn— keep  them  out — 
be  vigilant.  Think  of  the  old  adage  about  the  stitch  in 
time,  and  apply  it  here. 

This  same  vigilance  must  be  exercised  during  the  growth 
of  the  crop.  Some  persons,  owing  to  extra  work  during 
harvest,  are  apt  to  neglect  their  onions.  This  should  nev¬ 
er  be.  July  is  an  important  month  to  the  onion  grow  er. 
If  neglected  then,  the  crop  is  as  good  as  half  lost.  Nei¬ 
ther  is  it  true  that  onions  are  injured  by  working  among 
them  when  bottoming,  although  care  is  necessary  not  to 
knock  down  the  tops,  nor  disturb  the  bulbs  when  growing; 
but  bad  usage  is  better  than  entire  neglect.  Neither 
should  weeds  be  permitted  to  go  to  seed  on  the  ground 
intended  for  onions  the  next  year,  after  the  crop  is  re¬ 
moved.  It  is  sometimes  necessary  to  hoe  the  ground  over 
entirely,  and  carry  off  the  weeds  that  may  have  grown 
after  the  onions  have  been  pulled.  The  great  pest  of 
onion  ground  usually  is  purslain  ;  and  this  must  be  watch¬ 
ed  and  dealt  with  in  a  sumrpary  way.  It  may  be  hard¬ 
ly  necessary  ta  suggest  here  that  the  fences  and  bor¬ 
ders  of  onion  grounds  should  be  kept  entirely  clean  and 
tidy. 

A  man  will  hoe  from  half  an  acre  to  an  acre  of  onions 
in  a  day.  A  smart  boy  will  take  care  of  from  one  to  two 


acres  of  ground  during  the  season,  and  have  an  odd  day 
now  and  then  to  go  fishing. 

HARVESTING. 

This  takes  place  during  the  latter  part  of  August,  and 
first  of  September.  The  time  to  pull  onions,  (which  should 
be  done  by  hand,)  is  when  the  tops  have  fallen  down  and 
turned  a  brown  or  yellowish  color.  Sometimes  on  ac¬ 
count  of  the  season,  or  seed,  or  both,  there  w  ill  be  more 
or  less  that  will  not  drop  down  and  dry  up.  Some  have 
proposed  in  such  cases  to  roll  a  barrel  over  them,  or  break 
them  down  in  some  way,  but  it  is  of  doubtful  expediency. 
A  scallion  will  be  such  whether  standing  up  or  bent 
down.  When  the  main  crop  has  ripened  down,  it  is  best 
to  pull  them  all,  and  sort  out  those  which  are  not  fit  for 
market,  to  feed  out  to  the  cattle  ;  for  which  purpose  Ihev 
are  esteemed  of  considerable  value.  The  cattle  gener¬ 
ally  devour  them  greedily  ;  they  should  not  however  be 
fed  to  milch  cows. 

The  most  approved  way  of  curing  onions  after  they  are 
pulled,  is,  to  let  them  lie  scattered  about  the  ground  for 
about  three  days,  and  then  pile  them  up  in  small  stacks, 
containing  about  a  barrel  each:  after  remaining  so  about 
two  weeks,  open  them,  and  give  them  frequent  stirrings 
for  about  three  bright  drying  days,  then  house  them  in  a 
perfectly  dry  condition.  The  stacking  gives  them  an  op¬ 
portunity  to  sweat,  and  keeps  them  in  a  measure  from  the 
w  eather,  so  that  when  opened,  the  outside  skin  shells  off 
and  gives  them  a  brighter  and  clearer  appearance,  than 
they  would  have  ifieft  to  cure,  scattered  about  the  field. 

Onions  cured  in  this  way  may  be  put  up  in  bins,  or  bays 
to  the  depth  of  four  or  five  feet,  without,  any  danger  of 
injury;  there  to  be  kept,  if  desired,  until  the  following 
Spring,  provided  the  tops  are  left  on  them.  If  put  in  barn 
bays,  a  rough  floor  should  be  laid  down  on  timber  a  few 
inches  from  Ihe  ground,  in  order  that  a  circulation  of  air 
underneath  may  be  obtained.  Onions  should  not  be  kept 
in  cellars  unless  remarkably  dry  and  cool.  A  slight  freez¬ 
ing  does  not  hurt  them,  provided  they  are  not  disturbed 
in  their  frozen  state. 

MARKETING. 

This  may  commence  as  soon  as  onions  are  ripe,  and 
continue  until  the  middle  of  May  following,  provided 
communication  is  open.  The  most  common  way  of  send¬ 
ing  onions  to  market,  is  by  putting  them  in  barrels  with 
one  head,  and  sending  them  in  vessels  ;  as  freight  by 
water  is  cheaper  than  by  land.  This  holds  good  howev¬ 
er  only  for  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  live  in  prox¬ 
imity  to  water. 

All  the  preparation  onions  require  for  market,  is  to  cut 
or  strip  off  their  tops  and  put  them  in  barrels.  A  man  or 
boy  will  prepare  fifty  bushels  in  a  day.  Onions  alwuiyt 
keep  best  in  their  tops  ;  therefore  they  should  not  be  re¬ 
moved  until  ready  for  market. 

The  price  of  onion6  varies  from  $1.00*  to  $5.00  per  bar¬ 
rel,  but  the  average  nettprice,  taking  one  year  with  anoth¬ 
er  for  several  years  back,  has  been  about  $1.50  per  bar¬ 
rel. 

The  onions  sent  to  New-York  Market  are  usually 
wholesaled  from  vessels  to  the  dealers,  and  resold  by 
them  in  smaller  lots,  they  selling  from  25  cents  to  50  cents 
per  barrel,  in  advance  of  cost,  so  that  by  the  time  the 
consumer  gets  them  the  first  price  is  nearly  doubled. 

GENERAL  REMARKS. 

There  is  no  crop  perhaps,  more  sure  than  that  of  onions 
They  are  liable,  it  is  true,  to  blight,  but  this  seldom  oc¬ 
curs  unless  they  are  neglected.  Rich  soil,  with  a  good 
application  of  manure  every  year,  and  proper  attention 
will  almost  invariably  insure  a  good  crop.  Five  hun¬ 
dred  bushels  to  an  acre  is  an  average  crop,  though  eight 
hundred  are  frequently  raised. 

There  are  three  varieties  of  onions  commonly  raised, 
viz.,  red,  white  and  yellow.  The  red  onions  take  the 
lead,  as  they  are  more  hardy,  grow  better,  and  bear  hand¬ 
ling  better  than  either  of  the  other  kinds.  The  foregoing 
directions  apply  equally  to  each  variety,  though  white 
ones  require  more  attention  in  curing  and  gentler  hand¬ 
ling.  W bite  onions  in  limited  quantities  and  in  good  con¬ 
dition  sometimes  sell  for  fifty  per  cent  in  advance  of  red 
ones. 

Onions,  unlike  most  other  crops,  may  be  raised  on  the 
same  ground  for  an  indefinite  length  of  time,  without  any 
deterioration  in  quality  or  quantity,  provided  the  ground 
is  in  good  heart.  The  writer  knows  ground  that 
has  been  used  for  upwmrds  of  thirty  consecutive  years  for 
this  crop,  and  the  last  was  as  good,  or  belter  than  the 
first. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  remark  here  that  skill  in  the 
onion  business— and  it  is  an  important  item— is  only  ac¬ 
quired,  as  in  every  other  department  of  labor,  by  prac¬ 
tice.  Therefore  it  is  better  fora  new  beginner  in  the 
business  to  commence  on  a  small  scale.  And  let  no  one 
delude  himself  with  the  idea  of  becoming  suddenly  rich 
from  raising  onions.  Patient,  honest  industry  w  ill  hero 

♦Present  price,  $3.00,  Jan.  25th,  1859. 


70 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


;t-  everywhere  else  be  rewarded,  and  when  a  good  mark¬ 
et  is  within  a  convenient  distance,  and  the  soil  suits,  per¬ 
haps  no  crop  pays  better  than  onions. 

RAISING  ONION  SEED. 

As  it  is  a  law  of  nature  that  like  produces  like,  it  is 
of  the  utmost  importance  that  great  care  should  be  taken 
to  obtain  seed  that  will  produce  the  most  perfect  speci 
mens  of  its  kind.  This  holds  true  in  regard  to  onion  seed, 
for  it  is  a  notorious  fact,  that  this  esculent  has  been  im¬ 
proved  in  shape  and  color  within  a  few  years,  from  a  flat 
turnip  shape  and  pale  red  color,  to  nearly  a  round  or 
spherical  form,  and  a  bright  clear  red. 

In  saving  onions  for  seed  then,  care  should  be  taken  to 
select  those  of  the  desired  shape  and  color  and  of  medium 
size,  or  a  little  above  it.  The  best  time  to  do  this  is 
when  they  are  pulled,  as  then  the  perfectly  ripe  ones  are 
more  easily  distinguished,  than  when  they  are  cured. 
Another  advanlange  to  be  gained  is  that  the  earliest  may 
be  reserve,!,  in  older  to  get  an  earlier  crop  if  desired  the 
next  vcai.  Onions  intended  for  seed  should  be  set  out 
about  he  middle  of  April,  or  at  the  usual  time  of  sowing 
The  gn;;'r,‘l  should  be  prepared  in  the  same  manner  as 
for  the  regu.u.  crops,  and  then  laid  oulin drills aboutthree 
feet  ap->t  and  four  inches  deep.  In  these  drills  the  on¬ 
ions  are  to  be  placed,  four  or  five  inches  apart,  covered 
with  fine  dirt  aim  gently  pressed  down  with  the  feet,  or 
hand  roller.  As  soon  as  they  are  well  out  of  ground, 
they  should  be  gone  through  with  a  hoe  or  cultivator, 
and  the  weeds  kept  down  by  occasionally  hoeing  the 
ground,  and  weeding,  until  the  seed  is  ripe.  The  writer 
has  found  that  digging  a  trencii  betw  een  the  rows,  either 
with  a  spade  or  hoe,  about  the  time  the  seed  is  in  blos¬ 
som,  and  working  the  dirt  thus  dug  out  around  the  onion 
stalks,  is  beneficial.  Care  should  be  taken  after  the  on¬ 
ions  have  blossomed  not  to  handle  them,  or  disturb  their 
roots. 

The  seed  matures  about  the  same  time  that  onions 
raised  from  seed  get  ripe.  The  time  for  gathering  is 
when  the  heads  assume  a  brown  color,  and  the  balls  be¬ 
gin  to  crack  and  show  the  seed.  The  heads  should  then 
be  cut  off  and  exposed  to  the  sun  on  a  blanket,  or  floor, 
until  the  seed  will  readily  shell;  then  by  rubbing  with  the 
hands,  or  thrashing  with  a  flail  if  a  quantity  is  raised,  the 
seed  is  made  ready  to  be  passed  through  a  fanning  mill  or 
exposed  to  a  winnowing  process.  After  this  is  done,  the 
seed  should  be  put  in  a  vessel  of  water,  arid  only  that 
which  readily  sinks  is  to  be  preserved.  It  is  then  dried  m 
tlie  sun  fot  two  or  three  days  and  put  away  in  a  bag,  in  a 
dry,  airy  place  until  wanted.  Onion  seed  should  never 
be  trusted  after  it  is  two  jears  old. 

The  price  of  seed  varies  as  much  as  the  price  of  the 
onions  themselves,  ranging  from  $1  to  $5  per  pound.  The 
different  varieties  when  planted  for  seed,  should  be  put  at 
considerable  distance  apart,  as  the  seed  readily  mixes. 
From  three  to  five  pounds  of  seed  are  usually  raised 
from  a  bushel  of  onions. 

Marketable  Potatoes  in  Mew-York. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American.  Agriculturist  . 

As  it  is  time  for  the  farmers  to  decide  what 
kinds  of  potatoes  to  plant  the  coming  season,  I 
send  you  these  few  remarks  made  up  from  my  ex¬ 
perience  of  marketing  potatoes  the  past  year,  and 
also  from  minute  inquiries  made  of  farmers  from 
different  sections  of  the  country.  In  the  first 
place  (in  New-York  Market  we  require  a  white 
fleshed,  white  skinned,  round  or  oval  shaped  and 
smooth  potato,  that  will  boil  perfectly  dry  and 
mealy,  in  addition  to  which  the  farmer  wants  a 
good  yielder,  and  one  that  will  as  a  general  thing 
withstand  the  rot. 

From  the  past  year’s  experience,  of  all  the  kinds 
which  have  come  under  my  notice,  I  unhesita¬ 
tingly  pronounce  the  Peach  Blow  to  come  nearest 
to  these  requirements  for  a  standard  potato.  It 
has  been,  and  is  now  the  most  plentiful  in  market, 
and  when  raised  on  sandy  soil,  sells  for  more  than 
any  other  table  variety.  It  will  yield  from  two  to 
three  bushels  to  one  of  Mercers,  on  the  same  soil, 
and  so  far,  has  grown  free  from  rot  on  any  ground 
that  would  grow  sound  potatoes  of  any  kind. 

The  next  variety  I  would  recommend  is  the 
Long  Pink  Eye  or  Pink  Eye  Kidney.  It  is  a  good 
yielder,  commands  a  high  price  in  market,  and  is 
one  of  our  very  best  Spring  potatoes,  cooking  dry, 
white,  and  mealy. 

The  Blue  Mercers  1  would  also  recommend 


where  they  will  grow  of  large  size,  smooth  and 
sound. 

The  Carter  is  a  first  class  potato,  but  being  sub¬ 
ject  to  rot,  and  a  poor  yielder,  it  is  not  profitable 
to  raise  for  market. 

The  Porter,  a  good  cooker,  but  small  in  size  and 
yield,  therefore,  not  profitable. 

The  Rough  and  Ready,  from  the  past  two  year’s 
experience,  I  class  as  a  potato  of  first  quality, 
which  only  requires  to  be  known,  to  be  appreci¬ 
ated,  as  it  comes  nearer  to  the  old  fashioned  Car¬ 
ter,  both  in  looks  and  quality  than  any  other  kind. 
It  is  a  good  yielder,  very  hardy,  and  ripens  before 
the  Mercers,  but  later  than  the  Dykman  or  Junes. 

The  Round  Reds  and  Yellow  Pink  Eyes  are 
hardy,  good  yielders,  but  are  used  mostly  for 
shipping  and  ship  stores. 

The  Dykman  is  the  earliest  good  variety  we 
have,  yields  well,  and  will  cook  dry  when  half 
grown,  but  is  a  poor  Winter  potato  ;  the  Moun¬ 
tain  June,  is  also  a  good  potato  to  yield,  but  is 
apt  to  have  black  spots  under  the  skin. 

Prince  Alberts  are  pronounced  after  the  past 
year’s  experience,  a  failure,  for  they  will  not  take 
as  market  potatoes,  when  offered  for  sale,  and 
will  not  cook  dry,  unless  under  very  favorable 
circumstances,  until  quite  late  in  the  Spring.  The 
only  redeeming  quality  they  have,  is  that  they 
will  not  rot.  I  would  advise  farmers  not  to  plant 
them,  as  the  call  for  seed  at  high  prices,  is  about 
run-out. 

The  Buck  Eye  is  another  humbug.  It  has  been 
tried  in  the  scale  and  found  wanting.  They 
would  not  bring  as  much  in  market  the  past  sea¬ 
son  as  the  Junes  and  Yellow  Pink  Eyes. 

There  are  a  great  number  of  varieties  constant¬ 
ly  before  the  public,  but  as  they  are  generally 
brought  out  by  persons  for  the  purpose  of  selling 
seed  at  enormous  prices,  I  would  advise  farmers 
to  choose  such  kinds  for  early  and  late  planting 
as  yield  well,  and  will  command  the  best  prices 
for  market  potatoes,  as  they  then  will  find  a  ready 
sale  and  the  highest  prices  let  the  market  be  as 
it  may.  13.  Stephens. 

West  Washington  Market,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  7.  1859. 

Remark. — We  do  not  fully  endorse  Mr.  Ste¬ 
vens’  high  praise  of  the  “  Peach  Blow  ”  potato. 
It  is  a  good  potato,  hut  we  would  much  prefer  the 
Mercers  for  our  own  table — when  they  can  be  ob¬ 
tained.  So  far  the  Peach  Blow  is  less  subject 
to  rot  than  the  Mercer. — Ed. 

- « ^uu.ia  &  - »  <*- - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

How  to  Raise  every  Live-tsorn  Iamb. 

Mr.  Editor  : 

Feeding  weak  Iambs  with  fresh  cow’s  milk  is 
often  indispensable  ;  the  old  methods  of  doing 
this  are  too  troublesome,  but  in  the  following 
manner  a  dozen  or  more  may  be  fed  witli  little  or 
no  difficulty,  and  in  the  same  time  one  could  be 
in  the  common  way,  while  the  lambs  need  not  be 
taken  from  the  ewes.  Stooping  down  take  up  the 
lamb  by  grasping  its  right  foreleg  at  the  fetlock 
with  the  three  last  fingers  of  the  right  hand  (the 
thumb  and  forefingers  touching  the  ground),  at 
the  same  time  taking  its  left  foreleg  in  the  same 
manner  with  the  left  hand — then  raise  up,  lifting 
it,  hanging  by  its  forelegs,  with  its  back  towards 
you— holding  its  head  a  few  inches  under  your 
chin.  Insert  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of  each 
hand  into  its  mouth,  elevating  and  prying  it  wide 
open.  Then  allow  a  stream  of  cow’s  milk  to  flow 
slowly  into  the  lamb’s  mouth  from  your  own  mouth, 
as  fast  as  it  can  swallov^.  The  milk  will  strangle 
it  a  little,  and  occasion  it  to  struggle  some,  hut 
this  will  not  injure  it  in  the  least,  and  after  a  few 
feedings,  the  lambs  will  huddle  around  you  and 
stick  out  their  noses,  begging  to  be  fed. 


In  cold  or  wet  weather  watch  them  carefully, 
and  feed  every  feeble  or  half  starved  lamb  with 
one  or  more  mouthfulls  of  cow’s  milk,  and  at 
night  feed  them  until  they  look  middling  full, 
which  can  be  seen  by  the  distension  of  their  ribs. 
This  is  the  Scotch  method,  and  I  have  seen  the 
most  wonderful  success  from  it.  Some  years 
ago,  when  engaged  in  the  business  of  wool  grow¬ 
ing  in  western  New-York,  I  had  the  largest  num¬ 
ber  of  lambs  in  proportion  to  the  ewes,  and  the 
largest  and  most  evenly  sized  flock,  raised  by  this 
method,  by  a  Scotchman,  that  I  ever  knew.  He 
was  passing  around  among  the  ewes  from  morn¬ 
ing  to  night,  with  a  quart  vessel,  like  an  oil-can, 
filled  with  milk,  catching  and  feeding  every  needy 
or  suspected  lamb,  and  after  giving  one  mouthful, 
he  would  set  them  on  their  feet,  and  look  at  them 
to  see  if  they  were  full  enough,  and  if  not,  would 
take  another  mouthful,  and  give  them  more.  For 
a  flock,  I  think  of  250,  the  quantity  of  milk  re¬ 
quired  was  so  small,  that  he  supplied  it  from  his 
own  two  cows,  without  asking  pay  (milk  being  of 
little  value  there),  and  had  enough  left  for  his 
family.  R.  B.  W. 

Bridgeport,  Feb.  7,  1859. 

Tim  Bunker  on  County  Fairs. 

Mr.  Editor  : 

Jake  Frink  is  a  fool,  as  you  might  know  by  his 
letter.  You  see  I  was  a  joking  him  about  the  in¬ 
terest  he  and  his  neighbors  have  got  to  taking 
about  my  affairs,  since  I  begun  to  lay  tile  and  write 
for  the  paper.  I  can’t  stir,  even  early  in  the  morn¬ 
ing,  but  Jake’ll  poke  his  head  out  the  window, 
night  cap  and  all,  and  want  to  know  “  where  upon 
airtli  I’m  gwitie  to  neow,”  just  as  if  I  had  never 
beer,  off  my  farm  before.  But  the  thick-headed 
creatur  never  see  the  drift  of  my  remark  about 
sending  an  apology  and  went  and  wrote  that  let¬ 
ter.  Every  body  that  knows  me,  knows  well 
enough  that  I  seldom  do  anything  to  my  neigh¬ 
bors  that  I  have  to  apologize  for,  and  when  I  do 
I  am  apt  to  make  it  in  person.  Jake’s  letter  looks 
curis  up  here  and  I  shant  hear  the  last  of  it  in  a 
year.  All  I  have  to  say  is  that  I’m  glad  it  set  him 
to  thinking.  Folks  had  better  be  thinking  of 
something  even  if  they  don’t  think  straight,  than 
to  be  as  stupid  as  dolts.  Jake  may  make  some¬ 
thing  yet  if  he  keeps  thinking. 

I  went  up  that  morning  to  the  city  to  attend  the 
annual  meeting  of  our  County  Agricultural  Socie¬ 
ty.  You  see,  last  year,  they  put  in  the  Colonel 
president,  and  all  the  screws  got  loose,  and  we 
had  that  fuss  of  a  “gal  hoss  race  ”  as  the  boys 
used  to  call  it.  Now  I  have  nothing  to  say  agin 
woman  kind  in  general,  or  the  girls  in  particular; 
but  it  does  seem  as  if,  when  you  got  a  woman  out 
of  her  place,  she  made  a  good  deal  more  of  a 
smash  up  than  a  man.  Every  thing  goes  wrong. 
It  is  just  like  breaking  down  the  hub  of  your  cart 
wheel,  when  the  frost  is  coming  out  of  the  ground, 
in  the  Spring.  It  is  a  mighty  dirty  job,  and  bus¬ 
iness  has  got  to  stop. 

It  was  pretty  much  so  with  our  County  Socie¬ 
ty  after  the  fair.  It  made  a  great  deal  of  talk. 
Some  very  sensible  men  got  disgusted,  and  de¬ 
clared  they  never  would  have  anything  to  do  with 
the  Society  agin,  because  it  countenanced  horse- 
racing.  The  Colonel’s  friends  said  the  opposition 
was  all  a  political  move,  agin  their  party.  At 
one  time  it  looked  as  if  we  should  have  to  give 
up  the  society,  there  was  so  much  bitterness  of 
feeling.  It  is  surprising  to  see  how  far  men  will 
carry  their  political  prejudices.  Partizanship 
works  into  every  thing,  controls  men’s  votes  for 
the  officers,  and  committees  of  the  Society  and 
sometimes  determines  the  award  of  premiums 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


71 


Democratic  corn  has  to  weigh  a  few  more  pounds 
in  the  bushel,  and  yield  a  few  more  bushels  to  the 
acre,  in  order  to  be  equal  to  a  competitor’s  of  the 
opposite  party.  Black  Republican  butter,  though 
up  to  the  Orange  County  stamp,  stands  no  sort  of 
a  chance  heside  an  inferior  article,  if  it  was  made 
from  Democratic  cream.  And  because  a  few  men 
carry  their  prejudices  to  this  extent,  and  try  to 
buy  votes  to  get  themselves  into  the  legislature, 
by  this  petty  trade  in  premiums,  at  the  Fall  fairs, 
there  are  some  addled  enough  to  believe  that  all 
our  Society  affairs  are  managed  upon  this  princi¬ 
ple 

Our  Hookertown  folks  did  not  go  up  to  the  an¬ 
nual  meeting  last  year,  thinking  that  the  Society 
had  got  along  where  it  would  take  care  of  itself. 
But  things  do  not  take  care  of  themselves  in  this 
world.  If  you  do  not  plant  hoed  crops,  briars  and 
thistles  will  grow.  If  the  friends  of  an  Agricul¬ 
tural  Society  do  not  follow  it  up  and  shape  its 
policy  it  will  go  wrong.  We  have  no  right  to  put 
our  hand  to  the  plow  and  look  back.  If  we  do, 
we  are  in  very  poor  business  to  grumble,  that 
others  stand  at  the  plow  tail  in  our  place.  About 
the  meanest  thing  a  man  can  do  is  to  grumble. 
If  he  cant  help  it,  grumbling  will  do  no  good.  If 
he  can,  he  ought  to  go  to  work  and  stop  chafing. 

I  had  to  work  about  a  month,  before  the  meet¬ 
ing,  riding  round  and  talking  with  grumbling  peo¬ 
ple,  before  I  could  get  things  into  the  right  shape. 

I  have  always  observed,  that  there  was  great  vir¬ 
tue  in  talking.  If  you  have  a  good  cause  and  keep 
it  before  the  people  perseveringly,  you  are  cer¬ 
tain  to  carry  it  in  time.  I  knew  if  we  could  have 
a  full  meeting,  from  all  parts  of  the  County,  and 
talk  matters  over,  we  could  come  to  a  good  un¬ 
derstanding,  and  make  the  Society  efficient  in  do¬ 
ing  its  appropriate  work,  which  I  take  to  be 
horse  raising  and  other  kind  of  growth,  and  not 
horse  racing ,  and  the  razing  of  industry  an  1  good 
morals.  The  people  who  had  the  management 
last  year,  followed  their  own  tastes  without  mean¬ 
ing  any  harm  to  the  Society.  They  would  have 
done  better,  if  they  had  had  better  advisers.  If  the 
friends  of  good  order  wont  take  the  pains  to  be 
in  their  places,  and  make  their  influence  felt,  they 
have  no  right  to  grumble  when  things  go  wrong. 

The  result  was,  that  we  had  the  largest  annual 
meeting  we  have  ever  held,  and  a  new  board  of 
officers  was  put  in,  without  much  division  of  sen¬ 
timent.  The  Colonel's  friends  were  so  much 
ashamed  of  their  own  folly,  that  they  did  not  make 
uny  show  of  opposition.  These  County  Fairs  are 
doing  so  much  good,  that  I  think  every  good  citi¬ 
zen  ought  to  make  sacrifices,  if  necessary,  to  sus¬ 
tain  them.  If  they  arc  attended  with  some  evils, 
as  much  can  be  said  against  all  other  forms  of  as¬ 
sociated  effort.  Themillenium  has  not  come  yet, 
and  no  wheels  move  with  so  little  friction,  that 
they  do  not  need  grease  sometimes.  Apply  oil, 
and  stop  the  squeaking.  Our  Society  has  done 
more  to  set  folks  to  thinking  about  the  principles 
of  farming,  than  any  thing  we  ever  had  among 
us.  There  has  been  a  steady  gain  every  year,  in 
the  variety  and  excellence  of  almost  every  thing 
exhibited.  The  farmers  see  this  and  understand 
it,  while  city  people  and  careless  observers  think 
every  show  is  just  alike,  a  chaotic  mass  of  cab¬ 
bages,  turnips,  and  other  roots  ;  corn  and  other 
grains;  horses,  cows,  pigs  and  poultry.  But  the 
farmer  recognizes  at  once,  the  new  Wining- 
stadt,  or  Enfield  among  the  cabbages — the  Ash¬ 
croft  among  the  turnips,  the  Rhode  Island  Pre¬ 
mium  among  corn,  or  any  newcomer  among kine 
or  swine.  There  is  something  to  be  learned  every 
year.  I  have  no  doubt  that  Seth  Twiggs,  Jake 
Frink,  and  uncle  Jotham  have  done  more  think¬ 
ing  aho»t  their  business,  the  last  two  years,  than 


in  all  the  rest  of  their  lives.  And  when  folks  be¬ 
gin  to  think  about  raising  stock,  and  cultivating 
the  best  crops,  they  soon  discover  their  own  ig¬ 
norance,  and  seek  light.  They  want  to  talk  and 
read.  I  guess  there  are  ten  agricultural  papers 
taken  in  ibis  town,  where  there  was  one,  two 
years  since.  The  Farmers’  Club  is  well  attended 
at  the  school  house  every  week,  and  the  discus¬ 
sions  are  a  good  intellectual  treat  to  every  body 
that  has  a  rod  of  land  to  cultivate,  and  that  is 
every  body  here.  The  minister,  the  lawyer,  and 
the  doctor,  the  schoolmaster  and  the  judge  are 
generally  there,  and  the  farmers  come  in  from  the 
whole  neighborhood.  Now  all  this  has  come  of 
the  County  fairs.  The  Society  has  left  its  mark 
in  everybody's  yard  or  garden,  dropping  young 
shade  trees,  apples,  pears,  peaches,  cherries, 
grape  vines,  and  flower  borders.  The  home¬ 
steads  look  more  cheerful,  and  the  people  are  more 
thriving  in  their  business.  This  year  the  Society 
has  offered  a  premium  for  every  shade  tree  ,set 
out  in  the  streets.  We  mean  to  line  every  road 
side  in  the  county,  within  five  years.  Even  Jake 
Frink  is  beginning  to  dig  holes  to  set  out  trees 
this  Spring.  Flis  old  friends  will  hardly  know 
Jake,  or  his  establishment,  in  a  few  years  more. 

Yours  to  command, 

Timothy  Bunker  Esq. 

Hookcrlown,  Feb.  8th,  1859. 

- -*>-* —  - ►  - 

The  “Honey  Blade  Grass”  Swindle!! 

We  have  already  advised  our  own  readers  to 
be  careful  about  purchasing  any  professedly  new 
plant  or  seed,  for  which  extraordinary  claims  are 
put  forth,  until  they  see  it  noticed  or  at  least  ad¬ 
vertised  in  these  columns.  We  can  but  hope  they 
have  so  far  heeded  this  advice  that  none  of  them 
have  been  “  taken  in  and  done  for”  by  the  spe¬ 
cious  humbug  now  abroad  in  the  land.  We  refer 
to  selling  Hungarian  Grass  seed  at  exorbitant 
prices  under  the  assumed  name  of  “  Honey  Biade 
Grass.”  We  regret  to  find  that  any  of  our  re¬ 
spectable  cotemporaries  have  given  it  so  much 
countenance  as  to  admit  this  deception  into  even 
their  advertising  columns.  It  must  certainly  have 
been  done  unwittingly,  for  we  can  but  believe 
that  no  respectable  publisher  would  knowingly  al¬ 
low  his  readers,  in  whom  he  should  have  a  per¬ 
sonal  interest,  to  be  cheated  out  of  their  hard 
earned  dollars,  for  the  sake  of  the  paltry  few  cents 
he  may  get  for  an  advertisement.  [The  adver¬ 
tisement  was  offered  in  this  office,  and  was  in¬ 
stantly  rejected  with  the  reply  that  it  could  not 
be  inserted  for  a  thousand  dollars  a  line.] 

With  regard  to  this  “  Honey  Blade  Grass,”  we 
will  make  a  statement  or  two,  and  hereafter,  if 
it  be  necessary,  show  up  the  parties  who  are  en¬ 
gaged  in  it,  particularly  the  prime  movers  in  St. 
Louis,  and  this  city.  It  amounts  to  simply  this  : 
A  species  of  Millet ,  said  to  have  originally  come 
over  from  Hungary  in  the  pocket  of  an  “  exile,” 
has  been  propagated  at  the  west  for  several  years 
under  the  name  of  “  Hungarian  Grass.”  This 
last  name  has  become  so  common  that  we  have 
used  it  in  designating  the  article. 

It  is  grown  like  the  old  millet  from  which  it 
does  not  materially  differ,  and  like  the  old  kinds 
may  be  cultivated  for  the  ripened  seed,  or  cut  up 
green  and  cured  as  hay  or  straw  for  feeding.  If 
ripened  for  seed,  the  straw  is  probably  about  as 
good  for  feeding  as  well  cured  oats  straw — per¬ 
haps  a  trifle  better.  We  have  for  many  years 
advised  farmers  to  grow  the  ordinary  millet  for 
seed,  and  especially  as  a  soiling  crop — that  is, 
to  be  cut  green  and  fed  either  green  or  in  a  dried 
state. 

The  “  Hungarian  Grass  ”  has  become  so  wide¬ 


ly  disseminated,  that  the  seed  is  now  abundant 
and  could  recently  be  obtained  as  low  as  St  a 
bushel.  Wishing  some  to  distribute  to  such  of 
our  distant  subscribers  as  might  desire  to  try  a 
little  of  it,  we  engaged  a  dealer  in  this  city  to 
procure  a  lot  of  as  pure  and  good  quality  as  he 
could  get  in  the  country.  After  paying  him  for 
his  trouble  in  addition  to  a  profit,  it  cost  us  only 
$2  a  bushel  (of  51  lbs.)  delivered  at  our  office. 

Scarcely  had  our  last  number  gone  to  press  be¬ 
fore  a  host  of  letters  came  in  from  subscribers 
and  others  making  inquiries  as  to  a  wonderful  new 
seed  offered  as  “Honey  Blade  Grass.”  We  im¬ 
mediately  investigated  the  matter.  Our  first 
movement  was  to  send  two  outside  parties  who 
would  not  be  suspected,  to  the  head  quarters  or 
“agency  ”  in  this  city.  The  seed  obtained  which 
(we  have  now  in  possession)  proved  to  be  precisely 
like  the  Hungarian  Grass  we  had  previously  obtain¬ 
ed  at  the  west.  Further  investigation  has  shown 
that  one  or  more  parties,  having  St.  Louis  as  head 
quarters,  have  secured  a  large  supply  of  the  Hun¬ 
garian  Grass  or  Millet,  dubbed  it  “Honey  Blade 
Grass,”  issued  some  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
pamphlets  to  farmers,  setting  forth  extravagant 
properties  and  merits,  and  patronizingly  offering 
it  in  $3  bags  (no  less  quantity).  We  have  one 
of  these  bags  now  in  our  office  procured  directly 
from  the  “  agency  ”  in  this  city.  It  weighed 
just  15J-  lbs,  including  bag,  and  measures  9^  qls. 
This  we  purposely  purchased  for  examination, 
and  paid  the  regular  price  of  $3  per  hag.  This  is 
at  the  rate  of  over  $10  per  bushel!  (It  was  bought 
for  us  by  one  of  our  associates  who  chanced  to  be 
unknown  at  the  “agency.”)  Any  one  can  call  and 
compare  this  with  the  Hungarian  Grass.  The 
“  agent  ”  was  recently  shown  a  sample  of  each 
laid  upon  two  similar  pieces  of  paper,  and  could 
not  pick  out  his  own  “  Honey  Blade.”*  We  re¬ 
monstrated  with  him  for  attempting  to  gull  the 
community  by  the  assumed  name  and  extravagant 
claims.  He  unwittingly  confessed  that  the  name 
Honey  Blade  Grass,  was  merely  a  “  trade 
mark,”  and  attempted  to  justify  his  course,  by 
this  and  other  subterfuges. 

But  enough  on  this  subject  now.  If  what  we 
have  stated  be  not  enough  to  utterly  condemn 
this  attempt  to  get  $10  per  bushel  for  a  common 
article,  of  which  the  market  price  is  $2.00  and 
downward,  we  will  give  it  another  “lift,”  and  not 
spare  the  offenders  either. 

*A  subsequent  close  examination  reveals  sundry  “foul 
seeds  ”  in  this  pure  “  honey  blade  seed  ”  which  the  pam¬ 
phlet  so  urgently  advises  farmers  to  purchase  instead  of 
the  common  Hungarian  Grass,  which  it  says  is  an  entire¬ 
ly  different  article.  It  is  indeed,  different,  if  our  bag 
from  the  “N.  Y.  Agency”  is  a  fair  sample. 


Plowing  Beep— Plowing  Shallow 

At  first  thought  it  would  seem  surprising,  that 
practical  men  should  differ  as  they  do  on  this 
topic.  For  instance,  we  have  before  us  a  dozen 
well  written  communications,  about  half  of  which 
contend  strongly  in  favor  of  “  going  down  to  the 
bottom,”  while  the  other  half  assert  that  to  plow 
below  four  or  five  inches  is  not  only  useless,  but 
actually  injurious  to  most  crops.  We  can  not 
give  these  communications  in  detail,  but  we  ven¬ 
ture  the  assertion  that  both  parties  are  correct  in 
their  conclusions.  They  reason  from  different 
points  of  observation.  Let  us  examine  the  mat¬ 
ter  a  little. 

1.  All  plants  consist  of  three  parts— the  main 
stem  and  its  branches;  the  leaves  whose  office 
is  to  collect  the  principal  food  or  nourishment 
from  the  air  ;  and  the  roots  which  collect  water 
(sap)  from  the  ground  to  keep  the  plant  moist,  m 
supply  its  juices,  and  to  act  as  a  vehicle  for  car- 


72 


No.  i4G. 


rUMERICAN  AGrRICULTURIST. 


lying  to  different  parts  of  the  plant  the  food  gath¬ 
ered  by  the  leaves.  The  roots  also  serve  as  sup¬ 
ports  to  hold  the  plant  in  its  place. 

2.  The  roots  take  in  whatever  liquids  they  are 
brought  in  contact  with.  They  are  increased  in 
size  and  number  by  the  direct  application  to  them 
of  food  or  stimulants  (manures).  They  are  also 
injured  by  coming  in  contact  with  such  soluble 
poisonous  materials  as  they  can  absorb. 

3.  The  contact,  of  air  is  necessary  to  destroy, 
(oxidise)  certain  poisonous  mineral  salts  found  in 
all  soils — particularly  the  proto-salts  of  iron. 

Now  then,  suppose  we  have  a  soil  from  which 
air  has  been  shut  out,  by  its  compactness,  or  by 
the  constant  presence  of  water  or  moistute  in  its 
pores.  To  break  up  and  pulverize  such  a  soil 
deeply,  is  to  invite  the  growth  of  the  roots  down¬ 
ward  below  the  usual  access  of  air.  These  deeper 
penetrating  roots  then  absorb  some  of  the  poison¬ 
ous  (unoxidized)  mineral  compounds.  The  con¬ 
sequence  is,  the  structure,  not  only  of  the  roots, 
but  of  the  whole  plant,  is  injured.  On  such  a  soil 
it  very  often  happens  that  shallow  plowing,  which 
only  disturbs  the  thin  surface  portion  immediately 
in  contact  with  the  air,  will  be  preferable  for  the 
time  being,  to  going  down  deeply  at  once.  The 
true  way  is  to  go  only  half  an  inch  to  an  inch 
deeper  every  year,  and  bring  up  a  little  of  the 
under  soil  to  contact  with  air,  to  be  fitted  by  it 
for  use,  but  not  to  bring  up  enough  to  injure  the 
growing  crops.  Every  one  must  have  observed 
that  the  soil  thrown  out  of  a  deep  well  will  at 
first  grow  nothing;  and  yet  after  contact  with  air 
sr  a  year  or  two,  or  more,  it  becomes  quite  equal 
3  the  old  surface  soil. 

Let  us  now  look  at  ano'fher  class  of  soils — those 
which  are  open,  porous,  and  by  reason  of  good  na¬ 
tural  under-drainage  are  a  part  of  the  year  free 
from  standing  water  to  the  depth  of  a  foot  or 
more.  In  this  case  the  air  will  have  penetrated 
deeply,  and  destroyed  poisonous  mineral  com¬ 
pounds.  Deep  plowing  will  not  loosen  a  mass  of 
dangerous  material,  but  on  the  contrary  will  in¬ 
vite  down  the  roots  of  plants  where  they  will  find 
a  supply  of  moisture  even  when  the  surface  is 
parched  with  drouth.  To  stir  such  soils  only  at 
the  surface,  would  tend  to  a  shallow  growth  of 
roots,  and  when  the  surface  dries  up,  the  plant 
fails  to  get  moisture  enough  to  supply  the 
waste  of  water  by  evaporation  from  the  leaves. 
In  soils  of  this  character,  it  is  manifestly  desirable, 
nay,  important,  to  plow  deeply. 

It  is  owing  to  such  diversity  of  condition  in 
aoils,  that  practical  men,  reasoning  only  from 
their  own  experience,  have  been  let  to  exactly 
opposite  views  in  regard  to  deep  and  shallow 
plowing.  Literally,  what  is  one  man's  meat,  is 
another’s  poison  And  this  remark  has  a  wider 
application  than  to  the  mere  question  of  plowing. 
The  manures  appropriate  to  particular  soils,  differ 
as  widely  as  does  the  treatment  required.  Quacks 
In  medicine  recommend  one  kind  of  pills  as  a  cure 
for  all  kinds  of  disease.  Quacks  in  agriculture,  in 
like  manner  prescribe  a  particular  treatment  or 
manure  as  just  the  thing  for  all  soils  and  crops.  If 
ingenious,  they  can  each  make  out  plausible  argu¬ 
ments  to  support  their  pretensions. 

In  regard  to  plowing  deeply,  the  true  theory  is 
to  provide  a  deep  thorough  drainage  for  all  soils 
not  naturally  dry  to  a  considerable  depth  from 
the  surface;  and  then,  by  degrees,  break  up  the 
subsoil,  until  a  deep  bed  of  dry,  warm,  air-exposed 
soil  is  secured.  When  this  is  done,  plants  will 
send  down  and  spread  widely  a  mass  of  roots 
that  will  support  a  corresponding  growth  of  vege¬ 
tation  above  the  surface,  and  as  before  remarked, 
our  crops  will  be  independent  of  the  mere  surface 
effects  of  drouths  or  rains. 


The  ‘‘Improved  King  Philip  Corn.” 

Respecting  this  variety,  which  was  noticed  last 
inonth,  and  which  we  are  distributing,  Mr.  Car¬ 
penter,  from  whom  we  obtained  it,  sends  the  fol¬ 
lowing  note  :  “  The  corn  you  had  of  me,  a  part  of 
last  summer’s  crop,  was  planted  on  the  3d  of 
June,  and  harvested  about  the  middle  of  Septem¬ 
ber.  In  ordinary  seasons  it  ripens  in  about  100 
days.  I  planted  on  about  four  acres  of  sward 
ground,  on  which,  before  planting,  I  sowed  500 
lbs.  guano  broadcast  (125  lbs.  per  acre),  and  har¬ 
rowed  it  in  well.  The  corn  was  planted  three 
feet  apart  each  way.  My  crop  is  estimated  at 
about  400  bushels  shelled  corn,  or  100  bushels 
shelled  corn  to  the  acre.  It  has  a  strong  grow¬ 
ing  stalk,  and  makes  a  large  quantity  of  fodder. 
By  actual  experiments  I  find  it  to  produce  one 
third  more  shelled  corn  to  the  acre,  than  the  old 
King  Philip.” 


About  Liming  Land. 


Much  of  the  counsel  given  by  theoretical  ad¬ 
visers  in  regard  to  applying  lime  to  land  is 
based  upon  a  wrong  hypothesis.  The  plant  wants 
lime,  say  they,  to  help  make  up  its  constituent 
elements.  They  point  you  to  the  ashes  of  plants 
to  show  that  lime  is  found  there  (as  an  accidental 
or  incidental  impurity,  we  say),  and  therefore  they 
teach  that  you  must  apply  lime  to  the  soil.  With¬ 
out  stopping  to  discuss  this  question  in  full,  we 
will  remark  first,  that  with  considerable  experi¬ 
ence  in  liming  land,  our  best  results  from  its  ap¬ 
plication  have  been  on  a  soil  perfectly  saturated, 
so  to  speak,  with  lime.  Its  fine  particles  were  in 
part  disintegrated  (or  pulverized)  lime  stone  ;  the 
water  flowing  through  it,  was  lime  water ;  and 
the  rocks  and  stones  intermingled  with  the  soil, 
were  nearly  pure  lime  stones  (carbonate  of  lime). 
In  this  case  the  applied  burned  lime  could  not 
have  been  needed  to  supply  lime  to  the  plants,  for, 
— the  theory  of  the  condition  of  the  lime  naturally  in 
the  soil  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding — we  con¬ 
fidently  assert  that  the  lime  water  (or  soluble  lime 
in  the  water)  would  furnish  an  infinite  abundance 
for  all  the  wants  of  the  plant  itself.  Second.  We 
have  analyzed  many  soils  from  various  localities, 
and  studied  the  analyses  of  hundreds  of  others, 
and  we  never  yet  knew  of  an  otherwise  good  soil, 
which  did  not  show  enough  lime  in  its  composi¬ 
tion,  to  supply  the  (supposed)  needed  quantity  of 
lime  for  any  crop.  (We  will  add  here,  that  for 
good  and  sufficient  reasons,  reasons  as  yet  un¬ 
answered,  we  hold  as  unsubstantiated  theory,  the 
present  scientific  teachings  that  a  certain  definite 
quantity  of  particular  mineral  elements  are  es¬ 
sential  to  the  perfect  growth  of  plants  ] 

What  is  the  use  of  lime  applied  to  a  soil  then  1 
We  answer,  lime  acts  only  secondarily,  as  a  pro¬ 
motion  of  certain  changes  in  the  elements  of  the 
soil.  When  lime  is  burned,  its  carbonic  acid  is 
expelled,  and  it  is  then  a  caustic  alkali,  in  a  finely 
divided  condition  for  being  intimately  mixed  with 
the  soil.  It  is  then  eager  (has  a  strong  affirnity) 
to  unite  with  other  elements,  especially  with  the 
acid  or  sour  elements  in  the  soil.  Applied  to 
soils  in  this  caustic  condition,  its  action  is  three¬ 
fold. 

First — Most  soils  contain  more  or  less  of  vege¬ 
table  acids.  They  are  to  some  degree  sour.  The 
caustic  or  burned  lime  when  added,  neutralizes 
or  destroys  these  acids,  and  sweetens,  as  we  say, 
the  soil,  rendering  it  more  congenial  to  growing 
plants.  This  effect  is  just  as  great  upon  many 
soils  already  filled  with  uncaustic  lime-stone  or 
lime  unburned,  as  upon  those  having  little  or 
go  lime. 


Second — Caustic  lime  dissolves  a  species  ,of  as¬ 
phaltic  coating  formed  upon  vegetable  matter  in 
soils,  and  exposes  the  inner  texture  to  the  action 
of  air  which  decomposes  it  and  prepares  it  to  en¬ 
ter  into  the  roots  of  plants  as  nourishment. 

Third — Vegetable  matters,  when  decaying  or 
decomposing,  yield  a  certain  amount  of  com¬ 
pound  substances,  among  which  is  carbonic  acid, 
which  unites  readily  with  such  alkalies  as 
caustic  lime,  potash,  etc.  Now,  it  is  a  law  of 
chemistry  that  a  compound  will  be  more  readily 
produced,  when  there  is  present  another  sub¬ 
stance  for  which  the  new  compound  has  an  af¬ 
finity.  Therefore,  the  bare  presence  of  caustic 
lime  in  a  soil  hastens  the  decomposition  of  the 
vegetable  matters,  and  they  more  readily  yield 
their  elements  to  nourish  growing  plants. 

From  the  above  considerations  we  may  de¬ 
rive  a  few  simple  rules  for  the  application  of 
lime,  premising  the  remark,  that  while  close  ob¬ 
servation  and  thought  will  assist  in  determining 
this  matter,  yet  the  multitude  can  only  judge 
by  trial  when  lime  is  useful  and  when  not  so 

SUGGESTIVE  RULES  FOR  APPLYING  LIME. 

1.  It  is  desirable  that  lime  should  be  as  nearly  caustic 
(recently  burned)  as  possible.  The  effect  of  burning  is 
merely  to  drive  off  its  combined  carbonic  acid,  and  the 
longer  the  lime  is  exposed  after  burning,  the  greater  is  the 
amount  of  carbonic  acid  returned  to  it  by  the  air. 

2.  Lime  should  be  finely  divided  (water  slaked),  that  it 
may  be  mingled  as  thoroughly  as  possible  with  the  soil. 

3.  Lime  acts  comparatively  the  most  beneficially  upon 
such  crops  as  are  most  sensitive  to  vegetable  acids  or 
sour  substances  in  soils.  An  example  of  this  is  found  in 
potatoes,  which  are  usually  benefitted  by  lime. 

4.  Wet,  cold  lands  are  most  subject  to  be  impregnated 
with  sour  substances,  and  undecomposed  vegetable  mat¬ 
ter;  hence,  wet  soils  are  most  likely  to  be  benefitted  by 
an  application  of  lime. 

5.  Clays,  and  compact  soils  generally,  admit  air  less 
freely  than  light  porous  soils,  and  the  former  therefore  con¬ 
tain  larger  proportions  of  undecomposed  vegetable  matter. 
Lime  benefits  these  by  assisting  to  decompose  such 
substances,  and  fit  them  for  plant  nourishment. 

6  The  great  majority  of  even  light  soils  contain  some 
undecayed  matter,  and  even  on  the  most  sandy  ones  a 
small  quantity  of  lime  will  be  temporarily  beneficial. 

7.  On  light  soils,  the  effect  of  lime  is  most  needed  be¬ 
low  the  surface,  where  the  air  has  not  penetrated  freely. 
On  heavy  or  wet  soils  it  is  needed  near  the  surface  also 

8.  It  is  usually  bestlo  apply  the  lime  at  the  time  of  or  just 
before  putting  in  crops,  that  they  may  get  the  full  benefit 
of  its  action,  which  begins  immediately. 

9  On  light,  warm  soils,  too  much  lime  will  decompose 
the  vegetable  matter  faster  than  needed,  and  there  will  be 
a  w  aste.  Continued  free  application  of  lime  will  decom¬ 
pose  all  the  vegetable  matter  in  such  sods,  and  leave  them 
comparatively  barren.  Such  soils  are  said  to  be  “lime- 
sick.” 

10.  An  annual  application  of  lime  is  better  than  a  less 
frequent  supply  of  a  larger  quantity,  since  in  the  former 
case  its  action  is  more  continuous  upon  the  successive 
crops. 

1 1 .  On  many  light  warm  soils,  where  the  vegetable  mat¬ 
ter  is  decomposed  by  air  and  sun,  lime  will  be  injurious 
rather  than  beneficial. 

12.  The  heavier  and  wetter  the  soil,  the  greater  will  be 
the  quantity  of  lime  which  may  be  useful  A  yearly  ap¬ 
plication  of  lime  may  vary  from  4  to  30  bushels  per  acre, 
just  according  to  the  c  ondition  of  the  soil. 

13.  Lime  may  be  tried  with  good  prospect  of  utility 
upon  sour  muck  land— swamps  and  wet  prairie  lands  are 
of  this  character. 

14.  Lime  may  be  sown  broadcast  on  the  surface,  as  a 
top-dressing;  or  it  may  be  added  to  the  hill.  Uusually 
the  best  method  is  to  sow  it  upon  the  surface  before  plant 
ing  or  seeding,  and  then  harrow  it  in  well. 

15.  Lime,  and  potash  (which  abounds  in  unleached  wood 
ashes)  are  both  caustic  alkalies,  and  act  very  similar 
ly.  The  potash  is  superior  to  lime  from  the  fact  that  rt 
is  more  soluble,  and  it  therefore  becomes  more  uniformly 
diffused  through  the  soil.  Lime  is,  however,  generally  to 
be  chosen  on  account  of  its  comparative  cheapness. 

- ■»  .  -«»««— - *  » - 

“  It  is  said  ”  that  the  woman  who  undertook  to  scour 
the  woods  has  given  it  up  in  consequence  of  the  high 
price  of  soap.  She  is  HOW  skimming  t|)e  spas, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Farmers  a  Benevolent  Class. 

The  Mayor  of  a  city  in  a  South-western  State, 
in  a  business  letter  remitting  subscriptions  for 
the  Agriculturist  adds  :  “  Although  it  is  nearly 

thirteen  years  since  I  turned  out  my  team  in  the 
field  (in  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.,  where  I  was 
raised  a  farmer,)  and  left  the  old  plow  to  be  man¬ 
aged  by  other  and  perhaps  more  skillful  hands,  I 
still  long  for  a  sight  at  that  old  favorite  home, 
where  was  wont  to  sparkle  at  this  season  of  the 
year  a  bright  blazing  fire,  which  none  other 
know  how  to  enjoy  like  the  thrifty  farmer  and  his 
household.  And  here  allow  me  to  thank  you  for 
your  truly  valuable  journal.  I  say  truly  valuable, 
tor  so  it  will  prove  to  every  intelligent  man  who 
carefully  and  thoughtfully  peruses  its  well  stored 
columns.  I  have  yet  a  lively  interest  in  every  im¬ 
provement  calculated  to  benefit  the  industrious 
farmer,  and  enhance  the  value  of  his  labor.  His 
honest  and  respectable  calling  renders  him  not 
only  the  most  happy  and  independent  of  all  class¬ 
es  ;  but  he  is  an  ornament  to  society,  and  a  useful 
member  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives  ;  for 
kc  has  a  heart  to  feel,  and  a  hand  ever  ready  to 
relieve  the  sufferings  of  his  fellow  beings,  who 
perchance,  have  been  less  fortunate  than  himself. 
His  sleigh  carries  wheat  and  wood  to  the  widow, 
and  his  flocks  clothe  her  orphan  children.  I  really 
believe  that  in  the  great  day  of  accounts,  when 
that  innumerable  host  of  Good  Samaritans  shall 
come  forth  to  receive  their  just  rewards,  it  will  be 
found  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  throng  have 
been  farmers,  tillers  of  the  soil,  whose  silent  un¬ 
seen  acts  of  charity  have  not  been  heralded  on 
earth  ;  and  to  them  it  shall  be  said  :  “Well  done . . 
in  as  much  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these 

of  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  me” . Indeed 

it  is  to  this  worthy  class,  the  farmers,  that  our 
country  is  indebted  for  its  wealth,  and  the  exalt¬ 
ed  position  it.  now  occupies  among  the  nations  of 
the  earth.” 


“  Snake  Cucumber.” 


Mr.  David  D.  Prettyman,  of  Portland,  Oregon 
Territory,  sends  us  a  photograph  of  what  he  calls 
a  “  Snake  Cucumber,”  and  which  he  considers 
a  curiosity.  The  above  engraving  is  as  near  a 
representation  as  we  can  make  of  it,  the  photo¬ 
graphic  picture  having  become  partially  dimmed 
on  its  long  voyage.  He  describes  it  to  be  31£ 
inches  in  length,  and  only  a  little  over  one  inch  in 
diameter  at  its  largest  part.  It  grew  in  a  coil, 
just  as  here  shown.  We  have  no  further  partic¬ 
ulars  as  to  whether  it  is  a  native,  wild  variety  or 
some  old  kind,  which  has  taken  a  sportive  form  in 
its  new  locality.  We  are  also  not  informed  wheth¬ 
er  all  the  cucumbers  on  the  same  vine  grew  in 
this  manner,  nor  whether  it  has  edible  value. 
We  thank  Mr.  P.  for  the  trouble  he  took  to  pro¬ 
cure  and  forward  the  accurate  picture. 


Fig.  1. 

The  Hubbard  Squash. 


Recently  not  a  little  interest  has  been  excited 
in  various  parts  of  the  country,  in  reference  to  the 
Hubbard  Squash.  Cuts  of  it,  all  apparently  from 
duplicates  of  the  same  engraving  (with  a  single  ex¬ 
ception)  have  appeared  in  many  of  the  agricultur¬ 
al  papers  ;  while  the  uniformity  in  the  descriptions 
indicates  that  these  also  have  mainly  originated 
from  one  source.  But  though  we  have  heard 
these  facts  urged  against  its  claims,  the  objec¬ 
tions  are  hardly  tenable,  for  we  hold  that  if  any 
man  has  a  good  thing,  it  is  his  duty,  aside  from 
his  own  interest,  to  disseminate  it  as  widely  as 
possible  by  all  fair  means.  It  usually  or  often 
happens  that  a  really  valuable  article  only  be¬ 
comes  known  under  the  stimulus  of  personal  in¬ 
terest.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  public,  however,  to 
examine  into  the  character  of  the  evidence  where 
it  is  mainly  confined  to  individual  testimony.  We 
were  at  first  disposed  to  give  this  new  candidate 
to  public  favor,  the  Hubbard  Squash,  a  convenient¬ 
ly  “wide  berth,”  until  its  claims  were  more  gen¬ 
erally  tested.  Recently,  however,  we  have  re¬ 
ceived  from  a  few  subscribers  in  different  parts  of 
the  country,  very  strong  commendations  of  it,  and 
we  believe  they  have  spoken  from  personal  knowl¬ 
edge. 

A  friend  in  Maine  sent  us  a  specimen,  which  he 
assured  us  was  of  the  purest  quality,  and  we  have 
prepared  the  accompanying  engravings  from  it — 
fig.  1,  to  illustrate  its  general  outward  appear¬ 
ance,  and  fig.  2,  to  show  its  internal  structure, 
thickness  of  flesh,  etc.  (We  suggest  that  this 
plan  of  showing  the  internal  structure  of  veget¬ 
able  productions  should  be  generally  adopted,  just 
as  has  been  hitherto  done  with  fruits.) 

The  color  is  a  dull,  dark  green.  The  skin  is 
thick  and  hard,  as  much  so  as  that  of  a  Summer 
Squash.  It  is  also  closely  covered  with  knots,  or 
warty  protuberances  not  very  prominent. 

This  specimen  became  a  little  wilted  while  lying 
cut  open  at  the  Artist’s  for  two  or  three  days, 
but  when  cooked,  it  proved  sufficiently  good  to 
warrant  us  in  giving  it  a  high  commendation  for 
flavor,  fine  grain  and  solidity.  We  have  since 
received  fresh  specimens  from  other  sources,  va¬ 
rying  a  trifle  only  in  size,  form  and  color  from  the 
one  here  illustrated.  On  trial,  both  by  boiling  and 
baking,  they  gave  good  satisfaction,  and  we  will 
not  contest  the  claim  that  this  variety  is  supe¬ 
rior  in  quality  and  flavor,  to  even  our  old  and  long 
tried  favorite,  the  Boston  Marrow  Squash.  Two 
correspondents  in  Maine,  one  in  New-Hampshire, 
two  in  Massachusetts,  and  two  or  three  elsewhere 
have  assured  us  that  it  is  a  much  better  “keep¬ 
er  ”  than  the  Boston  Marrow  or  any  other  varie¬ 
ty  they  have  known.  One  or  two  have  stated 
that  it  answers  well  also  for  a  Summer  Squash. 

If  with  these  qualities,  it  proves  also  to  be  as 
good  a  producer  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
as  some  of  its  predecessors,  it  will  deserve  the 
highest  rank.  The  seed  will  be  somewhat  scat¬ 


75 


tered  the  present  Spring,  and  the  coming  season 
will  afford  ample  opportunity  to  test  all  these 
claims.  The  seed  is  not  abundant  enough  to  war¬ 
rant  us  in  placing  it  in  our  list  for  general  distri¬ 
bution.  (That  list  is  indeed  already  inconvenient¬ 
ly  large). 

Of  the  origin  and  history  of  the  Hubbard  Squash 
we  know  nothing  beyond  what  we  find  in  the  ad¬ 
vertising  circular  of  Mr.  Gregory,  who  last  sea¬ 
son  cultivated  it  somewhat  largely  for  the  seed. 
He  says :  “  The  first  specimen  was  introduced 
into  Marblehead,  Mass.,  over  forty  years  ago,  and 
its  cultivation  was  probably  confined  to  a  single 
individual  for  upwards  of  twenty  years.  About 
fifteen  years  since,  we  received  seed  from.  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Hubbard,  (after  whom  I  eventually 
named  it), and  have  continued  its  cultivation  to  this 
date. . . 

It  is  a  little  singular  that  a  vegetable  with  so 
valuable  claims,  should  have  remained  so  long 
confined  to  a  single  locality.  This  has,  however, 
been  the  case  with  some  excellent  varieties  of 


pears,  apples,  etc.,  and  we  might  add,  (though  not 
for  a  depreciating  comparison)  with  the  Dioscorea 
Batatas  or  Chinese  Yam,  which  is  reputed  to  have 
fed  the  millions  of  China  from  time  immemorial, 
but  was  never  heard  of  elsewhere  until  recently. 

-  m*  4 W|Ol> ■  '  -  ►-«* - 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist. — Prize  Articles 

The  Dairy . III. 

MODES  OF  FEEDING,  ETC. 

Whether  for  the  butter,  or  cheese  dairy,  the 
proper  way  of  feeding  and  treating  the  cow  is 
alike  essential ;  and  as,  in  discussing  the  subject, 
we  must  begin  at  one  end  of  tho  season,  or  the 
other,  we  will  commence  in  the  Spring,  when  the 
cows  are  first  turned  to  grass.  In  doing  this,  we 
shall  premise  that  the  last  fall’s  pasture  has  not 
been  gnawed  to  the  bare  sod  ;  but  that  when  the 
first  snow  had  fallen,  or  the  severe  frosts  had 
warned  the  dairyman  that  his  cows  required 
winter  shelter  and  stable  food,  the  pastures  had 
yet  left,  upon  some  portions  of  them,  considera¬ 
ble  grass,  which  although  frost  bitten,  would 
still  longer  afford  more  or  less  nourishment.  In 
the  long  and  sunny  days  of  spring,  while  yet 
too  early  to  turn  out  to  the  pastures  “for  good,” 
the  cows  are  apt  to  either  lie  restless  in  their 
stalls,  or  wander  about  the  barn  yards,  uneasy  to 
get  again  to  the  ground  for  a  taste  of  the  new,  or 
a  bite  of  the  last  year’s  grass,  which  to  them 
is  a  grateful  change  for  the  appetite,  although  of 
little  account  in  the  way  of  nutriment.  There¬ 
fore,  after  receiving  their  accustomed  morning’s 
hay,  and  whatever  additional,  if  any  thing,  is 
given  them,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  turn  them  out  for 
a  few  hours’  forage  on  the  turf,  if  the  pastures  are 
sufficiently  dry,  so  that  they  will  not  suffer  from 
th»  treading  of  their  feet.  They  will  remain 
longer  or  shorter,  as  the  weather  or  what  they 
may  find  in  the  way  of  food  will  tempt  them — 
and  without  particular  injury  to  the  voung  grass 


74- 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


now  beginning  to  spring  up  ;  and  so  long  as  they 
will  eat  hay  with  an  appetite,  they  should  be  regu¬ 
larly  fed,  night  and  morning,  as  in  mid-winter. 

At  this  time,  from  the  middle  of  April  to  the 
middle  of  May,  or  even  to  the  first  of  June,  as  cli¬ 
mate,  soil,  position,  and  the  earliness  or  lateness 
of  the  season  may  govern,  the  dairy  cows  will 
have  produced  the  most  of  their  calves,  and  are 
in  fresh  milk,  and  from  the  day  that  they  get  their 
noses  to  the  ground  they  will  gain  in  milk  both 
morning  and  evening.  This  shows  that  exercise, 
and  change  of  food,  even  if  they  get  but  a  trifle 
from  the  pastures,  are  good  for  them.  By  thus 
early  turning  them  out,  they  also  gradually  be¬ 
come  accustomed  to  the  change  from  dry  to 
green  forage,  without  that  sudden  looseness  in 
the  bowels  which  usually  affects  them  when  sud¬ 
denly  turned  from  the  stables  and  hay,  on  to  the 
pastures  with  the  first  “  washy  ”  growth  of  the 
young  grass.  There  need  be  no  fear  of  their  hurt¬ 
ing  the  permanent  growth  of  the  spring  grass  by 
such  usage,  beyond  what  the  increase  of  milk, 
and  the  butter  or  cheese  made  from  it,  will  pay 
for.  It  is  all  made  up  in  the  dairy  product. 
When  the  cow  can  get  her  full  bite  of  grass  she 
will  refuse  hay  any  longer,  and  except  in  severe¬ 
ly  cold  rains,  may  then  be  turned  again  to  the  pas¬ 
ture  after  milking,  or  herded  in  the  barn-yard. 

CHANGE  OP  PASTURES - THEIR  PERMANENCY. 

On  this  subject  there  are  different  opinions, 
to  some  extent,  but  we  believe  the  experience  of 
our  most  successful  dairymen  is  against  it.  We 
will  stale  the  two  propositions.  The  advocates 
of  change  say:  Fresh  pastures  are  clean;  the 
grass  is  even,  full,  and  vigorous — therefore,  most 
nutritious.  A  pasture  long  run  over,  becomes 
soiled  from  the  treading  and  droppings,  and  lying 
down  of  the  cows  upon  it.  A.  better  flow  of  milk 
follows  a  change  into  a  new  pasture,  over  a  con- 
inuance  on  the  old  one,  and  it  is  more  economical. 
Turned  off  from  a  closely  fed  pasture,  the  rains 
bring  it  up  anew,  and  in  a  few  days  or  weeks  it 
is  ready  for  the  cows  again,  while  the  one  last 
fed  again  grows  to  supply  its  place  when  that  is 
exhausted.  On  the  other  side,  it  is  said  :  No  con¬ 
siderable  extent  of  pasture  land  is  commonly 
found  on  a  proper  dairy  farm  but  what  contains 
inequalities  of  surface,  where  the  different  varie¬ 
ties  of  grass  grow  more  or  less  unequally,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  character  of  the  surface,  the  difference 
in  soil,  or  other  circumstances  beyond  the  imme¬ 
diate  control  of  the  farmer.  The  cows,  ranging 
at  will  over  the  whole  extent  of  the  field,  select 
such  varieties  of  the  grass  as  in  different  parts  of 
the  day  are  most  agreeable  to  their  appetites,  and 
they  will  feed,  in  the  course  of  the  day,  upon 
each,  and  all,  as  their  inclination  may  crave.  In 
short,  like  men,  they  like  variety  in  food.  Be¬ 
sides  this,  they  no  more  tramp,  or  soil  the  grass 
than  when  in  a  more  restricted  enclosure  ;  the 
rains  wash  and  clean  the  grass  in  one,  as  well  as 
in  the  other  ;  therefore,  there  is  no  more  loss  of 
grass  on  that  account  than  in  the  shifting  sys¬ 
tem.  The  grass  grows  stronger  as  the  season  ad¬ 
vances,  the  sap  in  it  is  more  matured,  and  a  less 
quantity  serves  a  better  purpose — that  is,  if  it 
produces  less  milk  in  quantity,  its  superior  quality 
gives  more  butter  and  more  cheese.  The  cow  is 
kept  in  uniform  condition  of  the  bowels,  while  the 
flashy  fresh  grass  frequently  sets  her  to  scouring, 
thus  doing  her  positive  injury,  and  frequently  les¬ 
sening  instead  of  increasing  the  quantity,  while 
it  surely  depreciates  the  quality  of  her  milk. 
That  in  the  permanent  pasture,  although  the  cow 
may  neglect  considerable  portions  of  the  grass, 
for  weeks  together,  she  will  return  to  it  in  some 
part  of  the  season  and  feed  it  down  alike 
wUh  that  which  af  another  part  of  the  Summer 


she  most  preferred.  In  short,  the  pasture  is  uni¬ 
form,  and  taking  the  season  altogether,  it  is  most 
profitable.  It  may  be  added,  also,  from  our  own 
experience  of  many  years,  that  a  cow  is  more 
contented  in  an  accustomed  range  wb p»v»  she  is, 
every  day,  alike  at  home.  Turn  a  herd  of  cows 
into  a  new  field,  and  if  not  exceedingly  hungry, 
the  first  thing  they  do  is  to  range  over  the  whole 
extent  of  it,  to  find  out  what  there  is  about  it,  and 
they  do  not  content  themselves  to  quiet,  sober 
feeding  until  they  know  the  entire  breadth,  and 
length,  the  springs,  and  water  courses,  or  what¬ 
ever  comprises  its  chief  features,  and  character. 

On  a  very  considerable  stock  farm,  we  have  a 
range  of  about  three  hundred  acres  of  pasture 
land,  although  a  very  considerable  portion  of  it  is 
as  well  adapted  to  mowing  and  grain  cropping  of 
different  kinds,  as  to  pasturage.  In  this  great  field 
we  turn  our  cattle  of  all  sorts,  sheep,  and  horses. 
Yet  if  kept  exclusively  for  dairy  purposes,  the 
sheep  and  horses  should  be  excluded.  On  two 
sides  of  it  is  a  large  water-course,  and  one  side 
a  narrow  strip  of  marsh  land,  which  is  not  drain- 
able,  from  a  want  of  sufficient  elevation  above 
the  water-course,  and  on  which  grows  a  species 
of  rank  coarse  water-grass  of  several  varieties. 
On  another  portion,  which  is  a  sort  of  second 
bottom,  there  grow  red-top,  and  other  lowland 
grasses.  In  a  scattered  grove  of  old  woods,  are 
still  other  varieties  of  grass;  while  a  large  majori¬ 
ty  of  the  whole  field  is  closely  stocked  with  blue- 
grass,  white  clover,  timothy,  red  clover,  and  June 
grass,  with  a  few  other  minor  varieties.  The 
sheep  and  horses  usually  confine  their  feeding  to 
the  upland,  shorter  grasses,  but  the  cows  almost 
invariably  range  over  the  whole,  every  day, 
throughout  the  feeding  season,  and  eat  more  or 
less  of  each  variety  in  turn — not  with  strict  regu¬ 
larity,  to  be  sure,  but  with  certainty.  And  so  they 
continue  throughout  the  season,  until  the  frosts 
kill  and  make  worthless  the  marsh  grasses,  when 
they  reject  them  ;  and  when  the  close  of  the  sea¬ 
son  arrives,  the  pasture  is  pretty  much  all  fed  off 
alike.  The  weight  of  our  experience  and  obser¬ 
vation  is  in  favor  of  the  permanent  summer-pas¬ 
ture,  for  dairy  purposes. 

EXTRA  SUMMER  FEEDING. 

This  must  depend  measurably  on  the  position  of 
the  dairy-farm,  the  prices  of  its  products,  and 
somewhat  on  the  season — droughts  making  it 
sometimes  absolutely  necessary — although  it  is 
happily  so  ordered  in  the  meteorological  features 
of  our  best  dairy-lands,  that  they  are,  as  a  rule, 
less  subject  to  extremes  of  drought  and  excessive 
rains,  than  our  grain  or  stock-grazing  lands,  by 
reason  of  their  higher  altitude,  and  more  rolling 
or  hilly  surfaces  We  believe  the  best  possible 
food  for  producing  the  best  butter  and  cheese,  is 
white  clover  and  bluegrass,  mainly,  with  the 
other  grasses  peculiar  to  our  dairy-lands  inter¬ 
mixed  ;  and  enough  of  such  food  throughout  the 
dairy-season  will  supply  the  cow  with  all  the  nu¬ 
triment  required  for  the  most  profitable  result. 
Yet,  high  prices  of  butter  and  cheese  often  tempt 
the  dairyman  to  buy  considerable  quantities  of 
corn  meal,  and  “  mill  feed”  to  increase  the  quantity 
of  his  milk,  and  to  cultivate  crops  of  green  clover, 
oats,  and  drilled  corn  for  cutting  and  feeding  in  a 
season  of  protracted  drought.  All  these  are  timely 
precautions  with  a  thrifty  dairyman,  but  not  usu¬ 
ally  practiced.  The  whey  is  in  many  instances 
fed  to  cows  instead  of  to  hogs,  as  making  a  better 
return  in  the  way  of  cheese,  than  in  pork,  and  we 
have  known  instances  where  the  cheese  product 
has  been  increased  from  the  common  average  of 
I  350  or  400  pounds  per  season  to  500  pounds  and 
upwards  by  the  use  of  these  extra  foods.  Of  all 
this,  however,  the  dairyman  must  be  the  judge, 


as  his  particular  circumstances  may  for  the  time 
determine. 

WATER. 

This  indispensable  article  the  cow  should 
have — always,  at  will,  immediate,  and  frequent. 
She  is  capricious  in  the  want  and  in  the  use  of 
it,  and  should  have  it  accessible,  and  of  a  pure 
and  good  quality.  Bad  and  filthy  water  can  not 
produce  good  dairy-milk  ;  and  although  the  cow 
will  frequently  drink  out  of  a  stagnant,  green, 
warm,  and  filthy  puddle,  she  takes  it  medicinally, 
and  not  as  her  usual  beverage.  Pare  water  is  her 
choice,  however,  and  therefore  she  should  have  it 
in  constant  supply.  Having  large  cisterns  to  our 
own  main  barn,  during  summer  in  a  long  space 
between  rains,  it  sometimes  becomes  dark  color¬ 
ed  and  brackish,  sowewhat  like  bilge  water,  and 
we  usually  pump  more  or  less  of  it  into  the 
troughs  every  day,  and  have  frequently  known 
the  cows  to  come  up  at  evening  from  the  past¬ 
ures,  where  they  had  the  purest  of  water  at  will, 
and  go  to  their  troughs,  and  fill  themselves  almost 
to  bursting  with  the  noisome  stuff,  which  it  would 
make  a  man  sick  to  drink,  and  they  seemed  to  be 
all  the  better  for  it.  But  these  are  exceptions  to 
the  general  rule. 

SALTING. 

This  should  be  done  weekly  and  regularly,  and 
the  quantity  a  gill  to  half  a  pint  for  each  cow. 
The  best  way  is  to  lay  it  on  the  clean  grass,  in 
piles  a  few  feet  apart,  or  in  troughs,  where  each 
one  can  get  her  own  proper  rations.  We  usually 
place  it  in  the  mangers,  where  the  cows  are 
night  and  morning  secured  for  milking. 

EXTENT  OF  PASTURE  LAND  TO  EACH  COW. 

Lands  vary  so  much  in  quality  that  this  must 
be  measurably  left  to  the  experience  and  judg¬ 
ment  of  the  dairyman  himself.  One  and  a  half 
acres  on  some  farms,  will  pasture  a  cow  well 
through  the  summer,  in  an  ordinary  season,  while 
three  acres  will  be  required  on  others.  For  pro¬ 
fit,  dairy-pasture  should  never  be  overstocked. 
The  grass  should  always  afford  a  full  bite.  The 
less  labor  a  cow  has  to  perform  to  fill  herself,  so 
that  she  can  lie  dow-n  and  chew  her  cud  in  quiet, the 
more  and  better  milk  will  she  give.  We  say,  an 
“  ordinary  season.”  That  is  the  rule  to  calculate 
upon.  Droughty  seasons  are  extraordinary,  and  as 
we  do  not  know  when  they  are  to  occur,  they 
must  be  met.  as  best  they  can,  and  provided  for 
accordingly,  if  possible.  If  not,  of  course  the 
dairy  products  must  suffer.  The  extra  foods 
we  have  spoken  of  may  then  afford  a  timely  and 
profitable  supply.  Generous  food  to  the  cow  gives 
a  generous  return  in  milk.  Pinch  the  cow  in  her 
feeding,  and  she  pinches  you  in  her  milk.  An 
equivalent  for  one,  is  sure  to  be  returned  in  like 
way  for  the  other. 

In  all  that  we  have  said  on  the  subjects  of  this 
article,  no  positive  or  fixed  rule  can  be  laid  down 
to  govern  every  dairyman  alike.  He  must  pos¬ 
sess  a  judgment,  and  have  an  experience  of  lik 
own,  with  which  to  govern  his  action ;  but 
the  main  drift  of  our  directions  are  to  be  heeded, 
if  he  expects  to  achieve  the  highest  amount  of 
success  in  his  endeavors. 

- - ■»  *  — m&u*— —  - 

The  Breeding  In-and-in  Discussion. 

Those  of  our  readers  interested  in  stock  rais¬ 
ing  especially,  and  indeed  most  others  will  be  par¬ 
ticularly  entertained  with  the  articles  on  In-and  In, 
or  close  Breeding,  the  third  of  which  will  be 
found  on  the  next  page.  The  subject  is  one  of 
importance,  and  the  two  writers  who  are  discus¬ 
sing  it  in  these  columns  are,  without  doubt,  the 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


ablest  writers  in  this  country  on  this  particular 
topic.-  They  have  both  been  breeders  of  blooded 
stock  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  or  more,  we  be¬ 
lieve. 


Look  well  after  the  Farm  Stock- 


As  the  Winter  wanes,  the  farm  stock  requires 
all  our  attention.  If  they  have  been  well  looked 
after  thus  far,  they  are  in  good  condition,  of 
course.  In  the  coldest  weather  the  coarse  fod¬ 
der  can  be  most  economically  fed  out,  and  the 
stock  will  readily  eat  what,  in  soft  weather,  they 
would  reject  or  but  barely  taste.  We  believe  in 
stable  or  shed  feeding,  mainly,  but  on  most  farms 
there  is  always  a  certain  amount  of  rough  fodder 
that  is  quite  as  well  to  be  fed  outside  in  the  open 
yards  or  in  the  fields ;  and  it  should  be  done 
where  the  ground  is  either  frozen,  or  covered 
with  snow.  Cattle  may  be  even  driven  out,  and 
fed  at  field  stacks,  in  some  cases  to  advantage, 
but  not  exposed  to  driving  winds,  or  heavy  storms. 
In  such  times  they  should  always  be  sheltered,  if 
possible. 

Milch-cows  should  now  be  looked  after,  and 
kept  warm  and  comfortable  at  night,  with  plenty 
of  sweet  hay,  and  warm  bedding.  Calves,  lambs, 
and  colts  should  be  well  sheltered,  watched  in 
their  food,  to  see  that  each  gets  its  proper  share 
and  rations.  If  you  have  a  weakly  one,  or  an  un¬ 
derling  that  the  rest  are  running  over,  look  to  it, 
and  separate  it  from  the  others,  that  it  may  not  get 
poor  and  weak,  and  lose  its  hide  before  Spring. 
A  few  roots  nicely  cut  up,  a  little  oats  or 
meal  will  revive  a  pining  thing  wonderfully. 
“  Murrain  ”  skins  are  not  half  so  saleable  at  the 
tanner’s,  as  those  from  healthy,  fatted  animals, 
and  the  carcasses  are  good  for  nothing  but  crow’s 
or  dog’s  meat ;  crows  and  dogs  can  be  fed  cheap¬ 
er,  if  “  they  must  live  — though  “  we  see  no 
necessity  for  that,”  as  Samuel  Johnson,  L.L.D., 
told  the  thief  who  stole  his  herrings,  and  answer¬ 
ed,  as  an  apology,  that  he  “  must  live.”  There 
is  an  adage  that  runs,  “  Well  summered  is  half 
wintered,”  and  “  Well  wintered  is  half  summer¬ 
ed.”  It  is  a  wise  saying,  which  we  devoutly  be¬ 
lieve,  and  if  more  farmers  practiced  upon  it  there 
would  be  a  great  deal  more  wealth  in  the  farming 
world  than  now. 

- -*  < — —  - - — - 

Breeding  In-and-in. 

BY  A  CATTLE  BREEDER. - NO.  II. 


Mr.  Cassius  M.  Clay,  in  the  February  number, 
rejoins  to  my  article  in  the  January  Agriculturist. 
After  saying  what  I  did  then,  I  intended  to  fol¬ 
low  with  some  remarks  on  the  Collings  system  of 
breeding  Short-Horn  cattle  ;  also  on  the  practice 
of  various  eminent  breeders  since,  as  Bates,  the 
Booths,  and  others.  I  shall  come  to  them  before 
I  get  through  ;  but  as  Mr.  Clay  hae  classified  his 
arguments  in  condemnation  of  this  system,  for 
convenience  I  will  follow  him  in  answer.  I  wish, 
however,  to  make  this  saving  remark  :  I  do  not 
advocate  the  breeding  in-and-in  in  all  cases,  and 
do  not  recommend  others  to  do  so  at  all,  except 
under  circumstances  of  perfect  health  and  condition 
of  the  animals  proposed  to  be  so  bred  ;  and  in  ob¬ 
servance  of  such  principles,  I  quoted  the  examples 
of  the  celebrated  breeders  I  named.  Let  us  look 
at  Mr.  Clay’s  line  of  argument  against  close  or 
in-and-in  breeding.  He  condemns  it 

1st,  from  “  analogy .”  The  Divine  law,  as  ex¬ 
pounded  by  Moses,  forbade  the  Jews  from  inter¬ 
marrying  within  certain  degrees  of  blood  relation. 
Why,  we  are  not  altogether  given  to  understand, 
but  we  may  presume  one  of  the  principal  reasons 


was  to  preserve  and  promote  the  decencies  and 
proprieties  of  life.  Physical  considerations  no 
doubt  influenced  the  restrictions  laid  down  by 
Moses,  to  some  extent ;  for  it  is  well  known  by 
every  physiologist,  that  diseases  run  in  certain 
families  from  one  generation  to  another,  arising, 
perhaps,  from  accident  at  first,  but  becoming 
chronic  in  the  system,  they  were  susceptible  of 
perpetuation  through  a  similarity  of  blood,  of  con¬ 
stitution,  sympathy,  and  bodily  habit,  nervous  sen- 
sibilities,  and  other  subtle  influences  not  always 
visible  to  the  eye  or  understanding.  The  Jews, 
also,  had  a  “  mission  ”  before  them — being  a  war¬ 
like  people,  and  demanding  great  bodily  health 
and  energy  in  action.  Yet  I  deny  the  similarity 
of  the  premises  which  Mr.  Clay  institutes  be¬ 
tween  the  breeding  of  men  and  the  breeding  of 
brutes  ;  the  “  analogy  ”  is  widely  different  in 
the  two  subjects.  Man  has  an  organization  of 
brain,  reasoning  faculties,  sensibilities,  sympa¬ 
thies,  nervous  temperament,  and  other  affections, 
added  to  the  animal  instincts  and  passions,  all  of 
which  more  or  less  affect  the  procreative  and 
gestative  functions  and  powers,  and  exert  a  wide 
influence  on  his  progeny.  It  is  unnecessary  to 
go  into  this  farther,  as  physiologists  and  medical 
men  have  taught  it  all  from  time  immemorial. 
Brutes  have  instincts  and  passions  alone,  with¬ 
out  the  human  attributes  which  I  have  named. 
Their  physical  organization  is  ruder  and  coarser, 
less  complex  and  intricate.  They  subsist  on 
simpler  foods,  fewer  in  number,  and  prepared 
only  as  nature  produces  them.  Therefore  “  ana¬ 
logy  ”  to  the  human  race  in  close  breeding  bears 
little  or  no  relation  to  that  of  the  brute  creation. 

Let  us,  however,  look  even  at  the  human  fam¬ 
ily,  divested  of  our  prejudices,  education,  and  re¬ 
finements.  Let  us  take  the  Bible  for  authority, 
as  it  is  quite  evident  we  have  none  better  at 
hand.  Out  of  Adam’s  side,  Eve  was  formed,  and 
she  bore  children  to  Adam.  “  In-and-in  breeding,” 
that  was,  to  a  certainty.  They  had  sons  and 
daughters,  who  must  have  intermarried  ;  and  in 
process  of  time  a  very  considerable  territory  be¬ 
came  peopled  by  their  issue.  We  hear  of  no 
“  laws  ”  against  close  intermarriages  in  those 
days,  nor  of  idiots  or  imbeciles  arising  from  re¬ 
lationship  in  parents.  When  Noah,'  his  sons,  and 
their  wives,  went  out  of  the  ark — the  only  living 
humanities  on  the  face  of  the  earth — close  alli¬ 
ances  must  of  necessity  have  been  practiced 
for  some  generations  at  least,  and  from  them 
strong  physical  families,  tribes,  and  nations 
sprung.  From  an  incest  sprang  Moab  and  Am¬ 
mon,  strong  men.  They  resulted  also  from  a 
drunken  revel — the  worst  possible  condition  ac¬ 
cording  to  our  modern  theories.  From  them 
sprung  the  Moabites  and  Ammonites,  who  grew 
to  be  powerful  people.  We  hear  of  no  adverse 
physical  results  from  these  descents. 

Leaving  the  Bible,  let  us  consult  the  compara¬ 
tively  more  modern,  but  still  to  us  ancient  nations. 
In  Greece  and  in  Rome  it  was  common  for  men, 
even  in  the  highest  walks  of  life,  to  commingle 
with  their  own  offspring,  and  the  children  of  the 
same  parents  often  intermarried— revolting  indeed 
and  abominable  in  our  eyes.  Yet  in  many  of  the 
qualities  of  learning,  law,  and  civilization,  those 
nations  were  exalted  beyond  all  others  cotempo¬ 
rary  with  them.  There  may  have  been  fools  and 
imbeciles  also,  though  we  do  not  hear  of  them — 
but  great  F  in  sprung  from  those  close  relation¬ 
ships,  and  such  practices  were  not  considered 
by  the  people  of  those  nations  at  all  as  we  con¬ 
sider  them.  I  speak  only  of  fact,  not  propriety, 
morality,  or  right,  in  the  matter. 

In  the  present  day,  suppose,  for  example,  that 
two  children  of  a  family,  born  of  healthy,  robust 


7  6 


parents,  should  be  separated  from  their  birth, never 
knowing  each  other  as  relatives,  and  that  by  acci¬ 
dent,  in  after  life,  at  proper  age,  they  should  inter¬ 
marry.  Does  any  one  suppose  that  their  children 
would  be  less  endowed  with  sound  faculties  of 
body  or  mind  than  the  children  af  others,  having 
no  known  relationship  1  Or,  nearer,  if  you  pleaso, 
suppose  the  same  thing  should  happen  between 
parents  and  their  own  offspring.  Such  things 
have  been,  in  the  annals  of  history,  without  re¬ 
mark  of  either  idiocy  or  imbecility.  Education, 
and  reasoning,  and  the  laws  of  society,  as  well 
as  Divine  instruction  have  taught  us,  that  all  such 
practice  is  wrong,  and  we  condemn  it.  But  aside 
from  the  mental  and  nervous  affections  of  hu¬ 
manity,  we  have  no  proof  that  the  simply  animal 
physical  functions  of  man  would  be  deranged  by 
the  practice. 

Brains  are  the  chief  desirable  endowment,  and 
the  results  of  brain  activity  and  creation,  are 
considered  the  great  objects  of  human  life.  Phy 
sical  strength  and  health  are  also  important ;  but 
who  thinks  of  rearing  up  man  for  obesity,  to  take 
on  fat,  like  oxen,  or  swine  ?  The  legislature  of 
Georgia,  in  their  new  found  wisdom  may,  as  Mr. 
Clay  remarks,  enact  laws  against  the  inter¬ 
marriage  of  cousins,  with  the  result,  in  all  pro¬ 
bability,  that  when  cousins  wish  to  intermarry, 
they  will  quietly  pass  over  the  state  line  of 
Georgia, and  do  their  marrying,  instead  of  at  home; 
and  that  is  all  there  will  be  of  it.  By  what  sta¬ 
tistical  tables  do  the  Solons  of  Georgia  know’  that 
more  imbeciles  are  produced  from  cousins  than 
from  those  who  are  not  cousins.  There  is  no 
well  authenticated  proof  from  public  or  private 
lunatic,  deaf  and  dumb,  idiot,  or  other  asylums 
for  unfortunates,  that  the  children  of  cousins  con¬ 
tribute  larger  numbers,  in  proportion,  than  others, 
to  fill  those  institutions.  Understand,  I  still  speak 
of  facts,  not  as  advocating  the  practice  of  such 
close  connections  in  marriage.  But  enough  on 
this  head,  my  readers  will  get  at  the  drift  of  my 
meaning. 

In  all  of  this  previous  remark  it  is  to  be  under¬ 
stood  that  the  parties  in  this  close  breeding,  wheth¬ 
er  man  or  brute,  have  been  free  from  constitutional 
diseases,  or  sympathetic  ailments,  acting  on  a  com¬ 
mon  organization,  and  free  from  mental  or  bodily 
infirmity.  Yet  infirmities,  mental  or  physical,  in 
close  blood  relations,  or  in  strangers  as  well,  will 
descend  in  the  offspring  with  more  or  less  cer¬ 
tainty,  as  circumstances  may  determine ;  or,  if 
healthy,  they  may  exist  in  their  offspring, 
produced  by  accidental  influences,  beyond 
the  control  of  the  parents,  or  at  the  time 
even  beyond  their  knowledge  in  themselves,  per¬ 
haps.  Yet,  Mr.  Clay  says,  “  that  man,  outside  of 
mental  and  sentimental  phenomena  is  governed 
by  the  same  physical  laws  as  other  animals or, 
in  other  (and  my  own)  words  :  make  men  savages, 
and  they  are  like  other  brutes.  That  I  grant ; 
and  for  the  animal  development,  simply,  I  will 
yield  him  more  than  he  claims. 

Marrying  cousins  is  “in-and-in  breeding,”  ot 
course  ;  and  I  will  take  the  late  and  present  royal 
families  of  England  as  examples — the  Guelphs,no! 
the  Stuarts,  for  they  were  French.  The  first  ar.: 
second  Georges  were  intensely  German.  Then- 
maternal  origin,  far  away  back,  was  English- 
Scotch,  rather — but  the  English  blood  had  been 
mostly  bred  out,  and  the  third  George,  although 
fourth  in  direct  descent,  vras  almost  wholly  Ger¬ 
man,  the  descendant  of  generations  of  cousins,  and 
even  those  cousins  closely  interbred.  This  third 
@e®rge  married  a  cousin,  a  German,  with  no  brains 
■  so  spare  on  either  side,  but  physically  both  well 
developed  persons.  English  roast-beef  and  plum 
pudding  had  done  its  best  on  George,  and  German 


76 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


sauerkrout  and  lager-beer  on  Charlotte — a  pair  of 
well  fed,  able  bodied  people.  They  had  thirteen 
children,  physically  as  fine  a  family,  probably,  as 
existed  in  England.  They  grew  up  well  developed 
specimens  of  humanity,  sons  and  daughters  alike, 
perfect  in  animal  faculty — their  superfluity  of 
brains  interposing  no  bar  to  physical  maturity. 
True,  idleness,  dissipation,  and  unbounded  indul¬ 
gence  spoiled  their  animal  faculties  in  time,  as 
such  influences,  unchecked,  would  spoil  anybody, 
until  by  a  fortunate  marriage  of  one  of  the  sons 
— the  Duke  of  Kent — with  another  German  cou¬ 
sin,  the  present  sensible,  sound  and  healthy  queen 
sprung  ;  and  she,  by  a  marriage  with  still  another 
German  cousin,  is  likely  to  people  her  various  pal¬ 
aces  with  a  progeny  as  numerous,  if  not  as  phy¬ 
sically  stalwart,  as  those  of  her  domestic  old 
grandmother  Charlotte.  Mr.  Clay’s  “  analogy  ” 
does  not  work  well  in  this  case,  and  a  stronger 
one  I  can  not  bring  to  mind  against  myself,  and 
in  his  favor,  arising  from  the  exceedingly  artificial 
life  of  the  examples.  We  both  believe  in  good 
keep,  and  good  care  in  animals,  as  well  as  in  men 
and  women.  I  now  come  to  Mr.  Clay’s  argu¬ 
ment  : 

2d.  “ Experience .”  “  The  in-and-in  theory  re¬ 

jects  selection.”  Not  at  all,  as  I  stated  it ;  but 
on  the  other  hand,  as  practiced  by  good  and  suc¬ 
cessful  breeders,  it  demands  the  very  nicest  se¬ 
lection.  Its  rules  are  :  perfect-  health,  sound  consti¬ 
tution,  xoilh  the  very  best  animal  organization  to  be 
found.  With  such  specimens,  breed  them  to¬ 
gether,  let  the  blood  relation  be  what  it  may,  and 
perfection  or  as  near  its  attainment  as  possible, 
is  the  result.  Mr.  Clay  mistakes  my  meaning 
when  he  understands  me  to  say  that  commonly, 
men  breed  indiscriminately.  I  only  allude  to 
those  who  breed  “common”  stock  of  any  kind, 
not  “blood”  animals.  I  am  well  aware  that 
breeders  of  choice  animals  do  select,  and  select 
closely,  out  of  the  line  of  in-and-in  breeding  ;  yet  it 
may  oftentimes  occur  that  they  could  breed  still 
better  animals,  if,  when  possessed  of  superior  sires 
and  dams,  they  would  breed  them  together  longer 
and  closer  than  they  do.  For  instance,  when  the 
Scioto  Valley  Cattle  Company  brought  out  their 
first  importation  of  Short-Horns,  in  the  year  1834, 
among  which  were  four  or  five  very  fine  animals, 
strongly  in-bred  with  Mr.  Bates’  celebrated 
“  Duchess  ”  blood,  would  not  that  company  have 
done  much  better  to  have  bred  that  blood  closely 
in-and-in  for  a  while — the  bulls  and  cows  together 
— instead  of  crossing  their  cows  which  possessed 
it  with  the  coarser  and  less  highly  bred  bulls  they 
bought  of  Whittaker  and  others?  I  have  no 
doubt  of  it ;  for  so  strong  was  that  “  Duchess  ” 
blood,  and  so  tenaciously  did  its  appearance  des¬ 
cend  in  the  produce,  that  animals  in  the  third  and 
fourth  generation  of  “  out-and-out  ”  breeding 
have  been  readily  detected  by  persons  familiar 
with  that  blood  in  Mr.  Bates’  hands,  without  any 
knowledge  of  how  they  were  bred  since  imported, 
although  these  descendants  were  from  inferior 
crosses  of  other  bulls,  in  every  instance,  and  not 
equal  in  quality  to  the  originals.  The  very  beauty 
of  the  system  of  in-and-in  breeding,  when  strictly 
fc'lowed,  is  the  compactness  and  point  in  which 
the  good  blood  is  concentrated  in  the  beast,  giv¬ 
ing  him,  or  her,  the  power  to  impart  it  strongly 
into  their  offspring.  I  admit,  with  Mr.  Clay,  that 
people  commonly  think  “  they  select  the  best  calf, 
pig,  or  colt  for  breeding,”  according  to  their  own 
rule  of  judgment ;  but  in  “  nine  cases  out  of  ten 
what  is  that  judgment  good  for  ?”  We  shall  not 
differ  in  this  conclusion,  I  fancy. 

3d.  “  Special  proof."  When  Mr.  Clay  tells  us 
“  the  Campbells  are  coming”  with  their  enormous 
hogs  to  the  Cincinnati  markets,  “  which  have  never 


been  beaten,"  the  assertion  is  too  vague.  I  want 
to  know  what  beats ;  whether  it  be  size  alone, 
quality  of  meat,  and  cheapness  in  producing  it,  or 
what  standard  of  excellence  predominates.  The 
position  is  not  sufficiently  defined  to  need  further 
remark  from  me,  and  unexplained,  it  must  go  for 
nothing. 

4th.  “  False  proof."  I  will  explain  to  Mr.  Clay 
that,  by  “a  late  day,”  I  mean  yesterday,  or  last 
year,  if  he  pleases.  I  do  not  admit  that  the 
“  studbook”  breeders  “  have  changed  their  prac¬ 
tice.”  If  he  is  “not  familiar"  with  those 
volumes,  as  he  says,  I  commend  him  to  their 
study,  and  he  will  see  how  many  of  the  celebrated 
English  blood  horses  have  been  bred.  As  to  the. 
Kentucky  horses,  I  will  not  dispute  him,  for  I  am 
willing  to  admit,  with  the  old  Kentucky  field 
preacher,  when  at  a  camp-meeting,  and  exhorting 
his  audience  to  a  better  life,  he  told  them  that 
their  reward  would  be  in  a  future  world  “  which 
in  beauty  and  luxuriance  approached  nearer  to 
‘Old  Kentucky,’  than  any  other  illustration  of  bliss, 
he  could  give  !”  In  that  unsurpassed  valley  of 
some  sixty  by  forty  miles  in  area,  of  which  Lex¬ 
ington  is  near  the  geographical  centre,  where,  on 
its  luxuriant  soil,  blue-grass  pastures,  race-horses, 
and  short-horn  cattle  are  permanent  institutions, 
and  “  fair  women  and  brave  men  ”  abound,  they 
can  and  do  perform  almost  anything  in  the  horse 
line ;  but,  Kentucky  does  not  comprise  all  the 
world — even  in  “  making  the  best  time.”  I  have 
a  word  to  say  in  my  next  as  to  the  “  in-and-in  ” 
bl’ood  of  some  of  the  “Kentucky  horses.” 

But,  Mr.  Editor,  I  have  already  exhausted  more 
space  than  I  fear  you  can  spare  ;  and  as  Mr. 
Clay’s  further  arguments  bring  me  to  the  point 
where  I  left  off  in  January,  I  may  ask  permis¬ 
sion  of  you  to  reply  further  in  a  future  number. 


Hamburg  Fowls. 


The  family  of  Hamburg  fowls  are  quite  numer- 
oue.  They  have  as  many  names  as  the  Spanish 
Don,  who  knocked  at  the  cottage-dooi  to  ask  for 
a  night’s  lodging.  “  Who  is  there  ?  What  do  you 
want?”  said  the  inmates.  “  Don  Juan  Jose  Pe¬ 
dro  Antonio  Carlos  Jeromio,  etc.,  etc.,  wants  to 
sleep  here  to-night.”  “  Get  along  with  you,”  was 
the  reply,  “  how  should  we  find  room  here  for  so 
many  fellows  ?”  The  Hamburg  fowl  is  in  the 
same  position  as  the  Spanish  Don.  They  have 
such  names  as  :  the  Silver  and  Golden  Penciled, 
Silver  and  Golden  Spangled,  Golden  and  Silver 
Pheasant,  Coral,  Chittipratts,  Creoles,  Bolton 
Greys,  Bolton  Bays,  Penciled  Dutch,  Dutch  every 
day  layers,  Everlasting  layers,  etc.,  etc.  They  are 
called  Creole  from  their  intermixture  of  the  black 
and  white  ;  Bolton  Greys  from  their  being  ex¬ 
tensively  cultivated  in  and  about  Bolton,  a  town 
of  that  name  in  England.  Why  they  are  called 
Coral,  it  is  difficult  to  say,  unless  it  is  on  account 
of  the  numerous  points  of  the  polished,  bright 


scarlet  rose-comb,  which  bear  no  distinct  resem¬ 
blance  to  grains  of  red  coral ;  Penciled  Dutch,  be¬ 
cause  many  are  imported  from  Holland.  They 
are  known  in  various  localities  as  Pheasant  fowls, 
from  the  resemblance  of  their  spangled  feathers, 
especially  in  the  case  of  some  of  the  hens,  to 
those  of  the  cock  pheasant ;  Dutch  every  day 
layers,  Everlasting  layers,  etc.,  for  their  great 
productiveness  as  layers. 

The  Hamburg  fowls,  when  pure  bred,  are  com¬ 
monly  looked  upon  as  “  everlasting  layers.”  The 
term  “  everlasting  ”  receives  its  name  from  the 
circumstance,  that  if  properly  fed  and  kept  in  a 
warm  situation,  and  protected  against  cold,  they 
will  continue  to  lay  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
year,  or  nearly  so,  and  thus  afford  an  unfailing 
supply  of  eggs.  Fowls  in  general,  after  laying  for 
a  certain  length  of  time,  become  “  broody  ” — they 
cease  to  lay,  and  evince  an  uncontrollable  desire, 
an  instinctive  propensity  to  devote  themselves  to 
the  task  of  incubation  ;  but  in  the  present  breed, 
in  which  the  season  of  laying  is  preternaturally 
lengthened  out,  or  is  almost  continuous  from 
Spring  to  Spring,  (excepting  the  time  of  moult¬ 
ing),  this  natural  desire  is  greatly  weakened,  or 
indeed  altogether  subdued.  The  hen  betrays  but 
little  anxiety  to  incubate,  and  continues  to  lay 
eggs  as  if  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  repay  her 
keeper.  It  is  not  often  that  the  pure  “  everlast¬ 
ing  laying  ”  fowls  are  to  be  found,  and  this  ren¬ 
ders  it  the  more  desirable  that  those  who  possess 
the  true  breeds,  should  sedulously  preserve  them 
from  admixture  ;  a  cross  will  generally  spoil  the 
hens  as  “  everlasting  layers,”  without  rendering 
them  enduring,  patient  sitters. 

As  layers,  they  are  fully  entitled  to  rank  among 
the  best  egg-producers.  The  hens,  if  young,  con¬ 
tinue  to  lay  nearly  throughout  the  year,  but  the 
eggs,  which  are  white,  are  small,  weighing  only 
11  ounces  each.  As  they  are  such  abundant 
layers,  they  have  no  time,  or  seldom  want  to  sit 
So  rare  is  it  for  them  to  desire  to  do  so,  that  all 
authorities  I  have  consulted,  say  they  never  want 
to  sit,  consequently  other  hens  have  to  be  resort¬ 
ed  to  for  hatching  their  chicks,  and  perpetuating 
their  race.  The  hens  to  which  their  eggs  are  to 
be  confided,  should  be  some  light  active  breed  ; 
none  being  more  suitable  for  that  purpose  than  a 
game  hen. 

At  from  five  to  six  months  old  they  are  fit  for 
table  use,  and  though  small,  their  bones  being 
formed  in  the  same  proportion,  they  yield  a  fail 
quantity  of  white,  tender,  and  well  flavored  meat. 
Their  cost  of  food  would  be  that  of  the  smaller 
fowls  generally  ;  this  would  allow  liberal  feeding 
when  given  in  addition  to  a  good  run,  but  as  they 
are  rather  impatient  of  restraint,  and  have  a 
roaming  disposition,  they  are  too  often  left  to 
cater  for  themselves. 

Both  sexes  continue  to  improve  in  appearance 
after  each  molt,  until  they  are  three  years  old. 
Birds  one  year  old  have  never  attained  their  per¬ 
fect  beauty  ;  this  is  especially  apparent  in  the 
more  ample  development  of  the  tail  feathers  ot 
the  cock,  as  he  becomes  older.  — . 

The  Golden  Spangled  Hamburg  cock,  (which  is 
portrayed  in  the  engraving  presented  herewith), 
is  a  perfectly  beautiful  bird ;  nothing  but  a  full 
sized  drawing,  colored,  can  give  an  adequate  idea 
of  the  extremely  rich  coloring  and  brilliant  lustre 
of  his  plumage.  The  hen  displays  the  peculiar 
markings  much  more  distinctly  than  her  lord. 
The  ground  color  is  a  buff  yellow,  bay,  or  maroon, 
and  the  feathers  marked  at  the  tips  with  a  black 
crescent  or  horse-shoe  shape — when  the  spangles 
are  of  the  crescent  form,  the  plumage  may  have 
a  gayer  and  lighter  aspect,  but  when  the  spangle 
is  oval  or  circular,  the  plumage  is  richer  to  the 
eye. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


77 


The  Hamburg  cock  is  distinguished  by  a  large, 
fully  developed  rose-comb,  about  inch  broad, 
with  points  of  uniform  lengths,  and  a  pike  reach¬ 
ing  far  back,  the  point  turning  upward  ;  wattles 
large,  rounded,  and  like  the  comb,  of  an  intense 
red ;  ear  lobes  white  and  large  ;  hackle  a  rich 
copper,  with  black  markings,  though  in  some  of 
the  best  specimens,  both  hackle  or  saddle  feathers 
are  rounded,  and  have  the  perfect  spangle  at  their 
extremity  ;  wings  barred  by  the  spangle  of  their 
coverts  ;  breast  and  back  of  the  same  coppery 
hue,  deeply  spangled  ;  thighs  and  lower  part  of 
the  body  nearly  black  ;  tail  full,  erect,  and  bronzed 
throughout ;  legs  and  feet  blue  or  lead  color,  and 
perfectly  clean  ;  nails  white.  They  stand  about 
19  inches  high  ;  and  weigh  on  an  average  5^- 
pounds. 

The  hen  has  a  small  rose-comb,  shaped  like 
that  of  the  cock  ;  earlobes  white  ;  with  her  body, 
the  lower  part  alone  excepted,  spangled.  Her 
tail  is  full,  and  should  be  tipped  with  black,  like 
that  of  the  Sebright  Bantam.  Hight  about  16 
inches,  and  weighs  about  4£  pounds. 

Such  in  particular  are  the  colors  of  the  Golden 
Spangled  Hamburgs  ;  but  we  must  not  pass  them 
by  without  some  further  encomiums  on  the  ex¬ 
treme  brilliancy  of  their  feather,  from  its  rich 
combination  of  glossy  hues.  Their  plumage  is 
also  compact  and  close,  and  in  good  specimens 
the  female  bird  attains  a  depth  of  tone,  seldom 
surpassed  throughout  the  poultry-yard.  The  only 
comparison  that  does  it  justice  may  be  found  in 
the  “  bloom  ”  of  a  thorough-bred  bay-horse  in 
racing  condition.  C.  N.  Bement. 

Springside,  Po’keepsie,  1859. 


Our  Poultry. 


In  many  even  of  the  more  northern  sections  of 
the  country  where  our  paper  circulates,  the  sun¬ 
ny  days  are  warming  up  the  procreative  habits  of 
these  universal  attendants  of  the  farm  yard,  and 
inviting  our  attention  to  their  annual  necessities  of 
provision  for  laying  their  eggs,  and  the  prospect¬ 
ive  increase  of  their  various  families.  The  geese 
begin  to  squaak,  and  joyfully  flap  their  wings,  and 
wash  themselves  in  the  puddles  of  thawed  ice, 
and  snow,  or  the  novv  open  water  courses ;  the 
ducks  waddle  about  in  a  new  joy,  their  eyes  turned 
up  to  the  sun,  and  quacking  in  garrulous  nonsense 
each  to  his  companion  ;  the  turkeys  gobble  and 
strut  about  the  yard  with  a  wonderful  self  appre¬ 
ciation  of  importance  among  their  weak  and  tim¬ 
id  inferiors ;  the  motherly,  domestic  hen  clucks 
about  in  her  leisurely  satisfaction  at  “  the  good 
time  coming,”  while  the  lofty  chanticleer  flaps 
his  wings  on  the  nearest  fence,  or  woodpile, 
in  all  the  consciousness  of  prowess  and  security, 
as  “  cock  of  the  walk.”  The  pigeons,  too,  dart 
out  of  their  neighboring  cote,  and  take  distant, 
and  upward  flights  as  if  to  survey  the  state  of  the 
weather,  and  anon  return  with  each  a  straw  in 
its  mouth,  as  if  the  time  of  immediate  incubation 
were  approaching.  It  is  indeed  a  happy,  cheery 
time  with  the  feathered  family,  all  around. 

Now,  let  the  several  apartments  be  got  in  read¬ 
iness  for  the  approaching  season.  Give  the  geese 
separate  boxes  for  nests,  as  they  are  the  earliest 
layers  ;  fix  up  the  hen  house,  and  clean  out  the 
nesting  places ;  feed  them  all  generously,  for 
good  strong  eggs  can  not  be  made  out  of  nothing, 
nor  vigorous  young  goslings,  ducks,  and  other 
poultry  produced  from  poor  keeping  of  the  parents. 
Keep  them  all  at  home.  Do  not  let  them  wander 
off  into  the  fields  and  bye-places  to  nest  and  lose 
their  eggs,  but  look  well  after,  and  secure  them 
before  they  get  chilled  beyond  the  power  of  hatch¬ 
ing  A  few  early  chickens,  too,  will  pay  for  some 


extra  trouble.  Indeed,  every  branch  of  the  poul¬ 
try  establishment  will  compensate  for  close  look¬ 
ing  to,  and  feeding.  The  “  old  folks,”  women, 
and  larger  children  can  do  all  this,  and  the  farm¬ 
ing  time  not  be  intruded  on  for  such  purposes. 
Our  remarks  will  apply  just  as  well  to  April, 
where  later  seasons  prevail.  So,  don't  forget  it 
then,  because  it  is  March  now. 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

My  Second  Year’s  Experience  in  Chicken 
Culture 

Contrasts  unfavorably  with  my  first.  On  re¬ 
ferring  to  the  Agriculturist  for  March,  1858,  I  find 
that  during  the  previous  year,  from  fifteen  hens, 
I  received  an  aggregate  of  1888  eggs,  and  raised 
106  chickens,  at  an  expense  not  exceeding  §32, 
while  their  value  amounted  to  §63  60.  On  the 
1st  of  February,  1858,  my  fowls  numbered  52,  of 
which  47  were  hens,  (ten  were  beheaded  before 
the  1st  of  May,)  and  the  eggs  laid  during  the  year 
ending  with  the  31st  of  January,  1859,  have  been 
only  3436,  ir.  the  following  order,  viz  : 


Feb . 

_ 163 

June . 

...415 

Oct . 

. 229 

March _ 

. ...  485 

July . 

....242 

Nov . 

. 128 

April . 

. 621 

August. . . . 

....226 

Dec _ 

.  38! 

May . 

....531 

Sept . 

. 207 

Jan . 

. 151 

Of  the  above,  221  were  “set,”  from  which  161 
chickens  were  hatched,  and  150  raised  full  grown, 
besides  a  December  brood  not  counted  in  ;  so  that 
after  the  chickens  were  hatched,  I  cannot  com¬ 
plain  of  my  rearing  department,  all  the  deaths 
having  occurred  from  external  accidents.  Their 
feed  consisted  of  70  bushels  corn,  4  bushels 
buckwheat,  100  lbs.  wheat  screenings,  600  lbs. 
meal,  with  beef  shanks  and  chandler’s  scraps,  at 
a  total  cost  of  $74,  besides  several  bushels  of 
boiled  small  potatoes  unestimated. 

Deducting  the  eggs  used  for  setting,  the  value 
of  eggs  and  chickens  at  actual  Bridgeport  prices, 
averaging  16  cents  per  dozen  for  eggs,  and  35£ 
cents  a  piece  for  live  chickens,  was  $96;  to  which 
must  be  added  the  increase  of  a  drake  and  duck 
that  fed  at  the  same  table,  which  I  estimate  at 
$2  50 — said  drake  and  duck,  with  the  assistance 
of  these  hens,  having  succeeded  in  raising  seven 
young  ones  from  57  eggs  laid — making  a  grand 
total  of  $98  50.  This  is  only  $24  50  more  than 
cost,  which  is  not  as  much  as  my  previous  year's 
profits  from  a  stock  of  one-third  in  number. 

I  alluded  in  my  former  report  to  a  certain  bluish 
gray  hen ;  she  is  still  living,  and  now  nearly  three 
years  old.  During  the  past  twelve  months  this 
hen  has  laid  (I  believe)  more  than  100  eggs,  and 
hatched  (I  know)  four  broods  of  chickens,  the 
last  on  the  3d  of  December,  and  is  again  laying 
daily  !  If  you  know  of  any  hen  that  can  beat  that, 
I  should  like  to  be  made  acquainted  with  her. 

I  also  beg  to  solicit  some  instruction  in  the  art 
of  raising  ducks,  and  to  inquire  which  are  general¬ 
ly  most  successful  in  hatching  and  brooding  them 
— hens  or  their  natural  parents  l  J.  N.  I. 

Pembroke  Green,  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  Feb.  1,  1859. 
- - -  - - - — - 

Improved  Sheep  for  Texas. 


Sheep  growing  already  enters  largely  into  the 
husbandry  of  Texas,  and  this  business  is  fast  in¬ 
creasing.  It  has  proved  profitable  with  the  ex¬ 
ception  of  an  occasional  prevalence  of  disease  or 
distemper  in  a  few  localities.  We  are  glad  to 
notice  continued  efforts  to  introduce  improved 
breeds  for  crossing  with  the  native  or  Mexican 
stock.  The  larger  breeds  thus  crossed  produce 
increased  size  of  carcase  as  well  as  a  greater 
yield  of  wool.  We  see  it  stated  that  the  Hon. 
Senator  from  that  State,  Sam’l.  Houston,  recent¬ 
ly  said  he  had  determined  to  retire  from  politics 


and  go  into  sheep  raising,  and  he  believed  that  he 
could  do  more  for  his  State  by  introducing  im¬ 
proved  sheep  than  in  any  other  way.  Feb.  3d  we 
saw  passing  through  this  city  a  lot  of  the  “New- 
Oxfordshires”  to  be  shipped  to  Texas — a  part  we 
believe  to  A.  Phillips,  Esq.,  of  Victoria,  and  a  part 
to  Col.  Forshey,  Superintendent  of  the  Military 
College,  at  Rutersville.  They  were  from  the 
flock  of  Mr.  John  T.  Andrew  of  Connecticut. 
We  hope  the  enterprising  purchasers  of  these 
sheep  will  be  successful  in  their  laudable  efforts 
to  improve  the  present  stock. 


The  Lama  or  Alpaca. 


In  answer  to  several  correspondents  who  in¬ 
quire  about  this  animal,  we  present  the  above  en¬ 
graving  with  a  few  brief  notes  as  to  its  habits, 
value,  etc.  The.Lama  (Auchenia  glama)  is  a  na 
tive  of  Peru,  being  found  among  the  higher 
mountainous  districts.  From  its  valuable  quali 
ties  it  is  to  the  natives  inhabiting  these  rugged 
and  sterile  regions,  what  the  camel  is  to  the 
Arabs,  or  the  reindeer  to  the  Laplander.  Indeed 
it  belongs  to  the  genus  Camelidce,  having  as  the 
engraving  shows,  the  long  neck  of  the  camel,  but 
is  destitute  of  the“  hump.”  It  is  used  as  a  beast 
of  burden,  being  capable  of  carrying  about  150 
lbs.  weight.  The  structure  of  its  hoofs  enables 
it  to  pass  securely  over  the  broken  and  precipi¬ 
tous  mountain  paths  of  the  country.  It  is  much 
smaller  than  the  camel — being  but  little  larger 
than  the  American  deer.  The  hight  of  the  body 
is  seldom  over  three  feet. 

The  flesh,  especially  of  the  fawns,  is  said  to  be 
very  good  for  food,  but  the  Lama  is  most  prized 
for  its  wool,  which  is  used  for  making  fine  shawls, 
and  also  the  fabric  known  as  “  alpaca,”  and  is 
quite  largely  exported  to  England  for  this  pur¬ 
pose.  It  is  represented  as  being  very  hardy,  re¬ 
quiring  scarcely  any  care,  and  satisfied  with  the 
very  coarsest  of  the  scanty  grasses  found  in 
waste  districts.  It  has  been  thought  that  the  Al¬ 
paca  would  thrive  well  in  the  cold  and  sterile 
mountainous  regions  of  the  United  States,  and 
some  attempts  have  been  made  to  introduce 
them,  the  most  recent  being  that  of  a  French 
gentleman,  who  last  year  brought  forty-two  ani¬ 
mals  from  the  Cordilleras  of  Peru,  to  this  port ; 
but  not  finding  a  market  for  them,  he  reshipped 
them  to  England.  Although  their  known  quali¬ 
ties  would  seem  to  fit  them  for  many  localities 
here,  they  have  not  been  sufficiently  tried  to  war¬ 
rant  any  conclusions  as  to  their  ultimate  profit  as 
an  addition  to  the  domestic  animals  of  our  country. 
Yankee  enterprise,  however,  will  doubtless  in  a 
few  years  determine  this  point. 


78 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Unsettled  Questions  in  Potato  Culture. 


Long  as  this  useful  esculent  has  been  cultivat¬ 
ed,  there  are  some  points  in  its  management  not 
yet  fully  settled.  As  connected  with  the  subject 
of  the  potato  rot ,  it  is  worth  while  to  observe, 
each  year,  whether  varieties  most  liable  to  the 
disease,  mature  their  seed  balls.  According  to  the 
writer’s  limited  observation,  some  of  the  most 
delicate  sorts  produce  balls  one  year,  and  then 
fail  to  do  so  the  next.  Let  this  matter  be  noted 
and  inquired  into  the  coming  year. 

Then,  as  to  the  use  of  manures.  Many  persons 
think  that  on  new  land,  no  manure  whatever  is 
needed  ;  that  the  crop'  does  better  without  it. 
Others  hold  that  all  soils  require  the  addition  of 
manure.  Some  say,  old,  well-rotted  manure, 
others,  fresh  long-manure.  Hog-manure,  say 
some ;  others,  barn-yard  dung.  Hen-manure  is 
the  best  of  all,  cry  out  some  people  ,•  not  equal  to 
guano,  say  others.  You  are  all  mistaken,  shouts 
a  new  man,  ashes  or  plaster,  or  ashes,  plaster 
and  lime  mixed,  is  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  manures. 
And  the  last  man  recommends  meadow-muck 
mixed  with  ashes  and  plaster.  Now,  it  takes  a 
multitude  of  facts  to  establish  a  principle,  and  it 
is  to  be  hoped  that  farmers  and  gardeners  will 
keep  on  experimenting  yearly,  until  they  arrive  at 
conclusions  which  cannot  be  shaken. 

Then,  as  to  the  time  of  planting.  It  is  gener¬ 
ally  maintained,  now,  that  early  planting  is  best, 
but  there  are  facts  and  opinions  on  the  other  side. 
Let  this  point  be  still  looked  after. 

As  to  the  size  of  potatoes  for  seed,  and  whether 
they  should  be  cut  or  uncut,  planters  are  not  fully 
agreed.  A  few  still  hold  that  a  thick  paring  con¬ 
taining  an  eye,  is  all  that  is  necessary,  but  the 
number  of  such  is  annually  diminishing.  Many 
say  that  the  smallest  potatoes  are  as  good  for 
seed  as  the  largest.  A  great  majority,  we  be¬ 
lieve,  prefer  medium-sized  potatoes.  Let  these 
several  opinions  be  subjected  annually  to  the  test 
of  experiment. 

Braining  in  March. 

BY  A  STATED  CONTRIBUTOR. 


There  is  a  time  for  everything,  and,  among  the 
rest,  for  draining.  The  latter  part  of  this  month, 
before  the  Spring  plowing  begins,  is  a  favorable 
time.  The  ground  is  free  from  much  frost,  and 
other  labors  are  not  yet  pressing.  Every  rod  of 
drain  made  will  serve  to  help  forward  the  plow¬ 
ing.  sowing,  and  harvesting. 

The  present  is  not  the  best  time  to  determine 
where  drains  should  be  made  :  that  we  will  sup¬ 
pose  to  have  been  done  during  the  last  season. 
They  are  wanted,  of  course,  wherever  the  surface 
water  remained  late  last  Spring,  hindering  the 
plowing  and  planting.  They  are  wanted  where 
the  water  collected  and  remained  a  long  time 
when  you  dug  post-holes  late  in  the  season.  They 
are  wanted  where  the  soil  was  cold  and  stiff, 
heavy  in  Spring  and  Fail,  and  hard  as  a  brick-bat 
in  Summer.  They  are  wanted  in  yonder  orchard, 
where  the  trees  are  mossy  and  stunted.  They 
are  wanted  in  yonder. pasture,  where  the  ground 
“  gives  ”  under  your  feet,  and  where  the  grasses 
are  coarse  and  sour. 

All  this  was  known  and  felt  last  year,  but  now 
is  the  time  for  doing  the  work.  We  do  not  pro¬ 
pose  at  present  to  go  into  the  details  of  drain¬ 
making — for  the  readers  of  our  several  late  vol- 
umes  this  would  be  unnecessary — but  a  few 
words  may  not  come  amiss.  Low,  boggy  ground 
may  be  much  improved  by  cutting  wide  ditches 
through  them,  with  sloping  banks,  and  leaving 
them  open.  If  the  land  is  such  as  to  admit  of 


cultivation,  the  ditches  may  be  filled  with  brush, 
laid  with  the  butts  down  the  channel,  the  whole 
pressed  down  with  the  foot,  then  covered  with 
straw  or  sods,  and  finished  off  with  two  feet  of 
soil.  This  is  not,  of  course,  the  best  drain,  and 
the  cheapest  in  the  long  run,  but  may  do  for  a 
make-shift.  Rails,  (they  are  none  the  worse  for 
being  crooked),  cedar  poles,  planks  nailed  to¬ 
gether,  so  as  to  leave  an  opening  like  the  letter 
A,  each  will  make  a  ditch  for  soft,  swampy  land, 
that  will  last  for  several  years,  and  answer  a  good 
purpose.  Brush  drains  well  made  and  not 
meddled  with,  sometimes  last  a  dozen  or  more 
years  For  ordinary  farm  land,  however,  stones 
carefully  laid  are  much  better,  and  drain-pipes  are 
best  of  all.  For  a  stone  drain,  the  bottom  should 
be  solid  and  smooth,  the  stones  laid  firmly  so  as 
to  keep  in  place,  then  covered  with  inverted  sods 
to  keep  out  the  surface  dirt.  And  yet,  after  all 
possible  care  is  taken,  mice  will  often  burrow  in 
them  and  clog  up  the  throat.  The  drain-pipes 
and  tiles  are  not  open  to  this  objection.  The 
horse-shoe  tiles,  laid  upon  boards  or  planks  at  the 
bottom  of  the  trench,  and  the  round  pipe  or  sole 
tiles  laid  upon  a  hard  clay  bottom  and  well 
matched,  will  seldom  get  clogged,  and  will  last 
a  life-time.  The  round  or  pipe-tiles  are  best 
generally,  if  carefully  laid  so  that  the  ends  will 
meet  well  together,  and  not  be  displaced  by  the 
earth  when  settling.  Once  firmly  bedded,  nothing 
but  water  can  get  into  them,  and  they  will  last  a 
century  or  more. 

As  to  the  depth  to  which  ditches  should  be 
sunk,  experienced  farmers  are  not  yet  agreed. 
Some  maintain  that  two-and-a-half  or  three  feet 
is  all  that  is  needed  ;  that  this  puts  the  pipe  be¬ 
low  injury  from  frost,  below  the  plow-point,  and 
as  low  as  the  roots  of  grasses  and  grains  ordinar¬ 
ily  penetrate.  They  hold  that  to  dig  deeper  than 
this  is  very  laborious  and  expensive,  and  does 
not  compensate  for  the  trifling  advantage  gained. 
Others,  however,  insist  that  four  or  five  feet  is 
the  true  depth,  and  that  anything  less  is  only 
scarifying  the  surface.  We  shall  not  now  try  to 
defend  either  opinion,  but,  while  always  advocat¬ 
ing  thorough  work,  shall  be  very  glad  to  know 
that  even  the  first  named  depth  is  reached  this 
Spring  by  many  of  our  readers.  The  farther 
apart  drains  are  made,  the  deeper  should  they  be 
sunk. 

- -J>-« - - 

Eow  Deep  to  Brain. 

To  tlic  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist  : 

How  deep  shall  we  put  our  drains'!  Some  say 
two  or  three  feet ;  others  four  or  five  feet.  Who 
are  right  1  Last  Autumn  we  dug  a  ditch  30  rods 
long,  and  3  feet  deep,  as  an  experiment.  We 
first  plowed  out  about  20  inches,  when  we  came 
to  stones  and  hard-pan.  The  rest  of  it  had  to  be 
worked  out  with  the  pick.  The  water  will  not 
run  through  the  hard-pan  any  more  than  it  will 
through  cast  iron.  Now,  what  good  will  it  do  to 
dig  ten  inches  deeper  in  such  stuff  !  I  think  26 
inches  is  about  enough  for  such  land  ;  that  is,  5 
or  6  inches  for  the  tiles  or  stones,  which  ever 
may  be  used,  and  20  to  plow  in,  which  is  enough. 

Rusticus. 

Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.Y.,  Jan.  15,  1859. 

The  depth  of  drains  depends  entirely  upon  the 
circumstances  in  each  case.  A  soil  freed  from 
water  and  penetrated  by  air  four  or  five  feet 
deep,  is  better  for  all  crops  than  one  only  two  or 
three  feet  deep.  Nearly  all  kinds  of  cultivated 
crops  send  down  roots  four  or  five  feet  and  more, 
where  there  is  a  good  open  soil  to  that  depth  ; 
and  when  roots  thus  reach  down  below  the  sun’s 
temporary  effects,  they  are  absolutely  secure 


against  all  drouth.  But  plants  will  never  go  be¬ 
low  the  lowest  point  where  air  can  penetrate. 
Without  the  oxidizing  influence  of  air,  soils  al¬ 
most  invariably  contain  more  or  less  materials 
which  are  poisonous  to  plants. 

There  is  scarcely  a  “  hard-pan  ”  in  any  local¬ 
ity  so  perfectly  impervious  to  water,  that  it  will 
not  gradually  soak  through  into  an  open  passage 
or  drain,  if  there  is  one  near.  The  depth  ol 
drains  depends  much  on  their  nearness  together, 
and  the  porousness  of  the  soil.  In  porous  soils 
drains  three  feet  deep  and  fifty  feet  or  more 
apart,  will  drain  the  entire  surface  soil  three  feet 
deep. 

In  impervious  soils  the  drains  must  be  nearer 
and  deeper.  If  in  such  soils  the  drains  be  forty  feet 
apart,  and  four  feet  deep,  they  will  drain  twenty 
feet  on  each  side  ;  but,  owing  to  the  impervious 
nature  of  the  soil,  they  may  not  drain  the  middle 
line  between  the  drains  more  than  two  or  three 
feet  deep  ;  while  alongside  of  the  drains  they  will 
remove  the  water  four  feet  deep.  The  deeper  the 
drains,  the  more  fall  there  will  be  to  the  water — 
and  the  greater  will  be  the  pressure  to  carry  it 
through  hard  and  impervious  soils.  To  illustrate  : 
Set  up  a  brick  tube  four  feet  long,  and  closed  at 
the  bottom.  Then  fill  it  with  water.  You  will 
see  a  little  moisture  oozing  at  the  sides  near 
the  top — water  farther  down,  and  near  the  bottom 
of  the  tube,  the  water  will  almost  run  through. 
It  is  much  the  same  in  draining  impervious  or 
clay  soils.  The  deeper  the  drains,  the  greater  the 
pressure  of  the  water  to  get  into  them. — Ed. 

- - - - - — .  - - - 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist— Prize  Articles. 

Farm  Fencing . Ill 


GROWING  THE  HEDGE. 

The  “  quicks,”  as  the  English  thorn-hedgers 
call  the  young  plants  used  in  constructing  their 
hedges,  are  grown  from  the  seeds,  which  are 
abundantly  produced  in  the  “haws,”  or  fruit  which 
give  them  such  a  lively  appearance  in  Autumn, 
as  on  our  native  thorns  in  America.  They  are 
readily  gathered  by  children,  the  seeds  washed 
out,  by  soaking  in  water,  and  a  gentle  pounding 
in  a  shallow  tub  with  a  light  club,  like  a  washing 
pounder  in  shape,  and  used  in  the  same  manner. 
They  are  then  dried,  and  before  Winter  sets  in, 
are  thickly  sown  in  nursery  rows  in  earth  deeply 
dug  or  plowed,  and  of  moderate  fertility.  The 
hard  thick  shell  renders  the  operation  of  se¬ 
vere  frosts  upon  them  necessary  to  their  ger¬ 
mination  in  the  Spring,  and  a  second  Winter  is 
sometimes  needed  to  bring  them  all  into  sprout¬ 
ing.  Our  American  Winters  being  more  severe, 
a  larger  number  of  the  planted  seeds  would  pro¬ 
bably  grow  the  first  season,  than  in  England.  Our 
Osage  Orange,  Arbor  Vita;,  and  other  hedgeing 
seeds  are  planted  in  the  same  way.  We  rely 
for  them  mostly  on  the  seed  stores,  they  being 
grown  and  gathered  usually  in  localities  more 
or  less  distant.  For  the  privet  we  need  no 
such  preparation,  it  grows  immediately  in  the 
hedge  row  from  the  slips,  or  last  year’s  cuttings. 
The  nursery  plants  usually  require  two  years’ 
growth,  with  good  cultivation,  before  they  are  fit 
to  transplant  into  the  hedge  row.  The  hedge  row, 
itself,  should  be"thorough!y  prepared  by  a  previous 
season’s  deep  plowing,  and  pulverizing — manuring 
even,  if  the  soil  be  poor.  It  is  scarcely  necessary 
to  add  that  the  hedge  row  should  be  dry — or  well 
drained,  if  not  dry — and  slightly  crowning  in  shape 
three  to  four  feet  wide.  Into  this  the  plants  should 
be  transferred  early  in  the  Spring.  Fall  planting 
unless  in  very  favorable  positions,  subjects  the 
‘quicks’  to  be  thrown  out  by  the  frosts  of  Winter 
and  the  consequent  heaving  and  settling  of  (he 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


79 


grou:  d.  When  taken  from  the  nursery,  the  tap¬ 
root  should  be  cut  off  short,  and  the  side  roots 
shortened  by  a  sharp  knife,  and  set  in  the  soil, 
perhaps  an  inch  deeper  than  they  stood  in  the 
nursery  beds. 

There  are  two  different  inodes  of  planting  the 
hedge.  One  is  in  a  single  line,  with  the  plants 
nine  inches  to  a  foot  apart,  according  to  their 
size  when  grown.  The  other,  and  we  think  the 
better  way,  is  to  plant  them  in  double  rows; 
one  row  a  foot  from  the  other,  and  the  plants 
eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  apart  in  the  rows.  Set 
alternately  against  the  centre  of  the  space  in  the 
opposite  row,  thus  making  it  thicker  at  the  bot¬ 
tom.  When  planting,  the  tops  should  be  cut  down 
to  within  two  or  three  inches  of  the  ground,  that 
a  thick  growth  of  young  shoots  may  at  once  push 
out  from  the  original  stool.  They  must  be  kept 
clean  and  free  from  weeds  and  grass,  and  cul¬ 
tivated  by  two  or  three  hoeings  through  the  Sum¬ 
mer.  if  the  season  be  favorable,  and  the  plants 
well  set,  the  growth  will  be  one  to  three  feet.  It 
will  be  also  understood  that  the  young  hedge  is 
to  be  properly  guarded  by  fence,  or  otherwise, 
from  the  depredations  and  tramping  of  large  ani¬ 
mals,  or  they  will  rapidly  destroy  it  altogether. 
The  next  Winter  the  new  growth  must  be  cut 
back  within  six  inches  of  the  ground,  and  in  the 
succeeding  Spring  the  dead  or  missing  plants  if 
any,  be  replaced  with  others  as  near  the  size  of  the 
standing  plants  as  possible.  The  second  season’s 
growth  will  be  more  vigorous  than  the  first,  and 
the  next  Winter  they  must  be  again  cut  back  to 
eight  inches  or  a  foot  in  hight,  the  previous  or 
second  Summer’s  cultivation  having  been  like  the 
first. 

“Plashing”  is  practiced  by  some  hedgers.  This 
is  done  by  reserving  a  portion  of  the  last  year’s 
growth,  anti  binding  them  down  horizontally, 
confining  them  by  forked  pins  in  the  ground,  so 
that  they  will  throw  up  perpendicular  shoots,  and 
thicken  the  young  wood  ;  but  the  benefits  of  this 
mode  is  doubted  by  some  hedgers,  and  only 
adopted  by  them  when  the  plants  are  originally 
planted  at  greater  distances  in  the  rows  than  we 
have  named,  or  when  missing  plants  can  not 
readily  be  replaced.  The  third  year  the  hedge 
will  have  made  a  sufficient  hight  and  thickness  to 
measurably  protect  itself.  Keep  the  ground  clean 
at  the  roots,  as  before.  They  may  require  but 
a  moderate  topping  for  future  form,  and  growth. 
After  this,  circumstances  must  govern  as  to  the 
management.  At  the  end  of  four  or  five  years  the 
hedge  ought  to  be  sufficient  not  only  to  protect 
itself,  but  the  fields  which  it  encloses. 

We  have  written,  up  to  this  point,  as  if  no  ad¬ 
verse  influences  had  occurred  to  mar  our  labors, 
and  that  the  seasons  had  been  good,  the  rows  well 
cultivated,  and  no  field  mice,  gophers,  rabbits, 
or  other  destructive  creatures  had  preyed  upon 
the  plants,  which,  by  the  way,  is  a  fortune  too 
good  for  expectation  in  a  country  so  liable  to  these 
depredators  as  is  ours.  Let  the  material  of  the 
hedge  be  of  whatever  kind  of  plant  it  may,  the 
process  of  cultivation,  growth,  and  treatment  we 
have  described  is  pretty  much  the  same.  Yet  the 
drawbacks  are  many,  and  formidable.  A  Western 
paper  now  before  us,  in  an  article  on  Osage 
Orange  hedges  remarks  :  “In  all  our  travels  we 
meet  with  the  most  reckless  disregard  of  the  rules 
that  have  so  frequently  been  published  that  we 
are  almost  inclined  to  regard  the  whole  hedge 
system  in  the  United  States  as  a  failure  ;  not  how¬ 
ever  from  any  want  of  adaptation  of  the  Osage 
Orange  to  the  purpose,  but  from  the  lack  of  regu¬ 
lar,  systematic  treatment  on  the  part  of  the  farm¬ 
er.  In  all  the  efforts  at  hedge-making  through- 
!)ut  the  west,  we  doubt  whether  there  can  now  be 


found  one  rod  of  perfect,  well-formed  hedge  to  a  mile 
that  has  been  set,  or  even  to  five  miles  !’’  A  most 
lamentable  conclusion  certainly,  so  far  as  man’s 
efforts  are  concerned,  and  for  which,  if  men  in¬ 
tend  to  have  a  hedge  at  all,  there  is  not  a  shadow 
of  excuse.  Yet,  the  destruction  by  the  natural 
enemies  we  have  named  oftentimes  circumvents, 
and  destroys  the  utmost  painstaking  of  farm¬ 
ers,  against  which  there  is  scarce  a  possible  way 
to  guard. 

In  calculating  for  a  hedge,  therefore,  the  farmer 
has  to  take  a  broad  survey  not  only  of  his  grounds 
and  locality,  but  the  probability  of  the  extent 
of  depredation  he  may  have  to  encounter  from  the 
vermin  which  are  like  to  overrun  him.  Small  en¬ 
closures,  in  thickly  populated  communities,  are 
usually  free  from  this  sort  of  destruction,  but  he 
must  arm  himself  with  a  sufficient  stock  of  pa¬ 
tience,  capital,  and  labor  to  protect  and  watch  his 
embryo  hedge  for  at  least  five  years  before  he  can 
turn  it  out  for  its  own  protection,  and  that  of  his 
fields.  Be  it  Osage  Orange,  buckthorn,  the  com¬ 
mon  thorn,  or  whatever  else  it  may,  no  immunity 
is  guaranteed  him  from  the  lawless  depredations 
of  domestic  animals,  or  vermin,  beyond  what  his 
own  exertions  can  secure.  Therefore  the  hedger 
takes  his  life  in  his  hand,  so  far  as  his  success  in 
that  particular  is  concerned. 

THE  COST  OF  HEDGES. 

This  must  vary  in  different  localities,  and  ac¬ 
cording  as  the  plants  are  easy,  or  difficult  to  ob¬ 
tain.  Quicks,  either  of  the  Osage,  or  the  thorn 
of  various  kinds,  may  be  grown  for  a  dollar  a 
thousand,  in  some  places — less,  or  more,  as 
the  case  may  be.  The  proper  fences  may  be  made 
for  protection  while  the  hedge  is  growing  suffi¬ 
ciently  to  guard  itself  for,  say  fifty  cents  a 
rod  at  the  lowest,  up  to  seventy-five  cents  or  a 
dollar ;  and  these  may  be  removed  at  small  ex¬ 
pense  to  serve  a  like  purpose  elsewhere,  or  for 
other  uses — with  some  wear  and  tear,  to  be  sure, 
which  must  be  taken  into  the  account.  Then  the 
annual  expense  of  cultivation  is  to  be  counted 
until  the  hedge  can  take  care  of  itself,  so  far  as 
growth  is  concerned.  It  will  always  require  an 
annual  oversight,  and  a  certain  extent  of  labor  in 
trimming  and  heading  down  to  a  proper  hight, 
which  need  never  be  over  eight,  or  nine  feet.  All 
these  may  vary  in  cost,  according  to  circum¬ 
stances,  and  success  in  effecting  the  finished 
hedge,  so  that  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  calculate 
the  entire  expense  of  the  article  complete ;  and 
any  estimate  in  dollars  and  cents,  within  a  cheap 
sum,  may  be  entirely  fallacious,  as  so  many  con¬ 
tingencies  may  occur  to  thwart  our  calculations. 

For  ourselves,  we  believe  the  cost  of  a  well 
grown,  secure  hedge,  may  vary  any  where  from 
two,  to  five  dollars  a  rod — certainly  not  less  than 
the  one  sum,  nor  exceeding  the  other.  Yet,  when 
it  is  considered  that  it  may  last  a  century,  and 
perhaps  more,  the  lowest  sum  will  render  it  a 
very  cheap  fence,  and  for  the  surroundings  of  an 
entire  farm,  the  highest  may  not  be  a  dear  one. 
But  we  can  in  this  country  run  no  sure  parallel 
with  England  in  the  cost  of  making,  and  after¬ 
wards  maintaining  hedges.  There,  the  hedge  is 
the  almost  universal  fence  of  the  country  ;  here 
it  is  scarcely  introduced.  There,  almost  every 
farm  laborer  is  more  or  less  a  hedger  ;  here  the 
professional  hedger  is  scarce,  at  quite  twice  the 
wages  paid  him  at  home  ;  and  coupled  with  the 
additional  difficulties  to  be  encountered  here  in 
getting  up  the  hedge  to  the  secure  point,  the  cost, 
and  practicability  of  the  work  in  the  two  coun¬ 
tries  finds  no  approximate  parallel. 

AS  A  THING  OF  TASTE, 

we  might  descant  upon  the  hedge  as  worth  the 


attention  of  our  landscape  gardeners,  and  design¬ 
ers  for  ornamental  grounds,  parks,  and  lawns 
as  of  our  wealthy  farmers  and  land  holders 
looking,  to  the  permanent  improvement  of  their 
rural  homes,  and  agricultural  estates,  aside  from 
the  question  of  immediate  profit  and  utility.  That 
is  a  question  which  they  must  settle  for  them 
selves.  We  concede  the  exceeding  beauty  of  a 
country  with  its  highways  and  fields  hedged  in 
by  living,  growing,  green,  and  fragrant  lines  of 
vegetation,  instead  of  unsightly  stone  walls,  un¬ 
couth  zig-zag  rails,  posts  and  boards,  palings,  or 
pickets,  even  ;  but  we  must  conform,  measura¬ 
bly,  to  the  dictates  of  economy,  and  strict  immedi¬ 
ate  utility,  before  we  can  warmly  recommend  the 
hedge  to  the  American  farmer  in  our  present  state 
of  experience. 

The  time  may  arrive  when  it  will  be  his  only, 
and  imperative  resort ;  and  even  now,  in  those 
broad  tracts  of  our  Western  States  where  it  is 
apparently  already  so,  we  decidedly  recommend 
its  trial  on  a  moderate  scale — with  the  full  notion, 
however,  that  he  who  adopts  it  has  got  to  under¬ 
take  it  in  no  half-way  measure  of  execution,  but 
take  hold  for  its  successful  accomplishment,  if 
success  be  attainable  at  all,  and  ascertain  for  him¬ 
self  its  practicability.  As  we  have  before  stated, 
the  whole  question  of  American  hedging  is  yet 
unsettled,  but  is  certainly  worth  the  trial,  where 
other  material  is  wanting,  or  is  too  costly. 

We  have  bestowed  more  time  and  space  on 
this  branch  of  our  fencing  economy  than  we  at 
first  intended  ;  hut  the  numerous  inquiries  from 
various  parts  of  the  country,  which  have  of  late 
years  been  started  on  the  subject,  have  led  us 
into  a  wider  range  of  discussion  than  we  should 
otherwise  have  given  it. 


A  Stitch  in  Time. 


The  lengthening  days  and  melting  snows  be¬ 
token  the  coming  of  Spring.  Every  farmer  re¬ 
joices  in  its  coming,  but  is  every  one  ready  for 
it  I  At  the  North  little  or  nothing  can  be  done  in 
-working  the  soil,  this  month,  except  in  the  mat¬ 
ter  of  draining.  But  much  preparation  can  be 
made  for  Spring  work.  Implements  of  all  kinds 
should  now  be  looked  over  and  put  in  good  re¬ 
pair.  Are  the  plows  in  proper  condition  ;  and  of 
the  harrows  are  no  teeth  gone  and  none  loose  1 
The  manure-forks,  shovels,  spades,  hoes,  crow- 
bars,  cradles,  harness,  wagons,  chains,  are  they 
all  at  home,  under  cover,  and  in  complete  order  1 
How  often  are  tools  lent  to  neighbors,  and  not 
returned  till  called  for  from  necessity,  and  then 
are  out  of  order  and  must  be  sent  to  the  shop  for 
repair!  What  a  loss,  then,  of  time  and  patience 
and  neighborly  good  feeling  ! 

Let  us  also  look  into  the  seed  department.  As 
grass  and  clover  need  an  early  start,  no  time 
should  now  be  wasted  in  securing  good  seed.  So 
of  wheat  and  oats,  and  corn  ;  now  is  the  time  to 
look  them  over,  and  provide  for  sowing  and  plant¬ 
ing.  Whoever  has  not  good  seed  of  every  kind 
he  expects  to  use,  should  spare  no  pains  or  money 
in  securing  them.  It  gives  the  cultivator  no  lit¬ 
tle  satisfaction  and  self-respect  to  know  that  he 
has  taken  time  by  the  fore-lock,  and  made  all 
needful  preparation  for  his  work  in  advance.  For 
him,  as  well  as  'or  everybody,  it  is  a  good  rule  to 
drive  one’s  business  and  not  be  driven  by  it  — “  A 
stitch  in  time  saves  nine  ” — often  ninety-nine. 


It  was  once  remarked  .  o  the  hearing  of  a  little 
girl  of  thirteen,  that  all  things  came  by  chance, 
and  the  world,  like  a  mushroom,  sprang  up  in  a 
night.  “I  should  like  to  know,  sir,”  asled  the 
child,  “where  the  seed  came  from  1” 


80 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


{Engraved for  the  American  Agriculturist .) 


Spring  has  come  again  !  So  the  Calendar  says, 
and  in  accordance  with  our  plan,  to  introduce  each 
Season  with  an  emblematical  Sketch,  we  present 
the  above  beautiful  engraving.  Save  as  an  em¬ 
blem  of  the  season  upon  which  we  now  enter, 
our  picture  would  be  out  of  place  this  month — that 
is,  in  this  latitude  and  further  north.  Here  the 
snows  of  Winter  yet  cover  the  earth,  or  linger  on 
northern  slopes  and  along  the  walls  and  fences. 
The  trees,  though  their  swelling  buds  inspire  hope, 
yet  stand  forth  as  bald  as  in  December.  The  cro¬ 
cus  and  snow-drop  perchance  lift  their  modest 
heads  to  take  a  survey  of  the  prospect,  but  weeks 
must  intervene  before  such  scenes  as  are  por¬ 
trayed  above  will  greet  us  here.  The  very  word 
Spring,  however,  awakens  lively  emotions,  and 
inspires  pleasant  anticipations.  And  already,  on 
the  sunny  fields  of  our  more  Southern  borders,  its 
gentle  influence  is  fully  realized.  The  children 
have  begun  to  twine  the  garlands  of  wild  flowers, 
and  the  aged  and  infirm  to  seek  the  glad  sunshine 
by  the  open  casement. 

To  the  tiller  of  tke  soil,  who  'milseventhe  first 
timid  warbling  of  tne  blue-bird  which  tells  him  that 
nature  is  again  awaking  to  greet  him,  the  scene 
will  be  especially  gratef”'..  Though  Spring  shall 
summon  him  to  more  arduous  toil,  he  rejoices 
even  in  this.  The  comparative  inactivity  of  Win¬ 
ter  has  become  irksome.  Probably  no  one  works 
more  “with  a  will”  than  he.  The  mechanic,  in  his 


dusty  and  ill- ventilated  shop,  finds  little  besides 
the  hope  of  gain  to  inspire  him  in  his  labors,  and 
often  does  he  sigh  for  freedom  as  he  looks  through 
the  window  to  the  inviting  fields  and  woods  that 
tantalize  him  in  the  distance.  But  in  what  a  mag¬ 
nificent  theater  does  the  farmer  pursue  his  voca¬ 
tion.  The  earth  around  and  the  sky  above  seem  to 
vie  with  each  other  in  cheering  him.  Tothis  we 
attribute  much  of  the  cheerful  alacrity  with  which 
the  plow-man,  or  the  mower  goes  through  his  task. 
With  the  abundance  of  the  best  materials  about 
him  for  developing  and  refining  his  taste,  the  cul¬ 
tivator  of  the  soil  should  be  educated  to  the  high¬ 
est  point  in  the  appreciation  of  the  beautiful. 
As  the  Spring  comes  with  willing  hand  to  adorn 
every  thing  upon  which  her  smile  shall  rest, 
let  each  one  who  owns  or  occupies  even  but  a 
few  feet  of  soil,  with  flower  or  shrub  or  vine,  in¬ 
vite  her  skill  and  enjoy  her  bounty. 


Choice  of  Site  for  a  House. 


The  proper  location  of  a  dwelling  house,  which 
is  to  be  the  abode  of  a  family  for  half  a  century, 
perhaps,  is  a  matter  of  very  great  importance. 
In  the  case  we  now  suppose,  the  builder  ha6  not 
yet  bought  his  land,  and  is  free  to  choose  wheth¬ 
er  it  shall  be  near  to  a  town  or  remote  from  it,  on 
high  ground  or  low,  broken  or  level,  wet  or  dry. 


If  a  farmer,  he  must  of  course,  live  out  of  town. 
He  will  find,  too,  that  the  nearer  he  is  to  a  large 
village  or  city,  the  greater  will  be  his  expenses, 
and  the  more  irregular  and  discontented  his  labor¬ 
ers.  Pleasant  as  it  is  to  be  within  sight  of  the  town 
spires  and  domes,  within  hearing  of  the  town 
bells,  and  within  easy,  reach  of  the  town  stores, 
millinery  and  fancy  shops,  and  saloons,  it  is  not 
necessarily  the  best  situation  for  the  most  profit¬ 
able  and  quiet  pursuits  of  rural  life.  But  suppos¬ 
ing  the  general  question  of  location  already  set¬ 
tled,  how  shall  one  choose  the  best  particular 
spot  on  which  to  build  his  home  1 

1.  Choose  a  healthy  site.  The  borders  of  stag¬ 
nant  ponds,  or  marshes,  or  canals,  are  not  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  healthy.  Low,  wet  ground,  or  even 
high  lands  where  subsoil  is  cold  and  springy,  are 
not  wholesome.  If  the  elevated  ground  is  very 
desirable  in  other  respects,  it  may  be  improved  as 
to  its  healthfulness  by  thorough  drainage,  and  by 
covering  all  the  walks  and  roads  of  the  neighbor¬ 
hood  with  gravel  and  sand. 

The  greatest  pains  should  be  taken  to  secure  a 
warm,  dry  bottom  for  the  house  and  its  surround¬ 
ings.  The  house  is  to  be  the  home  of  the  fami 
ly  ;  the  place  where  tender  children  and  females 
are  to  spend  the  greater  part  of  their  existence  , 
and  where  their  health,  happiness,  and  length  of 
life  will  be  very  much  determined  by  the  nature 
of  the  soil  on  which  the  house  stands.  Often- 


March,  1851). 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


81 


limes,  when  the  surface  of  the  ground  appears 
drv,  tl k:  moisture  of  the  subsoil  shows  itself  in  the 
r pilar  Of  the  house,  and  rises  through  the  walls 
and  rooms  of  the  building,  discoloring  the  paper- 
hangings,  diffusing  a  musty  odor  in  all  the  lower 
apartments,  and  rendering  them  unwholesome 
and  cheerless. 

The  healthfulness  of  a  site  is  affected  also  by 
its  relative  exposure  to  strong  winds.  A  certain 
amount  of  wind  is  desirable  :  it  drives  away  fogs 
and  brings  in  a  constant  supply  of  fresh  air ;  it  is 
also  bracing  and  exhilarating  in  Winter  and  Sum¬ 
mer.  But  there  may  be  too  much  of  a  good  thing. 
If  the  wind  blows  directly  off  from  a  large  body  of 
water,  (as,  for  example,  in  Spring,  from  a  frozen 
lake,)  or  across  the  brow  of  a  hill,  or  through  a 
gap  between  mountains,  it  will  probably  bs  dis¬ 
agreeable  and  unhealthy. 

3.  Choose  a  spot  easily  accessible.  One  must 
not  go  so  far  in  pursuit  of  a  healthy  site,  as  to 
get  out  of  the  reach  of  his  fellow-man.  Poets  and 
“  geniuses  ”  may  perch  their  houses  on  high  peaks, 
if  they  choose,  but  common  folks,  who  have  some¬ 
thing  to  do  almost  daily  with  the  public  highway, 
and  with  the  neighboring  village,  with  its  post- 
olfice,  church,  stage-house  or  railway  station, 
blacksmith-shop,  etc.,  should  live  where  they  can 
go  and  come,  at  ease.  And  then,  few  people  aie 
so  unsociable,  or  so  regardless  of  public  notice, 
that  they  do  not  wish  to  build  where  their  friends 
can  easily  visit  them,  and  sec  how  they  live  and 
prosper.  Yet  the  tendency  is  to  err  on  the  other 
side.  Many  men  (we  won't  speak  disparagingly 
of  the  ladies  !)  like  to  live  close  upon  the  public 
street,  where  they  can  see  whoever  goes  by,  and 
learn  what  their  neighbors  are  doing.  Some 
houses  are  built,  purposely,  with  the  kitchen  on  a 
line  with  the  parlor,  stretched  along  upon  the 
roadside,  so  that  the  inmates  can  have  one  eye 
on  their  work,  and  another  upon  the  street. 
Would  it  not  be  better  to  set  the  dwelling  a  few 
rods  back  from  the  road,  and  to  keep  the  kitchen 
in  its  appropriate  place,  in  the  rear  of  the  house  1 
All  this  would  be  still  consistent  with  accessibili¬ 
ty.  The  house  might  be  retired  from  the  public 
gaze  and  from  noise  and  dust,  and  yet  not  far 
from  the  society  or  the  conveniences  of  the  neigh¬ 
borhood  and  town.  Accessibility  has  reference, 
also,  to  the  road  on  which  a  house  is  placed.  If 
it  is  a  uniformly  rough,  muddy,  hilly,  or  other¬ 
wise  bad  road,  the  location  will  be  so  far  objec¬ 
tionable.  It  will  be  a  constant  annoyance  to  the 
household,  a  hindrance  in  hauling  loads  over  it, 
and  a  serious  obstacle  to  sociability. 

3.  Choose  a  pleasant  site.  All  persons  may  not 
agree  as  to  what  this  consists  in  ;  but  no  one  will 
quarrel  with  us  for  saying  that  it  is  one  free  from 
the  sight  of  offensive  objects,  and  which  com¬ 
mands  a  pleasing  prospect.  It  would  evince  bad 
taste  in  a  person  to  plant  his  house  directly  op¬ 
posite  a  barn-yard  or  slaughter-house,  or  distil¬ 
lery,  or  tan-yard.  Then,  there  are  other  objects, 
less  disagreeable,  but  which  should  be  avoided 
in  laying  the  foundations  of  a  permanent  home. 
Rather  choose  a  spot  from  which  the  eye  can 
range  over  distant  hills,  green  fields,  cultivated 
farms,  gardens  and  tasteful  dwellings.  And  to 
secure  such  a  pleasing  prospect,  build,  if  possible, 
upon  an  elevated  site — not  necessarily  upon  a 
hill,  toilsome  of  ascent,  and  exposed  to  bleak 
winds,  but  upon  a  gentle  eminence,  lifted  above 
the  damps  and  frosts  of  the  valley,  and  raised  up 
so  as  to  command  a  view  of  a  large  slice  of  the 
earth’s  surface.  Such  a  situation  is  always  more 
cheerful  and  inspiring  than  one  upon  a  dead  level. 
The  air  is  purer,  drier  and  more  bracing ;  and 
then  the  surrounding  landscape,  changing  as  it 
does  from  month  to  month  throughout  the  year, 


is  a  gallery  of  pictures  painted  by  no  mortal  ar¬ 
tist. 

- ^  ^  - >-«!» - - 

Profits  of  Single  Grape  Vines- 


We  have  often  urged  all  our  readers  to  set  out 
at  least  one  or  two  grape  vines  somewhere  in 
the  garden  or  door-yard — not  usually  to  raise 
grapes  for  sale,  but  to  secure  a  supply  for  home 
consumption.  The  first  cost  of  procuring  and 
setting  a  vine  or  two,  or  three,  is  trifling,  while  the 
product  is  large  and  of  great  value.  A  grapevine 
requires  but  little  ground  room,  and  whoever  has 
a  few  feet  only  of  soil  by  the  side  of  the  dwelling, 
may  put  out  a  vine,  where  there  may  not  be  even 
room  for  a  fruit  tree  to  expand  its  branches.  The 
vine  may  be  trained  up  over  a  porch,  or  on  the 
sides  of  the  dwelling  itself. 

On  page  337  of  last  volume  (Nov.  No.)  we  gave 
an  account  of  two  vines  (a  Concord,  and  a  Hart¬ 
ford  Prolific)  which  yielded  GO  lbs.  of  luscious 
grapes  the  2d  year  after  planting.  These  were 
unusually  well  rooted  when  set  out,  but  are  an 
indication  of  what  may  be  obtained  very  soon 
after  planting.  We  now  give  another  item  which 
we  recently  gathered  from  our  old  friend  and  long¬ 
time  subscriber,  Stephen  Haight,  of  Dutchess  Co., 
N.  Y.  He  has  an  Isabella  grape  vine,  12  years 
old,  which  is  trained  upon  a  trellis,  and  branches 
out  about  25  feet  each  way  from  the  root.  The 
past  Autumn  he  picked  from  this  single  vine  two- 
hundred  and  twenty  six  pounds  (22G),  leaving  at  the 
same  time  fifty  pounds  of  unripened  grapes  which 
were  afterwards  made  into  wine.  (In  all  276  lbs.) 
The  ripe  bunches  were  carefully  looked  over,  and 
the  green,  bruised,  and  decaying  berries  cut  out 
with  a  pair  of  scissors.  They  were  then  packed 
precisely  according  to  the  directions  we  gave  in 
October  last  (Vol.  17,  page  307).  Dec.  22,  when 
grapes  were  a  rarity  in  the  city,  Mr.  Haight  sold 
the  product  of  his  single  vine  here,  for  $56)-, 
(25  cts.  per  lb).  Pretty  well  for  one  vine. 

But  Mr.  Haight  “  owns  beat  ”  by  a  neighbor, 
who  has  an  Isabella  vine  some  25  years  old.  It 
covers  an  arbor  extending  off'  from  the  house. 
Three  years  ago,  when  an  account  was  kept,  this 
single  vine  netted  $70  worth  of  grapes  sold.  This 
vine  we  think  is  not  outdone  by  any  oilier  one  in 
the  country.  Perhaps  it  may  be — if  so  let  us  hear 
of  it. 

But  aside  from  these  unusual  cases,  a  grape 
vine  that  will  annually  yield  five  or  ten  dollar’s 
worth  of  this  excellent  healthful  fruit  for  home 
consumption,  is  a  thing  that  pays,  and  we  believe 
every  family  in  country,  village  and  city  may  have 
at  least  one  such  vine  in  a  year  or  two,  if  they 
will  put  out  two  or  three  vines  this  coming  Spring. 
Some  will  say  “  Jill  this  is  fine  talk” — others  will 
practice  upon  it  and  reap  the  reward. 

- - - - - 

Look  After  the  Sugar  Orchards. 

[The  following  article  was  designed  for  the  February 
Agriculturist ,  but  arrived  too  late— sf me  of  its  sugges¬ 
tions  are  still  seasonable  however.— En.] 

A  man  who  has  a  good  “  sap  bush,  and  knows 
how  to  use  it,  is  fortunate.  But  we  have,  within 
a  few  years  past,  seen  many  a  grand  old  grove  of 
sugar  maples  cut  remorselessly  down,  and  made 
into  cord- wood  or  saw  logs,  merely  from  the  mis¬ 
taken  notion  that  “  maple  ”  sugar  don’t  pay. 
Now  we  don’t  believe  a  word  of  it — on  agricul¬ 
tural  lands.  If  we  had  a  sugar  bush — as  we  have 
not  now,  our  land  not  yielding  maples  of  the  right 
kind — we  would  preserve  it  as  the  apple  of  our 
eye.  We  would  have  it  well  underbrushed  and 
clean,  and  laid  into  grass  ;  the  sun  should  shine 
into  it ;  the  cattle  should  graze,  and  lie  down 
under  it  in  Summer ;  and  oh !  what  times  we 


would  have  there  in  sugar  making  !  wouldn’t  we  1 

Now  is  the  time  to  have  the  wood  cut-  and 
hauled  into  the  “  camp,”  all  split,  and  nicely  piled 
under  cover,  close  by  the  shed  where  the  kettles 
are  sc*.  The  buckets  should  all  be  cleaned,  piled 
and  ready  for  use  ;  the  “  spiles,”  made  of  the 
cleanest  of  Sumach,  all  sharp,  and  ready  to  drive 
when  the  “  bitt,”  or  “  gouge  ”  has  made  the  cut 
in  the  trees  to  receive  them. 

We  don’t  believe  in  “boxing”  trees  with  the 
ax.  It  is  a  barbarous  mode,  and  we  have  seen 
many  a  noble  bush  ruined  in  ten  years  by  such 
inhuman  girdling  before  the  trees  had  really  be¬ 
gun  to  do  their  best.  A  well  managed  sugar 
bush  grows  better  with  age,  as  the  sun  is  grad¬ 
ually  let  in  upon  it,  and  the  trees  become  accli¬ 
mated  to  the  open  atmosphere.  So  take  as  good 
care  of  it  as  you  would  ofyour  apple  orchard,  and 
it  will  quite  as  well  repay  your  care  and  pains¬ 
taking.  Of  the  luxury  of  Maple  sugar  we  won’t 
now  talk.  Every  housekeeper  knows- its  value, 
and  it  is  always  worth  fifty  per  cent  more  at  the 
“storekeeper’s”  than  the  “boughten”  article. 
We  once  knew  a  poor  man,  with  a  large  family 
of  children,  thin  and  cadaverous;  but  getting  a 
chance  to  take  a  neighboring  sugar  bush  on  shares, 
towards  Spring,  the  little  barbarians  all  got  fat  as 
pigs  by  the  time  “sugaring”  was  over.  A  reli¬ 
able,  luxuriant  fact  is  a  good  sugar  bush  1 

Western  New-Yorker. 


How  Long  will  Trees  Live. 


Why  may  not  trees  live  forever  1  Is  there  a 
necessary  limit  to  their  existence  !  Do  they,  like 
animals,  have  their  infancy,  youth,  maturity,  de¬ 
cline,  and  death  1  This  is  the  common  opinion. 
It  is  believed  that  they  die,  not  solely  because 
accidents  befall  them,  or  diseases  assail  them,  or 
because  they  are  cut  down  by  the  woodman’s  ax 
—but  because,  escaping  all  such  contingencies, 
their  cells  and  vessels  become  hardened  and  in- 
crusted,  and  the  fluids  cease  to  flow,  and  they 
perish  from  sheer  exhaustion  and  old  age.  They 
wear  out  and  run  down,  like  an  old  clock. 

Let  us  overhaul  this  opinion  a  little.  Vege¬ 
table  physiology  shows  that  the  living  parts  ol  an 
exogenous  tree,  that  is  a  tree  growing  by  addi¬ 
tions  to  the  outside,  are:  (1)  the  extremities  ol 
the  stems  and  branches,  including  the  buds  ;  (2) 
the  extremities  of  the  roots  and  rootlets  ;  and  (3) 
the  newest  strata  of  wood  and  bark.  These  are 
all  that  are  concerned  in  the  life  and  growth  of  a 
tree  ;  and  these  are  renewed  every  year.  The 
functions  of  life  in  an  animal  are  carried  on 
for  a  whole  life-time  in  one  set  of  organs ;  and 
when  these  organs  wear  out,  the  animal  dies. 
But  the  life  processes  in  a  plant  are  carried  on 
through  organs  annually  renewed,  and  hence  the 
plant  is  not  subject  to  decay,  for  the  same  reason 
that  the  animal  is.  Every  year  the  crude  sap 
rises  from  the  roots  to  the  leaves,  where  it  is  di¬ 
gested,  and  from  whence  it  descends,  leaving  de¬ 
posits  on  the  way,  of  new  buds,  bark,  wood,  ami 
roots.  If,  then,  all  that  is  concerned  in  the  life 
and  growth  of  a  tree  is  annually  renewed,  mak¬ 
ing  the  living  and  active  parts  of  a  tree  never  more 
than  one  year  old — why  should  not  the  tree  con¬ 
tinue  to  live  on  for  an  indefinite  period  1  There 
seems  to  be  no  necessary  reason,  no  cause  in¬ 
herent  in  the  tree  itself,  why  it  should  die. 

Agarn :  a  tree  is  not,  philosophically  speaking, 
an  individual,  like  a  man,  or  any  animal.  It  is  a 
community,  an  aggregation  of  individuals.  The 
only  real  individual  in  a  plant  is  the  first  cell  of 
which  the  plant  was  originally  composed.  Every 
bud  on  a  tree  may  also  be  considered  an  indi¬ 
vidual,  since  it  has  in  itself  all  the  elements  of  an 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


83 


independent  plant,  and  may  be  made  to  produce 
one.  Now,  if  it  be  objected  that  the  inner  parts 
of  the  tree  die,  or  at  least  become  inactive  heart- 
wood,  yet  the  outer  parts  do  not  :  individuals 
may  perish,  but  the  community  does  not,  for  it  is 
renewed  and  increased  every  year. 

Trees  have  been  happily  compared  to  the 
“  branching  or  arborescent  coral.”  This  structure 
is  built  up  by  the  combined  labors  of  a  multitude 
of  individuals — “  the  successive  labors  of  a  great 
number  of  generations.  The  surface  or  the  re¬ 
cent  shoots  alone  are  alive  :  all  underneath  con¬ 
sists  of  the  dead  remains  of  former  generations. 
It  is  the  same  with  the  vegetable,  except  that  it 
makes  a  downward  growth  also,  and  by  constant 
renewal  of  fresh  tissues,  maintains  the  communi¬ 
cation  between  the  two  growing  extremities,  the 
buds  and  the  rootlets.”  (Dr.  Gray.)  As  the 
eoral  structure,  considered  as  a  mass,  lives  on  in¬ 
definitely,  though  the  individuals  composing  it 
perish,  so  a  tree  considered  as  a  composite  struct¬ 
ure  may  live  on  in  the  same  way,  without  any 
assignable  limit  to  its  life.  Every  joint  in  the 
root,  and  every  bud  from  its  branches  might  be 
taken  off,  and  set  up  by  itself  to  form  a  separate 
and  independent  tree  ;  but  if  they  all  choose  to 
stay  on  the  homestead,  need  they  and  the  family 
die  out  1 

— So  much  for  theory.  We  shall  present  some 
facts  next  month. 


Hints  on  Evergreens- 

There  seems  to  be  less  general  information  in 
the  community  on  the  subject  of  evergreen,  than 
of  deciduous  trees.  One  reason  is,  that  the 
former  don’t  bear  fruit.  Did  only  pumpkins,  ap¬ 
ples,  or  potatoes,  grow  upon  them,  they  would  be 
more  popular  and  better  understood.  But  gener¬ 
ally  they  are  considered  as  merely  ornamental 
trees,  and  that  is  enough  to  condemn  them  with 
many  people.  Another  reason  is,  that  compara¬ 
tively  little  has  been  written  about  them  Mee¬ 
han’s  Hand  Book  and  Downing’s  Landscape  Gar¬ 
dening,  give  some  information  concerning  them, 
but  do  not  treat  the  subject  fully.  The  recent  vol¬ 
ume  of  Dr.  Warder,  on  Hedges  and  Evergreens, 
adds  to  our  knowledge  in  this  department,  and  will 
lead  to  a  more  general  planting  of  evergreens. 
This  writer  shows  what  we  have  often  set  forth, 
viz.,  that  this  class  of  trees  should  be  planted  for 
economy,  as  they  afford  excellent  shelter  in  Win¬ 
ter  to  houses,  barns,  grain-fields,  orchards,  and 
gardens.  This  consideration  is  important  in  every 
part  of  the  country,  but  chiefly  on  the  Western 
prairies.  The  value  of  evergreens  for  timber,  is 
also  an  item  not  to  be  ovei  looked. 

Dr.  Warder  happily  sets  forth  the  ornamental 
character  of  evergreens.  When  properly  grown, 
they  are  very  symmetrical,  they  present  a  greater 
variety  of  shades  of  color  than  is  often  supposed, 
and  they  retain  their  beauty  with  only  a  slight 
diminution  throughout  the  year.  What  a  strik¬ 
ing  contrast  do  their  forms  and  colors  present  to 
those  of  deciduous  trees  even  in  Summer  !  They 
give  a  depth  and  richness  to  the  landscape  which 
is  peculiarly  pleasing  to  the  cultivated  eye,  and 
which  no  combination  of  deciduous  trees  alone 
could  possibly  effect. 

One  of  the  greatest  mistakes  made  in  planting 
evergreens,  is  that  of  setting  them  so  near  to 
walks  and  carriage-roads,  fences  and  buildings, 
that  they  soon  outgrow  their  limits,  and  have  to 
be  cut  down  or  badly  mutilated.  In  reference  to 
this.  Dr.  W.  very  justly  says  :  “  When  first  ob¬ 

tained  from  the  nursery  or  forest,  the  plant  will 
have  cost  something  either  in  money  or  labor  ; 
it  is  often  a  wee  thing,  and  certainly,  if  well 


shaped,  it  is  a  very  pretty  ohject ;  hence  it  is 
jealously  set  close  to  the  window.  Were  it  al¬ 
ways  to  remain  a  sort  of  parlor-pet,  this  position 
might  answer  very  well ;  but  it  is  to  grow  and 
develop  itselfinto  a  large  tree,  and  in  so  doing,  it 
should  preserve  its  fair  proportions :  for  this, 
space  is  required  ;  if  crowded  against  the  house, 
its  beauty  will  be  marred,  and  instead  of  being  of 
service,  and  a  beautiful  object,  it  will  become  an 
eyesore  and  a  nuisance.” 

For  trees  which  look  unhealthy  and  fail  to  grow, 
this  author  recommends  a  top-dressing  of  ashes, 
or  old,  well-rotted  manure  mixed  with  sand  and 
ashes.  Some  of  the  statements  in  this  book  in 
reference  to  the  hardiness  of  certain  trees,  will 
need  a  grain  of  qualification  for  latitudes  north  of 
Cincinnati.  For  instance,  Abies  Mcnzicsii  and 
Pinus  excelsa  are  styled  “  perfectly  hardy,”  which 
is  certainly  not  the  case  north  of  Albany,  N.  Y. 
Taxodium  distichum  endures  the  Winter  further 
north  than  he  mentions. 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

American  Fruits— Past  and  Present. 


By  LEWIS  F.  ALLEN - ERIE  COUNTV,  N.  Y. 

The  fruit  producing  capacity  of  our  older  States 
was  either  much  greater,  the  skill  applied  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  greater  variety  of  fruits  was 
better  exercised — or,  soils,  climates,  insects,  or 
other  adverse  influences  have  since  combined, 
constantly  and  gradually  to  act  prejudicially  upon 
them  ;  for,  it  is  certainly  more  difficult  to  rear  the 
trees  and  obtain  good  crops  in  the  late  years  pre¬ 
ceding  1859,  than  it  was  in  the  years  preceding 
1810,  and  for  many  years  afterwards.  I  admit 
that  the  standard  of  taste  for  most  kinds  of  our 
cultivated  fruits,  id*  much  higher  now  than  it  was 
forty  or  fifty  years  ago,  except  in  Apples,  the  most 
approved  kinds  of  which  were  then,  as  they  now 
are,  pretty  much  the  same  in  most  localities  ;  and 
I  believe  also  that  the  standard  of  skill  and  intel¬ 
ligence  in  fruit  cultivation  is  higher  now,  than 
then. 

A  chronological  history  of  American  fruit  cul¬ 
ture,  from  the  early  settlement  of  the  United 
States  to  the  present  day,  kept  by  a  succession 
of  accurate  observations  would  be  a  most  inter¬ 
esting  subject  of  study  to  a  pomologist  of  the 
present  day,  could  such  a  record  be  found  ;  but, 
unfortunately,  our  fathers  had  no  horticultural  or 
pomological  magazine  in  their  day,  nor  agricul¬ 
tural  publications  of  any  kind  ;  and  the  only  po¬ 
mological  records  of  the  two  centuries  before  the 
present  that  we  have,  are  to  be  found  in  the  fu¬ 
gitive  notices  scattered  through  the  books  of  the 
time,  and  in  the  memories  of  those  now  living, 
whose  recollections  extend  into  the  latter  part  of 
the  last  century.  We  have  had  no  agricultural, 
much  less  pomological  literature  to  speak  of,  until 
within  the  last  thirty  years — the  little  which  ex¬ 
isted  previous  to  that  date,  being  mostly  fugitive 
and  temporary. 

I  propose  to  throw  together  a  few  facts,  some 
of  which  I  have  drawn  from  old  books,  and  others 
from  my  own  recollection,  touching  the  facts  and 
progress  of  fruit  culture  in  the  northern  States  ; 
not  that  they  have  any  particular  value,  as  bear¬ 
ing  upon  present  fruit  cultivation  and  prospects, 
but  as  comparing  what  once  existed  within  a  com¬ 
paratively  recent  period,  with  what  now  exists  ; 
and  if  for  illustration,  a  little  self-history,  or  ego¬ 
tism  is  displayed,  the  value  of  the  subject  itself 
must  excuse  it.  An  actor  in  the  drama,  although 
not  the  hero  of  it,  can  scarcely  keep  himself  al¬ 
together  out  of  sight. 

Born  in  the  first  decade  of  the  present  century, 
my  earliest  recollections  are  of  the  scenes  of  my 


birth  place,  and  seven  first  years  of  my  boyhqod, 
on  a  large  rocky  farm  lying  near  the  base,  anfi  on 
the  south-easterly  slope  of  a  huge  mountain,  in 
Southern  Massachusetts,  a  few  miles  west  of  the 
Connecticut  river.  Across  the  lower  part  of  that 
farm,  the  Boston  and  Albany  rail-way  now  runs, 
in  latitude  about  42 i°  north  There  my  Grand¬ 
father  had  established  himself  soon  after  the  war 
of  the  Revolution  in  which  he  had  been  an  active 
commissioned  officer,  and  connected  with  his  ag¬ 
ricultural  pursuits,  mills  and  other  mechanical 
operations.  He  had  large  orchards  of  the  finest 
grafted  apples — some  of  them  among  the  most 
popular  of  the  present  day.  Peaches  grew,  and 
bore  crops  in  the  greatest  abundance,  all  over  the 
farm,  of  the  finest  varieties  of  rare-ripe  and  melo- 
coton.  Pears  were  abundant,  and  in  good  variety. 
Plums  of  choice  kinds,  and  Cherries  of  the  com¬ 
mon  sorts  flourished.  Quinces  grew  well.  The 
smaller  garden  fruits  were  in  profusion  ;  and  even 
a  delicate  white  Sweetwater  grape  clambered 
over  a  ledge  of  rocks  near  the  house,  and  gave 
its  annual  yield  of  fruit  in  hundreds  of  delicious 
clusters.  To  say  that  the  founder  of  all  this  po¬ 
mological  wealth  was  a  man  of  decided  taste  and 
energy  in  that  line  is  scarcely  necessary.  He 
had  a  passion  for  fruit  and  its  cultivation.  His 
farm  was  new,  for  he  had  mainly  cleared  it  up 
himself.  The  soil,  though  not  exceedingly  fer¬ 
tile  was  of  primitive  formation,  open  and  warm, 
and  its  position  sunny,  and  sheltered  from  the 
sweeping  northwest  winds.  In  short,  it  was  a 
natural  fruit  producing  place. 

Forty  odd  years  ago,  the  proprietor  of  that  farm 
died.  His  sons  had  gone  away  and  engaged  in 
other  pursuits,  excepting  one  who  remained  at 
the  homestead.  There  was  no  market  at  all  in 
the  neighboring  towns  for  the  fruits.  The  son 
who  was  left  on  the  farm  disliked  its  rocks,  and 
the  slavish  labor  of  cultivating  it,  and  in  a  few 
years  afterwards  sold  it,  and  removed  to  the  more 
genial  soil  and  climate  of  a  then  far-off  western 
State.  Had  the  present  rail  road  facilities  then 
existed,  or  would  the  farm  now  produce  in  fruits 
what  it  then  did,  an  income  of  several  thousand 
dollars  could  have  been  received  annually  from 
the  fruits  alone,  leaving  the  agricultural  crops  un¬ 
noticed.  It  is  more  than  thirty  years  since  I  have 
set  foot  on  that  farm — an  act  of  filial  impiety  for 
which  I  mean  ere  long  to  atone  by  once  more 
visiting  it ;  but  I  am  told  that  the  fruits  have 
mostly  disappeared  ;  the  trees  even  all  gone,  ex¬ 
cepting  the  apple  orchards,  and  they  in  the  last 
stages  of  decrepitude  and  decay. 

And  this  place  which  I  have  described  is  but  a 
sample  of  numerous  farms  and  orchards  which 
then  existed  in  Massachusetts,  Connecticut  and 
Rhode  Island,  as  well  as  in  eastern  and  southern 
New-York,  New-Jersey,  eastern  and  central 
Pennsylvania,  if  not  in  other  States  south  of  them, 
if  tradition,  history  and  the  memories  of  living 
men  are  not  at  fault.  One  would  imagine  that 
nurseries  to  supply  the  trees  for  such  abundance 
of  fruit,  must  have  been  both  laige  and  frequent. 
Not  so.  “  Commercial  Nurseries,”  as  now,  were 
scarcely  known.  Private  nurseries,  liowevei, 
supplied  their  places.  My  grandfather  bad  one, 
from  which  his  own  orchards  were  supplied,  and 
it  contributed  thousands  of  trees  to  his  own  plan 
tatioas.  Other  orchardists  did  the  same,  and  the 
nurseries  of  modern  date  substantially  took  their 
rise  after  the  year  1825,  since  canals  and  rail¬ 
roads  have  so  extensively  come  into  use,  and  dis¬ 
tant  transportation  is  so  easily  effected. 

APPLES. 

The  comparative  amount  of  choice  or  “worked” 
fruits  was  much  less  in  those  days  than  now.  In 
the  abundance  of  apple  orcharding  particularly, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


83 


almost  every  farmer  could  select  from  liis  “  wild¬ 
ings  ”  a  sufficient  number  of  tolerable  varieties 
for  the  seasons  of  family  use,  and  as  the  balance 
was  destined  for  the  cider-mill  and  apple-brandy, 
the  kind  of  apple  was  of  little  consequence.  As 
Napoleon  said  “the  English  were  a  nation  of 
shopkeepers,”  it  could  as  truthfully  be  said  that 
the  people  of  our  eastern  States  were  a  nation  of 
cider  drinkers,  and  apple  eaters — for  cider  was 
the  universal  beverage  of  the  farmers  and  me¬ 
chanics  throughout  the  country  at  breakfast,  din¬ 
ner  and  supper — the  “  wimmen  folks  ”  mostly 
“  took  tea,”  in  those  days — while  cider  also  was 
the  usual  drink  “  between  meals,”  except  at  the 
“  eleven  o’clock,”  when  cider  brandy  was  the  daily 
“treat,”  in  hard-toiling  seasons.  In  farming 
neighborhoods  or  villages — cities  were  scarce  then 
— one  neighbor  could  scarcely  call  in  at  any  time 
of  day  upon  another  neighbor,  without  a  “  mug  ” 
of  cider  being  presented  him,  while  the  universal 
entertainment  of  an  evening  visit,  to  both  old  and 
young,  was  “  apples  and  cider.”  It  was  nothing 
uncommon  to  find  a  wealthy  farmer's  cellar  stored 
at  the  commencement  of  Winter  with  thirty  to 
fifty  barrels  of  cider  and  fifty  to  a  hundred  bush¬ 
els  of  apples  for  family  use,  and  the  villager  or 
small  mechanic — day  laborer  even — who  had  not 
two  or  three  barrels  of  cider,  and  apples  in  pro¬ 
portion,  laid  by  for  family  use,  was  a  “poor  man,” 
indeed.  But  temperance  societies,  and  a  better 
appreciation  of  wholesome  drinks  have  worked 
an  entire  revolution  in  the  cider  drinking  habits 
of  both  farmer  and  villager,  until  cider,  as  a  bev¬ 
erage,  is  mostly  known  as  a  thing  of  the  past. 
So  long  ago  as  thirty  years,  I  knew  of  large  and 
thrifty  orchards  of  wilding  trees  being  cut  down 
altogether,  because  the  fruit  “would  not  pay,” 
the  owners  little  dreaming  that  with  grafting  into 
them  the  choice  varieties,  and  the  opening  of  rail¬ 
ways  to  market,  one  acre  of  his  orchard  would  be 
worth  more  to  him  than  any  five  or  ten  acres  of 
nis  cropping  lands.  Millions  of  noble  apple  trees 
throughout  all  the  northern  and  some  of  the  west¬ 
ern  States  have  been  thus  wantonly  destroyed, 
the  wisdom  of  which  their  owners  may  have  since 
most  sorrowfully  questioned — particularly  since 
their  younger  and  more  enterprizing  neighbors 
are  planting  largely  of  the  improved  varieties,  for 
distant  markets. 

That  apples,  years  ago,  were  cultivated  with 
perfect  ease  in  almost  every  part  of  the  country, 
from  latitudes  38°  to  44°  north,  needs  no  proof 
beyond  the  commonest  observation.  The  first 
thing  the  farmer  did  after  going  upon  a  new  farm, 
and  clearing  off  land  enough  to  provide  his  family 
wants,  was  to  plant  out  an  apple  orchard  ;  and, 
if  he  had  any  pomological  taste  beyond,  to  put  in 
an  assortment  of  other  fruits,  as  peaches,  pears, 
plums  and  cherries.  Let  the  climate,  soil  or  cul 
vation  be  what  they  might,  the  apple  trees  were 
almost  sure  to  thrive,  and  in  a  few  years  produce 
abundance  of  fruit.  Even  in  pastures,  by  the  sides 
of  stone-walls  and  fences,  many  a  thrifty  apple 
tree  sprung  up  from  seeds  accidentally  dropped, 
and  without  the  slightest  cultivation,  except,  per¬ 
haps  a  rough  trimming  with  an  ax,  hatchet  or 
jack-knife,  grew  into  a  large  and  profusely  bear¬ 
ing  tree.  The  canker  worm,  and  the  caterpillar, 
at  various  times  ravaged  the  orchards  for  wide 
districts  of  country  together ;  the  trees  were 
rudely  cultivated — if  cultivated  at  all — but  they 
still  grew  and  flourished  in  the  main,  larger  in 
old  times,  than  we  now  see  them,  full  a  century 
old,  and  yet  in  great  bearing. 

Apples  are  still  a  staple  annual  crop  over  exten¬ 
sive  districts  of  country,  when  not  cut  off  by  ex¬ 
traordinary  causes  of  weather  or  insect — as  much 
so  as  Indian  corn,  wheat,  rye,  oats  or  barley  ;  and 


our  towns  and  cities  are  universally  supplied  with 
them  at  cheap  rates.  It  is  but  three  or  four  years 
ago  that  thousands  of  barrels  were  sent  from  the 
western  canal  counties  of  the  State  of  New-York 
into  Buffalo,  where  they  were  sold  at  a  dollar  to 
a  dollar  arid  a  half  a  barrel,  to  go  to  Chicago — a 
thousand  miles  beyond  by  Lake  transportation. 
Indeed,  a  large  portion  of  the  western  New-York, 
winter  apples  find  their  best  market  on  the  shores 
of  Lake  Michigan,  and  the  interior  country  be¬ 
yond,  where  it  is  yet  a  problem  whether  that  ex¬ 
tensive  region  will  be  able  to  supply  itself  with 
apples  in  tee  future.  I  speak  of  this  locality,  be¬ 
cause  I  know  it.  Other  localities  undoubtedly 
have  like  relative  supplies,  and  markets  ;  instance 
the  south-eastern  counties  of  Ohio  bordering  that 
river,  in  which  are  immense  orchards  planted  by 
its  early  Yankee  settlers,  the  owners  of  which 
ship  every  year,  enormous  supplies  of  apples  to 
both  the  upper  and  lower  Mississippi  Valleys. 

That  apples  are,  produced  with  more  difficulty 
of  late  than  in  times  past,  is  certain.  The  wear¬ 
ing  of  our  soils  by  cropping  is  probably  one  cause  ; 
the  depredations  of  numerous  apparently  new  in¬ 
sects  is  another.  We  take  more  pains  with  our 
young  orchards  than  our  fathers  did  with  theirs, 
and  on  the  average  they  are  not  so  flourishing, 
particularly  in  old  soils.  The  insects  are  more 
destructive.  Until  about  twenty  years  ago,  I 
neither  saw  nor  heard  of  the  common  apple  worm 
in  this  vicinity — and  there  are  large  apple  orchards 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Niagara  river,  in 
Canada,  seventy  years  old,  and  still  in  bearing — 
while  now  in  some  years,  half  our  best  apples  are 
spoiled  by  the  worm  in  the  core.  I  might  say, 
with  a  good  deal  of  theoretical  truth — but  that 
some  punctilious  nurseryman  would  “  pitch  into  ” 
me — (instead  of  my  facts  or  argument)  that  the 
modern  system  of  root-grafting  many  of  the  re¬ 
fined  and  delicate  growing  varieties,  the  wood  of 
which  is  unfit  to  make  a  strong,  vigorous  and 
hardy  trunk,  but  which  would  do  very  well  as  a 
top,  worked  on  a  wilding  stem,  branch  high,  is 
one  cause  of  the  comparative  effeminacy  in  the 
growth  of  our  modern  orchards.  But,  with  all  the 
drawbacks  attending  them,  we  are  not  likely  to  be 
without  a  full  supply  of  apples  in  our  country  for 
a  long  time  in  the  future.  I  will  speak  of  other 
fruits  in  mv  next. 

- «-< - - h®. - - 

Try  a  Hot-Bed. 

A  simple  and  cheap  apparatus  for  bringing  for¬ 
ward  plants  for  early  Summer  use,  is,  to  say  the 
least,  a  very  convenient  appendage  to  every  home¬ 
stead  large  enough  to  have  a  vegetable  garden. 
Yet  comparatively  few  possess  it,  and  among 
farmers  especially,  such  a  thing  as  a  Hot-bed  is 
almost  unknown.  Surely  the  farmer  deserves  the 
first  fruits  of  the  season,  and  he  may  have  them 
if  he  will.  Lettuce,  cabbage,  cucumbers,  toma¬ 
toes,  cauliflower,  melons,  etc.,  may  be  upon  his 
table  from  four  to  six  weeks  earlier  than  usual, 
by  a  little  painstaking,  at  a  season  when  the  time 
to  do  this  work  can  be  easily  spared  from  other 
occupations.  On  page  53  of  last  Vol.,  we  gave 
quite  full  directions  for  the  construction  and  man¬ 
agement  of  Hot-beds,  but  the  following  just  at. 
hand  from  a  stated  contributor  is  seasonable,  and 
will  perhaps  be  of  service  to  many  who  have  not 
seen  the  article  referred  to  : 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  determine  the 
size  of  the  bed  wanted.  If  it  is  only  for  family 
use,  and  to  supply  a  few  friends  with  early  plants, 
twelve  feet  long  and  six  wide  will  be  ample.  To 
make  the  frame,  take  two  inch  planks,  cut  them 
into  suitable  lengths,  and  nail  or  hook  them  to 
cedar  posts,  set  at  the  four  corners.  If  hooks  are 


used,  the  planks  are  more  easily  taken  apart  and 
stored  away  after  the  season  is  over.  These  posts 
should  be  three  or  four  inches  square.  The  frame 
has,  of  course,  no  bottom.  The  back  should  be 
about  three  feet  high,  the  front  a  foot  and  a  half, 
and  the  ends  made  with  a  regular  slope  from  back 
to  lront.  So  made,  the  rain  will  be  carried  off 
Irom  the  sash,  and  the  light  will  reach  all  the 
plants  within.  The  sash  may  be  made  like  com¬ 
mon  window  sash,  except  that  there  are  no  cross¬ 
bars,  and  the  panes  of  glass  overlap  each  other 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  at  the  bottom,  so  as  to  shed 
rain  like  the  shingles  of  a  roof.  The  sash 
should  be  made  of  good,  seasoned  pine,  1^-  to  2 
inches  thick,  and  painted  three  good  coats.  Small 
panes,  say  6x8,  are  less  liable  to  breakage  than 
larger ;  and  in  glazing,  they  should  be  bedded  in 
soft  putty.  For  the  sash  to  rest  and  slide  upon, 
strong  strips  should  be  placed  across  the  frame, 
and  moiticed  in  at  each  end.  The  following  cut 
may  represent  the  sash  and  frame  : 


A  hot-bed  twelve  feet  long  would  need  three 
sashes,  four  feet  wide. 

While  the  frame  has  been  making,  we  will  sup¬ 
pose  that  the  manure,  it  quite  fresh,  has  been 
thrown  into  heaps  and  turned  over  and  mixed  for 
ten  days  or  a  fortnight,  so  as  to  promote  a  regular 
fermentation.  This  having  been  done,  choose  a 
good  situation  for  the  bed,  with  a  dry  bottom,  and 
sheltered,  if  possible,  on  the  north  and  west 
sides.  Determine  the  size  you  need,  and  then 
drive  stakes  at  each  corner.  Now,  wheel  on  the 
manure.  Strong,  littery  manure  from  the  horse- 
stable  is  the  best ;  but  in  lack  of  this,  tanners 
bark  may  be  used,  or  leaves — oak-leaves  are  best. 
If  dung  is  to  be  had,  lay  up  a  bed  of  it,  six  inches 
to  a  loot  wider  on  all  sides  than  the  frame  which 
is  to  rest  upon  it,  pressing  it  down  gently  and 
equally  throughout.  The  average  hight  of  such 
beds  is  from  two  to  three  feet.  If,  as  some  per¬ 
sons  prefer,  the  bed  is  sunk  a  foot  or  more  in  the 
ground,  the  manure  need  not  rise  more  than  two 
feet  above  the  surface.  Having  set  the  frame 
and  sash  upon  the  dung-bed,  with  the  lower 
side  towards  the  south.  Jet  the  whole  lie  a 
few  days,  until  the  most  violent  fermentation  has 
passed  off.  Then,  put  on  about  six  inches  of  the 
best  garden  mold.  The  part  devoted  to  radishes 
and  lettuce  may  have  a  toot  of  soil.  In  a  few  days 
the  seed  may  be  sown,  which  should  be  done 
about  six  weeks  belo.-e  the  usual  time  for  trans¬ 
planting  to  open  grounds.  Examine  the  bed  daily, 
and  if  the  heat  becomes  excessive,  run  a  stake  or 
crow-bar  down  into  the  manure  to  let  the  steam 
escape;  the  sashes,  also,  may  be  raised  a  little. 
If  the  ground  becomes  dry,  water  occasionally 
with  tepid  water  ;  if  the  heat  declines,  keep  it  up 
by  the  addition  of  fresh  manure  piled  up  arounu 
the  sides  of  the  bed.  In  cold  nights,  cover  the 
beds  with  matting  or  straw. 


Pie  or  Japan  Melon. — This  new  melou  is 
spoken  of  as  a  good  substitute  for  apples,  in  mak¬ 
ing  pies.  The  seed  is  very  little  disseminated  as 
yet.  We  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  small  par¬ 
cels  from  J.  Child,  of  California,  and  H.  Hale,  oi 
Mississippi.  We  have  only  enough  to  experimem 
with,  the  result  of  which  will  be  made  known  in 
due  time. 


84 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


On  January  10,  the  coldest  day  of  the  year,  a 
cartman  left  at  our  office  a  barrel  (freight  paid) 
which  on  opening  we  found  to  contain  a  splen¬ 
did  lot  of  red  apples  that  differed  a  little  from 
any  variety  described  in  the  books.  They  were 
mostly  touched  by  frost,  but  not  too  much  so  to 
prevent  their  being  recognized  as  something  un¬ 
usually  good  for  the  season.  They  cooked  well 
and  ate  well,  and  their  rich  color,  fair  size,  and 
good  condition  at  this  season  ofthe  year,  indicated 
them  to  be  worth  looking  after.  The  accompany¬ 
ing  full  sized  sketch  we  took  from  an  average 
specimen  of  those  sent  to  us.  These  apples  we 
find  came  from  Mr.  F.  A.  Rockwell,  of  Fairfield 
Co.,  Conn.  They  have  been  grown  for  many  years 
in  Ridgefield,  where  they  are  said  to  have  origi¬ 
nated  nearly  a  century  ago  on  the  farm  of  Dr. 
Baker,  from  whom  they  were  named.  This  va¬ 
riety  was  also  grown  by  Mr.  Scott,  and  in  some 
instances  has  been  called  the  “  Scott  Apple.” 
Like  the  Pinneo  pear  in  eastern  Connecticut, 
and  many  other  excellent  fruits  elsewhere,  there 
seems  to  have  been  no  effort  made  to  propagate 
and  distribute  the  Baker  Apple,  and  it  has  not 
we  think,  hitherto  found  its  way  into  the  books 
or  nurseries,  though  it  has  been  somewhat  dis¬ 
seminated  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  its 
native  locality  where  it  is  held  in  high  esteem. 

Description. — The  tree  is  said  to  be  spreading, 
a  vigorous  grower,  and  prolific.  Fruit,  medium 
to  large,  oblate,  sometimes  globular  and  even  ap¬ 
proaching  to  conical.  Skin  yellowish,  shaded 
with  red  and  crimson,  somewhat  striped  ;  stalk 
short  and  thick,  inserted  in  a  regular  deep  cavity, 
calyx  of  medium  depth,  closed  ;  flesh,  yellowish 
with  occasional  veins  of  red,  tender,  rather  dry 
with  a  mild  sub-acid  flavor.  Season,  from  Octo¬ 
ber  until  April.  Is  now  (Feb.)  in  good  condition. 
• - - — - - - 


and  sweet  trees  this 
spring,  as  an  experiment. 
Benj.  Borden,  of  Nor¬ 
ristown,  Pa.,  in  a  recent 
letter  describes-  a  tree 
he  formerly  well  knew  in 
Warren  Co.,  N.  J.,  which 
was  similar  to  that  of 
Mr.  Denning.  ‘‘A  portion 
of  the  fruit  ripened  pre¬ 
maturely  and  was  sweet. 
Others,  ripening  later, 
were,  some  sweet,  some 
sour,  and  some  sweet  on 
one  side  and  sour  on  the 
other.  The  main  crop 
which  arrived  at  full  ma¬ 
turity  later,  were  entirely 
sour.  They  were  scarce¬ 
ly  to  be  distinguished  from  well-grown  Rhode 
Island  Greenings  ;  and  aside  from  its  novelty,  the 
fruit  was  considered  as  worthy  of  propagation, 
on  account  of  its  superior  excellence.” 

- - - ■— - 

Plan  of  Plower  Garden 

In  arranging  the  flower  garden,  it  is  an  excel¬ 
lent  plan  to  set  “  bedding-plants  ”  in  circular  and 
other  fancy-shaped  beds  cut  out  in  the  lawn.  Her¬ 
baceous  perennials,  biennials,  annuals,  small 
shrubs  and  vines,  are  best  kept  in  a  flower-gar¬ 
den  by  themselves,  where  their  beauties  may  wax 
and  wane  without  disturbing  anybody’s  fastidious 
taste.  This  little  garden  should  be  laid  off  on  one 
side  of  the  pleasure-grounds,  and  be  partially  hid 
from  the  highly  dressed  lawn  by  thickets  of 
shrubbery.  Whatever  is  disagreeable  in  its  dug 
beds,  and  perhaps  straggling  and  sometimes  de¬ 
caying  plants,  will  then  be  concealed  from  the 
chance  visitor  to  the  house  ;  and  whatever  is 
agreeable  in  a  surprise,  and  a  cosy  corner  con¬ 
taining  all  sorts  of  flowers,  will  then  be  realised. 


Apple  Tree  Ereaks. 


We  continue  to  receive  letters  from  various 
sections  of  the  country  respecting  that  tree  pro¬ 
ducing  half-sweet,  half-sour  apples,  which  we  de¬ 
scribed  in  November  (Vol.  17,  page  323.)  It  is 
noteworthy  that  while  nearly  all  these  letters  tell 
how  such  an  anomaly  may  be  produced — viz.,  by 
halving  two  buds  carefully  and  setting  a  sweet 
and  sour  half  together — yet  none  of  the  writers 
tell  us  they  have  themselves  actually  performed 
the  experiment  or  seen  it  done.  We  propose 
that  those  interested  should  the  present  Spring 
try  the  operation  in  the  manner  described  in  our 
December  number  (Vol.  17,  page  368).  We  have 
received  the  favor  of  some  scions  from  Mr.  Den¬ 
ning’s  tree,  which  we  shall  engraft  upon  both  sour 


After  trying,  in  his  own  grounds,  square,  dia¬ 
mond-shaped,  oval  and  other  sorts  of  beds,  the 
writer  hit  upon  the  above  plan  which  suits  well. 
The  center  bed  (oval)  has  a  collection  of  blue 
and  white  flowering  plants,  such  as  Larkspurs, 
Pyrethrums  and  Achilleas.  In  the  middle,  is  a 
Clematis  flammula,  trained  upon  a  harp-shaped 
frame  about  seven  feet  high.  This  bed  is  seven 
feet  long  and  five  wide.  The  four  beds,  next 
around  it,  are  occupied  with  miscellaneous  plants  ; 
and  as  they  are  mostly  such  as  we  can  recom¬ 
mend  for  similar  gardens,  we  will  mention  the 
names  of  the  larger  portion.  One  of  these  four 
beds  is  entirely  filled  with  Phloxes,  early  and  late. 


They  are  P.  Alba  perfecta, Van  Houttii, Surpass  Mar¬ 
tin,  Striata  Supcrbissima,  Abdul  Medjii,  La  Paon, 
Marianne,  Reinc  Louise.  Another  bed  has  her¬ 
baceous  Spiraeas.  Another  has  Campanulas,  Lily 
ofthe  Valley,  Ragged  Robin,  Scarlet  Lychnis, 
Monkshood  and  Fraxinellas.  Another  has  Po- 
tentillas,  Ranunculus,  Lythrum,  Forget-me-not, 
Sweet  William,  Baptiseas,  Sweet  Violets,  Colum¬ 
bines,  etc.  These  beds  are  about  ten  feet  long 
and  four  and  a  half  wide.  The  outer  bed  is  sev¬ 
en  feet  in  width.  Its  inner  border  is  decked  with 
low,  early  flowering  plants,  such  as  daisies,  poly¬ 
anthus,  Iris,  daffodils  and  snow-drops  Next  be¬ 
hind  these  are  set  various  medium-sized  herba¬ 
ceous  plants,  with  spaces  left  between  them  for 
annual  flowers.  In  the  rear  of  all,  are  shrubs  and 
vines,  such  as  roses,  spiraeas,  deutzias,  Weigelias, 
laburnums,  forsythia,  florvering  almond,  Japan 
quince,  honeysuckles,  etc.  This  flower  garden 
occupies  a  corner  of  our  grounds,  and  is  so  com¬ 
pletely  surrounded  by  shrubbery,  that  it  can  not 
be  seen  from  the  neighboring  street,  so  that 
ladies  and  children  may  enjoy  it  at  any  hour 
of  the  day,  without  being  exposed  to  the  gaze  of 
the  public  highway.  On  one  side,  under  a  group 
of  low  trees  and  shrubs,  is  a  rustic  seat,  where 
a  company  can  sit  in  the  shade,  and  enjoy  a  view 
of  the  garden  in  the  hottest  day  of  Summer. 

Planning  the  Garden. 

In  gardening,  as  well  as  in  farming  and  almost 
everything  else,  it  is  best  to  work  upon  some 
definite  and  fixed  plan.  Energy  will  accomplish 
something,  even  if  working  at  hap-hazard,  but  not 
half  so  much  as  if  directed  by  good  rules.  For 
this  reason,  it  is  wise  to  begin  the  horticultural 
year  by  drawing  up  a  well  considered  plan  for  the 
garden.  And  now,  this  very  month  of  March,  is 
the  time  to  do  this. 

If  your  garden  is  already  formed,  with  vines, 
dwarf-trees  and  bushes  long  planted,  it  may  be 
too  late  to  make  any  material  change  in  its  ar¬ 
rangement.  But  if  not,  a  few  suggestions  may 
be  adopted.  One  very  important  item  in  plan¬ 
ning  a  garden,  is  to  economise  room  ;  another  is 
to  set  the  different  plants  so  that  they  will  not 
shade  or  otherwise  interfere  with  each  other; 
and  another  is  to  set  them  all  so  as  to  facilitate 
the  work  ofthe  gardener. 

To  accomplish  these  several  ends,  lay  off  a 
border  on  the  four  sides  of  the  garden,  (which  we 
now  suppose  to  be  a  square,  or  parallelogram,) 
from  four  to  six  feet  wide,  according  to  the  ex¬ 
tent  of  your  ground.  Devote  this  border  chiefly 
to  grape  vines,  dwarf  trees,  etc.  As  most  grape 
vines  succeed  best  in  a  warm  and  sunny  exposure, 
set  them  on  the  northern  border,  where  they  will 
be  protected  from  cold  winds  by  a  high  and  tight 
fence  behind  them,  and  may  receive  the  warm 
rays  of  the  sun.  They  may  be  trained  on  this 
fence,  or,  which  is  better,  upon  a  trellis,  a  foot  or 
more  away  from  it,  allowing  a  circulation  of  air 
behind.  The  eastern  border  may  be  devoted 
to  currants  and  gooseberries,  and  the  southern 
to  raspberries  and  blackberries,  as  they  thrive 
well  under  the  partial  shade  of  a  fence.  The 
west  border  may  be  occupied  with  dwarf  pears, 
dwarf  cherries,  etc.  If  these  vines,  trees  and 
bushes  do  not  fully  occupy  the  borders,  rows  of 
strawberries  may  be  set  around  upon  ther  edges, 
making  an  ornamental  finish,  and  being  at  the 
same  time  very  useful.  The  remainder  of  the 
ground,  if  quite  extensive,  may  be  divided  into 
four  squares,  with  ivalks  intersecting  at  right 
angles,  in  the  middle  of  the  garden.  If  the  space 
is  small,  one  walk  through  the  centre  will  be 
sufficient.  These  walks  (one  or  more,)  may  have 


85 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


borders  on  each  side,  four  or  five  fioet  in  width, 
and  may  be  planted  with  dwarf-trees,  currant- 
bushes,  and  the  like.  Grapes  may  be  grown  on 
one  or  more  of  these  borders,  if  trained  on  poles 
m  the  vineyard-style,  and  set  where  they  will 
cast  their  shadows  principally  on  the  walks. 
These  main  walks  should  be  covered  with  fine 
gravel,  to  make  them  dry  and  pleasant  to  the  foot 
at  all  seasons.  In  the  lack  ol  gravel,  tan-bark 
may  be  used. 

The  rest  of  the  ground  may  be  laid  off  in 
patches  for  early  potatoes,  peas,  cucumbers, 
melons,  etc ,  and  into  beds  for  beets,  onions, 
strawberries,  parsnips,  vegetable  oysters  and  so 
forth.  Of  course,  the  whole  ground  should  be 
thoroughly  trenched  and  manured,  and  then  kept 
free  from  weeds  ;  but  of  these  things  we  need 
not  now  speak. 

- . - - »  - - 

Fumigating  Apparatus. 

The  figure  below  is  from  a  sketch  sent 
us  by  John  Richardson,  of  Portland,  Me.,  which 
he  thus  describes  :  A,  is  a  lower  dish  for  holding 
the  lamp,  C.  Over  this  is  placed  B,  an  upper  dish 
or  reservoir,  in  the  bottom  of  which  is  the  tobac¬ 
co,  sulphur,  or  other  fumigating  material.  F ,  is 
a  closely  fitting  movable  cover.  In  the  top  of 
this  is  a  small  tube,  E,  upon  which  is  attached  the 
flexible  India-rubber  tubing  D,  made  of  any  de¬ 
sired  length.  The  coupling  tube,  E,  may  be  a 
simple  short  tin  pipe,  and  the  rubber  stretched 
over  it ;  or  it  may  be  made  with  a  screw  coup¬ 
ling.  The  upper  end  of  the  pipe  D.  may  be  car¬ 
ried  by  hand  or  on  a  pole  to  any  part  of  a  plant, 
or  room,  directly  to  worms’  nests  in  trees,  etc. 

We  give  this  only  as  suggestive,  for  as  here 
arranged  and  described,  it  is  defective.  Thus,  if 
the  bottom  of  B  be  closed,  no  air  can  circulate 
upward  to  carry  up  the  fum  s.  A  portion  of  the 
bottom  directly  over  the  lamp  might  he  made  of 
wire-cloth  or  wire-gauze,  which  would  answer  for 
tobacco,  hut  not.  for  sulphur,  for  that,  would  melt 


and  run  through  upon  the  lamp,  and  also  soon  de¬ 
stroy  the  wire.  For  holding  sulphur  a  tin  cup  might 
be  set  upon  the  wire-gauze.  To  ignite  the  sulphur, 
and  also  to  produce  a  freer  upward  current,  a 
pretty  strong  flame  would  be  required.  The  wire 
bottom  would  also  need  to  be  made  large  enough 
to  admit  fresh  air,  for  that  rising  immediately 
from  the  lamp  would  be  too  much  de-oxidized  to 
ignite  the  sulphur  readily. 

With  these  modifications,  and  perhaps  others, 
this  apparatus  may  be  made  both  useful  and  con¬ 
venient,  as  it  can  be  readily  carried  about  by 
hand.  Something  of  the  kind  is  needed  to  aid 
the  horticulturist  in  his  warfare  against  the  appa¬ 
rently  insignificant  little  creatures,  that  not  only 
continually  annoy  him,  but  often,  almost  before 
they  can  be  perceived,  blast  the  fruits  of  month’s 
of  careful  pains-taking. 


The  Bread  Fruit  Tree.  (  Artocarpus  Inte- 
gnfolia.) 

The  engraving  here  presented  is  suggestive  of 

very  paradise  for  those  peculiar  people  who 
think  work  is  a  punishment,  or  to  use  plain  Eng¬ 
lish,  lazy  folks.  To  have  the  plowing  and  sow¬ 
ing,  cultivating  and  harvesting,  grinding,  and 
moreover  the  mixing  and  baking,  already  done  to 
hand,  and  the  fine  large  loaves  of  bread  hanging 
temptingly  from  trees,  whose  dense  foliage  sup¬ 
plies  all  needed  shelter,  must  be  glorious  indeed. 
Though  the  bread  fruit  tree  may  not  quite  equal  a 
modern  bakery,  in  the  quality  of  its  products,  (we 
hope  it  exceeds  some,  bake  shops),  it.  does  supply 
a  wholesome  and  rather  palatable  article  of  food, 
and  furnishes  the  natives  of  some  of  the  South  Sea 
islands  with  a  good  part  of  their  support.  It  is 
said  that  three  trees  will  furnish  fruit  enough  to 
sustain  a  man  eight  months. 

The  fruit,  which  usually  grows  somewhat  larger 
than  a  man’s  head  is  picked  while  green.  In  this 
state  it  contains  a  mealy,  snow-white  pulp,  which 
is  wrapped  in  leaves  by  the  natives  and  baked  on 
hot  stones  and  when  thus  treated,  its  taste  is  like 
that  of  wheat  bread,  slighly  sweetened.  When 
ripened  it  has  a  rather  disagreeable  flavor,  re¬ 
sembling  turpentine,  although  it  is  eaten  freely  | 
by  the  inhabitants.  The  engraving  above  is  from 
a  photograph  taken  by  Mr.  Phillips  in  the  island 
of  Madagascar.  The  size  of  the  fruit  may  be  seen 
by  comparison  with  the  head  of  the  native,  who 
was  purposely  stationed  by  the  tree  while  taking 
the  photograph.  This  specimen  is  of  a  new  spe¬ 
cies,  much  larger  than  the  common  bread  fruit, 
the  product  being  nearly  double  the  size  of  any 
other  kind  known.  It  may  be  a  seedling  intro¬ 
duced  into  Madagascar  from  some  distant  island, 
as  the  natives  say  the  tree  was  unknown  to  their 
forefathers. 

- - — >«•— - -  •- - - 

The  Soda-in-Bread  Question. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

Having  noticed  in  the  Oct.  No.  of  the  American 
Agriculturist  an  article  headed  “  An  inquiry  about 
Bread,”  signed  by  M.  D.,  to  which  are  appended 
some  editorial  remarks — also  an  article  in  the 
I  Dec.  No.  by  Wm.  J.  Flagg,  I  w'ish  to  add  a  few 


remarks  to  what  has 
already  been  said.  I 
do  not  take  the  oppo¬ 
site  side  of  the  ques¬ 
tion  with  the  view  of 
being  classed  by  M.  D 
among  Editors,  Lectur¬ 
ers,  etc.,  but  because  I 
believe  a  very  great 
error  is  committed  by 
thus  drugging  our  vic¬ 
tuals  in  order  to  force 
them  into  a  condition 
which  may,  and  I  think 
ought  to  be  obtained 
only  by  the  natural 
panary  fermentation  — 
Granting  all  that  has 
been  claimed  by  the 
apologists  of  Soda 
Bread,  “that  in  the 
union  of  bi-carbonate  ol 
soda  with  the  acid  tar¬ 
trate  of  potash,  an  in¬ 
noxious  (chemically 
innoxious)  salt  (ro- 
chelle)  and  the  free 
carbonic  acid  are  the 
only  results,  and,  that  they  exercise  no  control 
over  the  functional  action  of  the  organs  by  vir¬ 
tue  of  their  chemical  relations  to  the  system- 
granting  ail  this — does  it  follow  that  such  sub¬ 
stances  as  are  chemically  innoxious  may  be  in¬ 
troduced  into  the  system  with  impunity  1  They 
can  not  be  assimilated  into  any  tissue  ;  and  does 
not  simply  the  mechanical  presence  of  such  sub¬ 
stances  unduly  load  the  circulating  fluid  with  an 
amount  of  useless  matter,  severely  taxing  the 
emunctories  of  the  system  in  their  elimination  ’ 
The  specific  gravity  of  the  blood  is  increased 
beyond  its  normal  healthy  standard.  It  be¬ 
comes  more  sluggish  in  its  movements  in  pro¬ 
portion  as  it  is  loaded  with  extraneous  matter 
and  greater  duties  are  imposed  on  tie  various  or¬ 
gans.  But,  aside  from  the  mechanical  effects 
which  this  double  salt  produces  on  the  system,  it 
is  a  purgative— mild  it  is  true — and  its  use  can 
not  be  kept  up  in  the  system  (even  in  small  doses) 
without  inducing  a  torpid  condition  of  the  bowels. 
Every  Physician  knows  that  the  continued  use 
(even  in  very  small  quantities)  of  cathartics  as 
well  as  stimulants  and  opiates  so  overcomes  the 
natural  sensibility  of  the  organs  upon  which  they 
exert  their  specific  influence,  that  in  time,  they  fail 
to  respond  to  their  appropriate  stimuli.  Now'  the 
natural  stimuli  of  the  alimentary  canal  are  the 
residual  elements  of  our  food,  and  the  secretions 
of  the  liver  and  pancreas.  When  in  addi¬ 
tion,  we  are  constantly  adding  an  agent  whose 
tendency  is  to  stimulate  unnaturally,  the  sensi¬ 
bility  of  the  organs  passes  gradually  from  under 
the  influence  of  its  natural  and  appropriate  stimu¬ 
li  to  that  of  the  unnatural  agent.  The  reason  as 
the  Editor  justly  says  that  the  gustatory  and  olfac¬ 
tory  senses  are  no  longer  good  evidence  in  the 
present  case,  is  because  the  natural  caste  and  smell 
has  been  benumbed  or  overcome  by  the  use  of  con¬ 
diments  and  other  accompaniments  of  civilized 
life.  So  with  the  natural  peristaltic  action  of  the 
bowels  ;  when  for  a  long  time  subjected  to  the  in¬ 
fluence  of  any  unnatural  stimulus  ;  they  become 
more  or  less  insensible  to  the  action  of  the  resi¬ 
duum  of  the  food,  and  the  secretions  of  the  liver. 

So  far  we  have  treated  the  subject  as  if  in  the 
use  of  Soda  and  tartaric  acid,  there  were  ahvays 
just  those  nice  proportions  of  the  acid  and  alkali 
as  will  exactly  neutralize  each  other.  Now  this 
might  be  the  ease,  provided  every  housewife  was 


86 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


a  Chemist,  and  had  the  essential  implements  to 
weigh  out  each  substance  in  just  the  right  pro¬ 
portion  ;  but  unfortunately  for  the  neutralizing 
theory  this  is  not  the  case.  Teaspoons  and  guess¬ 
work  are  very  crude  balances  for  determining  the 
just  proportion  of  each  ingredient.  The  result  is, 
we  think,  in  almost  every  case  there  is  an  excess 
either  of  the  acid  or  salt.  This  being  the  case, 
it  will  be  seen  at  once  that  whatever  effect  would 
result  from  the  use  of  either  the  tartrate  of  potash 
or  the  bi-carbonate  of  soda  without  the  aid  of  the 
other  as  a  neutralizer,  will  result  where  there  is 
an  excess  of  either  the  acid  or  the  soda — and  that, 
in  the  exact  proportion  of  the  excess. 

In  arguing  that  the  use  of  soda  was  not  inju¬ 
rious  because  it  was  neutralized  by  the  acid,  M. 
D.  has  virtually  admitted  that  when  not  thus 
neutralized  it  (the  soda)  is  injurious.  Now  does 
any  one  suppose  that  there  is  more  than  one  case 
in  ten  thousand  where  soda  and  tartaric  acid  are 
used,  in  which  the  house-wife  happens  to  get  exact¬ 
ly  the  right  proportions'!  Suppose  she  chance 
to  get  the  exact  proportion  one  time  in  a  thou¬ 
sand,  then  according  to  the  theory  there  will  be 
nine  hundred  and  ninety  nine  times  that  the  use  of 
these  substances  will  be  injurious,  because  not 
in  the  exact  proportions. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  gastric  juice  is  acid 
in  its  reaction,  by  virtue  of  the  presence  of  free 
Hydrochloric  acid  in  the  proportion  of  about  3 
parts  in  1000.  It  is  pretty  generally  agreed  among 
Physiologists  that  to  the  presence  of  this  acid  the 
gastric  juice  owes  its  solvent  powers.  An  excess 
t  herefore  of  bi-carbonate  of  soda,  or  any  other  al¬ 
kali  would  in  a  measure  neutralize  and  destroy 
the  digestive  powers  of  this  fluid.  As  the 
albumenous  substances  are  only  acted  upon  by 
the  gastric  juice  ;  and,  as  its  solvent  powers  de¬ 
pend  in  a  great  measure  upon  the  presence  of 
Hydrochloric  acid,  it  will  be  readily  seen  that  in¬ 
digestion  in  some  measure  will  be  the  result. 
But  there  is  a  great  portion  of  our  food  which  is 
not  affected  by  the  acid  juice  of  the  stomach  but 
is  reserved  for  the  action  of  the  alkaline  secre¬ 
tions  of  the  pancreas  and  liver.  To  this  class  of 
food  belong  starch,  sugar,  gum,  cellulose,  oils, 
fats,  alcohol,  etc.,  all  of  which  depend  for  their 
solution  upon  the  alkaline  fluids  they  meet  in  the 
duodenum.  If  now  there  is  an  excess  of  the  acid 
instead  of  the  soda,  the  digestion  of  these  impor¬ 
tant  substances  would  be  materially  impeded. 

But  as  we  have  been  notified  to  be  short  in  our 
articles,  I  must  close  with  the  subject  but  barely 
begun.  L.  D.  J— ,  M.  D. 

Morrison ,  111. 


Entertaining  our  Friends— Chamber  Fur¬ 
niture,  etc. 

BY  ANNA  HOPE. 

We  ail  like  to  make  our  visitors  comfortable, 
and  to  have  them  take  with  them  pleasant  me¬ 
mories  when  they  leave  us.  To  secure  this  it  is 
not  necessary  to  devote  all  our  time  to  them,  nor 
prepare  a  sumptuous  table,  or  an  elegantly  fur¬ 
nished  chamber.  The  heart’s  welcome  is  the 
first  requisite,  and  that  has  the  magical  power  of 
casting  a  rosy  light  over  what  else,  might  be  as 
cheerless  as  the  arctic  snow  when  the  sun  is  hid¬ 
den.  Mere  words  of  welcome  are  of  but  little 
value,  yet  when  words  are  freighted  with  love, 
they  are  as  precious  as  pearls. — Cultivate,  then, 
not  only  kindness  of  heart,  but  kindness  of  man¬ 
ner,  and  kindness  of  expression.  I  have  often 
thought  of  the  tenderness,  and  fullness,  and  free¬ 
dom,  with  which  Jesus  expressed  his  love  for  his 
disciples,  as  an  example  for  us  in  our  intercourse 
with  our  friends. 

We  can  not.,  of  course,  treat  all  guests  with 


equal  cordiality,  for  we  can  not  love  all  alike  ; 
yet  we  can  always  be  courteous,  and,  if  we  seek 
it,  can  almost  always  find  some  reason  for  a 
warmth  of  manner,  that  will  be  agreeable  to 
those  who  visit  us.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  confer 
happiness,  and  this  of  itself  is  enough  to  make 
our  hearts  glow,  and  it  brings  its  own  exceeding 
great  reward  to  ourselves,  even  when  but  for  this 
we  should  prefer  to  be  alone. 

If  our  time  be  necessarily  so  occupied  that  we 
can  give  but  little  of  it  to  our  guests,  let  us  tell 
them  so,  and  provide  for  them  other  means  of  en¬ 
joyment,  or  leave  them  to  their  own  resources.  I 
think  it  is  generally  more  pleasant  for  a  visitor  to 
have  some  hours  of  the  day  to  herself,  unless  the 
visit  must  be  very  brief.  To  talk  incessantly 
from  morning  till  night  is  wearisome,  if  the 
friendship  be  not  of  the  most  intimate  character, 
and  even  then  there  is  most  exquisite  happiness 
in  quietly  enjoying  the  presence  of  the  beloved. 
There  are  thoughts  and  emotions  so  delicate  and 
spiritual,  that  we  have  no  words  for  them.  They 
are  perceived  by  the  soul,  and  are  spoken  by  the 
soul  without  audible  language.  Silence  then  be¬ 
comes  more  eloquent  and  communicative  than 
speech. 

We  must  be  careful  not  to  let  a  guest  think 
that  she  increases  our  cares,  or  if  she  does,  we 
must  make  her  feel  that  the  pleasure  of  her  com¬ 
pany  more  than  counterbalances  it.  I  am  not  coun¬ 
seling  falsehood,  for  I  believe  we  can  be  both 
true  and  courteous  at  the  same  time.  If  our 
hearts  are  loving,  we  regard  the  happiness  of 
others  as  we  do  our  own,  and  we  find  much  of 
our  enjoyment  in  making  others  happy. 

See  that  the  guest  chamber  is  provided  with 
all  that  is  necessary  to  comfort.  Be  sure  there 
is  soap  on  the  wash-stand,  and  that  the  soap- 
dish  is  clean.  Have  plenty  of  water  in  the 
pitchers,  and  do  not  forget  the  tumbler  for  brush¬ 
ing  teeth.  Provide  a  pail  or  tub,  or  something  of 
the  kind  for  slops.  The  painted  tin  sets,  which 
comprise  a  pail  for  water,  and  another  for  slops, 
and  a  foot  tub,  are  desirable.  Have  a  variety  of 
towels,  coarse  and  fine,  on  the  bars,  or  in  the 
wash-stand  drawer.  A  wash-cloth  is  convenient. 
These  may  be  made  of  the  same  material  as  the 
towels,  and  should  be  hemmed.  Do  not  use  rags 
either  for  yourself  or  your  friends.  Wash-cloths 
knit  of  tidy  cotton  are  soft  and  nice.  A  soft 
sponge  is  good,  but  unless  it  is  your  own  it  does 
not  look  as  inviting  as  a  clean,  fresh  cloth. 

It  is  well  to  have  a  few  books  in  a  guest  cham¬ 
ber.  If  they  be  of  the  right  kind,  they  will  drive 
away  any  solitariness  that  may  seek  to  enter. 
Pen,  ink,  and  paper,  too,  are  desirable.  A  low 
chair,  or  an  arm-chair,  or  a  rocker,  arc  comforts. 
Small  boxes  about  the  size  of  ordinary  soap¬ 
boxes,  with  the  cover  hinged  on  and  neatly  cov¬ 
ered,  are  very  convenient.  So  are  larger  boxes, 
especially  if  there  be  but  little  closet-ioom.  A 
hassock,  or  footstool  of  some  kind,  is  useful. 

If  visitors,  ladies  or  gentlemen,  call  without 
their  baggage,  to  pass  the  night  with  you,  furnish 
them  with  a  night-gown,  and  have  a  nice  brush 
for  their  use.  A  little  whisk  broom  is  often  con¬ 
venient.  Have  pins,  both  large  and  small,  on  the 
cushion,  and  a  box  of  hair-pins  on  the  bureau. 
Have  also  matches  in  a  proper  safe,  and  a  vase, 
or  something  of  the  kind,  to  receive  the  burnt 
matches.  A  shell  lying  on  the  bureau  or  sus¬ 
pended  near  it,  is  prettier  than  most  vases,  for 
this  purpose — as  it  also  is  for  flowers. 

When  you  have  done  all  you  can  for  your 
guests,  do  not  trouble  yourself  with  the  thought 
that  you  have  not  made  the  visit  pleasant  to 
them.  Above  all,  do  not  tell  them  so,  and  thus 
compel  them,  if  you  have  failed  in  this  respect,  to 
tell  an  untruth,  or  wound  your  feelings. 


If  you  wish  your  friends  to  prolong  their  visit, 
invite  them  to  do  so,  as  earnestly  as  you  please, 
but  do  not  so  urge  them,  as  to  make  it  difficult 
for  them  to  go  if  they  consider  it,  for  any  reason, 
best  to  leave  you.  It  is  as  true  hospitality  to 
“  speed  the  parting,”  as  to  “  welcome  the  com¬ 
ing  guest.” 


Oil  the  Doors  and  Locks. 


A  creaking  door  is  always  a  nuisance.  Its 
noise  is  unpleasant  to  all,  and  particularly  dis 
tressing  to  the  sick.  With  a  feather  occasionally 
introduce  a  little  oil  or  even  melted  tallow  or  lard 
into  the  joints  of  the  hinge,  and  all  will  go 
smoothly.  Locks  should  also  be  kept  well  oiled. 
Apply  a  little  oil  to  the  blade  of  the  key,  and  also 
to  the  bolts,  especially  to  the  side  of  the  bolt  that 
strikes  the  catch  or  holder,  when  shutting  the 
door.  This  will  prevent  the  necessity  of  “slam¬ 
ming,”  saving  much  patience  and  lessening  the 
wear  of  the  door  and  the  parts  around  it.  Once 
in  a  while  take  off  the  lock  and  oil  all  the  parts 
within,  where  there  is  friction  ;  it  will  work  easier 
and  last  very  much  longer. 

* - -  '■JO-ft'IgT  - *•-»« - 

Blocks  for  Doors. 

Every  one  has  noticed  unsightly  places  on  the 
walls  behind  doors,  where  the  knob,  or  key  of  the 
door  has  broken  away  the  plastering  by  being 
brought  against  it  when  the  door  was  thrown 
back.  This  may  very  easily  be  avoided  by  fast¬ 
ening  a  small  block  on  the  floor,  against  the  base 
board,  the  block  being  sufficiently  long  to  keep 
the  knob  clear  from  the  wall.  The  block  will 
look  neater  if  covered  with  carpet.  This  is  bet¬ 
ter  than  a  movable  block  or  brick  which  is  some¬ 
times  used,  as  it  is  always  in  the  place  when 
wanted  ;  while  the  movable  blocks,  being  nice 
play  things  for  children,  are  often  removed. 

- ■»-. — — «r-an»— — .  *- - - - 

Lamp  Lighters 

Although  matches  are  very  cheap,  they  should 
not  be  wasted.  Many  of  them  can  be  saved  by 
having  small  papers  rolled  up  spirally,  ready  upon 
the  mantel  or  other  convenient  place  to  light  the 
lamps  or  candles.  '  The  making  of  them  will  be 
just  the  thing  to  amuse  some  of  the  little  folks 
who  are  so  often  asking  for  something  to  do  ;  and 
who  will  be  pleased  to  do  something  useful.  A 
paste-board  box  neatly  covered  with  fancy  paper, 
in  which  to  keep  the  lamp  lighters,  may  be  made 
a  pretty  mantel  ornament.  We  have  seen  hand¬ 
some  ones  of  perforated  card-board,  embroidered, 
and  trimmed  around  the  upper  edge  with  chenille. 


Recipes. 

Home-made  Husk. 

This  recipe  and  the  following  three  were  con¬ 
tributed  by  the  lady  who  made  the  muffins,  des¬ 
cribed  last  month  (page  55),  and  one  of  our  asso¬ 
ciates  vouches  for  their  excellence  :  Boil  and 
mash  two  good  sized  potatoes  ;  add  to  them  a 
teacup  of  yeast,  and  flour  sufficient  to  make  a 
good  sponge,  and  1  quart  milk,  1  lb.  sugar,  and  £ 
lb.  butter.  This  should  be  kneaded  soft,  and  left 
to  rise  over  night.  When  quite  light  make  into 
small  cakes,  and  bake  in  a  quick  oven. 
Cocoanut  Cake. 

Not  the  candy  known  by  that  name,  but  a  baked 
cake  that  was  exactly  to  our  taste  at  a  festival  or 
gathering  under  the  auspices  of  the  Daughters  of 
Temperance  on  New-Year’s  Day.  We  marked 
it  “approved”  and  asked  for  the  directions, 
which  were  given  as  follows  :  Rub  together  1  lb. 
sugar,  £  lb.  butter,  and  the  yolks  of  five  eggs 


AMERICAN  AGrRIC  l.  LTURIST. 


87 


Beat  the  whites  of  the  eggs  to  a  stiff  froth,  and 
add  to  the  above,  ar.d  stir  in  f  lb  flour.  Lastly, 
mix  with  these  one  cocoanut  grated,  and  bake  as 
you  would  any  ordinary  cake.  If  red-colored  co¬ 
coanut  candy  is  used  instead  of  the  cocoanut,  it 
will  make  the  cake  look  very  pretty.  Prepared 
thus  it  is  sometimes  called  “  beef-steak  cake.” 
If  you  wish  to  dream  of  unheard-of  and  terrible 
monsters,  eat  plentifully  of  it  just  before  bed¬ 
time. 

Boiled  Bread  1’udiliisg. 

An  economical  dessert  and  a  very  good  one, 
also.  Take  about  one  pound  of  the  scraps  of  dry 
bread  you  have  saved,  and  break  into  small 
pieces ;  pour  on  enough  hot  water  to  soak  it 
thoroughly.  Let  it  cool,  and  then  mix  with  it  1 
quart  of  milk,  3  eggs,  and  a  little  salt.  A  few 
raisins  will  not  injure  it.  Put  in  a  pudding  bag 
and  boil  it  an  hour.  Serve  it  up  with  molasses, 
or  sauce  according  to  your  taste. 

Apple  Preserves. 

Almost  everybody  can  make  apple  sauce,  and 
some  make  it  very  good  ;  but  this  dish  for  a  va¬ 
riety  is  quite  a  treat.  Pare  and  core  the  apples, 
cutting  them  in  halves  or  quarters  as  you  like. 
For  every  pound  of  apples  take  f  lb.  sugar  and 
make  a  syrup,  by  adding  water  sufficient  to  keep 
it  from  burning,  while  heating  it  over  a  slow  fire. 
When  the  syrup  is  boiling  hot  remove  it  from  the 
fire,  put  the  apples  in  and  let  them  stand  one 
night.  This  will  toughen  and  prevent  them  from 
falling  to  pieces.  Then  boil  them  over  a  slow 
fire  until  they  are  cooked  tender.  If  loaf  sugar 
is  used,  the  preserves  will  be  very  clear  and 
handsome.  If  the  syrup  is  made  of  brown  sugar 
it  should  be  well  skimmed  before  putting  in  the 
fruit,  and  also  while  cooking. 


Uncle  Frank’s  Ckat  with  tkc  Boys  and 
Girls. 


RAMBLF.S  ABOUT  LAKE  SUPERIOR. 

I  spent  a  great  portion  of  the  Summer  before  last  in  the 
Lake  Superior  country,  ami  I  assure  you  I  was  intense¬ 
ly  interested  in  my  adventures  there.  It  is  situated  so  far 
north,  that  the  climate,  the  face  of  the  country,  the  races 
of  animals  and  vegetables,  all  strike  us  as  peculiar  and 
novel.  I  wish  there  were  more  birds  in  that  region.  It 
is  too  cold  for  most  of  the  songsters  that  gladden  our  hearts 
here  in  this  milder  clime.  Lake  Superior  is  of  itself  one 
of  the  wonders  of  the  world.  Think  of  a  sheet  of  fresh 
water  four  hundred  miles  long.  The  navigation  of  it 
seemed  to  me  almost  precisely  like  that  of  the  Ocean.  In 
proceeding  from  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  to  Marquette,  we 


are  out  of  sight  of  land  for  ten  or  twelve  hours.  The 
depth  of  Lake  Superior  is  quite  respectable,  too— in  many 
places  little  short  of  one-thousand  feet.  The  water  is  as 
clear  as  crystal.  I  have  seen  every  object  on  the  bottom, 
at  a  depth  of  twenty-five  feet,  as  distinctly  as  if  I  had  been 
looking  through  glass. 

The  place  which  I  called  my  home  while  I  staid  in  those 
northern  regions  is  called  Marquette,  so  named  after  one 
of  the  early  Jesuit  missionaries  who  labored  there.  These 
missionaries,  by  the  way,  were  very  zealous  and  self-de¬ 
nying  men.  They  devoted  themselves  to  the  work  of 
converting  the  Indians  with  an  energy  seldom  equaled. 
And  they  did  a  great  deal  for  the  red  man.  They  gave 
him  a  measure  of  civilization,  and  they  introduced  him  to 
a  religion  as  unlike  his  as  light  is  to  darkness— though  we 
may  differ  as  to  its  value.  One  of  the  churches  these  Jesuits 
formed  at  La  Pointe,  (situated  on  one  of  the  Apostle 
Islands)  still  survives  the  changes  which  that  district  of 
country  has  undergone.  The  edifice  is  comparatively 
modern  ;  but  it  has  always  been  supported  by  the  society 
of  Jesuits,  from  the  time  of  Marquette  till  now.  1  hap¬ 
pened  to  be  at  La  Pointe  on  the  Sabbath,  and  strolled  into 
this  little  church  during  the  services.  It  was  full  almost 
to  overflowing.  Quite  three-fourths  of  the  congregation, 
I  should  think,  were  Indians,  dressed  in  all  sorts  of  w  ays, 
and  in  some  instances,  in  scarcely  viny  way  at  all.  I  didn’t 
take  much  of  a  fancy,  I  must  sav,  to  the  Indians  about 
Lake  Superior.  Those  who  are  wild,  and  who  spend 
most  of  their  time  in  the  woods,  only  coming  among  civ¬ 
ilized  people  at  rare  intervals,  as  a  wolf  will  come  prowl¬ 
ing  around  a  farm-house,  after  something  to  appease  his 
appetite,  are  just  the  most  disgusting  specimens  of  hu¬ 
manity,  so  far  as  the  outw  ard  appearance  goes,  that  1  ever 
saw  in  my  life.  I  can’t  think  the  men  comb  their  hair 
oftener  than  once  in  half  a  century.  A  blanket  is  all  they 
ever  wear  in  the  shape  of  clothing,  though  they  are  load¬ 
ed  down  with  cheap  trinkets.  Their  faces  are  hideously 
and  grotesquely  painted,  and  turkey’s  quills  abound  in  the 
matted  hair. 

But  about  the  pastor  of  the  little  church  at  La  Pointe. 
He  was  a  very  young  man,  with  a  countenance  full  of 
good  nature.  His  sermon  (which  was  in  French)  was  a 
mere  talk,  but  no  doubt  quite  up  to  the  standard  of  the 
intellect  of  his  hearers-  I  was  so  well  pleased  with  his 
appearance,  that  I  followed  him  to  his  little  room  in  the 
rear  of  the  church,  and  had  a  long  talk  with  him.  I  found 
him  a  fine  scholar  and  very  much  of  a  gentleman. 

The  two  great  sources  of  wealth  in  this  northern  penin¬ 
sula,  are  the  iron  and  the  copper  mines.  Fiom  Mar¬ 
quette  is  a  good  point  to  visit  the  iron  region.  About  16 
miles  from  this  place,  companies  are  working  the  mines. 
The  miners  don’t  have  to  go  down  into  the  bowels  of  the 
earth  to  get  the  metal.  It  lies  above  the  surface,  in  the 
form  of  huge  rocks  or  hillocks,  and  is  separated  from  its 
bed  and  made  ready  for  transportation  by  blasting.  There 
are  literally  whole  mountains  of  solid  iron  where  the 
miners  are  at  w  ork. 

The  copper  region  is  further  west.  In  these  mines,  it  is 
necessary  to  go  down  hundreds  of  feet  into  the  ground.  I 
threaded  my  way  through  one  mine.  It  is  no  child’s  play, 
I  assure  you  ;  we  put  on  a  miner’s  dress,  and  stick  a  tal¬ 
low  candle  on  the  front  of  our  caps,  and  then  walk,  or  go 
carefully  (and  perhaps  tremulously)  down  a  steep  ladder, 
or  crawl,  worm-fashion,  as  circumstances  require. 

Trout-fishing  is  fine  in  every  part  of  the  Lake  Superior 
country  which  I  visited;  I  used  to  catch  enough  for  a  din¬ 
ner  in  a  very  short  time  ;  though  the  little  fellows,  like 
all  the  rest  of  their  race  whose  acquaintance  I  have  made, 
were  very  shy,  and  frequeutly  eluded  all  my  art,  and 
laughed  at  all  my  powers  of  persuasion.  But  enough 
about  this  topic  now. 

TIIE  FIRST  OATIl. 

There,  my  little  friend,  that  w  ill  do.  You  miglitas  well 
stop  right  where  you  are.  Swearing  is  evidently  not  in 
your  line  of  business.  I  guess  this  is  the  first  time  you 
ever  attempted  anything  of  the  kind— is’nt  it  ?  Well,  I 
thought  so.  You  make  as  bungling  work  of  swearing  as  a 
young  rooster  does  of  crowing.  It  w  ould  really  be  laugh¬ 
able,  if  it  wasn’t  wicked.  Now,  look  here,  my  friend, 
let  me  give  you  a  morsel  of  advice.  Never  undertake  to 
swear  again,  as  long  as  you  live.  There  is  nothing  good 
in  it.  I  haven’t  a  doubt  that  you  could  learn  the  art  to 
perfection,  after  some  practice,  under  a  competent  mas¬ 
ter-some  one  who  has  made  profanity  a  sort  of  profession. 
But  it  will  not  pay.  Swearing  is  not  a  desirable  accom¬ 
plishment  for  a  man,  though  many  boys  of  your  age  seem 
to  think  so.  It  is  low  and  vulgar,  besides  being  wicked. 
Pray  don’t  learn  to  use  profane  language.  The  habit  is 
like  that  of  drinking  rum.  lfyou  don’t  keep  a  sharp  look¬ 
out,  you  may  fall  into  it  before  you  are  aware  of  what 
you  are  doing;  and  having  once  formed  the  habit,  it  will  be 
almost  sure  to  grow  upon  you,  until  you  can  hardly  keep 
from  mixing  up  more  or  less  profanity  with  all  you  say. 
Set  a  watch  over  your  tongue,  my  dear  boy.  Let  it  never 
speak  any  word  which  you  would  bo  ashamed  to  have 
vour  mother  hear 


AuntSiic’s  ILetter. 


Hear  Mr.  Ebitor  You  have  provided  your  “boys 
and  girls”  with  a  “  Grandmother”  and  an  Uncle  Frank, 
will  you  admit  into  the  circle  an  “Aunt  Sue,”  just  for  a 
few-  minute’s  chat?  I  want  to  loll  them  what  fun  we  had 
the  other  evening,  afler  all  the  lessons  were  learned,  and 
when  we  all  drew  closer  round  the  fire,  to  keep  it  warm 
“  Let’s  play  I'm  coming ,”  said  Charley.  “  Oh,  yeth,  do 
chimed  in  Jimmy,  who  has  mastered  the  alphabet,  wHh 
one  or  tw  o  crooked  exceptions,  but  not  a  single  a  —  b  ab 
“Yau  begin,  Aunt  Sue.” 

Avnt  Sue.— Well,  I’m  coming. 

Minnie. — What  are  you  coming  by  ? 

Aunt  Sue. — It.  C. 

Cliarl<y,  Fanny,  Mary.— Rail-car.  • 

Aunt  Sue. — No. 

Minnie.— Rocking-chair. 

Aunt  Sue. — Yes.  Now'  it’s  your  turn  Minnie. 

Minnie. —  Well  I’m  coming  by  F.  P. 

Charley ,  Fanny.— Flower-pot— front,  parlor. 

Mary. — Fire-place. 

Minnie  — Mary  has  guessed  it. 

Jimmy.— Now  let  me  do  it.  L. 

Jimmy  looks  very  proud,  and  we  all  guess  Lion,  Lady, 
Locket,  Lily,  and  everything  we  can  think  of  beginning 
with  L.  ;  all  wrong.  “  Give  it  up,  Jimmy,  What  is  it?” 
Jimmy  is  delighted  that  we  are  all  so  puzzled  and  at 
length  tells  us  it  is  “  elbow  Please  bear  iu  mind  that 
Jimmy  is  between  4  and  5  years  old,  the  rest  of  us  all  un¬ 
der  10— with  the  exception  of  Aunt  Sue,  who  is  a  trifle 
more  than  that. 

By  and  by  Jimmy  wanted  to  have  “another  turn,” 
w  hich  was  willingly  ac.corded  ;  and  after  looking  round 
for  a  subject,  at  length  announced  that  he  came  by  Y. 

Again  we  were  unsuccessful ;  and  no  wonder;  Master 
Jimmy'  had  come  by  a  wine-glass  1  Now  I  rather  approve 
of  the  young  gentleman’s  economical  way  of  spelling 
L-hoiu  and  Yn-glass ,  and  think  he  deserves  considerable 
credit  for  ingenuity.  Who  agrees  with  me? 

Aunt  Sue. 

Welcome,  w'elcome,  Aunt  Sue  !  The  Editor  is  ever  so 
glad  to  have  you  join  our  company.  Helms  been  going 
to  send  you  a  special  invitation  this  long  time.  Willi 
Grandmother,  Uncle  Frank,  Aunt  Sue,  and  the  Editor— 
and— and— the  two  hundred  thousand  Boys  and  Girls  that 
were  reckoned  up  last  month,  isn’t  there  a  good  time 

ahead? . That  Jimmy  is  a  cute  one.  He  must  belong 

to  our  company.  That’s  a  nice  play,  Aunt  Sue.  We 
shall  go  right  home  and  play  it  with  our  Willie  and  Char¬ 
lie  to-night— though  Charlie  will  hardly  join  us— he’s  so 
little,  hut  his  sister  Sarah  will  speak  for  him.— Ed. 


Wrong;  EsidL  Foremost, 


“  O  father,”  said  little  Johnny,  as  he  came  out  of  the 
garden  one  bright  morning,  before  breakfast.  “  The  beans 
have  come  up  wrong  end  foremost !”  He  had  been  very 
happy  iri  dropping  the  beans  into  the  hills  for  his  father 
when  they  were  planted  ;  had  watched  impatiently  for 
them  to  come  up  ;  and  now,  when  the  sprout  had  pushed 
the  bean  itself  up,  he  thought  there  was  something  wrong. 

“  Come,  and  see,”  he  said,  “  They  have  come  up  wrong 
end  foremost,  and  split  in  two.”  “  No,  Johnny,”  said  his 
father,  “  there’s  nothing  wrong  about  it.  The  bean  swells 
in  the  ground,  and  sends  out  two  sprouts,  one  of  which 
goes  down  into  the  ground,  and  forms  roots  to  draw  from 
the  eartli  food  for  the  other  sprout,  which  pushes  upwards, 
as  you  see,  and  as  it  grows,  will  bear  the  leaves  and  the 
new  beans.  These  two  halves  of  the  bean  that  was  plant¬ 
ed — “  split  in  two,”  you  say— are  only  shells  that  will  de¬ 
cay,  having  given  life  to  the  sprouts,  W'hich  form  the 
growing  roots  and  stem.  All  vegetable  life  springs  from 
death.  The  seed  dies  in  giving  life  to  the  new  plant. 
“  What  thou  sowest  is  not  quickened  except  it  die.” 
So  says  the  Great  Author  of  all  vegetable,  animal,  and 
spiritual  life.  Our  souls  will  rise  from  the  death  of  our 
bodies  to  a  new  and  endless  life.  The  “  Natives,” 
when  potatoes  were  first  introduced  into  this  country, 
picked  the  bai'.s,  or  “  apples  ”  from  the  top  and  ate 
them,  thinking  any  were  the  new  potatoes,  and  all  that 
was  to  be  eaten.  The  balls  were  so  bitter,  they  des¬ 
pised  them,  and  could  not  afterward  easily  be  persuad 
ed  to  eat  potatoes ,  which  are  so  good,  as  you  know 
They  were  ignorant,  and  made  a  great  mistake,  as  you 
did  when  you  thought  the  beans  came  up  wrong  end  first. 

Different  vegetables  and  fruits  grow  very  differently— 
some  fra  the  ground,  as  the  potato  and  turnip.  Same  on 
the  ground,  as  the  melon  and  squash.  Some  on  a  small 
bush  or  stalk,  as  beans  and  grains,  and  some  on  trees,  as 
apples  and  pears.  Variety  is  one  of  the  beauties  of 
creation.  But  none  grow  wrong  end  foremost.  “  As  for 
God,  his  wav  is  perfect.”  God  makes  no  mistakes. 

M. 


88 


amkrioax  ag-hjlc  Ulturisi1 


No.  14G. 


THE  SICK  CHILD 

(Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist.*) 


The  Editortakes  great  pleasure  in  presenting  the  above 
beautiful  and  touching  picture  to  his  young  readers,  and 
he  is  only  sorry  they  can  not  with  himself  take  a  look  at 
the  original  picture,  painted  much  larger  on  canvass  with 
all  the  appropriate  colors.  But  the  artist  has  cut  it  on 
wood  for  us  so  well,  that  it  is  very  life  like.  One  of  the 
first,  things  it  teaches  is  the  love  and  solicitude  pa- 
rems  hare  for  their  children— no  matter  whether  the  pa¬ 
rents  be  rich,  or  like  those  here  shown,  poor  day  laborers. 
This  child  may  have  been  naughty  oftentimes  and  needed 
and  perhaps  received  punishment.  But  now  it  is  sick,  and 
see  the  anxiety  of  the  parents.  The  father  has  left  his 
work  and  gone  fora  hare,  which  he  has  killed  and  brought 
in  to  make  a  brolh  for  his  child.  The  mother  has  in  the 
meantime  prepared  a  medicine  which  must  first  be  given. 
Mark  the  tenderness  upon  her  homelv  but  loving  counte¬ 
nance.  Such  is  tho  aflection,  children,  which  your  pa- 

*  The  large  original  painting  from  which  this  engraving  was 
taken,  was  made  by  Mr.  Clark,  in  England,  where  it,  has  pro¬ 
duced  quite  a  sensation  in  art  circles  \Ve  received  a  copy  sev¬ 
eral  months  since,  and  gave  it  out  to  he  engraved  for  the  Agri¬ 
culturist,  supposing  we  should  probably  issue  the  first  copy  pub¬ 
lished  in  this  country.  Since  its  preparation,  however,  we  find 
timt  an  engraving  on  a  lit  tle  smaller  scale  was  made  for  the  Na¬ 
tional  Magazine,  and  the  same  cut  used  in  the  “  Good  News,” 
issued  by  the  Methodist  Tract  Society,  in  both  of  which  publi¬ 
cations  we  chanced  to  overlook  it  It  will,  however,  still  he 
now  to  most  of  our  readers.— Ep.1 


rents  bear  to  each  of  you,  whether  you  appreciate  it  or  not. 
Will  you  not  return  it,  and  at  all  times  requite  that  love 
by  trying  to  be  more  kind,  loving  and  obedient?  If  our 
picture  shall  in  any  degree  lead  you  to  do  so,  we  shall  be 
glad  that  we  have  presented  it.  We  must  however,  say 
more  of  this  scene,  but  we  may  hardly  do  better  than  to 
quote  a  foreign  writer  who  thus  speaks  of  the  picture  : 
Can  we  not  enter  deeply  into  the  maternal  tenderness  of 
the  action  of  the  mother,  who,  although  perhaps  only  stir¬ 
ring  a  basin  of  broth,  has  that  dignity  in  our  eyes  which 
gathers  around  and  ennobles  one  in  the  performance  of  a 
loving  deed.  In  fact,  home-feeling  sanctifies  the  place. 
In  that  rough  cottage  interior,  with  all  the  coarse  inci¬ 
dents  of  a  laborer’s  life  that  have  sprung  up  about  this  poor 
family,  there  is  something  holy  and  good  that  may  well 
elevate  it  above  many  a  loftier  home. 

The  habitual  affection  w'hich  holds  this  family  lovingly 
together,  is  strikingly  exemplified  by  the  artist,  in  the  sick 
child’s  clinging  as  he  does  so  closely  to  the  father,  there¬ 
by  telling  a  tale  of  many  a  romp  and  rough  game  between 
the  poor  ailing  infant  and  its  robust  parent.  See  the  care 
with  which  he  holds  the  little  one,  half  afraid  that  now 
in  sickness  it  could  not  sustain  the  rough  contact  with 
his  coarse  though  loving  and  tender  grasp  !  Look  at  the 
!  homely  grace  of  the  mother  as  with  pious  regard,  wholly 


absorbed  in  the  maternal  task,  she  bends 
forward  to  catch  some  share  of  the  reply  to 
the  man’s  inquiry  of  the  progress  towards 
health  of  the  little  patient !  Her  face  is  far 
from  beautiful,  but  dignified  with  tender¬ 
ness,  made  beautiful  by  love  ;  and  this  is 
where  the  art  of  the  painter  has  come  into 
play  in  such  a  manner  that  we  can  not  fail 
to  be  interested  even  in  the  sordid  details 
of  the  household,  so  many  signs  of  which 
are  scattered  about— as  the  cracked  look¬ 
ing-glass  on  the  mantel-shelf,  the  basket  the 
dead  hare,  the  cupboard,  die. 

But  the  crowning  interest  of  the  picture 
is  that  most  extraordinary  rendering  of 
emotion  which  the  face  of  the  child  pre¬ 
sents  to  us.  Nor  should  its  action  and  at¬ 
titude  escape  our  observing  admiration. 
Notice  the  shuddering  repugnance  of  its 
manner  in  looking  at  the  basin,  hardly  able 
even  to  cast  its  eyes  upon  it,  and  the  hud¬ 
dle  together  of  its  little  feet.  The  olher 
child’s  calm  indifference,  being  thoroughly 
wrapped  up  with  delight  with  his  father’s 
pipe,  is  curiously  and  characteristically  in 
contrast  with  the  dolor  of  the  little  inva¬ 
lid.  and  its  introduction  a  capital  thought 
of  the  artist. 


THE  EDITOR  IN  FOUR  “CORNERS.” 

Well  boys  and  girls,  your  editor  is  fairly 
cornered,”  as  they  say  of  a  horse  hard  to 
catch,  when  they  get  him  into  an  angle  ol 
•■he  pastille.  The  “Doctor,”  whom  the 
editor  generally  manages  to  keep  out  o! 
the  w'ay  of,  has  cornered  him  at  last  and 
here  he  lias  kept  him  in  a  corner  room  for 
four  days,  telling  him  his  head  and  eyes 
have  been  overworked,  and  that  without 
rest  in  a  dark  room  he  would  soon  lose  the 
use  of  both.  This  imprisonment  lias  been 
borne  with  an  ill  grace  ;  but  to  make  things 
worse,  the  printer  sends  over  word  jus* 
now,  that  the  matter  prepared  for  this  and 
the  preceding  fifteen  pages  has  all  been 
“  made  up  ”  just  as  directed,  but  here  is  a 
corner  left  which  must  be  filled  up  at  once 
or  the  “pressman”  can  not  go  on  with 
printing  the  inside  sheet.  But  we  have 
nothing  ready  to  send  him.  Uncle  Frank 
has  sent  in  his  column,  and  sailed  South, 
Aunt  Sue  has  very  opportunely  given  us 
a  short  letter.  (We  hope  she  will  send 
many  more.)  “  M  ”  has  sent  us  a  pretiy 
story  of  the  beans.  We  have  previously 
said  all  that  is  necessary  about  the  picture 
on  this  page.  Grand-mother  has  gone  on 
a  visit  we  believe,  and  we  do  not  yet  hear 
from  her.  The  answers  to  problems  are 
not  all  in  yet,  and  they  must  be  put  off  lor 
next  page, which  being  on  the  outside  sheer, 
will  go  to  press  a  week  later;  and  besides, 
ail  the  boys  and  girls  letters  are  away  over 
to  the  city.  We  are  in  no  writing  or  think¬ 
ing  mood  to-night,  and  own  up  to  being 
fairly  cornered.  We  give  it  up.  Printer 
let  the  rest  of  this  comer  go  blank !  No, 
that  won’t  look  well.  What  shall  we  do  ? 
Here  William,  get  pen  and  paper  and  write  down  just 
what  we  are  thinking  of  while  we  think  it  over  aloud. 
The  printer  may  print  what  you  write  and  put  in  this  cor¬ 
ner.  It  is  the  best  we  can  do.  Had  we  not  long  since 
erased  the  word  “  can't  ”  from  our  dictionary,  we  should 
have  been  sorely  tempted  to  send  that  simple  word  to 
fill  this  space  instead  of  what  the  printer  will  now  get 

“  LONG  BATS.” 

How  long  these  days  are— the  first  four  consecutive  days 
we  have  been  kept  from  our  business  in  many  years. 
Even  now  we  are  only  just  sick  enough  to  make  rest  ne¬ 
cessary,  while  solitude  and  idleness  are  still  irksome.  How 
slowly  the  hands  of  the  clock  move  up  there!  Tick,  tick, 
tick!  How  many  ticks  it  takes  to  make  a  minute  !  How- 
many  for  an  hour  !  How  many  for  a  day  !  What  makes 
time  move  so  slow  ?  When  we  were  not  shut  up  here 
the  days  were  all  too  short.  Ah,  here  is  the  reason.  We 
are  now  Joins  nothing.  We  have  no  business  on  hand 
which  we  are  striving  so  hard  t®  get  through  with  that  we 
“take  no  note  of  passing  time.”  How  much  these  days 
seem  like  some  of  our  boyhood  days,  when  we  had  no 
special  enterprise  on  hand.  Turning  fanning-mil),  har¬ 
rowing  Summer-fallow,  and  driving  a  double  team,  al¬ 
ways  come  up  to  mind  as  the  most  tedious  labors  we  had 


March,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


80 


to  perform.  Plowing  had  its  charms  .  To  cut  a  straight 
well-turned  furrow  required  constant  exercise  of  skill. 
The  mind  was  occupied  and  the  days  gilded  swiftly.  To 
rake  before  a  threshing  machine  was  hard  lusty  work, 
but  there  was  a  constant  excitement  about  it.  To  mow 
or  cradle  was  monotonous,  and  yet  there  was  a  continual 
exercise  of  skill  to  make  a  smooth  cut  and  lay  an  even 
swath.  But  to  drive  team  for  somebody  else  to  plow,  or 
to  drive  a  harrow  round  and  round  on  a  blank  ten  or 
twenty  acre  Summer-fallow,  or  turn  a  crank  all  day  was 
dog-in-the-mill  work.  As  a  boy  on  father’s  farm  we  could 
not  so  w  ell  look  ahead  to  personal  interest  in  the  results 
of  our  work  ;  and  so  the  motive  w  as  not  so  much  to  finish 
one  field  and  go  to  another,  as  it  was  to  pass  away  the  time. 
How  slow  the  sun  did  move  in  those  days.  And  how 
slow  it  has  moved  during  the  past  four  days. 

Lesson.  To  make  time  move  swiftly  and  agreeably  it 
is  necessary  to  be  engaged  in  something  in  which  we  are 
interested— something  we  desire  to  accomplish  as  soon  as 
possible. 

How  is  it  with  you  boys  and  girls?  Do  your  days  pass 
heavily?  Is  it  a  great  while  from  sunrise  to  sunset  ?  If 
so,  you  may  depend  upon  it,  you  are  laboring  or  studying 
with  a  wrong  motive.  If  you  are  at  school,  does  it  seem 
as  if  an  age  intervened  between  one  recess  and  another, 
then  you  are  not  studying  to  become  wise,  but  because 
you  are  compelled  to  go  to  school,  or  go  willingly  because 
you  thus  escape  work  at  home,  and  get  a  few  moments  of 
play  in  going  and  coming,  and  at  the  recesses.  If  you  go 
with  the  determination  that  you  will  learn  every  lesson 
thoroughly,  you  will  find  the  days  much  too  short. 


New  Problems. 

Prob.  35. — Suppose  the  driving-wheels  of  a  locomo¬ 
tive  to  be  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  to  make  four  revolu¬ 
tions  per  second:  At  what  speed  must  a  horse  twenty 
feet  from  the  track,  be  driven,  to  cross  it  before  the  en¬ 
gine  arrives,  if  the  engine  is  three  hundred  feet  from  the 
crossing. 

Prob.  36.— Proposed  by  (?),  \llegany  Co,  Pa.:  3  Farm¬ 
ers,  A.  B.  and  C.,  went  to  market  to  sell  eggs.  A.  had 
10  eggs,  B.  30,  and  C.  50.  They  each  sold  their  stock  at 
the  same  price  per  egg,  and  after  all  were  sold,  they  tound 
that  each  had  the  same  amount  of  money.  How  w»as  this 
done  ? 

ANSWERS  TO  PROBLEMS. 

To  spell  Butt,  using  14  letters  ?  Be  you  double  tea. 

What  short  word  does  “8  chew  tea ”  spell? 

Pronounce  the  words  rapid'y  and  you  have:  h-u-t. 

What  short  word  does  “Are  80”  spell  ? 

Pronounced  quickly  you  have  :  r-a-t. 

Prob.  33  (See  page  58).— Ans.  Let  the  boy  make  a 
loop  by  doubling  his  string  in  the  middle  :  pass  this  loop 
under  the  part  of  the  ol  her  string  tied  around  the  girl’s 
wrist ;  then  throw  the  loop  over  her  hand  anil  let  it  come 
back  under  the  string  around  the  w  rist  on  the  back  side, 
and  the  two  persons  will  be  separated  without  untying  the 
strings  from  their  hands.  By  the  letters  received  we 
judge  this  and  the  following  puzzle  have  created  not  a  lit¬ 
tle  amusement.  One  lad  w  rites  that  he  and  his  brother 
tumbled  round  on  the  carpet  for  half  an  hour,  trying  to 
turn  their  hands  out,  but  finally  solved  it  with  shears. 

Prob.  34  (See  page  58).— Ans.  To  remove  the  shears, 
take  the  loop  end  of  the  string,  put  it  through  the  right 
handle,  and  carry  the  loop  around  to  a,  as  shown  by  the 
dotted  line  in  the  new  cut  here  given.  Let  the  loop  be 


carried  still  further  towards  b,  until  it  has  passed  entirely 
around  the  whole  shears,  and  you  can  then  remove  them, 
as  the  string  will  slip  out  through  the  handles.  The  two 
problems,  33  and  34,  have  been  answered  substantially  as 
above  by  :  J..  S  McNay,  Alleghany  Co.,  Pa.  ;  J.  It.  P., 
Cuyahoga  Co.,  O. ;  P.  M.  Sulton,  McHenry  Co.,  Ill.;  H. 
J-  Legg,  Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  I.  Hoffman,  Hunterdon  Co., 
N.  J.  ;  J  Brooks.  Shiawassee  Co.,  Mich. ;  J  Meixel, 
Northumberland  Co.,  Pa. ;  J.  &  M.  Campbell,  Delaware 
Co.,  ind.  (with  a  very  pretty  drawing  of  the  shears  and 
string)  ;  J.  &  E.  Coyte.  Bergen  Co.,  N.  J. ;  C.  H.  Trex- 
ler,  Bucks,  Co..  Pa.  ;  J.  A.  Miller,  Jefferson  Co.,  Ky.  ; 
T.  Kinney,  St  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  H.  S.  Gold.  Litch¬ 
field  Co  ,  Ct. ;  A.  S.  Caldwell,  Preston,  C.  W.  ;  J.  D. 
Shipley,  Rockingham  Co.,  N.  H. ;  S.  T.  Rice,  Crawford 
Co  ,  Pa.  :  C.  Evans,  Alleghany  Co  ,  Pa. ;  W.  A.  Buek- 
hont.  Oswego  Co.,  N  Y. ;  S.  H.  Ward,  P.  C.  Asten,  R. 
Duncan.  S  Duncan,  Z  Duncan,  &  G.  Smith,  Essex  Co., 
N.  J  ;  Henry  Look,  Franklin  Co  ,P.  ;  J.  R  Merryman, 
Harford  Co  ,  Md  ;  E.  Avery,  Monroe  Co.,  Mich.  ;  R.  E. 
Flicktnger,  Juniata  Co.,  Pa.  ;  L.  &  B.  Cass,  Grafton  Co., 
N.  H. ;  H.  La  Fetra,  Clinton  Co.,  O.  (glad  to  hear  you 
soeak  well  of  your  teacher,  it  ‘speaks  w  ell  for  you) ;  A. 


L.  Collins,  Miami  Co.,  O. ;  It.  C.  Treat,  Hartford  Co.,  Ct.  ; 
H.  D.  Lewis,  Ncw-Haven  Co.,  Ct. ;  C.  M.  Ross,  Fayette 
Co.,  Ind.  ;  W.  Hill,  Columbiana  Co.,  O.  ;  W.  Schwebel  jr., 
Adams  Co.,  111.;  A.  Engle,  Lancaster  Co  ,  Pa.,  It.  L. 
Hudson  (3  ft.  high),  Jefferson  Co  ,  Ind.  ;  M.  C.  Clark, 
and  L.  C.  Jordan,  Cumberland  Co.,  Me.  ;  C.  Thomas, 
Carroll  Co  ,  Ind.  ;  J  H.  Wilson.  Montgomery  Co.,  O  ;  J. 

R.  Exline,  Tuscarawas  Co.,  O.  ;  J.  &  It.  E.  Pearsall, 
Rook  Island  Co  ,  III.  (We  solved  your  puzzle)  ;  It.  A. 
Gordon,  Jefferson  Co.,  III. 

Problem  31. — Answered.  The  1  ?28 3. OOO^OOO  pres¬ 
ent  inhabitants  of  the  earth  being  gathered  upon  a  plain 
and  each  allowed  a  yard  square  of  standing  room  : 

1st.— How  many  acres  would  they  cover? 

Ans.  265,062  and  78-121ths. 

2nd. — How  many  square  miles  ?  Ans.  414  and  371-1936. 

3d  — If  standing  in  a  square  body,  how  far  would  the 
multitude  extend  each  way  ?  Ans.  20m.6l7  yds 

4th _ If  they  stood  in  a  circular  mass,  what  would 

be  the  distance  through  the  circle  ?  Ans.  22m.  1697  yus. 

Suppose  them  to  form  in  marching  order,  like  soldiers 
in  single  file,  w  ith  only  3  feet  for  each  to  walk  in  (no  al¬ 
lowance  made  for  first  man)  : 

5th.— How  many  miles  would  the  line  extend? 

Ans.  728977m.  479yds. 

6th.— How  many  times  around  the  globe  would  the  line 
reach?  ’  Ans.  29  times  and  3977m.479yds. 

Suppose  the  earth  lobe  exactly  25,000  miles  in  circumfer¬ 
ence.  and  three  quarters  of  its  surface  to  be  covered  w  ith 
water  and  rocks. 

7. — How  many  acres  of  tillable  land  are  there  left  for 

each  man,  woman  and  child  ?  Ans.  24a.l29sq.  rds 

Suppose  only  one  person  out  of  thirty  dies  each  year. 

8.  —  How  many  die  every  365  days?  Ans.  42,760.666. 

9. — How  many  die  every  day  ?  Ans.  117,168. 

10.  — How  many  die  every  hour  ?  Ans.  4,882. 

11.  — How  many  die  everv  minute?  Ans.  81. 

12- — If  every  human  being  in  the  whole  United  States 

(say  25.0011,000)  were  swept  off  in  a  single  year,  How- 
many  more  would  die  elsewhere  each  year,  to  equal  the 
whole  number  of  deaths  annually  in  the  whole  human 
family  (allowing  as  before,  only  one  in  30  to  die)  ? 

Ans  17,766,666. 

Twelve  questions  were  all  answered  correctly  by  ;  E. 
E.  Woods,  Caledonia  Co.,  Vt. ;  C  M.  Ross,  Fayette  Co., 
Ind  ;  W.  R.  Scott,  Bristol  Co..  Mass.  ;  D.  Hooker,  Dau¬ 
phin  Co.,  Pa.;  T.  Lamsnn,  Gr  itoit  Co.,  Mich.  ;  E.  V. 
Pufford,  Litchfield  Co.,  Ct. ;  E  Engle,  Lancaster  Co., 
Pa.  ;  J.  H.  Wilson,  Montgomery  Co.,  O.  ;  W.  E.  Hill, 
Columbiana  Co.,  O.  Eleven  questions  answered  correct¬ 
ly  by:  W.  Homer,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y  ;  A.  F.  Kelly,  Piov- 
idence  Co.,  R.  I  ;  W.  Household,  Westmoreland  Co., 
Pa.  ;  W.  Schwebel  jr.,  Adams  Co.,  Ill.  ;  T.  Louden, 
Blair  Co.,  Pa.  ;  J.  Giles,  Johnson  Co.,  Ind.:  G.  Elcoek, 
Morris  Co.,  N.  J.  :  J  S.  McElwain,  York  Co  .  Pa.  ;  II. 

S.  Merryman,  Hartford  Co.,  Md. ;  II.  II.  Nichols,  Bur¬ 
lington  Co.,  Wis.  ;  S.  Armstrong,  Col.  Co.,  Wis.  Ten 
right  by :  H.  E.  Twintor,  Windham  Co.,  Ct. ;  T.  II.  Smith, 
Fayette  Co.,  Pa.  ;  R.  C  Treat,,  Hartford  Co.,  Ct  ;  J. 
Fenton,  Chatauque  Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  II  La  Fetra,  Clinton  Co  , 
O.  (thank  you  Harry  for  your  3(1  subscribers,  we  have  sent 
the  6  nos  )  ;  L.  L.  Smith,  Columbiana. Co  ,  O.  ;  J.  J.  John¬ 
son,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. ;  M.  C.  Clark  &  L.  G.  Jordan,  Cum¬ 
berland  Co.,  Me.  Nine  right  by:  II.  Mack  wick.  Jeffer¬ 
son  Co.,  N.  Y.  :  R.  B.  Lawson.  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  H. 
C.  Patterson,  Chatauque  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  B.  Hacket,  Morris 
Co.,N.  J.  Eight  right  by  :  G.  S.  Geyer,  Warwick  Co., 
Va. ;  B.  Snively,  Blair  Co.,  Pa,  (very  neat).  Seven  right 
by:  II  Look,  Franklin  Co.,  Pa.  ;  C.  Avery,  Munroe  Co., 
Mich.  Six  right  by  :  Wm.  F.  Lowry,  Ohio  Co.,  Va. ;  E. 
O.  Redlon,  Ripley  Co.,  Ind. 

- .o  i  —  ►—<*»■ - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

The  “  Sextant’s  ”  Reply  tew  “  Gasper.  ”* 


O  Gasper!  your ’peal  is  heard,  but  not  y it 
Acted  on,  for  reasons  plain  as  nozes  on  foax  fases. 
Don’t  you  think  i  no  witch  side  my  bred  is  butterd  ! 
Spose  i  drop  the  winder  &  let  in  “  pewer  Are  ” 

A  mouful  apiece  or  so,  or  let  the  bad  Are  out, 

(Witch  is  the  same  think  in  Duch  or  Inglish), 

Whoad  sta  threw  sarinon  time  in  weather  cold  as  zero. 
Or  even  in  a  windy  day  in  Summer? 

The  foax  would  leave  the  metinhouse. 

Children,  men,  &  wimmin,  specially  the  latter. 

Tha  dont  want  “pewer  Are”  no  such  think, 

Dont  i  no  thats  tended  metinhouse 
This  40  year  &  over,  most  all  my  life  ? 

Wy,  tether  Sunda,  when  the  fiers  was  blazin 
In  the  stoves  as  hot  as  peper,  ize  told 
Tew  shet  the  dore  that  wasnt  open  1  an  inch, 

&  dont  i  no  that  when  the  parson  lodks 
That  wa,  he  menes  the  same  &  more  tew, 

&  i other  da,  ize  told  to  putty  up 
That  winder,  cause  the  wind  blue  in. 

Bad  breths  is  bad  enuf  but  not  so  bad 
As  cold,  so  people  thinks  &  so  dew  i. 

Metinhouses  is  grate  placis  (or  ketchin  colds, 

&  takin  konsumpshuns  and  such  like  ales. 

Taint  nothink  tew  me,  i  tends  for  the  hull 
Kongregashun,  &  not  for  1  nor  2  nor  3. 

Ef  tlia  want  the  winder  up  or  down  or  dore  open. 

Wy  dont  tha  sa  so  &  tha  shall  have  it, 

Awl  the  dores  &  awl  the  winders  &  holes  cut  tew. 

Wy  dont  you  talk  tew  them  &  not  tew  me, 

Mebby  tha  dorit  no,  &  mebbv  i  dont  no 
Wat  iha  want  &  wats  good  for  em. 

Mi  bizness  is  to  give  them  wat  tha  tell  me. 

The  preacher  tells  them  how  to  act  at  meetins, 

&  ef  you  no  more  nor  him  wy  don’t  you  preach. 
Nowmebby  you  is  rite,  &  i  are  rung  : 

No  matter,  i  shall  dew  as  t  are  told, 
lve  bin  tew  school  tew  long  tew  disobey 
Order,  cause  ef  i  did,  who  then  would  be 

The  Sextant. 


*  We  hope  every  reader  lias  seen  tile  -‘  Appeal  to  the  Sexton,” 
published  in  the  December  Agriculturist,  (Vol.  17.  page  372.) 
It  is  worth  five  times  the  cost  of  that  number.  This  reply,  by 
the  Sexton,  sent  us  by  a  subscriber  in  Ontario  Co.,  N-  Y.,  is  a 
capital  thing— telling  too  much  truth,  unfortunately.— Ed. 


Into  which  are  thrown  all  sorts  of  paragraphs — suck  as 
Notes  and  Replies  to  Correspondents,  with  Useful  01 
Interesting  Extracts  from  their  Letters,  together  with  Glean¬ 
ings  of  various  kinds  from  various  sources. 

U at  used  Letters. — We  have  hundreds  of  notes 
suggestions  and  queries,  w  hich  have  accumulated  from 
business  letters  received  at  beginning  of  the  year.  These 
must  needs  abide  their  time— but  will  be  worked  up  as 
room  permits. 

lEcanI  tlie  Advertisements.— Many  new  ideas 
will  be  suggested,  and  much  useful  information  gained 
by  a  careful  perusal  of  the  almost  unprecedented  collec¬ 
tion  of  good  aqd  appropriate  advertisements  with  which 
our  columns  are  crowded  this  month.  This  only  would 
justify  us  in  allowing  them  to  encroach  somewhat  ori  our 
reading  columns.  We  excluded  a  large  number  offered, 
from  their  inappvopriateness,  and  were  still  compelled  to 
disappoint  many  regular  advertisers,  for  whom  we  could 
not  find  room. 

Two  Valuable  New  EEeoks  are  announced  in 
our  advertising  columns— viz.,  the  New  Edition  of  Dow¬ 
ning’s  Landscape  Gardening,  and  American  Weeds  and 
Useful  Plants . The  American  Female  Guardian  So¬ 

ciety  announces  a  volume,  entitled  “  Wrecks  and 
Rescues.” 

ESasket  Stem  worth  $15.— A  subscriber  (J.  F. 
If.)  of  Mason  Co.,  Ill.,  writes  :  “I  dislike  to  trouble  you 
with  these  questions,  but  you  will  excuse  me  when  I 
state  that  your  answer  to  one  question  in  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist  Basket,  last  Spring,  saved  me  $15.”  We  hope  the  ag¬ 
gregate  value  of  these  items  may  yet  amount  to  fifteen 
millions. 

What  is  iTInck1?— J.  M.,  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa.  Muck 
is  a  general  name  for  decayed  vegetable  matter  mixed 
with  soil— such  as  is  found  in  swamps,  woods,  and  places 
where  plants,  vegetables,  etc.,  have  partially  rotted,  and 
formed  a  black  mold  or  soil.  The  black  “settlings” 
of  vegetable  matters,  washed  from  high  to  low  lands,  are 
good  “  muck.” 

Planting-  on  newly  plowed  Weadows. 

—  O.  J.  Seward,  Bergen  Co.,  N.  J.  Your  neighbor  was 
probably  correct  in  attributing  the  failure  of  his  corn  to 
worms  at  the  root.  The  insects  producing  the  grub,  have 
an  opportunity  of  working  undisturbed  oil  meadow  lands, 
and  instinctively  seek  the  shelter  they  afford.  Late  Fall 
plowing  of  such  lands  exposes  the  larvae  to  the  frost  and 
destroys  many  of  them. 

Ashcroft’s  Swedish  Tttrnip,  (No.  6).— Ro¬ 
bert  Downs,  ofNew-IIaven  Co.,  Conn.,  appendstoa  busi¬ 
ness  letter  the  following:  “  My  turnips,  the  seed  of  which 
you  sent  me.  grew  beyond  all  expectation  Tne  Ash¬ 
croft’s  Swedish  were  much  the  largest ;  one  of  them 
weighed  16J  lbs.  I  also  have  six  weighing  12  lbs.  each, 
and  which  more  than  fill  a  bushel  basket.  They  are  good 
turnips  for  eating,  are  very  smooth  and  clear.  From  the 
seeds  you  sent  I  raised  43  bushels  of  good  turnips.  [In 
all  such  cases  it  would  be  useful  to  others,  to  state  the 
kind  and  location  of  Ihe  soil  and  its  previous  treatment  ; 
the  manure  used  ;  the  time  and  mode  of  putting  in  the 
seed,  etc.— Ed.] 

$360  for  $1. — H.  M.  H.,  of  Fairfield  Co.,  Conn.,  adds 
to  a  business  letter :  “  Do  you  know,  my  dear  Editor,  how 
much  the  Agriculturist  does  for  me?  Last  year  I  dis¬ 
missed  a  man  who  has  been  an  expense  of  $30  a  month 
($360  a  year)  to  me.  The  fact  is,  with  the  assistance 
your  columns  have  given  me,  I  have  been  able  to  attend 
to  my  own  gardening  affairs,  to  the  advantage  of  my 
health,  and  I  have  the  past  year  had  a  better  yield  and 
more  comfort,  than  ever  before.” 

Fort  Edward  Institute.— We  take  especial 
pleasure  in  directing  attention  to  the  circular  of  this  in¬ 
stitution  in  our  advertising  columns.  Mr.  King,  the  prin¬ 
cipal,  is  an  old  friend  and  classmate,  and  we  know  him  to 
be  not  only  an  accomplished  scholar,  but  a  faithful,  ener¬ 
getic,  and  experienced  instructor  The  school  under  his 
care  stands  foremost  among  the  educational  institutions 
of  Ihe  Empire  State.  A  ciicular  giving  full  particulars 
can  be  readily  obtained  by  any  one  interested. 

©omestic  Wine. — Dr.  Underhill,  the  well-known 
grape-grower,  recently  presented  us  with  specimens  of 
three  kinds  of  wine,  which  he  is  preparing  especially  for 


90 


AMERICAN  AGRICULT  URIST. 


sacramental  and  medicinal  use.  One  is  called  “  Still  Isa 
beila,”  a  tart  wine.  A  second  is  “  Still  Catawba,”  a  less 
tart  kind.  The  third,  called  “  Isabella-Catawba,”  is  made 
from  equal  parts  of  Isabella  and  Catawba  grapes.  1  his 
last  is  a  new  idea  of  the  Doctor’s,  w  e  believe,  and  to  our 
unpracticed  taste  it  is  the  best  of  ihe  three.  Perhaps  the 
sugar  added  adapts  it  for  our  palate.  We  are  not  a  com¬ 
petent  “  committee  on  wine,”  but  our  German  associate, 
who  was  brought  up  in  a  wine-region  of  Germany,  says 
these  w  ines  are  “  wery  gool,”  which  settles  the  question. 
As  not  one  gallon  in  a  thousand  of  the  so  called  “import¬ 
ed  wines”  is  grape  juice,  it  is  desirable  to  be  able  to  get 
something  that  is  reliable  from  home  souices. 

Short-Horn  Stock  Sale.— It  will  be  well  for 
those  interested  in  good  stock  to  refer  to  the  announce¬ 
ment  of  Samuel  T.  Taber  in  the  advertising  columns. 
His  fine  herd  will  all  be  sold  at  auction  May  loth. 

Winter  Managemcsit  oS  Sees. — Jno.  Sample. 
Works  on  bee-keeping  by  Qumby,  Langstroth,  and  others, 
will  give  you  full  particulars.  You  will  find  many  sug¬ 
gestions  in  our  past  volumes,  which  w  e  can  not  repeat 
here. 

SSiatl  a  plant  an  Orchard.— E.  L.  Smith, 
Iowa.  Fruit-growing,  properly  conducted,  is  profitable, 
and  the  field  almost  unlimited.  In  your’seclion  apples 
will  be  a  paying  staple  for  very  many  years. 

Money  Uocmst  Seed.  — In  answer  to  several 
asking  where  to  procure  seed,  we  must  refer  them  to  our 
advertising  columns 

Sweet  Potatoes.  —  E.  Montague,  Belchertown, 
Mass.  They  can  be  raised  with  proper  care  in  Massa¬ 
chusetts.  Directions  for  their  culture  in  Vol.  17,  page  150, 
and  Vol.  15,  page  1G4. 

Silver  IVSedal  tor  Agriculturist  Seeds.— 
D.  D.  C.  Morris,  Bergen  Point,  N.  J.,  brought  to  our 
office  a  few  days  since,  a  silver  medal  awarded  him  at  the 
fair  of  the  American  Institute,  for  the  best  green  corn 
exhibited.  The  seed,  “  Stow'ell’s  Evergreen,”  was  re¬ 
ceived  by  Mr.  M.  from  this  office,  in  the  regular  distri¬ 
bution. 

Sjcatlier  Shavings  and  58 cEusc.- J.  R.  P. 
These  will  serve  a  very  good  purpose  as  a  mulch  or  ma¬ 
nure  around  trees.  Their  value  will  be  increased  by 
throwing  them  into  the  barn  yard  or  compost  heap,  where 
they  may  become  saturated  with  liquid  manure. 

Coal  Ashes  as  Manure.— R.  Cutter,  Newbury - 
port.  Mass.  Coal  ashes  are  somewhat  valuable  as  ma¬ 
nure,  but  not  greatly  so.  They  act  like  wood  ashes  and 
are  also  useful  to  some  extent  to  lighten  heavy  clay  soils; 
they  are  recommended  to  be  applied  about  the  roots  of 
trees  and  shrubs  as  a  preventive  of  worms  and  grubs. 

Potato  Planter  Wanted,  —  F.  A.,  Queens 
Co.,  IS.  Y.,  inquires  if  any  of  our  subscribers  knows  of  a 
really  good  potato  planter— one  which  has  been  thorough¬ 
ly  tested  and  can  be  relied  on  to  do  his  work  well. 

Tobacco  Culture.— S.  Armstrong,  Col.  Co.,  Wis. 
Full  directions  m;ty  be  found  ill  March  Agriculturist, 
Vol.  10,  p.  54. 

SalsaSy.— D.  Johnson,  Westmoreland  Co.,  Pa.  Cul¬ 
tivate  it  as  you  would  parsneps.  In  the  Fall  take  up 
what  is  wanted  for  use,  the  remainder  will  improve  by 
being  left  in  the  ground  until  Spring. 

ICilS  itijj  BSriers.— S.  O.  Smalley.  These  are  sharp 
fellows,  and  hurdiy  know  when  they  are  killed.  A  suc¬ 
cession  of  hoed  crops  will,  if  properly  cultivated,  finally 
finish  them . 

Ventilating'  Bcc  Blouses.— 11.  W.  Brent,  Mus¬ 
catine  Co.,  Iowa.  Ice  houses  should  have  ventilating 
apertures  at  the  top  to  allow  the  vapors  to  escape,  as 
moist  air  is  a  conductor  of  heat. 

Clieap  Sewing  Machines,— A.  II. ,  Williams- 
town,  Mass.  After  an  examination  of  several  machines 
sold  at  a  low  price,  from  $5  to  $25,  we  have  been  unable 
to  find  one  we  could  safely  recommend. 

Slow  to  get  u j>  a  Farmer’s  Chib.-B.  R. 

Palmer,  Clinton  Co  ,  Iowa,  will  find  in  Dec.  Agriculturist, 
Vol.  10,  page  279,  full  directions  for  organizing  and  con¬ 
ducting  such  an  institution. 

Cure  for  Mange  in  Hogs.— A.  C.,  Sandy 
Spring,  Md.,  sends  the  following  recipe.  Take  hog’s  lard 
2  lbs.,  flour  of  sulphur  1  lb.,  gunpowder  i  lb.,  grind  them 
well  together,  and  rub  the  mangy  spots  thoroughly  with 
the  mixture.  He  says  one  application  cures  the  worst  cases. 

Driving  away  Ants.— Thomas  R.  Pomp,  North¬ 
ampton.  Pa.,  says,  he  expelled  ants,  both  black  and  red, 
from  closets  badly  infested  by  them,  by  putting  in  shelves 
of  black  walnut,  instead  of  pine,  He  says,  in  one  day 
after  the  change,  not  an  ant  was  to  be  found. 

IVeiv  Use  for  Guano.— A  subscriber  writing  from 
Portsmouth,  Va.  (?)  says,  he  has  effectually  destroyed  the 


mounds  of  black  ants  by  the  application  of  two  or  three 
quarts  of  guano  to  a  hilt,  mixing  it  in  with  a  spade.  After 
the  first  rain,  most  of  the  ants  came  tip,  and  after  the  sec¬ 
ond  rain,  they  all  put  forth. 


Killing  Two  Birds  with  One  Stone. 

Many  persons  will  be  sending  in  for  their  seeds  this 
month,  (see  last  page.)  Are  there  not  many  who  can  at 
the  same  time  send  along  a  new  subscriber  ?  For  any  fa¬ 
vors  of  this  kind  we  shall  be  duly  grateful,  and  recipro- 
cato  as  best  we  can.  New  subscribers  will  of  course  be 
entitled  to  their  quota  of  seeds;  and  further:  Any  one 
now  forwarding  a  new  name  may  also  double  the  amount 
of  seeds  to  be  sent  to  himself  if  he  desires. 


We  desire  to  extend  the  circulation  of  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  into  tens  of  thousands  of  families  where  it  is  still 
unknown.  To  accomplish  this,  we  offer  to  those  who  will 
assist  in  the  work,  the  following  premiums,  which  are  cer¬ 
tainly  liberal,  if  the  cost  of  the  paper,  and  the  low  price  at 
whicli  it  is  furnished  be  taken  into  account.  [A  few  of  the 
less  important  premiums,  though  still  given  when  de¬ 
sired,  are  omitted  here.  They  can  be  found  in  the  Janu¬ 
ary  number.) 

Premium  S  6  J.— Any  person  sending  in  a  club  o 
10  subscribers  at  $8,  may  order  a  free  copy  of  either  Vol. 
XVI  or  Vol.  XVII,  w  hich  will  be  sent  in  numbers. 

Prcmiuui  V. — Any  peison  sending  25  subscribers 
and  $20,  will  be  entitled  to  both  Volumes  XVI  and  XVII, 
sent  in  numbers  post-paid.  (N.  B  —  If  $21  be  sent,  the  two 
Volumes  will  be  bound  neatly  in  one  cover,  and  forward¬ 
ed  post-paid.) 

Premium  VJ,- Any  person  sending  in  $24  for  30 
subscribers,  one-third  or  more  of  them  new  ones,  will  be 
entitled  to  a  silver  cased  Microscope,  with  the  celebrated 
“Coddington  lens” — the  same  as  fig.  4.  in  July  No.,  page 
219.  Price  $4.  (It  will  be  safely  packed  and  sent  by 
mail,  post-paid.) 

Premium  VII.— Any  person  sending  $32  for  40 
subscribers,  (one-half  new  names,)  will  be  entitled  to  the 
large  unabridged  Webster’s  Dictionary,  containing  1,376 

3-column  pages— the  best  and  most  complete  work  of  the 
kind  in  the  world.  Price  $6.  It  weighs  7  lbs  ,  and  can 
be  sent  by  express  or  by  mail  ($1.12)  at  the  expense  of  the 
recipient,  after  leaving  the  city. 

Premium  IX.—  Any  person  or  company  of  per¬ 
sons  sending  in  144  new  subscribers  at  the  lowes 
club  price  (80  cents  each)  or  one  hundred  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  $t  00  each,  will  be  presented  with  one 
of  Wheeler  &  Wilson’s  best  $50  Sewing  Machines,  new 
from  tile  manufactory.  These  $50  machines  are  just  as 
good  for  all  working  purposes  as  those  recently  sold  at 
$100.  No  better  working  machines  are  made.  The 
names  can  be  easily  gathered  in  single  towns  or  in  two  or 
three  adjoining  ones  (they  need  not  all  be  at  the  same 
Post  office).  Two  or  more  ladies  may  unite  their  efforts 
and  secure  a  Sewing  Machine  as  common  property.  As 
fast  as  these  machines  are  secured  by  the  requisite  number 
of  subscribers,  they  are  selected  at  the  manufactory  by 
the  Publisher,  and  securely  packed  and  forwarded  by  any 
route  or  conveyance  desired.  There  are  no  charges  of 
any  kind,  except  for  transportation  after  leaving  the  city. 
Full  instructions  for  setting  up  and  using  go  with  each 
machine. 

Premium  X. — The  Lady  or  company  of  Ladies 
sending  the  largest  list  of  names  above  144,  before  May 
1st,  will  be  presented  with  a  higher  priced  machine,  that 
is,  one  put  up  in  an  extra  case. 

Remarks.— It  will  be  noticed  that  any  person  trying 
for  one  of  the  higher  premiums,  and  failing  to  get  names 
enough,  can  still  take  one  of  the  lower  ones,  according  to 
the  number  of  names  obtained. 

Every  person  collecting  names  for  premiums,  can  send 
ihem  in  with  the  money  as  fast  as  received  ;  but  if  de¬ 
signed  for  premiums,  a  double  list  of  the  names  should  he 
sent,  ore  of  them  marked  at  the  top,  “  For  premiums,” 
and  with  the  name  of  the  sender.  These  duplicate  lists 
will  be  kept  on  file  by  themselves  to  be  referred  to  in 
making  up  the  premium  u  hen  any  person  has  completed 
sending  in  names  for  Volume  XVII 1. 

We  do  not  set  any  time  for  the  completion  of  the  lists 
it  being  understood  that  these  premiums  are  only  for  sub¬ 
scriptions  for  volume  XVIII  (1859),  whenever  received. 
The  premiums  will  be  paid  as  soon  as  the  names  are  in. 


Seeds  for  Free  Distribution  in  1859 

Each  person  whose  subscription  to  the  American  Agricul¬ 
turist  is  paid  beyond  February,  1859,  will  be  entitled  to 
select  tlivec  parcels  of  seeds  from  the  general  list  given 
below.  (If  only  flower  seeds  are  chosen,  5  parcels  may  be 
selected  by  each  person— or  3  of  flowers,  and  one  other  kind.) 

A.  It  is  of  absolute  importance  that  the  follow  ing  direc¬ 
tions  be  strictly  followed,  even  to  the  minutest  particu 
lars.  We  have  73  distinct  varieties  of  seeds,  to  be  dis¬ 
tributed  among  50,000  or  more  persons  scattered  all  over 
the  country,  which,  at  the  best,  will  involve  immense 
labor  ;  and  some  mistakes  must  unavoidably  occur,  unless 
each  subscriber  take  special  pains  to  facilitate  the  work. 

IS.  The  seeds  can  be  culled  for  at  the  office,  or  be  sent 
by  express,  or  in  ready  prepared  envelopes  to  be  fur¬ 
nished  by  the  subscriber,  as  described  below. 

<?.  Subscribers  at  different  points  can  estimate  whether 
they  can  receive  their  seeds  cheapest  by  Mail  to  separate 
individuals,  or  in  a  package  by  Express. 

D.  If  to  go  by  Express,  no  envelopes  will  be  needed. 
In  that  case,  simply  send  us  a  written  list  of  the  names, 
marking  against  each  name  the  kinds  of  seed  desired, 
using  the  numbers  in  the  Catalogue.  Keep  a  duplicate  of 
the  list  sent,  and  give  particular  directions,  on  the  list, 
how  the  packages  are  to  be  forwarded,  and  to  whom 
directed. 

E.  If  to  go  by  mail,  the  applicant  will  (of  course)  fur¬ 
nish  prepaid  envelopes,  of  ordinary  size,  whicli  should  be 
prepared  as  in  the  engraving  here  given— that  is  :  Put  the 

figures  corresponding 
to  the  Catalogue  plainly 
on  the  upper  left  hand 
of  the  envelope,  and 
put  all  the  postage 
stamps  upon  the  right 
side  of  the  envelope — 
one  above  Ihe  other 
when  two  or  more  are  needed,  as  shown  in  this  pat¬ 
tern.  This  will  prevent  the  seeds  being  crushed  in 
the  stauqiing  process,  in  ihe  Post-Office.  One  ordinary 
envelope  will  generally  hold  the  amount  of  seed-packages 
carried  by  two  or  three  stamps.  X!SP  The  amount  of 
stamps  can  be  calculated  from  the  Catalogue.  Single.  I  -cent 
stamps  on  letters  are  of  tio  value,  unless  there  be  even 
threes  of  them,  as  letter  postage  is  rated  by  the  half  ounce. 

F.  Let  letters  referring  lo  seeds  be  as  brief  as  possible, 
and  yet  plain.  All  such  communications  are  referred 
directly  to  the  clerk  superintending  that  department.  It 
is  especially  desirable  that  whatever  relates  to  seeds 
should  be  on  a  separate  slip  of  paper.  (We  shall  probably 
distribute  over  two  hundred  thousand  packages,  and  a  min¬ 
ute’s  time  saved  on  each  of  these  w'oulti  amount  to  333 
working  days  of  10  hours  each — more  than  a  whole 
year!) 

G.  Canada,  California  and  Oregon  subscribers  will 
need  to  substitute  10-cent  stamps  in  all  cases  wdiere 
3-cent  stamps  are  named  in  the  catalogue.  When  several 
send  together  from  Canada,  it  will  usually  be  cheapri 
to  receive  the  seeds  by  Express.  (Postage  need  not 
necessarily  be  prepaid  here,  on  Canada  letters  ) 

M.  Always  put  the  stamps  upon  the  envelopes,  and 
not  drop  them  loosely  into  the  enclosing  letter. 

I.  It  is  always  belter  to  send  envelopes  of  Ihe  ordinary 
size,  and  made  after  what  is  called  the  “Governmen 
pattern ’’—that  is,  those  in  which  the  back  comes  undet 
the  piece  lapping  over  ;  these  seal  up  more  firmly.  Thi 
point  is  not  essential,  however. 

3.  Usually,  the  lighter  the  envelope  the  better,  tha 
more  seeds  may  go  under  the  same  stamps. 

E£.  Send  only  the  number  of  stamps  required  for  post¬ 
age  on  the  seed.  We  have  no  seeds  of  any  kind  to  sell. 

L.  Those  forwarding  unpaid  envelopes  will  of  course 
not  be  disappointed  if  they  do  not  return.  We  offer  seeds 
free,  but  cannot,  in  addition,  afford  to  pay  postage  also. 

M.  All  seeds  sent  by  mail  are  put  up  at  our  countrv 
residence,  and  each  package  is  there  mailed  direct,  lo 
avoid  its  being  overhauled  at  the  Distributing  Offices. 

N.  (J7JP  We  shall  take  time  to  mail  all  the  seeds  care 
fully  arid  regularly.  This  will  occupy  tile  entire  months 
of  February  and  Marcn  Those  going  to  subscribers  on 
the  Pacific  Coast,  and  in  Southern  States  where  the  sea¬ 
sons  are  earlier,  will  be  mailed  first,  and  with  dispatch 
To  others  they  will  go  as  fast  as  the  putting  up  and  mail 
ing  can  be  accomplished— but  to  all  in  ample  season  for 
Spring  planting  and  sowing. 

LIST  OF  SEEDS. 

Field  Seeds. 

1—  White  Sugar  Beet — Single  or  double  packages,  as 
may  be  desired,  requiring  one  or  two  3-cent  postage 
stamps. 

2—  King  Philip  Corn— Single,  double,  or  triple  pack¬ 
ages,  as  may  be  desired,  requiring  one,  two,  or  three 

3-cent  stamps. 

3 —  Stowell’s  Sweet  Corn — Same  packages  as  No.  1. 

4 —  White  Poland  Oats — Same  packages  as  No.  2. 

5 —  Chinese  Sugar  Cane — Any  subscriber  may  select 
any  amount,  from  half  an  ounce  up  to  a  full  round  of 
this,  by  providing  for  the  transportation  by  mail,  or  ex¬ 
press,  or  otherwise.  If  to  go  by  mail,  a  3-cent  stamp 
must  be  sent  for  each  half  ounce.  No  prepared  envelopes 
will  be  needed  if  the  address  be  plainly  given. 

6 —  Ashcroft's  Swedish  Turnip — Half  of  3-cent  stamp. 

7 _ River’s  Swedish  Stubble  Turnip —  do.  do. 

OS — Purpie-tor  Scotch,  or  Bullock  Turnip —  do. 

GO — Green-top  Scotch,  or  Bullock  Turnip —  do. 

70 — Waite’s  London  purple-top  Swede  Turnip — do. 

03 — Hungarian  Grass — One  3-cent  stamp. 

04— Crystal  Flint  or  Hominy  Corn— One  3-cent  stamp. 


JOHN  JONES. 

BARRY 

DANE  CO.  | 
WIS. 


91 


AMERICAN  AG  RIG  U LTURIST. 


VcarclabSe  or  Carden  Seeds. 
8_T)aniel  O’Rourke  Pea — Packages  same  as  No.  t. 
g — Champion  of  England  Pea— One  3-cent  stamp. 

10—  British  Queen  Pea—  do.  do. 

11 —  Hair’s  Dwarf  Mammoth  Pea —  do  do. 

50 — King  of  the  Marrows  Pea —  do.-  do. 

1  2 — Green  Kohl  Rabi — One-third  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 
1  3— Enfield  Market  Cabbage— 

1  4 — Alma  Cauliflower — 

15—  Mammoth  Cabbage  Lettuce 
21  — Winter  Cherry- 
17— Red  Strap-Leaf  Turnip— Oi 
1  9 — Round  Spinach — 

20— Salsafy— 

22 — Boston  Marrow  Squash — 

55— White  Globe  Onion- 

72—  Imported  Brussels  Sprouts- 

73—  Egg  Plants,  (mixed) — 

74 —  Solid  White  Celery — 

75 —  Green  Curled  Endive — 

7G — Musk  Melon — 

77 — Water  Melon — 

02— Okra- 

16 —  Long  Orange  Carrot— 

7  I  — Long  White  French  Turnip — One  3-cent  stamp. 

Flower  and  Ornamcuitil  Seeds. 

Of  these  any  subscriber  may  choose  three  parcels,  with 
one  of  those  above  ;  or  five  parcels,  with  none  of  the 
above.  The  Flower  and  Ornamental  Seeds  are  put  up  in 
small  packages,  the  amount  in  each  depending  upon  the 
variety  of  the  seeds,  their  size,  the  number  required  for  a 
common  flower-bed,  etc. 


do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

litlf  of  a  3-cent 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do, 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do 

stamp. 


39 —  Marvel  of  Peru— One-third  of  a  3  cent 

45 —  Sweet  Peas —  do.  do. 

46 —  Mixed  Lupins —  do.  do. 

89—  Cotton  Plant  (2  kinds)— One  3-cent  stamp. 

90—  Norway  Spruce  Seed— One-half  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 

91 —  Arbor  Vitte  Seed —  do.  do. 

On  an  average ,  about  five  of  the  following  32  varieties 
will  go  under  a  3-cent  postage  stamp. 

23— Mignonette.  47— Morning  Glory,  mixed. 

25— Mixed  Nasturtiums,  -IS— Flos  Adonis. 

27 —  Extra  Cockscomb.  49 — Candy  Tuft. 

28 —  Dwf.  Rocket  Larkspur. 50— Schizanthus. 

20— Double  Balsams,  mix’d. 5  I  —  Phlox  Drummondii. 

30—  Tassel  Flower.  78— Ageratum  Mexicanum. 

31—  Chinese  Pink.  79— Germ.  10-weeks  Slock. 

32—  Portulacas,  mixed.  SO— Yellow  Hawkweed. 

33 —  Cypress  Vine.  81—' Canary  Bird  Flower. 

34 —  China  Asters,  mixed.  8  2— Thunbergia. 

35—  German  Asters,  mixed. 8  3— Snap-Dragon. 

37—  Zinnia  Elegans.  84— African  Marigold. 

38—  sweet  William.  85— Gaiilardia,  mixed. 

40 —  Escholtzia  Californica.86— Euphorbia,  mixed. 

41 —  Elegant  Ciarkia.  87 — Coieopsis. 

42 _ Foxglove.  8  8 — Globe  Amaranth. 


Market  Review,  Weather  Notes,  &c. 


American  Agriculturist  Office,  I 
New  York,  Monday  Evening,  Feb.  21,  1850  $ 

The  exact  condition,  or  prospects  rather,  of  the  Bread¬ 
stuff  Market  is  difficult  to  report.  W ith  an  abundance  of 
money,  with  a  war-cloud  overhanging  the  European  hori¬ 
zon,  with  the  cessation  of  arrivals  from  the  interior  by 
reason  of  the  weather,  and  with  the  aid  of  reports  of  an 
unprecedented  deficiency  of  grain  at  the  West,  the  specu¬ 
lators  and  holders  of  breadstuff's  in  this  city  have  been 
able  to  secure  a  considerable  advance  of  prices  since  our 
last  report.  A  small  part  of  this  advance  is  probably  legi¬ 
timate  and  will  continue  ;  but  the  increasing  value  of 
money  and  demand  for  it,  the  opening  of  navigation,  the 
more  probable  peaceful  termination  of  affairs  in  Europe, 
and  the  truth  in  regard  to  the  actual  deficiency  of  last 
year’s  crop,  will  probably  prevent  any  material  advance, 
if  it  does  not  remove  some  of  that  already  attained.  The 
sales  for  consumption  have  not  been  large.  The  aggre¬ 
gate  of  sales  reported  below' of  course  embraces  a  large 
number  of  transactions,  which  have  been  merely  the  sales 
from  one  speculator  to  another.  As  these  are  made  open¬ 
ly  on  the  Exchange,  it  is  impossible  to  separate  them  from 
sales  for  consumption . New  Corn  is  plenty  and  de¬ 
clining . Barley  in  demand  and  dearer . R\e  and 

Oats,  no  change . Cotton,  transactions  moderate, 

market  closing  more  firmly . Provisions  in  good  re¬ 
quest,  but  prices  irregular.  .  .  A  fair  inquiry  for  Gro¬ 

ceries,  Tobacco,  and  Wool.  Hay,  Hemp,  Hops,  and 
Seed,  quiet. 


RECEIPTS.  Flour.  Wheal.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley.  Oats. 

29 bus.  daystAismon,  110,750  9,100  121,350  -  1,760  86  359 

21  bus.  Uaystal  mon  ,  112,923  6,688  118,318  -  2,196  8,672 

Sales.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye .  Barley 

29  business  days  this  month,  388.918  423,670  511,150  10,158  390  110 
24  business  days  last  mon,  239,200  338,570  413,550  15,650  46,500 

Extorts  of  Bkeadstuffs  from  N.  Y.,  from  Jan.  1st, 
to  Feb.  14. 


1858. 

1859. 

Wheat  Flour,  bbls . 

297,698 

53,876 

Rye  Flour,  bbls . 

821 

],U48 

Corn  Meal,  bbls . 

8,632 

13.477 

Wheat,  bush . 

255,208 

16.749 

Corn,  bush . 

252,164 

12,973 

Current  Wholesale  Prices. 

Jan.  21. 

Fob.  21. 

Flour— Superf  to  Extra  State  $1  80 

®  5  85 

$5  35 

(a)  6  10 

Common  to  Fancy  Western.. 

4  85 

©5  50 

5  40 

(a)  5  75 

Extra  Western . 

5  50 

(a)  8  50 

6  00 

Fancy  to  Extra  Genesee . 

5  85 

(a)  7  75 

6  25 

©  8  00 

M*  ved  to  Extra  Southern . 

5  25 

(a)  8  75 

5  90 

(a)  8  75 

Rye  Flour— Fine  and  Super 

f'oiiN  Meal . 

Wheat— Canada  White .  1 

Western  While  . 

Southern  White . 

All  kinds  of  Red . 

Corn — Yellow . . 

While . . . 

Mixed . 

Oats — Western . 

State . 

Southern . 

Ryf. . 

Barley  . 

White  Beans . 

Hay,  in  hales,  per  100  lbs . 

Cotton — M millings,  per  lb - 

Rice,  per  100  lbs .  2 

Hops,  crop  of  1858  per  11) . 

Pork — Mess,  per  bill .  17 

Prime,  lier  hid .  13 

Beef — Repacked  Mess .  8 

Country  mess  . 

Hogs,  Dressed  corn,  per  lo  . . 

Lard,  in  bids  per  lb  . 

Butter— Western,  per  lb . 

State,  per  lb . 

Cheese,  per  lb . 

Eggs— Fresh,  per  dozen . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  lb. 

Seed — Clover,  per  lb . 

Timothy,  per  bushel  . 

Sugar.  Brown  per  hi . 

Molasses,  New-Orleans.  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio,  per  lb . 

Tobacco — Kentucky,&o  pr  lb 

Seed  Leaf  per  lb- . 

WooL-Domestic  fleece,  per  lb. 

Domestic,  pulled,  per  lb  . 

Hemp — Undr’d  Amer’n  pr  ton. 
Dressed  A  merican.  per  ton  ... 

Tallow,  per  lb . 

Oil  Cake,  pertou . 

Potatoes — Peach  Blow,  prbrl 

Mercers,  per bbl . 

Turnips — Rutabagas,  per  bbl. 

Onions,  per  bbl . 

Squashes,  Marrow,  per  bbl.. 

Cranberries,  per  bid . 

Apples— Prime,  Per  bbl . 

Dried,  per  lb . 

Poultry— Fowls,  per  lb. . . _ 

Ducks,  per  In . 

Turkeys, per  lb . 

Geese,  per  lb . 

Venison  — Carcass, per  lb . 


3  40 

©  4 

10 

3  70  fa)  1 

30 

3  50 

©  4 

10 

3  70  1®  1 

25 

1  30 

©  i 

50 

1  3734®  1 

60 

1  27%©  1 

65 

1  3734®  1 

75 

1  30 

fa)  t 

65 

1  3734  a)  1 

80 

80 

(a)  1 

37 

90  id)  1 

45 

fa) 

87 

79  (a) 

85 

I a) 

88 

80  fa) 

86 

87 

fa) 

88% 

81  (a) 

86 

61 

(a) 

63 

61  id) 

64 

56 

® 

60 

51  ® 

58 

48 

(a) 

52 

■18  ® 

53 

86 

(a) 

88 

82  ® 

86 

70 

(a) 

92% 

75  r® 

95 

1  00 

(a)  1 

25 

1  20  (d)  I 

35 

75 

®  1 

00 

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IV.  Y.  Ei’ve  Slock  Markets. — The  Cattle 
Markets  have  been  scantily  supplied  the  past  month— 
only  12,251  beeves  received  for  4  weeks  ending  Feb.  lfi. 
Prices  have  advanced  about.  If  c.  p  lb.  At  I  he  last  mar¬ 
ket  day  (Feb.  16)  with  a  receipt  of  3,1)14  head  for  the  w  eek, 
prices  ranged  at  13c.  (a)  14c.  for  choice  premium  animals  ,■ 
IDJ.  fa)  lljc.  for  first  quality  ;  ‘Jc.  (a)  10c.  on  medium,  and 
7j-  fa)  84  for  poorer  grades,  with  an  average  of  91c.  fur  the 
entire  sales. 

Sheep  and  Lambs.— Receipts  of  live  sheep  have  also 
heen  light,  footing  but  22,794  for  the  past  four  weeks. 
Free  supplies  of  dressed  carcasses  by  railroad  in  part 
make  up  for  the  deficiency.  Prices  have  advanced  ma¬ 
terially,  being  now  6  (a)  61c.  ^  lb.  live  weight  for  good 
sheep,  and  7e.  for  extra  fat  ones. 

Hogs  —Receipts  for  the  four  weeks  just  ended  amount 
to  26.834,  or  17,903  less  than  the  previous  month.  R  cent 
arrivals  are  quite  light,  and  high  prices  obtain.  Good 
heavy  corn  hogs  are  worth  6}c.  (a)  7c.,  and  still-fed  Glc.® 
6}c.  tp  lb.  gioss  or  live  weight. 

i’lic  Weather  since  our  last  record  has  been  variable, 
but  generally  mild  for  this  latitude  Our  Daily  Notes 
show,  Jan. 22,  clear  A  M., cloudy  P.M. — 23,  clear  and  cold- 
24,  clear  and  cold  (16°) — 25,  milder — 26,  warm — 27,  cloudy, 
rainy  night— 28,  rain  and  fog— 29,  cloudy,  rain  at  night 
—3(1,  clear  and  fine — 31 ,  plesant—  Feb.  1,  clear— 2,  cloudy, 
rain  in  night— 3,  cloudy,  light  rain— 4,  clear  and  cold— 5, 
clear  and  fine— 6,  cloudy  A.  M.,  snow  P.  M.— 7,  clear,  ten 
inches  snow— 8,  cloudy,  fine  sleighing— 9,  cloudy  and 
drizzling  — 10,  clear  and  freezing — I  I.  cloudy,  slight  snow 
in  nigh't — 12,  cloudy  and  snoiv  squalls— 13  clear  and  cold 
—14,  clear  and  mild— 15  cloudy  A.  M.,  rain,  P.  M.— 16, 
rain  A.  M 1 ,  clear  and  warm,  P.  M. — 17,  clear  and  warm 
A.  M  ,  cloudy  P.  M. — 18,  ram— 19,  remarkable  fog  A  M„ 
cleared  suddenly,  and  cloudy  P.  M. — 20,  foggy  and  rainy 
— 21,  clear  and  cooler— 22,  cool,  light  clouds. 


IBF1  The  circulation  of  the  Agriculturist  to  regular 


subscribers,  is  much  larger  than  that  of  any  other 


Agricultural  or  Horticultural  Journal  in  the  world. 


Sririurimmettis. 


Advertisements  to  be  sure  of  insertion  must  be  received  at. 
latest  by  the  15tli  of  the  preceding  month. 


TERMS  —  (invariably  cash  before  insertion): 

FOR  THE  ENGLISH  EDITION  ONLY. 

Twenty-five  cents  per  line  of  space  for  each  insertion.  About 
9  words  make  a  line.,  if  undisplayed. 

One  whole  column  (145  lines)  or  more,  S30  per  column. 

£5?^  Business  Notices  Fifty  cents  per  line. 

FOR  THE  GERMAN  EDITION  ONLY. 

Ten  cents  per  line  of  space  for  each  insertion. 

One  whole  column,  ( 130  lines),  or  more,  S 1 1  per  column. 
Business  Notices  twenty  cents  per  line. 

FOR  BOTH  EDITIONS— ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN. 


Thirty-one  cents  per  line  ;  S38  per  column. 

Business  Notices  Sixty-five  cents  per  line. 


WRECKS  AND  RESCUES— Illustrated. 

Just  published  by  the  Am.  Female  Guardian  Soc.,  and 
sent,  by  mail,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price.  75c  ,  gilt  Si.  at  the 
office  of  the  Advocate  and  Guardian.  29  E.  29th-st.,  New-Y‘  rk. 

The  A  and  G  is  an  interesting  family  paper.  16  pages, 
semi-monthly,  (384  pages  a  year,)  at  SI  single  copy;  10  copies,  to 
one  address,  $5  a  year. 

All  the  piolits  are  devoted  to  IheHome  for  the  Friendless. 


Landscape  Gardening, 

BY 

A.  J  DOWNING  and  H  W.  SARGENT. 


This  elegant  Work  on  PRACTICAL  LANDSCAPE  GAR¬ 
DENING  comprises  A.  J.  DOWNING’S  great  Work,  and  a 
now  and  valuable  Treatise  by 

HENRY  WINTIIROF  SARGENT, 
giving  the  progress  of  Rural  Art  in  the  Uniled  States  to  the 
present  time;  descriptions  of  AMERICAN  PLACES, 
PRIVATE  RESIDENCES, 

CENTRAL  TARK,  N.  Y.,  LLEWELLYN  PARK,  N.  J., 
with  a  full  account  of  the  newor 
DECIDUOUS  &  EVERGREEN  TREES  AND  SHRUBS. 

Presenting  also,  in  a  tabular  view,  the  experience  of  cultiva¬ 
tors  in  different  parts  of  the  Union,  with  the  hardy  and  half- 
hardy  Evergreens. 

The  Illustrations  consist  of 

SEVEN  SUPERB  STEEL  PLATE  ENGRAVINGS, 
besides  numerous  engravings,  on  wood  and  stone,  of  the  best 
AMERICAN  RESIDENCES  AND  PARKS, 
with  portraits  of  many  new  or  remarkable  Trees  and  Shrubs. 

Price  S3  50. 

Sent  by  mail,  prepaid,  on  receipt  of  price. 

A.  O  MOORE  &  CO.. 

Agricultural  Rook  Publishers, 

140  Fulton-st.,  New-Yurk. 


Till’)  GARDENER’S  MONTHLY 

Ami  Iloj'dloulfasi’ial  Advertises*, 

A  NEW  PERIODICAL!  ! 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEIIAN- 
Published  at  No.  23  North  Sixth-street,  Philadelphia. 

TERMS  ONE  DOLLAR  A  YEAR. 

Il  is  the  largest  periodical  devoted  exclusively  to  Horticulture 
in  the  United  States,  and  second  only  in  size  to  the  American 
Ag)  iculi  urist.  It  contains  twenty-six  larue  quarto  pages  or 
seventy-eight  columns  of  matier,  and  is  beaut  ifully  printed  on 
excellent  paper, and  profusely  illustrated  wit h  original  wood 
engravings.  Its  copious  translations  and  extracts  from  British 
and  Continental  periodicals,  its  regular  foreign  correspondence, 
together  with  the  contributions  of  the  most  intelligent  and 
practical  cultivators  in  this  country  and  Canada,  and  its  large 
advertising  sheets,  combine  to  render  it  a  most  efficient  aid  to 
the  commercial,  the  professional,  or  the  amateur  horticulturist. 
Single  copies  cm  be  procured  of  the  publisher,  or  of  the  New 
York  Agents,  Messrs.  A  O  Moore  &  Co.,  140  Fulton-st  ,  or  of 
A  Bridgeman  876  Broadway,  who  are  als  authorised  to  receive 
subscriptions.  Any  club  remitting  five  dollars  will  receive  six 
copies.  Adver'isements  must  reach  the  publisher  by  the  20th 
of  the  month.  Circulation  ten  thousand  copies  per  month. 

FOWLER  AND  WELLS 

offer  to  their  friends  in  the  Rural  districts  the  following  works 
just  published  and  particularly  adapted  to  their  wains. 

THE  HOUSE. 

The  best  and  cheapest  work  on  Architecture  for  the  country 
ever  published. 

THE  GARDEN. 

Showing  liow  to  Cultivate  all  kinds  of  Vegetables,  Fruits  and 
Flowers. 

THE  FARM. 

Or  how  to  manage  all  kinds  of  Soils  and  to  Cultivate  fielw 
crops. 

DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 

teaching  how  to  Breed,  Rear  and  use  all  the  Common  Domes¬ 
tic  Animals. 

FRUIT  CULTURE. 

A  Guide  to  the  cultivation  and  management  of  Fruit  Trees. 

Either  of  these  works  beautifully  got  up  and  well  illustrated 
will  be  sent  by  mail  post-paid  in  paper  for  30  cents,  or  in  cloth 
for  50  cents.  Address 

FOWLER  &  WELLS 

308  Broadway,  N.  Y. 


ELLIOTT’S 

WESTERN  FRUIT  BOOK. 

A  NEW  EDITION  OF  THIS  WORK, 
THOROUGHLY  REVISED. 

Embracing  all  the  new  and  valuable  Fruits,  with  the  latest  im 
provemenls  in  their  cultivation,  up  to  January,  1859, 
especially  adapted  to  the  wants  of 
WESTERN  FRUIT  GROWERS. 

FULL  OF  EXCELLENT  ILLUSTRATIONS, 
by 

F  R.  ELLIOTT,  Pomologist. 

Late  of  Cleveland,  O.,  now  of  St.  Louis. 

Price  $1  25. 

Sent  by  mail,  post  paid,  to  any  part  of  the  United  States  on  re¬ 
ceipt  of  price. 

A.  O.  MOORE  &  CO., 

Agriculiural  Book  Publishers, 

140  Fulton-st  ,  New-York. 


TO  FARMJEHTS 

PROFITABLE  EMPLOYMENT  FOR  THE  WINTER. 

WANTED.  An  Agent  in  every  County,  lo  engage  in  the  sale 
of  New  Beautifully  Illustrated  Works,  SOLD  BY 
AGENTS  ONLY.  Circulars,  giving  full  information,  with 
terms  to  Agents,  and  a  full  list  of  my  Publications,  sent  on  ap¬ 
plication.  Address 

DUANE  RT'LISON,  Publisher, 

No.  33  South-Third  si.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

FAM  I>IS©DU^jE 

Sold  o  H  C’  ©  laa  m  i  s  s  i  o  ts  , 

Such  as  Flour.  Butter,  Cheese,  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds 
Grain,  Eggs,  Poultrv,  Game,  &c.  *tc. 

HAIGHT  &  EMENS,  226  Front-st.,  New-York. 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

R.  H.  Haydock,  Cashier  Market  Bank,  New-York. 


93 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


PARSONS  &  CO. 

OFFER  AT  THEIR 

NIIESEEIES  AW©  ft  15  E  S3  N 

AT 

FLUSIiaSG  near  NEW- YORK. 

A  LARUE  AND  WELL  GROWN  STOCK  OF 

TREES  AND  PLANTS 


HOUSES 


THE 


more  or  less  of  which  every  one  needs  who  has  the  small¬ 
est  piece  of  ground  for  cultivation.  Planters  of  Orchards 
find  our  trees  succeeding  well,  where  they  have  given  the 
requisite  culture,  and  multitudes  who  are  unable  to  plant 
so  largely  are  annually  enjoying  the  fruit,  flower,  and 
shade  which  they  have  procured  from  us. 

We  invite  the  attention  of  buyers  to  our  collection  of 
standard  and  dwarf  FRUIT  TREES,  Grape  Vines  and 
all  the  different  smaller  fruits,  berries,  &c. 

To  those  who  are  adorning  their  places  whether  large 
or  small,  we  shall  he  glad  to  show  our  collection  of  Orna¬ 
mental  Trees  and  Plants  which  is  unsurpassed  in  the 
country.  Our  Avenue  Trees  are  large  and  vigorous. 
Our  Lawn  Trees  and  Shrubs  are  of  the  finest  varieties, 
and  we  know  will  give  satisfaction  to  the  purchaser. 

Of  hardy  EVERGREENS,  we  have  a  large  and  well 
grown  stock  and  to  these  we  invite  special  attention. 
Those  who  are  forming  or  increasing  their  collection  of 
Green  House  Plants  will,  we  are  confident,  find  here  a 
stock  unsurpassed  in  variety  and  thriftiness. 

The  Rose,  so  necessary  to  every  garden,  we  grow  on  its 
own  root,  our  experience  having  taught  us  that  budded 
roses  will  disappoint  those  who  cultivate  them,  some  va¬ 
rieties  v\e  can  furnish  at  very  low  rates.  We  cannot 
name  here  all  the  choice  varieties  of  our  FRUITS, 
nor  give  in  detail  the  ORNAMENTAL  list,  but  must 
refer  purchaseis  to  our  general  priced  catalogues,  which 
nill  be  supplied  to  all  applicants. 

Our  List  of  Apples  contains  the  best  Summer,  Autumn 
and  Winter  varieties,  both  for  market  and  for  family  use. 
Pears,  both  Standard  and  Dwarf  for  the  different  seasons 
Peaches,  a  large  stock  of  the  best  sorts 
Plums,  1 

Apricots’  f*  B°th  Standards  and  Dwarfs 
Nectarines,  j 

Our  Grape  Vines  for  culture  under  glass  are  well  known 
to  be  of  strong,  vigorous  growth.  Our  collection  of 
Native  Grapes  embraces  the  new  and  old  standard  sorts, 
vnd  of  some  we  can  offer  a  large  stock  at  a  low  rate. 
New-Rochelle  and  other  Blackberries. 

Cherry,  Versailles  and  other  Currants. 

Raspberries,  Antwerp,  Fastolff,  and  others. 

Linnjeus  Rhubarb,  &e,  &c. 

A  choice  lot  of  strong  English  Pear  Stocks,  transplanted. 
Among  our 

LAWN  AND  AVENUE  TREES  are 
Maple,  Norway,  Sugar.  Sycamore,  Silver-leaf.  These  are  all 
very  valuable  either  for  stalely  growth  or  beautiful  foliage. 

The  Tulip  Tree,  in  form  unsurpassed. 

The  Oaks,  English  and  American. 

Paulownia,  with  its  monster  leaves  and  beautiful  flowers. 
Lindens,  European  and  American. 

The  Elm  of  different  sorts. 

The  Magnolia  with  its  superb  flowers  and  handsome  form. 
Deciduous  Cypress,  of  beautiful  foliage. 

Oriental  Pi.ane,  a  noble  Avenue  tree. 

The  Ash,  of '  both  the  erect,  and  weeping  varieties.  We  can 
not  here  name  the  many  other  kinds  indispensable  to  a  good 
collection  which  will  be  found  in  our  Catalogue  and  will  be 
shown  of  fine  quality  to  Visitors  to  our  grounds. 


Among  our  valuable  DECIDUOUS  SHRUBS  are 

The  Azaleas  of  the  Client  and  other  sorts  which,  properly 
planted,  form  a  gorgeous  mass  of  bloom. 

Deutzia  in  its  varieties, 

Weigelia  do  do 

Stuartia,  a  most  desirable  late  blooming  American  plant 

Chinese  Plum,  a  double  flowering  and  beautiful  new  variety 

Pyrus  Japonica,  a  brilliant  bloomer. 

SpiBiEas,  of  the  best  new  sorts. 

Andromeda  Arborea,  avery  rare,  fine  American  plant 

We  devote  special  attention  to  the  culture  of 
EVERGREENS,  and  have  a  very  fine  stock  of  well 
formed  and  well-rooted  plants  of  many  sizes,  including 

Norway  Spruce,  the  most  desirable  for  general  planting. 

White  Spruce. 

Hemlock  Srr.ucE. 

European  Silver  Fir. 

Austrian  Pine. 

White  Pine. 

Excelsa  Pine,  quite  the  best  of  the  Pme  tribe. 

Diish  Juniper,  pyramidal  and  striking'in  appearance. 

Sweedisii  Juniper. 

Siberian  Arbor  Vit/e,  the  best  of  this  genus. 

American  do  do.  &c.,  &c.,  &c. 

Of  the  EVERGREEN  SHRUBS,  vve  have  only  space 
to  mention  : 

Hardy  Rhododendrons,  both  seedling  and  grafted,  delight¬ 
ful  to  the  eye,  both  in  Summer  and  in  Winter. 

Among  our  VINES  arc  : 

Glycine  Sinensis,  and  its  varieties. 

Bignonia  Grandiflora. 

Clematis  of  Llie.  fine  new  sorts. 

Honeysuckles  of  new  varieties. 

Ivy  &c.,  Sic,,  Stc, 

Our  GREEN-HOUSE  PLANTS  filling  eight  Houses, 
are  enumerated  in  Catalogue  No.  2,  and  are  of  the  finest 
and  rarest  sorts,  and  are  healthy  and  vigorous. 

All  the  above  named  Trees  and  Plants  with  the  rest  of 
our  collection  w  e  offer  at  prices,  w  hich  we  are  sure  will 
compare  favorably  with  those  of  any  grower  in  ttie  coun¬ 
try.  We  seek  by  fairness  and  liberality,  and  by  careful 
execution  and  shipment  of  orders  to  preserve  for  our  es¬ 
tablishment  the  reputation  which  it  has  for  many  years 
possessed. 

All  Trees,  Plants,  etc.,  ordered  of  us  will  be  carefully 
packed  at  a  charge  barely  covering  cost,  and  they 
will  be  delivered  at  Fulton  Market  Wharf,  New-York 
City ,free  of  freight  charges. 

Catalogues  will  be  forwarded  by  mail  without  charge, 
and  can  also  be  obtained  at  No.  179  Broadway,  N.  Y. 

We  would  remind  gentlemen,  who  are  intending  to 
plant,  that  they  can  examine  our  stock  with  but  little  loss 
of  time,  ns  we  are  but  fifty  minutes  from  Fulton  Market 
wharf,  New-York,  and  that  they  will  then  be  more  cer¬ 
tain  of  the  size  and  quality  of  the  trees  they  purchase, 
than  if  they  commit  their  order  to  any  stranger,  who  may 
call  upon  them.  Orders  left  to  the  selection  of  the  Pro¬ 
prietors  will  be  attended  to  with  the  utmost  care. 


Tlte  Hooker  Strawberry, 

THE  BEST  YET  INTRODUCED. 

The  attention  of  amateurs  and  growers  of  fruit  for  market  is 
again  called  lo  this  Strawberry.  All  that  its  friends  have  hith¬ 
erto  claimed  for  it  has  been  more  than  fulfilled,  and  testimoni¬ 
als  without  end  could  be  produced  to  attest  its  superiority  over 
any  other  sort. 

The  following,  making  a  list  of  advantages,  all  of  which  no 
oilier  Strawberry  can  claim,  constitute  its  chief  points  of  excel¬ 
lence:  and  planteis  are  confidently  asked  to  verify  them 

1st— The  plant  is  very  vigorous  and  perfectly  hardy. 

2d — It  is  as  productive  as  any  other  variety  (“Wilson’s  Al¬ 
bany  ”  not  excepted.)  The  fruit  is  borne  in  large  clusters — more 
than  20  perfect  berries  being  frequently  gathered  from  a  single 
stem. 

3d— The  flowers  are  all  perfect  and  uniformly  productive  of 
fruit,  consequently  there  are  no  barren  plants. 

4t.li—' The  fruit  is  absolutely  unequalled  in  flavor,  in  color  a 
rich  dark  crimson  or  mahogany  extending  into  the  heart  of  the 
berry,  which  is  firm  and  solid  to  the  center:  OF  THE  largest 
size  yet  lender  and  delicate. 

5th — It  takes  the  1st  premiums  wherever  exhibited.  See  re¬ 
ports  of  various  horticultural  societies. 

Plants  in  any  qua  tit y  desired  may  he  obta.ned  pure  and 
strong  f  om  the  g rounds  where  it  originated.  Packages  are  put 
up  to  go  safely  to  any  part  "f  the  United  States  by  mail  or  ex¬ 
press.  Order  for  Spring  planting,  if  only  a  few  for  trial,  of 
II.  E.  HOOKER  &  CO., 

Price  S‘2  per  100.  Commercial  Nurseries, 

15  per  1000.  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

FIELD  AND  GARDEN  SEEDS  from  re- 

liable  growers. 

Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Implements,  of  the  most  ap¬ 
proved  patterns. 

GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO., 

GO  Cortland-st.,  New-York  City. 


Strawberry?  Blackberry,  aaiid 
aSaspberry  Plants. 

The  subscribers  offer  for  sale  limited  quantities  of  the  follow¬ 
ing  plants : 

WILSON’S  ALBANY  STRAWBERRY, 

S2  per  100;  $7  for  500  ;  S 10  per  1000. 
MOYAMENSI  NG,  (very  late,  large,  sweet,)  $1  per  100. 
McAYOY’S  SUPERIOR  SI  per  100. 

PEABODY’S  NEW  HAUTBOY, 

50  cents  per  dozen  ;  S3  per  50  ;  $5  per  100 
NEW-ROCHELLE  BLACKBERRY. 

$2  per  dozen  ;  $6  per  50  ;  $10  per  100. 

THE  ALLEN  RASPBERRY, 

$1  per  dozen ;  $6  per  100:  $50  per  1000. 

We  invite  atteir  ion  to  this  new  Raspberry,  by  persons  living 
in  si  uations  where  the  Hudson  River  Ant  werp  does  not  flour¬ 
ish,  and  by  til  who  wish  for  a  variety  of  superior  flavor,  and 
which  requires  no  staking  in  Summer  nor  covering  in  Winter. 
These  plants  have  all  fleen  obtained  from  their  original  sources 
and  ure  warranted  genuine,  and  unmixed  Orders  enclosing 
the  money  will  be  promptly  forwarded  as  soon  as  the  season 
permits  removal. 

H.  &  J.  CARPENTER. 

Po’keepsie,  N.  Y.f  March  1,  18.59. 


'Fisc  Allen  Kaspbei’B-y. 

I  can  supply,  after  1st  April  next,  a  quantjiy  of  these  highly 
valuable,  well  approved,  thoroughly  hardy  plan's,  which  I  have 
had  in  successful  hearing  for  the  past  ten  years  Price  St  per 
dozen;  $6  per  hundred ;  S50  per  thousand  Orders,  with  money 
enclosed,  addressed  to  the  undersigned.  Black  Ruck,  N  Y.,  will 
meet  immediate  attention.  They  can  he  sent  by  express,  or  oi  l  ei 
conveyance  to  nil  partsof  the  country. 

March  1st,  1859.  LEWIS  F.  ALLEN. 


LAWTON  BLACKBERRY. 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

WM  LAWTON,  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 


THE  SYRACUSE  NURSERIES 

OFFER  FOR  SALE  FOR  THE  SPRING  OF  1859, 
OF  FRUIT  TREES, 

APPLES — 3  years  old ;  a  very  general  assortment. 

4  years  old  ;  a  limited  assortment  of  early  and  late 
varieties. 

2  years  old  Dwarfs,  very  fine. 

PEARS— 1  and  2  years  old  ;  Dwarf  and  Standard,  so  extensive 
in  variety  as  to  enable  us  to  fill  almost  any  order. 

CHERRY— 1  and  2  years  old  ;  Dwarf  and  Standard,  beautiful 
Trees. 

PEACH,  APRICOT,  PLUM  and  NECTARINE — Best  varie¬ 
ties. 

CURRANTS — White  and  Red  Dutch,  Victoria,  and  twelve 
newer  varieties. 

GOOSEBERRIES — Houghton’s  Seedling,  a  good  stock,  and 
some  of  the  best  English  sons. 

BLACKBERKI ES — Lawton,  or  New  Rochelle,  and  Dorchester. 

RASPBERRIES  AND  STRAWBERRIES — Assortment  espe- 
cia  ly  large  and  desirable,  of  all  the  best  old  and  new 
kinds 

GRAPES — An  immense  stock  of  Isabella.  Catawba  and  Clin¬ 
ton,  l  and  2  years  old,  exceedingly  strong  and  well 
rooted;  also,  very  fine  plants  of  the  Concord,  Dela¬ 
ware,  Hartford  Prolific ,  Northern  Muscadine,  and 
Union  Village ;  besides  a  superioi  collection  of 
Foreign  Grapes,  in  pots. 

EVERGREENS — European  Silver  Fir;  American  and  Norway 
Spruce  ;  American  Aibor  Viue  ;  Balsam  ;  Hemlock; 
Austrian,  Corsican  and  Scotch  Pines. 

DECIDUOUS — American  and  European  Mountain  Ash;  Weep¬ 
ing  Ash;  American  Elms  ;  Weeping  Elms  :  English 
Weeping  Elms  ;  (very  graceful)  Horse  Chestnuts; 
Catalpas;  European  Larch;  Silver  and  Sugar  Ma¬ 
ples  ;  Linden;  Tulip  Trees,  Nursery  grown  and  very 
fine;  Walnut;  and  Weeping  Willow. 

SHRUBS — Altheas;  Fringe  Trees,  Purple  and  While,  Double 
Flowering  Almond.  Cherry  and  Peach  ;  Honeysuck¬ 
les  ;  Lilacs;  Snowballs;  Sweet  Briar;  Spireas ; 
D-mble  Flowering  Thorn,  White  and  Rose  Colored, 
&c. 

ROSES— One  of  the  best  and  largest  collections  in  America ; 
best  plants  of  the  Augusta  at  $l. 

DAHLIAS,  PiEONIES,  BORDER  PLANTS,  BULBOUS 
ROOTS,  &o  ,  in  great  variety. 

OF  MISCELLANEOUS  ARTICLES. 

RHUBARB — Cahoon’s,  Giant,  Victoria  and  Linnzeus. 

ASPARAGUS — Very  strong,  1  year  old  roots 

HEDGE  PLANTS—  Osage  Orange  ;  I*Ion«y  Locust,  Privit,  1 
and  2  years;  Red  and  White  Cedar. 

FOR  NURSERYMEN. 

500,  h, ft  Apple  Grafts,  worked  on  strong  roots,  at  $6 
50,ift;)  Manetti  Rose  stocks,  very  fine,  “  15 

30,  iftrt  Mazzard,  Cherry  do  do  do  “  4 

2  0,0:  0  Apple  Seedlings.  1  year.  do  “  4 

Nurserymen  will  find  these  very  superior. 

Our  articles  generally  are  of  the  finest  growth,  and  will  he 

sold  at  the  lowest  rates.  For  particular  information  see 
Our  Several  Catalogues,  Viz  : 

No.  1.  A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  all  our  productions. 

No.  2.  A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Fruits. 

No.  3  A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs, 

Roses,  &c. 

No  4.  A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Green  House, 

and  Bedding  Plants  &c. 

No.  5  A  Wholesale  Cat  alogue  for  Nurserymen  and  Dealers. 

Forwarded  on  receipt  ot'  a  stamp  for  each. 

THORP,  SMITH  &  HANCHETT. 

Syracuse  January  17,  1859. 


HIGHLAND  NURSERIES- 

COWLES  &  WAR  RE  .  SYRACUSE,  N  Y. 
Cultivate  extensively  all  hardy  varieties  of  Fruits.  Trees 
grown  on  our  uplands  are  unsurpassed  in  vigor.  Planters  and 
Tree  Dealers  supplied  at  satisfactory  prices.  Seedlings  and 
young  stock  for  Nurserymen  cheap. 


BRIDG-EMAN’S 
Slorficultufl’al 
Nos.  876  and  878  Broadway, 
NEW-YOSK, 

ALFRED  BRIDGEMAN,  PRINCIPAL  OF 
SEED  DEPARTMENT, 

Respectfully  invites  the  attention  of  FARMERS,  GARDEN¬ 
ERS,  and  all  those  in  want  of  Seeds  lo  his  unsurpassed  collec¬ 
tion  of  NEW  CROP  FIRST  QUALITY  GRASS,  VEGETA¬ 
BLE,  HERB  AND  FLOWER  SEEDS,  including  all  the  good 
old  varieties  and  several  that  are  new  and  worthy  of  general 
cultivation. 

Also  a  full  assortment  of  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLE¬ 
MENTS,  AGRICULTURAL  AND  HORTICULTURAL 
BOOKS.  Priced  Catalogues  furnished  on  application.  All  or¬ 
ders  attended  to  promptly .  and  with  exactness.  Goods  packed 
securely  to  go  any  distance. 


Seeds— Seeds. 

Our  DESCRIPTIVE  PRICED  CATALOGUE  of  VEGE- 
TABLE  AND  AGRICULTURAL  SEEDS  FOR  1859  is  now 
ready  lor  mailing  to  applicants  enclosing  a  one  cent  stamp. 

J.  M.  THORBURN  &  CO., 

Seed  Warehouse, 

15  John  Street, 

New  York. 

N.B. — A  Catalogue  of  Tree  and  Shrub  Seeds  will  be  published 
shortly  and  mailed  as  above,  containing  diiections  for  managing 
Evergreen,  &c.  Seeds. 

Garden  Field  and  Flower  Seeds. 

The  Subscriber  has  now  on  hand  a  full  assortment  of  Garden- 
Field,  Fruit  .  Herb,  and  Flower  Seeds  of  the  growth  of  1858,  of 
the  best  qualit  ies,  I  have  added  to  my  already  numerous  varie¬ 
ties  several  new  kinds  for  sale,  wholesale  and  retail,  at  lov 
prices.  Among  these  will  be  found— 

Artichoke,  Asparagus,  Beans,  Broccoli,  Beet,  Cucumber 
Cabbage,  Cauliflower  Carrot,  Celery,  Corn.  Cress,  Egg  Plan? 
Endive,  Kale.  Leek,  Lettuce,  Melon,  Mustard,  Okra,  Onior, 
Parsley  Parsnep,  Pens— several  new  varieties,  Peppers,  Pump¬ 
kin,  Radish.  Rape,  Rhubarb,  Sage,  Salsafy,  Savory,  Spinach, 
Squash,  Marjoram,  Thyme,  Tomato,  Turnip,  &c. 

Oats — heavy  and  choice  varieties. 

Potatoes — Prince  Albert,  Peach  Blow,  Early  Dyctmun,  and 
all  other  ap, Moved  kinds. 

Tobacco  Seed — Havanna,  Connecticut  Seed  Lea.'  Virginia, 
Maryland.  &c. 

Spring  Wheat— of  several  varieties. 

Spring  Rye,  Spring  Barley.  Grass  and  Clover  Seeds  ol  all  kinds 

fruit  Seeds— Osage  Orange,  &c. 

A  Catalogue  containing  a  full  list  of  seeds  and  prices  furnished 
on  application.  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  Street,  N.  Y 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


98 


Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees 
For  Spring  of  185®. 

ELLWANGER  k  BARRY,  beg  to  inform  Planters,  Nur¬ 
serymen  and  dealers  in  trees  that  they  have  still  on  hand  to 
offer  lor  Spring  planting  a  large  stock  of  the  following  named 
articles  of  superior  quality  in  all  respects. 

FRUIT  DEPARTMENT. 

Standard  Pears  on  pear  Stock  2  and  3  years  from  bud. 

Dwarf  and  Pyramid  Pears  on  quince  stock,  2  &  3  yr.  from  bud. 
Dwarf  and  Pyramid  Apples  on  paradise  and  Doucin,  1,2  and 
3  years  from  bud. 

Standard  Cherries  on  Mazzard  stocks  2  years  from  bud. 
Dwarf  and  Pyramid  Cherries  on  Mahaleb  stocks,  land  2 
years  from  bud. 

Apple  Quinces,  grafted  2  and  3  years  from  graft. 

English  Walnuts,  Butternuts,  Spanish  Chestnuts,  Filberts, &c. 
Hardy  Grapes,  including  Isabella,  Catawba,  Clinton,  Con¬ 
cord,  Diana,  Rebecca,  Monteith, 
and  other  new  varieties. 

Foreign  Grapes  for  Vineries,  all  the  most  esteemed  varieties, 
well  ripened  plants  in  pots,  1,  2  and  3  years  old 
from  the  eye. 

Bl  ackberries,  New- Rochelle  or  Lawton,  and  Dorchester. 
Gooseberries,  The  American  Seedling,  and  lurge  English  va¬ 
rieties 

Strawberries,  upwards  of  60  varieties,  including  all  the  best- 
American  and  Foreign  varieties. 

Currants,  Red  Dutch.  Victoria,  White  Grape,  Black  Naples, 
Black  English.  &c.,  &c. 

Rhubarb,  Myatt’s  Linnaeus,  Victoria,  Prince  Albert,  kc. 
Asparagus,  Strong  Roots. 

STOCKS. 

Mazzard  Cherry  Seedlings  Mahaleb  Cherry  Seedlings. 

ORNAMENTAL  DEPARTMENT. 

Deciduous  Standard  Lawn  Trees. 

Deciduous  Weeping  Lawn  Trees. 

Evergreen  Trees,  embracing  an  immense  stock  of  Norway 
Spruce  from  6  inches  to  6  feet,  also  rare 
California  Evergreens,  kc. 

(See  special  Advertisement.) 

Flowering  Shrubs,  all  the  most  desirable,  a  very  laige  stock. 
Climbing  Shrubs,  of  all  sorts. 

Roses,  The  largest  stocK  in  the  country  of  all  the  best  sorts 
both  on  the  Maneiti  Stock  and  on  their  own  roots — (See 
Catalogue). 

Herbaceous  P/EONIES,  a  superb  assortment  of  more  than 
75  varieties. 

Dahlias,  over  100  of  the  most  beautiful  varieties  including  the 
latest  novelties. 

Phloxes,  an  unrivalled  assortment  embracing  all  the  classes. 
Dielytra  Spectabilis,  the  most  charming  hardy  border  plant 
in  cultivation,  over  10,000  plants. 
Chrysanthemums,  both  large  and  pompone  varieties,  the 
newest  and  best. 

Carnations  and  Picotees,  a  fine  collection. 

Delphinium  Hendersonii,  Magniticum,  and  other  beautifnl 
sorts. 

Besides  all  the  most  desirable  hardy  border  plants  grown 
(See  Descriptive  Catalogue  No.  3). 

GREEN-HOUSE  AND  BEDDING  PLANS. 

All  the  most  useful  and  popular  plants  such  as  Fuchsias,  Ge¬ 
raniums,  Heliotropes,  Vei  benas,  Petunias,  Lantanas,  Veroni¬ 
cas,  Hydrangeas,  Bonvardias,  P  umbagos,  kc.,  kc.,  grown  ex¬ 
tensively  ami  supplied  in  quantities,  or  by  the  dozen,  assorted,  at 
low  rates.  (See  Catalogue  No.  3.) 

SUMMER  AND  AUTUMN  BLOOMING  BULBS. 

A  superb  collection  of  the  new  Gladioli,  and  Japan  Lilies,  be¬ 
sides  Tuberoses,  Tigritiias,  kc. 

We  can  sav  without  boast  ing  that  our  present  stock  has  never 
been  surpassed  in  vigor,  health,  and  beautv  of  growth.  We  in¬ 
vite  all  parties  interested  to  examine  it  and  satisfy  themselves. 

Packing  for  distant  parts,  executed  in  the  most  careful  and 
sKillful  manner,  and  customers  treated  in  all  respects  with  fair¬ 
ness  and  liberality. 

For  full  and  detailed  information  respecting  the  stock,  prices, 
terms,  kc.,  we  refer  to  the  following  catalogues  which  will  be 
sent  gratis,  pre-puid  to  all  who  enclose  one  stamp  for  each.  Viz, 
No.  1. — Descriptive  Catalogue  ot  Fruits. 

No.  2.— Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs, 
Roses,  kc .,  &c. 

No.  3,—Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Green-House,  and 
Bedding  Plants,  &c. 

No.  4.— Wholesale  Catalogue  for  Nurserymen,  Dealers,  and 
others  who  purchase  in  large  quantities. 

ELLWANGER  &  BARRY, 

Mount  Hope  Nurseries, 

March  1st,  1859.  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


Stephen  Hoyt  and  Sons, 

New  Cassaast,  Ct. 

3  1-2  MILES  FROM  NORWALK. 

Offer  for  sale  a  large  and  choice  stock  of  Fruit  and  Orna¬ 
mental  Trees.  Comprising 

30,000  Apple  Trees.  3  and  4  years  from  the  bud  or  graft. 

20,000  Peach  Trees,  1  year  from  bud. 

And  an  assortment  of  Pears  (Standard  ami  Dwarfs),  Cherries, 
Plums,  Apricots,  Quince,  kc.,  kc. 

20.000  Norway  Spruce  from  1  to  5  feet  high. 

20,000  American  Arbor  Vitres,  from  1  to  6  feet  high. 

1,00,000  Sugar  Maple  Seedlings,  1  year  old. 

100,000  Elm  Seedlings,  1  year  old. 

20,000  French  Quince  Stocks  (Well  rooted  and  Cheap). 

New  Canaan,  Ct.,  Feb.  16th,  1859. 


Choice  Vegetable  Seeds  by  Mail. 

20  Varieties  $1.00-  45  Varieties  $2.00. 

Wishing  to  give  those  who  reside  at  a  distance  an  opportuni¬ 
ty  to  test  the  quality  of  ou-  Vegetable  Seeds  which  we  are  con¬ 
fident  will  compare  favorably  with  any  ever  offered  in  this 
countrv  we  have  prepared  small  packets,  of  all  the  leading  vari¬ 
eties  which  will  be  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  to  any  address  in 
the  Union  at  the  above  prices. 

To  those  who  wish  for  larger  quantities  we  would  recommend 
the  following  collect  ions,  suitable  for  a  large,  medium  or  small 
garden,  which  will  be  carefully  packed  for  transportation  by 
Express  to  any  part  of  the  world. 

No.  1— Complete  Collection— Sufficient  for  a  large  garden 
for  one  year's  supply,  containing  12  quarts  Peas  of  the 
very  best  sorts  for  succession  and  all  other  seeds  in 

that  proportion . Si 0.00 

No.  2— Complete  Collection  for  a  moderate  sized  garden, 
comprising  6  quarts  of  Peas,  and  most  of  the  other  va¬ 
rieties  in  proportion . . S5  00 

No  3— Complete  Collection  for  a  small  garden . S3. 00 

The  quantities  included  in  the  above  collections  will  be  found 
detailed  at  length  in  the  Catalogue,  which  will  be  sent  by  mail 
post-paid  to  all  applicants  inclosing  a  Postage  stamp. 

All  orders  must  be  accompanied  with  the  Cash. 

B.  It  BLTSS, 

Springfield.  Mass. 


Evergreen  and  Deciduous  Trees. 

HENRY  LITTLE  &  CO.,  of  Bangor.  Me.,  will  continue  to 
furnish  any  number  of  Evergreen  and  other  Forest  Trees,  taken 
up  with  earth  on  the  roots  with  great  care,  and  sent  to  any  part 
of  the  United  States  by  steamers  and  railroads,  at  the  following 
low  prices,  viz ; 

From  6  to  12  inches  at  1  cent,  or . S 1 0  00  per  1000 

From  1  to  2  fcet  at  \%  cent,  or .  15  00  per  1000 

From  2  to  3  feet  at  3  cents,  or .  30  00  per  1000 

From  3  to  4  feet  at  4  cents,  or .  40  00  per  1000  and 

larger  at  fair  prices. 

Money  should  accompany  the  orders  for  trees  and  freight,  for 
Railroad  and  Steamers  n<nv  require  pre-payment. 

Catalogues  sent  gratuitously. 


NOTICE  TO  FARMERS  AND  GARDENERS. 

I  offer  for  sale  a 

MAMMOTH  PROLIFIC  LIMA  BEAN, 
of  mealy  tenderness,  and  pronounced  by  judges  the  best  Lima 
raised.  It  grov/s  onlv  six  feet  high  the  vines  being  completely 
covered  with  hunches  of  from  15’o20  large  pods  to  the  bunch. 
Also  APPLE  PIE  MELON  SEED.  Each  9  cents  per  pack¬ 
age  mulled. 

Also,  LARGE  CHEESE  SQUASH,  which  in  delicacy  of  fla¬ 
vor  for  pies,  and  as  a  substitute  for  the  Sweet  Potato  cannot,  he 
excelled.  12  cents  per  package  mailed.  The  three  packages 
for 25  cents.  CHARLES  V  RAPALYE, 

Care  ot  ‘‘Ed.  Horticultural  Monthly”  Morrisania,  N,  Y. 


Improved  King  Philip  Corn. 

Iam  now  prepares  to  sell  my  improved  King:  Philip  com  for 
seed  at  Or.e  Dollar  per  Peck.  Farmers  wishing  to  procure  this 
valuable  variety  of  Com  can  do  so  hv  addressing 

WM.  S.  CARPENTER. 

468  Pearl-st.,  N.  Y. 

( From  the  Yew-Yorlc  Tribune.) 

Improved  Corn.— Wm.  S.  Carpenter,  Harrison,  Westchester 
County,  N.  Y.,  has  shown  us  a  specimen  of  improved  King 
Philip  corn,  superior  to  anv  we  have  ever  seen  before  It  is  an 
accidental  variety  the  ears  being  of  unusual  length,  as  long  as 
the  best  Dutton,  the  kernels  being  very  large  and  deep,  eiglil 
rows  on  the  cob.  It  ripens  perfectly  in  one  hundred  days,  and 
produces  very  nearly  double  as  much  as  the  ordinary  King 
Philip  Editor  Tribune. 


14,349, 


Choice  Dahlias  at  Wholesale. 

The  subscriber  would  invite  the  attention  of  Nurserymen, 
Florists  and  o' hers  who  wish  to  purchase  by  the  quantity,  to  his 
larize  assortment  of  the  above  in  not  roots  f<»r  propagation,  com¬ 
prising  about  two  hundred  variet  ies,  among  which  are  many  new 
varieties  first  sent  out  last  Spring,  the  roots  being  very  compact, 
can  be  packed  into  a  small  space,  and  safely  sent  to  all  parts  of 
the  country,-  Catalogues  with  prices  upon  application. 

B.  K.  BLISS,  Springfield,  Mass. 


LOCAL  AGENTS  WANTED 

to  sell  Trees  of  the 

KING  OF  TOMPKINS’  CO  ”  APPLE, 
which  is  adjudged  by  the  N.  Y.  S.  Agricultural  Society  to  be  the 

best  single  variety,  and  sells  in  New- York  at  S6  to  S8  per  bar¬ 
rel,  ami  also  all  other  kinds  of  Fruit  Trees,  both  Standard  and 
Dwarf.  Ornamental  Trees  and  Shr"bs.  Vines.  &o  ,  cultivated  at 
THE  SENECA  LAKE  HIGHLAND  NURSERIES, 
established  in  '812.  by  the  present  proprietor,  E  C  FROST,  at 
Havana  Schuyler  Co.,  N.  Y.  Send  by  mail  for  terms  and  Cata¬ 
logues  of  Trees. 

A  few  thousand  Apple,  Plum  and  Quince  Stocks  yet  on  hand. 


PURE  HUBBARD  SQUASH  SEED  FOR  SALE 

By  the  subscriber,  who  first  introduced  this  excellent  variety 
to  public  notice,  and  gave  it  its  name.  The  fo'l  wing  testimo¬ 
nials  express  hut 'he  general  senliment  of  all  who  have  tested 
the  new  squash,  which  has  just  received  the  award  of  the  Mas¬ 
sachusetts  Horticultural  Society  as  the  best  squash  exhibited 
during  the  season.  _ 

The  richest  squash  I  have  ever  tasted.”  (Hon.  Marshall  P. 

Wilder.) _ “  Nothing  could  be  better.  Tt  is  a  very  important 

acquisition  to  the  vegetable  garden.” — (Hon,  Edward  Everett.) 
. . .  They  excel  in  flavor  and  fineness  of  the  flesh  any  squash 

we  have  ever  tasted.” — (New-Englnnd  Farmer.) _ “  They  are 

mealy  as  mashed  potatoes,  s  a  eeter  than  sweet  potatoes  or  boiled 
chestnuts,  a  good  deal  like  the  latter,  but  better  than  either.” — 
(The  Homestead  ) 

Seed — For  a  package  with  full  directions  for  cultivation,  25c. 

JAMES  J.  H.  GREGORY,  Marblehead,  Mass. 


Hubbard  Stpiasb. 

FIFTY  SEEDS  of  this  celebrated  Squash  sent  free  by  post  to 
anv  address  in  the  Union  on  receipt  of  five  3-cent  stamps  Ad¬ 
dress  B.  K.  BLISS.  Springfield,  Mass. 


RARE  SEEDS. — Boston  Marrow  Squash 

Poland  Oats,  Mountain  Bush  Beans,  Speckled  Lima 
Beans,  Rhode  Island  Premium  Corn,  and  Clinton  Potato  Eyes. 
Each  19  cents  per  package,  post-paid. 

P.  SUTTON, .Ransom,  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa. 

LINNAEAN  GARDEN  &  NURSERIES. 

—Flushing,  New-York  — WM.  R.  PRINCE  &  CO  will 
send  their  Catalogues  of  any  Department  of  their  Nurseries,  iii- 
cludinglSO  select  varieties  of  Native  Grapes,  with  the  reduced 
prices,  to  applicants  who  enclose  stamps. 


GENUINE  HUNGARIAN  GRASS  SEED 

At  $2  50  per  bushel.  For  sale  by 

S.  DEWEY,  Hockingport,  (Ohio  River.) 

Athens  Co.,  Ohio. 


American  Weeds  &.  Useful  Plants 

OR 

AGRICULTURAL  BOTANY, 

By  W.  Darlington,  M.  D  ,  West  Chester,  Pa., 
with  additions  by  George  Thurber,  New-York. 

A  History  and  Description  of  all  plants  injurious  or  impor 
tanl  to  the  American  Farmei  and  Gardener ;  wilh  nearly 
three  hundred  illustrations. 

THE  WEEDS 

Which  now  infest  our  farms  have,  wilh  few  exceptions,  been 
introduced  from  abroad  ;  and  being  at  first  unnoticed,  have 
spread  from  farm  to  farm  until 

IT  NOW  COSTS  THE  FARMERS  OF  AMERICA 
MILLIONS  OF  DOLLARS 
every  year  for  the  destruction  of  these  Foreigners,  or  in 
the  injury  done  to  their  crops. 

Every  Farmer  should  guard  his  grounds  from  the 
FIRST  APPROACH  OF  HIS  ENEMIES. 

As  a  class-book  for  Agricultural  Schools  and  Colleges — and  a 
I-Iand-book  for  the  Farmer— and  for  all  public  and  private  libra¬ 
ries  this  book  is  the  most  valuable  addition  yet  made  to  out 
already  large  list  of  Agricultural  Books. 

Price  $1  50. 

Sent  by  mail,  postage  paid,  on  receipt  of  price. 

A.  O.  MOORE  k  CO., 

Agricultural  Book  Publishers, 

140  Fulton-st.,  New-York. 


Seeds— Seests— §eetls. 

We  would  call  the  attention  of  Farmers  and  others  to  an  en¬ 
tirely  new  and  choice  collection  of  Grain.  Field,  Grass,  Herb, 
Flower  and  Garden  Seeds,  which  we  will  warrant  to  be  pure 
and  fresh. 

Please  send  for  a  priced  Catalogue. 

A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO.. 

New  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed-store, 
Remember  the  new  stand,  No.  54  Yesey-st.,  N.  Y., 
near  Washington  market. 

Hungarian  Grass  Seed. 

A  large  stock  of  the  above  just  received  and  warranted  to  be 
the  genuine  article  for  sale  by  the  agents. 

A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO., 

New  Seed  Store,  No.  54  Vesey  St.,  New-York. 


PROFITABLE  Employment  may  be  bad 

by  addressing  (post-paid)  R.  SE  ARS  181  William-st,  N,  Y 


The  Fort  Edward  Institute. 

After  four  years  of  successful  experiment,  confidently  refers  t.i 
its  numerous  and  respectable  patrons  in  demonstration  of  its 
ahi  it y  to  furnish  wholesome  and  sufficient.  Board,  fuel  and 
washing  included,  at  S2.00  per  week,  and  to  provide  superior 
Instruction  in  all  the  branches  of  a  commercial,  classical  or 
ornamental  education  at  corresponding  rates  ;  while  the  phys¬ 
ical  and  moral  health  of  its  students  is  sacredly  and  effectively 
guarded.  Superb  brick  Buildings  with  complete  departments 
and  adaptations  for  both  ladies  and  gentlemen;  a  strong,  per¬ 
manent  and  united  Faculty  all  residing  with  the  Students  ;  the 
rule  of  pre -payments  for  Board  ;  and  the  constant  attendance  of 
goodly  numbers,  grea  ly  promotive  of  financial  ecotmmv,  and 
serving  always,  under  judicious  management,  to  emphasize  the 
motives  to  diligence  and  duty;  these,  under  outspoken  Chris¬ 
tian  auspices,  nave  been  amongthe  efficient  causes  of  its  unpar- 
ailed  success.  The  Spring  Term  opens  Marcli  17th.  Circulars, 
containing  full  and  minute  information,  with  references,  are 
sent  gratis,  on  application  to  the  Principal,  Rev.  JOSEPH  E. 
KING,  A.  M.,  Fort  Edward,  New  York. 

WOTICE  OE  PARTNERSHIP. — The  urn 

Undersigned  have  this  day  formed  a  limited  partnership  for 
the  period  of  five  vears  from  the  27th  dav  of  January,  1859,  un¬ 
der  the  name  or  firm  of  HENRY  F.  D  IBB  LEE.  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  dealing  in  or  manufacturing  Agricultural  Implements, 
Machines,  &c.  Also  sales  on  commission.  HENRY  F  DTB- 
BLEE  is  me  general  partner,  and  CHARLES  A.  GRIFFIN, 
who  is  the  special  partner,  has  contributed  eight  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars  in  cash.  Signed,  HENRY  F.  DIBRLEE. 

Dated  New-York,  .Tan.  27,  1859.  CPIARLES  A.  GRIFFIN, 

The  business,  an  Heretofore,  will  be  conducted  at  AGRICUL¬ 
TURAL  DEPOT,  100  Murray-st,  where  an  increased  variety  ol 
Implements,  Machines,  Seeds,  Fertilizers,  &c.,  will  be  found 


JSees. 

THE  MYSTERIES  OF  BEE-KEEPING  EXPLAINED. 
Containing  an  Appendix,  with  directions  for  using  the  mova¬ 
ble  combs  of  L.  L.  Langstrpth  will  be  sent  to  anv  address,  free 
of  postage,  for  one  dollar.  Address  M  QUIN  BY, 

St.  Johnsville,  Montgomery  Co.,  N.  Y. 


A  CHOICE  FARM  ATKINGSTON.  N  V.. 

for  sale.  In  a  healthy  locality  1%  miles  north  of  Kingston. 
Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y..  on  both  sides  of  the  Albany  Road,  and  2% 
miles  from  Rondout,  where  Steamboats  leave  daily,  morning, 
and  afternoon,  for  New-York,  and  a  Steam  Ferry  connects  with 
all  the  Hudson  R.  R  trains.  It  is  also  in  close  proximity  to  a 
ready  market.  On  the  west  side  of  the  Road  it  contains  about, 
88acres,  a  good  dwelling,  carriage  and  ice-house,  barn,  perma¬ 
nent  horse-  power,  orchard,  large  garden,  &c.  On  the  east  side 
about  30  acres,  a  small  dwelling,  barn,  sheds,  kc.  The  farm  also 
lias  a  wood  lot  of  37  acres.  The  scenery  iu  this  section  is  very 
fine  and  the  Catskill  Mountains  immediately  in  view. 

Apply  to  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE,  1U0  Muiray-st.,  N.  Y. 

KOBERT  E.  BABB,  Real  Estate  and  Col- 

’  lecting  Agent,  Office  No  167  Broadway  ;  residence  No.  6 
Jones-st.,  near  4th  st.  Houses  let  and  rents  collected,  kc.  Al? 
business  intrusted  to  his  care,  will  be  promptly  and  faithfully 
executed.  REFERENCES: 

A.  M.  Gunn.  M.  D  .  No.  132  4th-st. 

Leonard  W.  King,  Esq.,  No  55  Bleecker-st,, 

N.  D.  Herder.  Fsq.,  No.  99  Murray-st. 

Mathias  Clark,  Esq.,  No.  335  Greenwich-st. 

ELLWANGER  &  BARRY'S  Old  estab* 

lished  ”  Mount  Hope  Nurseries,”  Rochester,  N.  Y.  Or¬ 
ders  received  at  Agricultural  Depot,  100  Murrav-st  .  N.  Y. 

HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


SEEDS  In  fine  variety  for  hot  bed.  garden, 

or  Field  use  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  100  Murray- 
st.,  N.  Y.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


10,000 


SOLD.— PRAC¬ 
TICAL  HORSE  FAR¬ 
RIERY— Revised  Edition,  containing  the 
Treatment  and  Cure  of  Diseases,  the 
whole  of  RAREY’S  ART.  with  illustrated 
insl  ructions ;  100  valuable  recipes,  kc., 
sent,  free  on  receipt  of  50  cts.  E.  NASH  . 

Publisher,  Auburn,  N.  Y. 


Thermometers,  barometers,  &c.,  of 

reliable  quality  anil  various  defer  ipt  or s.  among  which 
arc  those  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  register  the  coldest  am!  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24  hours,  iu  the  absence  of  the  obs-rver.  For 
sale  by  U.  EGGERT  &  SON,  239  Pearl  st. 


Russia  or  bass  mats,  selected 

expressly  for  budding  and  tving,  GUNNY  BAGS, TWINES, 
HAY  ROPE’S,  &c.,  suitable  for  Nursery  purposes,  for  sale  m 
lots  to  suit  by  D.  W.  MAN  WARING,  Importer, 

240  Front  Street,  New  York. 


94 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


FLOWER  SEEDS  BY  MAIL 

TWENTY-FIVE  VARIETIES 

OF 

(£l)oicc  Annual  ileum-  Becks. 

WITH  DIRECTIONS  FOR  TIIEIR  CULTURE. 
PRICE  ONE  DOLLAR. 

SOLD  BY 

JAJIE§  M.  THORBURX  &  CO. 

NO.  15  JOHN  STREET, 

NEW-YORK. 

10  Varieties  ol choice  Hardy  Annua's . 50  cts. 

80  do  do  do  Biennials  and  Perennials. .  $2.00 

do  do  do  do  ....  4  00 

New  and  Rare  Annuals . . .  2.00 

Choice,  Hardy  Biennial  and  Perennials .  1.00 

do  Gretn  House  Seeds . 2.50 

do  do  do  . 5.00 

American  Seeds  for  European  Culture . 2.00 

For  Rock  work .  75 

Aquatics .  6.00 

Ornamental  Grasses .  .  .  75 

Brandling  Larkspur .  50 

Hyacinth  do  .  75 

Finest  German  Zinnias .  1.00 

French  fruffaut  Asters . • . 5.00 

Assortments  of  Beautiful  German  Asters,  Quilled, 

Periecrion.  &c..  from  7a  cts.,  $i  U0,  Si  5!)  to .  3  00 

Assortments  of  Beautil'ul  German  Ten  Week,  Giant, 

and  Intermediate  Stocks  lnun  7icts.  to..... .  ...  3  00 

Assortments  containing  50  Varieties  splended  Carna¬ 
tion  and  Picotee .  5.00 

All  the  above  free  by  mail  on  receipt  of  a  remittance  in  Bank 
Bills  on  any  solvent  Ban*  in  the  Union. 

J.  M.  THORBURN  &  CO  , 

15  John  Street, 
New-York. 

ISP  Please  observe  our  other  advertisements  in  this  No. 


10 

Varieties 

50 

do 

100 

do 

20 

do 

20 

do 

20 

do 

40 

do 

20 

do 

6 

do 

12 

do 

12 

do 

6 

do 

8 

do 

12 

do 

22 

do 

Rare  and  Beautiful  Flowers. 

SI.  K.  BLASS, 

Seedsman  and  Florist-  Springfield,  Mass- 

Would  invite  the  attention  of  all  who  love  the  cultivation  of 
Flowers  to  his  large  and  splendid  assortment  of  English,  French 
and  German  Flower  Seeds,  received  from  the  most  trustworthy 
sources,  and  embracing  all  of  the  most  desirable  varieties  in 
cultivation 

The  seventh  annual  edition  of  his  Descriptive  Catalogues  of 
Flower,  Vegetable  and  Agricultural  Seeds  arranged  on  an  im¬ 
proved  plan,nnd  containing  much  valuable  information,  both  to 
the  novice  and  amateur,  is  now  ready  for  delivery,  and  will  be 
sent  post-paid  to  ail  applicants  on  receipt  of  a  postage  stamps. 

FLOWER  SEEDS  BY  MAIL. 

For  the  accommodation  of  those  who  reside  at  a  distance  lie 
has  prepared  the  following  assortments,  containing  only  the 
must  showy  varieties,  and  those  of  easy  culture,  which  will  be 
ent  post-paid  to  any  address  in  the  Union  at  the  following  prices  : 

AssOitTMBHT  No.  1 — consists  of  twenty  choice  varieties 

of  Annuals  . $1  00 

No.  2. — consis's  of  twenty  choice  varieties 

of  Biennials  and  Perennials . . $1  00 

No.  3 — consists  often  extra  fine  varieties  of 
Annuals  and  Perennials,  embracing  many 
of  the  new  and  choicest  in  cultivation. .  $1  00 

No.  4 — consists  of  five  very  choice  varieties 
select- d  from  Prize  Flowers  of  English 
Pansies,  German  Carnation  and  Picotee 
Pinks,  Verbenas.  Truffaut’s  French  As¬ 
ters  and  Double  Hollyhocks .  $1  00 

Purchasers  remitting  $3  00  will  receive  the  four  assortments 
postage  free  The  above  collections  have  been  favorably  known 
m  every  section  of  the  country  for  the  past  five  years,  and  can 
be  confidently  recommended  to  all  who  wish  for  a  fine  display 
of  Flowers  at  a  moderate  cost. 

The  following  addiiional  assortments  (his  selection)  will  also 
be  sent .  free  of  postage,  at  the  prices  annexed  : 

Assortment  No  5 — contains  fifteen  very  select  varie¬ 
ties  of  Green-House  Seeds . $3  00 

No.  6— contains  one  hundred  varieties  of 
Annuals,  Biennials  and  Perenninls,  in¬ 
cluding  many  new  and  choice  varieties. . .  .§5  00 
No  7— contains  fifty  varieties  ot  Annuals, 

Biennials  and  Perennials . $2  50 

No.  8 — contains  twenty  varieties  of  hardy 
Annuals,  Biennials  and  Perennials,  for 
sowing  in  the  autumn . SI  0» 

All  orders  must  he  accompanied  with  the  cash.— Remittances 
can  be  made  in  current  Bills  or  Postage  Stamps. 

In  addition  to  the  above  he  offers  a  large  and  well  selected 
assortment  of  Dahlias,  Verbenas,  Roses,  English  Carnation  and 
Picotee  Pinks,  Double  Hollyhocks,  Petunias.  Herbaceous  and 
Bedding  Plants  of  every  description,  a  Catalogue  of  which  will 
be  published  in  April  and  sent  to  all  applicants  enclosing  a 
postage  stamp.  B.  IC.  BLISS. 

Flower  Seeds  !s>y  Mail. 

We  are  now  receiving  our  annual  supplies  of  English,  French 
and  German  Seeds  direct  from  the  most  reliable  seed  growers  in 
Europe,  which  in  addition  to  our  many  favorite  sorts  of  Ameri¬ 
can  growth,  gives  us  an  unusually  large  assortment,  embracing 
in  all  nearly  one  thousand  x arieties,  and  containing  every  desi¬ 
rable  novelty  and  standard  variety — from  which  we  have  select¬ 
ed  the  following  collections,  which  we  will  send  by  mail  Jree  of 
postage,  to  any  part  of  the  United  States  at  the  annexed  prices  : 

Collection  l*o.  I— Contains  20  varieties  of  Annuals . $1  00 

Collection  No.  2 — Contains  20  varieties  of  Biennials  and 

Perennials .  1  00 

Collection  No.  3— Contains  10  extra  fine  varieties  of  Rare 

Annuals  and  Perennials .  1  00 

Collection  No.  4— Contains  5 choice  varieties,  from  Prize 
Flowers,  of  French  Asters,  German 
Carnation  and  Picotee  Pinks,  English 
Pansies,  Verbenas  and  Hollyhocks, 
each  of  which  is  sold  at  25  cts.  singly.  1  00 
Collection  No.  5— Contains  50  varieties,  (including  col¬ 
lection  No.  4),  Annuals,  Biennials 

and  Perennials . 2  50 

Collection  No.  0 — Contains  too  varieties . 5  uu 

We  also  offer  many  other  variet  ies  of  French  and  German 
Seeds  by  mail  for  enumeration  of  which  see  our  Descriptive  Re¬ 
tail  Priced  List  of  Flower  and  Vegetable  Seeils,  which  will  be 
sent  to  all  applicants  enclosing  a  one  cent  stamp. 

Persons  ordering  wilt  please  state  the  No  of  t  he  Collection. 

N  |3. — Particular  attention  should  be  given  to  giving  the  ad¬ 
dress,  town,  county  and  State  in  full,  as  it  is  a  frequent,  occur* 
lence  that  an  essentia!  part  is  wanting,  and  the  seeds  cannot  be 
forwarded  until  another  communication  is  received. 

All  orders  will  receive  prompt  attention.  Address 

ALLEN  ti  MuELW  AIN,  Springfield,  Mass, 


i  BY  MAUL,  GRAFTS,  VINES  AND  PLANTS, 

I  will  send  carefully  packed,  post-paid. 

j  Grafts  of  the  Baker  Apple  at . 36c.  per  dozen 

any  other  varieties  grown  East . 36c. 

Bartlett  or  other  Pears . 75c. 

|  Concord  Grape  Cuttings,  two  buds  each . GOc.  per  %  doz 

Concord  Grape  Vines,  suitable  for  mailing - S3  00 

New-Rochelleor  Lawton  Blackberry  Plants,  do.. 75c. 

Mum  mo'  h  Cahoon  Pie  Plants,  crowns . 75c. 

Peabody’s  and  Wilson’s  Albany  Strawberry  plants.75c.  per  dozen 
Longworth’s  Prolific,  McAvoy’s  Superior,  and 

other  choice  varieties . 36c. 

Any  larger  quantity  of  not  more  than  three  pounds,  sent  by 
mail  at  the  same  rates.  All  of  the  above  by  the  100  or  1000  at 
tile  lowest  rates,  by  express. 

Cash  or  3-cent  stamps  must  accompany  orders,  which  will  be 
filled  as  soon  as  the  season  will  admit. 

Ridgefield,  Conn.,  March  1,  1859.  F.  A.  ROCKWELL. 


BRIBG-EMAN’S 
Horticultural  Establishment. 

NOS.  876  &  878  BROADWAY, 
NEW-YORK. 

NUKSEKY  AN fl>  GBiEEJV-iaoUSE 
DEPARTMENT. 

ANDREW  BR1DGEMAN,  PRINCIPAL. 

The  Attention  of  Purchasers  are  invited  to  our  select  assort¬ 
ment  of 

Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees, 

Flowering  Shrubs,  Fruit  Bushes,  Grape  Vines, 
Strawberries,  Esculent  Roots,  &c.,  &c. 

For  particulars  see  Descriptive  Catalogue  No.  4,  which  will 
be  sent  free  to  all  applicants 

A  new  edditionof  Descriptive  and  Priced  Catalogue  No  6. 

SELECT  BEDDING  PLANTS, 

ROSES, 

SUMMER  AND  AUTUMN  BLOOMING  BULBS, 
AND 

HERBACEOUS  PLANTS 

will  be  issued  March  1st. 

The  stock  the  present  season,  are  all  good  size,  well  grown 
and  very  select,  including  many  rare  ana  valuable  plants  of  re¬ 
cent,  introduction 

The  immense  number  propagated  by  us  to  supply  the  demand 
from  all  parts  of  our  country,  enables  us  to  put  our  selected  va¬ 
rieties  at  as  low  prices  as  is  usually  charged  for  the  more  ordi¬ 
nary  kinds. 

All  orders  will  be  promptly  filled,  carefully  packed  and  for¬ 
warded  as  directed 

BP  SEND  FOR  CATALOGUES  AT  ONCE. 

February  1  Sth,  1859. 


SmaH  Fruits, 

New  Native  Grape  Yines, 
Rhubarb,  &c., 

Wholesale  and  Retail. 

A  large  stock  of  the  best  varieties  is  offered  at  low  rates,  in¬ 
cluding 

THE  BRINCKLE’3  ORANGE  RASPBERRY, 
unequalled  in  flavor  and  beauty,  also  very  vigorous  and  produc¬ 
tive,  and  considered  by  many  as  the  very  best,  and  recommend¬ 
ed  by  the  Am.  Pom.  Convention  for  general  cultivation.  Also 
llie  Vice  Pres.  French  and  Thunderer— and 
LINNiEUS  RHUBARB, 

An  English  variety,  particularly  tender,  fine  flavored  and  pro¬ 
ductive — the  most  profitable  for  market 

REBECCA  GRAPE  VINES, 

Extra  strong,  grown  7  to  10  feet  high.  Also,  Delaware,  Diana, 
Concord,  and  Hartford  Prolific  vines. 

NBW-ROCHELLE  BLACKBERRY, 

Very. low,  also  Newman’s  Thornless  Blackberry,  and  Strawber¬ 
ries  in  any  quantity  of  the  most  prominent  varieties.  Address 
H  C.  FREEMAN.  late  Freeman  &  Kendall, 
Ravenswood  Fruit  Garden,  Ravenswood,  L.  I.,  near  New- York. 


Cranberry  Plants. 

GENUINE  PLANTS  OF  THE  BELL  VARIETY. 
NEW-ROCHELLE  (Lawton)  BLACKBERRY. 
HOP-TREE  or  Ptelia  Trifoliata— superior  to  common  hops 
for  culinary  purposes,  a'so  very  ornamental. 

Circulars  relating  to  the  above  will  be  forwarded  to  applicants, 
Also  for  sale  Tree  Varnish  for  keeping  out  air  and  water  from 
cuts,  wounds,  &c..  on  trees.  6  bottles  for  S I.  For  sale  by 
F.  TROWBRIDGE  &  CO., 

At  the  New-Haven  Nursery,  New-Haven,  Ct. 


CRANBERRY  CULTURE. 

The  subscriber  has  issued  a  circular  on  the  Cranberry  and  its 
culture,  and  will  forward  them  to  all  who  send  a  post-stamp  to 
pre-p.iy  postage.  Also,  has  plants  for  sale,  and  will  send  them 
in  afresh  stat**,  by  express,  to  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 

Address  SULLIVAN  BATES, 

Bellingham,  Norfolk  County,  Mass. 


PEABODY’S  SEEDLING  STRAWBER- 

RY. — A  few  thousand  genuine  Plants  left  yet,  which  will 
be  closed  our,  t  his  Spring  for  cash  orders  at  $lf  per  thousand. 
South  Salem,  Ross  Co  ,  Ohio.  O.  1IEFFRON. 


r  [P  [I E  SWEET  POTATO  successfully 

cultivated  in  the  North.  Statements  from  those  who  grew 
them  Also  information  relative  to  procuring  plants  and  seed, 
and  propagation  of  plants,  culture,  &o  sent  on  receipt  of  a 
stamp.  O.  S.  MURRAY  &  SON. 

Twenty-miles  Stand,  Warren  Co.,  Ohio. 


Peach  Blow  Potatoes  for  Seed. 

500  bushels  New  Jersey  Peach  Blow  Potatoes  for  sale  at  SI 
per  bushel,  in  lots  to  Suit.  The  above  were  raised  by  the  sub¬ 
scriber,  and  selected  with  care  for  seed,  and  warranted  the  gen¬ 
uine  Peach  Blow.  Orders  addressed  to 
March  1st  1859.  C.  SHERWOOD.  Summit,  N.  .T. 


A  NOVELTY. 

THE  MEXICAN  COSIIAW.  This  new  mammoth  yegeta 
ble  belongs  to  t.lie  Squash  family.  It  is  unequaled  for  size  and 
edible  qualities  and  makes  delicious  pies  Price  of  Seeds  25 
cents  per  package  sent  to  any  address  post-paid. 

Address  VOLNEY  LEONARD, 

Springfield  Bradford  Co.,  Pa. 


PLOWS,  HARROWS  AND  CULTIVAT- 

ORS,  of  most  approved  patterns  and  for  every  variety  of  use. 
Garden  and  Horticultural  Tools,  a  complete  assortment.  For 
sale  by  R-  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  St. 


ISABELLA  AND  CATAWBA  GRAPE 

VINES,  of  proper  age  for  forming  Vine^urds.  cu  livated 
from,  and  containing  all  the  good  qualities  vnlch  the  most  im¬ 
proved  cultivation  for  <»ver  eighteen  years,  has  conferred  on  the 
Croton  Point  Vineyards,  are  Offered  to  the  public.  Those  who 
may  purchase,  will  receive  such  instructions  for  four  years,  as 
will  enable  them  to  cultivate  the  Grape  with  entire  success, 
provided  their  locality  is  not  too  far  non  h. 

All  communications  addressed  to  R.  T  UNDERHILL,  M  D. 
New- York,  or  Croton  Point,  Westchester  Co  ,  N.  Y.,  will  re¬ 
ceive  attention. 

Having  ripened  his  whole  crop  of  Isabella  and  Catawba 
Grapes  in  1857,  the  coolest  se  son  and  most  difficult  to  ripen  in 
20  years,  he  is  confirmed  in  the  belief  that  a  good  crop  of  fruit 
can  be  obtained  every  year,  by  improved  cultivation,  pruning, 
&c.,  in  most  of  the  Northern,  all  of  the  Middle,  Western  and 
Southern  Mates. 

N  B. — To  those  who  take  sufficient,  to  plant  six  acres  as  he 
directs,  he  will,  when  they  commence  bearing,  furnish  the  own¬ 
er  with  one  of  his  Vine  dressers;  whom  be  has  instructed  in  his 
mode  of  cultivation,  and  he  will  do  all  the  labor  of  the  Vine¬ 
yard,  and  insure  the  most  perfect  success.  The  only  charge,  a 
reasonable  compensation  for  the  labor. 

Also,  APPLE-QUINCE  THEES.  (which  are  sometimes 
called  Orange  Quince,)  for  sale  as  above 
Also  for  sale  at  His  Wine  and  Grape  Depot,  No.  293  Broadway, 
New- York,  by  the  case,  in  bottles. 

PURE  ISABELLA  AND  CATAWBA  WINE, 

Made  bv  competent  persons,  under  his  own  inspection,  at  Cro¬ 
ton  Point,  from  perfectly  ripe  grapes,  suitable  for  medicinal,  sa¬ 
cramental,  and  all  other  purposes  where  a  pure  wine  is  desira¬ 
ble.  R.  T.  UNDERHILL,  M.  D. 

The  Hartford  Prolific  Grape, 

(Recommended  by  the  Pomologieal  Convention,  as  promising 
well.) 

Always  ripens  a  f  ull  crop ,  before  frost,  on  open  trellises. 
Vines  for  sale  by  J.  MASON  &  CO., 

Washington-st.  Nursery,  Hartford,  Conn. 
One-year-old  layers,  propagated  from  original  vine,  at  50  cts. 
By  the  hundred  $9  per  dozen.  Single  vines  from  75  to  lOOcents. 
A  few  two-year-old  vines  at  Si  50  each.  Small  plants,  one- 
year  old,  from  eyes.  25  to  50  cents  each,  and  $1  per  dozen. 

GR  A  P  E  V I N  ES.—  I S  A  B  ELLA ,  CAT  AW* 

ba,  and  Northern  Muscadine — The  subscribers  being 
largely  engaged  in  i lie  Grape  culture,  now  ofier  to  the  public 
several  thousand  Vines,  in  lots  to  suit,  purchasers,  of  their  own 
raising,  with  prices  according  to  age  and  quality.  Particular 
attention  paid  to  the  forming  of  vineyards.  Address  Depew’s 
Nurseries.  Nyack  Rockland  Co  ,  N  Y.  City  references,  Mr. 
John  W  Towt,  No.  56  Beekman  St. ,  Mr.  John  H.  Stephens,  788 
Greenwich  St.  • 

ORAPE  VINES— 3,000  Isabella  and  Ca- 

tavvba  Grape  Vines  for  sale  bv 

SIDNEY  E  VAN  WYCK, 

Fislikill,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y. 

The  New  Rochelle  or  Lawton,  )  T>Iachhprrv  Plant* 
Lawton  or  New  Rochelle,  |  HiacKtierry  Plants. 

PRICES  REDUCED. 

The  undersigned  agents  for  Messrs.  GEO.  SEYMOUR  &  CO., 
and  other  nurserymen  of  position  and  reputation,  offer  the  above 
remarkable  plan's  at  the  following  very  low  range  of  prices. 

One  Thousand  Plants . $80  1  Fifty  Plants . $G 

Five  Hundred  Plants .  41  Two  Dozen  Plants .  3 

One  Hundred  Plants .  10  I  One  Dozen  Plants .  2 

(TsP  Good  Plants  for  setting  of  a  second  size,  will  be  sold  foi 
$60  per  1,000  Plants,  or  $10  per  100  Plants. 

warranted  genuine. 

Also  pamphlet  on  Origen,  History,  characteristics,  and  cul 
ture  of  the  same.  DREW  &  FRENCH, 

Produce  Commission  Merchants, 

85  Barclay  Street,  New-York 

ILawtou  Blackberry  Pjaists. 

In  all  cases  warranted  of  the  original  stock,  and  raised  under 
the  supervision  of  the  suberiber  up«<n  his  own  grounds  in  New 
Rochelle  and  each  dozen  separately  secured  in  moss  for  conve¬ 
nience  of  distribution  by  Clubs,  and  packed  in  boxes. 

SCALE  OF  TRICES  BY  THE  DOZEN.. 

A  box  of  one  dozen. . . . $2 

three  dozen .  5 

eight  dozen . '0 

eighteen  dozen . f.0 

fifty  dozen . fcO 

OiT3  The  name  and  direction  of  purchasers  ehoul  I  be  dis¬ 
tinctly  written,  and  the  money  accompany  the  order. 

Address  WILLIAM  LAWTON, 

15  Wall  st.,  New- Y.*' '  . 

New-RoclieHe  or  JLawton 

BLACKBERRY  PLANTS. 

The  Subscriber  having  2%  acres  of  the  above  plants  in  culti¬ 
vation  at  the  St.  Louis  County  Fruit  Garden,  situated  at  Eure¬ 
ka  Station.  P.  R  R  .  is  prepared  to  fill  large  orders  the  coming 
Fail  and  Spring  at  the  following  Eastern  prices,  packed  and  de¬ 
livered  at  any  express  office  in  St.  Louis  free  of  charge  : 

100  plants . $10  On  I  50  plants .  $6  Of) 

25  plants .  3  50  |  12  plants .  2  00 

The  money  should  accompany  the  order. 

JOHN  S.  SEYMOUR. 

Allenton,  St.  Louis  Co.,  Mo. 

PRUNING  SHEARS— Or  Garden  Snips— 

See  what  the  Editor  of  this  paper  savs  of  them  in  the  Jan¬ 
uary  No  ,  (page  27.)  Made  and  sold  at  wholesale  and  retail,  by 
JOHN  ROWE  &  CO.,  269  Pearl-st. 


Cane  Mills  and  BastilSenes. 

general  copper-smitii  work. 

Distilleries  of  all  kinds  for  making  brandy  and  alcohol  from 
Chinese  Syrup.  Steam  and  horse  cane  mills,  syrup  pans,  skim¬ 
mers  dippers,  syrup  guag'  S  and  pumps,  brewing  apparatus,  by 
steam  or  lire.  JOHN  W.  REID,  1 1, Old-slip,  N  Y. 


Agricultural  Implements 

of  all  kinds,  for  sale  by  ,T.  B.  RYAN,  Importer  of  Hardware 
14  Yonge-st.,  Toront  o,  Canada  West. 

Manufacturers  of  above  goods  will  send  their  lists 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


95 


Every  Family  skouid  ease 
Houchin's 
Starch 


mo 


A 


0l\\ 


Polish 

Wafers. 


It  gives  tol'nen  a  superior  lustre  and  finish,  and  an  extra  stiff¬ 
ness.  It  will  prevent  the  iron  sticking.  Shirts,  Bosoms  Col¬ 
lars,  &<\.  can  he  done  up  quicker  and  will  look  bel  ter,  and  in 
damp  weather  will  keep  clean  longer  by  using  this  Polish. 

PRICE— 12c.  25c.  50c.  and  $1.00  per  Package. 

J.  B.  MORRILL, 

Agent,  wholesale  and  retail. 

301  Broadway,  New-Yoik  City.  Box  2736  P.  0.,N.  Y. 


Farmers, 

KNOY/LEDGE  15  POWER! 

LABOR  COSTS  MONEY. 

SAVE  YOUR  MONEY. 

MAKE  MACHINERY  DO  YOUR  WORK 

One  man  with  mind  will  do  more  work  with  horse  and  ma¬ 
chine  than  ten  by  hand  labor,  and  do  it  better,  increasing  your 
crops  fifty  per  cent,  and  save  the  price  of  the  machines  in  two 
day’s  work. 

The  latest  labor  saving  machines  are  : 

Share's  Patent  Covering  and  Hoeing  Machines . $10  CO 

Cultivator  ami  Hilling  Machine .  10  00 

Coulter  Harrow  and  Grain  Covering  do. . .  15  00 
and  are  only  second  to  the  plow.  Where  t  hey  are  used  farmers 
will  not  be  wi'hout  them  upon  any  consideration  and  our  ad- 
vi  e  to  the  farmers  of  the  country  is  to  buy  these  machines  as 
soon  as  possible  Where  five  or  more  club  together  and  order 
these  machines  we  will  make  a  discount  of  $1  each  on  the  Har¬ 
row  and  Grain  Covering  machine,  and  50  cents  each  the  other 
machines.  Send  for  a  Circular  to 

PEASE  &  EGGLESTON, 

Only  Manufacturers,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Responsible  Agents  wanted. 


New- York  Agricultural  Ware¬ 
house  and  Seed  Store. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  No.  191  Water-itreet, 

Invites  the  attention  of  fatmersand  dealers  to  his  very  large 
and  complete  assortment  of  most  approved  and  reliable  Agricul¬ 
tural  and  Horticultural  Implements.  FIELD,  GARDEN,  and 
FLOWER  SEEDS  and  FERTILIZERS— which  are  offered  for 
sale  at  very  low  prices— cust  omers  may  rely  upon  having  articles 
made  in  the  best  and  must  durable  manner,  and  which  shall  prove 
as  represented. 

I  am  making  several  new  and  superior  pattern*  :>f  STEEL 
and  CAST  IRON  PLOWS;  also  Sub-soil,  Side-hill,  Double- 
mold,  and  PLOWS  for  all  kinds  of  vork.  Harrows.  Cub iva- 
tors.  Seed  Drills,  Carts.  Wagons,  Wheel  Barrows.  Garden  and 
Field  Rollers,  Garden  Engines,  Pumps,  Garden  Tools  of  every 
variety. 

Also— Horse  Powers  and  Threshing  Machines,  Saw  Mills, 
Water  Rams,  Grain  Mills,  Hay  and  Stalk  Cutters,  Corn  Shel- 
lers,  Wea'lier  Vanes,  Allen’s  celebrated  Mower  and  Mower  and 
Reaper.  &c 


Farmers!  Read,  Read,  Read, 

THIS  GLORIOUS  NEWS. 

Mr.  G.  Pierpont,  of  Rockford,  Ill.,  purchased  one  of  SHARE’S 
COULTER  HARROW  PULVERIZER  and  GRAIN  COV-i. 
ERER,  with  which  lie  covered  90  acres  of  wheat  on  his  farm  ( by 
merely  going  over  the  field  once  after  it  was  sown.)  He  also 
covered  or  harrowed  in  15  acres  with  the  common  or  Scotch  har¬ 
row  (and  worked  over  2  or  3  tunes)  on  the  same  farm, to  convince 
himself  of  the  difference  between  the  two  machines.  The  yield, 
after  harvesting  the  grain,  was  on  ail  average  3  bushels  more 
per  acre  from  the  land  on  which  he  used  Share’s  Harrow  than 
that  on  which  he  worked  the  common  harrow,  thereby  saving, 
(by  pulverising  with  our  hairovv  instead  of  scratching  the  top  of 
the  land  and  packing  it  with  the  Scotch  machine,)  say  270  bush¬ 
els  of  wheat,  which,  at  the  present  price  of  St  40  per  bushel,  is 
$378,  or  the  price  of  25  machines.  Will  not  this  induce  farmers 
to  purchase  this  new  and  improved  implement  which  will  make 
their  Lbor  easy  and  cheap.  They  are  manufactured  only  by  the 
subscribers,  to  whom,  if  orders  are  sent,  they  will  be  promptly 
attended  to,  and  sooner  the  better,  as  the  demand  for  them  is 
constantly  increasing.  The  weight  of  the  machine  is  200  lbs. 
Price  $15  and  freight.  Address  for  a  catalogue, 

PEASE  &  EGGLESTON,  Albany,  N.  Y. 


Agricultural  lEupScmeiats,  &c. 

The  largest,  best  and  most  complete  assortment  of  Agricul¬ 
tural  and  Horticultural  Implements,  Seeds,  Fertilizers,  &c., 
eyer  offered  for  sale  in  the  U.  S.  can  be  found  at  the 

New  Agricultural  Implement  and  Seed  Warehouse, 

No.  54  Vesey-st.,  N.  Y.,  near  Washington  Market. 

A.  F  MAYHER  Cu..  Proprietors. 


CHINESE  SUGAR  CANE  AND  AFRL 

CAN  IMPHEE,  at  very  low  price. 

R.  L.  ALbEN,  191  Water  St.,  N.Y. 


BP  Caution—' Take  Notice. 

Whereas  L.  L.  Langstroth’s  agents  are  very  much  troubled 
nnd  annoyed  or.  account  of  bee-keeners  preferring  to  purchase 
ami  use  my  “Sectional  Frame  Hive,”  patented  Nov  9  1808 
ami  other  improved  Hives,  to  theirs,  and  in  order  to  idri-Iiten 
and  deler  others  lrom  doing  so,  have  cautioned  the  public  against 
purchasing  “  Movable  Comb  Hives,  as  they  believe  such  to  be 
infringements  on  their  rights. 

For  the  benefit  of  all  concerned,  I  will  state  that  I  neither 
make,  sell  or  offer  for  sale  any  improvement  of  which  Mr  Laiw- 
stroth  is  the  original  inventor,  or  rightful  owner,  havtng  no  oc¬ 
casion  to  do  so,  as  I  have  a  much  more  convenient — cheap  and 
practical  arrangement,  requiring  much  less  exposure  to  the 
bees,  and  less  drsturbance  to  them,  and  affording  decidedly  tire 

best  facilities  for  obtaining  nice  surplus  honey  of  liny  yet  devised 

Together  with  a  late  improvement  (for  which  I  have  taken 
measuresto  secure  a  patent)  bv  means  of  which  the  bees  must 
construct  all  their  combs  straight  outlie  fr  'tries,  a  thing  there  is 
no  certainty  ol  their  doing  in  their  litve.  or  any  other  movable 
comb  Hive.  Therefore  don't  he  frightened  bee-keepers  but 
send  a  one  cent  stamp  and  get  a  circular  and  examine  fur  your 
selves.  Address  ■’ 


E.  W.  PHELPS,  »  D  ,  , 

Elizabeth,  N.  J.  !  Patentee. 


SHORT  HORN  HERD  AT  AUCTION. 

Having  sold  my  farm  at  Chestnut  Ridge,  Dutchess  County, 
N.  Y.,  I  will  oiler  for  sale  at  auct  ion,  my  entire  Herd  oi  SHORT 
HORNED  CATTLE,  consisting  of  about  thirty-five  head  of 
superior  animals.  Among  them  will  be  the  unrivalled  Bull, 
Highflyer,  678:  also,  stock  sired  by  him,  as  well  as  the  Earl 
of  Warwick,  165.  The  sale  will  take  place  at  Dover  Plains,  on 
the  New- York  and  Harlem  Rail  Road,  on  the  10th  day  of  May 
next,  at  12  o’clock. 

Catalogues  of  Pedigrees  may  be  had  at  the  offices  of  the 
American  Agriculturist.  New- York;  Country  Gentleman ,  Al¬ 
bany;  Ohio  Farmer,  Cleveland ;  Boston  Cultivator,  and  of  the 
subscriber. 

SAMUEL  T.  TABER 

Mineoln,  Queens  Co  ,  N.  Y. 

P.  S.— No  animals  will  be  disposed  of  before  the  sale  at  auc¬ 
tion. 


Thorough  Bred  Stock. 

I  have  always  on  hand  for  sale,  which  will  be  put  upon  the 
railroad  cars  and  sent  carefully  bv  Adams’  Express  to  purchas¬ 
ers,  SHORT- HORN  CATTLE,  SOUTH-DO WN  SHEEP,  and 
SPANISH  HOGS.  C.  M.  CLAY. 

Address — Whitehall  Post  Office,”  Madison  County,  Ky. 


r|PHOROUGH BR ED  NORTH  DEVONS. 

-*  Four  Females,  with  Herd  Book  pedigrees.  Two  Thorough¬ 
bred  Avrshi  e  Bull  Calves.  For  sale.  Address  Alfred  M 
Tredweil,  No.  251  Pearl  street,  New  York. 


Hamburg  Fowls. 

A  few  choice  specimens  of  the  golden-spangled  Hamburg 
Fowls  for  sale  Price  $8  per  trio.  Apply  to 

C.  N.  BEMENT,  Springside,  Po’keepsie,  N.  Y 


RS.  STENTON’S  LAND  SIDE  CUT 

•  TER  FOR  PLOWS  gives  33  percent,  more  work  with 
the  same  team,  a  12-inch  plow  with  4-inch  cutter,  turning  a  16- 
inch  prairie  sod,  gave  400  lbs,  draft  by  dynanometer,  easy  on 
two  horses. 


RS.  STENTON’S  DOUBLE  PRAIRIE 

•  PLOW  turns  two  furrows,  side  by  side,  and  saves  in  la- 
b  ror gains  in  work  over  50  per  cent.  Took  the  First  Premium 
at  the  Illinois  State  Fair,  Centralist,  1858;  draft  by  dynanome¬ 
ter,  turning  21  inches  of  prairie  sod,  725  lbs.,  with  two  horses. 
3  horses  or  2  yoke  of  oxen  are  sufficient  for  s'eady  work.  Apply 
to  R.  S.  STENTON, 

No.  1  Platt  and  No.  229  Pearl-st.,  New-York, 

F  M.  CHAPMAN. 

Sands’  Block,  near  Randolph-st  ,  Chicago,  Ill. 
JOHN  DEERE  &  CO.. 

Moline.  Rock  Island  Co.,  111. 

And  foal  plow  makers  in  the  West.  For  lights  or  licences,  ap¬ 
ply  to  R  S  STENTON.' 


Ingersoll’s  Patent  Hay  Press. 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  Near 
ly  500  of  them  have  been  sold  in  the  last  two  years.  Price  $50 
and  $75.  delivered  iu  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  satisfac¬ 
tion.  For  circulars,  containing  full  information.  Address 
FARMER’S  MANUFACTURING  CO.. 

Green  Point  P.  O.,  (Rrookiyn,)  N.  Y, 


Corn-stalk.  Cutter  ami  Grinder, 
HICKOk’S  patent-. 
Coleman’s  Farm  Mill. 

GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO., 

69  C’ortlandt  st., 

New-York  City. 

Farmers  sending  their  address  to  us  will  receive  our  I/lintrat- 
ed  Catalogue  and  Almanac  for  1859. 


CAUTION 

TO  PURCHASERS  OF 

Movable  Comb  Bee  Hives. 

As  sundry  persons  are  selling  hives  with  MOVABLE 
FRAMES,  the  public  are  hereby  informed  that  the  owners  of 
L.  L.  Langstrotn’s  Patent,  believe  that  such  Hives  are  infringe¬ 
ments  upon  their  rights.  They  are  preparing  to  establish  the 
validity  of  the  Langstroth  Patent  by  an  appeal  to  the  Courts  of 
Law — and  those  purchasing  interfering  patents  may  lose  the 
money  invested  in  them. 


TFo  Fhi'iiicrs  and  Storekeepers. 

BAGS  of  every  kind  and  size,  printed  as  ordered. 

SECOND-HAND  GRAIN,  COFFEE  and  GUNNY  BAGS, 
in  any  quantity. 

HAY  ROPE.  MANILLA.  JUTE  and  COTTON  ROPE, 
Clothes  Lines,  Twine,  &c.,  assorted  sizes,  at  the  lowest  possible 
prices. 

My  son,  having  much  experience,  devotes  especial  attention 
to  the  sale  of  Produce  of  every  kind,  and  the  purchase  of  Goods 
on  commission,  making  advances  when  desired. 

M.  VANDER HOOF,  171  West-st..  New-York, 

3  blocks  above  Washington  Market 


STEWART’S  A'D  TO  ECONOMY! 

BY  AN  INVENTOR  OF  40  YEAR’S  EXPERIENCE. 
This  work  is  entitled 

STEWART’S  FUEL-SAVING  AND  COMFORT  PRODUCING 

COOKING  STOVE l 

Saves  half  the  wood  or  coal  burned  in  any  other  stove, 
these  facts 76  t^10usan^  using  the  stove  will  indorse 

FULLER,  WARREN  &  CO..  Manufacturers  Troy.  N.Y 
Sold  in  JSew-Orleans.  Havana.  Honolulu.  Sandwich  Islands. 
entl.rc  southern  portion  of  the  American  Continent,  anti 
in  all  the  principal  places  m  the  United  Slates. 

Descriptive  pamphlet  by  mail  gratis. 

ll/TAPES’  One-hor.se  Steel  Sub-soil  Plow 

n.U:r,m?rJCep  cultivaUon  of  crops.  For  sale  at  Agricultural 
Depot,  10.1  Murray  st.,  N.  Y,  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


is.  t.  is  a  is  is  nr  T’§ 

SOAP  POWDER! 

This  SOAP  POWDER  lias  been  in  use  for  the  last  Sen  years, 
and  gives  the  best,  of  satisfaction.  There  have  been  many  kinds 
H'irrt-p-p'o1  market,  but  no  brand  retains  patronage  except 
HAKBli  I  S,  and  that  continues  to  gradually  increase.  One 
lamily  will  get  all  their  clothes  hung  out  b-  10  o’clock,  and  very 
wuue  at  that  ;  this  leads  to  inquiry. 

Neighbors  will  sav,  how  is  it  that  *\,u  mways  get  your  wash¬ 
ing  out  so  much  earlier  than  others,  and  so  much  whiter  'J  he 
answer  is,  we  use  BABBITT’S  SOAP  POWDER.  This  has 
been  many  tomes  related  in  my  office.  On-  man  at  the.  South  got 
a  box  of  SOAP  POWDER  to  sell ;  he  kept  it  about  six  months, 
thinking  u  a  dead  letter ;  finally,  took  some  in  his  own  house  for 
Ins  wife  to  try,  and  the  result  led  to  the  above  description,  and 
the  sale  commenced  rapidly. 

This  SOAP  POWDER  not  only  whitens  t lie  clothes, but  when 
soaked  according  to  directions  over  night,  it  causes  l  he  dirt  to 
rinse  out  with  slight  rubbing,  which  is  always  very  desirable  for 

P  D-iio?le-ii  eac— n"  on  tl,e  grass  is  required,  and  the 

c  o.hes  will  last  three  times  as  long  from  not  being  rubbed  to 

pieces.  p  ip  babbitt 

Nos.  6S  &70  Washington-St„  N.  Y  ,  and  No  38  Iudia-St.,  Boston. 
FOR  SALE  BY  ALL  GROCERS  AND  DRUGGISTS. 


TfSiE  NEW  JEKSEY 

ANIMAL  FERTILIZER,  OR  SUPERPHOSPHATE  OF 
LIME  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY. 

AV  e  invite  the  attention  of  Farmers  to  our  Manure,  composed 
ot  dead  animals,  blood,  offal,  and  raw  bones,  representing  the 
following  analysis,  which  speaks  for  itself,  viz  • 

Phosphate  of  l  ime . 10  to  20  percent. 

Sulphate  of  Lime . .  m  hi  “ 


Organic  Matter,  yielding  Ammonia 

Ammoniac  Salts . 

Insoluble  and  fine  matter,  e  c 

Soluble  Salts,  Clor.  of  Soda,  etc.,'  Sulphate  '  of 

Soda,  e'o . 

Water  and  Loss . . 


T.  e  iuu 

Every  one  of  our  customers  having  found  our  Manure  whai 
we  represent  it  to  be  an  excellent  Manure  adapted  tu  every 
soil  and  crop,  we  recommend  it  with  the  fullest  confidence  fo 
every  intelligent  farmer  and  plantation  owner  who  wants  to  se¬ 
cure  to  himself  a  valuable  crop  300  to  400  lbs.  per  acie  have 
frequently  increased  the  yield  of  Die  crop  fifty  per  cent 

Testimonials  and  Pamphlets 'o  he  had  at  the  Office.  Orders 

to  be  sent  to  HENRY  KAEDER,  Agent 

52  Beaver  Street,  New  York. 

Gustai  us  Liebig,  or  Mr  R.  L.  ALLEN, 

chemist- _ 191  Water-st.,  N.  Y 

AMEKSCAN  GUAKO. 

To  Farmers  and  Dealers  in  Guano 

This  Guano,  from  .Tarvis  Island,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  con¬ 
taining  80  per  cent  of  phosphate  and  sulphate  of  lime  and  the 
most  valuable  fertilizer  known,  is  offered  fur  sale  in  quantities 
large  or  small .  ,t  about  two-1  birds  the  price  of  Peruvian  Gu- 
ano.  For  full  information  and  particulars,  address 

C  S.  MARSHALL,  Pres.  Am  Guano  Co  , 

_ _ _  Williano-st  ,  New-York. 


To  Planters  amt  Farmers 

attcnt]on  is  directed  to  the  NATIONAL  FERTII 
IZER  prepared  of  Green  Sand  Marl,  Animal  Bone  and  Fish 
Irbies1  HnU',ed  f"ri  aPf,l“’a'1™  according  lo  the  analyses  of  vege- 
•  and'  al1  cereals,  cotton,  sugar-cane,  and  tobacco 
Unlike  Guano,  it  imparts  persistmt  fertility  to  the  soil 

mns*t  s^ate^lm  c^opVfiu  whicli  iMs  waii/ed*  °f  2°fi°  ^  °rder« 
CANNING^  37Eultoifs!ree't,VN!VAna'J'S'S'  ^  JOS'  C 


CSsiiiHo  and  «jiier  Fertilizers. 

No.  I  genuine  Peruvian  Guano,  Super-Phosphate  of  Lime 
Poudrette  Bone  Dust  Land  Plaster,  Dried  Blood  and  Wool 
smau'^iiudRiesat  ?he&°"  0f“*e  bert«““»“y  it.  large  or 

„  , ,  New  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed  Store, 

No.  54  Vesey-st.,  between  Broad  wav  &  Green  wich-st.„  N.  York 
_ _ _  A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO  ,  Proprieiors. 


NO.  1  PERUVIAN  GUANO. 

“HOYT’S”  SUPERPHOSPHATE  OF  LIME, 

BONE  DUST.  PLASTER. 

POUDRETTE,  TAFEU,  etc. 

I  lie  above  fertilizers  warranted  pure,  and  sold  at  the  lowest 
market  price. 

GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO,. 

60  Corllandt-st.,  New-York  C’i'y. 


JURIED  BLOOD  AND  WOOL  MANURE 

— The  best  and  cheapest  manure  in  use— an  active  manure 
for  i lie  present  crop,  and  permanent  in  its  effects  on  the  land 
Worth  as  much  as  guano,  and  costs  about  half  as  much  Prir»* 
$35  for  2000  lbs.  in  b) Is.  200  lbs.  For  sale  by 

_ _ K  L.  ALLEN,  191  Wafer  St. 


J7HRST  Quality  of  Peruvian  Guano — And 

S-  other  Fertilizers— for  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot  mOMur- 
ray-st  ,  N.  Y.  _  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE 


RONE  DUST,  PERUVIAN  AND  ELIDE 

Guano,  Super  Phosphate  of  Lime,  Land  Plaster.  National 
Feriilizer-aU  of  the  best  and  most  reliable  quality  and  on  the 
best  terms.  For  sale  by  R.  L  ALLEN, 

 J 91  Wafer  street. 


M APES’  Nilrogennized  Super-Phosphate 

of  Lime— For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  10(1  Murrav- 
st"  N  Y.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE 


96 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Ignsmss  Brim 


O'*  F'fty  Cents  a  I  vie* 


Wlieelcr  and  Wilson’s  Sewing'  Ma¬ 


chines. 

“  None  are  better  adapted  to  Family  Use.” 

American  Agriculturist,  Dec .  1858. 

Office  505  Broadway,  New-York. 

Send  fou  a  Circular. 

SEWING  MACHINES. 

The  Scientific  American  says :  We  are  having  a  great 
many  inquiries  for  sewing  machines  from  various  parts  of 
the  country,  and  as  w  e  can  not  conveniently  reply  to  them 
all  by  mall,  w  e  have  thought  it  proper  to  state  our  opinion 
in  regard  to  them  in  this  public  manner  We  have  used 
Wilson’s  patent,  manufactured  by  the  Wheeler  &  Wilson 
Manufacturing  Company,  No.  505  Broadway,  and  we  can 
say  in  regard  to  it,  that  it  is  w  ithout  a  a  rival.  It  is  simple, 
not  easily  put  out  of  order  when  in  proper  hands,  and  in 
point  of  effectiveness  and  finish,  no  other  machine  stands 
ahead  of  it 

This  Company  has  made  and  sold  during  the  last  three 
months  4,70(1  machines,  and  are  now  producing  and  sell¬ 
ing  1(10  perday.  They  vary  in  price  from  $50  to  $100,  and 
the  highest  priced  ones  sell  best.  In  their  business  there 
is  over  $500,000  invested,  and  they  keep  400  men  regularly 
employed  manufacturing  machines.  The  system  pursued 
is  the  same  as  that  adopted  in  the  manufacture  of  arms, 
every  piece  is  made  to  a  gage,  and  consequently  the  parts 
of  any  machine  may  be  transposed  with  those  of  another 
machine  of  the  same  size  ;  or  should  an  accident  occur, 
the  broken  puit  can  be  immediately  replaced  on  applica 
t ion  at  the  office. 

There  is  not  an  establishment  in  this  country  where 
stitching  oi  any  kind  is  required  in  which  the  sewing  ma¬ 
chine  is  not  employed,  and  there  are  few  private  families, 
in  w  hich  it  is  not  an  acknowledged  article  of  furniture. 
We  state  this  much  in  regard  to  the  excellent  machine, 
upon  our  own  responsibility. 


CJROYE8S  <&  BAKER’S 

CELEBRATED 


MM  SEWING  MACHINES, 

New  Styles  sat  Reduced.  JPrices. 

No.  495  Broadway,  New- York ;  No.  18  Summer  st.. 
Boston;  No.  730  Chestnut  st.,  Philadelphia;  No.  181  Bal¬ 
timore  st.,  Baltimore  ;  No.  58  West  Fourth  st.,  Cincin¬ 
nati.  Agencies  in  all  the  principal  cities  and  towns  in  the 
United  States. 

The  experience  of  upward  of  twenty  thousand  families 
in  all  parts  of  the  United  States  attest  the  reliahi'ity  and 
superiority  of  the  G ROVER  &  BAKER  SEWING  MA¬ 
CHINES  tor  every  variety  of  family  sewing.  Unlike 
other  machines,  it  is  simple  and  durable  in  construction  ; 
its  use  is  so  easily  ai  quired  that  an  intelligent  child  of  ten 
years  can  readily  learn  how'  to  sew  with  it,  while  it  works 
equally  well  upon  all  kinds  of  fabrics,  from  gauze  lace  to 
heavy  beaver  cloth,  without  special  adjustment.  So  ob¬ 
vious  are  its  many  advantages  over  other  machines  that 
the  editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist  after  a  full  and 
thorough  examination  of  the  various  patents,  was  pleased 
to  inform  his  readers  that 

“  Wheeler  &  Wilson’s,  Singer’s,  and  Grover  &  Baker’s 
Machines  all  work  under  Howe’s  patent,  and  are,  so  far. 
the  best  machines  made.  *  *  For  our  own  fami  y  use 
we  became  fully  satisfied  that  Grover  Maker's  is  the  best, 
and  we  accordingly  purchased  it." 


I^SEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR.^! 


From  the  New-York  Independent. 


EDITORIAL,. 

Spring:  Bed.  —  “  Howe’s  Patent  Elliptic  Spring 
Bed,”  sold  by  G.  F.  Gray,  378  Broadway,  has  some  points 
of  excellence  not  presented  oy  any  other  within  our  know  1 
edge.  The  elliptic  springs  are  of  good  steel,  and  there¬ 
fore  much  more  durable  than  Ihose  made  of  spiral  wires 
— which  are  apt  to  lose  their  elasticity  by  use,  as  is  often 
experienced  in  spring-seated  chairs  and  sofas.  In  addi¬ 
tion.  the  longitudinal  slips,  which  are  made  of  Hie  best  of 
white  ash,  very  lough  and  elastic,  are  rendered  more 
springy  by  a  pieceof  wire  spring  underneath.  Its  use  is  a 
luxury,  which  no  accumulation  of  beds  and  mattresses  can 
equal.— N.  Y.  Independent,  Feb.  3. 

RETAIL  PRICE,  $5  to  $6. 

For  sale  by  dealers  throughout  the  country.  Send  for 
descriptive  circular. 


NEW 

Agricultural  Warehouse 

AND  SEED  STORE. 

No.  54  Vesey-stveer,  Ncw-Torli. 

Between  Broad  way  and  Greemvicli-st.,  near  Washington  market. 

Merchants,  Farmers  and  Dealers  are  most  respectfully  invit¬ 
ed  to  call  and  examine  onr  new  and  carefully  selected  Stock  of 
Implements,  Seeds,  the...  all  of  «  Inch  we  will  sell  as  low,  if  not 
lower  than  any  other  house  in  the  trade. 

A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO.,  54  Vescy-st.,  N.  Y 
Remember  the  new  stand. 


NEW  AND  CHEAP  FERTILIZER. 

CASTOR  PUMMACE. 

A  valuable  organic  (vegetable)  manure,  analyzed  by 
Prof.  Johnson  of  Yale  College,  and  commended  byhim, 
can  be  furnished  by  II  J.  Baker  <(•  11  ro  ,  142  Water  street, 
New-York.  It  is  pummace  left  after  pressing  Castor  oil 
from  the  Castor  seed.  It  will  be  sold  at  $  12  (a)  $16  per 
tun,  according  to  quantity,  at  which  rate  it  is  the  cheapest 
lertiiizer  in  market.  Call  and  see  the  article,  and  also 
Prof.  Johnson’s  analysis. 


Onion  Cult  ore!  Onion  Culture! 

EXPERtENCE  OF  SEVENTEEN  PRACTICAL  MEN. 

In  addition  to  the  Essay  on  page  69.  we  have  sixteen 
other  essays  on  onion  culture,  written  by  as  many  differ¬ 
ent  practical  cultivators  of  long  experience.  By  an  ar¬ 
rangement  with  the  writers  we  are  printing  these  articles 
in  a  neat  pamphlet  of  32  large  pages.  A  part  of  the  edi¬ 
tion  will  be  distributed  among  the  writers,  and  the  re¬ 
mainder  will  be  sold  to  defray  in  part  the  expense  of 
printing.  They  will  be  ready  about  March  10th.  This 
work  will  be  of  great  value  to  every  one  cultivating  a  plot 
of  onions,  as  it  will  contain  the  united  experience  and  de¬ 
tailed  directions  of  so  large  a  number  of  practical  men, 
residing  in  different  sections  of  the  country. 

Price,  per  copy  (sent  post-paid  by  mail)  21  cents  (or  se¬ 
ven  3-cent  stamps).  $2.00  per  dozen.  Address:  American 
Agriculturist,  189  Water  st.,  New-York. 


Special  Notices  oil  Sect!  E5ist riliutioil. 

1.  Close  of  Distribution.— The  general  distribution  of 
seeds  to  all  subscribers  applying,  will  close  with,  the  month 
of  March— ex eept  to  those  distant  subscribers  whose  let¬ 
ters  require  12  to  15  days  or  more  to  reach  this  office. 
Old  and  new  subscribers,  who  have  not  already  done  so, 
should  therefore  forward  their  application  for  seeds  at 
once. 

2.  Delays — Mail  Packages. — Owing  to  the  blundering  of 
inefficient  Custom  House  employes  (many  of  them  low 
politicians,  getting  Ihe  reward  for  ‘election  services’)  one 
of  our  large  casks  of  foreign  seeds  was  from  Jan.  22  to 
Feb.  14  in  getting  through  the  N.  Y.  Custom  House.  Still, 
by  extia  exertion  and  expense,  we  have  at  this  date  (Feb. 
23)  dispatched  most  seeds  so  far  applied  for,  to  go  by  mail, 
and  by  March  1st  every  envelop,  sent  in  prior  to  that 
date,  will  have  been  sent  off.  Envelopes  received  after 
wards,  will  be  mailed  soon  after  their  arrival. 

3.  Express  Parcels. — Few  of  the  packages  of  seeds  to  go 
by  express  have  yet  been  sent  off.  But  all  express  par¬ 
cels  previously  applied  for,  will  be  started  before  March 
12.  Applications  coming  after  that  date  (March  12)  will 
be  sent  out  about  as  fast  as  received. 

4  Assortment  still  good. — We  have  still  a  supply  of  all 
seeds  offered  in  the  General  List  (see  this  No.  page  9(1) 
—except  Canary  Bird  Flower  (No.  81),  which  we  can  not 
furnish  at  present,  if  at  all.  However,  as  some  varieties 
will  run  out  soon,  applicants  for  seeds  hereafter  will 
please  add  on  the  lower  left  hand  corner  of  their  envelopes, 
or  on  express  lists,  a  second  list  of  two  or  three  varieties, 
for  us  to  select  from,  if  any  of  the  first  list  runs  out. 

5.  Mistakes.—  In  putting  up  so  many  tens  of  thousands 
of  parcels  some  few  errors  may  chance  to  occur.  If  ariv 
one  receives  a  wrong  package,  please  keep  it,  and  send 
lor  the  one  left  out.  Our  arrangements  are  so  perlect 
that  we  think  there  will  be  few  cases  of  this  kind. 


^mmran  ^gnrulhubt. 

(ISSUED  IN  BOTH  ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN.) 

A  thorough  going,  RELIABLE,  and  PRACTICAL 
Journal,  devoted  to  the  different  departments  of  SOIL 
CULTURE— such  as  growing  field  CROPS;  orchard 
and  garden  FRUITS ;  garden  VEGETABLES  and 
FLOWERS;  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  for  the 
LAWN  or  YARD  ;  in-door  and  out  door  work  around 
the  DWELLING ;  care  of  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 
&c  &c. 

The  German  edition  is  of  the  same  size  and  price 
the  English, -and  contains  all  of  its  reading  matter,  and 
its  numerous  illustrative  engravings. 

TERMS— INVARIABLY  IN  ADVANCE. 


One  copy  one  year . $1  00 

Six  copies  one  year . 5  00 

Ten  ormore  copies  one  year 80  cents  each. 


An  extra  copy  to  the  person  sending  15  or  more  names, 
at  80  cents  each. 

[j5FTn  addition  to  the  above  rates:  Postage  to  Canada  6 
cents,  to  England  and  France  24  cents,  to  Germany  21 
cents,  and  to  Russia  72  cents  per  annum 
Delivery  in  New-York  city  and  Brooklyn,  12  cents  a  year. 

Postage  anywhere  in  the  United  States  and  Territories 
must  be  paid  by  the  subscriber,  and  is  only  six  cents  a  year, 
if  paid  in  advance  at  the  office  w  here  received. 

All  business  and  other  communications  should  be  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  Editor  and  Proprietor, 

ORANGE  JUDD, 

No.  189  Water  st  ,  New-York. 


Contents  for  March,  1859. 


Advertisements— Read  them . 89 

Anls— Driving  from  houses . 90 

Apple— The  Baker . ILlus..84 

Basked  Item  worth  $15 . 89 

Bees— Apiary  in  March . . 67 

Bees— Winter  Management  of. . 90 

Books— Noiices  of  New . 89 


Boys’  and  Girls’  Columns— Uncle  Frank  on  Lake  Su¬ 
perior  and  The  First  Oath — Aunt  Sue’s  Letter  on 
a  new  play— Wrong  End  Foremost  by  “M.”— The 
Editor’s  talk  about  the  Picture  of  a  Sick  Child, 
Being  Cornered,  Long  Days,  Problems,  etc. 


. 3  Illus. .87,  88,  89 

Bread— Soda  in . 85 

Briers— Killing . 90 

Cabbage-Tree  . Illus..  b8 

Calendar  of  Operations . 06 

Cattle— In-and-in  Breeding  Discussion . 74—75 

Cattle-Look  after  the  Farm  Stock . 75 

Chronicles— Eighteenth  Book  of . Illus.. 68 

Corn  — Improved  King  Philip.  . . 72 

Cucumber— Snake . Illus.  .73 

Dairy— Prize  Article  III,  Modes  of  Feeding,  etc . 73 

Dollars— 360  for  1 . 69 

Doors — Blocks  for  . 86 

Draining  in  March .  78 

Draining— How  Deep  to  Dig . 78 

Fairs  — Tim  Bunker  on  County . 70 

Farm  -  Calendar  for  March . 66 

Farmers  a  Benevolent  Class . 73 

Fencing— Prize  Article  III.-Hedges . 78 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn— March  work  in . 67 

Flower  Garden— Plan  of . Illus. .84 

Friends— Entertaining,  etc.  By  Anna  Hope . 86 

Fruits— American,  Past  and  Present . 82 

Fumigating  Apparatus . Illus.  .85 

Furniture— Chamber,  etc . 86 

Garden  Kitchen  and  Fruit  in  March . 66 

Garden— Planning . . 

Grape  Vines — Profit  of . 61 

Grass— Honey  Blade  Swindle . 7] 

Green  and  Hot- House  Calendar . 07 

Guano— New  use  for . 90 

Hogs— Cure  for  Mange  in . go 

IIot-Bed— Try  one . Illus.. 83 

House,  Choice  of  Site  for . 80 

Ice  Houses— Ventilating . go 

Lama  or  Alpaca . Illus.. 77 

Lambs— How  to  Raise  every  Live-born . 70 

Lamp  Lighters . 86 

Letters  Deferred . 89 

Liming  Land . . 

Manure— Coal  Ashes  as . 90 

Manure -Leather  Shavings  for . 90 

Manures — Buying  Artificial  . 68 

Manures— What  is  Muck  ? . 89 

March . 65 

Meadow  Land— Planting  on  newly  plowed . 89 

Medal— Silver  for  Agriculturist  Seeds . 90 

Melon— Pie  or  Japan . 83 

Moon’s  Influence  and  other  Superstitions . 65 

Oil  the  Doors  and  Locks . 86 

Onion  Culture— Prize  Essay . 69 

Onion  Culture — Work  announced . 90 

Orchard  and  Nursery— Care  of  in  March . 66 

Orchard— Shall  I  plant  one . 90 

Plowing  Deep  and  Plowing  Shallow .  . 71 

Potato  Culture — Unsettled  Questions . 78 

Potatoes— Marketable  Varieties . 70 

Potato  Planter  Wanted . 90 

Potatoes— Sweet . 90 

Poultry — Hamburg  Fowls . Ulus.. 76 

Poultry— Our . 77 

Poultry— Second  Years’  Experience  with . 77 

Premiums . 90 

Recipes — Apple  Preserves,  Boiled  Bread  Pudding, 

Cocoanut  Cake,  Home  made  Rusk . 86—87 

Salsafy— Culture  of . go 

Schools — Fort  Edward  Institute . 89 

Seed  Distribution— Special  Notes  on . 96 

Seeds  Distributed  Free . 90 

Sextants  Reply  to  Gasper . Poetry.. 69 

Sheep— Improved  for  Texas .  77 

Sewing  Machines— cheap  . 90 

Sick  Child,  The . Ulus.  .88 

Spring  Scene . Illus.. 80 

Squash— Hubbard  .  .  2  Ulus. .73 

Sugar  Orchards— Look  after . 81 

Stitch  in  Time . T9 

Tim  Bunker  on  County  Fairs . ’■’0 

Trees— Apples,  Freaks  of . 84 

Trees— Bread  Fruit . Illustrated.  .85 

Trees— Evergreens— Hints  on . 82 

Trees-IIow  Long  will  they  Live . 81 

Turnips— Ashcroft’s  Swedish . 69 

Wine — Domestic .  69 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 

Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture 


AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  — WiSHINOTOS 


ORAIGE  IUBI),  A.  M., 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR. 


IMS. 


i  $1.00  PER  ANNUM,  IN  ADVANCE. 
)  SINGLE  NUMBERS  10  CENTS. 


YOL.  XVIII.— No,  4.] 


NEW- YORK,  APRIL,  1859. 


[NEW  SERIES— No.  147. 


ISPOlfice  at  1  SO  Water-st.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
^Contents,  Terms,  Ac.,  on  jiajjc  128. 

[copy  eight  secured.] 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1858, 
by  Orange  Judd,  in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New-York. 

N.  IE.— Every  Journal  is  invited  Ireely  to  copy 
any  and  all  desirable  articles,  and  no  use  or  advantage 
will  be  taken  of  the  Copy-Right,  wherever  each  article 
or  illustration  is  duly  accredited  to  the  American  Agri¬ 
culturist.  ORANGE  JUDD,  Proprietor 


American  ^militarist  in  (Ewman. 

The  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST  is  published  in 
both  the  English  and  German  Languages.  Both 
Editions  ara  of  Uniform  size,  and  contain  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  samo  Articles  and  Illustra¬ 
tions.  The  German  Edition  is  furnished  at  the 
same  rates  as  the  English. 


April. 


“■  Below  me  trees  unnumbered  rise, 

Beautiful  in  various  dyes  : 

The  gloomy  pine,  the  poplar  blue 
The  yellow  beach,  the  sable  yew, 

The  slender  fir,  that  taper  grows, 

The  sturdy  oak  with  broad-spread  boughs, 

And  beyond  the  purple  grove, 

Haunt  of  Phillis,  queen  of  love  ' 

Guady  as  the  opening  dawn 

Lies  a  long  and  level  lawn.” — Dyer. 

Why  do  we  not  see  the  farm  house  more  fre¬ 
quently  graced  witli  trees,  and  with  a  bit  of  lawn 
in  front  to  welcome  the  guest  with  its  velvety 
turf,  and  to  refresh  the  eye  of  the  traveller  as  he 
passes  1  We  know  there  has  been  extensive  tree- 
planting  for  the  past  eight  or  ten  years,  and  that 
the  nursery  business  was  never  so  brisk  and 
lively  in  this  country  as  in  the  last  decade.  Not 
only  have  our  own  establishments  produced  large¬ 
ly,  but  foreign  nurseries  have  sent  us  trees  by  the 
million,  ordered  by  dealers  here,  and  in  many  in¬ 
stances  by  gentlemen  travelling  in  Europe,  who 
desire  the  best  of  everything  for  their  fruit  yards 
and  ornamental  grounds.  But  if  we  look  at  the 
present  location  of  these  trees,  we  shall  find  them 
mainly  in  cities  and  villages,  and  in  their  imme¬ 
diate  suburbs.  Among  this  class  of  our  people 
tree  planting  has  become  popularized,  and  there 
are  a  multitude  of  charming  rural  houses  near  all 
our  northern  cities,  with  grounds  well  laid  out 
and  planted,  to  which  every  passing  year  will  add 
now  attractions  for  a  generation  to  come.  Even 
in  villages,  upon  half-acre  homesteads,  a  multitude 
of  beautiful  and  useful  things  have  been  gathered, 
that  one  ignorant  of  the  mysteries  of  horticulture, 
could  hardly  suppose  possible.  The  dwellers  in 
these  tasteful  houses  have  flowers  and  fruits  of 
their  own  raising  for  nine  months  in  the  year, 
shade  the  live  long  summer,  and  shelter  that 
breaks  the  violence  and  terror  of  the  winter 
winds.  There  is  thus  kept  up  a  beautiful  com¬ 


munion  of  the  family  with  Nature,  which  is  es¬ 
sential  to  the  highest  happiness  and  usefulness  of 
the  race. 

But  as  we  recede  from  these  great  social 
centers,  the  evidences  of  horticultural  taste  are 
more  and  more  wanting.  We  know,  indeed,  that 
there  are  exceptions,  farmers’  homes  that  are  as 
perfect  models  of  good  taste  as  any  tiling  that 
can  he  found  in  the  country.  They  are  built  and 
adorned  with  the  profits  of  legitimate  farming,  are 
within  the  means  of  their  owner,  and  are  the  out¬ 
growth  of  a  taste  and  mental  culture  developed 
upon  the  farm.  The  trees  and  shrubbery  are  well 
selected  for  the  climate,  and  well  planted,  the 
lawn  is  ample  enough,  and  yet  in  keeping  with  the 
size  of  the  farm  and  the  means  of  the  owner.  But 
still  such  homes  are  rare  exceptions  in  the  country. 
There  is  no  generous  enthusiasm  for  tree  plant¬ 
ing  among  the  great  mass  of  our  farming  popula¬ 
tion,  and  even  our  readers,  apt  scholars  as  they 
are,  and  rapidly  improving  in  their  rural  tastes, 
are  not  quite  up  to  the  standard.  There  is  many 
a  farm  long  cultivated,  where  there  is  no  orchard, 
no  fiuit  yard,  and  not  even  a  solitary  shade-tree. 
There  are  many  others  where  the  fields  are  well 
tilled,  and  the  fruit  is  abundant,  that  have  still  no 
adornments  from  the  trees  of  the  forest.  Every 
approach  to  the  house  is  without  shade  or  orna¬ 
ment,  and  there  is  hardly  a  fruit  tree  visible. 

And  this  neglect  of  planting  is  not  owing  gener¬ 
ally  to  any  want  of  appreciation  or  desire  for 
tasteful  houses.  Let  any  one  of  these  careless 
farmers  pass  a  neighbor’s  house  that  has  appro¬ 
priate  surroundings  of  trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers, 
and  he  can  not  refrain  from  expressing  his  grati¬ 
fication.  He  may  know  nothing  of  the  laws  of 
esthetics,  and  yet  a  pleasing  impression  is  made 
upon  his  mind  by  every  individual  object  in  the 
plantation,  and  by  the  general  arrangement  of  the 
whole.  A  well  grown  elm,  or  maple  in  good  foli¬ 
age,  fills  every  beholder  with  pleasing  emotions. 
The  form,  the  color,  the  shade  are  all  delightful, 
and  leave  pleasant  memories  behind  when  summer 
is  gone.  The  wide  spreading  oak  in  the  meadow 
is  often  sought  by  the  farmer,  and  his  sons, 
and  workmen,  during  the  labors  of  the  hay  and 
the  grain  harvests.  It  brings  no  pecuniary  gains, 
yea,  is  a  positive  tax  upon  the  soil,  spoiling  all 
that  it  covers  for  his  crops,  and  yet  he  would 
sooner  lose  his  best  cow,  than  have  it  cut  down. 
It  is  a  beautiful  object  in  the  landscape,  he  loves 
to  look  up  into  its  green  boughs,  and  hear  the 
rustling  of  its  leaves  in  the  summer  breeze.  It 
redeems  the  scene  of  his  labors  from  the  gross¬ 
ness  of  mere  ut  ility.  One  thing,  at  least,  is  loved 
not  for  its  pecuniary  value,  but  for  what  it  is  in 
itself,  an  object  of  taste. 

And  yet  a  lover  of  trees  as  he  is,  he  did  not 
plant  this  old  oak  in  the  meadow,  and  he  has  never 
planted  a  tree  for  shade  or  ornament  by  the  road 
side,  or  around  his  dwelling.  He  has  often  wished 
some  full  grown  monarch  of  the  forest  could  be 
taken  up,  and  put  down  by  his  door,  but  that  was 


impracticable.  He  has  often  thought  of  planting 
saplings,  and  been  tempted  by  their  clean  trunks 
and  thrifty  limbs,  but  just  as  often  has  thought 
that  he  might  not  stay  more  than  another  year  in 
his  present  location.  He  has  felt  the  emigration 
fever,  and  it  is  only  owing  to  untoward  circum¬ 
stances  that  he  has  not  long  since  sought  a  new 
home.  This  unsettled  disposition,  which  affects 
more  or  less  all  classes  of  our  farming  population, 
especially  perhaps  in  eastern  sections,  is  the  se¬ 
cret,  we  imagine,  of  our  neglected  road-sides  and 
unadorned  homesteads. 

It  was  not  so  with  the  early  settlers  in  the 
older  states.  They  took  possession  of  the  wilder¬ 
ness,  and  expected  that  when  they  had  redeemed 
it,  it  would  be  a  possession  to  them  and  to  their 
children  forever.  They  laid  out  in  the  center  of 
the  town  a  broad  avenue,  and  planted  it  with 
trees,  as  well  as  the  road-side,  around  their  own 
houses.  No  one  can  visit  these  old  towns,  which 
are  found  all  the  way  up  the  vallies  of  the  Con¬ 
necticut,  and  of  the  Hudson,  and  at  almost  all 
points  settled  a  hundred  years  ago,  and  behold 
the  long  avenues  of  elms  and  maples,  without  a 
feeling  of  veneration  for  the  men  who  planted 
them.  The  sons  should  emulate  the  example  of 
the  fathers,  and  like  them  plant  trees  for  future 
generations. 

Nor  should  we  look  at  this  improvement  mere¬ 
ly  as  a  matter  of  taste.  Admitting  that  yo-ur  pre¬ 
sent  location  is  not  a  permanent  home,  and  that 
you  will  sell  out  within  a  few  years,  it  is  for  your 
interest  to  plant  trees.  They  are  cheap,  are 
easily  removed  from  the  nursery  or  forest,  occupy 
no  valuable  room,  and  when  once  established  add 
beauty  and  value  to  your  farm  without  your 
thought  or  labor.  You  can  do  nothing  at  so 
small  cost,  so  likely  to  enhance  its  value.  Your 
best  purchaser,  five  or  ten  years  hence,  is  likely 
to  come  from  the  city,  with  whom  such  an  ad¬ 
junct  to  your  farm  would  be  a  chief  attraction. 
The  taste  for  rural  life  is  growing  more  and  more 
strong  in  cities,  and  will  increase  as  the  follies 
and  extravagancies  of  fashion  are  multiplied.  The 
retiring  merchant,  or  professional  man  can  not 
wait  to  grow  his  own  trees.  He  can  build  his 
house,  and  lay  out  his  grounds,  and  plant  his 
shrubs  and  flowers  in  a  year  ;  but  trees  are  the 
work  of  lime.  These  are  indispensable  to  his 
cultivated  tastes,  and  the  essential  condition  of 
his  location  in  the  country.  He  can  soo  er 
make  him  a  tasteful  home  in  the  uncleared  forest 
than  upon  a  treeless  farm.  Whatever  then  your 
future  home  may  be,  tilling  the  old  homestead  or 
going  hence,  make  the  most  of  it  as  a  home  of  in¬ 
telligence  and  taste,  while  you  remain.  Let  the 
passing  traveller  see  that 

“  Hence  every  gale 

Breaks  odors,  every  zephyr  from  his  wings 

Wafting  new  fragrance  ;  borne  from  trees,  from  shrube, 

From  deep  carnations,  from  the  blushing  rose. 

From  every  flower  and  aromatic  herb, 

In  grateful  mixtures.  Hence  ambrosial  fruite 
Yield  their  delicious  flavors.” 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Ob 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  April  1859 


[We  note  down  sundry  kinds  of  work  to  be  done  during 
the  month,  not  so  much  to  afford  instruction  to  practical 
men,  as  to  call  to  mind  the  various  operations  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to  A  glance  over  a  table  like  this  will  often  sug¬ 
gest  some  piece  of  work  that  might  otherwise  be  forgotten 
or  neglected.  Our  remarks  are  more  especially  adapted 
to  the  latitudes  of  38°  to  45°  ;  but  will  be  equally  applica¬ 
ble  to  points  further  North  and  South  by  making  due 
allowance  for  each  degree  of  latitude,  that  is,  earlier  for 
the  South,  later  for  the  North. 

Explanations.— /  indicates  the  first  ;  m  the  middle  ; 
and  l  the  last  of  the  month.— Doubling  the  letters  thusijf, 
or  mm,  or  U,  gives  particular  emphasis  to  the  period  indi¬ 
cated. — Two  letters  placed  together,  as  fm  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  in  either  or  in  both  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked  fm.  indicates  that  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  the  Jirst  to  the  middle  of  the  month.] 

Farm. 

April  is  no  leisure  month  for  the  farmer.  The  plows 
and  harrows  are  at  work,  manure  is  wanted  in  the  fields, 
fences  are  not  yet  cattle  proof.  Early  crops-  require  put¬ 
ting  in,  and  the  farm  stock  need  much  care  at  this  their 
season  of  increase. 

If  not  promptly  and  closely  pursued  now,  the  work  of 
the  whole  season  will  be  delayed,  and  there  will  be  the 
unpleasant  necessity  of  being  driven  by  work,  rather  than 
the  pleasure  of  driving  it. 

It  is  important  too  that  work  be  well  done.  If  a  piece 
of  land  is  half  plowed,  no  after  labor  can  fully  atone  for 
it,  although  even  in  hoed  crops,  while  nothing  can  be  done 
for  the  grain.  Undertake  to  cultivate  no  more  than  can 
be  well  put  in  and  thoroughly  tilled.  If  the  farm  con¬ 
tains  more  land  than  can  be  properly  managed,  turn  out 
a  portion  to  pasture,  and  till  the  rest. 

Bees— See  Apiary. 

Buildings— This  is  house-cleaning  month  in  many 
places.  Full  directions  for  the  women  folks  are  given  by 
Anna  Hope  on  a  subsequent  page.  Let  the  men  or  boys 
assist  about  the  fences  and  out  buildings,  cleansing  and 
painting  or  white w  ashing,  to  give  them  a  neat,  healthy, 
and  attractive  look. 

Cattle— Do  not  turn  off  too  early.  In  this  latitude  they 
will  require  feeding  nearly  through  this  month  if  not 
longer.  Keep  from  tramping  up  mowing  grounds.  Cows 
about  calving  need  especial  care  and  close  watching. 
Oxen  are  now  performing  heavy  work ;  feed  them  ac¬ 
cordingly. 

Cellars — If  not  previously  attended  to  cleanse  from 
filth,  and  accumulation  of  small  roots,  garbage,  etc  ,  and 
whitewash  the  walls  and  overhead,  ventilating  freely. 

Clover— If  not  sown  with  Winter  grain  last  month,  at¬ 
tend  to  it,  ff.  Sow,  11,  with  Spring  grain. 

Corn— Manure  and  plow  grounds  for  planting  next 
month.  Provide  and  test  seed  previous  to  use. 

Door  Yards— Clean  up  the  Winter  accumulations  of 
chips  and  dirt,  adding  the  latter  to  the  manure  heap. 

Drain  w  ct  lands,  ff,  mm,  11. 

Fences— Make  new  and  repair  the  old,  ff,  m.  Clear 
stones  from  meadows  and  put  them  into  permanent  line 
or  road  fences.  Plant  hedges,  f,  m,  1,  as  frost  and  dry¬ 
ness  will  admit.  Do  not  forget  to  replace  those  unhandy 
bars  with  convenient  gates— they  can  be  made  under 
cover  during  wet  w-eather. 

Grain — Sow  Spring  wheat  and  rye,  f,  to  m,  oats,  barley 
and  peas,  m,  to  1.  Allow  no  animals  to  feed  upon  the 
Winter  grain  fields.  Bare  spots  may  be  resown  with 
Spring  grain,  hoeing  or  harrowing  it  in. 

Hedge  Rows  along  fences  should  now  be  cleared  up, 
that  the  plow  or  mowing  machine  may  make  clean  work. 

Horses— Attend  to  mares  with  foal,  giving  them  ample 
space  at  night.  Have  working  teams  of  horses  and  mules 
in  good  condition  for  heavy  labor. 

Lucerne — Sow,  m,  1. 

Manures— Cart  out  and  drop  in  heaps  or  spread  on  lands 
as  fast  as  it  can  be  turned  under.  Heaps  previously  carted 
to  the  fields  may  be  forked  over  or  turned,  ff,  breaking  up 
finely.  An  addition  of  muck  well  worked  in  will  im¬ 
prove  the  quality  and  add  to  the  quantity.  Cover  with 
muck,  soil,  or  plaster  to  retain  the  ammonia,  Look  well 
to  every  manufactory  and  allow  nothing  to  go  to  wmste. 
Wash  water,  chamber  slops,  etc.,  are  too  valuable  to 
throw  away.  A  vat  or  a  muck  heap  may  be  provided  to 
receive  them. 

Meadows— Keep  well  fenced  and  do  not  permit  stock 
of  any  kind  to  trample  over  or  feed  off.  With  a  “  maul,” 
seatter  any  cattle  droppings,  pick  up  and  cart  off  loose 
stones,  and  sow  grass  seed  upon  any  vacant  spots. 

Plowing  is  one  of  the  chief  operations  of  April,  and  is 
too  slightly  attended  too.  See  article  elsewhere. 

Poultry —Set  hens,  ff.  for  early  chickens,  and  feed  the 
young  with  care  during  the  first  few  w'eelts.  Give  cracked 
com  as  soon  as  chickens  can  swallow  it.  Read  articles 
in  the  February  and  March  numbers,  also  on  a  following 
page.  Cleanse  the  houses  thoroughly,  using  the  manure 
for  corn,  or  in  the  garden.  Whitewash  about  the  roosts 
and  dust  with  plaster. 


Potatoes— Plant  early  ones,  m,  1,  selecting  good  mark¬ 
et  varieties  not  subject  to  rot.  Try,  say  10  bushels  of 
coarse  salt  spread  over  an  acre  of  land  at  planting  time, 
and  note  the  results. 

Root  Crops— Prepare  the  ground  for  onions  and  carrots 
by  heavy  manuring  and  deep  plowing,  f,  m.  They  may 
be  sown,  11.  Read  Prize  article  on  “Onion  Growing,” 
in  last  No.  Carrots  may  be  sown,  11.  If  the  Winter  sup¬ 
ply  failed  too  early  this  season,  put  in  more  for  the  com¬ 
ing  year.  Cattle  long  for  green  or  succulent  food  in  the 
Spring  which  is  best  provided  for  by  a  good  supply  of 
carrots  and  turnips. 

Sheep  are  now  dropping  early  lambs  and  need  warm 
shelter  at  night.  Keep  separate  from  other  stock  and  well 
fed.  Give  salt  once  a  week. 

Swine  are  also  increasing  in  numbers,  if  proper  care 
has  been  exercised.  Keep  charcoal  and  ashes  accessible 
to  them  and  give  a  little  animal  food  which  will  frequent¬ 
ly  save  the  offspring  from  being  eaten.  The  mother 
should  have  plenty  of  warm  liquid  food,  and  bo  kept  from 
other  animals.  Do  not  neglect  their  manure  making  apart¬ 
ments. 

Sugar  Cane — Prepare  ground  for  next  month’s  planting 
of  the  Chinese.  Read  article  in  the  present  Agricultur¬ 
ist  on  raising  the  Southern  Cane. 

Timothy— Sow,  11,  with  Spring  grain,  and  on  bare  spots 
of  old  meadows. 

Tools,  wagons,  gear,  harnesses,  etc.,  etc.,  should  be 
provided  at  once  and  put  in  good  working  order.  Some  of 
the  newer  tools  are  real  improvements  upon  the  old,  and 
well  worthy  of  adoption.  Throw  away  the  old  if  twice 
as  much  laoor  can  be  done  with  the  new,  but  be  not  too 
hasty  to  purchase  every  claimed  improvement  without 
trial. 

Trees— Set  out  for  shade  and  fruit  along  the  roads  and 
lanes  and  about  the  yards.  A  shade  tree  near  the  house 
may  very  properly  be  a  well  trained  cherry  tree,  which  is 
ornamental  at  two  seasons  of  the  year  at  least.  We  have 
seen  places  improved  very  much  by  a  few  such  trees  set 
out  by  the  dwelling.  Standard  pears  are  also  desirable. 

©rcSsa.r4.il  assn!  Mwtrscpy. 

This  is  emphatically  a  tree  planting  month,  both  in  or¬ 
chard  and  nursery.  Spring  is  usually  the  best  season  in 
which  to  plant  all  kinds  of  trees,  and  April  is  the  best 
month  of  Spring,  except  for  Evergreens,  which  do  better 
planted  in  May.  Early  planting  is  desirable  that  the  earth 
may  become  well  settled  about  the  roots,  and  the  tree 
commence  its  growth  before  a  dry  season  comes  on. 

Attending  to  sales,  taking  up  and  resetting  young  stock, 
grafting,  plowing  among  and  otherwise  caring  for  the 
smaller  trees  will  fully  occupy  the  nurseryman's  time. 
To  facilitate  his  labors  as  much  as  possible,  a  good  assort¬ 
ment  of  the  various  trees  should  be  taken  up  and  their 
roots  heeled  in  or  covered,  near  of  access,  from  which  an 
order  can  soon  be  filled.  Mark  the  varieties  by  labels  and 
division  stakes. 

In  procuring  trees  for  an  orchard,  go  yourself,  if  possi¬ 
ble  and  select,  and  see  to  the  taking  up  which  will  fre¬ 
quently  secure  to  you  better  trees  than  when  it  is  left  to 
nurserymen,  who  are  anxious  to  dispose  of  all  kinds. 

Old  trees  that  were  cleared  from  rough  bark  and  moss, 
and  washed  with  soapsuds  last  month,  now  need  some¬ 
thing  for  the  roots  to  feed  upon,  especially  if  the  ground 
has  been  in  sod  for  many  years.  Better  plow  it  up  after 
manuring  heavily,  and  plant  potatoes  upon  the  ground 
that  it  may  receive  the  benefit  of  a  hoeing.  Many  of  the 
old  trees  will  be  greatly  improved  by  grafting,  and  the 
first  days  of  this  month  are  the  appropriate  season  for  this 
operation. 

Dwarf  Trees— Plant  sparingly.  A  few  selected  varie¬ 
ties  of  Pears  may  be  set  out,  but  except  for  garden  cul¬ 
ture,  standards  will  usually  give  the  best  satisfaction  in 
following  years. 

Figs— Plant,  layer  and  strike  cuttings,  f,  m. 

Fruit  Trees— Plant  apricots,  apples,  cherries,  necta¬ 
rines,  peaches,  pears,  plums,  and  quinces,  ff,  m.  See  that 
they  are  well  taken  up  with  all  the  fibers  possible,  ex¬ 
posed  as  little  as  may  be  to  sun  and  drying  winds,  and 
replanted  at  the  same  depth  as  originally  growing,  in 
broad  holes,  mixing  in  a  moderate  amount  of  compost. 

Grafting — Perform,  ff,  m,  commencing  with  the  cherry. 
See  full  directions  with  illustrations  on  a  following  page. 

Hedge  Plants— Sow  seed  for,  ff,  m.  Head  back  plants 
that  are  to  grow  another  year  in  the  nursery. 

Inarching  may  be  done,  f,  m,  on  deciduous,  and,  11,  on 
evergreen  trees. 

Insects— Search  for  borers  among  apple  and  peach 
trees,  ff.  Destroy  all  cocoons  in  the  branches,  or  under 
the  rough  bark  of  the  old  trees.. 

Manure  nursery  grounds  heavily  before  planting,  so  that 
a  crop  of  trees  may  be  grown  without  further  additions. 
Land  which  is  already  planted  and  not  in  good  heart,  may 
receive  a  dressing  by  wheeling  and  spading  in  a  good  coat¬ 
ing  between  the  rows.  Spread  a  good  quantity  for  some 
distance  around  the  trunks  of  orchard  trees— say  as  far 
as  the  branches  extend. 


■K«ajw»nrv.irarrtfi  arvi 

Pack  in  a  thorough  manner  trees  that  are  to  be  sent  tr 
a  distance.  Especially  should  the  roots  be  well  protect 
ed  wuth  moss  or  moistened  chaff,  and  covered  with  bags 
or  mats.  A  well  packed  bundle  is  illustrated  on  page  117 
of  last  volume. 

Planting  and  Transplanting  generally — Commence  as 
early  in  the  season  as  the  ground  can  be  worked.  Other 
things  being  equal,  early  planted  deciduous  trees  and 
shrubs  usually  do  much  better  than  those  set  out  later  in 
the  season.  Let  the  proposed  orchard  be  set  out,  ff,  m, 
and  put  out  the  seedling  and  other  stocks  in  nursery  row  s. 

Plow  the  orchard  or  dig  around  the  trees,  f,  m.  Nur¬ 
sery  rows  require  early  plow  ing,  turning  the  furrows  from 
the  trees. 

Plums— Examine  for  black  warts,  cutting  them  out 
where  found. 

Prune  lightly  this  month.  AVhere  it  must  be  done,  coat 
with  grafting  wax  or  gum  shellac  dissolved  in  alcohol  to 
the  consistence  of  thick  molasses. 

Scions  must  be  cut  at  once,  if  not  previously  secured. 
The  buds  are  already  swelling. 

Seeds— If  any  seeds  of  apple,  pear,  or  other  fruits,  or 
the  hard  shelled  nuts  of  forest  trees  are  still  in  boxes, 
plant  them  carefully,  ff. 

Shrubs — Plant  deciduous,  ff,  m. 

Stools— Dig  about  and  layer  those  kept  to  propagate 
from.  The  layers  of  last  year  may  now  be  removed  if  well 
rooted. 

Stocks— Plant  out  as  early  as  possible,  that  they  may 
get  a  good  hold  before  dry  weather  comes  on. 

Trench  ground  for  Spring  planting.  It  can  be  done  now 
much  better  than  when  covered  with  trees. 

Vines— Plant,  ff,  m,  both  roots  and  cuttings. 

Kitchen  assd  Fruit  Garden. 

The  gardener  will  be  fully  occupied  this  month  in  pre¬ 
paring  the  seed  beds  and  putting  in  the  earlier  sorts. 
Where  the  ground  has  been  trenched  in  previous  years, 
the  work  may  be  commenced  much  sooner  than  when 
there  is  no  such  provision  for  disposing  of  the  surface 
water.  Too  early  planting  in  compact  soils  is  of  no  ad¬ 
vantage,  but  rather  delays  the  maturity  of  vegetables. 
Rapid  growth  is  necessary  to  secure  the  best  quality  of 
such  plants,  making  them  more  tender  and  of  higher  fla¬ 
vor.  Let  the  seed  bed  be  deep,  mellow  and  warm. 

Asparagus— Uncover  old  beds,  dress  with  manure,  and 
fork  over,  ff.  Sow  seed  for  new  beds,  m,  1. 

Bean  poles  and  Pea  Brush,  procure  at  once  if  not  al¬ 
ready  prepared. 

Beets— Sow,  11,  for  early  crops.  For  Winter  use ,  next 
month  will  answer  belter. 

Blackberries— Set  out,  ff,  m. 

Borecole,  Broccoli  and  Kale — Sow,  11. 

Cabbage  and  Cauliflower— Plant  from  hot  beds  and  cold 
frames,  11,  if  warm  settled  weather.  Sow'  more  seed.  Do 
not  use  hog  manure. 

Capsicum— Sow,  11. 

Carrots— Sow,  m,  1,  in  ground  trenched  and  well  ma¬ 
nured. 

Celery— Sow,  11. 

Cold  Frames — Ventilate  well,  and  take  out  hardy  plants 
for  early  use.  Put  in  seeds  for  future  transplanting. 

Cucumbers,  Melons  and  Squashes— Plant,  11,  if  soil  be 
sufficiently  warm  and  dry. 

Currants  and  Gooseberries— Plant  cuttings  and  rooted 
bushes,  f,  m,  if  the  ground  be  in  working  order. 

Drain  moist  lands — This  is  the  only  process  that  will 
secure  a  good  garden  in  some  locations. 

Egg  Plants— Sow  seed,  11.  Hot  bed  plants  will  do  bet¬ 
ter  w  here  they  are,  till  next  month. 

Fences— Keep  in  repair  always. 

Figs— Remove  covering,  f,  m. 

Fruit  Trees— Fill  all  available  space  as  soon  as  the 
ground  may  be  worked. 

Garlic— Sow,  m,  1. 

Graft  fruit  trees,  ff,  m.  See  article  on  a  following  page. 
Grapes— Plant  vines  and  cuttings,  f,  m.  Remove 
covering  from  those  protected  during  Winter. 

Herbs— Set  out  hyssop,  thyme,  rue,  sage,  savory,  etc., 
f,  m. 

Hops— Plant  roots,  f,  m. 

Hot  Beds— Watch  carefully,  and  give  plenty  of  water. 
Raise  the  sash  each  day.  New  beds  can  still  be  made 
and  sown,  ff. 

Horse  Radish— Divide  and  reset  roots,  ff,  m. 

Kohl  Rabi— Sow,  m,  1,  for  early  use. 

Leeks— Sow,  f,  m,  1. 

Lettuce — Sow  as  soon  as  the  ground  can  be  worked,  and 
follow  at  intervals  of  two  weeks,  till  August.  Plant 
from  hot-beds,  11. 

Manure  grounds  thoroughly,  if  you  wish  full  returns 
for  your  labor.  Well  rotted  manure  is  desirable  for  gar¬ 
dens. 

Mushroom  Beds— Make,  f,  m,  1.  See  page  2C2,  of  vol 
XVI,  for  full  directions. 

Mustard— Sow  at  any  time  after  the  ground  is  open,  and 
at  intervals  for  a  succession 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Nasturtiums — Sow,  m,  1 

Oltra— Sow,  11. 

Onions— Sow,  m,  1,  and  put  out  sets  or  bulbs  at  the  same 
time.  See  prize  article  in  last  Agriculturist, 

Parsley— Sow,  f,  m,  1. 

Parsneps— Sow,  f,  m,  1,  on  deeply  worked  rich  soil. 

Peas— Sow,  f,  m,  1,  to  have  them  in  succession.  De¬ 
stroy  weevil  by  scalding.  Stick  when  up  a  few  inches. 

Potatoes— Plant  early  sorts,  f,  m.  Sow  seed  from  balls 
last  year,  1. 

Radishes— Sow  at  intervals  from,  ff,  to  11,  in  unoccupied 
corners,  and  between  beets,  vines,  etc.  for  early  use. 
Light  sandy  soil  is  best. 

Raspberries— Set  out  new  roots,  and  uncover  buried 
canes,  f,  m.  Head  back,  and  stake  up.  Fork  in  top-dres¬ 
sing  of  stable  manure,  ff. 

Rhubarb— Uncover,  ff,  and  fork  in  manure  around 
roots.  Divide  and  reset  for  new  plants,  ff.  Plant  the 
Linnmus  variety. 

Salading— Sow  at  intervals  of  10  or  12  days  seeds  of 
plants  for  salad,  as  lettuce,  endive,  cresses,  rape,  etc. 

Salsafy — Sow',  m,  1,  on  trenched  ground  well  manured. 

Sage— Sow  seed  and  divide  roots,  f,  m,  1 

Sea  Kale— Sow,  f,  in. 

Seeds— Test  those  on  hand.  Procure  new'.  Make  am¬ 
ple  provision  to  raise  your  own  in  future.  Set  out  se¬ 
lected  Winter  vegetables  for  this  purpose,  11. 

Soil— Improve  if  needed  by  adding  sand  to  lighten,  or 
clay  to  make  more  compact. 

Spinach— Uncover  Winter,  ff.  Sow  for  successive 
crops,  f,  m,  1. 

Squashes.— Plant  distant  from  other  vines,  11. 

Strawberries— Remove  covering  if  neglected  till  now, 
ff.  Set  out  new  beds,  m,  1.  See  article  “  How  to  Raise 
Strawberries,”  on  following  page. 

Thyme— Sow,  m,  1. 

Tomatoes— Sow  seed,  f,  m,  1.  Take  from  hot-beds,  11. 

Tools— Clean  well  and  put  in  place  after  using.  Keep 
in  repair. 

Trench  part  or  all  of  garden  before  planting.  It  wiil  pay. 

Turnips— Sow  early  growing  sorts,  f,  m,  1, 

Flower  Garden  and  ILnwn. 

Transplanting  flower  roots,  shrubs  and  deciduous  trees 
and  preparation  of  borders,  renewing  gravel  walks  with 
the  remaining  preparatory  work  which  has  been  left  from 
last  month,  will  all  need  attention  now.  Unless  the  sea¬ 
son  is  quite  forward  or  the  border  very  warm,  few  seeds 
will  do  well,  sow  n  before  the  latter  part  of  this  or  the  first 
of  the  succeeding  month. 

Annuals— Some  of  the  hardier  may  very  properly  be 
sown,  m,  11,  especially  such  as  asters,  balsams,  candy¬ 
tuft,  coreopsis,  clarkia,  coxcomb,  escholtzia,  hibiscus, 
larkspur,  lavatera,  marygold,  mignonette,  nasturtium, 
phlox,  portulacca,  scabious,  etc. 

Biennials  and  Perennials— Transplant,  f,  m,  dividing 
the  roots  to  increase  the  supply.  Sow  seed,  m,  11.  Among 
these  are  carnations,  pinks,  daisies,  chrysanthemums, 
lillies,  sweet  williams,  yuccas,  peonies,  columbines, 
hollyhocks,  dielytras,  etc. 

Borders — Prepare,  ff,  m,  for  sowing  and  planting.  Dig 
deep  and  manure  well. 

Box  and  Grass  Edgings— Set  new  and  repair  old,  f,  m,  1. 
Trim  the  old  evenly. 

Bulbs— Hyacinths,  tulips,  crown  imperials,  etc.,  will 
remain  longer  in  flower  if  shaded  from  the  sun.  They 
should  show  a  fine  bloom,  m,  11. 

Carnations — Pot  and  transplant,  ff.  Keep  well  watered, 
and  the  surface  loose  around  them. 

Dahlias  and  Gladiolas— Place  in  boxes,  m,  11,  for  start 
ing.  Expose  during  mild  days  ;  take  in  when  cool. 

Dielytra — Plant  out,  m,  1.  The  border  is  incomplete 
without  it. 

Drain  all  wet  grounds  if  a  good  garden  soil  is  expected. 
They  may  be  worked  much  earlier,  and  are  warmer. 

Evergreens — May  be  planted,  m,  11,  but  better  during 
the  early  part  of  May.  If  other  work  will  prevent 
planting,  do  it  the  latter  part  of  this  month  rather  than 
not  at  all. 

Frames  and  Pits— Transplant  from  them,  m,  11,  if  the 
weather  is  sufficiently  settled,  otherwise  ventilate  freely. 

Gravel— Renew  the  old  and  make  new  walks,  f,  m. 

Hedges— Set  deciduous  hedge  plants,  ff,  m,  and  ever¬ 
green,  m,  11,  or  later. 

Labels  for  marking  the  flowers,  and  stakes  and  dahlia 
poles  should  all  be  procured  at  once. 

Lawn— Put  everything  in  a  neat,  attractive  order,  rak¬ 
ing  and  rolling  the  turf,  sowing  seed  cm  bare  spots,  or  re- 
sodding.  Sow  new  grounds,  f,  m,  the  earlier  the  better. 
Top  dress  with  guano,  bone-dust  or  fine  manure. 

Prune,  ff,  any  vines  or  shrubs  neglected  last  month 

Petunias  and  Verbenas— Sow  seed,  m,  1,  and  set  or  bed 
rooted  plants,  11. 

Roses— Plant,  ff,  m.  Tie  pillar  and  climbing  varieties. 

Shade  Trees— Plant  deciduous  kinds,  ff,  m. 

Shrubs — Plant,  ff,  m,  the  althea,  flowering  almond, 
azalea,  chionanthus,  flowering  currant,  deutzia,  euony- 


mous,  holly,  Japan  quince,  laburnum,  lilac,  philadelphus, 
rose  acacia,  snowberry,  snowball,  spiraea,  tree  poeony, 
weigelia,  etc. 

Vines  and  Climbers— Plant,  ff,  m,  bignonia,  clematis, 
honeysuckle,  ivy,  trumpet  flower,  Virginian  creeper,  wis¬ 
taria,  moneywort,  etc. 

Greesa  Iloaasc. 

Very  little  if  any  artificial  heat  will  be  required  this 
month,  but  the  rapidly  growing  shoots  will  need  abund¬ 
ance  of  air.  Without  this  they  w  ill  be  weak,  and  unfit 
for  transplanting  to  open  border.  Let  the  house  remain 
open  the  whole  day  when  clear  and  sufficiently  mild. 

Bedding  Plants— Increase  stock  of  verbenas,  petunias, 
geraniums,  daisies,  pansies,  etc.,  by  dividing  roots,  layer¬ 
ing  and  cuttings.  Gradually  harden  for  out  door  growth. 

Bulbs— Give  plenty  of  air  and  water  to  those  in  bloom, 
and  shade  from  too  strong  light.  Plant  out  those  that 
have  shed  their  flow  ers. 

Callas— Water  freely,  keep  free  from  dust  and  turn  to 
the  light. 

Camellias— Syringe  freely  and  insert  cuttings. 

Cuttings— Continue  to  make  new,  from  well  ripened 
wood.  Insert  them  thickly  in  prepared  soil  and  plunge 
the  pots  in  the  bark  bed  for  a  bottom  heat.  A  bell  or 
other  glass  placed  over  them  w  ill  facilitate  their  rooting. 

Grapes— Vines  are  in  different  stages  of  forwardness 
according  to  the  heat  of  the  house.  Disbud,  train  up 
shoots  and  syringe  freely,  mixing  a  little  sulphur  in  the 
water  to  prevent  mildew. 

Head  back  and  pinch  in  plants  with  ill  shaped  heads. 

Inarching— Oranges,  lemons,  limes,  etc.,  may  now  be 
inarched.  (See  full  description  and  illustration  of  the 
process,  page  184,  Vol.  XVI.) 

Insects— Watch  carefully  for  and  destroy  as  previous¬ 
ly  recommended. 

Mildew— Dust  plants  and  flues  with  flour  of  sulphur, 
where  there  is  any  appearance  of  mildew. 

Pot  off  annuals  sown  last  month. 

Seeds— Sow  annuals  early,  for  planting  in  the  borders. 
Vegetables  may  be  forwarded  by  sowing  in  pots  in  the 
Green-house  and  afteiward  transplanting  to  the  garden. 

Shifting — Continue  to  re-pot  all  whose  rapid  growth  in¬ 
dicates  a  w-ant  of  more  room.  Give  fresh  earth  to  others. 

Water  more  freely  as  plants  are  growing  more  rapidly. 

Mot  House  asEnl  CoBBsoi-vatory. 

Less  heat  will  be  necessary  than  during  last  month ; 
a  sufficiency  of  air  is  important.  A  moderate  fire  must  be 
kept  in  the  evening  and  during  cold  windy  days.  Care¬ 
ful  ventilation  when  the  weather  is  mild  w  ill  be  beneficial. 
The  temperature  should  range  from  60°  to  72°.  The 
warmer  the  weather  and  the  larger  the  plants,  the  great¬ 
er  the  amount  of  air  required. 

Cuttings— Make  and  treat  as  in  Green-House. 

Flowers  in  Pots— Bring  in  from  the  Green-House  for 
blooming. 

Fuchsias— Water  more  freely  as  they  approach  the 
blooming  season.  Increase  the  stock  by  cuttings. 

Grapes— Thin  bunches  of  the  early  forcing  -,  rub  off 
superfluous  shoots,  and  confine  branches  to  wires.  Use 
sulphur  to  prevent  mildew. 

Insects  increase  rapidly  this  month,  if  not  kept  in 
check.  Fumes  of  tobacco,  syringing  and  hand  picking  are 
the  destroying  agents. 

Pines  are  now  setting  fruit— Maintain  a  natural  tropi¬ 
cal  atmosphere  by  evaporations,  to  produce  dews  at  night 

Seeds— Sow  the  different  varieties  of  hot-house  plants, 
to  keep  up  the  stock . 

Shiftings— A  large  number  of  plants  will  need  more 
room  at  this  season.  Shift  to  larger  pots,  ff. 

Syringe  freely  towards  evening,  both  to  dislodge  insects 
and  promote  a  humid  atmosphere. 

Water— An  increased  supply  will  be  necessary,  as  the 
plants  are  now  growing  rapidly.  See  that  the  drainage 
is  perfect 

Apiary  in  ApiriS. 

BY  M.  QUINBY. 

If  bees  are  fed  in  the  Spring,  care  must  be  taken  not  to 
discontinue  the  feeding  too  soon  as  they  will  then  be  more 
likely  to  starve  than  if  no  supplies  had  been  given  them. 
A  colony  of  bees  having  storesjust  sufficient  to  take  them' 
through,  would  be  likely  to  rear  but  little  brood  :  if  through 
fear  of  their  starving  a  few  pounds  of  food  are  given  them 
they  are  encouraged  to  undertake  the  rearing  of  a  large 
orood.  If  now  further  feeding  is  withheld,  and  the  flowers 
in  consequence  of  a  cold  turn  of  weather,  yield  nothing— 
the  bees  to  prevent  this  brood  from  perishing,  feed  all  the 
stores  of  the  previous  season  ;  and  then  without  a  timely 
intervention  of  favorable  weather,  must  starve.  It  is  bet¬ 
ter  to  feed  moderately  and  continue  it  till  sure  they  obtain 
sufficient  from  the  flowers  ;  which  in  some  seasons,  is  not 
till  white  clover  appears.  A  colony  that  is  fed,  should  be 
closely  watched.  It  sometimes  happens  that  pillaging 
bees  carry  off  the  food  given  them,  and  they  starve  in 
consequence.  For  directions  for  feeding,  see  Apiary  for 


March.  It  is  bad  economy  to  feed  by  setting  refuse  or 
other  honey  in  the  open  air,  for  all  to  partake  of  promis¬ 
cuously.  The  moth  worms  during  this  month  may  be 
found  under  the  bees  nearly  every  morning,  and  are  easi¬ 
ly  destroyed.  Each  female  now  matured,  is  capable  at  a 
low  estimate  of  producing  one  hundred  others  the  first 
generation!  these  in  turn  as  many  more  each,  through 
four  or  five  generations  in  the  course  of  the  Summer, 
when  the  number  multiplies  to  thousands— an  induce¬ 
ment  for  present  action  and  care  on  the  part  of  the  bee¬ 
keeper. ..  .The  strength  of  a  colony  may  be  ascertained 
on  a  cool  morning  by  turning  back  the  hive  far  enough  to 
get  a  view  of  the  cluster  of  bees  ;  all  weak  ones  should  be 
specially  guarded  by  nearly  closing  the  entrance — allow¬ 
ing  only  one  bee  to  pass  at  a  time.  This,  although  not  a 
sure  preventive,  is  a  great  protection  against  robbing  bees, 
which  otherwise  are  quite  certain  to  find  out  the  weak  and 
defenceless,  the  first  real  warm  day,  and  carry  off  all  their 
stores.  Before  flowers  appear,  bees  are  very  restless,  and 
are  quite  sure  to  get  into  mischief.  When  engaged  in 
pillaging,  if  the  weather  is  warm,  they  continue  opera¬ 
tions  till  dark.  Should  they  be  neglected  through  the  day, 
take  a  look  at  them  after  sundown,  when  honest  bees 
should  be  at  home;  if  at  work  now,  it  is  out  of  season,  and 
very  suspicious,  even  for  bees,  to  keep  such  late  hours. 
This  habit  of  taking  what  does  not  belong  to  them— rob¬ 
bing — “  is  sure  to  lead  to  some  bad  end,”  and  must  be 
broken  up.  If  the  hive  being  robbed  has  a  queen,  and  is 
all  right  except  its  w  eakness  ;  sprinkle  some  flour  on  the 
robbers  as  they  issue  from  the  hive,  and  see  w  hat  hive 
they  enter — most  likely  it  will  be  some  thrifty  strong 
stock,  w  hose  stand  may  be  exchanged  with  the  weak  one. 
But  should  the  robbers  belong  to  some  neighbor,  then  it 
will  be  necessary  to  carry  the  hive  to  some  dark  cool 
room  or  cellar,  until  several  warm  days  have  passed, 
when  it  may  be  returned  to  its  stand.  If  it  could  be  taken 
off  a  mile  or  two  on  the  first  attack  of  the  robbers  for  a 
few  days,  it  would  be  better,  as  no  time  would  be  lost  in 
the  house.  Graduate  the  entrance  of  all  the  hives  pro¬ 
portionate  to  the  bees  that  are  to  pass....  All  hives  that  are 
to  be  painted,  should  now  receive  attention,  that  they 
may  lose  the  rank  smell  of  the  paint  before  used. . .  .Do 
not  forget  the  box  for  the  little  wren.  He  will  assist  in 
destroying  the  worms— will  be  on  the  lookout  when  you 
are  away.. .  .If  nothing  breaks  the  force  of  the  prevailing 

winds ;  erect  a  close  board  fence  for  the  purpose _ In  all 

moderate  weather  it  will  be  an  advantage  to  allow  the 
sun  to  shine  directly  on  the  hive.  It  is  important  to 
hasten  forward  the  brood  at  this  season,  and  warmth 
is  needed  for  the  purpose. 


Motes  ©aa  SSae  CaBltm’e  of  tlie  Seeds 
m  ®m*  DistB'ilmtiosa  ]Lt§t. 

.[We  are,  from  time  to  time,  giving,  in  separate  articles, 
descriptions,  and  frequently  illustrations,  of  the  several 
garden,  field  and  flowering  plants  embraced  in  our  list 
for  distribution,  as  well  as  of  many  others,  and  also  the 
mode  of  culture.  As  a  guide  to  the  time  and  manner  of 
planting  or  sowing,  etc.,  we  throw  together  here  some 
brief  notes,  to  be  referred  to  by  those  not  acquainted  with 
all  the  seeds  they  have  received  from  us  this  year.] 

The  time  of  sowing  or  planting  given  below  refers 
to  latitude  41°.  Further  South  the  season  is  of  course, 
earlier,  and  further  North  later. 

Field  Seeds. 

No.  I.  White  Sugar  Beets— Adapted  mainly  to  feeding 
stock— Sow  about  May  1st,  or  earlier,  if  the  ground  be  in 
good  condition.  For  Winter  feeding,  the  latter  part  of 
May  is  better.  A  deep,  rich  soil  is  required.  Put  in  drills 
2  feet  apart,  dropping  a  seed  every  5  inches,  and  after¬ 
wards  remove  every  other  plant  where  all  the  seeds  vege¬ 
tate.  Cover  the  seed  t  to  1  inch  deep. 

No.  2.  Improved  King  Philip  Corn. — Plant  like  other 
corn.  It  will  mature  earlier,  and  when  necessary,  may 
be  planted  later.  No  corn  should  go  into  the  ground  be¬ 
fore  warm,  settled  weather,  even  should  it  be  necessary 
to  wait  until  the  first  week  in  June. 

No.  3.  Stowell's  Sweet  Corn— May  be  planted  in  field  or 
garden,  as  early  as  the  ground  will  allow.  It  ripens  very 
slowly,  continuing  a  long  time  in  the  milk  state,  and  has 
hence  been  called  evergreen.  To  secure  pure  seed,  it 
must  be  planted  early,  and  at  a  distance  from  other  corn. 
Really  pure  seed  is  quite  as  difficult  to  be  had  now  as 
four  years  ago. 

No.  4.  White  Poland  Oafs.— Those  who  get  our  packages 
this  year,  should  plant  and  preserve  the  seed  with  care. 
Oats  of  all  kinds  did  so  poorly  last  year,  that  it  was  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  we  could  get  any  seed  of  this  kind. 
Those  we  send  out  weigh  over  40  pounds  to  the  bushel, 
but  those  of  this  weight  are  exceedingly  scarce  the  pre¬ 
sent  Spring.  It  will  be  worth  while  to  sow  our  little  mail 
packages  in  drills,  say  one  foot  apart,  dropping  the  grains 


ioo 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


three  or  four  inches  from  each  other,  and  cultivate  with 
the  hoe.  Sow  as  early  as  the  ground  is  ready. 

No.  5.  Chinese  Sugar  Cane — If  desired  for  the  juice, 
plant  and  cultivate  in  hills,  precisely  like  Indian  Corn; 
or  better,  perhaps,  in  drills  31  to  4  feet  apart,  dropping 
the  seeds  every  2  inches,  and  when  well  up,  thin  out  to 
about  8  inches.  If  for  feeding,  put  in  drills  3  feet  apart, 
dropping  seeds  every  inch.  The  thicker  it  grows  the 
smaller  and  more  tender  will  be  the  stalks.  To  be  sure  of 
obtaining  ripe  seed  north  of  latitude  40°,  it  will  be  neces¬ 
sary  to  start  a  few  plants  quite  early,  in  boxes  or  sods, 
though  it  will  ordinarily  ripen  in  the  field  as  far  north  as 
42e  or  43°,  if  planted  before  May  15.  The  main  crop 
should  not  be  planted  until  about  the  middle  of  May  or 
later— or  when  the  weather  is  settled  and  the  soil  warm. 
Cover  the  seeds  with  not  more  than  £  to  i  inch  of  soil. 

Nos.  6  and  7.  Ashcroft's  Swedish  and  River's  Swedish 
Stubble  Turnips.— Sow  in  drills,  from  the  second  week  in 
June  to  July  15th.  These  varieties  mature  nearly  a 
month  sooner  than  Ruta-Bagas,  and  may  therefore,  be 
sown  later.  The  plants  should  have  a  foot  of  spare  room 
each,  in  drills,  at  least  2  feet  apart. 

Nos.  68and69.  Green  and  Purple  Top  Scotch  or  Bullock 
Turnips. — Sow  in  April  or  May,  like  common  flat  turnips, 
if  for  early  use,  or  later  for  Winter,  say  any  time  before 
August.  We  know  little  of  these  two  new  varieties. 
They  are  highly  commended  in  England,  and  we  have 
sent  out  the  seeds  for  trial  here,  and  will  be  thankful  for 
reports  upon  them. 

No.  70.  Waite's  London  Purple-Top  Swede  Turnip.— Sow 
from  May  15th  to  June  15th.  In  England  this  is  said  to 
be  quite  superior  to  the  common  Swede  or  Ruta-Baga. 
Not  thoroughly  tried  here  yet. 

No.  71.  Long  White  French  Turnip. — Sow  in  field  or 
garden.  It  will  be  well  this  year  to  sow  a  little  seed  at 
intervals  of  two  weeks,  from  May  25  to  August  1.  In 
Rhode  Island,  where  it  has  been  grown  in  perfection,  the 
main  crop  for  feeding  is  sown  during  the  latter  half  of 
June,  and  for  table  use  in  Winter  and  Spring,  from  July 
1st  to  August  15th.  From  our  own  experience  last  year, 
we  should  advise  sowing  as  soon  as  the  15lh  to  the  20th 
of  July,  for  table  use.  Some  that  we  sowed  August  15th, 
on  rather  poor  soil,  grew  only  to  about  the  diameter  of  a 
coffee  cup.  The  early  sowed  (June  15)  grew  from  4  to  7 
inches  in  diameter.  Sow  in  drills  2  feet  apart,  and  thin 
out  to  10  or  12  inches  when  well  started,  and  out  of  the 
way  of  insects. 

No.  93.  Hungatian  Grass  or  Millet. — Usually  sown 
broadcast,  from  May  10  to  June  I,  if  for  seed,  and  up  to 
July  15th  for  feeding,  or  even  for  fodder.  To  get  a  large 
yield  of  seed  for  the  first  year,  sow  in  drills  a  foot  apart, 
from  5th  to  20th  of  May,  and  hoe  between  the  rows  once 
or  twice. 

No.  94.  Crystal  Flint,  or  Hominy  Corn  — Cultivate  in  all 
respects  like  the  common  field  varieties.  The  seed  being 
rare,  it  will  be  well  to  keep  it  at  a  distance  from  other 
kinds,  to  preserve  it  entirely  pure.  It  has  a  beautiful 
kernel,  and  promises  well,  but  we  must  await  further  trials 
before  fully  deciding  upon  its  merits  for  a  general  crop. 

Vegetable  and  Garden  Seeds. 

No.  8.  Daniel  O'Rourke  Pea.— Chiefly  valuable  for  being 
the  earliest  pea  we  have.  Small  size  and  fair  quality. 
Grows  only  about  2  feet  high.  Is  ready  for  picking  in 
about  42  to  45  days  from  planting.  Sow  any  time  when 
the  ground  admits,  and  at  several  intervals  for  a  succes¬ 
sion.  Though  somewhat  dwarfish,  it  is  best  to  support 
and  train  with  short  brush. 

No.  9.  Champion  of  England  Pea. — Of  a  greenish  color 
when  ripe  ;  of  good  size  and  full  in  the  pod,  and  an  ex¬ 
cellent  cooking  pea  ;  good  yielder— in  short,  one  of  our 
best  peas  for  a  general  garden  crop.  Sow  at  intervals  of 
6  to  10  days,  from  April  1st  to  June  1st,  for  a  succession. 
Grows  3  to  4  feet  high,  and  requires  brushing. 

No.  10.  British  Queen  Pea. — Also  an  excellent  pea, 
similar  in  size  and  growth  to  the  Champion,  but  is  of  a 
light  color.  Some  like  it  better  than  the  Champion,  but 
with  us  it  has  proved  a  poorer  yielder,  not  quite  so  early, 
and  does  not  cook  quite  so  well.  For  a  general  crop  it  is 
second  only  to  the  Champion. 

No.  11.  Hair's  Dwarf  Blue  Mammoth  Pen— Grows  2  to 
21  feet  in  height.  Comes  late  to  maturity.  Cooks  dark 
purple,  but  quite  rich  in  flavor.  An  excellent  late  pea 
Sow  in  April  or  early  in  May. 

59.  King  of  the  Marrow  Pea.— A  promising  new  pea, 
wrinkled,  greenish  color  when  ripe,  rather  smaller  than 
the  common  Marrow  fat,  bore  well  with  us  last  year. 
Sown  May  1st  and  picking  commenced  July  25.  Grows 
tall,  and  requires  high  brush. 

12.  Green  Kohl-Rabi.— Cultivated  in  all  respects  like 
early  cabbage.  See  description  in  January  (p.  4).  Must 
be  cooked  before  full  maturity,  else  it  is  stringy. 


13.  Enfield  Market  Cabbage.— Cultivate  hke  any  other 
early  cabbage.  An  early,  small,  but  excellent  variety. 

14.  Alma  Cauliflower.— Cultivate  in  all  respects  like 
cabbage.  It  requires  moderately  cool  weather  to  head 
well,  so  that  unless  started  in  a  hot-bed  and  planted  out 
May  1st,  it  should  be  sown  in  the  open  ground,  April  15th 
to  May  1st.  It  frequently  only  begins  to  head  in  Septem¬ 
ber,  and  then  grows  rapidly. 

15.  Mammoth  Cabbage  Lettuce. — Sow  at  intervals  from 
April  1st,  onward,  for  a  succession.  Each  plant  will  re¬ 
quire  8  or  10  inches  square,  if  on  good  soil.  Cover  the 
seed  very  lightly.  Let  a  few  of  the  best  heads  go  to  seed, 
to  secure  a  supply  for  next  year. 

17.  Red  Strap-leaf  Turnip. — A  very  early  kind.  Sow- 
in  drills  as  early  as  the  ground  will  admit  of  it,  and  at 
almost  any  other  time.  Two  crops  may  be  raised  on  the 
same  ground,  in  a  single  season. 

19.  Round  Spinach.— Sow  as  early  as  the  ground  will 
admit,  and  later,  for  greens.  Put  in  drills  and  cover 
lightly.  For  Winter  and  early  Spring  use.  sow  latter 
part  of  August  or  first  of  September  and  cover  with  straw 
as  Winter  sets  in. 

20.  Salsafy,  or  Vegetable  Oyster. — Sow  in  drills  or  rows 
and  cultivate  like  carrots  or  parsneps.  The  tops  are 
small  and  the  drills  may  be  only  10  or  12  Inches  apart. 
Thin  out  to  3  or  4  inches  in  the  row.  (See  Jan.  No.  p.  4.) 

21.  Winter  Cherry,  ( Physalis  viscosa). — The  seed  will 
lie  on  the  ground  all  Winter  without  injury.  It  may  be 
sown  as  early  as  the  ground  can  be  worked.  It  will  often 
lie  without  sprouting  until  the  warm  weather  of  June. 
(See  last  Vol.  p  245).  Be  not  disappointed  if  the  plants 
do  not  appear  until  the  last  of  June.  Sow,  however,  as 
early  as  the  ground  will  allow.  It  may  be  well  started 
in  a  hot-bed,  or  in  a  pot  to  get  early  fruit,  or  in  a  small 
plot,  and  transplanted  to  open  ground  like  cabbage  plants 
or  tomatoes.  Each  plant  will  need  a  space  of  at  least  2 
or  2i  feet  square. 

22.  Boston  Marrow  Squasi Plant  in  hills  6  to  8  feet 
apart— in  May,  when  the  ground  is  settled  and  warm. 
Each  plant  will  cover  a  large  space.  The  ground  be¬ 
tween  the  hills  may  be  used  for  early  lettuce  and  radishes 

16.  Long  Orange  Carrot.— Sow  in  rows  18  to  20  inches 
apart,  on  a  deep,  rich  soil,  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  in 
good  order.  Thin  out  the  plants  in  the  rows  to  6  or  8 
inches.  Cover  the  seed  not  more  than  £  inch. 

55.  White  Globe  Onion.— Sow  in  12  inch  rows,  as  early 
in  April  as  the  ground  is  in  good  condition.  (See  onion 
article  last  month,  p.  69.) 

71.  Long  W.  French  Turnip-— See  Field  Seeds  above. 

72.  Brussels  Sprouts. — Cultivate  like  cabbages,  but  the 
plants  will  require  less  room,  as  the  heads  and  leaves  are 
small.  The  seed  may  be  put  in  the  open  ground  as  soon 
as  it  is  in  condition,  or  be  previously  started  in  a  warm 
bed  of  earth,  or  in  a  hot  bed. 

73.  Egg  Plant. — Start  the  seed  as  early  as  possible  in 
a  warm  situation,  or  in  a  hot  bed,  and  plant  out  in  May, 
giving  each  plant  a  space  fully  11  feet  square,  or  put  one 
foot  apart  in  21  feet  rows. 

74.  Solid  White  Celery  — Often  sown  in  hot-beds  the  lat¬ 
ter  part  of  March,  for  early  use,  but  does  best  for  a  Winter 
crop  sown  in  open  ground  the  latter  part  of  April,  or  first 
of  May.  Plant  in  trenches  when  a  few  inches  high,  and 
draw  the  earth  around  the  stalks  to  whiten  them  about 
the  first  of  September. 

75.  Green  Curled  Endive,  or  Chicoree. — Sow  the  last  of 
July  after  early  peas  or  turnips  in  drills  15  inches  apart. 
Tie  up  for  blanching  the  first  of  September,  or  transplant 
to  a  cold  frame  for  Winter  use. 

76-77.  Musk  and  Water  Melons. — Plant  in  hills  at  least 
6  feet  apart,  as  soon  in  May  as  the  ground  becomes  warm. 
If  planted  too  early  the  seed  will  rot  in  the  ground.  Last 
year  we  planted  some  of  the  same  seed  May  1st  (rotted 
by  rain) ;  May  12,  also  rotted  ;  and  May  24,  which  came 
up  and  did  well. 

92.  Okra.— Sow  May  10,  in  drills  2  feet  apart,  covering 
iinch.  Thin  to  10  inches  in  the  row  and  cultivate  as 
Egg  Plants.  Gather  the  green  pods  for  soup,  or  stews, 
when  2  to  3  inches  long.  They  are  useless  when  ripe. 
A  favorite  for  Gumbo  Soup. 

Flower  and  Ornamental  Seeds. 

General  Remarks.—' The  flower  seeds  may  be  arranged 

i  classes,  and  the  culture  of  each  class  described. 
With  the  exception  ol  those  otherwise  noted,  they  may 
be  sown  in  this  latitude  the  last  week  in  April  or  the  first 
week  in  May,  if  the  soil  be  warm  and  dry.  However, 
where  the  supply  of  seed  is  small,  and  it  is  desired  to  be 
pretty  certain  of  their  vegetating,  so  as  to  secure  an  in¬ 
crease  of  seed  for  another  year,  it  is  usually  safer  to  wait 
until  the  middle  of  May.  In  the  Northern  States  there 
w-as  a  failure  last  year,  with  more  than  one  half  of  all  the 
flower  seeds  sow-n  before  May  15th.  Nearly  everything 
we  put  in  the  ground  prior  to  May  20th  failed,  while  from 


all  the  same  packages  seed  sown  from  May  25th  to 
June  10th,  came  up  promptly,  and  grew  vigorously.  In 
ordinary  seasons,  early  sowing  brings  an  earlier  supply  of 
flowers  and  vegetables,  it  is  usually  quite  as  well  to 
start  the  seeds  in  boxes  of  earth,  or  in  a  warm,  well- 
drained  situation,  and  transplant  when  and  where  it  may 
be  desirable.  Cover  very  lightly. 

DWARFISH  ANNUALS. 

This  class  includes  such  plants  as  grow  low,  and  aro 
mostly  adapted  to  massing  or  cultivating  in  groups,  though 
many  ol  them  appear  well  when  standing  as  single  speci¬ 
mens.  Except  for  massing,  sow  in  rows  or  circles,  18 
inches  apart,  and  cover  lightly — say  £  inch  or  less. 

No.  23.  Mignonette  ( Reseda  Odorata).— A  branching 
plant,  with  an  abundance  of  foliage  and  small  flower  s,  not 
very  pretty,  but  very  fragrant  during  the  entire  season. 
Eight— about  15  inches.  Appears  best  in  masses. 

No.  28.  Dwarf  Rocket  Larkspur  ( Delphinium  Ajacis)  — 
Hight  about  18  inches,  flowers  double  ;  color — white  and 
purple;  one  of  the  finest  flowers  of  the  garden.  Thin  to 
6  inches. 

No.  29.  Double  Balsam  (Impatiens  Balsamina'i. — Very 
pretty— flowers  of  various  colors  on  the  same  plants.  The 
seed  is  a  mixture  of  several  fine  sorts.  Might— about  15 
inches.  Succeeds  best  as  single  specimens,  but  may  be 
grouped.  No  flower  garden  is  complete  without  it. 

No.  30.  Tassel  Flo  wer  ( Cacalia  Coccinea).—  A  pretty 
upright  scarlet  flower,  very  like  a  tassel.  Set  the  plants 
singly,  or  they  appear  prettily  when  standing  in  the  midst 
of  others  lower  growing.  Might— 15  to  18  inches. 

No.  31.  Chinese  Pink  ( Dianthus  Cliinensis). — Strictly 
speaking,  a  biennial,  although  blooming  the  first  year  from 
seed,  and  on  this  account  introduced  here.  It  is  devoid 
of  fragrance,  but  quite  attractive  with  its  variegated  colors. 
Hight — 12  inches. 

No.  33.  Portulaccas  (Splendeus,  lutea  and  alba). — Low 
growing  and  semi-running  plants,  2  to  4  inches  high,  with 
showy  white  and  red,  scarlet  and  yellow  flowers,  which 
open  in  early  morning.  They  look  best  in  masses  or 
patches  of  distinct  colors. 

Nos.  34  and  35.  China  and  German  Asters  (Aster  Chi- 
nensis)—Are  nearly  alike,  except  that  German  florists 
have  produced  fuller  and  more  quilled  flow-ers.  Both  are 
favorites,  showing  an  attractive  bloom  of  every  shade, 
from  pure  w  hite  to  deep  scarlet,  well  adapted  for  massing, 
or  as  single  specimens,  growing  about  1  foot  high. 

No.  40.  Escholtzia  (Calif arnica).— A  conspicuous  bright 
yellow  flower,  semi-creeping  in  habit,  with  fine,  delicate 
foliage  ;  hight  6  to  12  inches.  Remains  long  in  bloom. 

No.  41.  Elegant  Clarkia  (Clarlda  Elegans).—A  pretty 
flow  er  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  grow  s  about  15  inches 
high;  in  color,  white,  iilac  and  pink  ;  quite  attractive, 
and  a  good  massing  plant. 

No.  48.  Flos  Adonis  (Adonis  Miniata)  or  Pheasant  Eye 
—Of  moderate  size,  with  fine  foliage  and  a  spike  of  blood 
red  flowers,  shooting  up  18  inches  to  2  feet  in  hight. 

No.  49.  Candy  Tuft  ( Iberis  umbellata,  amara,  etc,)— Es¬ 
pecially  adapted  for  massing  ;  flowers  of  white,  lilac  and 
purple  color,  in  flat  or  oval  clusters  ;  hight— 8  to  10  inches 

No.  51.  Phlox  (Drummondii) .— One  of  the  most  beauti¬ 
ful  of  a  class  of  hardy  branching  flowers  ;  best  in  masses  ; 
about  1  foot  high,  and  runs  through  the  various  colors, 
from  white  to  purple  ;  a  favorite  where  known. 

No.  78.  Ageratum  (Mexicanum)  —A  somewhat  tender 
plant,  with  pale  blue  and  white  flowers,  well  suited  for 
bedding.  Slips  or  cuttings,  taken  in  the  Fall,  make  fine 
plants  for  Winter  culture  in  the  parlor  or  green-house. 

No.  79.  German,  10  weeks  stock  (Mathiola  grandiflora) 
or  Stock-gilly— Blooms  in  spikes  late  in  the  season,  un¬ 
less  forced  for  early  out-door  planting  ;  well  adapted  fot 
pot  culture— one  foot  high,  and  quite  pretty. 

No.  80.  Yellow  Ilawkweed  (Hieracium  mutabilis). — A 
fine  and  rather  delicate  annual ;  of  low  growth  and  lato 
yellow  bloom. 

No.  86.  Euphorbia  (variegata).—  A  tender  annual  from 
Missouri,  but  very  pretty  with  its  showy  variegated  flow¬ 
ers,  blooming  late  in  the  season. 

No.  87.  Coreopsis  (tincloria). — A  showy,  free-blooming 
plant,  from  the  Western  prairies.  Flowers  bright  yellow, 
with  a  dark  velvety  centre.  It  grows  1£  to  2  feet  high  ; 
good  for  massing. 

No.  88.  Globe  Amaranth  ( Gomphrcna  Globosa). — A  flow- 
erof  unfading  color,  even  when  plucked,  whether  white, 
purple  or  striped  ;  of  1  foot  in  hight.  The  seeds  vegetate 
slowly  unless  scalded  for  a  few  moments,  or  soaked  for 
24  hours  before  sowing. 

We  prefer  to  plant  each  variety  of  the  above,  and  eaoh 
color  even,  in  separate  groups,  that  the  eye  may  find  re¬ 
lief  by  turning  to  a  new  bloom,  rather  than  be  confused 
by  a  gaudy  show  of  mixed  flowers.  On  this  account,  bed 
ding  or  massing  is  particularly  recommended. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


101 


To  bring  out  their  fine  qualities,  thin  the  massing 
plants  to  6  inches,  and  single  specimens  one  foot  to  IS 
inches  apart  according  as  they  are  branching  or  erect. 

TALLER  GROWING  ANNUALS. 

These  are  generally  similar  to  the  class  first  described, 
except  that  they  require  more  room,  and  with  the  excep¬ 
tions  noted  below,  do  best  as  single  specimens. 

No.  39.  Marvel  of  l’eru,  or  Four  O’clock  (Mirabilis 
jalap  i)  is  classed  as  an  annual,  although  when  taken 
up  in  the  Fall  and  properly  preserved,  it  is  perennial. 
Stalks  large  and  branching,  and  2  to  3  feet  high,  produc¬ 
ing  abundance  of  bell  shaped  flowers,  white,  red  and 
striped ;  opening  morning  and  evening,  and  blooming 
during  the  entire  season.  They  require  much  room. 

46.  Mixed  Lupins,  ( Lupinus  albus,  luteus,  etc.) — Fine 
velvety  foliage  with  spikes  of  white,  blue  and  yellow 
flowers  ;  hight  of  different  varieties  1  to  3  feet.  Answers 
for  grouping. 

89.  Cottun  Plant,  ( Gossypium  arboreum  and  lurbace.um). 
— A  fine  showy  flower  continuing  a  long  time  in  bloom. 
It  is  chiefly  grown  in  the  southern  States  for  its  “  bolls” 
or  downy  seed  covering  from  which  cotton  cloth  is  man¬ 
ufactured.  Both  upland  and  sea-island  are  in  our  distri¬ 
bution.  Sow  on  a  warm  border  the  last  of  April  and  the 
seed  may  ripen  before  frost  •  3  to  4  feet  high,  with  abloom 
of  reddish  color 

27.  Cockscomb  ( Celosia  cnstata,. — The  varieties  we  are 
distributing,  are  very  fine  with  a  solid  or  comb  shaped 
head.  The  scarlet  and  crimson  colors  are  much  prettier 
than  the  dull  yellow.  It  is  best  cultivated  singly,  with  a 
foot  of  space  to  each  plant— hight  1  to  2  feet.  Sow  as 
soon  as  the  ground  is  dry  and  warm. 

37.  Zinnia  {elegans).—  In  hight  1  to  3  feet  and  some¬ 
what  branching,  with  terminal  flowers  of  scarlet,  yellow, 
orange  and  white. 

50.  Schizanthus  (pinnatus,  humilis,  etc.) — A  rather  ten¬ 
der  annual  2  to  3  feet  in  hight,  blooming  from  August 
to  October ;  flowers  of  purple  and  yellow  in  terminal  pan¬ 
icles. 

84.  African  Marigold  ( Tagetes  erecta). — From  2  to  3  feet 
in  hight  with  yellow  and  orange  colored  flowers,  very 
double  Answers  well  for  massing. 

BIENNIAL  AND  PERENNIAL  PLANTS 

Very  few'  of  these  enter  into  our  distributing  list,  most 
people  preferring  plants  which  will  flower  the  first  sea¬ 
son  from  seed.  A  few  of  them  are  so  desirable  that  we 
have  included  them.  Those  sent  out  last  year  should 
bloom  freely  this  season. 

Sow  as  directed  for  the  annuals. 

No.  38.  Sweet  William  (Di'anlhus  barbatus) — A  pretty 
common,  but  universally  admired  perennial  flower, 
blooming  the  second  and  successive  years  from  planting. 
The  different  colors  of  white,  lilac,  pink  and  red  are 
pretty  in  separate  plants,  and  doubly  attractive  when 
combined  in  the  same  cluster.  It  grows  10  to  15  inches  in 
hight,  is  very  fragrant  and  easily  increased  by  dividing 
the  roots.  Fine  for  bedding. 

42.  Fox  Glove,  {.Digitalis  purpurea,  lutea,  lanata,  etc)  is 
a  singular  thimble  shaped  flower  of  purple,  white,  yellow 
and  mottled  color,  on  spikes  2  to  3  feet  in  hight.  It  is  a 
biennial,  sometimes  blooming  the  3d  and  4th  years  A 
showy  and  very  attractive  flower,  blooming  in  July  and 
August. 

83.  Snap-Dragon,  ( Antirrhinum  majus)—X  perennial 
■  described  on  page  20,  January  number. 

85.  Gaillardia  {picta and  bicolor),  a  perennial,  but  often 
blooms  in  August  the  first  season,  when  sown  early. 
Flow  ers  large,  crimsorn  and  yellow,  beautifully  combined. 
Rather  tender,  requiring  a  slight  Winter  protection. 
Hight  1  to  2  feet. 

These  may  all  be  sown  at  the  same  time  and  receive 
the  same  treatment  as  the  former  classes  giving  them 
more  room  w  hen  transplanted  the  second  year. 

ANNUAL  CLIMBERS. 

Our  list  contains  a  few  hardy  climbers  well  adapted  for 
screens  or  trellises,  and  easily  cultivated.  Sow  last  of 
April  or  first  of  May,  unless  otherwise  noted. 

No.  45.  Sweet  Pea  ( Lathyrus  odoratus). — A  moderate 
climber  of  about  6  feet  in  hight,  with  white,  red,  scarlet, 
black  and  variegated  flowers.  A  neat  stake,  wires  or 
strings  are  best  to  train  them  upon. 

25.  Mixed  Nasturtiums,  {TropcBolum  majus) — A  semi- 
climbing  annual,  well  fitted  for  training  over  stone  fences, 
rock  work,  etc.  Flowers  orange,  crimson,  and  interme¬ 
diate  shades.  Sow  May  1st  to  1  Oth  on  light  soil.  The 
green  capsules  are  highly  prized  by  many,  for  pickling. 

33.  Cypress  Vine  (Ipomea.quamoclti),  one  of  the  finest 
climbers  with  delicate  feathery  foliage  and  bright  red,  or 
scarlet  and  white  tubular  shaped  flowers.  Grows  from 
10  to  15  or  more  feet  high.  See  illustrated  trellis  page 
339,  last  volume.  Succeeds  best  when  sown  late,  fay 
May  10th  to  15th.  Soaking  the  seed  24  hours  before  plant¬ 


ing  renders  it  much  more  sure.  It  should  have  a  place  in 
every  collection. 

47  Morning  Glory,  ( Convolvulus  major) — A  common 
but  pretty  climber,  often  reaching  15  to  20  feet ;  makes  a 
fine  covering  for  screens  or  twines  around  a  pole  or  string, 
produces  abundance  of  tubular  flowers,  white,  rose,  pur¬ 
ple  and  striped  ;  opens  very  early  in  the  morning.  Sow 
at  any  time  after  frost  is  out  in  Spring  to  first  of  June. 

81.  Canary  Bird  Flower  {Tropccolumperegrinum)?L'be-AW- 
tiful  climber  of  rampant  growth,  with  delicate  canary 
colored  flowers,  with  a  slight  resemblance  to  little  birds, 
hence  its  name.  Sow  April  15th  to  middle  of  May,  giv¬ 
ing  plenty  of  arbor  or  trellis  room.  Flowers  from  July 
till  killed  by  frost. 

82.  Thunbergia  {alata)— A  fine  climber,  fully  described 
and  illustrated,  page  339,  of  last  volume 

EVERGREEN  TREES. 

We  have  inlvoduced  two  of  the  finest  into  our  distribut¬ 
ing  list,  both  of  which  may  be  grown  as  single  specimens, 
or  in  hedge-rows  as  a  protection  or  screen.  Minute  direc¬ 
tions  for  planting  and  after  treatment  are  given  on  p.  113. 

90.  Norway  Spruce  ( Abies  excelsa).— A  stately  and 
beautiful  evergreen  tree.  Illustrated  on  page  144,  last 
volume.  Sow  in  April  or  early  in  May. 

91.  Arbor  Vitae  {Thuja  occidentalis) .— A  slow  growing 
and  small  sized  evergreen  tree,  much  admired  both  as  a 
single  tree  or  grown  in  hedges,  where  it  is  largely  used. 
Sow  as  above. 

- - - =a<frB— - ►  «- - - 

How  Cane  Sugar  is  grown  and  Made. . I, 


[A  large  number  of  our  readers  have  probably  little  idea  of  the 
manner  of  cultivating  and  making  our  common  Cane  Sugar. 
Some  account  of  this  will  not  only  be  interesting  to  all,  but  also 
furnish  useful  bints  to  those  of  our  subscribers  who  live  wii  bin 
the  cane  growinglatitudes.  Wc  therefore  present  the  following 
from  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Aqriculturist  who  has  been  in 
Louisiana,  since  the  commencement  of  the  present  year.  This 
first,  chapter  was  written  early  in  February,  but  was  crowded 
out.  lastmonth  — Pub.  Ed.] 

We  visited,  yesterday,  one  of  the  largest  and  best  man¬ 
aged  sugar  plantations  in  the  vicinity  of  New-Orleans. 
This  staple  crop,  is  confined  to  a  comparatively  small  ter¬ 
ritory.  Yet  in  any  other  country  than  this,  the  soil  adapt¬ 
ed  to  cane  culture  would  be  thought  extensive,  for  it 
embraces  the  larger  part  of  Louisiana,  and  the  regions 
in  the  same  latitude  lying  along  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and 
the  streams  that  empty  into  it.  Though  the  season  is 
not  sufficiently  long  for  the  plant  to  attain  its  full  matu¬ 
rity,  and  to  yield  its  largest  product  of  sugar,  yet  under 
the  protection  of  our  tariff,  the  planters  of  Louisiana,  are 
able  to  compete  with  those  of  the  West  India  islands,  in 
our  markets.  Large  fortunes  have  been  amassed  in  this 
department  of  agriculture,  and  the  business,  under  favor¬ 
able  auspices,  is  perhaps  more  largely  remunerative,  than 
any  other  branch  of  husbandry. 

The  soils  best  adapted  to  this  plant  are  the  bottom 
lands  of  the  Mississippi,  and  other  streams  emptying  into 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  This  great  river,  for  some  forty 
miles  below  New  Orleans,  and  for  many  miles  above,  is 
lined  with  plantations  devoted  mainly  to  sugar.  No  oth¬ 
er  staple  is  cultivated,  w  here  sugar  can  be  made  profita¬ 
bly.  These  plantations  with  their  neat  mansions,  and 
their  slave  quarters,  their  barns  and  sugar  houses,  are 
the  striking  features  of  the  river  scenery,  as  you  pass  up 
from  the  Balize  to  the  city.  The  whole  bank  of  the  river, 
for  a  mile  or  two  back  is  cleared,  and  the  cane  fields  of 
one  estate  join  those  of  another,  in  almost  unbroken  suc¬ 
cession.  Such  a  wide  expanse  of  cultivated  fields,  all 
devoted  to  one  crop,  can  hardly  be  found  on  any  other 
part  of  our  territory.  Such  a  sea  of  tropical  verdure,  in 
the  full  luxuriance  of  Summer,  is  one  of  the  grandest 
spectacles  in  this  great  valley. 

TIIE  MANSION  AND  OUT-BUILDINGS. 

There  is  much  greater  sameness  in  the  dwellings  and 
surroundings  of  the  sugar  plantations,  than  on  those  of 
northern  farms.  This  is  owing  mainly  to  the  monotony 
of  Ihe  country  and  to  the  similarity  of  circumstances  in 
which  the  planters  are  placed.  Every  one  relies  upon 
sugar  for  his  money,  every  one  uses  slave  labor,  and  either 
owns  or  represents  a  large  capital  invested  in  his  busi¬ 
ness.  In  a  description  of  the  house  and  buildings  of  the 
plantation  just  visited,  you  have  a  good  idea  of  all  the 
plantations  on  the  lower  Mississippi. 

The  dwelling  is  a  large  two  story  frame  building  situ¬ 
ated  just  inside  of  the  levee,  (embankment),  that  is  raised 
on  both  banks  to  guard  against  floods  in  the  river.  A 
road  passes  along  in  front  of  the  house,  running  nearly 
parallel  to  the  river,  and  this  is  usually  the  only  road  in 
the  region.  The  country  on  all  sides,  is  seemingly  a  per¬ 
fect  level,  but  really  sloping  back  from  the  river  two  or 
three  feet  in  a  mile.  In  front  of  the  house  is  a  spacious 
yard  planted  with  fruit  and  ornamental  trees.  As  we 
alighted  from  the  cars,  a  bright  little  yellow  boy  was  in 
waiting  to  conduct  us  to  the  house,  We  entered  through 


a  gate  and  passed  up  through  a  broad  avenue  overshad 
owed  with  stately  elms.  On  either  side  of  the  elms  were 
orange  trees  in  rows,  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  apart,  and 
beyond  these  were  the  Arbor  Vitae,  and  occasionaly  the 
pettisporum,  which  here  makes  a  large  stocky  shrub 
eight  or  ten  feet  high.  Another  servant,  of  still  lighter 
color,  received  us  at  the  foot  of  the  gallery  or  piazza 
stairs,  and  conducted  us  to  his  master.  There  is  a  broad 
gallery  protected  by  the  roof,  extending  the  whole  front, 
and  in  some  of  the  houses,  it  goes  clear  round.  This  gal 
lery  answers  the  purpose  of  a  reception  room,  and  is  pet 
haps  as  much  frequented  during  the  day  as  any  apart¬ 
ment  within  doors.  The  white  family  live  and  sleep 
upon  the  upper  story,  taking  their  meals  in  a  spacious 
dining  room  below.  The  parlors  were  comfortably,  but 
not  extravagantly  furnished,  not  as  well  as  we  have  often 
seen  among  the  more  thriving  small  farmers  of  the  north. 
There  was  a  piano,  and  music,  and  a  few  books  and 
newspapers.  The  negro  quarters  were  just  south  of  the 
mansion,  in  another  large  yard.  These  were  mostly  ot 
brick,  furnished  with  a  projecting  roof,  in  front  and  made 
double  to  accommodate  two  slave  families  each.  They 
had  no  yards  around  them  for  cultivating  garden  vegeta 
bles,  as  is  quite  common  upon  the  cotton  plantations.  In 
the  rear  of  the  quarters  were  the  cooper’s  and  the  black¬ 
smith’s  shops,  establishments  found  upon  all  the  large 
plantations.  There  was  also  a  large  barn,  where  the 
mules  and  oxen  are  stabled. 

This  plantation  consists  of  twelve  thousand  acres,  only 
about  twelve  hundred  of  which  are  cultivated.  It  cost, 
several  years  since,  two-hundred  and  forty  thousand  dol¬ 
lars.  There  are  one  hundred  and  sixty  slaves  upon  it, 
out  of  which  there  are  only  ninety  three  full  hands. 
They  are  worked  by  tasks,  and  one  that  does  a  whole 
daily  task,  passes  for  a  full  hand.  Of  the  boys  and  wom¬ 
en,  some  do  three  quarters  of  a  task,  some  one  half,  and 
the  youngest  only  one  quarter.  The  product  for  this 
year  will  be  only  eight  hundred  hogsheads  of  sugar,  of  one 
thousand  pounds  each,  and  about  five  hundred  barrels  of 
molasses.  The  sugar  made  here  is  of  the  finest  quality, 
and  the  best  grade  sells  as  high  as  a  hundred  dollars  a 
hogshead.  The  only  other  important  crop  raised,  is  In¬ 
dian  corn,  of  which  eighteen  thousand  bushels  were  har¬ 
vested.  This  was  grown,  contrary  to  the  usual  practice, 
among  the  cane,  and  of  course  diminished  the  yield  of 
sugar.  The  grinding  was  finished  on  the  26th  of  January. 
This  season  continues  for  three  or  four  months,  and  is  the 
most  busy  and  joyful  season,  upon  the  plantation.  Im¬ 
mediately  upon  the  close  of  the  sugar  making,  the  prepar¬ 
ation  for  a  new  crop  begins.  The  planting  season  ex¬ 
tends  from  the  middle  of  January  to  early  in  March. 

PREPARATION  OF  SOIL 

All  these  sugar  lands  are  what  may  be  termed  reclaim¬ 
ed  swamp.  The  soil,  however,  is  very  different  from 
swamp  lands,  formed  under  other  circumstances.  It  is 
not  made  up  exclusively  of  the  decay  of  plants  growing 
upon  the  spot,  but  very  largely  of  the  wash  and  flrat 
wood  of  the  river.  All  the  soils  from  the  AUeghanies  to 
the  Rocky  mountains  have  sent  in  their  contributions  to 
the  delta  of  the  Mississippi.  The  levee  protects  the  lands 
against  the  river.  Then  drains  are  dug  running  at  right 
angles  to  the  river,  and  discharging  into  the  swamp  two 
or  three  miles  distant.  On  some  of  the  plantations  a  levee 
is  also  made  upon  the  s-.vamp  side,  and  a  steam  pump  is 
used  to  discharge  the  water.  There  can  be  no  doubt  of 
the  economy  of  steam  drainage,  for  not  only  is  the  yield 
of  cane  very  much  larger,  but  it  makes  more  sugar,  and 
of  better  quality.  By  taking  the  water  out  of  the  land, 
the  temperature  is  raised,  and  a  greater  length  of  cane 
becomes  fit  for  grinding.  The  soil  is  what  would  he 
called,  a  rich  clay  loam,  without  any  subsoil.  It  is  all 
black  loam,  to  the  bottom  of  what  used  to  be  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  In  places,  the  clay  is  so  pure  that  it  is  burned 
into  bricks.  The  material  for  making  tile  is  abundant, 
and  the  day  can  not  be  distant,  when  a  soil  that  so  much 
needs  them  will  receive  their  ameliorating  influences 
But  though  steam  drainage  is  so  profitable,  even  with  the 
open  drains,  it  is  not  uniformly  employed.  The  planta 
tions  are  usually  purchased  upon  credit,  and  worked  with 
reference  to  immediate  results.  The  profits  for  the  year 
are  expended  in  liquidating  debts,  or  in  purchasing  more 
stock  and  negroes,  rather  than  in  improvements  of  a 
permanent  character. 

THE  PLOWING 

follows  immediately  upon  the  clearing  of  the  dmins. 
This  operation  differs  a  good  deal  upon  different  planta¬ 
tions  according  to  the  intelligence  of  the  cultivator.  Here, 
the  breaking  up  was  done  by  a  heavy  team  of  six  or  eight 
mules,  and  a  deep  tiller  turning  a  sod  twelve  Or  fourteen 
inches  thick.  Others  are  content  with  six  or  eight  inches. 
Winter  plowing,  that  is  in  December  and  early  In  Janua¬ 
ry,  is  practiced  upon  some  plantations,  and  slight  as  the 
frosts  are  here,  they  are  found  to  benefit  the  succeeding 
crop.  In  breaking  up  and  planting  a  new  piece  of  swamp 
land,  the  cane  grows  so  luxuriantly  that  it  does  not  get 


103 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


ripe  enough  at  the  usual  time  of  cutting,  to  make  good 
6ugar.  The  richest  cane  is  upon  old  meadow. 

THE  PLANTING. 

The  cane  has  a  perennial  root,  and  after  the  stalk  ma¬ 
tures  new  shoots  are  sent  up.  In  congenial  soil  and  cli¬ 
mate  it  does  not  attain  its  full  maturity  under  a  year,  and 
the  ripening  of  its  seed  is  said  to  require  fourteen  months. 
This  function  termed  “  arrowing  ”  is  only  performed  in 
a  steadily  hot  climate.  It  is  extremely  sensitive  to  the 
cold,  and  with  the  first  frost,  stops  its  growth.  Freezing 
disorganizes  the  sap,  and  makes  it  worthless  for  sugar. 

As  frosts  are  common  in  all  parts  of  Louisiana,  during 
our  winter  months,  the  plant  never  attains  its  maturity 
here.  Not  more  than  half  of  the  stalk  is  fit  for  grinding. 
In  the  West  Indies  it  matures,  and  so  great  an  advantage 
is  this  fact  that  a  similar  growth  of  the  cane  there  will 
yield  twice  o.r  three  times  as  much  sugar.  An  acre  there 
will  yield  from  three  to  six  thousand  pounds,  while,  in 
Louisiana,  the  average  is  not  over  one  thousand.  Noth¬ 
ing  but  the  extraordinary  fertility  of  these  bottom  lands 
enables  us  to  grow  sugar  at  all.  '' 

After  the  ground  is  plowed  and  harrowed,  drills  are 
opened  with  a  double  mold  board  plow,  seven  feet  apart. 
They  are  put  at  this  distance,  not  only  to  meet  the  wants 
of  the  plant,  but  to  facilitate  cultivation,  which  is  per¬ 
formed  with  a  pair  of  mules  and  the  plow.  In  these  drills 
cane  stalks  are  planted  which  have  been  kept  over  for 
the  purpose.  They  send  up  shoots  from  the  joints.  On 
the  best  managed  plantations,  this  cane  is  selected  from 
the  ripest  of  the  crop,  and  is  put  up  in  beds,  and  protected 
from  the  frost  with  its  own  leaves.  These  beds  are  called 
mattresses,  and  are  to  be  seen  upon  all  the  fields  at  this 
season.  They  are  about  two  feet  high,  and  about  a  rod 
in  width.  The  beds  are  opened  at  the  planting  season, 
and  the  canes  come  out  moist,  and  the  eyes  at  the  joints 
swelling  or  sprouting.  The  immature  tops  are  cut  off,  and 
the  stalks  are  loaded  into  carts,  and  dropped  near  the  fur¬ 
rows,  where  they  are  to  be  planted.  The  carts  used  for 
this  purpose  arc  much  like  the  one-horse  carts  of  the  north, 
but  are  served  with  three  mules— one  in  the  shafts,  and 
one  upon  each  side.  The  Jehus  are  generally  “Young 
Africa  ”  fast  lads,  from  fifteen  to  twenty,  who  are  full  of 
mettle  themselves,  and  love  to  put  the  mules  upon  their 
mettle. 

The  slaves  usually  work  in  three  gangs  at  the  planting  ; 
the  first,  consisting  of  the  younger  and  weaker  hands,  take 
the  cane  from  the  cart,  and  lay  near  the  drills,  the  second 
>.ajing  it  in  order,  and  the  third  covering  it  with  hoes. 
The  canes  are  laid  in  the  drills  either  two  or  three  abreast 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  break  joints.  They  are  covered 
about  an  inch  and-a-half  deep.  The  hoes  used  are  very 
heavy,  clumsy  articles.  It  is  claimed,  and  probably  with 
truth,  that  the  light  hoes  such  as  answer  a  good  purpose 
upon  our  roughest  soils,  would  not  last  laborers  here,  a 
single  day,  where  not  a  stone  can  be  found  upon  the 
plantation.  The  above  course  is  pursued  upon  a  new 
piece  of  land. 

The  cane  will, continue  to  sprout  several  years  from  the 
old  roots,  and  where  the  planter  can  avail  himself  of  this 
advantage,  a  large  expense  for  cuttings,  and  for  labor  is 
saved.  One  acre  will  only  furnish  about  cane  enough  to 
plant  four  acres.  As  the  planting  has  to  be  renewed  once 
in  three  years,  it  lakes  a  twelfth  part  of  every  crop  for 
seed  cane.  In  the  West  Indies,  they  can  grow  eight  suc¬ 
cessive  crops  from  one  planting.  The  sprouting  of  cane 
from  the  old  stumps  is  called  “  ratooning.”  They  grow 
with  much  less  vigor  each  successive  year,  and  it  is  not 
found  profitable  to  continue  them,  after  the  third,  in  this 
climate.  In  this  respect,  it  will  be  seen,  that  our  plant¬ 
ers  have  to  pursue  their  business  under  a  great  disadvan¬ 
tage. 

(To  be  Continued..) 


What  the  American  Agriculturist  has  ac¬ 
complished. 

FROM  THE  SECRETARY  OF  A  WESTERN  AGR.  SOCIETY. 

Mr.  Editor  :  Our  County  Society  has  for  seve¬ 
ral  years  past  given  a  considerable  number  of 
copies  of  the  American  Agriculturist  as  premiums. 
At  our  March  meeting,  for  arranging  our  next 
premium  list,  it  was  moved  that  we  this  year  sub 
stitute  another  paper,  printed  nearer  home.  A 
member  present,  who  takes  and  reads  most  of 
the  leading  agricultural  papers,  opposed  the  mo¬ 
tion,  and  in  the  course  of  his  remarks,  gave  a 
summary  of  what  the  Agriculturist  has  done  and 
is  doing,  which  induced  a  unanimous  vote  to  dou¬ 
ble  the  number  of  copies  hitherto  offered.  It  has 
just  occurred  to  me  to  send  a  few  of  his  state¬ 
ments  for  publication.  Some  of  the  points  noted 
which  are  of  general  interest,  were  as  follows  i 


1.  The  Agriculturist  takes  a  bold  stand  against  all  hum¬ 
bug.  It  does  not  puff  doubtful  articles  for  pay  or  to  please 
advertisers,  and  does  not  even  admit  into  its  advertising 
columns,  patent  medicines,  nor  patented  or  unpatented 
spurious  articles  of  any  kind,  when  known  or  believed  to 
be  such.  Mr.  Greely  well  remarked,  in  the  Tribune,  of 
this  journal,  that  “  Its  editor  was  nervously  anxious  not 
to  be  humbugged  himself  or  let  anybody  else  be,  if  he 
could  help  it.” 

2.  It  has  saved  to  the  farmers  of  the  country  millions  of 
dollars.  For  example  when  the  Chinese  Sugar-Cane 
fever  ran  high,  and  speculators  were  buying  up  all  the 
seed  in  the  country,  to  oe  resold  at  enormous  prices,  the 
Editor  of  the  Agriculturist  immediately  procured  seed 
from  abroad,  and  offered  enough  for  experiment,  free ,  to 
every  one  of  his  subscribers  who  asked  for  it.  By  this 
means  the  seed  was  widely  scattered,  and  tens  of  thou¬ 
sands  of  persons  were  prevented  from  paying  half  a  dollar 
to  a  dollar  an  ounce  ;  for  though  some  persons  were  led 
by  this  offer  to  subscribe  for  the  paper,  no  one  failed  to  get 
more  than  his  money’s  worth  in  the  paper  itself,  and  some 
were  thus  led  to  become  readers  of  agricultural  literature. 
Doubtless,  thousands  of  persons  are  thankful  to-day  that 
they  were  thus  influenced.  (The  Agriculturist  seed  dis¬ 
tribution  thus  originated,  has  carried  the  germs  of  useful 
plants,  and  beautiful  and  beautifying  flowers  to  a  vast 
number  of  homes  where  they  would  not  otherwise  have 
found  their  way  in  a  score  of  years,  if  ever,  t.n.h.) 

When  the  “  Chinese  Potato”  ( dioscorea  batatas ,)  was 
brought  before  the  country  in  so  “  taking  ”  a  manner,  and 
almost  every  farming  neighborhood  was  flooded  with 
pamphlets  setting  forth  in  glowing  cuts  and  figures,  the 
wonderful  merits  and  prospects  of  the  new  “  esculent,”  and 
the  journals  of  the  day  were  filling  their  columns  with 
“got  up”  articles,  extolling  the  thing  to  the  skies,  the 
Agriculturist  was  prompt  in  uttering  its  warning  notes, 
and  by  its  humorous  burlesque  cut,  effectually  strangled 
the  Chinese  imposlure.  It  is  impossible  now  to  enume¬ 
rate  the  many  instances  where  farmers  were  thus 
prevented  from  losing  their  ten  or  twenty  dollars  each  by 
investing  them  in  a  dozen  or  two  of  worthless  “  tubers.” 
In  this  State  (Indiana,)  there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  but 
in  this  matter  alone,  the  Agriculturist  saved  our  farmers 
more  money  than  they  have  yet  paid  back  for  subscriptions 
to  the  Agriculturist,  and  the  same  is  doubtless  the  case 
the  country  over. 

The  course  of  the  Agriculturist  upon  super-phosphate 
and  other  manufactured  manures,  has  saved  farmers  half 
a  million  dollars  at  least. 

To  pass  over  other  examples,  and  come  to  a  recent  one. 
The  “  Honey-blade  Grass  ”  men  were  scattering  over  the 
country,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  pamphlets,  well  calcu¬ 
lated  to  deceive  the  unwary,  honest-thinking  masses.  (It 
is  said  that  1,250,000  of  these  pamphlets  have  already 
been  distributed.)  So  deceptive  were  they  that  even 
within  the  bounds  of  our  own  Society,  where  the  Hunga¬ 
rian  Grass-Seed  is  abundant,  a  club  was  being  made  up 
to  send  for  over  twenty  bags  of  the  so-called  “  Honey- 
blade  ”  seeds,  and  we  were  merely  waiting,  at  the  sug¬ 
gestion  of  a  member,  to  see  if  it  was  advertised  or  noticed 
in  the  March  Agriculturist.  The  article  in  that  number 
(page  71)  has  saved  us  enough  for  at  least  fifty  annual  sub¬ 
scriptions.  How  many  thousands  of  others  have  been  in 
like  manner  benefited,  we  have  no  means  of  knowing. 

3.  The  plain,  simple,  straightforward  style  of  the  Agri¬ 
culturist  articles  on  various  topics,  said  the  speaker,  has 
introduced  a  decided  improvement  intoother  agricultural 
journals,  as  I  have  had  occasion  to  notice  in  my  reading. 

4.  The  great  number  of  beautiful  illustrations  intro¬ 
duced  into  the  Agriculturist  has  not  only  improved  the 
taste,  and  helped  the  comprehension  of  its  own  readers, 
but  has  given  a  new  impetus  to  other  journals  of  like 
character,  and  led  to  decided  improvements  in  this  respect. 
The  popular  illustrations,  and  plain,  simple  descriptions  of 
the  Water-Ram,  the  Telegraph,  the  Sewing-Machine, 
and  many  other  things  of  like  character,  have  been  of  in¬ 
estimable  value  to  the  readers. 

5.  The  articles  on  the  In-Door  Department  have  awak¬ 
ened  a  new  interest  in,  and  given  efficiency  to  household 
labors.  The  value  of  a  single  article  and  illustration  on 
“setting  out  a  table.”  can  hardly  be  over-estimated. 

6.  The  boys  and  girls’  department  has  already  done 
much,  not  only  to  awake  an  interest  among  farmers’  sons 
and  daughters,  but  to  develop  in  them  a  taste  for  and  an 
interest  in  rural  labors. 

7.  The  entire  non-political,  non-partizan,  non-sectional 
—in  short,  the  non-controversial  character  of  the  Agri¬ 
culturist,  together  with  its  high  moral  tone,  renders  it 
an  unexceptionable  visitor  to  every  family  in  the  land. 

8.  The  constant  determination  shown  by  the  Editors  to 
even  suffer  the  imputation  of  being  “old  fogyish,”  and 
behind  the  times,  rather  than  to  publish  anything  of  doubt- 
fui  expediency  or  utility,  renders  the  Agriculturist  emi¬ 
nently  a  safe  and  reliable  counsellor  for  farmers. 

9.  The  central  location  of  the  Agriculturist,  especially 
the  fact  that  it  is  in  New-York  City,  from  whence  issue, 
nine-tenths  of  the  humbug  schemes  ealculaled  to  deceive 


farmers,  is  a  point  not  to  be  overlooked,  in  comparing 
its  advantages  w  ith  our  more  local  journals. 

10.  Its  very  large  circulation  enables  the  publisher  to 
produce  a  larger,  belter  paper,  at  a  much  cheaper  rate 
than  could  be  done  under  other  circumstances. 

Such,  Messrs.  Editors,  were  a  few  of  the  rea¬ 
sons  set  forth  in  the  discussion  alluded  to  ;  and  1 
think  that,  not  only  in  justice  to  the  publisher 
himself,  but  as  suggestive  to  others,  especially 
newer  subscribers,  who  may  be  unprepared  to 
sum  them  up,  you  should  insert  them  in  an  early 
number  of  the  Agriculturist.  t.  n.  h. 

M - Co.,  Indiana ,  March  15 tht  1859. 

- - - ^ - 

Raising  Chicory  in  this  Country. 

In  our  February  issue,  we  described  chicory 
and  its  use  as  a  substitute  for,  and  an  adulteration 
in  coffee.  For  an  illustration  of  the  appearance 
of  the  growing  plant  see  page  53.  Large  quanti¬ 
ties  of  prepared  chicory  are  annually  imported  into 
this  country,  but  we  were  not  aware  until  recent¬ 
ly  that  any  attempt  had  been  made  to  grow  the 
plant  here.  We  have  before  us  the  card  of 
“  Floto  &  Reinhard  ;  Chicory  Manufactory,” 
Williamsburg,  L.  I.,  and  on  February  15th  these 
gentlemen  called  together  a  company  of  farmers  at 
Flushing,  to  listen  to  some  remarks  by  Mr.  Ronge, 
on  the  value  of  chicory  as  a  farm  product,  and  to 
receive  proposals  for  growing  it  on  contract.  We 
attended  the  meeting  and  heard  the  remarks  and 
proposals.  It  was  stated  that  in  Newtown,  and 
elsewhere,  several  persons  last  season  tried  small 
plots  with  favorable  results  ;  that  the  product  per 
acre  was  quite  as  large  as  that  of  carrots  on  sim¬ 
ilar  soil,  and  with  very  similar  culture  ;  that  the 
roots  were  sweeter,  more  aromatic,  and  better 
than  the  imported,  and  that  the  crop  would  be 
highly  remunerative.  They  proposed  to  deliver  to 
to  farmers  necessary  seed,  charging  the  cost  of 
importation  (or  per  lb.)  and  contract  to  pay 
$20  per  tun  (1  cent  per  lb.)  for  all  roots  delivered 
at  their  factory  in  the  months  of  September  and 
October,  the  roots  to  be  cleaned  by  washing 
them,  and  none  to  be  taken  weighing  less  than  2 
ounces  each.  The  agreed  price  of  the  seed  to  be 
deducted  from  the  returns  for  the  roots. 

The  terms  proposed  appear  to  be  fair,  and  we 
presume  some  farmers  will  be  induced  to  make 
the  trial  of  an  acre  or  so.  It  was  recommended 
to  use  about  four  pounds  of  seed  to  the  acre,  to 
sow  about  the  middle  of  April  and  to  cultivate  in  all 
respects  like  carrots.  Specific  printed  directions 
are  to  be  furnished  to  those  who  take  the  seed. 
This  will  be  wholly  an  experiment,  as  it  is  yet  to 
be  determined  whether  this  plant  will  flourish  well, 
one  year  with  another,  and  whether  its  quality 
will  enable  it  to  compete  with  that  imported.  It 
is  cultivated  somewhat  largely  in  England,  in  the 
Counties  of  Surrey,  Bedford  and  York,  but  that 
grown  there  Is  of  inferior  market  value  to  that 
imported  from  Prussia,  Belgium  and  France,  where 
it  is-a  staple  crop  in  some  localities.  If  the  ex¬ 
periments  of  the  coming  season,  which  we  shall 
watch  with  some  interest.,  shall  prove  successful, 
its  culture  here  will  be  rapidly  extended,  though 
this  must  be  mainly  confined  to  the  vicinity  of 
manufactories,  as  the  roots  can  not  be  transport¬ 
ed  to  great  distances.  For  the  reasons  stated  in 
our  former  article,  we  should  deprecate  its  culture 
and  extended  use  ;  though  it  is  no  worse  than  to¬ 
bacco,  and  if  to  be  used,  as  is  already  largely 
done,  we  may  as  well  produce  it  here  as  to  im¬ 
port  it,  provided  we  can  do  so  advantageously. 
We  shall  probably  try  a  small  plot  this  year  as  an 
experiment,  and  if  so,  report  the  result. 


Never  sport  with  pain  or  poverty 
Mildness  governs  better  than  anger 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


103 


The  Buckeye  Potato. 


A  correspondent  last  month,  (p.  70)  criticised 
this  rather  severely,  which  called  forth  several 
letters  of  remonstrance,  to  which  we  were  dis¬ 
posed  at  first  to  give  heed.  To  convince  us  of 
the  value  of  these,  a  firm  having  them  for  sale 
kindly  sent  us  a  barrel  for  trial.  We  also  pro¬ 
cured  specimens  from  other  sources,  and  are  sor¬ 
ry  to  say  we  can  not  commend  the  potatato. 
Granting  all  that  is  claimed  for  it  by  our  corres¬ 
pondents  as  a  quick  and  prolific  grower,  we  should 
still  have  to  condemn  it  from  the  fact  that  among 
all  the  various  specimens  we  examined,  a  majori¬ 
ty  of  the  sizable  potatoes  were  hollow  in  the 
center,  or  near  one  end.  Some  of  those  cut  open 
were  sound  at  the  center,  but  a  hollow  would  be 
found  in  one  or  other  of  the  pieces  or  both  of 
them.  We  tried  perhaps  sixty  potatoes,  grown 
by  several  different  parties  with  the  same  result. 
This  defect  alone  would  unfit  it  for  market. 


Cultivation  of  Carrots. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist  : 

As  I  have  been  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of 
carrots  to  the  extent  of  from  one  to  two  thou¬ 
sand  bushels  a  year  for  several  years  past,  I  have 
thought  I  could  give  a  few  ideas  which  would 
interest,  if  not  instruct  some  of  your  readers. 

My  soil  is  loam,  consideraby  mixed  with  clay, 
with  a  hard-pan  subsoil,  and  is  therefore  much 
improved  by  blind  drains  and  deep  plowing.  I 
select  ground  which  has  been  in  cultivation  one 
or  more  years,  and  after  clearing  the  surface  of 
all  small  stones  and  other  rubbish,  cart  on  a  good 
coat  of  manure  and  plow  in  deeply  :  follow¬ 
ing  by  the  subsoil  plow  improves  it.  I  think  fresh 
manure  from  the  stable  will  bring  as  good  a  crop 
as  compost  manure,  but  it  is  more  in  the  way 
while  preparing  the  ground  for  sowing.  If  the 
weather  is  dry,  no  more  should  be  plowed  at  a 
time,  than  can  be  harrowed  and  raked  in  a  few 
hours,  as  it  is  likely  to  become  lumpy.  I  use  a 
harrow  for  that  purpose  made  as  follows.  Take  a 
2  inch  plank  8  feel  long  and  1  foot  wide  ;  into  one 
edge  of  this,  frame  four  2x4  joist,  4  feet  long,  so 
that  when  framed  the  plank  will  stand  edgewise. 
On  the  bottom  of  these  pieces  nail  boards,  also 
one  on  the  top  to  ride  on.  As  this  moves  along, 
the  plank  in  front  being  set  edgewise,  will  level 
the  ground  and  the  boards  back  of  it  will  smooth 
it.  Mellow  ground  worked  in  this  way  will  not 
require  much  raking. 

I  plant  from  the  15th  to  the  last  of  May,  and 
the  late  sowed  have  always  done  as  well  as  the 
others.  I  think  the  Long  Orange  variety  the 
best ;  though  not  as  heavy  as  the  Altringham, 
they  generally  yield  more  bushels  to  the  acre. 

I  sow  about  two  pounds  of  seed  to  the  acre,  with 
a  machine,  in  drills  sixteen  inches  apart ;  though 
I  think  twenty  inches  would  bring  as  large  a  crop 
with  less  rows  to  weed.  As  soon  as  they  show 
the  third  leaf,  which  is  generally  in  about  two 
weeks  from  planting,  they  should  be  hoed  and 
cleaned  from  all  weeds,  and  thinned  to  four  or  six 
inches  in  the  row  :  after  this  hoe  and  weed  often 
enough  to  keep  clean.  I  use  a  hoe  nine  inches 
long  and  one  and-a-half  wide,  drawing  it  as  near 
the  row  as  possible. 

I  harvest  them  from  the  10th  to  the  25th  of 
November.  The  freezing  of  the  top  of  the  ground 
will  not  injure  them,  but  it  is  not  safe  to  leave 
them  too  late,  for  fear  of  snow  or  hard  frost. 

For  digging,  I  use  a  subsoil  plow,  letting  it  run 
on  the  left  hand  side  of  the  row,  and  if  your  team 
works  true  it  will  raise  them  so  that  two  men 
pulling  will  keep  up  with  the  plow.  With  the 


help  of  two  men  I  have  pulled  sixty  bushels  in 
one  hour.  I  throw  them  into  piles  and  cart  them 
in  before  night  with  the  tops  on  ;  as  at  that  sea¬ 
son  of  the  year  it  is  generally  cold  topping  them 
in  the  field,  and  there  is  time  to  top  them  wet 
days,  and  mornings  before  the  frost  is  off.  The 
root  will  keep  better  if  the  tops  are  taken  off 
about  an  inch  above  the  crown.  A  cellar  that 
will  keep  potatoes  through  the  Winter  is  rather 
warm  for  them  ;  they  do  better  where  they  can 
be  kept  cool.  If  put  in  in  large  quantities  there 
should  be  chimneys  made  of  slats  and  set  up 
once  in  a  few  feet  through  the  pile.  I  have  kept 
them  in  good  order  in  this  way  until  June. 

I  sell  them  for  feed  for  horses  at  about  thirty- 
two  cents  per  bushel  or  $16  per  tun.  Every  man 
who  keeps  a  horse  should  feed  some,  as  I  am 
told  by  those  who  ought  to  know,  that  they  assist 
in  digestion  of  the  other  feed  of  the  horse,  thus 
giving  him  more  nourishment  from  that,  besides 
what  he  gets  from  the  carrots. 

Six  or  eight  hundred  bushels  to  the  acre  is  a 
common  crop.  I  plant  year  after  year  on  the 
same  ground  with  good  success.  The  best  should 
be  saved  for  seed,  the  large  heads  of  seed  being 
used,  and  the  rest  burned.  Carrots  for  seed  should 
be  set  out  as  soon  as  the  frost  is  out  in  the  Spring; 
tie  them  up  to  prevent  them  from  cracking  off  of 
the  main  stump.  Give  the  carrot  tops  to  the 
cows,  it  will  make  rich  milk  and  yellow  butter. 

Southport,  Conn.  D.  H.  Sherwood. 

■ - - -  - *  «- - 

Agricultural  Department  at  Washington. 

WHAT  IT  MIGHT  BE,  OUGHT  TO  BE,  BUT  IS  NOT. 


After  sending  our  last  number  to  press  we  spent 
ten  days  on  a  visit  to  our  National  Capital,  partly 
to  gain  health  and  vigor  by  release  from  business 
cares,  and  partly  to  witness  the  congressional 
proceedings  during  the  last  week  of  the  Session. 
Another  object  in  view  was  to  look  into  the  oper¬ 
ations  of  the  so-called  agricultural  Department, 
connected  with  the  Patent  Office,  and  supported 
by  the  Public  Treasury.  To  prevent  any  embar¬ 
rassment,  or  interference  with  our  investigations, 
we  purposely  avoided  direct  contact  with  the  chief 
“  agricultural  clerk,”  who,  though  not  nominally, 
yet  really  holds  under  his  exclusive  surveil¬ 
lance,  control,  and  direction,  the  entire  operations 
of  the  agricultural  department.  We  passed  much 
time,  however,  with  sundry  gentlemen  in  Wash¬ 
ington,  who  are  well  informed  as  to  the  way 
things  are  managed,  including  sundry  members 
of  Congress,  members  of  the  Congressional  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Agriculture,  etc.  ;  and  we  also  had  a 
lengthy  personal  interview  with  Commissioner 
Holt,  who  is  (or  was  then)  the  nominal  head  of 
the  Agricultural  Department.  From  the  informa¬ 
tion  thus  gained,  in  addition  to  what  we  had  pre¬ 
viously  known,  and  from  several  sources  of future 
intelligence  opened  to  us,  we  propose  from  time 
to  time  to  set  before  the  public  the  defects  and 
wants  of  the  department,  with  the  hope  of  en¬ 
lightening  our  readers,  and  so  far  as  may  be,  con¬ 
tributing  to  improvement  in  the  management  of 
one  of  the  most  important  departments  connected 
with  our  General  Government. 

As  now  managed,  the  agricultural  operations 
at  Washington  are  a  sham — a  shame  to  us  as  an 
agricultural  people.  Our  government  might  well, 
and  ought  to  spend  at  least  a  million  dollars  an¬ 
nually  in  promoting  the  agricultural  and  horticul¬ 
tural  improvement  of  the  country,  but  without  a 
change  in  the  present  organization  it  would  be 
far  better  to  save  the  sixty  or  seventy  thousand 
dollars  spent  in  salaries,  in  seeds,  and  in  getting 
up  the  Annual  Reports,  and  also  the  hundred  and 


fifty  or  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  more  for 
printing,  binding,  and  distributing  these*1  Reports” 
(See  next  page  for  notes  on  the  last  publish¬ 
ed  Report).  This  view  is  already  taken  of  the  sub¬ 
ject  by  many  Members  of  Congress.  This  year 
the  appropriation  is  cut  down  to  the  pittance  of 
forty  thousand  dollars,  and  several  Members 
stated  to  us  that  even  this  sum  would  have  been 
withheld,  had  it  not  been  for  the  hurried  legisla¬ 
tion  of  the  closing  hours,  when  it  passed,  without 
discussion,  as  an  appendage  to  the  general  appro¬ 
priation  bill.  We  were  in  the  gallery  of  the 
House  at  the  time,  and  noted  that  it  received  but 
a  small  vote,  though  enough  to  constitute  a  ma¬ 
jority  of  those  present,  giving  attention  and  voting 
when  this  particular  appropriation  chanced  to  be 
passed  along  with  many  others.  As  a  member  of 
the  House  remarked  to  us,  “several  Represent¬ 
atives  who  give  no  attention  to  the  matter  of  ag¬ 
riculture  and  know  little  or  nothing  on  the  sub¬ 
ject,  were  afraid  to  vote  against  any  measure  of 
this  kind,  lest  it  should  be  construed  by  their  con¬ 
stituents  in  the  *  Rural  Districts  ’  as  an  evidence 
of  want  of  sympathy  and  interest  in  the  *  bone  and 
sinew.’  ”  We  were  assured  by  Members  of  the 
next  Congress,  that  the  entire  agricultural  depart¬ 
ment  would  be  abolished  next  Winter  unless  a 
decided  change  be  made  in  its  organization, 
efficiency  and  usefulness.  Appended  to  the  ap¬ 
propriation  was  this  significant  clause  : 

“  Provided,  That  no  part  of  the  appropriation  shall  be 
used  or  expended  in  defraying  the  expenses  of  a  body  of 
men  or  delegates  assembled  in  Washington  or  elsewhere, 
as  an  agricultural  college  or  *  advisory  board  of  agricul¬ 
ture,’  convened  under  the  authority  of  the  Secretary  of 
the  Interior,  or  any  other  person,  under  any  name,  for  any 
object  whatever.” 

This  was  designed  as  a  direct  censure  upon 
the  recent  enterprize  of  the  “  agricultural  clerk,” 
(noticed  by  us  in  February,  p.  35)  viz.  :  the  se¬ 
cret  calling  together  of  a  selected  paid  coterie  of 
persons  to  whitewash  the  doings  of  the  depart¬ 
ment.  [In  this  connection  we  would  inquire  why 
the  report  of  that  “Advisory  Board  of  Agricultur¬ 
ists  ”  has  never  been  permitted  to  see  the  light, 
though  called  for  by  Congress.  Rumor  says,  the 
“  agricultural  clerk  ”  caught  a  Tartar  in  the  re¬ 
port  itself,  as  prepared  by  them.  We  call  for  its 
publicaiton  as  originally  made  by  the  committee 
of  that  body.] 

As  a  further  indication  of  the  feeling  in  Con¬ 
gress,  we  may  add  that  the  Senate  refused  to 
print  the  usual  copies  of  the  Agricultural 
Report.  The  House,  at  first  also  refused  to  print 
them,  but  after  the  loss  of  the  bill  to  abolish  the 
franking  privilege,  several  members,  who  wished 
to  have  a  supply  of  electioneering  documents,  to 
frank  as  a  “  sop  ”  or  compliment  to  their  “  rural 
constituents,”  contrived  to  get  a  hasty  vote  in  the 
House  for  printing  210,000  copies  of  some  kind  of 
an  Agricultural  Report — they  knew  not  what,  for 
they  only  voted  upon  the  title  page,  and  for  aught 
they  or  we  know,  it  will  be  as  poor  a  thing  as  its 
immediate  predecessor. 

HOW  THE  AGRICULTURAL  DEPARTMENT  IS 
ORGANIZED. 

As  every  one  perhaps  understands,  the  execu¬ 
tive  government  is  divided  into  “Departments,” 
as  the  Department  of  the  Interior,  the  Depart¬ 
ment  of  War,  of  the  Navy,  of  the  Treasury,  and 
of  the  Post  Office.  The  head  or  chief  officer  ot 
each  Department  is  called  the  Secretary  of  that 
Department,  except  the  P.  O.  Secretary,  who  is 
called  Post  Master  General.  These  several  chief 
officers  are  appointed  by  the  President,  and  they 
together  form  his  Cabinet. 

The  Secretary  of  the  Interior  has  charge  of  sev¬ 
eral  sub  Departments,  such  as  the  Patent  Office, 


104 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Indian  Affairs,  etc.  Under  him,  is  the  Commis¬ 
sioner  of  Patents,  who  employs  a  so-called  “Ag¬ 
ricultural  Clerk.”  All  business  matters  done,  and 
Documents  issued  relating  to  agriculture,  are  in 
the  name  of  the  Commissioners  of  Patents,  who 
is  himself  a  secondary  officer.  His  attention  is, 
however,  mostly  given  to  subjects  connected  with 
Patents,  and  his  agricultural  clerk  really  manages 
and  controls  all  matters  connected  with  agricul¬ 
ture. 

Mr.  Thompson,  is  the  present  Secretary  of  the 
Interior.  Mr.  Holt  was,  until  recently,  the  Com¬ 
missioner  of  Patents,  but  he  has  just  been  ap¬ 
pointed  P.  M.  General,  and  the  office  of  Com.  of 
Patents  is  vacant  at  the  time  of  this  writing. 

This  tacking  agriculture  as  a  sub-department  on 
to  still  another  sub-department,  is  not  only  placing 
it  below  its  proper  position  in  point  of  importance, 
but  this  very  fact  so  depreciates  its  dignity,  that 
little  attention  is  given  to  placing  at  its  head  a 
man  of  acknowledged  superior  abilities.  This  is 
abundantly  proved  by  the  fact,  that  for  ten  years 
past,  the  really  important  station  of  “  agricultural 
clerk,”  or  chief  manager  of  agricultural  affairs, 
has  been  occupied  by  a  man  of  only  ordinary  abil¬ 
ity  (D.  Jay  Browne,  who  is  the  present  incum¬ 
bent  of  the  office). 

When  we  say  “ordinary  ability,”  we  only  repeat 
what  is  the  general  opinion  of  the  great  mass  of 
intelligent  men  in  the  country,  that  is  of  those  who 
take  interest  in  the  subject  of  agriculture.  In 
all  agricultural  transactions  connected  with  the 
Patent  Office  while  under  his  control,  there  has 
been  shown  a  lack  of  system,  of  valuable  re¬ 
search,  and  of  broad  comprehensive  views,  which 
has  brought  the  department  to  its  present  low 
standard  in  the  estimation  of  the  people  at  large. 

Said  Commissioner  Holt  to  us  :  “I  do  not  un¬ 
derstand  this  apparent  opposition,  or  at  least  this 
want  of  sympathy  with  a  department  so  deserv¬ 
ing  of  the  cordial  support  of  all  classes  as  that  of 
Agriculture.”  The  real  cause  of  it  we  endeavor¬ 
ed  to  set  forth  to  him,  viz.  ;  the  want  of  an  effi¬ 
cient  man  at  its  head  to  conduct  and  guide  its 
affairs  in  such  a  manner  as  to  command  the  re¬ 
spect  and  confidence  of  the  country.  We  found 
that  the  Commissioner  has  himself  known  very 
little  of  the  criticisms  of  at  least  three-fourths  of 
the  Agricultural  Press,  and  of  the  more  in¬ 
fluential  agricultural  individuals  and  societies. 
His  information  in  this  respect  has  come  to  him 
through  his  agricultural  clerk,  and  of  course  he  has 
been  permitted  to  know  only  the  favorable  side. 
[We  suggest  to  our  agricultural  cotemporaries, 
that  hereafter  when  they  have  occasion  to  cen¬ 
sure  the  agricultural  operations  at  Washington, 
they  send  a  marked  copy  sealed  up  and  directed 
personally  to  the  Commissioner  of  Patents.] 

So  far  as  we  could  learn,  whenever  anything 
unfavorable  to  the  agricultural  clerk  has  chanced 
to  come  to  the  Commissioner’s  notice,  it  has  been 
promptly  attributed  by  his  clerk  to  the  influence 
of  interested  seedsmen,  or  to  personal  aspira¬ 
tions,  or  personal  enmity  of  editors.  While  at 
Washington,  we  heard  for  the  first  time  that  the 
last  named  motive  had  been  attributed  to  this 
journal.  We  beg  to  say  to  the  Commissioner  and 
to  Mr.  Browne  himself,  that  there  is  not  the 
slightest  ground  for  this  supposition.  We  heard 
(at  Washington)  for  the  first  time,  and  at  only 
second  hand  from  Mr.  Browne  himself,  that  he 
had,  at  some  former  period,  a  personal  difficulty 
with  one  of  the  former  publishers  of  this  journal. 
With  that  wc  have  nothing  to  do — and  care  noth¬ 
ing.  Until  he  published  his  famous  “autobio¬ 
graphy  ”  and  sent  it  over  the  country  under  the 
government  frank,  we  did  not  even  know  that  he 
had  so  much  as  set  foot  in  the  office  of  this  paper. 


The  truth  is,  we  do  not  know  Mr.  Browne  per¬ 
sonally,  but  from  the  day  we  read  his  Book  on 
Manures,  and  his  Book  on  Trees,  we  set  him 
down  as  a  man  of  very  moderate  ability,  native  or 
acquired,  and  when  we  heard  of  him  as  “  agri¬ 
cultural  clerk  ”  at  Washington,  we  could  not  but 
regret  that  that  important  station  had  not  been 
better  filled.  Still  we  hoped  for  the  best,  and  did 
what  we  could  to  uphold  him  and  the  department. 
But  after  long  trial  and  waiting,  the  feeble,  ineffi¬ 
cient  character  of  all  that  has  been  done,  the 
wishy-washy  reports  that  have  annually  emenated 
from  that  department,  the  character  of  the  seeds 
collected  and  distributed,  and  the  way  the  thing 
has  been  carried  on — all  these  matters  have  led 
us  to  the  irresistible  conclusion,  that  without  a 
change  in  the  administration  of  affairs,  no  good 
will  come  of  the  money  expended  by  govern¬ 
ment  in  trying  to  promote  the  interest  of  agricul¬ 
ture  in  our  country.  This  department,  even  in 
its  present  third-rate  position,  if  properly  conduct¬ 
ed,  might  be  productive  of  great  good,  and  we 
earnestly  hope  that  the  in-coming  Commissioner 
of  Patents,  whoever  he  may  be,  will  place  it  in 
such  a  position,  and  under  such  control  that  we 
can  unite  with  our  cotemporaries  in  extending  to 
it  the  strongest  sympathy  and  support.  It  is  in  the 
power  of  the  Commissioner  to  make  this  the  most 
efficient,  the  most  popular  branch  of  government. 
We  hope  he  will  appreciate  this,  and  take  hold  of 
it  with  a  strong  determination  to  make  it  what  it 
should  be. 

With  these  statements  we  leave  the  subject 
now,  intending  soon  to  give  some  specific 
illustrations  of  the  way  things  are  and  have  been 
managed  at  the  Capital.  These  will  in  part  refer 
to  :  how  the  money  goes  ;  what  salaries  are  paid 
and  to  whom  ;  what  special  favors  are  conferred  ; 
how  the  articles  for  the  Patent  Office  Report  are 
obtained  or  made  up  ;  how  seed  has  been  know¬ 
ingly  put  up  and  sent  abroad  wrongly  labeled ; 
some  of  the  nonsensical  “  official  instructions  ” 
e.  g.  in  regard  to  alligator’s  blood  for  orange  tree 
insects,  etc. ;  who  helped  the  clerk  to  his  position 
and  how  he  is  still  rewarded  for  it ;  etc.,  etc.  The 
developments  will  be  interesting  and  instructive. 

- - —.«>«— - - - 

JLa§t  Published  Patent  Office  Agri¬ 
cultural  ISepoi't  (1857). 

We  recently  saw  an  unpublished  picture,  rep¬ 
resenting  a  large  cabbage — the  different  leaves 
of  the  plant  being  labeled  with  the  names  of  sun¬ 
dry  agricultural  works  such  as,  Farmer’s  Encyclo¬ 
pedia,  Loudon’s  Works,  etc.,  etc.  By  the  side  of 
this  cabbage  stood  a  man  with  a  monster  pair  of 
shears  clipping  off  the  ends  of  the  leaves,  which 
dropped  into  a  basket  labeled ,l  Patent  Office,  Agri¬ 
cultural  Report  ”  This  picture  was  an  admirable 
and  truthful  satire  upon  the  volume  named  at 
the  head  of  this  article. 

Here  is  a  volume  of  552  pages  got  up  at  an  ex¬ 
pense  of  some  $50,000,  of  which  240,950  copies 
have  been  printed  and  bound  at  an  additional  ex¬ 
pense  to  the  U.  S.  Treasury,  of  some  $150,000, 
and  distributed  free  through  the  mails,  taxing 
them  perhaps  $50,000  more. 

And  what  has  the  country  in  return  for  this 
outlay  of  a  quarter  of  million  of  dollars,  professedly 
expended  for  the  promotion  of  Agriculture.  Let 
us  look  into  the  volume.  We  find,  first,  some 
fifty  pages  on  the  “  Progress  of  Agriculture,”  ev¬ 
idently  made  up  from  an  English  Encyclopedia 
and  a  Prussian  public  document,  save  twenty 
pages  of  old  statistics  from  former  Census  reports  ; 
the  whole  without  especial  value  even  as  a  work 
of  reference.  Then  we  have  eighty  pages  on  an¬ 
imals,  such  as  :  English  draft  horse  (brief,)  Lla¬ 


ma,  Asiatic  Goat,  Hares,  Canadian  Porcupine, 
Shrews,  Weasels,  elementary  chapters  on  Bees, 
(condensed  from  Swammerdam?)  etc.  Most  oi 
these  pages  might  appropriately  appear  in  a  work 
on  Natural  History,  if  well  written— the  only 
practically  useful  thing  being  an  investigation  on 
Cotton  plant  insects  by  Townend  Glover  which  is 
condensed  into  the  smallest  possible  space,  and 
like  most  other  things  in  the  book  is  signed 
D.  J.  B.  A  little  further  on  we  have  20  pages  on 
the  manufacture  of  salt— we  can  not  find  that 
this  has  the  slightest  connection  with  agriculture. 
Then  come  14  pages  on  Bread  crops,  8  pages  ol 
it  condensed  from  the  London  Farmer’s  Maga¬ 
zine  (signed  D.  J.  B.,  of  course,)  followed  by  some 
analyses  by  Dr.  Jackson,  who  is  retained  in  the 
pay  of  the  Patent  Office,  we  suppose,  in  return  for 
his  influence  in  securing  a  berth  for  D.  J.  B. 
Next  follow  16  pages  on  Tea  Culture,  mainly 
from  Robert  Fortune’s  report  to  the  French  Gov¬ 
ernment  in  1853!  (This  was  translated  for  and 
published  in  the  Agriculturist  some  five  years 
since!)  We  then  have  46  pages  on  Sorghum 
Canes,  not  originated  for  this  work  but  taken 
from  a  report  to  the  U.  S.  Agricultural  Society, 
and  consisting  chiefly  of  statements  of  individu¬ 
als — now  so  far  behind  time  as  to  be  of  little 
use,  except  to  flatter  the  writers.  We  have  fol¬ 
lowing  this,  short  chapters  on  Wine,  and  Hedge 
Plants,  succeeded  by  34  pages  on  Horticulture, 
confessedly  condensed  from  two  English  works. 
Next,  short  chapters  on  Asparagus  in  Spain,  and 
Hops  in  England,  “  condensed  from  authentic 
sources” — nothing  said  about  hops  in  this  country. 
Next  under  the  imposing  head  of  “  Textile  anu 
Forage  Crops”  we  find  125  pages  entirely  devoted 
to  Cotton,  and  made  up  mainly  of  European  com¬ 
mercial  statistics.  There  is  nothing  practical  said 
on  the  culture  of  Cotton,  and  not  a  word  is  said  in 
the  Book  of  other  textile  crops,  such  as  Hemp, 
Flax,  etc.,  while  the  great  forage  crops  of  the 
country,  only  second  in  importance  in  our  agri¬ 
culture,  are  entirely  ignored. 

The  work  then  closes  with  138  pages  on  me¬ 
teorology  by  Prof.  Henry,  a  valuable  thing  in  its 
line,  though  one  which  will  hardly  be  read  by  one 
person  in  fifty  of  those  into  whose  hands  this  re¬ 
port  will  fall.  So  much  for  the  Official  Document 
on  Agriculture,  nominally  got  up  by  the  General 
Government  of  a  great  agricultural  people,  and 
distributed  at  home  and  abroad.  In  another  ar 
tide  (see  preceding  page,)  we  have  indicated,  in 
part,  some  of  the  causes  of  the  inferiority  of 
these  Reports. 


The  “  Honey-blade  Grass  Seed.” — From  ex¬ 
change  papers,  we  learn  that  the  sale  of  this  ar¬ 
ticle  is  still  going  on  in  some  sections  of  the 
country,  but  not  very  extensively,  probably,  as 
the  Agriculturist  goes  to  at  least  two-thirds  of  the 
Post  Offices  in  the  United  States.  We  have  al¬ 
ready  received  a  host  of  letters  heartily  thanking 
us  for  the  expose  last  month,  and  enumerating 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  dollars,  in  the  ag¬ 
gregate,  that  have  been  saved  to  our  readers  by 
its  publication.  We  can  hardly  wonder  that  mul¬ 
titudes  of  honest  thinking,  trusting  farmers  were 
taken  in  by  the  specious  manner  in  which  this 
matter  was  brought  before  the  community. 
While  in  Washington  we  learned  that  an  agent 
was  there  in  February,  and  succeeded  in  selling  a 
large  number  of  $3  bags,  (of  15  lbs  each,)  many 
of  them  even  to  Members  of  Congress.  The  ex¬ 
tensive  purchases  of  “  Hungarian  Grass  Seed  ”  by 
the  “Honey-blade  Seed  operators,”  has  actually 
raised  the  price  of  the  Hungarian  Grass  or  Millet 
Seed,  from  $1<®$2  per  bushel,  to  $3  per  bushel, 
at  which  price  it  is  now  held  by  regular  dealers. 


April,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


105 


Manuring  with  Mud. 

As  it  is  difficult  for  many  farmers  to  obtain  all 
the  barn-yard  manure  they  need,  it  is  well  for  ! 
them  to  be  on  the  look-out  for  every  other  means 
of  fertilization  within  their  reach.  Many  live  in 
the  neighborhood  of  ca 
nals,  ponds,  and  sluice 
ways,  where  the  large 
annual  deposit  of  mud, 
and  various  refuse,  is 
cleared  out  every  Spring 
and  left  lying  on  the 
banks  unused.  This  mud 
may  serve  an  excellent 
purpose.  If  farmers 
should  cart  it  home,  at 
their  leisure,  and  let  it 
lie  in  broad  heaps  ex¬ 
posed  to  the  air  and  frost, 
and  give  it  also  a  few 
coatings  of  lime  to  sweet¬ 
en  it,  and  a  few  turnings 
over  to  mix  it  well,  it 
would  make,  in  a  few 
months,  an  excellent  fer¬ 
tilizer.  And  why  not  use 
it,  also,  in  making  the 
compost  heap!  Carta 
pile  of  it  into  the  barn¬ 
yard,  near  the  port-holes 
of  the  stables,  and  then 
stack  it  up  in  alternate 
layers  with  the  dung,  as 
fast  as  that  accumulates. 

As  a  top-dressing  for 
grass,  it  is  a  very  valua¬ 
ble  fertilizer.  Sandy 
soHs  treated  with  it 
show  an  immediate  and 
decided  improvement. 

Muscle-beds,  found  in 
the  banks  of  rivers  emp¬ 
tying  into  the  sea,  make 
an  excellent  manure. 

'They  are  usually  dug  in 
the  winter  season,  heap¬ 
ed  up  on  the  shore,  and 
then  carted  to  the  fields 
when  wanted.  Like  the 
mud  and  vegetable  de¬ 
posits  of  canals,  they 
need  exposure  to  the  ac¬ 
tion  of  frost  before  using. 

Sea-weed  and  kelp 
may  also  be  mentioned 
here,  thousands  of  loads 
of  which  are  often 
thrown  on  the  shore  in 
a  single  storm.  These 
articles  need  only  to  be 
collected  and  piled  in 
heaps  for  a  short  time, 
when  they  may  be  ap¬ 
plied  to  the  land  and 
plowed  under.  Like 
many  other  sea-side 
farms,  Danl.  Webster’s 
land  at  Marshfield  was 
greatly  benefited  by  this 
treatment.  And  we 
might  here  add  fish  to  the  list  of  manures,  if  we 
had  not  already  got  too  far  away  from  the  “  mud  ” 
with  which  we  started.  Every  farmer,  with  his 
eyes  open,  can  find  in  his  own  neighborhood  some 
means  of  increasing  the  fertility  of  his  land. 


Burning  Sods  and  Weeds  for  Manure. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist: 

The  cheapest  manure  I  ever  used  for  fruit 
trees,  blackberries,  raspberries,  potatoes,  and 
most  kinds  of  garden  vegetables,  is  obtained  in  the 


HOMEOPATHY. 

The  Soil  Doci-ons,  having  read  in  the  Eighteenth  Book  of  Chronicles  (see  page  68),  concerning  the  troubles  of 
Farmer  Thomas,  hasten  to  pay  him  a  visit.  Mr.  “  Chilian  Guano”  having  first  arrived,  departeth  in  a  rage,  on  re¬ 
ceiving  a  stern  rebuff  from  Thomas,  w  ho  saw  a  callage  in  the  bag  upon  his  back . Our  picture  sheweth  the  per¬ 

plexity  of  Farmer  Thomas  at  the  conflicting  theories  of  those  who  have  each  an  infallible  cure  for  his  sick  land— from 
the  brains  whereof  groweth  only  thistles  and  coarse  grasses  .  .  The  “  Patent  Manure  ”  agent  sheweth  conclusively 

that  one  bushel  per  acre  of  his  medicine  (f  teaspoon  full  to  a  square  yard)  will  prove  an  infallible  cure  for  all  diseases 

of  soils . The  “  Mineral  Manure  ”  man  sheweth  conclusively,  that  only  an  infinitessimal  quantity  of  mineral  matter 

is  wanted  to  render  any  soil  immensely  and  infallibly  vigorous  and  productive.  He  carrieth  in  his  vest  pocket  amply 

enough  for  a  ten-acre  field,  and  in  the  casket  upon  his  back  enough  to  supply  a  whole  State . The  Super-phos- 

pliate  man  sheweth  conclusively  that  the  others  are  all  wrong,  and  that  phosphoric  acid  only  is  wanting  in  any  dis¬ 
eased  soil.  He  proved  beyond  the  possibility  of  contradiction,  that  an  infinitesimal  amount  of  burned  bones  dissolv¬ 
ed  in  acid,  is  the  medicine,  and  the  only  medicine  needed . But  Thomas  still  doubteth 


ALLOPATHY. 

Farmer  John  hath  certain  notions  of  his  own  in  regard  to  medicines  for  his  family,  but  whatever  these  may  be, 
he  holdeth  fast  to  the  old  fashioned  All-o-path-ic  treatment  for  sick  land.  He  believeth  particularly  in  stimulating  the 
iand  with  large  doses  of  organic  manures,  and  strenuously  contendeth  that  thirty  loads  per  acre  of  barn-yard  manure 
w  ell  mixed  with  muck,  is  the  best  of  all  medicines  for  a  weak,  emaciated  soil ;  and  Farmer  John’s  experience  conjirmeth 
his  theory 

following  manner.  I  plow  up  the  sides  of  the 
road  or  any  other  place  where  there  is  turf  to 
spare,  and  after  letting  it  dry  a  few  days,  start  a 
fire  of  roots,  stumps,  rotten  wood,  brush,  or  any 
other  suitable  waste  material,  and  after  it  gets 


well  to  burning,  pile  on  the  turf,  keeping  the  fire 
from  breaking  out  by  adding  more  turf  when  it  is 
needed.  As  soon  as  one  heap  gets  well  to  burn¬ 
ing,  I  begin  another,  and  so  on. 

After  the  ground  is  plowed,  a  man  can  easily 
make  from  one  to  two  hundred  bushels  per  day 
I  find  this  an  excellent 
way  to  dispose  of  weeds 
and  bushes  with  which 
the  roadside  is  often  in¬ 
fested  ;  and  the  manure 
obtained  is  of  so  good 
quality,  that  I  am  quite 
sure,  no  one  who  has 
once  tried  this  method, 
will  trouble  himself  to 
go  a  great  distance  for 
unleached  ashes,  or  for 
any  other  kind  of  alkaline 
fertilizers.  H.  L.  C. 

St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y, 
Remarks  . — Weeds 
should  never  be  allowed 
to  go  to  seed,  but  if  this 
has  been  done,  by  all 
means  destroy  the  seeds. 
Burning  sods  furnishes  a 
supply  of  ashes  for  cold 
sour  land— but  usually 
vegetable  matter  like 
turf  is  a  better  manure 
before  than  after  burning. 
It  frequently  happen 
that  in  clearing  an 
draining  swamp  lands, 
there  is  a  deposit  two  or 
three  feet  in  depth,  con¬ 
sisting  of decayed  leaves 
mixed  with  soil,  and  al¬ 
so  more  or  less  of  half- 
rotted  logs  and  brush. 
If  the  whole  mass  were 
burned  as  it  lies  there 
would  be  little  left  but 
ashes  and  the  underlying 
clay  or  hard  pan.  It  is 
necessary  to  burn  the 
bulk  of  the  timber  and 
brush  while  the  soil  is 
saturated  with  water. 
After  this  is  done,  it  will 
often  pay  to  plow  up  the 
muck  deposit  when  dry, 
and  cart  off'all  the  coarse 
material,  and  also  a  part 
of  the  muck  itself,  and 
burn  the  mass.  This  will 
furnish  a  large  quantity 
of  alkaline  ashes  which 
may  then  he  carried  back 
and  spread  over  the  sur¬ 
face.  These  will  sweet¬ 
en  the  remaining  muck, 
and  assist  its  decompos¬ 
ition.  It  will  then  be  ad¬ 
mirably  fitted  for  culti¬ 
vation,  and  produce 
heavy  crops  of  turnips 
or  grass,  corn,  etc.  If 
by  such  a  process  the 
depth  of  the  muck  soil  be 
reduced  to  a  foot  or  so,  and  afterwards  an  inch  or 
two  of  the  more  compact  subsoil  be  annually 
plowed  up  and  mixed  w’ith  the  surface,  there  will 
eventually  be  produced  one  of  the  most  valuable 
soils  that  could  be  possibly  obtained,  as  it  will 


106 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


have  sufficient  compactness  to  hold  moisture,  and 
at  the  same  time  contain  a  large  amount  of  rich 
vegetable  mold. — Ed. 


How  Does  Your  Farm  Pay? 

A  very  important  question  this,  which  every 
farmer  should  be  able  to  answer  with  a  good  de¬ 
gree  of  definiteness.  It  is  not  enough  to  know 
that  one  is  getting  along  in  a  general  way,  with¬ 
out  knowing  what  part  of  the  farm  is  profitable 
and  what  not.  It  is  possible  to  know  how  much 
profit  there  is  in  raising  and  fattening  a  steer, 
how  much  in  a  field  of  corn  or  wheat,  how  much 
in  the  annual  produce  of  the  whole  farm. 

A  good  way  to  do  this,  is  to  keep  an  account 
with  the  farm  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of 
the  year.  Under  the  head  of  debtor,  put  down 
the  interest  on  the  cost  of  the  farm,  the  money 
paid  out  for  new  buildings,  fences,  drains,  for  ma¬ 
nures  bought,  for  implements,  seeds,  live-stock, 
hired  labor,  taxes,  etc.,  in  short,  all  the  necessary 
expenses  of  carrying  on  the  farm  for  one  year. 
Then,  on  the  credit  side,  put  down  all  that  the 
farm  produces  for  home  consumption  and  for 
market,  and  all  that  is  added  to  its  real  value  in 
the  way  of  improvements.  If  it  supports  a  fami¬ 
ly  comfortably,  besides  furnishing  something  to 
be  expended  in  improvements,  it  is  undoubtedly 
paying  well.  And  if,  besides  this  general  profit, 
each  crop  and  each  animal  raised,  affords  a  clear 
and  known  profit,  the  farmer  is  doing  well,  and  he 
knows  how  it  comes  to  pass. 

■ - — -  — HHw  »-o» - 


Blinks  from  a  Lantern. .  VIII. 

BY  DIOGENES  REDIVIVUS. 

AN  OLD  STYLE  FARMER. 

In  continuing  my  search  after  a  model  farmer, 
I  lately  called  on  Deacon  Jones,  and  found  him  so 
much  of  a  paradox  that  I  shall  present  him  to  your 
readers  as  a  sample  of  a  man — if  not  of  a  cultiva¬ 
tor — worth  looking  at.  It  is  commonly  supposed, 
that  general  intelligence  will  show  itself,  at  once, 
in  cultivating  the  soil — that  a  shrewd  merchant 
or  mechanic  will  be  apt  in  coaxing  crops  out  of 
the  soil,  and  make  money  in  almost  any  business. 
It  is  possibly  true,  that  some  men  may  be  thus 
endow'ed  with  a  sort  of  universal  talent,  and  can 
turn  their  hands  with  equal  facility  to  any  kind  of 
employment.  But  in  most  cases,  nature  is  less 
prodigal  of  her  gifts,  and  bestows  upon  every  man 
an  aptitude  for  one  kind  of  business,  in  which 
alone  he  can  excel,  and  by  which  he  can  win 
fame  and  fortune.  It  matters  not  that  such  mul¬ 
titudes  fail  to  accomplish  any  thing.  Their  true 
occupation  never  “  turns  up,”  and  they  have  not 
force  of  character  enough  to  find  it. 

Dea.  Jones  is  one  of  the  instances  of  a  man 
good  in  every  thing,  but  farming.  Of  course  he 
belongs  to  the  universal  Yankee  nation,  and  had  in 
his  youth,  all  that  varied  discipline  of  the  wits 
and  the  muscles,  which  is  indispensable  upon  the 
New-England  farm.  His  first  earnings  in  boy¬ 
hood  were  spent  for  a  jack-knife,  which  ofcourse 
was  soon  lost,  only  to  be  succeeded  by  another 
of  better  style  and  finish — a  double  bladed  article, 
with  a  cork  screw  and  a  file  at  the  other  end. 
This  was  as  good  as  a  whole  kit  of  tools,  and  in¬ 
itiated  him  into  all  the  mysteries  of  whittling. 


With  this,  and  the  axes  and  saw,  he  could  make 
almost  any  thing  that  he  ever  saw  or  expected 
to  see.  Fishes  and  dragons  swam  in  mid  air  on 
barn  and  house-top,  showing  the  course  of  the 
wind  ;  wind-mills  clacked  on  lofty  poles  to  scare 
crows  from  the  corn-field  ;  water  wheels  whirled 
in  the  nearest  brook  ;  and  sloops  and  schooners 
with  paper  sails  floated  in  the  pond.  Sleds  and 
wagons  sprung  up  out  of  the  woodpile,  as  if  by 
magic,  and  ax  handles  and  whip  stalks,  ox  bows 
and  bow  pins,  lined  the  sides  of  the  corn  crib. 
His  wits  were  as  sharp  as  his  knife,  and  he  cut  his 
way  triumphantly  into  the  branches  of  knowledge 
taught  in  the  schools.  He  wrote  a  beautiful  hand, 
and  while  in  his  teens  began  his  career  as  a  school 
teacher,  which  he  has  followed  at  intervals  for 
thirty  years  or  more. 

At  one  time,  discouraged  with  the  slow  returns  of 
eastern  farming,  he  tried  his  luck  out  west  during 
a  few  years.  But  even  on  the  virgin  soils  of  the 
prairie,  he  made  little  more  than  his  living,  and 
returned  east,  disgusted  with  the  corn-crackers. 
He  was  a  good  son,  if  not  a  good  farmer,  and  set¬ 
tled  in  the  old  homestead  to  take  care  of  his  aged 
parents  in  their  declining  years. 

“Across  the  swale,  half  up  the  pine-clad  hill 
Stands  the  old  farm  house  with  its  clump  of  barns — 

The  old  red  farm  house— dim  and  dun  to  night, 

Save  where  the  ruddy  fire-lights  from  the  hearth 
Flap  their  bright  wings  against  the  window  panes— 

A  billowy  swarm  that  beat  their  slender  bars, 

Or  seek  the  night  to  leave  their  track  of  flame 

Upon  the  sleet,  or  sit,  with  shifting  feet 

And  restless  plumes,  among  the  poplar  boughs— 

The  spectral  poplars,  standing  at  the  gate.” 

The  parents  liave  long  since  passed  away,  and 
here  the  Deacon  lives,  himself  a  father  and  grand¬ 
father,  with  one  child — the  others  have  passed  out 
from  under  his  roof.  The  farm  consists  of  a  hun¬ 
dred  and  twenty  acres,  lying  in  some  half  dozen  dif¬ 
ferent  patches,  the  most  of  it  at  a  distance  from 
the  house.  But  enough  of  it  lies  near  home  and  con¬ 
venient  for  tillage,  to  make  him  thriving  if  it  were 
well  cultivated.  It  was  originally  a  rich  hazel  loam, 
bearing  all  the  grains  and  fruits  in  great  perfec¬ 
tion,  but  a  century  of  hard  cropping,  with  little 
manure,  has  taken  the  life  out  of  it.  It  is  remark¬ 
ably  free  from  stones,  and  the  whole  of  it  can  be 
cultivated  with  horse  power.  The  farm  is  stock¬ 
ed  with  three  cows,  two  horses,  two  pigs  and 
poultry.  Small  as  this  stock  would  seem,  it  is 
quite  as  much  as  the  land  is  now  able  to  carry. 
His  usual  crop  is  ihree  acres  of  corn  yielding  a 
hundred  bushels,  two  acres  of  potatoes  yielding  a 
hundred  and  twenty  bushels,  a  hundred  and  fifty 
bushels  of  oats,  and  about  twelve  tuns  of  hay 
cut  from  fifteen  acres  of  mowing.  This  with  the 
corn  fodder  carries  the  stock  through,  but  does 
not  leave  any  hay  for  sale.  The  Deacon  and  his 
family  have  enough  to  eat  and  drink,  but  very  lit¬ 
tle  to  sell,  or  give  away.  But  they  do  give  away 
a  great  deal  of  that  which  is  better  than  gold  or 
produce  every  year.  He  is  at  the  head  of  every 
good  enterprise,  ready  to  visit  the  sick  and  the 
alllicted,  and  to  minister  to  their  wants  according 
to  his  ability.  Yet  he  is  so  poor,  and  cramped, 
that  he  has  no  means  for  making  improvements, 
and  his  credit  is  so  poor,  that  it  would  puzzle 
him  to  raise  five  hundred  dollars  on  his  own  cred¬ 
it  for  any  object  whatever. 

He  has  been  contemplating  for  years  the  build¬ 
ing  of  a  barn  cellar.  The  old  establishment  is 
exceedingly  rickety,  and  nothing  but  careful 
patching  has  kept  it  along  for  the  last  thirty  years. 
But  he  has  not  been  able  to  get  the  means  to  do 
even  this  small  job.  He  reads  a  good  deal  upon 
agricultural  topics,  and  has  the  theory  of  a  much 
better  style  of  farming  than  he  keeps  in  practice. 
He  understands  perfectly  well,  that  housed  ma¬ 
nure  is  better  than  that  which  is  made  in  the 


yard.  He  has  an  excellent  muck  mine  upon  his 
farm,  and  has  used  enough  of  it  to  know  its  value, 
and  yet  he  is  content  to  farm  it  with  less  than  a 
hundred  loads  of  manure  annually,  as  the  basis 
of  his  crops.  He  understands  the  economy  of 
employing  labor,  and  yet  he  contrives  to  get  along 
with  a  boy,  doing  the  most  of  the  work  himself, 
for  fear  that  lie  should  not  raise  stuff  enough  to 
pay  a  hired  man.  Indeed  he  is  bothered  to  get 
full  pay  for  his  own  labor,  and  in  the  Winter, 
works  part  of  the  time  at  a  mechanical  employ¬ 
ment,  to  get  money  to  make  the  ends  of  the  year 
meet. 

It  is  surprising  to  see  how  a  man,  intelligent  in 
other  things,  contrives  to  live  on  for  a  life  time, 
cherishing  the  very  disadvantages  which  must  al¬ 
ways  keep  him  poor.  His  woodland  is  four  miles 
from  home,  and  every  cord  that  he  brings  to  bis 
door,  costs  him  a  day’s  labor  for  himself  and  team, 
besides  the  cutting.  It  has  not  occurred  to  him, 
that  he  could  exchange  it  for  a  wood  lot  near 
home,  where  the  same  labor  would  give  him  three- 
times  as  much  fuel.  A  good  part  of  his  land  lies 
so  far  from  the  barn,  that  full  one  third  is  added 
to  the  expense  ofcultivation.  Yet  he  never  thinks 
of  putting  it  all  together.  He  does  not  half  cul¬ 
tivate  thirty  acres.  It  has  never  occurred  to  him, 
that  ninety  acres  of  his  homestead,  or  full  three 
fourths  of  his  capital  lies  as  a  dead  weight  upon 
his  enterprise,  on  which  he  pays  taxes  and  inter¬ 
est,  and  gets  no  returns. 

Dea.  Jones  is  the  representative  of  a  very  con¬ 
siderable  class  of  farmers,  kept  constantly  poor 
by  walking  in  the  footsteps  of  their  fathers.  Their 
land  is  scattered  in  small  parcels,  and  is  worked 
at  great  disadvantage.  They  own  five  acres 
where  they  improve  one,  and  all  their  capital  is 
sunk  in  this  unproductive  article.  Many  of  them 
are  good  fathers  and  excellent  citizens,  and  have 
raised  up  families  of  children,  that  are  making 
their  mark  in  the  city,  or  upon  the  prairies  and 
forests  of  the  west.  I  always  feel  sad,  cynic  as 
I  am,  when  I  visit  one  of  these  old  nurseries  of 
good  women  and  great  men,  and  see  their  pres¬ 
ent  poverty.  The  only  help  for  them  is  in  break¬ 
ing  up  the  old  routine,  and  getting  into  new 
tracks.  The  best  tiling  they  can  do,  is  to  sell  a 
portion  of  their  land,  to  raise  the  capital  to  im¬ 
prove  the.  remainder.  Five  hundred  loads  of  good 
compost  made  under  cover  annually,  would  very 
soon  put  a  new  aspect  upon  their  husbandry,  and 
turn  the  tide  in  their  favor.  They  could  then  be¬ 
gin  to  hire  more  labor,  and  keep  more  stock,  and 
have  butter,  cheese,  pork,  beef,  mutton  and  wool 
to  sell,  instead  of  consuming  every  thing  raised 
at  home.  The  key  to  good  farming  lies  buried  in 
the  compost  heap.  The  man  who  finds  it,  finds 
comfort  and  a  competence. 


Dealing  with  Hefractory  Cows- 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriailturist : 

In  the  Feb.  No.  of  the  Agriculturist,  page  40,  I 
noticed  the  description  given  by  Mr.  Smith,  ofhis 
w'ay  of  subduing  refractory  cows,  and  which  like 
many  other  methods  I  have  tried.  It  may  an¬ 
swer  very  well  in  some  instances,  but  I  have 
found  no  such  process  completely  successful  in 
mastering  them,  and  forcing  them  to  be  quiet 
against  their  will.  I  believe  that  cows  have  al¬ 
most  invariably  been  taught  bad  habits  by  ill 
treatment ;  for  I  have  found  that  when  used 
carefully  and  gently,  their  troublesome  disposi¬ 
tions  have  been  so  overcome,  that  they  could  be 
milked  without  difficulty.  It  will,  however,  re¬ 
quire  considerable  care  and  patience  with  much 
caressing  and  gentle  handling  to  make  them  quiet 
after  they  have  once  been  spoiled. 

The  right  way  is  to  commence  with  proper 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


107 


treatment  from  the  first :  accustoming  them  to 
being  handled  before  attempting  to  milk  them, 
and  then  when  milking  using  great  care  not  to 
give  the  animal  any  pain  by  jerking  the  teats  or 
otherwise.  In  short  if  we  expect  good  disposi¬ 
tions  in  animals  we  must  show  our  goodness  first. 

Subscriber. 

Northampton  Co.,  Pa. 

- «*>  <  -gq ■ 

That  “Western  Grease” 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist 

The  anything  but  buttery  epithet,  of  “  western 
grease,”  that  issues  from  the  curled  lips  of  the 
east,  we  can  not  quietly  submit  to.  It  comes 
defiantly,  sneeringly,  triumphantly.  It  stares  at 
us  from  market  quotations,  private  letters,  second 
and  third  rate  newspaper  articles  ;  and  even  ekes 
out  its  vengeance,  in  dairy  prize  essays,  published 
in  one  of  the  first,  and  most  influential  agricultur¬ 
al  papers  of  the  day.  (See  the  American  Agricul¬ 
turist,  for  January  1859.)  We  can  not  swallow 
that  “western  grease”  without  a  wry  face. 
A  prize  essay,  carries  weight,  ergo,  we  are  crush¬ 
ed  into  a  “  Grease  Spot.”  But  though  crushed, 
we  still  squirm.  That  eastern  butter  and  cheese 
elysium  can  not  hold  us  all,  can  not  butter  us  all — 
consequently,  we  shall  butter  ourselves  as  well  as 
we  can.  I  am  fully  conscious,  that  I  am  playing 
with  fire,  and  may  get  burnt.  Our  grease  may 
float  out  of  our  state,  to  the  eastern  cities  ;  but 
our  butter  remains  at  home.  Chicago,  Milwaukee, 
in  fact  all  our  cities  sift  and  cull  their  butter, 
then  cull  and  sift  it,  and  the  refuse,  finds  its  way 
to  the  eastern  cities,  as  a  last  resort.  No 
wonder  you  lift  your  hands  in  holy  horror,  and 
ejaculate,  “Grease!”  As  well  might  California, 
nervously  expectorate  ;  and  cry  “  eastern  grease  /” 
at  the  recent  importation  of  the  refuse  butter  of 
the  New-York  butter  merchants.  Ought  all  to  be 
condemned,  in  toto,  for  the  sins  of  a  part  '!  We 
answer — emphatically,  No  : 

I  find  it  a  very  easy  matter  to  say  that  we  make 
good  butter  here ;  but  it  can  be  proved  equally 
easy,  if  the  assertion  be  doubted.  It  is  also  true, 
that  large  quantities  of  good  butter  are  made. 
And  furthermore,  a  first  rate  article  of  butter,  has 
been,  is,  and  can  be  made,  here  in  the  West.  To 
compete  for  the  palm,  with  the  East,  is  not  my 
pre'sent  object ;  although  I  should  not  object,  at 
a  proper  time,  under  fitting  circumstances,  to  in¬ 
stitute  a  test,  in  comparison  of  the  two ;  to  try 
the  respective  merits  of  each.  Now  for  the  poor 
butter,  and  its  reasons. 

In  admitting  one  half  to  be  poor,  we  are  liberal. 
Our  population  is  a  little  mixed.  Yankees,  Eng¬ 
lish,  Dutch,  French,  Irish,  in  short  every  nation 
under  heaven  has  its  representatives  here  ;  most 
of  whom  are  young,  and  inexperienced,  in  dairy¬ 
ing  at  least.  Many  of  them,  are  as  ambitious,  as 
they  are  young,  and  plunge  headlong  into  the  but¬ 
ter  jars,  if  they  can  only  see  the  shillings  lying 
on  their  bottoms,  and  of  course  “  grease  ”  is  the 
result.  Want  of  buildings  for  dairy  purposes  is 
another  fruitful  source  of  poor  butter.  But  the 
idea  of  being  condemned  by  eastern  dairymen, 
will  not  do.  Did  they,  in  their  trials,  fit  them¬ 
selves  up  with  all  the  paraphernalia,  of  a  first 
class  Dairy!  Had  they  provided  themselves  with 
first  class  cows  and  proper  stabling  for  the  same  1 
Did  they  have  the  pasture  lands,  of  200,  or  even 
50  years,  standing,  which  they  esteem  as  requis¬ 
ite  !  Had  they  studied  the  effects  produced  upon 
milk,  cream,  butter,  and  cheese,  by  the  ever 
changing  temperature  of  the  weather !  If  so, 
when,  where,  and  by  whom  ! 

I  advise  our  farmers,  one  and  all,  to  take  the 
American  Agriculturist ,  and  secure  to  themselves, 


the  value  of  that  excellent  series  of  articles  on 
dairying,  for  the  current  year,  which  is  being 
published.  Commence  with  the  January  No., 
read  with  care,  and  apply  the  knowledge  gained 
therefrom,  in  improving  your  grass  lands,  your 
stock  and  buildings,  and  then  take  the  directions 
for  making  butter  and  cheese,  go  carefully  to  work, 
be  neat  in  all  your  operations  ;  if  you  make  a 
blunder  to  day,  mend  it  to  morrow.  Strive  to 
make  a  first  rate  article  ;  it  may  cost  more  labor, 
more  time,  but  it  will  pay  in  the  end.  Do  not  be 
afraid  of  what  you  call  “  book  learning  that  is 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  practice  of  some 
of  our  best,  and  most  successful  farmers.  If  you 
make  butter,  make  it  the  best  you  know  how  : 
and  you  may  rest  assured,  that  if  we  all  do  our 
best,  we  shall  rub  opt  that  “  Grease  Spot.”  I 
would  simply  say,  that  with  us,  white  clover  is 
indigenous  to  the  soil.  It  mats  our  road  sides, 
steals  into  our  pastures,  and  meadows  (a  welcome 
little  thief)  and  through  the  Honey  Bee  fills  our 
hives  with  choice  honey.  Red  clover,  timothy, 
red  top,  all  do  well,  especially  on  openings,  and 
timber.  Carrots,  mangel  wurtzel,  parsneps,  etc., 
also  flourish  finely.  Sowed  corn  and  millet  grow 
in  great  luxuriance,  for  green  feed  ;  and  corn  pro¬ 
duces  well.  Why  can  we  not  make  good  butter 
and  cheese  here  at  the  west  l  I  answer  we  can. 

Lake  Co.,  111.  D.  G.  Smith. 


Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist. — Prize  Articles. 

The  Dairy . IV. 


PARTURITION. 

We  now  come  to  the  dairy  season  with  its  la¬ 
bors  and  cares  in  the  Spring  of  the  year.  The 
cows  are  dropping  their  calves,  and  for  their  ac¬ 
commodation  in  this  trying  time  a  convenient 
hospital,  or  calving  room  equal  in  area  to  ten  feet 
square  should  be  provided,  secure  from  all  out¬ 
side  intrusion,  adjoining  the  stables,  from  which 
the  cow  about  to  calve  may  be  taken,  so  as  to 
be  free  from  disturbance  until  safely  delivered. 
This  is  also  necessary,  as  sometimes  the  cow 
needs  assistance,  and  should  be  carefully  looked 
after.  The  floor  of  this  room  should  be  thinly 
littered  with  cut,  or  broken  straw,  to  keep  it 
clean  and  dry.  As  soon  as  the  calf  is  dry,  the 
cow  should  have  a  pail  of  warm  water,  with  a 
handful  or  two  of  Indian  meal,  or  bran,  and  a 
spoonful  of  salt  in  it,  which  she  will  readily  drink. 
Let  the  calf,  as  soon  as  inclined,  suck  all  the  milk 
it  will,  and  what  remains  draw  away  carefully 
with  the  hand,  perfectly  clean,  and  pour  into  the 
swill-barrel.  It  is  only  fit  for  the  pigs.  As  soon 
as  the  cow  is  all  right  again,  she  can  be  put 
into  her  accustomed  stall  and  fed  as  usual  with 
the  others. 

As  to  the  calf,  we  shall  not  decide  what  is  to 
be  done  with  it.  The  dairyman  knows  best — 
killed  probably,  as  this  is  simply  a  business  of 
economy,  and  pecuniary  calculation,  and  veal 
seldom  pays  in  dairy  districts.  The  calf,  if  not  to 
be  reared,  should  be  kept  full  thirty-six  hours,  and 
suck  the  cow  at  least  three  times,  so  that  all  fever 
shall  get  out  of  the  udder  before  the  milk  goes 
into  the  dairy.  As,  however,  we  have  elsewhere 
recommended  the  rearing  of  his  own  cows  by  the 
dairyman,  the  heifer  calves  so  to  be  reared  should 
be  selected  immediately  at  their  birth,  and  after 
three  or  four  suckings  of  their  dams,  be  intro¬ 
duced  at  once  to  the  finger  and  bucket  in  the  way 
of  feeding.  Cows  will  mourn  the  loss  of  their 
calves,  as  a  matter  of  course,  more  or  less,  but 
kindly  usage  soon  reconciles  them,  and  in  two  or 
three  days  they  go  on  as  usual. 

If,  on  the  dropping  of  their  calves,  the  cows  are 
not  in  full  pasture,  a  little  extra  food,  as  a  mess 


of  roots  night  and  morning,  or  a  few  quarts  of 
bran,  or  ship  stuffs,  should  be  given  them,  as  the 
sudden  change  of  habit  consequent  on  parturition 
demands  more  generous  food  for  a  few  days,  un¬ 
til  the  regular  secretions  of  milk  are  in  full  flow. 
It  is  sometimes  necessary  to  milk  the  cow  before 
calving,  from  the  rapid  secretion  of  milk  in  the 
udder;  and  if  such  be  the  case,  milking  should  al¬ 
ways  be  done,  thus  relieving  the  cow  of  intenso 
pain,  and  her  udder  from  caking,  swelling,  and 
fever.  We  have  frequently  had  to  do  so  when 
the  grass  was  abundant  before  calving,  and  great¬ 
ly  to  the  relief  of  the  cow,  and  the  profits  of  the 
dairy,  while  we  never  knew  any  ill  effects  from 
the  practice.  All  this  kind  of  management, 
should  be  familiar  to  the  experienced  dairyman, 
who  ought  to  know  thoroughly  how  to  manage 
as  the  cases  may  occur;  for,  let  it  be  under¬ 
stood,  the  “trade”  of  a  dairyman  is  just  as 
much  a  trade,  or  profession,  as  any  other  pursuit, 
and  can  only  be  successfully  pursued  after  a 
thorough  experience  not  only  in  theory,  but  by 
handling  the  tools,  and  going  through  all  its  mani¬ 
pulations  as  a  laborer  in  each  and  every  depart¬ 
ment. 

MILKING. 

We  now  come  to  the  more  laborious  operations 
of  milking  the  cows,  and  making  the  butter  and 
cheese  ;  a  word  or  two,  however,  as  to  the  milk¬ 
ing  labors  and  process.  We  have  stabled  our 
cows  throughout  the  Winter,  each  in  her  own 
separate  stall,  and  as  the  pasturing  season  com¬ 
mences,  we  shall  not,  as  is  the  custom  of  some 
heedless  dairymen,  turn  them  into  a  filthy  yard  at 
night,  to  be  chased  around,  and  hammered  with 
milking  stools  because  they  do  not  for  the  mo¬ 
ment  quietly  submit  to  the  rough  usage  often¬ 
times  given  them,  or  driven  into  a  fence  corner 
where,  frightened  and  trembling,  their  udders  are 
drawn,  often  painfully  to  themselves,  and  the  milk 
fevered  by  abuse. 

When  driven  in  from  the  pastures  at  night, 
every  cow  should  be  thoroughly  secured  in  her 
own  stall,  quietly  and  kindly.  Thus  secured,  a 
vicious  cow  is  manageable  in  one  way  or  anoth¬ 
er,  and  all  the  others  will  cheerfully  yield  their 
milk.  My  own  rules  for  milking  are  as  follows  : 
Let  every  milker  have  his,  or  her  own  milking 
stool.  Let  every  pail  be  perfectly  clean.  No 
talking  among  the  milkers  when  at  work.  If  a 
cow  is  restive,  sooth  her  with  kind  words,  and  a 
gentle  patting  of  the  hand  on  her  sides,  and  a 
soothing  rubbing  of  the  udder  and  teats.  Milk 
rapidly  with  both  hands.  Milk  clean — every  drop 
which  can  be  drawn.  Each  milker  should  have 
his  or  her  own  cows,  for  they  get  accustomed  to 
a  particular  hand,  and  yield  their  milk  more  freely 
to  a  friend  than  to  a  stranger.  As  soon  as  the 
cows  are  all  milked,  turn  them  out,  unless  in  cold 
rains,  when  they  are  better  to  be  kept  in  the  stables 
with  a  little  litter  to  lie  upon,  and  keep  them 
clean  ;  give  a  fodder  of  hay  for  the  night,  which 
they  will  always  relish.  I  name  the  hay,  pre¬ 
suming  that  every  good  dairyman,  unless  in  ex¬ 
traordinary  seasons,  will  have  some  left  after  the 
foddering  season  is  over.  If  the  weather  be 
good,  the  cows  should  be  turned  out  as  soon  as 
milked,  and  put  into  a  clean  and  roomy  yard  for 
the  night,  or  turned  again  to  the  pasture  as  cir¬ 
cumstances  may  determine.  Regularity  of  hours 
should  be  observed  as  near  as  possible  in  the  times 
of  milking,  as  the  secretions  of  milk  in  the  cow 
go  on  regularly  when  she  lives  quietly,  and  as  the 
milk  is  drawn  twice  a  day,  the  times  of  taking  it 
should  be  as  equally  divided  as  possible. 

MANAGEMENT  OP  THE  MILK. 

As  soon  as  the  milk  is  drawn  and  the  cows 
turned  out,  the  milk  should  be  taken  to  the  milk 


108 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


room  or  cheese  house  and  well  strained  into  clean 
shallow  tin  pans,  if  for  butter,  holding  six,  eight, 
ten  or  twelve  quarts  each,  as  may  be  most  con¬ 
venient,  about  two  thirds  full,  and  set  on  clean, 
cool  shelves,  either  of  stone  or  wood  (if  of  the  lat¬ 
ter  they  should  be  slatted  for  the  air  to  circulate 
under  the  pans  moveable,  so  as  to  be  taken  out 
occasionally  and  washed),  and  the  temperature 
of  the  atmosphere  kept,  if  possible,  not  less  than 
45°,  nor  above  55°  or  60°  of  Farenheit — such 
temperature  being  the  best  for  the  rising  of  the 
cream.  A  half  cellar — say  4  feet  under  ground 
and  4  feet  above  it,  with  good  stone  wall  sides 
laid  in  mortar,  well  ventilated  and  whitewashed, 
and  lighted  with  wire  screened  glass  in  movable 
sash,  for  admitting  or  excluding  the  air,  dry  and 
■well  floored  is  the  best.  The  cheese  room  or 
house  we  will  talk  about  hereafter. 

.As  soon  as  the  milk  pails  are  empty,  let  them 
he  thoroughly  scalded  and  washed  in  soft,  hot  wa¬ 
ter,  until  perfectly  clean,  and  then  placed  out  of 
doors  in  the  sun,  if  fair  weather,  ora  slatted  table 
to  dry.  The  sun  and  air  sweetens  them.  So 
with  the  milk  pans,  the  cheese  tubs  and  every 
other  moveable  utensil  used  for  milk,  butter,  or 
cheese  for  be  it  understood  that  rigid  cleanliness 
is  the  very  first  requirement  in  the  dairy  either  of 
butter  or  of  cheese.  Soap  of  course,  must  be 
used,  as  there  is  no  cleaning  things  without  it, 
from  the  hands  of  the  milker,  to  the  scrubbing  of 
every  thing  which  milk,  cream,  butter,  curd  or 
cheese  touches.  No  snuff-takers,  tobacco-chew- 
ers,  or  others  indulging  unclean  personal  habits 
have  any  business  inside  the  dairy  rooms  with 
such  habits  about  them  while  there.  If  they  must 
use  snuff  or  tobacco,  let  it  be  oufside  not  inside. 

ARTIFICIAL  TEMPERATURE  OF  THE  MILK  ROOM. 

We  have  named  45°  to  60°  as  the  best  temper¬ 
ature  of  atmosphere  for  the  milk  in  cream  rising, 
if  possible  to  be  had  ;  but  we  are  well  aware  that 
such  low  temperature  is  seldom  obtainable  in  the 
Summer  season  unless  by  artificial  aid.  Fortu¬ 
nately  our  dairy  districts  are  in  northern  latitudes 
where  ice  abounds,  and  is  easily  obtained  in  Win¬ 
ter.  Therefore  every  large  butter  dairyman 
should  have  an  ice-house  well  built,  and  of  large 
dimensions. 

[Pretty  full  descriptions  of  ice-houses  of  various 
kinds  have  already  been  given  in  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist.  A  convenient  form,  Schooley’s,  is  illustrated 
in  last  volume,  page  120  ] 

When  a  Spring  of  clear  cold  water  is  accessi¬ 
ble  near  the  dwelling,  the  milk  room  can  be  built 
enclosing  it,  and  the  water  made  to  flow  over  the 
stone  shelves,  or  floors  on  which  the  milk  pans 
rest.  If  no  spring  can  be  brought  to  aid  the  milk 
room,  an  ice  house  should  certainly  be  attached, 
to  cool  the  water  for  working  the  butter,  and  the 
butter  itself  when  worked,  or  the  entire  room  if 
possible,  in  case  the  temperature  can  not  be  kept 
low  enough  without.  The  ice  will  pay  in  any 
event,  in  one  use  or  another  which  will  be  re¬ 
quired  to  aid  the  work  in  the  dairy  operations. 

MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  CREAM. 

In  a  good  milk  house,  the  cream  will  rise  in 
thirty-six  to  forty-eight  hours,  depending  on 
temperature.  After  the  milk  sours  or  thickens, 
no  more  cream  will  rise,  and  it  should  then  be 
skimmed  with  a  tin  skimmer,  and  set  away  in  a 
clean  stone  jar,  closely  covered,  and  churned 
within  a  day  or  two,  or  daily,  according  to  the 
size  of  the  dairy. 

It  is  the  practice  of  some  of  our  most  success¬ 
ful  dairymen  to  churn  the  entire  cream  and  milk 
together,  turning  the  contents  of  the  pans  into  the 
churns  without  separation.  It  is  not  claimed  that 
this  process  yields  more  butter  than  that  of 


churning  the  cream  separately,  or  that  the  butter 
is  of  better  quality,  the  mode  being  simply  one  of 
convenience  or  habit.  That  of  churning  the  cream 
only  we  consider  as  less  laborious,  from  the  les¬ 
sened  quantity  of  material  to  be  moved  in  the  pro¬ 
cess.  The  proper  temperature  for  churning  is 
about  60°  Farenheit,  and  a  thermometer  is  ne¬ 
cessary  to  regulate  it  when  sufficient  practice  does 
not  enable  the  dairyman  to  judge  correctly  as 
many  experienced  ones  can  do.  The  churning 
should  be  done  regularly,  and  with  a  moderate 
stroke  or  revolution  as  the  form  of  churn  used 
may  determine,  and  occupy  from  three  quarters 
of  an  hour  to  an  hour  and-a-half  according  to 
temperature. 

We  will  speak  of  churns  in  our  next. 

- *«►-« 


Fig.  1. 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

The  Onion  Fly  . — Anthomyia  ceparum. 

In  traveling  through  the  County  of  Essex,  (N. 
Y.,)  a  short  time  since,  particularly  along  the 
beautiful  plains  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Au-Sable 
River,  I  had  my  attention  repeatedly  attracted  to 
the  withered  and  sickly  appearance  of  nearly  all 
the  fields  of  onions,  through  which  I  passed. 
Upon  enquiring  the  cause,  I  was  invariably  told, 
that  it  was  the  effects  of  a  worm,  and  that  it  was 
extremely  doubtful  if  a  single  tuber  in  a  healthful 
condition  would  be  obtained  in  a  hundred  plants. 
This  excited  my  curiosity,  and  on  raising  the  bulbs 
from  the  earth,  I  had  little  difficulty  in  recognising 
the  larva  of  a  Dipterous  (two-winged)  insect,  be¬ 
longing  to  a  species  which  in  England,  as  well  as 
in  many  other  parts  of  Europe,  for  the  last  twenty 
years,  have  almost  entirely  destroyed  the  onion 
crops,  upon  the  cultivation  of  which  so  considera- 
able  an  amount  of  labor  and  experience  have 
been  expended.  To  such  a  degree  have  their 
ravages  extended  in  those  countries,  that  the 


Fig.  2.  Fig.  3. 

husbandmen  have  been  driven  to  the  necessity  of 
abandoning  the  culture  of  this  important  vegeta¬ 
ble,  not  having  yet  met  with  any  efficient  remedy 
for  the  destruction  of  their  enemy. 

Much  uncertainty  still  seems  to  prevail  among 
entomologists  respecting  the  peculiar  habits  and 
instincts  of  this  little  depredator,  and  we  greatly 
fear  that  they  will  long  remain  in  ignorance,  un¬ 
less  some  interested  and  intelligent  individual,  re¬ 
siding  on  the  spot,  and  having  daily  access  to  the 
plants,  shall  establish  a  series  of  practical  obser¬ 
vations  on  their  habits,  and  in  this  manner,  trace 
them  through  their  various  stages  of  existence,  up 
to  the  perfect  fly.  Until  this  is  accomplished, 
and  not  till  then,  will  we,  with  any  degree  of  cer¬ 


tainty  be  able  to  suggest  any  reasonable  method 
for  effectually  removing  them.  If  it  be  not  done 
speedily,  a  knowledge  of  the  prolific  manner  of 
their  increase,  makes  it  probable  that  they  will,  in 
the  course  of  but  a  few  years,  spread  over  the 
whole  country,  and  almost,  if  not  entirely,  oblit¬ 
erate  this  highly  useful  vegetable  from  our  gar¬ 
dens. 

This  insect  depredator  is,  I  think,  undoubtedly 
the  Anthomyia  ceparum,  of  Meigen,  or  a  species 
so  closely  allied,  as  to  differ  but  little  from  it  in 
any  of  its  habits. 

It  is  shown  at  c,  fig.  1,  somewhat  magnified,  the 
actual  length  being  indicated  by  the  perpendicular, 
and  the  spread  of  the  wings  by  the  horizontal 
line,  below  the  cut  of  the  fly  ;  c  and  d,  same  fig., 
show  the  pupa,  from  which  the  insect  emerges, 
c  being  the  natural  size,  and  d  magnified.  It  be¬ 
longs  to  the  second  general  division  of  the  Mus- 
cidcs,  that  of  the  Anthomysulcs,  which  is  com¬ 
posed  of  species,  all  of  whom  have  greatly  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  common  flies. 

The  larva  of  this  insect  a  in  fig.  2,  is  about  i  of 
an  inch  in  length,  fleshy,  and  of  a  white  color.  It  is 
of  a  conical  form,  with  a  smooth  and  shining  sur¬ 
face,  and  entirely  free  from  any  external  superfi¬ 
cial  appendages.  The  incisions  are  finely  granu¬ 
late,  and  the  last  and  largest  segment  is  obliquely 
truncated  at  its  base,  upon  which  is  placed  a  sur¬ 
rounding  border  of  eight  small  knots,  or  projecting 
points,  as  seen  at  b,  fig.  2,  representing  the  larva 
magnified. 

The  female  fly  deposits  its  eggs  on  the  base  o 
the  stem  near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  which, 
in  a  few  days  become  hatched,  the  larvae  imme¬ 
diately  penetrating  between  the  leaves  to  the  bulb, 
upon  which  it  preys  unseen  ;  but  the  effects  soon 


Fig.  4.  Fig.  5. 


become  visible,  for  the  leaves  turn  yellow,  fall 
prostrate  on  the  ground,  and  quickly  wither  away. 
These  are  shown  in  figs.  3  and  4.  In  the  course 
of  about  two  weeks  they  arrive  to  maturity,  and 
change  to  the  pupa  state,  fig.  5,  and  in  from  fif¬ 
teen  or  twenty  days  more  emerge  the  ptf  feet  fly, 
fully  prepared  to  accomplish  their  depredations 
by  depositing  their  eggs  upon  the  more  healthy 
plants.  As  many  as  from  one  to  five  of  the  larvae 
were  frequently  to  be  met  with  on  a  single  plant. 

The  perfect  insect  is  about  half  the  size  of  the 
common  house-fly,  with  a  few  thinly  scattered 
hairs  covering  the  surface  of  the  body.  It  is  of  an 
ash  grey  color,  the  males  being  distinguished  by 
a  series  of  dark  stripes  upon  the  back.  The  head 
is  marked  with  a  brownish  spot  upon  its  apex. 
The  wings  are  exceedingly  transparent,  exhibit¬ 
ing  beautiful  iridescent  reflections  from  their  sur¬ 
faces,  the  shoulders  of  which  are  of  an  ocliery- 
brown  color,  and  the  veins  of  brownish  yellow. 

This  fly  may  not  unfrequently  be  met  with  in 
the  Spring  of  the  year,  basking  in  the  sunshine 
about  the  windows  of  the  neighboring  dwellings. 
And  from  the  circumstance  of  finding  their  larvae 
in  the  greatest  profusion,  committing  their  depre¬ 
dations  in  the  middle  and  latter  parts  of  August, 
we  are  inclined  to  believe  that  they  pass  through 
several  generations  in  a  season,  and  that  they  pro¬ 
bably  make  use  of  the  seed  of  the  plant,  on  which 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


109 


t.o  deposit  the  egg  for  the  larva  of  the  ensuing 
Spring.  If  this  be  so,  steeping  the  seeds  in 
brine,  before  sowing,  we  should  suppose  would  be 
he  proper  remedy  ;  if  otherwise,  the  process  will 
not  materially  effect  their  germination.  They  ap¬ 
pear  to  show  a  distinct  predilection  for  the  white 
onion,  in  preference  to  that  of  any  other  color. 

This  insect  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  destroy. 
Strewing  the  earth  with  ashes  has  proved  of  lit¬ 
tle  avail  ;  powdered  charcoal  answers  a  much 
better  purpose,  and  is  generally  in  use  in  this 
section  of  country,  but  it  should  only  be  thrown 
over  about  two-thirds  of  the  bed,  so  as  to  leave  a 
portion  of  the  plants  for  them  to  resort  to  on  be¬ 
ing  brought  to  the  perfect  state,  and  driven  from 
their  original  resting  place.  When  they  have 
been  converted  to  the  larva  state  and  commenced 
their  depredations,  these  plants  should  be  pulled 
up  and  consumed  by  fire. 

It  has  been  recommended  to  prepare  the  beds 
as  early  in  the  Spring  as  convenient,  and  suffer 
them  to  remain  eight  or  ten  days  for  the  noxious 
plants  to  vegetate,  then  to  cover  them  with  straw 
to  the  dept  of  ten  inches,  and  burn  them  over ; 
after  which  plant  the  seeds  for  the  ensuing  crop 
immediately.  This  process  it  is  stated,  has  proved 
perfectly  successful  in  driving  away  the  insects 
and  insuring  good  crops,  and  in  addition  to  this, 
has  furnished  a  capital  top-dressing  to  the  soil. 
Onion  beds  prepared  from  the  hearths  upon  which 
charcoal  has  been  burned,  have  likewise  been 
mentioned  as  producing  the  perfect  vegetable, 
entirely  free  from  the  attacks  of  the  fly. 

Should  the  charcoal  method  here  mentioned,  be 
universally  adopted,  we  have  little  doubt  but  that 
this  insect  depredator  will  in  a  short  time  become 
greatly  reduced  in  numbers  if  not  entirely  destroy¬ 
ed,  and  afford  a  much  better  chance  for  a  more 
healthful  crop  of  the  onion  plants  hereafter. — J.E. 

-  -  m  <  - »  <8» 

Vermin- 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  nearly  or  quite 
every  living  creature  is  subject  to  vermin  of  some 
sort.  The  huge  elephant  on  land  and  the  whale 
in  the  ocean,  have  each  their  parasites,  while  the 
very  insects  themselves  are  not  free  from  the  an¬ 
noyance  of  still  more  minute  creatures,  who  are 
sheltered  beneath  their  scales,  and  prey  upon  their 
fluids.  Minute  as  they  usually  are,  they  some¬ 
times  become  a  terrible  pest ;  by  their  united  at¬ 
tacks  even  sapping  the  vitality  of  the  strongest 
animals.  They  appear  to  be  a  penalty  attached  to 
continued  violations  of  the  laws  of  cleanliness  and 
proper  modes  of  life,  being  almost  inseparably  at¬ 
tendant  upon  filth  and  its  associate  vices.  Several 
diseases,  as  the  itch  in  man,  the  scab  in  sheep, 
and  the  mange  in  cattle,  horses,  and  dogs,  are 
probably  the  results  of  the  presence  of  insects 
working  in  the  deeper  layers  of  the  skin  ;  and 
hence  their  extremely  contagious  character. 

The  accompanying  cut  shows  the  appearance 
<af  the  insect  which  causes  the  scab  in  sheep, 
(. Acarus  scabiei),  which  bears  a  general  resem¬ 
blance  to  most,  insects  of  this  class.  Fig.  66  re¬ 
presents  the  female  magnified  366  times,  a  show's 
the  sucker ;  b,  c,  and  d  the  feet ;  e  the  tail. 

Fig.  68  shows  the  male  insect  magnified.  In 
fig.  67  the  almost  imperceptible  white  spots  on 
the  dark  ground  show  the  natural  size  of  the  in¬ 
sect. 

It  is  somewhat  singular,  that  poor,  ill-fed  ani¬ 
mals  are  more  subject  to  such  pests  than  those 
which  are  generously  kept.  It  may  be  owing  to 
the  fact  that  in  such  cases  there  is  usually  greater 
neglect  in  other  essentials  to  health  ;  or  it  is  the 
more  probable  that  an  animal  in  good  keeping  is 
better  able  to  ward  off  their  attacks.  How¬ 


ever  this  may  be,  it  is  well  nigh  certain  that 
want  of  care  as  to  cleanliness,  whether  in  man 
or  in  animals,  will  be  followed  by  the  “plague  of 
lice.” 

Clean  stables  with  the  free  use  of  the  card  on 
horses  and  cattle,  whitewashed  and  thoroughly 
purified  houses  and  roosts  with  plenty  of  ashes 
and  dust  for  the  poultry  are  the  preventives.  The 
cure,  where  they  have  once  obtained  a  lodgment, 
is  not  speedy,  though  we  believe  the  following 
have  proved  effectual  where  persevered  in. 

For  lice  on  cattle,  rubbing  the  affected  parts 


Fig.  66.; 


Fig.  67. 


THE  ACARUS  WHICH  CAUSES  SCAB. 

thoroughly  with  lard,  and  washing  it  out  the  next 
day  with  soft  soap,  will  usually  expel  them  after 
one  or  two  trials.  For  mange,  powdered  sulphur 
should  be  added  to  the  lard.  The  scab  in  sheep 
has  been  cured,  it  is  said,  by  first  scouring  off  the 
scabs,  and  then  dipping  the  sheep  in  a  strong 
decoction  of  tobacco  with  a  little  spirits  of 
turpentine  well  mixed  in.  For  poultry,  turpen¬ 
tine  and  water  is  recommended,  to  be  ap¬ 
plied  to  the  feathers,  but  grease  in  moderate 
quantities  is  effectual.  Too  free  use  of  it  how¬ 
ever,  has  killed  the  chickens  as  well  as  the  ver¬ 
min.  If  the  roosts  are  infested,  the  poles  should 
be  taken  down,  and  passed  slowly  through  a  fire, 
until  every  nil  is  thoroughly  “  done,”  and  where 
portable  nesting  boxes,  which  are  preferable,  are 
used,  they  should  be  occasionally  cleansed,  by 
burning  in  them  a  little  straw  or  other  light  mat¬ 
ter.  Ashes  dusted  through  the  boxes  serve  a 
very  good  purpose.  The  whitewash  brush  will 
finally  rout  the  intruders. 

Sheep  ticks  are  pretty  easily  disposed  of  by  the 
use  of  Scotch  snuff  mixed  with  lard,  and  rubbed 
along  the  back,  the  wool  having  been  parted,  or 
by  dusting  the  hide  with  the  snuff  alone.  When 
once  the  premises  are  cleared  from  vermin,  let 
cleanliness  forbid  their  return.  * 


Another  Man’s  Mistakes  about  Bees- 


common  absurd  theory  ;  and  I  am  still  surprised 
that  the  credulity  of  man  should  be  so  long  imposed 
upon,  seeing  the  fact  can  be  so  easily  ascertained. 
Under  these  considerations  I  began  to  investigate 
the  subject  in  order  to  ascertain,  if  possible, 
which  were  the  progenitors  or  males,  and  which 
were  the  females  of  the  numerous  colonies  ;  and 
I  have  at  last  come  to  the  satisfactory  and  uner¬ 
ring  conclusion  that  the  bee  universally  called  the 
queen,  is  the  male,  and  that  the  drones  arc  females 
which  produce  all  the  young  swarms."  ! !  ! 

And  this  absurd  conclusion,  in  defiance  of 
Swammerdam's  dissections  and  Huber’s  observa¬ 
tions,  and  the  testimony  of  careful  bee-keepers, 
Fig.  68.  and  the  prevalent  judg¬ 

ment  of  competent  men, 
is  really  bolstered  up  by 
the  writer's  observations 
and  dissections.  We  are 
willing  to  think  him 
honest;  but  he  must  have 
seen  things  because  he 
wanted  to  sec  them. 

His  facts  are,  that  on 
one  occasion  when  he  had 
put  into  a  glass  hive  a 
small  late  swarm,  upon 
introducing  four  drones, 
one  after  another,  he  saw 
the  queen,  which  did  not 
touch  the  second  and 
third,  take  such  a  position  in  respect  to  the  first 
and  fourth  only,  as  to  convince  him  that  the  com¬ 
mon  impression  about  its  sex  was  wrong.  He 
says  “  this  I  saw  plainly,  so  that  there  can  be  no 
mistake  ;  and  it  satisfied  me  that  apiarists  and 
others  are  and  have  been  laboring  under  a  mis¬ 
take  in  calling  that  bee  the  queen.  It  is  a  male  bee, 
and  should  hereafter  take  the  title  of  King;  and 
the  drones  are  females  which  lay  the  eggs."  So  here 
is  a  specimen  of  a  hasty  conclusion,  not  warranted 
by  what  he  saw.  From  that  single  observation, 
in  which  he  might  very  easily  be  mistaken,  he 
drew  the  hasty  inference  that  every  body  else  was 
wrong,  and  that  of  course  the  drones  lay  the  eggs. 

Afterwards,  wanting  “to  prove  his  theory  cor¬ 
rect,"  he  dissected  the  queen  and  found  some¬ 
thing  which  he  mistook  for  a  demonstration  of  it ; 
then  he  dissected  drones  and  found  eggs  in  some 
of  them,  but  not  in  all.  We  do  not  doubt  that  his 
desire  to  prove  himself  right  and  every  body  else 
wrong,  had  more  to  do  with  his  observations, 
than  he  supposed. 

As  for  his  facts,  we  will  only  express  our  opin¬ 
ion  by  an  old  Latin  proverb,  which  says,  ‘Let  the 
Jew,  Appella,  believe  them;  I  don’t.’  And  by  way 
of  advice  to  our  readers,  we  will  only  ask  them 
always  to  make  a  distinction  between  what  they 
see,  and  what  they  think  they  see;  especially  when 
they  are  writing  for  the  Agriculturist. 


In  our  Feb.  No.,  (page  37),  we  had  occasion  to 
show  some  of  the  absurdities  of  the  writer  on 
Bees,  in  the  new  American  Cyclopedia.  Let  us 
give  one  more  illustration  of  what  we  were  then 
aiming  at.  Chancing  to  take  up  the  Boston  Med¬ 
ical  and  Surgical  Journal  of  1864,  a  journal  which, 
certainly  should  not  inculcate  palpaple  scientific 
error,  we  find  a  writer  who  calls  himself,  “  Apia- 
rius  Mcdicus,"  (an  apiarist  and  physician,)  who 
talks  of  an  experience  of  15  years  in  managing 
bees.  The  object  of  the  article  is  to  propound 
the  author’s  theory  concerning  the  sex  of  bees, 
the  truth  of  which  he  thinks  is  perfectly  clear. 
He  says : 

“  I  could  not  make  it  appear  consistent  with 
reason  and  the  natural  laws  ofereation,  that  such 
a  numerous  progeny  of  insects  of  any  race  could 
be  produced  by  one  female,  impregnated  by  sev¬ 
eral  hundred  of  males  or  drones  according  to  the 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Beep  Plowing— When  to  Bo  It. 

I  am  a  practical  advocate  of  deep  plowing,  hav¬ 
ing  been  engaged  for  several  years  past  in  deep¬ 
ening  my  farm,  and  having  found  it  more  profita¬ 
ble  to  add  to  my  land  in  this  way  than  by  buying 
more  acres.  My  deed  runs  down  to  the  center  of 
the  earth,  and  I  mean  to  make  the  most  of  it,  and 
I  have  found  that  this  also  gives  me  another  ad¬ 
vantage,  for  the  deeper  I  get  my  farm,  the  higher 
my  grain  grows,  so  I  gain  in  both  directions,  and 
by  this  means  I  reckon  I’ve  got  at  least  thirty  per 
cent,  more  available  space  than  formerly  ;  at  any 
rate  my  seventy  dollars  per  acre  land  would  now 
bring  me  ninety  dollars — but  I  haven’t  go-t  to  the 
bottom  nor  top  of  it  yet,  and  I  mean  to  stick  to  it. 

I  have  found  by  experiment  that  it  is  best  to 


110 


AMERICAN  AG-RICURTURIST. 


run  the  plow  deeper  when  raising  oats  and  Win¬ 
ter  grain  rather  than  when  breaking  up  for  corn. 

Corn  is  an  aristocratic  plant,  as  you  might 
know  by  its  tasseled  head,  silk  gloves,  and  long 
ears,  and  like  such  gentry  it  must  have  good  nurs¬ 
ing  in  the  beginning,  and  the  best  living  the  land 
will  afford.  It  sends  its  roots  about,  near  the 
surface  where  it  can  find  plenty  of  food,  and  where 
they  can  grow  comfortably  near  the  warm  sur¬ 
face.  If  you  plow  deep  enough  to  turn  up  the 
cold  and  hard  subsoil,  the  seed  planted  at  the 
usual  depth  will  germinate  where  they  meet  with 
a  cold  reception,  especially  if  the  season  be  wet. 
Scarce  any  crop  seems  to  be  more  benefitted  by 
an  early  start,  or  to  be  more  injured  by  a  slow 
painful  growth  in  the  commencement.  The  young 
plants  seem  to  be  discouraged,  and  not  having 
force  enough  to  dig  down  to  find  a  good  living 
they  are  apt  to  grow  up  sickly. 

In  cultivating  this  crop  I  have  therefore  prac¬ 
ticed  turning  up  all  the  soil,  gaging  my  plow  to 
run  just  on  the  subsoil,  and  let  the  corn  have  the 
full  benefit  of  the  manure  and  clover  which  were 
plowed  under.  The  corn  crop  is  followed  with 
oats,  which  can  stand  a  wet  and  cold  soil  better. 
Then  I  drive  the  plow  deeper,  about  an  inch,  as 
you  recommended  in  your  last  number.  The  soil, 
mellowed  by  the  previous  hoed  crops  gives  the 
oats  a  good  chance,  and  they  bear  the  subsoil 
mixture  on  the  top  quite  well.  The  following 
crop  with  me  is  rye  and  seeded  down  with  clover 
and  timothy,  especially  the  former.  Now  I  give 
the  gage  another  turn,  and  bring  up  say  another 
inch  of  subsoil,  and  the  rye  and  clover  dig  for  their 
living — and  mine — most  admirably. 

Jonathan. 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist.— Prize  Articles 

Farm  Fencing . IV 

STONE  WALLS. 

Having  sufficiently  discussed  hedges  to  show 
that  in  this  country  they  are  yet  an  enclosure  of 
doubtful  expediency,  where  years  of  satisfactory 
experience  has  not  established  their  value,  we 
proceed  to  the  next  most  substantial  ard  perma¬ 
nent  fence — the  stone  wall.  Of  the  policy  of 
adopting  the  wall,  the  proprietor  of  the  land  to  be 
enclosed  must  be  the  proper  judge.  It  is  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  dollars  and  cents  in  cost,  as  well  as  conve¬ 
nience  in  obtaining  the  material  of  which  to  build 
it.  In  a  stony  country,  where  either  loose  sur¬ 
face  stones  abound,  or  in  quarries  beneath  the  soil, 
the  simple  question  of  cost  is  easily  settled,  and 
the  builder  must  be  his  own  judge  whether  to  use 
that  material  or  not.  As  a  general  rule,  loose 
surface  stones  must  be  picked  up  and  carried 
away  somewhere.  The  natural  conclusion  of  the 
proprietor  is  to  build  them  into  fence,  so  far  as 
fencing  is  needful,  and  they  are  of  the  proper  kind 
for  that  object.  We  advise  no  man  to  build  di¬ 
vision  fences  through  his  fields  for  the  simple 
purpose  of  getting  rid  of  his  superfluous  stone. 
An  unnecessary  fence  is  a  nuisance.  The  less 
fences  the  better,  so  long  as  the  proper  cultiva¬ 
tion  of  the  farm  is  accommodated.  Better  dig 
pits  and  bury  them,  if  no  better  storage  can  be 
found,  than  to  go  into  the  extra  expense  of  work¬ 
ing  them  into  useless  walls. 

Quatry  stone  usually  make  better  walls  than 
loose  boulders  of  any  size.  They  are  more  shape- 
able,  with  flat  surfaces,  lie  more  compactly  and 
evenly,  and  not  so  apt  to  fall,  or  be  disturbed  by 
frost,  and  where  not  too  expensive,  even  if  sur¬ 
face  stones  are  at  hand,  are  to  be  preferred.  Yet 
surface  and  quarry  stones  do  not  always  abound 
on  the  same  premises,  and  the  farmer  is  in  most 
oases  compelled  to  choose  either  one  or  the  other. 


In  this  his  own  judgment,  and  means  must  be  his 
guide.  Now,  as  to 

THE  MODE  OF  BUILDING  THE  WALLS. 

In  this  the  quality  of  the  soil  is  to  be  somewhat 
consulted.  The  old  fashioned  mode  has  been  to 
simply  clean  off  the  surface  or  turf,  and  then  make 
the  foundation  of  the  wall  of  the  same  material  as 
the  whole  structure.  On  many  soils,  after  a  few 
years,  be  the  walls  ever  so  well  built,  the  frosts 
heave  it  awry,  the  stones  become  loose  and  dis¬ 
placed,  and  in  a  few  years  more  they  are  in  a  state 
of  dilapidation  requiring  constant  repairs,  and  in 
frequent  cases  rebuilding  in  part  if  not  altogether, 
although  pronounced  “  a  good  job  ”  when  first 
finished.  On  light  loams,  sands  or  leachy  gravels 
that  mode  answers  a  tolerable  purpose.  But  all 
soils  are  not  such.  We  have  heavy  clays,  deep 
loams  and  moist  or  “  springy  ”  soils  oftentimes  to 
contend  with. 

The  main  rules,  therefore,  which  we  shall  lay 
down  for  a  permanent  wall  are — 1st :  A  perfect 
drainage  of  the  soil.  If  there  be  not  a  natural 
drainage,  such  as  to  permit  no  standing  water  on 
the  surface  ;  or  at  frost  depth  below,  there  must 
be  an  artificial  one  to  such  depth,  so  as  to  allow 
the  accumulating  water  to  freely  pass  off  under 
the  wall,  that  it  be  not  affected  by  its  action  in  a 
frozen  state.  Frost  expands  every  thing  it  touches 
and  its  action  is  far  greater  in  a  wet  soil  than  in 
a  dry  one.  2d.  If  the  soil  be  lieave-y  or  a  stiff 
clay,  holding  water,  an  ample  ditch  dug  down  be¬ 
low  frost-level,  should  be  thrown  out,  leading  to 
lower  levels  and  giving  free  passage  for  the  water 
to  a  point  where  it  can  readily  be  turned  off  from 
the  line  of  the  wall. 

Now,  n.o  matter  whether  the  stones  be  surface 
boulders  or  quarried,  this  ditch  should  be  filled 
nearly,  or  quite  to  the  surface,  with  small  or 
broken  stones,  compactly  placed  as  a  firm  founda¬ 
tion.  This  preparation  gives  a  perfect  drain  for 
the  water  beneath  the  small  stones  whether  by 
rains,  melting  snows,  or  the  issues  of  springs 
and  keeps  the  adjoining  soil  in  an  equable  condi¬ 
tion  Winter  and  Summer,  while  the  earth  at  the 
bottom  of  the  ditch  is  uninfluenced  by  Winter’s 
cold  or  Summer’s  heat — like  the  cellar  walls  of  a 
house.  The  provident  owner,  we  premise,  has 
already  drawn  his  stones  to  the  line  of  the  wall 
and  distributed  them  in  proper  quantity  on  each 
side  of  the  line.  To  make  the  lest  wal-1,  the  two 
sides  are  to  be  simultaneously  built,  with  a  line 
on  each  side  to  work  by,  and  if  two  good  wall 
builders  can  work  together,  one  on  each  side,  the 
same  length  of  wall  will  be  better  and  cheaper 
built  than  if  but  one  work  alone. 

In  first  placing  the  lines  let  them  be  eight  inches 
or  a  foot  above  the  ground  strongly  held  at  each 
end  by  a  peg  driven  into  the  ground,  that  the  first 
tier  of  stones  may  be  laid  below  them.  The  width 
of  the  foundation  will  depend  somewhat  on  the 
kind  of  stone,  and  the  bight  of  wall  when  finished. 
Quarried  stone  being  better  shaped,  requires  less 
width  at  the  foundation  than  boulders.  In  the 
former  the  lower  strata  should  not  be  less  than 
two  feet  for  a  substantial  wall,  four  and-a-half  feet 
high.  If  five  feet  high,  a  four  inches  wider  base 
will  be  needed.  The  wall  should  not  be  less  than 
one  foot  wide  at  the  surface  in  any  case,  for  a  good 
farm  fence.  'With  boulders,  when  stones  are 
plenty,  the  foundation  may  be  two  and-a-lialf  or 
three  feet  wide — and  as  much  wider  as  you  choose. 
The  contraction  of  width  should  be  uniform  and 
gradual.  Put  in  the  largest  stones  first,  making 
as  close  joints  as  possible,  and  if  large  gaps  are 
left  between,  then  fill  them  in  evenly  as  possible 
with  small  ones,  having  an  eye  always  to  the  im¬ 
portance  of  laying  every  stone  so  as  to  bind  the 
wall  together  as  firmly  as  can  be  done. 


■  SS  "7  "iV  r*  1  "i, 

BREAKING  JOINTS. 

A  farmer  wanting  a  stone  wall  built,  advertised 
for  a  man  to  take  the  job.  A  builder  appeared. 
“  How  do  you  build  a  stone  wall!”  asked  the 
farmer.  “  Why,  by  laying  one  stone  on  another.” 
“  You  won’t  do  for  me,”  replied  the  other,  and  on 
the  jobber  went.  Another  came.  “  And  how  do 
you  lay  stone  wall,”  again  asked  the  farmer!  ‘‘  I 
^ay  one  stone  on  the  top  of  two  stones,”  was  the 
answer.  “  Very  well  then  go  to  work.”  That  is 
the  main  secret  of  laying  a  good  wall,  and  with 
this  part  continually  in  mind  a  strong  wall  is  easi¬ 
ly  secured. 

In  every  successive  layer  as  the  wall  progress¬ 
es  upward,  put  in  enough  substantial  hinders  ; 
that  is,  stones  reaching  through  from  one  side  to 
the  other,  and  let  the  last  tier  of  binders  alternate 
between  the  binders  below  so  that  there  be  a  con¬ 
tinuous  bearing  throughout  the  whole  line.  As 
the  wall  works  upward  the  line  is  to  be  shifted, 
keeping  it  always  a  little  above  the  tier  on  which 
you  are  at  work,  still  making  the  batten  or  indraw¬ 
ing  course  uniform,  and  reducing  the  size  of  the 
stones  gradually  if  possible,  and  holding  on  to 
the  abundant  distribution  of  binders  but  keeping 
the  stones  sizeable. 

As  the  work  goes  on,  two,  three  or  four  com¬ 
mon  laborers  can  be  profitably  employed  in  heav¬ 
ing  over  and  lifting  the  stones  from  the  adjoining 
heaps  to  the  builders  by  which  their  more  valua¬ 
ble  time  may  be  devoted  altogether  to  laying 
them  in  on  the  wall.  A  little  practice  will  soon 
enable  any  common  hand  to  select  the  proper 
stones  to  come  in  as  wanted.  Even  one  expe¬ 
rienced  wall  builder  will  make  a  good  job  by  hav¬ 
ing  a  handy  common  laborer  with  him  on  the 
opposite  side,  with  others  to  hand  them  the  stone. 

If  the  wall  be  on  a  side  hill,  a  broader  surface 
will  be  needed  on  the  doivn  hill  side,  but  they 
must  be  laid  flat,  and  worked  in  with  a  regular 
batten.  If  the  line  of  wall  runs  down  hill,  the 
ditch  or  bottom  should  be  made  in  short  steps,  so 
that  the  foundation  be  always  on  a  level.  A  cant¬ 
ing  stone  is  easily  displaced,  therefore  every  one 
should  lie  in  a  horizontal  position. 

Each  wall  builder  should  have  a  short  crowbar 
three  and-a-half  or  four  feet  long,  and  a  good 
stone  hammer  at  his  side  for  occasional  use  in 
knocking  off  an  ugly  corner,  or  splitting  an  ill¬ 
shaped  stone  to  make  a  perfect  job.  As  the  wall 
approaches  completion  let  the  stones  be  more 
sizeable  if  possible,  than  further  down,  as  they 
give  it  a  more  finished  appearance  ;  and  if  the  top 
is  to  be  a  smooth  and  level  surface,  a  tier  of  thin 
flat  caps,  if  to  be  had,  should  make  the  finish. 

In  fields  where  breacliy  cattle,  sheep,  horses 
or  mules  are  to  be  kept,  some  people  adopt  stakes 
on  each  side  of  the  wall,  with  a  rail  or  two  on  the 
top.  This  looks  bad  and  unsightly — temporary 
too,  and  may  be  obviated  by  placing  a  continuous 
chcvaldefrisc  of  these  quarried  stones  set  edge¬ 
wise  a  foot  apart,  letting  them  down  between  the 
cap  stones  four  to  six  inches  each.  We  have  seen 
long  lines  of  this  kind  of  fence  in  Central  Ken¬ 
tucky  arouivl  their  mule  pastures — a  most  breacliy 
animal.  The  walls  there  are  of  quarried  stone 
chiefly,  and  built  about  five  feet  high,  in  the  most 
substantial  manner — apparently  for  ages. 

Thus  we  have  a  complete  stone  fence.  Those 
who  only  want  a  half  wall,  with  a  rail  top,  can 
make  there  own  choice :  but  in  no  case  should 
the  wall  part  be  slighted,  or  left  to  chance.  Every 
part  should  be  icell  and  thoroughly  done. 

As  to  cost  that  will  depend  on  circumstances, 
how  much,  if  any  ditching,  the  convenience  of  the 
stones  before  drawn  for  the  wall,  and  the  kind 
used.  A  dollar  at  the  least,  to  two,  or  two  and- 
a-half  dollars  a  rod  at  the  outside,  and  the  farmer 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Ill 


can  go  to  sleep  for  a  life  time  in  the  security  of 
his  fencing. 

We  may  add  that  where  the  wall  foundation  is 
laid  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  a  plow  furrow 
within  a  foot  of  the  wall,  if  possible,  with  the 
earth  thrown  up  against  the  base,  is  all  the 
better  for  the  wall,  thus  enabling  the  surface  wa¬ 
ter  to  pass  off"  without  getting  into  the  foundation 

There  are  some  incidental  items  which  we 
might  name  in  further  connection  with  the  sub¬ 
ject,  but  they  would  be  so  incident  to  individual, 
or  local  control  that  they  may  as  well  be  left  to 
the  judgment  of  the  proprietor  himself. 


Healthy  Stables. 


To  be  healthy,  stables  should  be  warm.  Large 
cracks  in  the  floors,  large  holes  in  the  siding,  or 
broken  windows  near  the  stalls,  do  not  promote 
warmth  or  health.  Stalls  on  the  north  and  west 
sides  of  the  barn  should  be  made  with  double  out¬ 
side  walls,  and  be  filled  in  with  tan-baik,  saw¬ 
dust,  or  other  non-conducting  material. 

Stables  to  be  healthy  should  be  well  ventilated. 
In  their  desire  to  make  their  horses  and  cattle 
comfortable  in  winter,  some  farmers  keep  every 
window  and  door  and  opening  closed  as  tight  as 
a  bottle.  They  forget  what  foul  deposites  are  be¬ 
ing  constantly  made  on  the  floors  of  the  stalls, 
and  what  rank  and  pungent  odors  are  continually 
rising  into  the  mouths,  nostrils  and  eyes  of  the 
poor  animals,  and  from  which  they  cannot  escape. 
If  such  persons  would  notice,  particularly  on 
opening  their  stables  in  the  morning,  what  a  pow¬ 
erful  stench  fills  the  air,  they  would  view  this 
matter  differently.  And  if  this  did  not  open  their 
eyes,  let  them  be  tied  up  in  their  own  stables 
twenty-four  hours.  Their  nausea,  burning  eyes, 
and  inflamed  lungs  would  convince  them  that 
their  animals  had  a  hard  time  of  it,  and  that  it 

was  wonderful  they  did  not  all  sicken  and  die.  . 

It  is  not  the  easiest  matter  to  secure  these  two 
conditions  of  a  healthy  stable,  and  at  the  same 
time,  warmth  and  pure  air ;  but  something  can  be 
done  towards  it.  The  stalls  being  well  built,  as  we 
have  mentioned,  air  can  be  introduced  gradually 
through  open  window's  in  a  distant  part  ot  the 
barn.  The  impure  air  can  be  carried  off  by  ven¬ 
tilators  on  the  top  of  the  building.  And  last,  but 
not  least,  the  stalls  can  be  kept  clean,  and  the 
floors  daily  sprinkled  with  gypsum  or  saw-dust,  to 
absorb  the  liquid  manure  and  foul  odors. 

_ _ _ _ — - 

Luck  and  Pluck. 


Every  community  has  its  “  lucky  ”  man.  The 
boys  in  the  street  know  him,  and  point  him  out  as 
he  passes,  the  admiring  crowd  lift  their  hats  to 
him,  the  unsuccessful  envy  and  perhaps  traduce 
him.  Success  seems  natural  to  him.  If  he  was 
not  born  with  a  gold  spoon  in  his  mouth,  he 
has  long  since  exchanged  his  wooden  one  for 
it  Every  tiling  h6  touches  seems  to  turn  to 
his  advantage.  °That  farm  he  bought  a  few 
years  since,  would  now  sell  for  double  the 
money.  If  there  is  but  one  good  crop  raised  in 
the  town,  you  will  be  sure  to  find  it  in  his 
fields  ;  and  then  what  prices  his  produce  always 
brings  him.  Depend  upon  it,  there’s  something 
in  jt°  u^e’s  a  lucky  man.”— This  is  the  out¬ 
side  view,  and  a  most  pernicious  one.  Let  a 
man  “  curse  his  stars,”  complain  of  his  hard 
fate,  and  sigh  and  wait  for  luck ;  let  him  feel 
the 'conviction  that  success  is  something  inde¬ 
finite,  uncertain,  which  may  or  may  not  follow 
effort,  as  a  kind  of  mysterious,  uncontrollable 
chance  may  direct,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  pre¬ 
dict  his  future.  His  stars  will  all  be  unlucky ; 


the  golden  comet  with  its  splendid  train  of  glo¬ 
rious  results,  for  which  he  looks,  will  never  be 
seen  above  his  horizon. 

The  man  of  "luck”  is  a  man  of  “pluck.” 
We  like  that  word.  It  is  solid  and  yet  elastic. 
It  has  a  ring  like  steel.  It  tells  of  a  man  who 
does  not  know  when  he  is  conquered.  If  the 
backward  Spring  disappoints  his  calculations  for 
a  large  corn  crop,  he  is  sure  to  have  a  flue  field 
of  buckwheat ;  or  if  this  fail,  he  rejoices  in  a 
fallow  ready  for  a  notable  yield  of  Winter  grain. 
If  debt  presses  heavily  upon  him,  it  but  bends 
him  more  closely  to  his  work.  But  more  than 
all  is  the  “  plucky  ”  man  distinguished  by  ven¬ 
turing  boldly  when  there  is  a  probability  that 
success  may  be  attained.  Scarcely  a  man  of  fifty 
years,  but  remembers  the  time  that  success 
was  within  his  reach,  had  he  possessed  nerve 
enough  to  break  from  his  old  routine,  and  fol¬ 
low  the  opening  ;  while  many  a  one  has  been 
deterred  from  competence  and  even  fortune,  by 
timidly  adhering  to  “good  old  ways,”  good — 
only  in  age.  The  cultivator  especially,  who 
hopes  to  succeed  now,  must  have  not  only  the 
energy  which  rises  against  opposition,  and  bears 
up  under  misfortune,  but  also  the  enterprise 
which  looks  for  and  adopts  improvements ;  and 
there  never  was  a  time  when  such  enterprise 
had  surer  promise  of  success,  for  never  before 
were  improvements,  both  in  the  manner  and 
the  implements  of  cultivation,  more  marked  and 
abundant.  The  plucky  man  of  to-day  will  be 
the  lucky  man  ten  years  hence. 


American  Fruits.— Past  and  Present..  II. 

BY  LEWIS  F.  ALLEN - ERIE  CO.,  N.  Y. 

( Continued  from  page  82.) 

THE  PEACH. 

From  being  an  almost  universal  fruit  a  hundred 
years  ago,  in  most  localities  from  latitude  43° 
north,  down  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  the  peach  now 
flourishes  and  bears  fruit  successfully  in  but  few 
sections  and  these  favored  by  influences  not  always 
understood.  In  the  early  settlement  of  the  limbered 
country  throughout  the  States,  with  the  exception 
of  Northern  New-York,  Vermont,  New-Hamp- 
sliire,  and  Maine,  peaches  even  of  the  choicest 
varieties  grew,  flourished,  and  bore  abundantly  ; 
and  now,  where  it  has  scarcely  grown  within  the 
memories  of  middle  aged  and  of  old  men,  tradi¬ 
tionary  tales  are  current  of  the  wonderful  crops 
which  their  grandfathers  and  fathers  gathered. 
For  their  disappearance  no  absolute  or  conclusive 
reason  is  given,  other  than  that  the  old,  or  first 
planted  trees,  after  flourishing  twenty,  thirty,  or 
forty  years — which  latter  age  many  individual 
trees  were  known  to  reach — died  out,  and  the 
young  orchards  which  replaced  them,  would  not 
live,  or,  if  living  at  all,  they  declined  a  few  years 
afterwards,  until  after  repeated  endeavors  at  their 
cultivation,  they  were  abandoned  in  despair. 
Even  where  no  sane  man  would  now  think  to 
plant  a  peach — in  cloggy,  clammy,  and  cold  soils  ; 
high  and  bleak  exposures  ;  low,  frosty  valleys  ; 
open  plains — all  alike,  once  bore  the  peach  in  high 
quality  and  abundance.  Now,  nobody  is  bold 
enough  to  plant  a  peach  tree  except  in  a  warm, 
sandy,  or  gravely  loam,  in  the  vicinity  of  large  bod¬ 
ies  of  water,  which  wards  off  the  earlier  and  later 
frosts,  or  in  .some  genial  locality,  forward  far  be¬ 
yond  others  in  its  immediate  neighborhood,  in  at¬ 
mospheric  influences  It  is  needless  to  particul¬ 
arize.  Such  is  the  known  fact  throughout  all  our 
States.  One  would  suppose  that  where  t  ic  wine- 
grape  abounds,  as  among  the  Ohio  and  Kentucky 
hills,  about  Cincinnati  and  other  vine  districts, 
the  peach  would  grow  equally  well,  There  are 


some  peach  orchards  thereabouts,  but  their  own 
ers  tell  us,  if  they  get  a  good  crop  once  in  foul 
years,  it  is  quite  an  average  of  their  production. 

In  private  gardens,  closely  sheltered,  the  peach 
is  frequently  produced  in  localities,  outside  of 
which  it  utterly  fails  as  an  orchard  fruit,  only 
showing  an  exception  to  the  general  rule.  And  for 
all  time  to  come,  we  fear,  unless  some  extraor¬ 
dinary  atmospheric  change  shall  take  place,  oui 
once  favorite  homes  of  the  peach  will  scarcely 
know  it  again.  Yet  so  delicious  is  this  fruit,  and 
so  readily  in  point  of  time  does  it  bear,  if  it  bear 
at  all,  that  so  long  as  the  slightest  hope  of  success 
remains, every  lover  of  its  excellence  will  strive  for 
its  production  as  a  luxury  for  his  private  table, 
even  when  abandoning  it  for  market  cultivation. 

The  present  best  peach  growing  soils  for  market 
purposes,  are  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Chesapeake 
and  Delaware  bays,  in  Virginia,  Maryland,  and 
Delaware  ;  in  that  part  of  New-Jersey  lying  south 
of  the  Camden  and  Amboy  Railway ;  and  in 
the  westerly  part  of  Long  Island,  near  the  Sound, 
with  perhaps  a  narrow  strip  on  the  south 
border  of  Connecticut,  near  the  Sound,  and  pos¬ 
sibly  a  few  miles  in  small  localities,  scattered 
along  up  the  Hudson  river,  half  way  to  Albany. 
From  this  point  westwardly  across  the  State  of 
New-York,  until  a  line  is  met  running  south  from 
Sodus  bay,  on  Lake  Ontario,  a  peach  tree  is 
scarcely  to  be  found.  West  of  this  line,  on  a 
strip  extending  south  a  dozen  to  twenty  miles 
to  the  head  of  Lake  Ontario,  the  peach  grows 
luxuriantly.  Then  southerly,  skipping  the  table 
land  of  the  eastern  end  of  Lake  Erie,  upward, 
west  to  near  Erie  in  Pennsylvania,  on  the  Lake 
Shore,  and  from  there  to  Toledo  near  its 
western  extremity,  and  thence  northwardly,  in 
Eastern  Michigan,  to  about  the  latitude  of  Detroit 
— are  the  localities  now  embracing  pretty  much 
all  the  peach-growing  soils  for  market  purposes,  to 
be  found  in  the  Atlantic  and  interior  country  of 
the  middle  and  northern  States. 

Why  the  finest  peaches  should  grow  in  abund¬ 
ance  within  a  mile  or  two  of  Lake  Ontario,  in  the 
comparatively  cold  latitude  of  43°,  equally  as  well 
as  in  the  sunny  soils  bordering  the  Chesapeake  in 
39°,  while  the  intermediate  hack  country  south, 
all  the  way  to  the  Potomac,  should  either  not 
grow  the  peach  at  all,  or  but  fitfully,  is  one  of 
those  strange  phenomena  in  nature,  for  which  it 
is  not  altogether  easy  to  account.  But  such  ap¬ 
pears  now  to  be  the  fact,  although  they  once  grew 
and  flourished  over  a  considerable  portion  of  it. 
There  are  some  other  points  contiguous  to  those 
named,  and  connected  with  them  by  elevation, 
depression,  streams,  or  lakes,  which,  perhaps,  are 
equally  favorable  for  peach  growing,  but  the  lines 
of  country  enumerated  are  mainly  those  which 
now  furnish  our  northern  peach  markets.  Even 
some  of  them  are  said  to  be  failing,  and  it  would 
be  nothing  stranger  than  what  has  already  hap 
pened,  if  the  peach  should  altogether  desert  these 
favored  soils  within  the  next  twenty  years,  while 
other  places,  extending  over  wide  belts  of  the 
country,  should  once  again  grow  the  fruit  in  per¬ 
fection. 

The  peach  is  probably  the  most  fitful  in  growth 
and  bearing,  within  our  whole  circle  of  Northern 
fruits ;  and  I  take  leave  of  it,  advising  every  one 
w.ho  owns  a  spot  where  it  will  grow  and  bear, 
without  costing  a  great  deal  more  than  it  comes 
to,  to  attempt  and  persevere  in  its  cultivation,  i 

THE  PEAR. 

As  the  pomological  reading  public  have  already 
had  a  surfeit  of  this  subject  from  my  own  and 
other  pens,  I  choose,  at  present,  to  say  nothing 
further  about  it,  but  will  proceed  with  the  Pr.BM, 
whenever  space  may  be  afforded  in  your  columns. 


113 


AMJECKICAN  AGKICULTUEIST, 


No.  147 


A  PRIMITIVE  PLOW. 

Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist 


The  above  beautiful  engraving,  from  a  picture 
by  Le  Jeune,  has  a  double  signification.  Here  are 
simple,  innocent,  smiling  children,  imitatingly  and 
sportively  drawing  and  guiding  the  cleft  branch 
over  the  soil.  Love  and  peace  are  breathed  forth 
in  the  landscape,  while  a  calm  sky,  leafy  ver¬ 
dure,  and  a  balmy  stillness  pervade  the  tranquil 
scene.  The  healthful  countenances,  and  the 
well-developed  limbs  of  the  children  show  forth 
admirably  the  healthful  effects  of  their  out-door 
active  exercises.  Who  could  think  of  caging  these 
innocents  in  a  nursery  hot-bed,  or  binding  their 
limbs  and  bodies  in  close-fitting  fashionable  at¬ 
tire  1  Children  are  very  imitative  in  their  habits 
— even  to  their  sports.  The  boys  in  their  way 
are  farmers,  or  mechanics,  or  traders ;  and  the 
girls  are  house-keepers,  nurses,  seamstresses, 
etc.  The  wise,  foreseeing  parent  may  give  di¬ 
rection  to  the  future  inclination  and  occupation  of 
the  child,  by  a  little  judicious  fostering  of  the  first 
sports  of  the  little  four-year-old.  We  believe 
there  is  great  advantage  resulting  from  alloting 
each  child — boy  or  girl — a  plot  of  ground  over 
which  he  or  she  shall  have  entire  direction  and 
control,  and  enjoy  the  resulting  products.  A 
taste  for  rural  pursuits  will  thus  be  early  cultiva¬ 
ted.  The  moral  advantages  are  incalculable. 
The  child,  with  its  own  plot  of  ground,  will  scarce¬ 
ly  neglect  it  to  engage  in  rude  play  with  vicious 
associates. 

A  second  thought  carries  us  back  to  the  rude 
implements  of  the  primitive  cultivators  of  the  soil. 
The  play-plow  of  these  children  is  not  at  all  un¬ 
like  the  first  implement  used  for  scarifying  the 
earth’s  surface,  preparatory  to  sowing  the  seed. 
It  was  simply  a  bough  of  a  tree  with  two  branches 
left  long  for  handles,  while  the  numerous  limbs 
around  the  main  bough  were  cut  off  two  or  three 
inches  in  length  and  sharpened  so  that  when  drag¬ 
ged  along  they  should  break  the  surface.  The 
next  advance  was  to  call  in  the  assistance  of 
beasts  of  burden  to  propel  the  implement,  and 
these  were  attached  to  the  plow  by  thongs  fasten¬ 


ed  to  their  tails.  A  later  improvement  was  the  for¬ 
mation  of  a  beam  and  handle  from  a  bough,  with  a 
single  branch  projecting  below  for  a  plow-share 
and  point.  More  than  four  thousand  years  passed 
away  before  abetter  implement  was  contrived. 
Wooden  mold-boards,  sometimes  pointed  with 
iron,  were  in  general  use  until  almost  a  quarter 
of  the  present  century  had  elapsed.  Indeed,  there 
are  few  of  us  who  have  lived  beyond  half  the  al¬ 
lotted  age  of  man  who  can  not  well  remember 
the  first  introduction  of  iron  and  steel  mold- 
boards,  shares  and  points.  Thirty  years  ago  there 
were  scarcely  a  dozen  patent  iron  plows  in  ex¬ 
istence.  Now  they  count  by  hundreds,  and  the 
shrill  whistle  of  the  Steam  Plow  already  begins 
to  reverberate  over  our  valleys  and  prairies. 
With  what  sort  of  an  implement  and  by  what 
power  will  our  children  break  up  the  soil  1 

^  - »  C— - •*' 

How  Long  will  Trees  Live?.. II. 

( Concluded  from  page  81.) 

In  our  last  we  showed  that,  theoretically , 
a  tree  might  live  an  indefinite  period.  Those 
parts  of  a  tree  which  carry  on  its  life-processes 
are  annually  renewed ;  and  if  certain  parts,  (as 
the  interior,)  decay,  other  parts  are  augmented, 
and  the  tree  as  a  whole  continues  to  live  and 
grow.  So  much  for  theory  ;  and  we  shall  soon 
adduce  some  facts  to  sustain  it. 

But  there  is  another  side  to  this  question.  So 
far  as  theory  goes,  the  human  body  is  the  same 
in  its  constitution  as  when  it  lasted  eight  or  nine 
centuries ;  but  the  stubborn  fact  is,  that  “  the  days 
of  our  years  are  three-score  and  ten,  and  if  by 
reason  of  strength  they  be  four-score,  yet  is  their 
strength  labor  and  sorrow,  for  it  is  soon  cut  off, 
and  we  fly  away.”  We  occasionally  meet  with 
a  man  whose  life  has  been  lengthened  out  to 
ninety  or  a  hundred  years.  Nature’s  laws  seem 
to  work  regularly  yet ;  he  eats,  drinks  and  sleeps 
about  as  well  as  ever ;  and  no  one  can  see  why 
he  may  not  live  for  an  indefinite  period  longer. 


Yet,  every  body  knows  that  this  is  an  exception 
to  the  general  rule.  And  soon,  close  observation 
shows  that  slight  inroads  begin  to  be  made  upon 
his  constitution.  He  takes  a  little  cold,  or  his 
digestion  becomes  impaired,  or  some  other  ail¬ 
ment  sets  in,  and  he  suddenly  dies  :  nature  could 
hold  out  no  longer.  Theoretically,  he  should  have 
j  lived  on  for  many  years,  but  another  law  prevail¬ 
ed,  and  he  died.  So  in  the  vegetable  kingdom  ; 
by  theory,  a  tree  has  no  assignable  limit  of  life, 
but  practically,  it  has.  Cases  of  extreme  longev¬ 
ity  may  be  cited,  but  they  are  rare  exceptions, 
and  even  these  trees  finally  perish. 

The  biography  of  many  an  old  tree  is  like  this  : 
The  tree  grows  to  its  allotted  hight,  then  expands 
laterally,  both  in  its  branches  and  in  its  girth. 
After  a  period,  it  begins  to  die  at  the  center.  The 
rotten  portion  within  increases  faster  than  the 
new  wood  is  formed  outwardly.  The  tree,  though 
now  old  and  hollow,  still  looks  healthy.  [It  rep 
resents  the  vigorous  old  gentleman  of  eighty 
years.]  At  length,  the  strong  winds  sway  it 
about,  and  rack  it  violently,  and  a  fissure  is  made 
somewhere  in  trunk  or  branches,  into  which  air 
and  rain  soon  penetrate.  By  and  by,  the  decay 
of  the  center  crops  through  the  bark  near  the 
ground.  [The  old  man  takes  a  cold.]  The  leaves 
expand  every  Spring,  but  the  rot  in  the  trunk  an¬ 
nually  increases  ;  limbs  decay  and  are  blown  off 
one  after  another,  until  at  length  the  rot  extends 
all  along  the  trunk,  and  before  many  years,  a  gale 
prostrates  the  old  tree  upon  the  ground,  a  total 
ruin.  [The  aged  man  dies,  a  hundred  and  ten 
years  old.]  Now,  theoretically,  that  tree  ought 
to  have  lived,  but  another  law  supervened — call 
it  by  what  name  you  please — and  the  tree  suc¬ 
cumbed. 

There  are  several  ways  of  ascertaining  the  age 
of  trees.  One  is,  by  measurement  of  their  girth 
at  a  fixed  point  near  the  ground  ;  but  this  is  not 
perfectly  reliable,  as  some  species  grow  more 
rapidly  than  others,  and  among  the  same  species, 
difference  of  soil  and  exposure  produces  differ- 


April ,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


113 


ence  in  vigor  of  growth.  Yet  an  approximation 
may  thus  be  obtained.  The  “  Washington  Elm  ” 
at  Cambridge  is  supposed  to  be  upwards  of  140 
years  old,  because  it  is  known  that  the  celebrated 
Whitefield  preached  under  its  shade  in  the  year 
1744,  more  than  a  century  ago.  The  Aspinwall 
Elm,  at  Brookline,  is  known  from  historical  data, 
to  be  about  200  years  old.  The  great  elm  on 
Boston  Common,  is  believed  to  be  of  about  the 
same  age.  Now  of  these  trees,  the  first  measures 
14  feet  in  girth,  at  four  feet  from  the  ground,  the 
point  where  the  girth  is  not  affected  by  the  ex¬ 
pansion  of  the  roots  below  or  of  the  branches 
above.  The  second  measures  seventeen  feet  at 
five  feet  from  the  ground  ;  and  the  third,  sixteen 
and-a-half,  at  the  same  hight.  With  such  data, 
one  can  go  about  the  country,  (as  the  “Autocrat 
of  the  Breakfast  Table  ”  has  done.)  and  with  tape- 
line  determine  the  age  of  trees  pretty  accurately. 

Another  method  is  by  counting  the  annual  con¬ 
centric  layers  of  a  tree.  (Of  course,  the  palms  and 
their  allies  are  excepted  here.)  But  this  can  not 
well  he  done  without  first  cutting  down  the  tree  ; 
and  even  then,  the  center  of  many  old  trees  is 
found  rotten  or  hollow,  so  that  a  little  guessing 
has  to  be  resorted  to.  When  the  tree  is  sound, 
and  the  rings  can  he  accurately  deciphered,  this 
mode  is  perfectly  reliable. 

But  the  age  of  old  trees  is  perhaps  most  com¬ 
monly  arrived  at,  wholly  or  in  part,  through  his¬ 
torical  evidence  or  tradition.  Some  of  the  most 
remarkable  cases  of  longevity  which  have  met 
the  writer's  notice,  are  the  following  :  An  oak 
lately  cut  down,  in  Poland,  was  found  to  have  700 
distinct  rings,  and  the  hollow  center  of  the  tree 
was  estimated  to  represent  200  years  more. 

A  Sycamore-Maple  now  standing  near  the  vil¬ 
lage  of  Trous,  among  the  Alps,  is  estimated  at 
550  years  old.  It  is  known  that  the  famous 
“  Grey  League  ”  was  ratified  beneath  its  spread¬ 
ing  branches  in  March,  1424.  It  must  have  been 
a  century  old  then.  There  is  a  remarkable  Lin¬ 
den  in  Neustadt,  Wurtemberg,  which  was  so  noted 
in  the  13th  century  as  to  be  called,  even  then, 
“the  Great  Linden.”  An  old  poem,  dated  1408, 
mentions  that  “  before  the  gate  of  the  city  of 
Neustadt,  rises  a  Linden,  whose  branches  are  sus¬ 
tained  by  67  columns.”  These  columns  were 
pillars  of  stone  set  up  to  support  the  immense 
branches,  one  of  which  extended  horizontally 
more  than  100  feet !  At  the  last  accounts,  these 
tolumns  had  increased  in  number  to  106.  Its  age 
is  computed  by  scientific  men,  at  about  820  years. 

The  celebrated  “  Tortworth  chestnut,”  is  con¬ 
sidered  the  largest  and  oldest  tree  in  England. 
In  the  reign  of  Stephen,  which  began  1135,  it  was 
then  remarkable  for  its  size.  It  is  now  55  feet 
in  girth,  at  five  feet  from  the  ground,  and  is  pro¬ 
bably  a  thousand  years  old.  One  of  the  oldest 
Oaks  in  England,  is  “  the  Parliament  Oak,”  in 
Clifstone  Park,  so  called  from  a  Parliament  held 
under  it  by  Edward  the  1st  in  1290. 

We  lately  read  of  an  immense  oak  near  Cozes, 
in  France,  with  a  circumference  at  the  ground,  of 
90  feet.  A  room  had  been  cut  out  of  the  dead 
wood  of  the  interior  10  feet  in  diameter  and  9  feet 
high.  A  round  table  has  been  constructed  in  the 
middle  about  which  twelve  guests  can  easily  sit. 
It  is  believed  to  be  upwards  of  1500  years  old. 
'1  he  Charter  Oak,  at  Hartford,  was  probably  a 
mere  sapling  when  this  country  was  first  discov¬ 
ered.  The  famous  “  Wadsworth  Oak,”  near 
Geneseo,  N.  Y.,  has  been  estimated  at  about  500 
years  old. 

The  Olive-tree  attains  a  great  age.  One  lately 
cut  down  near  Nice,  in  Italy,  showed  nearly  a 
thousand  rings.  Of  the  few  now  standing  on  the 
Mt.  of  Olives,  tradition  may  not  greatly  exagger¬ 


ate  in  making  them  1800  years  old.  The  cedars 
on  Mt.  Lebanon,  which  the  monks  of  the  neigh¬ 
borhood  declare  are  as  old  as  the  time  of  Solomon, 
are  undoubtedly  a  thousand  years  of  age. 

There  is  a  venerable  Cypress-tree  in  Somna, 
Lombardy,  which  the  inhabitants  declare  was 
planted  in  the  year  of  our  Saviour’s  birth.  Na¬ 
poleon  changed  the  line  of  his  great  road  over  the 
Simplon,  in  order  to  avoid  injuring  it.  Mr.  Lou¬ 
don  cites  an  ancient  chronicle  to  prove  that  this 
tree  was  in  existence  in  the  time  of  Julias  Caesar  ! 

The  Yew  is  the  longest  lived  tree  of  northern 
Europe.  Several  specimens  at  Fountain’s  Abbey, 
in  Yorkshire,  England,  are  believed  to  be  1215 
years  old.  The  famous  “  Darley  Yew,”  in  Derby¬ 
shire,  is  1350  years  old. 

The  North  American  Cypress  attains  great  age 
and  size  in  Texas  and  Mexico.  A  writer  speaks 
of  some  near  the  ruins  of  Palenque,  “  which 
claim  a  higher  antiquity  than  the  broken  walls 
they  overshadow.”  One  at  Montezuma  is  held  to 
be  about  2000  years  old. 

There  is  a  renowned  Dragon-tree  on  the  island 
ofTeneriffe,  which  Humboldt  visited,  admired, 
measured  and  painted  apictuieof,  and  which  has 
been  an  object  of  reverence  by  the  natives  for 
many  centuries.  At  the  discovery  of  Teneriffe, 
in  1402,  it  was  nearly  as  large  as  now.  Botanists 
almost  fear  to  say  how  old  it  may  be  ;  and  only 
declare  “its  age  is  such  as  absolutely  confounds 
the  imagination.” 

A  curious  rose-bush  is  shown  in  the  crypt  of  the 
cathedral  of  Hildesheim,  in  Germany,  which  au¬ 
thentic  documents  declare  was  planted  by  the 
founder  of  the  church,  800  years  ago  ;  and  it  still 
flourishes  and  blooms  ! 

And  finally,  it  is  soberly  declared  that  there  is  a 
Baobab-tree,  on  the  banks  of  the  Senegal  river, 
which  is  believed  to  be  upwards  of  5000  years  old  ! 

• - -» - - ■  » - 

How  to  Plant  Trees  in  Straight  Rows. 

Good  apples,  pears,  or  plums,  will  undoubtedly 
grow  upon  properly  managed  trees,  whether  they 
be  set  out  in  squares,  triangles,  or  scattering  ;  but 
the  orchard  certainly  will  look  better  when  regu¬ 
larity  and  uniformity  are  preserved,  the  trees  all 
upright,  and  the  rows  straight.  Accordingly,  in 
setting  out  young  orchards,  much  care  is  or  should 
be  taken  to  secure  this  end,  by  laying  off  the  rows 
with  a  line,  setting  stakes  where  it  is  intended  to 
place  the  trees,  and  employing  a  man  or  boy  to 
hold  the  tree  erect  while  planting.  It  is,  how¬ 
ever,  quite  troublesome,  after  the  hole  is  dug,  to 
find  the  exact  spot  where  the  stake  was  set,  as  it 
requires  much  time  and  many  steps  to  “  take 
a  sight  ”  with  the  ranges,  and  also  makes  it  ne¬ 
cessary  to  have  an  additional  hand.  This  diffi¬ 
culty  is  obviated  by  a  simple  contrivance  describ¬ 
ed  to  us  by  W.  T.  Wynkoop,  Jackson  Co.,  Iowa. 

~o  O 


It  is  merely  a  strip  of  board,  about  eight 
feet  long,  with  an  opening  from  the  centre 
to  one  side  large  enough  to  admit  any  tree  for 
planting,  and  having  also  a  hole,  say  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  near  each  end.  It  is  used  thus  :  The 
ground  having  been  staked  out  in  the  usual  man¬ 
ner,  the  board  is  placed  with  the  center  opening 
over  a  stake.  Now  insert  two  small  pins  in  the 
ground,  through  the  openings  in  the  end,  and  lift 
the  board,  leaving  the  pins  in  the  earth. 

The  hole  may  now  be  dug,  and  when  complet¬ 
ed,  the  board  replaced  over  the  end  pins.  The 
opening  in  the  centre  shows  the  exact  place  the 
stake  occupied,  and  the  trunk  of  the  tree  being 


introduced  through  the  side  opening,  will  be  held 
where  you  want  it,  while  the  hole  is  being  filled, 
thus  greatly  facilitating  the  work. 

If  the  trees  to  be  planted  are  not  very  nearly  of 
the  same  size,  it  will  be  well  to  drivo  a  nail  in 
the  board  near  the  centre  opening,  and  attach  a 
strap  to  it,  which  can  be  passed  around  the  tree 
and  fastened  upon  the  nail,  by  holes  arranged  at 
short  distances  along  the  strap.  This  will  hold 
the  tree  upright  while  filling  in  the  earth — with¬ 
out  the  help  of  an  extra  man  or  boy.  The  board 
can  be  prepared  in  a  few  minutes,  and  will  be 
found  very  convenient,  even  when  two  or  more 
persons  are  together. 


Raising  Evergreens  from  Seed. 

In  reply  to  numerous  inquiries  on  this  subject 
we  say  :  As  a  general  rule,  the  seeds  of  ever¬ 
greens  should  be  gathered  in  the  Fall  and  kept 
dry  through  the  Winter.  On  the  opening  of 
Spring,  if  they  have  not  already  fallen  out  of  the 
cones,  lay  them  before  a  moderate  fire,  when  they 
will  soon  “shell  out.”  Prepare  a  bed  for  sowing 
them,  on  the  north  side  of  a  fence,  or  where  it 
can  be  shaded  during  the  middle  of  the  day.  The 
soil  should  be  composed  of  one  third  sand,  one 
third  good  loam,  and  one  third  leaf-mold  from  the 
woods,  well  mixed  together.  Sow  the  seeds  in 
drills  from  half  an  inch  to  one  inch  deep,  and  cov¬ 
er  up.  Then  sprinkle  a  little  old  tan  bark,  or 
leaf-mold  over  the  bed  to  keep  the  whole  moist. 
In  dry  weather,  the  bed  should  be  sprinkled  every 
evening. 

Seeds  of  the  red-cedar  are  sometimes  a  little  ob¬ 
stinate  to  start.  After  passing  through  the  stom¬ 
achs  of  cedar-birds,  they  germinate  readily.  One 
can  find  thousands  of  little  seedlings  by  the  sides 
of  fences  where  these  birds  congregate. 

Nurserymen  sometimes  start  evergreen  seed  by 
sowing  them  in  shallow  boxes  in  the  Green- 
House,  or  under  the  glass  of  a  hot-bed  frame.  But 
for  all  ordinary  purposes,  the  mode  first  mention- 
tioned  is  the  one  commonly  practiced,  and  is 
sufficient. 


Planting  Shade  Trees. 


The  best  season  in  all  the  year  for  doing  this 
work,  has  again  returned.  Trees  have  taken 
their  winter  rest  undisturbed,  have  gathered  up 
new  forces  in  root,  trunk,  and  limbs,  and  are  now 
ready  to  exert  them  in  making  a  vigorous  growth. 
As  yet,  they  are  comparatively  dormant.  The 
kindly  sun  and  the  breath  of  the  sweet  south  are 
beginning  to  arouse  them,  but  they  arc  not  fully 
awake.  Now  then,  is  just  the  time  to  remove 
them  to  the  places  desired,  where  in  genial  soils 
they  may  grow  and  spread  themselves  abroad  for 
long  years,  and  gladden  the  eye  of  the  planter. 

Does  anybody  need  exhorting  to  do  this  work  1 
We  can  hardly  believe  it ;  though  stranger  things 
have  happened.  Friend,  please  take  my  arm 
for  a  short  walk.  Let  us  go  up  this  street  at  the 
right ;  it  is  (stepping  over  into  the  month  of  June 
for  a  while)  well-shaded,  and  will  make  a  pleasant 
stroll  for  us.  Glad  it’s  shady,  are  you  1  so  am  I. 
What  a  good  thought  it  was  in  Mr.  Jones  and  Mr. 
Smith  to  set  out  these  trees  by  the  road-side1 
These  men  were  not  satisfied  with  adorning  their 
own  grounds  ;  their  taste  would  not  be  confined 
within  their  own  fences,  but  spread  itself  abroad 
over  all  the  neighborhood.  Hence  came  this 
good  road,  and  this  well-made  sidewalk,  and  these 
umbrageous  trees.  What,  an  excellent  monument 
have  they  erected  for  themselves !  For  a  cen¬ 
tury  or  two,  at  least,  these  elms  and  maples  will 
keep  the  planters’  names  fresh  and  green. — Yes, 
you  are  right  in  saying  that  a  man  who  plants 


114 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


trees  by  the  roadside  is  pretty  sure  to  be  a  genial 
sort  of  man,  and  a  man  whom  his  neighbors  love. 
I  hold,  too,  that  it  enhances  the  value  of  one’s 
property  to  have  the  street  well  shaded. 

This  is  my  friend  John  Jones’  residence,  and  as 
I  have  the  freedom  of  the  place,  let  us  go  in  and 
range  through  the  grounds.  These  elms  stand¬ 
ing  like  sentinels  each  side  of  the-  gates,  look  to 
be  forty  or  fifty  years  old,  but  they  are  not  half 
that  age.  I  saw  them  planted,  and  know  that 
heir  wonderful  growth  is  owing  chiefly  to  the 
good  soil  he  has  given  their  roots  to  ramble  in. 

No,  those  are  not  “foreign  trees.”  The  first  is 
the  Tulip-tree,  and  the  other  is  the  Cucumber- 
tree,  or  Magnolia,  acuminata — both  indigenous  to 
this  latitude.  They  are  so  seldom  planted,  I 
don’t  wonder  you  thought  them  exotics.  Can 
anything  be  more  admirable  for  a  lawn  than 
these  trees,  with  such  clean,  handsome  bark, 
and  such  magnificent  foliage  1  Better,  certain¬ 
ly,  than  the  abele,  locust,  and  ailantus.  Let  us 
walk  on  and  look  at  the  other  trees.  Here  are 
American,  English,  Irish,  Scotch,  and  Dutch 
elms,  all  good.  Yonder  are  maples,  horse-chest¬ 
nuts,  English  lindens,  Scotch  larches,  evergreens 
of  all  sorts  ;  how  charming  they  all  look,  dres¬ 
sed  in  their  fresh  green  coats  !  I  fancy  Mr. 
Jones  feels  himself  well  paid  for  his  labor,  in 
the  attractions  of  his  home.  His  wife  and 
children,  too,  how  happy  must  they  be  to  live 
in  such  a  beautiful  home  !  Their  friends  in  vi¬ 
siting  them,  and  indeed  all  persons  passing 
along  the  street,  must  say  to  themselves,  Mr. 
Jones  is  a  sensible  man,  a  man  of  taste,  and 
one  who  knows  how  to  find  happiness  in  the 
world,  as  he  goes  along.  Success  to  Mr.  Jones ! 

Reader,  let  us  break  away  from  those  happy 
June  people,  leaving  them  to  stroll  about  a 
while  longer  in  the  shady  grounds  of  Mr.  Jones, 
while  we  go  and  plant  trees  in  our  own  grounds 
and  by  the  roadside,  while  it  is  yet  April. 

- «5M - - ►-«. - 

Hints  on  Grafting. 


for  grafting  the  cherry,  following  up  with  later 
growing  varieties.  The  scions  should  be  cut  in 
the  Tailor  Winter,  or  even  early  in  Spring  before 
the  buds  have  swollen,  and  be  kept  buried  in  sand 
or  earth  in  the  cellar,  or  a  dry  sand  bank.  They 
should  always  be  of  the  previous  year’s  growth. 


For  tools,  provide  a  fine  toothed  saw,  a  grafting 
knife  like  the  one  here  shown  when  it  can  be  had, 
a  sharp  pruning  knife,  a  mallet,  and  a  wooden 
wedge,  and  have  ready  prepared  some  grafting 
wax  or  clay,  as  described  below.  Of  the  various 
grafting  knives  in  use,  the  above  which  we  have 
had  engraved  for  the  Agriculturist  suits  us  best. 
Attached  to  the  handle  is  the  iron  frame  or  back 
turned  up  near  the  end  and  terminating  in  a  wedge 
an  inch  and-a-half  in  length.  Riveted  to  this  is 
the  thin  steel  knife,  some  3$-  inches  long,  and  3 
inches  wide,  with  a  keen  hollowed  edge  so  that 
in  splitting  the  limb  the  outer  wood  and  bark  are 
first  cut  by  the  curve  of  the  blade,  leaving  a 
smooth,  even  edge.  After  splitting  about  two 
inches  deep  by  a  blow  from  the  mallet — the  back 
piece  prevents  the  knife  from  going  deeper — 
withdraw  the  knife  and  drive  the  wedge  in  the 
center,  and  insert  the  grafts  upon  each  side  as 
shown  in  fig.  3. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  grafting,  only  two 
of  which  are  here  introduced  as  being  the  sim¬ 
plest  and  most  commonly  used.  These  are  cleft 
grafting  shown  below,  and  splice  grafting  as  seen 
in  figs.  5  and  6.  Cleft  grafting  is  used  upon  the 
branches  of  large  trees,  and  also  upon  stocks  of 
seedlings  one  half  inch  or  more  in  diameter.  The 
limb  or  trunk  should  never  be  more  than  two 


Grafting  is  performed  on  fruit  trees  for  two 
reasons — to  change  an  inferior  to  a  better  varie¬ 
ty,  and  to  hasten  the  fruiting  of  a  young  new  seed¬ 
ling  by  inserting  it  into  the  upper  branches  of  a 
tree  already  in  bearing.  It  is  also  used  to  im¬ 
prove  the  appearance  of  both  deciduous  and  ever¬ 
green  shade  trees,  by  engrafting  upon  a  common 
or  native  stock  a  more  ornamental,  or  a  foreign 
variety  of  the  same  family.  Most  of  the  weep¬ 
ing  trees  now  seen,  with  the  exception  of  the  wil¬ 
low,  are  ordinary  stocks  grafted  with  the  weep¬ 
ing  sorts  at  a  point  where  it  is  desired  they  should 
droop.  So  also,  many  of  the  choice  woody  par¬ 
lor  and  green-house  plants,  which  are  not  pro¬ 
duced  true  to  kind  from  seed,  are  propagated  by 
grafting  them  upon  common  roots  or  shoots  of  the 
same  genus.  Occasionally,  several  colors  are  en¬ 
grafted  upon  the  same  flowering  shrub,  which 
gives  it  a  beautiful,  variegated  appearance  when 
in  bloom. 

But  we  propose  now  to  speak  chiefly  of  fruits, 
and  give  some  plain  instructions  relative  to  graft¬ 
ing.  We  may  here  remark  that,  excepting  in  the 
case  of  the  the  pear  upon  the  quince  and  some 
of  the  tender  stone  fruits  upon  the  plum,  cross¬ 
ing  families  is  not  advisable  although  the  pear  has 
occasionally  been  made  to  grow  and  sometimes 
bear  upon  the  apple,  mountain  ash  and  thorn. 

The  season  for  grafting  is  when  the  buds  begin  to 
swell  in  Spring,  which,  in  this  latitude,  is  from  the 
middle  of  March  to  the  last  of  April  or  later.  Some 
varieties,  such  as  the  cherry,  start  very  early, 
while  the  apple  and  quince  are  much  later.  In 
ordinary  seasons  we  prefer  the  early  part  of  April 


inches  through — one  inch  is  better — since  in  the 
large  limbs  the  wound  will  require  a  long  time  to 
heal  over.  Having  sawn  off  the  branch,  pare  the 


Fig.  2.  Fig.  3.  Fig.  4. 


top  of  it  with  a  sharp  knife,  for  a  smooth  cut  heals 
over  more  readily  and  firmly  than  a  rough  or  jag¬ 
ged  surface. 

Prepare  the  scions  for  insertion  by  scarfing  them 
down  to  a  thin  edge  as  seen  in  fig.  3,  making  the 
cut  smooth  and  true,  and  about  one  inch  in 
length.  These  should  be  a  little  the  thickest 
upon  the  outer  edge  so  as  to  bring  the  bearing 
close  to  the  bark  where  the  union  is  to  take 
place.  The  scions  should  only  be  shaved  down 
as  wanted  for  use  that  the  cut  be  fresh.  In  length 
the  shoots  may  contain  two  or  three  buds  as  seen 
in  the  figures— or  when  the  variety  is  scarce,  one 
bud  will  answer,  leaving  it  near  the  top. 

The  essential  point  in  grafting  is  to  have  the  in¬ 
ner  bark  of  the  stock  in  exact  contact  with  that  of  the 
scion. 

The  reason  for  this  is,  that  the  sap  circulates 
up  through  the  outer  wood  and  down  through  the 
inner  bark,  and  these  two  portions  of  both  scion 


and  stock  must  be  in  contact  or  there  will  be  no 
circulation.  The  failure  to  appreciate  this  point, 
is  the  main  defect  with  unskillful  grafters.  To 
secure  this,  the  bottom  of  the  scion  is  sometimes 
pushed  out  and  the  upper  part  crowded  in  so  as  to 
have  the  bark  on  the  shoot  and  limb  cross  each 
other,  to  insure  perfect  contact  at  some  point. 

Where  the  stock  is  sufficiently  large  two  scions 
are  inserted.  If  both  grow  one  should  be  cutout 
the  next  season,  or  as  soon  as  the  wound  is  healed 
over.  If  the  stoek  is  not  large  enough  for  two 
scions,  shave  off  one  side,  as  seen  in  fig.  4,  to  fa¬ 
cilitate  the  healing. 

Grafting  Wax. — Having  inserted  the  grafts  as 
seen  in  the  engravings,  cover  thoroughly  with 
wax  made  of,  say :  two  lbs.  resin,  one  lb.  bees¬ 
wax  with  tallow,  or  lard  sufficient  to  leave  it  in  a 
pliable  state,  and  the  whole  is  done.  For  a  ce¬ 
ment,  some  prefer  6  lbs.  resin,  1  lb.  beeswax,  and 
1  pint  linseed  oil.  The  essential  thing  is  to  have 
covering  that  can  be  worked  into  every  crevice 
to  effectually  exclude  air  and  moisture,  and 


Fig.  5.  Fig.  6. 


neither  crack  in  cold  weather  nor  melt  in  the  sun. 
Many  old  grafters  still  prefer  a  mortar  of  one 
third  clean  fresh  horse  manure,  and  two  thirds 
clay  or  clayey  loam  with  a  little  hair,  the  whole 
worked  over  with  a  hoe,  adding  water  until  about 
like  mason’s  mortar.  This  is  spread  thickly  on 
old  rags  and  bound  around  the  graft,  tying  with 
strings.  The  mortar  should  be  pressed  between 
the  scions  to  leave  no  chance  for  air  or  rain  to 
enter.  It  is  more  trouble  to  use  the  clay  but  the 
cost  of  preparing  it  is  less. 

Fig.  5  represents  a  seedling  stalk  and  scion  of 
the  same  size  which  are  cutobliquely  for  splicing 
together.  The  slopes  should  be  from  1}  to  1£ 
inches  in  length,  and  made  to  fit  closely  together. 
Jf  the  size  varies  a  trifle,  be  sure  that  one  side 
joins  perfectly,  which  is  sufficient.  To  strength¬ 
en  the  union  and  render  success  more  certain  an 
upward  slit  is  sometimes  made  in  the  scion  and 
a  downward  corresponding  cut  in  the  stock,  funn¬ 
ing  a  sort  of  tongue  in  each,  which,  when  pressed 
together  appear  as  shown  in  fig.  6.  This  is  called 
tongue  grafting  and  is  a  very  sure  method  of  sav¬ 
ing  choice  scions  but  not  applicable  to  large 
branches.  After  bringing  the  edges  in  an  exact 
line  bind  with  strips  of  cloth,  about  one  half  inch 
wide  which  has  been  coated  with  melted  graft¬ 
ing  wax.  In  winding,  the  edges  of  the  cloth 
should  overlap  a  little  so  as  to  cover  every  point. 
As  the  tree  grows  it  bursts  this  bandage  render¬ 
ing  cutting  unnecessary.  Bass  matting  howev¬ 
er,  is  sometimes  used,  and  the  whole  covered  with 
grafting  wax. 

Whatever  the  kind  of  grafting,  care  should  oe 
taken  to  allow  no  superfluous  shoots  to  rob  the 
scion  of  its  proper  nourishment,  viz.,  the  sap  ;  and 
take  every  precaution  to  provide  for  its  continu¬ 
ous  free  circulation  between  and  through  both  stock 
and  scion. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


115 


The  Zante  Currant. 

Many  of  our  readers  have  seen  the  imported 
dried  currants,  used  for  cooking  in  fruit-cake,  pies, 
etc.,  and  they  will  perhaps  be  interested  to  know 
more  of  them,  especially  as  a  trial  of  raising  them 
in  this  country  is  about  being  made.  We  condense 
the  following  account  principally  from  a  com¬ 
munication  sent  in  by  S.  P.  M.,  Portland,  Me. 

Though  they  have  received  the  name  of  cur¬ 
rants,  they  are  properly  a  species  of  gripe,  grow¬ 
ing  on  a  vine,  and  capable  of  being  grafted  upon 
the  common  grape  vine.  The  fruit  grows  in 
clusters,  differing  from  the  common  grape  in  be¬ 
ing  seedless,  except  one  large  berry  in  each 
bunch,  which  is  called  the  male  currant. 

It  is  said  to  possess  very  fine  flavor  when  fresh, 
being  a  regular  article  of  dessert  in  the  country 
where  it  is  produced.  It  is  eaten  when  about 
three-fourths  ripe,  and  unlike  other  fruits,  is  said 
to  be  more  wholesome  before  fully  maturing. 

They  are  raised  in  the  southern  division  of 
Greece  (the  Morea),  and  the  adjoining  islands, 
particularly  Cephalonia,  Ithica,  and  Zante,  from 
which  latter  place  their  name  is  derived.  In  Ce¬ 
phalonia  alone,  our  correspondent  says,  over 
9000  acres  are  cultivated,  mostly  for  exportation. 

Our  correspondent  gives  an  account  of  the 
manner  of  preparing  them  for  shipping  not  parti¬ 
cularly  pleasing  to  think  of,  especially  to  scru¬ 
pulous  housekeepers,  who  make  neatness  a  car¬ 
dinal  virtue.  He  says  that  after  being  properly 
dried,  the  fruit  is  packed  in  casks,  being  trodden 
down  by  the  unwashed  feet  of  peasant  women. 

If  introduced  for  cultivation  in  this  country, 
they  would  probably  not  thrive  in  latitudes  north 
of  36°.  They  require  careful  culture,  needing 
abundance  of  water,  so  that  irrigation  is  re¬ 
sorted  to,  in  bringing  them  to  perfection.  They 
may  be  propagated  by  layers  or  cuttings  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  common  grape  vine,  and  re¬ 
quire  six  years  to  come  to  full  bearing  ;  the  fruit¬ 
ing,  however,  commences  in  about  three  years. 
The  high  prices  which  the  fruit  brings,  will  prob¬ 
ably  ensure  it  a  pretty  thorough  trial,  and  it  may 
prove  renumerative,  but  we  do  not  see  promise 
enough  in  the  plant  to  warrant  a  very  high 
currant  fever. 


Grafting  and  Transplanting  Grapes. 

A  correspondent  writes  us  that  he  has  several 
roots  of  the  common  Fox  grape,  which  he  wishes 
to  ^raft  with  improved  sorts  ;  and  asks  if  he  shall 
do  the  work  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same 
way  as  for  apple-trees.  He  also  wishes  to  re¬ 
move  a  large  Isabella  to  a  better  location. 

We  are  glad  to  see  that  the  improving  taste  of 
our  people  will  not  let  them  rest  satisfied  with 
the  old-fashioned  grapes.  There  is  a  delicious 
sweetness  and  flavor  in  most  of  the  newr  vat  ieties, 
of  which  many  people  had  before  read  and 
dreamed,  but  which  they  supposed  could  be  en¬ 
joyed  only  by  the  owners  of  costly  glass  struc¬ 
tures  for  raising  exotics.  We  do  not  wonder, 
therefore,  that  so  many  thousands  of  the  new 
comers  are  annually  disseminated  ovei  the  land. 
Nor  do  we  wonder  at  the  desire  to  engraft  the 
old  sorts  with  the  new  and  better.  This  work  is 
easily  done,  though  success  is  not  as  certain  as 
with  apples  and  pears.  It  may  be  done  in  the 
Spring,  at  the  time  of  grafting  fruit-trees  in  gen¬ 
eral,  if  the  stock  is  cut  off  several  inches  below 
ground,  and  then  well  waxed  over  to  prevent  ex¬ 
cessive  bleeding.  But  it  is  more  likely  to  suc¬ 
ceed,  if  done  later,  when  the  leaves  are  nearly 
expanded,  and  the  first  flow  of  sap  is  mostly  over, 
which  occurs,  in  this  latitude,  from  the  1st  to  the 


10th  of  June.  Saw  off ‘the  stock  smoothly  below 
ground,  split  it  in  the  usual  cleft-manner,  insert 
one  or  two  scions,  bind  the  stock  firmly  to¬ 
gether  if  it  does  not  adhere  well,  cover  with  wax, 
and  draw  the  earth  over  the  whole,  leaving  one 
bud  above  the  surface.  If  the  weather  is  dry,  it 
will  be  quite  important  to  mulch  the  ground  and 
shade  the  scions  for  a  month  or  two,  otherwise 
they  will  dry  up  and  perish.  When  the  stock  is 
large  and  difficult  to  split,  several  gimlet  holes 
may  be  bored  in  it  two  or  three  inches  deep,  and 
the  scions  inserted.  Make  the  holes  in  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  the  grain  of  the  wood.  Care  must  he 
taken  to  rub  off  the  suckers  which  will  spring  up 
from  the  stock,  and  would  otherwise  rob  the  scions 
of  their  necessary  food.  If  the  scions  get  well 
established,  they  will  make  a  growth  of  from  five 
t.o  ten  feet  the  first  season,  and  will  bear  some 
fruit  the  second  year. 

We  can  hardly  advise  to  transplant  a  large 
vine.  The  roots  extend  far  and  wide,  and  are 
very  easily  broken.  If,  however,  one  chooses 
to  try  it,  take  time  enough.  Take  a  leisure  half 
day  ;  begin  at  the  stump,  and  uncover  the  roots 
for  as  great  a  distance  as  the  branches  would  ex¬ 
tend  if  laid  upon  the  ground.  Then,  with  a  trans¬ 
planting  trowel  and  the  fingers,  follow  out  each 
root,  lifting  up  the  fibers  carefully  so  as  to  break 
none.  Then  set  it  out  as  speedily  as  possible,  so 
as  to  allow’  none  of  the  roots  to  become  dry,  giv¬ 
ing  it  the  best  possible  soil.  Cut  out  the  oldest 
canes,  and  shorten  the  youngest  to  5  or  6  feet. 
Mulch  the  roots  for  the  first  season,  and  water 
them  if  necessary  to  keep  the  vine  from  flagging. 

- <x>  <  t  O - 

The  Newer  Grapes. 

The  Rebecca  continues  to  hold  its  place  as  one 
of  the  most  delicious  of  our  native  grapes.  Its 
berries  have  been  happily  styled  “  bags  of  wine.” 
Yet,  careful  observers  begin  to  fear  that  its  hardi¬ 
ness  for  the  northern  States  is  not  yet  fully  de¬ 
termined.  The  original  vine  at  Newburgh,  on 
the  Hudson,  has  been  laid  dow’n  and  covered 
every  winter,  and  the  young  vines,  how  every¬ 
where  growing,  show  that  protection  is  not 
thrown  away  upon  them.  Let  tins  important 
point  be  looked  at,  and  when  longer  and  wider 
experiments  have  been  made,  we  shall  know 
better,  whether  its  wood  is  as  hardy  as  its  fruit 
is  excellent.  Objections  have  also  been  made 
to  it  on  account  of  its  tendency  to  mildew. 
With  us  (in  northern  N.  Y.,)  it  has  suffered  more 
than  the  Delaware  and  the  Concord,  but  not 
more  than  the  Diana  and  Isabella. 

No  fault  can  be  found  with  the  Delaware, 
except  for  the  comparative  smallness  of  its 
clusters  and  berries  :  yet  even  in  this  respect 
it  is  improving  with  the  age  of  the  vines.  As 
it  ripens  its  fruit  before  warm  weather  is  over, 
it  is  not  easy  to  keep  it  a  long  time  fresh  and 
plump.  But  for  late  preservation,  we  have  enough 
in  the  Diana,  Rebecca,  Isabella,  etc. 

The  Marion  and  the  Logan  do  not  seem  to 
come  rapidly  into  public  favor.  Yet  we  think 
the  Logan  will  soon  stand  nearly  alongside  with 
the  Concord  and  Hartford  Prolific,  on  account 
of  its  hardiness  and  earliness.  Its  small  size  is 
an  objection  to  it. 

The  Anna  is  now  highly  spoken  of  in  some 
quarters.  It  originated  in  the  garden  of  Eli 
Hasbrouck,  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  and  fruited  first 
in  the  year  1851.  It  is  a  white  grape  in  the 
shade,  and  light  amber  in  the  sun,  with  an  abun¬ 
dant  bloom.  The  bunches  are  large,  moderately 
compact,  shouldered,  and  symmetrically  shaped. 
Berries  fair  size,  round,  and  translucent.  An 
ardent  amateur  says  :  “  It  is  surpassingly  sweet, 


rich,  vinous,  and  somewhat  spicy  in  its  flavor, 
and  has  a  decided,  but  pure  and  delightful  aro¬ 
ma.”  It  ripens  a  week  before  the  Isabella,  but 
is  improved  by  hanging  long  on  the  vines. 
These  statements,  be  it  remembered,  are  only 
from  first  impressions.  Longer  trial  and  obser¬ 
vation  may  modify  our  opinion.  But  at  any  rate, 
this  grape  “  promises  well.”  As  Mr.  Hovey  says : 
“  If  it  proves  (hardy  and)  as  early  as  the  Diana, 
it  will  be  a  most  valuable  acquisition.” 

The  Clara.  Of  this',  comparatively  little  is 
yet  known.  It  was  a  chance  seedling  in  the 
garden  of  P.  Raabe,  of  Philadelphia.  Dr.  Brinckle, 
a  good  judge  of  fruits,  describes  it  as  follows  : 
“Bunch  medium,  herrv  medium ;  round,  green’, 
faintly  tinged  with  salmon  when  exposed  to  the 
sun  ;  flesh  tender,  juicy  ;  flavor  rich,  sweet,  and 
delicious ;  quality  best.”  Dr.  L.  E.  Bercumans, 
the  famous  pomologist,  says  :  “  The  Clara  is  a 
precious  addition  to  our  still  short  list  of  na¬ 
tive  grapes  of  great  merit.  The  fruit  is  test¬ 
ed,  and  stands  high  indeed.  The  only  thing  to 
be  tested  is  the  hardiness  of  the  vine  under 
unfavorable  circumstances.”  It  is  said  to  ripen 
as  early  as  the  Isabella. 

The  Union  Village  is  said  to  be  equal  in 
size  to  the  Black  Hamburg,  equal  in  quality  to 
the  Isabella  ;  but  the  vine  is  tender,  and  needs 
careful  protection  in  Winter.  On  account  of  its 
very  rampant  growth  and  late  ripening,  it  re¬ 
quires  to  be  planted  in  dry  soil,  only  moderate¬ 
ly  rich,  and  in  a  sunny  exposure. 

The  To  Kalon  is  not  as  well  known  as  it 
deserves  to  be.  It  has  large,  shouldered  bunch¬ 
es,  berries  black,  and  covered  with  a  profuse 
bloom.  The  fruit  is  of  first  rate  quality,  equal 
in  every  respect  to  Isabella  or  Catawba.  It 
needs  a  deep,  rich  soil  to  promote  fruitfulness. 


How  to  Raise  Strawberries. 


This  month  is  one  of  the  best  in  all  the  year 
for  planting  the  strawberry.  For  this  reason,  and 
because  many  persons  still  imagine  that  there  is 
some  mystery  in  the  raising  of  this  excellent  fruit, 
we  will  now  set  forth  all  that  is  really  necessary 
to  know  on  the  subject.  For  a  more  full  discus¬ 
sion  of  the  theory  and  practice,  we  refer  the  read¬ 
ers  to  articles  in  our  recent  volumes. 

The  strawberry  likes  a  warm,  sandy  loam,  with 
a  sunny  exposure.  It  will  hear  fruit  in  poor  soil, 
but  to  produce  large  berries  and  a  plenty  of  them, 
the  land  must  be  enriched.  It  will  hear  fruit  a 
short  time,  in  a  light  and. thin  soil,  but  to  prolong 
the  season  of  bearing  into  the  midst  of  dry  weath¬ 
er,  the  soil  must  be  deepened  by  trenching  (dig¬ 
ging).  Some  varieties  have  imperfect  flowers,  i  e. 
are  either  staminate  or  pistillate,  (male  or  female) 
and  can  not  fertilize  themselves,  therefore,  those 
of  one  sex  need  to  be  planted  in  the  neighbor¬ 
hood  of  the  other.  A  few  have  perfect  flowers, 
and  are  called  hermaphrodite.  In  the  artificial 
soil  of  our  gardens,  strawberry  plants  are  apt  to 
grow  too  rank  and  dense  for  their  highest  pro¬ 
ductiveness,  and  should  be  thinned  out,  so  as  to 
keep  them  several  inches  apart. 

The  above  are  perhaps  the  most  important  gen¬ 
eral  principles  connected  with  successful  straw¬ 
berry  culture.  Now,  for  an  application  :  Choose 
a  warm  portion  of  the  garden,  unshaded  by  trees 
or  vines,  and  where  there  is  no  standing  water  in 
the  subsoil.  If  the  garden  has  already  been 
trenched  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  deep,  and  if 
the  soil  is  warm,  rich  and  porous  throughout,  all 
you  have  to  do  is  to  just  spade  up  the  earth,  level 
it  off,  and  set  out  your  plants.  But,  supposing 
the  subsoil  is  hard,  and-  the  top  soil  somewhat 


116 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


stiff  and  cold,  and  ex¬ 
hausted  by  other  crops, 
then  proceed  as  follows  : 

Begin  at  one  end  of  the 
proposed  bed,  and  take  off 
the  top  soil  one  spade 
deep  and  four  feet  square, 
and  carry  the  same  to 
the  other  end.  Spread 
over  this  uncovered  spot, 
a  compost  of  old  manure 
and  rotted  weeds  or 
muck  from  the  woods, 
and  spade  it  down,  and 
mix  all  thoroughly  to¬ 
gether.  Then  uncover 
four  feet  more,  throwing 
the  top  soil  over  the  part 
already  manured.  Ma¬ 
nure  the  uncovered  soil 
as  before,  and  so  pro¬ 
ceed  the  whole  length  of 
the  bed  :  on  reaching  the 
end  you  will  find  use  for 
the  top  soil  taken  off  at 
the  beginning.  If  now, 
the  top  soil  is  not  rich 
enough,  or  is  too  hard 
and  sterile,  apply  a  dress¬ 
ing  of  fine  compost,  or 
sand  and  wood-earth  and 
ashes,  mixing  the  whole 
thoroughly.  Then  level 
off  and  lay  out  the  beds 
four  feet  wide,  and  as 
long  as  your  space  de¬ 
mands.  Three  beds,  of 
that  width  and  fourteen 
feet  long,  will  supply  an 
ordinary  family  and  their 
cousins,  with  an  abun¬ 
dance.  Set  three  rows  in 
each  bed,  and  let  the 
plants  be  eighteen  inches 
apart  in  the  rows.  Mulch 
the  ground  between  the 
plants  with  tan-bark  or 
straw.  If  the  weather  is 
dry  for  several  weeks  af¬ 
ter  planting,  give  an  oc¬ 
casional  watering.  Keep 
the  runners  clipped,  and 
the  weeds — let  none  be 

seen.  You  may  be  tempted  to  let  the  plants  bear 
fruit  the  first  year;  but  this  will  only  weaken 
them  and  prevent  a  bountiful  crop  the  second 
season.  The  very  best  way  is  to  keep  down  all 
the  runners,  and  to  pinch  off  every  blossom  the 
first  year. 

As  to  the  best  varieties,  it  is  no  easy  matter  to 
decide,  where  there  are  so  many  excellent  sorts ; 
but  the  following  may  be  relied  on  as  certainly 
good : 

Staminatc  sorts :  Wilson’s  Albany,  Long- 
worth’s  Prolific,  Hooker,  and  Large  Early  Scarlet. 

Pistillates :  Hovey’s  Seedling,  McAvoy’s  Supe¬ 
rior,  Burr’s  New  Pine,  Black  Prince,  Crimson 
Cone. 

Some  of  the  above  are  regarded  in  certain  quar¬ 
ters  as  hermaphrodite,  viz. ;  Longworth’s  Pro¬ 
lific,  Hooker,  and  Wilson’s  Albany. 

The  staminates  and  pistillates  may  be  set  to¬ 
gether  in  the  same  bed  ;  but  it  is  better  to  keep 
them  in  separate  patches.  If  they  are  within  six 
or  eight  feet  of  each  other,  the  pistillate  plants 
will  be  sufficiently  fertilized.  * 


The  Traveler’s  Tree, 


Rev.  Mr.  Philips  who  went  out  to  Madagascar 
in  the  employment  of  the  London  Missionary  So¬ 
ciety,  has  written  a  work  descriptive  of  that 
country.  He  took  with  him  photographic  appa¬ 
ratus,  and  obtained  exact  pictures  of  many  trees 
and  other  objects.  One  of  the  trees,  called  the 
Traveler's  Tree,  pictured  and  described  by  him,  is 
so  unique,  so  striking,  and  withal  so  new  and 
wonderful,  that  we  have  deemed  it  worth  while 
to  re-engrave  it  for  the  Agriculturist,  especially 
as  the  book  has  not  been  yet  republished  in  this 
country. 

The  engraving  gives  the  general  form  and 
structure  of  the  tree  which  is  in  itself  a  gorgeous 
specimen  of  tropical  vegetation,  and  adds  a  strik¬ 
ing  feature  to  the  landscape  where  it  grows.  The 
most  remarkable  thing  about  it,  however,  is  the 
fact  that  it  furnishes  a  large  supply  of  pure  water 
in  the  very  driest  season,  even  when  grow¬ 
ing  upon  the  most  arid  sandy  plain.  From  this 
boon  of  fresh  pure  water,  afforded  to  the  thirsty 


traveler,  it  derived  its 

name.  The  water  fur¬ 
nished  by  it  is  said  to  be 
of  such  excellent  quality 
that  the  natives  of  Mad¬ 
agascar,  where  it  grows 
abundantly,  resort  to  it 
in  preference  to  going 
but  a  little  distance  fur¬ 
ther  for  supplies  from  the 
stream. 

The  leaves,  which  fur¬ 
nish  the  fluid,  are  each 
from  four  to  six  feet 
long,  and  about  two  feet 
broad,  and  they  are  at¬ 
tached  to  the  body  by  a 
stalk  six  or  eight  feet 
long,  and  of  proportion¬ 
ate  thickness,  each  tree 
having  from  fifteen  to 
twenty-four  leaves.  The 
base  of  each  leaf-stalk 
contains  a  reservoir  of 
water,  holding  a  quart  o* 
more,  which  is  drawn 
out  by  the  natives  by 
striking  a  spear  or  other 
sharp-pointed  instrument 
four  or  five  inches  deep 
into  the  stalk  near  its 
junction  with  the  trunk 
of  the  tree,  when  the 
water  flows  out  freely 
The  main  stem  of  the 
tree  is  thick  and  succu¬ 
lent,  resembling  a  plan 
tain  tree,  rising  some¬ 
times  thirty  feet  high 
andsendingofl'the  leaves 
from  each  side  of  the 
top  of  the  stem.  As  the 
leaves  increase  in  num¬ 
ber  and  size,  they  extend 
horizontally  and  droop  at 
the  end,  thus  giving  the 
tree  the  appearance  of  a 
gigantic  fan,  with  a  very 
long  handle. 

Inhabiting,  as  we  do,  a 
land  flowing  with  living 
streams,  where  nearly 
every  hill-side  has  its 
sparkling  spring,  and 
each  valley  its  winding  brook,  and  where  even  in 
the  cities  the  indispensable  element  is  taught  to 
follow  the  tangled  streets  and  enter  each  dwelling, 
we  can  hardly  appreciate  the  boon  bestowed  by 
Providence  upon  less  favored  regions  by  such  a 
gift  as  the  Traveler’s  Tree. 

Mr.  Philips  thinks  the  name  “  Builder's  tree  ” 
would  be  even  more  appropriate  than  its  present 
title.  The  enormous  leaves  are  used  to  thatch 
all  the  houses  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  island  , 
the  leaf-stalks  furnish  materials  for  constructing 
the  partitions,  and  even  the  sides  of  the  house  ; 
and  the  hard  bark  enclosing  the  stem,  is  stripped 
off,  beaten  out  flat,  and  laid  for  flooring— the 
pieces  often  being  eighteen  inches  wide,  and  from 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  long.  The  dusky  house¬ 
keepers  of  Madagascar  also  make  portions  of  the 
green  leaves  serve  the  purposes  of  wrapping-paper, 
table  cloths,  dishes,  plates,  spoons,  and  drinking 
vessels. 

Were  it  not  for  the  high  character  of  Mr.  Phil¬ 
ips,  and  of  the  Society  sending  him  out,  we  might 
be  inclined  to  think  the  Traveler's  Tree  received 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


117 


its  name  from  some  of  one  of  the  wonderful  stor¬ 
ies  which  travelers  are  usually  fond  of  relating, 
and  which,  we  may  add,  their  auditors  are  equal¬ 
ly  fond  of  listening  to. 


Nonsensical  Recipes- 

There  may  be  some  “Cook  Books”  which  are 
valuable,  but  we  have  yet  to  find  one  which  we 
can  recommend  as  reliable.  There  are,  in  all  of 
these,  more  or  less  good  things,  but  along  with 
the  good  there  is  such  an  admixture  of  the  worse 
than  useless,  that  unless  the  reader  is  already 
skillful — in  which  case  the  book  is  not  wanted — 
it  is  hardly  safe  to  rely  upon  the  printed  “  direc¬ 
tions.”  These  statements  were  suggested  at  this 
moment  by  chancing  to  open  a  volume  called 
“  The  Skillful  Housewife’s  Book  ”  which  has 
keen  highly  puffed,  and  the  title  page  says  “35th 
thousand.”  The  first  ‘recipe’  our  eye  fell  upon 
was  for  “  bleeding  at  the  nose,”  for  which  it  is 
recommended  to  “tie  a  thread  very  tight  around 
the  little  finger.”  About  as  sensible  as  to  recom¬ 
mend  spitting  three-and-a-half  times  on  the  north 
side  of  a  fiat  stone  to  cure  the  heart-burn. . .  .On 
the  same  page  we  read  :  “  For  corns ;  Melt  to¬ 
gether  2  oz.  of  beeswax  and  2  ounces  of  ammo¬ 
nia,  and  just  before  they  are  cold  add  $  oz.  of 
verdigris.  Spread  on  small  pieces  of  linen,  and 
apply  it,  after  paring  the  corn.  This  has  cured 
inveterate  corns.”  A  pretty  time  one  would  have 
in  “  melting  ”  ammonia,  a  very  volatile  liquid. 
We  would  not  object  to  paring  the  corn,  but  de¬ 
liver  us  from  the  verdigris.  Again,  on  the  same 
page,  for  Ring  Worms  :  “  Lay  a  penny  in  a  spoon¬ 
ful  of  vinegar,  and,  after  standing  a  few  hours 
wash  it  frequently.  This  will  cure.” — Will  it  1 
Verdigris  again,  for  the  only  substance  produced 
— if  any — by  the  penny  and  vinegar,  is  acetate  of 
copper  or  verdigris. 

On  the  next  page  we  read  for  Salt  Rheum  : 

“  One  quart  of  vinegar  and  4  oz.  of  litharge,  boiled 
down  to  k  pint.  When  settled,  turn  it  carefully 
from  the  sediment.  Take  a  stick,  round  at  the 
end,  and  stir  2  oz.  of  sweet  oil  or  more,  until  it 
forms  a  consistence  thicker  than  cream.  This 
has  cured  very  bad  cases.” — When  and  where  1 
On  the  same  page  we  find  :  For  mortification, 

“  Apply  poultices  of  yeast,  thickened,  if  conve¬ 
nient,  with  flour  of  slippjry  elm,  warm,  and  re¬ 
newed  often,  giving  the  patient  a  glass  of  yeast 
three  or  four  times  a  day,  and  tonic  bitters.”  The 
1  patient  ’  would  need  baking,  if  soft  enough  to 
take  three  or  four  glasses  of  yeast  a  day  besides 
the  *  tonic  hitters  ’. . .  .Turning  over  the  leaf,  we 
read  :  “  For  Sprains  and  Bruises,  when  the  skin  is 
not  broken,  take  a  pint  of  soft  soap,  a  handful  of 
salt,  a  tablespoonful  of  powdered  salt-petre,  and 
apply  to  the  part  affected  with  a  bandage.” — If  the 
skin  does  not  “break”  afterapplying  such  a  mix¬ 
ture  with  a  “  bandage  ”  it  must  be  distressingly 
tough. ..  .Next  we  have  “infallible,”  “safe,” 
“sure”  remedies  for  telons. . .  .Next :  “  One  pint 
essence  of  peppermint  and  three  of  whisky  gives 
perfect  relief  for  burns,  “  instantly.”. . .  .That  will 
do  for  this  time,  we  have  only  read  three  pages, 
which  is  enough  for  one  dose. 

- - — • - - - - . 

A  Neat  and  Tasteful  Ornament. 


At  this  season  of  the  year  there  will  be  little 
difficulty  in  finding  plenty  of  the  cones  of  ever¬ 
green  trees,  scattered  about  the  woods  and  lawns, 
which  have  partly  opened  and  perhaps  shed  their 
seeds.  Gather  a  few  of  these,  sprinkle  grass- 
eeed  among  the  openings,  and  set  the  cone  in  a 


wine-glass  or  other  small  vessel,  which  will  sup¬ 
port  it  well,  partially  filling  the  vessel  with  wa¬ 
ter.  In  a  few  days  the  burrs  will  close  upon  the 
seed,  and  they  will  germinate,  sending  out  their 
shoots  to  the  light,  and  forming  a  beautiful  little 
pyramid  of  green,  looking  all  the  brighter  by  con¬ 
trast  with  the  brown  color  of  the  cone. 

If  a  little  fine  mellow  soil  be  placed  in  the  lay¬ 
ers  of  a  cone  which  are  fully  opened,  and  the  cone 
set  upright  and  partly  buried  in  the  soil,  it  will 
make  a  pretty  and  unique  little  vase  or  flower  pot, 
in  which  seeds  of  a  few  delicate  plants  might  be 
sown,  producing  a  very  pleasing  effect."  Several 
cones  of  different  sizes  might  be  selected  and  ar¬ 
ranged  in  a  neat  box.  If  so  treated,  care  will  be 
needed  to  give  the  cones  sufficient  water.  We 
doubt  not  that  the  ingenuity  and  taste  of  our  fair 
readers  will  devise  many  modifications  of  the  idea 
here  suggested. 

i —  i  — 


floriculture,  may  be  useful ;  to  which  I  also  add 
a  list  of  botanical  names,  by  which  to  obtain  seeds 
of  plants  best  adapted  for  shells.  The  seeds  may 
be  found  at  most  seed-stores. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

Allow  me  to  contribute  to  that  lovely  and  in¬ 
teresting  part  of  your  paper  devoted  to  home 
floriculture,  an  idea,  which  has  found  many  ad¬ 
mirers  since  I  introduced  it  here  several  years 
ago,  and  which  I  think  will  come  into  great  favor 
when  generally  known  ;  as  it  adds  a  novel  and 
graceful  ornament  to  our  windows,  piazzas,  etc 
I  mean  the  successful  combination  of  two  such 
favorite  objects  as  the  shells  of  the  Ocean  with  the 
“  children  of  light  ” — flowers  growing  in  shells, 
each  in  itself  a  beautiful  thing  of  nature,  and  each 
lending  a  charm  to  the  other. 

Shells,  bearing  plants,  are  certainly  as  graceful, 
if  not  more  so,  than  the  hanging  flower-pots  (am- 
pels)  of  bronze,  terra  cotta,  etc.,  and  considering 
the  high  price  of  the  latter,  while  so  many  shells 
lie  buried  under  dust  in  closets  and  garrets  as 
useless  things,  I  quite  flatter  myself  that  this 
my  little  discovery  will  be  welcome  to  many 
friends  of  flowers — especially  their  human  sisters 

•just  at  this  season,  when  we  prepare  with  im¬ 
patience  for  the  new  offspring. 

The  cuts  will  give  a  sufficiently  clear  idea  of 
the  manner  in  which  they  are  to  be  used.  The 
places  where  they  are  to  be  suspended,  will  de¬ 
pend  upon  individual  convenience  and  taste.  Re¬ 
gard  should  of  course  be  had  to  proper  position  for 
light  and  heat.  For  attaching  the  cords  it  may  be 
necessary  to  drill  a  few  small  holes  in  the  shell, 
into  which  wires  can  be  inserted,  and  the  cords 
attached  to  them. 

Some  hints  to  those  not  much  acquainted  with 


The  impracticability  of  draining-holes  in  shells 
seems  the  first  obstacle  ;  but  three  years’  experi¬ 
ence  has  proved  it  of  no  serious  consequence. 
Into  large  shells  (over  6  inches),  I  put  first  a 
handful  or  more,  according  to  the  size  of  the 
shell,  of  coarse  clean  sand,  or  better  still,  coarse 
powdered  charcoal,  and  upon  this  the  light  soil, 
to  receive  the  seeds  or  plants ;  it  is  also  well  to 
mix  a  little  powdered  charcoal  with  this  soil.  In 
a  large  shell,  four  or  five  plants  of  different  kinds 
may  be  grown,  and  if  there  is  among  them  a  semi- 
aquatic  plant,  for  example  a  Mimulus,  the  soil  will 
more  frequently  be  found  too  dry,  than  too  wet. 
Small  shells  need  hardly  any  sand  or  charcoal,  as 
the  moisture  in  the  limited  quantity  of  soil  is 
quickly  exhausted  by  the  roots.  Careful  water¬ 
ing  when  dry,  is  of  course  a  matter  of  importance 
with  these,  as  with  every  pot-plant.  Many  per¬ 
sons  think  that  there  is  not  room  or  soil  enough 
in  a  shell  to  support  plants  ;  this  is  a  common  er¬ 
ror.  In  pots,  plants  succeed  and  bloom  generally 
better  in  little  soil,  (ban  in  too  much,  and  conse¬ 
quently  more  are  killed  by  too  large  vessels  than 
by  small  ones.  Three  years  ago  I  planted  a  Lo¬ 
belia  in  a  shell,  holding  not  quite  two  table-spoon¬ 
fuls  of  soil,  and  it  is  still  growing  in  it,  flowering 
exuberantly  every  summer ! 


Here  is  a  list  of  plants,  successfully  grown  in 
shells  ;  those  marked  with  *  are  only  for  larger 
shells  : 

‘Anagallis  Monelli 
‘Campanula  speculum 
Cenia  turbinata 
Cochlearia  or  Jonopsidium 
acaulis 

Grammanthus  gentian. 

Gypsophylla  muralis 
Linaria  cymbalaria 
Lobelia  ramosa 
Mimulus  moschatus 
‘Mimulus  speciosus,  and 
others. 


‘Manulea  violncea 
Mesembrianthemum  tricolor 
Nemesia  floribunda 
Oxalis  rosea 
Portulacca  grandiflora 
Silene  alpestris 
Saxifraga  sarmentosa 
Sedum  coeruleum 
Tradescantia  caudata 
Tradescantia  discolor 
Isolepis  tenella,  Agrojtis 
pulchella,  fine  grasses 


Climbing  plants  for  large  shells  : 

Ipomea  nil  and  quamoclit  Orobus  coccineus 
Maurandia’s  Thunbergias. 

For  garnishing  ;  Mosses  (Musci  and  Lichens), 
and  Lycopodia.  C.  Mbinkrtu. 

Rockingham  Co.,  N.  II, 


118 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


The  Best  Whitewash  we  Know  of. 

The  arrival  of  the  house-cleaning  and  house¬ 
repairing  season,  and  several  recent  inquiries,  re¬ 
mind  us  to  again  refer  to  that  first-rate  in-door 
white-wash  we  described  last  June.  Nearly  a 
year’s  trial  has  confirmed  all  we  said  of  it.  Our 
house  ceilings,  and  the  walls  where  not  papered, 
which  received  one  coat  last  May,  are  now  as 
white  as  after  a  usual  fresh  coat  of  lime,  and  we 
have  not  been  in  the  least  trouble  with  its  “  rub¬ 
bing  off.”  The  numerous  published  receipts,  to 
the  contrary  notwithstanding,  we  believe  no  pre¬ 
paration  of  linre  or  other  material  will  adhere 
well  without  the  addition  of  glue,  oil  or  varnish. 
The  latter  two  articles  are  expensive,  and  caustic 
lime  mixed  with  glue  will  soon  change  its  color. 
White  chalk  is  uncaustic  lime,  (carbonate  of  lime,) 
and  this  substance  is  the  best  substitute  for  lime, 
as  a  white-wash.  A  very  fine  and  brilliant 
white,  washed  preparation  of  chalk  is  called  “ Paris 
White.”  This  we  buy  at  the  paint  stores  for  3 
cents  a  pound,  retail.  For  each  sixteen  pounds 
of  Paris  White,  we  procure  half  a  pound  of  the 
white  transparent  glue,  costing  twenty-five  cents 
(fifty  cents  per  pound).  The  sixteen  pounds  of 
Paris  White  is  about  as  much  as  a  person  will 
use  in  a  day.  It  is  prepared  as  follows  : 

The  glue  is  covered  with  cold  water  at  night, 
and  in  the  morning  is  carefully  heated,  without 
scorching,  until  dissolved.  The  Paris  White  is 
stirred  with  hot  water  enough  to  give  it  the  proper 
milky  consistence  for  applying  to  the  walls,  and 
the  dissolved  glue  is  then  added  and  thoroughly 
mixed.  It  is  then  applied  with  a  brush  like  the 
common  lime  whitewash.  Except  on  very  dark 
and  smoky  walls  and  ceilings,  a  single  coat  is  suf¬ 
ficient.  It  is  nearly  equal  in  brilliancy  to  “  zinc 
white,”  a  far  more  expensive  article.  Let  the 
readers  of  the  American  Agriculturist ,  try  this 
method  the  present  Spring,  on  a  room  or  two  at 
least,  and  we  think  they  will  not  use  lime  there¬ 
after.  It  is,  of  course,  a  little  more  expensive 
than  common  lime,  but  is  cheaper  in  the  end,  on 
account  of  its  better  color,  greater  permanence, 
and  firm  adherence  to  the  plastering.  At  least, 
such  is  our  experience. 


House  Cleaning- 


BY  ANNA  HOPE. 

“  The  melancholy  days  are  come, 

The  saddest  of  the  year,” 

To  the  lords  of  creation.  House-cleaning  is  in 
season  ;  carpets  must  be  taken  up  and  shaken, 
walls  must  be  brushed,  perhaps  washed,  or  pa¬ 
pered,  or  painted.  Paint  must  form  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  the  scrubbing-brush,  windows 
must  be  taken  out  and  dashed  with  water,  and 
chilling  draughts  and  general  discomfort  must  be 
produced,  which  will  result  in  colds  and  coughs, 
exhaustion  of  body  and  vexation  of  spirit. 

These  wonderful  “  house-cleanings  ”  result  in 
much  more  harm  than  good,  notwithstanding 
“  cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness.”  There  is  a 
more  excellent  way  of  neatness,  a  quiet,  unob¬ 
trusive  way,  which  occasions  no  great  disturbance 
— no  violent  revolution — which  does  not  bring  in 
its  train  evil  consequences  to  health  and  temper 
and  family  comfort. 

The  attic  may  first  be  put  in  order — its  trunks 
and  boxes  overlooked,  and  all  things  not  needed 
there  for  the  summer,  removed. 

Then  let  the  chambers  be  cleaned,  disturbing  no 
more  rooms  than  can  be  completed  in  a  day,  un¬ 
less  extra  work,  like  painting  and  papering  is  re¬ 
quired.  The  furniture  should  be  thoroughly 
dusted  and  removed  to  another  room.  Pictures 
should  be  taken  from  the  wall ;  mattresses 


should  be  well  beaten,  and  the  bedstead,  if  not 
taken  apart,  should  be  covered  to  protect  it  from 
the  dust.  When  taking  up  the  carpet,  fold  the 
breadths  as  carefully  as  possible,  so  as  not  to  raise 
much  dust.  The  sweeping  should  be  done  slowly, 
and  with  short  strokes  of  the  broom  or  brush,  for 
the  same  reason.  After  the  dust  has  settled,  the 
wood-work  requires  a  nice  dusting  before  wash¬ 
ing  it ;  the  walls  may  be  dusted  either  by  a  long- 
handled  feather  duster,  or  by  tying  old  muslin 
over  a  broom,  and  passing  over  the  walls  and 
ceiling  with  it — this  removes  the  dust  more  ef¬ 
fectually  than  a  broom  or  brush  without  it.  It  is 
well  to  wash  the  floor  before  the  other  wood¬ 
work,  to  save  the  clothes  from  becoming  unneces¬ 
sarily  soiled. 

In  washing  windows  or  paint  there  is  no  need 
of  a  deluge  of  water,  which,  unless  speedily 
wiped  up,  will  run  through  the  floor  and  stain  the 
ceiling  below.  The  cloth  for  cleaning  should  not 
be  dripping  with  water  ;  it  is  only  an  untidy  tidi¬ 
ness  to  have  pools  of  soap-suds  lying  about  the 
floor  ;  it  is  well  to  have  a  dry  cloth  with  which 
to  wipe  paint  after  washing  it.  Soap  should  not 
be  rubbed  on  the  scrubbing  cloth  when  it  can  be 
avoided,  as  it  softens  and  removes  the  paint — 
there  are,  however,  obstinate  cases  in  which  se¬ 
vere  remedies  must  be  used.  Window’s  should 
first  be  wiped  with  a  damp  cloth  ;  use  a  brush  for 
the  corners — an  old  shaving  brush  answers  well 
for  this  purpose  ;  if  the  dust  resists  the  brush, 
put  a  bit  of  whalebone  or  a  splinter  in  the  cloth, 
and  you  will  not  fail  to  succeed  ;  nothing  looks 
worse  than  black  corners.  Dry  the  window  with 
a  dry  cloth  which  is  not  linty,  or  with  paper. 

Floors  should  always  be  washed  after  taking  up 
carpets,  before  putting  them  down  again,  as  a 
protection  against  moths.  If  moths  are  found  in 
the  carpet,  I  know  no  better  way  than  to  dampen 
a  cloth,  place  it  over  the  carpet  and  iron  it  with 
a  hot  iron,  so  that  the  steam  may  destroy  the  life 
of  the  mischievous  little  workers.  This  is  parti¬ 
cularly  important  in  parts  of  the  carpet  where  fur¬ 
niture  is  not  often  removed — as  under  book-cases 
and  tables.  In  putting  down  a  carpet  do  not 
drive  the  tacks  as  if  they  were  never  to  be  taken 
out  again,  but  leave  them  so  that  with  the  claw 
of  a  tack-hammer  they  may  easily  be  drawn  out. 
Tacks  w'ith  leather  upon  them  are  best,  as  there 
is  less  danger  of  carelessly  pulling  them  through 
the  carpet. 

When  the  chambers  are  in  order  for  summer, 
the  rooms  on  the  lower  floor  can  take  their  turn. 
The  cellar  must  not  be  neglected — the  remains 
of  vegetables  must  be  removed,  and  a  good  coat 
of  whitewash  applied.  The  health  of  families  of¬ 
ten  suffers  from  neglect  in  this  respect ;  it  is  im¬ 
possible  to  thrive  in  impure  air. 

While  you  are  using  whitewash  do  not  suffer 
yourself  to  yield  to  the  temptation,  if  it  should  be 
presented,  to  whitewash  the  fences,  and  above  all 
the  trees.  I  think  the  color  the  Creator  gave  the 
trees  is  the  best  for  them,  and  when  we-  dress 
them  in  shrouds,  we  mar  their  beauty.  Fences 
are  necessary  evils ;  they  injure  the  unity  of  a 
landscape  by  creating  a  resemblance  to  a  chess¬ 
board.  Fences  should  never  be  made  conspicu¬ 
ous  ;  they  are  best  when  concealed  by  shrubbery. 
We  are  told  that  these  uncultivated  spots  har¬ 
bor  weeds,  and  so  fences  must  stand  up  straight 
and  bare,  a  mere  thing  of  use,  unclothed  with  the 
garment  of  beauty  which  Nature  is  ever  weaving 
to  hide  ugliness.  If  fences  are  painted,  let  it  be 
of  some  quiet  color,  as  nearly  resembling  that  of 
the  soil  as  possible. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  paint  and  paper  a  room  if 
one  chooses  to  attempt  it.  To  paint  requires  no 
more  strength  than  to  use  a  scrubbing-brush,  and 
it  certainly  repays  one  for  some  hours  of  labor  to 


see  a  room  look  fresh  and  nice.  Directions  suf¬ 
ficient  for  the  purpose  would  be  given  by  any 
painter,  unless,  perchance,  the  fear  that  his  craft 
was  in  danger  might  seal  his  lips. 

It  is  more  laborious  to  paper  than  to  paint,  be¬ 
cause  there  is  so  much  reaching,  but  with  a  proper 
step-ladder  it  will  not  be  very  wearisome  for  a 
person  in  good  health.  Care  must  be  taken  to 
match  the  figures  correctly  and  to  have  the  differ¬ 
ent  widths  hang  perpendicularly.  Begin  to  paper 
by  a  door  or  window  where  any  defect  in  match¬ 
ing  will  be  the  least  observed.  A  little  aluin  dis¬ 
solved  in  the  paste  causes  it  to  adhere  better. 
When  the  paper  has  been  laid  against  the  wall 
it  can  be  smoothed  on,  by  patting  it  with  a  towel, 
from  the  middle  of  the  paper  to  the  edge ;  too 
much  paste  must  not  be  put  on  the  paper  as  it 
may  stain  it. 

Putting  away  woolens  and  furs  comes  in  con¬ 
nection  with  spring  cleaning  ;  nothing  is  better 
for  their  preservation  from  moths  than  camphor 
— turpentine  and  tobacco  are  also  good.  Furs 
and  woolens  should  be  put  away  early  in  the  sea¬ 
son,  if  possible  before  the  moths  appear. 


Filtering  Cisterns.— An  Improvement- 


The  above  cut  we  gave  in  January  (page  G), 
to  show  a  general  form  of  constructing  double 
or  filtering  cisterns.  Wm.  R.  Hazard,  of  Ca¬ 
yuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  has  since  called  upon  us  and 
described  his  own  cistern,  which  is  essentially 
like  the  above,  but  with  an  improvement  which 
we  have  attempted  to  illustrate  in  fig.  2.  The 
improvement  consists  in  so  arranging  the  filter¬ 
ing  materials,  that  the  water  shall  rise  through 


them  in  passing  from  the  receiving  cistern,  R, 
to  the  main  cistern,  C.  The  advantage  of  this 
is,  that  while  the  sediment  would  settle  upon, 
and  clog  up  the  upper  layer  of  sand  in  fig.  1, 
but  in  fig.  2  it  would,  fall  down  and  leave  the 
filter  always  clean.  There  is  a  little  error  in 
engraving  fig.  2,  which  we  did  not  observe  un¬ 
til  too  late  to  correct  it.  The  lower  layer  of 
sand  s,  should  be  supported  by  a  perforated  board 
or  sheet  of  copper,  with  a  woollen  cloth  upon 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


119 


it,  to  hold  the  sand  ;  and  farther,  the  open  space 
below  should  be  larger,  say  four  or  five  inches 
deep  to  leave  abundant  room  for  any  amount 
of  sediment.  Thus  constructed,  the  filter  will  not 
require  changing  or  cleaning  for  a  long  time. 

- _ — - - - 

Kitchen  Drains. 

One  of  the  greatest  nuisances  at  the  back¬ 
door  of  many  country-houses,  is  the  kitchen 
drain.  Every  farmer  and  gardener  knows  that 
slops  from  the  sink  and  soap-suds  from  the 
wash-tub,  if  saved,  would  make  an  excellent  fer¬ 
tilizer  ;  and  that  if  thrown  upon  the  ground  at 
the  back-door,  they  become  offensive  to  the  eye 
and  nostrils,  as  well  as  a  source  of  disease.  For 
every  man  who  has  a  garden  or  farm,  we  still 
recommend  that  all  the  refuse  from  kitchen  and 
chamber  be  saved  and  applied  where  needed. 
It  may  be  collected  in  barrels,  or  conducted  by 
troughs  to  the  manure  heap,  and  there  mixed 
with  muck  or  other  absorbents. 

But  to  those  (pitiable  people  !)  who  have  no 
desire  to  save  slops,  and  who  wish  only  to  be 
decently  rid  of  them,  we  recommend  a  plan, 
which  we  have  seen  tried,  and  know  to  be  a 
good  one.  It  was  as  follows  :  A  plank  spout  was 
made,  three  feet  long,  two  feet  wide  at  one  end, 
and  one  foot  at  the  other ;  the  smallest  end 
was  sunk  in  the  ground  near  the  kitchen  door. 
The  upper  end  contained  a  moveable  sieve,  with 
holes  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  six  inches  below 
this  was  another  with  holes  half  an  inch  in  dia¬ 
meter.  Between  the  two  sieves,  little  refuse 
matter  in  the  slops  passsd  through  to  clog  up 
the  drain  below.  These  sieves  are  easily  re¬ 
moved  and  cleaned.  A  lid  over  the  top  of  the 
spout  to  keep  down  offensive  odors,  completed  it. 
The  lower  end  of  this  spout  terminated  in  a 
plaTSk-drain  six  inches  in  diameter  and  twelve 
feet  long,  laid  below  frost.  This  drain  conducted 
to  a  cess-pool  six  feet  deep  and  five  feet  broad, 
which  was  filled  up  with  cobble  stones  laid  loose¬ 
ly,  and  with  a  considerable  open  space  in  the 
center.  From  one  side  of  this  cess-pool,  a  drain 
of  tubular  tile  two  and  a  half  inches  diameter,  ran 
off  into  an  adjoining  pasture.  To  aid  in  keeping 
his  cess-pool  sweet,  and  in  carrying  off  the  liquid 
clean  through  the  tile-drain,' the  water  from  the 
cow-troughs  of  an  adjoining  shed  or  stable  was 
conducted  into  the  cess-pool.  At  every  consider¬ 
able  shower,  this  washed  all  out  thoroughly.  This 
arrangement  has  worked  well  for  several  years. 

- —  4  ■maag-^g1  mi  p  ^ 

Soda  in  Bread— Again. 

We  continue  to  receive  numerous  communica¬ 
tions  on  both  sides  of  this  question,  and  must  beg 
a  little  truce.  The  theory  of  the  action  of  alka-» 
line  carbonates  in  raising  bread  and  biscuits,  and 
the  action  of  alkalies  and  the  residuum  salts  upon 
the  system,  have  been  pretty  fully  set  forth.  We 
believe  the  right  view  of  this  subject  to  be  about 
this  :  So  far  as  practicable,  it  is  best  to  use  the 
old-fashioned  “  salt-raising  ”  bread.  When  ne¬ 
cessary,  substitute  ‘‘brewer’s  yeast.”  For  occa¬ 
sional  convenience,  biscuits,  etc.  may  be  raised 
with  cream  of  tartar  and  soda,  taking  care  to  have 
these  substances  in  the  proportion  in  which  they 
will  most  nearly  counteract  each  other,  and  pro¬ 
duce  a  neutral  salt.  The  injurious  effect  of  such 
occasional  diet  will  be  no  greater  than  that  of 
many  articles  of  indigestible  food  daily  consumed, 
such  as  heavy  pie-crust,  or  that  crisp  with  short¬ 
ening,  hard-cooked  meat  or  eggs,  preserves,  and 
such  drinks  as  soda-tvater,  strong  tea  and  coffee. 

One  correspondent,  “  Agricola,”  referring  to  the 
fact  that  the  sale  of  soda  and  saleratus  has  greatly 


increased  latterly,  draws  the  conclusion  that  here 
is  to  be  found  one  cause  of  the  great  decline  in 
health.  That  the  general  health  of  our  people  is 
on  the  wane  is  not  so  certain ;  and  if  this  were 
the  case,  there  is  abundant  cause  for  it,  in  our 
more  luxurious  habits  of  diet  and  dress,  in  the 
closer  confined  air  of  our  modern  dwellings,  and 
in  the  later  hours  of  retiring  to  rest,  and  the  di¬ 
minished  amount  of  sleep  now  taken. 


M0P8  d§  ©©OTMMo 


Not  having  heard  anything  from  Grandmother  for  some 
time,  we  were  afraid  she  might  be  sick,  and  we  therefore 
requested  Cousin  Mary  to  find  out  all  about  it,  if  possible, 
and  let  us  know,  so  that  we  could  inform  all  the  grand¬ 
children.  After  some  delay  Mary  sendsus  the  following  : 

Dear  Mr.  Editor  I’ve  had  such  a  time!  I  didn’t 
know  as  I  should  ever  find  Grandmother.  I  went  to  her 
house  in  the  country,  and  found  it  all  shut  up,  nobody 
(here,  not  even  the  cat.  I  was  really  frightened,  and 
couldn’t  think  what  had  happened.  As  I  was  looking 
about,  Miss  Spriggs,  who  lives  right  opposite,  threw  up 
the  window,  and  in  her  screechy  voice,  piped  out :  “  No 
use  o’  knockin  there,  she’s  gone  to  the  city,  to  see  her  son 
John.”  I  thanked  her  for  the  information,  and  hastened 
away,  for  I  knew  if  I  staid  a  minute,  she  would  have 
asked  me  a  string  of  questions  about  everybody  and  every¬ 
thing.  Well,  I  came  to  the  city  again,  and  sure  enough, 
I  found  Grandmother  at  Uncle  John’s.  All  the  girls  were 
around  her,  and  she  was  as  pleasant  as  ever.  I  thought 
you  would  be  pleased  to  see  how  she  looked  in  her  new 
dress,  so  I  made  a  sketch  of  the  room,  as  it  looked  w  hen 
I  was  there,  which  I  send  you,  and  hope  you’ll  have  it  en¬ 
graved  for  all  the  grand-children  to  look  at.  Grandmother 
says  that  little  Kitty  in  the  cradle  pleases  her  much  bet¬ 
ter,  than  the  “  kitty  ”  that  used  to  play  with  her  ball  of 
yarn  at  home.  I  haven’t  time  to  write  more  now,  but  will 
soon  report  something,  for  Grandmother  keeps  on  talking 
to  the  girls  just  in  her  old  way.  Your  faithful  Reporter 

Mary. 


iLetter  from  TIssclc  Framli. 


When  I  had  my  last  chat  with  you,  I  was  nearly  a  thou¬ 
sand  miles  farther  from  the  equator,  at  my  own  dear 
home.  But  my  physician,  whom  I  have  learned  to  obey 
as  if  he  were  an  iron-hearted  schoolmaster  and  I  was  a 
little  urchin  under  his  government,  said  it  was  necessary 
for  my  health  that  I  should  spend  the  remainder  of  the 
Winter  in  the  sunny  South  ;  and  here  I  am  at  St.  Augus¬ 
tine,  the  oldest  and  one  of  the  quaintest  and  queerest 
towns  ever  settled  by  white  men  in  this  country. 

Now  I  am  going  to  tell  you  something  about  this  vener¬ 
able  place— its  low  stone  houses,  with  their  gables  staring 
the  outside  world  fall  in  the  face  ;  its  narrow  streets  ,-  its 
ancient  fort;  its  sweet  flowers  and  fruits  ;  its  mild  and 
genial  climate  ;  and  all  about  the  people,  citizens,  and 
strangers.  But  I  am  inclined  to  think,  that  before  I  do 
this,  you  would  prefer  to  have  me  give  you  a  birds-eye 
sketch  of  what  I  saw,  and  heard,  and  felt,  on  my  way  here 

It  was  very  cold  and  very  unpleasant  when  I  started  for 
Savannah  in  the  steamer  “  Alabama.”  We  flattered  our¬ 
selves  we  should  have  fine  weather,  however,  in  less  than 


twenty-four  hours  ;  whereas  we  had  any  thing  but  fine 
weather.  There  came  on  a  “  Northwester,”  which  gave 
us  a  very  respectable  specimen  of  a  gale,  occupying  the 
greater  part  of  a  whole  day  in  its  exhibition.  Then  we 
had  a  northeaster,  then  a  southeaster  ;  and  we  began  to 
think  that  we  were  in  the  midst  of  the  Easter  holidays. 
The  ladies  were  nearly  all  sick.  Every  thing  moveable 
tossed  about  the  ship  at  a  merry  rate.  But  the  storm 
cleared  off— what  a  blessing  it  is  that  all  storms  do — the 
sun  shone  out  blandly  and  lovingly  ;  the  ladies,  who,  like 
scared  mice,  had  fled  to  their  retreats  at  the  approach  of 
the  tempest,  re-appeared,  first  stealthily  as  the  mice  do 
when  they  are  pretty  sure  (not  quite)  that  Pussy  has  actu 
ally  departed,  then  with  more  boldness,  and  finally  with 
their  wonted  assurance.  We  were  three  days  in  reach¬ 
ing  Savannah.  “  What  kind  of  a  place  is  Savannah?” 

Well,  it  is  a  place  where  the  sand  is  abundant,  the 
cockroaches  huge  and  fleshy,  the  green  peas  and  fresh 
shad  nice  (when  you  can  get  them),  and  the  hotel  bills 
large  and  respectable.  The  geography  will  tell  you  the 
rest.  This  is  what  the  geography  don't  tell  you. 

I  wish  you  could  have  been  with  me  on  my  trip  from 
Savannah  to  St.  Augustine  ;  we  took  what  is  called  the 
“inside  passage,”  most  of  the  way.  You  will  wonder 
what  the  inside  passage  means.  If  you  w  ill  take  your 
map  of  the  Southern  States,  though,  you  can  easily  solve 
the  enigma.  You  w  ill  discover,  what  I  presume  you  have 
never  noticed  before,  that  the  coast  is  all  cut  up  into  little 
inlets,  with  small  and  almost  innumerable  islands.  Now, 
when  we  talk  about  the  inside,  we  mean  nothing  more  or 
less  than  threading  our  w-ay  through  this  chain  of  inlets. 
Our  boat  was  admirably  adapted  to  the  route.  Every 
thing  about  her  was  neat,  tasteful,  elegant,  and  comfort¬ 
able.  There  was  one  peculiarity  in  the  arrangements  of 
the  boat,  which  struck  me  as  especially  desirable.  The 
state-rooms  all  had  two  doors— one  opening  into  the  sa¬ 
loon,  and  the  other  outside,  affording  ns  a  perfect  view  of 
the  water,  as  we  lay  in  our  berths.  I  kept  my  outer  door 
open  all  night,  and  the  moon  entertained  me  until  the 
small  hours,  by  dancing  upon  the  waves.  We  had  to  go 
outside  to  enter  the  St.  Johns  river,  and  our  little  fairy 
steamer— the  Everglade— got  a  thorough  tossing  in  the 
meantime  ;  to  say  nothing  about  sundry  ladies  and  a  few 
gentlemen  who  were  most  thoroughly  and  pitiably  sick. 

Sometimes  alligators— great,  overgrown,  lazy  creatures, 
looking  more  like  a  black  log  than  anything  with  breath 
in  its  body,  are  seeing  lying  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Johns. 
We  saw  none  this  trip,  however.  The  season  is  not  quite 
far  enough  advanced  for  them  yet,  I  believe.  I  have  seen 
them  here  in  the  latter  part  of  April,  of  a  size  that  would 
astonish  you.  I  heard  a  good  many  interesting  anecdotes 
about  these  monsters,  from  people  residing  in  this  part  of 
the  country.,. It  seems  that  they  sometimes  exhibit  a  good 
deal  of  cunning  and  shrewdness,  especially  in  the  capture 
of  their  prey.  An  old,  shy  alligator,  with  the  scales  of’ 
many  summers  on  his  back,  and  who,  it  may  be,  is  fond' 
of  good  dinners,  will  station  himself  among  the  tall  grass' 
and  sedge  on  the  margin  of  a  creek,  opposite  a  rich  plan-' 
tation.  There  he  lies  perfectly  still.  He  can  afford  to 
wait.  He  has  plenty  of  spare  time  on  his  hands.  There 
comes  down  to  his  covert  a  dog,  perhaps.  He  dis-' 
covers  the  reptile,  but  satisfies  himself  with  barking  at 
the  intruder  long  and  furiously. 

By  and  by,  it  may  be ,  a  pig,  in  one  of  its  grunting  and 
rooting  crusades,  comes  that  way  .  He  is  of  an  inquiring 
disposition.  He  wants  to  know  just  what  that  black  thing 
is,  and  whether  he  can  turn  it  to  any  profitable  account. 
He  is  a  pig  of  great  courage,  in  fact,  a  very  hero  of  a  nig. 
He  advances  boldly  up  to  the  alligator,  and  examines  him 
carefully.  He  is  satisfied  that  if  the  ungainly  thing  is 
alive,  he  is  most  certainly  asleep.  So  he  waxes  bolder, 
and  makes  himself  quite  familiar  on  short  acquaintance. 
As  soon  as  the  dunce  of  a  pig  comes  within  the  reach  of 
the  alligator’s  tail,  the  remorseless  reptile  hits  the  grunter 
a  terrible  blow,  and  sends  him  sprawling  and  squealing, 
into  the  water,  where,  of  course,  the  alligator  has  it  all  its 
own  way,  and  devours  the  pig  without  further  ceremony. 
Alligators  have  their  nests  in  these  bushes,  and  it  is  here 
that  they  raise  their  young. 

When  we  arrived  at  Piccolata,  the  landing  where  we 
take  coaches  for  St.  Augustine,  it  was  about  4  o’clock  in 
the  evening  ot  the  second  day  after  leaving  Savannah. 
But  it  was  an  hour  before  wc  set  out.  It  required  three 
carriages  to  take  all  the  passengers,  ours  was  the  hist. 
Oh  '.  what  a  road  !  It  was  shocking.  However,  we  drag¬ 
ged  along,  comforting  ourselves  with  the  assurance  that 
we  should  reach  St.  Augustine  some  time  or  othe*,  prob¬ 
ably.  But  our  hope  was  a  little  dampened,  when  our  for¬ 
ward  horses  broke  loose  from  the  vehicle,  snatched  the 
rains  from  the  drivers  hands,  and  started  off  at  full  gallop 
on  their  own  hook  for  parts  unknown.  This  accident  of 
course  delayed  us  a  long  time.  We  couldn’t  find  the  run¬ 
away  horses,  and  were  obliged  to  rely  on  the  remaining 
pair  until  a  relay  could  be  sent  us.  However,  few  disap¬ 
pointments  are  unattended  with  bright  aspects.  We  had 
still  the  beautiful  moon  which  shone  so  brightly  while  we 


190 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  147. 


were  upon  the  water,  lighting  up  the  dewdrops  on  the 
palmetto,  and  transforming  them  into  innumerable  gems. 
The  night  was  mild.  The  air  was  perfumed  by  the  odor 
of  the  yellow  jasmine  ;  and  we  all,  instead  of  grumbling 
at  our  misfortune,  made  ourselves  tolerably  merry  for 
while,  and — went  to  sleep.  Such  was  my  advent  to  St. 
Augustine  at  the  hour  of  midnight. 


■* 

Kites— and  How  to  maltc  them. 

Quite  a  number  of  our  young  readers  have  written  dur¬ 
ing  the  past  Winter,  desiring  us  to  tell  them  something 
about  kites.  We  very  cheerfully  comply  with  this  re¬ 
quest.  for  we  consider  the  making  and  flying  of  kites  as 
one  of  the  most  innocent,  instructive,  interesting,  and 
healthful  amusements,  in  which  boys  can  engage.  It  is 
a  better  exercise  for  girls  too,  than  many  of  the  coarser, 
romping  amusements.  We  always  love  to  see  sisters  as¬ 
sisting  their  brothers  in  cutting  out,  pasting  and  modeling 
their  kites,  and  so  far  as  we  have  observed,  a  kite  is  al¬ 
ways  more  tasteful  when  a  sister  has  helped  get  it  up, 
and  the  pleasure  in  flying  it,  greater  when  she  is  present. 

How  pretty  a  thing  is  a  kite  as  it  rises  proudly,  and 
gaily  floats  and  dances  through  the  air  !  It  seems  almost 
a  thing  of  life  ;  and  the  pleasure  is  greatly  hightened  by 
the  skill  required  to  construct  and  fly  it  well.  No  won 
der  that  it  has  been  a  great  favorite  with  the  boys  in  this 
and  other  countries.  Travellers  tell  us  that  in  China,  kite 
flying  is  heartily  entered  into  by  the  men  as  well  as  the 
boys  ;  a  regular  day  being  set  apart  every  year  for  the 
purpose  of  trials  of  their  skill.  On  these  days  each  one 
endeavors  to  raise  his  kite  highest,  and  to  bring  down  his 
neighbor’s  by  drawing  his  own  line  back  and  forth  over 
that  of  his  opponent  to  cut  it  off ;  though  it  often  happens 
that  his  own  kite  comes  wavering  to  the  ground. 

Kites,  although  chiefly  designed  for  amusement,  are 
not  without  their  practical  uses.  For  example,  they  are 
sometimes  serviceable  in  raising  a  line  to  hights  which 
could  not  well  be  reached  by  other  means.  A  few  years 
since  a  party  carried  a  line  in  this  manner  over  Fompey’s 
pillar,  a  very  tall  column  in  Egypt,  and  then  by  draw  ing  up 
stronger  cords,  they  were  able  finally  to  ascend  to  the 
top.  The  mighty  chasm  spanned  by  the  Niagara  Sus¬ 
pension  Bridge  was  first  crossed  by  sending  a  kite  over, 
and  using  its  string  to  draw  over  first  a  strong  twine,  then 
a  still  larger  one,  and  finally  wires  and  cables.  Dr. 
Franklin  first  made  the  kite  famous  by  sending  it  up 
with  small  steel  points  (lightning  rods),  and  drawing 
down  electricity  from  the  clouds  along  the  wet  string. 


Fig.  2. 

A  thousand  instances  might  be  named,  where  the  kite  has 
been  made  to  serve  a  useful  purpose. 

Village  boys  usually  succeed  best  with  kites,  mainly, 
we  suppose,  because  so  many  of  them  get  together  that 
they  show  each  other.  Farmers’  boys  live  more  remote 
from  each  other  (to  the  great  advantage  of  their  habits 
and  morals),  and  when  one  of  them  fails  in  flying  a  kite, 
he  can  not  at  once  get  instruction  and  assistance.  We 
know  this  by  experience,  for  when  a  boy,  we  often  tried 
to  fly  a  kite,  but  having  no  descriptive  books  or  papers  — 
no  Agriculturist  was  published  then— and  no  one  to  show 
ui,  we  never  succeeded  well.  But  though  too  old  and 


busy,  to  spend  much  time  with  kites  now,  it  is  a  great 
pleasure  to  explain  them  to  our  own  little  ones,  and  to 
our  young  readers,  especially  those  who  live  in  the 
country.  Boys  who  know  all  abuut  kites,  need  not  read 
what  follows,  for  we  are  writing  only  for  those  who  do 
not  know. 

WHAT  MAKES  KITES  GO  UP. 

Tie  four  short  strings  of  equal  length  to  the  corners  of 
a  shingle.  Then  join  the  loose  ends  of  these  four  strings 
to  the  end  of  another  string.  If  now  you  take  hold  of 
the  string  and  run  against  the  wind,  the  shingle  will 
stand  out  perpendicularly,  or  “straight  up  and  down, 
because  the  four  strings  are  all  of  equal  length,  and  they 
hold  the  side  of  the  shingle  square  against  the  wind, 
But  now  make  the  low  er  string  a  little  longer  than  the 
upper  one,  and  then  the  upper  end  of  the  shingle  will  be 
tipped  forward  a  little,  and  the  wind  will  strike  “slant 
ing”  against  it,  and  slide  off  from  the  lower  end  which 
slants  backward.  This  will  push  the  kite  upward,  just  as 
the  wind  striking  against  the  sail  of  a  ship  w  hich  is  going 
against  the  wind,  drives  it  sidewise  and  partly  forward 
Indeed,  a  ship  is  really  a  great  kite.  Its  rudder  acts 
much  like  the  tail  of  a  kite  to  keep  its  head  pointing  partly 
against  the  wind,  so  that  it  may  move  in  the  right  course 

If  the  strings  fastened  to  the  shingle  were  stiff  wires  so 
that  you  could  keep  the  end  leaning  forward  always  slant 
ing  upward,  then  the  shingle  would  rise  upward.  But 
with  only  strings  on,  the  shingle  would  turn  over  bottom 
side  up,  or  sidewise,  and  the  wind  would  shoot  it  side 
wise,  or  most  likely  downward.  But  put  a  little  weight 
upon  the  lower  end  which  slants  backward,  and  then  of 
course  the  wind  would  always  “  glance  ”  off  from  the 
lower  side,  and  keep  the  shingle  going  upward.  You  see 
then  that  to  have  the  shingle  going  up,  you  must  have  the 
strings  unequal,  but  in  just  the  right  proportion  to  give  it 
the  right  slant  for  rising,  and  then  you  must  have  a  weight 
“  tail "’  on  the  lower  end  to  act  as  an  anchor  or  rudder 
—the  same  as  the  long  stick  on  a  rocket  to  keep  its  point 
erect,  while  the  force  of  the  powder  drives  it  upward. 

We  have  spoken  of  a  shingle  for  illustration.  Unless 
very  thin,  a  shingle  is  too  heavy  for  a  kite,  and  a  frame 
covered  with  cloth  or  paper  is  used. 


HOW  TO  MAKE  A  KITE. 

The  first  thing  needed  will  be  the  frame-work,  to  give 
stiffness  to  the  kite,  and  also  to  afford  a  place  to  fasten 
the  line  and  the  tail.  The  manner  of  making  depends 
upon  the  kind  of  kite  wanted.  In  fig.  2  is  shown  a  hexa¬ 
gonal,  and  in  fig.  3  a  star  kite.  These  are  the  most  com¬ 
mon  forms.  For  the  hexagonal  form  (fig.  2)  three  sticks 
are  used  as  a  frame.  These  should  be  made  of  pine,  ce 
dar,  or  some  light  wood,  the  two  longer  ones  II  inches, 
and  the  other  8  inches  in  length,  or  in  about  these  pro¬ 
portions.  If  these  lengths 
are  used,  the  kite  will  be 
about  91  inches  high.  For 
one  twice  as  large,  use  sticks 
twice  as  long,  and  so  on, 
these  being  of  the  right  pro¬ 
portions  to  have  the  kite  well 
shaped.  The  sticks  should 
be  made  round,  and  of  from 
i  to  1  of  an  inch  in  thickness, 
according  to  the  size  of  the 
kite.  When  the  sticks  are 
ready,  lay  them  across  each 
other  in  the  shape  you  see  in 
fig.  2,  being  careful  to  have 
them  cross  at  the  center  of 
each  stick;  and  let  the  ends  Fig.  4. 

of  the  long  sticks  spread  apart  6  inches  at  the 
top  and  bottom  if  the  long  sticks  are  11  inches  long. 
They  can  be  fastened  together  by  carefully  driving  a 
tackthrough  them,  or  tyingthem  witha  string.  Next  cut 

notch  in  the  end  of  each  stick,  deep  enough  to  receive  a 
small  cord  or  string,  and  pass  the  string  around  the  out¬ 
side  of  the  sticks  in  the  notches,  as  you  see  in  the  picture. 
Be  careful  to  draw  it  tightly,  and  tie  it  around  the  end  of 
one  of  the  sticks,  so  as  to  hold  the  frame  firmly.  Cut  a 
notch  in  the  upper  part  of  each  of  the  long  sticks,  where 
you  see  the  small  points  in  fig.  2,  that  is.  half  way  be¬ 
tween  the  center  and  the  upper  ends,  and  also  in  the 
lower  parts  quite  near  the  bottom,  to  fasten  the  line  and 
the  tail,  and  your  frame  is  finished. 

The  frame  of  the  star  kite  (fig.  11)  requires  four  sticks  ; 
the  two  longer  ones  of  any  length  you  choose,  and  the 
others  half  as  long.  These  are  to  be  fastened  together  in 
the  middle,  as  already  described,  with  the  ends  of  the 
shorter  ones  half  way  between  the  others,  as  shown  in 
fig.  3.  The  twine  around  the  outside  is  passed  from  stick 
to  stick,  and  wound  around  the  end  of  each  in  notches 
made  for  the  purpose.  The  string  for  flying  this  kite  is 
attached  by  loops  to  the  four  ends  of  the  short  sticks. 

In  fig.  4  the  frame  of  a  bow  kite  is  shown,  which  requires 
two  straight  sticks  and  one  curved.  The  long  straight 
stick  is  21,  and  the  short  one  12  inches  long,  or  in  this 


proportion.  Let  the  sticks  be  crossed  at  14  inches,  or  two 
thirds  the  length  from  the  bottom  of  the  longer  one,  and 
fastened  as  before  described.  The  curved  stick  may  be  * 
bit  of  thin  rattan  or  whalebone,  or  a  willow  twig,  or  any 
kind  of  wood  easily  bent.  This  is  to  be  bent  around  the 
upper  end  of  the  kite,  and  fastened  to  the  end  of  the  cross 
piece,  and  the  top  of  long  stick.  Strings  only,  pass  from 
the  ends  ofthe  cross  piece  to  the  bottom  of  the  kite.  The 
strings  in  this  kind  of  kite  are  fastened  near  the  ends  of 
the  sticks,  where  you  see  the  points  in  fig.  4,  and  the  tail 
at  the  bottom,  as  shown  in  fig.  5. 

Having  finished  the  frame  of  either  of  the  above  kinds, 
it  is  next  to  be  covered  on  one  side  with  paper.  News¬ 
papers  are  good  ;  for  quite  small  kites  tissue  paper,  being 
lighter,  is  better.  Where  the  kite  is  very  large,  cotton 
cloth  is  sometimes  used.  Lay  your  frame  upon  the  pa- 


larger  than  the  frame,  so  that  it  may  be  doubled  over  the 
edge  of  the  frame  and  pasted  down.  Common  paste, 
made  by  mixing  flour  and  water,  is  all  that  is  needed.  Be 
careful  to  paste  the  paper  on  the  frame  smoothly,  and  to 
use  but  little  paste,  to  keep  the  kite  light.  It  is  well  to 
paste  a  few  short  narrow  strips  of  paper  on  the  back  of 
the  kite  to  hold  the  paper  to  the  sticks,  say  one  strip  in 
six  inches.  After  pasting,  leave  the  kite  a  few  hours  to 
dry  thoroughly.  When  this  is  done,  the  tail  and  sfling 
may  be  attached. 

The  tail  is  made  of  long  strips  of  cloth,  generally  old 
pieces  taken  from  the  rag-bag,  and  tied  together ;  or  small 
twists  of  paper  tied  about  six  or  eight  inches  apart  on  a 
stout  string  will  answ-er.  The  length  of  the  tail  will  de¬ 
pend  on  the  size  of  the  kite,  and  the  weight  of  the  cloth 
used  ;  the  longer  it  can  be  made  without  being  too  heavy, 
the  more  graceful  it  will  look  when  in  the  air.  A  heavier 
tail  will  be  needed  when  the  wind  blows  quite  strongly. 
The  tail  is  the  anchor  or  rudder,  which  keeps  tbe  kite 
from  “  diving  ”  or  swaying  about  too  much  in  sudden  gusts 
of  wind.  If  very  short,  the  kite  would  turn  round  it  and 
dive  downward.  The  first  thing  is,  to  get  the  strings  ar¬ 
ranged  to  give  the  kite  the  right  slant  or  angle  (35°  from 
a  perpendicular)  for  ascending  against  the  wind.  The 
next  most  important  point  is  to  get  the  tail  of  the  right 
weigth  and  length,  and  on  this  the  beginner  will  have  to 
experiment,  and  calculate,  and  “  try,  try  again’’  for  a 
long  time,  before  he  becomes  an  expert  kite-flier.  But  all 
this  adds  to  the  excitement  and  pleasure. 

For  the  line,  cut  a  small  hole  through  the  paper,  where 
the  notches  were  made  in  the  sticks,  tie  a  short  string 
firmly  in  each  notch,  and  let  the  loose  end  come  through 
the  paper  to  the  front  of  the  kite  :  then  tie  these  ends  to¬ 
gether  to  form  one  string,  and  fasten  the  line  to  the  end. 
These  short  strings  should  be  so  arranged,  as  to  bring  the 
top  of  the  kite  a  little  more  than  a  third  down  toward  the 
line,  or  to  vary  35°  from  a  perpendicular.  This  will  give 
it  the  right  slant  to  raise  it  well  in  the  air.  (The  bow- 
kite  complete  and  somewhat  ornamented,  is  shown  at 
fig.  5).  The  line  should  be  light  and  strong,  the  size,  of 
course,  varying  with  the  dimensions  of  the  kite. 

To  raise  the  kite,  choose  a  day  when  a  good  breeze  is 
blowing,  a  clear  space  without  trees  or  buildings,  and  for 
the  first  few  trials  get  a  friend  to  assist  you.  Let  him  hold 
the  kite  while  you  take  the  line  in  your  hand,  unwinding 
it  as  you  walk  and  go  about  thirty  steps  against  the  wind; 
then  have  him  take  the  kite  by  the  lower  edge  with  both 
hands,  holding  it  as  high  as  he  can.  Now  run  straight 
against  the  wind,  your  friend  letting  the  Kite  go  as  you 
start,  and  it  ought  to  rise  Let  out  the  line  slowly  as  you 
run.  When  it  is  pretty  well  started,  you  can  stand  still, 
and  give  out  the  line  as  fast  as  the  kite  will  carry  it  up 
w  ell,  until  you  have  reached  the  end  of  your  ball.  When 
you  have  succeeded  in  fairly  raising  it,  so  that  it  keeps  its 
place  pretty  steadily,  you  will  find  much  pleasure  in 
watching  its  motions  and  stud)  ing  their  cause. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


121 


Something;  about  tSaat  Morned  Fro?. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist: 

The  life-like  picture  of  the  Horned  Frog,  furnished  in 
the  January  number  of  your  interesting  paper,  (p.  24,) 
would  be  instantly  recognized  by  any  one  who  had  once 
seen  a  member  of  the  family. 

Tnis  little  animal  is  found  in  the  middle  and  western 
portion  ot  Texas,  from  the  coast  far  into  the  interior. 
For  some  sixteen  years  I  have  been  an  admirer  of  the 
little  fellows  as  they  have  scampered  off  before  me,  in 
my  walks,  or  fled  from  under  my  horse’s  feet  as  I  jour¬ 
neyed  over  our  beautiful  rolling  country.  The  Horned 
Frog  lives  upon  the  ground— hiding  in  the  grass  in  Sum¬ 
mer,  and  burrowing  below  the  surface  in  theWinter.  It 
is  perfectly  harmless  ;  and  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  for 
children  to  catch  a  number  of  them,  and  pen  them  up  as 
pets— handling  them  as  familiarly  as  they  would  chickens. 

This  frog  will  live  for  weeks  in  a  glass  bottle,  without 
either  food  or  drink,  but  when  fed  with  flies  or  sugar,  it 
eats  sparingly.  If  linos,  even  upon  a  low  bush, 

but  always  runs  upon  the  ground.  With  a  remarkably 
bright  eye,  and  knowing  look,  it  flees  upon  the  approach 
of  any  one,  and  when  caught,  only  struggles  to  get  loose, 
without  seeming  to  have  any  power  to  defend  itself.  No 
amount  of  teasing  will,  ordinarily,  cause  it  to  show  a  dis¬ 
position  to  retaliate.  During  the  past  Summer,  I  found 
two  disposed  to  fight ;  and  these  were  the  only  ones  I 
ever  found  so  inclined.  These  were  quite  pugnacious 
without  any  seeming  provocation,  turning  upon  me  of 
their  own  accord.  Their  mode  of  fighting  is  as  curious  as 
the  little  animal  is  unique.  They  turn  the  head  down, 
and  butt,  like  the  sheep  or  goat.  One  of  the  two  struck 
so  hard  against  my  boot  as  to  start  the  blood  quite  freely 
from  the  roots  of  the  two  prominent  horns  upon  his  head. 

The  Horned  Frog,  I  believe,  deposites  its  eggs  in  the 
ground,  like  turtles,  some  species  of  snakes,  and  the  alli¬ 
gator.  The  latter  is  said  to  watch  near  its  nest  about  the 
time  of  the  appearance  of  the  young  ones,  and  to  attack 
anything  that  may  approach.  From  the  season  of  the 
year  (July,)  when  the  pugnacity  was  shown  by  the  two 
frogs  alluded  to  I  thought  it  might  be  possible  they  were 
guarding  their  nests  or  their  young  about  to  appear.  Per¬ 
haps  the  editor,  or  uncle  Frank,  will  make  a  new  classifi¬ 
cation  for  the  benefit  of  his  young  readers,  founded  on  the 
butting  propensity  of  the  animal.  G.  C. 

Austin,  Texas. 

- -  i  ma4w»  <  «i 


Paon.  37.  A  Rebus  (or  Riddle).  The  above  illustration, 
originated  and  engraved  expressly  for  this  column,  will 
really  puzzle  the  boys  and  girls.  The  pictures  and  letters 
taken  together,  make  up  a  sentence  of  six  w  ords,  well 
worth  remembering.  How  many  of  you  can  write  out  the 
sentence.  We  think  it  will  last  some  of  you  a  month. 

Strange!!  Twoof  our  young  readers,  M.  E.  S.  and 
H.  Gond.  sav  they  have  written  out  115  different  words, 
using  only  the  letters  s-t-r-a-n-g-e,  but  sometimes  intro¬ 
ducing  one  or  more  of  these  letters  twice  in  the  same 
word.  This  sounds  rather  strange  at  first,  but  we  suppose 
of  course  it  can  be  done.  Such  exercises  are,  perhaps,  not 
very  profitable;  but  belter  be  studying  out  such  combina¬ 
tions  than  to  be  in  mischief. 

Answers  to  Problems. 

Prod.  35. — The  driving-wheels  of  a  locomotive  being 
six  feet  in  diameter,  and  making  four  revolutions  per  sec¬ 
ond,  at  what  speed  must  a  horse,  twenty  feet  from  the 
track,  be  driven  to  cross  it  before  the  engine  arrives,  if 
the  engine  is  three  hundred  feet  from  the  crossing  ?  pro¬ 
vided  the  track  be  six  feet  wide.  (The  width  of  the  track 
was  inadvertently  omitted  in  giving  out  the  question; 
we  therefore  counted  those  right  who  reckoned  twenty 
feet  to  include  the  width  of  the  track,  and  answer,  five  feet 
per  second — a  small  fraction  omitted.)  Allowing  six  and 
a  half  feet  for  the  track,  we  have  as  very  nearly,  the 

Answer  Six  and  a  half  feet  per  second. 

Correct  answers  received  up  to  March  IT,  from  :  O.  W. 
Lyman;  Hermann  Cook  ;  Jno.  H.  Tissiman.  Martin  V, 
Young  ;  R.  E.  Flickinger  ;  M.  II.  Labar ;  Elizabeth  Engle  ; 
A.  B.  Carpenter ;  C.  Hoffman,  Jr.;  J.  J.  Schauweker, 
'rhns.  Wright ;  James  H.  Orr,  David  S.  Farlow  ;  W.  J. 


Austin  ;  Reed  W.  Anderson ;  R.  Markwich  ;  T.  H. 
Smith  ;  David  Hecker;  C.  M.  Ross ;  G.  M.  Bays  ;  Noah 
M.  Given;  J.  Bleakney;  Geo.  II.  Selleck ;  W.  Ii. 
Schenok. 

Prod.  36.  Three  farmers,  A,  B  and  C,  went  to  market 
to  sell  eggs.  A  had  10  eggs,  B  30,  and  C  50.  They  each 
sold  their  stock  at  the  same  price  per  egg,  and  after  all 
were  sold,  they  found  that  each  had  the  same  amount  of 
money.  How  was  this  done  1 

Ans.  When  they  arrived  at  the  market,  eggs  were  worth 
one  cent  each,  at  which  price  each  sold  part  of  his  eggs. 
The  price  rose  rapidly,  and  at  a  second  sale  they  each  dis¬ 
posed  of  what  remained  after  the  first  sale,  for  6  cents 
each.  Then  their  accounts  stood  thus  ; 


Morning. .  A  sold  I  egg,  at  1  cent  —  1 


55  cents. 


55  cents. 


Afternoon.  A  sold  9  eggs,  at  6  cents  —  54 

Morning. .  B  soid  25  eggs,  at  1  cent  —  25  ) 

Afternoon.  B  sold  5  eggs,  at  6  cents  —  30  j 

Morning. .  C  sold  49  eggs,  at  1  cent  —  49  )  . 

Afternoon.  C  sold  1  egg,  at  6  cents—  6  j  33  centSi 
Thus,  then,  they  all  sold  at  the  same  price  at  the  time 
they  made  their  sales.  Variations  maybe  made  in  the 
number  disposed  of  at  the  different  sales ;  also,  in  the 
number  of  sales  ;  and  likewise  in  the  whole  amount  re¬ 
ceived,  if  this  amount  be  the  same  for  each.  This  ques¬ 
tion  was  answered  correctlv  by  J.  W.  Bishop  ;  E.Wiest. ; 
M.  A.  Aldrich  ;  Martin  V.  Young;  Martin  Marshall;  W. 
L.  Durand  ;  Thos.  Jordan  ;  R.  C.  Treat ;  H.  Cook  ;  Os¬ 
born  W.  Lyman  ;  Thos.  Wright ;  G.  W.  Losee  ;  II.  Zook  ; 
Jno.  11.  Tissiman;  R.  E.  Flickinger;  Morris  II  Labar; 
Elizabeth  Engle;  A.  B  Carpenter;  Chandler  Eves  ;  L. 
Adams;  C.  Hoffman,  Jr.;  J.  J.  Schauweker;  Win.  Car¬ 
penter.  (Thanks  for  your  kind  words.) 


Into  which  are  thrown  all  sorts  of  paragraphs — such  as 
Notes  and  Replies  to  Correspondents,  with  Useful  or 
Interesting  Extracts  from  their  Letters,  together  with  Glean¬ 
ings  of  various  kinds  from  various  sources. 


Important  Notice.— Hundreds  of  letters  have 
been  received  this  year,  in  which  either  the  Post  Office  or 
State  is  omitted.  These  must  both  be  given  in  all  cases. 
The  county  should  also  be  named.  When  an  address  is 
to  be  changed,  the  old  as  well  as  the  new  Post  Office  must 
be  given,  or  the  change  can  not  be  made.  Nine  out  of 
ten  of  all  the  complaints  made,  result  from  the  above 
omissions.  When  a  complaining  letter  comes,  if  it  gives 
us  the  needed  address,  we  make  the  correction,  but  sel¬ 
dom  take  the  time  required  to  write  a  letter  of  explana¬ 
tion.  We  take  very  coolly  the  blowing  up  we  sometimes 
get  for  omitting  to  send  papers,  or  “return  money,”  to  a 
man  residing  in  the  moon,  for  ought  we  can  learn  from 
his  letter 


Upland.  Cranberries.—' Wm.  Robinson,  Union 
Co.,  0.  This  variety  would,  probably,  grow  on  a  light 
loam.  We  have  not,  as  yet,  heard  of  any  very  successful 
results  with  the  upland  plant. 

Cultivation  of  Cranberries.— Several  corre¬ 
spondents  will  find  full  information  given  in  Vol.  10, 
pages  9  and  130,  also  in  Vol.  17,  page  82. 

Catalogue  off  lEcliablc  Apple  Trees. — 

E.  Adams,  Livingston  Co  ,  N.  Y.  No  general  catalogue 
of  reliable  trees  for  all  sections  could  be  given,  for  the 
reason  that  in  different  localities  the  same  varieties  have 
very  different  success.  Experiments  can  only  determine 
the  kinds  best  for  any  section  of  country. 

Hunting  Bee  Trees.— M.  D.  B.,  Spring  Prairie, 
Wis.,  thinks  that  before  the  leaves  have  started  on  the 
trees  in  Spring,  is  the  best  time  to  hunt  for  wild  bees,  as 
they  come  out  freely  on  pleasant  days,  and  can  then  bo 
more  easily  seen. 

Transplanting'  Budded.  Trees.— Thomas 
Glenn,  McCoupin  Co.,  111.  It  is  not  best  to  transplan 
trees  the  year  after  budding.  Disturbing  and  wounding 
the  roots  impairs  their  vital  strength,  all  of  which  tfiey 
need  to  ensure  the  growth  of  the  bud. 

Where  to  procure  Seeds.— J.  C.  Caldwell  and 
others.  In  our  advertising  columns  you  may  find  a  com¬ 
plete  directory  giving  all  necessary  information. 

Sprouting  Black  Locust  Seed. — J.  P.  Lane. 
Pour  boiling  water  upon  them,  let  them  stand  until  cold, 
and  then  plant. 

Dwarf  trees  becoming  Standards.— Vul 

can,  Harford  Co.,  Md.  If  the  junction  of  the  graft,  with 
the  stock  be  planted  below  the  surface  of  the  ground, the 
trunk  will  usually  send  out  roots,  and  thus  the  tree  may 
in  time,  become  a  standard.  It  would  however  Dc  a 
more  expensive  and  less  certain  way  of  procuring  stand 
ard  trees  than  to  buy  them  well  rooted,  at  the  first.  The 
object  in  grafting  on  quince  and  other  stocks,  is  to  keep 
the  trees  dwarfed. 

Timothy  after  Hungarian  Brass.— J.  N. 
Hunter,  Westchester  Co.,  N  Y.  A  field  may  be  laid 
down  to  Timothy  after  cropping  with  Hungarian  Grass. 
This  (so  called)  grass,  which  is  just  now  making  some 
noise,  under  a  new  name,  is  a  variety  of  millet.  In  somo 
sections  it  may  be  a  paying  crop.  See  article  “  Honey 
Blade  Grass  Swindle,”  March  No.,  page  71. 

Frozen  Lakes  in  Scotland.— A  Correspond¬ 
ent  criticises  Landseer’s  picture  given  in  the  February 
number,  p.  41,  by  asking  how  the  Stag  could  have  swam 
a  frozen  lake  in  Winter.  We  must  refer  him  to  the  pain¬ 
ter  for  an  answer.  However,  a  Scotchman  at  our  elbow 
sajs  many  of  the  Lakes  are  partially  enclosed  estuarys 
of  salt  water.  In  the  Highlands,  there  are  tiequent  lakes 
fed  by  Springs  w  hich  do  not  freeze  over.  We  know  of 
several  such  lakes  in  this  country. 


Grafting  Old  Fruit  Trees.— J.  Fanning,  M.  D., 
Oxford  Co.,  Me.,  recommends  cutting  off  the  limbs  of  old 
trees,  and  covering  the  ends  with  grafting  wax,  the  Spring 
before  the  grafts  are  to  be  set.  The  stock  will  send  out 
many  young  shoots,  all  of  which  are  to  be  left  until  the 
following  year.  Then  select  the  strongest  shoots,  and  as 
many  of  them  as  arc  wanted  to  form  a  well-shaped  top, 
and  put  the  cuttings  into  these  by  splice  grafting,  using 
the  usual  precautions  to  exclude  the  air.  Remove  about 
three  quarters  of  the  other  sprouts,  and  the  following 
year  prune  the  rest  away.  In  this  way,  he  says,  lie  has 
had  great  success. 

Planting  Currants  and  Gooseberries  — 

R.  Craig,  Indiana  Co.,  Pa.  These  should  be  planted  in 
good  soil,  in  rows,  about  four  feet  apart.  Avoid  putting 
them  against  the  fences  ;  this  leaves  no  room  to  cultivate 
around  them,  and  also  shuts  off  the  light. 

Stocks  for  Madeira  and  o  flier  Nuts.— J.  W. 

Redfield,  Bledsoe  Co.,  Tenn.  The  Madeira  nut  would 
probably  succeed  grafted  on  hickory,  the  almond  on  the 
peach  or  plum,  and  the  French  chestnut  on  the  common 
species.  The  Peccan  nut  does  best  raised  from  seed. 
The  seedsmen  who  advertise  in  our  columns  can  gene¬ 
rally  furnish  supplies  of  these  nuts. 

Norway  Spruce  for  Hedges.  E.  Adams,  Li¬ 
vingston  Co.,  N.  Y.  The  Norway  Spruce  forms  a  beauti¬ 
ful  ornamental  hedge,  and  would  serve  admirably  for  a 
belt  for  sheltering  an  exposed  locality.  For  fencing 
against  stock  it  is  not  equal  to  some  other  plants,  as  the 
Osage  Orange,  Buckthorn,  etc  Its  high  cost  prevents  its 
coming  into  general  use  at  present. 

American  Guano.— F.  W.  Adee,  Columbia  Co., 
N.  Y.  We  have  no  advice  to  give  you  in  regard  to 
purchasing  this  fertilizer.  As  we  understand  the  opera¬ 
tion  of  manures,  no  fertilizer  is  worth  buying,  which  is 
composed  principally  of  phosphate  or  other  mineral  ele¬ 
ments 


To  make  Cows  “give  down”  tlseir  Milk. 

— J.  B.  Whitaker,  Delaware  Co.,  Iowa.  Feeling  the 
cow  with  slops,  or  something  of  which  she  is  fond,  during 
the  operation  of  milking,  will  some  times  he  effectual. 
Also  “  bunting”  the  bag  with  the  fist,  in  imitation  ofihe 
calf  may  have  the  desired  effect. 

Prevention  of  Borers  in  Trees.— J.  N. 

Van  Zandt,  Mifflin  Co.,  Pa.,  recommends  removing  the 
earth  from  around  the  base  of  llie  trunk  and  killing  all  the 
grubs  w  hich  may  be  found,  then  winding  strips  of  woolen 
cloth  (we  like  stout  paper)  around  the  Irunk,  from  be¬ 
neath  tlie  surface  of  the  ground  to  say  one  foot  above, 
covering  it  well  with  tar,  and  returning  the  soil  to  its 
place.  He  thinks  if  this  be  done  in  the  Spring  and  again 
coated  with  tar  in  July,  it  will  answer  for  two  years. 

Planting  Pea  Wcvil.— J.  Simpson,  Passaic  Co., 
N,  J.  Better  not  plant  the  peas  before  the  bugs  (wcvil) 
are  destroyed  by  hot  w  ater  or  steam.  The  peas  w  ill  most 
of  them  grow,  but  the  wevil  w  ill  also  multiply.  Put  tho 
peas  in  a  colander  covered  with  a  plate,  and  set  it  over  a 
kettle  of  boiling  water  ;  the  steam  will  soon  kill  the 
bugs,  without  materially  injuring  the  peas. 

That  Silver  Medal?  mentioned  in  our  last  nmn 
ber,  as  having  been  awarded  to  D.  D.  C.  Morris  for  corn 
raised  from  Agriculturist  seeds,  should  have  been  credited 
to  D.  W.  C.  Morris.  Mr.  M.  informs  us  that  it  was  one 
among  seven  premiums  just  received,  which  he  happened 
to  have  with  him  when  calling  at  our  office  for  his  annual 
share  of  seeds. 

Can  my  Son  succeed  in  New-York  ?-E. 

B.,  Ohio.  There  are  occasioial  opportunities  for  a  young 
man  to  enter  business  here  with  prospect  of  success,  if  his 
moral  principles  are  correct  and  thoroughly  established, 
and  he  be  of  the  go-ahead  order.  But  there  are  four  hun¬ 
dred  and  ninety-nine  failures  to  one  success.  Better  em¬ 
brace  a  fair  opportunity  nearer  home,  w  here  friends  will 
assist,  than  risk  all  for  a  golden  prospect. 


132 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Market  Review,  Weather  Notes,  &c. 


American  Agriculturist  Office,  | 
New  York,  Wednesday  Evening,  March  23,  1859.  S 
As  will  be  noted  in  a  table  below,  prices  of  Breadstuff's 
are  higher  than  at  our  last  report.  Early  in  the  month 
they  were  still  higher  than  now.  The  receipts  of  Flour, 
Wheat  and  Corn  were  light,  and  speculators  pushed  up 
the  prices.  As  remarked  last  month,  the  sales  reported 
in  the  aggregate  below  were  mainly  between  speculators 
themselves— regular  dealers  buying  only  what  was  re¬ 
quired  for  consumption.  For  the  past  ten  days  prices 
have  declined,  owing  to  the  opening  of  navigation,  favor¬ 
able  reports  from  the  growing  Wheat  crop,  and  the  ab¬ 
sence  of  foreign  demand.  Everything  considered,  the 
advance  since  last  November  of  $2  per  barrel,  on  Flour, 
and  36  cents  per  bushel  on  Wheat,  is  remarkable. 

The  revival  of  business,  and  the  acknowledged  mode¬ 
rate  supply  of  Breadstuff's  at  the  West  may  keep  up  this 
advance  through  the  Summer,  but  it  can  hardly  be  looked 
for . The  stock  of  Barley  is  large,  having  been  in¬ 
creased  by  recent  arrivals  from  California _ Rye  is  dear¬ 

er,  with  moderate  sales. ..  .Oats  are  heavy  and  languid 
_ The  Cotton  trade  has  been  unusually  large,  with  im¬ 
proving  prices.  Available  supply  here,  99,289  bales, 
against  40,345  last  year.  Receipts  at  all  shipping  ports  to 
latest  dates  this  year,  3,037,549  bales,  against  2.128,922 
bales  to  same  time  last  year.  Total  United  States  Exports 
so  far  this  year,  1,690,426  bales,  against  1,241,883  bales  at 
same  date  last  year.  Total  stock  on  li  md  on  ship-board 
and  in  port,  943.653  bales  ;  last  year,  783,008  Stock  in 
interior  towns  151,079  bales  ;  last  year,  107,980  bales.... 
Provisions  have  continued  irregular  in  prices,  but  with 
prettv  brisk  demand  for  principal  kinds,  except  Butter 

and  Cheese _ Butter  being  unusually  plenty. .  .Tobacco, 

Meal  and  Rice  have  been  in  lively  demand  at  buoyant 
prices _ Hav  and  Seeds  have  been  in  fair  request  at  uni¬ 

form  rates. .  .’.Hemp,  Hops,  Feathers,  Oil-Cake  and  Tal¬ 
low.  inactive _ Groceries  have  been  in  demand,  especial¬ 

ly  Coffee  anil  Teas,  at  former  prices. 

Receipts.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye.  Farley.  Oats 

26bus.  davstfa'smon,  101,078  12,173  176,734 -  54,659  40.200 

’  '  . . .  1,760  88,359 


oil  UUo.  UilVo  litto  111U11,  4UI,UM1  10,1  1  J  iiu,i  o  l 

29  bus.  days  last  moil ,  110,750  9,100  121,350 - 

Sales.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye  Barley 

29  business  days  this  month,  428,500  857,150  545,800  8.650  84.300 
24  business  days  last  moil,  388,918  423,670  511,450  10,158  199,110 


Exports  of  Bbeadstuffs  from  N.  Y.,  from  Jan.  1st, 
to  Mar.  14. 


1858. 

1859. 

Wheat  Flour,  bbls . 

.  283,716 

93,803 

Rye  Flour,  bbls . 

1,506 

Com  Meal,  bbls . 

.  13,196 

1(5, 565 

Wheat,  bush . 

.  264,306 

17,349 

Corn,  bush . 

.  570,742 

31,383 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  exports  of  the  prin¬ 
cipal  kinds  of  Breadstuffs,  from  the  Atlantic  ports  of  the 
United  States,  since  Sept.  1,  1858  : 


TO  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  IRELAND. 

From  To  Date.  Flour,  bhls.  Wheat,  bush.  Corn  bush. 

New-York,  to  March  11 - 83,689 

New-Orleans  to  March  1 - 

Philadelphia  to  Feb’y  28. 

Boston  to  March  4.. 

Other  Ports  to  Feb’y  25 . 


Total  from  Sept.  1.  1858..  85,758 
To  about  same  period,  1658.  .712,496 


.83,689 

380,532 

299,172 

.  - 

3,375 

2,250 

.  2,029 

20,281 

14,081 

40 

— 

— 

•  - 

11,012 

3,949 

85,758 

415,800 

319,452 

712,496 

3,337  332 

1,515,818 

662,066 

6,739,339 

3,249,414 

682,470 

3,570,982 

3,U48,3S7 

TO  THE  CONTINENT. 

New-York  to  March  1,  1859.  28,391  51,258 

Other  Ports,  to  latest  dates.  13,853  6,020 

Current  Wholesale  Prices. 


17,179 

8,175 


Common  to  Fancy  Western. 


Fancy  to  Extra  Genesee. . 


Corn — Yellow . . . . 

White .  „ 

Mixed .  84  © 

Oats — Western .  Cl  © 

Slate .  5j  © 

Southern . 

RYE . 

Barley  . 


Rice,  per  100  lbs . 

Hops,  crop  of  1858  per  lb. 


Beef — Repacked  Mess .  9  00  ©11  00 


Feb.  21. 

March 

23. 

$5 

35 

®  6 

10 

$5 

50 

©  6 

80 

5 

40 

CcO  5 

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3 

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3 

65 

(a)  4 

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3 

70 

(a)  4 

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(a)  4 

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1 

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None  offering. 

1 

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(a)  1 

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88 

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Cl 

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60 

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58 

56 

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48 

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53 

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88 

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1 1%(5) 

12% 

1234® 

12  % 

3 

25 

(a)  4 

25 

3 

25 

(a)  4 

50 

10 

r® 

18 

17 

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1234 

17 

75 

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13 

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(5)13 

37  34 

13 

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20. 

00 

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9 

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Countiy  mess 

Hogs,  Dressed  corn,  per  lb  .. 

Lard,  in  bbls.  per  lb . 

Butter— Western,  per  lb . 

State,  pc-  lb . 

Cheese,  per  lb . 

Eggs— Fresh,  per  dozen . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  lb. 

Seer— Clover,  per  lb .  1034® 

Timothy,  per  bushel . .  2  00  ©  2  75 


8  00  ®  9  25  8  50  ®  9  6234 


8 

9H 

7 

© 

8% 

11%(5) 

1234 

1 1  %ra) 

12 

11 

© 

19 

10 

© 

17 

16 

© 

27 

15 

© 

26 

9 

© 

HJ4 

8 

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11 

20 

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21 

17%. '5) 

19 

44 

© 

48 

42 

© 

52 

1034® 

1134 

10 

© 

11 

00 

ffi  2 

75 

2  00 

© 

2  75 

Sugar,  Brown,  per  lb . 

Molasses,  New-Orleans,  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio, 'per  lb . . 

Tobacco — Kentucky,  Sic.  pr  lb 

Seed  Leaf,  per  lb . 

WooL-Domestie  fleece,  per  lb. 

Domestic,  pulled,  per  lb . 

Hemp— Undr’diAmer'n  pr  ton.  115 

Dressed  American,  per  ton _  170 

Tai.i.ow,  per  lb . 

Oil  Cake,  per  ton . 

Potatoes — Peach  Blow,prbbl 

Mercers,  perbbl . 

Turnips— Rutabagas,  per  bbl. 


654® 
39  ® 


854 

40 


934®  1234 


6  © 
3S  ® 
1054® 


13 

531©  13 

6 

© 

25 

6 

®  25 

37  %^a) 

62% 

45 

ffi  65 

32 

© 

50 

34 

®  53 

115 

©135  150 

ffil60 

170 

©190  195 

f®225 

© 

11 

ffi  1034 

34  00 

ffi  37 

00 

34  00 

ffi38  00 

1  62 

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1  75 

ffi  2  00 

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ffi  75 

3  00 

ffi  4 

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3  00 

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(a)  & 

00 

4  00 

©  S  00 

Dried,  per  lb . 

Poultry— Fowls,  per  lb. . . 

Ducks,  per  lb . 

Turkeys, per  lb . 

Geese,  per  lb . 

Venison — Carcass, per  lb. 


9 

© 

10 

9 

© 

10 

10 

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11 

© 

14 

16 

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18 

14 

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13 

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9 

IV.  TST.  Live  Stock  Markets.— The  Cattle 
Markets  have  been  rather  scantily  supplied  during  the 
past  month,  and  prices  have  kept  pretty  well  up.  The  re¬ 
ceipts  for  the  5  weeks  ending  March  23d,  number  16,623, 
or  a  weekly  average  of  3,924.  The  closing  prices  stand  : 
Premium  cattle,  ll}c.  ®  12}  c. ;  Prime  quality  91-  ©  10} 
c.  1  Medium  8}e.  ©  9}  c. ;  Poor  7c.  ®  8c.  ;  average  sales 
9}c.  lb.  net  or  dressed  weight. 

Sheep  and  Lambs.— Receipts  oflive  sheep  have  been 
very  light,  amounting  to  only  23, ('87  for  the  past  five 
weeks.  They  are  very  scarce  just  now,  and  are  worth 
7c.  ®  7jc.  live  weight.  A  few  extra  fat  ones  bring  $15 
each,  or  8c.  ip  ft.  gross  weight. 

Hogs. — Receipts  for  the  five  weeds  just  ended  amount 
to  35,019.  The  demand  is  not  active  as  warm  weather 
approaches.  Heavy  cornfed  hogs  are  now  worth  6}c.,  and 
light  hogs  6}c.  pit.  live  weight,  or  }c.  less  than  last 
month. 


The  Weatlicr,  during  the  past  month,  has  been 
marked  by  sudden  changes  and  some  severe  storms,  with 
a  general  temperature,  however,  remarkably  mild.  Rain 
has  fallen  in  great  quantity,  causing  floods  in  some  dis¬ 
tricts.  The  season  at  present  is  the  most  forward  expe¬ 
rienced  in  this  latitude  for  several  years,  and  if  not  follow¬ 
ed  by  cold  weather  in  April,  will  prove  favorable  to  the 
farmer  and  fruit  grower.  Our  Daily  Notes  read,  Feb. 
23  and  24,  very  warm  and  summer-like — 25.  cloud  A  M., 
snow  P.  M.— 26,  snow  and  rain— 27  and  28,  fine,  clear  and 
warm.  March  1  and  2,  clear  and  fine— 3,  snow,  with  rain 
at  night— 4,  cloudy— 5  and  6,  warm  and  clear— 7,  cloudy, 
with  rain  at  night  and  on  the  8th — 9  and  10,  fine  Spring 
days— II,  cloudy  A.  M.,  rain  at  night — 12,  rain  A.  M..  fine 
P.  M.— 13,  clear  and  very  Spring-like  — 14.  cloudy,  warm 
rain  at  night,  w  illi  a  heavy  storm  15th-  16.  clear  and  fine 
— 17,  clear  A.  M-,  cloud  P.  M.,  rain  at  night — 18,  N.  E. 
rain  storm— 19.  cloudy,  with  high  wind— 2u  and  21,  clear 
and  pleasant— 22,  cloudy,  rainy  night— 23,  fair  and  warm. 


(EIPThe  circulation  of  the  Agriculturist  to  regular 
subscribers,  is  much  larger  than  that  of  any  other 
Agricultural  or  Horticultural  Journal  in  the  world. 


Advertisements  to  be  sure  of  insertion  must  be  received  at 
latest  by  the  15th  of  the  preceding-  month. 

TERMS  —  (invariably  cash  before  insertion): 

FOR  THE  ENGLISH  EDITION  ONLY. 


Twenty-live  cents  per  line  of  space  for  each  insertion.  About 
9  words  make  a  line,  if  undisplayed. 

One  whole  column  (145  lines)  or  more,  $30  per  column. 
Business  Notices  Fifty  cents  per  line. 


FOR  THE  GERMAN  EDITION  ONLY 
Ten  cenfs  per  line  of  space  for  each  insertion. 

One  whole  column,  (130  lines),  or  more,  Sll  per  column, 
er  Business  Notices  twenty  cents  per  line. 


FOR  BOTH  EDITIONS— ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN. 


Thirty-one  cents  per  line  ;  S38  per  column. 

EsT  Business  Notices  Sixty-Jive  cents  per  line. 


SCHOOL  BOOK  PUBLISHERS. 

A.  S.  BARNES  &  CO., 

51  and  53  Jolm-st.,  New-York, 

Publish  the 

NATIONAL  SERIES  OF  STANDARD  SCHOOL 
BOOKS, 

among  which  are  the  following  : 

Davies’  System  of  Mathematics, 

Parker  &  Watson’s  Series  of  Readers, 

Clark’s  English  Grammar, 

Monteith  k  McNally’s  Geography, 

Monteith  &  Willard’s  Histories, 

Parker’s  Natural  Philosophy, 

Porter’s  Principles  of  Chemistry. 


THE  GARDENER’S  MONTHLY 
;  A  sail  Horticultural  Advertiser, 

A  NEW  PERIODICAL!  ! 


EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAN. 

Published  at  No.  23  North  Sixth-street,  Philadelphia. 


TERMS  ONE  DOLLAR  A  YEAR. 

It  is  the  largest  periodical  devoted  exclusively  to  Horticulture 
in  the  United  States,  and  second  only  insize  to  the  American 
Agricult 


jurist.  It  contains  twenty-six  larjre  quarto  pages  or 
seventy-eiuht  columns  of  matt er,  and  is  beautifully  printed  on 
"  it  paper,  and  profusely  illustrated  with  original  wood 


excellent  paper,  and  profusely  iL-„ . . .  ------  , 

engravings.  Its  copious  translations  and  extracts  from  British 
and  Continental  periodicals,  its  regular  foreign  correspondence, 
together  with  the  contributions  of  the  most  intelligent  and 
practical  cultivators  in  this  country  and  Canada,  and  its  large 
advertising  sheets,  combine  to  render  it  a  most  efficient  aid  to 
the  commercial,  the  professional,  or  the  amateur  horticulturist. 
Single  copies  can  be  procured  of  the  publisher,  or  of  the  New 
York  Agents,  Messrs.  A  O  Moore  &  Co.,  140  Fulton-st  ,  or  of 
A  Bridgemau  876  Broadway,  who  are  als  authorised  to  receive 
subscriptions.  Any  club  -remitting  five  dollars  will  receive  six 
copies.  Advertisements  must  reach  the  publisher  by  the  20th 
of  the  month.  Circulation  ten  thousand  copies  per  month. 


»ROFLTABLE  Employment  may  be  had 

by  addressing  (post-paid)  R«  SEARS  131  William-st,  N,  Y 


CAL.it® ON  OIL. 

A  full  supply  of  tliis  superior  Oil,  for  burning  in  Ml  the  Coal 


Oil  Lamps,  can  be  had  of  tin?  . 

1  CARBON  OIL  COMPANY,  181  Water-et.,  N.  Y. 


BEAUTIFUL  COUNTRY  HOME, 

NEAR  NEW-YORK  CITY , 

FOK  §  ALE  LOW, 

AND 

VEEY  LITTLE  CASH  KEQUIBED, 


MOST  OF  THE  PURCHASE  MONEY  CAN  REMAIN 
FOR  A  TERM  OF  YEARS. 

The  late  Homestead  of  Rev.  Dr.  Strong,  S.  T.  D,  (who  is  now 
in  charge  of  Troy  University,)  located  in  the  pleasant,  retired 
village  of  Flushing,  twelve  miles  East  of  New-York  Ci'y.  No 
other  place  near  the  metropolis  is  so  conveniently  accessible,  at 
almost  all  hours  of  the  day,  both  by  steamboat  and  railroad— the 
time  by  railroad  being  less  than  one  hour,  while  a  ride  to  Flush¬ 
ing  in  the  spacious  oars  or  boat  is  far  more  pleasant  than  a  pas¬ 
sage  on  any  of  the  public  conveyances  to  the  upper  part,  or  even 
the  centre  of  New-York  City.  Flushing  is  an  exceedingly 
pleasantCountry  Town, abounding  in  Nurseries,  Green-houses, 
Public  or  Commercial  Gardens.  &c  ,  &c.,  while  the  Country, 
back,  for  many  miles,  is  dotted  over  with  the  country  seats  of 
numerous  retired  as  well  as  active  businessmen.  (So  well 
pleased  have  most  of  the  dwellers  in  this  suburb  of  New-York 
City  been  wit  h  t  heir  homes  that  or  no  ado  lias  ever  been 

made  to  bring  it  into  notice  by  .w.ci  v- cements  or  newspaper 
notices.  Very  few  persons  who  have  gone  to  Flushing  have 
sold  out  to  go  elsewhere,  except  on  imperative  business  calls.) 

Flushing  is  scarcely  surpassed  for  its  advantages  of  churches, 
good  schools — both  public  and  private,  etc.,  while  its  main  busi¬ 
ness  being  comfiued  chiefly  to  Trees  and  Plants,  it  is  free  from 
the  usual  commercial  turmoil  of  manufacturing  and  trading 
towns. 

The  dwelling  above  referred  to,  now  for  sale,  was  bought  a 
few  years  since  by  Dr.  Strong,  as  a  permanent  home,  after  a  tho¬ 
rough  examination  of  all  the' localities  near  New-York,  and  his 
transfer  to  the  Trov  University  is  the  only  reason  for  its  now 
being  offered  for  sale. 

The  LOCATION  of  the  dwelling  is  elevated,  having  a  line 
look  oil r  upon  the  bay  and  adjoining  landscape. 

The  GROUNDS,  consisting  of  near  one  and  a  half  acres,  were 
formerly  part  of  a  public  nursery,  and  are  therefore  in  the  high¬ 
est  state  of  cultivation  and  improvement.  They  are  laid  out  in 
the  most  tasteful  manner,  wth  gravel  walks,  flagging,  borders, 
&c.  The  trees  and  plants  are  of  the  choicest  variety,  and  are 
now  full  grown.  There  are  a  great  namber  of  grape  vines,  beds 
of  strawberries,  with  the  New-Rochelle  blackberry,  currants, 
and  other  kinds  of  small  fruits,  while  among  the  large  ones 
are  some  ten  very  choice  cherry  trees,  (Black  Tartarian,  Black 
Eagle.  Amber,  Mayduke,  &c.,)  with  numerous  pear  trees, 
(Bartlett,  &c.,)  apples,  &,(*.,  &c.  Several  of  the  ornamental 
trees  are  so  fl lie  that  the  nurserymen  in  the  vicinity  irequently 
bring  their  customers  to  see  them  as  choice  specimens. 

The  HOUSE  is  in  modern  style,  built  throughout  in  the  most 
substant  ial  manner,  and  is  in  complete  order.  The  main  part  of 
the  building  is  about. 50  bv  40  feet,  two  stories  high,  with  large, 
commodious  wings  on  each  side.  The  basement  and  cellar  rooms 
are  nearly  above  ground,  and  always  dry.  The  rooms  in  both 
the  first  and  second  stories  are  high,  with  walls  hard-finished 
and  painted.  Tiiere  are  numerous  closet  s,  pantries,  and  similar 
conveniences.  There  is  an  excellent  well  of  water,  and  a  large 
cistern  at  t  he  door.  The  front  walk  is  flagged  and  curbed,  and 
lighted  with  gas. 

Price — (if  called  for  soon,)  only  $12.000— of  which  $9,000  or 
$10,000  may  remain  on  interest  for  a  term  of  years,  if  desired. 

This  is,  undoubtedly,  a  rare  opportunity  to  secure  an  elegant , 
commodious,  and  pleasant,  home ,  comli.ning  all  the  advantages  oj 
the  country,  with  the  facilities  and  conveniences  oj  immediate  vi¬ 
cinity  to  the  Metropolitan  City. 

REFERENCE : 

The  Edit  or  of  the  American  Agriculturist  has  resided  m  Flush¬ 
ing  for  some  years  (and  has  lately  purchased  a  permanent  coun¬ 
try  seat  there).  The  agents  for  the  sale  of  the  above  place  there¬ 
fore  (by  permission)  refer  any  inquirer  to  him,  as  his  personal 
and  intimate  acquaint  ance  with  the  location  and  character  oi 
the  premises  will  enable  him  to  speak  definitely  in  regard  toit. 
He  is  also  in  possession  of  the  terms  of  sale,  etc. 


LANGSTRGTH  ON  TIIE  HIVE  AND  HONEY  BEE* 


A  Practical  Treatise  on  the  Hive  and  Honey  Bee,  3d  edition, 
enlarged,  and  illustrated  wit  h  numerous  engravines.  This  is, 
without  a  doubt,  the  best  work  on  the  Bee  published  in  any  lan¬ 
guage,  whether  we  consider  it  s  scientific  accuracy,  the  practical 
instructions  it  contains,  or  the  beauty  and  completeness  of  its 
illustrations.  Price  $125,  Sent  by  mail,  pre-paid  on  receipt  ot 
price.  '  A  O.  MOORE  &  CO., 

Agricultural  Book  Publishers,  140  Fulton-st.,  New-York. 


(38 

& 

70 


B.  T.  BABBITT’S 

SAPONIFIER, 


Concentrated  lye, 

Manufactured  at 

68  and  70  YVASHINGTON-ST.,  New-York. 
Warranted  to  make  Soap  without  Lime, 
and  with  little  or  no  trouble. 


68 

& 

70 


OIL  SOAP. — Sperm  and  Whale  Oil  Soap, 

put  up  in  boxes  and  barrels,  containing  from  25  lbs.  to  50 
lbs.  each,  for  sale  bv  JAMES  PRYER  &  CO., 

Oil  and  Candle  Manufacturers, 2 17  Front-st.,  New-York. 


P!Ǥ  A IV I>  SMEEP. 


Improved  Berkshire  Pigs  and  Southdown  Ewes,  with  young 
lambs,  for  sale.  J.  B.  EDGAR,  Rahway,  N.  J. 


Thorough  Bred  Stock. 


I  have  always  on  hand  for  sale,  which  will  lie  put  upon  the 
railroad  cars  and  sent  carefully  bv  Adams’  Express  to  purchas¬ 
ers,  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE,  SOUTH-DOWN  SHF.EP.aml 
SPANISH  HOGS.  C.  M.  CLAY. 

Address — “  Whitehall  Post  Office,”  Madison  County.  Ky. 


PURE  CONCENTRATED  POTASH, 


BY  Win  6  lb.  cans.— Six  pounds  of  this  Potash  are 
'~,'“,)equal  to  twelve  pounds  of  common  Potash.  This 
article  is  broken  into  small  pieces,  suitable  for  re- 
63  tailing  in tlio  smallest  quantities.  The  attention 
of  Druggists  especially  is  called  to  this  Potash. 
Cases  of  1  doz.,  2  doz. ,3  doz.,  and  6  doz.  For  sale 
by  B.  T  BABBITT, 

No.  68  and  70  Washington-st.,  New-York, 
and  No.  38  India-st  ,  Boston. 


70 


68 

& 

70 


TO  BERRY  RAISERS.— N.  Hallock’s 

Patent  Fruit  Boxes,  cost  only  $15  to  $20  per  1000,  for  pints 
or  quarts.  For  particulars,  address 

N.  HALLOCK,  Queens, QucenB  Co., N.  Y 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


1Q3 


HOW  TO  MAKE  MONEY. 

book  AGENTS,  AHOY ! 

The  Good  Time  Mas  Comic  ! 

GOOD  PRICES!  GOOD  BOOKS!  GOOD  BUSINESS! 

C.  81.  SAXTON, 

25  Park-Row,  New-York, 

Publishes  the  following  superior  books,  which  are 

THE  BEST  BOOKS  FOR  AGENTS 
published  in  this  country,  and  for  the  sale  of  which  they  want 
an  active  agent  in  every  county  of  tiie  United  States  and  Canada. 
The  business  pays  from 

FIVE  TO  EIGHT  DOLLARS  PER  DAY. 
according  to  the  fifness  and  energy  of  the  Agent,  and  there  is  NO 
possibility  OP  loss.  A  small  capital  of  from  twenty  to  titty 
dollars  only  is  required. 

Spooner  and  Youatt  on  tlia  Horse. 

Their  structure  and  diseases,  with  their  remedies  ;  also, 
Practical  Rules  to  buyers,  breeders,  Breakers,  Smiths,  Sic  ; 
Notes  by  Spooner.  An  account  of  breeds  in  the  United  States, 
by  H.  S.  Randall,  with  60  illustrations,  muslin,  483  pp.,  12mo. 
$1  25. 

*  Fifty  thousand  copies  of  this  valuable  book  have  been  sold 
within  the  last  few  years,  and  the  demand  is  constantly  increas- 

ing. 

The  American  Fruit  Culturist. 

With  directions  for  the  Orchard,  Nuisery  and  Garden,  by  J.  J 
Thomas  ;  300  accurate  figures,  revised  and  enlarged,  muslin,  421 
pp.,  12  mo.  $125 

The  Complete  Produce  and  Heady  Reckoner- 

Embracing  Tab!  es  for  all  kinds  of  Grain,  Timber,  Wood,  Hay, 
and  other  Merchandize,  Stone  Wall  and  Cistern  Measure,  and 
for  computing  Monthly  Wages  and  Interest,  by  It.  Robbins,  118 
pp.,  16  mo. :  cloth,  60c. 

The  Pictorial  Encyclopedia 

of  History,  Biography  and  Travels.  Octavo,  618  pages.  Illus¬ 
trated  with  360  engravings.  Sent  to  any  address  free  of  postage, 
upon  receipt  of  price— $2. 

W*  Catalogues  of  150  POPULAR  BOOKS  FOR  THE  PEO¬ 
PLE,  containing  full  particulars,  sent  gratis,  on  application. 

C.  M.  SAXTON, 

25  Park-Row,  New-York. 


FRANK  FORRESTERS’S  LAST  WORK. 

HERBERT'S  HINTS  TO  HORSE-KEEPERS, 

A  complete  Manual  for  horsemen,  embracing— 

How  to  Breed  a  Horse,  How  to  Physic  a  Horse, 
How  to  Buy  a  Horse,  (Allopathy  and  Homoeopathy.) 

How  to  Break  a  Horse,  How  to  Groom  a  Horse, 

How  to  Use  a  Horse,  How  to  Diuye  a  Horse, 

How  to  Feed  a  Horse,  How  to  Ride  a  Horse, 

How  TO  Shoe  a  House,  (For  ladies  and  gentlemen  ) 

And  chapters  on  Mules  and  Ponies,  by.  the  late  Henry  Wm. 
Herbert,  (Frank  Forrester,)  with  additions, including 
RAREY’S  METHOD  OF  HORSE  TAMING. 

AND 

BAUCHER’S  SYSTEM  OF  HORSEMANSHIP, 

Also,  giving  directions  for  the  Selection  and  Care  of  Carriages 
and  Harness  of  every  description,  from  lie  City  Turn  Out  ”  to 
the  farmer’s  “  Gear.”  and  a  .Memoir  of  the  author,  Illustrated 
throughout,  will  be  published  April  15,  IS59. 

Price  $1  25. 

Sent  by  mail,pre-paid,  on  receipt  of  price. 

Address  A.  O-  MOORE  &  CO., 

Agricultural  Book  Publishers,  140  Fulton-st.,  New-York. 


“GET  THE  BEST.” 

WEBSTER’S  QXJARTO  DICTION  A  KIT. 

THE  ENTIRE  WORK  UNABRIDGED. 

“All  young  persons  should  have  a  standard 

DICTIONARY 

at  their  elbows.  And  while  you  are  about  it,  get  the  best ;  that 
Dictionary  is 

IYOAJS  WEBSTER’S. 

The  great  work  unabridged.  If  you  are  too  poor,  save  the 
amount  from  off  your  back,  to  put  it  into  your  head.’— Phreno¬ 
logical  Journal . 

“  A  MAN  WHO  WOULD  KNOW  EVERYTHING,  OR 
ANYTHING,  AS  HE  OUGHT  TO’  KNOW,  MUST  OWN 
WEBSTER'S  LARGE  DICTIONARY.  It  is  a  great  light,  and 
he  that  will  not  avail  himself  of  it,  must  walk  in  darkness.  Ev- 
erv  young  housekeeper  should  lay  it  in,  to  occupy  llie  place 
which  was  formerly  filled  with  decanters  and  wine  glasses. 

“  Every  farmer  should  give  bis  sons  two  or  three  square  rodsol 
ground  well  prepared,  with  the  avails  of  which  they  may  buy  it 
Every  mechanic  should  put  a  receiving  box  in  some  conspicuous 
place  in  the  house,  to  cal  oh  the  stray  pennies,  for  the  like  pur¬ 
pose  ’’ — Massachusetts  Life  Boat. 

“  Constantly  died  and  relied  on  in  our  Courts  of  Justice,  in 
ourlegislative  bodies,  and  in  public  discussions,  as  entirely  con¬ 
clusive.’’— John  C.  Spencer. 

Published  by  MERRTAM, 

SPRINGFIELD,  MASS. 

rgp  SOLD  BY'  ALL  BOOKSELLERS, 

ALSO, 

YVEBSTER’S  SCHOOL  DICTIONARIES. 


^rcTS'r.  fubijIsubd. 

FARM  DRAINAGE. 

The  Principles,  Processes  and  Effects  ot  Draining  Land,  with 
Stones,  Wood,  Drain-plows,  Open  Ditches,  and  especially  with 
Tiles;  including  Tables  of  Rainfall,  Evaporation.  Filtration, 
Excavation,  capacity  of  Pipes,  cost  and  number  to  the  acre. 
With  more  than  100  illustrations.  By  the  Hon.  Henry  F. 
French,  of  New-Hampsliire. 

Price  SI. 

Sent  by  mail,  pre-paid,  on  receipt  of  price. 

Address  A.  O.  MOORE  &  CO„ 

Agricultural  Book  Publishers,  140  Fulton-st.,  New-York. 


NEW  WORK  FOR  AGENTS. 

THE  LIFE,  SPEECHES  AND  MEMORIALS 

OF 

D ARIEL  WEBSTER, 

CONTAINING  II  IS  MOST  CELEBRATED  ORA¬ 
TIONS,  A  SELECTION1  FROM  THE  EULOGIES 
DELIVERED  ON  THE  OCCASION  OF  HIS 
DEATH,  AND  HIS  LIFE  AND  TIMES. 

BY  SAMUEL  M.  SMUCKER,  A.  M. 

This  splendid  work  is  just  published,  in  one  large  volume  of 
550  pages.  It  is  printed  on  fine  paper  and  bound  in  beautiful 
style  ;  contains  excellent  tint  illustrations  of  bis  Birthplace  and 
Mansion  at  Marshfield:  and  a  lull  length,  life-!  ike,  Steel  Por¬ 
trait.  The  Publisher  offers  it  wi'li  confidence  to  the  American 
public, and  is  convinced  that  it  will  supply  an  important  want  in 
American  literature.  No  work  was  tube  obtained  heretofore, 
which  presented,  iviiliin  a  compact  and  convenient  compass,  the 
chief  events  of  llie  life  of  DANIEL  WEBSTER,  his  most  re¬ 
markable  intellectual  efforts,  and  the  most  valuable  and  inter¬ 
esting  eulogies  which  the  great  men  of  the  nation  uttered  in 
honor  of  his  memory. 

We  present  all  these  treasures  in  this  volume,  at  a  very  mod¬ 
erate  price,  anil  in  .a  very  convenient  form.  Subscription  price, 
in  cloth.  $1  75  ;  handsomely  embossed  leather.  $2  00. 

Persons  desirous  of  becoming  Agents  fur  this  valuable  work, 
will  address,  for  full  particulars, 

DUANE  RUI.ISON,  Publisher, 

33  South-tliird-st.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Faasssly  §!&oibM  ease 


ARo 


ol\s; 


% 


m 


yO 


Houchin’s 
Starch 
Polish 
Wafers. 


It  gives  to  linen  a  superior  lustre  ana  finish,  and  an  extra  still¬ 
ness^  It  will  prevent  the  iron  sticking.  Shirts,  Bosoms  Col¬ 
lars,  &c..  can  be  done  up  quicker  and  will  look  better,  and  in 
damp  weather  will  keep  clean  longer  by  using  this  Polish. 

PRICE— 12c.  25c.  50c.  and  $1  00  per  Package. 

For  sale  by  dealers  generally. 

J.  B.  MORRILL, 

Agent,  wholesale  and  retail, 

301  Broadway,  New-York  City.  Box  2736  P.  O..N.  Y. 


STEWART’S  A'D  TO  ECONOMY! 

BY  AN  INVENTOR  OF  40  YEAR'S  EXPERIENCE. 
This  work  is  entitled 

STEWART’S  FUEL-SAVING  AND  COMFORT  PRODUCING 

COOKBNG  STOVE l 
Saves  half  the  wood  or  coal  burned  in  any  other  stove. 
Thirty-five  thousand  families  using  the  stove  will  indorse 

FULLER,  WARREN  &  CO  ,  Manufacturers.  Tioy,  N.Y. 
Sold  in  New-Orlean*.  Havana.  Honolulu,  Sandwich  Islands, 
and  the  entire  southern  portion  of  the  American  Continent,  ana 
in  all  the  principal  places  in  the  United  States. 

Descriptive  pamphlet  by  mail  gratis. 


YOUATT’S  CONDITION  POWDERS, 

For  the  radical  cure  of  heaves,  broken  wind,  coughs,  glanders 
and  all  diseases  which  affect  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  lungs, 
wittd-pipe,  throat  and  head  of  the 

HORSE, 

Also,  to  expel  botts  and  worms,  loosen  the  hide,  improve  the 
appet  ite,  and  keep  t lie  animal  in  good  condition.  Equally  valu¬ 
able  for  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  swine. 

In  large  packages,  price  50  cents. 

HARRAL.RISLEY  &  KITCHEN, 
Druggists,  76  Barclay-st..  New-York, 
Wholesale  Agents  for  the  United  States. 


FUR-B  C3t3F£..A.DFc:e; 

For  Sacramen  al  and  Medicinal  use.  Prices,  5  gallons  and  over 
$2  per  gallon  ;  7Jc.  per  bottle,  $8  per  doz. 

PURE  BLACKBERRY  WINE, 

For  Medicinal  use,  $2  50  per  gallon,  for  5  gallons  and  over ;  $1 
per  bottle,  $10  per  uoz. 

Orders  by  the  case, delivered  in  New-York,  free  of  charge. 

F-  A.  ROCKWELL.  Ridgefield  Conn.. 

Agent  in  New-York,  E.  GOODENOUGH, 

Bookseller,  122  Nassau-st. 

■‘We  have  examined  Mr.  ROCKWELL’S  Wines,  andean 
safely  recommend  them.  Believing  him  to  be  engaged  in  an  en¬ 
terprise  much  needed  by  the  Christian  community,  we  take 
pleasure  in  commending  him  to  its  patronage.” 

Rev.  E.  E.  Griswold,  P.  E.  Bridgeport  District. 

Rev.  W.  H.  Williams,  Rector  St.  Stephen’s  Church. 

Rev.  C.  Clark.  Pastor  Congregational  Church. 

Rev.  J  J.  Wooley,  Pastor  M.  E.  Church. 


IMPROVED  KING  PHILIP  CORN. 

I  am  now  prepared  to  sell  my  Improved  King  Philip  Corn  for 
Seed,  at  $1  per  peck.  Farmers  can  now  procure  this  valuable 
variety  ;  also  _ 

Davis’  Seedling  Potato, 

One  of  the  best  potatoes  grown ;  very  prolific — yielding  over  300 
bushels  to  the  acre.  No  rot.  This  potato,  in  a  collection  at  the 
Crystal  Palace,  last  Fall,  took  the  first  Prize.  Price,  $2  per 
bushel, or  $5  per  bid.  Orders  directed  to 

WM.  S.  CARPENTER,  466  Pearl-st.,  New-York, 
will  be  promptly  attended  to. 

From  the  New-York  Tribune. 

Improved  Corn. — Wm.  S.  Carpenter,  Harrison,  Westchester 
Co..  N.  Y., has  shown  us  a  specimen  of  Improved  King  Philip 
Corn,  superior  to  any  we  have  ever  seen  before.  It.  is  an  acci¬ 
dental  variety,  the  ears  being  of  unusual  length — as  long  as  the 
best  Dutton — t  he  kernels  being  very  large  and  deen — eight  rows 
on  the  cob.  It  ripens  perfectly  in  one  hundred  ilavs,  and  pro¬ 
duces  very  nearly  double  as  much  as  the  ordinary  King  Philip. 

EDITOR  TRIBUNE. 


ELECT  Clover,  Timothy,  Pied  Top,  Lawn 

U^Grass  Seed,  etc.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  1 00  Mur- 
ray-st.,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


BRIDG-EMAN’S 
Horf  icsiMnaraS.  I£staft»Iisshmeira£3 
Nos.  376  and  878  Broadway, 
NEW-YORK, 

ALFRED  BRIDGEMAN,  PRINCIPAL  OF 
SEED  DEPARTMENT, 

Respectfully  invites  the  attention  of  FARMERS,  GARDEN¬ 
ERS,  and  all  those  in  want  of  Seeds  to  his  unsurpassed  collec¬ 
tion  of  NEW  CROP  FIRST  QUALITY  GRASS,  VEGETA¬ 
BLE,  HERB  AND  FLOWER  SEEDS,  including  all  the  good 
okl  varieties  and  several  that  are  new  and  worthy  of  general 
cultivation. 

Also  a  full  assortment  of  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLF 
MENTS,  AGRICULTURAL  AND  HORTK  ’ULTUR  Al 
BOOKS.  Priced  Catalogues  furnished  on  application.  All  or¬ 
ders  attended  to  promptly,  and  with  exactness.  Goods  packed 
securely  to  go  any  distance. 


Pure  Hubbard  Squash  Seed. 

By  the  subscriber,  who  first  introduced  this  excellent  variety 
to  public  notice,  and  gave  it  its  name.  The  following  testimo¬ 
nials  express  hut  llie  general  sentiment  of  all  who  hove  tested 
the  new  squash,  which  has  just  received  the  award  of  the  Mas¬ 
sachusetts  Horticultural  Society  as  the  best  squash  exhibited 
during  the  season. 

“  The  richest  squash  I  have  ever  tasted.”  (Hon.  Marshall  P. 

Wilder.) _ “  Nothing  could  he  better.  It  is  a  very  important 

acquisition  to  the  vegetable  garden.” — (Hon,  Edward  Everett.) 
...  ‘  They  excel  in  flavor  and  fineness  of  the  flesh  any  squash 

we  have  ever  tasted.” — (New-England  Farmer.) _ “They  are 

mealy  as  mashed  potatoes,  s  \  ecter  than  sweet  potatoes  or  boiled 
chestnuts,  a  good  deal  like  the  latter,  but  better  than  either.”— 
(The  Homestead  ) 

SEED — For  a  package  with  full  directions  for  cultivation,  25c. 

JAMES  J.  H.  GREGORY,  Marblehead,  Mass. 


SIt5S>5>aa’d  SqiaasEs. 

FIFTY  SEEDS  of  this  celebrat.ed'Squash  sent  free  by  post  to 
any  address  in  the  Union  on  receipt  of  live  3-cent  stamps.  Ad¬ 
dress  B.  K.  BLISS,  Springfield,  Mass. 

Seeds — Seeds — Seeds. 

We  would  call  the  attention  of  Farmers  and  others  to  an  en¬ 
tirely  new  and  choice  collection  of  Grain,  Field,  Grass,  Herl:, 
Flower  and  Garden  Seeds,  which  we  will  warrant  to  be  pure 
and  fresh. 

Please  send  for  a  priced  Catalogue. 

A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO.. 

New  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed-store, 

13P3  Remember  the  new  stand,  •  No.  51  Vesey-st.,  N.  Y., 
near  Washington  market 


SUE.  OPE  AN  POTATOES. 

The  subscriber  received  last  Spring,  from  the  Seedsman  to  the 
Imperial  Agricultural  Society  of  France,  a  collection  of 

ONE  HUNDRED  VARIETIES  OF  POTATOES, 
selected  as  the  best  from  upwards  of 

FIVE  HUNDRED  VARIETIES, 
collected  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  cultivated  by  that  So¬ 
ciety  for  the  purpose  of  lesting  their  quality.  This  collection  has 
been  carefully  cultivated  during  the  past  season,  and  specimens 
exhibited  at  some  of  our  State  anil  (’minty  Fairs,  which  have 
attracted  much  attention.  From  these, 

FIFTY  VARIETIES 

have  been  selected,  which,  from  their  productiveness,  fine  fla¬ 
vor,  and  freedom  from  disease  Dio  signs  of  rot  appearing  in  any 
of  them),  can  be  recommended  as  every  way  desirable  for  gene¬ 
ral  cultivation.  A  large  proportion  or  the  remaining  varieties 
promise  well,  hut  he  has  thought  it  best  to  give  them  another' 
year’s  trial  before  sending  out. 

For  the  purpose  of  introducing  as  extensively  as  possible,  he 
has  put  them  up  in  collections  as  follows,  which  can  be  sent  by- 
express  to  any  part  of  the  country. 

50  varieties,  3  potatoes  each,  each  sort  distinctly  labeled  . .  .$5 

20  do.  10  do.  do.  do.  do.  do.  do . 4 

10  do.  20  do.  do.  do.  do.  do.  do  ....  3 

B.  K.  BLISS,  Springfield,  May.?. 

PEACH-BLOW,  Buckeye,  Prince  Albert 

and  Davis  Seedling 

SEED  POTATOES, 

for  sale  at  market  rates — $2  50  per  bbl.  for  Peach-blows,  and  $3 
per  bbl.  for  each  of  the  other  named  varieties,  all  in  shipping 
order.  DREW  &  FRENCH, 

Produce  Comm  ssion  Merchants. 

85  Barclay-st.,  New-Yuik. 


POTATOES  FOR  SEED. 

S.B.  CONOVER,  willi  JOHN  R.  SEARS, 
Wholesale  and  Commission  Dealer  in 
POTATOES. 

260,  261  and  262,  West  Washington  Market,  foot  of  Fulton-st..  is 
now  prepared  to  fill  orders  for  all  kinds  of  Po'atoes, selected  and 
put  up  expressly  for  SEED,  raised  in  Northern  and  Western 
New-York  and  Michigan,  and  warranted  pure. 


f^OUR  HUNDRED  BUSHELS  PRINCE 

■E-A-LBERT  POTATOES— Selected  for  Seed.  Price  SI  per 
busheL  Address  HOMER  A.  KIDD, 

Walden,  Orange  Co.,  New-York. 


SEED  POTATOES. — Peach  Blow  (N<  rth- 

ern,  for  seed),  Buckeye,  Dykem.ra,  Davis’ Seedling;,  Eariy 
June.  Mercer,  etc  Forsule  at  Agricultural  Depot,  100  Murray- 
st  N.Y.  HENRY  F.  D1BBLEE. 


PURE  PRINCE  ALBERT  POTATOES, 

At  31  per  bbl 

Excelsior  Potatoes— tiie  best  early  variety,  S3  50  per  bbl.  Ad¬ 
dress  GRIFFiNG.  BROTHER  ir  CO., 

North  River  Agricultural  Warehouse, 

60  Cortlaudt-st.,  New  York. 


Choice  Dahlias  at  Wholesale. 

The  subscriber  would  invite  the  attention  of  Nurserymen, 
Florists  and  others  who  wish  to  purchase  by  the qn amity. to  his 
large  assortment  of  the  above  in  pot  roots  f«*r  propagation.  com¬ 
prising  about  two  hundred  variet  ies,  among  which  are  many  new 
varieties  first  sent  out  last  Spring,  the  foots  being  very  compact, 
can  be  packed  into  a  small  space,  and  safely  sent  lo  all  parts  of 
the  country,  Catalogues  with  prices  upon  application. 

B.  IC  BLISS,  Springfield,  Muss* 


134 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


BRIDGEMAN’S 
Horticultural  Establishment. 

NOS.  876  &  878  BROADWAY, 
NEW-YORK. 

KUILSERY  AK©  CtBEEJV-ISeUSE 
DEPARTMENT. 

ANDREW  BRIDGEMAN,  PRINCIPAL. 

The  Attention  of  Purchasers  are  invited  to  our  select  assort¬ 
ment  of 

Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees 
Flowering  Shrubs,  Fruit  Bushes,  Grape  Vines, 
Strawberries,  Esculent  Roots,  &c.,  &c. 

For  particulars  see  Descriptive  Catalogue  No.  4,  which  will 
be  sent  free  to  all  applicants. 

A  new  edditionof  Descriptive  and  Priced  Catalogue  No  6. 

SELECT  BEDDING  PLANTS, 

ROSES, 

SUMMER  AND  AUTUMN  BLOOMING  BULBS, 
AND 

HERBACEOUS  PLANTS 
will  he  issued  March  1st. 

The  stock  the  present  season,  are  all  good  size,  well  grown 
and  very  select,  including  many  rare  ana  valuable  plants  of  re¬ 
cent  introduction. 

The  immense  number  propagated  by  us  to  supply  the  demand 
from  all  parts  of  our  country,  enables  us  to  put  our  selected  va¬ 
rieties  at  as  low  prices  as  is  usually  charged  for  the  more  ordi¬ 
nary  kinds. 

All  orders  will  be  promptly  filled,  carefully  packed  and  for¬ 
warded  as  directed. 

03P  SEND  FOR  CATALOGUES  AT  ONCE. 

February  1  Sthy  1859. 


Small  Fruits, 

New  Native  Grape  Vines, 
Rliubarb,  &c., 

Wholesale  and  Retail. 

A  large  stock  of  the  best  varieties  is  offered  at  lov?  rates,  in¬ 
cluding 

THE  BRINCKLE’S  ORANGE  RASPBERRY, 
unequalled  in  flavor  and  beauty,  also  very  vigorous  and  produc¬ 
tive,  and  considered  by  many  as  the  very  best,  and  recommend¬ 
ed  by  the  Am.  Pom.  Convention  for  general  cultivation.  Also 
the  Vice  Pres.  French  and  Thunderer — and 
LINNJEUS  RHUBARB, 

An  English  variety,  particularly  tender,  fine  flavored  and  pro¬ 
ductive — the  most  profitable  for  market. 

REBECCA  GRAPE  VINES, 

Extra  st  rong,  erown  7  to  10  feet  high.  Also,  Delaware,  Diana, 
Concord,  and  Hartford  Prolific  vines. 

new-rochelle  BLACKBERRY, 

Very  low,  also  Newman’s  Thornless  Blackberry,  and  Strawber¬ 
ries  in  any  quantity  of  the  most  prominent  varieties.  Address 
H.  0.  FREEMAN,  late  Freeman  &.  Kendall. 
Ravenswood  Fruit  Garden,  Ravenswood,  L.  I.,  near  New-York. 

GARDEN,  FIELD,  FRUIT)  AND  FLOWER  SEEDS. 

The  subscriber  has  now  in  store,  of  the  growth  of  1858,  a  full  as- 
lortment  of  Vegetable,  Field.  Fruit,  Herb,  and  Flower  Seeds, 
Df  the  best,  qualities,  for  sale  wholesale  and  retail.  Among 
which  wiil  be  found  : 

CORN— Imperial  Sweet,  Constantinople,  Stowell’s  Evergreen* 
Darling’s  Early  Sweet,  Rhode  Island  Premium,  King  Philip* 
Earlv  Dutton,  Long  Yellow,  Long  White,  Pop,  etc. 

POTATOES— Early  Ashleaf  Kidneys,  Early  Strawberry, 
Early  Algier.  Early  Dyokman,  Early  Dover,  Earlv  June,  Prince 
Albert,  Irish  Cup,  Peach  Blow,  Red  Mercer,  Wnite  Mercer, 
Carter  and  Pink  Eye. 

The  Hubbard,  Marrow,  and  other  squash. 

OATS — Choice  varieties  now  in  store,  and  imported  Scotch 
oais.  very  heavy,  expected  early  in  April. 

SPRING  WHEAT— Canada  Clubb,  Tea,  Black  Sea,  Golden 
Drop  or  Fife. 

SPRING  RYE.  SPRING  BARLEY. 

GRASS  SE E D — Hungarian,  Timothy,  Red  Top,  Orchard, 
Foul  Meadow.  Rye,  Blue,  Sweet  Vernal,  Sanfoin,  Millet,  Fes¬ 
cue.  Fine  mixed  Lawn,  etc. 

CLOVERS— White  Dutch, Lucern,  Large  Rod.  Medium  Red, 
Scarlet,  Alsike,  Trefoil,  etc. 

TOBACCO  SEED — Connecticut  Seed  Leaf  and  Havanna. 

Spring  Vetches  or  Tares  -Broom  Corn. 

CHINESE  SUGAR  CANE— AFRICAN  IMPHEE. 

FRUIT  SEEDS— Apple,  Pear,  Quince,  Currant,  Gooseberry, 
Raspberry. 

Rhubarb  and  Asparagus  roots. 

Lawton  or  New- Rochelle  Blackberry,  Raspberries,  etc. 

STRAWBERRIES — Wilson’s,  Peabody’s,  Hovey,  etc. 

A  Catalogue  containing  a  full  list  of  seeds  and  prices  furnished 
on  application.  R.  L  ALLEN,  191  Water  Street,  N.  Y. 

Choice  Vegetable  Seeds  by  Mail. 

20  Varieties  $1.00-  46  Varieties  S2.00. 

Wishing  to  give  those  who  reside  at.  a  distance  an  opportuni¬ 
ty  to  test  t  he  quality  of  our  Vegetable  Seeds,  which  we  are  con¬ 
fident  will  compare  favorably  with  any  ever  offered  in  this 
country  we  have  prepared  small  packets,  of  all  the  leading  vari¬ 
eties  which  will  he  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  to  any  address  in 
the  Union  at  the  above  prices. 

To  those  who  wish  for  larger  quantities  we  would  recommend 
the  following  collect  ions,  suitable  for  a  large,  medium  or  small 

farden,  which  will  he  carefully  packed  for  transportation  by 
Jxpress  to  any  part  of  the  world. 

No.  1— Complete  Collection— Sufficient  for  a  large  garden 
for  one  year’s  supply,  containing  12  quarts  Peas  of  the 
very  best  sorts  for  succession  and  all  other  seeds  in 

that  proportion . $10.00 

No.  2— Complete  Collection  for  a  moderate  sized  garden, 
comprising  6  quarts  of  Peas,  and  most  of  the  other  va¬ 
rieties  in  proportion . $5  00 

No.  3 — Complete  Collection  for  a  small  garden . S3. 00 

The  quantities  included  in  the  above  collections  will  be  found 
detailed  at  length  in  the  Catalogue,  which  will  be  sent  by  mail 
^ost-paid  to  all  applicants  inclosing  a  Postage  stamp. 

All  orders  must  be  accompanied  with  the  Cash. 

B.  K  BLISS. 

Springfield.  Mass. 

FAIIM  PRODUCE 

Sold  on  Commission, 

Such  as  Flour.  Butter.  Cheese.  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds 
Grain,  Eggs,  Poultry,  Game,  &c.  %c„ 

HAIGHT  &  E MENS.  226  Front-st.,  New-York. 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

R.  H.  Haydock,  Cashier  Market  Bank,  New-York 

APAN  PIS  MELON.— 100  Seeds  for  30 

cents 

J.  I.  WYCHE,  Henderson,  N.  C. 


Long  Orange  Carrot  Seed. 

Our  stock  of  the  above  is  superior  to  any  ever  offered.  Price 
$1  per  lb.,  or  at  reduced  rates,  in  quantities  over  5  lbs. 

ALSO, 

Long  Red  Altringham  Carrot . . .  .per  lb.  $1  00 

White  Sugar  Beet. . .  . do.  50 

Long  Red  Mangel  Wurtzel . do.  50 

Large  Red  Onion . ..do.  1  00 

Large  Yellow  Onion . do.  1  00 

Fine  American  Drumhead  Cabbage. . . bo.  3  00 

Fine  American  Flat  Dutch  Cabbage . do.  3  00 

White  Spined  Cucumber . do.  75 

Long  Scarlet  Short  Top  Radish . do.  75 

Scarlet  Turnip  Radish .  do.  75 

Round  Leaf  Spinach . do.  50 

Early  Dutch  Turnip . do.  75 

White  Strap  Leaf  Turnip . do.  75 

Red  Top  Strap  Leaf  Turnip. . . do.  75 

Improved  Ruta  Baga . do.  75 

Hungarian  Grass . . per  bush.  3  00 

Carpenter’s  King  Philip  Corn  (ears) . do.  2  00 

We  have,  also,  a  limited  quantity  of  the  following  rare  Tree 
Seeds  : 

Abies  Douglasii,  per  packet  of  10  seeds. . . .  .$1  00 

Abies  Grandis  do.  do.  do .  . 2  00 

With  thousands  of  other  seeds,  for  which,  see  our  catalogues. 

J.M.  THORBURN  &CO., 

No.  15  John-st .,  New-York. 


Flower  Seeds  toy  Mail. 

We  are  now  receiving  our  annual  supplies  of  English,  French 
and  German  Seeds  direct  from  the  most  reliable  seed  growers  in 
Europe,  which  in  addition  to  our  many  favorite  sorts  of  Ameri¬ 
can  growth,  gives  us  an  unusually  large  assortment,  embracing 
in  all  nearly  one  thousand  varieties,  and  containing  every  desi¬ 
rable  novelty  and  standard  variety — from  which  we  have  select¬ 
ed  the  following  collections,  which  we  will  send  by  mail  free  of 
postage,  to  any  part  of  the  United  States  at  the  annexed  prices  : 

Collection  No.  1— Contains  20  varieties  of  Annuals . $1  00 

Collection  No.  2— Contains  20  varieties  of  Biennials  and 

Perennials .  l  00 

Collection  No.  3— Contains  10  extra  fine  varieties  of  Rare 

Annuals  and  Perennials .  l  00 

Collection  No.  4 — Contains  5  choice  varieties,  from  Prize 
Flowers,  of  French  Asters,  German 
Carnation  and  Picotee  Pinks.  English 
Pansies,  Verbenas  and  Hollyhocks, 
each  of  which  is  sold  at  25  cts.  singly.  1  00 
Collection  No.  5— Contains  50  varieties,  (including  col¬ 
lection  No.  4),  Annuals,  Biennials 

and  Perennials . 2  50 

Collection  No.  6— Contains  100  varieties .  . 5  00 

We  also  offer  many  other  varieties  of  French  and  German 
Seeds  by  mail  for  enumeration  of  which  see  our  D^criptive  Re¬ 
tail  Priced' List  of  Flower  and  Vegetable  Seeds,  which  will  be 
sent  to  all  applicants  enclosing  a  ono-cent  stamp. 

Persons  ordering  will  please  state  the  No  of  the  Collection. 

N.  B. — Particular  attention  should  be  given  to  giving  the  ad¬ 
dress,  town,  county  and  State  in  full,  as  it  is  a  frequent  occur¬ 
rence  that  an  essentia!  part  is  wanting,  and  the  seeds  cannot  be 
forwarded  until  another  communication  is  received. 

All  orders  will  receive  prompt  attention.  Address 

ALLEN  &  McELWAIN,  Springfield,  Mass, 


SSeeffls,  Seeds. 

FIELD,  GARDEN  AND  FLOWER  SEEDS  !  ! 

We  are  now  fully  supplied  with  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
complete  stock  of  Garden,  Flower  and  Field  Seeds  over  offered 
to  the  Western  public.  Our  stock  has  been  made  up  with  much 
care  from  the  best  seed  gardens  of  America  and  Europe.  A 
large  share  are  home-grown  seeds,  being  grown  under  our  own 
inspection,  and  which  we  can  recommend  as  true  lo  name  and  of 
the  best  quality. 

Among  our  assortment  of  Seeds  may  be  found  over 
150  VARIETIES  OF  FLOWER  SEEDS; 

300  do.  do.  GARDEN  SEEDS; 
HUNGARIAN  GRASS  SEED  ; 

CHINESE  SUGAR  CANE  AND  IMPHEE  SEED,  &c 

From  a  long  acquaintance  with  the  trade,  we  feel  confident  no 
one  can  offer  better  inducements  to  those  desiring  seeds. 

Those  who  design  to  emigrate  to  Kansas  and  Pike’s  Peak 
would  do  well  to  take  with  them  a  box  of  fresh  Garden  Seeds. 

We  also  keep  constantly  on  hand  a  full  assortment  of 
IMPLEMENTS  AND  MACHINES 
suited  to  the  Field,  Garden,  Orchard  and  Household. 

We  are  fully  prepared  to  supply  the  trade  on  the  most  liberal 
terms. 

Full  Catalogues  furnished  gratis  on  application;  if  by  mail 
inclose  a  stamp.  Address  H.  D.  EMERY  &  CO„ 

204  Lake-st.,  Chicago.  Ill. 

BY  MAUL,  GRAFTS,  VINES  AND  PLANTS. 

I  will  send  carefully  packed,  post-paid. 

Grafts  of  the  Baker  Apple  at . 36c.  per  dozen 

any  other  varieties  grown  East . 36c. 

Bartlett  or  other  Pears . .75c. 

Concord  Grape  Cuttings,  two  1  uds  each . 60c.  per  >£  doz 

Concord  Grape  Vines,  suitable  for  mailing _ $3  0> 

New-Roohelle  or  Lawton  Blackberry  Plants,  do.  .75c. 

Mammoth  Cahoon  Pie  Plants,  crowns . 75c. 

Peabody’s  and  Wilson’s  Albany  Strawberry  plants.75c.  per  dozen 
Longworth’s  Prolific,  McAvoy’s  Superior,  and 

other  choice  varieties . 36c. 

Any  larger  quantity  of  not  more  than  three  pounds,  sent  by 
mail  at  the  same  rates.  All  of  the  above  by  the  100  or  1000  at 
the  lowest  rates,  by  express. 

Cash  or  3-cent  stamps  must  accompany  orders,  which  will  be 
filled  as  soon  as  the  season  will  admit. 

Ridgefield,  Conn.,  March  1,  1859.  F.  A.  ROCKWELL. 


CARROT  SEED, 

Of  the  Long  Orange  Variety.  First  rate  at  SI  per  pound,  by 
DAVID  H.  SHERWOOD,  Southport,  Conn. 


A  Choice  lot  of  Cherry  Trees  for  sale  on 

time.  We  also  offer  a  general  assortment  of  Fruit  Trees— 
Mazzard  Cherry  Pits,  and  Cherry  Seedlings  at  great  bargains 
for  the  Spring  trade.  Potato  Seeds  from  the  ball.  By 

J.  D.  CONKLIN,  Locke,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y. 


PRIME  KING  PHILIP  CORN  AND  SEED  OATS. 

Just  received,  at  tne  new 

AGRICULTURAL  AND  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLE¬ 
MENT  AND  SEED  STORE, 

No.  54  Vesey-st  .  New-York.  100  barrels  of  an  extra  quality  of 
Early  King  "Philip  Corn  (genuine)  shells,  19  quarts  to  the  bush¬ 
el;  also,  a  superior  lot  of  Seed  Oats,  40  pounds  to  the  bushel; 
also,  all  kinds  of  Grain.  Grass,  Field  and  Garden  Seeds,  all  en¬ 
tirely  new  and  fresh.  Implements,  Fertilizers.  &c  ,  &c. 

Call  and  examine  them,  or  send  for  a  seed  catalogue. 

A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO.,  No.  54  Vesey-st.,  New-York, 
Remember  No.  54  Vesey-st.,  between  Broadway  and  Grcen- 
wicii-st.,  near  Washington  Market,  New-York. 


TREEES  CHEAPER  THAN  EVER. 

Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs,  Vines,  &c  Wishing  to 
clear  off  a  piece  of  ground,  I  oiler  the  stock  on  it  at  very  low 
prices,  in  quantities.  Priced  catalogues  of  the  same  sent  on  ap¬ 
plication.  * 

^  ,  GEO.D.  KIMBER, 

Nurseryman  and  Dealer  in  all  kinds  of  Trees,  Plants.  &c 
Flushing,  3d  month,  15th,  1859. 


Hardy  native  evergreens.— 

JOHN  W.  ADAMS,  Portland,  hie.,  continues  to  supply 
Arbor  Vitas,  Hemlock,  Fir,  Spruce.  Pine,  &c  ,  of  small  sizes,  at 
$10  to  $12  per  1,000.  Catalogues  sent  to. applicants. 


NURSERY. — Partner  and  Capital  wanted 

in  a  Nursery  established  12  years.  Address  Box  115,  Syra- 
cu§e,  N.Y. 


80,000  ANGERS  QUINCE  STOCKS. 

Quince  Stools,  Willow  and  Privet  Cui  tings  and  Slools,  Grape 
Vines,  Currant  Bushes,  Osage  Orange  2  year  plants,  and  a  great 
variety  of  other  Ornamental,  Shade  and  Fruit  Trees,  for  sale 
very  cheap.  Also  French  Pear  Stocks 

COWLES  &  WARREN,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


AGRICULTURAL  DEPOT, 

100  Murray-st.,  near  North  River, 

NE IV-  YORK, 

Where  may  be  found  a  fine  assortment  of  first  quality  improved 
Farm  implements,  Machines,  Seeds,  Guano,  Phosphate,  etc. 

HENRY  F.  D1BBLEE. 


FIELD  AND  GARDEN  SEEDS  from  re- 

liable  growers. 

Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Implements,  of  the  most  ap¬ 
proved  patterns. 

GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO., 

60  Cortlaml-st.,  New-York  City. 


The  New  Rochelle  or  Lawton,  ) 

Lawton  or  New  Rochelle,  1  Blackberry  Plants. 

PRICES  REDUCED. 

The  undersigned  agents  for  Messrs.  GEO.  SEYMOUR  &  CO.. 
and  other  nurserymen  of  position  and  reputation,  offer  the  above 
remarkable  plants  at  the  following  very  Jow  range  of  prices 

One  Thousand  Plants . $80  |  Fifty  Plants .  $6 

Five  Hundred  Plants .  41  Two  Dozen  Plants  ...  3 

One  Hundred  Plants .  10  |  One  Dozen  Plants .  2 

Good  Plants  for  setting  of  a  second  size,  will  be  sold  for 
$60  per  1,000  Plants,  or  $8  per  100  Plants. 

WARRANTED  GENUINE. 

Also  pamphlet  on  Origen,  History,  characteristics,  and  cul¬ 
ture  of  the  same.  DREW  &  FRENCH, 

Produce  Commission  Merchants. 

85  Barclay  Street,  New-York. 


LAWTON  BLACKBERRY. 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

WM  LAWTON.  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 


T!ae  AlSesa  Raspberry. 

lean  supply,  after  1st  April  next,  a  quantity  of  these  highly 
valuable,  well  approved,  thoroughly  hardy  plan's,  which  I  have 
had  in  successful  bearing  for  the  past  ten  years  Price  $1  per 
dozen;  S6  per  hundred  ;  $50  per  thousand  Orders,  with  money 
enclosed,  addressed  to  the  undersigned,  Black  Rock,  N  Y.,  will 
meet  immediate  attention.  They  can  be  sent  by  express,  or  oil  et 
conveyance  to  all  parts  of  the  country. 

March  1st,  1859.  LEWIS  F.  ALLEN. 


BRXNCKLE’S  ORANGE  RASPBERRY, 

At  reduced  rates. 

We  offer  a  large  stock  of  this  very  superior  Raspberry  to  Nur 
serymen  and  Fruit  Growers,  at  very  low  prices  Address 
H.  O.  FREEMAN, 

Late  FREEMAN  &  KENDALL, 
Fruit  Garden,  Ravenswood,  L.  I.,  near  N.  Y. 


MYATrS  LINNAEUS  RHUBARB. 

To  Nurserymen  and  Market  Gardeners,  in  large  quantities, 
verv  low.  This  is  the  earliest  and  most  productive  variety— most 
profitable  for  market.  Circulars,  with  testimonials,  furnished 
on  application  Address  H.  C  FREEMAN, 

Late  Freeman  &  Kendall, 

Ravenswood  Fruit  Garden,  Ravenswood,  L.  I.,  near  N.  York 


9,000 


Plants  Linnaeus  Rhubarb. 

BROWNLEE  BROWN,  Newburgh  ,  N.  Y. 


BEES. 

THE  MYSTERIES  OF  BEE-KEEPING  EXPLAINED1, 
With  an  Appendix,  giving  directions  for  making  in  a cheap  fcon, 
and  using,  the  Movable  Combs  of  L.  L.  Langstroth,  will  be  sagf 
free  of  postage, for  $1.  Address  M.  QUINBtV 

St.  Johnsville,  Montgomery  Co.,  N.  i. 


Lawton  Blackberry  Plants. 

Of  the  original  stock,  and  each  dozen  separately  secured  inmofs 
for  convenience  of  distribution  by  Clubs,  and  packed  in  boxes. 
SCALE  OF  PRICES  BY  THE  DOZEN. 

A  box  of  one  dozen . $2 

three  dozen . 5 

eight  dozen . 10 

eighteen  dozen . . . 20 

fifty  dozen . 50 

The  name  and  direction  of  purchasers  should  be  dis¬ 
tinctly  written,  and  the  money  accompany  the  order. 

Address  WILLIAM  LAWTON,  15  Wall-st.,  New-York. 
Directions  for  culture  furnished  free. 

New-Rocliclle  or  Lawton 

BLACKBERRY  PLANTS. 

The  Subscriber  having  2^  acres  of  the  above  plants  in  culti 
vation  at  the  S'  *  Louis  County  Fruit  Garden,  situated  at  Eure¬ 
ka  Station,  P.  R  R.,  is  prepared  to  fill  large  orders  the  coming 
Fall  and  Spring  at  the  following  Eastern  prices,  packed  and  de¬ 
livered  at  any  express  office  in  St.  Louis  free  of  charge  : 

100  plants . $10  00  I  50  plants .  $6  00 

25  plants . .  3  50  |  12  plants .  2  00 

The  money  should  accompany  the  order. 

JOHN  S.  SEYMOUR. 

Allenton,  St.  Louis  Co  ,  Mo. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


125 


PARSONS  &  CO® 

Are  now  sending  out  from  their 

NURSERIES  AND  GREEN-HOUSES 

AT 

FLUSHING,  LONG  ISLAND. 

Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees, 

J  EVERGREENS. 

Flowering  Shrubs,  Vines,  Roses,  &c.,  &c., 

of  the  best  varieties  and  of  handsome  form  and  vigorous  growth. 

I, 'or  lists  of  varieties  they  refer  purchasers  to  their  advertise, 
meats  in  the  February  and  March  numbers  of  the  Agriculturist, 
and  to  their  priced  catalogues,  which  can  be  obtained  by  appli¬ 
cation,  h y  mail,  and  at  179  Broidway,  and  1CD  Waler-st.,  New- 
York. 

They  invite  attention  to  their  fine  stock  of 

FRUIT  TREES, 

of  all  the  different  species,  and  they  offer  at  low  rates,  a  fine  col¬ 
lection  of  Dwarf  Pear  Trees, 

Peach  Trees,  of  1  and  2  years’  growth, 

Cherry  Trees, 

Apple  Trees, 

Kaspberries, 

Blackberries, 

Currants,  Versailles,  Cherry,  &c., 

Pear  stocks,  very  strong,  transplanted. 

They  invite  special  attention  to  their  stock  of 

EVERGREENS, 

especially 

Spruces, 

which  range  from  small  plants,  transplanted  at  $25pertliousand, 
to  those  of  10  feet  in  high'. 

Particular  attention  has  been  given  to  their  being  handsomely 
formed  and  well  rooted. 

Their  collection  of 

LAWN  AND  AVENUE  TREES, 

is  unsurpassed,  and  they  can  put  at  very  low  rates,  by  the  hun¬ 
dred  and  thousand,  a  large  variety  of  choice 

Flowering  Shrubs. 

They  ask  the  attention  of  the  Trade  to  their  collection  of 

New  and  Karo  Plants, 

of  various  sizes,  and  suited  both  for  Nursery  planting  and  for 
immediate  sale. 

Orders  will  be  filled  with  promptness  and  care. 

Trees  and  plants  delivered  on  Fulton  Market  Wharf,  free  of 
charge  lo  the  purchaser. 


PEAK  'TREES. 

Pyramid  and  Standard  Pear  Trees,  on  both  Quince  and  Pear 
Stocks,  of  all  the  leading  kinds,  of  fine  shape,  very  thrifty,  and 
well  rooted,  for  sale  by  the  subscriber.  These  trees  are  among 
the  best  in  the  market. and  may  be  relied  upon  in  every  respect. 
Price  for  selected  trees,  from  4)£  to  6  feet  high,  $40  per  1UU. 
Small  lots  50  cents  each.  THOS.  W.  FIELD, 

140  FuUon-st.,  New-York. 


I'Eae  Moolier  Strawberry, 

THE  BEST  YET  INTRODUCED. 

The  attention  of  amateurs  and  growers  of  fruit  for  market  is 
again  called  lo  this  Strawberry.  All  that  its  friends  have  hith¬ 
erto  claimed  for  it  has  been  more  than  fulfilled,  and  testimoni¬ 
als  without  end  could  be  produced  to  attest  its  superiority  over 
any  other  sort. 

The  following,  making  a  list  of  advantages,  all  of  which  no 
other  Strawberry  can  claim,  constitute  its  cliiel  point  s  of  excel¬ 
lence:  and  planteis  are  confidently  asked  to  verify  them' 

1st— The  plant  is  very  vigorous  and  perfectly  hardy. 

2d— It  is  as  productive  as  any  other  variety.  (“Wilson’s  Al¬ 
bany  ”  not  excepted.)  The  fruit  is  borne  in  large  clusters — more 
than  20  perfect  berries  being  frequently  gathered  from  a  single 
stem. 

3d — The  flowers  are  all  perfect  and  uniformly  productive  of 
fruit,  consequently  there  are  no  barren  plants. 

4tn — The  fruit  is  absolutely  unequalled  in  flavor,  in  color  a 
rich  dark  crimson  or  mahogany  extending  into  the  heart  of  the 
Perry,  which  is  firm  and  solid  to  the  center:  Of  the  largest 
size  yet  tender  and  delicate. 

5th— It  takes  the  1st  premiums  wherever  exhibited.  See  re¬ 
ports  of  various  horticultural  societies. 

Plants  in  any  quantity  desired  may  be  obtained  pure  and 
strong  from  the  grounds  where  it  originated.  Packages  are  put 
up  to  go  safely  to  any  part  <*f  the  United  States  by  mail  or  ex¬ 
press.  Order  for'Spring  planting,  if  only  a  few  for  trial,  of 
H.  E.  HOOKER  &  CO., 

Price  S2  per  100.  Commercial  Nurseries, 

15  per  1000.  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


WILSON’S  ALBANY  SEEDLING.— 

The  best  and  most  prolific  Market  Strawberry.  Yields 
150  to  200  bushels  per  acre  !  Genuine  Plants  of  this  superior  va¬ 
riety  for  sale,  in  large  or  small  quantities.  Price,  $10  a  thou¬ 
sand— SI  50  a  hundred  or  $L  for  fifty. 

True  Red  Antwerp  Raspberry  Canes,  $4  per  100 — $2  50  for  50, 
or  1C  for  SI. 

New-Roe.helle  (or  Lawton)  Blackberry  Canes,  $10  for  100— $6 
for  5')—  S3  for  24— $2  per  dozen. 

All  plants  ordered,  securely  boxed  and  delivered  in  Albany, 
without  extra  charge. 

Ordors  accompanied  by  cash  promptly  attended  to. 

WM  RICHARDSON. 

96  South  Pearl-st  ,  Albany,  N.  Y. 


PEABODYVS  SEEDLING  STRAWBER- 

RY  PLANTS  delivered  at  any  Express  Office  in  N.  Y  for 
$10 per  1000.  N.  HALLOCK,  Queens,  Queens  Co.,  N  Y. 


Cranberry  Plants. 

GENUINE  PLANTS  OF  THE  BELL  VARIETY. 
NEW-ROCHELLE  (Lawton)  BLACKBERRY. 
HOP-TREE  or  Ptelia  Trifoliata— superior  to  common  hops 
for  culinary  purposes,  a’so  very  ornamental. 

Circulars  relating  to  the  above  will  be  forwarded  to  applicants, 
Also  for  sale  Tree  Yarnisli  for  keeping  out  air  and  wa’er  from 
cuts,  wounds,  &c„  on  trees.  6  bottles  for  ?  1.  For  sale  by 
F.  TROWBRIDGE  &  CO., 

At  the  New-Haven  Nursery,  New-IIaven  Ct 


Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees 
For  gprifiBg  of 

ELLWANGER  &  BARRY,  beg  to  inform  Planters,  Nur¬ 
serymen  and  dealers  in  trees  that  they  have  still  on  hand  to 
offer  lor  Spring  planting  a  large  stock  of  the  following  named 
articles  of  superior  quality  in  all  respects. 

FRUIT  DEPARTMENT. 

Standard  Pears  on  pear  Stock  2  and  3  years  from  bud. 

Dwarf  and  Pyramid  Pears  on  quince  stock,  2  &  3  yr.frombud. 
Dwarf  and  Pyramid  Apples  on  paradise  and  Doucin,  1,  2  and 
3  years  from  bud. 

Standard  Cherries  on  Mazzard  stocks  2  years  from  bud. 
Dwarf  and  Pyramid  Cherries  on  Mahaleb  stocks,  1  and  2 
years  from  bud. 

Apple  Quinces,  grafted  2  and  3  years  from  graft. 

English  Walnuts,  Butternuts,  Spanish  Chestnuts.  Filberts, &c. 
Hardy  Grapes,  including  Isabella,  Catawba,  Clinton,  Con¬ 
cord,  Diana,  Rebecca,  Monteith, 
and  other  new  varieties. 

Foreign  Grapes  for  Vineries,  all  the  most  esteemed  varieties, 
well  ripened  plants  in  pots,  1,  2  and  3  years  old 
from  the  eye. 

Blackberries,  New- Rochelle  or  Lawton,  and  Dorchester. 
Gooseberries.  The  American  Seedling,  and  large  English  va¬ 
rieties. 

Strawberries,  upwards  of  60  varieties,  including  all  the  best- 
American  and  Foreign  varieties. 

Currants,  Red  Dutch.  Victoria.  White  Grape,  Black  Naples, 
Black  English.  &c. ,  &o. 

Rhubarb,  Mvatt’s  Linnseus,  Victoria,  Prince  Albert,  &c 
Asparagus,  Strong  Roots. 

STOCKS. 

Mazzard  Cherry  Seedlings.  Mahaleb  Cherry  Seedlings. 

ORNAMENTAL  DEPARTMENT. 

Deciduous  Standard  Lawn  Trees. 

Deciduous  Weeping  Lawn  Trees. 

Evergreen  Trees,  embracing  an  immense  stock  of  Norway 
Spruce  from  6  inches  to  6  feet,  also  rare 
California  Evergreens,  &c. 

(See  special  Advertisement.) 

Flowering  Shrubs,  all  the  most  desirable,  a  very  laige  stock 
Climbing  Shrubs,  of  all  sorts. 

Roses,  The  largest  stock  in  the  country  of  all  the  best  sorts 
both  on  t  he  Manetti  Stock  and  on  their  own  roots — (See 
Catalogue). 

Herbaceous  Peonies,  a  superb  assortment  of  more  than 
75  varieties. 

Dahlias,  over  100  of  the  most  beautiful  varieties  including  the 
latest  novelties. 

Phloxes,  an  unrivalled  assortment  embracing  all  the  classes. 
Dielytra  Spectabilis,  the  most  charming  hardy  border  plant 
in  cultivation,  over  10,000  plants. 
Chrysanthemums,  both  large  and  pompone  varieties,  the 
newest  and  best. 

Carnations  and  Picotees,  a  fine  collection. 

Delphinium  Hendersonii,  Magnilicum,  and  other  beautiful 
sorts. 

Besides  all  the  most  desirable  hardy  border  plants  grown 
(See  Descriptive  Catalogue  No.  3). 

GREEN-HOUSE  AND  BEDDING  PLANS. 

All  the  most  useful  and  popular  plants  such  as  Fuchsias,  Ge¬ 
raniums,  Heliotrones.  Veibenas,  Petunias,  Lantanas,  Veroni¬ 
cas,  Hydrangeas,  Bonvardias,  Pi umbagos,  &c.,  8tc.,  grown  ex¬ 
tensively  and  supplied  in  quantities,  or  by  the  dozen,  assorted,  at 
low  rates.  (See  Catalogue  No.  3.) 

SUMMER  AND  AUTUMN  BLOOMING  BULBS. 

A  superb  collection  of  the  new  Gladioli,  and  Japan  Lilies,  be¬ 
sides  Tuberoses,  Tigridias,  &c. 

We  can  sav  without  boasting  that  our  present  stock  has  never 
been  surpassed  in  vigor,  health,  and  beauty  of  growth.  We  in¬ 
vite  all  parties  interested  to  examine  it  and  satisfy  themselves. 

Packing  for  distant  parrs,  executed  in  the  most  careful  and 
skillful  manner,  and  customers  treated  in  all  respects  with  fair¬ 
ness  and  liberality 

For  full  and  detailed  information  respecting  the  stock,  prices, 
ternn*&o.,we  refer  to  the  following  catalogues  which  will  lie 
sent  (p'atis,  pre-paid  to  all  who  enclose  one  stamp  for  each.  V iz. 
No.  1. — Descriptive  Catalogue  ot  Fruits. 

No.  2.— Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs, 
Roses,  Sic..  & c. 

No.  3. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Green-House,  and 
Bedding  Plants,  &c. 

No.  4. — Wholesale  Catalogue  for  Nurserymen,  Dealers,  and 
others  who  purchase  in  large  quantities 

ELLWANGER  &  BARRY, 

Mount  Hope  Nurseries, 

Marcli  1st,  1859.  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


Stephen  Hoyt  and  Sons, 

New  Canaan,  Ct. 

3  1-2  MILES  FROM  NORWALK. 

Offer  for  sale  a  large  and  choice  stock  of  Fruit  and  Orna¬ 
mental  Trees.  Comprising 

30,000  Apple  Trees.  3  and  4  years  from  the  bud  or  graft. 

20,000  Peach  Trees,  1  year  from  bud. 

Ami  an  assortment  of  Pears  (Standard  and  Dwarfs),  Cherries, 
Plums.  Apricots,  Quince,  &c.,  &c. 

20.000  Norway  Spruce  from  1  to  5  feet  high. 

20,000  American  Arbor  Vities,  from  1  to  6  feet  high. 

100,000  Sugar  Maple  Seedlings,  1  year  old. 

100,000  Elm  Seedlings,  1  year  old. 

20.000  French  Quince  Stocks  (Well  rooted  ana  Cheap). 

New  Canaan,  Ct.,  Feb.  16th,  1859. 


AMERICAN  HOP  TREE. 

The  subscribers  recommend  the  above  Tree  ns  a  substitute  for 
the  unsightly  and  troublesome  Hop  Vines.  The  Hops  grow  in 
large  clusters,  are  much  stronger,  and  always  preferred  to  the 
ordinary  Hops. 

The  tree  is  perfectly  hardy,  highly  ornamental,  and  will  bear 
the  second  year  from  seed.  Trees  from  75  Tents  to  $1  50  each, 
or  seeds  free  by  mail  for  nine  three  cent  stamps. 

MclLVAlN  &  YOUNG,  Seedsmen  and  Florists, 

9  John*st.,  New-York. 

THE  SUBSCRIBER  furnishes  Fruit  and 

Ornamental  Trees,  Flowering  Shrubs. Grape  Vines.  Plants 
and  Shrubs  of  all  kinds  carefully  packed  from  the  best  nurseries 
and  conservatories  in  the  United  States. 

Books,  all  the  standard  works  on  Manures,  Farming,  Garden¬ 
ing,  Fruits.  Cattle,  Horses,  Sheep.  Swim*,  Poultry,  etc.,  at  pu¬ 
blishers  prices.  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  st.,  N.  Y. 

ELLWANGER  &  BARRY’S  “  Mt.  Hope 

Nurseries,”  Rochester.  N.  Y.  The  largest  Nurseries  in 
this  country.  Agency  at  Agricultural  Depot  KW  Murrav-9t. .  N. 
Y.  HENRY  F  DIBBLEE 


Rare  and  Beautiful  Flowers. 

IS.  K.  B1LS§§, 

Seedsman  and  Florist-  Springfield,  Mass. 

Would  invite  tne  attention  of  all  who  love  the  cultivation  of 
Flowers  to  his  large  and  splendid  assortment  of  English,  French 
and  German  Flower  Seeds,  received  from  the  most  trustworthy 
sources,  and  embracing  all  of  the  most  desirable  varieties  ir» 
cultivation. 

The  seventh  annual  edition  of  his  Descriptive  Catalogues  of 
Flower,  Vegetable  and  Agricultural  Seeds  arranged  on  an  im¬ 
proved  plan  ,:md  containing  much  valuable  information,  both  to 
the  novice  and  amateur,  is  now  ready  for  delivery,  and  will  be 
sent  post-paid  to  all  applicants  on  receipt  of  a  postage  stamps. 

♦  FLOWER  SEEDS  BY  MAIL. 

For  the  accommodation  of  those  who  reside  at  a  distance  he 
has  prepared  the  following  assortments,  containing  only  the 
most  showy  varieties,  and  those  of  easy  culture,  which  will  be 
sent  post-paid  to  any  address  in  the  Union  at  the  following  prices 

Assortment  No.  l— consists  of  twenty  choice  varieties 

of  Annuals . $1  00 

No.  2.— consists  of  twenty  choice  varieties 

of  Biennials  and  Petennials . $1  00 

No.  3— consists  often  extra  fine  varieties  of 
Annuals  and  Perennials,  embracing  many 
of  the  new  and  choicest  in  cultivation. .  $1  00 
No.  4— consists  of  five  very  choice  varieties 
selected  from  Prize  Flowers  of  English 
Pansies,  German  Carnation  and  Picotee 
Pinks,  Verbenas.  Truffaut’s  French  As¬ 
ters  and  Double  Hollyhocks .  $1  00 

Purchasers  remitting  $3.00  will  receive  the  four  assortments 
postage  free  The  above  collections  have  been  favorably  known 
in  every  section  of  the  country  for  the  past  five  years,  and  can 
be  confidently  recommended  to  all  who  wish  for  a  fine  displuy 
ct  Flowers  at  a  moderate  cost. 

The  following  additional  assortments  (his  selection)  will  also 
be  sent,  free  of  postage,  at  the  prices  annexed  : 

Assortment  No.  5 — contains  fifteen  very  select  varie¬ 
ties  of  Green-House  Seeds . $3  00 

No.  6— contains  one  hundred  varieties  of 
Annuals,  Biennials  anil  Perennials,  in¬ 
cluding  many  new  and  choice  varieties _ $5  00 

No.  7— contains  fifiy  varieties  ot  Annuals, 

Biennials  and  Perennials . $2  50 

No.  8 — contains  twenty  varieties  of  hardy 
Annuals,  Biennials  and  Perennials,  for 
sowing  in  the  autumn . Si  00 

All  orders  must  he  accompanied  with  the  cash. — Remittances 
can  he  made  in  current  Bills  or  Postage  Stamps. 

In  addition  to  the  above  he  offers  a  large  and  well  selected 
assortment  of  Dahlias,  Verbenas,  Roses,  English  Carnation  and 
Picotee  Pinks,  Double  Hollyhocks,  Petunias,  Herbaceous  and 
Bedding  Plants  of  every  description,  a  Catalogue  of  which  will 
be  published  in  April  and  sent  to  all  applicants  enclosing  a 
postage  stamp.  B.  K.  BLISS. 


TSABELLA  AND  CATAWBA  GRAPE 

EL  VINES,  of  proper  age  for  forming  Vineyards,  cu  tivated 
from,  and  containing  all  the  £ood  qualities  which  the  most  im 
proved  cultivation  for  over  eighteen  years,  has  conferred  on  the 
Croton  Point  Vineyards,  are  offered  to  the  public.  Those  who 
may  purchase,  will  receive  such  instructions  for  four  years,  as 
will  enable  them  to  cultivate  the  Grape  witn  entire  success 
provided  their  locality  is  not  too  far  nort  h. 

All  communications  addressed  to  It.  T.  UNDERHILL,  M  D 
New-York.  or  Croton  Point,  Westchester  Co  ,  N.  Y.,  will  re¬ 
ceive  attention. 

Having  ripened  his  whole  crop  of  Isabella  and  Catawba 
Grapes  in  1857,  the  coolest  season  and  most  difficult  to  ripen  in 
20  years,  lie  is  confirmed  in  the  belief  I  hat  a  good  crop  of  fruit 
can  be  obtained  every  vear,  by  improved  cultivation,  pruning, 
&c.,  in  most  of  the  Northern,  all  of  the  Middle,  Western  and 
Southern  States. 

N.  B. — To  those  who  take  sufficient  to  plant  six  acres  as  he 
directs,  lie  will,  when  they  commence  bearing,  furnish  the  own¬ 
er  with  one  of  his  Vine  dressers,  whom  he  has  instructed  in  his 
mode  of  cultivation,  and  he  will  do  all  tho  labor  of  the  Vine¬ 
yard,  nnd  insure  the  most  perfect  success.  The  only  charge,  a 
reasonable  compensat  ion  for  the  labor. 

Also,  APPLE-QUINCE  TREES,  (which  are  sometimes 
called  Orange  Quince.)  for  sale  as  above. 

Also  for  sale  at  his  Wine  and  Grape  Depot,  No.  293  Broadway 
New-York,  by  the  case,  in  bottles. 

PURE  ISABELLA  AND  CATAWBA  WINE, 

Made  bv  competent  persons,  under  his  own  inspection,  at  Cro¬ 
ton  Point,  from  perfectly  ripe  grapes,  suitable  for  medicinal,  sa¬ 
cramental,  and  all  other  purposes  where  a  pure  wine  is  ilesira 
hie  R.  T.  UNDERHILL,  M.  D. 

Plants  of  Delaware.  Diana,  Con- 

,  cord.  Hartford.  Prolific,  and  56  other  varieties 

of  New  Hardy  Native  Grapes,  all  grown  from  well  ripened  wood 
Also,  Lawton  Blackberry  and  Brinckle’s  Orange  Raspberry 
Plants,  by  the  dozen,  hundred  or  thousand.  Prices  reasonable 
HOAG  &  CRATNE. 

Woodlawn  Nurseries,  Lockport,  N.  Y. 


15,000, 


THE  HARTFORD  PROLIFIC  GRAPE. 

Vines  for  sale  by  J.  MA^ON  &  CO. 

Hartford,  Conn. 

See  advertisement  in  Agriculturist  for  March,  p.  94. 


G 


RAPE  VINES— 3,000  Isabella  and  Ca¬ 

tawba  Grape  Vines  fnr  sale  by 

SIDNEY  E  VAN  WYCK, 

Fislikill,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y. 


TUST  ARRIVED — Per  steamer  Bremen , 

OF  from  Hungary,  tS.nnn  Grape  Vine  Slips,  of  the  best  varieties 
For  sale  cheap,  at  JOHN  KOLBER’8.  592  Broadway,  N.  York 
Instructions  as  to  planting,  cultivating  nnd  treating;  vines  given 


/1IAOO— FOUR  THOUSAND  GOOD 

4ILUUa  f  rTRoNG  LAYERED  CONCORD  GRAPE 
VINES  at  S10  per  hundred,  or  Sfi  per  dozen. 

(4000) — Four  thousand  ALLFN’S  HARDY  RASPBERRY 
PLANTS  at  Sf,  per  hundred,  or  Sin  per  thousand.  Cash  must 
accompany  tile  order.  GEO.  SEYMOUR  k  CO  , 

South  Norwalk,  Conn. 


SEEDS — For  Field  and  Garden  use,  in- 

eluding  choice  varieties  of  Corn,  Peas, &c.  For  Mile  at  Agri¬ 
cultural  Depot.  IOC  Murray  st.,  N  Y  H  F  DIBBLEE. 


126 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Universal 


This  Harrow  has  no  equal,  it  will  do  better  work  and  more  of  it 
with  the  same  team  than  any  oilier,  it  has  been  tested  with 
every  known  variety,  and  it  has  invariably  triumphed,  it  has 
held  the  lield  since  it  received  the  first  premium  from  the 
World’s  Fair  held  in  Hie  Crystal  Palace,  N.  Y.,  in  1853,  (in  com¬ 
petition  with  both  American  and  Foreign  Harrows  including 
one  from  England,  which  received  the  first  prize  $100  at  the 
World’s  Fair  held  in  England)  to  the  present  time  as  the  first 
premiums  awarded  in  1858,  will  attest,  viz..  United  States  Agri¬ 
cultural  Society,  [ a  Silver  Medal ]  held  at  Richmond,  Ya  ,  Ohio, 
Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  Connecticut  State  Fairs,  also  at 
numerous  Countv  Fairs.  This  Harrow  is  made  <>f  wrought  iron 
with  all  steel  teeth  bolted  and  spiked  in  a  substantial  manner, 
it  ismade  in  three  parts,  solidly  joined  together,  can  be  taken 
apart  or  put  together  and  worked  by  any  Tad,  its  form  allows  it 
to  adapt  itself  to  all  surfaces  of  ground,  it  does  not  choke,  skip 
spots  or  swav  from  side  to  side,  is  of  easy  draft,  wide  sweep, 
about  8  leet,  and  is  in  all  respects  worthy  the  serious  attention 
of  all  agriculturists. 

Price  $20.  H.  M  PLATT,  Manufacturer, 

No.  4  Liberty  Place,  New- York. 


AGRICULTURAL AIND  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS 

of  every  description  and  of  the  latest  improvements,  including 
several  new  patterns  of  STEEL  anil  CAST  IRON  PLOWS,  also 
Subsoil,  Side  Hill,  Double  Mold,  and  Plows  forall  kinds  of  work. 
Harrows,  Cultivators.  Seed  Drills,  Carts,  Wagons,  Wheel  Bar- 
rows,  Garden  and  Field  Rollers,  Garden  Engines,  Pumps,  Gar¬ 
den  Tools  of  every  variety. 

Also:  Horse  Powers  and  Threshing  Machines,  Saw  Mills, 
Water  Rains,  Grain  Mills,  Hay  and  Stalk  Cutters,  Corn  Shellers, 
Weather  Vanes,  Allen’s  celebrated  Mower  and  Mower  and 
Reaper,  etc.  For  sale  at  very  low  prices  by 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  St.,  N  Y. 


BUYERS  OF  BAGS,  Rope  and  Cordage, 

will  save  money  by  calling  upon 

*M.  VANDERHOOF. 

17!  West-st.,  corner  of  Murray,  New-York, 

As  he  will  furnish  any  description  of  Bags,  beautifully  printed 
if  desired,  at  just  about  what  you  will  pay  for  the  material  in 
small  quantities. 

ROPE  AND  CORDAGE,  BED  CORDS,  HAY  ROPE  AND 
HAY  CAPS, 

at  prices  less  than  any  other  establishment  in  this  City. 

Sugar  Strainers,  Gunny  Bags  and  Seamless  Bags. 


TRENDING,  &c,.— Wire!  Wire!  Wire! 

K  Second-hand  wire,  of  good  quality, but  rusty,  for  sale  cheap, 
for  fencing,  baling  hay,  grape  vines  or’herries  of  any  kind. 
Samples  sent  by  mail  to  any  part  of  the  country,  with  the  price. 
Address  *  GEO.  HALL,  Jr  , 

55  Stanton-st.,  New-York. 


ORUNfNG  SHEARS,  Or  Garden  Snips— 

Sometimes  called  “Twig  Cutters,” — the  best  article  forall 
kinds  of  pruning,  but  especially  for  trimming  rose  and  gooseberry 
bushes,  &c.  Will  cut  a  branch  %  inch  m  diameter  without 
crushing,  splitting  or  bruising  it.  and  leave  a  clean,  smooth  sur¬ 
face.  Manufactured,  and  sold  at  wholesale  and  retail,  by 

JOHN  ROWE  &  CO.,  2G9  Pearl-st. 


WIIEELEK,  MELICH.  &  CO., 

PROPRIETORS 

NEW-YORK  STATE  AGRICULTURAL  WORKS, 


[.Double  Power  and  Combined  Thresher  and  Winnoivcr,at  Work.] 

Manufacturers  of  Endless  Chain  Railway  Horse-Powers,  and 
Farmers’  and  Planters’  machinery  for  Horse-Power  use,  and 
owners  of  the  Patents  on  and  principal  makers  of  the  following 
valuable  machines : 

WHEELER’S 

PATENT  D0TJ3LE  HORSE-POWER, 

AND 


TY  NOX’S  Steel  Horse  Hoes,  Carrot  Weed- 

-*L-»-ers,  Cultivators,  Plows  and  Harrows,  in  fine  variety,  Seed 
and  Corn  Planters,  etc.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  100 
Murray-st.,  N.  Y.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


'HEEL-B ARROWS — For  Gardeners — 

Mens’  and  boys’  sizes  ;  also,  large  and  small  coal  and 
sand  barrows.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  100  Murray-st., 
New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


©ppositiois  for  AlSfiuiiy. 

nr  (>,  MERCHANT’S  LINE  OF  STEAMBOATS 

—  ,<Fqk  ALBANY.— Diiily  at  6  o'clock,  P.  M„ 
- ‘  from  the  foot  of  Robinson-st.,  in  connection 


with  the  New-York  Central  Railroad 

The  steamer  KNICKERBOCKER,  Capt.  W.  B.  Nelson 
Mondays,  Wednesdays  and  Fridays. 

The  steamer  HERO,  Capt.  J.  W.  Hancox,  Tuesdays,  Thurs¬ 
days  and  Saturdays. 

Tickets  can  be  had  at  the  office  on  the  wharf  for  all  the  Sta¬ 
tions  on  the  New-York  Central  Railroad  and  principal  cities  in 
the  Western  States  and  Canada. 

Baggage  checked  to  all  points  on  the  New-York  Central  Rail¬ 
road,  free  of  charge. 

Freight  carried  at  reduced  rates  and  forwarded  promptly. 

ELI  HUNT,  Agent, 

Office  on  the  wharf 


Bee  Keepers — Read. 

I  desire  to  refer  you  to  E.  W.  Phelps’  advertisement  in  the 
Amencan  Agriculturist  for  March.  Read  it— -then  read  what  I 
have  to  say,  as  follows  : 

L.  L.  Langstorth  is  the  original  and  sole  inventorand  patentee 
ol  the  Movable  Comb  Frame,  and  as  such,  will  maintain  his 
rights.  Mr.  Phelps — 1  am  personal,  and  mean  exactly  what  I 
say— has,  at  different  times,  publicly  said  that  the  Movable 
Frame  would  notdo  lor  “  our  ignorant  farmers ,”  butthey  might 
“possibly,  with  great  care,  i  e  used  to  a  little  advantage  by  the 
scientific  apiarian — who  de.ired  to  experiment  without  profit.” 

In  the  face  of  this,  finding  that,  the  Movable  Frames  were  en¬ 
dorsed  by  nearly  every  practical  apiarian  in  the  United  States, 
lie  (Mr  P.,)  applies  for  a  paient.  On  what  ?  Answer— “  Rev  L. 
L.  Langstorih’s  Movable  Comb  F'ames,”  with  a  slot  at  the 
ends  and  sub-divisionof  the  frame — both  of  which  arrangements 
I  tried  several  years  ago,  and  threw  them  aside  as  worthless. 
Bee  keepers  have  been  most  grossly  swindled  by  patent  hives.  I 
deem  it  nece>sary  that  every  inventor  shou.d  publish  to  the 
world  his  “  claims.”  Mr.  Langstorth’s  are  as  follows  :  claim. 

PATENT  OFFICE  RETORT  OF  1852-3. 

Patent  No,  9300 — Improvement  in  Bee-Hives. 

First — The  use  of  a  shallow  chamber,  substantially  as  de¬ 
scribed,  in  combination  with  a  perforated  cover,  for  enlarging 
or  diminishing  at  will  the  size  and  number  of  the  spare  honey 
roceotades. 

Second— The  use  of  the  movable  frames,  A,  A,  fig.  4,  or  their 
equivalents,  substantially  as  described  ;  also  their  use  in  combi¬ 
nation  with  the  shallow  chamber,  with  or  without  my  arrange¬ 
ment  for  spare  honey  receptacles. 

Third— A  divider,  substantially  as  described,  in  combination 
with  a  movable  cover,  allowing  the  divider  to  be  inserted  from 
above,  between.  the  ranges  of  comb. 

Fourth— The  use  of  the  double  glass  sides  in  a  single  frame, 
substantially  as  and  for  the  purposes  set  forth  . 

Fifth— The  construction  of  the  trap  for  excluding  moths  and 
catching  worms,  so  arranged  as  to  increase  or  diminish  at  will 
the  size  of  the  entrance  for  bees,  substantially  in  the  manner 
aud  for  the  j  <rposes  set  forth.  L.  L  LANGSTROTH. 

Bee  keepers  v0u  see  what  Mr,  L.  claims  and  lias  obtained, 
in  reading  a  paper  lately,  on  the  treatment  of  inventors,  I  found 
the  following 

F.x tracts  : 

44  He  is  an  omnipresent  peculator,  whose  mind  is  fed  by  the 
true  sun  of  Science.  He  stands  ever  ready  to  rob  the  inventor 
and  to  appropriate  that  which  was  the  product  of  a  superior 
mind.”  “  The  occurrence  of  piracy  of  inventions  has  become  of 
late,  truly  alarming,  and  inventors  are  daily  cheated.” 

Once  for  all,  let  no  apiarian  purchase  any  hive  contain'ng 
m<>\ able  t'rnmes,  excepting  only  Mr.  L.’s,  unless  he  desires  to 
pay  twice  for  the  one  privilege  of  using  frames. 

Cus'om  says  :  “  Give  us  reference,”  I  have  hundreds  to  refer 
to,  but  will  give  two  only.  Mr.  Quinby,  St.  Johnsville.  N.  Y., 
author  of  Mysteries  of  Bee  Keeping  Explained,  (price  $1,  post¬ 
age  paid  ;  a  very  valuable  work,  and  one  that  should  he  in  the 
hands  of  every  bee  keeper) ;  Professor  J.  P.  Kirtiand,  Ohio, 
Medical  College,  Cleveland. 

I  ask  bee  keepers  to  purchase Langstrotli’s  work  on  the  Hive 
nnd  Bee,  3d  edition,  (now  in  press)  500 pages.  24  pages  of  ele¬ 
gant  engravings.  Price  $1  50,  sent  post  paid. 

Terms:  Right  to  make  and  use,  $5;  Hives  from  $1  to  $10. 
For  Individual,  Township,  County  and  State  Rights,  in  Southern 
said  middle  States,  (except  New- York,)  apply  to 

_  _  P.  J.  MAHAN, 

No.  720  Cliesnut-st„  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


TJ  S.  STENTON’S  LAND-SIDE  CUT- 

JOl  ®  TER  FOR  PLOWS  gives  33  percent  more  work  with 
the  same  team,  a  12-inch  plow  with  4-inch  cutter,  turning  a  16- 
inch  prairie  sod,  gave  400  lbs,  draft  by  dynanometer,  easy  on 
two  horses. 


RS\  STENTON’S  DOUBLE  PRAIRIE 

9  PLOW  turns  two  furrows,  side  by  side,  and  saves  in  la- 
b  r  or  gains  in  work  over  50  per  cent.  Took  the  First  Premium 
at  the  Illinois  Stafe  Fair,  Centralia,  1858;  draft  by  dynanome¬ 
ter,  turning  24  inches  of  prairie  sod,  725  lbs.,  with  two  horses. 
3  horses  or  2  yoke  of  oxen  are  sufficient  for  steady  work.  Apply 
to  R.  S.  STENTON, 

No.  1  Platt  and  No.  229  Pearl-st.,  New-York, 

F  M.  CHAPMAN, 

Sands’  Block,  near  Randolph-st  .  Chicago,  Ill. 
JOHN  DEERE  &  CO., 

Moline,  Rock  Island  Co.,  111. 

And  to  all  plow  makers  in  the  West.  For  i  iglits  or  licenses,  an- 
ply  to  R  S.  STENTON.' 


AgEacBaltaiiral  Impleaaaeaits 

f  all  kinds,  for  sale  by  -T.  B.  RYAN,  Importer  of  Hardware 
oi  l  Yonge-st.,  Toronto,  Canada  West. 
lManufaciurers  of  above  goods  will  send  their  lists. 


Russia  or  bass  mats,  selected 

expressly  for  budding  and  tying,  GUNNY  IkAfrS, TWINES, 
HAY  ROPES,  &c.,  suitable  for  Nursery  punKftes,  for  sale  in 
lots  to  suit  by  D.  W.  MANWARING,  Importer, 

248  Front  Street,  New  York. 


Thermometers,  barometers,  &c.,  of 

reliable  quality  anil  various  descriptions,  amonq  which 
are  those  particularly  suited  tor  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  register  the  coldest  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24  hours,  in  the  absence  of  t lie  observer.  For 
sale  by  D.  EGGERX  &  SON,  239  Pearl  st. 


Ingersoll’s  Patent  Hay  Press. 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  Near¬ 
ly  500  of  them  have  been  sold  in  the  last  two  years.  Price  $50 
and  $75,  delivered  in  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  satLfac- 
tion.  For  circulars,  containing  full  information.  Address 
FARMER’S  MANUFACTURING  CO., 
Green  Point  P.  O.,  (Brooklyn,)  N.  Y, 


ANY  TILE  WORKS,  Corner  Clin- 

ton-avenue  and  Knox-st.,  Albany,  N.  Y.— The  subscribers, 
being  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of 
DRAINING  TILE 

in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand,  in  large  or  small  quantities, 
for  Land  Draining.  Round,  Sole  and  Horse  Shoe  Tile,  war¬ 
ranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this  country,  hard-burned,  and 
over  one  foot  in  length. 

Orders  solicited. 

Price  list  sent  on  application. 

C.  &  W.  McCAMMON, 
Albany,  N.  Y 


Improved  Combined  Tliresher  and  Winnower. 

[Shown  m  the  cut.] 

Our  first  Combined  Thresher  and  Winnower  was  invented  and 
made  in  1851.  Continued  experiments  resulted,  in  185T,  in  the 
present 

WHEELER’S 

Improved  Patent  Combined  Thresher  and  Winnower. 

The  Machine  is  a  model  of  simplicity  and  compactness,  and  is 
made  in  the  most  substantial  manner,  so  that  its  durability 
equals  its  efficiency  and  perfection  of  work.  Its  capacity,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  has  been  from  125  to  175  bushels  ot 
Wheat,  and  from  200  to  300  bushels  of  Oats,  per  day.  It  works 
all  other  kinds  of  Grain  equally  well,  and  also  threshes  and 
cleans  Rice  and  Timothy  Seed.  Price  $245. 


WHEELER’S 

PATENT  SINGLE  HORSE-POWER 

AND 

Overshot  Thresher  with  Vibrating  Separator. 

This  is  a  One-Horse  Machine,  adapted  to  the  wants  of  medium 
and  small  grain  growers.  It  separates  grain  and  chaff  from  the 
straw,  and  threshes  from  75  to  100  bushels  of  Wheat,  or  twice  as 
many  Oats  per  day,  without  changing  horses— by  a  change 
nearly  double  the  quantity  may  be  threshed.  Price  $128. 

WHEELER’S 

PATENT  DOUBLE  HORSE-POWER, 

AND 

Overshot  Thresher  with  Vibrating  Separator. 

This  Machine  is  like  the  preceding,  but  larger,  and  for  twe 
horses.  It  does  double  the  work  of  the  Single  Machine,  and  is 
adapted  to  the  wants  of  large  and  medium  grain  growers,  and 
persons  who  make  a  business  of  threshing  Price  $160. 

ALSO, 

Circular  and  Cross-Cut  Sawing  Machines.  Clover  Hullers 
Feed  Cutters,  Mowers  and  Reapers,  Horse  Rakes, 
and  other  Farming  Machines. 


Our  Horse  Powers  are  adapted  in  all  respects  to  driving  every 
kind  of  Agricultural  and  other  Machines  that  admit  of  being 
driven  by  Horse-Power,  and  our  Threshers  may  be  driven  by  any 
of  the  ordinary  kinds  of  Horse-Powers  in  use— either  are  sold 
separately. 

E^To  persons  wishing  more  information,  and  applying  by 
mail,  we  will  forward  a  Circular  containing  such  details  as  pur¬ 
chasers  mostly  want— and  can  refer  to  gentlemen  having  our 
Machines,  in  every  State  and  Territory. 

Our  firm  have  been  engaged  in  manufacturing  this  class  ol 
Agricultural  Machinery  24  years,  and  have  had  longer,  larger 
and  more  extended  and  successful  experience  than  any  other 
house. 

All  our  Machines  are  warranted  to  give  entire  satisfaction,  or 
may  be  returned  at  the  expiration  of  a  reasonable  time  for  trial. 

Orders  from  any  part  of  the  United  States  and  Territories, 
or  Canada,  accompanied  with  satisfactory  references,  will  be 
filled  with  promptness  and  fidelity;  and  Machines,  securely 
paeiced,  will  be  forwarded  according  to  instructions,  or  by  the 
cheapest  and  best  routes. 

WHEELER,  MELICK  &  CO., 
Albany,  N.  Y. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Excelsior  Agricultural  Works, 


Tivoli  Hollow,  Albany,  N-  Y., 

-  «a» 

RICH'D.  H.  PEASE,  Phoprietor. 

I  would  call  the  attention  ofyour  readers  to  the  following  arti¬ 
cles  of  my  manufacture,  being  satisfied  that  they  are,  each  and 
all  of  them,  the  very  best  and  cheapest  labor-saving  machines 
ever  offered  to  the  public.  I  use  none  but  the  best  material, 
and  employ  as  experienced  workmen  as  can  be  had;  lienee  my 
work  is  unsurpassed,  both  in  utility  and  durability.  All  I  ask 
is  that  you  should  make  a  trial  of  any  of  my  machines,  and  I  am 
confident  of  giving  satisfaction.  The  Excelsior 

CHANGEABLE  RAILWAY  HORSE  POWERS, 

Have  long  been  acknowledged  to  be  the  best,  most  durable,  and 
easiest  working  machines  in  use.  They  have  invariably  taken 
the  First  Premium  at  every  test  trial  where  they  have  been  ex¬ 
hibited,  both  at  the  United  States  and  State  and  County  Fairs. 
Price  $116. 

CADY’S  I  IMPROVED  LEVER  HORSE  POWER, 

To  be  driven  by  2  or  4  horses,  is  a  first-rate  machine  for  heavy 
work,  as  it  combines  durability  and  cheapness,  and  has  a  varie¬ 
ty  of  motions  with  same  speed  of  horses.  Price  $60. 

Excelsior  Changeable  Thresher  and  Separator, 

For  threshing  and  separating  any  kind  of  grain,  has  stood  many 
severe  t’ests  with  uniform  success,  and  can  be  run  by  wind* 
steam,  or  horse  power.  With  my  One-Horse  Power,  it  is  capa¬ 
ble  of  threshing  from  100  to  175  bushels  of  wheat,  rye,  barley  or 
buckwheat,  or  from  175  to  200  bushels  of  oats,  in  one  day  ;  and 
with  the  Two- Horse  Power  and  one  extra  hand,  nearly  double 
the  work  can  be  performed.  Price,  Single,  $37 ;  Double,  $40. 

THRESHER  AND  CLEANER  COMBINED, 

To  be  run  by  the  Two-Horse  Power,  are  warranted  to  clean  the 
grain  thoroughly.  They  are  quite  compact,  occupying  but  little 
more  room  than  the  Thresher,  and  are  highly  recommened  by 
those  using  them.  Price  $125. 

Excelsior  Circular  and  Cross-Cut  Saw  Combined, 

(Cady’s  Pa*ent,)  can  be  attached  to  any  horse,  water,  or  steam 
power,  with  a  belt,  and  is  capable  of  performing  more  work 
than  any  maehine  of  the  kind  in  use.  Over  100  of  these  machines 
were  sold  in  one  State  last  year,  and  all  worked  to  a  charm. 
Price  $65. 

EXCELSIOR  CIRCULAR  SAW  MILL, 

For  sawing  cord  wood,  stove  wood,  &c.,has  been  in  extensive 
use  on  the  railroads  in  the  country,  and  also  by  many  farmers, 
and  is  just  the  thing  for  the  purpose.  With  a  One-Horse  Power 
it  can  saw  from  20  to  25  cords  of  wood  in  one  day,  and  with  a 
Two-Horse  Power  and  an  extra  man,  much  more.  Price  $37. 

Suiting  Table  and  Saw,  for  fence  stuff,  fitted  to  above  machine, 
at  the  trilling  expense  of  $7.  Is  very  convenient  for  farm  use. 

EXCELSIOR  CROSS-COT  SAW-MILL. 

To  he  run  by  the  Excelsior  Horse  Power.  Is  capable  of  sawing 
a  log  4  feet  in  diameter.  Its  cheapness  and  facility  of  using,  re¬ 
commend  it  to  general  use.  Price  S25. 


EXCELSIOR  CLOVER  HOLLER, 

This  little  machine  is  capable  of  hulling  from  5  to  10  bushels 
of  seed  in  a  day,  without  injuring  or  wasting  it  in  the  least. 
Price  $32. 

EXCELSIOR  CIDER  AND  WINE  MILL, 

(Krauser’s  Patent,)  is  highly  recommended  as  a  great  improve¬ 
ment  over  other  portable  mills.  It  grates  the  apples  into  a  fine 
pomace,  which  fall  into  the  tub,  which  is  then  shoved  under  the 
Press,  where  it  can  be  subjected  to  a  pressure  of  nearly  10  tons, 
thus  obtaining  every  particle  of  juice.  Price  $45. 

EXCELSIOR  DOG  POWER, 

For  churning,  turning  grindstone,  &c.,  is  got  up  in  a  most  sub¬ 
stantial  manner,  all  the  shafting  and  rollers  being  of  iron.  Is 
easily  attached  to  any  churn,  and  is  a  great  saver  of  time. 
Price  $18. 


Share’s  Patent  Coulter  Harrow  and  Grain  Coverer. 

This  machine  is  a  great  improvement  on  the  Scotch  or  drag- 
harrow,  and  it  saves  once  plowing.  It  lifts,  loosens,  and  pul¬ 
verizes  the  soil,  and  makes  the  ground  as  smooth  as  could  be 
made  by  raking.  Price  $15. 

Share’s  Patent  Hilling.  Hoeing  and  Covering 
Machines, 

For  covering,  cultivating  and  hoemg  potatoes  and  corn.  They 
do  away  entirely  with  the  hoe,  and  by  tilling  and  cultivating  all 
parts  equally,  they  insure  a  much  larger  crop. 

Orders  respectfully  S"licited.  and  promptly  attended  to,  for 
any  of  the  above-mentioned  machines,  which  are  all  warranted 
to  give  satisfaction .  or  they  can  be  returned  at  my  expense. 

All  descriptions  of  Agricultural  Machinery  built  to  oruer,  in 
the  best,  manner,  at  short  notice. 

Catalogues  sent  free,  by  addressing 

RICH’D  H.  PEASE, 
Excelsior  Ag.  Works,  Albany.  N.  Y. 


1QV 


A  ©RSSTT  MIFF  F©R.  $2©. 

THE  “  TOM  THUMB  GRIST  MILL  ”  excels,  in  practical  el- 
ficiency,  every  Metallic  Mill  which  has  ever  been  produced,  and 
at  less  than  half  the  price  of  any  other.  By  the  simple  device  of 
anadjustible  regulator  within  the  throat  of  the  Mill,  we  are 
able  to  dispense  with  all  the  superflous  rattle-trap  arrangements, 
which  have  hitherto  proved  so  objectionable  in  similar  machines. 
It  is  rigged  wit  h  pulley  for  attachment  to  any  kind  of  power,  and 
makes  meal,  from  any  kind  of  grain,  at  the  rate  of  five  to  eight 
bushels  per  hour. 

Warren  Clark,  Secretary  of  the  Eagle  Company,  at  Mendota, 
Illinois,  writes  as  follows  concerning  one  now  in  use  at  their 
works; 

“  The  little  ‘  Tom  Thumb  Mill  ’  you  sent  us  ie  the  best  thing 
of  the  kind  in  use.  We  have  ground  Corn,  Oats,  Barley,  Hun¬ 
garian  Grass  Seed  and  Buckwheat.  It  works  equally  well  with 
each.  We  run  through  six  bushels  per  hour,  and  feel  assured 
that  we  can  put  eight  bushels  of  dry  corn  through  per  hour,  and 
then  make  as  good  meal  as  it  is  possible  to  produce  with  burrs.” 

Shipping  weight  (boxed)  M0  pounds.  Price  $20. 

HEDGES,  FREE  &  CO„ 

No.  6  Main-st.,  Cincinnati.  O. 


Agfs’icasltaaral  Implements,  &c. 

The  largest,  best  and  most  complete  assortment  of  Agricul¬ 
tural  and  Horticultural  Implements,  Seeds,  Fertilizers,  &c., 
ever  offered  for  sale  in  the  U.  S.  can  be  found  at  the 

New  Agricultural  Implement  and  Seed  Warehouse, 

No.  54  Vesey-st.,  N.  Y.,  near  Washington  Market. 

A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO..  Proprietors. 


SEDGWICK’S  Improved  Wheel  Cultiva- 

tor,  for  hand  use,  having  the  advantage  of  sliding  i  he  wheels 
on  the  axle-tree  to  any  required  distance,  in  addition  to  spacing 
the  shares  as  may  be  necessary,  thus  adapting  it  to  vegetables 
and  strawberries.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  100  Murray- 
st.,  New- York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE . 


Keep  your  Feet  B>i*y 

AND 

PRESERVE  YOUR  HEALTH 


The  long  sought  for  principle  of  making  leather  perfectly  wa¬ 
ter-proof  has  at  last  been  discovered.  A.  Brower’s  Patent  Wa¬ 
ter-proof  Composition  for  Leather  makes  boots  and  shoes  per¬ 
fectly  impervious  to  water  by  a  single  application,  and  warrant¬ 
ed  to  keep  so.  At  the  same  time  it  softens  the  leather,  makes  it 
pliable,  and  thereby  prevents  its  cracking.  It  will  polish  with 
blacking  as  well  after  the  application  as  before.  It  is  also  as  ap¬ 
plicable  to  ladies’  fine  kid  slippers  as  to  stouter  leather. 

For  sale,  wholesale  and  retail,  by 

A.  BROWER  &  CO., 

No.  4  Reade-street,  New-York, 

(Between  Broadway  and  Centre,) 
Agents  in  the  country  wanted  to  sell  the  above  article 
N.  B. — None  genuine  unless  signed.  A.  BROWER. 


The  Lodi  Manufacturing  Co. 

Is  offered  for  sale  by  the  subscribers 
\  wholesale  and  retail  in  lots  to  suit  cus- 
rtjtomers.  This  article  has  been  now  in  use 


tyjf  for  over  17  years  and  is  the  most  popular 
manure  for  corn  and  early  vegetables,  in 
market. 

It  is  quick  and  powerful  and  can  be  put  in  direct  contact  with 
the  seed  without  injury.  Price  $1.50  per  barrel  delivered  on 
board  of  vessel  for  any  quantity  over  6  barrels.  $2.00  for  a 
single  barrel. 

CERTIFICATES. 

The  undersigned  have  used  the  Poudretteof  the  Lodi  Man¬ 
ufacturing  Co.,  for  the  number  of  years,  and  upon  the  crops  set 
opposite  to  their  names  and  can  recommend  it  as  a  cheap,  and 
most  excellent  fertilizer. 


Charles  Smith, 

Bloomfield,  N.  J. 

10  years, 

Corn. 

Cyrus  Canfield, 

Caldwell,  do. 

10 

do 

do. 

John  Squires, 

Livingston,  do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

&  Garden  Truck. 

A.  J.  Jacobus, 

Livingston,  do. 

17 

do. 

Corn. 

do. 

II.  W.  Harrison, 

Caldwell,  do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

do. 

J.  Simpson, 

Franklin,  do. 

8 

do. 

do. 

do„ 

Hiram  Farnham,  Livingston,  do. 

15 

do. 

do. 

do. 

J.  A.  Harrison, 

Orange,  do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

do. 

B.  P.  Lum, 

Chatham,  do. 

15 

do. 

do. 

do 

A  pamphlet  containing  certificates  of  practical  farmers  m  all 
parts  of  the  United  Slates,  with  every  information  and  direction 
for  use  will  be  mailed  to  any  one  sending  their  address. 

GRIEFING  BROTHER  &  CO., 

General  Aqents  for  the  Company , 
North  River  Agricultural  Warehouse,) 

60  Cortland  Street,  N.  Y.  j 

EltTILIZERS— PERUVIAN,  AMERI- 

can.  Elide,  and  other  Guanos. 

DRIED  BLOOD  AND  WOOL,  Bone  Dust,  Superphosphate 
of  Lime,  Plaster  of  Paris,  Poudrette.  etc.  For  sale  in  large  or 
small  quantities  by  R.  L.  ALLEN, 

191  Water  St.,  N.Y. 

BONE  MAWUR’E. 

SAWINGS,  TURNINGS  AND  CRUSHED  BONES, 
for  sale  by  the  manufacturers,  in  large  or  small  quantities. 

A  LISTER  &  CO., 
Tarry  town,  Westchester  Co.,N.  Y. 

HINESE  SUGAR  CANE  AND  A  Fill* 

CAN  IMPHEE,  at  very  low  prior. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  19!  Water  SL,  N.Y. 


NEW  AN®  CSSEAP  FERTILISER. 
CASTOR  PUMMACE, 

A  VALUABLE  ORGANIC  (Vegetable)  MANURE 

Analyzed  by  Prof.  Samuel  W.  Johnson,  of  Yale  College,  ar.<l 
commended  by  him. 

It  is  Pummace  left  after  pressing  the  oil  from  the  Castor 
Seed,  and  in  India  and  England  bears  a  high  value  as  a  Fer 
tilizer. 

It  will  be  sold  at  $12  to  $16  per  ton,  according  to  quantity  al 
which  rate  it  is  the  cheapest 

FERTILIZER 

in  the  market. 

Carl  and  see  the  article,  and  also  Prof.  Johnson’s  analysis  and 
remarks. 

No  charge  for  sacks,  and  in  lots  of  10  tons  delivered  free  of 
carl  age  in  this  City. 

Manufactured  and  sold  by 

II.  J.  BAKER  &  BRO.. 

142  Water-st.,  New-York, 


AMERICAN  GUA.NO — From  Jarvis  Is- 

-LJtt-land,  at!  he  Importing  Company’s  prices,  in  large  or  small 
quantities.  This  Guano  cont-*  ins  about  80  percent  of  Phosphate 
and  Sulphate  of  Lime.  All  of  which  is  available  for  the  imme¬ 
diate  wants  of  the  growing  crops.  R.  L.  ALLEN, 

191  Water-st. 


The  new-.tersey  fertilizer 

COMPANY’S  GREEN  SAND  MARL.— This  Marl, 
abounding  in  Potash,  Phosphates.  Sulphates  and  Sillicates,  is 
the  cheapest  and  best  manure  for  grain,  grass,  fruit  trees  and 
grape  vines,  and  essential  to  every  good  farming  compost ;  pre¬ 
ventive  of  the  potato  disease  increasing,  and  improving  their 
yield  and  quality.  It  contains  more  Potash  than  the  same 
quantity  of  the  best  unleached  wood  ashes.  Price  7  cents  per 
bushel.  Orders  for  the  Marl  or  for  circulars  (which  contains 
full  particulars),  may  be  addressed  to  CH  A  S.  SEARS,  President, 
Riceville,  Monmouth  Co  ,  N.  J.;  GEORGE  W.  ATWOOD, 
Secretary,  16  Cedar-st  ,  New. York;  or  to  TAPPEN  TOWN¬ 
SEND,  Treasurer,  82  Nassau-st.,  New-York. 


First  quality  Peruvian  guano. 

Mapes’  Phosphates,  Bone  Dust,  etc.,  for  sale  at  Agricultu¬ 
ral  Depot,  100  Murray  st.,  N.  Y.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


CHEAP  MANURE. — Saleratus  and  Soda 

Sweepings,  at  our  Chemical  Works,  constantly  on  hand 
and  for  sale  in  quantities  to  suit. 

E.  R.  DURKEE  &  CO.,  181  Pearl-st.,  New-York. 


THE  NEW  JfERSEY 

ANIMAL  FERTILIZER,  OR  SUPERPHOSPHATE  OF 
LIME  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY. 

We  invite  the  attention  of  Farmers  to  our  Manure,  composed 
of  dead  animals,  blood,  offal,  and  raw  hones,  representing  the 
following  analysis,  which  speaks  for  itself,  viz  : 

Phosphate  of  Lime . 18  to  20  per  cent. 

Sulphate  of  Lime . 12  to  10  “ 

Animal  Matter,  yielding  Ammonia .  45  “ 

Ammoniac  Salts’ .  7  “ 

Insoluble  undefined  matter,  e’e .  5  “ 

Soluble  Salts,  Clor.  of  Soda,  etc.,  Sulphate  of 

Soda,  etc .  10  “ 

Water  and  Loss .  3  “ 

100  “ 

Every  one  of  our  customers  having  found  our  Manure  what 
we  represent  it  to  be  : — an  excellent  Manure  adapted  to  every 
soil  and  crop,  we  recommend  it  with  the  fullest  confidence  to 
every  intelligent  farmer  and  plantation  owner  who  wants  to  se¬ 
cure  to  himself  a  valuable  crop  300  to  400  lbs.  per  acre  have 
frequently  increased  the  yield  of  the  crop  fifty  per  cent 
Testimonials  and  Pamphlets  io  be  had  at  the  Office.  Orders 
to  be  sent  to  HENRY  RAEDER,  Agent. 

52  Beaver  Street,  New  York. 
Gustavus  Liebig,  or  Mr  R  L.  ALLEN, 

Chemist.  19:  Water-st.,  N.  Y. 

AlERieAH  ©FAR'©. 

To  Farmers  and  Dealers  in  Gnano. 

This  Guano,  from  Jarvis  Island,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  con¬ 
taining  8U  per  cent  of  phosphate  and  sulphate  of  lime,  and  the 
most  valuable  fertilizer  known,  is  offered  for  sale  in  quantities, 
lp.rge  or  smo.1!,  at  about  two-thirds  the  price  of  Peruvian  Gu¬ 
ano.  For  full  information  and  particulars,  address 

C  S.  MARSHALL,  Pres.  Am.  Guano  Co., 

66  William-st  ,  New-York'. 

To  Planters  and  Fanners. 

Special  attention  is  directed  to  the  NATIONAL  FERTIL¬ 
IZER,  prepared  of  Green  Sand  Marl.  Animal  Bone  and  Fish. 
Manufactured  for  applica  ion  according  to  the  analyses  of  vege¬ 
tables,  plants,  and  all  cereals,  cotton,  sugar-cane,  and  tobacco. 
Unlike  Guano,  it  imparts gtersisUnt  fertility  to  the  soil. 

Delivered  in  New  York  at  $35  per  ion  of  2000  lbs.  Orders 
must  slate  the  crop  for  which  it  is  wanted. 

For  descriptive  Circulars,  with  Analysis,  address  JOS.  C. 
CANNING,  37  Fulton  Street,  N.  Y. 

©nano  and  other  Fertilizers. 

No.  1  genuine  Peruvian  Guano,  Super-Phosphate  of  Lime, 
Poudrette,  Bone  Dust,  Land  Plaster,  Dried  Blood  .and  Wool 
Manure,  Ta  Feu,  &c.,  &c.,  of  the  best  quality  for  sale  in  large  or 
small  quantities  at  the 

New  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed  Store, 

No.  51  Vesey-st  ,  between  Broadwav  &  Green wich-st„  N.  York 
A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO  ,  Proprietors. 

]\TO.  1  PERUVIAN  GUANO. 

IV'  HOYT’S”  SUPERPHOSPHATE  OF  LIME 
BONE  DUST.  PLASTER, 

POUDRETTE.  TAFEU,  etc. 

The  above  fertilizers  warranUd  pure,  anil  sold  at  the  lowest 
market  price. 

GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO,. 

60  Cortlandt-st.,  New-York  City. 

Dried  blood  and  wool  manure. 

— The  best  and  cheapest  manure  in  use— an  active  manure 
for  i ho  present  crop,  and  permanent  in  its  effects  on  the  land. 
Price  $35  for  2009  lbs.  lti  blis  200  lbs.  For  sale  by 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  St 


138 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Contents  for  April- 


Agricultural  Department  at  Washington . 103 

American  Agriculturist— What  it  has  accomplished. . .  102 

April — Suggestions  for  the  Month — Trees .  97 

Bees— Another  Man’s  Mistakes  about . 109 

Bees- Apiary  in  April .  99 

Bees — Hunting . 121 

Books— Revie  w  of  Agricultural  Patent  Office  Report. .  104 

Book— Onion  Culture . 12S 

Boys— Can  my  son  succeed  in  New-York  ? . 121 


Boys’  and  Girls’  Columns— Grandmother  and  the  Little 
Girls  ;  Uncle  Frank’s  Letter  from  St.  Augustine  ; 
Kites  and  how  to  make  them  ;  The  Horned  Frog  , 
Illustrated  Rebus  ;  Answers  to  Problems.. 6  Illus¬ 


trations . 119,  120,  121 

Bread — Soda  in,  again . 119 

Butter— That  “  Western  Grease  ” . 107 

Calendar  of  Operations . 98,  99 

Carrots— Culture  of . 103 

Cattle— Dealing  with  refractory  Cows . 106 

Cattle — Making  Cows  give  down  milk . 121 

Chicory — Raising  it  in  this  Country  .  . . . 102 

Children— Plowing . Illustrated. .  112 

Cisterns— Improvement  in  Filtering.  .2  Illustrations. .  118 

Cranberries— Cultivation  of . 121 

Cranberries— Upland . 121 

Currant— Zante . 115 

Currants  and  Gooseberries— Planting . 121 

Dairy,  No.  IV— Prize  Article:  Parturition,  Milking, 

Management  of  Milk  and  Cream,  etc . 107 

Drains— Kitchen . 119 

Evergreen  Cone  Ornaments . 117 

Farm  Calendar  for  April .  98 

Farm — How  does  it  Pay .  . 106 

Fencing  IV.— Prize  Article  :  Stone  Walls . 110 

Flowers  in  Shells . 3  Illustrations.  .117 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  in  April . 99 

Frog— Horned . . 121 

Fruits— Past  and  Present  of  American...  More  about— 

Peaches . Ill 

Garden— Kitchen  and  Fruit  in  April .  98 

Grafting— Hints  on . 3  Illustrations.  .114 

Grafting  Old  Trees . 121 

Grapes — Grafting  and  Transplanting . 115 

Grapes— The  Newer . 115 

Grass— Honey-Blade . 104 

Grass— Timothy  after  Hungarian . 121 

Green  and  Hot  House  Calendar . 99 

House  Cleaning . 118 

Indoor  Work . 117 

Insects— Onion  Fly.... . 3  Illustrations.  .108 

Insects— Planting  Pea  Weevil . 121 

Borers  in  Trees,  to  prevent . 121 

Lakes— Frozen  in  Scotland . 121 

Lantern  Blinks  VIII. — An  Old  Style  Farmer . 106 

Luck  and  Pluck . 112 

Manures — Homeopathy  and  Allopathy . 2  Illustr..l05 

Manure— Burned  Sods  and  Weeds  for  . 105 

Manures — American  Guano . 121 

Manuring  with  Mud . 105 

Medal— That  Silver  . 121 

Notice— Important . 121 

Nuts— Stocks  for  Madeira,  etc . 121 

Onion  Culture— Book  on . 128 

Orchard  and  Nursery,  Calendar  for  April .  98 

Patent  Office  Report  for  1857  . 104 

Plow— A  Primitive  . Illustrated. .112 

Plowing  Deep— When  to  do  it . 109 

Potato— Buckeye . 103 

Premiums-  Special,  of  Seeds . 128 

Puzzles  and  Problems . 4 . 121 

Rebus . Illustrated.  .121 

Recipes— Nonsensical . 117 

Seed  Distribution  Closed . 128 

Seeds— Notes  on  culture  of  those  Distributed .  99 

Seeds— Sprouting  Locust . 121 

Seeds — Where  to  procure . 121 

Sheep— Vermin  or  Scab  on . . Illustrated. .  109 

Shells— Flowers  in  hanging . 3  Illustrations.  .117 

Stables— Healthy . Ill 

Strawberries— IIow  to  Raise . 115 

Sugar,  Cane— How  grown  and  Manufactured . 101 

Tree— The  Traveler's . II lustrated ..116 

t.’rees — Catalogue  of  Apple . 121 

frees— Dwarf  becoming  Standard . 121 

Trees— Evergreens  from  Seed . 113 

Trees— How  long  will  they  Live . 112 

Trees— Norway  Spruce  for  Hedges . 121 

Trees— Planting  Straight . Illustrated. .  1 13 

Trees— Planting  Shade . 113 

Trees— Transplating  Budded . 121 

Whitewash— The  Best . 118 


ISF  Seed.  BMsfa’iMitioai  Closed. 

We  announced  in  our  last  number  that  our  general 
Distribution  of  Seeds  would  close  with  the  month  of 
March.  The  applications  from  very  distant  subscribers 
still  arriving,  will  be  filled.  New  subscribers  received 
luring  April  and  May  will  be  allow’ed  to  select  the  usual 
3  to  5  packages  from  such  seeds  as  we  have  remaining, 
provided  they  furnish  the  customary  prepared,  post-paid, 
envelopes.  (For  the  list  of  seeds  yet  on  hand,  see  below.) 

SPECIAL  SEED  PREMIUM, 

[The  ten  general  Premiums  offered  in  our  January, 
Februaty  and  March  numbers  for  new  subscribers  to  this 
volume  are  still  continued,  and  persons  may  yet  fill  out 
their  old  lists  or  make  up  new  ones  for  those  premiums. 
As  an  additional  inducement  to  persons  soliciting  new 
subscribers  at  this  season  we  now  add  another  premium 
(XI)  which  will  be  given  for  new  subscribers  obtained  in 
April  or  May,  when  the  same  are  not  counted  in  one  of 
the  other  10  premiums.] 

PFtE .3111151  XI. — Any  person  procuring  and  for¬ 
warding  (after  April  1st)  new  subscribers  to  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  tor  Vol.l8,and$l  for  each)  may  select  from  the  list  of 
seeds  below  as  many  packages  as  will  go  under  four  3-cent 
postage  stamps  tor  each  new  name  and  we  will  send  the 
seeds  post-paid  by  ourselves.  N.  IS.— If  the  new  subscri- 
ers  are  taken  at  club  rates,  either  as  additions  to  old  clubs, 
oi  in  new  clubs,  the  receiver  of  the  premium  w  ill  need 
to  send  the  12  cents  postage  to  be  paid  on  each  premium 
package.  (Wo  only  pay  the  postage  when  the  full  price 
is  paid.) 

It  will  be  seiV.  hat  from  4  to  20  parcels  of  seed  may  be 
chosen  for  each  new  name— according  to  the  kind  desired. 
Of  the  flower  seeds  about  5  packages  of  seed  will  go  un¬ 
der  one  stamp.  In  addition  to  the  premium  parcel, 

given  to  the  procurer  of  a  name,  the  new  subscriber  will 
himself  be  entitled  to  select  three  to  five  parcels  by  send¬ 
ing  prepared,  pre-paid  envelopes  as  noted  above.  Sever¬ 
al  of  the  seeds  in  the  following  list  are  particularly  choice 
or  rare,  and  on  this  account  could  not  be  offered  in  our 
General  Distribution.  We  shall  probably  have  enough  to 
meet  all  the  demands  made  for  this  special  premium. 

Field.  Seeds. 

1 —  White  Sugar  Beet— Single  or  double  packages,  as 
desired,  requiring  one  or  two  3-cent  postage  stamps. 

2—  King  Philip  Corn— Single,  double,  or  triple  pack¬ 
ages,  as  desired,  requiring  one,  two,  or  three  3  cent 
stamps. 

3—  stowell’s  Sweet  Corn— Same  packages  as  No.  1. 

4—  White  Poland  Oats— Same  packages  as  No.  2. 

5 —  Chinese  Sugar  Cane— Any  subscriber  may  select 
any  amount,  from  half  an  ounce  up  to  a  full  pound  of  this, 
by  providing  for  the  transportation  by  mail,  or  express,  or 
otherwise.  If  to  go  by  mail,  a  3-cent  stamp  is  required 
for  each  half  ounce. 

G — Ashcroft’s  Swedish  Turnip— Half  of  3-cent  stamp. 
G8 — Purple-top  Scotch,  or  Bullock  Turnip —  do. 

G9— Green-top  Scotch,  or  Bullock  Turnip —  do. 

70— Waite’s  London  purple-top  Sweede  Turnip —  do. 

93—  Hungarian  Grass— One  or  two  3-cent  stamps. 

94—  Crystal  Flint  or  Hominy  Corn — One  3-cent  stamp. 

Veg'eUiMe  or  Garden  Seeds. 

8— Daniel  O'Rourke  Pea — Packages  same  as  No.  1 . 


9— Champion  of  England  Pea —  One  3-cent  stamp. 

96— Champion  of  Scotland  Pea —  do. 

57 —  Eugenie  Pea—  do. 

58 —  Napoleon  Pea—  do. 

59 —  King  of  the  Marrow  Pea—  do. 

GO  — Blue  Sickle  Pea —  do. 

12— Green  Kohl  ltabi—  One-third  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 
1  5 — Mammoth  Cabbage  Lettuce—  do  do. 

I  G— Long  Orange  Carrot —  do  do  do. 

G7 — Intermediate  Carrot— very  fine  flavoi  do. 

1  7 — Red  Strap-Leaf  Turnip— One-half  of  a  3-cent  stamp, 
t  9— Round  Spinach—  do  do 

20—  Salsafy —  do  do 

22— Boston  Marrow  Squash —  do  do 

95— Hubbard  Squash—  do  do 

21—  Winter  Cherry —  One-third  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 

55 — White  Globe  "Onion—  do  do 

72 — Imported  Brussels  Sprouts—  do 

7  3— Egg  Plants,  (mixed)—  do  do 

74  — Solid  White  Celery—  do  do 

75— Green  Curled  Endive —  do  do 

7G—  Musk  Melon —  do  do 

7  7— Water  Melon—  do  do 

92  —  Ok>a —  do  do 

G3— London  Particular  Long  Scarlet  Radish —  do 
G4 — Extra  Red  Round  Turnip  Radish —  do 

05  — Waite’s  Large  Cabbage  Savoy —  do 

06— Extra  London  Curled  Parsley —  do 


Flower  and  Ornamental  Scetls. 

89— Cotton  Plant  (2  kinds)— One  3  centstamp. 

On  an  average,  about  five  of  the  following  24  varieties 
will  go  under  a  '3-cent  postage  stamp. 

2  3— Mignonette.  47— Morning  Glory,  mixed. 

25— Mixed  Nasturtiums.  49— Candy  Tuft. 

27—  Extra  Cockscomb.  50-Schizanthus. 

28—  Dwf.  Rocket  Larkspur. 51  — Phlox  Drummondii. 

29—  Double  Balsams,  mix'd. 7  9 — Ageratum  Mexicanum. 

3G  —Tassel  Flower  7  9— Germ.  10-weeks  Slock. 

3 j  — Chinese  Pink.  80—  Yellow'  Hawkweed.  ■ 

3  2— Portulaeas,  mixed  83-Suap-Dragon. 

38_Sweet  William.  84— African  Marigold. 

40  — Escholtzia  Califomica.86— Euphorbia,  mixed. 

4  I -Elegant  Clarkia.  87— Coreopsis. 

42— Foxglove.  88— Globe  Amaranth. 


ONION  CULTURE !  ONION  CULTURE  \ 

EXPERIENCE  of  seventeen  practical  men. 

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illustrated  article  on  the  Onion  Fly  and  its  Prevention, 
by  a  distinguished  Entomologist.  This  addition,  and 
other  causes,  have  delayed  the  publication  longer  than 
we  expected,  but  orders  will  now  be  speedily  filled.  It 
will,  we  are  confident,  be  worth  many  times  the  price,  to 
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NEW-YORK,  MAY,  1859. 


[NEW  SERIES— No.  148. 


ICg^Of  fice  at  1  SO  Water-st.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
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May 


“  Again  the  balmy  zephyr  blows 
Fresh  verdure  decks  the  grove, 

Each  bird  with  vernal  rapture  glows, 

And  tunes  his  notes  to  love. 

Ye  gentle  warblers  hither  fly, 

And  shun  the  noontide  heat ; 

My  shrubs  a  cooling  shade  supply, 

My  groves  a  safe  retreat.”  Graves. 

The  wind  blows  from  the  sweet  south,  and  the 
time  of  the  singing  of  birds  has  come.  The  blue 
bird  announced  the  coming  Spring  some  weeks 
ago,  and  has  already  made  provision  for  his  Sum¬ 
mer  house.  You  hear  his  song  every  pleasant 
morning  in  the  same  apple  tree,  and  see  him 
peering  hopefully  into  the  hole  in  the  decaying 
trunk.  His  love  is  there,  busy  with  her  maternal 
cares.  The  robin  red  breast  sings  his  song  at  the 
early  dawn,  inviting  you  forth  to  look  upon  the 
wondrous  beauty  of  the  purpling  heavens,  and  to 
snuff  the  fragrance  of  the  dewy  morning.  He  is 
repairing  the  old  nest  at  the  corner  of  the  fence, 
and  expects  a  good  time  coming.  The  oriole  is 
spinning  his  flaxen  home  from  the  fragile  limb  of 
the  lofty  elm,  and  there  the  expanding  leaves  will 
soon  shield  him  and  his  rising  family  from  obser¬ 
vation.  The  swallows  have  come  and  taken  pos¬ 
session  of  the  eaves  of  the  barn,  and  the  pheebe 
is  building  her  nest  under  the  shed.  The  crow¬ 
bill  follows  the  plow  boy  a  field,  picking  grubs 
from  his  furrow,  and  the  red  wings  are  making 
the  thickets  alive  with  their  tumultuous  joys.  Al¬ 
ready  the  brown  thrasher  is  perched  upon  the 
fence  by  the  wood  side,  inviting  the  farmer  to 
“  plant  it,  plant  it,”  and  assuring  him  with  what 
exstatic  delight  she  will  “  pull  it  up,  pull  it  up.” 
The  chee-wit  and  cat-bird  are  dodging  about  the 
underbrush,  and  the  chick-a-dee-dee,  and  the 
wood-peckers  are  rattling  their  bills  against  the 
dry  wormy  limbs,  in  search  of  their  breakfast. 

Bang !  Bang  !  There  goes  poor  red  breast  a 
fluttering  heap  of  agony  rolling  upon  the  grass, 
the  prey  of  an  idle  vagabond,  who  has  nothing 
else  to  do  but  to  kill  these  friends  and  compan¬ 
ions  of  the  husbandman,  and  thus  to  spoil  more 
happiness  than  he  will  ever  cause,  if  he  lives  to 
the  age  of  Methusaleh.  Look  at  the  quivering 
breasls  and  the  rumpled  feathers  and  see  the  lids 
closing- over  that  glazing  eye,  shutting  out  the 
sight  of  the  beautiful  world  forever  !  No  wonder 
the  poor  children  cry,  and  run  to  their  mother  at 
the  loss  of  their  favorite  songster  !  They  will  hear 
his  evening  song  no  more  by  the  garden  wall. 


It  is  a  fitting  time,  on  this  bright  May  morning 
to  speak  a  good  word  for  birds,  and  if  we  were  a 
poet,  like  Col  Morris,  we  would  write  a  song  on 
“  Sportsman  spare  that  bird,”  and  have  it  set  to 
music,  and  scattered  broad  cast  over  the  land,  so 
that  in  all  the  homes  where  music  is  cultivated, 
the  sentiment  of  affection  for  birds  should  be  in¬ 
culcated,  and  children  should  grow  up  regarding 
them  as  sacred  among  God’s  sweetest  gifts  to 
man.  Those  who  court  the  companionship  of 
man  are  beautiful ;  they  enliven  and  cheer  his 
labors  by  their  songs,  and  protect  his  crops  against 
their  worst  enemies.  They  are  the  barrier, 
which  the  benevolent  Cieator  has  set  against  the 
inordinate  multiplication  of  the  insect  tribes,  and 
they  can  not  be  hunted,  and  driven  away  from 
our  cultivated  fields,  without  destroying  the  har¬ 
mony  of  God’s  providential  arrangements.  No 
principle  in  the  economy  of  cultivating  the  earth 
is  better  established  than  this.  Birds  are  a  pro¬ 
tection  to  our  grain  fields,  our  gardens,  and  or¬ 
chards  ;  saving  by  their  labors  a  hundred  fold 
more  than  they  destroy.  In  the  newly  settled 
States,  where  the  balance  of  Nature  has  not  been 


destroyed,  where  the  forest  affords  protection  to 
the  birds,  and  idle  vagabonds  with  dog  and  gun 
are  few,  they  have  the  finest  fruits.  The  insects 
multiply  as  the  birds  decrease,  and  they  spread 
blight  over  our  grain  fields,  and  orchards. 

We,  who  have  our  hands  upon  the  plow,  can 
not  all  write  songs  or  educate  the  young  to  right 
views  of  the  value  of  birds,  but  vve  can  all  do 
something  to  remedy  this  evil.  We  can  at  least 
educate  ourselves  and  families,  to  respect  the 
rights  of  birds,  and  our  own  interests.  Observe 
the  blackbirds,  the  robins,  and  other  birds  as  they 
follow  our  footsteps  in  the  furrow.  What  a  mul¬ 
titude  of  grubs  and  worms  and  eggs  of  insects, 


they  devour  !  Watch  any  pair  as  they  feed  their 
young  in  the  nest.  Almost  their  only  food  is  in¬ 
sects,  moths,  millers,  caterpillars.  Every  tiny 
nest  about  the  garden  is  the  sepulcher  of  myriads 
of  these  enemies  of  our  fruits  and  vegetables. 

If  we  can  convince  ourselves,  that  the  birds  are 
the  best  friends  of  our  crops,  we  shall  cease  to 
kill  them,  or  suffer  them  to  be  killed.  The  bird 
hunter  will  he  regarded  as  the  enemy  of  the  hus¬ 
bandman,  and  will  stand  in  peril  of  a  warm  jack¬ 
et,  when  he  prowls  around  our  premises,  dispens¬ 
ing  lead  and  salt  petre.  The  birds  soon  learn  to 
prize  their  friends,  and  will  come  and  build  their 
nests  where  they  are  not  disturbed.  Let  us  invite 
them  to  our  farms  and  gardens,  and  assure  them 
of  our  protection. 

“  No  schoolboy  rude,  to  mischief  prone, 

E’er  shows  his  rudely  face  ; 

Or  twangs  his  bow,  or  hurls  a  stone, 

In  this  sequestered  place. 

Hither  the  vocal  thrush  repairs, 

Secure  the  linnet  sings. 

The  goldfinch  dreads  no  flimsy  snares, 

To  clog  her  painted  wings.” 

The  fruit  and  ornamental  trees,  that  we  need 
for  the  shelter  of  our  dwellings  and  to  give  us 
fruit,  will  afford  a  delightful  refuge  for  the  birds. 
“  The  fir  trees  are  their  home,”  and  all  other 
trees  that  make  a  thick  shade.  Plant  trees  then 
in  front  of  your  house,  and  along  the  road  side  as 
far  as  your  farm  extends.  Enlarge  your  fruit 
yard,  if  you  have  only  enough  trees  for  the  sup¬ 
ply  of  your  own  family,  you  want  some  to  give 
your  neighbors,  and  a  full  supply  for  the  birds. 
Do  not  be  stingy  in  this  provision.  The  laborei 
is  worthy  of  his  hire.  Remember  that  every  fam¬ 
ily  of  birds  you  can  induce  to  locate  upon  your 
trees,  rids  you  of  enemies,  and  increases  your 
wealth.  Land  is  still  cheap  upon  the  farm,  and 
trees  are  cheap.  Plant  more  trees,  and  with  youi 
other  crops,  raise  your  own  music.  Encourage 
the  boys  to  build  bird  boxes,  and  put  them  upon 
the  buildings  and  fences.  This  will  amuse  them 
quite  as  much  as  robbing  birds’  nests,  and  will 
foster  within  them  much  better  sentiments 

We  once  visited  a  large  rural  village  in  New- 
England,  where  they  had  a  fashion  of  rearing  a 
large  bird  house  on  the  top  of  a  long  pole  in  the 
garden.  This  pole  was  a  conspicuous  object,  on 
almost  every  street.  We  need  not  say  that  they 
had  a  vigorous  horticultural  society  there,  and 
that  the  place  was  famous  for  its  apples,  pears, 
and  plums ;  its  cherries,  strawberries,  currants, 
and  other  small  fruits.  The  birds  took  care  of  their 
insects,  and  they  will  take  care  of  yours  if  you 
will  give  them  a  chance. 

In  one  of  the  States  we  have  an  excellent  law, 
laying  a  heavy  fine  upon  the  sportsman,  that  kills 
a  bird  off  of  his  own  premises,  so  that  every  pro¬ 
prietor  is  enabled  to  protect  his  own  grounds 
against  bird  destroyers.  Such  legislation  is  de¬ 
manded  in  all  the  older  States  and  it  only  requires 
a  little  exertion  on  the  part  of  our  intelligent 
farmers  to  secure  it. 


180 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  May  1859- 

[We  note  down  sundry  kinds  of  work  to  be  done  during 
the  month,  not  so  much  to  afford  instruction  to  practical 
men,  as  to  call  to  mind  the  various  operations  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to,  A  glance  over  a  table  like  this  will  often  sug- 
ge.-t  some  piece  of  work  that,  might  otherwise  be  forgotten 
or  neglected.  Our  remarks  are  more  especially  adapted 
to  the  latitudes  of  38°  to  45°  ;  but  will  be  equally  applica¬ 
ble  to  points  further  North  and  South  by  making  due 
allowance  for  each  degree  of  latitude,  that  is,  earlier  for 
the  South,  later  for  the  North. 

Explanations,—/  indicates  the  first  ;  m  the  middle  ; 
and  l  the  last  of  the  month.— Doutd'ing  the  letters  thus:/’, 
or  mm,  or  U,  gives  particular  emphasis  lo  the  period  indi¬ 
cated.— Two  letters  placed  together,  as  fm  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  in  either  or  in  both  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked /m.  indicates  that  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  the  month.’] 

Farm. 

From  the  accounts  thus  far  received  from  abroad,  and 
our  own  observations  about  home,  the  past  Winter  appears 
to  have  been  a  favorable  one  for  Winter  crops.  Grass 
and  grain  fields  come  out  bright  with  very  little  winter- 
kill,  and  the  continued  damp  weather  brings  them  for¬ 
ward  sufficiently  rapid. 

The  heavy  rains  of  April  have  retarded  some  of  the 
farm  operations,  so  that  a  portion  of  the  directions  given 
last  month  have  necessarily  been  retarded  until  now. 
Read  the  former  calendar  anew,  and  attend  first  to  any 
work  thus  kept  back. 

May  is  decidedly  a  working  month,  in  which  the  hus¬ 
bandman  must  commit  his  seed  to  the  earth  in  faith  (not 
forgetting  the  “  works”)  if  he  expects  to  reap  a  harvest  in 
Autumn.  In  putting  in  seed,  be  it  grain,  corn,  or  roots, 
it  is  of  the  firat  importance  that  it  be  well  done,  for  no 
after  labor,  however  thoroughly  performed  can  wholly 
compensate  for  wrong  planting.  To  do  this  properly  pre¬ 
pare  the  ground  by  manuring  well  where  needed,  and 
with  plow,  subsoiler,  and  harrow,  or  cultivator,  loosen 
and  pulverize  the  soil  deeply  and  thoroughly.  If  good 
seed  be  properly  put  in  now,  and  the  weeds  kept  down, 
failures  will  be  comparatively  few. 

But  for  the  particular  operations  of  the  farmer  in  addi¬ 
tion  to  the  work  of  last  month,  we  have 

Beans  to  plant,  ff,  at  the  south,  and,  m,  to  1,  in  this  lat¬ 
itude  and  further  north.  They  are  easily  injured  by  cold, 
and  it  is  not  best  to  plant  very  early.  Cover  lightly,  say 
one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch. 

Broom  Corn— Plant,  f,  m,  as  common  corn,  or  in  drills, 
4  feet  apart  and  thin  to  8  inches  in  Ihe  row. 

Cabbages — See  “Kitchen  Garden.” 

Cattle  still  require  feed  in  some  localities.  In  others, 
all  but  working  teams  have  been  turned  out  to  graze. 
Have  the  cows  regularly  and  cleanly  milked,  if  possible 
by  the  same  person.  Raise  the  likeliest  calves  and  thus 
improve  your  stock.  Confine  working  teams  mainly  to 
dry  food  until  the  heavy  spring’s  work  is  over. 

Cellars  are  supposed  to  be  freed  from  all  garbage  and 
filth.  Open  the  windows  for  ventilation. 

Clover  may  still  be  sown,  ff,  with  Spring  grain. 

Corn — Better  let  the  ground  be  warm  and  dry  before 
planting.  It  will  come  up  stronger  and  succeed  better. 
In  this  latitude  we  prefer  from  middle  of  May  to  the  first 
of  June.  Let  the  ground  be  well  plow  ed  and  enriched. 
Test  the  seeds  by  sprouting  before  planting.  Stretch 
white  twine  over  the  fields  to  scare  the  crows  as  soon  as 
planted,  and  avoid  leaving  any  corn  uncovered  to  attract 
the  birds.  Twine  strung  around  the  field  is  very  sugges¬ 
tive  to  them  of  snares,  of  which  they  are  shy.  If  very 
troublesome  soak  some  corn  in  strychnine  water  and  scat¬ 
ter  over  the  field. 

Cotton-Plant,  ff,  any  omitted  last  month.  Work  out 
m,  1. 

Draining— Wet  lands,  is  always  in  order  until  they  are 
wholly  reclaimed. 

Economy  of  the  Farm— “  Witches  work,  while  slug¬ 
gards  sleep,”  says  the  proverb,  and  the  man  who  begins 
business  late  in  the  day,  usually  finds  witch  work  enough 
before  night.  Be  up  then  betimes.  Lose  no  time  in  bor¬ 
rowing  tools  that  you  should  own,  and  have  your  own 
where  they  may  be  found  when  wanted.  Remove  the 
stumps  and  stones  that  have  so  long  annoyed  you  wffien 
piowing.  Out  with  that  old  hedge  row  by  the  wall,  and 
let  grass  or  grain  replace  it.  Read  the  article  headed 
“  May  Day  for  Tree  planting,”  and  go  and  do  likewise,  so 
shall  your  memory  be  green  in  the  future. 

Fences— Put  them  in  complete  order,  ff.  Poor  fences 
make  breac-hy  cattle. 

Flax  and  Hemp  do  best  sown,  ff,  m. 

Grain — Complete  sowing,  ff,  m,  any  crops  not’put  in  last 
month.  Keep  stock  of  all  kinds  from  feeding  upon  fields 
sown  last  month  and  from  the  Winter  grain.  Go  overthe 
latter  and  pull  out  cockle  and  other  foul  stuff  which  shows 
plainly  at  this  season. 

Grass  seed  of  all  kinds  may  still  be  sown,  ff,  both  with 
Spring  grain  and  upon  the  Fall  sown,  although  it  should 
have  been  put  in  last  month.  " 


Hoeing  will  be  in  order  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
month,  and  even  earlier  at  the  south.  Begin  to  workout 
the  corn  early,  both  to  promote  its  growth  and  lighten 
future  labor. 

Horse  and  Mule  teams  require  good  supplies  of  hard 
feed  while  going  through  the  heavy  Spring  work.  Treat 
them  kindly  and  they  will  repay  you. 

Hungarian  Grass  or  Millet— Sow,  ff,  m,  for  main  crop ; 
and,  m,  1,  for  soiling.  It  is  not  best  to  run  crazy  after  this 
grain  under  the  name  of  “  Honey  Blade.” 

Lucern— Sow  ff,  m.  In  some  localities  this  crop  is 
gaining  favor  for  the  large  amount  of  hay  it  yields  per 
acre. 

Manures — Do  not  omit  the  manufacture  of  them,  al¬ 
though  the  yai;ds  have  just  been  cleared.  Cart  in  muck, 
saw-dust,  tan,  loam,  etc.,  for  a  bedding,  and  to  absorb  all 
liquid  or  semi-liquid  droppings  of  animals. 

Meadows— Keep  Stock  from  tramping  over  or  eating 
down.  A  top  dressing  of  wood  ashes,  plaster  or  Peruvian 
guano  sown  over  the  fields,  ff,  will  add  materially  to  the 
crop  of  hay. 

Millet— See  “  Hungarian  Grass.”  above. 

Onions— Read  article  on  page  69,  March  number.  If 
not  sown  as  thoy  should  have  been  last  month,  put  in,  ff. 

Peas— See  under  “Kitchen  Garden.” 

Plowing— Turn  up  the  soil  thoroughly  and  deeply,  or 
at  least  a  little  deeper  than  ever  before.  If  it  is  not  prac¬ 
ticable  to  subsoil  a  whole  field,  try  a  portion  of  it  and  note 
the  results. 

Potatoes— Plant,  ff,  any  omitted  last  month.  Where 
seed  is  scarce  and  costly  cut  to  one  or  two  eyes.  We 
prefer  sizeable  potatoes  cut  in  two  or  three  pieces.  Read 
article  on  page  70,  (March  No.)  upon  the  marketable  va¬ 
rieties. 

Poultry  will  require  little  care  now  if  running  at  large. 
Where  shut  up  it  is  well  to  let  them  out  for  awhile  about 
sundown,  otherwise  the  quantity  of  eggs  will  diminish. 
Eggs  may  still  be  set  for  late  chickens.  Where  practi¬ 
cable  place  chicken  coops  under  plum  or  cherry  trees. 
Their  keen  eyes  will  allow  few  insects  to  escape  from 
the  ground  to  sting  the  fruit. 

Pumpkins — Plant,  m,  1,  among  corn,  potatoes,  and  by 
themselves.  For  family  use  we  prefer  the  cheese  variety. 

Root  Crops — Sow,  f,  m,  any  carrots  not  putin;  sow 
beets,  m,  1,  leave  turnips,  except  for  early  market  or 
family  use,  until  June.  Remember  that  one  acre  of  roots 
will  go  further  as  stock  feed,  than  several  acres  of  hay. 
Let  the  soil  be  deeply  and  finely  plowed  and  well  sup¬ 
plied  with  rotten  manure. 

Sheep  require  looking  after  at  this  season  of  increase. 
Wash,  m,  and  shear,  11. 

Sorghum— Plant,  f,  m,  for  sugar  and  syrup,  and,  11,  for 
soiling. 

Swine— The  pens  should  now  be  well  filled  with  young 
porkers.  Give  the  sows  a  full  supply  of  food  with  plenty 
of  drink,  and  a  little  salt  occasionally.  Keep  from  run¬ 
ning  at  large. 

Tobacco  Beds— Keep  well  dressed  and  transplant  from 
them,  f,  m. 

Tools,  Machines,  etc. — Now  that  mowing  machines  and 
reapers  are  coming  into  such  general  use,  see  if  you  had 
not  better  add  one  this  season.  Have  carts,  wagons  and 
other  gear  in  order,  and  purchase  whatever  hay  and  har¬ 
vest  tools  are  wanted,  early  in  the  seagpn. 

©ffclaaircl  aaad  Mtarsery, 

It  is  not  likely  that  the  good  planting  weather  of  last 
month  was  unimproved  by  either  orehardjst  or  nursery¬ 
man.  Excepting  with  evergreen  trees  the  planting  should 
have  been  done  in  April,  in  this  and  southern  latitudes. 
At  the  north  it  may  still  go  on,  although  it  is  very  desira¬ 
ble  to  set  out  fruit  trees  and  deciduous  shade  trees  also, 
as  early  in  the  Spring  as  possible,  before  the  buds  have 
started. 

The  nurserymen  have  had  a  long  and  favorable  season 
for  their  operations,  and  have  doubtless  so  improved  it  as 
to  be  in  readiness  for  the  later  labors  of  the  present  month. 
The  cool  weather  of  April  checked  the  growth  of  trees 
and  made  a  much  longer  season  for  transplanting  and 
selling,  than  usual. 

Apple  Trees  may  still  be  transplanted,  ft’,  if  done  with 
care. 

Budded  Trees— Cut  away  the  heads  of  seedlings  budded 
last  season,  unless  a  failure  is  evident.  Remove  suckers, 
and  lie  up  the  new  growth,  11,  to  the  stubs  left  for  that 
purpose. 

Evergreens— We  regard  the  middle  of  May  as  the  best 
time  for  planting.  See  article  on  page  144,  of  present 
number. 

Grafting  may  still  be  done,  ff,  if  the  scions  were  pre¬ 
viously  cut,  and  are  in  good  order.  Rub  off  suckers,  11, 
so  as  to  give  the  grafts  all  the  sap. 

Iloe  out  nursery  rows  carefully,  m,  1. 

Inarching  may  be  done,  f,  m,  on  deciduous,  and,  11,  on 
evergreen  trees. 

Insects— Destroy  caterpillar  nests  m  their  early  stages 
by  using  the  spiral  brush,  or,  what  is  equally  effectual, 


use  a  sponge  or  rags  dipped  in  whale  oil  soap  apd  tied  to 
a  long  pole.  The  soap  is  pretty  certain  death  to  all  cater¬ 
pillars  which  it  reaches.  Wash  the  trunks  of  all  trees 
covered  with  scale  or  moss  with  the  same  mixture  (1  lb. 
soap  to  6  gallons  of  water),  or  common  soap  and  water. 
Potash  and  water  will  answer  the  same  purpose.  Ex¬ 
amine  peach  and  apple  trees  for  borers. 

Layer,  ff,  m,  the  stools  of  quince  trees  and  ornamental 
shrubs,  digging  about  them  thoroughly. 

Mulch  newly  planted  trees,  especially  if  the  weather 
prove  dry.  This  will  often  save  valuable  trees. 

Orchards—  M  anure  and  plow  up  the  old  orchard  ground, 
not  over  s’x  inches  in  depth.  An  occasional  harrowing 
to  keep  down  weeds  is  better  than  trying  to  crop  the 
ground.  Apply  compost  about  the  roots.  Muck,  lime 
and  ashes  are  good  for  this  purpose.  Orchards  recently 
set  out  may  be  kept  in  hoed  crops,  manuring  heavily.  Do 
not  plow  too  closely  to  the  trees,  but  hoe  them  like  other 
plants. 

Peaches,  apricots  and  other  stone  fruits  should  have 
been  set  out  last  month,  but  may  be  planted,  ff. 

Pears  may  also  be  transplanted,  ff,  if  neglected  till  now. 
Cut  back  a  portion  of  last  season’s  growth  to  form  a  sort 
of  compact  head  and  to  produce  fruit  spurs.  Allow  no 
fruit  to  mature  on  these,  or  oilier  trees  the  first  season. 

Plow  often  among  nursery  rows,  turning  a  furrow  to¬ 
wards  the  trees  at  onetime  and  from  them  at  another. 

Plums  may  also  be  set  out,  ff.  Cut  out  black  warts, 
and  begin  the  curculio  remedies  as  soon  as  the  trees  are 
out  of  bloom.  A  poultry  yard  under  the  trees  is  the  best 
remedy.  See  article  on  page  146. 

Seed  Beds— Keep  free  from  weeds,  watering  occasion¬ 
ally  during  dry  weather.  Shade  from  Ihe  hot  sun. 

Stocks  should  all  be  planted  out,  ff,  if  not  already  in. 

Water  newly  planted  trees,  if  the  ground  should  be  drv. 

Weeds — Keep  down  in  all  parts  of  the  nursery  and 
about  standard  trees. 

EOtcikesi  and.  Frsait  ©ardens. 

The  cultivator  of  the  smaller  vegetable  garden  will  have 
no  time  for  idleness  in  May.  It  is  one  of  his  busiest 
month  if  he  rightfully  attends  to  all  the  appropriate 
labors. 

A  good  coat  of  manure,  thorough  and  deep  plowing, 
or  spading,  and  properly  putting  in  good  seed  w  ill  secure 
a  good  harvest,  in  more  than  nine  cases  out  of  ten. 

Except  for  early  family  use,  or  for  early  marketing,  it 
is  not  advisable  to  hasten  the  planting  until  the  ground  is 
warm  and  tolerably  dry.  Nearly  all  vegetables  are  much 
better  when  quickly  grown.  Hence  it  is  boiler  to  plant 
when  the  ground  is  in  a  condition  to  push  them  rapidly 
forward,  to  say  nothing  of  the  rotting  of  the  seeds  put 
in  too  early.  There  are  a  few  exceptions  to  this  rule  as 
noted  below. 

The  gardener  anxious  to  secure  the  largest  returns 
from  his  land  will  so  arrange  that  the  same  soil  shall  pro¬ 
duce  tw'o  or  three  crops,  such  as  turnips  after  early  peas, 
cabbages  after  potatoes,  spinage  and  lettuce  among  run¬ 
ning  vines,  radishes  with  beets,  etc.,  etc. 

Read  again  the  directions  of  last  month  and  completo 
any  work  which  the  cool  and  wet  weather  necessarily 
retarded. 

Asparagus  beds  have  doubtless  been  manured  and  fork¬ 
ed  over.  Cutting  will  Begin,  f,  m.  See  article  on  cutting 
and  putting  it  up  for  market  on  a  following  page. 

Beans— Plant  pole  and  bush  beans,  m,  1.  Set  poles  be¬ 
fore  planting.  Limas  should  be  lightly  covered  with  the 
eye  set  downwards. 

Beets— Sow,  ff,  m,  for  early  use,  and,  11,  for  Winter. 
The  ground  should  be  deeply  worked. 

Blackberries  may  still  be  planted,  ff,  m.  Stake  up  old 
plantations.  See  article  on  training  them,  p  147. 

Brussels  Sprouts,  Borecole,  Broccoli  and  Kale— Sow, 
ff,  m.  Plant  from  cold  frames  and  hot-beds,  f.  Culti¬ 
vate  the  same  as  cabbages. 

Cabbage  and  Cauliflower — Sow,  f,  m,  for  late  use.  Plant 
out,  ff,  m,  from  hot-beds  and  cold  frames  if  any  remain. 
Scatter  dry  ashes  or  lime  over  the  seed  rows  to  protect 
the  plants  from  the  garden  ilea.  Hoe  former  plantings 
and  examine  for  cut  worm. 

Carrots  and  Parsneps— Sow,  ff.  If  not  already  in,  on 
deeply  trenched  or  subsoiled  ground. 

Capsicums— Plant,  f,  m. 

Celery— Sow,  ff,  m,  for  late.  Set  early  plants  in  pre¬ 
pared  trenches,  m,  1,  watering  and  shading. 

Cold  Frames-Set  out  any  remaining  plants,  ff.  m. 

Corn— Plant  sweet  varieties,  f,  m,  1,  for  a  succession. 

Cucumbers— Plant,  ff,  m,  for  early,  and,  1,  for  late  use 
and  pickling.  Protect  young  plants  from  the  striped  bug, 
by  frames,  or  dust  with  flour  and  black  pepper,  soot,  guano 
lime,  etc. 

Currants — Complete  planting,  ff,  any  omitted  last-month. 
Use  wash  water  and  house  ships  upon  old  bushes.  Cut 
out  old  and  decaying  wood.  If  trained  to  a  tree  form 
cut  back  a  portion  of  last  season’s  growth. 

Egg  Plants— Set  out,  f,  m,  or  only  when  the  weather 
has  become  settled  warm. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


131 


Fruit  Trees— A  few  lute  growing  kinds  may  still  be 
planted,  if.  Train  wall  and  espalier  trees,  cutting  back  as 
needed.  Hub  off  any  unnecessary  slioots. 

Grapes — Have  them  securely  tied  to  stakes,  trellises 
and  arbors  :  rub  off  any  superfluous  slioots  and  destroy  in¬ 
sects  depositing  eggs  or  preying  upon  them.  The  borders 
were  probably  dug  up  and  well  manured  last  month. 
Read  Grape  articles  on  page  147  of  the  present  number. 

Herbs— Set,  ff,  any  remaining  roots. 

Iloe  early  plants,  to  destroy  w  eeds  and  loosen  the  soil. 

Hot  Beds — Complete  planting  from  them,  f,  m. 

Insects— Keep  garden  fleas  from  turnips,  cabbages,  etc  , 
by  dusting  with  lime,  wood  ashes,  guano,  flour  and  pep¬ 
per,  etc.  Use  the  same  on  cucumbers  and  other  vines  for 
the  striped  bug.  A  moderate  sprinkling  with  weak  whale 
oil  soap  will  answer  a  similar  purpose. 

Kohl  Rabi — Sow,  ff,  m. 

Lettuce— Sow  and  plant  from  hot-beds,  ff.  Sow  every 
two  weeks  for  a  succession.  Give  room  to  head  well. 

Martynea— Sow,  f,  m,  for  pickles.  They  are  also  at¬ 
tractive  as  flowering  plants  upon  the  border. 

Melons— Plant  and  protect  as  cucumbers,  keeping  the 
different  varieties  by  themselves  if  seed  is  to  be  saved, 
otherw  ise  they  will  mix.  Pumpkins,  cucumbers,  squash¬ 
es,  etc  ,  should  be  kept  apart  for  tire  same  reason. 

Mushroom  Beds  for  Summer  use  may  be  made,  f,  m. 

Mustard — Sow,  ff,  rn,  1,  for  a  succession  of  greens. 

Nasturtiums— Sow,  ff,  m,  for  flowers  and  for  pickles. 

Okra— Sow,  ff.  Plant  out  former  sowings,  m. 

Onions  should  have  been  sown  last  month.  If  not  done 
put  them  in,  ff.  See  prize  article  in  March  Agriculturist, 
page  69,  and  chapter  on  the  onion  fly,  page  108,  April  No. 

Peas— Sow  Champion  of  England,  orsome  other  choice 
marrowfats,  f,  m,  1,  to  form  a  succession  with  the  Daniel 
O’Rourke  and  other  early  peas  sown  last  month.  Slick 
when  three  or  four  inches  high. 

Potatoes  may  still  be  planted,  ff.  See  under  “  Farm  ” 
head;  also  directions  for  raising  sweet  varieties,  page  143. 

Radishes— Sow  at  intervals,  f,  in,  1,  among  other  veg¬ 
etables,  or  on  ground,  where  late  crops  are  to  be  planted. 

Raspberries— Tie  up  canes,  ff.  Cut  back  long  strag¬ 
gling  shoots.  Fork  in  a  good  supply  of  manure  if  not  al¬ 
ready  done.  See  method  of  training  on  page  182,  Vol.  17. 

Rhubarb- Sow  seed  and  plant  roots,  ff,  although  better 
plarrted  in  April.  Keep  ground  light,  rich,  and  free  from 
weeds.  Established  plants  will  now  afford  fine  “pullings.” 

Sage,  Savory,  etc.— Sow,  ff,  m.  Transplant  last  year’s 
sowing. 

Salsafy  and  Scorzonera— Sow,  ff,  on  rich  deep  soil. 

Seeds— See  that  roots  spoken  of  last  month  are  all  out 
for  a  supply  of  pure  home-grow  n  seeds.  Test  all  seeds 


before  sowing  so  as  to  have  no  failures. 

Spinach— Hoe  and  thin  plants  wintered  over,  saving  a 
quantity  for  seed  ;  sow,  f,  m,  1,  for  successive  use. 

Squashes— Plant  in  well  manured  and  deeply  dug  hills, 
f,  m.  Protect  from  their 
greatest  enemies,  the  striped 
lugs,  as  directed  under  mel¬ 
ons  ;  or  surround  with  floor 

oil-cloth,  pasteboard,  birch-  _ 

bark,  etc.,  pegged  down  as  seen  in  the  cut.  Bugs  have 
very  little  ingenuity  and  will  seldom  climb  over  these 
although  open  at  the  top.  Read  article  on  Squash  growing. 

Straw  berries— New  beds  may  be  made,  f,  m.  Water  in 
dry  weather.  Keep  free  from  weeds. 

Tomatoes— Put  out  early  plants,  if,  m,  and  sow  seed  at 
the  same  time  for  late  use.  See  directions  on  page  142. 

Transplanting— Much  of  this  will  require  doing,  m,  1. 
Select  damp  cloudy  weather  before  a  rain,  if  possible; 
otherwise  water  and  shade  the  plants  after  moving. 

Turnips— Sow'  for  Summer  use,  f,  m.  Early  sowings 
will  need  thinning  and  weeding,  m. 

Weeds— Keep  them  down  or  they  will  keep  the  veget¬ 
ables  down. 

Winter  Cherry  (Physalis)— Plant  out,  i,  m,  as  tomatoes. 
Seed  may  be  sown,  if,  m. 


FJower  Garden  asad.  Lawn 

The  first  flowers  of  the  crocus  and  snowdrop  have  al¬ 
ready  faded,  but  a  richer  and  more  abundant  bloom  is  now 
unfolded  in  the  fragrant  hyacinth  and  narcissus,  while  the 
gaudy  tulip  and  majestic  crown  imperial  are  openingtheir 
petals,  and  lending  attractions  to  the  flower  borders. 
Several  of  the  early  flowering  shrubs  are  also  in  bloom 
and  the  more  hardy  plants  of  the  houses  or  conservatories 
are  being  added  to  the  borders,  increasing  their  beauty. 

Annuals  now  require  sowing  for  late  flowering.  Trans¬ 
plant  from  hot-beds  and  houses,  m. 

Asters  &  Balsams— Sow,  ff,  m,  on  warm  sunny  borders. 

Bedding  Plants — Set  out  a  bed  or  mass  of  verbenas, 
another  of  petunias,  with  a  patch  of  daisies  here,  and  ge¬ 
raniums  or  other  good  bedding  plants,  somewhere  else. 
This  is.  far  better  Ilian  to  mix  them  up  promiscuously. 

Borders  and  Lawn  Beds— Keep  neat  and  clean,  often 
raking  the  ground  among  the  flowers. 

Box  and  Grass  Edging — Set  out,  if.  Clip  old  borders, 
leaving  them  of  cone  shape  rather  than  with  square  tops. 


Bulbs— Beds  of  these  which  were  planted  last  Fall  still 
make  a  ricn  show.  By  keeping  them  shaded  from  the 
hot  sun  they  will  continue  in  bloom  for  two  or  three 
weeks  longer.  Keep  well  tied  up. 

Carnations,  Pinks  and  Pansies— Plant  out  and  sow  seed 
f,  m.  Tie  up  carnation  flower  stalks  and  slit  sheaths  of 
choice  kinds  inclined  to  bloom  upon  the  side. 

Dahlias,  Gladioluses  and  Tuberoses— Plant  out,  f,  m 
those  starled  in  houses  and  boxes  last  month.  Read 
“  Dahlia  Culture  ”  on  page  148. 

Daisies— Divide  and  reset  or  plant  out,  ff,  m. 

Dielvtra— Divide  and  reset  or  plant  out,  ff.  They  will 
show  finely  in  masses. 

Evergreens — Plant  about  the  lawn  or  in  groups  and 
belts,  for  screens  and  hedges,  f,  mm.  See  page  144. 

Frames  and  Pits— Remove  the  remaining  plants  and 
set  out,  ff,  m. 

Fuchsias  and  Geraniums— Bring  from  houses,  f,  in,  and 
plant  in  the  borders.  Keep  well  staked. 

Gravel  Walks— Renew  old  and  make  new,  ff,  m.  Keep 
well  hoed  and  raked. 

Hedges — Plant  deciduous,  ff,  if  omitted  last  month. 
Evergreen  hedges  may  be  set  out,  f,  m. 

Hoe  or  loosen  the  ground  around  tender  plants.  The 
ladies’  garden  fork  is  a  good  implement  for  this  purpose. 
The  soil  should  not  be  allowed  to  crust. 

Honeysuckles  and  other  climbers,  including  annuals 
should  mostly  be  planted,  ff,  if  not  done  last  month.  The 
cypress  vine  does  best  planted,  m,  when  the  ground  is 
warm.  See  illustrated  trellis,  page  339,  vol.  17. 

Hot-Beds — Set  out  the  remaining  plants,  ff,  m.  The 
houses  will  furnish  a  supply  for  borders  and  massing. 

Labels,  Stakes  and  Dahlia  Poles  should  all  be  in  readi¬ 
ness  against  they  are  needed. 

Lawn — Sow  with  plaster,  guano  or  bone  sawings,  or 
water  with  liquid  manure  if  not  done  last  month.  Mow , 
ni,  I,  and  roll  smooth. 

Mulch  newly  planted  trees,  especially  evergreens. 
Leaves,  sawdust,  tanbark,  old  hay  or  straw  spread  around 
these,  prevent  them  from  drying,  and  furnish  a  gradual 
supply  of  manure  to  be  washed  down  to  the  roots. 

Pansies,  Petunias  and  Verbenas— Plant  out,  ff,  m,  and 
sow  seed  for  late  plants. 

Perennials  and  Biennials— Divide  and  reset  old  roots. 
Transplant  last  year’s  seedlings,  ff,  m. 

Portulaccas— Sow,  ff,  m,  in  patches  of  distinct  colors. 

Roses— Plant,  ff.  Bring  from  houses,  f,  m,  and  turn 
into  a  deep  rich  soil.  Train  climbing  and  pillar  varie¬ 
ties.  Destroy  slugs  on  leaves  by  whale  oil  soap  mixture 
described  elsewhere.  Layer  old  wood,  f,  m. 

Stocks  and  Wall  Flowers— Sow,  and  plant  out,  f,  m. 

Turf— Renew,  ff,  any  bare  spots  on  the  lawn  or  in  the 
grass  edging  and  walks. 

W’aler  new  planted  shrubs,  trees,  and  flowers  as  needed. 

Weeds  should  give  place  to  flowers.  Do  not  allow 
them  to  get  a  start  in  these  grounds. 

GreeEi  and  13o>4  ISonses. 

Fire  heat  may  now  be  nearly  suspended,  except  in  col¬ 
lections  of  tropical  plants,  and  during  damp,  foggy,  or 
cool  weather.  Abundance  of  air  is  required  to  harden 
the  plants  for  a  removal  to  the  open  ground.  Some  of 
them  may  be  taken  from  the  hot-house  to  the  green-house, 
and  afterwards  to  the  open  air,  rather  than  carry  them 
from  a  high  temperature  to  exposed  situations  at  once. 
Towards  the  middle  of  the  month,  the  work  of  removal 
may  begin,  carrying  out  the  more  hardy  first.  Arrange 
them  ill  a  convenient,  tasteful  order,  and  screen  from 
high  winds.  Some  of  them  may  be  turned  into  the  bor¬ 
der  for  Summer  blooming,  relying  upon  younger  plants 
for  flowering  next  Winter.  Where  the  pots  are  placed 
on  the  ground  it  is  well  to  put  ashes  under  them  to  keep 
away  worms  and  other  insects. 

Achimenes  and  Gloxinias— Keep  in  a  warm  situation, 
partially  shaded. 

Azalias— Water  and  syringe  freely  now  that  they  are 
growing  rapidly.  Cut  back  straggling  branches  to  form  a 
compact  head. 

Bulbs— Plant  out  any  still  remaining  in  pots  or  glasses. 

Cactuses — Syringe  for  insects.  Strike  cuttings,  ff. 

Callas — Water  freely  while  in  flower. 

Camellias  are  now  in  a  fine  growing  state,  and  need 
frequent  waterings.  Syringe  the  foliage,  to  keep  down  in¬ 
sects.  Give  them  an  airy  situation. 

Carnations— Take  to  border,  f,  m,  stake  those  in  bloom. 

Chrysanthemums— The  stock  may  still  be  increased  by 
cuttings,  suckers  and  division  of  roots. 

Cinerarias— Late  ones  are  still  in  bloom,  and  need  fre¬ 
quent  waterings. 

Cuttings  of  Cactuses,  Euphorbias  and  other  succulents. 
—Make  these,  f,  m,  partially  drying  them  before  striking, 
as  they  will  be  jess  liable  to  rot. 

Fuchsias — Plant  out  in  borders,  m,or  shift  those  intend- 
ed  to  bloom  in  pots.  Water  freely. 

Grapes  require  care  according  to  the  degree  of  forcing 


they  have  received.  Some  vines  may  now  show  good 
sized  berries  or  nearly  ripe  fruit  and  require  little  water, 
especially  among  the  bunches.  Others  are  later  and  need 
frequent  syringings  and  pinching  back.  A  portion  may- 
need  thinning  with  scissors.  The  borders  should  be  un¬ 
covered,  manured  and  forked  over. 

Inarching— May  be  performed  on  woody  plants  that  do 
not  root  readily  by  cuttings,  such  as  oranges,  lemons,  etc. 

Insects — Allow  no  stronghold  to  become  colonized  at 
this  season.  It  will  be  more  difficult  to  dislodge  them 
afterwards.  Water  and  tobacco  fumes  will  usually  do  it. 

Japan  Lilies — Shift  or  plant  out.  Tie  up  flower  stalks. 

Layer,  ff,  woody  and  herbaceous  plants  to  increase  them. 

Oranges,  lemons,  oleanders  and  myrtles— Carry  to  open 
ground  and  water  frequently.  Plant  seeds  for  a  stock. 

Pelargoniums  are  beginning  to  bloom.  Watch  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  the  green  fly  and  fumigate  to  destroy  them. 

Roses  may  all  be  removed  to  the  open  grounds,  f,  m. 
Increase  the  stock  by  cuttings,  ff. 

Water  freely,  both  before  and  after  removing  plants 
from  the  houses.  Evening  is  the  best  time  to  apply  it. 

Apiary  ist  May. 

BY  M.  QUINBY. 

If  this  month  should  prove  cold  and  wet,  many  light 
stocks  of  bees  would  fail  to  get  a  supply  of  honey,  although 
pollen  might  be  carried  in  quite  freely.  During  every 
turn  of  wet  or  cool  weather,  that  confines  them  to  the  hive 
for  more  than  a  day  or  two  at  a  time,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  watch  all  stocks  that  have  a  scanty  supply  of  stores. 
If  examined  daily,  and  a  colony  is  found  destitute  and  ap¬ 
parently  dead  some  cool  morning,  they  may  be  revived, 
by  inverting  the  hive,  and  pouring  a  few  ounces  of  hone) 
or  syrup  of  sugar  among  the  bees  ;  then  confining  them  lo 
the  hive  with  a  cloth  over  the  bottom,  and  bringing  it  to 
the  fire  to  warm  up.  In  a  few  hours  if  the  feed  is  taken 

up.it  maybe  returned  to  the  stand . Keep  a  good 

lookout  for  robbers  as  the  danger  is  not  over,  till  plenty  of 

honey  is  obtained  from  flowers . As  soon  as  there  are 

bees  enough  to  protect  the  combs  properly,  the  front  side 

of  the  hive  may  be  raised  half  an  inch . Continue  the 

search  for  the  moth  worm  in  all  stocks  not  crowded  with 

bees . Swarms  may  be  expected  in  many  places  the 

last  of  the  month,  if  the  weather  is  favorable,  and  stocks 
in  good  condition.  Have  hives  in  readiness,  that  they 
may  be  hived  without  delay.  No  noise  is  needed  to  make 
them  cluster,  nor  is  any  wash  necessary  to  make  them 
like  the  hive.  Let  the  hive  be  clean,  and  not  too  smooth 
inside.  Be  sure  to  make  the  whole  swarm  enter  by  stir¬ 
ring  gently  with  the  feather  end  of  aquill,  orif  necessary, 
a  moderate  sprinkling  of  water.  Carry  immediately  to  the 
stand,  raise  the  front  side  half  an  inch,  and  put  up  a  shade 

for  the  hive  in  the  middle  of  the  day . In  small  apiaries 

of  20  stocks  or  less,  in  good  condition,  it  is  best  to  prepare 
two  empty  hives  for  one  old  stock.  When  a  greater  num¬ 
ber  are  kept,  an  average  of  one  and-a-half  will  do.  There 
will  not  be  more  than  bees  enough  in  any  number  of 
swarms  that  may  be  thrown  out,  to  profitably  occupy  a 
greater  number  of  new  hives  when  properly  distributed. 
With  a  large  number  of  stocks,  most  of  the  small  or  after 
swarms  may  be  united  till  strong  colonies  are  formed. 
Where  but  few  stocks  are  kept,  the  small  swarms  must 
of  necessity  be  further  apart,  and  many  of  them  either 
hived  alone,  or  returned  to  the  parent  stock. 

- <9—4 -  '  «  —  ■ 

How  Cane  Sugar  is  grown  and  Made  •■•11. 

( Continued  frontpage  102.) 


TILLAGE  OF  THE  CANE  FIELDS. 

The  planting  season  extends  from  the  first  of  December 
to  the  first  of  March,  according  to  the  latitude  and  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  the  planter.  In  southern  Texas,  it  begins 
several  weeks  earlier  than  in  Louisiana.  It  follows  im¬ 
mediately  upon  the  close  of  the  grinding  season,  and  it 
is  only  in  case  of  overflow,  or  hindrances  beyond  the 
control  of  the  farmer,  that  it  is  delayed  later  lhan  the  first 
of  March. 

The  first  labor  after  the  planting,  is  lo  bring  up  the 
young  cane  as  uniformly  as  possible.  Though  a  large 
vigorous  plant  at  its  maturity,  it  is  very  feeble  at  the  start, 
looking  much  like  the  first  shoots  of  broom  corn.  As  soon 
as  occasional  blades  are  seen  in  the  rows,  indicating  that 
the  shoots  are  ready  to  break  through  the  soil,  light  har¬ 
rows  are  drawn  over  the  surface.  This  is  the  more  ne¬ 
cessary  from  the  fact  that  the  soil  throughout  the  whole 
sugar  districts  is  largely  mixed  with  clay,  and  bakes  soon 
after  it  is  stirred.  The  rains  are  frequent,  and  without 
this  light  harrowing,  the  crop  starts  without  uniformity, 
and  many  of  the  shoots  show  themselves  quite  too  late  to 
be  of  any  service. 

After  the  blades  are  up  a  few  inches,  tillage  commences. 
They  first  “  run  around  ”  the  crop,  as  it  is  called,  by 
turning  a  furrow  from  the  cane  on  each  side,  with  alight 
mule  plow.  The  hands  immediately  follow  with  hoes, 
brushing  out  the  young  shoots,  and  destroying  ail  weeds 


132 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


These  hoes  are  very  stout  clumsy  affairs,  weighing  about 
three  times  as  much  as  the  northern  hoe,  and  with  the 
handle,  generally  a  home-made  article,  make  a  pretty 
good  load  lor  a  man  to  carryall  day,  whether  he  hoes 
much  or  little.  Though  improved  plows,  harrows,  and 
cultivators  are  multiplying  upon  the  sugar  plantations, 
the  reign  of  the  old  hoe  is  undisturbed.  The  philosophy 
of  this  dynasty  is  summarily  expressed  in  the  reply  we 
received  to  one  of  our  inquiries.  “  Such  hoes  as  you  have 
at  the  North  would  not  last  a  nigger  a  day.”  This,  too,  in 
a  soil  where  there  are  no  stones,  and  upon  plantations 
entirely  clear  of  roots.  We  could  but  think  that  we  should 
feel  better  satisfied,  as  to  the  soundness  of  this  philoso¬ 
phy,  after  seeing  it  tried. 

The  steel  cultivators  and  horse  hoes,  so  common  at  the 
North,  are  not  generally  known  here.  They  are  certain¬ 
ly  well  adapted  to  these  alluvial  lands,  and  could  not  fail 
to  save  at  least  one-fourth  of  the  labor  of  tillage.  This 
is  a  \  ery  large  tax  to  pay  for  the  want  of  agricultural  so¬ 
cieties,  fairs  and  journals,  of  which  the  sugar  region  is 
very  generally  destitute. 

About  ten  days  after  the  first  hoeing,  the  plow  is  again 
used,  turning  the  furrow,  toward  the  cane.  The  whole 
surface  of  the  ground  between  the  rows  is  stirred  this 
time,  either  with  the  plow  or  cultivator.  On  the  best 
managed  plantations,  the  tillage  is  repeated  at  intervals 
of  ten  days  to  two  weeks  until  the  cane  covers  the  ground 
which  is  about  the  first  of  July.  At  each  time,  the  soil  is 
thrown  up  toward  the  cane,  and  when  the  cultivation  is 
completed,  the  cane  stands  upon  broad  ridges,  with  deep 
furrows  between,  to  carry  off  the  water  into  the  ditches 
which  run  back  into  the  swamp.  Cane  requires  a  higher 
cultivation  than  either  corn  or  cotton,  and  those  planters 
who  till  most  frequently  and  thoroughly  make  the  best 
crops.  When  the  cane  shades  the  ground,  cultivation 
stops,  and  the  leisure  season  of  the  sugar  planter  begins. 
It  fortunately  happens  that  this  is  at  the  hottest  part  of 
the  Summer,  when  labor  is  most  oppressive.  These  three 
months  correspond  to  the  Winter  upon  the  northern  farm, 
in  the  opportunity  they  offer  to  take  breath  and  lay  plans 
for  another  year.  The  hands  are  occupied  in  making  im¬ 
provements,  where  the  planter  has  skill  enough  to  devise 
them,  and  in  cutting  and  carting  wood  for  the  sugar  house, 
and  in  other  preparations  for 

THE  GRINDING  OF  THE  CANE. 

This  is  the  harvest  of  the  year,  the  most  intensely  labo¬ 
rious,  and  yet  the  most  joyous  time  upon  the  plantation. 
It  usually  commences  in  October,  and  lasts  until  Christ¬ 
mas  or  later.  Indeed  we  found  that  some  had  not  finish¬ 
ed  as  late  as  the  tenth  of  February  last.  Where  the  cane 
is  well  ripened,  it  keeps  for  some  weeks  without  any  in¬ 
jury.  As  soon  as  heavy  frosts  are  threatened,  the  cane 
is  cut,  and  laid  in  windrow  s,  the  tops  lapping  over  the  butts 
so  that  the  cold  does  not  affect  the  part  that  is  used  for 
sugar.  It  is  only  the  low  er  part  of  the  stalk,  about  six 
feet  in  length,  that  matures  sufficiently  in  this  climate, 
to  make  sugar.  This  is  stripped  of  its  leaves,  topped, 
and  carried  to  the  sugar  house  as  it  is  wanted.  The  whole 
force  of  the  plantation  now  centers  about  the  sugar  house, 
and  on  most  of  the  estates,  the  fires  once  lighted  are  kept 
up  until  the  grinding  is  finished.  They  work  in  relays, 
every  man  being  occupied  eighteen  hours  in  the  twenty- 
four  ;  and  on  nine-tenths  of  the  plantations,  without  any 
observance  of  the  Sabbath.  Notwithstanding  this  severe 
labor,  the  season  is  generally  welcomed  as  one  of  general 
social  enjoyment,  and  more  generous  fare.  There  is  a 
liberal  supply  of  sweets,  and  sometimes  of  stimulants, 
and,  not  unfrequently  of  other  rewards  to  draw  out  the 
largest  amount  of  labor  possible,  until  the  work  is  com¬ 
pleted. 

On  many  of  the  plantations,  the  machinery  for  the  man¬ 
ufacture  of  sugar  is  very  complete,  costing  from  fifty  to 
a  hundred  thousand  dollars.  There  are  now  in  the  coun¬ 
try  about  twenty-six  hundred  sugar  plantations.  On 
three-fourths  of  them,  at  least,  steam  is  used.  The  larger 
part  of  the  sugar  is  made  on  about  three-hundred  planta¬ 
tions,  that  are  furnished  with  expensive  apparatus. 

The  cane  is  dropped  under  a  large  open  shed  or  near  it. 
About  half  a  dozen  hands  are  constantly  employed  in  feed¬ 
ing  the  rollers.  The  canes  are  carried  up  on  an  endless 
apron,  and  pass  twice  between  very  large  iron  rollers, 
which  press  them  nearly  dry.  The  bagasse,  as  the  pressed 
canes  are  called,  is  taken  on  another  apron  as  it  falls  from 
the  rollers,  and  is  carried  to  the  top  of  the  chimney  and 
emptied  into  the  furnace.  This  is  a  recent  improvement, 
and  saves  more  than  one  half  of  the  fuel.  On  one  of  the 
plantations  that  we  visited,  the  burning  of  the  bagasse 
saved  nine  cords  of  wood  daily  They  only  used  three- 
fourths  of  a  cord  to  a  hogshead  of  sugar,  in  place  of  two 
and-a-half  formerly.  As  wood  is  already  getting  to  be  a 
scarce  article  on  all  the  large  plantations,  this  improve¬ 
ment  is  too  important  a  matter  to  bo  long  overlooked. 

With  the  best  mills  yet  invented,  it  is  said,  that  nearly 
one  third  of  the  moisture  is  still  left  in  the  cane  after 
crushing,  with  a  large  share  of  the  saccharine  matter. 
Where  this  refuse  is  not  burned,  it  usually  lies  around  the 
sugar  house  as  a  nuisance.  Sometimes  it  is  carted  to  the 


levee,  and  used  to  strengthen  it,  in  places  where  it  is 
inclined  to  wash. 

SUGAR  MAKING. 

The  juice  of  the  cane  is  carried  by  spouts  from  the  mill 
to  the  boiler,  into  which  it  passes  through  a  strainer. 
Here  it  is  heated  to  about  140°  F.,  when  it  is  clarified  by 
the  introduction  of  lime.  This  causes  a  precipitate  of 
impurities  and  colors  the  juice.  In  many  of  the  establish¬ 
ments  it  is  still  further  purified  by  filtration.  The  next 
process  is  to  evaporate  the  water,  and  make  a  thick  syr¬ 
up.  This  is  done  by  the  application  of  heat  in  a  variety 
of  methods.  There  are  at  least  seven  different  forms  of 
doing  this  in  Louisiana.  In  the  best  establishments,  it  is 
boiled  in  vacuo,  on  the  principle  that  liquids  boil  at  a  low¬ 
er  temperature,  as  the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  is  re¬ 
moved.  This  process  not  only  economises  fuel,  but 
avoids  the  danger  of  burning,  and  makes  a  much  better 
article  of  sugar  and  molasses. 

When  the  syrup  is  sufficiently  thickened,  which  is  a 
point  in  the  process  of  great  importance,  it  is  drawn  off 
into  vats,  where  it  granulates.  A  portion  of  the  syrup, 
however,  does  not  crystallize,  and  to  separate  this  liquid 
from  the  crystals,  it  is  put  in  hogsheads,  in  the  bottoms 
of  which  are  holes,  in  which  are  inserted  canes,  that 
reach  above  the  contents.  The  canes  contract  as  the 
granulation  goes  on,  and  the  syrup  runs  off  into  vats  be¬ 
low.  This  liquid  is  the  molasses  of  commerce.  It  is 
commonly  sold  by  the  planters  in  the  vat,  at  so  much  a 
gallon,  the  purchaser  furnishing  his  own  casks,  and  re¬ 
moving  it.  What  remains  in  the  hogshead  is  the  com¬ 
mon  New-Orleans  sugar,  in  which  the  shrunk  cane  is  still 
found,  when  it  comes  to  market. 

Most  of  the  sugar  manufactured  in  this  region,  we  were 
informed,  is  either  consumed  on  the  river,  or  goes  down 
East.  The  process  of  refining  sugar  has  been  so  greatly 
improved  and  cheapened,  that  the  refined  article  is  in 
much  larger  demand  than  formerly,  especially  in  New- 
York,  and  in  the  region  immediately  dependent  upon  it 
for  supplies.  The  refineries  of  New-York  are  generally 
supplied  from  the  cheaper  sugars  of  the  West  India 
islands.  Where  brown  sugars  are  used,  nothing  stands 
before  the  Louisiana  article.  It  is  very  light  colored, 
lively,  and  not  bad  to  take,  either  on  the  cakes,  or  i:i  the 
coffee. 

The  average  yield  of  sugar  is  something  under  a  hogs¬ 
head  of  one  thousand  pounds  to  the  acre,  and  the  molas¬ 
ses.  When  the  soil  is  very  rich,  and  the  season  is  unu¬ 
sually  favorable,  two  hogsheads  and  upwards,  are  some¬ 
times  made.  The  crop  is  considered  much  more  lucra¬ 
tive  than  cotton,  when  it  does  well.  In  favorable  sea¬ 
sons,  and  under  the  best  management,  the  profits  are  very 
large.  But  it  has  many  draw-backs.  The  plant  is  an 
exotic,  and  very  liable  to  be  injured  by  untimely  frosts, 
both  early  and  late.  Nearly  all  the  sugar landsare  leveed, 
and  subject  to  overflow,  when  these  embankments  give 
way.  The  planters  live  in  constant  apprehension  of 
these  calamities,  which  are  liable  to  come  at  any  mo¬ 
ment,  and  sweep  away  their  crops  and  animals.  The 
crop  of  the  last  season  was  unusually  large,  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  Bell  crevasse  which  swept  over  a  ter¬ 
ritory  forty  miles  square,  in  the  heart  of  the  sugar  dis¬ 
tricts,  it  would  have  been  the  largest  ever  produced  in 
the  country. 

- —  i— i  a  — ► <*- - 

Breeding  In-and-in. 

BY  C.  M.  Cl, AY . II. 


[Explanation  — The  closing  paragraph  of  “Cattle  Breeder’s” 
article  in  March,  leaves  the  impression  that  a  second  article 
would  follow  in  continuation,  anu  it  was  so  understood  by  Mr. 
Clay.  Hence  his  delay  in  replying,  until  a  recent  note  from  us 
informed  him  that  no  such  article  had  been  received.  He  imme- 
dia'ely  forvvarded  the  following,  which  comes  to  hand  afier  we 
have  stereotyped  the  succeeding  pages  where  it  should  have  ap¬ 
peared  in  connection  with  another  article  on  the  same  subject. 
( This  is  one  of  the  last  pages  made  up.)  We  are  under  ihe  ne¬ 
cessity  of  using  smaller  type  also.  in  order  to  prevent  its  run¬ 
ning  beyond  our  uustereutyped  limits. — Ed.] 

“A  Cattle  Breeder's  ”  2nd  No.  is  before  me.  (See  page  75 
March  No.)  Its  length  is  formidable  ;  but  the  importance 
of  the  subject  will  warrant  a  close  scrutiny  of  all  he  has 
said.  He  prefaces  his  argument  by  saying:  “  I  do  not 
advocate  the  breeding  ‘in-and-in’ in  all  cases;  and  do 
not  recommend  others  to  do  so  at  all,  except  under  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  perfect  health  and  condition  of  the  animals 
so  proposed  to  be  bred.”  This  is  for  all  practical  pur¬ 
poses  giving  up  the  whole  theory  ;  for  as  no  man  can  tell 
when  an  animal  is  in  perfect  health  and  condition,  he  can 
never  be  sure  but  that  he  is  committing  a  grave  offense 
against  Nature’s  law,  which  will  certainly  not  go  mi- 
whipt  of  justice  !  Here  I  might  rest  the  argument,  but 
that  I  desire  to  place  this  matter  beyond  cavil ;  which  if 
not  done,  will  be  the  fault  of  the  disputant. 

1st.  The  Stud  Boo*.— Following  up  “  A  Cattle  Breed¬ 
er’s”  advice,  I  have  posted  up  myself  in  relation  to  the 
Stud  Book,  never  fearing  that  all  the  laws  of  animal  life 
would  fail  to  run  parallel.  I  have  before  me,  in  addition, 
letters  from  some  of  the  most  intelligent  practical  breed¬ 
ers  of  the  Race-Horso— from  all  of  which  I  conclude  : 


a. — The  Race-Horse  so  far  from  being  advanced  by 
‘‘close”  breeding  is  not  a  pure  breed,  but  a  composite 
of  the  Arabian.  The  Barb,  the  Persian,  the  Turkish,  and 
the  Arabian,  mingle  in  his  veins.  Even  if  these  are  of 
quasi  specific  type — they  can  not  claim  excellence  from 
close  breeding  but,  the  contrary. 

6— The  original  stock  imported  in  the  reign  of  Edward 
the  Third  were  reinforced  repeatedly  by  new  importations 
at  various  times,  and  especially  from  the  time  of  James 
the  1st  to  Anne’s  reign. 

c. — Since  which  time  the  improvement  of  the  race 
horse  has  been  the  result  of  culture. 

d. — There  were  great  numbers  of  horses  for  selection, 
and  the  four  breeds  were  combined  in  infinite  variety. 
So  much  for  the  general  facts  of  the  stud-book.  Now  for 
authority  and  special  proof. 

e-  James  K.  Duke,  Esq.,  of  Scott  Co.,  Ivy.,  one  of  the 
most  successful  breeders  and  racers  in  America,  says  in 
reply  to  my  questions  :  “  It  has  been  a  maxim  with  the 
English  and  American  breeder  to  avoid  in-and-in  breeding 
of  Ihe  race-horse.  In  England  the  practice  is  to  combine 
different  strains,  and  of  these  strains  there  are  many.” 
‘‘In  America  it  has  not  always  been  practicable  to  brer d 
so  judiciously,  because  the  field  for  selection  was  com¬ 
paratively  small.  It  has  sometimes  occurred,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Arabian  family,  that  there  was  but  one  highly 
distinguished  strain  on  the  turf  :  and  that  strain,  the  stal- 
l  ons  of  that  family  were  almost  exclusively  bred  from.  But 
the  conjunction  of  the  mares  with  the  horses  of  that  strain 
was  deplored  as  an  evil.  Fresh  importations  of  English 
blood  came  to  our  relief,  and  the  Arabics  faded  from  the 
scene:  Boston  and  Warner  only  of  the  old  American  arid 
Arabic  blood  proved  good  enough  to  survive!”  The  italics 
are  mine. 

/.—Lexington,  bred  by  E.  Warfield,  Esq.,  of  Ky„  made 
the  best  time  on  authentic  record,  either  in  England,  or 
America.  The  time  of  Flying  Ghilders  is  merely  tradi¬ 
tional,  and  regarded  by  modern  racers  as  a  myth.  Lex¬ 
ington  was  by  Boston,  an  American  ;  his  dam  by  Tarpe- 
don,  an  English  horse.  Boston  and  Tarpedon  were  of 
distinct  strains  ;  the  one  the  grandson  of  Sir  Archie,  the 
best  American  ;  the  other  the  son  of  Emilius,  the  best 
English  stallion  of  his  day. 

S-— Mr.  Duke  concludes  by  sustaining  generally  my 
theory,  abating  somewhat  its  stringency  as  you  descend 
in  the  animal  scale  of  intellectual  and  muscular  action. 

h.— Landers  D.  Bruce,  Esq.,  Secretary  of  the  Ivy.  Trot¬ 
ting  Association,  who  is  about  getting  up  an  American 
stud  book  (for  w  hich  he  is  deemed  highly  competent)  sus¬ 
tains  my  theory  with  regard  to  the  race  horse  to  the  ful¬ 
lest  extent  ;  giving  many  special  examples  of  entire  fail¬ 
ures  of  the  best  racers  by  “  close  ”  breeding  !  Time  will 
not  allow  me  to  introduce  them. 

2.  Analogy :  Man.  a.— The  Jews  were  not  only  “  war¬ 
like  ’’requiring  “great  bodily  health  and  energy  in  action,’’ 
(which  so  far  is  giving  up  the  argument  as  drawn  from 
Jewish  history,  in  rny  favor)  but  highly  observant  of  na¬ 
tural  and  psychological  and  physical  laws.  Their  theory 
and  destiny  are  on  my  side.  I  hold  that  it  is  unphilosoph- 
ical  to  go  back  to  the  mythical  times  of  “  Adam  and 
Eve  ”  in  these  discussions,  and  leave  my  opponent 
in  full  possession  of  all  that  field,  as  I  propose  to  discuss 
a  practical  common  sense  subject,  with  practical  common 
sense  men. 

b—  I  deny  the  statements  as  regards  the  Greeks  and  Ro¬ 
mans  generally,  and  call  for  the  data.  Great  excesses  were 
committed  in  various  ways  among  the  G leeks  and  Ro¬ 
mans  in  their  semi-Barbaric  State,  as  well  as  in  their  cor¬ 
rupt  decline  :  but  the  best  specimens  of  both  races  were 
clear  in  thought  and  deed  of  the  imputations  of  my  oppo¬ 
nent. 

c. —  In  the  case  supposed  of  “  close  ”  marriage,  I  am 
not  willing  to  admit  the  conclusion.  And  whilst  all  Ihe 
effects  of  a  good  law  are  not  at  once  lost,  nor  all  the 
effects  of  a  bad  law  (or  rather  abused  law),  at 
once  visible,  it  does  not  prove  them  therefore  to  be  dis¬ 
regarded  as  a  general  rule.  Besides  it  is  simply  a  “  petitio 
principii”  which  is  worth  nothing. 

d.  — “  Brains  ”  I  agree  are  “  desirable,”  but  close  breed¬ 
ing  is  not  the  way  to  get  them,  as  I  will  show  presently. 
The  example  of  Georgia  is  not  conclusive  :  but  so  far  as 
authority  goes,  is  certainly  worthy  of  respectful  consider¬ 
ation  ;  and  so  far  as  the  observation  of  men  can  determine 
a  law  of  nature,  as  testimony,  is  certainly  cumulative  in 
my  favor.  That  cousins  may  come  over  the  line  and  mar¬ 
ry  with  impunity  !  certainly  does  not  prove  the  Georgians 
the  less  “  Solomons  ”  in  their  action.  The  same  objec¬ 
tion  might  be  urged  against  legal  adultery  or  even  mar¬ 
riage  itself!  which  is  a  clear  case  of  “  reduclio  ad  ab- 
surdum”  against  my  opponent.  A  great  many  men  have 
married  cousins,  and  many  more  propose  to  do  so,  which 
brings  a  strong  force  against  legislation  cn  this  subject, 
and  when  in  the  face  of  the  natural  vis  inertia:  of  legis¬ 
lative  reform  and  these  powerful  interests,  such  acts  are 
passed  in  intelligent  communities,  and  projected  in  olh- 

I  ers,  the  sneers  of  even  “  A  Cattle  Breeder,”  (whose  atn) 


r AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


138 


itics  I  certainly  do  not  despise)  will  not  fail  to  have  due 
weight  with  sensible  men. 

e.—l  repeat,  that  outside  of  mental  and  sentimental 
phenomena,  man  is  governed  by  the  same  physical  laws 
as  other  animals.  This  is  not  an  unmeaning  dictum,  as 
my  opponent  would  intimate.  I  don’t  use  that  sort  of 
filling  up  ;  nor  will  such  practice  go  unobserved  in  others  ! 
If  he  grants  that  “  make  men  savages  then  they  are 
like  other  brutes,”  then  he  yields  ail  that  I  ask  from  the 
argument'of  “  analogy  although  in  paragraph  2nd,  (2  a.) 
lie  asserts  the  contrary  !  Let  me  explain  a  little  :  give  an 
ox  sufficient  food,  and  he  will  fatten  ;  give  a  man  any 
quantity  of  food,  and  he  remains  the  same.  Whyl  Be¬ 
cause  his  mind  is  over  active,  his  sentiments  are  engaged, 
he  is  speculating,  he  is  in  love  !  But  let  his  mind  become 
inert.and  his  sentiments  stagnant  (all  possible!)  and  he  will 
fatten  also!  The  physical  law  is,  nevertheless,  the  same  In 
man  and  animals  because  of  the  “  mental  and  sentimental 
phenomena,”  but  only  obstructed,  retarded,  or  deranged 
by  them !  Indeed  the  same  phenomena  “  mental  and 
•physical,”  are  common  to  man  and  the  lower  animals  : 
though  the  mental  are  more  faint  in  brutes.  Remove  the 
ox  from  his  accustomed  mates,  and  he  will  not  take  on 
fat  so  well,  or  at  all,  for  a  time  ;  here  his  sentiments  con¬ 
trol  the  natural  law.  So  the  cow  when  separated  from 
her  calf  ceases  for  a  while  to  yield  her  usual  milk. 
It  can  be  proved  by  dissection  that  a  dog  when  fed,  and 
put  upon  a  hunt,  does  not  digest  his  food  in  the  usual  time. 
Here  the  mental  law  simply  controls  the  physical. 

If  “close”  marriages  were  forbidden  on  account  of 
“mental  and  sentimental  phenomena”  only,  then  in  the 
case  supposed  (2.  c.)  the  issue  would  be  the  same  as  if 
“  wide  ”  breeding  was  practised  ;  but  as  in  addition  to 
the  “  mental  and  sentimenlal  phenomena,”  the  simply 
physical  law  is  violated,  I  should  look  for  (what  experi¬ 
ence  proves)  a  malformed  issue  ! 

f.  — The  Georges.  I  always  thought  the  Georges  were 
rather  poor  specimens  of  breeding:  if  my  opponent  likes 
the  result  he  will  advise  others  to  follow  the  example  ; 

I  do  neither  !  I  shall  not  forget  that  Victoria  is  not  only 
a  queen  but  a  w  oman  ;  and  I  shall  say  no  more  of  her 
than  to  join  in  that  general  regard,  which  her  subjects  feel 
for  her  as  a  good  Queen  and  an  amiable  woman  !  But  it 
has  never  been  the  policy  of  the  wise  aristocracy  of  Eng¬ 
land  to  breed,  or  desire  great  sovereigns  ;  as  they  prefer 
a  puppet  to  a  real  “  King  stock  !”  So  I  confidently  claim 
English  History  as  part  of  rny  defense  ;  and  Aztec  Histo¬ 
ry  also,  especially. 

I  have  thus  noticed  at  length  the  arguments  of  my  op¬ 
ponent  against  my  dictum  of  “analogy;”  all  of  which 
fall  to  the  ground  of  themselves  !  I  shall  be  brief  in  ad¬ 
vancing  my  standard  on  this  field. 

g.  — Authority.  I  have  before  me  letters  from  some  of 
the  most  distinguished  Physicians  of  our  day  ;  I  will  in¬ 
sert  a  few  extracts  :  “  My  impressions,  made  by  all  that 
I  have  witnessed  in  life,  arc  strongly  against  the  inter¬ 
marriage  of  blood  relations.  I  may  say  that  my  aversion 
to  it  is  hereditary.  My  father  who  was  a  physician,  and 
a  close  observer  was  in  the  habit  of  mentioning  so  many 
instances  of  deterioration  of  offspring  from  such  marriages, 
in  mind  and  body,  that  I  can  not  remember  w  hen  I  did 
not  look  upon  them  as  improper.  I  have  some  experience 
of  the  ‘in-and-in  breeding’  among  domestic  animals,  and 
am  sure  that  it  is  pernicious.  *  *  *  The  puppies  of  a 
brother  and  sister  are  often  idiotic .”  He  agrees  with  Mr. 
Duke,  that  the  rule  is  less  perhaps  to  be  regarded  as  you 
descend  in  the  animal  scale  of  intelligence— and  that  in 
birds  and  fishes  it  needs  hardly  to  be  observed.  Again  : 

“  i  look  for  degeneracy  in  the  children  of  first  cousins 
married  :  I  certainly  have  met  with  examples  enough  to 
iteep  up  the  apprehension  all  my  life.”  He  also,  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  approves  of  the  Catholic 
rule  against  cousins  marrying,  as  more  rational  than  the 
Presbyterian  one  against  the  marrying  of  sisters-in-law, 
etc.  That  is  to  say,  the  physical  law  forbids,  in  the  first 
case:  and  the  “  sentimental”  only,  if  at  all,  in  the  last! 
Another  distinguished  Physician  after  confirming  my  dic¬ 
tum,  says  :  “At  the  last  session  of  the  Association  of 
the  superintendents  of  the  American  Institulions  for  the 
Insane,  this  subject  was  elaborately  discussed  ;  and  there 
was  no  difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to  the  physical  de¬ 
fects  that  resulted  from  the  practice  of  breeding  “  in-and 
-in  ”  so  far  as  the  Ilumar.  family  is  concerned.  Idiocy, 
diminished  size,  deformity,  defect  of  the  senses  ( ceteris 
paribus,)  are  infinitely  more  likely  to  occur  in  the  progeny 
of  blood  relations  than  in  the  issue  of  persons  of  dissimi¬ 
lar  blood.”  And  in  this  he  is  sustained  by  Chapin  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Institute  .of  the  Blind.  I  have  by  me  elab¬ 
orate  facts. 

But  the  “Report  on  influence  of  marriages  of  consan¬ 
guinity  upon  offspring  ;  by  S.  M.  Bemiss,  M.  D.,  (extracted 
from  the  transactions  of  the  American  Medical  Associa¬ 
tion)  Plrila.,  1858,”  is  conclusive  upon  this  subject.  Here 
are  833  cases  of  marriages  of  consanguinity,  classified  so 
as  to  show  the  results  ;  and  125  cases  of  non-relationship 
also  :  which  last  being  negative  and  limited,  is  not  of  so 
much  worth.  The  tables  occupy  109  pages,  and  are  diffi¬ 


cult  to  condense  ,  but  I  will  state  generally,  that  of  the 
incestuous  intercourse  between  brother  and  sister  (class  a. ) 
father  and  child,  in  55  reported  cases  of  marriage  or  inter¬ 
course,  there  were  only  31  children  !  and  of  these  29  were 
“defective!”  (class  i.)  Marriages  between  uncle,  aunt 
and  nephew,  78  cases  show  51  children!  “Defective” 
40  !  The  tables  of  kindred  more  remote  are  too  volumi¬ 
nous  to  condense:  but  there  is  a  summary  (Table  2)  which 
shows  that  of  200  families  there  were  1,375  children:  267 
“defective:”  92  “deaf  and  dumb;”  23  “blind:”  137 
“idiotic:”  17  “insane!”  That,  is  to  say,  out  of  1,375 
children  of  parents  of  “  close  ”  breeding  there  were  536 
abnormals  !  Whilst  out  of  125  cases  of  not  “  near  of  kin  ” 
there  were  837  children,  18  “defective  :”  3  “deaf  and 
dumb:”  1  “blind:”  G“ idiots:”  1  “insane!”  That  is  to 
say  29  abnormals  only  !  out  of  833  children  !  Thus  40.3 
per  cent  of  the  children  of  “close”  breeding  were  ab¬ 
normal;  and  only  14.91  per  cent  of  the  children  of  “wide” 
breeding  abnormal  !  The  positive  proof  here  is  over¬ 
whelming;  the  negative  proof  I  think  is  about  fully  up 
to  common  observation  ;  but  requires  the  full  statistics  of 
the  nation  or  nations  to  put  it  beyond  cavil. 

I  think  I  may  safely  rest  my  case,  of  “analogy  ”  from 
“  man,”  with  my  readers. 

3.  Experience. — “  A  Cattle  Breeder’s  ”  comments  upon 
“  Experience  ”  as  laid  down  by  me,  is  decidedly  “  Pick¬ 
wickian  !”  I  call  the  attention  of  my  readers  to  it  as  a 
polemical  curiosity  ! 

4.  Special  Proof. — The  question  with  regard  to  the 
“  Campbell  ”  hogs  is  pertinent.  They  excelled  in  weight ; 
of  good  average  neatness  and  maturity.  They  could  have 
been  improved  by  more  compactness,  and  facility  of  fat¬ 
tening  which  generally  follows  that  form;  but  then  the 
fault  was  not  in  wide  selection,  but  in  bad  selection  !  They 
certainly  displayed  none  of  the  effects  which  I  attribute 
to  close  breeding. 

5.  False  Proof.— My  opponents  objections  are  fully  an¬ 
swered  in  a  previous  paragraph  (1  a.  b.  c.  etc.).  It  is  true 
the  “  stud  book  breeders  ”  have  not  changed  their  practice 
“  yesterday,  last  year,”  nor  for  “  a  long  time  ago  !”  But 
I  overlook  my  opponents  “  close  sailing  ”  inconsequence 
of  his  compliment  to  “  Old  Kentucky  !”  So  much  for 
“A  Cattle  Breeder’s”  No.  2! 

White  Hall  P.  O.,  Madison  Co.,  Ky  ,  April,  ’59. 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 


Hints  on  Preparing  “Garden  Truck’’  and 
other  Country  Produce  for  Market  —  I. 

BY  B.  STEPHENS - WASHINGTON  MARKET,  N.  Y. 


[According  to  our  own  observations,  a  very  large 
amount  in  the  aggregate  of  vegetables  and  other  farm  pro¬ 
duce  brought  to  this  market  is  lost,  or  sold  at  less  than 
half  price,  simply  because  ignorantly  or  carelessly  put  up 
or  handled.  We  doubt  not  the  same  is  the  case  else¬ 
where,  though  we  think  there  is  less  loss  from  this  cause 
in  Philadelphia,  and  perhaps  one  or  two  others  of  the 
various  markets  we  have  visited.  Regular  gardeners,  or 
those  who  make  a  business  of  marketing  vegetables,  soon 
learn  what  is  necessary ;  the  loss  is  generally  experi¬ 
enced  by  those,  who  only  occasionally  send  in  some  spe¬ 
cial  erop,  or  a  chance  surplus  of  anything  grown  in  ex¬ 
cess.  We  purpose  therefore  to  give,  from  time  to  time, 
some  specific  directions  for  putting  up  various  articles. 
These  are  prepared  by  a  gentleman  long  conversant  with 
maiket  operations.  These  articles  are  not  “  ax-grind- 
ers”  or  advertisements  ;  no  one  will  find  in  Washington 
Market  any  dealer  by  the  name  of  “  B.  Stephens ’’—this 
is  merely  a  nom  de  plume  which  the  writer  has  taken  a 
fancy  to  assume  and  write  under. — Ed.) 

Asparagus. — This  should  be  cut  as  long  as  pos¬ 
sible,  by  running  the  knife  down  in  the  ground  by 
the  side  of  the  sprout,  taking  care  not  to  injure 
roots.  Wash  in  clean  water,  and  tie  in  bunches 
of  5  to  6  inches  in  diameter.  Tie  lightly  with  strips 
of  bass  matting,  which  are  the  cheapest  and  best 
material.  A  strap  should  be  used  to  compress  the 
bunches  in  tying.  Two  ties  are  needed,  one  near 
the  butts,  and  the  other  about  two  inches  from 
the  tops.  Keep  the  tops  even,  and  throw  out  all 
small  and  crooked  sprouts,  which  may  be  put  up  for 
second  quality.  Set  them  in  a  cool,  shady  place, 
until  ready  to  send  to  market.  Just  before  pack¬ 
ing,  cut  the  butts  off  even,  with  a  large  knife. 
Use  slat  crates  for  transporting  them,  to  give  air. 
Put  around  and  between  the  bunches  plenty  of 
fresh  meadow  grass,  previously  watered.  Never 
sprinkle  water  over  the  bunches,  as  it  will  turn 
the  plants  rusty.  If  kept  over  night  after  cutting, 


stand  it  butt  down  on  clean  grass  or  hay,  which 
has  been  made  thoroughly  wet. 

Rhubarb  or  Pie  Plant. — Tie  in  bunches  of 
seven  or  nine  stalks,  with  bass  matting,  keeping 
the  butts  all  even,  and  cut  the  tops  off  square, 
leaving  on  about  three  inches  of  the  leaf.  Tie 
with  three  bands,  and  pack  the  same  as  aspa¬ 
ragus. 

Spinach,  Sprouts  are  sent  to  market  in  bar¬ 
rels,  well  aired  by  boring  full  of  holes.  They 
should  be  covered  with  muslin  or  coarse  cloth. 
Wash  the  sprouts  clean  before  packing. 

Early  White  Turnips.— Pull  and  trim  the  lap 
root  off,  and  thoroughly  wash  in  clean  water, 
being  careful  not  to  bruise  either  top  or  bottom, 
as  this  would  cause  the  top  to  ferment,  ar.d  tho 
bottom  to  turn  black.  Tie  in  bunches  of  seven, 
putting  the  largest  one  in  the  middle.  Use  bass 
for  ties.  Keep  in  a  cool,  shady  place,  as  it  injures 
the  sale  very  much  if  they  are  wilted.  The  best 
kind  is  the  early  red  top  strap-leaved.  The  red 
top  looks  best  after  handling,  and  the  small  top 
will  bunch  easier,  hold  less  water  and  sap,  and  is 
less  liable  to  ferment  when  bruised  ;  consequent¬ 
ly  they  are  in  more  demand  for  shipping.  Tur¬ 
nips,  beets,  parsnips,  and  cabbages  arc  generally 
sold  at  wholesale  13  for  the  dozen,  or  104  for  100. 

Rut  a  Bagas  when  raised  early,  are  bunched 
the  same  as  white  ones,  but  the  best  way  with 
them  is  to  cut  the  tops  off,  and  send  in  barrels 

Early  Beets,  Parsneps,  and  Carrots  are 
worked  and  bunched  like  turnips. 

Green  Corn  should  be  selected  with  care,  and 
be  cut  so  as  to  leave  all  the  husks  on.  Put  up 
in  gunny  bags,  adding  five  to  each  hundred  for 
“  tallies.”  Keep  in  the  shade,  and  where  it  can 
have  plenty  of  air,  as  it  will  heat  very  easily. 

New  Potatoes  should  be  put  in  barrels,  and 
covered  with  coarse  cloth,  the  barrels  to  he  cut 
or  bored  at  the  sides  to  admit  air.  It  is  advisable 
to  sort  the  potatoes,  so  as  to  make  large  ones 
seconds,  and  culls.  Fill  the  barrels  so  that  thev 
will  be  full  when  they  get  to  market.  Be  sure 
they  do  not  get  sun-burnt  after  digging,  as  it  will 
spoil  the  whole  of  them. 

Tomatoes  are  best  sent  in  crates  about  6  inches 
high,  and  broad  and  long  enough  to  hold  a  bushel. 
Put  in  none  that  are  bruised  or  over-ripe,  as  they 
will  spoil  the  rest.  If  baskets  are  used,  let  them 
hold  a  bushel,  and  be  made  stout  so  that  they  will 
not  yield  to  pressure  in  handling,  and  mash  the 
tomatoes. 

Cucumbers  are  to  be  sorted,  making  primes  and 
seconds.  Put  up  in  baskets  or  barrels,  105  for  a 
hundred.  [This  adding  a  small  number  above 
the  actual  count,  in  putting  up  green-corn,  cu¬ 
cumbers,  etc.,  is  customary  in  the  New-York 
market,  and  is  expected  by  dealers.  It  is  equiva¬ 
lent  to  the  “Baker’s  Dozen,”  and  is  designed, 
we  suppose,  to  allow  the  retailer  a  chance  to 
throw  out  an  occasional  broken  or  defective  spe¬ 
cimen  objected  to  by  the  purchaser.— Ed.] 

Green  Beans  and  Peas  are  sent  in  barrels, 
baskets,  etc.  Be  sure  to  give  plenty  of  air. 

( To  be  Continued.) 


Consolatory. — A  Scotchman  having  lodged  at 
an  inn,  was  asked  in  the  morning  how  he  had 
slept.  “  Not  very  good,”  he  replied,  “  but  I  was 
better  off  than  the  bugs,  for  not  one  of  them 
stopped  to  close  an  eye  during  the  whole  night.” 

A  young  man  at  Niagara  having  been  crossed  in 
love,  walked  out  to  the  precipice,  gave  one  ling¬ 
ering  look  at  the  gulf  beneath  him,  and  then  went 
home.  His  body  was  found  next  morning — in  bed. 
A  very  sensible  young  man,  we  think.  Ed. 


134 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


The  Rev/  Onions. 


Of  the  new  onions,  the  seed  of  which  we  im¬ 
ported  and  introduced  among  our  subscribers  late 
Inst  season,  Mr.  A.  Newberry,  of  Southeastern 
Tennessee,  tints  writes  in  a  recent  letter  :  “  I  can 
not  speak  in  too  high  terms  of  the  new  onions,  the 
seed  of  which  you  sent  me  as  a  premium  last 
season — I  mean  the  Improved  yellow  flat  onion 
(No.  53),  the  Improved  Brown  Globe  Onion  (No.  54), 
and  the  Improved  White  Globe  Onion  (No.  55).  I 
have  never  seen  or  tasted  anything  equal  or  near 
equal  to  them,  excepting  the  “  Portugal  Onion,” 
the  flavor  of  which  they  greatly  resemble.  I  can 
scarcely  decide  which  of  the  three  is  the  best — 
if  I  have  any  preference  it  is  for  the  White 
Globe  (No.  55).” 

[Many  similar  reports  at  an  earlier  date  led  us 
to  import  a  large  amount  of  seed  of  the  last  named 
(No.  55)  much  of  which  has  been  distributed,  and 
we  have  a  little  still  left  which  is  now  offered  in 
our  premium  seed  list. — Ed.] 


The  Culture  of  Field  Squashes  and  Pump¬ 
kins— The  Hubbard  Squash. 

The  yield  of  squashes,  as  well  as  pumpkins,  is 
bo  large,  the  culture  so  easy,  and  the  feeding  and 
market  value  so  high,  especially  for  good  squash¬ 
es,  that  it  is  almost  surprising  to  find  so  little  at¬ 
tention  given  to  this  subject.  The  New-York 
City  market  is  generally  pretty  well  supplied,  but 
this  is  seldom  the  case  in  most  other  cities  and 
country  villages,  so  far  as  we  have  observed.  In 
this  city  we  have  seldom  seen  a  large  surplus, 
especially  of  squashes,  or,  unremunerating  prices. 
They  almost  always  bring  near  $20  a  ton,  we  be¬ 
lieve.  We  have  known  them  raised  very  profita¬ 
bly,  in  the  vicinity  of  New-Haven,  Conn.,  when 
the  market  price  was  but  $10  per  ton. 

All  plants  having  so  much  vine,  as  squashes  and 
pumpkins,  require  for  their  full  development  a 
good  supply  of  organic  matter  in  the  soil.  New 
land,  abounding  in  leaf  mold  (rotten  leaves.)  is  well 
adapted  to  them.  Sod  land  is  also  good.  They 
will,  however,  do  well  on  any  good  soil,  especial¬ 
ly  if  a  free  supply  of  manure  he  added.  They  may 
be  planted  in  this  latitude  at  any  time  during  May. 
The  largest  yield  of  pumpkins  we  ever  saw,  was 
in  a  corn-field,  on  new  land,  where  the  seeds  were 
merely  stuck  down  by  the  side  of  every  third  hill 
in  every  third  row,  after  the  second  hoeing  in  the 
fore  part  of  June.  This  is  too  late  for  squashes, 
and  usually  for  pumpkins. 

We  have  a  lengthy  communication  from  James 
J.  H.  Gregory,  Essex  Co.,  Mass.,  on  the  culture 
of  the  squash — particularly  the  “Hubbard”  va¬ 
riety,  from  which  we  condense  the  following  . 

«  The  suggestions  I  send  you  are  from  an  ex¬ 
perience  of  some  fifteen  years  with  the  Hubbard. 
Any  person  who  has  been  successful  with  the  Au¬ 
tumnal  Marrow  Squash,  will  find  no  difficulty 
,vith  the  Hubbard.  The  latter  is  a  more  vigorous 
grower  than  the  Marrow,  and  the  hills  should  be 
about  two  feet  further  apart  each  way.  Those 
experienced  in  squash  cultivation  know  that  a 
liberal  application  of  manure  is  essential  to  suc¬ 
cess — six  to  ten  cords  to  the  acre  of  rich  compost 
are  often  needed.  The  Hubbard  requires  quite  as 
much  as  the  Marrow,  and  cannot  be  cheated  in 
nil  is  respect,  or  an  insignificant  yield  may  be  look¬ 
ed  for.  With  high  culture  its  yield  sometimes 
surpasses  anything  I  have  seen  recorded  of  the 
Marrow.  For  example,  one  of  my  neighbors  once 
raised  700  pounds  from  five  hills.  Last  season, 
Hiram  Plummer,  of  South  Danvers,  gathered 
over  1,400  pounds  from  eleven  hills,  on  land  that 
had  been  well  manured  and  trenched  for  pear 


trees.  But  let  no  one  look  for  any  such  yield  with 
ordinary  culture,  or  he  will  be  disappointed. 

In  preparing  the  ground  for  squashes,  let  a  good 
share  of  the  manure  applied,  be  distributed  broad¬ 
cast  over  the  surface,  and  plowed  in  to  furnish 
food  for  the  main  roots  of  the  vines  which  branch 
out  in  all  directions,  as  well  as  for  the  rootlets 
which  strike  into  the  soil  from  the  main  runners 
below  the  footstalks  of  the  leaves.  Those  who 
have  cultivated  the  best  varieties  of  the  pumpkin, 
must  expect  to  find  the  squash  a  more  tender 
plant,  beset  with  more  enemies  and  less  able  to 
withstand  their  ravages.  The  common  striped  bug 
must  be  anticipated  by  sprinkling  the  leaves  of  the 
young  vines,  as  soon  as  they  have  fairly  broken 
ground,  with  lime  that  has  been  thoroughly  air 
slaked,  plaster,  or  some  such  preparation,  that 
will  cover  the  leaves,  for  I  believe  that  the  alka¬ 
line  properties  have  but  little  if  anything  to  do 
with  the  protection  afforded,  the  mere  covering 
of  the  leaves  being  the  end  to  be  sought.  While 
liming  the  plants  (and  they  should  be  kept  con¬ 
stantly  covered  until  the  eighth  or  tenth  leaf  is 
developed,)  look  occasionally  for  the  large  black 
bug,  for  if  destroyed  at  this  period,  when  copu¬ 
lating,  you  may  anticipate  myriads  that  would 
otherwise  appear  later  in  the  season. .  Wljen  the 
vines  have  obtained  the  eighth  or  tenth  leaf,  look 
carefully  beneath  the  leaves  and  destroy  every 
egg  you  may  then  find  deposited,  which  otherwise 
would  hatch  about  the  time  of  the  setting  of  the 
fruit — to  the  injury  of  both  vine  and  fruit. 

If  the  season  should  prove  a  wet  one,  do  not 
be  surprised  if  the  vines  should  shed  a  portion  of 
their  young  squashes  somewhere  from  the  1st  to 
the  20th  of  August;  after  which,  they  will  rally 
and  keep  vigorously  growing,  later  than  the  Mar 
row,  or  until  frost.  Though  the  crop  will  gene¬ 
rally  be  protected  by  hard  shells,  yet  handle  them 
with  care,  and  store  in  a  dry,  warm  place  as 
soon  as  possible  after  they  are  picked  from  the 
vines.  If  you  desire  a  very  dry  squash,  begin  to 
cook  as  soon  as  they  are  gathered,  but  if  you 
would  prefer  one  less  dry,  but  sweeter  and  rich¬ 
er  flavored,  do  not  commence  using  them  much 
before  the  close  of  November.” 


Raising  Potatoes. 


Shall  we  plant  small  potatoes  or  large,  whole 
potatoes  or  sets'!  Vegetable  physiology  says : 
plant  large  or  at  least  well-matured  potatoes,  and 
nothing  else.  And  this  for  the  very  good  reason 
that  the  fleshy  part  of  the  tuber  is  designed  to 
feed  the  young  plants  and  to  give  them  a  vigor¬ 
ous  start  before  they  are  compelled  to  get  their 
food  from  the  earth.  Small  potatoes,  or  an  eye 
with  only  a  small  piece  of  tuber  attached,  can 
not  afford  the  young  plants  nourishment  enough. 

Now,  so  far  as  the  vigorous  growth  of  the  plant 
is  concerned,  and  its  flowering  and  fruiting  above 
ground,  this  is  undoubtedly  true.  But  it  is  con¬ 
tended  by  many  skillful  experimenters  that  for 
the  formation  of  tubers ,  the  opposite  is  true.  Dr. 
Bindley,  a  high  authority,  is  quoted  as  saying  : 
“  I  have  proved  by  a  series  of  numerous  experi¬ 
ments,  that  the  weight  of  potatoes  per  acre  is 
greater,  under  equal  circumstances,  from  sets 
than  from  whole  tubers,  by  upwards  of  from 
seven  hundred  weight  to  three  tuns  per  acre.” 
Yet,  it  is  not  true  that  small  potatoes  are  better 
than  large  ones,  for  they  often  throw  up  numer¬ 
ous  small  succulent  shoots  which  produce  only 
small  tubers.  The  practice  now  widely  prevalent 
of  using  good,  medium-sized  potatoes,  and  cut¬ 
ting  them  into  two  or  more  pieces,  is  probably  the 
best  of  all  methods. 

It  is  stated  as  a  fact — and  if  so  it  is  instructive — 


that  the  eyes  on  the  remote  end  of  the  tuber  pro¬ 
duce  earlier  potatoes  than  those  from  the  middle, 
or  the  root  end  ;  and  that  the  difference  in  the 
time  of  their  maturing  a  crop  is  equal  to  ten  days 
or  a  fortnight.  Market  gardeners  in  England  and 
some  in  this  country  turn  this  to  account.  They 
cut  their  potatoes  into  pieces,  using  the  huds  at 
the  extremity  for  the  earliest  crop,  and  the  others 
for  a  succession. 


Deep  Planting1  and  a  Second  Crop  of  Peas- 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

Last  Spring  I  planted  some  peas  in  the  usual 
manner  with  a  hoe.  Near  by,  on  the  same  plot,  I 
plowed  a  pretty  deep  furrow  and  after  strewing 
in  the  peas  covered  them  with  the  next  furrow, 
plowed  one  without  peas  and  strewed  them  in  the 
third  furrow,  and  so  continued.  Upon  compari¬ 
son  of  the  two  plots  I  found  that  those  covered 
with  the  plow  yielded  the  most,  continued  the 
longest  in  bearing,  and  did  not  require  staking.  I 
also  found  that  where  I  had  harvested  a  crop  of 
early  peas  and  sowed  the  ground  over  with  Rus¬ 
sia  turnips,  a  second  crop  of  peas  came  up  and 
matured  among  the  turnips,  thus  suggesting  that 
after  any  early  crop  is  secured  a  late  sowing  of 
peas  may  be  put  in,  to  good  advantage. 

Portage  Co.,  O.  .  L.  Humphrey. 

Remark. — Peas  very  often  do  best  when  deep¬ 
ly  covered,  and  generally  admit  of  deeper  cover¬ 
ing  than  most  other  seeds.  We  are  unprepared, 
however,  to  say  that  as  a  general  thing  very  deep 
covering  of  this  crop  is  best. — Ed. 


Hew  Mode  of  Preparing  Ground  for 
Carrots. 

J.  A.  Haywood,  Middlesex  Co.,  Mass.,  sends  to 
the  Agriculturist  a  description  of  his  manner  of 
preparing  the  ground  for  the  cultivation  of  carrots, 
which  he  has  tried,  and  prefers  to  the  usual 
mode.  The  ground  for  the  seed-bed  is  usually 
plowed  several  times.  At  the  last  plowing  a 
“side-hill  plow  ”  is  used,  which,  of  course,  turns 
all  the  furrows  over  in  the  same  direction.  After 
every  four  or  five  furrows  are  plowed,  it  is  thor¬ 
oughly  raked,  the  raker  standing  in  the  last  fur¬ 
row,  and  drawing  all  the  loose  stones,  lumps  and 
rubbish  into  it;  when  another  strip  is  plowed  and 
raked  as  before.  By  this  method  the  necessity  of 
trampling  the  ground  is  avoided,  and  the  surface 
is  left  clean,  level,  and  light. 

■ - **>-* - — - »-o - 

Don’t  Buy  Guano  at  all. 

Unless  you  are  sure  of  getting  the  pure,  genuine 
Peruvian ,  and  that  only.  This  is  a  broad,  but 
needed  caution  now.  There  are,  perhaps,  one  or 
two  other  brands  that,  in  rare  instances,  it  might 
pay  to  buy,  but  there  are  so  many  worthless 
humbugs,  called  “guanos,”  that  the  safest  way 
for  the  mass  of  farmers  is,  to  avoid  danger  even. 
Some  of  the  poorest  “guanos”  in  market  are 
backed  up  by  the  strongest  possible  certificates, 
recommendations,  analyses,  etc.  The  Peruvian 
has  been  tried,  and  its  worth  established,  and  it 
may  be  used  profitably,  though  we  wish  even 
that  could  be  dispensed  with,  until  the  owners 
were  compelled  to  sell  it  on  more  accommoda¬ 
ting  terms.  We  owe  them  no  favors. 


Basket  Willow  for  Fences. — To  the  inquiries 
of  A.  A.  French,  La  Salle  Co.,  III.,  we  answer, 
that  we  have  little  faith  in  the  utility  of  any  spe¬ 
cies  of  willow  as  a  hedge  plant.  Being  naturally 
a  swamp  plant,  it  would  die  of  thirst  in  main- 
situations,  and  the  labor  required  to  “  whip-in’ 
the  sprouts  would  suffice  to  make  a  much  more 
durable  structure. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


135 


Movement  of  Bees  About  to  Swarm. 

We  have  received  from  a  gentleman  in  Forsyth 
Co.,  N.  C.,  a  lengthy  and  interesting  chapter  re¬ 
specting  bees  and  their  habits.  We  have  only 
room  for  the  following  extract,  appropriate  to 
the  season :  “  When  the  time  for  swarming 
arrives,  which,  with  us,  lasts  from  about  the  mid¬ 
dle  of  June  to  the  4th  of  July,  I  watch  the  insiders 
every  day,  and  if  I  discover  a  bee  in  great 
haste  work  its  way  from  comb  to  comb,  I  at  once 
suspect  that  there  is  a  swarm  pending.  These  I 
call  runners ;  they  lose  no  time,  and  are  perfectly 
heedless  of  every  obstacle.  They  press  forward 
until  they  get  out  of  my  sight.  If  this  motion 
is  repeated  by  others  in  pretty  quick  succession, 
lhnow  that  there  is  a  swarm  pending.  It  is  then 
very  interesting  to  closely  observe  these  insiders. 
The  runners  increase  in  numbers  from  time  to 
time  ;  they  at  length  succeed  in  arousing  the  at¬ 
tention  of  all  the  insiders,  and  the  entire  hive  gets 
into  apparent  confusion — to  such  a  degree  that  you 
can  scarcely  recognize  a  separate  bee.  Then  it 
is  time  to  close  your  shutter,  for  the  young  swarm 
at  once  pours  out  at  the  hole  of  the  hive.  I  do 
not,  generally,  remain  at  the  glass  during  all  this 
time  ;  but  as  soon  as  I  feel  satisfied  that  a  young 
swarm  is  forthcoming,  I  close  the  shutter,  and 
prepare  my  new  hive,  etc.  Very  often,  at  this 
state  of  things,  I  call  my  family,  and  point  out 
to  them  the  hive  that  I  expect  to  swarm ;  but, 
as  they  cannot  discover  any  movement  on  the 
outside  that  appears  to  warrant  my  assertion, 
they  jest  me,  and  say  that  I  have  given  a  false 
alarm.  But  before  they  are  yet  done  speaking, 
out  pours  the  young  swarm. 

The  conclusion  drawn  from  these  runners  is, 
that  they  either  have  been  dispatched  by  the 
queen,  to  give  notice  that  she  wishes  to  turn  out 
with  a  new  colony;  and  that  they  do  not  stop  on 
their  errand,  till  they  have  accomplished  their 
purpose,  or  they  have  taken  it  upon  themselves 
to  arouse  the  young  swarm  to  leave  the  old  hive. 
Certain  it  is,  that  it  sometimes  requires  many 
hours  to  effect  their  purpose.  Four  years  since, 
I  observed  these  runners  to  commence  their  ope¬ 
rations  about  noon;  they  labored  diligently  all 
the  afternoon,  but  could  not  effectually  arouse 
the  whole  swarm.  On  the  following  day  I  was 
necessarily  from  home,  and  on  my  return  in  the 
evening,  was  much  gratified  to  learn  that  said 
hive  had  thrown  out  a  large  swarm. 


Hiving  Bees  from  a  Chimney  or  Hollow 
Tree- 

in  answer  to  inquiries  from  correspondents  of 
the  American  Agriculturist,  as  to  the  best  way  of 
doing  this,  Mr.  Quinby  sends  the  following  : 

When  a  swarm  enters  a  chimney,  if  a  board  be 
immediately  placed  over  the  top,  they  will  clus¬ 
ter  on  the  under  side  of  it.  It  may  then  be  turned 
over,  and  a  hive  set  over  them,  which  they  will 
readily  enter,  and  they  can  be  brought  to  the 
ground.  But  if  they  have  combs  started  they  will 
not  voluntarily  leave  them,  and  if  they  are  out  of 
reach,  it  will  seldom  pay  to  dislodge  them.  There 
seems  to  be  no  other  way  but  removing  a  portion 
of  the  chimney  near  their  locality,  and  then,  quiet¬ 
ing  them  with  a  little  tobacco  smoke  while  the 
combs  are  removed.  The  combs  containing  brood 
may  be  put,  with  the  bees  on  them,  as  near  as 
possible,  in  a  natural  position,  in  a  hive  bottom 
up— the  bees  will  soon  fasten  them — when  it  may 
be  turned  over.  Unless  late  in  the  season,  but  few 
combs  containing  honey  need  to  be  put  in. 

They  are  usually  taken  from  a  tree  with  much 
less  trouble.  Bring  the  tree  to  the  ground  as 


easily  as  possible ;  blow  tobacco  smoke  among 
them  to  keep  them  quiet ;  with  an  ax  or  saw 
cut  in  each  side  of  the  bees,  and  split  out  a  por¬ 
tion  of  the  shell ;  then  remove  the  combs  as  in  the 
other  case.  Frequently  most  of  the  bees  will 
creep  away  from  the  combs  during  the  operation, 
and  form  a  cluster.  They  can  be  readily  taken 
off  with  a  tin  dipper,  and  deposited  in  the  hive 
after  all  the  rest  is  done.  They  should  stand  a 
few  hours,  that  all  the  scattered  bees  may  get  to 
the  hive ;  and  be  removed  to  the  stand  early  in 
the  morning  or  at  night 

- - -aKgM—  - 

Feeding  Working  Cattle  in  Spring. 

To  the  Editor  of  ilie  American  Agriculturist : 

I  have  a  way  of  feeding  cattle  when  they  first 
begin  to  work  in  the  Spring,  which  seems  to  agree 
with  them,  and  so  of  course  it  suits  me.  They 
need  grain  when  they  are  put  to  hard  work,  as 
much  as  a  farmer  needs  pork  or  beef,  and  if  they 
don’t  get  it,  then  you  don't  get  the  work  they 
might  do  if  they  were  treated  r  '.sonably.  But  I 
find  my  cattle  appear  to  feel  a  good  deal  as  1  do 
when  warm  weather  comes  on.  Meat  and  hearty 
food  don’t  seem  to  relish  without  something 
green  along  with  it.  Pork  and  potatoes  will  do 
for  a  “  stand-by,”  but  I’m  always  in  a  great  hurry 
for  spinage  or  some  garden  “  sass  ”  to  help  along 
with,  and  if  I  can’t  get  it,  my  food  makes  me 
dumpish  and  stupid.  I  think  it  is  a  good  deal  so 
with  the  cattle.  They’ll  eat  the  corn  or  meal, 
but  it  don’t  seem  to  be  exactly  the  thing  for  warm 
weather,  and  I’ve  noticed  that  after  eating  plenty 
of  it,  they  acted  in  the  afternoon  just  as  I  felt 
when  I  had  nothing  but  hearty  food  for  dinner. 
So  I  have,  for  some  years  past,  given  them  a  good 
mess  of  potatoes,  cut  up  small,  to  eat  with  their 
meal.  They  appear  to  relish  it  well,  and  I  think 
it-  keeps  their  blood  cool,  and  makes  them  more 
cheerful  and  active  before  the  plough. 

Jonathan. 


Crop  and  Fruit  Prospects  in  Maryland. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

The  Spring  has  been  uncommonly  propitious 
to  wheat.  It  escaped  the  very  frequent  injury  of 
being  thrown  out  and  root  killed  by  Spring  freez¬ 
ing  and  thawing,  and  the  warm,  wet  weather 
has  pushed  the  young  plants  forward  so  rapidly 
as  to  bid  defiance  to  the  fly.  A  week  ago  we 
began  to  fear  that  the  growth  of  the  straw  would 
be  too  rapid,  but  happily,  a  cold  northwesterly 
wind  set  in,  and  blew  for  a  week,  chilling  the 
air  to  the  freezing  point,  and  thoroughly  drying 
the  surface  of  the  ground.  No  change  could 
have  been  more  desirable  for  the  advantage  of 
wheat.  To-day  we  have  a  southerly  wind,  with 
rain,  but  the  thermometer  stands  only  at  42°. 
This  is  grand  weather;  and  there  seems  to  be 
good  reason  to  hope  that  the  Goon  Being  intends 
to  give  us  a  bountiful  crop,  which  we  much  need 
here.  Our  fear  now  is,  of  the  red  weevil.  I  do 
not  know  whether  you  have  this  pest  in  Nevv- 
York,  as  well  as  Midge  and  Canada  Thistle,  but 
last  year  it  destroyed  most  of  the  wheat  in  this 
neighborhood.  Fortunately,  the  sphere  of  opera¬ 
tion  of  this  destroyer  is  not  large. 

We  have  great  promise  of  fruit.  The  peach 
trees  are  in  blossom,  but  the  fruit  does  not  ap¬ 
pear  to  have  been  injured  by  the  recent  cold. 
Though  it  is  not  true  that  dry  cold  will  not  kill 
blossoms,  it  requires  a  very  severe  degree  of  it  to 
do  so.  Snow  and  sleet  are  the  common  destroy¬ 
ers.  Should  I  have  such  peaches  as  I  had  last 
year,  it  would  be  worth  your  while  to  come  from 
New-York  to  partake  of  them.  Some  beautiful 


late  Crawfords,  that  measured  eleven  inches  and 
a  half  in  circumference,  and  almost  bursted  with 
their  syrupy  juice,  would  have  made  fine  pictures 
for  the  Agriculturist.  This  variety,  however,  is 
a  shy  bearer,  and  most  of  the  peaches  rot  before 
maturity.  They  are  invaluable  for  a  family,  but 
scarcely  worth  raising  for  market.  They  may  do 
better  elsewhere. 

Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  peach  tree  that  bore 
three  several  kinds  of  peaches  in  a  year,  one  crop 
coming  to  maturity  after  another  1  Maryland. 

Falston,  Harford  Co.,  Md.,  April  11,  1859. 

[We  do  not  remember  to  have  heard  of  triple¬ 
crop  peach  trees,  but  in  our  last  volume  we  pub¬ 
lished  well-authenticated  accounts  of  apple  trees 
which  disported  themselves  in  this  way.  Our 
brother  Editor  will  accept  our  thanks  for  his  kind 
invitation  to  come  and  see,  and,  of  course,  eat, 
some  of  those  peaches  at  his  farm  retreat.  The 
spirit  (and  appetite)  will  be  willing,  at  least. — Ed.] 

* - **»-< - — ana— - ►— cs - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Early  and  Late  Seasons— The  Present 
Season. 

Nothing  is  more  common  than  to  hear  people 
observe,  “  this  season  is  one,  two,  or  three  weeks 
later  than  usual ;”  or,  it  is  “  one,  two,  or  three 
weeks  more  forward  than  I  ever  knew  it.”  But 
ask  them  for  the  data  on  which  they  make  these 
assertions,  and  you  will  generally  find  that  they 
have  none  to  give — it  is  mere  guess,  or  a  matter 
of  feeling  on  their  part. 

In  order  to  ascertain  whether  a  season  is  earlier 
or  later,  the  same  plants,  shrubs,  trees,  &c.,  in  the 
same  localities  and  under  the  same  circumstances, 
should  be  observed  from  year  to  year,  otherwise 
the  observations  made  will  be  very  inaccurate. 
For  example  :  April  3d,  this  year,  I  noticed  a 
horse-chestnut  just  beginning  to  burst  its  leaf  buds. 
On  the  14th  some  of  its  leaves  were  about  three 
inches  long.  Yet  other  horse-chestnuts,  standing 
not  over  30  to  100  feet  from  this  tree,  on  the  same 
kind  of  soil,  and  with  the  same  exposure,  are  from 
one  to  two  weeks  later  in  leafing  out.  Now,  had 
my  observations  been  based  one  year  on  the  ear¬ 
liest  leafing  tree,  and  the  second  year  on  the  latest, 
I  should  have  said  the  latter  season  was  two 
weeks  later  than  the  former,  although  the  seasons 
were  really  exactly  the  same. 

Again:  certain  trees  will  be  one  or  two  weeks 
earlier  in  leafing  or  blooming,  in  two  different 
seasons,  while  other  trees  may  be  later,  merely 
showing,  that  although  the  first  part  of  the  Spring 
was  more  advanced  than  usual,  the  middle  part 
of  it  was  not,  and  the  close  of  it  was  even  later  ! 
This  is  the  case,  in  some  respects,  this  year.  I 
observed  the  crocus  in  full  bloom  on  the  6th 
March  ;  the  syringa  and  other  early  shrubs  began 
to  leaf  on  the  11th,  and  the  weeping  willow  on 
the  17th.  In  the  Spring  of  1853,  the  willow  be¬ 
gan  to  leaf  on  the  24th  March,  and  in  1858  on  the 
30th,  and  yet  in  these  years  my  peach  trees  came 
into  bloom  on  the  17th  of  April,  while  on  this 
day  of  writing  (the  18th),  not  a  single  bloom 
can  I  find  on  a  tree,  nor  is  there  any  appearance 
that  any  will  be  out  for  five  or  seven  days  yet  to 
come,  although  the  early  shrubs  and  willows  are 
seven  days  earlier  in  leafing  than  they  were  in 
1853,  and  thirteen  days  earlier  than  last  year. 
The  apricot  is  three  days  later  this  year  than  last 
in  bursting  its  first  blossoms,  but  the  full  bloom 
of  the  trees  is  about  the  same  time  respectively. 

I  might  mention  a  greater  difference  in  some 
other  shrubs  and  trees,  in  different  seasons;  but 
the  above  is  sufficient  to  show  the  importance  of 
looking  at  the  same  things  from  year  to  year,  in  the 
same  locality,  if  one  would  make  reliable  compari¬ 
sons.  Wherr  living  at  Kingsbridge,  just  north  of 


136 


AMEK1CAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  148. 


the  city,  I  noticed  a  large  gooseberry  bush  would 
leaf  out  about  the  same  time  in  the  Spring,  from 
year  to  year.  It  grew  out  of  the  foot  of  a  neigh¬ 
boring  field  wall,  with  a  southern  exposure,  and 
was  protected  from  the  north  and  west  winds  by 
a  high  hill.  But  other  gooseberry  bushes  not  thus 
protected  would*  vary  in  leafing  out,  more  or  less, 
every  Spring.  A.  B.  Allen. 

New- York,  April  18,  1659„ 

- - 

Better  Prospects  for  Farmers- 

We  would  not  encourage  any  false  hopes,  or 
say  a  word  to  lead  farmers  or  others  to  relax  the 
strict  economy  which  has  been  impelled,  or  com¬ 
pelled  by  the  depressed  financial  condition  of  the 
country,  for  the  past  year.  Still,  we  think,  so  far 
as  we  can  observe  and  study  the  “  signs  of  the 
times,’1  from  an  advantageous  point  of  observation, 
there  is  much  to  encourage  the  hope  that  a  more 
prosperous  state  of  affairs  lies  but  a  little  way 
ahead  of  us.  The  use  we  would  now  make  of 
this  is,  to  encourage  farmers  to  a  more  extended 
and  thorough  cultivation  of  various  crops,  the  pre¬ 
sent  Spring.  The  season  bids  fair  to  be  a  favor¬ 
able  one.  Prices  of  produce  are,  in  the  main, 
higher  than  they  have  been  for  some  time  past, 
and  will  probably  increase  still  further.  Let 
every  one  make  an  effort  to  plant  or  sow  an  acre 
or  two  more  than  they  had  intended,  and  to  till 
those  crops  already  planned  for,  with  more  care. 
The  extra  produce  thus  secured  may  he  a  make¬ 
weight  to  turn  the  scale  in  favor  of  future  pros¬ 
perity. 

- ®-« - - *-.» - 

Test  the  Seed  Corn  Before  Planting. 

Oft-repeated  suggestions  for  saving  and  keep¬ 
ing  seed  corn  have  been  given  in  this  journal. 
But  whether  these  have  been  followed  or  not,  it 
is  well  to  make  a  preliminary  test  of  corn,  and  of 
all  other  seeds  which  sometimes  fail  to  vegetate. 
This  is  easily  done.  Select  from  the  mass  enough 
to  be  a  fair  sample,  and  plant  in  a  warm  situation, 
or  in  a  box  of  earth,  kept  suitably  warm  and 
moist.  An  examination  of  the  specimens,  even 
before  coming  up,  will  show  whether  they  are  in 
a  sprouting  condition.  Better  far  to  do  this,  than 
to  make  a  similar  experiment  on  a  five  or  ten 
acre  field,  and  only  learn  of  a  bad  result  when 
too  late  to  be  remedied. 


Good  Agricultural  Premiums. 

We  are  almost  daily  receiving,  from  officers 
and  committees  of  agricultural  and  horticultural 
Societies,  propositions  for  taking  large  numbers 
of  copies  of  the  American  Agriculturist,  to  be  given 
out  as  premiums  at  the  next  agricultural  Exhibi¬ 
tions.  Nearly  500  copies  will  probably  be  given  by 
a  single  Society.  We  are  pleased  with  this  fact — 
not  because  of  any  personal  advantage,  for,  as 
stated  last  year,  copies  thus  presented  are,  on  the 
whole,  unprofitable;  and  further,  we  cannot  com¬ 
pete  with  journals  got  up  at  less  cost  in  propor¬ 
tion  to  the  subscription  price.  Still,  the  practice 
is  an  excellent  one.  A  living  premium,  extend¬ 
ing  through  a  whole  year,  will  do  more  to  awaken 
and  /rcepupan  interest  in  agricultural  improve¬ 
ments,  than  any  money  or  other  premiums,  re¬ 
ceived  but  once,  can  possibly  do.  Multitudes  who 
receive  during  the  year  a  dozen  successive  num¬ 
bers  of  a  good  agricultural  periodical,  will  be  led 
to  continue  reading,  and  thinking  also.  We  say, 
then,  to  those  now  arranging  their  premium  lists 
for  next  Fall,  try  the  experiment  of  giving  out  a 
hundred  or  two  subscriptions  to  some  good  jour¬ 
nal  devoted  to  those  interests  your  Society  seeks 


to  promote.  You  will  find  them  not  only  satis¬ 
factory  to  recipients,  but  productive  of  great  good. 


Out-Door  Whitewash.— A  Better  Wanted, 


We  have  already  given  a  capital  in-door  white¬ 
wash,  but  have  sought  in  vain  to  find  one  which 
we  could  confidently  recommend  for  fences  and 
other  outside  work.  Numerous  recipes  have  gone 
the  rounds  of  the  papers,  but  each  one  seemed  to 
be  defective  as  regards  their  capability  of  with¬ 
standing  rains.  The  one  most  highly  commend¬ 
ed,  is  made  by  adding  sulphate  of  zinc  to  the  com¬ 
mon  lime  wash  ;  but  in  this,  if  the  sulphuric  acid 
leave  the  zinc  oxide  to  unite  with  the  lime,  we 
have  sulphate  of  lime  (plaster  of  paris)  formed, 
which,  though  partially  insoluble,  is  still  slightly 
so,  and  will  be  gradually  washed  off.  It  would  be 
as  well  to  use  calcined  (burned)  plaster,  at  first 
for  the  entire  wash.  After  sundry  inquiries,  we 
applied  to  Mr.  Saunders,  house  painter,  at  Flush¬ 
ing.  He  says  he  has  tried  various  recipes 
with  no  satisfaction  ;  but  after  some  experience 
with  it,  he  can,  with  considerable  confidence,  re¬ 
commend  the  following  as 

A  GOOD  OUT-DOOR  WHITEWASH. 

Take  unslaked  lime  and  put  it  into  a  bucuet 
with  about  as  much  water  as  will  be  required  in 
use.  Then  throw  in  about  half  a  pound  of  tallow 
for  a  peck  of  lime.  As  the  lime  slakes,  the 
heat  will  melt  the  tallow,  when  it  is  to  be  tho¬ 
roughly  stirred  in — the  stirring  to  be  repeated  fre¬ 
quently  during  use  if  any  grease  rises  to  the  sur¬ 
face.  No  definite  experiments  have  been  made 
to  determine  the  exact  weight  of  tallow  for  a  given 
weight  of  lime.  Impure  or  rancid  lard,  oil,  or 
other  grease,  may  be  used  instead  of  tallow. 

The  philosophy  of  the  process  is,  that  the  oily 
material  incorporated  into  the  whitewash  will 
prevent  its  Jpeing  dissolved  by  rains.  Any  further 
definite  information  respecting  this  or  other  pre¬ 
parations,  which  the  readers  of  the  American 
Agriculturist  can  present,  will  be  gladly  received. 


Water  Pipes  of  Hydraulic  Cement. 

A  dozen  or  more  inquiries,  recently  received, 
will  be  answered  by  the  following  article  which  we 
published  in  the  Agriculturist  for  May,  1856.  Mr. 
Henderson,  of  Bowling-Green,  Va.,  put  down  in 
the  Spring  of  1855,  some  600  feet  of  pipe,  11- 
inches  in  diameter,  for  the  purpose  of  conveying 
water  from  a  spring  to  the  barn-yard.  He  used 
for  the  purpose  10  barrels  of  cement,  which  cost 
$15,  or  $1  50  per  barrel,  at  the  Rockbridge  mill. 

His  method  of  constructing  the  pipe  is  as  fol¬ 
lows :  The  dry  cement  is  thoroughly  mixed  with 
an  equal  quantity  of  sharp  sand,  and  portions  of 
it  made  into  mortar,  only  as  fast  as  required  for 
use.  For  a  mould,  two  pieces  of  two-inch  plank 
are  taken,  say  four  inches  in  width,  and  six  feet 
in  length.  These  are  hollowed  out  on  one  side, 
so  that  when  placed  together,  a  hole  would  be  left 
through  the  centre.  They  are  then  put  down 
edgewise  in  the  bottom  of  the  ditch  where  the 
pipe  is  to  remain,  but  are  set  apart  three  or  four 
inches,  so  as  to  leave  a  suitable  space  for  the 
mortar  between  them.  They  are  kept  apart  by 
another  small  end-piece  of  plank,  rounded  upon  its 
two  edges  to  fit  the  hollows  in  the  two  side  pieces. 
This  forms  a  kind  of  open  trough  or  mould,  six 
feet  long  and  four  inches  deep,  having  the  ground 
for  the  bottom;  the  hollow  plank  for  the  sides, 
the  last  piece  of  pipe  formed,  for  one  end,  and 
the  small  end-piece  for  the  other. 

Through  the  centre  of  the  end-piece  a  hole  is 
bored,  of  the  size  of  the  internal  bore  of  the  pipe. 
Through  this  hole  a  round,  smooth,  wooden  rod 


is  thrust,  which  is  continued  along  the  middle  of 
the  mould,  and  into  the  hole  in  the  last  piece  of 
pipe  formed.  When  thus  arranged,  the  mortar, 
just  prepared,  is  poured  in,  and  soon  becomes 
hard.  As  soon  as  the  mortar  is  set,  the  rod  is 
drawn  out  carefully,  leaving  a  smooth  round  hole. 

The  side  pieces  are  then  taken  off,  and  moved 
along  for  another  six  feet.  These  may  be  kept 
in  place  by  the  sides  of  the  ditch,  if  it  be  of  the 
proper  width  ;  but  it  is  better  to  prepare  a  couple 
of  iron  clamps,  say  like  a  wide  plow  clevis, 
which  can  be  set  down  over  them  to  keep  them 
from  falling  outward,  and  taken  up  when  the  side 
pieces  are  to  be  moved. 

The  whole  process  is  very  simple,  and  can  be 
rapidly  performed,  and  we  should  judge,  quite 
cheaply.  As  soon  as  the  whole  pipe  is  finished, 
the  water  may  be  let  in,  but  the  pipe  should  be  al¬ 
lowed  to  harden  some  two  weeks  or  so,  before 
much  pressure  is  added. 

The  method  of  making  the  pipe  is  quite  simple 
and  cheap.  Mr.  H.  states,  that  in  his  own  town, 
ns  well  as  in  Rockbridge,  it  has  been  extensively 
used  for  several  years,  and  is  very  highly  esteem¬ 
ed.  He  has  seen  several  instances  where  water 
is  conveyed  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile,  with  a 
heavy  pressure. 


The  Grain  Bushel  Measure.* 

Its  Capacity — Mode  of  Ascertaining  the  Bushel 
Contents  of  a  Box,  and  the  Size  of  a  Box  or  Bin 
to  hold  a  given  number  of  Bushels. 

Our  grain  bushel  contains  2,150  and  42-100  cu¬ 
bic  inches,  or  nearly  37  2-3  quarts,  or  nearly  9  1-3 
gallons,  wine  measure.  The  wine  or  water  gallon 
holds  231  and  the  wine  quart  57f-  cubic  inches. 

A  cubic  foot  (or  a  box  1  foot  each  way)  con¬ 
tains  1,728  cuhic  inches.  A  bushel,  therefore, 
holds  1  cubic  foot  and  422,42  inches  over. 

A  cubic  foot  (1,728  inches,)  is  to  a  bushel  mea¬ 
sure  (2,150.42  inches,)  very  nearly  in  the  ratio  of 
45  to  56  : 

1.  To  find  the  contents  of  a  box  in  bushels. — Mul¬ 
tiply  the  length,  breadth  and  hight  together,  to  get 
the  number  of  cubic  feet  ;  multiply  the  number  of 
feet  thus  obtained,  by  45,  and  divide’  the  product 
by  56,  and  you  have  the  number  of  bushels  it  will 
contain.  ( Note — If  the  box  cannot  be  measured 
in  even  feet,  multiply  its  length,  breadth,  and 
hight  in  inches,  and  divide  by  1,728,  to  get  the 
cubic  feet.)  Example — Suppose  a  box  6  feet  long 
by  54  feet  wide,  and  4  feet  deep.  Multiplying  6,  54- 
and  4  together,  gives  132  cubic  feet.  This  multi¬ 
plied  by  45,  gives  5,940,  which,  divided  by  56, 
gives  106  and  1-1 4th  bushels. 

2.  To  find  the  size  of  a  box  needed  for  a  given 
number  of  bushels. — Multiply  the  number  of  bush¬ 
els  by  56,  and  divide  the  product  by  45,  which  will 
give  the  number  of  cubic  feet  required.  The 
length,  or  width,  or  hight  of  the  box  will  depend 
upon  the  other  two  dimensions.  Example. — In  a 
bin  8  feet  long  by  7  feet  wide,  what  hight  will  be 
required  for  420  bushels  of  grain  1  Multiply  420 
by  56,  and  dividing  the  product  by  45,  gives  5224 
as  the  number  of  cubic  feet  required.  Each  foot 
in  hight  of  the  bin  (8x7)  contains  56  cubic  feet. 
Divide  the  5224-  cubic  feet  required,  by  56  feet, 
gives  94  feet  for  hight  needed.  If  the  box  be 
94  feet  long,  and  7  feet  high,  it  would,  of  course, 
need  to  be  8  feet  wide. 


*  Our  bushel  measure  is  the  old  “  Winchester  bushel,” 
which  was  in  use  in  England  until  1826,  at  which  time  the 
Imperial  Bushel  was  introduced.  The  Winchester  Bush¬ 
el  contains  2,150.42  cubic  inches,  and  the  Imperial  Bushel 
2,218.192  inches,  so  that  32  Imperial  Bushels  very  nearly 
equal  33  Winchester  Bushels. 


May ,  1859. 


137 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


A  Dwelling  House. 

In  October  last,  (Yol.  xvii,  p. 

297,)  we  gave  the  ground  plan  of 
the  Dwelling  House  of  one  of  the 
associate  editors  of  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist.  This  has  called  out  numerous 
inquiries  from  all  parts  of  the 
country  for  further  particulars. 

Here  is  one  like  many  others. 

G.  P.,  of  Harmon,  Ohio,  writes : 

“That  plan  happens  to  be  just  the 
thing  wife  and  I  have  been  looking 
for  these  years  past.  Can  not  you 
give  us  the  elevation  1  Please  fa¬ 
vor  us  as  much  as  you  can  in  refer¬ 
ence  to  it.  It  is  the  plan,  so  far  as 
I  understand  it,  upon  which  I  wish 
to  build  next  season. . . .”  In  re¬ 
sponse  to  these  calls  we  sent  to 
the  proprietor  for  a  pencil  sketch 
and  photograph  of  the  elevation, 
which  we  have  had  engraved,  and 
present  herewith.  We  also  reintro¬ 
duce  the  ground  plan  and  descrip¬ 
tion.  The  house  as  it  now  stands, 
is  not  ■precisely  like  the  plan,  some 
few  slight  modifications  having  been  recently  in¬ 
troduced,  not  important  to  be  specified  here. 

The  picture  would  have  been  much  more  beau¬ 
tiful  could  we  have  shown  the  trees,  shrubbery, 
walks,  etc.,  in  front,  of  and  surrounding  the 
house,  but  these  would  have  obscured  the  form 
of  the  structure,  which  is  the  thing  most  desired. 
This  plan,  like  all  others  we  give,  from  time  to 
time,  is  of  course  merely  suggestive.  No  two  per¬ 
sons  would  follow  the  same  plan  in  all  the  details. 

This  house  is  in  the  Italian  order  of  architec¬ 
ture,  with  a  flat,  metallic  roof,  wide  cornices,  sup¬ 
ported  with  brackets,  etc.;  but  any  other  external 
style  may  just  as  well  be  adopted,  with  even  the 
same  internal  arrangement.  This  one  is  of  wood, 
ceiled  on  three  sides  with  boards  running  hori¬ 
zontally,  and  clap-boarded  in  the  rear.  The  part 
containing  the  parlor,  hall,  dining-room  and  bed¬ 
rooms,  is  two  stories  high ;  the  library  and  kit¬ 
chen,  are  a  story  and  a-half.  The  rooms  on  the 
first  floor  are  ten-and-a-half  feet  high  between 
joists ;  those  on  the  second  floor,  are  nine  feet. 

In  regard  to  its  cost,  we  have  already  remarked 
that  the  work  was  all  done  by  the  day,  the  bills 
were  not  added  up,  and  they  are  not  now  at  hand, 
A  rough  estimate  makes  the  cost  not  far  from 
$3,500.  The  cost  may  be  made  much  less  or 
greater  according  to  the  location  and  price  of  ma¬ 
terials,  the  kind  of  materials,  style  of  finish,  etc., 
together  with  the  profits  paid  to  contractors. 

GROUND  PLAN. 

The  veranda,  in  front,  is  nine  feet  wide,  and, 
being  furnished  with  settees,  and  sh  ded  by  honey¬ 
suckles  and  the  American  ivy,  furnishes  pleas¬ 
ant  resort  throughout  almost  every  day  in  Sum¬ 
mer.  The  hall  is  spacious,  and  opens,  through 
folding-doors,  into  a  parlor  on  one  side,  and  a  li¬ 
brary  on  the  other.  When  these  doors  are  thrown 
open,  the  view  across  the  suite  of  rooms,  from  one 
bay-window  to  the  other,  is  quite  agreeable  and 
striking.  The  wood-work  of  the  parlor  is  paint¬ 
ed  white,  and  the  walls  are  covered  with  light- 
colored  paper.  The  hall  is  oak-grained,  and  fur¬ 
nished  with  oaken  chairs  and  table,  and  stair¬ 
case.  The  library  is  finished  in  butternut-wood, 
oiled  and  varnished.  The  book-cases,  of  which 
there  are  four,  are  built  into  the  walls  on  two  op¬ 
posite  sides.  The  walls  are  painted  a  soft  pearl 
grey.  The  stair-case  in  the  hall,  is  left  open,  un¬ 
derneath,  allowing  a  free  passage  into  the  dining¬ 
room  and  back-hall. 


The  living-room  is  used  also  for  a  dining-room. 
With  piano,  sofa,  easy  chairs,  book-case  for  chil¬ 
dren,  and  engravings  on  the  walls,  it  is  made  one 
of  the  pleasantest  apartments  in  the  house.  This 
is  the  center  of  the  home.  The  bed-room  is  pro¬ 
vided  with  two  ample  closets,  numbered  1  and  2, 
and  with  a  bath-room,  number  3.  A  child’s  room 


P— Parlor,  18x20  feet. 
D—  Dining  ami  living- 
room,  14x18  feet. 
K—  Kitchen,  13x17  feet 
L— Library,  12x13  feet. 


B— Bedroom,12xl4  ft. 
A— Hall,  (front). 
bh, — Hall,  (back.) 

V — Veranda. 

W— Wood-house. 


number  4,  also  adjoins  it.  No  5  is  a  covered 
porch  for  entering  the  living-room.  No.  6,  is  a 
“  china-closet,”  on  each  side  of  the  passage  from 
the  living-room  to  the  kitchen,  which  passage  is 
inclosed  with  two  doors  to  shut  out  offensive 
odors  and  noises  from  the  kitchen.  No.  7,  is  the 
flight  of  back  chamber  stairs,  with  stairs  to  the 
cellar  beneath.  No. 
8,  is  the  pantry  and 
store-room.  Behind 
the  kitchen  is  the 
wood-house,  a  part 
of  which  is  so  ar¬ 
ranged  as  to  be  used 
for  a  kitchen  in  the 
Summer.  Every 
room  in  the  house  is 
supplied  with  a  fire¬ 
place,  to  be  used  in 
the  Spring  and  Fall. 
In  Winter,  the  house 
is  warmed  by  a  fur¬ 
nace,  and  is  ventilat¬ 
ed  by  the  fire-places 
and  by  Arnott’s 
chimney  -  valves  in 
the  chimney  breast 
near  the  ceiling. 

The  Chamber  Plan 
is  essentially  like  the 
first  story,  there  be¬ 
ing  bed-rooms  'ver 
the  parlor,  living- 
room,  and  bed-room, 
below.  These  are 
each  furnished  with 
ample  closets,  a  thing 
which  should  never 
be  overlooked.  The 
upper  hall  makes  a 
pleasant  room  for 
reading  or  sewing,  or 
for  keeping  house- 
plants  There  are 
two  sleeping  rooms, 
for  servants,  over 
the  kitchen  in  rear. 

5— Covered  Porch  to  The  Cellar  is  di- 
Living-room.  _  .  . 

6,6— China-closets.  vided  into  two  inde- 

7—  Back  stairs.  ,  . 

8—  Pantry  &  3tore-room  pendent  i  e  par 


138 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


ments,  one  for  vegetables,  fruits,  etc  ,  and  one  for 
furnace,  and  coal  or  wood  The  coal  or  wood  is 
under  the  library,  and  is  easily  thrown  in  through 
the  window. 

- - - 

Preparation  of  Ground  for  a  Country 
Residence 

In  the  March  No.  of  the  Agriculturist  (p.  80), 
we  gave  some  rules  for  “  Choosing  the  site  of  a 
house.”  A  few  words  now  on  that  lopic,  and  we 
will  speak  of  preparing  the  ground  for  planting. 

It  is  generally  recommended  to  choose  a  spot 
already  clothed  more  or  less  with  forest  trees. 
There  are  advantages,  truly,  in  having  such  a  ba¬ 
sis  for  one’s  future  operations.  Life  is  short,  and 
rt  takes  nearly  one  generation  for  some  newly 
planted  trees  to  attain  any  considerable  size. 
And  then,  it  saves  a  deal  of  trouble  to  buy  one’s 
trees  already  grown.  This  is  all  very  well,  if 
you  can  find  such  spots,  combining  also  the  other 
requisites  of  which  we  have  spoken.  But  these 
sites  are  not  often  to  be  had.  And  where  they 
are  not,  we  would  choose  one  possessing  the 
other  more  important  qualities,  and  proceed  at 
once  to  make  the  spot  all  that  skill  and  labor 
could  accomplish.  Trees  well  planted  and  cared 
for,  grow  very  much  faster  than  those  which  are 
neglected,  and  they  develope  a  higher  beauty 
than  can  be  found  in  the  tall,  naked  denizens  of 
forest.  We,  on  the  whole,  advise  lazy  folks  to 
buy  their  trees  ready  made ;  but  industrious,  en¬ 
terprising  people  will  find  greater  enjoyment  in 
selecting  and  planting  their  own,  and  watching 
their  growth  from  year  to  year.  Around  such 
trees  a  multitude  of  interesting  associations  clus¬ 
ter.  They  are  your  trees ;  you  chose  them, 
planted  and  watered  and  pruned  and  protected 
them  in  their  youth  ;  you  watched  from  year  to 
year  their  spreading  limbs  and  thickening  shade, 
until  at  length  you  come  to  leel  that  they  are  a 
part  of  your  family  ;  your  own  history  is  bound 
up  in  theirs  ;  they  share  your  affection  almost 
equally  with  the  children  of  your  household.  In¬ 
deed,  for  our  own  part,  we  should  shed  few  tears 
on  bein,r  obliged  to  build  upon  a  site  without  a 
single  tree  upon  it,  so  far  superior  do  we  consider 
the  pleasure  of  creating  an  attractive  place  of  re¬ 
sidence,  to  that  of  sitting  down  with  folded  hands 
upon  one  already  manufactured. 

But  now  to  the  subject  before  us.  If  the  land 
lying  round  the  chosen  site  for  the  house,  is  notin 
the  right  shape  for  convenience  and  beauty,  it 
must  be  graded.  But  grading  is  sometimes  un¬ 
wisely  done.  Not  every  knoll  should  be  leveled, 
not  every  hollow  should  be  filled  ;  if  left  un¬ 
touched,  they  may  add  more  life  and  variety  to 
the  scene  than  any  stroke  of  art  could  give  them. 
If  some  retired  part  of  the  proposed  pleasure 
grounds  contains  n  few  boulders  or  rocks  crop¬ 
ping  out  in  a  picturesque  manner,  by  no  means 
disturb  them,  but  rather  add  a  few  more  of  the 
same  sort,  plant  a  few  ferns  and  mosses  and  vines 
and  native  trees  among  them,  and  this  little  wild 
scene  will  heighten  the  effect  of  the  surrounding 
cultivation. 

The  ground  immediately  in  iront  of  the  house, 
and  on  the  side,  devoted  to  ornamental  purposes, 
should  be  graded  into  a  smooth  lawn.  It  should 
partake  of  the  air  of  refinement  which  prevails 
within  doors,  and  form  a  sort  of  connecting  link 
between  the  house  and  the  neighboring  grounds. 
In  grading,  it  is  very  important  to  preserve  the 
top-soil.  Instead  of  carrying  off  to  fill  up  some 
low  corner,  remove  it  carefully  aside  to  some  con¬ 
venient  spot,  until  the  sub-soil  is  plowed  and 
scraped  and  brought  into  the  required  shape  ; 


then  return  the  good  soil  to  its  proper  place  on 
the  surface. 

At  this  point,  if  not  before  grading,  examine 
the  ground  in  every  part  to  see  whether  it  needs 
draining.  If  there  are  any  wet,  springy  places, 
any  spots  covered  with  sorrel,  moss,  or  coarse, 
wiry  grasses,  there,  of  course,  ditching  is  a  ne¬ 
cessity.  You  may  plant  trees,  shrubs,  and  flow¬ 
ers  in  such  a  soil,  and  they  may  live,  but  they 
will  lead  a  miserable  existence.  Indeed,  there 
is  hardly  any  land  which  would  not  be  improved, 
as  a  residence,  by  underdraining.  A  surface  al¬ 
ways  dry  is  greatly  conducive  to  health  as  well 
as  comfort.  Indeed,  we  would  advise  thorough 
draining,  at  least  of  all  ground  near  the  dwelling, 
in  almost  if  not  in  every  case. 

Next  in  order,  comes  a  thorough  breaking  up 
of  the  soil,  by  sub-soil  plowing  or  trenching,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  size  of  the  premises.  Does  any 
one  ask,  what  need  of  all  this  trouble  I  There 
is  no  need  of  it,  unless  you  want  your  trees  to 
grow,  and  your  sward  to  hold  its  freshness 
throughout  the  heats  of  summer.  If,  however, 
you  are  so  particular  as  to  desire  this,  then  thrust 
down  your  plow-point  or  your  long  spade  into  the 
yellow  soil  with  a  strong  arm.  And  let  a  little 
manure  go  with  it,  not  so  much  for  the  sake  of 
making  the  soil  very  rich,  as  of  making  it  warm 
and  porous  to  a  considerable  depth.  If  you  ma¬ 
nure  the  ground  over  much,  it  may  produce 
coarse  and  too  luxuriant  grass  ;  if  you  enrich  only 
the  surface,  you  will  get  a  thrifty  growth  of  grass 
in  the  Spring,  but  barrenness  in  mid-summer. 
Trench  it,  and  make  it  moderately  rich  through¬ 
out  its  whole  depth,  and  you  will  get  a  fine, 
smooth  turf,  which  will  defy  the  dog-star  and  the 
severest  drouths. 

The  importance  of  this  thorough  preparation 
of  the  soil  can  hardly  be  over-estimated.  Most 
persons,  in  constructing  a  rural  home,  lay  out 
all  their  spare  money  on  their  house,  outbuild¬ 
ings,  fences,  furniture,  and  equipage  ;  leaving 
the  work  of  preparing  their  ground  for  garden¬ 
ing  purposes  until  the  last  thing;  it  is  then 
done  in  haste,  and,  of  course,  imperfectly.  The 
best  soil  is  often  scraped  off  and  covered  up, 
and  the  poor  sub-soil  is  used  for  planting  in. 
Alas,  for  the  Arcadian  scene  which  is  expected 
to  spring  up  on  that  ground  !  The  trees  and 
plants  set  out  will  not  grow,  and  the  grass 
starts  feebly  only  to  die  out  in  mid-summer. 
The  proprietor  loses  his  patience  and  cries  out : 
‘‘The  seedsman  must  have  palmed  off  worth¬ 
less  seeds  upon  me  ;  the  nurseryman  has  sold 
me  sickly  trees  ;  my  gardner  is  a  num-skull ; 
Providence  is  my  enemy  ;  horticulture  and  coun¬ 
try-life  are  a  humbug  !  ”  Now,  who  can  not 
see  that  the  fault  lay  in  his  own  careless  and 
niggardly  management  1  To  succeed  well,  he 
should  have  laid  out  at  the  beginning  a  liberal 
sum  for  preparing  his  soil  in  the  best  possible 
manner.  Then,  the  roots  of  his  trees,  vines, 
and  plants  would  have  grown  vigorously,  and 
furnished  him  a  constant  source  of  delight.  It 
is  impossible  to  improve  the  soil  properly,  after 
it  is  once  occupied  with  trees  and  plants :  the 
work  should  be  done  at  the  outset ,  and  be  thorough¬ 
ly  done.  Well,  says  a  judicious  writer:  “We 
hope  we  shall  never  again  hear  it  said,  ‘  I  will 
plant  my  trees  now,  and  improve  the  ground 
afterwards,  as  I  have  leisure.’  Would  it  not 
be  as  wise  to  say,  •  I  will  erect  my  house  now, 
and  hereafter,  when  I  have  leisure,  I  will  dig 
the  cellars  and  construct  the  foundations.'  ” 

- - - — i-o. - 

Hood  aptly  says  :  An  irritable  person  lies  like 
a  hedge-hog  rolled  up  the  wrong  way,  tormenting 
himself  with  his  own  prickles. 


Cowa  Slinking  their  Calves. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist: 

Quite  a  serious  loss  is  sustained  by  many  of 
the  farmers  in  this  town,  in  consequence  of  the 
cows  slinking  their  calves.  It  seems  to  be  a 
well  ascertained  fact  that  when  one  cow  slinks 
her  calf,  it  proves  contagious,  and  others  follow 
her  bad  example.  Can  you  Mr.  Editor,  or  any  of 
your  numerous  readers,  suggest  *  remedy  that 
will  stay  this  unnatural  propensity  and  save  the 

hard  working  farmer  from  serious  loss  1 . T 

have  just  heard  that  32  cows  in  one  dairy  have 
this  Winter,  in  quick  succession,  slunk  their 
calves.  The  owner  estimates  his  loss  at  $500. 
Blooming  Grove,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.  N. 

Remarks. — We  can  not  enlighten  our  corres¬ 
pondent  with  any  certainty  as  to  the  cause  of  these 
cow  abortions,  nor  give  any  particular  remedy 
for  them.  We  have  known  instances  before 
which  appeared  for  the  time  to  be  both  epidemic, 
and  contagious — the  contagion  being  by  sympathy. 
The  grass  on  which  they  feed,  or  the  hay  made 
of  that  grass  has  been  ascribed  as  the  cause  : 
that  is,  some  peculiar  quality  affecting  the  grass 
for  the  season.  Accident  sometimes  causes  abor¬ 
tion  in  one  cow  of  a  herd,  and  from  her  it  will  go 
through  the  herd,  with  few  exceptions.  When 
such  cases  occur,  we  know  of  no  remedy  so 
sure  as  to  scatter,  and  remove  them  to  differ¬ 
ent  farms.  In  Mr.  Flint's  new  and  valuable  work 
on  “  Milch  Cows  and  Dairy  Farming,”  we  find 
the  following  remarks  on  this  subject :  “  Cows 

are  sometimes  liable  to  slink  their  calves;  and 
this  usually  takes  place  about  the  middle  of  their 
pregnancy.  To  avoid  the  evil  consequences,  so 
far  as  possible,  they  should  be  watched  ;  and,  if  a 
cow  is  found  to  be  uneasy  and  feverish,  or  wan¬ 
dering  about  away  from  the  rest  of  the  herd,  and 
apparently  longing  for  something  she  can  not  get, 
she  ought  to  be  taken  away  from  the  others.  If 
a  cow  slink  her  calf  while  in  pasture  with  others  rhey 
will  be  liable  to  be  affected  in  the  same  way. 

In  many  cases,  physicing  will  quiet  the  cow’s 
excitement  in  the  condition  above  described,  and 
prove  of  essential  benefit.  A  dose  of  one  pound 
of  Epsom  or  Glauber’s  salts,  and  one  ounce  ot 
ginger,  mixed  in  a  pint  of  thick  gruel  should  he 
given  first,  to  be  immediately  followed  by  the 
salts,  in  a  little  thinner  gruel. 

When  a  cow  slinks  her  calf,  there  is  great  risk 
in  breeding  from  her.  She  is  liable  to  do  the 
same  again.  But  when  the  slinking  is  caused  by 
sudden  fright  or  over-exertion,  or  any  offensive 
matter,  such  as  blood  or  the  dead  carcasses  of  an¬ 
imals,  this  result  is  not  so  much  to  be  feared.” 

- - - - 

“In-and-in  Breeding.” 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

A  writer  in  the  March  number  of  your  journal 
(p.  75),  to  illustrate  a  position  in  regard  to  in-and- 
in  breeding,  makes  reference  to  Ohio  cattle  thus  : 
“For  instance,  when  the  Scioto  Valley  Cattle 
Company  brought  out  their  first  importation  of 
Shorthorns  in  1834,  among  which  were  four  or 
five  very  fine  animals,  strongly  in-bred  with  Mr. 
Bates’  celebrated  Duchess  blood,  would  not  that 
Company  have  done  better  to  have  bred  that 
blood  closely  in-and-in  for  a  while,  the  bulls  and 
cows  together,  instead  of  crossing  their  cows, 
which  possessed  it,  with  the  coarser  and  less  high¬ 
ly  bred  bulls,  they  bought  of  Whitaker  and  others." 

Without  intending  to  interfere  with  the  argu¬ 
ment  of  the  writer,  I  beg  respectfully  to  ask  him 
to  reconsider  what  he  has  stated  about  “the 
coarser  and  iess  highly  bred  bulls,”  etc.  The 
Whitaker  bulls  of  that  importation  were  Duke  of 
York  (1941),  Prince  Charles  (2461),  for  George 
Renick — and  Grecnholme  Experiment  (2075).  I 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


have  never  before  heard  it  claimed  that  these  ani¬ 
mals  were  coarse,  and  it  is  very  certain  that  their 
reputation  as  stock  getters  has  been  equal  to  any 
nulls,  we  have  ever  had  in  Ohio.  Were  it  not  for 
the  impropriety  of  mentioning  individual  herds, 
reference  might  be  made  to  many  well-known 
animals  among  their  descendants  in  proof  of  this. 

The  Bates  Bull,  Young  Waterloo  (2817),  was 
equal  to  the  above,  but  not  superior.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  Comet  Halley  (1855),  bred  by  Mr. 
Maynard,  Acmon  (1606),  bred  by  Mr.  Raine,  and 
Barnby  (1679),  imported  for  Wm  Renick,  and  bred 
by  Mr.  Bower. 

Young  Waterloo  and  Earl  of  Darlington  were, 
I  think,  the  only  Bates  bulls,  but  neither  of  them 
was  a  Duchess,  both  being  of  the  Princess  tribe. 
I  do  not  think  it  by  any  means  certain  that 
“Duchess”  blood  would  be  injured  by  an  infu¬ 
sion  of  Whitaker  blood.  It  appears  that  Mr. 
Bates  himself  did  not  think  so,  for  his  Duchess 
35th,  illustrated  in  3rd  Vol.  of  Eng.  Herd  Book, 
was  got  by  Gambier  (2046),  bred  by  Whitaker — 
Duchess  38th,  also  bred  by  Bates,  was  got  by 
Whitaker’s  celebrated  bull  Norfolk  (2377),  who 
was  sire  of  imp.  Prince  Charles  (2461),  and  Duke 
of  Cleveland  (1937),  and  by  Mr.  Bates’  out  of 
Duchess  28th,  was  got  by  Whitaker’s  bull  Ber¬ 
tram  (1716).  Buckeye. 

[In  order  to  have  his  reply,  if  lie  had  any,  accompany 
the  above,  we  sent  a  proof  slip  to  “  Cattle  Breeder,” 
and  received  the  following,  too  late  for  the  April  No  , 
when  it  should  have  appeared.  Ed.] 

In  reply  to  the  above  paper  of  Buckeye,  I  ex¬ 
plain  :  That  in  my  remarks  on  the  continuous 
breeding  together  of  the  Bates  stock  of  the  Ohio 
importation  of  1834  after  their  arrival  in  ‘his 
country,  I  did  not  intend  to  reflect  either  upon 
the  purity  in  blood,  or  the  quality  of  the  stock  of 
the  other  breeders,  which  came  out  with  them  ; 
but  simply  to  intimate  that  as  the  style  of  Mr. 
Bates’  stock  was  a  fixed  and  marked  one,  giving 
character  and  individuality  to  his  herd,  it  would 
have  been  wise  to  have  so  continued  it  in  the  fine 
climate  and  on  the  richer  American  soil,  to  which 
they  had  been  newly  introduced. 

Taken  together,  that  importation  of  1834  was  a 
remarkably  good  collection  of  cattle — as  a  whole 
for  its  numbers — probably  equal  to  any  ever  im¬ 
ported  into  the  United  States.  Yet,  when  we 
undertake  to  analyze  the  blood  of  animals  in  their 
pedigrees,  we  must  look  to  see  whether,  on  the 
principles  of  physiology  in  breeding,  if  objection¬ 
able  blood  is  found,  such  blood  will  not  tell,  or 
“crop  out” — to  use  a  geological  term — in  the 
appearance  of  their  progeny.  Thus,  in  Duke  of 
York  (1941)  he,  through  his  sire  Frederick  (1060), 
has  a  (lash  of  the  “  Galloway  cross  ”  in  him,  al¬ 
though  his  pedigree  hack  of  Frederick  is  of  the 
first  quality.  Prince  Charles  (2461)  was  without 
taint  in  his  pedigree.  Greenholme  Experiment 
(2075),  like  Duke  of  York,  through  Frederick,  the 
same  sire,  had  a  taint  of  Galloway  ;  Comet  Hal¬ 
ley  (1855)  the  same.  Acmon’s  pedigree  was  ap¬ 
parently  perfect  in  Shorthorn  blood,  but  had 
several  widely  different  crosses  in  it :  so  with 
Barnby  (1679). 

These  were  all  good  bulls,  and,' with  the  excep¬ 
tion  of  the  small  fraction  of  Galloway  cross — not 
enough  to  do  much  hurt — in  those  mentioned  as 
having  it,  unexceptionable  in  blood  and  pedigree. 
They  were  also  fine  bulls  in  style  and  appearance. 
The  Bates  cattle,  proper,  of  that  importation, 
were  the  bulls,  Earl  ofDarlington(1944)  and  Young 
Waterloo  (2817) ;  and  the  cows,  Rose  of  Sharon 
and  Teeswater,  all  got  by  Belvidere  (1706),  the 
bull,  which  Mr.  Bates  has,  since  he  obtained  him, 
always  insisted  benefitted  his  herd  more  than  any 
other  he  ever  used,  and  in  the  persistent  use  of 
whose. blood  his  herd  achieved  an  eminence,  cer¬ 


tainly  not  second  to  any  other  Shorthorn  herd  in 
England.  The  pedigrees  of  these  four  animals, 
aside  from  Belvidere,  run  back,  through  their 
dams,  into  some  of  Mr.  Bates’  best  blood  of  other 
families,  as  the  “Princess,”  in  part,  of  which 
Belvidere  was  mainly. 

I  admit  that  my  term  “Duchess”  was  not 
strictly  correct,  for  these  imported  Bates  cattle 
were  not  of  the  original  “Duchess  ”  blood  ;  but 
as  Belvidere  gave  the  Duchess  family  a  great 
share  of  their  recent  celebrity,  and  his  later 
Duchesses  partook  largely  of  his  blood,  although 
I  might  have  made  the  distinction  by  name,  the 
actual  difference  would  be  trifling.  I  beg  “  Buck¬ 
eye  ”  to  understand,  not  that  I  intended  to  cast 
the  slightest  odium  on  the  other  blood  of  the  1834 
importation,  but  to  say  that  by  breeding  the 
“Bates”  stock  together,  they  would  have  better 
preserved  their  uniformity  and  distinctness,  which, 
if  good,  I  consider  a  high  merit  in  nay  herd.  In 
the  way  they  were  subsequently  bred,  that  nice 
individuality  for  which  they  were  distinguished  in 
Mr.  Bates’  hands,  was  mostly  lost. 

As  to  Gambier  (2046),  also  Bertram  (1716),  the 
bulls  Mr.  Bates  used  in  a  very  few  instances,  as 
named  by  Buckeye,  Mr.  Bates  himself  always  re¬ 
gretted  those  crosses — although  the  bulls  were 
good  ones  and  of  high  reputation — as  not  assist¬ 
ing  in  the  object  he  had  in  view  in  perfecting  his 
herd. 

I  have  not  the  slightest  wish  to  detract  from 
the  excellence  of  any  herd  of  Ohio,  or  other  Short¬ 
horns  whatever.  I  incidentally  mentioned,  as  I 
did,  the  Bates  stock  of  the  1S34  importation  to 
mark  a  position,  which  I  still  think  a  correct  one, 
and  I  trust  that  no  one  will  consider  me  as  mak¬ 
ing  an  invidious  distinction  by  calling  the  other 
bulls  “coarser,  and  less  highly  bred,”  only  in  a 
comparative  degree.  A  Cattle  Breeder. 

Written  for  the.  American  Agriculturist. — Prize  Articles, 

The  Dairy  —  V. 

THE  CHURN - ITS  FORM  AND  CONSTRUCTION. 

Of  so  simple  a  thing  as  a  churn,  most  people 
might  suppose  that  not  a  word  need  be  said.  But 
the  experienced  butter  maker  knows  better,  and 
each  one  has  his  preference.  We  have  seen  a 
great  variety  of  churns,  of  every  conceiveable 
pattern — patented  and  not  patented — and  after 
years  of  examination  and  trial,  we  think  about  as 
much  of  a  patent  churn  of  any  kind  as  we  do  of  a 
patent  bee-hive.  We  wouldn’t  have  either,  as  a 
gift,  and  be  obliged  to  use  it.  The  simpler  the 
form,  and  the  manner  of  using  it,  the  better. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  churn  most  commonly 
in  use  among  butter  making  families  and  dairy¬ 
men — the  old  time  honored,  upright  dash-cliurn, 
and  the  barrel  or  revolving  churn,  both  very 
simple  in  construction,  and  so  well  known  as  to 
need  no  description.  The  dash  churn  stands 
upright  on  its  own  bottom  on  the  floor.  The  bar¬ 
rel  churn  stands  on  legs  which  set  it  up  from  the 
floor  at  a  convenient  bight  to  work  the  crank 
turning  the  inside  wings.  As  to  the  size,  that 
must  depend  on  the  quantity  of  cream,  or  milk  to 
be  churned,  ranging  from  ten  gallons  to  a  barrel 
and  a  half,  which  the  dairyman  must  decide  for 
himself.  The  churn  should  be  made  of  thorough¬ 
ly  seasoned  White  Oak  or  White  Ash  staves. 
Some  use  White  Pine,  and  Red  Cedar  ;  but  these 
are  both  resinous  woods,  from  which  the  taste  or 
smell  can  scarcely  be  washed  or  worn,  while  oak 
and  ash  are  odorless  and  tasteless,  and  capable  of 
being  kept  perfectly  sweet  and  clean — indispensable 
requisites  in  a  good  dairy.  The  dash  and  handle 
of  the  upright,  and  the  crank  shaft,  and  wings  of 
the  barrel  churn,  should  also  be  of  oak  or  ash, 


139 

since  they  are  strong  as  well  as  clean  woods. 
Then  they  should  be  stoutly  hooped  with  iron, 
made  throughout  “  upon  honor,”  and  well  painted 
outside.  We  have  seen  churns  with  a  little  ther¬ 
mometer  inserted  at  one  end  to  mark  the  tem¬ 
perature  of  the  cream  while  churning,  and  which 
is  claimed  as  a  decided  improvement.  Now, 
while  we  do  not  wish  to  damage  any  one’s  trade, 
we  only  say  that  this  little  appendage  is  of  trifling 
account  with  any  good  butter  maker,  for  two  rea¬ 
sons.  1st:  Those  little  cheap  thermometers  are 
poor  things  usually,  varying  several  degrees  from 
the  true  temperature.  2nd  :  A  good  dairyman 
can  tell  the  best  temperature  better  by  his  own 
finger  ;  otherwise  he  should  always  have  an  accu¬ 
rate  thermometer  at  hand,  which  he  can  at  any 
moment  plunge  into  the  churn  and  get  the  exact 
temperature  of  the  cream.  To  regulate  this,  ice, 
or  hot  water,  according  to  the  season  should  beat 
hand  to  govern  the  temperature,  either  of  which 
may  be  kept  in  a  tub  in  which  the  “  dash  ”  churn 
may  stand,  or  applied  directly  by  mixing  with  the 
cream  in  churning. 

THE  .MANNER  OF  CHURNING. 

This  may  seem  indifferent  to  some,  but  we  as¬ 
sure  them  that  on  it  much  depends,  in  the  quality 
of  the  butter.  The  temperature  of  the  season  will 
somewhat  govern  the  rapidity  with  which  the 
dash  or  crank  is  moved.  A  too  rapid  motion  of 
either  makes  the  cream  frothy,  and  brings  the 
butter  accordingl\%  lacking  in  consistence  ;  while 
the  slower  and  more  regular  action  brings  the 
butteraceous  particles  of  the  cream  solidly  to¬ 
gether,  Avitli  less  globules  of  fixed  air  in  them, 
easier  to  draw  together  in  the  churn,  and  better 
to  work  after  taken  out  into  the  bowl. 

Churning  by  hand  in  a  large  dairy,  is  usually 
considered  hard  work.  At  any  rate,  we  always 
thought  it  so.  Not  only  is  it  hard  work,  but 
patient  work — no  variety  about  it,  which  is  a  de¬ 
cided  relief  to  some  other  occupations  much  more 
really  laborious ;  and  it  is  none  the  less  so  that 
the  motion  needs  to  be  uniform  and  continuous 
from  beginning  to  end.  Therefore,  churning 
should  be  done  by  persons  of  full  strength,  with 
thoughtfulness  and  patience  about  them  to  work 
uniformly  throughout,  from  the  commencement 
to  bringing  the  butter.  In  large  dairies  hand 
churning  is  too  expensive,  unless  assisted  by  ar- 
tifical  means.  A  common  “  spring  pole” — a  verv 
simple  affair,  which  any  one  knows  how  to  make — 
can  easily  be  rigged  to  lighten  the  work  of  the 
dash  churn  at  least  one  half ;  while  a  “  balance” 
wheel  attached  to  the  shaft  of  a  revolving  churn 
takes  off  half  the  strain  of  the  wings  as  thev 
strike  into  the  cream.  These  may  be  adopted,  or 
not,  as  circumstances  govern. 

But  for  large  dairies,  water,  horse,  or  dog  pow¬ 
er  are  decidedly  the  best.  Where  it  can  be  con¬ 
veniently,  and  cheaply  obtained,  water  power  is 
preferable.  Yet  it  must  be  under  perfect  control 
from  freshets,  and  furnish  a  regular  supply  at  all 
seasons,  to  be  worth  much  ;  and  of  the  facts  ap¬ 
pertaining  to  these  requirements  the  dairyman 
must  satisfy  himself  before  attempting  it.  Indeed 
water  power  must  be  very  available  to  make  it 
pay,  simply  for  churning  purposes;  and  therefore 
as  a  rule,  we  would  adopt  the  “pony”  power, 
put  up  in  the  old  fashioned  bark  or  cider-mill  prin¬ 
ciple  of  hitching  the  beast  to  the  end  of  a  sweep, 
the  other  end  attached  to  an  upright  shaft,  on 
which  is  built  a  cog,  or  spur  wheel,  playing  into 
a  pinion  on  a  horizontal  shaft,  on  which  is  a  drum, 
or  pully  to  extend  a  band  On  to  the  immediate  pro¬ 
pelling  power  of  the  churn.  The  pony,  ofcourse, 
travels  in  a  circle,  which  should  be  not  less  than 
sixteen,  for  the  smallest  pony,  and  need  not  ex¬ 
ceed  twenty-four  feet  for  the  largest  horse.  We 


140 


AMERICAN  AGrRIC  U  LTURIST. 


prefer  this  simple  and  efficient  plan  to  any  of  the 
recently  invented  “powers”  got  up  by  the  ma¬ 
chinists,  although  some  of  them  work  very  well  in 
their  way,  and  have  the  merit  of  compactness  in 
their  favor.  Of  “dog”  power  we  don’t  think 
much.  No  dog  is  good  for  any  thing  for  such  pur¬ 
poses  unless  he  will  weigh  near  or  quite  a  hundred 
pounds.  We  would  quite  as  soon  board  a  pony- 
horse  as  such  a  dog,  with  the  difference,  that  while 
the  horse  can  do  a  good  deal  of  other  work,  the 
dog  is  little,  if  any  thing,  less  than  a  nuisance 
when  not  churning.  We  do  not  intend  to  slander 
the  dog  family  at  large,  for  which  we  have  a 
quite  sufficient  attachment ;  but  for  common 
farm  purposes  a  fifteen  or  twenty  pound  terrier  is 
better  than  an  overgrown  cur,  or  Newfoundland 
of  a  hundred  weight  avoirdupois.  After  all,  the 
churning  power  must  be  disposed  of  in  the  way  that 
the  dairyman  shall  find,  upon  mature  considera¬ 
tion,  the  most  available  and  economical — each  in 
his  peculiar  circumstances. 

CARE  OF  THE  BUTTER  WHEN  CHURNED. 

The  butter  being  well  brought  together  in  the 
churn,  so  as  to  be  easily  taken  out  with  a  wood¬ 
en  butter  scoop,  it  should  be  put  into  wooden 
bowls  of  sufficient  capacity  to  hold  as  much  as 
can  be  thoroughly  worked  at  once — say  six  to  ten 
or  twelve  pounds  in  a  mass.  As  soon  as  in  the 
bowl,  and  sufficiently  cooled  if  not  enough  so 
when  taken  from  the  churn,  the  milk  should  be 
rapidly  worked  out  and  poured  off,  so  long  as 
any  quantity  of  it  follows  the  ladle  ;  the  latter 
part  of  the  working,  with  the  use  of  pure,  soft 
cold  water  to  wash  the  butter  clean.  Then  the 
butter  should  be  thinly  spread  out  in  the  bowl, 
and  a  sufficiency  of  pure  fine  salt,  say  about  an 
ounce  to  the  pound  of  butter,  sprinkled  over  it, 
and  worked  uniformily  in  through  the  whole  mass. 
No  human  hand  should  touch  the  butter — not  be¬ 
cause  it  is  untidy,  but  because  the  hand  is  ivarm , 
rendering  the  butter  greasy,  and  taking  from  it 
the  waxy  consistence  which  it  should  always  re¬ 
tain.  So,  “  hands  off,”  in  butter  working. 

As  soon  as  the  salt  is  well  worked  in,  set  the 
bowl  and  butter  away  in  the  dairy  room  in  a  cool 
place  for  a  number  of  hours,  eight,  twelve,  or 
twenty-four  even,  according  to  the  temperature, 
that  the  salt  may  become  well  incorporated  with 
the  butter,  and  the  briny  particles  disengaged 
from  it.  Then  work  it  thoroughly  over  again  so 
long  as  any  milk  or  brine  will  run.  This  done, 
the  butter  may  be  made  into  rolls  for  immediate 
marketing,  or  packed  in  solid  mass  in  good  sweet 
oaken  or  ash  tubs  or  firkins  for  keeping.  If  the 
tubs  or  firkins  be  not  filled  at  once,  a  light  sprink¬ 
ling  of  fine  salt  may  be  laid  upon  it,  and  a  clean 
thin  cloth  laid  close  down  to  the  butter  when 
packed,  to  prevent  air  getting  to  it ;  and  as  soon 
as  the  keg  or  tub  is  full,  a  strong  brine  of  pure 
salt  and  pure  soft  water  should  be  poured  over  it, 
and  the  cover  put  over  to  exclude  the  air.  We 
are  aware  that  some,  even  good  butter  makers  do 
not  wash  their  butter  in  water  at  all,  and  that 
others  do  not  measure  or  weigh  the  salt  they  use  ; 
they  “  work  the  butter  clean,”  and  “  salt  to  the 
taste.”  But  we  contend  that  the  buttermilk  can 
not  be  thoroughly  excluded  without  the  diluting 
aid  of  water,  and  unless  it  is  excluded,  it  will 
sooner  or  later  spoil  the  butter  by  becoming  ran¬ 
cid  ;  therefore  washing  is  the  surer  method  to 
thoroughly  exclude  the  milk.  As  to  “salting  to 
the  taste,”  tastes  differ  so  materially,  that  unless 
it  be  for  a  given  market  the  test  is  an  uncertain 
one.  We  prefer  weight  and  measure  always,  in 
such  cases,  to  guess  work. 

After  the  butter  is  once  packed,  let  it  be  stored 
in  the  coldest  place  you  have— an  ice  house  if 
possible.  Butter  ought, if  well  made, to  keep  a  year. 


We  have  eaten  it  at  eighteen  months  old  perfect¬ 
ly  sweet  and  palatable.  It  will  keep  if  it  be  made 
under  all  the  conditions  we  have  stated,  in  grass, 
feed,  cows,  milking,  and  manipulation.  When 
taken  from  the  storage  room  for  market,  the  brine 
should  be  poured  clean  off  the  top,  and  if  in  tubs 
the  covers  either  of  cloth,  or  wood  closely  se¬ 
cured.  If  in  kegs,  the  heads  should  be  closely 
fitted  in,  and  the  hoops  driven  tight. 

Where  large  quantities  of  hutter  are  made,  the 
working  process  by  the  ladle  is  laborious.  It  may 
perhaps  be  better  done  by  a  hard  wood  fluted 
roller,  revolving  round  an  iron  eye  secured  in  the 
center  of  a  table  of  marble,  or  hard  wood  plank. 
This  roller  should  be  large,  say  5  or  6  inches 
thick  at  the  outer  end,  and  tapering  toward  the 
center  end ;  a  loose  haft  of  iron,  with  a  hook  at 
the  small  end  to  secure  it  to  the  iron  eye  in  the 
plank.  On  the  outer  end  of  the  roller  a  handle 
should  project  by  which  to  work  it — of  course  the 
roller  revolves  on  this  shaft  which  goes  through 
it.  The  roller  thus  works  in  a  circular  form,  and 
the  butter-milk  works  toward  the  center  of  the 
table,  the  latter  dished  out  and  slightly  inclining 
toward  the  eye  aforesaid,  with  a  hole  through  the 
table,  and  a  bucket  underneath  to  receive  the  milk 
and  water  worked  out.  For  a  large  dairy  such 
an  implement  is  a  great  relief  to  hand  labor  in 
this  important  branch  of  the  work,  and  which  in 
its  severity  is  sometimes  slighted  to  the  evident 
damage  in  the  keeping  of  the  butter,  this  often¬ 
times  affecting  its  market  value  twenty-five  to 
fifty  per  cent. 

ARTIFICIAL,  OR  ORNAMENTAL  ADJUNCTS  TO  THE 
BUTTER. 

Some  dairy  people,  add  sugar  or  salt-petre  to 
[lighten  the  flavor  ;  others  add  annato,  or  orange 
carrot  juice  to  give  it  color.  We  do  not  believe 
in  any  of  these  attractions  to  well  made  butter. 
Pure  salt  is  all  that  is  wanted  to  season  it  in  the 
best  possible  manner  to  the  taste.  Every  thing 
else  in  the  long  run  pollutes  it  The  color  will 
take  care  of  itself  except,  perhaps,  in  the  coldest 
Winter  weather  when  it  is  of  little  account  to 
make  market  butter  at  all.  If  it  be  pale  in  color, 
its  flavor  will  sell  it  with  ordinary  customers,  who 
generally  prefer  a  pure  uncooked  article  to  one 
tinkered  up  for  market  with  foreign  ingredients. 

A  WORD  AS  TO  THE  KIND  OF  SALT. 

As  to  the  purity  of  this  article  there  has  been 
much  controversy.  Our  domestic  salt,  as  at  Sy¬ 
racuse  in  New-York,  the  Kanahwa  in  western 
Virginia,  and  elsewhere  in  other  States  has  been 
condemned  by  many  dairymen  as  impure,  and 
consequently  unfit  for  butter  and  cheese  making. 
On  the  other  hand,  Chemists  have  pronounced 
them  free  from  injurious  mixtures,  and  perfectly 
good  for  dairy  uses.  We  take  no  part  in  the  mat¬ 
ter.  We  only  insist  that  all  dairy  salt  should  he 
pure  and  free  from  foreign  admixtures  of  any 
kind.  Rock  salt  is  pure,  and  the  great  majority 
of  our  dairymen  prefer  such.  The  cost  of  the  salt 
for  a  dairy  of  any  size  is  but  a  small  item  of  out¬ 
lay  in  any  event,  and  we  advise  no  one  to  run  the 
slightest  risk  by  the  use  of  an  impure  article  when 
a  reliable,  good  one  can  be  had  at  a  reasonable 
price. 

- . - —  «  —  .  - 

Clean  Milking. 

It  is  sometimes  forgotten  that  the  last  gill  of 
milk  drawn  from  the  cow’s  udder  is  the  best  part 
of  every  milking.  Careful  experiments  made  in 
England  show,  (according  to  a  report  lately  pub¬ 
lished)  that  “the  quantity  of  cream  obtained 
from  the  last  drawn  cup  from  most  cows,  exceeds 


that  „of  the  first  in  the  proportion  of  twelve  to 
one.”  The  difference  in  the  quality  also  is  con¬ 
siderable.  Hence,  a  person  who  carelessly  leaves 
but  half  a  pint  of  milk  undrawn,  loses  in  reality 
about  as  much  cream  as  would  be  afforded  by  six 
or  eight  pints  at  the  beginning;  and  loses,  too, 
that  part  of  the  cream  which  gives  the  richness 
and  high  flavor  to  his  butter. 

- -  - - —  - - -  — - 

The  Government  Camels. 


It  will  he  recollected  that  an  appropriation  was 
made  by  Congress  a  few  years  since  to  import  a 
number  of  camels  into  this  country  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  testing  their  adaptability  to  the  climate 
and  for  use  as  beasts  of  burden,  especially  on  the 
southwestern  plains.  A  considerable  number 
were  brought  from  several  countries  bordering 
upon  the  Mediterranean,  and  they  were  mostly 
taken  to  Texas.  Wre  have  from  time  to  time 
seen  sundry  newspaper  paragraphs  indicating  that 
the  experiment  is  likely  to  prove  successful.  We 
hope  these  statements  are  reliable,  though  we 
have  learned  so  much  respecting  the  origin  of 
newspaper  and  telegraphic  reports  emanating  from 
Washington,  in  regard  to  agricultural  matters 
connected  with  the  Government,  that  we  scarce¬ 
ly  know  what  to  believe.  We  shall  be  glad  to 
hear  further  in  regard  to  these  camels  from  some 
of  our  non-interested  readers  residing  in  the  local¬ 
ities  where  the  animals  are  now  in  use.  We  can 
not  see  why  camels  should  not  thrive  as  well,  and 
be  as  serviceable  in  the  southern  sections  of  this 
country  as  in  a  similar  climate  in  southern  Europe, 
southern  Asia,  and  northern  Africa.  A  recent 
number  of  the  Galveston  News  (Texas),  has  the 
following  statement  concerning  a  camel  in  that 
city  belonging  to  Mrs.  Watson,  and  employed  in 
carrying  ship  freight  to  and  from  the  wharves. 
The  statement  is  a  weighty  one  surely  : 

“  On  the  word  of  command  being  given  by  the 
native  keeper,  the  huge  animal  lay  down  to  re¬ 
ceive  his  load,  which  consisted  of  five  bales  ol 
hay  weighing  in  the  aggregate  1,400  lbs.,  firmly 
bound  to  the  pannier  placed  upon  the  animals 
hump.  At  the  word,  the  camel  arose,  without  any 
apparent  effort,  and  walked  off  in  a  stately  man¬ 
ner  through  the  city.  We  were  informed  that 
the  same  animal  had  1,600  lbs.  placed  upon  him, 
with  which  enormous  weight  he  arose.  They  are 
represented  as  tractable  and  affectionate.  As  an 
example  of  their  affection  Mrs.  W.  informs  us 
that  a  pretty  white  one  which  she  had  petted  ; 
would  always  kiss  her  when  within  kissing  dis¬ 
tance,  which  we  think  showed  good  taste  on  his 
part,  in  addition  to  an  affectionate  disposition.” 

Rather  a  hard  story  to  “  swallow  ”  or  “lift.” 
Did  the  editor  of  the  News  previously  test  the 
weight  of  these  “  five  bales  of  hay,  weighing  1400 
pounds!”  The  idea  of  a  camel  getting  up  with 
nearly  three-fourths  of  a  tun  on  his  back,  and 
this  too  “  without  apparent  effort,"  or  with  any 
amount  of  effort,  is  putting  it  rather  strong.  Was 
it  not  a  mistake  of  the  printer  1  Did  not  the  edi¬ 
tor  mean  an  elephant 1  He  has  probably  “seen  the 
elephant.”  We  should  like,  also,  to  know  more 
about  that  “  kissing.”  Does  the  camel  kneel 
down  when  he  kisses  a  lady  1 


One  of  the  most  telling  descriptions  of  “  for- 
lorniiy”  we  have  heard,  was  that  of  a  boy  who 
asked  a  Boston  police  officer  for  shelter  in  the 
Station  House :  “  See,  Cap’n,  first  my  father 

died,  and  my  mother  married  again,  and  then  my 
mother  died  and  my  father  married  again,  an 
somehow  or  other  1  don't  seem  to  have  noparenls 
at  all,  nor  no  home,  nor  no  nothing." 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


141 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Care  of  Young  Poultry. 

Most  of  the  early  broods  of  chickens  have  now 
been  hatched,  and  are  claiming  the  care  of  the 
farmer’s  wife  and  daughters.  Pains  taken  with 
them  now,  will  be  well  repaid  in  the  Summer  and 
Fall,  when  the  “  pot-pie  ”  smokes  on  the  table, 
and  returns  come  from  those  sent  to  market. 
Experience  has  proved  cooked  food  to  be  better 
for  young  fowls,  than  raw  meal,  hastily  wet  just 
before  feeding.  For  young  chickens,  curdled 
(loppered)  milk  is  an  excellent  diet,  which  they 
eat  with  great  apparent  relish.  When  meal  is 
given,  it  should  be  coarse,  and  well  cooked.  It 
is  not  necessary,  however,  to  cook  the  meal  for 
chickens  after  the  first  few  weeks.  Cracked  corn 
or  millet  can  then  be  easily  managed  by  them. 
A  liberal  supply  of  milk  curds  will  be  found  good 
at  any  stage  of  their  growth.  Great  benefit,  both 
to  the  fowls  and  fruit  trees,  may  be  derived  from 
locating  the  chicken  coops  in  the 
fruit  yard.  The  active,  sharp-eyed 
little  chirpers  are  very  quick  to  dis¬ 
cover  the  larvae  of  curculioand  other 
destructive  insects,  as  they  emerge 
from  the  ground  to  commence  their 
depredations,  and  scarce  one  will  es¬ 
cape  their  scrutiny  ;  while,  in  addi¬ 
tion,  such  worms  and  insects  are,  in 
part,  the  natural  food  of  fowls.  I 
Dave  succeeded  in  this  way  in  ma¬ 
turing  the  fruit  of  some  fine  cherry 
trees,  in  good  order,  free  from 
worms,  where  in  previous  years,  I 
had  failed  to  gather  any  worth  speak¬ 
ing  of,  though  I  tried  many  remedies. 

The  “  pip”  or  “gapes  ”  is  one  of 
the  most  troublesome  difficulties  to 
ne  overcome  in  raising  chickens.  It 
is  probably  the  result  of  inflamma¬ 
tion  in  the  wind-pipe  and  its  branches,  attended 
with  the  presence  of  small  worms,  which  some 
suppose  are  the  immediate  cause  of  the  disease. 
This  inflammation  may,  undoubtedly,  be  caused 
by  exposure  of  the  young  chickens  in  wet  weather, 
or  in  the  grass  before  the  morning  dew  is  off. 
Sometimes,  also,  the  coop  is  neglected,  and  the 
bottom  of  it  allowed  to  remain  wet,  which  would 
be  followed  by  the  same  effects.  Improper  food 
may  also  cause  the  disease.  Experienced  poultry 
breeders  have  recommended  the  use  of  salt  with 
the  food,  as  a  preventive  and  cure  for  gapes.  It 
must  be  used  sparingly,  however,  or  it  would  kill 
the  chickens  as  well  as  the  worms. 

COLUMBIA  CO.,  N.  Y. 

Another  Correspondent,  W.  S.  Peck,  Fair- 
field  Co.,  Ct.,  states  that  he  has  entirely  prevent¬ 
ed  “gapes”  in  his  chickens,  by  removing  their 
coops  from  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  house, 
say  across  the  road,  or  to  the  open  field.  Cure  of 
this  disease  is  difficult,  and  prevention  is  certain¬ 
ly  desirable. 

- — . - — — — *-•> - 

“Those  Hens.” 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Ameritan  Agriculturist  : 

I  saw  in  a  former  number  of  the  Agriculturist, 
an  article  headed  “  What  is  the  matter  with  the 
hens  1”  that  is  why  don’t  they  supply  more  eggs! 
My  answer  in  their  behalf  is,  that  they  too  often 
are  confined  in  a  small  dry  yard  surrounded  with 
a  high  fence — having  slight  shade,  access  to  no 
green  thing,  with  little  to  eat  and  less  to  drink — 
and  yet  they  are  expected  by  those  simpler  than 
themselves,  to  go  on  laying,  at  that  !  Oh,  yes  ! 
“hens  were  made  to  lay” — they  can’t  help  them¬ 
selves  ;  eggs  are  probably  made  of  heat,  dirt,  and 
sunshine '  Now  Mr.  Editor,  I  have  been  troubled 


as  much  as  my  neighbors  have,  about  the  hens. 
If  they  were  permitted  to  range,  they  would  do 
mischief;  if  confined,  they  would  not  lay  ;  so,  as 
it  did  not  involve  any  important  principle,  I  com¬ 
promised — confined  them  in  the  yard,  gave  them 
enough  to  eat  and  drink,  and  at  about  4  o'clock, 
every  afternoon,  set  them  free.  This  gave  them 
just  time  enough  to  range  wherever  they  would, 
the  grasshoppers,  bugs  and  flies  were  unexhaust¬ 
ed,  and  before  the  scratching  process  com¬ 
menced  they  were  obliged  to  yield  to  the  strong¬ 
er  instinct  and  go  to  roost.  The  experiment  was 
entirely  suecessftil ;  no  injury  was  done  to  the 
garden  or  grounds,  but  a  benefit  by  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  insects  ;  they  laid  well,  seemed  quite  con¬ 
tent  with  their  confinement,  in  view  of  a  daily 
range,  and  it  was  a  great  pleasure  to  hear  their 
cheerful  notes  and  witness  their  enjoyment,  when 
set  free.  p. 

Burlington f  Vt . 

-  J  -aijfc  r-fc- 


A  Poultry  House. 

No  country  establishment  is  complete  without 
a  poultry  house.  Indeed,  every  family  in  the  coun¬ 
try,  whether  devoted  to  agriculture  or  not,  should 
have  one.  To  the  mechanic  it  is  important ;  so 
it  is  to  the  merchant  and  professional  man.  No 
direction  or  rule  can  be  given  as  to  the  size  of  it. 
If  it  is  partly  designed  to  supply  eggs  and  poultry 
for  sale,  it  may,  of  course,  be  proportioned  to  the 
demand  there  is  for  its  products.  If  the  products 
are  wanted  for  home  consumption  only,  the  size 
of  the  family  should  regulate  the  size  of  the  fowl- 
house,  and  the  number  of  its  tenants.  These  are 
matters  which  all  can  decide  for  themselves. 
NVhat  might  answer  for  one  family  might  not  an¬ 
swer  for  another.  Some,  too,  are  especially  fond 
of  eggs  ;  others  care  less  about  them.  The  same 
is  true  in  regard  to  the  flesh  of  poultry.  This, 
also,  will  have  its  influence. 

The  keeping  and  rearing  of  poultry  has  become 
quite  an  important  branch  of  rural  economy. 
The  subject,  until  within  a  few  years,  has  at¬ 
tracted  little  or  no  attention  in  this  country.  It 
may,  at  first,  be  viewed  as  too  insignificant  to 
merit  serious  consideration.  This  is  natural. 
Little  things  are  frequently  treated  with  contempt, 
although,  in  the  aggregate,  they  assume  magni¬ 
tude,  surpassing  credulity.  This  is,  literally,  so 
with  poultry.  Because  a  fair  stock  of  hens 
can  be  bought  for  two  or  three  dollars,  they  are 
regarded  as  beneath  the  rank  that  entitles  them 
even  to  kind  treatment,  especially  if  viewed  in 
connection  with  expected  remuneration.  But, 
although  the  breeding  stock  of  hens  on  a  farm 
may  be  estimated  at  three  dollars  only,  the  fair 
valuation  of  all  the  hens  in  the  country  gives 


them  a  commercial  importance  ranging  with 
some  of  our  best  products. 

Many  persons  commence  house-keeping  by  first 
procuring  a  wife  and  then  a  house  ;  but  as  this 
system  has  its  inconveniences,  we  recommend  to 
begin  with  a  house.  First  procure  the  cage,  then 
the  bird.  Previous,  therefore,  to  getting  a  stock 
of  poultry,  provide  for  them  a  house.  If  it  is  de¬ 
sired  to  confine  fowls  to  a  yard  for  all  or  a  por- 
tion  of  the  time,  it  will  be  indispensable  to  their 
health  and  productiveness,  to  have  suitable  ac¬ 
commodations.  Do  not  confine  them  in  seven-by- 
nine  yards,  as  some  we  have  noticed  in  the  coun¬ 
try  ;  give  them  room.  The  accommodations 
need  not  be  expensive,  but  the  fixtures  should  be 
efficient  and  complete,  so  as  to  secure  the  safety 
of  the  fowls.  The  houses  and  yards,  therefore, 
must  be  constructed  according  to  the  purposes  of 
the  proprietor.  He  who  keeps  a  cock  and  four 
or  five  hens,  merely  for  his  own  supply,  will  re¬ 
quire  a  very  simple  arrangement ;  but  the  proprie¬ 
tor  who  breeds  for  sale  and  profit, 
as  well  as  home  use,  must  have 
a  more  elaborate  arrangement. 

Where  the  fowls  have  the  range  of 
an  orchard,  or  a  wide,  dry,  sandy 
pasture,  or  field,  and  are  able  to  pro¬ 
cure  clean  water,  a  good  poultry- 
house  is  all  that  is  essential,  though 
even  then,  an  inclosure  or  yard  is  de¬ 
sirable,  for  the  safety  and  better 
management  of  the  young  broods.  It 
should  be  open  and  airy,  its  soil  dry, 
and  sheltered  from  cold  wintry 
winds,  by  a  high  close  fence,  or  a  belt 
of  thick  evergreens  ;  or  a  simple 
shed  should  be  erected  in  some  suit¬ 
able  spot,  in  order  to  afford  the  fowls 
a  screen  from  the  hot  rays  of  the 
mid-day  sun  in  Summer,  and  from 
heavy  rain  storms  and  showers. 
Should  there  be  no  access  to  a  pasture,  or  or¬ 
chard,  or  field,  it  is  desirable  that  a  portion  of  the 
yard  be  laid  down  with  grass  ;  and  the  larger  the 
yard  the  better  the  accommodation. 

THE  WRITER’S  POULTRY-HOUSE. 

In  a  sequestered  nook,  and  cluster  of  trees,  on 
the  sunny  side  of  a  high  bank,  surmounted  by 
rocks  covered  with  shrubbery,  may  be  seen  the 
new  fowl-house,  lately  erected  by  the  writer. 
This  location  was  selected  for  the  purpose  of  pro¬ 
tection  from  the  cold  northern  blasts,  and  receiv¬ 
ing  the  warmth  and  benefit  of  the  Winter’s  sun. 
The  deciduous  trees  in  front  being  deprived  of 
their  foliage  in  Winter,  admits  the  full  influence 
of  the  sun,  and,  when  in  full  leaf,  to  shade  and 
ward  off  his  searching  rays  in  Summer. 

Description. — The  elevation,  as  will  be  seen  in 
the  figure  accompanying  this  article,  is  a  rather 
pretty  affair.  Thecentre  building,  with  the  gable 
to  the  front,  is  tw’elve  feet  square ;  eight  feet 
posts.  The  roof  very  steep,  and  surmounted  with 
a  kind  of  cupola,  for  the  purpose  of  ventilation 
and  ornament ;  in  the  bottom  of  this  are  two 
small  swing  doors,  to  close  up  when  necessary. 
The  roof  is  of  one  and-a-quarter  inch  plank, 
tongued  and  grooved,  the  joints  painted  with 
white  lead,  and  battened.  The  entire  front  is  of 
glass,  extending  to  the  very  point  at  the  top. 

The  left  wing  is  a  lower  edifice,  twenty-two 
feet  long  and  ten  feet  wide.  The  floor,  which  is 
of  broken  stone  covered  with  fine  gravel,  is  sunk 
below  the  surface,  two  feet  in  front  and  eight 
feet  in  the  rear.  The  back  wall  resting  against 
the  bank,  is  of  stone,  twmnty  inches  thick,  faced 
with  brick.  The  front  wall  and  ends  are  also  Ot 
brick.  The  roof  has  a  gentle  pitch  to  the  rear 
and  made  of  one-and-a-quarter  inch  plank,  tongued 


142 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


and  grooved,  joints  painted  with  white  lead  before 
being  laid.  The  under  sides  of  the  rafters  are  lined 
with  hemlock  boards,  the  spaces  between  the 
rafters  tilled  with  tan,  rendering  it  frost-proof. 
The  front  wall  is  of  brick,  and  two  feet  high,  on 
which  the  wood  and  sash  rest.  In  the  base  are 
gratings,  to  admit  air;  also  above  the  glass,  and 
just  under  the  eaves,  are  open  spaces  for  ventila¬ 
tion.  In  very  cold  weather  these  spaces  may  he 
closed  with  shutters.  On  the  right  is  a  door  for 
entrance,  and  on  the  left  is  a  small  one  for  the 
egress  and  ingress  of  the  fowls. 

Internal  Arrangement. — In  the  rear,  and  running 
the  whole  length  of  the  room,  are  two  tiers  of 
boxes  for  nests,  which  are  eighteen  inches  square, 
and  the  same  in  height.  Adjoining  the  nest,  is 
an  apartment  of  the  same  size,  where  the  hen 
enters  to  go  to  her  nest,  which  is  latticed  in  front, 
giving  air  and  apparent  secresy,  with  which 
she  seems  much  pleased.  The  under  tier  is 
about  two  feet  above  the  ground  floor.  The 
range  of  tiers  is  set  out  from  the  back  wall  ten 
inches.  These  nests  are  covered  with  boards, 
sloping  down,  like  the  roof  of  a  house,  to  catch 
and  carry  down  the  droppings  of  the,  fowls  from 
the  perches  immediately  over,  to  a  trough  in  the 
rear.  By  this  arrangement  the  manure  is  all 
saved,  and  out  of  the  way  of  the  fowls.  We  kept 
our  Spanish  fowls  in  this  house  last  Winter,  with¬ 
out  injury  by  frost,  to  their  waiiles  or  large 
combs.  C.  N.  Brment.' 

Springsicle,  March,  J  859 


Skunks  worth  Catching  and  Skinning. 

That  is  so.  Every  thing  has  its  use,  and  those 
who  have  only  considered  skunks  as  animals  to 
be  killed  because  they  prowl  around  the  barn  and 
poultry  houses,  to  steal  eggs  and  destroy  young 
chickens,  may  be  surprised  to  learn  that  a  sudden 
demand  has  arisen  for  their  fur.  During  the  last 
six  months,  tens  of  thousands  of  skunk  skins  have 
been  sold  in  this  city  at  75e.,  $1.00,  and  $1.25 
each.  Last  year  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  sent 
some  of  the  skins  to  Europe,  as  an  experiment, 
and  they  came  into  great  demand,  particularly 
in  Russia,  where  they  are  used  for  coat  linings 
and  trimmings.  Coon  skins  have  been  largely- 
exported  for  this  purpose,  black  ones  especially 
being  highly  prized.  These  have  become  quite 
scarce,  and  the  black  fur  of  the  skunk  so  nearly 
resembles  the  black  coon  skin,  as  to  meet  with  a 
very  ready  sale.  Several  shippers  of  fur  in  this 
city  inform  us  that  from  100,000  to  150,000 
skunk  skins  have  been  exported  from  New-York 
during  the  Winter  just  past,  and  that  there  are 
probably  40,000  now  remaining  in  the  city,  await¬ 
ing  shipment. 

The  prices  here  have  ranged  from  75c.  to  $1 
each,  and  even  higher,  according  to  the  size  and 
quality,  the  pure  black  being  more  prized  than 
the  mottled.  At  present  they  bring  from  50  to 
76  cents  each.  When  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y., 
a  few  weeks  since,  we  found  the  boys  had  been 
busy  trapping  and  shooting  the  animals,  and  some 
of  them  had  reaped  quite  a  harvest,  besides  rid¬ 
ding  the  neighborhood  of  a  real  pest.  The  prob¬ 
ability  is  that  the  supply  will  soon  be  so  abundant 
as  to  reduce  prices,  but  even  then  it  will  not  be 
amiss  to  turn  to  account  the  present  opportunity 
of  “  making  an  ill  wind  blow  good  ”  to  somebody. 
They  should  not  be  killed  for  their  skins  at  this 
season  of  the  year,  however,  as  the  fur  is  worth¬ 
less.  About  next  November  will  be  the  time  to 
begin  to  take  them.  They  are  easily  managed. 
■Caught  in  large  box-traps,  they  do  not  emit  their 
disagreeable  odor,  and  with  care  in  carrying  to  a 
pond,  or  water-trough,  they  may  he  drowned  and 


skinned  with  less  effluvia,  than  is  left  by  the  com¬ 
mon  musk-rats.  Under  the  triple  stimulus,  of  the 
sale  of  skins,  the  destruction  of  a  pest,  and  the 
excitement  of  the  thing,  the  country  is  likely  to 
be  thoroughly  cleared  of  this  most  common  and 
most  abundant  of  the  original  wild  animals — 
squirrels  excepted.  In  the  above,  we  have  not 
taken  into  account  the  value  of  the  carcasses,  for 
the  oil  which  may  be  extracted,  as  well  as  for 
the  meat  which  is  actually  eaten  to  considerable 
extent,  and  highly  prized  in  some  parts  of  the 
country.  When  properly  killed  and  dressed,  we 
should  prefer  it  to  that  of  the  woodchuck — or 
frogs  !  We  do  not  affect  either. 

- —  - - - -  «- - 

Raising  Tomatoes— Sundry  Hints. 

By  a  Michigan  Lady  of  long  and  large  experience. 

[We  received  during  the  Winter,  the  following  minute 
directions  for  growing  Tomatoes  from  a  lady  who  has 
raised  and  put  up  an  immense  quantity  of  this  vegetable 
during  the  last  ten  years.  On  a  first  cursory  reading,  the 
method  recommended  seemed  to  embrace  too  much  labor 
for  general  adoption,  and  our  columns  being  over  crowd¬ 
ed  we  laid  it  aside.  But  reading  it  carefully  again,  we 
find  so  many  good  hints  that  we  think  the  article  will  well 
pay  for  a  perusal  by  all  who  cultivate  tomatoes— and  that 
embraces  all  who  have  a  garden,  we  believe.  The  direc¬ 
tions  for  hot-bed  treatment  are  late  for  this  season,  but  not 
so  with  the  suggestions  for  transplanting,  whether  from 
a  hot-bed  or  a  seed  plot,  into  the  open  ground.  It  will  be 
noted  that  the  directions  here  given  refer  to  latitude  42°, 
and  allowance  must  be  made  for  the  earlier  seasons  fur¬ 
ther  south.— Ed.] 

Prepare  a  hot-bed  the  latter  part  of  February, 
or  first  of  March  in  the  very  best  manner,  with 
six  inches  of  fine  vegetable  mold  upon  the  sur¬ 
face.  The  temperature  should  be  well  regulated, 
never  rising  above  100°  even  in  mid-day,  nor 
falling  below  50°  at  night,  or  when  shaded. 

The  best  variety  of  the  tomato,  is  the  Large 
Smooth  Red.  Steep  the  seed  twenty-four  hours 
in  warm  rain  water.  Rake  the  soil  well  and  sow 
thinly,  covering  lightly  and  press  the  soil  firmly. 
Water  them  with  a  solution  of  ^  oz.  saltpetre  to  a 
gallon  of  rain  water, of  the  same  temperature  as  the 
bed.  Close  the  sash  for  48  hours,  and  shade  with 
straw  scattered  lightly  over  the  glass.  Raise  the 
sash  a  trifle  only,  until  the  plants  have  made  their 
first  leaves  ;  at  which  time  gradually  remove  the 
straw,  and  admit  more  air  to  the  bed,  unless  the 
weather  is  severely  cold.  The  seedlings  at  this 
state  need  nice  management ;  if  they  have  no 
air,  they  will  damp  off;  if  chilled  by  the  admis¬ 
sion  of  strong  cold  drafts,  they  will  never  recover 
from  the  effects.  If  it  becomes  necessary  to  raise 
the  sash  when  strong  winds  prevail,  protect  the 
side  most  exposed,  by  stretching  mats  across  ;  or 
surround  the  bed  with  them,  to  break  the  force 
of  the  wind.  The  surface  of  the  bed  must  be 
kept  constantly  moist  by  frequent  sprinklings  of 
rain  water  of  the  same  temperature  as  the  bed. 

Choose  the  warmest  part  of  the  day,  to  thin  the 
plants.  Leave  four  to  every  foot ;  or  three  inches 
to  each  plant. 

When  the  plants  have  made  four  strong  leaves 
besides  the  cotyledons,  pinch  off  the  two  lower 
ones,  without  injuring  the  buds  in  their  axils 
which  will  eventually  form  the  fruit  branches. 
Sprinkle  regularly  with  tepid  rain  water  ;  and  give 
a  good  supply  of  suds  or  manure  water  weekly. 
If  the  latter  is  used,  avoid  wetting  the  leaves,  or 
rinse  them  with  pure  water  immediately.  Pinch 
off  the  two  lower  leaves,  as  fast  as  new  ones  put 
forth.  When  four  have  been  removed  ;  take  up 
the  plants,  pinch  off  the  end  of  the  tap  root  and 
plant  out  in  the  same  bed,  if  the  heat  is  not  too 
much  exhausted,  sinking  the  stems  a  little  low¬ 
er  than  they  stood  before.  If  the  bed  is  too  cool, 
plant  them  in  another,  four  inches  apart.  Wet 
the  soil  thoroughly ;  close  the  sash  for  a  few 


hours  and  shade  until  the  plants  are  well  rooted 
Give  all  the  air  possible  with  safety  to  the  plants 
Trim  as  before  and  transplant  in  the  same  man¬ 
ner  when  the  plants  have  made  four  more  leaves, 
setting  them  six  inches  apart.  Water  and  shade 
as  previously  directed.  When  four  more  leaves 
have  been  removed,  transplant  again,  leaving  them 
nine  inches  distant.  Remove  one  fourth  of  the 
leaves  on  the  branches,  being  careful  not  to  touch 
the  clusters  of  flower  buds.  If  the  plants  have 
been  sunk  a  little  each  time  of  transplanting,  they 
will  now  have  formed  a  mass  of  small  fibrous 
roots  ready  to  do  their  duty.  Now  prepare  them 
for  their  final  removal  to  the  open  border,  by  ad¬ 
mitting  all  the  air  and  light  possible,  without 
injuring  the  plants.  Raise  the  frames  as  often  as 
is  necessary,  that  the  plants  may  not  be  deformed, 
or  crowded.  As  soon  as  practicable,  remove  the 
sash  entirely.  Trim  the  plants  as  before;  leav¬ 
ing  always  on  the  ends  of  branches,  and  near  each 
cluster  of  fruits,  sufficient  leaves  to  attract  and 
elaborate  the  sap  needed  to  perfect  the  fruit. 

Prepare  a  border  in  the  highest  part  of  the 
garden,  if  possible  sloping  to  the  south.  Spade 
deeply  and  enrich  the  soil,  which  should  be 
sandy,  with  equal  parts  of  barnyard  and  veget¬ 
able  manure  thoroughly  decomposed.  The  bed 
should  be  four  feet  wide  and  extending  east  and 
west.  The  frames  should  be  five  feet  square, 
driven  one  foot  deep  in  the  border,  placed  one 
foot  from  the  north  side  of  the  bed,  one  foot  from 
frame  to  frame,  sloping  very  little  towards  the 
north.  Prepare  a  hole  one  foot  across  by  each 
frame  or  lattice,  pour  in  enough  hot  water  to 
make  a  mud  batter,  take  up  the  plants  carefully 
with  the  adhering  soil ;  and  place  them  in  the 
holes  half  an  inch  lower  than  they  previously 
stood.  Tie  them  to  the  frames  with  a  soft  string 
and  cover  the  wet  earth  with  an  inch  of  dry  soil. 
If  the  lower  branches  can  be  made  to  reach  the 
ground  without  breaking,  cover  a  part  of  them 
with  the  soil  and  tie  the  end  of  the  branches  to  the 
frame.  Sprinkle  the  leaves  immediately  and 
shade  for  a  few  days.  If  the  air  is  very  dry, 
sprinkle  the  leaves  daily  for  two  weeks.  If  cold, 
protect  the  plants  with  mats  or  blankets. 

The  20th  of  May  is  sufficiently  early  in  this 
climate  to  remove  plants  from  the  hot-bed  to 
the  garden  ;  and  too  early  if  the  season  is  cold 
and  backward.  There  is  much  lost,  by  planting 
out  before  the  soil  is  sufficiently  warm  to  receive 
the  roots  without  giving  so  severe  a  chill  as  to 
injure  them  permanently.  Continue  to  trim  both 
main  and  fruit  branches.  Stir  the  soil  often,  draw 
it  up  slightly  to  the  stem  once  every  month  to  in¬ 
duce  new  shoots  to  form  which  will  materially  in¬ 
vigorate  the  plant.  For  very  early  fruit,  stop  all 
the  branches  and  main  stem  when  the  first  fruit 
is  as  large  as  filberts.  When  as  many  tomatoes 
are  formed  as  can  reasonably  be  expected  to  ripen 
before  frost,  stop  the  growth  of  the  whole  vine 
by  pinching,  and  remove  the  blossoms  not  set  for 
fruit.  This  will  not  only  expedite  the  ripening  of 
the  fruit,  hut  increase  its  size.  If  frost  is  expect¬ 
ed,  cover  slightly  until  the  danger  is  past.  If  the 
plants  are  touched  by  frost,  water  before  the  sun 
touches  them  and  shade  for  the  dry;  this  will 
usually  save  them.  The  season  for  tomatoes  in 
this  latitude  is  very  short,  when  the  old  method 
is  pursued;  by  the  above  plan,  they  can  be  had  in 
perfection,  from  July  15th,  to  Oct.  25th.  The  the¬ 
ory,  that  removing  the  leaves  injures  the  fruit  does 
not  hold  good  in  the  tomato,  since  by  reducing  the 
luxuriance  of  the  vines,  we  get  more,  and  better 
fruit  than  when  they  are  allowed  to  make  all  the 
foliage  they  would  naturally. 

As  the  tomato  throws  out  from  its  stem  abund¬ 
ance  of  new  roots  each  time  it  is  transplanted, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


143 


it  is  well  prepared  to  sustain  itself  when  removed 
to  the  border  ;  and  plants  thus  treated,  if  lifted 
with  care,  and  planted  out  as  directed,  can  be  left 
in  the  hot-bed  as  long  as  the  weather  renders  it 
imprudent  to  remove  them  to  the  open  air,  with 
no  danger  of  their  being  too  forward  to  move.  I 
have  transplanted  them  without  injury,  when  in 
full  bloom,  eighteen  inches  high,  while  every  one 
who  has  tried  it,  knows  how  difficult  it  is  to  make 
a  tomato  live  even,  when  removed  from  a  hot¬ 
bed  to  the  cold  soil  of  the  garden,  with  only  one 
poor  little  root  to  sustain  it. 

If  the  garden  is  infested  with  cut  worms  wrap  the 
stem  before  planting  out  with  one  thickness  of 
newspaper  extending  three  inches  above  the  root. 
Eveiy  plant  not  stopped  for  early  fruit  may  be  de¬ 
pended  upon  for  from  a  half  to  one  bushel  of 
line  well  ripened  fruit,  not  half  green  with  a  taste 
more  like  the  soil  on  which  it  grew,  than  the  de¬ 
licious  fruit  it  is. 

Save  seed  from  the  largest,  smoothest,  and 
earliest  tomatoes,  ripening  on  vines  not  stopped 
for  the  early  fruit.  The  fruit  should  be  very  ripe, 
and  lay  in  the  sun  until  nearly  decayed.  Wash 
the  seed  clean  and  dry  in  the  shade. 

It  may  seem  to  careless  gardeners,  too  much 
trouble  to  grow  tomatoes  with  so  much  care; 
but  the  lover  of  this  excellent  fruit  will,  I  feel  sure, 
not  regret  his  trouble,  when  he  perceives  the 
difference  between  tomatoes  cultivated,  and 
those  allowed  to  grow  wild.  I  often  hear  it 
said  ;  “  I  do  not  see  what  makes  your  tomatoes 

taste  so  different  from  mine.”  I  have  tried  to 
give  the  reasons  in  the  above  details. 

E.  F.  Haskii.l. 

j Monroe,  Mich 1859. 

- ^ - 

Directions  for  Raising  Melons,  Cucum¬ 
bers,  etc 

Most  persons  relish  fine  ripe  melons,  especially 
in  the  hot  summer  months,  when  there  is  a  crav¬ 
ing  for  something  succulent  and  cooling.  Melons 
are  one  of  the  bountiful  gifts  granted  by  Nature, 
alike  to  poor  and  rich,  for  the  laborer  who  has  a 
little  plot  around  his  cottage,  can  grow  them  for  his 
own  use,  as  well  as  can  the  millionaire  with  his 
gardens  and  conservatories.  A  few  seeds,  a  plot 
of  ground  naturally  free  from  standing  water  or 
made  so  artificially,  and  plenty  of  sunshine,  are 
the  essentials.  A  deep,  friable  loam,  having 
more  sand  than  clay,  and  enriched  with  decayed 
vegetable  matter,  is  the  best. 

Early  starting  of  the  vines  is  also  very  desir¬ 
able.  In  this  latitude  we  have  raised  very  good 
melons  from  seed  planted  near  the  close  of  May, 
but  they  came  to  full  maturity  after  the  season 
when  they  would  have  been  most  relished.  May 
1st  or  earlier,  is  the  better  season  for  starting  the 
seed.  As  there  is  danger  of  the  seeds  rotting  in 
the  ground,  and  also  of  the  plants  being  stunted 
by  cold,  when  put  into  the  open  ground  at  the 
North  before  about  the  middle  of  May,  we  advise 
starting  the  plants  in  sods  or  baskets  as  soon  as 
the  middle  of  April  or  first  of  May.  Cut  pieces  of 
grass  turf,  say  six  inches  square,  more  or  less,  in¬ 
vert  them,  and  plant  four  to  eight  seeds  in  each. 
Keep  the  turf  barely  moist,  but  never  dry,  plac¬ 
ing  it  in  a  cellar,  or  on  the  south  side  of  a  house, 
board-fence,  or  other  protection.  When  the 
seeds  are  up,  the  ground  warm,  and  the  weather 
suitable,  transfer  the  sods  to  hills.  Or  :  the  seeds 
may  be  planted  at  first  in  old  open  baskets  filled 
with  earth,  and  the  baskets  afterwards  be  set  in 
the  garden  or  plot.  '  The  roots  will  find  their 
way  through  the  holes  in  the  bottom  and  sides  of 
the  basket,  and  out  into  the  surrounding  soil.  The 
baskets,  of  course,  are  to  be  left  in  the  soil  un¬ 


disturbed  through  the  season.  Both  of  these 
plans  have  proved  very  good,  and  a  gain  of  two 
or  three  weeks  time  may  thus  be  made. 

Whether  the  seeds  be  previously  started,  or 
planted  at  once  in  the  open  ground,  the  hills 
should  be  made  wide  apart,  say  6  to  8  feet  each 
way  for  water-melons,  and  5  to  6  feet  for  musk- 
melons,  canteloupes,  encumbers,  etc.  There  is  no 
waste  of  ground  in  this.  If  land  is  scarce  or  val¬ 
uable,  the  spaces  between  the  hills,  but  not  very 
near  them,  may  be  used  for  early  lettuce,  ra¬ 
dishes,  or  other  early  low  growing  plants.  Me¬ 
lon  vines  grow  better,  and  yield  more  and  better 
fruit  for  not  being  crowded. 

The  finest  plot  of  cucumbers  we  ever  saw,  was 
in  this  wise  :  They  were  planted  in  drills  6  feet 
apart,  the  seeds  being  sown  quite  thickly  and  af¬ 
terwards  thinned  out  to  about  15  inches  between 
the  plants.  The  thinning  was  done  from  time  to 
time  by  clipping  down,  not  pulling  up,  the  excess 
of  vines.  The  last  plants  were  not  cut  out  until 
there  was  an  established  growth  of  2  or  3  feet, 
and  all  danger  from  insects  was  past.  After 
this,  by  turning  in  the  ends  of  the  runners,  and 
occasionally  clipping  them  where  there  was  an 
excess,  they  were  made  to  cover  evenly,  but  not 
thickly;  a  space  of  2^  feet  each  side  of  the  ori¬ 
ginal  seed  drill.  This  left  them  in  beds  5  feet 
wide,  with  a  clean  path  one  foot  wide  between 
each  bed.  From  this  path  the  picker  or  weeder 
could  reach  into  the  center  of  the  bed  on  each 
side,  and  the  vines  were  uninjured  by  tramp¬ 
ling  in  weeding  or  gathering  the  cucumbers.  A 
similar  plan  would  be  a  good  one  for  all  sorts 
of  melon  vines.  We  shall  adopt  it  this  year. 

For  fertilizers,  well  rotted  barn-yard  manure, 
or  chip  manure,  rotten  leaves  (leaf-mold),  sand 
on  clay  soils,  bone  sawings,  etc.,  are  good.  Let  a 
free  supply  be  added  to  each  hill,  or  along  each 
drill,  digging  the  ground  thoroughly  for  a  foot 
each  way  from  where  a  plant  is  to  stand,  and 
at  least  a  foot  deep,  mixing  in  the  manure  to 
that  depth  and  width.  Deep  digging  is  import¬ 
ant.  The  vines  require  much  moisture,  and  they 
should  have  a  chance  to  send  down  roots  be¬ 
low  the  drying  effects  of  the  severest  drouth, 
that  they  may  always  obtain  a  full  supply  of  sap. 

Insects  are  the  greatest  obstacle  to  success 
in  raising  melons  or  cucumbers.  They  may  be 
kept  off  with  frames,  hoops,  or  bottomless  boxes, 
placed  over  the  hills.  Soot,  ashes,  air-slaked 
lime,  red  pepper,  tobacco  water,  etc.,  sprinkled 
over  the  young  plants,  are  sometimes  partial 
preventives,  but  not  always.  The  best  plan  we 
have  found  in  practice  is  to  raise  enough  plants 
extra  to  feed  the  insects.  This  may  be  done 
in  two  or  three  modes.  Our  plan  is  to  put  in 
twenty,  thiity,  or  even  fifty  seeds  for  each  per¬ 
fect  plant  finally  wanted.  Out  of  this  number 
we  have  never  failed  to  get  some  perfect  plants. 
This  is  only  practicable  when  seed  is  abundant, 
but  it  is  better  usually  to  buy  two  or  three 
five-penny  papers  of  seed  extra,  in  order  to  se¬ 
cure  a  certain  supply  of  plants.  A  second  plan 
is,  to  put  in  two  or  three  circles  or  rows  of 
seeds,  each  row  being  planted  three-fourths  of 
an  inch  deeper  than  the  one  within  it.  By  this 
means  a  fresh  supply  of  tender  plants  will  ap¬ 
pear  in  succession,  and  the  insects  will  feed 
upon  the  youngest,  and  before  these  are  con¬ 
sumed,  the  first  starting  plants  will  have  grown 
out  of  the  way  of  harm,  as  the  insects  do  not 
eat  the  leaves  after  they  are  somewhat  matur¬ 
ed  and  hardened.  The  third  plan  is  similar, 
and  we  have  found  it  perfectly  effectual.  We 
make  the  hills  or  drills,  and  plant  a  few  seeds 
say  2  or  3  inches  deep,  then  put  on  three-fourths 
of  an  inch  of  fine  earth,  and  add  another  layer 


of  seeds.  Then  add  more  earth  and  more  seeds, 
the  last  seeds  being  covered  but  f  to  1  inch 
with  fine  soil,  slightly  patted  down  to  prevent 
drying.  We  have  also  varied  this  plan  by  scat¬ 
tering  the  seeds  on  the  surface  of  the  prepared 
hill,  and  dibbling,  digging,  or  raking  them  in  to 
different  depths.  They  then  continue  coming 
up  for  three  or  four  weeks,  and  the  insects  in¬ 
variably  leave  us  some  strong  plants  among 
those  first  starting.  This  takes  more  seeds,  and 
may  seem  a  lazy  method,  but  for  busy  men  who 
have  not  lime  to  stand  by  and  watch  the  ene¬ 
my,  and  pinch  them  off  with  the  fingers,  or 
“  shoot  them  with  bow  and  arrow,”  we  think 
the  plan  will  in  the  end  prove  the  cheapest. 
Twenty-five  cents  worth  of  extra  seed  will  sa¬ 
tisfy  the  insect  tax-gatherers,  and  we  usually 
prefer  to  pay  the  tax  rather  than  expend  a 
dozen  “  quarters’  ”  worth  of  time  in  protecting 
and  defending  our  “  reserved  rights.” 

- ■*— —  - - - 

Sweet  Potatoes. 


These,  to  be  dry  and  mealy,  require  a  warm, 
sandy,  and  tolerably  rich  soil.  The  sets  are  now 
easily  obtained,  even  by  mail,  of  those  who  make 
a  business  of  growing  them  for  sale.  They  may 
be  easily  produced,  however,  by  planting  the 
small  potatoes  horizontally  in  a  hot-bed,  the  lat¬ 
ter  part  of  April  or  first  of  May.  A  good  supply 
of  these  sets  or  sprouts  may  be  obtained  in  this 
manner,  for  planting  out  from  the  15th  to  the  20th 
of  May,  and  the  potatoes  if  left  in  the  ground 
will  yield  more  sprouts  for  still  later  planting. 

To  remove  these  sets,  water  the  bed  thorough¬ 
ly,  and  follow  down  by  the  side  of  the  sprout  with 
the  finger,  separating  it  from  the  potato  at  its 
junction.  A  moist  day  is  best  for  transplanting. 
Having  enriched  and  deeply  plowed  the  ground, 
harrow  it  down,  and  with  a  light  plow’  mark  off 
the  rows  four  feet  each  way.  Make  the  hills  at 
the  intersections  of  the  furrows,  by  drawing  up 
the  earth  with  a  large  hoe,  so  as  to  form  a 
broad  surface  about  one  foot  higher  than  the  sur¬ 
rounding  ground.  Plant  two  sets  about  six  inches 
apart  upon  the  top  of  each  hill,  and  there  is 
very  little  more  to  be  done,  except  removing 
weeds.  At  the  first  hoeing  a  plow  may  be  used, 
turning  the  earth  towards  the  hills,  which  will 
materially  lessen  the  labor,  and  assist  in  hilling. 
Draw  the  earth  about  the  plants  with  the  hoe. 
After  this  the  vines  will  begin  to  cover  the 
ground,  precluding  the  use  of  anything  but  the 
hoe,  which  should  be  used  to  keep  down  weeds. 

We  have  seen  very  fair  sweet  potatoes  grown 
in  northern  Ohio,  and  known  of  their  being 
raised  with  moderate  success  in  northern  cen¬ 
tral  New-York. 


Club-footed  Cabbages 

Cabbages  sometimes  show  a  disposition  to  grow 
with  very  large,  semi-bulbous  roots,  instead  of 
heading  well ;  this  difficulty  called  the  ‘club-foot’ 
often  occasions  serious  loss  to  the  cultivator.  It 
has  been  attributed  to  several  causes,  among 
which  are  cold  wet  soils,  and  the  use  of  manure 
from  hog-pens.  We  suspect  the  trouble  may  come 
from  seed  raised  contiguous  to  or  in  the  same 
patch  with  turnips  cultivated  for  seed.  Both  the 
cabbage  and  turnip  belong  to  the  brassica  tribe, 
and  when  in  flower,  they  may  be  mixed  or  hy¬ 
bridized,  by  pollen  from  one  flower  falling  upon  or 
being  carried  to  another.  It  would  be  well  to. 
prevent  this  cause  of  difficulty  by  raising  supplies 
of  these  seeds  in  alternate  years.  The  different 
varieties  of  cabbages,  or  of  any  plant,  should  be 
kept  at  a  distance  if  pure  seed  is  desired. 


144 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  148. 


This  magnificent  tree,  to  which  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  make  very  frequent  allusions,  derives  its 
name  from  Mount  Lebanon,  in  the  vicinity  of 
which  it  most  largely  abounded  formerly.  It  is 
often  spoken  of  in  connection  with  buildings, 
and  particular  reference  is  made  to  Solomon’s 
Temple,  and  the  four-score  thousand  (80,000) 
hewers  in  the  mountains  preparing  the  timber. 
Some  writers  think  that  the  inroads  made  upon 
these  forests  at  that  time  so  thinned  them  out 
that  they  have  never  fully  recovered.  Certain 
it  is,  that  late  travelers  do  not  find  them  abun¬ 
dant  in  those  regions,  although  a  few  very  large 
specimens  are  left,  whose  ages  must  date  far 
back  into  the  past,  as  many  of  them  now  measure 
over  thirty  feet  in  circumference. 

The  trees  were  introduced  into  England  many 
years  ago,  and  succeed  well  in  that  moist  atmos¬ 
phere.  One  is  described  by  Loudon,  72  feet  in 
hight  and  24  feet  in  circumference.  Another  is 
spoken  of  which  was  blown  down  in  1779,  and 
measured  70  feet  in  hight.  It  is  a  rapid  growing 
tree  in  that  country,  after  the  first  few  years. 
They  are  not  perfectly  hardy  in  this  country  north 
of  40°,  but  in  most  localities  south  of  that  parallel 
succeed  well.  We  have  seen  several  beautiful 
specimens  at  Flushing,  Long  Island,  of  some  40 
or  1 0  feet  in  hight,  with  their  broad,  depending 


branches  sweeping  the  ground  in  a  circle  of  about 
45  feet  in  diameter.  They  show  best  when 
grown  as  single  trees;  the  lower  branches  die 
out  when  they  are  crowded  together  in  masses. 
They  are  produced,  with  some  difficulty,  from 
cuttings,  in  propagating  frames  or  houses,  but  are 
more  generally  raised  from  seed  sown  in  Spring, 
upon  a  rather  light  sandy  loam,  covering  only 
one-half  inch.  They  will  require  a  slight  protec¬ 
tion  in  this  latitude,  for  the  first  few  winters, 
after  which,  plant  in  a  deep  soil,  somewhat  moist. 
When  grown  in  perfection,  they  form  a  splendid 
tree,  as  shown  in  the  engraving.  For  this  beau¬ 
tiful  engraving  we  are  indebted  to  A.  O.  Moore, 
the  publisher  of  the  last  edition  of  Downing’s 
Landscape  Gardening,  which  is  noticed  elsewhere 
in  this  number.  The  imprint  shows  that  the 
sketch  is  from  the  publisher’s  own  pencil. 


Planting  Evergreens— Best  time  For. 

May  is  on  the  whole  the  best  month  for  plant¬ 
ing  evergreens.  ‘Not  so,’  says  Mr.  Jones  ;  ‘I  once 
planted  some  hemlocks  and  pines  in  May,  and 
they  nearly  all  died  ;  whereas,  some  that  I  set 
out  in  July  lived,  and  so  did  some  in  August.  I 
believe  in  July  and  August.’ 

Listen  reader,  while  we  tell  you  privately,  how 


he  planted  his  trees  in  May,  and  how  those  in  July 
and  August ;  then  you  may  judge  what  his  opin¬ 
ion  is  worth.  He  went  to  the  woods,  one  fine 
warm  day  in  May,  dug  up  his  hemlocks  at  his 
leisure,  carried  them  home  with  the  roots  bare, 
set  them  out  in  a  clay  soil,  dashed  on  a  pail-full 
of  water  from  the  well,  and  took  no  further  pains 
with  them.  His  pines  he  bought  of  a  strolling 
tree-peddler;  and  the  pedler  managed  thus  •  He 
went  to  his  swamp  and  dug  up  the  pines  in  a 
very  rough  way,  using  his  ax  more  than  his  spade, 
cutting  off  most  of  the  roots  for  convenience  in 
lifting  and  packing.  When  enough  wrere  dug,  he 
loaded  them  on  his  wagon  like  so  many  logs,  and 
they  spent  the  remainderof  the  day  and  the  night 
on  the  wagon,  uncovered.  Next  day  they  were 
leisurely  drawn  ten  miles  to  the  neighboring  town, 
and  delivered,  nicely  dried  and  baked  by  wind  and 
sun.  Just  for  looks’  sake,  however,  the  pedler 
halted  at  a  pump,  before  reaching  the  town,  and 
threw  a  few  pailfulls  of  water  over  his  tiees. 
Mr.  Jones,  the  purchaser,  thought  the  trees 
looked  very  fresh,  and  as  they  were  offered  cheap, 
he  asked  no  further  questions,  and  ordered  them 
to  be  set  out.  They  wee  set  out,  as  posts  are 
set,  and  most  of  them  lived  just  as  much  as  posts 
do.  Now,  after  this  experiment,  who  can  fail  to 
see  that  May  is  a  bad  month  for  transplanting 
evergre;  ns ! 

His  work  in  July  and  August  was  done  thus  : 
Mourning  over  his  earlier  losses,  he  resolved  to 
take  more  pains  with  his  trees.  He  began  by 
preparing  large  holes,  rejecting  the  poor  soil  and 
carting  in  better,  and  providing  a  heap  by  the  side 
of  each  hole  for  planting  with.  Then,  taking  ad¬ 
vantage  of  a  cool  and  moist  day,  which  had 
been  preceded  by  several  rainy  ones,  he  went  to 
the  open  fields  (not  to  the  woods),  and  dug  up 
hemlocks,  firs,  and  pines,  getting  as  large  roots 
as  possible,  and  taking  up  also  a  ball  of  earth  with 
each  tree,  and  protecting  them  with  old  matting 
until  they  were  planted.  “That’s  right.’’ said  an 
old  gardener,  who  noticed  his  care  in  protecting 
the  roo-ts  from  sun  and  wind,  “  never  let  ’em  see 
daylight,  and  the  trees  are  sure  to  live”  And 
they  did  live,  nearly  every  one,  and  so  did  anoth¬ 
er  lot  which  he  purchased  at  the  same  time  from 
a  neighboring  nursery,  and  treated  with  the  same 
care.  He  not  only  planted  them  well,  but  mulch¬ 
ed  their  roots  with  leaves  and  flat  stones.  And 
because  they  lived,  Mr.  Jones  insists  that  mid¬ 
summer  is  the  best  time  for  transplanting  ever¬ 
greens  !  And  he  declares  that  only  stupid  or  ob¬ 
stinate  people  doubt  it. 

Now,  let  us  inquire  whether  early  Summer  is 
not  the  best  time  for  doing  this  work.  Observa¬ 
tion  shows  that  evergreens  have  their  greatest 
vigor,  and  are  best  able  to  overcome  the  shock  of 
removal,  at  the  time  when  they  are  just  begin¬ 
ning  to  grow.  Roots,  branches,  and  buds  are  then 
in  full  action,  and  the  tree’s  annual  impulse  of 
growth  is  but  slightly  checked.  Again'  the  roots 
of  evergreens  suffer  more  from  exposure  to  sun 
and  wind,  than  deciduous  trees.  Some  physiolo¬ 
gists  say  that  this  is  owing  to  the  resinous  quality 
of  the  sap  in  the  roots  which  hardens  on  becom¬ 
ing  dry,  and  stops  the  circulation,  and  can  not  be 
softened  by  any  subsequent  watering.  Now, 
these  two  conditions  are  best  met  by  planting  in 
May,  or  early  in  June,  when  the  tree  is  just,  wak¬ 
ing  into  vigorous  life,  and  when  the  ground  and 
the  atmosphere  are  comparatively  moist.  Of 
course  it  is  possible  to  move  evergreens  in  mid¬ 
summer,  and  indeed  in  almost  every  month  ofthe 
year;  but  if  the  inquiry  is^what  on  the  whole  is 
the  best  season,  we  answer  unhesitatingly,  in  May. 
Such  is  the  voice  of  theory,  and  the  voice  of  prac¬ 
tice  harmonizes  with  it.  With  few  exceptions, 


May,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


145 


the  prevailing  testimony  of  planters  far  and  wide 
is  that  in  their  experience  the  best  season  is  in 
early  Summer,  when  the  trees  are  pushing  out 
their  first  growth.  In  the  southern  States,  this 
comes  in  April  and  the  first  part  of  May  ;  at  the 
north,  in  May  and  the  first  half  of  June. 

Doubtless  many  evergreens  will  be  planted  the 
present  Summer.  A  new  appreciation  of  their 
value  is  being  awakened  in  all  parts  of  the  coun¬ 
try.  Northern  people  especially,  whose  Summer 
season  is  so  short,  begin  to  feel  the  desirableness 
of  having  their  home-scenes  made  cheerful  by  un¬ 
changing  foliage.  How  the  wintry  winds  twist 
and  batter,  if  they  do  not  break  down  young  or¬ 
chards  and  rare  ornamental  trees,  which  a  belt  of 
evergreens  would  defend  from  injury.  How  the 
storms  roar  around  many  an  exposed  house,  rat¬ 
tling  the  doors  and  windows,  sifting  in  through 
cracks  and  crevices,  and  making  a  Winter  resi¬ 
dence  on  certain  sides  of  the  house  uncomforta¬ 
ble,  which  a  few  groups  of  pines  and  spruces 
would  soften  and  keep  at  bay.  And  does  not  the 
wood-pile  and  the  coal-heap  waste  faster,  in  the 
attempt  to  warm  a  house  so  exposed  1 

Let  it  be  remembered  too,  how  many  months  of 
the  year  are  leafless  months.  Not  to  speak 
now,  of  mid-winter,  there  is  a  month  or  two  in 
Autumn,  after  deciduous  leaves  have  dropped, 
and  before  snow  has  fallen,  when  the  grounds  of 
a  country  home  are  quite  desolate.  Desolate  in¬ 
deed,  if  planted  with  deciduous  trees  alone;  but 
if  fringed  and  interspersed  with  groups  and  scat¬ 
tered  specimens  of  evergreens,  they  continue 
cheerful.  The  grass  holds  much  of  its  freshness, 
and  with  this  and  a  variety  of  well  managed  ever¬ 
green  trees  and  shrubs  lighted  up  by  a  warm 
November  sun,  one  hardly  misses  the  departed 
glory  of  Summer.  And  the  same  is  true  in  Spring. 
We  have  early  blooming  flowers,  the  air  is  full  of 
singing  birds,  and  the  grass  is  green  for  quite  a 
time  before  the  tardy  deciduous  trees  have  put  on 
their  Summer  robes.  In  this  period,  evergreens 
play  an  important  part,  breaking  off  the  cold 
winds  and  giving  a  cheerful  air  to  the  landscape. 
To  the  eye  of  the  landscape-artist,  these  trees  are 
as  important  in  Summer  as  in  Winter.  He  wants 
the  depth  of  color  and  the  richness  and  variety  of 
tint  in  his  groups  of  foliage  which  can  be  got  only 
by  a  due  admixture  of  evergreens.  He  wants 
their  bold  forms  to  pierce  through  and  break  up 
the  monotony  of  round-headed  trees,  and  to  give 
them  life  and  inspiration. 

But  we  must  stay  our  pen  for  the  present. 
Enough  for  this  month,  if  comfort,  health,  econo¬ 
my,  and  beauty,  plead  for  the  planting  of  conifers. 
At  another  time,  we  may  add  a  few  words  on  the 
selection  of  trees,  from  old  and  new  sorts. 


“May  Day”  Tree  Planting. 

G.  B.  Richards,  of  Addison  Co.,  Vt.,  sends  us 
a  lengthy  communication,  but  we  have  only  room 
for  the  following  summary  :  In  Vermont  and 
some  other  parts  of  New-England,  associations 
or  societies  are  formed  for  the  improvement  of 
neighborhoods,  by  planting  ornamental  shade 
trees  around  the  churches  and  country  burying- 
grounds,  also  along  the  streets  of  villages  and 
country  roads,  with  groves  on  ihe  commons,  and 
vacant  corners  thrown  into  the  highways  at  road 
crossings  In  that  latitude,  ‘‘May  Day  ”  is  chosen 
as  an  appropriate  season,  since  vegetation  is  more 
backward  than  further  south.  The  day  is 
anticipated  with  much  interest  and  looked  upon 
as  a  sort  of  holiday  by  the  young  people  who  are 
wont  to  have  a  merry-making  in  the  evening, 
where,  of  course,  the  country  and  village  lads 
and  lasses  are  represented.  At  each  succeeding 


year  failures  are  made  good  and  the  line  of  road 
planting  extended,  either  from  the  finest  trees  of 
the  native  forests,  or  with  cultivated  trees,  which 
are  not  unfrequently  supplied  gratis  by  the  public- 
spirited  nurserymen  of  the  neighborhood.  These 
trees  besides  beautifying  the  whole  country  are  a 
real  comfort  during  the  scorching  days  of  Sum¬ 
mer  and  a  sort  of  belt  to  break  the  force  of  high 
winds,  and,  where  interspersed  with  evergreens, 
temper  the  chilling  blasts  of  Winter. 

These  examples  are  worthy  of  imitation,  in  all 
country  places.  It  is  surprising  what  changes  may 
be  produced  by  a  very  little  tree  planting  like  this. 
How-  many  of  us  have  seen  a  few  trees  growing 
in  the  street  even,  before  a  man’s  door,  which  the 
owner  would  not  part  with  for  ten  times  the  cost. 
In  riding  over  a  monotonous  plain  during  the  sul¬ 
try  days  of  Summer,  how  the  eye  longs  for  some¬ 
thing  to  change  the  scene,  and  both  traveler  and 
beast  are  delighted  to  enter  a  wood,  with  the  high 
over-arching  bows  meeting  to  form  a  cool  re¬ 
freshing  shade.  In  some  places  they  carry  the 
spirit  of  liberality  so  far  as  to  plant  fruit  trees 
along  the  road  sides,  to  afford  both  shade  and  fruit 
for  the  weary  traveler,  each  landholder  gathering 
in  its  season,  what  remains  opposite  to  bis  prem¬ 
ises.  Were  such  customs  more  prevalent,  the 
neighboring  orchards  would  be  much  more  se¬ 
cure. 

- —  - - <a«*> - - - 

Town  Horticultural  Societies- 

In  some  former  volume  we  have  called  atten¬ 
tion  to  the  importance  of  local  horticultural  socie¬ 
ties  ;  and  we  are  constrained  to  do  so  again.  The 
leading  object  of  such  societies  is  the  diffusion  of 
information,  especially  suited  to  the  locality  in 
which  they  exist,  and  the  promotion  of  a  public 
interest  in  rural  pursuits.  Much  can  be  learned 
by  two  or  three  annual  gatherings  of  the  farmers, 
gardeners,  and  amateurs  of  the  tow-n,  comparing 
notes,  and  exhibiting  the  fruits  of  their  labor  and 
skill.  And  the  stimulus  gained  thereby  to  their 
zeal  is  very  great  or  useful. 

If  it  is  understood  that  the  town  society  is  to 
have  in  June  an  exhibition  of  fruits,  vegetables, 
and  flowers,  every  person  who  owns  a  rod  of 
ground  is  wide  awake  to  see  how  much  he  can  do 
with  it.  Radishes,  lettuce,  rhubarb,  asparagus, 
peas,  and  strawberries  are  all  cultivated  with  spe¬ 
cial  care.  In  strawberries,  particularly,  there  is 
great  competition.  Mr.  Hovey,  who  has  so  long 
carried  off  the  prizes,  finds  Mr.  Peabody,  Mr. 
Wilson,  Mr.  McAvoy,  Mr.  Hooker,  and  a  multi¬ 
tude  more  panting  hard  after  him.  One  claims 
superior  size,  another  earliness,  another  excels 
in  sweetness,  or  firmness,  or  prolificness,  and  so 
on.  This  is  the  season,  too,  for  roses  and  many 
other  flowers.  Here  the  ladies  especially  show 
their  zeal  and  taste.  For  several  weeks  before 
the  exhibition,  shrubs  and  plants  are  watched 
and  pruned  and  watered  with  unusual  care.  Rose- 
bugs  and  slugs  get  their  eyes  full  of  whale-oil 
soap  suds,  or  tobacco  water,  or  lime.  The  conse¬ 
quence  is,  that  this  queen  of  the  garden  makes  a 
grand  display.  Lilacs,  paeonies,  parrzies,  daises, 
honeysuckles,  and  many  other  flowers  of  the  sea¬ 
son  combine  to  deck  off  the  gala  scene. 

And  if  there  is,  (as  there  should  be,)  a  second 
exhibition  in  September  or  October,  there  is  a 
fine  opportunity  for  the  show  of  othergood  things 
Potatoes  of  all  sorts,  squashes  of  old  and  new 
kinds,  cauliflower,  melons,  tomatoes,  egg-plants, 
pears,  apples,  quinces,  grapes,  blackberries,  all 
are  represented,  and  all  give  an  interest  to  the 
occasion.  Pears  and  grapes  attract  more  atten¬ 
tion  than  any  other  fruits.  The  many  Beurres, 
the  Seckel,  D’Augouleme,  Louise  Bonne  de  Jer¬ 


sey,  Belle  Lucrative,  Lawrence,  Onondaga,  Vicar 
of  Winkfield,  Flemish  Beauty,  each  in  its  own 
ruddy,  golden  or  russet  hue,  attracts  many  ad¬ 
mirers.  And  the  best  of  it  all  is,  that  most  of 
these  admirers  resolve  on  the  spot,  that  they  will 
henceforth  give  more  attention  to  pear  culture. 
Perhaps  a  discussion  arises  among  the  knowing 
ones,  on  the  comparative  merits  of  the  pear- stock 
and  the  quince-stock,  but  it  ends,  where  such  de¬ 
bates  always  end,  in  assigning  the  quince-stock  to 
the  garden,  and  the  pear-stock  to  the  orchard. 

What  a  crowd  around  the  tables  of  grapes  ! 
“Is  that  the  Dy-anmj  ?”  says  one.  “And  that 
must  be  the  Concord,  where  the  war  was  fought.” 

“  Here  we  have  the  Rebecca ,”  says  a  lady  pomo- 
logist,”  and  the  Delaware,  too  ;  small  berries,  but 
most  delicious  ;  “nature  often  does  up  her  best 
things  in  small  packages.”  “  Let's  see  your 
Chartcr-Hoak,"  says  a  burly  Englishman,  “they 
do  say  if  you  heat  one  of  ’em  for  supper,  you'll 
’ave  to  send  for  the  doctor  afore  mornin  !”  And 
so  the  talk  goes  on,  every  man,  woman,  and  child 
admiring  the  splendid  clusters,  and  not  a  few  re¬ 
solving  to  try  their  hands  at  grape-culture  the 
coming  season. 

Nor  are  flowers  wanting  at  this  exhibition. 
Oonspicious  above  all  are  the  showy  dahlias.  The 
gladiolus,  Japan,  and  other  lilies,  tiger-flowers, 
perpetual  roses,  phloxes,  verbenas,  petunias, 
asters,  balsams,  and  a  nameless  multitude  of 
beautiful  and  fragrant  things  meet  the  eye  on 
every  hand,  and  invest  the  scene  with  the  air  ot 
enchantment. 

Now,  who  can  not  see  that  such  town  fairs  ex¬ 
ert  a  good  influence  1  Almost  every  person 
learns  something  new,  every  one  gets  a  stimulus 
in  the  work  of  gardening  or  farming,  which  makes 
his  subsequent  labors  at  home  easier  and  plea¬ 
santer.  The  kindly  social  feeling  fostered  in  the 
community  by  such  familiar  gatherings  is  also  be¬ 
yond  price. 

- « -  ■««  #  wm  - »  » 

Landscape  Gardening— N.  Y.  Central  Park. 

A  capital  opportunity  is  now  presented  to  those 
who  desire  to  study  Landscape  Gardening,  which 
they  can  do  practically,  by  an  immediate  visit  to 
the  Central  Park  in  this  City,  and  then  continuing 
their  visits  from  time  to  time,  as  the  work  pro¬ 
gresses.  The  grounds  are  under  the  direction  ol 
Mr.  Olmsted,  as  chief  Architect,  assisted  by  Mr. 
Vaux.  Good  taste  and  skill,  with  indefatigable 
industry  appear  in  what  has  already  been  accom¬ 
plished.  The  grounds  at  the  north  end  are  al¬ 
ready  beginning  to  assume  shape  and  beauty  ;  and 
even  now  there  are  numerous  foot-paths  over  the 
rough  rocky  hillocks,  and  down  the  wild  glens  by 
babbling  streams,  plashing  water-fall,  and  crystal 
fountain.  A  friend  who  traveled  abroad  in  form¬ 
er  years,  has  just  returned  from  his  first  visit  to 
our  Park,  and  he  is  quite  enthusiastic.  He  thus 
writes  down  for  us  his  impressions  :  “  The  Ar¬ 

chitects  have  happily  seized  upon  the  varied  points 
in  the  original  rough  landscape,  and  are  shaping 
them  to  a  picturesque  beauty,  such  as  I  believe 
no  Park  in  Europe  can  be  compared  with,  except, 
perhaps,  that  of  Stockholm  in  Sweden.  The  Lon¬ 
don  people  would  think  themselves  happy  in  pos¬ 
sessing  a  single  one  of  its  many  rockeries  at  a 
cost  of  £5,000  ($25,000). 

“  The  view  from  the  Central  Park  observatory  is 
varied  in  the  extreme.  North,  is  the  Hudson 
River,  its  towering  Pallisades,  the  hills  o-f  West¬ 
chester,  and  the  broad  Sound  ;  East,  a  wide  river 
and  Long  Island ;  South,  the  Bay  and  wooded 
hights  of  Staten  Island  ;  while  all  around  are  the 
magnificent  buildings  of  the  great  cities  of  New- 
York  and  Brooklyn.” 


146 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Whale  oil  Soap  and  Lime  vs.  the  Curculio. 

In  a  recent  conversation  with  Mr,  J.  W.  Lo¬ 
gan,  Morris  Co.,  N.  J.,  lie  stated  that  last  year 
he  purchased  a  quantity  of  whale  oil  soap  for  the 
purpose  of  keeping  insects  from  his  rose  hushes. 
Having  more  than  was  needed  for  this  purpose, 
it  occurred  to  him  to  use  it  upon  his  plum  trees, 
and  wishing  to  be  certain  as  to  its  effects,  he  se¬ 
lected  for  trial  a  tree  on  which  he  had  been  un¬ 
able  to  ripen  any  fruit  for  two  or  three  years  pre¬ 
vious.  He  syringed  one  half  of  the  tree  two  or 
three  times  with  the  soap  dissolved  in  water,  at 
intervals  of  about  ten  days,  commencing  when 
the  fruit  has  just  3et  from  the  flower.  The  re¬ 
sult  was,  he  gathered  an  abundance  of  fine,  well- 
ripened  fruit  from  that  side  of  the  tree,  while  on 
the  other  no  fruit  ripened.  Other  trees  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  also  lost  their  fruit  by  the  cur¬ 
culio.  The  soap  should  be  used  in  the  proportion 
of  one  pound  to  six  or  seven  gallons  of  water. 

Capt.  A.  Davis,  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.,  who  has 
been  noted  for  his  skill  and  success  in  fruit  grow¬ 
ing,  informed  us,  that  he  had  almost  despaired  of 
his  plums  for  several  years,  the  curculio  having 
blighted  what  would  otherwise  have  been  an 
abundant  crop.  By  way  of  experiment  he  took 
quicklime,  slaked  it  with  water  just  sufficient  to 
reduce  it  to  powder,  and  applied  it  to  the  trees. 
He  put  the  lime  in  a  bag  made  of  cloth  of  loose 
texture,  so  that  it  would  sift  through  freely,  tied 
it  to  the  end  of  a  light  pole,  and  thoroughly  dust¬ 
ed  the  trees.  This  was  done  several  times  after 
the  fruit  had  first  set,  and  the  result  was  a  very 
large  crop  of  fruit.  Others  have  recommended 
unleached  ashe3  to  be  applied  in  the  same  way. 
Any  one  or  all  of  these  experiments  will  cost 
but  little,  and  if  successful,  will  abundantly  repay 
all  time  and  trouble. 


Apples  Rotting  on  Trees 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

Noticing  some  remarks  in  “our  Basket”  to 
W.  B.  Morgan  Gibson,  of  Tennessee,  relative  to 
apples  rotting  on  the  tree,  I  present  a  few  facts 
from  my  own  experience  within  the  last  year  or 
two.  I  have  a  full-grown  apple  tree,  which  has 
borne  during  three  years  (not  consecutive,  as  the 
fruit  was  cut  off  with  frost  one  intervening  year) 
not  less  then  60  to  65  bushels  of  apples,  but  until 
this  year  I  have  saved  scarcely  any.  The  first 
year,  as  soon  as  the  fruit  began  to  change  color,  a 
black  spot  of  rot  appeared  on  each  apple,  and  they 
all  fell  off. — I  began  to  look  about  for  the  cause, 
by  digging  about  the  trees,  supposing,  as  is  gen¬ 
erally  the  case  in  Tennessee,  that  it  was  planted 
too  deep.  I  had  not  dug  far,  when  I  discovered 
what  must  have  been  the  site  of  an  ash  hopper. 
I  immediately  removed  about  three  cart  loads  of 
ashes,  and  the  tree  the  next  year  had  not  more 
than  half  of  the  fruit  spotted,  and  this  year  I  have 
gathered  from  the  said  tree  25  bushels  of  market¬ 
able  fruit,  leaving  three  or  four  bushels  on  the 
tree  that  I  considered  too  small  and  green.  Now, 
there  may  have  been  too  much  lye,  or  the  tree  may 
have  been  too  deeply  planted  for  the  atmosphere 
to  penetrate,  or  both.  I  have  found  that  when 
trees  are  not  planted  too  deep,  or  when  they  are 
dug  about  and  well  drained ,  the  fruit  seldom,  if 
ever,  rots.  I  have  had  only  one  tree  out  of  150 
which  has  had  rotten  fruit  this  year,  and  that  is, 
I  conjecture,  from  its  being  situated  in  a  wet 
place,  and  which  I  hope  to  remedy  by  trenching 
around  it  or  near  it.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the 
removal  of  the  ashes  and  soil  cured  the  tree  I 
speak  of,  but  I  leave  your  readers  to  draw  their 
own  inference-  A.  Newberry. 

Sequatcliee  Co.,  Tenn. 


[The  facts  given  in  this  case  are  not  sufficient 
to  warrant  the  conclusion,  that  rot  in  fruit  on  the 
tree  is  caused  by  the  soil  being  too  wet.  Un¬ 
doubtedly  a  well-drained  orchard  will  have  an  in¬ 
creased  quantity  of  fruit  and  of  better  quality.  In 
the  case  of  the  tree  which  rested  over  the  ashes, 
it  may  be  that  injury  was  received  by  its  being  in 
that  position,  but  facts  from  many  sections  go  to 
prove,  that  insects  are  at  the  bottom  of  most  of 
the  mischief  done  to  fruit. — Ed.] 


American  Fruits— Past  and  Present-  III 

BY  LEWIS  F.  ALLEN,  ERIE  CO.,  N.  Y. 

( Continued  from  page  111.) 

THE  PLUM. 

This  fruit  has  been  more  or  less  cultivated  in 
the  United  States  since  their  first  settlement,  al¬ 
though  not  as  a  general  fruit  common  to  all  sec¬ 
tions  alike.  In  early  boyhood,  in  the  orchard  first 
named  in  my  first  paper,  I  knew  several  trees  of 
choice  varieties — among  them  one  or  two  of  the 
gage,  the  damson,  and  sub-varieties  of  the  com¬ 
mon  blue  or  horse-plum.  In  Western  Pennsyl¬ 
vania,  about  Pittsburgh,  forty  years  ago  they 
abounded  in  several  choice  varieties,  free  from 
disease  or  insects.  In  New-England,  so  far  as  I 
know,  they  have  for  many  years  been  a  scarce 
fruit,  and  in  many  wide  localities  their  cultivation 
has  not  of  late  been  attempted  at  all.  Yet  they 
have  for  a  long  series  of  years  abounded  along 
the  shores  of  the  Hudson  river,  from  a  few  miles 
below  the  city  of  Hudson  to  some  miles  above 
Troy,  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  west  to 
Schenectady — which  is  probably  the  best  plum  re¬ 
gion  in  the  United  States,  where  they  have  always 
flourished  free  from  disease  or  destructive  insects, 
in  numerous  varieties  and  of  the  finest  flavor. 
Many  of  our  best  new  varieties  have  originated 
thereabouts,  and  still  flourish  in  high  perfection  ; 
and  they  once  flourished  pretty  much  all  through 
the  State  ofNew'-Yorlc,  westward  from  Albany  to 
Lake  Erie. 

Thirty-two  years  ago,  taking  up  my  permanent 
residence  at  Buffalo,  and  finding  the  most  of  our 
northern  fruits  growing  well,  I  introduced  from  the 
nurseries  of  Mr.  Andres  Parmentier,  then  recent¬ 
ly  from  France,  and  established  at  Brooklyn,  op¬ 
posite  New-York,  several  hundred  of  his  choice 
varieties,  and  sold  them  to  several  gentlemen  in 
the  town,  who  planted  them  in  their  gardens, 
many  of  which  are  still  standing  and  in  good  bear¬ 
ing.  Among  them  were  several  varieties  of  plums, 
and  some  of  them  are  yet  living. 

The  plum,  in  all  its  varieties  then  planted,  grew 
and  flourished  in  all  this  region,  no  matter  what 
the  soil  if  dry,  and  the  best  that  I  ever  saw  grew 
on  a  compact,  stiff,  fertile  clay.  Removing  to  my 
present  residence,  twenty  years  ago,  I  found 
many  plum  trees  of  different  varieties,  plant¬ 
ed  a  dozen  or  fifteen  years  previous.  They  bore 
anually  enormous  crops  of  perfect  fruit,  particu¬ 
larly  the  red  magnum-bonum,  the  yellow  gage, 
damson,  and  common  blue  varieties,  as  high  as 
thirty  bushels  in  a  season,  and  the  trees  were  in 
perfect  health  and  vigor,  as  were  those  of  my 
neighbors.  A  dozen  years  ago  the  curculio  made 
its  appearance,  and  my  plum  crops  began  to  wane. 
Less  and  less  they  grew  every  year,  as  the  insect 
increased,  until  for  a  few  years  past,  as  accident 
or  chance  might  determine,  I  have  had  either 
no  plums  at  all,  or  but  a  few  quarts,  pecks,  or 
bushels,  as  the  case  might  be.  And  with  the  pro¬ 
gress  of  the  curculio,  and  the  declension  of 
the  fruit,  many  of  the  trees  cankered  and  died 
out.  Some  were  old,  had  borne  their  allotted 
time,  and  probably  ought  to  die.  The  young  ones 
which  I  planted— for  I  still  kept  planting — did  not 


grow  as  formerly.  A  general  stagnation  seemed 
to  prevade  the  whole  plum  family  ;  and  my  neigh¬ 
bors’  trees  fared  just  as  mine  did.  There  were 
many  of  them  in  the  garden,  in  cultivated  ground, 
and  they,  together  with  those  scattered  about  the 
lawn,  but  faithfully  dug  around  every  year,  seem¬ 
ed  to  be  pretty  much  alike.  Yet  some  varieties 
of  the  tree  kept  on  growing,  and  I  have  still  left 
perhaps  twenty  apparently  healthy  trees  of  bear¬ 
ing  size,  a  dozen  years  planted  but  bearing  fit¬ 
fully. 

Soon  after  the  curculio  attacked  my  plums,  a 
black  mold  or  rot  commenced  striking  them 
when  about  two-thirds  grown,  at  first  not  bigger 
than  a  pin’s  head,  and  near  the  stem.  In  a  few 
days  the  rot  would  cover  half  or  two-thirds  of  the 
fruit,  which  would  fall  from  the  trees,  worthless 
of  course.  Where  the  disease  came  from,  I  know 
not,  but  it  was  evidently  contagious,  and  the 
neighboring  trees  fared  in  most  cases  like  my  own. 
This  rot  still  continues.  But  a  still  worse  ca¬ 
lamity  has  befallen  the  plums— a  disease  afflict¬ 
ing  the  tree  itself— the  black  knot,  or  wart.  Al¬ 
though  this  disease— apparently  incurable,  so  far 
as  any  practical  treatment  has  affected  it— has 
appeared  in  different  parts  of  the  country  east  of 
us,  for  more  than  twenty  years  past,  it  only  reach¬ 
ed  here  three  years  ago,  striking  all  our  trees, 
extending  over  miles  of  surface,  during  the  same 
season.  What  this  disease  properly  is,  insect, 
canker,  fungus,  or  blight,  is  yet  a  controverted 
question.  Yet,  for  any  disease  or  ailment  some 
wise  people  have  always  at  hand  a  nostrum.  Ac¬ 
cordingly  for  this,  a  year  or  so  ago,  I  heard  a 
gentleman,  addressing  his  pomological  auditors, 
remark  that  “  nothing  was  easier  than  to  cure  ” 
this  “  wart  ”  at  once  :  “  lop  off  the  diseased  limb 
just  below  the  excrescence,  and  the  cure  is  effect¬ 
ed  !”  Did  it  never  occur  to  this  learned  doctor, 
that  the  wart  sometimes  breaks  out  in  its  most 
virulent  form  on  the  main  branches,  close  to 
the  trunk  ;  and  in  young  trees  frequently  on  the 
trunk  itself,  and  that  near  the  ground  1  Comment 
on  such  twaddle  is  useless.  It  is  enough  that  in 
the  absence  of  a  known  remedy  for  this  deadly 
disease,  our  plum  trees  are  fast  going  the  way  of 
all  others,  which  have  had  it  to  the  east  of  us— 
into  the  faggot  heap  and  wood  pile. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  many  localities  will  escape 
the  scourges  which  have  cut  off  the  plum  in  some 
of  the  hitherto  most  favored  spots  of  its  produc¬ 
tion,  and  that  these  enemies  which  have  for  years 
destroyed  our  plums,  and  are  now  likely  to  de¬ 
stroy  the  tree  itself,  may  pass  over,  and  permit 
us  to  again  plant  and  enjoy  their  luxury  ;  but  how 
that  is  to  be,  time  can  only  determine.  Provi¬ 
dence  seems  no  sooner  to  create  a  good  thing  for 
our  use,  than  a  deadly  enemy  comes  after  it,  im¬ 
pressing  us  most  profoundly  with  the  truth  of  the 
original  sentence  passed  upon  father  Adam  :  in 
the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread  !  In 
the  month  of  September  last,  I  saw  common  blue 
plums  for  sale  at  the  fruit  dealers’ shops  in  Buffalo, 
at  four  dollars  a  bushel,  brought  from  the  State  of 
Delaware  !  It  is  hardly  worth  while  to  say,  that 
last  year  our  fruits  of  all  kinds  were  pretty  much 
cut  off. 

THE  CHERRY. 

The  common  pie  or  Kentish  cherry  has  long 
been  the  occupant  of  the  garden,  lawn,  and  road° 
side,  near  the  houses  of  the  farmer  and  villager 
of  the  northern  States,  as  the  Morello  has  of  the 
same  places  in  the  middle  States.  For  a  century 
or  more,  the  black-heart  English  cherry,  so  called, 
has  been  cultivated  in  the  neighborhood  of  New- 
York  and  Philadelphia.  Within  the  last  thirty 
or  forty  years  the  other  best  varieties  of  the  Eng¬ 
lish  cherry,  worked  on  Mazzard  stocks,  have  bee°n 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


147 


widely  disseminated  throughout  the  northern  and 
middle  States,  until  in  most  localities  it  has  be¬ 
come  a  standard  fruit — delicious  in  flavor,  abund¬ 
ant  in  bearing,  and  the  tree  itself  free  from  dis¬ 
ease.  In  many  places,  however,  either  the  soil 
or  climate,  or  both,  have  proved  uncongenial,  and 
its  cultivation  has  measurably  been  abandoned. 
Such  has  been  partially  the  case  in  the  fat,  heavy 
soils  of  the  western  States,  in  many  parts  of 
which  it  thus  far  proves  altogether  refractory. 
Not  so  in  New-York.  Finer  cherries  of  all  the 
choice  varieties  never  grew,  than  we  have  had 
for  many  years  in  all  the  lake  regions  of  our  State, 
extending  into  Ohio  along  the  Lake  shore,  and  in 
Western  or  Upper  Canada. 

Last  year,  however,  many  large,  full  bearing 
cherry  trees  began  to  die,  over  a  wide  district  of 
country,  their  previously  favorite  localities.  Many 
complaints  have  been  made  of  their  dying  about 
Rochester  and  Cleveland,  and  the  last  Summer  I 
saw  several  dead  ones  in  and  about  Buffalo.  Of 
near  forty  hitherto  thrifty  bearing  trees,  one  of 
my  own  died  out  last  Summer,  being  two  years 
about  it,  one  side  at  a  time.  What  the  cause  of 
this  mortality  may  be,  or  the  disease,  if  it  be  one, 
is  yet  unknown  ;  but  following  suit  with  the  plum, 
it  will  not  be  strange  if  the  cherry,  too,  is  taken 
off  in  part,  or  in  whole. 

Other  stone  fruits,  as  the  Nectarine  and  Apri¬ 
cot,  it  is  not  worth  while  to  discuss.  They  are 
more  delicate  than  either  the  peach  or  the  plum 
—a  sort  of  hybrid,  practically,  between  the  two — 
and  more  vulnerable  to  insects,  as  well  as  less 
hardy  to  the  influences  of  climate  and  soil. 


Failures  in  Grape  Growing. 


We  are  a  little  surprised  at  the  reports  which 
occasionally  reach  us,  of  the  ill-success  of  per¬ 
sons  in  cultivating  the  grape.  They  complain  of 
the  slow  growth  of  their  young  plants,  of  rot  and 
mildew  on  their  large  vines,  and  the  dropping  of 
berries  before  complete  maturity.  From  some 
inquiries  that  we  have  made,  we  suspect  that  the 
reasons  of  such  failures  are  of  this  sort : 

Many  of  the  feeble-growing  young  vines  are  of 
the  newer  varieties,  (such  as  Diana,  Delaware 
and  Rebecca,)  which  have  been  weakened  by 
forced  culture.  There  is  such  a  demand  for  them 
by  the  public,  and  nurserymen  are  so  desirous  to 
reap  the  benefit  of  that  demand,  that  they  are 
propagated  too  rapidly  for  the  health  of  the  vines. 
The  propagation  is  carried  on  in  dung-beds,  un¬ 
der  glass,  producing  a  very  succulent  growth. 
When  these  plants  are  removed  from  this  artifi¬ 
cial  soil  and  climate,  and  set  out  in  the  open  air 
and  in  common  earth,  it  is  no  wonder  that  they 
fail  to  grow  well.  It  may  take  several  years  for 
them  to  recover  their  proper  vigor. 

Another  and  more  general  cause  of  failure,  is 
the  careless  planting  and  training  of  vines.  In 
soils  having  a  substratum  not  naturally  porous,  it 
is  absolutely  essential  that  the  ground  should  be 
trenched  and  well  drained.  The  most  experienced 
and  successful  vine  growers  now  understand  this. 
They  know  that  the  vine  is  a  gross  feeder  and 
rank  grower  below  ground  ;  hence,  they  give  the 
roots  ample  space  to  spread  themselves  and  to 
forage  on  whatever  they  like  to  eat.  They  know 
that  the  vine  can  not  endure  to  have  wet  feet ; 
and  so  they  trench  the  ground  and  often  put  into 
the  holes  beneath  the  roots  all  sorts  of  rubbish 
for  drainage,  and  then  they  make  ditches  to  car¬ 
ry  entirely  away  the  water  which  colleets  in  the 
sub-soil. 

Some  persons  seem  to  think  that  planting  a 
grape-vine  consists  in  crowding  the  roots  into  a 
little  hole  and  covering  them  up.  A  plant  so 


treated  may  live,  for  the  vine  loves  life  wonder¬ 
fully — but  it  will  not  thrive  and  bear  abundantly. 
Oh,  no  !  let  us  be  generous  to  this  generous  fruit ; 
make  wide,  deep  holes,  give  the  roots  a  rich  warm 
soil,  and  keep  up  its  fertility  from  year  to  year. 
High  manuring  is  not  needed  ;  light  dressings 
every  year  of  ashes,  chip-dirt,  muck  from  the 
woods,  or  a  little  barn-manure  is  all  that  is  ne¬ 
cessary. 

Of  course,  pruning  should  not  be  neglected,  both 
in  the  Fall  and  Summer.  This  is  hardly  less  im¬ 
portant  than  proper  planting.  Of  pruning  in  Sum¬ 
mer  we  will  speak  next  month,  when  our  sug¬ 
gestions  will  be  more  timely. 

- ($  tarn  »•»> 

Hints  on  Planting  Grape  Vines. 

As  we  have  often  said  in  former  numbers, 
every  one  with  a  few  feet  of  ground  may  have 
one  grape  vine  at  least,  and  train  it  to  a  pole,  upon 
the  fence,  over  an  arbor,  or  up  the  side  of  the 
house  or  other  building.  Scanty  indeed  must  be 
the  premises  not  affording  room  for  several  vines. 
From  a  single  vine  in  a  city  yard  we  have  seen 
several  bushels  of  the  finest  grapes  gathered  dur¬ 
ing  a  season.  But  on  the  farm,  how  many  va¬ 
cant  spaces,  even  beside  good  natural  arbors  or 
training  conveniences,  are  well  suited  to  the 
growth  of  the  vine.  It  is  in  such  places  we  urge 
the  owners  to  plant  grapes  this  very  Spring. 
Plant  plentifully  of  them  too,  so  that  a  good  supply 
may  grace  the  dessert  table,  not  only  during  what 
is  ordinarily  termed  the  grape  months,  but  for  the 
entire  Winter  and  into  Spring,  unless  the  neigh¬ 
boring  grocer,  by  an  offer  of  25c.  to  30c.  per  16., 
should  tempt  you  to  sell  your  remaining  stock, 
after  feasting  for  months  upon  them  yourselves. 

We  have  already  written  at  length  of  the  kinds 
adapted  to  different  localities,  and  we  will  only 
mention  a  few  sorts  especially  desirable. 

The  Isabella  is  well  known  and  holds  its  cha¬ 
racter  for  excellence,  productiveness,  etc.,  where 
the  season  is  long  enough  for  it  to  thoroughly 
mature,  or  say  south  of  42°  or  43°.  North  of 
that  it  is  too  late.  The  Catawba  ripens  still  la¬ 
ter,  and  is  only  in  perfection  when  fully  ripe,  so 
that  42°  is  the  extreme  northern  latitude  we 
would  advise  its  planting.  Of  late  years  it  lias 
not  succeeded  in  this  vicinity  as  well  as  the  Isa¬ 
bella.  The  Concord  is  particularly  desirable  for 
the  north,  as  it  ripens  somewhat  earlier  than 
the  Isabella,  is  of  strong  growth,  hardy,  and  very 
productive,  with  a  little  of  the  foxy  flavor.  The 
Hartford  prolific,  quite  similar  to  the  above,  both 
as  to  hardiness,  productiveness,  and  period  of 
ripening,  with  a  little  less  perfume,  is  ra¬ 
pidly  gaining  favor.  The  Diana  is  a  first  class 
grape,  ripening  about  one  week  earlier  than  the 
Isabella,  and  superior  to  that  variety  in  point 
of  flavor,  with  berries  of  a  smaller  size.  It 
hangs  on  the  vine  late,  and  is  well  adapted  to 
Winter  keeping.  The  Rebecca  is  nearly  a  white 
grape  which,  with  the  Delaware,  was  described 
last  month.  They  are  both  quite  early,  and 
there  is  no  discount  in  point  of  flavor. 

In  selecting  a  site  for  the  grape  vine,  choose 
a  dry  subsoil,  or  at  least  a  porous  one.  A 
heavy  or  clay  hard-pan  is  illy  suited  to  the 
wants  of  the  vine.  Where  it  must  be  planted 
in  a  soil  of  this  kind  a  drain  should  be  opened 
from  the  bottom  of  a  wide,  deep  planting  hole, 
to  carry  off  the  water.  In  addition,  old  bones, 
horns,  hoofs,  and  a  few  stones,  or  decaying 
wood  may  be  put  in  to  assist  the  drainage, 
Upon  this  put  leaf  mold  (rotten  leaves  from  the 
woods),  muck,  garden  or  road  side  loam,  turfs 
and  rotten  manure,  well  mixed  together,  leav¬ 
ing  the  surface  after  the  vine  is  set,  a  little 


higher  than  the  surrounding  ground.  If  the 
land  is  too  level  to  drain,  and  there  is  no  other 
situation  for  a  vine,  we  would  not  despair  of 
raising  good  grapes,  by  making  a  foundation 
upon  the  surface,  with  small  stones  or  coarse 
gravel  and  plenty  of  broken  bones,  covering 
with  good  soil,  muck,  and  manure,  as  above,  so 
that  the  vine  should  stand  on  a  sort  of  mound, 
some  two  feet  higher  than  the  surrounding  land. 
While  preparing  the  ground  for  one  plant  in 
this  way,  it  is  better  to  extend  it,  and  make  a 
sort  of  border  for  several  vines. 

But  as  we  before  remarked,  we  would  prefer 
gravely  or  sandy  ground,  with  a  dry  subsoil  on 
a  hill-side,  if  we  could  choose.  Of  course,  the 
ground  should  be  well  manured.  We  repeat,  if 
you  have  no  grape  vines  planted,  set  them  out 
somewhere.  As  to  the  lime,  the  earlier  the 
better  now.  They  may  be  set  any  time  in  May, 
but  the  sooner  now  the  better. 

• - - *-«» - . 

Training1  Blackberries 

The  Blackberry  is  such  a  rampant  grower,  and 
so  productive  of  new  shoots,  that  when  once 
well  established,  it  is  difficult  to  keep  it  within 
bounds.  Many  of  the  garden-patches  we  have 
seen  are  almost  impenetrable  thickets,  and  scores 
of  clusters  ripen  only  for  (he  birds,  or  to  fall  upon 
the  ground,  no  one  choosing  to  risk  their  hands, 
face,  and  clothes  in  reaching  them.  Even  when 
tied  to  stakes,  their  long  and  armed  side  branch¬ 
es  forbid  a  near  approach,  and  the  ground  is  very 
liable  to  become  overrun  with  plants.  To  remedy 
this,  we  have  seen  an  iron  wire  trellis-  used  to 
good  advantage. 

To  prepare  for  this  mode  of  training,  we  ad¬ 
vise  planting  in  rows  six  feet  apart,  each  way — 
which  will  take  about  1,200  canes  to  the  acre — 
and  set  small  posts  firmly  in  the  ground,  at  a  dis¬ 
tance  of  20  feet,  in  the  direction  the  nearest 
North  and  South.  These  posts  should  be  in  the 
row  of  plants,  and  about  feet  in  hight  above 
the  ground.  Two  feet  from  the  bottom,  stretch 
a  small-sized  fence  wire,  (say  No.  9  or  No.  10.,) 
fastening  it  firmly  to  the  posts.  Stretch  three 
more  wires  one-and-a-half  feet  apart,  the  upper 
one  being  at  the  top  of  the  posts,  and  the  whole 
is  complete. 

The  wires  should  be  well  fastened,  by  winding 
around  the  posts,  or  passing  through  staples  driven 
in  them,  and  the  posts  themselves  should  be 
firmly  set;  for  when  fully  covered  with  branches 
and  leaves,  the  trellis  must  be  strong  enough  to 
resist  powerful  winds.  Having  set  the  posts  and 
fastened  the  wires  upon  them,  arrange  and  tie  up 
the  leading  shoots  with  soft  strings  or  lead  wire. 
Draw  in  the  main  side  branches  and  confine  them 
in  the  same  manner,  so  that  the  plant  shall  pre¬ 
sent  a  fan  shape  when  properly  adjusted. 

By  this  method  the  canes  can  be  more  secure¬ 
ly  kept  in  place,  with  little  danger  of  being  torn  to 
pieces  or  threshed  about  by  heavy  winds,  and  the 
side  shoots  need  never  split  down  by  excessive 
bearing.  Free  admission  will  also  be  afforded 
for  sun  and  air  to  thoroughly  ripen  the  fruit 
A  plow,  cultivator  or  horss-hoe  can  also  be  run 
between  the  rows  to  assist  in  cultivation. 

We  would  also  suggest  that  if  blackberries  be 
trained  upon  an  ordinary  wire  fence,  or  one  built 
higher  than  usual,  you  combine  two  requisites,  as 
a  much  more  effectual  barrier  will  be  interposed, 
and  a  useful  purpose  subserved  at  the  same  time. 
- - - - 

We  agree  with  N.  P.  Willis  in  his  dislike  of  a 
trotting  sulky,  with  a  driver  looking  as  if  his  spine 
was  screwed  into  the  axletree — a  man  with 
wheels  put  to  him. 


148 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Is  not  this  a  picture  of  real  enjoyment — en¬ 
joyment  such  as  can  be  found  only  when  sur¬ 
rounded  with  rural  scenes!  The  dwelling,  the 
rustic  fence,  and  other  features  in  the  engraving, 
show  that  these  persons  are  in  humble  life,  but 
was  ever  a  royal  family  happier  than  this  pair  1 
Their  little  ones  are  as  dear  to  their  hearts,  as  if 
“  princes  born.”  How  much  the  charm  of  the 
picture  is  [lightened  by  the  taste  displayed  in  sur¬ 
rounding  their  cottage  with  running  vines  that 
cling  in  loving  embrace  to  the  rudely  latticed 
porch.  That  potted  plant  in  the  window  speaks 
a  volume  concerning  the  taste  that  manages  and 
adorns  the  inner  temple.  Aside  from  the  imme¬ 
diate  pleasure  every  one  must  derive  from  look¬ 
ing  at  rural  pictures  like  this — pictures  we  love 
to  present — we  trust  they  may  also  develope  a 
stronger  attachment  to,  and  desire  for  country  life, 
and  also  lead  to  more  attention  being  bestowed 
upon  such  cheap,  easily  obtained,  but  attractive 
adornments,  as  may  be  secured  by  planting  a  few 
seeds  and  roots,  and  training  them  around  every 
rural  dwelling. 


Dahlia  Culture— Details  of  Experience- 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist: 

I  take  pleasure  in  the  cultivation  of  flowers  and 
vegetables,  and  find  the  perusal  of  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist  instructive  and  interesting.  Feeling  a  sympa¬ 
thy  with  your  “  crestfallen  ”  correspondent  in  his 
“  troubles  with  Dahlias  ” — as  detailed  on  page  52 
(Feb.  No.) — I  will  give  him  the  benefit  of  my  ex¬ 
perience.  Several  years  ago,  when  residing  on 
the  west  branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  a  friend  pre¬ 
sented  me  with  two  large  sprouted  tubers,  which 
had  been  grown  in  a  rich  sandy  soil  the  previous 
year,  and  sprouted  in  a  hot  bed.  The  sprouts 
looked  vigorous  ;  we  carried  them  twelve  miles 
very  carefully  in  a  covered  basket— planted  them 
in  a  stiff  clay  soil  (our  garden  was  new).  We 
pursued  your  favorite  plan  of  transplanting _ dig¬ 

ging  a  bole  deeper  than  necessary  for  the  plant, 


|  pouring  in  water  plentifully,  introducing  the  plant 
at  the  proper  depth,  and  filling  up  with  dry  earth. 
They  were  shaded  with  two  shingles  or  thin 
boards,  stuck  into  the  ground  at  one  end  and 
meeting  at  the  other  over  the  top  of  the  plants, 
to  protect  them  from  the  sun  east  and  west,  with¬ 
out  excluding  air.  They  never  drooped,  but  grew 
slowly,  bloomed  late,  and  though  full  of  buds,  on¬ 
ly  a  few  flowers  opened  before  they  were  killed 
by  frost.  The  ground  was  too  poor  and  stiff. 
We  procured  sand  from  the  bed  of  a  stream,  dried 
it  carefully  on  the  kitchen  stove,  by  spreading  a 
small  quantity  at  the  time  on  an  old  tin  tea-waiter, 
and  then  kept  the  sand  in  a  dry  place  till 
needed. 

As  soon  as  the  dahlia  tops  were  killed  by  frost, 
we  cut  off  the  stalks  about  six  inches  above  the 
ground,  and  took  the  roots  up  when  Ihe  ground 
was  dry.  The  bottom  of  a  box,  which  was  a  little 
wider  than  the  roots,  was  covered  with  the  dry 
sand,  and  the  roots  placed  in  just  as  they  were 
taken  from  the  ground.  They  were  put  a  little 
distance  apart,  and  the  sand  poured  in  until 
the  roots  were  covered.  A  bit  of  pasteboard 
was  tied  to  each  stalk,  to  distinguish  the  va¬ 
riety.  They  were  left  in  the  kitchen  till  freez¬ 
ing  weather  commenced,  and  then  removed  to 
the  cellar. 

About  the  middle  of  February  we  took  fresh 
horse-manure  from  the  stable,  mixed  it  with  an 
equal  proportion  of  garden  loam  that  had  been 
in  the  cellar  during  the  Winter,  and  put  it  into 
the  box,  first  removing  the  roots,  and  then  plac¬ 
ing  them  back  exactly  as  before,  and  filling  up 
the  box  to  where  the  stem  united  with  the  tu¬ 
bers,  with  garden  loam  mixed  with  a  small  pro¬ 
portion  of  the  sand.  The  box  was  placed  near 
the  kitchen  window,  where  the  plants  had  the 
benefit  of  the  morning  sun.  The  earth  was 
kept  moist,  hut  not  muddy.  They  soon  pro¬ 
duced  strong,  healthy  sprouts.  In  March  they 
were  removed  thirty  miles  in  a  packet-hoat,  and 
kept  growing  in  the  house,  until  the  Spring 


frosts  were  over.  The  “parsonage”  had  a 
large  yard,  without  ornament,  except  the  green 
sward  ;  the  ground  had  been  thrown  o-ut  of  a 
cellar,  and  was  hard  and  gravelly.  We  removed 
the  sod  about  a  yard  square,  and  for  each  plant 
dug  a  hole  2|-  feet  square,  and  about  the  same 
depth.  Each  hole  received  half  a  wheel-barrow 
load  of  horse-manure  and  a  bucket  of  water,  and 
was  then  filled  up  with  garden  loam,  leaving  the 
surface  a  little  lower  than  the  surrounding  ground. 
We  then  removed  the  roots  carefully  from  the 
box,  and  with  a  sharp  knife  split  the  stalks,  so  as 
to  leave  one  sprout  to  each  tuber,  and  planted  five 
of  the  largest  in  the  holes  prepared  as  above. 
My  husband  then  made  for  me  strong  frames,  by 
sharpening  four  rough  scantling,  and  driving 
around  each  plant  about  2  feet  apart,  nailing  lath 
on  each  side  to  support,  the  branches — these  were 
whitewashed.  The  plants  grew  very  rapidly,  and 
relieved  Ihe  monotony  of  the  yard.  The  few  cold 
nights  we  had  after  planting,  we  threw  a  cloth 
over  the  frames.  "We  weeded  and  loosened  the 
ground  around  the  roots  frequently. 

In  dry  weather  we  watered  them  every  even¬ 
ing  after  sun-down,  with  water  exposed  to  the 
sun  during  the  day- — at  first  by  pouring  and 
sprinkling  over  the  plants,  and  when  they  grew 
too  high,  by  watering  at  the  root.  Dahlias  re¬ 
quire  warmth  and  moisture — T  prefer  a  sunny  site. 
They  grew  remarkably  tall,  with  stalks  like  small 
trees,  luxuriant  branches  projecting  in  every 
direction  through  the  frames,  and  presenting  a 
beautiful  appearance  ;  the  flowers  were  abundant 
and  perfect,  without  the  dry  leaves  at  the  stem, 
which  so  often  disfigure  the  flowers.  They  con¬ 
tinued  in  full  bloom  until  the  snow  came.  The 
weather  was  mild  that  Autumn,  and  we  spread 
sheets  on  them  when  the  first  frosts  nipped 
vegetation. 

We  were  assured  that  it  was  useless  to  take  so 
much  care  in  preserving  the  roots,  that  they 
would  keep  in  the  cellar  like  potatoes;  we  made 
the  experiment,  and  they  all  rotted.  We  pro¬ 
cured  new  plants,  and  cultivated  them  the  same 
way  next  year.  They  did  well,  but  we  took  them 
up  when  the  ground  was  wet,  laid  them  on  a 
balcony  to  dry  in  the  sun,  where  they  were  left 
until  the  tubers  had  withered — then  put  into  dry 
sand,  and  placed  in  a  room  over  the  kitchen, 
where  a  stove-pipe  passed  through.  When  taken 
out,  they  were  completely  dried  up,  and  never  ve¬ 
getated.  Since  then  we  have  pursued  the  first 
described  method — with  unfailing  success.  The 
principal  difficulty  is  in  preserving  the  roots  dur¬ 
ing  the  Winter;  when  sprouted  they  are  very 
tenacious  of  life.  An  “Itinerant’s”  Wife. 
Adams  Co.,  Pa.,  1S59. 

- — «»»— - .-•» - 

Morning  Glories  for  Paint! 

We  saw  last  summer,  an  old  building,  standing 
in  the  rear  of  a  tenant  house,  which  was  used  for 
a  wash-room  and  wood-house.  A  friend  of  ours, 
who  rented  the  premises,  temporarily,  made  it 
a  real  ornament  to  the  whole  place,  at  an  ex¬ 
pense  of  but  a  few  cents  worth  of  twine  and  seed, 
and  an  hour  or  two  of  time.  The  landlord  not 
choosing  to  paint  the  building,  our  friend  procured 
an  ounce  or  so  of  Morning  Glory  seed,  and  sowed 
close  along  the  side  of  the  building.  When  they 
were  up,  the  vines  were  trained  on  twine  leaders, 
about  eight  inches  apart,  up  to  the  very  peak  of 
the  roof.  We  have  rarely  seen  a  more  beautiful 
sight  than  they  presented  when  the  foliage  en¬ 
tirely  covered  the  building,  and  the  flowers  ap¬ 
peared  in  bloom.  Paint  or  whitewash  could  not 
equal  it,  nor  half  so  thoroughly  hide  the  weather¬ 
worn,  moss  covered  old  building. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


149 


To  Secure  Large  Specimens  of  Fruit. 

Improved  varieties  and  methods  of  culture, 
have  so  greatly  enlarged  many  kinds  of  fruit  that 
the  stems  by  which  they  are  attached  to  the  tree 
or  vine,  are  hardly  sufficient  to  sustain  their  weight 
properly,  especially  if  exposed  to  be  tossed  and 
shaken  about  by  the  wind.  If  the  stem  be 
loosened  or  injured  in  any  way,  the  fruit  must 
suffer  to  some  extent,  as  the  sap  necessary  for 
growth  is  transmitted  through  this  stem.  It  will, 
therefore,  be  well,  when  very  fine  specimens  are 
desired  for  any  purpose,  to  support  the  weight  of 
the  fruit  by  strings.  A  small  bit  of  book  muslin 
or  gauze,  with  strings  tied  at  the  four  corners  and 
attached  to  the  tree,  would  answer  well  for  peach¬ 
es,  plums  and  other  such  fruits. 


Sweeping. 


BV  ANNA  HOPE. 

The  art  of  sweeping  is  one  which  many  who 
use  a  broom  never  learn.  It  is  sometimes  said 
that  we  may  judge  of  the  character  of  a  person 
from  the  manner  of  washing  dishes.  It  may, 
surely,  lie  equally  well  learned  from  the  manner 
of  sweeping  a  room.  It  is  not  necessary  to  raise 
a  cloud  of  dust,  as  if  we  were  attempting  to  imi¬ 
tate  the  simoom,  nor  is  it  necessary  to  throw  a 
whole  house  in  disorder  when  doing  the  week’s 
sweeping.  Let  the  stroke  of  the  broom  be  short 
and  steady,  without  any  supplementary  flourishes, 
and  the  dust  will,  most  of  it,  rise  but  little  above 
the  floor.  Draw  the  broom,  not  push  it  forward. 

Tea  leaves,  slightly  damp,  scattered  over  a 
carpet  before  sweeping,  gather  the  dust  about 
them.  So  does  wet  paper,  or  wet  grass,  or  snow. 
Snow  cannot  be  used  in  a  warm  room.  Tea 
leaves  that  have  soaked  in  water  till  they  are 
soft  and  half  decayed,  soil  carpets.  Some  persons 
dampen  the  broom  before  using  it.  If  this  be 
done,  care  must  be  taken  not  to  strike  it  against 
the  base  board,  as  the  wet  dirt  will  leave  its  mark. 

A  large  and  small  broom,  a  long-handed  brush, 
a  feather  duster,  a  silk  or  old  paper-muslin  duster, 
and  a  dust-pan,  are  desirable  conveniences  for  all 
who  attend  to  sweeping.  For  oil-cloth  and  all 
uncarpeted  floors,  a  brush  is  preferable  to  a 
broom,  because  it  removes  the  dust  more  tho¬ 
roughly.  A  small  hand-brush  is  very  useful  for 
stairs,  unless  they  are  wholly  covered  with  a  car¬ 
pet,  and  then  a  thick  broom  should  be  used.  The 
dust  from  each  stair  should  be  swept  upon  a  dust 
pan,  and  not  from  one  step  to  another  all  the  way 
down.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  sweep  stairs 
clean  with  a  large  broom.  They  need  something 
that  can  remove  the  dust  from  the  corners. 

Before  sweeping  a  room,  cover  the  articles  of 
furniture  which  cannot  easily  be  removed,  and  re¬ 
move  into  another  room  those  that  are  not  too 
large  and  heavy,  after  having  thoroughly  dusted 
them.  Furniture  can  in  this  way  be  preserved 
longer,  and  it  will  look  better  than  if  filled  with 
dust  like  a  puff-ball.  Be  sure  and  cover  books. 
Spread  a  sheet  over  the  bed.  See  that  all  draw¬ 
ers  are  shut.  Indeed,  do  not  be  in  the  habit  of 
only  partially  closing  them.  It  betokens  a  want  of 
thoroughness.  Closet  doors,  too,  must  be  shut — 
not  merely  “  pushed  to.”  I  do  not  like  a  heavy 
broom.  Sweeping  is  hard  enough,  without  any 
unnecessary  burdens.  A  stiff  broom  should  not 
be  used  upon  carpets.  It  wears  them  too  much. 
For  the  same  reason,  give  a  light  touch,  and  not 
sweep  as  if  trying  to  reach  the  floor  beneath  the 
carpet.  Pay  particular  attention  to  corners  and 
all  hiding-places  for  dust  and  lint.  When  the 


large  broom  cannot  reach,  use  a  small  one. 
There  is  no  surer  indication  of  untidiness  than 
neglected  corners,  or  dusty  nooks  beneath  bed 
or  bureau,  or  fire-places  full  of  lint,  and  hair,  and 
burnt  matches.  Wipe  the  furniture  with  the 
duster,  occasionally  shaking  the  silk  or  muslin 
where  the  dust  will  not  return  into  the  room.  If 
the  furniture  has  been  covered,  dusting  will  not 
prove  so  disagreeable  work  as  it  frequently  is.  I 
remember,  when  I  was  a  child,  my  mother  had  a 
new  girl,  whose  duty  it  was,  among  other  things, 
to  wait  upon  the  table,  and  take  care  of  the  din¬ 
ing  room.  My  mother  gave  her  particular  direc¬ 
tions  about  sweeping  and  dusting,  and  left  her  to 
the  performance  of  her  duties.  When  Lina-  had 
exerted  herself  to  the  utmost,  and,  as  she  sup¬ 
posed,  put  the  room  in  the  nicest  order,  she  re¬ 
ported  progress,  and  my  mother  went  to  the  room 
to  examine  it,  and  give  her  approval.  The  chairs 
were  covered  with  dust. 

‘•You  have  forgotten  to  dust  the  chairs,”  my 
mother  kindly  said  to  her. 

“  O,  no,  ma’am  ;  I  dusted  them,  was  the  reply. 

“  But  they  are  very  dusty  now,  you  see.” 

11  Yes,  ma’am,  for  I  swept  the  room.” 

“  You  cannot  have  dusted  since  you  swept.” 

“O,  no  ma’am ;  I  didn’t  suppose  you  would 
want  the  dust  on  the  carpet.  I  dusted  them  all 
before  I  swept,”  said  the  self-approving  girl. 

I  have  often  thought  of  Lina  when  I  have  seen 
the  dust  lying  on  unprotected  furniture.  It 
seems  a  pity  to  brush  so  much  back  upon  a  neatly 
swept  carpet.  The  head  should  always  be  cov¬ 
ered  when  sweeping,  and  with  something  that 
will  also  protect  the  neck  from  the  falling  dust. 


The  Monotony  of  Housework  Relieved. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

Availing  myself  of  the  invitation  to  your  female 
readers,  contained  in  the  January  Agriculturist,  I 
would  submit  a  trifle  of  my  own  two  years’  ex¬ 
perience  in  housekeeping. ..  .Leaving  a  kind 
mother,  who  had  relieved  me  of  all  care  and  re¬ 
sponsibility  in  my  childhood’s  home,  with  but 
eighteen  years  over  my  giddy  head.  I  entered 
upon  the  arduous  duties  of  housekeeping  with  a 
light  heart  and  willing  hands.  For  the  first  few 
weeks,  everything  was  novel  and  delightful,  and 
1  found  real  enjoyment  in  attending  to  our  home 
affairs  ;  but  as  week  after  week  rolled  by,  bring¬ 
ing  its  endless  routine  of  daily  duties,  the  mono¬ 
tony  grew  irksome,  the  fetters  of  care  began  to 
corrode  my  spirits,  and  I  sought  for  change.  The 
change  came  in  a  way  which  may  provoke  a 
smile  from  your  readers.  “A  horse,  a  pig,  a  cow," 
with  a  numerous  flock  of  poultry  claimed  my  at¬ 
tention.  I  became  interested  in  their  growth 
and  welfare,  and  I  now  spend  an  hour  or  two  each 
day  in  caring  for  and  petting  them.  My  health 
has  improved  wonderfully,  but  my  spirits  more. 

To  how  many  youthful  housekeepers,  and  in¬ 
deed  to  those  of  many  years’  experience  do  the 
toils  and  perplexities  attending  the  “  indoor 
work,”  prove  a  source  of  weariness  and  discom¬ 
fort,  undermining  health  of  body,  and  mind,  till 
they  are  often  heard  to  wish,  there  had  never 
been  such  a  thing  as  work  invented,  or  that  they 
were  not  obliged  to  perform  any  portion  of  it !  My 
friends,  work  is  a  true  blessing.  We  were  not 
placed  in  this  busy  world  to  fold  our  hands  in  idle¬ 
ness.  Our  Great  Exemplar,  when  on  earth,  was 
never  idle,  but  went  about  doing  good;  and  mo¬ 
tion  and  activity  are  essential  to  every  object, 
which  Infinite  wisdom  has  created.  Nothing  flour¬ 
ishes  in  idleness.  We  should  work,  and  work 
diligently ;  but  not  delve  and  toil  incessantly 
with  no  rest  for  body  or  mind. 

It  is  often,  unhappily,  the  case — perhaps  with 


farmers  more  generally  than  any  other  class — 
that  both  sexes  spend  their  lives  in  a  continual 
round  of  wearisome  labor,  from  early  dawn  till 
late  evening,  grasping  and  saving,  depriving  them¬ 
selves  of  the  luxuries,  or  even  comforts  of  life, 
thinking  after  they  have  obtained  yet  a  little  more 
they  will  build  anew,  or  enlarge  their  habitations, 
purchase  new  and  modern  conveniences,  and 
spend  the  remainder  of  their  days  in  rest.  Ah, 
how  frequently  their  rest  is  found  in  the  grave  ! 
Just  ready  to  live,  they  die,  leaving  their  hard 
earned  savings  for  the  contention  of  greedy  rela¬ 
tives,  and  it  may  be  said  with  lamentable  verity 
above  their  uncared  for  graves,  “  they  have  lived 
in  vain.”  We  sincerely  hope  there  will  be  none 
who  read  these  pages,  of  whom  this  sad  truth 
may  ever  be  written;  and  those  of  you,  whose 
daily  tasks  are  becoming  laborious  and  tiresome, 
leave  them  at  once,  dismiss  them  from  mind  as 
well  as  body — pay  a  visit  to  the  barn  or  poultry- 
yard,  talk  to  the  busy  flocks  you  find  there  ;  teach 
them  to  know  and  love  the  hand  which  feeds  and 
caresses  them,  and  rest  assured,  you  will  return 
to  your  labors  with  a  light  step  as  well  as  a  light 
heart,  and  be  amply  repaid  for  all  the  exertions  it 
cost  you. . .  .[Very  good  suggestions,  we  think.] 
How  many  housekeepers,  both  young  and  old, 
will  try  it  for  the  next  month,  and  report  the  re¬ 
sult  to  the  Ed.  Agriculturist,  or  to 
Litchfield.  Corners,  Me.  Minnie  May. 


About  the  Feet. 


WATER-PROOF  BLACKING  NOT  USEFUL. 

A  manufacturer  sends  us  some  boxes  of  “  Wa¬ 
ter  Proof  Blacking  ” — “warranted  to  render  boots, 
shoes  and  all  kinds  of  leather  perfectly  impervi¬ 
ous  to  moisture,”  with  the  request  that  it  should 
be  “  favorably  noticed  in  the  American  Agricul¬ 
turist — and  a  long  advertisement  will  be  inserted.” 
We  can  not  oblige  the  sender,  for  two  important 
reasons.  First :  We  never  sell  ‘  notices,’  and  ad¬ 
vertisements  are  never  solicited — at  least  on  any 
such  terms.  Second :  We  don’t  believe  in  these 
‘water  proof  blackings,’  and  of  course  advise  peo¬ 
ple  not  to  use  them.  As  a  general  thing,  blacking 
of  any  kind  rots  leather ;  and  especially  is  this 
the  case  with  anything  that  stops  the  pores.  The 
leather  is  injured,  and  the  feet  kept  cold  by  the 
moisture  from  the  feet,  which  is  kept  from  escap¬ 
ing  by  stopping  the  pores  with  various  compounds, 
tallow,  etc.  Not  unfrequently  a  gill  or  more 
of  watery  vapor  escapes  from  the  feet  during  a  day. 
The  amount  varies  in  different  persons,  and  with 
the  age,  physical  condition  or  health,  etc.  If  In¬ 
dia  rubber  boots  or  those  of  leather  saturated  with 
oil,  grease,  or  other  impervious  substances  be 
worn,  this  moisture  is  in  a  measure  retained — 
though  some  of  it  escapes  upward  along  the  legs. 
Every  one  accustomed  to  oil  or  grease  their  boots 
all  over,  must  have  noticed  that,  for  a  day  or  two 
after  the  application,  the  socks  get  nearly  wet 
enough  to  wring  out. 

India-rubber  over-shoes  injure  or  “rot”  leath¬ 
er,  as  is  well  known  ;  but  it  is  not  the  mere  con¬ 
tact  of  the  rubber,  for  that  of  itself  would  pre¬ 
serve  leather.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  the  moisture 
retained  by  the  rubber  which  keeps  the  boots  or 
shoes  damp,  and  eventually  destroys  them. 

Latterly,  since  we  have  examined  this  subject, 
our  practice  has  been,  never  to  grease  boots  or 
shoes,  even  with  tallow,  except  once  or  twice  on  the 
bottoms  and  around  the  sides  near  the  soles  ;  and 
we  are  sure  they  wear  much  longer  than  former¬ 
ly.  The  parts  over  the  top  of  the  feet  are  left  as 
open  as  possible,  so  that  perspiration  can  freely 
escape.  This  leaves  the  feet  dry  and  comforta¬ 
ble,  and  the  leather  rarely  rots,  but  lasts  until  ac- 


150 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


tuyjly  worn  through.  If  from  any  cause  the  boots 
become  very  dry  and  stiff, a  little  tanner’s  or  neat’s- 
fooi.  oil  is  applied  only  to  soften  them.  When 
necessary  to  wade  through  much  water,  a  thin 
coat  of  oil  is  applied  to  the  upper  leather  to  make 
the  water  “  slip  off,”  but  not  enough  to  saturate 
the  pores.  When  rubbers  are  needed,  they  are 
removed  as  soon  as  circumstances  will  admit,  to 
allow  the  leather  to  dry  speedily.  Nothing  adds 
more  to  comfort,  health,  and  durability  of  leather, 
than  a  frequent  char..ge.  of  socks — two  or  three 
limes  a  day  when  the  feet  are  continually  exposed 
io  much  water,  or  when  health  is  poor.  The 
dry  socks  absorb  the  moisture,  to  the  benefit  of 
both  feet  and  leather. 

The  best  protection  for  the  feet  is  a  pair  of 
leather  shoes  or  boots  with  thick  uppers  and  es¬ 
pecially  thick  soles — so  thick  as  not  to  allow  the 
entrance  of  water,  or  the  free  passage  of  heat  or 
cold,  but  the  pores  so  open  as  to  allow  moisture 
to  escape.  Coarse  cow-hid s  boots  or  shoes  are 
not  only  cheap,  but  are  philosophical. 

Females,  and  men  or  children  who  are  exposed 
to  the  wet  ground  only  part  of  the  day,  should 
keep  thick  shoes  to  put  on  when  going  out;  or 
have  a  pair  of  India  rubber  sandals  (shoes  with 
straps  and  openings  over  the  top  of  the  foot,)  and 
put  these  on  only  when  going  upon  wet,  damp,  or 
cold  ground. 


Recipes, 

Caoliing'  Salt  Codfish. 

Late  one  evening  we  called  unexpectedly  upon 
a  farmer  in  Western  New-Jersey.  Before  re¬ 
tiring,  we  overheard,  in  another  room,  the  good 
housewife  anxiously  inquiring  of  her  husband  : 
“  What  in  the  world  shall  I  get  for  breakfast  1 
Our  visitor,  I  believe,  don’t  eat  ‘  salt  pork  or  junk,’ 
and  I  have  nothing  else  in  the  house  but  suit  cod¬ 
fish.'"  We  'wanted  to  tell  her  that  die  could  pro¬ 
vide  nothing  more  acceptable.  This  idea,  that 
salt  codfish  is  a  last  and  worst  resort,  is  shared  by 
others  as  well  as  by  West  Jersey  people,  especial¬ 
ly  those  along  the  sea-board,  where  the  article 
lias  always  been  abundant.  Not  so  at  the  West. 
U'e  remember  when  a  boy,  before  canul  naviga¬ 
tion  opened  easy  access  to  eastern  markets, 
that  salt  codfish,  like  rice,  wras  kept  as  a  choice 
resort,  when  visiters  came  ;  and  we  have  never 
lost  our  respect  for  this  article  of  diet,  which  we 
have  heard  so  much  abused  in  latter  yeais.  But 
to  be  good,  it  must  be  rightly  prepared.  Like 
coffee  and  many  other  kinds  of  food,  its  relish 
depends  a  good  deal  upon  the  ‘‘fixings  ”  and  fix¬ 
ing.  Of  itself,  it  is  healthful  and  nourishing,  if 
it  can  be  made  to  slip  down  easily.  With  proper 
preparation,  we  relish  it  about  eight  times  a  week  ! 
We  like  it  thus  :  First,  buy  a  good  fish— one  with 
little  or  no  odor,  and  of  uniform  color  throughout. 
Any  spots  darker  than  the  rest  indicate  poor 
curing,  and  will  perhaps  spoil  the  flavor  of  the 
whole  fish.  Look  lor  these  blemishes  even  around 
the  edges.  The  light-colored  flesh  is  usually  best. 
The  fish  is  to  be  picked  pretty  fine,  and  placed 
m  cold  water  over  night.  (If  this  be  not  done  be¬ 
forehand,  it  should  be  picked  very  fine,  put  in  cold 
water,  and  slowly  heated,  and  then  boiled  briskly 
to  get  out  the  salt.)  In  the  morning  pour  off 
the  soaking  water,  and  rinse  with  more  cold  wa¬ 
ter,  which  will  remove  any  disagreeable  flavor  re¬ 
maining  from  the  soaking  water.  Next,  pick  it  in¬ 
to  very  fine  bits,  put  in  cold  water,  heat  and  scald. 
Pour  off  the  water,  and  put  in  some  milk,  and 
heat.  To  this  add  a  good  supply  of  flour  stirred 
in  water,  and  cook  it  thoroughly.  Here  is  the 
most  common  failure — the  flour  is  not  cooked 
enough,  but  is  left  with  a  raw  taste.  Just  before 
removing  from  the  fire,  stir  in  one,  two  or  three 


beaten  eggs,  and  a  little  butter,  with  more  milk, 
if  necessary,  to  leave  it  just  thick  enough  to  dip 
out  with  a  spoon.  It  may  need  a  little  salt.  You 
thus  have  a  dish  that  tastes  well,  digests  well, 
nourishes  well,  and  is  more  economical  than  most 
meat  dishes — just  the  thing  for  breakfast. 

Codfish  Cutlets. — M.  0.  Tanner,  Rockland 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  sends  us  this  recipe.  Soak  pieces  of 
salted  codfish  in  water  until  it  is  quite  soft,  and 
sufficiently  freshened  to  be  palatable.  Remove 
the  skin  and  large  bones,  and  dry  it  with  a  nap¬ 
kin.  Make  a  batter  of  eggs  and  flour,  coat  the 
fish  with  it,  and  fry  brown  in  butter. 

Mock  Mince  Pies. 

Said  by  “  an  itinerant's  wife  ”  who  sends  it,  to 
be  an  improvement  on  the  genuine  article.  Mix 
1  cup  of  sugar,  1  of  molasses,  1£  of  bread  crumbs, 
w’ith  1  cup  of  good  cider  vinegar,  4  of  water  and 
3  eggs  ;  add  1  cup  raisins  (seeded),  1  ounce  cloves, 
and  1  ounce  soda.  This  quantity  will  be  suffi¬ 
cient  for  three  pies. 

White  Iienion  Cakes. 

Contributed  for  the  Agriculturist,  and  highly  re¬ 
commended  by  G.  Nichols,  of  Madison  Co.,  N. 
Y.:  Rub  well  together  6  ounces  of  butter,  1^ 
pounds  of  flour;  add  i  pint  of  (well  beaten)  eggs, 

1  pound  pulverized  sugar,  12  drops  essence  of 
lemon,  and  2  drachms  carbonate  of  ammonia. 
The  ingredients  should  be  mixed  into  a  paste, 
with  as  little  handling  as  possible,  rolled  out  about 
as  thick  as  a  silver  dollar,  cut  into  cakes,  and 
baked  on  buttered  tins,  with  a  gentle  heat. 
Shrewsbury  (lake. 

By  the  same  correspondent :  To  1  pound  of 
flour  add  10  ounces  pulverized  sugar,  10  ounces 
butter,  2  eggs,  half  a  nutmeg  (grated),  and  an 
equal  quantity  of  ground  cinnamon,  or  mace  and 
cinnamon,  mixed. 

[The  following  six  recipes  are  contributed  to  the  Ame¬ 
rican  Agriculturist  by  “  A  Farmer’s  Wife,”  of  Dutchess 
Co.,  N.  ¥.] 

Graham  Btiscuits  or  Bread  (no  yeast  or  soda  ) 

Take  2  quarts  of  good  Graham  flour,  put  it  in 
a  kneading  pan,  make  a  hole  in  the  middle  of  the 
flour  and  pour  in  boiling  water  (stirring  it  all  the 
time)  until  nearly  half  the  flour  is  scalded  and 
made  as  stiff  as  it  can  well  be  stirred  with  a 
spoon ;  then  pour  in  cold  water,  mixing  with  the 
hand  at  the  same  time,  until  the  mass  is  cool. 
Then  mix  in  the  flour  around  the  edge,  and  mold 
up  in  the  same  manner,  as  soft  as  ordinary  bis¬ 
cuit.  Bake  in  rather  a  quick  oven.  Some  think 
them  better  to  pierce  each  one  with  a  fork  before 
baking,  and  not  to  let  them  touch  each  other  in 
the  pan.  They  can  be  eaten  while  fresh  with  im¬ 
punity  [in  proper  quantity]  ;  they  are  not  good 
when  stale. 

Indiu.ii  Biscuits. 

Take  1  quart  of  cold  Indian  Mush,  or  Hasty 
pudding  ;  put  it  into  a  pan  containing  about  the 
same  quantity  of  either  coarse  or  fine  wheat  flour, 
add  milk  or  sweet  cream  sufficient  to  make  the 
mush  thin,  say  £  pint ;  then  mix  in  the  flour  and 
make  up  into  biscuits  as  soft  as  you  can  well 
handle  them  and  bake  in  a  quick  oven  20  minutes. 
Cold  boiled  hominy  with  flour  alone,  mixed 
and  made  into  biscuits,  makes  nice  breakfast 
cakes. 

Rice  Bread. 

Take  one  teacupfull  of  rice  boiled  in  water 
until  soft — if  for  breakfast  it  should  be  boiled  over 
night — or  use  cold  rice  left  from  a  previous  din¬ 
ner  ;  mix  with  it  2  beaten  eggs,  a  little  more  than 
a  pint  of  milk,  as  much  less  than  a  pint  of  Indian 
meal,  as  you  have  over  the  pint  of  milk,  and  2 
tablespoonfuls  of  flour:  This  will  fill  2  middle 


sized  square  tins,  and  requires  to  be  baked  nearly 
an  hour.  I  think  every  one  who  appreciates  good 
wholesome  bread,  will  acknowledge  this  to  be 
worth  recommending. 

To  make  plain  Pie-crust. 

Take  light  bread  dough  sufficient  to  cover  yom 
pie-plates  and  mix  in  butter,  say  a  piece  rather 
larger  than  a  walnut  to  each  pie.  If  sweet  cream 
is  at  hand,  2  tablespoonfuls  added  will  be  an  im¬ 
provement.  Roll  the  crust  out  thin,  and  if  you 
wish,  spread  on  a  little  more  butter  and  sprinkle 
with  a  little  flour  ;  then  fold  over  and  roll  again; 
if  rolled  and  folded  several  times  it  will  be  the 
better.  Mashed  potatoes  mixed  in  the  dough  to 
make  it  seem  short,  are  also  an  improvement. 
Indeed  a  most  excellent  crust  can  be  made  in 
this  way,  one  which  will  not  cause  Dyspepsia 
and  one  which  Dyspeptics  can  eat  without  injury. 
Bread  Pudding;. 

Take  stale  bread  and  pour  on  milk  sufficient 
to  soak  it  soft,  but  not  to  make  it  very  thin  ;  add 
any  kind  of  fruit  either  fresh  or  dried,  previously 
soaked  until  your  pudding  is  pretty  well  filled  with 
it.  Put  in  a  pudding  cloth  and  boil  it  one  hour 
and  then  with  good  cream  and  sugar,  or  a  rich 
sauce  if  preferred,  you  have  a  pudding  that  will 
vie  with  any  Christmas  affair,  and  be  far  more 
wholesome,  as  it  is  without  suet,  wine,  or  spices. 

A  Plain  Cuke. 

To  be  made  with  either  fine  or  coarse  flour, 
and  sugar  or  molasses.  One  teacupfull  of  mo¬ 
lasses  ;  1  of  sour  cream  ;  1  of  water ;  and  1  tea¬ 
spoonful  of  soda,  with  flour  enough  to  make  it  as 
stiff  as  common  stirred  cake.  The  soda  is  to  be 
dissolved  in  2  or  3  tablespoonfuls  of  water,  and 
added  the  last  thing  just  as  it  is  to  be  set  into  the 
oven. 

A  Blood  Plain  Cuke. 

Contributed  to  the  Agriculturist  by  a  lady  read¬ 
er,  in  Worcester  Co.,  Mass.  To  2-3  of  a  cup  of 
butter,  add  1$-  cups  of  sugar,  rolled  fine,  2  eggs, 
1  cup  sweet  or  sour  milk,  f  teaspoonful  soda, 
spice  to  suit  the  taste,  and  add  flour  to  make  it 
about  as  thick  as  batter  for  pancakes. 

Plain  Ginger  Bread. 

By  the  same  ;  To  a  cup  of  molasses  add  a 
piece  of  butter  the  size  of  a  large  walnut,  the 
butter  being  melted,  put  in  1  cup  sour  milk,  and 
a  teaspoonful  of  soda.  Spice  with  cloves  or 
ginger;  rnix  in  enough  flour  to  make  a  thick 
batter,  and  bake  slowly. 

Liquid  Glue. 

M.  Kelly,  Fayette  Co.,  Ind.,  prepares  this  arti¬ 
cle  by  dissolving  glue  in  boiling  water,  using  only 
water  enough  to  reduce  the  glue  to  liquid  form. 
It  is  then  removed  from  the  fire,  and  sufficient 
alcohol  poured  in  to  bring  it  to  the  right  consist¬ 
ence,  stirring  it  briskly.  It  is  kept  in  a  bottle  with 
a  piece  of  India  rubber  or  bladder  tied  over  the 
mouth,  and  will,  he  says,  preserve  its  properties 
for  years.  It  is  thus  always  ready  for  use  with¬ 
out  the  trouble  of  preparing,  when  wanted.  In 
very  cold  weather  it  may  need  to  be  warmed  a 
little. 


An  interesting  scene  must  be  such  a  one  as  is 
reported  to  have  been  witnessed  at  an  agricultur¬ 
al  fair,  held  at  Hopkinsville,  Tenn.  The  account 
says  that  ten  brothers,  named  Brown,  all  mounted 
on  fine  eray  horses,  rode  into  the  amphitheatre, 
and  displayed  their  horsemanship,  all  being  good 
riders.  The  eldest  was  aged  forty,  the  youngest 
twenty.  They  had  not  all  been  together  for  fif 
teen  years.  Their  mother  was  present,  and  they 
reined  up  in  front  of  the  matron, and  saluted  her, 
while  she  shed  tears  of  joy  and  pride. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


151 


<k  mm S’  mMUm®. 

Uncle  Frank’s  Fajc, 

FLOWERS  AND  FRUIT. — PEOPLE  “RUNNING  TO  VINES.” 

It  is  not  the  tree  that  bears  the  most  leaves  from  which 
the  farmer  is  sure  to  gather  the  most  fruit  and  the  best. 

I  have  often  seen  apple  trees  all  covered  with  leaves,  that 
did  not  produce  a  single  apple.  And  here  is  an  orange 
tree,  right  under  my  window — it  has  leaves  enough  for 
half  a  dozen  trees,  and  very  handsome  ones  they  are,  too. 
But  as  for  oranges,  it  has  none  to  show.  It  has  exhaust¬ 
ed  itself  in  foliage,  I  suspect,  just  as  some  garden  vege¬ 
table  do— “  run  to  vines,”  as  the  farmers  call  it. 

Now.  leaves  are  very  good  things  in  their  way.  But 
fruit  is  better,  and  I  must  say  that  I  have  no  fancy  for 
people  that  incline  to  “run  to  vines,”  and  are  indifferent 
as  to  the  matter  of  the  fruit.  Here  is  a  person  who  will 
talk  (oh,  how  charmingly !)  of  some  good  deed  that  ought 
to  be  done,  and  must  be  done.  He  will  expend  as  much 
wind  upon  it,  as  would  be  necessary  to  drive  a  black¬ 
smith’s  bellows  a  full  hour.  But  there  the  matter  rests. 
Here  ends  that  man’s  virtuous  zeal.  What  a  pity  he  has 
wasted  all  his  vitality  in  leaves. 

I  have  made  up  my  mind  from  pretty  close  observation, 
kept  up  for  many  years,  that,  as  a  general  rule  (liable  to 
exceptions,  of  course)  those  who  talk  the  most  do  the 
least.  I  don't  like  great  talkers.  They  seem  to  me  like 
drones  in  a  bee-hive.  They  do  the  buzzing,  while  the 
rest  of  the  family  get  the  honey  and  store  it  away. 

“  Oh,  what  a  good  Christian  Mr.  So-and-So  is  1  ”  we 
often  hear  persons  say— persons  they  generally  are,  who 
look  rather  at  the  surface  than  the  center  of  things—"  how 
sweetly  he  talks.”  Yes,  “sweetly,”  here  we  have  the 
flowers,  too,  as  weli  as  the  leaves.  “He  seems  to  live 
on  the  very  verge  of  heaven.  Oh,  I  do  so  love  to  hear 
him  talk.  How  I  wish  I  could  be  such  a  good  man  as  he 
is.”  But,  my  dear  miss,  what  has  this  dear,  good,  pi¬ 
ous,  semi-angelic  man  actually  accomplished  ?  He  has 
said  a  great  many  good  things.  Show  me  some  that  he 
has  done.  Take  me  to  some  house  where  he  has  saved 
a  family  from  hunger  by  his  charity.  Show  me  a  poor, 
wayward,  erring  girl,  for  whom  he  has  found  an  asylum, 
where  she  is  safe  from  the  snares  that  once  beset  her 
daily  path.  Point  me  out  some  pupil  in  the  Sabbath- 
school,  brought  there  by  his  persevering  efforts.  Can  you 
do  that,  my  friend?  “Perhaps,  indeed,  I  am  sure  I 
could,  if  I  took  time  to  think.”  Well,  take  time  to 
think.  Meanwhile  I  give  it  as  my  conviction,  that  Mr. 
So-and-so  talks  too  much,  and  that  far  too  large  a  propor¬ 
tion  of  what  you  extol  as  the  most  excellent  of  all  the 
grafted  fruit  in  the  orchard,  is  mere  foliage.  He  talks  too 
much— he  talks  too  much. 

And,  by  the  wav,  I’m  talking  too  much  myself,  I  fear. 
I  guess,  I  had  better  slop  right  where  I  am — better  go  and 
see  how  Dinah  is  getting  along  with  her  rheumatism. 


give  it  its  proper  sound.  Beautiful  is  a  very  expressive 
word,  and  deserves  well  of  those  who  use  it.  Neverthe¬ 
less,  it  can  only  claim  three  syllables.  Don’t  bestow  four 
upon  it. 

4.  In  company  when  you  are  asked  to  play,  and  you  in¬ 
tend  to  play,  do  so  without  urging.  If  you  don’t  intend 
to  play,  say  so,  modestly,  but  firmly,  and  as  if  you  meant 
it,  as  you  do. 

5.  Don’t  get  into  the  habit  of  using  extravagant  expres¬ 
sions.  They  are  not  natural.  Generally  they  spring 
rather  from  affectation  than  from  enthusiasm  ;  but  what¬ 
ever  tree  may  produce  the  fruit,  the  fruit  itself  is  ex¬ 
tremely  distasteful.  Spare  your  superlatives.  You  re¬ 
member  that  sunset  you  described  the  other  night.  Well, 
now  let  me  tell  you  just  what  I  think  of  that  description. 
That  part  of  it  which  you  felt— the  first  part— was  well 
done.  You  spoke  naturally  then.  But  the  rest,  pardon 
me,  was  very  poorly  done.  It  was  over  loaded  with  ad¬ 
jectives,  most  of  them  advanced  to  their  highest  power  ; 
and  il-eally  thought  you  grew  weaker  as  you  grew  in¬ 
tense. 

6.  Say  “  sweet— pretty,”  as  seldom  as  possible.  If  you 
don’t  say  it  at  all,  so  much  the  better. 

7.  When  you  come  to  the  table,  eat.  Don’t  play  with 
your  food.  Don’t  spend  too  much  of  the  time  in  disciplining 
your  fingers  to  hold  your  fork  and  spoon  in  a  questionably 
genteel,  and  plainly  ungraceful  and  unnatural  attitude. 

8.  Don’t  faint  any  oflener  than  you  can  help.  The 
presence  of  a  wasp,  or  a  spider,  is  hardly  sufficient  to  pro- 
duce  any  other  kind  of  fainting  but  that  which  is  looked 
upon  by  most  sensible,  matter-of-fact  people,  as  spurious. 


is  almost  equal  to  the  nightingale,  in  the  variety  of  his 
music. 


STAND  FROM  UNDER  1 

That’s  what  the  sailor  says,  when  he  is  going  to  throw 
something  heavy  from  aloft ;  and  so  I  say  to  some,  I  don’t 
know  how  many  to  include  in  the  number— of  my  little 
nieces.  I  had  a  talk  with  our  venerable  grandmother  the 
other  day.  I  found  her,  by  the  way,  in  an  exttemely 
pleasant  mood.  She  was  knitting  ;  and  I  have  always 
noticed  that,  other  things  being  equal,  old  ladies  are  al¬ 
ways  happiest  with  their  knitting  needles.  I  told  her,  I 
hoped  she  would  not  consider  it  an  encroachment  on  her 
department,  if  I  rapped  the  knuckles  of  some  of  the  girls, 
for  the  want  of  neatness  displayed  by  them.  “  Of  course 
not,”  she  said,  “  but  that  subject  is  down  on  my  list,  and 
will  come  in  its  place.”  Well,  I  was  glad  of  that.  I  don’t 
like  to  find  fault,  especially  wilh  my  friends,  the  girls. 


ON  BEING  ONE’S-SELF  AND  BEINO  SOMEBODY  ELSE. 

It  would  seem  that  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  is 
to  be  natura1,  to  be  one’s  self,  and  nobody  else.  But  it  is 
not  so.  Affectation  is  a  plant  that  grows  and  flourishes 
in  too  many  gardens  that  are  graced  with  the  fairest  and 
sweetest  of  flowers.  Now,  you  must  not  quarrel  with 
Uncle  Frank,  if  he  tells  you  just  what  he  thinks  of  it,  and 
points  out  with  more  of  plainness  and  frankness  than  some 
persons  would  employ,  the  different  phases  which  affec¬ 
tation  puts  on,  and  how  you  are  in  danger  yourselves 
from  its  influence.  Let  me  put  you  on  your  guard  against 
such  blemishes,  especially,  as  these  : 

1.  Don’t  affect  the  least  grain  of  knowledge  beyond  that 
which  you  possess,  of  men,  books  or  history.  It  is  bad 
morality  always,  and  often  proves  i  ery  bad  policy.  A  good 
story  illustrating  the  policy  of  such  a  habit,  is  told  of  a 
girl  whose  parents  had  been  traveling  in  Europe.  “  They 
must  have  seen  a  great  many  famous  things,  and  met  a 
multitude  of  famous  people,”  some  one  remarked  to  her, 
“  Did  they  visit  the  Dardanelles  ?”  “  Oh  yes,”  was  the 
reply,  “  they  had  the  pleasure  of  dining  with  them.” 

And  that  was  not  a  more  ludicrous  blunder  than  anoth¬ 
er  made  in  history,  who  remarked  that  a  certain  family 
who  were  the  topic  of  conversation,  emigrated  to  this 
country  at  a  very  early  period— she  was  not  quite  certain 
how  early,  but  she  was  pretty  sure  it  w'as  in  the  time  of 
William  the  Conqueror. 

2.  Don’t  treat  a  young  gentleman  as  if  he  was  a  rattle¬ 
snake.  Don’t  affect  an  extravagant  degree  of  shyness.  It 
is  not  natural,  you  don’t  feel  half  of  it.  Moreover,  the 
young  man  knows  you  don’t  feel  it ;  and  your  indifferent 
air  towards  him  is  not  adapted  to  inspire  him  with  un 
qualified  admiration  of  your  accomplishments.  Youneed 
not  be  familiar  with  him,  but  pray  be  civil  and  lady-like. 

3.  In  speaking,  don’t  mince  your  words.  Doorisnot  pro¬ 
nounced  dor  in  any  dictionary  I  have  ever  consulted. 
Girl  is  not  such  a  hard  word  to  speak,  as  to  require  you 
to  twist  your  lips  into  such  an  uncouth  shape,  in  order  to 


THE  MOCKING  BIRD. 


St.  Augustine,  March  1859.  My  banishment  here,  by 
the  physician,  is  not  an  unpleasant  exile  after  all.  I  am 
charmed  with  this  place.  Now,  while  my  friends  in 
New-York,  are  slowly  emerging  from  Winter,  we  are  en¬ 
joying  all  the  luxury  of  Summer  weather.  I  w-ish  you 
could  visit  this  part  of  the  country  during  the  present 
month.  It  is  now  the  season  for  roses  ;  and  oh,  what 
a  variety  there  are  here.  The  yellow  jasmine,  a  climb¬ 
ing  plant,  is  now  in  bloom.  It  is  one  of  the  sweetest  flow¬ 
ers  of  which  our  country  can  boast.  It  grows  in  the 
woods  and  fills  the  air  with  its  aromatic  perfume.  The 
magnolia  is  not  in  bloom  yet.  But  the  tree  itself,  without 
the  flower,  wilh  its  bright  green  leaves,  is  very  beautiful. 
If  I  were  a  Floridan.  I  am  sure  I  should  be  proud  of  at 
least  three  things  :  the  yellow  jasmine,  the  magnolia,  and 
the  mocking  bird.  I  am  greatly  in  love  with  this  south¬ 
ern  warbler.  My  heart  warms  towards  him  more  and 
more,  as  I  become  more  familiar  w  ith  him  in  his  own  na 
tive  forest.  I  have  sat  for  an  hour  together  enjoying  his 
sweet  notes.  I  did  not  know  till  lately  that  he  w  as  any 
thing  more  than  a  mocker.  But  he  is.  I  have  heard  more 
than  one  improvise  his  music — make  it  up  as  he  went 
along,  without  any  regard  to  the  songs  of  other  birds.  He 


LITTLE  ANNA’S  QUARREL— HOW  IT  BEGAN  AND  HOW  IT 
ENDED. 

Little,  foolish  quarrels— how  many  of  them  there  are 
among  boys  and  girls,  and  how  easily  they  might  be 
checked,  if  the  dear  children  were  a  little  more  thought¬ 
ful.  Oh,  if  they  would  only  beware  of  the  first  harsh 
w  ord,  we  should  hear  of  very  few  little  quarrels.  Listen 
to  a  dialogue  between  an  excellent  mother  and  her  little 
daughter.  It  will  be  instructive  to  you,  I  think,  and  will 
show  you  just  where  the  evil  commences,  and  where  you 
should  be  most  strictly  on  your  guard. 

Anna.  I  don’t  love  her,  mother,  I  don’t  love  her  at  all. 
She  is  a  mean  thing,  and  ought  to  be  ashamed. 

Mother.  What  has  she  done,  my  dear  ? 

A.  She  called  me  “  good-for-nothing  little  hussy.” 

M.  (smiling).  That  was  wrong,  certainly  ;  especially, 
as  you  are  not  a  good-for-nothing  little  hussy,  but  a  pretty- 
good  girl.  And  she  said  this,  too,  without  any  provoca¬ 
tion  on  your  part ! 

A.  Yes,  ma’am.  I  didn’t  say  anything  that  she  ought 
to  have  been  so  angry  about. 

M.  Have  you  any  objection  to  telling  me  exactly  what 
you  did  say  ? 

A.  (hesitatingly).  No,  dear  mother. 

M.  Well,  then,  suppose  you  give  me  the  whole  story, 
from  beginning  to  end.  I  can  trust  my  dear  daughter.  I 
don’t  think  it  possible  she  can  deceive  me. 

A.  We  were  playing  in  Mr.  Ray’s  yard,  when  Nellie’s 
brother  came  home  from  a  long  ramble  in  the  woods,  and 
brought  us  ever  so  many  wild  flowers.  Nelly  went  and 
got  her  Botany,  and  we  stopped  playing,  and  began  to 
analyze  the  flowers. 

M.  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  can  turn  your  studies  in¬ 
to  amusements,  my  dear. 

A.  Among  the  flowers  was  one  which  Nelly  said  she 
was  acquainted  with  ;  but  I  didn’t  recollect  ever  having 
seen  it  before.  She  called  it  the  Convallaria  bifolia,  [Sol¬ 
omon’s  seal.]  I  went  over  the  description  in  the  book 
carefully,  and  compared  it  with  the  plant,  so  as  to  see  for 
myself  whether  this  name  was  correct  or  not. 

M.  That  was  right,  Nelly  might  have  been  wrong. 
Besides,  the  yoqng  botanist  should  analyze  every  plant, 
whether  he  knows  its  genus  or  species  or  not.  And  you 
found  the  description  agreod  with  the  flower? 

A.  No,  mother,  not  quite. 

M.  What  difference  did  you  discover! 
The  Bifolia  is  pretty  distinctly  marked. 

A.  The  book  said  two-leaved.  This 
specimen  had  three.  So  I  told  Nelly  it 
couldn’t  be  the  Bifolia.  She  insisted  that 
it  was,  and  said  she  had  seen  a  good  many 
of  these  flowers  growing  together  in  her 
father’s  woods,  and  that  among  them  she 
had  noticed  several  with  three  leaves 
i Hesitates  and  hangs  down  her  head.) 

M.  And  then — 

A.  ( Bursting  into  tears ,  and  covering  her 
face  with  her  apron.)  Oh,  mother!  moth¬ 
er  !  forgive  me.  I  have  been  very  foolish 
and  very  wicked.  I  said  I  didn’t  believe 
Nelly  Carson  hnd  all  the  knowledge  there 
was  on  botany  shut  up  in  her  little  head. 
Oh,  how  cruel  How  could  I  have  said  it’ 
Dear  mother,  I’ll  try  not  to  do  so  again. 

M.  There,  wipe  away  your  tears.  I 
shall  not  punish  you.  You  have  suffi¬ 
ciently  punished  yourself.  Ask  God  to  for¬ 
give  you.  Go,  and  make  up  with  Nelly, 
and  lemember,  how  little  quarrels  begin,  and  check 
them  in  the  bud — yes,  before  the  bud  is  started,  oven. 


Uncle  Frank  don’t  often  write  poetry  ;  and  when  he 
does,  it  is  usually  because  he  can’t  very  well  help  it— 
when  he  is  in  a  condition  similar  to  that  boy  in  school, 
who  didn’t  whi6tle— “  it  whistled  itself.”  Here  is  a  little 
lyric,  which  was  woven  in  that  way.  Will  the  Agri¬ 
culturist  boys  and  girls  listen  to  it  ? 

OUR  LITTLE  BIRD. 

We  have  a  little  bird  at  home, 

Sweetly  he  sings : 

Where’er  his  tiny  footsteps  tread, 

His  music  rings. 

No  cage  confines  our  little  bird, 

He’s  free  as  the  air  ; 

He  sings  his  lay  all  over  the  house, 

Sings  everywhere. 

Indeed,  he  is  a  merry  sprite. 

Brimful  of  glee; 

He  charms  us  by  his  merry  strains  ; 

All  life  is  he. 

God  bless  the  darling  of  our  hearts, 

God  bless  our  bird  ; 

Long  may  the  music  of  that  voice 
With  us  be  heard. 


152 


AMERICAN..  AGRICULTURIST, 


No.  148 


Last  month  we  printed  a  note  from  cousin  Mary,  who 
had  found  Grandmother  at  Uncle  John’s,  in  the  City,  and 
she  promised  further  reports.  While  waiting  to  hear  from 
her,  a  friend  in  Europe  sent  us  the  above  picture  of  one  of 
the  Grandmothers  “  over  the  sea,”  which  pleased  us  so 
much  that  we  immediately  had  it  engraved  to  present  to 
our  young  readers,  for  we  know  they  w  ill  love  to  look  at 
it.  Our  friend  did  not  tell  us  a  word  about  this  picture, 
who  made  it,  or  where  it  was  made.  He  simply  said,  “It 
speaks  for  itself,”  and  so  we  think  it  does.  We  leave 
you  dear  children  to  study  it  and  answer:  What  does  it 
teach  you  ?  P.  S. — Our  friend  and  contributor  Anna  Hope, 
happened  to  see  the  engraver’s  proof  of  the  picture  and 
here  is  what  she  wrote  down  about  it : 

How  satisfied  Grandmother  looks  as  she  watches  little 
Sarali  darning  her  apron.  I  am  sure  she  considers  her 
quite  a  remarkable  seamstress,  and  Sarah  is  evidently 
takirg  great  care  to  please  her  Grandmother.  It  is  no 
small  accomplishment  to  be  able  to  sew  well  and  to  mend 
neatly,  and  it  is  quite  as  necessary  in  these  days  of  Sew¬ 
ing  Machines  as  it  was  many  years  ago,  before  they  were 
invented.  I  am  glad  Sarah  has  a  Grandmother  to  love 
her,  and  I  hope  she  is  a  good  girl  and  ready  to  wait  upon 
her,  and  do  all  she  can  for  her  comfort.  My  Grandmoth¬ 
er  always  wore  such  a  cap  as  this  old  lady  wears.  I  re¬ 
member  how  nice  these  caps  looked  with  their  crimped 
borders.  And  Sarah’s  dress  is  just  such  as  I  wore.  That 
high-neck  apron  we  called  a  tire. 

You  will  see  that  the  old  lady’s  face  is  very  pleasant. 
She  has  been  a  good  tempered  woman.  We  doubt  not 
she  is  one  who  has  neither  scolded  nor  fretted,  but  has 
cheerfully  borne  the  troubles  of  life.  If  she  had  been  ill- 
tempered  it  would  have  been  written  on  her  face.  Chil¬ 
dren  are  all  the  time  making  their  own  faces— the  faces 
they  w  ill  wear  if  they  live  to  be  old.  If  they  wish  to  be 
beautiful  even  in  old  age,  as  well  as  In  middle  life  and 
youth,  they  must  not  allow  themselves  to  do  that  which 
will  leave  an  ugly  mark.  Anger,  impatience,  untruthful¬ 
ness,  all  write  themselves  in  the  face  for  every  observer  to 
read.  So  do  kindness,  gentleness  and  love.  The  homeliest 
face  is  agreeable  if  it  is  written  over  with  pleasant  things. 
I  think  Sarah  resembles  her  Grandmother.  If  she  lives 
to  be  as  old,  I  hope  she  will  look  as  cheerful  and  happy. 
- -  - - —«*- - »  «• - 

The  Editor  with  his  young-  Readers. 

May  Day  has  come  again.  This,  to  those  of  us  born  and 
brought  up  in  America,  is  not  so  full  of  meaning  as  it  is 
to  the  girls  and  boys  living  beyond  the  sea.  We  regret 
to  know  that  of  late  years,  even  there,  May  Day  is  not  the 
general  holiday  it  once  was.  Formerly,  when  this  sea 
son  arrived,  every  body,  old  and  young,  joined  to  cele¬ 
brate  the  approach  of  Spring,  by-  choosing  a  May  Queen, 
dancing  round  the  May  pole  festooned  with  flowers,  and 
engaging  in  various  sports  and  recreations.  We  wish 
there  might  be  more  play  days,  when  we  could  join  the 
young  people  in  a  merry  romp  at  blind  man’s  buff,  or 
some  other  of  their  stirring  sports— enough  to  rub  the  rust 


off  a  little.  The  nearest  we  can  come  to  play  is  to  sit 
down  and  have  this  friendly  chat  with  you  once  a  month, 
and  a  pleasant  recreation  we  find  it.  After  toiling  away, 
day  and  night,  to  interest  grown  up  peopl  ■,  talking  with 
them  about  work,  we  feel,  in  sitting  down  to  chat  with 
you,  something  as  we  imagine  our  horse,  Jim,  used  to, 
when,  after  he  had  been  shut  up  for  a  long  time,  eating 
dry  hay  and  oats,  we  let  him  out  into  the  pasture  to  get  a 
nip  of  the  fresh  grass.  How  he  would  run  just  for  the 
sake  of  running  1  Just  so  our  pen  sometimes  gets  to  run¬ 
ning. 

But  our  thoughts  and  pen  do  not  gallop  quite  so 
blithely  now.  as  they  have  always  done  hitherto  at  this 
season— except  one  Spring  six  years  ago  when  just  at  this 
time  w  e  were  returning  from  the  West,  w  here  we  had  been 
to  bury  the  last  remains  of  one  little  boy  by  the  side  of 
another  one  w-no  had  died,  and  w  as  buried  there  when  we 
were  on  a  visit  two  years  before.  That  was  a  sad  Spring  1 

Very  many  of  our  young  friends  kindly  wrote  sympa¬ 
thizing  letters  when  we  recently  told  them  about  being 
in  those  “corners';”  and  many  inquiries  have  come  as  to 
whether  we  had  got  away  fr^m  the  doctor  or  not.  We 
can  not  respond  individually  to  these  letters,  but  we  are 
glad  to  say  that,  though  the  doctor  kept  his  eye  on  us  a 
long  time— almost  all  Winter— we  have  not  seen  him 
lately.  He  doubtless  thinks  we  are  improving,  and  we 
think  and  feel  so  too.  But  in  getting  thoroughly  well 
again,  we  are  trying  to  do  as  our  writing  teacher  used  to 
direct  us,  viz.;  “  to  make  haste  slowly,”  and  so  we  do  not 
work  so  hard  as  formerly.  Already  the  skies  look  bright¬ 
er.  We  feel  ourselves  “  good  for  twenty  or  thirty  years,” 
of  effective  work  yet — if  our  life  is  spared. 

TWENTY  YEARS  AHEAD  ! 

How  the  imagination  runs  on  to  the  future,  and  paints 
it  as  on  a  panorama  before  us.  Twenty  years  !  That 
seems  like  a  long  period  to  you,  does  it  not?  But  it  will 
quickly  pass.  Time  fl-es  more  and  more  swiftly  every 
year.  As  you  become  more  absorbed  in  active  life,  the 
less  will  you  notice  its  flight.  Now,  you  look  ahead  and 
think  what  you  will  do,  and  what  improvements  in  con* 
duct  and  character  you  will  make  next  year,  or  five  years 
hence.  BntfAmyou  will  be  looking  just  as  far  ahead 
again,  and  ever  regretting  wasted  hours  and  days,  and 
months  and  years  in  the  past.  .Remember  this,  and  do 

well,  what  you  find  to  do  to-day _ Twenty  years  ahead  1 

Why  then  you  boys  and  girls  of  ten,  twelve,  or  fifteen 
years  will  be  men  and  women  of  thirty  to  thirty-five 
years,  at  work  on  your  farms,  or  in  your  shops,  or  offices , 
and  we  shall  perhaps  be  at  this  same  table,  working  away 
at  the  thirty-eighth  volume  of  the  Agriculturist ,  still 
hunting  up  new  articles,  new  engravings,  and  new  mat¬ 
ters  of  interest  to  send  to  your  fire-sides.  These  are  cu¬ 
rious  yet  pleasing  thoughts,  are  they  nof1  How  the  mind 

gallops  away  when  we  let  it  have  the  reins . Putting 

our  hand  into  our  Boys  and  Girls,  letter  box,  the  first  thing 
that  comes  out  is  a  marked  item,  in  a  letter  from  a  west¬ 
ern  lady  which  we  have  headed  : 


THE  BOY  WHO  LOVES  TO 
WHISTLE. 

She  writes  :  “  I  wonderif 
the  children  all  like  to  whis¬ 
tle  as  well  as  our  little  Bur- 
dett  does.  Not  long  since, 
he  came  to  his  mother,  and 
very  earnestly 
said,  ‘  Ma,  I 
want  to. go  and  live  with  the 
Agriculturist."  -Why?’  I 
asked.  ‘  Because  ’  he  an¬ 
swered,  ‘the  Agriculturist 
believes  in  whistling ;  and 
Carrie  doesn’t  like  to  have 
me  whistle  here.’  *  Never 
mind,  my  son,’  I  replied,  ‘  it 
will  be  warm  weather  some¬ 
time.  and  then  you  may  go 
and  sit  on  the  wood -pile  and 
whistle  and  whittle  to  your 
heart’s  content.’  The  child’s 
eyes  brightened.  Evidently 
it  was  a  joyous  thought  with 
him,  that  there  was  a  time 
in  prospect  when  he  might 
w  histle  and  whistle  as  much 
as  he  pleased,  w  ith  no  one  to 
say.  ‘  Please  don’t  make  such 
ancise;’or,  ‘Please  don’t 

make  such  a  litter!” . 

That  boy  is  one  of  the  kind 
we  like,  after  all,  for  he  is 
one  of  those  “  who  must  be 
doing  something.”  Let  him 
do  it.  We  hope  he  will  yet 
make  a  noise  in  the  world 
that  will  be  heard  even  fur¬ 
ther  than  a  steam  whistle.  Let  him  keep  doing — pro¬ 
vided  he  does  not  very  foolishly  imitate  one  of  those 

BOYS  WHO  TRY  TO  EQUAL  A  MONKEY. 

There  is  in  almost  every  neighborhood  at  least  one  boy, 
whom  his  companions  consider  the  funny  boy.  He  al¬ 
ways  has  some  joke,  or  prank,  or  comical  face,  with 
which  to  raise  a  laugh,  and  he  is  generally  successful, 
because  his  fellows  expect  to  laugh,  when  he  does  any¬ 
thing  to  make  fun.  When  we  see  one  of  these  boys  we 
are  reminded  of  what  our  schoolmaster  once  said  to  a 
boy  who,  though  naturally  kind  hearted,  as  such  boys  usu¬ 
ally  are,  was  continually  causing  much  trouble  by  his 
antics  during  school-time.  “  Thomas,”  said  he,  “  I  think 
with  continued  practice,  you  may  at  length  equal  a  mon¬ 
key.”  . Not  a  very  high  mark  to  aim  at,  is  it?  Fun 

should  not  be  followed  as  a  business,  but  kept  as  we  keep 
matches,  to  “  light  up  with  ”  occasionally.  However 
much  the  w  it  of  the  “  funny  ”  boy  or  man  may  be  laughed 
at,  he  is  seldom  respected,  nor  can  he  usually  make  many 
friends.  But  with  all  his  faults  we  think  even  the  comic 
al  boy  greatly  more  respectable  and  loveable ,  than  one  of 
those 

BOYS  WHO  TRY  TO  EQUAL  A  BULL-DOG, 

We  accidentally  overheard  such  a  boy  while  walking 
homeward  a  few  evenings  since.  “  I’ll  fight  him  any 
time,”  said  he,  and  the  rest  of  his  conversation,  which 
was  very  profane,  showed  him  to  be  a  boy  who  thought  it 
a  w  orthy  object  of  ambition  to  be  able  to  pound  somebody 
very  hard.  Now,  although  you  may  at  some  time  have 
heard  boys  praise  a  “  fighter,”  did  you  ever  really  love 
one?  We  have  seen  several  men  who  made  fighting  a 
business.  We  did  not  meet  them  at  church,  nor  in  a  gen¬ 
tleman’s  parlor.  They  would  have  been  as  much  out  of 
place  there,  that  is  as  fighting  men,  as  a  threshing  machine 
in  full  blast  would  be.  We  saw  them  standing  about  the 
doors  of  grog-shops,  where  they  seemed  perfectly  at  home. 
Certainly  that  can  not  be  very  desirable,  which  unfits 
men  to  be  loved,  or  even  to  be  in  the  society  of  the  good 
and  the  respectable.  No  !  no  1  my  boy,  if  you  want  to 
beat  somebody,  do  it  in  learning  lessons,  or  writing,  or 
even  flying  kites  or  skating,  but  let  only  the  “  dogs  de¬ 
light  to  bark  and  bite.” 

“FATHER!  STEER  STRAIGHT  TO  ME,  FATHER.” 

Last  week  (April  5th)  we  attended,  at  the  house  of  a 
friend,  the  funeral  of  a  little  child  that,  after  suffering  for 
many  weeks,  had  taken  its  departure  to  the  ‘belter  land.’ 
The  Pastor  offered  a  few  words  of  consolation  to  the  be¬ 
reaved  parents.  He  referred  to  the  often  inexplicable 
dealings  of  Providence  in  taking  away  our  innocent  prat¬ 
tlers,  when  we  can  see  no  reason  for  the  dispensation 
One  reason  given  was,  that  it  is  often  necessary  to  remove 
our  most  prized  treasures  to  Heaven  that  our  hearts  may 
be  turned  thither.  An  illustrative  incident  he  gave,  though 
he  said  he  had  read  it,  was  new  to  us.  and  left  a  deep  im¬ 
pression.  A  fisherman  was  accustomed  to  go  out  in  a 


May,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


158 


boat  with  his  family  and  spend  the  day  at  a  distance  from 
the  shore.  As  there  were  frequent  fogs,  one  of  the  num¬ 
ber  was  usually  left  at  home  to  ring  a  bell  as  a  signal.  On 
one  occasion  a  little  son  remained  on  shore.  During  the 
day  a  thick  fog  settled  down  upon  the  water,  and  the  fish¬ 
ers  attempted  to  reach  the  land.  But  the  mists  grew 
deeper  and  darker,  and  after  rowing  vainly  in  all  direc¬ 
tions,  despair  had  nearly  suspended  their  efforts.  Just 
then  a  little  voice  came  through  the  darkness,  “  Father  ! 
steer  straight  far  me.  Father,  and  you’ll  get  home,.”  The 
father  renewed  his  efforts,  and  by  steering  straight  in  the 
direction  of  the  oft  repeated  call,  he  reached  the  desired 
haven.  Not  long  after  the  little  lad  was  taken  away  by 
death.  The  father,  a  wicked  man,  having  no  hope  in  this 
life  orthat  which  is  to  come,  wasfilled  with  despondency. 
Clouds,  mists  and  darkness  seemed  to  close  in  around 
him  on  every  side.  While  thus  situated  he  seemed  to  hear 
from  heavenward,  “  Father  !  steer  straight  to  me,  Father, 
and  you’ll  get  home.”  He  obeyed  the  admonition,  and 
turned  his  frail  bark,  tossed  upon  life’s  boisterous  billows, 
towards  the  haven  of  eternal  rest.  So,  said  the  speaker, 
it  is  probable  that  our  little  ones  are  often  taken  away  to 
that  higher  sphere,  whence  we  may  mentally  hear  their 
cherub  voices  calling,  “Father,  Mother,  steer  straight 
tow  ards  me,  and  you’ll  get  home.” 

LORENZO  DOW  ON  BAD  THOUGHTS 

Somebody  once  said  to  Lorenzo  Dow,  who  was  a  very 
eccentric  strolling  preacher  ;  “  Mr.  Dow,  I  don’t  know 
what  to  do.  Bad  thoughts  trouble  me  very  much.  They 
come  into  my  head,  and  I  don’t  know  how  to  keep  them 
out.  How  can  I  help  doing  wrong,  if  it  is  wrong  to  have 
bad  thoughts.”  Mr.  Dow’s  reply  was  :  "IVc  can't  prevent 
birds  fromjlying  over  our  heads,  but  we  can  keep  them  from 
building  nests  in  our  hair."  Do  you  ask  :  “  How  can  you 
drive  away  these  thoughts,  and  keep  them  from  making 
their  nests  in  your  minds  1”  Why,  just  as  we  exclude 
thistles  from  the  land,  by  putting  in  so  much  good  seed 
that  there  is  no  room  left  for  them  to  grow.  Keep  the 
mind  busy  with  something  innocent  and  useful,  and  leave 
no  place  for  the  intruders. 

■ - - - - 

Problems  for-  tlie  Hoys  and  Girls. 


Our  puzzling  rebus  of  last  month  seems  to  have  amused 
a  good  many  grown-up  people  as  well  as  little  folks,  and 
we  offer  another,  perhaps  not  so  difficult  as  No.  37,  but 
probably  enough  so  for  the  younger  boys  and  girls.  We 
will  also  add  here  for 

NO.  38— A  RIDDLE. 

A  shoemaker  once  made  shoes  w  ithout  leather. 

With  all  the  four  elements  joined  together ; 

There  were  Fire,  and  Water  and  Earth  loo  and  Air, 
And  most  of  his  customers  wanted  two  pair- 


NO.  39— A  NEW  ILLUSTRATED  REBUS. 


Prob.  37  (a  Rebus)  has  puzzled  many  a  reader  as  we 
have  good  reason  to  know  from  the  number  of  letters  re¬ 
ceived  concerning  it.  We  thought  the  rebus  difficult 
enough  to  puzzle  almost  everybody,  and  must  express  a 
little  surprise  at  the  number  of  correct  answers  already- 
received.  We  suspect  those  who  succeeded  have  realized 
the  truth  of  the  sentiment  of  the  rebus.  Aunt  Sue’s  let¬ 
ter  so  fully  explains  the  rebus,  and  the  mode  of  studying 
out  such  puzzles,  that  we  need  say  no  more  about  it. 

AUNT  SUE’S  NOTE  ABOUT  REBUS  37. 

My  Dear  Mr.  Editor  : 

I  do  like  hieroglyphic  Rebuses,  and  when  our  friend— 
Agriculturist  for  April — arrived  yesterday,  I  attacked  the 
Rebus  first.  Let  me  tell  you  my  experience  over  it.  My 
thoughts  ran  somewhat  thus :  “Oh!  that  is  some  one 
sick-a-bed  evidently,  from  the  looks  of  that  little  table 
with  physic  on  it ; — let's  see,  ‘sick  sand  purse,’— ‘ill  sand 
purse.’— No.  Can  it  be  a  Jew  ill?  ‘Jewels  and  money.’ 
‘Eve-ear-ant — swineherd?  Corn-husk!’  (well,  I  can’t 
make  a  great  deal  of  sense  out  of  all  that ).  ‘  E  are  bench, 
one  D  bears  hyphen  B  A  in  a  parenthesis  !’  Well  !  if 
there  is  anything  “worth  remembering”  in  that,  I 
should  like  to  know  it !  “Supper  was  announced  and  so 
I  laid  down  the  paper  hopelessly.  Just  before  bed  time 


Itoolc  it  upagain  ;  for“don’t  give  it  up”  is  my  molto,and 
I  didn’t  see  why  I  couldn’t  find  it  out  as  well  as  the  next 
person.  At  length  my  efforts  were  rewarded,  and  I  dis¬ 
covered  “  Patient  s  and  purse  Eve  ear  ant  s  will  pea  E 
are  (P.E.R)  form  one  D  bears,  minus  (b  a),"  or  "Pa¬ 
tience  and  perseverance  will  pe-form  wonders.”  And  my 
success  bore  ample  testimony  to  the  truth  of  the  motto 
thus  found  out.  Let  us  have  another. 

Yours  truly,  Aunt  Sue. 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  April  2,  1859. 

Correct  answers  have  been  also  received  up  lo  April  16, 
from:  Frank  Morrell  :  F.  F.  Woodward  ;  S.  Libbey  ;  W. 
H.  W. ;  F.  L.  Strong ;  Edward  C.  Ilinman  ;  A  Reader; 
Joseph  Flowers  ;  Charles  Flowers  ;  J.  T.  Kelsey;  M.  A. 
Elliott;  Hiram  S.  Safford ;  three  readers  in  Worcester, 
Mass.  ;  H.  F.  A.  and  S.  D.  M. ;  Eliza  J.  Marshall ;  Polly 
A.  Montague;  II.  S.  Holmes;  and  Charlie  Ball,  (who 
writes  that  for  the  last  part  of  the  puzzle,  he  had  to  imi¬ 
tate  the  •  Professor,’  who  fell  into  a  well,  and  worked 
himself  out  by  Algebra !) 


Into  which  are  thrown  all  sorts  of  paragraphs — such  as 
Notes  and  Retlies  lo  Correspondents,  with  Useful  or 
Interesting  Extracts  from  their  Letters,  together  with  Glean¬ 
ings  of  various  kinds  from  various  sources. 

Catalpaor  Beau  Tree.— C.  Pulsifer,  Christian 
Co.,  Ill.  This  tree  is  of  moderate  size,  seldom  reaching 
more  than  30  to  35  feet  in  hight  with  wide  spreading 
branches.  Its  leaves  are  in  shape  much  like  a  bean  leaf, 
and  its  long  seed  capsules  resemble  bean  pods— hence  the 
name  “  bean  tree.”  It  flowers  freely  in  June,  at  which 
season  it  is  quite  ornamental.  It  is  not  perfectly  hardy- 
in  this  latitude,  the  young  shoots  being  often  Winter- 
killed,  but  grows  more  hardy  with  age.  Though  not  gen¬ 
erally  planted  we  esteem  it  highly. 

Farmer,  Spare  tlaut  Oak.— P.  W.  Cook,  Ash¬ 
tabula  Co.,  O.,  writing  about  the  prejudice  against  oak 
trees  in  open  fields,  as  not  being  profitable,  states  that  lie 
lias  two  oaks  which  furnish  more  food  for  pigs,  than  the 
same  ground  which  the  trees  occupy,  w  ould  produce  if 
planted  with  corn. 

Kcgister  ©£  Hie  Fruit  Yard.- Vulcan,  Har¬ 
ford  Co.,  Md.,  suggests  that  a  plan  of  the  fruit  yard  or 
orchard  be  made,  each  variety  being  named  in  its  place  ; 
the  plan  to  be  kept  for  reference,  instead  of  depending 
upon  the  labels  attached  to  the  trees,  w  hich  are  easily 
lost.  The  idea  is  a  good  one.  Most  nurserymen  have 
such  a  plan  in  addition  to  the  labels. 

Dwarf  Trees,  Mow  far  apart  ?  — R.  Craig,  In¬ 
diana  Co.,  Pa.  From  ten  to  twelve  feet  apart  is  a  proper 
distance  to  set  dwarfs,  and  deep  enough  to  cover  the  roots 
at  their  junction  with  the  tree,  this  being  the  depth  at 
which  trees  stand  naturally. 

Mildew  on  Gooseberries.— M.  A.  Riley,  Co¬ 
lumbiana  Co.,  O.  Gooseberries  appear  to  be  affected 
most  by  mildew  in  dry  seasons.  In  the  moist  climate  of 
England,  where  this  fruit  is  raised  in  the  greatest  excel¬ 
lence,  mildew  is  scarcely  known.  Mulching,  that  is,  cov¬ 
ering  the  ground  around  the  roots  with  straw,  leaves  or 
tan-bark,  keeps  the  surface  moist,  and  is  used  as  a  pre¬ 
ventive  of  this  blight. 

Caps  over  Currant  Rushes,  etc.— B.  Ew¬ 
ing,  Marquette  Co  ,  Wis  ,  was  very  much  annoyed  last 
season  by  the  depredations  of  the  birds.  They  came  iri 
flocks,  and  of  almost  every  description,  to  feed  upon  the 
currants  and  raspberries  which  had  been  cultivated  with 
much  care.  After  trying  many  expedients,  the  bushes 
were  at  last  covered  with  cloth  caps,  which,  w  hen  proper¬ 
ly  arranged,  excluded  the  birds,  and  also  proved  beneficial 
to  the  fruit,  making  it  sweeter,  and  preventing  it  from 
drying  on  the  bushes. 

Peach  Tree  Borer.— E.  R.  Gilbert,  New-IIaven 
Co.,  Conr..  The  insects  producing  this  worm  deposit 
their  eggs  in  this  latitude  during  the  latter  part  of  July 
and  the  month  of  August. 

Destroying  Cattcrpillars  on  Trees. — A.L. 
Risley,  Ill.,  recommends  applying  a  mixture  of  softsoap 
and  turpentine  to  the  places  where  they  have  commenced 
making  their  nests.  They  are  often  found  in  the  forks  of 
the  limbs,  and  resemble  a  small  tuft  of  cotton.  The  mix¬ 
ture  may  be  readily  applied  by  using  a  long-handled  swab, 
made  of  cotton  batting. 


Another  White  Strawberry.— D.  Ilabel, 
West  Chester  Co.,  N,  Y.,  says  he  has  found  among  the 
Highlands  of  the  Hudson  River,  a  variety  of  while  straw¬ 
berries,  larger  than  the  native  red,  very  sweet  and  high 
flavored.  Tite  leaves,  specimens  of  which  were  forward¬ 
ed  are  small,  bright  glossy  green,  and  deeply  ribbed.  Per¬ 
haps  it  would  be  better  to  prove  them  one  year  longer  be- 
lore  deciding  to  distribute  them. 

Hanging  up  Geraniums.— W.  II.  Riker,  Sa¬ 
ratoga  Co.,  N  Y.,  states  that  he  has  succeeded  three 
years  past  in  keeping  the  scarlet  Geraniums  by  the  me¬ 
thod  recommended  by  Mr.  Downing,  viz. :  hanging  them 
up  by  the  “  heels”  in  the  darkest  part  of  the  cellar.  Other 
correspondents  say  they  have  succeeded  equally  well. 

Kohl  Mabi.-K.  P.  Martin.  This  plant  resembles 
a  turnip  growing  out  of  ground  on  a  cabbage  stalk.  It  is 
cultivated  like  a  turnip,  though  sown  earlier,  and  cooked 
similarly.  It  is  best  for  use  when  half  to  two-thirds 
grown,  say  about  the  first  of  August  in' this  latitude. 
See  Iliustration  and  description  in  vol.  16,  page  209,  also 
on  page  4  of  this  volume. 

Cut.  Worm  on  Cabbages.— Andrew  M.  Gates, 
jr..  North  Branford,  recommends  sowing  a  circle  of  either 
stone  or  shell  lime,  around  each  plant  to  prevent  the  cut 
worm.  He  says  it  has  succeeded  where  other  means  have 
failed. 

Wlaalc-oil  Soap  for  Borers.— A  “Jamaica 
Plain  (Mass.)  Farmer,”  writes  us  strongly  urging  the  use 
of  a  solution  of  one  pint  of  whale-oil  soap  to  a  gallon  of 
water,  applied  w  ith  a  cloth  or  brush,  both  Spring  and  Fall, 
to  the  trunks  of  fruit  trees,  as  an  effectual  protection  from 
borers. 

Carrots  for  Coffee.— Mr.  Charles  M.  Buttolph, 
Lee,  Co.,  Ill.,  writes  that  after  trying  various  substitutes 
for  coffee,  he  has  at  last  found  carrots  to  answer  the  pur¬ 
pose  very  well.  They  are  prepared  by  washing,  sliced 
lengthwise  quite  thin,  and  roasted  in  the  oven  until  about 
the  color  of  roasted  coffee,  and  brittle  enough  to  grind 
well.  A  tablespoonful  is  sufficient  to  make  coffee  for  five 
or  six  persons. (t)  It  should  boil  about  five  minutes  and 
requires  nothing  to  make  it  clear. 

Large  Ears  of  King-  Philip  Corn.— George 
Haigh,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.,  forwarded  fine  specimens  of 
this  corn,  selected  from  bis  crop.  He  states  Unit  the  seed 
was  planted  the  2d  of  June,  and  harvested  the  first  w  eek  in 
September,  the  product  being  over  97  bushels  of  shelled 
corn  per  acre. 

Great  Yield.  of  B licit  wheat. — D.  B.  Stevens, 
Locust  Township(l),  reports  the  size  and  product  of  a 
single  stalk  of  buckwheat  gathered  by  him,  thus  :  Weight 
of  stalk  3i  lbs.,  number  of  kernels,  4,000.  This  certainly 
is  at  the  rate  of - a  great  many  bushels  to  the  acre. 

Feeding  Young  I.aimbs.  J,  Johnston,  Ontario 
Co.,  after  having  tried  the  method  for  feeding  young 
lambs  suggested  in  the  March  Agriculturist,  (page  70.) 
as  well  as  other  modes,  has  at  last  from  experience  come 
to  the  very  good  conclusion,  that  the  best  way  to  feed 
Iambs  is  through  the  ewes  ;  in  other  words,  to  allow  the 
ewes  1  lb.  grain  each,  daily,  during  their  pregnancy  if  fed 
with  straw,  less  if  hay  be  given.  This,  lie  says,  not.  only 
fits  the  ewe  for  nursing  her  lamb  well,  but  also  adds  to 
her  growth  and  the  weight  of  her  fleece. 

Disease  of  Young  Ijamlbs.— Ranchero,  Chau- 
tauque  Co.,  N.  Y..  inquires  for  information  concerning 
the  proper  treatment  of  his  lambs.  He  writes  that  when 
several  days  old  they  are  attacked  suddenly,  apparently 
with  pain  in  the  bowels,  a  viscid  mucous  flows  copiously 
from  the  mouth  •,  they  lie  on  the  side,  with  the  bead 
stretched  back,  bleating  with  each  paroxysm  of  pain,  and 
in  six  or  eight  hours  they  die, 

Giving  llic  Bees  a  Mint.— S.  P.  Campbell,  Min¬ 
nesota,  writes  that  he  found  the  drones  remaining  during 
the  middle  of  September  after  brood  time,  thereby  pre¬ 
venting  the  honey  from  gaining  in  the  hive.  Thinking 
that  the  bees  were  negligent,  he  killed  about  a  dozen 
drones  as  they  w  ere  entering  the  hive,  and  the  next  day 
he  found  the  hive  entirely  cleared  of  drones,  the  workers 
having  destroyed  the  rest.  The  hive  then  filled  with 
honey  very  rapidly.  Mr.  C.,  would  like  to  know  some 
means  of  preventing  swarms  leaving  after  being  hived. 

Eatenf  Cliurns,  (Johnson’s  and  others.)— In  re¬ 
sponse  to  several  correspondents,  we  answer  that  we  are 
unable  lo  give  particulars  concerning  the  churns  they  ask 
for.  For  years  we  chased  new  ‘patent  churns’  up  Broad¬ 
way,  down  Wall-street,  and  elsewhere,  with  about  equal 
satisfaction,  or  rather  want  of  it,  in  every  case.  We  will 
say  this  much,  however,  that  experience,  observation,  and 
scientific  principles,  have  led  us  to  the  settled  conclusion 
that  no  churn  will  make  the  first  quality  of  butter  which 
brings  the  butter  in  less  than  15  or  20  minutes  under  the 
most  favorable  circumstances.  Hence  we  now  spend  no 
time  in  running  after  any  “  three  minute  churn.”  When 


154 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


such  a  thing  is  practicable,  we  promise  to  set  forth,  with 
pen  and  graver,  any  churn  that  will  do  the  work. 

As'ency  for  Seeds. — M.  M.  Ferguson,  William¬ 
son  Co.,  Texas,  and  others.  While  we  cheerfully  en¬ 
deavor  to  do  what  we  can  for  the  introduction  and  dis¬ 
semination  of  valuable  new  seeds  without  charge,  we  can 
not  think  of  entering  upon  the  sale  of  seeds  as  a  business 
as  proposed.  We  have  not  the  time  ;  neither  do  we 
think  an  agricultural  paper  should  be  connected  with  a 
trade  of  this  kind  or  any  other.  An  agricultural  paper 
should  be  entirely  independent  of  all  individual  interests 
in  its  teachings  and  recommendations.  This  we  are  en¬ 
deavoring  to  carry  out,  and  therefore  must  decline  the 
various  tempting  offers  of  good  commissions  which  are 
so  frequently  opened  to  us. 

Hydraulic  Cemcait  Pipes.— T.  Stowell,  N.  Y. 
Water  pipes  made  of  cement  (water  lime)  answer  a  very 
good  purpose  if  laid  below  the  reach  of  frost;  otherwise 
they  are  soon  cracked  and  rendered  worthless. 

4'ooking;  ISjisjg’cs.— J.  W.,York  Co  ,  Pa.  These 
are  usually  constructed  for  burning  coal  only.  They  are 
convenient  but  not  very  economical  of  fuel,  unless  con¬ 
siderable  cooking  is  done.  They  are  especially  adapted 
for  hotels,  large  boarding  houses,  etc  ,  though  they  are  in¬ 
troduced  into  many  private  houses,  because  of  their  con¬ 
venience,  and  their  occupying  less  room  than  stoves. 
They  also  facilitate  the  healing  of  water  for  distribution 
in  pipes  over  the  house.  Baking  is  done  very  well  by 
them.  * 

Substitute  for  Peat  or  Sawdust.— L.  D. 

Jared,  III.  Almost  any  waste  or  refuse  vegetable  matter 
may  be  used  as  an  absorbent  in  the  barn-yard,  when  peal 
or  swamp  muck  can  not  be  procured.  Straw,  if  you  have 
enough  of  it.  is  very  valuable.  It  would  hardly  pay  to 
cut  it  up  for  this  purpose. 

Even  in  the  Moon  !— The  Editor  of  the  Planter 
and  Mechanic,  published  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  in  his  March 
number  says  :  “The  American  Agriculturist,  published 
by  O.  Judd,  in  New-York,  is  one  of  the  best  papers  we 
see.  Many  complain  of  northern  papers  not  suiting  the 
south.  As  to  mere  detail  we  would  admit,  but  when  we 
regard  the  drawing  out  thought,  giving  food  to  the  mind, 
we  beg  to  dissent.  We  want  sucti  papers,  and  tiiose  who 
agree  with  us,  will  find  the  American  Agriculturist  a  rich 

treat _ The  paper  shows  M i > n .  and  energy,  and  labor, 

and  if  it  wire  published  in  the  Moon  we  should  prize  it  ”, . 
We  thank  our  worthy  cotemporary  for  this  kind  and 
hearty  expression  of  appreciation  and  good  will.  The 
principles  of  soil  culture  are  essentially  the  same,  and 
human  nature  is  the  same,  east,  west,  north  and  south, 
and  we  hope  to  make  the  Agriculturist  of  such  a  charac¬ 
ter  that  will  meet  some  want  of  every  man,  woman  and 
child  in  the  land,  no  matter  what  the  location. 

JPrcventiaig'  effects  off  Sf roiDEa.— M.  A.  Allen, 
Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.  The  best  prevention  is  deep  work¬ 
ing  of  the  ground  with  subsoil  plow  or  spade,  so  that  the 
roots  can  go  down  into  a  prepared  soil  far  enough  to  al¬ 
ways  find  moistuie,  however  dry  and  parched  the  surface 
may  be. 

Artificial  Honey.— F.  Phillips,  Crawford  Co., 
Pa.,  will  find  an  article  on  this  subject  in  vol.  17,  p.  164, 
which  we  can  not  reprint.  Set  it  down  as  a  sure  thing, 
however,  that  bees  alone  can  make  good  honey. 

Pumpkin  Flour.- W.  T.  W.,  Queens  Co.,  N.Y. 
Tills  is  made  of  either  common  or  Bermuda  pumpkins, 
cooked  and  evaporated  until  quite  dry.  It  is  then  ground 
into  a  meal  or  flour,  and  after  further  drying  put  up  in  tin 
cans  or  boxes. 

Tall  Fork  Raising'.— E.  B.  Woodward,  Ocean 
Co.,  N.  J.,  gives  us  the  follow  ing  weights  of  hogs,  raised 
in  the  township  of  Plumstead.  On  one  farm  of  165  acres 
41  hogs  w  ere  slaughtered,  averaging  532  lbs.  each.  An¬ 
other  farm  of  150  acres  raised  30  Ikies,  averaging  537 j  lbs., 
and  56  pigs,  each  212 J  lbs.  On  another  farm  of  160  acres 
there  were  raised  28  hogs  of  537  tbs.  each,  and  to  finish 
Ibe  list,  a  resident  of  that  town  raised  one  porker  weigh¬ 
ing  1045  lbs. 

Corn  Cobs  for  Manure.—  Wm.  McCullough, 
Shelby  Co.,  O.,  and  several  others.  We  have  delayed  an 
answer  to  this  question,  because  we  have  not  had  ex¬ 
perience  enough  to  instruct  olliers.  Our  opinion  is,  that 
corn  cobs,  like  all  other  organic  matters,  are  valuable  for 
incorporating  with  the  soil.  They  are  valuable  only  in 
proportion  to  their  weight,  of  course,  We  think  the  best 
disposal  of  them  is,  to  plow  them  into  heavy  soils,  which 
they  will  help  lo  lighten;  or  to  place  them  around  fruit 
trees  a-s  a  mulch-  If  burned,  their  large  amount  of  ashes 
would  be  usefully  applied  to  cold,  wet,  sour  land. 

To  kill  USce  Mollis.— N.  P.  Hedges  writes  that 
vegetable  acids  of  any  kind,  as  sweetened  vinegar,  mashed 
currants  or  cherries,  or  any  similar  substance,  w  ill  destroy 
this  pest.  He  says  it  should  be  put  on  shallow  plates  or 


pans  near  the  hives,  where  the  moth  will  eat  freely  of  it, 
and  die  in  consequence.  They  will  drown  in  open  ves¬ 
sels  containing  sweetened  liquids  to  attract  them,  but  we 
hardly  think  they  will  eat  enough  to  poison  themselves. 

Clearing-  Trees  from  Eicc,  Moss,  etc.— 
C.  Smith,  Westchester  Co.,  recommends  to  take  apiece 
of  loose  rope,  wind  it  once  around  the  tree  or  limb,  and 
then  holding  one  end  in  each  hand,  draw  it  back  and  forth 
rapidly.  This  will  do  for  the  main  trunk  and  crotches. 

When  to  sow  Turnips. — J.  Pierce,  Armstrong 
Co. ,  Pa.  Ashcroft’s  Swedish  and  Long  White  French 
may  be  sown  from  the  latter  part  of  June  till  the  middle 
of  July,  or  even  till  the  first  of  August,  though  we  prefer 
the  season  first  named. 

Ayreslsires  and  ISerefforils.— 0.  H.  Whitney, 
Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.  Each  of  these  breeds  has  its  superior 
points.  Perhaps  the  Ayreshires  excel  for  the  dairy,  and 
the  Ilerefords  for  fattening.  Very  full  descriptions  of 
these  and  oilier  breeds  may  be  found  in  a  series  of  articles 
extending  through  several  numbers  of  the  last  vol.  (XVII.) 
of  the  Agriculturist. 

King  off  Tompkins  Co.  Apple.— L.  F. Pierce. 
Des  Moines  Co.,  Iowa.  This  fruit  is  described  as  a  vig¬ 
orous  grower  and  good  bearer.  Fruit  large,  skin  yel¬ 
lowish  shaded  with  red,  flesh  coarse,  juicy,  and  tender, 
with  an  agreeable  flavor.  It  was  placed  by  the  American 
Pomological  Society  on  the  list  of  fruits  which  promise 
well.  Experiments  alone  can  decide  whether  this  va¬ 
riety  will  prove  specially  valuable  in  any  particular  loca¬ 
tion,  distant  from  the  place  of  its  origin. 

Love  off  Flowers.— E.  Dickinson,  Mass.,  in  an 
article  for  which  we  have  not  room,  rightly  urges  parents 
to  cultivate  the  love  of  flowers  in  their  children  as  a 
means  of  refinement. 

- o-« -  nna-Ocr»m  >  - 

NEW  ROOKS. 

Sargent’s  Edition  of  Downing’s  Landscape  Garden¬ 
ing.  A.  0.  Moore  &  Co.,  Publishers.  New-York.  1859. 

We  have  already  alluded  to  the  publication  of  this 
book,  but  its  importance  will  justify  another  notice.  It  is 
now  eighteen  years  since  the  issue  of  the  original  work 
by  Mr.  Downing,  and  in  that  time  considerable  advance 
lias  been  made  in  the  knowledge  and  practice  of  the  art 
of  which  it  treats.  Of  course,  the  general  principles  re¬ 
main  essentially  the  same  :  but  some  progress  has  been 
made  in  their  application.  Mr.  Sargent’s  supplement,  in 
this  edition,  exhibits  that  progress,  and  contains  the  latest 
and  fullest  information. 

The  author  commences  with  some  general  remarks  on 
landscape  gardening,  and  condenses  into  a  few  pages 
much  useful  matter.  His  second  chapter  is  devoted  to  an 
exhibition  of  tw  o  common  modes  of  making  a  country- 
place,  viz.  :  one  by  planting  on  open  ground,  and  the 
other  by  hewing  one  out  of  a  wooded  site  with  the  axe,  a 
little  planting  being  added  by  way  of  finishing  strokes. 
The  residence  of  Mr.  Hunnewell,  near  Boston,  is  de¬ 
scribed  as  illustrating  the  first  method,  and  the  author’s 
house  on  the  Hudson,  the  other.  In  the  remarks  touch¬ 
ing  the  first,  and  in  the  engravings  depicting  it,  we  detect, 
what  is  also  apparent  in  other  quarters,  a  disposition  to 
revive  somewhat  the  old,  artificial  style  of  gardening,  in 
which  trees  and  shrubs  are  cut  into  all  manner  of  fanci¬ 
ful  shapes.  In  the  chapteron  the  newer  deciduous  trees 
and  shrubs,  the  reader  will  find  much  to  interest  him.  It 
is  truly  surprising  to  observe  what  a  w'ealth  of  materials 
the  ornamental  planter  now  has  to  draw  upon.  He  ought 
to  possess  corresponding  skill  in  using  them. 

The  fourtli  chapter,  occupied  with  the  subject  of  plant¬ 
ing  and  acclimating  tender  trees,  will  arrest  the  attention 
both  of  practical  men  and  of  vegetable  physiologists.  We 
question  w  hether  all  readers  will  agree  with  the  writer 
here.  The  latter  part  of  this  chapter,  filled  with  descrip¬ 
tions  of  the  newer  evergreens,  is  perhaps  the  grand  fea¬ 
ture  of  the  supplement.  It  is  evidently  the  favorite  theme 
of  the  writer.  Mr.  Sargent  has  devoted  his  ample  means 
and  cultivated  taste  for  many  years  to  the  testing  of  new¬ 
ly  discovered  trees  from  almost  every  part  of  the  world. 
Japan,  China,  the  Bliotan  and  Altai  mountains,  the 
Crimea,  the  hights  of  Lebanon,  and  the  Alps,  the  isle  of 
Corsica,  Norway,  Sweden,  England,  and  Ireland,  Cali¬ 
fornia,  Oregon,  Baffin’s  Bay,  Florida,  and  indeed  almost 
every  country,  whose  vegetation  could  reasonably  be  ex¬ 
pected  to  endure  the  climate  of  our  Middle  and  Northern 
Slates,  have  furnished  some  specimens  of  trees  for  a  trial 
of  their  hardihood  on  the  shores  of  the  Hudson.  The  re¬ 
sults  thus  far  reached,  are  reported  in  the  book  before  us. 

In  addition  to  descriptive  remarks  upon  trees,  there  is 
given  a  Tabular  View,  which  exhibits  their  relative  hardi¬ 
ness  in  different  sections  of  the  country.  This  we  con¬ 
sider  one  of  the  most  useful  and  interesting  features  of  the 
work. 

The  concluding  chapters  of  Historical  Notices  show  the 
great  progress  made  during  the  pnst  fifteen  years,  in  the 


Construction  of  fine  country  seats,  rural  Cemeteries,  and 
public  and  private  parks. 

Thus  much  for  the  labors  of  the  editor  ;  of  which,  in-' 
deed,  much  more  might  well  be  said.  We  should,  how- ! 
ever,  do  but  imperfect  justice  to  the  work  as  a  whole,  did 
we  Alii  to  notice  also  the  labors  of  the  publisher  in  its  pro¬ 
duction.  Among  the  new  and  superb  pictorial  embellish¬ 
ments,  we  see  that  at  least  fourteen  of  them  were  drawn 
by  the  skillful  pencil  of  A.  O.  Moore,  Esq.  In  this  and 
other  ways  he  has  bestowed  many  months’  labor,  and  has 
expended  largely  of  his  private  means,  in  order  to  bring 
the  workout  in  the  best  possible  manner.  We  learn,  also, 
that  he  has  pledged  a  generous  share  of  the  profits  of  this 
edition  to  the  widow  of  the  lamented  Downing.  Thus, 
whether  we  consider  the  merits  of  the  original  work,  or 
the  supplement,  or  the  labors  of  the  publisher,  it  is  ob¬ 
vious  that  this  book  is  worthy  of  public  favor  and  an 
extensive  circulation. 

New  American  Encyclopedia,  Vols.  IV.  and  V  — 
We  have  already  spoken  of  this  magnificent  work  as  UA 
Whole  Library  in  one  Work,"  and  we  can  hardly  use  any 
stronger  terms.  We  have  before  us  and  have  examined 
the  IVth  and  Vlh  volumes,  which  are  now  issued.  They 
each  contain  770  pages.  Vol.  4lh  extends  in  the  alphabet 
from  BRO.  to  CHA  ,  and  contains  1379  different  subjects 
treated  of,  in  articles  averaging  half  a  page  each.  Vol. 
5th  extends  from  CHA.  to  COU.,  and  contains  2059  ar¬ 
ticles,  averaging  over  one-third  page  each;  The  space 
devoted  to  the  different  topics  varies  of  course  with  their 
relative  importance.  Eveiy  person,  place,  or  thing  named 
in  History,  Biography,  Geography,  Science,  Art,  Agricul¬ 
ture,  etc.,  is  treated  of  pretty  fully,  and,  as  we  remarked 
in  a  former  notice,  not  one  person  in  a  thousand  will  care 
to  learn  more  on  any  subject,  than  will  be  found  in  this 
work.  The  volumes,  neatly  bound,  are  furnished  at  $3 
each,  or  $45  for  the  whole  work.  As  the  first  five  volumes 
go  only  part  way  through  the  letterC.it  would  hardlyseem 
possible  to  bring  the  entire  work  within  15  volumes.  But 
should  it  not,  this  will  be  to  the  advantage  of  the  purcha¬ 
ser,  as  the  publishers  engage  to  furnish  any  extra  volumes 
to  subscribers  without  additional  charge.  D.  Apple- 
ton  &  Co.,  Publishers,  346  &  348  Broadway, New-York. 

The  American  Home  Garden,  By  Alexander  Watson 
We  have  had  time  for  only  a  cursory  glance  at  this  work, 
and  can  not  speak  fully  as  to  its  merits.  It  appears  to 
have  been  carefully  written,  and  to  contain  much  useful 
information  relating  to  every  department  of  the  home 
garden  including  vegetables,  fruits  and  flowers.  The 
author  writes  from  a  practical  experience  of  many  years. 
Harper  &  Brothers,  Publishers.  Price  $1  50. 

The  Atlantic  Monthly.— We  heartily  commend  this 
magazine  for  uniform  literary  excellence  of  high  order, 
the  freshness  and  brilliancy  of  its  articles  arc  une¬ 
qualled  by  any  similar  publication  in  this  country.  We 
are  glad  to  know  that  it  is  enjoying  the  success  it  deserves. 
There  has  been  at  times  a  little  outcropping  of  skepticism 
in  some  of  its  articles,  but  latterly  there  has  been  an  im¬ 
provement  in  this  respect.  We  always  read  the  Profes¬ 
sor  at  the  Breakfast  table,  even  if  we  have  time  for  no 
other  part  of  its  contents  and  should  consider  this  alone 
worth  the  cost  of  the  Magazine,  $3  per  year.  Published 
by  Phillips,  Sampson  &  Co.,  Boston. 

The  Bible  Printed  as  it  should  be.— In  the  Bible 
as  usually  printed,  great  injury  is  done  to  the  sense  by  the 
arbitrary  arrangement  into  chapters  and  verses  without 
regard  to  the  proper  connection.  It  was  not  so  written 
originally,  and  there  is  no  sacredness  in  these  divisions. 
The  chapter  divisions  were  not  made  until  the  13th  cen¬ 
tury  and  the  verse  divisions,  not  until  l  he  middle  of  the  1 6th 
century,  when  it  was  done  for  convenience  of  reference 
in  making  up  a  concordance.  The  belter  arrangement  is 
to  divide  it  into  paragraphs  according  lo  the  sentiments, 
with  appropriate  headings,  quotation  marks,  etc,  just  as 
any  other  book  is  printed.  We  have  for  years  used  such 
an  edition  with  decided  pleasure  and  advantage,  the 
words  and  language  precisely  the  same  as  in  the  common 
edition,  and  the  chapters  and  verses  simply  indicated  by 
figures  along  tlie  right  and  left  margin.  Tiie  only  objec¬ 
tion  to  our  copy  (printed  by  the  American  and  Forrign 
Bible  Society)  is  the  smallness  of  the  type.  We  have 
just  received  from  Collins  &  Brother,  Publishers,  New- 
York,  a  copy  of  the  New  Testament,  arranged  in  para¬ 
graphs,  which  is  a  desirable  edition  especially  on  account 
of  the  larger  type.  The  chapters  and  verses  beginning 
each  page  are  indicated  at  the  head  of  the  page.  Quota¬ 
tion  marks  are  used  whenever  the  sense  demands  it. 
We  are  only  sorry  that  the  usual  chapter  and  verse  di¬ 
visions  are  not  indicated  by  side  figures.  But  even  with 
this  defect,  we  consider  this  far  preferable  to  the  common 
edition  for  general  reading. 

Our  Musical  Friend.— A  weekly  periodical  which 
usually  gives  each  week  three  or  four  pieces  of  popular 
music,  and  generally  of  very  good  character,  so  far.  This 
is  an  excellent  idea,  as  it  brings  a  belter  class  of  music 
within  the  reach  of  a  large  class  unable  to  pay  the  sheet 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


155 


price.  It  is  sold  for  10  cents  a  copy,  or  furnished  to  sub¬ 
scribers  at  $5  per  year.  Published  by  Seymour  &  Co. 
New-York. 

Ricood's  Roman  History.— The  story  of  the  Roman 
Empire  told  without  being  encumbered  with  unimportant 
details,  and  in  a  style  calculated  to  interest  the  young, 
and  create  a  taste  for  more  on  the  same  subject,  and  de¬ 
velop  a  taste  for  instructive  reading.  In  the  edition  be¬ 
fore  us  the  publishers  use  too  much  paper  for  the  printed 
matter  loot  a  common  failing.)  which  renders  the  book 
rather  bulky*  A.  S.  Barnes  &  Co.  New-York. 

Wrecks  and  Rescues,  published  by  the  American  Fe¬ 
male  Guardian  Society,  we  have  not  had  time  to  examine, 
but  our  better  half  has  read  it,  and  says  it  contains  a  very 
interesting  series  of  truthful  narratives  of  various  cases 
that  have  come  under  the  care  of  members  of  the  Society, 
who  are  constant  in  their  efforts  to  save  the  lost.  The 
profits  on  this  book  go  to  aid  in  their  charities.  For  price, 
etc.,  see  advertisement  in  March  Agriculturist. 

Home  Whispers.— It  would  benefit  many  a  thoughtless 
husband  and  wife  to  listen  to  these  whispers  of  experience 
and  counsel,  enforced  by  the  observation  of  the  writer. 
Many  lessons  in  the  art  of  making  home  happy  are  taught 
plainly  yet  gracefully.  Published  by  the  American  Fe¬ 
male  Guardian  Society,  29  East  29th-st„  N.  Y. 

Bertram  Noel,  by  E.  J.  May.  This  is  a  story  for 
youth,  rather  lively  in  style,  and  intended  to  teach  the 
value  of  self  control  strengthened  by  religion.  D.  Apple- 
ton  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 

- - »  -o-  . — 

STANDING-  PREMIUMS 

(for  obtaining  subscribers  to  the  American  Agriculturist.) 

No.  IV— for  15  subscribers  at  80c.  each,  an  extra 

copy,  worth . $1- 

No.  V— for  25  subscribers  at  80c  each  (f  new) 

Vols.  lfi  &  17,  worth . $2. 

No.  VS— for  30  subscribers  at  80c.  each  (A  new) 

Silver  Case  Microscope,  worth.. $4. 
No.  VS  I— for  40  subscribers  at  80c.  each  (1  new) 

IVebstir's  Dictionary  worth . $6. 

No.  SS — for  144  subscribers  at  80c.  each  (new) 

Sewing  Machine  worth . $50. 

do.  — for  100  Subscribers  at  $1  each  (new) 

Sewing  Machine  worth . $50. 

No.  XIS— for  130  subscribers  at  80e.  each  (new) 

Encyclopedia  worth  . $45 

do.  — for  100  subscriners  at  $1  each  (new) 

Encyclopedia  worth . $45. 

Note. — Tiie  above  premiums  are  tho  same  as  are  de¬ 
scribed  in  tiie  first  5  numbers  of  the  present  volume.  All 
the  new  names  obtained  within  the  year  will  be  counted. 

- «xs>  -4 -  ura^gi"'  *  «'■ - 

Market  Review,  Weather  Notes,  &c. 

American  Agriculturist  Office,  ) 

New  York,  Friday  Evening,  April  22,  1859.  ( 

The  receipts  of  Breadstuff’s,  since  our  last,  have  in¬ 
creased,  while  the  demand  for  the  principal  kinds  has 
fallen  off  considerably.  The  home  traders  have  been  the 
principal  buyers.  There  has  not  been  much  inquiry  from 
shippers.  Speculators  have  manifested  less  disposition  to 
purchase.  An  erroneous  statement  of  the  stock  of  Flour 
on  hand,  published  on  the  1st  inst. ,  has  tended  to  check 
business.  An  effort  was  immediately  made  by  dealers  to 
ascertain  Ihe  amount  really  here,  and  we  were  furnished 
with  a  copy  of  Ihe  names  of  the  holders  and  the  total 
quantity  on  hand.  The  list  embraced  seventy  firms, 
w  hose  stock,  as  reported  by  each  firm,  amounted  in  the 
aggregate  to  405,774  barrels,  including  all  the  State, 
Western,  Southern,  and  Canadian  Wheat  Flour  in  first 
hands,  and  in  the  hands  of  speculators,  as  well  as  of  the 
principal  jobbers,  and  that  Flour  upon  which  advances 
had  been  made.  Yet,  Ihe  erroneous  statement  (making  out 
a  stock  of  over  1,300,000  bbls.),  has  continued  to  exercise 
a  depressive  influence  on  the  market,  and  prices,  despite 
tile  exertions  of  holders  to  sustain  them,  have  declined, 
closing  heavily  and  languidly.  Some  reports  from  Liver¬ 
pool,  of  purchases  of  Wheat  there,  fir  shipment  to  Phil¬ 
adelphia,  have  contributed  though  but.  slightly.  to  weak¬ 
en  the  market,  and  to  diminish  the  value  of  Wheat  arid 
Wheat  Flour  here.  A  Philadelphia  paper,  refers  to  the 
receipt  of  advices  by  the  last  steamer  from  England  of 
shipments  of  Wheat  lo  Philadelphia.  “  A  lot  of  eight  or 
nine  thousand  bushels,  on  its  way  from  Liverpool,  is  now 
offered  for  sale  by  samples,  and  will  probably  pay  a  good 
freight.”  Another  Philadelphia  paper,  a  few  weeks  ago, 
slated  that  the  Wheat  ordered  from  Liverpool  for  Phila¬ 
delphia  was  being  imported  for  seed  by  some  enterpris¬ 
ing  members  of  the  Corn  Exchange  Association  of  that 
city,  and  was  to  be  sold  in  suitable  lots  to  the  farmers  of 
Pennsylvania.  The  cost  of  such  lots,  landed  in  Phila¬ 
delphia,  will  be  equivalent  to  $1  80  per  bushel . The 

movements  in  Cotton  have  beer,  less  extensive,  and  prices 
have  favored  buyers.  Available  supply  here,  88,797  bales, 
against  62,710  last  year.  Receipts  at  all  shipping  ports  to 


latest  dates  this  year,  3,371,355  bales,  against  2.592,012 
bales  to  same  time  last  year.  Total  United  States  Ex¬ 
ports  so  far  this  year  2,160,460  bales,  against  1 ,714,013  bales 
at  same  date  last  year.  Total  stock  on  hand,  on  ship¬ 
board  anti  in  port,  728,548  bales  ;  last  year.  697,952.  Stock 

in  interior  towns  129,813  bales  ;  last  year,  94,461  bales _ 

Provisions  have  been  quite  freely  offered,  and  prices  of  the 
principal  kinds,  especially  of  hog  products,  have  declined. 
The  demand  has  been  good  at  our  revised  quotations. 
Considerable  Pork  has  been  sold,  for  future  delivery. 

. Hay  has  been  in  fair  request  at  uniform  rates . 

Ilemp  and  Hops  have  been  quiet . Seeds  have  been 

moderately  inquired  for.  Clover  is  lower.  Timothy  is 

rather  higher  . Rice  has  been  pretty  freely  dealt  in  at. 

however,  reduced  figures  . Tobacco  has  been  less 

active,  yet  firm . Wool  has  also  attracted  less  atten¬ 
tion,  though  prices  have  not  varied  materially . Na¬ 
val  stores  have  been  more  sought  after _ Other  branch¬ 

es  of  the  Produce  Trade  have  exhibited  no  very  remark¬ 
able  changes. 

Receipts.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley  Oats 

2>>  bus  days  Ill's  mon  .  137  902  30,511  218.290  11,300  72.500  51,200 
26bus.  days  last  moil,  101,078  12,173  176,731 -  54,659  40,200 


Hogs.— Receipts  for  the  four  weeks  just  ended  amount 
to  21,159.  The  supply  is  fully  equal  to  Ihe  demand,  grad¬ 
ually  diminishing  with  the  warm  weather.  Heavy  Corn 
fed  hogs  are  worth  6c  (®6}c.  and  light  ones  5jc.(3>5jc. 
gross  weight,  with  an  inactive  market. 

rJTB«e  Weather*  for  a  month  past  has  been  cool  and 
wet,  though  raiher  more  Spring  like  during  the  last  week. 
The  early  prospects  of  March  received  a  check,  but  are 
gradually  recovering.  The  grain  and  fruit  prospects  are 
upon  the  whole,  favorable,  although  the  freezing  weather 
of  the  5th  and  6th  did  considerable  injury  at  the  South 
where  early  fruits  were  in  bloom.  Our  Daily  Notes 
condensed,  read:  March  24,  rain  P  M.,  and  during  next 
day  :  26,  27,  28,  mostly  fine  clear  weather  ;  29,  rainy  day  ; 
30,  31,  clear  and  fine.  April  1,  warm,  with  h  gh  winds  ;  2, 
fine,  rain  at  night;  3,  rain  and  fog  ;  4,  clear  and  pleasant ; 
5,  6,  cold  and  windy,  mercury  31°,  ice  formed  at  night, 
and  fruit  trees  in  bloom  at  the  south  were  doubtless  in¬ 
jured;  7,  clear  and  mild;  8  cloudy  with  light  rain;  9,  clear; 
10  cloudy,  rain  at  night ;  11,  N.  E.  rain  storm;  12  clear, 
rainy  night  and  most  of  13th  and  14th.  15  to  21,  mostly 
clear  and  fine,  moderately  warm  and  growing  weather, 


Sales.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye  Barley. 

26  business  days  thi*  moil.  281.000  273.150  400,500  68.000  3(12.400 
26  business  days  last  mouth,  428,5(10  857.151  545.800  8,650  84.300 
Exports  of  Breadstuffs  from  N.  Y.,  from  Jan.  1st, 
to  April.  19. 


1858. 

1859. 

Wheat  Flour,  bbls . 

.  368,582 

164.458 

Rye  Flour,  bbls . 

.  1,903 

2,25(1 

Corn  Meal,  bbls . 

.  19,384 

24.182 

Wheat,  bush . 

.  349,934 

18,916 

Corn,  bush . 

. 1,062,627 

57,952 

Current  Wholesale  Prices. 

March  23. 

Flour— Superf  to  Extra  State  S5  50  0  6  80 
Common  to  Fancy  Western..  5  55  to)  6  10 


S5  15 
5  15 


April  22. 
la)  6  40 
O  5  85 


Fancy  to  Extra  Genesee . 


Rye  Flour— Fine  and  Super. 


Corn — Yellow _ 

While . 

Mixed . 

Oats — Western. . 

State . 

Southern . 

Rye . 

Barley _ • . 


Hay,  in  bales,  per  100  lbs . 

Cotton — Middlings,  peril). . . . 


Hops,  crop  of  1858  per  11). 


BEEF — Repacked  Mess . 

Coiintiy  mess  . 

Hogs.  Dressed  corn,  per  lb  .. 

Lard,  in  bbls.  per  li>  . 

Butter —  W estern,  per  lb . 

State,  per  11) . 

Cheese,  per  lb . 

Eggs — Fresh,  per  dozen . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  11) 

Seed— Clover,  per  lb . 

Timothy,  per  bushel .  2  00 

Sugar,  Brown,  per  lb . 

Molasses,  Nevv-Orleans,  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio, 'per  lb . . 

Toracco —  Kentucky, &c.  pr  lb 

Seed  Leaf,  per  lb . 

WooL-Domestio  fleece,  per  lb. 


Tallow,  per  lb . 

Oil  Cake,  per  ton . 

Potatoes— Peach  Blow.prbbl 

Mercers,  perlibl . 

Turnips — Rutabagas,  per  bbl. 


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Dried,  per  III . 

Dried  Peaches— pr  lb., Soutb’n 
Poultry— Fowls,  per  lb. 

Ducks,  per  lu . 

Turkeys,  per  11) . 

Geese,  per  lb . 

N.  Y.  JLave  Stock.  Markets.—' The  Cattle 


which  farmers  are  improving  ;  22,  moderate  rain;  23,  very 
rainy,  as  we  go  to  press  in  the  morning. 


OPThe  circulation  of  the  Agriculturist  to  regular 
subscribers,  is  much  larger  than  that  of  any  other 
Agricultural  or  Horticultural  Journal  in  the  world. 


Advertisements  to  be  sure  of  insertion  must  be  received  at 
latest  by  the  15th  of  the  preceding-  month. 

TERMS  —  (invariably  cash  before  insertion): 

FOR  THE  ENGLISH  EDITION  ONLY. 

Twenty -five  cents  per  line  of  space  for  each  insertion.  About 
9  words  make  a  line,  if  undisplaved. 

One  whole  column  (14.5  lines)  or  more.  S30  per  column. 
tST*  Business  Notices  Fifty  cents  per  line. 


FOR  THE  GERMAN  EDITION  ONLY. 

Ten  cents  per  line  of  space  for  each  insertion. 

One  whole  column.  ( 130  lines),  or  more,  Sll  per  column 
13^  Business  Notices  twenty  cents  per  line. 

FOR  BOTH  EDITIONS— ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN. 
Thirty-one  cents  per  line  :  S38  per  column. 

L#'*  Business  Notices  Sixty-Jive  cents  per  line. 


EVERGREEN 
®StEES  AND  SHRUBS 
FOE 

The  iLawaa  and  The  Ctardcaa. 

Though  there  is  si  ill  ample  time  for  planting  Deciduous 
Troes  and  Shrubs,  yet  this  is  peculiarly  the  month  for  putting 
out  Eveigreens. 


Sc 

show  to  visitors  to  their  grounds  at 

EXUSMING,  ILGNG-JSIi  AN®, 

Trees  of  fine  form  and  large  size  for  planting  singly,  as  well  as 
those  of  smaller  size  for  grouping  and  massing 
Among  their  best  sorts  are  : 


Norway  Spruce, 
White  Spruce, 
Hemlock  Spruce, 
Himlaya  Spruce, 

Jiisli  Juniper, 
Chinese  Juniper, 
Swedish  .1  uni  per, 
Heath  leaved  Juniper, 
Atlas  Cedar, 
Cryptomeria, 


Weymouth  Pino, 
Blio'an  Pine, 

Stone  Pine, 

European  Silver  Fir, 
Sibei  ian  Silver  Fir, 
Balsam  Fir, 

Siberian  Arbor  Vii®, 
Golden  Arbor  Vit;e, 

A  me/  ican  Arbor  Vilie, 
Tree  Box, 


Rhododendrons,  &c.,  &o.,  &c  ,  &o. 

While  each  of  ihe  sorts  just  named  lias  its  peculiar  charm, 
and  is  indispensable  t  o  a  choice  collection  yet  for  general  plant¬ 
ing.  none  are  so  .satisfactory  as  the  Norway  Spruce,  among  the 
larger,  and  the  Rhododendron  among  the  smaller  growing  va¬ 
rieties. 

For  lists  in  detail  see  their  Catalogue  which  can  be  obtained 
by  mail  or  at  179  Broadway,  or  189  Watcr-st.,  New- York. 


Markets  have  been  scantily  supplied  during  the  past 
month,  and  prices  have  advanced  Uc.  ft>.  on  the  esti¬ 
mated  dressed  weights  since  our  last  report.  For  the  past 
four  weeks  ending  April  20,  the  receipts  amounted  to 
12,060,  or  an  average  of  about  3.000  per  week.  Prices  now 
range  at  12ic.(a)13e.  for  Premium  grades;  llfo.(a)12o. 
for  good  qualities  ;  10c.(S>10Je.  for  Medium  animals  ;  and 
9c.(a)9\c.  for  poor  grades  ;  with  a  general  average  of 
10ic.  for  all  sales.  The  indications  are  that  cattle  will 
not  be  plenty  before  the  grass  fed  animals  begin  to  arrive 
in  June. 

Veal  Calves  are  very  abundant  just  now.  For  the 
past  four  weeks  4,166  have  been  received  at  the  regular 
markets  besides  large  numbers  sold  from  the  river  boats. 
Prices  were,  April  20th  :  6c.  for  Prime  calves  ;  4ic.(a)5c. 
for  fair  ones,  and  3£e.(a)4c.  ^  lb.  live  weight  for  light  thin 
calves. 

Sheep  and  Lambs.— Receipts  of  live  sheep  have  been 
very  light,  amounting  to  only  16,434  for  the  past  four 
weeks.  They  are  kept  back  on  account  of  the  season  of 
increase  and  the  approaching  shearing  time.  Good  sheep 
now  command  7c. (5)74-  c  #>■  ib.  live  weight.  Ordinary  an- 
[  imals  are  worth  5i-c.fa)6c.  Demand  rather  light. 


BEAUTIFUL  COUNTRY  HOME, 

NEAR  NEW-YORK  CITY , 

FOE  SALE  LOW, 

AND 

VERY  LITTLE  CASH  REQUIRED, 

AS 

MOST  OF  THE  PURCHASE  MONEY  CAN  REMAIN 
FOR  A  TERM  OF  YEARS. 

The  late  Homestead  of  Rev.  Dr  Strong.  S.  T  D  ,  (who  is  now 
in  charge  <»f  Troy  University.)  located  in  the  pleasant,  retired 
village  of  Flushing,  twelve  miles  East  of  New- York  Ci  v.  No 
other  place  near  ihe  metropolis  is  so  conveniently  accessible,  at 
almost  all  hours  of  the  day,  both  by  steamboat  and  railroad — the 
lime  bv  railroad  being  less  than  one  hour,  while  a  ride  to  Flush¬ 
ing  in  the  spacious  cars,  or  boat  is  far  more  pleasant  than  a  pas¬ 
sage  on  any  of  i  he  public  conveyances  to  i  he  upper  part.  or  even 
tiie  centre  of  New- York  Citv.  Flushing  is  an  exceedingly 
pleasant  Country  Town  abounding  in  Nurseries,  Green-houses, 
Public  or  Commercial  Gardens  &c  ,  &c  ,  while  the  Country 
back,  for  many  miles,  is  dotted  over  with  the  country  seats  of 
numerous  retired  as  well  as  active  businessmen.  (So  well 
pleased  have,  most  of  the  dwellers  in  this  suburb  of  New-York 
Citv  been  with  their  homes  that  little  or  no  ado  lias  ever  been 
made  to  briny  it  into  no  ice  by  advertisements  or  newspaper 
notices.  Very  few  persons  who  have  gone  to  Flushing  have 
sold  out  to  so  elsewhere,  except  on  imperative  business  calls.) 

Flushing  is  scarcely  surpassed  for  its  advantages  of  churches, 


156 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


good  schools — both  pnblicand  private,  etc..  while  its  main  busi¬ 
ness  being  comfined  cliiGly  to  Trees  and  Plants,  it  is  free  from 
the  usual  commercial  turmoil  of  manufacturing  and  trading 
towns. 

The  dwelling  above  referred  to,  now  for  sale,  was  bought  a 
few  years  since  by  Dr.  Strong,  as  a  permanent  home,  after  a  tho¬ 
rough  examination  of  all  the  localities  near  New-York,  and  his 
transfer  to  the  Troy  University  is  the  only  reason  for  its  now 
being  offered  for  sale. 

The  LOCATION  of  the  dwelling  is  elevated,  having  a  fine 
lookou  upon  the  bay  and  adjoining  landscape. 

The  GROUNDS,  consisting  of  near  one  and  a  halfacres,  were 
formerly  part  of  a  public  nuisery,  and  are  therefore  in  the  high¬ 
est  state  of  cultivation  and  improvement.  They  are  laid  out  in 
the  most  tasteful  maimer,  wth  gravel  walks  flagging,  borders, 
he.  The  trees  and  plants  are  of  the  choicest  variety,  and  are 
now  full  (jrown.  There  area  great  namber  of  grape  vines,  beds 
of  strawberries,  with  the  New-Roclielle  blackberry,  currants, 
and  other  kinds  of  small  fruits,  while  among  the  large  ones 
are  some  ten  very  choice  cherry  trees,  (Black  Tartarian,  Black 
Eagle,  Amber,  May  duke,  kc.,)  with  numerous  pear  trees, 
(Bartlett,  &c.,)  apples,  kc-.  kc.  SeveraL  of  the  Ornamental 
trees  are  so  fine  that  the  nurserymen  in  the  vicinity  frequently 
bring  their  customers  to  see  them  as  choice  specimens. 

The  HOUSE  is  in  modern  style,  built  throughout  in  the  most 
substantial  maimer,  and  is  in  complete  order.  The  main  part  of 
the  building  is  about  50  by  40  feet,  two  stories  high,  with  large, 
commodious  wings  on  each  side.  The  basement,  and  cellar  rooms 
are  nearly  above  ground,  and  always  dry.  The  rooms  in  both 
the  first  and  second  stories  are  high,  with  walls  hard-finished 
and  painted.  There  aie  numerous  closets,  pantries,  and  similar 
conveniences.  There  is  an  excellent  well  of  water,  and  a  large 
cistern  at  the  door.  The  front  walk  is  flagged  and  curbed,  and 
lighted  with  gas. 

Price — (if  called  for  soon,)  only  $12.000— of  which  $9,000  or 
$10,000  may  remain  on  interest  for  a  term  of  years,  if  desired. 

This  is,  undoubtedly t  a  rare  opportunity  to  secure  an  elegant , 
commodious,  and  pleasant  home ,  comb.ning  all  thz  advantages  of 
the  cou'iirv,  with  the  facilities  and  conveniences  of  immediate  vi¬ 
cinity  to  t\e  Metropolitan  City . 

REFERENCE: 

The  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist  has  resided  in  Flush¬ 
ing  for  some  years  (and  has  lately  purchased  a  permanent  coun¬ 
try  seat  there).  The  agents  for  the  sale  of  the  above  place  there¬ 
fore  (by  permission)  refer  any  inquirer  to  him,  as  his  personal 
and  interested  acquaintance  with  the  location  and  character  of 
the  premises  will  enable  him  to  speak  definitely  in  regard  toit. 
He  is  also  in  possession  of  the  terms  of  sale,  etc. 


A  VALUABLE  FARM  FOR  SALE.— One- 

and-a  half  miles  east  of  this  village,  on  the  Clinton  river; 
330  acres  of  choice  land,  with  200  acres  improved ;  2  large  barns, 
2  dwellings  (l  of  brick),  2  orchards  of  choice  apples.  1  of  pears, 
plums,  cherries.  kc.  2urri'Jes  from  Detroit,  by  Plank  Road,  1% 
from  railroad  and  on  a  navigable  river. 

Address  E.  WRIGHT  HALL, 

Mt.  Clemens,  Macomb  Co.,  Mich. 


A  SAFE  AND  PROFITABLE  BUSINESS  IS 
OFFERED  TO  THE  UNEMPLOYED 

UPON  THE 

OX”® 

EMBRACING 

Popular  Biographies,  Nar  ratives  and  Travels,  Historical  Works. 
•  Books  upon  Agriculture,  Horticulture,  Domestic  Econo¬ 
my,  Hural  Affairs, and  Ait,  Books  for  the  Young, 

BibUs  and  Religious  Books,  Standard  and 
•Select  Poetry,  and  Miscellaneous 
Books. 

PUBLISHED  BY  C,  M,  SAXTON, 

No.  25  PARK-ROW,  NEW-YORK. 

AGENTS  AND  CANVASSERS 
jShould  send  at  once  for 

OUR  NEW  CATALOGUE, 
with 

PRACTICAL  INSTRUCTIONS. 


WE  OFFER  TO  THE  UNEMPLOYED. 

A  Good  Business.  Safe  and  Profitable. 

And  to  secure  it.,  if  competent,  they  have  onlv  to  write  to 
THE  AUBURN  PUBLISHING  CO.,  for  their  NEW  CIRCU¬ 
LAR,  which  contains  the  terms  on  which  they  wish  to  employ 
good  AGENTS,  in  every  county  in  the  United  States  and  Can¬ 
ada  ;  also  a  full  description  of  FOUR  NEW  AND  VERY 
SALEABLE  AGENTS’  BOOKS,  now  just  ready— Practical 
Instructions  to  Agents,  for  the  Profitable  Management  of  the 
Business.  &c.,  &c. — Offering  THE  BEST  CHANCE  yet  to 
Book  Agents,  old  or  new,  and  to  whom  it  will  be  sent  free  by 
addressing  K  G.  STORKE.  Asrent..  Auburn,  N.  Y. 

WRITE  EARLY 


NEW-YORK  STATE  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 

PREMIUM  ON  FARMS,  18.59. 

Premiums  are  offered  for  best  cull  ivated  farm,  mostly  devoted 
to  grain  growing.  Best  Grazing  and  Cheese  Dairy  farm.  Best 
Grazing  and  Butter  Dairy  farm — not  less  than  50  acres,  exclu¬ 
sive  of  wood  and  water  land — premium  of  $50  each.  And  for 
best  cultivated  Grain  farm — nor.  less  than  50  acres,  wood  land  in¬ 
cluded— premium  of  $30. 

Persons  desiring  to  enter  their  farms  will  please  give  notice  to 
the  Secretary  by  the  1st  of  July,  so  that  the  farms  can  be  examin¬ 
ed  by  a  Committee  appointed  by  the  Executive  Board. 

B.  P.  JOHNSON,  Cor.  Sec’y. 

Agricultural  Rooms,  Albany,  April  18,  1859. 


ILLINOIS  LANDS  FOR  SALE. 

The  Subscriber  offers  for  sale,  at  low  prices  and  on  accommo¬ 
dating  tenns, 

52,000  Acres  of  Choice  Farming  Lands, 
situated  in  Central  Illinois,  in  the  counties  of  Montgomery, 
Christian.  Shelby, Macon,  Moultrie,  Platt,  Fayette  and  Clay. 

Said  lands  were  mostly  selected  and  entered  at  an  early  day, 
and  arc  very  choice  selections  of  Rolling  Prairie  or  valuable 
Timbered  Lands.  Many  of  said  lands  are  adjacent  to  Rail¬ 
road  Stations,  and  all  situated  within  convenient  distances  of 
completed  Railroads. 

Said  Lands  are  offered  for  sale  in  small  parcels  to  actual  set¬ 
tlers,  on  reasonable  terms,  or  will  be  sold  in  laige  parcels  at 
wholesale  rates,  on  very  accommodating  terms.  The  titles  are 
perfect,  and  all  conveyances  will  be  made  by  warrantee  deed. 
Also, 

400  TOWN  LOTS! 

I  Very  eligibly  situated  m  the  town  of  PANA,  being  at  inter¬ 
section  oflllinois  Central  and  Terre  Hauie,  Alton  and  St.  Louis 
Railroads. 

Persons  wishing  to  purchase  any  of  the  above-named  Lands  or 
Lol  s.  will  p'ease  apply  to  the  Subscriber,  bv  letter  or  otherwise, 
at  Hillsboro’,  Montgomery  Countv,  Illinois, 
i  Cat  alogues  of  said  Lands  will  be  forwarded  to  persons  who 
may  request  the  same  JOHN  S.  HAYWARD. 

PROFITABLE  Employment  may  be  had 

by  addressing  (post-paid)  R«  SEA  RS  181  William-st,  N,  Y 


HENRY  W.  HERBERT’S  LAST  WORK  ! 

FKAM  FOKKESTER’S 

HINTS  TO  HORSE-KEEPERS ; 

Beautifully  Illustrated, 

PRICE,  $1.25. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HOWTO  BREED  A  HORSE— CHOICE  OF  STALLION, 
National  value  of  the  horse — The  bestclass  of  horses  the  cheap¬ 
est  for  all  purposes — What  constitutes  excellence— Blood  :  what 
it  gives;  should  be  on  the  side  of  the  Sire— Breed  up,  not  down 
—Diseases  and  defects  hereditary — General  rules. 

CHAPTER  II. 

CHOICE  OF  THE  MARE. 

Size,  symmetry  and  soundness  more  important  than  blood — 
Points  of  the  brood  mare — Diseases  hereditary — Condition  of  the 
mare — Should  have  moderate  work  when  with  foal— Food  and 
care  during  gestation — Health  and  temper — General  Rules. 
CHAPTER  III. 

MUTUAL  ADAPTATION  OF  SIRE  AND  DAM. 

First  consideration  in  improvement  of  “  cold”  blood — Relative 
size  of  Sire  and  Dam— Defects  m  either  parent — How  remedied 
in  progeny— Bloods  which  ‘‘hit  ” — General  rules 
CHAPTER  IV. 

CANADIAN  BLOOD. 

The  Canadian  originally  the  French  Norman — Characteristics 
—Hardihood— Speed — Mode  of  improvement — Crossing  with 
Thorough-breds. 

CHAPTER  V, 

NORMAN  BLOOD. 

Origin  and  history  of  the  Perc.heron  Norman — A  pure  race — 
Characteristics  and  points — Importation  into  this  country. 
CHAPTER  VI. 

MODERN  ARAB  BLOOD. 

English  and  American  thorough-breds  derived  from  Oriental 
blood — Are  now  superior  to  the  modern  Arabs — Nolan  Arabs. 
CHAPTER  VII. 

PONIES— DIFFERENT  BREEDS,  CHARACTERISTICS  AND  UTILITY 
Unknown  to  the  Ancients— Origin — Different  breeds— Shetland 
and  Scots  Galloways  and  Narragansetts  -Mustangs  and  Indians 
— Profit  of  raising  ponies. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

HOWTO  BREED  MULES. 

Value  of  mules — History  and  natural  history — The  mule  and 
hinney — Thorough-blood  wasted  in  tJie  Dam — The  mule  in  the 
United  Sta  es — Varieties  of  the  ass — The  kind  of  mares  to  be  se¬ 
lected. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

HOW  TO  BUY  A  HORSE, 

Of  whom  to  buy  it— Extraordinary  cheapness  and  extraordina¬ 
ry  excellence  not  consistent  with,  each  other — Points  to  be  re¬ 
garded — How  to  examine  the  eye— Broken  wind — To  examine  the 
legs— Spleuls— Damaged  Back  Sinews — Spavins— Ringbones— 
Cuibs— Thoiough-pm — How  t  o  tell  the  age  of  a  horse. 

CHAPTER  X. 

HOW  TO  FEED  A  HORSE, 

Consequences  of  improper  feeding — Different  food  for  different 
conditions— Food  for  the  brood  mare — For  the  foal — For  work¬ 
ing  horses— Green  food — Feeding  horses  in  training — Summering 
horses — Management  of  omnibus  horses  in  New- York. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

HOW  TO  STABLE  AND  GROOM  A  HORSE. 

Requisites  for  a  good  stable— The  economy  of  proper  arrange¬ 
ments — Ventilation  — Grooming — How  performed — Clothing  — 
Treatment  of  the  horse  when  brought  in  from  work. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

IlOW  TO  BREAK  AND  USE  A  HORSE. 

What  is  required  in  a  well-broken  horse — His  education 
should  commence  when  a  colt — Bitting — Putting  in  harness — 
Howto  use  a  horse— Traveling— Woi king — Pleasure  Horses — 
Pun  shment. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

HOW  TO  HHYSIC  A  HORSE— SIMPLE  REMEDIES  FOR  SIMPLE  AIL¬ 
MENTS. 

Causes  of  ailments — Medicines  to  be  given  only  by  the  order 
of  the  master — Depletion  and  purging — Spasmodic  colic. — In¬ 
flammation  of  >he  bowels— Inflammation  oi  the  lungs — How  to 
bleed — Balls  and  purgatives — Costiveness— Cough — Bronchitis — 
Distemper— Worms — Scratches — l  brush—  Broken  knees 
CHAPTER  XIV. 

FARRIERY,  ETC. 

Castration — Docking  and  nicking— Blood-letting-  Treatment 
of  strains  and  wounds — Galls  of  the  skin — Clipping  and  singeing 
—Administering  medicines — Diseases  of  tlieleet. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

HOW  TO  SHOE  A  HORSF* 

Unskilful  shoers— Anatomy  of  the  foot  illustrated — The  foot  of 
a  colt — Preparation  of  the  foot— Removing  'he  old  shoe — Faring 
the  foot — The  shoe — Fitting  the  shoe— Nailing— N  umber  ©f  nails. 
CHAPTER  XVI. 

BAUCHER’S  METHOD  OF  TRAINING  HORSES. 

What  constitutes  a  well-trained  horse — To  make  him  come  at 
your  call — Flexions  of  ihe  jaw — Flexions  of  the  neck — Flexions 
of  the  croup— Backing — The  paces — Leaping. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

HOW  TO  RIDE  A  HORSE. 

The  saddle— The  girths — The  stirrups — Saddle-cloths— The 
crupper — The  martingale — The  bridle — Spurs— Mounting  and 
dismounting — The  seal — The  hands — The  legs — The  paces — Hints 
for  special  cases— The  art  of  falling — Riding  with  ladies. 
CHAPTER  XVIII. 

LADIES  RIDING. 

Written  by  a  lady. 

Learning  to  ride— The  side-saddle — 1  lie  girths — the  stirrup — 
The  bridle — The  martingale — The  bit — I  he  dress — Mourning  and 
dismounting — The  Position — The  hands — The  leg  and  whip— Ac¬ 
cidents. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

HOW  TO  DRIVE  A  HORSE. 

The  art  of  driving — Pleasure  driving — How  to  hold  the  reins 
— Driving  a  pair — Four-in-hand  driving — Driving  working  horses 
— Plowing — Three-a  breast. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

RAREY’S  SYSTEM  OF  HORSE  TAMING. 

A  new  discovery — Previous  system — Principles  of  this  system 
— Instructions  for  practicing  it — To  stable  the  horse — To  ap- 
proach  the  horse— Tying  up  the  leg — Laying  the  horse  down— 
Vices  and  bad  habits— Rearing— Kicking— Baulking— Pulling 
on  the  halter — Shying. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

RACING. 

Training  the  racer — Training  stables— Feeding  horses  in 
training — Laws  of  racing — Table  of  weights  for  different  ages — 
Handicapping. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

VETERINARY  HOMGSOPATHY. 

Principles  of  the  svstem— Table  of  remedies — General  direc¬ 
tions — Treatment  of  a  sick  animal — Diet — Remedies  for  specific 
cases— Glossary  of  diseases. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CARRIAGES. 

General  remarks— Different  varieties  of  vehicles— The  wheel, 
— The  springs  — The  shafts  and  pole  —  The  body  and  top  — 
Painting  and  varnishing— Trimming  and  plating  —  Haunony 
of  colors— How  to  keep  carriages  in  good  condition. 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

HARNESS. 

The  quality  of  leather— Stitching— The  collar— The  traces— 

The  saddle  and  breeching— The  bridle  and  reins - How  to  keep 

harness  in  good  condition. 

Published  by  A.  O.  MOORE  &  CO  , 

Agricultural  Book  Publishers.  No.  140 Fulton-st  ,  Ncw-York. 


OETOU  CULTURE !  ONION  CULTURE  I 

EXPERIENCE  OF  SEVENTEEN  PRACTICAL  MEN. 

This  work,  now  ready,  proves  to  be  even  more  valua 
ble  than  we  had  expected.  It  contains,  in  addition  to  the 
full,  practical  directions  for  Onion  Culture,  an  interesting 
illustrated  arlicle  on  the  Onion  Fly  and  its  Prevention, 
by  a  distinguished  Entomologist.  This  addition,  and 
other  causes,  have  delayed  the  publication  longer  thar 
we  expected,  but  orders  are  now  being  filled.  It  will, 
we  are  confident,  be  worth  many  times  the  price,  to 
everyone  who  raises  this  vegetable. 

Piice  per  copy  (sent  post-paid  by  mail),  21  cents  (or  7 
3-cent  stamps)  ;  $2  per  dozen.  Address  American  Agri¬ 
culturist,  No.  1S9  Water-street,  New-York. 


A 


NEW  WORK  FOR  AGENTS. 

THE  LIFE,  SPEECHES  AMD  MEMORIALS 

OF 

DANIEL  WEBSTER, 

CONTAINING  HIS  MOST  CELEBRATED  ORA 
TIONS,  A  SELECTION  FROM  THE  EULOGIES 
DELIVERED  ON  THE  OCCASION  OF  Ills 
DEATH,  AND  HIS  LIFE  AND  TIMES. 

BY  SAMUEL  M.  SMUCKES,  A.  M. 

This  splendid  work  is  just  published,  in  one  large  volume  or 
550  pages.  It  is  printed  on  fine  paper  and  bound  in  beautiful 
style  ;  contains  excellent  tint  illustrations  of  Ids  Birthplace  and 
Mansion  at  Marshfield:  and  a  full  length,  life-like,  Steel  Por¬ 
trait..  The  Publisher  offers  it  with  confidence  to  the  American 
public, and  is  convinced  that  it  will  supplyan  important  want  in 
American  literature.  No  work  was  lobe  obtained  heretofore 
which  presented,  within  a  compact  and  convenient  compass  the 
chief  events  of  the  life  of  DANIEL  WEBSTER,  his  most  re¬ 
markable  intellectual  efforts,  and  the  most  valuable  and  inter¬ 
esting  eulogies  which  the  great  men  of  the  nation  uttered  in 
honor  of  his  memory. 

We  present  all  these  treasures  in  this  volume,  at  a  very  mod¬ 
erate  price,  and  in  a  very  convenient  form.  Subscription  price 
in  cloth.  SI  75  ;  handsomelv  embossed  leather,  S2  00.  ’ 

Persons  desirous  of  becoming  Agents  fur  this  valuable  work, 
will  address,  for  full  particulars, 

DUANE  RULISON,  Publisher, 

33  South-third-st.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

NOTHER  GREAT  COUP  D’ETAT 

IN 

THE  LITERARY  WORLD. 

BAYARD  TAYLOR 

AND 

THE  NEW-YORK  MERCURY. 

The  Proprietors  of  THE  NEW-YORK  MERCURY  feel  as¬ 
sured  that,  an  appreciating  public  will  be  delighted  to  hear  that 
such  a  dashing  step  in  areally  progressive  direction  has  been 
taken,  as  the  engagement  of  that  distinguished  writer, 

BAYARD  TAYLOR,  ESQ., 

to  devote  his  graceful  pen,  in  future,  to  the  literary  service 
EXCLUSIVELY-  OF  THE  NEW-YORK  MERCURY  ! 

Apart,  therefore,  from  his  editorial  associations  with  The 
Tribune,  his  popular  contributions  to  the  literary  genius  of  our 
country  will  appear 

IN  NO  PAPER  BUT  THE  NEW-YORK  MERCURY! 
in  which  journal  he  will  shortly  commence  a  series  of  delight 
fully  piquant  sketches  on  the 

POETRY  AND  ROMANCE  OF  FOREIGN  TRAVEL, 
being  a  perfect  crystallization  of  all  the  Humor,  Wit,  Anecdote 
and  incident  on  ihe 

SENSATION  SIDE  OF  LIFE  ABROAD  ! 
Notwithstanding  the  enormous  outlay  attendant  upon  the  ac¬ 
cumulation  of  so  many  unique  and  really  gratifying  attractions, 
all  designed  to  render  The  New-York  Mercury 
SURPASSINGLY  CHOICE  AND  INTERESTING, 
its  Proprietors,  judging  from  the  flat  term?  experience  of  the  past 
are  confident  of  the  future,  and  believe  that 

BAYARD  TAYLOR’S  BEWITCHING  TRAVEL 
SKETCHES 

will  prove  the  most  successful  coup  d'etat  yet  attempted  in  the 
annals  of  journalistic  adventure — one  deserving  of  at  least, 

A  MILLION  READERS, 

whether  that  inordinate  number  ever  be  realized  or  not  m  the 
course  of  legitimate  newspaper  enterprise. 

Full  particulars  will  appear  in  future  announcements.  Now 
isthe  time  to  subscribe  to  THE  MERCURY.  $2  per  annum 
or  $1  for  six  months.  Specimens  sent  free.  Address 

CAULDWELL,  SOUTHWORTH  &  WHITNEY, 
Proprietors,  No.  22  Spruce  st.,  New-York. 

APES’  Celebrated  One-Horse  Steel  Snh- 

Soil  Plow,  for  deep  cultivation  during  growth  of  crops. 
For  sale  at  AgriculturalDepot,  100  Murray-st..  New-York. 

HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 

To  Western  Sugar  Growers. 

OLCOTT’S  great  work  SORGHO  AND  IMFHEE  ;  The. 
Chinese  and  African  Sugar  Canes— has  reached  its  seventh  ed¬ 
ition  and  is  pronounced  by  t  he  New-York  Tribune,  to  be  the 
best  treatise  on  the  subject  in  any  language.  A  new  edition  of 
Five  Thousand  Copies  has  recently  been  ordered  by  a  single 
agent,  in  a  western  State,  and  is  now  being  printed.  Sorgho 
and  Impiiee,  contains  all  the  latest  and  best  processes  for  man* 
ufact  uring  sugar  and  the  other  products  of  the  canes ;  and  a  let¬ 
ter  from  J.  S  Lovering,  giving  his  experiments  for  1858. 

Price  SI,  postage  paid. 

A.  O.  MOORE  k  CO.. 

Agricultural  Book  Publishers. 

140  Fullon-street,  New-York. 


M 


MA  PES’  Steel  Lifting  Sub-Soil  Plows,  Su- 

perseding  the  old  styles, (Three  sizes.)  For  sale  at  Agri¬ 
cultural  Depot.  100  Murray-st...  N.  Y. _ H.  F.  DIBBLEE.  ■ 


LAWTON  BLACKBERRY. 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

WM  LAWTON,  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y 


CARROT  WEEDERS,  Or,  Root  Cleaners, 

(Three  sizes).  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  100  Mur- 
ray-st.,  N.  Y.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


157 


May  a  bi  d  Grain  Caps. 


Adapted  to  every  branch  ofBudr.css  where 
a  Correct  and  Durable  Scale  is  required. 


/faLL  and  {pjc.am.uie.,  at-  &cnd 
fat-  an  _fLLas±iLccted  and  Qfic- 
SLCtdf iliac  dfatalaa^LLe. 

FAIRBANKS  &  CO., 


The  Subscribers  nave  for  four  years,  by  extensive  correspondence,  by  practical  observation,  and  by  many  experiments  endeavor¬ 
ed  to  obtain  information  that  would  be  a  guide  to  the  manufacture  of  the  best  Hay  and  Grain  Covers,  and  we  now  offer  the  re¬ 
sult  of  these  investigations  to  the  public. 

We  know  that  our  protectors  aro  the  best  ever  yet  offered  to  the  farmers. 

As  to  the  utility  of  the  covers,  we  have  the  testimony  of  intelligent  farmers  in  every  part  of  our  country. 

Orders  for  samples  or  covers  should  be  forwarded  at  once.  Samples  can  also  be  seen,  and  orders  will  be  filled  at  R  L.  Allen’s, 
191  Water-street,  New-York  CHASES  Sc  FAY,  Boston,  Mass. 


HAY  AND  GRAIN  CAPS, 

OF  VARIOUS  SIZES, 

Supplied  at  a  few  hours’  notice.  For  utility  and  economy  of 
which,  see  Agriculturist  for  July,  18.58,  page  207. 

M.  VANDERHOOF, 

Flour,  Grain  and  Salt  Bag  Manufacturer, 

No.  171  West-st.,  New-York. 


KIRBY’S  COMBINED  REAPER  AND 

MOWER— For  the  Harvest  of  1859. — It  has  many  valua- 
Dle  improvements,  over  the  last  year’s  machine,  and  is  war¬ 
ranted  to  give  perfect  satisfaction. 

GRIFFING  BROTHER  &  CO..  Agents, 

No.  60  Cortlandt-st.,  New-York. 

AGRICULTURAL  DEPOT, 

No.  100  MURRAY-ST.  NEW-YORK. 

Farm  Implements,  Machines,  Seeds,  Guano,  in  fine  variety. 

HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


Agricultural  Implements 

of  all  kinds,  for  sale  by  J.  B.  RYAN,  Importer  of  Hardware 
11*1  Yonge-st.,  Toronto,  Canada  West. 

Manufacturers  of  above  goods  will  send  their  lists. 


KNOX’S  Steel  Horse  Hoes,  (three  sizes  ) 

For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot.  No.  100  Murrav-s1.,  N. 
Y.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


SORGHUM  SUGARCANE. 

OUR  ANNUAL  ILLUSTRATFD  PAMPHLET, 

Now  in  Press,  and  to  issue  about  the  15th  April,  contains  a  plain 
and  comprehensive  Treatise,  explaining  how  to  make  Sugar  and 
Syrup  from  the  Sorghum  Cane  ;  together  with  Reports  of  Inter¬ 
esting  Experiments  made  throughout  the  country  during  the 
last  two  seasons.  It  also  contains  a  catalogue,  with  cuts  and  de¬ 
scriptions  of  our  Improved  Patent  Sugar-Cane  Mills,  Pans, 
Clarifiers. Furnace  Fixtures,  Skimmers,  Ladles,  Thermometers, 
Pots,  Saccharometers,  Retorts.  Moulds:  and  all  the  appurtenan¬ 
ces  requisite  in  the  Sugar  making  process. 

On  receipt  of  three  postage  stamps  this  will  be  mailed,  pre¬ 
paid,  to  any  address.  HEDGES,  FREE  &  CO.. 

No.  6  Main-st.;  Cincinnati,  O. 


RS.  STENTON’S  LAND-SIDE  CUT- 

•  TER  FOR  PLOWS  gives  33  percent  more  work  with 
the  same  team,  a  12-inch  plow  with  4-inch  cutter,  turning  a  16- 
inch  prairie  sod,  gave  400  lbs,  draft  by  dynanometer,  easy  on 
two  horsos. 


AND 


MO  WE  R  WI TH  REAP  ING  A  TTA  C  HMENT, 
Those  in  want  of  a  Mowing  Machine  will  find  the 
ALLEN  MOWER 

all  that  is  claimed  for  it — the  best  in  use — being  durable,  easily 
managed  light  of  draft,  and  cutting  all  kinds  of  grass  more  per¬ 
fectly  than  can  be  done  with  a  scythe.  The  Improved  Reaping 
Attachment  can  be  added. to  the  ordinary  Mower,  when  desired, 
making  it  also  a  perfect  Reaper. 

Also,  ALLEN’S  COMBINED  REAPER  AND  MOWER, 
which  has  been  very  much  improved  and  is  now,  without  ques¬ 
tion,  the  nest  Reaping  Machine  in  use.  For  sale  at  the  New- 
York  Agricultural  Implement  and  Seed  Warehouse,  No.  191 
Watcr-st. 

~THiT  ECONOMIST 

COOKING  STOVE, 

FOR  WOOD  OR  COAL, 

WITH  A  SAND  OVEN. 

This  is  the  most  valuable  improvement  that  has  been 
made  in  Cooking  Stoves  during  the  past  twenty  years. 

THE  SAND  OVEN 

Equalizes  the  heat  on  the  same  principle  as  the  Biucic 
Oven  of  ancient  renown. 

THE  SAND  OVEN 

Retains  the  heat  long  after  the  fire  has  gone  out. 

TH3  ECONOMIST 

Without  the  Sand  Oven,  is  ahead  of  all  competitors. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

With  the  Sand  Oven,  is  out  of  reach  of  them. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Is  the  most  economical  and  durable  Stove  in  the  world. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Has  a  most  perfect  arrangement  for  Broiling. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Heats  water  for  the  Bathing  Room,  &c..  as  quickly  as 
any  Range,  and  at  half  the  cost  for  fuel. 


189  Broadway,  New  York. 


ALBANY  TILE  WORKS,  Corner  Clin- 

ton-avenue  and  Knox-st.,  Albany,  N  Y.— The  subscribers, 
being  the  most  extensive  mnnufacturersof 
DRAINING  TILE 

in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand,  in  large  or  small  quantities, 
for  Land  Draining,  Round,  Sole  and  Horso  Shoe  Tile,  war¬ 
ranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this  country,  hard-burned,  and 
over  one  foot  in  length. 

Orders  solicited. 

Price  list  sent  on  application. 

C.  Sc  W.  McCAMMON, 
Albany,  N.  Y. 


BUCKEYE  MOWER, 

WITH  FOLDING  BAR. 

AULTMAjV  &  MILLER’S  PATENT. 


The  subscriber  takes  pleasure  in  calling  ilie  attention  of 
Farmers  to  the  “Buckeye.”  the  most  complete  and  successful 
Mower  ever  introduced  ;  combining,  in  the  simplest  form,  all 
|  the  qualities  necessary  to  a  perfect  Mower.  I  s  frame  is  sup- 
I  ported  on  two  driving  wheels,  either  of  which  is  independent  of 
j  the  other.  The  Cutter  Bar  is  attached  to  the  frame  by  a  Dou¬ 
ble  Hinge  Joint,  which  allows  either  end.  or  the  whole,  to  rise 
orfall.to  conform  to  inequalities  of  the  land.  By  means  of  a 
lever  the  Cutters  can  he  raised  to  pass  obstructions  or  over  cut 
grass— in  mowing  can  turn  either  to  right  or  left — always  throws 
itself  out  of  gear  in  hacking,  and  backs  with  the  ease  of  a  cart; 
is  light  draft,  free  from  side  draft ;  has  no  weight  on  the  horse’s 
neck  ;  is  safe  for  the  driver  ;  almost  noiseless  in  its  operation; 
works  well  on  any  land— side  hills  or  gait  meadows  ;  and  in  any 
grass,  whether  lodged  or  standing,  at  a  slow  walk  of  either 
horses  or  oxen. 

When  not  in  use,  the  Cutters  can  be  instantly  folded 
OVER  THE  FRONT  OF  THE  FRAME,  AND  THE  Mower  THEN  DRIVEN 


b  r  or  gains  in  work  over  50  per  cent.  Took  the  First  Premium 
at  the  Illinois  State  Fair,  Centralia.  1858 ;  draft  by  dynanome¬ 
ter,  turning  24  inches  of  prairie  sod,  725  lbs  ,  with  two  horses. 
3  horses  or  2yo&e  of  oxen  are  sufficient  for  s'eady  work.  Apply 
to  R.  S  STKNTON, 

No  1  Pbct  and  No.  229  Pearl-st.,  New-York, 

F  M.  CHAPMAN. Linds’Block, near  Randolph-st  ,  Chicago, Ill. 

JOHN  DEERE  &  CO..  Moline,  Rock  Island  Co.,  111. 
And  '0  all  plow  makers  in  the  West.  For  lights  or  licences,  ap¬ 
ply  10  R  g  STENTON.' 


THE  ECONOMIST 

Will  do  more  Baking,  Boiling  and  Broiling,  with  a  given 
quantity  of  fuel,  than  any  other  Stove  or  Range. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Is  the  Stove. 

Do  not  fail  to  examine  it !  It  is  manufactured  by 
W.  &  J.  TREADWELL,  PERRY  &  NORTON, 

Albany,  N.  Y. 
And  for  Sale  Everywhere. 

STEWART’S  AID  TO  ECONOMY  ! 

BY  AN  INVENTOR  OF  40  YEAR'S  EXPERIENCE. 
This  work  is  entitled 

STEWART’S  FUEL-SAViNG  AND  COMFORT  PRODUCING 

STOVE! 

Saves  half  the  wood  or  coal  burned  in  any  other  stove. 
Thirty-five  thousund  families  using  the  stove  will  indorse 

FULLER,  WARREN  &  CO  .  Manufacturers.  Troy.  N  Y. 
Sold  in  New-Orlean«,  Havana,  Honolulu,  Sandwich  Islands, 
and  the  entire  southern  portion  of  the  American  Continent,  aim 
in  all  the  principal  nlaces  in  t  he  United  States. 

Descriptive  pamphlet  by  mail  gratis. 


ANY  DISTANCE  ON  THE  ROAD.  THIS  FEATURE  BELONGS,  EXCLU¬ 
SIVELY,  TO  the  Buckeye  Mower. 

Since  its  first  public  exhibition,  at  the  Great  National  Trial  of 
Harvesting  Machines,  at  Syracuse,  N.  Y  ,  July,  1857,  at  which  it 
received  the  Highest  Award,  the  First  Premium  Grand 
Gold  Medal  and  Diploma,  as  the  best  Mower,  in  competi¬ 
tion  with  Manny’s,  Ketchum’s,  Hallenbeck’s,  Allen’s 
Burpall’s,  Kirby’s,  Heath’s,  and  several  others,  its  princi¬ 
ples  have  been  fully  tested  by  more  than  One  Thousand  Farmers, 
and,  without  an  exception,  has  received  their  unanimous  appro¬ 
val.  During  the  past  season, numerous  First  Premiums  were 
awarded  to  tlio  “  Buckeye,”  including  the  New-York  and  Con¬ 
necticut.  State  Agricultural  Societies. 

Every  Machine  is  built  of  the  best  material,  and  in  a  work¬ 
manlike  manner. 

It  is  warranted  to  cut  and  spread  from  ten  to  fifteen  acres  of 
grass  per  day,  with  a  span  of  horses  and  a  driver, as  well  as  is 
donebv  the  best  mowers  with  a  scythe. 

The  demand  the  past  season  was  far  beyond  our  ability  to  sup¬ 
ply,  and  we  trust  orders  will  be  forwarded  early,  to  prevent  dis¬ 
appointment.  (SpCirculars,  with  full  description,  forwarded  on 
application.  JOHN  P.  ADRIANCE, 

Manufacturer  and  Proprietor, 

No.  165  Grcenwich-st.,  New  York. 


158 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


AGKICIJX.TtJIfi.Ali  AJ¥E> 
©AKDERI  SEEM. 

J.M.  THORBURN  &  CO  , 

No.  15  John-st., 

New- York, 

OFFER  FEESH,  FINE,  AND  TRUE  TO  NAME,  SEEDS  OF 

Giant  Asparagus  . por  lb  75 

Yalen  iue,  Refugee  and  other  Bush  Beans . do. .  20 

Large  Lima  and  Horticultural  Foie  do . per  qt.  . .  25  to  40 

Early  Blood  Turnip  and  Long  Blood  Beet,  each . per  lb  75 

Large  White  Sugar  Beet .  do..  50 

Large  Early  French  Ox-Heart  Cabbage...  . do..  2  00 

Premium  Flat  Dutch  do .  do..  3  00 

Long  Orange  Carrol  (very  fine) . do..  100 

Euriy  White  Spined  Cucumber .  do..  75 

White  Cabbage  and  Ice  Head  Lettuce,  each . do. .  1  50 

Improved  Dwarf  Okra . do..  75 

Fine  Large  Yellow  Onion .  do..  100 

Ex'ra  Curled  Parsley .  .  .  do. .  75 

Daniel  O’Rourke  and  Champion  of  England  Peas - per  qt.  30 

Scarlet  Turnip  and  Long  Scarlet  Radish . per  lb.  /5 

Linnceus  Rhubard . do..  150 

Salsify  or  Vegetable  Oyster . —  .  do. .  1  50 

Round  Leaved  Spinach . do..  50 

Boston  Marrow  Squash .  . .  do. .  1  00 

Red  Top  Strap  Leaf  and  White  Stiap  Leaf  Turnip _ do. .  75 

Improved  American  Ruta  Baga . .  do..  75 

Skirving’s  Improved  do .  do..  50 

White  Dutch  Clover  (first  quality) . . . do..  30 

Perennial  Rye  Grass  (best) . per  bush.  3  00 

Rhode  Island  Bent  Grass  (fine  for  lawns) . do. .  2  50 

Mixed  Lawn  Grass .  do. .  3  50 

Improved  Fieucli  Mixed  Lawn  Grass  . do..  5  00 

Carpenter’s  King  Philip  Corn  (shelled) .  do.  3  00 

Seed  Potatoes  (a* I  varieties)  from .  75c.  to  2  00 

Dioscorea  Batatas  or  Chinese  Potatoes . per  doz.  1  25 

Chinese  Sugar  Cane . per  bush.  4  00 

Havana  Tobacco  Seed . per  lb. .  8  00 

Connecticut  Seed  Leaf  Tobacco . do..  4  0:) 

Osage  Orange  Seed .  . per  qt.  75 

Honey  and  Yellow  Locust . per  lb.  75 

&c.  Sic  8ic. 

Send  for  our  catalogues,  containing  thousands  of  other  Seeds. 

J.  M.  THORBURN  &  CO., 

Seed  Warehouse, 

No.  15  John-st.,  New-York. 


SEES)  POTATOES, 

(A  T  REDUCED  PRICES.) 

Early  Carpenter .  .per  bush.  $2  00 

Early  Wendell .  do -  l  50 

Early  June. . .  do - 1  00 

Davis’  Seedling .  do.  ..  1  00 

Dovers .  do -  1  00 

Prince  Albert. .  do....  1  00 

Also,  the  lollowing  celebrated  English  and  French  varieties  : 

Earlv  Manley .  per  bush  $2  00 

Truffle  d’Aout  (early) .  do....  3  00 

Marjolin,  (early) . — .  do - 3  00 

Chave  or  Shaw,  (fine  for  generalcrop) .  do - 3  00 

Lapst.me  Kidney .  do - 3  00 

York  Reuenis .  do..,.  3  00 

Forty-fold .  .  do - 3  00 

Vittelotie .  do —  1  50 

Purchasers  ordering  one  bushel  of  eit  her  of  the  above  varie¬ 
ties,  will  receive  with  each  bushel  liberal  samples  of  three  of  the 
new  French  varieties  advertLed  by  us  in  the  last  number  of  the 
Agriculturist 

Cash  orders  will  be  promptly  filled. 

Address  B.  IC  BLISS,  Springfield.  Mass. 


SWE1CT  PO  TATO  PLANTS.— The  sub- 

scriber  will  forward  to  any  address,  in  small  or  large  quan¬ 
tities.  securely  packed,  and  warranted  to  arrive  at  the  end  of 
the  Express  route  in  perfect  condition.  Should  any  fall  to  do 
s  >,  they  will  be  re-sent  in  season  for  setting,  without  extra 
charge.  Directions  for  cultivation  sent  if  desired. 

Piice  $2.5l)  per  thousand. 

Address  C.  COTHREN,  Ocean  Port,  N.  J. 


NANc'EMOND  SWEET  PO  TATO  Plants 

for  the  North — sent  safely  by  Express.  S2  00  a  1,000 — 
10,000  or  more  t  $I.5C  —from  1st  of  May  onward.  Our  plants 
have  produced  fcood  crops  in  years  past  as  far  North  as  44  de¬ 
grees.  O  S.  MURRAY  &  SON., 

Twenty  Miles  Stand,  Warren  Co.,  Ohio. 


MINCE  ALBER  T  Potatoes,  at  $3  50  per 

bbl.  D.  NORTON,  Jr.,  Pittstown,  Rens.  Co  ,  N.  Y. 


Pure  Hubbard  Squash  Seed. 

By  the  subscriber,  who  first  introduced  this  excellent  variety 
to  public  notice,  and  gave  it  its  name.  The  foil  wing  testimo¬ 
nials  express  but  the  general  sentiment  of  all  who  have  tested 
the  new  squash,  which  has  just  received  the  award  of  the  Mas¬ 
sachusetts  Horticultural  Society  as  the  best  squash  exhibited 
during  the  season. 

“  The  richest  squash  I  have  ever  tasted.”  (Hon.  Marshall  P. 

Wilder.) - “Nothing  could  be  better.  It  is  a  very  important 

acquisition  to  the  vegetable  garden.” — (Hon,  Edward  Everett.) 
...  *  They  excel  in  flavor  and  fineness  of  the  flesh  any  squash 

we  have  ever  tasted.” — (New-England  Farmer  ) _ “  They  are 

mealy  as  mashed  potatoes,  s  a  eeter  than  sweet  potatoes  or  boiled 
chestnuts,  a  good  deal  like  the  latter,  out  better  than  either.” — 
(The  Homestead  ) 

Seed — For  a  package  with  full  directions  for  cultivation,  25c. 

JAMES  J.  H.  GREGORY,  Marblehead,  Mass. 


AGRICULTURAL  AND  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS 

of  every  description  and  of  the  latest  improvements,  including 
several  new  patterns  ufQTEEL  and  CAST  IRON  PLOWS,  also 
Subsoil,  Side  Hill,  Double  Mold. and  Plows  for  all  kinds  of  work 
Harrows,  Cultivators  Seed  Drills.  Carls.  Wagons,  Wheel  Bar¬ 
rows,  Garden  and  Field  Rollers,  Garden  Engines,  Pumps,  Gar¬ 
den  Tools  of  every  variety. 

Also:  Horse  Powers  and  Threshing  Machines,  Saw  Mills, 
Water  Rams, Grain  Mills,  Hay  and  Stalk  Cutters, Corn Shellers, 
Weather  Vanes,  Allen’s  celebrated  Mower  and  Mower  and 
Reaper,  etc.  For  sale  at  very  low  prices  by 

R  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  St.,  N.  Y. 


FUELD  AND  GARDEN  SEEDS  from  re- 

liable  growers. 

Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Implements,  of  the  most  ap¬ 
proved  patterns. 

GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO., 

60  Cortland-st.,  New-York  City. 


c 


HINESE  SUGAR  CANE  AND  AFRI¬ 
CAN  IMPHEE,  at  very  low  pr  -e. 

R.  L.  Al.LEN,  1D1  Wnter-st.,  N  Y. 


JAPAN  PIE  MELON. — 100  Seeds  for  30 

'  eentsn 

J.  I.  WYCHE,  Henderson,  N.  C. 


BRIBGEMAN’S 
Horticultural  Establishment, 
Kos.  876  and  878  Broadway, 
NEW-YORIC, 

ALFRED  BRIDGEMAN,  PRINCIPAL  OF 
SEED  DEPARTMENT, 

Respectfully  invites  the  attention  of  FARMERS,  GARDEN¬ 
ERS,  and  all  those  in  want  of  Seeds  to  his  unsurpassed  collec- 
t ion  of  NEW  CHOP  FIRST  QUALITY  GRASS,  VEGETA¬ 
BLE,  HERB  AND  FLOWER  SEEDS,  including  all  the  good 
old  varieties  and  several  that  are  new  and  worthy  of  general 
cultivation. 

Also  a  full  assortment  of  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLE¬ 
MENTS,  AGRICULTURAL  AND  HORTICULTURAL 
BOOKS.  Priced  Catalogues  furnished  on  application.  All  or¬ 
ders  attended  lo  promptly , and  with  exactness.  Goods  packed 
securely  to  go  any  distance. 


GARDEN,  FIELD 


FRUIT,  AND  FLOWER  SEEDS. 


The  subscriber  has  now  in  store,  of  the  growth  of  1858,  a  full  as¬ 
sortment  of  Vegetable,  Field.  Fruit.,  Herb,  and  Flower  Seeds, 
of  the  best  qualities,  for  sale  wholesale  and  retail.  Among 
which  will  be  found  : 

COHN— Imperial  Sweet,  Constantinople,  Sto well’s  Evergreen* 
Darling’s  Early  Sweet,  Rhode  Island  Premium,  King  Philip* 
Early  Dutton,  Long  Yellow,  Long  White,  Pop,  etc. 

POTATOES— Early  Ashleaf  Kidneys,  Early  Strawberry. 
E  irly  Algier,  Early  Dyokman,  Early  Dover,  Earlv  June,  Prince 
Albert,  Irish  Cup,  Peach  Blow,  Red  Mercer,  Wnite  Mercer, 
Carter  and  Pink  Eve. 

The  Hubbard,  Marrow,  and  other  squash. 

OATS — Choice  varieties  now  in  store,  and  imported  Scotch 
oais,  very  heavy,  expected  early  in  April. 

SPRING  WHEAT— Canada  Clubb,  Tea,  Black  Sea,  Golden 
Drop  or  Fife. 

SPRING  RYE.  SPRING  BARLEY. 

GRASS  SEED— Hungarian,  Timothy,  Red  Top,  Orchard, 
Foul  Meadow.  Rye,  Blue,  Sweet  Vernal,  Sanfoin,  Millet,  Fes¬ 
cue.  Fine  mixed  Lawn.  etc. 

CLOVERS — White  Dutch, Lucern, Large  Red, Medium  Red, 
Scarlet,  Alsike,  Trefoil,  etc. 

TOBACCO  SEED — Connecticut.  Seed  Leaf  and  Havanna. 

Spring  Vetches  or  Tares -Broom  Corn. 

CHINESE  SUGAR  CANE— AFRICAN  IMPHEE. 

FRUIT  SEEDS — Apple,  Pear,  Quince,  Currant,  Gooseberry, 
Raspberry. 

Rhubarb  and  Asparagus  roots. 

Lawton  or  New- Rochelle  Blackberry,  Raspberries,  etc. 

STRAWBERRIES— Wilson’s,  Peabody’s,  Hovev,  etc. 

A  Catalogue  containing  a  full  list  of  seeds  and  prices  furnished 
on  application.  R.  L  ALLEN,  191  Water  Street,  N.  Y 


TREES  CHEAPER  THAN  EVER. 

Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs,  Vines,  &c  Wishing  to 
clear  off  a  piece  of  ground,  I  offer  the  stock  on  it  at  very  low 
prices,  in  quantities.  Priced  catalogues  of  the  same  sent  on  ap¬ 
plication. 

GEO.  D.  KIMBER, 

Nurseryman  and  Dealer  in  all  kinds  of  Trees,  Plauts,  &c. 

Flushing,  N.  Y.,  3d  month,  1 6th,  1859. 


FA.K  1 

§  ©  1  si  ©  tm 


'KODUCE 


Dniinission, 

Such  as  Flour.  Butter.  Cheese,  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds 
Grain,  Eggs,  Poultry,  Game.  &c.  *cc. 

HAIGH  T  &  EMENS.  226  Front-st.,  New-York. 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

“  R.  H.  Haydock,  Cashier  Market  Bank,  New-York. 


REMOVAL.— SHF.PPARD'S  Forwarding 

and  Commission  Horticultural  Nursery  and  Seed  Agency, 
removed  to  23  Fulton-st..  New-York,  (formerly  159  Front  st  ,) 
where  the  subscriber  will  continue  to  give  every  a'tention  to  all 
the  wants  of  Nurserymen,  Seedsmen.  &c.,  with  promptness  and 
dispatch.  Respectfully,  WM.  P.  SHEPPARD,  box  2972,  P.  O. 


The  New  Rochelle  or  Lawton,  )  Tjiapti,prrw  Plants 
Lawton  or  New  Rochelle,  j  Slaekberry  Plants. 

PRICES  REDUCED. 

The  undersigned  agents  for  Messrs.  GEO.  SEYMOUR  &  CO., 
and  other  nurserymen  of  position  and  reputation,  offer  the  above 
remarkable  planis  at  the  following  very  low  range  of  prices. 

One  Thousand  Plants . $80  I  Fifty  Plants . S6 

Five  Hundred  Plants .  4  I  Two  Dozen  Plants .  3 

One  Hundred  Plants .  10/  One  Dozen  Plants .  2 

Good  Plants  for  setting  of  a  second  size,  will  be  sold  for 
$60  per  1,000  Plants,  or  $8  per  100  Plants. 

WARRANTED  GENUINE. 

Also  pamphlet  on  Origen,  History,  characteristics,  and  cul¬ 
ture  of  the  same.  DREW  &  FRENCH, 

Produce  Commission  Merchants, 

85  Barclay  Street,  New-York. 

TBse  AlSesa  Kaspberry. 

I  can  supply,  after  1st  April  next,  a  quantity  of  these  highly 
valuable,  well  approved,  thoroughly  hardy  plants,  which  I  have 
had  in  successful  bearing  for  the  past  ten  years  Price  Si  per 
dozen;  S6  per  hundred;  $50  per  thousand  Orders,  with  monev 
enclosed,  addressed  to  the  undersigned,  Black  Rock,  N  Y.,  will 
meet  immediate  attention.  They  can  be  sent  by  express,  orot.l.ei 
conveyance  to  all  parts  of  the  country. 

March  1st,  1859.  LEWIS  F.  ALLEN. 


STRAWBERRY  PLANTS. - Hooker’s 

^Seedling,  Wilson’s  Albany,  and  twenty  other  varieties,  for 
sale  cheap,  by  A  M.  WILLIAMS. 

-  Fayetteville.  Onondaga  Co..  N.  Y. 


TO  BERRY  RAISERS.— N.  Hallock’s 

Patent  Fruit  Boxes,  cost  only  $15  to  $20  per  1000,  for  pints 
or  quarts.  For  particular «, address 

N.  HALLOCK,  Queens,  Queens  Co.,  N.Y. 


FRUIT  CARRIER, 

Oh 

PATENT  TRANSPORTATION  PROTECTOR- 

(See  Agriculturist ,  April ,  1858  ) 

The  price  of  a  Projector,  containing  32  square  1  quart  boxes,  or 
32  of  the  usual  round  boxes,  is  $2  87.  <  eliverahle  at  Winchendoft, 
Mass.,  where  Mr.  Wm.  Murdock  will  furnish  extra  small  boxes 
at  SI  50  per  gross,  for  round,  or  $4  76  per  gross  for  the  square 
ones  Fora  Protector,  containing  1  shallow  peck  boxes,  for 
peaches,  plums,  pears,  &.C.,  the  price  is  $2  10 
Orders  addressed  to  HEN  BY  B.  OSGOOD, 

Whitensville,  Mass., 

Are  solicited. 


Flowes-  Seeds  by  Mail. 

We  are  now  receiving  our  annual  supplies  of  English,  Frenc 
and  German  Seeds  direct  from  the  most  reliable  seed  growers  in 
Europe,  which  in  addition  to  our  many  favorite  sorts  of  Ameri¬ 
can  growth,  gives  us  an  unusually  large  assortment,  embracing 
in  all  nearly  one  thousand  varieties,  and  con'aimng  every  desi¬ 
rable  novelty  and  standard  varies— from  which  we  have  select¬ 
ed  the  following  collections,  which  we  will  send  by  mail  free  of 
post  age,  to  any  pari  of  the  United  States  at  the  anuexed  prices : 

Collection  No  l— Contains  20  varieties  of  Annuals . $1  00 

Collection  No.  2 — Contains  20  varieties  of  Biennials  and 

Perennials .  l  00 

Collection  No.  3 — Contains  10  extra  fine  variet  ies  of  Rare 

Annuals  and  Perennials .  1  00 

Collection  No.  4 — Con'  ains  5choice  variet  ies.  from  Prize 
Flowers,  of  French  Asters,  German 
Carnation  anil  Picolee  Pinks,  English 
Pansies.  Verbenas  and  Hollyhocks, 
each  of  which  is  sold  at  25  cfs.  singly.  1  00 
Collection  No.  5— Contains  50  varieties,  (including  col¬ 
lection  No  4),  Annuals,  Biennials 

and  Perennials . 2  50 

Collection  No.  6 — Contains  too  varieties . 5  00 

We  also  offer  many  other  varieties  of  French  and  German 
Seeds  by  mail  for  enumeration  of  which  see  our  Descriptive  Re¬ 
tail  Priced  List  of  Flower  and  Vegetable  Seeds,  which  will  be 
sent  to  all  applicants  enclosing  a  one- cent-  stamp. 

Persons  ordering  will  please  stale  the  No  of  the  Collection. 

N  B. — Particular  attention  should  be  given  to  giving  the  ad¬ 
dress,  town,  county  and  State  in  full,  as  it  is  a.  frequent  occur¬ 
rence  that  an  essential  part  is  wanting,  and  the  seeds  cannot  be 
forwarded  unt  il  another  communication  is  received. 

All  orders  will  receive  prompt  alien' ion.  Address 

ALLEN  a.  McELWAIN,  Springfield,  Mass, 


SEED  DEPARTMENT. 
BRIDHEi?IA.WS 
HORTICULTURAL  ESTABLISHMENT. 

Nos.  876  AND  878  BROADWAY, 

New-  York. 

The  subscriber  has  now  on  hand  a  full  supnlv  of 
GRASS.  VEGETABLE,  HERB  AND  FLOWER  SEEDS, 
embracing  the  old  favorites,  ami  including  several  new  varieties 
of  superior  excellence  For  sale  (at.  the  lowest  market  price,) 
for  quality  and  quantity,  or  in  packages  fo-  retail  trade.  Cata¬ 
logues  furnished  on  application.  Also,  a  fine  assortment  of  Hor¬ 
ticultural  Implements.  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Books. 
All  orders  attended  to  prompt.lv  and  with  exactness 

ALFRED  BRIDGEMAN,  Principal. 


SARDINIAN  CARNATION  SEEDS. 

The  following  collections  will  be  found  unrivaled  and  superior 
to  any  ever  offered  in  this  country  : 

Assortments  of 

12  superb  varieties  of  Picotees . . $3  no 

12  do  do  of  Perpetual  Flake  Carnations . 3  00 

12  do  do  of  Yellow  Bizarreand  Self  Carnations.  3  00 

12  do  do  of  Self  Carnations .  3  00 

Any  of  the  above  collections  mailed  to  applicants  on  receipt 
Of  $3.  J,  M.  THORBURN  &  CO., 

No.  15  John-st.,  New-York. 

Opposition !  Fare  Reduced .' ! 

r  iz  TfU”»vA.EBrHANT’s  LINE  OF  STEAMBOATS 
JEysJSteajBKTWEEN  NEW-YORK  AND  ALBANY  — 
*=“===  The  steamer  KNICKERBOCKER.  Opt  Wm. 
B.  Nelson,  leaves  the  loot  of  Robinson-st...  New-York  every 
Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday  at  G  o’clock,  P  M  The 
si  earner  HERO,  Capt.  J.  W.  Hancox,  every  Tuesday,  Thurs¬ 
day  and  Sunday. 

Returning,  will  leave  the  Steamboat  londng  Albany  Daily 
Saturday  excepted,  at  7  o’clock  P.  M.  Travelers  wi  1  'find  it 
their  interest  in  calling  at  the  offices  of  the  Agents  of  this  Com¬ 
pany  before  engaging  passage  elsewhere. 

Freight  carried  at  reduced  rates  and  forwarded  promptly 
ELI  HUNT.  Agent, 

Office  on  the  wharf,  New-York. 

C.  W.  STEVENS,  No.  252  Broadway,  Albany. 

”  TO  BEE-KEEPGKS-AG1IY 

In  reply  to  P.  J  Mahan’s  slanderous  advertisement  in  the  last 
number  of  the  Agriculturist.  I  will  here  only  say,  Thar  Rev. 
L.  L.  Langstroth  is  not  1  he  original  inventor,  and  hence  not  the 
rightful  owner  of  the  “  Movable  Comb  Frame,”  as  can  and  will 
be  proven  at  the  time  needed.  2d  I  have  never  said  the  “  Mova¬ 
ble  Frames  would  not  do  for  our  ignorant  farmers  ”  The  word 
ignorant  i  have  never  used.  The  statement  I  pronounce  false. 
3d  I  did  not,*  apply  for  a  patent  on  Mr.  L’s  Movable  Frames 
with  a  slot  at  the  ends,  &c„,  &c  My  “Sectional  Frames  ”na- 
tented  Nov.  9th.  1858,  is  a  very  different  article  in  construction 
operation,  and  results,  and  I  defy  P.  J.  M.,  or  any  other  person’ 
to  prove  one  like  it,  has  ever  been  used  or  known,  until  devised  by 
me_  4th.  I  am  authorized  bv  Solon  Robinson  Esq.,  of  the  A7.  Y. 
Tribune,  to  stale  publicly,  “that,  seeing  an  advervisement  in  the 
Ohio  Farmer,  puffing  “  Mr.  L.’s  Movable  Frames,”  he  wrote  an 
article  for  that  paper,  stating  that  the  public,  were  not  obliged  to 
pay  for  the  privilege  of  using  the  **  Movable  Frames,”  as  it  was 
an  old  device,  and  had  been  described  by  him  m<>re  than  twenty 
years  since,  in  the  N.  Y.  tribune,  and  a  certain  Agricultural  pa¬ 
per,  as  the  documents  would  show  ;  that  he  received  a  private 
ft-0™  Hie  editor,  declining  to  publish  thearticle,  ns  a  friend 
of  his  had  invested  some  $5,060  in  the  patent,  and  it  would  pre¬ 
vent.  his  selling  rights.  5th,  P  J.  JIT  refers  von  to  Mr.  Quinbv 
to  prove  the  g-  od  qualities  of  Mr.  L.’s  Frames.  I  would  also 
f  ake  the  liber!  v  to  refer  von  to  an  article  written  by  Mr.  Q  and 
published  in  the  Rural  New-Yorker,  of  December.  1 856  Mr  Q 
says,  "  I  have  used  a  large  number  of  these  hives  (the  Movable 
Frames.)  the  past  season,  and  two-thirds  of  the  swarms,  madethe 
comhs,  ill  every  possible  direction,  without  regard  to  the  bars 
making  them,  so  far  as  Movabl  Frames  are  concerned  no  better 
than  the  o-  mmon  hive.” 

N  .  B  I  have  an  arramrement  bv  means  of  which  the  bees  con¬ 
struct  tliecnmbstslraight  ou  the  frames. 

For  particulars,  in  reference  tothe  merits  of  the  hives,  prices 
&c  ,  See  ,. send  a  1  cent  stamp  and  receive  a  circular.  ’ 

Address 

E.  W.  PHELPS. 

_ _ _ Elizabeth,  N.  J. 

TO  BEE-KEEPERS. 

LANGSTROTH  ON  THE  HIVE  AND  BEE. 

2!  pages  Elegant  Engravings  Sent  ip  si  paid)  for  SI  25 
Rights  io  make  and  use  Movable  Condi  Hive  in  Southern  and 
Middle  States’ evoept  New  York,  S5  M*  small  hook  40  pa-es 
containing  vid-mhle  informa' ion.  one  3  cent  stamp  "  ' 

P.  ,T.  MAHA  N,  No,  7. Hi  Chestnni-st.,  Philadelphia. 

BEES. 

THE  MYSTERIES  OF  BEE-KEEPING  EXPLAINED, 
With  an  Appendix,  giving  di  cations  for  tnakingin  acbettp  form, 
and  using,  the  Movable  Comhs  of  L.  L.  Langstroth.  will  be  sent 
free  of  postage. for  $1.  Address  M.  QUINBY, 

St.  Jolmsville,  Montgomery  Co.,  N.  Y. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


159 


THE  MOST  BEAUTIFUL 


IN  THE  WORLD. 


©eorgc  A.  Friaace  &.  Co.’s 

CELEBRATED  IEL0DE0IS. 

FOR  DURABILITY,  NEATNESS,  AND  BEAUTY  OF 
EXTERIOR  FINISH,  AND  MORE  THAN  ALL,  FOR 
Richness,  Depth  and  Purity  of  Tone, 

THESE  MELODEONS  STAND  UNRIVALED. 

THE  DIVIDED  SWELL, 

A  very  desirable  feature  and  secured  to  us  by  Letters  Patent, 
can  only  be  obtained  in  Melodeons  of  our  own  manufacture.  By 
means  pf  this  improvement  Tenor  and  Treble  Solos  or  Duetts 
may  be  played  with  the  full  power  of  the  Instrument,  while  the 
Bass  can  be  performed  in  a  soft,  subdued  tone,  not  otherwise  at¬ 
tainable. 

Our  Heeds  are  so  constructed  that  the 

Melodeon  Remains  in  Perfect  Tune. 

Thousands  of  them  have  been  in  use  for  many  years  that  have 
never  needed  any  repairs  whatever,  and  we  believe  there  is  no 
Musical  Instrument  used  that  requires  LESS  EXPENSE  to 
keep  it  in  perfect  order. 

Our  Melodeons  are  all  cased  in  Rosewood,  and  finished  as 
smoothly  as  the  best  Pianos.  They  are  compactly  boxed  for 
shipping,  and  the  cost  of  freight  is  but  little  to  any  part  of  the 
United  Siates.  They  are  so  arranged  that  any  one  can  unpack 
and  put  them  up  without  difficulty 
We  have  been  awarded 

FIRST  PREMIUMS 

For  our  Melodeons  wherever  we  have  exhibited  them  in  com¬ 
petition  with  others,  and  we  have  the  satisfaction  of  believing 
that 

OUR  CONSTANT  AIM  TO  EXCEL 

Is  appreciated  by  the  Musical  Public. 

LIST  OF  PRICES. 


IN  PORTABLE  CASE — 

Four  Octaves,  C  to  C . $45  00 

Four  and  a  half  Octaves,  C  to  F .  60  00 

Five  Octaves,  F  to  F .  75  00 

Five  Octaves,  Double  Heed,  F  to  F. . . . .130  00 

IN  PIANO  CASF — 

Five  Octaves,  F  to  F . $100  00 

Six  Octaves,  F  to  F .  150  00 

Five  Octaves,  Double  Reed . . .  150  00 

Five  Oc' aves.Two  Banks  Keys . 2uO  00 

The  Organ  Melodeon,  C  to  U .  350  00 


This  last  is  a  most  MAGNIFICENT  INSTRUMENT  for 

Churches,  Halls  aud  Concert  Rooms. 

It  has  two  banks  of  Keys  five  sets  of  Reeds,  eight  Stops,  one 
and  a  half  Octave  Foot  Pedals,  and  one  set  oi  Reeds  in  Pedal 
Bass,  independent.  It  has  all  the  power  and  volume  of  an  §800 
Organ,  a’  less  than  half  the  cost,  and  is  much  less  liable  to  get 
out  of  order. 

TESTIMONIALS. 

Messrs.  G.  A.  Prince  &  Co. : 

Gentlemen— The  Double  Reed  Melodeon  has  arrived,  and  a 
most  charming  instrument  it  is.  It  has  been  played  upon  by 
Wallace.  Dr.  Hodges,  Wi:i,  Mason  and  a  host  of  others,  and 
they  all  pronounce  it  one  of  the  most  beautiful  toned  instru¬ 
ments  they  have  ever  touched. 

Yours  respectfully, 

JAMES  F  HALL, 

New- York  City. 

From  the  Home  Journal ,  April  3, 1858. 

The  Melodeons  manufactured  by  Prince  &  Co.,  and  for  sale  at 
87  Fulton-st.,  are  the  best  in  the  world.  We  have  tried  them, 
and  therefore  speak  understanding^  of  their  merits.  They  are 
afforded  at  a  very  moderate  cost. 

From  Nicholas ’  Nevj-York  Bank  Note  Reporter. 

Melodeons.— We  have  frequently  seen  and  heard  the  Melo¬ 
deons  manufactured  by  Geo.  A  Prince  &  Co  ,  and  for  sale  at 
their  depot,  No.  87  Fulton-st  ,  and  we  honestly  thin*  that  the 
instruments  are  the  best  finished  and  the  sweetest  toned  of  any  in 
the  market. 

Prof.  A.  Morris,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  alludes  to  the  Prince  Mo- 
lodeon  ns  follows  : 

“  For  beauty  and  purity  of  tone  combining  strength  suitable 
for  halls  and  small  churches,  with  also  the  subdued  quality  de¬ 
sired  for  the  parlor,  these  specimens  of  mechanical  skill  are 
really  unequaled  in  the  world,  in  this  department  of  musical 
merchandise.” 

The  following  is  the  opinion  of  the  Musical  World: 

“Parlor  Organs. — Messrs.  George  A  Prince  &  Co.,  have 
earned  an  enviable  reputation  for  their  manufacture  of  superior 
melodeons.  In  swee'ness  and  purity  of  tone,  and  sensibility  to 
the  touch,  these  excel  all  oihers.  The  same  qualities  belong  lo 
their  Parlor  Organs,  which  are  equal  in  volume  to  the  Alexandre 
Organs,  while  they  far  surpass  them  in  pleasing  effect  A  fair 
comparison  will  convince  any  one  that  we  need  not  patronize  a 
foreign  manufacturer,  since  our  own  furnish  an  arlicie  far  supe¬ 
rior.”  _ 

Extracts  from  Letters  Received. 

“Our  clergyman  says A  Prince  Melodeon  is  one  of  the 
necessaries  of  life.” 

“  I  have  used  a  Trince  Melodeon  for  eight  years,  and  it  is  still 
in  perfect  order.” 

“  The  *  Divided  Swell  ’  is  just  what  was  needed  to  make  the 
Prince  Melodeon  a  perfect  instrument.” 

“  I  have  examined  various  kinds,  and  have  decided  that  those 
made  by  Prince  &  Co.  are  the  best.” 

“The  Organ  Melodeon  is  received,  and  it  affords  entire  satis¬ 
faction  to  the  whole  congregation.” 

ORDERS  PROMPTLY  FILLED  AND  EACH  MELO¬ 
DEON  WARRANTED  PERFECT.  Address 

GEO.  A.  PRINCE  &  CO.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

GEO.  A.  PRINCE  &  CO.,  110  Lake-st ,  Chicago,  Ill. 

GEO.  A.  PRINCE  &  Co., 

8T  Fulton-st.,  Wew-lfork  City. 


SHORT-HORNED  CATTLE 

AT 

PRIVATE  SALE. 

We  offer  our  entire  herd  of  Short-Horns  at  private  sale,  m  lots 
to  suit  purchasers,  consisting  of  “  Marmion,”  1813  3  years  old, 
bv  the  Duke  of  Gloster,  (11.382,)  dam  Zoe,  by  the  5th  Duke  of 
York,  (10,168  ) 

“  Duke  de  Malakoff,”  1  year  old,  sire,  Duke  of  Gloster,  dam. 
Diana  Gvyvnn  (imp  ) 

“  Lord  Vane  Tempest,  2d,  660.5  years  old,  sire,  Lord  Vane 
Tempest,  ( 10,469,)  dam.  Nymph  2d. 

Among  the  cows  are  Anna,  Sunshine,  Diana  Gwynne,  Dew- 
drop,  (imp. .)Red  Rose,  5th.  Dulcinia. 

Also,  heifer  and  bull  calves,  by  Marmion  and  Lord  Vane  Tem¬ 
pest. 

We  offer,  also,  our  entire  stock  of  Suffolk  Swne.  bred  from  our 
own  importations,  together  with  the  Jackson  importation. 

We  will  sell  the  above  stock  at  low  prices. 

Catalogues  can  be  had  upon  application. 


14 


B.  Sc  C.  S.  HAINES,  Elizabeth,  New-Jersey, 
miles  from  New-York,  by  New-Jersey  Railroad. 


Thorough  Bred  Stock. 

T  have  al wavs  on  hand  for  sale,  which  will  be  put  upon  the 
railroad  cars  and  sent,  carefully  bv  Adams’  Express  to  purchas¬ 
ers,  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE,  SOUTH-DOWN  SHEEP,  and 
SPANISH  HOGS.  C.  M.  CLAY. 

Address — “  Whitehall  Post  Office,”  Madison  County.  Ivy. 


I>ev©sa  Cattle  for  Sale. 

A  full-blood  Bull,  3  years  old  ;  also  heifers  and  calves,  with 
full  pedigree,  received  in  division  of  the  celebrated 
HURLBERT  HEkD. 

Address  HENRY  P.  CHAPMAN, 

Rye,  Westchester  Co.,  New-Yoik. 


Blood  stock  for  sale.— one  two 

year  old  colt  by  “Mariner”  out  of  “  Miss  Mattie:”  two  Al¬ 
derney  bull  calves,  one  five  the  other  six  months  old  ;  two  pair 
“  Shanghai  sheep.”  WILLI  -v M  REDMOND, 

No.  43  Barclay-st  .  New-York. 


Buyers  of  bags,  rope  and  Cordage, 

will  save  money  by  calling  upon 

M.  VANDERHOOF. 

17!  West-st.,  corner  of  Murray,  New-York, 

As  he  will  furnish  any  description  of  Bags,  beautifully  printed 
if  desired,  at  just  about  what  you  will  pay  for  the  material  in 
small  quantities. 

ROPE  AND  CORDAGE,  BED  CORDS.  H  AY  ROPE,  &e. 
at  prices  less  than  any  other  establishment  in  this  City. 

Sugar  Strainers,  Gunny  Bags  and  Seamless  Bags. 


Ingersoll’s  Patent  Hay  Press- 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  Near¬ 
ly  500  of  them  have  been  sold  in  the  last,  two  years.  Price  S50 
and  $75,  delivered  in  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  satisfac¬ 
tion.  For  circulars,  containing  full  information.  Address 
FARMER’S  MANUFACTURING  CO.. 

Green  Point  P.  O..  (Brooklyn.)  N.  Y, 


Thermometers,  barometers,  &c.,  of 

reliable  quality  and  variousdescripLors.  anionpr  which 
are  those  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  register  the  collies-  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24 hours,  in  the  absence  of  the  ohserver.  For 
sale  by  D.  EGGERT  &  SON,  239  Pearl  st. 


OUSS1A  OR  BASS  MATS,  SELECTED 

B-wexpressly  forbudding  and  tving,  GUNNY  BAGS, TWINES, 
IAY  ROPES,  &c..  suitable  for  Nursorv  purposes,  for  sale  in 
otstosuitby  D.  W.  MANWARING,  Importer, 

248  Front  Street,  New  York. 


4N.  WOOD  &  CO.,  Eaton,  Madison  Co., 

e  N  Y  .  Builders  of  their  eelenrated  11  Portable  Steam 'En¬ 
gines,"  from  8%  fo  20  horse-power  Persons  interes'ed  will  re- 
ceive  a  circular  by  enclosing  a  P.  O.  Stamp,  addressed  as  above. 


CAKBOSf  ©II/. 

The  Carbon  Oil  Company  have  a  full  supply  of  this  Oil,  made 
from  Petroleum,  which  is  superior  to  Oil  made  from  any  other 
material,  as  it  burns  a  high  flame  without  smoking. 

Address  CAB  BON  OIL  CO., 

No.  181  Water-st.,  New-York. 


OIL  SOAP.— Sperm  and  Whale  Oil  Soap, 

put  up  in  boxes  and  barrels,  containing  from  25  lbs.  to  500 
lbs.  each,  for  sale  bv  JAMES  PRYER&  CO  , 

Oil  and  Candle  Manufacturers, 2 17  Front-st.,  New-York. 


YOU ATT’S  CONDITION  POWDERS, 

For  the  radical  cure  of  heaves,  broken  wind,  coughs,  glanders 
and  all  diseases  which  affect  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  lungs, 
wind-pipe,  throat  and  head  of  the 

HORSE, 

Also,  to  expel  botts'and  worms,  loosen  the  hide,  improve  the 
appetite,  and  keep  1  he  animal  in  good  condition.  Equally  valu¬ 
able  for  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  swine. 

In  large  packages,  price  50  cents.  _ _ 

HARRAL,  RTSLEY  &  KITCHEN. 

Druggists. 76  Barclay-st..  New-Yoric, 
Wholesale  Agents  for  the  United  States. 


AMERICAS  GUAWO. 

To  Farmers  and  Dealers  in  Guano. 

This  Guano,  from  Jarvis  Island,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  con¬ 
taining  80  per  cent  of  phosphate  and  sulphate  of  lime,  and  the 
most  valuable  fertilizer  known,  is  offered  for  sale  in  quantities, 
large  or  small,  at.  about  two-thirds  the  price  of  Peruvian  Gu¬ 
ano.  For  full  information  and  particulars,  address 

C  S.  MARSHALL,  Pres.  Am.  Guano  Co., 

66  William-st-,  New-York. 


LAND  PLASTER  in  Barrels,  best  quality 

and  put  up  in  good  shippug  order  and  delivered  free  of 
:artage  on  board.  For  sale  in  quantities  to  suit  by 
A.  KURSKEEDT,  Emnire  Plaster  Mills  109  Bank-st.,N.  Y 
Office 48  Pine  st.  Orders  by  Mail  Solicited. 


(f^HEAP  MANURE. — Saleratus  and  Soda 

Sweepings,  at  our  Chemical  Works,  constantly  on  hand 
and  for  sai«  in  quantities  to  suit. 

E.  R.  DURKEE  &  CO.,  101  Pearl-st.,  New-York 


The  Lodi  Manufacturing  Co. 

Is  offered  for  sale  by  the  subscribers 
’©tpM  wholesale  and  retail  in  lots  to  suit  cus- 

,.w  m _ iPiltQmers*  This  article  lias  been  now  in  use 

tor  over  17  years  aT,d  is  the  most  popular 
manure  for  corn  and  early  vegetables,  in 
market. 

It  is  quick  and  powerful  and  can  be  put  in  direct  contact  with 
the  seed  without  injury.  Price  $1.50  per  barrel  delivered  on 
board  of  vessel  for  any  quantity  over  6  barrels.  $2.00  for  a 
single  barrel.  - 

CERTIFICATES. 

The  undersigned  have  used  the  Poudrette  of  the  Lodi  Man¬ 
ufacturing  Co  ,  for  the  number  of  years,  and  upon  the  crops  set 
opposite  to  their  names  and  can  recommend  it  as  a  cheap,  and 
most  excellent  fertilizer. 

Charles  Smith,  Bloomfield 
Cyrus  Canfield,  Caldwell, 

John  Squires,  Livingston 


A.  J.  Jacobus, 
H.  W.  Harrison, 
J.  Simpson, 
Hiram  Farnham 
T-  A.  Harrison, 

B.  P.  Lum, 


Caldwell, 

Franklin, 

,  Livingston 
Orange, 
Chatham, 


N.  J. 

in  years, 

Corn. 

do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

$:  Garden  Truck, 

do. 

17 

do. 

Com. 

do. 

do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

8 

do. 

do, 

do. 

,  do. 

15 

dp. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

10 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

15 

do. 

do. 

do. 

ificates  of  pract  ical  farmers 

m  all 

parts  of  the  United  States,  with  every  information  and  direction 
for  use  will  be  mailed  to  any  one  sending  their  address. 

GRIFFING  BROTHER  CO., 

General  AqenUfor  the  Company, 
North  River  Agricultural  Warehouse,) 

GO  Cortland  Street,  N.  Y.  5 


THE  NEW  JERSEY 

ANIMAL  FERTILIZER,  OR  SUPERPHOSPHATE  OF 
LIME  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 

We  invite  the  attention  of  Farmers  to  our  Manure, composed 
of  dead  animals,  blood,  offal,  and  raw  hotios,  representing  the 
following  analysis,  which  speaks  for  itself,  viz  : 

Phosphate  of  Lime . 18  to  20  percent 

Sulphate  of  Lime . 12  to  in  “ 

Animal  Matter,  yielding  Ammonia .  45  “ 

Ammoniac  Salts .  7  “ 

Insoluble  undefined  matter,  e'.o .  5  “ 

Soluble  Salts.  Clor.  of  Soda,  etc.,  Snlphato  of 

Soda,  etc .  10  “ 

Water  and  Loss .  3  “ 

100  “ 

Every  one  of  our  customers  having  found  our  Manure  what 
we  represent  it  to  be  an  excellent  Manure  adapted  to  every 
soil  and  crop,  we  recommend  i»  with  the  fullest  confidence  to 
every  intelligent  farmer  and  plantation  owner  who  wants  to  se¬ 
cure  to  himself  a  valuable  crop  300  to  4f‘0  lbs.  per  aero  have 
frequently  increased  the  yield  of  the  cron  fit!  v  per  cent.. 

Testimonials  and  Pamphlets  'o  be  bad  at  the  Office.  Orders 
to  he  sent  to  HENRY  RAEDER,  Agent. 

52  Beaver  Street.  New  York. 

Gustavus  Ltebig  or  Mr.  R.  L.  ALLEN, 

Chemist.  191  Water-st.,  N.  Y. 


MEW  AN©  CHEAP  FERTILIZER. 

CASTOR  PUMMACE, 

A  VALUABLE  ORGANIC  (Vegetable)  MANURE 

Analyzed  by  Prof.  Samuel  W.  Johnson,  of  Yale  College,  and 
commended  by  him. 

ItisPummaee  left  after  pressing  the  oil  from  the  Castor 
Seed,  and  in  India  and  England  bears  a  high  value  as  a  Fer¬ 
tilizer. 

It  will  be  sold  at  $12  to  $16  per  ton,  according  to  quantity,  at 
which  rate  it  is  the  cheapest 

FERTILIZER 

in  the  market. 

Call  and  sec  the  article,  and  also  Prof.  Johnson’s  analysis  and 
remarks. 

No  charge  for  sacks,  and  in  lots  of  10  tens  delivered  free  ot 
cartage  in  this  City 
Manufactured  and  sold  Dy 

H.  J.  BAKER  &  ERO.. 

142  Water-st.,  New-York, 


Fertilizers— Peruvian,  amert- 

can.  Elide,  and  other  Guanos. 

DRIED  BLOOD  AND  WOOL.  Bone  Dust,  Superphosphate 
of  Lime,  Plaster  of  Paris,  Poudrette,  etc.  For  sale  m  large  or 
small  quantities  by  R.  L.  ALLEN, 

191  Water  St.,  N.Y, 


ISONF  MANURE. 

SAWINGS,  TURNINGS  AND  CRUSHED  BONES, 
for  sale  by  the  manufacturers,  in  large  or  small  quanlities. 

A  LISTER  &  CO.. 
Tarrytown,  Westchester  Co.,N.  Y. 


Dried  blood  and  wool  manure. 

— The  best  and  cheapest  manure  in  use— an  active  manure 
for  the  present,  crop,  and  permanent  in  its  effects  on  the  land. 
Price  $35  for  2000  lbs.  in  brls.  200  lbs.  For  sale  bv 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  St.  g 


NO.  1  PERUVIAN  GUANO. 

SUPERPHOSPHATE  OF  LIME, 

BONE  DUST.  PLASTER. 

POUDRETTE.  TAFEU,  etc. 

The  above 'fertilizers  warranted  pure,  and  sold  at  tho  lowest 
market  price. 

GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO„ 

60  Cortland t-st.,  New-York  City 


AMERICAN  GUANO — From  Jarvis  Is- 

land,  at. 'be  Importing  Company’s  prices,  in  large  or  small 
quantities.  This  Guano  emit  ins  about  80  per  cent  of  Phosphate 
and  Sulphate  of  Lime.  All  of  which  is  available  for  the  imme¬ 
diate  wants  of  the  growing  crops.  R.  L.  ALLEN, 

191  Water-st 


160 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Contents  for  May  1859. 


SPECIAL  SEEL  PREMIUMS. 


SPLENDID  NEW  PREMIUM-No-  XII. 


American  Agriculturist  at  the  South . 154 

Apples— King  of  Tompkins  Co . 154 

Apples  Rotting  on  Trees . 146 

Bees— Apiary  in  May . 131 

Bees— Giving  them  a  Hint . 153 

Bees — Hiving  from  Chimney  or  Hollow  Trees . 135 

Bees— Movements  when  about  to  Swarm . 135 

Bee  Moths— Killing . 154 

Birds— Value  of,  Protecting . Illustrated. .  1 19 

Blackberries— Training . 147 

Blacking  — Water-prool  not  good  for  the  feet . 149 

Boys  and  Girl’s  Columns — Uncle  Frank’s  Page; 
Flowers  and  Fruit  ;  People  running  to  Vines ; 
Being  one’s  self;  Stand  from  under;  Mocking  Bird, 
Illustrated ;  Little  Anna’s  Quarrel  ;  Otrr  Little 
Bird,  Poetry;  Learning  to  Sew,  Illustrated —Edi¬ 
tor  witti  his  Young  Readers:  Twenty  Fears  ago; 

Boy  wtio  Loves  to  Whistle  ;  Boy  trying  to  equal  a 
Monkey;  Boy  who  tries  to  equal  a  Bull-Dog;  Fa¬ 
ther,  steer  straight  to  me  ;  Lorenzo  Dow  on  Bad 
Thoughts;  Problems— illustrated  Rebus;  Aunt 

Sue’s  jNote,  etc . 151  &  153 

Buildings — Dwelling  House  and  Plan _ Illustrated. .  137 

Books — Sargent’s  edition  of  Downing's  Landscape 
Gardening;  New  American  Cyclopaedia ;  Ameri¬ 
can  Home  Garden;  Atlantic  Monthly  ;  Bible  Print¬ 
ed  as  it  should  be  ;  Our  Musical  Friend;  Wrecks 
and  Rescues;  Home  Whispers;  Bertram  Noel.. 154 

Buckwheat — Great  Yield  of . 153 

Bushel  Measure — Capacity,  etc . 136 

Cabbages — Club-footed . 143 

Calendar  of  Operations . 130—131 

Camels— The  Government . 140 

Cattle — Ayreshires  and  Herefords . 154 

Cattle— Cows  Slinking  their  Calves . 133 

Cattle — Feeding  for  Spring  Work . 135 

Carrots — New  mode  of  Preparing  Ground . 134 

Cattle— In-and-in  Breeding— By  C.  M.  Clay.. II . 132 

Cattle— in-and-in  Breeding — By  Buckeye . 138 

Churns — Patent . 153 

Coffee  made  from  Carrots . 153 

Corn — King  Philip — Great  Yield  of . 153 

Corn— Testing  Seed  before  Planting . 136 

Curculio—  Whale-Oil  Soap  and  Lime  for . 146 

Currant  Bushes— Caps  over . 153 

Dahlia  Culture— Experience  in . 148 

Dairy — No.  V— Prize  Article,  Butter  Working . 139 

Drouth— Preventing  Effects  of . 154 

Fanners— Better  Prospects  for . 136 

Farm— Work  for  May . 130 

i’eet— Water-proof  Blacking  injurious  to . 149 

Flowers— Cultivation  and  Love  of . 154 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  in  May . 131 

Flowers — Morning  Glories  for  Paint . 148 

Fruits,  American— Past  and  Present— Plum,  Cherry..  146 

Fruit — Seeming  large  specimens . . . 149 

Fruit  Yard— Register  of  the . 153 

Garden— Kitchen  and  Fruit  in  May . 130 

Geraniums— Hanging  up . 153 

Gooseberries— Mildew  on,  to  prevent . 153 

Grape  Growing— Failures  in . 147 

Grape  Vines — Hints  on  Planting . 147 

Green  and  Hot-House— Calendar  for  May . 131 

Guano— Do  not  Buy . 134 

Hogs— Tall  Pork  raising . 154 

Honey— Artificial . 154 

Horticultural  Societies— Town . 145 

Housework— Monotony  of,  Relieved . 149 

Indoor  Work . 149 

Insects — Caterpillars  on  Trees,  destroying — Cutworm 
on  Cabbages — Peach  Tree  Borer,  when  Eggs  are 

Deposited.  Whale-Oil  Soap  for . 153 

Kohl  ltabi— When  to  Cook . 153 

Maiketing  Garden  Truck,  etc . 133 

Manure— Corn  Cobs  for.  . 154 

Manures— Substitute  lor  Peat  and  Sawdust . 154 

Maryland  Crop  and  Fruit  prospects . 135 

May  Day— Suggestions  for  the  Month — Birds— Illus. .  i-19 

May  Day  for  Tree  Planting . 145 

Melons,  Cucumbers,  etc— Directions  for  Raising . 143 

Milking  Clean . MU 

Onions — The  New . 134 

Orchard  and  Nursery— Operations  for  May . 130 

Paint— Morning  Glories  for . 148 

Park,  New-York  Central— Land  Scape  Gardening. .  .145 

Peas — Deep  planting  and  a  Second  Crop . 134 

Potato  Raising — Small  and  Large  Seed . 134 

Potatoes — Raising  Sweet . 143 

Poultr> — Care  of  Young . Ml 

Poultry  House . Illustiated. .  141 

Poultry — Those  Hens — Why  not  Laying . Ml 

Premiums— Agricultural— Good  ones . 136 

Pumpkin  Flour . 154 

Ranges— Goosing . "  " . 154 

Recipes — Bread  Pudding  :  Cakes,  Lemon,  Plain,  and 
Shrewsbury  :  Codfish  Cutlets  and  Cooking  salt  Cod¬ 
fish  :  Ginger  Bread:  Graham  Biscuits  or  Bread: 
Indian  Biscuits  :  Liquid  Glue  : 

Pie-crust,  plain  :  Rice  Bread . 150 

Rebus . Illustrated. .  153 

Residence,  Country— Preparing  the  ground  for . 138 

Rural  Scene . Illustrated. .  146 

Seasons— Early  and  late— The  Present . 135 

Seeds— Agency  for . 154 

Sheep— Feeding  Young  Lambs— Diseases . 153 

Skunks  worth  Catching  and  Skinning . 142 

Soap— Whale  Oil  vs.  Curculio . 146 

Squash  and  Pumpkin  Culture— Hubbard  Squash . 134 

Strawberry— Another  White . 153 

Sugar  Cane.  .II — How  Grown  and  Manufactured  — 131 

Sweeping  and  Dusting — Directions  for . M9 

Tomato  Raising — Hints  on . 142 

Tree  Planting— May  Day  for . 145 

Trees— Catalpa  or  Beau— Dwarfs,  How  far  apart — 

Oaks  profitable  for  Fruit . 153 

Trees — Cedar  of  Lebanon . Illustrated. .  144 

Trees— Best  lime  lor  Tiansplanting  Evergreens . 144 

Trees— Clearing  from  Lice,  Moss,  etc . 154 

Turnips— When  to  Sow . 154 

Water  Pipes  of  Hydraulic  Cement . 136  —  154 

Whitewash  for  Out-doors . 136 

Willows,  Basket— for  Fem  es . 134 


As  a  recompense  for  time  and  trouble  in  procuring  and 
forwarding  subscribers  at  this  period,  we  offer  the  follow¬ 
ing  Seed  Premiums,  which  will  come  just  in  season. 
HSF3  Of  course  only  one  of  the  different  Premiums  offer¬ 
ed  will  be  given  for  the  same  new  subscriber  obtained. 

Tursitp  Seed  Premium.— To  any  person  send¬ 
ing  in  a  new  subscriber  after  May  1st,  we  will  present 
two  ounces  of  very  choice  urnip  Seed ,  which  will  be 
enough  for  20  to  50  square  rods,  according  to  the  care  used 
in  sowing.  The  package  may  consist  entirely  of  the 
Long  White  French  Turnip— the  best  turnip  we  have  ever 
known  either  for  cooking  or  feeding.  Or  if  preferred,  the 
package  may  consist  of  one-half  Long  White  French, 
and  f  ounce  each  of  three  very  choice  new  varieties 
marked  in  the  list  below,  Nos.  68,  69  &  70.  N.  B. — The 
package  will  be  sent  post-paid  where  the  full  subscription 
price  ($1  a  year)  is  received.  If  the  new  subscribers  be 
in  clubs,  or  additions  to  former  clubs,  and  at  club  prices, 
the  recipient  of  this  premium  will  need  to  send  the  12 
cents  required  for  postage  on  the  seed. 

PltEJUtTM  XI. — Any  person  procuring  and  for¬ 
warding  (after  April  1st)  new  subscribers  to  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  for  Vol.  18, and  $1  for  each)  may  select  from  the  list  of 
seeds  below  as  many  packages  as  will  go  under  four  3-cent 
postage  stamps  for  each  new  name  and  we  will  send  the 
seeds  post-paid  by  ourselves.  N.  BE.— If  the  new  subscri- 
ers  are  taken  at  club  rates,  either  as  additions  to  old  clubs, 
oi  in  new  clubs,  the  receiver  of  the  premium  will  need 
to  send  the  12  cents  postage  to  be  paid  on  each  premium 
package.  (We  only  pay  the  postage  when  the  full  price 
is  paid.) 

It  will  be  seen  that  from  4  to  20  parcels  of  seed  may  be 
chosen  for  each  new  name—  according  to  the  kind  desired. 
Of  the  flower  seeds  about  5  packages  of  seed  will  go  un¬ 
der  one  stamp.  [Up  In  addition  to  the  premium  parcel, 
given  to  the  procurer  of  a  name,  the  new  subscriber  will 
himself  be  entitled  to  select  three  to  five  parcels  by  send¬ 
ing  prepared,  pre-paid  envelopes  as  noted  above.  Sever¬ 
al  of  the  seeds  in  the  following  list  are  particularly  choice 
or  rare,  and  on  this  account  could  not  be  offered  in  our 
General  Distribution.  We  shall  probably  have  enough  to 
meet  all  the  demands  made  for  this  special  premium 

Field  Seeds. 

1 —  White  Sugar  Beet— Single  or  double  packages,  as 
desired,  requiring  one  or  two  3-cent  postage  stamps. 

2—  King  Philip  Corn— Single,  double,  or  triple  pack¬ 
ages,  as  desired,  requiring  one,  two,  or  three  3  cent 
stamps. 

3 —  Stowell’s  Sweet  Corn  — Same  packages  as  No.  1. 

4 —  White  Poland  Oats— Same  packages  as  No.  2. 

5 —  Chinese  Sugar  Cane— Any  subscriber  may  select 
any  amount,  from  half  an  ounce  up  to  a  full  pound  of  this, 
by  providing  for  the  transportation  try  mail,  or  express,  or 
otherwise.  If  to  go  by  mail,  a  3-cent  stamp  is  required 
for  each  half  ounce. 

G— Ashcroft’s  Swedish  Turnip— Half  of  3-cent  stamp. 
GS— Purple-top  Scotch,  or  Bullock  Turnip—  do. 

GO— Grecn-top  Scotch,  or  Bnliock  Turnip—  do. 

70— Waite’s  London  purple-top  Swede  Turnip—  do. 
03 — Hungarian  Grass— One  or  two  3-cent  stamps. 

94— Crystal  Flint  or  Hominy  Corn — One  3-cent  stamp. 

Vegetable  or  Garden  Seeds. 

S— Daniel  O’Rourke  Pea — Packages  same  as  No.  1 . 


O — Champion  of  England  Pea—  One  3-cent  stamp. 
9G— Champion  of  Scotland  Pea—  do. 

57—  Eugenie  Pea —  do. 

58—  Napoleon  Pea —  do. 

50 — King  of  the  Marrow  Pea—  do. 

GO  — Blue  Sickle  Pea—  do. 

1 2—  Green  Kohl  Rabi—  One-third  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 
1  5 — Mammoth  Cabbage  Lettuce—  do  do. 

1G— Long  Orange  Carrot —  do  do  do. 

G7 — Intermediate  Carrot— very  fine  flavor  do. 

1  7— Red  Strap-Leaf  Turnip— One-half  of  a3-centstamp. 

1  0— Round  Spinach—  do  do 

20— Salsafy —  do  do 

22— Boston  Marrow  Squash—  do  do 

05— Hubbard  Squash —  do  do 

2  I —Winter  Cherry —  One-third  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 

55 — White  Globe  Onion—  do  do 

7  2 — Imported  Brussels  Sprouts —  do 

7  3 — Egg  Plants,  (mixed) —  do  do 

74  — Solid  White  Celery —  do  do 

7  5— Green  Curled  Endive—  do  do 

7 G— Musk  Melon —  do  do 

77— Water  Melon—  do  do 

02  — Okra—  do  do 

G3— London  Particular  Long  Scarlet  Radish—  do 
G4 — Extra  Red  Round  Turnip  Radish —  do 

G5— Waite’s  Large  Cabbage  Savoy —  do 

GG— Extra  London  Curled  Parsley —  do 


Flower  and  Ornamental  Seeds. 

89— Cotton  Plant  (2  kinds)— One  3  centstamp. 

On  an  average,  about  five  of  the  following  24  varieties 
wilt  go  under  a  3-cent  postage  stamp. 

23— Mignonette.  47— Morning  Glory,  mixed. 

25— Mixed  Nasturtiums.  49— Candy  Tuft. 

27  — Extra  Cockscomb.  50— Schizanthus. 

28— Dwf.  Rocket  Larkspur. 51— Phlox  Drummondii. 
20— Double  Balsams, mix’d. 78— Ageraturn  Mexicanum. 

31—  Chinese  Pink.  79— Germ.  19-weeks  Slock. 

32—  Porltilaocas,  mixed  80-Yellow  Hawkweed. 

38— Sweet  William.  84— African  Marigold. 

40—  Escholtzia  Califomica.SG— Euphorbia,  mixed. 

41—  Elegant  Clarkia.  87— Coreopsis. 

42—  Foxglove.  88— Globe  Amaranth. 


We  are  happy  to  announce  that,  by  an  arrangement 
just  made  with  the  publishers,  we  are  able  to  offer  as 
Premium  No.  12,  a  complete  set  of  that  magnificent  work, 
now  in  course  of  publication,  the 

NEW  AMERICAN  ENCYCLOPEDIA. 

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containing  770  pages  each.  (See  notice  of  work  on  page 
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itsmm  Itatm 

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GROVER  &  ISAKER’S 

CELEBRATED  NOISELESS 

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New  Styles  at  Reduced  Prices. 

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Machines  all  work  under  Howe’s  patent,  and  are,  so  far, 
the  best  machines  made.  *  *  For  our  oivn  family  use 
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(ISSUED  IN  BOTH  ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN. 

A  thorough  going,  RELIABLE,  and  PRACTICAL 
Journal,  devoted  to  the  different  departments  of  SOIL 
CULTURE— such  as  growing  field  CROPS;  orchard 
and  garden  FRUITS;  garden  VEGETABLES  and 
FLOWERS;  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  for  the 
LAWN  or  YARD  ;  in-door  and  out  door  work  around 
the  DWELLING;  care  of  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 
&c  &c. 

The  teachings  of  the  Agriculturist  are  confined  to  no 
State  or  Territory,  but  are  adapted  to  the  wants  of  all  sec¬ 
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as  the  English,  and  contains  all  of  its  reading  matter,  and 
its  numerous  illustrative  engravings. 


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it  is  ordered  expires. 

All  business  and  other  communications  should  be  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  Editor  and  Proprietor, 

ORANGE  JUDD, 

No.  189  Water  st ,  New-York. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 

Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture 

f  AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  —Washington 


©IgANCJE  IV9D,  A.  HI., 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR. 


VOL.  XVIII— No,  6  ] 


l^p’Offffice  at  189  Water-st.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
J^jPCoBiteirsts.  '0'crjJBS,  Arc.,  on  page  1  92. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1859, 
by  OitANGE  Judd,  in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New-York. 

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any  and  all  desirable  articles,  and  no  use  or  advantage 
will  be  taken  of  the  Copy- Right,  wherever  each  article 
or  illustration  is  duly  accredited  to  the  American  Agri¬ 
culturist.  ORANGE  JUDD,  Proprietor. 


June. 


“  Of  all  flowers, 

Methinks  a  rose  is  best ; 

It  is  the  very  emblem  of  a  maid  ; 

For  w  hen  the  west  wind  courts  her  gently 
How  modestly  she  blows,  and  paints  the  sun 
With  her  chaste  blushes  !  When  the  north  wind  comes 
near  her 

Rude  and  impatient,  then,  like  chastity, 

She  locks  her  beauties  in  her  bud  again, 

And  leaves  him  to  base  briars.’’— -Beaumont  &  Fletcher. 

June  roses  !  Who  has  not  seen  them,  enjoyed 
their  fragrance,  and  praised  God  for  the  most  per¬ 
fect  of  flowers  !  In  this  month  the  rose  culmi¬ 
nates,  and  gives  us  its  full-orbed  splendor,  the 
highest  perfection  of  its  kind.  And  now  while 
the  queen  of  flowers  is  out  in  all  her  beauty  greet¬ 
ing  every  body  with  smiles,  we  wish  to  say  a  few 
words  of  cheer  to  those  who  have  begun  rose 
culture,  and  of  exhortation  to  the  unfortunates, 
who  have  not  yet  welcomed  the  rose  to  their 
flower  borders.  Flower  borders  !  Alas,  there  are 
those  in  this  goodly  land,  fanned  by  winds  from 
the  sweet  south,  kissed  by  the  sunshine,  and  wa¬ 
tered  with  abundant  showers,  who  have  not  a 
solitary  rose  bud  upon  their  premises.  They  are 
not  pagans,  they  are  not  landless,  they  are  not 
poor  in  worldly  goods  or  home  comforts.  Many 
of  them  are  the  lords  of  broad  acres,  proud  of 
their  well  filled  barns,  and  sleek  cattle,  their  tas- 
seled  corn  fields,  and  their  blooming  potato  patch¬ 
es  ;  but  they  have  never  laid  out  a  flower  border 
or  planted  a  seed  or  shrub  whose  sole  office  in  the 
earth  is  to  administer  to  our  esthetic  wants. 
I3oor  unfortunate  men,  may  Heaven  help  them. 
They  are  more  to  be  pitied  than  the  deaf  and 
dumb.  They  do  not  half  live  in  whom  the  love 
of  the  beautiful  is  blotted  out,  or  what  is  the  same 
thing,  in  whom  it  has  never  been  cultivated.  It 
is  said  of  the  savages  of  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
wnen  they  were  first  visited  by  the  missionaries, 
that  they  manifested  no  pleasure  in  beholding  the 
sublime  and  beautiful  scenery  of  their  native  land. 
Nothing  moved  them  to  rapture,  but. the  gross 
pleasures  of  the  palate,  and  the  vicious  indulgen¬ 
ces  of  their  heathen  rites.  It  is  possible  for  peo¬ 
ple  to  grow  up  in  a  Christian  land,  almost  as  in¬ 
sensible  to  the  grand  and  beautiful  in  Nature. 
They  are  so  accustomed  to  the  rough  labor  and 
drudgery  of  the  farm,  are  so  indoctrinated  in  the 
utilitarian  creed,  that  they  only  appreciate  what 
is  good  to  eat  and  to  drink,  to  wear  and  to  sell. 
So  hopelessly  set  are  they  in  these  notions,  that 
they  rather  pride  themselves  upon  this  insensi¬ 


NEW-YORK,  JUNE,  1859. 


bility,  and  glory  in  their  shame.  They  admire  a 
luxuriant  meadow,  but  it  rs  not  for  its  verdure, 
its  blooming  grasses,  or  its  graceful  motion  when 
the  wind  sweeps  over  it  as  over  the  waves  of  the 
sea.  They  only  think  of  three  tons  of  hay  to  the 
acre,  and  fifteen  dollars  a  ton,  clean  cash.  They 
admire  a  thorough  bred  horse,  but  it  is  not  for  his 
glossy  coat,  his  stately  step,  his  fine  form,  or  his 
speed  upon  the  road.  He  is  an  instrument  of 
gambling,  or  an  article  of  merchandise,  worth  a 
thousand  dollars.  They  would  as  soon  be  caught 
stealing  sheep,  as  cultivating  a  flower  border,  or 
putting  up  a  bouquet  for  their  wives  or  daughters. 

Now  we  are  not  going  to  call  names,  and  tell 
just  where  these  people  live.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  we  have  have  seen  them,  shaken  hands  with 
them,  and  feel  very  sorry  for  them,  as  we  do  for 
all  who  have  malformations  and  need  treatment. 
We  hope  that  the  rising  generation  of  fanners 
will  have  fewer  examples  of  this  class,  and  it  is 
with  this  hope  that  we  call  the  attention  of  our 
readers,  the  younger  portion  of  them  especially, 
to  this  very  important  subject. 


While  these  beautiful  Junk  days  are  upon  us, 
and  the  air  is  filled  with  fragrance,  and  the  gar¬ 
dens  are  full  of  flowers  and  bird  songs,  it  may  be 
possible  to  convince  some  of  the  incorrigible  ones 
that  flowers  are  worth  cultivating.  They  are  not 
only  charming  for  the  gentler  sex,  but  appropriate 
for  man.  He  is  wanting  in  true  manhood  who 
does  not  admire  flowers — who  looks  with  indif¬ 
ference  or  contempt  upon  a  violet  or  a  rose.  It 
is  not  the  chief  end  of  man  to  grow  corn  and  po¬ 
tatoes,  or  to  raise  cotton  and  bacon.  Man  was 
formed  for  repose  as  well  as  for  action — for  con¬ 
templation  as  well  as  for  work — for  communion 
with  nature  as  well  as  with  his  fellows.  Time 
spent  in  floriculture  is  not  lost  to  the  best  pur¬ 


j  $1.00  PER  ANNUM,  IN  ADVANCE. 
1  SINGLE  NUMBERS  10  GENTS. 


[NEW  SERIES— No.  My 


poses  of  life.  These  fair  frail  things  are  among 
the  sweetest  gifts  of  the  Creator,  given  us  for  t  lie; 
adornment  of  our  homes,  to  be  loved  and  enjoyed, 
to  give  fitting  expression  to  sentiments  and  oceu 
sions  for  which  human  language  is  too  poor. 

Fortunately,  in  this  land,  there  is  no  lack  of 
flower  worshippers.  Even  the  insensibles,  who 
have  never  handled  a  rose,  and  affect  to  detest  its 
fragrance,  as  if  it  were  skunk  cabbage,  or  hen¬ 
bane,  are  quite  likely  surrounded  with  neighbors 
who  are  skilled  in  floriculture.  Let  them  look 
over  the  way,  and  they  will  see  roses  trained  to 
the  sides  of  the  house,  to  the  trellis  work  around 
the  portico,  to  frames  constructed  for  the  purpose 
— roses  white  and  yellow,  blush  and  crimson,  the 
climbers  and  the  standards,  filling  every  appro¬ 
priate  place  around  the  house  and  garden,  where 
they  can  be  seen  and  enjoyed.  The  honeysuck 
les  and  the  wistarias,  the  pinks  and  violets,  the 
mignonette,  and  the  whole  tribe  of  annuals  arc 
there  in  their  appropriate  seasons.  It  is  a  beau 
tiful  sight,  and  all  who  pass  by,  as  well  as  the 
inmates,  enjoy  the  spectacle. 

The  home  so  adorned  is  far  more  prized,  and 
loved,  than  the  desolate  dwelling  that  simply  min¬ 
isters  to  man’s  physical  wants.  Here  trite  mind 
and  heart  have  something  to  feed  upon.  There  is 
a  ministry  of  the  beautiful  constantly  going  on 
amid  the  utilities  of  life,  and  children  come  up 
with  quickened  sensibilities,  appreciating  and  en¬ 
joying,  with  keenest  relish,  the  fine  forms  and 
colors  in  Nature.  Floriculture  is  one  of  the  bonds 
that  bind  them  to  their  homes,  and  to  the  virtues  of 
domestic  life.  There  is  always  something  to  in¬ 
terest  them  at  home,  and  the  attractions  of  the 
tippling  house,  and  bowling  alley,  are  forestalled. 

Human  nature  craves  with  strongest  instinct 
amusement,  and  relaxation  from  the  stern  cares 
and  utilities  of  life.  This  want  must  be  met  in  a 
rational  way,  or  it  will  find  expression  in  vicious 
indulgence.  Man  will  not  be  goaded  by  necessity — 
by  work — all  the  while.  He  will  refresh  himself 
with  play  of  some  kind,  something  to  relax  the 
muscles,  and  afford  pleasure.  Do  not  bring  up  the 
old  and  hackneyed  objection,  that  flowers  are  of 
no  use.  It  is  for  that  very  reason  that  we  would 
have  you  cultivate  them.  Pray  indulge  your¬ 
selves  in  one  thing  that  has  no  appreciable  value 
in  dollars  and  cents,  that  has  leave  to  giow  and 
bloom  for  the  sake  of  its  own  beauty,  that  lives 
simply  because  you  love  it,  and  will  have  it. 
Whatever  your  circumstances,  you  can  have  at 
least  one  flower,  and  that  the  fairest  and  best 
“  Dear  flower  of  Heaven  and  love  !  thou  glorious  thing 
That  lookest  out  the  garden  nooks  among  ; 

Rose,  that  art  ever  fair  and  ever  young, 

Was  it  some  angel  on  invisible  wing 
Hovered  around  thy  fragrant  sleep,  to  fl  r.g 
Hi.s  glowing  mantle  of  warm  sunset  hues 
O’er  thy  unfolding  petals,  wet  with  dews, 

Such  as  the  flower-fays  to  Titania  bring! 

O  flower  of  thousand  memories  and  dreams. 

That  take  the  heart  with  faintness,  while  we  gaze 
On  the  rich  depths  of  thy  inwoven  maze  ; 

From  the  green  banks  of  Eden’s  blessed  streams 
I  dreamed  thee  brought,  of  brighter  days  to  tell 
Long  passed,  but  promised  yet  with  us  to  dwelt.” 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


10© 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  June  1859 

[We  note  down  sundry  kinds  of  work  to  be  done  during 
the  monili,  not  so  much  to  afford  instruction  to  practical 
men,  as  to  call  to  mind  the  various  operations  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to  A  glance  over  a  table  like  this  will  often  sug¬ 
gest  some  piece  of  work  that  might  otherwise  be  forgotten 
or  neglected.  Our  remarks  are  more  especially  adapted 
to  the  latitudes  of  38°  to  4d°  ;  but  will  be  equally  applica¬ 
ble  to  points  further  North  and  South  by  making  due 
allowance  for  each  degree  of  latitude,  that  is,  earlier  for 
the  South,  later  for  the  North. 

Explanations.— f  indicates  the  first;  m  the  middle ; 
amt  l  the  last  of  the  month. — Doubling  the  letters  thus:.#', 
or  mm,  or  U,  gives  particular  emphasis  to  the  period  indi¬ 
cated. — Two  letters  placed  together,  as  fm  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  in  either  or  in  botli  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked  fm..  indicates  that,  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  theirs/  to  the  middle  of  the  month. 1 

Farm. 

The  husbandman  has  very  little  leisure,  between  putting 
in  his  late  crops  and  commencing  to  till  nis  first  plantings. 
Even  now,  the  first  day  of  June,  before  the  buckwheat 
and  turnip  fields  are  sown,  the  corn  and  potatoes,  carrots 
and  cabbages,  require  going  through  with  the  plow  and 
cultivator,  followed  by  the  hoe.  Some  of  the  late  imple¬ 
ments  designed  to  relieve  hand-labor  are  well  adapted 
to  their  work  ;  the  horse  hoe  almost  takes  the  place  of  the 
hand-hoe  in  the  corn  field.  Whatever  is  used,  see  that 
the  ground  is  well  lightened  up  before  the  roots  have  ex¬ 
tended  far,  and  early  keep  down  weeds. 

If  there  are  any  vacant  spots  which  were  too  wet  to 
plant  before,  let  them  not  lie  idle.  There  is  ample  time 
to  grow  a  soiling  crop,  if  not  to  ripen  corn,  upon  such  land. 
Let  no  soil  pioduce  weeds  only,  to  scatter  their  seeds  for 
a  future  crop.  The  prospect  now  is,  that  everything  the 
farmer  can  raise  will  be  wanted,  at  home  or  abroad,  and 
at  higher  rates  than  for  some  years  past. 

Barley— Will  si  ill  succeed  if  sown,  ff. 

Beans— Plant,  if,  any  not  in,  among  corn  or  alone. 
Beets— Mangel- wurtzel  and  Sugar  varieties  succeed 
well  when  sown,  ff,  m. 

Buckwheat— Sow,  11,  or  oven  first  of  July,  that  it  may 
fill  Us  kernels  in  the  cool  weather  of  Autumn. 

Butter  and  Cheese — Read  the  prize  articles  as  they  ap¬ 
pear  from  month  to  month,  and  try  to  make  such  pro¬ 
ducts  as  will  suffer  no  discount  when  thrown  into  market. 
Cabbages— Plow  and  hoe  early  ones,  ff,  m.  Plant,  m, 

l,  among  early  potatoes  and  elsewhere  for  late  use.  Use 
tobacco  dust,  lime  and  ashes  sprinkled  over  the  plants  to 
keep  away  insects. 

Carrots— Hoe  and  thin  early.  Much  labor  may  be 
saved,  and  a  better  crop  secured  by  taking  the  carrot, 
turnip  and  beet  patch  in  hand  before  the  weeds  get  a  start. 
Thin  out  liberally.  Pour  to  six  inches  apart  in  the  row 
is  near  enough  for  carrots. 

Corn — Replant  failures,  ff.  It  is  not  too  late  for  the 
King  Philip  or  other  early  varieties  to  ripen  now.  Put  in 
freely  for  soiling,  especially  if  the  pasture  ground  is  small. 
Milkmen  well  know  its  value,  and  usually  pi  uit  largely, 
in  drills.  It  is  well  to  make  three  plantings,  one,  f,  one, 

m,  and  also  at  1. 

Fences— Should  be  examined  often. 

Grain  Fields— If  there  is  any  foul  stuff  in  them,  select  a 
“  seed  patch,”  and  pull  out  every  weed,  ff.  Rye  and 
Wrheat,  even,  will  require  cutting  in  some  places,  11. 

Having — Will  commence,  m.  1.,  according  to  the  for¬ 
wardness  of  the  grass.  Mowing  machines  are  now  so 
common  that  the  farmer  need  not  commence  upon  his 
crop  before  the  grass  is  ready  to  cut,  nor  will  he  need  to 
cut  it  down  while  wet  with  dew  or  rain. 

Ilny-caps—  See  articie  elsewhere. 

Hoeing  will,  on  many  farms,  constitute  a  prominent 
portion  of  the  work  for  June.  Clean  tillage  now  will 
make  easy  work  in  July. 

Manujes  should  be  made  at  every  season  of  the  year. 
Keep  tin.  cattle  and  hog  yards  well  covered  with  muck; 
scrape  up  cattio  droppings  each  morning,  and  throw  them 
in  heaps  under  cover. 

Millet— “Hungarian  grass,”  or  other  kinds,  may  still 
be  sown,  ff,  m,  for  soiling,  or  ripening  even. 

Potatoes — Keep  free  from  weeds,  but  do  not  use  the 
plow  among  them  after  they  commence  blooming. 

Poultry  require  little  attention  if  running  at  large, 
save  feeding  a  little  grain  and  collecting  eggs.  Where  it 
is  necessary  to  confine  them  in  buildings  or  yards,  It  is  al¬ 
ways  w  ell  to  let  them  out  for  a  short  time  about  sundown. 
Keep  roosts  dusted  with  plaster,  charcoal  or  muck, 
and  barreling  the  contents  frequently,  for  guano. 

Pumpkins  w  ill  still  be  in  season  if  planted  ff,  either 
among  corn  or  potatoes,  or  in  patches  by  themselves. 
Sheep— Shear,  ff,  if  not  done.  Guard  against  dogs. 
Sorghum— Drill  in  a  quantity,  f,  m,  for  soiling  purposes. 
Stock— Raise  the  best  calves,  lambs  and  pigs  to  breed 
from.  Provide  improved  breeds  of  cattle  and  horses  to 
cross  w  ilh  your  own  stock. 

Swirie — Where  there  is  an  orchard  or  small  pasture  ac- 
'vjssible,  hogs  may  properly  have  the  range  of  it,  but  by  all 


means,  keep  them  from  the  highways  and  dooryards.  If 
shut  up,  give  them  weeds,  turf,  and  other  green  stuff,  daily, 
keeping  their  pens  and  yards  supplied  with  absorbents. 

Tanners’  Bark— Peel  from  hemlock  and  oak,  in,  11, 
slanding  it  up  carefully  to  dry. 

Tools  for  hay  and  grain  cutting,  should  all  be  procured 
and  put  in  working  order,  ff.  m.  With  a  large  quantity 
of  hay  and  grain  to  cut,  a  mowing  machine  w  ill,  doubt¬ 
less,  pay,  besides  securing  it  in  better  order. 

Turnips— Sow  11,  or  in  next  month.  Read  articles. 
Weeds— Keep  them  down  w>hile  small,  if  you  would 
save  heavy  labor  afterwards,  and  secure  good  crops. 

Orchard  and  Nursery. 

If  the  work  of  last  month  was  properly  attended  to, 
there  is  not  much  to  do  now  except  to  keep  down  weeds 
and  stir  the  ground,  both  in  the  orchard  and  nursery'. 

Budding-  May  be  performed,  11,  at  the  South.  Remove 
suckers  from  trees  budded  last  season,  and  keep  the  grow¬ 
ing  buds  w  ell  tied  up. 

Caterpillars— Destroy,  ff,  any  remaining  until  now. 
Evergreens— These  may  still  be  safely  transplanted,  ff; 
do  not  let  the  roots  be  exposed  to  the  sun  while  out  of  the 
ground.  Water  and  mulch  trees  planted  last  month,  if 
the  weather  prove  dry. 

Fruit— Jar  the  trees  gently,  and  pick  up  all  punctured 
fruit  which  falls.  Thin  out,  11,  where  it  has  set  too  thickly. 

Grafts — Examine  and  loosen  any  bandages  cutting  into 
newly  grafted  trees.  Replace  cement  or  grafting  wax 
where  it  has  pealed  off.  Rub  off  suckers. 

Hoeing— Will  be  the  heavy  work  of  the  nursery  during 
this  month.  The  plow,  horse-hoe,  or  cultivator,  will 
gteat.ly  facilitate  the  operation.  Hoe  about  orchard  trees, 
to  keep  down  weeds  and  grass. 

Inarching — May  be  begun,  m.  11. 

Insects— Wage  incessant  war  against  the  whole  tribe  of 
fruit  insects— caterpillars,  curculios,  apple  moths,  borers, 
pear  and  cherry  slugs,  bark  scale,  etc.  All  need  atten¬ 
tion.  Read  article  on  page  181,  and  in  addition  to  the 
means  there  noted,  hang  open-mouthed  bottles,  half  full 
of  sweetened  water,  in  the  branches  of  trees,  to  entice 
and  drown  the  parent  millers  of  apple,  pear,  cherry  and 
other  worms.  See,  also,  the  curculio  remedy  on  page  146 
of  last  Agriculturist. 

Layer, 11,  new  growth  of  deciduous  and  evergreen  trees. 
Manure— Apply  a  good  coating  about  the  roots  of  bear¬ 
ing  trees,  to  assist  them  in  perfecting  a  crop.  Spread  it 
about  at  some  distance  from  the  trunks. 

Mulch  ff,  newly  planted  trees,  especially  if  it  be  dry. 
Plum  Trees — Read  directions  elsewhere  for  destroying 
black  wart.  Give  curculios  no  peace,  and  crops  of  plums 
may  still  be  secured. 

Pruning — May  be  commenced,  11.  Especially  is  the 
latter  part  of  June  a  good  time  to  do  what  little  pruning 
evergreen  trees  require.  Cut  or  pinch  back  shoots  of 
bearing  fruit  to  induce  fruit  buds. 

Scale — The  eggs  have  now  hatched  out,  and  the  young 
“  bark  lice  ’’can  easily  be  destroyed  with  soap  or  potash 
and  water,  applied  with  a  scrub  brush,  or  rags  tied  to  a 
stick.  They  can  even  be  washed  off  with  water  only.  It 
is  better,  however,  to  add  some  wood  ashes  or  other  alkali. 

Seedlings— Especially  evergreen,  may  now  require  wa¬ 
ter  and  shade. 

Stocks — Some  of  the  penr  and  plum  stocks  which  have 
made  an  early  growth  will  be  ready  for  budding,  11. 

Water  evergreen  and  other  newly  planted  trees,  if  the 
ground  is  very  dry.  Apply  it  at  night,  first  mulching 
around  them. 

Weeds— Keep  down  both  in  nursery  and  orchard. 

Mifclecsa  Froit  hardens. 

The  early  crops  are  now  in,  and  growing  rapidly.  A 
lar0e  portion  of  the  gardener’s  labors  will  be  needed  to 
keep  them  free  from  weeds,  and  to  stir  the  soil  about 
the  plants.  The  surface  of  the  ground  should  not  be  al¬ 
lowed  to  crust  and  shut  out  the  air  and  dews.  Frequent 
hoeings  are  beneficial  in  other  respects  than  merely 
keeping  down  weeds. 

There  is  some  planting  still  to  be  done,  most  of  which 
should  be  attended  to  ff,  m. 

If  the  garden  has  been  provided  with  an  asparagus  bed, 
and  there  is  a  good  row  of  rhubarb  roots  along  the  border, 
there  should  now  be  a  plentiful  supply  of  each.  Straw¬ 
berries  are  nearly  ready  to  ripen.  The  early  “  greens  ” 
are  also  abundant,  and  with  currants  for  sauce  or  pies, 
and  cherries  for  dessert,  the  farm  gardener  may  greatly 
diminish  the  salt  junk  diet  of  Winter  and  early  Spring. 

Asparagus— Keep  beds  well  stirred  and  free  from  weeds. 
Cutting  should  be  omitted  after  the  first  week,  or  at  latest 
by  the  middle  of  June,  as  it  started  early  this  season. 
Too  late  cropping  injures  the  bed. 

Beans— Early  Kidneys,  and  Limas  even,  may  still  be 
planted  f,  m.  See  that  runners  are  poled. 

Beets— Sow  the  remaining  Summer  crop,  ff,  and  m,  1, 
for  Autumn  and  Winter  use.  Hoc,  weed  and  thin  early 
beds,  using  the  young  plants  for  “  greens,”  for  which  they 
are  excellent,  “roots  and  all.” 


Blackberries  and  Raspberries— Should  have  been  staked 
or  tied  to  trellises  last  month.  See  to  any  neglected,  ff. 

Borecole,  Brussels,  Sprouts,  Broccoli,  Kale,  &c.—  riant 
out  for  late  crops,  f,  m. 

Cabbage  and  Cauliflower— Sow  seed,  ff,  for  late  plant¬ 
ing.  Set  out,  f,  m,  for  Autumn,  and  11,  for  Winter  use. 
Hoe  often,  and  destroy  cut  worms,  replacing  plants  eaten 
off  by  them. 

Carrots— May  still  be  sown.  ff.  Early  sowing  is  pre¬ 
ferable,  however.  Hoe,  weed  and  thin -while  they  are 
small  and  work  out  easily,  else  heavy  work  is  before  you. 
It  is  better  to  select  clean  ground  for  sowing  this  crop. 

Celery— Set  plants  for  a  generis!  crop  in  trenches,  m,  1, 
watering  and  shading  for  a  few  days. 

Corn— To  keep  up  a  good  succession,  plant  sweet  varie¬ 
ties,  f,  m,  1,  at  intervals  of  ten  or  twelve  days.  The  last 
plantings  may  be  after  early  peas,  or  between  rows  of  po¬ 
tatoes  nearly  ready  to  dig. 

Cress— Sow,  f,  m,  1,  for  a  constant  supply. 

Cucumbers,  Melons  and  Squashes— These  mav  be  plant¬ 
ed,  ff,  with  fair  prospects  for  a  crop.  Cucumbers  for 
pickles  should  be  put  in  m,  1.  Dust  vines  with  flour  and 
pepper,  or  other  offensive  substance,  to  repel  bugs. 

Herbs — Many  of  these  are  now  coming  into  flower.  Cut 
and  dry  them  in  the  shade  when  in  full  bloom. 

Hoeing— Is  the  work  for  June,  and  needs  following  up 
closely.  Besides  keeping  down  weeds,  it  is  almost  rain 
and  manure  for  the  growing  plants.  Commence  on  every 
crop  in  season.  If  rows  of  young  vegetables  are  left  till 
they  can  scarcely  be  seen  among  the  weeds,  the  labor 
of  cleaning  them  out  will  be  very  great,  and  the  plants 
themselves  will  be  injured  by  disturbing  the  roots  in  eradi¬ 
cating  weeds. 

Egg  Plants— Set  out,  ff,  for  full  crop,  and,  m,  for  late. 
Fruit— Collect  any  now  ripening,  and  thin  overbearing 
trees  or  bushes. 

Gooseberries— Keep  well  hoed,  or  better,  mulch  with 
salt  hay,  tan  bark  or  sawdust,  which  will  prevent  weeds 
from  growing,  and  keep  the  ground  moist,  thus  rendering 
the  berries  less  liable  to  mildew. 

Grapes— The  vines  are  now  pushing  ahead  rapidly,  and 
require  heading  back  and  thinning  out.  Rub  off  un¬ 
necessary  shoots  and  pinch  back  bearing  branches  to  six 
or  eight  inches  from  the  bunches.  Hand-pick  insects, 
and  entrap  in  bottles  the  millers  about  depositing  eggs 
upon  the  vine.  Bonfires  or  torches  about  the  garden  or 
vineyard,  as  described  elsewhere,  will  be  of  much  ser¬ 
vice  in  destroying  them  in  localities  where  they  abound. 

Insects  begin  to  be  troublesome  at  this  season.  De¬ 
stroy  the  slugs  on  pear  and  cherry  trees  with  whale-oil 
soap  dissolved  in  water,  and  thrown  upon  the  trees  with 
a  syringe  having  a  sprinkler  at  the  end.  Dusting  with 
wood  ashes  or  air-slacked  lime,  will  also  destroy  them. 
Apply  when  the  leaves  are  wet  with  dew. 

Lettuce— Sow  and  plant  out  at  intervals  of  a  week,  dur¬ 
ing  the  month,  to  keep  up  a  constant  supply. 

Onions— Hoe,  weed  and  thin,ff,  m. 

Parsneps  and  Salsafy — Hoe  and  thin,  ff,  m.  Avoid  leav¬ 
ing  them  too  thick  in  the  row. 

Peas,  sown  at  this  season,  usually  escape  the  weevil, 
so  that  ff,  is  a  good  time  to  nut  in  the  main  crop.  Sow  m, 
1,  in  the  garden,  for  late  use.  Keep  well  hoed  and  bushed 
orsupported  with  stakes  and  twine.  Hilling  a  little  is  an 
advantage,  unless  they  were  covered  two  or  three  inches. 
The  first  sowings  will  furnish  peas  for  the  table,  m,  1, 
Potatoes— Hoe  and  weed  thoroughly.  Plant  late  cab¬ 
bages  among  early  potatoes,  to  occupy  the  ground  alter 
they  are  dug. 

Radishes— Sow  as  lettuce,  among  and  between  other 
vegetables,  ff,  in. 

Rhubarb— Is  now  yielding  a  full  supply.  By  pinching 
off  the  seed  stalks  as  they  appear,  the  leaves  may  be 
pulled  during  the  entire  month.  The  Linnaeus  variety 
we  have  used  until  the  month  of  September. 

Spinach— Clean  oft' the  early  crops  for  a  second  sowing, 
or  for  late  vegetables.  Fresh  sowings  may  be  made  f,  m, 

1,  to  keep  up  a  family  supply. 

Strawberries— Clean  beds,  and  mulch  with  straw, 
sawdust,  or  tan-bark,  ff.  They  w ill  soon  be  in  full  bearing. 

Thinning  cut  both  vegetables  and  fruit  should  be  at¬ 
tended  to  early.  Plants  are  usually  left  too  crowded. 

Tomatoes— Set  them  out,  f,  m,  for  late  use.  Keep  well 
hoed,  and  bushed  or  staked. 

Transplanting— Perforin  ff,  m,  selecting  cloudy  or  wet 
weather,  or  water  and  shade  after  the  operation.  Re¬ 
move  with  the  plants  as  much  unbroken  earth,  and  undis 
turbed  root  fibres  as  possible. 

Turnips— Sow  early  varieties,  ff,  m.  for  Summer  use. 
Ruta-bagas  for  Winter  should  only  be  sown  11,  or  next 
month. 

Water  strawberry  beds,  ff,  if  the  weather  continues  dry 
Newly  planted  trees,  and  plants  recently  set  out  may  also 
require  water. 

Weeds— Pull,  hoe  and  root  out  with  plow  and  cultiva 
tor.  Give  them  no  room  in  the  vegetable  garden— not 
one  of  them. 

Winter  Cherry  {Physalii]— Transplant  from  seed  bed, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


f,  m.  Early  sown  seed  may  still  come  up.  It  some¬ 
times  lies  in  the  ground  two  montns  before  vegetating. 

Flower  CSardiesa  assail  ILawsa. 

At  this,  the  blooming  season,  the  Flower  Garden  is  ex¬ 
pected  to  make  a  fine  show  of  a  large  number  of  the  per¬ 
ennial  and  biennial  plants.  Most  of  the  Green-House, 
and  many  of  the  Hot-House  plants  nave  been  transferred 
to  the  open  border,  and  with  their  rich  colors  lend  attract 
iveness  to  the  grounds. 

The  chief  labors  should  oe  directed  to  keep  down  weeds, 
to  stir  the  soil,  and  thin  the  plants.  It  is  not  too  late  to 
sow  many  of  the  Annuals,  which  will  spring  up  quickly 
now  that  the  ground  is  warm.  If  the  weather  be  very  dry, 
soak  the  seeds  for  24  hours  before  sowing. 

Bedding  Plants— Complete  putting  out,  using  verbe¬ 
nas,  geraniums,  petunias,  pansies,  daisies,  &c. 

Box  Edging— Plant  still,  selecting  a  moist  day,  or  water¬ 
ing  and  shading.  Cuttings  may  also  be  made,  f,  m. 
Shear  old  box,  if,  if  not  previously  attended  to,  selecting 
damp  weather  if  possible,  for  the  operation. 

Bup,s— The  early  flowering  sorts  planted  last  Fall  are 
out  of  bloom,  and  may  be  lifted  and  dried,  m,  11,  if  they 
are  to  be  reset.  It  is  not  best  to  disturb  them  too  often 
however. 

Carnations  and 
Pinks  and  Pico- 
tees— These  may 
be  layered ,  m,  11, 
as  seen  in  the  cut 
opposite.  It  is 
not  absolutely  ne¬ 
cessary  to  slit  the 
stalk  «  here  it  is 
laid  below  the 
ground,  as  here 
shown.  Cuttings 
may  also  be 
struck  at  the 
same  time,  but 
are  not  as  sure  to  grow  as  layers. 

Climbers— Keep  these  well  trained  to  twine,  stakes,  or 
lattice  work. 

Dahlias— Plant  out,  ff.  m,  watering  if  needful. 
Evergreens— May  still  be  planted  upon  the  lawn  and  in 
the  borders,  IF,  m,  watering  and  mulching.  In  exposed 
situations  they  may  need  confining  to  stakes  to  prevent 
their  being  swayed  by  the  wind. 

Flower  Stalks— Cut  away  as  fast  as  they  are  out  of 
bloom.  They  have  an  unsightly  appearance  when  left  in 
the  flower  border.  Besides,  they  should  give  place  to  the 
later  grow  ing  annuals. 

Geraniums— Plant  out.fF,  any  remaining  in  pots.  They 
mass  finely,  either  in  distinct  colors,  or  when  mixed. 
Gladioluses— Stake,  11,  those  put  out  last  month. 

Grass  Edging  or  Borders— Shear  and  rake  off  every  few' 
weeks,  leaving  them  smooth  and  even. 

Gravel  Walks— Keep  free  from  grass  and  weeds,  raking 
and  rolling  frequently.  Add  fresh  gravel  to  old  paths. 

Hedges— Clip,  m,  1,  rapid  growing  deciduous,  and  even 
evergreen  hedges. 

Hoe  often  among  and  around  plants,  to  loosen  the  soil 
and  induce  moisture,  as  well  as  to  Keep  down  weeds. 

House  Plants — Bring  out  any  remaining  in  the  green¬ 
house  or  conservatory,  intended  for  out-door  planting. 

Insects— These  are  easiest  kept  in  check  by  taking  them 
early.  A  few  destroyed  now  will  kill  many  coming  broods. 

Dawns  have  the  finest  appearance  when  thickly  cover¬ 
ed  with  fine  grass  only  1  or  2  incnes  in  hight.  Hence, 
frequent  mowings  are  desirable.  Skill  is  required  to  cut 
the  grass  evenly  with  a  scythe.  Keep  both  grass  and 
Weeds  from  growing  for  a  few  feet  aoout  young  trees. 

Oranges,  Lemons,  Oleanders  and  Myrtles— Plant  out  in 
the  open  borders,  ff,  m,  or  place  out  in  their  tubs. 

Potted  Plants  will  need  frequent  waterings,  unless 
turned  out  into  the  border.  Shield  from  high  winds. 

Roses  are  the  pride  of  the  flower  garden  in  June. 
From  the  low  growing  Tea  to  the  standard  Bourbon,  June, 
Pillar  and  Prairie  Climber,  red,  pink,  blush,  lilac,  yellow 
and  white  roses,  are  in  full  flower,  shedding  both  beauty 
and  fragrance.  If  the  bord'er  contain  but  a  single  flower, 
let  that  be  a  Remontant  rose.  Bugs,  slugs  and  leaf  hop¬ 
pers  will  dispute  with  you  their  possession.  The  rose- 
bug  may  be  destroyed  by  shaking  them  into  a  shallow 
basin  of  hot  water.  Whale-oil  soap,  dissolved  at  the  rate 
of  1  pound  to  3  gallons  of  water,  will  destroy  both  slugs 
and  thrips.  Pour  it  on  from  the  rose  of  a  watering-pot,  or 
use  a  hand-syringe  with  a  sprinkler  attached. 

Stake  flowers  and  shrubs  requiring  it. 

Transplant,  m,  1,  annuals  sown  last  month,  retaining 
earth  about  the  roots  if  possible.  Water  and  shade,  un¬ 
less  a  damp  day  is  chosen. 

Verbenas  and  Petunias  now  make  a  fine  show  if  a 
good  collection  was  put  out  last  month.  They  may  still 
be  planted,  ff. 

Water — An  excess  is  often  used  on  plants  at  this  season. 


If  the  soil  has  been  deeply  worked,  little  water  wilL  be  re¬ 
quired  in  ordinary  seasons,  except  on  plants  or  trees 
newly  set  out.  Water  from  the  clouds,  when  plants  are 
shaded,  is  better  than  that  artificially  applied. 

Weeds  should  not  be  allowed  so  much  as  a  start  now. 

Cca'eesa  aanstil  Slot  Mmsstts. 

Most  of  the  plants  usually  kept  in  these  houses  are  now 
in  the  open  air.  In  extensive  collections,  the  more  tender 
planls  are  better  managed  in  than  out  of  the  house,  and 
on  that  account  are  still  kept  upon  the  shelves.  They 
now  require  abundance  of  air  and  plenty  of  water.  The 
upper  ventilators  should  be  kept  open  during  fair  weather. 
Opening  both  upper  and  lower  would  dry  the  atmosphere 
too  rapidly.  Measures  should  now'  be  taken  to  increase 
the  stock  of  Winter  blooming  plants  ;  and  many  of  the 
seedlings  and  cuttings  will  need  repotting.  In  carrying 
out  and  arranging  pots  in  the  open  air,  place  them  in  a 
neat,  orderly  manner,  convenient  of  access.  The  situa¬ 
tion  should  be  so  sheltered  that  the  plants  will  not  be 
blown  about  by  high  winds. 

Azalias  are  now  making  a  rapid  growth  and  need  abun¬ 
dance  of  water,  and  some  pinching  in. 

Bud,  m,  1,  oranges,  lemons,  citrons,  shaddocks,  &c. 
Camellias  do  quite  as  well  in  the  open  border,  ’to  which 
they  may  be  carried,  IF.  If  retained  on  the  shelves  in  the 
house,  w'ater  and  syringe  often.  Watch  for  and  check 
the  approach  of  insects. 

Cuttings  of  Chrysanthemums,  Myrtles,  Hydrangeas, 
Fuchsias,  Geraniums,  &c.,  may  be  made  and  potted,  f,  m.’ 

Fuchsias— Repot  to  make  fine  specimens  for  Winter 
blooming. 

Geraniums  are  in  full  flower  and  require  liberal  water¬ 
ings.  Increase  the  stock  by  cuttings  and  layers. 

German  Stocks— Plant  in  borders,  ff,  m. 

Grapes— The  early  houses  W'ill  now  be  ripening  their 
fruit,  and  the  syringing  overhead  must  be  omitted.  Some 
of  the  later  crops  need  a  further  thinning.  They  all  want 
abundance  of  air  with  a  free  circulation. 

Insects  are  particularly  troublesome  at  this  seasons  and 
require  much  care  to  forestall  their  depredations.  Keep 
them  in  cheek  now,  unless  you  wish  to  be  overrun  with 
them  in  Autumn. 

Layer  and  Inarch  woody  and  other  plants  which  do  not 
root  readily  from  cuttings. 

Pines  require  abundance  of  air  and  less  water  as  the 
fruit  approaches  its  ripe  state. 

Potting — Continue,  f,  m,  1,  and  provide  a  supply  of  pre¬ 
pared  earth  for  extensive  use  next  month. 

Roses— Plantin  borders,  ff,  any  remaining  in  the  houses. 
Syringe  with  oil  soap  to  destroy  slugs. 

Seedlings— Transplant,  ff  m,  to  borders  or  pots  as  after 
culture  renders  necessary. 

Verbenas— Get  up  a  stock  for  Winter  blooming,  by  lay¬ 
ering,  inserting  cuttings,  &c. 

Water— Give  as  is  needful.  With  small  pots  in  a  dry 
atmosphere,  a  little  may  be  necessary  night  and  morn¬ 
ing.  Examine  after  rains  to  see  if  drainage  is  perfect. 

Apiary  ssa  J'lasEe. 

BY  M.  QUINBY. 

As  soon  as  the  bees  are  crowded  outside  of  the  hive  dur¬ 
ing  any  part  of  the  day  it  is  lime  to  add  the  surplus  boxes. 

If  the  honey  is  intended  for  home  consumption,  a  wood 
box  will  answer  every  purpose  ;  but  for  market,  one  with 
glass  sides  is  usually  the  most  saleable.  Neither  of  them 
should  be  more  than  five  inches  deep,  and  should  have 
some  pieces  of  nice  white  comb  stuck  in  the  top,  the 
larger  the  better,  but  very  small  ones  are  much  better 
than  none  at  all— the  bees  will  commence  work  more  wil¬ 
lingly.  To  make  these  combs  stick  fast,  melt  some  bees¬ 
wax,  and  dip  one  edge  in  it,  and  apply  before  cooling. 
Old  colonies  should  be  induced  to  begin  in  the  boxes  if 
possible  before  they  swarm,  as  in  that  case  they  will  be 
much  more  likely  to  finish  them  than  to  begin  after  swarm¬ 
ing  when  not  very  strong.  Holes  can  be  bored  in  the  top 
of  the  hive  if  necessary,  even  when  it  is  filled,  using  to¬ 
bacco  smoke  to  keep  the  bees  quiet— six  or  eight,  an  inch 
in  diameter  will  do.  They  should  be  bored  with  a  center 
bit  or  something  that  will  work  smoothly.  The  boxes 
should  be  removed  as  soon  as  filled,  to  obtain  pure 
white  combs,  empty  ones  may  be  put  in  their  places  as 
long  as  the  bees  work  in  them.  There  will  be  little 
risk  but  that  the  bees  will  provide  for  themselves.  To 
get  rid  of  the  bees  that  are  taken  off  with  the  boxes,  put 
them  in  an  empty  barrel,  in  any  convenient  place,  and 
throw  over  it  a  thin  cloth  ;  the  bees  in  their  endeavor  to 
escape,  will  gather  on  the  under  side  ;  it  should  be  lurne-' 
over  occasionally  till  all  are  gone.  They  are  not  disposer. 

to  sting  at  all  after  being  taken  from  the  hive . New 

swarms  before  their  combs  reach  the  bottom  of  the  hive, 
unless  near  the  end  of  the  season  should  receive  a  set  of 
boxes.  There  is  often  an  advantage  in  putting  on  boxes 
immediately  when  hived,  hut  nearly  as  often  a  disadvan¬ 
tage,  on  account  of  their  rearing  brood  in  the  combs, 
which  makes  them  black  and  tough  ;  they  are  also  very 
sure  to  store  bee-bread  where  they  raise  brood.  It  is 


quite  safe  on  that  account  to  put  them  on  after  being 
hived  three  or  four  days. 

June  is  the  month  for  su'arms.  In  small  apiaries,  in 
good  seasons,  it  is  quite  common  to  average  two  or  three 
swarms  from  a  stock.  The  first  one  is  usually  large 
enough  for  a  good  colony,  the  second  half  as  large,  the 
third  a  quarter  ;  consequently  two  of  the  second  and’four 
of  the  third  issues  will  be  needed  to  make  a  colony  equal 
to_r  first.  The  time  of  issuing,  whether  the  first  or  last 
of  ■  .e  month,  should  have  some  consideration  in  ~ovcrn 
lug  the  size  of  the  colony  ;  as  a  second  swarm  of  ordinary 
size  the  first  of  June  would  be  about  equal  in  value  to  a  first 
one  a  month  later.  Two  first  swarms  should  be  prevented 
from  issuing  at  the  same  time  if  possible,  as  they  are  quite 
sure  to  cluster  in  one  mass,  and  are  worth  only  about 
two-thirds  as  much  on  the  whole,  as  if  both  are  kept  sen 
arate.  Indications  of  th v first  swarm  can  usually  be  seen 
m  the  commotion  of  Ihe  bees  about  the  entrance  a  few 
moments  before  flying,  and  for  a  much  longer  time  when 
the  interior  of  the  hive  can  be  seen  through  glass.  See 
description  on  page  135  of  the  May  Agriculturist.  AVhen 
one  has  started  and  another  is  about  to  start,  sprinkle  the 
latter  well  with  water,  which  will  delay  the  issue  till  the 
first  is  hived.  If  the  last  is  then  disposed  to  unite  with 
the  first,  throw  a  sheet  over  the  hive  and  keep  them  out 
When  two  large  swarms  naturally  get  together,  they 
should  be  divided  in  hiving.  Set  the  empty  hives  three  or 
four  feet  apart,  and  with  a  dipper  put  about  an  equal 
number  to  each  alternately,  and  make  them  enter  by  the 
means  mentioned  last  month.  As  soon  as  all  are  in,  set 
them  twenty  feet  apart  ;  if  a  queen  is  in  each,  the  bees  will 
be  quiet,  if  not,  they  will  leave  the  hive  destitute  of  a 
queen  for  the  other,  a  few  going  at  a  time.  The  opera 
lion  may  be  repeated  till  successful,  by  shaking  out  the 
bees,  or  if  too  much  trouble,  they  maybe  hived  as  one 
swarm.  It  is  not  advisable  to  use  a  larger  hive  than 
usual,  as  it  will  be  a  disadvantage  another  year.  The 
boxes  may  be  added  the  next  morning,  to  give  them 
room.  The  bees  construct  combs  below  so  fast  that  the 
boxes  are  seldom  used  for  brood  in  such  cases  Third 
and  sometimes  second  swarms,  when  late  in  ’  the  season’ 
should  be  returned  to  the  parent  stock,  unless  they  mingle 
with  others  before  being  hived.  The  least  trouble  is  to 
hive,  and  let  them  stand  till  next  morning,  then  jar  the 
bees  on  a  wide  board  in  front  of  the  old  hive,  puttin-  a 
few  near  the  entrance,  which  will  set  up  a  buzzing  as  a 
call  for  the  others,  that  will  now  creep  towards  it,  and 
give  an  opportunity  to  see  the  queen  which  should  be 

kePt0Ut . Be  sure  and  keep  all  new  swarms  well 

shaded  through  the  middle  of  the  day  ;  also  'old  stocks 

when  very  hot . Should  the  bees  of  any  stock  fail  to 

increase,  or  fall  much  behind  others,  the  first  of  this  month, 
the  cause  should  be  looked  for  ;  if  diseased  brood,  drive 
out  the  bees,  and  let  them  commence  anew.  When  done 
in  season,  a  healthy  colony  is  usually  the  result.  It  is 
generally  put  off  till  so  few  bees  are  left,  that  they  will 
not  stay  in  the  hive.  Yet  it  is  belter  even  then  than  to 
let  them  run  down  entirely  and  spread  the  disease  further, 
and  breed  a  hive  full  of  moth  worms.  If  flowers  do  not 
yield  honey  at  the  time  of  the  operation,  the  bees  must 

be  feJ . a  colony  is  weak  for  want  of  a  queen  and 

otherwise  healthy,  it  can  be  frequently  saved  by  putting 
in  a  small  swarm  containing  a  queen,  or  by  giving  it  a 

cell  containing  a  queen  from  some  other  hive . .Allow 

no  hive  containing  combs  to  stand  in  the  apiary  without 
bees  to  keep  out  the  moth;  such  combs  are  found  and 
destroyed  very  quickly  in  warm  weather.  If  it  is  desira¬ 
ble  to  save  them,  smoke  with  brimstone  a  few  times,  which 
will  destroy  the  worms,  and  will  not  injure  them  for  the 
bees  if  aired  a  day  or  two  previously  to  using. 


b<o  Time  for  Swapping.— An  Indiana  man  was  trav¬ 
elling  down  the  Ohio,  in  a  steamer,  with  a  marc  and  a 
two  year  old  colt,  when  by  a  sudden  careen  of  the  boat 
all  three  were  tilted  into  the  river.  The  hoosier,  as  he 
rose  puffing  and  blowing  above  water,  caught  hold  of  the 
tail  of  the  colt,  not  having  a  doubt  that  the  natural  instinct 
of  the  animal  would  carry  him  safely  ashore.  The  old 
mare  took  a  “  bee  line  ”  for  the  shore,  but  the  frightened 
colt  swam  lustily  down  the  current,  with  its  owner  still 
hanging  fast.  “  Let  go  the  colt,  and  hang  on  the  old 
mare,”  shouted  some  of  his  friends.  “  Three,  booh  !”  ex¬ 
claimed  the  hoosier,  spouting  the  water  from  his  mouth, 
and  shaking  his  head  like  a  Newfoundland  dog,  “it’s 
mighty  fine  you’r  telling  me  to  let  go  the  colt;  but  to  a 
man  that  can’t  swim,  this  ain’t  exactly  the  time  for  swap¬ 
ping  horses .”  y 

An  Irishman,  driven  to  desperation  by  the  stringency  of 
the  money  market  and  the  high  price  of  provisions  pro¬ 
ved  a  pistol  and  took  to  the  road.  Meeting  a  traveller, 
he  -fopped  him  with,  “Your  money  or  your  life  I”  See¬ 
ing  ti.'it  Pat  was  green,  he  said,  “I’ll  tell  you  what  I  II 

you.a11  my  money  for  that  pistol.” 
Agreed.  .  at  received  the  money  and  handed  over  the 
piijlol.  “Now”  said  the  traveller,  “hand  back  that 
money  or  I’ll  blow  your  brains  out.”  “  Blaze  awav  in 
honey,  saw  1  at ;  “  nary  a  dhrop  of  powther  there's  it, 


164 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Breeding  In-and-in. 

BY  A  CATTLE  BREEDER. - NO.  III. 


rExpLANATiON— The  State  of  the  Discussion.— Owing  to 
‘  and  a  slight  misunderstanding:,  n 


the  distance  oi  me  writers, 

brief  explanation  may  be  needed  in  regard  to  the  state  of  the 
discussion.  In  Jan.  No.,  p.  10.  “Cattle  Breeder”  opened. the 
discussion.. ..Iu  Feb.  No.,p.  43,  Mr.  Clay  replied  under  -gilt 
heads....  In  March  No.,  p  75,  “  Cattle  Breeder  replied  to  'ur 
of  tnese  items,  and  intimated  an  intention  to  reply  further,  .-it 
as  stated  in  a  recent  private  note,  he  meant  to  say,  after  Dir 
Clnv’s  reply  to  his  first  part.  ...Mr.  Clay,  of  course,  delayed  lor 
••Cattle  Breeder’s”  second  part.  Not  receiving  this,  we  wrote 
to  Mr  Clay  to  that  effect,  and  lie  at  once  forwarded  the  article, 
(No.  2,)  which  appeared  in  our  May  No.,  p  132.  We  now  have 
•‘  Cattie.  Breeder’s  No.  3.  in  which,  as  will  be  seen  below,  he 
first  replies  to  the  remaining  four  heads  in  Mr.  Clay's  February 
article  (p  43),  and  second,  responds  to  Mr.  Clay  s  May  article, 
(r>,  132).  Wo  regret  this  unavoidable  mingling  of  the  different 
parts  of  the  discussion,  for  we  consider  it  a  very  important  one, 
valuable,  and  highly  instructive  to  every  reader  of  this  journal. 

It  will  be  well  to  read  the  whole  over— say  in  the  following  or¬ 
der—  First,  Jan.  No.,  p.  10— Second,  Feb.  No.,  p.  ■ 13— Third, 
March  No  ,  p  75,  and  also  the  first  part  of  the  article  below— 
Fourth,  May  No.,  p.  132— Fifth,  the  second  part  of  the  article 
below. — Ed.] 

As  I  did  not  {ally  answer  all  Mr.  Clay’s  strictures  on  this 
subject  in  the  March  number  of  the  A  griculturist,  I  now 
submit  some  further  remark's.  The  subject  is  too  impor¬ 
tant  to  the  great  mass  of  American  stock  breeders  to  be 
passed  over  with  a  few  sweeping  or  positive  flourishes 
of  the  pen,  on  either  side  ;  and  having  taken  my  position  I 
propose  to  carry  it  out,  in  now  noticing  the  remaining 
points  in  that  gentleman’s  March  article. 

5t'n.  False  proof—  Mr.  Clay  denies  that  Bakewell  bred 
in-and-in  with  his  improved  stock— particularly  his  sheep. 
Let  us  see.  Bakewell  finding  the  animal  which  he 
wanted  not  made  ready  to  his  hand,  yet  the  material  out 
of  which  to  breed  it  abounding  in  several  sub-varieties  of 
the  long-wooled  breed,  had  to  begin  somewhere  ;  and  like 
a  sensible  man  made  his  selections  to  commence  with 
from  the  best  he  could  find,  irrespective  of  what  particular 
name,  or  locality,  so  that  they  were  of  the  breed  he  want¬ 
ed,  viz.— n  long-wooled  sheep  that  would  take  on  high  flesh 
at  an  early  age.  Of  the  best  specimens  that  he  could  get, 
both  rams  and  ewes,  he  formed  Iris  flock,  and  then  he  bred 
intensely  in-and-in  until  he  got  what  he  intended  to  get 
when  he  started.  He  did  refine  the  long-wooled  sheep, 
and  got  it  up  to  perfect  carcase,  in  size,  form,  and  weight, 
unequalled  by  any  other  breeder  of  his  day.  And  so  he 
left  his  sheep  at  his  death,  which  had  acquired  such  celeb¬ 
rity  that  to  this  day  they  hold  the  names  Bakewell,  Dish- 
ley,  and  new  Leicester,  (the  names  of  himself,  his  farm, 
and  County,)— synonymous  terms— as  a  distinct  breed. 

That  Bakewell’s  successors  did  not  maintain  the  stand¬ 
ard  of  his  fldcks  In  all  their  high  qualities,  proves  nothing 
further  than  that  they  did  not  inherit  or  purchase  Bake¬ 
well’s  skill  and  brains,  as  well  as  his  sheep.  Bakewell 
also  may  have  bred  for  some  other  quality  In  his  sheep, 
which  his  successors  either  did  not  want,  or  comprehend, 
and  they  may  have  failed  in  getting  their  own  demand 
out  of  them.  But  that  is  of  no  consequence  to  the  princi¬ 
ple.  Bakewell  did  succeed  in  his  object— getting  a  finely 
developed  race  of  sheep  out  of  coarse,  and  common,  ma¬ 
terial  by  a  persistent  course  of  in-and-in  breeding. 

With  the  “Long-horned”  cattle  which  Mr.  Bakewell 
found  in  an  advanced  state  of  perfection,  so  far  as  sym¬ 
metry  of  form,  and  a  capacity  to  take  on  flesh  was  con¬ 
cerned,  he  adopted  in-and-in  breeding  to  an  extreme  de¬ 
gree-maintaining,  after  several  year’s  practice,  that  he 
had  much  improved  them.  See  description  of  the  “  Long¬ 
horns”  in  “Youatt’s  British  Cattle,”  London  edition 
6th.  Coleman  on  the  Dishleys.—Ur.  Clay  will  excuse  me 
for  declining  to  receive  the  authority  of  Mr.  Coleman 
in  the  stock  line— an  estimable  gentleman  in  all  the  moral 
and  social  relations  of  life,  but  a  theorist  only,  in  his 
knowledge  of  farm  stock,  and  not  likely  to  draw  his  con¬ 
clusions  from  the  best  authorities.  7th-  A-s  to  the  author 
ity  of  R-  L  Allen,  which  Mr.  C.  quotes,  I  coincide  entire¬ 
ly  with  Mr.  A.’s  remarks  coupled  with  the  conditions 
which  he  attaches  to  them. 

8th.  Jonas  Webb.  Unfortunate  here,  again.  Mr.  Webb, 
does  breed  closely  in-and-in.  He  so  says,  himself,  and 
it  is  a  fact  of  universal  notoriety  all  over  England  where 
his  sheep  are  known,  that  it  is  so.  I  do  not  assert  that 
he  never  goes  out  of  his  own  flock  for  a  cross.  He  may 
do  so,  now  and  then  ;  but  where  can  he  better  himself  1 
He  has  different  families  in  his  own  flocks  from  one  to  the 
other  of  which  he  crosses,  but  they  are  essentially  of  the 
same  origin,  and  blood.  Webb’s  system  is  that  of  in-and- 
in  breeding,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  although,  per¬ 
haps,  not  so  closeTy  as  some  others. 

In  reply  to  my  remark  of  Price’s  Herefords  being  in- 
and-in  bred  for  forty  years,  it  is  not  argumentative  in  Mr. 
Clay,  to  say,  “  I  know  nothing  of  the  Hereford  herd  al¬ 
luded  to,  but  venture  that  if  the  truth  were  all  know-, 
‘  A  Cattle  Breeder  ’  would  be  as  wide  of  the  mark  thei  e, 
as  in  the  Bakewell  case,  and  the  Stud-Book.”  T.  Mr. 
Clay  can  show  me  wrong,  by  authority,  good  ;  but  simple 
assertion  will  not  do.  Mr.  Prieo  was  a  man  of  ciiaracter, 
well  known  in  England.  Ho  made  that  statement  many 
years  ago )  over  his  own  name,  in  the  British  Farmer’s 
Magaz  .e,  a  work  of  acknowledged  authority  in  England, 


in  an  elaborate  article  on  Hereford  Cattle,  prepared  for 
that  publication,  which  none  who  knew  him  disputed. 

We  will  see  about  “  the  Stud-Book,”  before  we  get 
through. 

As  to  the  Collings— Charles,  in  particular— the  next 
subject  of  Mr.  Clay’s  criticism  :  We  will  not  talk  about 
his  Galloway  cross  which  I  think  as  little  of  as  Mr.  Clay 
does,  but  of  the  Colling  cattle,  proper,  I  concede  that  he 
obtained  his  original  breeding  stock  of  other  and  older 
breeders,  and  the  very  best  he  could  get  in  all  the  Short 
Horn  region,  consisting  of  a  rare  lot  of  cows,  and  the 
bullHubback — which  bull  by  the  way,  he  only  used  and 
bred  from  two  years.  But  the  descendants  of  that  bull, 
both  in  bulls  [Foljambe  (263)  a  grandson  of  Hubback,  Mr. 
C.  asserted  did  his  subsequent  stock  the  most  service]  and 
heifers,  he  kept  and  bred  together— in-and-in,  to  the  very 
closest  affinities,  and  in  all  possible  ways  in  some  instan¬ 
ces,  to  the  third  and  fourth  direct  generations  -that  is,  a 
bull  to  his  own  daughters,  grand-daughters,  etc.,  as  in  the 
case  of  Favorite.  He  had  different  families,  or  tribes  of 
cattle,  I  admit,  taking  their  names  and  genealogies  on  the 
dam’s  side  from  the  original  cows  from  which  they  sprung, 
but  they  were  mainly  from  the  same  bulls,  as  were  Rob¬ 
ert  Colling’s,  his  brother,  with  whom  he  interchanged 
bulls  on  frequent  occasions.  I  do  not  say  how  much  the 
Collings  improved  their  herds  beyond  the  originals  from 
which  they  descended,  or  whether  they  improved  them 
at  all,  but  we  have  never  heard  that  the  Short  Horns  de¬ 
teriorated  in  their  hands :  and  it  is  quite  certain  that 
hen  they  sold  their  herds  and  retired  from  breeding,  no 
cattle  in  England  stood  higher  than  theirs,  or  brought 
greater  prices ;  and  if  any  instances  of  closer  breeding 
can  be  found  than  they  practiced  throughout  their  whole 
career  as  breeders,  I  should  like  to  know  it.  The  pages 
of  Coate’s  Herd  Book,  Vol.  I,  will  corroborate  my  asser¬ 
tion.  t 

Since  the  days  of  the  Collings,  although  many  years 
cotemporary  with  them,  the  late  Thomas  Bates,  of  Kirk- 
leavington,  stood  at  the  head  and  front  of  English  Short 
Horn  breeders,  until  his  death.  He  had  some  of  his  best 
stock,  male  and  female,  from  both  the  Collings,  and  the 
blood  of  their  herds  in  others.  He  bred  in-and-in,  intense¬ 
ly,  never  going  out  o(  his  own  herd  for  a  bull  with  any 
success,  except  in  one  instance,  that  of  Belv.edere  (17C6), 
and  he  a  descendant  of  R.  Colling’s  herd,  closely  bred 
in-and-in,  through  his  ancestors  for  many  generations 
back  in  other  hands.  A  second  cross  direct  from  Belve 
dere,  on  his  own  daughter,  (Duchess  34th)  produced  the 
best  bull— so  publicly  acknowledged— in  all  England— 
Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940).  That  Duchess  blood, 
(with  the  Oxfords,  descendants  of  the  Matchem  cow 
which  he  introduced  to  his  herd  in  the  year  1831,  by  per¬ 
sistent  in-and-in  breeding,  the  latter  and  her  stock  to  his 
Duchess  bulls  of  the  Belvedere  cross,  and  afterwards  by 
their  own  crosses,)  raised  his  herd  to  the  highest  point  of 
reputation,  which  their  descendants  still  maintain  both 
in  England  and  the  United  States. 

Next  to  Mr.  Bates,  stood,  and  now  stand  the  Booths, 
always  prize  winners  on  their  cows  wherever,  and  when¬ 
ever,  they  have  showed.  They  are,  and  always  have  been 
in-and-in  breeders— deeply  so.  So  was  Mason,  of  Chil¬ 
ton,  and  Maynard,  and  Wetherill.  Sir  Charles  Knightly, 
another  celebrated  name  in  the  annals  of  Short  Horns, 
has  long  been  an  in-and-in  breeder  ;  and  so,  In  fact,  were 
a  majority  if  not  all  of  the  English  Short  Horn  breeders 
who  acquired  any  high  reputation  in  their  herds.  Indeed 
it  is  useless  to  multiply  instances  of  the  kind,  not  in  cattle 
alone,  but  in  every  kind  of  domestic  stock  down  to  dogs— 
of  every  different  breed,  as  well  as  chickens  and  pigeons — 
Ihe  two  latter  “  bred  to  a  feather”  in  style  and  uniformi¬ 
ty.  Multitudes  of  cases  could  be  named  relating  to 
“fancy”  animals,  particularly  where  striking  points, 
characteristics,  and  properties  were  required,  and  only  to 
be  obtained  by  a  concentration  of  blood,  and  with  that 
blood  a  combination  of  the  qualities  connected  with  it. 
The  inevitable  tendency  of  descent  in  animal  life  is  to 
partake  of  the  strong  characteristics  of  the  immediate 
parents  in  the  offspring,  more  or  less,  and  the  form,  ap¬ 
pearance,  and  organization  which  predominates  in  them, 
but  w’hich,  if  not  strongly  concentrated  in  such  parents, 
strikes  off  to  their  parents’  ancestry,  or  collaterally,  as 
the  case  may  he.  How  many  instances  do  we  constant¬ 
ly  witness  in  the  human  family,  as  well  as  in  animals, 
where  the  children  much  more  resemble  a  grandparent, 
or  collateral  relation  than  either  of  the  immediate  pa¬ 
rents  !  This  arises  from  the  aggregation  of  different 
strains  of  blood,  and  different  characteristics  in  the  pa¬ 
rents,  perhaps  for  generations  back.  So  diverse,  frequent- 
y,  that  scarcely  a  resemblance  will  occur  between  a  large 
family  of  children.  We  have  seen  a  pair  of  black  or 
brown  haired  parents  having  red,  light,  and  sandy  haired 
children,  with  widely  different  complexions  and  forms, 
and  not  a  doubt  of  their  legitimacy — and  all  those  marks 
of  feature,  complexion  and  form,  could  be  easily  recog¬ 
nized  in  tiieir  collateral  relatives  of  the  previous  genera¬ 
tion.  Mankind,  in  personal  and  physical  appearances, 
breed  like  the  whoie  animal  world,  under  the  same  nat¬ 


ural  laws,  and  conditions,  and  I  mention  such  instances 
here,  as  being  so  familiar  to  almost  every  day  observation 
that  no  one  will  deny  it.  I  will  next  talk  of  other  matters 
including  horses,  and  the  Stud-Book. 

REPLY  TO  MR.  CLAY’S  MAY  ARTICLE. 

In  reply  to  Mr.  Clay’s  No.  II,  in  the  May  Agriculturist, 

I  shall  not  be  led  off  on  an  issue  which  he  himself  has 
made,  and  aside  from  the  original  proposition  with  w  hich 
I  first  commenced,  viz.:  that  in-and-in  breeding  of  brute 
animals,  under  proper  selection,  is  frequently  bene¬ 
ficial  in  promoting  the  highest  development  of  physical  per 
fection,  and  not  adverse  to  the  ordinary  course  of  nature. 

Instead  of  confining  his  remarks  to  my  examples  of  the 
brute  creation,  he  adverts  to  mankind  to  sustain  his  hypot  h- 
esis;  and  as  I  am  free  to  admit,  with  much  ingenuity 
maintains,  by  various  authorities,  a  plausible  case — but, 
mark  me,  by  entirely  changing  the  ground  of  my  argu¬ 
ment,  to  wit  :  the  bodily  or  physical  development  only, 
as  I  insist  upon,  under  certain  conditions,  while  he 
couples  with  it  the  mental  and  nervous  temperaments 
and  faculties.  On  this  branch  Mr.  Clay  makes  his  strong 
argument.  I  am  not  going  to  argue  this  subject  willi  him 
for  the  reasons,  that  it  is  not  my  proposition,  and  that  to 
elucidate  the  whole  thing  it  would  require  more  of  research 
than  I  have  now  the  lime  to  give  to  it,  and  take  up  more 
of  the  space  of  an  agricultural  paper  than  you  would  be 
willing  to  allow.  Yet  I  will  briefly  advert  to  one  or  two 
of  Mr.  C.'s  propositions  on  page  132  (May  Agriculturist). 

“  I  deny  the  statements  as  regards  the  Greeks  and  Ro¬ 
mans,  and  call  for  the  data,  &c.”  For  indisputable,  cur¬ 
rent  testimony  of  the  domestic,  social,  and  moral  habits 
of  the  Romans, in  their  highest  state  ofeivilization,  power, 
and  renown,  just  look  into  those  parts  of  the  cities  Pom¬ 
peii,  and  Herculaneum  which  have  recently  been  un¬ 
earthed  from  their  volcanic  covering'  of  two  thousand 
years— their  pictures,  statuary,  and  every-day  familiar 
sights  on  which  the  most  noble  and  exalted  of  their  peo¬ 
ple  indulged.  For  recorded  evidence — a  synopsis  of 
many  volumes  of  the  chronicles  of  the  obscenity,  incest, 
and  depravity  of  even  the  proudest  historical  names  in 
both  Greece  and  Rome,  consult  Greek  and  Roman  His¬ 
tory.  See  also  the  “  History  of  Prostitution,”  lately  pub¬ 
lished  by  Dr.  Sanger,  of  New-York— a  sanitary  work  of 
high  value  ;  and  not  immoral  tendency.  In  addition  to 
the  many  translated  works  which  are  there  enumerated, 
will  be  found  names  of  books  written  by  cotemporary 
authors,  the  depravity  of  whose  language  is  untranslate- 
able  into  the  English  tongue,  all  descriptive  of  the  do¬ 
mestic  habits  and  practices  of  the  highest,  as  well  as  the 
middle,  and  lowest  classes  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  peo¬ 
ple.  If  close-breeding  was  not  practised  in  those  nations 
in  their  palmiest  state,  without  public  scandal,  or  the 
decline  of  the  physical  faculties,  for  that  reason  alone,  of 
the  most  powerful  people  of  those  periods,  then  history 
is  a  falsehood. 

As  to  the  mental  and  moral  deterioration  of  mankind 
from  a  persistent  course  of  in-and-in  breeding,  as  Mr. 
Clay  lias  begged  that  branch  of  the  question,  he  may  have 
it  his  own  way,  as  I  have  not  from  the  first  disputed  him. 
I  named  the  Guelph  family  of  England  to  illustrate  the 
physical ,  not  the  mental,  side  of  the  argument,  which  he, 
in  fact,  admits.  And  that  we  may  end  this  issue  at  once, 
I  concede  that  in  communities  of  people  in  a  close  neigh¬ 
borhood,  on  the  same  soils,  eating  the  same  foods,  associ¬ 
ating  within  the  same  range  of  objects,  and  intelligence, 
with  like  hereditary,  or  local  diseases,  disorders,  and  sym¬ 
pathies,  both  of  mind  and  body,  close,  and  continued  in¬ 
ter-breeding  may,  after  a  while,  tell  both  on  the  mental, 
and  physical  organization.  And  it  would  also  equally  tell 
on  those  organizations  if  people  ever  so  far  estranged  in 
blood  and  locality —but  equally  afflicted  with  scrofulous 
consumption,  or  other  hereditary,  or  chronic,  or  nervous, 
or  mental  diseases— were  to  intermarry  and  produce  chil¬ 
dren.  It  is  a  law  of  our  physical  nature  that  “the  in¬ 
iquities  of  the  fathers  (parents)  are  visited  (upon,  and  even) 
unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation.”  And  so  it  is  with 
everything,  brute  as  well  as  human  ;  and  probably  from 
cases  under  such  circumstances  are  Mr.  Clay’s  illustra¬ 
tions  quoted.  To  close,  on  this  branch  of  the  subject,  I 
quote  from  the  Southern  Cultivator,  an  extract  adverting 
to  the  proposed  Georgia  law  named  by  Mr.  Clay. 

“  What  is  the  blood  of  any  person  or  animal,  but  a  part 
of  the  food  eaten  w  ithin  the  previous  48,  or  perchance, 
60  hours  !  The  blood  of  no  father  or  mother  was  ever 
the  same  for  six  months  in  succession  ;  and,  therefore,  no 
two  children  born  at  different  times,  and  the  offspring  of 
the  same  parents,  were  ever  so  much  alike  as  some  twins 
have  been.  Cain  and  Abel  differed  widely  in  their  dis¬ 
positions  :  although  neither  could  have  had  either  the 
vices  or  virtues  of  a  long  line  of  progenitors.  The  differ¬ 
ent  members  of  many  a  family  in  our  own  time  evince  as 
wide  a  discrepancy  of  character,  whose  parental  blood 
came  from  the  same  living  hearts.  One  child  is  very  con¬ 
scientious  through  life  ;  while  a  brother  or  sister  displays 
a  lamentable  want  of  moral  rectitude.  If  the  same  blood 
in  the  popular,  not  scientific,  use  of  language,  produces 
such  valient  results,  why  talk  about  the  blood  of  cousins 
necessarily  leading  to  bad  consequences,  if  mingled  by 
intermarriage  ?  The  notion  is  but  little  short  of  a  down¬ 
right  absurdity  How  can  the  marriage  of  a  sound  man 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


165 


and  sound  woman  impair  the  blood  of  either,  whether 
they  are  brother  and  sister,  first  cousins,  or  fourth  cousins  ? 
The  thing  is  impossible,  unless  one  gratuitously  assumes 
vices  which  it  were  just  as  logical  to  assume  in  the  mar¬ 
ried  life  of  any  other  parties.  And  if  the  marriage  of  near 
kindred  can  not  impair  the  blood  of  parents,  how  is  it 
possible  for  healthy  parental  blood  to  weaken  the  con¬ 
stitutional  powers  of  its  offspring  1  This,  too,  is  equally 
impossible.  Parents  communicate  deformity  and  imbe¬ 
cility  to  iheir  children,  not  because  they  may  happen  to  be 
cousins,  or  their  grandmothers  were  such,  but  from  er¬ 
rors,  defects  and  maladies  which  have  an  entirely  differ¬ 
ent  origin.  If  it  were  proper  to  use  the  argumentum  ad 
hominem,  and  were  the  writer  addressing  a  legislative 
body,  it  would  be  easy  to  name  some  of  the  blood-corrupt¬ 
ing  poisons  which  eat  like  a  cancer  into  the  constitu¬ 
tions  of  more  than  one  generation.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  our  argument  that  we  point  out  any  of  the  pregnant 
follies,  vices  and  crimes  which  civilization  breeds  with 
extreme  fecundity,  to  show  that  the  occasional  mar¬ 
riage  of  first  cousins  is  not  one  of  the  number.  Pure 
blood  is  never  contaminated  by  what  it  parts  with;  but 
by  what  it  receives  that  is  impure." 

Sir.  Clay’s  remarks  on,  3 —experience  ;  and,  4— special 
proof,  require  no  further  remark  from  me,  as  no  point 
,  of  argument  is  particularly  concerned.  Put,  in  regard 
to  the  “  Stud-Book  ”  and  horses,  I  have  somewhat  to 
say,  and  will  ask  the  privilege  to  do  so  in  your  next 
paper,  as  I  have  already  tresspassed  too  much  in  the 
present  number. 

- - - - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Hints  on  Preparing  “Garden  Truck”  and 
other  Country  Produce  for  Market  -  •  -II. 

BY  B.  STEVENS - WASHINGTON  MARKET,  N.  Y. 


Small  Fruits — In  sending  fruits  to  market,  it 
is  highly  important  that  they  should  be  so  packed 
and  carried  that  they  will  not  only  look  well  when 
started,  and  keep  fresh  while  on  the  way,  but  also 
that  they  should  have  an  inviting  appearance 
when  offered  for  sale.  The  price  obtained  is 
governed  quite  as  much  by  the  looks  and  style  of 
putting  up,  as  by  the  quality  of  the  article  itself. 
The  neatness  of  the  containing  basket,  box,  or 
package,  is  of  the  first  moment.  A  pint  of  straw¬ 
berries,  for  example,  will  sell  much  higher,  and 
far  more  readily,  if  in  a  neat,  clean,  tastefully 
made  basket,  than  if  in  an  old,  crumpled,  soiled 
one.  Uniform  size  and  quality  is  necessary.  A 
few  large  berries  among  a  lot  of  smaller,  poorer 
ones,  makes  the  latter  show  bad  by  contrast. 
Many  persons  think  it  best  to  “top  off”  a  pack¬ 
age  well,  putting  the  poorer  qualities  at  the  bot¬ 
tom.  This  species  of  deception  generally  reacts 
upon  the  seller,  and  more  is  lost  than  gained  by 
it.  Few  persons  will  buy  any  article  without 
looking  into  it,  and  the  discovery  of  the  slightest 
inferiority  below  the  surface  has  a  decided  depre¬ 
ciating  effect  upon  the  whole — more  than  is  really 
deserved.  A  better  plan  is  to  sort  out  the  differ¬ 
ent  sizes  and  qualities  into  different  baskets  or 
packages.  A  second  class  quality  placed  by  itself, 
will  usually  sell  better  than  the  same  article 
slightly  covered  or  mingled  with  a  better  grade. 
Many  of  the  old  growers  have  a  specific  reputa¬ 
tion  in  this  respect,  and  their  produce  has  a  fixed 
value,  and  when  the  reputation  is  good,  they  en¬ 
joy  a  decided  advantage  over  others  in  the  ready 
sale  they  find. 

It  is  also  very  necessary  that  in  the  small  fruits 
the  packages  should  be  uniform  in  size,  and 
hold  a  specific  quantity — as  a  half  pint,  pint,  or 
quart,  so  that  the  retailer  may  know  precisely 
how  much  he  is  selling.  In  strawberries,  par¬ 
ticularly,  the  baskets  should  hold  not  less  than  a 
pint,  though  the  usual  size  is  about  half  a  pint. 

Strawberries  should  be  picked  dry,  and  free 
from  sand,  in  baskets  holding  a  full  pint ;  and  for 
very  superior  fruit,  white  bowls,  holding  a  pint, 
are  used.  The  bowls  should  be  in  chests  or 
crates,  on  shelves — the  shelves  having  holes  to 
icceive  the  bottom  of  the  bowl.  The  chest 
should  have  plenty  of  holes  bored  in  it,  so  as  to 
admit  plenty  of  air.  The  baskets  are  usually 
packed  in  barrels  bored  full  of  holes,  and  having 
rope  handles  at  the  sides,  to  carry  by,  and  cover¬ 


ed  with  muslin  ;  or  slatted  crates  are  used,  with 
a  close  cover  to  keep  the  dirt  from  falling  on  top 
of  them.  It  is  best  to  let  the  berries  stand  in 
the  shade  a  short  time  aftter  picking,  to  cool  off 
the  sun  heat ;  as  when  packed  warm  they  are 
apt  to  heat,  mold  and  sour.  It  is  also  well, 
when  practicable,  to  cover  each  basket  with  a 
walnut  or  chesnut  leaf,  as  they  will  sell  more 
readily,  and  at  an  advanced  price,  for  shipping  or 
sending  out  of  the  city.  The  early  berries  from 
the  South  usually  come  in  square  quart  boxes, 
packed  in  chests,  having  plenty  of  air.  Be  sure 
to  mark  each  package  plainly,  also  the  number  of 
boxes  or  baskets  inside. 

Raspberries  of  the  common  sorts  are  generally 
picked  in  small  baskets,  such  as  are  used  for 
strawberries  ;  but  the  better  kinds  are  picked  in  a 
fancy  basket,  holding  one-half  pint,  also  in  pint 
bowls,  and  packed  in  chests  giving  plenty  of  air. 
Be  careful  to  keep  cool  and  dry  ;  reject  all  soft 
and  bruised  berries,  and  don’t  be  afraid  of  filling 
the  baskets,  as  they  settle  in  getting  to  market. 

Blackberries  should  be  picked  after  the  dew  is 
off  and  they  are  perfectly  dry.  Be  sure  to  not 
put  in  any  bruised  or  soft  berries.  Pick  them 
directly  in  quart  boxes  in  the  field,  so  as  to  handle 
them  as  little  as  possible.  Set  them  in  the  shade 
to  cool  the  sun  heat  off,  then  pack  in  crates  hold¬ 
ing  eighteen  or  twenty-four  Doxes,  as  that  is  as 
many  as  can  be  handled  easy.  Fasten  the  lid 
down  tight  to  keep  the  dust  from  the  top  layer. 
Be  sure  to  fill  the  boxes  full,  so  that  they  will 
not  shake  down  any,  and  let  them  have  plenty 
of  air  at  the  sides  of  the  crates.  They  are  also 
packed  in  quart  baskets  having  a  cover  to  them, 
like  the  old-fashioned  dinner-basket  of  the  school 
children.  This  is  the  very  best  package  for 
blackberries,  as,  after  years  of  experience,  they 
are  still  found  to  keep  the  fruit  better  than  any 
other  plan  ;  probably  from  the  free  ventilation,  as 
fruit  of  all  kinds  requires  plenty  of  air  to  absorb 
the  moisture  and  keep  it  cool ;  but  the  baskets 
being  unhandy  to  pack,  the  quart  boxes  are  gene¬ 
rally  used,  and  if  made  with  holes  in  them,  so  as 
to  ventilate  well,  they  will  keep  the  fruit  equally 
well.  The  packages  should  be  handled  with  care, 
as  the  fruit  bruises  or  rubs  the  points  off,  which 
sets  it  bleeding,  and  it  then  soon  sours.  Black¬ 
berries  are  also  sent  to  market  in  bulk,  in  boxes 
holding  from  a  peck  to  a  bushel,  but  it  is  a  bad 
practice.  The  loss  of  price,  when  sent  in  this 
way,  would  soon  pay  for  small  packages. 

Whortleberries  are  sent  to  market  in  boxes  hold¬ 
ing  about  a  half  bushel.  These  are  made  long 
and  shallow,  so  as  not  to  bruise  the  fruit  more 
than  possible.  The  boxes  are  not  covered,  so 
that  they  have  plenty  of  air.  They  will  hardly 
pay  the  expense  of  using  quart  boxes,  but  baskets 
holding  two  or  four  quarts  can  be  used  to  good 
advantage.  Keep  dry  and  cool,  and  handle  care¬ 
fully,  being  sure  to  throw  out  all  bruised  berries. 

Grapes  should  be  gathered  with  care,  trimming 
out  all  the  -green  or  decayed  berries,  and  when 
perfectly  dry  and  cool,  packed  in  tight  boxes  about 
the  size  of  starch  boxes.  Put  them  in  layers, 
with  a  sheet  of  paper  between  each  layer.  Keep 
out  all  broken  bunches,  and  pack  them  by  them¬ 
selves  as  seconds.  Fill  the  boxes  full,  so  that 
the  cover  will  press  on  them,  to  keep  them  from 
moving  about  in  handling.  Be  sure  that  the  top 
layer  is  a  fair  sample  of  the  whole  box.  Let  the 
weight  of  the  fruit,  and  also  of  the  box,  be  mark¬ 
ed  on  the  boxes. 

Gooseberries  are  picked  green,  and  sent  to  mar¬ 
ket  in  barrels  and  baskets.  All  that  is  neces¬ 
sary  is  to  pick  them  clean  and  throw  out  all 
unsound  berries. 

Currants  are  picked  ripe,  Care  should  be  taken 


to  handle  gently,  so  as  not  to  mash  the  fruit. 
Keep  the  bunches  whole,  and  see  that  they  are 
perfectly  dry  and  free  from  leaves.  Put  them  in 
shallow  baskets  or  boxes.  They  are  sold  by  weight. 

Apples  and  Pears  should  be  picked  carefully  by 
hand,  and  after  thoroughly  sweating,  put  careful¬ 
ly  in  clean  barrels.  Fill  them  so  that  the  head 
will  press  hard  on  the  fruit,  that  they  may  not 
shake  in  the  least  in  handling.  Sort  them  out  so 
as  to  put  up  none  but  sound,  fair  fruit,  for  market. 
If  the  head  flattens  the  upper  layer  so  much  the 
better,  as  the  rest  will  come  out  the  fairer.  Let 
the  barrels  be  tight  if  the  fruit  is  perfectly  ripe. 
Do  not  put  any  straw  or  hay  in  the  barrels,  and 
let  the  top  layers  be  a  sample  of  the  whole  barrel. 

- a»-4 -  una-^  gi  I  - »-«*■ - ■ 

Provide  the  Hay-Caps. 

This  valuable  improvement  still  fails  to  receive 
that  attention  which  it  deserves.  We  have  al¬ 
ready  written  so  much  upon  the  subject  that  we 
need  offer  little  more  now.  Wre  will  say,  how¬ 
ever,  that  we  are  more  than  ever  convinced  of 
the  great  advantages  resulting  from  their  use. 
They  may  be  cheaply  and  quickly  made  of  coarse 
cotton,  l£  to  2  yards  square,  roughly  hemmed, 
and  provided  with  loops  at  each  corner  for  stakes, 
or  stones  sewed  into  the  corners,  as  weights  to 
keep  them  from  blowing  off.  A  quantity  of  these 
always  at  hand  to  throw  over  cocks  of  uncured 
or  cured  hay,  when  a  storm  comes  up,  will  not 
unfrequently  save  more  than  their  cost  on  a  sin¬ 
gle  occasion,  while  they  may  be  used  for  many 
years — not  only  to  cover  hay,  but  grain  left  in  the 
field.  A  full  description  of  them,  with  illustra¬ 
tions,  was  given  last  July  (see  vol.  17,  p.  207). 
We  have  usually  advised  farmers  to  make  them 
at  home,  but  many  will  not  take  even  the  slight 
trouble  required  for  this,  and  we  would  call  the 
attention  of  such  to  the  advertisements  in  our  last, 
and  also  in  the  present  number.  As  they  are  made 
on  a  large  scale,  and  sold  reasonably,  and  as  some 
manufacturers  prepare  the  cloth  so  as  to  be  wa¬ 
ter-proof,  and  still  open  enough  to  allow  moisture 
to  evaporate  through  them,  we  think  it  may  be 
quite  as  economical  to  purchase  those  ready  man¬ 
ufactured,  as  to  make  them  at  home — that  is, 
where  they  are  on  sale  at  a  convenient  point. 
But,  however  procured,  let  us  again  urge  all  hay 
makers,  who  have  not  done  so,  to  make  the  ex¬ 
periment  of  using  a  few  hay-caps  this  year.  They 
will  not  be  abandoned  after  one  trial. 


Hot  too  Late  to  Plant  Corn. 


The  prospect  of  better  prices  for  farm  produce 
should  lead  every  one  to  get  in  all  the  crops  pos¬ 
sible  the  present  year.  It  is  by  no  means  too  late 
to  plant  corn  during  the  first  week  in  June.  Some 
good  farmers  purposely  delay  their  principal  corn 
planting  until  the  last  of  May  or  the  first  of  June. 
Their  experience  has  taught  them  that,  as  a  gen¬ 
eral  rule,  corn  planted  June  1st  is  as  forward  by 
the  end  of  July,  as  that  planted  May  10th.  They 
say,  that  when  planted  late,  the  ground  is  warm 
and  quickly  germinates  the  seed,  and  starts  it  at 
once  into  vigorous  growth,  and  that  it  will  soon 
overtake  and  go  ahead  of  the  early  planted.  They 
also  argue  that  one  hoeing  is  saved  by  the  late 
working  of  the  soil  previous  to  planting,  as  a 
large  number  of  weeds  which  have  started,  are 
then  killed.  This  year  it  is  safe  to  act  upon  this 
theory,  where  there  is  a  spare  plot  that  may  be 
used.  The  quick  growing  varieties,  like  the 
King  Philip,  are  most  desirable  for  late  planting, 
and  for  filling  up  vacant  spots  in  that  already 
above  the  ground.  Of  course,  it  will  not  do  to 
I  mix  in  the  different  varieties  where  pure  seed  is 
!  to  be  gathered. 


166 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Transplanting  Ruta-Bagas— Large  Yield 

Wm.  J.  Pettee,  Salisbury,  Ct.,  writes  that  he 
has  tried  sowing  ruta-baga  turnips  on  a  bed  thick¬ 
ly,  about  the  10th  of  June,  and  when  the  plants 
are  of  proper  size,  transplanting  them  to  the  open 
field.  He  is  pleased  with  the  plan,  as  it  saves  the 
first  weeding,  and  also  the  thinning. — Taking  into 
account  the  labor  involved  in  resetting,  and  the 
check  they  will  receive  in  the  process,  it  would 
not  pay  to  do  this  upon  a  large  scale,  we  suspect. 
The  seed  is  cheap  and  may  be  sown  freely,  and 
the  plants  may  then  be  easily  thinned  with  a  hoe 
after  they  have  become  well  established.  The 
plan  would  work  better  with  plants  having  a 
shorter-  tap-root.  Mr.  Pettee  says  he  gathered 
900  bushels  of  ruta-bagas  from  an  acre.  The 
best  quarter  acre  produced  325  bushels,  or  at  the 
rate  of  1,300  bushels  tothe  full  acre. 

Lima  Beans— Substitute  for  Poles. 

We  have  this  year  constructed  a  sort  of  trellis 
for  our  Lima  beans  which  is  cheap,  and  orna¬ 
mental  withal.  Two  beds  or  ridges,  25  inches 
wide  and  4£  feet  apart,  are  rounded  up  for  plant¬ 
ing  the  beans  upon.  The  beaus  are  put  in  drills 
upon  the  summit  of  these  ridges.  A  patch  about 
two  feet  wide  is  left  between  the  ridges,  and  a 
narrow  path,  one  foot  wide,  is  left  upon  the  out¬ 
side.  The  center  of  each  ridge  is  some  5  inches 
higher  than  the  path,  so  that  no  water  will  stand 
upon  them  to  rot  the  beans,  which  were  planted 
as  early  as  May  3d.  (They  came  up  May  9th.) 

For  the  trellis,  a  row  of  posts  8  feet  above  the 
surface  and  2  feet  in  the  ground,  is  set  up  in  the 
center  of  each  ridge  at  intervals  of  61-  feet — the 
posts  in  the  two  rows  standing  in  pairs  opposite 
to  each  f.i.h@r.  These  were  of  course  set  before 
forming  the  ridges  of  earth  and  planting  the  beans. 
Tho  posts  are  sawn  stuff,  2=)  by  3-1  inches.  Round 
timber  would  have  been  used,  but  was  not  as 
convenient  to  be  got,  or  as  cheap  as  the  scantling 
or  wall-pieces  that  cost  but  8  cents  apiece. 
Along  the  outside  of  the  two  rows  of  posts  three 
horizontal  strips  (1  by  3  inches)  are  nailed  on — 
one  at  the  top,  one  12  inches  from  the  ground, 
and  the  other  midway  between  the  top  and  bot¬ 
tom  strip.  These  strips  are  directly  over  the 
rows  of  beans  which,  by  the  way,  are  stuck  down 
in  double  tiers  or  drills  upon  each  ridge.  Gross 
piccesbetween  each  pairof  posts,  are  nailed  across 
the  top,  to  strengthen  the  structure.  Small  nails 
nre  driven  into  the  string  pieces  at  intervals  of 
5  or  6  inches,  to  which  strong  strings  are  tied. 
Each  string  is  fastened  to  a  nail  in  the  bottom 
strip  on  one  side,  then  carried  to  a  nail  in  the 
middle  piece  and  round  it,  then  to  the  top  piece, 
then  over  to  the  opposite  side  and  down  to  the 
lower  strip,  and  tied  to  a  nail  there.  It  is  wound 
around  a  nail  in  each  string  piece.  The  running 
vines  will  be  trained  up  these  strings,  and  if  desired, 
conducted  across  the  top  to  form  an  arbor,  though 
we  intend  to  pinch  them  off  when  they  reach  the 
upper  string  piece  on  either  side,  lest  the  foliage 
if  across  the  top  should  shut  out  the  sun-light. 

The  wood  work  is  to  be  whitewashed,  to  give  it 
a  neat  appearance.  The  structure  will  last  for 
several  years,  and  need  not  be  taken  down  an¬ 
nually.  We  have  found  Lima  beans  to  do  well 
on  the  same  ground  from  year  to  year. 

The  expense  of  this  arrangement  is  trifling. 
Our  two  rows  measure  together  some  50  feet ; 
which  would  have  required  say  16  poles,  giving 
much  less  running  space  for  vines.  The  posts  and 
string  pieces  cost  about,  one  dollar  and  a  half. 
With  the  aid  of  two  men,  we  cut  out  the  pieces, 
dug  the  holes,  put  up  the  frames,  made  the  ridges, 


and  planted  the  beans  in  about  three  and-a-half 
hours.  It  resembles  a  grape-arbor  with  the  ex¬ 
ception  of  an  arch  over-head,  and  when  covered 
with  a  mass  of  vines  will  not  be  un-ornamental. 
The  beans  will  doubtless  yield  better  when  thus 
spread  out  on  a  large  surface,  than  if  trained  thick¬ 
ly  around  straight  poles  set  3  or  4  feet  apart. 

Those  who  have  already  planted  in  hills,  but 
have  not  yet  procured  poles,  may  easily  set  up  a 
few  posts,  nail. on  string  pieces,  and  stretch  per¬ 
pendicular  strings  for  the  vines  to  run  upon.  The 
more  space  a  given  amount  of  vines  can  be  spread 
over,  the  better  will  they  he  exposed  to  sun  and 
air,  and  the  more  perfect  and  abundant  will  be 
the  product. 


Questions  about  Potato  Rot. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

For  several  years  past  my  potato  crop  has  been 
almost  an  entire  failure.  I  had  planted  the  same 
seed  year  after  year,  and  on  old  ground.  By- 
reading,  studying,  arid  attending  discussions,  I 
was  induced  to  try  a  different  course.  I  pro¬ 
cured  my  seed  15  or  20  miles  distant,  and  plant¬ 
ed  without  manure  on  dry  pasture  land,  broken 
up  in  the  Spring.  When  the  potatoes  were  in 
bloom,  I  sowed  broadcast  on  the  tops  thr^e  or  four 
bushels  of  ashes,  with  one-tenth  part  lime,  per 
acre,  repeating  it  in  six  or  eight  days.  This  was 
done  during  damp  weather.  Another  piece  was 
old  mowing  ground  broken  up,  with  strawy  ma¬ 
nure  applied  in  different  ways.  Both  produced 
good  crops,  while  many  pieces  in  the  neighbor¬ 
hood  were  nearly  destroyed  by  rot. 

We  know  the  potato  vine  is  a  great  absorber 
of  moisture.  When  other  leaves  are  wet,  those 
of  the  potato  are  often  dry.  Now  does  not  this 
absorbing  power,  which  the  potato  possesses  in  so 
great  a  degree,  cause  a  super-abundance  of 
water  at  the  bulb  in  wet,  foggy  weather,  stopping 
the  healthy  growth  of  the  tuber  ;  and  does  not 
the  action  of  the  heat  which  frequently  follows, 
produce  the  same  effect  that  moisture  and  heat 
would  on  any  other  vegetable  matter,  viz.,  cause 
it  to  rot  1  Do  not  strong  manures,  by  increasing 
the  growth  of  the  tops,  extend  the  surface  of  the 
leaves,  and  consequently  the  absorbing  power, 
and  thereby  increase  the  liability  to  rot? 

On  the  other  hand,  if  straw  or  coarse  manures 
are  used,  which  do  not  rot  quick  enough  to  force 
a  rapid  growth  of  tops,  and  increase  the  absorb¬ 
ing  power  beyond  a  proper  equilibrium  ;  or  if  old 
pastures  are  used,  and  the  animal  and  vegetable 
manures  do  not  exceed  the  mineral,  does  not  the 
bulb  keep  pace  with  the  top  in  growth,  and  need 
all  the  moisture  absorbed  by  the  tops  in  order  to 
produce  a  healthy  potato  1  Will  not  ashes  and 
lime,  sown  on  the  leaves,  make  an  alkali  which, 
being  absorbed  by  tho  leaves  and  carried  to  the 
roots,  neutralizes  or  prevents  the  acetous  fermen¬ 
tation,  which  otherwise  would  take  place  and  de¬ 
stroy  the  potato  ?  Orf.n  O.  Stewart. 

Lincoln  Co.,  Me.,  1859. 


Hunting  Wild  Bees. 

We  recently  gave  a  chapter  on  this  subject, 
(Vol.  XVII,  p.  363.)  H  L.  Cousin,  Oneida  Co., 
N.  Y.,  sends  to  the  American  Agriculturist  a  des¬ 
cription  of  a  contrivance  for  catching  the  bees. 
It  is  simply  a  small  box  about  three  inches  long, 
two  inches  wide,  and  two  inches  deep,  open  at  the 
bottom.  A  partition,  parallel  with  the  bottom,  di¬ 
vides  the  box  into  two  parts.  The  top  of  the  box 
is  covered  with  a  small  square  of  glass.  In  the 
partition  is  an  opening  about  an  inch  square,  with 
a  slide  over  it  extending  to  the  outside  of  the 
box,  so  that  the  hole  in  the  partition  may  be 


opened  or  closed  at  pleasure.  The  bee-hunter 
provides  himself  with  a  basket  containing  the 
box,  a  few  pieces  of  dry  comb,  and  a  vial  of  honey 
and  water,  mixed  in  equal  quantities. 

Having  found  a  bee  at  work  upon  a  flower, 
the  box  is  placed  over  him,  and  the  bottom  cov¬ 
ered  with  the  hand,  when  the  bee  will  pass  up 
through  the  opening  in  the  partition  toward  the 
light,  to  escape.  The  slide  is  then  closed  over  the 
opening,  and  the  bee  is  fairly  caught.  A  little  of 
the  honey  in  the  vial  is  then  poured  upon  a  piece 
of  comb,  on  a  board  or  dish,  and  the  box  set  over 
it,  with  one  edge  raised  a  little  to  admit  the  light. 
Then  if  the  slide  be  drawn  and  the  top  darkened 
with  the  hand  the  bee  will  descend,  and  coming 
in  contact  with  the  tempting  morsel,  will  go 
straight  to  work  to  load  up,  for  he  generally  has 
an  eye  to  business,  however  he  may  be  situated. 
The  box  may  now  be  gently  raised,  and  his  flight 
observed.  After  catching  and  liberating  several 
bees  from  the  same  locality,  one  line  of  direction 
is  soon  found.  Then  a  number  more  maybe  cap¬ 
tured  and  carried  to  some  distance  before  freeing 
them,  by  whom  another  line  is  formed,  crossing 
the  first,  or  rather  running  to  it.  It  is  then  only 
necessary  to  observe  a  few  objects  in  each  line  of 
flight,  to  find  where  the  two  lines  will  meet,  which 
will  of  course  be  at  the  point  where  the  common 
store-house  of  the  bees  is  located. 


Keeping  Hew  Swarms  of  Bees  in  the 
Hives. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist 
In  your  Basket ,  S.  P.  Campbell,  of  Minnesota, 
asks  how  to  prevent  swarms  leaving  after  being 
hived.  As  experience  has  been  my  sole  teacher  i 
in  the  management  of  bees,  and  as  young 
swarms  never  leave  me,  I  cheerfully  communi¬ 
cate  my  method  of  managing  them,  trusting  that 
he  and  others  may  profit  thereby.  When  a  young 
swarm  leaves  the  old  hive,  pay  strict  attention 
to  the  queen.  Sire  may  be  recognized  by  her  ap¬ 
pearance  ;  she  is  much  like  the  yellow  wasp,  be¬ 
ing  longer  than  the  common  bee,  and  not  as  clum¬ 
sy  as  the  drone.  Her  wings  are  comparatively 
short,  and  not  calculated  to  sustain  her  very  long 
in  the  air.  If  she  flies  off  with  the  swarm,  all 
is  right,  but  if  you  find  her  on  the  plot  before 
the  stand,  you  may  know  that  her  wings  are  de¬ 
fective,  or  that  she  is  too  feeble  to  accompany 
the  young  swarm.  Therefore  take  her  up  gently 
in  your  hand,  and  retain  her  till  yon  see  the  young  j 
swarm  make  an  effort  to  settle.  Some  time  may  j 
elapse  before  they  make  this  effort,  as  the  bees  ! 
know  that  their  queen  is  not  with  them,  and  | 
they  will  fly  in  every  direction  in  search  of  her.  I 
As  soon,  therefore,  as  they  congregate  around  any  i 
object,  place  the  queen  there,  and  they  will  at  ! 
once  settle  around  her — unless  the  bulk  oi  the 
swarm  may  have  strayed  off,  and  then  they  ' 
are  apt  to  return  to  the  old  hive.  Should  this  bo  i 
the  case,  use  a  little  tobacco  smoke,  and  dispel  j 
such  as  may  have  clustered  around  the  queen  ;  • 
then  take  her  and  return  her  to  the  old  stand,  j ' 
when  the  others  will  soon  follow.  But  if  the 
swarm  settles  to  the  queen,  there  is  then  full  time  j 
to  prepare  the  hive.  See  to  it,  that  it  is  clean,  I 
and  free  from  all  offensive  odors.  Wash  the  inside 
slightly  with  water  sweetened  with  honey  or  mo¬ 
lasses.  Then  proceed  to  the  place  where  you  ex¬ 
pect  to  hive  the  young  swarm,  place  on  the  ground 
a  white  sheet,  put  down  the  bottom  board,  on  that 
put  two  narrow  strips  of  thin  plank,  and  on  these 
your  hive.  Have  the  end  of  the  sheet  where  you 
expect  to  shake  your  bees  on,  extend  about  three 
or  four  feet.  As  soon  as  you  have  them  ready, 
shake  them  tothe  mouth  of  the  hive,  and  take  the 
end  of  the  sheet  and  throw  it  over  the  top  of 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


1G7 


the  hive.  This  at  once  quiets  them,  and  they  are 
apparently  conquered.  Take  your  sheet  down  and 
brush  them  with  light  peach  or  apple  switches, 
with  leaves  on,  and  they  wilt  march  into  the  hive 
in  fine  procession.  Such  as  have  clustered 
around  the  sides,  brush  down  to  the  mouth  of 
the  hive;  and  do  not  stop  brushing  them  till 
you  have  them  all  in.  This  I  generally  effect 
in  ten  or  twelve  minutes.  Then  at  once  remove 
the  hive  to  the  bee-house,  and  in  a  very  short 
time  you  will  see  them  busy  at  work.  11  a  young 
swarm  is  permitted  to  remain  at  the  place  where 
hived,  for  a  few  hours,  guard  the  hive  well  against 
the  rays  of  the  Summer’s  sun,  as  the  bees  will 
not  remain  in  the  hive  when  it  is  warmed  by  the 
sun.  The  hive  should  soon  be  set  in  its  perma¬ 
nent  place,  or  the  bees  learn  a  course  of  flying 
in  quest  of  food,  which  they  must  change  when 
located  in  the  bee-house.  For,  if  a  hive  is  moved 
but  twenty  feet  from  its  first  locality,  you  will  find 
many  working  bees,  on  their  return,  fly  to  the 
spot  from  whence  they  nad  been  moved  ;  and 
these  poor  stragglers,  if  not  able  to  recognize  their 
hive  on  the  stand,  are  certain  to  return  to  the  old 
one. 

My  theory  is,  that  a  young  swarm  never  leaves 
the  old  hive  without  a  queen,  and  if  the  swarm 
returns  to  the  old  hive,  it  is  because  their  queen 
is  not  with  them .  and  unless  you  can  find  the 
queen,  that  swarm  is  lost  to  you  for  at  least  nine 
days.  Then,  this  swarm  may  come  again  ;  but  it 
will  be  increased  in  numbers,  and  may  have  moie 
than  one  queen,  as  it  then  assumes  the  charactei 
of  a  second  swarm.  J-  Boner. 

Forsyth  Co.,  N.  C. 


Tim  Bunker  at  Home  again. 

Mr.  Editor  : 

I  have  been  gone  from  home  four  whole  months, 
and  I  do  declare  if  they  wan’t  the  longest 
months  I  ever  experienced.  I  haven't  seen  any¬ 
thing  of  your  paper,  and  not  much  of  any  other  as 
to  that  matter,  since  I  went  off,  and  I’ve  pretty 
much  lost  the  run  of  things,  up  here  in  Connecti¬ 
cut,  and  out  in  your  village.  It  was  curis  how  it 
happened,  so  curis  that  I  haven’t  got  over  my 
astonishment  at  the  thought  of  my  journey  yet. 

J  couldn't  hardly  believe  I’d  started,  until  I  got 
home.  I  should  have  said,  a  year  ago,  that  it 
■would  have  taken  six  yoke  of  cattle,  and  a  horse 
on  ahead,  to  have  drawn  Tim  Bunker  out  west  or 
down  south.  But  lo!  and  benold  !  I  ve  been  on  a 
journey  of  five  thousand  miles,  and  got  back  alive. 
I’ve  seen  the  elephant  from  trunk  to  tail,  and  the 
next  time  I  go  on  any  such  tool’s  errand  you  see  I 
shall  stay  at  home.  They  call  it  L.  E  Fant  Esq., 
down  south  and  think  it  is  a  joke.  I  did  not  find 
it  any  joke  at  all. 

The  way  it  happened,  you  see,  was  this.  W  ife 
and  I  have  always  stayed  at  home— hardly  ever 
venturing  further  away  from  Hookeitown,  than 
down  to  your  village,  when  I  had  cattle  to  sell, 
or  something  of  that  sort.  We  were  a  very  quiet 
sort  of  people,  and  never  had  much  company  out¬ 
side  of  our  own  circle  of  friends,  until  I  got  to  writ¬ 
ing  for  your  paper,  when  the  tide  seemed  to  turn, and 
lots  of  strangers  began  to  call  on  us.  After  that 
account  of  the  wedding  by  your  reporter,  they 
come  so  plenty,  that  my  wife  said  she  should 
have  to  go  down  to  Shadtown,  to  live  with  Sally, 
in  order  to  get  rid  of  company.  You  see  every 
body  that  comes  to  Hookertown— and  a  good  many 
come  here  in  Summer — has  to  look  up  Tim  Bunk¬ 
er,  and  stare  at  him,  jest  as  if  he  was  a  lion 
They  would  go  by,  looking  at  our  house  as  if  it 
was  haunted,  or  some  man  had  committed  mur¬ 
der  there.  One  fellow 'come  up  here  in  the  Fall 


with  a  looking  glass  on  three  legs,  and  said  he 
was  going  to  take  a  picture  of  the  house  for  some 
New- York  paper.  I  was  called  on  before  break¬ 
fast  and  after  breakfast,  in  the  field,  and  in  the 
barn,  early  and  late,  until  I  was  troubled  to  get 
time  to  attend  to  my  own  business.  Now  this 
ould  have  been  very  pleasant  to  a  politician,  or 
a  man  born  to  fame,  but  it  was  mighty  uncom¬ 
fortable  to  plain  country  folks  like  Mrs.  Bunker 
and  I.  There  is  nothing  a  man  pays  so  dear  for, 
as  for  his  honors.  If  he  is  wise,  he  will  add 
another  petition  to  the  Lord’s  prayer,  ‘‘deliver 
us  from  evil  and  from  fame.”  I  don’t  know  as  this 
is  quite  orthodox,  but  wife  and  I  have  made  up 
our  minds  on  this  point,  and  are  too  old  to  change. 

Well,  things  come  to  such  a  pass  that  Mrs. 
Bunker  declared  she  would  not  stand  it  any  lon¬ 
er.  She  laid  down  her  gold  bowed  spectacles, 
the  same  that  Josiah  gave  her,  one  evening  last 
December,  and  says  she  “  Timothy  our  house  is 
getting  to  be  a  tavern,  and  I  should  like  to  go 
off  and  have  a  rest  this  Winter.” 

“Well,”  says  I,  “where  will  you  go!” 

“Any  where  to  get  out  of  Hookertown,  where 
you  are  not  known.” 

“  Very  good,  pack  up  the  trunks,  and  we  will  be 
off  down  south  next  week.” 

I  had  no  idea  of  her  going,  but  I  see  in  a  day  or 
two  that  she  was  in  earnest,  and  when  a  Con¬ 
necticut  woman  has  made  u.p -her  mind,  you  know 
there  is  no  use  in  talking.  So  we  started  on  our 
rip,  and  to  make  certain  of  getting  into  a  place 
quiet  enough  for  Mrs.  Bunker,  we  fetched  up  on 
a  cotton  plantation.  There  was  not  any  other 
house  in  sight,  and  no  neighbors  within  a  mile. 
It  was  mighty  woodsy  and  lonesome,  mail  once 
a  week,  and  preaching  once  in  two  weeks,  and 
about  eight  miles  off  Thinks  I  to  myself  “if 
Mrs.  Bunker  wants  a  quiet  time  I  guess  nothing 
will  hinder  her  here.”  It  was  mighty  nice  for  a 
week  or  two,  and  she  was  delighted  with  the 
woods  and  flowers,  the  dogs  and  pigs,  the  poultry 
and  negroes.  The  third  week  she  began  to  miss 
the  papers,  and  to  inquire  about  the  mails.  The 
fourth  week  she  wondered  why  they  did  not  have 
preaching  every  Sunday.  The  fifth  week,  she 
began  to  talk  about  John  and  Sally.  By  the  time 
two  months  were  up,  she  spoke  of  Hookertown, 
very  peaceably.  At  the  close  of  the  third  month 
it  was  a  very  handsome  place,  indeed  the  pret¬ 
tiest  village  she  had  seen  in  all  her  journeyings. 
Now  that  she  has  got  home,  she  declares  it  is  the 
center  of  the  world,  and  the  tip-top  of  creation. 
That  is  rather  a  strong  statement,  but  as  I  never 
dispute  a  woman’s  word,  I  shall  have  to  let  it  go. 

Now  I  can’t  tell  you  anything  about  what  I  see 
down  south,  cause  you  see,  folks  that  have  not 
been  there  would  not  believe  me,  it  is  so  unlike 
any  thing  at  home.  But  I  jest  want  to  say,  that 
if  any  body  or  his  wife  gets  restless  and  uneasy, 
that  is  the  country  to  go  to,  to  get  cured  up.  It 
is  better  than  Perry  Davis's  Pain  Killer,  or  the 
Springs  ;  I  haven’t  seen  so  contented  a  woman  in 
ten  years  as  Mrs.  Bunker,  since  she  got  home. 
She  says  she  never  will  say  another  word  about 
company  as  long  as  she  lives ;  and  as  to  her 
neighbors,  they  are  the  handsomest  people  in  the 
country. 

I  guess  she  is  about  right.  It  does  New-Eng- 
land  people  good  to  go  away  from  home  once  in 
awhile,  jest  to  see  how  the  rest  ofthe  world  live. 
They  generally  come  home  wiser  and  better. 
Every  thing  has  gone  on  well  in  Hookertown, 
since  I  have  been  gone,  just  as  well,  for  aught  I 
can  see,  as  if  I  had  been  at  home.  There  are 
some  people,  who  think  the  world  will  come  to 
an  end  when  they  die.  Let  them  step  out  of  the 
traces  a  few  months,  and  then  come  back  and 
see  how  smoothly  the  world  spins  on  without 


them,  and  they  will  be  cured  of  that  folly. 

There  is  only  one  thing  that  shocks  me  on 
coming  home,  and  that  is  the  blue  window  shut¬ 
ters  of  my  neighbor  Seth  Twiggs.  What  upon 
earth  possessed  the  man  to  have  'em  painted  that 
color,  I  dont  see.  Shutters,  indigo  blue,  in  this 
nineteenth  century,  and  in  Hookertown,  too  !  It 
is  an  atrocity.  Just  as  if  there  was  not  blue 
enough  in  the  heavens  without  a  man’s  putting 
patches  of  it  on  to  his  house.  I  asked  Seth  about 
this,  the  first  thing  when  I  got  home.  Says  he, 
“  Tim  Bunker,  you  don’t  know  every  thing,  tho’ 
I  admit  you  are  a  knowing  man.  You  see  I 
smoke  a  good  deal,  and  blue  is  the  handsomest 
color  in  the  universe.  It  is  blue  inside  very  often, 
and  I  thought  I  might  as  well  have  it  blue  out  of 
doors  to  keep  the  balance  ”  I  had  nothing  to  say 
and  have  only  to  add 

Yours  to  command, 

Timothy  Bunker,  Esq. 

Hookertown ,  May  ls£,  1859. 


Try  Experiments. 


We  should  consider  it  an  important  point 
gained  if  we  could  induce  each  of  our  readers,  or 
any  considerable  number  of  them,  to  carefully 
conduct  a  single  experiment  in  cultivation,  during 
the  present  season,  taking  for  a  subject  any  plant 
or  plants  that  may  be  most  convenient.  A  small 
plot  of  ground,  or  even  a  pot  of  earth  may  suf¬ 
fice  for  this  purpose  The  observation  of  the  ef¬ 
fects  of  a  fertilizer,  or  of  the  growth  of  a  plant 
under  different  circumstances,  may  assist  in  de¬ 
termining  questions  of  the  greatest  possible  in¬ 
terest  to  tillers  of  the  soil.  After  all  that  has 
been  said  and  written  about  the  growth  of  plants, 
how  little  do  we  really  know  upon  the  subject. 
Scarcely  two  writers  are  entirely  agreed  as  to 
even  the  first  principles  concerned  in  vegetation. 
Though  scientific  knowledge  may  be  necessary  lo 
draw  correct  conclusions  from  facts  observed  in 
vegetable  growth,  still,  facts  alone  can  give  a  sure 
foundation  for  scientific  knowledge  ;  and  the  very 
humblest  mind  can  observe  and  collect  facts. 

To  illustrate  what  may  be  done.  Suppose 
you  plant  two  seeds  of  the  same  variety,  as  near¬ 
ly  alike  as  you  can  select,  in  separate  boxes,  each 
containing  the  same  kind  and  weight  of  soil. 
Cultivate  and  treat  them  in  exactly  the  same 
manner.  They  will  no  doubt  very  nearly  resem¬ 
ble  each  other,  but  they  will  also  present  well 
marked  points  of  difference.  One  will  have  longer 
stems,  or  more  leaves,  or  greater  abundance  of 
flowers  than  the  other.  Why !  Science  at  pres¬ 
ent  can  not  answer  the  question.  She  may  con¬ 
jecture,  but  until  the  careful  experiments  of  per¬ 
haps  hundreds  of  observers  have  been  collated, 
there  can  be  no  certainty  in  the  matter.  So  with 
many  questions  of  very  great  importance,  addi¬ 
tional  facts  alone  can  lead  to  right  conclusions 
and  practice. 

It  is  true  that  each  years  cultivation  of  the  soil 
is  adding  to  our  store  of  facts,  but  how  many 
more  might  be  obtained  if  each  cultivator  would 
devote  a  small  portion  of  his  leisure  to  the  study 
of  some  one  plant,  with  a  view  to  find  out  by  ex¬ 
periment  all  that  could  be  known  about  it ;  or 
better  still,  perhaps,  to  be  able  to  give  a  satisfac¬ 
tory  answer  to  some  one  question  concerning  its 
habits  or  its  needs. 

But  leaving  out  of  the  question  the  importance 
of  such  experiments  to  the  advancement  ot 
knowledge,  there  is  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  ra¬ 
tional  enjoyment  in  conducting  experiments,  es¬ 
pecially  such  as  we  are  now  speaking  of.  Let  a 
person  watch  the  development  of  a  single  plant 
from  day  to  day,  with  a  view  to  ascertain  facts, 


168 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


anil  each  successive  stage  of  its  progress  will 
afford  new  delight.  The  variety  of  subjects  for 
investigation  is  almost  endless.  Probably  the 
greatest  interest  would  be  taken  in  endeavoring  to 
ascertain  for  yourself  the  truth  in  regard  to  some 
point  as  to  which  you  have  doubts.  For  example, 
it  is  stated  that  there  is  a  considerable  difference 
in  the  time  of  maturity  of  potatoes  raised  from 
eyes  taken  from  different  parts  of  the  same  tuber. 
Can  you  tell  about  this  1  With  a  few  potatoes,  a 
rod  of  ground,  and  a  few  memoranda  of  the  time 
of  planting,  blossoming  and  ripening,  you  can  in 
one  or  two  seasons  gain  much  useful  information. 
The  value  of  different  manures  may  be  tested, 
new  varieties  of  seed  tried,  new  fruits  originated 
by  hybridizing— in  short,  the  taste  and  circum¬ 
stances  of  each  individual  will  suggest  topics  for 
experiments  sufficient  to  employ  his  leisure  pleas¬ 
antly  and  profitably.  Try  it. 

The  “Better  Times”  Close  at  Hand- 


At  no  time  during  two  years  past,  has  there  been 
so  encouraging  prospects,  as  now,  for  the  farm- 
eis  of  the  Northern  and  Middle  States  and  Terri¬ 
tories.  The  Southern  States,  or  those  cultivating 
cotton,  have  enjoyed  a  large  degree  of  prosperi¬ 
ty  for  a  year  or  more,  but  just  now  the  scale  ap¬ 
pears  to  be  slightly  turned  against  them,  though 
not  so  much  so,  we  think,  as  is  predicted  by  some 
join  nals.  Should  England,  by  far  the  largest  con¬ 
sumer  of  American  cotton,  become  deeply  in¬ 
volved  in  the  European  contest,  the  price  of  cot¬ 
ton  must  fall  off  somewhat,  at  least.  It  will  he 
wise,  then,  for  cotton  growers  to  give  more  at¬ 
tention  to  corn  and  other  cereals. 

The  two  principal  direct  causes  of  distress, 
among  northern  farmers,  have  been  :  first,  poor 
crops  ;  and  second,  the  low  market  value,  of  the 
diminished  products,  resulting  from  the  depressed 
financial  condition  of  this  country,  and  of  foreign 
countries  as  well. 

In  regard  to  the  first  cause  of  distress  named, 
there  are  many  reasons  for  predicting  good  if  not 
very  abundant  harvests  this  year,  one  of  which 
is  the  present  flourishing  state  of  the  growing 
crops  throughout  the  entire  country.  Every  day 
brings  us  glowing  accounts  of  the  excellent  con¬ 
dition  of  the  Winter  and  early  Spring  grains ; 
and  no  better  weather  than  we  have  had  during  a 
month  past  could  have  been  asked  for,  had  it 
been  “  got  up  to  order.”  The  warm,  dry  weath¬ 
er  of  the  last  of  April  and  the  first  of  May,  great¬ 
ly  facilitated  planting  and  sowing,  and  at  the  same 
time  pushed  ahead  the  growing  crops  very  rapid¬ 
ly.  Then,  when  tlieground  had  just  begun  to  get 
too  dry,  a  bountiful  rain  fell.  Now  (May  16)  the 
weather  is  fine  and  warm  again,  and  we  can  al¬ 
most  ‘  see  things  grow.’  (Of  some  fifty  varieties 
of  field  and  garden  seeds  we  hurried  into  the 
ground  the  first  week  in  May,  nearly  everything 
is  already  up  and  growing  splendidly.) 

There  is  also  one  noteworthy  fact  standing  out 
in  all  the  history  of  the  past,  which  is  very  en¬ 
couraging  now  ;  there  has  seldom,  if  ever,  been 
a  succession  of  poor  crops  for  three  consecutive 
years.  We  have  not  often  had  very  poor  crops 
even  two  years  together.  Therefore,  as  we  have 
just,  had  one  poor  year,  following  another  not 
quite  so  bad,  but  still  bad  enough — taking  the 
whole  country  together — it  is  safe  to  conclude 
that  the  present  year  will  be  at  least  a  good  one. 

As  respects  the  second  cause  of  distress,  the 
low  prices,  the  country  is  rapidly  recovering  its 
wonted  activity  in  all  departments  of  business, 
and  the  demand  for  farm  products  for  home  con¬ 
sumption  is  much  greater  than  for  sometime  past. 
The  large  emigration  to  the  gold  fields  has  di¬ 
minished  the  number  of  persons  engaged  in  ag¬ 


riculture,  since  of  the  vast  multitude  who  have 
gone  to  “Pike’s  Peak,”  and  elsewhere  in  search 
of  gold,  by  far  the  largest  proportion  was  drafted 
from  the  Western  farming  regions.  This  will 
alone  render  more  remunerative  the  labors  of 
those  who  have  been  wise  enough  to  dig  for  gold 
on  their  own  farms.  k 

The  most  prominent  feature  in  the  prospective 
prices  of  farm  produce  is,  however,  the  probable 
foreign  demand,  which  for  a  year  past  has  been 
very  trifling.  To-day  we  have  news  from  Europe 
indicating  that  war  between  at  least  two  of  the 
leading  powers,  France  and  Austria,  has  actually 
commenced,  and  other  continental  countries  are 
and  will  be  involved.  More  than  a  million  of 
able-bodied  men  are  already  in  arms.  These  reg¬ 
ular  armies  are  not  gathered  there  as  here,  by 
voluntary  enlistment  from  among  an  unsuccess¬ 
ful,  or  shiftless  class  who  “join  the  army”  be¬ 
cause  they  can  not,  or  will  not,  support  them¬ 
selves  by  active  labor;  but  in  most  of  Europe, 
they  are  drafted  from  the  able  bodied  peasantry. 
This  of  course  must  diminish  the  number  of  pro¬ 
ducers,  to  say  nothing  of  the  cessation  of  agri¬ 
culture  in  the  country  ravaged  by  the  march  of 
the  contending  armies — countries  that  in  time 
of  peace  produce  as  much  as  several  of  our 
States  taken  together.  The  inevitable  result  must 
be  a  considerable  increase  in  the  demand  for 
breadstuff's  and  salted  meats  from  this  country. 
This  is  a  sad  thought — one  offering  poor  consola¬ 
tion — that  we  are  to  gain  by  the  sufferings  of  our 
brethren  in  Europe,  but  we  are  now  only  record¬ 
ing  financial  facts. 

In  connection  with  this  subject  of  foreign  de¬ 
mand  for  breadstuff's,  we  may  refer  to  one  topic 
in  what  is  termed  “  Political  Economy  ”  (we 
might  say  “  financial  economy  ”),  which  may  not 
be  fully  understood  or  appreciated  by  all  of  our 
readers.  Suppose,  for  illustration,  that  in  a  certain 
isolated  neighborhood  the  annual  product  of  hay 
is  one  thousand  tuns,  and  that  the  usual  price  is, 
say,  $10  per  tun.  Suppose  now,  that  the  product 
in  any  year  should  fall  to  nine  hundred  and  seven¬ 
ty-five  tuns.  There  would  then  be  a  deficiency 
of  twenty-five  tuns  which  could  not  well  be  obtain¬ 
ed  elsewhere.  The  result  would  be  a  brisk  de¬ 
mand  for  hay,  until  the  deficiency  should  be  made 
up.  Purchasers  would  bid,  one  over  the  other, 
in  their  eagerness  to  get  their  needed  supply, 
and  quite  likely  prices  would  go  up  to  $15  per 
tun,  or  more.  But  suppose  there  should  be  an 
excess  of  twenty-five  tuns.  There  would  then 
be  an  activity  among  the  sellers,  each  trying  to 
get  rid  of  his  surplus,  with  few  buyers.  Prices 
would  then  sink  as  much  below  the  standard 
price,  perhaps,  as  they  would  go  above,  in  the 
other  case. 

To  apply  the  illustration.  During  the  past  year 
we  have  in  this  country  produced  a  little  more  of 
breadstuff’s,  for  example,  than  has  been  needed 
for  home  use.  The  sellers  have  exceeded  the 
buyers,  and  prices  have  fallen  very  low.  Had  a 
foreign  demand  taken  off  this  small  surplus,  and 
a  trifle  more,  the  buyers  would  have  exceeded 
the  sellers,  and  the  competition  would  have  in¬ 
creased  the  marketable  value  of  all  the  saleable 
breadstuff's.  Such  will  probably  be  the  result  the 
coming  year.  Europe  will  take  all  our  surplus, 
and  some  more,  and  prices  will  go  upward.  No 
matter  though  our  aggregate  yield  of  wheat  and 
corn  be  a  billion  and-a-half  bushels,  if  the  excess 
over  actual  home  demand  be  but  a  hundred  thou¬ 
sand  bushels,  and  Europe  calls  upon  us  for  one- 
hundred  and  fifty-thousand  bushels,  the  competi¬ 
tion  to  get  the  small  deficit  of  fifty-thousand 
bushels  will  have  the  tendency  to  raise  the  mark¬ 
etable  value  of  the  whole  billion  and-a-half  bush¬ 
els.  But  enough  on  this  point. — We  say  again, 


as  we  said  last  month,  the  signs  of  the  times  are 
abundantly  encouraging.  Let  farmers  take 
heart,  and  let  there  be  increased  thought,  and  care, 
and  attention,  given  to  secure  the  best  possible 
cultivation  of  the  land.  Every  jdditional  bushel 
of  grain  grown,  or  saved,  will  find  a  market  at  bet¬ 
ter  prices  than  for  some  time  past.  It  is  not  yet 
too  late  to  plant  corn  for  a  ripened  crop.  Corn 
may  also  be  planted  thickly,  and  millet,  oats,  su¬ 
gar  cane,  etc.,  sown,  for  soiling.  Buckwheat  may 
be  sown  to  furnish  a  home  substitute  for  the  more 
saleable  grains  which  can  thus  be  spared  for  the 
market.  Turnips  will  save  grass  in  feeding  stock 
next  Winter,  and  this  crop  will  be  in  ample  sea¬ 
son  a  month  yet,  | 

The  present  state  of  the  market,  and  a  refer¬ 
ence  to  the  transactions  for  a  month  past,  will  be 
found  in  the  Review  of  the  Market. 


“  Soiling.” 


This  term  is  used  to  denote  the  practice  of  con-‘ 
fining  animals  to  stalls  or  yards,  during  SummerJ 
and  feeding  them  with  green  food,  cut  daily,  such 
as  corn,  millet,  oats,  sugar  cane,  clover,  lucerne,! 
turnips,  etc.  This  mode  of  feeding  is  extensively 
practiced  in  England,  but  though  frequently  re¬ 
commended,  has  not  met  with  much  favor  here.1 
The  advantages  claimed  are  :  that  food  is  thus 
consumed  with  less  waste  ;  that  there  is  a  great 
increase  in  the  amount  of  good  manure  saved 
that  the  animals  are  less  exposed  to  the  heat  of 
the  sun,  and  to  flies  and  other  insects  ;  that  a 
larger  proportion  of  the  food  goes  to  the  produc¬ 
tion  of  fat,  muscles,  and  milk,  when  tho  animals 
are  kept  quiet ;  that  much  less  fencing  is  requir¬ 
ed  ;  and,  as  the  greatest  consideration,  the  same 
quantity  of  land  will  furnish  food  for  two  or  three 
times  as  many  animals,  when  the  quicker  grow¬ 
ing  and  larger  plants,  like  corn,  etc.,  are  raised, 
instead  of  the  common  pasture  grasses.  These 
considerations  are  sufficient  to  recommend  a 
more  general  adoption  of  the  practice  in  some 
parts  of  the  country — as  near  the  larger  cities, 


where  land  is  very  valuable.  But  under  ordinary 
circumstances  the  additional  cost  of  gathering  the 
food  daily,  would  exceed  the  rental  of  additional 
pasture  land  enough  to  keep  the  animals.  The 
manure  saved  by  soiling  is  not  clear  gain,  for  this 
is  distributed  over  the  land  in  grazing.  The  ad¬ 
vantages  of  keeping  animals  quiet,  are  probably 
lost  in  vigor,  for  the  exercise  taken  in  grazing  is 
hardly  enough  to  waste  much  flesh,  while  it  must 
promote  good  health. 

But  every  farmer  should  practice  “  soiling  ”  to 
a  limited  degree  at  one  season  of  the  year,  viz., 
in  mid-summer,  when  the  usual  grasses  are 
parched  and  dried.  Under  the  best  circumstances 
there  are  always  a  few  weeks  of  comparatively 
poor  pasturage  in  July  or  August,  and  just  then 
every  enterprising,  thoughtful  farmer  will  have  a 
bountiful  supply  of  some  succulent  crop  ready  to 
cut  and  feed  out  in  daily  rations,  in  the  stable  or 
fields.  Not  only  will  the  better  yield  of  milk,  and 
the  greater  vigor  of  working  animals  amply  re¬ 
pay  the  cost  at  once,  but  all  kinds  of  stock  thus 
provided  for  at  the  most  trying  season,  will  go 
into  fall  pasturage  in  good  condition,  and  be  ready 
to  lay  in  fat  and  flesh  against  the  winter. 

In  “  fly-time  ”  it  will  be  found  advantageous  to 
shut  up  cattle  and  horses  in  dark  stalls,  during 
that  part  of  the  day  when  insects  are  most 
troublesome,  and  let  cut  green  food  take  the 
place  of  pasturage. 

Corn  or  Chinese  sugar  cane  planted  in  drills, 
and  millet,  oats,  etc.,  sown  broadcast,  are  among 
the  best  crops  for  soiling.  If  planted  or  sown  in 
small  plots  at  intervals  of  four  to  eight  days, 
a  longer  succession  of  green  food  will  be  secured. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


169 


June,  18‘59. 


( Original  Design  for  the  American  Agriculturist.) 


From  brightening  fields  of  ether,  now  disclosed, 

Child  of  the  Sun,  refulgent  Summer  comes, 

In  pride  of  youth,  and  felt  through  Nature’s  depth, 
lie  comes  attended  by  the  sultry  hours, 

And  ever  fanning  breezes,  on  his  way  ; 

While  from  his  ardent  jook,  retiring  Spring 
Averts  her  blushful  face,  and  to  his  hot 
Domain  leaves  the  all  smiling  earth  and  skies. 

Hence  let  me  hasten  to  the  cooling  shade, 

Where  scarce  a  sunbeam  wanders  through  the  leaves  ; 
And  on  the  dark-green  grass  now  lie  at  large, 

Deside  the  brink  of  haunted  stream,  that  rolls 
Along  its  rocky  channel. 

Nearly  thus  did  Thompson  greet  the  English 
Summer. . .  .With  the  aid  of  an  artist’s  pencil  we 
have  attempted  to  present,  above,  a  picture  em¬ 
blematical  of  the  season  upon  which  we  now 
enter.  The  scene  here  portrayed  is  characteristic 
of  American  rural  life,  and,  with  slight  variations 
in  the  grouping,  it  is  one  which  may  be  witnessed 
during  the  coming  weeks  upon  ten  thousand 
American  farms.  The  sun  is  high  in  the  heavens, 
and  pours  down  his  scorching  rays.  The  father, 
wearied  with  bending  over  the  corn  rows  for 
three  or  four  hours  since  breakfast,  has  retired  to 
a  shaded  grass-plot,  laid  down  his  hoe,  and  is  par¬ 
taking  of  the  “lunch  ”  brought  from  the  distant 
dwelling  by  his  daughters.  The  younger  one  has 
in  the  meanwhile  gathered  a  bouquet  of  wild 
flowers,  which  she  has  entwined  for  her  papa,  and 
he  rewards  her  affection  with  an  approving  smile. 
The  elder  one  is  calling  to  the  man  and  boy, 
plowing  out  the  corn,  to  come  and  join  in  the  re¬ 
past,  but  they  seem  intent  on  “  finishing  out  then- 
row  ”  before  stopping.  The  brother  has  gone  to 
the  water-fall  to  quench  his  thirst,  followed  by  the 
dog,  who  has  perhaps  been  as  active  as  his 
master,  chasing  the  squirrels,  and  digging  out  the 
corn-stealing  chip-mucks,  or  gophers. 

'  With  what  renewed  vigor  and  energy  will  the 
laborer  resume  his  work,  after  a  few  brief  mo¬ 
ments  of  such  relaxation  and  refreshment  as  he 
is  now  enjoying.  We,  and  very  many  of  our 
readers,  know  by  experience  how  this  is.  And 
just  here  comes  up  a  practical  suggestion.  We 


labor  too  incessantly — too  long  at  a  time — as  a 
general  thing.  The  bow  that  is  long  bent, 
soon  loses  its  elasticity.  So  it  is  with  human 
muscles.  A  man  may  carry  a  hundred  pounds  all 
day,  if  he  frequently  cast  it  off  for  but  a  moment 
at  a  time,  to  allow  the  strained  muscles  to  relax; 
while  his  strength  would  be  entirely  exhausted  in 
an  hour,  if  he  attempted  to  carry  his  load  with¬ 
out  once  laying  it  down.  So  it  is  with  one  bend¬ 
ing  over  the  corn-rows,  or  at  the  scythe,  from 
breakfast  to  dinner,  with  no  cessation.  We  have 
particularly  noticed  the  practice  of  two  large 
farmers,  both  of  whom  labor  with  their  “  hands” 
in  the  field.  The  one  keeps  both  himself,  and  his 
men  and  boys,  pressing  at  their  work  every 
moment.  He  reasons  that  every  minute’s  delay 
is  so  much  time  lost,  multiplied  by  the  number 
of  men  at  work.  The  other  will  stop  at  the 
end  of  a  long  row,  or  after  cutting  a  long  swath 
of  grass,  and  perhaps  tell  a  story  or  get  off  a  joke 
which  puts  all  in  good  humor.  Then  all  fall 
again  to  work  with  a  will,  as  if  in  haste  to  get  to 
the  next  resting  place.  The  number  of  two  mi¬ 
nute  respites  thus  taken,  frequently  amounts  to 
a  dozen  or  more  during  a  single  half  day,  yet 
it  is  plain  to  any  one  looking  on,  that  he  accom¬ 
plishes  at  least  ten  per  cent  more  than  the  first 
named  farmer,  who  seems  to  thinks  the  slightest 
cessation  from  steady  labor  as  so  much  time  ab¬ 
solutely  lost.  There  are  times  when,  in  the  hurry 
and  excitement  of  getting  in  a  crop  before  a  storm, 
for  example,  a  man  may  keep  himself  and  all 
about  him  in  active  exertion  for  hours,  yet  as  a 
general  rule,  no  one  should  keep  his  muscles  upon 
a  constant  strain,  in  the  same  position,  longer  than 
twenty  or  thirty  minutes  at  a  time.  However 
short  the  relaxation,  let  there  be  one  at  very  brief 
intervals,  and  much  more  will  be  accomplished 
during  an  entire  day,  than  by  the  contrary  course. 

And  here  let  us  add,  also,  that  the  same  rule 
holds  good  in  the  treatment  of  working  animals. 
Some  will  start  a  team  on  the  road,  drawing  a 
heavy  burden  to  market,  and  keep  up  a  steady 


“jog”  for  half  a  dozen  miles  at  a  time.  But  the 
truth  is,  the  team  will  draw  the  load  much  easier, 
get  over  the  ground  quicker,  and  be  far  less  worn 
in  the  operation,  if  stopped  and  backed  in  the 
harness  for  a  minute  or  two  as  often  as  once  in 
every  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes.  The  same  thing 
is  true  in  regard  to  speed.  An  animal  may  be 
driven  at  the  very  top  of  his  speed  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  no  harm  will  be  likely  to  result ; 
but  let  that  speed  be  kept  up  for  ten  or  fifteen 
minutes,  the  same  set  of  muscles  being  in  con¬ 
stant  action  to  their  utmost  stretch,  and  the 
chances  are,  that  complete  exhaustion  will  fol¬ 
low,  succeeded  by  permanent  injury.  Let  this 
fact  be  ever  kept  in  mind,  then,  that  rest  must 
follow  activity  at  short  intervals,  if  the  highest 
degree  of  efficiency  would  be  maintained,  in  man 
or  beast. 

- -»  - - rasKS-SM. - - - 

About  Hired  Men. 

We  have  had  frequent  occasion  to  notice  the 
different  “  luck,”  as  they  called  it,  which  employ¬ 
ers  have  had  with  their  hired  help.  We  knew  a 
Mr.  P.  who  was  for  ever  in  hot  water  with  his 
men.  They  couldn’t  be  trusted  out  of  sight.  They 
would  idle  away  half  their  time,  slight  their  work, 
abuse  the  horses  and  cattle,  and  waste  more  than 
their  help  was  worth — such  was  the  frequent 
complaint  of  them  and  to  them.  On  the  other 
hand  they  unhesitatingly  declared,  that  there  ne¬ 
ver  was  such  a  driving,  miserly,  surly,  and  alto¬ 
gether  contemptible  man  as  their  employer. 
From  early  summer  until  their  employment 
ceased  in  the  fall,  there  seemed  to  he  a  continual 
strife  between  thepn  ;  each  aggravating  the  other, 
each  apparently  studying  to  find  the  limit  of  hu¬ 
man  endurance,  and  it  sometimes  happened  that 
actual  violence  was  resorted  to,  a  hand-to-hand 
encounter  with  one  or  more  of  the  men,  followed 
by  prosecutions,  law-suits,  and  costs  to  pay. 

But  neighbor  G.  never  appeared  to  have  such 
difficulty.  He  frequently  hired  the  same  men 


170 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


employed  by  Mr.  P.  the  previous  season,  yet  all 
went  smoothly.  His  work  was  done  in  season, 
and  well  done  ;  although  they  were  often  away 
from  his  observation,  there  was  no  disposition 
shown  to  take  advantage  of  his  absence,  and  lie 
used  to  speak  with  pleasure  of  his  “excellent 
hands.”  Yet  he  never  was  heard  to  scold,  but 
often  to  praise,  and  if  fault  was  found,  the  offender 
alone  knew  of  it.  This  we  apprehend  was  one 
secret  of  his  success.  He  remembered  that  they 
were  men  as  well  as  “  help  ” — and  as  a  man  he 
knew  that  appreciation  is  one  of  the  highest 
stimulants  to  exertion,  and  that  fault-finding  in 
presence  of  others,  sours  the  feelings  and  dis¬ 
heartens  from  effort.  The  man  who  takes  as 
much  pains  to  find  points  to  commend  in  those  in 
his  employ,  as  he  does  to  discover  their  defects, 
will  soon  see  the  benefit,  in  cheerful  readiness  to 
work,  and  endeavors  to  please.  Scolding  never 
did  any  good.  A  man  will  listen  if  you  tell  him 
his  faults,  however  plainly,  if  it  be  done  with 
mildness  and  in  private. 

Too  many  men  pay  but  little  regard  to  the  phy¬ 
sical  comfort  of  their  “  help.”  They  are  kept  on 
the  coarsest,  sometimes  the  meanest  fare.  They 
are  sent  to  sleep  two  or  three  in  a  room,  often  in 
the  unfinished  chamber  of  an  outbuilding,  and  on 
beds  fit  only  to  do  pennance  upon.  Then  too, 
the  men  are  not  only  kept  at  their  work  “  from 
early  dawn  ’til  set  of  sun,”  but  one  furrow  more 
must  be  turned,  or  one  swath  more  mowed  after 
the  full  time  of  a  day’s  work  is  completed.  Men 
are  easily  affected  by  what  touches  physical  feel¬ 
ings.  Generous  fare — it  need  not  be  expensive 
— comfortable  lodging  rooms,  ample  noon  rests, 
and  prompt  “  turning  out”  from  the  field  at  night, 
will  be  more  than  repaid  by  the  cheerful  spirit 
and  “  working  with  a  will,”  which  will  be  given  in 
return. 

Another  cause  of  much  difficulty  will  be  found 
in  the  whiskey  jug  or  cider  pitcher  carried  into 
the  field.  Although  the  men  may  for  a  time  seem 
to  do  more  by  the  use  of  this  extra  steam, 
experience  has  many  times  proved  that  strictly 
temperate  men  can  better  endure  the  severe  la¬ 
bors  of  farm  life;  while  seven-eighths  of  the  quar¬ 
rels  and  collisions,  which  disgrace  too  many, 
otherwise  peaceful,  communities,  originate  from 
the  use  of  alcoholic  stimulants. 

A  great  point  will  be  gained,  if  hired  men  can 
be  brought  to  feel  an  interest  in  the  success  of 
the  farm.  Sometimes  a  good  way  to  procure 
this,  would  be  the  offer  of  extra  pay,  provided  the 
amount  of  the  crops  could  be  brought  beyond  the 
average  yield,  so  that  each  would  feel  a  personal 
interest  in  doing  his  work  well.  It  would  take 
very  little  calculation  to  show  that  several  bushels 
per  acre  might  be  added  to  the  product  of  each 
field,  by  better  plowing  and  more  careful  cultiva- 
'  lion  of  the  growing  corn  or  other  crops.  The 
subject  is  certainly  worthy  of  careful  considera¬ 
tion,  for  most  farmers  are,  to  quite  an  extent,  de¬ 
pendent  upon  the  labor  of  others. 


A  Earner  with  “  So  time  to  Read.” 

One  of  the  many  friendly  subscribers  who  have 
kindly  interested  themselves  in  extending  the  cir¬ 
culation  of  the  Agriculturist,  gives  us  what  he 
calls  a  text  for  a  brief  article,  viz.:  “All  our  last 
year’s  subscribers,  a  club  of  twenty,  have  renewed, 
except  one,  who  said  ‘  he  could  ^iot  find  time  to 
read.’  And  this  man,  too,  has  a  family  of  chil¬ 
dren  growing  up  around  him,  whom  he  is  educa¬ 
ting  to  the  business  of  farming.” 

Our  improvement  upon  this  text  shall  be  brief. 
Firstly.  There  are  labor  saving  implements 
enough  noticed  each  year  in  any  respectable 


agricultural  paper,  to  save  much  more  than  time 
sufficient  to  read  not  only  a  paper  of  this  descrip¬ 
tion,  but  several  books  besides.  Secondly.  If  the 
boys  are  educated  to  fanning  by  the  process  of  be¬ 
ing  kept  at  it  early  and  late,  with  no  interest  in 
their  business  awakened  by  the  facts  and  thoughts 
on  the  subject,  which  such  a  journal  presents, 
some  of  these  days,  that  man  will  want  help  o.n 
the  farm,  and  his  boys  will  be  “  seeking  their  for¬ 
tune  ”  in  some  more  inviting  calling.  Thirdly. 
The  men  who  get  their  living  by  their  wits  as 
they  call  it,  or  who  in  plain  words  liveby  swind¬ 
ling  the  ignorant,  will  most  likely  find  at  least  one 
good  customer  in  that  neighborhood,  and  make 
him  pay  for  his  ignorance  ten  times  as  much  as 
he  refused  to  expend  for  information.  Fourthly. 
“  Where  there’s  a  will  there’s  a  way  ”  and  a  man 
can  find  time  for  anything  which  he  considers  of 
sufficient  importance ;  and  also  “  when  there’s  a 
wont  there’s  a  way,”  and  there  can  be  but  little 
doubt  that  “  can’t  find  time  ”  is  merely  another, 
perhaps  easier  way  to  say  “haven’t  the  dispos¬ 
ition.” 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Egg-Hatching  Machines. 

The  wonderful  and  interesting  phenomenon  of 
producing  animal  life  by  machinery,  presents  to 
the  student  of  nature,  a  sight  truly  curious  and 
beautiful.  Many  interesting  facts  have  been  dis¬ 
covered  in  the  process  of  hatching  by  artificial 
means,  and  have  been  described  with  great  min¬ 
uteness.  By -means  of  the  Eccaleobion  and 
batching  ovens,  the  chick  is  baked,  as  it  were,  into 
life. 

How  astonishing  that  in  the  substance  of  an  egg 
there  should  be  the  vital  principle  of  an  animated 
being!  that  all  the  parts  of  an  animal’s  body 
should  be  concealed  in  it,  and  require  nothing 
but  heat  to  unfold  and  quicken  them  ;  that  the 
whole  formation  of  the  chicken  should  be  so  con¬ 
stant  and  regular,  that  the  same  changes  will 
take  place  in  the  generality  of  eggs  at  exactly  the 
same  time  ;  that  the  chicken,  the  moment  it  is 
hatched,  is  heavier  than  the  egg  was  before. 
But  even  these  are  not  all  the  wonders  in  the 
formation  of  the  bird  from  the  egg ;  there  are 
others  altogether  hidden  from  our  observations 
and  of  Which,  from  cur  very  limited  faculties,  we 
must  ever  remain  ignorant. 

The  first  notices  we  have  of  hatching  chickens 
artificially  without  the  aid  of  hens,  are  to  he  found 
in  the  works  of  Aristotle  and  Pliny.  The  latter 
mentions  that  the  Roman  Empress,  Livia  “hatch¬ 
ed  an  egg  by  carrying  it  about  in  her  warm 
bosom  and  this  probably  gave  origin  to  the 
device  of  late,  to  lay  eggs  in  some  warm  place, 
and  to  make  a  gentle  fire  underneath  of  small 
straw  or  light  chaff,  to  give  a  kind  of  moderate 
beat  ;  but  evermore  the  eggs  must  be  turned  by 
man  or  woman’s  baud  both  night  and  day,  and  so 
at  the  same  time  they  looked  for  chickens  and 
had  them.” 

In  the  hatching  of  chickens,  as  in  most  other 
things,  nature  is  the  best  guide.  Th.e  hen  if  left 
to  herself,  finds  some  dry,  warm,  sandy  hedge  or 
bank,  in  which  to  deposit  her  eggs,  forming  her 
nest  of  moss,  leaves,  or  dry  grass.  In  this  way 
the  warmth  is  retained  in  the  nest  for  the  few 
moments  she  devotes  to  her  hurried  and  scanty 
meal.  In  imitating  nature,  in  a  degree,  or  ap¬ 
proaching  that  end,  we  would  advise  the  adoption 
of  putting  in  the  bottom  of  the  nest  a  sufficient 
quantity  o-f  dry  sand  and  grass,  moss,  or  cut  straw. 

For  hatching,  and  to  have  the  eggs  productive, 
they  must  be  fresh,  and  must  not  be  exposed  to 
noxious  effluvia  or  moisture.  Those  intended  for 


incubation  should  always  be  gathered  with  more 
care  than  if  merely  to  be  employed  for  aliment. 

The  art  of  hatching  by  artificial  means,  has 
been  extensively  practiced  in  Egypt  and  China, 
from  an  unknown  period  of  time.  In  the  former 
place  immense  numbers  of  eggs  are  hatched  by 
heat  in  ovens  or  mammels  and  officers  are 
appointed  by  government  to  superintend  the  pro¬ 
cess,  and  receive  a  part  of  the  produce  as  pay. 

As  there  is  no  prospect  of  any  of  our  country¬ 
men  entering  into  the  business  of  the  Egyptian 
method,  we  will  not  detain  the  reader  by  a  de¬ 
scription  of  these  ovens  ;  others  and  less  expen¬ 
sive  have  been  adopted.  The  French  have'  made 
many  experiments,  particularly  the  celebrated 
naturalist  and  French  philosopher,  M.  Reaumur, 
who  made  a  number  under  the  immediate  atten¬ 
tion  of  the  French  King,  and  published  the  results 
in  a  treatise  of  five  hundred  pages  with  plates. 

It  states  the  requisite  heat  to  be  about  90°  F. 

Oliver  de  Serres,  describes  a  little  portable 
oven  of  iron  or  copper,  in  which  eggs  were  ar¬ 
ranged  and  surrounded  with  feathers,  and  cov¬ 
ered  with  soft  cushions,  heat  having  been  com¬ 
municated  by  means  of  four  lamps,  but  lie  says 
that  it  was  more  curious  than  useful. 

The  incubation  of  chickens  by  hot  water,  is  said 
to  be  the  invention  of  M.  Bonnemain,  of  Paris. 
His  apparatus  consisted  of  a  boiler ;  a  box  for 
hatching  the  eggs ;  a  cage  or  coop  for  rearing 
the  chickens;  tubes  for  circulating  the  hot  water 
passing  through  the  hatching  box. 

A  method  somewhat  similar  to  Bonnemain’s, 
called  “  Eccaleobion,”  was  put  in  operation  a 
few  years  since,  in  London,  and  exhibited  at  25 
cents  each  person.  It  was  a  large  oblong  box  or 
case,  divided  into  eight  parts,  each  one  used  for 
hatching  the  eggs.  The  bottom  of  these  boxes 
was  lined  with  cloth,  and  covered  with  eggs,  lying 
at  a  little  distance  from  each  other.  There  was 
a  dish  of  water  in  each  compartment  to  preserve 
a  proper  degree  of  temperature  and  moisture  to 
the  air  in  the  divisions. 

In  1844,  we  visited  an  egg-hatching  machine, 
exhibited  in  full  operation,  in  the  city  of  New- 
York,  bringing  out  the  little  chickens  with  all  the 
punctuality  of  an  old  hen.  This  machine  was  an 
English  invention,  probably  the  one  just  noticed. 
In  outward  appearance,  it  forms  an  oblong  box 
about  five  feet  in  length,  three  feet  in  width,  and 
four  and-a-half  feet  high,  divided  into  eight  com¬ 
partments,  with  narrow  glazed  doors.  The 
floors  of  these  apartments  arc  covered  with  flan¬ 
nel  on  which  the  eggs  were  laid.  The  divisions 
inside  are  of  tin,  probably  hollow,  to  contain  hot 
water  or  steam  which  is  generated  in  a  small  cyl¬ 
inder  standing  in  the  center  of  the  machine,  and 
extending  through  the  top  of  the  box,  and  having 
a  small  pipe  to  conduct  off  the  smoke.  It  was 
heated  with  charcoal.  In  one  end  we  noticed  a 
thermometer  partly  immersed  in  the  water,  by 
which  the  temperature  could  be  noted. 

The  apparatus  latterly  employed  for  the  purpose 
of  incubation  has  been  described  under  the  name 
of  “  Eccaleobion,”  “  Potolokian,”  and  “Hydro- 
Incubator.”  The  former  was  an  ingenious  con¬ 
trivance  for  hatching  chickens  by  heated  air.  Ac 
cording  to  Mr.  Bucknell,  the  English  inventor  and 
proprietor  of  this  machine,  which  some  years  ago 
attracted  great  attention,  the  Eccaleobion  posses¬ 
sed  a  perfect  and  absolute  command  over  tempera¬ 
ture  from  300°  Fahrenheit  to  that  of  cold  water, 
so  that  any  substance  submitted  to  its  influence 
was  uniformly  acted  upon  over  its  whole  surface, 
at  any  required  intermediate  degree  within  the 
above  range,  and  such  heat  was  maintained  unal¬ 
tered  without  trouble  or  difficulty,  for  any  period. 

During  the  exhibition  of  this  instrument  it  was 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


171 


stated  that  30,000  to  40,000  chickens  were  brought 
into  existence  by  a  single  machine,  which  was 
constructed  to  contain  2,000  eggs  at  one  time. 

The  '*  Potolokian,”  was  a  similar  contrivance 
for  hatching  chickens  by  means  of  heated  air,  es¬ 
tablished  a  few  years  since,  on  a  large  scale,  in  the 
City  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  by  Mr.  E.  Bayer,  who  suc¬ 
ceeded  well,  as  far  as  the  production  ol  chickens 
was  concerned,  in  the  process  of  hatching,  at  a 
loss  of  not  over  20  to  25  percent  of  the  eggs. 
The  best  temperature  for  the  process  he  found  to 
be  102°  Fahrenheit. 

Mr.  Cantelo,  a  few  years  since,  established  near 
London,  what  he  termed  a  “  Model  Poultry  Farm.” 
By  means  of  the  “  Hydro-Incubator,”  in  this  in¬ 
stitution,  numbers  of  chickens,  guinea  fowls  and 
ducks  have  been  raised  by  artificial  heat  most  in¬ 
geniously  applied  by  top-contact,  so  as  to  produce 
the  same  effect  on  the  vitalized  germ,  as  the  heat 
of  the  incubating  hen.  This  heat  has  been  proved 
by  Mr.  Cantelo  to  be  as  high  as  106°  Farenheit. 

The  “  Hydro-Incubator  ”  itself  is  very  simple  ; 
it  consists  of  a  tank  or  cistern  of  water,  heated  by 
a  peculiar  stove,  the  heat  of  which  is  shown  by 
the  thermometer.  The  water  is  heated  to  109° 
Fahrenheit,  and  flows  over  a  surface  of  vulcan¬ 
ized  caoutchouc,  the  lower  surface  of  which  is  in 
contact  with  a  tray  or  nest  of  eggs  and  maintains 
a  heat  of  106°.  The  tray  is  open  at  the  sides,  the 
bottom  is  made  of  wire  gauze,  lined  with  cotton 
cloth,  and  is  raised  or  lowered  by  wedges  ;  thus 
merely  presenting  a  small  surface  to  the  bottom 
of  the  caoutchouc,  which  represents  the  breast  of 
the  parent  fowl,  and  thus  only  a  lop-contact  heat  is 
communicated  to  the  egg. 

It  has  hitherto  been  believed  that  the  blood- 
heat  of  the  feathered  tribe  was  the  same  as  that 
of  the  human  race,  viz.,  98°.  Mr.  Cantelo  asserts 
that  it  is  106°,  and  he  considers  this  an  over¬ 
looked  fact. 

The  system  of  hatching  eggs  artificially,  and  an 
improvement  on  the  old  plans,  has  recently  re¬ 
ceived  a  new  impulse  from  the  exertions  of  Mr. 
Manasi,  of  London,  who  has  labored  hard  to  dis¬ 
pel  the  notion  that  “  top'  contact,”  as  with  the 
natural  hen-mother,  was  absolutely  essential  for 
successful  hatching  by  artificial  agents.  It  is  this 
view  which  has  so  long  retarded  the  progress  of 
this  curious  art,  as  great  complication  of  mechan¬ 
ical. details  was  necessary  under  such  a  system, 
in  addition  to  the  constant  attendance  of  a  watch¬ 
er  to  keep  the  temperature  at  the  right  point. 
This  was  the  great  objection  to  all  previously 
constructed  hatching  machines.  As  it  requires 
much  less  attendance  during  the  process  of  incu¬ 
bation,  it  may  go  three  days  without  attention  ; 
formerly  it  could  be  left  only  three  hours. 

This  machine  is  a  very  simple  contrivance,  and 
can  consequently  be  constructed  at  about  one- 
fourth  of  the  expense  formerly  required.  The 
necessary  heat  is  obtained  from  a  naphtha  lamp 
without  a  wick,  which  is  so  arranged  that  it  may 
be  left  to  itself  for  two  or  three  days  together, 
and  yet  the  process  of  hatching  goes  on  with  due 
regularity  and  certainty. 

it  consists  of  a  water-tight  platform  or  tray  of 
metal,  with  a  corrugated  bottom,  and  filled  with 
warm  water  at  such  a  heat  as  will  keep  a  layer  of 
sand  thereon  up  to  a  temperature  of  104°  F. 
This  sand-layer  holds  the  eggs,  which  are  screened 
by  a  glass-cover.  The  sand  which  is  of  the  sil¬ 
ver  kind,  is  a  quarter  c-f  an  inch  deep,  and  the 
eggs  when  deposited  in  it,  are  covered  with  a 
blanket,  another  blanket  being  employed  to  en¬ 
velop  the  whole  of  the  glass-frame.  Under  the 
tray  is  placed  a  mass  of  chopped  hay,  mixed  with 
sand,  this  being  changed  daily.  The  heating 
lamp,  which  is  on  a  novel  principle,  is  placed 


with  its  flame  about  three  inches  from  the  bottom 
of  the  boiler  or  water-holder.  When  the  proper 
heat  has  been  obtained,  the  eggs,  with  their  op¬ 
posite  sides  marked,  are  placed  in  the  sand,  and 
left  for  twenty-four  hours,  after  which  time  they 
are  reversed,  to  expose  the  other  side. 

A  hatching  machine  has  been  invented  in  France 
by  M.  Vallee,  which  is  described  as  follows  :  A 
drum,  inclosing  a  warming  cylinder,  forms  the 
basis  of  his  system.  He  introduces  warm  air  into 
the  drum  where  the  eggs  are  deposited,  and  by  cir¬ 
cular  openings  gives  access  to  currents  of  cold 
air.  It  is  by  a  careful,  rational  combination 
of  warm  and  cold  air  that  he  obtains  that 
dampish  temperature  in  which  lies  the  secret  of 
incubation,  from  which  results  the  development 
of  the  embryo  in  the  egg.  By  this  instrument 
artificial  hatching  is  necessarily  carried  on  in 
every  state  of  the  atmosphere,  and  at  all  seasons. 
But  after  the  chicken  is  hatched,  a  mother  must 
be  provided.  M.  Vallee’s  ingenuity  thus  pro¬ 
vides  for  this  emergency  :  A  lamb-skin  is  fasten¬ 
ed  by  one  extremity  to  a  board,  and  made  to  open 
at  the  other  end  like  a  pair  of  bellows.  This  af¬ 
fords  a  cover  for  the  little  ones,  and  keeps  them 
as  warm  as  would  a  veritable  mother  hen.  The 
degree  of  heat  required  is  from  104°  to  106°  F. 

Some  ten  or  twelve  years  ago,  a  machine  for  the 
purpose  of  hatching  chickens  by  artificial  heat,  was 
putin  operation  by  L.  G.  Hoffman,  Albany,  and  so 
far  as  the  hatching  of  chickens  was  concerned, 
proved  equal  to  the  task,  producing  from  70  to 
75  chickens  from  every  hundred  eggs. 

It  is  made  of  tin,  with  the  hatching  chamber 
surrounded  with  -water,  and  kept  at  a  proper 
temperature  by  means  of  a  lamp.  On  the  left  of 
the  machine  is  a  small  conical-shaped  cistern  of 
water,  connected  at  top  and  bottom  with  the  wa¬ 
ter  surrounding  the  egg-chamber ;  by  means  of 
these  connections  at  top  and  bottom,  a  constant 
circulation  of  the  water  is  kept  up.  The  cistern 
of  water  is  heated  by  a  lamp,  the  heat  passing  up 
into  a  cone  reaching  nearly  to  the  top. 

Beautiful  as  a  hrood  of  chickens  always  are,  un¬ 
der  any  circumstances,  the  interest  excited  is 
greatly  increased  by  the  artificial  system  of  hatch¬ 
ing  and  rearing.  It  seems  by  no  means  so  diffi¬ 
cult  to  succeed  in  hatching  chickens  artificially  as 
to  rear  them  after  they  are  hatched.  Notwith¬ 
standing  the  ease  and  certainty  with  which  birds 
can  be  hatched  with  artificial  heat,  for  some  rea¬ 
son  the  machines  do  not  seem  to  be  regarded 
with  favor.  C.  N.  Bement. 


Large  Turkies— Weight  of  Common  Kinds. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

I  give  you  the  weight  of  a  two-year  gobbler  tur¬ 
key,  which,  on  account  of  his  partially  losing  his 
sight,  I  had  fattened  and  strangled  during  the 
Winter.  He  wras  of  the  “large  ”  breed,  of  which 
I  obtained  a  cock  and  two  hens  from  my  friend 
John  Giles,  of  Windham  Co.,  Ct.,  three  years  ago  : 

Live  weight  at  the  time  of  killing . 28|  lbs. 

Marketable  when  dressed  (undrawn) . 25£  lbs. 

Inside  loose  fat  around  the  heart  and  liver.  2  lbs. 
Dressed  weight  of  flesh,  including  do . . .  22£  lbs. 

A  few  weeks  before,  we  killed  a  yearling  gobbler, 
a  cross  of  the  large  breed  with  a  common  turkey 
hen,  which  weighed,  when  dressed,  (entrails  un¬ 
drawn,)  22 £  lbs.  The  live  weight  of  the  sire  of 
these  birds,  when  in  full  flesh,  was  33  lbs.,  as  Mr. 
Giles  assured  me,  though  he  did  not  weigh  over 
30  lbs.  when  I  got  him,  or  in  ordinary  condition. 
The  two  hens  I  procured  of  Mr.  G.  weighed  alive 
a  trifle  over  18  lbs.  each,  when  I  first  received 
them,  at  18  months  old. 

The  usual  weight  of  a  fair  sized  gobbler  of  the 


common  breed,  at  24  years  old,  full  grown  of 
course,  is  about  20  lbs.;  that  of  a  hen  12  lbs. — say 
17  lbs.,  and  10  lbs,  marketable  (undrawn)  weight. 
My  turkeys  are  silver  grey  and  brown  bronze  in 
color— the  latter  very  showy  and  beautiful  in 
plumage.  I  saw  a  few  days  since,  in  one  ot  the 
agricultural  papers,  a  statement  by  W.  H.  Noble. 
Bridgeport,  Ct.,  that  he  has  a  gobbler  weighing  35 
pounds,  and  hens  19£  lbs.  Will  he  please  to  name 
the  colors  of  those  turkeys  1  If  he  can  really  beat 
mine  in  weight  and  plumage,  I  should  like  to  know 
the  fact.  L.  F.  Allen. 

Black  Rock,  N.  Y. 

P.  S.  To  save  inquiries  for  “  seed,”  and  avoid 
the  appearance  of  ax-grinding,  I  wish  to  add  that 
I  have  no  turkeys  to  sell. 

- — ®=aa3-^-CB=» - -  -  ■ 

Instinct  op  the  Hen. — A  friend  has  just  re¬ 
lated  the  following  amusing  incident  which  oc¬ 
curred  in  his  fowl-house  in  Brooklyn,  showing 
more  perceptive  power  in  the  hen  than  she  is 
usually  credited  with.  The  family,  when  boiling 
eggs  for  breakfast  found  a  cracked  one  in  the 
water,  which  upon  examination  proved  to  be  bad. 
It  was  taken  to  use  for  a  nest  egg,  but  a  hen 
when  about  going  to  lay,  spied  it,  and  at  once 
with  feet  and  bill  threw  it  out  upon  the  floor,  and 
proceeded  to  demolish  it  by  pecking  and  scratch¬ 
ing,  not  eating  it  however.  She  then  resumed 
her  place  and  after  very  carefully  looking  over  a 
new  egg,  placed  in  the  nest,  proceeded  to  busi¬ 
ness  and  was  soon  cackling  over  her  success. 

Horsa  Racing  at  Fairs. 

We  were  glad  to  notice  the  following  resolution, 
introduced  and  ptassed  by  the  Ohio  State  Board  of 
Agriculture,  at  its  last  Annual  Meeting,  viz.: 

Resolved,  That  paying  premiums  by  Agricultural 
Societies,  for  speed  of  horses,  simply  as  such, 
without  due  reference  to  qualifications  for  pur¬ 
poses  of  general  utility,  is  a  perversion  of  the 
original  design. 

Resolved,  That  such  trials  of  speed  have  a  great 
tendency  to  divert  attention  from  everything  else  ; 
and  what  seem  to  be  their  inseparable  accompa¬ 
niments,  are  defrauding  and  demoralizing;  and, 
therefore,  we  will  not  offer  such  premiums,  and 
will  discourage  their  being  offered  by  County  and 
District  Societies.” 

This  is  a  move  in  the  right  direction,  and  is  the 
more  gratifying  from  having  been  introduced  and 
warmly  advocated  by  a  breeder  of  fast  horses, 
who,  rather  than  encourage  such  exhibitions — 
turning  our  Fairs  into  horse-races,  would  sacrifice 
his  entire  stable. 

— - — — — - 

Cut  Feed  for  Stock- 

Much  has  been  written  on  this  subject:  the  ar¬ 
gument  in  favor  of  cutting  up  feed  for  stock  may 
be  stated  in  a  few  words.  If  a  farmer  has  no  fod¬ 
der  to  be  disposed  of,  except  fine,  “  merchantable 
hay,”  there  will  be  little  need  of  cutting  it.  But 
most  persons  have  cornstalks,  and  hay  and  straw 
a  little  damaged,  which  if  fed  out  unprepared 
would  be  much  wasted.  Now,  let  this  be  run 
through  a  straw-cutter,  then  mixed  with  a  little 
meal  and  moistened,  and  it  will  be  a  vastly  more 
palatable  dish,  little  or  none  will  be  wasted,  and 
what  is  eaten  will  be  well  digested. 

Our  good  housewives  hash  up  odds  and  ends  of 
meat,  to  save  them,  and  to  make  them  more  ac¬ 
ceptable  to  their  families :  why  should  not  the 
same  principle  of  economy  rule  in  the  farmer’s 
barn!  Besides,  if  cornstalks  are  not  cut  up,  they 
find  their  way  into  the  manure-heap  in  a  rough 
state,  they  are  very  slow  to  decay,  and  are 
troublesome  in  the  shoveling  of  the  manure — 
whereas,  if  they  are  cut,  these  objections  are  ob¬ 
viated. 


17S 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


We  have  examined  a  comparatively  new  horse- 
rake,  which  is  represented  by  the  above  engrav¬ 
ing.  From  what  we  can  judge,  without  seeing 
it  in  actual  work,  and  from  the  favorable  reports 
we  have  from  farmers  who  used  it  last  season, 
we  are  inclined  to  consider  it  one  of  the  best 
modifications  of  this  most  useful  and  convenient 
implement.  An  examination  of  the  cut  will  give 
a  pretty  clear  idea  of  its  structure  and  peculiari¬ 
ties.  The  wheels,  shafts,  and  seat,  are  arranged 
like  an  ordinary  sulky,  and  may  be  used  as  such, 
independently  of  the  rake,  which  is  readily  de¬ 
tached.  The  teeth  are  of  wire,  the  upper  ends 
being  coiled  to  give  them  greater  elasticity. 
When  passing  over  rough  or  stony  ground,  any 
of  the  teeth  meeting  an  obstruction  will  bend 
backwards,  and  pass  over  without  stoppage  or 
breaking.  The  special  improvement  claimed  for 
this  rake  is  not  fully  shown  in  the  engraving. 
It  is  two  half  cog-wheels,  one  upon  the  rake 
cross-piece,  and  the  other  upon  the  lower  end  of 
the  handle  or  lever  which  is  seen  standing  in 
front  of  the  seat.  By  means  of  this,  the  driver 
can  at  any  instant,  by  pulling  back  the  lever,  roll 
the  tooth-shaft  back,  and  thus  raise  the  teeth 
allowing  them  to  pass  over  the  windrow.  The 
long  lever  renders  this  operation  quite  easy.  In 
the  samples  we  have  seen,  the  wheels,  shafts, 
etc.,  are  well  made.  The  present  price  is  some 
$30  wre  believe. 

- - ”>  «  — - - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Securing  Good  Seed,  Wheat,  Rye,  etc. 

Although  care  is  frequently  exercised  in  select¬ 
ing  good  specimens  of  corn  for  seed  ;  yet  for  oats, 
ryeandwheat,  the  grain  for  the  next  year’s  sow¬ 
ing  is  usually  taken  from  the  bin,  without  regard 
to  the  part  of  the  field  on  which  it  may  have 
grown,  or  to  its  having  matured  early  or  late. 
Too  much  dependence  is  also  placed  on  the  fan¬ 
ning  mill  and  grain  screen  to  separate  cockle, 
chess,  and  other  foul  seeds  ;  hence  year  after 
year  they  show  their  unwelcome  heads  in  the 
fields.  I  would  advise  first  to  note  well  at  this 
season  the  spots  in  the  growing  field  where  the 
finest  grain  is  ripening,  and  then  let  these  be 
cared  for  particularly,  with  reference  to  saving  the 
product  for  seed  the  coming  year.  From  these 
places  every  weed  should  be  carefully  pulled, 
and  at  harvest  time  the  ripened  sheaves  stored 
by  themselves  apart  from  the  general  crop.  In¬ 
deed  I  think  it  would  pay  well  to  cultivate  ex¬ 


pressly  for  seed,  the  best  part  of  the  field,  where 
from  more  favorable  exposure  or  better  quality  of 
soil,  the  grain  will  mature  earlier  and  heavier. 
If  this  were  generally  done,  the  standard  of  ex¬ 
cellence  in  the  cereals  would  in  a  few  years  be 
greatly  improved.  A.  F.  W. 

- -tea  tJ »— •- - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Enlarging  a  Farm  without  Buying  Land- 

If  a  man  does  not  know  how  much  land  he 
actually  owns,  and  gets  no  benefit  out  of  that 
part  with  which  he  is  unacquainted,  and  then 
is  informed  that  he  has  more,  and  is  told  how  to 
use  it,  why  is  not  this  equivalent  to  the  purchase 
of  more  acres'!  Farmers  are  often  heard  to  ex¬ 
claim  :  “  Oh  that  I  were  rich  enough  to  buy  a 

little  more  land,  then  I  could  fatten  more  cattle 
and  sheep,  and  I  could  carry  more  grain  to 
market!”  Now,  to  such  men,  at  least  to  some 
of  them,  we  beg  leave  to  say,  your  farms  are  al¬ 
ready  larger  than  you  suppose.  You  seem  to 
think  that  your  ownership  extends  only  six  inches 
deep  into  the  earth  ;  but  this  is  a  misapprehen¬ 
sion.  It  is  not  very  strange,  however,  since  all  the 
former  owners  of  the  soil  had  the  same  idea,  and 
the  Indians  from  whom  your  ancestors  bought  or 
stole  the  land,  were  content  with  only  the  surface, 
just  enough  to  hunt  upon  and  to  grub  a  few  roots 
out  of.  But  this  is  all  a  mistake,  as  you  will  see 
on  reflection.  Examine  the  title  deeds  to  your 
land  and  see  if  there  is  any  limit  to  your 
rights  in  a  downward  direction.  You  will  not 
find  any  ;  we  know  you  won’t. 

Now,  therefore,  do  not  fear  to  go  at  once  and 
take  possession  of  the  rest  of  your  farm.  It  is 
virgin  soil,  covered  over  with  only  a  few  inches 
of  partly  worn  land ;  and  it  will  return  you  fine 
crops  if  you  will  only  lay  it  open  to  the  sun  and 
air,  or  mix  it  with  the  soil  you  have  long  culti¬ 
vated.  Perhaps  it  will  not  be  wise  for  you  to  try 
to  use  it  all  the  first  year:  use  a  little  moderation 
in  entering  upon  your  new  property,  for  your  own 
sake  and  for  the  farm’s  sake.  [In  connection 
with  the  advice  here  given,  it  maybe  well  for  the 
reader  to  turn  back  to  page  71  (March  No.,)  and 
study  what  is  said  about  plowing  deep  and  plow¬ 
ing  shallow. — Ed.]  Here  is  what  some  writer 
has  said  on  the  subject — not  strictly  correct  per¬ 
haps,  but  highly  suggestive :  “  At  the  present 
time,  the  average  crop  of  wheat  per  acre  in  Great 
Britain,  on  a  soil  cultivated  for  centuries,  is  about 
double  that  produced  on  the  comparatively  new 
soil  of  Ohio.  Why  is  this!  Simply  because  the 


leading  British  farmers  are  educated  men,  and 
apply  their  work  wisely.  They  pay  back  to  the 
earth  what  they  borrow  from  her  ;  they  endeavor 
by  every  means  in  their  pow-er  to  enrich  their 
ground,  and  in  return  it  enriches  them.  If  Amer¬ 
ican  farmers,  instead  of  laboring  to  double  the 
number  of  their  acres,  would  endeavor  to  double 
their  crops,  they  would  find  it  a  saving  of  time  and 

toil,  and  an  increase  of  profit . Many  men 

never  think  of  digging  ten  inches  into  the  soil, 
unless  they  have  dreamed  about  a  crock  of  gold 
hid  in  the  earth  ;  but  if  they  would  set  about  the 
work  of  digging  in  earnest,  every  man  would  find 
his  crock  of  gold  without  the  aft  of  dreams  or 
divination.”  i 

We  once  heard  of  some  remarkable  strawberries 
raised  in  a  neighboring  town,  and  called  the 
“Washington  Excelsior”  strawberry.  Rumor 
said  that  the  leaves  were  large,  vividly  green  all 
Summer,  the  fruit  large  and  abundant  for  a  long 
time,  and  not  diminished  by  the  severest  drouths. 
The  plants  were  sold  at  half  a  dollar  apiece,  and 
were  considered  cheap  at  that  price.  Attracted 
by  these  wonderful  stories  of  the  new  fruit;  we 
went  to  see  it  and  learn  all  about  it.  The  plants 
were  indeed  beautiful,  and  the  fruit  very  fine. 
But  our  eyes  were  opened  when  Mr.  Smith,  the 
owner,  told  us  frankly,  that  the  plants  were  some 
common  sort,  the  name  of  which  he  had  forgot¬ 
ten,  but  that  they  were  grown  on  a  bed  in  the 
corner  of  his  garden  which  was  made  ground,  for 
at  least  six  fed  deep.  Why  did  not  this  account  for 
the  persistent  verdure  of  the  foliage  and  the  size 
and  abundance  of  the  fruit!  Yet,  the  superior 
beauty  of  the  plants  and  berries  had  attracted 
much  attention  in  the  neighborhood  and  seemed 
to  call  for  a  high-sounding  name  ;  and  so  Mr. 
Smith  dubbed  them  the  Washington  Excelsior. 
Plainly,  this  man’s  strawberry  bed  was  enlarged 
without  fencing  in  more  land. 

Are  Agricultural  and  Horticultural 
Papers  Useful? 

Some  persons  decline  or  hesitate  to  subscribe 
for  agricultural  or  horticultural  journals,  because, 
as  they  say,  they  have  a  book  or  two  on  farming 
or  gardening  on  their  shelves,  and  suppose  that 
nothing  more  is  needed.  And  yet,  perhaps  these 
books  are  many  years  old,  and  when  newly-made, 
they  may  have  been  nothing  more  than  meagre 
compilations  from  books  and  papers  older  still. 
Useful,  undoubtedly,  such  books  are,  but  they  are 
no  proper  substitute  for  w’ell-conducted  journals 
of  the  present  time.  The  latter  glean  from  whole 
libraries  whatever  is  true  and  useful,  and  adapted 
to  the  wants  of  the  present  day.  There  is  also 
real  progress  made  every  year  in  husbandry  and 
gardening,  and  those  papers  give  full  reports  of 
such  progress.  If  one  wishes  to  keep  posted  up 
to  the  times,  he  must  read  these  papers,  for  the 
books,  like  old  maps,  geographies  and  almanacs, 
soon  become  obsolete. 

- - - •»♦»— - +-m. - . 

Ill  Luck  in  Growing  Corn. 

Not  seldom  do  we  hear  farmers  complain  that 
their  corn  crop  is  a  failure,  it  having  been  injured 
by  hot  and  dry  weather.  Injured  by  the  very 
weather  which  a  kind  Providence  designed  for 
its  benefit!  On  inquiry,  it  will  generally  be  found 
that  the  corn-fields  of  such  complainers  are  wet, 
undrained,  and  cold  :  they  are  so  wet  in  Spring 
that  they  cannot  be  worked  until  quite  late  in  the 
season,  and  then  a  long,  dry  spell  sets  in,  which 
checks  the  growth  of  the  corn  and  makes  it  fee¬ 
ble  and  puny  all  the  rest  of  the  Summer.  Mean¬ 
while,  wide-awake  farmers,  who  had  previously 
drained  their  lands  and  manured  them  thoroughly 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


173 


are  rejoicing  in  the  beauty  of  their  corn-fields. 
When  dry  weather  comes,  they  bid  it  welcome  ; 
it  is  just  what  the  “  King  of  the  Cereals  ”  wants. 
They  keep  their  hoes  bright,  which  keeps  the 
ground  moist,  and  keeps  the  corn  growing. 


Cost  of  a  Bushel  of  Corn- 


We  have  often  urged  the  utility  of  keeping  an 
exact  account  of  the  expense  attending  the  rais¬ 
ing  of  every  crop,  that  a  correct  judgment  may  be 
had  of  the  resulting  profits  or  losses. 

A  correspondent  of  the  American  Agriculturist, 
F.  E.  H.,  West  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  having  pur¬ 
sued  this  plan,  gives  the  following  figures  show¬ 
ing  how  much  per  bushel  his  corn  cost  him.  The 
amount  cultivated  was  just  one  acre,  the  soil  is  de¬ 
scribed  as  a  hard  gravely  loam. 


Plowing  and  Furrowing.... . $2.02 

5  Cords  manure  . . .20.00 

Drawing  manure,  and  manuring  in  hill. ....  5.60 
1  Bushel  potatoes  and  7  quarts  of  seed.. . . .  1.25 

Planting . 1.92 

Cultivating  and  hoeing  first  time .  2.87 

Cultivating  and  hoeing  second  time .  2.50 

Pulling  weeds. . . . .25 

Interest  on  land . 12.00 

$49.01 

From  this  amount  is  deducted  value  of  Pump¬ 
kins  raised  with  the  corn . .  .$2  50 

10  Bushels  Potatoes . 5.00 


Also  say  £  value  of  manure  left  in  the  soil.  .5  00 

$12.50 

Leaving  $36.51  as  the  cost  of  the  36  bushels, 
or  in  even  numbers  $1  per  bushel — certainly  not 
a  very  profitable  investment.  The  account  thus 
kept,  would  probably  deter  from  a  second  trial,  un¬ 
less  indeed,  some  unusual  influence  of  season  or 
otherwise,  prevented  the  yield  of  an  average  crop, 
and  attention  would  be  turned  to  something  that 
promised  more  remunerative  results.  Let  every 
man  at  the  close  of  this  year  have  such  state¬ 
ments  before  him,  and  he  can  then  more  easily 
decide  what  crops  to  raise,  or  whether  to  “  sell 
out  ”  entirely. 


How  to  Hoe  Corn. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist: 

When  I  was  a  boy,  and  first  went  into  the  field 
to  hoe  corn,  I  was  quite  puzzled  to  know  what  my 
father  meant,  when  he  directed  us  to  be  sure  and 
“  hoe  where  the  corn  wasn’t.”  But  after  following 
him  a  few  days,  and  noticing  the  pains  he  took 
to  have  all  the  ground  between  the  hills  well 
stirred,  as  well  as  the  weeds  cut  up,  and  par¬ 
ticularly  when  I  saw  how  careful  he  was,  not 
to  disturb  the  ground  deeply  very  near  the  young 
plants,  I  understood  his  meaning.  In  a  long 
acquaintance  with  corn  I  have  observed  enough 
to  make  me  think  he  was  right.  The  weeds 
must  be  cut  up  root  and  branch  to  have  good 
corn,  that’s  certain,  and  the  ground  must  be 
kept  loose  enough  to  let  the  heat  get  in,  and 
the  moisture  pass  up  from  below,  and  to  allow 
the  spreading  roots  to  make  their  way  easily 
through  the  soil  in  their  search  for  good  pick¬ 
ing.  But  I’ve  seen  a  good  many  slash  away 
with  the  hoe  close  around  the  stalk,  when  every 
cut  there,  if  two  inches  below  the  surface,  must 
have  broken  quite  a  number  of  the  growing 
roots.  It  certainly  can  not  be  of  much  use  to 
feed  corn  well,  if  you  then  go  to  work  and  cut 
off  its  mouths,  for  the  roots  are  mouths  to  the 
plant.  So  I  always  cultivate  lightly  where  the 
roots  have  extended,  which  is  about  the  length 
that  the  stalk  has  reached  above  the  ground, 
and  when  the  corn  is  up  breast  high,  I  wouldn’t 
let  a  man  go  through  the  field  with  a  plow,  if 
he  d  pay  wages  for  doing  it  and  find  himself. 


I  do  not  believe  in  billing  corn;  making  the 
field  look  like  a  crop  of  young  flag  staffs  plant¬ 
ed  on  small  pinnacles.  The  stalk  has  grown 
up  into  the  air  where  it  was  intended  to  stay, 
and  it  isn’t  natural  to  partially  bury  it  alive. 
People  do  it,  to  prop  it  up,  so  that  the  wind 
will  not  level  it.  But  if  it  be  let  alone,  it  will  do 
its  own  propping,  by  sending  forth  extra  roots 
just  above  the  surface,  which  go  out  and  an¬ 
chor  it  all  around.  I  have  seen  a  field  that 
was  hilled,  laid  flat  by  a  storm,  while  the  next 
one  to  it,  that  grew  naturally,  stood  up  after 
the  blow,  as  straight  as  a  militia  captain  on 
training-day.  When  corn  is  hilled,  it  will  try 
to  send  out  a  second  growth  of  supporting  roots, 
but  neither  the  first  nor  the  second  growth  will 
then  become  strong  enough  to  be  of  much  use. 
I  therefore  try  to  leave  my  ground  nearly  level, 
and  thus  also  save  the  roots  the  trouble  of  div¬ 
ing  down  again,  to  get  below  the  gullies  which 
are  sometimes  left  after  the  first  plowing. 

Jonathan. 


Smoky  Chimneys- 

Chimneys  on  the  one  story  wing  of  houses,  are 
often  caused  to  smoke  by  the  wind  blowing  over 
the  top  of  the  higher  part  of  the  house,  and  down 
into  them.  A  multitude  of  contrivances  have 
been  devised  to  remedy  this  evil.  The  most 
common  is  a  cap  of  stone  or  iron  laid  upon  two 
courses  of  bricks  at  the  four  corners  of  the  chim¬ 
ney,  thus  :  as  shown  in  fig.  1.  Th  is  answers 


- 


Fig.  1.  Fig.  2. 

pretty  well  when  the  wind  blows  down  steadily 
from  over  the  house,  or  from  any  direction  except 
towards  the  house.  Then  by  striking  against  the 
side  of  the  upright  part  of  the  house,  it  is  broken 
into  a  thousand  eddies,  driving  this  way  and  that, 
up  and  down,  under  the  chimney  cap  and  down 
the  flue,  and  filling  the  house  with  smoke.  Sev¬ 
eral  devices  are  in  vogue,  for  meeting  this  diffi¬ 
culty.  One,  highly  recommended,  is  called  Mott’s 
Ventilator,  of  which  fig.  2  is  a  sketch.  We  have 
seen  a  modification  of  this  in  a  cheaper  form, 
which  can  be  made  by  any  worker  in  tin  and 
sheet  iron.  Get  an  upright  piece  of  stove-pipe, 
two  feet  long  and  eight  or  ten  inches  diameter, 
and  make  it  square  at  the  bottom  so  as  to  fit  the 
flue.  Fasten  this  to  the  top  of  the  offending 
chimney,  by  brick-work 
or  by  a  cap  of  sheet-iron, 
the  first  is  preferable. 

On  the  top  of  this  upright 
piece,  fasten. a  horizontal 
section  of  the  same  di¬ 
ameter,  but  flaring  a  lit¬ 
tle  at  each  end.  It  will 
look  somewhat  like  fig¬ 
ure  3.  We  have  known  this  simple  contrivance 
to  work  well  on  chimneys  where  several  fashion¬ 
able  and  costly  ventilators  had  failed  to  afford 
any  benefit. 


Uses  of  Coal  Ashes. 

In  answer  to  some  inquiries  on  this  subject,  we 
would  say  that  their  value  as  a  manure  is  not 
very  great.  The  chemists  will  tell  us  that  they 
contain  only  a  little  potash,  much  less  than  wood 
ashes,  and  that  they  are  composed  chiefly  of 
earthy  materials,  with  some  sulphate  of  lime  or 


gypsum.  Experience  will  best  decide  where  they 
are  most  beneficial :  hurtful  they  can  hardly  be. 
In  heavy  clay  soils,  they  will  by  mechanical  ac¬ 
tion,  tend  to  make  the  ground  porous  and  easy  of 
tillage.  And  for  this  reason,  some  good  cultiva¬ 
tors  recommend  their  free  use  in  potato  fields,  as 
they  render  the  soil  light  and  dry,  and  so  favor 
the  healthfulness  of  the  tuber.  Thirty,  fifty,  or 
even  a  hundred  bushels  an  acre  are  not  too  much. 
They  may  be  used  advantageously  as  a  top-dres¬ 
sing  to  grass-lands  ;  also  as  a  mulch  to  fruit  trees 
in  Summer,  and  a  protection  to  their  roots  in 
Winter.  A  Flemish  Beauty  pear  tree  that  we  saw 
last  Summer,  was  loaded  down  with  fruit,  from 
having  been  liberally  mulched  in  this  way. 


How  to  Succeed. 


Mr.  Williams  is  a  lucky  dog.  He  prospers  in 
everything  he  undertakes.  If  he  buys  land,  it 
somehow  turns  out  to  be  good  ;  and  if  he  sells, 
he  gets  a  good  bargain.  Every  part  of  his  farm 
bears  the  impress  of  its  owner.  His  buildings 
and  fences  are  in  good  repair.  His  land  is  well 
tilled,  his  crops  show  their  keeping,  and  so 
do  his  horses,  oxen,  cows  and  sheep.  There  are 
unmistakable  signs  of  prosperity  all  about  him. 

Mr.  Brown  don’t  succeed  so  well.  He  is  a 
poor  judge  of  land,  and  buys  and  sells,  generally 
to  a  disadvantage.  He  works  hard,  works  early 
and  late,  is  very  economical,  denies  himself  and 
his  family  not  only  luxuries  but  even  comforts, 
and  yet  he  don’t  succeed.  His  fences  rot  before 
he  is  able  to  renew  them,  his  buildings  look  rusty, 
his  crops  are  meagre,  and  his  domestic  animals — 
why,  they  are  of  a  piece  with  the  rest. 

Now’,  what  makes  the  difference  in  these  two 
cases  1  Undoubtedly,  these  men  were  differently 
constituted.  But  in  addition  to  this,  the  one  has 
cultivated  his  talents,  while  the  other  has  suffer¬ 
ed  his  to  run  to  waste.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the 
successful  man  is  the  thinking  man.  He  gets  in¬ 
struction  from  everything,  because  his  eyes  are 
open  and  his  mind  awake.  When,  for  example, 
he  plants  a  tree,  he  studies  its  w’ants,  observes 
its  habits,  and  learns  all  that  can  well  be  learned 
about  tree-planting  ;  and  hence  he  succeeds  in  it. 
If  he  proposes  to  try  some  new  mode  of  tillage, 
he  does  not  go  at  it  blind  fold.  He  reads  on  the 
subject ;  and,  what  is  more,  reflects  upon  it, 
and  ascertains  the  why  and  wherefore  ;  he  talks 
with  intelligent  neighbors  about  it,  and  having 
thoroughly  made  up  his  mind,  proceeds  steadily 
to  the  accomplishment  of  his  object.  Is  it  sub¬ 
soiling  1  Down  goes  the  long  plow-share  into  the 
virgin  mold,  with  a  will,  regardless  of  the  doubts 
and  winks  of  his  thriftless  neighbors.  Is  it  some 
new  mode  of  making  and  applying  manures,  or 
the  use  of  some  new  implement  1  it  matters  not 
w'hat  it  may  be,  he  does  it  because  he  has  good 
and  sufficient  reasons  for  it.  He  succeeds,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  where  success  is  possible. 

It  is  just  the  opposite  with  the  unsuccessful 
man.  He  won’t  trouble  himself  to  find  out  the 
reason  of  the  most  common  processes.  He  don’t 
observe,  and  therefore  learns  but  little  from  nis 
daily  experience.  He  follow's  on  doggedly  in  the 
beaten  track,  satisfied  if  he  earns  his  daily  bread. 

To  succeed,  one  must  reflect,  as  well  as  work. 
A  man’s  body  will  not  thrive,  however  much 
food  he  may  take  into  his  stomach,  unless  he  di¬ 
gests  it.  So,  a  man  with  his  eyes  may  see  many 
things,  but  if  he  does  not  ieflect  upon  them,  if  he 
does  not  deduce  principles  from  facts,  his  mind 
will  not  grow,  his  character  will  not  improve,  and 
in  the  practical  affairs  of  life  he  will  not  succeed. 
Labor  and  thought  must  go  together.  Observa¬ 
tion,  reflection  and  industry  combine  to  form  the 
successful  man. 


174 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


What  are  the  best  Conductors  in  a 
Sugar  Grove? 

To  the.  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist  : 

I  Live  on  my  farm  a  hill  rising  some  30  feet  or 
more  high,  not  abrupt,  hut  too  steep  for  passing  up 
and  down  comfortably  with  a  burden.  The  eleva¬ 
tion  and  depression  and  face  of  the  ground  are 
such,  that  by  the  use  of  conductors,  the  sap  from 
between  400  and  500  maple  trees  on  it,  could  be 
conveyed  to  one  point.  The  trees  are  very  tall, 
thrifty  and  healthy  ;  many  of  them  are  large,  and 
have  never  been  tapped.  I,  and  perhaps  many 
others  similarly  situated,  would  like  some  infor¬ 
mation  respecting  the  conveying  of  the  sap  in  con¬ 
ductors.  What  is  the  cheapest,  safest  and  best 
mo’de  for  preparing  the  conductors  1  How  will 
these  conductors  be  affected  by  the  frost,  and 
what  effect  will  evaporation  havel  I  wish 
to  get  the  sugar  bush  ready  for  next  Spring,  and 
want  to  be  sure  I  am  right  before  I  go  ahead  on 
any  plan.  Who  will  respond  from  practical  ex¬ 
perience  and  observation '  E. 

- - - - - »-o - 

Good  Roads. 

A  good  road  is  one  of  the  surest  marks  of  civ¬ 
ilization.  In  the  days  of  Rome’s  greatest  glory, 
her  influence  was  everywhere  seen  in  the  noble 
roads  laid  out  through  all  parts  of  her  dominions. 
So  now  in  Continental  Europe,  and  above  all  in 
England,  good  roads  keep  pace  with  civilization. 
The  savage  don’t  care  for  roads  :  he  jumps,  climbs, 
threads  his  way  with  his  tribe  “  Indian-file,”  re¬ 
gardless  of  convenience,  safety  or  pleasure.  One 
of  the  greatest  drawbacks  to  life  in  a  new  coun¬ 
try  is  its  poor  roads.  We  see  no  reason  why 
every  community  should  not  feel  it  their  duty, 
their  interest,  and  their  pride,  to  make  the  best 
possible  highways  and  to  keep  them  in  good  re¬ 
pair.  Would  it  not  save  them  much  time  in  pas¬ 
sing  to  and  fro  ;  much  wear  and  tear  of  harness, 
wagons,  and  carriages  ;  much  straining  of  horses, 
much  impatience  ;  would  it  not  promote  their  own 
respectability,  and  enhance  the  value  of  their  real 
estate  1  As  canals  and  rail-roads  benefit  the  por¬ 
tion  of  a  State  through  which  they  run,  so  do 
good  roads  affect  the  lands  in  their  neighborhood. 

In  order  to  make  a  good  road,  the  thing  of  first 
importance  is  to  give  it  the  right  shape  for  shed¬ 
ding  water.  If  water  lies  on  the  track  in  warm 
weather,  it  is  sure  to  make  it  soft,  and  then,  of 
course,  to  produce  ruts,  and  mud-holes,  which 
grow  worse  and  worse  with  the  use  of  the  road. 
If  it  lies  there  in  Winter,  ice  is  formed  from  the 
top  to  the  foundation,  and  when  it  breaks  up  in 
the  Spring,  the  road  becomes  like  a  quaking  bog. 
It  is  plain  that  the  track  should  be  made  of  con¬ 
vex  shape,  sloping  from  the  middle  gently  to  the 
sides.  This  track  should  be  not  less  than  twenty 
four  feet  wide,  witli  a  gutter  on  each  side,  about 
one-foot  deep. 

And  yet,  the  very  common  practice  of  plowing 
the  gutters  and  sides  of  the  road,  every  year,  and 
scraping  the  top-soil  into  the  middle  of  the  track 
in  order  “  to  turnpike  it,”  is  quite  objectionable. 
That  soft,  mucky  soil,  enriched  as  it  is  by  the 
wash  of  the  road-track,  is  much  more  suitable  for 
fertilizing  gardens  or  mixing  in  the  compost  heap, 
than  for  making  solid  turnpikes.  It  would  be 
economy  for  the  neighboring  farmers  and  garden¬ 
ers  to  cart  off  this  good  soil,  and  replace  it  with 
as  much  gravel  or  hard  subsoil.  After  the  road 
has  been  put  into  the  right  shape,  the  track  may 
well  have  a  layer  of  small  cobble-stones  or  pound¬ 
ed  rocks  for  a  foundation,  and  this  should  be  cov¬ 
ered  with  gravel.  In  order  to  make  sure  of  car¬ 
rying  off  all  water  from  the  foundation  of  the 


track,  it  is  sometimes  recommended  to  dig  a 
drain  lengthwise  of  the  road,  under  the  middle  of 
the  track,  and  place  large  drain-pipe  at  the  bot¬ 
tom.  The  ditch  may  then  be  filled  up  with  small 
cobble-stones.  Such  a  road,  we  think,  would  al¬ 
ways  be  dry  and  firm. 

One  great  defect  in  many  roads  is  the  imper¬ 
fect  manner  in  which  sluice-ways  are  made  across 
the  track.  If  made  of  good  plank,  they  will  last 
a  few  years,  but  stone  well  laid,  are  much  better. 
Their  foundation  should  be  proof  against  frost. 
We  need  not  say  that  to  have  a  good  road,  it 
should  be  taken  care  of,  after  it  is  made.  When¬ 
ever  ruts  or  holes  begin  to  appear,  they  should  at 
once  be  filled  with  gravel,  or  pounded  stone,  or 
hard  soil. 

Making  Fence-Posts  Durable- 

All  posts  will  rot,  sooner  or  later,  and  no  method 
will  put  off  the  period  of  decay  very  long.  Yet 
something  can  be  done.  Charring  the  lower  end 
before  setting  it,  is  not  labor  lost,  although  it 
must  be  remembered  that  the  charring  process 
often  cracks  the  timber,  and  so  allows  the  mois¬ 
ture  to  penetrate  the  post  and  thus  induce  decay. 
Boring  small  holes  near  the  ground,  and  filling 
them  with  salt  once  a  year,  is  sometimes  recom¬ 
mended.  Perhaps  the  salt  thus  introduced,  and 
diffused  through  the  wood,  may  retard  decay,  but 
we  can  not,  from  theory  or  observation,  vouch  for 
such  results.  Coating  the  lower  end  and  six 
inches  above  the  ground  with  coal-gas  tar  answers 
a  good  purpose,  and  is,  we  think,  the  cheapest 
and  most  effectual. 

A  correspondent  suggests  soaking  the  lower- 
ends  in  a  solution  of  blue  vitriol,  (sulphate  of 
copper) — all  that  will  dissolve  in  water — and 
says  that  this  has  been  used  with  success  on 
shingles,  spouts,  bean-poles,  and  wood  in  other 
forms  exposed  to  the  weather.  We  do  not  un¬ 
derstand  the  chemical  action  of  such  a  fluid,  but  it 
may  be  good  for  fence-posts  for  aught  we  know. 

- «*»-* <g>  CE~i  '■  >—Gs~ - - 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist.— Prize  Articles. 

Farm  Fencing . V. 

Next  to  the  stone  wall,  the  best  and  cheapest 
enclosures  in  a  well-wooded  country,  are  the  post- 
and-rail  fence,  and  the  zig-zag,  worm  or  Virginia 
rail  fences,  and  in  the  adoption  of  either  of  these, 
the  farmer  must  be  governed  somewhat  by  his 
own  taste  and  means  of  expenditure,  but  usually 
more  by  the  supply  of  the  right  kinds  of  timber  at 
command,  and  the  price  at  which  it  may  be  ob¬ 
tained. 

Fence  posts  may  be  either  split  with  the  ax 
or  sawed  in  a  mill.  The  kind  of  timber  and  the 
straightness  of  its  grain,  will  determine  the 
method  of  making  them,  where  both  modes  are 
available.  The  most  durable  woods  for  these — 
and  they  should  be  of  durable  timber  for  setting 
in  the  ground — are,  in  the  Northern  States,  red 
cedar,  yellow  locust,  white  oak,  chestnut,  red 
beach,  white  cedar,  and  pine.  To  these,  may  be 
added,  in  the  Western  States,  black  walnut  and 
over-cup,  or  swamp  white  oak  ;  and  in  the  South¬ 
ern  States,  the  cypress,  and  pitch  or  yellow  pine, 
with  perhaps,  another  wood  or  two  of  local  celeb¬ 
rity  for  such  purposes.  The  proper  shape  for  a 
good  sawed  fence  post  is  square,  at  the  bottom, 
and  tapering  on  one  side  to  a  thickness  of  not 
exceeding  two  inches  at  the  top  end  ;  the  width 
of  the  post  at  the  top  being  the  same  as  the 
width  of  the  sides  at  the  bottom. 

In  this  shape  the  front  of  the  post  shows  a  full 
width  of  face  to  the  rail  when  inserted  in  it,  or  to 
the  board  when  nailed  upon  it,  yet  has  a  lighter 


top,  better  enabling  it  to  stand  upright,  as  well  as 
saving  much  material  in  cutting  at  the  mill. 

The  proper  size  for  a  fence  post  is  eight  feet 
long  and  six  to  eight  inches  square  at  the  butt, 
depending  upon  the  weight,  hight  and  strength  of 
the  fence  attached  to  it  above  ground.  For  a  solid, 
lasting  farm  fence,  we  would  have  the  posts  not 
less  than  seven  inches  square  at  the  butt,  nor 
should  they  exceed  eight  inches,  supposing  the 
fence  to  be,  at  the  top  rail,  five  feet  high.  In  a 
heavy,  clayey  soil,  seven  inches  will  do;  in  a 
light  loam  or  gravel,  eight  inches  is  better.  They 
should  stand  quite  two-and-a-half  feet  in  the 
ground — three  feet  is  better — both  to  give  them 
a  firm  footing  against  leaning  by  action  of 
heavy  winds  and  heaving  out  by  the  frosts.  As 
to  the  manner  of  setting  the  posts,  whether  the 
holes  be  dug  with  a  post  augur  or  spade,  it  mat¬ 
ters  but  little.  In  stony  soils  the  spade  must  be 
used,  and  a  spade  hole  is  better  than  an  augur 
hole,  as  it  gives  more  room  to  fasten  the  post 
firmly  in  while  setting.  At  all  events,  the 
posts  must  be  set  firmly ,  in  order  to  maintain  a 
solid  and  lasting  fence. 

We  have  spoken  of  durable  timber  for  posts  ; 
yet  much  in  durability  will  depend  on  the  proper 
preparation  of  the  posts  before  setting  them  in 
the  ground.  The  season  of  cutting  the  timber  in 
the  woods  may  be  a  question  with  some.  Yet, 
the  best  season  for  cutting  timber,  as  affecting 
its  durability,  is  an  unsettled  question,  and  after 
years  of  investigation,  the  writer  has  been  unable 
to  decide  which  is  the  most  preferable  :  whether 
Winter,  Spring,  Summer  or  Autumn.  We  think 
more  depends  on  the  treatment  of  the  wood  after 
it  is  cut,  and  before  it  is  set  in  the  ground,  than 
on  the  season  in  which  it  is  cut.  That  it  should 
be  thoroughly  seasoned  before  setting,  there  can  be 
no  question.  Then,  charring  the  foot  and  sides  of 
the  post  so  as  to  effectually  close  the  pores  of  the 
wood  to  external  influences,  is  a  great  advantage. 
Or,  the  same  effect  may  perhaps  be  given  by  a 
coat  of  gas  or  common  tar,  or  thick  oil  paint.  It 
is  said,  also,  that  a  deposit  of  a  gill  of  fine  salt 
plugged  into  an  augur  hole  in  the  post  below 
ground,  is  a  sure  preserver  against  rot.  In  fact, 
there  are  abundant  recipes  for  preserving  fence 
posts  underground  ;  but  many  of  them  are  mere 
nostrums,  while  others  are  too  expensive  and 
troublesome  to  be  of  any  use.  But  we  know  that 
thorough  seasoning  is  effective.  We  know,  also, 
that  charring  and  tar  are  effective  in  their  preserv¬ 
ing  influences  ;  and  a  green  post,  fresh  from  the 
woods,  or  the  saw-mill,  we  would  never  set. 
’They  will  not  last  half  the  time  of  a  well-seasoned 
one. 

We  have  seen  much  discussion  of  the  superior 
durability  of  posts  planted  top-end  down,  from 
the  fact  that  the  capillary  attraction  of  the  pores 
of  the  wood  when  standing  butt-end  down,  draws 
the  moisture  from  the  ground  up  through  the 
whole  length  of  the  wood,  thereby  causing  decay 
much  sooner  than  if  turned  top-end  down,  in 
which  way  the  capillary  attraction  can  not  act 
This  may  be  measurably  true  with  green  timber, 
but  when  the  wood  is  thoroughly  seasoned,  the 
pores  become  contracted,  and  incapable  of  action 
to  any  extent;  but  when,  in  addition,  the  whole 
surface  of  the  wood  in  contact  with  the  ground,  is 
charred,  or  coated  with  tar,  or  paint,  the  “  capil¬ 
lary  attraction  ”  must  be  quite,  or  next  to  nothing. 
Thus  prepared,  we  would  pay  no  attention  to 
which  end  of  the  growing  wood  is  set  in  the 
ground. 

We  have  spoken  thus  far  only  of  sawed  posts. 
We  are  aware  that  a  majority  of  our  farm  fences 
are  needed  where  it  is  either  quite  expensive  or 
impossible  to  get  sawed  posts  at  all;  therefore, 
they  must  be  split.  The  shape  and  goodness  of 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


175 


the  post  will  depend  much  on  the  skill  of  the  hand 
that  splits  them,  which  is  so  common  a  labor  that 
it  need  not  be  described.  The  “  cuts,”  or  logs 
for  the  posts  should  be  cut  with  a  cross-cut  saw, 
instead  of  chopped  with  an  ax,  to  make  them  all 
of  a  length.  When  split  out,  each  post  should  be 
dressed  free  from  sap-wood  and  splinters,  so  as 
to  have  as  fair  and  smooth  a  surface  as  possible, 
for  shedding  the  rains.  If  the  posts  are  intended 
for  rails,  the  holes  to  receive  them  should  be  two 
to  two-and-a-half  inches  wide,  and  six  inches 
long,  and  such  distance  apart  as  may  be  desirable 
to  exclude  whatever  animals  are  to  be  fenced  out. 
Of  that  the  builder  must  judge.  The  rail  holes 
may  be.  made  with  a  narrow  bitted  ax  for  that 
express  purpose,  or  by  two  augur  holes  at  their 
ends,  and  the  piece  between  cut  out  with  a  com¬ 
mon  ax.  The  work  is  simple,  any  way. 

The  rails  for  a  post-and-rail  fence  should  not 
exceed  ten  feet  long,  and  six  to  seven  inches  is 
wide  enough,  if  the  wood  is  straight-grained,  and 
evenly  split.  Two  inches,  at  the  extent,  is  thick 
enough.  It  is  no  matter  about  the  rails  being 
seasoned.  The  bark  should  he  taken  off,  and  they 
will  season  themselves  fast  enough  in  the  fence. 
Before  beginning  to  set  the  fence,  let  the  posts 
and  rails  be  distributed  along  the  line.  Then  com¬ 
mence  at  one  end,  and  complete  each  panel  as 
you  proceed,  so  far  as  securing  the  foot  of  the 
posts  is  concerned.  The  ■packing  of  the  earth 
around  them  can  be  done  afterwards,  although  it 
should  not  be  neglected  beyond  a  day  or  two,  as 
the  fence  might  otherwise  begin  to  lean  by  the 
winds  or  by  its  own  weight.  In  setting  the  fence, 
he  sure  to  place  the  posts  near  enough  together 
to  give  the  rails  a  good  lap  past  each  other 
where  they  meet  In  the  holes.  They  ought  to  lap 
at  least  three  inches,  and  be  tight  and  firm  when 
once  placed,  as  a  loose  and  shackling  fence  is 
always  out  of  order. 

We  consider  a  good  post-and-rail  fence,  five 
feet  high,  such  as  we  have  described,  next  to  a 
stonewall,  as  the  best  enclosure  a  farm  can  have. 
It  is  cheap.  It  takes  no  room  beyond  its  own 
simple  line.  It  is  strong,  efficient  and  dura¬ 
ble.  Its  cost  will  depend  upon  the  value  and 
convenience  of  the  timber  of  which  it  is  made. 
In  a  fairly  timbered  country,  seventy-five  cents  is 
a  fair  price,  and  a  dollar  a  rod  is  a  high  price  for 
it.  When  saw-mills  are  handy,  we  would  have 
both  rails  and  posts  sawed,  making  it  a  better  job, 
and  then  it  may  be  whitewashed  if  thought  best, 
and  made  as  ornamental  as  any  other. 

THE  VIRGINIA,  OR  WORM  FENCE. 

This  is  a  substantial  and  cheap  fence  in  a  wood¬ 
ed  country — a  lasting  one,  too.  if  suitable  timber 
is  selected  for  making  it.  We  have  named  the 
best  kinds  for  it,  but  less  durable  woods  will  an¬ 
swer  a  good  purpose,  if  laid  up  from  the  ground, 
and  exposed  to  the  sun — not  built  in  the  shade  of 
trees.  The  splitting  of  rails  is  too  common  and 
simple  a  business,  where  such  fences  are  used,  to 
need  comment  or  description.  The  rails  may  be 
eleven  or  twelve  feet  long — not  less  nor  more. 
From  four  to  six  inches  diameter,  of  any  shape 
they  may  come,  is  sufficiently  small  or  large  ;  and 
white  oak,  chestnut,  black  oak  and  black  walnut, 
the  best  possible  timber  to  make  them  of;  each 
being  strong,  durable,  and,  with  the  exception  of 
white  oak,  which  is  a  heavy  wood,  quite  light 
enough  in  weight. 

In  laying  this  fence,  a  solid  stone,  eight  or  ten 
inches  broad,  with  flat  surfaces,  if  to  be  had,  should 
he  made  a  foundation  for  the  corners  to  rest 
upon.  If  not,  wooden  blocks,  two  or  two-and-a- 
half  feet  long,  of  durable  timber,  and  six  inches 
thick,  may  be  laid  ;  but  in  no  ease  should  the  ends 


of  the  rails  touch  the  ground,  as  they  would  soon 
begin  to  decay.  The  worm  of  the  fence  should 
be  full  five  feet  from  corner  to  corner,  at  right  an¬ 
gles,  or  two-and-a-half  feet  from  the  centre  line 
of  the  fence.  The  fence  corners  may  be  laid  ei¬ 
ther  by  two  parallel  lines  of  stakes,  five  feet  apart, 
or  one  line  of  stakes  on  the  centre.  A  short  stake, 
about  six  feet  long,  with  a  right  angled  shank  two- 
and-a-half  feet  long,  secured  to  its  foot,  should 
also  be  provided — the  stakes  to  range  by,  and  the 
shank  to  measure  the  space  for  the  worm  to  ex¬ 
tend.  This  instrument  the  man  who  lays  the 
worm,  or  bottom  rail,  carries  with  him  as  he  pro¬ 
ceeds,  and  with  a  little  practice  the  corners  can  be 
laid  with  great  accuracy  and  neatness.  The  heart 
wood  rails  should  be  laid  at  the  bottom,  as  they 
are  usually  more  lasting  than  those  of  the  outer 
wood.  The  corners  should  be  carried  up  perpen¬ 
dicularly.  If  not  needed  to  be  over  five  feet  high, 
the  corners  can  he  secured  by  a  lock — that  is, 
putting  two  rails  leaning  across  the  corners  on 
the  same  side  of  the  line,  and  crossing  the  ends 
of  the  projecting  top  rails  of  the  fence.  But  the 
most  efficient  way  is  to  cross-stake  each  corner, 
and  lay  one  or  two  rails  upon  them,  according,  to 
the  hight  offence  required.  These  stakes  should 
be  three  inches  thick  and  nine  feet  long,  sharpen¬ 
ed  at  one  end,  and  driven  well  into  the  ground, 
with  a  good  shank  to  hold  them  firmly. 

Another  way  of  staking  a  fence  at  the  corners, 
is,  to  have  the  stakes  six,  seven  or  eight  feet  long, 
according  to  tiie  hight  of  the  fence,  and  set  them 
perpendicularly,  and  a  stout  plank  or  split,  block 
cap,  with  holes  through  it  to  receive  the  stakes, 
(and  hold  them  firmly  together)  placed  on  the  top  ; 
or,  the  stakes  may  he  effectually  wired  at  the  top 
with  annealed  wire  of  about  No.  6,  (or  the  size  of 
a  rye  straw,)  which  is  quite  as  cheap  as  the  plank, 
or  block  cap. 

We  know  white  oak  rail  worm  fences  which 
have  stood  fifty  years,  with  occasional  slight  re¬ 
pairs,  and  are  still  good.  They  are  anything  hut 
ornamental,  we  admit,  but  for  utility,  they  are 
not  easily  excelled.  Thirty  cents  to  a  dollar  a  rod, 
according  to  the  value  of  timber,  is  their  cost,  and 
although  they  occupy  more  land  than  the  post-and- 
rail,  the  ease  with  which  they  are  built  may  cause 
them  to  be  a  more  desirable  enclosure. 


Hedge  Hants  for  the  South, 

Wherever  a  good  hedge  can  be  successfully 
grown,  it  is  at  once  the  nearest  perfect  and  the 
most  beautiful  of  fences.  When  well  established, 
no  winds  can  prostrate  it,  no  animal  penetrate  it. 
It  cannot  be  thrown  down  by  the  frosts,  like  stone  ; 
it  does  not  decay  like  hoards  or  rails.  It  needs 
no  refitting  and  no  painting.  Every  Spring  re¬ 
news  its  vigor,  and  adorns  it  with  new  beauty.  It 
stands  ever  before  the  eyes  a  living  wall  of  ver¬ 
dure,  an  object  of  taste  as  well  as  of  utility. 
There  is,  unquestionably,  an  increasing  desire  for 
hedges,  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  especially  in 
the  older  sections,  where  wood  is  growing  scarce, 
or  upon  the  prairies  and  savannas,  where  there  is 
no  rock.  Amateurs  are  experimenting  with  a 
great  variety  of  trees  and  shrubs,  and  though  no 
one  may  have  been  found  t  at  adapted  to  all 
parts  of  our  country,  it  is  probable  that  every  sec¬ 
tion  is  furnished  with  good  native  hedge  plants. 

Naturehas  been  especially  prodigal  to  the  South, 
where  not  only  most  of  our  Northern  hedge  plants 
do  well,  but  many  indigenous  and  e::otic  shrubs 
are  trained  into  beautiful  living  fences.  In  the 
writer’s  recent  visit  to  the  Gulf  States,  notes 
were  taken  of  a  few  of  these  hedge  plants,  that 
fell  under  observation. 

The  Arbor-Vim:,  we  saw  in  several  places 


and,  in  a  moist  soil,  it  makes  even  a  thicker  mass 
of  foliage  than  at  the  North.  No  instance  of  the 
failure  of  this  tree  has  ever  come  under  our  no¬ 
tice,  and  it  seems  to  come  nearer  to  a  perfect 
hedge-plant  for  all  soils  and  climates  than  any¬ 
thing  yet  tried.  It  bears  the  shears  well,  and 
makes  a  very  good  shelter  from  the  winds,  as 
well  as  a  perfect  fence. 

T  he  Red  Cedar  (Junipcrus  Virginiana ),  is  hard¬ 
ly  inferior  to  the  Arbor-Vita;.  It  grows  more 
vigorously  than  with  us,  and  makes  a  very  hand¬ 
some  hedge.  The  Horieon/alis  is  much  like  it  in 
leaf  and  genera!  appearance,  and  is  a  charming 
object  in  ornamental  grounds,  whether  grown  as 
a  solitary  tree  or  in  masses. 

Tiie  \\  ild  Peach— Is  a  fine  evergreen,  and 
very  commonly  trained  as  a  hedge.  It  belongs  to 
the  ccrasus  family  of  trees,  and  has  the  general 
appearance  of  our  wild  cherry.  Tiie  flowers  and 
fruit  also  resemble  it.  When  tiie  young  trees  are 
set  about  three  feet  apart,  and  kept  well  cut  in,  it 
makes  a  very  stout  and  durable  hedge 

The  Cherokee  Rose — Is  probably  more  widely 
distributed  in  the  South  than  any  other  hedge 
plant.  It  is  a  rampant,  grower,  and  thickly  armed 
with  spines  which  present  a  formidable  aspect  to 
pigs,  sheep,  and  all  domestic  animals.  It  is  not 
usually  sheared,  and  covers  a  good  deal  of  ground, 
ft  is  commonly  found  as  a  boundary  hedge  be¬ 
tween  the  plantations,  on  the  bottom  lands,  and 
at  tiie  road  side.  It  lias  a  large,  single,  white 
rose,  nearly  two  inches  across,  and  makes  a  fine 
show.  In  tiie  Delta  it  is  frequently  grown  in  con¬ 
nection  with  tiie  sour  orange,  as  a  boundary 
fence.  Tiie  two,  together,  make  a  hedge  so  high 
and  thick  that,  a  house  is  as  much  secluded  as  if 
it  were  in  the  wilderness. 

The  Osage  Orange— Is  also  cultivated  as  a 
boundary  fence.  It  is  a  native  of  Arkansas  and 
Texas,  and  of  course  perfectly  adapted  to  the  cli¬ 
mate.  At  three  years  old,  if  properly  trained  and 
trimmed,  it  will  fence  any  kind  of  stock,  from  the 
buffalo  to  the  chicken. 

Among  the  plants  of  small  growth,  adapted  to 
gardens  and  cemeteries,  we  noticed 

Tiie  Cape  Jessamine — At  the  edge  of  a  terrace 
or  around  a  front  door,  nothing  can  surpass  the 
bright  green  leaves  and  the  beautiful  flowers  of 
this  exotic. 

The  Camellia  Japonica — Of  our  green-houses 
flourishes  in  open  culture  all  through  the  winter! 
It  is  a  large,  vigorous  shrub,  and  when  well 
trained,  and  loaded  with  blossoms,  is  one  of  the 
most  attractive  objects  around  a  Southern  home¬ 
stead.  It  makes  a  beautiful  border  hed«-e  for  war¬ 
den  walks  or  a  carriage  drive. 

The  Pyricantha — From  Soulhern  Italy,  is  an¬ 
other  fine  plant  for  tiie  same  locations.  It  is  an 
evergreen,  and  armed  with  stout  thorns,  which 
makes  it  formidable  to  man  and  beast.  We  saw 
this  as  far  North  as  Vicksburg,  and  it  was  repre¬ 
sented  as  one  of  the  best  of  hedge  plants  for  the 
garden. 

The  Ligustrum  Sinensis — Is  a  larger  evergreen 
frequently  met  with  in  the  gardens  around  New- 
Orieans.  It  is  also  known  as  the  Chinese  Privet 
and  makes  a  far  more  beautiful  hedge  than  any 
Privet  we  ever  saw.  The  flowers  are  very 
showy. 

The  Viburnum  Sinensis — Is  another  fine  exotic, 
found  in  the  same  region;  highly  appreciated. 

With  these  admirable  shrubs,  our  Southern 
friends  have  tiie  best  material  for  adorning  their 
homes. 

- - ->cea<&!Br»— - - - 


Reckless  youth  makes  rueful  age. 


17G 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


No.  149. 


THE  PASSING  SHOWER 

(Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist.) 


The  somewhat  embarrassing,  yet  apparently 
pleasant  position  in  which  these  two  young  people 
chance  to  be  placed,  is  suggestive  of  many  agree¬ 
able  thoughts,  with  which  a  column  miehtbe  easily 
filled  ;  but  the  story  is  so  well  told  by  the  pic¬ 
ture  itself,  from  the  placard  on  the  tree  to  the 
rainbow  over  the  church  spire,  that  a  descriptive 
chapter  is  wholly  unnecessary.  The  picture  will 
be  read  with  interest.  This  peculiarity  of  tel¬ 
ling  their  own  story,  will  be  noticed  as  charac¬ 
teristic  of  most  of  the  numerous  engravings  ap¬ 
pearing  from  time  to  time  in  the  Agriculturist. 

Geographical  Distribution  of  Plants- 

It  is  generally  admitted,  we  suppose,  that  plants 
(by  which  we  mean  trees  and  all  other  vegetable 
productions,)  were  at  the  first  distributed  by  the 
Creator  over  the  earth.  They  have  not  spread 
Ihemselves,  as  man  has  done,  from  one  spot  in 
Asia  over  the  other  regions  of  the  globe,  but 
were  for  the  most  part  originally  created  and 


placed  where  they  are  now  found  existing.  Why 
they  were  so  distributed,  we  perhaps  do  not  know, 
except  that  God  designed  the  whole  earth  to  be 
inhabited  by  man  and  beast.  Plants,  obviously, 
must  grow  in  order  to  furnish  subsistence  for  ani¬ 
mals  and  men ;  and  they  are  needful  also  for 
medicines,  and  in  the  arts,  and  for  lumber.  Plants 
were  adapted  to  the  particular  region  in  which 
they  were  designed  to  grow.  The  palm-tree,  for 
instance,  was  adapted  to  the  tropics,  and  was 
placed  there  instead  of  at  the  poles.  And  be¬ 
sides  this  genoral  distribution,  plants  were  as¬ 
signed  to  particular  localities.  To  the  sea,  were 
given  marine  plants ;  to  fresh  water,  aquatics. 
Marshes  had  other  species;  common  soil  had  oth¬ 
ers  still;  and  even  arid  plains  were  not  left  desti¬ 
tute.  Rocks  and  trees  w^re  covered  with  moss¬ 
es  and  lichens.  Here  were  parasites,  like  mis¬ 
tletoe  ;  and  there  were  air-plants,  like  the  black 
moss  ,(Tillandsia  usneoidcs)  of  our  southern  States, 
This,  we  say,  is  th e general  law,  viz.:  that  plants 
were  originally  created  for  a  specific  climate  and 


soil  and  aspect,  and  that  they  have  retained  the 
position  at  first  assigned  them.  Yet,  this  gener¬ 
al  law  has  exceptions.  Plants  have  been  car¬ 
ried  from  one  part  of  the  earth  to  another  in  va¬ 
rious  ways.  Our  wheat,  potatoes,  and  other  farm 
products  are  not  indigenous  to  our  soil.  The 
finest  and  the  largest  number  of  the  vegetables  of 
our  kitchen  gardens  have  come  to  us  from  across 
the  ocean.  So  of  our  flowering  plants,  shrubs, 
and  many  ornamental  trees.  Seeds  of  plants  are 
carried  far  by  the  tides  of  the  ocean,  and  by  riv¬ 
ers  and  other  streams.  They  are  borne  many 
miles  through  the  air  in  parachutes  furnished  by 
nature  herself,  as  for  example,  the  thistle-seed  on 
its  down.  They  are  carried  in  the  crops  of  birds, 
in  the  stomachs  of  animals,  and  as  burrs  in  their 
hair.  Many  of  the  plants  so  disseminated,  do  not 
succeed  well  in  their  new  abodes,  and  many  die 
after  the  growth  of  a  single  Summer.  This  is  the 
case,  especially,  with  those  which  have  spread 
from  one  climate  into  another,  as  for  example, 
from  the  south  to  the  north.  These  are  seldom 


June,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


177 


perpetuated,  except  as  aided  by  the  hand  of  man. 

It  is  an  interesting  question  to  consider  wheth¬ 
er  plants  can  be  acclimated  in  a  region  material¬ 
ly  different  from  that  in  which  they  are  indige¬ 
nous.  Vegetable  physiologists  are  in  dispute 
about  it.  Some  assert  that  the  plant  under¬ 
goes  no  constitutional  change,  and  can  not  under¬ 
go  any,  on  being  removed  from  one  climate  to 
another.  Others  hold  that  a  slight  modification 
does  take  place.  And  the  latter  surely  have  some 
facts  on  their  side,  at  least  in  the  case  of  plants 
reproduced  by  seed.  Take  the  case  of  Indian  corn. 
That  which  is  grown  in  Virginia,  if  taken  at  once 
to  Canada,  will  not  ripen.  But  take  it  there  by 
degrees  ;  plant  it  fifty  or  a  hundred  miles  further 
north  each  year  for  several  successive  years,  and 
at  length  it  will  become  so  modified  that  it  will 
mature  in  Canada.  Rice  has  advanced  by  a  slow 
progress,  from  the  Carolinas  to  Virginia,  and  can 
now  be  grown  even  in  New-Jersey.  Hence,  it  is 
inferred  that  an  individual  tree  may  be  some¬ 
what  modified  by  a  transfer  from  one  climate  to 
another.  It  is  well  known  that  a  tree,  slightly 
tender,  becomes  hardier  as  it  increases  in  age. 
Every  year  adds  a  new  and  thicker  layer  of  wood 
and  bark  between  the  pith  and  the  outer  air,  and 
so  enables  it  better  to  resist  frost.  If  then,  we 
protect  a  young  and  tender  tree  for  a  few  Win¬ 
ters  until  it  has  acquired  thickness  of  bark,  why 
may  it  not  be  able  afterwards  to  endure  a  great¬ 
er  degree  of  cold  than  it  would  have  experienced 
in  its  native  climate  1 

So  reasons  Theory,  with  some  plausible  show. 
But  stern  Fact  steps  in  and  says:  ‘This  is  all  a 
humbug  :  you  may  carry  seeds  from  the  south  to 
the  north,  and  their  successive  progenies  will  be¬ 
come  hardier  from  year  to  year  ;  but  not  so  with 
an  individual  tree:  it  can  not  materially  change.’ 


Gardens  for  Farmers. 


,  Why  should  not  the  farmer  have  as  good  a 
garden  as  any  body!  Don’t  he  deserve  some  of 
the  good  things  of  this  life  !  Does  the  curse  of 
Adam  fall  exclusively  upon  his  garden-patch, 
filling  it  with  thorns  and  thistles,  and  compelling 
him  to  eat  the  fruit  thereof  in  the  sweat  of  his 
face,  without  any  consolation  !  We  don’t  believe 
it.  If  his  garden  is  a  poor  one,  let  him  blame 
only  himself.  He  thinks,  as  we  well  know,  that 
his  great  garden,  the  farm,  needs  all  his  attention, 
and  will  repay  his  labor  and  care,  much  better  than 
the  little  garden  of  vegetables  and  fruits.  But 
why  not  have  both,  and  take  good  care  of  both ! 
There  is  many  an  odd  spell  which,  faithfully  used, 
would  keep  the  garden  in  excellent  trim.  An  odd 
half  day,  with  one  or  two  of  the  hired  men,  would 
plow  and  plant  it ;  and  then,  if  the  farmer  would 
only  so  determine,  it  could  easily  be  taken  care 
of  all  Summer,  without  interfering  with  the  reg¬ 
ular  labors  of  the  farm. 

There  are  many  reasons  why  the  farmer  should 
have  a  good  garden.  The  healthfulness  and  the 
pleasurableness  of  it  are  sufficient  reasons.  Salt 
pork,  blue  beef,  codfish  and  pickles,  are  well 
enough  in  their  way,  and  at  suitable  times  ;  but 
how  much  more  pleasant  and  wholesome,  if  in¬ 
termingled  with  some  nice  vegetables  and  fruits 
from  the  garden  1  What  is  better  in  Spring  than  a 
savory  dish  of  asparagus,  or  parsneps,  or  vegetable 
oysters  !  A  riiubarb  pie,  or  a  dish  of  strawber¬ 
ries  and  cream,  who  can  be  insensible  to  them ! 
Early  cherries  and  raspberries,  gooseberries  and 
currants  are  not  to  be  despised.  And  so  on, 
through  all  the  heats  and  labors  of  the  Summer, 
what  a  fountain  of  health  and  comfort  may  the 
garden  be  made  1  Nice  young  beets,  peas,  rad¬ 
ishes,  beans,  cucumbers,  melons,  squashes,  grapes, 


plums,  and  what  not,  are  all  healthful,  if  eaten  in 
moderation  ;  they  give  a  relish  to  other  food  and 
promote  appetite  and  good  digestion.  And  sure¬ 
ly,  a  farmer  is  a  happier  man,  if  his  daily  toil  is 
cheered  by  such  pleasant  repasts.  He  enjoys  life 
as  it  goes.  His  laborers  are  more  contented  ;  his 
children  grow  up  attached  to  their  rural  home. 

We  insist  upon  it,  as  we  have  done  before, 
that  if  farmers  would  have  their  sons  and  daugh¬ 
ters  contented  and  happy,  they  must  not  scold 
them  for  their  discontent,  but  must  make  farm 
life  so  pleasant  that  they  will  not  desire  to  aban¬ 
don  it.  They  must  relieve  it  as  far  as  possible, 
of  wearisome  drudgery,  routine  and  coarseness, 
and  mingle  comforts  and  pleasures  with  its  severer 
labors.  A  garden  of  fruits,  vegetables  and  flowers, 
will  do  much  toward  accomplishing  this  result. 
- - - 


Shall  the  Robin  be  Destroyed? 

INTERESTING  REPORT. 

HE  members  of 
the  Massachusetts 
Horticultural  So¬ 
ciety  are  deserv- 
■  ing  of  much  credit 
3gtS0imBS  .  for  an  investiga¬ 

tion  set  on  foot  at 
their  first  meeting 
last  year,  (Jan.  9.)  To  bring 
the  subject  forward  formally, 
a  resolution  was  offered  to 
“authorize  the  President,  in 
behalf  of  the  Society,  to  pe¬ 
tition  the  Legislature  to  re¬ 
peal  such  of  the  statutes  and 
laws  of  the  Commonwealth 
as  punish  the  taking,  killing,  and  destroying  of 
the  bird  commonly  known  as  the  Robin.”  An  an¬ 
imated  discussion  took  place,  and  a  Committee 
consisting  of  Messrs.  J.  W.  P.  Jenks,  Prof,  of 
Zoology  ;  0.  M.  Hovey,  and  E.  S.  Rand,  jr. ,  was 
appointed  to  make  a  thorough  investigation,  and 
report  at  such  time  as  they  might  deem  advisable. 
This  committee  entered  upon  their  labors  with 
much  interest  and  zeal,  and  continued  them 
through  the  year.  In  a  recent  number  of  the 
Journal  of  the  Society,  we  have  the  report  of 
Prof.  Jenks,  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  in  full, 
and  condense  therefrom  the  following  outline, 
which  will  be  found  interesting. 

The  plan  adopted  in  the  investigation  was, 
First,  to  obtain  birds  at  day-break,  mid-day,  and 
sunset :  Second,  to  obtain  them  from  both  village 
and  country  :  Third,  to  preserve  in  alcohol  the 
contents  of  each  gizzard. 

In  accordance  with  this,  specimens  were  ex¬ 
amined  at  least  weekly,  and  most  of  the  time  daily 
from  March  to  December  last,  and  at  several 
periods  during  the  winter. 

The  male  birds  made  their  appearance  first, 
early  in  March,  followed  by  the  females  the  sec¬ 
ond  week  in  April.  The  gizzards  of  those  killed 
in  the  morning  were  almost  entirely  empty,  or 
but  slightly  distended  with  well  macerated  food, 
while  those  killed  in  the  latter  part  of  the  day 
were  as  uniformly  filled  with  fresh  food. 

In  the  almost  daily  examinations  of  their  giz¬ 
zards,  from  the  early  part  of  March  to  the  first  of 
May,  not  a  particle  of  vegetable  matter  was  found 
in  a  single  bird,  insects  in  great  variety,  both  as 
to  number  and  kind,  forming  their  sole  food,  a 
large  proportion  of  which  was  the  bibio  larvae,  an 
insect  feeding  principally  upon  the  roots  of  grass. 

During  May  the  larvae  entirely  disappeared 
from  the  gizzards,  being  replaced,  up  to  June  21st, 
by  a  variety  of  insects,  including  spiders,  cater¬ 
pillars,  and  beetles,  of  the  family  Elateridae,  the 


parents  of  the  well  known  wire-worms,  so  des¬ 
tructive  to  corn  and  various  other  seeds.  The 
earth-worm  was  found  to  be  a  favorite  food  for 
the  young  robin,  but  was  sparingly  employed  by 
the  adult  bird  for  its  own  use. 

From  June  21st,  strawberries,  cherries,  and 
other  pulpy  fruit  were  found,  usually  intermingled 
with  the  insects,  leading  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  fruit  was  used  for  a  dessert  during  the  ener¬ 
vating  season  of  moulting,  as  it  was  more  easily 
procured  than  any  other  food. 

This  mixed  diet  of  the  robin  continued  from 
the  ripening  of  strawberries  and  cherries  to  Oc¬ 
tober, — the  vegetable  portion  consisting,  during 
August  and  September,  mainly  of  elderberries 
and  pokeberries. 

During  October  the  vegetable  diet  was  discard¬ 
ed,  and  grass-hoppers  and  other  orthopterous  in¬ 
sects  supplied  its  place. 

Early  in  November  the  robins  mostly  migrate 
to  the  South.  The  few  which  remain,  exist  dur¬ 
ing  the  winter,  upon  bayberries  ( myrica  ccrifera), 
privet  berries  ( ligustrum  vulgare),  and  the  com¬ 
mon  juniper  berries. 

Prof.  Jenks  proposes  to  pursue  his  researches 
and  observations  still  further;  but  from  what  has 
already  been  shown,  it  is  very  evident  that  the 
fruit  which  the  robin  takes  for  his  dessert  can 
well  be  spared  him  in  view  of  the  vast  service  he 
renders  by  destroying  immense  quantities  of  in¬ 
sects  alike  injurious  to  fruit  and  vegetables.  We 
hope  that  not  only  the  Society  above  named,  but 
other  like  associations  will  institute  and  continue 
similar  investigations  respecting  other  birds. 

- =>-< - — K-e-t— - - - - 

The  Black  Knot  on  the  Plum. 

We  find  on  our  files  the  following  remarks  from 
a  correspondent  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y. :  Horti¬ 
culturists  are  evidently  becoming  discouraged  in 
their  attempts  to  cultivate  the  plum.  Thecurcu- 
lio  and  the  black-knot  are  two  formidable  ene¬ 
mies.  Of  the  curculio  I  do  not  now  propose  to 
speak  ;  but  the  black-knot  I  believe  can  be  kept 
in  check,  if  not  exterminated.  Careful  observa¬ 
tion  has  ascertained  pretty  clearly  what  the  cause 
of  the  knot  is.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  sting  of  an 
insect.  This  insect  is  about  an  inch  long,  pale 
yellow  in  color,  has  four  wings,  and  hind  legs  re¬ 
sembling  those  of  grasshoppers.  The  puncturing 
of  the  branch  is  done  by  the  female,  who  stings 
it  in  order  to  deposit  her  eggs.  These  eggs, 
numbering  often  as  many  as  ten  or  a  dozen,  are 
laid  in  August  and  September.  They  are  soon 
hatched,  and  the  larvae  lie  dormant  until  the  early 
part  of  the  following  Summer,  when  they  are 
changed  into  winged  insects. 

The  tumor  on  the  tree  appears  to  be  caused 
partly  by  the  puncture  itself,  and  partly  by  a  pois¬ 
onous  substance  infused  at  the  time  the  wound  is 
made.  By  frequently  examining  plum-trees  in 
the  months  of  August  and  September,  the  insects 
will  be  found  busy  at  work,  stinging  the  branches 
and  making  their  deposits ;  which  being  done, 
the  whole  is  varnished  over  with  a  wrater-proof 
substance,  and  domestic  matters  are  kept  quiet 
until  the  larvae  are  hatched.  Cut  open  a  limb 
that  has  been  stung,  early  in  June,  and  the  larvae 
will  be  found  alive  and  kicking. 

Of  course,  the  only  way  to  subdue  this  pest  is 
to  wage  an  unceasing  war  upon  it.  Entrap  him 
in  bottles  of  sweetened  water  hung  in  the  trees  ; 
burn  him  in  bonfires  kindled  in  the  garden  by 
night ;  examine  the  trees  often,  and  cut  out  t  he 
tumors  as  soon  as  they  appear,  and  burn  them. 
This  cutting  of  the  limbs  does  no  serious  harm  : 
they  soon  heal  over.  By  pursuing  this  vigorous 
treatment,  the  black-knoj  will  do  little  practical 
injury.  Oneida. 


178 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Profitable  Pear  Trees. 

A  gentleman  near  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  recently 
sold  fruit  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  pear  trees, 
occupying  about  two-and-a-half  acres  of  land,  to 
the  amount  of  five  thousand  dollars,  in  a  single 
season.  They  were  packed  in  boxes,  holding 
about  three  pecks  each,  and  sold  for  four  dollars  a 
box.  The  varieties  were  principally  the  Bartlett, 
and  the  Beurre  Diel,  and  each  box  contained  from 
four-and-a-half  to  five  dozen  pears.  The  fruit  on 
a  single  tree  sold  for  eighty  dollars. 

An  amateur  in  the  same  vicinity,  sold  last  sea¬ 
son  from  a  single  tree  planted  ten  years  ago,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  dollars  worth  of  fruit.  The 
variety  was  the  Beurre  d’Amalis,  and  the  quanti¬ 
ty  twenty-six  boxes,  of  seven  to  eight  dozen 
each.  Two  years  ago,  the  same  tree  produced 
twenty-five  boxes,  when  it  had  been  planted  but 
eight  years.  It  bears  only  in  alternate  years.  He 
had  many  other  trees  of  the  same  age  hearing  from 
five  to  fifteen  boxes.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
these  trees  had  careful  culture,  and  a  plenty  of 
food.  [The  above  item  is  from  the  pen  of  an  As¬ 
sociate  who  has  been  at  the  South  since  last  Au¬ 
tumn.  He  lias  been  successful  above  many  others 
in  growing  pears  in  New-England,  and  is  justly 
entitled  to  speak  enthusiastically  of  the  value  ol 
pears  as  a  paying  fruit.  But  so  far  as  our  obser¬ 
vations  have  extended  over  the  country  general¬ 
ly,  we  can  not  commend  the  culture  of  pears  as 
certain  to  he  a  safe  and  sure  paying  crop.  They  of¬ 
ten  do  well,  and  pay  well,  and  no  one  should  fail 
to  try  them  on  a  small  scale  for  home  use  at  least. 
But  to  depend  upon  the  growth  of  pears  for  a 
livelihood  or  a  fortune  is,  to  say  the  least,  a 
hazardous  enterprise — with  the  great  majority  of 
persons.  Great  crops,  like  those  referred  to  above, 
are  by  no  means  uncommon,  but  they  are  noted 
more  as  an  exception  than  as  results  to  be  gener¬ 
ally  looked  for. — Ed  ] 


To  obtain  Fruit  from  Barren  Trees. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

I  wish  to  describe  to  you  a  method  of  making 
fruit  trees  bear  that  I  blundered  on  to.  Some 
fifteen  years  ago  I  had  a  small  apple  tree  that 
leaned  considerably.  I  drove  a  stake  by  it,  tied  a 
string  to  a  limb  and  fastened  it  to  the  stake  : 
The  next  year  that  limb  blossomed  full,  and  not 
another  blossom  appeared  on  the  tree,  and  as 
Tim  Bunker  said,  “  it  sot  me  a  thinking,”  and  I 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  string  was  so 
tight,  that  it  prevented  the  sap  returning  to  the 
roots  ;  consequently,  it  formed  fruit  buds,  flay¬ 
ing  a  couple  of  pear  trees  that  were  large  enough 
to  bear  but  that  had  never  blossomed,  I  took  a 
coarse  twine,  wound  it  several  times  around  the 
tree  above  the  lower  limbs,  and  tied  it  as  tight  as 
I  could.  The  next  Spring  all  the  top  above  the 
cord,  blossomed  as  white  as  a  sheet,  and  there  was 
not  one  blossom  below  where  the  cord  was  tied. 
A  neighbor  seeing  my  trees  loaded  with  pears, 
used  tiiis  method  with  the  same  result.  I  have 
since  tried  the  experiment  on  several  trees,  al¬ 
ways  with  the  same  result.  I  think  it  a  much  bet¬ 
ter  way  than  cutting  off  the  roots.  In  early  Sum¬ 
mer,  say  June  or  Joly,  wind  a  strong  twine  sever¬ 
al  times  round  the  tree,  or  a  single  limb,  and  tie  it, 
the  tighter  the  better,  and  you  will  be  pleased  with 
the  result :  the  next  Winter  or  Spring  the  cord 
may  he  taken  off.  James  R.  Russell. 

Trumbull  Co.,  0. 

Remarks. — The  above  plan  is  similar  in  effect  to 
“ringing  the  grape  vine,”  described  in  the  Decem¬ 
ber  Agriculturist,  Vol.  17.  It  is  frequently  made 
use  of  by  fruit  groweis  to  hasten  the  bearing  of 


young  trees.  Wire  is  sometimes  used,  but  it  must 
be  removed  before  the  next  season’s  growth,  or 
it  cuts  into  and  deforms  the  tree  or  branch  :  on 
this  account  the  lead  wire  spoken  of  on  page  212 
of  last  volume  will  be  preferable,  because  it 
compresses  the  bark  sufficiently,  but  yields  in 
length,  and  finally  breaks  with  the  increased 
growth. — Ed. 

- «o>~« - - *-©* - 

Labels  on  Fruit  Trees. 

The  labels  generally  attached  to  trees  and 
plants  when  sold  from  the  nurseries,  are  not  de¬ 
signed  to  remain  permanently  upon  them.  The 
twine  will  soon  rot  off,  or  the  wire  cut  through 
the  hark,  if  the  tree  grows,  or  he  so  deeply  im¬ 
bedded  that  it  can  not  begot  out  without  injury 
to  the  tree.  At  the  very  first  leisure,  after  the 
hurry  of  planting,  zinc,  or  other  indestructible 
labels,  should  be  made  and  applied.  To  make  a 
cheap  and  lasting  label,  take  a  strip  of  thin  sheet 
zinc,  about  four  inches  long,  and  three-fourths  of 
an  inch  wide  at  one  end  and  tapering  to  the  other 
end.  Write  the  name  on  the  broadest  part,  and 
bend  the  narrow  part  around  a  small  branch,  and 
it  will  expand  as  fast  as  the  growing  tree  requires. 
To  make  the  ink  :  “  Take  of  verdigris  and  sal-am¬ 
moniac  each  2  drachms  ;  lampblack,  1  dr.;  water 
four  ozs.;  to  he  well  mixed  in  a  mortar,  adding 
the  water  gradually.  Keep  the  ink  in  a  vial  with 
a  glass  stopper.”  In  writing,  use  a  quill  pen, 
shaking  up  the  ink  well  before  using.  If  thor¬ 
oughly  dried  before  being  exposed,  the  writing 
will  last  a  dozen  years  and  often  much  longer. 

A  label  got  up  by  B.  K.  Bliss,  of  Mass.,  the  ex¬ 
act  size  of  which  is  here  shown,  is  very  neat  in 


appearance,  and  durable.  It  resembles  a  locket 
made  of  zinc,  the  face  being  covered  with  transpar¬ 
ent  mica.  A  slip  of  paper  with  the  name  of  the 
tree  printed  or  written  upon  it  is  placed  under 
the  mica,  an  1  the  edges  of  the  zinc  brought  down 
closely  around  it,  to  hold  it  tight  and  exclude  wa¬ 
ter.  A  small  ring  is  attached,  by  which  the  label 
may  be  suspended  from  the  tree  with  wire.  They 
are  perhaps  too  expensive  for  general  use  as  they 
cost  some  $4  per  hundred. 

A  substitute  for  labels  of  every  kind,  is  to  keep 
an  accurate  map  of  one’s  orchard  or  fruit  garden, 
in  which  the  name  and  position  of  every  tree  are 
carefully  recorded. 


Trees  and  their  Insect  Enemies— Mistaken 
STotions. 

1.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  digging  up 
the  grass  for  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  around  an 
old  apple-tree,  does  it  any  material  good.  That 
amount  of  loose  soil  about  tho  stem  of  a  newly 
planted  young  tree,  would  be  of  much  service. 
It  would  enable  the  air  and  moisture  to  penetrate 
to  the  roots,  and  it  would  prevent  the  soil  from 
being  exhausted  of  the  food  which  the  young  roots 
needed.  But  where  are  the  roots  of  a  full-grown 
apple  tree  1  At  least,  ten  or  fifteen  feet,  away 


from  the  trunk.  The  great  arteries,  to  De  sure, 
are  nearer,  but  the  smaller  roots,  the  fibrous 
net-work  of  spongioles  with  their  thousand  hun¬ 
gry  mouths  are  off,  a  full  rod  or  more  ;  and  they 
laugh  (if,  indeed,  they  do  not  weep,)  at  the  man 
who  thinks  he  is  helping  them  while  grubbing 
away  around  the  old  trunk  I*  As  well  might  one 
think  that  he  is  feeding  his  horse,  by  simply  rub¬ 
bing  his  back  with  nn  ear  of  corn  ! 

2.  It  is  another  mistake  to  suppose  that  cotton¬ 
wadding  tied  round  the  trunks  and  limbs  of  plum 
and  cherry-trees,  prevents  the  ascent  of  the  cur- 
culio.  “But  my  paper  said  it  would,”  exclaims 
an  indignant  subscriber.  Indeed  !  but  we  are  sor¬ 
ry  to  say  that  mistakes  will  sometimes  get  into 
the  newspapers,  as  surely  as  the  “  Grand  Turk  ” 
will  get  into  the  plum-trees,  and  there's  no  sov¬ 
ereign  remedy  yet  discovered  for  either  afflic¬ 
tion.  “But  teli  us  how  the  eureulio  finds  his  way 
into  the  trees  1”  Not  by  crawling  only,  else  the 
cotton  would  stop  his  travels  ;  but  he  has  a  good 
pair  of  wings  and  knows  liovv  to  use  them,  and 
so  he  flies  to  the  forbidden  fruit  without  let  or 
hindrance  from  the  great  southern  staple. 


American.  Fruits— Past  and  Present- -IV- 

BY  LEWIS  F.  ALLEN,  ERIE  CO.,  N.  Y. 

( Continued  from  page  147.) 

TIIE  QUINCE. 

This  is  a  valuable  fruit  to  all  nice  housekeepers 
who  pride  themselves  in  the  possession  of  a 
choice  marmalade,  or  a  delicious  preserve  with 
which  to  regale  their  friends  at  tire  evening  tea- 
table,  and  to  that  extent  is  worthy  of  cultivation 
by  those  who  can  succeed  with  it,  or  rear  it  for 
market.  Throughout  the  Atlantic  States,  north 
of  the  Potomac,  next  to  the  sea-board,  and  in 
New-York,  extending  to  its  farthest  western 
boundary,  in  many  a  warm  and  sheltered  spot., 
under  the  protection  of  fences  and  buildings,  and 
in  some  severely  exposed  places  it  flourished  and 
bore  fruit  in  profusion  until  a  few  years  ago — but 
in  very  many  less  places  now.  In  the  small  lake 
valleys  of  western  New-York,  the  Genesee 
country,  and  near  Lake  Ontario,  on  to  the  shores 
of  Erie,  in  good  situations  it  thrived  and  bore 
wonderfully.  Specimens  of  a  pound  in  weight 
were  frequent,  and  half  to  three-'fourths  of  a 
pound  common.  I  had  a  tree  that  for  an  average 
of  sixteen  years,  paid  me  the  interest  of  a  hundred 
dollars  annually.  But  it  is  so  no  longer.  Thousands 
of  vigorous,  middle-aged,  bearing  quince  trees 
have  bit  the  dust  within  the  last  few  years.  The 
extraordinary  cold  of  three  or  four  unusually 
hard  winters,  commencing  five  years  ago,  first 
pierced  their  vitals  ;  simultaneously  the  borer  at¬ 
tacked  them,  for  which  there  was  no  apparent  re¬ 
medy  in  either  case,  and  the  trees  are — dead.  I 
saw  quinces  selling  for  three  dollars  a  bushel  in 
market,  last  fall,  that  would  not  have  brought 
fifty  cents  five  years  ago — hardly  worth  the  gift. 

There  is  a  nostrum  for  the  borer,  however,  as 
there  was  for  the  plum,  as  I  have  related,  and  by 
the  same  party:  “Take  a  knitting  needle,  or  a  piece 
of  sharp-pointed  wire,  run  into  the  hole  made  by 
l he  worm,  and  punch  him  t.o  death  !”  Now,  it.  so 
happens  that  this  worm  hardly  ever  goes  straight 
into  the  tree,  but  when  once  a  lodgment  is  effect¬ 
ed,  he  turns  upward  or  sideways,  preying  upon 
the  soft  sap-wood  just  under  the  bark,  and  works 
at  his  leisure,  filling  up  the  track  behind  him  with 
woody  excrement,  as  impenetrable  to  the  wire  as 
the  wood  itself.  I  have  followed  him  with  the 
hawk  bill  of  a  pruning  knife  half  round  the  body 
of  a  tree  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter,  before 
I  dislodged  him  ;  and  it  is  useless  to  say  that  the 
effort  to  find  him,  cutting  the  way  to  him,  was  quite 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


179 


as  fatal  to  the  life  of  the  tree,  as  the  ravages  of 
the  worm  itself.  In  some  cases,  to  be  sure,  they 
bore  the  tree  through  and  through,  making  its 
trunk  a  perfect  honey  comb  in  appearance,  but 
the  sinuosity  of  their  course  is  found  in  the  same 
place,  and  usually  before  they  commence  the 
straight  bore.  The  entrance  is  between  “wind 
and  water,”  in  nautical  parlance,  or  just  above 
tbe  ground.  Cover  this  point  with  earth,  or  what 
you  please,  and  the  worm  will  enter  above  it.  I 
have  seen  these  holes  three  feet  above  the  ground, 
half  way  to  the  branches.  A  remedy  may  be 
found,  and  I  have  heard  many  suggested,  but  so 
far  I  have  seen  none  which  have  proved  decided¬ 
ly  effectual. 

The  borer,  too,  with  other  scourges  of  the  in¬ 
sect  tribe,  may  be  on  its  travels,  and  go  from  our 
presence  after  due  punishment  to  us.  I  hope  so  ; 
for  my  anticipations  for  the  future  enjoyment  of 
our  fruit  lovers  will  be  gloomy  indeed,  were  these 
pests  sure  to  remain  with  us  for  all  time. 

Thus,  although  not  discouraged,  and  our  obsta¬ 
cles  to  successful  fruit  growing  not  so  formidable 
as  they  might  be,  our  pomologists  will  find  they 
have  got  work  to  do,  and  their  skill  and  ingenuity 
have  a  wide  field  of  action  before  them,  to  over¬ 
come  all  their  difficulties.  That  such  may  be  the 
result,  I  hope  and  trust,  and  while  there  is  a  pos¬ 
sibility  of  success,  my  advice  is — plant  on — plant 
ever. 

-  1  -  ■  -  -O  4  —  - fr— <p»  ■  ■ 

Desirable  Evergreens. 

In  fulfillment  of  our  promise,  last  month,  to  give 
a  list  of  tbe  best  and  really  hardy  evergreens,  we 
name  the  following : 

I.  Pines. — Weymouth  or  White.  ( Pinus  Stro- 
bus.)  Common  though  it  be,  it  is,  after  all,  one 
of  the  best  of  this  large  family. ..  .Scotch.  ( P . 
Sylvestris.)  Called  Scotch,  but  abounds  quite  ex¬ 
tensively  throughout  northern  Europe.  Bluish 
foliage,  very  hardy,  rapid  grower,  excellent. . . . 
Austrian  (P.  Austriaca)  Is  a  native  of  the 
mountainous  regions  of  central  Europe,  and  is 
hardy  everywhere.  Foliage  dark  green,  un¬ 
changed  by  Winter,  grows  in  any  soil,  is  easily 

transplanted,  every  way  desirable _ Larch  or 

Corsican.  (P.  Laricio.)  From  the  island  of  Cor¬ 
sica,  yet  sufficiently  hardy  for  our  northern  States  ; 
is  similar  to  the  Austrian,  but  tbe  leaves  are  of  a 
lighter  green.  . .  .Swiss  Stone  Pine.  (P.  Cembra .) 
From  the  Alps,  of  pale  green  foliage,  slow  in 
growth,  but  perfectly  hardy  and  quite  desirable. . . 
Heavy  Wooded  Pine.  (P.  ponderosa)  From  Ore¬ 
gon,  resembles  the  Austrian,  but  is  darker,  of 
bolder  habit,  and  more  rapid  in  growth.  Hardy, 
of  course - Bhot.an  pine.  (P.  Excelsa)  Resem¬ 

bles  the  White,  but  has  more  silvery  foliage,  and 
is  very  graceful.  It  is  too  luxuriant  in  growth  to 
succeed  well  north  of  New-York.  To  these  we 
suppose  a  few  others  may  be  added,  but  we  can 
not  speak  of  them  from  personal  observation. 

IT.  Spruces — The  Norway.  (Abies  Excelsa) 
This  stands  first,  of  course. . .  .Black  and  White 
Spruce.  (A.  Nigra,  and  A.  Alba.)  Both  natives 
of  our  northern  States,  and  worthy  of  planting. 
The  black  grows  in  good  soils,  almost  as  splen¬ 
didly  as  the  Norway _ The  Hemlock.  (A.  Cana¬ 

densis.)  This  Spruce  is  of  slower  growth  than  the 
others,  and  is  not  quite  so  easy  to  transplant ;  yet 
aside  from  this,  it  is  hardly  inferior  to  any  known 
conifer.  It  makes  a  beautiful  lawn-tree,  works 
well  into  groups, and  makes  a  good  screen  or  hedge. 
The  Spruce  family  is  not  as  large  as  the  pine. 
There  are  several  varieties  of  the  Norway  Spruce, 
mostly  dwarf,  which  are  hardy  and  may  prove 
desirable  when  further  tried.  The  Douglass  and 
the  Indian  Spruces  are  very  beautiful,  but  are  not 


proved  to  be  hardy  enough  for  northern  gardens. 

III.  Firs. — The  Common  Balsam.  ( Picea  bal- 
samea  )  This  tree  has  many  good  traits,  such  as 
hardiness,  ease  of  transplanting,  symmetry,  and 
fine,  persistent  color ;  but  it  often  becomes  lean 
and  shabby,  as  it  grows  old.  It  is  worth  planting, 
but  it  should  not  supersede  other  firs  which  are 
equally  hardy  and  better.  Of  these,  one  of  the 
hardiest  and  best  is  Picea  pichta,  or  Siberian  Sil¬ 
ver  Fir.  We  can  assure  our  readers  of  its  per¬ 
fect  hardihood  north  of  Albany. ..  .Norman’s 
Silver  Fir,  and  Fraser’s  Fir  are  very  fine,  and  will 
undoubtedly  stand  the  coldest  Winter. ..  .The 
European  Silver  Fir,  (P.  pcctinata ,)  is  a  very  capri¬ 
cious  tree.  It  sometimes  grows  finely  for  sever¬ 
al  years,  and  then  loses  its  leader,  and  that,  too, 
in  the  mild  climate  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Sar¬ 
gent,  in  his  new  edition  of  Downing,  recommends 
also  Picea  Cephalonica,  P.  Nobilis,  and  P.  Pinsapo, 
as  among  the  finest  firs. 

IV.  Arbor  Vitzg. — The  American.  ( Thuja  oc- 
cidentalis.)  This  is  a  very  common,  but  very  use¬ 
ful  tree.  It  is  often,  but  erroneously,  called  white 
cedar,  which  is  a  different  tree. ..  .Siberian. 
( Thuja  Sibcrica)  This  is  slower  in  growth,  but  in 
all  other  respects  is  finer  than  the  last ;  it  is 
denser  in  its  habit,  of  a  darker  green,  and  holds 
its  color  well  in  the  Winter.  The  Savans  in 
arboriculture  are  in  dispute  whether  there  is  any 
real  difference  between  this  and  Thuja  Warreana 
and  T.plieata.  “Without  entering  into  the  debate, 
we  can  only  say,  very  wisely,  that  either  is  good 
enough,  and  all  are  very  desirable  ! .  . . .  T.  gigan- 
tea,  from  the  Columbia  river  and  the  Rock  Moun¬ 
tains,  promises  to  be  a  valuable  tree  ;  as  yet, 
however,  little  is  known  of  it.  South  of  New- 
York,  the  Chinese  Arbor  Vita3  makes  a  neat, 
small  tree. 

V.  — Junipers. — The  Common.  ( Juniperus  Com¬ 
munis.)  This  is  a  small  tree,  common  to  England, 
Norway,  Sweden,  Denmark  and  Russia.  The 
Swedish  variety  is  most  commonly  grown  in  this 
country.  It  makes  a  compact,  conical,  tapering 
tree,  of  silvery  green  foliage.  It  sometimes 
reaches  to  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  in  hight.  It  re¬ 
sembles  a  miniature  Lombardy  poplar.  The 
Irish  variety  is  very  pretty,  but  not  quite  as  ro¬ 
bust.  The  Chinese  is  yet  comparatively  rare  in 
this  country,  but  is  highly  recommended  for  its 
hardiness  and  beauty.  The  Red  Cedar,  (,/.  Can¬ 
adensis)  is  worthy  of  a  respectable  place  in  all 
plantations.  The  Wheeping  Juniper,  from  Japan, 
(J.  oblonga  pendula ,)  will  be  sought  for  by  all  am¬ 
ateurs  :  it  is  a  great  curiosity. 

The  foregoing  comprise,  probably,  most  of  the 
really  desirable  evergreens,  suitable  for  northern 
olimates.  Others  are  now  being  tested  by  such 
amateurs  as  Mr.  Sargent,  and  by  nurserymen  in 
different  parts  of  the  country,  and  some  of  them 
will  undoubtedly  be  added  to  the  list.  Among 
those  of  which  we  have  some  knowledge,  we  look 
with  special  hope  and  interest  to  the  Thuiopsis 
Borealis ,  from  Nootka  Sound  ;  the  Mammoth 
Tree  of  California  ;  tbe  Wheeping  Arbor  Vitas, 
and  the  Yew-leaved  Torreya. 


Propagation  of  Evergreens. 


In  answering  certain  inquiries  on  this  subject 
a  few  months  ag.o,  we  might  have  added  to  what 
we  then  said  that,  to  ensure  success,  it  is  well  to 
bury  tbe  seeds  of  conifers  in  boxes  of  sand  during 
the  Winter,  and  then  sow  in  the  Spring  as  de¬ 
scribed.  It  is  quite  probable  that  many  of  the 
Norway  Spruce  and  Arbor  Vitae  seeds,  sent  out 
by  us  during  the  past  Winter,  will  fail  to  vegetate 
the  first  season,  as  they  were  necessarily  sent 
away  dry.  Should  this  be  the  case,  leave  them 


undisturbed  during  the  Summer,  with  the  excep¬ 
tion  of  pulling  the  weeds  carefully,  and  it  is  likely 
they  will  show  themselves  another  Spring.  They 
will  be  less  liable  to  be  disturbed  if  in  boxes,  or 
pots,  plunged  into  the  garden  border  and  watered 
occasionally  if  needful. 

And  here, we  will  observe  further, that  most  ever¬ 
greens  can  be  raised  from  cuttings.  Pine,  fir,  and 
spiuce  cuttings  set  out  in  August,  are  quite  sure 
to  grow,  in  skillful  hands,  if  they  are  made  of  the 
current  season’s  growth,  taken  off  just  at  its  junc¬ 
tion  with  the  last  year’s  wood.  If  they  are  struck 
in  a  moderate  hot-bed  and  properly  shaded  and 
otherwise  cared  for,  they  will  root  in  a  month’s 
time  ;  if  in  open  ground  they  will  need  to  lie  un¬ 
til  the  following  Spring.  In  this  last  case,  they 
must  be  protected  from  hard  freezing  in  Winter, 
as  also  from  the  extremes  of  sunshine,  dryness, 
and  rain.  Starting  in  a  hot-bed  is  much  the  surest 
method,  although  care  is  requisite  even  here  to 
insure  general  success. 

- «-■ — ,  — - 

Uses  of  Shrubberry. 

Shrubs  play  as  important  a  part  in  ornamental 
grounds  as  trees  do.  Indeed,  trees  are  planted 
too  abundantly,  in  most  places.  As  they  attain  to 
maturity,  they  become  much  larger  than  the 
planter  expected,  they  overshadow  the  grass, 
shrubs,  and  flowering  plants  beneath  them,  and 
prevent  their  healthy  growth.  And,  what  is  of 
equal  importance,  they  seriously  obstruct  views 
of  the  surrounding  landscape.  In  grounds  of  or¬ 
dinary  size — say  from  half  an  acre  to  two  acres — 
forest  trees  should  be  used  sparingly.  They  should 
be  kept  near  the  boundaries,  a  few  only  being 
scattered  at  wide  intervals  over  the  premises. 
In  place  oflarge  trees,  shrubs  of  all  s'zes  should 
be  used,  and  some  small  trees.  Among  shrubs, 
there  is  a  wide  range  to  choose  from,  beginning 
with  tbe  little  deutzia  gracilis  and  dwarf  syririga, 
and  going  up  to  the  lilacs,  upright  honeysuckles, 
hawthorns,  euonymous,  and  the  like. 

In  small  places,  shrubs  may  be  planted  on  the 
same  artistic  principles  that  would  be  applied  to 
trees  in  a  grand  domain  ;  setting  some  in  groups, 
some  in  belts  and  thickets,  and  others  as  single 
specimens.  If  properly  managed  in  this  way, 
grounds  of  half  an  acre  would  be  made  to  appear 
twice  that  in  extent. 

Shrubs  are  better  than  trees  for  concealing 
fences,  and  they  submit  better  to  the  pruning 
knife.  They  are  desirable,  also,  for  their  flowers, 
varied  and  fragrant,  and  for  the  scarlet  berries 
which  many  of  them  retain  in  Winter.  For  out¬ 
side  belts  and  screens,  to  break  off  the  cold  winds 
of  Winter,  it  is  important  to  use  evergreens.  But 
as  it  would  produce  a  monotonous  appearance  to, 
use  them  alone,  it  is  an  excellent  plan  to  set 
groups  and  specimens  of  flowering  shrubs  before 
them.  The  effect  of  their  more  lively  and  airy 
leaves  and  flowers,  contrasted  with  the  somber 
back-ground,  is  very  pleasing. 

In  selecting  shrubs,  it  is  as  important  to  choose 
those  having  good  and  persistent  foliage,  as  those 
having  fine  flowers  ;  indeed  the  first  is  more  im¬ 
portant  than  the  last.  The  flowers  last  only  a 
few  weeks,  while  the  foliage  is  to  be  viewed  all 
Summer.  In  planting  groups  or  belts,  the  bushes 
should  be  set  rather  thickly  at  the  outset,  for  im¬ 
mediate  effect,  but  should  be  regularly  thinned 
out  as  they  encroach  upon  each  other.  Of  course 
they  should  be  set  in  good  soil.  No  satisfaction 
need  be  expected  from  them,  if  they  are  merely 
thrust  into  a  hard  hole  in  grass  ground,  and  then 
left  to  struggle  for  life. 

- ■*>-* - -«*»  C3H— - - - 

Hungry  men  call  the  cook  lazy. 


180 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Bedding  Plants. 

The  present  style  of  ornamenting  gardens  and 
lawns  with  Summer  bedding  plants,  is  much  to 
be  commended.  The  old  fashioned  flower-gar¬ 
den,  with  its  medley  of  annuals,  biennials,  per¬ 
ennials,  shrubs  and  vines,  should  not  he  discard¬ 
ed,  by  any  means ;  but  the  plants  now  referred 
to  may  be  used  as  adjuncts  to  produce  certain 
effects  which  common  plants  can  not.  If  we  had 
only  a  small  patch  of  ground  to  ornament,  we 
should  use  bedding  plants  alone  ;  and  if  our 
flower-garden  were  necessarily  very  con¬ 
spicuous,  we  should  use  them  almost 
exclusively.  These  plants  are  in 
bloom  nearly  all  the  time  from  Spring 
to  Winter,  while  the  others  have 
only  a  temporary,  evanescent  beauty. 

The  Verbena  is  perhaps  the  best 
of  all  bedding  plants  ;  it  is  so  easily 
managed,  so  abundant  in  bloom,  and 
so  varied  in  color.  Fragrance  is  now 
being  added  to  its  many  excellences. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  set  them  in  dis¬ 
tinct  masses  of  one  color,  or  of  two 
colors  side  by  side  in  strong  con¬ 
trast.  Scarlet  and  white  make  a 
brilliant  combination,  and  blue  and 
white  are  very  pleasing.  If  any 
reader  wishes  advice  in  selecting 
sorts,  we  can  only  say  in  brief  that 
the  following  verbenas  are  excellent: 
scarlets:  Robinson’s  Defiance,  Orb 
of  Day,  and  Chauvere.  Crimsons  : 

Lord  Raglan,  Giant  of  Hatties,  and 
St.  Margaret.  Blue  and  Purple  :  Blue 
Defiance,  Blue  Bonnet,  Rand's  Blue, 

Purpurea  odoratissima,  and  Hiawa¬ 
tha.  Pink :  Cornelia,  Peter  B.  Mead, 
and  Eva  Corinne.  White  :  Constel¬ 
lation,  Rand's  Seedling,  and  Mrs. 

Holford.  Striped:  Mad.  Lemonnier, 

Imperatrice  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  and 
Striped  Eclipse,  with  many  others. 

The  petunia,  is  now  rising  in  favor. 

The  striped  varieties  are  beautiful,  as 
also  the  reds  with  white  throats,  and 
the  double  sorts.  The  latter  have  mostly  a  pleas¬ 
ant  odor.  A  bed  of  eight  or  ten  kinds,  neatly 
trained  to  green  stakes  is  surely  a  very  fine  sight. 

Scarlet  Geraniums,  and  those  with  variegated 
foliage  deserve  a  conspicuous  place.  Lantanas, 
of  several  sorts,  Ageratums,  Pentstemons,  Neir- 
embergias,  Cinerarias,  Fuchsias,  Pyrethrums,  and 
the  like,  if  tastefully  arranged,  make  a  brilliant 
show,  and  keep  a  garden  gay  all  Summer  long. 

For  most  of  our  readers,  it  is  not  yet  too  late 
to  supply  themselves  with  these  desirable  flow¬ 
ers.  They  can  probably  all  be  had  at  any  respect¬ 
able  nursery  or  florist’s  establishment. 


Thin  out  the  Plants. 


Most  persons  allow  their  plants,  both  vegeta¬ 
bles  and  flowers,  to  grow  too  near  together. 
Beets,  onions,  carrots,  parsneps,  etc.,  should  be 
thinned  out  very  soon  after  they  appear  above 
ground.  Cucumbers,  squashes  and  melons  need 
similar  treatment.  Three  plants  left  to  grow  in 
a  hill  are  sufficient. 

So  of  flowering  plants,  raised  from  seed.  They 
are  too  often  left  to  grow  in  a  dense  jungle  or 
bunch,  where  they  crowd  each  other,  become 
weak  and  spindling,  and  never  attain  their  native 
beauty.  Annuals  may  sometimes  be  grown  in 
masses,  but  even  then  they  are  much  finer  if  the 
individual  plants  stand  several  inches  apart. 
Where  it  is  not  wished  to  mass  them,  such  flow¬ 


ers  as  Candytuft,  Phlox  Drummondii,  Astersj 
Balsams  and  Stocks  should  stand  at  least  one 
foot  asunder.  We  now  recall  the  sight  of  a  sin¬ 
gle  plant  of  white  candytuft  grown  in  our  gar. 
den  last  Summer,  which  was  shaped  like  a  bee¬ 
hive  and  covered  with  a  profusion  of  flowers  in 
every  part,  and  looked  much  better  than  if  massed. 
It  sometimes  requires  a  good  deal  of  courage  to 
pull  up  vigorous  growing  young  plants  and  throw 
them  away,  but  it  must  be  done,  if  one  would 
have  a  valuable  garden  of  vegetables  or  flowers. 


Fountains  for  Gardens  and  Lawns. 

Few  ornaments  are  more  ideasing,  more  uni¬ 
versally  attractive,  more  worthy  of  admiration, 
than  a  fountain  in  a  garden  or  lawn.  Nor  is  an 
artificial  fountain  so  costly  or  difficult  of  con¬ 
struction,  as  is  generally  supposed.  It  is  one  of 
the  cheapest  luxuries,  where  there  exists  the  na¬ 
tural  advantages  of  hilly  ground,  and  some  source 
of  water  on  a  higher  level.  There  are  almost  in¬ 
numerable  localities  of  this  character  in  various 
parts  of  this  country.  With  a  few  additional 
feet  of  pipe,  and  a  simple  structure,  the  same 
stream  that  now  supplies  the  barn-yard  and  house¬ 
hold,  may  easily  be  made  to  throw  up  a  jet  of 
water  ten,  twenty,  or  more  feet  in  height,  to  fall 
back  upon  a  pile  of  loose  rocks  or  stones,  or  into 
an  artificial  pond,  producing  the  most  pleasing  ef¬ 
fect.  We  have  seen  them  made  by  constructing 
a  shallow  basin,  six  to  twelve  feet  in  diameter, 
the  bottom  covered  with  gravel,  and  the  sides 
formed  of  brick  laid  in  cement.  In  the  centre  a 
pipe  projects  upward  a  few  feet  from  the  bottom, 
and  this  is  surrounded  nearly  to  the  top  with  a 
mass  of  broken,  not  rounded  stones.  The  pipe 
may  extend  higher,  and  pass  through  two  or  more 
iron  basins,  placed  one  above  the  other,  the  upper 
one  smaller  than  the  lower.  The  basins  are  not 
necessary,  however,  where  it  is  desirable  to  avoid 
expense.  A  few  water  (aquatic)  plants  growing 
around  or  among  the  rocks,  are  a  pretty  addition 


Shells  may  also  be  introduced.  Trees  planted 
around  the  basin  or  pond,  partly  overhanging  it, 
add  to  the  effect,  dispense  a  cooling  spray,  and 
furnish  a  delightful  resort  on  a  sultry  day. 


How  to  Improve  a  Flower  Garden. 

Books  and  papers  will  afford  much  information 
on  this  subject,  but  there  is  something  to  be 
learned  outside  of  them.  By  reading,  we  get  hold 
of  many  useful  principles  and  facts,  but  careful 
observation  will  teach  us  many  more,  hardly 
less  useful.  He  is  likely  to  make  the  best 
gardener,  who  knows  best  how  to 
use  his  eyes.  We  therefore  make 
this  suggestion  to  our  readers,  for 
their  use  the  present  Summer.  Visit 
all  the  gardens  within  your  reach, 
and  make  notes  of  every  new  thing 
you  see.  Begin  early  in  this  very 
month  of  June,  and  continue  yout 
visits  throughout  the  Summer.  Every 
proprietor  of  a  fine  garden,  on  learn¬ 
ing  your  object,  will  welcome  you 
within  his  enclosures,  and  give  you 
all  facilities  for  learning  what  you 
desire.  Study,  then,  the  arrangement 
of  walks,  and  how  they  are  made. 
Note  the  trees,  shrubs,  vines  and 
plants.  Observe  their  times  of  flow¬ 
ering,  their  color,  fragrance,  and 
whatever  else  may  strike  you.  Per¬ 
severe  in  this,  and  by  the  close  ol 
the  flowering  season,  you  will  have 
learned  much  that  will  be  of  great 
practical  use — saying  nothing  about 
the  enjoyment  you  have  experienced. 
From  your  notes,  you  can  select  a 
list  of  plants  with  whose  habits  you 
are  already  familiar,  which  will  add 
much  to  i  he  beauty  of  your  own  gar¬ 
den.  Many  persons  annually  ransack 
the  catalogues  of  distant  nursery¬ 
men,  in  order  to  find  plants  to  deco¬ 
rate  their  grounds  with ;  and  on 
selecting  those  which  have  high 
sounding  names  and  brilliant  descrip¬ 
tions,  they  are  often  disappointed,  when  the 
plants  come  to  flower  in  their  own  grounds.  If 
you  can  see  specimens  of  your  flowers  before  you 
purchase  them,  it  is  much  better  than  to  buy  at 
hap-hazard.  By  carefully  putting  down  upon  pa¬ 
per,  notes  of  what  you  see  in  your  own  gardens 
and  in  those  of  others,  during  the  present  season, 
you  will  be  all  ready  to  make  early  selections 
another  year,  and  also  to  arrange  various  plants 
in  proper  harmony. 

- - .  - - 

Roses  in  Pots 

When  oses  are  bought  at  the  green-houses  in 
the  Spring  for  home  culture,  their  growth  is  fre¬ 
quently  checked  after  a  week  or  two,  and  though 
they  may  not  die,  the  promising  young  shoots 
make  but  little  progress.  After  the  first  flowers 
they  show  but  little  disposition  to  continue  to 
bloom,  and  thus  disappoint  those  who  were  at  first 
attracted  by  their  showy  appearance.  This  is 
owing  partly  to  unskillful  management.  At  the 
green-house  they  had  been  kept  in  a  temperature 
of  from  60°  to  70°,  frequently  watered  and  occa¬ 
sionally  treated  to  a  dressing  of  liquid  manure. 
Any  sudden  change  in  the  treatment  of  plants  will 
generally  be  followed  with  unfavorable  results. 
The  rose,  as  usually  treated  in  green-houses,  is 
made  very  sensitive  to  such  changes  by  having 
been  forced  into  early  bloom.  The  plants  were 
taken  from  the  open  air  late  in  the  previous  Fall, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


181 


and  by  the  stimulus  of  heat  and  exciting  manure, 
are  brought  into  growth  before  hardening  off; 
hence  in  Spring  their  strength,  already  severely 
taxed,  is  inadequate  to  resist  exposure  that  other¬ 
wise  would  not  injure  them.  The  check  will,  how¬ 
ever,  be  but  temporary,  and  the  plants  will,  if 
properly  manured,  regain  their  former  healthy 
habit.  A  manure  made  by  mixing  one  part  of 
night  soil  with  three  of  charcoal  dust,  and  forked 
in  around  the  surface,  is  an  excellent  application 
to  strengthen  and  bring  plants  forward. 


Chrysanthemums- 

Among  English  florists,  the  chrysanthemum  is 
rapidly  becoming  a  great  favorite,  both  the  large- 
flowering  or  Indian  varieties  and  the  Pompones. 
In  some  quarters,  they  have  almost  superseded 
the  regal  dahlia.  At  the  exhibitions  everywhere 
last  Autumn,  they  formed  a  principal  feature. 
They  are  so  symmetrical  in  form,  so  double,  so 
varied  in  color  and  markings,  and  withal  so  easi¬ 
ly  raised,  we  do  not  wonder  at  their  great  popu¬ 
larity.  The  climate  of  Great  Britain  is  undoubt¬ 
edly  more  favorable  than  ours  to  their  success  : 
our  Summer,  north  ofNew-York,  is  a  few  weeks 
too  short.  But  some  varieties  flower  as  early  as 
September,  and  by  propagating  from  these,  others 
rnay  be  obtained.  We  hope  our  florists  will  give 
their  attention  to  this  matter.  For  varieties  to 
bloom  in  the  parlor  or  green-house  during  No¬ 
vember  and  December,  we  have  already  every¬ 
thing  that  can  be  desired. 

Those  of  our  readers  who  wish  to  have  good 
plants  next  Fall,  must  give  them  good  manage¬ 
ment  during  the  Summer.  Our  instructions  on 
this  subject,  given  in  the  February  No.  of  the 
Agriculturist,  contain  what  it  is  of  chief  impor¬ 
tance  for  the  young  florist  to  know. 

- ■*— - — ■  . - 

Look  out  for  the  Insects. 

Owing  to  the  decrease  of  birds,  and  perhaps  to 
other  causes,  insects  are  now  alarmingly  on  the 
increase.  Their  mischief  is  usually  discovered 
too  late  to  do  more  than  prevent  the  possibility 
of  their  multiplying,  by  picking  up  and  feeding  out, 
or  cooking  the  punctured  fruit,  and  thus  destroying 
the  worm  lodged  in  the  heart.  This  is  a  tedious 
operation  howev.er,  and  hardly  practicable  with 
peaches,  plums  and  cherries. 

The  parents  of  all  these  mischievous  worms 
are  winged  insects,  which  flutter  about  among 
the  trees,  and  lay  their  eggs  either  upon  the 
surface  of  the  tender  fruit,  or  puncture  it  and  de¬ 
posit  the  eggs  beneath  the  skin.  Again,  most  of 
these  winged  insects,  or  millers,  are  either  na¬ 
turally  night  fliers,  or  can  be  brought  out  by  a 
strong  light.  Now,  every  one  has  observed  that 
millers  are  so  attracted  by  light  as  to  fly  directly 
into  the  flame  of  a  candle.  It  is  well  to  take 
advantage  of  this  weakness,  and  kindle  low  fires 
about  the  orchard  and  fruit  gardens  in  the  eve¬ 
ning,  and  thus  catch  the  trespassers.  The  early 
part  of  June  is  the  proper  season  to  commence 
this  war  of  extermination,  which,  if  vigorously 
entered  into  by  a  neighborhood,  would  destroy 
vast  quantities  of  them  in  the  very  act  of  provid¬ 
ing  for  their  progeny.  Remember,  too,  that  with 
every  parent  moth,  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  lit¬ 
tle  white  maggots  are  destroyed.  Follow  this 
practice  up  night  after  night,  for  two  weeks,  and 
an  immense  number  of  insects  will  be  cut  off. 
Tie  old  rags  upon  short  sticks,  and  dip  them 
first  into  tar,  and  then  in  saw-dust  or  powdered 
charcoal,  until  of  a  large  size.  These  will  burn 
with  a  bright  light  for  a  long  time,  dazzling  and 


attracting  the  unlucky  moths  or  millers  from  some 
distance  around. 

- - - — — 

Chinese  Fire  Crackers  vs.  Black  Ants. 

One  'practical  use  of  Fourth  of  July  Fire  Crackers 
discovered  at  last. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist  : 

My  residence,  in  West  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  is 
built  in  a  grove  of  some  sixty  lofty  forest  trees, 
which  give  a  grateful  and  pleasant  shade,  but  we 
have  been  much  annoyed  by  large  nests  of  black 
ants,  some  of  which  are  four  to  five  feet  in 
diameter  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  They  de¬ 
stroyed  the  garden  beds  and  injured  the  walks. 
We  tried  oil,  hot  water,  pickle,  hot  stable  litter, 
and  in  fact  every  thing  we  could  think  of,  to  drive 
them  away.  On  one  bed  we  poured  a  gallon  of 
oil  of  vitriol,  which  of  course  destroyed  all  that 
touched  it,  but  the  nest  still  flourished.  We  had, 
in  fact,  abandoned  all  idea  of  killing  or  getting  rid 
of  them,  and  ceased  any  further  efforts.  Last  4th 
of  July  my  boys  were  amusing  themselves  dis¬ 
charging  fire  crackers,  and  by  chance  fired  off 
several  packs  on  a  large  ants’ nest.  Some  week 
or  ten  days  after,  we  discovered  that  the  ants, 
were  gone.  We  have  since  set  off  several  packs 
of  common  Chinese  fire  crackers  on  other  ants' 
nests,  and  invariably  the  tenants  have  left  the 
premises.  The  best  anl  most  effectual  mode  of 
destroying  these  insects,  is  to  take  a  stick  and 
plunge  it  into  the  nest  in  many  places,  to  set 
them  all  in  motion,  then  light  a  pack  of  common 
fire  crackers,  and  place  it  in  the  center  of  the 
nest,  and  if  not  successful  try  a  second  or  a  third 
pack,  which  will  finish  them. 

A  Subscriber. 

- - —  o—- —  - - 

About  Crockery. 

“Bridget.  Here!  Who  broke  this  plate!” 
“Sure,  ma’am,  it’s  come  apart  of  itself,  ma’am  ; 
it’s  this  long  time  it’s  been  cracked,  ma’am.”  And 
Bridget  is  nearly  right.  It  was  probably  cracked, 
very  slightly  at  first,  by  being  improperly  subjected 
to  heat ;  the  water  has  subsequently  been  absorbed 
by  the  clay  of  which  the  inner  part  of  the  dish  is 
composed,  and  swelled  it  until  it  “  broke  itself,” 
or  was  easily  separated.  If  we  examine  the 
edge  of  a  broken  piece  of  earthen  or  china  ware, 
we  shall  see  that  there  is,  first :  a  coarser  com¬ 
pound  of  an  apparently  porous  nature,  which  forms 
the  bulk  of  the  ware;  and  a  thin  firm  coat,  re¬ 
sembling  glass,  and  called  the  glazing. 

The  inner  part,  composed  of  a  mixture  of  clay 
(alumina,)  and  ground  flint  (silica),  is  made  first — 
the  material  being  mixed  with  water,  molded 
into  shape,  and  baked.  In  this  state  the  ware 
would  be  unfit  foruse,  as  it  readily  absorbs  liquids 
of  almost  all  kinds.  To  prevent  this,  the  biscuit, 
as  the  ware  is  called  after  the  first  baking,  is 
dipped  into  a  composition  of  clay,  litharge  (oxide 
of  lead,)  and  ground  flint  mixed  with  water,  and 
then  submitted  to  a  higher  degree  of  heat.  By 
this  process  the  materials  are  melted  together  on 
the  outside  of  the  dish,  to  which  the  glazing 
thus  formed,  adheres  in  a  layer  of  uniform  thick¬ 
ness,  and  being  of  the  nature  of  glass,  effectual¬ 
ly  excludes  moisture  from  the  interior,  so  long 
as  it  remains  unbroken. 

If,  now,  by  careless  handling,  or  too  sudden 
change  of  temperature,  the  glazing  is  cracked, 
the  dish  sustains  injury  from  which  it  will  never 
fully  recover  ;  increasing  wrinkles  (cracks  in  the 
glazing,)  mark  the  progress  of  decay,  until  it 
“breaks  itself,  ma’am.”  Such  dishes  also  absorb 
oil,  and  various  flavors,  or  rather  odors,  from  the 
different  kinds  of  food  that  may  be  placed  upon 


them,  and  thus  become  tainted  and  unfit  for  use. 
The  peculiar  taste  of  pie-crust,  baked  upon  an 
old  cracked  dish,  proceeds  from  this  defect,  the 
rancid  fat  from  previous  bakings  having  been  ab¬ 
sorbed  from  the  dish  by  the  crust. 

House-keepers  generally  know'  that  a  frosty 
dish  plunged  into  hot  water  is  liable  to  break  ; 
but  the  glazing  may  be  cracked  by  a  much  less 
sudden  or  violent  change,  unless  the  dish  has 
been  properly  annealed.  This  is,  or  should  be 
done  at  the  manufactory,  by  placing  it  in  an  oven, 
raising  it  to  a  high  degree  of  heat,  and  then  allow¬ 
ing  it  to  cool  very  gradually.  As  this  process  is 
not  always  properly  performed,  it  is  well  foi  the 
housekeeper  to  place  all  new  dishes  in  cold  water, 
heat  them  gradually  until  boiling, and  then  let  them 
stand  on  the  stove,  regulating  the  heat  so  that  it 
shall  require  several  hours  to  cool  them  ;  this 
will  anneal  them,  somewhat,  at  least. 

- -» - - - 

The  “What-Not.” 

This  appropriate  name  is  given  to  an  article  of 
furniture  now  found  in  many  parlors  and  sitting 
rooms,  and  which  may  be  made  highly  attractive 
and  ornamental  with  but  little  expense.  It  is 
essentially  a  series  of  from  four  to  six  light 
shelves,  one  above  the  other,  decreasing  in  size 
from  the  bottom  upward,  supported  by  neatly 
turned  uprights.  It  is  usually  made  of  triangular 
shape  to  fit  a  corner,  the  front  of  the  shelves  be¬ 
ing  rounded  out  into  a  quarter  circle;  though 
others  for  the  sides  of  a  room  are  of  rectangular 
shape,  having  upright  supports  for  the  shelves. 

A  very  pretty  and  cheap  what-not  is  made  by 
taking  from  three  to  six  light,  thin,  pine  boards  of 
different  lengths  and  widths,  and  boring  holes 
near  the  ends,  through  which  four  cords  are  in¬ 
serted,  with  knots  at  suitable  distances  to  hold 
them  one  above  another  in  shelf  form.  If  for  the 
side  of  a  room,  the  lower  shelf  may  be  2^  to  4  feet 
long,  and  10  or  12  inches  wide;  the  next  shelf' 
above  0  to  10  inches  shorter,  and  1  to  2  inches 
narrower,  and  so  decreasing  to  the  top  piece.  If 
for  a  corner,  two  sides  of  the  board  must  be  cut 
at  right  angles  to  fit  the  walls  ;  only  three  cords 
are  needed.  The  shelves  of  a  wall  or  corner 
what-not  may  be  rounded,  or  scolloped  in  front,  as 
fancy  or  taste  may  dictate.  The  shelves  may  be 
stained,  or  painted  and  varnished.  They  are  quite 
pretty  when  only  covered  with  furniture  or  com¬ 
mon  calico,  or  merino,  or  other  fabric.  A  fringe 
along  the  front  edge  of  the  shelves  gives  a  taste¬ 
ful  finish.  What-nots  are  sometimes  used  for 
books,  but  they  are  usually  intended  to  receive 
various  fancy  or  ornamental  articles,  vases,  stat¬ 
uettes,  curious  toys,  shells,  wax  flowers,  minia¬ 
ture  cabinets  of  insects,  etc.,  in  short,  all  those 
little  knick-knacks,  and — what-not,  which  display 
the  ingenuity  and  taste  of  the  various  members 
of  the  family.  We  think  this  preferable  to  plac¬ 
ing  them  upon  the  mantel-piece. 

The  “Pantry.” 

Who  has  not  pleasant  recollections  connected 
with  this  word  1  In  childhood,  it  was  “  the  wonder¬ 
ful  cave,”  where  were  concealed  untold  treasures 
of  sugar  and  preserves,  sweet  spices,  and  forbid¬ 
den  fruits.  In  girlhood,  what  rare  times  we  have 
had  in  the  pantry  with  some  very  confidential 
friend,  munching  pickles,  dipping  into  the  meat- 
pie,  and  cackling  with  mirth.  And  in  later  days, 
what  planning  and  executing,  what  surprises  and 
disappointments,  triumphs  and  failures  have  been 
witnessed  there. 

It  was  a  proud,  an  exciting  day,  when  for  the 
first  time  the  writer  had  a  pantry  of  her  own  to 
arrange,  and  the  new  outfit  of  dishes  and  pans, 


18a 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


pots  and  kettles,  knives  and  forks,  and  all  the 
etceteras, — never  forgetting  those  precious  jars 
and  cans  that  mother  had  sent, — were  to  be  duly 
arranged.  At  home  the  preserves  were  always 
kept  on  the  topmost  shelf — why,  we  •perhaps  can 
not  tell — so  they  must  go  there  now,  though  we 
had  to  climb  upon  a  chair,  and  lift  until  our  arms 
ached  to  get  them  up.  The  glass  ware  and  chi¬ 
na  for  extra  occasions  occupied  the  next  highest 
place,  followed  by  the  common  dishes,  and  so  on 
down  to  the  kettles  in  the  corner,  and  the  coffee 
mill  behind  the  door.  It  took  a  world  of  contriv¬ 
ing  and  arranging  before  the  final  approving  look 
was  given,  and  then  with  an  importance  that  none 
hut  a  young  housekeeper  can  know,  the  door  was 
locked  and  the  key  safely  put,  we  thought— we 
were  sure — in  our  pocket,  but  alas  !  it  never  was 
found  again,  and  that  was  the  first  but  not  the 
last  vexation  over  the  pantry.  It  were  useless 
to  speak  of  the  intrusive  ants  that  came  in,  no 
one  knew  how,  to  pepper  the  cake  and  spice  the 
sugar;  of  the  roaches  that  shot  like  little  imps 
over  the  shelves  and  into  their  hiding  places  ;  and 
the  provoking  mice  that  played  such  tricks  with 
our  pastry,  and  with  our  nerves — these  alas  !  have 
not  all  passed  away. 

I  have  learned  one  or  two  things  in  pantry  ex¬ 
perience  valuable  to  me,  perhaps  to  others.  It 
should  be  large  and  airy.  Time  enough  is  wast¬ 
ed  and  dishes  enough  broken  in  a  “cluttered’’ 
up  little  closet,  to  pay  for  the  room  needed,  even 
if  comfort  and  good  temper  are  not  counted. 
Anybody’s  nasal  organs  if  at  all  sharp,  will  prove 
the  necessity  of  free  ventilation.  The  shelves 
should  be  movable,  so  that  they  may  be  taken 
down  and  scrubbed,  and  the  wall  behind  them 
properly  whitewashed.  It  is  well  to  have  them 
numbered  by  notches  or  otherwise,  so  that  they 
can  be  readily  replaced.  Ants  may  be  kept  out 
by  making  the  shelves  of  black-walnut.  For  mice 
we  have  found  nothing  equal  to  toasted  cheese. 
They  are  very  fond  of  it.  The  proper  way  to  give 
it  is  in  a  small  wire  trap.  A  few  doses,  occa¬ 
sionally,  will  suffice.  The  roaches  dislike  hot 
water  exceedingly,  and  it  is  said  that  elderberry 
bark,  powdered  finely  and  distributed  about  their 
haunts,  will  drive  them  away  ;  I  have  not  tried  it. 
Cleanliness  is  a  good  preventive.  Instead  of 
placing  the  preserves  on  the  top  shelf  and  risking 
broken  limbs  and  jars  whenever  they  are  wanted, 
I  have  found  it  better  to  have  a  locker  or  tight 
box  made  in  one  corner  of  the  pantry,  which  can 
be  securely  closed.  A  few  drawers,  in  which 
knives  and  forks,  spoons,  spices,  etc.,  can  be  kept 
safely,  are  convenient  But  more  hereafter. 

Betsev. 


My  First  Bread. 

[Many  lady  readers  of  the  Agriculturist  will  no 
doubt  be  forcibly  reminded  of  their  own  first  es¬ 
says  and  failures  in  housekeeping — the  remem¬ 
brance  of  which,  as  in  this  case,  may  now  excite 
a  smile,  hut  at  the  time,  they  were  very  weighty 
matters,  especially  the  bread.  Our  fair  corres¬ 
pondent  thus  tells  her  own  story. — Ed  ] 

“  Our  first  barrel  of  flour  was  the  dearest  we 
have  ever  used,  though  the  prices  now,  are  just 
double  what  they  were  when  we  commenced 
housekeeping.  The  first  bread  I  made,  had  a 
streak  through  the  center,  about  an  inch  wide, 
that  cut  like  green  cheese.  How  my  spirits  sank 
as  I  cut  it  fo*r  tea.  It  was  too  late  to  prepare 
anything  that  would  take  the  place  of  bread.  The 
only  alternative  was  toasting;  but  it  betrayed  the 
making.  You  may  judge  what  my  feelings  were 
as  ‘William’  took  the  first  slice,  for  I  could  not 
summon  courage  enough  to  pass  it  to  him  ;  but 
with  the  gentle  courtesy  of  those  first  days  of 


married  life,  he  said,  ‘do  not  be  discouraged  with 
the  first  effort,  you  will  be  more  successful  the 
next  lime.’  How  my  heart  thanked  him  for  those 
kind  words. 

The  next  day  I  made  my  second  attempt ;  this 
time  I  was  determined  to  have  it  light.  I  put  in 
an  extra  quantity  of  yeast ;  wet  it  up  with  so 
much  water  to  so  much  flour,  etc  ,  according  to 
rule,  and  set  it  by,  to  rise.  I  watched  it  carefully, 
and  it  began  to  look  spongy  and  light.  After 
letting  it  remain  a  while  longer,  I  broke  the  sur¬ 
face  to  commence  molding,  when  a  pungent  acid 
smell  arose  from  it ;  but  as  I  continued  to  mold 
it,  it  seemed  to  subside,  and  I  felt  encouraged 
that  my  bread  would  be  palatable.  Then  came 
the  baking,  (but  who  ever  baked  bread  nice  and 
brown  out  of  sour  dough,)  my  oven  was  hot 
enough  I  was  sure  ;  but  after  an  hour’s  watching 
and  waiting,  it  showed  no  signs  of  browning,  and 
was,  though  hard,  of  a  pale  livid  hue  ;  and  that 
same  sour  smell  greeted  my  nostrils  as  I  turned 
one  of  the  loaves  from  the  pan.  I  gave  up  in  tears. 
Vexed  at  my  own  ignorance  and  childishness,  I 
determined  to  go  to  mother  for  advice,  so  I  wiped 
off  my  tears  and  went  home  to  tea,  leaving  a  note 
for  William  to  come  aud  join  me  when  he  left 
business.  While  there  I  related  to  them  my  ex¬ 
perience.  Anna,  my  eldest  sister,  advised  me  to 
make  biscuit  the  next  day,  and  she  would  soon 
come  and  assist  me,  to  make  bread. 

With  a  light  heart  I  procured  the  materials  for 
the  biscuit,  thinking  I  would  surprise  W.,  as  I 
knew  he  was  very  fond  of  them.  As  I  used  sour 
milk,  I  recollected  that  I  was  to  add  saleratus 
until  it  was  sweet,  and  the  thought  of  tl.e  sour 
bread  made  me  rather  lavish  of  the  alkali  :  I  made 
up  my  cakes  and  baked  them  (you  are  laughing  at 
me).  I  assure  you  I  did  not  laugh  when  I  took 
them  from  the  oven.  If  my  bread  would  not 
brown,  these  certainly  had  a  livelier  hue  ;  for  they 
were  green,  green  as  an  olive.  I  betook  myself 
to  batter,  and  with  the  aid  of  eggs  and  milk  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  preparing  quite  an  acceptable  tea-table. 

The  next  day  Anna  came  to  assist  me,  but  I 
made  my  own  bread,  for  I  began  to  see,  that  we 
learn  more  by  actual  operation,  than  by  dry  rules 
or  observation.  So  with  Anna’s  experience  and 
my  own  exertions  I  succeeded  in  placing  upon 
my  table  for  the  first  time,  good,  light,  wholesome 
bread  of  my  own  making.  Makv  C. 


Woman’s  Wages. 


[In  October  last,  the  following  item  was  inserted  to  fill 
out  a  column:  “We  don’t. — If  any  one  knows  why  a 
woman  should  teach  or  do  any  other  good  work,  for  half 
what  a  man  would  receive  for  the  same  service,  let  him 
give  the  world  the  benefit  of  his  knowlege  :  but  if  none 
can  give  a  good  reason  for  this  disparity,  then  all  should 
unite  to  remove  it  as  injurious  and  unjust.” - This  para¬ 

graph  called  out  several  communications,  which  we  had 
no  room  for  at  the  time.  Some  of  them  w  e  laid  by  for  fu¬ 
ture  consideration,  among  which  was  the  one  below. 
We  do  not  propose  to  throw  open  the  gate  for  the  admis¬ 
sion  of  a  rambling  or  lengthy  discussion  on  the  general 
subject  of  “  Women's  Rights,”  but  a  few  brief,  well-con¬ 
sidered  thoughts  on  the  appropriate  labors  of  woman,  and 
especially  the  proper  remuneration  therefor,  will  not  be 
out  of  place  in  these  columns.— Ed.] 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist 

There  is  a  question,  of  your  own  propounding 
I  conclude,  in  the  last  Agriculturist,  which  strikes 
me  as  lacking  in  knowledge  of  the  world  and  the 
laws  of  society.  You  ask  “why  a  woman  should 
not  have  the  same  wages  for  doing  the  same 
work  as  a  man  1’’  Provided  she  does  it  as  well, 
as  I  suppose  you  intended  to  bo  understood. 
Why,  Sir,  don’t  you  see  that  if  women  were  paid 
equally  with  men,  there  would  be  some  chance 
for  them  to  lay  by  something  every  year,  so  that 
after  a  time  they  could  make  a  home  for  them¬ 


selves,  where  and  as  they  pleased  ;  and  don’t  you 
see  what  effect  such  a  state  of  things  might  be 
supposed  to  have  upon  the  health  and  spirits,  the 
freedom  from  anxiety  for  that  future,  when  ill 
health  and  age  prevent  earning  a  livelihood! 

Then,  too,  another  point  of  vital  importance 
you  must  have  overlooked.  Not  nearly  as  many 
men  could  get  wives  if  women  were  sure  of  ease 
and  competency,  for  I  believe  three-fifths  of  the 
women  who  marry  after  twenty-five,  do  so  for  a 
home  and  comfortable  support.  Too  many  of 
that  number,  alas,  for  a  home  and  support  only. 
Perhaps  one-fifth  of  the  remainder  retain  the 
heart  of  their  girlhood,  and  marry  because  God 
gives  them  that  crown  and  glory  to  their  woman¬ 
hood.  The  other  one-fifth,  because  they  have  not 
forgotten  the  dreams  of  their  teens,  that  “old 
maids  are  abominable.”  Why,  what  a  revolution 
in  society  would  be  made,  if  your  question  was 
heeded  and  acted  upon  !  There  might  be  ten 
true  'marriages  where  there  is  one  now,  for  poor 
mothers  would  not  have  to  educate  their  daugh¬ 
ters  that  they  must  marry  to  escape  the  toil  and 
struggle  which  had  been  their  portion  ;  and  girls 
of  good  sense  and  education  could  afford  to  wait 
for  the  twin  soul  of  God's  appointment,  and  not 
get.  discouraged  after  a  few  years  of  teaching  or 
other  labor,  because  only  with  their  utmost  exer¬ 
tions  the  claims  of  society  as  to  dress  and  living, 
are  met.  Women  might  grow  ambitious  and 
worldly,  too,  if  money  accumulated  in  their  bands, 
as  some  men  do  ;  or  might  have  higher  aims  than 

bickering  with  help,  or  gossiping  over  Mr. - ’s 

attentions  to  Miss  Such-an-one,  if  money  increased 
in  their  hands. 

Then,  what  could  a  woman  do  with  money  in 
the  same  proportion  as  men!  She  does  not  al¬ 
ways  have  a  brother  to  send  to  college,  or  pooi- 
parents  to  help,  perhaps,  by  paying  off  the  mort¬ 
gage  on  the  farm,  or  an  invalid  mother  to  support 
altogether,  or  brothers  and  sisters,  neices  and  ne¬ 
phews  to  help  to  an  education,  and  on  in  the 
world.  And  then,  the  treasuries  of  benevolent 
societies  might  uncomfortably  overflow,  and  chari¬ 
ties  of  all  sorts  be  unpleasantly  diminished,  for  1 
believe  it  is  generally  acknowledged  that  women 
are  generous  according  to  their  means.  But,  pos¬ 
sibly,  wages  equal  to  men’s  might  change  their  na¬ 
ture  to  that  of  some  men  ;  in  which  case,  the  last- 
named  danger  would  be  averted. 

Some  poor  girls  struggle  and  toil  for  an  educa 
lion,  as  some  poor  men  do,  but  don’t  you  see  that 
if  they  were  able  to  pay  for  it  by  a  few  years' 
teaching  and  preaching,  as  men  do,  they  would 
be  independent  too  soon  ;  be  able  to  have  a  home 
of  their  own,  even  if  they  did  not  marry  ;  or  to 
make  comfortable,  or  perhaps  luxurious,  their 
childhood’s  home. 

Then,  if  women  earned  more  money,  they  might 
dress  more,  and  more  expensively,  though  I  con¬ 
fess  it  would  not  be  possible  for  some ;  but  you 
know  the  extravagance  of  the  women  in  dress  is 
all  the  cause  of  the  late  bard  times,  and  you  can 
not  wish  to  bring  another  such  crisis  upon  our 
country.  I  have  never  yet  seen  the  exact  differ¬ 
ence  stated,  between  the  personal  expenses  ol 
young  men  and  young  women  of  about  the  same 
age  and  station  in  life.  I  wish  some  one  would 
look  into  the  subject,  and  give  the  statistics,  in¬ 
cluding  cigars  and  crinoline,  jewelry  and  mint 
juleps,  ices,  champagne,  dances  and  fast  horses, 

I  don’t  know  how  many  of  either  sex  spend  less 
than  all  they  can  get,  whether  earned  or  begged 
from  their  “  father,”  or  “  squeezed  from  the  gover¬ 
nor  ;”  nor  haw  many  more  men  than  women  do 
mote  than  take  care  of  themselves,  with  what 
they  get  in  either  of  the  aforesaid  ways. 

I  have  said  enough,  I  am  sure,  to  convince  you, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


183 


Mr.  Editor,  that  your  question,  if  heeded,  might 
overturn  the  very  foundations  of  society,  and  if 
you  have  not  thought  further  upon  the  subject 
since  you  penned  it,  your  active  mind  will  now 
quickly  see  its  revolutionary  tendencies,  from  these 
imperfect  suggestions.  A  Woman. 

South  Lancaster,  Pa.,  Oct.,  1858. 

.For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Dresses  for  Traveling,  etc. 

BY  ANNA  HOPE. 

We  are  a  nation  of  travelers— farmers  as  well 
as  others.  Families  are  so  scattered  by  emigra¬ 
tion,  that  if  vve  were  all  keepers  at  home  we 
should,  many  of  us,  be  compelled  to  bid  a  last 
farewell  to  some  that  we  love,  long  before  they 
bid  adieu  to  earth. 

An  appropriate  dress  for  the  road  is  of  no  small 
importance,  although  it  need  not  be  of  any  Expen¬ 
sive  material.  It  should  be  of  some  plain  color, 
drab  or  brown,  or  any  other  that  will  not  attract 
attention.  Bright  colors  are  entirely  out  of  place. 
Many  of  the  India  silks  are  suitable  for  traveling 
dresses — so  are  merinos  and  delaines.  There 
are  at  the  present  time  a  great  variety  of  cheap 
goods  made  of  worsted  and  linen,  or  of  worsted 
and  cotton,  that  answer  well  for  this  purpose.  A 
dark  gingham  is  not  amiss. 

A  traveling  dress  should  be  simply  made — the 
waist  buttoned  up  to  the  throat,  and  the  skirt 
without  flounces.  A  cloak  of  the  same  material 
as  the  dress,  is,  in  most  cases,  in  good  taste.  A 
gray  flannel  cloak  is  never  unsuitable.  The  bon¬ 
net  should  he  as  simple  as  the  dress.  A  colored 
straw,  with  but  little  trimming,  is  in  good  taste  ; 
so  are  shirred  bonnets  of  plain  colors.  White 
straws  are  objectionable  only  because  they  are  so 
soon  soiled  by  the  dust.  The  coarse  “Rough  and 
Ready  ”  is  much  the  fashion.  Dress  bonnets 
should  not  be  worn  except  on  dress  occasions. 
For  gloves,  I  prefer  the  doe-skin  gauntlet,  or  the 
undressed  kid  ;  lisle  thread  are  the  best  of  low- 
price  gloves  ;  avoid  soiled  light  colored  gloves. 
Wear  a  linen  or  Marseilles  collar,  or  an  embroid¬ 
ered  cambric — not  lace  or  muslin. 

I  have  just  taken  a  journey  of  several  hundred 
miles,  and  have  seen  examples  of  various  styles 
of  dress,  which  were  not  all  of  them  in  the  best 
taste.  One  young  miss,  not  far  advanced  in  her 
teens,  traveled  in  a  low-neck  dress,  as  it  was 
very  easy  to  see  when  she  removed  her  cloak  for 
her  greater  comfort.  Another  wore  a  many-col¬ 
ored  chenille  shawl,  with  a  straw  bonnet  profuse¬ 
ly  trimmed  with  a  ribbon  in  which  red  was  one  of 
the  colors.  The  face  trimming  was  a  bright  rose- 
color  and  black,  and  the  strings  another  shade  of 
rose-color  without  the  black — the  rose-color  itself 
was  beautiful,  but  its  proper  effect  was  ruined  by 
the  red,  and  the  different  shade  of  the  same  color. 
Another  was  still  more  marked  in  her  style.  She 
displayed  prodigious  hoops,  wore  no  collar,  but  did 
wear  an  immense  bloomer  hat  streaming  with 
blue  ribbons.  She  was  excessively  deficient  in 
beauty,  and  should  not  have  attracted  attention 
by  a  peculiar  dress.  In  the  seat  back  of  me  sat 
a  very  neat  little  woman,  in  a  drab  dress  and 
cloak,  wearing  a  straw  bonnet,  with  the  cleanest 
of  quilled  lace  for  a  face  trimming.  Her  dress 
displayed  both  good  sense,  and  good  taste ; 
good  sense  is  always  an  element  in  good  taste. 

It  is  well  for  ladies  to  provide  themselves  with 
a  lunch,  as  it  is  otherwise  impossible  for  them  to 
be  comfortable  in  the  hurry  and  scramble  of  rail¬ 
road  traveling.  I  would  also  recommend  them  to 
take  a  small  tumbler  with  them,  as  it  is  not  par¬ 
ticularly  agreeable  to  drink  after  others,  especial¬ 
ly  after  the  victims  of  tobacco. 

May  I  not  offer  a  hint  to  gentlemen,  to  which  I 


wish  they  would  lend  a  listening  ear.  It  is  that 
they  should  leave  their  tobacco  at  home,  and  not 
bring  it  into  the  cars  to  annoy  others.  I  pity  the 
wives  of  these  spitters,  bat  as  they  Were  taken 
for  worse,  as  well  as  better,  perhaps  there  is  no 
other  way  than  to  bear  with  them.  I  do  not  know 
a  more  disgusting  practice  than  that  of  defiling 
cars,  and  public  rooms,  and  private  parlors  even, 
in  this  way.  If  these  men  must  chew,  let  them 
resort  to  the  smoking  ear  and  enjoy  their  tobacco. 


Medical  Eecipes- 

Medical  recipes  to  cure  every  imaginable  ail¬ 
ment,  incident  to  human  or  other  animals,  from 
a  wart  to  the  heaves,  or  horn  ail,  are  received 
from  different  sources  almost  daily,  but  we  seldom 
publish  them,  for  many  are  nonsensical,  others 
injurious,  and  few  can  be  relied  on.  No  doubt 
most  of  those  who  kindly  furnish  them  fully  be¬ 
lieve  in  the  efficacy  of  their  remedies,  but  to  be 
able  to  pronounce  definitely  upon  the  certain  ef¬ 
fects  of  any  medicine  in  a  specific  case,  requires 
knowledge  and  an  experience  obtained  only  by 
years  of  observation  and  practice.  Two-thirds  of 
the  doses  “warranted  to  cure,”  have  originated 
in  the  mere  notions  of  men  to  whom  even  the 
inward  structure  of  an  animal  is  an  unknown 
mystery.  So  different,  too,  are  the  symptoms  of 
the  same  disease  in  different  individuals,  that 
scarcely  two  cases  can  be  successfully  treated  in 
the  same  manner.  Vv'e  are  aware  that  almost 
every  man  can  bring  testimony  of  surprising 
cures  effected  by  bis  favorite  medicine,  but  we 
can  not  tell  with  certainty  whether  the  result  fol¬ 
lowed,  by  the  aid,  or  in  spite  of  the  means  used. 
As  the  aim  has  been  to  make  the  Agriculturist 
reliable  in  its  teachings,  so  far  as  it  does  go,  it  has 
been  deemed  at  least  safe  to  exclude  nearly  all 
matter  of  this  character  which  could  not  be 
vouched  for  with  positive  certainty. 


Gi-asitli'srolls.or  assil  t He  XiHllc  Girls. 


REPORTED  BY  COUSIN  MARY. 

Dear  Mr.  Editor  : 

X  have  been  waiting  a  good  while  for  an  opportunity  to 
tell  you  and  all  the  Agriculturist  Cousins,  some  of  the 
good  things  that.  Grandmother  has  been  talking  about, 
since  she  has  been  at  Uncle  John's  ;  but  you  have  had  so 
many  other  matters  to  print,  that  I  supposed  I  couldn’t 
get  a  word  in  “  edge-wise.”  But  if  you  can  now  find 
room,  I  will  tell  you  what  she  said  to  us  one  afternoon, 

ABOUT  KEEPING  OUR  ROOMS  IN  ORDER. 

“I  tell  you,  girls,  there’s  nothing  I  love  to  see  more  than 
a  nice  tidy  room  with  everything  in  its  place.  If  there’s 
only  a  bed,  a  table  and  a  chair  in  it,  they  ought  to  be  set 


right,  and  they’ll  look  better  than  a  room  full  of  nice  fur¬ 
niture  put  in  any  way  and  every  way.  X  had  a  peep  intc 
a  little  girl's  room  the  other  day,  and  I  could  have  laughec 
heartily,  only  1  felt  sorry  to  see  one  of  my  grand-daugh 
ters  growing  up  with  such  bad  habits.  There  was  the 
bed  pulled  halfway  into  the  room,  the  clothes  on  it  all 
tumbled  about,  and  one  pillow  lying  on  the  floor.  On  on? 
of  the  bed-posts  hung  an  old  sun-bonnet,  and  on  another  a 
towel.  The  wash-stand  was  littered  up  with  brushes  and 
combs,  and  a  large  doll  that  looked  as  if  it  was  trying  to 
crawl  behind  the  pitcher  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  lha 
broom,  which  was  lying  with  one  end  on  the  floor  and 
the  other  over  a  chair  near  the  stand,  with  a  night  cap  on 
the  lop  of  it.  The  oat  was  asleep  on  a  heap  of  clothes  in 
the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  the  candlestick,  on  a  chair, 
served  for  a  pin-cushion  and  comb-case.  One  edge  of  the 
carpet  was  turned  up,  the  box  for  playthings  was  set  upon 
a  trunk,  and  everything  in  it,  little  chairs,  dishes,  rag-ba¬ 
bies,  and  odds  and  ends  were  mixed  up  curiously  enough. 
Eveiything  looked  as  if  it  had  run  into  the  room  in  a  great 
hurry  to  get  out  of  a  shower,  or  as  if  tilings  Imd  suddenly 
stopped  in  the  middle  of  a  game  of  blind  man’s  buff. 

When  1  talked  with  the  little  girl  about  it,  she  blushed 
and  said  1  she  didn’t  think  anybody  would  see  it.’  Now, 
my  dear  girls,  I’m  not  so  anxious  to  teach  you  to  keep 
things  in  order  because  somebody  will  see  them,  but  fur 
your  own  sakes.  You  will  see  them— and  you  will  find 
great  comfort  in  keeping  everything  properly  arranged. 
There’s  something  in  us  that  loves  to  see  things  in  their 
places,  flow  much  more  we  enjoy  a  visit  when  we  find 
the  housekeeper  has  taken  pains  to  putlhings  all  to  rights. 
When  I  sit  down  in  a  room  where  a  chair  or  a  table  is  out 
of  place,  it  seems  all  ihe  time  as  if  it  was  uneasy,  and  it 
makes  me  uneasy,  and  every  person,  even  children,  have 
something  of  this  feeling,  although  they  may  not  know 
exactly  what  causes  it. 

Let  me  help  you  a  little  with  a  plan  for  arranging  your 
room  so  that  it  w  ill  be  convenient  and  pleasant.  There 
must  be  a  bed  in  it  of  course,  and  it  is  of  some  conse¬ 
quence  where  it  stands.  Almost  everybody  puts  it  up  in 
a  corner,  but  I  don’t  like  that  so  well,  unless  room  is 
scarce,  because  it  makes  unnecessary  trouble  to  move  it 
out  every  day  in  order  to  make  it  up  nicely  ;  and  it  is  also 
difficult  to  sweep  all  the  dust  from  under  it,  if  one  side  is 
against  the  wali.  If  the  floor  is  carpeted,  the  carpet  is 
worn  by  pushing  the  bedstead  back  and  forth  over  it,  and 
if  not,  the  floor  is  marked  and  scratched.  The  head  of 
of  the  bed  may  be  against  the  wall,  and  if  it  can  be  so  ar¬ 
ranged,  I  like  to  have  the  foot  towards  a  window,  so  that 
when  the  morning  light  comes  in  it  will  wake  rne  up  ear¬ 
ly.  We  must  be  careful  not  to  place  the  bed  where  a 
draught  of  air  w  ill  passover  us,  when  asleep,  for  instance 
between  an  open  door  and  Ihe  fire  place,  or  a  window  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  room:  bad  colds  are  sometimes 
taken  in  this  way. 

There  should  be  at  least  a  strip  of  carpet  to  stand  on 
while  dressing,  and  if  this  is  all,  it  should  be  laid  down 
beside  the  bed.  Neat  rag  carpet  costs  but  little,  and  will 
add  a  great  deal  to  the  comfort  of  the  room.  The  chairs, 
bureau,  or  trunk  for  clothes,  and  wash-stand,  or  dressing- 
table,  should  be  arranged  according  to  the  size  and  form  of 
the  room.  One  chair  will  be  warned  near  the  bed,  to  lay 
the  clothes  upon,  and  one  near  the  window  where  it  w  ill 
be  pleasant  to  sit  and  read  or  sew.  The  stand  or  dressing 
table,  with  the  looking-glass  over  it,  should  also  be  placed 
near  the  window  to  afford  plenty  of  light.  Even  a  plain 
pine  stand  of  rough  boards  may  be  made  very  neat  by  cov¬ 
ering  with  white  cotton  cloth,  or  furniture  calico.  A  lit¬ 
tle  ruffle  around  the  top  edge  is  tasty.  A  curtain  may 
be  tacked  around  the  edge  to  hang  down  and  hide  the 
rough  legs  of  the  stand,  or  shoes,  or  anything  you  may 
want  out  of  sight.  If  there  is  no  drawer  in  which  to  keep 
the  combs  and  brushes,  a  little  case  of  pasteboard, 
covered  with  fancy  paper,  may  be  made  to  set  on  the  ta¬ 
ble,  or  hung  against  the  wall  near  the  looking-glass.  II 
there  is  no  closet  in  which  to  hang  clothing,  a  strip  of 
board  with  hooks  made  for  the  purpose,  or  smooth  wooden 
pins,  may  be  put  up  on  one  side  of  the  room.  This  is  much 
better  than  driving  nails  around  here  and  there,  because 
these  disfigure  the  walls,  and  are  also  liable  to  tear  the 
dresses  hung  on  them.  A  sheet  can  be  bung  up  between 
the  dresses  and  the  wall,  and  another  over  them  to  keep 
the  dust  out.  There  should  be  a  box  or  shelves  for  the 
playthings,  a  nice  place  for  books,  and  a  basket  or  box  for 
the  sewing.  When  a  girl  has  these  things,  she  should 
learn  to  put  every  article  in  its  proper  place  as  soon  as  she 
has  finished  using  it.  It  will  s  ion  become  a  habit  to  do  so, 
and  then  it  will  be  much  easier  as  well  as  pleasanter  than 
not  to  do  it.  Let  all  my  little  grand-daughters  try  it." 

There,  Mr.  Editor,  I  guess  I  have  told  you  all  of  grand¬ 
mother's  talk  you  will  have  room  for  in  the  next  paper, 
but  you  may  depend  upon  Mary  lor  more  if  you  want 
more.— [We  do. — Ed.] 


A  naturalized  citizen  being  asked  why  he  left  nis  na¬ 
tive  land,  whether  iorwant  or  not,  replied  ;  “  Not  for  that, 
I  had  enough  of  that  at  home,” 


184 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  149. 


GRANDMOTHER  AND  CHILD. 

(Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist.) 


The  Editor  wit  :  His  Young'  Readers. 

I.ast  month,  p.  152rwe  gave  a  picture  of  one  of  the 
grandmothers  of  “  Old  Englan  i,”  who  was  teaching  her 
little  grand-daughter  to  sew.  Here  we  have  a  charming 
picture  of  one  of  the  grandmothers  in  Germany,  away  in 
the  center  of  Europe— in  “  clem  Vaterland,”  as  our  Ger¬ 
man  friends  love  to  call  the  home  of  their  ancestors.  We 
should  like  to  get  hold  of  the  hand  of  the  noble  artist, 
Meyer,  whose  kind  heart  led  him  to  choose  for  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  one  of  his  master  paintings  so  interesting  a  scene 
ns  the  one  we  have  here  engraved.  How  much  alike  are 
these  good  old  grandmothers,  wherever  we  find  them, 
whether  in  England  or  Germany,  or  here  in  our  own 
land.  Do  not  such  pictures  as  these  lead  our  young  read¬ 
ers  to  appreciate  and  love  their  grand-parents  more  than 
evert  We  hope  so. 

It  would  almost  seem  strange  that  we  should  ask  our 
young  readers  whether  any  one  of  them  has  ever  spoken 
unkindly  to  a  grand-parent,  and  yet  we  once  heard  a  lit¬ 
tle  girl  do  so.  The  good  old  lady  was  worn  down  with 
care,  and  enfeebled  with  the  weight  of  almost  fourscore 
years,  yet  she  devoted  her  whole  remaining  strength  to  a 
group  of  little  ones.  One  afternoon  she  was  knitting  a 
pair  of  woolen  shoes  for  “  baby,”  and  her  ball  chanced  to 
drop  from  her  lap,  when  a  playful  kitten  rolled  it  off  under 
the  bed  and  she  asked  little  Anna  to  get  it  for  her.  But  Anna 
was  engaged  with  her  playthings,  and  her  reply  was  : 
“  I  don’t  want  to.  I  wish  grandmother  wouldn't  stay 
here  for  I  don’t  want  to  wait  on  her.”  The  old  lady 
cooked  sad  a  moment,  but  she  tottered  across  the  room, 
got  a  broom,  and  slowly  bending  down  upon  her  knees 
brushed  out,  the  ball  from  under  the  bed.  And  so  we  sup¬ 
pose  she  kept  on,  year  after  year,  slighted  and  ill-treated 
by  those  whom  she  loved.  The  fact  was,  she  was  a  poor 
widow,  while  the  parents  of  Anna  were  “  well  off,”  which 
made  her  feel  very  important.  Little  did  she  know  how 
much  pain  she  gave  that  good  old  lady  by  her  careless 
treatment  and  neglect.  We  have  felt  badly  a  thousand 
times,  as  we  have  thought  of  that  old  lady  stooping  to  get 
her  ball  of  thread.  We  have  not  seen  nor  heard  of  Anna 
for  several  years,  but  we  hope  she  has  lived  to  repent  of 
her  unkindness.  Are  there  any  “  Annas  ”  'among  our 
young  readers  ?  We  hope,  and  believe  not.  One  word 


more  about  our  picture.  Do  you  see  how  pleasod  the 
little  fellow  is,  as  he  “paddles”  in  the  wash  bowl? 
Grandma  had  got  out  the  water,  and  the  soap  you  see  on 
the  table,  to  give  him  his  morning  wash  ;  but  he  has  got 
hold  of  the  sponge,  and  his  hands  in  the  water,  and  now 
grandma  is  holding  the  bowl  steadily  so  that  he  can  not 
upset  it.  How  roguish  he  looks,  and  how  pleased  she  is 
to  see  his  exploits  1 

Rub  a  dub,  dub  1  Rub  a  dub,  dub  !  What  in  the  world 
is  coming.  Drums  beating,  bugles  playing,  colors  flying, 
and  guns  and  swords  shining.  Has  the  emperor  of  France 
sent  his  soldiers  here  to  make  war,  or  is  it  general  train¬ 
ing  day  ?  On  they  go,  past  our  office  window  here,  look¬ 
ing  as  gay,  as  bright  coats,  handsome  caps,  and  ornament¬ 
ed  weapons,  can  make  them.  It  would  be  a  rare  sight  for 
many  of  you  to  see  these  city  soldiers.  They  do  look  hand¬ 
some,  and  it  is  all  the  more  pleasant  to  look  at  them, 
knowing  that  they  are  only  on  parade,  that  is,  out  show  ing 
themselves,  and  not  marching  away  to  engage  in  bloody 
strife.  Then,  too,  their  music  is  very  fine.  It  seems  to 
wake  every  body  up.  Our  men  leave  the  office,  and  open 
the  windows,  to  look  out ;  laborers  in  the  street  stop  for 
a  few  minutes  to  listen  ;  even  the  cartmen's  horses  show 
their  delight,  by  tossing  their  heads  and  prancing  and 
snorting.  How  you  would  enjoy  living  here  where  you 
could  see  such  fine  sights  almost  every  day.  would  you 
not?  But  not  too  fast,  my  little  fellow.  See  all  along 
the  street  the  crowd  of  boys  following  the  soldiers. 
And  what  looking  boys  they  are.  Poor  little  fellows  1 
some  without  hats,  very  few' with  shoes  and  stockings, 
scarcely  one  with  decent  clothes,  dirty  and  neglected, 
though  they  are  naturally  as  bright  and  smart  as  any  boys 
you  can  find.  Some  of  them,  very  likely,  were  born  in 
the  country,  but  their  parents  thought  best  to  leave  its 
quiet  scenes,  to  come  and  live  where  there  was  more  to 
see,  and,  as  they  hoped,  more  money  to  be  made.  But 
they  were  unfortunate.  The  father  was  thrown  out  of 
employment,  and  having  got  into  bad  company,  learned 
to  drink,  and  neglected  his  family  ;  the  mother  struggled 
along  for  a  while,  but  at  length  sickened  anddied,  and  the 
poor  little  boy,  once  so  happy  in  his  country  home,  is  now 
wandering  in  the  streets  without  home  or  friends,  beg¬ 


ging  for  food  when  he  is  hungry,  and  sleeping  in 
any  corner  where  there  is  an  old  box,  or  wagon,  to 
afford  partial  shelter.  This  is  the  sad  history  of 
thousands  of  such  boys  in  this  city.  For  a  few  years  past 
benevolent  individuals  have  spent  much  time  and  money 
in  trying  to  help  this  neglected  class  ;  and  they  have 
found  the  best  way  to  accomplish  it,  is  to  send  them  away 
into  the  country,  to  live  with  some  kind  farmer.  Many 
have  been  sent  thus,  and  are  now  in  a  fair  way  to  grow 
up  usefu  and  happy.  That  was  a  very  true  saying,  which 
somebody  uttered  a  good  many  years  ago:  “  God  made, 
the  country,  man  made  the  town.” 

KEEPING  PETS. 

One  of  the  pleasures  of  country  life,  especially  for  the 
young,  is  the  care  of  pets.  Children  here  have  their  fa- 
vorites;  sometimes  a  kit'eu  or  a  bird,  and  occasionally  a 
rabbit  or  a  squirrel  :  but  they  all,  except  perhaps  the  kit¬ 
ten,  seem  to  pine  for  their  accustomed  free  life.  We  al¬ 
ways  feel  sorry  when  we  see  the  poor  little  things  cooped 
up  or  caged,  as  they  must  be  here  in  the  crowded  city. 
But  most  of  you  can  have  your  lamb,  or  rabbit,  or  pony, 
or  your  chickens  and  doves,  with  plenty  of  room  for  them 
to  feed  and  frisk,  or  fly  and  enjoy  themselves,  thus  adding 
greatly  to  your  enjoyment.  We  love  to  see  children  fond 
of  pets.  The  care  of  dependent  animals  helps  to  keep 
young  people  gentle  and  kind  ;  it  cultivates  the  affections 
and  they  learn  to  love  easily,  w  hich  is  a  most  desirable  ac¬ 
complishment.  When  we  see  a  boy  fond  of  tormenting 
animals,  by  beating  or  stoning,  or  playing  tricks  upon 
them,  we  find  it  very  hard  to  like  him.  He  is  injuring 
himself,  as  well  as  giving  needless  pain  to  the  poor  brutes. 
He  is  getting  habits  of  cruelty  and  malice,  which  if  un¬ 
checked,  will  make  him  an  outlaw  among  his  fellows.  To 
love  and  be  loved,  is  the  great  source  of  happiness  ;  such 
a  boy  is  surely  pro  aring  for  a  miserable  life 
A  BOUT  BUGS. 

Many  of  our  young  friends  seem  to  have  a  particular 
spite  against  bugs  of  all  sorts.  The  girls,  especially,  look 
upon  them  as  frightful  little  monsters,  and  if  one  happens 
to  fall  upon  them,  or  to  crawl  quite  near  them,  they  are 
ready  to  scream  and  run,  and  sometimes  almost  to  faint. 
We  have  seen  a  whole  room  full  of  young  ladies  in  great 
commotion,  because  a  large  beetle  had  found  his  way 
into  their  company  The  boys,  though  less  afraid  of  bugs, 
too  often  consider  them  as  made  expressly  to  be  tormented 
and  killed.  We  suppose  this  arises  from  the  notion  people 
have,  that  every  odd  looking  creature  is  necessarily  hurt¬ 
ful.  The  toad,  for  example,  was  for  a  long  time  consider¬ 
ed  poisonous,  merely,  no  doubt,  from  his  looks  ;  for  he  is 
really  a  very  useful  little  fellow,  if  he  has  such  a  homely 
jacket.  In  the  garden  one  toad  eats  a  host  of  noxious  in¬ 
sects.  If  you  will  take  pains  this  summer  to  watch  the 
movements  of  the  various  insects  you  may  find,  it  will 
afford  you  much  greater  pleasure  than  to  destroy  them. 
By  learning  their  habits,  you  will  become  so  interested 
in  them,  as  to  overcome  much  of  the  prejudice  that  now 
makes  them  unpleasant  to  look  upon.  Many  of  them,  no 
doubt,  are  injurious  to  fruits  and  vegetables.  These 
should  be  ascertained  and  destroyed  ;  but  others,  instead 
of  being  noxious  to  man,  actually  feed  upon  things  which 
are  injurious,  and  thus  are  our  friends  :  as  for  instance 
the  Tiger  Beetle,  which  preys  upon  catterpillars,  and  the 
pretty  little  Lady  Bug,  which  devours  the  troublesome 
plant-lice.  It  would  be  interesting  to  you  to  see  how  many 
different  kinds  of  bugs  and  insects  you  could  collect  this 
season.  They  may  be  found  in  almost  every  situation,  at 
almost  every  time  of  the  day,  and  indeed  some  must  be 
hunted  in  the  night  time.  They  can  be  easily  put  to  death 
by  dropping  them  into  a  vial  of  alcohol  or  whisky,  and 
then  a  pin  may  be  run  through  them  to  fasten  them  upon 
a  white  card.  Butterflies  and  moths  are  best  disposed  of 
by  shutting  them  in  a  tight  box  with  a  sponge  containing 
a  little  ether,  or  chloroform,  which  soon  puts  them  to  rest 
very  quietly,  w  ithout  pain,  and  without  injury  to  their  del¬ 
icate  plumage. 

As  new  specimens  are  obtained,  it  will  greatly  add  to 
the  pleasure,  to  look  through  some  book  describing  in¬ 
sects,  to  find  their  names,  and  write  them  upon  the  card. 
Such  a  book  will  also  aid  in  observing  their  habits.  It  is 
in  this  way  that  the  most  eminent  naturalists  have  com¬ 
menced  their  labors,  and  though  you  may  not  become 
as  famous  as  they  have,  you  will  find  that  bug-hunting 
will  afford  as  good  sport,  and  much  more  instruction, 
than  catching  fish  and  shooting  birds. 

The  girls,  too,  can  share  in  this  pleasure.  They  can 
not  only  prepare  specimens,  but,  if  they  will  select  the 
colored  wings  and  smooth  shining  shells  of  different  va¬ 
rieties  of  insects,  they  can  with  a  little  pasteboard,  gum, 
and  varnish,  by  the  exercise  of  taste  and  ingenuity, 
make  fancy  boxes  that  will  be  far  more  beautiful  than 
any  which  the  fancy  stores  can  furnish  Who  will  make 
the  largest  collection  and  the  prettiest  piece  of  fancy  work 
in  this  way,  the  present  year  ?  Let  us  hear  how  you  pro¬ 
gress,  when  you  have  fairly  commenced  your  cabinet— 
we  don’t  mean  long  descriptive  letters,  with  three  or  four 
pages  of  detail,  but  simply  how  you  get  on 


June,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


185 


Problems — The  illustrated  rebus  No.  19, 
given  last  month,  appears  to  have  been  a 
“jioser,”  since  only  one  (T.  F.  Allen,)  has 
sent  us  a  correct  reading  of  it.  We'll 
leave  the  solution  over  a  month  for  others 

to  try . The  shoemaker,  in  riddle  No. 

38,  is  a  blachsmith,  who  makes  horse¬ 
shoes.  Rightly  guessed  by  R.  E.  Fliekin- 
ger;  Daniel  Metz;  B.  L.  Elmendorf;  G. 

H.  Witthaus  ;  arid  D.  W.  Spicer . We 

will  give  a  new  puzzle  this,  month,  viz: 

NO.  40  —  A  LABYRINTH. 

This  is  a  capital  one,  for  w  hich  we  are 
indebted  to  Aunt  Sue’s  Book  of  Puzzles, 
through  the  kindness  of  H  D.  Woodworth. 

The  puzzle  is,  to  get  from  outside  to  the 
pleasant  summer-house  in  the  centre,  with¬ 
out  jumping  over  any  of  the  fences,  which 
is  strictly  prohibited.  It  can  be  done— we 
have  tried  it,  and  know'.  If  it  bothers  you 
as  much  as  it  did  us,  you'll  have  some  fun 
over  it.  You  will  find  a  nice  cool  bower 

when  you  get  in.  You  have  only  to - 

ah  !  we  like  to  have  told  you  how  to  get 
there,  which  would  have  spoiled  the  fun. 

This  will  suggest  others  which  you  can 
construct  to  amuse  your  playmates. 

COME  THIS  WAY  FATHER.” 

fThe  little  sketch  “  Steer  straight  to  me, 

Father, ”  published  last  month,  p.  152, 
touched  many  hearts,  as  it  did  our  own. 

Among  the  responses  received  is  one  from 
B.  0.  Titus,  Hunterdon  Co.,  N.  J.,  enclosing  on  a  printed 
slip  the  following  poetry  founded  on  the  same  incident. 
The  w  riter  is  unknown  Mr.  T.,  says  he  has  had  it  in  his 
possession  several  years.  We  are  glad  to  preserve  it 
longer,  stereotyped  in  these  columns.— Ed. J 

I  remember  a  voice  w  hich  once  guided  my  way 
When,  lost  on  the  sea,  fog-enshrouded  I  lay  ; 

’Twas  the  voice  of  a  child,  as  he  stood  on  the  shore — 

It  sounded  out,  cleai  o’er  the  dark  billow’s  roar — 

“  Come  this  way,  my  father !  steer  straight  for  me  ; 

Here,  safe  on  the  shore.  I  am  waiting  for  thee  1” 

I  remember  that  voice  ’midst  rocks  and  through  breakers 
And  high  dashing  spray  ;  how  sweet  to  my  heart 
Did  it  sound  from  the  shore,  as  it  echoed  out  clear 
O’er  the  dark  billow’s  roar— “  Come  this  way  my  father  ! 
Steer  straight  for  me  ;  here  safe  on  the  shore 
I  am  wailing  for  thee  !” 

I  remember  my  joy  when  I  held  to  my  breast 
The  form  of  that  dear  one,  and  soothed  it  to  rest  ; 

For  the  tones  of  my  child — “  I  called  you,  dear  father 
And  knew  you  vypuld  hear  the  voice  of  your  darling 
Far  o’er  the  dark  sea,  while  safe  on  the  shore 
I  was  waiting  for  thee  !” 

That  voice  is  now  hushed  which  then  guided  mv  way  , 
The  form  I  then  pressed  is  now  mingled  with  clay  ; 

But  the  tones  of  my  child  still  sound  in  my  ear — 

“  I  am  calling  you,  father  1—0,  can  you  not  hear 
The  voice  of  your  darling  as  you  toss  on  life’s  sea?  , 

For  on  a  bright  shore  I  am  Waiting  for  thee  !” 

I  remember  that  voice  ;  in  many  a  lone  hour 
It  speaks  to  my  heart,  with  fresh  beauty  and  power, 

And  still  echoes  far  out  o’er  life’s  troubled  wave. 

And  sounds  from  loved  lips  that  lie  in  the  grave— 

“  Come  this  way,  my  father!  O,  steer  straight  for  me! 
Here  safely  in  Heaven  I  am  waiting  for  thee.” 


Into  which  are  thrown  all  sorts  of  paragraphs— such  as 
Notes  and  Replies  to  Correspondents,  with  Useful  or 
interesting  Extracts  from  their  Letters,  together  with  Glean¬ 
ings  of  various  kinds  from  various  sources. 

Supports  for  Peas.— N.  J.  Downey,  Franklin  Co., 
N.  Y.  Brush  is  generally  used  as  being  most  convenient, 
but  any  thing  that  will  afford  them  support  will  answer 
equally  well.  Stakes  set  along  the  rows  with  twine  pas¬ 
sing  between  them,  are  neater  and  more  convenient. 

Bene  Plant  for  Bees.— II.  II.  W.  Sigourney, 
Norfolk  Co.,  Mass.,  sends  us  an  extract  from  a  paper, 
stating  that  oil  cake  from  the  seeds  of  the  Bene  Plant 

Sesamum  Orientate ),  furnishes  an  unequalled  food  for 
bees.  This  may  be  true,  but  it  needs  confirmation.  It 
could  not  however  be  made  very  available  in  this  latitude, 
as  the  Bene  plant  requires  a  temperature  equal  to  that 
necessary  to  raise  cotton.  We  have  tried  to  raise  it  two 
seasons,  but  with  no  success  so  far. 

Trimming  Melon  Vines,— Major  J.  Baker, 


Perry  Co  ,  Pa.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  pinch  out  the  middle 
eye  from  vines  when  the  runners  have  extended  two  or 
three  feet  This  causes  a  more  vigorous  growth  of  the 
side  branches  on  which  the  fruit  is  produced,  and  also 
keeps  the  vine  within  proper  bounds. 

Squashes  kept  two  Years,- Samuel  T.  Taber, 
of  Queens  Co.,  L.  I.,  informs  us  (May  5th)  that  he  has  in 
his  cellar,  some  squashes  raised  in  1857,  which  are  still 
as  sound  as  when  first  grown.  The  variety  resembles  the 
Winter  crook-neck,  is  long  and  rather  slim,  with  a  bulb 
at  the  end.  The  squashes  are  light-colored  and  the  skin 
quite  lender.  They  make  very  good  pies. 

ILarge  Asparagus— Mow  it  was  Raised. 

— A  gentleman  whose  name  we  did  not  learn,  exhibited  at 
our  office  a  few  days  since,  specimens  of  Asparagus  that 
we  think  hard  to  beat.  The  bunch  was  18  inches  in  cir¬ 
cumference  contained  18  stalks,  81  inches  long,  and 
weighed  Sflbs.;  several  stalks  each  measured  H-  inches 
in  diameter.  It  was  of  the  common  variety,  raised  by 
Daniel  IC.  Jones,  for  Daniel  Smith,  Mattinecock,  L.  I. 
We  inquired  after  the  peculiar  management  by  which 
such  stalks  were  grown,  and  were  told  that  the  bed  was 
arranged,  so  that  as  each  stalk  came  up  it  had  a  tuft  of 
horse  manure  on  its  head ! — which  explained  the  whole 
matter  satisfactorily. 

Mow  to  Propagate  Osage  Orange.— II.  A. 

Baily,  Lincoln  Co..  Mo. :  It  is  hardly  practicable  to  propa¬ 
gate  the  Osage  Orange  from  cuttings.  They  may  be  lay¬ 
ered,  but  the  best  way  is  to  raise  from  seed. 

Raspberry  Vines  dying  in  Spring. — 

“  Medford,”  Middlesex  Co.,  Mass.,  writes  that  his  rasp¬ 
berry  vines  of  all  kinds  were  covered  with  earth  during 
the  Winter,  and  upon  exposing  them  this  Spring  they 
looked  thrifty ;  but  in  a  few  days  the  bark  peeled  off  and 
they  have  since  died.  He  enquires  for  the  cause.  They 
were  probably  buried  too  deep,  and  were  smothered.  An 
inch  of  earth  will  afford  ample  protection.  Even  straw 
spread  over  them  and  kept  in  its  place  will  be  sufficient. 

When  do  Bark  ILicc  Hat cli  9— E.  P.  Van 

Alen,  Green  Co.,  Pa.  In  this  latitude  they  appear  and 
commence  their  depredations  about  the  first  of  June, 
which  is  the  best  time  to  destroy  them,  by  washing  and 
rubbing  the  trees  with  a  mixture  of  one  part  soft  soap  to 
two  parts  water. 

Rust  on  Oats.— P.  F.  Gould,  Humphrey  Co., 
Tenn.  This  blight  is  a  species  of  minute  parasite  plant, 
forming  a  fungus  growth  on  the  stalk,  and  drawing  its 
nourishment  from  the  juices  of  the  plant.  No  preventive 
that  we  know  of,  has  been  discovered.  Its  prevalence 
seems  to  depend,  mainly  upon  the  weather  favorable  to 
its  growth,  long  continued  heat  and  dampness  are  often 
followed  by  its  development. 

Mildew  on  Roses.— E.  Baker,  Alleghany  Co., 
Pa.;  Powdered  sulphur,  dusted  on  the  bushes  a  few  times 
has  been  found  efficacious. 

Journey  of  a  Rank  Note.— The  history  of  a 
Bank  Note  would  be  curious  and  interesting  if  it  were 
possible  to  write  it  out.  We  have  a  very  simple  system 
in  use  in  our  office  by  which,  with  the  slightest  possible 


trouble,  we  are  able  to  know  every  bank  bill  passing 
through  our  hands,  and  we  can  with  certainty  tell  exact¬ 
ly  from  whom  any  bill  came,  with  the  date  of  its  recep¬ 
tion,  etc.  Very  often  the  same  bill  returns  annually, 
each  time  from  a  very  different  section  of  the  country,  and 
not  unfrequently  one  comes  back  the  same  year.  Here 
is  an  interesting  example.  April  14th  a  bill  on  the 
Bank  of  Pike  Co.,  III.,  came  in  from  a  subscriber  in  Wis¬ 
consin,  and  was  paid  out  in  the  usual  course  of  business. 
April  30,  the  same  bill  came  again  from  a  subscriber  in 
.Galesburg,  Ill.  How  many  hands  it  passed  through  in 
two  weeks  we  can  not  tell.  Not  long  since  a  counter¬ 
feit  bill  was  received  from  Western  Conn.  It  was  re¬ 
turned  and  a  good  bill  promptly  sent  for  it,  A  little  while 
after  the  same  bill  came  for  a  subscription  from  Eastern 
Massachusetts.  Another  bill  came  from  Maine  for  a 
subscription,  and  not  long  after  it  was  again  received  for 
the  same  purpose  from  Iowa.  Hundreds  of  other  bills 
make  similar  journeyings. 

Us  tlie  Fountain  Pine  Ilanly.-E.  D.  Ent- 

worth,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.:  It  has  not  been  sufficiently 
tested  in  this  latitude  to  decide  the  question.  It  origin¬ 
ated  in  Mexico,  and  but  few  specimens  have  been  trans¬ 
planted  to  this  country.  The  chances  are  somewhat 
against  its  hardiness.  The  seed  can  not  be  procured  hero 
that  we  are  aware  of. 

Shall  we  kill  Sap  Suckers'?  asks  “Young 
Agriculturist”  from  Ohio.  We  suspect  he  means  the 
Woodpecker  that  is  seen  so  busily  tapping  the  trunks  and 
limbs  of  apple-trees.  He  does  this,  not  as  the  name  given 
him  would  indicate,  to  feed  upon  the  sap,  but  in  his  search 
for  the  destructive  borer,  which  is  such  a  pest  in  the  or¬ 
chard.  We  answer,  shoot  him  by  all  means  if  the  worms 
are  greater  favorites,  and  you  are  willing  to  give  them 
the  benefit  of  your  fruit  trees.  If  not,  then  let  him  work, 
and  if  he  does  occasionally  mar  a  limb,  he  will  prevent  a 
hundred  fold  more  injury  by  the  destructive  borers. 

Grubs  in  tlie  bucks  off  Cattle.— Wm.  Rouse, 
Stone  Mills.  These  are  larv®  hatched  out  from  eggs 
deposited  by  the  Gad  fly  IGSslrus  bovi )  beneath  the  skin 
of  the  animal  during  the  Summer.  The  cattle  dread  their 
attacks,  and  when  stung  by  them  in  the  act  of  depositing 
their  eggs,  are  often  seen  to  gallop  wildly  around  the 
pasture.  When  the  grubs  are  found,  they  may  be  ex¬ 
tracted  by  pressing  on  each  side  of  the  tumor  with  the 
finger  and  the  back  of  a  knife. 

Crops  for  Soiliaisr.— E.  J.  Maxwell,  Dauphin  Co., 
Pa  :  Sweet  Corn  sown  at  intervals,  is  a  very  good  cron 
for  soiling.  Clover  and  Lucerne,  Sorghum,  nnd  the  vari 
ous  kinds  of  Millett,  are  also  used. 

I5ow  to  become  a  Farmer.— E.  H.  J.,  Rens 
selaer  Co.,  N.  Y.  Books  and  papers,  however  good,  art 
net  alone  sufficient  to  perfect  a  good  farmer.  One  must 
have  practical  as  well  as  theoretical  knowledge.  .  G® 
into  the  country,  arrange  with  some  successful  farmer  to 
work  under  instructions,  learn  to  plow  and  hoe,  to  reap 
and  mow;  keep  one  eye  on  nature  and  the  other  on  books, 
and  then  if  it’s  in  you  to  be  a  successful  farmer,  it  will 
come  out. 

5>oes  Peruvian  Gnauo  cxlaausttiie  Soil  ? 
—  Col.  David  Morely,  of  Westfield,  Mass.,  reports  the 


186 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


following  results  of  an  experiment,  made  with  guano,  on 
7  acres  of  poor  sandy  land.  Corn  was  planted  3  years 
successively,  and  manured  with  1  tun  of  guano  each  year. 
The  product  in  shelled  corn  was  as  follows.  1st  year 
205  bushels.  2d  year  223  bushels.  3d  year  244  bushels. 
Then  Rye  followed,  the  product  of  which  was  estimated 
at  15  bushels  per  acre. 

7  Clea.siiiig’  oSS  JBvootti  Corn  Seed.— J.  Mather 
of  N.  J.,  lecommends  standing  the  corn  with  the  heads 
through  the  palings  of  the  poultry  yard,  when  the  seed 
will  be  taken  off  “  free  of  cost.” 

A  Pump  Iei  t3ie  Mouse. — Subscriber,  Oneida 
Co.,(?)  N.  Y.  You  can  bring  water  from  a  well  125  feet 
from  the  house  by  a  common  pump  placed  in  the  kitchen, 
provided  the  well  is  not  over  25  to  28  feet  deep  It  will 
be  necessary  to  have  the  joints  of  the  pipe  perfectly  tight. 
The  water  will  be  as  wholesome  as  if  drawn  from  the 
well  unless  allowed  to  stand  too  long  in  lead  pipe. 

ESiocSts  f©r  I5o©rs. — M.,  Utica,  N.  Y.,  suggests 
that  instead  of  a  block  on  the  floor  behind  the  door  to  pre¬ 
vent  marring  the  wall,  as  recommended  in  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  for  March,  a  porcelain  knob  be  screwed  into  the 
base  board  at  the  right  spot  to  stop  the  door.  This  is  a 
more  tasteful  arrangement,  but  more  expensive  also.  A 
turned  mahogany  pin,  costing  but  a  few  cents,  is  pretty 
enough. 

A  HE  tms  but  ft'.— J.  D.  S.— We  thought  our  views  as 
to  humbugs  had  been  plainly  expressed— but  you  cannot 
so  have  understood.  Plainly  then,  your  scheme  of  en¬ 
trapping  men  of  small  means  into  the  purchase  of  shares 
in  your  “United  Improvement  Organization,”  is  a 
humbug  of  the  tallest  and  meanest  kind,  in  which  we 
shall  have  no  hand,  except  to  expose  it,  if  carried  further. 
Do  you  understand  now  ? 

IPulblisSjing'  tJse  Price  ©J  Articles  Adver¬ 
tised.' — W.  Samson,  Osseo,  Minnesota,  suggests  that 
advertisers  would  confer  a  great  favor  on  the  public  by 
affixing  the  prices  to  the  articles  advertised,  where  this  is 
practicable.  It  would  certainly  save  the  necessity  of 
many  letters  of  inquiry,  and  do  much  to  relieve  our  own 
over-burdened  correspondence. 

Yanltee  all  Round.. — A  subscriber,  who  says  he  js 
of  Yankee  descent,  (he  need  not  have  written  this,)  asks 
us  several  questions  in  this  wise  :  “  Where  and  how  were 
you  brought  up  ?”  “  Did  you  receive  a  College  educa¬ 
tion!”  etc.  He  wishes  us  to  exhibit  our  likeness  to  our 
subscribers,  with  a  sketch  of  our  past  life.  Yankee-like, 
we  answer  by  asking  :  “  Do  we  talk  like  one  who  is  only 
a  collegian  ?  Does  it  appear  as  if  we  were  raised  in  one 
spot?”  For  our  likeness,  we  refer  him  to  the  past  volumes 
of  the  Agriculturist,  where  he  will  find  us  spread  out  on 
paper — not  full  length,  but  considerable.  We  will  give  a 
direct  reply  to  one  question,  however,  “  How  were  we 
brought  up?”  Answer — “By  hand,  (our  own— on  a 
farm.”) 

- ■«*-«-  .nq-^-Sgia— ~ >-«» - 

NEW  AN®  VA1UAB1E  EEOOESS. 


[Any  books  noticed  in  these  columns,  or  any  other  good 
book,  we  shall  be  happy  to  send  post-paid,  to  any  of  our 
readers  who  can  not  conveniently  get  them  elsewhere,  if 
they  send  us  the  regular  retail  price.  The  discount  usu¬ 
ally  allowed  us  by  publishers  about  pays  the  expense  o< 
postage,  procuring  and  forwarding.] 

American  Weeds  and  Useful  Plants,  by  Wm.  Dar¬ 
lington,  revised  and  extended  by  Prof.  Geo.  Thurber. 
We  ought  to  have  announced  this  valuable  work  sooner, 
but  we  have  been  waiting  leisure  to  do  full  justice  to  its 
claims,  for  we  consider  it  one  of  the  most  important  agri¬ 
cultural  books  issued.  We  hope  soon  to  give  a  further  no¬ 
tice  and  an  extract  to  show  its  character.  Suffice  it  now 
to  say  that  we  have  in  this  work  a  very  complete  descrip¬ 
tion  of  those  weeds  of  this  country  which  merit  the  notice  or 
require  the  attention  of  American  farmers.  The  work 
also  describes  most  kinds  of  useful  plants.  It  contains 
277  illustrations  of  plants  or  parts  of  plants.  A.  0.  Moore 
&  Co.,  New-York.  Price  $1.50. 

Langstkoth’s  Hive  and  Honey  Bee. — This  work  we 
have  formerly  commended  highly.  It  savors  somewhat 
of  ax-grinding  in  its  special  commendation  of  the  author’s 
patent  hive,  hut  aside  from  this  it  contains  a  great  amount 
of  both  valuable  and  interesting  information,  and  is  wor¬ 
thy  of  general  use.  We  are  glad  to  announce  a  new  edi¬ 
tion  which  is  a  decided  improvement  upon  the  former  one 
in  several  respects.  The  price  is  also  reduced  to  $1.25. 
It  is  now  published  by  A.  O.  Moore  &  Co.,  New-York. 

Farm  Drainage.— By  Henry  F.  French,  Esq.  We 
can  do  no  more  now  than  merely  to  announce  this  work — 
the  first  really  American  book  on  one  of  the  most  impor¬ 
tant  subjects  connected  with  agriculture.  Judge  French 
deserves  many  thanks  for  this  effort  to  set  forth  in  a  clear 
light,  the  value  of  thorough  drainage,  including  the  prin¬ 
ciples  involved,  and  the  details  of  practical  operations 
VVe  advise  every  cultivator  to  do,  as  vie  intend  to  do, 


read  the  work  through  carefully.  A.  0.  [Moore,  New- 
York.  Price  $1. 

Life  of  North  American  Insects,  by  Prof.  B.  Jae¬ 
ger,  assisted  by  H.  C.  Preston,  M.  D.  This  work  although 
not  highly  scientific,  and  in  some  particulars  we  have  ob¬ 
served  not  entirely  correct,  is  valuable  because  written 
in  a  style  calculated  to  attract  attention  to  the  subject, 
and  lo  lead  to  further  study  and  observation.  Harper  & 
Brother,  N.  Y.  Price  $1.25. 

Mrs.  Crowen’s  System  of  Cookery. — We  received  a 
copy  of  this  work  which  was  submitted  for  examination 
to  the  appropriate  “  Home  Department."  The  report 
upon  it  is  :  A  very  good  book  in  many  respects,  con¬ 
taining  much  valuable  information.  expressed  in  a  plain 
common  sense  manner.  Its  chief  defect  is  that  too  much 
seasoning,  spices,  butter,  eggs,  etc.,  are  recommended,  for 
the  plain,  healthful  cooking,  practiced  in  most  farmers’ 
families,  and  that  should  be  in  use  in  every  household. 
The  book,  on  the  w  hole,  is  to  be  commended  as  one  of 
the  best  of  its  kind.'  Thomas  J.  Crowen,  New-York. 
Price  $1. 

Mothers  and  Infants,  Nurses  and  nursing,  is  the 
title  of  a  work  translated  from  the  French  by  Dr.  Donne. 
The  art  of  “tending  baby  ”  well  is  very  imperfectly  un¬ 
derstood.  The  aim  of  this  work  is  to  give  instruction  on 
matters  quite  likely  to  be  overlooked  by  the  inexperienced, 
and  most  of  the  suggestions  display  very  good  sense. 
The  style  is  free  from  technicalities,  and  well  adapted  to 
general  readers.  Phillips,  Sampson  &  Co.,  Boston. 
Price  $1. 

The  Musical  Guest,  edited  by  Henry  C.  Watson, 
contains  fine  selections  from  standard  music  which  would 
otherw  ise  cost  a  large  sum.  These  are  here  given  at 
prices  w  hich  (dace  them  in  reach  of  persons  of  very  mod¬ 
erate  means.  In  addition  to  the  weekly  publication  con- 
taming  12  pages,  a  monthly  part  containing  Sacred  Music 
onlv  is  issued,  also  a  monthly  number  devoted  to  Operat¬ 
ic  Music.  M.  Bell  &  Co.,  New-York.  Weekly,  $5  per 
year  ;  Monthly,  $3.  * 


Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist. — Prize  Articles. 

The  Dairy  —  VI. 


IThe  folio  wing  general  remarks  on  Butter  making  came 
to  hand  after  the  preceding  pages  were  stereotyped.  The 
regular  chapter  on  cheese  will  appear  in  its  appropriate 
place  next  month.— Ed.] 

We  have  summoned  up  the  various  acquirements  con¬ 
stituting  a  good  little  dairy  thus  far.  We  have  arrived 
at  putting  it  well  packed  in  tubs  for  market ;  and  a  few 
concluding  general  remarks  will  not  be  inappropriate  be¬ 
fore  going  to  cheese-making.  In  one  of  my  first  articles 
I  spoke  of  western  butter  as  frequently  selling  for  “grease” 
in  the  New-York  markets,  which  provoked  the  ire  of  one 
of  your  Wisconsin  correspondents  in  reply.  He  did  not, 
however,  deny  the  fact— but  the  necessity  of  the  fact ;  that 
as  good  butter  can  be  made  from  the  wild  grasses  of  the 
new  prairies,  or  oak  openings  as  elsewhere.  I  shall  not 
go  into  a  controversy  on  the  subject,  but  for  the  present 
suggest  to  my  ardent  friend  that  he  sell  his  butter  at  home 
for  immediate  consumption,  where  I  have  no  doubt  It  will 
be  well  appreciated  as  a  good  article—?/ not  kept  too  long. 
The  chief  difficulty  in  such  butter,  made  on  soils  either 
old  or  new,  not  naturally  fitted  in  its  various  requirements 
of  soil,  water,  climate,  grass,  etc.,  is  not  that  the  butter 
when  made  by  experienced  and  careful  dairy  hands  is 
bad,  but  its  keeping,  or  preserving  quality  is  lacking  :  and 
that,  not  from  the  want  of  skill,  management,  or  neatness 
in  any  part  of  the  process,  but  simply  for  the  want  of  the 
proper  constituents oflGng  keeping  butter  in  the  milk 
from  which  it  es  ra3de. 

We  know  many  .neighborhoods  where  the  butter  made 
for  a  ready  market  is  unsurpassed  in  sweetness  and  flavor, 
if  used  within  a  few  weeks  after  making,  but  it  will  not 
keep  sweet  for  three  months,  and  all  the  skill  in  the  world 
will  not  make  it  so.  There  are  other  districts  of  country 
where  uader  much  less  inviting  appearance  of  soil,  cli¬ 
mate,  and  general  condition,  the  butter  made  in  it  will 
keep  one  to  two  years,  and  even  longer,  and  no  more 
skillfully  manufactured  than  the  other.  I  mention  these 
facts  as  entitled  to  the  very  highest  consideration  to  those 
about  to  embark  in  the  butter  dairy  business.  First,  the 
readiness  of  the  market  is  to  be  considered.  Next,  the 
suitableness  of  the  soil,  grasses,  and  climate  for  the  long 
keeping  of  the  butter.  If  the  soil,  and  grasses  will  make 
good  butter,  even  if  it  will  not  keep  longer  than  a  month, 
and  a  ready  market  is  at  hand  for  it,  no  matter.  The 
business  may  be  pursued  with  advantage.  But  if  that  im¬ 
mediate  market  is  not  at  hand,  by  no  means  attempt  but¬ 
ter  making  on  any  but  such  soils,  clothed  with  such  gras¬ 
ses,  and  in  such  a  climate,  as  has  been  described. 

For  a  century  past,  and  at  the  present  "day,  “  Goshen  ” 
butter  in  the  New-York  market  had,  and  still  has  a  name 
the  very  sound  of  which  makes  the  mouth,  not  only  of  the 


epicure,  but  of  every  good  housekeeper,  “  water.”  Let  us 
examine  this  “  Goshen  ”  butter.  The  town  of  Goshen  is 
a  pleasantly  situated  interior  village  near  the  center  of 
Orange  County,  in  N.  Y.  State,  about  sixty  miles  on  the 
Erie  Railroad,  from  the  city.  It  is  of  some  local  import¬ 
ance,  being  the  halfshire  town  of  the  county,  and  a  place 
of  considerable  wealth,  and  high  respectability,  in  its  in¬ 
habitants.  For  a  great  many  years  it  has  been  the  prin¬ 
cipal  butter  center  of  the  neighboring  country,  noted  ever 
since  its  settlement  for  the  excellence  in  quality,  and  the 
high  price  obtained  for  the  article,  and  supposed  by  those 
not  familiar  with  the  butter  trade  as,  all  of  it,  the  produce 
of  “  Orange  ”  County,  as  it  no  doubt  was  once,  but  so 
no  longer.  The  butter  gave  Goshen  its  celebrity,  and 
Orange  County  its  popularity  in  that  connection.  '  But 
as  the  contiguous  Counties  lying  indefinitely  west,  and 
north,  were  brought  into  cultivation,  and  made  butter  of 
equal  quality,  whether  it  came  to  New-York,  by  the  way 
of  Goshen,  or  Newburgh,  on  the  river-its  co-trader  in 
the  butter  line,  as  well  as  co-sharer  in  the  courts  of  the 
County-or  even  Catskill,  still  further  up,  it  was  ail 
“Orange,”  or  “Goshen”  butter,  and  none  of  its  con¬ 
sumers,  by  taste,  knew  the  difference.  And  so  it  is  now. 
The  “southern  tier”  counties  in  New-York,  west  of 
Orange,  make  two-thirds  of  the  “  Goshen  ”  butter  of  the 
New'-York  and  other  sea-coast  markets,  and  a  great  ma 
jority  of  the  balance  is  made  in  the  five  dairy  counties  ly¬ 
ing  north  of  the  line  of  the  N.  Y.  Central  Railroad.  The 
“  land  of  Goshen  ”  with  ils  sweet  grasses,  pure  water,  and 
fine  elevation  first  gave  name  and  celebrity  to  the  article 
while  the  equally  fine  lands  of  the  other  dairy  districts  of 
the  State  have  produced  in  succession,  and  do  still  pro¬ 
duce  the  same  article  in  quality  and  reputation,  as  well 
as  market  value— all  Goshen  butter.  So  “branded.” 

All  this  proves  the  fact  distinctly  with  which  I  first 
first  started,  viz.  :  that  superior  dairy  districts  must  have 
their  own  peculiar  soils,  grasses,  nature  and  climate, 
and  without  which  the  best  article  can  not  be  made.  No 
amount  of  skill  applied  on  unsuitable  soils,  and  locations 
can  compensate  for  natural  defects.  A  better  illustra 
tion  of  the  difference  in  the  quality  of  butter  can  not  be 
named  than  in  the  fact  that  our  Government  Navy  has 
been  for  many  years  partially  supplied,  for  its  long 
cruises,  with  Irish  butter  under  the  name  of  “  Irish  rose,” 
from  the  fact  of  a  rose  being  stamped  on  its  pa-  kages  by 
a  celebrated  dealer  in  the  article  at  one  of  the  Irish  sea¬ 
ports.  It  excelled  for  its  keeping  qualities,  but  in  nothing 
else,  our  best  butter.  And  even  for  keeping  it  is  now 
equalled,  if  not  exceeded,  by  the  butter  made  in  our  own 
New-York  Counties.  Not  getting  a  supply  of  foreign  but¬ 
ter,  our  Navy  contractors  have  resorted  to  the  “  Goshen  ” 
butter,  insisting,  however,  by  “  certificate,”  that  it  must  be 
“  Goshen,”  and  of  “  Orange  ”  County  ifroduction  solely— 
not  knowing  that  “  by  that  name  ”  they  were  buying  two 
pounds  of  Broome,  or  Chemung  butter  to  one  of  Orange— 
yet  quite  as  good  in  every  particular.  By  a  report  which 
we  have  noticed  in  one  of  the  volumes  of  Transactions  of 
the  N.  Y.  State  Agricultural  Society,  I  have  ascertained 
that  a  parcel  of  Broome  County  butter  after  going  on  a 
whaling  voyage  of  four  years  was  as  sweet  ns  ever  ! 

I  have  spoken  more  particularly  of  the  dairy  Counties 
of  New-York  for  butter  making,  than  of  other  States  with¬ 
in  the  great  American  dairy  district  defined  in  my  first, 
or  January  article,  because  they  comprise  a  larger  and 
more  compact  territory  than  the  dairy  Counties  of  any 
other  State.  Yet  the  remarks  on  their  production  will 
apply  equally  w-ell  to  all  the  dairy  regions  of  other  States. 
New-England  consumes  all  its  own  butter,  besides  large 
quantities  from  elsewhere,  and  is  probably  equal  in  its 
tasting— if  not  long  keeping  quality  to  any  other.  So  with 
northern  New-Jersey,  northern  Pennsylvania,  and  north¬ 
eastern  Ohio— the  latter,  however,  more  famous  for  its 
excellent  cheese.  Much  northern  Pennsylvania  butter 
particularly  that  near  the  Erie  Railroad  goes  to  market 
as  pure  “  Goshen,”  with  the  “Southern  tier  ”  butter  of 
New-  York. 

We  might,  in  further  illustration  of  ihe  value  of  our 
butter  making  interests,  go  into  a  relation  of  the  amount 
of  capital  invested  in  its  production,  of  land,  cow  s,  labor, 
and  other  appendages,  the  extent  of  which  would  sur¬ 
prise  some  of  our  readers,  and  show  ils  importance  as 
contrasted,  or  compared  w  ith  some  of  our  main  agricul¬ 
tural  pursuits.  But  such  is  hardly  necessary  here.  A 
little  consideration,  however,  will  show  the  vast  impor¬ 
tance  of  selection  in  the  right  soils,  climates,  and  locali¬ 
ties,  as  well  as  the  employmsnt  of  the  best  skill  in  butter 
making,  by  the  market  value  of  the  article  when  made 
Thirty-five  cents  a  pound  is  frequently  the  keg  price  of 
the  best  butter  in  the  New-York  market.  Eight  ot  ten 
cents  is  quite  as  frequently  the  value  of  poor  (grease)  but¬ 
ter  in  the  same  market  ! 

The  milk,  labor,  and  marketing  of  the  best,  cost  little  if 
any  more  than  that  of  the  w  orst,  and  t lie  difference  in 
selling  value  is  three  hundred  and  fi.fty  per  cent. 

As  to  the  productive  value  of  our  butler  dairies,  in  their 
proper  localities,  no  branch  of  our  agriculture  is  more  * 
profitable  for  the  amount  of  capital  Invested.  The  whole 


AMERICAN  AGKRIC  U LTURIST 


187 


system  is  a  simple  one,  requiring  only  ordinary  intelli¬ 
gence,  diligent  attention,  active  and  well  applied  labor,  in 
its  season — yet,  rigid  method,  and  well  practiced  econo¬ 
my.  The  very  simplicity  of  its  operations  renders  it 
easy  of  pursuit,  while  the  system,  economy,  and  industry 
it  demands  give  active  thought  to  the  mind  equally  with 
that  of  any  other  agricultural  pursuit.  The  improvements 
of  the  land  occupied  by  our  dairies  with  their  increasing 
value  as  they  shall  become  more  thoroughly  occupied, 
and  the  best  means  of  augmenting  their  production  will 
become  more  the  study  of  our  dairymen  than  now,  and 
the  lime  is  not  distant  when  they  will  assume  a  much 
higher  consideration  in  American  agriculture  than  they 
yet  have  done.  Such,  however,  belongs  properly  to 
another  branch  of  the  subject  than  what  1  have  intended 
in  these  articles. 

One  item  of  remark  in  relation  to  the  butter  producing 
capacity  of  milk  escaped  me  when  treating  of  cows,  which 
I  will  here  supply,  viz.:  Some  cows  excel  in  producing 
cheese  milk,  which  are  decidedly  deficient  in  creamy  milk. 
That  is -their  milk  runs  heavily  to  curd,  when  it  will  give 
not  half  the  usual  average  of  cream.  It  is  hardly  worth 
while  to  say  that  such  cows  should  be  at  once  transferred 
from  the  butter  to  the  cheese  dairy.  On  a  strict  exarnina- 
of  the  milk  of  cows  in  cheese  or  butter  quality  much  de¬ 
pends  on  their  relative  value  for  one  or  the  other. 

- ■*>-« -  i«-^CP»  - *-«*■ - 

Kates  of  Wages  in  New-York.  City. 

- > - 

We  are  continally  receiving  inquiries  as  to  chances  for 
employment  in  this  city,  from  those  who  seem  to  have 
formed  the  opinion,  that  to  once  obtain  a  situation  in  the 
oily,  is  to  get  upon  the  high  road  to  wealth.  To  such  we 
would  say  that,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  inhabi¬ 
tants,  fewer  people  get  rich  here,  than  in  the  country. 
There  are  a  few  fortunes  acquired  here  by  energy  or  good 
luck  ;  so  there  are  in  the  country.  Proportionally,  more 
men  get  rich  by  the  accidental  rise  of  land,  than  by  com¬ 
mercial  transactions.  But  this  point  we  w  ill  not  discuss 

now . To  show  what  are  the  chances  for  employment 

here,  and  to  give  some  iuea  of  the  renumeration  received 
(saying  nothing  of  the  great  expense  of  living),  we  print 
below  the  current  rates  of  wages  and  the  demand,  as 
made  up  by  the  Journal  of  Industry.  The  figures  may  not 
be  exact  in  all  cases,  but  they  are  near  enough  so,  for  all 
practical  purposes. 

Artificial  flower  makers,  $3  to  $6  per  week  ;  good  hands 
in  request. 

Bakers.  $0to  $14  per  week  ;  no  demand. 

Bakers’  boys,  $3  to  $5  per  week  ;  no  demand. 

Barbers.  $6  to  $8  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Bedstead-makers,  33  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Blacksmiths,  $8  per  week;  no  demand. 

Boat-builders,  $10  per  week  ;  no  demand. 

Book-keepers,  $100  to  $2,000  per  year;  supply  over  de¬ 
mand. 

Book-binders,  $6  to  $12  per  week;  demand  for  good 
hands. 

Book-binders’  boys,  $2  to  $5  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Book-folders,  $3  to  $6  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Brass-founders,  $12  to  $18  per  week;  supply  equal  to 
demand. 

Brewers,  $8  per  week  ;  no  demand. 

Brush  makers,  $8  to  $15  per  week  ;  moderate  demand. 
Builders,  $0  per  week ;  no  demand. 

Butchers.  $8  to  $10  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Cabinet-makers.  $7  to  $lt)  per  week;  no  demand. 
Cap-makers,  $3  to  $4  per  week;  no  demand. 
Carpenters,  $7  to  $10  per  week  ;  demand  moderate. 
Carpenters’  boys,  $3  to  $0  per  week;  no  demand. 
Confectioners,  $10  to  $12  per  week;  no  demand. 
Coopers,  $12  per  week;  no  demand. 

Coppersmiths,  $9  to  $12  per  week  ;  no  demand 
Designers,  $15  to  $25  per  week;  no  demand. 

Dress- makers,  $4  to  $8  per  week;  supply  over  de¬ 
mand. 

Engineers,  $10  to  $30  per  week;  no  demand. 
Engraiers,  $10  to  $20  per  week;  no  demand. 
Faucet-makers,  $8  to  $12  per  week  ;  no  demand. 

Farm  servants,  $6  to  $10  per  month  ;  market  opening. 
Female  domestics,  $5  to  $8  per  month  ;  supply  over 
demand,  but  good  ones  in  request. 

Female  domestics  (hotel  cooks),  $12  to  18  per  month  ; 
demand  good. 

Founders,  iron,  $10  to  $12  per  week;  no  demand. 
Frame-makers,  $9  to  $10  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Furriers,  $6  to  $12  ;  moderate  demand. 

Gardeners  $7  to  $8  per  week  ;  moderate  demand. 
Gas-fitters,  $9  to  $12  per  week  ;  no  demand. 

Gilders,  $10  to  $12  per  week;  demand  moderate  for 
good  hands. 

Gunsmiths,  $9  to  $12 per  week  ;  no  demand. 

Glass  cutters,  $9  to  $12  per  week  ;  demand  moderate, 
flatters,  piece  work,  $4.50  per  dozen  ;  plenty  of  work. 
Laborers,  $8  to  $3  per  month  ;  market  glutted. 
■Last-makers,  $12  per  week  ;  no  demand. 

Last-makers’  boys,  $4  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Lithographers,  $: 12  to  $30  per  week;  supply  equal  to 
demand. 

Lock  makers,  $9  to  $15  per  week;  demand  for  good 
hands. 

Machinists,  $6  to  $10  per  week,  no  demand. 
Marble-workers  (artisans),  $12  to  $15  per  week;  de¬ 
mand  moderate. 

Marble-workers  (laborers),  $-1  to  $7  per  week  ;  no  de¬ 
mand. 

Masons,  $9  to  $12  per  week  ;  supply  equal  to  demand. 
Milliners,  $3  to  $6  per  week ;  no  demand. 

Musicians,  $5  to  $8  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Nail-makers,  $8  to  $9  per  week;  no  demand. 
Nurserymen,  $0  to  $12  per  week;  demand  moderate. 


Operators  on  sewing  machines,  $5  to  $6  per  week  ; 
demand  moderate. 

Packing  box-makers,  $7  to  $10  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Painters,  $8  to  $10  per  week:  moderate  demand. 
Paper-box-makers,  $7  to  $10  per  week  ;  no  demand.. 
Paper-hangers,  $8  to  $20  per  week  ;  demand  moderate. 
Paper-makers,  $7  to  $10  per  week;  demand  good  for 
experienced  hands. 

Paper-makers’  boys,  $2  to  $4  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Paper-makers’  women,  $3  to  $5  per  week  ;  demand 
moderate. 

Paper-makers’  girls,  $1.50  to  $2.50  per  week  ;  demand 
moderate. 

Paper-rulers,  $10  to  $11  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Piano-makers,  $9  to  $12  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Plasterers,  $8  to  $12  per  week  ;  simply  equal  to  demand. 
Plumbers,  $9  lo  $  12  per  week  ;  supply  equal  to  demand. 
Pocket-book-makers,  $10  per  week;  no  demand. 
Porters,  $5  to  $Sper  week  ;  supply  equal  to  demand. 
Printers,  Sit  to  $12  per  week;  demand  good  for  first- 
class  hands. 

Pump-makers,  $6  per  w  eek  ;  no  demand. 

Kefiaers,  $6  tr  $10  per  week  ,  no 'demand. 

Sofa-makers,  $12  per  week  ;  no  demand. 

Saddlers,  $8  to  $  10  per  week  ;  no  demand. 

Seal  Engravers,  $10  to  $12  per  week  ;  no  demand. 
Segar-box-makers,  $8  to  $10  per  week  ;  no  demand. 


Harket  Eeview,  Weather  Eotes,  &c. 


American  Agriculturist  Office,  ) 
New  York,  Thursday  Evening,  May  19,  1859.  j 

The  Flour  market  has  been  decidedly  brisk  since  our 
last  review,  and  has  been  much  excited  within  the  past 
two  weeks.  Influenced  to  some  extent  by  the  very  light 
current  receipts  from  the  country  as  well  as  by  the  favor¬ 
able  commercial  accounts  from  Liverpool,  but  still  more 
by  the  war  news  from  Europe— the  demand  has  largely 
increased,  especially  from  speculators— and  prices  have 
rapidly  advanced.  As  will  be  seen  by  the  table  of  prices 
given  below,  th.e  ris-e  in  Flour  since  our  la?t  review,  has 
been,  on  the  several  grades,  from  75c.  to  $1  10  p  barrel, 
carrying  up  with  it  Wheat,  Corn,  and  other  grains.  The 
supply  of  Breadstuffs  in  the  hands  of  New-York  receivers 
has  been  very  materially  reduced  by  the  large  sales  during 
the  month.  The  amount  to  arrive  from  the  interior,  be¬ 
fore  the  new  crop,  will  most  probably  be  very  light.  Apart 
from  a  brisk  speculative  demand,  the  regular  trade  have 
also  been  buying  freely,  as  they  appeared  to  have  dreaded 
a  further  rise.  Within  a  day  or  two  there  has  been  less 
activity  apparent.  Speculators  are  not  quite  so  much  dis¬ 
posed  to  move  freely,  until  they  shall  have  received  far¬ 
ther  advices  from  Europe.  Just  now  the  demand  from 
the  regular  trade  is  fair,  though  not  brisk.  Most  holders 
meet  the  requirements  ot  buyers  readily,  in  the  main,  at 
our  quoted  prices.  In  some  instances,  lower  rates  have 
been  accepted.  Though  no  general  decline  has  been  re¬ 
ported,  the  tendency  at  present  is  obviously  in  favor  of 
purchasers,  especially  in  inferior  and  common  qualities,  i 
_ Wheat  has  been  briskly  inquired  for  at  decidedly  bet¬ 
ter  prices.  The  influences  which  have  so  favorably  af¬ 
fected  the  market  for  Flour — and  the  rapid  improvement 
in  Flour  itself— have  induced  buyers  to  purchase  Wheat 
more  freely,  and  encouraged  Ihern  to  pay  from  20e.®30c. 

p  bushel  more,  for  desirable  lots,  than  a  month  ago _ 

Corn  has  been  more  sought  alter,  and  has  rapidly  advanced 
.  .say  12c.  p  bushel,  on  the  average— the  supply  is  quite 
moderate.  Rye  anti  Oats  are  also  in  demand,  and  are 
dearer.  Barley  has  not  varied  remarkably _ The  move¬ 

ments  in  Provisions  have  been  very  extensive.  The 
speculative  demand  has  been  very  brisk.  The  inquiry 
from  the  trade  has  also  been  good.  Prices  of  the  princi¬ 
pal  kinds  have  advanced  materially,  as  noted  below. . . . 
Cotton  has  been  very  dull,  and  prices  have  declined. 
The  war  news  has  had  tile  effect  of  altogether  checking 
purchases  on  speculation  and  for  shipment.  The  availa¬ 
ble  supply  here  is  80,481  bales,  against  70,806  bales  same 
time  in  1858.  The  receipts  at  all  the  shipping  ports  to 
latest  dates,  this  season, have  been  3,505,410  bales,  against 
2,779,759  bales  to  the  corresponding  period  of  last  season. 
The  total  exports  from  the  United  States,  so  far  this  sea¬ 
son,  have  been  2,463,135  bales,  against  1,939,582  bales  to 
the  same  date  last  season.  The  total  stock  on  hand  and 
on  shipboard  in  the  shipping  ports  at  the  latest  dates  was 
514,750  bales,  against  606,252  bales  at  the  same  time  last 
year— that  is  91,502  less  now  than  last  year.  The  stock 
in  the  interior  towns  at  the  latest  dates  was  94,117  bales, 
against  67,962  bales  at  the  corresponding  date  a  year  ago. 

_ Hay,  Hops  and  Seeds  have  been  in  fair  demand _ 

Rice  has  been  more  sought  after  at  much  improved  prices. 
....Tobacco  and  Wool  have  been  in  rather  slackdemand 
at  easier  rates. ..  .Other  branches  of  the  Produce  Trade 
have  exhibited  no  very  remarkable  changes. 

Current  Wholesale  Prices. 


Common  to  Fancy  Western. . 

Extra  Western . 

Fancy  to  Extra  Genesee . 

Mixed  to  Extra  Southern . 

Rye  Flour— Fine  and  Super. 

.  jrn  Meal . 

Wheat — Canada  White . 

Western  White  . 

Southern  White . 

All  kinds  of  Red . 


Apr 

il 

22. 

May 

18. 

S5 

15 

® 

6 

40 

$6 

10 

(cb  7 

70 

5 

15 

® 

5 

85 

6 

20 

(cb  7 

30 

6 

00 

® 

9 

00 

7 

35 

(cb  10 

00 

6 

70 

® 

8 

50 

7 

60 

(cb  9 

50 

6 

05 

® 

8 

75 

7 

40 

(5)10 

00 

3 

65 

® 

4 

45 

4 

35 

(5)  6 

10 

3 

90 

Coo 

4 

35 

4 

30 

(cb  4 

75 

1 

50 

(a) 

1 

70 

None  offerin'?. 

1 

50 

(cb 

1 

80 

1 

80 

®  2 

10 

1 

45 

® 

1 

75 

1 

80 

(a)  2 

10 

85 

® 

1 

50 

1 

00 

®  1 

95 

Corn — Yellow. . . 

White . 

Mixed . 

Oats — Western. 

State . 

Southern . 

Rye . 

Barley  . 


Cotton — Middlings,  per  lb . 

Rice,  per  1(1(1  lbs. . . . 

Hops, -crop  of  1358  per  lb. . . 


April  22 

85  (cb 

88 

85  (cb 

83 

-83  V/cb 

85 

57  (cb 

59 

52  (cb 

55 

46  (a) 

52 

85  (a) 

88 

60  (cb 

84 

1  10  (d)  1 

15 

65  (a) 

80 

12 

12% 

3  00  (d)  4  50 

8  (cb 

15 

17  00  ®  17  25 

11  50  (cb 

9  25  ®11  25 

7  75  (cb  9  011 

ryfeb 

8  Vi 

n  (cb 

11% 

9  ® 

15 

14  ® 

26 

7  (a) 

.10 

13  M® 

106 

42  ® 

52 

7)4® 

9 

2  25  ®  2 

75 

5)4® 

7% 

38  (cb 

40 

10)4® 

12% 

5  34® 

13 

6  ® 

25 

98 

62)4 

61 

56 


Beef — Repacked  Mess . 

Country  mess  . 

Hogs,  Dressed  corn,  per  lb  .. 

Lard,  in  bids,  per  lb  . . 

Butter — Western,  per  lb . 

State,  per  lb . . . . 

Cheese,  per  lb . 

Eggs — Fresh,  per  dozen . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  lb. 

Seep — Clover,  per  lb . 

Timothy,  per  bushel . 

Sugar,  Brown,  per  11) . 

Molasses,  New-Orleans,  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio,  per  lb . 

Tobacco — Kentucky,  &c.  pr  lb 

Seed  Leaf,  per  lb . 

Wooi.-Domestic  fleece,  per  lb.  42J^r7£)  I 

Domestic,  pulled,  per  lb  .  33  ®  : 

Hemp — Undr’d  Amer’npr  ton.  140  (a..  1 55 

Dressed  American,  per  ton _ 195  ®225 

Tallow,  peril) .  10  mis, 

Oil  Cake,  per  ton . 34  mi  ® 38  00 

Potatoes— Peach  Blow.prbbl  i  75  ®  2  00 

Mercers,  per  bill .  .  1  75  ®  1  87 

Bermudas,  new,  per  bbl . 

Tomatoes — Bermuda,  per  4-qt 

Asparagus,  .per  dozen . 

Turnips — Rutabagas,  per  bbl.  1  00  (a) 
Onions,  N.  O  ,  new,  per  bbl. 

Apples— Prime,  Per  bbl .  3  50  15)5  00 

Dried,  per  lb .  7%®  0 

Dried  Peaches— pr  lb. .South’ll  10  (cb  15 

Poultry— Fowls,  per  lb .  13  (a)  15 

Ducks,  per  in .  14  (5>  18 

Turkeys, per  lb .  15  ®  16 

Geese,  per  lb .  12  ®  14 


„  May  18. 

96  (cb  99 

94  f 5) 

95  ® 

61  (a) 

58  ® 

,  50  (® 

1  J2  (a)  1  04 
,  62 )4®  80 

1  JO  (a)  i  20 
fit)  85 
fit)  11)4 
fit)  5  25 
fib  14 
fib 

fit)  15  50 
(5)1.5  no 
fib  9  75 
fib  8% 

12 

8  fib 

10  (7b 

6  i  n) 

17  fib 
42  fib 
„  7  )4® 

2  25  ®  2  75 

5%®  r 
42  fib 
1014® 

6)4  fib 
6  fib 
38  ® 

30  ,® 

I® 1 65 
195  ®225 

11  )4® 


70 
II 
3  75 
8 

18  50 

li  no 
8  37 
8 


12?4 

16 

22 

10 

18 

54 

8)<S 


45 

12M 

13 

25 

62 

52 


31  00  ®39  no 

2  00  ®  2  75 
1  50  ®  2  25 
4  00  (®  4  50 
1  00  ®  1  25 
1  50  ®  3  00 
1  00  fib 

6  00  fib 

3  00  ®  4  00 

854  ®  9 

12  ® 

10  (a) 

16  fib 
16  ® 

12  (a) 


16 

12)4 

18 

171 

15 


Receipts.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Eye.  Barley  Oats 

22  bus.  days  this  mon  ,  152.000  18.250  155,000  6.500  89,714  159  000 

26bus.  days  last  mon,  137,902  30,541  208,290  14,300  72.500  81  200 

Sales.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley. 

22  business  days  this  mon.  419.000  540,000  610,000  41.800  180  000 
26  business  days  last  month,  281,600  277,150  400.500  68,000  3021800 

Exports  of  Breadstuff  •ifrom  N.  Y.,  from  Jan.  1  to  May  9. 

1858. 


1859. 
215,199 
2,633 
30,038 
18,916 
74,350 

The  following  is  a  statement  ofthe  exports  ofthe  prin¬ 
cipal  kinds  of  Breadstuffs,  from  the  Atlantic  ports  of  the 
United  States,  since  Sept.  1,  1858  : 


Wheat  Flour,  bbls  .  450,585 

Rye  Flour,  bbls .  2,412 

Corn  Meal,  bbls .  25.686 

Wheat,  bush .  450,649 

Corn,  bush . . . 1,218.691 


From 
New-York, 
New-Orleans 
Philadelphia 
Baltimore 
Boston 
Other  Ports 


TO  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  IRELAND. 


To  Date.  Flour,  ibis.  Wheat. bush.  Corn  bush 
May  6 - 83,689  380.532  299, 17-_ 


April  29 ... . 

April  27....  2,029 

April  28.... - 

April  29.... 

April  23. . . . 


40 


Total  from  Sept.  1,  1858..  85,758 
To  aboutsame  period,  1658.. 837, 032 
To  aboutsame  period.  1857.  .828,236 
To  aboutsame  period,  1656. .782,874 

to  the  continent. 
New-York,  to  Ap’126,  1859. .  3?, 609 
Other  Ports,  to  latest  dates.  13,053 


3,375 

20,281 

11,612 

415.800 
3,571  200 
6,995,934 
3,874,918 

51,825 

6,020 


2,251 

14,081 


3,949 

319.452 

2,715,539 

4.372,679 

5,134,053 

17,344 

8,175 


IV.  Y.  Live  Stock  Markets.— 1 The  Cattle 
Markets  have  been  moderately  supplied  during  the  past 
■four  weeks,  until  yesterday’s  Weekly  Market,  (ihe  18th,) 
when  a  good  supply  was  offered.  The  receipts  for  the 
month  amount  to  13,020,  or  an  average  of  3,255  p  week. 
The  present  prices  range  at  12c.®12((c.  for  premium 
grades;  llc.®lli<:.  for  good  qualities;  lOc.lffilO-Jc.  for 
medium  animals  ;  and  Sic  ®9ic.  for  poor  grades,  with 
■a  general  agerage  of I0£c. 

Veal  Calves  are  very  abundant  just  now.  The  sup¬ 
ply  has  been  large  during  the  past  month— amounting  to 
4,567  head.  Prices  range  at  6c.®7e.  p  lb.,  live  weight, 
for  prime  to  extra  calves,  and  4)c.®5c,  for  medium 
qualities.  Very  young  calves  sell  by  the  head,  at  $1  50® 
$2  each. 


Sheep  and  Lambs.— Receipts  of  live  sheep  have  been 
even  lighter  than  last  month— the  numbers  at  all  the  City 
yards  for  the  pa-st  four  weeks  amounting  to  only  15,093. 
They  have  been  scarce  and  very  high,  but  just  now  are 
in  better  supply,  and  worth  6jc.®7c.  live  weight,  for 
choice  sheep,  and  5jc.®6c.  for  ordinary  stock.  Sprint 
lambs  begin  to  come  in  quite  freely.  They  bring  $3®$6 
each. 

Hogs.— Receipts  fpr  the  four  weeks  just  ended  amount 
to  20,790— a  little  falling  off  from  last  month.  The  demand 
is  pretty  good  at  6jc.®6te.  for  corn  fed,  and  6c.®Gfc.  for 
still  fed  hogs. 

Tine  WeaS  It  or— During  the  past  four  weeks,  has 
been  favorable  for  farm  operations.  Wilh  but  few  exces¬ 
sively  warm  days  and  no  frost,  with  just  about  sufficient 
rain  for  grass  and  grain  crops,  and  to  start  the  corn  and 
other  seeds  recently  put  in,  the  season  certainly  promises 
fair  for  ordinary  farm  crops,  and  for  fruit  with  the  excep 
tion  of  peaches,  in  certain  localities . Our  Daily 


188 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Notes,  condensed,  read  :  April  24,  clear,  with  high  winds, 
peach  trees  in  bloom — 25,  cloudy — 26,  clear,  warm  A.  M., 
light  rain  P.  M.,  and  during  27lh  ;  cherry  trees  in  bloom- 
28,  29,  30,  clear,  warm  and  fine— May  1  to  8,  very  fine 
warm,  growing  weather,  the  mercury  reaching  87°  in  the 
shade  on  the  7lh— 9,  warm  day,  but  suddenly  changed  to 
cool  at  night,  with  high  wind— 10,  cloudy  A.  M  ,  rain  P. 
M.  and  during  next  day— 12,  cloudy— 13  to  16,  clean  and 
fine— 17,  warm  rain— 18,  cloudy,  rain  at  night— 19,  rainy. 


Preserving'  Strawberries. 


A  full  chapter  on  the  best  modes  of  keeping  fruits  will 
appear  in  a  month  or  two,  but  we  are  just  reminded  that 
strawberries  will  be  at  the  higlit  of  their  season  in  June. 
We  therefore  desire  to  say  to  one  and  all,  you  may  keep 
strawberries  the  year  round,  and  in  almost  their  natural 
flavor  and  freshness.  We  have  kept  them  thus  in  air¬ 
tight  cans  and  in  sealed  bottles,  w  ith  syrup,  and  with  dry 
sugar.  The  can  or  bottle  is  to  be  filled  with  the  fresh 
fruit— first  picked  over,  and  all  bruised  and  green  benies 
removed.  A  syrup  is  made  by  boiling  (and  skimming) 
one  pound  of  good  sugar  with  one  pint  of  water;  this  is 
poured  over  the  fruit  until  the  cans  or  bottles  are  full. 
They  are  then  partially  closed,  set  into  hot  water,  (cold 
if  bottles  are  used,)  heated  to  boiling,  and  a  few  minutes 
more.  The  vessels  are  then  closed,  and  sealed  with 
wax.  They  have  opened  very  finely  the  present  month. 
The  berries  may  be  added  in  layers  with  a  little  sugar 
between  each  layer,  using  no  syrup.  Treat  the  vessels 
the  same  as  if  filled  with  syrup,  except  that  they  should 
be  refilled  after  shrinking  in  heating— say  put  the  contents 
of  six  cans  into  five. 

- «o  - - «a€t6— - -  - - ■ 

Report  t!te  State  ©£  tJio  Crops. 

It  is  very  important  this  season,  to  get  early  and  accu¬ 
rate  reports  of  the  state  of  the  crops  in  different  sections 
of  the  country.  We  shall  be  glad  to  have  all  who  can  do 
so.  send  in  a  few  general  statements  as  to  the  actual 
condition  of  corn,  the  different  grain  crops,  grass,  etc., 
in  their  own  neighborhoods  and  those  adjoining,  so  far 
as  their  observations  have  extended.  Such  reports  should 
be  started  so  as  to  reach  us,  at  latest,  by  the  15th  of  each 
month,  which  will  enable  us  to  make  up  a  general  re¬ 
view  in  time  for  the  paper,  which  will,  hereafter,  be  closed 
up  and  go  to  the  stereotyper  about  the  18th.  From  such 
reports  we  can  make  out  a  fair  statement,  which  w  ill  be 
of  great  use  to  all  sections.  Said  the  long-time  Commer¬ 
cial  Reporter  of  one  of  our  leading  daily  journals,  just 
now  :  “  I  would  rely  vastly  more  upon  what  I  could 
glean  from  the  incidental  letters  of  the  readers  of  such 
a  journal  as  the  Agriculturist,  than  from  all  the  reports  on 
crops  that  we  could  possibly  gather  in  our  markets,  or  in 
the  Commercial  papers.”  We  hope  our  readers  will 
value  such  expressions  of  confidence,  and  endeavor  to 
make  these  communications  perfectly  reliable. 


To  Subscribers  in  California,  Oregon,  and 
Washington  Territory. 


On  looking  over  and  counting  our  subscribers  upon  the 
Pacific  coast,  during  the  past  month,  we  were  both  sur¬ 
prised  and  gratified  at  the  unexpectedly  large  number  of 
them.  In  return  for  the  generous  patronage  and  the 
kindly  appreciation  tints  received  from  our  far  off”  breth¬ 
ren  of  the  plow,”  we  have  determined  to  henceforth  issue 
an  extra  early  edition  of  the  American  Agriculturist,  espe¬ 
cially  for  California.  Oregon,  Washington  Territory, 
Utah,  and  New-Mexico,  and  other  distant  points,  includ¬ 
ing  our  subscribers  in  Mexico,  Central  and  South  Ame¬ 
rica,  and  the  West  Indies.  (This  edition  will  also  go  to 
subscribers  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  to  those  scatter¬ 
ed  over  the  Eastern  Hemisphere  in  Europe,  Asia,  and 
Africa,  for  there  are  many  such.)  The  edition  will  not 
differ  materially  from  the  later  edition  for  home  circula¬ 
tion  ;  the  chief  variation  will  be  the  omission  of  a  part  of 
the  advertisements  last  coming  in,  and  perhaps  a  trifling 
change  in  the  market  reports,  which  may  require  a  slight 
alteration  by  transactions  between  the  earlier  and  later 
editions. 

The  earlier  edition  will  go  to  press  on  the  evening  of 
19th,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  the  Mail  Steamers  which  leave 
New-York  on  the  20th  of  each  month.  This  will  be  a 
gain  of  two  weeks  in  the  time  of  receiving  the  paper  by 
subscribers  on  the  Pacific. 

May  we  not  take  this  occasion  to  ask  our  readers  who 
are  to  be  benefitted  by  the  arrangement,  to  give  us  their 
aid  in  still  further  extending  the  circulation  of  this  jour¬ 
nal.  The  general  character  of  the  Agriculturist  adapts  it 
to  the  wants  of  our  enterprising  farmers  who  have  gone 
to  the  far  West  to  subdue  the  virgin  soils,  and  there  build 
themselves  homes  and  foituncs. 

Our  Seed  Distribution  will  be  specially  valuable  to 
those  remote  from  the  ordinary  sources  of  good  seeds. 
So  far,  the  higher  rates  of  postage  have  rendered  it  im¬ 


possible  to  send  seeds  very  liberally,  but  we  expect  be¬ 
fore  the  close  of  this  year  to  make  arrangements  to  have 
seeds  go  as  freight  to  California,  and  be  there  distributed 
at  the  lower  rates  of  postage  charged  on  shorter  distances. 
Seeds  can  then  be  sent  for  6Jcents  an  ounce,  instead  of 
20  cents  per  ounce,  as  now  charged  on  those  sent  direct 
from  our  office. 

The  next  number  of  the  Agriculturist  (for  July)  will 
begin  the  second  half  of  the  present  volume,  and  we 
suggest  that  that  will  be  a  good  time  for  commencing  new 
subscriptions.  Whenever  it  is  desired,  we  can  always 
send  back  numbers  from  the  beginning  of  the  present  or 
previous  two  volumes,  as  we  keep  stereotype  plates  to 
print  from  whenever  needed. 


ESomitl  Volumes — Binding — Covers. 

Any  copy  of  the  Agriculturist,  dated  after  1856,  can  always  bo 
supplied. 

We  have  bound  sets,  of  Vols.  XVI  and  XVII,  singly,  and  Iso 
both  volumes  in  one  cover.  The  prices  of  these  are  ; 

Vol.  XVI, or  Vol.  XVII,  unbound,  $1.00  each. 

6°  d”  neatly  bound.,  $1.50  each. 

Volume XVI  and  Vol.  XVII  neatly  bound  inone  cover,  $2.69 

Cost  of  V ols  X\  I  and  XVII  bound  together  and  sent  by  mail 
post-paid,  $3  40. 

ESPTho  circulation  of  the  Agriculturist  to  regular 
subscribers,  is  much  larger  than  that  of  any  other 
Agricultural  or  Horticultural  Journal  in  the  world. 


Please  ©peals,  a.  Word  for  Use  Gea’- 
jsaasa  Edlitiosa. 

With  the  present  month  we  close  the  first  year  of  our 
German  Edition.  We  are  now  printing  for  subscribers 
4.500  copies.  This  we  consider  a  very  promising  circu¬ 
lation,  though  considerably  below  a  paying  point  yet. 
This  German  edition  seems  to  meet  a  want  in  the  coun¬ 
try,  as  there  is  a  very  large  class  of  worthy,  enterprising 
German  farmers,  who  desire  and  need  just  such  a  jour¬ 
nal  as  the  Agriculturist,  but  who  can,  as  yet,  only  read 
papers  in  their  native  language.  Owing  to  the  failure 
of  every  previous  agricultural  journal  in  that  language, 
many  Germans  have  been  fearful  to  subscribe  for  this 
one.  Our  German  Edition  is  already  a  success,  and  it 
will  be  continued  long  in  the  future. 

Our  readers  who  -  have  German  neighbors  may  con¬ 
fer  a  favor  upon  both  them  and  the  proprietor,  by 
bringing  the  paper  to  their  favorable  notice.  The  Ger¬ 
man  edition  is  as  nearly  like  the  English  as  it  can  be 
translated  into  the  German  language.  •  We  hope  to  re¬ 
ceive  a  large  accession  of  subscribers  to  begin  with  the 
second  year,  and  will  be  thankful  to  any  of  our  friends 
who  will  lend  their  influence  to  secure  this  result. 

EIP  Specimen  numbers  will  be  furnished  free  to  any 
one  desiring  them. 


©M  Pi’etfiiliaaaa  Usfs  to  close  with 
June. 

In  order  to  avoid  confusion,  and  to  prepare  for  our  new 
Premium  list,  we  find  it  necessary  to  ask  those  who  are 
sliil  engaged  in  making  up  premium  lists  of  subscribers 
beginning  with  the  present  volume,  to  close  up  their  lists 
during  the  present  month  (June).  All  names  received 
during  this  month,  if  to  begin  with  the  present  volume, 
may  be  counted  in  the  old  lists,  so  that  those  who  have 
partial  lists  made  up,  have  still  time  to  complete  them. 
Those  desiring  to  do  so  may  now  begin  to  form  new  lists 
as  noted  below. 


Irfrfmrtmmenfs. 


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over  1,000  engravings,  many  of  which  are  colored  by  hand,  in 
imitation  of  nature. 

"  THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  WORLD,”  in  2  volumes,  octavo, 
1,500  pages;  numerous  engravings  all  colored  by  hand,  with 
maps,  charts,  &o. 

“THE  ILLUMINATED  HISTORY  OF  NORTH  AMERI¬ 
CA,”  in  l  volume,  octavo,  700  pages,  400  engravings,  many  of 
them  colored. 

“THE  PICTORIAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  WARS  OF  THE 
UNITED  STATES,”  in  1  volume,  octavo,  550  pages,  numerous 
colored  engravings  of  battle  scenes,  etc. 

“THE  NEW  WORLD,”  in  the  German  language,  and  the 
most  popular  work  ever  offered  to  the  Germans;  1  volume,  oc¬ 
tavo,  900  pages,  over  300  engravings,  many  of  whioh  are  colored. 

All  books  unsold  may  be  returned  at  prices  charged. 

School  teachers,  professional  men,  and  young  men  from  the 
country,  are  preferred  as  agents,  and  generally  make  from  $50 
to  $200  per  month. 

Those  wishing  further  information,  or  desiring  appointments 
as  agents,  will  apply  immediately  at  the  office  of  the  subscriber, 
or  address  by  mail. 

HENRY  BILL, 
Norwich,  Conn. 


New  Premium  U§ts  cam  JScgiai 
Now. 

In  answer  to  several  enquiries,  we  reply  that  we  shall, 
the  coming  Autumn,  offer  as  liberal  premiums  for  new 
subscribers,  as  those  offered  the  past  year.  We  have  not 
yet  arranged  the  premium  list  in  full,  but  it  will  embrace 
the  more  valuable  premiums  hitherto  offered,  and  sever¬ 
al  new  ones,  including  Mowing  Machines  and  other  Farm 
Implements,  etc.,  etc.  We  will  now  say,  that  any  person 
may  at  once  commence  making  up  a  new  list  of  subscri¬ 
bers,  and  all  new  names  sent  in  for  one  year  may  be 
counted  in,  whether  the  subscriptions  commence  with  the 
July  number  or  next  January.  This  offer  gives  the  can¬ 
vasser  the  double  chance,  of  getting  new  names  to  begin 
now,  and  also  in  January.  Two  half  yearly  subscribers 
will  count  the  same  as  one  for  a  whole  year. 

When  names  are  sent  to  bo  included  in  premium  lists, 
a  duplicate  list  should  be  sent  at  the  same  time,  to  be 
kept  on  a  separate  file,  for  reference  in  making  up  the 
final  award  at  any  time  when  the  list  is  complete. 

During  the  past  year  we  have  given  out  over  six  hun¬ 
dred  valuable  premiums.  A  great  number  of  families  are 
now  in  possession  of  a  Sewing  Machine,  a  splendid 
Dictionary,  or  a  Microscope,  etc.,  which  they  have  obtain¬ 
ed  without  any  actual  outlay  of  money.  How  many  oth¬ 
ers  will  be  equally  fortunate  next  Winter,  or  before,  in 
getting,  on  as  easy  terms,  one  of  these  articles,  or  a  valu¬ 
able  farm  implement?  It  is  not  too  early  to  begin  the 
work  now,  of  collecting  and  sending  in  the  names,  as 
every  name  will  count. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  our  premiums  are  absolute,  and 
not  in  any  case  dependent  upon  competition,  or  upon  what 
some  other  unknown  individual  is  doing,  so  that  every 
person  understands  exactly  what  he  or  she  is  working 
for,  and  what  is  the  point  to  be  reached.  These  pre¬ 
miums  are  offered  as  pay  for  time  and  effort  expended  in 
bringing  the  Agriculturist  before  those  unacquainted  with 
it — and  not  in  the  manner  of  a  gift  enterprise.  What  others 
pay  in  commissions  to  agents,  we  pay  out  in  this  form. 


THE 

WILLC0X  &  GIBBS’ 
SEWING  MACHINES- 

Patented  June  2,  1857.  Re-issned  July  13,  1858.  Patented 
August  10,  1858,  and  licensed  under  six  Patents,  owned  several¬ 
ly  by  Elias  Howe,  Jr.,  Wheeler  &  Wilson  Manufacturing  Co  , 
I.  M.  Singer  &  Co.,  and  Grover  &  Baker  Sewing  Machine  Co. 

Purchasers  may  therefore;  feel  assured  that  they  are 
not  buying  a  PIRATED  MACHINE. 

The  beauty  and  accuracy  of  the  mechanism  of  this  machine 
is  strikingly  exhibited  in  the  fact  that  it  is  capable  of  making, 
unerringly, 

FOUR  THOUSAND  STITCHES  A  MINUTE. 

And  in  the  opinion  of  the  Judges  of  the  late  Fair  of  the  Frank¬ 
lin  Institute.  **  fills  nearer  the  requirements  of  a  FAMILY 
MACHINE  than  any  other,”  and  their  judgment  is  fully  cor¬ 
roborated  by  all  who  become  familiar  with  its  merits.  Prices 
$30  to  $50.  'Manufactured  and  sold,  wholesale  and  retail,  by 
JAMES  WILLCOX, 

Masonic  Hall,  No.  715  Chestnut  st.,  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
New-York  Depot,  No.  504  Broadway, 

opposite  St.  Nicholas  Hotel. 


Keep  yurai0  Feet  J©i*y 

AND 

Preserve  your  Health. 

The  long  sought  for  principle  of  making  leather  perfectly  wa 
ter-proof,  without  injuring  it,  has  at  last  been  discovered. 

A.  BROWER’S  PATENT  WATER-PROOF  COMPOSITION 
FOR  LEATHER. 

makes  Boots,  Shoes.  Hose,  Harness  and  all  Leather  perfectly 
impervious  to  water  by  a  single  application,  and  warranted  to 
keep  so,  at  the  same  time  it  softens,  makes  the  leather  pliable, 
prevents  cracking,  will  polish  with  blacking  better  than  before, 
and  leather  will  last  at  least  one-fourth  to  one-third  longer  by 
using  it  For  sale  by  A  BROWER  &  CO.,  4  Reade-st., 
and  by  all  the  principal  Boot  and  Shoe,  Hardware,  Drugeist.  Gro¬ 
cery  and  Yankee  Notion  houses.  A  liberal  discount  to  ngenls 
N.  B.  None  genuine  unless  signed  by  A.  BROWLK. 


Whale  ©il  Soas> 


ir  destroying  insects  on  Trees,  Vines,  Shrubs  ami  Plants 
sale  in  large  an<l  small  quantities  at  DAVID  S  BROWN'S 


PATENT  BUTTER  MILL  OR  CHURN. 

_ Butter  made  in  two  minutes  from  sweet  milk.  Call  and 

see  it  in  operation  at  10  and  4  daily.  The  butter  can  be  made, 
the  churn  washed  and  put  away  in  five  minutes.  Single  churns 
or  county  rights  for  sale  Apply  to  WESTBROOK  &  MINOR, 
534  (sign  of  the  Golden  Tea  Kettle)  Broadway,  New-York, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


189 


j  NEW-VORK  STATE  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 

PREMIUM  ON  FARMS,  1859. 

Premiums  are  offered  for  best  cult  ivated  farm, mostly  devoted 
to  grain  gro.v ing.  Best  Grazing  and  Cheese  Dairy  farm.  Best 
Grazing  and  Butter  Dairy  farm — not  less  than  50  acres,  exclu¬ 
sive  ol' wood  and  water  land — premium  of  $50  each.  -And  for 
best  cultivated  Grain  farm — not  less  than  50  acres,  wood  land  in¬ 
cluded — premium  of  $30. 

Persons  desiring  to  enter  their  farms  will  please  give  notice  to 
tlio  Secretary  by  the  1st  of  July,  so  that  the  farms  can  be  examin¬ 
ed  by  a  Committee  appointed  by  the  Executive  Board. 

B.  P.  JOHNSON,  Cor.  Sec’y. 

Agricultural  Rooms,  Albany,  April  18,  1859. 


SCHOOL  TEACHERS  WANTED  — The 

^-^subscriber  wishes  to  engage  a  few  school  teachers  to  act  as 
traveling  agents  for  his  publications.  For  particulars  apply  to 
HENRY  BILL,  Norwich,  Conn. 


Adapted  to  every  branch  ofBusiness  where 
a  Correct  and  Durable  Scale  is  required. 


tfaH  and  fpDicunuie,  a/-  send 
fat-  cul  jpHiLst^cdcd  cuid  OLc- 


ftl%4 


nad/ituia  dfataiaQne.. 

FAIRBANKS  &  CO. 

189  Broadway,  New  Ycr 


NEW 

MOWING  AND  REAPING  MACHINE  DEPOT, 

No.  54  Vc«ey-st.«  Ncw^Yorkj 

A.  F.  MA.YHER  &  CO.,  PROPRIETORS, 

Where  will  be  found  all  the  best  and  latest  improved 
Mowing  and  Reaping  Machines  of  the  times,  which  we  will  sell 
as  low  and  on  as  good  terms,  as  any  house  in  the  trade.  Farm¬ 
ers  wishing  to  purchase  Mowing  and  Reaping  Machines  this 
season,  are'  most  respectfully  requested  to  give  us  a  call  before 
purchasing  elsewhere. 

All  goods  and  machines  sold  by  us  are  warranted  to  be  os  repre¬ 
sented.  ■>  _  „ 

We  have  also  on  hand,  the  largest  and  best  assortment  of  all 
kinds  of  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Implements,  Seeds  and 
Fertilizers  in  this  country,  which  we  sell  at  lower  prices  than 
can  be  procured  from  any  other  house  in  the  trade.  We  are 
sole  agents  for  Wheeler’s  Portable  Horse  Powers  and  Thresher, 
and  Combined  Threshers  and  Cleaners,  and  all  goods  of  their 
manufacture.  Farmers  wanting  anything  in  our  line  will  find 
it  to  their  interest  to  call  at  No.  54  Yesev-st. 

Remember,  A.  F.MAYHER  &  CO., 

New  Agricultural  Warehouse,  Machinery  and  Seed 
Depot  No.  5i  Vesey-st.,  between  Broadway  and 
Greenwich-st.,  New- York. 

farm;  produce 

Sold  o  ij  C  o  m  iaa  i  §  §  i  o  sa , 

Such  as  Flour.  Butter,  Cheese.  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds 
Grain,  Eggs,  Poultrv,  Game,  &c.  tzc. 

HAIGHT  &  EA1ENS,  226  Front-st.,  New-York. 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

“  R.  H.  Haydock,  Cashier  Market  Bank,  New-York. 


REMOVAL. — SHEPPARD’S  Forwarding 

and  Commission  Horticultural  Nursery  and  Seed  Agency, 
removed  to  23  Fulton-st.,  New-York,  (formerly  159  Front-st.,) 
where  the  subscriber  will  cent  inue  to  give  every  aitent  ion  to  all 
r  lie  wants  of  Nurserymen,  Seedsmen.  &c.,  with  promptness  and 
dispatch.  Respectfully,  Wll  P.  SHEPPARD,  box  2972,  P.  O. 


c 


ARTS.  WAGGONS,  WHEEL  BAR- 

ROWS,  of  superior  workmanship,  at  low  prices. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


CAffiBOI  OIL. 

The  Carbon  Oil  Company  have  a  full  supplv  of  this  Oil,  made 
from  Petroleum,  which  is  superior  to  Oil  made  from  any  other 
material,  as  it  burns  a  high  flame  without  smoking 
Address  CABBON  OTL  CO.. 

No.  191  Pearl-st.,  New-York. 

HINESE  SUGAR  CANE  AND  AFRI- 

CAN'IMPHEE,  at  very  low  price 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st.,  N  Y. 

ARROT  WEEDERS,  Or.  Root  Cleaners, 

(Three  sizes).  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  100  Mur- 
ray-st.,  N.  Y.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE 


(AULTMAN  AND  MILLER’S  PATENT. 


The  above  cut  represents  the  celebrated  Buckeye  Mower, 
with  Bar  down,  reftdy  for  work. 

In  the  cut  of  last  month,  the  Mower  was  shown  with  Bar 
folded  for  moving  from  field  to  field,  or  driving  on  the  road. 
The  advantages  of  the  Buckeye  over  all  other  mowers  must  be 
evident  to  every  one  of  <» v j  erience  in  this  class  of  implements. 
The  two  driving-wheels,  the  flexible  and  folding  bar,  adapting 
itself  to  all  surfaces,  either  end  rising  or  falling  independent  of 
the  other,  and  entirely  independent  from  the  working  of  the 
frame ;  the  lever  at  the  right  of  the  driver, enabling  him  to  raise 
the  cutters  to  pass  obstructions,  or  over  mown  grass  :  the  ease 
with  which  it  is  thrown  out  of  gear;  the  ease  with  which  it 
backs,  throwing  itself  out  of  gear ;  its  light  draft,  entire  free¬ 
dom  from  side  draft;  and  its  safety  for  the  driver,  combine  to 
ive  it  all  the  desirable  features  required  in  a  PERFE  T  mow;!'. 


We  Challenge  the  World  to  produce  its  Equal. 

At  the  greatest  trial  of  Machines  ever  held  in  this  country 
continuing  through  the  whole  week,  at  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  185". 
the  United  States  Agricultural  Society  awarded  it  the 
First  Premium  Grand  Gold  Medal  and  Diploma  as  best 
Mower,  in  competition  with, Manny’s,  Kctchum’s,  Allen’s, 
Kirby’s,  Hallenbeck’s,  Burrall’s,  Heath’s  and  others. 

The  practical  working  of  the  Buckeye  during  the  harvest  of 
1858,  more  than  sustained  the  Committee’s  decision. 

We  would  invite  all  wishing  to  purchase  the  BEST  MOW¬ 
ING  MACHINE  to  examine  t  ho  BUCKEYE.  Orders  should 
be  sent  early  to  secure  machines. 

Circulars,  with  testimonials,  forwarded  on  application. 

JOHN  P.  ADRIANCE,  Manufacturer, 

No.  165  Greenwich-st  ,  near  Courtlandt,  New-York, 

C.  AULTMAN  &  CO.,  Manufacturers, 

Canton,  Stark  Co.,  Ohio. 


ALLEN’S  ! 


MOWER  WITH 

Those  in  want  of  a  Mowing  Machine  will  find  the 
ALLEN  MO  WE 'I 

allthat  is  claimed  for  it— the  best  in  use— being  durable,  easily 
managed,  light  of  draft,  and  cutting  all  kinds  of  grass  more  per¬ 
fectly  than  can  be  done  with  a  scythe.  The  Improved  Reaping 
Attachinentcan  be  added  to  the  ordinary  Mower,  when  desired, 
making  it  also  a  perlcct.  Reaper. 


M  P  R  0  V  E  D  MOWER 

AND 

REAPING 


ATTACHMENT. 

Also, ALLEN’S  COMBINED  REAPER  AND  MOWER, 
which  has  been  very  much  improved,  and  is  now,  without  ques¬ 
tion,  the  best  Reaping  Machine  in  use.  A  descriptive  Circular 
and  testimonials  from  hundreds  who  have  used  it,  furnished  on 
application. 

For  sale  at  the  New-York  Agricultural  Implement  and  Seed 
Warehouse,  No.  191  Water-st. 


Metropolitan  WasMsag  Maclaine. 


Can  no  worked  by  a  child — will  savs  its  cost  in  the  wear  and 
tear  of  clothes  in  a  short  time.  After  using  three  times  you 
would  not  part  with  it  for  threettmes^cost.  _  For  , ale.  by  ^ 


TPUSSIA  OR  BASS  MATS,  SF,!  ECTED 

.MAexpressly  for  budding  and  tying,  GUNNY  BAGS, TWINES, 
HAY  ROPE'S,  &.C.,  suitable  fur  Nurserv  purposes,  for  sale  m 
lots  to  suit  by  D.  W.  MANWARING,  Importer, 

248  Front  Street,  New  York. 


. !  Fare  SScdiaccd  2 ! 


MERCHANT’S  I, INF  OF  STEAMBOATS 
LRiilftesw;.)'* R ET W EEN  NEW-YORK  AND  ALBANY.— 
- The  steamer  KNICKERBOCKER.  Cnpt  Wm. 


B.  Nelson.  leaves  the  font  of  Robinson-st..  New-York  every 
Mondav,  Wednesday  anil  Friilav,  at  6  o'clock,  P.  M.  The 
steamer  HERO.  Capt.  J.  W.  Hancox,  every  Tuesday,  Thurs¬ 
day  and  Sunday.  ,  T, 

Returning,  will  leave  tne  Steamboat  lauding.  Albany, pane, 
Saturday  excepted,  at  7  o’clock  P.  IVT  Travelers  wrl.nmt  it 
their  interest  in  calling  at  the  offices  of  the  Agents  ofluis  Com 
panr  before  engaging  passage  elsewhere. 

F  /  eight  carried  at  reduced  rates  and  forwarded  promptly. 

ELI  HUNT,  Agent, 

Office  on  the  wharf,  Now-York, 

C  W.  STEVENS,  No.  252  Broadway,  Aloany. 


190 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


AND 

'■LITTLE  BUFFALO ”  HARVESTERS. 

As  a  Mower  or  Reaper,  these  machines  have  no  equal.  The 
“  American”  Harvester  is  a  two-horse  machine,  and  the  "  L,it- 
tie  Buffalo”  is  li’ ted  for  both  one  or  two  horses.  Both  ma¬ 
chines  are  very  strong  and  durable,  verv  simple  in  their  con¬ 
strue.' ion.  very  light  and  of  easy  draft— have  n<>  side  draft  and 
no  pressure  on  the  horses’  necks.  They  are  entirely  of  iron,  ex¬ 
cept.  the  seat,  pole  and  reaper  attachment;  have  but  one  driving- 
wheel,  which  obviates  the  necessity  of  a  joint  m  the  finger-bar, 
and  insures  that  the  connecting  rod  is  always  in  line  with  the 
cutters.  The  wheel  an  <  finger-bar  (by  an  arrangement  used  m 
no  other  machine,'  act  independently  of  each  other— each  fol¬ 
lowing  the  inequalities  of  the  ground  without  affecting  the  other. 
The  finger-bar  can  be  raised  from  the  ground  at  pleasure,  to 
pass  over  obstructions,  or  to  move  from  field  to  field ;  and  the 
knives  can  be  thrown  in  and  out  of  gear  while  in  motion. 

As  a  Reaper  they  are  light  and  conveniently  arranged,  and 
worked  with  facility,  and  very  easy  for  the  driver,  raker,  and 
team  They  are  warranted  to  give  satisfaction  both  as  Mower 
and  Reaper.  .  .  ...  . 

Send  for  a  book  containing  full  description,  cuts,  certificates, 
and  prices,  to  GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO., 

No.  60  Cortlaiidt-sl.  New-York. 


FARMERS,  SAVE  YrOUR  MONEY! 

TRY  ONE  OF  SHARES’  PATENT 
CULTIVATING,  HOEING  AND  HILLING  MACHINES,, 

Price  $  10,  which  will  save  more  than  twice  its  cost  the  first 
season,  and  with  ordinary  care  will  last  years.  It  is  light  and 
easilv  used  with  one  horse,  and  will  do  more  cultivating  in  go¬ 
ing  between  the  rows  once,  than  an  ordinary  cultivator  can  do 
in  two  or  even  three  limes,  and  will  hoe  and  hill  any  crops 
plautvd  in  hills  or  drills,  as  fast  as  a  horse  can  walk,  and  better 
than  men  can  do  it  with  hand  hoes,  the  crooked  form  of  the  back 
part  of  the  wings  giving  the  desired  shape  of  the  hill.  Price  only 
S 10,  and  warranted— weight  80  pounds 
Manufactured  by  PEASE  &.  EGGLESTON, 

85  State-st.,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Dealers  in  all  kinds  of  Agricultural  Implements,  Seeds,  &c. 


THE  ECONOMIST 

COOKING-  STOVE, 


FOB,  WOOD  OB  COAL, 


WITH  A  SAND  OVEN. 


This  is  the  most  valuable  improvement  that  has  been 
made  in  Cooking  Stoves  during  the  past  twenty  years. 

THE  SAND  OVEN 

Equalizes  the  heat  on  the  same  principle  as  the  Brick 
Oven  of  ancient  renown. 

THE  SAND  OVEN 

Retains  the  heat  long  after  the  fire  has  gone  out. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Without  the  Sand  Oven,  is  ahead  of  all  competitors. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

With  the  Sand  Oven,  is  out  of  reach  of  them. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Is  the  most  economical  and  durable  Stove  in  the  world. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Has  a  most  perfect  arrangement  for  Broiling. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Heats  water  for  the  Bathing  Room,  &c.,  as  quickly  as 
any  Range,  and  at  half  the  cost  for  fuei 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Will  do  more  Baking,  Boiling  and  Broiling,  with  a  given 
quantity  of  fuel,  than  any  other  Stove  or  Range. 

the  economist 

Is  the  Stove. 

Do  not  fail  to  examine  it !  It  is  manufactured  by 

W.  &  J.  TREADWELL,  PERRY  &  NORTON. 

Albany,  N.  Y. 
Anti  for  Sale  Everywhere. 

OTORSE  RAKES. — Houston  &  Parson’s 

.0.  JLpromium  Wire-Tooth  and  Revolving  Wood  Hor.se  Hay- 
Rakes  Grain  Cradles,  Scythes,  Snaihs,  Rakes,  English  Soytfie 
fjtoneo,  &o.  R-  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


A5?L*MCi3i3taau*aI  Btss^leBaiieaits 

of  nil  kindfl,  for  sale  by  J.  B.  RYAN,  Importer  of  Hardware 
lid  Yongi-S'i.,  Toronto,  Canada  West. 

Miaataelnrois  of  tlwre  goods  will  send  their  lists. 


PARSON  &  HOUSTON’S 

PATENT  PREMIUM 

WIRE  TOOTH  WHEEL 

HOUSE  HAY-BAKE 

BY  FAR  THE  BEST  HAY-RAKE  IN  USE. 
Always  giving  entire  Satisfaction 

The  important  features  of  this  Rake  are  : 

1st.  Its  adaptation  to  all  grounds,  either  rough 
or  smooth,  siding  or  level. 

2d.  The  small  amount  of  motive  power  re¬ 
quired  for  its  use,  and  the  ease  with  which  it  may 
be  operated — it  being  so  arranged  that  a  small 
boy  or  infirm  individual  may  ride  and  rake  with¬ 
out  the  least  difficulty. 

3d.  It  will  excel  any  other  Rake  in  point  of 
speed,  being  capable  of  doing  more  work  and 
better,  with  less  effort,  than  any  other  offered  to 
the  public.  And  another  very  important  feature 
to  be  considered  is,  that  the  Rake  can  be  easily 
removed  from  the  shafts,  and  you  have  a  perfect 
Sulky,  which  will  serve  for  breaking  colts  or 
pleasure  riding. 

The  annexed  testimonial  is  similar  to  hundreds 
we  might  furnish  from  those  who  have  used  it : 

Wawayanda,  Nov.  1st,  1858. 

Messrs.  Pakson  &  Houston. — I  beg  leave  to 
say  that  I  have  used  your  Patent  Wheel  Horse 
Rake  during  the  past  season,  and  am  happy  to 
inform  you  and  the  public  at  large,  that  it  is  su¬ 
perior  to  all  other  rakes  I  have  ever  seen  used  ; 
and  particularly  so  from  the  fact  the  head  is  lo¬ 
cated  in  front  of  the  wheels,  and  in  view  of  the 
driver,  and  any  child  that  can  sit  on  the  seat  and 
guide  the  horse  can  operate  the  rake.  A  child  of 
mine,  eleven  years  old,  raked  the  most  of  my 
hay  this  season,  (some  fifty  tons.)  The  machine 
is  perfectly  safe  and  easy  for  the  horse,  and  I 
cheerfully  recommend  it  to  all. 

Yours,  &c., 

G.  N.  Hui.se. 

Manufactured  and  for  sale  by 

HOUSTON  &  KING, 

Middletown, 

Orange  County, 

New-York. 

Also  manufacturer  of 

GRAIN  CRADLES, 

SCYTHES, 

SNATHS, 

&c.,  Ac. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-street,  agent  for 
the  sale  of  the  above  in  New-York  City. 


AGRICULTURAL 

DEPOT, 

10©  Murray  »st.. 

Farm  Implements  —  Machines  — 
Seeds— Guano— Phosphate,  etc. 
Ssa  Hbbc  varietv. 

F.  MBilliEE. 

XT  AY  AND  GRAIN  COVERS  described 

iL-E-in  May.  Agriculturist ,  for  sale  by 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


HAY  AND  GRAIN  GAPS, 

OF  VARIOUS  SIZES, 

Supplied  at  a  few  hours’  notice. 

Flour,  Grain,  Salt  and  Ham  Bags,  plain  or  printed. 

M  VANDERHOOF, 

No.  171  West-st.,  New- York. 

Xngersoll’s  Patent  Hay  Press. 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  Near¬ 
ly  500  of  them  have  heen  sold  in  the  last  two  years.  Price  S50 
and  S75.  delivered  iu  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  satisfac¬ 
tion  For  circulars,  containing:  full  information.  Address 
FARMER’S  MANUFACTURING  CO., 
Green  Point  P.  O.,  (Brooklyn,)  N.  Y. 


npHE  BEST  HORSE-POWER  IN  USE.— 

Jt-  “  Taplin’s  ”  Circular  Iron  Rim  Horse-Power,  for  one  to  six 
horses.  It  can  be  taken  apart  and  packed  in  very  small  space, 
when  not  in  use,  and  set.  up  inn  few  minutes.  It  runs  with 
very  little  friction — easily  managed — and  not  at  all liable  to  get 
out  of  repair.  Price  $100.  Also,  “  Allen’s  ”  superior  and  lately 
very  much  improved  one  and  two  horse  Endless  Chain  Horse 
Powers;  Bogerdus’,  Trimble’s. Hall’s.  Pitt’s,  and  other  Powers. 
Also,  the  most  approved  Threshers  and  Threshers  and  Cleaners. 

For  sale  by  R.  L.  ALLEN,  No.  191  Water-st. 

MASS  E  R’S 

FIVE  MINUTE 

ICE  CREAM  FREEZERS. 

As  improved  for  1859. 

WITH  STAMPED  IRON  COVER  AND  BOTTOMS— TINNED. 

The  only  Freezer  known  which  is  constructed  on  true  scien¬ 
tific  principle. 

The  cheapest,  best,  and  most  economical,  requiring  less  ice 
and  less  labor  than  any  other,  being  at  the  same  time  the  most 
durable  in  structure,  and  most  certain  in  its  operations. 

Sole  Agent  for  the  United  States,  E.  KETCHUM  &  CO. 

Manufacturers  of  Japanned  and  Planished  Tin  Ware, 

No.  289  Pearl-st..  New-York. 

A  SAFE  AND  PROFITABLE  BUSINESS  IS 
OFFERED  TO  THE  UNEMPLOYED 

UPON  THE 

IjISU8  BOOKS 

EMBRACING 

Popular  Biographies,  Narratives  and  Travels,  Historical  Works. 

Books  upon  Agriculture,  Horticulture,  Domestic  Econo¬ 
my,  Rural  Affairs,  and  Ait.  Books  for  the  Young, 

Bibles  and  Religious  Books,  Standard  and 

Select  Poetry,  and  Miscellaneous 
Books. 

PUBLISHED  BY  C.M,  SAXTON, 

No.  25  PARK-ROW;  NEW-YORK. 

AGENTS  AND  CANVASSERS 

Should  send  at  once  for 

OUR  NEW  CATALOGUE, 
with 

PRACTICAL  INSTRUCTIONS. 

‘  NEW  WORK  FOR  AGENTS.  " 

THE  LIFE,  SPEECHES  AND  MEMORIALS 

OF 

DANIEL  WEBSTER, 

CONTAINING  IIIS  MOST  CELEBRATED  ORA 

TIONS,  A  SELECTION  FROM  THE  EULOGIES 

DELIVERED  ON  THE  OCCASION  OF  IIIS 
DEATH,  AND  IIIS  LIFE  AND  TIMES. 

BY  SAMUEL  M.  SMUCKER,  A.  M. 

This  splendid  work  is  just  published,  in  one  larjre  volume  of 
550  pages.  It  is  printed  on  fine  paper  and  hound  in  beautiful 
style  ;  contains  excellent  tint  illustrations  of  his  Birthplace  and 
Mansion  at  Marshfield:  and  a  full  length,  life-like.  Steel  Por¬ 
trait.  The  Publisher  offers  it  wi;h  confidence  to  the  American 
public,  and  is  convinced  that  it  will  supply  an  important  want  in 
American  literature.  No  work  was  to  he  obtained  heretofore, 
which  presented,  within  a  compact  and  convenient  compass,  the. 
chief  events  of  the  life  of  DANIEL  WEBSTER,  his  most  re¬ 
markable  intellectual  efforts,  and  the  most  valuable  and  inter¬ 
esting  eulogies  which  the  great  men  of  the  nation  uttered  in 
honor  of  his  memory. 

We  present  all  these  treasures  in  this  volume,  at  a  very  mod¬ 
erate  price,  and  in  a  very  convenient,  form.  Subscription  price, 
in  cloth  $1  75  ;  handsomely  embossed  leather,  $2  00. 

Persons  desirous  of  becoming  Agents  for  this  valuable  work, 
will  address,  for  full  particulars, 

DUANE  RULISON,  Publisher, 

33  South-third-st..  Philadelphia.  Pa. 


MUSICAL  GUEST 


12  pages  full  size  sheet  Music,  10  ccips,  or  $5  yearly. 

SACRED  MUSICAL  GUEST. 

28  pa^es  full  size  sheet  Music.  Monthly  2.1  els,  or  S3  per  year. 

OPERATIC  MUSICAL  GUEST. 

28  nages  full  size  sheet  Music.  25  els.  monthly,  or  S3  annually. 
1  °  M.  BELL  &  CO  ,  13  Frankfort-st.,  N.  Y  ' 


SSEffiS. 

THE  MYSTERIES  OF  BEE-KEEPING  EXPLAINED, 
With  nnApnendix.  giving  directions  formnkingin  achoap  form, 
and  using,  the  Movable  Combs  of  L.  L.  Lan'gstr.nh,  will  be  sent 

free  of  postage. lor  SI.  Address .  M.  QUINBY. 

St.  Johnsville,  Montgomery  Co  ,  N.  Y 


PROFITABLE  Employment  may  be  bad 

by  addressing  (post-paid)  R-  SEARS  181  William-st,  N,  Y 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


191 


HENRY  W.  HERBERT’S  LAST  WORK ! 

FRAMSi  FORRESTER’® 

HINTS  TO  HORSE-KEEPERS  ; 

Beautifully  Illustrated, 

PRICE,  $1-25. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HOWTO  BREED  A  HORSE— CHOICE  OF  STALLION, 

National  value  of  the  horse— The  bcstclass  of  horses  the  cheap¬ 
est  for  all  purposes— What  constitutes  excellence— Blood  :  what 
it  gives  ;  should  be  on  the  side  of  the  Sire— Breed  up,  not  down 
—Diseases  and  defects  hereditary— General  rules. 

CHAPTER  II. 

CHOICE  OF  THE  MARE. 

Size,  symmetry  and  soundness  more  important  than  blood — 
Points  oi  the  brood  mare— Diseases  hereditary— Condition  of  the 
mare— Should  have  moderate  work  when  with  foal— Food  and 
ca:e  during  gestation— Health  and  temper— Gene. al  Rules. 
CHAPTER  III. 

MUTUAL  ADAPTATION  OF  SIRE  AND  DAM. 

First  consideration  in  improvement  of  “  cold’'  blood— Relative 
size  of  Sire  and  Dam— Defects  in  either  parent— How  remedied 
in  progeny — Bloods  which  ‘"hit” — Generalrules. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

CANADIAN  BLOOD. 

The  Canadian  originally  the  French  Norman— Characteristics 
—  Hardihood — Speed — Mode  of  improvement— Crossing  with 
Thorough-breds. 

CHAPTER  V. 

NORMAN  BLOOD. 

Origin  and  history  of  the  Percheron  Norman — A  pure  race— 
Characteristics  and  points— Importation  into  this  country. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

MODERN  ARAB  BLOOD. 

English  and  American  thorough-breds  derived  from  Oriental 
blood— Are  now  superior  to  the  modern  Arabs — Nolan  Arabs. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PONIES— DIFFERENT  BREEDS,  CHARACTERISTICS  AND  UTILITY 

Unknown  to  the  Ancients— Origin— Different  breeds— Shetland 
and  Scots— Galloways  and  Narragansetts— Mustangs  and  Indians 
— Profit  of  raising  ponies. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

HOW  TO  BREED  MULES. 

Value  of  mules— History  and  natural  history—' The  mule  and 
hinney — Thorough-blood  wasted  in  the  Dam — The  mule  in  the 
United  States— Varieties  of  the  ass— The  kind  of  mares  to  be  se¬ 
lected. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

HOW  TO  BUY  A  HORSE, 

Of  whom  to  buy  it— Extraordinary  cheapness  and  extraordina¬ 
ry  excellence  not  consistent  with  each  other — Points  to  be  re¬ 
garded — How  to  examine  the  eye— Broken  wind — To  examine  the 
legs— Spleuts— Damaged  Back  Sinews— Spavins— Ringbones— 
Cuibs— i’ho.  ough-pin — How  to  tell  the  age  of  a  horse. 

CHAPTER  X. 

HOW  TO  FEED  A  HORSE, 

Consequences  of  improper  feeding — Different  food  for  different 
conditions— Food  f.>r  the  brood  mare— For  the  foal— For  work¬ 
ing  horses— Green  food — Feeding  horses  in  training — Summering 
horses— Management  of  omnibus  horses  in  New-York. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

HOW  TO  STABLEAND  GROOM  A  HORSE. 

Requisites  for  a  good  stable— The  economy  of  proper  arrange¬ 
ments— Ventilation  — Grooming— How  performed— Clothing  — 
Treatment  of  the  horse  when  brought  in  from  work. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

HOW  TO  BREAK  AND  USE  A  HORSE. 

What  is  required  in  a  well-broken  horse— His  education 
should  commence  when  a  colt— Bitting— Putting  in  harness— 
How  to  use  a  horse— Traveling— Working — Pleasure  Horses — 
Pun  shinent. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

HOW  TO  PHY8IC  A  HORSE— SIMPLE  REMEDIES  FOR  SIMPLE  AIL¬ 
MENTS. 

Causes  of  ailments— Medicines  to  be  given  only  by  the  order 
of  the  master— Depletion  and  purging — Spasmodic  colic — In¬ 
flammation  of  rhe  bowels— Inflammation  of  the  lungs — How  to 
bleed— Balls  and  purgatives— Costiveness— Cough — Bronchitis — 
Distemper— Worms — Scratches — 1  hrusli— Broken  knee0, 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

FARRIERY,  ETC. 

Castration — Docking  and  nicking — Blood-letting-  Treatment 
of  strains  and  wounds — Galls  of  the  skin — Clipping  and  singeing 
—Administering  medicines — Diseases  of  the  feet. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

HOW  TO  SHOE  A  HORSE. 

Unskilful  shoers—  Anatomy  of  the  foot  illustrated — The  foot  of 
a  coll— Preparation  of  the  foot— Removing  the  old  shoe— Paring 
the  foot — The  shoe — F  itting  the  shoe— N  ailing— N  umber  of  nails 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

BAUCHER’S  METHOD  OF  TRAINING  HORSES. 

What  constitutes  a  well-trained  horse— To  make  him  come  at 
your  call— Flexions  of  the  jaw — Flexions  of  the  neck— Flexions 
of  the  croup— Bucking— The  paces — Leaping. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

HOW  TO  RIDE  A  HORSE. 

The  saddle — The  girths — l‘he  stirrups— Saddle-cloths — The 
crupper — The  martingale — The  bridle — Spurs— Mounting  and 
dismounting — The  seat — The  hands — The  legs — The  paces — Hints 
for  special  cases — The  art  of  failing— Riding  with  ladies 

CHAPTER  XV III. 

LADIES  RIDING. 

Written  by  a  lady . 

Learning  to  ride— The  side-saddle — The  girths — the  stirrup— 
The  bridle — The  martingale — The  bit — I  he  dress — Mounting  and 
dismounting— The  Position— The  hands— The  leg  and  whip— Ac¬ 
cidents. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

HOW  TO  DRIVE  A  HORSE. 

The  art  of  driving — Pleasure  driving — How  to  hold  the  reins 
—Driving  ><  pair— Four-in-hand  driving— Driving  working  horses 
— Plowing — i  liree-a  breast. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

RAREY’S  SYSTEM  OF  HORSE  TAMING. 

A  new  discovery — Previous  system— Principles  of  this  system 
— Instructions  for  practicing  it — To  stable  the  horse — To  ap¬ 
proach  the  horse— Tying  up  the  leg — Laying  the  horse  down — 
Vices  and  bad  habits— Rearing— Kicking— Baulking— Pulling 
on  the  halter— Shying. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

RACING. 

Training  the  racer— Training  stables— Feeding  horses  in 
training— Laws  of  racing — Table  of  weights  for  different  ages — 
Handicapping. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

VETERINARY  HOMOEOPATHY. 

Principles  of  the  svstem— Table  of  remedies— General  direc¬ 
tions— Treatment  of  a  sick  animal— Diet — Remedies  for  specific 
cases- G. ossary  of  diseases, 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CARRIAGES. 

General  remarks— Different  varieties  of  vehicles— The  wheel, 
—The  springs  — The  shafts  and  pole  — The  body  and  top  — 
Painting  and  varnishing— Trimming  and  plating  —  Harmony 
of  colors — How  to  keep  carriages  in  good  condition. 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

HARNESS. 

The  quality  of  leather — Stitching — The  collar — The  traces — 

The  saddle  and  breeching— The  bridle  und  reins - Howto  keep 

harness  in  good  condition. 

Published  by  A.  O.  MOORE  &  CO  , 

Agricultural  Book  Publishers,  No.  140  Fulton-st.,  New-York 

Sent  by  mail  upon  receipt  of  price. 


ONIOH  CULTURE  !  ONION  CULTURE  ! 

EXPERIENCE  OF  SEVENTEEN  PRACTICAL  MEN. 

This  work,  now  read)',  proves  to  be  even  more  valua¬ 
ble  than  we  had  expected.  It  contains,  in  addition  to  the 
full,  practical  directions  for  Onion  Culture,  an  interesting 
illustrated  article  on  the  Onion  Fly  and  its  Prevention, 
by  a  distinguished  Entomologist.  It  will, we  are  con¬ 
fident,  be  worth  many  times  the  price,  to  every  one 
who  raises  this  vegetable. 

Price  per  copy  (sent  post-paid  by  mail),  21  cents  (or  7 
3-cent  stamps)  ;  $2  per  dozen.  Address  American  Agri¬ 
culturist. ,  No.  189  Water-street,  New-York. 


FRESH  FRUITS  ALL  THE  YEAR. 

THE  YEOMANS 

FLU  IT  BOTTLE, 

For  utility,  convenience,  economy,  and  safety,  is  unequalled 
for  preserving  fruits  in  a  fresh  state  in  any  climate  an  indefinite 
time. 

Having  used  these  Bottles,  we  find  them  exceedingly  conve¬ 
nient,  and  just  the  thing  wanted.” 

[John  J.  Thomas,  in  Register  of  Rural  Affairs.] 

For  descriptive  and  price  Circulars  address  the  proprietor  at 
Walworth,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.  T.  G.  YEOMANS. 

FRUIT  CARRIER, 

OR 

PATENT  TRANSPORTATION  PROTECTOR- 

(Sec  Agriculturist ,  April ,  1858  ) 

The  price  of  a  Protector,  containing  32  square  1  quart  boxes,  or 
32  of  the  usual  round  boxes,  is  $2  87.  deliverable  at  Winchendon, 
Mass.,  where  Mr.  Wm.  Murdock  will  furnish  extra  small  boxes 
at  S4  50  per  gross,  for  round,  or  $4  76  per  gross  for  the  square 
ones.  For  a  Protector,  containing  4  shallow  peck  boxes,  for 
peaches,  plums,  pears,  &c.,  the  price  is  S2  10. 

Orders  addressed  to  HENRY  B.  OSGOOD, 

Wliitensville,  Mass., 

Are  solicited. 


L&WTON  BLACKBERRY. 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

WM  LAWTON,  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 


SEEL  DEPARTMENT. 
BRHWElfEM’S 
HORTICULTURAL  ESTABLISHMENT. 

Nos.  876  AND  878  BROADWAY, 

Nciv-  York. 

The  subscriber  has  now  on  hand  a  full  supply  of 
GRASS,  VEGETABLE,  HERB  AND  FLOWER  SEEI*3, 
embracing  the  old  favorites,  and  including  several  new  varieties 
of  superioi  excellence  For  sale  (at  the  lowest  market  price,) 
for  quality  and  quantity,  or  in  packages  for  retail  trade.  Cata¬ 
logues  furnished  on  application.  Also,  a  fine  assortment  of  Hor¬ 
ticultural  Implements,  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Books. 
All  orders  attended  to  promptly  and  with  exactness. 

ALFRED  BRIDGEMAN,  Principal. 


SARDINIAN  CARNATION  SEEDS. 

The  following  collections  will  be  found  unrivaled  and  superior 
to  any  ever  offered  in  this  country  : 

Assortments  of 

12  superb  varieties  of  Picotees .  . $3  00 

12  do  do  of  Perpetual  Flake  Carnations . 3  00 

12  do  do  of  Yellow  Bizafreand  Self  Carnations.  3  00 

12  do  do  of  Self  Carnations .  3  00 

Anvof  the  above  collections  mailed  fo  applicants  on  receipt 
Of  $3.  J,  M.  THORBURN  &  CO.. 

No.  15  John- st.,  New-York. 


Turnip  Seed !  Turnip  Seed  ! 


Strap  Leaved  Red  Top, 

Early  Six  Weeks, 

Early  Stone 
Yellow  Stone, 

Large  White  Flat, 

Long  White  French, 

Dale’s  Hybrid, 

Skirving’s  Purple  TopRtitaBaga, 
Ashcroft’s  Swede, 

Large  White  Glebe 


Early  White  Flat  Dutch, 

Early  Garden  Stone, 

Early  Snowball, 

Yellow  Aberdeen, 

Large  Norfolk, 

Long  White  Tankard, 

Long  Yellow  French, 

Eclipse, 

Green  Top  Ruta  Baga, 

Rivers’  Stubble, 

ALSO, 

Round  and  Prickly  Spinach, 

Long  Orange.  Altringhum  and  Long  White  Carrot, 

Long  Red  Mangel  Wurtzel. 

White  Sugar  Beet,  &c.,  &o. 

A  full  assortment  ofField.  Garden  and  Flower  Seeds.  Send 
for  a  catalogue. 

Seed  Buokwhat — extra  clean. 

Hungarian  Grass.  Sow  any  time — 10th.  July.  $4  per  bushel, 
20c.  per  quart. 

Large  Sweet,  Early  King  Phillip,  Early  Dutton,  Early  Cana¬ 
da  Corn. 

Chinese  Sugar  Cane,  Millet  Seed. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  No.  191  Waier-st. 


Thermometers,  barometers,  &c.,  of 

reliable  quality  and  various de-criptions.  among  which 
are  thos-  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  resister  the  ccldes'  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24  hours,  in  tiie  absence  of  the  observer.  For 
sale  by  D.  EGGERT  &  SOM,  239  Pearl  st. 


ALBANY  TILE  WORKS,  Corner  Olin- 

ton-avenue  ahd  Knox-st.,  Albany,  N,  Y  —  The  subscribers, 
being:  the  most  extensive  manufactuversof 
DRAINING  TILE 

in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand,  in  large  or  small  quantities, 
for  Land  Draining.  Round,  Sole  anil  Horse  Shoe  Tile,  war¬ 
ranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this  country,  hard-burned,  and 
over  one  foot  in  length. 

Orders  solici'ed. 

Price  list  sent  on  application. 

C.  &  W.  McC AMMON, 
Albany,  N.  Y. 

OIL  SOAP. — Sperm  and  Whale  Oil  Soap, 

put  up  in  boxes  aiul '  barrels,  containing  from  25  lbs.  to  500 
lbs.  each,  for  sale  bv  JAMES  PRYER  &  CO., 

Oil  and  Candle  Manufacturers, 217  Front-st.,  New-York. 


w 


HITE  SEFTON  PIGS— From  Stock 

imported  by  myself.  I  have  a  few  pair  for  sale.  Price 


$30  per  pair.  Address 


W  E  PALMER* 
Plainfield,  N.  J. 


SHORT-HORNED  CATTLE 

AT 

PRIVATE  SALE. 

We  offer  our  entire  herd  of  Short-Horns  at  private  sale,  in  lota 
to  suit  purchasers,  consisting  of  Marmion,”  1843,  3  years  old, 
by  the  Duke  of  Gloster,  (11,382,)  dam  Zoe,  by  the  5th"  Duke  of 

York,  (10,168  ) 

”  Duke  de  Malakoff,”' 1  year  old,  sire,  Duke  of  Gloster,  dam. 
Diana  Gwynn  (imp  ) 

“  Lord  Vane  Tempest,  2d,  669, .5  years  old,  sire,  Lord  Vane 
Tempest,  ( 10,469,)  dam.  Nymph  2d. 

Among  the  cows  are  Anna,  Sunshine,  Diana  Gwynne,  Dew- 
drop,  (imp..) Red  Rose,  5th.  Dulcinea. 

Also,  heifer  and  bull  calves,  by  Marmion  and  Lord  Vane  Tem¬ 
pest. 

W e  offer,  also-,  our  entire  stock  of  Suffolk  Swine,  bred  from  our 
own  importations,  together  with  the  Jackson  importation. 

We  will  sell  the  above  stock  at  low  prices. 

Catalogues  can  be  had  upon  application. 

B.  &  C.  S.  HAINES,  Elizabeth,  New- Jersey, 

14  miles  from  New-York,  by  New- Jersey  Railroad. 


Thorough  Bred  Stock. 

I  have  always  on  hand  for  sale,  which  will  be  put  upon  the 
railroad  cars  and  sent  carefully  bv  Adams’  Express  to  purchas¬ 
ers,  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE,  SOUTH-DOWN  SHEEP,  and 
SPANISH  HOGS.  C.  M.  CLAY. 

Address — “  Whitehall  Post  Office,”  Madison  County,  Ky. 


Blood  stock  for  sale.— one  two- 

year  old  colt  by  “  Mariner  ”  out  of  “  Miss  Mattie:”  two  Al¬ 
derney  bull  calves,  one  five  the  other  six  months  old  ;  two  pair 
“  Shanghai  sheep.”  WILLIAM  REDMOND, 

No.  43  Barclay-st  ,  New-York. 


A  YRESHIRE  CATTLE  FOR  SALE.— 

J -  Two  imported  cows,  four  two- year-old  heifers,  three  one- 
year-old  heifers,  and  one  three-veav-oid  imported  bull — all  pure 
blood.  Apply  to  WM.  WATSON,  West  Farms,  Westchester 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  or  at  No.  29  Park-place,  New-York. 


Thorough  bred  north  devons 

FOR  SALE  — Venus,  Annette,  Eugenie,  Victorine,  Lu- 
cret.ia.  All  with  Herd  Book  Pedigrees. 

THOROUGH  BRED  AYRSHIRES— Flora  Gray,  Effie,  Jes¬ 
sie  and  heifer  calf.  Also  young  bulls.  Address 

A.  M.  TREDWELL,  45  Full on-st.,  New-York 


YOUATTS  CONDITION  POWDERS, 

For  the  radical  cure  of  heaves,  broken  wind,  coughs,  glanders 
and  all  diseases  which  affect  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  lungs, 
wind-pipe,  throat  and  head  of  the  • 

HORSE, 

Also,  to  expel  botts  and  worms,  loosen  the  hide,  improve  the 
appetite,  and  keep  the  animal  in  good  condition.  Equally  valu¬ 
able  for  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  swine. 

In  large  packages,  price  50  cents. 

HARRAL,  RISLEY  &  KITCHEN. 

Drnggists.76  Barclay-st...  New-York, 
Wholesale  Agents  for  the  United  States. 

MEW  AM  15  CHEAP  FERTIS.I&ER. 

CASTOR  PUMMACS, 

A  VALUABLE  ORGANIC  (Vegetable)  MANURE 

Analyzed  by  Prof.  Samuel  W.  Johnson,  of  Yale  College,  and 
commended  by  him. 

It  is  Pummace  left  after  pressing  the  oil  from  the  Castor 
Seed,  and  in  India  and  England  bears  a  high  value  as  a  Fer¬ 
tilizer. 

It  will  he  sold  at  $12  to  $16  per  ton,  according  to  quantity,  at 
which  rate  it  is  the  cheapest 

FERTILISER 

in  the  market. 

Call  and  see  the  artiole,  and  also  Prof.  Johnson's  analysis  and 
remarks. 

No  charge  for  sacks,  and  in  lots  of  10  tons  delivered  free  of 
cartage  in  this  City. 

Manufactured  and  sold  by 

II.  J.  BAKER  &  BRO.. 

142  Water-st.,  New-York, 


2SOME  MAMEE. 

SAWINGS,  TURNINGS  AND  CRUSHED  BONES, 
for  sale  bv  the  manufacturers,  in  large  or  small  quantities. 

A  LISTER  &  CO., 
Tarry  town,  Westchester  Co.,N.  Y. 


AMERICA  M  G5JAIVO. 

To  Farmers  and  Dealers  in  Guano, 

This  Guano,  from  Jarvis  Island,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  con¬ 
taining  80  per  cent  of  phosphate  and  sulphate  of  lime,  and  the 
most  valuable  fertilizer  known,  is  offered  for  sale  in  quantities, 
large  or  small,  at.  about  two-thirds  the  price  of  Peruvian  Gu¬ 
ano,  For  full  information  and  particulars,  address 

C  S.  MARSHALL,  Pres.  Am.  Guano  Co., 

66  William-st  ,  New-York. 


A  MERTCAN  GUANO— From  Jarvis  Is- 

JYn-  land,  at  the  Importing  Company’s  prices,  in  large  or  small 
quantities.  This  Guano  cent  ’ins  about  80  percent  of  Phosphate 
and  Sulphate  of  Lime.  All  of  which  is  available  for  the  imme¬ 
diate  wants  of  the  growing  crops.  R.  L.  A  LLEN, 

191  Water-st. 


LAND  PLASTER  in  Barrels,  best  quality 

and  put  up  in  good  shipping  order  and  delivered  free  of 
cartage  on  board  For  sale  in  quantifies  to  stilt  by 
A.  KU RSHEEDT,  Empire  Piaster  Mills  109  Bank-st.,N.  Y. 
Office 48  Pine  st.  Orders  by  Mail  Solicited. 


CHEAP  MANURE. — Saleratus  and  Soda 

Sweepings,  at  our  Chemical  Works,  constantly  on  hand 
and  for  sale  in  quantities  to  suit. 

E.  R.  DURKEE  &  CO.,  181  Pearl-st.,  Now-York. 


DRTED  BLOOD  AND  WOOL  MANURE. 

—The  best  and  cheapest  manure  in  use— an  active  manure 
for ’he  present  crop,  and  permanent  in  its  effects  on  the  land. 
Price  $35  for  2000  lbs.  m  brls.  200  lbs.  For  sale  by  , 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  St.  ) 


192 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Contents  for  June,  1859. 


Advertisers  prices  should  be  given . 176 

Ashes.  Coal— Uses  of . 193 

Asparagus— Large— How  raised . -  .185 

Bank-note— Journey  of  a . 185 

Beans,  Luna — Substitute  for  Poles . 166 

Bees— Apiary  in  June . 163 

Bees— Bene  Plant  for . 185 

Bees— Hunting  Wild . 166 

Bees — Keeping  New  Swarms  in  the  Hive . 166 

“Better  Times  ”  close  at  hand . 168 

Birds— Robins  Useful . Illustrated.  .177 

Birds— Sap-suckers  not  Injurious . 185 

Books — American  Weeds  and  Useful  Plants — Farm 
Drainage — Langstroth’s  Hive  and  Honey  Bee — 
Insects  of  North  America — Mothers  and  Infants 

— Mrs.  Crowen’s  Cookery — Musical  Guest _ 186 

Boys’  and  Girls’  Columns— Grandmother  and  the  lit¬ 
tle  Girls— Keeping  Rooms  in  Order — Grandmother 
and  child  (illustrated) — Editor  with  his  Voting 
Readers— Boys  Wanting  to  Live  in  the  City— Keep¬ 
ing  Pets— About  Bugs— Problems— A  Labyrinth  (il¬ 
lustrated)— “  Come  this  Way,  Father,”  (poetry)— 

183,  184, 185 

Bread— My  First  Loaf . 182 

Broom  Corn  Seed— Cleaning . 186 

Calendar  of  Operations  for  June . 162 

California,  Oregon  and  Wash.  Ter.  Subscribers . 188 

Cattle-Breeding  In-and-in,  (by  Cattle  Breeder,)  III. . .  164 

Cattle— Cut  Feed  for . 171 

Cattle— Grubs  in  the  Backs  of . 185 

Chimneys — How  to  Cure  Smoky . 3  Illustrations. .  173 

Corn — Cost  of  a  Bushel . 173 

Corn— Howto  Hoe . 173 

Corn — 111  Luck  in  Growing . 172 

Corn— Not  too  late  to  Plant . 165 

Crockery— About .  181 

Crop  Reports  Wanted . 188 

Dairy.. No.  VI— Prize  Article— Butter  Making . 186 

Door  Blocks . 186 

Dresses  for  Traveling  (by  Anna  Hope) . 183 

Egg  Hatching  Machines . 170 

Exhibitions,  Agricultural— Reports  Wanted . 192 

Experiments — Try . . 167 

Farm— Enlarging  without  Buying  Land . 172 

Farmer— How  to  Become  one . 165 

Farmers — Better  Times  for . 168 

Farm— Work  for  June . 162 

Fence  Posts— How  to  make  Durable . 174 

Fencing— Prize  Article  No.  V. — Rail  Fences . 174 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  in  June . 163 

Flower  Garden— How  to  Improve . 180 

Flowers— Bedding  Plants . 180 

Flowers — Chrysanthemums . 181 

Fountains  for  Gardens  and  Lawns . Illustrated. .  ISO 

Fruits,  American— Past  and  Present,  No.  IV— Quince. 178 

Fruit  Trees— Barren— To  Obtain  Fruit  from . 178 

Fruit  Trees— Pear  Trees  Profitable . 178 

Gardens  for  Farmers . 177 

Garden— Kitchen  and  Fruit  in  June . 162 

German  Edition — A  Word  for . 188 

Gram — Securing  Good  Seed . 172 

Green  and  Hot  House— Calendar  for  June . 163 

Hav  Caps— Provide . 165 

Hedge  Plants  for  the  South . 175 

Hired  Men — Treatment  of . 169 

Horse-Racing  at  Fairs — Ohio  Society  on . 171 

Humbug— A . 186 

Implements— Parson  &  Houston’s  Horse  Rake..  .III..  172 

Insects— Ants  Destroyed  by  Fire  Crackers . 181 

Insects — Bark  Lice— When  Hatched . 185 

Insects  — Black  Knot  on  Plum . 177 

Insects— Grubs  in  Cattle . 185 

Insects— Look  out  for  the . 187 

June— Suggestions  fertile  Month,  Roses. .  Illustrated. .  161 

Labels  on  Fruit  Trees . Illustrated. .  178 

Layering  Explained . Illustrated. .  163 

Manure— Does  Guano  Exhaust  the  Soil . 185 

Marketing  Garden  Truck,  Berries,  Fruits,  etc . 165 

Market  Review . 187 

Melon  Vines — Trimming . 185 

Oats— Rust  on . 185 

Orchard  and  Nursery — Operations  for  June . 16-2 

Osage  Orange— How  to  Propagate . 185 

Pantry— The . 181 

Papers— Are  Agricultural  useful ! . . . 172 

Peas— Supports  for . 185 

Premium  Lists— Old  to  close,  New  to  begin . 188 

Plants— Geographical  Distribution  of . j7b 

Plants — Thinning . 180 

Potato  Rot— Questions  about . 166 

Poultry — Instinct  of  the  Hen . 171 

Poultry — Large  Turkeys . 171 

Pump  in  the  House . 186 

Raspberry  Vines  dying  in  Spring . 185 

Reading— No  Time  for . 170 

Recipes — Medical  not  Published . 183 

Rest — Occasional  needed . 169 

Roads— Good . 174 

Roses  in  Pots . 180 

Roses— Mildew  on . 185 

Seed,  Wheat,  Rye,  etc.— Sowing  Good . 172 

Shower— The  Passing .  . Illustrated. .  176 

Shrubbery — Uses  of . 179 

Soiling — Advantages  of  etc . 168 

Soiling— Crops  for . 185 

Squashes— Kept  two  Years . 185 

Strawberries— Preserving .  . 188 

Success— How  to  obtain  . 173 

Sugar  Grove— Best  conductors  for . 174 

Summer  Scene . Illustrated. .  169 

Swapping— No  time  for . . .  . 163 

Tim  Bunker  at  Home  again . ]67 

Trees— Desirable  Evergreens . 179 

Trees— Hardiness  of  Fountain  Pine . 185 

Tices — Mistaken  Notions  about  insects . 178 

Trees— Propagation  of  Evergreens . 179 

Turnips— Transplanting— Large  Yield  of . ]6R 

Wages— Rates  of,  in  New-York  City . J87 

Wages— Woman’s . . 

Water— Pump  in  the  House . . 

What-Not — The . . . 18J 

Yankee  all  round . . 


llolim. 

£3*'  Fifty  Cents  a  Line  of  Space. 

A  SUPERB  BOOK 

IN  PRESS.  READY  JUNE  1st. 

“COUNTRY  LIFE.” 

A  GREAT  AGRICULTURAL  WORK. 

COVERING  THE  WHOLE  GROUND  OF 

AGRICULTURE,  HORTICULTURE,  AND  LAND¬ 
SCAPE  GARDENING, 

With  225  Superb  Illustrations,  designed  and  engraved 
expressly  for  the  work,  by  eminent  Artists. 

BY  R.  MORRIS  COPELAND,  ESQ. 

Such  a  work  as  the  above  lias  long  been  needed,  com¬ 
bining  m  one  volume  a  whole  Library  of  Facts,  and  ttie 
experiences  of  the  best  Agriculturists  in  both  hemispheres, 
brought  down  to  the  present  day,  and  all  arranged  in 
months,  so  that  any  cultivator  of  the  soil,  belie  the  pro¬ 
prietor  of  hundreds  of  acres,  or  of  a  single  acre,  can  have 
before  him  a  Practical  Manual,  or  rather  an  Encyclope¬ 
dia,  divided  into  months,  showing  him  at  a  glance  just 
what  he  must  do  in  every  month  in  the  year,  when  to 
plow,  when  to  plant,  and  what  to  plant,  how  to  plow,  and 
how  to  plant,  from  the  smallest  flower  to  the  cereals 
which  sustain  life.  Also  the  most  complete  description 
of  the  manner  of  constructing  and  managing  Hot-Houscs, 
containing  a  thorough  treatise,  with  full  illustrations  on 
Rose  Culture ,  together  with  descriptions  of  the  principal 
Flowers.  Plants,  and  Shrubs,  which  can  be  cultivated 
here,  and  how  to  cultivate  them,  and  the  most  elaborate 
treatise  yet  published  on  Landscape  Gardening,  with 
numerous  plans  for  laying  out  gardens  or  fields,  or  entire 
farms,  with  complete  plans  and  descriptions  for  draining 
lands. 

Mr.  Copeland  is  well  known  in  Ids  profession  ;  he  has 
made  it  the  enthusiastic  study  of  his  life,  and  probably 
there  is  not  a  man  living  in  this  country  who  is  better 
qualified  than  he  for  so  great  an  undertaking.  And  that 
he  lias  acquitted  himself  nobly  in  this  great  work  which 
he  now  offers  to  the  public,  we  have  the  testimony  of 
several  of  our  most  distinguished  Agriculturists  who  have 
examined  his  proof-sheets. 

The  work  will  be  published  about  the  first  of  June,  in 
one  superb  8 vo  vol.  of  800  pages,  with  225  elegant  illustra¬ 
tions.  Price,  Three  Dollars. 

In  order,  however,  to  place  so  valuable  a  work  (which, 
in  the  language  of  a  gentleman  of  high  culture  and  exten¬ 
sive  experience,  who  has  read  all  the  proof-sheets,  “  con¬ 
tains  more  and  better  information  than  any  six  boohs  on 
those  subjects,”)  within  the  reach  of  all,  we  shall  issue  an 
edition  on  smaller  paper  and  sell  for  Two  Dollars,  de¬ 
pending  on  iarge  sales  to  compensate  us  for  the  large  out¬ 
lay. 

We  want  a  few  first-rate  Agents,  and  only  a  few 
We  want  those  who  have  had  experience  in  selling  books 
of  this  high  order.  We  will  give  such  a  territory  suffi¬ 
ciently  large  to  employ  them  constantly  for  one  year. 

All  applications  should  be  addressed  to  the  Publishers 

In  ordering  single  copies  by  mail,  please  state  which 
edition  is  wanted. 

JOHN  P.  JEWETT  &  CO., 

20  Washington  street.  Boston. 


GEOfEK  &  15  AKER’S 

CELEBRATED  NOISELESS 

FAMILY  SEWING  MACHINES, 

New  Styles  nt  Reduced  Prices. 

No.  495  Broadway,  New- York ;  No.  18  Summer  st., 
Boston  ;  No.  730  Chestnut  st.,  Philadelphia  ;  No.  181  Bal¬ 
timore  st.,  Baltimore ;  No.  58  West  Fourth  st.,  Cincin¬ 
nati.  Agencies  in  all  the  principal  cities  and  towns  in  the 
United  States. 

“Wheeler  &  Wilson’s,  Singer’s,  and  Grover  &  Baker’s 
Machines  all  work  under  Howe’s  patent,  and  are,  so  far, 
the  best  machines  made.  *  *  For  our  own  family  use 
we  became  fully  satisfied  that  Grover  J  Baker’s  is  the  best, 
and  we  accordingly  purchased  it.” 

American  Agriculturist. 

J2PSEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR.^ 


American  Agriculturist,  at  the  lowest  club  price,  80  cents 
per  year,  (or  100  subscribers  at  $1  per  year)  a  complete 
set  of  15  volumes  of  this  work,  will  be  presented.  The 
Publishers’  price  is  $45. 

Five  volumes  are  ready,  and  the  ten  or  more  volumes 
to  be  issued  will  be  furnished  as  fast  as  published.  This 
will  be  a  prize  worth  working  for.  Fifteen  such 
volumes,  embracing  every  variety  of  information,  will  be 
not  only  exceedingly  valuable,  but  an  ornament  to  any 
household. 


SPLENDID  NEW  PREMIUM-No-  XII. 

We  are  happy  to  announce  that,  by  an  arrangement 
made  with  the  publishers,  we  are  able  to  offer  as 
Premium  No.  12,  a  complete  set  of  that  magnificent  work 
now  in  course  of  publication,  the 

NEW  AMERICAN  ENC'YCI.OF’lFEklA. 

Th-is  work  will  consist  of  at  least  fifteen  large  volumes 
containing  770  pages  each.  (See  notice  of  work  on  page 
154.)  To  any  person  sending  130  new  subscribers  to  the 


VERY  VALUABLE  SEED  PREMIUM 

THE  LONG  WHITE  FRENCH  TURNIP. 

Both  from  our  own  experience,  and  from  the  numerous 
reports  of  subscribers  who  tried  it  last  season,  we  have 
abundant  reason  for  believing  that  the  Long  White  French 
Turnip ,  as  improved  and  cultivated  by  the  Society  of 
Friends,  at  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  is  the  very  best  Turnip 
grown  in  this  country,  either  for  table  use  or  for  feeding. 
We  have  ourselves  proved,  by  two  years’  trial,  that  they 
will  keep  late  into  the  following  Summer,  in  excellent 
condition.  They  are  a  solid  turnip,  and  cook  sweet  and 

tender,  being  free  from  stringiness,  or  rank  taste . We 

have  secured  all  the  seed  we  could  obtain,  to  offer  it  a-s 

premiums  for  new  subscribers  to  t-he  Agriculturist _ . 

To  any  person  taking  the  trouble,  at  this  season,  to  pro¬ 
cure  new  subscribers,  and  forward  the  names  and  ihe 
subscription  price  ($1.),  we  will  cheerfully  send ,  post-paid, 
a  package  containing  two  ounces  of  this  seed  for  each 
name  and  also  a  half  ounce  for  the  new  subscriber,  if  a 
pre-paid,  readv-directed  envelope  be  forwarded.  (If  a 
new  subscriber  be  an  addition  to  a  club,  at  club  price,  the 
receiver  of  the  premium  will  need  to  send  an  additional 
twelve  cents  to  cover  the  postage  on  his  premium  pack¬ 
age  ;  also,  when  the  seed  is  to  be  sent  to  Canada  or  to 
the  Pacific  coast,  seven  cents  extra  will  be  required  for 
each  half  ounce,  to  meet  the  additional  postage.) 

Two  ounces  of  seed,  with  careful  planting,  will  suffice 
for  forty  or  fifty  square  rods.  It  may  be  sown  from  the 
middle  of  June  to  the  first  week  in  August. 

- - —  - - 

liistof  Ag-rlciuItisralExlajJjitiojia  Wanted. 

As  the  time  and  place  of  holding  the  various  Agricul¬ 
tural  State  and  County  Exhibitions  is  very  convenient 
for  exhibitors  and  others,  we  desire  to  make  out  as  com¬ 
plete  a  list  as  possible.  Will  the  officers  of  the  various 
Societies,  or  others,  oblige  us  by  directing  to  the  address 
of  the  Agriculturist  a  copy  of  their  circulars,  or  premium 
lists,  or  of  some  local  paper,  giving  the  name  of  the  State, 
or  County  and  State,  the  place  of  the  exhibition,  and  the 
day  of  commencing  and  closing  ?  The  lists  we  have  pub¬ 
lished  in  previous  years  have  been  widely  copied  into  other 
journals,  and  thus  proved  useful  to  the  whole  country. 

%mxun  ^gritultitrisf. 

(ISSUED  IN  BOTH  ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN.) 

A  thorough  going,  RELIABLE,  and  PRACTICAL 
Journal,  devoted  to  the  different  departments  of  SOIL- 
CULTURE-such  as  growing  field  CROPS;  orchard 
and  garden  FRUITS ;  garden  VEGETABLES  and 
FLOWERS;  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  for  'the 
LAWN  or  YARD;  in-door  and  out  door  work  around 
the  DWELLING;  care  of  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 
&c  Ac. 

The  teachings  of  the  Agriculturist  are  confined  to  no 
State  or  Territory,  but  are  adapted  to  the  wants  of  all  sec¬ 
tions  of  the  country -it  is,  as  its  name  indicates,  truly 
American  in  its  character. 

The  German  edition  is  of  the  same  size  and  price 
as  the  English,  and  contains  all  of  its  reading  matter,  and 
its  numerous  illustrative  engravings. 

TERMS-INVARIABLY  in  advance. 

One  copy  one  year . $i  0o 

Six  copies  one  year . 5  qq 

Ten  or  more  copies  one  year. . .  .SO  cents  each. 

An  extra  copy  to  the  person  sending  15  or  more  names, 
at  80  cents  each. 

GPIn  addition  to  the  above  rates  :  Postage  to  Canada  6 
cents,  to  England  and  France  24  cents,  to  Germany  21 
cents,  and  to  Russia  72  cents  per  annum 
Delivery  in  New-York  city  and  Brooklyn,  12  cents  a  year. 

Postage  anywhere  in  the  United  States  and  Territories 
must  be  paid  by  the  subscriber,  and  is  only  six  cents  a  year, 
if  paid  in  advance  at  the  office  where  received. 

Subscriptions  can  begin  Jan.  1st.,  July  Jst.,  or  at  any 
other  date  if  specially  desired. 

The  paper  is  considered  paid  for  whenever  it  is  sent 
and  will  be  promptly  discontinued  when  the  time  for  which' 
it  is  ordered  expires. 

All  business  and  other  communications  should  be  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  Editor  and  Proprietor, 

ORANGE  JUDD, 

No.  169  Water  st ,  New  York. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 

Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture  . 

AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  — ' WASHINGTON 


©IfcAWCJE  JUDD,  A.  M., 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR. 


mf rnurnm  w  m 


$1.00  PER  ANNUM,  IN  ADVANCE. 
SINGLE  NUMBERS  10  CENTS. 


VOL.  XVIII.— No.  7.] 


NEW-YOEK,  JULY,  1859. 


[NEW  SERIES— No.  150. 


^"Office  at  189  Water- st.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
^“Contents,  Terms,  <fcc.,  on  pajje  224. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1859, 
by  Orange  Judd,  in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New- York. 

IpF*  N.  IS.— Every  Journal  is  invited  freely  to  copy 
any  and  all  desirable  articles,  and  no  use  or  advantage 
win  be  taken  of  the  Copy- Right,  wherever  each  article 
or  illustration  is  duly  accredited  to  the  American  Agri¬ 
culturist.  ORANGE  JUDD,  Proprietor. 


July. 

Hark  !  where  the  sweeping  scythe  now  rips  along ; 

Each  sturdy  mower  emulous  and  strong; 

Whose  writhing  form  meridian  heat  defies, 

Bends  o’er  his  work  and  every  sinew  tries, 

Prostrates  the  waving  treasure  at  his  feet, 

But  spares  the  rising  clover  short  and  sweet. 

Come  Health  !  come  Jollity  1  light  footed  come  ; 

Here  hold  your  revels,  and  make  this  your  home. 

Bloomfield’s  Farmer’s  Boy. 

Was  there  ever  a  more  charming  sight  than  the 
blooming  meadow,  as  it  greets  the  eyes  of  the 
mower  on  this  bright  Summer  morning!  Seethe 
broad  expanse  of  (lowering  grasses,  each  beauti¬ 
ful  after  its  kind ;  the 
purple  plumes  of  the 
herds-grass,  the  delicate 
spray  of  the  red-top  and 
the  furze,  the  white-caps 
of  the  clover,  nestling  in 
the  under  growth,  and 
all  glistening  with  crys¬ 
tals  of  dew — a  more  glo¬ 
rious  array  than  ever 
adorned  a  bride  of  the 
Orient.  No  wonder  that 
he  pauses  as  the  sun 
comes  over  the  hills,  and 
sighs  that  so  much  o( 
beauty  must  go  down  be¬ 
fore  the  remorseless 
scythe,  like  the  dissolv¬ 
ing  views  in  some  scene 
of  enchantment.  There 
is  a  melancholy  cadence 
in  the  ringing  of  his 
steel,  as  he  sharpens  it, 
for  it  sounds  the  death- 
knell  of  the  flowers,  the 
butter  cups,  and  the  wild 
geraniums,  the  blue  iris,  and  the  red  and  yellow 
lilies,  and  the  thousand  beautiful  creations  that 
dwell  with  the  grasses.  This  is  the  esthetic 
view  of  the  hay  field,  very  appropriately  taken  at 
sunrise,  when  all  the  senses  are  refreshed  by 
recent  sleep,  and  are  keenly  alive  to  the  sweet 
influence  of  Nature. 

As  the  sun  advances  to  the  meridian,  and  the 
scythe  grows  weary  of  its  work  of  destruction, 
we  fall  into  a  more  utilitarian  mood.  How  long 
shall  human  muscles  strain  over  the  scytiie,  in 
the  fiercest  heat  of  the  Summer  1  Of  the  mil¬ 
lions  of  acres  devoted  to  the  hay  crop,  not  one  in 
fifty  is  yet  cut  by  horse  power.  For  some  ten 


years,  our  most  skillful  mechanics  have  been  at 
work  solving  the  problem  of  the  mower,  endeav¬ 
oring  to  transfer  to  brute  muscles,  this  most  ex¬ 
hausting  labor  of  the  farm.  Machines,  strong,  du¬ 
rable,  effective,  easily  worked,  and  economical, 
have  been  abundantly  tested,  and  are  found  to  be 
almost  everything  desirable.  A  pair  of  horses 
will  readily  do  the  work  of  eight  men  with  their 
scythes.  The  horse  mower  and  reaper  put  the 
hay  and  grain  harvest  in  the  power  of  the  farmer, 
so  that  he  can  cut  and  gather  them,  at  the  best 
season  of  maturity,  and  in  the  best  condition. 
And  yet  hut  a  small  part  of  the  farming  popula¬ 
tion  are  waked  op  to  their  value.  There  are  tens 
of  thousands  of  cultivators  that  would  save  the 
cost  of  a  mower  in  a  single  season,  and  yet  they 
hesitate  to  make  the  investment. 

How  long  shall  farmers  be  content  with  the 
present  small  yield  of  hay,  and  grass  1  These  are 
less  than  a  third  of  what  might  easily  he  gained 
from  the  same  area.  Of  the  land  devoted  to  pas¬ 
ture,  it  too  often  takes  four  acres  to  carry  a  cow 
through  the  season.  There  are  districts  in  Eng¬ 


land,  where  an  acre  ofland  furnishes  an  abundant 
supply  for  a  cow  or  bullock,  arid  occasional  farms 
in  our  own  country  do  quite  as  well.  Our 
window  overlooks  a  small  pasture  of  an  acre  and- 
a-half,  that  will  carry  two  cows  through  the  Sum¬ 
mer.  Three  years  ago  it  produced  nothing  but 
sour  wild  grasses,  fit  only  for  bedding.  Now  it 
has  a  luxuriant  growth  of  herds-grass,  white  clo¬ 
ver,  and  blue  top.  The  only  ameliorating  influ¬ 
ences  that  have  been  brought  to  bear  upon  it  are, 
drainage,  a  top  dressing  of  ditch  mud  and  soil, 
and  a  few  pounds  of  grass  seed.  It  has  not  been 
plowed  or  manured.  The  rent  of  the  present 
season,  twenty-four  dollars,  will  more  than  pay  | 


for  the  whole  expense  of  reclaiming.  There  are 
millions  of  acres  of  pasture  land,  that  only  need 
to  be  relieved  of  their  water,  and  to  be  sowed 
with  grass  seed,  to  double  the  amount  of  their 
grass,  and  to  greatly  improve  its  quality.  Why 
should  a  farmer  be  content  to  keep  ten  cows, 
'when  he  has  land  enough  to  feed  twenty  1  Close 
cropped  pastures  where  no  grass  is  suffered  to 
go  to  seed,  can  not  be  expected  to  perpetuate 
themselves  for  ever. 

And  the  meadow  land  stands  quite  as  much  in 
need  of  improvement.  The  average  yield  for  the 
country  is  less  than  a  ton  of  hay  to  the  acre. 
Indeed  it  may  be  doubted  if  there  is  a  single 
state  that  will  surpass  this  average.  Yet  there 
are  farms  that  will  average  two  tuns  to  the  aere, 
and  many  well  treated  fields  that  produce  three 
and  four.  It  is  certainly  much  easier  to  fill  the 
barn  with  hay,  from  a  small  area  of  heavy  grass, 
than  from  a  hundred  acres  yielding  half  as  many 
tons.  It  is  painful  to  think  of  the  unpaid  toil  ex¬ 
pended  upon  these  half  tilled  acres.  We  natur¬ 
ally  think  of  it  now,  as  we  are  sweating  under 
the  meridian  sun,  when 
it  is  bad  enough  to  work 
even  at  two  dollars  a  day 
or  more,  in  hard  coin. 
There  are  several  rem¬ 
edies  suggested  for  these 
lean  meadows.  Many 
of  them  need  draining, 
and  there  is  no  radical 
cure  of  their  infirmities, 
short  of  this.  With'  this 
alone  many  of  them 
would  yield  twice  the 
quantity  of  grass,  and 
would  be  more  than  doub¬ 
led  in  value,  for  the  hay 
would  be  of  much  better 
quality,  and  the  land 
would  be  in  condition  to 
make  the  best  use  of 
every  load  of  manure 
put  upon  it,  for  a  gener¬ 
ation  to  come.  Others 
need  breaking  up  and 
manuring.  They  have 
been  in  grass  for  ten 
years  or  longer,  and  the  crop  has  been  uniformly 
removed,  and  nothing  returned.  Is  it  strange, 
that  they  have  grown  tired  of  the  regimen  1 
Others  will  be  helped  by  top-dressing  and  sow¬ 
ing  with  grass  seeds.  These  seeds  catch  readily 
with  surface  dressings  of  compost  or  stable  ma¬ 
nure,  and  many  fields  can  be  made  to  yield  dou¬ 
ble  with  this  treatment  alone. 

The  yield  of  hay  at  the  last  census,  was  a  lit¬ 
tle  short  of  fourteen  millions  of  tons,  worth  at 
least  one  hundred  and  forty  millions  of  dollars. 
Could  the  productiveness  of  our  meadow-s  be 
doubied,  it  would  make  a  very  handsome  addition 
to  the  national  wealth. 


194 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  July  1859- 

[We  note  down  sundry  kinds  of  work  to  be  done  during 
the  month,  not  so  much  to  afford  instruction  to  practical 
men,  as  to  call  to  mind  the  various  operations  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to.  A  glance  over  a  table  like  this  will  often  sug¬ 
gest  some  piece  of  work  that  might  otherwise  be  forgotten 
or  neglected.  Our  remarks  are  more  especially  adapted 
to  the  latitudes  of  38°  to  45°  ;  but  will  be  equally  applica¬ 
ble  to  points  further  North  and  South  by  making  due 
allowance  for  each  degree  of  latitude,  that  is,  earlier  for 
the  South,  iater  for  the  North. 

Explanations.— f  indicates  the  first ;  m  the  middle; 
and  l  the  last  of  the  month. — Doubling  the  letters  thus:./?', 
or  mm,  or  ll,  gives  particular  emphasis  to  the  period  indi¬ 
cated— -Two  letters  placed  together,  as  fin  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  in  either  or  in  both  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked, fin.  indicates  that  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  the  Jirst  to  the  middle  of  the  month.] 

Farm. 

July  offers  little  leisure  to  the  farmer  who  must  be 
“making  hay  while  the  sun  shines.’’  The  hay  and  grain 
fields  remind  him  that  he  must  push  on  his  harvest,  while 
the  buckwheat  and  turnip  patches  are  still  to  be  manured, 
plowed  and  sown.  These  will  afford  sufficient  employ¬ 
ment  during  fair  weather,  and  the  work-shop,  barn, 
stables  and  manure  cellars  or  sheds  should  be  provided 
with  work  for  rainy  days.  Care  will  be  needful  during 
this  very  hot  weather  not  to  overheat  the  system,  and 
moderation  and  temperance  are  requisite  in  eating  and 
drinking.  Farmers,  and  particularly  farmers’  boys  are 
accustomed  to  bathe  frequently  at  this  season.  They 
shouid  not  go  from  the  hay  fields  and  plunge  into  a  cool 
stream  while  enervated  by  hard  work,  and  dripping  with 
perspiration.  Morning  is  the  best  time  for  bathing. 

Many  of  the  directions  of  last  month  are  applicable  to 
the  first  weeks  of  July.  Read  them  again  and  attend  to 
any  of  the  operations  not  yet  completed. 

Bark  of  Hemlock  and  Oak  will  “run”  during  most  of 
July,  and  may  be  peeled  for  tanners,  at  any  leisure  time 
during  dull  weather.  Pile  up  the  former  peelings. 

Buckwheat — Sow,  fif,  to  m,  just  before  or  after  a  rain, 
if  possible.  Read  article  elsewhere. 

Buildings,  Yards,  &c.— Keep  everything  about  them 
clean  and  neat.  Leave  nothing  to  ferment  and  breed  dis¬ 
tempers.  Chloride  of  lime,  or  copperas  dissolved  in  wa¬ 
ter  will  fix  the  noxious  gases  escaping  from  the  privy  and 
sink-drain,  or  spout. 

Butter  and  Cheese  making  are  the  heavy  labors  of  in¬ 
door  work.  Many  useful  hints  will  be  found  in  the  series 
of  articles  now  being  published  in  the  Agriculturist. 

Cabbages— The  lute  crop  may  still  be  planted,  ff,  among 
early'  potatoes,  peas  or  other  crops  ready  to  harvest. 

Corn  for  soiling  may  be  drilled  in  or  sown  broadcast,  ff. 
It  will  form  a  good  succession  wilii  the  earlier  plantings. 
Hoeing  and  weeding  may  still  be  needful  among  the  early 
plantings. 

Fences  should  not  be  overlooked  in  the  press  of  work. 

Haying  is  the  important  work  of  July,  but  with  a  good 
mowing  machine  on  smooth  ground,  a  boy  and  team  of 
horses  can  perform  the  heaviest  labor,  and  do  it  at  the 
proper  time,  neither  too  early  nor  too  late,  or  when  wet 
with  dews  and  rains.  Use  the  hay  caps  when  necessary, 
and  do  not  burn  the  hay  up  with  a  hot  sun. 

Hoeing  will  be  a  secondary  operation  this  month,  but 
the  cultivator  or  horse-hoc  should  be  run  through  the  corn 
in  the  morning  while  the  dew  is  on  the  grass  and  grain. 

Manures— Attend  to  as  last  month. 

Millet  or  “  Hungarian  Grass  ”  may  still  be  sown,  ff, 
for  a  successive  soiling  crop. 

Oats  will  require  cutting,  11.  They  should  not  be  al¬ 
lowed  to  become  over  ripe. 

Pastures— See  that  the  grass  is  sufficient  for  the  grazing 
stock.  A  scant  feed  now  will  soon  be  seen  in  a  diminish¬ 
ed  supply  of  milk,  and  slow  growth  of  young  stock. 

Poultry  require  the  same  treatment  as  last  month. 

Potatoes— Early  crops  will  be  ready  for  harvesting  and 
marketing  during  the  month,  and  the  ground  may  now  be 
appropriated  to  late  cabbages  or  turnips. 

$  Rye— That  sown  last  Fall  is  now  ready  to  cut,  ff.  Se¬ 
cure  it  from  storms  as  soon  as  it  will  answer. 

Seed  Wheat,  rye,  and  other  grain  should  be  allowed  to 
fully  ripen  before  cutting.  If  mixed,  or  containing  foul 
stufl',  go  over  and  pick  out  the  foreign  substances  as  soon 
as  cut  by  the  grain-cradle  or  machine. 

Sheep  are  apt  to  be  worried,  and  killed  even,  by  dogs, 
at  this  season.  A  few  small  bells  placed  upon  the  necks 
of  several  of  the  flock  will  usually  help  protect  them.  Give 
salt  each  week. 

Sugar  Cane— Sow,  ff,  In  drills,  or  broadcast  for  cattle 
'  and  hog  feed,  both  green  and  cured.  Keep  the  early 
crops  for  manufacturing  well  cultivated. 

Timber,  for  fencing  or  building  of  any  kind  is  much 
more  durable  when  cut  in  July  and  August,  than  in  the 
Winter  season.  This  is  particularly  the  ease  with  the 
hard  wood  kinds  abounding  in  sap.  This  sap  lias  now 
parted  with  its  watery  portions  and  is  forming  an  outer 
flayer  of  new  wood. 

Tools—  Keep.the  scythes  and  mowing  machine  knives 


sharp,  and  the  bearings  well  oiled.  In  short  have  all  tools, 
machines,  and  farm  gear  in  prime  order.  Repairs  can  be 
made  during  rainy  days. 

Turnips — Sow  for  full  crop,  f,  mm,  and  even,  1.  New¬ 
ly  plowed  rich  soil  is  best.  See  article  elsewhere. 

Wheat — Do  not  delay  the  cutting  a  single  day  after  it 
is  sufficiently  ripe.  A  storm  may  beat  it  down  and  ma¬ 
terially  injure  it.  Cut,  dry,  bind  and  “stook”  it  up  as  fast 
as  possible.  See  article  on  the  proper  time  for  cutting. 

Young  Stock — Give  them  especial  care  at  this  season. 
A  calf  or  colt  whose  growth  is  checked  now,  seldom  does 
as  well  afterwards. 

©rcHaai’c!  stml  Nursery. 

Fruit  growers  are  now  rejoicing  over  some  of  the  earlier 
fruits  with  a  fair  prospect  of  a  good  yield  of  later  kinds. 
This  is  the  more  welcome  from  having  had  a  short  sup¬ 
ply  for  several  years  past.  The  most  important  work  in 
the  orchard  for  this  month  is  pruning. 

Budding  also  comes  in  for  a  large  share  of  the  tree 
grower’s  time.  Plum,  cherry,  and  pear  stocks  will 
be  ready  for  the  operation  by  the  middle  of  July— even 
earlier  in  some  localities.  See  full  chapter  with  illustra¬ 
tions  on  page  161,  Vol.  XVI. 

Cherries— The  late  varieties  are  now  ready  for  picking 
and  marketing,  drying  or  putting  up  in  cans  and  bottles. 
A  good  supply  of  the  bottled  fruit  will  not  come  amiss 
next  Winter.  Save  pits  of  cherries  for  planting  and  put 
them  in  boxes  of  earth  before  they  become  dry. 

Grafts— Loosen  any  bandages  which  cut  into  the  stock  ; 
replace  wax  or  cement  that  has  fallen  off,  and  rub  super¬ 
fluous  shoots  from  the  stock. 

Iloe  grounds  often  both  to  keep  down  weeds  and  pro¬ 
mote  moisture.  Let  neither  grass  nor  weeds  rob  the  new¬ 
ly  planted  trees  of  food  or  drink. 

Inarching,  or  grafting  by  approach  may  now  be  done  on 
both  deciduous  and  evergreen  trees. 

Insects— Destroy  the  late  broods  of  caterpillars  ;  hang 
up  open  bottles  of  sweetened  water,  and  kindle  bonfires 
for  the  apple  worm  miller  ;  pick  up  wormy  plums  arid 
apples,  and  feed  out,  or  cook  to  destroy  the  insects  ;  dust 
pear  and  cherry  trees  with  lime,  or  syringe  with  whale- 
oil  soap  and  water  to  destroy  slugs  ;  and  make  use  of  the 
borer  preventives  treated  of  on  a  subsequent  page. 

Layer  nursery  stools  kept  for  propagation.  The  growth 
of  the  present  season  may  now  be  laid  dowm.  Grape 
vines  and  flowering  shrubs  can  also  be  layerea  now. 

Manure,  ff,  trees  bearing  heavy  crops.  Procure  a  good 
supply  of  muck  during  dry  weather,  for  use  another  sea¬ 
son.  Lime  and  ashes  are  also  tery  valuable  for  trees. 

Pinching,  or  shortening  in  of  the  Summer  growth  of 
small  trees  can  now  be  done  to  advantage.  See  article. 

Plow  or  run  the  horse-hoe  or  cultivator  between  the 
nursery  rows  as  often  as  the  weeds  appear. 

Pruning— This  is  the  appropriate  season  for  pruning, 
which  is  discussed  at  length  on  a  subsequent  page. 

Thin  Fruit,  especially  on  young  trees.  Those  set  out 
this  season  should  not  be  allowed  to  ripen  fruit.  Many 
trees  are  seriously  injured  by  permitting  them  to  ripen  an 
over  crop.  By  removing  a  portion  of  the  fruit  on  older 
trees,  the  remainder  will  be  much  finer. 

Weeds  are  easiest  kept  down  by  not  permitting  them  to 
get  a  start. 

Mitclaena  aud  Firaatt  Gardena. 

One  of  the  first  things  requiring  attention  now  is  to  see 
that  all  vacant  spots  are  planted  with  late  vegetables. 
Some  of  the  early  crops  are  ready  for  use  or  for  market, 
and  after  clearing  the  ground,  giving  a  coat  of  manure  and 
a  deep  spading  or  plowing,  it  is  all  ready  for  a  second 
planting.  Hoeing  and  weeding  will  come  in  for  a  large 
share  of  the  work  of  July,  and  as  a  general  thing  those 
vegetables  will  do  best  which  receive  the  most  frequent 
hoeings. 

Asparagus  should  be  cut  no  longer.  Give  it  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  develop  itself  and  acquire  strength  for  another 
year,  but  allow  no  weeds  to  grow  in  the  bed. 

Beans— A  few  of  the  quick  growing  kinds,  as  early  Val¬ 
entine,  Refugee  and  China  may  still  be  planted,  ff. 

Beets  for  Winter  use  do  well  if  sown,  ff.  Stir  the  ground 
among  former  plantings.  Some  of  the  early  beds  will  now 
yield  a  supply  for  the  table.  Thin  out  to  8  or  10  inches 
in  the  row.  The  plants  pulled  up  make  good  greens, 
cooking  tops  and  roots. 

Blackberries— See  that  canes  and  heavily  loaded 
branches  are  tied  up  so  as  not  to  bend  over  or  split  down 
under  the  weight  of  fruit.  Keep  hoed  or  mulched. 

Cabbages  and  ,  Cauliflowers— Set  out  the  remaining 
plants,  ff,  m.  Water  the  beds  before  taking  them  up,  and 
the  plants  after  setting— always  retaining  as  much  earth 
about  the  roots  as  possible  when  transplanting  them. 
Set  in  the  afternoon  unless  a  cloudy  or  damp  day  be 
chosen.  The  crop  of  early  cabbages  is  now  ready  for 
market,  leaving  the  ground  for  late  plants. 

Celery— Plant  out  the  late  crop  in  recently  prepared 
trenches,  ff,  watering  and  shading  with  a  board  shelving 


over  them,  unless  set  in  cloudy  weather.  Hoe  often. 

Corn— Plant  sweet  varieties,  ff,  for  final  crop,  which 
with  that  planted  the  middle  of  June  will  give  a  good  and 
prolonged  succession  for  table  use,  and  for  drying  or 
putting  up  in  cans  or  bottles. 

Cucumbers  and  Gherkins  may  still  be  planted,  ff,  m, 
for  pickles.  Keep  former  plantings  well  hoed. 

Egg  Plants— A  few  may  still  be  put  out,  ff.  If  on  good 
soil  and  well  tended  they  will  yield  a  fair  crop. 

Endive— Set  out,  ff,  for  late  use,  and  sow  seed  at  the 
same  time  for  Winter  crop. 

Grapes.— Continue  to  nip  in  the  bearing  shoots,  leaving 
but  four  or  five  leaves  beyond  the  bunches.  Rub  off  un¬ 
necessary  shoots,  but  allow  the  renewal  growth  to  extend 
itself  for  future  bearing. 

Herbs  ate  mostly  in  flower,  ff,  and  should  be  cut  for  dry¬ 
ing  or  distilling.  Gather  them  in  the  early  stages  of  bloom, 
dry  in  the  shade  and  rub  off  the  flowers,  putting  in  cans 
or  bottles,  so  as  to  keep  from  the  air.  Rose  leaves  may  bo 
preserved  in  like  manner,  or  immediately  distilled. 

Hoe  often  during  this  month,  using  labor  saving  and 
soil  loosening  implements  wherever  practicable.  The 
ground  should  never  be  allowed  to  bake,  and  thus  shut 
out  air  and  turn  off  water.  Hoeing  invites  moisture  from 
the  air,  to  say  nothing  of  destroying  weeds. 

Insects  still  require  looking  after.  Make  friends  of  birds 
and  toads.  The  spotted  squash  bug  is  especially  trouble¬ 
some  at  this  season  unless  kept  in  check  by  hand  picking. 
An  application  of  salt  to  land  about  to  be  set  out  to  late 
cabbages  will  be  useful  in  keeping  off  insects  and  worms. 

Lettuce— Plant  for  a  constant  supply,  f,  m,  1.  Sow  the 
Silesian  lettuce  for  late  use. 

Melons— Plant.,  ff,  for  mangoes.  Hoe  those  planted  early 

Mushrooms— Begin  to  collect  spawn  materials,  m,  11,  for 
Autumn  beds. 

Onions— Keep  wrell  hoed.  Sow,  11,  for  “  pips  ”  to  put 
out  next  season. 

Peas— Those  sown,  ff,  will  be  little  troubled  with  wee¬ 
vil,  and  it  is  not  too  late  to  sow  for  good  succession  of 
green  peas. 

Potatoes— Early  cops  will  soon  be  ready  to  'harvest 
See  that  the  land  is  occupied  for  the  rest  of  the  season  by 
turnips.  Unless  gathered  for  early  use  or  marketing 
better  leave  potatoes  in  the  ground. 

Preserving  Fruits  and  Vegetables— Now,  while  the  ta 
ble  is  abundantly  provided  with  these,  remember  the 
dearth  of  the  winter  season,  and  put  up  a  good  supply  ot 
fruits.  See  page  214. 

Radishes— Scatter  a  few  seed  among  other  crops,  ff,  m, 
for  late  use. 

Raspberries  are  now  in  the  liight  of  bearing  and  require 
daily  picking. 

Rhubarb  is  still  in  good  eating  condition  when  pulled 
from  near  the  centre  of  the  plant.  Dry  or  put  in  cans  or 
jars  a  quantity  for  Winter  use. 

Seeds— Gather  Turnip,  Cabbage  and  other  seed  now 
ripening.  Dry  with  care,  and  label  for  another  year. 
Turnip  seed  of  this  season’s  growth  will  answer  for  sow¬ 
ing  now. 

Spinach— Sow,  ff,  m,  for  late  use.  Save  some  of  the 
early  sowings  for  seed. 

Strawberries  ate  now  pushing  out  their  runners  in  all 
directions.  We  prefer  clipping,  and  confining  them  to 
hill  culture,  except  where  new  plants  are  wanted.  Keep 
well  hoed,  unless  a  mulch  lias  been  used. 

Thinning  both  fruit  and  vegetables  may  still  be  neces¬ 
sary.  Give  both  plenty  of  room. 

Tomatoes— Set  late  plants,  ff,  for  a  Fall  supply.  Sup¬ 
port  the  early  vines  by  stakes,  trellises  or  bushes. 

Transplant  vegetables  of  all  kinds  with  care  at  this 
season.  The  hot  dry  weather  renders  them  less  liable 
to  live.  Water  the  seed  bed  thoroughly  before  taking  up 
plants,  and  set  out  in  the  evening  or  during  dull  weather, 
shading  from  the  sun  a  day  or  two. 

Turnips — Sow  the  main  crop  for  Winter  use,  f,  m,  or 
even  1,  in  southern  latitudes.  Seed  may  be  scattered 
among  corn  and  other  crops  which  will  come  off  early 
There  are  usually  many  vacant  spots  about  a  garden 
where  a  few  turnips  may  be  grown  with  very  little  ex¬ 
pense. 

Weeds— Compost  or  give  them  to  the  hogs  if  they  have 
been  permitted  to  grow  at  all. 

Winter  Cherries— Though  rather  late,  they  may  still  be 
planted  out  with  a  prospect  of  ripening. 

Flower  GaraleEit  aiad  ILsawsi. 

These  grounds,  if  heretofore  kept  in  good  order,  should 
now  be  very  attractive,  affording  an  occular  demonstra- 
ion  of  taste,  order  and  neatness  on  the  part  of  the  house¬ 
hold,  and  inviting  frequent  visits  of  both  family  and 
friends.  A  well  arranged  and  well  kept  flower  garden  is 
a  place  all  like  to  frequent,  and  enjoy  a  little  relaxation ol 
care  in  breathing  the  sweet  odors  of  flowers,  admiring 
their  beauty,  and  listening  to  the  songs  of  the  birds  among 
the  shrubs  and  trees.  A  rustic  arbor  or  seat  beneath 
some  noble  tree  upon  the  lawn,  forms  a  cool  and  attrac¬ 
tive  resting  place  in  the  heat  of  the  day  and  during  twi 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


105 


light,  for  cheerful  conversation  or  pleasant  reflection. 

Annual,  quick  growing  flowers  may  be  sown,  IT,  on 
ground  occupied  by  bulbs  or  early  blooming  plants. 

Bulbs— Lift,  ff,  m,  those  which  are  to  be  divided  and 
reset,  filling  their  places  with  annuals. 

Carnations,  Pinks,  Picotees  and  Pansies— Continue 
to  layer  and  put  in  cuttings,  ff,  m.  Water  in  dry  weather, 
and  keep  flower  stalks  neatly  tied  up. 

Dahlias— It  is  not  too  late  to  set  out  plants  started  last 
month  in  pots  or  otherwise.  Prune  side  branches  and 
firmly  stake  tall  plants. 

Flower  stalks  are  unsightly  after  completing  their 
bloom.  Cut  them  away  and  plant  annuals  to  occupy  the 
space. 

Gravel  Walks  should  be  kept  scrupulously  clean  from 
grass  or  weeds,  and  be  often  raked  to  prevent  packing. 
Renew  any  thin  spots. 

Hedges— Finish  the  first  pruning  or  clipping,  IT.  Plash, 
or  weave  in  to  fill  up  weak  places. 

Iloe  grounds  often.  Even  if  there  are  no  weeds,  the 
soil  should  be  frequently  stirred  with  a  hoe  or  rake,  to 
prevent  crusting. 

Insects— Look  after  the  rose  slug,  dahlia  borer,  leaf 
hopper,  etc.  They  still  require  some  care. 

Lawns  and  Grass  Edgings  look  best  w  hen  covered  w  ith 
a  growth  of  only  a  few'  inches  in  hight.  Mow  or  shear 
often,  trimming  smoothly. 

Neatness  and  order  should  be  prominent  features  of  the 
flower  borders.  Allow  no  weeds  to  grow ;  cut  away 
decaying  stalks,  leaves  and  branches  ;  tie  tall  growing 
plants  neatly  and  securely,  put  the  walks  in  good  order, 
and  have  everything  about  the  grounds  as  attractive  as 
possible.  Remember  these  gardens  are  the  appropriate 
“  Pleasure  Grounds  ”  of  the  farm  house  or  cottage. 

Potted  Plants — Keep  them  watered,  and  the  soil  well 
stirred  and  free  from  moss.  Turn  the  pots  occasionally, 
to  disengage  any  roots  which  have  penetrated  into  the 
soil  through  the  hole  at  the  bottom. 

Prune  trees  and  shrubs  as  recommended  on  page  211. 
Many  plants  now  growing  vigorously  may  be  improved  in 
shape  by  cutting  back  and  pinching  in. 

Rhododendrons  now  make  a  fine  show  of  bloom.  Wa¬ 
ter  freely  and  hoe  often,  or  mulch  about  them. 

Roses  are  still  in  full  flower  and  fragrance.  This  is 
the  proper  season  to  bud  and  layer  in  order  to  change 
the  variety  and  increase  the  stock.  New  growth,  lay¬ 
ered  now,  will  root  sufficiently  to  be  removed  another 
Spring.  Keep  pillar  and  climbing  varieties  tied  to  stakes, 
or  trellis.  Use  the  oil  soap  solution  freely  to  destroy 
slugs  and  leaf  hoppers.  Even  the  rose  bug  evidently  dis¬ 
likes  the  odor. 

Seeds— Collect  any  of  the  early  varieties  now  ripening. 

Stake  or  otherwise  confine  all  tall  growing  plants  liable 
to  be  broken  down  by  high  winds. 

Transplant  the  remainder  of  the  biennials  and  peren¬ 
nials  sown  last  month. 

Verbenas— Increase  stock  of  Fall  blooming  plants  by- 
layering. 

Water  any  plants  needing  it  during  dry  weather. 

Weeds— Keep  down  by  frequent  hoeings. 

Green  aaed  Mot  Menses. 

These  are  comparatively  empty  now,  save  in  extensive 
propagating  houses,  or  where  there  are  large  collections 
of  tropical  plants  which  are  more  conveniently  managed 
under  cover.  Ot  course  the  houses  are  now  open  most  of 
the  time,  excepting  during  cold  or  heavy  rains.  An 
abundant  supply  of  freely  circulating  air  is  indispensable, 
and  sprinklings  or  syringings  should  be  frequently  given 
in  addition  to  copious  waterings.  If  transparent  glass  is 
used  in  the  houses,  shade  them  during  sunshine. 

Budding  may  now  be  performed  upon  many  of  the 
woodv  plants. 

Callas— Repot  towards  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  wa¬ 
tering  less  freely. 

Camellias— Bud,  ff,  m,  repotting  at  the  same  time  those 
requiring  it.  Shape  to  a  good  head. 

Cinerarias— Divide  the  roots  of  old  plants  to  increase 
the  stock. 

Cissus — Arrange  in  convenient  positions  for  training 
near  the  glass.  They  will  bear  a  high  degree  of  heat. 

Cuttings  of  a  large  number  of  plants  may  be  made,  ff, 
m.  Insert  them  at  once  in  pots  of  prepared  mold. 

Earth  for  Potting— Provide  a  good  supply  and  have  it 
well  mixed  against  a  time  o-f  need. 

Fuchsias— Repot,  f,  m,  where  large  plants  are  wanted. 

German  Stocks— Plant  for  Winter  bloom,  f,  m. 

Grapes— The  early  houses  have  ripened  their  crop  and 
the  vines  require  plenty  of  air  to  complete  their  growth. 
Later  vines  may  still  need  pruning,  pinching  in,  and  thin¬ 
ning  of  the  bunches.  Guard  against  insects  and  mildew. 

Insects  of  all  kinds  need  especial  looking  after  now. 
The  whale-oil  soap  solution  will  prove  sufficient  in  most 
cases,  although  it  may  sometimes  be  necessary  to  resort 
to  tobacco  fumes. 

Layer  and  inarch  many  of  the  woody  plants  to  increase 
the  stock,  ff,  m. 


Oranges  and  Lemons— Complete  budding,  ff,  m. 

Pines  are  now  ripening,  and  require  a  moderate 
amount  of  water,  with  an  abundance  of  air.  Plant 
well-ripened  and  partially  dried  crowns  for  a  new  sup¬ 
ply.  Side  suckers  may  be  set  out  for  the  same  purpose. 

Potting— Many  of  the  seedlings  are  now  large  enough 
to  pot.  It  is  usually  belter  to  put  them  in  pots  of  sufficient 
size  for  growing  the  remainder  of  the  season. 

Prune  Plants,  ff,  m,  to  bring  them  to  a  good  form.  In 
some  of  the  plants  the  old  wood  requires  cutting  away 
to  renew  the  growth. 

Seeds— Gather  any  ripening,  and  save  with  care,  or 
plant  at  once. 

Verbenas,  petunias,  geraniums,  &c  —  Get  up  a  Winter 
stock,  by  cuttings  and  layers,  f,  m. 

Water— Give  copious  supplies  during  the  warm,  dry 
weather  of  this  month,  sometimes  both  morning  and 
evening.  Wash  freely  with  a  syringe. 

Apiary  m  July. 

BY  M.  QUINBY. 

Those  bee  keepers  who  are  so  far  behind  the  times  as 
to  destroy  their  bees  with  brimstone,  to  get  the  honey,  and 
who  live  in  sections  of  country  where  but  little  buck¬ 
wheat  is  raised,  will  do  best  to  take  up  their  hives  the  last 
of  July,  as  the  bees  store  but  little  afterward  in  such 
places.  The  best  pieces  of  comb  maybe  selected  for  the 
table  ;  they  must  be  kept  in  a  cool  place  or  the  moth 
worm  will  hatch  out  and  spoil  them.  They  should  also 
be  kept  dry,  otherwise  the  honey  will  absorb  moisture 

and  make  it  thin,  and  sometimes  sour . Honey  that  is 

strained  out  in  warm  weather,  should  be  kept  dry,  and 
cool  if  possible.  After  standing  awhile,  a  thin  portion 
will  rise  to  the  top  :  remove  this  carefully,  and  the  re¬ 
mainder  will  be  good  for  cold  w  eather . To  keep  while 

honey  pure,  all  surplus  boxes  containing  it  should  be  re¬ 
moved  before  the  dark  honey  from  buckwheat  is  mixed 
with  it..  Boxes  expressly  for  buckwheat  honey,  may  be 
put  on  afterward  if  needed  ;  examine  them,  and  if  found 
to  be  so,  drive  out  the  bees  to  begin  anew,  any  time  be¬ 
fore  the  flowers  fail.  Three  weeks  after  the  first  swarm, 
is  the  proper  time,  but  it  is  better  to  do  it  late  than  not  at 

all .  Any  stock  tnat  has  swarmed  out  freely,  leaving 

too  few  bees  to  cover  the  combs  properly,  should  be  close¬ 
ly  w  atched  for  the  first  appearance  of  the  moth  worm, 
whose  presence  is  indicated  by  numerous  small  black 
shining  specks  like  powder,  on  the  floor  of  the  hive. 
When  nothing  more  can  be  done  to  save  the  stores,  or 
the  dry  combs,  for  the  bees,  it  is  best  to  secure  the  con¬ 
tents  of  the  hive  at  once,  before  the  moth  destroys  all _ 

Set  about  the  hives  at  night,  shallow  dishes  filled  with 
sweetened  water  ;  moths  by  hundreds  will  often  thus  get 
drowned  ;  they  may  be  fed  to  the  chickens . It  is  un¬ 

necessary  to  watch  for  a  second  swarm  from  a  hive,  later 

than  eighteen  days  after  the  first  swarm . The  season 

must  be  very  backward,  when  any  swarms  issue  later 
than  the  middle  of  July. 

- «>-. - - - - — 

Eo\y  Cotton  is  grown  and  Prepared  for 
Market* . I. 


The  familiar  proverb,  “  Cotton  is  king  ” 
shows  the  importance  of  this  crop  in  our  agri¬ 
culture,  and  in  our  financial  exchanges.  Though 
inferior  to  some  other  crops  in  pecuniary  val¬ 
ue,  it  is  more  largely  exported,  and  its  influence 
is  more  immediately  felt  upon  the  finances  of  the 
country.  Meats,  breadstuffs,  and  forage  crops  are 
largely  consumed  in  the  immediate  vicinity  where 
they  are  produced,  while  cotton  is  almost  exclu¬ 
sively  sent  abroad  for  a  market.  So  few  are  the 
cotton  manufactories  in  the  southern  States,  that 
the  amount  consumed  by  them  would  hardly  be 
missed  from  the  aggregate.  About  three-fourths 
of  the  crop  are  exported  to  Europe,  of  which 
England  is  much  the  largest  purchaser,  and  the 
balance  is  mainly  manufactured  in  the  northern 
Stales.  This  feature  of  the  cotton  crop  has  a 
marked  influence  upon  the  whole  region  produc¬ 
ing  it.  As  it  is  all  sent  abroad,  there  are  no  home 
markets  fostered  by  this  kind  of  husbandry,  and 
the  region  is  more  exclusively  agricultural  than 
any  other  part  of  the  country. 

The  cotton  region,  though  much  larger  than  the 
s-ugar  district,  is  still  a  narrow  belt  of  country  not 

*  This  series  of  articles,  like  others  on  Southern  Crops,  is 
trom  the  pen  of  one  of  the  Editors  of.  the  American  Agricultur¬ 
ist,  who  commenced  an  extended  Southern  tour  of  observation 
at  the  beginning  of  the  present  year.— Pub,  Ed.] 


over  three  hundred  miles  across,  and  lying  on 
both  sides  of  the  thirty-second  degree  of  latitude. 
In  passing  down  the  Mississippi,  it  is  reputed  to  be¬ 
gin  at  Columbia,  in  Arkansas,  and  to  extend 
about  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Red  River.  In 
this  region  little  else  is  cultivated,  except  partial 
supplies  of  corn,  sweet  potatoes,  ahd  bacon,  for 
the  forces  upon  the  plantation.  To  the  south  of 
this  region,  sugar  is  the  main  crop,  though  con¬ 
siderable  quantities  of  cotton  and  other  articles 
are  raised.  Cotton  is  also  raised  largely  north  of 
this  belt,  but  it  takes  its  place  with  other  crops, 
as  corn,  tobacco,  wheat,  bacon,  and  hemp.  In 
this  narrow  belt  the  climate  seems  to  be  exactly 
adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  plant,  and  cottons  of 
the  finest  quality  are  raised. 

CAPITAL,  BUILDINGS,  AND  MACHINERY. 

Much  less  capital  is  needed  to  work  a  cotton, 
than  a  sugar  plantation.  The  best  of  forest  lands 
for  this  plant,  in  the  State  of  Mississippi,  can  be 
bought  for  from  ten  to  thirty  dollars  an  acre  and 
in  the  newer  States  for  a  much  less  price.  Lands 
much  worn  are  frequently  sold  for  five  to  ten 
dollars  an  acre.  The  dwelling  upon  the  cotton 
plantation  is  a  much  less  expensive  affair  than 
the  farm  house  of  the  North.  It  is  often  made  of 
logs,  rudely  finished,  and  almost  invariably  with¬ 
out  any  cellar.  The  chimneys  are  often  made  of 
mud  and  sticks,  and  as  a  rule,  upon  the  outside 
of  the  building.  In  the  case  of  very  wealthy  pro¬ 
prietors,  the  mansion  is  of  course  more  expen¬ 
sively  built  and  furnished.  The  dwellings  of  the 
slaves  are  stiil  more  rude,  generally  consisting  of 
one  small  room,  and  without  any  other  provision 
for  lighting  the  apartment,  than  the  door  and  a 
window  in  the  rear,  closed  by  wooden  shutters. 

The  gin-house  and  mill  for  grinding  corn  are 
generally  under  one  roof,  and  the  machinery  in 
botli  cases  is  moved  by  mule  or  horse  power.  As 
the  timber  is  furnished  upon  the  spot,  the  princi¬ 
pal  part  of  the  expense  is  for  the  machinery,  which 
is  generally  limited  to  a  few  hundred  dollars,  and 
rarely  exceeds  a  few  thousands.  The  barns  and 
hovels  for  the  mules  and  stock,  are  generally  of 
home  manufacture,  and  do  not  require  a  large 
outlay. 

The  largest  part  of  the  capital  is  almost  inva¬ 
riably  in  slaves,  and  as  these  are  usually  born  on 
the  plantation,  inherited,  or  gained  by  marriage, 
the  planter  is  prepared  to  grow  cotton  in  a  new 
region,  without  any  very  large  extra  investments. 
As  soon  as  the  buildings  are  put  up,  the  process 
of  girdling  and  clearing  commences. 

SELECTION  AND  OPENING  OF  PLANTATIONS. 

The  favorite  sites  for  building  are  bluffs,  or 
elevated  spots,  near  bottom  lands.  The  planter 
who  has  opportunity  for  selection,  is  guided  some.- 
what  by  the  character  of  the  timber  upon  the 
land.  The  post-oak  and  water-oak  indicate  a  soil 
rather  too  cold  and  heavy  for  his  purpose.  The 
pines  indicate  a  soil  too  light  to  yield  many  crops 
without  manure.  The  beach,  white-oak,  white- 
wood,  or  poplar,  the  magnolia,  and  the  white  and 
black  gums  are  the  surer  signs  of  good  cotton 
lands.  The  reed  cane  and  the  cypress  also  grow 
upon  rich  lands,  but  these  generally  want  more  or 
less  drainage  to  fit  them  for  cultivation. 

The  moving  almost  always  takes  place  in  Win¬ 
ter,  and  the  first  work  after  building  is  the  gird¬ 
ling  of  the  primitive  forest  trees.  The  small  trees 
and  underbrush  are  cut  down,  and  either  burned 
upon  the  spot,  or  saved  for  firewood.  A  few'  of 
the  large  trees,  white-oaks  and  poplars,  splitting 
freely,  are  also  cut  and  rived  for  fencing.  The 
trees  frequently  put  out  after  girdling,  but  the  hot 
suns  of  July  and  August  generally  finish  them. 
The  ground  is  plowed,  and  planted  either  with 


196 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


corn  or  cotton  the  first  season,  and  about  a  half 
crop  only  is  expected  on  account  of  the  shade. 
The  second  Winter  a  few  more  of  the  dead  trees 
are  cut  down  for  rail  timber,  and  others  are  blown 
over  by  the  winds.  Many  of  the  limbs  also  rot 
and  fall,  and  the  crop  for  two  or  three  years  is  a 
good  deal  injured  from  this  source.  Decay  goes 
on  much  more  rapidly  than  in  our  northern  cli¬ 
mate,  and  after  the  fourth  season,  few  shrubs  or 
trees  are  left  to  interfere  with  the  cultivation.  It 
is  thought  to  be  much  more  economical  to  allow 
deoay  and  the  winds  to  prostrate  the  trees,  than 
to  do  it  with  the  ax,  though  the  falling  trees  and 
limbs  often  do  extensive  injury  to  the  growing 
plants.  In  the  rich  bottom  lands  cotton  is  fre¬ 
quently  planted  six  or  eight  years  in  succession, 
and  where  rotation  is  attempted,  corn  alternates 
with  cotton. 

PREPARATION  OF  THE  SOIL  AND  PLANTING. 

After  the  plantation  has  been  cleared  of  its  tim¬ 
ber,  the  preparation  for  a  new  crop  begins  very 
soon  after  the  old  is  gathered.  There  is  very  lit¬ 
tle  frost  or  cold  weather  in  ordinary  seasons  to 
interfere  with  out-door  labor.  The  cotton  is  al¬ 
most  invariably  planted  upon  ridges  about  five 
feet  apart.  They  begin  to  prepare  these  ridges 
in  February  and  March,  by  turning  two  furrows 
together.  If  it  is  an  old  cotton  stubble,  the  ridge 
is  marked  in  the  middle  of  the  last  year’s  rows, 
thus  giving  the  crop  a  little  change  of  soil.  In 
uneven  ground  care  is  taken  to  run  the  furrows 
as  nearly  level  as  possible,  around  the  sides  of 
hills,  to  prevent  washing.  The  soil  of  the  best  up¬ 
land  plantations  is  a  loose  friable  clay,  easily  re¬ 
moved  by  the  action  of  water.  Grass  is  not  at 
all  cultivated,  and  there  is  nothing  to  hold  the 
surface  of  the  soil,  when  it  lies  fall»w,  but  brown 
sedge,  nimble  will,  and  weeds.  With  the  best 
precautions,  a  good  deal  of  it  is  washed  off,  and 
all  the  rivers  are  as  turbid  as  a  mud  puddle,  for 
the  larger  part  of  the  year. 

After  the  ridge  is  prepared  by  plowing  in  April, 
a  light  harrow  is  run  over  t-he  top,  to  break  all 
lumps,  and  to  level  it.  Then  a  drilling  tool  or 
marker  is  drawn  by  a  mule  upon  the  top  of  the 
ridge,  making  a  narrow  furrow,  two  or  three 
inches  deep.  A  hand  immediately  follows,  scat 
tering  the  seed  as  uniformly  as  possible  in  the 
drill,  putting  in  at  least  ten  times  the  quantity 
that  will  be  suffered  to  grow.  Another  follows 
the  sower,  covering  the  seed.  This  is  sometimes 
done  with  a  hoe,  sometimes  with  the  foot,  and 
again  with  a  sort  of  scraper  drawn  hy  a  mule. 
Cotton  seed-planters  are  beginning  to  be  intro¬ 
duced  on  the  better  class  of  plantations,  and  they 
make  a  great  saving  of  seed,  and  time.  They 
open  the  drill,  drop  tiie  seed,  and  cover  it  as  rap¬ 
idly  as  a  mule  can  walk,  thus  saving  the  labor  of 
two  hands,  and  insuring  a  much  more  even  dis¬ 
tribution  of  the  seed.  No  crop  is  more  benefitted 
by  manure  than  cotton,  and  yet  it  is  not  until 
quite  recently,  that  cotton  seed,  one  o(  the  best 
kinds  of  manure  for  the  plant,  has  been  saved. 
This  is  now  pretty  generally  applied  in  the  upland 
districts. 

(To  be  continued  ) 


A  Word  for  the  Crows. 

A.  A.  Mitchell,  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y.,  writes 
that  from  long  observation  he  is  convinced  that 
crows  are,  on  the  whole,  beneficial  to  the  farmer. 
He  says,  although  they  may  be  troublesome  by 
pulling  a  few  hills  of  corn  in  the  Spring,  the  re¬ 
mainder  of  the  season  they  are  busy  destroying 
injurious  grubs  and  insects  more  than  sufficient 
vo  pay  for  all  such  damage.  It  may  be  so,  though 
we  confess  th.e  sight  of  long  rows  of  corn-hills 
that  have  “  come  up  missing”  from  their  depre¬ 


dations,  has  often  moved  us  to  war  upon  them. 
Latterly  we  have  simply  put  up  strings  enough 
around  the  field  to  suggest  the  idea  of  traps  and 
snares,  and  the  wary  crows  keep  shy.  We  thus 
save  our  corn,  and  get  all  the  good  the  crows  will 
do  by  a  lease  of  life. 

The  N.  Y.  City  Meat  Markets— How  Sup¬ 
plied,  etc- 

A  very  natural  inquiry  from  the  farmer  visiting 
New-York,  for  the  first  time,  and  seeing  the  mul¬ 
titude  of  people  thronging  the  streets,  including 
residents  and  strangers,  would  be:  whence  do  all 
these  people  derive  their  food,  and  especially  their 
meats!  This  is  an  interesting  question.  If  we 
take  into  account  visitors  and  business  men  from 
other  parts  of  this  country,  and  from  other  coun¬ 
tries,  there  must  be  nearly  an  average  of  one-and- 
a-half  millions  of  people  who  must  be  constantly 
fed  from  our  city  markets.  Some  25,000  live  ani¬ 
mals  are  weekly  brought  here  to  be  slaughtered. 
One  of  the  editors  of  the  Agriculturist  gives  con¬ 
stant  attention  to  our  live  stock  markets,  and  the 
general  result  is  stated  in  our  monthly  review. 
We  propose  to  give  some  ■particulars  which  will 
be  both  interesting  and  useful. 

BEEVES. 

For  the  year  1858,  the  receipts  of  live  bullocks 
at  the  New-York  Markets,  numbered  191,170 
head.  This  includes  about  300  head  per  week 
sold  at  Bergen  Hill,  just  over  the  Hudson  River, 
in  New-Jersey.  The  greater  proportion,  say  six- 
sevenths,  of  these  cattle  are  sold  at  the  Forty- 
fourth-street  yards,  between  Fourth  and  Fifth 
Avenues.  There  is  kept  at  these  yards  a  regis¬ 
ter  of  the  origin  of  cattle,  etc.  From  the  weekly 
notes  taken  by  our  reporter  from  these  books,  and 
from  the  owners  of  the  cattle,  we  have  the  fol¬ 
lowing  origin  of  those  at  44th-st. 


From  the  State  of  Illinois . 58,712  bullocks. 

From  the  State  of  Ohio . 36.5S9 

From  the  Stale  of  New-York . 3h,980 

From  the  State  of  Indiana . 1 1,131 

From  the  Stale  of  Kentucky .  i)  4H9 

From  the  Sta'e  of  Iowa .  2.7H7 

From  the  Stale  of  Pennsylvania .  1,661 

From  the  State  of  Michigan .  1,372 

From  the  State  of  Texas .  1,312 

From  the  Stale  of  Virginia . .-.  895 

From  the  State  of  New-Jersey .  532 

From  tho  State  of  Connecticut .  478 


By  the  above,  it  will  be  seen  that  Illinois  sup¬ 
plied  us  with  by  far  the  greatest  number  of  cat¬ 
tle  ;  Ohio  comes  next,  followed  by  New-York. 
It  may  be  remarked,  however,  that  a  portion  of 
the  cattle  hailing  from  Illinois,  were  originally 
from  Texas,  Missouri,  and  the  Cherokee  Nation, 
but  fed  for  a  time  in  Illinois.  So  also  many  of 
those  from  New-York  State  were  grazed  in  Illi¬ 
nois,  or  Ohio,  and  bought  up  by  feeders  from  this 
State  to  give  a  finishing  touch,  or  have  them  in 
readiness  to  shove  into  market  at  any  time  when 
there  was  a  prospect  of  a  short  supply,  and  con¬ 
sequently  higher  prices. 

The  business  at  the  West  is  mainly  carried  on 
by  extensive  graziers  owning  large  tracts  of 
prairie  or  other  pasture.  A  single  Illinois  firm 
sent  to  this  market  over  10,000  head  of  cat¬ 
tle  during  the  last  year.  Some  of  ihese  graziers, 
are  also  drovers,  bringing  in  their  own  cattle  and 
occasionally  selling  them.  Others  raise  the  ani¬ 
mals  and  sell  to  cattle  dealers,  or  drovers,  to  bring 
in  and  sell  to  the  butchers,  or  more  frequently 
consign  them  to  commission  men  who  make  a 
business  of  selling  for  $2>®$2  50  per  head,  and 
guaranteeing  the  sales.  This  is  preferable,  as  the 
salesmen  are  acquainted  with  all  the  city  butch¬ 
ers,  and  know  whom  it  is  safe  to  trust,  as  com¬ 
paratively  few  of  those  buying  cattle  to  kill,  pay 


down  for  them.  The  seemingly  high  commission 
is  in  anticipation  of  some  bad  debts.  The  brokers 
usually  pay  the  drovers  at  the  close  of  the 
sales  so  that  they  need  not  be  detained  in  the 
city.  Not  unfrequently  these  brokers,  in  antici¬ 
pation  of  a  rise  in  the  market,  will  buy  the  cattle 
in  bulk  and  retail  them  out  on  their  own  account. 
Quite  a  number  of  them  have  large  farms  within 
a  few  hours  travel  of  the  city,  and  if  they  have 
any  cattle  left  upon  their  hands  they  take  them 
home  and  await  a  future  market. 

The  cattle  now  come  in  mainly  by  railroad. 
Formerly  they  were  driven  in  by  short  stages, 
taking  six  to  eight  weeks  to  come  from  the  West 
It  now  takes  but  ten  days  to  two  weeks  to  bring 
cattle  from  central  Illinois.  A  few  lots  recently 
came  through  from  Chicago,  Ill.,  in  five  days. 
The  charges  vary  at  different  seasons,  the  railroads 
often  running  in  opposition  to  each  other.  A  few 
weeks  ago  some  dealers  contracted  to  have  theii 
cattle  brought  from  Chicago,  Illinois,  to  this  city 
tor  $3  per  head.  The  freight  is  now  70c.  per  100 
lbs.  from  Chicago,  to  New-York,  by  the  leading 
routes,  or  about  $10  per  head.  This  includes 
tickets  for  one  man,  or  more  than  one  if  the 
drove  is  large,  to  take  care  of  the  cattle,  but  all 
feeding  expenses  are  extra.  As  the  leading 
routes  combine  upon  a  high  tariff,  the  cattle  men 
seek  out  more  circuitous  routes,  with  lower 
charges. 

Western  cattle  dealers  usually  buy  their  cattle 
at  a  stated  price  per  lb.  live  weight ,  but  as  weigh¬ 
ing  scales  are  not  always  at  hand  they  often  agree 
upon  the  weight  by  the  eye.  Those  long  accus¬ 
tomed  to  judge  in  this  way  will  estimate  very 
nearly  the  correct  weight.  Prices  range  at  differ¬ 
ent  seasons,  and  upon  different  qualities,  at  2Jc. 
i®3^c.  and  4c.  per  lb.  at  the  West.  They  are 
usually  sold  here  by  the  head,  but  with  reference 
to  their  net  weight — that  is  the  four  quarters  of 
beef.  Butchers  usually  estimate  whether  they  are 
paying  10c.  or  12c.  per  lb.  for  these  quarters. 
The  animals  are  sometimes  weighed  at  the  yards 
and  a  stipulated  shrinkage  allowed,  say  44  lbs.,  or 
if  quite  fat  only  40  lbs.  per  100  lbs.  live  weight. 

(To  be  continued.) 

- -  -a -eg— - - - - 

Fill  Up  the  Vacant  Spots. 

The  combined  effects  of  late  frosts,  insects, 
poor  seed,  etc.,  have  left,  here  and  there,  in  the 
farm  or  garden,  more  or  less  of  vacant  spots 
where  there  will  be  from  a  few  feet  to  several 
square  rods  of  ground  in  which  no  valuable  plant 
is  now  growing.  The  thrifty  man  will  not  leave 
these  through  the  season,  to  disfigure  his  planta¬ 
tion,  to  foster  weeds,  and  especially  to  be  so 
much  ground  ready  prepared  but  wasted.  Trans¬ 
planting  from  thick  to  thin  spots  may  be  easily 
and  profilably  done,  as  noted  elsewhere.  In  many 
places  pumpkins  may  be  planted  among  corn  and 
potatoes,  even  during  the  early  part  of  July. 
Turnips  will  be  in  season  if  planted  at  any  time 
during  the  month.  On  very  many  farms  hundreds 
of  bushels  of  turnips  may  be  raised  simply  by  sow¬ 
ing  the  seed  in  thin  places  where  corn,  potatoes, 
and  the  various  other  crops  have  been  destroyed 

Turnips  Among  Corn. — Apropos  to  the  above, 
we  give  the  following,  just  at  hand,  from  a 
“Rhode  Island  Farmer.”  He  writes  :  “Perhaps 
the  readers  of  the  Agriculturist  may  not  general¬ 
ly  know  how  easy  they  can  raise  a  crop  of  the 
purple  top  strap  leaf  turnip,  or  the  cow-horn  va¬ 
riety,  by  sowing  them  among  their  corn  after  the 
last  hoeing,  say  one  pound  of  seed  to  the  acre 
broadcast,  costing  perhaps  seventy-five  cents  and 
the  trouble  of  sowing.  They  will  not  make  much 
growth  before  harvesting  the  corn,  but  after  that 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


197 


they  will  push  ahead  rapidly.  They  are  often 
raised  in  this  way  in  this  way  in  this  State.  If 
not  needed  for  feed  they  will  enrich  the  ground 
to  the  amount  of  at  least  four  times  the  cost. 
They  may  be  fed  directly  off  the  field,  before  frost, 
by  turning  the  cattle  and  sheep  in  and  letting 
them  help  themselves,  or  they  may  be  stored  for 
Winter  use,  when  they  will  be  found  to  be  a  val¬ 
uable  addition  to  the  store  of  Winter  food  for 
stock.  Let  the  farmers  try  it,  and  give  us  their 
experience  in  this  matter. 

- -  . — -««»- - ►  — - 

Curious  Freaks  of  the  Frost. 

The  untimely  frosts  of  June,  1859,  will  long  be 
remembered  by  some  farmers  and  gardeners.  The 
injury  done  has,  indeed,  been  found  to  be  less 
than  was  feared  at  the  time ;  though  it  is  of  very 
considerable  local  importance. 

Our  purpose  here  is  only  to  speak  of  some  of 
the  curiosities  of  the  frost-work,  as  we  saw  or 
heard  of  them.  In  the  garden  now  before  us, 
(Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  lat.  43°  N  )  one  row  of  beans 
was  badly  nipped,  while  another,  only  a  few  feet 
away,  was  not  affected  at  all.  In  another  row 
every  other  plant,  or  every  third  or  sixth  or 
eighth  plant,  was  scorched,  while  the  others 
escaped.  Out  of  fifteen  hills  of  Lima  beans,  only 
two  or  three  were  cut  off.  Then  again,  one  plant 
in  a  hill  was  nipped,  and  others  were  not  touched. 
On  tomatoes,  the  Frost-king  skipped  about  in  the 
same  wanton  manner.  Here,  he  cut  off  the 
young  flowers  of  a  plant ;  there,  he  blackened 
the  leaves,  and  in  several  instances  he  merely 
marked  the  outer  edges  of  the  leaves  with  a  gold 
border.  The  only  way  we  could  explain  these 
various  effects,  was  by  ascribing  them  to  some 
slight  difference  in  the  nature  of  the  soil  under 
and  around  each  plant. 

One  or  two  tomato  plants  were  covered  with 
pieces  of  old  roofing  tin,  bent  over  the  plants  so 
as  nearly  to  touch  them.  These  tomatoes  were 
injured  more  than  those  which  had  no  covering; 
and  plainly,  because  the  tin  was  too  rapid  a  con¬ 
ductor  of  heat,  and  bore  it  off  from  the  plants 
underneath.  Nearly  the  same  thing  occurred  with 
some  tender  flowering  plants  covered  with  news¬ 
papers  ;  the  papers  were  stiffened  by  the  frost, 
and  the  flowers  were  injured  more  than  some 
which  were  unprotected.  In  a  neighbor's  gar¬ 
den,  a  row  of  tomatoes  which  stood  near  a  body 
of  tall  mowing  grass,  was  badly  injured,  while 
another  in  the  open  ground  was  untouched.  In 
the  same  garden,  beans,  potatoes,  and  sweet 
corn,  were  nearly  all  cut  down,  while  ours,  only 
two  or  three  rods  distant,  on  the  same  level,  and 
with  the  same  natural  quality  of  soil,  were  hard¬ 
ly  touched.  His  garden  was  a  new  one,  and  the 
ground  had  not  been  as  thoroughly  manured  and 
worked  as  his  neighbors.  Let  superficial  garden¬ 
ers  make  a  note  of  this. 

In  Western  New-York,  many  garden  and  field 
crops  suffered  severely.  Grapes  trained  on  the 
south  sides  of  houses,  or  walls,  or  fences,  were 
only  slightly  injured  ;  others  were  quite  generally 
destroyed.  Fruit  trees  having  heavy  foliage,  suf¬ 
fered  less  than  those  sparsely  covered.  Early 
strawberries,  being  about  ripe,  were  slightly  in¬ 
jured  ;  late  sorts  being  just  in  bloom,  were  badly 
cut  up.  Tomatoes,  cucumbers,  melons  and  beans 
except  those  covered  up,  were  slaughtered.  One 
amateur  in  Buffalo,  fearful  of  the  frost,  covered 
his  dahlias  with  earthen  pots,  but  forgot  to  cork 
up  the  holes  in  the  bottoms.  Jack  Frost  went  in 
through  the  holes.  Another  gentleman,  rising 
early,  and  seeing  w  hat  the  frost  had  done,  hasten¬ 
ed  to  sprinkle  his  flowers  and  tender  vegetables 
with  cold  water,  but  forgot  to  sprinkle  his  grapes, 


of  which  he  had  a  large  and  choice  variety.  His 
fruit  was  nearly  all  killed.  Another  gentleman 
had  a  bed  of  Japan  lilies,  half  of  which  were  de¬ 
stroyed,  the  others  went  through  unscathed.  In 
another  garden,  a  pail  of  water  which  stood  near 
four  tomato  plants  was  frozen  over,  and  two  of 
the  plants  killed,  while  the  other  two  were  un¬ 
hurt  ! 

We  might  enumerate  a  multitude  of  'similar 
facts,  but  our  w'ant  of  space  forbids.  The  laws 
of  frost  are  worthy  of  careful  study.  It  is  not 
easy  to  tell  always  haw  much  is  owing  to  pecu¬ 
liarities  of  soil,  position,  currents  of  wind,  mois¬ 
ture,  the  presence  of  neighboring  objects  retain¬ 
ing  or  radiating  heat,  and  the  like  natural  causes  ; 
and  how  much  is  to  be  ascribed  to  the  simple 
dispensation  of  Providence.  Let  us  observe. 


For  the  An\>  vican  Agriculturist, 

The  Dominique  Fowl. 

This  well-known  and  much  neglected  common 
fowl,  is  supposed  to  be  an  old  and  distinct  variety, 
though  usually  looked  upon  as  a  mere  farm-yard 
fowl ;  that  is  the  accidental  result  of  promiscuous 
crossing  ;  but  there  are  several  forms  among  the 
barn-yard  fowls,  so  called,  that  are  seen  to  be 
repeated  generation  after  generation,  the  counter¬ 
parts  of  winch  are  met  with  scattered  -here  and 
there  all  over  the  country.  The  Dominiques  are 
distinguished  by  their  markings  and  their  color, 
which  is  generally  consideied  an  indication  of 
hardihood  and  fecundity.  By  some  they  are  called 
“Hawk-colored  fowls,”  from  their  strong  resem¬ 
blance  in  color  to  the  birds  of  that  name.  In 
England  they  are  usually  called  “  Cuckoo  fowls,” 
from  the  fancied  resemblance  of  their  plumage  to 
the  feathers  of  the  Cuckoo’s  breast. 

The  prevailing  and  true  color  of  the  Dominique 
fowl  is  a  lightish  ground,  barred  crosswise,  and 
softly  shaded  with  a  dark  slaty-blue,  as  indicated 
in  the  portrait  of  the  cock  as  figured  above.  The 
comb  varies,  some  being  single,  while  others  are 
double — most,  however,  are  single.  Feet  and 
legs  light  flesh-color,  and  yellow ;  bill  the  same 
as  that  of  the  legs. 

The  merits  of  this  breed  recommend  them  to 
persons  residing  in  the  country,  as  well  worthy 
of  promotion  in  the  poultry-yard.  Whether  as 
makers  of  eggs,  or  of  meat,  as  sitters,  or  as  nur¬ 
ses,  they  are  valuable.  We  seldom  see  bad  fowls 
of  this  variety,  and  take  them  all-in-all,  the  wri¬ 
ter  does  not  hesitate  in  pronouncing  them  one  of 
the  best  and  most  profitable,  being  hardy,  good 
layers  of  more  than  medium  sized  eggs,  steady 
sitters,  careful  nurses,  and  what  is  very  impor¬ 
tant,  the  chicks  are  hardy,  feather  early,  and  are 
easy  to  rear.  It  is  a  perfect  vexation  to  try  to 
raise  chicks  of  some  of  the  more  tender  varieties, 
for  they  are  continually  drooping  and  dying. 


The  Dominiques  afford  excellent  quality  of  eggs, 
and  flesh  of  a  juicy,  high  flavored  character — in 
the  latter  quality  little  inferior  to  the  Dorking. 

There  is  a  vast  difference  in  fowls,  as  is  known 
by  every  one  who  has  paid  any  attention  to  the 
subject ;  while  some  are  hardy  and  profitable, 
others  are  weakly  and  scarcely  pay  their  way 
under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  and  the 
best  management  possible.  It  is  always  a  judi¬ 
cious  plan  for  the  farmer  to  keep  a  number  of 
fowls  of  some  kind  upon  his  premises,  as  there  is 
always  enough  w-aste  ©r  spare  matter  to  feed  them, 
and  besides,  they  are  serviceable  in  protecting  the 
crops  by  destroying  numerous  insect  depredators. 
The  hen  and  a  brood  of  chickens — the  hen  being 
confined  in  a  coop,  and  the  coop  placed  in  the  vi¬ 
cinity  of  the  kitchen  garden — not  only  keep  the 
insects  from  destroying  the  tissues  o>f  the  plants, 
but  they  annihilate  the  insects  themselves,  and 
convert  them  into  a  source  of  profit  instead  of  a 
loss,  by  devouring  them  as  food. 

To  render  poultry  profitable,  it  is  essential  that 
great  care  should  be  exercised,  not  only  in  the 
selection  of  valuable  breeds,  but  in  feeding  and 
raising  the  young.  If  the  raiser  is  remiss  in  these 
points,  no  profit  will  result  from  the  enterprise, 
and  as  a  general  thing  he  will,  to  use  an  old  adage 
— “  have  his  labor  for  his  pains.”  The  more 
quickly  the  market  penny  can  be  turned,  ofcourse 
the  greater  the  profit  to  the  poulterer  at  the  end 
of  the  year.  C.  N.  Bement. 

Springside,  June  1859 

* - ■  »  - - 

Two  more  Out-Door  White-Washes. 


The  recipe,  published  in  the  May  Agricullunsl, 
p.  136,  we  have  tried  on  the  Lima  bean  frames 
described  last  month,  and  so  far  it  appears  to 
work  well.  We  used  about  two  heaping  table¬ 
spoonfuls  of  tallow  to  half  a  pailful  of  the  mixed 
lime  wash.  The  unslacked  lime  was  put  into  a 
pail,  water  poured  on,  and  the  tallow  dropped  in. 
When  the  lime  slaked  and  the  mixture  was  hot, 
the  tallow  was  thoroughly  stirred  in.  But  little 
of  it  afterwards  rose  to  the  top;  it  was  stirred  well, 
however,  every  few  minutes  while  applying  it. 

In  response  to  the  inquiry  for  further  information 
from  thoss  having  had  practical  experience  with 
other  out-door  washes,  a  subscriber  in  Plainfield, 
N.  J.,  sends  the  following  to  the  Agriculturist 
which  he  strongly  recommends  for  both  white¬ 
ness  and  durability  :  Mix  Whiting  (Spanish  While) 
with  buttermilk  to  a  consistence  a  little  thicker 
than  common  lime  white-wash  ;  to  every  pailful 
(2£  gallons'!)  of  the  mixture  add  two  table-spoon¬ 
fuls  of  salt  and  i  pint  of  boiled  Linseed  Oil.  The 
writer  adds  that  a  wash  prepared  in  this  manner 
will  remain  white  six  years.  If  the  Whiting  and 
milk  will  make  a  compound  that  will  adhere,  the 
oil  will  probably  prevent  its  washing  off  It  strikes 
us  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  keep  the  mix¬ 
ture  warm  and  constantly  stirred  while  using,  or 
the  oil  would  rise  to  the  top. 

Another — A  Subscriber  at  New  Haven,  Conn., 
sends  the  following,  which  he  says  has  succeeded 
very  well  with  him,  it  being  so  hard  when  dry  as 
not  to  rub  off  even  on  a  black  broadcloth.  Mix  ; 
1  bushel  of  lime  ;  J  lb.  of  white  vitriol  (sulphate 
of  zinc) ;  2  quarts  of  salt ;  and  5  lbs.  of  sugar — 
any  refuse  sugar  will  answer.  We  do  not  see 
why  a  compound  like  this  should  be  so  impervi¬ 
ous  to  water,  as  not  to  wash  off,  which  is  the 
main  difficulty  with  out-door  white-wash,  ex¬ 
posed,  as  they  are,  to  rains  and  dews.  We  judge 
only  from  the  chemical  character  of  the  ingredi¬ 
ents,  and  not  from  actual  trial,  and  therefore  can 
not  certainly  say  it  will  not. answer  the  desired 
end. 


198 


Advertising  Information— Gratis. 

Latterly  there  have  sprung  up,  in  different  parts 
of  the  country,  a  very  benevolent  class  of  adver¬ 
tisers,  who  offer  great  inducements  to  persons 
“out  of  employment,”  or  anxious  to  get  suddenly 
rich,  or  a  sure  cure  is  offered  to  the  afflicted,  etc. 
Generally,  this  class  of  advertisers  need  a  stamp, 
or  two,  or  three,  or  more,  to  remunerate  them  for 
their  trouble,  or  to  pay  “  return  postage.”  Now, 
without  at  all  calling  in  question  the  character  of 
the  offers  made,  we  submit  that  it  is  quite  a  tax 
upon  the  people  to  be  obliged  to  write  to  each  of 
these  advertisers  before  they  can  find  out  the  na¬ 
ture  of  the  employment  offered,  or  the  quality  of 
medicine,  or  the  kind  of  new  implement,  or  plant, 
or  seed,  the  use  or  sale  of  which  will  lead  to  cer¬ 
tain  wealth.  Everybody  must  write  a  letter  of 
inquiry,  which  costs  a  “  stamp  ”  to  begin  with,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  time  and  labor  of  writing,  and 
the  “  return  postage  stamp”  often  required. 

We  have  hit  upon  a  plan  which  will  save  a 
great  deal  of  trouble,  so  far  as  our  readers  are 
concerned.  We  propose,  as  these  attractive  ad¬ 
vertisements  come  to  our  notice,  to  have  letters 
written  to  the  advertisers,  containing  all  needful 
enclosures  of  stamps  or  money,  and  making  all 
proper  inquiries.  These  letters  will  be  signed  by 
different  names,  and  dated  and  mailed  for 
us  at  some  post-office  in  the  country,  and  when 
the  answers  are  received — if  so  be  that  any  an¬ 
swers  come,  which  is  seldom  the  case  if  the  first 
letter  contains  any  money  or  stamps — the  replies 
will  he  sent  to  our  office.  We  shall  then  be  able 
to  inform  a  hundred  thousand  persons  all  at  once , 
what  the  advertisers  really  offer.  Will  not  this 
save  a  deal  of  writing  and  trouble  on  the  part  of 
the  people  1  The  advertisers  cannot  complain, 
surely.  Will  not  this  save  them  the  trouble  of  re¬ 
plying  to  individual  inquirers'!  But,  while  we 
undertake  to  do  this  much  lor  the  advertisers,  we 
can riot  do  everything  for  them.  It  is  against  the 
rules  to  insert  advertisements,  in  full,  in  our  read¬ 
ing  columns  ;  and  furthermore,  we  do  not  wish 
to  rob  other  publishers  of  the  profits  of  advertis¬ 
ing,  so  we  must  omit  the  exact  name  ami  ad¬ 
dress.  Where  we  leave  a  blank  line,  the  curious 
reader  may  readily  find  a  name  to  fit  it  by  run¬ 
ning  over  the  columns  of  Daily  or  Weekly  news¬ 
papers.  We  begin  with  specimens  of  the  large 
number  of  advertisements  already  ‘‘  investigated.” 
[No.  1.] 

MPL.0jOlENT.-S60  a  Month,  and  all 

Expenses  Paid. — A  LOCAL  AGENT  is  wanted  in  every 
County  in  the  United  States  and  Canmla,  t  o  engage  in  a  respect¬ 
able  and  honorable  business,  by  which  the  above  profits  may 

certainly  be  realized.  For  tuil  particulars  address - - - - 

- ,  (inclosing:  one  stamp  to  pre-pay  postage),  New- York  City. 

This  advertisement  struck  us  as  very  attractive 
— a  “respectable  and  honorable  business,  and  $60 
a  month,  and  all  expenses  paid.”  Why,  very  few 
men  do  as  well  as  that.  It  is  said  that  even 
some  of  the  Presidents  of  this  great  country, 
with  a  salary  of  $25,000  a-year,  have  not  saved 
$00  a  month,  after  “  all  expenses  were  paid.” 
Our  hope  was  a  little  dampened  by  the  clause 
“  may  certainly  be  realized  ;”  but  not  discouraged 
in  the  anticipation  of  “  bettering  our  condition,” 
we  got  a  friend  t(  make  all  needful  inquiries,  by 
letter,  sending  thi  stamp,  of  course.  In  return, 
we  received  a  lai  je  descriptive  circular,  which 
sets  forth  thatau  “old  ’’  doctor  had  retired  from 
business,  leaving  in  the  hands  of  the  advertiser  a 

large  edition  of  a  book  called  “  The - 

which  he  would  “  sell  at  any  sacrifice.”  lie  will 
send  them  packed  in  wooden  boxes,  by  express, 
to  any  part  of  the  country.  Orders  must  be  ac¬ 
companied  by  cash.  They  will  he  sold  very  low 
to  agents.  If  anybody  sells  these  fast  enough  he 
can  clear  “  $60  a  month  and  all  expenses.” 
Three  closely  printed  columns  in  the  large  circu¬ 


lar  are  taken  up  with  descriptions  of  the  wonder¬ 
ful  hook,  which,  according  to  the  account  given, 
teaches  how  to  do  everything  possible  and  im¬ 
possible,  that  has  ever  been  thought  of.  We 
quote  :  “  It  teaches  how  to  cure  all  diseases  of 
the  Human  Race;  to  charm  wild  animals — your 
enemies,  the  perils  of  fire  and  water,  your  future 
wife  or  husband  ;  how  to  court  an  American  or 
French  woman,  a  red-haired  ditto.,  an  Irish  ditto., 
a  Quakeress  ditto.,”  in  short,  every  species  of  the 
genus  homo  of  the  feminine  gender.  “  It  teaches 
how  to  cure  all  diseases  of  the  human  race  ;  how 
to  live  two  hundred  years;  how  to  cure  stam¬ 
mering,  drunkenness,  squinting  and  laziness! 
how  to  cause  rain,  thunder  and  lightning ;  how 
to  discover  treasures  underground  ;  how  to  make 
a  fowl  roast  himself ;  how  to  kiss  all  sorts  of 
women  !”  and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 
There  is  scarcely  a  human  desire  which  cannot 
be  gratified  by  following  the  directions  of  this 

wonderful  book.  We  must  have  it,  Mr. - ; 

send  one  of  your  agents  this  way,  quick.  We 
don’t  like  to  trust  our  money  to  the  hazardous 
mails — nor  to  you. 

[No.  2 

A  YEAR. — Wanted,  an  Active, 

*->  *  ^  v”  Honest  man,  in  every  county  in  the  States,  to  tra¬ 
vel  and  canvass  for  the  - - ,  a  beautifully 

illustrated  monthly  journal.  To  suitable,  active  men,  a  salary 
ol  §500  per  year  and  a  small  commission  will  be  paid.  Address 
- ,  Publisher, - N.  Y. 

Good  again,  but  not  so  good  as  No.  1.  Plere  is 
only  $500  a  year,  and  nothing  said  about  “  ex¬ 
penses.”  But  the  “  small  commission  ”  may  pay 
these,  and  the  $500  a  year  “  salary”  is  better  than 
Pike’s  Peak.  But  how  were  our  hopes  blighted. 
Our  letter,  promptly  posted,  was  too  late  !  The 
advertiser  had  already  got  his  full  quota  of  “sala¬ 
ried  agents  ”  all  secured,  (what  a  lot  of  them — 
one  in  every  county  in  the  United  States  !)  and 
he  had  no  “  salary  ”  for  us.  But,  being  in  one  of 
his  kind  moods,  he  would  give  us  a  commission 
on  subscribers,  and  we  might  make  ever  so  much 
money.  The  copies  of  the  paper  sent  us  are  of 
such  a  character  as  no  decent  man  would  admit 
into  his  family;  but  what  of  that!  It’s  money 
we  are  after,  and  if  people  will  pay,  what’s  that 
to  us!  We  must  have  an  agency.  But  hold! 
every  county  is  already  supplied  with  a  “  salaried 
agent,”  with  whom  we  shall  come  into  competi¬ 
tion.  That  won’t  do  ;  let  us  try 

[No.  3.] 

This  is  from  Rev.  Wilson,  (no  matter  where 
he  lives).  He  offers  a  cure  for  consumption,  for 
a  postage  stamp.  This  is  cheap,  and  though  we 
hope  we  are  not  consumptive,  we  know  some 
who  are,  and  what  a  world  of  good  we  may  do, 
by  having  an  infallible  cufe.  So  here  go  two 
stamps,  one  to  pay  the  postage  on  the  other. 
We  received  in  reply  a  very  benevolent-toned 
letter,  not  quite  like  a  clergyman,  however,  clos¬ 
ing  with  the  hope  that  “  lie  should  hear  from  us 
soon  and.  often.”  We  are  answering  promptly 
as  we  can.  But  Mr.  (Rev.)  Wilson,  we  are  more 
benevolent  than  even  you  are.  We  wont  ask 
anybody  to  be  at  the  trouble  and  expense  of  writ¬ 
ing  to  you  or  to  us,  so  we  will  give  your  recipe, 
with  full  directions,  just  such  as  you  sent  to  us, 
and  of  course,  genuine  : 

RECIPE  FOR 

CONSUMPTION,  ASTHMA,  BRONCHITIS,  SCROFULA,  ETC. 

Extract  Blodgetli...  3  ounces  I  Alantin  [Pura.) . 1  drachm 

Hgpophosphite  ofLime'A  ounce  |  Extract  Cinchona.  ...2  drachms 

Meconin  {Pura) . %  scruple  I  Loaf  Sugar . 1  pound 

Pure  Port  Wine . %  pint .  |  Warm  Water . 1  quart. 

To  prepare  the  above  Recipe  properly,  all  the  powders  and  ex¬ 
tracts  should  be  thoroughly  compounded  and  mixed  well  to¬ 
gether,  and  placed  in  a  vessel  or  botile  holding  ai  least  three 
pints*  then  pour  in  the  bottle  about  a  half  a  pint  of  hot 
water,  and  snake  well, which  will  turn  the  whole  a  bright 
red  color.  Let  it  stand  a  few  moments,  then  add  the 
other  pint  and  a  half  of  hot  water  with  the  sugar 
dissolved  in  it;  also  add  the  wine,  (or.  it  you  have 
not  wine,  rum  or  Holland  gin  will  do  )  Shake 
well,  and  when  cold  it  is  ready  for  use.  Dose — 
one  large  table-spoonful  four  times  a  day. 

Mr.  (Rev.)  Wilson  tells  us,  ever  so  many  times, 
in  his  long  circular,  that  he  has  no  “  mercenary 


motives,”  don't  want  to  make  money,  etc.  Why, 
how  will  he  pay  for  the  large  advertising  ex¬ 
penses,  if  he  has  only  th-e  usual  salary  of  a  cler¬ 
gyman  !  But  perhaps  lie  has  married  a  rich  wife, 
and  can  afford  it.  He  is  eve-n  more  generou-s. 
He  says  the  above  mixture  is  difficult  t-o  make, 
and  will  cost  any  druggist  from  $2.25  t-o  $3  per 
bottle,  at  least,  but  he  will  sell  it  for  $2.  Noble- 
hearted  man  !  We  must  have  a  bottle.  [P.  S. — 
Our  druggist,  a  good  one,  says  he  could  put  up 
the  prescription  at  less  than  $1,  and  male 
money  at  it,  but  he  advises  us  not  to  touch  it. I 
Disappointed  again.  Let  us  try 

[No.  4  ] 

MPT,0\  MENT. — $50  a  Month. — A  resi- 

Sclent  AGENT  is  wanted  in  even-  Town  and  County  in  the 
United  States,  to  engag-e  in  a  respec  able  and  easy  business  by 
which  the  above  pioti's  may  lie  certainly  realized,  Address 
Dr. - — — ,  No.  — - ,  Jersey  City,  N.  J. 

Good  again.  “  Respectable  and  easy  business.” 
“  $500  a  year  certainly  realized.”  That  suits  us  ; 
it  is  easy  and  certain ,  and  no  stamps  wanted,  only 
on  our  own  letter.  The  only  objection  is  that  this 
“  Dr.”  hails  from  Jersey  Citv,  where  the  “sands 
of  one  man's  life”  have  been  “running  out ’’for 
several  years.  But  we’ll  see. .  .We  got  an  answer, 
the  gist  of  which  is,  that  on  remitting  $9  we  can 
have  half  a  dozen  of  a  wonderful  balsam,  quarter 
of  a  dozen  wonderful  pills,  and  quarter  of  a  dozen 
of  wonderful  ointment,  which  will  sell  like  hot 
cakes,  for  twice  the  cost,  and  wc  are  to  be  “  sole 
agents”  in  our  vicinity.  That’s  splendid,  only 
our  vicinity  is  not  large  enough.  Our  next  door 
neighbor  is  to  be  sole  agent  in  his  vicinity.  We’ll 
think  about  the  matter,  ask  our  wife  about  it,  and 
make  further  inquiries  before  sending  our  hard- 
earned  $9  to  Dr. - Humbug. 

[No.  5.] 

REGRET  ART  OF  CATCHING  Mink, 

K-J  Muskrats,  Rabbits,  Skunks,  Weasels,  Coons,  Otter,  Foxes, 
Woodchucks,  Squirrels,  etc.,  in  great  quantities,  with  sport  and 
profit,  sent  for  25  cts.  Address - ,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y 

The  above  is  an  advertisement  sent  May  25th 
to  the  Agriculturist  with  $1  to  pay  for  its  inser¬ 
tion.  A  letter  signed  by  a  friend  was  immedi¬ 
ately  mailed  to  the  party  offering  the  advertise¬ 
ment,  and  the  25  cents  duly  enclosed  for  the  se¬ 
cret  art.  Up  to  June  16th  no  reply  has  come,  so 
we  can  not  judge  of  the  character  of  the  secret, 
and  therefore  can  not  earn  the  dollar  by  inserting 
the  advertisement.  We  hold  it  subject  to  the 
order  of  the  person  sending  it.  We  would  return 
it  at  once,  but  our  25  cents  seem  to  have  been 
lost  in  going  to  Steuben  County,  and  we  are  afraid 
to  trust  the  large  sum  of  one  dollar,  unless  Mr. 

- ,  will  send  for  it  and  agree  to  run  ail  risk. 

We  don’t  want  this  dollar,  Mr. - ,  but  we  would 

like  our  25  cents  back,  or  that  “  secret  art.”  We 
are  in  for  “  sport  ”  in  these  warm  days,  especial¬ 
ly  when  we  can  have  it  with  “ profit  ”  as  you  say. 


(To  be  continued  as  needed.) 


Nursing  Seeds  into  Life. 


The  following,  which  we  find  in  a  foreign  ex¬ 
change,  is  certainly  a  novel  method  of  securing 
the  germination  of  seeds  ;  it  will  perhaps  be  a 
useful  hint  to  those  who  may  receive  rare  seeds 
from  a  distance,  and  which,  having  been  unfavor¬ 
ably  exposed,  are  brought  to  sprout  with  difficul 
ty.  The  writer  says:  “I  have  vegetated  seeds 
sent  me  from  good  hands  who  could  do  nothing 
with  them,  and  where  all  other  plans  have  failed, 
by  enclosing  them  in  a  small  piece  of  flannel 
soaked  in  a  weak,  warm  solution  of  oxalic  acid, 
and  squeezed  out  nearly  to  dryness  ;  this  is  en¬ 
veloped  in  two  or  three  folds  o-f  oiled  silk,  tied  up 
and  suspended  by  a  string  hung  over  the  neck,  so 
that  the  little  packet  may  descend  just  to  the  pit 
of  the  stomach,  where  the  heat  of  that  part,  in 
an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  induces  germi- 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


100 


nation.  The  seed  of  a  Cassabar  Melon  I  vege¬ 
tated  in  this  way  in  less  than  24  hours,  and  after 
38  hours’  confinement  it  had  a  rootlet  of  an  inch 
in  length. 


Hints  on  Fencing. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

To  save  timber  in  fencing,  without  adoitional 
expense  I  propose  the  following  plan,  which  I 
have  adopted  to  some  extent  myself.  It  is  this. 
The  kind  offence  in  general  use  in  the  West,  is 
the  “worm  fence,”  which  occupies  about  five 
feet  width  of  ground.  On  each  side  of  this  five 
feet  I  cut  a  ditch  two  and-a-half  leet  wide,  and 
four  inches  deep,  throwing  the  dirt  on  the  five 
feet.  Then,  if  stone  can  be  conveniently  obtained, 
a  broad  one  is  laid  where  each  fence  corner  will 
be  placed,  in  such  manner  as  to  make  a  rise  of 
four  inches.  Thus  it  will  be  seen,  that  by  the 
ditches,  the  throwing  up  of  the  ground,  and  the 
stone,  a  rise  of  one  foot  will  be  obtained,  before 
any  timber  is  used,  and  the  elevation  is  of  a  more 
durable  material  than  rails.  Where  stone  can 
not  be  had,  short  pieces  of  timber,  cut  from  por¬ 
tions  of  the  tree  that  will  not  make  rails,  may  be 
placed  under  the  fence  corners. 

In  favorable  situations  this  ridge  may  be  speed¬ 
ily  made  with  the  plow,  by  turning  the  furrow 
slices  together.  Deeper  ditching  and  higher  ridg¬ 
ing,  than  here  recommended,  might  be  profitably- 
adopted.  Stock  are  not  apt  to  jump  from,  nor 
into  a  ditch. 

Building  Fence.— On  hilly  ground  the  fence 
worm  should  always  be  laid  commencing  at  the 
bottom  of  a  hill.  If,  for  example,  the  ground  has 
a  descent  of  four  inches  in  the  length  of  each  rail, 
hen,  by  running  the  worm  up  hill,  with  rails  four 
mches  in  thickness,  each  rail  will  lie  exactly  hor- 
.zontal ;  on  the  contrary  let  the  worm  be  laid 
downhill,  and  one  end  of  each  rail  will  be  eight 
inches  lower  than  the  other,  which  operates 
against  the  permanency  and  beauty  of  the  fence. 
The  steeper  the  ground,  the  greater  the  necessity 
of  following  the  directions  here  given.  My  plan 
in  fencing  is  to  commence  my  worm  at  a  desired 
point,  and  proceed  regularly  up  hill  and  down  ;  al¬ 
ways,  however,  placing  the  rails  so  that  the 
downhill  end  ol  the  first  rail  shall  rest  on  the  up¬ 
hill  end  of  the  one  below. 

Preservation  of  Fences. — The  ground  on  which 
the  fence  is  built,  should  be  neatly  dressed  and 
sown  with  blue  grass  seed,  and  then  be  kept  free 
from  such  “  border  ruffians,”  as  briers  and  elders. 
Where  cattle  and  sheep  are  allowed  to  graze, 
there  will  be  no  trouble  with  these  pests,  but  in 
grain  fields  it  will  be  necessary  to  make  a  free 
use  of  the  scythe  in  order  to  keep  the  fence  cor¬ 
ners  clean.  James  Denny. 

Putnam  Co.,  Ind. 


To  Preserve  Hedges  from  Mice. — L.  Hum¬ 
phrey,  Windham  Co.,  O.,  recommends  cultiva¬ 
ting  a  strip,  say  six  feet  wide  on  each  side  of  the 
hedge,  with  Russia  turnips,  and  leaving  them  in 
the  ground  during  the  Winter,  we  suppose  as 
food  for  the  mice.  Mice  would  probably  prefer 
turnips  to  “browse,”  though  they  are  sometimes 
rather  perverse  in  their  inclinations.  He  writes 
that  the  turnips  should  be  put  in  when  the  hedge 
is  newly  set,  and  kept  as  a  permanent  crop,  part 
of  which  in  the  Spring  might  be  valuable  for  the 
table  or  for  stock.  We  think  on  the  whole  it 
would  be  better  to  make  the  fence  of  materials 
which  mice  can  not  destroy. 

The  blemishes  of  great  rnen  are  not  the  less 
blemishes  ;  but  unfortunately  they  are  the  easiest 
parts  for  imitation. 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Take  care  of  the  Young  Muscles. 

The  season  of  long  hot  days,  short  nights,  hard 
labor,  and  short  rests,  has  come,  and  it  seems  to 
me  it  were  well  to  utter  a  word  of  caution  to 
farmers,  be  they  fathers  or  masters,  who  have  the 
care  of  boys.  Many  a  boy  is  ruined  for  life  in 
these  hard  harvest  days.  Boys  are  generally  am¬ 
bitious  to  become  men  and  do  “men’s  work 
the  father  is  glad  to  see  so  much  “  grit  ”  and  the 
lad  of  fourteen  perhaps  is  allowed  to  take  scythe 
or  cradle,  and  go  into  the  field  with  full  grbwn 
men  and  see  how  near  he  can  keep  up.  With 
what  result  1  His  “grit”  keeps  him  along  for  a 
while,  but  the  muscles  of  his  arms,  and  far  worse 
than  this,  those  of  bis  chest  soon  become  strained 
by  what  is  to  him  unnatural  labor,  and  he  “  gives 
out.”  Yet  the  vital  energies  of  youth  are  strong 
and  he  soon  seems  to  recover  his  exhausted 
strength,  and  again  he  repeats  his  efforts.  But 
the  forces  of  nature  each  time  rally  more  feebly, 
he  becomes  weak  in  the  chest,  his  joints  become 
enlarged,  the  action  of  the  whole  system  becomes 
dull,  the  animus  of  youth  is  gone,  in  too  many 
cases  never  to  return.  He  enters  manhood,  not 
with  the  spirit  that  goes  to  daily  toil  with  a  song, 
and  returns  at  evening  with  a  shout,  but  with  a 
spiritless  step  as  if  it  were  a  hateful  drudgery, 
and  such  to  him  it  is.  Farm  pursuits  become 
distasteful  and  are  left  at  the  first  opportunity. 
We  wonder  sometimes  at  the  iron  constitutions 
of  foreigners  who  seek  their  homes  with  us.  The 
main  secret  is  here.  Boys  are  not  put  to  hard  la¬ 
bor  there.  You  scarcely  ever  find  a  young  Irish¬ 
man  of  twenty  that  has  ever  handled  a  scythe, 
previous  to  coming  here.  It  is  considered  there 
to  be  work  only  fit  for  lull  grown  men.  Think 
of  this  farmers  when  your  boys  want  to  “  pitch 
in  ”  with  the  men,  and  give  them  lighter  toil,  that 
shall  give  healthful  exercise,  not  over-straining 
labor.  a  lover  of  the  farm. 

“American  Guano.” 

Repeated  inquiries  concerning  this  fertilizer, 
which  is  now  extensively  advertised,  impel  us 
to  say  something  respecting  its  claims.  We 
have  delayed  thus  long  in  referring  to  the  matter, 
hoping  to  find  some  ground  for  at  least  partly 
commending  it.  Could  a  valuable  fertilizer  be 
found  anywhere  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  outside  of 
the  Peruvian  domain,  we  should  hail  it  as  a  boon 
to  the  cultivators  of  our  country.  We  will  even 
yet  hope  that  the  American  Guano  Company  may 
discover  some  deposits  which  will  prove  worthy 
of  being  shipped  to  this  country  to  be  purchased 
as  a  manure. 

But  with  our,  not  hastily-formed,  views  of  what 
must  be  the  constituents  of  any  concentrated 
manure,  to  make  it  sufficiently  valuable  to  war¬ 
rant  farmers  in  purchasing  it  at  the  cost  of  trans¬ 
portation  from  the  Pacific,  we  cannot  recommend 
our  readers  to  buy  the  guano  so  far  brought  to 
this  country  by  the  American  Guano  Company. 
We  would  most  gladly  write  otherwise,  could  we 
do  so  with  justice  to  our  readers.  We  have  care¬ 
fully  studied  the  analyses  published  by  the 
Company,  have  examined  specimens  of  their  ar¬ 
ticles  as  offered  in  the  market,  and  have  given 
due  consideration  to  the  recommendations  which 
are  set  forth  in  the  advertisements,  circulars,  and 
pamphlets  issued. 

The  ground  we  have  all  along  taken  in  this 
journal  is,  that  the  chief  value  of  any  fertilizer 
depends  materially  upon  its  organic  matter,  and 
very  much  upon  the  ammonia  yielding  elements 
contained  in  the  organic  matter.  Thus :  good/ 


Peruvian  guano  contains  15  to  17  parts  of  ammo¬ 
nia  in  every  100  parts.  Remove  half  or  two- 
thirds  of  the  10  per  cent,  of  ammonia,  and  the 
whole  is  diminished  nearly  one-half  in  value  as  a 
fertilizer.  This  we  think  has  been  pretty  fully 
proved  by  oft-repeated  trial. 

Again  :  bones',  when  perfectly  dry  and  freed 
from  fat,  contain  about  one-third  their  weight  (it 
organic  matter  (chiefly  cartilage,)  and  two-thirds 
of  mineral  matter  (chiefly  phosphate  of  lime). 
The  cartilage  abounds  in  the  elements  ot  ammo¬ 
nia,  and  yields  that  substance  largely  when  de¬ 
composition  or  decay  takes  place.  Bones,  when 
finely  ground,  are  a  powerful  fertilizer.  (Our  own 
experience  and  observation  have  been  so  conclu¬ 
sive  on  this  point  that  we  buy  no  other 
fertilizer  than  bone  sawings — that  is,  bone  saw¬ 
dust — or  bone-shavings.)  But  burn  the  bones, 
which  destroys  or  drives  off  the  organic  matter, 
and  you  have  all  the  phosphate  of  lime  still  re¬ 
maining,  and  yet  this  substance  is  hardly  worth 
the  cartage  as  a  fertilizer  for  any  crop  or  plant. 
We  are  well  aware  that  theoretical  men  say  that 
the  phosphate  of  lime  from  burned  bones  is  not  in 
a  proper  chemical  condition  to  be  appropriated  by 
plants.  But  this  is  supposition.  We  contend,  that 
if  phosphate  of  lime  were  the  great  want  of  the 
soil  or  plant,  the  chemical  changes  constantly 
going  on  in  the  soil  would  reduce  qt  least  a  part 
of  the  burned  phosphate  to  a  condition  to  be 
absorbed.  Our  theory  is  at  least  as  good  as  the 
other,  and  we  have  to  support  us,  the  fact  that  un¬ 
less  there  be  added  to  the  burned  bones  something 
which  is  itself  a  fertilizer,  the  bone  ashes  will 
not  materially  benefit  plants.  The  super-phos¬ 
phate  manufacturers  use  sulphuric  acid  and  an 
admixture  of  more  or  less  organic  matter  of  some 
kind.  Our  theory  is,  that  the  sulphuric  acid  and 
the  added  organic  matter  are,  after  all,  the  ele¬ 
ments  that  produce  whatever  of  benefit  results 
from  the  use  of  manufactured  super-phosphates. 

We  cannot  here  fully  discuss  the  question  o. 
mineral  and  organic  manures.  Those  interested 
in  the  subject,  will  find  it  enlarged  upon  in  the 
series  of  articles  on  manures,  in  our  sixteenth 
volume.  We  can  here  only  repeat  the  proposi¬ 
tion  stated  above,  viz.,  that : 

To  be  valuable,  as  a  direct  fertiliser,  a  substance  mus 
consist  largely  of  organic  matter,  (either  animal  or 
vegetable,)  and  this  organic  matter  must  abotnd 
in  ammonia  yielding  elements.  (The  alkalies,  sul¬ 
phate  of  lime  or  plaster,  etc.,  are  sometimes  use¬ 
ful  as  indirect  fertilizers.  They  act  upon  organic 
matter,  and  either  fit  it,  or  retain  it,  for  the  use  of 
plants.) 

Tried  by  the  rule  we  have  stated,  the  phosphatjc, 
guanos  of  the  American  Guano  Company,  and 
those  of  a  similar  character  from  other  sources, 
shell  as  the  Mexican,  Sombrero,  etc.,  are  not, 
and  cannot  be,  of  much  practical  value  to  cultiva¬ 
tors.  Let  us  examine  the  “American  guano.” 
In  the  Company’s  circular  before  us,  we  find  the 
analysis  of  nine  samples  of  guano  from  Baker's 
Island.  They  are  similar,  and  the  average  com¬ 
position  of  1,000  parts,  omitting  fractions,  is: 

Water,  278,  Organic  matter,  G7, 

Fixed  salts,  (dr  mineral  matter,)  634. 

Here  are  only  67  pounds  of  organic  mat¬ 
ter  in  1,000  pounds,  or  say  135  pounds  in  a  tun  of 
2,000  pounds.  But  what  makes  the  matter  worse, 
is,  that  the  organic  portion  yields  comparatively 
very  little  ammonia.  Eight  analyses  of  guano 
from  Jarvis'  Island  show  in  1,000  pounds  an  ave 
rage  of 

Water,  182  fcs,  Organic  matter,  1(12  Its, 

Fixed  Salts  (or  mineral  matter),  715  lbs. 

The  same  objection  lies  against  this  as  against 
the  Baker’s  Island  samples.  Taking  the  Compa¬ 
ny’s  own  analyses  then  as  a  guide,  we  are  forced 


200 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  150. 


to  the  conclusion  that  their  guanos  are  of  very 
iittle  real  value.  Chance  circumstances  there 
maybe,  and  doubtless  have  been,  where  increased 
crops  have  apparently  resulted  frorn  their  use, 
but  these,  so  far  as  published,  are  not  conclusive, 
arid  until  we  have  some  better  reason  than  we 
have  yet  seen  for  a  change  of  opinion,  we  must 
regard  the  guano  of  the  American  Company  as 
not  entitled  to  the  confidence  of  cultivators. 

We  do  not  accuse  the  Company  of  fraudulent 
intentions.  They  may  be  themselves  deceived. 
But  we  feel  assured  that  the  plausible  arguments 
with  which  they  are  trying  to  convince  farmers 
of  the  value  of  their  fertilizer,  are  not  founded 
upon  a  correct  basis,  and  they  are  therefore  lead¬ 
ing  people  astray,  when  they  induce  them  to  pay 
$30  or  $40  per  tun  for  a  fertilizer  which,  for  the 
reasons  above  givqn,  we  think  cannot  be  worth 
half  that  sum,  at  the  best. 


Transplanting,  Easy,  Safe,  and  Profitable. 


We  wish  to  impress  upon  the  readers  of  the 
Agriculturist  that  it  is  a  very  simple  and  safe 
operation  to  transplant  nearly  every  thing  that 
grows.  Iti-sjustas  easy  to  transplant  corn  as 
cabbage  plants,  and  this  in  the  middle  of  the  hot¬ 
test  day ;  audit  is  profitable  also.  Take  an  ex¬ 
ample.  Here  is  a  corn  field  planted  in  rows  and 
hills  three  by  four  feet,  which  allows  3,630  hills 
to  the  acre  Estimating  the  yield  on  a  good  soil, 
with  all  the  hills  perfect,  at  50  bushels  per  acre, 
we  have  about  a  pint  of  corn  to  the  hill  But  sup¬ 
pose  we  have  62  hills  (one  in  every  60)  deficient, 
there  will  then  be  a  loss  of  one  bushel  of  corn, 
with  no  less  labor  in  preparing  the  ground  and  in 
the  after  cultivatios,  for  the  weeds  should  be  hoed 
down  on  the  vacant  spots.  The  vacant  hills  usu¬ 
ally  amount  to  one  in  15  or  20,  taking  the  whole 
field  together.  But  with  a  trowel,  or  other  sim¬ 
ple  implement,  a  man  will  readily  fill  up  sixty 
hills  in  an  hour,  or  two  at  most,  by  transplanting 
from  those  which  have  an  excess  of  plants.  This 
could  be  done  on  a  rainy  day,  and  we  doubt  wheth¬ 
er  labor  could  be  more  profitably  expended  on 
the  farm,  in  at  least  one  half  of  the  country,  than 
in  securing  an  extra  bushel  of  corn  by  two  hours 
labor.  When  the  ground  is  wet  it  is  easy  to  take 
a  trowel  or  piece  of  shingle  and  divide  a  hill  hav¬ 
ing  superfluous  shoots,  lift  out  one  side  of  the 
earth  with  the  plants,  and  set  them  down  where 
needed  to  fill  in.  This  of  course  should  be  done 
while  the  plants  are  small  and  the  roots  not  yet 
extended  far,  so  that  they  may  not  be  injured  in 
dividing  the  hill.  We  have  here  taken  the  worst 
case  and  shewn  its  feasibility.  In  gardens,  where 
higher  culture  is  practiced,  the  profit  of  trans¬ 
planting  would  be  much  greater. 

A  word  on  the  mode  of  transplanting.  During 
the  second  week  in  June,  just  after  noon  on  one 
of  the  hottest  days,  we  removed  200  large  straw¬ 
berry  plants,  carrying  them  half  a  mile.  They  were 
partly  fruited  and  partly  in  blossom,  and  yet  after 
the  transplanting  they  continued  vigorous  and 
perfected  a  portion  of  their  fruit,  and  this  too, 
though  not  a  particle  of  shade  or  protection  was 
placed  over  them,  and  the  following  two  days 
were  hot  and  dry.  The  mode  of  transplanting 
was  the  same  as  we  adopt  for  all  plants. 

The  plants,  of  whatever  kind,  are  taken  up  with 
as  much  undisturbed  earth  around  them  as  may 
be  practicable — cracking  or  breaking  the  earth 
severs  a  multitude  of  feeding  and  drinking  mouths. 
A  large  hole  is  dug  for  each  plant  and  a  quart  or 
mpre  of  water  poured  in.  The  roots  are  then 
dipped  into  the  water  and  as  it  soaks  away  earth 
is  filled  in.  The  top  half  inch  of  earth  is  put  in  dry. 
This  is  important ;  a  wet  mass  of  earth  will  bake  [ 


and  shut  out  air  and  warmth,  while  the  dry  earth 
will  soak  up  water  from  below  to  dampen  it,  and 
yet  remain  loose  and  friable.  Plants  set  in  this 
way  have  a  moist  bed  below,  and  unless  their 
roots  are  nearly  gone  they  will  go  on  growing — 
all  the  better  for  not  being  shaded  even. 

Since  adopting  the  above  mode  of  setting  plants 
into  water  and  covering  with  dry  earth  at  the  top, 
and  not  watering  afterwards  from  above  to  pack 
the  ground,  we  have  not  lost  one  plant  in  a  thou¬ 
sand,  and  they  have  grown  as  well  after  trans¬ 
planting  as  before. 

-  ■  ^  a - exam-  [i  ob - 

Sow  a  Patch  of  Buckwheat. 


There  are  many  fields  which  from  failure  of  the 
corn,  or  delay  in  Spring  plowing,  are  lying  com¬ 
paratively  idle.  The  grass  is  nearly  run  out,  and 
thistle,  dock,  snap-dragon  and  other  foul  weeds 
are  disputing  for  the  vacant  places.  Although  the 
labois  of  the  present  month  are  pressing,  these 
patches  should  not  be  neglected,  especially  when 
ihere  is  a  prospect  that  all  the  grain  we  can  raise 
this  season  will  be  wanted  at  good  prices.  Even 
if  these  anticipations  should  not  be  realized,  a 
good  crop  of  buckwheat  will  greatly  help  to  fill 
the  right  side  of  th'e  farm  balance  sheet. 

If  sown  during  the  first  two  weeks  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  month  (July)  there  will  be  a  good  chance  for 
it  to  fill  during  the  cool  weather  in  September. 
Where  there  are  “  swales  ”  ordinarily  too  wet  to 
plow  for  corn  in  the  Spring,  cropping  with  buck¬ 
wheat  will  often  be  found  a  good  preparation  for 
seeding  down  with  Winter  rye  after  the  Summer 
crop  is  harvested. 

- «  < - — nsa  {**■— - O - - - - 

The  Wheat  Insects— A  Request. 

We  intended  to  give  in  this  number  a  full  de¬ 
scription  of  some  of  the  insects  most  destructive 
to  wheat,  illustrated  with  several  engravings,  but 
could  not  get  the  drawings  quite  completed  in 
season.  Next  month  we  shall  have  an  interest¬ 
ing  and  instructive  illustrated  article.  The  object 
of  this  note  is  to  request  our  readers  who  reside 
in  localities  where  the  insects  of  various  kinds  are 
now  at  work,  to  send  us  immediately  any  items 
in  their  possession  respecting  their  habits,  etc.,  es¬ 
pecially  of  the  Midge ,  and  its  parent  the  clear¬ 
winged  wheat  fly  ( Cccidomya  Tritici).  This  midge 
or  gnat,  or  weevil,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  is 
now  doing  most  of  the  injury  in  the  wheat  fields 
of  the  North  and  Northwest.  It  is  the  small  yel¬ 
low  or  orange-colored  maggot,  that  is  found  upon 
the  unripe  kernels  of  wheat.  We  have  been  una¬ 
ble,  so  far  this  season,  to  find  specimens  of  either 
the  fly  or  maggot.  We  would  like  to  show  them 
engraved  on  a  magnified  scale,  and  will  be  obliged 
to  any  one  who  can  send  us  specimens  during  the 
first  week  of  July.  We  have,  already  engraved, 
specimens  of  the  chintz  or  chinch  Bug,  the  Hes¬ 
sian  Fly,  and  Grain  Weevil  ( Calandria,  granaria). 

■ - - «az*<2>  - 

Sow  Turnips. 

Some  farmers  have  talked  and  written  against 
turnips  for  stock,  and  justly  so,  if  their  own  ex¬ 
perience  were  the  test.  Cattle  or  other  animals 
fed  almost  exclusively  on  turnips,  for  weeks  to¬ 
gether,  will  not  thrive  well.  But  there  is  no 
doubt  that  a  moderate  feeding  of  turnips  with  dry 
fodder  is  better  than  dry  feed  alone.  Every  keep¬ 
er  of  live  stock  should  raise  some  turnips.  They 
can  be  grown  at  little  cost.  Every  one  can  at 
this  season  find  some  ground  that  may  be  devoted 
to  their  culture.  The  seed  may  be  sown  at  any 
time  this  month  (July).  Where  a  drill-sower  is 
not  at  hand,  and  it  is  not  convenient  to  harrow  or 


dig  it  in,  the  seed  may  be  sown  broadcast  upon 
the  surface.  A  large  part  of  it  will  generally 
take  root,  even  if  left  uncovered.  We  intend  to 
go  over  our  own  corn  and  potatoes,  and  through 
the  vegetable  garden,  this  month,  with  a  dish  of 
turnip  seed  and  a  rake  or  hoe  in  hand,  and  where 
ever  there  is  a  square  foot  not  certain  to  be  need¬ 
ed  by  plants  already  growing,  the  seed  will  be 
scattered,  and  raked  into  the  surface  a  little.  It 
will  be  sown  between  the  rows  of  the  earlier 
varieties  of  corn,  and  that  to  be  cut  up  for  fodder  ; 
also  among  early  potatoes,  between  the  rows  of 
peas  in  the  garden,  etc. — in  short,  wherever  a 
single  turnip  can  have  room  to  develop  itself,  even 

late  in  the  Autumn,  there  a  few  seeds  will  be  left _ 

the  superfluous  plants  to  be  removed  when  they 
crowd  each  other.  In  this  way  we  shall  get  a 
good  supply  at  very  little  cost.  They  will  proba¬ 
bly  be  stored  in  the  cellar,  or  in  covered  heaps, 
at  less  than  10  cents  per  bushel.  Having  seed, 
we  sow  the  Long  White  French  variety  exclu¬ 
sively,  but  almost  any  variety  may  be  sown  up  to 
the  close  of  July — the  earlier  the  better  for  ruta 
bagas. 

- — - «»• —  —  »— - - - 

The  Crops— The  Frost. 

So  far  as  we  can  gather,  from  correspondents, 
and  from  various  other  sources  of  information, 
the  crop  prospects  are  good,  taking  the  country 
as  a  whole.  The  newspapers  have  been  filled 
with  accounts  of  damage  by  frosts,  rain,  drouth, 
etc.,  and  parties  who  have  on  hand  a  stock  of  last 
year’s  products  to  dispose  of,  have  been  interest¬ 
ed  in  magnifying  every  unfavorable  report. 
That  the  untimely  frosts  in  the  second  week  in 
June  did  severe  damage  in  some  localities  is  cer¬ 
tain,  but  it  i3  equally  certain  that  the- injury  was 
confined  to  limited  areas.  It  is  impossible,  as 
yet,  to  determine  the  exact  outlines  of  the  dis¬ 
tricts  where  the  cold  operated  with  decided  inju¬ 
ry  on  the  whole,  but  enough  is  known  to  warrant 
us  in  saying  that,  of  all  the  field,  garden,  and 
orchard  crops  in  a  condition  to  be  seriously  af¬ 
fected  by  the  cold  snaps  during  the  week  begin¬ 
ning  June  5,  not  one  plant  in  four  hundred  suffer¬ 
ed  materially — that  is,  taking  into  account  the 
whole  country  north  of  the  latitude  38°.  South 
of  this  no  great  harm  was  done.  In  special  lo¬ 
calities  the  loss  was  very  severe,  and  for  the  suf¬ 
ferers  we  feel  a  strong  sympathy.  We  hope  good 
weather,  the  rest  of  the  season,  will,  in  part,  repair 
the  loss  experienced.  Careful  culture  of  the 
crops  remaining,  and  an  increased  space  devoted 
to  buckwheat,  turnips,  etc.,  will  be  some  help. 

It  seems  to  be  the  economy  of  Providence, 
that  individuals  must  at  times  suffer  for  the  gen¬ 
eral  good.  History  teaches  that  even  the  worst 
calamities,  of  war  and  pestilence,  which  produce 
intense  suffering  and  desolation  to  individuals 
and  whole  countries,  are  yet  overruled  for  the 
benefit  of  the  race.  So  it  is  with  such  a  calamity 
as  the  recent  frosts.  Myriads  of  devouring  in¬ 
sects  have  been  destroyed,  and  other  beneficial 
results  will  continue  to  be  discovered ;  and  could 
we  look  over  the  whole  ground,  and  then  look 
into  the  future,  as  only  He  can  who  seeth  the  end 
from  the  beginning,  we  doubt  not  that  we  should 
all,  even  the  most  afflicted,  be  thankful  for 
the  frosts  of  June,  1859.  We  know  by  experience, 
that,  when  in  the  midst  of  trial,  it  requires  no 
little  effort  for  us  to  have  faith  in  the  doctrine 
that  “all  things  are  for  the  best.”  The  child, 
while  smarting  under  the  rod  of  correction,  will 
be  slow  to  believe  that  the  discipline  is  for  his 
ultimate  good.  So  it  is  with  us  as  grown  up 
children.  Yet,  in  after  years,  we  can  almost  al¬ 
ways  look  back  with  satisfaction  upon  the  re¬ 
sults  of  experiences  of  the  most  severe  kind. 


No.  150. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


QOl 


SHORT-LORN  CATTLE — Bred  and  Owned  by  C.  M.  Clay,  Whitehall,  Madison  Co.,  Ky. 

Pixy  2d,  (American  Herd  Book,  Vol.  3,  p.  C01) - Fordkam  (Royal  ?)  Duke  of  Whitehall.  No.  3389  (American  Herd  Book,  Vol  4,  p.  203.) 


Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist. — Prize  Articles. 

The  Dairy  —  VII. 


THE  MANUFACTURE  OF  CHEESE. 

We  say  manufacture,  instead  of  “  making,” 
because  the  various  manipulations  to  which  milk 
is  subjected,  before  it  assumes  the  shape  and 
consistency  of  a  sound  healthy  cheese,  are  sever¬ 
al  and  various,  and  the  skill,  and  knowledge  ap¬ 
pertaining  to  them  approach  nearer  a  scientific 
profession  or  pursuit,  than  would  be  supposed 
from  the  simple  manual  labor  connected  with  the 
operation. 

There  is,  probably,  no  one  article  produced  on 
the  farm  of  such  various  quality  as  cheese — even 
upon  soils  and  localities  alike  in  all  that  ap¬ 
pertains  to  the  material  of  which  it  is  com- 
posed.  The  difference  is  only  in  the  manufac¬ 
ture.  We  have  already  said  that  some  soils  and 
grasses  and  localities  will  not  produce  cheese  of 
the  best  quality  at  all.  Wc  have  said  all  that  is 
necessary  on  that  score,  and  are  now  to  speak 
of  its  production  on  suitable  lands  in  suitable  lo¬ 
calities,  with  the  proper  grasses,  in  a  good  dairy 
country. 

The  qualities  of  a  good  cheese  are  various,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  taste  and  education  of  the  con¬ 
sumer.  One  is  dry  and  hard.  Another  is  dry  and 
crumbling.  One  is  soft,  moist,  and  easily  falls  to 
pieces  in  cutting.  Another  is  soft,  tenacious  and 
elastic.  One  is  porous,  almost  like  a  honey-comb. 
Another  is  less  so,  like  well  risen  bread.  Still 
another  is  compact  and  unctious.  One  is  strong, 
and  high  flavored,  piquant  in  taste,  leaving  its 
flavor  on  the  palate  almost  for  hours.  Another 
is  mild,  savory  and  creamy,  leaving  a  rich  aroma, 
and  every  way  delicious.  Each  one  of  these  quali¬ 
ties  belongs  to  first  class  cheeses,  more  or  less 
given  them  by  the  constituents  of  the  milk  from 
which  they  are  made,  and  their  modes  of  manu¬ 
facture  ;  some  cheeses  of  quite  opposite  quali¬ 
ties  are  made  on  the  same  farm,  while  others 
are  the  more  natural  product  of  different  soils  and 


situations,  equally  good — but  with  a  different  way 
of  making,  and  possessing  an  altogether  different 
character.  The  cheeses  of  the  granite  hills  and 
valleys  of  New-England  differ  from  those  of  the 
secondary  soils  of  Herkimer,  Oneida,  and  northern 
New-York,  while  the  latter  differ  from  those  pro¬ 
duced  on  the  shales  of  the  “  Southern  tier,”  and 
northern  Pennsylvania ;  and  they  again  are  a 
different  article  from  the  cheeses  made  on  the 
slaty  clays  of  the  Ohio  “  Western  Reserve  ” — 
yet  all  excellent  and  each  preferred  by  those 
most  partial,  for  any  reason,  to  their  peculiar  and 
different  flavors. 

The  very  best,  and  the  very  worst  cheeses  are 
produced  in  each  and  all  of  these  dairy  regions, 
the  difference  between  them  being  only  in  their 
mode  of  making  ;  and  we  propose  to  speak  very 
plainly  of  the  whole  process  of  manufacture.  In 
the  first  place,  we  contend  that  no  cheese  can  be 
of  the  best  quality  uniformly  unless  it  is  made  in 
considerable  quantity — at  least  equal  to  one  cheese 
daily,  of  thirty  to  fifty  pounds  weight;  and  if 
more,  the  better.  Secondly  :  What  is  called  a 
“  family  ”  cheese,  made  from  three  or  four  cows 
only,  in  the  common  household  and  multifarious 
labors  of  an  ordinary  farm  family  is  rarely  very 
good,  for  the  reason  that  different  “hands” 
often  run  up  the  curd  and  make  the  cheese,  with¬ 
out  proper  system  or  attention.  A  woman  usu¬ 
ally  does  the  work,  also,  and  she,  troubled  with 
common  household  cares,  is  unable  to  dabble  over 
the  inexorable  demands  of  a  cheese-tub — no  dis¬ 
respect  to  the  woman  either.  The  writer  has  never 
tasted  a  first  quality  cheese  taken  promiscuously 
out  of  such  a  lot.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the 
manufacture  of  cheese,  different  from  that  of 
butter,  must  be  in  considerable  quantities  of 
material.  There  ought  not  to  be  less  than  ten 
cows  for  a  cheese'  dairy,  and  fifty  to  a  hundred, 
with  proportionable  appliances,  are  better.  A 
man  or  woman,  whose  sole  business  it  is  for 
the  dairy  season,  should  superintend  the  whole 
operation,  from  receiving  the  milk  from  the 


cows,  to  placing  the  cheese  on  the  shelf  in  the 
cheese-room.  A  man  is  better  than  a  woman 
for  a  large  dairy,  for  these  reasons :  Men 
are  stronger,  enabling  them  to  do  heavy  lift¬ 
ing,  which  is  oftentimes  required.  They  are 
from  education  and  habit  of  thought  and  investi¬ 
gation,  better  enabled  to  judge  chemically  and 
experimentally  of  the  various  conditions  of  the 
milk,  curd,  and  other  ingredients  composing  its 
parts ;  and,  as  it  is  a  heavy  labor,  when  on  a 
large  scale,  it  is  too  severe  for  any  woman  but 
those  of  gigantic  stature  and  strength.  In  short, 
a  woman  can  better  do  some  other  in-door  work. 
We  believe  in  the  emancipation  of  woman  from 
the  drudgery  of  a  heavy  dairy.  It  is  every  way 
better  suited  to  the  capacity  of  a  man,  and  a  man 
only  should  do  it.  The  “  wimmen  folks  ”  can  do 
the  washing,  scalding,  and  brightening  up  of  the 
pails  and  tubs,  and  looking  after  the  cleaning,  and 
dusting  departments  requiring  the  use  of  broom 
and  brush. 

A  dairyman  about  to  establish  himself  in  cheese¬ 
making  should,  at  the  first,  select  the  description 
and  quality  of  the  cheese  he  intends  to  make, 
and  having  established  it  he  should  make  that, 
and  no  other  so  long  as  he  finds  a  good  market 
for  it.  It  is  difficult  to  make  two  or  three  differ¬ 
ent  kinds  of  cheese  in  one  dairy,  and  each  good, 
or  the  best  of  their  kind.  Better  adopt  one  only, 
and  stick  to  that.  Your  cheese,  if  good,  soon 
acquires  a  reputation,  and  will  be  sought  after  at 
the  top  price  of  the  market,  and  you  make  a  sure 
thing  of  it — like  a  favorite  and  old  established 
brand  of  flour,  “  Richmond  City  Mills  ”  forex- 
ample,  or  pure  “  Genesee,”  as  in  old  times,  be¬ 
fore  it  was  adulterated,  and  “  scratched  ”  by 
mixing  with  it  “bald  face,”  “stumptail,”  “chess,” 
and  “cockle,”  from  Chicago.  Aside  from  our 
domestic  cheese  market,  which  is  throughout  the 
United  States  beyond  the  immediate  dairy  dis¬ 
tricts  themselves,  our  foreign  markets  are  va¬ 
rious.  Not  only  in  several  countries  of  Europe 
on  the  Atlantic  coast  is  our  cheese  sold  consider- 


203 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


ably,  but  the  West  Indies,  South  America,  and  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  even  England,  buy  largely  of  us. 
So  many  different  people,  with  so  many  different 
tastes,  and  in  so  many  different  climates  demand 
different  qualities,  and  descriptions ;  but  each 
wants  a  good  cheese  of  its  kind.  An  admirable 
cheese  to  ship  to  England  would  be  unfit  for  the 
Mediterranean,  or  the  West  Indies.  A  capital  ar¬ 
ticle  at  Buenos  Ayres  would  not  be  relished  by 
our  countrymen  in  California  ;  while  our  Naval 
ships  going  on  a  three  years  cruise,  traversing 
all  the  climates  of  the  world,  would  require  a 
cheese  which  could  only  be  cut  with  a  hatchet — 
and  still  the  cheese  must  be  a  good  one. 

Yet,  there  is  a  sound,  high  flavored,  common 
cheese  made  in  the  great  majority  of  our  dairies 
which  is  universally  popular  and  marketable 
wherever  it  can  be  carried  and  hold  its  flavor  and 
beeping  until  wanted  for  consumption  ;  and  this  the 
mass  of  our  dairymen  produce,  and  it  is  perhaps 
the  best  description  of  cheese  that  one  can  usually 
adopt  for  his  dairy.  It  is  always  marketable  at  a 
fair  price.  Fancy  cheeses,  or  those  adapted  for 
particular  markets  may  bring  a  higher  price  for  a 
term  of  years,,  and  be  more  profitable  for  a  short 
run — long  enough,  indeed,  to  secure  a  moderate 
fortune  in  making  them — but  before  adopting 
their  manufacture,  and  turning  his  attention  al¬ 
together  to  them,  the  dairyman  should  make  him¬ 
self  secure  of  a  market  for  a  term  of  time  suffi¬ 
cient  to  compensate  himself  for  his  outlay.  We 
can  make  very  tolerable  imitations  of  the  differ¬ 
ent  European  cheeses  here,  but  their  close  imita¬ 
tion  is  difficult,  and  usually  not  profitable.  We 
have  the  Cheshire,  the  Gloucester,  and  Stilton 
cheeses  from  England,  of  widely  different  flavor 
from  each  oth  r,  and  from  ours,  to  which  many 
foreigners,  and  even  native  Americans  in  our 
cities  are  partial.  We  have  also  the  Parmesan,  and 
Swiss  cheese  from  the  hills  and  valleys  of  those 
fine  pasture;  countries,  Parma  and  Switzerland, 
differing  again  in  quality,  and  unlike  any  others 
from  Europe,  or  from  this  country.  All  these 
have  been  imitated  with  tolerable  success  with 
us,  but  not  so  successfully,  or  profitably  as  to  be¬ 
come  staple  productions  of  any  considerable 
number  of  dairies — proving  distinctly,  as  we  have 
elsewhere  remarked,  that  different  soils  and  cli¬ 
mates  produce  their  own  particular  flavors  and 
qualities  in  cheese. 

Connecticut  cheese  for  more  than  a  century 
past,  and  so  long  as  that  State  could  produce 
enough  of  it,  was  the  favorite  of  Baltimore,  Rich¬ 
mond,  Norfolk,  Charleston,  and  Savannah.  The 
counties  ofNew-York,  north  of  the  Erie  Canal, 
for  some  years  have  found  a  portion  of  their 
cheese  going  to  England ;  the  “  Hamburgh  ” 
cheese  of  Western  N.  Y.,  has  found  its  peculiarly 
rich  and  buttery  flavor  a  favorite  in  New-York, 
and  Philadelphia;  the  compact  little  box  cheeses 
often  or  twelve  pounds  weight  made  by  the  thou¬ 
sand  in  the  extensive  dairies  of  Trumbull  and 
Ashtabula,  in  North-Eastern  Ohio,  where  the 
entire  curds  of  two  or  three  townships  are  daily 
worked  up  in  a  single  establishment,  have  found 
a  market  in  South  America ;  while  the  plump 
and  portable  “Pine  Apple”  Cheeses  made  by 
different  individuals  throughout  our  entire  dairy 
region  find  a  ready  market  all  over  the  world 
where  American  cheese  is  consumed. 

Should  the  reader  of  this  article  ask  why  our 
cheeses  can  not  all  be  made  exactly  alike  in  qual¬ 
ity  and  flavor ;  and  why,  as  is  the  fact,  that 
scarcely  two  cheeses  in  one  dairy  are  just  alike 
in  taste,  and  a  wide  difference  is  often  found  in 
them,  the  answer  is,  that  there  is  no  article  so 
easily  affected  in  taste  and  quality  by  outside  in¬ 
fluences.  Heat,  cold,  moisture,  dryness,  the  con¬ 


dition  of  the  grass  on  which  the  cow  is  fed,  and 
the  bodily  condition  of  the  cow  herself  for  the  day, 
the  week,  or  the  season  ;  the  exact  temperature 
of  the  milk  or  curd  in  the  process  of  making,  to¬ 
gether  with  any  little  irregularity  in  the  quantity 
of  the  seasoning,  as  salt,  rennet,  &c.,  affect  the 
taste  and  quality  of  cheese.  Hence  the  exceed¬ 
ing  importance  of  well  understanding  every  branch 
of  the  subject,  and  the  chemical  relations  of  what¬ 
ever  is  connected  with  its  composition.  No 
great  amount  of  science,  indeed,  is  necessary 
for  this  purpose  but  watchfulness,  skill,  expe¬ 
rience,  and  attention ;  and  without  all  these 
combined,  and  in  very  considerable  degree  in  the 
maker,  good  cheese  can  not  be  produced.  A  man 
with  a  single  idea,  if  it  be  a  cheese  idea  will  do  it, 
equal  to  Professor  Silliman — and  probably  beat 
him  in  running  up  a  curd — but  he  must/;«0!r>  that, 
and  know  it  well.  About  the  dirtiest  household 
I  ever  knew  for  decent  folks  (and  his  dairy -house 
was  not  much  better),  was  that  of  a  dairyman 
of  eighty  cows  whose  cheese  would  readily 
command  a  cent  or  two  more  a  pound  in  market 
than  his  neighbors.  But  he  did  know  how  to  run 
up  a  curd,  and  mix  all  the  ingredients  for  a  Tip¬ 
top  cheese,  and  always  succeeded.  My  own  opin¬ 
ion  is,  that  a  little  more  tidyness  would  not.  have 
injured  its  flavor. 

— — — — 0-< fr-O-  ■— 


Blinks  from  a  Lantern, . IX. 

BY  DIOGENES  REDIVIVUS. 


A  P  R  A  C  T  I  0  A  I.  FARMER. 

The  world  moves,  and  no  part  of  it  faster  than 
the  farm.  One  proof  of  it  is  to  be  found  in  the 
shock  we  receive  from  scenes  long  ago  familiar, 
when  we  come  upon  them  as  a  present  reality. 
The  old  style  farmer  of  thirty  years  ago,  still 
lives  in  retired  places,  and  it  has  not  been  neces¬ 
sary  to  preserve  him  in  amber  to  bring  him  down 
to  us  in  unabated  perfection.  There  are  by¬ 
places,  even  in  the  most  civilized  parts  of  the 
country  threaded  by  railroads,  where  the  speci¬ 
mens  are  to  be  seen,  where  hardly  a  modern  in¬ 
novation  is  visible  in  all  the  surroundings.  These 
examples  startle  us  a  little  as  we  pass  to  them, 
from  farms  where  all  the  modern  improvements 
are  adopted.  We  may  have  been  familiar  with 
all  the  scenes  in  our  youth,  and  yet  they  strike  us 
as  novelties.  These  relics  of  the  ancient  regime 
can  not  always  last,  and  it  is  desirable  that  a  few 
of  them  should  be  preserved  in  your  pages,  that 
posterity  may  see  as  in  a  cabinet,  what  sort  of 
tillers  of  the  soil  preceded  them. 

As  I  passed  up  through  a  retired  valley,  lantern 
in  hand  on  my  laborious  search,  I  came  upon  one 
of  these  antiquities.  Pie  rejoiced  in  the  sobriquet 
of  “Practical  Farmer,”  from  the  fact  that 
he  was  always  ridiculing  the  improvements 
of  his  neighbors.  The  boys  had  dubbed  him  “  Old 
Practical,”  though  he  was  hardly  an  old  man, 
being  not  far  from  fifty,  but  inheriting  the  con¬ 
densed  wisdom  of  his  father  and  grandfather,  and 
jogging  on  with  mule-like  pertinacity  in  the  most 
select  stupid  ways  of  both  of  them.  Ezra  Hanks, 
is  really  ingenious  in  contriving,  how  not  to  farm 
well.  Were  he  conscientiously  opposed  to  accu¬ 
mulation,  he  could  hardly  adapt  his  means  more 
wisely  to  make  the  ends  of  the  year  just  meet, 
without  a  dollar  left  over. 


Ezra  lives  in  a  quiet  rural  spot  between  two 
granite  ridges,  and  if  the  right  man  lived  in  it,  it 
might  be  called  Happy  Valley.  I  have  rarely  found 
a  more  perfect  Arcadian  view,  than  “  Old  Practi¬ 
cal’s  ”  two  hundred  acres  as  seen  on  one  of  these 
Summer  mornings.  The  most  of  it  is  plain  land, 
a  part  of  it  intervale,  threaded  by  a  brook,  where 
the  speckled  trout  shows  his  golden  sides,  and 
cowslips  and  dandelions  upon  the  bank  keep  him 
company.  It  is  marvelous  that  Ezra  should  have 
thrown  a  bridge  across  the  brook,  giving  a  pic¬ 
turesque  expression  to  the  valley,  but  he  would 
never  own  that  lie  thought  of  any  thing  else, 
than  a  better  cart  path  to  his  potato  patch.  There 
is  no  other  building  in  sight  than  those  pertaining 
to  this  farm.  It  is  the  old  homestead — of  a  hun¬ 
dred  years  ago — one  story,  and  belonging  to  the 
style  of  architecture  best  described  as  the  cube, 
though  not  put  down  in  the  books.  The  barn  is  a 
perfect  match  for  the  house,  in  shape  and  color¬ 
ing — all  of  neutral  tints,  sober  wood  color,  va¬ 
ried  only  with  patches  of  moss. 

There  is  neither  shed,  hovel,  nor  barn  cellar, 
upon  the  premises.  He  does  not  believe  in  ma¬ 
nure  factories.  “  You  see,  Mister,  I’m  a  practi¬ 
cal  farmer,  and  don't  believe  in  them  books  and 
papers.  Folks  talk  now-a-days  about  manufac¬ 
turing  fertilizers — diluting  manure  with  muck, 
composts,  and  all  that.  Now  you  see,  that’s  all 
gammon.  The  only  manure  factory  I  allow  on 
my  farm  is  the  krittur’s  stomach.  That  is  the 
Almighty’s  contrivance,  and  I  guess  man  aint 
agoin  to  improve  on  it  much,  any  way.  And 
when  you  have  got  the  stuff'  made  after  the  Di¬ 
vine  pattern,  I  want  to  know  if  you  spose  you  are 
going  to  make  it  any  better  by  mixing  it  up  with 
su’thing  forrin  to  its  naturl  Manure  is  manure, 
and  dirt  is  dirt,  and  it  stands  tu  reason,  if  you 
mix  ’em,  you  aint  agoin  to  make  ’em  all  one. 
This  cartin  so  much  stuff  intu  yer  barn  yerd,  is 
all  nonsense.  It  is  the  dung  that  brings  the  crops, 
and  as  to  the  dirt,  I  guess  there  is  about  enuf  of 
it  in  the  ground  alreddy.  It  is  the  kaster-ile  that 
duz  the  fissicking,  and  taking  water  don't  help  it 
a  bit.  Them’s  my  sentiments.” 

Ezra’s  land  is  so  smooth  that  he  might  easily 
use  horses  for  plowing  and  carting.  But  he  pre¬ 
fers  the  buflocks,  with  a  straight  yoke,  walnut 
ox  bows,  and  wooden  bow-pins,  with  the  two 
wheeled  cart.  “  Them  four  wheeled  konsarns, 
ye  see  Mister,  is  a  good  deal  of  an  extra  load  for 
oxen  to  drag  reound.  They  tell  about  easin  the 
necks  of  the  cattle.  But  what’s  an  ox’s  neck 
made  so  thick  and  stout  for,  if  taint  to  bear  a 
load.  I  take  it,  it  is  a  pervarsion  of  Natur,  not 
to  use  a  thing  for  the  end  it  was  made  for.  What 
is  the  use  of  treating  an  ox’s  neck,  as  if  it  were 
a  pipe  stem,  jest  ready  to  snap  off  Mine  never 
broke,  and  I  havg  used  ’em  nigh  upon  thirty  year. 
I  never  heerd  of  sich  a  thing.” 

This  practical  gentleman  still  clings  to  the  old 
Dutch  plow,  with  wooden  mold  board,  covered 
with  sheet  iron,  or  old  saw  plates. 

“  Folks  are  gittin  crazy  abeout  plows  in  these 
times — hardly  any  thing  but  them  cast  iron  'kon¬ 
sarns  in  this  naburhood.  They  are  jest  no  kind 
of  a  plow  at  all.  The  stuff  in  ’em  is  nothing  but 
pot  metal,  and  the  minut  it  hits  a  stone  or  stub, 
away  it  goes — and  you’ve  got  to  stop  your  team, 
to  git  a  new  nose  or  mold  board.  One  has  to 
keep  all  the  extra  fixings  of  a  plow  on  hand  all 
the  while.  And  then  when  they  du  plow,  they 
go  down  so  all  fired  deep,  they  turn  up  all  the 
yaller  dirt  there  is  in  the  field,  and  spile  the  land. 
You  can’t  hardly  grow  mullens,  where  one  of 
them  things  has  been  along.  I  don't  like  the 
workin  on  ’em  at  all,  they  tucker  eout  the  team 
so  bad  it  makes  ’em  look  as  if  they’d  been  drawn 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


203 


through  a  knot-hole.  I’d  rather  have  one  of  my 
plows,  than  all  of  them  things  you  can  sheer  up. 
When  it  gets  broke,  a  black-smith  can  mend  it. 

It  turns  up  nothing  but  the  black  dirt,  and  it  don’t 
take  more  than  half  as  much  team,  as  them  new 
fangled  konsarns.  I  don’t  want  any  of  your  book 
farming  areound  me,  I  don’t.” 

This  practical  farmer  with  his  two  hundred 
acres,  keeps  about  even  with  the  world,  and  al¬ 
lowing  nothing  for  his  own  time,  gets  about  two 
per  cent,  per*  annum  on  the  capital  invested  in 
stock  and  land.  He  is  an  interesting  specimen  of 
antiquity  whose  natural  history  is  worth  studying. 

- - o— — — . *»«- - *-*■ - - 

Bees  and.  Tin  Pans. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

At  the  time  of  the  little  skirmish  carried  on  in 
your  columns,  between  Messrs.  Quinby  and  Men¬ 
denhall,  respecting  the  habits  of  the  honey-bee, 

I  felt  very  much  tempted  to  come  to  the  rescue 
of  the  latter  gentleman,  armed  with  some  stub¬ 
born,  inexorable  facts.  I  refrained,  however, 
from  offering  my  humble  intervention,  in  the  hope 
that  the  truth  would  be  elicited  just  as  well  with¬ 
out  it;  and  I  would  have  remained  quiet  in  my 
retirement  to  this  moment,  had  I  not  been  warmed 
up  again  on  the  subject,  by  a  little  circumstance 
which  occurred  a  few  hours  ago. 

Among  my  “rural  surroundings”  there  are  a 
few  bee-hives,  to  which  for  my  instruction  and 
amusement  rio  less  than  for  my  comfort,  I  am  in 
the  habit  of  paying  some  little  attention.  About 

II  o'clock  this  morning,  I  was  suddenly  called 
home  from  the  field,  by  the  alarmingly  protracted 
sounds  of  the  dinner-horn  and  sundry  minor  up¬ 
roarious  contrivances,  and  found  my  little  family 
most  violently  exerted  in  preventing  a  young 
swarm  from  taking  “  French  leave.”  At  the  first 
glimpse  I  caught  of  the  state  of  affairs,  I  had  but 
little  hope  of  reclaiming  the  fugitives,  who  were 
already  ^widely  scattered  high  up  in  the  air,  not 
less  than  30  or  40  yards  distant  from  the  parent 
hive,  say  at  an  angle  of  45  or  50  degrees,  and 
seemed  obstinately  bent  upon  carrying  their  de¬ 
claration  of  independence  into  effect.  The  van¬ 
guard  of  the  swarm,  which  appeared  to  contain 
about  two-thirds  of  the  whole,  and  among  which 
that  peculiar  hum,  said  to  be  the  voice  of  the 
queen,  was  distinctly  audible,  made  several  at¬ 
tempts  to  escape  in  a  certain  direction  down  the 
valley,  but  were  seemingly  induced  to  retrace 
their  flight,  so  soon  as  we  followed  close  up  and 
under  them  with  the  loudest  instruments  of  our 
orchestra.  The  remainder  of  the  swarm,  under 
which  the  children  kept  up  a  respectable  tin-pan 
and  cow-bell  charivari,  appeared  more  hesitating 
in  their  projects,  and  made  but  two  feeble  efforts 
to  follow  the  van,  who,  finally  conquered  by  the 
noise  and  confusion,  came  to  terms  by  settling 
near  the  top  of  a  young  shade  tree,  directly  in  the 
rear  of  the  bee-stand.  The  balance  soon  follow¬ 
ed  suit  by  clustering  on  a  smaller  limb  immedi¬ 
ately  above  that  which  sustained  the  main  body 
of  the  colony.  Half  an  hour  afterwards  the  sub¬ 
mission  of  the  rebels  was  complete,  and  they 
were  quietly  transferred  to  the  new  quarters  kept 
in  readiness  for  them. 

While  taking  a  little  shady  rest  from  the  fa¬ 
tigues  of  this  operation  under  80°  F.,  I  picked  up 
the  last  number  of  the  Agriculturist  and  turning 
to  the  “  Apiary  for  May,”  my  eyes  fell  upon  that 
autocratic  sentence,  “  No  noise  is  necessary  to 
make  them  cluster ,”  and  this  right  in  the  teeth  of 
my  hardly  concluded  experiment,  and  with  the 
proof  to  the  contrary  still  standing  in  big  drops 
on  my  brow  1 

Nor  is  this  my  first  experience  to  the  same 


effect.  Since  I  procured  my  first  hive,  eight  years 
ago,  I  have  lost  three  swarms  from  no  other  visi¬ 
ble  cause  than  the  neglect  of  the  precautions  of 
a  family  orchestra.  A  neighbor  of  mine  who  has 
kept  bees  for  more  than  twenty  years,  and  with 
considerable  success,  says  he  has  never  failed  to 
save  any  swarm  whenever  he  resorted  to  these 
measures.  Many  other  old  residents,  familiar 
with  bee-keeping,  have  told  me  the  same  thing; 
in  fact  I  never  heard  anything  else  on  the  subject 
since  I  was  a  bov  ;  the  universal  notion  being  that 
the  noise,  in  drowning  the  voice  of  the  queen, 
prevents  the  swarm  from  noticing  her  signals. 
Now  I  would  ask  Mr.  Editor,  is  all  this  a  delusion 
of  the  senses  1  and  if  so,  what  guarantee  have  we 
that  our  fallible  eyes  are  not  deluding  us  when 
we  read  the  monthly  articles  of  Mr.  Quinby  1 
And  at  any  rate,  how  are  we  to  make  our  bees 
believe  what  that  gentleman  writes  about  them, 
and  make  them  behave  accordingly  1 

By  doing  your  best  towards  solving  this  per¬ 
plexing  question,  you  will,  no  doubt,  oblige  hun¬ 
dreds  of  your  faithful  readers  and  especially  your 
friend  and  Ob’t.  Servt.  “  Doddridge.” 

Doddridge  Co .,  Va. 

Remarks  — We  confess  to  have  been  somewhat, 
loth  to  adopt  as  an  article. of  faith  the  dictum,  of 
later  apiarians,  that  the  tin-pan-and-dinner-horn 
orchestra  has  no  effect  in  arresting  the  flight  of 
swarms  of  bees.  Though  having  little  recent  ex¬ 
perience  with  them,  we  have  spent  our  earlier 
years  on  the  farm  with  50  to  100  swarms,  and 
then  a  full  band  of  extempore  music  was  consider¬ 
ed  a  sure  remedy — if  the  said  band  were  muster¬ 
ed  in  season.  We  well  remember  that  amid  the 
sober  hard-working  realities  of  boyhood  farm- 
life,  thS  attempted  flight  of  an  issuing  swarm  was 
a  much  desired  event,  as  it  gave  a  fine  opportuni¬ 
ty  for  indulging  in  what  nearly  every  boy  delights 
in,  a  regular  charivari.  It  is  hard  to  give  up  a 
faith,  born  and  bred  in  young  bones,  yet  we  have 
almost  been  induced  to  do  so  at  the  fiat  of  those 
who  ought  to  know.  We  will  give  one  item  from 
experience  and  then  leave  the  apiarians  to  defend 
themselves. 

In  1836,  while  out  at  the  wood-pile,  we  heard  in 
a  south-westerly  direction  the  well  known  sound 
of  a  swarm  of  bees  on  the  wing.  Nothing  doubting 
the  efficiency  of  the  tin-pans,  and  a  six-feet  din¬ 
ner  tin-horn,  we  instantly  called  out  the  “  band  ” 
and  had  the  players  all  ready  by  the  time  the  bees 
were  over  head— at  a  hight  of  some  twenty-five 
feet.  The  noise  appeared  to  confound  the  swarm, 
and  they  presently  alighted  in  the  orchard,  were 
hived,  and  remained  peacefully  with  us,  and  in¬ 
creased  to  half-a-dozen  swarms. — Ed.] 

- — .wo— - »-=’ - 

Bottling1  up  “SunStrokes.” 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

A  few  years  past,  I’ve  heard  people  talk  a  great 
deal  about  getting  “sun-struck,”  and  the  City 
newspapers  every  Summer  have  many  accounts 
of  such  cases  in  the  streets.  I  used  to  think  when 
I  first  heard  about  it,  that  it  was  something  that 
came  down  from  the  sky  like  a  stroke  of  light¬ 
ning,  only  there  was  no  noise  with  it,  and  that  if 
we  kept  in  the  shade  there  was  no  danger.  But 
one  day  I  was  on  the  hay-mow  stowing  away  hay 
under  the  rafters— if  you  have  ever  been  there 
you  know'  it’s  a  powerful  hot  place — and  my  John 
was  pitching  it  in  pretty  strong,  when  all  of  a 
sudden,  I  began  to  feel  very  queer.  My  limbs 
trembled  and  it  began  to  look  misty  and  dark 
like,  so  I  sung  out  to  John  to  hold  on.  After 
coming  down  and  sitting  in  the  air  a  little  while 
I  felt  better,  but  I  didn’t  go  up  there  again  that 
day.  I  was  telling  my  symptoms  to  the  doctor, 


next  day,  and  he  said,  “you  came  near  being  sun- 
struck.”  That  struck  me  with  a  new  idea,  and  I 
learned  that  the  danger  is  not  from  a  bolt  of  sun¬ 
shine,  but  from  getting  over-heated,  and  that  there 
is  greater  danger  generally  in  the  sunshine,  only 
because  it’s  hotter  there. 

Since  then,  when  I’ve  had  any  very  trying  work 
to  do  in  hot  weather,  I’ve  turned  out  to  work  too 
or  three  hours  earlier  in  the  morning,  and  then 
taken  an  extra  nap  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  letting 
the  teams  rest  at  the  same  time,  and  as  I  am 
not  afraid  of  being  moon-struck,  I  sometimes  keep 
to  work  in  the  evening,  especially  when  there’s 
a  good  harvest  moon. 

But  there’s  another  thing  I’ve  learned  which 
some  do  not  know,  perhaps,  that  sun-strokes  can 
be  bottled  up.  Franklin  bottled  up  lightning,  but 
I  can  tell  some  folks  how  to  keep  sun-strokes  in 
a  bottle  or  jug  where  they  wont  hurt  them.  Let 
them  just  tie  the  cork  of  their  whiskey  jug  down 
tight,  and  as  long  as  the  string  holds  they  will 
not  be  in  much  danger.  If  you  put  a  man  be¬ 
tween  two  fires  it's  a  wonder  if  lie  does  not  get 
burnt ;  so  when  the  fiery  sun  is  on  the  outside 
and  the  fiery  water  on  the  inside,  he  is  in  great 
danger.  Jonathan. 

- - - sj*-i - - - - 

For  the  Amtrican  Agriculturist. 

My  Neighbor  and  his  Pigs. 

Mr.  Editor  : 

When  about  buying  the  farm  where  I  now  re¬ 
side,  I  very  naturally  of  course  asked  the  former 
occupant  about  the  neighbor  I  would  have  on  the 
other  side  of  the  road.  He  replied  that  he  was  a 
“clever  man  enough,  though  he  had  his  faults,” 
and  as  I  did  not  expect  perfection  in  this  world,  I 
made  no  further  question.  But  there  is  “a  thorn 
in  the  flesh” — my  neighbor  keeps  his  hogs  upon 
the  road.  No  one  knows  the  amount  of  annoy¬ 
ance  I  have  submitted  to  these  many  years,  not¬ 
withstanding  the  mildest  suggestions  and  requests 
with  regard  to  the  unhappy  liberty  of  those  hogs. 
So  this  year  when  I  heard  the  preparatory 
squeals,  and  announced  the  ominous  fact  in  the 
family,  wife  was  seized  with  a  sort  of  despair, 
and  advised  to  sell  out  and  go  away.  Little 
Tommy  declared  war  in  the  stoning  line,  and  I 
bethought  me  of  writing  for  aid  to  the  Agricul¬ 
turist. 

What  can  I  do?  I  do  not  feel  as  though  I 
could  ‘sell  out  and  go  away’  from  all  the  comforts 
and  luxuries  that  by  hard  labor  I  have  got  around 
me  ;  all  the  trees  I  have  planted  for  fruit  and  or¬ 
nament  ;  all  the  conveniences  and  niceties  I  have 
added  to  the  house  ;  and  all  the  improvements  I 
have  made  in  the  fields,  that  begin  to  look  so  much 
like  living.  Besides,  I  have  grown  attached  to  the 
hills  and  the  vales,  and  the  belt  of  forest  that 
forms  so  pleasant  a  feature  in  the  view. 

Wife  asks  whether  it  is  best  to  plant  the  flow¬ 
ers  this  year  as  usual  in  the  front  yard,  since  if 
the  gate  should  be  inadvertently  left  open  for  a 
moment,  our  neighbor’s  hogs  would  have  then- 
noses  again  under  the  dahlia-roots,  and  a  good 
time  generally,  among  the  flowers.  The  sad  ex¬ 
perience  of  other  years  would  give  a  negative 
answer,  since  not  being  a  Crcesus,  and  therefore 
not  rich  enough  to  keep  a  dog,  we  are  obliged 
to  content  ourselves  with  a  “  shoo  ”  and  a  “ste- 
boy,”  which  seems  to  be  very  mild  means,  with 
the  devastators. 

We  have  all  received  standing  orders  again  not 
to  enter  by  the  front  way,  when  coming  from 
the  street,  for  fear  of  tracking  the  “droppings’ 
through  the  hall  and  over  the  carpet,  the  peculiar 
odor  of  which  has  caused  so  much  washing  and 
scrubbing  heretofore,  and  required  extra  shoes 
to  make  us  presentable  in  the  house. 


204 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


There  is  another  reason  why  I  am  annoyed.  I 
take  pride  in  farming,  and  as  neighbor’s  hogs  are 
not  quite  up  to  the  standard  of  those  shown  at 
the  Exhibitions,  and  as  they  are  almost  always  on 
my  side  of  the  road,  I  am  afraid  that  the  passers- 
by  will  think  that  they  belong  to  me.  I  am  very 
far  from  saying,  however,  that  neighbor’s  hogs 
are  not  the  best  calculated  for  their  condition, 
they  being  turned  out  with  the  injunction  of  “root 
hog  or  die.”  The  necessity  of  long  snouts  and 
“great  power  of  face,”  with  a  race-liorse  build  in 
other  respects,  is  apparent,  and  if  I  was  not  so 
much  engaged,  I  think  I  might  make  my  fortune 
m  the  modeling  of  a  plow  after  these  hogs’ 
noses,  that  would  have  in  great  perfection,  those 
prime  requisites  “  complete  inversion  of  the  sod, 
with  thorough  pulverization.”  You  gave  a  pic¬ 
ture  of  one  of  them  last  year,  so  perfect  that  I 
think  your  “artist”  must  have  been  this  way  for 
his  model. 

I  am  told  that  the  “  law  ”  is  on  my  side — that 
my  neighbor  has  no  right  to  keep  his  hogs  upon 
the  road,  rooting  up  the  sod  along  my  door-yard 
fenee,  and  leaving  nuisances  at  the  front  gate. 
But  how  can  I  prosecute  him  when  we  are  on 
such  intimate  terms — he  borrowing  all  my  things 
from  first  to  last  in  the  season — besides,  he  would 
“  beat  ”  me  if  the  case  had  to  be  tried  by  a  “jury 
of  his  peers.” 

Mr.  Agriculturist,  could  you  not  write  some¬ 
thing  that  would  make  my  neighbor  take  away  his 
hogs  from  the  hole  they  have  dug  at  my  gate,  and 
where  they  lie  the  most  of  the  time  1  Could  you 
not  say  that  if  you  had  a  tiger  you  would  as  soon 
think  of  leaving  him  at  large  in  the  public  street, 
as  a  hog!  or  that  if  he  had  a  proper  hog-pen,  and 
threw  in  all  his  refuse  litter  with  swamp  muck  as 
an  absorbent,  he  might  manure  four  acres  a  year 
in  the  highest  style  of  the  art!  As  my  neighbor 
has  the  reputation  at  the  tavern  of  being  a  remark¬ 
ably  shrewd  man,  at  least  in  politics,  where  he  is 
an  oracle  with  the  loungers,  and  treats  them  to 
his  views  on  public  affairs,  with  other  treats,  per¬ 
haps  the  four-acre  suggestion  would  be  the  feather 
that  would  turn  the  scale — and  as  wife  has  ad¬ 
vised,  and  I  approve  of,  making  our  neighbor  a 
present  of  a  year’s  subscription  to  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist,  he  will  be  sure  to  see  it,  and  thereby  we  be 
happily  rid  of  the  hogs  that  watch  so  constantly 
at  the  front  gate  waiting  for  the  waters  to  be 
troubled.  We  shall  cling  to  this  as  our  last  hope. 

Sufferer. 

Remarks. — “Sufferer”  has  a  hard  time  of  it, 
but  if  the  adage  be  true  that  “misery  loves  com¬ 
pany,”  we  can  assure  him  that  he  is  very  far 
from  being  alone.  We  could  write  from  “expe¬ 
rience,”  and  feelingly  too,  but  not  more  so  than 
“  Sufferer”  has  done,  we  suspect.  However,  we 
advise  to  send  your  neighbor  the  Agriculturist,  as 
you  propose,  and  if  your  statement  of  the  case 
does  not  open  his  eyes  to  what  has, perhaps,  been 
an  oversight  hitherto,  let  us  know,  and  we  will 
level  our  trusty  old  shooting-.'ron  at  him,  or  rather 
at  his  hogs,  (loaded  with  rock  salt,  of  course — 
not  lead).  It  is  a  great  “piece”  for  scattering  shot, 
and  while  shooting  at  the  hogs  above  named,  men¬ 
tioned,  described,  and  anathematized,  some  stray 
slugs  (of  salt)  may  chance  to  hit  some  other  hogs 
we  wot  of.  A  variety  of  other  remedies  are  down 
in  our  note-book,  such  as  live  fences,  sundry 
chemical  experiments  upon  swine-flesh,  grain  pre¬ 
pared  in  sundry  ways  to  be  planted  on  our  side  of 
the  road — not  to  be  fed  of  course,  but  simply  left 
there  for  growing,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.  But  we 
trust  the  first  named  remedy  will  be  all  sufficient. 

Ed.] 

- .  — — »-«- - . 

The  day  on  which  idle  men  work  and  fools  re¬ 
form,  is — to-morrow. 


The  Canada  Thistle.— (Cirsium  arvcnsc.) 


Last  month,  p.  186,  we  referred  to  a  very  valu- 
ble  work  on  “  American  Weeds  and  Useful  Plants," 
by  Dr.  Darlington,  revised  with  additions  by  Geo. 
Thurber,  Prof,  of  Mat.  Med.  and  Botany,  in  the 
N.  Y.  College  of  Pharmacy.  This  work  could 
scarcely  have  fallen  into  better  hands.  Prof. 
Thurber,  has  taken  hold  of  the  matter  with  much 
energy  and  abundant  ability.  We  have  long  de¬ 
sired  a  work  of  the  character  of  this,  and  we  only 
wish  it  were  a  little  less  scientific,  or  rather,  more 
adapted  to  the  reading  of  the  unlettered  masses, 
for  few  subjects  possess  more  importance  or  de¬ 
serve  to  be  more  studied  by  cultivators  at  large 
than  that  of  “  Weeds.”  This  book,  however,  con¬ 
tains  a  great  amount  of  information  useful  to  all, 
and  we  would  advise  every  one  to  possess  him¬ 
self  of  a  copy.  Both  as  a  matter  of  interest,  and 
as  a  specimen  of  the  character  of  the  book,  we 
present  below  an  extract  upon  that  well  known 
pest  the  “  Canada  Thistle.”  The  engraving  will 
be  recognized  as  a  faithful  representation  of  this 
plant.  We  copy  the  description  precisely  as 
given  in  the  book  : 


Field  Cirsium.  Canada  Thistle.  Cursed  Thistle. 
French,  Chardon  aux  Anes.  German,  Die  Acker 

Kratzdistel. 

Rhizoma  [root-stalk]  perennial— creeping  horizontally 
6  to  8  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  giving 
off  numerous  erect  biennial  branches.  Stem  18  inches  to 
3  feet  high,  slender  and  smoothish— the  branches  slender 
and  lanuginous.  Leaves  4  to  8  or  10  inches  long,  sessile 
and  slightly  decurrent,  smoothish  on  the  upper  surface, 
sometimes  arachnoid-Ianuginous  beneath — the  radical 
ones  curled  or  wavy.  Heads  hall  an  inch  to  two-thirds  of 
an  inch  in  diameter,  terminal,  sub-pedunculate  ;  scales 
smoothish,  minutely  ciliate.  Florets  palish  lilac-purple, 
with  whitish  anthers,  perfect  or  the  heads  dioecious  by 
abortion.  Akenes  [seed]  linear  oblong,  slightly  4-corner- 
ed  ;  pajrpus  [down]  finally  longer  than  the  florets. 

Fields  and  way-sides  :  Northern  and  Middle  States  : 
introduced.  Native  of  Europe.  Flowers  July.  Fr.  August. 

Observation.  This  is,  perhaps,  the  most  exe¬ 
crable  weed  that  has  yet  invaded  the  farms  of  our 
country.  The  rhizoma  or  subterranean  stem 
(which  is  perennial  and  very  tenacious  of  life), 
lies  rather  below  the  usual  depth  of  furrows — 
and  hence  the  plant  is  not  destroyed  by  common 
plowing.  This  rhizoma  ramifies  and  extends  it¬ 


self  horizontally  in  all  directions — sending  up 
branches  to  the  surface,  where  radical  leaves  are 
developed  the  first  year — and  aerial  sterns  the 
second  year.  The  plant  appears  to  die  at  the  end 
of  the  second  Summer  ;  but  it  only  dies  down  to 
the  horizontal  subterranean  stem.  The  numer¬ 
ous  branches  sent  up  from  the  rhizoma,  soon  cov¬ 
er  the  ground  with  the  prickly  radical  leaves  of 
the  plant ;  and  thus  prevent  cattle  from  feeding 
where  they  are.  Nothing  short  of  destroying  the 
perennial  portion  of  the  plant  will  Tid  the  ground 
of  this  pest ;  and  this,  I  believe,  has  been  accom¬ 
plished  by  a  few  years  of  continued  culture  (or 
annual  cropping  of  other  plants,  that  require  fre¬ 
quent  plowing,  or  dressing  with  the  hoe,) — so  as 
to  prevent  the  development  of  radical  leaves,  and 
deprive  the  rhizoma  of  all  connection  or  commu¬ 
nication  with  the  atmosphere.  The  following  no¬ 
tice  of  this  annoying  weed,  from  Curtis’  Flora 
Lonclincnsis  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  the 
American  Farmer  :  “  Vitium  agrorum  apud  nos 

primarium  est  [it  is  the  greatest  pest  of  our  fields] 
Linnzeus  observes  in  his  Flora  Lapponica.  The 
same  may  be  said  with  us  :  and  we  have  be¬ 
stowed  on  this  plant  the  harsh  name  of  cursed, 
with  a  view  to  awaken  the  attention  of  the  Agri¬ 
culturists  of  our  country  to  its  nature  and  perni¬ 
cious  effects.  “  Repeated  observation  has  con¬ 
vinced  us  that  many  husbandmen  are  ignorant  of 
its  economy — and  while  they  remain  so,  they  will 
not  be  likely  to  get  rid  of  one  of  the  greatest  pests 
which  can  affect  their  corn-fields  and  pastures. 
Of  the  thistle  tribe  the  greatest  part  are  annual  or 
biennial,  and  hence  easily  destroyed.  Some  few 
are  not  only  perennial,  but  have  powerfully  creep¬ 
ing  roots — and  none  so  much  as  the  present.  In 
pulling  this  plant  out  of  the  ground,  we  draw  up 
a  long  slender  root,  which  many  are  apt  to  con¬ 
sider  as  the  whole  of  it ;  but  if  those  employed 
in  such  business  examine  the  roots  so  drawn  up, 
they  will  find  every  one  of  them  broken  off  at  the 
end  ;  for  the  root  passes  perpendicularly  to  a 
great  depth,  and  then  branches  out  horizontally 
under  ground.” 

Two  or  three  other  species  of  Cirsium  are  fre¬ 
quently  to  be  met  with,  (viz. :  Cirsium  muticum, 
Mx. ,  with  the  heads  not  spinose — and  Cirsium 
altissimum,  Spreng.,  with  the  stem  leaves  not 
pinnatifid) :  but,  as  they  do  not  incline  much  to 
infest  the  open  grounds  or  farm-land,  I  have  not 
judged  it  necessary  to  notice  them  more  particu¬ 
larly  here. 

- -  i-Cl  O  Bnr ►  -€*-  . - 

Exterminating  Briers. 

Infields  newly  cleared  of  wood,  an  abundant 
growth  of  blackberry,  raspberry  and  other  briery 
plants  usually  spring  up  from  seeds  carried 
there  by  birds.  These  seeds  have  been  waiting 
for  the  sunshine  to  biing  them  to  life.  Burning 
the  brush  and  rubbish  over  them  gives  a  fine  top 
dressing,  from  which  they  will  thrive  with  great 
vigor,  often  requiring  years  of  thorough  culture 
with  hoed  crops  to  eradicate  them.  We  have 
found  pasturing  such  fields  with  sheep  an  effectu¬ 
al  remedy.  They  are  very  fond  of  the  leaves  and 
tender  young  shoots,  and  will  keep  them  so  close¬ 
ly  cropped  down,  that  they  have  no  chance  for  life. 
The  following  year  the  land  can  be  plowed  with 
much  less  difficulty,  than  where  a  thicket  of  rank 
briers  fully  armed,  disputes  the  passage  of  the 
team. 

- — - «»®«— — ►  - 

“  John,”  said  a  father  to  his  son  one  day, 
when  he  caught  him  shaving  the  “  down  ”  off"  his 
upper  lip,  “don’t  throw  your  shaving  water  out 
where  there  are  any  barefooted  boys,  for  they 
might  get  their  feet  pricked.” 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Are  Maple  Orchards  worth  Preserving. 


This  may  he  considered  a  silly  question  by 
many  who  own  valuable  orchards  of  the  beautiful 
Rock,  or  Hard  Maple  trees,  and  annually  make 
their  own  family  supply  of  sugar  from  them,  or 
much  more,  and  where  the  land  they  occupy  can 
not  be  profitably  devoted  to  cropping.  We  pre¬ 
sume  it  may  on  the  first  thought,  be  so  consider¬ 
ed  by  others  who  have  sugar  orchards  growing 
on  lands  which  may  he  worth  fifty  to  a  hundred 
dollars  an  acre  for  cultivation. 

But,  as  we  ask  the  question  in  all  sobriety, 
for  information,  of  those  more  conversant  with 
the  subject  than  ourselves,  and  from  whom  we 
would  gladly  obtain  light,  we  will  offer  a  few 
suggestions  as  they  occur.  To  start  with  :  We 
concede  the  utility  and  excellence  of  well  made 
maple  sugar.  Three  pounds  of  it  are  worth  as 
much  for  sweetening  as  two  pounds  of  New-Or- 
leans,  or  West  India  sugar — not  more.  Maple 
molasses  also  holds  about  the  same  proportion  in 
value  to  New-Orleans,  or  West  India  molasses 
made  from  the  sugar  cane.  Such  facts,  we 
presume,  no  advocate  of  the  maple  sugar,  or 
molasses  will  deny.  We  also  know  that  there 
are  thousandsof  beautiful  sugar  orchards  scatter¬ 
ed  over  the  northern  States,  on  hills  and  rocky 
lands — the  best  of  all  for  sugarproduction — which 
are  of  little  value  for  purposes  of  either  cultiva¬ 
tion  or  pasturage  merely,  where  a  “sugar-bush” 
is  the  best  investment  that  can  possibly  be  made 
of  them.  Then,  again,  there  are  other  lands 
where  sugar  orchards  now  grow,  and  sugar  is 
made  from  them,  which  are  of  the  first  quality 
for  any  kind  of  cultivation,  and  which  may  yield 
two  or  three  times  as  much  in  annual  farm  crops 
as  they  yield  in  sugar  :  and  to  these  our  question 
will  more  readily  apply. 

We  take  it  that  a  farmer  only  gets  one  good 
yield  of  sugar  in  an  average  of  three  years,  at 
the  best.  Some  sugar  may  be  made  every  year, 
we  admit ;  but,  taking  one  year  with  another, 
one  crflji  in  three  is  quite  an  average.  The  year 
1857  was  extraordinary,  and  for  one  such,  six, 
eight,  ten,  or  a  dozen  years  will  not  give  its  equal ; 
but  hearing  such  wonderful  facts  of  the  sugar 
orchards  in  such  a  year  we  are  apt  to  draw  our 
conclusions  that  all  are  so,  and  make  up  our  opin¬ 
ions  accordingly.  Then,  again,  sugar  orchards 
must  be  devoted  to  that  object  alone.  They  can 
not  be  plowed  nor  cultivated  in  annual  farm  crops. 
Grass  for  pasturage  is  all  that  they  can  yield,  and 
but  little  of  that,  in  a  very  inferior  quality  for  cat¬ 
tle.  As  a  rule,  they  may  be  said  to  be  of  little 
value  for  any  other  purpose  whatever.  Again, 
level  or  clayey  lands  will  not  yield  half  the  sugar 
that  hilly  lands  of  porous,  open  soil  will  do. 

We  have  seen  within  a  few  years  past,  as  ag¬ 
ricultural  lands  have  advanced  in  price,  a  great 
many  sugar  orchards  abandoned  and  cut  away, 
from  the  fact  that  farm  crops  have  increased  in 
value  by  the  construction  of  railways,  or  the 
opening  of  other  facilities  for  getting  crops  to 
market,  showing  the  conviction  that  they  could 
not  longer  be  profitably  devoted  to  sugar-making. 
The  late  developments  with  sorghum,  also,  have 
thrown  up  a  new  element  for  consideration  •; 
and  if  that  is  to  prove  successful  in  the 
manufacture  of  sugar,  as  well  as  molasses, 
we  can  have  little  doubt,  the  devotion  of  arable, 
or  grazing  lands  even,  to  the  maple,  will  be 
less  frequently  practiced.  We  have  not  yet 
seen  any  fair  calculation  of  the  cost  of  growing 
and  making  maple  sugar,  taking  into  account  the 
value  of  the  land,  the  interest  annually  thereon, 
the  expense  of  gathering  and  boiling  the  sap,  with 
the  price  of  the  article  in  market,  etc.,  as  in  other 


205 


farm  productions,  which,  if  we  had  them,  would 
lead  us  to  form  a  reliable  opinion.  These  we 
should  be  glad  to  receive  from  some  practical  and 
experienced  men  who  have  been  long  conversant 
with  maple-sugar-making.  This  is  an  economical 
question,  and  as  such  should  be  examined. 
We  ought,  perhaps,  in  candor  to  say  that  maple 
sugar,  from  being  usually  considered  a  luxury, 
bears  about  twenty  per  cent  higher  price  in  mark¬ 
et  than  other  sugars,  irrespective  of  real  worth. 


greatest  heat  is  applied  where  the  fresh  juice  is 
received  from  the  tank,  E,  and  the  heat  is  ot 
course  gradually  diminished  towards  the  right, 
where  the  juice  is  more  concentrated. 

The  pan  is  placed  upon  a  frame  resting  upon 
the  rockers,  A,  A.  By  this  arrangement  the  pan 
can  be  inclined  so  as  to  give  the  liquid  a  greater, 
or  less  rapid  flow,  according  to  the  degree  of  heat 
and  rapidity  of  evaporation. 

Operation. — As  soon  as  possible  after  expres- 


Cook’s  Portable  Sugar  Evaporator. 


Though,  since  the  experiments  of  the  first  two 
years,  we  have  not  had  great  faith  in  the  idea  that 
the  Chinese  Sugar  Cane  would  be  a  profitable 
sugar  crop  for  general  cultivation  in  the  northern 
States,  yet  we  have  constantly  advised  that  it  is 
adapted  to  the  production  of  sweetening  (syrup 
at  least),  in  remote  sections  of  the  country,  where 
southern  or  foreign  cane  sugar  is  not  accessible 
without  great  cost  for  transportation.  To  this 
opinion  we  still  adhere,  and  every  now  and  then 
there  are  indications  that  even  in  sections  not  so 
remote  from  markets,  sugar  may  yet  be  produced 
profitably.  We  have  before  us  some  very  fair 
samples  of  sugar  said  to  have  been  made  in  con¬ 
siderable  quantities  in  Ohio,  last  year,  by  the  use 
of  Cook's  Evaporator,  of  which  we  present  an 
engraving  and  description  herewith. 

Our  own  experiments  in  1857,  and  those  we 
have  seen  made  by  others,  all  go  to  show  that  to 
obtain  good  syrup  a  very  brisk  evaporation  of  the 
juice  is  required.  In  slow  boiling  the  juice  sours, 
which  renders  the  syrup  poor,  and  of  course  un¬ 
fits  it  for  crystalizing  into  sugar.  The  design  of 
Cook’s  Evaporator  is  to  secure  this  end,  and  so 
far  as  we  can  judge  from  the  drawings  of  the  im¬ 
plement  it  seems  well  adapted  to  the  purpose. 
We  regret  not  to  be  able  to  speak  from  personal 
observation  and  examination. 

Description. — The  evaporating  pan,  C,  C,  is 
from  6  to  10  feet  long,  and  from  3  to  4  feet  wide. 
It  is  made  of  tinned  copper,  or  galvanized  iron,  or 
other  protected  metal,  the  bottom  being  crimped 
into  flanges  or  folds,  so  as  to  expose  a  greater 
surface  to  the  fire.  The  folds  are  also  so  arranged 
that  a  continuous  channel  is  formed  in  the  bottom, 
through  which  the  fluid  poured  into  one  end  of  a 
groove  at  the  left,  flows  along  to  the  other  end, 
then  across  into  the  next  groove  and  back  through 
it,  then  across  into  the  next  groove,  and  so  on 
until  it  runs  off  into  the  tub,  F.  The  fire  is  placed 
in  a  sheet  iron  furnace,  B,  B,  at  the  left,  where  the 
door  is  shown  ;  the  heated  air  passes  along  under 
the  pan  and  out  through  the  smoke-pipe,  D.  The 


singthe  juice  from  the  cane  it  is  slowly  fed  through 
a  regulating  faucet,  from  the  vat,  E.  It  flows 
along  over  the  fire  from  groove  to  groove,  as 
above  described, being  skimmed  as  it  passes  along, 
and,  if  the  stream  be  properly  regulated,  by  the 
time  it  reaches  the  discharge  pipe  it  will  be  suffi 
ciently  reduced  for  syrup  or  for  granulation. 

We  suppose  the  upturned  flanges  must  be  pro¬ 
tected  from  contact  with  the  fire  underneath, 
otherwise  they  would  burn  the  syrup  at  the  upper 
line  where  it  came  in  contact  with  the  portion  ot 
metal  uncovered  by  the  fluid.  We  have  found  that 
in  boiling  the  sugar  cane  juice,  as  well  as  in  con¬ 
densing  other  syrupy  fluids,  the  burning  is  usual¬ 
ly  done  by  portions  of  the  fluid  coming  in  contact 
with  the  kettle  or  boiler  where  it  is  not  kept  cool 
by  being  covered  with  the  fluid. 

The  price  of  these  Evaporators  varies  from  $35 
to  $70,  according  to  the  size.  It  is  claimed  by  the 
manufaclurers  that  the  $40  size  will  boil  two 
barrels  of  cane  juice  per  hour. 


Cut  Grain  and  Grass  before  Ripening’. 

An  intelligent  practical  man  who  had  just  read 
our  article  on  this  subject  in  Yol.  XV,  page  253, 
remarked  in  our  hearing  that  “  if  the  reasoning  of 
that  article  be  correct  it  would  be  worth  millions 
of  dollars  to  the  country  every  year,  should  the 
mass  of  farmers  study  it  and  act  upon  its  sug¬ 
gestions.”  Now  we  know  the  reasoning  was  cor¬ 
rect,  not  only  because  founded  on  true  scientific 
principles,  but  also  because  we  have  abundant 
confirmation  in  the  united  experience  of  all  who 
have  put  the  matter  to  practical  test.  We  will 
here  repeat  that  all  grass  and  grain  crops  designed 
to  be  used  as  food  for  man  or  beast  should  be 
gathered  before  full  maturity. 

Grass,  while  still  green,  contains  a  large  amount 
of  starch,  gum,  and  sugar.  The  sugar  is  per¬ 
ceived  in  the  sweetish  taste  of  the  juice;  the 
starch  and  gum,  being  nearly  tasteless,  are  not 
so  readily  perceived.  The  principal  nourishing 
ingredients  in  all  kinds  of  food  are  starch,  gum, 
sugar,  and  some  nitrogenous  compound.  But 


Q06 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


the  starch,  gum,  and  sugar,  are  mainly  changed 
into  hard  indigestible  woody  fibre  when  grass 
fully  matures.  If  the  ripening  process  be  arrest¬ 
ed  eight  or  ten  days  before  its  completion,  and 
the  plant  be  dried  rapidly,  double  or  treble  the 
amount  of  starch,  gum,  and  sugar  will  be  secured. 
The  same  reasoning  holds  true  of  all  kinds  of 
grain.  Every  one  is  familiar  with  the  sweet  taste 
of  green  corn,  wheat  in  the  milk,  etc.  When  the 
growth  is  completed,  cut  these  crops  and  you 
save  a  considerable  amount  of  rich  nutriment 
which  would  otherwise  be  changed  to  the  woody 
fibre  of  the  outer  shell.  The  only  point  to  be 
looked  to,  is,  to  wait  until  the  accumulation  of 
juices  is  completed,  and  then  begin  the  harvest¬ 
ing  at  once.  The  only  exception  to  this  rule  is 
with  crops  designed  solely  for  seed  ;  these  may 
well  be  left  to  the  natural  full  ripening  upon  the 
stalk,  especially  when  the  seed  is  to  be  kept  long. 

The  proper  time  for  cutting  grasses  is  at  the 
moment  the  seed  is  set,  or  immediately  after  the 
flowering  is  over.  Clover  should  be  cut  as  soon 
as  in  full  bloom. 

A  large  number  of  experiments  on  wheat  and 
other  grains  indicates  that  the  proper  time  for 
harvesting  is  when  the  kernel  is  fully  formed,  but 
still  soft  enough  to  yield  to  a  moderate  pressure 
between  the  thumb  nails.  This  is  usually  about 
ten  days  before  full  maturity.  We  have  had  re¬ 
ports  of  a  number  of  definite  experiments  on  this 
subject,  since  our  former  article,  one  of  which  is 
given  below.  Several  years  ago  Mr.  Hannam,  of 
Yorkshire,  England,  made  five  successive  cuttings 
from  the  same  field  of  wheat,  and  carefully  noted 
the  results  which  are  given  condensed  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  table  : 


Cuttings. 

Days  before 
maturity. 

Products  of  100  lbs. 

of  Grain. 

Fine  Flour.  Seconds 

Bran. 

1 

3U  days. 

75  ibs. 

7  tbs. 

17  lbs. 

2 

21  days. 

76  tbs. 

7  ibs. 

16  lbs. 

3 

14  davs. 

80  tbs. 

5  lbs. 

13  lbs. 

4 

2  days. 

77  lbs. 

7  lbs. 

14  ibs. 

5 

0  days. 

72  lbs. 

11  lbs. 

15  lbs. 

The  largest  yield,  and  the  finest  flour  was  ob¬ 
tained  from  cutting  No.  3.  A  subscriber  of  the 
Agriculturist  in  Ottawa,  Ill.,  writes  that  after  re¬ 
reading  our  article  above  alluded  to,  he  last  Sum¬ 
mer  resolved  to  put  it  to  the  test  on  his  wheat 
crop  of  fifty  acres,  although  against  the  protest  of 
his  well-meaning  neighbors.  For  comparison  he 
left  a  small  portion  standing  in  the  field  until 
fully  ripe.  The  result  he  states  as  follows': 

“  The  bulk  of  the  crop  cut  first,  weighed  624- 
pounds  to  the  measured  bushel !  The  remainder 
of  the  crop,  cut  when  fully  ripe,  weighed  but  58 
lbs.  per  bushel — a  difference  of  44  lbs.  per  bushel. 
The  amount  harvested  was  1,200  bushels;  thus 
a  gain  of  5,400  lbs.  weight,  equivalent  to  about 
90  bushels  in  bulk,  was  realized.  The  flour  made 
from  the  early  cut  wheat  was  superior,  being 
white  and  lively.” 

Let  others  who  have  not  full  faith  in  this  rea¬ 
soning,  try  a  small  portion  of  wheat  or  other 
grain  by  cutting  it  when  just  out  of  the  milk,  and 
carefully  note  the  results ;  we  feel  quite  sure  they 
will  be  satisfactory.  The  reaping  machines,  now 
so  common,  put  it  in  the  power  of  farmers  to 
gather  their  grain  crops  at  the  most  appropriate 
season. 

■ - ■*»-« — — - . 

To  Prevent  the  Feet  from  Slipping  in  Hay- 
ins  Time,  etc. — C.  T.,  Queens  Co.,  N.  Y.,  re¬ 
commends  tacking  the  soles  of  old  rubber  shoes 
on  the  bottoms  of  boots  or  shoes  during  the  hay¬ 
ing  season,  to  prevent  the  feet  slipping.  Leath¬ 
er  becomes  very  smooth  by  walking  over  stubble, 
and  the  mower  sometimes  finds  it  difficult  to  “get 
a  good  hold  ”  as  he  advances  forward  to  swing 
his  scythe.  It  is  also  a  good  precaution  to  put 


on  rubber  shoes  with  corrugated  bottoms  when 
going  on  to  a  sloping  roof,  as  there  is  less  danger 
of  slipping — unless  the  roof  is  very  wet,  when  one 
should  not  go  at  all. 

Agricultural  “Fairs”  and  Exhibitions. 

The  Exhibitions  held  under  the  direction  of 
State,  County  or  other  Agricultural  associations, 
though  often  called  “  fairs,”  are  improperly  desig¬ 
nated  by  that  term.  A  fair,  Webster  well  de¬ 
fines  as  “a  stated  meeting  of  buyers  and  sellers 
for  trade.”  Although  business  transactions  are 
often  effected  at  our  annual  agricultural  gather¬ 
ings,  this  is  only  incidental,  and  not.  the  primary 
object  for  which  they  were  established.  Fairs  are 
of  very  ancient  date  in  European  countries.  They 
originated  in  sparsely  settled  districts  where  on 
account  of  distance  from  any  emporium  it  was 
difficult  to  obtain  necessary  annual  supplies,  or  to 
find  a  market  for  the  various  products  of  industry. 
Becoming  established,  they  have  been  kept  up  ev¬ 
en  after  the  settlement  of  commercial  towns  with¬ 
in  easy  reach,  partly  because  of  “custom,”  but 
particularly,  no  doubt,  because  such  gatherings 
are  usually  made  the  occasion  of  merry  making 
and  sight  seeing,  where  the  rustics  find  much 
pleasure,  and  the  entertainers  much  profit. 
These  fairs  differ  in  their  character  ;  some  being 
general,  for  the  sale  of  articles  of  every  descrip¬ 
tion,  others  confined  principally  to  some  one  spe¬ 
cies  of  articles,  as  farm  stock,  horses,  dairy  pro¬ 
ducts,  etc.  In  France  a  hair  fair  is  held  annual¬ 
ly,  to  which  the  young  maidens  flock  by  hundreds 
to  dispose  of  the  crop  of  tresses  they  have  culti¬ 
vated  for  the  year. 

In  this  country  few  institutions  of  the  kind  have 
existed,  except  the  fancy  fairs  usually  connected 
with  ladies  sewing  societies,  of  which  we,  and  no 
doubt  many  of  our  readers  have  lively  jwrse-onal 
recollections.  Recently,  however,  there  has  been 
considerable  discussion  as  to  the  feasibility  of 
holding  agricultural  fairs,  or  of  adding  a  depart¬ 
ment  to  our  exhibitions,  to  be  devoted  especially 
to  this  purpose.  We  think  the  latter  proposition 
decidedly  objectionable.  There  is  already  too 
great  a  departure  from  the  objects  for  which  such 
exhibitions  should  be  held.  Instead  of  being  the 
means  of  bringing  into  notice  the  results  of  im¬ 
proved  culture,  thereby  leading  others  to  adopt 
the  methods  by  which  the  fine  specimens  of  pro¬ 
duce  and  stock  exhibited,  have  been  obtained,  too 
many  of  our  annual  gatherings  have  degener¬ 
ated  into  mere  shows  for  amusement  and  to  grat¬ 
ify  sight-seeing  curiosity.  In  some  instances 
circus-managers  have  shared  profits  with  county 
associations,  and  in  numerous  cases  the  race¬ 
track  with  its  men  and  women  performers  has 
been  the  chief  attraction.  In  the  selection  of 
speakers  also,  we  have  known  greater  regard  paid 
to  affording  some  political  aspirant  an  opportunity 
to  display  his  parts  and  make  capital  by  much 
fair  speech,  than  to  imparting  new  ideas  in  the 
science  of  cultivation,  by  men  competent  to  in¬ 
struct  and  interest.  The  addition  of  a  “  fair  ”  de¬ 
partment  to  exhibitions  would  still  further  de¬ 
tract  from  their  usefulness.  A  man  with  a  flock 
of  sheep  to  sell,  or  who  should  wish  to  purchase  a 
horse,  would  naturally  have  his  whole  thoughts 
upon  this,  and  trafficking  and  bargain  hunting 
would  be  the  great  business  of  the  day. 

Of  the  institution  of  agricultural  fairs  distinct 
from  exhibitions,  where  the  avowed  object  is  to 
buy  and  sell,  we  think  favorably.  The  time  con¬ 
sumed  in  looking  for  stock  needed  on  the  farm, 
or  for  arranging  the  sales  of  the  home  produce  is 
no  small  item,  when  a  day  is  often  worth  many 
dollars  in  farming  operations.  Many  fields  aro 
un plowed  because  the  owner,  driven  with  busi¬ 


ness,  had  not  time  to  look  up  cattle  in  the  Spring 
many  acres  of  grass  go  to  waste  for  want  of 
readily  accessible  stock  to  feed  them  off.  Often 
too,  men  sell  at  a  sacrifice  rather  than  wait  for  the 
next  chance  customer  to  call  for  their  produce. 
Again,  in  the  rapid  fluctuations  of  prices  which 
often  occur,  it  is  impracticable  for  the  man  dis¬ 
tant  from  sources  of  information  to  know  what 
valuation  to  put  upon  his  stock.  Merchants  and 
speculators  have  their  telegraphic  “  feelers  ”  out 
all  over  the  country,  and  are  speedily  apprised  of 
the  slightest  change.  But  the  newspaper  reports 
by  which  many  farmers  are  guided,  are  often 
several  days  old  when  they  are  read,  and  are  by 
no  means  reliable.  Many  of  these  difficulties 
could,  we  think,  be  obviated  by  properly  conduct¬ 
ed  fairs.  Purchasers  would  be  attracted  by  find¬ 
ing  an  assortment  from  which  to  select,  and  own¬ 
ers  having  arranged  the  home  business  with  ref¬ 
erence  to  the  time  appointed,  could  more  easily 
attend  to  disposing  of  their  stock.  In  such  a 
gathering  there  would  soon  be  a  well  understood 
scale  of  prices,  and  much  unnecessary  higgling 
and  chaffering  be  saved. 

As  an  affair  of  so  much  importance  should  be 
under  some  responsible  management,  it  might  be 
well  to  initiate  the  enterprise  under  the  superin¬ 
tendence  of  the  County  Agricultural  Associations 
already  formed  ;  the  regulations  would  vary  with 
localities.  The  experiment  has  already  been  tried 
in  a  few  places,  and  so  far  as  we  have  heard,  par¬ 
ticipants  generally  are  well  pleased  with  the  re¬ 
sults.  We  shall  be  gratified  to  hear  of  the  fur¬ 
ther  succes  of  the  movement,  as  whatever  sim¬ 
plifies  the  exchange  of  products  is  a  gain  to  both 
producer  and  consumer:  there  are  under  the 
present  system  too  many  “  middle  men,”  whose 
profits  add  nothing  to  the  general  value. 

Officers  of  N.  Y.  State  Agr.  Society. — In 
response  to  several  enquiries  for  the  officers  of 
this  Society  for  1859,  we  give  the  following  list. 

President — Hon.  A.  B.  Conger,  of  Rockland. 

Vice-Presidents — 1st  Dist..  Edward  G.  Faile,  of  N.  Y. 
2d,  C.  S.  Wainright,  Dutchess  ;  3d,  Dr  H.  Wendell 
Albany;  4th,  Henry  M.  Beckwith,  Washineton  ;  5th 
Benj.  N.  Huntington,  Oneida  ;  6th,  S.  A.  Law,  Delaware; 
7th,  Jas.  O.  Sheldon,  Ontario;  8th.  T.  C.  Peters,  Genesee 

Corresponding  Secretary— Benj.  P.  Johnson. 

Recording  Secretary — Erastus  Corning,  Jr. 

Treasurer—  Luther  A.  Tucker. 

The  Executive  Committee,  consist  of  the  above  togethei 
with  the  following:  Edward  A.  Lawrence,  Queens; 
T.  B.  Carroll,  Rensselaer;  H.  W.  Dwight,  Cayuga; 
Chauncy  Boughton,  Saratoga;  Aliich  Hubbeil,  Oneida. 

All  communications  and  enquiries  should  be 
addressed  to  the  corresponding  Secretary,  Col» 
B.  P.  Johnson,  at  Albany.  The  next  annual  ex¬ 
hibition  will  be  held  at  Albany. 


Hog  Cholera. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

Much  has  been  said  in  the  Agriculturist  at  dif¬ 
ferent  times  with  regard  to  the  disease  called 
Hog  Cholera,  which  should  be  called,  stoppage  of 
the  issues.  There  is  on  the  inside  of  the  fore-leg 
of  every  hog,  opposite  the  knee  joint,  three  small 
ducts  or  pipes  which  connect  directly  with  the 
lungs  of  the  animal.  In  every  healthy  hog,  there 
is  a  continual  discharge  from  them,  of  a  thick 
offensive  matter,  causing  the  hair  to  look  greasy 
around  them.  Now  if  those  issues  get  stopped  as 
they  often  do,  the  hog  will  die  in  a  short  time 
unless  they  are  opened,  which  is  done  by  insert¬ 
ing  a  wire  about  the  size  of  a  knitting-needle 
into  the  issues  from  ten  to  twelve  inches,  being 
careful  not  to  punch  through  the  membranous 
lining.  After  the  opening  process,  anoint  the  in¬ 
side  of  the  leg  with  salt  grease,  and  rub  with  a  cob 
until  the  skin  looks  very  red,  and  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten,  if  done  in  season  the  cure  is  effected. 

The  first  symptoms  of  this  disease  are  loss  of 


O  ' 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


appetite,  lameness  in  the  limbs  attended  with  a 
cough,  as  the  lungs  are  the  seat  of  the  disease,  and 
after  death  are  covered^  with  black  spots.  Hogs 
that  are  confined  in  small  pens,  or  a  large  num¬ 
ber  together,  are  most  liable  to  the  disease.  I  have 
never  known  an  instance  of  it  where  hogs  had 
plenty  of  room,  and  free  access  to  a  brook  or  riv¬ 
er  of  clear  running  water.  William  Lee. 

Fairfield  Co . ,  Ct. 

- - - - 

On  Praising  Pork  and  its  Use  as  Food. 

We  have  a  lengthy  essay  on  this  subject  from 
Mr.  J.  W.  Redfield,  but  have  not  room  to  give  it 
entire,  and  therefore  present  an  epitome  : 

The  opinion  is  expressed  that  hocrs  are 
generally  diseased  ;  not  acutely,  but  subject  to 
chronic  disorders  which  are  only  ended  by  the 
knife  of  the  butcher.  Tuberculated  and  ulcerated 
livers  and  lungs,  and  congested  and  enlarged 
lymphatic  glands  are  found  in  the  semi-wild  hogs 
which  fatten  in  the  forests  of  the  West  and  South, 
as  well  as  in  those  which  are  confined  in  a  space 
just  large  enough  to  eat,  stand,  and  sleep  in,  and 
compelled  to  breathe  the  exhalations  of  concen¬ 
trated  manures  which  it  is  their  business  to  com¬ 
post  and  manufacture.  The  hog  is  naturally  of 
scrofulous  constitution,  and  his  diseased  meat 
being  eaten,  is  brought  into  close  contact  and  in¬ 
timate  conjunction  with  fluids  and  solids  of  the 
human  body,  and  thus  imparts  scrofula,  showing 
itself  in  obstructions,  indurations,  enlargements, 
tumors,  tubercles,  eruptions,  ulcers  and  cancers. 

Mr.  Redfield,  thinks  the  tendency  of  the  swine 
to  scrofula  may  be  accounted  for  thus :  Life  in 
warm-blooded  animals  is  sustained  by  a  supply  ot 
heat-producing  material  taken  as  food,  such  as 
oil,  lard,  fat,  or  its  equivalent  in  various  forms. 
When  more  such  food  is  taken  than  is  necessary 
to  supply  the  immediate  wants  oftlie  system,  the 
surplus  is  stored  in  the  cellular  membrane  in 
different  parts  of  the  body,  ready  to  be  used  when 
needed  to  make  up  any  deficiency  of  food.  The 
fat,  thus  deposited,  in  time  becomes  rancid,  and 
is  then  absorbed  into  the  circulation  to  make  room 
for  fresh  deposites,  and  if  there  is  already  sup¬ 
plied  to  the  lungs  a  sufficient  amount  of  matter 
through  the  food  to  keep  up  the  necessary  com¬ 
bustion,  this  fatty  substance  remains  in  the  blood 
unpurified,  and  gives  rise  to  scrofulous  disease  in 
various  forms.  The  hog  is  particularly  liable  to 
this  difficulty,  because  his  food  is  mostly  starchy, 
saccharine,  and  oily,  rather  than  nitrogenous  ; 
fat-making  rather  than  flesh-making.  Again,  his 
habits  and  mode  of  life  tend  to  impede  the  vigor¬ 
ous  exercise  of  the  lungs  whose  office  it  is  to 
purify  the  blood.  He  lives  frequently  in  a  very 
impure  atmosphere,  and  also  by  almost  continual 
rooting,  excludes  a  free  supply  of  air  from  the 
lungs  His  filthy  habits  also  impede  the  egress  of 
offensive  secretions  from  the  skin,  and  increase 
a  tendency  to  lymphatic  and  phlegmatic  diseases. 

Mr.  R.  thinks  that  these  peculiarities  of  swine 
were  intended  to  subserve  the  purpose  of  rapid 
propagation  of  the  species  ;  for  which  swine  are 
remarkable.  During  the  process  of  gestation  and 
nursing,  the  excess  of  food  goes  for  the  growth  of 
the  young,  instead  of  being  deposited  in  the  form 
of  fat,  thus  preventing  the  difficulties  already  re¬ 
ferred  to.  He  says  it  has  been  observed  that 
scrofulous  and  consumptive  persons  enjoy  appa¬ 
rently  improved  health  during  pregnancy  from  this 
fact.  Hence  he  concludes  that  the  proper  way 
to  prevent  the  supposed  deleterious  effects  of 
eating  pork,  is  to  kill  the  young  porkers  for  the 
table  before  they  arrive  at  the  age  when  their  food 
adds  to  their  fat  instead  of  increasing  the  gener¬ 
al  growth.  He  thinks  the  superabundant  food  of 
one  sow,  in  the  shape  of  eight  or  ten  pigs,  is  great¬ 


er  in  quantity  and  better  in  quality,  than  in  the 
form  of  that  one  sow  fatted  and  overgrown  ;  and 
hence  more  profitable. 

He  advises  to  commence  with  one  sow  of  the 
finest  breed,  pregnant  with  her  first  litter,  which 
will  be  at  the  time  of  the  commencement  of  ex¬ 
cessive  nutrition  ;  to  save  all  the  sow  pigs  and  one 
boar  for  breeders,  and  to  make  roasters  of  the 
rest,  before  the  males  are  old  enough  to  have  a 
rank  taste,  thus  avoiding  castration  ;  and  to  con¬ 
tinue  thus,  until  the  herd  is  sufficiently  large. 

In  conclusion  Mr.  R.,  after  adverting  to  the 
superiority  of  young  porkers  to  the  overgrown 
animals  in  an  artistic  point  of  view,  (the  little  fe! 
lows  being  not  without  a  certain  style  of  beauty) 
concludes  with  the  opinion,  that  the  large  fatten¬ 
ed  animal  is  fit  only  for  stearine  candles  and 
lard  oil,  and  that  it  is  the  little  pig,  free  from  dis¬ 
ease,  fat,  fair,  rich,  tender,  and  delicate,  that  is 
fit  to  be  eaten. 

. - ^ - »-«- - - 

Tim  Bunker  on  Raising  Boys. 


Mr.  Editor. 

As  I  was  going  down  by  the  Horse-Pond  lot, 
this  morning,  the  same  one  that  I  drained  last 
year,  I  found  Seth  Twiggs’  horse.  Jolham  Spar- 
rowgrass’  cows,  and  Deacon  Smith’s  flock  of 
sheep  turned  into  my  corn  and  oats.  It  looked 
as  if  they  had  been  in  the  better  part  of  the  night ; 
for  the  corn  was  pretty  much  all  nipped  off,  or 
torn  up  by  the-roots,  and  the  oats  were  badly 
trampled.  The  corn  crop  is  of  course  ruined  as 
it  is  now  too  late  to  plant  over.  It  so  happened 
that  I  had  fixed  one  of  the  gate  posts  yesterday 
and  the  dirt  was  all  nicely  smoothed  off,  and  the 
enemy  who  had  done  this  had  left  his  foot  prints 
by  the  gate  way.  I  took  the  measure  of  the  shoe 
print,  and  walked  straight  up  to  Jake  Frink’s  and 
inquired  for  his  oldest  boy  Kier,  a  young  fellow 
about  eighteen,  who  is  up  to  all  manner  of  monk¬ 
ey  shines,  and  has  got  a  terrible  bad  name  in 
Hookertown.  Kier  was  called  in,  and  it  was 
found  that  the  measure  exactly  fitted  the  shoes 
in  which  he  stood,  length  and  breadth  of  top  and 
heel. 

Jake  Frink  was  a  good  deal  astonished,  when 
he  see  that  his  boy  was  caught  in  such  an  un- 
neighborly  trick,  but  I  don’t  know  why  he  need  to 
be,  for  he. has  had  no  sort  of  control  over  his  boys, 
and  always  let  them  choose  their  own  company, 
and  pursuits.  Kier,  has  got  a  notion  of  drinking 
the  last  few  years,  staying  all  night  at  the  tav¬ 
ern,  driving  fast  horses,  .unhinging  gates,  gird¬ 
ling  young  fruit  trees,  firing  stacks,  and  turning 
cattle  into  corn  fields.  He  seems  to  think  it  is 
very  smart,  to  destroy  property  in  this  way,  and 
to  make  himself  a  nuisance  in  the  neighborhood 
generally.  He  is  caught  now,  and  must  walk  up 
to  the  captain’s  office  and  settle.  The  next  worst 
thing  to  a  bad  father,  is  a  bad  public  opinion  that 
submits  to  vice  and  rowdyism.  I  am  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  if  I  was  not,  I  am  a  neighbor  to 
Jake  Frink,  and  hound  to  help  him  keep  his  boys 
in  their  place.  I  have  a  very  poor  opinion  of 
that  rural  cowardice,  which  gives  up  a  civilized 
community  to  the  depredations  of  a  set  of  young 
Arabs,  like  Kier  Frink.  What  is  the  use  of  hav¬ 
ing  law,  if  you  do  not  enforce  it  against  the  de¬ 
stroyers  of  property,  and  the  disturbers  of  the 
peace  1  If  the  young  chaps  want  to  cut  up,  and 
have  music,  it  is  fair  that  they  should  pay  the  fid¬ 
dler.  If  they  rob  hen  roosts,  the  hens  should  not 
be  left  to  do  all  the  squawking.  It  will  do  them 
good  to  look  out  of  a  roost,  with  iron  grates  to  the 
windows. 

Now  I  hold,  that  a  man  is  a  poor  farmer,  as 
well  as  a  bad  citizen,  that  raises  such  a  boy  as 


Kier  Frink.  The  farm  exists  for  the  sake  of  the 
family  that  works  it,  and  its  chief  end  is-  Lo  male 
smart,  useful  men  and  women.  Your  great  crops, 
and  fine  stock  all  go  for  nothing,  unless  you  get 
the  blossom  of  the  farm — man.  What  is  an  ap¬ 
ple  tree  good  for,  unless  it  raises  apples  ?  The 
shade  is  no  better  than  that  of  any  other  tree,  and 
the  fire-wood  does  not  amount  to  much.  So  the 
farm  is  not  worth  much,  unless  it  blossoms  out 
into  good  nice  housewives  and  useful  upright 
men. 

It  is  a  good  deal  of  a  knack  to  raise  a  first  rate 
cow  or  steer,  even  after  they  are  born  right. 
There  is  many  a  full  blood  heifer,  with  first-rate 
milking  qualities,  spoiled  by  bad  treatment.  Keep 
her  on  bog  hay  Winters,  and  let  her  run  in  the 
road  Summers,  and  I  guess,  she  would  never 
•amount  to  much.  And  you  might  have  high 
grade  Devons,  with  all  the  elements  of  splendid 
working  cattle  in  them,  that  would  bring  three 
hundred  dollars  a  yoke,  and  treat  them  so  when 
they  were  calves  and  yearlings,  that  they  would 
not  bring  a  hundred.  You  might  dwarf  them  or 
lame  them,  or  injure  their  horns,  or  make  them 
ugly  and  breachy  by  bad  handling.  An  ox  known 
to  jump  fences,  or  kick,  or  gore  cattle,  is  very 
much  depreciated  in  value. 

It  is  just  so  with  the  human  stock,  brought  up 
on  a  farm.  Almost  every  thing  depends  upon  the 
bringing  up — a  great  deal  more  than  it  does  with 
the  brutes,  for  the  animal  nature  of  man  is  only  a 
small  part  of  him,  and  his  moral  nature  and  hab¬ 
its  are  almost  entirely  shaped  by  those  who 
have  the  care  of  him,  wirile  he  is  young.  If  this 
gets  the  right  start,  I  have  always  noticed  that  it 
generally  brings  every  thing  else  along  right,  with 
it.  If  a  fruit  tree  gets  to  bearing  when  it  is  young, 
all  the  forces  of  the  tree  will  run  to  fruit,  and  you 
will  not  be  troubled  with  too  much  wood  and  fo¬ 
liage.  And  if  a  boy  blossoms  out  into  the  virtues 
of  industry,  truthfulness,  honesty,  temperance,  and 
purity,  I  think  it  is  pretty  certain,  we  shall  have 
that  kind  of  fruit,  as  long  as  he  lives. 

Now  to  get  this  fruit  early,  we  must  prune  both 
root  and  branch.  The  shoots  that  are  running  to 
wood,  must  be  shortened  in,  and  a  spade  must 
sometimes  be  thrust  down  upon  the  roots,  and  cut 
them  off.  This  seems  harsh  treatment,  but  every 
fruit  grower  knows  that  it  is  necessary.  So  we 
must  shorten  in  the  boys,  when  they  run  wild,  nip 
offthe  blossom  buds  of  vice,  lying,  stealing,  swear¬ 
ing,  drunkenness,  and  such  like.  There  is  an  old 
article  they  used  to  do  such  things  with,  when  I 
was  a  boy — called  Solomon’s  rod.  The  bark  was 
very  bitter,  but  wholesome,  and  it  worked  like  a 
charm.  I  am  afraid  folks  do  not  use  it  so  much  as 
they  used  to.  At  any  rate  Jake  Frink  has  never 
used  it  at  all.  He  was  always  scolding  about  the 
cruelty  of  whipping  children,  and  if  one  of  his  ever 
got  a  little  of  the  oil  of  birch  in  school,  he  was  al¬ 
ways  ready  to  find  fault  1x1111  the  teacher,  and 
take  the  child’s  part.  The  youngsters  very  soon 
came  to  believe,  that  their  father  had  rather  have 
them  lie,  and  make  disturbance,  than  to  speak  the 
truth,  and  behave  well.  His  mode  of  bringing  up 
boys  has  turned  out  upon  society,  that  promising 
lad,  Kier  Frink,  a  vagabond  and  loafer,  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  !  Solomon’s  rod,  with  steel  at  the 
end  of  it,  was  never  half  so  cruel  as  the  mis¬ 
placed  indulgence  of-his  father  What  sorrows 
are  before  the  poor  old  man  with  such  thorns  in 
his  pillow.  I  am  glad  to  see,: that -  you  keep  up 
your  chats  with  the  boys  and  girls.  Keep  them 
straight  a  few  years  longer,  and  we  shall  have  a 
generation  of  farmers  worth  looking  at. 

Yours  to  command, 

TiMOTHY^fetiKEpE,  Esq. 

Hookertown,  June  13,  1859. 


£6$ 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


No  150. 


r* 


om  a  Painting 


{Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist.) 


Need  a  line  of  explanation  be  appended  to  this 
picture  1  Does  it  not  ‘  speak  for  itself!’  Do  we 
not  seem  to  stand  at  the  cottage  door  of  a  hard¬ 
working  countryman,  who  is  enjoying  his  noon¬ 
ing  hour,  smoking  his  pipe  and  reading  his  week¬ 
ly  paper,  surrounded  hy  his  hale  and -happy  fam¬ 
ily  !  A  more  graceful  position  of  the  laborer  might 
have  been  chosen,  as  an  ideal,  and  the  pipe,  too, 
might  have  been  omitted— but  the  picture  would 
have  been  less  natural — less  truthful.  This  man 
is  happy,  and  he  exhibits  his  pleasure  in  his  most 


natural  way  ;  he  is  proud  of  that  1  blessed  baby’ 
which  chuckles  with  delight  as  the  familiar  pipe 
tickles  its  fat  chin.  The  mother,  too,  looks  down 
with  smiling  joy  upon  the  crowing  infant.  Our 
sympathies  are  enlisted  with  the  other  little  one, 
who  for  the  moment  feels  herself  neglected  ;  but 
her  turn  will  soon  come,  and  she  will  romp  as 
blithely  as  ever  upon  papa’s  knee.  We  like  pic¬ 
tures  of  this  kind  ;  they  tell  of  love,  peace,  and 
happiness  in  rural,  in  lowly  life,  where,  if  any¬ 
where,  happiness  is  to  be  found.  There  is  a 


growing  taste  among  artists  for  pictures  of  the 
every-day  walks  of  life.  We  like  to  see  this,  and 
will  cheerfully  do  our  part  to  scatter  them  widely; 
for  while  we  mean  not  to  be  behind  any,  in  fur¬ 
nishing  the  practical  information  which  such  a 
journal  should  give — there  is  another  and  wider 
aim  also  kept  in  view,  viz  :  to  add  to  the  inno¬ 
cent  pleasures  of  the  household,  so  that  all  its 
members  shall  be  interested,  and  benefited  mor¬ 
ally.  Pictures  that  appeal  to  the  feelings  soften 
the  heart,  and  then  leave  a  lasting  impression. 


Juiy,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


909 


Standard  of  Excellence  in  Grapes. 

In  these  times,  when  one  is  continually  hear¬ 
ing  of  “  new  and  superior  ”  grapes,  it  is  well  to 
inquire  what  a  really  excellent  grape  is.  Mr. 
Jones  offers  for  sale  a  seedling  which  he  declares 
is  “  superb,  unsurpassable,  a  great  acquisition 
and  Mr.  Smith  advertises  another  which  he  de¬ 
clares  is  “  hardy,  sweet,  luscious,  superior  to  all 
others  and  so  on  through  the  catalogue  of  ex¬ 
cellences.  Now,  what  do  those  words  mean! 
If,  in  our  bewilderment,  we  buy  and  plant  every¬ 
thing  that  is  recommended,  we  shall  get  our 
grounds  full  of  new  sorts,  each  one,  of course,  like 
the  last-born  baby,  supposed  to  be  better  than  the 
preceding,  but  often  proving  in  the  end  to  be 
rather  otherwise.  Witness  here,  the  “  Charter 
Oaks  ”  bought  by  many  a  gardener  in  his  sim¬ 
plicity.  What,  then,  is  the  standard  to  judge  a 
new  grape  by  ! 

1.  One  point  to  consider,  is  hardiness.  Itmat- 
ters  not  that  a  grape  is  as  delicious  as  the  best 
hot-house  varieties,  if  it  is  not  hardy,  and  does 
not  ripen  its  fruit  well  in  the  climate  where  it  is 
to  be  planted,  it  is  of  comparatively  little  value  to 
the  public.  Amateurs,  by  burying  the  canes  in 
Winter,  and  by  enclosing  the  tops  in  glass  frames 
in  Autumn,  and  by  other  nursing,  may  get  some¬ 
thing  out  of  it,  but  for  people  generally  it  is  worth¬ 
less.  It  has  often  been  supposed  that  a  foreign 
grape  could  not  be  hardy  in  this  climate.  But, 
as  it  has  been  well  shown  by  the  Gardener's 
Monthly,  “  whenever  the  foreign  grape  does  not 
mildew ,  it  is  perfectly  hardy.”  The  canes  can  not 
ripen  well,  if  the  foliage  drops  off  prematurely, 
whether  from  mildew  or  any  other  cause  ;  and  if 
they  do  not  ripen,  they  can  not  endure  the  frosts 
of  Winter.  But  all  foreign  grapes  do  not  mildew. 
The  Black  Hamburgh,  when  trained  on  brick 
walls  in  Philadelphia,  is  generally  untouched  by 
this  blight,  and  when  so,  matures  its  wood  and 
ripens  its  fruit.  It  is  said,  moreover,  that  the 
Brinkle  and  Clara ,  both  with  foreign  blood  in  their 
veins,  seldom  mildew,  and  when  they  do  not,  they 
ripen  their  wood  well. 

The  simple  question,  then,  is  as  to  the  actual 
hardiness  of  a  vine,  let  its  origin  be  what  it  may. 
If  it  can  endure  our  Winters  as  well  as  the  Isabel¬ 
la,  Concord  and  Delaware,  it  is  one  point  of 
great  excellence. 

2.  Fertility. — If  a  vine  has  the  constitution  of 
an  oak,  yet  bears  only  a  few  clusters,  or  a  few 
berries  on  a  cluster,  it  must  be  pronounced  want¬ 
ing.  And  if  to  this,  it  be  added  that  the  berries 
ripen  unequally,  or  drop  from  the  vine  at  a  touch, 
it  is  also  a  great  defect.  Some  of  the  much- 
lauded  novelties  fail  here. 

3.  Superior  Flavor. — This  is  the  crowning  ex¬ 
cellence.  Our  forests  are  full  of  wild  grapes  in 
large  variety  ;  and  those  persons  who  like  them 
and  the  Charter  Oaks,  and  Northern  Muscadines, 
because  their  musky  odor  can  be  smelt  a  longdis¬ 
tance,  can  be  easily  satisfied.  But  there  are  cer¬ 
tain  fastidious  people  who  want  something  better 
or  at  least  something  else,  and  they  must  be  grat¬ 
ified.  They  are  not  partial  to  acids,  or  astrin¬ 
gents,  or  hard  pulp  in  grapes,  and  theirwhims  must 
be  indulged.  Give  them  a  new  grape  that  is  sweet, 
or  slightly  brisk  and  sprightly,  tender,  juicy,  and 
melting,  and  their  eyes  will  swim  with  satisfac¬ 
tion,  they  will  heartily  thank  you,  and  pay  you  a 
fair  price  for  it. 

I  The  above  remarks  suggest,  in  few  words,  the 
true  standard  by  which  the  new  grape  should  be 
tried.  And  as  every  man  can  not  for  himself  test 
each  new  candidate,  let  him  inquire  whether  the 
committees  of  our  State  and  National  Pomologi- 
cal  Societies  recommend  them  on  these  grounds. 


These  committees  at  least  ought  to  be  composed 
of  capable,  judicious,  and  reliable  men  ;  and  if  so, 
their  opinion  is  worth  more  than  that  of  any  in¬ 
dividual  who  may  be  pecuniarily  interested  in  the 
sale  of  his  new  plants. 

- «s>-« - »-o-  - 

Summer  Pruning  the  Grape  Vine. 

When  vines  are  properly  pruned  in  the  Fall  or 
Winter,  they  will  need  only  moderate  pruning  in 
Summer.  The  first  item  in  this  work  is  rubbing 
off  all  superfluous  shoots  before  they  have  attain¬ 
ed  to  much  size.  Where  several  push  out  at  a 
single  joint,  all  but  one,  or  at  most  two,  should  be 
rubbed  off.  Again,  after  the  fruit  has  set,  if  there 
are  more  than  two  bunches  on  a  single  spur,  they 
should  be  pinched  out.  One  good,  heavy  bunch 
is  often  enough  for  a  spur,  and  certainly  two  are 
all  it  should  ever  be  allowed  to  carry.  Another 
item  is  pinching  off  the  ends  of  the  bearing 
shoots  as  soon  as  the  berries  are  half  grown. 
Pinch  off  at  two  or  three .  buds  beyond  the  last 
cluster ;  never  nearer  than  this.  In  a  week  or 
ten  days  afterwards,  the  ends  of  these  shoots  will 
have  pushed  several  inches  more  :  pinch  off  this 
new  growth,  leaving  one  leaf  at  the  base  of  it, 
so  as  not  to  cause  buds  to  break  out  prematurely 
lower  down  on  the  spur.  Continue  this  operation 
every  week  until  the  fruit  is  full  grown  and  be¬ 
gins  to  color  well ;  then  let  them  go. 

Summer  pruning  docs  not  consist  in  pulling  off 
the  leaves  of  the  vine.  Many  persons  still  con¬ 
tinue  this  barbarous  practice.  But  they  should 
consider  that  the  leaves  are  the  lungs  and  stom¬ 
ach  of  the  vine,  and  are  as  essential  to  its  vigor 
and  health  as  the  same  organs  well  cared  for,  are 
to  man.  The  leaves  are  particularly  necessary 
in  the  latter  part  of  Summer,  not  only  to  finish 
the  growth  of  the  berries,  but  also  to  elaborate 
the  juices  on  which  the  fine  flavor  of  good  grapes 
so  much  depends.  Give  the  leaves  all  possible 
sunlight,  but  do  not  tear  them  off  in  order  to  ex¬ 
pose  the  fruit. 


Look  after  the  Grape  Vine  Worms- 

For  a  few  years  past  the  grape  vine  has  suffer¬ 
ed  much  from  an  insect  called  the  Gartered  or 
Grape-Vine  Plume (Pterophorus  pcriscelidactylus). 
This  is  a  small  greenish  caterpillar,  or  bristled 
worm,  half-an-inch  in  length,  which  first  hatches 
out  early  in  June  from  an  egg  laid  upon  the  leaf 
by  a  small  moth  of  tawny-yellow  color.  The  cater¬ 
pillar  almost  as  soon  as  hatched  commences 
feeding  upon  the  leaf  into  a  coil  and  thus  forms  a 
house  for  its  residence,  which  it  soon  destroys 
however,  by  eating  away  the  sides.  The  leaves 
thus  attacked  are  very  readily  discovered  from 
their  curled  shape  and  faded  appearance.  After 
partially  destroying  its  first  habitation  it  attacks 
other  leaves.  When  its  growth  is  completed,  the 
insect  spins  its  cocoon,  and  later  in  the  season 
comes  out  a  moth,  to  lay  a  new  crop  of  eggs  which 
produce  another  generation  of  worms  in  July  or 
August.  These  again  deposite  eggs  for  the  fol¬ 
lowing  season. 

The  destruction  of  the  leaves  is  often  very  rapid, 
and  the  vines  look  as  if  struck  with  blight.  In  the 
absence  of  leaves,  the  grapes  must  mature  very 
imperfectly  of  course.  The  fruit  itself  is  often 
eaten  by  the  caterpillars. 

The  ravages  of  this  pest  can  be  very  much  les¬ 
sened,  and  nearly  prevented  in  the  future,  by 
spending  a  little  time  twice  a  week  in  picking  off 
the  leaves  which  are  attacked  and  burning  them. 
This  not  only  stops  the  further  ravages  of  the 
worms  already  hatched,  but  also  intercepts  the 
laying  of  eggs  for  another  brood.  During  the  past 


month  we  have  succeeded  in  nearly  ridding  our 
own  vines.  Several  specimens  of  the  insects 
have  been  sent  and  brought  to  our  office,  by  per¬ 
sons  who  say  they  must  despair  of  raising  grapes 
any  longer,  and  rather  than  have  plants  to  nurture 
an  army  of  such  marauders,  they  contemplate 
rooting  out  their  vines.  To  such  we  say  spend 
a  little  time  as  recommended  above,  beginning  be¬ 
fore  the  vines  have  become  overrun  with  them, 
and  continuing  the  examination  as  long  as  any 
insects  can  be  found.  Where  vines  have  been 
neglected  until  now,  commence  upon  them  at  once, 
even  if  the  insects  have  already  done  the  mis¬ 
chief  for  this  season.  A  few  minutes  work  upon 
each  vine  will  destroy  the  eggs  which  would 
otherwise  hatch  out  an  armvof  worms  hereafter. 

The  birds  here  exhibit  another  instance  of  their 
usefulness  to  man.  While  examining  our  own 
vines  the  other  morning,  we  were  quite  interested 
in  watching  the  operations  of  a  wren  as  he  darted 
among  the  foliage  peering  above  and  below  the 
surface  of  the  leaves.  We  soon  discovered  that 
he  was  materially  assisting  our  labors,  for  his 
keen  eye  and  sharp  bill  found  and  nabbed  the 
caterpillars  much  more  rapidly  than  we  could  do 
so.  So  far  the  principle  complaints  we  have 
heard  have  come  from  the  residents  of  cities  and 
villages,  rather  than  from  the  country.  This  may 
be,  in  part,  owing  to  the  easier  diffusion  of  the 
insects  from  one  location  to  another  near  by,  but 
probably  the  less  number  of  birds  in  such  places  is 
the  main  cause  of  the  more  rapid  increase  of  the 
insects.  Two  or  three  wren-houses  near  the 
vines  will  be  the  best  remedy  we  can  prescribe  in 
addition  to  the  hand-picking. 

- -  *Q  1  — ■■  »  - - 

How  to  Cure  Fruit  Stealers. 


One  great  hindrance  to  fruit  growing,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  towns,  and  one  of  the  greatest 
annoyances  to  those  who  persevere  in  its  culture, 
is  its  exposure  to  being  stolen.  One  may  send 
to  a  distant,  nursery  for  a  rare  and  expensive  kind 
of  fruit,  may  watch  over  and  nurse  it  for  several 
years,  and  then  when  his  eyes  are  gladdened  by 
its  first  productions,  some  ragged  loafer  may  enter 
his  grounds  by  night  and  devour  them.  Nay, 
some  loafers  not  ragged ,  but  professedly  genteel, 
may  rob  him  of  his  treasures,  and  then  chuckle 
over  their  success  as  a  first-rate  joke  1 

Why  should  not  our  legislators  give  us  a  law 
punishing  fruit-robbing  with  heavy  penalties! 
Better  that  a  thief  enter  our  barns  and  carry  off 
oats  or  corn,  than  enter  our  garden  and  strip  our 
pear-trees  and  grape-vines  of  their  delicious  bur¬ 
dens.  We  wish,  too,  that  public  sentiment  vis¬ 
ited  the  robbery  with  greater  reprobation  and  dis¬ 
grace.  But  until  such  a  good  time  comes,  every 
man  must  guard  his  own  castle  in  the  best  way 
he  can.  A  neighbor  of  ours  treats  his  pilfering 
visitors  to  a  dose  they  don't  relish.  For  exam¬ 
ple  :  When  his  Early  Sweet  Bough  apples  are 
being  nightly  stolen,  he  takes  several  fine  speci¬ 
mens  and  immerses  them  in  a  weak  solution  ot 
ipecacuanha,  and  scatters  them  again  on  the 
ground;  first  marking  them  so  that  his  own  fam¬ 
ily  shall  not  eat  them  by  mistake.  He  treats  a 
few  of  the  outside  hills  of  his  strawberry  patch  in 
the  same  way.  It  affords  him  no  little  amuse¬ 
ment  to  learn,  privately,  that  the  doses  take 
effect  where  they  were  designed  to  do  so,  his 
father,  (a  doctor,)  being  soon  sent  for  by  suspect¬ 
ed  persons  to  prescribe  for  their  disordered  stom¬ 
achs  and  unaccountable  nausea  1  This  gentle¬ 
man’s  fruit  garden  lies  on  the  bank  of  a  canal,  and 
the  indigcstibility  of  his  fruits  is  well  known  to 
the  canal-drivers  all  along  that  route  ! 

I  Last  Summer,  a  very  intimate  friend  had  hi? 


210 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


first  crop  of  grapes  from  some  choice  vines.  Be¬ 
fore  fully  ripe  they  began  to  disappear.  As  they 
were  in  a  place  not  likely  to  be  visited  by  out¬ 
siders,  he  suspected  the  domestics  in  his  own 
house  (a  not  uncommon  source  of  fruit  thefts, 
elsewhere,  we  presume).  So  putting  on  a  very 
offended  air,  lie  walked  through  the  kitchen,  bit¬ 
terly  complaining  of  the  thieves.  The  cook  said 
she  had  seen  the  birds  picking  the  grapes,  and 
she  guessed  they  were  the  marauders.  “Very 
well,”  said  be,  “I  shall  fix  them,  or  whoever 
else  takes  the  fruit.  I  have  some  bi-tartrate  of 
antimony  (tartar-emetic)  in  the  house,  and  if  I 
sprinkle  a  little  of  that  on  some  of  the  fruit  it'll 
be  the  last  that  any  one  will  steal.  Get  me  some 
flour  to  mix  it  with.”  He  took  the  flour  into 
another  room  for  a  few  minutes,  as  if  for  prepar¬ 
ing  it,  and  then  scattered  some  of  the  simple 
flour  in  sundry  places  on  the  vines,  and  upon 
other  fruits  in  the  garden.  There  was  little  far¬ 
ther  disappearance  of  fruit  during  the  Summer. 
However,  a  few  mornings  after,  he  chanced  to 
leave  the  breakfast  table  just  after  beginning  to 
eat,  and  going  to  a  rear  window,  he  saw  the 
aforesaid  cook  carefully  examine  the  vines,  and 
then  pick  three  nice  bunches  from  the  outside  of 
the  arbor,  near  the  ground,  where  no  flour  had 
been  applied.  These  she  quickly  wrapped  in  her 
apron  and  retired  to  an  out  building  to  eat  them. 
When  questioned  afterwards,  “she  had  niver 
tasted  a  grape.”  Moral. — Don’t  always  attribute 
the  loss  of  fruit  to  the  “boys.” 

And  here,  we  are  reminded  of  a  method  prac¬ 
ticed  some  years  ago  by  a  down-easter,  and 
of  which  a  correspondent  gave  an  account  in 
a  former  volume  of  this  journal.  It  is  worth  re¬ 
beating  .  “A  tall,  green-looking  Yankee  accost¬ 
ed  me  at  a  County  Fair,  having  a  fine-looking 
apple  in  bis  hand,  and  begged  me  to  tell  its  name, 
,tf  I  could.  I  tasted  it — but,  shade  of  Pomona  ! 
of  all  the  sour  apples  I  ever  ate,  this  capped  the 
climax.  It  was  worse  than  verjuice,  or  sour 
plums,  or  unripe  persimmons.  After  I  had  re. 
gained  my  composure,  I  ventured  to  ask  what 
might  be  his  name  for  this  invaluable  fruit. 
Whereupon,  with  a  sort,  of  satirical  smile  stealing 
over  his  otherwise  sober  features,  he  replied : 
“  Wal  neow,  stranger,  that’s  the  most  useful  ap¬ 
ple  on  my  hull  farm.  I  call  it  the  Yankee  apple, 
’cause  it  can’t  be  beat  :  it  looks  so  good,  and  yet 
is  so  ’tarnal  sour,  that  I  use  it  only  to  graff  on 
all  the  lower  limbs  of  my  apple-trees  standing 
near  the  road.  The  upper  limbs  I  put  to  Green¬ 
ings,  Swaars,  and  such  like  good  apples.  Neow, 
the  boys  seein  sich  good  lookin  apples  handy, 
jump  the  fence,  seize  the  fust  fair  one  they  can 

reach,  take  one  bite, - but,  I  swow,  after  one 

bite,  they  never  wait  to  take  another,  but  run 
right  off  as  fast  as  legs  can  carry  them,  to  Deacon 
Simmons’  orchard,  to  get  one  of  his  good  Bald¬ 
wins  to  take  t’he  seour  taste  out  of  their  mouths. 
My  orchard  sartainly  has  a  ’orful  reputation  with 
the  risin  generation,  and  so  I  save  my  fruit.  Now, 
if  this  ere  is  not  a  very  useful  apple,  I’d  like  to 
know  what  is  1” 

We  adopt  the  suggestion  of  out  old  corres¬ 
pondent,  and  recommend  that  the  Yankee  apple 
be  put  on  the  list  of  approved  fruits,  at  the  next 
meeting  of  the  Pomological  Congress,  as  an  ap¬ 
ple  “worthy  of  general  cultivation.” 


An  extra  Puff  for  Baltimore.  —  Parson 
Brownlow  is  reported  to  have  said  :  “  If  we  were 
denied  the  privilege  of  going  to  Heaven  after 
death,  our  next  and  last  request  is,  that  we  may 
be  allowed  to  go  to  Baltimore.” — A  cotemporary, 
however,  adds  that  “  Baltimore  is  a  fitting  place 
of  abode  for  those  spirits  against  whom  the  gates 


of  Heaven  have  been  closed.  Of  course  we  shall 
know  where  to  look  for  Brownlow  after  ‘he 
shuffles  off  this  mortal  coil.’” 


look  after  the  Borers 


The  perfect  winged  insects  of  both  the  apple 
borer  ( Saperda  bioitata)  and  the  peach  borer 
( CEgeria  exiliosa )  are  now  busy  at  work  among  the 
trees,  providing  for  their  future  progeny.  Select¬ 
ing  the  night  season  as  best  fitted  for  works  of 
darkness,  they  flutter  about  the  trunks  of  both 
peach  and  apple  trees  and  deposite  tiny  eggs  upon 
the  bark  close  to  the  ground.  If  grass  or  weeds 
grow  about  the  trees  so  much  the  better  for  them, 
as  they  seem  instinctively  to  think  that  their 
eggs  are  more  secure  when  partially  screened. 
In  this  they  are  not  amiss,  as  the  young  insects 
have  a  better  cha'nce  to  escape  the  keen  eyes  of 
birds  than  when  fully  exposed  ;  hence  clean  til¬ 
lage  and  friendly  birds  check  their  increase. 

They  usually  select  trees  of  three  to  six  inches 
in  diameter,  and  on  this  account  a  young  orchard 
requires  more  care  than  trees  of  long  standing. 

Examine  the  trees  now,  and  if  any  sawdust 
like  borings  are  seen  upon  the  ground,  search  for 
the  hole  from  which  they  have  fallen,  and  either 
cut  away  with  the  point  of  the  knife  until  the 
worm  is  found,  or  thrust  a  whalebone  probe  in 
and  punch  his  ribs.  Having  killed  the  insect  and 
put  clay  or  grafting  cement  over  the  wound,  wash 
the  whole  trunk  of  the  tree  with  a  pretty  strong 
solution  of  potash  and  water  to  destroy  any  eggs 
upon  it.  This  is  the  essential  point  now,  as  it  is 
likely  that  the  female  has  laid  all  her  eggs  and  if 
destroyed,  the  future  generation  is  cut  off.  Any 
alkaline  solution  will  readily  destroy  the  eggs. 
Potash,  soda,  or  even  soft  soap  may  be  used. 

There  is  another  purpose  served  at  the  same 
time,  viz.  ;  destroying  the  bark  scale  which  has 
just  hatched  out.  If  this  practice  is  followed  up 
every  season  during  the  latter  part  of  June,  or 
early  in  July,  there  will  be  little  danger  from 
either  scale  or  borers,  and  the  trees  will  have  a 
dark  green  and  healthy  bark  upon  which  no  moss 
will  be  found.  If  borers  have  been  very  trouble¬ 
some,  it  may  be  well  to  examine  the  crowns  of 
the  trees  in  September  or  October,  and  cut  or 
bore  out  any  insects  which  have  escaped  destruc¬ 
tion  now.  * 

-  -q3>— a  >  ip» - - 

“Tyler’s  Tree  Permeating  Powder  Is  it 
a  Humbug  ? 

CALOMEL  $11.38  A  POUND! - “SALIVATING”  INSECTS. 

After  our  June  number  had  gone  to  press  we 
received  from  Mr.  Thos.  K.  Fluke,  of  Scott  Co., 
Iowa,  an  attractive  circular,  issued  from  New- 
York  city,  with  a  note  from  Mr.  F.,  stating  that 
such  circulars  are  to  be  found  in  almost  every 
family  in  the  West,  and  inquiring  whether  it  is  a 
humbug  or  not.  The  circular  offers  dollar  pack¬ 
ages  of  a  powder. which  “will  save  Thirty  Trees.” 
It  prescribes  ‘‘7’yler’s  Tree  Permeating  Powders,” 
“for  the  protection  of  fruit,  forest  and  shade  trees, 
“shrubbery  of  all  kinds,  field  and  garden  seeds, 
“plants  and  vegetables  of  every  description,  from 
“worms,  bugs,  flies  and  insects  that  are  known  to 
“infest  almost  every  orchard,  field,  garden,  &c., 
“throughout  the  land.”  It  goes  on  to  direct,  to  put 
a  little  of  the  powder  (“  one  or  two  parcels  of  the 
size  of  a  small  green  pea,”)  under  the  bark  of  trees 
through  an  incision ;  and  to  soak  field  seeds  in 
a  solution  of  one  table-spoonful  of  Powder  to  one 
gallon  of  water.  [Query. — Will  the  powder  dis¬ 
solve  in  water  at  all  1  Calomel  does  not.] 

Among  other  things  in  the  circular  we  read  : 

“  One  very  important  advantage  of  the  Powder 


is,  that  it  keeps  the  fruit  entirely  free  from  those 
worms  which  have  heretofore  proved  so  destruc¬ 
tive  to  Apples,  Pears,  Plums,  Cherries,  etc.” 

M  ell,  well,  here  must  be  a  splendid  discovery  ! 
The  fruit  of  thirty  trees  entirely  freed  from  in¬ 
sects  for  $1  !  Why  we  would  gladly  have  given 
more  than  one  dollar  a  tree  the  present  year  could 
we  have  saved  our  cherry  trees  alone.  Oh,  Mr. 
Tyler,  why  did  you  send  all  your  circulars  away 
“out  West!”  Why  did  you  not  tell  us  here  at 
home  that  you  had  such  a  boon  for  fruit-growers? 
Why  did  you  not  advertise  it  hereabouts  and  let 
us  know  where  to  find  it  1  Fruit  is  not  so  plenty 
even  here  that  we  can  afford  to  lose  it. 

But  seriously,  let  us  look  into  the  plausible 
statements  of  the  circular.  1st,  Can  any  pois¬ 
onous  compound  be  infused  into  the  sap  of  a  tree 
in  sufficient  quantity  to  destroy  insects  without 
poisoning  the  tree  itself?  2nd.  If  the  sap  of  the 
fruit  be  impregnated  sufficiently  with  the  “  Pow¬ 
der  ”  so  that  the  small  quantity  sucked  out  by  an 
insect  will  prove  destructive  to  animal  life,  will 
not  the  larger  quantity  eaten  when  the  whole 
fruit  is  consumed,  destroy  human  life  ?  Beware, 
Mr.  Tyler,  or  you  may  involve  yourself  in  the 
charge  of  homicide  !  3d.  When  seeds  are  plant¬ 
ed  they  die  and  new  plants  are  produced  ;  how  is 
it  that  soaking  the  old  seeds  renders  the  new 
plants  poisonous  to  insects?  But 

WHAT  IS  THIS  WONDERFUL  POWDER  ? 

Immediately  on  receipt  of  the  circular  and  note 
of  inquiry,  we  dispatched  parties  to  the  head 
quarters  in  this  city,  as  announced  in  the  circu¬ 
lar.  They  were  found  in  the  same  room  occupied  at 
present  by  the“  Agents"  of  the  “Honey  Blade  Grass  /” 

Having  secured  all  information  desired,  and  pur¬ 
chased  some  of  the  powder  of  the  man  responding 
to  our  inquiry  for  C.  H.  Tyler,  we  made  sufficient 
examination  to  be  convinced  that  it  was  probably 
simple  calomel,  or  calomel  mixed  with  common 
magnesia.  A  package  costing  us  50  cents,  and 
labeled  “sufficient  quantity  for  10  trees,”  was 
taken  to  a  leading  drug  store,  marked,  opened  and 
weighed.  It  contained  f-  of  an  ounce  avordupois, 
and  41  grains,  or  in  all  205  grains.  But  the  cir¬ 
cular  promises  enough  for  30  trees  for  $1,  and 
Mr.  Tyler  offered  us  three  packages  for  $1,  or 
one  for  50  cents.  So  we  will  estimate  for  3  pack¬ 
ages,  or  615  grains  for  $1.  As  there  are  7,000 
grains  in  a  pound  avordupois,  any  one  will  see 
that  this  material,  as  put  up  by  Mr.  Tyler,  costs 
($11.38)  eleven  dollars  and  thirty-eight  cents  per  lb  ! 

Calomel  is  vow  ivholesaled  for  seventy-five  cents 
per  lb  !  This  is  a  handsome  profit  surely.  But 
we  may  be  cruel  in  thus  complaining  of  the  profits 
derived  from  so  wonderful  a  discovery.  If  our  fruit 
insects  are  to  be  wholly  destroyed  it  would  cei 
tainly  be  mean  to  try  to  rob  the  discoverer  of  the 
remedy,  of  any  of  his  profits,  however  great. 

While  we  think  of  it,  we  want  to  ask  Mr.  Tyiet 
how  the  calomel  operates  upon  the  insects?  Does 
it  physic  them,  as  it  does  “  humans,”  until  they 
are  so  weak  that  they  can  not  cling  fast  to  the 
trees  but  fall  off  and  break  their  necks  ?  Or  is  it 
sucked  in  with  the  juice  in  so  small  quantities 
that  it  “salivates  ”  them,  as  it  does  children, and 
thus  renders  their  mouths  so  sore  that  they  cau 
not  bite  the  leaves  or  fruit  ?  We  are  curious  on 
this  point.  Please  enlighten  us  Mr.  Tyler,  and 
the  public  ;  we  will  not  charge  you  for  the  space 
you  occupy. 

But  enough  on  this  subject,  "We  will  only  add, 
that  wishing  to  be  certain  as  to  the  composition  of 
this  wonderful  Powder,  we  procured  a  package 
from  head  quarters,  and  forwarded  it  to  Prof. 
Johnson  at  Yale  College,  for  analysis,  requesting 
him  to  mark  the  package,  and  retain  a  part  for 


211 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


luture  reference.  We  publish  the  reply  as  re¬ 
ceived. 

Yale  College  Analytical  Laboratory,  ) 
JNew-Haven,  Ct.,  June  3d,  1859.  S 
Orange  Judd,  Esq.,  Ed.  Am.  Agriculturist : 

Dear  Sir:  Your  letter  of  the  30th  ult.,  enclosing  a  sam¬ 
ple  of  “Tyler’s  Patent  Tree  Powders”  was  duly  received. 
As  you  requested,  I  have  submitted  the  Powders  to  a 
careful  examination,  and  find  they  consist  of  Calomel^ 
with  a  little  lime,  magnesia  and  soda,  not  more  than  may 
often  occur  in  commercial  Calomel. 

The  idea  of  destroying  insects  that  prey  on  the  foliage 
of  trees,  by  infusing  some  poison  into  the  sap,  seems  to 
have  this  very  serious  objection,  that  whatever  will  kill 
the  insect,  may  kill  or  at  least  injure  the  tree  itself,  or 
those  who  partake  its/iuits. 

Calomel  is  a  substance  so  insoluble  that  if  placed,  as  di¬ 
rected  for  the  “Tree  Powders,”  between  the  bark  and 
wood  of  a  tree,  it  is  not  to  be  anticipated  that  it  could 
travel  perceptibly  into  the  circulation,  so  as  to  poison  in¬ 
sects  that  feed  on  the  foliage  or  bark. 

SAMUEL  W.  JOHNSON. 

- «s>-4 - -MSB  38=»*— — <2B- - 

Prune  Fruit  Trees  How. 

Not  excessive  pruning,  and  indiscriminate 
cutting  and  slashing  after  the  practice  of  the 
newly  arrived  Englishman,  who  was  making 
openings  “  to  let  the  Aair  in,”  but  more  or  less 
pruning  must  needs  be  done,  especially  in  or¬ 
chards  which  have  not  received  proper  care  in  for¬ 
mer  years.  If  fruit  trees  are  properly  trained  from 
the  time  they  leave  the  nursery  until  they  arrive 
at  maturity,  a  common  pruning  knife  will  be  the 
only  implement  needed,  except  in  accidental 
splitting  down  of  branches.  But  taking  things 
as  we  find  them — with  the  cross  growth  chafing 
the  bark,  a  compact  and  too  crowded  head,  limbs 
already  beginning  to  decay— there  are  branches 
from  three  to  four  inches  in  diameter  which  must 
needs  be  removed,  for  the  future  best  interests 
of  the  orchard. 

To  doctor  such  an  orchard  we  would,  during 
the  latter  part  of  July  or  early  in  August,  take  a 
light  ladder,  a  narrow,  fine  toothed  saw,  a  sharp 
pruning  knife  and  a  pot  of  shellac  dissolved  in  al¬ 
cohol  with  a  paint  brush  in  it,  and  commence 
operations.  It  is  useless  to  attempt  to  make  a 
full  grown  orchard,  whose  pruning  has  been  neg¬ 
lected,  look  like  the  well  formed,  evenly  balanced 
and  short  jointed  trees  which  have  yearly  re¬ 
ceived  a  judicious  cutting-out  and  shortening-in, 
from  the  time  they  were  first  planted.  This  is 
out  of  the  question.  In  cases  of  doubtful  expe¬ 
diency,  we  would  give  the  tree  the  benefit  of  the 
doubt  by  leaving  the  branch,  or  in  other  words 
we  would  leave  a  somewhat  thick  top  rather 
than  make  too  many  wounds  to  heal  over. 

Select  a  limb,  saw  it  off  close  to  the  body  of  the 
tret  ox  larger  branch ,  being  careful  that  its  weight 
does  not  cause  it  to  split  down  just  before  falling. 
Paris  the  wound  smooth  and  coat  with  the  shel¬ 
lac  to  keep  out  water  and  prevent  sun-checking. 
Yfhen  done  during  this  month  (July)  the  later 
giowth  of  the  season  will  commence  to  roll  over 
th?  smooth  cut  and  in  a  few  years  the  new  wood 
will  unite  upon  the  two  sides  and  scarcely  leave 
a  scar.  If  an  ax  is  used,  leaving  a  stub  of  some 
six  inches  in  length,  the  new  growth  fails  to  cov¬ 
er  this  cut ;  the  stub  begins  to  rot  and  let  in  wa¬ 
ter,  which  still  further  hastens  decay  even  tow¬ 
ards  tie  heart  of  the  tree. 

Agair,  there  is  no  free  sap  now  in  the  tree  to  be 
both  lost  and  converted  into  a  poisonous  acid  upon 
the  trunk  The  abundant  foliage  also  protects  the 
wounds  which  without  shade  or  covering  of  some 
kind  would  crack  in  the  sunshine. 

We  know  that  early  Spring  pruning  has  strong 
advocates,  with  many  of  the  old  school  cultivators, 
some  contending  that  their  fathers  and  grand¬ 
fathers  prunVd  at  that  season,  and  consequently 
it  must  be  the  best  time.  Others  ask  why  let  the 


tree  grow  from  May  to  July,  and  then  throw 
away  this  very  growth,  and  still  others  say  July 
is  a  busy  month,  while  we  have  plenty  of  time 
in  February  and  March. 

Answering  the  last  first,  we  say,  if  you  can  not 
afford  the  needful  time  to  attend  to  fruit  trees, 
you  can  not  expect  success,  and  may  as  well  give 
up  fruit  growing.  Again  it  is  not  always  found 
that  the  practices  of  our  fore-fathers  brought  with 
them  from  an  entirely  different  climate,  are  best 
suited  to  our  wants,  and  they  are  gradually  aban¬ 
doned  or  changed.  Let  us  also  ask  what  is 
gained  in  point  of  growth  by  cutting  off  a  limb  in 
Spring  and  allowing  the  sap  to  escape,  or  let  that 
same  sap  form  wood  which  in  turn  is  cut  awayl 
With  small  shoots  of  but  one  year’s  growth 
the  time  of  pruning  is  not  very  essential.  The 
old  directions  to  “  prune  at  any  time  when  the 
tools  are  sharp,”  may  answer  for  these.  But  on 
large  limbs,  give  us  July  and  August  for  pruning 
in  this  latitude. 

Pot  Culture  of  Roses. 

Many  persons  who  have  no  gardens,  wish  to 
have  a  collection  of  window-plants  ;  and  among 
these,  they  desire  by  all  means  to  have  a  few 
roses.  Others  who  have  gardens,  wish  also  to 
decorate  their  living-rooms  in  Winter  with  some 
of  these  floral  charms.  To  such  we  offer  a  few 
words  on  the  cultivation  of  roses  in  pots. 

Small  plants  may  be  bought  at  the  nurseries  for 
a  trifle  ;  but  where  one  wishes  to  avoid  even  this 
expense,  they  maybe  got  in  the  following  manner: 
Ask  some  generous  Florist,  or  some  rose-growing 
friend  fora  few  cuttings  of  several  desirable  sorts, 
and  “strike”  them  yourself  Get  the  cuttings 
in  June  or  September,  three  or  four  inches  long 
and  with  three  buds.  If  possible,  have  a  bud  on 
the  lower  end  of  each  cutting,  and  a  leaf  or  two 
on  the  upper  end.  Insert  them  two  inches  or 
more  in  very  sandy  soil,  shade  them  from  the 
mid-day  sun,  and  give  them  gentle  sprinklings 
every  evening.  In  three  or  four  weeks,  they 
will  probably  be  rooted,  and  may  be  transplanted 
into  separate  pots.  If  extra  care  is  given  them, 
they  will  flower  the  first  Winter. 

The  soil  for  potting  roses  is  of  great  impor¬ 
tance.  A  good  mixture  is,  a  compost  of  sand, 
turfy  loam,  and  old  manure,  in  equal  proportion. 
If  leaf-mold  can  be  got,  a  little  may  well  be  added. 
Small  pieces  of  charcoal  may  also  be  put  in  near 
the  bottom  of  the  pot ;  the  roots  delight  to  ramble 
among  them.  Every  pot  should  be  supplied  with 
an  inch  and-a-half  of  drainage,  made  of  small 
stones,  pieces  of  broken  crockery,  or  oyster  shells. 
Plants  intended  for  house  culture  should  be  kept 
in  pots  during  the  Summer.  They  would  per¬ 
haps  grow  more  luxuriantly  if  set  out  in  the  open 
ground,  but  in  taking  them  up  in  the  Fall,  their 
roots  would  be  so  much  injured  that  the  plants 
would  not  bloom  till  about  the  following  March. 
Keep  them  in  pots  the  year  round,  sinking  them 
in  the  ground  during  Summer,  in  some  rather 
shaded  situation  so  as  to  check  their  growth  ; 
re-pot  them  carefully  in  September,  or  add  some 
fresh  mold  to  the  same  pots,  give  them  a  good 
pruning,  cutting  out  the  weak  shoots  and  short¬ 
ening  the  strong,  and  set  them  for  a  few  days  in 
a  cool  aspect.  Afterwards,  they  may  have  a 
sunnier  spot,  until  frosty  nights  come  on,  when 
they  should  be  taken  under  shelter.  They  will 
soon  make  new  growth  and  exhibit  flower-buds. 
These  before  long  should  be  pinched  back,  so  as 
to  give  the  plants  a  vigorous,  bushy  habit,  and  a 
profusion  of  flowers  during  mid-winter. 

We  now  suppose  our  plants  to  be  in  their  Win 
ter  quarters,  on  a  table  or  plant-stand  near  the 
window.  The  pots  are  washed  clean,  the  bushes 


are  neatly  tied  up  to  stakes,  and  every  decayed 
leaf  removed.  They  occupy  one  side  of  our  liv¬ 
ing  room,  the  air  of  which  we  know  is  too  dry 
for  their  well-being  ;  but  we  sprinkle  their  leaves 
every  morning,  and  keep  pans  of  wet  sand  cov¬ 
ered  with  moss  standing  among  them,  hoping  that 
the  constant  evaporation  will  keep  them  tolerably 
moist.  Whenever  the  weather  will  permit,  we 
open  the  window  and  give  them  a  taste  of  fresh 
air  which  they  undoubtedly  relish.  Insects  in¬ 
fest  them  at  times,  hut  a  little  perseverance  sub¬ 
dues  them.  We  first  tried  the  fumes  of  burning 
tobacco  upon  them,  but  this  killed  only  a  part, 
while  it  filled  the  house  with  offensive  odors. 
Then  we  invited  them  to  “take  tea”  with  us 
the  tea  being  tobacco-juice,  and  they  left  in  dis¬ 
gust.  And  this  is  the  entertainment  we  always 
give  them  when  they  come  to  our  house.  Or,  to 
drop  all  figure,  we  make  a  pretty  strong  decoc¬ 
tion,  using  the  leaves  found  at  tobacconists,  take 
the  plant  infested  and  holding  a  cloth  firmly  over 
the  top  of  the  pot  to  keep  the  dirt  from  falling 
out,  we  plunge  the  foliage  in  the  decoction  and 
keep  it  there  for  a  minute  or  two.  This  proves  a 
settler  to  all  the  vermin  In  the  course  of  ten  or 
fifteen  minutes,  we  give  the  foliage  a  sprinkling  of 
clean  water.  It  is  well  occasionally  to  loosen  up 
the  soil  in  the  pots  With  a  small  stick.  Water 
should  be  given,  just  enough  to  keep  the  plants 
from  flagging,  increasing  the  quantity  while  they 
are  growing  vigorously  and  blooming  freely. 

The  following  will  furnish  a  good  list  to  select 
from.  Bourbons:  Souvenir  de  la  Malmaison, 
flesh  color,  large  and  double ;  George  Couvier, 
carmine,  good  form,  and  abundant  bloomer  ;  Her- 
mosa,  bright  pink,  cifpped,  always  in  flower. 
Tea  Roses  :  Devotiiensis,  creamy  white,  and 
excellent ;  Gloire  de  Dijon,  fawn  color ;  Frago- 
letta,  rosy  blush  ;  Niphetos,  pure  white  ;  Eliza 
Sauvage,  canary  yellow.  Noisettes  :  Solfaterre, 
sulphur  yellow,  globular;  Fellenbergh,  crimson, 
great  bloomer ;  Lamarque,  greenish  white. 
Chinas  :  Aggripina,  crimson  ;  Madame  Bosan- 
quet,  creamy  blush,  very  beautiful. 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Dielytra  or  Dielytra? 

NAMES  op  plants. 

What  a  difference  a  small  part  of  a  letter  will 
produce  in  a  name.  While  this,  now  well  known 
and  truly  superb  plant,  the  diadem  of  the  flower¬ 
bed,  is  in  Europe  called  and  written  Diclytra  : 
here  it  is  known  as  the  Dielytra ,  and  it  seems 
that  at  the  first  introduction  of  the  plant  into 
this  country  the  c  was  read  e.  In  some  of  the 
English  catalogues  it  reads  with  c  also,  and  if  the 
plant  was  exported  from  England  to  the  Conti¬ 
nent,  the  mistake  may  he  on  the  other  side. 

It  is  certainly  an  interesting  question,  which  of 
the  two  is  the  true  name  of  this  most  valuable 
flower  1  Authorities  speak  for  Diclytra,  etymolo¬ 
gy  for  Dielytra.  The  plant  is  the  Fumaria  ( amo - 
ena  ?)  of  Linnde,  the  Corydalis  spectabilis  of' 
Persoon,  and  the  Diclytra  spect  of  De  Candolle, 
who  in  his  Prodromus,  enumerates  several  of  the 
Corydalis  under  that  name.  Boppe,  in  his  admi¬ 
rable  and  most  complete  work  (German)  on  flori¬ 
culture,  has  it  as  Corydalis,  but  gives  the  syno¬ 
nym,  “  Diclytra We  can  hardly  doubt  in  such 
authorities.  Yet,  etymology  finds  nothing  in 
Diclytra,  while  in  Di-elytra  it  clearly  sees  a  de¬ 
scription  of  the  form  of  the  flower,  as — in  Greek — 
the  name  signifies  :  two-bladdered  or  two  wing- 
cased;  every  flower  has  a  double  swelling. 

Can  any  one  of  your  readers  give  a  decisive 
answer  to  the  question — and  thereby  to  the  fa¬ 
vorite  flower  its  proper  name  I  Mimosus. 

P.,  N.  II. 


Q13 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Design  for  a  Kristie  Summer  House. 

The  violent  contrast  between  the  irregular  yet 
graceful  forms  of  trees  and  shrubbery,  and  the 
angular  and  precise  finish  of  dwellings  may  be 
in  some  measure  subdued  by  introducing  into  the 
house  surroundings  a  rustic  style  of  architec¬ 
ture,  combining  natural  and  artificial  features.  A 
Summer  bouse  may  appropriately  be  of  this 
character,  particularly  as  the  idea  which  should 
be  prominent  in  a  structure  of  this  kind  is  that  of 
unrestraint  and  inviting  coolness,  something  out 
of  doors  and  yet  affording  adequate  shelter.  The 
design  above  presented  would  be  quite  appropriate 
for  some  half-secluded  nook  in  a  large  landscape 
garden,  when  it  would  add  an  attractive  feature 
to  the  adjoining  lawn.  Something  less  pretend¬ 
ing  and  elaborate  would  answer  better  for  grounds 
embracing  not  more  than  two  or  three  acres. 
The  general  style,  however,  might  be  preserved. 

Rough,  unbarked  timber  of  fantastic  shape  is 
best  for  the  construction  of  such  buildings.  Oak 
timber,  although  suitably  gnarled  is  not  sufficient¬ 
ly  durable  when  exposed  to  the  weather;  it  is 
checked  by  the  sun,  and  the  bark  is  easily  loosen¬ 
ed  and  peeled  off.  Yew,  larch,  birch  and  the 
common  locust  ( Rohinia  pseudacacia),  are  the  best 
woods  for  this  purpose;  the  last  named  is  almost 
indestructible,  and  its  bark  adheres  very  tena¬ 
ciously.  The  monotony  of  color  may  be  relieved 
by  introducing  ornamental  work  of  apple  tree 
limbs,  stripped  of  their  bark,  dried,  and  well  var¬ 
nished.  Wood  work  with  the  bark  on  may  be 
varnished  if  desirable,  by  first  washing  with  soap 
and  water,  and  then,  w-hen  dry,  with  boiled  lin¬ 
seed  oil.  The  oil  should  be  applied  in  hot  sunny 
weather.  In  a  few  days  two  coats  of  “  hard  var¬ 
nish  ”  can  be  put  on,  which  will  render  the  whole 
very  durable.  A  dark  oak  color  may  be  given  to 
rough  wood  from  which  the  bark  has  been  peeled, 
by  painting  with  a  mixture  of  one  quart  of  lin¬ 


seed  oil,  and  two  ounces  of  asphal- 
tum.  The  ingredients  are  boiled 
over  a  slow  fire  until  fully  incor¬ 
porated.  As  this  mixture  is  high¬ 
ly  inflammable,  great  caution  is 
necessary  in  its  preparation.  It 
would  be  well  to  boil  it  out  of 
doors.  Garden  settees,  chairs, 
trellisses,  etc.,  can  be  made  of  any 
wood  and  covered  with  this  pre¬ 
paration,  which  will  give  them  a 
rustic  appearance  little  inferior  to 
wood  in  tbe  bark,  and  they  will  be 

quite  durable . The  structure 

here  illustrated  is  somewhat  large 
and  elaborate.  But  simple,  cheap 
ornaments  may  be  readily  provided 
for  the  plainest  and  most  lowly 
country  or  village  home.  "We 
have  seen  a  pleasant  summer  re¬ 
treat  constructed  with  a  few  cedar 
poles,  some  set  up  for  posts,  and 
others  fastened  across  with  withes, 
or  nails,  and  twigs  were  woven 
over  the  top  and  part  way  down 
the  sides.  Morning  glories  were 
planted  around  the  border,  and 
trailed  on  the  whole.  In  another 
case  the  covering  was  made  with 
larger  twigs,  and  ivy  trained  up  the 
sides  and  over  the  roof  This 
looked  quite  pretty  in  Winter. . . . 
We  speak  often  of  such  adorn¬ 
ments  of  home.  They  are  readily 
secured  ;  they  add  to  our  comfort; 
they  cultivate  our  tastes,  and  tend 
to  soften  the  rough  asperity  of 
our  hearts  ;  they  render  the  homestead  attractive 
to  our  children  growing  up  around  us,  who  will 
be  likely  to  resist  the  allurements  to  city  life  and 
dissipation,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  pleas¬ 
ing  objects  with  which  the  scenes  of  their  child¬ 
hood  are  surrounded. 

Ornamental  Trees— Hints  for  Amateurs. 

1 .  It  often  happens  that  the  branches  of  choice 
trees  get  badly  mutilated.  This  injury  is  done 
by  snow-storms,  by  stray  cattle,  rude  boys  or 
careless  workmen.  Evergreens  in  particular  are 
apt  to  suffer  from  cows’  horns.  After  growing 
several  years  upon  the  lawn  unharmed,  develop¬ 
ing  their  limbs  in  perfect  symmetry  on  every  side, 
and  shooting  their  spiry  tops  high  in  the  air,  the 
delight  and  pride  of  their  owner,  unruly  cattle 
sometimes  break  into  the  guarded  enclosure  and 
in  a  few  moments  spread  desolation  around  them. 
Alas,  what  can  the  proprietor  now  do,  to  repair 
this  waste  !  Those  luxuriant  limbs  can  not  be 
fastened  on  again,  those  unsightly  gaps  can  never 

be  filled  up  !  -  Not  so  fast,  dear  Amateur. 

Plant  one  or  two  more  trees  of  the  same  sort  by 
the  side  of  the  mutilated  ones,  select  a  good 
branch  or  branches,  and  graft  or  in-arch  them  inlo 
the  damaged  trees.  I  f  the  work  is  well  done,  it 
will  succeed  ;  the  new  branch  may  afterwards  be 
severed  from  the  parent  tree,  and  that  tree  then 
be  taken  away.  This  process  of  in-arching  is 
fully  described  in  Vol.  XVI,  page  184. 

2.  Trees  are  often  injured  by  strong  winds 
blowing  uniformly  from  any  direction.  This  hap¬ 
pens  most  frequently,  perhaps,  with  evergreens, 
when  planted  in  exposed  situations  such  as  the 
corner  of  a  building,  or  any  unsheltered  eminence. 
The  writer  of  this  once  had  a  Norway  Spruce, 
which,  as  it  came  from  the  nursery,  was  of  fault¬ 
less  shape,  and  he  wished  to  preserve  its  beauty. 


But  in  spite  of  his  wishes,  the  lower  branches  on 
the  west  side,  being  exposed  to  almost  constant 
winds,  remained  considerably  shorter  than  those 
above  and  those  on  the  east  side.  On  the  west 
side,  the  tree  became  oval  instead  of  pyramidal. 
Setting  his  wits  to  work,  and  then  his  hands,  the 
writer  did  1  his :  He  shortened  in  the  longer 
branches  above,  making  them  a  little  shorter 
than  the  lower  tier  of  limbs.  The  long  branches 
on  the  east  side  were  also  cut  in  a  little.  Tbe 
ends  of  these  pruned  limbs  were  covered  with 
shellac  varnish.  Then,  to  give  the  lower  branch¬ 
es  tbe  best  possible  chance  to  grow,  he  got  a  car¬ 
penter  to  make  a  light  and  handsome  piece  of 
lattice  work,  six  feet  long  and  fo-ur  feet  high, 
painted  it  green  and  set  it  up  on  the  exposed  side 
of  his  favorite  tree,  some  three  feet  distant  from 
the  ends  of  the  limbs.  This  so  broke  the  force  of 
the  winds,  that  in  two  years’  time,  the  lower 
branches  shot  out  with  new  vigor,  and  have  ever 
since  kept  in  advance  of  those  above.  This  hap¬ 
py  result  has  overpaid  the  labor  a  thousand  fold. 

3.  To  keep  a  lawn  in  complete  order  for  many 
years,  it  is  necessary  to  replenish  it  occasionally 
with  new  seed  and  with  manure.  But  in  re¬ 
seeding,  great,  pains  should  be  taken  to  get  pure 
seed.  Do  not  take  every  man’s  word  in  regard 
to  grass-seed  ;  but  examine  the  article,  before 
purchasing,  with  a  good  magnifyingglass,  to  make 
sure,  if  possible,  that  it  contains  no  foul  weeds  ; 
else,  you  will  soon  have  your  grounds  over-run 
with  docks,  thistles,  white  daises,  and  the  like. 

And  in  manuring,  a  good  coat  of  old,  well-rot¬ 
ted  barn-yard  manure  is  perhaps  the  best  thing 
that  can  be  applied.  Yet,  it  sometimes  happens 
that  stable  manure  is  full  of  the  seeds  of  weeds. 
When  there  is  reason  to  suspect  this,  one  had 
better  substitute  for  it  some  kind  of  fertilizer, 
which  is  free  from  this  objection,  like  bone-saw¬ 
ings,  Peruvian  guano,  or  wood-ashes. 

Simple,  Cheap,  and  Pretty  Trellises  for 
Semi-Climbing'  Plants. 

These  may  be  of  various  devices,  according  to 
taste  and  fancy,  but  for  simplicity,  beauty  and 
ease  of  construction,  we  have  found  nothing  bet¬ 
ter  than  the  one  from  which  we  have  made  the 
annexed  engraving. 


To  construct  it  take  a  straight  grained  pine  or 
white-wood  board,  six  to  ten  feet  long,  and  say  8 
inches  wide.  Plane  both  sides,  and  with  a  1  inch 
bit  bore  a  hole  through  it  edgewise  3  feet  from 
the  bottom  end.  Put  a  wire  through  this  hole 
and  clinch  its  two  ends,  to  prevent  tbe  board  from/ 
splitting  down  further  than  the  sawing  at  A, 
Bore  similar  holes  at  B,  and  0,  and  if  a  tall 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


313 


trellis  is  wanted  three  such  holes  are  needed. 
With  a  chalk  line  mark  off  the  board  into  strips, 
say  -}  inch  in  width,  which  will  give  11  slats  or 
uprights.  The  width  of  the  board  can  be  varied 
at  pleasure  and  fine  or  coarse  work  made  as  de¬ 
sired.  The  strips  need  not  be  over  $  inch  in 
width,  and  1C,  to  20  even,  in  number.  With  a  fine 
toothed  saw,  split  the  board  in  the  chalk  marks, 
and  put  wires,  cane,  or  rattan,  in  the  small  holes 
at  B,  and  C.  Spread  these  slats  to  any  desired 
width,  and  the  board  is  ready  to  be  set  up.  It 
should  stand  two  or  two  and-a-half  feet  deep  in 
the  earth,  putting  the  spread  in  any  direction  de¬ 
sired.  If  the  holes  are  no  larger  than  the  wires  or 
other  spreading  rod,  the  slats  will  keep  their  po¬ 
sition  ;  otherwise  small  blocks  may  be  wedged  in 
to  keep  them  apart,  or  a  notched  stickmay  be  used. 

Trellises  of  this  sort  are  very  convenient  for 
pillar  roses,  corchorus,  etc.,  and  when  painted 
green  are  quite  attractive.  It  is  better  to  take 
them  down  and  house  them  during  the  Winter. 


Sweeping  by  Machinery. 


Broom  corn  is  one  of  the  crops  that  will  soon 
be  grown,  if  grown  at  all,  merely  as  a  curiosity. 
We  shall  tell  our  children  that  in  former  times 
tens  of  thousands  of  acres  of  the  best  land  were 
devoted  to  producing  a  curious  plant  used  in 
manufacturing  sweeping  brushes,  and  we  may 
perhaps  raise  a  few  stalks  as  an  ornamental  or 
border  plant,  to  keep  alive  the  memory  of  a  once 
useful  production,  but  the  days  of  the  old-fash¬ 
ioned  brooms  are  soon  to  be  numbered.  For 
some  time  past  we  have  kept  an  eye  upon  sundry 
patent  articles  designed  to  take  the  place  of  brooms 
as  dust  gatherers,  but  have  been  waiting  for  some¬ 
thing  to  be  brought  out  which  should  not  only  be 
superior  to  the  broom  in  its  operation,  but  also 
be  sold  at  a  price  within  the  reach  of  the  masses. 
That  implement  we  have  now  found,  and  have 
proved  its  value  by  thorough  trial.  We  refer  to 
“Shaler’s  Carpet  and  Floor  Sweeper.”  We  may 
sum  its  merits  by  saying  that,  as  compared  with 
a  common  broom,  it  sweeps  faster,  sweeps  much 
easier,  sweeps  cleaner,  wears  a  carpet  infinitely 
less,  and  better  than  all,  it  does  not  “  stir  up  a 
dust” — and  is  retailed  as  low  as  $2.  We  sus¬ 
pect  it  will  wear  long  enough  to  do  as  much  work 
as  two  dollars  worth  of  brooms,  at  the  rate  the 
latter  article  is  now  sold.  While  a  broom  either 
presses  the  dust  and  lint  down  into  a  carpet,  or 
flirts  it  up  into  the  air  to  fall  over  the  furniture, 
whence  it  is  again  brushed  off  to  settle  back 
upon  the  carpet,  this  implement  quietly  gathers 
up  the  dust,  lint,  hairs,  pins,  etc.,  and  deposits 
them  in  a  covered  box.  Well,  well,  this  is  talk¬ 
ing  rather  strongly — a  paid  for  “puff” — some- 
Dody  will  say ;  but  not  so,  we  are  only  telling 
what  we  honestly  believe  to  be  the  merits  of  the 
Sweeping  Machine.  We  hail  with  the  greatest 
pleasure  any  thing  that  lightens  and  facilitates 
woman’s  labors — and  man’s  too.  Had  some  of 
our  mothers  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  the  recent 
sewing  machines,  and  other  modern  labor  and 
life  saving  implements,  they  might  have  been 
saved  those  mid-night  hours  of  work,  and  instead 
of  their  having  gone  early  to  their  graves,  worn 
out  with  care  and  toil,  we  might  now  be  enjoying 
their  society  and  counsel.  We  look  upon  some 
of  these  recent  inventions,  such  as  the  sewing 
machines,  the  sweeping  machines,  etc.,  as  the 
most  important  event  of  this  eventful  era.  Not 
only  is  life  and  health  prolonged  by  them,  but 
when  the  family  work  can  be  done  in  a  fourth  of 
the  time,  by  their  use,  so  much  more  attention 


can  be  devoted  to  the  proper  instruction  and  mor¬ 
al  training  of  the  rising  generation.  Our  only  fear 
is,  that  foolish  customs  and  tyrannical  fashion  will 
multiply  the  work  to  be  done  in  proportion  to  the 
increased  facilities  for  accomplishing  it.  We  hope 
not.  But  this  by  the  way.  .  y-- ' 

To  gratify  the  curiosity  of  those  who  have  not 
yet  had  opportunity  to  examine  the  new  Sweeping- 
Machines,  we  introduce  here,  illustrations  and 
descriptions  of  one  of  them — the  Shaler’s  Patent, 
which  we  have  now  in  use. 


Fig  .1. 

Fig.  1  shows  the  sweeper  in  use  upon  a  car¬ 
pet.  A  portion  of  the  cover  is  removed  at  D,  to 
exhibit  the  brush.  The  handle.  A,  is  also  short¬ 
ened  to  save  room  ;  this  is  as  long  as  a  broom- 
handle,  so  that  in  using  it  the  person  stands  erect. 

Fig.  2,  is  an  end 
section  showing  the 
internal  arrange¬ 
ment.  The  letters, 

A,  B,  C,.  .a,  b,  c, . . 
used  iq,  the  descrip¬ 
tion,  refer  to  the 
same  parts  in  both 
figures.  The  main 
body  of  the  machine,  B,  shown  by  the  double  line 
in  fig.  2,  is  a  cast  iron  box,  in  form  like  a  sheet  of 
paper  bent  nearly  into  a  coil,  but  with  the  edges 
turned  in  as  at  e,  e.  This  leaves  an  opening  at  the 
bottom,  through  which  a  long  cylindrical  .brush, 
D,  plays  upon  the  carpet  or  floor.  The  handle,  A, 
is  fastened  upon  one  side  of  this  box.  C,  is  a  roller 
with  a  band  of  rubber  running  spirally  around  it, 
to  prevent  its  slipping  on  the  carpet.  On  the  end 
of  C,  is  a  pully,  a,  from  which  an  endless  cord 
runs  to  the  pully,  c,  on  the  end  of  the  brush,  D. 
At  the  front  is  a  smooth  roller,  E,  to  make  the 
implement  move  freely. 

It  will  now  be  seen  that  when  pushed  along, 
the  roller,  C,  revolves,  turning  the  brush,  D. 
The  bristles  on  D,  pick  up  whatever  dust,  lint, 
etc.,  may  lie  in  its  way,  and  throw  them  over 
the  turned  up  edges,  e,  e,  dropping  the  gathered 
material  into  the  box,  B.  This  takes  place  wheth¬ 
er  the  implement  be  moved  forward  or  back¬ 
ward.  A  lid  at  the  top  of  the.  box  is  opened  to 
empty  the  box  when  filled.  The  bristles  are 
placed  spirally  upon  the  cylinder,  c,  so  that  they 
enter  the  nap  of  a  carpet  nearly  horizontally  and 
pass  under  lint  and  dust,  and  throw  them  upward. 


This  is  a  peculiar  and  important  arrangement  in 
the  implement  under  notice.  We  have  swept  a 
carpet  as  clean  as  it  could  be  done  with  an  or¬ 
dinary  broom,  and  then  run  the  implement  over 
it,  when  a  considerable  amount  of  dust  and  lint 
would  be  collected  which  was  picked  out  from  the 
nap.  The  bristles  are  too  fragile  to  tear  the  n-ap 
but  sufficiently  firm  to  pick  up  the  loose  lint.  It 
will  bo  seen  that  no  dust  can  be  raised,  as  the 
brush  works  entirely  under  cover.  We  have 
tried  it  upon  hair,  pins,  needles  and  nails,  and  it 
almost  invariably  gathers  these  articles. 

The  sweepers  are  made  of  different  sizes,  for 
different  purposes,  the  most  common  size  is  12 
inches  in  length,  and  the  price  about  $2  at  retail. 
They  will  doubtless  soon  be  on  sale  generally. 

Best  Mode  of  Preserving  Fruits— New  Style 
of  Glass  Jars. 

Our  long-time  readers  know  that  we  have  ut¬ 
terly  condemned,  as  unfit  for  human  food,  the 
old-style  “preserves.”  We  have  for  several 
years  tried  to  inculcate  the  fact  that  there  is  less 
tisk  of  loss,  less  trouble,  and  less  expense,  in  pre¬ 
serving  fruits  fresh,  or  nearly  in  their  natural  state, 
than  in  stewing  them  down  with  sugar  to  a  keep¬ 
ing  condition  ;  while  by  the  newer  process  they 
are  vastly  more  healthful  and  more  palatable. 
What  we  have  recommended  to  others  we  have 
ourselves  practiced  with  entire  success  and  satis¬ 
faction.  We  are  at  this  season  constantly  using 
the  various  smaller  and  larger  fruits  little  altered 
from  their  condition  when  first  gathered.  The  main 
thing  is  to  put  up  the  fruit  freed  from  air,  and 
then  keep  them  from  its  contact. 

Formerly  we  depended  almost,  wholly  upon 
what  are  called  air-tight  self-sealing  tin  cans. 
These  have  proved  satisfactory,  though  there  has 
always  been  the  objection  that  with  acid  fruits, 
or  when  the  closing  has  not  been  entirely  perfect, 
there  is  apt  to  be  a  little  corrosion  of  the  tin,  and 
a  slight  liability  of  the  articles  becoming  colored 
or  flavored  with  the  salts  of  tin  thus  formed. 
With  proper  experience  and  care  in  putting  up, 
there  is  no  trouble  in  this  respect  especially  with 
the  less  acid  (or  sour)  fruits.  We  shall  continue 
the  use  of  at  least  a  part  of  the  tin  cans  we  have, 
and,  by  the  way,  some  which  have  been  used 
three  years  are  yet  very  good. 

We  have  found  the  style  of  tin  can  manufac¬ 
tured  by  Mr.  Lockwood,  of  Stamford,  quite  con¬ 
venient.  These  are  closed  at  the  top  with  a 
little  tin  cup,  into  which  cold  water  is  poured  for 
cooling  the  wax,  and  warm  water  for  loosening 
it  when  removing  the  fruit.  Some  improvements 
in  the  top  of  the  can  are  promised  for  this  season. 

Everything  considered,  we  think  glass  or  well 
glazed  earthen  ware  preferable  in  all  cases,  or  es¬ 
pecially  for  sour  fruits — for  rhubarb  (pie-plant), 
tomatoes  and  the  like,  provided  convenient  ves¬ 
sels  could  be  prepared.  We  have  suggested  sev¬ 
eral  plans  from  time  to  time  to  glass  manufac¬ 
turers,  but  until  this  year  have  been  unable  to  get 
just  those  we  have  deemed  to  be  of  the  best  form. 

Last  year  we  tried  common  glass  bottles  with 
wide  necks,  flaring  at  the  top,  stopped  with 
corks,  and  covered  with  cloth  dipped  in  a  prepar¬ 
ation  of  one  ounce  of  tallow  melted  with  onG 
pound  of  resin.  These  succeeded  very  well.  Wa 
have  peaches,  strawberries, cherries,  rhubarb,  etc , 
now  in  good  order.  The  glass  is  not  corroded  of 
course,  and  the  fruit  looks  better  in  the  transpa¬ 
rent  bottles.  We  have  this  year  procured  a  lot 
of  Yeomans  Fruit  bottles,  which  are  in  just  the 
form  we  recommended  two  years  since,  and  tried 
to  get  manufactured  but  without  success. 

Fig.  1,  (next  page),  shows  the  form.  It  is  similar 
to  an  ordinary  wide-necked  bottle,  but  the  neck 


Fig.  2. 


Q14 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


is  provided  with  a  shoulder  on  the  inside  for  the 
cork  to  rest  upon.  When  filled,  the  close  fitting 


flat  cork  is  pressed  in 
down  to  the  shoulder, 
leaving  room  above  it 
for  a  thin  layer  of  wax 
or  cement  to  be 
poured  in.  For  con¬ 
venience  of  removing 
the  cork,  it  is  well  to 
lay  two  strings,  cross¬ 
ing  each  other  at  right 
angles,  upon  the  top 
of  the  bottle  and  put 
the  cork  upon  these 
when  pushing  it  down; 
or  better  still,  tie  the 
two  strings  loosely 
around  the  cork  and  these 
die  for  drawing  it  out  with 


Fig-  1. 


will  serve  as  a  han- 
a  hook  or  bent  wire. 


Fig.  2,  represents  a  convenient  tin  funnel  for 
filling  the  bottles.  Directions  for  use  accompany 
the  bottles.  For  particulars  as  to  price,  etc., 
address  the  manufacturer  whose  card  may  be 
found  in  bur  advertising  columns.  They  are  sent 
in  boxes  holding  6  doz.  of  two-quarts,  or  12  dozen 
1  quarts,  at  $1  per  dozen  for  the  latter,  and  $1  5Q 
per  dozen  for  the  former,  delivered  free  of  charge 
in  New-York,  Philadelphia,  and  at  the  proprie¬ 
tor’s  residence.  The  bottles  hold  a  little  less  than 
one  and  two  quarts  each.  Corks  are  furnished 
when  desired  at  about  lc.  each.  Any  kind  of 
glass  bottles  may  be  used,  if  the  necks  be  ‘•flaring” 
so  that  the  corks  will  not  slip  inward.  Mr.  Yeo¬ 
man’s  pattern  is  best,  where  they  can  be  obtained. 


We  have  generally  used  common  bees-wax  for 
sealing  both  glass  bottles  and  cans.  A  better 
preparation  and  a  cheaper  one,  is  made  by  melt¬ 
ing  and  stirring  well  together  very  nearly  one 
ounce  of  tallow  to  a  pound  of  resin — or  say  one 
ounce  of  tallow  to  seventeen  ounces  of  resin. 


When  glass  bottles  of  any  kind  are  used  they 
should  be  set  into  a  wash  boiler  or  any  conve¬ 
nient  vessel,  and  cold  water  poured  around  them 
up  to  the  necks  ;  they  will  need  a  cover  or  weight 
to  keep  them  down.  Heat  the  water  to  near  the 
boiling  point.  This  gradually  heats  the  glass 
and  prevents  breaking  when  hot  fruits  are  put  in. 


MODE  OF  PUTTING  UP  FRUITS. 


The  fruits,  of  whatever  kind,  should  betaken 
as  nearly  as  possible  fresh  picked,  andatjustthe 
ripening  point — not  over  ripe,  nor  in  the  least  stale. 

Berries. — For  strawberries,  blackberries,  and 
raspberries,  take  the  clean  dry  fruit,  avoiding 
washing  unless  really  necessary  ;  fill  the  cans  or 
heated  jars  full,  then  fill  the  spaces  between  the 
berries  with  hot  syrup.  We  formerly  made  the 
syrup  by  boiling,  and  skimming,  one  pound  of 
good  white  sugar  with  one  pint  of  water.  Re¬ 
fined  sugar  is  best.  Last  year  we  used  for  exper¬ 
iment  from  i  to  f  lb.  of  sugar  to  the  pint.  The 
fruit  kept  well.  A  good  rule  is,  to  use  about  as 
much  sugar  for  the  d  fferent  fruits  as  will  be  re¬ 
quired  to  fit  them  for  eating — rather  more  is 
required  where  the  fruit  is  to  become  saturated 
by  longstanding  in  the  jars  or  cans,  than  when  to 
be  immediately  used.  A  small  amount  of  syrup 
will  fill  up  the  spaces  between  the  fruits. 

Let  the  jars  qr  cans  stand  surrounded  with  hot 
water,  say  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  until  all  bubbles 
of  air  have  escaped.  Then  take  from  one  jar 
enough  fruit,  and  syrup  enough  to  fill  the  others 
just  up  to  the  cork  or  cover.  The  covers  may 
then  be  put  on  to  tin  cans  and  when  removed 
from  the  water  and  wiped  dry  around  the  top,  put 
on  beeswax,  or  the  above  cement,  enough  to 
perfectly  close  every  possible  aperture.  For 


glass  jars,  wfipe  the  neck  and  shoulder  dry,  down 
to  the  fruit ;  dip  the  corks  into  the  melted  ce¬ 
ment  and  press  them  down  to  the  shoulder,  with 
the  strings  around  them  as  already  noted.  Next 
pour  melted  cement  over  the  top  of  the  corks. 
Mr.  Yeomans  says  it  is  enough  to  simply  dip  the 
neck  of  the  bottle  into  the  cement.  W'e  would 
prefer  filling  the  small  space  above  the  cork  en¬ 
tirely  with  cement,  as  it  is  cheap,  and  this  will 
more  certainly  prevent  openings  by  air-bubbles,  or 
cracking.  The  jars,  thus  easily  filled,  may  then 
be  set  aside  to  cool,  and  afterwards  be  stored  in 
any  convenient  place — in  a  chamber,  closet,  or 
pantry,  or  in  a  cellar.  The  fruit  will  come  out 
nice  and  fresh  at  the  end  of  six  months  or  a  year. 
The  condition  of  the  fruit  can  be  readily  examined 
from  time  to  time — this  is  a  decided  advantage 
of  the  glass  jars — and  should  there  chance  to  be 
any  fermentation  visible,  such  fruit  may  be  used. 

Peaches ,  cherries,  -plums,  apricots,  pears,  quinces, 
apples,  etc.,  may  all  be  put  up  in  the  same  man¬ 
ner.  Apples  and  quinces,  of  course,  require  to 
have  the  cores  removed.  They  may  be  cut  into 
pieces  of  desired  size  and  form.  The  pits  should 
be  removed  from  peaches,  and  cherries  are  all 
the  better  for  being  first  stoned,  besides  the  ad¬ 
vantage  of  getting  more  fruit  into  a  can.  It  is 
better  with  all  these  fruits,  except  peaches,  to 
cook  them  in  a  separate  kettle  for  five  or  ten  min¬ 
utes,  and  afterwards  dip  them  into  the  heated 
jars.  The  main  object  of  heating  is  to  expel  the. 
enclosed  air.  A  little  heating  after  putting  into 
the  jars  perfects  the  removal  of  the  air.  The 
cooking  should  never  be  carried  far  enough  to 
discolor  and  soften  the  outside  of  the  fruit.  Ap¬ 
ples  may  be  stewed  into  sauce  ready  for  the  table, 
then  sealed  up  in  the  cans  ready  to  be  used  when¬ 
ever  desired — three,  six,  nine,  or  twelve  months 
afterwards.  We  have  put  up  a  large  quantity 
thus, Vat  different  periods  of  the  year — in  the 
Winter  taking  jars  that  had. previously  been  used 
for  the  same  purpose  or  for  other  fruits.  All  kinds 
of  stewed  sauce  may  be  seasoned,  then  bottled 
and  sealed,  and  be  always  ready  for  use. 

Tomatoes  we  put  up  largely  every  year,  and 
have  now  (June)  a  fair  supply,  as  good  as  if  just 
gathered  and  cooked.  These  we  skin,  cut,  and 
boil  down  one-half,  and  then  bottle  up.  Prepared 
in  this  way  they  are  so  convenient,  and  of  so  good 
and  fresh  quality  that  we  make  no  special  effort 
to  secure  early  new  tomatoes.  / 


Rhubarb,  stewed  soft,  sweetened  as  for  pies, 
and  bottled,  comes  out  nice  and  fresh  in  mid¬ 
winter  or  spring. 

Currants  and  gooseberries  are  also  similarly 
kept,  but  these  should  be  mature,  not  necessarily 
ripe,  and  be  well  cooked  and  sweetened  with  a 
strong  syrup. 

Green  Peas,  beams  and  corn  may  also  be  kept, 
but  they  need  to  be  thoroughly  cooked  before 
bottling,  or  they  are  liable  to  spoil. 

We  repeat  in  closing,  that,  though  we  have 
made  a  long  chapter  in  giving  particulars,  the  pro¬ 
cess  of  putting  up  in  bottles  and  cans  we  find  to 
be  less  trouble  and  labor  than  the  old  fashioned 
mode  of  “preserving”  in  sugar,  while  less  sugar 


is  required,  and  a  sw'eet-meat  or  sauce  is  thus  ob¬ 
tained,  far  superior  in  appearance,  in  tast'e,  and 
especially  in  healthfulness. 

Healthfulness  of  Fruit. 

Many  persons  suppose  that  fruit  is  unwhole¬ 
some,  especially  for  children,  because  their 
mortality  is  so  great  at  the  time  when  fresh  fruits 
begin  to  abound  in  market.  Undoubtedly,  the 
eating  of  green  or  partly  decayed  fruits  is  inju¬ 
rious  to  both  young  and  old  persons  ;  it  was  not 
made  to  be  eaten  ;  though  green  fruit  is  little 
harmful  if  well  cooked.  But  it  is  not  correct  to 
ascribe  the  sickness  and  death  of  so  many  chil¬ 
dren  to  fruit  eating.  On  examining  the  bills  of 
mortality  of  any  large  town,  we  shall  find  that  the 
increase  of  deaths  among  children  in  Summer,  is 
almost  exclusively  of  those  under  five  years  ot 
age,  and  principally  of  those  under  two  years. 
Of  course  they  eat  little  or  no  fruit.  The  deaths 
at  the  same  season  among  persons  between  five 
and  twenty-five,  those  most  likely  to  indulge  too 
freely  in  fruits,  is  less  than  in  Winter.  The  mor* 
tality,  therefore,  of  the  Summer  season,  is  more 
probably  owing  to  the  increase  of  heat  than  to 
fruit  eating.  The  excessive  heats  of  the  day,  fol¬ 
lowed  by  exposure  to  the  chilly  damps  of  the 
evening,  may  help  to  account  for  much  of  the 
sickness  of  children  in  the  fruit  season. 

We  once  met  with  the  following  extract  from 
the  London  Lancet,  a  high  medical  authority  : 
Referring  to  the  health  of  London  during  a  week 
in  the  middle  of  August,  the  writer  remarks  : 
“The  deaths  ascribed  to  diarrhea  are  12G,  .ot 
which  115  occurred  among  children.  The  tender 
age  of  nearly  all  the  sufferers,  97  of  them  riot 
having  completed  their  first  year,  is  sufficient  to 
dispel  the  popular  error,  that  the  use  of  fruit  is 
the  exciting  cause.” 

Now,  let  us  carry  the  war  into  the  enemy’s 
country.  Fruit,  eaten  in  moderation,  is  positive¬ 
ly  wholesome,  and  its  use  is  demanded  by  the 
peculiarities  of  the  Summer  season.  The  most 
common  diseases  of  Summer,  such  as  diarrhea, 
dysenterry  and  cholera,  are  bilious  complaints, 
and  require  anti-bilious  treatment.  Fruits  are 
anti-bilious.  A  kind  Providence  causes  them  to 
abound  at  just  the  season  when  they  are  most 
needed.  In  the  Winter,  we  may  devour  meat  ot 
all  sorts,  both  fat  and  lean,  and  other  kinds 
of  food  containing  much  carbon  and  nitrogen, 
and  no  harm  will  perhaps  come  from  it,  because 
the  rigors  of  the  season  call  for  such  nutriment ; 
and  free  exercise  in  the  open  air  will  burn  up  the 
carbon  ;  but  during  the  Summer  season,  a  differ¬ 
ent  style  of  living  is  required.  Experience  shows 
that  during  the  latter  season  less  meat  should  be 
eaten,  and  a  greater  proportion  of  vegetables  and 
fruits.  The  natives  of  tropical  climates  long  ago 
found  this  out,  and  they  act  accordingly;  while 
Northerners  going  there  to  reside,  and  keeping  up 
their  usual  habits  of  high  living,  soon  fall  victims 
to  bilious  diseases. 

There  should  be  moderation,  of  course,  in  the 
use  of  a  good  thing.  Fruit  should  be  ripe  if  eaten 
raw ;  it  is  better  to  eat  it  early  in  the  day,  and 
the  stomach  should  never  be  overloaded  with  it. 

Addenda. — To  the  above,  written  by  an  asso¬ 
ciate,  we  will  add,  that  after  much  careful  obser¬ 
vation,  we  have  come  to  believe  that  in  ninety- 
nine  cases  in  a  hundred  where  fruit  has  proved 
injurious,  the  fault  has  not  been  in  the  fruit  it¬ 
self,  but  in  the  condition  in  which  it  has  been 
swallowed.  When  it  goes  into  the  stomach  it 
must  be  dissolved  in  the  gastric  juice,  or  it  passes 
through  the  alimentary  canal  in  lumps,  which 
lumps  produce  irritation.  The  undigested  por- 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


215 


tions  at  the  same  time  ferment  on  the  surface,  and 
form  vegetable  acids  which  induce  flatulence  diar¬ 
rhea,  etc.  Children  seldom  masticate  food  thor¬ 
oughly.  If  all  fruit  were  mashed  finely  before  al¬ 
lowing  it  to  be  eaten,  it  would  very  seldom  cause 
injury. — Ed. 

Poultry— Flowers— and  Hellie’s  Troubles. 

Dear  Mr.  Editor. 

It  is  quite  impossible  for  me  to  tell  you  with 
what  glee  we  all  hail  the  entrance  of  papa  when 
we  see  a  corner  of  the  Agriculturist  peeping  from 
his  pocket,  for  each  is  anticipating  the  pleasure 
its  contents  will  give.  Papa  is  a  tanner,  but  he 
and  my  older  brothers  read  the  articles  on  farm¬ 
ing  with  much  interest,  and  consider  it  good  au¬ 
thority.  Mamma,  I  believe,  hunts  up  the  instruc¬ 
tions  for  raising  such  plants  as  we  have  in  our 
own  garden.  As  for  me,  I  have  learned  much 
from  grandmother  (please  give  her  my  love) — from 
a  new  game  of  Aunt  Sue,  and  many  other  things. 

But  what  has  awakened  my  attention  and 
caused  me  to  trouble  you  with  this  letter,  is  the 
suggestions  of  Minnie  May.  I  am  not  a  house¬ 
keeper  yet ,  I  fervently  thank  my  stars,  but  I  assist 
often  in  household  duties.  It  is  as  Minnie  says, 
tiresome  to  find  the  same  round  waiting  us  day 
after  day.  I  have  found  it  so,  and  have  tried  to 
take  care  of  the  poultry,  but  will  you  believe  it, 
my  little  geese  are  so  silly  as  to  be  afraid  of  me! 
Now,  I’m  only  sixteen  and  very  petite  too,  but 
they  run  off  in  as  disrespectful  a  manner  as  if  they 
did  not  know  I  intended  a  kindness  when  I  fill 
their  tub  with  water.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  I  sing, 

“  If  e’er  I  marry  in  my  life, 

No  farmer’s  wife  I'll  be  V’ 

Mamma  assures  me  there  is  no  danger,  for  no 
farmer  would  want  me,  nor  any  other  man  in  his 
senses.  Do  you  know  that  last  grieves  rne  des¬ 
perately  1  for  I’m  afraid  it  is  true.  But  to  return. 
The  care  of  poultry  evidently  being  bad  for  my 
nerves,  I  have  taken  to  flowers.  Here  my  pei’- 
verse  taste  inclines  to  a  bed  of  moss  placed  on  a 
plate.  With  water  to  preserve  its  fresh,  green 
appearance,  and  a  few  wintergreens  with  their 
bright  berries  scattered  here  and  there,  and  some 
wild  violets  in  the  center,  I  have  a  beautiful  or¬ 
nament  for  my  toilet  table. 

But  still  I  love  other  flowers  and  spend  much 
time  in  getting  them  arranged  to  my  fancy.  This 
Spring,  however,  I  am  in  despair !  Papa  has 
taken  my  neat  pretty  flower  bed  for  garden  straw¬ 
berries  (instigated  I  suppose  by  what  you  have 
said  in  their  favor).  Dear  Mr.  Editor !  what 
shall  I  do?  He  don’t  like  flowers  in  the  yard,  and 
I  had  a  bed  in  his  garden.  Now  won’t  you  ask 
him  to  let  me  have  my  French  running  rose, 
Four  o’clock,  Forget-me-not,  and  a  few  others  in 
the  back  yard  even  if  it  does  spoil  a  little  grass? 
If  I  can  get  his  consent  through  your  means  I'll 
give  you  a  famous  bouquet  when  you  come  to 
Ledgedale — the  home  of  Nellie. 

[We  trust  “Papa”  will  not  disregard  “Nel¬ 
lie's”  importunity;  she  will,  without  doubt, 
make  an  ornamental  plot  that  he  will  be  proud 
of.— Ed] 

Strawberry  “Sliort-Cake.” 

Having  tried  the  article  made  after  the  follow¬ 
ing  directions,  furnished  to  the  Agriculturist  by 
Jennie  V.  V.,  of  Queens  Co.,  N.  Y.,  we  are  ready 
to  endorse  them  as  first-rate — that  is,  for  a 
“short-cake.”  To  two  teacupfuls  of  sour  milk 
(water  will  answer  where  milk  is  scarce)  add  one 
teaspoonful  saleratus ;  when  this  is  dissolved 
put  in  one  cup  of  butter  or  lard,  and  flour  enough 
to  make  a  soft  dough.  Roll  it  out  into  thin  cakes, 


large  enough  to  fill  the  pan  in  which  they  are  to 
be  baked.  Dust  a  frying  pan  with  flour,  and  bake 
the  cakes  over  the  fire,  turning  as  soon  as  the 
under  side  is  done,  which  will  require  but  few 
minutes.  Then  split  them  open  while  hot  and 
butter  well.  Have  ready  a  quantity  of  straw¬ 
berries  well  sugared.  Lay  on  a  large  dish  a  slice 
of  short-cake,  then  a  layer  of  strawberries,  and  so 
on  alternately  for  five  or  six  layers,  and  serve  up 
— they  will  go  down  easily. 

- - -  — «33— « -qg=s3  EC-mr.  ■" — 

Ice  Cream. 

This  article  is  much  talked  about,  and  is  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  largely  consumed  in  our  cities  ;  but  the 
fact  is,  comparatively  few  persons  know  any 
thing  about  genuine  ice  cream.  Ice  cream  is 
chiefly  made  in  cities  and  large  villages — genuine 
cream  “  grows  ”  in  the  country,  and  country 
people  are  the  ones  to  have  and  enjoy  the  ‘  simon 
pure  article.’  There  have  been  two  difficulties  in 
the  way:  first,  lack  of  ice  ;  and  second,  the  amount 
of  apparatus  and  labor  required.  But  ice-houses 
are  becoming  quite  common,  so  that  in  ’many 
places  ice  is  always  readily  and  cheaply  access¬ 
ible  the  year  round.  As  for  the  apparatus,  a  good 
freezer  is  now  got  up  so  cheap,  as  to  bring  it  with¬ 
in  the  reach  of  a  majority  of  persons.  The  best 
freezer  we  know  of,  is  retailed  as  low  as  $3  each 
for  the  smaller  (3  quarts)  sizes.  The  freezer  is 
complete  in  itself,  requiring  only  the  ice  and  salt 

to  be  put  in - and  the  cream  of  course.  This 

apparatus  is  so  simple,  and  yet  so  philosophical, 
that  a  description  will  be  interesting. 

Fig.  1  shows  its  outward  form  ;  the  smallest 
size,  for  making  3  quarts  of  cream  at  a  time,  is 
somewhat  taller  than  a  large  pail. 

Fig.  2  shows  the  internal  portions.  The  cylin¬ 
der  to  hold  the  cream  is  so  arranged,  that  by 
turning  the  crank  one  way,  the  cylinder  itself  is 
revolved  in  the  surrounding  ice  and  salt ;  while 
by  turning  the  crank  backward,  only  the  wooden 


Fig.  1.  Fig.  2. 

blades  within  are  moved,  including  a  scraper  kept 
pressed  against  the  cylinder  by  a  spring,  which  re¬ 
moves  the  thin  film  of  frozen  cream  formed  on 
the  tin.  And  just  here  lies  the  beauty  of 
the  invention — got  up,  not  by  a  Yankee,  by  the 
way,  but  by  a  Pennsylvanian,  and  an  editor  at 
that,  (H.  B.  Masser,  editor  of  Sunbury  American.) 
In  the  ordinary  mode  of  freezing,  the  ice  formed 
on  the  outside  of  the  mass  of  cream,  acts  as  a 
non-couductor,  and  the  internal  portions  are  slow 
in  congealing.  In  this  freezer,  the  instant  a  thin 
film  is  frozen,  it  is  scraped  off  and  mixed  with  the 
whole  mass.  The  wooden  blades  also  keep  the 
whole  cream  well  beaten.  The  freezing  is  .of 
course  quickly  performed,  requiring  little  labor, 
and  but  little  ice  and  salt  around  the  outside  of 
the  cylinder. 

The  best,  cheap,  freezing  mixture,  is  about  one 
part  of  common  salt  to  four  parts  of  ice  pounded 
very  fine — if  as  fine  as  peas  all  the  better. 

For  cream,  good  sweet  cream,  with  sugar  to 


the  taste,  and  flavored  with  extract  of  lemon, 
pine-apple,  or  vanilla,  is  all  that  is  necessary. 
About  7  ounces  of  white  sugar  is  required  for  a 
quart  of  cream.  'Those  who  can  not  get  real 
cream,  may  use,  as  a  good  substitute,  sweet  milk 
and  eggs,  well  beaten  together,  say  2  eggs  and 
6  to  8  ounces  of  sugar  to  a  quart  of  milk.  Cook 
carefully  for  20  to  30  minutes,  then  cool,  flavor, 
and  freeze. 

The  following  R.ecipe  is  furnished  by  Mr.  Mas¬ 
ser,  by  which,  he  says,  superior  cream  can  be 
made  for  18  cents  per  quart : 

“Two  quarts  good  rich  milk  ;  four  fresh  eggs,  three 
quarters  pound  of  white  sugar  ;  six  teaspoons  of  Bermu¬ 
da  Arrow  Root.  Rub  the  arrow  root  smooth  in  a  little 
boiled  milk  ;  heat  the  eggs  and  sugar  together  ;  bring  the 
milk  to  the  boiling  point  ;  then  stir  in  the  arrow  root; 
remove  it  then  from  the  fire  and  immediately  add  the 
eggs  and  Sugar,  stirring  briskly,  to  keep  the  eggs  from 
cooking,  then  set  aside  to  cool.  If  flavored  w  ith  extracts, 
let  it  be  done  just  before  putting  it  in  the  freezer.  If  the 
Vanilla  bean  is  used,  it  must  be  boiled  m  the  milk. 

- <a> - - 

.  For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Cook  Books— Letter  from  a  Housekeeper. 

Mr.  Editor  : 

I  noticed  an  article  in  the  April  Agriculturist, 
upon  the  unreliableness  of  cook-books,  which  ex¬ 
pressed  my  views  exactly.  Now  let  me  ask  you 
and  all  concerned,  why  somebody  does  not  seize 
the  opportunity  here  presented,  to  make  his  for¬ 
tune  by  compiling  a  book  that  can  be  depended 
on  ?  I  want,  and  many  others  want,  a  manual 
teaching  housekeepers  how  to  make  various  dish¬ 
es  which  are  not  used  in  the  common  round  of 
domestic  life.  Is  there  no  superannuated  baker, 
or  retired  confectioner,  “  whose  sands  (or  sugar) 
of  life  have  nearly  run  out,”  who  would  like  to 
immortalize  himself,  as  well  as  make  money,  by 
publishing  such  a  book  ?  I  pause  for  a  reply. 

I  should  occasionally  like  hot  rolls  for  break¬ 
fast,  or  “rabbits  in  pantalets”  for  dinner,  or 
those  nice  tea-biscuits  and  macaroons  for  sup¬ 
per,  and  that  too  of  my  own  making  ;  but  I  don’t 
know  how  to  do  it,  and  can  get  no  light  on  the 
subject  from  any  book  on  cookery  or  from  my 
neighbors.  I  have  probably  wasted  flour  enough 
to  buy  a  dozen  cook-books,  just  in  trying  to  make 
“  French  bread  ;”  but  the  hard  times  forbid  any 
further  experiments,  and  now  I  want  a  hook. 

Further,  as  I  have  a  pen  in  my  hand,  and  not 
flour,  let  me  go  on  to  ask  how  carpets  which  have 
once  seen  better  days  can  he  shaken.  One  of 
ours  is  what  Sam.  Weller  would  call  “  ventila¬ 
tion  gossamer.”  Really,  I  am  afraid  to  look 
sharply  at  it,  lest  I  should  pierce  holes  through  it. 
As  for  shaking  it  in  the  ordinary  way,  that  would 
completely  ruin  it.  If,  as  it  is  said,  the  most  del¬ 
icate  perfumes  are  made  from  horses’  hoofs  and 
dog-tails,  why  can  not  some  agent  he  discovered 
that  shall  extract  dust  from  an  old  carpet,  and 
make  it  rise  in  clouds  of  incense,  or  in  some  oth¬ 
er  form?  Please  relieve  my  anxieties  in  your 
next.  Jemima. 

P.  S.  My  Sewing  Machine  works  wonders.  I 
putin  the  cloth,  and  lo !  in  a  short  time,  the 
boy’s  pantaloons  come  out  with  the  knees  already 
patched,  and  the  socks  darned  after  the  most  ap¬ 
proved  style.  When  I  have,  no  important  work 
for  the  machine  to  do,  I  employ  it  to  sew  up  my 
husband’s  coat-tails  and  our  bed  sheets. — Don't 
forget  the  cook-book.  Jemima. 


Tomato  Soup. — A.  D.  Ferrer,  Fergus,  C.  W., 
writes  thata  pot  of  soup  even  fit  for  Esq.  Bunker, 
may  be  made  as  follows  :  Take  about  two  dozen 
ripe  red  tomatoes,  a  large  teacupful  of  cream, 
with  a  good  beef  bone  for  a  “  strengthener,” 
season  with  pepper  and  salt,  and  boil  in  sufficient 
water  for  two  hours. 


Q16 


No.  150. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


“THE  CUT  F  I  N  G  E  R.” — From  a  Painting  by  G.  Edward  Frere. 

( Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist.) 


The  Editor  with  his  Young  Headers. 

Here’s  a  picture  for  you,  boys  and  girls,  that  is  beauti¬ 
ful.  It  is  to  us,  one  of  the  most  interesting  we  ever  saw. 
We  can  not  tell  exactly  why,  but  it  goes  straight  from  the 
eyes  to  the  heart.  Don’t  it  go  right  to  yours,  boys  1  Did 
you  never  hurt  your  finger  and  run  to  sister  to  bind  it  up  ? 
(We  have — and  this  picture  calls  to  mind  more  than  one 
scene  of  our  boy-hood  days) — And  did  she  not  express, 
and  feel,  too,  such  sympathy  and  kindness  as  the  girl  in 
our  picture  shows'!  Perhaps  you  never  thought  of  it,  but 
you  will  now,  when  you  can  look  on  as  a  spectator — not 
as  the  little  half  frightened  boy  himself,  who  looks  and 
feels  just  exactly  as  you  and  ice  have  looked  and  felt. 
See  how  his  feelings  show  out  even  in  his  right  hand. 
The  wound  may  be  only  a  trifling  one,  but  to  him  it  is  a 
very  serious  matter.  He  feels  so,  as  you  can  see  by  the 
expression  of  his  eyes  and  face.  But  our  eyes  wont  keep 
away  from  that  good,  kind,  anxious  sister.  See  how 
skillfully,  and  yet  how  gently  she  handles  the  wounded 
finger.  Her  whole  sympathies  and  attention  are  enlisted 
in  alleviating  the  pain.  We  don’t  believe  she  knows  that 
one  of  her  shoes  is  half  off.  Well,  this  sister  is  like  almost 
every  other  sister,  whose  heart  has  not  been  made  cal¬ 
lous  by  rude,  unkind  treatment  from  a  brother,  and  even 
then  there  is  always  a  tender  spot  left  which  will  be 
touched  when  pain  or  suffering  comes  to  even  the  most 
ungrateful  boy.... 

BUSY. 

We  can  hardly  stop  for  our  usual  chat  this  month 
with  our  young  friends— we’re  so  busy.  Do  you  imag¬ 
ine,  boys,  that  while  you  are  driving  away  at  work, 
your  friend,  the  editor,  is  quietly  esconced  in  some  cool 
room  with  little  to  do!  Not  a  bit  of  it.  The  past  two 
months  we  have  been  on  our  new  homestead  every  mo¬ 
ment  we  could  spare  from  office  duties,  with  coat  and 
vest  off,  plowing,  harrowing,  spading,  digging,  planting, 
etc-,  sweating  like  a  beaver,  and  how  we  have  enjoyed 
it.  We  only  wish  the  Agriculturist  would  go  on  itself 
for  a  while,  or  we  could  dream  it  out  at  night,  and  thus 
have  time  to  stay  out-doors  .all  day,  every  day  in  the 


week.  This  out-door  work  is  just  the  thing  to  make 
one  feel  well  and  be  well.  Did  you  ever  stop  to  think 

liOVT  WORKING  MAKES  ONE  STRONG. 

We'll  try  and  tell  you.  In  our  bodies  are  two  sets  of 
little  tubes  or  blood  channels,  called  arteries  and  veins. 
The  main  arteries  go  from  the  left  side  of  the  heart,  first  one 
large  tube,  which  divides  into  branches  like  the  limbs  of 
a  tree  ;  then  these  branch  more  and  more,  until  they 
reach  the'minutest  point  in  the  body.  The  end  branches 
are  smaller  than  the  finest  hairs,  yes,  so  small  that  you 
can  not  see  them.  At  the  end  of  these  arteries  begins  the 
other  set  of  fine  tubes  called  veins,  which  grow  larger 
and  larger,  and  continually  run  into  each  other,  until 
they  finally  form  one  large  vein  that  opens  into  the  right 
side  of  the  heart.  There  is  a  second  set  of  arteries  from 
the  right  side  of  the  heart  to  the  lungs  (“  lights  ”),  and 
there  they  join  a  second,  set  of  veins,  w  hich  come  back  to 
the  left  side  of  the  heart.  Now  see  how  the  blood  flows. 
First  the  heart  contracts  (“beats”  or  draws  together), 
and  drives  the  blood  out  through  the  first  set  of  arteries. 
We  can  feel  it  as  it  is  driven  along  in  the  wrist  towards 
the  fingers.  The  arteries  are  packed  away  deep  in  the 
flesh,  near  the  bones,  so  as  to  be  out  of  danger,  for  if  cut 
or  broken,  the  blood  would  be  driven  out  forcibly  every 
time  the  heart  beats.  At  the  end  of  the  arteries  the  veins, 
which  are  larger,  pick  up  the  blood  and  carry  it  back 
more  slow ly  to  the  heart.  The  veins  lie  more  on  the  out¬ 
side,  and  the  blood  does  not  “  spurt  ”  out  when  they  are 
cut.  When  the  blood  gets  to  the  heart,  it  is  thrown  from 
the  right  side  into  the  lungs,  where  it  comes  in  contact 
with  air,  is  purified,  then  returns  through  the  second  set 
of  veins  to  the  left  side  of  the  heart,  to  be  again  sent  out 
all  over  the  body.  But  these  blood  vessels  pass  among 
the  muscles,  that  is,  the  portions  of  lean  flesh  which  are 
used  when  we  move  our  limbs  or  bodies.  By  exercise 
we  keep  drawing  the  muscles  down  upon  the  blood  ves¬ 
sels,  and  this  pushes  the  blood  along  through  them  much 
faster  than  it  would  go  if  we  were  not  moving.  Now  the 
blood  carries  the  food  that  nourishes  us— it  can  not  get 
from  the  stomach  into  the  flesh,  except  the  blood  carries 


it— and  small  particles  are  left  here  and  thore  to  build  up 
and  make  strong  every  part  of  the  body.  So,  by  exercise, 
we  work  the  little  hose-pipes  (the  blood  vessels)— they 
carry  more  blood— more  blood  carries  more  food— and 
more  food  makes  us  stronger.  The  active  working  boy 
on  the  farm  or  elsewhere,  has  more  strength  than  half  a 
dozen  band-box  boys  who  do  no  work,  but  have  servants 
to  work  for  them — and  we  guess  they  are  worth  half  a 
dozen  of  them  for  active  service.  We  must  tell  you  more 
about  the  way  the  food  gets  into  the  blood,  and  some 
other  curious  matters  concerning  our  bodies,  some  time, 
when  we  have  leisure  to  make  engravings.  There  are 
many  very  surprising  things  constantly  taking  place  with¬ 
in  us,  all  going  on  so  smoothly  that  we  cannot  perceive 
them,  unless  some  of  the  machinery  gets  out  of  order. 

IT  WILL  COME  OUT. 

We  had  a  hearty  laugh  the  other  day  at  a  neighbor  of 
ours,  w  ho  found  himself  in  a  rather  ridiculous  “  fix.”  He 
had  learned  to  smoke  tobacco,  and,  as  cigars  were  rathei 
expensive,  he  used  a  pipe ;  but  although  he  no  doubt 
thought  it  quite  an  accomplishment,  he  was  yet  rathei 
unwilling  to  be  seen  smoking,  by  every  one.  When  any 
one  whose  good  opinion'he  valued,  came  in  sight,  he  would 
hastily  put  it  aside.  The  other  day  as  he  was  puffing 
away,  a  gentleman  called,  and  having  no  other  place  to 
hide  his  pipe  readily,  he  shook  it  out  as  he  supposed,  and 
tucking  it  quickly  into  his  pantaloons  pocket  walked  into 
the  parlor.  While  engaged  in  talking  he  was  very  much 
startled  by  the  gentleman  exclaiming  “  Why  John  you're 
on  fire  !”  lie  sprang  up,  and  sure  enough  the  smoke  was 
pouring  out  through  a  hole  which  had  burnt  through  his 
pantaloons,  and  of  course  the  hidden  pipe  came  to  light. 
You  may  be  sure  John  was  quite  crest-fallen  It  is  to  be 
hoped,  however,  that  he  learned  the  lesson  that,  howev¬ 
er  we  may  attempt  to  conceal  our  faults,  they  will  at 
length  come  out— sometimes  in  a  way  least  expected  and 
most  mortifying. 

TOOR  TRAY. 

Animals  sometimes  have  bad  habits  and  thereby  get 
into  scrapes,  as  well  as  human  folks.  We  were  quite 
well  acquainted  with  a  farmer’s  dog  in  the  eastern  part 
of  New-York  State,  named  Tray,  that  was  once  caught 
in  a  curious  way.  He  used  to  run  out  and  bark  furious¬ 
ly  at  every  thing  that  passed  in  the  road  near  the  house, 
which,  although  not  injurious— for  he  did  not  bite— was 
very  ill-mannered  and  annoying.  It  happened  that  a 
rail-road  was  built  through  the  farm,  quite  near  the 
house  of  Tray’s  owner,  and  when  the  cars  commenced 
running,  the  dog  would  rush  out  whenever  they  came 
along  and  bark,  and  snarl,  and  snap  at  the  wheels,  to  the 
great  amusement  of  the  passengers.  One  day  he  ventured 
a  little  too  near,  so  that  his  ear  was  laid  upon  the  track, 
and  of  course  the  wheel  took  it  off  in  an  instant.  Ki ' 
yi!  yelped  poor  Tray,  and  turned  to  “cut”  for  home, 
but  turning  so  suddenly  he  brought  his  tail  where  his 
ear  had  been,  and  that  too  was  as  quickly  severed  !  You 
may  be  sure  he  quit  one  bad  habit— his  usual  flourishes 
were  most  effectually  cur-tailed.  That  came  from  being 
ill-mannered— don’t  forget  the  lesson. 

THE  FAITHFUL  CHICK-HEN. 

Having  given  a  specimen  of  the  failings  of  animals.it 
is  but  fair  to  record  some  of  their  virtues,  and  the  follow¬ 
ing  account  sent  to  the  Agriculturist  by  J.  It.  Brown,  Co¬ 
lumbiana  Co.,  O.,  will  do  very  well  tooffset  Tray’s  delin¬ 
quencies.  He  writes  :  “  Among  the  many  old  hens  that 
hatched  and  brought  forth  their  brood  last  Summer,  there 
was  one  that  was  the  mother  of  six  little  chicks,  all  of 
which  died,  save  one.  This  one  she  weaned,  or  tried  to 
wean,  but  to  no  purpose,  for  the  ‘  little  one'  would  not 
be  weaned.  After  a  while,  the  hen  commenced  laying 
again,  and  chicky  would  go  to  the  nest  every  day,  and 
stay  with  her  mother  till  she  performed  her  duty.  This 
she  continued  to  do  till  the  old  hen  commenced  setting. 
They  then  both  set  together.  The  chickens  were  hatched, 
and  our  faithful  chicken  took  as  much  care  of  them  as  did 
the  old  hen,  except  she  could  not  scratch  quite  so  hard.  But 
by  an  accident  the  old  mother  went  the  way  of  all  fowls, 
and  the  poor  little  orphan  at  the  age  of  three  months  was 
left  with  a  family  to  take  care  of.  Bravely  did  she  attend 
to  the  little  chicks,  although  the  loss  of  her  mother  was 
very  sore.  It  was  very  funny  to  see  such  a  young  hen 
clucking  about  with  a  brood  of  chickens.  This  may  seem 
a  strange  story,  but  it  is  every  word  true.  Is  not  this 
little  chicken  an  example  to  the  girls  of  the  Agriculturist 
family  1  ”  [Yes,  it  is,  and  we  know  a  little  girl,  only  10 
years  old,  who  did  the  same  thing  for  her  half-orphaned 
brothers  and  sisters.— Ed.] 

THE  “  FOURTH.” 

The  heads  of  the  little  folks  in  this  part  of  the  world 
are  so  full  of  thoughts  about  Independence  Day,  that 
it  is  difficult  to  specially  interest  them  about  any  thing 
else.  Some  of  them  have  been  saving  their  pennies  for 
months,  to  spend  on  that  day  for  fire-crackers,  powder,  and 


July,  1859 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


217 


other  apparatus  for  making  a  noise.  Well,  the  day  should 
be  a  national  holiday,  although  we  would  prefer  a  more 
rational  way  of  celebrating  it.  It  always  makes  us  feel 
sad  to  read  the  accounts  of  accidents  with  which  the  pa¬ 
pers  are  filled  after  every  Fourth.  Wecan  never  forget  the 
shocking  sight  we  once  witnessed  of  one  of  our  play¬ 
mates,  who  was  terribly  mutilated  and  disfigured  for  life 
by  the  premature  discharge  of  a  cannon,  near  which  he 
was  standing.  Poor  little  fellow  !  no  doubt  every  one  of 
those  engaged  in  “ celebrating, ”  would  willingly  have 
given  all  the  pleasure  the  day  had  afforded,  to  ease  his 
sufferings.  Yet  we  can  hardly  find  it  in  our  heart  to  say, 
buy  no  fireworks,  as  long  as  the  custom  is  so  prevalent. 
Boys  can  not  be  expected  to  take  the  lead  in  reforms ; 
yet  a  noble-minded  boy  may  do  much,  if  he  be  fully  in 
earnest,  and  we  would  like  to  find  many  such  in  the 
Agriculturist  family.  We  will  make  a  suggestion.  Grand¬ 
mother.  in  another  place,  has  given  the  girls  some  advice 
about  their  habits.  Now  we  propose  that  each  of  our 
young  readers— the  older  ones  too  if  they  choose— shall 
think  of  some  one  bad  habit  he  may  have,  and  on  the 
Fourth  of  July  declare  his 

INDEPENDENCE 

by  resolving  to  overcome  it.  Just  try  it,  put  it  down  in 
writing,  and  our  word  for  it,  when  you  have  fairly  con¬ 
quered,  you  will  rejoice  in  the  noblest  kind  of  freedom. 

SAD  NEWS — DEATH  OF  UNCLE  FRANK. 

Our  young  friends  will  have  no  more  chats  with  Uncle 
Frank.  (Hisfull  name  was  Francis  C.  Woodworth).  Only 
last  September  we  introduced  him  to  our  young  readers, 
but  ere  his  first  year  with  us  had  expired,  his  voice  and 
his  pen  are  stopped  by  death  !  His  last  letters,  as  you 
have  all  noticed,  were  dated  in  St.  Augustine,  Fla  . 
whither  he  had  gone  to  see  if  a  warmer  climate  would 
not  benefit  his  failing  health,  but,  as  we  feared,  when  we 
shook  hands  wilh  him  at  parting,  near  the  close  of  the 
Winter,  the  insidious  disease— consumption  — had  taken  a 
relentless  hold  upon  his  lungs.  His  recent  private  letters 
read  cheerfully,  yet  there  was  something  in  them  indi¬ 
cating  that  he  was  failing.  He  started  home,  and  arrived 
in  our  harbor  in  the  steamship  Savannah,  on  June  5th, 

but  breathed  his  last  before  he  was  brought  on  shore - 

Uncle  Frank,  though  he  had  no  family  of  his  own,  was  a 
great  lover  of  children.  He  has  written  some  thirty-five 
books  for  children,  among  which  were  “Uncle  Frank’s 
Home  Stories  his  “  Boys’  and  Girls’  Library  “  Theo¬ 
dore  Thinker’s  Tales.”  “  Stories  about  Animals,”  etc., 
etc. . . .  Well,  so  it  is — one  after  another  goes.  Soon,  some 
one  else  of  us  will  be  taken  away.  Let  us  each  do  a-ll 
the  good  we  can,  so  that  when  our  turn  comes,  it  may  be 
said  of  us,  that  we  have  lived  usefully. 


PROBLEMS. 


NO.  39 — ILLUSTRATED  REBUS. 

We  will,  for  once,  give  a  very  full  explanation  for  the 
younger  readers,  many  of  whom  do  not  exactly  know  how 
to  get  hold  of  such  puzzles.  In  the  above  picture  you  see 
two  I’s,  which  stand  for  two  ;  they  are  under  a  stand: 
then  a  picture  of  a  grate  ;  a  sign  with  D  on  it  ;  a  lit¬ 
tle  girl  whom  we  often  call  1  sis’  ;  the  letter  A  ;  two 
marks  ;  a  hoe  ;  a  wing  ;  a  man  eating  soup  ;  an  ear  of 
corn  ;  an  eye  ;  the  word  ‘or’ ;  a  cap  ;  and  a  city.  Now 
let  us  put  these  things  together  in  their  proper  order. 
Two  (under)  stand  grate  D— sign  s— is  a  mark— s  hoe  wing 
soup— ear— eye— or— cap— a— city.  Now  pronounce  these 
rapidly,  or  read  them  by  the  sounds,  and  we  have  :  “  To 
understand  great  designs  is  a  mark  showing  superior  ca¬ 
pacity ,’’  w  hich  is  the  answer.  Rather  tough  this,  we  think, 
as  but  five  have  sent  us  solutions.  They  are  “Aunt 
Sue;”  Samuel  S.  Kerr ;  G.  Werlich,  James  Freeman  Al¬ 
len,  and  Henrie  Ball 

No.  40. — The  Labyrinth  —The  little  folks,  and  some 
of  the  older  ones  we  know,  have  been  much  entertained 
and  puzzled  trying  to  find  their  way  into  the  bower. 
Quite  a  large  number  have  written  to  us  of  their  success; 
most  of  them  have  sent  diagrams  showing  the  path  they 
took.  We  are  sorry  that  any  should  cut  their  Agricultur¬ 
ist  to  get  the  picture  to  send.  This  can  be  avoided  by  lay¬ 
ing  a  piece  of  thin  paper  over  the  picture,  and  tracing 


it  with  a  .pencil.  Writing  paper,  oiled  and  dried, 
and  laid  over  a  picture,  will  allow  the  lines  to  show  I 

through,  so  that  they  can  easily  be  followed - —Correct 

answers  sent  in  tjy  :  J.  Emily  Fitch  ;  II.  E.  Spalding;  Ed¬ 
ward  Lamphere  ;  John  P.  Moore  ;  G.  W.  Reanan  (with 
averse  about  his  journey) ;  Sarah  D.  Lord;  D.W.  Hunts¬ 
man  (worked  it  out  backwards)  ;  Absalom  G.  Allison  ; 
Mary  Campbell ;  Henry  B.  Wigall  (11  yrs.,  with  a  draw¬ 
ing  done  with  much  pains)  ;  J.  B.  Andrews  ;  F.  W.  Lutt- 
gen;  Bell  Banker;  Granville  M.  Flenner  ;  Harry  La 
Fetra  (very  neatly  done);  Roscoe  Mowbray  ;  Milton  Mow¬ 
bray:  James  G.  Hendall ;  Augustus  Wasserscheid  ; 
Charles  I.  Simpson  ;  Willie  B.;  James  D.  Farlow;  Mary 
Halladay  ;  William  0.  Ligon  ;  Wm.  H.  Thornton  ;  I.  C. 
C.  ;  N.  H.  Mann  and  N.  II.  Allen  (wilh  a  funny  sketch 
showing  how  the  dogs  were  set  on  them  when  they  got 
into  the  bower,  and  how  they  jumped  the  fences  to  get 
out) ;  Thomas  B.  Kelsay  ;  G.  H.  Witthaus,  Jr.  ;  Joseph 
Leas;  Louisa  E.  Newbaker  ;  Solomon  G.  Parsons; 
Mahlon  Day;  Robt.  H.  Givan  ;  Malissa  H.  Givan  ;  San¬ 
ford  E.  Givan ;  W.  W.  Morris  ;  John  W.  Givan  ;  Sarah 
Jerman  ;  J.  0.  Strong. 

No.  41.  A  Genealogical  Puzzle.  The  curious  Family. 

In  a  family  of  4  persons,  related  by  marriage  or  descent, 
No.  1  was  his  own  grandson. 

No.  2,  the  son  of  No.  1,  was  his  own  grandfather. 

No.  also  son  of  No.  1,  was  brother  to  his  own  grand¬ 
father. 

No.  4  son  of  No.  2,  was  nephew  and  also  uncle  to  No.  3. 

How  could  this  happen  ? 

SHARP  CORRESPONDENCE  ABOUT  REBUS  37. 

This  Rebus,  as  will  be  seen  by  what  follows,  has  con¬ 
tinued  to  attract  attention  even  after  the  solution  was 
published,  it  being  so  complicated  that  some  are  unable  to 
“see  it”  even  with  Aunt  Sue’s  explanation  before  them. 
As  she  gave  a  good  rendering  of  it,  we  leave  her  to  de¬ 
fend  it  against  criticism,  adding,  however,  that  the  fly  in 
the  puzzle  was  a  Bee.  Perhaps  the  sting  should  have 
been  shown,  but  as  Aunt  .Sue  has  put  that  in  hec  letter,  it 
answers  every  purpose. 

Mister  Editur 

Im  a  great  patron  of  genus,  and  accorden,  I  send  you  a 
goold  medil  for  “Aunt  Sue”— Sich  extensive  flashes, 
and  stretches  too,  of  fancy  to  make  sense  out  of  nonsense,, 
ort  to  be  rewarded.  How  she  makes  bench  mean  “form,*' 
she  does  not  sho  us.  and  what  she  does  with  —  (mark  or 
dash,)  and  “fly  A,”  we  are  left  to  wonder  about.  Bee 
shure  and  send  her  the  medil— and  oblege  yourn 

JESSE  T - 

- ,  Missippi  10  May  1859. 

Here  is  a  full  size  picture  of  the  “  medil,”  which  we 
immediately  sent  to  Aunt 
Sue,  accompanied  by  the  let¬ 
ter  awarding  it  to  her,  and 
here  is  what  she  says  about  it: 

Know  all  men,  women  and 
children  by  these  presents, 
that  Aunt  Sue  respectfully  and  decidedly  declines  accept¬ 
ing  the  “  goold  medil  ”  referred  to  above.  It  is  a  suspic¬ 
ious  looking  “  medil”  ;  the  metallic  part  of  it,  smacks  of 
a  material  that  goes  to  make  up  the  physiognomy  of  men 
not  over-burdened  with  modesty  (brass).  Most  likely  Mr. 
T - set  his  face  against  it  before  he  sent  it. 

Then— Mr.  Editor — it  has  four  holes  right  in  the  center 
not  such  as  are  found  in  Spanish  quarters,  punctured  for 
the  value  of  the  metal,  but  evidently  with  the  sinister  de¬ 
sign  of  placing  an  attachment  (a  needle-and-thread  one) 
upon  it  some  day.  It  is  bear-\y  possible  that  Mr.  Jesse  T. 
might  have  hoped  I  should  fasten  it  on  my  lip  ;  button 
deed (that  means  but  indeed)  I  shall  do  no  such  thing. 

Touching  the  “bench,”  let  him  apply  to  Webster  for 
ir-/orm-ation  ;  and  for  the  matter  of  the  “ —  (mark  or 
dash)”  it  is  the  ( minus  — )  character  that  stands  against  Ins 
amountof  grace,  I’m  afraid.  To  return  (to)  the  medil, 
allow  me,  through  you,  to  give  it  Jesse  again. 

With  becoming  indignation, 

Yours  truly,  Aunt  Sue. 


“Let  me  kiss  him  for  his  Mother.”— The  editor  of 
the  New-Orleans  Advocate  tells  this  incident  about  the 
ravages  of  the  yellow  fever  in  that  city,  related  to  him  by 
one  of  the  Methodist  pastors  :  “  The  preacher  was  called 
a  few  days  since  to  attend  the  funeral  of  a  young  man. 
Before  his  sickness  he  was  a  stout,  buoyant,  manly  youth. 
He  was  from  the  State  of  Maine,  and  had  been  here  but  a 
short  time.  He  was  attacked  with  yellow  fever,  and  soon 
died,  wilh  no  mother  or  relative  to  watch  by  his  bed-side 
or  to  soothe  him  with  that  sympathy  which  none  but 
those  of  our  own  *  dear  kindred  blood  ’  can  feel  or  mani¬ 
fest.  He  died  among  strangers,  and  was  buried  by  them 
When  the  funeral  service  was  over,  and  the  strange 
friends  who  had  ministered  to  him  were  about  to  finally 
close  the  coffin,  an  old  lady,  who  slood  by,  stopped  them 
and  said,  ‘  Let  me  kiss  him  for  his  mother  1’”  Was  not 
that  a  touching  scene  ? 


Looking  out  of  his  window  one  Summer  evening,  Lu 


ther  saw  on  a  tree  at  hand  a  little  bird  making  brief  and 
easy  dispositions  for  a  night’s  rest  “  Look,”  said  he, 
“  how  that  litt'e  fellow  preaches  faith  to  us  all.  He  takes 
hold  of  his  twig,  tucks  his  head  under  his  wing,  and  goes 
to  sleep,  leaving  God  to  think  for  him." 


Grandmother  will*  Use  ILittle  Girls. 


REPORTED  BV  COUSIN  MARV. 

Mr  Dear  Mr.  Editor  :  Every  now  and  then  we  gather 
around  Grandmother  and  ask  for  a  “  talk  ”  which  she  al¬ 
ways  grants,  when  not  too  unwell.  I  send  you  a  report 
of  what  she  said  this  afternoon,  as  this  is  now  fresh  in  my 
mind.  Mary. 

Well,  girls,  I  saw  something  to-day  which  suggested 
my  talking  a  little  about  habits.  There  are  many  bad 
habits  which  even  very  good  girls  indulge  in.  and  which 
they  will  find  it  very  hard  to  break  off  as  ihey  grow  older, 
for  the  habits  grow  as  fast  as  they  do  themselves.  Let  me 
tell  you  a  few  of  them,  and  if  you  look  for  these  and  try 
to  break  them  now,  you  will  get  in  the  way  of  walching 
yourselves,  and  perhaps  find  out  olher  habits  which  Ido 
not  mention,  hut  which  should  be  overcome.  Some  girls 
I  know  are  accustomed  to  stare  at  strangers.  If  a  gentle¬ 
man  whom  they  have  not  seen  before  comes  to  visit  with 
their  parents,  lie  wou'd  think  from  their  watching  him, 
that  they  had  never  seen  a  man  before,  or  that  they  kept 
their  eyes  upon  him  for  fear  he  might  steal  something. 
When  they  go  out  to  walk  they  are  continually  twisting 
their  necks  about  to  see  all  they  can  of  persons  who  may 
he  passing.  I  one  day  saw  a  little  girl  doing  this,  and  as 
she  was  walking  one  way,  and  looking  another,  she  ran 
plump  into  a  filthy  pudule.  At  another  lime  she  came 
very  near  being  run  over  by  a  horse  while  she  was  staring 
at  smne  one  behind  her.  I  have  seen  children  sit  in  church 
and  make  themselves  very  disagreeable  by  gazing  into 
the  faces  of  those  who  sat  near  them,  instead  of  attend¬ 
ing  lo  what  the  preacher  was  saying,  and  thus  also  keep¬ 
ing  otheis  from  listening  atterNively.  Now  any  tiling  ihat 
makes  other  people  feel  uncomfortable,  when  there  is  no 
necessity  for  it,  is  ill-mannered.  Politeness  is  making 
those  around  us  feel  aS  pleasant  as  possible,  and  there  is 
no  surer  way  of  gaining  the  good-will  of  others  than  by 
being  polite. 

It  is  a  very  troublesome  and  unpleasant  habit  which 
many  little  girls  have  of  causing  people  to  repeat  what 
ihey  have  said  by  asking  “  what'!”  as  soon  as  they  have 
finished  speaking.  When  a  person,  especially  one  older 
Ilian  yourself  speaks  to  you,  it  is  proper  to  give  good  at¬ 
tention  to  what  is  said;  but  if  a  child  immediately  asks, 
“what  did  you  say  ?”  it  appears  like  uncivil  inattention. 
But  it  is  often  done  from  mere  habit.  One  of  my  little 
friends  who  came  to  spend  a  few  days  with  me  had  such 
a  habit.  One  day  I  said  to  her,  “  Hattie,  would  you  like 
to  take  a  ride  with  me  this  afternoon  ?”  “  What  did  you 
say,  Grandmother?”  replied  she.  “Never  mind,”  said  1, 
“  it's  not  of  much  consequence.”  “Oh!  yes,  I  would 
like  to  go  very  much,”  said  she.  After  catching  her  a 
few  times  in  this  way,  she  became  ashamed  of  it,  and  by 
watching  herself  she  soon  overcame  the  habit. 

Be  careful  not  to  get  in  the  way  of  making  odd  motions 
wilh  the  lips, or  twistingthe  face  into  some  curious  shape. 
There  is  a  disease  with  which  some  people  are  afflicted, 
Called  'he  “megrims”  which  causes  them  to  move  and 
tvvis:.  about  very  strangely  Their  limbs  jerk  and  twitch, 
and  they  sometimes  make  very  curious  faces.  This  they 
cannot  help,  ami  they  are  greatly  to  be  pitied.  But  there 
is  no  such  excuse  for  the  strange  motions  children  some- 
limes  make  from  habit ;  such  as  biting  their  lips,  wrink- 


Q18 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


ling  their  foreheads,  twitching  their  noses  or  continually 
winking  their  eyes.  Such  habits  are  sometimes  formed 
by  imitating  these  motions  in  others.  It  would  be  very 
mortifying  when  you  are  grown  to  be  obliged  to  make 
these  motions,  for  habits  sometimes  become  so  fixed  that 
a  person  cannot  control  them. 

Some  children  have  a  very  awkward  way  of  sitting. 
They  bend  over  and  rest  their  elbows  on  their  knees,  or 
cross  their  feet,  or  sit  wilh  a  foot  under  them,  or  get  into 
some  crooked  shape  that  is  not  only  ungraceful  but  inju¬ 
rious.  Always  sit  straight,  with  the  feet  upon  the  floor. 
You  need  not  look  as  stiff  as  if  you  had  been  dipped  in 
starch,  for  that  would  be  worse  than  looking  careless.  An 
easy,  natural  position,  letting  the  hands  and  limbs  take 
care  of  themselves  without  fidgetting  to  get  them  into 
shape,  will  be  the  most  pleasant  for  yourselves  and  for 
those  who  are  in  your  company. 

I  don’t  think  I  need  say  a  word  about  scratching  the 
head,  picking  the  teeth,  biting  the  nails,  and  such  vulgar 
practices.  Your  own  good  sense,  I  am  sure,  will  tell  you 
that  anything  of  that  kind  which  needs  attention  should 
be  done  in  your  room,  or  in  private.  It  would  take  too 
long  to  tell  you  about  all  the  habits  you  should  avoid. 
What  I  have  said  will  be  enough  to  think  about  for  a 
while  ;  at  some  other  time  I  may  have  another  chat  with 
you  on  the  same  subject. 


Into  which  are  thrown  all  sorts  of  paragraphs — such  as 
Notes  amt  Replies  to  ConnEsroNDENTS,  with  Useful  or 
interesting  Extracts  from  their  Letters,  together  with  Glean¬ 
ings  of  various  kinds  from  various  sources. 

What  SJlisrhts  (lie  Rose  SSusises  7— “  Eliza,” 
Queens  Co.,  L.  I.,  sends  the  following  letter  for  answer 
in  the  Agriculturist.  “  What  is  the  matter  with  my  rose 
bushes?  They  look  as  though  a  fire  had  been  among 
them,  and  left  scarcely  a  green  thing.  My  choice  hy¬ 
brids,  selected  from  the  list  you  gave  in  a  former  paper, 
have  already  ceased  to  bloom,  and  my  climbers  are  any¬ 
thing  but  ornamental.  Is  it  a  blight  that  has  come  upon 
them,  or  was  it  the  frost  in  the  early  part  of  the 
month.” . If  our  correspondent  will  carefully  exam¬ 

ine  the  leaves  of  the  bushes,  she  may  discover  a  small 
green  worm  about  half  an  inch  long,  very  busily  feeding 
on  the  upper  side  of  the  leaf,  leaving  the  veins  and  the 
underside  untouched.  A  solution  of  whale-oil  soap,  1  lb. 
to  7  gallons  of  water,  applied  with  a  syringe  or  otherwise, 
will  kill  them.  If  this  can  not  be  had,  they  may  be  picked 
off  by  hand,  though  this  is  a  troublesome  operation. 

Mildew  on  Gooseberries.— A.  D.  Ferrier,  Can¬ 
ada  West,  writes  that  mildew  may  be  prevented  by 
thoroughly  dusting  gooseberry  bushes  with  plaster,  when 
the  close  sultry  weather  occurs  in  which  mildew  is  likely 
to  be  produced.  This,  he  says,  should  be  repeated  at  in¬ 
tervals  throughout  the  season  of  such  weather. 

To  Repel  Insects  from  young  Plaints.— 
B.  R.  Palmer,  Clinton  Co.,  Iowa,  writes  that  he  has  kept 
his  growing  garden  plants,  cabbages,  cucumbers,  melons, 
etc.,  free  from  insects  by  sprinkling  them  every  morning 
with  water  in  which  lien  droppings  have  been  soaked 
during  the  night.  This  application,  even  if  not  de¬ 
structive  to  insects,  will  stimulate  the  plants  to  a  rapid 
grow  th,  and  thus  soon  put  them  beyond-the  reach  of  suclt 
depredators. 

Tree  Caterpillars.— S.  B.  Ormsbee,  Dodge  Co., 
Wis.  The  large  worm  in  the  bottle  came  safely  to  hand, 
and  proves  to  be  the  Attacus  Cecropia,  often  found  in  this 
region  on  apple  and  pear  trees,  and  also  upon  the  smaller 
fruits.  Being  of  such  large  size  it  requires  abundance  of 
food,  and  to  obtain  it,  it  does  considerable  mischief.  We 
have  never  found  them  sufficiently  numerous  to  cause  ex¬ 
tensive  injury.  The  best  way  to  destroy  them  is  by  hand 
picking.  The  cocoons  are  very  large  and  conspicuous, 
hanging  from  the  bushes  during  the  winter  when  they 
may  be  easily  destroyed. 

Silk_worm  IRst'S's  Wanted. —There  has  been 
much  inquiry  for  these  the  past  Spring.  The  stock  of  tho 
older  silk  growing  countries  in  Europe  has  become  dis¬ 
eased,  and  parties  are  now  in  this  country  to  obtain  a  sup¬ 
ply  of  eggs  where  the  disease  is  not  know  n.  Not  many 
years  since  silk  worms  were  quite  common  in  ihis  coun¬ 
try,  but  we  have  been  unable,  this  year,  to  point  to  a  local¬ 
ity  where  eggs  could  be  had. 


fFropatfratlns1  Roses. — Mrs.  T.  II.,  Litchfield  Co. 
Conn.  It  will  be  well  to  iayer  new  wood  in  Summer, 
say  iu  July  or  August.  The  process  is  illustrated  in  June 
No.,  page  163,  under  “Carnations.”  They  will  be  quite 
sure  to  root  well.  To  propagate  by  cuttings  requires 
practical  skill,  which  may  be  best  learned  by  observing, 
and  following  the  directions  of  an  experienced  gardener. 
See  article  on  page  211. 

Tite  Cypress  Vine. — E.  Dickinson,  Hampden 
Co,,  Mass.,  writes  that  he  succeeds  best  in  raising  this 
favorite  ornamental  vine,  by  soaking  the  seed  in  hot  wa¬ 
ter,  and  planting  early  in  June.  He  recommends  shading 
the  ground  when  they  are  planted  for  two  or  three  days, 
after  which  the  plants  are  strong  enough  to  stand  the  sun¬ 
shine. 

Wild  Flowers  £s-oe>i  Missniesota.— 0.  M. 
Lord,  Winona  Co.  Thanks  for  the  flowers  you  sent  ; 
they  were  so  compressed  ard  wilted  that  it  was  difficult 
to  make  them  out.  The  yellow  variety  is  recognized  as 
the  Belle-wort  ( Uvularia ).  We  doubt  whether  these 
would  add  much  to  the  flower  border. 

tLarjfe  Strawberries. — Dr.  Habel,  Westchester 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  recently  exhibited  at  the  Agriculturist  office, 
specimens  of  fruit  from  two  new  seedlings  which  came 
up  in  his  beds  from  seed  accidentally  dropped.  They 
measured  from  3  to  51  inches  in  circumference,  the  lar¬ 
gest  one  weighed  -i  of  an  oz.  •  and  most  of  them  were  i 
an  oz.,  or  more,  in  weight. 

ILarge  Gooseberries. — Thomas  Graves,  ofPater- 
son,  N.  J.,  informs  us  that  in  that  city  they  have  an  annual 
show  of  Gooseberries,  and  the  specimens  are  weighed  as 
in  England.  He  sends  for  the  Agriculturist  the  following 
list  of  the  weights  of  some  varieties,  as  shown  for  8  years 
past.  The  weight  was  sent  in  pennyweights,  (dwts.)  and 
grains.  An  advoirdupois  ounce  contains  437!  grains. 
Years.  Name.  Color.  Weight. 

1851..  Pilot . Yellow. .13  dwts,  1  gr.  (313  grs) 

1852..  Pilot . Yellow. .  14  dwts."  7grs.  (343  grs) 

1853.  .Conquering  Hero. Red . 14  dwts,  20 grs.  (356grs) 

1854.. Teaxer . Yellow. .  19  dwts,  20grs  (465  grs) 

1855..  Peru . Yellow. .  18  dwts,  Ogrs.  (432 grs) 

1856. . Thumper . Green. .  .17  dwts,  Ogrs,  (408grs) 

1857..  Peru . Yellow. .  18  dwts,  15  grs.  (447 grs) 

f  Speedwell . Red . 19  dwts,  21  grs.  (477  grs) 

|  Greed  Overall _ Green.  ...19  dwte,  12grs  (468  grs) 

1858-i  Careless . White. . .  19  dwts,  14  grs.  (470  grs) 

|  Washington . Yellow. .  19  dwts,  10  grs.  (466grs) 

L Paterson . Green.  ...18  dwts,  10  grs.  (442  grs) 

It  will  be  seen  that  seven  of  these  specimens  weigh 
over  one  avoirdupois  ounce  each.  The  Washington  and 
Paterson  varieties  are  seedlings  raised  in  Paterson.  The 
others  w  ere  imported  from  Lancaster  lit  England.  The 
exhibition  this  year  will  occur  on  the  18th  July,  at  George 
Parrott’s,  No.  301  Straight-street,  Paterson,  and  all  who 
desire  to  see  large  gooseberries  are  invited  to  be  present, 
free  of  charge,  of  course.  Mr.  Graves  informs  us  that  the 
prospect  is  fair  for  a  show  of  larger  berries  than  ever  be¬ 
fore. 

Wliy  arc  Trees  dwarfed  7  etc. — Subscriber, 
Des  Moines  Co.,  la.  This  operation  is  performed  on  trees, 
partly  to  make  them  more  ornamental,  and  to  bring  them 
into  earlier  bearing,  but  mostly  for  economy  in  plant¬ 
ing,  as  a  larget  number  of  trees  can  bo  set  upon  an  acre. 
We  do  not  think,  however,  that  much  is  gained  in  this  re¬ 
spect.  Room  in  an  upward  direction  is  so  plenty,  that 
probably  more  pears  can  be  realized  per  acre  from  standard 
than  from  dwarf  trees,  while  dwarfs  are  much  less  certain 
in  their  growth  and  bearing.  Wo  are  not  aware  that 
plums  are  dwarfed.  Peaches  have  been  reduced  in  size 
somewhat,  by  grafting  on  plum  stocks. 

Sowing1  Grass  witlk  5£iucltwl»eat.— L.  B. 
Pratt,  Crawford  Co.,  Pa.  This  cannot  be  recommended, 
from  the  fact  that  the  buckwheat  with  its  dense  growth 
shades  the  ground  too  much  for  any  other  plant  to  thrive 
with  it.  Even  weeds,  except  hardy  perennials,  have  but 
little  chance  in  a  season  favorable  to  the  growth  of  buck¬ 
wheat. 

Sorrel  for  fcrfilixtiitg’  tlsc  Soil.— W.  D.  B. 
Van  Buren  Co.,  Mich.  All  vegetable  matter  returned  to 
tho  soil  probably  increases  its  fertility  by  furnishing  to  it 
elements  which  the  plant  lias  appropriated  from  the  at¬ 
mosphere.  But  we  should  hardly  cultivate  sorrel  for  this 
special  purpose,  when  clover  will  do  so  much  better  ;  nor 
is  it  good  in  theory  or  practice  to  make  the  fertilizing 
properties  of  this  or  any  other  weed  an  excuse  for  allow¬ 
ing  it  to  grow  in  place  of  other  more  useful  plants. 

WSiy  do  Onions  graw  Jo  Scallions ?— B. 
R.  Palmer,  Clinton  Co.,  Iowa.  In  the  pamphlet  on  Onion 
Culture,  lately  published  at  the  office  of  the  Agriculturist, 
will  be  found  the  greatest  amount  of  information  on  this 
arid  other  matters  connected  with  the  onion  crop,  that  we 

Ihave  met  with. 

To  kill  Skunk  Cabtoas’c.— L.  G.  Lowe,  Ply- 
mouih  Co.,  Mass.  This  plant  delights  in  low  swampy 
situations,  and  will  soon  die  out  if  land  be  sufficiently 
drained.  Where  this  is  impracticable  ;t  will  be  difficult 


fully  to  eradicate  it,  although  repeated  pulling  out  by  the 
roots  will  finally  destroy  it.  Cutting  the  leaves  just  below 
the  crown,  and  treating  the  stump  to  a  handful  of  salt  may 
be  tried.  It  would  probably  discourage  its  growth  at 
least. 

Stacking  Hayin  the  Field.—  L.  E.  Andrews, 
Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.  The  practice  is  not  to  be  com 
mended,  except  where  it  is  impracticable  to  find  sheltei 
for  the  hay,  or  to  stack  it  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  tho 
farm  buildings.  The  stock  must  be  exposed  while  feed¬ 
ing  unless  temporary  sheds  are  erected,  which  is  seldom 
done  ;  much  manure  is  wasted  ;  a  bad  spot  is  left  in  the 
meadows,  and  very  often  a  great  crop  of  weeds  from  seeds 
among  the  hay  find  a  good  bed  among  the  surrounding 
manure,  showing  by  their  presence  for  years,  where  the 
stack  was  located. 

Cementing  tine  Floors  for  Haymows. — 

Jared  P.  Smythe,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.Y.  To  cement  the 
floor  of  the  hay-mow  would  make  a  very  nice,  smooth 
bottom,  preferable  to  earth,  perhaps,  as  it  would  prevent 
the  escape  of  moisture  from  the  earth  belowr.  It  would 
not  answer  well,  however,  to  lay  the  hay  directly  upon 
this  flooring;  the  bottom  layer  would  be  liable  to  heat  and 
spoil.  Rails  or  other  timber  should  be  laid  upon  the  floor. 
This  leaves  room  for  circulation  of  air  below’. 

Try  Hydrawlic  Cement  "before  buying' 
it.— J.  II  ,  Queens  Co.,  L.  I.,  suggests  that  parties  pur¬ 
chasing  hydraulic  cement  or  water-lime,  may  easily  as¬ 
certain  if  it  is  in  good  condition,  by  mixing  up  with  water 
in  the  usual  proportion  a  small  lump,  say  of  the  size  of  an 
egg,  and  leaving  it  to  dry  in  the  sun  about  two  hours.  It 
should  then  continue  to  harden  if  placed  in  water,  but  if 
it  grows  soft  and  crumbles  easily,  it  is  worthless. 

To  Remove  a  Film  from  ISse  Eye.— H, 
Brown,  Suffolk  Co.,  N.  Y.,  writes  that  a  film  maybe  re¬ 
moved  from  the  eye  of  an  ox  or  other  creature,  by  filling 
a  goose-quill  with  ground  ginger  and  blowing  it  into  the 
diseased  eye,  repeating  it  several  times  in  the  course  of  a 
day  or  two.  He  adds,  it  should  be  done  as  soon  as  tho 
film  is  discovered. 

Improved  Stock  In  Greene  Co.,  N.  ’Sr„ — 
“  Veritas”  informs  us  that  a  fine  nddition  to  the  stock  in 
Greene  Co,,  N.  Y.,  has  lately  been  received  ;  being  a  pres¬ 
ent  to  (Ion.  Zadoc  Pratt  of  Prattsville,  from  Mr.  Israel 
Cross  of  New-York  City.  The  animals,  a  bull,  cow  and 
calf,  are  of  Durham  and  Herefordshire  origin,  from  the 
herd  of  Morris  Ketchum,  Esq..  Conn.  It  is  certainly  de¬ 
sirable  that  the  best  breeds  of  animals  should  be  intro¬ 
duced  into  such  localities. 

Feed  for  Cows.— J.  L.  Rice,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y. 
We  should  not  advise  to  feed  sour  milk  to  cows  ;  it  is  not 
their  natural  food,  and  on  several  accounts  would  not  seem 
to  be  well  adapted  for  the  production  of  healthful  milk.. 
Barley  meal  has  been  found  very  good  for  milch  cows  we 
believe.  It  is  better  to  feed  it  ground  or  cooked,  with  cut 
hay  or  grass. 

Can  Heaves  be  Cared  7— W.  T.  Wylie,  Nor¬ 
thumberland  Co.,  Pa.  The  nature  of  the  disease  is  such 
that  a  general  answer  can  not  be  given  either  in  the  affir¬ 
mative  or  negative.  Horses  sometimes  exhibit  symptoms 
of  this  disorder  which  may  be  removed  by  proper  treat¬ 
ment,  and  perhaps  most  cases  could  "be  relieved  if  taken 
hold  of  in  time.  Where  it  is  chronic,  it  is  probably  in¬ 
curable.  Being  usually  caused  it  is  supposed  by  indiges¬ 
tion  induced  by  over  work,  improper  feeding,  etc.,  a 
treatment  to  improve  the  digestive  organs  has  been  found 
efficient  in  its  alleviation. 

What  is  the  best  Farm  Bog  7— E.  F.  Archer, 
Parke  Co.,  Ind.  Tho  terrier,  black  and  tan,  or  Scotch, 
is  probably  best  for  general  purposes.  They  are  small, 
active,  watchful,  and  courageous,  and  will,  if  properly 
trained,  keep  all  roving  stock  and  swine  from  llie  premises, 
and  fowls  from  the  garden.  They  are  first-rate  for  hunt¬ 
ing  rats,  woodchucks,  skunks  and  other  “varmints.”  The 
Colly,  or  Scottish  Shepherd  dog,  is  unequaled  for  the  man¬ 
agement  of  sheep.  for  w  hose  company  and  care  he  seems 
to  have  an  instinctive  liking,  as  the  terrier  has  for  rat¬ 
killing. 

How  I.OW2’  Will  a  Horse  ILive  1— L.  D.  Ger- 
shon,  Chaulauque  Co.,  N.  Y.  From  30  to  35  years  may 
he  considered  the  average  age  to  which  horses  fairly 
used  will  attain.  Rare  instances  have  been  known  where 
they  have  lived  40  and  even  50  years. 

Put  up  tine  Ears!— James  R.  Leute,  Ulster  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  a  lengthy  communication,  for  which  we  cannot 
find  space,  very  properly  urges  the  necessity  of  care  in 
keeping  all  entrances  to  fields  carefully  closed  against 
marauding  pigs  and  stock  of  all  kinds,  that  sometimes  in 
an  hour  destroy  the  fruits  of  weeks  of  hard  labor.  We 
do  not  think  it  necessary  to  say  much  on  this  head  ;  the 
penalty  for  neglect  is  so  heavy  that  if  this  does  not  cure 
the  negligence,  any  thing  that  could  he  said  certainly 
would  not. 


819 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


A  Question  for  BSec^Siceyei-s.— S.  P.  Camp¬ 
bell,  of  Minnesota,  asks  the  following  question  of  the 
Bee-men,  the  answer  to  w  hich  he  says  he  has  been  un¬ 
able  to  find  in  their  works.  “How  does  the  Queen  be¬ 
come  impregnated  in  the  Spring  if  the  drones  are  all  de¬ 
stroyed  in  Autumn  1  It  seems  certain  that  there  are  none 
until  after  a  brood  hatches,  when  they  show  themselves 
quite  freely.” 

Sigiis  off  f£ain.— W.  F.,  writes:  “  On  enquiring 
an  acquaintance  a  short  lime  since  whether  he  thought 
would  rain  soon,  he  replied.  “  I  can  not  tell  with  cer¬ 
tainty,  as  I  have  not  blacked  my  bools  this  morning.” 
He  then  explained  his  remark,  by  saying  that  when  rain 
impending,  there  is  so  much  dampness  in  the  air  as  to 
nder  it  difficult  to  give  leather  a  good  polish  with  com¬ 
mon  blacking.  Another  “  sign  ”  on  the  same  principle  is 
that  ink  used  in  w  riting,  dries  fiom  the  paper  very  slowly 
iust  before  rain.”  [We  should  say  that  the  value  of  the 
above  “  signs,”  depends  very  much  upon  the  quality  of 
the  blacking  or  ink,  and  is  of  not  much  account  at  any 
time.— Ed.] 

Chamber  Slops  Sor  Manure.- J.  H.  North 
Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.  Chamber  slops,  suds,  etc.,  from  the 
house  are  a  highly  stimulating  manure  for  the  vegetable 
garden.  Almost  every  family  can  derive  enough  ma¬ 
nure  from  this  source  to  keep  a  large  garden  in  prime 
condition,  especially  with  the  addition  of  muck  or  soil 
from  swamps  or  woods.  A  hogshead  sunk  in  the  ground 
into  which  the  slops  may  be  thrown  and  the  muck  mixed 
in,  is  cheap  and  convenient. 

Bank  Bills  Bang'crous.— Avoid  welting  the 
thumb  and  finger  in  handling  bills.  Smallpox  is  some¬ 
times  inoculated  in  this  way,  from  a  note  in  the  pocket 
of  a  person  having  ttie  disease. 

Dodging  a  Tax. — Massachusetts,  at  one  time  laid  a 
tax  upon  advertisements,  which  was  very  unpopular, 
and  many  ingenious  expedients  were  resorted  to,  to  evade 
the  tax.  Here  is  one  of  them.  The  Essex  Journal  (Mass.) 
published  by  John  Mycatl,  in  the  issue  for  Jan.  4th,  1786, 
contained  among  other  editorial  items  the  following : 
“  The  journals  of  other  States  come  to  us  filled  with  ad¬ 
vertisements  ;  but  on  account  of  the  Stamp  Act  here,  we 
can  not  advertise  our  own  goods,  though  I  have  for  sale 
Bibles  and  Testaments ,  primers,  almanacs,  stationery  and 
many  other  useful  things,  and  an  excellent  ‘  Moral  Dis¬ 
course,’  the  price  of  which  being  only  eight  pen-e,  will  not 
afford  profit  enough  for  paying  the  tax.” 

NEW  AN. O  VAIiUABIiE  BOSKS. 

[Any  books  noticed  in  these  columns,  or  any  other  good 
book,  we  shall  be  happy  1o  send  post-paid,  to  any  of  our 
readers  who  can  not  conveniently  get  them  elsewhere,  if 
they  send  us  the  regular  retail  price.  The  discount  usu¬ 
ally  allowed  us  hy  publishers  about  pays  the  expense  ot 
postage,  procuring  and  forwarding  ] 

American  Short  Horn  Herd  Book.  Vol.  iv.  By 
Lewis  F.  Allen,  1859.  Octavo,  pp.  608. 

This  splendid  continuation  of  the  record  of  the  pedi¬ 
grees  of  our  American  Short  Horns  came  to  us  a  few  days 
ago  with  the  promptitude  which  has  marked  its  previous 
volumes  in  the  hands  of  its  energetic  and  capable  com¬ 
piler,  well  printed  and  bound  ;  and  illustrated  with  some 
fifty  portraits  of  living  animals— besides  two  superb 
engravings;  one,  of  the  best  bull  ever  produced  in  Eng¬ 
land  ;  and  the  other,  the  fattest  American  cow  on  record. 
There  are  3,001)  pedigrees  in  the  book,  more  than  one- 
third  of  which  are  bulls,  the  remainder  cows  and  heifers, 
a  living  testimony  to  the  present  and  increasing  value  of 
our  herds  of  Short  Horns.  The  book  is  mainly  useful  to 
cattle  breeders  ;  but  as  a  matter  of  taste  and  interest,  it 
may  well  embellish  the  table  of  every  breeder  of  good  ani¬ 
mals  throughout  the  country.  Its  pages  enumerate  more 
than  six  hundred  American  breeders  of  this  noble  breed  of 
cattle,  and  the  number  is  increasing  with  every  succeed¬ 
ing  year,  as  their  value  becomes  more  widely  known.. 
The  hook  can  be  had  from  its  compiler,  either  by  ex¬ 
press  at  $5,  or  by  mail,  post-paid,  for  $5  50,  remitted 
to  him  at  Black  Rock,  N.  Y. 

Milch  Cows  and  Dairy  Farming. — The  author  ofthis 
work,  Chas  L.  Flint,  Esq.,  Secretary  of  the  Mass.  Board 
of  Agriculture,  takes  hold  of  any  enterprize  with  a  zeal  and 
energy  exhibited  by  few.  His  annual  reports  on  the  Ag¬ 
riculture  of  Massachusetts,  are  models,  and  contain  a 
well  digested  mass  of  information  collected  with  great 
labor  from  all  parts  of  the  State.  The  subject  of  the  book 
before  us,  is,  perhaps,  not  one  to  which  Mr.  Flint  could 
best  have  directed  his  talents,  at  least  it  lias  been  some¬ 
what  criticised  by  old  cattle  breeders,  but  it  contains  very 
much  instruction  for  every  one  engaged  in  dairying,  or 
who  even  owns  a  cow,  and  may  well  be  in  the  hands  of 
all  such.  The  author  has  sought  his  materials  for  the  im¬ 
portant  subjects  of  which  he  l  reals  from  ihe  latest  author¬ 
ities  abroad  as  well  as  at  home,  and  has  thus  been  able  to 
give  the  latest  discoveries,  improvements,  and  practice  in 


dairy  management.  In  thus  doing  he  has  collected  and 
condensed  in  a  pleasing  form  much  valuable  information, 
hitherto  unavailable  to  the  American  public.  The  chap¬ 
ter  on  the  Dutch  Dairy,  and  M.  Magnes’  more  clear,  sim¬ 
ple,  and  brief  explanation  of  the  Guenon  method,  are 
translations  by  the  author  from  the  German  and  French. 
The  illustrations  of  the  milk  stand,  pans,  churns,  butter 
workers,  cheese  presses,  cool  baths,  shelves,  etc.,  are  ex¬ 
cellent.  A.  O.  Moore  &  Co.,  New-York.  Price  $1  25. 

Hints  to  Horse  Keepers.— Herbert.  Capital  hints 
they  are,  so  far  as  written  by  that  veteran  lover  of  horses, 
the  late  Henry  W.  Herbert,  whose  authorship  extends 
through  the  first  thirteen  chapters,  which  embrace  nearly 
one  half  of  the  volume.  The  remaining  half  is  judicious¬ 
ly  arranged  matter  ;  and  all  of  it  is  important  to  the  farm¬ 
er  and  the  gentleman  who  wishes  to  select  his  team  with 
judgment,  and  keep  them  and  their  gear  and  vehicles  in 
first-rate  condition.  Unless  the  owner  of  horses  has  the 
information  in  some  other  form,  (and  we  don't  know 
where  it  is  to  be  found  elsewhere  so  comprehensive  and 
condensed)  he  ought  uot  to  be  without  “  Hints  to  Horse- 
keepers.”  Published  by  A.  O.  Moore  &  Co.  Price  $1  25. 


Market  Eeview,  Weather  Notes,  &e. 

American  Agriculturist  Office, _  ? 

New  York,  Saturday  Evening,  June  18,  1859.  i 

The  trade  in  Breadstuff's  has  been  restricted,  during  the 
past  month.  The  demand  for  Flour  has  been  mainly  for 
lots  wanted  by  the  regular  trade,  who  have  purchased 
only  as  they  have  been  in  wrant  of  supplies  for  home  con¬ 
sumption.  The  inquiry  from  speculators  has  been  limi¬ 
ted.  The  news  from  Europe,  received  since  our  last,  has 
not  tended  to  encourage  speculative  operations.  The  ad¬ 
vices  from  the  West,  within  the  past  two  weeks,  repre¬ 
senting  the  Wheat,  Corn,  Vegetable  and  Fruit  crops,  as 
having  been  seriously  injured  by  frost,  had,  at  one  time, 
the  effect  of  stimulating  some  buyers  to  purchase  rather 
extensively.  In  the  main,  however,  dealers  have  con¬ 
sidered  the  reports  of  general  and  very  serious  injuries  as 
greatly  and  designedly  exaggerated  ;  and  recently  the  de¬ 
mand  for  Flour  has  been  limited,  while  it  was  freely  met 
hy  holders  at  reduced  prices.  It  now  begins  to  appear, 
that  the  mischief  really  done  by  the  June  frosts,  of  which 
so  much  has  been  said,  is  neither  very  wide  spread  nor  ir¬ 
reparable.  Farmers  of  intelligence  and  experience  did 
not  need  to  be  told,  from  the  first,  that  had  the  prostration 
of  the  grow  ing  crops  been  as  severe  as  it  w  as  staled  to  be, 
the  season  was  still  not  too  far  advanced  for  profitable 
replanting  ;  and  the  great  body  of  dealers  in  cereals  and 
breadstuffs  never  for  a  moment  wavered  under  the  influ¬ 
ence  of  the  abortive  panic.  The  most  biting  effects  of  the 
disaster  appear  now  to  have  been  mainly  confined  to  a 
small  region  of  our  own  State,  and  to  the  upper  part  of 
Wisconsin.  In  Canada,  Illinois  and  Northern  Ohio  it  is 
even  an  open  question  whether  the  wheat  harvest  will  not 
on  the  whole  be  improved  by  this  sharp  “counterblast 
to  the  flies.”  In  the  actual  uncertainty  of  affairs  abroad, 
anything  like  a  positive  disaster  overtaking  our  American 
agriculture  would  have  been  a  misfortune  to  the  whole 
w'orld.  We  may,  therefore,  honestly  rejoice  that  the 
prospects  of  our  Western  country  are  still  such  as  to  pro¬ 
mise  us  a  busy  season  of  widely-developed  and  remuner¬ 
ative  commercial  activity _ Wheat  has  been  quite  spar¬ 

ingly  purchased,  though  it  has  been  offered  at  much  low¬ 
er  rates. ..  .Corn  has  been  depressed,  and  has  declined 

materially _ Rye,  Barley,  and  Oats  have  been  in  slack 

demand,  though  decidedly  lower - Cotton  has  been  un¬ 

settled,  but  closes  with  more  inquiry  for  desirable  lots  at 
strengthening  prices.  The  available  supply  here  is  81,- 
607  bales,  against  88,104  bales  same  time  in  1858.  The  re¬ 
ceipts  at  all  the  shipping  ports  to  latest  dates,  this  season, 
have  been  3,608,398  bales,  against  2,947,990  bales  to  the 
corresponding  period  of  last  season.  The  total  exports 
from  the  United  States  so  far  this  season  have  been 
2,709,989  bales,  against  2,205,652  bales  to  the  same  date 
last  season.  The  total  stock  on  hand  and  on  shipboard  in 
the  shipping  ports  at  the  latest  dates  was  345,754  bales 
against  432,716  bales  at  the  same  time  last  year.  The 
stock  in  the  interior  towns  at  the  latest  dates  was  81,111 
bales,  against  59,416  bales  at  the  corresponding  date  a 
year  ago . The  movements  in  Provisions  and  grocer¬ 

ies  have  been  less  extensive,  and  prices  have  favored  buy¬ 
ers. ..  .Hay  has  been  more  freely  offered  and  purchased 
at  reduced  rates _ Hemp,  Hops,  and  Seeds,  have  a  limi¬ 
ted  demand _ Tobacco  has  attracted  less  attention _ 

Naval  Stores  have  been  actively  inquired  for  at  buoyant 
prices. . . .  Wool  is  in  very  slack  request,  either  on  specu¬ 
lation  or  for  manufacturing.  The  current  receipts  of  the 
new  clip  are  light.  Receivers  do  not  appear  to  be  very 
anxious  to  sell,  nor  are  buyers  eager  to  purchase.  Prices 
are,  as  yet,  wholly  unsettled— parlies  differing  widely  in 
liitir  views— no  sales  have  been  effected  of  sufficient 
magnitude  to  give  anything  like  regularity  or  reliabilily 
to  quotations.  Old  domestic  is  quite  scarce,  but  is  par¬ 
tially  neglected,  and  prices  are  easier  and  irregular.  For¬ 


eign  Wool  is  depressed.  A  large  portion  of  the  available 
supply  is  composed  of  undesirable  lots,  for  which  the  in¬ 
quiry  is  spiritless.  The  private  advices  from  the  country 
report  rather  an  unsettled  state  of  affairs  as  yet,  and  no 
movements  of  any  consequence.  Manufacturers,  dealers 
and  speculators  are  ready  to  purchase  the  new  wool  at 
the  prices  of  last  year,  but  the  views  of  grow  ers  are  gen¬ 
erally  5c.  lb.  above  this  mark— say  about  45c.  for  the 
average  of  Ohio  fleece,  and  40c. rw42  :.  for  Michigan.  Both 
parties  appear  to  be  firm  in  their  views,  are  holding  back, 
and  active  movements  are  not  looked  for  at  present,  as 
the  unsettled  state  of  European  affairs,  and  tile  prospect 
of  large  receipts  of  both  Wool  and  goods,  will  prevent 
manufacturers  from  making  any  extensive  purchases. . . . 
Other  branches  of  the  Produce  Trade  have  exhibited  no 
very  remarkable  changes. 

TRANSACTIONS  AT  THE  N.  Y.  MARKETS. 

Receipts.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Bye.  Barley.  Oats. 

2(>bus.  days  this  nion,  225,000  81.500  2?6,3i>(l  1  1.300  21  000  256  300 
22  bus.  days  last  mini  ,  152,000  13,230  133,000  6,300  80,714  150. 0U0 

Sales.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye  Barley. 

26  business  days  this  month,  235,000  230,250  521.700  43  800  10  000 
22  business  days  last  moil,  419,000  510,000  610,000  41,800  180,000 

Breadstuffs  exported  from  N.  Y„  from  Jan.  1  to  June  13. 


1858. 

1859. 

Wheat  Flour,  bbls . 

.  635,890 

■  280,950 

live  Flour,  bbls . 

3,132 

Corn  Meal,  bbls . 

.  34.952 

38.223 

Wheat,  bush . 1 

. 1,5(13,986 

21,916 

Corn,  bush . 

96,930 

Current  Wholesale  Prices. 

May  13. 

Flour— Superf  to  Extra  State  S6  10  ©  7  70 
Common  to  Fancy  Western. .  6  20 

Extra  Western. .  . .  7  35 

Fancy  to  Extra  Genesee .  7  60 

Mixed  to  Extra  Soul  hern .  7  40 

Rye  Fi.ouii— Fine  and  Super 

Corn  Meal .  4  30 

Wheat— Canada  White... 

Western  While  .  1  80  (a)  2  10 

Southern  White .  1  80 

All  kinds  of  Red . 

Corn — Yellow . . 

White . 

Mixed . 

Oats — Western . 

State . 

Southern . 

Rye . 

Barley  . 

White  Beans .  1  1U 

Hay,  in  bales,  per  100  lbs . 

Cotton — Middlings,  peril). . . . 

Rice,  per  100  lbs .  3  75 

Hops,  crop  of  1858  per  11) .  0 

Pork — Mess,  per  bill .  10  50 

Prime,  lier  bill . 

Reef — Repacked  Mess .  11  00 

Country  mess  .  . .  8 

Hogs,  Dressed  corn,  per  lb  .. 

Lard,  in  bills,  per  lii . 

Butter— Western,  per  lb . 

State,  per  lb . 

Cheese,  per  lb . 

Eggs — Fresh,  per  dozen . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  lb. 

Seed — Clover,  per  11) . 

Timothy,  per  bushel .  2 

Sugar,  Brown,  peril) . 

Molasses,  New-Orleans,  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio,  per  lb . 

Tobacco — Kentucky,  &c.  pr  lb 

Seed  Leaf,  per  lb . 

WooL-Domestic  fleece,  per  lb. 

Domestic,  pulled,  per  lb  . 

Hemp — Undr'd  Amer’n  pr  ton. 110 
Dressed  American,  per  ton. . .  .195 

Tallow,  per  lb . 

Oil  Cake,  per  ton . 31  00 

Potatoes — Peach  Blow.prbbl  2  00  Ceil  2  75 

Mercers,  per  hbl .  .  1  50  la)  2  25 

Bermudas,  new,  per  bbl .  4  00  ®  4  50 

Asparagus,  per  dozen .  150 

Apples— Dried,  Per  lb . 

Dried  Peaches — pr  ]1>. .South'll 
Poultry — Fowls;  per  lb....  .. 

Ducks,  per  lb . 

Turkeys. per  lb .  16  (a) 

Geese,  per  lb .  12  (a) 

N.  V.  1/5 vc  Sioclc  MarkcfN.— The  Cattle 
Markets  have  been  moderately  supplied  (luring  the  past 
four  weeks,  and  prices  have  mainly  ruled  high.  The  re¬ 
ceipts  for  the  past  month  amount  to  14,438,  or  about  1,400 
more  than  for  the  previous  month.  The  full  supply  on  the 
15th  during  the  hight  of  strawberries,  caused  a  decline,  so 
that  prices  ranged  at  12c.®12jc.  .p  ft.  net  weight,  for 
premium  grades,  11c. ©Uje. ;  for  first  quality,  91c  ©I0}c.; 
for  medium  animals,  7}c.©9c.  ;  for  poor  qualities  the 
market  closing  heavily. 


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Veal  Calves  continue  abundant.  For  the  past  four 
weeks  4,664  have  been  received.  The  best  calves  are 
now  worth  6c.®6[c.  with  a  very  few  at  7c.  p  ft.  live 
weight.  Ordinary  veals  are  dull  at  5c.  The  market  was 
overstocked  on  the  last  sales  day. 

Sheep  and  Lambs.— Receipts  of  live  sheep  have  been 
larger,  especially  during  the  past  week.  For  the  four 
weeks  just  ended,  the  numbers  were  28,625,  against  15,099 
for  the  previous  month.  During  the  week  ending,  June 
15th,  the  city  reports  were  10,14:1.  Prices  have  fallen  off 
materially  ;  and  good  fat  sheep  are  now  selling  for  5c.  p 
ft.  live  weight,  and  Spring  lambs  at  Sc.®9c.  Besides  a 
slow  market  and  low  prices,  large  numbers  remained  un¬ 
sold. 

Hogs.— Receipts  for  the  four  weeks  just  ended  amount^ 
to  24,002,  which  is  quite  sufficient  for  the  wants  of  the 
market  during  t lie  heat  of  Summer.  Prices  are  a  little 


QQO 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


higher  than  last  month,  or  6|c.fa)7c  lb.  for  live  weight 
for  corn  fed,  and  6}c.(5)Gfc.  for  still-fed  hogs. 

Tfln*  Weal Baer?  during  the  past  four  weeks,  has 
been  variable.  Beginning  where  we  left  off  last  month, 
it  was  first  wet,  then  very  warm,  followed  by  a  frost, 
which  was  quite  severe  in  many  places,  afterwards  fine 
and  warm,  then  another  cold  spell,  and  hot  again  with 
showers,  and  a  rain  storm,  as  we  go  to  press.  Our  Daily 
Notes  condensed  read:  May  20,  cloudy,  light  rain — 21, 
raw  day,  heavy  rain  at  night — 22,  show  ery— 23  to  26,  clear 
and  fine  growing  weather — 27,  warm,  shower  at  night- 
28  to  30,  clear  and  fine— 31,  cloudy,  rain  at  night.  June  1, 
cloudy  with  light  rain— 2,  cloudy— 3,  heavy  thunder 
showers— 4.  cool,  with  moderate  rain— 5,  clear  and  cool, 
heavy  frost  in  the  morning,  in  some  localities  doing  con¬ 
siderable  damage  to  growing  crops — 6,  clear,  and  still 
cold,  with  more  frost  and  ice  even — 7  to  10,  clear  and  fine, 
but  cool,  heavy  show  ers  at  night  on  the  10th — 11,  12,  clear 
and  cool  —13,  cloudy,  w  ith  light  rain  at  night  of  13th— 14, 
15,  clear,  fine  and  hot — 16,  showery,  warm — 17  heavy  rain. 

Reports  on  the  Crops- 

TIip  following  extracts  from  the  business  corrospond- 
enoe  of  the. American  Agriculturist ,  will  give  some  gener¬ 
al  idea  of  the  impressions  of  farmers  in  various  parts 
of  the  country  in  regard  to  the  grain,  grass  and 
fruit  prospects  in  the  several  localities  named. 

Barnstable  Co.,  Mass.  Lat.  414°,  June  14— Henry  F. 

Gifford _ Corn  and  other  grain,  and  grass  look  very  well. 

But  little  damage  done  by  frost. 

Montgomery  Co.,  N.Y.  Latitude  43°,  June  12— M.  Quin- 

by _ Five  frosts  since  June  4 _ Very  severe  on  11.... 

Corn  generally  killed,  patches  half  killed - Tender 

garden  vegetables  all  killed. 

Suff'lkCo.,  N.  Y.  Lat.  41°— P.  H.  Foster _ Corn 

corning  forward,  although  rather  cold  for  it.  Wheat,  Rye 
and  oats  very  fine.  Grass  very  good.  Fruit  except 
strawberries,  poor. 

Rockland  Co..  ’N.  Y.  Lat.  41°,  June  13 — C.  G.  C.... 
Corn,  backward  ...Oats  Grass,  Rye  and  Potatoes,  fair 
_ Apples  and  Pears  about  half  a  crop  of  Summer  varie¬ 
ties,  and  few  Winter  apples.  Cherries,  poor.  Plums, 
scarce.  Blackberries,  promise  of  abundance. 

Niagara  Co  ,  N.  Y.  Lat.  43°,  June  13— A.  E.  Raymond 
....The  prospect'  forgrain,  fruit,  and  vegetables  was 
very  fine  np  to  June  4,  when  the  severe  frost  almost 
blasted  ei  ery  hope  of  anything  like  fair  crops.  Corn  and 
potatoes  were  cut  to  the  ground.  In  some  sections, 
Wheat,  Rye,  and  Winter  Barley  were  so  damaged  that 

farmers  are  cutting  for  fodder . Another  frost  on  the 

10th  killed  all  the  corn  that,  had  sprouted  after  the  first 
disaster.  Tite  farmers  faces  look  very  long. 

Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.  Lat.  43°,  June  5— Mrs.  E.  Wil¬ 
liams  ...Damage  from  frost  very  great. 

Cayuga  Co.,  N.  A'.  Lat.  43°,  June  12— Wm.  C.  St. 

John _ Wheat,  prospect  good _ Barley  and  Oats,  poor 

_ Corn  looks  well  considering  the  cool  weather  ;  some¬ 
what  injured  hy  frosts  on  10  and  11.  Garden  vegetables 
much  damaged  by  frost. 

Jefferson  Co.,  Pa.  Lat.  41°,  June  11 — Thomas  Hous¬ 
ton _ Winter  grain  mostly  cut  off  by  frosts _ Corn  and 

potatoes  greatly  damaged.  The  frost  of  June  10  cut  off 
the  second  growth  which  corn  had  made  after  the  first 
frost. 

Clarion  Co  ,  Pa.  Lat.  41 — John  Wilson _ The  frost 

of  June  4th  cut  the  Corn,  Potatoes,  garden  vegetables 
and  fruits  badly.  Wheat  and  Rye  were  also  damaged. 
Some  have  cut  the  green  grain  and  sowed  Buckwheat, 
fune  11,  another  hard  damaging  frost. 

Mercer  Co.,  Pa.  Lat.  414°,  June  7 — J.  A.  Nelson.... 
Good  promise  for  grain  and  fruit  crops  until  June  4,  when 
the  frost,  did  much  injury.  Many  fields  of  Wheat  and  Rye 
look  as  white  as  when  ripe,  and  will  scarcely  be  worth 
cutting,  and  the  best  will  be  verv  light _ Corn  and  pota¬ 
toes  cut  to  the  ground _ Fruit  except  apples,  badly 

injured. 

Logan  Co.,  O  Lat.  4IH°,  June  3— Solomon  Shawver 

_ Wheat,  injured  by  wet  weatherof  Winter  and  Spring. 

About  half  a  crop  expected  —  Corn,  very  good..., Oats, 
poor. 

Huron  Co  ,  O.  Lat.  41°,  June 6— J.  O.  Strong _ Wheat 

look'ng  w-ell _ Corn  and  garden  vegetables  cut  to  ground 

by  frost _ Oats  doing  well. 

Mahoning  Co.,  O.  Lat.  41°,  June  6-Mrs  B.  F.  Lee 
....Garden  vegetables  ruined  by  hard  frost  4  iiist. 

Davies  Co  ,  Ind.  Lat.  30°,  June  7 — W.  R.  Sherman 
_ Wheat  good,  projects  above  average _ Oats  not  ex¬ 
tensively  sown,  bat  fair  crop  looked  for _ Corn,  planted 

very  largelv,  cold  weather  has  kept  it  back,  but  c-ltance 
yet  for  large  crops _ Fruit,  fair. 

Delaware  Co.,  Ind.  Lat.  40°,  June  2 — Jno.  C.  Helm 

...  Wheat  thin  on  the  ground,  but  looks  well,  crops  in¬ 


jured  by  bad  seed  sown,  many  having  used  Wheat  too 
shrunken  for  market.  Corn  largely  planted  and  looking 
well. 

Wayne  Co.,  Ind.  Lat.  40°,  May  31 — J.  Commons - 

Wheat,  promise  of  an  average  crop,  somewhat  injured 

by  the  “  Hessian  Fly” _ Oats  with  a  few  seasonable 

showers  will  be  good.  Barley  the  same. ...Corn  never 

looked  better,  and  an  unusually  large  amount  planted - 

Potatoes  fine _ Fruit  enough  for  home  consumption. 

Macoupin  Co.,  111.  Lat.  391°,  June  1 1— Thomas  Glenn 
....  Wheat  will  probably  average  12  to  15  bushels  per 

acre _ Oats  look  remarkably  well - Corn  not  very 

promising,  injured  by  wet  Spring  and  by  birds - Grass 

rather  light. 

Livingston  Co.,  Ill.  Lat.  41°,  June  11 — S.  L.  Mauker, 

Sec.  Livingston  Co.  Ag.  Soc _ Wheat,  sown  last  Fall 

nearly  a  failure,  and  being  plowed  up  and  planted  to 

Corn _ Corn,  very  large  breadth  planted,  looked  well 

until  cut  down  by  frost. 

Bureau  Co.,  III.  Lat.  414°,  June  10— II.  N.  Morris _ 

Winter  wheat  none  to  speak  of,  much  of  it  plowed  up. 

Spring  Wheat  badly  injured  by  “  Hessian  Fly  ” _ Corn 

killed  to  the  ground,  the  most  forward  of  it  will  not  re¬ 
cover _ Rye  may  yet  prove  fair _ Fruits  all  killed _ 

Garden  vegetables  do.  promise  of  ‘dry  living’  this  season. 

Henry  Co,  III.  Lat.  414°,  June  4 — John  Boans.... 
Spring  Wheat,  light.  Farmers  arc  plowing  up  Winter 
Wheat,  which  has  been  spoiled  by  the  “  Hessian  Fly  ’. . 
Corn  has  b*  en  largely  planted,  but  is  much  injured  by 
birds,  vermin  and  the  frosls _ Potatoes  look  poor. 

Clinton  Co.,  Iowa.  Lat.  42°,  May  23— B.  R.  Palmer 

_ Wheat  poor,  thin  on  the  ground,  sowed  late,  the 

Spring  being  wet,  and  weeds  have  the  start  of  it.  Willi 
all  things  favorable  may  have  §  of  a  crop. 

St.  Joseph  Co.,  Mich.  Lat.  42°,  June  5— Wheat  rather 
thin  on  ground,  but  promises  to  be  a  medium  crop.  Oats 
very  small  and  thin.  Corn  came  up  well  but  was  in¬ 
jured  by  frost  of  4.  Grass  thick  but  short, 

Calhoun  Co.,  Mich.  Lat.  424°,  June  11— Charles  M. 
Keep ...  Wheat  promises  an  average  crop. . ..  Barley  very 
poor. ...Oats  light. ...  Corn  backward,  damaged  to  some 
extent  by  worms  and  the  frosts  of  June  4  and  10. 

Macomb  Co.,  Mich.  Lat.  43°,  June  2 — E.  Wright 
Hall  .  Large  amount  Spring  crops  put  in,  winch  look 
promising.  Wiieat  not  much  sown  for  fearofmidge.  Rye 
more  generally  sown  and  looks  fine. 

Nassau  Co.,  Fla.  Lat.  304°.  June  7 — Josiah  A.  Lewis 

_ Cotton  flourishing,  commenced  blossoming  on  5 _ 

Corn,  good. 

- -o -4  ■Tna^-grr  i—  p  an  --  ... 

Tlie  Turnip  Seed  Premium? 

Noted  on  page  224,  will  be  found  worthy  of  attention. 
We  shall  probably  have  seed  enough  for  all  who  apply 
for  it  during  July.  The  premium  parcels  offered  will 
suffice  to  produce  from  30  to  100  bushels  ;  the  amount  of 
crop  will  of  course  depend  upon  tite  condition  of  the  soil, 
and  the  care  in  sowing  and  cultivation.  We  think  all 
who  raise  a  fi>-ld  of  these  turnips  for  family  use  will  be  so 
pleased  with  them  that  they  would  think  the  seed  cheap, 
even  if  it  cost  the  dollar,  without  the  subscription. 

- o-4 -  i  q  (fr-ta  - - 

5s  It  Worth  tlae  Money? 

We  would  be  glad  to  have  every  reader  lookback  over 
the  pages  of  this  single  number,  and  then  ask  himself,  or 
herself,  whether  the  A gricullurist  for  a  whole  year  is 
worth  the  small  subscription  price,  and  if  it  is,  please 
slate  the  fact  to  a  friend  or  neighbor.  We  were  just 
looking  over  some  previous  numbers  and  volumes,  and 
confess  to  a  little  feeling  of  pride  at  the  improvements 
made  within  a  year  or  two.  We  expect  to  go  ahead, 
and  not  backward.  If  the  paper  has  been  good  in  the 
past,  it  shall  be  better  in  I  lie  future. 

Tliis  number  begins  tha  second  half  of  the  volume,  and 
now  is  a  good  lime  to  begin  new  subscriptions  for  a  year, 
or  for  half  a  year,  where  it  is  desired. 

.Vcw  Premium  Lists  cans  ISegm 
Mow. 

In  answer  to  several  enquiries,  we  reply  that  we  shall, 
the  coming  Autumn,  offer  as  liberal  premiums  for  new 
subscribers,  as  those  offered  the  past  year.  We  have  not 
yet  arranged  the  premium  list  in  full,  but  it  will  embrace 
the  more  valuable  premiums  hitherto  offered,  and  sever¬ 
al  new  ones,  including  Mowing  Machines  and  other  Farm 
Implements,  etc.,  etc  We  will  now  say,  that  any  person 
may  at  once  commence  making  up  a  new  list  of  subscri¬ 
bers.  and  all  new  names  sent  in  for  one  year  may  be 
counted  in,  whether  the  subscriptions  commence  with  the 
July  number  or  next,  January.  This  offer  gives  the  can¬ 
vasser  the  double  chance,  of  getting  new  names  to  begin 
now,  and  also  in  January.  Two  half  yearly  subscribers 
will  count  tlie  same  as  one  for  a  whole  year. 

When  names  are  sent  to  b  :  included  in  premium  lists, 
a  duplicate  list  should  be  sent  at  Ihe  same  time,  to  be 
kept  on  a  separate  file,  for  reference  in  making  up  the 
final  award  at  any  time  when  the  list  is  complete. 

During  the  past  year  we  have  given  out  over  six  hun¬ 
dred  valuable  premiums.  A  great  number  of  families  are 


now  in  possession  of  a  Sewing  Machine,  a  splendid 
Dictionary,  or  a  M  icroscope,  etc.,  w  hich  they  have  obtain¬ 
ed  without  any  actual  outlay  of  money.  How  many  oth¬ 
ers  will  be  equally  fortunate  next  Winter,  or  before,  in 
getting,  on  as  easy  terras,  one  of  these  articles,  or  a  valu¬ 
able  farm  implement?  It  is  not  too  early  to  begin  the 
work  now,  of  collecting  and  sending  in  the  names,  as 
every  name  will  count. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  our  premiums  are  absolute,  and 
not  in  any  case  dependent  upon  competition,  or  upon  what 
some  other  unknown  individual  is  doing,  so  that  every 
person  understands  exactly  what  he  or  she  is  working 
for,  and  what  is  the  point  to  be  reached.  These  pre¬ 
miums  are  offered  as  pay  for  time  and  effort  expended  in 
bringing  the  Agriculturist  before  those  unacquainted  with 
it— and  not  in  the  manner  of  a  gift  enterprise.  What  others 
pay  in  commissions  to  agents,  we  pay  out  in  this  form. 


EsTThe  circulation  of  the  Agriculturist  to  regular 
subscribers,  is  much  larger  than  that  of  any  other 
Agricultural  or  Horticultural  Journal  in  the  world. 


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I'AEI  V  KOI)  5JCK 

Sold  o  Ha  C  o  nan  Bui  i  s  s  i  o  n , 

Such  as  Flour  Butter.  Cheese,  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds 
Grain,  Eggs,  Poultrv,  Gann*.  &c.  «tc. 

HAIGHT  &  EM  ENS,  22G  Front-st.,  New- York. 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

“  R  R.  Haydock,  Cashier  Market  Bank,  New-York. 


Built  upon  an  improved  plan,  adapted  to  plantation 
work,  Driving  Threshers,  Saw  Mills,  Pumps  and  Agricul¬ 
tural  purposes  generally. 

They  are  economical  on  fuel,  very  compact,  and  strong, 
easily  managed,  and  readily  moved  from  place  to  place. 
We  build  from  4  to  40-horse  power. 

For  prices  and  further  information,  address 

HARLAN  &  HOLLINGSWORTH, 
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II A  E«  P E IS.  &  BROTBIE  3£§, 

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HAVE  JUST  PUBLISHED 

THE  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Being  Pi ineiples  and  Rules  for  the  Culture  of  Vegetables, 
Fruits,  Flowers  and  Shrubbery.  To  which  are  added  brief  notes 
on  Farm  Crops,  with  a  table  of  their  average  product  and 
chemical  consti  men's  By  Alexander  Watson.  With  seve¬ 
ral  hundred  illustrations.  l‘2mo.,  muslin.  $1  it). 

The  auth  r  here  presents,  in  a  digested  and  plain  form,  such 
directions  and  information  as  will,  if  applied,  enable  every  one 
who  has  a  garden  to  supply  the  home  table  with  its  pleasant 
and  healthful  products  a!  the  least  possible  outlay  of  labor  ami 
expense,  and  add  choice  fruits  and  flowers  to  the  iamily stock  of 
ra  tonal,  cheap,  every-day  enjoyments. 

This  is  a  capital  book.  We  have  read  many.  We  like  this 
the  best.  *  *  All  one  wants  to  Know  abput  gardening  he  may 
find  in  this  treatise.  We  have  adopted  it  as  our  standard. — 

! Richmond, ( Va  )  Advocate. 

It  contains  a  complete  treatise  upon  the  proper  culj  ivation  of 
the  vegetable  and  flower  garden,  and  manv  things  which  are  es¬ 
sential  for  farmers  also  to  know  — Poughkeepsie  Telegraph . 

A  complete  treatise — N.  Y.  Chronicle. 

Many  works,  large  and  small,  have  been  written  on  this  sub¬ 
ject,  but  the  present  possesses  the  merit  of  describing  the  latest 
modes  of  cultivation,  and  also  the  mode  of  treatment  of  many 
plants  and  fruits  recently  introduced — Baltimore  American 

It  seems  to  us  to  be  eminen1  ly  practical  in  design  and  clear  in 
execution  — Country  Gentleman. 

NORTH  AMERICAN  INSECTS. 

The  life  of  North  American  Insects.  By  B.  J  AEGER,  late  Pro¬ 
fessor  ol  Zoology  and  Botany  in  the  (  o  ege  ot  New-Tersey,  as¬ 
sisted  by  H.  C.  Preston,  M.  D.  With  numerous  illustrations 
from  specimens  in  the  cabinet  of  the  Author.  I  mo.,  muslin’ 
$1  25. 

We  look  upon  this  little  volume  as  one  of  the  most  opportune 
and  interesting,  as  well  as  the  most  useful,  that  has  come  under 
our  notice  for  a  long  time.  Not  an  institution  of  education 
should  be  without  one  or  more  copies  —N.  Y ,  Spirit  of  the 
Times. 

This  is  no  dry  technical  treatise  upon  Entomology,  but  an 
amusing  as  well  as  ins  motive  account  of  the  insect  world,  full 
of  anecdotes  and  finely  illustrated.  The  simplicity  of  classifica¬ 
tion,  the  absense,  in  a  great  measure,  of  strictly  scientific  terms, 
and  the  in' reduction  ot  i  lustrative  incidental  information,  ren¬ 
der  the  work  very  interesting  to  the  popular  reader.  The  au¬ 
thor  was  fitted  for  his  task  by  investigations  in  Europe  and 
Asia,  and  on  this  continent. — Boston  Journal 

Processor  Jaeger  has  been  for  years  an  enthusiastic  student  of 
Natui e,  and  is,  perhaps,  as  accomplished  an  entomologist  as  we 
now  have  in  the  country.  He  writes  with  ease  and  vivacity, 
and  contrives  to  render  his  narratives  as  interesting  as  any 
story. — N  Y-  Evening  Post. 

Ii  is  written  in  a  clear,  lucid  and  comprehensive  stvle,  invest¬ 
ing  its  subject  with  a  charm  which  the  reader  cannot  but  feel 
from  the  start. — Brooklyn  Daily  Times. 

Harper  &  Brothers  will  send  either  of  the  above  works, 
by  mail,  postage-paid,  (for  any  distance  in  the  United  States 
under  3,'MiO  mi  es,)  on  receipt  of  ihe  money. 


Meaas’y  W.  ISerBiert’s  last  W<srk. 

FRANK  FORESTER  S 
HINTS  TO  HOUSEKEEPERS! 

BEAUTIFULLY  ILLUSTRATED. 

BY  J.  W.  EHNINGER  AND  OTHER  EMINENT  ARTISTS. 
Price  $1  25 — Sent  by  mail  pre-paid. 

contents:  ... 

Chapter  I— How  to  Breed  a  Horse — Choice  of  Stallion. 

II — H«»w  to  Breed  a  Horse — Choice  of  the  Mare. 

III—  How  to  Breed  a  Horse— Mutual  Adaptation 

of  Sire  and  Dam 

IV —  How  to  Breed  a  Horse— Canadian  Blood. 

••  V — How  to  Breed  a  Horse — Norman  Blood. 

VI— How  to  Breed  a  Horse— Modern  Arab  Blood. 
VII— Ponies— Thei  r.  Different  Breeds,  Characteris- 
tics  and  Utility. 

VIII — How  to  Breed  Mules. 

IX— How  to  Buy  a  Horse. 

• '  X— How  to  Feed  a  Horse. 

XI— How  to  Stable  and  Groom  a  Horse. 

"  XII — How  to  Break  and  Use  a  Horse. 

**  XIII— How  to  Physic  a  Horse— Simple  Remedies  for 

simple  Aliments. 

XIV — Farriery.  &c. 

XV— How  to  Shoe  a  Horse. 

XVI—  Bauch er’s  Method  of  Training  Horses. 

*•  XVII — How  to  Hide  a  Horse  (Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 

XVIII — Ladies’ Riding.  Written  by  a  Lady 
••  XIX — How  to  Drive  aHo'se. 

XX— Karev’s  System  of  Horse  Taming. 

XXI — Racing. 

XXII — Veterinary  Homoeopathy. 

XXIII— Carriages,  their  Selection  and  Care. 

XXI V— Harness,  Selection  and  Care. 

Just  pubii&hed  by  A  O  MOORE  &  CO., 

Agricultural  Book  Publishers. 

No.  no  Fulton-street,  New-York. 


THE 


WILLCOX  &  SOBS’ 

FAMILY 

SEWING  MACHINES' 

patented  June  2,1857.  Re-isstiert  July  13,  1858  Patented 
August  in.  1858.  and  licensed  under  six  Patents,  owned  several¬ 
ly  by  Elias  Howe,  Jr  ,  Wheeler  &  Wilson  Manufacturing  Co 
I.  M.  Singer  &,  Co  .  and  Grover  &  linker  Sewing  Machine  Co 

Purchasers  may  therefore  feel  assured  that  they  are 
not  buying  a  PIRATED  MACHIAE. 

The  beauty  and  accuracy  of  the  mechanism  of  this  machine 
is  s'rikmsly  exhibited  in  the  fan  that  it  is  capable  of  mal  j„- 
unerrinyhj , 

Four  thousand  stitches  a  minute. 

And  in  the  opinion  of  the  Judges  of  the  late  Fair  of  the  Frank¬ 
lin  Institute.  '•  fills  nearer  the  requirements  of  a  FAMILY 
MACHINE  than  any  other,”  and  their  judgment  is  fully  cor 
rohnrated  by  all  who  become  familiar  with  ns  merits.  Prices 
S‘10  to  z50.  Manufactured  and  sold,  wholesale  anil  mail  by 
.  „  JAMlS  WILLCOX, 

Masonic  Hall,  No.  71.5  Ches'nut,  st..  Philadelphia.  Pa., 
New-York  Depot,  No.  not  Broadway, 
 opposite  St.  Ni'clio  as  Hotel. 


COPELAND’S  COUNTRY  LIFE, 

THIS  SUPERB  HAND  BOOK  OF 

HORTICULTURE,  AGRICULTURE  AND  LAND¬ 
SCAPE  GARDENING, 

IS  NOW  RE  iDY. 

If  is  the  most,  complete,  elegant,  and  valuable  work  of  its  kind 
ever  published,  and  indispensable  to  every  man  who  owns  ev,  n 
a  single  acre  or'  land 

Iu  one  8v«>.  vol  of  82.5  pages,  with  225  illustrations. 

Price  two  and  three  dollars  aero  ding  o  style. 

JOHN  P.  JEWETT  &  CO., 
Publishers,  No.  20  Washington-st..  Boston,  Mass. 


PATENT  BUTTER  MILL  OR  CHURN. 

—Butter  made  in  two  minutes  from  sweet  milk.  Call  and 
see  it  in  operation  at  i0  and  4  daily.  The  butter  can  be  made 
the  chum  washed  and  put,  away  in  live  minutes.  .Single  churns 
or  county  rights  for  sale.  Apply  to  WESTBROOK  &  .MINOR, 
534  (sign  of  the  Golden  Tea  Kettle)  Broadway,  New-York 


GREAT  WORK  ON  CATTLE  AND  THEIR  DISEASES- 

BY  DR.  GEO.  H.  DADD,  V.  S., 

Author  of  Modern  Horse  Doctor,  etc.,  etc. 

This  valuable  book  is  now  in  press,  and  will  be  published  by 
us  about  the  first  of  July.  It  is.  without  doubt.,  the  most  tho¬ 
rough  work  on  CaMle  yet  offered  to  the  American  people,  and 
the  most  valuable  work  from  the  pen  of  its  distinguished  au¬ 
thor,  whose  reputation  is  word!  wide. 

Ii  will  be  published  iu  one  handsome  12mo.  volume,  with  nu¬ 
merous  illustrations.  Price  S'  25. 

JOHN  P.  JEWETT  &  CO., 
Publishers.  No.  20  Washinglou-st.,  Boston. 


a a  RE AT  INDUCEMENTS  TO  BOOK 

AGENTS  !— For  particulars  of  a  safe  and  profi'ahle  busi¬ 
ness  address  0.  M.  SAXTON, 

No.  25  Park  row,  New-York. 


MW  VOLUBISEi— -JULY,  185»M 

THE  AMERICAN  PHRENOLOGICAL  JOURNAL— Do- 
voted  to  Phrenology,  Physiology  Mechanism.  Education,  Agri¬ 
culture,  the  Natural  Sciences,  ana  General  Intelligence,  is  pro¬ 
fusely  illustrated  wi  li  Engravings,  and  published  monthly  at. 
One  Dollar  a  year;  10  copies  for  $5.  Every  family,  and  espe¬ 
cially  all  young  men  and  women,  should  have  a  copy.  Please 
address  FOWLER  &  WELLS,  3.8  Broadway,  New-York. 

THE  WATER-CURE  JOURNAL— Devoted  to  Physiology, 
Hydropa'hy,  and  the  Laws  of  Life  and  Health  with  Engrav¬ 
ings  illustrating  the  Human  System — a  Guide  to  Health  and 
Longevity.  Published  monthly, at  One  Dollar  a  year;  10  copies 
for  $5.  By  FOWLER  &  WELLS,  308  Broadway,  New-York. 

C3P*$3. — For  Three  Dollars,  a  copy  of  both  Journals  and 
Life  I  i  ustrated  will  be  sent  one  year;  for  Two  Dollars, 
half  a  year. 

Specimen  numbers  se?it  gratis  on  application. 


BOOK  AGENTS  WANTED. 

Agents  are  wanted  by  the  subscriber,  who  has  been  success¬ 
fully  engaged  in  the  Subscription  Publishing  business  for  the 
last  twelve  years,  to  travel  and  solicit  orders  in  each  county  in 
the  United  States  and  Canada,  for  his  publications,  which  are 
gotten  up  in  the  most  attractive  m  inner,  with  colored  engrav¬ 
ings  and  elegant  binding,  and  sold  only  by  subscription,  viz.: 

The  “  ENCYCLOPEDIA  OF  ALL  NATIONS,”  a  new 
work,  just  published  in  2  royal  octavo  volumes,  1 .600  pages,  and 
over  1.000  engravings,  many  of  which  are  colored  by  hand,  in 
imitation  of  na'ure. 

“  THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  WORLD,”  in  2  volumes,  octavo. 
1,500  pages;  numerous  engravings  all  colored  by  hand,  with 
maps  charts.  &c. 

“THE  ILLUMINATED  HISTORY  OF  NORTH  AMERI¬ 
CA,”  in  l  volume,  octavo,  700  pages,  400  engravings,  many  of 
them  colored. 

“  THE  PICTORIAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  WARS  OF  TH 
UNITED  STATE>,”  in  1  volume,  octavo,  550  pages,  numerous 
colored  engravings  of  batt'e  scenes,  e'c. 

“THE  NEW  WORLD,”  in  the  German  language,  and  the 
most  popular  work  ever  offered  to  the  Germans;  1  volume,  oc¬ 
tavo,  90;)  pages,  over  300  engravings,  many  of  which  are  colored. 

All  books  unsold  may  he  returned  at  prices  charged. 

School  teachers,  professional  men,  and  young  men  from  the 
country,  are  preferred  as  agents,  and  genera. ly  make  from  $50 
to  S200  per  month. 

Those  wishing  further  information,  or  desiring  appointments 
as  agents,  will  apply  immediately  at  the  office  of  the  subscriber, 
or  address  by  mail. 

HENRY  BTLL, 
Norwich,  Conn. 

PHOTOGRAPHY. 

A  COMPLETE  APPARATUS  FOR  $25. 

All  of  the  best  make  and  finish.  Full  instructions  will  be 
sent  for  taking  Ambrotypes,  Melainoty  pes.  Stereoscope  pictures, 
&c.  The  process  is  so  easy  that  any  oi:e  can  produce  good  pic¬ 
tures  in  a  short  time,  the  cost  can  he  repaid  in  one  week  by 
taking  the  pic'ures  of  acquaintances.  No  business  is  more  pro¬ 
fitable,  or  requires  so  small  a  capital.  Packed  and  sent  to  any 
part. 

C.  J.  FOX.  681  Broadway,  New-York. 


Prescott’s  Improved  Crow-bars — Made  of 

Scrap-iron  and  Steel,  hammered  out  in  dies,  and  combin¬ 
ing  a  great  degree  of  strength,  lightness  and  durability,  with  a 
smooth  finish  and  round  end  for  convenient  use.  For  sale  at 
Agricultural  Depot,  100  Murray-st.,  N.Y.  H  F.  DIBBLEE. 


HORSE  RAKES. —  Houston  &  Parson’s 

premium  Wire-Tooth  and  Revolving  Wood  Horse  Hay- 
Rakes,  Grain  Cradles,  Scythes,  Snaths,  Rakes,  English  Scythe 
Stones,  &c.  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


OEEKSKILL  PLOWS  in  good  variety.— 

For  s;i]e  at  Agricultural  Depot ,  No.  1(10  Murray-street, 
Ncvs-York.  ttcthv  t.  .... 


. . .  -street, 

HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


'THERMOMETERS,  BAROMETERS,  &c.,  of 

JL  r-liable  quality  and  various  descript  ors,  among  which 
are  those  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  register  the  cobles'-  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24 hours,  in  the  absence  of  the  observer.  For 
sale  by  D.  EGGERT  &  SON,  239  Pearl  st. 


HirOOMICS  WIRE-TEETH  HORSE 

RAKES,  running  on  wheels.  For  sale  at  Agricultural 
Depot,  No.  100  Murray  si.,  N-  Y.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


ANDS  FOR  SALE. — Good  farming  and 

-^Mineral  Lands  in  Missouri.  A  p  ’rtion  in  Fenton  County, 
near  Jefferson  City  ;  some  in  the  vi  iuity  of  Iron  Mountain. 
A  .s.»,  lands  iu  Virgin  a  Addiess,  for  particulars,  JAPffES  M. 
F  H  a  LI  ..  Haven  ort.  Iowa 

Opposition!  Fare  Eteduced  ! ! 

«  MERCHANT'S  LINK  OF  STEAMBOATS 

JMS&ESjis;  B I..T W RE N  NEW-YORK  AND  ALBANY — 
“““The  steamer  KN  ICKERBOCKKR.  Capt  Wm. 
B  Nelson,  leaves  the  foot,  ot  Robinson-st..  New-York  every 
Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday  a-  6  o’clock,  P  M.  The 
steamer  HERO,  Capt.  J.  W  Hancox,  every  Tuesday,  Thurs¬ 
day  and  Sunday. 

Returning,  will  leave  the  Steamboat  land  ng.  Albany,  Daily, 
Saturday  excepted,  a‘  7  o’clock  P.  M.  Travelers  will  find  it 
their  interest  m  calling  at  the  offices  of  the  Agents  of  this  Com¬ 
pany  before  engaging  passage  elsewhere. 

Freight  carried  at  reduced  rates  and  forwarded  promptly. 

ELI  HUNT,  Agent, 

Office  on  the  wharf,  New-York, 

C.  W.  STEVENS.  No.  2.52  Broadway,  Albany. 

(SCHOOL  TEACHERS  WANTED —The 

^  subscriber  wishes  to  engage  a  few  school  teachers  to  art  as 
traveling  agents  for  liis  publications.  For  particulars  apply  to 
HENRY  BILL,  Nor*  ich.  Conn. 

Seed  BaieRwIieaf. 

We  have  on  band  a  large  quantity  of  Feed  Buckwheat,  of  su¬ 
perior  quality.  Call  nd  see  it.  A  F  MAYHER  &  CO 
Agru  u  rural  and  Seed  Store.  No.  5t  Vcsev-s  ,  New  York. 

Tursiip  Seed!  Taarsaip  Seed! 


American  Ruta  Baga. 


per  lb.  75c. 
.50c. 
75c. 


Irnpor  ed  Ruta  Baga .  do 

Rod  Too  Strap  Leaf  Turnip . do,  , 

Whi’e  Strap  Leaf  Turnip . ”  do  .  .75 e. 

Early  Whi  e  Fla'  Dutch  Turnip .  do  75c* 

Long  White  French  Turnip,  (Extra) .  do  .  .75c. 

Yell  >w  Aberdeen  Turnip . .  do.  ! !soo! 

Yellow  St  ne  Turnip . do!  .  .75c! 

And  25  other  superior  vni  iet.ies.  f>r  which  see  our  Catalogues. 
J.  M.  THORBURN  &  CO.. 

15  John-sireet  New-York. 

Turnip  Seed!  Turnip  Seed! 


Ea~lv  White  Flat.  Dutch, 
Early  Garden  Stone, 
Ear'y  Snowball, 

Ye 'low  Aberdeen, 

Large  Norfolk, 

Long  White  Tankard, 
Long  Yellow  French, 
Eclipse. 

Green  Top  Ruta  Baga, 
Rivers’  Stubble, 


CHOICE  SEED  BUCKWHEAT— Timo- 

thy — Turnip  Seed,  &c. — For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot 
No.  IOQ-Murray.-^vee*-,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


Strap  l  eaved  Red  Top, 

Far  y  Six  Weeks. 

Early  Stone, 

Yell  w  v  lone. 

Large  W'i'e  Flat, 

Long  White  French, 

Dale’s  Hv lin'd. 

Skirvine’x  Purple  Top  Ruta  Baga 
Ashcroft’s  Swede, 

Large  White  Glebe. 

ALSO, 

Pound  and  Prickly _  Spinach, 

Long  Orange  Altringham  and  Long  White  Carrot, 

Long  Red  Mangel  Wurzel. 

White  Sugar  Beet,  &o  .  &e.. 

A  full  assortment  of  Field  Garden  and  Flower  Seeds.  SenJ 
for  a  catalogue 

Seed  Buckwheat— extra  clean. 

Hungarian  Grass.  Sow  any  lime — 10th  July.  $4  per  bushe* 
20c.  per  quai  t . 

Large  Sweet,  Early  King  Philip,  Early  Dutton,  Early  Cana* 
da  Corn. 

Chinese  Sugar  Cane,  Millet  Feed. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  No.  191  \Vale*-st. 

'S'  Ea  9’BDB  gl>  §C«!«1. 

A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO.,  No.  54  Vesey-st,  N.  Y  .  have  on 
hand  all  kinds  of  Turnip  Seed  which  is  warranted  10  he 
pure  and  fresh,  which  we  '■ell  lower  than  anv  other  house  iu 
the  city.  Persons  in  want,  of  Turnip  Seed,  or  Seed  of  any  k i •  d 
are  requested  to  give  us  a  trial.  Our  Seeds  are  all  entirely 
new  ihis  year.  A.  F.  MaYHER  &  CO., 

New  Agricultural  and  Seed  S  ore, 

No.  51  Vesey-st  .  New-York.  her.  Broadway  and  Greenwich-st. 

Send  for  a  priced  li't.  Remember  No.  54  Vesey-st. 

I'Utuu&s  of  F:aU  anad.  41  iastea* 
Cmfebagc,  etc. 

The  Subscribers  have  now  ready  strong  plants  of  that  most 
superb  and  very  large  heading  variety,  the 

PREMIUM  FLAT  DU  TCH  CABBAGE  by  the  thousand  at. 
$2— or  30  cents  per  hundred. 

Also, 

Large  Drumhead  at . 

Drumhead  Savoy  at . 

bed  Dutch  at.. . * . . 

Nonpareil  Cauliflower  at . 1  50 

Purple  Cape  B  ocoli  ;.t . 

White  Dutch  Kohl  Rabi  at . 

Celery  Plants  at . 

J.  M.  THORBURN  &  CO., 

15  John-sireet,  New-York. 

Any  of  the  above  can  be  safely  packed  and  forwarded  by  Ex¬ 
press — will  keep  three  or  four  days. 

Mxtra.  Early  Biscay  PMtfp  Coras. 

A  F.  MAYHER  &  CO..  No.  54  Vesey-st..  N.  Y.,  Jmvo  on 
hand  a  large  quantity  of  Early  King  Philip  Seed  Corn,  of  an 
extra  quality,  (shells  20  quarts  to  the  bushel)  Farmers  and 
others  whose  corn  has  failed  or  been  killed  by  the  frost,  are  re¬ 
commended  to  try  the  King  Philip  which  is  certain  t<»  ripen  m 
season.  Call  or  address  A.  F.  MAYHER  &  C’O, 

Agricultural  ami  Seed  Store,  No  51  Vesey  st.,  New  York, 
Between  Broadway  *nd  Green wich-slreet. 

Remember  No,  54  Vesey  street. 

wm.son’s  Taj,  is  a»v  seeds-.,  bn  cl 

TCae  toestt  Strawtocrry  loaowta, 

YIELDS  200  BUSHELS  TO  THE  ACRE!! 

This  fine  fruit  has  done  belter  this  season  than  ever.  The 
largest,  best,  and  earliest  berries  were  marue'ed  ibis  season  by 
me.  Best  selected  plants  for  sale  iu  anv  quantity,  $10  pi  r  lOft'i; 
S5  Dr  100;  Si  50  for  100,  ami  si  for  50.  packed  and  delivered  in 
Albany.  Circulars  sent  on  receipt  of  stamp  Hooker’s  Seed¬ 
ling  Plants  at  same  prices.  W  \T  R ICHA  RD^ON. 

Riverview,  Albany.  N.  Y. 

LAWTON  BLACKBERRY. 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Ciiculars  free,  address 

WM  LAWTON,  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 

FIELD  or  Garden  Rollers — For  sale  at  Ag¬ 

ricultural  Depot,  100  Murray-st  N.Y.  H.  F.  DIBBLEE 


per  100 

_ 50 

do. 

do. 

...1  50 

do. 

....  75 

do. 

.  50 

do. 

....  50 

do 

222 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


PATENT 

SORGHUM  SUGAR  EVAPORATOR, 

The  only  successful,  complete,  and  cheap  Evaporator  adapted 
to  the  Sorghum  Cane  known.  It  takes  in  the  rresh  juice  c.on- 
timious'y  at  one  end,  and  gives  off  the  finished  syrup  at  the 
other— hut,  20  to  30  minutes  being  required  to  reduce  to  the 
granulating  point.  It  is  furnished  complete,  at  $35.  including 
furnace  ana  chimney.  The  entire  apparatus  is  constructed  id 
wrought  iron,  the  face  being  galvanized,  and  weighs  about  200 
pounds.  ,  .  ,  , 

HEDGES,  FREE  &  CO.,  of  Cincinnati, O..  manufacture,  and 
are  authorized  to  sell  the  Pans,  or  State,  Countv. or  Shop  Rights. 

D.  M  COOK,  Patentee. 


The  above  represents  the  lowest  price  mill  in  existence,  that 
gives  the  cane  a  double  crushing,  and  extracts  all  its  juices. 


Price  of  the  above— one  horse  mill . . S56 

Next  size,  a  horizontal  3-roller  2-horse  mill . §90 


SUGAR  PANS,  COOK’S  PATENT  FY APORATOR,  Su¬ 
gar  Mills  of  all  sizes.  Bogardus  Horse  Powers,  Threshing  Ma¬ 
chines  of  an  improved  construction,  and  Cleaners,  Portable 
St  eam  Engines  and  Saw  Mills,  and  Machinery  of  every  descrip¬ 
tion  lor  agricultural  and  other  purposes,  of  the  most  substantial 
character,  made  at  Vail’s  Speedwell  Iron  Works,  Morristown, 
N.  J.  Office 

JNO.  II.  L1DGERAVOOD  &  CO.. 

195  Peurl-st.,  N.  Y. 


CHINESE  SUGAR  CANE  MILL. 


O  A  MS  AY’S  Flexion  Harrow,  composed 

ft  ft.  of  three  square  sections,  which  can  he  used  separately  or 
connected  together  It  has  a  wrought  iron  frame,  ami  will  hist 
a  life  time,  for  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  No.  inn  Murray- 
street,  New  York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


tAY  AND  GRAIN  COVERS  described 

in  May  Agriculturist ,  for  sale  by 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


HAY  AND  GRAIN  CAPS, 

OF  VARIOUS  SIZES, 

Supplied  at  a  few  hours’  notice. 

Flour,  Grain,  Salt  and  Ham  Bags,  plain  or  printed. 

M.  V  ANDERKOOF, 

No.  171  West-st.,  New-York, 


HORSE  HOES,  of  the  Knox’s  and  Ex- 

panding  patterns— both  of  which  are  exceedingly  useful 
and  economical,  combining  hoeing  and  weeding.  For  sale  at 
Agricultural  Depot,  100  Murray-st  ,  N.  Y.  H  F.  DIBBLEE. 

ICKOK’S  CIDER  MILL  AND  PRESS, 

with  all  the  latest  improvements,  sold  by 
GRIFFING,  BRO.  &  CO  ,  60  Cortlandt-st..,  New-York. 


II 


COULTER  HARROWS,  Combining;  llie 

work  of  plowing  and  harrowine  together.  For  sale  at  Ag¬ 
ricultural  Depot.  100  Murray-st.,  N.  Y.  If.  F.  DIBBLEE. 


Agriciiltitral  Implements 

of  all  kinds,  for  sale  by  J.  B.  RYAN,  Importer  of  Hardware 
114  Yonge-st.,  Toronto,  Canada  West. 

Manufacturers  of  above  goods  will  send  t.lieir  lists. 

H'  ORSE  POWERS— Threshers  and  Sep- 

nrators.  Portable  Saw  Mills,  Dog  Powers.  &c  For  sale  at 
Agricultural  Depot,  100  Murray-st.,  N.Y.  H.  F.  DIBBLEE. 


ALBANY  TILE  WORKS,  Corner  Clin- 

ton-avenue  and  Knox-st..,  Albany,  N.  Y. — The  subscribers, 
being  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of 
DRAINING  TILE 

in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand,  in  large  or  small  quantities, 
for  Land  Draining.  Round,  Sole  and  Horse  Shoe  Tile,  war¬ 
ranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this  country,  hard-burned,  and 
over  one  foot  in  length. 

Orders  solicited. 

Price  list  sent  on  application. 

C.  &  W.  McCAMMON, 
Albany,  N.  Y. 

CULTIVATORS — Of  iron  or  steel  teeth, 

and  comprising  the  common,  improved,  parallel  expanding, 
universal,  cotton  sweep,  &c.  Also,  hand-cultivators,  hand- 
plows,  fcc.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot.  No.  100  Muvray- 
street,  New-York  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


Ingersoli’s  Patent  Hay  Press. 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  Near¬ 
ly  500  of  them  have  been  sold  in  the  last,  two  years.  Price  S50 
and  $75,  delivered  in  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  satisfac¬ 
tion.  For  circulars,  containing  full  informat  ion.  Address 
FARMER’S  MANUFACTURING  CO.. 

Green  Point  P.  O.,  (Brooklyn,)  N.  Y, 


ALLEN’S  IMPROVED  MOWER, 

AND 


MOWER  WITH  REAPING-  ATTACHMENT. 


Those  in  want  of  a  Mowing  Machine  will  find  the 
ALLEN  MOWER 

all  that  is  claimed  for  it — the  best  in  use — being  durable,  easily 
managed,  light  of  draft,  and  cutt  ing  all  kinds  of  grass  more  per¬ 
fectly  than  can  be  done  with  a  scythe.  The  Improved  Reaping 
Attachment  can  be  added  to  the  ordinary  Mower,  when  desirod, 
making  it  also  a  perfect  Reaper. 


Also,  ALLEN’S  COMBINED  REAPER  AND  MOWER, 
which  has  been  very  much  improved  and  is  now,  without  ques 
tion,  the  best  Reaping  Machine  in  use.  A  descriptive  Circular 
and  testimonials  from  hundreds  who  have  used  it,  furnished  on 
application. 

For  sale  at  the  New-York  Agricultural  Implement  and  Seed 
Warehouse,  No.  191  Water-st. 


MASS  ¥■',  R  ’  S 

FIVE  MINUTE 

ICE  CREAM  FREEZERS 

As  improved  for  1859. 

WITH  STAMPED  IRON  COVER  AND  BOTTOMS — TINNED. 

The  onlv  Freezer  known  which  is  constructed  on  true  scien¬ 
tific  principles. 

The  cheapest,  best,  and  most  economical,  requiring  less  ice 
and  less  labor  than  any  other,  being  at  the  same  time  the  most 
durable  in  structure,  and  most  certain  in  its  operations. 

Sole  Agent  for  the  United  States,  E.  KETCHUM  &  CO. 
Manufacturers  of  Japanned  and  Planished  Tin  Ware, 

No.  2S9  Peuii-st..  New-York 

M~~  ASSERS  FIVE-MINUTE  ICE-CREAM 

FREEZER,  for  .sale  at  manufacturer’s  prices. 

R.  L.  ALLEN.  191  Water-st,  New-Yo-k. 


EEESH  FRUITS  ALL  THE  YSAE. 

T  II  E  YE  O  M  A  N  S 

FRXJXT  BOTTLE, 

For  utility,  convenience,  economy,  and  safety,  is  unequalled 
for  preserving  fruits  in  a  fresh  state  in  any  climate  an  indefinite 
time. 

“  Having  used  these  Bottles,  we  find  them  exceedingly  conve¬ 
nient,  and  just  the  thing  wanted.” 

[John  .T.  Thomas,  in  Register  of  Rural  Affairs.] 

For  descriptive  and  price  Circulars  address  the  proprietor  at 
Walworth,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.  T.  G.  YEOMANS. 


AND 

“ LITTLE  BUFFALO ”  HARVESTERS. 

As  a  Mower  or  Reaper,  these  machines  have  no  equal.  The 
“  American”  Harvester  is  a  two-horse  machine,  and  the  “  Lit¬ 
tle  Buffalo”  is  fitted  for  both  one  or  two  horses.  Both  ma¬ 
chines  are  very  strong  and  durable,  verv  simple  in  their  con¬ 
struction,  very’ light  and  of  easy  draft — have  no  side  draft  and 
no  pressure  on  the  horses’  necks.  They  are  entirely  of  iron,  ex¬ 
cept  the  seat,  pole  and  reaper  attachment;  liavebut  one  driving- 
wheel,  which  obviates  the  necessity  of  a  joint  in  the  finger-bar, 
and  insures  that  the  connecting  rod  is  always  in  line  with  the 
cutters.  The  wheel  an  t  finger-bar  (by  an  arrangement  used  in 
no  other  machine,]  act  independently  of  each  other — each  fol¬ 
lowing  the  inequalities  of  theground  without  affecting  the  other. 
The  finger-bar  can  be  raised  from  the  ground  at  pleasure,  to 
ass  over  obstructions,  or  to  move  from  field  to  field;  and  the 
nives  can  be  thrown  in  and  out  of  gear  while  in  motion. 

As  a  Reaper  they  are  light  and  conveniently  arranged,  and 
worked  with  facility,  and  very  easy  for  the  driver,  raker,  and 
team.  They  are  warranted  to  give  satisfaction  both  as  Mower 
and  Reaper. 

Send  for  a  book  containing  full  descript  ion,  cuts,  certificates, 
and  prices,  to  GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO., 

No.  60  Cortlandt-st.  New-York. 

SEALER’S  ~~ 

Improved  Carpet  Sweeper 

Is  acknowledged  by  all  to  be 
THE  BEST  AND  CHEAPEST  SWEEPER 
before  the  public. 

It  sweeps  the  finest  Carpets  without,  raising  dust  or  injuring 
them,  cleaner  than  brooms.  It;  is  made  of  iron,  which  makes  it- 
durable,  and  saves  its  cost  yearly  in  the  wear  of  carpets. 
Warranted  to  give  satisfaction. 

SIIALER  CARPET  SWEEPER  CO., 

278  Pearl-street,  New-York. 

Exclusive  manufacturers. 


BUCKEYE  MOWER. 


A,  F.  mAYMER  &  Co., 

54  Vesey-st.,  Wow-Yoi-li, 

now  offer  to  the  Farmers  the  BUCKEYE  MOWING  MA¬ 
CHINE  which  is  too  well  known  to  need  any  description  from 
us.  The  Machine  is  WARRANTED  to  work  well,  or  no  sale. 
Farmers  wanting 

MOWING  or  MOWING  AND  REAPING  MACHINES, 
Harvest  ing  Tools.  Agricultural  Implements,  Seeds  or  Fertili¬ 
zers.  will  tmd  it  to  their  advantage  to  call  at  the  NEW  AGRI¬ 
CULTURAL  WAREHOUSE,  MACHINERY  DEPOT  and 
SEED  STORE,  No.  54  Vesey-street,  between  Broadway  a.  <1 
Greenwich  streets,  near  the  Washington  Market  and  Asl  * 
House,  North  River  side  of  City,  New-York. 

QtJpSE.ND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR.^aSI 

A.  F.  MAYIIER  &  CO.,  Proprietors, 

No.  54  Vesey-street,  New-York. 
Remember  No.  54  Vesey-street. 


€hhs>  REISS*  assd  S>l*t8!Itiric«. 
GENERAL  COPPER-SMITH  WORK 
Distilleries  of  all  kinds  for  making  brandy  and  alcohol  from 
Chinese  Syrup.  Steam  and  horse  cane  mil's  svrnp  pans,  skim¬ 
mers.  dippers,  syrup  gnages  and  pumps,  brewing  apparatus  for 
steam  or  fire.  JOHN  W.  REID,  No  11  Otd-slio,  N.  Y. 


Iffictropolittan  Washing1  Madame, 


full  never  fail  wiih  a  fail  trial—  is  never  laid  aside  by  t  lie  p”i 
.|,.'er  li  is  I'm-  the  Ititelinn  all  tliai  the  sewing  machine.  is  for 
the  parlor.  Send  for  a  ciiculur  A  libeial  discount  allowed  to 
merchants  and  agents,  to  whom  cuts  and  circularswill  be  fur¬ 
nished  tree.  DAVID  LYMAN. 

Sole  owner  of  the  patent  right  for  the  States  of  North  and 
South  Carolina,  Geoigin,  Alabama.  Florida,  Mississippi,  Louis¬ 
iana,  Texas.  Eastern  Tennessee,  California  and  Oregon. 
Middlefield,  Connecticut,  June  15,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Q23 


Adapted  to  every  branch  ofBusiness  where 
a  Correct  and  Durable  Scale  is  required. 

f(faLL  and  tpjicurujLe,  cuL  send 
fat-  an  JplLus£iLatecL  cuicL ^  !£e- 
sad/ztiiie  /fataLaQiie. 

FAIRBANKS  CO., 

189  Broadway,  New  York. 


KYRAM’S  POTATO  DIGGER.— a  long 

established,  thorough  and  durable  implement,  will  dip:  as 
fast  as  fifteen  men  can  pick  up,  and  will  pay  for  itself  in  dig¬ 
ging  four  acres.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Deoot,  No.  100  Mur- 
xay-street,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


THE  ECONOMIST 

COOKING-  STOVE, 

FOR  WOOD  OR  COAL, 

WITH  A  SAND  OVEN. 

This  is  the  most  valuable  improvement  that  has  been 
made  in  Cooking  Stoves  during  the  past  twenty  years. 

THE  SAND  OVEN 

Equalizes  the  heat  on  the  same  principle  as  the  Brick 
Oven  of  ancient  renown. 

THE  SAND  OVEN 

Retains  the  heat  long  after  the  fire  has  gone  out. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Without  the  Sand  Oven,  is  ahead  of  all  competitors. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

With  the  Sand  Oven,  is  out  of  reach  of  them. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Is  the  most  economical  and  durable  Stove  in  the  world. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Has  a  most  perfect  arrangement  for  Broiling. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Heats  water  for  the  Bathing  Room,  &c..  as  quickly  as 
any  Range,  and  at  naif  the  cost  for  fuel. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Will  do  more  Raking,  Boiling  and  Broiling,  with  a  given 
quantity  ot  fuel,  than  any  other  Stove  or  Range. 

THE  ECONOMIST 

Is  the  Stove. 

Do  not  fail  to  examine  it  1  It  is  manufactured  by 

W.  &  J.  TREADWELL,  PERRY  &  NORTON, 

Albany,  N.  Y. 
And  for  Sale  Everywhere. 

DANIEL’S  Old  established  Feed  Cutters 

—Two  sizes,  the  largest  of  which  will,  with  a  one-horse 
power,  cut  one  ton  of  hay  per  hour.  They  can  be  regulated  to 
cut  either  half  inch  or  one  inch  long,  and  will  cut  Hay,  Straw, 
or  Corn  Stalks.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  No.  100  Mur- 
ray-street,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


Mc!i-«po8£iim  WasMasy  3L»c2usae. 


Can  be  worked  by  a  child — will  save  its  cost  in  the  wear  and 
Sear  of  clothes  in  a  short  time.  After  using  three  times  you 
would  not  part  with  it  for  three  times  its  cost.  For  sale  by 
R.  L  ALLEN.  191  Water-st. 


Mnpes’  One-horse  Steel  Suh-Snil  Plows  for 

deep  cultivation  amongst  growing  crops.  Also^  three 
larger  sizes  of  same  pattern  for  regular  field  sub- soiling,  far 
more  thoroughly  'ban  the  old  styles.  F  r  sale  at  Agricultural 
Depot,  100  Murray-st.,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE 


Russia  or  bass  mats,  selected 

expressly  forbudding  and  tving.  GUNNY  BAGS, TWINES, 
HAY  ROPES;  &c.,  suitable  for  Nurserv  purposes,  for  sale  in 
lots  to  suit  by  D.  W.  MANWA  RING,  Importer, 

243  Front  Street,  New  York. 


Domesticated  deer— a  few  pair  of 

yearlings,  bred  at  Springside,  may  be  had,  at  S30  per  pair. 
Po’keepsie,  July  1,1859,  Apply  to  C-  N.  BEMENT. 


BERKSHIRE  PIGS  For  Sale— From  the 

importation  of  Col  Morris,  at  a  low  price,  delivered  in  N. 
York  City  free  of  charge.  WM.  J.  PETTEE,  Lakeville,  Ct. 


Blood  stock  for  sale  — one  two 

year  old  colt  by  “  Mariner  ”  out  of  “  Miss  Mattie:”  two  Al¬ 
derney  bull  calves,  one  five  the  other  six  months  old;  two  pair 
“  Shanghai  sheep.”  WILLIAM  REDMOND. 

No.  43  Barclay-st  ,  New-York. 


Thorough  Bred  Stock. 

I  have  always  on  hand  for  sale,  which  will  be  put  upon  the 
railroad  cars  and  sent  carefully  by  Adams’  Express  to  purchas¬ 
ers,  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE,  SOUTH-DOWN  SHEEP,  and 
SPANISH  HOGS.  C.  M.  CLAY. 

Address — “  Whitehall  Post  OlUce,”  Mad-ison  County.  Ky. 


!EX€S2IL§BOS£  MEfLlL 
EOR  PLANTERS,  FARMERS  AND  MILLERS, 

Agency  45  Gold-street,  near  Fulton,  New-York 


The  Excelsior  is  a  French  Conical  Burr-stone  Mill  of  greatly 
improved  construction,  combining  advantages  over  all  others  ot 
same  material,  in  compactness,  simplicity,  the  small  amount  of 
power  required  to  operate  it,  in  not  heating  the  mcol ,  and  in  be¬ 
ing  adapted  to  grind  in  the  same  mill  the  coarsest  feed  and  finest 
flour. 

Any  man  of  common  sense  can  use  and  keep  it  in  order.  It  is 
the  only  Mill  ever  invented  that  meets  perfectly  the  wants  of 
Planters  and  Farmers:  the  ordinary  power  in  use  by  them  being 
admirably  adapted  to  drive  it. 

One  horse  on  the  endless  chain  Railway  Power  will  grind 
three  bushels  fine  meal  the  hour,  from  the  Hardest  corn,  and  not 
fatigue  the  animal. 

It  is  impossible  to  do  justice  to  this  Mill  in  an  advertisement, 
it  must  be  examined  in  order  rightly  to  appreciate  its  real  value. 
Planters  and  Farmers  should  not  purchase  any  Mill  before  see¬ 
ing  this. 

THE  PRICES  WILL  BE  AS  FOLLOWS  : 

For  a  Mill  with  bolt  that  will  make  the  best  quality  of  fiour.  in 

complete  running  order . $125 

A  Mill  for  grinding  meal  and  feed,  with  our  new  patent  cob 

crusher  attached,  making  excellent  feed  for  cattle . HO 

The  same  Mill  without  cob  crusher .  100 

Larger  INI  ills  are  furnished  at  proportionate  prices. 

It  is  in  operation  in  several  States,  and  may  be  seen  running 
at  45  Gold-street. 

Circulars  forwarded  to  any  address,  and  information  prompt¬ 
ly  given.  J.  A.  BENNET,  Sole  Agent. 

FARM  MILLS— COLEMAN’S  celebrated 

style— Ross’s  excellent  Burr  Stone  Mills.  Also,  Hand 
Grain  Mills,  &c.,&c.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  No.  100 
Murray-street,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 

MILLS — “Grants,”  “Excelsior”  and 

otherstyles.  AlsoCorn  Shellers  in  good  variety.  Forsaleat 
Agricultural  Depot,  100  Murray-st.,  N.  Y.  H.  F.  DIBBLEE. 

THE  AMERICAN  PUMP.— A  new,  dou- 

ble-acting  pump,  without  suction,  without  packing,  no 
chains,  pulleys,  or  guide  rods;  very  strong,  simple  and  cheap  ; 
warranted  to  work  in  all  depths  easier  than  any  other  pump. 
Patented  April  5,  1859.  Drawings  and  full  particulars  to  be  had 
of  JAMES  M.  EDNEY,  No.  147  Chambers-st.,  N.  Y. 

CARTS,  WAGGONS,  WHEEL  BAR- 

ROWS,  of  superior  workmanship,  at  low  prices. 
_ R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 

\4T0RCESTER  PLOWS  and  Castings,  of 

•  v  the  “  Eagle”  and  other  celebrated  patterns.  F<*r  sale  at 
Agricultural  Depot,  100  Murray-st.,  N.Y.  H.  F.  DIBBLEE. 

The  BEST  HORSE-POWER  in  use.— 

“  Taplin’s  ”  Circular  Iron  Rim  Horse-Power,  forone  to  six 
horses.  It  can  be  taken  apart  and  packed  in  very  small  space, 
when  not  in  use,  and  set  up  in  a  few  minutes.  It  runswiih 
very  little  friction — easily  managed — and  not  at  all  liable  to  get 
out  of  repaii .  Price  $100.  Also,  “  Allen’s  ”  superior  and  lately 
very  much  improved  one  and  two-horse  Endless  Chain  Horse 
Powers;  Bogardus’,  Trimble’s. Hall’s,  Pi’tt’s,  and  other  Powers. 
Also,  the  most  approved  Threshers  and  Threshers  and  Cleaners. 
For  sale  by  R.  L.  ALLEN,  No.  191  Water-st. 

Wliaic  ©il  §oap 

For  destroying  insects  on  Trees,  Vines,  Shrubs  ami  Plants. 
For  sale  in  large  and  small  quantities  at  DAVID  S  BROWN’S 
Soap,  Oil  and  Candle  Works,  10  Peek-slip,  New-York. 

Keeip  y©iiF  Feet  Upy 

AND 

Preserve  your  Health. 

The  long  sought  for  principle  of  makinsr  leather  perfectly  wa¬ 
ter-proof,  without  injuring  it,  has  at  last  been  discovered 
A.  BROWER’S  PATENT  WATER  PROOF  COMPOSITION 
FOR  LEATHER, 

makes  Boots,  Shoes,  Hose,  Harness  and  all  Leather  perfectly 
impervious  t,o  water  by  a  single  application,  and  warranted  to 
keep  so,  at  the  same  time  it  softens,  makes  the  leather  pliable, 
prevents  cracking,  will  polish  with  blacking  better  than  before, 
ami  leather  will  last  at  least  one-fourth  to  one-third  longer  by 
using  it.  For  sale  by  A  BROWER  &  CO.,  4  Reade-st., 
and  by  all  the  principal  Boot  and  Shoe.  Hardware,  Drugsist.  Gro¬ 
cery  and  Yankee  Notion  houses.  A  liberal  discount  to  agents. 
N.  B.  None  genuine  unless  signed  by  A.  BROWER. 


SAPONIFIES, 

OR 

CONCENTRATED  POTASH. 

A  new  article  for  making  Soap,  warranted  to  make  Soap 
■without  Lime,  and  with  but  little  trouble.  One  pound  will 
make  12  gallons  of  good  strong  Soft  Soap.  Manufactured  and 
put  up  in  1,  2.  and  -i  lb  cans,  (in  small  lumps,)  at  tlie  Chal¬ 
lenge  Chemical  Works,  New-York. 

E.  It.  DURKEE  &  CO.,  Proprietors,  181  Pearl-st.,  N.Y 


RE  FOTASM 

in  6  lb.  cans,  in  lumps,  for  sale  as  above. 


TO  HOUSEKEEPERS. 

SOME  THL\G^^ 

BEST 

MEDICINAL  SALERATUS. 

68  Is  manufactured jfrom  common  salt,  and  is  pre- 


TO 

68 

AND 


68 


AND 


68 

AND 

70 


68 


pared  entirely  different  from  other  Saleratus. 

All  the  deleterious  matter  extracted  in  such 
manner  as  to  produce  Bread,  Biscuit,  and  all 
kinds  of  Cake,  without  containing  a  particle  of 
Saleratus  when  the  Bread  or  Cake  is  baked; 
thereby  producing  wholesome  results  Every 
particle  of  Saleratus  is  turned  to  gas  and  passes  § 
through  the  Bread  or  Biscuit  while  baking;  con¬ 
sequently  nothing  remains  but  common  Salt,  Wa¬ 
ter  and  Flour.  You  will  readily  perceive  by  the 
taste  of  this  Saleratus,  that  it  is  entirely  different  | 
from  other  Saleratus. 

It  is  packed  in  one  pound  papers,  each  wrapper 
branded, ,l  B.  T.  Babbitt’s  Best  Medicinal  Salera¬ 
tus;”  also,  picture,  twisted  loaf  of  bread,  with  a 
glass  of  effervescing  water  on  the  top  When  you 
purchase  one  paper  you  should  preserve  the  wrap¬ 
per,  and  be  particular  to  get  the  next  exactly  like 
the  first — brand  as  above. 

Full  directions  for  making  Bread  with  this  Sal- 
eratus  and  Sour  Milk  or  Cream  Tartar,  will 
accompany  each  package;  also,  directions  for  VPO 
making  all  kinds  of  Pastry;  also,  for  making  Soda 
Water  and  Seidlitz  Powders. 

IME  YOITK  OWN  SOAP 

WITH 

B.  T.  BABBITT’S 

PURE  CONCENTRATED  POTASH. 

Warranted  double  the  strength  of  ordinary  Pot¬ 
ash  ;  put  up  in  cans — 1  lb..  2  lbs.,  3  lbs.,  6  lbs., 
and  12  lbs. — with  full  directions  for  making  Hard 
and  Soft  Soup.  Customers  will  find  this  the 
cheapest  Potash  in  market. 

Manufactured  and  for  sale  by 

B.  T.  BABBITT, 

Nos.  G8  and  70  Washington-st  ,  New-York, 
and  No.  33  India-st.,  Boston 


AND 


68 


AND 


70 


AND 

70 

68 

AND 

70 


YOUATT’S  CONDITION  POWDERS, 

For  the  radical  cure  of  heaves,  broken  wind,  coughs,  glanders 
and  all  diseases  which  affect  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  lungs 
wind-pipe,  throat  and  head  of  the 

HORSE, 

Also,  to  expel  botts  and  worms,  loosen  the  hide,  improve  the 
appetite,  and  keep  the  animal  in  good  condition.  Equally  valu¬ 
able  for  horses,  eat  lie.  sheet)  and  swine. 

In  large  packages,  price  50  cents. 

IIARRAL.  RISLEY  &  KTTCHEN. 

Druggists.  76  Barclay-st..  New-York, 
Wholesale  Agents  for  the  United  States 

SOAP. — Sperm  and  Whale  Oil  Soap, 

•'put  up  in  boxes  anil  barrels,  containing  from  25  lbs.  to  500 
lbs.  each,  for  sale  by  JAMES  FRYER*  DO., 

Oil  and  Candle  Manufaoturcrs.217  Front-st.,  New-York. 


NEW  AND  ©HEAP  FERTILIZER. 

CASTOR.  PUMMACE, 

AIVALTTABLE  ORGANIC  (Vegetable)  MANURE 

Analyz'd  by  Prof.  Samuel  \V.  Johnson,  of  Yale  College,  and 
commended  by  him. 

It  is  Pummace  left  after  pressing  the  oil  from  the  Castor 
Seed,  and  in  India  and  England  bears  a  high  value  as  a  Fer¬ 
tilizer. 

It  will  be  sold  at  SI2  to  $16  per  ton,  according  to  quantity,  at 
which  rate  it  is  the  cheapest 

FERTILIZER 

in  the  market. 

Call  and  see  the  article, 'and  also  Prof.  JohnsonVanalysis  and 
remarks. 

No  charge  for  sacks,  and  in  lots  of  10  tons  delivered  free  of 
cartage  in  this  City. 

Manufactured  and  sold  by 

H.  J.  BAKER  &  BRO.. 

142  Water-st.,  New-York. 

IIIONS  MANURE. 

SAWINGS,  TURNINGS  AND  CRUSHED  BONES, 
for  sale  by  the  manufacturers,  in  large  or  small  quantities. 

A  LISTER  &  CO., 
Tarrytown,  Westchester  Co.,N.  Y. 


LAND  PLASTER  in  Barrels,  best  quality 

aad  put  up  in  good  shipping  order  and  delivered  free  of 
cartage  on  hoard.  For  sale  in  quantities  to  suit  by 
A.  KURSHEEDT.  Empire  Plaster  Mills.  109  Bank-st.,N.  Y. 
Office  48  Pine  st.  Orders  by  Mail  Solicited. 


Dried  blood  and  wool  manure. 

— The  best  and  cheapest  manure  in  use— an  active  manure 
for ’he  present  crop,  and  permanent,  in  its  effects  on  the  land 
Price  $35  for  2000  lbs.  in  brls.  200  lbs.  For  sale  by 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water  St. 


|7U  RST  QUALITY  PERUVIAN  GU- 

3.  ANO— M apes’  Phosphate— Poudrette— B"ne  Dust— Cas 
tor  Purnace,  etc.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  No.  100 
Murray-street,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


Q24 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Contents  for  July,  1859. 


Amateurs— Hints  for— Trees  and  Lawns . -212 

Advertisements— Information  Gratis— Humbugs . 192 

Agricultural  Society  of  N.  Y.  State— Officers  of . 206 

Bee6  and  Tin  Pans . . . . . . . . .203 

Briers— Exterminating .  204 

Bank  Bills  Dangerous . 219 

Bees— Apiary  in  July  . ...195 

Bee-K  eepers— A.  Question  for.... . 219 


Books— American  Short  Horn  Herd  Book— Milch 


gasmen 

I5F*  Fifty  Cents  a  Line  of  Space. 

WHEELER  &  WILSON’S 
SEWING  MACHINES. 

“  None  are  better  adapted  to  Family  use.” 

American  Agriculturist,  Dec.,  1858. 


The 


set  of  15  volumes  of  this  work,  will  be  presented. 
Publishers’  price  is  $45. 

Five  volumes  are  ready,  and  the  ten  or  more  volumes 
to  be  issued  will  be  furnished  as  fast  as  published.  This 
will  be  a  prize  worth  working  for.  Fifteen  such 
volumes,  embracing  every  variety  of  information,  will  be 
not  only  exceedingly  valuable,  but  an  ornament  to  any 
household. 

• - - - —HSORH— , - 


VERY  VALUABLE  SEED  PREMIUM- 


Cows  and  Dairy  Farming— Herbert’s  Hints  to  Horse 

Keepers . . . . . ....219 

Boys  and  Girl’s  Columns— The  Cut  Finger  Illustrated 
Editor  wilh  his  young  Readers— Busy-How  Work¬ 
ing  makes  one  strong— It  will  come  out — Poor 
Trav— The  faithful  Chick-hen— The  “Fourth” — 
Independence— Death  of  Uncle  Frank— Problems 
—  Answers— Genealogical  Puzzle— Sharp  Corres¬ 
pondence  about  Rebus  37 — Let  me  kiss  him  tor  his 


Mother — Grandmother  with  the  Little  Girls . 216 

Buckwheat — Sow  a  Patch . 200 

Cai.endar  op  Operations  for  July . 194 

Cattle — Feed  for  Cows.... . 218 

Can le  — Unproved  Stock  in  Greene  Co . ....218 

Cattle — Pixy  2d  an  t  Foruham . Illustrated.  .201 

Cement — Hydraulic — Try  before  Buying . 218 

C'o  ik  Bonks— A  reliabl  one  Wanted . 215 

Collage  Door — Illustrated . 208 

Cotlon— How  Grown  and  Prepared  for  Market.. I 195 

Crops —  Prospect  ol  the . . . . . 200 

Ciops- Reports  on  . 220 

Cro» s—  A  Word  for. . . . . . . . 196 

Cut  Finger- The . . . . . Illustrated. .216 

Cypress  Vine— rile . 218 

Dairy — No.  VII  — Prize  Article,  Cheese  Making . 201 

Dog— What  is  i  he  Best  for  the  Farm . . . 218 

Exhibitions  anil  Fairs — Agricullural  . . . . .  .21  6 

Eyes—  A nimals’—  To  Remove  Film  from. . . . . 218 

Faim— Work  for  July  . ...194 

Feet-  SI i ftp  ng  in  Haying  Time . . . 206 

Fences  -  Put  up  ihe  Bars . . . ..... .218 

Fencing —  Kims  on . . . 19o 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  in  July . . . 194 

Flowers — Dielytra  or  Diclylra?.. . 211 

Flowers—  Wild,  from  Minnesota . 218 

Frost—  Effects  of.  Last  Montli . 200 

Frost— Freaks  of . . . 197 

Fruit  -  Heallhlulness  of . . . . . 214 

Fniit  Stealers— How  to  Cure . . .  209 

Fruits-  Best  Mode  of  Preserving . 2  Illustrations.  .213 

Garden— Kitchen  and  Fruit, m  July. . 194 

Gooseberries — Large . 218 

Gooseberries—  Mildew  on . 218 

Grain  and  Grass — Cutting  before  Ripe . 205 

Grapes— Standard  of  Excellence  in .  209 

Grape  V.ne — Summer  Pruning . 209 

Grape  Vine  Worms — Look  after . . . 209 

Grass — S  ■wing  with  Buck  wheat. . 218 

Green  and  Hot-House  -  Calendar  for  July . 195 

Hay-mows  — Cement  floors  lor . 218 

Hay— Stacking  in  the  Field . .218 

Hedges — To  Preserve  from  Mice . 199 

Horses— Can  Heaves  be  cured . 218 

Horses — Longevity  of . 218 

1 1  nmimg  Ad  vert'Sements . 198 

Indoor  Work  .  213 

Ice  Cream- How  to  make— Masser’s  Freezer - III.. 215 

Insects—  Caterpillars  on  Trees . 218 

In.-ects — Grape  Vine . . . 209 

Inser  ts— Look  alier  Ihe  Borers  . 210 

Insects— Is  Tyler’s  Powder  a  Humbug? . 210 

Insects  on  Wheat— Request  .for  specimens,  etc . 200 

Insects— Rose  Bushes  blighted  by . 218 

Inser  ts— To  Rep- 1  from  Young  Plants . 218 

July — Suggestions  for  the  Month— Mowing  Machines.  193 

Lantern  Blinks— No.  IX-A  Practical  Farmer . 202 

Manme — i  harnber  Slops  for . 2 1 9 

Market  Review,  Weather  Notes,  etc . 219 

Manure — American  Guano . 199 

Maikots— New-York  City-  How  Supplied  wilh  Meat.  .196 


M uscles — Take  Care  of  the  Young . . . .  199 

Nellie’s  Troubles— Poultry—  Flowers . 215 

Onions — W  by  do  they  Gi  ow  to  Scallions . . . 218 

Orchard  and  Nursery— Operations  lor  July . 194 

Poultry— The  Dominique  Fowl . Illustrated. .  197 

Preserving  Jars— New  Slyl-eof. . 2  Illustrations.  .213 

Prune  Fuut  Tiees  now . 211 

Rose  Bushes  Blighted  by  Insects . 218 

Roses — Pot  Culture  of . 211 

Roses— P  ropagating . 218 

Rain — Signs  of . 219 

Sorrel  for  ferlilizing  the  Soil . 218 

Seeds — Nursing  into  Life . PJ8 

Silkworm  Eggs  Wanted . 218 

Skunk  Cabbage— To  Kill. . 218 

Strawberries— Large . 218 

Strawberry  Short-cake— Recipe  tor . 215 

Sugar  Evaporalor-Cook’s . Illustrated..  .295 

Sun  Strokes—  Bottling  up  . 2o3 

Summer  House— Design  for . Illustrated.  .212 

Sweeping  by  Machinery . 2  Illustrations.  .213 

Swine— Hog  Cholera . 206 

Swi  e— My  Neighbor  and  his  Pigs . 203 

Swine — Polk  Knifing  and  it-  Use  for  Food . 207 

Tomato  Soup— Recipe . 215 

Trees— Is  Tyler's  Powder  a  Humbug?.. . 210 

Trees— Ornamental  — Hints  for  Amateurs . 212 

Tin  es  -  Preserving  Maple  Orchards . .  ..205 

Tree-— Prune  Finn,  now . 211 

Trees..  Why  they  are  Dwarfed . 218 

Transplanting—  Easy,  Safe,  ami  Profitable . 200 

Turnips— Sow  them  now .  200 

Trellises— Simple,  Cheap,  and  Pretty _ Illustrated.  .212 

Tax— Dodging  a . 219 

Thistles,  Canada . illustrated.  .204 

Tim  Bunker  on  Raising  Boys . 207 

Trees— Maple  Orchards— Shall  they  be  Preserved _ 205 

Vacant  Spots— Fill  the . .  . . 196 

Whitewashes  for  Out  Doors— Two  more . 197 


Office  No.  505  Broadway,  New-York. 
send  for  a  circular. 

SEWING  MACHINES. 

The  Scientific  American  says  :  We  are  having  a  great 
many  inquiries  for  Sewing  Machines  from  various  parts 
of  the  country,  and  as  we  cannot  conveniently  reply  to 
them  all  by  mail,  we  have  thought  it  proper  to  state  our 
opinion  in  regard  to  them  in  this  public  manner.  We 
have  used  Wilson’s  patent,  manufactured  by  the  Wheeler 
&  Wilson  Manufacturing  Company,  No.  505  Broadway, 
and  we  can  say  in  regard  to  it,  that  it  is  without  a  rival. 
It  is  simple,  not  easily  put  out  of  order  when  in  proper 
hands,  and  in  point  of  effectiveness  and  finish,  no  other 
machine  stands  ahead  of  it. 

This  Company  has  made  and  sold,  during  the  last  three 
months,  4,700  machines,  and  are  now  producing  and  sell¬ 
ing  100  per  day.  They  vary  in  price,  from  $50  to  $100, 
and  the  highest  priced  ones  sell  best.  In  their  business 
there  is  over  $500,000  invested,  and  they  keep  400  men 
regularly  employed  manufacturing  machines.  The  sys¬ 
tem  pursued  is  the  same  as  that  adopted  in  the  manufac¬ 
ture  of  arms,  every  piece  is  made  to  a  guage,  and  conse¬ 
quently,  the  parts  of  any  machine  may  be  transposed  with 
those  of  another  machine  of  the  same  size  ;  or  should  an 
accident  occur,  the  broken  part  can  be  immediately  re¬ 
placed  on  application  at  the  office. 

There  is  not  an  establishment  in  this  country  where 
stitching  of  any  kind  is  required  in  which  the  Sewing  Ma¬ 
chine  is  not  employed,  and  there  are  few  private  families, 
in  which  it  is  notan  acknowledged  article  of  furniture. 
We  state  this  much  in  regard  to  the  excellent  machine, 
upon  our  own  responsibility. 

- — aa-^-CE*— »  OP - 

GR©VEK  <&  BAKEK’S 

CELEBRATED  NOISELESS 

FAMILY  SEWING  MACHINES, 

New  Styles  sit  Kedsaeed  Prices. 

No.  495  Broadway,  New- VTork ;  No.  18  Summer  st., 
Boston;  No.  730  Chestnut  st.,  Philadelphia;  No.  181  Bal¬ 
timore  st.,  Baltimore  ;  No.  58  West  Fourth  st.,  Cincin¬ 
nati.  Agencies  in  all  the  'principal  cities  and  towns  in  the 
United  States. 

“  Wheeler  &  Wilson’s,  Singer’s,  and  Grover  &  Baker’s 
Machines  all  work  under  Howe’s  patent,  and  are,  so  far, 
the  best  machines  made.  *  *  For  our  own  family  use 
we  became  fully  satisjied  that  Grover  <$-  Baker's  is  the  best , 
and  we  accordingly  purchased  it." 

American  Agriculturist. 

E£|pSEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR.,^ 


MINTON’S  ENCAUSTIC  TILES, 

FOR  FLOORS  OF  CHURCHES, 
PBJI31UBC  BUILDINGS,  BIA1LLS, 

CONSERVATORIES,  DINING  ROOMS  AND  HEARTHS  IN  DWELL¬ 
INGS. 

Being  very  hard  and  strong,  as  well  as  ornamental, 
they  have  been  used  extensively  in  the  Capitol  extension 
at  Washington,  and  in  many  of  the  best  houses  in  all 
parts  of  the  country-. 

ALSO, 

GAKNKIRK  CHIMNEY  TOPS, 
suited  to  every  style  of  architecture,  and  recommended 
in  Downing’s  work  on  Country  Houses,  and  by  architects 
generally.  Also,  VITRIFIED  DRAIN  PIPE,  of  all 
sizes,  from  2  to  18  inches  in  diameter,  for  conducting  wa¬ 
ter.  For  sale  by  MILLER  &  COATES, 

No.  279  Pearl-st..,  New-York. 


SPLENDID  HEW  PBEMIUM— No-  XII. 

Wc  are  happy  to  announce  that,,  by  an  arrangement 
made  with  the  publishers,  we  are  able  to  offer  as 
Premium  No.  12,  a  complete  set  of  that  magnificent  work 
now  in  course  of  publication,  the 

NEW  AMERICAN  ENCYCLOPEDIA. 

This  work  will  consist  of  at  least  fifteen  large,  volumes 
containing  770  pages  each.  (See  notice  of  work  on  page 
154.)  To  any  person  sending  130  new  subscribers  to  the 
American  Agriculturist,  at  the  lowest  club. price,  80  cents 
per  year,  (or  100  subscribers  at  $1  per  year)  .a  complete 


THE  LONG  WHITE  FRENCH  TURNIP. 

Both  from  our  own  experience,  and  from  the  numerous 
reports  of  subscribers  who  tried  it  last  season,  we  have 
abundant  reason  for  believing  that  the  Long  White  French 
Turnip,  as  improved  and  cultivated  by  the  Society  of 
Friends,  at  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  is  the  very  'best '  Turnip 
grown  in  this  country,  either  for  table  use  or  for 'feeding. 
We  have  ourselves  proved,  by  two  years’  trial,  that  they 
will  keep  late  into  the  following  Summer,  in  excellent 
condition.  They  are  a  solid  turnip,  and  cook  sweet  and 

tender,  being  free  from  stringiness,  or  rank  taste . We 

have  secured  all  the  seed  we  could  obtain,  to  offer  it  as 

premiums  for  new  subscribers  to  the  Agriculturist _ . 

To  any  person  taking  the  trouble,  at  this  season,  to  pro¬ 
cure  new  subscribers,  and  forward  the  names  and  the 
subscription  price  ($1.),  we  will  cheerfully  send  .post-paid, 
a  package  containing  two  ounces  of  this  seed  for  each 
name— and  also  a  half  ounce  for  the  new  subscriber,  if  a 
pre-paid,  readv-directed  envelope  be  forwarded.  (If  a 
new  subscriber  be  an  addition  lo  a  club,  at  club  price,  the 
receiver  of  the  premium  will  need  to  send  an  additional 
twelve  cents  to  cover  the  postage  on  his  premium  pack¬ 
age  ;  also,  when  the  seed  is  to  be  sent  to  Canada  or  to 
the  Pacific  coast,  seven  cents  extra  will  be  required  for 
each  half  ounce,  to  meet  the  addi'ional  postage.) 

Two  ounces  of  seed,  with  careful  planting,  will  suffice 
for  forty  or  fifty  square  rods.  It  may  be  sown  from  the 
middle  of  June  to  the  first  week  in  August. 

a  '  - - - - 

Agricultural  Exhibitions  for  1S59. 

Partial  lists  of  the  time  and  place  of  holding  State  and 
County  Exhibitions  have  been  received,  but  as  it  is  desi¬ 
rable  to  make  the  statement  as  complete  as  possible, 
publication  is  deferred  until  the  August  number.  Will 
the  Officers  of  Agricultural  Associations  from  whom  we 
have  not  heard,  do  us  the  favor  to  forward  the  informa¬ 
tion  needed  immediately.  If  a  paper  containing  the  an¬ 
nouncement  is  sent,  please  mark  the  notice  plainly,  that 
it  may  not  be  overlooked. 


^gnntlkmf. 


(ISSUED  IN  BOTH  ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN.) 

A  thorough  going,  RELIABLE,  and  PRACTICAL 
Journal,  devoted  to  tlie  different  departments  of  SOIL 
CULTURE— such  as  growing  field  CROPS;  orchard 
and  garden  FRUITS ;  garden  VEGETABLES  and 
FLOWERS;  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  for  the 
LAWN  or  YARD;  in-door  and  out  door  work  around 
the  DWELLING;  care  of  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 
&c  &c. 

The  teachings  of  the  Agriculturist  are  confined  to  no 
State  or  Territory,  but  are  adapted  to  the.  wants  of  all  sec- 
tions  of  the  country— it  is,  as  its  name  indicates,  truly 
American  in  its  character. 

The  German  edition  is  of  the  same  size  and  price 
as  the  English,  and  contains  all  of  its  reading  matter,  and 
its  numerous  illustrative  engravings. 

TERMS— INVARIABLY  IN  ADVANCE. 


One  copy  one  year . $1  00 

Six  copies  one  year . 5  00 

Ten  or  more  copies  one  year _ 80  cents  each. 


An  extra  copy  to  the  person  sending  15  or  more  names, 
at  80  cents  each. 

JTg^Tn  addition  to  the'above  rates:  Postage  to  Canada  6 
cents,  to  England  and  France  24  cents,  to  Germany  24 
cents,  and  to  Russia  72  cents  per  annum 
Delivery  in  New-York  city  gnd  Brooklyn,  12  cents  a  year. 

Postage  anywhere  in  the  United  States  and  Territories 
must  be  paid  by  the  subscriber,  and  is  only  six  cents  a  year, 
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Subscriptions  can  begin  Jan.  1st.,  July  1st.,  or  at  any 
other  date  if  specially  desired. 

The  paner  is  considered  paid  for  whenever  it  is  sent, 
and  vvillbe  promptly  discontinued  when  the  time  for  which 
it  is  ordered  expires. 

All  business  and  other  communications  should  be  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  Editor  and  Proprietor, 

ORANGE  JUDD- 

No.  189  Water  st ,  New-YoHt. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 

Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture 

AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  —Washington 


©ISAWGJE  JUDD,  A.  Ifl., 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR. 


mmmmm  m  im* 


$1.00  PER  ANNUM,  IN  ADVANCE. 
SINGLE  NUMBERS  10  GENTS. 


VOL.  XVIII— No,  8.] 


tgP'Ot'fice  at  J89  Water-st.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
^Cautents,  Ternm,  &c.,  osi  pagre  25G. 

[copy  right  secured.] 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1859, 
by  Orange  Judd,  in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New- York. 

pip  N.  IJ.— Every  Journal  is  invited  freely  to  copy 
any  and  all  desirable  articles  with  credit,  and  no  use  or 
advantage  will  be  taken  of  the  Copy-Right,  wherever 
each  article  or  illustration  is  duly  accredited  to  the 
American  Agriculturist.  ORANGE  JUDD,  Proprietor. 


American  Agriculturist  in  ©erman. 

The  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST  is  published  in 
Doth  the  English  and  German  Languages.  Both 
Editions  are  of  Uniform  size,  and  contain  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  same  Articles  and  Illustra¬ 
tions.  The  German  Edition  is  furnished  at  the 
some  rates  as  the  English- 


August. 


*•  Live  for  something,  be  not  idle  ; 

Look  about  th  ee  for  employ ; 

Sit  not  down  to  useless  dreaming, 

Labor  is  the  sweetest  joy. 

Folded  hands  are  ever  weary. 

Selfish  hearts  are  never  gay  : 

Life  for  thee  hath  many  duties, 

Active  be,  then,  while  you  may." 

It  would  be  too  much  to  say,  that  farmers  are 
dlers,  and  living  for  nothing.  Yet  our  calling 
nas  its  share  of  idlers,  who  have  no  noble  object  in 
life,  to  fire  the  imagination,  and  to  call  forth  their 
best  energies.  These  have  no  looking  upward, 
in  their  daily  employments,  to  something  better 
than  they  now  enjoy,  no  improvements  contem¬ 
plated,  no  expectation  of  a  better  reward  for  their 
labors.  There  is  no  enthusiastic  love  of  their 
calling,  no  magnifying  of  their  office  as  tillers  of 
the  soil,  no  dropping  of  fatness  from  their  foot¬ 
steps  as  they  walk  over  the  scene  of  their  labors. 
Their  business  is  felt  to  be  a  drudgery,  a  hard 
struggle  for  daily  bread,  and  they  are  always  look¬ 
ing  away  from  home,  and  from  farming,  for  the 
“  good  time  coming  ”  instead  of  inviting  that 
time  to  come  to  them  upon  their  own  acres. 
They  prefer  the  tavern,  or  the  resort  of  loungers, 
to  their  own  barns  or  fields,  and  waste  more 
hours  in  idleness  than  would  be  sufficient  to  give 
them  competence  and  contentment  at  home. 

Success  in  husbandry,  as  in  every  other  pur¬ 
suit  in  life,  depends  much  more  upon  the  spirit  of 
the  man,  than  upon  his  circumstances.  Fame  and 
fortune  are  not  won,  in  any  pursuit,  without  a 
good  deal  of  hard  work,  both  of  the  head,  and  of 
the  hands.  If  a  farmer  has  the  true  grit  in  him, 
and  understands  his  position,  he  can  win  fortune, 
a  happy  home  for  himself  and  children,  in  almost 
any  part  of  our  country.  It  is  much  easier  to 
imagine  that  this  can  be  done  better  elsewhere, 
than  to  plan  how  to  do  it  in  your  present  cir¬ 
cumstances  ;  but  the  probabilities  are,  that  your 
present  farm,  with  all  its  disadvantages,  is  the 
very  battle  field,  on  which  you  may  conquer  more 


NEW- YORK,  AUGUST,  1859.  [NEW  series-No.  isi. 


surely,  and  rapidly,  than  on  any  other  spot  in  the 
world.  We  are  getting  out  of  patience  with  that 
class  of  farmers,  who  are  always  fuming  and 
scolding  about  the  hard  times,  when,  in  truth,  the 
times  are  not  half  so  hard  upon  them,  as  their 
own  vices.  With  their  present  habits  of  self-in¬ 
dulgence,  and  idleness,  they  would  be  always 
slipshod,  and  short  on  pay  day,  if  their  farms  were 
in  Paradise. 

The  man,  who  has  not  determined  to  win  a 
competence,  where  he  now  is,  is  liable  to  live  in 
a  world  of  illusions.  He  imagines,  that  in  the 
far  west,  in  Kansas,  or  California,  at  Pike’s  Peak, 
or  some  other  tip-top  of  creation,  there  is  better 
land,  more  gold,  and  more  contentment  than  he 
now  enjoys,  with  less  sweat  and  trouble.  So  he 
is  always  dreaming  of  Eldorado,  and  never  put¬ 
ting  forth  his  best  energies  upon  the  land  now  oc¬ 
cupied,  to  make  it  do  its  best  for  him.  This  and 
that  improvement  is  neglected,  because  he  ex¬ 
pects  next  year  to  seek  a  new  home  in  some 
better  region. 

The  man  who  would  succeed  must  give  up 
these  air  castles,  and  determine  that  he  will  win 
fortune,  where  he  now  is,  unless  Providence 
break  up  his  plans,  and  drive  him  to  a  new  field 
of  toil.  The  farmer,  as  well  as  others,  “  must 
stoop  to  conquer.”  He  must  be  willing  to  work 
hard,  cheerfully,  and  patiently  to  wait  a  few  years 
before  he  can  realize  his  ideal  of  a  good  farm, 
well  stocked,  well  tilled,  and  adorned  with  ap¬ 
propriate  buildings.  The  policy  of  looking  for 
immediate  results  must  be  given  up  for  the  sys¬ 
tem  of  permanent  improvements  and  advantages — 
five — ten — twenty  years  ahead. 

Nothing  is  more  destructive  to  the  farm,  and 
to  the  farmer’s  interests,  than  to  shape  all  his  la¬ 
bors  for  the  present  season.  In  fact,  hardly  any 
farm  work  is  appropriately  done,  that  does  not 
look  ahead  some  years  for  its  full  returns.  In 
this  it  is  unlike  most  other  mechanical  employ¬ 
ments.  The  shoemaker  makes  his  shoe  or  boot, 
receives  his  pay,  and  that  is  the  end  of  his  re¬ 
ward.  But  the  farmer  is  constantly  called  upon 
to  do  things,  that  will  be  bringing  him  in  returns, 
for  a  long  series  of  years.  The  fruit  tree,  that 
he  plants,  will  give  him  a  marketable  product,  as 
long  as  he  takes  care  of  it.  The  heifer,  that  he 
carefully  rears,  will  give  him  milk,  butter,  cheese, 
veal,  and  more  heifers  for  ten  years  to  come. 
The  piece  of  land,  that  he  drains,  will  give  him 
double  crops,  as  long  as  he  keeps  the  outlets 
open.  The  load  of  muck,  that  he  carts  to  his 
stable,  will  not  only  absorb  ammonia  and  prevent 
waste  there,  but  will  carry  a  load  of  riches  to  the 
compost  heap,  and  thence  to  the  field,  to  return 
in  increased  crops  of  grass,  grain  and  roots,  for 
years  to  come.  The  well  built  barn,  with  cellar 
and  sheds  for  making  manure,  is  not  only  a  shel¬ 
ter  for  hay  and  stock,  for  a  single  Winter,  but  a 
permanent  shelter,  and  a  manure  factory,  to  give 
out  its  annual  dividends  for  a  generation  to  come. 

It  is  this  characteristic  feature  of  husbandry, 
that  misleads  so  many  in  estimating  its  profita 


bleness,  and  constrains  them  prematurely  to 
abandon  it.  The  results  of  a  year's  labor,  upon 
a  well  managed  farm,  do  not  return  until  the 
close  of  a  rotation  of  crops,  say  in  five  or  six 
years.  If  the  farmer  gets  two  thirds  of  his  re¬ 
ward  the  first  year,  for  his  labor  and  capital,  he 
ought  to  be  satisfied.  In  some  callings,  a  man 
will  do  a  business,  to  the  full  amount  of  his  capi¬ 
tal,  every  two  months.  But  such  a  business,  of 
course,  has  many  risks,  which  do  not  pertain  to 
husbandry.  If  our  returns  are  slower,  they  are  by 
far  more  certain,  and,  in  the  average,  far  larger 
than  the  rewards  of  any  other  business.  The 
risks  are  reduced  to  the  minimum,  and  no  man 
with  good  sense,  and  industry,  can  well  fail  of  a 
competence,  by  cultivating  the  soil  in  our  country. 

This  view  of  our  calling  ought  to  make  us  very 
cautious  in  exchanging  it  for  another,  where  the 
profits  accrue  more  rapidly,  and  are  seemingly 
larger.  It  ought  to  make  us  more  liberal  in  us¬ 
ing  all  the  capital  needed  in  our  business.  No 
occupation  suffers  so  much  for  want  of  adequate 
capital,  as  our  own.  Millions  upon  millions  of 
dollars  of  the  hard  earnings  of  farmers  that  are 
needed  immediately  to  develop  the  resources  of 
the  soil,  are  invested  in  bank  stock,  in  manufacto¬ 
ries,  in  railroads,  in  shipping,  and  in  the  bogus 
enterprises  of  ingenious  swindlers. 

It  is  an  impeachment  of  our  own  skill  and  en¬ 
terprise,  to  be  sending  these  millions  abroad  for 
employment,  when  they  are  needed  upon  the 
farm.  There  are  many  farms  in  the  older 
States  that  want  from  one  to  five  hundred  dollars 
this  month,  expended  in  labor  to  dig  and  cart 
muck,  and  the  money  so  expended  with  ordinary 
good  judgement  in  the  management,  would  be 
certain  to  pay  ten  per  cent,  until  the  capital  was 
refunded.  ‘‘To  the  muck  mines,”  should  be  the 
watch  word  on  every  worn  out  farm  this  month, 
and  the  carts  loaded  with  the  sable  ore,  should  be 
the  sign  at  every  barn-vard  gate.  To  multitudes 
it  would  prove  the  one  thing  needful  in  their  hus¬ 
bandry,  and  would  mark  a  new  era  in  their  farm 
operations. 


The  Franking  Privilege. — The  Philadelphia 
Bulletin  speaks  of  seeing  the  following  articles 
lying  among  the  mail-bags  at  the  post  office  as 
franked,  matter,  directed  to  a  member  of  Congress 
at  Washington  :  One  wooden  box  about  a  foot 

square,  labelled  “Dr. - 's  Universal  Remedy.’’ 

One  jointed  fishing-rod,  carefully  done  up  in 
brown  paper  ;  and  one  “  Old  Dominion  Coffee 
Pot.”  These  being  rather  inconvenient  to  send 
in  the  bags  with  letters,  were  permitted  to  go  in 
separate  parcels.  They  were  for  one  of  those 
who  voted  themselves  a  salary  of  $3000  a  year, 
and  mileage.  To  send  a  pound  of  valuable  seeds 
to  one  of  our  subscribers,  we  prepay  90  cents, 
for  short  distances,  and  $3.20  to  the  Pacific  Coast; 
and  a  strong  effort  was  made  at  the  last  Congress 
to  raise  the  charge  to  $1.60  per  pound  for  tho 
shortest  routes!  Comment  is  unnecessary. 


Q26 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  August  1859 

TWe  note  down  sundry  kinds  of  work  to  be  done  during 
the  month,  not  so  much  to  afford  instruction  to  practical 
men,  as  to  call  to  mind  the  various  operations  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to-  A  glance  over  a  table  like  this  will  often  sug¬ 
gest  some  piece  of  work  that  might  otherwise  be  forgotten 
or  neglected.  Our  remarks  are  more  especially  adapted 
to  the  latitudes  of  38°  to  45°  ;  but  will  be  equally  applica¬ 
ble  to  points  further  North  and  South  by  making  due 
allowance  for  each  degree  of  latitude,  that  is,  earlier  for 
the  North,  later  for  the  South. 

Explanations,— /  indicates  th e  first ;  m  the  middle  ; 
arul  l  the  last  of  the  month. — Doubling  the  letters  thus:#', 
or  mm,  or  U,  gives  particular  emphasis  to  the  period  indi¬ 
cated— Two  letters  placed  together,  as  fm  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  in  either  or  in  botli  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked  fm.  indicates  that  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  the  month.] 

Farm. 

August  is  a  hot  month,  and  is  usually  considered  the 
most  unhealthy  season  of  the  year  ;  but  with  moderation 
and  temperance  in  all  things  the  hard  working  farmer 
has  little  to  fear.  He  should,  however,  pay  strict  atten¬ 
tion  to  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  dwelling,  cellar, 
sink  drains,  cess-pools,  compost  heap,  stagnant  water, 
etc.,  using  plaster,  muck  and  charcoal  dust,  or  some  other 
absorbent  or  disinfector  to  fix  the  noxious  and  unhealthy 
gases.  In  fever  and  ague  districts  avoid  the  dampeven- 
mg  air,  and  if  the  weather  be  inclined  to  “chilly,”  build 
a  little  fire  in  the  room  towards  night  to  purify  and  dry 
the  atmosphere. 

The  heaviest  labors  of  the  hay  and  harvest  field  are 
now  over  and  a  little  relaxation  may  be  enjoyed,  although 
there  is  still  enough  to  employ  one’s  time  in  clearing  up 
waste  land,  getting  out  stones,  stumps  and  roots,  drain¬ 
ing  wet  places,  building  permanent  fence,  getting  out 
swamp  muck,  etc.,  and  especially  in  preparing  the  ground 
for  Winter  grains. 

Barn  and  other  manure  yards  should  be  examined  to 
see  that  no  rich  wash  finds  its  way  into  the  road.  If  wa¬ 
ter  must  run  from  them  during  rains,  let  it  be  filtered 
through  a  muck  heap  or  through  a  lump  of  soil  before  it 
passes  away.  As  much  as  possible  provide  sheds  or  oth¬ 
er  covering  for  the  manure,  so  that  it  be  neither  washed 
by  rains  nor  burned  up  by  the  sun.  Let  no  noxious  weeds 
ripen  seeds  in  the  yards  to  be  spread  over  the  farm. 

Buildings,  Door  Yards,  etc.— Continue  the  directions 
of  last  month. 

Bushes,  briers  and  weeds  along  hedges  and  in  pasilires 
or  meadows  should  now  be  cut  or  grubbed  up.  B  ishes 
‘  whipped  ”  this  month  will  not  sprout  readily. 

Butter  and  Cheese  Making  are  still  the  heavy  labors  of 
the  dairy  department.  Many  useful  hints  are  to  be  found 
in  our  regular  articles  on  these  tonics. 

Cattle— See  that  the  pasturage  is  sufficient.  If  the  grass 
is  short  have  recourse  to  the  early  soiling  crops  of  millet, 
corn  and  sugar  cane,  especially  for  milch  cows.  In  pro¬ 
viding  a  male  for  the  cows  and  heifers,  bear  in  mind  it 
costs  no  more  to  raise  a  grade  of  Devon,  Durham,  Ayr¬ 
shire,  or  Alderney,  than  the  most  common  highway  stock. 

Cellars  should  be  kept  sweet,  and  clean,  and  well  venti¬ 
lated  at  this  season. 

Cisterns  and  Wells— Now  is  a  good  time  to  dig  these, 
since  water  reached  during  this  month  will  usually  be 
permanent.  If  the  barn  is  not  already  provided  with  wa¬ 
ter,  build  a  large  cistern  without  delay.  It  will  pay. 

Corn— Keep  the  fields  free  from  weeds,  but  do  not  plow 
or  cultivate  so  deep  as  to  injure  the  roots  at  this  season. 
Early  plantings  for  forage  may  be  gradually  cut  and  fed. 

Draining — The  usual  dry  weather  of  this  month  affords 
a  good  opportunity  to  drain  wet  lands.  There  is  gener¬ 
ally  a  little  leisure  time  now  which  can-  profitably  be  de¬ 
voted  to  this  purpose.  Use  tile,  stones  or  wood  in  blind 
drains  rather  than  leave  open  ditches. 

Fences— Keep  in  good  repair.  Do  not  invite  youreat- 
tle  to  become  unruly  by  leaving  a  bar  down  here,  a  rail 
or  board  off  there,  and  a  broken  down  wall  in  another 
place.  As  feed  becomes  short  in  the  pastures,  they  are 
apt  to  examine  closely  the  fences  which  separate  them 
from  belter  pickings,  especially  the  corn  fields. 

Forests— Now  is  a  good  time  to  cut  away  the  forests  to 
increase  the  tillable  land.  After  felling  and  trimming  up 
the  trees,  draw  out  the  heavy  wood  with  oxen  and  spread 
and  burn  the  brush,  m,  1,  to  prepare  the  ground  for  Win¬ 
ter  wheat  or  rye. 

Grain  and  Granaries— Thresh  early  and  watch  the 
market  and  speculators  at  the  same  time,  not  omitting  to 
“  take  the  papers.”  Cleanse  granaries  and  put  a  little 
tar  in  the  crevices,  the  offensive  odor  of  which  is  frequent¬ 
ly  a  preventive  of  the  attack  of  weevils  and  other  insects 
in  the  bins.  Soe  that  everything  is  mice  and  rat  proof. 

Ilay— Cut  salt  marsh  and  sedge,  m,  1,  or  during  the 
neap  tides  of  this  month,  so  that  it  may  be  removed  with¬ 
out  being  flooded  with  water.  Stack  upon  high  ground, 
or  cart  it  to  barns  or  hovels. 

In-door — Ventilate  the  rooms  freely,  especially  in  the 
morning,  during  hot  weather.  By  opening  the  chamber 


or  garret  windows,  and  leaving  the  doors  open  an  up¬ 
ward  draft  will  almost  always  be  created.  Keep  rooms 
and  cellars  clean  and  sweet,  and  allow  no  accumulation 
of  filth  or  drain  deposit  about  the  premises,  as  August  is  a 
month  in  which  every  precautionary  measure  to  preserve 
the  health  should  be  observed.  Wage  war  against  the 
tribes  of  insects  which  are  frequently  troublesome  at  this 
season.  Scalding  water  used  freely  about  the  haunts  of 
roaches  and  ants  will  usually  rout  them.  See  also  the 
Roach  and  Fly  Traps  figured  on  subsequent  pages. 

Hoes  should  not  be  laid  aside  unless  hand  pulling  of 
the  w  eeds  is  resorted  to.  Among  late  crops  the  ground 
should  still  be  stirred  with  hoes. 

Manures— Collect  all  the  material  possible  and  keep 
up  the  manufactories  to  furnish  a  good  supply  which  will 
soon  be  needed  for  Winter  wheat  and  rye. 

Millet  or  Hungarian  Grass— Continue  to  cut  the  suc¬ 
cessive  sowings,  ff,  m,  for  milch  cows,  or  for  curing  as 
hay.  Secure  the  whole  crop  before  the  seed  hardens  un¬ 
less  the  grain  is  wanted  for  feeding  or  sowing. 

Mowing  Fields— Whenever  you  have  time,  clear  from 
stumps,  bushes  and  stones,  that  the  mowing  machine  and 
horse-rake  find  no  obstruction.  Now  is  a  good  time  to 
cut  under-brush  and  weeds 

Muck— We  can  not  too  strongly  urge  every  one  who 
has  a  deposit,  or  who  can  buy  the  privilege  of  digging 
upon  a  neighbor’s  swamp,  to  get  out  a  large  stock  of  it 
while  there  is  little  water  in  the  way.  Remember  that 
every  load  carted  to  the  yards  or  stables,  and  saturated 
with  urine,  or  mixed  with  manure,  is  worth  as  much  as 
a  load  of  clear  manure.  It  will  rarely  cost  half  as  much 
to  obtain  it.  Use  it  freely  about  the  sink  drains  and  un¬ 
der  the  privies  as  a  disinfector. 

Oats  have  generally  done  very  well  this  season,  and 
the  remaining  crops  are  now  ready  for  the  harvest.  Se¬ 
cure  with  as  little  injury  to  the  straw  as  possible. 

Pastures— See  that  the  feed  is  sufficient  for  grazing  ani¬ 
mals.  A  frequent  change  of  ground  is  beneficial,  and  in 
some  cases  the  cattle  may  be  turned  into  the  mowing 
fields  where  a  good  bite  of  rowen  awaits  them. 

Plowing  for  Winter  grain  will  soon  be  in  order.  If  the 
ground  is  clear  of  other  crops,  it  may  t-s  manured  and 
deeply  plowed,  subsoiled  if  possible,  11. 

Potatoes— Early  plantings  are  now  ready  for  market 
and  the  ground  may  receive  a  crop  of  cabbages,  turnips, 
or  be  sown  to  wheat  or  rye  in  the  early  part  of  next 
month. 

Poultry— Those  which  are  necessarily  shut  up  during 
the  day,  should  be  let  out  about  sun  down  when  they  will 
rarely  stop  to  scratch  much.  They  seldom  do  well  un¬ 
less  allowed  some  liberty. 

Root  Crops— Keep  the  ground  free  f  ;> m  weeds  and  well 
stirred  between  the  rows. 

Rye— Complete  harvesting  both  V.  nter  and  Spring  va¬ 
rieties.  Sow  Winter  crop,  11,  or  early  next  month,  using 
one  and-a-half  bushels  to  the  acre. 

Seed  Wheat  and  Rye— Supposing  that  the  foul  stuff 
was  pulled  from  the  seed  patch  it  will  only  be  necessary 
to  thresh  and  sift  out  the  small  shrivelled  grain  and  any 
foreign  seed  which  remains.  It  would  be  even  better  to 
only  partially  thresh  the  sheaves,  .so  as  to  get  the  ripest 
and  plumpest  kernels  for  seed. 

Sheep— Guard  against  the  dogs  as  directed  last  month. 
Rub  a  little  tar  upon  the  nose,  the  odor  of  which  is  the 
best  preventive  against  the  fly  now  seeking  to  deposit  its 
eggs  in  the  nostrils  of  sheep.  Give  salt  freely. 

Soiling  Crops— Give  cows  and  other  stock  a  portion  of 
the  millet,  green  corn  or  sugar  cane  sown  for  fodder, 
now  that  the  feed  is  getting  short. 

Swine— Keep  their  pens  and  yards  well  supplied  with 
materials  for  making  manure.  If  convenient  give  a  small 
range  of  pasture  or  orchard  ;  if  not  feed  some  green  stuff, 
as  weeds,  grass,  corn  stalks  or  sorghum,  daily. 

Timber— If  it  Is  contemplated  to  erect  buildings  ot  any 
kind  another  year,  cut  the  timber  now.  It  will  last 
longer  if  cut  at  this  season,  and  be  seasoned  when 
wanted.  The  same  applies  to  fence  posts  and  other  tim¬ 
ber. 

Timothy— Sow  by  itself,  m,  for  a  full  crop  next  year. 
Sow  also  with  rye  or  wheat,  11,  or  early  next  month.  Try 
12  quarts  of  seed  per  acre,  and  get  a  finer  and  better,  as 
well  as  larger  yield. 

Tobacco  will  need  cutting,  11,  in  some  localities. 
Turnips  may  still  be  sown,  ff,  m,  among  corn  and  po¬ 
tatoes,  or  after  early  crops.  Flat  or  cow-horn  varieties 
should  be  used  instead  of  ruta  bagas  for  such  late  sow¬ 
ings.  Cultivate,  hoe,  and  thin  former  plantings. 

Weeds— Make  into  compost,  or  feed  to  swine  instead 
of  raising  for  seed,  particularly  about  the  manure  heap. 
Canada  Thistles  may  be  mainly  destroyed  by  cutting 
them  a  few  inches  from  the  ground  when  in  bloom. 

Wheat  is  mainly  cut  and  stacked,  except  the  late  crops 
of  Spring  sown,  at  the  north.  The  heavy  yield  in  this  vi¬ 
cinity,  and  fine  weather  for  cutting  and  securing  it  were 
very  cheering.  Prepare  grounds  by  manuring  and 
plowing,  and  sow,  11,  at  the  north,  and  next  month  in  this 
latitude  and  south. 


©ffcliai’cl  asMtl  Nursery. 

Those  who  have  paid  due  attention  in  former  years, 
to  the  planting  out  and  proper  care  of  fruit  trees  find 
themselves  well  repaid  this  season.  Excepting  the  peach 
crop,  which  is  light  in  the  northern  peach  growing 
States,  most  tree  fruits  have  done,  and  are  doing  re¬ 
markably  well  this  season,  taking  the  country  as  a 
whole.  Of  course  there  are  localities  where  the  apple 
crop  will  be  light,  and  in  other  places  few  pears  are 
raised,  but  these  are  exceptions.  While  feasting  on  the 
blush  colored  peach,  or  mellow  Bartlett  pear,  let  tin, 
fruit  grower  reflect  how  fine  it  would  be  to  enjoy  them 
next  Winter  when  there  is  little  fruit,  excepting  apples 
to  be  had.  By  putting  them  up  in  bottles  or  cans  as 
heretofore  directed,  they  may  be  had  in  perfection  dur 
ing  the  entire  year. 

Some  of  the  overburdened  trees  may  need  supports  to 
prevent  being  split  down  by  the  weight  of  fruit.  Crotched 
poles  are  about  the  best  supports  in  such  cases,  using 
cloth  or  hay  bands  to  keep  the  branches  from  chafing. 

Budding  is  in  season  now,  and  where  much  of  it  is  to 
be  done,  no  time  should  be  wasted  after  the  stock  and 
bud  are  both  in  the  proper  condition.  It  is  useless  to 
bud  when  the  bark  will  not  peel  readily,  nor  is  it  worth 
while  to  insert  poorly  ripened,  or  weakly  buds.  Pears, 
apples,  cherries,  peaches  and  nectarines,  are  about  the 
order  in  which  the  different  varieties  should  be  budded 
Pay  strict  attention,  to  the  genuineness  of  sorts,  and 
make  a  record  of  where  they  are  put  in,  in  addition  to 
the  usual  stakes  or  labels  employed.  If  stalks  budded 
last  year  have  not  been  rounded  off,  attend  to  them  ff. 

Fences  require  as  much  care  around  the  orchard  and 
nursery  as  elsewhere.  Cattle  are  fond  of  the  new  growth 
of  young  fruit  trees,  and  make  havoc  among  the  branches 
of  standard  trees  loaded  with  fruit. 

Hoeing  of  Nursery  grounds  should  not  be  neglected 
this  month,  nor  should  the  soil  about  newly  planted,  or 
even  other  fruit  trees  nourish  a  crop  of  weeds  or  grass 
The  plow  or  other  horse  instrument  will  greatly  assist  in 
hoeing. 

Inarching— This  is  the  proper  season  for  performing  the 
operation  upon  many  trees  and  plants. 

Insects— Destroy  late  caterpillars,  search  out  borers, 
both  in  apple  and  peach  trees,  and  wash  nursery  stock  in¬ 
fected  with  scale,  with  a  solution  of  oil  soap,  potash,  or 
other  alkaline  substance. 

Layer  stools  and  plants  intended  to  be  propagated  this 
way.  The  growth  of  the  present  season  may  now  be 
used. 

Peaches  are  now  ripening,  and  should  be  picked  and 
sent  to  market  before  they  become  soft,  else  they  bruise 
in  handling.  The  same  may  be  said  of  pears  and  early 
apples.  They  should  all  ripen  in  the  dealer's  hands,  oi 
market.  See  article  on  “  Preparing  Fruit  for  Market," 
in  the  present  number. 

Pruning — Continue  both  on  large  and  small  trees  as 
recommended  last  month.  We  are  strongly  opposed  to 
leaving  large  branches  to  be  taken  off  next  Winter,  or 
what  is  worse,  in  the  Spring. 

Seedlings  of  all  kinds  should  be  kept  free  from  weeds 
Shade  evergreens  and  other  varieties  liable  to  burn, 
by  a  partial  screen,  or  place  them  under  the  branches 
of  trees. 

Seeds  of  all  kinds  of  trees  now  ripening,  with  the  cher 
ries  already  gathered,  should  be  placed  in  earth  before 
drying,  else  they  will  vegetate  poorly,  or  lie  in  the  ground 
an  entire  season. 

Thin  late  fruit  if  not  already  done 

Water  will  probably  be  required  on  boxes,  or  beds  ol 
tender  seedlings.  Apply  it  in  the  evening. 

Weeds  are  perchance  eating  and  drinking  what  should 
be  food  for  the  trees.  Let  the  hoes  make  slaughter  among 
them.  Clean  tillage  is  as  desirable  in  an  orchard  and 
nursery  as  elsewhere. 

MitcSacBi  and  Fruit  Garden. 

With  the  exception  of  a  little  late  planting  where  the 
early  crops  are  coming  off,  attention  to  the  growing  crops 
will  require  most  of  the  gardener’s  care.  If  raising 
vegetables  and  fruits  for  market,  he  will  now  be  able 
to  send  away  blackberries,  peaches,  plums,  cabbages, 
cauliflowers,  potatoes,  beets,  carrots,  onions,  green  co'n 
cucumbers,  peas,  beans,  turnips,  kohl  rabi,  etc  .  that 
no  day  need  pass  without  having  something  for  saie.  The 
soil  from  which  these  crops  are  taken  should  not  be  al 
lowed  to  spend  even  the  remainder  of  the  season  in  idle¬ 
ness  while  there  is  an  increasing  demand  for  almost  every 
cultivated  vegetable  production.  A  glance  at  the  table 
below  will  call  attention  to  most  of  the  garden  products, 
commencing  with  me 

Asparagus  Led,  which  should  not  be  given  up  to  weeds 
now'  that  its  season  for  usefulness  is  over.  Keep  it  as 
clean  as  heretofore  for  the  future  benefit  of  the  bed.  Gath¬ 
er  and  clean  out  seed  which  may  be  sown  now  or  saved 
till  Spring. 

Beans— A  few  of  tho  early  or  quick  growing  varieties 
mav  still  be  sown,  ff.  for  string  beans. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


227 


Beets— Thin  those  sown  last  month.  Early  ones  are 
ready  for  use.  Pull  from  the  thickest  parts  of  the  bed. 

Blackberries  are  in  the  hight  of  bearing  and  require 
daily  picking. 

Cabbages— Cauliflowers  and  Brocoli— Plant,  ff,  for  late 
use,  if  they  were  not  all  put  in  last  month.  Keep  grounds 
well  stirred  about  former  plantings.  Seed  may  be  sown, 
f,  m,  for  collards  or  greens  for  Fall  use. 

Celery— Put  out  the  remaining  crop,  if,  wetting  both  the 
trenches  and  the  plants  after  setting.  The  early  plantings 
may  be  earthed  up  slightly,  11. 

Corn  Salad— Sow,  11,  for  Winter. 

Currants  and  Gooseberries— Prune,  m,  or  as  soon  as  the 
crop  is  gathered,  cutting  out  old  decaying  wood.  Head 
back,  and  shape  to  a  tree  or  good  bush  form. 

Cucumbers,  melons,  squashes,  &c.— Head  back  those 
running  too  much  to  vines.  Pick  cucumbers  for  pickles. 
Shingles  or  straw  placed  under  the  finest  melons,  will  as¬ 
sist  them  in  ripening  and  keep  away  worms. 

Espalier  or  Wall  trees— Regulate  branches,  and  prune 
if  necessary. 

Grapes— Keep  the  leaders  well  tied,  and  continue  to 
nip  back  the  bearing  shoots,  always  preserving  two  or 
three  leaves  beyond  the  bunches.  Hand  pick  or  scissors 
the  worms  as  they  continue  to  hatch  out. 

Herbs — Complete  gathering,  ff,  m. 

Hops— Pick  during  dry  weather  as  they  ripen,  spread¬ 
ing  until  perfectly  dry  when  they  may  be  put  in  bags  and 
hung  away  for  use. 

Lettuce— Continue  to  sow  and  plant  out  for  Autumn  use. 

Mushroom  beds  may  be  made,  m,  11.  Collect  mate¬ 
rials,  f,  m. 

Onions— Many  of  the  early  sowings  will  soon  show 
signs  of  ripeness  and  may  be  pulled,  m,  1.  Sow,  11,  for 
pips  to  leave  out  over  Winter. 

Peas  will  fill  for  late  use  if  sown,  fif.  Clear  ground 
from  early  crops  and  resow  with  peas  or  turnips. 

Potatoes— Dig  for  early  use  and  for  market,  using  the 
ground  for  a  second  crop  of  some  sort. 

Preserving  or  Canning  Fruit  and  Vegetables— Put  up  a 
good  supply  for  next  Winter,  now  while  they  are  abun¬ 
dant  and  can  easily  be  spared.  See  articles  in  past  and 
present  numbers. 

Radishes— Sow,  f,  m,  for  late  use.  Sow  Black  and 
White  Spanish  or  Winter  radishes,  f,  m. 

Raspberries— Cut  out  bearing  canes  which  have  ripen¬ 
ed  their  crop.  Collect  and  house  the  stakes.  Give  the 
new  canes  good  tillage,  as  upon  these  depends  the  next 
crop.  Where  inclined  to  grow  very  tall,  head  back  so  as 
to  induce  side  branches,  which  will  give  a  greater  fruit 
bearing  surface. 

Rhubarb— A  moderate  quantity  may  still  be  pulled, 
which  if  taken  from  near  the  center  of  the  Linnaeus,  and 
some  other  improved  tarielies,  w  ill  be  quite  tender  for  a 
month  yet. 

Seeds— Carefully  collect  all  that  are  now  ripening  and 
dry  and  clean  for  another  year.  Label  them,  and  note 
the  year  of  raising  upon  each  package. 

Spinach— Sow,  f,  m,  1,  for  Autumn  use,  and,  11,  for  a 
Spring  crop.  Scatter  a  little  lettuce  seed  among  it. 

Strawberries— See  full  directions  on  a  following  page. 
The  runners  of  those  intended  for  hill  culture  will  require 
clipping  now. 

Tomatoes— Tie  to  trellises  or  frames,  f,  m.  Brusli  laid 
upon  the  ground  answers  a  tolerable  purpose  for  them  to 
run  upon.  If  growing  rankly  they  will  bear  a  moderate 
pinching  in,  11. 

Turnips— It  is  rather  late  to  sow  the  ruta  baga  family, 
except  at  the  South.  Flat  or  round  White  sorts  may  be 
sown,  ff,  m,  and  will  pruduce  a  good  late  yield. 

Water— Give  slops,  wash  water,  etc.,  to  currant  bush¬ 
es,  strawberry  beds,  and  newly  planted  vegetables.  Soap 
suds  should  be  used  for  such  purposes  rather  than  thrown 
away. 

Weeds— Raise  vegetables  instead  of  a  crop  of  weeds  to 
impoverish  the  soil,  and  leave  seed  for  future  toil  or  labor 
to  exterminate. 

Winter  Cress — Sow,  m,  1,  for  "Winter  and  Spring  crop. 

Flowea.’  CnaFcleia  sinad  ILawsE. 

The  season  has  been  favorable  for  nearly  all  varieties 
of  flowers,  and  the  grounds  should  now  show  a  fine  bloom 
of  choice  annuals,  interspersed  with  the  later  perennials. 
Many  of  the  directions  of  last  month  are  equally  applica¬ 
ble  now. 

The  present  is  a  favorable  time  to  perfect  plans  for  new 
grounds,  so  that  the  grading  may  be  done,  drives,  aven¬ 
ues,  and  walks  laid  out,  and  everything  be  in  leadiness 
for  Fall  and  early  Spring  planting. 

Budding— Roses,  Oranges,  Lemons,  and  many  of  the 
flowering  shrubs  may  now  be  budded. 

Bulbs— Lift,  ff,  any  to  be  reset  this  season.  Most  of. 
them  do  quite  well  without  moving  more  than  every  third 
year.  Sow  seeds  to  originate  new  varieties. 

Dahlias  should  now  show  a  fine  bloom  of  choice  colors. 
Keep  well  tied  up  and  prune  where  growing  too  thickly. 


One,  or  at  most  two  good  flower  stalks,  per  root,  is  suffi¬ 
cient.  Frequent  waterings  and  a  mulch  about  the  roots 
in  dry  weather  will  benefit  them.  Cut  away  the  dried 
flowers  as  fast  as  they  lose  their  beauty. 

Flower  Stalks  of  all  kinds  should  be  removed  as  soon 
as  they  have  completed  their  bloom. 

Fuchsias— Keep  partially  shaded  to  lengthen  out  the 
period  of  bloom. 

Gravel  Walks — Hoe  or  weed  often,  raking  smoothly 
and  rolling. 

Hedges— Clip,  m,  1,  unless  it  was  done  during  the  latter 
part  of  last  month.  Cut  mainly  from  the  top,  so  as  to 
thicken  up  the  bottom. 

Hoe  often  all  cultivated  grounds,  walks,  etc.,  removing 
the  weeds  with  the  rake.  Even  if  there  are  no  weeds  the 
soil  should  be  stirred  to  keep  it  from  crusting  and  prepare 
it  to  absorb  all  the  dews. 

Hydrangeas  may  now  be  increased  by  cuttings  and  lay¬ 
ers. 

Insects— Do  not  allow  them  to  increase  even  if  they  are 
not  as  troublesome  as  earlier  in  the  season.  Continue 
the  Whale  Oil  Soap  mixture  for  slugs  on  rose  bushes. 
A  dusting  of  lime  or  wood  ashes  will  accomplish  the 
same  purpose,  though  less  effectually. 

Lawn  and  Grass  Edgings— Mow  evenly  every  two 
weeks  and  rake  off.  Sow  seed,  m,  1,  on  bare  spots  and 
new  grounds.  A  sprinkling  with  manure  water  will  both 
refresh  and  enrich  them. 

Mignonette  sown,  ff,  will  form  fine  plants  for  Autumn 
and  Winter  blooming  in  doors. 

Pansy  seed  may  be  sown,  f,  m,  for  Spring  bloom.  Con¬ 
tinue  to  layer  and  separate  rooted  plants. 

Pelargoniums— Propagate  by  cuttings,  ff,  [m.  Head 
back  straggling  plants. 

Perennials— Fibrous  rooted,  such  as  Sweet  William, 
Scarlet  Lychnis,  Ragged  Robin,  etc.,  may  be  parted  and 
transplanted,  m.  1. 

Potted  Plants  placed  in  the  grounds  during  the  Sum¬ 
mer,  require  almost  daiiy  waterings.  Loosen  the  surface 
soil,  and  remove  weeds  and  dead  leaves. 

Prune  Shrubs  and  Trees  upon  the  Lawn,  or  borders,  if 
necessary,  always  using  the  knife  sparingly  upon  shade 
trees,  although  where  it  is  to  be  done,  this  is  a  suitable 
month  for  the  operation.  Almost  any  desired  shape  may 
be  given  to  a  lawn  tree  by  heading  back  in  one  place, 
tying  in  another,  and  pinching  elsewhere.  Fantastic 
forms  are  sometimes  given  evergreens  by  shearing  to  the 
shape  of  animals  or  other-objects. 

Roses— Continue  to  bud  and  layer,  ff.  Use  the  oil  soap 
recommended  last  month,  as  long  as  the  slug  is  to  be  seen. 

Verbenas  and  Petunias— Layer,  ff,  m,  for  Winter  and 
Spring  blooming  in  houses. 

Water— Give  to  potted  plants  especially,  and  those  new¬ 
ly  planted  out.  Ifverydryan  application  both  morning 
and  evening  will  be  beneficial, to  those  which  absorb  rap¬ 
idly.  It  is  better  to  mulch  the  ground  before  w  atering. 

Weeds  should  only  be  found  in  the  Flower  Garden  in 
the  shape  of  native  wild  flowers,  many  of  which  are  wor¬ 
thy  of  a  place  here,  and  now  is  a  good  time  to  search  for 
them,  w'hile  they  are  in  bloom. 

€Sl’CCEE  EiBBdl  Blot  IIOIBSOS. 

So  many  of  the  ordinary  Green-House  plants  are  now 
in  the  open  grounds,  and  treated  of  under  •*  Flower  Gar¬ 
den  ”  that  little  need  be  said  here.  Those  remaining  will 
need  abundance  of  air  each  day  when  the  weather  is  fa¬ 
vorable.  The  houses  will  require  putting  in  order  and 
other  arrangements  completed  for  taking  in  the  plants 
next  month.  A  large  quantity  of  prepared  mold  should 
also  be  in  readiness  for  changing  and  potting  off  plants. 

Budding— Complete,  f,  m. 

Bulbs— Pot  a  few,  m,  1,  for  Winter  forcing. 

Callas— Repot,  f,  m,  watering  moderately. 

Cammellias— Complete  repotting  and  bud,  or  inarch 
those  plants  which  are  to  be  changed. 

Cuttings  of  a  large  number  of  plants  should  r.ow  be 
made  and  put  in  to  get  up  a  good  stock  for  Winter. 

Earth  in  Pots— Loosen  or  stir,  renewing  where  neces¬ 
sary.  Top  dress,  or  give  liquid  manure  to  plants  which 
need  a  more  rapid  growth. 

Grapes— Some  of  the  early  houses  have  already  ripened 
their  crops,  and  the  vines  want  hardening  off,  by  throw¬ 
ing  open  the  doors  and  ventilators.  Later  plants  need 
some  pinching  and  watering.  Watch  the  approach  of 
mildew,  using  sulphur  to  check  it. 

Houses— Commence  early  to  put  them  in  order,  before 
plants  are  brought  in.  Repair  shelves  and  beds,  glaze 
windows,  cleanse  the  whole  house  thoroughly,  have  ropes, 
weights  and  pullies  in  working  condition,  look  to  the 
heating  apparatus,  and  lastly  paint  those  houses  requiring 
it.  being  careful  to  empty  them  from  all  tender  succulent 
plants  at  the  time,  else  the  poisonous  gas  from  new  paint 
will  cause  defoliation. 

Insects — Allow  none  to  increase  as  the  brooding  sea¬ 
son  draws  to  a  close.  Fumigate,  syringe  with  pure  wa¬ 
ter  and  the  .Whale  Oil  Soap  mixture. 

Layering  and  In-arching — Continue  as  directed  last 


month.  Some  of  the  early  layers  have  become  rooted  and 
may  be  separated  and  potted  off. 

Potting— This  is  the  appropriate  season  for  shifting  gen¬ 
erally,  and  potting  off  seedlings.  Complete  early ,  that 
they  may  become  established  before  Winter.  See  that 
a  good  heap  of  properly  prepared  potting  soil  is  in  readi¬ 
ness,  as  large  quantities  will  be  wanted  before  all  the 
plants  receive  their  final  change  for  the  Winter. 

Seeds — Watch  the  ripening  of  and  collect,  ff,  m.  Sow 
calceolarias,  cinerarias,  mignonette,  sweet  alyssum,  Chi¬ 
nese  primroses,  pansies,  pelargoniums,  clarkia,  etc.,  m, 
1,  to  get  up  a  stock  for  Winter  bloom. 

Tender  Plants,  and  some  of  those  intended  for  early 
Winter  bloom  should  be  taken  to  the  houses,  11,  before 
chilly  nights  come  on. 

Verbenas,  Petunias,  Geraniums,  etc.— Laver  and  make 
cuttings,  ff,  m,  for  Winter  flowering.  Pot  off  those  made 
last  month. 

Water— Give  abundantly  inside,  and  to  pots  in  the  bor¬ 
der.  Syringe  the  foliage  and  walls  of  the  house  both 
morning  and  evening,  sprinkling  the  floors  at  the  same 
time. 

Apiary  Ibb  Aisgaist, 

BY  M.  QU1NBY. 

If  the  weather  is  favorable,  about  the  middle  of  this 
month,  Buckwheat  swarms  may  be  expected  in  many 
sections.  There  is  much  more  Buckwheat  sown  this 
season  than  usual,  on  account  of  frosts  killing  other  crops, 
and  these  late  swarms  may  be.  numerous  in  proportion. 

These  swarms  when  hived  seldom  get  stores  enough  for 
Winter,  and  the  old  stock  is  left  with  a  feeble  colony  that 
requires  much  extra  care  to  pass  the  Winter  safely.  It  is 
the  best  economy  generally  to  take  away  the  queen,  and 
let  the  swarm  return  to  the  parent  stock.  To  find  her 
readily,  take  three  or  four  empty  hives— more  would  be 
still  better— if  these  are  not  at  hand,  any  boxes  or  meas¬ 
ures  that  will  hold  a  few  quarts  may  be  used.  With  a 
dipper  put  a  quart  or  so  of  bees  into  each  ;  turn  them  over 
to  represent  a  hive  ;  raise  one  edge  half  an  inch,  that  the 
bees  may  pass,  and  place  them  about  tw  o  feet  apart.  The 
bees  will  soon  begin  to  leave  all,  and  assemble  in  the  one 
containing  the  queen.  As  soon  as  it  is  ascertained  which 
they  enter,  cover  it  to  prevent  the  queen  being  found, 
when  the  search  will  soon  be  abandoned  and  the  bees  will 
return  to  the  old  hive.  Look  now  among  those  lhat  were 
covered  for  the  queen  ;  if  there  are  so  many  bees  in  the 
hive  or  box  that  she  can  not  be  found  readily,  shake  them 
out  and  divide  again,  until  so. few  are  left  that  she  is  easi¬ 
ly  seen.  The  swarm  will  not  issue  again,  till  a  young 
queen  matures,  and  by  that  time  these  flowers  are  so  far 
advanced  that  they  seldom  undertake  it.  But  should  they 
do  so,  they  must  be  returned  again,  but  in  this  case,  no 
till  next  morning— for  reasons  that  I  will  not  take  room 

now  to  explain . If  any  stock  is  yet  unsupplied  with  a 

queen,  and  is  uninjured  by  the  worm,  it  might  have  the 
quoen  and  a  few  quarts  of  bees  given  it,  in  case  of  a  swarm 
as  atiove .  Continue  to  watch  stocks  that  have  thin¬ 

ned  their  colonies  by  over  swarming,  for  the  appearance 
of  the  worms,  and  assist  to  get  rid  of  them,  as  long  as 
there  is  a  prospect  of  saving  the  stock . .  ..  Young  small 
swarms  that  have  only  partly  filled  their  hives,  will  be  in¬ 
fested  with  worms  much  more  than  larger  ones.  Keep 
the  floor  board  of  such  swept  off  clean  ;  look  into  the  cor¬ 
ners  of  the  hive  below'  the  combs  for  cocoons,  they  are 
readily  scraped  out.  In  turning  back  a  hive  for  this  pur¬ 
pose,  which  is  not  full,  be  cautious  and  turn  it  so  as  to 
have  the  edges  of  the  combs  rest  on  the  side  of  the  hive, 
otherwise  they  may  break. .  ..Continue  to  set  sweetened 
water  about  the  hives  at  evening  to  catch  the  moth.... 
Surplus  boxes  containing  honey  taken  from  the  bees,  to 
be  kept  till  cool  weather,  must  be  in  a  dry  place,  if  cool, 
all  the  better,  as  it  will  prevent  the  moth  eggs  hatching. 
If  any  should  appear,  the  first  indications  will  be  white 
powder  like  lines  on  the  surface  of  the  combs;  they  must 
now,  before  they  do  much  injury,  be  subjected  to  the 
fumes  of  brimstone.  Make  the  matches  by  dipping  rags 
or  paper  in  melted  sulphur— put  a  few  pieces  in  an  old 
cup  in  a  close  box  or  barrel,  together  with  the  boxes  to 
be  smoked — ignite  the  matches  and  cover  close,  and 
let  them  stand  six  or  eight  hours. 

■  .  ■  i.  - >-a» - 

Stone  Drains. — In  reply  to  the  queries  of  N. 
N.  Hartzell,  Hancock  Co.,  Ill.,  we  answer: 
Ditches  three  and  a-half  to  four  and  a  half  feet 
deep,  partly  filled  with  loose  stones,  the  larger 
ones  being  laid  at  the  bottom,  will  answer  a  very 
good  purpose  for  draining  during  many  years, 
and  will  also  profitably  dispose  of  the  surplus 
stone  upon  the  surface.  But  there  is  always 
danger  of  such  drains  being  choked,  and  we  ad¬ 
vise  in  all  cases  to  construct  a  continuous  open 
passage;  unless  the  stones  be  so  small  and  so 
round  as  to  absolutely  prevent  this  being  done. 


228 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


August | 


Good  Strawberries  for  Everybody. 

Everybody  loves  good  strawberries.  Every¬ 
body  would  have  them  in  abundance,  if  it  could  be 
afforded.  Everybody  living  in  the  country,  al¬ 
most  everybody  dwelling  in  villages,  and  many 
city  residents  can  afford  to  have  them,  if  they 
only  think  so,  and  know  how.  A  bushel  of  mag¬ 
nificent,  luscious,  home-grown  strawberries,  can 
be  produced  about  as  cheaply  as  a  bushel  of  po¬ 
tatoes,  and  with  less  risk  of  failure.  They  re¬ 
quire  no  more  ground  ;  we  have  raised  over  2^ 
bushels  on  a  single  square  rod,  and  others  have 
done  better  than  this ;  but  allowing  only  one 
bushel  to  the  rod,  the  product  is  about  as  large  as 
the  average  yield  of  potatoes.  The  cultivation 
involves  some  more  labor.  While  the  larger  fruits 
require  years  to  come  into  bearing,  strawberries 
begin  to  produce  returns  the  next  year  after  plant¬ 
ing.  Most  other  fruits  have  suffered  from  insects  ; 
strawberries  as  yet  have  escaped  in  most  locali¬ 
ties. 

Nothing  would  please  U3  more  than  to  know 
that  in  every  family  visited  by  the  Agriculturist , 
there  would  be  next  Summer,  and  in  years  fol¬ 
lowing,  a  fine .  supply  of  improved  strawberries, 
such  berries  as  have  abounded  in  the  New-York 
markets  the  present  season.  And  we  think  this 
would  be  the  case,  could  we  convince  our  readers 
as  to  the  comparatively  little  trouble  and  expense 
required. 

Strawberries  multiply  very  rapidly.  A  dozen, 
or  even  a  half  dozen  plants,  set  out  in  Spring, 
will  produce  many  hundreds  during  the  season, 
if  space  be  given  to  the  runners  ;  and  a  fair  crop 
of  fruit  will  be  realized  the  next  year.  Those 
set  out  in  August  or  September  will  frequently 
multiply  the  same  season,  and  generally  fruit 
the  next  Spring.  We  have  had  a  medium  yield 
from  those  set  as  late  as  the  middle  of  Octo¬ 
ber.  They  may  be  set  in  the  latter  part  of  this 
month  (August),  and  get  a  fair  growth,  but  Sep¬ 
tember  is  a  better  month,  if  they  are  to  be 
carried  far.  If  the  plants  can  be  obtained  near 
at  hand,  and  be  removed  with  the  runners  al¬ 
ready  started  still  clinging  to  them,  they  will 
produce  many  new  plants  this  year,  and  fruit 
next  season,  if  transplanted  at  any  time  between 
now  and  Sept.  15th. 

Ground  for  strawberries  should  be  deeply 
spaded,  and  made  fertile,  if  not  so  already. 
They  will  grow  on  almost  any  soil,  but  richly 
repay  a  good  supply  of  rotten  manure  worked 
into  the  soil.  Put  the  plants  into  large  holes, 
pour  in  plenty  of  water,  and  cover  as  described 
last  month  under  “  transplanting.”  Let  the 
crown,  or  base  of  the  leaves,  stand  as  high  as 
the  natural  surface  of  the  ground  after  settling ; 
the  crown  should  not  be  covered  with  earth. 

Most  of  the  better  kinds  of  strawberries  of  es¬ 
tablished  value,  can  now  be  got  of  reliable  deal¬ 
ers  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  for  a  small 
price — seldom  above  25  to  50  cents  per  dozen 
ready  packed,  and  generally  $1  to  $1  50  per  hun¬ 
dred,  exclusive  of  packing.  They  can  be  carried 
to  almost  any  distance,  except  in  very  hot,  dry 
weather.  Half  a  dozen  persons  ir.  a  neighbor¬ 
hood  may  conveniently  unite  and  send  for  sever¬ 
al  dozens  in  one  box,  and  thus  reduce  the  express 
or  other  charges.  Once  introduced  into  any 
place  they  will  soon  multiply  enough  to  supply  a 
large  number  of  persons.  Every  neighborhood 
not  having  done  so,  should  make  a  beginning  this 
very  year. 

There  are  twenty  or  thirty  new  varieties,  of 
large  size  and  superior  flavor,  any  one  of  which 
•would  be  an  acquisition.  We  advise  those  just 
beginning  their  culture,  to  take  only  a  few  sorts 


at  first — some  of  those  long  tried  and  proved. 
Such  are  Wilson’s  Albany,  Hovey’s  Seedling, 
Longworth’s  Prolific,  Ward’s  Seedling,  Hooker, 
Early  Scarlet,  etc.  These  are  all  advertised  in 
our  columns  by  reliable  dealers,  or  they  will  be 
in  the  September  number.  We  will  describe  a 
few  of  these,  taking  them  in  the  order  we  would 
advise  beginners  to  select. 

Wilson's  Albany. — This  is  a  comparatively  new 
variety,  but  now  quite  abundant.  Its  highest  re¬ 
commendation  is  its  great  bearing  and  the  large 
size  of  the  fruit.  (We  received  a  basket  from 
Mr.  Richardson,  of  Albany,  last  month,  which 
averaged  about  4  inches  in  circumference.)  For 
our  own  eating  we  do  not  like  this  so  well  as 
several  others,  on  account  of  its  acidity.  Sugar 
will  make  up  this  defect,  and  sugar  is  now  cheap. 
The  plants  want  good  soil,  plenty  of  manure,  and 
frequent  renewing  by  cultivating  the  runners,  or 
they  will  be  exhausted  in  a  year  or  two  by  over¬ 
bearing.  The  plant  is  perfect  (hermaphrodite) 
needing  no  other  plant  near  to  fertilize  it.  In  pro¬ 
ductiveness  it  stands  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  well 
tried  sorts. 

Hovey's  Seedling. — This  has  been  long  known, 
is  a  good  bearer,  and  the  fruit  large,  fine  appear¬ 
ing,  and  of  good  flavor.  In  this  vicinity  it  is  a 
standard  fruit  to  cultivate  for  market.  It  is  pis¬ 
tillate  and  should  have  some  perfect  kinds  such 
as  Wilson's  Albany,  Longworth’s  Prolific,  or 
Early  Scarlet,  near  to  fertilize  the  fruit. 

Longworth's  Prolific,  is  also  well  known  and 
well  approved,  and  ranks  along  side  of  Hovey’s 
Seedling,  with  which  it  is  a  good  variety  to  plant 
as  a  fertilizer,  Longworth’s  being  perfect  in  itself. 

Ward's  Seedling. — This  we  illustrated  in  last 
volume,  p.  181.  We  have  examined  it  growing 
largely  this  year,  and  under  a  variety  of. culture. 
We  think  it  is  a  valuable  addition  and  worthy  of 
general  trial.  In  a  plot  of  two  acres,  on  soil  un¬ 
manured  for  twelve  years  past,  it  was  growing 
finely  and  yielding  abundantly.  In  the  same  field 
some  rows  of  old  approved  sorts  which  were 
planted  and  treated  similarly,  were  not  half  so 
vigorous  or  productive.  We  intend  to  put  out  a 
good  sized  plot  this  month.  Fruit  large,  highly 
flavored,  on  a  high  strong  foot-stalk. 

Hooker. — A  Rochester  Seedling  of  large  size, 
frequently  cockscomb  shaped,  deep  crimson  color, 
tender,  and  very  prolific  in  some  localities,  espe¬ 
cially  near  where  it  originated.  Flowers  perfect. 
Some  beds  in  this  vicinity  have  not  done  well 
the  present  year. 

Early  Scarlet  or  Large  Early  Scarlet,  is  the 
common  wild  berry,  improved  by  cultivation. 
It  is  one  of  the  earliest  sorts,  and  largely  used 
as  a  fertilizer,  being  hermaphrodite.  Medium 
size,  good  flavor,  and  productive.  Wilson’s  Al¬ 
bany,  Longworth’s  Prolific,  and  others  are  fast 
supplanting  it. 

Scarlet  Magnate. — This  is  one  of  the  largest 
berries  grown,  and  has  many  excellent  points. 
We  shall  put  out  a  plot  of  these  also  the  present 
month. 

Felton's  Seedling.  This  was  first  called  “Im¬ 
proved  Albany  Seedling.”  We  put  out  some 
plants  last  Fall,  but  t  o  late  to  judge  of  the  fruit 
this  year.  From  all  we  can  gather  it  appears  to 
be  little,  if  any,  different  from  tho  original  Wil- 
son’s  Albany — perhaps  a  little  improved  in  flavor 
by  good  culture  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia. 

Peabody's  Seedling. — This  has  been  condemned 
in  many  places  as  a  poor  bearer,  while  in  others 
it  is  well  spoken  of.  With  us  it  produces  fairly, 
and  the  fruit  is  of  such  superior  excellence,  that 
we  shall  by  no  means  discard  it,  but  give  it  more 
room  and  keep  it  in  hills.  We  can  afford  a  little 
more  ground  for  the  same  amount  of  good 


fruit.  Many  skillful  cultivators  have  this  year 
pronounced  the  Peabody  the  best  variety  they 
have  had  grown,  every  thing  considered. 

■ - -  nqfll  f  |  cfci - - 

Preparing  Fruit  for  Market. 

Most  fruits  need  no  preparation  beside  what 
nature  gives  them  :  they  are  beautiful  beyond  the 
reach  of  art.  But  there  are  some  sorts,  certain 
kinds  of  pears,  for  example,  whose  appearance 
maybe  much  improved  by  a  little  care.  The 
Bartlett  pear,  for  instance,  is  often  ripe  enough 
for  market  before  it  has  taken  on  that  golden  and 
slightly  ruddy  hue  which  marks  its  complete  ma¬ 
turity.  By  gathering  it  four  or  five  days  before 
marketing,  the  skin  being  yet  green,  and  then 
packing  it  in  boxes  about  two  feet  square  and 
eight  inches  deep,  using  some  soft,  woolen  sub¬ 
stance  at  the  bottom  of  the  box  and  between  the 
layers,  the  fruit  goes  through  a  sweating  process 
which  hastens  maturity  and  gives  it  a  rich  yellow 
color  which  makes  it  very  attractive  to  purchas¬ 
ers.  We  know  of  several  markets  where  pears 
so  treated  command  almost  any  price  the  fruit- 
raiser  chooses  to  ask.  We  have  seen  baskets  of 
Bartletts  offered,  equally  as  large  and  as  good 
in  every  respect  as  these,  but  being  green-colored, 
they  brought  only  half  the  price. 

Cotton  batting,  for  some  reason,  does  not  seem 
to  be  as  good  a  packing  material  as  some  woolen 
substance :  it  does  not  ripen  the  fruit  as  quick, 
nor  give  as  fine  a  blush  to  the  skin.  Let  fruit¬ 
growers  make  note  of  these  things. 

- o— — — - - - - • 

A  Mechanic’s  Homestead 


We  have  endeavored  to  make  it  a  prominent 
aim  in  conducting  the  Agriculturist  to  show  that 
mechanics,  clerks,  and  professional  men,  may  en¬ 
joy  in  their  little  plots  many  of  the  rural  comforts 
and  luxuries  that  are  usually  supposed  to  be  ac¬ 
cessible  to  farmers  only.  The  plot  of  Mr.  J.  II. 
Smith,  which  was  illustrated  and  minutely  de¬ 
scribed  in  a  former  volume,  was  a  case  in  point, 
and  we  are  glad  to  know,  that  article  has  stim¬ 
ulated  hundreds  if  not  thousands  of  other  mechan¬ 
ics  to  secure  similar  home  surroundings.  Perhaps 
the  following  may  be  one  of  them — it  is  at  least 
an  example  worthy  of  study  and  imitation.  We 
copy  from  the  Newark  (N.  J.)  Mercury  : 

The  other  day,  happening  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  city,  we  dropped  into  the  snuggery  of  a  friend, 
who,  at  a  trivial  outlay,  has  secured  a  home  such 
as  every  mechanic  and  laboring  man  should  pos¬ 
sess.  On  a  plot  of  ground,  lOOby  200  feet,  which 
cost  but  a  thousand  dollars,  he  has  erected  an  ele¬ 
gant  little  cottage,  with  all  the  necessary  modern 
conveniences,  costing  in  all  about  fifteen  hundred 
dollars,  and  this  he  has  surrounded  by  every  pos¬ 
sible  attraction,  the  expense  of  which  is  hardly 
thought  of  in  the  gratification  which  their  pres¬ 
ence  affords.  The  ground  is  laid  out  with  walks, 
which  are  lined  with  plants  and  shrubbery,  while 
over  the  dwelling  a  wreath  of  vines  pencil  their 
Summer  romances  as  they  climb  to  the  eaves. 
The  garden  is  stocked  with  vegetables  of  every 
description,  and  a  strawberry  bed,  in  fearful 
proximity  to  a  main  walk,  lures  every  visitor  by 
its  profusion  of  fruit,  lying  with  blushing  cheeks 
under  shelter  of  the  trailing  vines. 

Flower-beds  abound  in  all  directions,  each  pos¬ 
sessing  something  rare  and  wonderful.  There 
are  grape-vines  grown  from  plants  brought  from 
Rhenish  vineyards  ;  there  are  plants  and  roots 
brought  from  Japan  ;  there  are  fruit  trees,  thrifty 
as  they  are  various — and  everything  which  the 
eye  could  wish  to  see  is  there  blooming  and  lux¬ 
uriant.  In  one  patch  of  ground,  about  eight  by 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


239 


twelve  feet  square,  we  counted  thirteen  varieties 
of  the  rose,  and  this  is  but  typical  of  the  general 
profusion.  And  all  this  belongs  to  and  is  the  work 
of  a  mechanic,  who  toils  as  industriously  as  the 
best  among  us.  And  all  these  attractions  by 
which  his  home  is  surrounded,  are  the  result  of 
Only  four  years’  labor.  The  grounds  rcere  laid  out, 
cultivated,  •planted  and  all  the  improvements  made  by 
his  own  hands,  at  such  moments  as  he  could  snatch 
at  morning,  noon .  and  night,  before  the  day's  work 
was  commenced  or  after  it  was  ended.  And  who 
can  doubt  that  the  companionship  with  Nature, 
which  he  has  thus  enjoyed,  has  elevated  and  pu¬ 
rified  him — that  in  contemplating  the  processes 
auxiliary  to  his  efforts,  by  which  a  barren  spot 
has  been  «aade  to  bloom  like  the  rose,  a  happiness 
which  he  never  knew  before  has  flooded  his  heart, 
and  constituted,  as  he  told  us,  a  constant  reme¬ 
dy  for  weariness  and  care. 

This  is  what  one  man  has  done.  Why  should 
not  others  do  it  1  Why  should  not  all  our  me¬ 
chanics  and  w'orkingmen,  by  industry  and  econo¬ 
my,  secure  for  themselves  retreats  like  this  1 
Why  should  not  every  man  get  him  a  little  patch 
of  ground,  prune  and  plant  it,  fringe  its  paths  with 
flowers,  line  its  borders  with  fruit  trees,  and  make 
for  himself  a  miniature  Eden  1  Why  is  it  that  so 
many,  who  might  easily  do  all  this,  prefer  to 
spend  their  money  at  the  gin-shop,  the  billiard 
saloon,  and  in  the  perilous  associations  of  clubs 
of  one  sort  and  another  ?  Hundreds  of  men,  in 
our  city  to  day,  spend  every  year  on  foolish 
pleasures,  one  twentieth  of  the  entire  cost  of  a 
place  like  that  we  have  described,  and  of  course 
are  never  benefitted  in  the  least  by  their  expendi¬ 
ture.  Why  not  invest  the  money  so  wasted,  in 
obtaining  a  home  and  improving  its  surroundings  1 
Why  not  surround  themselves  with  flowers,  and 
plant  trees  to  shade  and  shelter  and  bless  them 
with  fruit,  and  cluster  about  the  family  altar 
charms  and  enticements  which  shall  hold  them 
firmly  against  %11  temptations,  and  make  home 
what  it  always  should  be — the  sanctuary  of  life’s 
holiest  enjoyments — the  vestibule  of  Paradise, 
with  perfect  peace  smiling  from  all  its  niches  1 
Why,  indeed  1 

The  Newark  Evening  Journal  copies  the  above, 
and  adds,  that  it  is  from  the  genial  pen  of  Fos¬ 
ter,  and  suspects  the  description  applies  to  the 
homestead  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Lendell.  We  believe  the 
Journal  to  be  not  far  from  correct  in  its  surmises  ; 
we  know  at  least  that  Mr.  L.,  has  been  a  long¬ 
time  subscriber  to  the  Agriculturist.  The  Journal 
says  further  :  “  Our  friend  who  labors  ten  hours 
a  day  in  his  shop,  yet  finds  time  to  cultivate  and 
work  these  beautiful  grounds  ;  and  he  assures  us 
that  there  is  a  great  amount  of  real  enjoyment  as 
well  as  profit  to  be  derived  from  its  tillage.  The 
garden  has  been  under  cultivation  but  four  years, 
and  consists  (including  the  space  occupied  by  the 
buildings,)  of  but  six  city  lots,  and  is  cultivated 
with  a  view  to  supply  home  wants,  only  the  sur¬ 
plus  being  sold.  The  amount  of  profit  would  be 
considered  small  by  many  professional  men  who 
have  large  incomes,  but  it  is  an  important  item 
with  our  working  friend,  and  the  garden  contrib¬ 
utes  largely  to  the  comforts  of  his  household.  In 
the  item  of  health,  he  considers  it  pays,  even  if 
there  was  no  pecuniary  profit.  His  garden  is  his 
medicine  chest,  infinitely  better  than  “  blue  pills,” 
the  discomforts  of  a  ‘  sea  voyage,’  or  the  hospi¬ 
talities  of  hotel  keepers,  on  the  continent.  *#** 

*  *  We  found  in  the  gardens  about  forty  vari¬ 
eties  of  roses,  among  which  flourish  very  choice 
flowers.  The  Native  Ohio  was  to  us  a  new  va¬ 
riety — it  is  a  fine  blush.  The  Prince  Adelaide, 
Moss,  arid  the  French  and  China  tea  roses,  were 
out  in  great  beauty.  Honevsu-ckles,  lilies,  pinks 


and  numerous  other  flowers  are  neatly  and  artis¬ 
tically  arranged,  rendering  the  view  altogether 
pleasing  to  the  vision.  In  the  vegetable  garden 
there  is  a  little  of  everything.  Early  potatoes, 
cabbages,  lettuce,  radishes,  beets,  carrots,  pars- 
neps,  Lima  beans,  corn,  squashes,  melons,  peppers, 
eggplants  and  peas,  are  all  in  flourishing  growth. 
There  are  grape  vines  and  fruit  trees,  embracing 
cherry,  pear,  apple,  plum,  and  apricot ;  the  peach 
trees  are  barren,  in  accordance  with  the  rule,  but 
the  currants,  gooseberries,  and  quinces  are  very 
thriving  and  prolific.  Of  strawberries  there  is  a 
great  abundance.  The  vines  are  heavily  laden 
with  the  finest  fruit  that  we  have  seen,  and  well 
may  the  proprietor- feel  a  pride  in  exhibiting  such 
a  strawberry  bed. 

We  can  only  hope,  in  conclusion,  that  a  know¬ 
ledge  of  what  one  working  man  has  accomplished, 
will  stimulate  others  to  make  similar  exertions 
for  their  own  improvement  and  benefit.” 

- .  m - 

Flowers  in  a  School  Yard. 

We  have  often  recommended  the  culture  of 
flowers  around  school  buildings.  Nothing  will 
conduce  more  to  make  these  buildings  attractive, 
and  beget  a  taste  for  the  beautiful  and  the  true, 
and  lead  away  from  vice.  We  are  glad  to  note 
an  instance  where  school  floriculture  is  practiced. 
Our  old  friend  and  school  mate,  Wm.  Poole,  Esq., 
Ed.  of  the  Niagara  Falls  Gazette,  in  his  issue  of 
June  29,  after  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  a 
splendid  bouquet  from  the  class  in  Botany,  in  the 
Senior  Department  of  the  Public  School,  very 
justly  remarks  :  “  This  is  deserving  of  more  than 
ordinary  notice,  from  the  fact  that  it  is  made  up 
of  flowers  fiom  the  school  yard.  We  know,  from 
observation,  that  there  are  few — very  few — 
school  yards  where  flowers  are  cultivated,  and 
we  would  like  to  see  the  school  yard  in  Western 
New-York,  where  they  are  more  carefully  cared 
for  than  on  the  grounds  of  school-house  No.  2. 
The  teachers  are  deserving  of  credit ;  so  also  is 
the  Board  of  Education,  and  especially  its  leading 
spirit,  Mr.  Trott. 

This  matter  of  cultivating  flowers  and  shade 
trees,  in  and  around  our  school  grounds,  may  ap¬ 
pear  to  some,  very  unimportant,  useless,  foolish 
even — according  to  the  tastes  of  people  who  ex¬ 
press  such  opinions — but  we  envy  not  those  per¬ 
sons’  taste.  Who  would  not  prefer  to  have  his 
children  attend  school  where  some  little  attention 
is  given  to  the  cultivation  of  a  taste  for  the  good 
and  beautiful,  rather  than  where  dilapidated  fix¬ 
tures  and  disgustingly  dirty  grounds  are  the  most 
prominent  features  1  Our  citizens  feel  a  just 
pride  in  our  public  schools — and  we  all  know 
they  are  the  subject  of  complimentary  comment 
abroad.” 


Clear  up  the  Hedge  and  Fence  Rows. 

They  disfigure  the  farm,  and  reduce  its  market 
value  much  more  than  enough  to  pay  for  rooting 
them  out.  They  are  moreover  the  strongholds 
from  which  vile  weeds  send  out  new  recruits 
every  year,  to  battle  with  the  crops  for  possession 
of  the  fields.  Destroy  these  fortresses,  and  the 
plow  and  hoe  will  easily  subdue  the  remainder. 
Now  that  the  hay  and  harvest  fields  are  cleared, 
they  stand  out  boldly,  as  if  challenging  an  attack, 
and  there  is  a  season  of  comparative  leisure 
which  may  well  be  devoted  to  their  extermina¬ 
tion.  If  they  are  perennials,  merely  cutting  them 
down  at  this  season  will  avail  but  little,  for  the 
stalk  and  leaf  have  nearly  performed  their  func¬ 
tions,  and  the  roots,  strengthened  by  the  Summer’s 
growth,  will  scarcely  feel  the  loss. 


In  many  fields  the  plowing  has  been  done  on 
one  plan,  year  after  year— the* first  furrow  turned 
against  the  fence,  and  the  other  “  lands  ”  laid  out 
parallel  with  it,  and  thus  there  is  a  bank  formed 
against  each  fence,  making  just  the  place  for  suc¬ 
cessful  weed  culture.  After  the  fence  has  been 
moved,  and  the  hedge-row  demolished,  let  these 
banks  be  reduced  to  their  proper  level  by  back- 
furrowing  ;  and  care  should  be  taken  in  the  after- 
cultivation  that  the  field  is  not  disfigured  by  them 
again. 

• - — - - — 

A  Tasteful  Gateway. 

In  a  former  number  of  the  Agriculturist  (vol. 
XVI,  p.  184),  we  described  minutely  the  pro¬ 
cess  of  in-arching,  or  causing  branches  to  grow 
together  by  paring  off  a  portion  of  each  and 
tying  the  pared  surfaces  one  against  the  other. 
Mr.  T.  R.  Brown,  Carroll  County  Ohio,  sends 
us  a  unique  and  pretty  application  of  this  mode 
of  joining  the  branches  of  trees.  Two  maples 
standing  on  the  opposite  sides  of  a  gateway 
spread  their  branches  over  until  they  met.  These 
were  grafted  or  in-arched  together  and  by  prop¬ 
erly  trimming  he  secured  an  arch  which  pro¬ 
duced  a  very  pleasing  effect.  This  may  be 
quite  easily  done  with  almost  every  variety  of 
trees,  and  an  ornamental  gateway  or  other  arch¬ 
ed  passage  be  readily  obtained. 

- - — — -»  < - - -  « - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Agricultural  Premiums  not  Properly  Dis¬ 
tributed. 

The  end  which  should  be  sought  in  offering 
agricultural  premiums  is,  undoubtedly,  to  stimu¬ 
late  effort  for  improvement  in  the  results  of  hus¬ 
bandry.  It  can  not  be  questioned  that  much  good 
has  resulted  from  the  encouragement  thus  afford¬ 
ed  by  State  and  County  associations  ;  for  aside 
from  the  mere  pecuniary  value  of  prizes  the  spirit 
of  active  emulation  is  thereby  awakened.  In 
looking  over  the  premium  lists  of  various  socie¬ 
ties  this  year,  it  will  be  observed  that  a  large  share 
of  the  more  valuable  prizes  are  offered  for  the 
mere  results  of  culture,  while  the  means  by  which 
those  results  may  be  attained  are  comparatively 
neglected.  Thus  :  liberal  premiums  have  been  of¬ 
fered  for  the  best  specimens  of  grain  and  vegeta¬ 
bles,  without  regard  to  the  manner  of  their  culti¬ 
vation.  The  sight  of  a  mammoth  pumpkin  or 
beet,  a  baskefiof  superb  potatoes,  or  a  display  of 
luscious  grapes,  is  very  gratifying,  but  of  little 
practical  use,  unless  we  may  know  how  they  were 
produced.  It  sometimes  happens  that  the  exhib¬ 
itor  can  give  no  particular  reason  for  his  success  ; 
he  found  a  large  chance  specimen  in  his  gar¬ 
den  or  field  and  ‘‘brought  it  to  the  show.”  But 
this  proves  nothing,  and  improves  no  one.  A 
specimen  of  much  less  size,  brought  to  superior 
excellence  by  a  well  conducted  plan,  with  a  des¬ 
cription  of  it  accompanying  the  article  ex¬ 
hibited,  would  be  much  more  worthy  of  the  award. 
Some  societies  very  properly  require  such  infor¬ 
mation  to  be  furnished  by  exhibitors  as  will  be 
available  to  others  desirous  of  attaining  the  same 
excellence. 

Again,  agricultural  implements  have  been  as¬ 
signed  a  rank  far  below  their  actual  worth.  Much 
of  success  in  farming  operations  is  due  to  the  use 
of  improved  implements.  Take  from  the  culti¬ 
vators  of  this  country  their  improved  plows  and 
we  should  at  once  be  set  back  fifty  years  in  agri¬ 
cultural  development.  Blooded  stock,  however 
high  bred,  or  horses,  of  whatever  strain,  would 
avail  but  little  in  countries  where  tilling  imple¬ 
ments  are  rude  and  defective.  Yet  in  the  several 


£30 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


announcements  of  premiums  for  this  year,  we 
notice  premiums  ranging  from  $25  to  $100  are 
offered  for  the  best  thorough-bred  horses  and  bulls, 
while  the  best  plow  is  only  to  receive  a  silver 
medal.  In  one  instance  $1000  is  offered  for  the 
best  blooded  horse,  and  only  $100  for  the  best 
Steam  Plow,  the  successful  introduction  of 
which,  will  require  an  outlay  of  means  and  talent 
sufficient  to  import  a  score  of  the  choicest  horses, 
and  which,  when  once  made  to  work  well,  will 
add  more  to  the  agricultural  progress  and  wealth 
of  the  country,  than  all  the  horses  that  ever  ran 
their  owners  to  ruin  upon  a  race-track. 

'  Neither  should  the  giving  of  premiums  be  re¬ 
stricted  to  mere  productions.  We  now  need 
more  than  almost  anything  else,  well  conducted 
trials  of  different  modes  and  processes  of  culture. 
If  a  judicious  scale  of  prizes  were  instituted  as 
an  encouragement  to  careful  experiments,  the 
effect  would  be  good.  In  this  way  many  an  error 
might  soon  be  exploded  and  many  a  truth  discov¬ 
ered.  Let  our  Agricultural  Societies  consider 
this  matter.  Columbia  Countv. 

- -»< - - >-«. - 

New- York  City  Meat  Markets— How  Sup¬ 
plied,  etc . No-  II. 

A  Correction. — In  our  first  article,  last  month, 
page  196,  an  error  occurred  in  copying  our  table 
of  the  derivation  of  cattle,  the  receipts  being  giv¬ 
en  for  the  first  six  months  of  1858,  instead  of  the 
whole  year.  The  error  was  discovered  after  a 
portion  of  the  edition  was  worked  off,  and  a  new 
page  plate  cast.  We  repeat  the  table  here  in  a 


correct  form. 

1858 

From  the  State  of  Illinois . 58,712  bullocks. 

From  the  State  of  Ohio . 36,589 

From  the  State  of  New-York . 30,980 

From  the  State  of  Indiana . . 11,131 

From  the  State  of  Kentucky .  9,409 

From  the  State  of  Iowa  . .  2,727 

From  the  State  of  Pennsylvania .  1,664 

From  the  State  of  Michigan .  1,372 

From  the  State  of  Texas .  1,312 

From  the  State  of  Virginia .  895 

From  the  State  of  Nevv-Jersey .  532 

From  the  State  of  Connecticut .  478 


VEAL  CALVES. 

The  trade  in  veal  calves  is  very  large,  as  most 
of  the  cows  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  are  kept  for 
the  sale  of  milk,  which  is  more  profitable  than 
raising  calves.  During  1858  there  were  brought 
to  the  regular  live  stock  markets  alone,  32,709 
live  veal  calves,  besides  a  large  number  brought 
in  weekly,  especially  during  the  Spring  months, 
by  wagons  and  by  river  barges,  and  sold  to  butch¬ 
ers,  without  going  into  the  regular  yards.  Many 
are  slaughtered  in  the  country,  and  their  carcasses 
brought  direct  to  the  meat  markets.  So  also, 
many  city  dealers  and  butchers  go  into  the  sur¬ 
rounding  country  and  buy  their  veals  from  the 
farmers,  bringing  them  home  in  wagon's.  From 
all  these  sources,  there  are  probably  full  50,000 
veal  calves  received  here  annually,  or  about  1,000 
per  week.  Nine-tenths  or  more  of  these  calves 
come  from  New-York  State,  and  the  rest  chiefly 
from  New-Jersey.  Veal  calves  do  not  bear  long 
transportation.  Those  from  New-York  State  are 
mostly  from  the  rural  districts  along  the  Hudson 
River,  Harlem,  and  Erie  Railroads. 

There  are  four  regular  yards  where  calves  are 
chiefly  sold,  viz.  Allerton’s  on  Forty-fourth-st.  ; 
Browning’s  and  O’Brien’s  on  Sixth-street,  and 
Chamberlin’s  on  Robinson-st.  Much  the  largest 
number  are  sold  at  Allerton’s  44th-street,  at  the 
terminus  of  the  Harlem  Railroad  which  brings 
them  down  from  Westchester,  Dutchess,  Colum¬ 
bia  and  Putnam  Counties. 

At  the  several  yards  there  are  brokers  or  sales¬ 
men  who  receive  the  calves  from  the  cars,  keep 


them  yarded  in  pens,  and  sell  them  out  to  butch¬ 
ers.  The  brokers  sometimes  merely  receive  the 
calves  and  sell  them,  charging  about  25  cents 
per  head  for  selling  and  collecting — the  owner 
paying  all  expense  for  transportation,  yards,  and 
feed.  Some  receive  them,  pay  all  expenses,  and 
charge  a  certain  commission.  It  usually  costs 
about  50  cents  per  head  to  get  the  calves  deliv¬ 
ered  in  the  city  and  sold.  Good  calves  are  usu¬ 
ally  sold  by  actual  live  weight  at  the  pens,  ascer¬ 
tained  by  the  scales.  They  vary  in  price  from  4c. 
to  7c.  per  lb.  live  weight,  depending  upon  their 
fatness  and  the  supply  in  market.  At  some  sea¬ 
sons  of  the  year,  particularly  in  early  Spring 
when  veal  is  rather  scarce,  and  milk  is  in  demand, 
many  young  calves,  called  “  bobs  ”  or  “  kittens  ” 
are  sent  to  market  and  sold  for  veal.  Some  of 
these  are  only  a  few  days  old  and  bring  but  $1® 
$2  each,  but  this  is  considered  more  economical 
than  keeping  them  on  milk  for  several  weeks,  or 
“  deaconing”  them  as  it  is  termed,  that  is,  knock¬ 
ing  them  on  the  head.  Such  calves  are  killed,  and 
the  meat  sold  “  on  the  sly,”  as  they  come  under 
the  list  of  proscribed  meats,  and  the  person  offer¬ 
ing  the  carcasses  for  sale  in  this  city  is  liable  not 
only  to  have  his  meat  seized  and  condemned,  but 
is  himself  in  danger  of  punishment.  Notwith¬ 
standing  the  law,  there  is  much  of  this  unwhole¬ 
some,  cheap  meat  sold  in  the  city,  usually  from 
peddlers’  carts.  A  stigma  attaches  to  persons 
dealing  in  such  “small  stock.” 


Sheep-Killing  Dogs. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

In  many  parts  of  the  country,  one  of  the  most 
serious  and  vexatious  obstacles  to  raising  sheep 
successfully  is  the  prevalence  of  dogs  with  sheep¬ 
killing  propensities.  Having  had  some  experience 
in  dealing  with  these  rascally  animals,  I  send  a 
few  suggestions  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  may 
be  suffering  from  the  same  cause.  First,  let  me 
say,  every  one  owning  a  dog,  should  take  care  that 
there  is  no  guilt  at  his  own  door. 

Dogs  are  sometimes  known  to  leave  their  mas¬ 
ter’s  flock  unmolested,  and  are  seen  returning 
from  apparently  distant  excursions,  with  an  air 
that  would  seem  to  say  “  Ask  me  no  questions.” 
A  suspected  dog  may  sometimes  be  detected  by 
examining  his  mouth  on  such  an  occasion.  If  he 
has  not  picked  his  teeth  clean,  small  bits  of  wool 
may  be  found  between  them,  and  he  may  safely 
be  pronounced  guilty.  If  such  a  dog  be  tied  to  a 
stake  in  an  enclosure,  and  a  vicious,  well  shorn 
ram  turned  in,  he  will  soon  give  the  dog  a  striking 
lesson  on  sheep-killing,  which  he  will  not  easily 
forget.  One  lesson  of  this  kind  will  cause  a  dog 
to  ever  after  give  a  wide  berth  to  any  flock  of 
sheep. 

If  a  strange  dog  can  be  caught  in  the  act,  it  is 
perfectly  safe  to  bring  a  well  aimed  rifle  to  bear 
upon  him  without  waiting  to  inquire  to  whom  he 
belongs ;  this  may  be  ascertained  afterwards, 
and  his  owner  held  responsible. 

When  dogs  have  made  a  foray  upon  a  flock, 
they  usually  return  to  the  scene  of  operations 
within  a  few  nights.  A  pretty  sure  trap  for  them 
can  be  made  by  building  a  pen  of  rails,  five  or  six 
feet  high,  around  a  recently  killed  carcass,  bring¬ 
ing  each  layer  of  rails  nearer  the  center  as  it  is 
put  up,  so  that  the  sides  of  the  pen  will  slope  in¬ 
ward.  The  dog  can  enter  from  the  top  quite  eas¬ 
ily,  but  can  not  well  get  out,  having  no  room  to 
run  for  a  clear  leap  over.  A  little  strychnine  scat¬ 
tered  over  the  fresh  carcass,  will  prevent  the  dog 
that  may  eat  it  from  any  further  mischief; 
he  will  seldom  get  far  away  before  lying  down  to 
rest. 


The  curs  which  trouble  flocks,  are  usually  great 
cowards,  especially  when  out  on  such  an  errand, 
and  are  easily  frightened  away  by  any  unusual 
noise.  If  a  small  bell  be  hung  on  every  fifth  sheep 
there  will  be  little  danger  of  an  attack.  I  know 
several  farmers  living  in  districts  which  have 
suffered  severely  from  the  ravages  of  dogs,  who 
have  adopted  this  simple  expedient,  and  have  nev¬ 
er  lost  a  sheep.  Some  put  a  sleigh-bell  upon 
every  sheep.  A  Sufferer. 

- c®-, - ^ - - 

Simple  Contrivances  for  Weighing  Bee- 
Hives, 

It  is  often  desirable  both  as  a  matter  of  scien¬ 
tific  interest,  as  well  as  of  practical  utTTity  to  note 
the  daily  or  weekly  increase  in  the- weight  of  a 
swarm  of  bees,  especially  during  the  honey  gath¬ 
ering  season.  To  do  this  readily,  an  “  Indicator 
Bee  Stand,”  was  invented  several  years  since. 
This  consists  essentially  of  a  stand,  the  top  of 
which  rests  upon  a  spiral  spring  coiled  within  the 
upright  pillar,  with  an  index  working  up  and 
down  in  an  opening  upon  the  side.  A  corres¬ 
pondent  of  the  Agricultural  Gazette  (England), 
suggests  a  much  simpler  mode,  which  is,  to  attach 
cords  upon  the  four  upper  corners  of  the  hive  and 
by  means  of  these,  suspend  the  hive  upon  the 
hook  of  a  common  spring  balance  which  can  be 
bought  for  a  few  shillings.  The  change  of  weight 
will  be  noted  on  the  spring.  It  will  of  course  be 
necessary  to  protect  the  hive  or  surround  it  with 
boards  to  prevent  its  being  violently  swayed  by 
winds.  Bee  keepers  will,  by  means  of  this  sim¬ 
ple  contrivance  be  able  to  make  any  desired  ob¬ 
servations  upon  the  weight  of  the  hives. 


Fertilization  of  Queen  Bees. 


In  the  July  Agriculturist,  page  219,  Mr.  Camp¬ 
bell  asked  :  “How  queen  bees  befcome  fertilized 
in  Spring,  if  the  drones  are  all  destroyed  in  Au¬ 
tumn  1”  Several  replies  have  been  received, 
from  which  we  extract  the  following  three  ;  they 
embrace  the  substance  of  the  others. 

Mr.  Quinby  says  :  “  . . .  .This  question  might  be 
answered  by  asking  another,  viz.:  how  is  the 
female  of  the  humble-bee,  hornet,  wasp,  and  of 
many  other  tribes  of  insects  impregnated  in 
Spring,  as  no  males  ever  survive  the  Winter  1 
The  idea  at  once  suggests  itself,  that  it  is  done 
the  season  previous,  before  the  destruction  of 
the  males.  But  with  the  queen  bee,  it  is  still 
different ;  she  is  not  only  impregnated  in  the 
Summer,  for  the  following  Spring,  but  for  her 
life-time,  whether  it  be  one  or  six  years.  We 
have  proof  that  one  impregnation  is  sufficient,  in 
the  fact  that  a  fertile  queen  never  leaves  the  hive 
except  when  leading  out  a  swarm.  Young  queens, 
when  but  a  few  days  old,  can  often  be  seen  leav¬ 
ing  the  hive  to  meet  the  drones  in  the  air,  and 
evidence  of  success  can  often  be  seen  on  their 
return.  This  making  one  operation  serve  a  life¬ 
time,  is  an  arrangement  well  adapted  to  secure 
the  prosperity  of  the  hive.  After  she  commences 
depositing  eggs,  she  is  much  heavier  for  flying, 
and  it  would  interfere  with  her  duties  ;  and  the 
risk  of  her  being  lost  in  these  excursions  would 
be  much  increased.  All  this  is  not  more  wonder¬ 
ful  than  a  peculiarity  belonging  to  the  Aphis.  It 
is  said  that  one  impregnation  will  last  through 
several  generations — those  first  hatched  in  the 
Spring  give  birth  to  others  in  succession,  till  near 
the  close  of  the  season,  when  males  are  produced, 
and  these  serve  all  purposes  till  another  year. 

B.  Pickett,  Hendricks  Co.,  suggests  that  only 
the  surplus  of  drones  are  destroyed  in  Autumn, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


231 


enough  being  left  alive  to  perform  their  appropri¬ 
ate  work  in  the  Spring. 

T.,  of  New-Haven,  Conn.,  states  that  the  queen 
bee  retains  the  effect  of  one  impregnation  for  life, 
and  that  this  act  takes  place  early  in  Summer 
when  there  are  plenty  of  drones  in  the  hive. 


Driving  Bees  from  the  Honey  Boxes. 

In  reply  to  the  inquiries  of  D.  E.  L.  jr.,  Wayne 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  others,  we  suggest  the  following 
mode  as  applicable  in  many  instances.  Remove 
the  box  from  the  hive  in  evening  or  early  in  the 
morning,  and  place  it  bottom  up  near  the  hive. 
Tap  lightly  on  the  box  to  arouse  the  bees,  and 
leave  them  a  few  hours,  but  not  until  the  sun 
shines  hot,  as*the  comb  would  be  melted.  They 
will  usually  leave  in  three  or  four  hours.  Ifthey 
still  remain  however,  or  if  they  commence  carry¬ 
ing  away  the  honey,  set  the  box  in  a  tight  keg  or 
barrel,  and  throw  a  thin  sheet  or  cloth  over  the 
top.  The  bees  will  creep  up  on  the  sheet,  and  if 
this  be  turned  over,  will  find  their  way  back  to 
the  hive.  Repeat  this  a  few  times  and  all  will  be 
got  rid  of  without  killing  them. 

• - «*>-< -  »  0» 

A  Hew  Swarm  of  Bees  from  the  Same 
Hive  on  two  Consecutive  Days— Hum 
of  Bees,  etc. 

Mr.  Editor  ,  In  a  communication  to  the  July 
Agriculturist,  page  203,  under  the  head  of  “  Bees 
and  Tin  Pans,”  I  read  :  “  The  vanguard  of  the 
swarm,  which  appeared  to  contain  about  two- 
thirds  of  the  whole,  and  among  which  that  pecu¬ 
liar  hum ,  said  to  be  the  voice  of  the  queen,  was 
distinctly  audible.”. . .  .Save  me  from  such  a  libel 
on  the  queen  of  bees.  That  “peculiar  hum”  is 
heard  when  the  queen  is  not  among  the  bees, 
and  is  produced  by  the  effort  of  so  many  bees  to 
remain  on  the  wing  when  they  are  so  filled  with 
honey  (which  they  take  in,  ere  they  depart  from 
the  old  hive,)  that  their  hum  is  totally  different 
from  that  of  the  bee  in  search  of  food.  The 
hum  becomes  perfectly  audible  as  soon  as  the 
swarm  congregates  around  a  certain  point  with 
the  intention  to  settle.  Then  it  is,  that  I  put 
the  queen  that  could  not  fly  to  the  swarm  ;  and 
though  I  have  detained  her  several  minutesduring 
which  time  she  was  under  very  great  excitement, 
she  emitted  no  hum  or  noise  whatever. 

It  has  so  happened,  that  since  writing  the 
above,  I  was  called  to  a  friend’s  house,  in  his 
absence,  to  attend  to  a  young  swarm.  As  soon 
as  I  approached  the  old  hive,  I  found  some  little 
dissatisfaction  among  the  bees  composing  the 
swarm ;  and  fancying  that  the  queen  might  not 
be  with  the  swarm,  I  closely  examined  the  plot 
before  the  apiary,  and  found  her.  I  took  her  into 
my  hand  and  retained  her  till  I  discovered  an 
effort  made  by  the  swarm  to  settle.  Not  the 
least  hum  was  perceptible  as  coming  from  her ; 
but  the  peculiar  hum  was  very  perceptible  where 
the  young  swarm  congregated  to  settle.  I  at 
once  placed  the  queen  there,  and  in  a  short  time 
the  swarm  was  nicely  hived.  On  the  return  of 
the  proprietor,  I  pointed  out  to  him  the  hive  that 
had  swarmed,  and  to  my  surprise,  he  told  me  that 
on  the  day  before,  he  had  hived  a  nice  swarm  from 
the  same  hive.  This  is  so  rare  an  occurrence 
that  I  at  once  determined  to  inform  you  of  it ; 
and  the  only  construction  I  can  put  on  it  is,  that 
the  old  hive  must  have  made  an  effort  to  swarm 
some  nine  or  ten  days  before,  that  the  queen  was 
lost,  and  that  no  one  witnessed  the  returning  of 
this  swarm  to  the  old  hive  ;  that  the  swarm 
hived  the  day  before,  must  have  come  some  nine 
O’  eleven  days  later,  and  that  the  swarm  to  which 


I  had  been  called  was  the  one  which  had  previ¬ 
ously  issued  and  then  returned.  J.  B. 

Forsyth  Co.,  N.  C 

- *t-f - — - 

Destroying  Insects  on  the  Pomegranate  — 
Wm.  A.  Scarborough,  Columbia,  Fla  ,  writes  to 
the  Agriculturist,  that  “  a  fine  pomegranate  tree 
which  stood  in  his  yard,  was  infested  with  very 
small  insects,  resembling  chicken  mites,  which 
affected  the  forms  of  the  fruit  immediately  after 
blossoming,  causing  them  to  fall  to  the  ground. 
He  finally  hit  upon  the  following  plan  to  expel 
them.  A  quantity  of  loose  powder  was  sprinkled 
upon  a  board  of  sufficient  length  to  reach  the  ex¬ 
tremities  of  the  limbs  on  each  side  ;  the  board 
was  held  up  immediately  under  the  branches,  and 
the  powder  ignited.  The  insects  left,  or  were 
destroyed,  and  a  fine  yield  of  fruit  ripened. 

■<>«  ,  <S» - - 

Advertising  Information— Gratis — II. 

(.Continued from  page  198.) 

We  are  not  yet  successful  in  finding  satisfac¬ 
tory  “employment,”  though  we  have  been  very 
industrious  in  writing,  (through  country  friends 
under  different  names)  in  answer  to  the  many  at¬ 
tractive  advertisements  that  are  continually  ap¬ 
pearing.  A  great  many  of  our  letters  are  never 
answered, though  properly  directed  and  the  money 
or  “return  stamps”  duly  enclosed.  They  are 
mailed  from  various  post  offices. .  .A  word  more 
about  No.  5,  the  last  in  our  former  article.  We 
stated  that  our  letter,  enclosing  25  cents  for  the 
“Secret  art  of  catching  Mink,  Muskrats,  etc.” 
which  was  sent  May  25th,  had  not  been  answered 
up  to  June  16th,  but  the  answer  did  come  June 
24th,  one  month  after  writing  for  it.  The  letter 
was  postmarked  “Greenwood,  N.Y.,  June  14.”  No 
name  accompanied  it,  and  we  do  not  know  from 
whom  it  came.  We  paid  25  cents  for  it,  and 
3  cents  more  on  the  letter,  to  say  nothing  of 
writing  paper  and  time.  We  suspect  it  isn’t 
worth  the  money,  and  to  make  up  any  loss,  we 
will  give  the  recipe,  including  the  entire  letter, 
just  as  it  came.  Here  it  is : 

“the  hunter’s  secret. 

To  Catch  game  such  as  mink  musk  rats  weasels  rac¬ 
coons  otter  &c 

Take  1  oz  of  Valerion  I  oz  commercial  Musk  1 
Pint  of  Whiskey.  Let  stand  for  two  Weeks  put  a 
few  drops  of  this  on  your  Bait 

June  10th  59 

Please  excuse  me  not  sending  the  receipt  sooner  as 
I  live  a  distance  from  the  Post  Office.” 

There  you  have  it,  readers.  If  any  of  you  find 
it  to  be  worth  25  cents,  you  will  please  send  the 
amount  without  delay,  and  we  will  at  once  for¬ 
ward  the  same  to  the  advertiser. — N.B.  The 
dollar,  enclosed  to  us  with  the  advertisement,  was 
returned  to  the  sender  June  24th,  1859,  directed 
to  the  same  address  as  our  25  cents  was  sent. 
We  hope  it  got  back  safely  to  Steuben  county. 
[No.  6.] 

O  CONSUMPTIVES. — A  Clergyman 

having  cured  his  son  of  consumption  in  its  worst  stages, 
after  being  given  up  to  die,  by  the  most  celebrated  physicians, 
desires  to  make  known  the  mode  of  cure,  (whicli  proves  suc¬ 
cessful  in  every  case),  to  those  afflicted  with  Coughs,  Colds, 
and  Consumption,  and  he  will  send  the  same  to  any  address! 
free  of  charge.  Address,  inclosing  two  stamps  to  pay  return 
postage. - ,  No.  — , st.,  N.  Y. 

Now  we  are  sure  of  a  certain  cure  for  con¬ 
sumption,  as  it  “  proves  successful  in  every  case,” 

and  it  is  to  come  free  of  charge.  But  if  Mr. - 

desires  to  make  known  to  the  afflicted,  his  certain' 
cure,  why  did  he  not  send  it  direct  to  us,  instead 
of  paying  the  Tribune  $1  a  line  to  tell  people  to 
send  to  him  for  it.  We  would  gladly  have  publish¬ 
ed  so  great  a  boon  free  of  charge,  and  even  paid 
for  the  privilege,  if  it  was  to  benefit  our  readers. 
There  must  be  some  catch  about  that.  But  we’ll 
see.  Here  go  three  stamps — two  enclosed  to  the 
advertiser  for  “  return  postage,”  and  one  to  pay 


for  carrying  them.  (Our  letter  of  inquiry  was 

sent  from  a  country  post  office) . Here  comes 

the  answer,  post-marked  at  Maspeth,  N.  Y.,  and 
not  at  New-York.  And  further,  there  is  only 
one  “  return  stamp.”  Where’s  the  other  one  we 

sent  you,  Mr.’ - 1  The  answer  consists  of  a 

4-page  printed  letter,  which  goes  on  to  detail  that 
one  “  Uncas  Brant”  was  “  appointed  missionary  to 
a  tribe  of  the  Black-Feet  Indians,  by  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Society  that  his  son  was  dreadfully 
afflicted  with  consumption  ;  that  instead  of  grow¬ 
ing  better,  he  got  worse,  and  “  we  felt  that  his 
last  hour  had  come.”  Just  then  “an  old  Indian 
chief  came  into  our  cabin,  looked  at  c  ur  son,  and 
the  tears  chased  each  other  down  l.is  swarthy 
but  friendly  face.  Turning  to  my  wire,  he  said  : 
‘  Pale  face  no  die — me  squaw  cure  him.’  ”  The 
printed  letter  goes  on  to  describe  the  cure  most 
pathetically.  The  result  was,  “  Old  Uncas  Brant  ” 
finished  his  mission  to  the  souls  of  the  Black  Feet, 
learning  during  the  time  all  about  the  “  Indian 
Cough  Plant  gathered  a  large  lot,  and  came 
home  to  devote  his  life  to  curing  the  bodies  of  the 
White-feet,  or  white-brained. 

His  “ free  ”  directions  amount  to  this,  that  the 
plant  grows  along  the  “  foot-hills  of  the  eastern 
slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains”;  must  be  gathered 
in  June  ;  carefully  dried  in  the  shade  ;  4  ounces 
of  leaves  digested  in  one  quart  of  spring  water  ; 

be  reduced  to  3  ounces,  etc . This  won’t  do 

for  us.  We  can  not  visit  the  Rocky  Mountains 
in  June.  But  we  are  told  that  we  can  get  a  $2 
bottle  of  the  advertiser,  whom  “  Old  Uncas  Brant” 
has  induced  to  keep  it.  Plenty  of  letters  are 
published  from  persons  who  have  been  benefited, 
or  thought  they  were  about  to  be.  But  you  can’t 
get  our  $2,  Mr. - ,  until  you  tell  a  little  bet¬ 

ter  story.  We  want  to  know  something  about 
“  Old  Uncas  Brant.”  We  remember  an  Indian 
chief  by  the  name  of  Uncas,  former  chief  of  the 
Narragansett  Indians  in  Connecticut,  and  also  the 
noted  Brant,  an  Indian  chief,  who  joined  the 
British  in  the  revolutionary  war.  But  “  Old  Un¬ 
cas  Brant,”  missionary  to  the  Black-leet  Indians, 

who  is  he.  If  Mr.  - will  get  the  certificate 

of  the  “Baptist  Missionary  Society”  that  they 
ever  sent  out  “  Old  Uncas  Brant,”  or  any  other 
missionary  to  the  Black-Peet,  we  will  then  think 
about  the  $2  investment.  We  fear,  “  Old  Uncas 
Brant  ”  may  be  twin-brother  to  that.  Rev.  Wilson 
(see  No.  3,  page  198),  who  told  us  in  his  letter, 
about  his  traveling  in  the  “  New-Haven  Methodist 
Conference” — a  conference,  by  the  way,  which 
Methodists  themselves  never  heard  of.  “  Rev. 
Wilson  ”  and  “  Old  Uncas  Brant  ”  should  read  up 
church  history  a  little,  before  they  get  out  another 
edition  of  their  circular  letters.  When  they  at¬ 
tempt  to  “  steal  the  livery  of  heaven  to  serve  the 
devil  in,”  they  should  be  very  careful  to  go  to  the 
right  wardrobe. 

[No.  7.] 

A^BSERVE — 150  addresses  of  either  sex 

V-r  wanted,  who  can  make  from  $1,000  to  $5,000  per  annum 
clear— by  inclosing  12  cents  to  pay  postage  on  all,  or  one  stamp 
for  letter  to  A.  D.  F— — ,  T - ,  Ohio. 

Ah  !  here  we  have  it — “$1,000  to  $5,000  per 
annum  clear.” — What  a  splendid  chance,  all  for 
twelve  paltry  coppers.  We  are  smart,  of  course, 
and  shall  get  the  $5,000,  so  here  go  12  cents,  and 
a  three  cent  stamp  for  postage. — Mem.  Enclosed 

and  duly  mailed  to  A.  D.  F.,  June  18,  1859 . 

What  is  the  matter  1  Here  it  is,  July  17,  and 
nothing  heard  from  our  12  cents.  Hope  deferred 
maketh  the  heart  sick.  Do  send  us  on  that 

$5,000  a  year  job,  Mr.  F - .  We  can’t  wait. 

Did  we  not  send  all  the  particulars  you  need  to 
make  out  our  commission  1  We  forgot,  perhaps, 
to  tell  you  our  sex,  as  we  see  you  mention  “  either 
sex”  in  your  advertisement.  Is  the  $5,000  for 
women,  and  the  $1,000  for  men  1  If  so,  put  us 


Q32 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  151. 


down  as  belonging  to  the  feminine  gender,  and 
send  us  the  $5,000— or  if  you  give  the  $5,000  to 
men,  put  us  down  in  the  masculine  gender — but 
do  send  on  the  $5,000 

[No.  8.[ 

OMMERCIAL  AGENTS — Able  and  lion- 

est  men  from  New-England  or  N.  Y.,  wanted. - , 

Philadelphia. 

In  response  to  the  above  we  wrote  June  21, 
and  though  not  required,  we  sent  a  stamp  for  re¬ 
turn  postage.  Up  to  July  17th  we  have  no 

answer.  '  What's  the  matter,  Mr. - 1  What 

more  can  we  do  to  get  a  “  Commercial  Agency  ■” 
Please  tell  us.  Do  you  want  “  able  and  honest 
men,”  or  able  men,  and  honest  men  also!  Must 
the  men  be  able  in  body,  or  able  in  mind  1  Let 
us  know,  and  we  can  get  up  certificates  to  suit 
you.  We  never  yet  heard  of  any  thing  for  which 
good  certificates  could  not  be  got  in  quantity. 

(To  he  continued  as  needed:) 

- - — - —a -CM*™ - - - 

White  Rye— A  Sew  Premium. 

We  have  at  different  times  received  a  head  or 
two  of  what  is  termed  White  Rye — that  is,  a  va¬ 
riety  much  resembling  wheat,  in  the  whiteness 
of  its  kernel.  Some  of  these  specimens  we  have 
previously  referred  to.  Mr.  Carpenter,  of  West¬ 
chester,  who  is  an  indefatigable  experimenter 
with  new  plants  of  almost  every  kind,  presented 
us,  this  year,  with  a  fine  bunch  of  heads  upon  the 
straw,  the  latter  measuring  about  five  feet.  The 
heads  are  long,  well  filled,  and  the  kernel  large, 
and  quite  as  light-colored  as  the  common  red 
wheat.  From  three  bushels  of  seed,  on  about  two 
acres,  he  estimates  the  yield  (not  yet  threshed)  at 
60  bushels.  It  was  sown  rather  late  (Oct.  15th,) 
but  was  ready  to  cut  the  second  week  in  July. 
It  should  be  sown  during  September.  Mr.  C.  has 
promised  to  his  neighbors  all  he  can  possibly 
spare  this  year,  and  he  has  no  more  to  sell. 
We  have  prevailed  upon  him  to  furnish  us  a 
little  for  distribution.  It  will,  however,  be  out  of 
season  at  our  annual  seed  distribution,  next  Win¬ 
ter,  and  as  the  quantity  is  small,  we  shall  only 
offer  it  now  as  a  premium. 

To  any  person  sending  a  new  subscription  for 
the  Agriculturist,  for  himself  or  other  person,  we 
will  present  a  small  parcel  of  seed,  say  two  ounces 
or  less.  It  can  be  called  for  at  our  office,  or  it 
will  be  forwarded  by  mail,  if  the  receiver  will 
furnish  the  necessary  postage  (3  cents  per  half 
ounce.  Scarce  seeds  like  this,  where  it  is  desira¬ 
ble  to  multiply  them  as  rapidly  as  possible,  should 
be  sown  in  drills,  giving  each  seed  room  to  tiller 
and  produce  the  largest  possible  yield.  With  pro¬ 
per  care  in  sowing  and  weeding,  two  ounces  of 
rye  or  wheat  may  be  made  to  produce  a  large 
supply  of  seed  for  another  year. 

- -  - — a»r-  — .  — - . 

Sow  Turnips  Yet. 

The  old  rule,  “on  the  25th  of  July  sowr  your 
turnips,  wet  or  dry,”  is  not  far  out  of  the  way 
for  the  common  field  varieties,  yet  it  should  not 
be  forgotten  that  a  very  good  crop  is  frequently 
raised  from  seed  sown  so  late  even  as  the  end  of 
August.  The  amount  of  yield  will  depend  upon 
the  length  of  open  weather  in  Autumn.  Turnips 
will  grow  until  actually  frozen  into  the  ground. 
For  late  sowing,  such  quick-growing  varieties  as 
the  Red-top  Strap-leaf  and  the  White  Flat  are 
preferable.  The  Long  White  French,  the  Ash¬ 
croft  Swedish,  and  the  River’s  Swedish  Stubble 
grow  rapidly,  and  though  they  are  larger  when 
sown  early  in  July,  yet  they  acquire  a  good  size, 
sometimes  quite  large  enough  for  table  use,  when 
sown'  in  the  first  half  of  August,  or  even  later. 
No  directions  for  their  cultivation  are  needed. 
Scatter  the  seed,  not  too  thickly,  either  broadcast, 


or  better  in  drills,  wherever  open  space  can  be 
found  for  it  to  grow.  A  slight  covering  only  is 
needed.  With  this,  as  with  other  crops,  the  bet¬ 
ter  the  soil,  the  better  the  yield.  Fresh  or  high¬ 
ly  stimulating  manures  produce  too  much  top  at 
the  expense  of  the  root. 

Newspaper  Controversies. 

We  have  usually  agreed  very  nearly,  on  most 
subjects,  with  our  cotemporary,  the  Connecticut 
Homestead,  but  a  recent  number  of  that  journal 
enters  into  a  long  argument  to  show  that  we  are 
wrong  in  our  estimate  of  the  value  of  mineral 
manures,  generally.  We  cannot  find  the  time  to 
discuss,  in  the  columns  of  the  Homestead,  the 
theories  and  statements  of  the  article  referred 
to,  which  are  in  part  erroneous,  and  it  would  be 
useless  to  do  so  through  the  Agriculturist,  which 
of  course  goes  to  a  different  circle  of  readers. 

We  will  here  take  occasion  to  say  that  vve  con¬ 
sider  newspaper  controversies  as  useless  waste 
of  paper,  and  ink,  and  time,  especially  when  car¬ 
ried  on  between  the  editors  or  contributors  of 
two  different  journals.  A  fair  discussion  of  any 
controverted  topic,  when  both  sides  are  presented 
in  the  columns  of  the  same  journal,  is  often  pro¬ 
ductive  of  good,  if  personal  attacks  and  recrimi¬ 
nations  be  wholly  ignored  ;  but  for  one  journal  to 
present  the  arguments  of  one  side  of  a  question 
to  its  readers,  while  another  journal  presents  the 
opposite  side  to  a  different  class  of  readers,  is  very 
like  trying  a  prisoner  before  two  distinct  juries, 
one  of  which  shall  hear  only  the  evidence  and 
counsel  for  the  plaintiff,  and  the  other  hear  only 
that  of  the  defendant.  Both  juries  would  be 
most  likely  to  be  led  astray.  The  number  of  per¬ 
sons  who  take  and  read  two  agricultural  journals 
is  so  limited  that  we  have  made  it  a  point  to 
avoid  all  controversy  with  our  cotemporaries,  and 
we  shall  continue  so  to  do,  as  a  general  rule. 

In  regard  to  the  question  at  issue,  though  we 
have  often  stated  our  theory  of  the  growth  of 
plants  and  on  manuring  generally,  we  may  have 
occasion  soon  to  take  up  the  subject  somewhat  at 
length,  not  only  on  account  of  its  general  import¬ 
ance,  but  also  in  view  of  the  Homestead's  theo¬ 
ries,  which  we  did  not  chance  to  see  until  just 
before  going  to  press. 

- -  l  f-o- - 

Impositions  on  Farmers. 

An  old  and  true  adage  is  :  “  set  a  rogue  to  catch 
a  rogue.”  The  one  most  likely  to  have  a  sharp 
look-out  for  roguery  in  others,  is  he  who  has  be¬ 
come  skillful  in  the  practice  of  deception.  Farm¬ 
ers  are  more  likely  than  others  to  be  imposed 
upon,  for  the  very  good  reason  that,  as  a  class,  they 
constitute  the  more  upright,  unsuspecting  part 
of  community.  Intending  no  evil  themselves, 
they  are  not  always  on  the  look-out  for  fraud  on 
the  part  of  others,  and  on  this  account  are  more 
easily  deceived  by  plausible  statements.  It  is 
owing  to  this  fact  that  we  feel  it  a  part  of  our 
duty,  as  guardians  of  the  farmer’s  interest,  to 
hunt  up  and  expose  humbugs.  We  confess  that 
we  have  had  a  little  sore  experience,  which  adds 
a  zest  to  this  department  of  our  labors— the  show¬ 
ing  up  of  some  of  the  humbugs  afloat  in  the  com¬ 
munity.  Promises  of  law-suits,  threatening  let¬ 
ters,  personal  abuse,  are  of  course  to  be  expect¬ 
ed  from  those  whose  schemes  are  thwarted,  but 
these  do  not  alarm  or  intimidate  us  in  the  least, 
and  so  long  as  we  can  use  the  pen  we  expect  to 
be  on  the  watch  to  expose  the  fraudulent  schemes 
of  those  who  are  thriving  upon  dishonest  gains. 

We  shall  be  glad  of  any  assistance  that  can  be 
rendered  by  our  readers.  New-York  was  former¬ 
ly  the  central  point  for  the  operation  of  humbugs, 


but  latterly  they  have  scattered  themselves  pretty 
well  over  the  country,  and  from  various  remote 
Post-offices,  plausible  circulars  are  distributed 
through  the  mails.  Those  who  still  make  this 
city  their  headquarters,  operate  chiefly  at  distant 
points.  Instances  have  occurred  recently  where 
thousands,  and  even  millions  of  circulars  have 
been  sent  to  the  West,  scarcely  one  of  which  has 
been  dropped  within  a  hundred  miles  of  the  city. 
A  single  establishment,  upon  which  we  are  keep¬ 
ing  an  eye,  have,  by  one  means  and  another,  ob¬ 
tained  the  names  and  address  of  a  vast  number  of 
farmers,  and  a  large  force  is  constantly  employed 
in  forwarding  pamphlets  and  circulars  to  them. 
One  scheme  is  pushed  for  a  few  weeks,  or  so 
long  as  it  can  be  done  with  safety,  and  then  an¬ 
other  is  hatched  out  by  the  same  parties,  but  un¬ 
der  a  different,  assumed  name.  Those  farmers 
who  receive  these  pamphlets  or  circulars,  no 
matter  how  plausible  or  attractive,  will  do  well 
to  send  a  line  of  inquiry  to  us,  before  investing 
even  so  much  as  a  sixpence.  They  may  thus 
save  themselves  from  loss,  and  help  us  to  warn 
others. 


Weeds  for  Manure, 


It  is  gravely  proposed,  in  one  of  our  exchanges, 
to  use  weeds  for  enriching  land  !  The  writer 
claims  that  they  keep  the  land  moist,  by  con¬ 
densing  dew  and  conveying  it  down  to  the  roots 
of  the  plants,  and  by  keeping  the  ground  shaded. 
When  they  attain  considerable  size,  the  farmer 
plow's  thorn  under,  just  as  he  does  clover  crops. 

At  first,  w'e  thought  this  writer  must  be  some 
lazy  wag,  but  on  studying  him  closer,  we  are  sat¬ 
isfied  that  he  is  a  grand  reformer  in  agriculture. 
“Why  should  the  wrneds  be  wasted,”  he  asks,  “and 
time  and  labor  lost  in  trying  to  extirpate  them, 
when  they  were  evidently  designed  to  grow  and 
to  be  made  useful  ”1  Now,  it  may  be  making  the 
best  of  a  bad  bargain  to  plow  under  a  heavy 
growth  of  weeds  which  have  once  got  the  start  of 
us  ;  but  to  grow  a  crop  of  them  “  on  purpose  ”  to 
use  them  in  this  way,  is  bad  policy.  Do  they  not 
exhaust  land  of  fertility  which  should  go  to  the 
growing  crop  1  And  is  there  not  great  danger 
that  if  wmeds.  are  allow'ed  to  get  under  full  head¬ 
way,  they  will  prove  too  much  for  the  farmer  to 
subdue  '!  If  they  go  to  seed,  what  a  crop  of  mis¬ 
chief  do  they  make  !  White  daisy,  thistles  native 
and  foreign,  docks  and  the  rest,  are  dangerous 
things  to  trifle  with.  Manure  made  in  this  way, 
will  probably  cost  too  much. 

- «n  <  - ►-  O- - 

Home-Made  Manure. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Agriculturist,  in  a  re¬ 
cent  letter,  says:  “ _ Wishing  to  procure  a 

couple  of  loads  of  manure,  I  endeavored  to  pur¬ 
chase  them  of  a  neighbor,  but  was  told  he  had 
none  to  spare  ‘  for  love  nor  money  ;’  that  he  him¬ 
self  had  already  ordered  a  ton  of  guano  for  his 
own  use.  I  had  that  morning  rallied  him  on  the 
slovenly  appearance  of  his  back  door-yard,  which 
he  admitted,  was  a  shame  to  the  place,  but  plead 
want  of  time  to  attend  to  it,  as  an  excuse.  I 
finally  offered  to  clear  it  all  out  for  him  on  condi¬ 
tion  that  I  might  have  the  little  manure  I  could 
scrape  up  there,  and  he  consented — making  me 
promise  to  do  it  up  slick.  I  W'ent  to  wmrk  at  it 
with  a  hired  man  and  team,  and  was  two  days 
about  the  job,  but  got  for  my  labor  tiventy-cnc 
well-rounded  loads  of  manure!  It  was  composed 
of  chip  dirt,  the  ashes  from  some  half-dozen  old 
leach  tubs,  and  the  soil  where  the  house-slops  had 
been  thrown  for  a  long  time.  This  was  wmrth 
much  more  than  a  ton  of  guano.  He  thought  I 
had  made  too  good  a  bargain,  but  I  answered 
that  I  had  only  removed  what  was  a  nuisance  to 
him,  and  wms  of  no  benefit  to  any  one.”  J.  L.  E. 


.August,  1859. 


338 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Iowa  Correspondence. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

I  am  sorry  not  to  see  more  letters  from  this 
beautiful  State.  To  have  the  lowest  list  of  sub¬ 
scribers  for  the  Agriculturist,  would  not  speak 
well  for  any  State.  We  take  the  Agriculturist, 
and  notwithstanding  “never  lend  your  paper,” 
we  lend  to  every  one  not  taking  it  who  will  read 
it.  Four  of  these  already 
desire  to  become  sub¬ 
scribers  next  year.  Your 
seeds  are  of  great  value 
in  our  new  country, 
where  it  is  often  hard  to 
obtain  a  good  lot.  We 
have  “  astonished  the 
natives  ”  by  having  new 
and  rare  plants  in  our 
garden,  growing  from 
your  seeds,  when  they 
had  only  seen  the  adver¬ 
tisement  of  them  in  some 
Weekly  from  the  East, 
and  had  thought  it  would 
be  some  time  before  they 
could  be  obtained  in  this 
western  country.  We 
bought  bees  last  year, 
and  by  following  direc¬ 
tions  given  every  month 
in  the  Agriculturist ,  have 
succeeded  well,  and  have 
had  honey  to  eat  with 
our  “  hog  anil  hominy .” 

I  am  glad  to  see  such 
pictures  as  the  happy 
family  in  their  rural 
home,  given  in  your  May 
number ;  that  class  read 
your  paper  more  than 
the  rich  and  great,  and 
some  simple  useful  hints 
like  those,  suggest  new 
ideas  to  them,  and,  if  they 
are  right  minded,  will 
make  their  homes  cheer¬ 
ful  and  happy.  I  think 
the  Agriculturist  will  help 
us  to  beautify  our  cottage 
— it  has  done  it  already.  The  advertisement  in 
the  Tribune,  puffing  the  hop  tree,  and  advising  to 
banish  the  hop  vine,  is  all  wrong.  What  was 
said  in  the  Agriculturist  about  “  Morning  Glories 
for  paint,”  will  apply  to  the  hop  vine  as  well,  if 
not  better,  for  it  is  earlier.  It  is  a  long  tried 
friend,  and  I  do  not  like  to  see  it  depreciated. 
This  is  my  first  epistle  to  you,  and  may  or  may 
not  be  worthy  of  “  making  a  note  of,”  but  how¬ 
ever  that  may  be,  accept  our  warmest  w’ishes  for 
the  success  of  the  Agriculturist.  Agnes  May. 

Louisa  Co.,  Iowa. 


Hints  for  tlie  Season. 

Now  that  hot  weather  is  in  the  ascendant,  it  is 
a  good  time  for  forming  plans  to  promote  the  sum 
mer  comforts  of  one’s  home.  Are  there  blinds 
and  good  curtains  on  your  house,  so  that  the  fiery 
rays  of  the  sun  cannot  dart  into  your  bedrooms 
and  parlor  I  If  not,  resolve  to  devote  the  first 
spare  money  to  provide  this  comfort.  Are  there 
shade-trees  around  your  dwelling,  where  your 
family  can  sit  at  leisure  moments  and  enjoy  them¬ 
selves  ?  If  not,  let  the  approaching  autumn  see 
a  goodly  number  planted.  And  then,  have  you  a 
verandah  or  porch  over  your  door  on  the  sunny 
side,  where  roses  and  vines  may  clamber,  thus 


making  your  house  comfortable,  as  well  as  adding 
to  its  beauty  1  And  whatever  else  is  lacking  to 
promote  the  comfort  of  your  home  at  this  hot 
season,  make  note  of  it,  and  begin  to  provide  it 
as  far,  and  as  fast,  as  your  means  will  allow.  The 
things  which  really  give  the  most  comfort  are 
usually  cheap.  If  you  are  provided  with  a  fair 
assortment  of  carpenter's  tools,  there  are  scores 
of  conveniences  which  may  be  made  at  odd  spells. 


The  above  picture  we  found  recently  in 
the  English  “National  Magazine,”  and  think¬ 
ing  it  possessed  several  features  of  beauty  ,as 
well  as  interest,  we  had  it  re-engraved  to  present 
to  the  readers  of  the  Agriculturist  The  girl  here 
represented  is  the  daughter  of  an  Italian  farmei, 
who,  having  gone  out  at  early  dawn,  while  the 
dew  was  fresh  upon  the  ground,  to  cut  grass  for 
the  cattle,  now  trudges  patiently  homeward  with 
the  spoils  of  the  field  upon  her  head.  She  is  of 
rather  darker  complexion  than  most  of  the 
younger  females  of  Italy,  and  appears  to  belong 
to  the  dark-haired  Sabine  race.  Her  features  in¬ 
dicate  an  Israelitish  descent.  The  reaping  hook 
in  her  hand  is  of  the  form  used  in  Italy  from 
time  immemorial.  We  find  it  pictured  and  de¬ 
scribed  as  far  back  as  the  days  of  Caesar.  The 
poet  Virgil  used  such  a  hook  in  his  amateur  hus¬ 
bandry,  at  the  time  he  w'rote  his  Georgies,  or 
Rural  Latin  Poems,  some  40  years  before  the 
Christian  Era.  How7  strongly  does  this  primitive 
grass-hook,  yet  in  general  use  in  many  countries, 
contrast  with  our  modern  cutting  implements. 
What  would  be  thought  of  the  farmer  who  should 
eschew  the  scythe,  and  gather  all  his  grass  with 
the  best  modern  sickle  ;  yet,  how  far  is  the  scythe 
excelled  by  the  recent  horse- mower. 

There  is  another  thought  suggested  by  this 


picture.  The  grass  cutter  is  evidently  not  one  ot 
the  poorest  class  ;  her  dress  indicates  that  she 
belongs  to  a  family  well-to-do  in  the  world.  But 
note  the  healthful  vigor  indicated  in  her  counte¬ 
nance,  and  the  strong,  well  developed  muscles  of 
the  arm  and  shoulder.  This  comes  from  active 
open  air  exercise — such  exercise  as  would,  if 
taken  by  our  females,  do  away  with  nine-tenths 
of  the  paleness,  languor,  and  consumption,  now  so 
prevalent.  We  are  far 
from  proposing  that  our 
wives  and  daughters 
should  take  their  place 
with  the  laborers  in  the 
hay- field  —  though  we 

have  in  mind  sundry 
pleasing  poetic  pictures 
of  lads  and  lasses,  toss¬ 
ing  the  new-mown  hay — 
hut  we  are  becoming 
more  and  more  impressed 
with  the  absurdity  of  the 
present  system  of  female 
education.  The  aim  now 
is,  to  secure,  not  a  vigor¬ 
ous  robust  constitution, 
but  soft  hands  and  a  deli¬ 
cate  whiteness  of  the 
skin,  accompanied,  ot 
course,  by  languor, wreak- 
ness  of  muscles,  and  a 
sickly  sensitiveness  of 
nerves.  Never  was 
there  a  time  when  it  was 
more  important  to  incul¬ 
cate  the  fact  that  a  sound 
mind  can  exist  only  in  a 
sound  body.  Our  females 
need  air,  sunlight,  and  se¬ 
verer  exercise.  To  use  a 
homely  comparison, there 
is  about  as  much  differ¬ 
ence  between  what  many 
refined  females  are,  •phy¬ 
sically,  and  what  they 
ought  to  be,  as  there  is 
between  the  colorless 
vine  raised  in  the  still  at¬ 
mosphere  of  a  dark  cellar, 
and  the  green  healthful 
one  that  has  grown  in  the  open  field,  and  with¬ 
stood  the  bending  force  of  a  hundred  strong  winds. 

While  an  advanced  civilization  has  appropri¬ 
ately  turned  over  field  labors  exclusively  to  the 
sterner  sex,  provision  should  still  be  made  to 
give  active  out-door  employment  and  exercise 
to  females.  We  know  of  nothing  affording  better 
and  more  appropriate  exercise  than  the  gardes. 
Nor  would  we  have  this  labor  confined  to  the  su¬ 
pervision  of  a  flower  border  alone.  An  hour  or 
two  of  labor  with  the  garden  trowel,  weeding 
fork,  rake,  and  hoc,  daily,  among  the  plants  of  va¬ 
rious  kinds,  by  every  female  in  the  household, 
would  do  more  to  abolish  nervousness,  sick 
headache,  debility,  coughs,  and  “declines,”  and  to 
promote  real  health,  and  beauty  of  complexion, 
than  all  the  pills,  lotions,  cosmetics,  and  etcete¬ 
ras,  which  medical  science,  patent  and  impotent, 
ever  dreamed  of. 

- - — - - - - - 

The  Os-eye  Daisy  ( Leucantkcmum .) 

If  the  object  to  be  attained  in  field  culture  was 
to  adorn  the  landscape,  to  produce  crops  of  beau 
ty,  the  Ox-eye  Daisy  would  justly  be  highly 
prized.  When  the  vivid  green  of  Spring  is  fading 
into  the  ripening  brown  of  Summer,  this  plant 


THE  ITALIAN  GRASS  CUTTER.— From  a  Painting  by  Edmund  Engles. 


234 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


opens  its  star-like  petals  over  the  fields  and  by 
the  wayside,  until  in  the  distance,  one  might  sup¬ 
pose  the  snow  of  Winter,  without  its  cold,  had 
again  covered  the  earth.  But  the  farmer  dreads 
the  snow  in  its  season  much  less  than  this  intru¬ 
sive  visitor.  He  knows  too  well  that  the  elements 
which  nourish  its  growth  are  so  much  lost  to  the 
grass  which  should  supply  food  for  his  stock  ; 
that  however  rich  it  may  be  in  appearance,  its 
value  for  his  purposes  is  nothing  ;  his  cattle  may 
occasionally  nip  it,  but  evidently  not  for  the  love 
of  it,  but  for  want  of  something  better.  If  every 
cultivator  had  but  nipped  this  intruder  in  the  bud, 
“  putting  his  eye  out  ”  the  first  time  it  opened  in 
Ins  field,  digging  out,  root  and  branch,  every  spe¬ 
cimen,  it  could  never  have  come  to  be  the  pest  it 
is.  On  thousands  of  farms  embracing  almost  the 
entire  surface  in  many  parts  of  the.  country,  it 
monopolizes  the  pastures,  and  being  a  hardy  per- 
rennial,  it  maintains  its  footing  with  vexatious 
pertinacity.  Many  weeds  can  be  run  out,  fairly 
smothered  with  grass,  but  the  Daisy  is  more  than 
a  match  for  the  cultivated  grasses,  and  is  nowhere 
more  at  home  than  in  the  pasture  and  meadow. 
When  once  fairly  established,  we  know  no  way  of 
extirpating  it  but  by  a  succession  of  hoed  crops, 
for  three  or  four  years  at  least.  Of  course  where 
land  is  thus  severely  tasked,  it  should  be  ade¬ 
quately  manured,  and  with  this  treatment  it  can 
probably  be  subdued.  At  any  rate,  cropping  with 
corn,  or  potatoes,  or  other  roots,  will  be  more  prof¬ 
itable  than  pasture  stifled  with  daisy. 

■ —  -  ■  ■wgq^-Egao—  -  ■  ■»  - 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist. — Prize  Articles. 

Farm  Fencing . ¥1, 

POST-AKD-BOARD  FENCE. 

For  a  farm  enclosure ,  by  which  term  we  mean  a 
line  or  boundary  fence,  dividing  it  from  the  high¬ 
way,  or  from  a  neighbor,  a  strong  one  is  necessary. 
It  should  be  also,  full  five  feet  high — six  in  some 
cases,  depending  on  what  class  of  animals  are 
kept  in  the  fields  by  yourself,  or  those  who  adjoin 
you.  We  have  named  next  to  the  hedge,  the 
stone  wall,  the  post  and  rail,  and  the  Virginia  or 
worm  fence,  all  strong,  substantial,  and  durable, 
if  well  built,  and  of  good  material;  and  where 
stone  and  timber  are  abundant,  they  are  as  cheap 
as  any,  and  perfectly  reliable. 

But  there  are  wide  districts  of  country  where 
neither  of  these  kinds  of  fences  can  be  adopted, 
from  the  scarcity  and  expense  of  the  material 
with  which  to  build  them.  The  next  best  fence, 
then,  is  built  of  posts  and  boards.  These  may  be 
transported  thousands  of  miles  by  water,  in  ves¬ 
sels,  boats,  or  rafts,  and  hundreds  of  miles  on  land 
by  railroads,  from  the  forests  where  they  grow. 
Yet  they  form  a  more  expensive  fence  than  the 
last  two  described  if  properly  made  ;  and  they 
are  not  quite  so  strong,  but  they  answer  an  excel¬ 
lent  purpose.  The  very  first  requirement  in  this 
fence  is  to  have  posts  of  durable  timber.  We 
have  named  the  best  kinds  of  wood  for  posts,  and 
they  may  be  sawed,  or  split  as  you  choose,  and 
set  as  already  described,  not  exceeding  8  feet 
apart,  and  on  the  boarded  side  in  an  exact  line — 
where  a  straight  line  is  intended. 

The  first  process  in  making  this  fence  is  to  get 
the  range  of  the  entire  line,  where  straight,  if 
possible,  by  setting  up  temporary  stakes  every  20 
or  30  rods.  Then  dig  a  line  of  holes  full  2 1  feet 
deep — 3  feet  is  better — and  begin  planting  the 
posts  bv  inserting  one  at  each  end  of  the  line,  as  far 
as  you  can  see  well,  so  as  to  bring  every  interme¬ 
diate  post  in  a  direct  line  by  the  eye — the  best  of 
all  guides  in  such  a  matter.  Let  every  post  be 
thoroughly  tamped  down  as  the  earth  is  thrown 


in  around  it,  with  a  hard  wood  stick  like  a  com¬ 
mon  hand-spike,  the  bottom  cut  off  square,  and  if 
shod  with  an  iron  ring  round  it,  all  the  better. 
This  line  of  posts  set,  then  distribute  the  boards 
along  it.  The  kinds  of  boards  to  make  the  fence 
may  be  of  any  variety  of  wood  which  is  last¬ 
ing,  and  not  inclined  to  warp.  White  pine  makes, 
undoubtedly,  the  best  fence  boards  to  be  found,  and 
in  the  long  run  they  are  cheaper  at  fifty  percent 
over  the  first  cost  of  any  other  wood,  excepting 
chestnut.  White-oak,  and  the  other  oaks,  ash, 
cucumber,  poplar  or  white-wood,  bass-wood,  black- 
walnut,  butternut,  hemlock,  and  others,  are  more 
or  less  inclined  to  warp ;  yet  any  of  them  are  as 
strong  as  pine,  and  the  white-oak,  chestnut, 
black-walnut,  and  butternut  quite  as  durable. 
These  last  named  woods  require  a  heavier  nail 
than  the  pine,  and  the  posts  a  foot  or  two  nearer 
together,  on  account,  of  the  tendency  of  the  boards 
to  warp.  All  this  detail,  however,  will  depend 
upon  the  circumstances  of  him  who  has  the  fence 
to  make,  the  kind,  or  kinds  of  timber  at  hand, 
and  his  own  taste,  or  ability  to  encounter  the 
expense. 

THE  WIDTH 3  AND  LENGTHS  OP  THE  BOARDS, 

of  which  the  fence  is  to  be  made,  will  depend  upon 
what  is  to  be  fenced  in,  or  fenced  out  of  the  en¬ 
closure.  If  swine,  geese,  and  all  sorts  of  “  free 
commoners  ”  are  to  be  excluded,  a  foot  wide 
board  is  necessary  at  the  bottom,  raised  three 
inches  above  the  level  of  the  ground.  Above 
that,  C  or  7  inch  wide  boards  are  sufficient.  Three 
inches  is  space  enough  to  allow  between  the  low¬ 
er  board,  and  the  next  above  it ;  four  inches 
next ;  five  inches  next;  and  six  inches  to  the  top 
board,  making  five  boards  in  all,  of  3  feet  aggre¬ 
gate  width,  and  21  inches  in  the  spaces  between 
and  below  them,  the  whole  fence  being  57  inches, 
or  4  feet  9  inches  in  bight — enough  for  any  ordi¬ 
nary  purpose.  The  length  of  the  boards  should 
be  plump  16  feet,  or  twice  the  distance  the  posts 
are  apart,  sawed  all  of  a  length,  as  near  as  may 
be,  and  each  end  square.  In  nailing  the  boards 
to  the  posts  they  should  break  joints — that  is,  the 
boards  should  butt  each  other  alternately  one 
above  the  other  on  every  other  post,  which  gives 
the  whole  fence  equal  strength  and  strain.  To 
make  a  first  class,  neat  fence,  every  board 
should  be  of  the  same  thickness — plump  inch, 
when  seasoned.  There  should  be  no  shakes, 
black  loose  knots,  or  rotten  places  in  them. 
Sound  stuff,  in  fact,  should  be  used,  neither  brashy, 
spalty,  nor  cross-grained,  which,  although  other¬ 
wise  sound,  renders  them  liable  to  break  by  a 
sudden  knock,  or  heavy  pressure. 

The  nails  used  should  be  fence  nails  made  on 
purpose,  and  not  the  common  cut  nails  for  build¬ 
ing — the  length  of  a  common  8-penny,  but  twice 
its  thickness,  and  of  better  iron,  if  possible  to  get 
them.  Fence  nails  are  a  common  article  in  many 
places,  and  are  worth  twice  the  common  build¬ 
ing  nail  for  that  purpose.  They  should  be  well 
driven  home,  with  a  heavy  hammer,  for  half  the 
strength  of  a  nail  is  lost  by  driving  it  badly,  with 
a  twist  or  a  bend  in  it  when  driving.  The  top 
board  should  be  on  a  line  with  the  top  of  the  post 
in  a  continuous  line,  and  if  too  long,  the  post 
should  he  sawed  off  to  a. uniform  hight.  Some 
fence  builders  recommend,  and  use,  a  batten  placed 
up  and  down  the  face  of  each  post  after  the  boards 
are  nailed  on,  also  a  cap  board  on  the  top  along  the 
whole  line,  nailed  on  to  the  tap  of  the  posts,  using 
the  narrow  fence  boards  for  these  purposes.  The 
battens  and  caps  give  a  finished  look  to  the  fence, 
but  they,  in  reality,  do  more  hurt  than  good. 
The  battens  keep  the  joints  damp  after  rains, 
causing  them  to  rot  sooner  than  if  exposed  to  the 
sun  so  as  to  dry  immediately  after  being  wet. 


The  cap  is  not  objectionable  on  that  score,  and 
both  of  them  strengthen  the  fence  a  little,  but  not 
enough  to  pay  for  the  lumber  they  consume  and 
the  damage  caused  by  the  batten;  when  well  nailed, 
and  built  as  it  ought  to  be,  the  fence  is  abundantly 
strong  without  them.  Three  nails  at  each  end, 
and  in  the  middle  of  the  bottom  board,  and  two 
nails  in  each  end  and  the  middle  of  the  narrow 
boards  are  sufficient  for  all  common  purposes. 
Mind  this  thing,  however :  if  your  posts  are  of 
pine,  cedar,  or  other  soft  wood,  the  nails  must  be 
lull  half  an  inch  longer  than  if  of  hard  wood, 
like  oak,  or  the  other  kinds. 

COST  OP  THE  FENCE. 

This  will  of  course,  depend  much  on  the  price 
of  labor  and  material.  Labor  does  not  vary  much 
in  price  throughout  the  country,  hut  lumber  varies 
from  $8  to  $25  per  1,000  feet,  and  in  some  places 
is  higher  than  the  latter  price.  The  posts  may 
cost  more  or  less  than  the  boards,  inch  measure; 
but  on  the  average,  about  the  same,  as  they  may 
be  sawed,  or  split  and  hewed.  Let  us  see  : 

Board  measure. 

2  posts  7i  ft.  long  each,  7  inches  square  at  butt, 


ami  2x7  inches  at  top  ends,  say . 24  feet. 

1  bottom  board  16  ft.  long,  1  ft.  wide . 16  “ 

4  upper  boards  16  ft.  long,  6  inches  wide . 32  “ 


For  every  16  feet  of  fence  it  takes . 72  “ 


Add  one  pound  of  nails  worth,  say  5  cents  at  most. 

The  labor  of  digging  the  holes  and  setting  the 
posts  is  worth  4  to  6  cents  each,  according  to  the 
digging,  say  5  cents  (or  10  cents  to  each  16  feet 
of  fence).  We  will  call  the  labor  of  nailing  on  the 
boards  2  cents  more.  Thus  the  labor  is  12  cents  ; 
the  nails  5  cents  ;  and  the  average  price  of  boards 
and  posts  we  will  call  H  cts.  per  foot,  or  108  cents 
— all  together  120  cts.  for  the  16  feet,  being  half  a 
foot  less  than  a  rod.  We  thus  have  a  capital,  sub¬ 
stantial,  sightly  fence,  for  all  useful  farm  purposes 
at,  say  a  dollar  and  twenty-five  cts.  a  rod,  all  told, 
which  will  last  twenty  years  without  repair,  if 
fairly  treated.  If  we  have  put  the  price  of  lum¬ 
ber  too  low  for  some  localities,  it  is  also  too  high 
for  others,  and  that  will  govern  measurably  the 
cost  in  different  places. 

INSIDE  ENCLOSURES. 

The  cost  of  these,  on  the  same  plan,  will  de¬ 
pend  more  or  less  on  the  extent  of  security  de¬ 
manded  of  them.  Cattle  and  sheep  do  not  re¬ 
quire  half  the  strength  of  fence  that  horses  and 
swine  do — neither  so  high,  nor  so  close.  Three 
boards  will  fence  against  cattle  and  sheep  inmost 
places,  and  the  comparative  expense  will  tie  read¬ 
ily  calculated.  One  thing,  however,  must  be  re¬ 
collected.  Nothing  so  well  learns  farm  stock  to 
be  unruly  as  poor  fences.  Therefore,  every  yard, 
or  small  enclosure  where  they  are  confined 
against  their  will  shculd  be  high  and  strong,  and 
close  enough  to  keep  their  heads  from  poking 
through  it.  Gardens  and  orchards,  and  door 
yards,  should  also  be  well  fenced,  and  all  tempting 
sights  properly  secured. 

The  kind  of  fences  above  described  are  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  on  farms  where  no  conventional  or 
town  laws  exist  regulating  the  running  at  large 
of  farm  stock,  and  where  every  individual  land 
owner  must  protect  himself  from  the  lawless  and 
outrageous  exactions  of  every  poacher  who 
chooses  to  turn  his  starveling  cattle  on  to  the  high¬ 
way  for  their  Summer’s  pasture,  preferring  thus 
to  tax  his  neighbors  rather  than  provide  tor  him¬ 
self.  Yet,  in  many  districts  of  country  a  higher 
degree  of  civilization,  or  necessity  exists,  which 
restricts  the  running  at  large  of  animals,  and  ex¬ 
ceedingly  frail  and  cheap  high-way  fences  will 
answer  every  purpose.  In  such  localities  both 
the  posts  and  boards  can  be  further  apart,  and  the 
cost  of  the  fence  may  be  much  less.  As  a  rule, 


235 


t 

I 

AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


however,  every  rod  of  fence  on  a  farm  should  be 
substantial,  and  durable.  It  is  the  cheapest,  in 
the  long  run,  where  a  permanent  enclosure  is  in¬ 
tended  Temporary  or  moveable  division  fences 
may  be  made  on  a  different  plan,  much  cheaper, 
and  more  convenient  for  many  purposes.  Of 
these  we  shall  treat  hereafter,  with  gates,  bars, 
and  the  means  of  connection  with  the  different 
fields  of  the  farm. 

A  single  remark  may  here  be  made  relative  to 
the  excessive  amount  of  inside  fencing  to  which 
many  of  our  farmers  are  addicted.  It  has  fre¬ 
quently  seemed  to  us  in  passing  some  farms,  that 
their  owners  not  only  delighted  in  that  sort  of  ex¬ 
travagance,  but  equally  delighted  in  making  all 
the  extra  labor  they  could,  in  plowing  and  har¬ 
rowing  their  fields  in  “  short  bouts  ”  and  turn¬ 
ings,  encouraging  the  growth  of  bushes  by  the 
fence  sides,  and  making  work  generally — all 
against  good  economy,  and  intelligent  husbandry. 
The  increasing  scarcity  and  prices  of  fencing 
stuff  may  do  away  with  a  part  of  this  evil  habit ; 
but  we  can  assure  our  farmers  generally,  that 
taken  together,  half  the  extent  of  fences  now 
standing  on  the  average  of  our  farms,  would  be 
more  profitably  applied  in  the  better  mode  of  con¬ 
struction,  and  proper  laying  out  of  enclosures. 

■ - B>~>  ■  -  pirn  >-» - 


Blinks  from  a  Lantern. . X, 

BV  DIOGENES  RF.DIVIVUS. 

A  SCIENTIFIC  FARMER. 

Too  much  faith  is,  perhaps,  as  great  an  evil  as 
that  positive  unbelief  which  is  the  besetting  sin 
of  so  many  cultivators.  While  Ezra  Hanks 
bristles  at  every  new  thing  presented  to  his  no¬ 
tice,  and  with  a  very  significant  application  of  his 
thumb  to  the  lip  of  his  nose,  exclaims,  “  No  you 
don’t,”  bis  neighbor,  Solomon  Noodles,  Esq.,  and 
Major  of  the  Bungtown  militia,  swallows  every 
thing  whole,  and  to  the  expounder  of  every  new 
invention,  graciously  responds,  “just  so,  I  see.” 

I  had  to  give  Major  Noodles  a  call  on  my  way 
back  from  the  home  of  Ezra  Hanks.  He  lives 
about  a  mile  out  of  the  city,  and  has  one  of  the 
most  curious  establishments  in  the  country.  He 
has  plenty  of  money,  which  of  course  he  inherited 
in  part,  and  got  the  rest  by  marriage.  He  has  a 
reasonable  amount  of  family  pride,  and  an  excel¬ 
lent  conceit  of  Major  Solomon  Noodles,  the  son 
of  Solomon,  extending  back  in  an  unbroken  line 
of  Solomons  to  the  first  settlement  of  the  coun¬ 
try,  some  two  hundred  years  ago.  He  is  the 
sixth  in  regular  descent  from  the  first  settler,  and 
the  wisdom  and  dignity  of  the  whole  line  of  Noo¬ 
dles  are  concentrated  in  his  august  person. 

He  is  a  liberal  patron  of  the  fine  arts,  inven¬ 
tors,  and  scientific  men  in  general.  He  talks 
fluently  of  poetry,  painting,  music,  architecture, 
landscape  gardening,  scientific  cultivation,  and 
high  farming.  He  has  expended  a  good  deal  of 
money  upon  gardeners,  and  architects,  and  is 
likely  to  expend  a  good  deal  more,  before  he  gets 
his  house  and  grounds  arranged  to  suit  him.  The 
great  trouble  with  his  science  seems  to  be,  that 
it  grows  so  rapidly,  that  he  has  nothing  perma¬ 
nent  around  him.  His  weakness  is  well  known, 
and  he  takes  every  professional  gardener  and  ar¬ 
chitect,  in  want  of  a  job,  into  his  confidence. 

The  house  was  built  by  his  father,  and,  as  was 


the  custom  of  the  times,  rejoiced  in  parallelo¬ 
grams  and  straight  lines,  without  ornament,  from 
ground  sill  to  peak.  He  celebrated  his  advent  to 
possession  by  a  thorough  overhauling  of  the  old 
mansion,  which  had  quite  too  much  good  timber 
in  it  to  be  thrown  away,  and  yet  was  an  unwor¬ 
thy  residence  for  a  scientific  farmer  and  a  gentle¬ 
man.  So  Major  Noodles,  witli  his  architect, 
dropped  the  roof  to  an  Italian  flatness,  and  called 
it  a  villa.  The  approacli  to  the  house  was  from 
one  side,  and  ran  in  straight  lines  up  to  the  back 
door.  This  carriage  drive  was  ornamented  with 
a  row  of  elms  upon  each  side,  and  the  plot  in 
front  of  the  house  was  set  out  with  evergreens, 
mainly  white  pines  and  black  spruce. 

This  arrangement  stood  for  about  three  years, 
when  a  wandering  gardener,  and  scientific  gen¬ 
tleman,  fresh  from  the  domain  of  the  Duke  of 
Devonshire,  came  along,  and  suggested  that  it 
was  a  pity  that  an  old  family  like  the  Noodles,  of 
which  the  Major  was  the  distinguished  represen¬ 
tative,  should  not  have  a  more  tasteful  arrange¬ 
ment  of  his  house  and  grounds.  The  Gothic 
style  of  architecture  was  altogether  fashionable 
now  in  England,  and  great  attention  was  paid  to 
landscape  gardening,  in  which  the  Noodles  place 
was  sadly  wanting.  There  was  not  a  scrap  of 
lawn  to  be  seen,  and  the  rides  and  walks  were 
altogether  too  angular. 

The  Major  was  converted,  and  up  went  the  flat 
Italian  roof  into  four  model  gables,  with  sharp 
peaks,  and  innumerable  brackets.  The  wings, 
however,  were  not  changed  to  correspond,  the 
Major  having  read  somewhere,  that  a  composite 
architecture,  produced  the  happiest  effect  in  a 
picturesque  region  like  his  own.  The  straight 
carriage  walk  was  curved  to  the  line  of  beauty, 
and  the  elms  re-set.  The  plantation  of  ever¬ 
greens  in  front  was  removed,  and  the  ground 
seeded  down  to  lawn,  leaving  the  front  of  the 
house  exposed  to  the  full  sweep  of  the  north¬ 
west  winds. 

The  model  of  the  Duke  of  Devonshire  satisfied 
him  for  about  two  years,  when  a  canny  Scotch¬ 
man  came  along,  and  suggested  that  there  was  a 
great  deal  of  waste  land  about  his  premises,  that 
a  gentleman  ought  not  to  have  a  carriage  drive 
wind  around  to  the  back  door,  as  if  it  were 
skulking  and  ashamed  of  itself.  A  direct  drive 
to  the  front  of  the  house  in  straight  lines  would 
be  altogether  more  open  and  manly.  This  was  a 
new  idea  to  our  Solomon,  and  it  struck  him  so 
forcibly,  that  he  set  the  Scotchman  to  work,  and 
a  drive  was  laid  out  through  the  lawn,  the  elms, 
were  moved  again  and  the  gates  transferred  to 
the  front  of  the  mansion.  The  Scotchman 
turned  out  to  be  a  Vermont  Yankee,  who  had 
never  seen  a  landscape  garden  in  his  life.  This 
arrangement  abides  for  the  present,  and  the  com¬ 
posite  architecture  is  still  in  the  ascendant. 

The  treatment  of  the  soil,  and  of  the  stock 
upon  the  farm  has  been  after  the  same  type  of 
science.  Major  Noodles  is  a  liberal  patron  of  the 
agricultural  press — subscribes  for  every  book  and 
paper  that  is  offered  at  his  door,  and  sends  for  all 
the  English  journals  and  treatises  upon  his  favor¬ 
ite  art  that  he  can  hear  of.  He  reads  a  consider¬ 
able  more  than  he  digests,  and  is  always  of  the 
opinion  of  the  last  paper  that  he  reads.  One 
season  the  sub-soil  fever  takes  him,  and  he  runs 
the  thing  into  the  ground  deeper  than  the  deepest 
— reckless  alike  of  the  character  of  the  soil,  and 
of  its  condition  as  to  drainage.  If  there  is  any 
thing  in  sub-soiling,  and  he  firmly  believes  there 
is,  he  is  going  to  secure  all  the  advantages.  He 
subsoils  sandy  loam,  that  lets  water  through  like 
a  sieve,  heavy  clays,  and  muck  swamps,  that 
have  nothing  but  surface  drainage.  Another  sea¬ 


son  the  Michigan  plow  takes  him  with  the  grasp 
of  a  giant,  and  he  puts  on  three  yoke  of  cattle, 
and  turns  a  four-inch  black  loam  turf  at  least  ten 
inches  beneath  raw  clay  that  never  saw  sun-light 
before. 

He  invests  largely  in  concentrated  fertilizers, 
particularly  in  the  improved  and  nitrogenized  va¬ 
rieties.  Occasionally  he  makes  a  hit  with  Peru¬ 
vian  guano,  and  gets  a  great  growth  of  hay  or  of 
turnips,  that  astonishes  the  natives,  and  raises 
Major  Noodles  a  few  pegs  in  their  estimation — 
“  Guess  old  science  is  some  pumpkins  arter  all.” 
He  has  an  eye  for  fast  horses  and  fine  cattle,  but  no 
fixed  opinions  as  to  the  best  cattle  for  his  locality, 
and  his  particular  branch  of  husbandry.  He  bas 
tried  pretty  much  ail  sorts  of  stock  during  the  last 
ten  years,  Durhams,  Devens,  Alderneys,  and 
Ayrshires,  and  has  now  crosses  of  all  these  upon 
native  stock.  He  does  not  seem  to  have  any 
plan  in  breeding,  but  believes  in  mixing  up  the 
blood  well  to  see  what  will  come  of  it.  His  fa¬ 
vorite  bull  now,  “  The  Legion  of  Honor”  has  the 
tail  of  a  Devon,  the  barrel  of  a  Jersey,  and  the 
horns  of  a  Durham,  with  several  points  it  would 
be  difficult  to  locate.  Pie  goes  in  for  improved 
sheep,  swine,  and  poultry,  and  is  mixing  things 
as  fast  as  possible,  in  hope  of  getting  something 
a  little  better  than  the  light  of  science  has  yet 
shone  upon. 

His  barn  is  of  the  amplest  dimensions,  and  fur¬ 
nished  with  all  the  modern  improvements,  but 
has  the  misfortune  to  be  never  half  filled  with  hay 
or  stock.  His  faith,  however,  is  strong  that  he 
will,  at  no  distant  day,  cut  two  hundred  tuns  of 
hay  on  less  than  fifty  acres,  though  he  has  not  yet 
reached  seventy-five.  He  believes  in  high  farm¬ 
ing,  and  when  he  gets  things  fixed  up  a  little 
about  the  house  and  grounds,  he  is  going  to  give 
more  attention  to  the  farm  proper,  and  show  that 
some  things  can  be  done  as  well  as  others.  Pie 
has  great  faith  in  science,  and  still  greater  faith 
in  the  ability  of  Solomon  Noodles  to  illustrate, 
and  illuminate  the  teachings  of  science.  Perhaps 
our  lantern  will  go  out  tvlien  Solomon  gets  all 
the  gas  turned  on. 

- <a-< - - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist . 

Greasing1  the  Wagon  Tire. 

A  good  many  years  ago  I  hired  a  “  green  hand  ” 
just  “come  over”  to  work  on  the  farm,  and  I 
had  a  good  deal  of  fun  that  Summer,  even  if  he 
did  not  turn  out  very  profitable  at  first,  though  he 
was  a  good  faithful  fellow,  and  after  a  long  school¬ 
ing  became  first-rate  help.  One  morning  I  want¬ 
ed  to  go  to  market  before  daylight,  and  I  told 
Patrick  to  be  sure  and  grease  the  wagon  wheels 
well  over  night.  Morning  came  and  I  started  off, 
Patrick  having  assured  me  the  wheels  were  well 
greased  ;  but  wlnen  I  had  traveled  about  ten  miles, 
I  had  for  my  amusement  the  hardest  kind  of 
music  you  ever  heard,  sque — e — e — k,  sque — e — 
e — k  it  went,  until  I  wished  Pat  had  been  there, 
so  that  I  could  have  taken  grease  enough  out  of 
him  to  stop  the  miserable  noise.  'When  I  got 
home,  of  course  I  called  him  to  a  pretty  sharp  ac¬ 
count.  “  Sure  and  I  grazed  ’em  all,  round  and 
round,”  said  he,  “  and  ye  can  see  for  your  own 
eyes,  where  I  spiffed  some  of  it  on  the  woodens.” 
True  enough,  he  had  given  all  the  tires  a  thorough 
oiling,  as  the  marks  on  the  felloes,  or  “  woodens” 
as  he  called  them,  plainly  showed.  I  couldn’t  scold 
for  laughing,  and  I've  laughed  a  good  many  times 
since  when  I’ve  been  put  in  mind  of  it  by  seeing 
a  man  waste  his  work  by  putting  it  in  the  wrong 
place. 

There  was  my  neighbor,  who  had  the  hardest 
looking  lot  of  stock  I  ever  saw,  and  they  were 


93  G 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


August, 


just  as  hard  as  they  looked,  for  they’d  scale 
fences  like  so  many  cats.  He  used  to  keep  two 
dogs  and  spend  half  his  time  in  chasing  his  crit¬ 
ters  out  of  the  corn  and  grain  fields,  t\vhen  they 
only  wanted  something  to  eat,  and  it  would  have 
puzzled  a  grasshopper  to  provide  for  a  family  in 
his  pastures.  Whenever  I  saw  him  puffing,  and 
sweating,  and  tearing  around  like  mad  after  his 
cattle,  instead  of  fixing  his  fences,  I  laughed  and 
said  “  His  labor  and  expense  are  all  in  the  wrong 
place,  he’s  greasing  the  wagon  tire." 

Another  man  I  knew  who  used  to  work  night 
and  day  to  make  money,  but  his  farm  kept  run¬ 
ning  down  every  year.  He  would  go  to  market 
at  least  three  times  a  week,  selling  everything 
that  grew  on  the  place,  from  huckleberries  up  to 
sawlogs,  and  I  couldn’t  see  as  he  spent  any  thing, 
for  he  and  his  wife  always  looked  like  distress, 
but  he  just  managed  to  keep  up  his  interest,  and 
that  was  all.  His  land  was  only  skinned,  and  his 
manure  lay  around  loose  in  the  only  barn  yard  he 
had — the  public  road.  And  when  I  saw  him  week 
after  week  going  to  town  with  a  load  of  some 
truck  to  peddle  out,  thinks  I,  he's  “  greasing  his 
wagon  tire.” 

When  I've  seen  men  walloping  their  boys  for 
swearing  and  cutting  up,  and  then  letting  them 
run  around  nights  to  the  village  tavern,  or  where- 
ever  they  pleased,  without  calling  them  to  account, 
although  I  felt  sad,  I  had  to  laugh,  for  they  put 
me  so  much  in  mind  of  “  greasing  the  wagon  tire.” 

I’ve  seen  mechanics  and  merchants  do  the  same 
thing  when  they  took  their  capital  out  of  a  safe 
business  to  go  to  speculating,  and  even  the  wo¬ 
men  have  “  greased  the  wagon  tire  ”  by  bringing 
up  their  daughters  to  be  ladies ,  by  letting  them  sit 
reading  novels  in  the  parlor  while  they  them¬ 
selves  slaved  away  in  the  kitchen. 

I  don’t  love  to  think  about  funny  things  in 
church,  but  when  I’ve  heard  the  parson  preach¬ 
ing  just  to  please  the  people,  oiling  them  down 
with  good  smooth  pleasant  talk,  I’ve  had  hard 
work  to  keep  from  smiling  out  loud,  thinking 
about  “  greasing  the  wagon  tire.”  Jonathan. 

—  ■  ■  -  —  -  4  - 

Degeneration  of  Seed. 

It  has  often  been  stated,  that  seed  will  degener¬ 
ate  in  a  few  years,  if  its  product  be  sown  contin¬ 
uously  in  the  same  locality,  and  that  it  is  neces¬ 
sary  for  the  maintenance  of  good  crops  to  frequent¬ 
ly  procure  seed  from  a  distance.  The  experience 
of  many  persons  seems  to  confirm  this  opinion. 
A  correspondent  of  the  Agriculturist,  N.  N.  Hart- 
zell,  Hancock  Co.,  Ill.,  in  a  letter  received  a  short 
time  since  says,  that  having  sowed  the  yellow- 
bearded  wheat  three  year’s  in  succession,  the  seed 
each  year  being  part  of  the  crop  raised  the  sea¬ 
son  preceding,  the  third  crop  w'as  not  worth  har¬ 
vesting.  Upon  procuring  a  new  supply  of  seed 
from  a  distance  a  good  yield  was  again  obtained. 
This  we  believe  agrees  with  the  general  opinion 
upon  the  subject.  Why  this  is  so  is  an  interest¬ 
ing  inquiry.  Is  the  opinion  correct  1  or  is  it 
a  mere  notion  founded  upon  occasional  coinci¬ 
dences,  which  has  passed  into  an  established  be¬ 
lief  without  having  been  properly  examined,  and 
which  is  believed  because  “  they  say  ”  it  is  so  1 

In  the  case  of  imperfect  plants,  that  is  those  not 
furnished  with  all  the  necessary  fertilizing  organs, 
it  is  quite  easy  to  understand  that  they  may  de¬ 
generate.  If  in  the  plants  produced  any  year 
there  should  be  a  disproportionate  number  of 
staminate  or  pistillate  varieties,  the  following 
crops  might  rapidly  deteriorate  from  this  cause. 
But  most  plants  grown  for  sustenance  are  perfect 
in  this  respect,  each  being  independent  of  the 
other.  How  then  can  we  account  for  deterioration  1 


Perhaps,  somewhat  as  follows.  Our  cereals  and 
esculents  generally,  are  not  now  in  their  original 
natural  state.  Their  desirable  qualities  have 
been  greatly  improved  by  cultivation,  that  is,  by 
placing  them  in  circumstances  the  best  adapted 
to  bring  out  their  good  points.  In  locations  and 
under  treatment  that  would  supply  all  the  neces¬ 
sary  conditions,  we  can  scarcely  doubt  they  would 
continue  to  retain  their  excellence,  through  gen¬ 
eration  after  generation,  for  like  causes  must  pro¬ 
duce  similar  effects  ;  but  where  any  of  these 
conditions  are  wanting,  there  will  be  year  after 
year  a  proportionate  loss  of  excellence,  a  relaps¬ 
ing  into  the  original  state.  Now  there  are  proba¬ 
bly  few  places  where  plants  enjoy  all  the  condi¬ 
tions  necessary  to  sustain  their  improved  condi¬ 
tion.  Separate  localities,  however,  differ  as  to 
the  condition  which  is  left  unsupplied,  and  a  seed 
partially  lacking  in  one  particular,  if  introduced 
in  a  district  which  can  supply  its  want,  would 
yield  an  improved  product,  and  continue  to  do  so 
until  defects  peculiar  to  the  new  location  would 
in  a  few  years  render  it  unfit  for  that  district,  but 
still  available  for  some  other  section  which  could 
in  turn  supply  its  defects.  Whether  this  be  the 
true  theory  or  not,  facts  indicate  that  a  frequent 
change  of  seed  is  on  the  whole  beneficial.  * 

-  *»  < - —  «asJ3  Error  —  r  o- - 


The  popular  name,  Wood  Duck,  is  derived 
from  the  fact  of  their  constructing  their  nests 
in  the  hollows  of  trees;  and  Summer  Duck, 
from  their  remaining  with  us  during  the  Summer. . 
Wood  Ducks  are  familiarly  known  in  every  quar¬ 
ter  of  the  United  States.  They  are  equally  known 
in  Mexico  and  many  of  the  West  India  Islands. 
They  have  been  found  from  19°  south,  to  54° 
north  latitude.  They  breed  from  Mexico  to  Hud¬ 
son’s  Bay,  and  the  Columbia  River,  and  east- 
wardly  to  Nova  Scotia.  They  have  been  met  with 
on  the  10th  of  January  in  a  creek  near  Peters¬ 
burg,  Virginia.  In  the  more  northern  districts, 
however,  they  are  migratory.  In  Pennsylvania, 
the  female  usually  begins  to  lay  late  in  April,  or 
early  in  May.  Instances  have  been  known  where 
the  nest  was  constructed  of  a  few  sticks  laid  in  a 
fork  of  the  branches ;  usually,  however,  the  in¬ 
side  of  a  hollow  tree  is  selected  for  this  purpose. 
“  On  the  18th  day  of  May,”  says  Wilson,  “I  visit¬ 
ed  a  tree  containing  the  nest  of  a  Wood  Duck, 
on  the  banks  of  Tuckahoe  River,  in  New-Jersey. 
It  was  an  old  grotesque  white  oak,  whose  top  had 
been  torn  off  by  a  storm.  It  stood  on  the  decliv¬ 
ity  of  the  bank,  about  twenty  yards  from  the  wa¬ 
ter.  In  this  hollow  and  broken  top,  and  about  six 
feet  down,  on  the  decayed  wood  lay  thirteen 
eggs,  snugly  covered  with  down,  doubtless  taken 
from  the  breast  of  the  bird.  The  eggs  were  of 
an  exact  oval  shape,  smaller  than  those  of  the 
common  hen,  the  surface  exceedingly  fine  grained, 
and  of  the  highest  polish  and  somewhat  yellowish, 
greatly  resembling  slightly  polished  ivory.  The 
egg  measured  two  inches  and  an  eighth,  by  one 
inch  and-a-half.  On  breaking  one  of  them,  the 


young  bird  was  found- to  be.  nearly  hatched,  but 
dead,  as  neither  of  the  parents  had  been  observed 
about  the  tree  during  the  three  or  four  days  pre¬ 
ceding  ;  and  it  was  conjectured  they  had  been  shot. 

This  tree  had  been  occupied,  probably  by  the 
same  pair,  for  four  or  five  successive  years,  in 
breeding  time  ;  the  person  who  gave  me  the  in¬ 
formation,  and  whose  house  was  within  twentv 
or  thirty  yards  of  the  tree,  said  that  he  had  seen 
the  female,  the  Spring  preceding,  carry  down 
thirteen  young,  one  by  one,  in  less  than  ten  min¬ 
utes.  She  caught  them  in  her  bill  by  the  wing  or 
back  of  the  neck,  and  landed  them  safely  at  the 
foot  of  the  tree,  whence  she  afterward  led  them 
to  the  water.  Under  this  same  tree,  at  the  time 
I  visited  it,  a  large  sloop  lay  on  the  stocks,  near¬ 
ly  finished,  the  deck  was  not  more  than  twelve 
feet  distant  from  the  nest,  yet  notwithstanding 
the  presence  and  noise  of  the  workmen,  the  ducks 
would  not  abandon  their  old  breeding  place,  but 
continued  to  pass  out  and  in  as  if  no  person  had 
been  near.  The  male  usually  perched  on  an  ad¬ 
joining  limb,  and  kept  watch  while  the  female 
was  laying;  and  also  while  she  was  sitting.” 

The  Wood  Duck  seldom  flies  in  flocks  ©f  more 
than  three  or  four  individuals,  and  most  com¬ 
monly  in  pairs,  or  singly.  The  common  note  of 
the  drake  is  vect,  peet ;  but,  when  standing  senti¬ 
nel,  he  sees  danger,  he  makes  a  noise  not  unlike 
the  crowing  of  a  young  cock,  or  the  squealing  of 
a  very  young  pig,  oc  eek  !  oc  ctk !  Their  flesh  is 
inferior  to  that  of  the  Blue  winged  Teal. 

These  most  beautiful  ducks,  have  often  been 
tamed,  and  are  chiefly  valuable  as  ornaments  to 
pleasure  grounds  on  account  of  their  brilliant  plu¬ 
mage.  Although  naturally  very  shy,  they  soon  be¬ 
come  nearly  as  familiar  as  other  ducks.  Speci¬ 
mens  so  tamed,  may  be  found  in  various  parts  of 
the  country.  Some  forty  years  ago,  as  we  have 
been  informed,  a  Mr.  Nichols,  who  lived  on  the 
west  side  of  Gunpowder  Creek,  had  a  whole  yard 
swimming  with  the  Woqd  Ducks,  which  he  had 
tamed  and  completely  domesticated,  so  that  they 
bred  and  were  as  familiar  as  any  other  tame  fowls. 
Some  three  or  four  years  since,  a  brood  of  seven 
were  hatched  at  Springside,  and  reared  until 
nearly  full-grown,  when  a  rascally  weasel,  mink, 
or  some  other  “varmint,”  entered  the  yard  in  the 
stillness  of  night,  and  killed  all  but  two  of  the 
young  ones,  leaving  one  male  and  one  female: 
The  old  drake  soon  after  died,  leaving  one  drake 
and  two  ducks.  The  next  season  one  of  the 
ducks  laid  her  clutch  of  eggs,  and  sat  on  them, 
but  was  so  often  disturbed  by  visitors  that  none 
were  hatched.  Last  year  we  put  six  of  their 
eggs  under  a  Bantam  hen,  and  in  due  time  five 
ducklings  made  their  appearance,  very  active  and 
sprightly,  but  from,  some  cause  or  oilier,  all  died 
in  about  five  days,  probably  they  starved,  as  they 
appeared  not  to  understand  the  call  of  their  foster 
mother.  . 

They  are  kept  in  the  yard  with  other  fowls, 
having  a  tank  of  water  to  play  in,  with  suitable 
accommodations  for  roosting  and  laying.  To 
show  how  far  they  are  reclaimed,  we  will  men¬ 
tion  that  one  evening  the  drake  got  frightened  at 
something,  and  flew  out  of  the  yard,  and  nothing 
further  was  seen  of  him  until  the  next  morning, 
when  he  was  found  near  the  gate,  on  opening 
which,  he  marched  in  with  apparent  satisfaction. 

It  is  generally  conceded,  we  believe,  and  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  all  the  domestic  fowls  we 
now  possess  have  been  reclaimed  from  a  state  of 
nature.  We  are  certain  the  Turkey  and  the 
Musk  duck  have  been  recently  reclaimed  ;  and 
we  see  no  reason  why  many  more  may  not  be  do¬ 
mesticated  as  well,  if  any  pains  weie  taken  to  do 
it.  C,  N.  Bement, 

Springside,  July,  1859 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


237 


Breeding  In-and-in. 


BY  A  CATTLE  BREEDER. - NO.  IV. 

As  promised  in  my  last  communication,  I  sub¬ 
mit  several  instances  of  close  breeding  in  the 
blood  horse,  the  existence  of  which  Mr.  C.  M. 
Clay  controverted.  As,  like  him,  I  have  not  been 
familiar  with  the  pedigrees  of  the  Stud  Books — 
relying  for  the  truth  of  my  facts  on  traditionary 
and  verbal  information  from  others — a  friend, 
whose  long  experience  and  observation,  both  on 
the  turf  and  in  breeding  blood  horses,  is  fully  re¬ 
liable,  has  kindly  given  me  the  following  list,  se¬ 
lected  from  the  English  and  American  Stud 
books. 

It  may  be  said,  that  in-and-in  breeding  in  race 
horses  proves  nothing  positive,  as  there  are 
horses  of  equal  reputation  not  bred  in-and-in  ;  but 
it  is  proved,  that  in-and-in  breeding  does  not  de¬ 
stroy  the  running  power.  The  English  Stud 
Book  is  full  of  noted  horses,  got  by  half-brothers 
out  of  their  half-sisters,  as  in  some  of  the  names 
here  quoted.  But  to  the  enumeration  : 

( English  Horses.) 

PRIAM,  and  EMILIUS. 

Priam  got  by  Emilius  ;  dam  by  Whiskey— by  Diomed 
—by  Matchem. 

Emilius  got  by  Orville  ;  dam  by  Stamford — gr.  d.  by 
Whiskey. 

Stamford  got  by  Sir  Peter  Teazle  ;  dam  by  Eclipse — 
gr.  d.  by  Blank. 

Sir  Peter  Teazle  got  by  Highflyer  ;  dam  by  Snap— gr.  d. 
by  Regulus. 

Eclipse  got  by  Marske  ;  dam  by  Regulus— gr.  d.  Son 
of  Snake— gr.  gr.  d.  by  Hautboy. 

Blank  got  by  Godolphin  Arabian  ;  gr.  d.  by  Snake— 
gr.  gr.  d.  by  Hautboy. 

Orville  got  by  Beninbrough ;  dam  by  Highflyer— by 
Tautmer— by  Simpson— byRegulus— Marske’s dam. 

Beninbrough  got  by  King  Fergus  ;  dam  by  Herod. 

King  Fergus  got  by  Eclipse. 

Highflyer  got  by  Herod  ;  dam  by  Blank— by  Regulus. 

Marske  got  by  Squirt  ;  dam  by  Blacklegs,  etc. 

Squirt  got  by  Bartlett’s  Childers  ;  dam  by  Snake— gr.  d. 
by  Hautboy. 

Whiskey  got  by  Saltram  ;  darn  by  Ilerod— by  Matchem 
—by  Regulus. 

Saltram,  got  hv  Eclipse  ;  dam  by  Snap— by  Regulus,  etc. 

Herod  got  by  Tartar  ;  dam  by  Blaze. 

Diomed  got  by  Florizel  ;  dam  by  Spectator— by  Blank 
— by  Childers. 

Florizel  got  by  Herod. 

Cade  got  by  Godolphin  Arabian. 

Spectator  got  by  Crab  ;  dam  by  Partner. 

Matchem  got  by  Cade  ;  dam  by  Partner. 

TRUSTEE. 

Got  by  Calton  ;  dam  by  Whisker— by  Hermes— by  Pi- 
pator  —  by  Sir  Peter  Teazle— by  Matchem— by 
Whitenose,  etc. 

Calton  got  by  Golumpus;  dam  by  Timothy— by  Flori- 
zcl— bv  Eclipse— by  Engineer,  etc. 

Whisker  got  by  Waxy  ;  dam  by  Trumpator— by  High¬ 
flyer— by  Snap — by  Blank,  etc. 

Hermes  by  Mercury  ;  dam  by  Woodpecker— by  Herod 
—by  Blank. 

Pipator  got  by  Imperator  ;  dam  by  Squirrel— by  Match¬ 
less,  etc.  (Matchless  got  by  Godolphin  Arabian.) 

Sir  Peter  Teazle  got  by  Highflyer  ;  dam  by  Snap— by 
Regulus,  etc. 

Matchem  got  by  Cade.  (Cade  by  Godolphin  Arabian.) 

Golumpus  got  by  Gohanr.a  ;  dam  by  Woodpecker— by 
Trentham,  etc. 

Timothy  by  Delphini ;  dam  by  Matchem,  ete. 

Florizel  got  by  Herod. 

Imperator  got  by  Conductor  ;  dam  by  Herod— by  MarsWe 
by  Blank,  etc. 

Conductor  got  by  Matchem  ;  dam  by  Snap. 

Woodpecker  got  by  Herod. 

MESSENGER. 

Got  by  Mambrino  ;  dam  by  Turf— by  Regulus— by  Star¬ 
ling— by  Fox— by  Snap— by  Bay  Bolton— by  Duke 
of  New  Castle’s  Turk— by  Tafolet  Barb— by  Place’s 
White  Turk. — A  natural  Barb  mare. 

Mambrino  by  Engineer  ;  dam  by  Cade— Cade  by  Go¬ 
dolphin  Arabian. 

Engineer  got  by  Sampson.  (Sampson  by  Blaze— Blaze 
by  Childers  ) 

Turf  got  by  Matchem.  (Matchem  by  Cade.) 

Regulus  got  by  Godolphin  Arabian. 


SIR  ARCHY. 

Got  by  Diomed  ;  dam  by  Rockingham — by  Trentham — 
by  Bosphorus — by  Forester— by  Coalition  Colt— by 
Bustard— by  Second— by  Stanyan  Arabian— by  No¬ 
tongue —  by  Barb  —  by  Matchless  —  Royal  (barb) 
mare. 

Diomed  got  by  Florizel ;  dam  by  Spectator— by  Blank 
—by  Childers,  etc. 

Rockingham  got  by  Highflyer;  dam  by  Matchem — by 
Squirt— by  Mogul— by  Bay  Bolton,  etc. 

Trentham  by  Sweepstakes  ;  dam  by  South— by  Car- 
touch— by  Childers,  etc. 

Bosphorus  got  by  Babraham. 

Florizel  and  Highflyer  got  by  Herod. 

Matchem  and  Babraham  got  by  Cade— (by  Godolphin 
Arabian.) 

THE  MARE  FLIRTILLA,  JR. 

Got  by  Sir  Archy  ;  dam  Flirtilla  by  Sir  Archy. 

Both  daughter  and  dam  were  celebrated  racers. 


( American  Horses.) 

AMERICAN  ECLIPSE. 

Got  by  Duroc;  dam  by  Messenger— gr.  dam  by  Pota¬ 
toes— by  Gimcrack — by  Snap— by  Regulus— by  Bart¬ 
lett’s  Childers— by  Honeywood  Arabian —  Byerly 
(barb)  mare. 

Duroc  got  by  Diomed  ,  dam  by  Grey  Diomed— by  Vir 
ginia  Cade,  etc. 

Diomed  by  Florizel ;  dam  by  Spectator— by  Blank— by 
Childers,  etc. 

Grey  Diomed  got  by  Medley :  dam  by  Sloe— by  Vam¬ 
pire,  etc. 

Florizel  got  by  Herod.  Potatoes  got  by  Eclipse. 

Medley  got  by  Gimcrack  ;  dam  by  Snap— by  Regulus. 
HENRY.  (Competitor  of  American  Eclipse  in  the  great 
Long  Island  Race  of  1824.) 

Got  by  Sir  Archy  ;  dam  by  Diomed. 

Sir  Archy  got  by  Diomed. 

BONNETS  OF  BLUE— (Darn  of  Fashion.) 

Got  by  Sir  Charles  ;  dam  by  Sir  Archy.  Sir  Charles  got 
by  Sir  Archy. 

SLENDER  (full  sister  of  Bonnets  of  Blue.)  Both 
these  mares,  thus  closely  bred,  were  capital  racers. 

ARIEL. 

Got  by  American  Eclipse  ;  dam  by  Financier— gr.  d.  by 
Baronet— gr.  gr.  dam  Empress  by  Messenger,  etc. 

American  Eclipse  got  by  Duroc;  dam  by  Messenger. 

Financier  got  by  Tippoo  Saib  ;  dam  by  Messenger, 

Tippoo  Saib  got  by  Messenger. 

Ariel  was  a  wonderful  mare  and  racer. 

O’KELLY, 

full  brother  to  Ariel,  was  a  horse  of  much  note. 

BLACK  MARIA. 

Got  by  American  Eclipse  ;  dam  by  Sir  Archy. 

American  Eclipse  by  Duroc.  Duroc  by  Diomed.  Sii 
Archy  by  Diomed. 

POSTBOY. 

Got  by  Henry  ;  dam  by  Duroc. 

Henry  got  by  Sir  Archy  ;  dam  by  Diomed. 

Sir  Archy  got  by  Diomed.  Duroc  by  Diomed. 

•  WAGNER. 

Got  by  Sir  Charles;  dam  by  Marion. 

Sir  Charles  got  by  Sir  Archy  ;  dam  by  Citizen. 

Marion  got  by  Sir  Archy  ;  dam  by  Citizen. 

|Ej ^Wagner  was  or  is  now  owned  in  Kentucky.— A  capital 
horse  as  a  racer,  and  equally  so  as  a  stallion.  He  beat  Grey 
Eagle  in  a  race,  which,  to  this  day,  is  the  best  four  mile 
race  ever  run  in  Kentucky.  My  friend  informs  me  that  he 
saw  Wagner  when  a  coit  at  the  side  of  his  dam  in  Vir¬ 
ginia,  in  the  year  1834  ;  and  again  in  1853  at  Louisville,  • 
Ky.  He  was  then  as  clean  and  sound  as  a  coit,  and  he 
had  raced  every  where  in  Va.,  Ky.,  Tenn.,  and  La.,  and 
was  then  the  sire  of  scores  of  winners.  Starke,  lately 
taken  to  England  by  Ten  Broeck,  was  got  by  Wagner— a 
close  bred  horse,  as  the  pedigree  shows. 

BOSTON. 

Got  by  Timoleon  ;  dam  by  Ball’s  Florizel. 

Timoleon  got  by  Sir  Archy.  Sir  Archy  by  Diomed. 

Ball’s  Florizel  by  Diomed. 

GLENCOE. 

Got  by  Sultan  ;  dam  by  Tramp— by  Waxy— by  Trum¬ 
pator— by  Highflyer— by  Snap— by  Blank  (Specta¬ 
tor’s  dam)— by  Partner,  etc. 

Sultan  got  by  Selim  ;  dam  by  Williamson’s  Ditto— by 
Mercury— by  Herod— by  Marske. 

Tramp  got  by  Dick  Andrews ;  dam  by  Gohanna— by 
Trentham— by  Woodpecker— by  Eclipse— by  Snap 
— by  Regulus. 

Waxy  got  by  Potatoes;  dam  by  Herod— by  Snap— by 
Godolphin  Arabian,  etc. 

Trumpator  got  by  Conductor;  dam  by  Squirrel— by 
Matchless,  etc. 


Highflyer  got  by  Herod  ;  dam  by  Blank — by  Regulus. 

Selim  got  by  Buzzard  ;  dam  by  Alexander — by  High¬ 
flyer — by  Alfred— by  Engineer. 

Williamson’s  Ditto  got  by  Sir  Peter  Teazle  ;  dam  by 
Dungannon— by  Prophet — by  Snap— by  Regulus. 

Mercury  got  by  Eclipse  ;  dam  by  Tartar— by  Mogul,  etc. 

D;ck  Andrews  got  by  Joe  Andrews  ;  dam  by  Highflyer 
—by  Cardinal  Puff. 

Gohanna  got  by  Mercury  ;  dam^by  Ilerod— by  Matchem, 
etc. 

Woodpecker  got  by  Ilerod  ;  dam  by  Bay  Arabian,  etc. 

Potatoes  got  by  Eclipse  ;  dam  by  Sportsman — by  Oro- 
noco. 

Conductor  got  by  Matchem  ;  dam  by  Snap. 

Here  are  enumerated  some  of  the  most  cele¬ 
brated  English  and  American  race  horses  on  rec 
ord,  some  of  them  bred  closely  in-and-in  ;  atnr 
those  not  so  closely  bred  in  themselves,  trace 
back  to  close’  breeding  through  their  sires  and 
dams.  It  is  not  necessary  here  to  particularize 
among  the  many  names  of  the  horses  given,  a? 
to  their  immediate  breeding,  as  every  one  inte¬ 
rested  will  be  able  to  trace  them  for  himself.  It 
is  sufficient  that  the  examples  here  given,  fully 
sustain  the  assertions  which  I  have  made  of  the 
fact  of  close  breeding  in  many  of  the  most  noted 
horses. 


Feeding  Suckling  Calves. 


Eli  Armatront,  Clinton  County,  Indiana,  writes 
to  the  Agriculturist  that  he  saves  much  trouble 
with  suckling  calves  by  the  following  arrange¬ 
ment  :  The  calves  are  kept  in  a  field  or  enclo¬ 
sure  separate  from  the  cows.  An  opening,  which 
can  be  closed  by  a  board  or  bar,  is  made  in  the 
fence,  sufficiently  large  and  of  the  right  bight  for 
the  calf  to  pass  his  head  through.  When  the 
cows  come  from  the  pasture  the  hole  in  the  fence 

is  opened  and  the  cow  driven  up  to  the  place _ 

usually  she  will  go  voluntarily.  If  she  does  not 
stand  conveniently  for  the  calf,  a  little  corn  or  oth¬ 
er  feed  is  placed  so  that  when  she  is  eating,  the 
calf  may  be  accomodated.  In  a  littld*  time  both 
animals  will  learn  the  arrangement,  and  all  diffi¬ 
culty  in  bringing  them  together  or  separating 
them  is  thus  obviated.  [We  do  not  quite  appre¬ 
ciate  the  advantage  of  this  method.  There  is 
usually  little  trouble  in  separating  the  cow  and 
calf  after  suckling — not  so  much,  we  should  say, 
as  to  bring  the  cow  “square”  up  to  the  calf 
when  confined  to  its  hole  in  the  fence.  Besides, 
there  would  be  danger  that  the  cow  might  in¬ 
jure  the  neck  of  the  calf  by  running  against  its 
head. — Ed.  Am.  Agr.~\ 

• - <  ■irwQ^Snrn.in  

How  siucH  will  fill  a  Pig. — The  Lynn  News, 
is  to  be  held  entirely  responsible  for  the  following  : 
“  A  neighbor  of  ours  was  trying  to  convince  anoth¬ 
er  neighbor  that  it  was  better  to  buy  large  pigs  in 
the  Spring  than  small  ones,  as  the  former  would 
eat  little  more.  One  of  his  reasons  was  the  fol¬ 
lowing  :  Last  Spring  I  bought  a  little  pig  from  a 
drover,  and  he  was  good  for  eating  but  wouldn’t 
grow  much.  I-Ie  got  so  after  a  week  or  two,  that 
he  would  eat  a  bucketful  at  a  time,  and  then,  like 
Oliver  Twist,  call  for  more.  Well,  one  morning 
I  carried  out  a  water  bucket  full  of  dough,  and 
after  he  had  swallowed  it  all,  I  picked  up  the 
pig  and  put  him  in  the  same  bucket  I  had  fed  him 
from,  and  the  little  varmint  didn't  fill  it  half  up." 


It  is  said  that  a  cow  in  Yorkshire,  England, 
having  had  one  of  her  fore  legs  amputated,  has 
been  supplied  with  a  wooden  one,  and  that  she 
manages  to  live  very  comfortably  upon  that. 

Nothing  inflates  a  small  mind  like  superficial 
attainments.  Great  scholars  are  usually  humble  ; 
while  small  ones  are  vain  and  pedantic. 


338 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist.— Prize  Articles. 

The  Dairy — VIII. 

cheese  making.  {Continued  from  p.  202.) 

The  necessary  constituents  of  a  first-rate 
cheese  are 1st.  Pure  milk,  new  and  rich, 
with  all  its  cream  retained.  2nd.  Clean,  well 
preserved  rennet  made  of  the  calf’s  stomach. 
3d.  Clean,  and  perfectly  pure  salt. 

Whatever  ingredients  beyond  these  are  put 
into  cheese — whether  to  give  it  a  flavor  aside  from 
its  natural  taste,  or  to  color  it,  or  to  hasten  its 
maturity — are  something  foreign  to  the  simple  un¬ 
adulterated  article  of  a  pure  and  honest  cheese. 
These  compounded,  and  as  we  hold,  artificial 
tastes  and  qualities  in  cheese,  are  not  suited  to 
the  demands  of  the  usual  markets  to  which  our 
American  cheese  is  consigned  ;  the  ingredients 
added  are  besides,  exceedingly  variant  and  ca¬ 
pricious  in  their  tastes  and  qualities.  We  only 
propose  now  to  treat  of  the  article  which  may  be 
readily  produced  in  all  our  dairies  within  the  lim¬ 
its  elsewhere  described  as  best  devoted  to  that  ob¬ 
ject. 

As  the  making  of  cheese  is  a  matter  of  detail 
in  its  manipulations,  the  various  items  may  as 
well  be  arranged  in  their  regular  order  ;  and  we 
proceed  : 

Let  the  milk  be  thoroughly  and  cleanly  drawn 
from  the  cows  into  clean,  sweet  pails,  taken  into 
the  cheese  room,  and  strained  into  a  vat,  or  into 
a  receptacle  leading  into  a  vat  of  sufficient  size  to 
hold  the  entire  mass — milk,  curd,  and  whey — of 
which  the  cheese  is  to  be  made.  This  vat  should 
have  a  double  bottom  and  sides — a  vat  within  a 
vat.  The  bottom  of  the  outer  one  should  be  of 
copper  or  sheet  iron,  to  set  over  the  furnace  or 
stove  which  is  to  heat  it— and  if  the  whole  case, 
or  ouler  boiler  or  vat,  be  copper  or  iron,  it  will 
be  quite  as  well.  The  width  and  depth  of  the 
space  between  this  outer  vat  and  the  inner  one 
will  depend  somewhat  on  its  size,  say  from  2  to  4 
inches,  as  it  has  to  hold  water  or  steam  sufficient 
to  surround  and  heat  the  milk  and  curd  contained 
in  the  inner  vat  to  100  degrees,  or  more.  This 
inner  vat  may  be  made  of  wood,  tin,  or  copper, 
and  circular  in  shape  like  a  tub,  that  the  curd 
cutter  may  revolve  in  it  when  turned  by  a  crank. 
Of  course,  as  before  remarked,  this  inner  tub  is  to 
be  of  suitable  size,  for  the  entire  quantity  of 
milk  in  the  fullest  season  :  but  as  it  will  work 
half  full  quite  as  well,  it  will  equally  accommo¬ 
date  the  lessened  quantity  of  milk  in  the  differ¬ 
ent  seasons. 

The  above  remarks  relate  to  the  morning's  milk 
when  the  curd  is  to  be  immediately  run  up.  But 
the  evening’s  milk  is  to  be  strained  into  pans  in 
a  cool  place,  as  if  for  butter  making,  and  there 
remain  until  the  next  morning.  Then  the  cream, 
what  there  is  of  it,  is  to  be  carefully  skimmed  off, 
and  put  with  twice  or  thrice  its  quantity  of  new 
milk,  with  hot  water  added  to  raise  the  tempera¬ 
ture  to  about  100  degrees  Fahrenheit;  then  thor¬ 
oughly  stirred  until  the  fusion  of  the  cream  with 
the  new  milk  and  water  is  perfect,  and  when  so, 
poured  and  stirred  into  the  whole  mass  together. 
By  this  time  the  skimmed  last  night’s  milk  is  ad¬ 
ded  to  the  new  morning’s  milk  in  the  vat,  and 
heated  up  to  about  90  degrees  to  receive  the  ren¬ 
net.  In  the  degree  of  heat  some  of  our  best 
dairymen  differ.  They  fix  it  at  80  to  92  degrees, 
each  practising  on  his  own  rule,  which  is  proba¬ 
bly  settled  by  each  in  his  own  experience  in  his 
own  cheese  house,  and  on  his  own  farm,  as  the 
most  suitable  point. 

ABOUT  THE  RENNET. 

Having  got  to  the  introduction  of  that  essen¬ 
tial  article  to  the  milk,  a  word  or  two  about  its 


preparation.  Rennet  is  simply  the  stomach  of 
the  calf,  which  may  be  one  to  six  weeks  old, 
when  killed,  and  the  stomach  taken  out — having 
been  full  fed  by  sucking  the  cow  before  killing. 
The  calf  should  be  in  a  perfectly  healthy  condition. 
(An  unhealthy  rennet  will  spoil  a  tun  of  cheese  in 
quick  time.)  When  the  calf  is  killed  and  dressed, 
which  should  be  from  one  to  two  hours  after 
sucking,  the  stomach  should  be  partially  opened 
and  emptied  of  the  ready  made  curd  within  it. 
That  is  nature’s  curd,  made  by  the  gastric  juice 
contained  in  the  coats  of  the  stomach  operating 
on  the  newly  drawn  milk,  and  thus,  by  curding  it, 
fitting  it  for  sustenance  to  the  calf.  So  the  ren¬ 
net  acts  in  the  same  way  upon  the  milk  in  the 
cheese  tub. 

When  the  calf’s  stomach  is  emptied  of  the  curd, 
as  clean  as  may  be,  but  neither  scraped  nor  rinsed, 
it  should  be  well  salted  inside,  and  then  be 
stretched  on  a  stick  bent  to  its  shape,  and  hung 
up  and  dried  until  the  next  year,  when  it  may  be 
used.  Recollect  all  this  time,  that  a  damp,  or  a 
moldy  rennet  is  good  for  nothing  but  to  spoil  milk. 

When  about  to  put  the  rennet  to  the  milk  it 
should  be  prepared  after  this  fashion  :  To  a  gal¬ 
lon  of  blood-warm  water  put  in  one,  or  two  ren¬ 
nets,  according  to  their  size.  Some  cheese  mak¬ 
ers  put  2$-  small  rennets  to  a  gallon.  Let  them 
soak  for  a  sufficient  time  to  become  soft ;  then 
churn,  or  rub  them  thoroughly,  so  as  to  get  out 
all  their  strength,  or  curdling  quality,  if  possible. 
If  the  strength  is  not  all  out  when  taken  from  the 
liquors,  salt,  stretch,  and  dry  them  again,  as  be¬ 
fore,  and  they  will  serve  another  future  purpose 
of  the  kind.  Now,  dissolve  as  much  clean,  pure 
salt  in  this  rennet  liquor  as  it  will  hold  in  solu¬ 
tion  ;  strain  it  clean  from  all  sediment,  and  set  it 
away  for  use,  in  a  stone  jar,  tightly  covered  and 
kept  cool.  Some  people  put  in  spices,  as  cloves 
and  cinnamon  to  give  it  flavor,  and  excite  its  ac¬ 
tion  when  put  into  the  milk  for  running  up  the 
curd  ;  but  we  have  serious  doubts  whether  such 
stimulating  ingredients  are  of  any  good  service. 
If  any  scum  rises  upon  it  when  thus  set  away,  let 
it  be  taken  off  before  any  of  the  liquor  is  used. 
The  preparation  should  be  made  two  or  three 
weeks  before  it  is  wanted  for  cheese-making. 

The  quantity  of  rennet  preparation  to  the  milk 
is  somewhat  variable,  but  the  average  may  be 
about  a  gill  and-a-half,  or  a  good  sized  tea-cupful, 
to  20  gallons  of  milk,  which  will  run  the  milk  into 
a  firm  and  compact  curd  in  40  to  50  minutes.  It 
is  as  well  to  say  here,  that  if  annatto,  or  any  other 
foreign  coloring  ingredient  is  to  be  Added,  it  should 
be  mixed  and  poured  in  with  the  rennet,  so  as  to 
give  it  a  thorough  infusion  throughout  the  entire 
ma-ss.  Sage  juice,  to  which  some  people  are  par¬ 
tial  for  giving  their  cheese  the  peculiar  flavor  of 
that  herb,  should  be  added  after  the  curd  is  ready 
for  pressing — sprinkled  in  and  mixed,  thus  giving 
it  the  cloudy,  or  striated  appearance,  which  lov¬ 
ers  of  sage  cheese  admire. 

FURTHER  WORKING  OF  THE  CHEESE-TUB. 

The  rennet  now  thrown  in,  a  gentle  stirring  of 
the  mass  to  incorporate  it  well  together,  and  the 
heat  still  kept  up,  the  curd  at  the  proper  time  will 
be  found  perfectly  made,  and  separated  from  the 
whey.  The  whey  must  be  drawn  within  half  an 
inch  or  so  of  the  bottom,  by  a  faucet  strainer  at 
one  side  of  the  tub  in  the  bottom.  The  curd  is 
then  cut  through  and  through  perpendicularly  and 
horizontally,  with  curd  knives,  into  pieces  about 
half  an  inch  square.  When  sufficiently  cut,  the 
curd  is  thrown  carefully  into  a  heap  in  the  cen¬ 
ter  of  the  tub,  and  allowed  to  drain  and  settle  for 
about  20  minutes  ;  or  the  curd  may  be  put  into 
a  cheese  strainer  set  in  a  cheese  basket  over  the 


tub  on  a  rack  made  for  (hat  purpose,  to  let  out  the 
whey,  as  may  be  most  convenient. 

When  so  drained,  the  curd  is  to  he  put  back 
into  the  vat  or  tub,  the  drawn  whey  again  re¬ 
turned  to  it,  and  a  scalding  heat  of  100  or  104 
degrees  to  cook  it  thoroughly  for  pressing  should 
be  now  raised.  During  this  process  a  gentle  and 
steady  stirring  with  curd  knives  by  a  rotary  mo¬ 
tion  of  the  curd  and  whey  should  be  kept  up, 
that  every  part  be  cut  fine,  and  cooked,  or  cured 
alike.  This  process  is  to  be  continued  until  the 
curd  assumes  an  elastic  consistence,  and  breaks 
toughly  with  a  creaking  sort  of  noise  while  in  the 
fingers.  The  whey  is  then  to  be  drawn  off,  the 
curd  gradually  drained  and  cooled,  and  when  the 
hand  can  freely  work  in  it,  the  salt  is  to  be  ap¬ 
plied  at  the  rate  of  one  pound  for  30  to  33  pounds 
of  raw  curd,  which  will  leave  about  one  pound  of 
salt  to  38  according  to  some — for  cheese  makers 
differ  in  this— or  40  pounds  of  curd,  when  in  the 
cheese — a  small  cheese  of  20  to  30  pounds  requir¬ 
ing  a  trifle  more  salt  proportionally  than  a  large 
one  of  50  to  100  pounds.  The  salt  being  well 
worked  into  the  curd,  the  whole  mass  should  be 
left  to  cool. 

When  perfectly  cooled,  the  curd  is  ready  to 
press.  A  clean  linen  strainer,  often  cleansed  in 
lye,  is  then  placed  within  the  hoop  on  the  table 
of  the  press,  into  which  the  curd  is  ladled,  the 
strainer  carefully  folded  over  it,  and  the  press 
slowly,  and  gradually,  yet  strongly  letdown  upon 
it  from  3  to  6  hours  according  to  the  size.  It  is 
then  turned  and  heavily  pressed  again  for  24 
hours,  when  it  is  to  be  taken  out,  bandaged,  and 
carefully  laid  on  the  shelf  in  the  cheese  room. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  in  a  dairy  of  any  magni¬ 
tude  where  cheeses  are  daily  made,  two  presses 
will  be  required,  as  every  part  of  this  most  im¬ 
portant  process  must  be  critically  and  thoroughly 
done.  Temperature,  dryness,  and  moisture  each 
affect  more  or  less  the  consistency  and  quali¬ 
ty  of  the  article,  while  undergoing  the  various 
elaborations  of  its  manufacture. 

As  to  the  weight  of  the  pressure  to  be  applied 
before  the  turning  and  immediately  on  the  laying 
•into  the  hoop  of  the  curd,  it  is  to  be  both  rapid 
and  heavy  enough  to  gently  press  out  the  whey, 
without  crushing  out  with  it  the  salt,  and  essen¬ 
tial  oil  (creams)  of  the  curd,  which  are  indispen¬ 
sable  to  the  preservation  of  the  consistency  and 
flavor  of  the  cheese.  When  the  whey  is  expelled, 
and  the  cheese  turned,  almost  any  amount 
of  pressure  may  be  applied  before  the  new 
cheese  gets  a  rind,  which  would  retain  the  whey, 
if  any  were  left  in  the  cheese.  The  rennet,  having 
performed  its  office  of  coagulation,  passes  off  in 
its  dissolved  state  with  the  whey.  As  it  is  of  a 
decomposing  nature,  it  would  be  a  pernicious 
element  if  retained  in  the  cheese,  giving  it  a  pun¬ 
gent  and  foetid  taste,  with  a  puffy  consistence. 

The  cheese  being  pressed,  is  now  bandaged. 
This  band  consists  of  a  piece  of  stout  white  cot¬ 
ton  cloth  drawn  tightly  around  its  circumference, 
lapping  on  to  its  top  and  bottom  a  couple  of  inches, 
more  or  less,  and  secured  by  stitches  of  thread. 
It  is  then  to  be  laid  on  broad  shelves  in  a  room  of 
high  temperature,  natural  or  artificial,  (according 
to  the  state  of  the  weather  outside)  of  about  80 
degrees.  Here,  then,  with  a  daily  rubbing  over 
with  an  oil,  or  unguent  made  for  the  purpose,  as 
we  shall  hereafter  describe,  and  turning,  it  is  left 
to  ripen  and  prepare  for  the  market. 

Although  we  have  given  the  chief  processes  of 
getting  the  milk  into  cheese  in  this  article,  many 
collateral  items  have  to  be  added  which  will  be 
considered  in  the  next  number. 

- - - - - - 

Prayer  prevails  against  temptation. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


339 


How  Cotton  is  Grown  and  Prepared  for 
Market . II. 


VARIETIES. 

Cotton  has  so  little  had  the  care  of  scientific 
cultivators,  that  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  deter¬ 
mine  the  varieties  now  in  use.  Formerly  there 
were  three  leading  species,  pretty  well  defined, 
viz.  :  The  Green  Seed  ( Gossypium  herbaceum), 
known  in  the  market  as  Upland  Cotton.  The 
Black  Seed  producing  a  long,  soft  cotton  of  good 
staple,  mostly  cultivated  on  the  sea  islands,  by 
which  name  it  is  also  known — and  more  recent¬ 
ly  introduced,  the  Petit  Gulf  and  Mexican  which 
are  regarded  as  sub-varieties  of  the  Hirsute,  or 
hairy  cotton.  The  Petit  Gulf  is  exceedingly  pro¬ 
ductive,  and  matures  early,  which  is  a  great  re¬ 
commendation,  with  all  those  planters,  who  live 
on  the  northern  edge  of  the  cotton  region. 

As  very  little  attention  is  paid  to  the  selection 
of  seeds,  on  many  of  the  plantations,  and  the  va¬ 
rieties  are  often  cultivated  near  together,  they 
become  mixed  and  degenerate.  The  planters  of 
the  upland  districts  procure  the  best  Petit  Gulf 
Seed,  from  the  neighborhood  of  Rodney,  on  the 
Mississippi ;  hut  after  the  fourth  year,  it  has  so 
lost  its  characteristics  as  to  be  hardly  distinguish¬ 
able  from  the  common,  Green  Seed  variety.  In 
most,  if  not  all  of  the  kinds  cultivated,  .in  this 
country,  there  is  a  tendency  to  increase  the  fur, 
which  immediately  envelops  the  seed.  This  ren¬ 
ders  the  seperation  of  the  wool,  somewhat  more 
difficult,  but  has  no  other  disadvantage. 

TILLAGE. 

There  is  a  gradual  change  coming  over  the 
whole  cotton  region,  in  the  use  of  new  tools,  but  it 
has  not  yet  resulted  in  any  uniform  system  of  cul¬ 
tivation.  While  on  some  places  the  hoe  is  still  in 
the  ascendant,  on  the  great  majority,  the  plow  is 
the  favorite  implement  for  breaking  up  the  soil, 
and  for  its  tillage,  while  the  crops  are  upon  the 
land.  When  the  cultivation  begins,  usually  in  the 
month  of  April,  the  young  plants  appear  in  a  con¬ 
tinuous  drill  on  top  of  the  ridge3.  The  object  of 
the  first  cultivation  is  merely  to  keep  down  the 
weeds,  and  stir  the  soil.  However  advantageous 
the  thinning  of  the  plants  might  be  at  first,  they 
have  so  many  enemies,  in  the  early  part  of  their 
growth,  that  they  are  left,  as  long  as  they  can  be 
with  safety  to  the  crop,  before  they  are  brought 
to  a  stand.  More  or  less  plants  are  drawn  at 
each  weeding,  until  the  last  of  May,  or  first  part 
of  June,  when  they  receive  their  last  thinning. 
The  stand  is  generally  from  one  to  two  feet  apart, 
according  to  the  quality  of  the  land.  On  a  rich 
soil  the  plants  want  the  most  room.  In  very  rich 
bottom  lands,  where  the  plants  frequently  grow 
eight  or  ten  feet  high,  they  should  stand  still  far¬ 
ther  apart. 

At  each  cultivation,  the  ridges  are  preserved, 
and  rather  increased  in  weight,  until  the  crop  is 
laid  by,  the  latter  part  of  July.  A  favorite  imple¬ 
ment  of  cultivation  is  the  cotton  sweep,  a  sort  of 
light  double  mold  board  plow,  designed  to  sweep 
over  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  turn  the  soil 
toward  the  plants.  The  cultivators,  and  horse 
hoes  of  the  north,  so  admirably  adapted  to  this 
work,  are  only  seen  upon  a  few  plantations  as 
novelties. 

It  is  claimed  for  the  ridge  system  of  tillage, 
that  it  is  indispensable  in  the  peculiar  climate  of 
the  south.  The  rains  are  very  abundant  in  Spring, 
and  it  would  often  be  impossible  to  plant,  except 
upon  ridges.  The  rains  are  often  quite  as  abund¬ 
ant  in  Summer,  coming  in  violent  tropical  show¬ 
ers,  and  the  plants  would  be  drowned  out,  unless 
they  stood  above  the  common  level  of  the  field. 
The  crop  is  generally  tilled  from  four  to  six  times 


according  to  the  season,  and  the  circumstances 
of  the  planter. 

ENEMIES. 

These  are  so  numerous,  that  the  cotton  crop  is 
justly  regarded  as  much  more  precarious  than 
corn.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  much  more  tender 
and  easily  damaged  from  any  cause  whatever.  It 
is  frequently  cut  off  by  frost  in  April,  and  then 
the  whole  ground  has  to  be  replanted.  In  this 
month,  also,  the  cock-chaffer,  or  cut  worm  is  to 
be  apprehended,  and  as  the  plant  comes  through 
the  ground,  and  remains  for  several  days  like  the 
pea  or  other  pulse,  with  but  two  radical  leaves, 
every  one  of  the  plants  cut  by  the  worm  above  or 
below  the  surface  is  destroyed. 

In  August,  the  crop  is  liable  to  injury  from  ex¬ 
cessive  rains  making  the  plants  cast  their  blos¬ 
soms,  and  even  their  leaves.  In  this  month  also 
the  caterpillar  is  expected.  This  worm  proceeds 
from  a  small  brown  butterfly,  resembling  the 
candle  moth.  This  moth  deposits  its  eggs  upon 
the  leaf  always  a  night  or  two  before  the  full  or 
change  of  the  moon.  They  hatch  in  a  few  hours 
after  they  are  laid,  and  are  so  small  as  to  be  hardly 
visible.  Like  the  silk  worm,  they  appear  to  lin¬ 
ger  in  their  first  stages,  doing  no  great  injury  for 
the  first  eight  or  ten  days.  They  then  become 
extremely  voracious,  and  like  the  locusts  of  the 
east  sweep  every  thing  before  them.  Promising 
fields  of  hundreds  of  acres  in  extent  are  some¬ 
times  stript  of  every  leaf  and  pod,  in  three  or  four 
days,  involving  an  entire  loss  of  crop.  These  de¬ 
structive  visitors  are  said  to  come  as  often  as 
once  in  seven  years.  All  the  bottom  lands  are 
subject  to  overflow,  and  these  often  continue  so 
late  in  the  Spring,  as  to  prevent  the  planting  of 
cotton.  This  was  the  case  on  hundreds  of  plan¬ 
tations  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  last  year, 
and  the  overflow  has  been  still  higher  and  longer 
protracted  the  present  season.  The  loss  ofcrops 
for  two  seasons  in  succession,  must  subject  mul¬ 
titudes  to  serious  embarrassment,  and  make  many 
bankrupt. 

When  the  cotton  fields  escape  all  these  sources 
of  injury,  they  present  as  beautiful  a  spectacle,  as 
any  crop  grown  in  the  country.  It  is  a  goodly 
sight  to  behold  the  wide  waving  fields  of  luxu¬ 
riant  green,  variegated  with  flowers  of  three  col¬ 
ors,  from  early  in  July  until  September,  and  with 
multitudes  of  pods  in  every  stage  of  their  growth. 
The  blossom  when  it  first  makes  its  appearance 
is  a  fine  yellow  color,  which  it  holds  during  the 
day.  At  night  it  changes  to  a  crimson,  or  red 
hue,  and  on  the  third  day  turns  a  chocolate  brown, 
and  falls  off,  leaving  a  pod  about  a  half  inch  in 
diameter. 

PICKING 

begins  soon  after  the  pods  begin  to  open,  from 
the  first  to  the  last  of  August,  according  to  the 
latitude,  and  the  forwardness  of  the  season. 
This  is  the  most  delightful  and  joyous  season  in 
the  whole  circle  of  the  year,  upon  the  cotton 
plantation  ;  the  hands  where  they  are  well  treat¬ 
ed  entering  into  the  sympathies  of  the  master,  in 
gathering  the  harvest.  Their  ambition  is  often 
stimulated  by  pay  for  extra  work,  or  by  tasks 
which  hold  out  the  promise  of  leisure,  or  some 
coveted  indulgence.  As  the  day’s  work  is  meas¬ 
ured  by  weight,  it  is  particularly  easy  to  allot  the 
work  in  tasks,  to  which  slaves  are  always  par¬ 
tial.  The  picking  requires  sleight  of  hand,  and 
some  who  have  the  proper  training,  will  pick 
more  than  twice  as  much  as  others.  The  whole 
force  of  the  plantation  is  brought  out  in  this  bus¬ 
iness,  and  the  work  is  more  pressing  than  at  any 
other  period. 

The  hands,  young  and  old,  male  and  female  are 
provided  with  osnaburg  bags  hung  over  the  neck 


and  shoulders,  and  open  in  front  into  which  the 
cotton  is  put  as  fast  as  picked.  These  bags  hold 
as  much  as  can  be  conveniently  handled,  and  are 
emptied  into  osnaburg  sheets,  or  large  baskets, 
placed  at  convenient  intervals  along  the  rows. 
These  baskets  will  hold  a  half  day's  work  or 
more,  and  are  carried  to  the  gin-house,  or  place 
of  deposit  in  the  afternoon.  Cleanliness  in  the 
picking  is  enforced  upon  the  hands,  as  every  par¬ 
ticle  of  leaf  or  stalk,  mixed  with  the  staple,  in¬ 
jures  its  value.  The  average  day’s  work  is  not 
far  from  forty-five  to  fifty  pounds,  in  what  is  called 
a  good  opening.  In  the  rich  bottom  lands,  in  a 
good  season,  it  would  be  much  higher,  and  in 
poor  lands,  it  would  be  much  less. 

The  fresh  picked  cotton  is  spread  upon  a  scaf¬ 
folding  to  dry..  This  is  usually  a  part  of  the  gin- 
house,  into  which  the  cotton  is  removed,  in 
case  of  rain.  The  scaffolds  are  about  four  feet 
wide,  so  that  the  hands  can  walk  upon  each  side 
to  turn  over  the  cotton,  while  drying.  After  dry¬ 
ing  the  short  staple  or  upland  cotton  i3  immedi¬ 
ately  ginned  and  prepared  for  market. 

GINNING. 

The  gin-house  is  usually  the  largest  establish¬ 
ment  upon  the  plantation,  and  not  unfrequently  is 
the  most  expensive.  It  usually  embraces  the 
mill,  drying  house  and  gin,  under  the  same  roof. 
The  machinery  for  both  mill  and  gin  is  turned  by 
mules  or  horses.  The  arrangement  is  very  much 
after  the  pattern  of  the  old  fashioned  bark  mills. 
The  building  is  raised  upon  posts  about  eight  feet 
high,  and  the  sweeps  of  the  mill,  and  of  the  gin 
are  in  the  open  shed  underneath  the  building. 

It  was  a  great  day  for  the  plantation,  when 
Whitney  set  his  cotton  gin  to  work.  This  impor¬ 
tant  branch  of  agriculture  could  never  have  at¬ 
tained  its  present  ascendency  without  this,  or 
some  similar  invention.  The  long  and  tedious 
process  of  hand  cleaning,  for  the  short  staple 
cotton,  is  completely  superseded.  There  are  a 
variety  of  gins  in  common  use,  as  the  Barrel  gin, 
Eve's  gin,  and  Whitney's.  This  last  is  mainly 
depended  upon  for  cleaning  the  upland  cotton  ; 
the  long  staple  or  sea  island,  being  still  cleaned 
by  hand.  Whitney's  Saw  gin  is  an  ingenious  con¬ 
trivance  for  seperating  the  seed  from  the  fibre, 
and  may  be  worked  by  water,  by  oxen,  or  other 
animal  power.  A  series  of  circular  iron  plates, 
armed  with  teeth,  are  arranged  upon  a  cylinder, 
about  three  fourths  of  an  inch  apart.  As  the  cyl¬ 
inder  revolves,  the  teeth  draw  the  cotton  wool 
through  the  openings  of  iron  straps,  out  of  the 
bin  and  hopper,  in  which  the  cotton  is  placed. 
These  openings  are  too  narrow  for  the  seed  to 
pass.  The  cotton  is  brushed  from  the  teeth  by 
countermoving  brushes,  on  another  cylinder. 
After  ginning,  the  cotton  is  carefully  looked  over 
and  picked  of  all  remaining  broken  seeds,  and  put 
up  in  bales  of  about  four  hundred  pounds  each. 


Osier  Willows  for  Hedges. 

Chas.  M.  Buttolph,  Lee  Co.,  III.,  states  that  af¬ 
ter  having  cultivated  the  Osier  Willow  ( Salix  vim- 
inalis)  three  years,  his  success  has  been  such  as 
to  warrant  him  in  concluding  that  it  is  better 
adapted  for  live  fencing  on  llie  prairies  than  the 
Osage  Orange,  or  any  other  plant  with  which  he 
is  acquainted.  He  says  it  grows  luxuriantly, 
even  on  the  highest  land,  making  from  7  to  10 
feet  in  a  season,  and  is  not  injured  by  the  severest 
Winters.  [Is  there  not  some  mistake  about  their 
growing  luxuriantly  on  the  highest  land  1  Again, 
if  grown  thickly  enough  to  form  a  barrier  to  cat¬ 
tle  and  hogs  would  they  not  spread  over  the  land 
so  much  as  to  be  a  nuisance  1  We  throw  out 
these  questions  for  information.— Ed.] 


240 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  151 


i.. •  - 

Wheat  Insects. 

Few  persons  have  the  faintest  conception  of 
the  immense  amount  of  destruction  produced  by 
two  or  three  species  of  minute  insects — insects 
so  small  that  they  almost  entirely  escape  the  at¬ 
tention  of  ordinary  observers,  save  in  the  effects 
produced  by  them.  We  know  a  single  county 
where  only  a  dozen  years  ago  wheat  was  the  sta¬ 
ple  crop.  Every  farmer  sowed  wheat  upon  near¬ 
ly  half  of  his  tillable  acres.  At  the  principal 
county  town  were  a  dozen  agencies  for  eastern 
millers  and  dealers.  We  have  at  one  time 
counted  more  than  a  hundred  loads  of  wheat 
coming  into  town  from  the  neighboring  country. 
Now  there  are  scarcely  two  hundred  fields  of 
wheat  in  the  entire  county,  and  as  for  a  load  of 
wheat  in  the  former  great  wheat  market,  it  is  so 
rare  an  object  as  to  be  a  curiosity.  This  change 
has  resulted  entirely  from  the  ravages  of  a  little 
insect  not  larger  than  a  pin-head  in  size.  What 
we  have  described  in  one  county  has  occurred 
in  a  multitude  of  others  over  a  large  portion  of 
our  country.  And  as  yet  no  effective  remedy  has 
been  discovered. 

We  propose  to  give  here  a  description  of  some 
of  the  more  common  wheat  insects,  with  illus¬ 
trations  prepared  by  a  competent  artist  expressly 
for  this  article.  We  hope  our  readers  living  in 
wheat  growing  regions  will  study  this  subject, 
and  preserve  the  engravings  and  descriptions  un¬ 
til  another  year,  and  then  each  one  examine 
the  fields  in  season,  as  a  matter  of  interest,  and 
also  .be  ready  to  assist  us  in  making  further  in¬ 
vestigations.  We  have  received  several  respon¬ 
ses  to  our  request  last  month,  hut  the  general 
tenor  of  them  all  is,  that  the  insects  are  not  so 
common  this  year  as  formerly,  and  with  two  ex¬ 
ceptions  our  correspondents  have  been  unable, 
after  diligent  search,  to  find  specimens  of  the. 
midge  oi  worm.  No  one  has  succeeded  in  secur¬ 
ing  a  specimen  of  the  parent  fly. 

There  is  confusion  in  the  terms  used  in  de- 
seribing  the  insects  destructive  to  wheat.  The 
common  term  for  all  kinds  is  the  “  weevil ,”  the 
name  of  an  insect  comparatively  rare  in  this 
country.  The  following  will  help  to  the  proper 
use  of  terms. 


a 

Fig.  1. — CHINCH  BUG. 


Chinch  Bug  ( Micropus  leucoplerus). — Fig.  1, 
shows  this  insect ;  a  is  the  insect  largely  magni¬ 
fied  to  show  the  different  parts  more  plainly  ;  b 
is  engraved  to  the  exact  natural  size  of  the  full 
grown  bug.  In  its  perfect  state  it  has  a  black, 
downy  body  about  one-sixth  of  an  inch  long.  This 
insect  is  very  readily  distinguished  by  its  white 
wing-covers,  upon  each  of  which  are  faint  black 
lines,  and  a  large  oval  black  spot  upon  the  mar¬ 
gin.  The  name  Micropus  leucopterus  was  given 
by  Dr.  Harris  ;  it  was  previously  called  Lygceus 
leucoplerus.  It  belongs  to  the  order  of  Hemipte- 
ra,  which  includes  the  common  “  bed-bug,”  and 
others  of  like  disagreeable  odor.  The  chinch 


bug  emits  a  disgusting  odor  very  like  that  of  the 
common  bed-bug. 

The  chinch  bug  does  not  gnaw  plants  but  sub¬ 
sists  upon  their  juices,  which  it  sucks  out  through 
its  slender,  sharp,  needle-like  beak.  It  thus  liter¬ 
ally  bleeds  the  plants  to  death.  It  seems  to  pre¬ 
fer  wheat,  but  will  thrive  upon  the  juices  of  most 


Fig.  2. — GRAIN  WEEVIL 


other  plants,  and  net  unfrequently  destroy  crops 
of  oats,  corn,  and  grass.  The  eggs  are  deposited 
in  the  ground  in  Autumn  and  in  the  Spring  the 
insects  come  forth,  of  a  red  color,  at  first,  but  grad¬ 
ually  change  to  brown  and  then  to  black.  They  first 
attack  wheat,  and  when  this  is  gone  they  go  to 
the  nearest  field  of  oats  or  corn,  and  travel  from 
field  to  field  in  immense  armies  like  locusts,  de¬ 
stroying  every  green  thing  in  their  line  of  march. 
In  the  South  and  South  Middle  States  they  come 
forth  in  May  ;  in  the  Middle  and  Western  States 
they  are  first  seen  in  June.  They  have  been 
found  in  New-York  and  Southern  New-England, 
but  not  in  sufficient  number,  as  yet,  to  do  exten¬ 
sive  injury.  We  have  heard  most  of  them,  in 
North  Carolina,  Virginia,  and  Southern  Illinois. 
They  appear  to  multiply  rapidly  in  a  warm  dry 
season,  and  to  he  greatly  checked  in  a  wret  one. 
They  can  use  their  wings  for  locomotion,  but  sel¬ 
dom  fly  more  than  three  or  four  feet  at  a  time. 
They  usually  travel  “on  foot.”  No  means  for 
their  entire  destruction  have  been  discovered. 
Their  number  and  ravages  can  be  lessened  by 
burning  up  the  grain  or  grass  upon  a  field  upon 
which  they  have  gathered.  Where  their  course 
of  march  is  observed  they  may  be  checked  by 
spreading  out  a  layer  of  dry  straw  across  their 
path,  which  extends  from  a  few  rods  to  miles  in 
width  sometimes,  and  when  the  straw  is  covered 
with  them,  setting  it  on  fire. 

Grain  Weevil  {Calandra  granaria). — In  fig.  2, 
c  is  a  magnified  representation  of  this  insect 
which  is  the  true  grain-weevil,  or  wheat-weevil, 
of  Europe.  Though  the  term  “weevil”  is  com¬ 
monly  applied  to  wheat  insects,  the  true  weevil  is 
little  known  in  this  country.  There  is  a  some¬ 
what  similar,  but  smaller  insect  at  the  South, 
called  the  black  weevil  ( Calandra  Oryza)  which 
preys  chiefly  upon  rice,  and  hence  is  often  called 
the  rice-weevil.  This  latter  insect  frequently  at¬ 
tacks  corn  and  wheat  as  well  as  rice.  The  grain- 
weevil,  in  its  perfected  state,  is  a  slender  beetle  of 
dark  red  color,  and  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch 
long.  It  has  a  small  long  proboscis  or  snout, 
curving  a  little  downward.  The  thorax  or  chest, 
constitutes  about  one-half  of  its  body  and  is  punc¬ 


tured  with  holes  which  give  it  a  rough  appear¬ 
ance.  The  abdomen  is  covered  with  delicate 
wings,  over  which  are  wing-covers  reaching  not 
quite  to  the  extremity  of  the  abdomen.  In  fig.  2, 
d  shows  a  magnified  antenna  or  feeler ;  e,  a 
magnified  nymph  the  natural  length  of  which  is 
indicated  by  the  line  at  the  left;  /  the  insect 
in  a  wheat  kernel ;  and  g  the  grub  itself,  its-,  nat¬ 
ural  length  also  shown  by  a  line  at  the  left. 

The  true  grain  weevil  attacks  only  the  ripe  or 
nearly  ripened  grain — usually  however,  after  it  is 
gathered.  Th e  female  punctures  a  kernel  with  her 
beak  or  rostrum  and  then  deposites  an  egg — some¬ 
times  two — and  then  goes  to  another,  treating  it 
in  the  same  way.  From  these  eggs  are  hatched 
the  grubs  or  worms  which  burrow  in  the  grain 
kernels  and  eat  out  the  substance,  closing  up  the 
aperture  behind  them  so  that  their  presence  is 
not  always  discovered  until  the  injury  is  com¬ 
pleted.  Kiln  drying  is  often  resorted  to,  and  is 
effectual  in  destroying  the  insect  if  attended  to  in 
season.  The  grub  grows  to  about  the  twelfth  of 
an  inch  in  length ;  its  body  is  white  and  soft,  and 
has  nine  rings  around  it  as  seen  at  g,  fig.  2.  Its 
head  is  small,  round,  and  supplied  with  cutting  in¬ 
struments.  It  arrives  at  maturity  about  the  time 
it  has  consumed  the  flour  portion  of  the  kernel ; 
then  changes  to  a  chrysalis  state  (like  that  be¬ 
tween  the  worm  and  the  butterfly),  and  soon  after 
changes  to  the  perfectly  formed  weevil  which  eats 
its  way  out  of  the  shell  and  goes  forth  to  deposit 
its  eggs  in  turn  upon  other  kernels.  The  perfect 
insect  as  well  as  the  grub  feeds  upon  the  grain. 
They  multiply  rapidly,  each  successive  race  lay¬ 
ing  numerous  eggs.  A  single  pair  is  said  to 
sometimes  multiply  to  six  thousand  in  a  single 
season.  They  are  not  very  destructive  to  grain 
kept  cool,  well  ventilated,  and  frequently  moved 


Fig.  3.— HESSIAN  FLV. 


The  Hessian  Fly  ( Cccidomyia  destructor). — In 
fig.  3,  h  represents  the  insect  magnified  ;  i  is  the 
exact  size  of  the  full  grown  fly  ;  j  is  the  dorsal, 
or  back  view  of  the  worm  as  found  in  the  wheat 
stalk  ;  k  the  ventral  or  front  view  of  the  same  ; 
l  a  dorsal  or  back  view  of  the  dormant  larva. 
In  fig.  4,  m  is  front  view  of  the  pupa  ;  n  a  wheat 
stalk  infested  with  the  worm  ;  and  o  a  wheat 
stalk  with  the  leaf  broken  away  to  show  the  young 
worm  at  the  joint.  The  Hessian  Fly  was  so 
named,  because  introduced,  or  supposed  to  have 
been  introduced,  by  the  Hessian  soldiers  employ¬ 
ed  by  the  British  during  the  Revolutionary  war 
(1776).  It  was  first  discovered  in  the  vicinity  of 
New-York,  from  which  point  it  extended  in  all  di¬ 
rections,  its  usual  rate  of  advance  being  from  15 
to  25  miles  a  year.  The  full  grown  Hessian  Fly  ( i , 
fig.  3)  is  nearly  the  size  of  a  small  mosquito, 
which  it  resembles  in  general  form.  It  has,  how¬ 
ever,  no  bill  for  sucking  blood,  and  has  propor¬ 
tionally  a  larger  thorax  or  chest,  and  a  smaller 


August,  1859. 


241 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


abdomen  or  belly  than  the  mosquito.  There  are 
two  broods  hatched  annually,  from  eggs  deposi¬ 
ted  in  September  and  May.  The  full-grown  fly 
deposits  its  eggs,  which  are  very  small  reddish 
grains,  in  the  upper  channels  of  the  wheat  leaf, 
soon  after  the  stalk  begins  to  branch.  As  this 
takes  place  in  September  or  early  in  October, 
late  sown  wheat  usually  escapes  the  Autumn 
egg.  These  eggs  hatch  out  in  about  15  days, 
producing  a  small  worm  (j  fig.  3)  which  works  its 
way  down  between  the  leaf-sheath  and  stalk  to  a 


point  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  where,  in 
the  form  of  a  white  or  spotted  maggot,  it  lies 
concealed,  and  sucks  out  the  juice  of  the  plant. 
In  a  few  weeks  it  arrives  at  full  growth,  and 
changes  to  a  pupa  or  chrysalis  state,  of  a  cone¬ 
like  or  flaxseed  shape  (m,  fig.  4).  In  this  state  it 
lies  until  the  following  Spring,  when  the  perfect 
fly  comes  forth  and  deposits  a  second  brood  of 
eggs,  which  attack  the  wheat  stalks  above  the 
ground,  but  near  the  lower  joints.  The  juice  ex¬ 
tracted  weakens  the  stalk,  and  it  crinkles  down. 
Its  effects  are  not  very  visible  until  the  stalk  has 
attained  nearly  its  full  growth,  when  on  going 
through  a  field  the  extent  of  its  depredations  is 
generally  known  by  the  number  of  lodged  or  fall¬ 
en  stalks.  The  flaxseed  grub  when  present,  may 
be  found  much  earlier  by  carefully  stripping  down 
the  leaf-sheath  from  the  still  green  and  upright 
stalk  (o  fig.  4).  Since  the  point  of  attack  is  usu¬ 
ally  below  the  harvested  portion  of  the  straw,  the 
grub  is  left  in  the  field,  where  it  undergoes  its 
transformation  to  come  out  the  perfect  fly  again 
in  Autumn.  It  is  on  this  account  that  burning 
the  stubble  soon  after  harvest  has  proved  a  par¬ 
tial  remedy  against  future  attacks.  There  is  a 
parasitic  insect  enemy,  which  multiplies  faster 
than  the  Hessian  fly,  and  to  which  we  are  indebt¬ 
ed  for  the  disappearance  of  this  pest  after  its 
prevalence  during  a  few  years  in  any  locality. 

The  Midge,  or  Clear-winged  Wheat-fly  ( Ce - 
cidomyia  Tritici). — This  is  now  the  greatest  pest 
to  the  wheat  crop  in  this  country.  It  produces  the 
little  yellow  maggot  found  so  abundantly  upon  the 
soft  kernels  in  many  of  the  northern  wheat  re¬ 
gions.  At  the  time  this  article  must  go  to  the 
stereotypers  we  are  in  the  daily  receipt  of  letters 
on  the  subject,  and  since  the  above  was  put  in 
type  we  have  received  several  specimens  of  the 
maggot,  but  as  yet  none  of  the  parent  fly.  In 
order  to  wait  for  further  letters  that  may  still 
come  in,  we  will  stop  here,  and  continue  the  sub¬ 
ject  in  our  next.  We  are  very  anxious  to  get 
fresh  specimens  of  the  fly  to  sketch  from,  and  al¬ 


so  to  gather  any  information  that  may,  in  the 
least,  point  to  a  remedy  for  this  most  formidable 
enemy  of  the  wheat  grower. 

Become  Acquainted  with  the  Insects. 

Although  the  ravages  of  insects  and  their  prog¬ 
eny,  have  become  so  destructive  as  to  render  the 
cultivation  of  many  otherwise  profitable  articles 
almost  an  entire  failure,  comparatively  few  are 
sufficiently  acquainted  with  even  the  more  com 
mon  species,  to  recognize  them  in  their  different 
forms,  or  to  detect  the  indications  of  their  work 
until  the  mischief  is  too  far  advanced  to  be  rem¬ 
edied.  This  want  of  information  is  not  from  any 
great  difficulty  in  learning  their  appearance  and 
habits,  but  from  the  fact  that  general  instruction 
in  this  as  in  other  branches  of  natural  science  has 
been  neglected.  Education,  according  to  the  sys¬ 
tem  pursued  in  most  of  our  common  schools,  has 
been  supposed  to  consist  in  imparting  a  fair 
knowledge  of  “reading,  writing  and  ciphering,” 
and  if  any  boy  or  girl  was  privileged  to  go  beyond 
this,  they  were  usually  introduced  to  the  myster¬ 
ies  of  Algebra,  and  the  entertaining  study  of  the 
dead  languages.  This  system  has  not  been  with¬ 
out  its  use ;  it  has  borne  noble  fruits,  but  the  ne¬ 
cessities  of  the  present  times  demand  something 
more,  and  steps  in  the  right  direction  are  being 
taken  by  the  introduction  of  elementary  works 
on  natural  science  into  many  of  the  common 
schools.  It  is  within  the  power  of  every  farmer, 
by  devoting  a  few  leisure  hours  to  reading  and 
observation  to  become  well  acquainted  with  his 
insect  enemies,  to  render  valuable  assistance  to 
those  who  are  engaged  in  professionally  investi¬ 
gating  the  subject,  and  without  doubt  in  a  great 
measure  ultimately  to  protect  himself  from  their 
depredations.  ■  It  would  be  well  perhaps  to 
commence  by  procuring  some  standard  work  as 
Harris’s  or  Fitch’s,  and  after  reading  the  descrip¬ 
tion  of  some  one  insect,  find  a  specimen  and  watch 
its  transformations,  until  it  can  be  recognized  in 
any  form,  and  its  habits  fully  understood.  A  taste 
for  such  observations  will  soon  be  formed,  and  a 
few  years  will  suffice  to  render  a  person  thor¬ 
oughly  acquainted  with  most  of  the  destructive 
insects  of  his  own  locality. 

* I  ray^gEa— '  >  •  - 

Fruit  Stealing— An  Excellent  Cure. 

[The  following  communication  contains  a  very  impor¬ 
tant  suggestion — one  too  seldom  thought  of,  but  of  ex¬ 
ceeding  value,  and  we  hope  it  will  be  read,  and  acted 
upon. — Ed.] 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

I  am  glad  to  see  that  this  matter  is  up  for  dis¬ 
cussion  in  your  excellent  paper.  The  evil  is  per¬ 
haps  the  most  vexatious  that  lies  in  the  path¬ 
way  of  the  patient  fruit-grower.  Insects  are 
troublesome  but  they  take  the  fruit  in  the  blos¬ 
som  or  in  its  green  state,  and  so  only  cutoffyour 
hopes.  But  the  tresspass  of  the  fruit  thief  robs 
you  of  an  actual  possession,  in  its  full  perfection. 
He  carries  off  with  him  not  only  the  product  of 
your  toil,  but  the  object  of  your  affections  in  all 
its  blooming  beauty — luscious  grapes  and  plums, 
with  the  bloom  dust  of  maturity  upon  their  melt¬ 
ing  cheeks,  pears  hanging  like  golden  goblets 
brimming  with  nectar,  strawberries  and  the  small¬ 
er  fruits  more  tempting  than  ambrosia  in  the  days 
when  the  heathen  gods  and  goddesses  were 
around.  If  you  have  such  a  thing  as  a  new  pear, 
that  you  have  heard  much  of,  or  a  new  grape 
whose  fame  is  in  all  the  papers,  it  js  sure  to  be 
selected  by  the  gentlemen,  who  call  only  at  the 
midnight  hour,  and  on  moonlight  nights.  It  is  in 
vain  that  you  deplore  their  mistake,  and  welcome 
them  to  anything  else  in  the  garden,  quite  as  good 


or  better,  the  fruit  upon  which  you  had  set  your 
heart,  is  wanting,  and  there  is  no  help  for  it. 
You  have  not  even  the  melancholy  satisfaction  of 
knowing  your  tormentor. 

You  boil  over  with  more  wrath  than  you  would 
at  the  loss  of  a  hundred  times  the  value,  in  any 
other  commodity.  You  threaten  thrashing,  shoot¬ 
ing  with  white  beans,  or  coarse  salt,  riding  on  a 
rail,  and  seriously  contemplate  steel  traps,  buried 
scythes,  pit  falls,  ipecac,  tartar  emetic,  and  other 
horrors.  Nothing  is  too  bad  for  the  unknown 
enemy  while  he  remains  unknown.  But  when 
suspicion,  amounting  to  positive  knowledge,  fast¬ 
ens  the  crime  upon  your  neighbor,  who  is  land¬ 
less,  or  upon  your  neighbor’s  boy,  little  Ben, 
whose  father  never  planted  a  fruit  tree  in  his  life 
you  begin  to  relent. 

I  have  no  doubt  that  severe  remedies  are  some¬ 
times  necessary,  especially  in  cities,  and  their 
suburbs,  where  every  fruit  yard  is  not  only  ex¬ 
posed  to  the  vicious  in  its  own  neighborhood,  but 
to  the  vicious  among  a  large  foreign  population. 
But  the  fruit  grower  in  the  country,  or  in  rural 
villages,  where  he  can  exert  a  social  influence, 
over  the  families  infected  with  this  disease,  has 
a  much  better,  and  cheaper  remedy. 

I  have  studied  the  matter  professionally  for 
some  years,  and  have  come  to  the  conclusion  ; 
that  fruit  thieves  are  moral  beings  like  the  rest  of 
mankind,  and  that  this  infirmity  is  a  malady,  that 
admits  of  moral  treatment.  The  plan  that  I  have 
pursued  for  years  is  substantially  the  following, 
and  I  am  happy  to  say,  it  is  attended  with  the 
best  results. 

Little  Ben,  and  his  young  friends,  having  no 
fruit  of  their  own,  look  upon  every  cultivator  as 
a  stingy  old  curmudgeon,  who  has  trespassed 
upon  human  rights,  in  having  strawberries  and 
pears  for  family  use.  Of  course  with  this  view, 
“  Old  Crusty’s  ”  garden  is  a  legitimate  object  of 
plunder,  and  the  higher  he  raises  his  walls,  and  the 
more  he  tops  them  with  broken  glass,  and  other 
horrors,  the  more  fun  there  is  in  scaling  them, 
and  feeding  the  watch  dog  with  strychnine,  well 
coated  with  beef  steak.  Little  Ben  may  be  a 
scamp,  or  a  scoundrel,  or  something  worse,  but 
he  has  a  heart,  and  a  sort  of  honor,  upon  which 
he  prides  himself.  He  is  very  true  to  his  friends, 
and  a  box  of  strawberries  sent  to  his  mother,  cost¬ 
ing  you  not  over  five  cents,  will  make  him  your 
friend  for  life.  The  cheapest,  and  most  impene¬ 
trable  fence  you  can  put  up  around  your  garden 
is  one  built  of  fruits,  judiciously  distributed  in 
your  own  neighborhood.  To  this,  add  the  distri¬ 
bution  of  plants  and  seeds  such  as  every  fruit 
grower  has  on  his  hands  after  his  sales  are  over. 
A  wise  man,  who  will  pursue  this  course,  will 
soon  get  all  his  neighbors  interested  in  fruitgrow¬ 
ing  and  will  create  a  public  sentiment  that  will 
guard  his  premises,  better  than  high  fences,  man 
traps,  and  poison.  If  you  suspect  a  boy  of  plun¬ 
dering  your  water-melon  patch,  send  his  father 
one  of  your  best  melons,  the  next  day  for  dinner, 
you  need  not  scold,  or  say  a  word.  The  melon 
will  make  little  Ben  look  red  in  the  face,  and  bring 
him  to  repentance.  Establish  your  own  reputa¬ 
tion  for  a  liberal,  good  hearted  neighbor,  who 
raises  fruits  for  his  neighbors,  as  well  as  himself, 
and  your  garden  will  be  about  as  safe  as  Paradise. 
This  at  least  is  experience,  up  here  in 

Connecticut. 

- - — *-«* - 

Roses  may  be  successfully  budded  at  this  sea¬ 
son.  When  several  varieties  of  distinct  colors 
are  inserted  on  a  single  bush,  trained  to  a  stand¬ 
ard  or  tree  form,  the  effect  is  very  pleasing. 
Select  the  hardy  perpetual  bloomers,  rather  than 
the  common  June  roses  which  flower  but  once 
during  the  season. 


£42 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Horticulture  in  Greenland. 


It  may  be  well  for  us  iu  this  middle  climate,  of 
which  we  so  often  and  unjustly  complain,  to  think 
occasionally  of  the  inhabitants  further  north,  in 
their  attempts  to  till  the  earth.  The  Danes  in 
Upper  Greenland  have  hardly  two  months  ofSum- 
mer,  yet  they  cultivate  their  gardens  with  much 
zeal.  In  this  short  season,  of  course  they  can 
not  ripen  fruits  or  seeds  ;  but  they  get  seeds  from 
warmer  climates  and  raise  vegetables  for  the  use 
of  their  leaves.  Radishes  do  well  there,  and  cab¬ 
bage,  spinach,  salads,  and  chervil  grow  vigorous¬ 
ly,  but  do  not  acquire  the  flavor  which  they  pos¬ 
sess  in  lower  latitudes.  Potatoes  manage  to  get 
as  large  as  nuts.  Manure  is  said  to  be  of  but 
little  use,  because  there  is  not  heat  enough  to  de¬ 
compose  it  unless  it  lies  exposed  for  several 
years.  This  decomposition,  however,  can  be 
brought  about  by  artificial  means.  Seeds  are  of¬ 
ten  started  in  hot-houses  and  dwellings,  and  then 
set  out  in  the  open  ground.  At  best,  it  is  horti¬ 
culture  under  difficulties,  of  which  we  never 
dreamed.  Perhaps  some  of  our  discontented 
farmers  and  gardeners  are  desirous  to  migrate  up 
there  1  Who  will  offer  himself  1 


A  Talk  about  Landscape  Gardening. 

The  organization  of  “  Farmers’  Clubs  ”  in 
every  neighborhood  or  town  has  been  frequently 
advocated  in  the  Agriculturist.  Not  less  valuable 
are  Horticultural  Clubs  wherever  there  can  be 
gathered  a  half  dozen  or  more  persons  bound  to¬ 
gether  by  a  common  interest  in  gardening.  Such 
clubs  are  already  formed  in  many  villages 
throughout  the  country.  The  members  meet 
weekly  or  monthly  as  the  case  may  be,  and  talk 
over  various  topics  connected  with  fruit  growing, 
flowers,  and  garden  productions  generally.  They 
thus  render  each  other  mutual  assistance,  and 
promote  a  higher  degree  of  taste.  As  an  illus¬ 
tration,  we  present  an  outline  report  of  a  meet¬ 
ing  we  attended  recently  in  the  interior  of  New- 
York  State.  The  Horticultural  Society  of  the 
village  is  composed  of  the  Faculty  of  a  college, 
and  some  dozen  or  more  other  gentlemen  in  the 
town  who  are  practically  interested  in  horticul¬ 
ture.  The  objects  discussed  in  their  meetings 
take  a  wide  range,  embracing  theory  and  prac¬ 
tice,  and  both  the  useful  and  the  ornamental.  On 
the  evening  referred  to,  the  subject  of  conversa¬ 
tion  was  Landscape  Gardening,  more  especially  in 
reference  to  the  improvement  of  grounds  of  small  ex¬ 
tent.  After  an  address  on  this  subject  by  a  lit¬ 
erary  gentleman,  miscellaneous  observations  were 
made  by  several  members,  of  which  the  follow¬ 
ing  is  an  outline : 

Mr.  A. — Questioned  whether  we  could  really 
practice  landscape  gardening  in  this  country. 
Very  few  men  own  land  enough  to  make  a  land¬ 
scape  out  of,  except  here  and  there  a  farmer  ; 
and  such  men  generally  care  more  for  crops  than 
for  landscapes.  But  if  we  mean  simply  orna¬ 
mental  gardening,  on  a  scale  large  or  small,  ac¬ 
cording  to  circumstances,  that  we  can  have.  In 
arranging  the  grounds  of  a  country  residence,  we 
should  not  be  governed  by  a  set  of  arbitrary 
rules  :  there  are  no  universal  laws,  applicable  to 
every  case.  There  are,  indeed,  certain  general 
principles  which  are  always  to  be  regarded,  but 
in  their  application  we  must  be  governed  very 
much  by  circumstances.  We  should  study  na¬ 
ture.  In  planting  groups  of  trees,  we  should  set 
a  variety  of  sorts  together,  and  so  obtain  the 
fieedom  and  spirit  of  natural  scenery.  Here  and 
there,  an  evergreen  should  crop  out  from  among 
deciduous  trees  ;  and  spiry-topped  trees,  like  the 


larch  and  Lombardy  poplar,  should  shoot  up  from 
the  midst  of  round-headed  trees,  to  break  their 
monotony.  Trees  of  dark  foliage  should  be  set 
in  the  foreground  of  one’s  premises,  and  lighter 
ones  in  the  rear,  so  as  to  give  the  place  an  ap¬ 
pearance  of  large  extent. 

Mr.  B. — Would  have  more  of  nature  and  less 
of  art  appear  in  our  ornamental  grounds.  The 
trees  should  be  of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  and  plant¬ 
ed  at  random.  Serpentine  walks  and  clipped 
hedges  and  trees  in  rows  looked  juvenile  to  him. 
You  see  no  such  boys’  play  in  nature.  If  trees 
should  ever  be  set  out  with  any  design  in  view, 
it  should  be  simply  to  break  off  the  winds  from 
the  stormy  quarter.  There  let  them  stand  in 
thick  belts  and  masses.  There  is  little  need  of 
shade  in  our  cold  climate  ;  the  warm  sun  should 
be  let  in  freely  upon  our  houses  and  our  lawns. 
By  no  means,  should  we  set  trees  where  they 
would  obstruct  a  fine  prospect.  A  wide  sweep 
of  the  horizon  is  of  the  greatest  importance. 

Mr.  C. — As  to  following  nature,  there  are  some 
limitations.  Nature  has  deformities  as  well  as 
beauties,  and  we  are  not  abliged  to  copy  them 
both.  Let  us  take  our  key-note  from  nature,  and 
then  go  on  to  make  better  music  than  she  would 
if  unaided.  In  other  words,  the  rural  improver 
should  aim  to  catch  the  prevailing  spirit  of  the 
place  he  is  to  adorn,  and  then  shape  his  plan  to 
that.  In  this  way,  his  grounds  will  have  a  natur¬ 
al  look,  and  yet  be  above  nature,  and  each  place 
will  differ  from  every  other. 

Mr.  D. — Had  not  studied  or  practiced  land¬ 
scape  gardening  much,  but  had  seen  some  of  the 
finer  displays  of  the  art  in  foreign  countries.  He 
instanced,  particularly,  Chatsworth,  in  England, 
the  famous  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Devonshire. 

Mr.  E. — Fully  to  master  the  theory  and  prac¬ 
tice  of  landscape  gardening,  one  needs  to  devote 
much  time  and  thought  to  the  subject.  For 
most  persons  who  wish  to  improve  large  grounds 
in  the  best  manner,  the  only  safe  way  is  to  em¬ 
ploy  a  professed  landscape-gardener,  and  then  im¬ 
plicitly  follow  out  his  plans.  But  many  persons 
do  not  feel  able  to  meet  this  expense,  and  many 
others  wish  to  shape  their  grounds  to  their  own 
liking.  It  must  be  confessed,  there  is  much 
pleasure  in  this,  even  though  we  make  some 
blunders.  In  choosing  a  site  for  my  house,  I 
would  by  no  means  select  level  ground.  Much  as 
is  said  against  the  bleak  hills,  I  love  them.  Low 
wet  soils  are  quite  objectionable,  and  a  house 
surrounded  by  offensive  sights  is  worse  off  than 
one  merely  beaten  by  the  wind.  Thick  masses 
of  trees  and  shrubbery  will  tame  the  wind  of 
nearly  all  its  savageness.  It  is  a  very  general 
practice  to  lay  out  one’s  premises  in  squares  and 
triangles,  but  I  would  not  advise  this.  It  is  much 
pleasanter  to  see  those  easy,  flowing  curves  in 
which  nature  so  much  delights. 

Mr.  F. — All  men  should  not  be  governed  by  the 
same  rule ;  let  each  follow  his  own  taste  and 
convenience.  We  are  in  danger  of  running  things 
too  much  in  one  mold.  In  riding  along  the  streets 
of  a  village,  you  will  see  each  fence  and  carriage- 
road,  and  each  walk  and  each  flower-bed  just 
like  the  next  neighbor’s.  Why  should  there  not 
be  some  independent  thinking  and  original  work¬ 
ing  here  1  Let  each  man  forget  what  his  neigh¬ 
bor  has  done,  and  strike  out  a  plan  suited  to  his 
own  ground  and  his  means  and  taste.  Then  we 
should  have  some  variety. 

Mr.  G. — Straight  lines  are  not  to  be  discarded. 
Their  obvious  utility  recommends  their  general 
use.  In  planning  the  grounds  of  a  village  resi¬ 
dence,  I  would  set  a  row  of  trees  in  front  of  my 
house  and  on  each  side.  The  building  should 
stand  back  a  convenient  distance  from  the  street, 


and  a  straight  walk  should  lead  to  it  from  the 
fiont  gate.  Large  trees  should  occupy  the  cen¬ 
ter,  and  smaller  ones  the  boundaries.  The  walks 
should  he  made  in  the  most  thorough  manner,  on 
a  base  of  broken  stones,  and  covered  with  grav¬ 
el.  I  must  disagree  with  those  who  recommend 
a  hill-top  for  a  residence.  The  winds,  the  toil¬ 
someness  of  the  ascent  and  descent  are  great  ob¬ 
jections.  Level  ground  is  much  more  comfort¬ 
able,  and  every  way  less  objectionable. 

Mr.  Ii.— Would  endeavor,  first  of  all,  to  give 
his  premises  a  home-look,  by  surrounding  them 
with  belts  of  trees  set  in  easy,  flowing  lines,  and 
with  hedges  and  scattered  groups  of  shrubbery. 
Such  planting  would  conceal  any  unpleasant  ob¬ 
jects  in  the  neighborhood,  and  would  shelter  the 
house  and  grounds  from  violent  winds.  Yet, 
care  should  be  taken  not  to  hide  any  fine  view. 
By  a  little  art,  trees  may  be  so  set  as  to  highten 
the  beauty  of  a  prospect,  by  furnishing  a  fore¬ 
ground  or  frame  to  the  picture  beyond.  Great 
pains  should  be  bestowed  on  the  making  and 
keeping  of  lawns.  Vigorous  and  well-formed 
trees  should  be  a  leading  object  of  attainment. 
Groups  of  trees,  also,  and  shrubs  and  thickets 
should  find  their  place  in  one’s  plan.  These 
should  be  so  interspersed,  that  the  whole  of  one’s 
premises  can  not  be  seen  at  the  first  sight.  It  is 
sometimes  well  to  have  several  distinct  scenes  in 
one’s  grounds.  Glimpses  of  each  may  be  caught, 
here  and  there,  through  vistas  and  openings,  and 
yet  so  indistinctly,  that  the  premises  will  appear 
of  indefinite  extent,  and  the  scenes  within  them 
of  great  variety.  And  yet,  in  all  this  variety, 
there  should  be  a  prevailing  harmony  throughout 
the  whole  scene. 

Mr.  I. — Would  not  be  governed  by  any  iron  rule 
in  his  improvements.  Loudon,  and  Itepton  and 
Downing  were  but  men,  and  fallible  men  too.  I 
would,  perhaps,  lay  down  a  general  plan  in  out¬ 
line  at  the  beginning,  and  work  according  to  it 
from  year  to  year,  but  would  not  hesitate  to  mod¬ 
ify  it,  as  my  views  and  tastes  should  change. 
Each  man’s  place  should  be  the  embodiment  of 
his  own  ideas  and  tastes.  He  should  plant  to 
please  himself,  not  his  neighbors.  If  he  plants  a 
tree  at  first  in  the  wrong  place,  let  him  not  hesi¬ 
tate  afterwards  to  cut  it  down.  Many  residences 
in  all  parts  of  the  country  are  now  suffering  from 
the  lacl.oof  nerve  on  the  part  of  their  owners, 
who  can  not  bear  to  cut  down  a  tree  after  it  is 
once  planted  and  finely  growing.  Their  grounds 
are  crowded  with  dense  jungles,  concealing  the 
house,  and  making  it  damp  and  unwholesome, 
killing  out  the  grass  and  shrubbery  in  the  yard, 
and  excluding  variety  and  freedom  of  view. 
Open  spaces  are  as  important  as  thickly  planted 
portions;  sunlight  as  shade.  In  reference  to  the 
kinds  of  trees  to  be  planted,  I  would  only  say, 
choose  those  which  are  perfectly  hardy  and  well 
adapted  to  the  soil.  Others  may  be  rarer  and 
more  beautiful,  but  for  most  persons,  they  re¬ 
quire  too  much  time  and  care  in  their  manage¬ 
ment. 

The  foregoing  random  sketches  hardly  do  jus¬ 
tice  to  the  several  gentlemen  who  took  part  in 
the  discussion  ;  but  they  will  perhaps  show  how 
pleasant  such  Club-meetings  may  be  made,  and 
they  may  furnish  some  useful  hints  to  our  read¬ 
ers. 


Paul  Pry,  espying  a  man  who  was  digging  in  a 
large  pit,  and  being  disposed  to  rally  him,  asked 
him,  what  he  was  digging. — “A  big  hole,’’ was 
the  reply. — “  And  what  are  you  going  to  do  with 

such  a  big  hole,”  said  Paul _ “  Going  to  cut  it 

into  small  holes,  and  retail  them  to  you  fellows 
to  set  fence  posts  in.’’ 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


5343 


A  Melon  Party. 


N  reading  the  article 
in  the  July  Agriculturist  : 
“  How  to  cure  Fruit- 
|  stealers,”  I  was  remind 
i  ed  of  a  watermelon  party 
(made  up  by  some  of  the 
wild  youths,  while  I  was 
a  farmer-hoy  student 
at  an  Academy.  The 
party  had  agreed  to  visit 
a  farmer’s  patch  of  ripe  watermelons  on  a  certain 
night.  They  started  unobserved,  as  they  sup¬ 
posed,  but  were  seen  to  leave  their  rooms  at 
about  midnight  by  some  of  the  scholars,  who, 
rightly  judged  them  to  be  going  on  a  “  spree,” 
and  prepared  for  their  return  by  placing  a  num¬ 
ber  of  marbles  upon  the  upper  steps,  leading  to 
the  rooms  of  the  absentees. 

Our  adventurers  had  about  a  mile  to  go,  and  to 
avoid  being  seen,  they  “  cut  across  lots.”  They 
had  nearly  reached  their  destination,  when  they 
experienced  a  “  sudden  attack  in  the  rear”  by  a 
furious  dog,  who  gave  no  notice  of  his  approach 
until  he  was  upon  them.  Being  unprovided  tor 
this  assault,  they  retreated  hastily,  and  soon 
scaled  a  high  fence,  minus  sundry  bits  of  cloth¬ 
ing,  and  plus  a  few  well  defined  flesh  marks. 
Nearing  the  “  patch  ”  they  peered  about  cautious¬ 
ly,  and  finding  the  coast  clear,  ventured  to  enter 
upon  one  side,  and  were  soon  “  knifing”  the  big, 
red-cored  melons,  and  joking  about  “stolen  fruit 
being  the  sweetest,”  when  one  of  their  number 
stepped  upon  a  spot  which  suddenly  gave  way, 
and  he  found  himself  middle  deep  in  sundry  soft 
mixtures,  the  smell  of  which  was  far  from  be¬ 
ing  agreeable,  and  from  which  his  comrades 
were  obliged  to  pull  him  out.  Having  eaten 
to  their  content,  and  smashed  a  few  of  the 
finest  in  revenge  for  the  “  man  trap,”  they 
bagged  as  many  as  could  well  be  carried, 
and  started  for  home,  by  a  circuitous  route  to 
avoid  the  “  dog.”  The  expedition  promised  to 
terminate  better  than  it  began,  and  they  were 
nearly  at  the  top  of  the  stairs  on  the  way  to  their 
rooms,  when  they  came  upon  the  marbles,  and 
one  bag  of  melons,  accompanied  by  its  bearer, 
made  sundry  revolutions,  until  it  brought  up 
with  a  crash  against  the  lodging  room  door  at  the 
foot  of  the  stairs.  Immediately  there  was  a  rush 
to  the  spot  of  both  scholars  and  teachers,  armed 
for  an  encounter  with  robbers.  The  best  that 
the  authors  of  the  confusion  could  do,  was  to 
drop  all  and  run  to  their  rooms  in  the  hubbub, 
although  not  until  they  had  been  pretty  well  re¬ 
cognized.  The  other  pupils  seized  upon  what  they 
considered  legitimate  spoils  in  the  shape  of  broken 
melons,  and  were  about  eating  them  unceremo¬ 
niously,  when  it  w’as  discovered  that  a  plug  and 
a  little  white  powder  had  been  inserted  in  them, 
indicating  that  they  had  been  prepared  for  other 
than  honest  persons  ;  and  from  the  noise  heard  in 
the  rooms  of  those  who  had  been  out  in  the 
“damp  air,”  and  their  non-appearance  the  next 
morning,  some  of  the  mischievous  ones  suggest¬ 
ed  that  they  got  hold  of  the  wrong  melons.  They 
were  quite  taken  aback,  however,  in  a  few  days, 
when  one  of  the  teachers  announced  in  the  pre¬ 
sence  of  the  school,  a  present  from  Mr. - to 

three  individuals  whose  names  he  called,  in  the 
shape  of  a  large  watermelon  duly  labelled  for 
each.  The  flushed  faces  of  the  trio  and  mean¬ 
ing  glances  of  the  others,  spoke  more  than  words, 
and  from  that  time  the  term  “  watermelon  ”  had 
a  peculiar  significance  in  the  school.  I  never 
heard  of  another  water  melon  party  in  that  school. 

Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.  S.  R. 


Influence  of  Shade  on  Soils. 


It  is  claimed  by  many  that  shade  exerts  a  posi¬ 
tively  fertilizing  influence  on  the  soil.  Our  cor¬ 
respondence  and  exchanges  bring  us,  every  few 
months,  statements  and  inquiries  like  these  : 

M. — I  once  visited  a  friend’s  plantation  in  Ala¬ 
bama,  and  on  noticing  a  certain  spot  on  a  barren 
hill  where  the  cotton  was  quite  luxuriant,  I  in¬ 
quired  the  cause.  The  proprietor  knew  of  noth¬ 
ing,  only  that  a  heap  of  pine  poles  had  lain  there 
for  two  years  before  the  land  was  plowed  and  put 
into  cotton.  He  thought  the  shade  of  the  poles 
had  caused  a  deposit  from  the  atmosphere,  and 
enriched  the  soil. 

P. — I  once  spread  rye-straw  over  four  rods 
square  of  ground,  and  after  letting  it  lie  from  Oc¬ 
tober  till  the  next  April,  I  plowed  the  land,  and 
the  yield  from  that  portion  was  much  greater 
than  from  the  adjoining  land.  I  have  seen  simi¬ 
lar  effects  produced  by  piling  lumber  for  a  year  or 
more  on  a  piece  of  ground  ;  also,  from  brush- 
heaps  lying  in  the  same  way. 

S. — Can  you  tell  us,  sir,  why  forest-lands  which 
have  been  growing  timber  for  centuries,  do  not 
become  exhausted  1  The  annual  deposit  of  leaves 
does  something,  of  course,  to  keep  up  its  fertility, 
but  not  a  great  deal.  Why  should  it  not  be  as¬ 
cribed,  chiefly,  to  the  perpetual  shading  of  the 
ground  1  If  you  ask  farmers  who  raise  flax  and 
spread  it  on  the  land,  whether  the  grass  is  more 
luxuriant  under  the  flax,  they  will  answer,  yes. 
And  why  so,  unless  the  shading  of  the  soil  pro¬ 
duces  it'l  Northern  slopes  of  hills  are  more  fer¬ 
tile  than  southern  ;  and  why  not  because  they  are 
much  in  the  shade  1 

W. — It  is  a  frequent  practice  of  southern  farm¬ 
ers,  immediately  after  cutting  their  clover,  to  top- 
dress  with  long  manure,  leaf-mold,  dried  peat,  etc. 
Virginia  farmers  often  sow  peas  after  wheat,  and 
very  many  ascribe  the  beneficial  effects  of  this 
practice  to  the  shading  of  the  soil  by  the  peas. 

We  might  multiply  such  facts  and  opinions 
from  many  parts  of  the  country,  hut  these  will 
suffice.  Now,  is  there  any  foundation  in  fact  and 
science  for  these  opinions  1  We  think  there  is. 
Not  that  there  is  fertility  in  the  simple  shade,  but 
in  certain  effects  produced  by  it.  If  there  were 
fertility  in  mere  shade,  then  the  north  side  of 
every  building  and  high  fence  would  be  richer 
than  the  other  sides,  which  is  not  the  fact.  But 
this  much  is  true,  viz  :  if  you  cover  the  ground 
with  some  porous  material,  as  straw,  brush,  leaf- 
mold,  etc.,  it  prevents  the  evaporation  of  mois¬ 
ture  from  the  soil;  it  condenses  certain  volatile 
and  useful  gases  from  the  atmosphere,  through.the 
agency  of  dew  and  rain  ;  and  it  promotes  the  rapid 
decomposition  of  vegetable  matter  in  the  soil  and 
on  its  surface.  Hence  one  reason  why  mulching 
trees  and  plants  is  often  so  beneficial.  But  this, 
we  believe,  is  the  extent  to  which  shade  fertilizes 
any  soil. 

Many  of  the  effects  commonly  ascribed  to 
shading  the  ground  may  be  accounted  for  in  other 
ways.  The  boards,  brush,  logs,  straw,  leaf-mold, 
etc.,  with  which  the  soil  is  sometimes  covered, 
decay  more  or  less  while  lying  on  the  ground, 
and  impart  fertility  to  it ;  and  leaves  and  other 
perishable  materials  which  lodge  about  them, 
slowly  decay  and  leave  fertilizing  deposits  behind 
them.  If  it  be  true,  (which  we  somewhat  ques¬ 
tion.)  that  the  northern  slopes  of  hills  are  richer 
than  the  southern,  may  not  the  constant  freezing 
and  thawing  of  the  south  side  in  winter,  with  the 
attendant  washing  away  of  fertility  by  snows  and 
rains,  be  the  chief  cause  of  their  exhaustion  1 
And  as  to  peas  and  clover,  and  the  like,  benefiting 
land  by  their  shade,  we  should  rather  ascribe  it 


to  their  absorption  of  ammonia  and  carbonic  acid 
from  the  atmosphere  through  their  ample  foliage, 
and  then  their  being  turned  under  as  a  green  ma¬ 
nure.  Or  if  these  crops  are  mostly  fed  out  to 
stock  on  the  farm,  they  generally  find  their  way 
back  into  the  field,  and  that  in  a  more  savory  and 
stimulating  condition.  * 

Eise  and  Fall  of  Sap — Interesting  Ex¬ 
periment. 

The  July  Agriculturist,  last  year,  (Vol.  XVH, 
page  213.)  contained  an  article  on  the  “rise  and 
fall  of  sap,”  in  which  the  opinion  was  maintained 
that  the  sap  passes  up  through  the  new  wood  to 
the  leaves,  where  it  is  elaborated,  and  that  it  af¬ 
terwards  descends  through  the  inner  bark,  depos¬ 
iting  on  its  way,  the  materials  for  the  formation  of 
wood,  bark,  buds,  etc.  A  subscriber,  Mr.  Chas. 
M.  Keep,  became  interested  in  the  subject,  and 
tried  the  following  experiment  with  a  view  of 
testing  the  accuracy  of  the  theory.  During  the 
innoculating  season,  he  took  a  bud  from  a  pear- 
tree,  and  with  it,  the  bark  attached  an  inch  above 
and  one-fourth  of  an  inch  below.  This  was  in¬ 
serted  in  the  usual  manner,  except  that  the  hori¬ 
zontal  cut  in  the  bark  of  the  tree  was  made  at 
the  lower  end  of  the  vertical  incision  to  cut  off 
any  sap  that  might  flow  upwards  to  supply  the 
bud.  The  experiment  was  successful  as  far  as 
the  growth  of  the  bud  was  concerned.  This, 
however,  is  not  conclusive  as  to  the  course 
of  the  sap  ;  for,  in  the  usual  method  of  bud¬ 
ding,  the  effect  of  the  horizontal  cut  above  the 
bud  would  as  certainly  prevent  the  downward 
flow  of  sap  to  heal  the  wound  and  form  a  union. 
It  is  probable  that  in  either  case  enough  of  the 
fluid  would  find  its  way  around  the  sides  of  the 
cross  cut,  through  the  bark,  to  secure  the  growth 
of  the  bud,  other  circumstances  being  favorable. 
If  in  a  number  of  trees,  the  bark  should  be  so  cut 
away  around  the  bud,  that  sap  could  only  reach  it 
from  above,  and  in  an  equal  number  of  others  the 
same  process  should  be  applied,  so  as  to  give  a 
supply  of  sap  only  from  below,  the  results  when 
compared  would  be  more  decisive. 

Watering  Trees  and  Plants. 

When  it  is  necessary  to  do  this,  do  not  just 
sprinkle  the  surface  of  the  ground  :  this  is  “only 
an  aggravation  ”  to  the  thirsty  roots,  and  it  leaves 
the  ground  in  a  bad  state,  hard  and  dry.  Instead 
of  this,  remove  the  surface  soil  several  inches 
deep,  and  give  the  roois  a  thorough  soaking; 
then  return  the  top  soil,  and  mulch  it  with  straw, 
leaves,  tan-bark,  or  any  such  porous  material. 
This  will  prevent  the  baking  of  the  ground,  and 
will  keep  the  soil  moist  for  a  long  time.  The 
usual  method  of  dashing  water  on  the  top  of  the 
ground  is  almost  useless.  Very  little  of  the 
water  so  applied,  reaches  the  roots  of  the  tree. 
But  carefully  put  into  the  ground,  as  we  have 
mentioned,  it  will  really  answer  some  purpose. 

Head  the  Eunning  Vines. 

Some  of  the  squashes,  melons,  and  cucumbers, 
are  now  pushing  ahead  as  though  bent  on  outdo¬ 
ing  each  other  in  the  space  they  cover ;  but  they 
show  little  fruit.  Nip  the  ends  and  you  force 
them  into  bearing.  This  may  need  a  repetition 
in  the  course  of  a  week  or  two.  We  have  se¬ 
cured  larger  melons,  squashes,  etc.,  and  more  of 
them  by  this  heading  back.  Beds  of  cucumbers, 
melons,  and  squashes  may  be  kept  in  regular 
form  (and  the  appearance  of  the  whole  garden  be 
improved)  by  frequently  pinching  or  cutting  off  the 
straggling  vines. 


944 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


August , 


American  Date  or  Persimmon. 

The  persimmon  tree  ( Diospyros  Virginiana)  is 
a  native  of  this  country,  having  its  northern  lim¬ 
its  near  the  parallel  of  New-York  City,  and  in¬ 
creasing  in  numbers  southward  until  it  reaches 
the  Gulf  States.  It  is  particularly  at  home  in 
Virginia,  Georgia,  and  the  Carolinas,  where  it 
soon  gets  a  foothold  upon  the  exhausted  lands 
which  are  turned  out  as  unfit  for  tillage.  Both 
birds  and  oppossums  contribute  to  scatter  seeds 
of  the  ripe  fruit,  which  soon  spring  up  in  these 
deserted  wastes  and  grow  unmolested. 

Until  quite  recently,  no  attempts  have  been  made 
to  improve  the  fruit  by  cultivation,  it  being  sup¬ 
posed  that  nothing  but/cosi  pould  convert  the  hard, 
astringent,  and  unpalatable  persimmon,  into  the 
luscious  fruit  it  is  after  a  few  hard  frosts.  Late 
experiments,  however,  have  proved  that  good  cul¬ 
ture  w'ill  very  much  increase  the  size  of  the  fruit, 
as  well  as  the  productiveness  of  the  tree,  besides 
reducing  the  number  of  seeds  and  improving  the 
flavor  of  the  pulp. 

To  raise  them  successfully,  obtain  the  seeds  in 
Autumn,  as  soon  as  the  fruit  is  mellowed  by 
frosts,  plant  them  one  inch  deep,  in  moderately 
dry  soil,  or  put  in  boxes  of  eartb,  to  be  planted 
in  the  Spring.  They  are  afterwards  thinned 
out,  or  transplanted  and  suffered  to  grow  without 
grafting  or  budding.  They  come  into  bearing 
quite  young,  and  produce  abundant  crops  which 
will  amply  repay  the  little  labor  required  in  their 
cultivation.  An  intelligent  correspondent  who 
was  formerly  engaged  in  the  N.  Y.  State  Geo¬ 
logical  Survey,  and  who  has  spent  much  time  at 
the  South,  furnishes  the  following  for  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  : 

Having  spent  several  years  in  the  interior  of 
North  Carolina,  my  attention  was  repeatedly  di¬ 
rected  to  the  variation  in  size  of  this  fruit,  and  I 
set  about  solving  the  mystery.  One  day  while 
crossing  the  fields  among  trees  loaded  down  with 
the  rich  persimmons  well  ripened  by  the  previous 
frosts,  I  noticed  one  tree  upon  which  the  plums 
were  very  much  larger  than  any  of  the  others,  and 
of  a  more  delicious  flavor,  with  but  few  seeds  of 
a  small  size.  Upon  looking  for  the  cause,  I  had 
little  difficulty  in  recognizing  the  decayed  frag¬ 
ments  of  a  former  dwelling,  and  from  the  crum¬ 
bling  remains  of  the  chimney  stack  arose  this 
thrifty  tree.  This  suggested  the  idea  of  apply¬ 
ing  lime  to  the  trees  of  this  hitherto  neglected 
fruit.  After  much  persuasion  I  finally  induced  a 
wealthy  planter  to  try  the  experiment  upon  some 
of  his  young  trees.  From  a  neighboring  lime¬ 
kiln  several  barrels  of  the  material  were  obtained, 
and  having  loosened  the  soil  about  the  trees,  a 
free  application  of  the  lime  was  given  them,  and 
from  that  time  the  trees  rapidly  improved  in  size, 
and  productiveness,  and  the  fruit  attained  to  near¬ 
ly  the  size  of  a  medium  apple.  It  may  not  be 
generally  known  to  those  residing  at  the  North, 
who  have  only  seen  this  fruit  in  small  quantities, 
that  a  large  amount  of  choice  beverage  is  pressed 
from  the  ripe  plums,  in  some  portions  ofthe  South. 
During  the  Winter  season  when  there  is  little  to 
do  on  the  plantations,  the  negroes  collect  the 
fruit,  mash  or  bruise  it  and  pour  on  hot  water, 
straining  through  straw  into  a  barrel.  After  fer¬ 
menting  a  few  days  it  is  ready  for  their  master’s 
table.  By  distillation,  nearly  pure  alcohol  is  ob¬ 
tained  from  it.  A  barrel  of  this  “  persimmon 
beer,”  as  it  is  there  called,  was  at  one  time  made 
where  I  was  stopping,  and  forgotten  for  a  month 
or  two,  when  it  was  found  to  very  much  resem¬ 
ble  uncorked  champaign.  Putting  up  a  quantity 
of  it  with  six  or  eight  raisins  to  each  bottle,  I 
corked  them  tightly  and  laid  them  away  for  a 
few  months,  when  the  resemblance  to  French 


imported  wines  was  so  close  as  to  deceive  those 
experienced  in  wines.  J.  E. 

• - *0-4 - — i<S»-en»»— • — 

To  Preserve  Cut  Flowers. 

In  gathering  flowers  for  vases,  or  hand  bouquets, 
it  is  better  to  use  a  sharp  knife  than  a  pair  of 
scissors,  as  the  latter  injure  the  tubes  of  the 
stems,  which  prevents  their  free  absorption  of 
water.  They  should,  if  possible,  be  gathered  in 
the  morning,  before  the  dew  has  dried  off  them. 

The  old  method  of  simply  renewing  the  water 
in  the  vase  daily,  cutting  off  a  small  slice  of  the 
stems  at  each  renewal,  is  not  to  be  discarded. 
Setting  the  vases  out  in  the  dew  by  night  is  also 
recommended.  Covering  them  with  a  bell-glass 
shade  is  important,  if  they  are  kept  by  night  in 
the  house.  When  the  flowers  droop  a  little,  a  few 
drops  of  camphor  in  the  water  will  often  revive 
them. 

We  have  for  many  years  past  preserved  flowers 
in  hanging  vases  for  several  days,  by  filling  the 
vases  with  wet  moss  or  sand,  and  inserting  the 
stems  in  it.  It  has  seemed  to  us  that  they  pre¬ 
ferred  this  moderate  amount  of  moisture  to  being 
flooded  with  water  itself. 


In  the  Gardener’s  Monthly,  we  find  a  good  de¬ 
vice  for  the  same  end,  which  we  have  transferred 
and  re-engraved.  It  is  a  circular  tin  box,  two 
inches  deep,  and  one  and  a  half  inches  wide.  The 
diameter  of  the  whole  box  is  about  15  inches.  It 
is  designed  to  be  filled  with  water,  or  sand,  or 
moss,  and  the  flowers  to  be  set  in  it,  making  a 
sort  of  wreath.  A  lamp,  or  statuette  may  be 
placed  in  the  center.  The  tin  box  may  be  painted 
green. 


Perennial  Flowers.— Sow  Seed  How. 

Many  of  the  biennial  and  perennial  flowering 
plants,  such  as  foxglove,  sweet  William,  cam¬ 
panulas,  pansies,  daisies,  pinks,  rocket,  hollyhocks, 
etc.,  are  now  ripening  their  seed.  If  this  seed 
be  sown  immediately,  they  will  flower  next  sea¬ 
son.  When  dried  and  sown  in  the  Spring,  they 
are  not  as  certain  to  germinate,  and  not  expect¬ 
ed  to  flower  until  next  season,  so  that  a  gain 
of  one  year  in  time  will  be  secured  in  sowing 
now. 

Select  a  favorable  spot,  manure  and  spade 
deeply,  raking  off  smoothly,  and  sow  immediate¬ 
ly,  before  the  surface  soil  becomes  dry.  If  there 
is  no  rain  for  a  few  days,  give  a  thorough  wa¬ 
tering  in  the  evening,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
the  plants  will  show  themselves.  They  will,  of 
course,  require  hoeing,  and  a  moderate  thin¬ 
ning.  Late  in  the  season  it  will  be  well  to 
cover  the  bed  with  evergreen  brush  or  straw, 
which  will  serve  as  a  partial  protection,  and 
cause  them  to  come  out  fresh  and  strong  in 
the  Spring,  when  they  should  be  early  trans¬ 
planted  to  permanent  situations. 

A  small  bed  will  serve  for  all  the  varieties  to 
be  sown  now,  as  they  may  grow  somewhat 
thickly  until  Spring,  and  a  row  or  two  of  each 
kind  will  afford  abundant  sets  for  transplanting. 

- - —aa^gp-  - »  ^ 

An  infant  child  of  a  Mr.  Balch,  in  Methuen, 
Mass.,  was  found  hanging  by  the  neck  between 


the  foot-board  and  the  bed-rail,  having  slipped 
out  of  the  bed  unobserved,  and  remained  there 
until  life  was  extinct. 

*0-4 - — aOtBi  — - - — 

Fruits  in  Glass  Bottles. 

The  glass  bottles  described  last  month,  we  have 
used  for  strawberries  and  cherries,  and  the  fruit 
keeps  admirably  so  far,  that  is  when  it  was 
scalded  through  before  sealing.  Some  strawber¬ 
ries  were  put  into  the  bottles  uncooked,  hot  syrup 
being  simply  poured  in  and  the  bottles  corked  and 
scalded.  A  part  of  these  berries  fermented.  We 
now  put  the  fruit  with  the  sugar  into  a  large  ves¬ 
sel,  cook  it  just  enough  to  heat  it  through,  then 
dip  it  into  the  bottles  and  put  in  the  corks  previ¬ 
ously  softened  in  hot  water.  The  top  is  wiped, 
and  after  standing  two  minutes  to  dry,  the  ce¬ 
ment,  (1  oz.  tallow  to  1  lb.  resin)  is  poured  on. 
The  cement  is  made  to  adhere  firmly  to  the  glass 
by  running  a  hot  iron  around  the  top  of  the  bot¬ 
tle,  which  prevents  air  or  steam  bubbles.  Every 
part  of  the  string  around  the  cork  should  be  cov¬ 
ered  well  with  wax,  or  air  will  enter  along  the 
fibres  of  the  string.  We  have  received  the  fol¬ 
lowing  communication  : 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist  : 

I  have  been  experimenting  somewhat  with 
fruits  and  glass  bottles,  and  thus  detail  my  expe¬ 
rience,  thinking  I  may  save  some  of  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  readers  from  wasting  their  fruits  as  I  have 
done.  I  procured  some  of  Yeomans’  fruit  bottles, 
such  as  you  described  last  month,  and  proceeded 
to  put  up  some  strawberries.  Instead  of  follow¬ 
ing  your  directions  in  the  July  Agriculturist,  I 
listened  to  the  suggestions  of  a  friend  who  as¬ 
sured  me  he  had  kept  the  various  fruits  with  no 
other  cooking  than  pouring  hot  syrup  upon  the 
fruit  while  in  the  bottle,  and  immediately  cork¬ 
ing,  and  sealing  them.  I  placed  fine  fresh  straw¬ 
berries  in  the  bottles  and  put  them  in  a  stove 
oven  for  a  few  minutes,  so  that  they  would  not 
be  cracked  by  the  hot  liquid  I  then  poured  upon 
them  a  hoiling  syrup,  made  of  one  pound  of  white 
sugar  to  a  pint  of  water,  and  corked  and  sealed  as 
directed.  This  was  done  at  night,  and  upon  ex¬ 
amining  them  the  next  morning,  I  found  one  or 
two  bottles  with  the  cement  cracked  from  one 
side  and  some  air  had  doubtless  entered.  I  re¬ 
sealed  them  and  set  them  away.  Looking  at 
them  about  a  week  after,  I  found  they  had  all 
“worked  ”  and  thrown  the  corks  out,  and  were 
so  near  like  vinegar  that  I  threw  away  the  ber¬ 
ries  and  bottled  the  liquor  for  wine.  An  acquaint¬ 
ance  of  mine  tried  them  with  no  better  success. 
Going  to  the  cellar  to  look  at  his  bottles,  he  found 
them  minus  the  corks,  nor  could  he  discover  who 
had  been  uncorking  his  fruit,  until  he  looked  up 
to  the  ceiling  and  there  found  the  corks  sticking 
by  the  soft  cement. 

Thinking  it  move  my  fault  than  any  defect  of 
the  bottles,  I  tried  the  second  time,  resolved  now 
to  follow  more  closely  your  directions,  but  still  dis¬ 
posed  to  take  a  little  liberty.  I  cooked  the  fruit 
for  a  few  minutes  in  its  own  juice  and,  s-ay  about 
one  half  pound  of  sugar  to  a  pound  of  berries.  I 
filled  the  bottles  as  before,  corked  and  cemented, 
and,  to  make  doubly  sure  against  air  from  the 
outside  and  any  internal  pressure,  I  tied  some 
cotton  cloth  firmly  over  the  cement  and  covered 
it  with  the  melted  wax.  They  have  been  put  up 
three  weeks,  and  look  as  though  they  would  keep. 

I  have  also  put  up  a  quantity  of  rhubarb  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  strawberries,  and  it  appears 
to  be  keeping  well.  I  shall  try  no  more  fruit  oi 
vegetables  without  some  cooking,  and  I  find 
much  care  is  required  to  keep  out  air  during  the 
cooling,  and  consequent  shrinking  of  the  contents. 

Brooklyn,  July  5.  John. 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


945 


Cockroaches  good  for  Poultry— How  to 
Catch  ’em. 

The  cities  and  villages  of  most,  countries  are 
infested  with  these  vermin,  which  are  provoking 
pests  to  the  tidy  housekeeper.  They  are  ever  on 
the  watch  for  dainty  bits  in  the  kitchen  and  pan¬ 
try,  ferreting  out  the  cake,  dipping  their  noses 
into  the  preserves,  occasionally  plunging  therein 
head  foremost,  and  incontinently  running  races 
over  the  cooked  meats  and  pastry.  Their  odor  is 
very  offensive,  and  their  fecundity  such  as  to  al¬ 
most  discourage  all  attempts  to  clear  them  out. 

The  Foreman  in  the  printing  department  of  the 
American  Agriculturist ,  who  resides  in  Brooklyn, 
caught  some  of  the  “varmints”  recently,  and 
found  that  his  chickens  were  exceedingly  fond  of 
them.  He  immediately  set  about  contriving  an 
apparatus  which  should  not  only  free  the  house  of 
cockroaches,  but  also  secure  to  his  poultry  a  sup¬ 
ply  of  animal  food  so  long  as  the  “hve  stock” 
should  hold  out.  As  the  result  of  his  investiga¬ 
tion,  he  constructed  a  very  simple  and  effective 
trap.  He  generously  declines  “patenting”  the 
trap,  and  offers  it  gratuitously  to  all  the  world 
and  the  “  rest  of  mankind.”  It  costs  next  to 
nothing  for  material,  and  any  one  can  construct  it 
in  ten  minutes.  Our  artist  has  given  below  a 
partial  representation  of  the  trap  in  operation, 
and  we  will  proceed  to  describe  how  to  make  it. 

First  take  a  common  glass  tumbler  or  wide- 
necked  bottle,  and  put  an  inch  or  two  of  water  in 
the  bottom.  Set  this  near  the  base-board  of  the 
room  where  the  animals  ‘  most  do  congregated 
The  upper  edge  of  the  board  is  represented  by 
the  horizontal  lines  near  the  top  of  the  engraving. 
Upon  the  top  of  this  base-board  fasten  a  piece  of 
broken  glass,  with  a  couple  of  carpet  tacks,  so 
that  one  end  of  it  shall  dip  down  into  the  glass 
vessel.  From  a  nail  in  the  wall  above,  suspend 
by  a  thread  a  bit  of  bread  touched  with  molasses, 
or  any  other  convenient  bait  which  will  attract 
the  cockroaches.  Now  place  a  stick  or  climb- 
in"-  board  very  slightly  smeared  with  molasses, 
reaching  from  the  floor  to  near  the  bait,  and  the 
thing  is  complete.  The  insects  will  march  up  to 
the  bait  and  step  off  upon  the  glas3,  when  they 
will  at  once  slide  down  into  the  vessel.  Several 
of  our  men  have  put  up  the  traps,  and  they  all 
say  it  works  to  perfection,  and  that  the  fun  of  see¬ 
ing  the  chickens  run  for  their  breakfast,  amply  re¬ 


pays  the  trouble  of  the  trapping,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  advantage  of  clearing  out  the  pests.  Cock¬ 
roaches  have  not  migrated  so  far  out  as  our  coun¬ 
try  home,  but  if  they  ever  do  we  shall  get  up  one 
or  more  of  these  traps,  and  increase  our  stock  of 
poultry.  [P.  S. — Our  ‘Foreman’  says  “the 
water  is  not  needed  in  the  tumbler,  and  drowning 
the  insects  spoils  the  fun  of  seeing  the  little 
chickens  catch  them.”  Perhaps  so,  but  some 
cockroaches  we  have  ‘read  of’  would  stand  up 
and  straddle  out  of  a  common  tumbler,  if  they 
could  not  climb  up  the  sides.] 

[P.  S.  2d. — One  of  the  men  just  tells  us  that 


he  catches  twenty  to  forty  cockroaches  every 
night  with  this  trap,  and  he  could  catch  more  by 
using  a  larger  sized  vessel,  but  he  don’t  want  to 
stop  the  fun,  and  furthermore  he  wishes, to  length¬ 
en  out  the  supply  of  chicken  feed.] 


One  of  the  Ply  Traps. 

Flies  are  a  nuisance,  though  doubtless  designed 
to  serve  a  good  purpose  as  scavengers,  or  other¬ 
wise.  Since  We  have  learned  to  keep  them  from 
walls  and  ceilings,  by  furnishing  roosting  places 
on  asparagus  foliage  hung  about  the  house,  they 
have  been  less  annoying  in  one  respect,  but  we 
don’t  like  the  idea  of  an  army  of  them  perched 
even  on  the  graceful  asparagus  branches,  ever 
ready  to  swoop  down  upon  any  article  of  food  ex¬ 
posed  for  a  moment.  We  have  therefore  been 
always  ready  to  try  any  new  device  for  extermi¬ 
nating  them,  and  our  “  lumber  room,”  if  over¬ 
hauled,  would  reveal  sundry  “Yankee  Fly-traps,” 
unless  “  Biddy  ”  has  used  them  all  up  for  “  kind- 
lers."  This  Summer  we  have  found  a  new  ap¬ 
paratus,  which  is  “  scientific  ”  in  its  arrange¬ 
ment,  rather  pretty  in  form,  cheap  ($1,50  at  re¬ 
tail),  and  in  a  few  days’  trial  has  proved  some¬ 
what  effective.  We  refer  to  “  Shaler’s  Self-oper¬ 
ating  Fly  Trap.”  Not  quite  liking  the  manufac¬ 
turer’s  picture  of  it,  we  have  got  up  a  new  en¬ 
graving  which  we  present  above.  The  appar¬ 
atus  is  represented  on  a  large  scale,  to  show  more 
plainly  its  structure  and  operation.  The  actual 
size  of  our  trap  is  8£  inches  in  diameter  at  the 
bottom,  and  9  inches  high  to  the  knob  at  the  top. 

The  bottom,  A,  is  a  cast  iron  plate,  raised  in  the 
center,  with  the  segment  dish,  B,  for  holding  the 
bait — milk,  or  sugar  or  molasses  with  a  little 
vinegar.  Over  this  is  a  wire  screen,  C-  open  at 
the  top,  which  sets  upon  brackets,  leaving  a  space 
of  about  one-third  inch  under  its  lower  edge, 
through  which  the  flies  readily  creep  in  to  the 
bait.  Over  C,  is  placed  an  iron  pl?.te,  D,  perfo¬ 
rated  at  the  center,  and  fitted  with  a  collar  having 
a  serrated  or  saw-tooth  edge.  Over  the  opening 
is  a  thin  circular  plate  of  transparent  mica,  and 
over  the  whole  another  wire  screen,  G  When 


the  upper  screen  is  set  on,  the  mica  plate  is  raised 
half  an  inch  above  the  serrated  opening  by  three 
points  not  seen  in  the  engraving.  This  leaves 
an  opening  from  the  lower  screen  to  the  uppei 
one,  just  above  E,  where  a  fly  may  be  seen  pas¬ 
sing  through.  The  up* 
per  apartment  is  support 
ed  by  three  movable  legs. 
All  the  parts  may  be 
readily  separated  from 
each  other.  The  appa¬ 
ratus  can  stand  upon  a 
table  or  shelf,  or  be  hung 
up  in  a  convenient  place 
by  means  of  the  ring  at 
the  top.  The  different 
parts  are  japanned  or 
painted  so  as  to  give  the 
whole  a  neat  appearance. 

The  operation  will  be 
readily  understood  by 
noticing  the  course  ot 
the  flies  in  the  different 
parts  of  the  picture. — 
They  pass  in  to  the  bait, 
fill  themselves,  and  crawl 
m  fly  up  against  the 
transparent  mica,  f. — 
Stopped  by  this  they  pass 
under  its  edge  into  the 
screen,  G,  but  will  not  re¬ 
turn  over  the  serrated 
edge,  during  daylight.  If 
not  destroyed  they  will 
creep  back  during  the 
night.  At  sundown,  or 
before,  if  the  screen,  G> 
is  filled,  it  is  loosened 
from  the  hooks  at  the  sides  and  lifted  up,  when 
the  mica  drops  down  and  closes  the  lower  open¬ 
ing.  The  flies  are  then  quickly  destroyed  by 
shaking  them  over  a  burning  paper,  when  they 
may  be  poured  out,  and  fed  to  the  chickens.  We 
rather  like  the  apparatus,  and  admire  the  ingenu¬ 
ity  displayed  in  its  construction. 

Tim  Bunker  on  Raising  Girls. 

Mr.  Editor. 

Ever  since  I  sent  you  that  account  of  the  “gal 
boss  race  ”  got  up  by  Col.  Lawson  last  Fall,  1 
have  been  thinking  about  the  way  girls  are  brought 
up  in  this  country.  Indeed,  I  have  had  consid¬ 
erable  many  ideas  on  that  subject,  ever  since  out 
Sally  was  born,  and  the  matter  has  been  brew¬ 
ing,  as  Mrs.  Bunker  says  of  her  beer,  tor  well 
nigh  twenty  years.  Last  Winter  when  I  was 
down  South,  I  got  some  more  ideas,  and  I  am 
now  so  full  upon  this  topic,  that  I  shall  boil  over, 
unless  I  dip  out  a  little  into  your  paper. 

I  count  a  well  grown,  well  behaved,  and  well 
educated  woman,  as  the  very  blossom  of  crea¬ 
tion.  She  was  the  last  made,  reserved  for  the 
last,  because  best.  As  there  is  nothing  so  good 
and  beautiful  in  the  world  as  a  good  woman,  so 
there  is  nothing  so  bad  as  a  spoiled  woman.  And 
now  I  am  sorry  to  say,  that  very  many  girls  are 
utterly  spoiled.  They  are  not  well  balanced  ami 
well  adapted  to  the  work  that  woman  has  to  do. 
The  most  are  brought  up  with  such  notions,  that 
they  go  through  life  discontented  and  unhappy. 

There  is  Deacon  Smith’s  daughter  Eliza— a 
fair  sample  of  the  kind  of  bringing  up  I  mean. 
They  are  very  good  people  over  there,  but  they 
seem  to  forget  that  children  have  got  to  grow  up, 
and  can’t  be  playthings  forever.  They  did  not 
teach  her  to  do  any  thing,  when  she  was  a  little 
girl.  She  pretended  to  go  to  school,  but  it  was 


346 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


only  when  she  took  a  notion  to  go.  There  was 
no  habit  of  study  fixed,  and  so  she  got  discour¬ 
aged,  and  disgusted,  with  all  kinds  of  books  that 
required  any  thinking.  She  had  as  little  disci¬ 
pline  of  body  as  of  mind,  could  not  sew  well,  did 
not  know  how  to  make  up  a  bed,  or  to  darn  a 
stocking,  could  not  broil  a  fish,  or  boil  a  pudding. 
Some  how%  her  mother  seemed  to  think,  these 
every  day  matters  were  not  worth  attending  to. 
She  said  she  was  going  to  make  a  lady  of  Eliza, 
and  marry  her  off  10  some  rich  man,  who  would 
not  want  a  wife  that  knew  how  to  work.  She 
was  going  to  have  her  “larn  the  ornamentals,” 
as  she  called  them  ;  music,  painting,  embroidery, 
dancing,  and  such  like.  Sally  used  to  say  that 
she  did  not  know  enough  about  the  lessons  to  last 
her  over  night,  when  she  left  the  academy,  and 
I  do  not  think  she  has  learned  much  more  about 
the  common  branches  since.  She  was  sent  off 
to  a  fashionable  boarding  school  in  your  city, 
when  she  was  fifteen,  where  they  do  nothing  but 
put  the  polish  on  to  young  women.  But  I  should 
like  to  know  what  is  the  use  trying  to  polish  a 
woman,  before  you  have  got  a  woman  to  polish. 
You  can  put  the  shine  on  to  a  leather  boot  for 
there  is  some  substance  to  it.  But  you  might 
rub  brown  paper,  with  the  best  of  Day  and  Mar¬ 
tin,  till  doomsday.  afUfl^not  get  a  bit  of  gloss  ; 
there  ain’t  substance  enough  to  hold  the  blacking 
And  you  can  put  the  polish  on  to  marble,  and 
bring  out  leaves  and  flowers,  and  all  sorts  of  or¬ 
namental  things,  upon  the  surface,  but  you  might 
as  well  undertake  to  polish  hasty  pudding,  as  to 
do  anything  with  soap-stone.  It  won’t  hold  the 
stroke  of  the  chisel,  or  respond  to  the  touch  of 
pumice  stone. 

And  it  is  jest  so  with  sending  a  woman  in  the 
gristle  to  a  fashionable  boarding  school.  A  girl 
wants  to  be  solidified  by  home  duties,  and  solid 
studies,  before  she  is  fit  to  be  sent  away  to  take 
on  polish.  Something  ought  to  be  done  for  her 
physical  education,  to  make  her  body  fit  for  the 
responsibilities  of  house  keeping,  and  I  don’t  know 
of  anything  better  than  to  have  her  help  her 
mother.  A  woman  has  no  business  to  be  mar¬ 
ried  until  she  has  shown  her  capacity  to  keep 
house.  They  should  know  how  to  do  every  thing 
from  washing  dishes,  emptying  slops,  making 
soap,  and  yeast  cakes,  up  to  the  nicest  kind  of 
cooking,  and  needle  work. 

If  they  are  ignorant  of  these  things,  accom¬ 
plishments  wont  save  them  from  mortification, 
and  domestic  unhappiness.  They  will  be  as  bad 
off  as  poor  Eliza  was,  at  her  first  dinner  party, 
after  she  got  into  her  new  house.  She  had  not 
been  married  to  Dr.  Sturgis  more  than  two 
months,  before  she  invited  a  company  of  their 
friends  to  dine.  The  Deacon  and  his  wife  were 
there,  and  quite  a  number  of  middle  aged  and  el¬ 
derly  people  like  Mrs.  Bunker  and  myself.  There 
was  a  great  display  of  silver  ware,  and  fine  linen 
upon  the  table,  forks,  castors,  spoons,  napkin 
rings,  and  fruit  dishes,  that  you  could  see  your 
face  in,  and  china  plates,  platters,  and  vegetable 
dishes  with  gilt  edges,  and  nosegays  in  the  mid¬ 
dle  so  handsome  and  natural,  that  you  could  al 
most  smell  the  perfume  of  the  flowers.  There 
was  an  air  of  triumph  upon  the  face  of  Mrs.  Deti- 
con  Smith,  as  we  sat  down  to  dinner,  as  much  as 
to  say,  “  now  we  shall  see  w  hat  it  is  to  have  a 
daughter  educated  at  a  fashionable  French  board¬ 
ing  school,  and  keep  house  in  style.”  There  was 
considerable  unction  about  Mr.  Spooner’s  grace 
before  meat,  as  if  he  had  got  it  up  for  the  occa¬ 
sion.  The  company  were  in  the  best  of  spirits, 
and  Dr.  Sturgis  w-as  slicing  away  at  the  turkey’s 
breast,  when  attention  was  suddenly  arrested  by 
sundry  corn,  oats,  and  buckwheat,  slipping  out  of 


the  undressed  crop  of  the  fowl.  The  women 
folks  at  that  end  of  the  table  put  their  handker¬ 
chiefs  to  their  noses,  as  if  they  had  got  wind  of 
something  that  did  not  smell  like  the  roses  on 
the  bottoms  of  their  plates.  Mrs.  Deacon  Smith, 
fidgeted  about  in  her  chair,  as  if  she  was  on  pins. 
Eliza  looked  as  crimson  as  a  beet,  clear  to  the 
roots  of  her  hair.  The  Deacon  was  at  the  other 
end  of  the  table,  very  busy  discussing  the  last 
sermon,  or  election,  with  Mr.  Spooner,  and  did 
not  see  the  trouble.  Our  Sally  looked  wicked, 
and  winked  across  the  table  to  Josiah,  and  there 
was  a  twitching  about  Josiah’s  mouth,  that  I 
should  say  was  wficked  also,  if  he  w»as  not  a  min¬ 
ister.  Dr.  Sturgis  got  over  the  matter  nicely,  by 
remarking  upon  the  undone  condition  of  the  tur¬ 
key,  and  calling  a  servant  to  remove  the  dish. 
Fidelity  to  truth,  I  suppose,  did  not  require  him 
to  tell  whether  the  rawness  pertained  to  the  cook¬ 
ing,  or  the  dressing  of  the  fowl,  or  the  housekeep¬ 
er,  that  lay  back  of  both.  Fortunately  a  liberal 
allowance  had  been  made  for  the  dinner,  and  the 
boiled  fowls,  purchased  of  a  farmer  who  married 
a  housekeeper,  as  well  as  a  woman,  did  duty  for 
the  roast  turkey  cooked  with  his  crop  in. 

Now  I  suppose  a  good  many  of  your  readers 
among  women  folks,  will  hold  up  both  their  hands 
in  astonishment,  at  my  standard  of  a  good  house¬ 
wife.  I  say  it  is  a  shame  and  a  disgrace,  for  an 
American  woman,  not  to  know  how  to  do  every 
thing  that  is  done,  or  ought  to  be  done,  in  her 
kitchen.  There  is  just  as  much  merit,  and  wom¬ 
anly  worth,  in  knowing  how  to  bring  a  turkey 
upon  the  dinner  table,  so  that  it  shall  not  be  of¬ 
fensive  to  the  smell  and  taste  of  her  guests,  as 
there  is  in  singing  a  good  song,  or  in  dressing  in 
good  taste.  It  adds  very  much  to  the  comfort  of 
a  woman,  to  know  how  to  fro  everything  from 
garret  to  cellar.  The  polish  is  all  well  enough, 
but  let  there  be  something  in  the  first  place,  to 
put  the  polish  on  to.  This  doll-work,  in  the  place 
of  a  good  old  fashioned  wife  that  knows  what 
she  is  about  is  poor  business. 

Now  what  I  want  to  say  to  all  parents  that  are 
bringing  up  girls  is  just  this.  Do  not  be  afraid  of 
putting  them  into  the  kitchen — that  school  ot 
womanly  virtues — and  keeping  them  there,  till 
they  can  tell  the  difference  between  a  churn  and 
a  tea  kettle — till  they  know  how  to  scour  a  skil¬ 
let,  black  a  stove,  wash  a  floor,  and  cook  a  turkey. 

Yours  to  command, 

Timothy  Bunker,  Esq. 

Hookertown ,  July  1  st,  1859. 

— -  -o  «  ■■ir3<gtBiii»ii  |i  qi  -  - 

Suggestions  About  Dress. 

BY  ANNA  HOPE. 

To  dress  well  is  of  no  little  importance.  By 
dressing  well  I  by  no  means  intend  dressing/asA- 
ionably  or  richly,  but  dressing  neatly  and  tasteful¬ 
ly,  according  to  one’s  means.  A  person  may  be 
quite  as  ill-dressed  in  silk  as  in  calico.  One  of 
the  first  considerations  should  be  to  adapt  our 
dress  to  our  position  in  life  ;  to  our  pecuniary 
means,  our  employment,  and  our  persons.  That 
which  is  suitable  for  one  person  and  one  occasion 
may  be  wholly  unsuitable  for  another.  A  school¬ 
girl  does  not  need  the  dress  which  she  may  prop¬ 
erly  wear  when  she  becomes  a  young  lady,  nor 
does  she  need  for  school  that  which  she  may  wear 
at  home  after  school  hours  are  over.  For  school, 
a  dress  should  be  plain  and  neat,  of  simple  mate¬ 
rials  and  almost  devoid  of  ornament;  rich  em¬ 
broidery,  delicate  laces  and  handsome  silks  are 
out  of  place  in  the  school-room,  at  least. 

It  is  not  in  good  taste  to  wear  gay  attire  to 
church— the  house  of  (Jod  is  intended  for  a  place 
of  worship,  not  for  the  display  of  millinery,  or  of 


dress.  In  the  Church,  as  in  our  schools,  all  meet 
on  terms  of  equality,  and  while  ther.e  will  ever  be 
rich  and  poor,  it  is  well  in  these  places  to  make 
the  distinction  as  slight  as  possible.  A  plain  dress, 
too,  is  more  suitable  for  the  street,  than  one  which 
patterns  after  Joseph’s  coat.  ■ 

The  two  things  most  essential  in  a  dress  are, 
that  the  color  should  be  becoming,  and  that  it 
should  be  well-fitted.  For  a  dark  complexion 
dark  colors,  relieved  by  decided,  bright  colors,  are 
much  more  becoming  than  light  colors  or  the 
beautiful  drabs  worn  by  the  Friends.  It  requires 
but  a  little  relief  to  give  these  dark  colors  all  the 
life  they  need,  and  this  may  often  be  found  in  the 
ribbon  of  a  head-dress — or  of  under-sleeves,  or  ia 
a  simple  bow  at  the  neck.  It  is  always  better  to 
have  too  little  color  than  too  much. 

Persons  of  a  doubtful  complexion,  neither  fair 
nor  brown,  require  dark  tints.  Delicate  pinks 
should  be  worn  only  by  the  fair — deep  rose-color 
may  be  worn  by  the  children  of  the  sun.  Light 
blues,  too,  belong  to  the  fair  ;  bright  deep  blues  to 
the  dark  ;  the  same  is  true  of  light  and  dark 
greens. 

To  every  person  there  is  a  particular  style  of 
dress  which  is  most  becoming  ;  this,  of  course, 
will  vary  with  age.  Dress  should  be  as  individual 
as  the  person  who  wears  it ;  it  should  be,  so  far 
as  possible,  an  outward  manifestation  of  the  in¬ 
ward  being.  Indeed  it  always  is  so,  to  a  less  or 
greater  extent,  according  to  one's  pecuniary  abili¬ 
ty  to  copy  that  which  taste  requires.  The  plain¬ 
est  attire  will  reflect  inward  beauty  as  truly  as 
the  most  magnificent.  This  individuality  of 
dress  may  he  preserved',  and  yet  not  be  at  vari¬ 
ance  with  the  prevailing  fashion.  It  makes  fashion 
its  servant  instead  of  being  itself  subservient  to 
fashion.  A  short,  thick  person  should  not  increase 
her  width  and  diminish  her  height  by  sleeves  full 
puffed  at  the  top.  A  slender  woman  may  look 
well  in  such  sleeves.  A  very  long  waisted  dress 
is  rarely  becoming,  especially  to  a  short  person. 
Fashion  usually  decides  how  high  or  low  in  the 
neck  a  dress  should  be  ;  it  may  be  cut  too  high  as 
well  as  too  low ;  it  seems  almost  a  pity  to  con¬ 
ceal  the  delicate  curve  where  the  neck  rises  from 
th«  shoulders.  A  tree  loses  much  of  its  beauty, 
that  is  covered  above  the  point  where  nature 
made  it  spring  so  gracefully  from  the  earth. 

Avoid  all  tawdriness,  all  violent  contrasts,  all 
inharmonious  colors;  study  nature;  learn  from 
her  what  is  beautiful  and  tasteful ;  she  makes  no 
mistakes,  and  is  the  best  teacher  we  can  have. 

Always  wear  something  white  about  the  neck; 
a  dead  white,  like  a  linen  collar,  is  not  so  becom¬ 
ing  as  a  thinner  maierial  ;  it  forms  a  line  of  di¬ 
vision  between  the  dress  and  the  person — lace 
unites  the  two.  Lace,  however,  should  not  be 
worn  except  for  dress  ;  a  narrow  ruffle,  neatly 
crimped,  is  very  pretty  in  these  days  of  surplice 
waists.  Thin-soled  gaiters  for  the  street,  I  am 
happy  to  say,  are  entirely  out  of  fashion  ;  I  hope 
women  have  said  good-bye  to  them  forever,  for 
such  use. 

A  neat,  well-fitting  glove,  and  gaiter,  and  a  nice 
handkerchief,  are  three  important,  although  small 
articles  of  dress.  They  mark  the  lady — yet  per¬ 
sons  of  taste  are  often  compelled  by  their  limited 
means  to  wear  a  glove  or  gaiter,  or  carry  a  hand¬ 
kerchief  that  is  in  conformity  more  with  their 
purse,  than  their  wishes.  I  think  we  can  judge 
very  much  of  man  or  woman  by  the  glove.  A 
few  years  since  several  pairs  of  kid  gloves  were 
given  me,  and  from  economical  considerations,  I 
felt  it  expedient  to  wear  them.  They  were  ill  cut, 
miserable  things,  and  I  never  drew  one  on  my 
hand  without  an  emotion  of  disgust,  and  it  would 
have  afforded  me  real  pleasure  to  have  dropped 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


947 


them  in  the  street  or  added  them  to  the  fire. 
They  were  an  open  untruth.  I  wore  them  till  I 
could  bear  it  no  longer.  I  can  wear  a  cotton 
glove,  but  it  must  fit  me  as  well  as  a  cotton  glove 
can.  I  would  rather  be  gloveless  than  again 
compelled  to  wear  such  annoying  kids. 

[We  do  not  like  to  call  in  question  so  good  au¬ 
thority  on  the  glove  question  as  our  contributor, 
Anna  Hope,  so  we  will  grant  what  she  says  is  in 
accordance  with  custom  and  the  general  taste;  but 
we  do  enter  a  protest  against  the  customary  im¬ 
portance  attributed  to  the  gloves.  We  confess 
we  think  the  hand  is  seldom  improved  by  a  glove. 
The  face  might  as  well  be  covered.  Nothing  looks 
to  us  more  foolish  than  to  see  any  person  pulling 
and  straining  by  the  half-hour  to  get  on  a  close- 
fitting  kid  (sheep-skin).  For  footmen  it  may  do — 
they  have  nothing  higher  to  aim  at,  and  their  van¬ 
ity  may  as  well  be  gratified  this  way  as  any  other. 

.  Women  who  have  little  to  do  but  dress,  may  per¬ 
haps  be  allowed  to  devote  an  hour  in  straining  on 
a  pair  of  gloves,  but  we  seldom  see  one  of  them 
dressed  in  “white  kids,”  to  be  spoiled  in  an  evening, 
without  mentally  inquiring  how  many  hours  of 
toil  a  husband  or  father  has  endured  to  earn  the 
dollar  to  buy  them.  We  may  be  notional,  but  de¬ 
liver  our  hands  from  the  abomination,  except  on 
extraordinary  occasions,  when  we  should  hurt 
somebody’s  feelings  by  appearing  without  “kids.” 
Our  hands  are  no  more  tender  than  the  face,  and 
they  need  as  little  covering,  summer  or  winter,  un¬ 
less  when  handling  ice  or  frozen  articles. — Ed.] 


Wonian’s  Wages  Again. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

I  noticed  in  the  June  Agriculturist,  page  183,  an 
article  entitled  “  Woman’s  Wages,”  which  seems 
to  me,  to  be  slightly  unjust,  as  sarcastic  remarks 
are  apt  to  be,  though  no  one  can  deny  that  they 
contain  much  truth.  It  is  certaii^,  that  as  a  gen¬ 
eral  rule,  woman’s  labor  does  not  receive  equal 
remuneration  with  man’s  ;  and  I  know  of  no  good 
reason  that  can  be  given  why  it  should  not ;  but 
there  are  some  noble  exceptions,  and  though  I 
know  of  an  Institution  where  women  wear  out 
body  and  mind  in  an  occupation  that  is  peculiarly 
harrassing,  for  the  same  sum  per  year  that  a  gen- 
'tleman  receives  monthly  for  a  few  hours’  service — 
and  such  cases  are  common — “  yet  there  is  a  bet¬ 
ter  time  coming,”  and  in  no  phase  of  society  is  it 
more  apparent,  than  in  this  whole  matter  of  wom¬ 
en's  wages. 

1  know  of  a  gentleman  who  employs  several 
persons  all  the  time  copying;  for  years  the  work 
had  been  done  entirely  by  men,  but  the  gentle¬ 
man  concluded  to  try  how  a  woman  would  suc¬ 
ceed  in  the  employment.  As  all  were  paid  by  the 
piece,  of  course  each  had  what  she  could  make. 
The  result  proved  that  women  were  as  rapid  and 
accurate  copyists  as  men,  and  that  they  could 
earn  as  much  at  this  work,  ai  d  now  more  wom¬ 
en  and  fewer  men  are  employed  by  the  gentle¬ 
man  of  whom  I  speak.  The  constant  applica¬ 
tions  for  vacancies  in  this  business,  is  a  sad  com¬ 
ment  on  the  provision  of  remunerative  employ¬ 
ment  for  women.  But  how  much  public  opinion 
has  changed  upon  this  matter  within  a  very  few 
years  !  And  it  is  the  doing  of  a  few  talented  and 
noble  women  which  has  contributed  more  to  bring 
about  this  change,  than  all  the  speeches  of 
‘Women’s  Rights  Conventions ;  though  even  they 
have  had  their  use. 

But  all  women  may  look  forward  to  a  brighter 
future  for  their  sex  when  they  read  the  sensible, 
gentlemanly  criticisms  upon  Miss  Hosmer’s  ar¬ 
tistic  productions,  the  just  appreciation  of  Mrs. 
Stowe,  as  an  authoress,  the  tenderness  which  is 


exhibited  in  every  line  which  has  been  written  of 
Florence  Nightingale,  the  devotion  to  Jenny  Lind. 
These  all,  and  many  more  who  might  be  enumer¬ 
ated,  have  their  meed  of  praise,  as  their  several 
talents  or  qualities  demand,  not  because  “  they 
have  done  well  for  women.”  I  think  no  one 
ever  made  that  remark  of  the  authoress  of  “  Au¬ 
rora  Leigh,”  and  I  am  not  sure,  that  even  now, 
the  verdict  of  the  literary  world  would  not  be, 
that  upon  her  brow  should  be  placed  the  wreath 
that  crowns  a  nation’s  poet,  rather  than  upon 
England’s  present  laureate,  whose  latest  pro¬ 
duction  will  draw  forth  the  remark  from  many, 
that  it  is  not  well  for  a  man.  We  may  be  sure 
the  time  is  rapidly  coming  when  woman's  work, 
in  whatever  department,  will  be  viewed  and 
judged  by  men  according  to  its  value  as  a  produc¬ 
tion  ;  not  as  the  performance  of  a  grown  child 
who  must  be  fed  on  praise,  because  she  can  bear 
nothing  else,  or  crushed  by  rebuke,  because  she 
must  be  taught  to  know  and  keep  her  place. 
When  that  time  comes,  women  will  be  paid  for 
their  time  as  men  are,  according  to  the  value  of 
that  time  to  the  employer,  not  as  a  favor  because 
she  is  a  woman,  or  because  her  labor  can  be  ob¬ 
tained  at  soul-and-body-ruinous  prices.  Women 
have  only  to  do,  not  talk,  and  men  will  be  ready 
to  accept  both  them  and  their  doings  on  their  own 
terms.  If,  as  we  say,  we  can  be  what  we  choose 
if  we  have  the  opportunity,  let  us  set  about  it ; 
if  there  are  obstacles  in  the  way,  they  have  been 
overcome  in  almost  all  the  paths  in  which  men 
walk,  by  women  ;  and  what  woman  has  done 
woman  can  do.  As  we  advance,  mountains  de¬ 
crease,  if  not  to  mole  hills,  at  least  to  such  insig¬ 
nificant  acclivities  that  the  ascent  is  only  health¬ 
ful  exercise.  Agatha  Bowen. 


She  Vinegar  Plant. 


One  of  these  has  been  in  use  in  our  family  for 
some  time  past,  but  we  have  not  had  opportunity 
to  study  its  character  minutely.  If  any  one  has 
investigated  it  and  can  give  any  thing  definite  in 
regard  to  it  we  shall  be  glad  to  hear  the  particu¬ 
lars.  It  is  a  sort  of  semi-fleshy  substance  re¬ 
sembling  “  mother,”  that  floats  upon  a  liquid,  and 
constantly  increases  in  thickness  by  a  succession 
of  thin  layers  which  can  be  removed  from  time 
to  time.  Wre  received  from  a  friend  one  of  these 
layers  some  seven  inches  in  diameter,  and  placed 
it  in  a  stone  jar  of  about  the  same  size.  Two 
quarts  of  water  in  which  was  stirred  two  tea¬ 
cupfuls  of  molasses,  were  then  poured  in.  Four 
or  five  weeks  afterwards  the  liquid  had  become 
very  good  vinegar.  A  layer  of  the  plant  was  re¬ 
moved,  the  vinegar  poured  out  and  more  molas¬ 
ses  and  water  added,  and  the  same  result  as  be¬ 
fore  followed.  Taking  into  account  the  value  of 
the  molasses,  the  vinegar  perhaps  costs  a  little 
less  than  that  of  equally  good  cider  vinegar.  The 
thing  besides  being  convenient  and  slightly  econ¬ 
omical,  is  a  curiosity,  to  say  the  least. 

Mrs.  M.  J.  S.,  writes:  “  Put  in  a  stone  jar, 
one  gallon  of  warm  rain  water,  half  a  pint  of  mo¬ 
lasses,  and  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  mixing  the 
whole  well.  Drop  in  the  plant,  cover  up  the  jar 
(not  air-tight)  and  let  it  stand  in  the  warmest 
place  in  the  house,  or  in  the  sun  in  Summer, 
covered  with  a  black  cloth.  In  eight  weeks  strain 
off  and  bottle  the  vinegar  ;  wash  and  divide  the 
plant  and  set  again.  In  this  way  we  have  had 
vinegar  equal  to  the  best  made  from  cider.  Our 
plant  has  been  very  healthy,  growing  to  the  size 
of  the  jar  and  an  inch  in  thickness.  We  divide 
it  as  often  as  we  reset  it.  The  smallest  piece 
will  grow. — Please  let  us  know  the  origin  of  it.” 
(We  can  not. — Ed.] 


Recipes. 

Fritoilclla. 

A  Lady  correspondent,  M.  B  H.,  Kent  Co., 
Del.,  sends  the  following,  the  substance  of  which 
she  says  was  taken  from  Soyer’s  Cook  book,  and 
which  she  has  proved  to  be  as  good  as  it  is  econ¬ 
omical  :  Take  l  lb.  of  bread,  odd  bits,  crusts, 
and  remnants,  however  stale,  will  answer ;  put 
in  water,  (warm  if  very  stale),  while  it  is  soak¬ 
ing,  cut  up  with  a  sharp  knife  half  a  lb.  of  meat, 
beef,  mutton,  lamb,  poultry,  or  fresh  fish — any  of 
these,  fragments  of  dinners  or  breakfasts,  nicely 
kept,  will  answer  ;  also  potatoes,  or  most  kinds 
of  vegetables.  If  many  vegetables  are  added, 
more  meat  is  to  be  used.  Cut  up  one  small  onion 
fine  and  fry  it  for  three  minutes  over  a  hot-fire 
with  about  an  ounce  of  butter  in  a  stew-pan  ;  then 
add  the  bread,  which  should  first  he  squeezed  in 
a  coarse  towel  to  remove  the  water,  after  which 
the  meat  and  vegetables  are  put  in.  Stir  all  well 
together,  and  mix  in  tw  o  eggs,  also  gravy,  or  drip¬ 
pings  if  convenient,  and  one  spoonful  of  salt,  a 
half  spoonful  of  black  pepper,  a  little  lemon  peel 
grated,  and  one  spoonful  of  sugar.  After  these 
are  well  mixed,  pour  into  a  broad  dish  and  when 
cold,  work  into  small  cakes,  roll  them  well  in 
stale  bread  crumbs  and  fry  them.  They  may  be 
served  up,  dressed  with  a  border  of  mashed  pota¬ 
to  and  will  be  found  good  enough  to  repay  the 
trouble  of  preparing. 

Corn  Calseso 

A  recipe  for  these,  said  to  have  originated  at 
the  “  Galt  House,”  Louisville,  Ky.,  has  gone  the 
rounds  pretty  extensively,  and  received  frequent 
commendation.  We  have  not  had  it  tested,  but 
give  it  for  trial :  Take  butter  and  lard,  of  each  a 
piece  about  the  size  of  an  egg,  and  mix  well  in 
1  pint  of  Indian  meal.  Add  sufficient  boiling  wa¬ 
ter  to  scald  it,  and  afterward  put  in  3  eggs  well 
beaten,  and  thin  with  sweet  milk.  Cook  on  a 
griddle,  like  buckwheat  cakes,  and  serve  up  hot. 

JKongk  and  Heady  Cairo, 

Contributed  by  H.  S.  Hodgson,  Johnsburgh. 
To  i  pint  of  flour  add  ;  1  cup  of  milk;  1  of  sugar; 

1  egg;  a  lump  of  butter  the  size  of  an  egg;  1 
leaspoonful  soda ;  2  or  cream  of  tartar,  with  nut¬ 
meg  or  spice  to  taste. 

Sponge  Cake 

By  the  same.  Beat  the  whites  of  10  eggs  to  a 
stiff  froth,  and  mix  the  yolks  with  3  cups  of  sugar. 
Stir  the  whole  quickly  with  3  cups  of  flour  ;  add 
a  little  salt ;  flavor  with  nutmeg  or  lemon  ;  and 
bake  in  square  tins  for  20  or  30  minutes. 

’iToniato  Money. 

A.  J.  Gunnell,  Rock  Island  Co.,  Ill.,  sends  the 
following  recipe  which  he  says  is  a  very  good 
substitute  for  honey  :  Cut  sound  ripe  tomatoes 
in  slices  and  express  the  juice  through  a  cloth. 
To  each  pint  of  the  liquid  add  one  pint  of  sugar 
and  boil  the  whole  until  of  the  consistence  of 
honey,  removing  the  scum  as  it  rises.  It  may  be 
flavored  with  lemon  or  other  extract  to  suit  the 
taste.  The  writer  has  tasted  a  very  fine  prepara¬ 
tion  of  this  kind  made  from  the  European 
Winter  Cherry  or  Ground  Tomato  (physalis  alke - 
kengi)  which  was  an  excellent  sauce  for  blanc 
mange,  puddings,  etc. 

A  Fickle. 

Take  1  quart  of  hard  cider,  some  rainy  day 
when  you  can't  leave  home — and  swallow  it  grad¬ 
ually  say  i  pint  at  a  time.  Mix  with  it  at  dinner 
time  5  hard  boiled  eggs  ;  after  which,  light  your 
pipe  in  the  parlor  and  put  your  feet  on  the  table. 
Introduce  a  good  tidy  housekeeper,  and  there  will 
be  a  pickle  fit  for  a  family  jar. 


BIRD’  S-E  YE  VIEW  OF  NORTHERN  ITALY  —  ( Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist) 


■August,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


249 


The  Editor  with  his  Young;  Readers. 

A  LESSON  IN  GEOGRAPHY. 

“  First  Class  in  Geography  may  stand  up  before  the  Map." 
(This  class  includes  every  boy  ancl  girl  that  reads  the 
Agriculturist).  Well, .  scholars,  you  have  doubtless  all 
got  your  lessons  to-day,  and  now  if  you  will  all  stand 
where  you  can  see  the  map  hanging,  on  the  side  of  the 
room,  theie  and  keep  your  eyes  on  it,  we’ll  excuse 
you  from  reciting  to-day,  and  give  you  a  lecture.  W e 
have  been  at  a  great  deal,  of  expense  to  get  up  this 
large  map,  after  a  little  different  pattern  from  any  you 
may  have  seen.  It  is  a  bird's-eye  view  of  a  large  section 
of  country  in  the  northern  part  of  Italy. 

“  What  do  we  mean  by  a  ‘  bird’s-eye  view  V" 

Why  just  what  the  word  says.  It’s  such  a  view'  of 
the  country  as  you  would  have  if  you  were  birds  flying, 
or  were  in  a  balloon,  very  high  in  the  air,  up  over  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  a  little  south  of  Genoa.  We  want 
you  all  to  go  now  and  get  your  own  geographies,  and 
open  to  the  map  of  Italy  or  to  the  map  of  Europe.... 
Now  each  of  you  keep  one  eye  closely  on  your  own  map, 
and  the  other  on  this  bird’s-eye  map  before  you,  and 
imagine  one  eye  to  be  the  bird’s.  On  your  map  you  see, 
in  the  south  of  Europe,  the  Kingdom  of  Sardinia,  and  the 
Kingdom  of  Lombardy  and  Venice.  On  the  south  or 
southwest,  you  see  the  Gulf  of  Genoa,  which  is  a  part  of 
the  Mediterranean  Sea.  On  the  east  or  southeast  is  the 
northern  end  of  the  Gulf  of  Venice,  or  Adriatic  Sea.  You 
also  notice  on  the  north  and  West  of  Lombardy  and  Sar¬ 
dinia,  the  great  chain  of  high  mountains  called  the  Alps. 
On  the  south  you  see  the  Apennine  mountains,  which 
run  around  above  Genoa,  and  down  into  Italy. 

Now  use  your  bird’s-eye,  and  you  will  see  the  same 
things  on  our  map.  You  observe  Sardinia  on  the  west  or 
left,  and  Lombardy  and  Venice  on  the  right  or  east.  You 
see  the  Alps  in  the  top  or  north,  running  away  up  by 
Switzerland  on  the  northwest  and  Austria  on  the  north¬ 
east.  You  see  in  the  centre  of  the  map  a  broad  plain, 
with  many  smaller  elevations  of  ground,  and  valleys ; 
also,  rivers  running  here  and  there  (keep  your  eyes  on 
both  maps— yours  and  eurs).  You  see  the  Ticino  river, 
which  comes  down  between  Sardinia  and  Lombardy. 
The  Ticino  river  starts  from  Lake  Maggiore,  near  the 
Alps,  and  empties  into  the  noted  river  Po,  which  runs 
from  Sardinia  away  eastward,  along  the  southern  bound¬ 
ary  of  Lombardy,  and  empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Venice. 

There  are  other  rivers  running  from  the  north  into  the 
Po,  (we  had  not  room  to  put  their  names  on  the  map,  and 
moreover,  a  bird’s-eye  could  not  take  in  so  large  a  coun¬ 
try  at  once,  and  see  all  its  points  distinctly.)  You  must 
look  out  some  of  these  rivers  carefully. 

East  of  Lake  Maggiore  you  see  Lake  Como,  from 
which  the  river  Adda  runs  down  on  the  east  side  of 
Milan,  and  passing  by  Lodi,  empties  into  the  Po.  (Do 
.  you  remember  reading  of  the  great  battle  of  Napoleon  I. 
at  the  bridge  of  Lodi  ?) 

About  75  miles  southeast  of  Lake  Como,  you  see  the 
Lake  Garda  (the  engraver  of  our  map  has  wrongly  made 
it  read  Carda).  From  the  foot  of  this  lake,  beginning  at 
the  town  of  Peschiera,  the  river  Mincio  runs  nearly  south, 
passing  the  town  of  Castiglione,  and  also  empties  into 
the  Po.  (On  this  river  was  fought  that  great  battle  on  the 
24th  of  June  last— the  most  terrible  battle  since  any  of  us 
were  born.  It  was  named  from  the  little  town  of  Solferi- 
no,  which  is  four  or  five  miles  east  of  Castiglione.) 

But  let  us  look  at  our  bird's-eye  map  as  a  whole.  We 
see  the  names  of  many  towns  and  countries.  These 
countries  resemble  the  counties  in  our  own  States. 

The  Kingdom  of  Sardinia  is  not  quite  as  large  as  the 
State  of  Maine.  Sardinia  has  28,830  square  miles,  and 
Maine  30,000. 

Lombarby  and  Venice,  together,  cover  17,511  square 
miles,  which  is  a  little  less  than  the  surface  of  Massachu¬ 
setts  and  Vermont  taken  together. 

Sardinia  has  4,916,000  inhabitants,  Lombardy  and 
Venice  have  5,007,472. 

The  whole  country  shown  by  our  map,  that  is,  Sardinia, 
Lombardy  and  Venice,  covers  about  46,000  square  miles, 
(just  the  size  of  New-York  State,),  and  has  a  total  popu¬ 
lation  of  nearly  ten  millions,  or  more  than  one-third  as 
many  as  the  whole  United  States. 

Now  we  will  leave  this  map  hanging  before  you  a  whole 
month,  and  we  want  you  to  study  it  carefully  along  with 
your  own  maps.  Look  at  its  mountains  and  rivers,  its 
cities,  towns,  railroads,  etc.  Find  on  this  and  your  own 
maps,  Turin,  Genoa,  Milan,  Venice,  Verona,  Mt.  Cenis 
Pass  through  the  Alps,  Novarra,  Magenta,  Buffalora, 
Castiglione,  Mantua,  Peschiera,  Vincenza,  Padua,  etc., 
etc.,  together  with  the  different  rivers  on  your  own  maps. 
All  these  places  will  help  you  to  a  knowledge  of  this  im¬ 
portant  county,  which,  is  now  the  scene  of  a  great  war. 
You  will  read  in  your  other  papers  much  about  this  war, 
and  we  are  very  anxious  that  all  our  boys  and.  girls 
should  learn  something  definite  about  it  how  while  it  is 
going  on,  and  for  this  reason  we  have  introduced  the  sub¬ 
let  here,  to  the  exclusion  of  other  matter  which  might 


I  please  playful  children  more,  and  perhaps  suit  the  notions 
of  some  older  people  better.  But,  children,  by  and  bv,  you 
will  grow  up,  and  as  you  grow,  and  afterwards,  you  will 
read  in  school  books  and  histories  long  accounts  of  the 
transactions  now  going  on  in  Europe— just  as  we  read  of 
the  wars  of. the  old  Napoleon,  who  was  finally  conquered 
and  taken  to  St.  Helena.  We  read  with  great  interest — 
with  terror,  even— of  the  bloody  battles  of  Waterloo,  of 
Moscow-,  of  Lodi,  of  Marengo,  of  Prague,  etc.  These 
seem  like  something  that  could  only  happen  way  back  in 
the  past,  and  not  in  our  day.  But  just  such  events  are 
now  transpiring— yes,  this  very  Summer,  while  we  are 
quietly  tilling  our  fields,  a  new  series  of  great  battles  are 
being  fought.  Men  are  now  making  history  which  will  be 
read  with  the  greatest  interest  when  the  youngest  of  our 
readers  shall  have  grown  gray-headed. 

These  events— these  battles— are  terrible  to  think  of, 
even.  There  are  more  than  half  a  million  of  men,  who 
have  wives  and  children,  and  other  friends,  far  away  at 
home,  but  they  are  here  on  the  ground  shown  by  this 
map,  one-half  arrayed  against  the  other  half,  each  trying 
to  kill  the  other  with  cannon  balls,  rifle  balls,  bayonets, 
swords,  and  evet y  possible  instrument  with  which  they 
can  cut  and  tear  each  other’s  bodies.  A  friend  of  ours, 
who  has  gone  to  Italy  to  look  on,  writes  that  on  the 
day  of  the  recent  great  battle  of  Solferino,  he  saw  a 
steady  stream  of  wagons  and  mules,  from  early  in 
the  morning,  all  day  and  all  night,  coming  into  one  single 
town,  loaded  with  men,  still  alive,  but  torn  by  balls  and 
bayonets,  and  cut  by  swords  and  sabres,  in  every  conceiv¬ 
able  manner.  And-these  were  only  a  part  of  the  wounded 
of  one  of  the  contending  armies, to  say  nothing  of  those 
killed  outright  at  first.  Such  is  the  war  going  on  while 
we  are  reading  this  page— such  will  be  future  wars.  We 
hope  none  of  our  young  readers  will  grow  up  with  a  war 
spirit,  and  be  found  among  those  who  will  be  ready  on 
the  slightest  pretext  to  involve  our  own  country  in  war. 
How  many  of  us,  as  we  have  read  of  the  wars  of  the  past, 
have  thought  that  such  great  battles  could  henceforth  be 
known  only  in  past  history  ;  but  here  they  are  occurring 
in  our  day,  and  we  can  scarcely  hope  for  their  cessation 
until  that  time  shall  come  when  the  principles  of  the 
Christian  religion  shall  rule  in  every  heart— until  men 
shall  love,  as  well  as  learn,  to  obey  the  Golden  rule. 
Then  the  nations  will  beat  their  swords  into  plow-shares, 
and  their  spears  into  pruning  hooks,  and  learn  war  no 
more. 

But  we  must  not  leave  this  subject  until  we  give  you  a 
few  more  general  hints  about  the  present  war,  and  who 
are  engaged  in  it.  Please  turn  to  your  maps  of  Europe. 

You  see  France  on  the  West,  and  Austria  on  the  East, 
and  you  see  that  Sardinia,  and  Lombardy  and  Venice 
lie  between  them.  France  and  Austria  have  been  at  war 
frequently  before,  as  they  now  are,  and  their  armies  have 
usually  met  on  this  middle  ground,  the  country  represent¬ 
ed  on  our  bird’s-eye  map.  You  will  find  here  the  names 
of  towns  where  have  been  fought  very  many  of  the 
bloodiest  battles  recorded  in  history.  The  plains  and 
valleys  you  see,  are  among  the  most  beautiful  agricul¬ 
tural  regions  in  the  world— almost  like  gardens.  But 
how  many  millions  of  men  have  fallen  to  fertilize  the 
earth  with  their  flesh  and  blood. 

NOTES  ON  THE  PRESENT  WAR. 

Sardinia  is  a  kingdom  of  itself.  Its  present  King  is 
Victor  Emanuel.  Lombardy  and  Venice  are  not  entirely 
independent  kingdoms,  but  are  partially  under  the  rule 
of  Austria.  The  present  war  happened  in  this  wise. 
(We  cannot  go  into  full  particulars).  The  great  king¬ 
doms  of  Europe — England,  France,  Austria,  Russia,  and 
Prussia,  are  jealous  of  each  other ;  each  is  afraid  that 
the  others  may  get  too  much  power,  influence,  and  ter¬ 
ritory.  At  the  same  time,  each  one  is  trying  to  get  all 
the  power  it  can  for  itself.  The  smaller  kingdoms  they 
try  to  acquire  for  themselves  or  to  keep  the  others  from 
gaining  them.  Not  long  since  England  and  France 
were  fighting  for  Turkey,  against  Russia,  because  they 
thought  Russia  was  getting  too  much  power  in  Turkey. 

Austria  has  been  gaining  increasing  power  and  influ¬ 
ence  in  the  different  States  of  Italy.  France  could  not 
endure  this,  and  the  Emperor  Napoleon  II[.,  (Louis  Na¬ 
poleon,)  warned  Francis  Joseph,  Emperor  of  Austria, 
that  if  certain  demands  made  upon  Sardinia  were  pressed, 
France  would  take  sides  with  Sardinia,  and  try  to  drive 
Austria  out  from  Italy  altogether.  France  tried  to  get 
England  and  Russia  to  join  her,  but  either  from  jealousy 
of  France,  or  because  they  did  not  consider  Austria  so 
great  a  trespasser,  or  from  some  other  motives  of  policy, 
they  refused  to  join  with  France. 

Austria  continued  to  press  her  demands  upon  Sardinia, 
(we  will  not  stop  to  discuss  the  justice  or  injustice  of 
these  demands,)  and  a  large  Austrian  army  was  sent  as 
far  as  the  Ticino  .river— the  eastern  boundary  of  Sardinia 
—and  here,  it  was  met  by  the  united  armies  of  France 
and  Sardinia,  who  are  called  “  Allies,”  in  the  accounts 
of  the  war.  The  Allied  army  (French  and  Sardinian,) 
ha3  been  successful  against  the  Austrians  so  fai,  beating 


them  in  several  successive  great  batties,  of  which  wo 
have  read  this  Summer. 

The  Austrians  are  now  driven  a  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  east  of  the  river  Ticino,  to  the  river  Mincio.  As 
referred  to  above,  the  last  great  battle  was  on  the  Mincio, 
June  24.  The  Allied  army  was  then  victorious  over  the 
Austrians,  and  at  last  accounts  the  Austrians  w  ere  pre¬ 
paring  to  defend  the  great  fortresses  of  Peschiera,  Mantua 
and  Verona.  What  will  be  the  next  news  we  know  not. 
You  may  get  further  reports  in  the  daily  or  weeklyjour- 
nals  by  the  time  this  reaches  you.  Keep  this  map  before 
you  with  your  own  school  geography,  and  we  think  you 
can  follow  the  future  course  of  the  war,  after  what  w'e 
have  told  you.  It  is  not  our  design  to  publish  further  war 
news— we  only  desire  to  give  you  a  little  aid  in  trying  to 
read  of  the  events  now  transpiring.  You  will  understand 
that  the  hostile  armies  are  now  northwest  of  the  Gulf  of 
Venice,  in  the  vicinity  of  Verona.  You  will  need  also  to 
keep  watch  of  the  movements  of  the  large  French  fleet 
which  is  reported  to  be  in  the  Gulf  of  Venice,  apparently 
with  the  design  of  landing  soldiers  behind,  or  east  of  the 
Austrian  army. 

You  will  also  bear  in  mind  that  Prussia  and  other  Ger¬ 
man  States  naturally  sympathize  somewhat  with  their  sis¬ 
ter  Austria,  and  have  some  sore  remembrance's  treasured 
up  against  France,  and  reports  are  frequent  that  Prussia 
especially,  will  come  to  the  aid  of  Austria  ere  long.  But 
England  and  Russia  are  also  watching  the  course  of 
events,  and  they,  too,  are  jealous  of  the  success  of  France, 
but  they  wish  to  avoid  war,  and  are  rather  dfesirous  that 
it  should  be  confined  to  France  and  Austria.  If  the  in¬ 
fluence  of  England  and  Russia  keeps  Prussia  from  joining 
Austria,  the  war  may  soon  close.  Louis  Napoleon  has 
declared  that  he  is  only  fighting  in  behalf  of  Sardinia.  If 
he  keeps  his  promises,  and  does  not  try  to  increase  the 
power  and  influence  of  France  in  Italy,  the  result  of  the 
war  may  be  beneficial,  on  the  whole,  to  Italv.  The 
latest  reports  are,  that  England,  Russia,  and  Prussia,  are 
offering  their  mediation  between  France  and  Austria,  and 
hope  to  bring  about  a  speedy  peace.  But  they  are  all  in¬ 
creasing  their  armies  and  navies,  and  we  may  soon  see 
all  the  great  Powers  in  conflict,  involving  the  smaller 
States  and  Kingdoms.  The  wisest  heads  are  puzzled  to 
conjecture  what  course  the  impending  struggle  will  take, 
and  what  will  be  the  result. 

With  this  outline,  we  now  leave  you  to  follow  not 
only  the  track  of  the  contending  armies,  but  also  the 
course  of  the  leading  nations  of  Europe,  hoping  you  will 
study  carefully  the  present  as  well  as  the  past  history  of 
both  our  own  and  other  countries,  and  that  when  you 
grow  up  to  become  acting  men  and  women  on  the  stage 
of  the  world’s  history,  you  may  be  intelligent  observers 
as  well  as  actors. 

PRONOUNCING  THE  WAR  NAMES.  • 

Many  of  our  young  friends  who  read  the  war  news  from 
Europe,  are  probably  bothered,  as  we  have  been  to 
pronounce  the  names  of  the  different  places  and  persons 
mentioned.  To  help  them  and  ourselves  in  this  matter, 
we  have  prepared  the  following  table  of  some  of  the  more 
common  names.  The  figures,  (I),  (2),’ (j),  or  (4),"  show 
whether,  the'  first,  second,  third  or  fourth  syllable  in  the 
word  is  to  be  accented  : 

.Written.  ,  Pronounced. 
Occimiuno.  .Ot-che‘-me-ali-no,-t 
Pallanza . . . Pal-lan-za.2 


Written.  Pronounced. 

Alessandria . .  .A-les-san-drea,3 

Baltea . Bal-tay-a',2 

Bereguardo _ Ba  ra-gwar-do,3 

Buffalora . Boof-fa-lo-ra,3 

Canrobert .  Caun-ro  bair,3 

Casale . Ca-sah-la.2 

Cas’iglione _ Cas-t.eel-yo-'na,3 

Cenis . ;  .Seli-nee,2 

Comal  e . Cor-nah-la  ,2 

Frassinetto. . .  .Fras-se-iiet-to.3 

Genoa . Gen-o-a,l 

Gyulai . Joo-li.l 

Lago . Lah-go,I 

Legnago . Layn-yah-go  ,2 

Lodi . Lo-de,l 

Magenta . Mah-gen-ta  ,2 

Maggiore . Mad-jo-ra,2 

Malegnano .  .Mah-len-yah-no.3 

Milan . t . Me-lan,2 

Mincio . Min-c)ie-o,l 

Mortara _ , . Mor-tali-ra,2 

Novara. . .No-vali-ra,2 

Novi. . . : . No-vee,2 


Pavia . . Pa-vee-a,2 

Peschiera  ...... .Pa-skela-rah,3 

Ponte  Curone,  :  .  . Pon-ta.l 

Coo-ro-ria.2 

Robbio’ : . . . . . Rob-be-o,l 

Romagnano. .  .Ro-man  yah-no.3 

San  Giorgo . San  .Tor-jo.2 

Santhia . San-te-a.l 

Sesia . Se-Se  a.l 

Solferino . .‘.Sol-fa-ree-nb,3 

Stroppiana _ Strop-pe-ah-  na  3 

Suzia .  Soo-sa,l 

Ticino. . . .Te-chce-ho.2 

Torino . . - . To-ree-no,2 

Tortona . . Tgr-lo-na.2 

Valenza . V  nh-len-zn  h  .2 

Vercelli . . Vert-ohel-lee,2 

Verona . Va-ro-na.2 

Vigevano.' . Ve-jay-va-no.3 

Vincenza:. . . . :  .Veen-chcn-za,2 
Voghera . V  o-gay-ra,2 


Somebody  Else  iai  the  Editor’s  Chair. 

Being  very  busy  putting  up  a  new  fence,  and  making 
sundry  other  improvements  on  that  new  place,  we'  were 
called  'avvay  in  the  afternoon,  just  after  finishing  the 
above  lesson  in  Geography,  and  so  we  invited  one 
of  our  Associates  into  the  sanctum  and  surrendered 
to' him  the  arm  chair,  saying,  “there,  now,  sit. down  and 
have  a  chat  with  oUr  Agriculturist  boys  and  girls.”  He 
wanted.to  knowiwhat  to  talk  about.  Oh,  “anything,’ 
“  anything,”  was  the  reply.  “  Talk  about  the  birds  and 


350 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


the  insects,  and  so  forth-”. ..  .Next  morning  he  brought 
a  lot  of  sheets  written  over  with  the  queerest  sort  of  lingo, 
which  we  have  a  mind  to  print  just  as  he  left  it.  We 
don’t  exactly  know  what  “head  ”  to  give  it,  but  we  sus¬ 
pect  he  fell  asleep  when  he  got  into  that,  big  chair,  so  we 
will  call  it 

A  VISION — AN  INSECT  CONCERT. 

“  Oh  my  sakes  alive!  what  a  time  I  had  in  that  chair  of 
yours.  I  sat  down  and  was  just  trying  to  get  my  thoughts 
in  order,  when  I  thought  the  door  opened  very  quietly, 
and  the  queerest  looking  little  being  you  ever  saw'  cau¬ 
tiously  stepped  into  the  sanctum.  He  was  about  three 
feet  high,  with  a  big  hump  on  his  back  ;  he  had  a  crooked 
nose,  shining  black  eyes  full  of  mischief,  and  a  mouth 
that  looked  as  if  he  never  did  anything  but  smile  with  it. 
His  coat  was  striped  with  red  and  blue,  and  his  panta¬ 
loons  were  of  a  bright  green.  On  his  head  was  a  queer 
shaped  hat,  that  looked  like  a  night  cap  coming  up  to  a 
point  on  the  top,  with  a  large  red  tassel  hanging  from  it. 
He  made  a  low  bow,  and  without  waiting  for  any  ques¬ 
tions  thus  introduced  himself :  ‘  I’m  singing  master  to  the 
birds,  bugs,  and  frogs,’  said  he, 1  and  I  came  to  invite  you 
to  attend  cur  entertainment  this  evening  if  you’re  not  too 
busy.  The  birds  say  the  Agriculturist  is  their  particular 
friend,  and  the  grasshopper  and  the  horned  frog  whose 
picture  was  published  in  it,  have  arranged  with  their 
cousins  that  all  will  join  in  a  concert  for  the  Editor’s  ben¬ 
efit.’ 

The  invitation  was  so  cordial  and  polite  that  I  at  once 
answered,  ‘With  the  greatest  pleasure,  I  am  Editor-in- 
chief  to-night.’  Before  I  knew  what  w'as  coming,  the  lit¬ 
tle  man  flourished  a  lily  stalk  he  held  in  his  hand,  and 
“  quick  as  wink  ”  I  found  him  and  myself  reduced  to  a 
size  less  than  your  little  finger  ;  and  at  the  same  time  the 
wonderful  singing  master  gave  a  shrill  whistle  like  the 
chirp  of  a  cricket,  and  a  team  of  six  large  grasshoppers, 
harnessed  to  a  chariot  made  of  the  polished  shell  of  a 
walnut,  with  cushions  of  cat-tail  down,  and  ornamented 
with  gold,  emerald,  and  diamond  dust,  sprang  through  the 
window  on  to  the  table.  “Jump  in,”  said  our  friend,  and 
taking  his  seat  beside  me,  he  chirruped  to  the  team,  and 
waved  his  lily  stalk,  and  away  we  sprang.  The  night  was 
quite  dark,  but  an  escort  of  fire  flies  with  their  lamps 
showed  the  way  plainly.  On  we  flew,  the  grasshoppers 
skimming  along  as  swift  as  swallow's,  over  field  and  wood 
and  stream,  until  we  were  brought  to  a  plain  bordered  on 
three  sides  by  a  forest,  with  a  small  lake  on  the  open  side. 
On  the  stump  of  a  large  white  oak,  with  a  beautiful  moss 
carpeting,  seats  were  prepared,  made  of  curiously  carved 
acorns,  and  all  around  in  the  plain  and  woods,  and  on 
the  surface  of  the  lake,  by  the  light  of  millions  of  fire  flies 
and  glow  worms,  I  could  see  the  immense  company  as¬ 
sembled  for  the  concert.  There  were  the  robin  and  his 
mate,  the  mocking  bird,  thrush,  jay,  the  solemn  owl  and 
the  lively  wren,  the  oriole  and  the  sparrow,  in  short  all 
the  birds  with  a  voice  were  there.  Cicadas,  crickets, 
bees  and  beetles,  wasps,  hornets  and  musquitos,  all  in 
their  holiday  suits,  filled  the  grass  and  shrubs  on  the  plain, 
and  on  the  edge  of  the  lake  perched  among  the  lily  leaves, 
or  squatting  on  the  shore,  were  frogs,  young  and  old, 
large  and  small,  an  innumerable  multitude.  For  once, 
they  all  seemed  at  peace.  The  mosquitoes  kept  their  lan¬ 
cets  cased,  and  the  bees  and  hornets  their  daggers  in  their 
sheaths.  The  wren  forgot  to  tease  the  cuckoo,  and  t.he 
jay  did  not  molest  the  owl.  I  was  too  much  astonished  to 
say  a  word,  even  to  acknowledge  their  compliment  when 
in  obedience  to  a  signal  from  the  master,  the  whole  com¬ 
pany  made  a  profound  salutation.  Then  with  another 
wave  of  the  lily  stalk,  the  concert  commenced  with  a 
piece  by  the  mosquitoes,  and  a  chorus  with  each  verse  by 
the  frogs.  The  tune  was  very  musical,  like  the  sound  of 
ten  thousand  little  French  horns,  and  when  the  frogs 
struck  up  in  the  chorus,  it  was  equal  to  a  full  band.  The 
song  I  could  not  understand,  as  it  was  in  the  insect  lan¬ 
guage,  but  it  sounded  like  this  : 

1  Ze  e-e-ing,  ze-e-e-e-ing— ze-e-e-e-ing,  kee  boom,  spleet, 
chung  kee  wung, 

Killy,  boong  k-e-e-ing— ke-e-e-e-e-ing— kee-e-e-e-ing, 
kitteryi, 

Chorus— Ker  chunk  checng  lunk  che  laly  bung, 

Speep,  doon  deem  bingerum  di. . . .  ’ 

At  the  close  there  was  great  applause,  the  insects  clapped 
their  wings,  the  birds  cheered  loudly,  even  the  solemn 
owl  exclaimed  goo-oo-oo-oo-ood,  goo-oo-oo-ood,  while 
the  jay  screamed  with  happy  laughter.  Order  having 
been  restored,  there  was  a  tambourine  performance  by  the 
beetles,  accompanied  by  the  castanets  of  the  borers,  and 
the  base  drum  of  the  partridge,  while  the  whippoorwill 
played  his  fife  ;  and  so  they  went  on  with  one  perform¬ 
ance  after  another,  chimes  by  the  crickets  and  cicadas, 
duets  by  the  katy-dids,  songs  by  the  birds,  and  repeated 
choruses  by  the  frogs,  until,  at  a  late  hour,  the  master  an¬ 
nounced  that  a  grand  chorus  by  all  the  performers  would 
close  the  entertainment.  Then  what  warbling,  trilling, 
humming,  booming,  and  rattling.  I  was  too  spell  bound 
to  move.  It  swelled  and  died  away,  and  rose  and  fell,  as 


if  a  hundred  organs  were  giving  a  grand  voluntary  in 
unison.  Just  as  the  last  part  of  this  was  being  sung, 
crash  !  bang  !  went  a  gun  from  the  neighboring  thicket, 

and  in  an  instant - 1  awoke  with  a  mosquito  buzzing 

at  each  ear,  a  tree-toad  and  a  katy-did  singing  a  merry 
song  just  under  the  window,  and  the  lamp  extinguished 
by  the  wind  which  had  slammed  the  shutters  and  caused 
the  bang  that  awoke  me.” 

[Well,  was  not  that  a  queer  performance?  Shall  we 
ever  give  up  our  chair  to  him  again.  What  say  you,  boys 
and  girls  ?  But  let  us  have  his  whole  report ;  he  has  got 
awake  now.  Here’s  the  rest  of  what  he  brought  us  next 
morning. — Ed.] 

“  The  dream  gave  me  so  much  pleasure  that  I  could 
notfind  it  in  my  heart  to  kill  the  mosquitoes— particularly 
as  it  was  so  dark  I  could  not  catch  them.  It  set  me  think¬ 
ing 

WHY  THE  BIRDS  SING? 

Do  they  really  have  a  language,  in  which  they  can  con¬ 
verse  with  each  other?  And  when  the  robin  pours  out  his 
sweet  notes  from  the  top  of  some  tall  poplar  in  which  his 
mate  is  brooding  over  the  nest,  is  he  telling  her  of  his 
love?  The  poets  give  us  this  idea,  and  nobody  can  say 
certainly  that  it  is  not  so.  One  thing  seems  evident,  the 
birds  sing  most  when  pleasant  weather  and  plenty  of  food 
make  them  happy  ;  they  do  it  as  the  natural  way  of  ex¬ 
pressing  their  feelings  ;  it  is  therefore  a  kind  of  language, 
though  there  may  not  be  any  words,  just  as  when  you 
laugh  or  cry,  it  expresses  your  feelings  as  well  or  better 
than  if  you  should  say  ‘  I  am  pleased,’  or  ‘  I  am  sad.’ 
It  is  then,  after  all,  quite  true  when  we  say  the  birds 
praise  God  with  their  songs,  for  it.  is  He  that  gives  them 
the  happiness  they  try  to  express.  We  should  not  like  to 
kill  His  choristers." 

THE  WELL  CHOSEN  NESTING  PLACE. 

One  of  the  friends  of  the  Girls  and  Boys,  Mr.  J.  H. 
Mifflin,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa.,  sends  the  following  interest¬ 
ing  instance  of  the  good  judgment  shown  by  birds  in  the 
selection  of  places  for  their  nests.  He  writes  :  “  Last 
Winter,  as  I  passed  by  the  side  of  the  garden,  I  noticed  on 
the  ground  an  oil-can,  such  as  is  used  to  fill  lamps;  it 
was  without  a  top,  but  too  good,  I  thought,  to  be  thrown 
away ;  so  I  hung  it  as  you  see  below,  upon  the  pales  of 
the  fence,  thinking  it  might,  some  day,  come  into  use— 
and  so  it  did,  but  not  exactly  as  I  had  expected.  During 
the  Spring  the  boys  saw  a  blue- bird  fly  out  of  it,  and  peep¬ 
ing  in,  they  discovered  a  nest  containing  five  little  eggs. 
Whether  they  looked  in  too  often,  and  the  blue-bird  de¬ 
serted  when  her  retreat  was  discovered,  or  whether  the 
saucy  and  courageous  little  wrens  drove  her  out  from  so 
snug  a  shelter,  I  can  not  say,  but  it  is  now  tenanted  by  a 
pair  of  the  latter  birds,  and  I  like  them  better  than  their 
prettier  plumaged  predecessors,  they  are  so  sprightly  and 
such  incessant  warblers  near  the  house.  But  what  an  ad¬ 


mirable  house  that  oil-can  makes  for  them  !  its  small  door 
can  not  admit  much  rain,  if  it  blew  never  so  hard  or  so 
horizontally- and  then  the  spout  is  so  nicely  suited  for 
drainage  and  ventilation— really  if  the  little  architect  had 
studied  the  subject  over  your  shoulder  in  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist,  he  could  not  have  done  better.” 

ABOUT  FACES. 

Have  you  ever  thought  how  wonderful  it  is  that  among 
the  millions  of  people  on  the  earth,  no  two  persons  have 
faces  exactly  alike.  There  are  instances  where  men  very 
nearly  resemble  each  other,  so  much  so,  that  one  not  very 
well  acquainted  with  them  might  easily  mistake  one  for 
the  other,  but  there  are  differences  in  them  which  can  be 
seen  by  close  inspection,  and  their  intimate  friends  al¬ 
ways  distinguish  such  persons  from  each  other.  And  yet 
all  the  features  by  which  countenances  are  made  to  differ, 
are  contained  on  a  surface  of  scarcely  nine  inches  each 
way,  and  what  makes  the  matter  more  wonderful  is,  the 
features  are  in  the  same  place  in  each  countenance  ;  the 
forehead,  nose,  eyes,  cheeks,  mouth  and  chin,  always  be¬ 
ing  found  in  their  proper  position  in  the  face.  And 
stranger  still,  they  all,  however  different,  are  constructed 
on  the  same  general  plan,  and  present  some  general  re¬ 
semblance.  What  confusion  it  would  make  if  our  coun¬ 
tenances  were  all  exactly  similar,  like  so  many  bricks 


shaped  in  the  same  mold.  Singular  mistakes  have  oc¬ 
curred  from  the  strong  resemblance  of  different  persons. 
There  is  a  story  of  two  twin  brothers  illustrating  this. 
They  both  attended  the  same  school,  and  the  teacher,  who 
was  somewhat  near-sighted,  could  not  for  a  long  time  dis¬ 
tinguish  one  from  the  other.  Sometimes  James  would  be 
unprepared  for  recitation,  and  when  the  class  was  called, 
John  would  boldly  step  up  in  James’s  place  and  answer 
his  questions,  while  James  would  slyly  slip  into  John’s 
seat  until  the  recitation  was  past.  This  was  wrong,  but 
it  shows  what  difficulties  might  occur  if  we  did  not  each 
have  an  appearance  peculiar  to  ourselves.  The  Creator 
foresaw  these  difficulties,  and  has  wisely  prevented  them. 
His  works  are  all  harmonious,  and  all  wonderful. 


firassslmoSIiter  irstlii  tSae  iLittle  Girls. 


REPORTED  BY  COUSIN  MARY. 

Dear  Mr.  Editor— I  send  you  another  of  Grandmoth 
er’s  talks,  which  we  all  listened  to  with  much  interest, 
and  which  I  think  all  my  cousins  ought  to  pay  attention 
to.  I  have  the  dear  old  lady’s  words  pretty  nearly.  1 
should  like  very  much  to  give  her  pleasant  manner,  as 
she  sat  knitting,  and  occasionally  laying  down  her  work 
when  she  became  particularly  engaged,  but  as  I  can  not, 
what  she  said  must  suffice.  Mary. 

I  hope,  my  girls,  you  will  not  think  I  am  scolding  you, 
when  I  speak  of  things  in  which  I  would  like  to  see  you 
improve.  We  all  love  ourselves  so  well  that  it  is  some¬ 
times  difficult  to  see  our  own  faults,  and  when  a  friend 
kindly  points  them  out  to  us,  we  should  take  it  as  a  real 
favor.  If  you  were  just  going  into  a  room  full  of  compa¬ 
ny  with  a  stain  on  your  face  or  clothes,  of  which  you  did 
not  know,  I  am  sure  you  would  feel  thankful  to  any  per¬ 
son  that  would  tell  you  of  it,  and  save  you  the  mortifica¬ 
tion  of  discovering  it  when  all  were  looking  at  you.  The 
great  world  is  like  a  room  full  of  company,  and  I  have 
been  in  it  long  enough  to  find  out  that  somehow  or  other 
people  seem  to  have  wonderful  sharp  eyes  in  finding  out, 
our  faults.  A  bad  spot  on  the  face  would  be  very  morli 
fying,  but  a  blemish  on  the  character,  or  a  fault  in  the  dis¬ 
position,  will  do  us  much  more  harm.  Water  will  soon 
make  our  faces  look  as  clean  as  ever,  but  a  bad  fault  is 
like  the  sticky  tar  I  got  on  my  muff  last  winter ;  it  is  not 
so  easy  to  get  it  out.  So  you  will  not  think  hard  of  me  I 
am  sure  if  I  sometimes  give  you  some  real  hard  rubs,  just 
as  I  did  formerly  to  my  mahogany  sideboard  to  polish  it  up 
and  make  it  shine,  for  I  want  you  all  to  be  as  bright  and 
nice  as  the  best  furniture  ;  and  children  are,  after  all.  the 
best  furniture  in  the  house,  that  is,  when  they  are  proper¬ 
ly  attended  to. 

Some  of  my  girls  are  troubled  with  an  affection  that 
makes  them  act  very  queerly  at  times.  I  saw  one  of  them 
in  this  condition  the  other  afternoon.  She  was  on  a 
pleasure  excursion  with  her  father  and  mother  and  a  few 
friends.  We  were  sailing  on  a  steamboat,  and  everything 
looked  so  pleasant  that  all  but  Fannie  enjoyed  it  exceed¬ 
ingly.  She  couldn’t  be  still  a  moment.  First  she  wanted 
to  sit  in  her  father’s  lap.  He  took  her,  but  in  a  minute 
she  ran  to  her  mother  and  wanted  to  sit  in  a  chair  beside 
her.  A  chair  was  brought,  but  in  a  little  while  she  wanted 
to  go  into  the  eabin  and  get  a  drink,  she  was  so  thirsty. 
Then  she  must  have  a  piece  of  cake  out  of  the  basket 
which  had  been  put  in  the  store-room  of  the  boat ;  w  hen 
this  was  half  eaten,  she  wanted  her  father  to  w'alkup  and 
down  the  deck  with  her,  and  before  they  had  gone  back 
and  forth  half  a  dozen  times,  she  came  and  w'anted 
Grandmother  to  tell  her  a  story  ;  and  so  she  went  from 
one  thing  to  another,  until  she  became  so  troublesome 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


951 


that  her  father  was  obliged  to  compel  her  to  sit  by  his  side 
until  we  reached  home.  Now  Fannie’s  trouble  was  the 

FinGETS, 

and  it  is  a  very  common  complaint.  I  have  noticed  that 
it  is  very  apt  to  trouble  little  folks  who  are  really  the  best 
off.  Everything  surrounding  little  Fannie  w'as  calculated 
to  make  her  happy,  but  before  she  became  really  engaged 
in  one  tiring,  her  thoughts  and  wishes  ran  off  after  some¬ 
thing  else  within  reach,  so  that  she  found  enjoyment 
in  nothing.  Fidgety  people,  instead  of  taking  comfort 
with  what  they  have,  are  continually  imagining  that 
something  else  would  be  better,  and  the  more  they  have, 
the  more  puzzled  they  are  to  know  w  hat  to  do  with  them¬ 
selves.  They  are  like  a  child  I  knew,  that  W'ent  to  pick 
berries,  in  a  field  where  they  were  plenty,  but  instead  of 
filling  her  basket,  she  wasted  the  afterno'on  by  running 
around  to  find  some  place  where  they  were  thicker. 
There  are  two  ways  to  cure  the  fidgets.  The  best  way 
is  to  make  up  our  minds  to  be  content  to  enjoy  what  we 
have  ;  but  if  children  can  not  do  that,  then  I  would  let 
them  have  just  as  few  pleasant  things  as  possible  within 
their  reach,  so  that  they  will  not  be  troubled  to  choose, 
just  as  Fannie’s  father  obliged  her  to  sit  still  and  enjoy 
her  sail,  which  she  might,  and  ought  to  have  done  with¬ 
out  being  made  to. 

Now  I  hope  you  will  think  about  this.  Perhaps  you 
will  remember  it  better  if  you  hear  some  verses  I  found 
the  other  day  in  a  newspaper  that  was  sent  to  me  by  one 
of  our  cousins  in  England.  Mary,  please  read  it  for  us  : 

“  A  BIRD  IN  THE  HAND  WORTH  TWO  IN  THE  BUSH.” 

There  are  two  little  songsters  well  known  in  the  land, 
Their  names  are  I-Have  and  O-Had-I ; 

I-Have  will  come  tamely,  and  perch. on  your  hand, 

But  O-Had-I  will  mock  you  most  sadly. 

I-Have,- at  first  sight,  is  less  fair  to  the  eye, 

But  his  worth  is  by  far  more  enduring 

Than  a  thousand  O-IIad-I’s  that  sit  far  and  high 
On  roofs  and  on  trees  so  alluring. 

Full  many  a  golden  egg  this  bird  will  lay, 

And  sing  on:  “  Be  cheery  !  be  cheery  !” 

Oh,  merrily  then,  will  the  day  glide  away, 

And  sweet  shall  your  sleep  be  when  weary. 

But  let  0-IIad-I  but  once  take  your  eye, 

And  a  longing  to  catch  him  once  seize  you, 

He’ll  give  you  no  comfort  nor  rest  till  you  die  ; 
Life-long  he’ll  torment  you  and  tease  you. 

He’ll  keep  you  all  day  running  up  and  down  hill, 

Now  looking,  now  panting,  now  creeping  ; 

While  far  overhead,  this  sweet  bird,  at  his  will, 

With  his  bright  golden  plumage  is  sweeping. 

Then  every  wise  man  that  attends  to  this  song 
Will  count  his  I-Have,  a  choice  treasure, 

And  whene'er  an  O-Had-I  comes  flying  along, 

Will  just  let  him  fly  at  his  pleasure. 

ABBREVIATIONS. 

Several  young  as  well  as  older  correspondents  have 
from  time  to  time  inquired  the  meaning  of  sundry  abbre¬ 
viations  in  common  use.  We  throw  together  here  an¬ 
swers  to  a  few  most  inquired  for,  which  are  in  common 
use 

A.  B.  or  B.  A.,  signifies  Bachelor  of  Arts,  (not  hearts).  It 
is  only  given  to  those  who  have  completed  the  full 
course  of  study  in  a  regular  college.  B.  S.,  meaning 
Bachelor  of  Science,  is  sometimes  given  to  those  who 
go  through  a  partial  course  of  study,  mainly  of  the  na¬ 
tural  sciences  and  mathematics. 

A,  M.,  or  M.  A.,  signifies  Master  of  Arts,  an  honorary  title 
usually  given  to  those  who  have  completed  a  collegi¬ 
ate  course,  and  followed  literary  pursuits — and  be¬ 
haved  themselves  three  years  afterwards.  This  de¬ 
gree  is  sometimes  conferred  as  a  mark  of  honor  upon 
those  who  have  not  been  through  college,  but  w  ho 
have  distinguished  themselves  in  literary  pursuits. 
This  and  the  preceeding  title  are  too  often  conferred 
upon  unworthy  persons,  from  interested  motives. 
A.  M.  also  signifies  Anno  Mundi ,  that  is,  in  the  year  of 
the  world.  It  also  signifies  Ante  Meridian,  that  is, 
before  mid-day.  [The  latest  definition  we  have  heard 
for  A.  M.  is  “  After  Money.”] 

II.  M.  S.  signifies  H-er  Majesty’s  Service,  that  is,  in  the 
British  army. 

M.  C.  signifies  Member  of  Congress,  (Senator  or  Repre- 
sentative.) 

II.  R  signifies  Member  of  House  of  Representatives,  (not 
Senator.) 

i.  e.  signifies  that  is,  (id  est). 

ib.  signifies  in  tke  same  place;  or ,  from  the  same  place, 
id.  signifies  tke  same ,  (idem). 

M.  P.  signifies  Member  of  Parliament. 

N.  B.  signifies  Note  well,  (Nota  Bene). 

Nem.  con.,  means  ;  No  one  contradicting,  (nemine  contra- 
dicente).  A  vote  nem.  con.  is  one  in  which  no  one 
votes  against  the  majority. 

Nem.  dis.  means  :  No  one  dissenting. 

Sine  die  means  :  w  ithout  a  day  ;  thus,  a  meeting  adjourns 
sine  die,  that  is,  without  naming  a  day  or  time  for  an¬ 
other  meeting. 

We  give  these  few  abbreviations  to  answer  querists, 
and  to  fix  them  in  the  mind  of  the  reader.  These  and 
others  are  given  in  most  dictionaries,  and  even  spelling- 
books— usually  too  briefly  however. 


Into  which  are  thrown  all  sorts  of  paragraphs — such  as 
Notes  and  Replies  to  Correspondents,  with  Useful  or 
interesting  Extracts  from  their  Letters,  together  with  Glean¬ 
ings  of  various  kinds  from  various  sources. 

(S’©  Coi-respoiideaits. — Indefinite  Questions, 
etc. — Many  inquiries  are  received  week  by  week,  to 
which  no  answer  is,  or  can  well  be  given,  from  the  fact 
that  they  are  not  sufficiently  definite.  For  example  ;  one 
writes,  11  What  is  the  matter  with  my  cow  ;  she  is  drying 
up  although  her  feed  is  good ;  please  tell  me  the  cause 
and  remedy!”  Now  how  do  w'e  know  what  to  say  in 
such  a  easel  She  may  be  too  old  to  give  milk,  or  the 
milker  may  beunskillful.or  a  hundred  other  things  could 
be  imagined.  Another  says :  “  What  shall  I  do  for  my 
plum  trees  ;  they  are  six  years  old  and  never  bear  any  1” 
The  shortest  answer,  and  perhaps  as  correct  a  one  as  any 
in  this  case  would  be,  ‘  cut  them  down;’  but  the  querist 
would  not  be  satisfied.  Usually  no  notice  is  taken  of 
such  ;  we  have  no  ammunition  to  waste  in  firing  at  ran¬ 
dom  queries,  and  we  must  leave  the  questioner  to  won¬ 
der,  perhaps  to  find  fault  because  his  inquiries  have  ap¬ 
peared  to  be  neglected. 

In  other  instances,  persons  send  a  long  description 
of  a  farm,  or  homestead,  and  ask  for  full  directions  how 
to  manure  and  otherwise  treat  their  soils.  We  can  not 
undertake  to  prescribe  in  such  cases,  first,  because  we 
have  not  confidence  in  our  ability  to  give  suitable  direc¬ 
tions  for  a  farm  we  have  not  seen  ;  second,  it  would  be 
impossible  to  devote  the  hours  of  time  required  to  study 
out  all  the  points  to  be  taken  into  consideration ;  and 
third,  we  can  only  consider,  in  the  columns  of  the  paper 
such  questions  as  are  likely  to  be  of  somewhat  general  in¬ 
terest.  It  would  be  unjust  to  take  up  space  belonging  to 
all  our  readers  alike,  with  matter  of  only  individual  in¬ 
terest. 

Infforisaatioii  about  Bees. — Subscriber,  New¬ 
ark,  N.  J.  We  are  always  pleased  to  receive  reliable 
practical  information  on  any  agricultural  subject,  but  can 
judge  of  the  value  of  an  article  only  by  actual  examina¬ 
tion. 

Freservisig  Green  Peas  and  otlier  Yeg-- 
eJaMes.— H.  M.  Painter,  Cook  Co.,  Mo.  Green  Peas, 
Beans,  Tomatoes,  and  other  garden  vegetables  may  be 
kept  for  a  long  time  in  air-tight  cans  or  bottles,  put  up 
like  fruit  as  described  in  the  July  Agriculturist,  page  213. 
They  should  be  cooked  thoroughly,  as  if  for  the  table, 
nothing  being  added,  however,  but  salt  enough  to  season 
them  properly,  then  put  in  the  cans  while  boiling  hot, 
and  sealed  up. 

Tomatoes  injured  by  Worms.— A  subscri¬ 
ber  asks  for  a  preventive  of  the  attacks  of  a  species  of 
large  green  worm,  which  has  proved  very  destructive  to 
his  tomato  plants.  He  says  he  has  tried  lime  and  plaster 
without  effect.  Perhaps  some  subscriber  who  has  had 
experience  in  the  matter,  can  give  the  desired  information. 
We  have  had  none. 

Taylor’s  Tree  l*rotector.— This  was  fully 
illustrated  and  described  in  last  volume,  p.  244,  and  we 
have  received  several  favorable  reports  from  those  who 
used  them  last  fall  to  check  millers  and  other  insects 
from  ascending  the  trees  to  deposit  their  eggs.  It  is 
worthy  the  attention  of  those  who  would  save  their  shade 
and  other  trees  from  the  canker  worm,  caterpillar,  etc. 
We  refer  those  making  inquiries  of  us  to  Capt .  W.  W. 
Taylor,  South  Dartmouth,  Mass. 

Wiieis  will  Seeds  Mis: George  Smith,  Han¬ 
cock  Co.,  Illinois.  If  plants  of  the  same  family 
grow  sufficiently  near  each  other  to  allow  the  pollen 
(fertilizing  dust  of  the  flowers)  to  mix  in  the  flowers,  the 
seeds  produced  will  partake  of  the  qualities  of  both  parent 
plants  which  furnish  this  pollen;  thus,  Melons,  squash¬ 
es  and  cucumbers  frequently  lose  their  distinguishing 
peculiarities.  Where  they  must  be  sown  near  each  oth¬ 
er,  new  seed  should  be  procured  each  year.  They  may 
be  kept  separate  by  planting  at  a  distance,  and  putting 
peas,  corn,  or  other  tall  growing  plants  between  the  plots 
devoted  to  vines. 

!Soroe=®Uist  ff©r  Strawberries. — C.  A.  Win- 
throp,  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.  We  have  found  no  better  appli¬ 
cation.  When  making  a  new  bed  for  berries  we  dig  in 
deeply,  a  large  supply  of  either  finely  ground  bones  or 
bone-sawings,  and  the  effect  is  very  marked.  This  and 


other  fertilizers  may  be  dug  into  the  soil  of  beds  already 
planted,  with  care  to  not  injure  the  roots  over-much. 

Colored  IPiatcs  o£  Fruits, Flowers,  etc. — 
We  have  received  from  D.  M.  Dewey,  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
his  very  pretty  colored  plates  of  apples,  pears,  plums, 
and  grapes.  They  are  rather  highly  colored,  but  not  too 
much  so,  perhaps,  for  the  beauty  of  the  picture.  From  a 
catalogue  received,  we  learn  that  Mr.  Dewey,  is  getling 
up  a  great  number  of  these  colored  plates  embracing  all 
the  better  varieties  of  fruits,  flowers,  trees,  etc.  We 
commend  the  enterprise  to  all  who  desire  to  adorn  their 
homes  with  fine  rural  pictures. 

‘  Care  in  Building-.— E.  J.  Ellis,  Mercer  Co.,  N.J., 
wiites  that  one  cause  of  ill  success  in  budding  or  innocu- 
lating  trees,  is  that  care  enough  is  not  taken  in  removing 
the  bark  to  leave  the  cambium  uninjured.  The  cambium 
is  the  soft  mucilaginous  substance  left  by  the  descending 
sap  between  the  inner  bark  and  the  wood,  which  supplies 
the  growth  of  the  adjacent  parts,  and  on  a  supply  of 
which  the  inserted  bud  depends  for  its  nourishment. 

Boot  Granting-  Grapes.—  A.  W.  Smith,  Kansas 
Ter.  The  grape  vine  succeeds  well  when  grafted,  and 
where  thrifty  wild  vines  are  plenty,  and  choice  varieties 
of  the  grape  scarce,  it  would  probably  pay  well  to  graft 
upon  these  native  stocks.  The  best  way  is  to  cut  the 
stock  off  below  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  insert  the 
scion.  Root  grafting  proper,  that  is  uniting  slips  with 
small  portions  of  roots  of  common  varieties,  is  seldom  to 
be  recommended. 

Prusimg-  Evergreen  filedges.— C.  A.  Win- 
throp,  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.  The  latter  part  of  May  or  first 
of  June  is  the  best  time  for  pruning  hemlock  and  other 
evergreens.  Unlike  deciduous  trees  the  exuding  sap  is  of 
a  resinous  nature,  and  forms  a  good  covering  or  prolec¬ 
tion  to  the  wounded  parts. 

Slsootiug-  liie  Army  Worm.— Eli  Armatrout, 
Clinton  Co.,  Ind.,  writes  that  the  army  worm  may  be  de¬ 
stroyed  by  discharging  heavily  loaded  muskets,  morning 
and  evening,  in  the  field  infested  by  them.  It  may  be  so, 
but  it  would  undoubtedly  be  more  effectual  to  “draw  a 
good  sight  ”  on  the  “  varmints  ”  and  put  a  bullet  through 
their  heads.  This  would  ctrtainly  do  the  business. 

Arc  Pear  Slieots  good  for  Standards'! — 

Henry  F.  Gifford,  Barnstable  Co.,  Mass.  Experienced 
nurserymen  have  mostly  abandoned  the  use  of  shoots 
thrown  up  from  the  roots  of  old  pear  trees.  Seedlings  are 
generally  preferred  as  ensuring  a  stronger  and  more  du¬ 
rable  growth  for  standards.  Quince  siocks  are  used  for 
dwarfing. 

M®sacy  Eocust  for  Meilg-es.— A.  W.  Hoffmeis- 
ter,  Lee  Co.,  Iowa.  The  Honey  Locust  ranks  among  the 
best  hedge  plants  yet  tried  in  this  country.  A  full  ac¬ 
count  of  the  relative  value  of  this  and  other  plants  for 
fencing  may  be  found  in  the  Agriculturist,  Vol.  XVII, 
pages  176  and  208. 

Mojo  or  Tfellow  Clover— SS  tack  Seed.— 
Enoch  Williams,  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.,  asks  if  this  Clover, 
which  is  highly  esteemed  in  England,  is  cultivated  in  this 
country.  He  has  found  it  in  a  wild  state  near  Suspension 
Bridge  upon  the  Niagara  River,  and  also  in  Hudson  Co., 
N.  J.,  and  thinks  it  might  be  profitably  cultivated.  We 
can  not  give  any  definite  information. 

Sap  Stickers  Again.— J.  R.  Russell,  Trumbull 
Co.,  O.,  asserts  that  the  bird  called  the  sap-sucker  in  the 
West,  is  not  the  woodpecker,  but  a  mischievous  little  fel¬ 
low  that  bores  into  trees,  especially  the  sugar-maple  and 
the  apple,  for  the  purpose  of  extracting  the  sap  and  the 
mucilage  under  the  bark,  and  is  thus  quite  destructive 
especially  among  young  trees.  A.  H.  Snyder,  Mercer 
Co.,  Pa.,  also  writes  to  the  same  effect,  adding  that  they 
always  select  thrifty  trees  for  their  operations  ;  and  that 
in  the  early  settlement  of  Pennsylvania,  they  were  great 
pests,  destroying  many  fruit  trees.  If  an  examination  of 
the  gizzards  of  these  birds  shou'd  prove  that  sap  only  and 
not  insects  is  their  food,  then  they  probably  deserve  the 
fate  of  trespassers— otherwise  not. 

What  are  Bone  Sawings  A  subscriber  tells 
us  he  has  always  understood  this  term  to  imply  bits  of 
bone  sawn  off  in  manufacturing  sundry  articles,  as  but¬ 
tons,  knife  handles,  etc.  This  is  a  mistake.  Bone  saw¬ 
ings  is  the  name  used  to  designate  the  saw-dvst  made  in 
these  operations.  It  is  of  course  very  fine,  and  is,  by  the 
way,  the  best  and  cheapest  fertilizer  we  know  of.  Bits  of 
bone,  broken  or  crushed  bones,  are  better  for  fruit  trees, 
grape  borders,  etc.,  where  long  continued  action  is  de¬ 
sired  Bone  sawings,  or  saw-dust  soon  decays  and  yields 
up  its  fertilizing  elements, 

Spoiled  Meat  for  Manure.— J.  P.  Prescott, 
Tenn.  The  refuse  bones,  lean  meat  and  scraps  of  spoiled 
meat,  from  which  the  oil  has  been  extracted,  without 
doubt  possess  much  value  for  manuring  purposes.  As  has 
often  been  stated  in  the  columns  of  the  Agriculturist,  ma- 


352 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


August, 


miros  are  chiefly  valuable  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of 
organic  matter  they  contain,  animal  matter  being  of  great¬ 
er  efficiency  than  vegetable,  because  it  contains,  weight 
for  weight,  more  of  the  elements  which  serve  as  food  for 
growing  plants.  We  can  give  no  definite  opinion  ns  to  the 
practicability  of  introducing  an  article  of  the  kind  de¬ 
scribed,  into  market ;  that  depends  upon  many  circum¬ 
stances  we  cannot  investigate. 

New"¥orlt  Agricultural  College.  —  The 

corner  stone  of  this  institution  was  laid  at  Ovid,  Seneca 
County,  on  July  7th.  Addresses  were  delivered  by 
ex-governor  King  and  others.  The  college  building  is 
now  fairly  under  way,  and  it  is  hoped  to  have  the  build¬ 
ings  ready  for  the  reception  of  pupils  next  Spring. 


Reports  on  the  Crops. 


The  following  extracts  from  the  business  correspond¬ 
ence  of  the  American  Agriculturist,  will  give  some  gene¬ 
ral  idea  of  the  impressions  of  farmers  in  various  parts  of 
the  country  in  regard  to  the  grain,  grass  and  fruit  pros¬ 
pects  in  the  several  localities  named. 

Tolland  Co.,  Conn.  Lat.  42°,  July  7— John  McICnight 
...  .Wheat  never  looked  better,  although  not  much  was 

sowed  here _ Grass,  very  good - Corn,  backward - 

Rye,  Oats,  and  Barley,  look  well. 

Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.  Lat.  43°,  July  5— Wm.  W.  Stacey 
. . .  .Wheat  in  this  section  was  unusually  early,  and  thus 
escaped  the  ravages  of  the  Wheat-fly.  The  fields  look 
better  than  for  some  years  previous  ;  we  expect  to  reap 
a  Wheat  crop  something  like  that  of  “  old  times.” 

Susquehanna  Co.,  Pa.  Lat.  42°,  July  6.  R.  S.  Searle 
....A  heavy  frost  July  4,  killed  Corn  leaves,  vines,  and 
garden  vegetables. 

Mercer  Co.,  Pa.  Lat.  411°,  July  6— Jas.  A.  Nelson _ 

Pall  grain  crop  very  light . Oats,  Corn,  and  Potatoes 

look  fine _ Fruit  scarce,  except  Apples - Weather 

very  favorable. 

Armstrong  Co.,  Pa.  Lat.  41°,  July  8— J.  P.  Coulter 

_ Wheat,  in  immediate  vicinity,  mostly  destroyed  by 

frosts  ;  but  good  fields  in  the  north  and  south  parts  of  the 

county _ Rye,  probably  about  half  a  crop _ Late  Oats 

look  well,  and  promise  a  fair  crop - Corn  was  replanted 

afterthe  frost  of  June  11,  throughout  the  county,  and  is 

now  quite  small _ Great  quantity  of  Buckwheat  being 

sown. 

Bucks  Co.,  Pa.  Lat.  401°,  July  10— Wilson  Dennis 
_ Winter  grain,  good. . .  Oats,  very  fine _ Corn,  some¬ 
what  injured  by  cut-worm,  but  looks  well  now _ Pota¬ 

toes  promise  well  ...Fruit,  a  moderate  crop. 

•  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa.  Lat.  40°,  July  10— Subscriber _ 

We  are  harvesting  the  heaviest  crop  of  Wheat,  I  think, 
which  ever  grew  in  this  county _ Oats  promise  an  abun¬ 
dant  yield _ Potatoes  the  same _ Corn  will  do  well  if 

'we  have  good  weather  hereafter.  Apples,  rather  short. 

York  Co.,  Pa.  Lat.  40°,  June  30— E.  B.  Good _ 

Wheat,  Rye,  and  Oats,  middling— Wheat  somewhat  in¬ 
ured  by  the  “fly.” _ Corn  looks  promising _ Hay- 

crop,  good _ Peaches,  none;  Apples,  poor,  Pears,  plenty. 

Union  Co.,  O.  Lat.  40°,  July  8— C.  C.  Simmons _ 

Wheat,  estimated  at  half  a  crop _ Corn  somewhat  back¬ 

ward,  but  general  appearance  favorable. ...  Oats  rather 

short,  but  good _ Grass  somewhat  light - Potatoes 

look  well _ Crops  need  rain. 

Hamilton  Co.,  O.  Lat.  39°,  July  5 — Samuel  Ferris. .. . 
Have  just  finished  cutting  Wheat,  the  grain  is  good,  al¬ 
though  the  straw  was  thin  on  the  ground.... Corn  and 
Potatoes  are  the  principal  crops.  Corn  looks  well,  pota¬ 
toes  rather  poor _ Grass  will  be  short _ Oats,  a  fair 

prospect. ..  .The  Little  Miami  Valley  is  hard  to  beat  for 
Corn. 

Calhoun  Co.,  Mich.  Lat.  42°.  July  4— Chas.  M.  Keep 
....Corn,  rather  small,  but  of  good  color,  somewhat  in¬ 
ured  by  cut-worm _ Oats  coming  on  rapidly _ Barley 

very  poor _ Hay,  not  first-rate _ Fruit  in  abundance. 

Kendall  Co.,  III.  Lat.  41-1°,  July  9— Almerin  Loucks 

_ Grass,  a  good  crop _ Corn  has  grown  rapidly  within 

the  past  two  weeks,  but  is  rather  small  for  the  time  of 

year _ Wheat  harvest  will  commence  about  the  25th  inst. 

Izard  Co.,  Ark.  Lat.  36°,  June  24-John  H.  B.  Mor¬ 
ton _ Wheat  crop  is  secured,  and  is  a  good  yield _ Oats 

are  being  harvested ;  they  are  affected  with  rust,  which 
will  destroy  most  of  this  crop  north  of  White  River. 

Charlotte  Co ,  Va.  Lat.  37}°,  July  8— T.  C.  Morgan 
....Harvest  finished.  Very  fine  crop  of  Wheat. .. .Oats 
and  other  crops  look  well. 

Randolph  Co.,  N.  C.  Lat.  36°,  June  24— David  Far- 
low —  The  Wheat  crop  was  never  better,  and  is  proba 
*  bly  good  throughout  the  State  ;  it  is  all  cut. ...Oats  about 

ripe,  and  very  good - Hay  crop  fine _ Corn  very  prom  is 

ing.  Have  never  seen  crops  look  better,  except  fruit, 
which  is  below  average. 

Milners’  Grove,  Nebraska  Territory.  S.  Wagstaff.... 


Wheat  looks  very  well _ Corn,  promises  to  be  an  ave¬ 
rage  crop,  say  50  bushels  per  acre _ Potatoes  fine. 

Madison  Co.,  Ind.  Lat.  40°,  July  8— Lewis  W.  Thom¬ 
as _ Wheat  harvest  is  generally  over - Wheat  rather 

thin  on  ground,  but  heads  are  superior. . . .  Grass  very  good 
- Oats,  short,  but  well  filled _ Corn  very  exten¬ 
sively  planted,  but  does  not  stand  as  well  as  common.... 
Potatoeslook  well _ Apples  not  as  plenty  as  common. 

' - - - - ►  <z* - - 

Agricultural  Exhibitions  for  1859. 


[The  following  list  embraces  all  exhibitions  reported 
to  the  office  of  the  American  Agriculturist  up  to  July  19. 
Further  reports  are  solicited.] 


STATE 

EXHIBITIONS. 

Place. 

Where  held. 

Date. 

Illinois . 

Sept. 

5-  9 

Kentucky  Central. . . 

0—  9 

United  States . 

. .  Chicago,  III _ 

12-17 

Vermont . 

13—16 

Maine . 

New-Jersey . 

13—16 

Kentucky . 

13—17 

Ohio . 

..Zanesville  . 

20—23 

Indiana . 

26-30 

Wisconsin . 

26-30 

Kentucky  South.... 

27—30 

Pennsylvania . 

27-30 

Canada  West . 

27—30 

27—30 
-Oct.  1 

Missouri . 

Sept.  26- 

California . 

■ '  27 

•  ■  6 

Missouri  Central. . . . 

Oct. 

3—  8 

Michigan . 

4-  7 

New-York . 

4—  7 

Tennessee . 

5—  7 

New-Hampshire . 

5—  7 

Georgia  South  Central.  Atlanta . 

24—28 

Maryland . 

25—28 

South  Carolina . 

Nov. 

8-11 

Alabama . 

15-18 

COUNTY  EXHIBITIONS 

CONNECTICUT. 

Windham . 

.Brooklyn . 

Sept. 

21—22 

Fairfield . 

■  Norwalk . 

ILLINOIS. 

27—30 

St.  Clair . 

.Belleville . . 

Sept. 

14-16 

Rock  Island . 

.  Rock  Island . 

21—23 

Livingston . 

.  Pontiac . 

IOWA. 

27—28 

Webster . 

.Fort  Dodge . 

Sept. 

14—15 

Mahaska . 

.  Oskaloosa . 

14-16 

Polk . 

.Des  Moines . 

16-18 

Morgan . 

.Jacksonville . 

20—23 

Hardin . 

.Eldora . 

21—22 

Tuma . 

.Toledo . 

21—22 

Flovd . 

St.  Charles  City. . 

Oct. 

5—  6 

Appanoose . 

.  Centreville . 

6—  7 

Cerre  Gordo . 

.Mason  City . 

10—11 

Lucas . 

.  Chariton . 

12—13 

Hamilton . 

.Webster  City _ 

19—20 

Shelby . 

.Shelbyville . 

MAINE. 

27-28 

North  Franklin . 

.Strong . 

Sept. 

28—29 

Norih  Penobscot... 

.  Lincoln . 

Oct. 

5—  6 

Franklin . 

.  Farmington . 

5—  7 

Kennebec . 

.Readfield . 

U-13 

Lincoln  . 

.  Union . 

18—20 

MISSOURI. 


Randolph . Huntsville .  Aug.  31— Sept.  3 


Clinton . 

Sept. 

13-16 

Howard . 

13-16 

No.  West  Dist. . 

. St.  Joseph . 

20— 

Lewis . 

13-17 

Pike . 

20—23 

Gasconade . 

21—22 

Boone . 

27—30 

Chariton . 

Oct. 

3-  6 

Moniteau . 

10—13 

Green . 

MICHIGAN. 

11—14 

Berrien . 

Sept. 

27—29 

Allegan . 

28—29 

Genesee . 

28—29 

St.  Joseph . 

28—30 

Kent . 

28-30 

Jackson  . 

28-30 

Lenawee . 

Oct. 

5—  6 

Oakland . 

12-13 

Macomb . 

...Utica . 

NEW-YORK. 

19—21 

Washington. . . . 

Sept. 

7—  8 

Oswego . 

13-15 

Rensselaer . 

13-16 

Cayuga . 

14—16 

Schuyler . 

14—16 

Queens . 

15 

Onondaga _ 

20—22 

Livingston . 

20—22 

Orleans . 

20-22 

Westchester  . . . . 

20—22 

Jefferson . 

21—22 

Erie . 

27—29 

Wyoming . 

27—28 

Oneida . 

27—29 

Putnam . 

27—29 

Greene . 

28-29 

Monroe . 

28—30 

American  institute. .  .New-York . 

SeDt.  21 

-Oct.  28 

Seneca . 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

Oct. 

12—14 

Mercer . 

Sept. 

14—15 

Erie . 

21—22 

OHIO. 


Brown . 

Sept. 

0-  9 

Fayette . . 

. Washington . 

7—  8 

Pjckavvay . 

7—  9 

Ashtabula . 

13—15 

Geauga . 

13—15 

Jefferson . 

Erie . 

14-16 

14-16 

14-16 

14  16 

Marion . 

Clermont . 

Madison . 

14—10 

Guernsey . 

15—16 

Portage . 

19—21 

Brown,  (Ind) . . . . 
Lake . 

20— 23 

21— 23 

22— 23 

Preble . 

Belmont . 

27—29 

Medina . 

27—29 

Greene . 

27—29 

Lucas . 

27—29 

Champaign . 

27-30 

Adams . 

27—30 

Lorain . 

27—30 

Clermont . 

27-30 

Tuscarawas . 

28—30 

Otlawa . 

28-30 

Geauga,  (Free). . 
Columbiana . 

. Cbiridon . 

28-3(1 

28-30 

Highland . 

28-30 

Seneca . 

26-30 

Fulton . 

. Ottakec . 

28-30 

Defiance . 

. Defiance . 

28-30 

Union . 

28—30 

Putnam . 

29-30 

Hancock  : . 

Oct. 

3—  5 

Logan . 

3—  6 

Mahoning . 

4-  5 

4  6 

Cuyahoga . 

4—  G 

Clark . 

4—  6 

Butler . 

4—  7 

Licking . 

5-  6  : 

Noble . 

.  . ..Sarahsville . 

5-  6 

Sandusky  . 

5—  7 

Stark . 

5—7 

Morrow . 

5-  7 

Harrison  . 

5-  7 

Wyandot . 

5—  7 

Wayne . 

5-7 

Monroe . 

5-  7 

Montgomery  . . . 

5—  8 

Delaware . 

11—13 

Trumbull . 

12-14 

Summit . 

12—14 

Morgan . 

12-14 

Crawford . 

12-14 

Hardin . 

12—14 

Carroll . 

INDIANA. 

r* 

Fayette  (West’nW’ld)Connersville . 

Sept. 

6—  9 

Owen . 

14-16 

Clark . 

21—23 

Clay . 

. Center  Point . 

28-30 

Laporte . 

Oct. 

4-  9 

Fulton . 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

14—15 

Middlesex . 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

Sept. 

28 

Conn.  River  Valley. . .  Charlestown . 

NEW  JERSEY. 

Sept. 

20-22 

Cumberland. . . . 

TENNESSEE. 

Sept. 

28 

Shelbv . 

Sept. 

11-15 

Maury . 

19—24 

Middle  Division 

Sept.  26 

—  Oct.  1 

Sumner . 

. Gallatin . 

..  20 

-  ..  1 

Smith . 

..  28 

-  ..  1 

Williamson  .... 

NEW  BRUNSWICK. 

Oct. 

4-  7 

York . 

Oct. 

11—12 

Market  Review,  Weather  Uotes,  &c. 

American  Agriculturist  Office,  ) 
New  York,  Monday  Evening,  July  18,  1859.  1 

The  receipts  of  Breadstuff's  during  the  past  month,  have 
been  heavier  than  had  been  anticipated,  and  receivers 
have  generally  been  eager  to  sell.  This  eagerness  has 
been  increased  by  the  prospects  of  unusually  productive 
crops,  both  in  this  country  and  Europe,  and  also  by  the 
falling  off  in  demand  from  regular  buyers,  as  well  as  by 
the  total  cessation  of  the  inquiry  from  speculators.  Prices 
have  favored  purchasers,  and  within  the  past  week,  Flour 
and  Wheat  have  declined  very  materially,  yet  the  demand 
has  not  improved,  as  most  buyers  look  for  further  con¬ 
siderable  reductions.  The  absence  of  anything  like  an 
active' export  business  has  a  decidedly  depressive  effect 
upon  the  trade.  The  available  supplies,  though  moder¬ 
ate,  are  in  excess  of  the  immediate  requirements  of  buy¬ 
ers,  who  are  disposed  to  purchase  only  such  lots  as  they 
immediately  need.  The  crop  reports  from  Europe  gen¬ 
erally  favor  a  large  yield  there,  and  this  circumstance  is 
considered  as  indicating  that  our  export  trade  is  not  like¬ 
ly  to  gain  much,  in  extent,  from  that  quarter,  at  least  for 
some  time  to  come.  And  should  we  have  no  other  outlet 
for  our  surplus  produce,  the  domestic  markets  are  apt  to 
suffer  from  excessive  stocks,  which  will  lead  to  a  further 
decline  in  prices.  This  prospect  induces  much  reserve  on 
the  part  of  buyers,  and  adds  to  the  anxiety  of  holders, 
whose  chief  aim  at  present,  seems  to  be,  to  get  rid  of  their 
supplies  as  rapidly  as  possible,  regaruless  of  the  low 
prices  which  must  result  from  such  a  pressure....  Corn 
is  scarce  and  wanted  at  improved  rates.  There  is  no 
Southern,  and  but  little  of  any  kind  of  Corn  immediately 
available . Rye,  Barley,  and  Oats  have  declined  ma¬ 
terially,  and  close  heavily .  Cotton  has  been  in  mod¬ 

erate  request  at  essentially  unchanged  quotations ....  Pro 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


253 


visions  have  been  less  active,  though  prices  have  favored 

buyers _ Groceries  have  been  in  fair  demand _ Hay 

has  been  in  moderate  supply  and  request _ Hemp,  Hops, 

r  and  Seeds  have  been  quiet. ..  .Rice  and  Tobacco  have 
generally  been  in  rather  limited  demand — The  demand 
for  Wool,  especially  for  Domestic  Fleece,  has  been  mod¬ 
erately  active,  and  has  been  freely  met  by  most  holders, 
at  prices  which  have  been  generally  favorable  to  buyers. 
The  receipts  are  gradually  increasing. . .  .Other  branches 
of  trade  have  exhibited  no  very  remarkable  changes. 

TRANSACTIONS  AT  THE  N.  T.  MARKETS. 
Receipts.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley.  Oats. 

25  bus.  days  this  mon.,  138,700  110,000  302,000  3,600  7,700  290.000 

26 bus.  days  last  mon,  225,000  81,500  226,500  11,500  21,000  266,300 
Sales.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley. 

‘25business(lays  this  mon,  213.610  167,000  575,500  30,000  5,500 

26  business  days  last  month,  235,000  239,250  521,700  43,800  19,000 

Current  Wholesale  Prices. 


AH  kinds  of  Red . 

Corn — Yellow . . . . 

White . 

Mixed . 

Oats — Western . 

State . 

Southern . 

Rye . 

Barley  . 

White  Beans . 

Hay,  in  bales,  per  100  lbs .  50  (a) 

Cotton— Middlings,  perlb _ 

Rice,  per  100  lbs . 

Hops,  crop  of  1858  per  lb . 

Pork — Mess,  per  bill . 

Prime,  per  bbl . 

-Beef — Repacked  Mess . 

.  Country  mess  . 

Hogs,  Dressed  corn,  per  lb  . . 

Lard,  in  bids,  per  lb . 

Butter— Western,  per  lb . 

State,  per  lb . 

-  Cheese,  per  lb . 

.  Eggs — Fresh,  per  dozen . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  I'd. 

•'Seed— Clover,  per  lb . 

Timothy,  per  bushel . 

Sugar,  Brown,  perlb . 

Molasses,  New-Orleans,  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio,  per  lb . 

Tobacco— Kentucky,  &c.  pr  lb 

Seed  Leaf,  per  lb . 

Wooi.-Domestic  fleece,  per  lb. 

Domestic,  pulled,  per  lb  . 

Hemp— Urnlr  d  Amer’n  pr  ton.  140 
Dressed  American,  per  ton. ...  190 

Tallow,  per  11) . 

Oil  Cake,  perton . 

Apples— Dried,  Per  lb . 

Dried  Peaches— pr  lb., South’n 

Poultry— Fowls,  per  lb . 

Turkeys,  per  lb . 

Blackberries, per  bushel . 

Gooseberries  per  bushel . 

Huckleberries  per  bushel . 

Cucumbers,  per  100 . 

Green  Corn,  per  100 . 

Potatoes— L.  Island,  p.  bush. 

Norfolk,  per  bbl ' . 

Cabbages,  per  100 . 


June  18. 

July  18. 

$6 

10 

® 

6  75 

90 

fa) 

5  70 

6 

15 

(cO 

6  70 

5 

00 

fa) 

5  50 

6 

65 

fa)  10  00 

5 

25 

fa) 

9  25 

7 

05 

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9  25 

5 

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fa) 

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Cal 

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Cal 

5  00 

4 

00 

fa) 

4  75 

4 

10 

® 

4  50 

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90 

fa) 

4  40 

None 

offering. 

None  offering. 

1 

55 

(a) 

1  90 

1 

35 

® 

1  60 

1 

70 

(a) 

2  00 

1 

45 

fa) 

1  75 

90 

fa) 

1  70 

80 

(a) 

l  62% 

85 

fa) 

88 

92 

fa) 

95 

84 

fa) 

88 

90 

Cal 

94 

82 

(a) 

85 

88 

Cal 

92 

50 

fa) 

52 

44 

fa) 

46 

47 

Cal 

51 

42 

Cal 

44 

42 

Cal 

46 

36 

Cal 

40 

93 

Cal 

96 

88 

Cal 

90 

60 

Cal 

72% 

55 

Cod 

65 

1 

10 

Cal 

1  25 

85 

fa) 

1  00 

50 

® 

75 

55 

® 

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HU'S) 

12 

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12 

3 

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(a) 

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Cal 

4  75 

9 

® 

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8 

CcO 

15 

,a)16  50 

15 

90 

(5)16  00 

(a)14  62 

12 

25 

(a)12  37 

9 

25 

®  13  40 

9 

00 

(5)13  00 

8 

00 

® 

9  25 

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uo 

® 

9  00 

8/6 'a) 

8% 

7%® 

8% 

11 

® 

11% 

10%® 

12 

fa) 

17 

11 

Cal 

15 

15 

fa) 

19 

11 

Cal 

19 

3 

fa) 

9 

3 

(O) 

9 

14 

Cal 

16 

17 

fa) 

18 

48 

Cal 

55 

8 

fa) 

9 

8 

® 

9% 

2 

00 

fa) 

2  75 

2 

00 

■a) 

2  62% 

5 

fa) 

7% 

SH  ® 

7% 

36 

fa) 

42 

38 

Cal 

43 

10 

Cal 

12 

10 

fa) 

12 

6 

Cal 

13 

4%  (a) 

13 

6 

Cal 

25 

6 

® 

25 

31 

Cal 

55 

32  %'S) 

55 

30 

fa) 

50 

30 

® 

50 

140 

(5)150 

35 

(5)150 

191) 

(5)210 

90 

65.210 

® 

10% 

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11 

35 

00 

(5)41  00 

34 

00 

® 37  50 

7  %® 
10  (a) 
12%® 


12  Kta)  13 


7%® 
10  ® 
10  ® 
10  ® 


8 
It 
It 
12 

3  00 

2  50  (S3  50 

3  50  (a)  4  00 
2  00 

1  50 

50  (a)  75 

1  50  0  2  25 
3  00 


1858. 

1859. 

7S0.613 

326,880 

.  4,256 

3,470 

40,983 

42,183 

.2,105,631 

21,916 

1,231,051 

117,751 

Breadstuff's  exported  from  N.  Y.,  from  Jan.  1  to  July  13. 

1858. 

Wheat  Flour,  bbls .  7S0,613 

Rye  Flour,  bbls .  4,255 

Corn  Meal,  bbls .  40,983 

Wheat,  bush . 2,105,631 

Corn,  bush. . . . 1,231,051 

N.  Y.  ILive  Stock  Markets.— The  Cattle 
Markets  have  been  well  supplied  during  the  past  four 
weeks  of  hot  weather,  as  large  numbers  of  beef  eaters 
have  sought  cooler  quarters  in  the  country.  The  receipts 
foot  up  14,359  head,  or  just  about  the  figures  of  the  former 
months.  Prices  have  declined  about.  4c.  per  lb.,  dressed 
weight,  ranging  July  13lh  at  104c. (ffillc.  for  prime  beef; 
91c.®10c.  for  medium  animals  ;  6ic.®8jc.  for  poor,  with 
a  general  average  of  all  grades  at  9Jc.  The  total  city  re¬ 
ceipts  for  the  week  ending  July  13th  were  4,359.  or  sever¬ 
al  hundred  more  than  could  be  sold.  The  market  closed 
heavy. 

Veal  Calves. — The  receipts  begin  to  fall  off  with  the 
approaching  hot  weather.  For  the  past  four  weeks  the 
arrivals  in  this  city  here  have  been  3,604.  These  were 
more  than  found  ready  purchasers,  and  on  the  last  gen¬ 
eral  market  day,  July  13th,  calves  sold  slowly  at  5Jc  (a) 
6ie.  tor  the  best,  and  4}c.®5c.  perlb.  live  weight,  for  very 
good  veals. 

Sheep  and  Lambs. — Receipts  of  live  sheep  have  been 
41 .785  for  the  past  four  weeks,  against  28,625  for  the  pre¬ 
vious  month.  The  market  is  now  pretty  active,  although 
prices  are  lower  than  they  were  at  our  last  report.  A 
large  proportion  of  those  now  coming  in  are  Spring  lambs, 
which  sell  at  $3®$4  each  for  light  animals,  and  $44® 
$54  for  fat  heavy  lambs.  Sheep  are  worth  4c.®5c.  per 
.lb.  live  weight. 

Hogs.— Receipts  for  the  four  weeks  just  ended,  amount 
to  13,702,  which  are  only  about  one  half  the  number  ofthe 
previous  month,  but  quite  sufficient  for  the  requirements 
ofthe  market  during  the  hot  Summer  months.  Prices 
are  6Sc.®04c.  per  lb.  live  weight,  for  com  hogs,  and  6c® 
6ic.  for  distillery  fed. 

Tiie  Weatlicr-— Commencing  where  we  left  off 
last  month  (June  17th),  the  latter  part  of  the  month  was 
:  mainly  warm,  and  rather  wet,  followed  by  clear,  cool 
weather  during  the  early  part  of  July,  increasing  to  a 
“  heated  term,”  with  a  pretty  severe  drouth  in  some  lo¬ 
calities.  During  a  week  past,  a  succession  of  showers 
and  one  good  soaking  northeast  rain  storm  has  revived 

the  parching  crops,  which  now  look  finely _ Our  Daily 

Notes  condensed  read:  Jane  18,  clear  and  fine— 19, 
clear  A.  M.,  cloudy  P.  M„  with  rain  at  night,  and  during 
the  20th— 21  still  raining  A.  M.,  clear  P.  M.,  with  shower 


towards  night— 22  cloudy,  but  warm— 23  sunshine  and 
cloudy— 24  cloudy  and  dull— 25  and  26cloudy  A.  M., clear 
P.  M.,  each  day— 27  and  28,  clear  and  getting  hot— 29  hot¬ 
test  day  of  the  season  thus  far  :  some  fatal  cases  of  sun¬ 
stroke.  Thermometer  80°  at  sunrise,  and  96°  at  mid¬ 
day,  in  the  shade.  Thunder  shower  at  night— 30  fine, 
cool  day.  July  1  and 2,  clear  and  cool — 3  cloudy  A.  M., 
thunder  shower  P.  M. — 4  clear,  fine  and  cool — 5  clear  anil 
cold  ;  frost  in  some  localities,  doing  a  little  damage— 6 
to  11  clear,  fine,  warm  growing  weather— 12  hot,  mercu- 
90°  in  shade,  several  cases  of  sunstroke  in  the  city— 13 
hotter  still,  mercury  95°  ;  change  in  the  afternoon,  with 
heavy  wind, rain,  and  thunder  toward  night;  several  deaths 
by  lightning,  and  much  damage  done  to  trees  and  build¬ 
ings  in  its  track — 14  clear  and  fine— 15  cool  and  cloudy, 
rain  at  night — 16  very  rainy,  bad  for  hay-makers,  but 
splendid  for  corn,  potatoes,  and  oats,  etc.,  which  were 
becoming  parched— 17,  warm— 18,  pleasant. 


Sfevv  Premium  ILists  caas  ISeglaa 
Mow. 

In  answer  to  continued  enquiries,  we  reply  that  we  shall, 
the  coming  Autumn,  offer  as  liberal  premiums  for  new 
subscribers,  as  those  offered  the  past  year.  We  have  not 
yet  arranged  the  premium  list  in  full,  but  it  will  embrace 
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al  new  ones,  including  Mowing  Machines  and  other  Farm 
Implements,  etc.,  etc.  We  will  now  say,  that  any  person 
may  at  once  commence  making  up  a  new  list  of  subscri¬ 
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now,  and  also  in  January.  Two  half  yearly  subscribers 
will  count  the  same  as  one  for  a  whole  year. 


EEP^The  circulation  of  the  Agriculturist  to  regular 
subscribers,  is  much  larger  than  that  of  any  other 
Agricultural  or  Horticultural  Journal  in  the  world. 


SMertmments. 

Advertisements  to  be  sure  of  insertion  must  be  received  at 
latest  by  the  15th  of  the  preceding  month. 

TERMS  —  (invariably  cash  before  insertion): 

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One  whole  column  (145  lines)  or  more,  S30  per  column. 
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Fort  Edward  SBistattite, 

WASHINGTON  CO.,  N.  Y.,  (ON  THE  R.  R.) 

Rev.  JOSEPH  E.  KING,  A.'M.,  Principal.  Eighteen  Pro¬ 
fessors  and  Teachers.  Colossal  Brick  Buildings.  Last  year 
this  Institute  graduated  17  young  ladies  and  sent  to  College  25 
young  gentlemen.  The  Fall  Term  of  14  weeks  begins  August 
18th.  Board,  washing,  furniture,  room  and  tuition  for 

$32.50.  Send  fora  circular  containing  full  particulars.  The 
best  of  instruction  at  moderate  rates. 


Granville  female  academy, 

1859-60. — The  Twenty-sixth  Academic  Year  will  com¬ 
mence  on  Thursday  t  Sept.  8,  1859.  $141  will  pay  all  expenses 
for  board,  washing,  lights,  fuel,  furnished  room,  and  tuition  for 
one  year.  The  facilities  for  a  thorough  Collegiate  Education, 
for  Music,  Painting,  and  other  Ornamental  Branches,  are  un¬ 
surpassed.  Pupils  enjoy  better  health  here  than  at  their  own 
homes.  The  bills  for  medical  attendance  and  for  medicine, 
have  not  amounted  to  ten  dollars  a  year,  during  the  lasc  five 
years,  for  our  family  of  seventy-five  persons.  Granville  is  one 
hour  and  a  half  from  Columbus  via  C.  O.  R.  R. 

Address  W.  P.  KERR,  A.  M.,  Principal. 

Granville,  Licking  Co.,  O  ,  July  12,  1859. 


THE  213th  TERM  of  Westfield  Academy 

(in  Mass.,)  will  commence  Aug.  24,  1859.  An  Agricultur¬ 
al  Department  is  in  successful  operation.  For  Catalogues  ap- 
pl/  to  J.  B.  HOLLAND,  M.  A.,  Principal,  or 

N.  T.  LEONARD,  Secretary. 
Westfield,  Mass.,  July  9,  1859. 


MASSERS  FIVE-MINUTE  ICE-CREAM 

FREEZER,  for  sale  at  manufacturer’s  prices. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st.,  New-York. 


MKI  FMOBUCE 

§  6  1  «1  O  14  €'  O  444  414  i  s  s  i  o  at , 

Such  as  Flour.  Butter.  Cheese.  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds 
Grain,  Eggs,  Poultrv,  Game,  &c.  fee. 

HAIGHT  &  EMENS,  226  Front-st.,  New- York. 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

“  R.  H.  Haydock,  Cashier  Market  Bank,  New-York. 


SCHOOL  TEACHERS  WANTED.— The 

^subscriber  wishes  to  engage  a  few  school  teachers  to  act  as 
traveling  agents  for  his  publications.  For  particulars  apply  to 
HENRY  BILL,  Norwich,  Conn. 


SHALER’S 

Improved  Carpet  Sweeper 

Is  acknowledged  by  all  to  be 
THE  BEST  AND  CHEAPEST  SWEEPER 
before  the  public. 

It  sweeps  the  finest  Carpets  without  raising  dust  or  injuring 
them,  cleaner  than  brooms.  It  is  made  of  iron,  which  makes  it 
durable,  and  saves  its  cost  yearly  in  the  wear  of  carpets. 
Warranted  to  give  satisfaction. 

SIIALER  CARPET  SWEEPER  CO., 

278  Pearl-street,  New-York. 

Exclusive  manufacturers. 


PO’KEEPSIE  SMALL  FRUIT  NURSERY  ! 
STRAWBERRY  PLANTS. 

WILSON’S  ALBANY,  HOOKER,  PEABODY, 
McAVOY’S  SUPERIOR, 

And  all  the  leading  choice  varieties,  at  50  cents  per  dozen; 
$1  50  per  hundred;  $10  per  thousand. 

HOYEY,  and  all  the  old  favorite  varieties  at  $1  per  hundred; 
$8  per  thousand. 

TRIOMPH  DE  GAND.  TROLLOP’S  VICTORIA.  VI- 
compte  Henricart  De  Thury,  Omer  Pacha,  SIR  HARRY, 
SWAlNSTONE  SEEDLING,  &c.,  the  choicest  foreign  varie¬ 
ties.  at  75  cents  per  dozen,  $2  50  per  hundred. 

The  undersigned  devoting  his  personal  attention  to  the  culti¬ 
vation  of  the  above,  purchasers  may  rely  on  plants  being  vigor¬ 
ous  and  true  to  name. 

Plants  packed  with  great  care  for  any  distance. 

Send  for  a  Catalogue.  EDWIN  MARSHALL, 

. ,  „  ,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

Also  a  fine  stock  of  LINNJEUS  RHUBARB  for  sale. 


Metropolitans  WasEsissy  MaeMise. 

This  machine  gives  universal  satisfaction  wherever  used.  It 
is  admirably  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  South.  Agents  want¬ 
ed  in  North  and  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Florida,  Alabama, 
Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Texas,  California  and  Oregon,  to  whom 
liberal  discounts  will  he  made. 

N  B.  Persons  in  the  above  Territories  are  caut  ioned  against 
purchasing  this  machine  unless  manufactured  by  me. 

DAVID  LYMAN. 

Middlefield,  Connecticut. 


COLORED  PLATES  OF  FRUITS,  FLOWERS,  &C. 
Over  300  varieties  carefully  Colored  after  Nature. 

Embracing  all  the  popular  kinds  sold  by  Nurserymen — Apples, 
Pears,  Peaches.  Plums,  Cherries,  Apricots,  Crab  Apples,  Nec¬ 
tarines,  Gooseberries,  Blackberries,  Currants,  Strawberries, 
Grapes,  Flowers.  Roses,  Shrubs.  Evergreens.  &c.,  Sic.,  Sic. — 
Catalogues  furnished  from  which  books  can  bn  ordered  and 
made  up.  Specimens  of  4  plates  sent  on  the  receipt  of  $1. 
Address  orders  to  D.  M.  DEWEY, 

Horticultural  Bookseller.  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
N.  B. — Nurserymen  or  Agents  should  order  at  once  for  Books 
wanted  for  Fall  sales. 


BOOK  AGENTS  WANTED. 

Agents  are  wanted  by  the  subscriber,  who  has  been  success¬ 
fully  engaged  in  the  Subscription  Publishing  business  for  the 
last  twelve  years,  to  travel  and  solicit  orders  in  each  county  in 
the  United  States  and  Canada,  for  his  publications,  which  are 
gotten  up  in  the  most  attractive  manner,  with  colored  engrav¬ 
ings  and  elegant  binding,  and  sold  only  by  subscription,  viz.: 

The  “ENCYCLOPEDIA  OF  ALL  NATIONS,”  a  new 
work,  just  published,  in  2  royal  octavo  volumes,  1,600  pages,  and 
over  1.000  engravings,  many  of  which  are  colored  by  hand,  in 
imitation  of  nature. 

*'  THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  WORLD,”  in  2  volumes,  octavo, 
1,500  pages;  numerous  engravings  all  colored  by  hand,  with 
maps,  chart s,  &c. 

“THE  ILLUMINATED  HISTORY  OF  NORTH  AMERI¬ 
CA,”  in  1  volume,  octavo,  700  pages,  400  engravings,  many  of 
them  colored. 

“  THE  PICTORIAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  WARS  OF  THE 
UNITED  STATES,”  in  1  volume,  octavo,  551  pages,  numerous 
colored  engravings  of  battle  scenes,  etc. 

“  THE  NEW  WORLD,”  in  the  German  language,  and  the 
most  popular  work  ever  offered  to  the  Germans;  1  volume,  oc¬ 
tavo,  900  pages,  over  300  engravings,  many  of  which  are  colored. 

All  books  unsold  may  be  returned  at  prices  charged. 

School  teachers,  professional  men,  and  young  men  from  the 
country,  are  preferred  as  agents,  and  generally  make  from  $50 
to  $200  per  month. 

Those  wishing  further  information,  or  desiring  appointments 
as  agents,  will  apply  immediately  at  the  office  of  the  subscriber, 
or  address  bv  mail. 


HENRY  BILL, 
Norwich,  Conn. 


Great  inducements  to  book 

AGENTS  !— For  particulars  of  a  safe  and  profitable  busi¬ 
ness  address  C.  M.  SAXTON, 

No.  25  Park* row,  New-York. 


THE  PLOW,  THE  LOOM,  AND  THE  ANVIL. 

Two  complete  setts  and  a  few  single  volumes  of  this  work  re¬ 
main  to  he  disposed  of. 

The  Plow,  the  Loom,  and  the  Anvil  was  a  work  of  no 
ordinary  merit.  Inaugurated  by  the  late  Col  John  S.  Skinner, 
enriched  largely  by  his  pen,  and  devoted  to  the  great  industrial 
interests  of  this  country,  it  deserves  a  place  in  the  choicest  li¬ 
braries. 

The  two  setts  offered  above  are,  it  is  believed,  the  only  copies 
of  the  work  now  to  be  had.  They  are  freshly  bound  in  excellent 
library  style,  embracing  ten  volumes  of  nearly  800  pages  each, 
and  form  in  themselves  a  thorough  history  of  the  progress  of 
Agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts  in  this  country,  from  1848  to 
the  present  time. 

These  setts,  together  with  a  few  single  volumes,  will  be  dis¬ 
posed  of  reasonably,  if  applied  for  soon. 

igP’All  persons  indebted  for  the  Plow,  the  Loom,’ and  Anvil 
are  earnestly  requested  to  remit  without  delay 
Address  to  J.  A.  NASH,  55  Sand-st., 'Brooklyn,  L.  I. 


PRINCE’S  NEW  STRAWBERRY  CAT- 

ALOGUE. — The  44th  Edition  is  now  ready  with  Descrip¬ 
tions  of  H2  Select  Varieties,  arid  directions  for  Culture.  Ap¬ 
plicants  by  mail  enclosing  10  cents  in  stamps  will  receive  it 
The  new  Catalogue  of  150  varieties  of  Native  Grapes,  as  well  as 
Paeomes,  &c.,  will  soon  be  ready,  and  will  be  sent  bn  the  same 
terms.  WM.  K.  PRINCE  &  CO. 


254 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


GREAT  WORE  ON  CATTLE  AND  THEIR  DISEASES- 

BY  DR.  GEO.  H.  DADD,  V.  S-, 

Author  of  Modern  Horse  Doctor,  etc.,  etc. 

This  valuable  book  is  now  in  press,  and  will  be  published  by 
us  about  tho  first  of  July.  It  is,  without  doubt,  the  most  tho¬ 
rough  work  on  Cattle  yet  offered  to  the  American  people,  and 
tho  must  valuable  work  from  the  pen  of  its  distinguished  au¬ 
thor,  whose  reputation  is  world  wide. 

Ic  will  be  published  in  one  handsome  12mo.  volume,  with  nu¬ 
merous  illustrations.  Price  $l  25. 

JOHN  P.  JEWETT  &  CO., 
Publishers.  No.  20  Washington-st.,  Boston. 


SUGAR  AMD  MOLASSES 
From  tlflc  §©rgho  aiad  IsEaplaee. 

The  best  directions  to  sugar  makers  and  all  who  grow  or  use 
these  new  Sugar  Canes,  may  be  found  in 

Olcott’s  Sorgho  and  Impliee, 

A  new  edition  of  which  is  just  published,  with  a  supplement, 
giving  new  and  valuable  statistics  and  experiments  by  J,  S. 
Lovering  in  1858. 

PRICE,  ONE  DOLLAR. 

Sent  prepaid  by  mail  on  receipt  of  price. 

A  Catalogue  of  one  hundred  Agricultural  Books  sent 
free  to  any  address. 

A.  O.  MOORE, 

Agricultural  Book  Publisher, 

140  Fulton-st.,  New-Yoilc. 


COPELAND’S  COUNTRY  LIFE. 

THIS  SUPERB  HAND-BOOK  OF 

HORTICULTURE,  AGRICULTURE  AND  LAND¬ 
SCAPE  GARDENING, 

IS  NOW  READY. 

It  is  the  most  complete,  elegant  and  valuable  work  of  its  kind 
ever  published,  and  indispensable  to  every  man  wiio  owns  even 
a  single  acre  ofland. 

In  one  8vo  vol.  of  825  pages,  with  225  illustrations. 

Price  two  and  three  dollars,  according  to  style. 

JOHN  P.  JEWETT  &  CO., 
Publishers,  No.  20  Washington-st.,  Boston,  Mass. 


A  MOTHER  NEW  WAR  CHART. 

J-jL  Will  be  Ready  July  20  : 

WELLS’S  NEW  MILITARY,  GEOGRAPHICAL  AND 
STATISTICAL  CHART  OF  THE  SEAT  OF  WAR, 
Which  will  be  emphatically 

THE  GREAT  CHART  OF  THE  YEAR  ! 
Embracing  a  New  Military  Map  of  the  Seat  of  War,  and  the 
BEST  MAP  EVER  PUBLISHED  of  the  country  represented. 

A  GROUND  PLAN  of  the  RENOWNED  QUADRANGU 
LAR  SQUARE;  magnificent  Engraving  of  the  great  BATTLE 
of  SOLEERINO.  on  the  Mincio;  Seven  Splendid  Portraits; 
Outline  Map  of  Europe,  with  invaluable  Statistics,  including 
complete  Chronology  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte’s  Campaigns  in 
Italy  and  the  present  Campaign,  Routes,  Distances,  Armies, 
Navies,  &c.,  &c. 

The  whole  executed  at  immense  cost  expressly  for  this  chart. 
Size,  28  bv  36  inches.  Beautifully  colored,  only  30  cents. 
Sent  postpaid.  v 

Agents  should  send  in  tlieirorders  early,  as  they  will  be  filled 
in  the  order  received.  Address  J.  G.  WELLS, 

Corner  of  Park-row  and  Beekman-st. 
Depot  for  Maps,  Charts,  and  Prints  of  Seat  of  War. 


P 


ROFITABLE  Employment  may  be  had 

by  addressing  (post  paidlR  SEARS  181  William-st,  N,  Y. 


TREES!  TREES!  TREES! 

ff®8  TEE  AUTUMN  CS’F  1§59. 

The  subscribers  invite  the  attention  of  Nurserymen,  Dealers, 
aid  Plante  s  to  their  large  and  fine  stock  of 

Apple  Trees— Standard  and  Dwarf.  One  to  four  years  old. 
Strong  arid  well  grown. 

Pear  Trees— Dwarf.  80.000  two  and  three  years— fine, 
strong,  and  healthy  trees,  and  of  the  most  approved  sorts 
on  the  quince. 

Pear  Trees— Standard.  A  large  and  fine  assortment  of  the 
most  desirable  kinds. 

Ciierry  Trees— Standard  and  Dwarf.  1,  2,  and  3  years 
—in  large  supply  and  beautiful  trees. 

Peach  Trees— one  year.  Plum— two  years.  Orange  Quince, 
Apricots,  and  Nectarines. 

Currants— Red  and  White  Dutch,  Victoria,  Cherry,  White 
Grape  &c. 

Gooseberries— Houghton  Seedling,  and  best  English  sorts. 

Raspberries— The  leading  sorts  in  large  quantities.. 

Blackberries— Lawton  largely — Dorchester  and  Newman’s 
Thornless. 

Rhubarb — Myatt’s  Linnrous,  Calioon’s  Mammoth,  and  Dow¬ 
ning’s  Colossal— mostly  Myatt’s  Linnaeus. 

Grape  Vines — With  the  best  facilities  for,  and  the  best  care 
in  propagating,  we  are  enabled  to  offer  Delaware,  Diana, 
Rebecca,  Concord.  Hartford  Prolific,  and  mnny  other  new 
and  old  sorts,  with  the  best  Foreign  Varieties  fur  grow¬ 
ing  under  glass— strong  plants  by  the  dozen  or  hundred 
or  larger  quantities. 

Evergreens — Norway  Spruce.  Balsam  Fir,  Scotch.  Norway, 
and  White  Pines,  Red  Cedar,  Am.  and  Siberian  Arbor 
Vitro. 

Deciduous  Trees  and  Shrubs— Horse  Chestnut,  Mountain 
Ash,  Am.  Linden.  Maples,  Am.  Chestnut.  Am.  and  Euro- 
'  pean  Ash,  Judas  Tree,  Laburnum,  Snow  Ball,  Purple 
Fringe,  Altheas,  etc. 

Roses — Climbing  and  Hybrid  Perpetuals — a  fine  assortment 
of  strong  plants. 

Hedge  Plants— Am.  Arbor  Vitro,  Red  Cedar,  Privet,  and 
Osage  Orange. 

Stocks  for  Nurserymen— Anger’s  Quince,  Pear,  Plum, 
Mazzard  and  Mahaleb  Cherry,  1  year,  and  Apple  Stocks, 
2  years.  T.  C.  MAXWELL  &  BROS. 

Geneva,  Ontario  Co..  N.  Y  ,  August  1,  1859. 


WSXSON’S  AIBAIT  §EE©MTO. 

T2ae  I»est;  Sirawfeei'ry  Iknowis, 
YIELDS  200  BUSHELS  TO  THE  ACRE  !  ! 

This  fine  fruit  has  done  better  tins  season  than  ever.  The 
Largest,  nest,  and  earliest  berries  were  marketed  this  season  by 
«°V.  sS.,Xe?  P1ants  for  sale  in  any  quantity.  $10  per  1000; 
$5  for  400;  $1.50  for  loo,  and  SI  for  50.  packed  and  delivered  in 
Albany.  Circulars  sent  on  receipt  of  stamp.  Hooker’s  Seed¬ 
ling  Plants  at  same  prices.  WM.  RICHARDSON. 

_ _  Rivorview,  Albany,  N,  Y. 


LAWTON  BLACKBERRY. 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

WM  LAWTON,  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 


Turnip  Seeds!  Turnip  Seesls!! 

R.  BUIST’S  new  crop  of  Turnip  Seeds  will  he  in  store,  and 
ready  for  shipping  after  July  1st.  Our  stock  is  unusually  large 
and  prices  low.  Those  under  Home  Grown  Varieties  are  of 
our  own  raising,  and  are  especially  recommended.  The  Import¬ 
ed  Varieties  are  from  the  most  reliable  growers  in  Europe. 

HOME  GROWN  VARIETIES,  CROP  OF  1859. 

_  ,  _  ,  Retail  Price  per  lb.  cts. 

Early  Red  or  Purple  Top.  “Strap  Leaved.” . 75 

Early  White  Flat  Dutch  “Strap  Leaved” . 75 

Purple  Top  Yellow  Aberdeen . 75 

Ruta  Baga  or  Purple  Top  Swede . : . 75 

IMPORTED  VARIETIES,  CROP  OF  1858. 

Ruta  Baga  or  Purple  Top  Swede.. . . 50 

Early  White  Flat  Dutch . 50 

Skirving’s  Improved  Swede . 50 

Large  White  Norfolk . 50 

Large  White  Globe . 50 

Large  Yellow  Globe . 50 

Dale’s  Hybvid... . 75 

Early  Yellow  Dutch . 75 

Early  White  Stone  .  75 

White  Hanover . 50 

Yellow  Hanover . 50 

New  Long  White  French . 75 

Waite’s  Eclipse . 75 

Laing’s  Improved  Swede .  75 

River’s  Stubble  Swede . 75 

ORDERS  amounting  to  $5  and  upwards  delivered  in  New- 
York  free. 

SF*  Wholesale  Price  Current  for  dealers  mailed  on  the 
receipt  of  a  postage  stamp  ROBERT  BUIST, 

Nurseryman  and  Seed  Grower, 
Seed  Warehouse  Nos.  922  and  924  Market-street, 
Nurseries  and  Seed  Farm,  Darby  Road, 
_ PHILADELPHIA. 

Turnip  Seeil !  Turnip  Sees! ! 

American  Rata  Baga . . per  ib.. 75c. 

Imported  Ruta  Baga .  do.  .  ,50c. 

Red  Top  Strap  Leaf  Turnip .  do.  ..75c. 

White  Strap  Leaf  Turnip .  do.  .  ,75c. 

Early  White  Flat  Dutch  Turnip .  do.  .  75c. 

Long  White  French  Turnip,  (Extra) .  do.  .  ,75c. 

Yellow  Aberdeen  Turnip .  do.  .  ,50c. 

Yellow  Stone  Turnip .  do.  ..75c. 

And  25  other  superior  varieties,  for  which  see  our  Catalogue* 
J.  M.  THORBURN  &  CO.. 

15  John-street,  New-York. 

Turnip  Seed !  Turnip  Seed  ! 

Early  White  Flat  Dutch,  Strap  Leaved  Red  Top, 

Early  Garden  Stone,  Early  Six  Weeks.- 

Early  Snowball,  Early  Stone, 

Yellow  Aberdeen,  Yellowstone. 

Large  Norfolk,  Large  White  Flat, 

Long  White  Tankard,  Long  White  French, 

Long  Yellow  French,  Dale’s  Hybrid, 

Eclipse,  Skirving’s  Purple  Top  Ruta Baga, 

Green  Top  Ruta  Baga,  Ashcroft’s  Swede, 

Rivers’  Stubble,  Large  White  Globe. 

ALSO, 

Round  and  Prickly  Spinach, 

Long  Orange.  Altringham  and  Long  White  Carrot, 

Long  Red  Mangel  Wurtzel. 

White  Sugar  Beet,  &c.,  &c. 

A  full  assortment  of  Field,  Garden  and  Flower  Seeds.  Send 
for  a  catalogue 

Seed  Buckwheat— extra  clean. 

Hungarian  Grass.  Sow  any  time — lOtliJuly.  $4 'per  bushel, 
20c.  per  quart. 

Large  Sweet,  Early  King  Philip,  Early  Dutton,  Early  Cana¬ 
da  Corn. 

Chinese  Sugar  Cane,  Millet  Seed. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  No.  191  Water-st. 

Choice  timothy,  buckwheat, 

TURNIP  SEED.  &c — For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot.  No. 
100  Murray-street,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 

Tree  asad  Fr.Mil  Seeds. 

MEEHAN’S  Fall  List  of  near  250  Kinds  is  now  ready. 
Other  Catalogues  of  his  great  variety  of  Trees,  Rare  Plants, 
and  general  Nursery  Stock,  gratis.  Postage  on  each  1  cent. 
_ GERMANTOWN  NURSERIES,  Pa. 

Opposition !  Fare  SSedisced  1 1 

MERCHANT'S  LINE  OF  STEAMBOATS 
..feggfejfj BETWEEN  NEW-YORK  AND  ALBANY.— 
steamer  KNICKERBOCKER,  Cant.  Wm. 

B.  Nelson,  leaves  the  foot  of  Robinson-st.,  New-York  every 
Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday,  at  6  o’clock,  P.  M.  The 
steamer  HERO,  Capt.  J.  W.  Hancox,  every  Tuesday,  Thurs¬ 
day  and  Sunday. 

Returning,  will  leave  the  Steamboat  landing,  Albany,  Daily, 
Saturday  excepted,  at  7  o’clock  P.  M.  Travelers  will  find  it 
their  interest  in  calling  at  the  offices  of  the  Agents  of  this  Com¬ 
pany  before  engaging  passage  elsewhere. 

Freight  carried  at  reduced  rates  and  forwarded  promptly. 

ELI  HUNT,  Agent,  ‘  . 

Office  on  the  wharf,  New-York, 

. _ C.  W.  STEVENS,  No.  252  Broadway,  Albany. 

IngersolFs  Patent  Hay  Pres-s- 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  Near¬ 
ly  500  of  them  have  been  sold  in  the  last  two  years.  Price  S50 
and  $75,  delivered  in  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  satisfac¬ 
tion  For  circulars,  containing  full  information.  Address 
FARMER’S  MANUFACTURING  CO., 
Green  Point  P.  O.,  (Brooklyn,)  N.  Y, 

Russia  or  bass  mats,  selected 

expressly  forbudding  and  tying;.  GUNNY  BAGS, TWINES, 
HAY  ROPES,  &c.,  suitable  for  Nursery  purposes,  for  sale  in 
lots  to  suit  by  D.  W.  MANWARING,  Importer, 

248  Front  Street,  New  York. 

Hay  presses.— a  very  superior 

ARTICLE.  E.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 

KNOX’S  STEEL  HORSE  HOES,  CAR- 

ROT  WEEDERS,  &c.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Denot, 
100  Murray-st ,  New  YorK.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 

A  LEANY  TILE  WORKS.  Corner  Clin- 

-4-“- ton-avenue  and  Knox-st.,  Albany.  N.  Y. — The  subscribers, 
being  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of 
DRAINING  TILE 

in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand,  in  large  or  small  quantities, 
for  Land  Draining.  Round,  Sole  and  Horse  Shoe  Tile,  war¬ 
ranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this  country,  hard-burned,  and 
over  one  foot  in  length. 

Orders  solicited. 

Price  list  sent  on  application 

C.  &  W.  McCAMMON, 
Albany,  N.  Y. 


THE  WILLC0I  &  GIBBS’ 
family 

SEWING  MACHINES- 

ry  !vt  Jr  ’  W*«el«r«6  Wilson  Manufacturing-  Co, 

I.  M.  binder  &  Co  ,  and  Grover  Si  Baker  Sewing  Machine  Co 

Purchasers  may  therefore  feel  assured  that  they  are 

not  buying  a  PIRATED  MACHINE. 

.  T‘ie  beauty  and  accuracy  of  the  mechanism  of  this  machine 
ttntmk11!’ ’  exhibited  in  the  fact  that  it  is  capable  of  making, 

FOUR  THOUSAND  STITCHES  A  MINUTE. 

And  in  the  opinion  of  the  Judges  of  the  late  Fair  of  thoFr.nik- 
s  nearer  the  requirements  of  a  FAMILY 
tbf;n  *ler,  and  their  judgment  is  fully  cor- 
bY? 11  w.ho  become  familiar  with  its  merits.  Prices 
$30  to  $50.  Manufactured  and  sold,  wholesale  and  retail,  by 
.  Tr  „  _  JAMES  WILLCOX, 

Masonic  Hall,  No.  715  Chestnut  st.,  Philadelphia,  Pa  , 
New-York  Depot,  No.  504  Broadway, 

opposite  St.  Nicholas  Hotel. 


PIIGTOGSSAFMY. 

A  COMPLETE  APPARATUS  FOR  §25. 

All  of  the  best  make  and  finish.  Full  instructions  will  he 
sent  for  taking  Ambrotypes,  Melainotypes.  Stereoscope  pictures, 
&c.  The  process  is  so  easy  that  any  or.e  can  produce  good  pic¬ 
tures  m  a  short  time,  the  cost  can  be  repaid  in  one  week  by 
taking  the  pictures  of  acquaintances.  No  business  is  more  pro¬ 
fitable,  or  requires  so  small  a  capital.  Packed  and  sent  to  any 
part.  1 

C.  J.  FOX,  681  Broadway,  New-York. 

Bags  of  every  desersption  for 

FLOUR,  GRAIN,  SALT.  &c„  &c. 

_  ,  Plum  or  Printed,  from  new  and  beautiful  designs. 

PA.  ER  BAGS  for  Grocers’  and  Druggist’s  use 

GUNNY  BAGS  from  12  to  13%  cents 

MANILLA  and  JUTE  ROPE,  Hay  RoDe,  Bed  Cords.  &c.,at 
the  lowest  manufactory  prices.  HI.  V  ANDERHOOF, 

No.  171  West-st.,  New-York, 

25  lb.  Flour  Sacks  $50  per  1000—50  lbs.  $70 

Sheeting  Feed  Bags  10%  to  14  cents— Osnaburgli  14%  to  20c. 


PREMIUM  FARM  GRIST  MILL. 

Send  for  descriptive  circular  Address 

WM.  L.  BOYER  &  BRO., 
Agricultural  Implement  Factory. 

_ _ Philadelphia,  Pa. 

npHE  AMERICAN  PUMP. — A  new,  dou- 

_&L  ble-actir.gr  pump,  without  suction,  without  packing,  no 
chains,  pulleys,  or  guide  rods;  very  strong,  simple  and  cheap  • 
warranted  to  work  in  all  depths  easier  than  any  other  pump. 
Patented  April  5.  1859.  Drawings  and  full  particulars  to  be  had 
of _ JAMES  M.  EDNEY,  No.  147  Chambers-st.,  N.  Y. 


|UrORSE  POWERS — Threshers,  Portable 

El  H-Saw  Mills,  &c.  For  sale  at  Agricultral  Depot,  No.  100 
Murray-st. ,  New-York. _ HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 

f-f ORSE  POWER.—' TAPLIN’SIMPROV- 

-H-A-ED  CIRCULAR,  one  to  six  Horse.  I  am  now  making 
with  wood  or  iron  rim,  as  preferred.  Are  the  lightest  running, 
simplest,  least  liable  to  get  out  of  repair,  and  most  satisfactory 
Circular  Horse  Power  in  use.  Also,  ALLEN’S  ENDLESS 
CHAIN,  one  or  two  horse  power,  strongly  and  well  made,  mid 
works  with,  the  greatest  ease  to  the  team.  Also  Bogardus’, 
Hall  s,  Pitt  s,  Wheeler’s,  Emery’s,  and  other  powers 
Threshers  and  Threshers  and  Cleaners  of  the  most,  approved 
pattern,  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Waier-st. 


PLOWS  and  Castings,  eiiher  of  “Worces- 

ter”  or  “  Peekskill”  manufacture.  For  sale  at  Agricultur¬ 
al  Depot,  100  Murray-st.,  N.Y.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


PLOWS,  CAST  IRON  AND  STEEL,  for 

every  variety  of  use.  Harrows.  Cultivators  Hay  ar.d  Stalk 
Cutters,  Grain  Mills,  Sugar  Mills,  Churns,  Pumps.  Sausage  Cut- 
ters  and  Fillers.  Fan  Mills.  Cora  Sliellers,  Horse  Hoes.  Weeders, 
&c.  Carts,  Waggons,  Wheel  Barrows,  Store  Trucks,  Road 
Scrapers,  Horse  Powers,  Threshers,  Cotton  Gins,  Field  and 
Garden  Rollers,  Saw  Machines',  Hay  Presses.  Ox  Yokes.  Ve¬ 
getable  Cutlers,  &tc.  ,vc  ,  in  great  variety,  of  most  approved 
patterns,  and  at  veiy  lowest  price  that  articles  of  similar  qua¬ 
lity  are  or  can  bo  furnished.  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 

BYRAM’S  well  known  and  excellent  PO- 

TATO  DIGGER.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Denot,  No. 
1 00  Murray-street,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


HICKOK’S  cider  mill  AND  PRESS, 

with  all  the  latest,  improvements,  sold  by 
GRIFFING,  BRO.  &  CO  ,  60  Cortlandt-st.,  New-York. 


H 


AY  AND  STALK  CUTTERS. —CORN 

SHELLERS,  FAN  MILLS,  in  great  variety. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


PORTABLE  CIDER  MILLS  and  PRESS- 

ES,  combined  or  separate.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot. 
100  Murray-street,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


Metropolitan  Wasliiasg-  Maclaine 


Can  be  worked  by  a  child — will  save  its  cost  in  lire  wear  and 
tear  of  clothes  in  a  short  time.  After  using  three  t  imes  you 
would  not  part  with  it  for  three  times  its  cost.  For  sale  by 
R.  L,  ALLEN,  191  Water-st, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


255 


IBiLAK.IS’S  FAfEIf 

Fire  and  Weather  proof  Paint, 

Which  in  a  short  time  after  being:  applied,  turns  to  a  perfect 
SLATE  or  STONE,  protecting:  whatever  is  covered  from  lire 
and  weather.  Beware  of  worthless  imitations.  The  genuine 
article  constantly  on  hand  ami  for  sale  by 

CHARLES  B.  GRAINN13S. 

Successor  to  Wm.  Blake,  Patentee.  205  Pearl-st.,  Ncw-York. 


FIlATm§ 

PATENT 

SELF-VENTILATING 
Covered  Milk-Pan. 

This  is  an  enclosed  Milk-Pan,  so  af-^g§ 
ranged  as  to  secure  the  supply  and 
circulation  of  air  required  for  the 
separation  and  rising  of  the  cream. 

By  reference  to  the  engraving,  it  — — — 

will  be  seen  that  the  pan  has  a  cover;  around  the  lower  rim  of 
this  cover  are  several  minute  perforations  for  the  air  to  enter, 
and  at  the  top  of  the  chimney,  (as  it  maybe  called,)  which 
rises  from  the  center  of  the  cover,  is  another  series  of  perfora¬ 
tions  for  the  air  to  escape.  When  new  milk  is  placed  in  this 
pan,  t tie  coldei  external  air  presses  in  through  the  lower  ranee 
of  perforations  in  the  cover,  and  forces  the  warm  air  out  through 
the  perforations  above,  thus  producing  the  required  circulation. 
This  circulation  of  airwill  diminish,  as  the  cooling  process  goes 
on,  but  not  cease  ;  for,  gases  being  evolved  in  the  production  of 
cream,  their  lightness  will  still  cause  the  air  to  draw  in  through 
the  lower  perforations,  and  so  continue  the  process  of  ventilation. 

The  value  of  this  new  milk-pan  will  be  at  once  apparent. 
Dairymen  often  have  great  difficulty  in  protecting  their  open 
pans  from  gnats,  flies,  rats,  mice,  snails,  lizards,  & c.,  &.C.,  and 
they  cannot  cover  them,  because,  if  the  air  is  shut  out,  the 
cream  will  not  separate  from  the  milk. 

But  not  alone  to  dairymen  is  the  invention  of  value.  In  every 
family  milk  is  used  ;  and  with  one  or  more  of  these  self-venti¬ 
lating  pans,  the  best  condition  for  raising  cream  is  secured. 
Covered,  and  set  upan  a  shelf,  or  the  cellar  floor,  the  pan  is  en¬ 
tirely  free  from  molestation  During  the  time  that  the  patent 
was  pending,  in  1858,  this  Milk-pan  was  exhibited  at  the  U.  S. 
Agricultural  Fair,  held  in  Richmond,  Va.;  at  the  Pennsylvania 
State  Fair,  held  at  Pittsburgh;  and  at  the  New-Hampshire 
State  Fair,  held  at  ‘Dover.  In  each  case  DIPLOMAS  were 
awarded. 

ARTHUR,  BURNHAM  &  GILROY, 

Sole  Manufacturers. 

117  &  119  South  Tenth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Fa, 

Also,  Manufacturers,  under  the  Patent,  of  *  The  Old  Do¬ 
minion”  Coffee  Pot,  anil  Arthuh’s  SaLF-Sealing  Fruit 
Cans  and  Jars. 


SHALER’S 
Patent  Self-Operating 
FLY  AND  MOTH  TRAP. 

SHALER’S  PATENT  SELF-OPERATING  FLY  AND 
MOTH  TRAP  has  no  movable  parts  of  gearing,  etc.,  to  get  out 
of  order;  is  simple,  durable,  and  perfect  in  its  operation. 

This  Trap  entices  the  fly  or  miller  to  use  its  own  propelling 
power  to  get  caught. 

Manufactured  and  sold  at  a  price  to  come  within  the  reach 
of  all,  by  SHALER  &  Co., 

278  Pearl-street,  New- York. 

PATENT  TURN-TABLE  APPLE  PARER. 

This  Machine  is  on  an  entirely  new 
principle.  It  lias  no  snapping  or  reverse 
motion,  is  made  of  iron,  and  not  liable  to 
get  out  of  order,  is  so  simole  in  construe- 
lion  that  children  with  sufficient  strength 
to  place  an  apple  on  the  fork  and  turn  a 
crank  can  operate  it  as  readily  as  adults. 

It  has  no  superior  for  paring  crooked,  un¬ 
even,  hard  or  soft  apples  of  any  size  or 
shape  Quinces  are  pared  as  readily  as 
apples.  The  success  of  the  parer  the  past 
two  years,  has  established  the  fact  that 
it  is  the  best  machine  ever  invented. 

Every  machine  is  warranted  to  give  satisfaction.  The  proprie¬ 
tors  are  determined  to  make  a  perfect  machine,  the  work  being 
done  under  their  immediate  supervision,  and  will  be  sold  at 
reasonable  prices. 

A  supply  of  these  machines  can  he  obtained  at  the  Agricul¬ 
tural  and  Hardware  dealers  in  most  of  the  principal  cities,  or  of 
the  manufacturers. 

Call  for  the  “  Patent  Turn-Table  Apple  Parer.” 

LOCXAY  &  HOWLAND, 

Proprietors  and  Manufacturers, 

July  15,  1859.  Leominster,  Mass. 


Keep  yoaiF  Feet  Ijry 

AND 

Preserve  your  Health. 

The  long  sought  for  principle  of  making  leather  perfectly  wa¬ 
ter-proof,  without  injuring  it,  has  at  last  been  discovered. 

A.  BROWER’S  PATENT  WATER  PROOF  COMPOSITION 
FOR  LEATHER, 

makes  Boots,  Shoes.  Hose,  Harness  and  all  Leather  perfectly 
impervious  to  water  by  a  single  application,  and  warranted  to 
keep  so,  at  the  same  time  it  softens,  makes  the  leather  pliable, 
prevents  cracking,  will  polish  with  blacking  better  than  before, 
and  leather  will  last  at  least  one- fourth  to  one-third  longer  by 
using  it  For  sale  by  A  BROWER  &  CO.,  4  Reade-st.., 
and  by  all  the  principal  Boot  and  Shoe,  Hardware,  Drugaist.  Gro¬ 
cery  and  Yankee  Notion  houses.  A  liberal  'discount  to  agents. 

N.  B.  None. genuine  unless  signed  by  A.  BROWER. 


Thermometers,  barometers,  &c.,  of 

reliable  quality  and  various  descript  ors,  among  which 
are  those  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  register  the  coldest  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24  hours,  in  the  absence  of  the  observer.  For 
b&’  ?  v=  D.  EGGERT  &  SON,  239  Pearl  st. 


§PALDIN©’§  PSai3PAlffiEII>  ©JLTUJG! 
Spalding’s  Prepared  ©late  ! 

SPALDING'S  PREPARED  GLUE  ! 

SAVE  T.1IE  PIECES  ! 

ECONOMV!!!  S3WTCH!!! 

5^=“A  STITCH  IN  TIME  SAVES  NINE.’\aS 

As  accidents  will  happen  even  in  well  regulated  families, 
it  is  very  desiiable  to  have  some  cheap  ami  convenient 
way  for  repairing  furniture,  toys,  crockery',  &c., 

SPALDING’S  PREPARED  GLUE 
meets  all  such  emergencies,  and  no  household  can  afford 
to  be  without  it.  It  is  always  ready  and  up  to  the  stick- 
ing-point.  There  is  no  longer  a  necessity  for  limping 
chairs,  splintered  veneers,  headless  dolls  and  broken  cra¬ 
dles.  It  is  just  the  article  for  cone,  shell  and  other  orna¬ 
mental  work  so  popular  with  ladies  of  refinement  and 
taste. 

This  admirable  preparation  is  used  cold,  being  chemi¬ 
cally  held  in  solution,  and  possessing  all  the  valuable 
qualities  of  the  best  cabinet-makers’  Glue.  It  may  be 
used  in  the  place  of  ordinary  mucilage,  being  vastly 
more  adhesive. 

“USEFUL  IN  EVERY  HOUSE.” 

Price  25  cents. 

N.  B. — A  brush  accompanies  each  bottle. 

Wholesale  Depot,  No.  30  Platt-st.,  New-York. 


Address 


H.  C.  SPALDING, 

Box  No.  3.600  New- York- 


Put  up  for  Dealers  in  Cases  containing  four,  eight,  and 
twelve  dozen,  a  beautiful  Lithograph  Show  Card  accom¬ 
panying  each  package. 

|jnp=A  single  bottle  of  SPALDING’S  PREPARED 
GLUE  will  save  ten  times  ils  cost  annually  to  every 
household—aggilil 

Sold  by  all  prominent  Stationers,  Druggists,  Hardware, 
Furniture  and  House  Furnishing  Dealers,  Grocers  and 
Fancy  Stores. 

Country  merchants  should  make  a  note  of  SPALD¬ 
ING’S  PREPARED  GLUE,  when  making  up  their  Fall 
list.  It  will  stand  anv  climate. 


LLAMAS,  LLAMAS  !  '.—The  Llamas,  Al- 

pacas,  or  South  American  Sheep  brought  to  this  country 
in  the  Fall  of  1857,  were  taken  to  England,  France  and  Austra¬ 
lia,  and  gave  such  high  satisfaction,  that  Mr.  Eugene  Roehn 
has  been  rewarded  by  the  French  Government  with  medals  of 
the  first,  class.  Farmers  or  others  desiring  a  pair  or  two  can 
receive  them  by  calling  on  or  addressing  Dr.  J.  BUSTEED  325 
Tliird-ave  ,  New-York,  where  specimens  of  wool  can  be  seen 
and  terms  made  known. 


Thorough  Bred  Stock. 

I  have  always  on  hand  for  sale,  which  will  be  put  upon  the 
railroad  cars  and  sent  carefully  by  Adams’  Express  to  purchas¬ 
ers,  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE,  SOUTH-DO WN  SHEEP,  and 
SPANISH  HOGS.  C.  M.  CLAY. 

Address — “  Whitehall  Post  Office,”  Madison  County.  Ky. 


SOUTH  DOWNS— J.  0.  Taylor's  9th  an- 

nual  sale  of  S.-Down  Lambs  will  take  place  near  Holmdel, 
on  Thursday.  Sept.  8th,  sired  by ‘’World’s  Prize  ”  (the  $2000 
ram  )  For  particulars  please  send  to  me  for  circulars,  at  Holm- 
del,  N.  J. 


Domesticated  deer— a  few  pair  of 

yearlings,  bred  at  Springside,  may  be  had,  at  $30  per  pair. 
Po’keepsie,  July  1,1859,  Apply  to  C-  N.  BEMENT. 


BERKSHIRE  PIGS  For  Sale — From  the 

importation  of  Col.  Morris,  at  a  low  price,  delivered  in  N. 
York  City  free  of  charge.  WM.  J.  PETTEE,  Lakeville,  Ct. 


np.HOKOUGH  BRED  NORTH  DEVONS 

For  Sale— Twenty  head,  in  lots,  to  suit  purchasers.  Sev¬ 
eral  of  them  lately  import  ed.  Address 
ALFRED  M.  TREDWELL,  45  Fulton-st.,  New-York  City. 


FEED  CUTTERS  of  best  description  for 

Power  use,  also  for  hand  turning.  For  sale  at  Agricultur¬ 
al  Depot,  100  Murray-st.,  New  York.  H.  F.  DIBBLEE. 


c 


IDER  MILLS  AND  PRESSES,— WINE 

PRESSES.  Cider  Screws,  of  various  best  patterns.  Horse 
Radish  Graters. 

Root  Cutters,  Apple  Parers,  Corers  and  Slicers. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


FEED  AND  SPICE  MILLS— Ross’s  Burr 

Stone,  Coleman  and  other  styles.  For  sale  at  Agricultural 
Depot.  100  Murray-st.,  New-York.  H.  F.  DIBBLEE. 


POTATO  PLOW.— MY  POTATO  PLOW 

has  been  greatly  improved,  and  is  recommended  as  far  su¬ 
perior  to  any  other  in  use— it  will  dig  as  fast  as  thirty  hands 
can  pick  up— it  can  be  arranged  to  work  on  all  kinds  of  soil. 
Price  $10.  R.  L  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


AifoaBsy  'Tile  Works, 

Cov.  CLINTON- AV.  and  KNOX-ST.,  ALBANY,  N.  Y. 

The  subscribers,  being  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of 
DRAINING  TILE  in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand, in  large 
or  small  quantities,  for  Lund  Draining,  ROUND,  SOLE,  and 
HOKSE-SHOE  TILE,  warranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this 
country,  hard-burned,  and  over  one  foot  in  length.  Orders  so¬ 
licited.  Price  List  sent  on  application. 

C.  &  W.  McCAMMON,  Albany,  N.  Y. 


SAPONIFIER, 

OR 

CONCENTRATED  POTASH. 

A  new  article  for  making  Soap,  warranted  to  make  Soap 
without  Lime,  and  with  but  little  trouble.  One  pound  will 
make  12  gallons  of  good  strong  Soft  Soap.  Manufactured  and 
put  up  in  i,  2.  and  4  lb  cans,  (in  small  lumps,)  at  the  Chal¬ 
lenge  Chemical  Works,  New-York. 

E.  R.  DUKKEE  &  CO.,  Proprietors,  181  Pearl-st.,  N.Y 

ALSO, 

PUIS  IS  POTASH 

in  6  lb.  cans,  in  lumps,  for  sale  as  above. 


s 


68 

AND 

70 

68 

AND 

70 

08 

AND 

70 


TO  HOUSEKEEPERS. 

OMETHING  NEW.— B.  T.  BABBITT’S 

BEST 

MEDICINAL  SALERATUS. 

Is  manufactured  from  common  salt,  and  is  pre-  ( 
pared  entirely  different  from  other  Salera'us. 

All  the  deletei ions  matter  extracted  in  such 
manner  as  t<>  produce  Bread,  Biscuit,  and  all 
kinds  of  Cake,  without  containing  a  particle  of  1 
Saleratus  when  the  Bread  or  Cake  is  baked ; 
thereby  producing  wholesome  results  Every  M  a 
panicle  of  Saleratus  is  turned  to  gas  and  passes  £  \ J 
through  the  Bread  or  Biscuit,  while  baking;  con¬ 
sequently  nothing  remains  but  common  Salt.  Wa¬ 
ter  and  Flour.  You  will  readily  perceive  by  the 
taste  of  this  Saleratus,  that  it  is  entirely  different  | 
from  other  Saleratus. 


It  is  packed  in  one  pound  papers,  each  wrapper 
mmlpfi  •*  b.  T.  Babbitt’s  Best  Medicinal  Salera- 


AND 


70 


branded,  .  . .  . 

tus  also,  picture,  twisted  loaf  of  bread,  with  a 
glass  of  effervescing  water  on  the  top  When  you 
purchase  one  paper  you  should  preserve  the  wrap¬ 
per,  and  be  particular  to  get  the  next  exactly  like 
the  first — brand  as  above. 

Full  directions  for  making  Bread  with  this  Sal¬ 
eratus  and  Sour  Milk  or  Cream  Tartar,  will 
accompany  each  package;  also,  directions  for 
making  all  kinds  of  Pastry;  also, for  making  Soda  UQ 
Water  and  Seidlitz  Powders. 

AND 


68 


AND 


08 


JIAKE  YOUIS.  ©WiV  SOAP 

WITH 

B.  T.  BABBITT’S 

PURE  CONCENTRATED  POTASH. 


AND 


i 


70 


Warranted  double  the  strength  of  ordinary  Fot- 
f'fe^&lash  ;  put  up  in  cans— l  lb..  2  lbs.,  3  lbs.,  6  lbs., 
and  12  lbs.— with  full  directions  for  making  Hard 
and  Soft  Soap.  Customers  will  find  this  the 
cheapest  Potash  in  market. 

Manufactured  and  for  sale  by 

B.  T  BABBITT, 

Nos.  68  and  70  Waslnngton-st.,  New-York, 
and  No.  38  India->t  ,  Boston. 


AND 

70 


YOU ATT’S  CONDITION  POWDERS, 

For  the  radical  cure  of  heaves,  broken  wind,  coughs,  glanders 
and  all  diseases  which  affect  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  lungs, 
wind-pipe,  throat  and  head  of  the 

HORSE, 

Also,  to  expel  botts  and  worms,  loosen  the  hide,  improve  the 
appetite,  and  keep  the  animal  in  good  condition.  Equally  valu¬ 
able  for  horses,  catl  le.  sheep  and  swine. 

In  large  packages,  price  50  cents. 

HARRAL,  RISLEY  &  KITCHEN. 

Druggists. 76  Barclay-st..  New-York, 
Wholesale  Agents  for  the  United  States 


TMTapes’  One-horse  Steel  Sub-Soil  Plows. 

Ijf-IL  Also  larger  sizes.  For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  100 
Murray-st.,  New-York. _ HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 

1SONE  lARUilB, 

SAWINGS,  TURNINGS  AND  CRUSHED  BONES, 
for  sale  by  the  manufacturers,  in  large  or  small  quant  ities 

A  LISTER  &  CO., 
Tarrytown,  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y. 


1KONL  DUS  T — Fine  ground  Bone  Saw- 

F  ings  and  Turnings  and  coarse  hone  for  graperies— war - 
ran'ed  a  pure  article.  Also  Guano,  Phosphate,  ami  Blood  and 
Wool,  for  sale  at  low  rates.  R.  L.  ALI.EN,  191  Wntor-st 


Mew-Jersey  ©a-eeasssaact  Mavi, 

Abounding  in  potash,  phosphorates,  sulphates,  and  silicates 
and  eminently  adapted  for  the  restoration  of  worn  out  and  ex¬ 
hausted  soils,  is  the  cheapest  and  best  manure  offered  for  Win¬ 
ter  Grain  and  Grass  lands,  or  for  Fruit  Trees,  Grape  Vines  &c 
Each  bushel  of  the  Marl  contains  more  potash  than  the  same 
quantity  of  t He  best  unbleached  wood  ashes.  Price  SEVEN 
CENTS  PER  BUSHEL,  delivered  on  board  vessel  at  the  Com 
pany’s  wharf,  on  Sandy  Hook  Bay,  N.  ,T. 

Circulars  containing  full  information,  with  testimonials  sen' 
post  free  on  application  to 

CHAS  SEARS,  President,  Riceville,  Monmouth  Co.,  N.  .T. 

Tap  pan  Towi/send,  Treasurer,  No  82  Nassau-street,  or  to 

Geo.  W.  Atwood.  Secretary,  No  16  Cedar-street,  N.  Y. 


|^.UANO!! — The  superiority  of  Phosphat- 

i°  over  Ammoniacal  fertilizers  in  restoring  fertility  to 
worn  out  lands,  is  now  well  understood.  The  subscribers  call 
the  attention  of  Farmers  to  the  SWAN  ISLAND  GUANO 
which  for  richness  in  Phosphates  and  Organic  matter  and 
its  SOLUBILITY  is  UNSURPASSED. 

For  sale  a»  $30  per  ton  of  2,000  lbs.,  and  liberal  discount  will 
be  made  by  the  cargo. 

Circulars,  with  directions  for  use,  mav  be  had  on  application 
at  our  office.  FOSTER  &  STEPHENSON, 

65  Beaver-street,  New  York 

Agents  for  the  ATLANTIC  &  PACIFIC  GUANO  CO. 


AMERICAS  GUAM©. 

To  Farmers  and  Dealers  in  Guano. 

Tills  GUANO,  from  Jarvis  Island,  in  the  Prciflc  Ocean  con¬ 
taining  80  per  cent  of  phosphates  and  sulphates  of  lime  and  the 
most,  valuable  fertilizer  known,  is  offered  for  sale  in  large  or 
small  quantities  at  about  two-thirds  the  price  of  Peruvian  For 
full  information  and  particulars,  address 

C  S  MARSHALL, 

President  of  the  American  Guano  Co.,  6.5  Wiliiam-st..  N  York. 

UANO,  PHOSPHATE,  POUDRFTTE, 

BONE  DUST.  &c. — For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot.  No. 
100  Murray-street,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


5356 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


Contents  for  August  1859. 

Advertisements — Information  Gratis.  .II . 231 

August — Suggestions  for  the  Month . 225 

Bee-IIives— Simple  Contrivances  for  Weighing . 230 

Bees— Apiary  in  August . 227 

Bees— Driving  from  Honey  Boxes . 231 

Bees— Fertilization  of  Queens . 230 

Bees— Information  Wanted . 251 

Bees— Swarming  two  Consecutive  Days — “Hum”  of.  .231 

Birds — Sap  Suckers  again . 251 

Boys’  and' Girls’  Columns — Bird’s  eye  view  of  Northern 
Italy — Illustrated— Editor  with  his  Young  Readers 
—  Lesson  in  Geography — Notes  on  the  present 
War— Pronouncing  the  War  Names— Somebody 
else  in  the  Editor’s  Chair— A  Vision,  an  Insect 
Concert — Why  the  Birds  Sing — The  well  chosen 
Nesting  Place— Illustrated— About  Faces— Grand¬ 
mother  with  the  Little  Girls  (Fidgets) — Abbrevia¬ 
tions . 248-249-250-251 

Budding— Cause  of  Failure  . 251 

Calendar  of  Operations  for  August . 226 

Cattle-Breeding  In-and-in  (by  Cattle  Breeder) . 237 

Cattle— Feeding  Suckling  Calves . 237 

Oiover— “  Hop,”  or  Yellow . 251 

Cockroach  Trap .  . Illustrated. . 245 

College — N.  Y.  State  Agr. — Laying  Corner  Stone _ 252 

Correspondents— Note  to . 251 

Cotton— How  Grown  and  Prepared  for  Market.  .11. .  .239 

Crops— Reports  on . . . 252 

Dairy— Prize  Articles.  .No.  VIII— Cheese  Making.. .  .238 

Daisy— Ox-eye . 233 

Dogs— Sheep-Killing . 230 

Drains— Stone . 227 

Dress— Suggestions  about,  by  Anna  Hope . 240 

Farm— Work  for  in  August . 226 

Fencing— Prize  Article. .  No.  VI . 234 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  in  August . 227 

Flow  ers  in  a  School  Yard . 229 

Flowers — Perennial . 244 

Flowers— Preserving  Cut . Illustrated.  .244 

Fly-Traps— One  of  the . Illustrated.  .245 

Franking  Privilege — The . 225 

Fruit— Colored  Plates  of . 251 

Fruit — Preparing  for  Market . 228 

Fruit  Stealing— An  Excellent  Cure . 241 

Fruit  Stealing — Melon  Party . 243 

Fruits  in  Glass  Bottles  .  244 

Garden— Kitchen  and  Fruit  in  August . 226 

Gateway — A  Tasteful.. . 229 

Girls— Tim  Bunker  on  Raising . 245 

Grapes— Root  Grafting . 251 

Grass  Cutter — Italian  (Exercise  for  Females). . Illus.  .233 

Green  and  Hot  Houses  in  August . 227 

Greenland— Horticulture  in . 242 

Hedge  and  Fence  Rows— Clear  up . 229 

Hedges— Honey  Locust  for . 251 

Hedges- Osier  Willow  for . 239 

Hedges— Preserving  Evergreen . 251 

Homestead— A  Mechanic's . 228 

Horses— Pedigree  of . 237 

Humbugs— Impositions  on  Farmers . 232 

Insects— Become  Acquainted  with . 241 

Insects— Injurious  to  Wheat . 4  Illustrations .  .240 

Insects  on  Pomegranate— Destroying . 231 

Insects— Taytor’s  Tree  Protector . 251 

Insects— Tomatoes  Injured  by  Worms . 251 

Insects— Shooting  the  Army  Worm . 251 

Iowa  Correspondence  . 233 

Landscape  Gardening— Talk  about .  242 

Lantern  Blinks _ X— A  Scientific  Farmer . 235 

Manure — Bone  Dust  for  Strawberries . 251 

Manure— Home-made . 232 

Manure — Weeds  for . 232 

Manure— What  are  Bone  Sawings . 251 

Manure— Spoiled  Meat  for . 251 

Map  of  Northern  Italy . Illustrated.  .248 

Market— N.  Y.  City-  How  supplied  with  Meat,  II. .  .230 

Market  Review  and  Weather  Notes . 252 

Newspaper  Discussions . ■ . 232 

Orchard  and  Nursery  in  August . 226 

Poultry— Wood  Duck . Illustratcd-'2S6 

Premiums,  Agricultural— Not  properly  Distributed - 229 

Preserving  Green  Peas  and  other  Vegetables . 251 

Recipes— Corn  Cake ;  Rough  and  Ready  Cake ; 

Spoiige  Cake;  Fritodella ;  Tomato  Honey;  A 

Pickle . 247 

Rye,  White— Premium  Offered . 232 

Sap— Rise  and  Fall  of . 243 

Seasonable  Hints . 233 

.Seed— Degeneration  of. . . . . 236 

Seeds— When  will  they  Mix . 251 

Shade  on  Soils  . ' . 343 

Strawberries  for  Everybody . 228 

Swine— How  much  will  Fill  a  Pig . 237 

Tim  Bunker  on  Raising  Girls . 245 

Trees— American  Date  or  Persimmon . 244 

Trees — Pear  Shoots  not  Good  for  Standards . 251 

Trees — Taylor’s  Protector . 251 

Turnips— Sow  in  August . 232 

Vinegar  Plant . 247 

Vines— Head  the  Running . 243 

Wagon  Tire— Greasing  the . -235 

Watering  Trees  and  Plants . 243 

Wheat  Insects . 4  Illustrations.  .240 

Woman’s  Wages . 247 


ftofes. 

Fifty  Cents  a  Line  of  Space. 

WHEELER  &  WILSON’S 
SEWING  MACHINES. 

“  None  are  better  adapted  to  Family  use.” 

American  Agriculturist,  l)ec  ,  1858. 

Office  No.  505  Broadway,  New-York. 

SEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR. 

SEWING  MACHINES. 

The  Scientific  American  says  :  We  are  having  a  great 
many  inquiries  for  Sewing  Machines  from  various  parts 
of  the  country,  and  as  we  cannot  conveniently  reply  to 
them  all  by  mail,  we  have  thought  it  proper  ta  state  our 
opinion  in  regard  to  them  in  this  public  manner.  We 
have  used  Wilson’s  patent,  manufactured  by  the  Wheeler 
&  Wilson  Manufacturing  Company,  No.  505  Broadway, 
and  we  can  say  in  regard  to  it,  that  it  is  without  a  rival. 
It  is  simple,  not  easily  put  out  of  order  when  in  proper 
hands,  and  in  point  of  effectiveness  and  finish,  no  other 
machine  stands  ahead  of  it. 

This  Company  has  made  and  sold,  during  the  last  three 
months,  4,700  machines,  and  are  now  producing  and  sell¬ 
ing  100  per  day.  They  vary  in  price,  from  $50  to  $100, 
and  the  highest  priced  ones  sell  best.  In  thsir  business 
there  is  over  $500,000  invested,  and  they  keep  400  men 
regularly  employed  manufacturing  machines.  The  sys¬ 
tem  pursued  is  the  same  as  that  adopted  in  the  manufac¬ 
ture  of  arms,  every  piece  is  made  to  a  guage,  and  conse¬ 
quently,  the  parts  of  any  machine  may  be  transposed  with 
those  of  another  machine  of  the  same  size  ;  or  should  an 
accident  occur,  the  broken  part  can  be  immediately  re¬ 
placed  on  application  at  the  office. 

There  is  not  an  establishment  in  this  country  where 
stitching  of  any  kind  is  required  in  which  the  Sewing  Ma¬ 
chine  is  not  employed,  and  there  are  few  private  families, 
in  which  it  is  not  an  acknowledged  article  of  furniture. 
We  state  this  much  in  regard  to  the  excellent  machine, 
upon  our  own  responsibility. 


CIKOVEBS  <&  BASiEIi’S 

CELEBRATED  NOISELESS 

FAMILY  SEWING  MACHINES, 

New  Styles  at  Kedstced  JPs'ices. 

No.  495  Broadway,  New-York  ;  No.  18  Summer  st., 
Boston  ;  No.  730  Chestnut  st.,  Philadelphia  ;  No.  1S1  Bal¬ 
timore  st.,  Baltimore  ;  No.  58  West  Fourth  st.,  Cincin¬ 
nati.  Agencies  in  all  the  principal  cities  and  towns  in  the 
United  States. 

“Wheeler  &  Wilson’s,  Singer’s,  and  Grover  &  Baker’s 
Machines  all  work  under  Howe’s  patent,  and  are,  so  far, 
the  best  machines  made.  *  *  For  our  own  family  use 
we  became  fully  satisfied  that  Grover  Baker's  is  the  best, 
and  we  accordingly  purchased  it.” 

American  Agriculturist. 
jgpSEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR.,^ 


PHOSPHATXC  GUANO. 

FOR  SALE  by  the  cargo,  or  in  lots  to  suit  purchasers, 
by  JOJ5N  E5.  SAKUIl',  Agent, 
at  No.  58  South-street,  (cor.  of  Wall-st.),  New-York. 

The  cheapest  and  most  powerful  fertilizer  yet  brought 
into  use.  Imported  from  the  “South  Pacific,”  by 
Wm.  II.  Webb,  cf  New-York.  Having  been  successfully 
tested  by  eminent  Chemists  and  leading  Agriculturists,  it 
is  pronounced  superior  to  any  other  Guano  or  fertilizer 
yet  imported  or  manufactured.  By  the  use  of  it  the  soil 
is  permanently  enriched,  while  the  immediate  result  is 
seen  in  greatly  increased  crops. 

For  full  particulars,  with  certificates  of  farmers,  ana¬ 
lyses,  &c.,  &c.,  see  pamphlets. 

Orders  (per  mail)  must  contain  full  directions  for  ship¬ 
ment,  and  will  have  immediate  attention. 


'JTIS.C  Plow,  Loam  and  Anvil,  or  Ameri¬ 
can  Fanner’s  Magazine. 

This  periodical  edited  latterly  by  Prof.  Nash,  has  been 
discontinued.  By  an  arrangement  with  Prof.  Nash,  the 
American  Agriculturist  will  be  sent  to  the  subscribers  to 
that  journal  for  the  full  time  of  their  unexpired  subscription, 
without  charge  to  them.  Persons  now  subscribers  to  both 
journals  will  have  the  time  due  on  the  American  Farm 
er’s  Magazine  added  to  that  already  paid  for  to  the  Agri¬ 
culturist.  We  trust  they  may  find  the  Agriculturist  wor¬ 
thy  of  their  future  patronage. 


MINTON’S  ENCAUSTIC  TILES, 

FOR  FLOORS  OF  CHURCHES, 
PILISFIC  51 A  ILLS, 

CONSERVATORIES,  DINING  ROOMS  AND  HEARTHS  IN  DWELL 
INGS. 

Being  very  hard  and  strong,  as  well  as  ornamental, 
they  have  been  used  extensively  in  the  Capitol  extension 
at  Washington,  and  in  many  of  the  best  houses  in  ali 
parts  of  the  country. 

ALSO, 

GARNKIRK  CHIMNEY  TORS, 

suited  to  every  style  of  architecture,  and  recommended 
in  Downing's  work  on  Country  Houses,  and  by  architects 
generally.  Also,  VITRIFIED  DRAIN  PIPE,  of  all 
sizes,  from  2  to  18  inches  in.  diameter,  for  conducting  wa¬ 
ter.  For  sale  by  MILLER  &  COATES, 

No.  279  Pearl-st.,  New-York. 

VERY  VALUABLE  SEED  PREMIUM- 

THE  LONG  WHITE  FRENCH  TURNIP. 

Both  from  our  own  experience,  and  from  the  numerous 
reports  of  subscribers  who  tiied  it  last  season,  we  have 
abundant  reason  for  believing  that  the  Long  White  French 
Turnip,  as  improved  and  cultivated  by  the  Society  of 
Friends,  at  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  is  the  very  best  Turnip 
grown  in  this  country,  either  for  table  use  or  for  feeding. 
We  have  ourselves  proved,  by  two  years’  trial,  that  they 
will  keep  late  into  the  following  Summer,  in  excellent 
condition.  They  are  a  solid  turnip,  and  cook  sweet  ami 

tender,  being  free  from  stringiness,  or  rank  taste . We 

have  secured  all  the  seed  we  could  obtain,  to  offer  it  as 

premiums  for  new  subscribers  to  the  Agriculturist - . 

To  any  person  taking  the  trouble,  at  this  season,  to  pro¬ 
cure  new  subscribers,  and  forward  the  names  and  tho 
subscription  price  ($1.),  we  will  cheerfully  send  .post-paid, 
a  package  containing  two  ounces  of  this  seed  for  each 
name— and  also  a  half  ounce  for  the  new  subscriber,  if  a 
pre-paid,  ready-directed  envelope  be  forwarded.  (If  a 
new  subscriber  be  an  addition  to  a  club,  at  club  price,  the 
receiver  of  the  premium  will  need  to  spnd  an  additional 
twelve  cents  to  cover  the  postage  on  his  premium  pack¬ 
age  ;  also,  when  the  seed  is  to  be  sent  to  Canada  or  to 
the  Pacific  coast,  seven  cents  extra  will  be  required  for 
each  half  ounce,  to  meet  the  additional  postage.) 

Two  ounces  of  seed,  with  careful  planting,  will  suffice 
for  forty  or  fifty  square  rods.  It  may  be  sown  from  the 
middle  of  June  to  the  first  week  in  August. 


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FLOWERS;  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  for  the 
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dressed  to  the  Editor  and  Proprietor, 

ORANGE  JUDD, 

No.  189  Water  st  ,  New-York. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 

Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture 

AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL ,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  —WASHINGTON 


ORAJVOE  JUDD,  A.  JH.f 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR. 


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VOL.  xvili.  No,  9  ]  NEW- YORK,  SEPTEMBER,  1859.  [NEW  series-No.  152. 


|3^“Office  at  189  AVater- st.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
O^Con tents,  Terms,  Ac.,  on  patte  288. 


[copy  rig  ht  secured.] 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1859, 
by  Orange  Judd,  in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New-York. 

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The  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST  is  published  in 
both  the  English  and  German  Languages.  Both 
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September. 


When  the  bright  Virgin  gives  the  benuteous  days, 

And  Libra  weighs  in  equal  scales  the  year  ; 

From  Heaven's  high  cope  the  fierce  effulgence  shook 
Of  parting  Summer,  a  serener  blue, 

With  golden  light  enlivened,  wide  invests 
The  happy  world.  Attempered  suns  arise, 

Sweet  beamed,  and  shedding  oft  through  lucid  clouds 
A  pleasing  calm  ;  while  broad,  and  brown,  below 
Extensive  harvests  hang  the  heavy  head. 

Rich,  silent,  deep,  they  stand  ;  for  not  a  gale 
Rolls  its  light  billows  o’er  the  bending  plain  : 

A  calm  of  plenty  !  Thomson. 

UTUMN  is  rightly  entitled 
“  beauteous  days,” 
and  we  are  happy 
for  once  to  agree 
with  the  poet.- 
Whether  the  vir¬ 


gin,  among 
the  constel¬ 
lations  has 
any  thing  to 
do  in  be¬ 
stowing 
these  days 

or  not,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  as  to  the  superlative 
beauty  of  the  gift.  They  are  more  charmingto  all 
the  senses,  than  any  other  days  of  the  year.  There 
is  a  delightful  freshness  about  the  early  Spring,  and 
coming  out  from  the  inclement  skies  of  Winter,  we 
admire  the  bright  mornings,  the  springing  grass, 
the  budding  willows,  and  the  bashful  violets  on  the 
south  side  of  walls.  But  the  weather  is  fickle,  and 
the  pleasure  of  the  observer  is  marred  by  an  in¬ 
voluntary  sympathy  with  the  fair  fledglings  of 
Spring,  lest  they  should  perish  in  their  too  early 
advent.  Summer  comes  with  its  gorgeous  drap¬ 
ery,  its  flaunting  flowers  and  full  foliage.  But 
r.ow  the  heat  parches  field  and  forest,  the  leaves 
droop,  and  the  beauty  of  the  flowers  hardly  lin¬ 
gers  for  an  hour.  Everything  is  pushing  on  to 
maturity  in  such  hot  haste,  that  we  involuntarily 
catch  the  spirit  of  the  season. 

But  in  this  favored  month,  we  have  “  attemp¬ 


ered  suns,”  and  outdoor  life  is  never  so  enjoya¬ 
ble  as  now.  Every  sense  is  pleased.  Pomona, 
with  a  bounty  more  prodigal  than  all  the  virgins 
among  the  stars,  pours  golden  fruits  from  her 
plenteous  horn,  tempting  to  the  eye,  and  so  lus¬ 
cious  to  the  taste,  as  to  make  the  ambrosial  feasts 
of  the  gods  no  longer  coveted.  After  a  dish  of 
melting  pears  or  a  bunch  of  Muscats  from  the 
vinery,  we  always  fall  into  a  fit  of  compassion  for 
the  deities,  and  the  old  heathen  generally,  who 
could  not  afford  any  thing  better  than  ambrosia, 
for  the  best  of  their  gods.  Common  mortals  now 
can  boast  of  something  very  much  better. 

To  us,  there  is  a  peculiar  charm  about  the  skies 
of  September,  so  that,  were  there  no  other  har¬ 
vests  than  those  we  are  permitted  to  gather  above 
the  earth,  we  should  rejoice  in  it,  above  all  other 
months  of  the  year.  The  world  is  said  to  have 
been  finished  in  this  month,  and  the  old  Hebrews 
did  well  to  commemorate  creation's  prime,  by 
making  it  the  beginning  of  their  civil  year.  It  is 
a  better  type  of  the  world  when  11  all  was  very 
good  ”  tlran  any  other  period.  It  is  a  time,  of 
maturity  in  the  heavens  above  us,  and  in  the 
earth  and  sea  around  us. 

Look  upward  and  behold  the  peerless  azure  of 
the  skies,  as  the  fleecy  clouds  go  floating  by,  like 
rich  argosies  upon  the  fathomless  deep,  or  watch 
the  declining  sun,  lighting  up  the  clouds  with  all 
the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  with  scenes  and  hues 
shifting,  as  in  some  scene  of  enchantment.  Now 
he  disappears  behind  the  dark  folds,  and  along 
the  glittering  edge,  in  clear  contrast  with  the 
darkness,  a  line  of  gold  appears  too  brilliant  to 
gaze  upon.  Now  he  emerges  for  a  moment  in  all 
his  splendor,  and  throws  his  beams  aslant  the 
gazing  earth.  Every  dwelling  on  the  eastern  hills 
is  lit  up  with  new  splendors,  as  his  parting  beams 
come  streaming  from  every  pane  in  the  windows. 
Now  his  burning  disc  has  sunk  beneath  the  hori¬ 
zon,  and  the  sky  is  all  aflame  with  richest  crim¬ 
son.  Slowly  the  colors  fade,  shading  off  into  the 
deep  grey  of  twilight,  until  darkness  veils  the 
scene.  We  have  fine  sunsets  occasionally  at 
other  seasons  of  the  year,  but  they  only  reach 
their  climax,  in  this  month. 

But  we  are  not  constrained  to  reap  our  harvests 
alone  in  the  skies.  The  earth  is  beautiful,  with 
her  maturest  charms,  like  the  fully  developed 
beauty  of  the  mother.  Look  into  the  orchard, 
and  fruit  yard,  now,  to  behold  the  crowning  grace 
of  the  year.  The  pear  and  apple  trees,  with  their 
snowy  and  pink  blossoms,  were  a  charming  sight 
in  May.  But  now  there  is  a  richer  green  upon 
the  foliage,  and  amid  the  dark  masses  of  leaves, 
fruits  of  all  hues  are  clustering.  Here  are  the 
crimson  Baldwins  and  Spitzenbergs,  the  white 
Porters  and  Sweetings,  the  fair  Lady  Apple, 
and  Maiden’s  blush,  true  to  their  names,  the 
purple  Gilliflower3  and  Pearmains,  and  among 
the  pears,  the  golden  Bartletts,  and  Virgalieus, 
the  Flemish  Beauties,  tinged  with  red  and  russet, 
kings  and  queens,  dukes  and  duchesses,  rivaling 


their  namesakes  for  ricii  attire.  The  very  air  is 
laden  with  the  perfume  of  their  melting  juices. 
No  goblet  was  ever  crowned  with  so  delicious 
nectar  as  lurks  beneath  the  tempting  skin. 

Here  in  a  more  secluded  nook,  we  come  to  the 
plums  ;  the  Washington,  worthy  tobearthe  name 
of  the  Father  of  his  country,  the  Jefferson,  sound 
in  flavor  as  the  doctrines  of  the  Sage  of  Monticel- 
lo,  the  Green  Gage,  with  nothing  green  about  it 
but  its  color,  the  Golden  Drops  almost  too  good 
to  sell  for  gold,  the  pink,  crimson,  yellow,  and 
purple,  and  over  all  that  bloom  dust  which  ling¬ 
ers  like  the  soft  haze,  with  which  the  artist  ob: 
scures  his  brightest  creations  of  angelic  beauty. 

In  the  vinery,  art  helps  nature  a  little,  and  the 
combined  product  of  the  sun  and  the  glass  is 
those  bunches  of  grapes,  surpassing  all  that.  Es- 
chol  in  its  palmiest  days  ever  boasted.  How 
much  there  is  of  romance  in  that  old  picture  of 
the  spies  bearing  the  clusters  upon  a  stick  be¬ 
tween  the  two,  we  were  never  able  to  determine. 
The  object  we  imagine  to  have  been,  safe  carry¬ 
ing,  rather  than  to  show  the  enormous  size  of  the 
clusters.  We  have  seen  not  a  few  clusters 
that  a  good  many  ordinary  couples  of  men 
would  not  want  to  carry,  if  they  had  to  pay 
for  them  before  starting— bunches  weighing  six 
or  eight  pounds,  and  worth  twice  as  many  dollars, 
at  the  market  price.  Nothing  can  exceed  the 
beauty  of  the  roof  of  a  vinery,  well  loaded  with 
Black  Hamburgs,  Muscats,  Frontignans,  and  the 
princely  Cannon  Hall.  Tested  by  the  grosser 
sense  of  taste,  they  are  hard  "to  beat,  and  not  at 
all  bad  to  take.  The  cultivation  of  this  excellent 
fruit,  both  in  the  open  air,  and  under  glass  is  mak¬ 
ing  rapid  progress  among  us.  A  grapery  is  be¬ 
coming  almost  an  indispensable  appendage  of  a 
gentleman’s  country  seat,  and  even  men  of  mod¬ 
erate  means,  who  can  give  but  a  few  hundred  dol¬ 
lars  to  fruit  culture,  are  indulging  in  this  luxury. 

Beautiful  as  these  September  days  are,  it  is  in 
the  power  of  almost  every  one  of  our  readers  to 
add  to  their  charms,  around  his  own  home.  Anoth¬ 
er  Isabella  or  Concord  running  along  the  south 
side  of  the  house  or  barn,  and  hanging  out  their 
purple  clusters,  would  make  weather  beaten 
boards,  even,  look  very  tempting.  A  few  more 
Bartletts,  or  Flemish  Beauties,  in  the  back  yard, 
or  fruit  garden,  would  be  something  to  make  the 
early  dawn  look  very  pleasant  to  the  children. 
The  laggard  at  the  trees  in  the  morning  would 
deem  himself  to  have  lost  a  goodly  sight.  The 
time  of  tree  planting  is  not  far  ahead.  Shall  we 
visit  the  nurseries  and  make  the  Septembers  of 
the  future  a  little  more  beautiful  1 

- - —  o  —  »  - 

Do  not  run  away  from  your  neighbors  because 
they  are  not  just  what  you  would  have  them  to 
be  ;  you  may  go  further  and  fare  worse ;  you 
may  jump  from  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire.  Bet¬ 
ter  set  about  improving  those  around  you,  by  your 
own  conversation  and  example,  and  by  inducing 
them  to  read  and  think. 


258 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  Sept.  1859- 

[We  note  down  sundry  kinds  of  work  to  be  done  during 
the  month,  not  so  much  to  afford  instruction  to  practical 
men,  as  to  call  to  mind  the  various  operations  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to.  A  glance  over  a  table  like  this  will  often  sug¬ 
gest  some  piece  of  work  that  might  otherwise  be  forgotten 
or  neglected.  Our  remarks  are  more  especially  adapted 
to  the  latitudes  of  38°  to  45°  ;  but  will  be  equally  applica¬ 
ble  to  points  further  North  and  South,  by  making  due 
allowance  for  each  degree  of  latitude,  that  is,  earlier  for 
the  North,  later  for  the  South. 

Explanations.—/  indicates  the  first ;  m  the  middle  ; 
and  l  the  last  of  the  month. — Doubling  the  letters  thus:./', 
or  mm,  or  ll,  gives  particular  emphasis  to  the  period  indi¬ 
cated. — Two  letters  placed  together,  as  fin  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  in  either  or  in  both  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked, fm.  indicates  that  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  the  month.] 

Faosa. 

The  agricultural  year  may  be  said  to  commence  this 
month.  New  plans  are  to  be  laid  and  preparations  made 
for  the  coming  season.  Part  of  the  seed,  the  wheat  and 
rye,  are  to  be  “  sown  in  hope,”  and  fields  intended  for 
next  year’s  planting  to  be  cleared  of  surface  stone,  drained, 
the  stumps  removed,  and  other  necessary  preparations 
made.  For  draining  especially,  the  time  is  propitious. 
The  fields  are  now  mostly  clear,  there  is  comparative 
leisure  where  wheat  is  not  extensively  sown,  but  little 
rain  will  interfere  with  out-door  operations,  and  the  heat 
of  Summer  no  longer  oppresses.  Now,  loo,  is  the  time  for 
storing  the  magazine  with  abundance  of  the  farmer’s  am¬ 
munition-manure.  “  Well  begun  is  half  done,”— begin  at 
the  manure  heap,  and  you  may  expect  to  end  well  with 
next  year’s  harvest.  Boundary  and  other  permanent 
fences  may  now  be  erected,  let  them  be  put  up  as  near 
as  possible,  for  all  time. 

Agricultural  exhibitions  are  being  held  in  most  coun¬ 
ties,  and  claim  the  attention  of  intelligent  cultivators. 
Visit  them  and  take  specimens  of  your  best  crops  to  in¬ 
crease  the  attractions.  Premiums  are  secondary  con¬ 
siderations  but  premium  crops  and  stock  pay  the  best. 

Barns  and  Hovels — If  some  of  the  stock  went  through 
the  last  W  nter  unsheltered,  resolve  that  it  shall  be  the 
last  Winter.  Prepare  to  erect  additional  buildings  early. 

Beans  will  need  pulling  and  drying,  m,  1.  When  prop¬ 
erly  cured,  the  haulm  or  straw,  makes  good  sheep  food. 

Beeves— Begin  to  give  additional  feed  to  animals  in¬ 
tended  for  beef.  A  little  extra  food  now,  will  save  many 
bushels  of  corn  in  cold  weather. 

Buckwheat  will  need  cutting,  m.  It  cures,  handles, 
and  threshes  best  when  cradled  and  bound.  It  should  not 
get  so  ripe  as  to  shell  out  badly  in  the  field.  Thresh  as 
fast  as  carted  in. 

Butter  and  Cheese  making  are  supposed  to  be  going  on 
\iriskly  in-doors.  September  and  October  are  the  best 
months  for  laying  down  butter  for  Winter  use. 

Cabbages — See  Kitchen  Garden. 

Cattle — The  cows  are  now  beginning  to  shrink  in  milk, 
id  require  some  of  the  soiling  crop  to  keep  up  a  full  sup¬ 
ply.  The  garden  will  furnish  turnip  and  beet  tops,  cab¬ 
bage  trimmings,  corn  stalks,  etc.,  which  should  be  fed 
out  to  the  cattle.  Give  the  animals  a  frequent  change  of 
pasture,  turning  them  upon  the  fine  rowen  crop  where  it 
is  not  to  be  gathered. 

Cellars  will  soon  be  wanted  for  storing  vegetables  and 
fruits.  Let  them  be  well  cleansed,  and  properly  regulated. 
There  is  much  saving  in  arranging  them  conveniently. 

Corn — Select  the  earliest,  most  prolific,  and  best  for 
seed,  tracing  up  by  a  few'  husks  and  hanging  in  the  loft  or 
granary.  Cut  and  shock  as  soon  as  ripe,  or  upon  the 
first  severe  frost.  The  grain  will  be  heavier,  and  the  fod¬ 
der  much  better  than  when  exposed  uncut  in  the  field  to 
alternate  storm  and  sun,  frost  and  heat. 

Cisterns — If  these  conveniences  for  both  house  and 
barn  were  not  built  as  directed  last  month,  the  present  is 
a  suitable  time.  Wells  may  also  be  dug. 

Draining— Continue  the  directions  of  last  month. 
Eggs— Now  that  the  fowls  are  laying  more  than  are 
wanted  in  the  family,  and  the  market  price  is  low,  put 
away  a  good  supply  for  Winter.  We  have  invariably  had 
good  success  with  them,  when  packed  in  common  salt. 

Fences  should  be  carefully  watched  now  that  the  pas¬ 
ture  feed  is  short  and  the  corn  field  looks  tempting. 

Forests— Continue  to  cut  aw'ay,  ff,  those  intended  to  re¬ 
claim  for  tillage. 

Grain— Thresh  early,  especially  if  stacked  in  the  field 
where  rats,  mice,  squirrels,  and  crows  feed  upon  it.  See 
that  granaries  are  in  proper  order.  Make  them  proof 
against  rats  and  mice. 

Hedge  Rows  and  Bushes— Clean  up  any  allowed  to 
grow  till  now. 

Hemp  and  Flax— Pull,  m,  1,  and  spread  for  rotting. 
Hogs —Separate  those  to  be  killed  this  season,  and  give 
them  extra  feed.  They  should  be  in  first-rate  condition 
when  the  ordinary  fattening  season  commences.  Cook 
file  food  rather  than  feed  it  out  in  a  raw  state.  They  are 
capable  of  making  much  manure. 

Manure— Among  the  other  labors  do  not  neglect  the 


manure  yards  and  heaps.  Dig  all  the  muck  possible  be¬ 
fore  the  swamps  are  filled  with  water. 

Pastures  need  examining  to  see  that  the  feed  is  suffi¬ 
cient.  A  frequent  change  is  desirable. 

Plow,  ff,  for  rye  and  wheat,  unless  it  was  done  last 
month.  Turn  the  soil  over  8  to  10  inches  deep. 

Potatoes— Unless  for  present  market,  or  to  clear  the 
ground  tor  Winter  grain,  it  is  usually  better  to  leave  po¬ 
tatoes  in  the  ground  until  October. 

Poultry  may  generally  run  at  large,  during  this  month 
without  injury,  and  will  lay  the  better  for  their  freedom. 

Rowen— Cut,  ff,  unless  it  is  wanted  for  Fall  feed,  or  to 
leave  over  Winter,  as  a  protection  to  the  grass  roots. 

Root  crops  are  growing  rapidly  this  month.  Keep  the 
ground  well  stirred  with  the  cultivator  and  horse  or  hand 
hoe,  and  suffer  no  weeds  to  grow  in  the  rows. 

Rye — Sow',  ff,  m,  if  not  done  last  month.  See  that  the 
seed  is  well  cleansed.  A  strong  brine  will  float  any  oats 
and  chess  among  the  seed  and  they  may  be  skimmed  off. 

Sheep  require  the  same  care  as  last  month.  As  cold 
weather  approaches  get  them  in  good  flesh  for  Winter. 

Soiling  Crops — Cut  and  feed  as  wanted,  ff,  m.  Any  re¬ 
maining  should  be  harvested  and  cured  while  the  weath¬ 
er  is  still  favorable  for  doing  so. 

Sugar  Cane  for  Grinding  should  be  cut,  or  begun  upon 
at  latest,  as  soon  as  the  frost  has  killed  the  foliage,  which 
will  be,  11,  in  some  localities.  There  will  be  a  large 
quantity  to  manufacture  this  season.  The  grinding  and 
boiling  should  follow  close  upon  the  cutting.  Boil  in 
shallow  pans  with  a  free  circulation  of  air  around  them. 

Timber  may  still  be  cut  to  good  advantage,  in  accord¬ 
ance  with  the  directions  of  last  month. 

Timothy — Sow  with  wheat  and  rye,  or  by  itself  for  a 
future  grass  crop. 

Turnips — Thin  late  sowings,  feed  early  ones,  and  keep 
all  well  hoed.  Sow  more  of  the  quick  growing  varieties 
on  vacant  ground,  ff. 

Wheat  should  now  be  put  in  as  early  as  may  be,  on 
deeply  plowed  and  finely  pulverized  soil  that  has  received 
a  good  coating  of  manure.  Many  complaints  of  winter- 
kill  are  owing  to  late  sowing.  The  growth  is  not  suffi¬ 
cient  to  protect  the  roots  before  Winter  sets  in.  Where 
it  can  be  done,  use  the  drill  in  sowing. 

OrcSiard  and.  Nursery. 

The  orchard  is  now  yielding  some  of  its  choicest  fruits. 
The  earliest  apples  are  mostly  gone,  but  their  place  is 
well  supplied  with  the  Autumn  varieties,  whiie  peaches 
and  plums,  in  localities  where  they  still  flourish,  are  in 
their  prime,  and  the  Bartlett  and  other  Fall  pears  tempt 
eye  and  palate.  To  gather  and  properly  care  for,  or 
market  these,  will  consume  a  good  portion  of  the  fruit 
grower’s  time.  The  nurseryman  has  not  finished 

Budding  peach  and  other  late  growing  trees.  Those 
buds  inserted  last  month,  also  need  looking  to  and  fresh 
ones  should  be  put  in  where  the  former  have  failed. 

Drying  Apples— Commence  in  the  early  part  of  the 
month  to  pare  and  dry  the  Autumn  fruit  which  would 
otherwise  decay.  Leave  no  parings,  or  bits  of  core  in  them, 
and  dry  quickly  w'ithout  getting  them  wet  if  you  wish  a 
fine,  light  colored  and  salable  article. 

Evergreens— Better  leave  transplanting  them  till  Spring. 
If  they  must  be  moved  this  Fall,  do  it,  ff,  m,  keeping  a 
ball  of  earth  about  the  roots.  What  little  pruning  they 
need  may  well  be  given  them  now. 

Fruits— Gather  early  varieties  with  care,  picking  by 
hand.  Do  not  wait  for  Bartlett  and  other  peats  to  soften 
upon  the  tree,  but  pick  several  days  before  they  ripen  and 
allow  them  to  mature  in  the  market,  or  on  the  fruit  shelves. 
Late  fruits  should  remain  on  the  trees  till  next  month  as 
their  keeping  qualities  would  be  injured  by  early  picking. 

Hoe  Nursery  rows  still,  to  prevent  late  weeds  from 
seeding  the  ground.  A  cultivator,  plow,  or  horse-hoe  run 
between  the  rows  frequently,  will  do  most  of  the  work. 
Be  careful  not  to  bark  the  trees. 

Insects  should  now  be  dislodged  as  they  are  preparing 
their  Winter  quarters.  Examine  apple,  pear  and  peach 
trees  for  the  borer.  This  is  the  very  best  month  to  probe 
him  in  his  hole  with  a  small  flexible  whalebone.  He  will 
readily  be  found  by  the  chips  or  sawdust  at  the  collar  of 
the  tree.  Clean  the  trunks  of  small  trees  from  scale  by 
washing  with  soap  suds,  or  potash  and  water. 

Labels— Procure  a  good  supply  for  marking  young 
trees  set  or  sent  out  in  the  Fall,  when  you  will  be  too 
busy  to  prepare  them.  See  that  standards  are  properly 
marked,  and  that  no  wires  are  cutting  into  the  branches. 

Land  intended  for  Fall  or  Spring  planting  should  be 
thoroughly  manured,  cleared  from  small  stones  and  other 
obstructions  and  deeply  plowed  and  subsoiled,  or  trenched. 

Layering  may  still  be  done,  ff,  m,  on  new  wood. 

Manure— Provide  bountifully,  as  directed  under  ‘Farm.’ 

Pits  of  peaches  and  plums,  also  apple  and  pear  seeds 
should  be  planted  as  soon  as  cleaned  out,  or  put  in  boxes 
of  earth.  They  rarely  vegetate  well  if  dried. 

Preserving  Fruit  for  Winter — In  accordance  with  di¬ 
rections  previously  given,  put  up  a  good  supply  of  pe*rs, 
peaches,  and  plums  for  Winter  use. 


Pruning  may  still  be  done,  if  not  finished  last  month. 

Records  of  both  orchard  and  nursery  rows  should  be 
kept  in  a  book  rather  than  trusted  to  the  memory,  or  the 
labels  and  stakes,  which  are  liable  to  be  changed  or  lost. 

Seed  Beds  should  be  kept  clean  at  this  season. 

Seeds  of  some  of  the  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs  are 
now  ripening  and  should  be  gathered  and  labeled. 

Water  the  tender  seedlings,  as  they  require,  drenching 
the  beds  thoroughly  in  dry  weather,  every  few  days, 
rather  than  sprinkle  them  daily. 

Weeds  and  Grass— Clean  about  the  trees  so  that  no 
screen  shall  remain  for  mice  to  harbor  in. 

MItct&esa  aimd  Fruit  Crardeai. 

The  ordinary  farm  garden  will  not  require  much  atten¬ 
tion  during  this  month,  but  in  extensive  grounds  culti¬ 
vated  for  market  purposes  there  will  be  a  good  deal  of 
“  truck  ”  for  sale,  the  proper  preparation  and  marketing 
of  which,  will  form  a  prominent  feature  in  the  labors  of 
September.  Some  hardy  vegetables  may  also  be  sown 
and  protected  during  the  Winter  as  directed  on  page  278. 

Beans— Late  growers,  like  the  Lima,  are  still  in  eating 
condition,  while  most  others  are  ripe  enough  to  pull  and 
shell  for  seed  and  Winter  use.  Dry  a  few  of  the  Limas 
before  they  are  ripe  so  as  to  have  green  beans  in  Winter. 

Blackberries  are  nearly  done  bearing.  The  old  canes 
should  be  cut  out  and  carried  away  as  soon  as  the  fruit  is 
gathered. 

Cabbage  and  Cauliflowers— Sow,  ff,  m,  for  early  Spring 
use,  to  be  pricked  out  in  a  cold  frame  during  the  Winter, 
as  directed  elsewhere.  Early  plants  are  ready  to  mark¬ 
et,  w  hile  late  ones  require  further  hoeing. 

Celery — Earth  up  in  dry  weather,  m,  11,  as  needed, 
taking  care  not  to  bruise  the  stalks  or  cover  the  crown. 
Tie  with  soft  strings  or  bass-matting. 

Corn— Late  plantings  are  giving  a  supply  for  the  table. 
Dry  or  put  in  cans  or  bottles  for  Winter.  Save  the  ear¬ 
liest  and  finest  for  seed.  Cut  up  the  stalks  and  feed  to 
milch  cow  s,  as  fast  as  the  ears  are  taken  off 

Corn  Salad  and  Kale— Sow,  ff,  m,  to  be  protected 
through  Winter. 

Cucumbers  are  still  supplying  the  table.  Save  the  finest 
for  seed,  and  gather  the  small  ones  for  pickling. 

Grapes  will  be  ripening,  mm,  1,  and  may  be  picked  for 
market  or  wine  making.  Leave  a  quantity  upon  the 
vines  until  there  is  danger  of  freezing,  when  they  should 
be  gathered  with  care  and  packed  for  Winter. 

Hoe  growing  crops  often,  especially  late  turnips  and 
cabbages. 

Hops— Gather  and  dry,  ff,  m,  and  house  the  poles. 

Lettuce  will  make  eatable  heads  if  sown,  ff.  Sow,  mm, 
1,  to  be  pricked  into  cold  frames  next  month. 

Manures— Begin  early  to  collect  and  manufacture  as 
much  as  possible  for  next  season.  There  is  more  time 
now  than  in  the  Spring.  Collect  all  the  vegetable  depos- 
ite  or  muck  you  can  get  to  compost  with  stable  manure. 

Melons  are  ripening  and  require  picking  daily,  as  they 
soon  lose  their  delicate  aroma  and  fine  flavor. 

Mushrooms— Make  beds,  or  prepare  barrels,  m,  1. 
Spawn  can  be  had  at  most  seed  stores,  unless  it  has  al¬ 
ready  been  made. 

Onions— Pull  and  dry  those  which  have  ripened.  Sow 
seed,  f,  m,  for  Spring  sets  as  directed  on  page  276. 

Parsley  sown,  ff,  m,  will  form  fine  plants  for  Spring. 

Pickles — These  may  now  be  made  in  almost  any  quan¬ 
tity.  Cucumbers,  tomatoes,  Winter  cherries,  peppers, 
martynias,  nasturtiums,  and  unripe  melons  will  supply 
the  material. 

Radishes— Sow,  ff,  m,  for  Fall,  and,  II,  for  Winter  use. 

Raspberries— Cut  out  old  canes  that  have  done  bearing, 
and  house  stakes  for  another  season. 

Rhubarb— The  central  or  tender  stalks  of  the  Linnaeus 
may  still  be  pulled  for  use  or  putting  up  for  Winter. 
We  succeed  well  in  bottling  the  rhubarb. 

Seeds— Collect  in  accordance  with  instructions  else¬ 
where  given.  See  that  finest  specimens  of  the  various 
vegetables  are  carefully  saved  for  setting  out  next  Spring. 

Spinach — Sow,  ff,  and  thin  out,  m,  11,  for  standing  over 
Winter.  A  small  bed  sown  now  will  yield  early  returns 
at  a  season  when  “  greens  ”  will  be  highly  valued. 

Squashes— Summer  squashes  have  mainly  ripened, 
and  Autumn  varieties  are  jeady  for  use.  They  may  re¬ 
quire  housing  from  frost  in  northern  localities,  11. 

Strawberries— Plant,  ff,  m,  if  the  bed  was  not  set  out 
last  month.  Water  them  unless  the  ground  is  moist. 

Tomatoes— Bottle  or  put  in  cans  while  they  are  plenty. 
They  will  find  a  ready  home  market  next  Winter  and 
Spring. 

Turnips — Keep  late  crops  well  hoed,  running  a  small 
plow  or  horse  hoe  oetween  the  rows  often.  They  are 
now  growing  finely. 

Vegetable  Trimmings- Feed  turnip,  beet,  and  carrot 
tops,  with  the  loose  cabbage  leaves,  corn  stalks,  etc.,  to 
milch  cows  rather  than  allow  them  to  decay  upon  the 
ground. 

Weeds— Keep  down  and  prevent  their  sowing  seed  for 
a  future  crop. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


259 


Winter  Cherries  are  now  daily  ripening  and  falling  upon 
the  ground.  Collect  often  for  use,  and  put  away  a  quan¬ 
tity  of  the  latest  growth  with  the  hull  on,  in  boxes  for 
Winter  use,  covering  with  cotton  to  exclude  air. 

Winter  Cress— Sow,  £f,  in. 

Flower  Garden  ami  lawn. 

The  flower  borders  and  garden  should  be  very  attract¬ 
ive  this  month.  Several  of  the  early  blooming  plants  have 
fulfilled  their  destiny,  and  been  cut  away  to  give  room 
for  late  flowering  varieties.  As  upon  the  “  last  rose  of 
Summer,”  we  look  fondly  upon  these  later  flowers,  re¬ 
gretting  that  they  too,  are  soon  to  pass  away.  But  aside 
from  their  value  as  late  bloomers,  many  of  them  are  real¬ 
ly  among  the  most  attractive  of  the  season.  What  is 
finer  than  the  full  round  heads  and  brilliant  colors  of  that 
choice  bed  of  chrysanthemums  now  in  their  glory  ;  nor  is 
the  adjacent  collection  of  stalky,  well  developed,  and 
showy  dahlias  much  behind  them  in  beauty,  while  the 
whole  tribe  of  bedding  plants  and  many  of  the  annuals  are 
still  in  a  blaze  of  bloom . 

Towards  the  end  of  the  month  some  of  the  more  tender 
green  house  and  parlor  plants,  will  need  to  be  returned 
to  their  Winter  quarters,  as  even  a  slight  frost  or  a  chilly 
night  would  injure  them. 

Bulb  Beds  should  also  be  made  and  stocked  the  latter 
part  of  September,  when  it  can  be  done,  rather  than  to 
defer  planting  until  next  month.  Prepare  the  bed  care¬ 
fully  as  it  is  impossible  to  remedy  defects  after  planting. 

Carnations,  Pinks  and  Pansies — Remove  rooted  layers, 
and  transplant  seedlings,  m,  1. 

Chrysanthemums  require  careful  staking  now,  or  they 
will  be  blown  down.  Remove  weak  shoots  and  prune 
side  branches  from  those  trained  to  a  single  stem. 

Dahlias  require  nearly  the  same  treatment  as  the  chry¬ 
santhemum,  only  using  longer  and  stronger  stakes.  Be 
sure  to  mark  the  various  blooms  before  they  finally  disap¬ 
pear.  Tying  a  white  cloth  or  string  to  a  white  flower,  a 
red  one  to  a  red  flower,  and  so  on,  is  a  common  practice. 
The  amateur  should  however  preserve  the  specific  names. 

Evergreens,  if  to  be  set  this  Fall,  should  be  planted,  ff, 
m.  We  prefer  May. 

Flower  Stalks — Cutaway  and  remove  from  the  grounds 
as  fast  as  they  are  done  blooming. 

Flower  Pits— Construct,  m,  11,  for  safely  keeping  ten¬ 
der  varieties  over  Winter,  w  here  there  are  no  properly 
constructed  houses. 

Geraniums— Remove  slips  and  layers,  potting  them  for 
Winter  blooming  in-doors. 

Gravel  Walks,  Drives,  etc.— Keep  as  free  from  weeds 
and  grass,  and  as  well  raked,  as  earlier  in  the  season. 

Hedges— Give  the  last  shearing  for  the  season,  if,  pre¬ 
serving  a  neat  form,  widest  at  the  bottom. 

Lawn — Keep  neat  and  clean,  mowing  and  raking  occa¬ 
sionally.  Scatter  seed  over  any  thin  spots. 

Lillies,  Pceonies,  Dicentra  and  other  perennial  bulbous 
or  tuberous  rooted  plants  which  have  done  blooming,  may 
be  divided  and  reset,  m,  11. 

Roses — The  perpetuals  are  now  in  bloom,  for  the  last 
time  this  season.  It  is  not  too  late  to  bud  those  omitted 
last  month. 

Seeds— Watch  their  ripening  and  collect  before  they 
are  wasted  on  the  ground.  Mark  each  package  with  care. 

Trees— Keep  grass  and  weeds  from  growing  for  a  few 
feet  about  the  trunks  of  trees  upon  the  lawn,  or  avenues. 

Verbenas  and  Petunias— Pot  layers,  f,  m,  to  preserve  a 
stock  for  Winter  and  early  Spring  bloom.  Layers  may 
till  be  made  by  simply  covering  a  part  of  the  base  of  the 
straggling  branches,  which  readily  take  root. 

Water  newly  set  plants,  unless  the  soil  be  damp. 
Weeds  are  still  disputing  the  possession  of  the  ground. 
Root  out  the  robbers,  and  give  all  the  space  and  nourish¬ 
ment  to  the  flowers. 

CSi’eeaa  im<l  Mot  Iloeases. 

These  should  be  looked  to  now,  and,  unless  already 
done,  they  should  have  a  thorough  over-hauling  and 
cleansing  at  once.  Look  to  the  furnaces,  flues,  cisterns 
and  water-pipes  ;  see  that  the  glazing  is  complete,  and 
cords,  pulleys,  etc.,  in  working  order.  If  the  houses  have 
been  entirely  empty,  give  a  thorough  scrubbing,  syringing 
with  the  force  pump  or  garden  engine,  throwing  the  wa¬ 
ter  with  force  into  every  corner,  crack  and  crevice,  to 
dislodge  insects  harboring  there.  Arrange  the  shelves, 
renew  the  bark  or  saw  dust  bed  if  necessary,  prepare  box¬ 
es  and  pots  to  receive  the  plants,  collect  mold,  peat  and 
sand  for  potting,  and  having  completed  the  other  arrange¬ 
ments,  whitewash  and  paint  where  required,  leaving  the 
windows  open  for  a  few  days  previous  to  bringing  in  the 
plants.  If  tender  plants  are  exposed  to  the  odor  of  new 
paint,  it  often  causes  defoliation.  Everything  being  com¬ 
plete,  commence  bringing  in  and  ananging  the  plants,  f, 
m,  according  as  the  w  eather  is  warm,  or  cool,  beginning 
with  the  most  tender  varieties.  Place  the  taller  plants 
on  the  back  shelves,  and  low  kinds  in  front,  bearing  in 
mind  at  the  same  time  that  some  varieties  require  more 
light  than  others.  Arrange  them  near  or  at  a  distance 
from  tho  furnace  as  they  need  a  strong  or  light  heat.  A 


dry  shelf  should  contain  those  plants  which  require  very 
little  water,  including  most  of  the  bulbous  kinds.  Hav¬ 
ing  brought  them  all  in  before  cool  nights  have  checked 
their  grow  th,  it  will  be  necessary  to  admit  abundance  of 

Air  by  the  upper  and  low  er  ventilators,  closing  at  night. 

Annuals — A  few  may  be  sown  at  intervals  during  the 
month  for,  Winter  blooming  in  pots. 

Bulbs— Pot,  if,  m,  and  keep  in  a  cool  place  to  be  taken 
to  the  forcing  apartments  as  wanted. 

Camellias  should  all  be  repotted,  if.  They  are  now  be¬ 
ginning  to  grow  and  require  frequent  waterings.  It  is  not 
too  late  to  bud  and  inarch. 

Fire  heat  may  be  needed  in  some  apartments,  m,  1,  to 
expel  dampness  and  raise  the  temperature. 

Grapes— Most  of  those  in  the  early  houses  have  already 
been  cut,  and  the  vines  need  to  be  hardened  off  by  giving 
them  little  water  and  open  ventilators.  Later  and  retard¬ 
ing  houses  have  ripe  clusters  or  coloring  berries.  Preserve 
a  moderately  cool,  dry  atmosphere. 

Potting — There  will  be  much  of  this  to  do  now.  Have 
a  good  heap  of  well  prepared  soil  in  readiness.  It  is  well 
to  prepare  it  some  months  in  advance  of  using.  Some  of 
the  plants  will  need  larger  pots,  while  others  only  require 
a  top  dressing  of  fresh  soil. 

Prune,  head  back,  pick  off  dead  leaves,  cleanse  and 
otherwise  prepare  the  pots  before  taking  in. 

Salvias,  verbenas,  petunias,  pelargonium^,  and  other 
bedding  plants  should  be  taken  up,  and  potted,  in,  1,  for 
Winter  blooming  in  doors. 

Water  the  various  plants  according  to  their  nature. 
Some  bulbs  and  orchids  require  very  little  moisture,  while 
plants  in  a  rapid  growing  state  need  free  applications. 

AjJlary  naa  Sejat. 

BY  M.  QUINBY. 

All  dependence  on  flowers  as  sources  of  honey  for  Win¬ 
ter  stores  for  the  bees,  will  fail  some  time  this  month. 
At  th  s  period,  all  weak  colonies,  should  be  looked  at  and 
removed.  These  often  get  bees  to  robbing,  and  they 
can  not  be  wintered  successfully  or  profitably.  If  all  bee¬ 
keepers  would  remove  the  weak  ones  immediately  on  the 
failure  of  flowers,  and  not  expose  any  refuse  honey  to  en¬ 
courage  a  pillaging  disposition,  there  would  be  but  little 
complaint  about  bees  being  plundered.  A  queenless  hive 
with  a  feeble  colony  uninjured  by  the  worm,  and  stores 
sufficient  to  make  it  safe  for  Winter,  may  yet  have  a 
swarm  containing  a  queen  from  some  condemned  hive 
put  into  it.  Unless  the  bees  that  are  introduced,  are  from 
some  distance,  the  hive  should  occupy  the  stand  that 
contained  the  queen. . . . The  disease,  foul  brood,  is  more 
destructive  to  bees  in  many  places,  than  all  else  com¬ 
bined.  A  great  many  are  lost  without  their  owner  sus¬ 
pecting  the  cause.  Many  bee  keepers  although  fully 
aware  of  its  presence,  are  too  anxious  to  increase  their 
number  of  stocks  to  remove  the  diseased  ones  in  season. 
This  neglect  is  often  attended  with  ruinous  results.... 
Wherever  it  is  found,  it  is  important  at  this  season  to  ex¬ 
amine  every  old  stock,  even  if  but  one  year  old.  They 
are  as  liable  to  it  then,  as  at  ten  years  old.  When  the 
combs  of  a  hive  are  very  foul,  a  nauseous  effluvia  may  be 
perceived  on  passing  by  it ;  but  there  is  much  risk  in  al¬ 
lowing  it  to  progress  to  this  extent,  as  other  colonies  often 
take  the  contagion.  The  bees  may  be  kept  quiet  during 
such  examination  with  tobacco  smoke  blown  among  them  ; 
then  turn  the  hive  over  and  look  thoroughly  among  the 
biood’,  if  much  is  dead  in  the  larva  state,  it  should  be 
condemned.  Economy  would  never  sacrifice  any  colony 
for  the  sake  of  its  honey,  yet  it  would  dictate  the  removal 
of  all  diseased  ones,  although  there  maybe  honey  suffi¬ 
cient  for  wintering  two— the  hazard  of  wintering  is  very 
much  increased  by  cells  being  filled  with  brood — Per¬ 
sons  eat*  ng  honey  taken  from  a  hive  containing  foul  brood, 
will  experience  no  bad  effects  on  that  account.  Portions 
of  the  combs  occupied  with  brood  should  all  be  cut  from 
the  sealed  honey.  If  very  full  of  brood,  or  even  bee-bread, 
there  can  be  but  iittle  wax  made  from  it,  and  it  will  hard¬ 
ly  pay  to  make  the  effort ;  and  to  keep  the  few  scattered 
cells  containing  honey,  safe  from  the  bees,  it  should  be 
buried.  The  combs  with  sealed  honey  near  the  top  and 
outside  are  left ;  such  as  are  not  suitable  for  the  table  may 
be  broken  up  for  straining,  which  is  easiest  done  the  same 

day  the  bees  are  removed  from  the  hive - When  a  coi- 

ony  of  bees  can  not  be  profitably  disposed  of  without  the 
brimstone  pit,  it  is  not  always  best  to  apply  it  with  the 
bees  among  the  combs,  as  they  are  very  much  in  the  way 
when  emptying  the  hive.  It  is  less  trouble  to  first  drive 
out  the  bees,  and  then  smother  them. . . .  All  honey  in  the 
surplus  boxes  not  sealed  up,  is  quite  sure  to  bo  removed 
down  into  the  hive  soon  after  the  flowers  fail ;  to  prevent 
this,  the  boxes  must  now  be  removed  from  the  hive.  The 
bees  will  still  be  inclined  to  carry  it  off;  but  it  may  be 
saved  by  the  process  recommended  in  the  June  No.  of  the 
Agriculturist,  page  163,  and  again,  page  239.  New  colo¬ 
nies  that  are  sufficiently  populous  may  be  wintered,  if 
they  have  combs  occupying  some  twelve  or  fourteen  hun¬ 
dred  cubic  inches,  even”  if  iheir  stores  are  insufficient ;  as 
these  can  be  increased  by  judicious  feeding— particulars 
will  be  in  season  next  month. 


Wheat  after  Corn  without  Plowing. 

Mr.  C.  M.  Kees,  Calhoun  Co.,  Mich.,  writing  to 
the  Agriculturist,  gives  the  following  account  of 
a  method  lately  followed  by  him  in  sowing  Win¬ 
ter  wheat,  which  lie  says  is  becoming  quite  com¬ 
mon  in  that  section.  The  ground  is  plowed 
deeply  and  thoroughly  in  the  Spring  for  the  corn 
crop.  This  is  carefully  tilled  throughout  the  Sum¬ 
mer,  principally  with  the  cultivator,  an  occasion¬ 
al  plowing  and  hoeing  being  also  given,  if  neces¬ 
sary  to  keep  the  weeds  down  When  the  time 
arrives  for  sowing  the  wheat,  if  the  corn  is  ripe 
enough  and  help  is  plenty,  three  or  four  rows  are 
cut  up,  the  stalks  set  one  side,  and  the  strip  thus 
cleared  is  sowed  and  harrowed  in.  The  stalks 
are  then  set  back  upon  the  open  space,  and  anoth¬ 
er  “  land  ”  cleared,  the  stalks  being  put  on  the 
“  land  ”  already  sowed,  and  so  on  until  the  field 
is  finished.  If  the  corn  is  not  fit  to  cut,  or  help 
is  scarce,  the  wheat  is  put  in  with  a  cultivator, 
going  twice  in  a  row  each  way.  One  man  will 
sow  as  fast  as  two  can  cultivate  it  in.  About 
two  bushels  of  seed  per  acre  are  used.  Mr-  K., 
says  the  average  yield  of  wheat  is  not  quite  so 
large  ;  but  the  labor  involved  is  much  less. 

This  method  may  be  expedient  in  rare  cases  ; 
but  is  hardly  to  be  commended  for  general  intro¬ 
duction.  The  more  mellow  and  thoroughly  pre¬ 
pared  the  seed  bed,  the  better  will  be  the  yield. 
The  space  left  where  the  rows  of  corn  stood,  wiA 
be  infested  with  weeds  which  will  grow  up  with 
the  wheat  the  following  Spring. 

- -  - - =oo-0.i=» - -  «■ - 

Wheat  Sowing— Remedy  for  the  Midge- 

Daniel  Steck,  Lycoming  Co.,  Pa.,  writes  :  The 
only  remedy  I  know  of  for  the  midge,  is  that  of 
sowing  early,  in  a  soil  supplied  with  such  con¬ 
stituents,  as  shall  push  it  forward  and  cause  the 
crop  to  mature  early.  Wheat  sowed  at  the  proper 
time  on  nevy  land,  always  matures  before  the 
midge  can  cause  it  any  material  injury.  The 
proper  time  to  sow  wheat  here — Lycoming  Co., 
Pa.,  Lat.  41£° — is  from  the  first  to  about  the  tenth 
of  September.  If  sown  earlier  than  the  first,  it 
will  not  mature  any  sooner  than  if  sown  later  than 
the  tenth,  from  the  fact  that  the  top  becomes  too 
large  in  the  Fall,  the  main  stalk  perishes 
during  the  Winter,  and  new  shoots  must  start 
from  the  roots  in  the  Spring.  I  have  harvested 
wheat  from  seed  sown  on  the  7th  of  September, 
one  week  earlier  than  that  sown  on  the  28th  of 
August ;  both  being  the  same  variety,  and  sown 
on  the  same  kind  of  soil. 


Save  the  Vegetable  Seeds. 

Many  seeds  are  annually  wasted  from  not  be¬ 
ing  gathered  at  the  right  time.  They  are  left  till 
a  convenient  season,  and  then  one  “job”  is 
made  of  it.  In  this  way,  as  they  do  not  ripen  at 
the  same  time,  the  first  matured  and  most  valua¬ 
ble  are  lost,  and  many  are  taken  while  yet  green 
and  worthless.  The  garden  should  be  visited 
every  day,  from  the  first  ripening,  and  the  mature 
heads  collected,  the  stalks  being  severed  with  a 
sharp  knife  or  shears.  Sheets  or  newspapers 
may  be  spread  upon  the  floor  of  a  chamber  or 
garret,  and  the  different  kinds  laid  separately  upon 
them.  When  the  gathering  is  completed,  and 
the  seeds  have  thoroughly  dried,  rub  them  out, 
clean  them,  and  put  them  in  bags  of  cloth  or  pa¬ 
per.  Each  parcel  should  be  distinctly  labeled  with 
the  name,  and  the  year  when  gathered.  Many 
vexatious  mistakes  will  thus  be  avoided  next 
Spring.  All  seeds  for  future  planting  should  be 
kept  as  far  as  possible  from  heat,  moisture,  and 
light.  Their  vitality  will  be  impaired,  if  not  de¬ 
stroyed,  by  carelessness  in  this  respect.  Tin  cases, 
glass  jars,  or  even  tight  wooden  boxes  are  pre¬ 
ferable  to  leaving  them  loose  in  the  “closet.” 

• - - - ~T7a~^  >  Or.  ■■■- . 

Select  Seed  Corn  this  Month. 

The  best  seed  will  be  likely  to  produce  the  best 
crops  next  year.  Pass  through  the  corn  field  this 
month  and  select  the  fullest  and  most  forward 
ears,  from  stalks  bearing  two  or  three  ears,  and 
in  some  way  mark  the  hills.  As  soon  as  suffici¬ 
ently  ripened  they  should  be  gathered,  braided  to¬ 
gether  by  the  husks  into  “traces,”  and  hung  in  a 
dry  place.  If  this  plan  he  followed  up,  there  will 
be  an  improvement  in  the  quality,  quantity,  and 
early  maturity  if  the  other  processes  of  cultiva¬ 
tion  are  properly  attended  to. 


Q60 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Sepl 


Agricultural  Exhibitions  for  1859. 


[The  following  list  embraces  all  Exhibitions  reported 
to  the  office  of  the  American  Agriculturist  up  to  Aug.  18.] 


STATE  EXHIBITIONS. 

Place. 

Where  held. 

Dale. 

Illinois . 

Sept. 

5—  9 

Kentucky  Central. 

C—  9 

United  States . 

12-17 

Vermont . 

13—16 

J\Tew- Jersey . 

13—16 

N.  W.  Virginia _ 

....  Wheeling  Island 

13-16 

Kentucky . 

_ Lexington . 

13-17 

North  Kentucky . . . 

_ Maysville . 

13—17 

. . . .  A  ugusta  . 

20—23 

Ohio . 

20—23 

S.  W.  Kentucky. . . 

. . .  Louisville . 

20—24 

Arner.  Institute.  (Agr.)  Nevv-i  ork  City. 

21—23 

21—23 

Indiana  . 

. . .  New-Albany  ... 

26-30 

VV i scon si u . 

26—30 

Kentucky  South. . . 

_ Glasgow . 

27—39 

Pennsylvania . 

_ Philadelphia  . . . 

27-30 

Canada  West . 

27—30 

T  ruy  i 

27—30 

Missouri . 

. .  .St.  Louis . 

Sept.  26- 

-Oct.  1 

California . 

"  27 

•  •  6 

Missouri  Central... 

Oct. 

3—  8 

M ieliigan . . . .  • 

_ Detroit . 

4-  7 

New-York . 

4—  7 

New- Hampshire . . . 

5—  7 

Tennessee . 

_ Nashville . 

5—  7 

Connecticut . 

11—14 

Georgia  South  Cent 

ral.  Atlanta . 

24—28 

Central  Virginia. . . 

24—29 

25—28 

South  Carolina . 

Nov. 

8-11 

Alabama . 

15-18 

COUNTY  EXHIBITIONS. 

ALABAMA. 

Tennessee  Valley - Tuscumbia . 

CONNECTICUT. 

Oct. 

26—29 

Windham . 

.Brooklyn . 

Sept. 

21—22 

Fairfield . 

27—30 

Middlesex . 

..Middletown . 

ILLINOIS. 

Oct. 

5—  7 

St.  Clair . 

.  .Belleville . 

Sept. 

14-IG 

TJp||  J-y 

14—16 

.  .Charleston . 

11—17 

Grundy . 

20-22 

Vermillion . 

.  .Catl'.n . 

20—23 

Macon . 

.  .Decatur . 

20—23 

Madison . 

.  .Edwardsville _ 

20—23 

Carroll . . . .  . . 

. .  Mount  Carroll. . . 

21—23 

Rock  Island . 

. .  Rock  Island . 

21-23 

Livingston . 

. .  Pontiac . 

27—28 

Lake . 

. .  Libertyville . 

27-29 

Tazewell . 

.  .Tremont . 

28—29 

Hancock . 

..Carthage . 

28—30 

McLean . 

..Bloomington . 

28-30 

.Morrison . 

28—30 

Schuyler . 

.  .Rushville . 

28—30 

.Oregon . 

Oct. 

4-  6 

Bureau . 

.  .Princeton . 

4-  7 

Champaign . 

.  .Urbana . 

4—  7 

Lee . 

. .  Ainbov . 

4—  7 

Sangamon . 

.  Springfield . 

4 —  7 

Scott  . 1 . 

. .  Winchester . 

5—  7 

Randolph . . 

. .  Sparta . 

5 —  7 

Kankakee . 

5—  7 

Shelby . 

.  .Shelby ville . 

11—14 

Adams . 

.  .Quincy . 

12—14 

Brown . 

.  .Stirling . 

INDIANA. 

12-14 

Lawrence . 

.Bedford . 

Sept. 

5—  7 

Putnam . 

.  .Greeneastle . 

5—  9 

Fayette  ( West’nVV’ldjConnersville . 

6-  9 

Henry  and  Hancock 

.  Kniglitstown . 

6—  9 

Shelby . 

. .  Shelby  ville . 

7—10 

Washington . 

..Salem . 

13-16 

Parke  &  Vermillion 

.  .Montezuma . 

13-16 

Decatur . 

..Greenburgh . 

13-16 

I?  imh  . 

. .  Rushville . 

13—16 

Hendricks. . . 

. .  Danville . 

13-16 

Henry  . . . . . 

.  .Newcastle . 

14—16 

Sullivan . 

.  .Carlisle . 

14-16 

Owen . 

.  .Spencer . 

14-16 

Jefferson . 

.  .North  Madison. . . 

20-22 

Spencer . 

. .  Rockport  . 

20—22 

Dearborn . 

20—23 

21—23 

Clark . 

.  .Charlestown . 

21—23 

Johnson . 

.Franklin . 

21—27 

Warren . 

. .  Williamsport - 

28-30 

Clay . 

..Center  Point . 

28-30 

Western  Randolph. 

..Evansville . 

Oct. 

29-30 

Warwick . 

.  .Boonvil'e . 

4—  8 

Laporte . 

. .  Lapoite . 

4-  9 

Miami . 

. .  Peru . 

f> —  7 

Wabash . 

..Wabash . 

5 —  7 

.Marshall . 

. .  Plymouth . 

12—14 

Boone . 

. . Lebanon . 

13-15 

Whitney . 

. .  Columbia  City.  . . 

14  —  15 

l'ullon . 

. .  Rochester . 

14—15 

De  Kalb . 

. .  Auburn . 

17—19 

Pulaski . 

. .  Winimac . 

25-26 

Posey . 

..New  Harmony... 

KENTUCKY. 

25—27 

Warren . 

.  .Bowling  Green  : 

4—  7 

Bourbon . 

..Paris . 

6—  9 

Nelson . 

. .  Bard  stow  n . 

12—16 

Harrison . 

. .  Cynthiana . 

20-23 

. .  Eminence . 

20-23 

27—30 

27-30 

Mercer . 

Mason  &  Bracken.. 

.  .Salvisa . 

Kenton . 

..Florence . 

..  27 

Oct.  1 

Logan . 

. .  Russellville . 

Oct. 

11-  14 

IOWA. 

14—16 

Polk . 

16-18 

Morgan . 

20—23 

Hardin . 

21—22 

Tama . 

21—22 

Linn . 

21—23 

Poweshiek . 

22—23 

Boone . 

24—25 

Bremer . 

28-29 

Humboldt . 

.  Dakota  City . 

Oct. 

4—  5 

Delaware . 

4-  5 

Flovd . 

..  St.  Charles  City . . 

5—  6 

Appanoose . 

6—  7 

Cedar . 

...M.  V.  Butler’s... 

6-  7 

Iowa . 

...Marengo . 

6—  7 

Marshall . 

. . .  Albion . 

6—  7 

Cerre  Gordo . 

10—11 

Lucas . 

12—13 

Hamilton . 

19—20 

Shelby . 

. .  .Shelby  ville . 

MAINE. 

27-28 

North  Franklin — 

.  .Strong.. . . 

Sept. 

28—29 

North  Aroostook.. 

. . .  Presque  Isle . 

Oct. 

5—  6 

North  Penobscot.. 

5—  6 

Franklin . 

5—  7 

Kennebec . 

. . .  Re  ad  fie  Id . 

11-13 

Lincoln  . 

. .  .Union . 

18—20 

Cumberland . 

. .  .Gorham . 

19—21 

Somerset . Bingham . 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

20-23 

Bristol . 

Sept. 

14-15 

Middlesex,  South.. 

20-21 

Middlesex,  North  . 

. . .  Lowell . 

21 

Hampden . 

21-22 

Worcester,  West. . 

. .  .Barre . 

27 

Franklin . 

27—28 

Norfolk . 

27—28 

Middlesex . 

28 

Worcester.  South.. 

28 

Worcester . 

28-29 

Essex . 

28-29 

Worcester,  North. 

. .  Fitchburg . 

29—30 

Housatonic . Great  Barrington. 

Hamoslure,  Franklin 

28—29 

and  Hampden  . . 

28-29 

Hampden,  East.. . . 

...Palmer . 

Oct. 

4—  5 

Plymouth . 

5—  6 

Barnstable . 

5-6 

Berkshire . 

...Pittsfield . 

5—  7 

Martha’s  Vineyard 

..West  Tisburv _ 

11  —  12 

Nantucket . 

.  .Nantucket . 

12—13 

Hampshire . 

MICHIGAN. 

13-14 

Northern  Lenawee 

.  .Tecumseh . 

Sept. 

21  —  22 

Sanilac . 

27—28 

Berrien . 

27—29 

Allegan . 

28-29 

Genesee . 

28-29 

St.  Joseph . 

. .  Centreville . 

28—30 

Kent . 

28-30 

Jackson  . 

28-30 

Ionia . 

29-30 

Van  Bureii . 

••  29 

Oct.  1 

Lenawee . 

Oct. 

5—  6 

Macomb . 

. . .  Utica . 

10—12 

Oakland . 

. .  .Pontiac . 

12-13 

Hillsdale . 

. .  .Hillsdale . 

12-13 

Lapeer . 

MINNESOTA. 

18-20 

Wabashaw . 

MISSISSIPPI. 

Oct. 

13—11 

Monroe . 

Oct. 

18-20 

Marshall . 

MISSOURI. 

25—29 

RandolDh . 

Aug.  31— 

Sept.  3 

Clinton . 

Sept. 

13-16 

Howard . 

13-16 

Lewis . 

13-17 

No.  WestDist . 

20 

Pike . 

20—23 

St.  Charles . 

20—23 

Gasconade . 

.  Hermann . 

21—22 

Boone . 

27—30 

Moniteau . 

.  .Tipton . 

Oct. 

10—13 

Chariton . 

11  —  14 

Green . 

NEBRASKA. 

11—14 

Otoe . Nebraska  City _ 

NEW  BRUNSWICK. 

Oct 

5-  6 

York . Fredericton . 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

Oct. 

11—12 

Conn.  River  Valley 

. .  Charlestow  n . 

NEW  JERSEY. 

Sept. 

20—22 

Cumberland . 

Sept. 

28 

Somerset . 

Oct. 

4—  7 

Warren . 

TENNESSEE. 

11—14 

Shelby  . . 

Sept. 

11-15 

19—24 
-Oct.  1 

Middle  Division. . . 

Sept.  26- 

Sumner . 

.  .Gallatin . 

.  26- 

-  ..  1 

Smith . 

. .  28- 

-  ..  1 

Williamson . 

Oct. 

4-  7 

Fayette  . . 

4-  8 

Wilson . 

5—  8 

Obion . 

11-14 

Henry . 

. .  Paris . 

12-14 

Western  Division  . 

...Jackson . 

18-22 

Warren . 

19—21 

Dyer . 

26—29 

Carroll . 

27—29 

Weakly . 

.  .Dresden . 

27—29 

NEW-YORK. 


Saratoga . Saratoga  Springs.  Sept. 

Washington..  . Fort  Ann . 

Oswego . Mexico . 

Rensselaer . Greenbush . 

Cayuga . Auburn . 

Schuyler . Watkins . 

Queens . Hempstead . 

Onondaga . Syracuse . 

Livingston . Geneseo . 

Orleans . Albion . 

Westchester  . .  .North  Salem . 

Jefferson . Watertown . 

Orange . Goshen . 

Tompkins . Ithica . 

Wyoming . Warsaw . 

Cattaraugus . Little  Valley . 

Erie . Buffalo . 

Oneida . Rome  . 

Putnam . Carmel . 

Greene . Cairo . 

Monroe . Rochester . 

Ontario . Canandaigua. _ 

American  institute. . .  New-York .  Sept.  21- 

Seneca . Waterloo .  Oct. 

TOWN  AND  DISTRICT  SOCIETIES. 

Galen . Clyde .  Sept. 

Coventry . Coventry . 

Brookfield . Brookfield . 

Canaseraga . Dansville . 

Union . Trumansburg. . . . 

Dryden . Dryden .  Oct. 

Palmyra . Palmyra . 

OHIO.  , 

Brown . Georgetown .  Sept. 

Fayette . Washington . 

Clermont . Bantam . 

Pickaway . Circleville . 

Ashtabula . Jefferson . 

Geauga . Burton . 

Franklin . Columbus . 

Hamilton . Carthage . 

Warren . Lebanon . 

Jefferson . Steubenville . 

Erie . Huron . 

Marion . Marion . 

Madison . London . 

Guernsey . Cambridge  . 

Gallia . Gallipolis . 

Clinton . Wilmington . 

Portage . Ravenna . 

Brown,  (Ind) . Ripley . 

Preble.  . Eaton . 

Pickaway . Circleville . 

Belmont . St.  Clairsville _ 

Medina . Medina . 

Greene . Xenia . 

Highland . Hillsboro . 

Lucas . Toledo . 

Lorain . Elyria . 

Champaign . Urbana . 

Adams . West  Union . 

Clermont . Olive  Branch . 

Tuscarawas . Canal  Dover . 

Ottawa . Ottawa . 

Geauga,  (Free) . Claridon . 

Columbiana . New  Lisbon . 

Seneca.  . Tiffin . 

Fulton .  Ottakee . 

Defiance . Defiance . 

Union . Marysville . 

Knox . Mount  Vernon. . . 

Putnam . Ottawa . 

Hancock . Findlay .  Oct. 

Logan . Bellefontaine _ 

Mahoning . Canfield . 

Darke  . Greenville . 

Cuyahoga .  Cleveland . 

Clark . Springfield . 

Ross . Chillicothe . 

Butler . Hamilton  . 

Licking . Newark . 

Noble . SarahsviHe . 

Wood . Bow  ling  Green  . . 

Muskingum  . Zanesville . 

Lake . Painesville . 

Sandusky . Fremont . 

Stark . Canton . 

M  orro w . Ml.  G  ilead . 

Harrison  . Cadiz . 

Wyandot . Upper  Sandusky.. 

Wayne . Wooster . 

Monroe . Woodsfield . 

Montgomery . Dayton . 

Delaware . Delaware . 

Trumbull . Warren . 

Summit . Akron . 

Morgan . MoConnellsville.. 

Craw  ford . Bucyrus . 

Hardin . Kenton . 

Fairfield .  Lancaster . 

Carroll . Carrollton . 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

Mercer . Mercer .  Sept. 

Bucks . Newtown . 

Erie . Erie . 

Clarion . Clarion .  Oct. 

VIRGINIA. 

Campbell . Lynchburg .  Oct. 

WISCONSIN. 

Iowa . Dodgeville .  Sept. 

Grant . Lancaster . 

Pierce . Prescott . 

Webster . Fort  Dodge . 

Richland . Richland  Centre. 

Greene . Monroe . 

Kenosha . Paris . 

Lake . . . Liberty  ville . 

Richland . Richland  Centre. 


6-  8 
7—  8 
13-15 

13- 16 

14—  10 
14—16 

15 

20—22 

20—22 

20-22 

20 _ 22 

21—22 

21—22 

21-23 

27—28 

27-29 

27-29 

27—29 

27— 29 
28  -  29 

28— 30 
28-30 

■Oct.  28 
12-14 


15— 

27— 28 

28- 29 
06—39 
28—30 

3—  5 
11-13 


6-  9 

7—  8 
7—  9 
7—  9 

13-15 

13-15 

13-16 

13— 16 

14- 16 
14-16 
14-16 
14-16 

14- 16 

15— 16 
15  — 16 
15-17 

19- 21 

20— 23 
22—23 

26- 30 

27— 29 
27-29 
27—29 
27-29 
27—29 
27—29 
27-30 
27—30 

27— 30 

28— 30 
28-30 
28—30 
28-30 
28—30 
28-30 
28-30 
28—30 

28— 30 

29— 30 
3—  5 

3—  6 

4—  5 
4—  6 
4—  6 
4—  6 
4—  6 

4—  7 

5-  6 
5-  6 
5-  6 
5—  7 
5—  7 
5—  7 
5—  7 
5-  7 
5—  7 
5—  7 
5-  7 
5-  7 
5—  8 

11  —  13 
12-14 
12-14 
12-14 
12—14 

12— 14 

13- 15 
25—27 


14—15 
21-22 
21—22 
5—  7 


18-22 


6-  7 

13— 15 

14— 15 
14—15 
21—22 

22- 24 

23— 24 

27— 28 

28- 29 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Q6X 


How  Cotton  is  Grown  and  Prepared  for 
Market  — .  .III. 


BALING. 

As  cotton  has  to  go  a  long  distance  to  market, 
and  much  of  it  to  make  a  sea  voyage,  it  is  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  great  importance,  that  it  should  be  stowed 
into  the  smallest  possible  compass.  A  press, 
moved  by  mule  or  horse-power,  is  usually  attached 
to  the  gin-house,  which  puts  it  into  bales  of  the 
size  usually  seen  in  the  cotton  ports  of  the  South. 
This  is  done  for  the  convenience  of  the  planter, 
in  getting  his  crop  to  market.  The  bale  is  cov¬ 
ered  with  a  coarse  kind  of  sack-cloth,  and  made 
secure  with  seven  bands  of  rope,  about  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  bale,  as  it 
leaves  the  planter's  hands,  is  about  five  feet  in 
length,  three  and  a  half  broad,  and  two  or  more 
in  thickness,  and  weighs  about  four  hundred 
pounds.  The  sacking  and  rope  sell  as  a  part  of 
the  cotton,  and  on  these  the  planter  makes  a 
small  profit. 

Recently,  iron  hoops  have  been  introduced,  and 
their  great  superiority  has  been  demonstrated, 
but  they  are  not  yet  very  generally  adopted. 
They  are  not  only  stronger  than  the  rope,  so  as  to 
admit  of  smaller  bales  for  shipping,  but  they  are 
a  great  safeguard  against  fire,  an  accident  to 
which  this  crop  is  exceedingly  liable.  Every 
year  large  quantities  are  destroyed  from  this 
cause,  both  in  the  press,  and  at  sea.  It  is  a  well 
ascertained  fact,  that  a  mass  of  cotton  closely 
compressed,  will  only  burn  slowly  upon  the  out¬ 
side.  In  case  of  fire,  the  ropes  around  the  bales 
are  soon  burnt  off,  and  the  cotton  expands,  and 
admits  the  fire  to  the  interior  of  the  mass.  But 
with  iron  hoops,  it  is  kept  so  closely  compressed, 
that  it  will  not  consume  for  days,  in  the  midst  of 
a  bonfire. 

Notwithstanding  these  very  important  advan¬ 
tages,  the  iron  hoops  are  very  slowly  adopted, 
and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  are  frequent¬ 
ly  sacrificed  in  a  single  fire  to  this  old  routine 
method  of  baling.  The  planter  would  lose  a 
small  profit  on  his  ropes,  and  those  who  press  and 
ship  cotton  in  the  cities,  would  probably  have 
some  prejudices  or  profits  to  lose.  It  would  seem 
that  if  anything  could  be  done  to  lessen  the  perils 
of  fire  at  sea,  it  ought  to  be  adopted  at  once. 
There  is,  perhaps,  no  cargo,  except  gunpowder, 
on  fire,  more  unmanageable  than  that  of  cotton. 
transportation. 

The  rail-ways  in  the  cotton  States  are  gradual¬ 
ly  effecting  a  change  in  the  mode  of  marketing. 
Formerly,  it  was  a  great  occasion,  to  load  up  the 
wagons  and  start  for  the  nearest  steamboat  land¬ 
ing,  seventy-five  or  a  hundred  miles  distant,  in¬ 
volving  an  absence  of  several  days,  or  a  week. 
This  trip  was  eagerly  coveted  by  the  negroes, 
who  then  had  an  opportunity  to  see  something  of 
the  world  outside  of  the  plantation,  and  return 
with  marvelous  experiences,  and  adventures,  to 
relate  to  their  less  favored  brethren.  This  is  still 
the  mode  of  marketing  in  the  regions  where  the 
railways  have  not  penetrated,  and  it  is  a  large  tax 
upon  the  remote  planter,  to  get  liis  crops  to  mar¬ 
ket.  But  the  new  railroads  have  brought  a  mar¬ 
ket  to  the  doors  of  thousands  of  planters,  and  the 
crop  is  now  only  carted  a  few  miles  to  the  depot, 
instead  of  going  a  long  journey  to  the  steamboat 
landing,  on  mule  or  ox  carts. 

SHIPPING  PORTS. 

A  large  number  of  cities  and  villages  along  the 
navigable  rivers  derive  their  chief  importance 
from  the  cotton  trade.  There  are  said  to  be  over 
three  hundred  landing  places,  for  the  shipping  of 
cotton,  upon  the  rivers  emptying  into  Mobile  Bay. 
Upon  the  Mississippi,  important  cities  have  been 


built  up  mainly  by  this  trade,  as  Natchez,  Vicks¬ 
burg,  and  Memphis.  Here  may  be  seen,  at  al¬ 
most  any  time  in  the  shipping  season,  cotton 
bales,  literally  by  the  acre.  They  are  piled  up  not 
only  near  the  landings,  but  along  the  streets  far 
back  in  the  city,  waiting  their  turn  for  a  trip  down 
the  river.  The  steamers  all  go  with  full  freights, 
their  guards  piled  with  bales  three  and  four  tiers 
deep. 

The  three  great  cotton  ports  of  the  South, 
where  this  crop  is  forwarded  to  the  manufactur¬ 
er,  are  Charleston,  Mobile,  and  New-Orleans  ;  the 
latter  city  having  by  far  the  largest  portion  of  the 
trade,  which  is  every  year  increasing  as  the  new 
lands  along  the  Arkansas,  and  the  Red  rivers, 
and  their  affluents,  are  opened  for  plantations.  At 
New-Orleans,  one  gets  the  best  idea  of  the  vast 
extent  and  importance  of  this  great  crop  of  the 
Southern  States.  There  is  no  spot  in  the  coun¬ 
try  where  one  can  take  in  at  a  single  glance  so 
much  agricultural  wealth,  as  upon  the  levee. 
Nothing  can  exceed  the  activity  and  bustle  of 
this  great  mart,  in  the  winter  months.  Here  are 
hundreds  of  steamboats  discharging  cotton  bales, 
and  hundreds  of  ships  from  all  parts  of  Europe, 
and  our  own  Northern  States,  waiting  for  their 
cargoes,  or  taking  them  in.  There  is  a  constant 
stream  of  drays,  carrying  the  bales  up  into  the 
city  to  the  presses,  and  returning  them  to  the 
levee,  to  be  shipped  on  their  long  sea  voyage. 
And  with  the  best  endeavors  of  shippers  to  keep 
the  levee  clear,  it  is  often  piled  with  rows  of  bales 
miles  in  length,  broken  only  by  narrow  passages 
for  carts. 

THE  COTTON  PRESSES 

are  among  the  institutions  of  the  city,  often  cov¬ 
ering  whole  squares  with  buildings  for  storing 
cotton,  before  and  after  it  is  pressed.  This  is  gen¬ 
erally  done  at  the  expense  of  the  shipper,  and  for 
the  sake  of  making  better  stowage.  In  long 
voyages,  it  is  a  matter  of  great  importance  to 
economise  space.  The  press  reduces  the  size  of 
the  bale  at  least  one-third,  so  that  a  ship  can  car¬ 
ry  a  third  more  freight,  without  materially  increas¬ 
ing  its  expenses.  The  pressing  is  almost  uni¬ 
versal,  the  exception  being  in  favor  of  deck  loads 
going  to  northern  ports,  or  on  other  short 
voyages. 

The  press  is  a  powerful  apparatus,  worked  by 
steam  and  a  gang  of  hands  to  handle  the  cotton. 
The  ropes  are  first  cut,  with  the  exception  of  the 
middle  band — then  the  bale  is  passed  on  to  the 
platform,  the  steam  is  turned  on  in  a  trice,  and 
the  counterpart  of  the  platform  comes  down  from 
above  like  the  follower  of  a  cheese  hoop,  squeezing 
the  bale  to  about  a  foot  in  thickness.  Three  men 
tie  the  six  bands,  while  the  pressure  is  on,  and 
two  more  tack  up  the  ends  of  the  sacking  with 
their  needles,  about  as  quick  as  one  can  describe 
the  process.  A  constant  stream  of  bales  passes 
through  the  press  from  morning  till  night.  There 
are  over  a  dozen  of  these  establishments  in  the 
city,  and  some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  busi¬ 
ness  may  be  gained,  when  we  see  a  million  and  a 
half  of  bales  passing  through  them  every  year. 

The  cotton  crop  of  last  year  is  one  of  the  larg¬ 
est  upon  record,  notwithstanding  the  great  num¬ 
ber  of  plantations  in  the  bottom  lands  that  were 
flooded  too  late  to  admit  of  planting.  The  new 
lands,  in  the  States  of  Mississippi  and  Alabama, 
are  not  yet  exhausted,  and  in  Arkansas  and 
Texas  they  are  but  just  opened.  "With  the  pres¬ 
ent  skinning  methods  of  husbandry,  it  will  be 
many  years  before  the  crop  will  fall  off  for  want 
of  suitable  lands.  With  a  proper  system  of  culti¬ 
vation,  rotation  of  crops,  and  manuring,  and  es¬ 
pecially  with  a  more  intelligent  class  of  laborers 
to  carry  out  the  system,  our  Southern  States  may 


maintain  their  pre-eminence  in  cotton  growing  for 
generations  to  come.  This  a  few  of  the  educated 
and  public  spirited  planters  are  beginning  to  see. 
Already  the  leaven  of  a  better  system  of  husband¬ 
ry  is  working,  and  County  and  State  Societies  are 
forming,  and  Agricultural  papers  are  more  liber¬ 
ally  patronized.  The  friends  of  improvement 
have  many  obstacles  to  contend  with,  in  the  iso¬ 
lated  condition  of  the  planters,  and  the  sparse¬ 
ness  of  the  population,  but  they  have  the  right 
spirit,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  their  final 
triumph.  We  wish  them  the  largest  success. 


Tim  Bunker’s  Hay  Crop. 


A  NEW  CASE  OF  THE  BLACK  ART. 

Mr.  Editor. 

“  Eleven  tun  of  hay  on  that  mash  !  Who 
would  have  thought  it  three  years  ago  !  ”  ex¬ 
claimed  Seth  Twigs,  as  he  knocked  the  ashes 
out  ol  his  second  pipe,  and  proceeded  to  load 
again. 

“Did  you  say  eleven  tun,  Squire  Bunker  1  ” 
asked  Deacon  Little,  as  he  leaned  over  his  staff 
toward  me,  with  his  mouth  open  in  astonish¬ 
ment,  as  if  he  thought  somebody  must  have 
been  lying. 

“It  beats  my  musk-rat  swamp  all  hollow, 
where  I  got  two  tun  to  the  acre  the  first  year 
after  seeding  down,  and  I  thought  that  was 
enough  to  keep  an  extra  thanksgiving  on,” 
chimed  in  uncle  Jotham  Sparrowgrass. 

“  Eleven  tun  on  four  acres  of  barren  salt 
mash,  where  grass  tried  to  grow,  and  couldn’t 
three  years  ago,  is  a  leetle  miraculus,  ain't  it, 
Mr.  Spooner  1”  asked  Jake  Frink,  looking  over 
to  the  minister,  with  as  much  deference  as  if 
he  was  a  professor. 

“The  Bible  says,  we  are  to  have  a  new  heav¬ 
ens  and  a  new  earth,  and  I  think  Esq.  Bunker 
is  probably  fulfilling  the  latter  part  of  the  prophe¬ 
cy,”  replied  the  minister,  with  a  quiet  sort  of 
smile,  that  left  one  in  doubt  whether  be  was  in 
earnest  or  not. 

These  remarks  of  my  neighbors  on  my  re¬ 
claimed  salt  marsh  are  a  great  contrast  to  the 
talk  three  years  ago,  when  I  first  undertook  that 
job.  I  have  not  said  anything  about  this  improve¬ 
ment  yet,  because  I  did  not  know  exactly  how  it 
was  coming  out.  You  know  the  tide  flows  a  long 
way  up  our  great  river,  and  all  along  the  banks, 
at  the  mouths  of  creeks  emptying  into  it,  and 
along  the  Sound,  we  have  marshes  bearing  a 
great  abundance  of  salt  hay — a  poor  article  for 
fodder,  but  very  good  for  litter,  mulching,  and 
manure.  I  had  a  few  acres  lying  just  below  the 
lot  I  bought  of  Jake  Frink,  where  I  cured  the 
horse  pond.  There  was  not  much  to  be  done  to 
it,  but  to  put  in  a  tide  gate  at  the  culvert,  and  to 
do  some  ditching,  to  shut  off  the  sea-water.  I 
thought  if  I  could  do  this,  I  could  bring  it  into 
good  meadow  with  very  little  expense. 

I  talked  the  matter  over  with  some  of  my 
neighbors,  and  they  all  said,  it  was  of  no  use. 
But  I  hold,  that  man  was  born  in  the  image  of  his 
Maker,  and  has  a  natural  passion  for  creating  new 
tilings.  This  shows  itself  in  all  children,  as  soon 
as  they  get  out  of  the  cradle.  They  begin  to 
make  hills  in  the  dirt,  to  dig  out  small  pond  holes 
and  fill  them  with  water,  to  build  bouses  and 
mud  forts,  to  whittle  as  soon  as  they  can  hold  a 
jack-knife,  and  to  exercise  the  creative  art  in 
general.  I  thought  it  was  a  very  natural  and 
human  thing  for  me,  to  undertake  to  create  a 
piece  of  meadow.  It  was  all  the  more  natural 
for  me,  because  I  wanted  a  few  more  tuns  of  hay 
to  winter  my  cattle  on,  as  {  could  pasture  more 


262 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


in  the  Summer,  than  I  could  carry  through  the 
foddering  season,  without  buying  hay. 

But  Deacon  Little  seemed  to  think  it  was  a 
presumptuous  thing,  and  a  little  nearer  to  sacri¬ 
lege,  than  anything  should  be,  up  here  in  “  the 
land  of  steady  habits.”  The  deacon,  having 
passed  his  four  score  years  some  time  ago,  is  one 
of  the  good  old  men,  who  belong  to  a  former  age, 
whom  death  seems  to  forget,  they  are  so  exem¬ 
plary  in  all  their  deportment.  The  Bible  is  not 
only  his  authority  in  all  religious  matters,  as  it 
should  be,  but  in  every  thing  else.  He  at  once 
brought  my  project  to  this  test.  Said  he  to  me 
one  day : 

“  It  is  of  no  use,  Timothy — ‘  a  salt  land  and 
not  inhabited,’  is  written  in  the  Bible,  and  you 
might  as  well  expect  English  hay  on  the  plains  of 
Sodom,  as  on  that  mash.” 

“  But  salt  grass  grows  there  now,  and  if  you 
shut  off  the  sea  water,  why  will  not  the  fresh 
grasses  grow  1  ”  I  asked. 

“  Ah  !  Timothy,  you  forget  that  the  Almighty 
made  that  a  salt  mash,  and  his  works  are  per¬ 
fect." 

“  Perfect  for  some  uses,  but  not  for  ours.  He 
has  made  me  with  brains  to  make  new  creations, 
and  I  shall  try  to  make  that  piece  of  land  over 
again.” 

“You  are  a  sorry  infidel,  Tim  Bunker,  I  am 
sorry  to  say  it,”  and  the  old  man  left  me,  with  a 
very  poor  opinion  of  my  reverence  for  the  Divine 
workmanship. 

My  other  neighbors  had  as  poor  an  opinion  of 
my  judgment  and  good  sense,  as  the  deacon  had 
of  my  veneration  for  the  Almighty.  At  the  time 
the  gate  was  put  in,  they  were  all  on  hand  to  see 
the  new  hobby. 

“  What  new  fangled  consarn’s  that  1  ”  asked 
Jake  Frink. 

“  How  is  it  going  to  work  1  ”  inquired  Seth 
Twigs. 

“Ye  don’t  expect  that  door  will  shet  itself,  and 
keep  the  water  eout,  dew  ye  1  ”  wondered  Tucker 
and  Jones. 

“A  great  piece  of  folly,”  exclaimed  uncle 
Jotham.  “  Ye  see,  this  thing  has  been  tried  time 
and  agin,  down  on  the  island,  and  allers  failed. 
Ben  Miller  had  jest  sich  a  consarn,  and  tinkered 
away  with  it  four  or  five  years,  and  gin  it  up  as 
a  humbug.” 

“  Yes,”  said  I,  “  and  Ben  Miller  tinkered  with 
fish,  and  spiled  his  land,  you  said,  but  you  see, 
what  whopping  crops  I  get  with  fish,  eighty 
bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre,  and  forty  of  rye. 
You  see,  Jotham  Sparrowgrass,  it  was  never 
meant  that  one  man  should  do  everything.” 

“  It  is  well  Mr.  Bunker  has  the  money  to  lose 
on  such  an  experiment,”  remarked  Mr.  Spooner, 
who  evidently  had  as  little  faith  in  my  success  as 
our  less  intelligent  neighbors. 

Well,  last  year  I  got  a  good  crop,  but  there 
was  a  considerable  black  marsh  and  onion  grass 
left,  and  occasional  weeds  that  rather  spoiled  the 
beauty  of  the  meadow.  But  this  year  the  herds- 
grass  and  redtop,  that  I  sowed  two  years  ago, 
got  full  possession,  and  a  handsomer  lot  of  grass 
you  never  saw  out  of  doors.  It  was  a  grand 
sight  on  the  morning  of  the  11th  of  July,  when 
we  cut  it,  the  purple  tassels  of  the  lierds-grass 
standing  just  about  four  feet  high,  and  the  red- 
top  a  little  shorter,  a  thick  mat  of  heavy  grass,  in 
many  places  good  for  three  and  a  half  tuns  to  the 
acre.  I  tried  to  get  my  neighbors  all  out  to  see 
it,  but  it  was  hard  work  to  get  some  of  the  scep¬ 
tics  along  the  road  anywhere  in  sight  of  it,  they 
were  so  determined  that  nothing  but  salt  marsh 
grass  should  grow  there  forever. 

I  suppose  I  have  ruined  myself  fir  life  in  the 


esteem  of  Deacon  Little,  who,  having  seen  the 
hay,  and  heard  the  talk  of  the  people,  thinks  I 
must  have  had  resort  to  the  black  art  to  get  the 
crop.  The  deacon  is  about  half  right,  for  I  did 
give  about  two  acres  of  it  a  thorough  top  dressing 
of  black  compost  last  Winter,  which  started  the 
grass  as  if  there  was  something  behind  it.  This 
is  the  only  kind  of  black  art  I  believe  in,  and  this 
I  am  bound  to  practice  and  teach  to  my  neigh¬ 
bors.  I  think  it  is  not  very  dangerous. 

Yours  to  command, 

Timothy  Bunker,  Esq. 

Hookertown,  July  25 th,  1859. 

- <  — - *-• - 

Winter  Fallows. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist 

Summer  fallows  have  pretty  well  gone  out  of 
fashion,  as  they  deserved  to,  for  the  fields  when 
left  unsown,  “  to  rest,”  as  people  used  to  say, 
seemed  to  delight  to  grow  weeds,  just  for  recrea¬ 
tion,  and  then  it  took  a  long  time  before  they  could 
be  brought  to  mind  their  business,  and  bear  the 
old  crops  of  grain  again.  But  I  believe  in  Winter 
fallows.  When  I  want  a  good,  clean,  and  heavy 
piece  of  corn,  I  begin  the  Fall  before,  and  turn 
the  sod  under,  early  enough  to  let  the  scattering 
grass  and  seeds  get  a  start,  to  be  mostly  killed 
out  by  the  cold  in  Winter.  Jack  Frost  is  a  capi¬ 
tal  hand,  too,  to  kill  grubs  and  worms,  and  he 
leaves  very  few  if  they  are  turned  up  where  he 
can  have  a  good  chance  at  them.  If  the  ground  be 
left  in  ridges,  just  as  it  was  plowed,  the  freezing 
and  thawing  will  pulverize  it  and  in  the  Spring  it 
will  be  light  work  to  run  the  plow  and  harrow 
through  again.  The  sod  will  also  be  so  well  sub¬ 
dued,  that  the  after  work  of  hoeing  will  be  very 
different  from  fighting  grass  all  Summer,  as  I’ve 
often  had  to  do  in  a  wet  season,  where  a  heavy 
sod  had  been  turned  under  in  the  Spring.  I  would 
spread  manure  on  in  the  Spring  before  plowing, 
and  then  plow  light,  leaving  the  sod  below  undis¬ 
turbed  for  the  corn  roots  to  work  in  when  they 
get  down  there.  Jonathan. 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Application  of  Manures. 

It  is  by  no  means  settled  yet,  whether  manures 
should  be  applied  to  the  surface  of  the  ground,  or 
be  plowed  under  at  once  ;  nor  whether  they 
should  be  used  fresh,  or  in  a  perfectly  fermented 
state.  By  many  it  is  held  that  manure  always  de¬ 
scends  into  the  soil,  especially  by  leaching,  and 
therefore  that  it  should  be  placed  on  the  surface. 
Others  hold  that  the  volatile  and  most  valuable 
parts  always  rise,  in  the  process  of  fermentation, 
and  that  therefore  the  manure  should  be  buried 
deep. 

Now,  is  there  not  a  little  truth  and  a  little  er¬ 
ror  on  both  sides  l  Manure  is  less  of  a  traveler 
than  is  sometimes  supposed  ;  it  stays  pretty  near 
where  it  is  put.  On  cleaning  out  one’s  barn-yard 
in  the  Spring,  the  soil  is  found  discolored  beneath 
the  piles  of  manure  only  a  few  inches  in  depth. 
Then  again,  we  may  cover  putrifying  offal  with 
only  four  or  five  inches  of  dirt,  and  the  offensive 
odors  will  all  be  absorbed.  If  lumps  of  manure 
are  buried  in  the  soil  in  the  Spring,  and  not  pul¬ 
verised  and  mixed  with  the  surrounding  earth, 
they  will  be  found  in  the  same  place  in  the  Fall, 
and  with  little  change  of  condition.  If  we  make 
a  compost  heap  of  one-third  manure  and  two- 
thirds  muck,  or  half  manure  and  half  muck,  the 
soluble  and  volatile  parts  will  all  be  retained 
within  the  bounds  of  the  compost. 

It  is  held  by  very  many  intelligent  and  practi¬ 
cal  farmers,  that  unfermented  manures  scattered 


on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  lose  a  large  part 
of  their  ammonia  in  the  air.  That  there  is  a 
waste  of  this,  any  one  who  has  the  sense  of 
smell  can  satisfy  himself  by  passing  along  the 
road  where  a  farmer  is  carting  out  his  fresh  ma¬ 
nure  and  spreading  it  on  his  fields.  Yet  it  is  re¬ 
plied  to  this  that  the  loss  is  comparatively  small 
and  not  to  be  set  against  the  benefits  derived 
from  surface  manuring.  The  decomposition  is 
much  less  rapid  than  when  in  the  heap,  and  the 
ammonia  generated  is  carried  down  by  dews  and 
rains  into  the  soil.  The  other  portions  of  the 
manure  not  being  volatile  are  not  lost ;  they  are 
gradually  washed  dowm  into  the  earth  in  a  liquid 
state,  where  they  are  taken  up  by  the  growing 
plants  just  as  fast  as  they  are  wanted.  This  ex¬ 
treme  dilution  of  the  manure  and  its  intimate  dif¬ 
fusion  throughout  the  soil  are  matters  of  the  high¬ 
est  importance.  John  Johnston,  near  Geneva, 
one  of  the  best  farmers  in  this  State,  applies  his 
manure  generally  upon  the  surface  of  his  land, 
and  that  in  a  half  fermented  state.  On  grass 
fields  intended  for  corn  the  next  year,  he  spreads 
it  on  the  surface  in  September,  letting  it  lie  undis¬ 
turbed  until  the  following  April  or  May,  when  it 
is  plowed  under.  He  holds  that  the  soluble  parts 
give  the  grass  a  heavy  growth,  and  the  other  parts 
when  plowed  in  improve  the  texture  of  the  soil. 
For  wheat,  he  applies  his  manure  at  the  time  of 
sowing,  or  just  before,  and  harrows  it  in. 

We  have  somewhere  met  with  the  published 
opinion  of  Dr.  Voeckler,  an  eminent  European 
chemist,  that  “no  sensible  loss  arises  from 
spreading  unfermented  manure  on  the  surface  of  a 
field,  because  fermentation  ceases  almost  entire¬ 
ly  when  it  is  spread  ;  and  that  if  manure  is  left  on 
the  surface  until  all  its  liquid  parts  are  washed 
into  the  ground,  it  is  better  than  though  it  had 
been  buried  at  once.  This  is  so  especially  on 
clayey  soils.” 

It  seems  to  be  forgotten  by  many  who  advo¬ 
cate  this  practice,  that  fresh  manures  are  gener 
ally  full  of  the  seeds  of  weeds,  which  must  spring 
up  at  once  and  give  the  farmer  much  trouble  in 
subduing  them.  If  the  manure  were  allowed  to 
ferment,  most  of  these  seeds  would  be  destroyed. 

It  is  a  good  argument  for  surface-manuring, 
that  it  keeps  the  ground  cooler  in  Summer  and 
warmer  in  Winter.  Such  a  mulch  applied  to 
hay-fields  just  after  mowing,  prevents  them  from 
being  dried  up,  and  gives  the  grass  a  speedy  and 
vigorous  start.  It  causes  the  undecomposed  ele¬ 
ments  of  the  top-soil  to  decay,  and  so  to  become 
a  source  of  fertility  to  crops.  Surface  manuring 
feeds  the  roots  below  with  food  convenient  for 
them,  viz.  :  in  a  liquid  and  exceedingly  diluted 
state,  and  a  little  of  it  at  a  time.  Surely,  this  is 
better  than  placing  the  coarse,  raw  manure  direct¬ 
ly  in  contact  with  the  delicate  roots.  Nature  is 
continually  teaching  us  a  lesson  on  this  point. 
She  spreads  her  fertilizing  substances  broadcast, 
so  protecting  the  roots  of  trees  and  plants  amid 
the  frosts  of  Winter  and  the  heats  of  Summer, 
and  by  their  gradual  decay,  furnishing  constant 
supplies  of  nourishment. 

We  care  not  now  to  sum  up,  and  declare  an  au 
thoritative  opinion  on  this  subject.  With  so  much 
of  theory  and  practice  on  both  sides,  it  would  be 
assuming  too  much  to  do  so.  The  field  is  open 
for  experiment  and  ttudy.  Every  man  is  likely 
to  hold  fast  to  his  own  opinion,  if  his  practice  has 
been  successful.  We  can  only  say  that  our  eyes 
have  smarted  and  our  nose  tingled  too  much  over 
the  manure  heap  when  disturbed,  not  to  believe 
that  ammonia  is  lost  rapidly  and  largely  when 
unfermented  manure  is  carted  and  spread  on  the 
open  ground.  The  atmosphere  of  all  the  farm- 
fields  about  us  is  too  largely  charged  every  Spring 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


963 


with  odors  of  the  dung-heap,  to  permit  us  to  be¬ 
lieve  that  the  ammonia  is  all  washed  into  the  soil. 
Hence  it  is  our  practice  to  compost  our  manures, 
and  to  keep  them  in  the  barn-yard  until  thorough¬ 
ly  decomposed.  Then,  certainly,  there  will  be  no 
sweetness  wasted  on  the  desert  air  ;  and  the  ma¬ 
nure  may  be  applied  on  the  surface,  or  turned  un¬ 
der  to  any  depth  required  by  j.he  crop  to  be  raised. 

We  believe  that  manure  should  be  placed  just 
about  where  it  is  wanted.  Certain  grasses  have 
their  roots  very  near  the  surface,  and  will  be  most 
benefitted  by  surface  manuring,  which  should  be 
applied  in  the  Fall.  Red  clover  and  some  grains 
strike  their  roots  deeper  and  need  to  have  the  soil 
manured  accordingly.  So  with  fruit-trees.  Let 
the  application  of  manure  be  adjusted  to  the  wants 
of  the  plant  and  the  tree.  * 

- «*-. — — *  o  a— — - — 

Early  Fattening  of  Animals. 

The  philosophy  of  increase  of  fat  in  animals  is, 
that  the  digested  food  not  needed  to  supply  waste 
in  the  system,  is  laid  up  in  the  form  of  fat  around 
the  muscles,  ready  to  be  absorbed  again  into  the 
circulation  if  needed.  Waste  is  induced  by  ex¬ 
ercise,  or  use  of  the  muscles,  and  also  by  com- 
Dustion  in  the  lungs,  of  the  digested  food,  to  sup¬ 
ply  animal  heat.  Hence,  the  same  amount  of  food 
given  in  warm  weather  will,  if  digested,  afford  a 
greater  surplus  of  fat  than  when  fed  in  cold  weath¬ 
er.  Hogs  or  other  animals  intended  for  fatten¬ 
ing  should  be  shut  up  this  month.  Many  advocate 
making  the  size  of  the  fattening  pen  so  small  that 
the  animal  will  have  but  just  room  to  stand  or 
lie.  While  confinement  favors  rest  and  a  disposi¬ 
tion  to  fatten,  too  close  quarters  are  not  health¬ 
ful  for  the  animal,  which  needs  moderate  exer¬ 
cise  to  promote  digestion.  The  quality  of  the 
flesh  produced  must  be  somewhat  impaired  by 
any  confinement  that  interferes  with  the  health. 
The  appetite  may  be  kept  up  by  change  of  food, 
a  frequent  supply  of  green  vegetables,  such  as 
corn,  cabbage  leaves,  pea-vines,  and  the  refuse 
of  the  garden.  Cooked  food  digests  much  more 
easily  than  raw,  and  is  in  a  condition  to  yield 
more  nourishment,  and  is  also  better  relished  by 
most  kinds  of  stock.  Cleanliness  in  the  fatten¬ 
ing  pens  should  not  be  overlooked.  Although 
pigs  proverbially  are  filthy,  they  are  not  really  so  ; 
they  do  not  delight  in  the  effluvia  of  their  own 
droppings,  as  any  one  can  see  by  noticing  that 
they  generally  appropriate  one  portion  of  the  pen 
to  filth.  An  occasional  washing  and  scrubbing 
with  soap  suds  will  conduce  much  to  their  thrift — 
all  animals  keep  in  condition  more  easily  when 
the  skin  is  kept  clean  and  healthy. 


Dark  Stables. 

It  can  not  be  doubted  that  light  exercises  a 
very  important  influence  upon  animal  as  well  as 
upon  vegetable  economy.  Every  one’s  feelings 
bear  witness  to  the  stimulus  afforded  by  its  agen¬ 
cy;  a  dark  day  or  a  dark  room  induces  lassitude 
and  repose,  which  is  quickly  dissipated  by  the 
bright  sunshine.  Many  diseases  are  much 
more  virulent  in  shaded  situations;  and  the  eye 
especially  can  not  long  retain  its  full  power  if  de¬ 
prived  of  light.  From  mistaken  notions  on  this 
subject,  or  from  false  economy,  it  is  a  general 
practice  to  exclude  light  from  the  stables  of 
horses  and  other  animals.  It  is  supposed  by 
many  that  they  thrive  best  in  the  dark.  Where 
the  animal  is  stabled  for  a  brief  period  of  rest, 
darkness  will  undoubtedly  favor  his  repose.  In 
the  season  when  flies  are  troublesome  it  may  al¬ 
so  be  well  to  darken  the  stable  to  exclude  them, 
but  when  animals  are  stabled  permanently  in 


darkness,  they  can  not  but  suffer  in  various  ways. 
The  horse,  especially,  is  very  much  subject  to  dis¬ 
eases  of  the  eye,  and  there  can  be  but  little  doubt 
that  this  tendency  is  increased  by  confining  him 
permanently  where  the  eye,  in  waking  hours,  is 
strained  to  an  unnatural  position  to  perceive  ob¬ 
jects  around  him.  Horse  jockeys  find  an  advan¬ 
tage  in  the  use  of  such  stables.  The  animal  be¬ 
ing  brought  into  the  glare  of  day  is  confused  and 
startled,  and  by  his  high  stepping  and  half-uncer¬ 
tain  manner  impresses  a  novice  with  an  idea  of 
his  spirit  and  action.  Even  if  the  quiet  induced 
by  darkness  may  favor  increase  of  fat,  it  is  not 
conducive  to  muscular  strength.  Muscles  de¬ 
prived  of  the  stimulus  of  light,  become  flaccid, 
an.d  the  apparently  high  condition  induced  by  this 
means  is  soon  lost  by  active  exertion.  Men 
whose  employments  confine  them  to  poorly  light¬ 
ed  apartments  soon  lose  the  color  and  the  energy 
of  full  health,  and  the  same  results  follow  simi¬ 
lar  treatment  of  animals. 

Besides  this,  a  dark  stable  will  seldom  be  kept 
in  that  cleanly  condition  which  favors  full  health. 
The  “  corners  ”  will  be  neglected,  especially  if 
the  care  of  animals  be  entrusted  to  the  “  help  ” 
who  are  usually  content  if  the  stable  looks  nice. 
When  building  stables,  ample  provision  for  light 
will  cost  but  little  more  than  imperfect  fixtures, 
and  in  the  end  will  be  found  more  profitable. 

- «3  t  I.  ■ina-^-pi  - ►  - 

Packing’  a  Sleigh  Away. 

“  I  would  be  glad  to  keep  a  one  horse  sleigh, 
if  it  were  not  for  the  bother  of  having  it  around 
under  foot  all  Summer.’’  So  said  a  friend  to  us 
last  Winter.  He  kept  a  horse,  a  family  wagon, 
a  lumber  or  truck  wagon,  and  a  cow,  and  bad 
just  about  barn  room  enough  to  keep  them  in 
conveniently,  with  the  necessary  feed,  tools,  etc., 
and  an  extra  stall,  and  wagon  room,  to  be  used 
when  a  visitor  called.  So  he  dispensed  with  the 
use  of  a  sleigh  for  a  month  or  two  in  Winter, 
rather  than  have  it  around  all  the  rest  of  the  year, 
in  the  way  generally,  and  needing  to  betaken  out 
of  doors  when  an  extra  wagon  came  in. 

Happening  the  other  day  into  the  barn  of  a 
neighbor,  who  was  similarly  situated,  we  found 
him  packing  away  a  light  sleigh  in  a  novel  but 
convenient  manner.  He  has  an  extra  stall,  and 
a  place  for  the  lumber  wagon  in  a  lean-to  built 
against  the  original  small  barn  which  contained 
the  hay  loft.  The  roof  of  the  lean-to  was  quite 
sloping,  and  under  the  lower  part  of  this  the 
lumber  wagon  was  kept,  leaving  room  for  a  stall 
and  a  wagon  or  sleigh  on  the  side  next  to  the 
main  barn.  Removing  the  thills  of  the  sleigh  and 
putting  ropes  around  it,  he  hoisted  it  up  along  side 
of  the  barn  under  the  sharp  angle  of  the  lean-to 
roof,  partly  over  the  stall.  There  it  hangs  en¬ 
tirely  out  of  the  way,  leaving  room  on  the  floor 
under  it  for  putting  another  wagon  or  for  other 
purposes.  Straw  was  put  under  the  hoisting  rope 
to  prevent  marring  the  paint,  and  inside  of  the 
sleigh  box  were  stowed  sundry  light  articles  not 
needed  for  Summer  use.  The  thills  were  laid  on 
top  of  the  sleigh,  and  a  piece  of  canvass  or  cloth 
was  spread  over  it  before  hoisting,  which  keeps 
dust  from  gathering  in  and  upon  it.  In  this  case 
a  common  pully  was  attached  to  the  rafter  by  a 
short  rope,  and  the  hoisting  rope  passed  through 
it.  This  is  not  necessary  when  there  is  help 

enough  at  hand  to  lift  the  sleigh  up  easily . 

Lesson — When  a  sleigh  or  other  implement  not 
in  common  use,  is  in  the  way,  hang  it  up. 

- - » - - 

Bees  breeding  in  Winter. — Jas  H.  Willian, 
Spencer  Co.,  Ind.,  writes  that  last  Winter  during 
the  coldest  weather  he  had  occasion  to  move  one 


of  his  hives,  and  a  portion  of  the  comb  fell  down, 
which  contained  bees  in  all  stages  from  the  egg 
to  the  full  formed  insect,  proving,  he  thinks,  that 
breeding  goes  on  in  the  hive  during  Winter. 
- — — -=<»«- - — » - 

Rapid  Swarming  of  Bees. — R.  F.  E.,  Litch 
field  Co.,  Conn.,  writes  that  he  had  three  swarms 
of  bees,  which  issued  from  one  hive  in  five  days  ; 
one  on  June  15th,  another  on  the  16th,  and  the 
third  on  the  19th.  Each  swarm  settled,  was  hived 
without  trouble,  and  all  are  now  doing  finely. 
What  do  old  bee-keepers  say  to  this  1 

- - - - — - *-=. - 

Driving  Bees  from  Honey  Boxes. 

I  observe  on  page  231  of  the  August  Agricultur¬ 
ist  directions  given  for  “  driving  bees  from  honey 
boxes,”  which  might,  and  probably  would,  be  ob¬ 
jectionable,  and  although  “  advice  unasked  is  ill 
received,”  yet,  having  this  season  driven  the  bees 
from  over  200  pounds  of  honey,  contained  in 
boxes  holding  only  from  3  to  8  pounds  each,  the 
only  outlet  for  the  bees  being  an  ljinch  hole,  my 
experience  may  be  of  some  value  to  some  of 
your  many  readers.  I  remove  the  box,  and  set 
it  near  the  hive,  with  one  end  of  the  combs  down¬ 
ward,  giving  it  a  few  taps  to  alarm  the  bees,  say 
once  in  every  five  or  ten  minutes — sometimes 
not  so  often.  After  it  has  remained  in  that  posi¬ 
tion,  say  half  an  hour,  take  the  box  or  receptacle 
and  rest  one  edge  on  the  alighting  board,  or  bench 
of  the  hive,  a  few  inches  from  the  entrance,  with 
the  hole  in  the  honey  box  facing  the  hive.  I  keep 
rapping  at  the  box  for  a  few  minutes,  by  which 
time  nearly  all  the  bees  will  have  left  it,  and 
entered  the  hive.  The  bees  being  filled  with 
honey,  there  is  no  danger  of  their  stinging  from 
the  rough  treatment  they  receive.  Through 
negligence  I  once  allowed  the  box  to  remain 
where  it  was  first  moved  to,  for  “three  or  four 
hours,"  and  on  examining  I  found  it  full  of  rob¬ 
bers,  which  adhered  to  it  quite  tenaciously  until 
they  too  had  filled  themselves;  and  if  left  “three 
or  four  hours  ”  in  the  morning,  uncovered,  much 
of  the  honey  would  probably  be  carried  off  l 
robbers.  R.  C 

Baltimore,  Md.y  1859. 

Consecutive  Swarms  of  Bees— Impregn. , 
tion  of  Queens,  etc. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

The  manner  in  which  my  last  communication 
was  printed  (p.  231,)  shows  that  there  was  a 
misconception  of  my  meaning,  and  I  therefore 
beg  of  you,  to  permit  me  to  set  myself  right.  I 
said  in  that  communication  after  the  word 
“later,”  “and  was  in  the  character  of  a  second 
swarm  ;  and  the  one  to  which  I  was  called  on  the 
following  day,  came  in  the  character  of  a  third 
swarm.”  The  old  hive  certainly  swarmed  three 
times.  The  first  swarm  was  not  observed  by  any 
one  ;  and  as  the  queen  was  lost,  the  swarm  re¬ 
turned  to  the  old  hive.  As  soon  as  another  queen 
was  ready  to  accompany  the  swarm,  say  about 
the  9th  or  11th  day,  the  swarm  came  again,  and 
was  hived  ;  and  on  the  next  day,  another  swarm 
came,  to  which  I  was  called  ;  and  this  swarm  had 
the  character  of  a  third  swarm. 

It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  well  established  fact, 
that  a  young  swarm  of  bees  never  returns  to  the 
old  hive,  unless  the  queen  is  lost.  One  exception 
to  this  rule  we  met  with  this  season  ;  and  in  that 
case,  the  queen  positively  refused  to  leave  the 
old  hive  ;  for  as  often  as  she  came  out  on  the 
board  in  front  of  the  hive,  she  invariably  returned 
to  the  hive.  The  consequence  was,  the  young 


364 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  152. 


swarm  after  flying  about  in  every  direction  in 
search  of  her,  returned  to  the  parent  hive;  and 
on  the  following  day  first  succeeded  in  establish¬ 
ing  a  new  colony. 

I  have  great  regard  for  Mr.  Quinby's  opinion 
on  the  subject  of  bees  ;  but  I  must  beg  leave  to 
differ  with  him  on  the  subject  of  the  impregna¬ 
tion  of  the  queen  while  absent  from  the  hive. 
Among  the  amateurs  in  this  place,  some  of 
whom  have  closely  observed  the  habits  of  bees  for 
more  than  forty  years,  this  theory  is  condemned, 
and  wre  hold  that  the  queen  never  leaves  a  hive 
unless  she  is  forced  to  do  so.  This  may  be  the 
case  when  a  hive  has  swarmed,  and,  owing  to  a 
change  of  season,  declines  to  throw  a  second 
swarm.  Then  all  surplus  queens  are  killed  ;  and 
then  only  may  they  be  seen  leaving  a  hive — this 
they  do,  to  escape  from  the  persecution  within. 
They  sometimes  return  to  the  parent  hive,  and 
they  are  at  once  taken  into  custody,  and  smoth¬ 
ered  to  death.  At  other  times,  I  have  seen  them 
try  to  enter  a  neighboring  hive,  where  their  re¬ 
ception  was  by  no  means  welcome,  and  they 
were  soon  dispatched. 

We  coincide  with  Mr.  Pickett,  that  the  drones 
are  not  all  killed,  but  that  some  are  retained  in 
the  hive  during  the  Winter  months.  In  our 
southern  country,  we  discover  brood  in  the  comb, 
as  early  as  February,  and  on  warm  days  in  that 
month,  drones  may  be  seen.  Now  is  the  time 
with  us,  that  the  drones  are  killed  ;  but  that  is 
not  saying  that  they  all  are  killed  ;  as  we  have 
seen  them  in  hives  long  after  the  war  had  been 
made  against  them....  J.  B. 

Forsyth  Co.,  N.  C. 


Advertising  Information— Gratis. . .  .III. 

( Continued  from  page  232.) 

[We  are  glad  to  observe  that  these  articles  are 
having  the  desired  effect.  The  number  of  de¬ 
ceptive  advertisements  now  appearing  in  the 
newspapers  is  much  smaller  than  formerly.  The 
numerous  letters  of  approval  and  commendation 
from  our  readers,  contain  abundant  testimony  of 
the  necessity  and  value  of  these  investigations. 
They  will  be  continued  as  long  and  as  often  as 
they  may  appear  to  be  needed.] 

[No.  9.] 

YOUNG  FOLKS!  Iwant  a  Local  Agent 

in  every  village  and  city  in  the  United  States  (compensa¬ 
tion  large)  to  circulate  the  YOUNG  FOLKS  ADVOCATE,  a 
monthly  paper,  at  only  30  cents  a  year;  less  to  clubs.  It  con¬ 
tains  many  letters  from  ladies  and  gentlemen  on  Matrimony, 
fee.,  and  hundreds  have  secured  partners  for  life  through  the 
medium  of  it.  Samples  free.  Address 

C.  F.  MINER, - ,  Oneida  Co.,  New- York. 

Here's  something  specially  interesting  for  bash¬ 
ful  “young  folks,”  in  quest  of  a  “partner  for  life.” 
“  Hundreds  have  been  successful,”  who  but  for 
this  miner  might  have  lived  and  died  in  single  mis¬ 
ery.  Generous  man,  to  pay  the  Tribune  a  dollar 
a  line  for  the  above  advertisement,  to  tell  people, 
that  for  the  paltry  sum  of  30  cents  at  retail,  and 
less  by  wholesale  (clubs),  he  will  put  them  on  the 
road  to  wedlock.  Not  being  in  a  marrying  mood, 
as  a  particular  friend  might  “forbid  the  bans,” 
the  above  advertisement  did  not  personally  inter¬ 
est  us,  until  our  eye  fell  upon  the  “  large  com¬ 
pensation”  for  a  “  Local  Agent  in  every  village.” 
Being  in  haste  to  get  ahead  of  our  “  next  door 
neighbor,”  we  hurried  off  an  application  for  an 

agency,  and  the  “samples  free.” . We 

received  in  return  the  June  number  of  the  so- 
called  “  Young  Folks’  Advocate.”  It  has  8  pages 
a  trifle  larger  than  those  of  the  Agriculturist. 

: 'Parents  have  an  interest  in  this  matter,  and  we 
must  treat  the  subject  seriously.) 

The  first  six  pages  contain  miscellaneous  read¬ 
ing,  part  of  it, apparently  the  same  matter  and 
type  used  in  the  “  Rural  American.”  On  the 
7th  and  8th  pages  we  find  32  letters  from  girls, 


besides  6  others  under  the  “  Gentlemen’s  list.” 
The  editor  says  : 

“  No  letters  are  ever  inserted  in  this  paper,  ex¬ 
cept  those  from  bona  fide  correspondents. 
We  never  manufacture  any  for  publication, 
as  some  people  may  suppose.” 

This  is  probably  so — the  friend  now  engaged  in 
ventilating  this  precious  affair,  for  us,  has  docu¬ 
mentary  proof  to  the  same  effect. 

The  writers  of  several  of  these  letters  an¬ 
nounce  themselves  as  farmers’  daughters,  and 
their  ages  vary  from  14  years  upward.  The 
“  editor  ”  appends  notes  to  many  of  the  letters. 
Here  are  samples,  which  in  character  are  very 
like  the  whole  32  in  this  one  paper. 

“Let  ter  No.  20. — Jn  looking  over  your  excellent  little  paper, 
the  Advocate,  seeing:  so  many  on  their  way  to  the  fount  of  con¬ 
jugal  happiness  I  have  resolved,  with  your  consent,  to  fall  into 
the  ranks.  I  sunpose,  in  order  that  I  may  accomplish  this,  the 
first  thing  to  be  done,  is  to  give  a  short  description  of  myself.  I 
have  “piercing”  black  eyes,  auburn  hair,  which  falls  in  curls 
profusely  around  my  neck,  a  well  formed  mouth,  and  a  small 
nose,  so  it  would  not  be  in  the  way— -very  fair  complexion,  good 
teeth,  am  about  five  feet  in  bight,  have  a  good  form,  and  am 
about  seventeen  years  of  age.  I  can  sing,  dance,  ride  fast 
horses,  play  on  the  piano,  guitar,  &c.,can  do  housework  equally 
as  well,  and  am  not  ashamed  to  do  it.  Any  young  gent  seeing 
this,  who  is  possessed  of  an  upright  character,  and  is  intelli¬ 
gent,  possessed  of  the  dimes,  &c.,  can  have  my  address  by  send¬ 
ing  six  cents  to  Mr.  Miner,  our  vrorihy  editor.  Penelope. 
Greencastle,  Ind. 

Remarks. — Greencastle,  Ind.,  is  a  great  place  for  young  la¬ 
dies  of  beauty,  and  we  judge  that  “Penelope”  is  one  of  the 
prettiest  in  the  place.  We  will  let  her  go  for  two  stamps  as 
usual,  though  it  is  really  too  bad  to  sell  such  a  charming  maiden 
at  so  low  a  price.— Ed.” 

“Letter  No.  27. — I  am  a  young  miss  of  14  ;  of  my  personal 
appearance  I  do  not  like  to  say  much,  for  self  praise  is  no  rec¬ 
ommendation.  I  would  wish  very  much  to  open  a  correspond¬ 
ence  with  some  nice  young  gentleman,  and,  if  among  your  cor¬ 
respondents  there  is  such  an  one,  he  may  address 
- ,  Montgomery  Co.,  Ohio.  Cora,  Box  106.” 

“LETTER  No.  32. — I  am  a  reader  of  the  Advocate,  and  am 
much  pleased  with  the  Social  Department.  Though  I  hardly 
believe  in  advertising  for  a  husband,  yet.  I  think  it  would  be 
pleasant  to  have  an  agreeable  correspondent.  I  am  18  years  old, 
and  know  by  my  mirror  that  I  am  good  looking.  Any  young 
gentleman  who  desires  a  correspondent  above  the  “  general  av¬ 
erage  ”  of  country  girls,  can  have  my  true  name  by  sending  to 
the  editor  of  the  Advocate.  Jenny. 

- ,  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Remarks. — Truly  “Jenny”  is  above  the  “general  average,’1 
if  we  take  her  letter  as  a  criterion.  No  one  need  apply  for  her 
address  unless  he  is  strictly  moral,  and  a  gentleman  in  every 
sense  of  the  word. — Ed.” 

Are  we  to  understand  from  these  last  remarks 
by  the  “  Ed.”  that  other  names  will  be  sent  to 
those  not  strictly  ‘moral,’  etc.!  But,  Mr.  Miner, 
you  did  (for  six  cents)  send  Jenny’s  real  name  to 
an  address  furnished  you,  without  asking  or  re¬ 
ceiving  a  word  as  to  the  ‘  moral  ’  or  ‘gentleman¬ 
ly  ’  character  of  the  applicant — your  own  letter 
giving  her  name  is  now  before  us.  For  aught 
you  know,  the  man  to  whom  you  sent  her  name 
is  the  biggest  villain  unhung. 

What  say  parents  to  the  above  1  This  man  in¬ 
vites  such  letters  from  your  young,  inexperienced 
daughters,  and  then  furnishes  their  names  to 
gentlemen  (7)  who  will  send  him  six  cents  (two 
stamps)  for  each  name  desired.  Whose  daughters 
are  safe!  It  is  useless  to  say  that  these  letters 
are  not  bona  fide.  For  the  purpose  of  getting  at 
the  truth  of  the  matter,  we  had  letters  written 
from  a  neighboring  city,  simply  asking  the  real 
names  of  several  of  the  “girls.”  No  promises 
were  given,  and  no  object  stated  for  desiring  the 
names.  Two  stamps  were  enclosed  for  each, 
and  they  were  promptly  sent,  over  the  signature 
of  C.  F.  Miner  ;  and  further  investigation  proved, 
that  the  names  were  those  of  real  parties,  belong¬ 
ing  to  respectable  families.  What  is  to  hinder 
designing  villains  from  getting  these  and  other 
names  in  the  same  cheap  manner,  and  by  speci¬ 
ous  pretences  leading  those  young,  foolish  girls 
on  to  ruin.  The  very  fact  of  their  writing  such 
letters,  as  they  have,  indicates  that  they  are 
simple-hearted  enough  to  be  further  deceived. 
Thousands  of  females  in  this  city,  now  lost  to 
virtue,  have  been  first  led  astray  by  similar 
means.  But  further  comment  is  unnecessary. 

We  must  in  justice  to  farmers,  tell  a  little 
of  the  history  of  this  sheet.  One  T.  B.  Miner 
has  for  several  years  issued  a  paper  called  the 
“  Northern  Farmer ,”  and  also  one  called  the 


“  Rural  American, ”  and  we  believe  one  other. 
These  papers  are  professedly  agricultural  jour¬ 
nals,  and  many  farmers  have  taken  them  as  such. 
Early  in  1858  Mr.  Miner  announced  in  one  or 
more  of  his  agricultural  papers  this  “Young 
Folks  Advocate,”  to  be  published  by  himself,  and 
he  certainly  issued  it  for  a  year  or  so,  at  least. 
In  June  last  he  announced  that  he  had 

“  Sold  out  the  ‘  Advocate  ’  to  C.  F.  Miner,  an  as¬ 
sistant  editor  of  the  Rural  American.'’  He  adds  : 
“  The  Advocate  has  a  arge  circulation,  and  is  pros¬ 
perous  ;  but  as  I  now  Publish  three  other  papers,  I 
can  not  give  it  proper  a  jntion.  Ladies  and  gentle¬ 
men  may  place  implicit  confidence  in  its  present  pro¬ 
prietor  in  any  confidential  matters  entrusted  to  his 

caie-  T  T.  B.  MINER. 

- ,  June,  1859. 

How  far  T.  B.  Miner,  the  editor  of  the  “  Rural 
American,”  is  to  be  held  responsible  for  the 
character  of  this  so  called  “Young  Folks’  Advo¬ 
cate,”  may  be  judged  of  from  the  above  state¬ 
ment  of  its  origin,  and  from  the  fact  that  C.  F. 
Miner  is  his  own  son. 

[No.  10.] 

A  CURIOUS  PUZZLE  sent  free  for  25 

-Scents  by  H.  M.  BABNES,  A - ,  McHenry  Co.,  Ill. 

Ha!  Ha  !  Sold  again,  got  the  money,  and  spent 
part  of  it  for  a  rifle,  as  our  friend  Punch  would 
say.  Why,  you  good-for-nothing  Barn  (es) !  We 
own  up  “  taken  in  and  done  for.”  Another 
t-w-e-n-t-y-f-i-v-e  c-e-n-t-s,  and  t-h-r-e-e  c-e-n-t-s 
for  postage,  gone !  You  are  too  smart  for  us,  Mr. 
Barnes.  We  shall  not  dare  to  read  any  adver¬ 
tisement,  if  things  go  on  this  way.  Here  we’ve 
been  writing,  and  writing,  and  sending  money 
and  stamps,  week  after  week,  trying  to  get  “  Pro¬ 
fitable  Employment,”  to  “  Make  Money  Fast/’  to 
find  “sure  cures  for  Consumption  ”  and  all  that, 
to  find  “Sport,”  etc.,  etc.,  and  we  can  not  yet 
strike  upon  one  vein  of  good  luck,  but  get  hum¬ 
bugged  every  time  !  If  you  don’t  return  our  25 
cents  right  off,  Mr.  Barnes,  we’ll  tell  every  body 
what  your  “  Curious  Puzzle  ”  is,  and  then  who’ll 
furnish  you  money  enough  to  pay  the  Tribune  a 
dollar  a  line  for  publishing  your  advertisement ! 

You  won’t  return  the  money,  eh  ! 

Well,  then,  here’s  exactly  what  you  sent  us  in 
return  for  our  quarter  dollar,  and  3  cents  postage: 

A - ,  July  14—1859. 

Mr. - (Our  friend’s  name.) 

Dear  Sir  Your  favor  of  July  7.  is  received.  I  send 

you  the  form  of 
rn  y  curious 
puzzle.  cut  it 
out  by  tiie  pen- 
lines  [dot.?], 
or  one  from 
pasteboard 
would  be  better 
then  divide  it 
i  r. to  5  pieces  by 
cutting  it  twice 
across  by  lha 
pencil  marks 
and  see  if  the 
next  person  you 
show  it  to,  will 
shape  a  cross 
out  of  these 
pieces.  yours 
truly  H.  M.  Bar¬ 


nes. 

All  that  for  25  cents  !  Why,  bless  your  stars, 
Mr.  Barnes,  what  a  favor  you  have  done  us.  We 
never  thought  of  it  before,  but  every  one  of  our 
readers  owes  us  twenty  eight  cents  !  for  you  see, 
we  gave  them  exactly  this  puzzle,  picture  and  all, 
free,  gratis,  for  nothing,  and  didn’t  charge  them 
a  cent.  Just  turn  back  to  our  last  volume,  page 
60  (Feb.  No.,  1858),  and  there  you  will  find  the 
same  problem,  in  better  shape,  and  with  more 
drawings.  You  can  pass  on,  Mr.  Barnes. 

(To  be  continued  as  needed.) 

- -  »  - - 

If  the  world  says  you  are  wise  or  good,  ask 
yourself  if  it  be  true. 


Sep',  1  859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


265 


"Going  to  Law.” 

Happening  into  the 
office  of  a  county  Judge 
recently,  to  have  some 
documents  made  out  for 
the  transfer  of  a  piece  of 
property,  we  overheard 
part  of  the  details  of  a 
case  something  like  this: 

Two  men,  whom  we  re¬ 
cognized  as  poor  day 
laborers,  were  having 
papers  drawn  up  for  car¬ 
rying  a  suit  to  a  higher 
court,  where  the  expen¬ 
ses,  which  were  to  be 
secured  in  advance, 
would  amount  to  about  a 
hundred  dollars.  As 
near  as  we  could  learn, 
one  of  the  parties  had 
agreed  to  purchase  a  cow 
of  the  other,  for  thirty 
dollars,  but  before  her 
actual  transfer  she  died. 

Each  man  had  already  expended  about  fifty  dol¬ 
lars,  in  court  and  counsel  fees,  expenses  ot  wit¬ 
nesses,  etc.,  and  now  they  were  preparing  to 
continue  the  contest,  at  an  expense  equivalent  to 
what  they  could  earn  in  six  months’  labor.  This 
incident  forcibly  reminded  us  of  a  plaster  cast  we 
saw  offered  a  few  years  since  by  one  of  the  peri¬ 
patetic  venders  of  this  kind  of  wares.  Two  stur¬ 
dy  yeomen  were  represented  as  contending  for 
the  possession  of  a  cow.  A  legal  counsellor  had 
been  employed  by  one  of  the  parties,  who,  dressed 
in  the  wig  of  olden  style,  was  seated  upon  a  pile 
of  law-books,  quietly  drawing  the  milk  (his  fees) 
while  the  contest  went  on.  The  accompanying 
engraving  is  an  accurate  sketch  of  the  piece  refer¬ 
red  to.  The  only  fault  we  would  find  with  the 
picture  is  that  the  counsel  of  the  other  party 
should  be  shown  upon  the  other  side  of  the  ani¬ 
mal,  drawing  an  equitable  share  of  the  milk — the 
two  legal  gentlemen  on  friendly  terms  of  course. 
[We  throw  out  this  hint  for  the  benefit  of  manu¬ 
facturers  of  plaster  casts,  marble,  terra-cotta, 
etc.  Any  one  carrying  out  the  idea  may  send  us 
the  first  perfect  specimen  with  a  bill  therefor.] 

This  picture  admirably  portrays  the  character 
of  three-fourths  of  all  the  lawsuits  carried  on  in 
the  country.  So  long  as  the  cow  gives  milk,  it 
will  be  required  for  “  expenses,”  and  when  this 
fails,  the  worthless  carcass  of  the  animal  may  per¬ 
haps  be  obtained  by  the  litigant  who  has  the  most 
physical  endurance,  each  of  them  having  in  the 
mean  time  sacrificed  the  entire  use  of  the  cow, 
and,  besides,  time  and  strength  enough  to  have 
acquired  half  a  dozen  better  animals. 

With  most  men,  the  first  impulse,  on  having  a 
slight  difference  with  a  neighbor,  is,  to  “  go  to 
law  about  it.”  To  submit  the  case  quietly  to  the 
arbitration  of  disinterested  persons,  and  yield  to 
their  decision,  would  not  quite  satisfy  the  digni¬ 
ty,  nay,  the  belligerent  propensity  of  the  parties. 
How  few  men,  comparatively,  there  are,  who  have 
lived  forty  years  without  having  “  been  in  court  ” 
one  or  more  times.  And  how  few  are  the  instan¬ 
ces  where  even  the  victorious  party  has  not  lost 
more  than  has  been  gained — in  time,  worry  of 
mind,  expenses — to  say  nothing  of  the  trouble 
entailed  upon  others  who  have  been  drawn  into 
the  conflict  as  witnesses,  interested  specta¬ 
tors,  jury  men,  etc.  We  have  a  vivid  recol¬ 
lection  of  being  called  from  pressing  business  to 
go  fifteen  miles  to  attend  “  county  court,”  and 


of  waiting  four  whole  days  to  give  evidence  as  a 
witness,  in  a  case  of  which  we  personally  knew 
nothing  ;  anil  to  cap  the  climax,  the  case  was 
“  adjourned  over”  three  months,  when  two  days 
more  were  consumed  in  waiting.  Our  protesta¬ 
tions  that  we  knew  nothing  of  importance,  and 
that  all  we  did  know  was  hearsay,  amounted  to 
nothing  with  those  in  eager  fray.  The  idea  seemed 
to  be  that  that  side  would  be  the  strongest  which 
could  bring  the  most  persons  on  the  stand  as  wit¬ 
nesses,  and  so  with  more  than  twenty  other  per¬ 
sons  we  danced  attendance.  The  whole  amount 
at  issue  was  less  than  our  individual  loss  of  time 
in  one  of  the  days  spent  at  court.  We  received 
in  return  one  shilling  (121.-  cents  !)  in  advance. 
(All  the  further  satisfaction  we  shall  ever  get,  will 
be  the  pleasure  of  sending  a  copy  of  the  above 
picture  to  the  party  by  whom  we  were  summon¬ 
ed  “  to  be,  and  appear,  etc.”  We  wish  he  could 
have  had  it  long  ago— before  the  occurrence  al¬ 
luded  to.) 

We  suggest  that  this  picture  be  cut  out  and 
framed,  and  hung  up  in  every  household,  and 
that  whenever  a  disposition  is  felt  to  go  into  law  I 
with  a  neighbor  the  lesson  it  teaches,  be  first 
carefully  pondered. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  most  persons  who  would 
first  sit  down  and  count  the  cost  of  a  suit  at  law, 
would  be  deterred  from  entering  into  litigation, 
but  for  a  feeling  of  false  dignity.  “  I  would  ex¬ 
pend  the  last  cent  before  I  would  allow  him  to 
trample  on  my  rights,”  is  the  common  expression. 
A  story  current  in  our  boyhood  will  illustrate  this. 
Two  Dutchmen  came  into  court  about  a  dog  that 
had  been  killed,  and  the  following  scene  occurred  : 

Judge  (to  the  defendant)— “  Did  you  kill  the 
plaintiff’s  dog  1” 

Defendant — “  To  pe  shure  I  kilt  his  tok,  but  he 
must  prove  it.” 

Judge  (to  plaintiff)— “  How  much  was  your 
dog  worth  1” 

Plaintiff — “  To  pe  shure  te  tok  was  wort  not- 
ting,  but  since  he’esh  been  so  mean  ash  to  kilt 
him  I  shall  compel  him  to  pay  te  full  value.” 

We  recently  heard  of  a  case  at  the  south,  worth 
relating  in  illustration.  A  whip  was  borrowed, 
and  on  being  returned,  the  lender  declared  that 
seven  inches  had  been  worn  off  from  the  end  ot 
the  lash.  High  words  ensued,  leading  to  a  quar¬ 
rel,  which  was  carried  into  court,  and  (rom  one 
court  to  another,  with  the  usual  delays,  until  tire 


aggregate  costs  to  the  parties  actually  amounted 
to  seven  thousand  dollars — a  thousand  dollars  an 
inch  for  the  worn  lash,  without  reckoning  time, 
trouble,  and  the  bad  feelings  engendered. 

In  another  instance  a  long  legal  contest  en¬ 
sued,  the  original  cause  of  which  was  a  slight 
trespass  by  a  calf.  The  case  ended  by  a  com¬ 
promise,  each  party  paying  his  own  costs  ;  the 
total  amount  of  these  had  run  up  to  nearly  eleven 
thousand  dollars  !  How  many  such  cases — not 
quite  so  striking  perhaps  --have  come  under  the 
notice  of  most  persons.  How  many  estates  have 
been  wasted,  and  heirs  beggared,  by  an  unwil¬ 
lingness  to  make  slight  concessions. 

But  the  pecuniary  loss,  serious  as  it  often  may 
be,  is  not  the  worst  feature  in  the  business.  The 
hatred  engendered,  and  bad  passions  nourished, 
react  sadly  upon  the  parties  engaged.  The  dis¬ 
position  is  soured,  peace  banished,  and  constant 
vexation  and  apprehension  embitter  life.  Said 
one  who  had  finally  obtained  his  suit,  involving  a 
large  amount,  and  one  which  he  could  ill  afford 
to  lose:  “  Had  I  foreseen  the  anxiety  and  vexa¬ 
tion  I  have  suffered  from  this  business,  I  would 
have  given  a  receipt  in  full  for  the  amount,  rath¬ 
er  than  have  commenced.”  Many  others  will 
bear  the  same  testimony.  There  are  cases  where 
it  is  positive  duty  to  invoke  the  aid  of  law  to  se¬ 
cure  or  preserve  rights,  but  reason,  not  passion 
should  preside  when  such  interests  are  involved. 

We  repeat,  then,  if  any  of  our  readers  are  now, 
or  hereafter,  tempted  to  indulge  in  “law,”  let 
them  first  give  this  picture  a  careful  study,  and 
then  inquire  if  it  will  not  be  better  to  lose  the 
milk  at  once,  than  to  hold  the  cow  with  might 
and  main,  for  an  indefinite  period,  and  in  the  end 
find  all  the  labor  lost. 

- ♦-« - —MX*  <J>  P-  »  . . 

For  the  American  Agriculturist . 

Farm  Pastures. 

It  has  often  seemed  to  the  writer  that  the  pas¬ 
ture  fields  of  our  farms  are  somewhat  neglected. 
Of  course,  the  very  hilly,  swampy,  and  othei 
rough  lands,  cannot  be  cultivated  and  improved  as 
well  as  the  smoother  fields,  but  wherever  they 
can  be  brought  under  the  plow  for  a  season  or 
two,  they  ought  to  have  the  benefit  of  it.  In  this 
way,  briers,  foul  weeds,  and  coarse  grasses,  will 
be  subdued,  sour  places  sweetened,  and  the  whole 
lapd  be  invigorated.  We  can  recall  manv  farms 


266 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


where  the  pastures  have  been  pastures  for  a  whole 
generation ;  many  of  them  are  unnecessarily 
Targe,  and  parts  of  them  might  be  tilled  and 
cropped  to  good  advantage.  If  they  weie  en¬ 
riched  and  cleaned  by  good  tillage,  they  would 
maintain  twice  the  number  of  cattle,  or  half  of 
the  land  could  be  devoted  to  hay,  grain,  or  root 
crops. 

Some  pastures  are  wasted  by  allowing  cattle  to 
roam  indiscriminately  over  the  whole  surface. 
The  consequence  of  this  management  is,  that  they 
stroll  restlessly  from  one  side  of  the  land  to  the 
other,  cropping  a  little  here  and  there,  and  tread¬ 
ing  down  and  soiling  what  they  do  not  eat.  If  the 
pastures  were  divided  into  several  distinct  lots, 
and  the  stock  confined  in  one  portion  until  the 
grass  was  eaten  off  close,  it  would  be  all  the  bet¬ 
ter  both  for  the  pasture  and  the  stock.  If  some 
parts  are  wetter  than  others,  they  should  be  kept 
in  reserve  for  dry  weather,  and  the  drier  soils  be 
pastured  earliest.  Late  in  the  Fall,  perhaps,  the 
bars  may  be  let  down,  and  a  free  range  be  al¬ 
lowed  from  one  end  to  the  other. 

It  is  a  mooted  point  among  agriculturists, 
whether  shade-trees  should  be  allowed  in  pas¬ 
tures.  Some  driving  farmers  cut  them  all  down 
at  one  fell  swoop,  declaring  that  cattle  have  no 
business  to  waste  their  precious  time  in  lying 
down  at  noon  in  Summer :  they  ought  to  be  up 
and  stuffing  themselves  and  taking  on  fat !  We 
question  the  expediency  of  this  inhuman  treat¬ 
ment.  But  even  if  it  were  true  that  cattle  fat¬ 
ten  a  little  quicker  in  treeless  pastures,  we 
would  by  no  means  advise  to  strip  the  land  of  its 
leafy  honors.  Large,  well-shaped,  vigorous  elms 
and  maples  scattered  here  and  there  over  a  farm 
add  very  much  to  its  beauty  and  its  worth.  That 
man  takes  a  very  low  view  of  life  who  would 
sacrifice  everything  to  his  greed  of  gain. 

- ■»_. - - *-0 - - 

Hints  on  Milking’. 

The  majority  of  our  readers  need  no  instruc¬ 
tion  on  this  subject ;  and  our  hints  are  intended 
only  for  beginners.  There  are  always  some  such. 

Squeezing  fluid  from  a  cow’s  udder  is  not  all 
that  is  meant  by  good  milking.  The  work  should 
be  so  done  that  it  will  be  pleasant  to  the  animal 
and  she  will  yield  the  greatest  amount  of  milk. 
By  all  means,  at  all  times,  let  the  cow  be  treat¬ 
ed  kindly.  Do  not  approach  her  with  a  loud  and 
harsh  voice,  with  a  rough  knock  from  the  milk¬ 
ing  stool,  or  a  kick.  And  in  commencing  to  milk, 
do  not  jerk  the  teats,  or  pinch  them  with  the  fin¬ 
der  nails.  A  cow  should  be  handled  so  gently 
that  she  will  welcome  the  milker’s  coming,  by 
certain  unmistakable  signs  of  pleasure.  She 
will  hardly  need  the  word  “hoist,”  (commonly 
“  hyst ,”)  but  will  at  once  set  back  her  hind  leg 
for  his  accommodation.  A  cow  that  would  hold 
up  her  milk  to  a  rough-handed  milker,  will  at  once 
give  down  all  she  has  to  spare,  to  one  who  treats 
her  kindly.  Your  cow  kicks,  does  she  1  Well, 
we  are  sorry,  but  “  kicking  back  ”  won't  cure  her, 
nor  will  any  sort  of  rough  treatment  improve 
her  manners.  Keep  your  patience,  and  you  may 
be  sure  that  the  oil  of  kindness  will  mollify  her 
temper,  and  take  the  kinks  and  the  kicks  out  of 
her  legs. 

Again  ;  good  milking  involves  cleanliness  on 
the  part  of  the  milker.  During  the  Summer, 
while  the  cow  lies  in  a  clean  pasture,  her  bag  will 
ordinarily  be  kept  neat  enough  of  itself.  But  in 
Winter,  or  whenever  she  is  stabled,  her  udder 
will  need  to  be  washed  before  every  milking. 
This  practice  will  do  much  to  promote  the  health 
and  comfort  of  the  cow  and  the  value  of  the  milk. 
The  black  sediment,  which  every  milk-buyer  finds 


at  the  bottom  of  his  pail  or  bowl,  is  nothing  less 
than  minute  particles  of  dirt  and  manure  brushed 
off  from  the  cow’s  bag  and  belly  during  milking. 
This  ought  to  be  prevented  ;  and  it  may  be  by  a 
little  care,  and  especially  by  washing  the  bag. 

Milking  should  be  done  as  quickly  as  possible. 
Any  long  dawdling,  and  gossipping  with  other 
milkmen  during  the  operation,  is  tiresome  to  the 
cow,  and  should  be  avoided.  Strip  the  teats 
clean,  and  do  it  as  quickly  as  may  consist  with 
kind  treatment. 

We  purchased  a  beautiful  Devon  cow  last  Spring 
valued  at  $100,  and  if  she  had  had  no  “  tricks,” 
she  would  have  been  worth  the  money,  for  in  ad¬ 
dition  to  a  good  yield  of  very  rich  milk,  her  build, 
color,  head,  eyes,  and  horns,  are  as  near  perfec¬ 
tion  of  beauty  in  a  cow,  as  we  could  expect  to 
find — we  bought  her  as  much  for  her  looks  as  for 
her  milk.  For  a  w’eek  or  two  everything  went 
well,  but  we  soon  found  that  her  looks  did  not 
belie  her — “  she  knew  a  thing  or  two.”  When 
not  treated  exactly  as  she  seemed  to  think  right, 
you  might  whistle  for  milk — you  couldn’t  get  it  by 
tugging  at  her  teats.  We,  however,  soon  com¬ 
promised  the  matter  with  her.  She  had  been  ac¬ 
customed  to  be  milked  by  a  woman,  and  to  have 
a  “mess”  to  busy  herself  with  while  undergoing 
the  operation  of  being  stripped.  Wre  gratified  her 
in  these  respects.  The  milking  was  accompanied 
by  an  occasional  gentle  but  quick  elevation  of  the 
whole  bag,  with  the  hands,  in  imitation  of  the 
“bunting”  of  a  calf.  These  means,  and  the  gentle 
kind  treatment  referred  to  above,  have  been  suc¬ 
cessful,  and  now  she  seldom  attempts  to  hold  up 
her  milk. 


Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist.— Prize  Articles. 

The  Dairy  —  IX. 

cheese  making.  [Continued  from  p.  238.) 

Having  got  our  cheeses  out  of  the  press,  and  on 
to  the  shelves  in  the  storage  room,  which  should 
be  up  stairs,  in  a  well  ventilated,  sun-warmed 
room — plastered,  whitewashed,  clean  and  sweet, 
yet  kept  dark — their  daily  care,  turning,  and  rub¬ 
bing  are  now  to  be  attended  to,  in  the  process  of 
their  curing.  The  unguent,  oil,  or  butter,  for  coat¬ 
ing  over  the  cheese  after  leaving  the  press,  is 
best  made  of  whey-cream,  which  rises  in  small 
quantity  from  the  whey  set  apart  for  the  purpose 
after  being  drawn  from  the  curd.  After  setting  a 
few  hours  it  is  skimmed  like  cream  from  milk, 
and  churned,  or  stirred  into  butter,  and  set  away 
for  cheese-rubbing.  Where  whey  butter  can  not 
for  any  reason  be  made,  common  fresh  butter,  or 
a  mixture  of  fresh  butter  and  lard  may  be  used, 
and  in  hot  weather  a  sprinkling  of  cayenne  pep¬ 
per  may  be  added  and  worked  in  to  prevent  the 
flies  from  resting  upon  it.  A  little  beeswax  ad¬ 
ded,  hardens  the  mixture,  and  is  better  for  the 
hot  season  of  the  year. 

Every  day,  for  the  first  few  days  after  laying  on 
the  shelf,  the  cheese  must  be  turned,  and  smear¬ 
ed  with  the  butter  or  grease,  thoroughly  rubbed 
on  with  the  hand,  or  a  soft  cloth.  Every  check,  or 
crack  in  the  cheese  must  be  examined  and  filled, 
so  that  no  fly  can  deposit  an  egg.  In  a  few  days 
the  rind  will  acquire  sufficient  hardness  to  resist 
the  tendency  to  crack,  provided  the  bandaging 
previously  described  be  sufficiently  well  done. 
As  the  rind  increases  in  hardness,  the  daily  turn¬ 
ing  and  rubbing  may  be  discontinued,  and  thrice 
or  twice  a  week  will  answer  the  purpose  ;  but 
continuous  vigilance  must  be  exercised  in  watch¬ 
ing  its  condition  until  marketed. 

In  this  connection  we  add  that  many  dairymen 
when  first  putting  the  cheese  on  to  the  shelf  mix 
their  grease  with  anotta,  which  gives  it  a  rich 


outside  coloring — a  favorite  appearance  in  some 
cheese  markets.  And  to  this  we  have  no  objec¬ 
tion  ;  but  the  mixture  of  anotta  with  the  curd  in 
running  the  cheese  together,  is  an  abomination  to 
a  really  good  cheese,  no  matter  how  preferable 
such  coloring  may  be  to  the  eye  of  the  consumer. 
Anotta,  in  itself,  gives  no  good  flavor  ;  it  is  used 
only  for  its  coloring  properties,  and  since  the 
common  anotta  of  commerce  is  a  vile  com¬ 
pound  of  poisonous  drugs  and  other  colored 
trash  added  to  a  small  modicum  of  the  pure  arti¬ 
cle  (very  costly  in  its  purity)  it  is  altogether 
better  out  of  a  cheese  than  in  it.  Therefore  we 
would  never  use  it  but  for  outside  coloring,  and  it 
s  not  material  for  that. 

The  proper  temperature  for  the  cheese  curing- 
room  is  75°  to  80°.  If  it  fall  below  the  former 
for  any  number  of  days,  stove  heat  should  be  ad¬ 
ded  to  make  it  that,  until  the  cheese  is  sufficient¬ 
ly  cured  for  good  keeping. 

As  to  the  best  time  for  marketing  cheese,  the 
dairyman  must  be  the  judge.  Cheesebuyers  are 
always  threading  the  dairy  districts,  and  every 
good  cheese  maker  is  sure  to  be  waited  upon  by 
them  at  an  early  day,  if  he  have  not  contracted 
the  sale  of  his  cheese  in  advance.  As  a  rule, 
however,  it  should  be  turned  off  within  three 
months  after  making,  or,  at  the  furthest,  at  the 
end  of  the  season,  as  the  shrinkage  in  weight,  and 
the  risks  in  keeping  it  in  marketable  condition, 
will  scarcely  pay  for  the  usual  advance  in  price. 
Yet,  when  not  too  far  from  market,  a  few  choice 
old  cheeses  frequently  pay  well  to  remain  on  hand 
for  a  favorite  customer,  or  an  extraordinary  oc¬ 
casion,  when  they  are  sure  to  pay  a  liberal  profit. 
The  quality  of  the  article  chiefly  governs  the  pol¬ 
icy  of  keeping  cheese  over  the  season. 

FANCY  CHEESES. 

These  are  of  different  kinds  in  shape,  and  fla¬ 
vor,  and  chiefly  made  for  foreign  markets.  They 
are  usually  small  in  size,  and  made  in  large  dai¬ 
ries  from  the  aggregate  curds  of  a  wide  neigh¬ 
borhood  where  the  curds  are  run  up  separately 
on  each  farm,  and  brought  in  to  the  manufactory 
where  they  are  mixed,  worked  up,  and  finished 
off' into  the  separate  molds,  or  forms  of  cheese 
for  market.  A  popular  and  favorite  variety  of 
these  is 

The  Pine  Apple  Cheese.— The  composition  of 
this  is  not  usually  different  from  the  common  dai¬ 
ry  cheese  already  described.  After  the  proper 
preparation  of  the  curd,  it  is  put  into  molds  of  the 
requisite  form  and  size,  and  a  press,  or  screw  ap¬ 
plied  at  the  top  to  extract  the  whey  which  passes 
out  at  the  small  end.  When  the  cheese  has  ac¬ 
quired  sufficient  consistence  to  be  liberated,  the 
outside  is  moistened  with  warm  water,  the  net¬ 
ting,  which  marks  it,  is  tightly  drawn  over,  and 
the  screw,  or  press,  again  applied,  giving  it  its  last 
and  finishing  shape  and  appearance.  Their  fu¬ 
ture  treatment  is  the  same  as  with  the  common 
cheeses,  only  that  they  are  set  upright  on  the  butt 
end  in  hollowed  or  scolloped  beds  on  the  shelf. 
Their  weight  is  usually  from  six  to  eight  pounds 
each.  Another  portable  and  favorite  article  for 
shipping  purposes  is  the 

Small  Box  Cheese — made  in  the  same  way,  but 
pressed  in  strong  tin  hoops  to  about  ten  pounds 
weight,  and  cured  as  usual. 

Swiss  Cheese — is  made  by  adding  a  larger  quan¬ 
tity  of  rennet  than  usual — half  more,  or  perhaps 
double  the  usual  average — so  as  to  give  the  curd 
a  puffy  consistence,  and  scalding  it  at  a  temper¬ 
ature  of  120°  instead  of  100°  to  104°,  as  with 
common  cheese;  and  after  pressing,  immerse  it 
in  cold  spring  or  well  water  for  five  or  six  hours. 
The  curd  is  not  salted  when  running  up,  as  with 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


367 


other  cheeses,  but  the  finished  cheese  is  salted 
(the  salt  rubbed  on  by  hand)  every  few  days  for 
four  or  five  months  after  being  made,  while 
curing  on  the  shelf.  This  kind  of  cheese  has  a 
piquant,  sharp  flavor,  and  frequently  an  unsavory 
smell,  to  which,  however,  those  long  accustom¬ 
ed  to  it  are  quite  partial.  Large  quantities  of  it 
are  imported  from  Switzerland,  by  the  German 
and  Swiss  of  our  large  cities.  Some  of  these  peo¬ 
ple  settled  in  our  good  dairy  districts  have  gone 
considerably  into  its  manufacture. 

Other  Fancy  Cheeses. — There  are  a  variety  of 
other  cheeses  made  abroad,  and  which  our  dairy¬ 
men  have  frequently  attempted  to  imitate  in  fla¬ 
vor  and  form,  but  we  believe  to  little  pecuniary 
advantage.  The  manner  of  making  the  best  of 
them  is  essentially  the  same  as  our  own,  the  dif¬ 
ference  in  flavor  chiefly  arising  from  climate  and 
soil,  with  a  little  different  management  in  work¬ 
ing  up  the  milk,  and  treatment  of  the  curd. 

The  best  of  all  foreign  cheeses  is  the  Stilton, 
made  with  a  large  infusion  of  cream,  an  extra 
amount  of  rennet,  a  high  scald  on  the  curd,  and  a 
hot-bed  ripening  (under  horse-dung)  to  give  it 
immediate  maturity.  Imitation  Cheshire,  and 
Gloucester  cheeses  are  also  made  by  some  of  our 
dairymen,  but  with  indifferent  success  as  to  profit, 
in  most  cases,  and  hut  an  imitation,  and  that  a 
rather  imperfect  one,  in  flavor.  And  so,  in  fact, 
with  all  our  imitations.  As  we  have  already  ob¬ 
served,  soil,  climate,  food  and  temperature  have 
more  to  do  with  the  constituents  of  cheese  than 
all  else  beside.  These  give  the  character  to  the 
milk.  Skill,  cleanliness,  and  system,  on  the  right 
mode  of  manufacture,  do  the  rest.  These  all  in 
their  best  condition,  a  perfect  American  cheese  is 
made,  which  is  better  than  to  copy  any  foreign 
process.  We  have  eaten  all  sorts  of  cheeses, 
ever  made  or  imported  into  this  country,  we  be¬ 
lieve,  from  that  costing  fifty  cents  to  a  single  dime 
per  pound.  We  have  eaten  it  while  sipping  old 
wines  with  a  bevy  of  connoisseurs  at  an  after  din¬ 
ner  sitting,  while  “  trying  ”  several  varieties,  and 
have  seen,  in  summing  up,  the  preference  given  to 
a  good,  old,  well  made  ripe  American  cheese  from 
our  best  dairy  lands — which,  with  the  good  gras¬ 
ses,  after  all,  (insisting  that  the  process  of  mak¬ 
ing  it  be  right)  gives  the  crowning  taste  to  a  first 
rate  article. 

BOXING  CHEESE  FOR  MARKET. 

This  is  one  essential  point.  A  common  cheese 
box  is  too  common  a  thing  to  need  description. 
It  should  conform  to  the  size  of  the  cheese.  If 
too  large,  a  stuffing  of  dry  paper,  or  cut  straw, 
should  fill  the  vacant  space  so  as  to  hold  the 
cheese  “  from  shaking  ”  or  moving  within  the 
box.  The  lid  is  to  be  secured  by  small  tacks,  and 
the  box  should  be  handled  carefully  until  put  in 
store.  Many  an  otherwise  good  cheese  is  ruined 
from  bad  packing,  careless  handling,  and  trans¬ 
portation  from  the  cheese-room  to  the  sale  shop. 
A  word  might  be  expected  about 

CHEESE  TRESSES. 

But  the  preference  for  the  different  kinds  of 
these  is  so  various  among  our  experienced  dairy¬ 
men,  and  the  real  difference  between  any  very 
tolerable  styles  of  presses,  is  so  slight  in  practi¬ 
cal  operation,  that  we  have  little  choice  which,  or 
what  kind  to  recommend.  As  a  principle,  how¬ 
ever,  the  “  lever  ”  press  is  the  best.  That  will 
“  give,”  somewhat,  to  the  condition  of  the  cheese 
while  under  pressure,  while  the  screw  is  fixed, 
and  no  operation  of  the  cheese  itself  will  affect 
the  pressure.  Many  an  otherwise  good  cheese  is 
spoiled  in  the  pressing,  and  although  it  may  be 
thought,  on.  the  first  suggestion,  that  it  is  of  no 
consequence,  the  right  pressing  of  a  cheese  is  an 


important  item  in  its  manufacture.  We  would 
have  the  bed,  or  lower  shelf  of  the  cheese  press 
movable,  and  work  upward,  as  well  as  the  “fol¬ 
lower”  downward,  which  presses  upon  it  from 
above,  thus  pressing  both  surfaces,  top  and  bot¬ 
tom,  alike.  Then  let  the  lever  be  as  simple  as 
possible,  with  the  weights  hung  at  the  extremity, 
to  be  put  on  or  taken  off  as  the  case  requires. 
No  written  description  of  a  proper  cheese  press 
can  be  perfectly  understood,  and  I  therefore  ad¬ 
vise  every  one  who  is  a  novice  in  cheese-making, 
to  examine  the  best  presses,  at  the  agricultural 
stores,  or  in  use  at  the  best  dairies  near  home, 
before  he  adopts  any  one. 

After  all,  we  do  not  expect  to  create  a  good 
butter,  or  a  good  cheese  maker,  out  of  one  who 
has  seen  the  process  of  neither,  any  more  than 
to  teach  a  man  or  woman  how  to  make  a  watch 
by  describing  the  wheels  and  the  manner  of  fit¬ 
ting  them.  After  a  thorough  instruction  in  the 
principles  of  making  the  articles,  a  degree  of  prac¬ 
tice  is  needed  to  thoroughly  understand  and  do 
the  work.  Another  chapter  will  be  required  to 
finish  the  subject. 


Hew-York  City  Meat  Markets— How  Sup¬ 
plied,  etc . III. 


SHEEP  AND  LAMBS. 

Mutton  is  a  favorite  food  with  a  large  propor¬ 
tion  of  the  meat  eaters  of  this  city,  especially  dur¬ 
ing  hot  weather.  The  large  number  of  450,787 
live  Sheep  and  Lambs  was  received  at  the  sev¬ 
eral  regular  city  markets  during  the  year  1858, 
besides  large  quantities  of  dressed  carcasses 
brought  in  by  boat  and  railway  during  cold  weath¬ 
er,  and  occasional  lots  of  live  animals  sent  direct 
to  the  butcher.  This  gives  a  weekly  average  of 
8,669  head,  although  the  supplies  are  very  irreg¬ 
ular.  During  early  Spring,  before  the  lambing 
and  shearing  seasons,  the  numbers  sometimes  fall 
below  3,000  head  per  week,  while  in  Autumn,  pre¬ 
vious  to  putting  them  on  Winter  food,  as  many 
as  16,000  have  been  received  during  a  single 
week. 

New-York  State  takes  the  lead  in  this  supply, 
closely  followed  by  New-Jersey,  while  Ohio, 
Pennsylvania,  Kentucky,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michi¬ 
gan,  Canada,  Massachusetts,  and  Connecticut, 
contribute  more  or  less.  The  first  lambs  of  the 
season  usually  come  in  from  New-Jersey,  and 
sell  alive  at  prices  equivalentto  about  25  cents  per 
lb.  for  the  dressed  meat.  The  stock  from  the 
river  counties  of  New-York,  and  the  coast  of 
New-Jersey,  comes  in  daily  by  boats,  while  that 
from  a  distance  arrives  in  double  decked  cars. 

There  are  four  principal  sheep  markets  in  the 
city,  viz. :  Chamberlin's,  at  the  foot  of  Ilobinson- 
st.,  on  the  Hudson  River  ;  Browning’s,  and  O’¬ 
Brien’s,  both  on  Sixth-st.,  near  the  Bowery  ;  and 
Allerton’s  at  the  Forty-fourth-st.  cattle  yards. 
Covered  pens  and  feeding  racks  are  provided  at 
each  of  these  markets.  The  pens  are  in  build¬ 
ings  on  floors  one  above  the  other.  Inclined  paths 
made  of  boards,  with  cleats,  or  strips  of  wood 
nailed  on,  are  constructed  for  the  sheep  to  asceffd 
to  the  different  floors.  An  old  tame  sheep  or 
leader  is  kept  at  each  yard  who  is  readily  lead  up, 
and  the  droves  of  sheep  will  generally  follow  him 
without  difficulty.  The  charge  for  yardage  is 
2  cents  per  head.  The  food  consumed  while  the 
sheep  are  waiting  purchasers  is  an  extra  charge. 
Those  having  them  on  sale,  usually  furnish  the 
feed  themselves. 

There  are  at  each  yard  regular  brokers,  who  re¬ 
ceive  at  the  boats  or  cars  any  droves  consigned 
to  them,  which  they  take  to  the  pens,  and  dis¬ 
pose  of  to  the  best  advantage  they  can.  The  bro¬ 


kers’  commission  for  care,  selling,  and  collect 
ing,  is  usually  about  10  cents  per  head.  There  are 
also  sheep  dealers  who  go  through  the  country 
and  buy  up  sheep  at  the  best  prices  they  can,  and 
either  bring  them  in,  or  send  them  to  the  brokers. 
As  a  general  thing,  however,  it  is  better  for  farm¬ 
ers  to  sell  their  sheep  at  home,  or  come  with  them 
if  they  are  acquainted  with  the  city. 

Sheep  are  sometimes  sold  at  so  much  per  lb. 
live  weight,  which  is  readily  ascertained  by  the 
scales,  or  agreed  upon,  estimating  by  the  eye. 
When  the  market  is  well  supplied  it  is  difficult  to 
sell  them  by  weight,  butchers  preferring  to  take 
them  at  so  much  a  head.  At  this  season  of  the 
year,  ordinary  sheep,  as  killed  in  this  market,  will 
dress  about  one-half  the  home  live  weight,  the 
pelt,  blood  and  offal  making  up  the  other  half. 
When  fat  they  will  dress  from  52  lbs.  to  55  lbs. 
and  in  some  cases  even  58  lbs.  to  60  lbs.  to 
every  100  lbs.  of  live  weight.  Of  course  these 
last  are  very  fat.  The  prices  vary  greatly  with 
the  season  and  the  relative  supply  and  demand. 
Our  Market  Review  gives  the  current  prices  from 
month  to  month.  The  only  way  to  ascertain  the 
home  value  is  to  estimate  or  ascertain  the  live 
weight,  multiply  this  by  the  quoted  prices,  and 
deduct  from  this  the  expense  of  freight,  yardage, 
feed,  and  commission,  and  a  little  more  for  risk, 
in  change  of  price,  etc. 

A  great  many  of  the  sheep  offered  for  sale  dur¬ 
ing  the  Fall  are  in  thin  flesh,  and  sell  at  low 
prices.  Farmers  and  graziers  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  city  occasionally  buy  such  animals  under  the 
name  of  “  stock  ”  or  store  sheep  for  further  feed¬ 
ing. 


Comforts  tor  Cattle. 


Good  stables,  good  food,  and  good  water,  are 
the  prime  comforts  for  cattle  in  Winter.  For 
Summer,  whatever  else  they  may  have,  how  can 
they  get  along  without  a  scratching-pole  !  Rev. 
Sydney  Smith,  of  England,  was  something  of  a 
farmer,  and  used  to  visit  his  cattle  daily,  and  feed 
and  pat  them,  until  they  knew  his  voice  and  wel¬ 
comed  his  coming.  He  used  to  do  all  in  his  pow¬ 
er  to  make  them  comfortable.  He  has  been  heard 
*o  say  :  “  I  am  for  all  cheap  luxuries,  even  for 

animals  :  now,  all  animals  have  a  passion  for 
scratching  their  back-bones ;  they  break  down 
your  gates  and  paling  to  effect  this.  Look  !  this 
is  my  universal  scratcher,  a  sharp  edged  pole, 
resting  on  a  high  and  low  post,  adapted  to  every 
hight  from  a  horse  to  a  lamb.  Even  the  Edin¬ 
burgh  Reviewer  can  take  his  turn  ;  you  have  no 
idea  how  popular  it  is.  I  have  not  had  a  gate 
broken  since  I  put  it  up.  I  have  it  in  all  my  fields.” 


Remarkable  Hens. — A  subscriber  Mr.  John 
Kuhl,  Pope  Go.,  Ill.,  writes  to  the  Agriculturist , 
that  two  years  since  he  raised,  late  in  the  season, 
three  half-breed  Shanghai  chickens.  The  next 
Spring  two  of  them  commenced  laying  double 
yolked  eggs,  about  the  size  of  goose  eggs,  which 
they  continued  t.o  do  regularly  throughout  the 
season.  The  Spring  following  they  laid  only 
ordinary  sized  eggs,  but  the  remaining  fowl  then 
began  to  lay  double  sized  eggs  as  the  others  had 
done  previously.  These  liens  weighed  respect¬ 
ively  6  lbs.,  6£  lbs.,  and  7  lbs.  Eggs-elent  work  ! 

- -s3— * - «ga  tg>-  ■  6  qc» - 

Mrs.  Partington  desires  to  know  why  the  cap¬ 
tain  of  any  vessel  don’t  keep  a  memorandum  of 
the  weight  of  his  anchor,  instead  of  “  weighing 
anchor”  every  time  he  leaves  a  port! 

Keep  this  in  Mind. — Correction  does  much, 
but  encouragement  does  more  ;  encouragement 
after  censure  is  as  the  sun  after  a  shower. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


»$ 'cpt, 


Fi«.  i. _ WALNUT  MOTH,  OR  BUTTERFLY — (Ceratocampa  regalis.) 


We  present,  above,  a  life  size  engraving  of  the 
largest  of  the  moth  species  yet  found  in  this  sec¬ 
tion  of  the  country.  One  other  species,  the  Sa- 
turnia  cecropia  has  broader  wings  we  believe,  but 
they  are  not  quite  so  long.  The  caterpillar,  from 
which  this  butterfly  is  produced  is  shown  in  its 
full-grown,  natural  size,  in  fig.  2  below,  and  will 
be  readily  recognized  by  many  persons  who  have 
seen  it  feeding  upon  black-walnut,  butternut,  hick¬ 
ory,  and  other  trees  of  similar  character.  These 
monster  butterflies,  which  measure  nearly  half  a 
foot  from  tip  to  tip  of  the  wings  are  frequently 
seen  in  early  Summer,  especially  where  the  above 
named  trees  abound.  This  species  is  not  very 
prolific, diowever,  and  the  butterflies  are  compar¬ 
atively  rare,  and  on  this  account,  perhaps,  we 
have  never  seen  a  sketch  of  it,  we  believe. 
The  drawings  and  following  description  have  been 
prepared  for  the  American.  Agriculturist ,  by  Mr. 


mens  which  may  be  obtained  by  those,  especial¬ 
ly,  who  live  in  the  vicinity  of  walnut  trees.  We 
shall  be  glad  to  receive  notes  of  further  observa¬ 
tions  not  only  upon  this,  but  upon  other  insects 
which  have  not  as  yet  been  fully  described  in 
scientific  works. 

The  Moth  or  Butterfly  [fig.  1). — The  color  of  the 
upper  wings  is  a  blackish  gray,  with  frequent  yel¬ 
low  spots,  and  stripes,  some  of  them  of  consid¬ 
erable  size.  The  veins  are  iron-red.  The  lower 
wings  are  of  iron-red  color  and  spotted  similar¬ 
ly  to  the  upper  ones.  The  general  color  of  the 
body  is  also  iron-red  ;  two  yellow  stripes  run 
from  the  head  down  the  back  of  the  thorax  or 
chest ;  and  upon  the  abdomen  are  nine  yellow 
cross  stripes.  The  male  and  female  are  alike  in 
color  and  general  form  ;  the  female  has  narrow¬ 
er  antennae  (feelers) ;  is  generally  larger  than  the 
male,  and  has  proportionally  a  thicker  body. 
Our  sketch  is  from  a  female  specimen.  This 
moth  is  generally  seen  on  the  wing  only  at  night. 
They  are  most  easily  caught  when  just  issuing 
from  the  pupa  (a,  fig.  3)  ;  they  remain  for  a  time 
on  shrubs  or  the  trunks  of  the  trees,  which  they 
do  not  leave  until  they  have  obtained  their  full 
size  and  strength.  As  with  all  moths  or  butter¬ 
flies,  the  development  is  very  rapid. 

The  Caterpillar  (fig.  2)  is  the  most  attractive 
and  beautiful  state  of  this  insect.  Its  size,  as 
shown  by  the  engraving,  is  enormous.  The  fe¬ 
male  caterpillar  attains  the  weight  of  2£  ounces 
here  at  the  north,  and  it  is  described  to  be  much 
larger  at  the  south.  A  specimen  in  Texas  was 
reported  to  have  weighed  fifteen  ounces  ! — an  ex¬ 


C.  Gunther,  from  specimens  obtained  in  this  vi¬ 
cinity,  and  as  above  remarked,  the  engravings 
show  the  actual  or  life  size  of  the  full  grown  in¬ 
sects.  It  will  be  a  pleasant  exercise  for  the  read¬ 
ers  to  preserve  this  page,  if  they  do  not  keep 
their  numbers  entire,  and  next  Spring  compare 
the  drawings  and  descriptions  with  living  speci¬ 


aggeration  most  probably.  The  whole  body  is  di¬ 
vided  into  a  series  of  indentations  and  elevations, 
or  rings,  and  has  a  general  green  or  greenish 
color.  The  elevations  are  marked  with  pale 
blue  stripes.  Upon  each  elevated  ring  stand  out 
six  black  branching  thorns,  at  equal  distances 
from  each  other.  Upon  the  ring  next  to  the  pos. 


terior  one  is  also  a  long 
black  thorny  horn,  or 
spine.  Along  both  sides 
of  the  body  are  longi¬ 
tudinal  black  and  white 
curved  stripes,  with  a 
black  spot  on  the  curved 
point.  The  head,  and 
posterior  valves,  are 
orange  color  above,  trim¬ 
med  with  black  below. 
Ten  long  thorny  horns 
stand  out  separately  on 
the  back  of  the  head. 
The  lower  half  of  these 
are  an  orange  color,  and 
the  upper  half  black,  ex¬ 
cept  the  front  two  which 
are  entirely  black.  Four 
of  these  horns  are  one 
inch  in  length,  four  i  inch, 
and  two  are  only  i 
inch  long,  giving  the  head  a  singular  appearance. 
Three  large  velvet-black  spots  are  seen  between 
the  pairs  of  horns.  The  six  fore-feet  are  small, 
of  orange  color  ;  the  eight  hind  feet  are  very  long, 
of  brownish  yellow  striped  with  black. 

The  horns  are  good 
weapons  against  other 
insects,  and  they  will 
throw  them  back  menac¬ 
ingly  upon  the  hand  if  you 
touch  the  back  of  the 
animal,  but  they  are  per¬ 
fectly  harmless.  This 
defense  against  insects 
may  account  for  the  fact 
that  I  have  never  found 
insect  eggs  upon  the  body 
of  this  species  of  cater¬ 
pillar,  as  I  have  always 
done  upon  every  other 
variety  that  I  have  ex¬ 
amined.  This  caterpillar 
feeds  upon  the  leaves 
of  all  varieties  of  the 
walnut,  also  upon  those 
of  the  sweet-gum  ( sly - 
rax  ?),  and  even  upon  the 
hard-leaved  sycamore. 
When  young,  the  color  is 
dark  brown,  and  the 
Fij.  3.  horns, being  then  dispro¬ 

portionately  long,  give  it 
an  odd  appearance.  After  the  third  change  ot 
skin,  the  color  becomes  reddish,  and  on  the  fifth 
change  it  has  the  appearance  described  above. 

So  soon  as  fully  grown  it  goes  down  several 
inches  into  the  ground,  and  without  spinning  a 
cocoon,  changes  into  a  chrysalis  state  as  shown 
at  a,  in  fig.  3.  It  remains  under-ground  during 
Winter,  and  comes  out  the  last  of  May  or  first  of 
June  in  this  latitude,  a  perfect  moth. 
The  eggs  laid  by  the  moth  are  about 
the  size  of  a  radish  seed,  of  green 
color  at  first.  I  found  in  a  large  fe¬ 
male,  which  I  examined,  65  eggs — a 
small  number  in  comparison  with 
other  varieties  of  moths.  Only  two 
eggs  appear  to  be  laid  upon  a  single 
tree,  or  at  least  I  have  never  found  more  than  two 
caterpillars  of  the  same  size  upon  any  one  tree. 

The  procreative  organs  of  the  male  are  pecu¬ 
liar.  I  have  shown  them  in  b,  fig.  3,  which  ex¬ 
hibits  the  three  movable  valves,  four  large  and 
four  small  horn-like  hooks,  etc. 

Within  the  body  of  the  butterfly  there  is  an  air- 


1850. 


AMERICAN  AG-RIC  U LTURIST. 


QG9 


bladder  about  halt'  an  inch  long,  resembling  the 
air-bladder  in  fishes,  but  whether  serving  the 
same  purpose,  viz. :  for  giving  greater  or  less 
weight  to  the  body,  or  whether  used  simply  as  a 
lung  or  air  receptacle,  I  can  not  yet  decide. 

These  insects  have  been  quite  numerous  in  the 
vicinity  of  New-York  City  during  the  past  two 
vears,  which  is  rather  strange,  as  in  all  works 
treating  upon  millers  and  butterflies,  this  is  ac¬ 
counted  the  rarest  of  all,  and  is  regarded  as  a  spe¬ 
cial  ornament  to  collections  of  insects.  Though 
oflarge  size  and  consuming  an  enormous  amount 
of  leaves,  it  can  hardly  be  feared  as  a  pest,  owing 
to  its  being  found  only  in  limited  numbers  on  the 
same  tree. 


Wheat  Insects— The  “Midge” - II. 

( Continued,  from  page  241.) 

Having  succeeded  in  procuring  specimens  of 
the  Clear-winged  Wheat  Fly,  or  “  midge,” 
( Ccciilomyia  Tritici)  and  its  larva,  we  present  en¬ 
gravings  of  them,  as  was  promised  last  month. 

In  fig.  5,  p  represents  the  female  fly,  largely 
magnified — r,  the  little  insect  seen  at  the  left 
shows  the  exact  size  of  the  full  grown  fly. 

In  fig.  6,  t  shows  the  form  of  a  male  fly — u,  the 
larva,  or  worm,  greatly  magnified — s.  a  kernel  of 
wheat  in  the  chaff  with  several  of  the  laivee,  or 
worms,  feeding.  From  one  to  a  dozen  or  more 
of  these  are  found  on  single  kernels. 

These  insects  have  long  been  known  in  Europe  ; 
an  account  of  their  appearance  was  published  in 
England  as  early  as  1672.  They  have  at  times 
been  very  destructive  in  England  and  Scotland. 
They  were  first  noticed  in  this  country,  it  is  said, 
about  the  y  ear  1828  in  the  northern  part  of  Ver¬ 
mont,  and  on  the  borders  of  Canada.  From  this 
region  they  spread  in  various  directions  over  a 
large  section  of  the  country,  advancing  from 
twenty  to  thirty  miles  a  year,  and  are  now  the 
principal  destroyers  of  the  wheat  crop  in  the 
Eastern  and  Middle  States,  the  Chinch  bug  being 
more  common  in  the  South  and  far  West.  In  many 
sections  where  wheat  was  once  the  staple  crop, 
its  cultivation  is  almost  wholly  abandoned  from 
fear  of  this  pest.  They  have  been  greatly  checked 
by  the  frosts  of  the  present  year,  and  we  may 
hope  nearly  or  quite  exterminated,  in  some  local¬ 
ities,  at  least.  Reports  encourage  this  expectation. 

The  perfect  insect  is  a  small  gnat,  at  first  of  a 
whitish  color,  but  soon  changing  to  an  orange 
yellow.  In  form  it  somewhat  resembles  a  mos¬ 
quito,  but  is  considerably  smaller,  being  only 
about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  long,  and  late  in  the 
season  many  are  not  more  than  half  this  size. 
It  has  long,  slender,  pale  yellow  legs,  and  two 
transparent  wings,  which  reflect  the  tints  of  the 
rainbow,  and  are  fringed  with  delicate  hairs.  Its 
antennae  are  blackish,  tjrose  of  the  females  are 
about  as  long  as  the  body,  and  those  of  the  males 
twice  this  length.  The  eyes  are  black  and  prom¬ 
inent.  The  flies  appear  from  the  first  of  June 
to  the  end  of  August,  according  to  the  latitude, 
being  later  as  we  advance  North.  The  forward¬ 
ness  of  the  season  also  varies  the  time  of  their 
egress  from  the  earth. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Agriculturist ,  Mr.  Dan’l. 
Steck,  who  has  observed  them  quite  carefully, 
and  from  whose  account  of  them  we  have  de¬ 
rived  many  facts,  writes  that  in  Lycoming  Co., 
Pa.,  Lat.  41J°,  they  make  their  appearance  from 
the  1st  to  the  10th  of  June.  They  live,  after  at¬ 
taining  the  winged  state,  about  twenty  days.  At 
the  age  of  nine  or  ten  days  they  begin  to  deposit 
their  eggs,  which  they  continue  to  do  each  day, 
for  about  an  hour  early  in  the  morning,  and  the 
same  time  in  the  evening.  The  remainder  of  the 


time  they  rest  upon  the  ground  in  the  shade  of 
the  grain.  Sometimes,  however,  they  are  seen 
at  work  upon  the  grain  during  still,  cloudy 
weather.  If  it  should  be  windy,  rainy,  or  quite 
cold  at  the  time  they  usually  deposit  their  eggs, 
they  are  obliged  to  remain  upon  the  earth,  and 
hence  on  such  days  can  do  no  mischief.  This 
we  are  informed,  was  the  case  many  days  this 
season,  so  that  grain  was  less  injured  by  them 
than  usual.  The  eggs  are  deposited  by  the  fe¬ 


male  upon  the  kernels  of  the  wheat,  by  means  of 
her  egg  tube,  which  she  inserts  in  the  opening 
between  the  valves  of  the  corolla  or  chaff  which 
enclose  the  developing  kernel.  As  many  as  ten 
are  often  found  on  one  kernel.  In  about  eight 
days  the  larva  or  maggot,  ( u  in  fig.  6),  is  hatched 
from  the  egg,  and  commences  operation  upon  the 


Fig.  o. 


immature  grain,  from  which  it  sucks  the  juice,  of 
course  preventing  its  full  growth,  and  when 
enough  of  them  are  present,  rendering  it  entirely 
worthless. 

Towards  the  end  of  July  the  larvae  have  attain¬ 
ed  their  full  size,  and  are  prepared  to  undergo  the 
next  change  in  their  condition.  They  cease 
feeding,  the  body  of  the  worm  contracts  within 
the  skin,  and  it  remains  torpid  in  this  state 
for  a  few  days.  It  then  bursts  this  envelope,  and 
emerges  from  one  end,  leaving  its  shell  behind. 
Its  appearance  is  slightly  altered.  It  is  shorter 
than  before,  somewhat  flattened,  and  more  ob¬ 
tuse,  and  has  an  oblong  greenish  spot  in  the 
middle  of  the  body.  In  two  or  three  days  after 
moulting  (casting  the  skin),  the  insects  fall  to  the 
ground,  where  they  burrow  from  half  an  inch  to 
an  inch  below  the  surface.  Here  they  lie  en¬ 
sconced  until  the  following  June,  when  they  un¬ 
dergo  their  next  change,  that  is,  from  larvae  to 


pupae.  This  change  is  completed  without  casting 
their  skin  ;  the  wings  and  limbs  of  the  yet  im¬ 
perfect  insect  being  unconfined,  instead  of  close¬ 
ly  enveloped,  as  is  usual  in  the  pupa  state.  The 
pupa  in  a  few  days  works  its  way  to  the  surface, 
casts  its  skin  for  the  last  time*  and  emerges  in 
the  final,  complete  state — the  ily — ready  to  mul¬ 
tiply  its  species  for  further  depredations. 

Various  methods  for  destroying  the  insect,  or 
preventing  its  ravages,  have  been  tried,  some  ol 
them  apparently  with  partial  success.  It  is  stated 
that  quicklime,  sowed  thickly  upon  the  surface  of 
the  field  immediately  after  harvest,  will  kill  the 
larva;  that  are  about  taking  up  their  Winter 
quarters.  Others  have  tried  by  deep  plowing  in 
the  Fall,  to  bury  them  beyond  hope  of  a  resur¬ 
rection.  In  many  sections,  only  Spring  wheat  is 
cultivated,  and  sown  late,  so  that  the  insects  will 
have  disappeared  before  the  grain  is  forward 
enough  to  allow  them  to  deposit  their  eggs  upon 
the  kernel,  and  in  this  manner  good  crops  are  se¬ 
cured.  Others  have  good  success  by  sowing  quick 
growing  wheat  very  early  in  Autumn,  so  that  the 
grain  will  be  too  far  advanced  toward  maturity  to 
receive  injury  from  the  larvae.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  when  the  habits  of  these  insects  become 
more  generally  known,  and  means  are  found  for 
their  destruction,  there  may  be  united  action  on 
the  part  of  wheat  growers,  by  which  the  pest  may 
be  thoroughly  routed. 


The  Currant  Moth. 

Most  of  our  readers  will  know  at  once  what 
is  meant  by  the  above.  Nearly  all  gardens  have 
suffered  from  the  larvae  of  this  insect.  They  ap¬ 
pear  on  the  leaves  of  the  currant  bush  in  great 
numbers  about  the  middle  of  May.  When  first 
noticed,  they  are  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long, 
and  as  large  as  a  common  knitting  needle.  They 
are  of  a  light  yellow,  and  marked  with  black 
spots.  They  grow  from  week  to  week,  until  by 
the  middle  of  June  they  are  an  inch  long.  So 
ravenous  are  they  that  they  soon  strip  the  bushes 
of  most  of  their  foliage,  which,  of  course,  materi¬ 
ally  injures  the  fruit,  checking  its  growth,  caus¬ 
ing  it  to  ripen  prematurely  and  to  fall  from  the 
stems.  When  fully  grown,  they  descend  to  the 
ground  and  burrow  beneath  it,  and  soon  change 
into  the  pupa  state.  After  lying  in  the  soil  a  few 
days,  the  shell  of  the  pupa  opens,  and  the  winged 
insect  crawls  forth  and  flies  into  the  air,  where 
it  roams  about  gaily  for  a  month  or  more.  It 
is  chiefly  a  night  bird,  however,  keeping  its  bed 
by  day,  and  flying  about  soon  after  sunset.  In  the 
latter  part  of  July  or  the  first  of  August,  it  lays 
its  eggs  and  dies.  These  eggs  hatch  out  the  fol¬ 
lowing  May,  and  the  young  brood  renew  the 
work  of  destruction  on  the  currant  bushes. 

Many  remedies  have  been  tried  for  extermi¬ 
nating  this  pest,  but  they  have  not  been  perfect¬ 
ly  successful.  Soot,  ashes,  lime,  guano,  tobacco- 
water — none  of  them  are  effective,  at  least  if  ap¬ 
plied  when  the  worm  has  reached  much  size. 
Last  Summer,  we  began-  the  campaign  early,  by 
applying  whale-oil  soapsuds,  of  twice  the  usual 
strength,  where  the  worms  first  appeared, and  then 
we  added  a  dusting  of  lime.  This  did  not  entire¬ 
ly  exterminate  them,  but  it  killed  multitudes. 

A  neighbor  of  ours  treated  them  to  strong 
brine,  and  he  thought  they  rather  liked  it,  as  it 
killed  none,  and  they  kept  on  increasing  in  size 
and  numbers.  He  found  nothing  so  successful  as 
hand-picking,  and  crushing  or  burning.  We  have 
kept  them  in  a  degree  of  subjection  by  giving 
the  bushes  a  daily  shake  or  two,  and  treading 
upon  all  that  fell  to  the  ground.  Would  that 
the  robin  and  yellow  bird  might  help  us  in  this 
battle,  instead  of  stealing  our  strawberries. 


370 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


The  Hog  Nuisance. 


If  “  Sufferer,”  who  in  our  July  number,  p.  203, 
gave  an  account  of  his  troubles  with  his  neigh¬ 
bor’s  pigs,  will  call  into  our  office,  we  will  now 
give  him  ocular  evidence  that  he  is  not  alone  in 
his  sufferings,  as  we  have  dire  complaints  from 
many  sections  of  the  country.  Really,  it  would 
seem  as  if  an  ancient  herd  of  swine  we  read  of, 
which  o-n  a  certain  time  took  a  cold  bath  in  the  sea 
of  Gallilee,  must  have  come  to  life  again  and 
scattered  themselves  over  this  country,  retaining 
just  that  “state  of  mind”  they  were  in  w'hen 
they  “  ran  violently  down  that  steep  place.”  If 
“our  neighbor’s  hog”  nuisance  be  one-half 
what  it  appears  to  be,  it  is  high  time  every  hog 
owner  should  at  once  look  to  his  porkers.  There 
should  be  an  immediate  rise  in  the  price  of  wire, 
owing  to  the  immense  amount  used  for  snout- 
rings.  Seriously,  after  what  we  have  recently 
read  and  heard,  we  should  feel  constrained  to  be¬ 
seech  every  reader  of  the  Agriculturist  to  look 
into  the  matter  at  once  and  see  if  he  be  not  one 
of  the  offenders,  but  we  can  hardly  believe  that 
one  of  our  readers  is  so  indifferent  to  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  his  neighbors,  as  to  need  a  word 
of  caution  in  this  respect.  It  is  too  much  to  sup¬ 
pose  that  any  person  civilized  enough  to  take  and 
read  an  agricultural  paper,  would  be  so  careless, 
so  ungenerous,  as  to  allow'  his  hogs  to  infest  a 
neighbor’s  premises.  If  we  should  hear  of  any 
such  one,  the  temptation  would  be  strong  to  re¬ 
turn  his  subscription  money,  and  stop  his  paper, 
the  sending  of  which  in  such  a  case  w'ould  cer¬ 
tainly  be  “  casting  pearls  before  swine.”  We  can 
not  believe  there  is  such  a  one,  and  will  not 
therefore  take  up  space  in  arguing  the  wrong  of 
the  thing.  All  that  can  be  said  to  our  folks  is  to 
throw  out  a  hint  or  two  as  to  the  best  means  of 
saving  themselves  from  the  depredations  of  out¬ 
siders,  and  for  this  purpose  we  extract  sugges¬ 
tions  accompanying  complaining  letters  before  us. 

“A  Sufferer  ”  writing  from  Odessa,  says  he  has 
in  several  instances  tried  shooting  the  marauding 
hogs  with  very  fine  shot,  using  only  a  small 
charge  of  powder,  and  standing  at  such  a  distance 
that  the  shot  only  penetrate  the  skin  on  the 
fleshly  part  of  the  animal.  The  swine  go  home 
squealing,  and  the  owners  take  a  hint  to  keep 
them  out  of  harm’s  way  thereafter.  He  says 
this  has  each  time  proved  effective,  as  we  doubt 
not  it  would,  but  we  can  hardly  recommend  the 
practice  to  general  adoption.  Everybody  might 
not  judge  accurately  as  to  the  amount  of  powder 
to  be  used,  and  the  destruction  of  an  animal  would 
often  occur.  Further,  it  is  giving  the  poor  brutes 
long  continued  suffering  for  what  they  are  not  to 
blame.  The  owners  themselves  should  take  the 
pain  if  any  one,  and  trying  shot  on  them  we 
should  not  like  to  recommend.  This  shooting 
business  would  in  most  cases  lead  to  quarrels  and 
retaliation.  We  should  prefer,  as  a  last  resort,  to 
use  large  shot  and  pay  for  the  carcasses,  if  need 
be,  making  up  what  we  could  from  the  soap-fat 
obtained. 

Another  recommends  a  dose  of  ipecac  mixed 
with  tempting  food  and  placed  where  the  pests 
congregate.  He  says  a  second  dose  has  some¬ 
times  been  needed,  but  never  a  third. 

Another  says  he  tried  collecting  the  hogs  and 
giving  them  a  sound  “switching.”  A  second 
dose  on  the  following  day  was  a  sufficient  warn¬ 
ing:  “  they  have  not  been  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  my  field  since,  though  three  weeks  have 
elapsed.” 

Another  recommends  a  liberal  supply  of  broken 
bottles  and  other  glass-ware  strewed  in  the 
lounging  holes  of  the  hogs.  Rather  a  savage  dose. 

Another  recommends  catching  the  animals  as 


often  as  they  come  around,  thrusting  a  wire 
through  the  snout,  bending  it  into  a  ring  and  fas¬ 
tening  it. 

Another  advises  to  split  a  strong  stick  and  slip 
it  upon  the  ear  of  any  luckless  “foreign  pig” 
that  comes  where  it  don’t  belong.  The  difficulty 
in  such  cases  w’ould  be  to  catch  the  animal,  for 
hogs  of  the  class  complained  of  are  generally  the 
long-legged  breeds,  and  to  seize  them  would  in¬ 
volve  the  necessity  of  keeping  a  kind  of  dog  which 
is  generally  a  greater  nuisance  than  half-a-dozen 
wild  hogs. 

Another  says  he  practised  shutting  up  his 
neighbor’s  hogs  every  time  they  came  on  to  his 
premises,  sending  word  to  the  owner  that  they 
were  necessarily  confined,  and  politely  requesting 
him  to  take  them  away.  This  proved  a  perpetual 
cure. 

Another  says  he  first  stated  the  case  to  his 
neighbor,  and  then  every  time  the  hogs  crossed 
to  his  half  of  the  road,  he  sent  a  message,  some¬ 
times  oral,  and  sometimes  a  written  one,  re¬ 
questing  him  politely  to  look  after  his  swine.  A 
few  warnings  of  this  kind  wrought  out  a  cure. 

Other  harsher  remedies  are  proposed,  but  we 
think  the  last  two  the  better  ones,  and  that  they 
will  be  effectual,  in  ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a 
hundred.  We  have  thus  given  considerable  space 
to  this  subject,  believing  that  the  mere  agitation 
of  the  question  will  be  sufficient  to  set  people 
thinking.  Generally  most  infringements  upon 
neighbors  are  more  the  result  of  carelessness,  or 
thoughtlessness,  than  from  evil  purpose,  and  a 
hint  is  sufficient.  Show  the  trespassers  this  ar¬ 
ticle  and  the  former  one,  and  it  will  doubtless 
open  their  eyes. 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

“Running  in  Debt.” 

A  large  majority,  probably  five-sixths  of  the 
farmers  of  this  country  owe  part  of  the  purchase 
money  for  their  farms,  which  are  mortgaged  as 
security  for  its  payment.  This  is  deplored  by 
many  as  an  almost  unmitigated  evil,  and  they  are 
very  fluent  in  expatiating  upon  the  evils  which 
they  believe  are  inseparable  from  such  a  state  of 
things.  They  represent  the  debtor  as  under  an 
oppressive  bondage  that  cripples  his  energies, 
deters  him  from  making  needed  improvements, 
and  compels  him  to  toil  year  after  year,  perhaps 
for  a  lifetime,  for  the  benefit  of  the  creditor,  who 
is  not  unfrequently  pictured  as  a  grasping,  unre¬ 
lenting,  soul-less  being.  Undoubtedly  many 
have  unwisely  encumbered  themselves  too  heav¬ 
ily,  and  others,  lacking  energy,  are  bearing  as  a 
burden  what  they  might  make  a  stepping  stone  to 
competence.  The  complaints  of  such  have  led 
some  to  conclude  that  debt  is  an  evil  in  which 
no  farmer  should  become  involved. 

But,  although  it  might  indeed  be  every  way 
easier  and  more  agreeable  for  each  to  own  his 
farm  free  and  unincumbered,  not  one  in  a  thou¬ 
sand  can  ever  enter  this  happy  experience  with¬ 
out  the  previous  purgatory,  as  some  term  it,  of 
years  of  debt.  The  capital  necessary  to  acquire 
a  farm,  is  seldom  accumulated  by  the  single  ex¬ 
ertions  of  the  man  with  only  his  pair  of  hands. 
Acquiring  such  a  possession  maybe  compared  to 
laying  siege  to  a  fortified  town.  The  assailants 
can  hardly  hope  to  silence  all  the  batteries  and 
effect  the  capture  by  one  effort.  They  strive 
first  to  make  a  breach,  to  gain  a  footing  in  some 
important  point,  from  which  the  after  operations 
can  be  conducted  to  finally  reduce  the  whole 
place.  So  with  the  young  man  who  has  a  com¬ 
petence  to  conquer  by  his  unaided  efforts.  He 
must  first  effect  a  lodgment  upon  the  desired 


premises,  and  then  if  lie  have  skill  and  energy  he 
makes  the  farm  assist  in  securing  his  possession. 
Stock,  farming  utensils  and  appliances,  which 
would  require  all  his  small  capital  if  purchased  at 
once,  can  be  acquired  gradually  while  on  the  farm. 

But  there  is  another  positive  advantage  in  debt 
under  such  circumstances  which  should  not  be 
overlooked.  It  keeps  continually  before  a  man 
an  object  to  be  attained.  The  recollection  that  in¬ 
terest  day  is  coming  and  that  payment  must  be 
met  is  a  stimulus  that  overcomes  the  temptation 
to  many  an  idle  hour,  calls  out  the  best  energy, 
quickens  ingenuity,  and  promotes  economy.  A 
large  plaster  of  debt,  well  put  on,  would  be  a 
capital  application  to  many  a  man  that  is  now 
good  for  very  little,  not  feeling  compelled  to  work. 
No  doubt  a  man  might  do  as  much,  when  free 
from  debt,  but  will  he  usually  1  The  man  settled 
upon  a  place  he  is  striving  to  secure,  is  battling 
for  his  home,  every  dollar  he  pays  toward  it,  is  a 
nail  driven  to  secure  its  possession  to  himself  and 
family,  and  this,  if  anything,  will  “bring  him  out." 

• - - - - 


Blinks  from  a  Lantern . XI. 

BY  DIOGENES  REDIVIVUS. 


THE  INFATUATION  OF  MUCH  LAND. 

In  my  peregrinations  through  the  land,  in  search 
of  a  farmer,  I  find  the  passion  for  real  estate,  in 
the  shape  of  more  territory,  is  almost  universal. 
It  is  not  indeed  a  sin  peculiar  to  the  Anglo  Saxon 
race,  for  it  characterizes  all  people,  as  soon  as  they 
emerge  from  the  savage  or  nomadic  state,  and  be¬ 
gin  to  hold  the  soil  in  fee  simple.  It  was  a  strik¬ 
ing  feature  in  the  life  of  the  old  Greeks,  when  I 
was  about  in  my  first  body  ;  it  equally  marked  the 
Romans  ;  and  though  I  have  not  kept  strict  watch 
of  the  intervening  centuries,  I  have  little  doubt, 
it  has  been  perpetuated  in  unbroken  succession 
to  modern  times.  The  lust  for  more  territory, 
which  has  shown  itself  in  the  acquisition  of  Tex¬ 
as,  and  of  repeated  slices  of  Mexico,  and  which 
now  looks  longingly  to  the  gem  of  the  Antilles,  is 
only  the  national  outgrowth  of  an  individual  pas¬ 
sion,  seen  every  where  from  the  lakes  to  the 
gulf.  It  is  about  as  strong  in  the  Yankee  with 
his  three  hundred  acres,  and  two  hired  men,  as 
in  the  planter  with  his  five  thousand  acres  and 
fifty  negroes — each  having  at  least  five  acres 
lying  idle,  to  one  worked  with  any  profit. 

The  passion  prevails  not  only  among  the  dom¬ 
inant  class  in  the  rural  districts,  but  may  be  said 
to  pervade  all  classes.  Multitudes  in  the  city, 
who  hardly  get  time  to  stop  in  the  country  at  all, 
own  large  estates  there,  and  capitalists,  who  nev¬ 
er  expect  to  work  an  acre  of  land,  own  whole 
townships.  Professional  men,  preachers,  poets, 
doctors,  lawyers,  and  politicians,  have  all  their 
bright  ideals  of  some  Sunny  Side,  Idlewild,  or 
other  clover-nook,  in  the  near  future,  when  they 
will  exchange  literally  “  sermons  for  stones  the 
babbling  of  verse  for  brooks  that  babble  in  soft¬ 
est  music  ;  pills  for  pillions  and  palfreys  am¬ 
bling  over  the  smoothest  of  country  roads  ;  briefs 
for  breakfasts  at  sunrise,  and  the  contemplation 
of  broad  acres ;  speeches  for  peaches,  grapes, 
and  figs,  under  one’s  own  vine  and  fig-tree. 

Citizen  and  farmer  alike  covet  a  little  land, 
moreland,  most  land,  until  their  capital  is  nearly 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


371 


all  invested  in  this  commodity.  I  have  never  yet 
seen  an  analysis  of  this  universal  passion  attempt¬ 
ed,  and  as  I  have  not  forgotten  all  my  habits 
as  a  philosopher,  I  will  give  my  readers  a  brief 
study  upon  this  topic. 

The  passion  is  no  doubt  in  part  hereditary, 
growing  somewhat  stronger  with  every  genera¬ 
tion,  as  the  soil  becomes  peopled,  and  made  more 
valuable  by  the  labors  of  the  race.  As  a  tribe 
first  emerges  from  barbarism,  and  the  ownership 
of  the  soil  is  delegated  by  the  chief  to  individuals, 
it  becomes  a  badge  of  personal  independence,  and 
power.  The  subject,  who  from  time  immemo¬ 
rial  has  been  a  vassal,  and  serf— an  attache  of  the 
soil — becomes  now  the  owner  and  disposer  of  the 
soil.  The  fields  that  have  so  long  yielded  their 
reluctant  fruits  and  grains,  mainly  for  anothers 
comfort  and  luxury,  while  the  toil  and  Sweat 
have  been  his,  are  now  to  yield  their  willing  har¬ 
vests  for  him,  and  to  be  a  possession  to  himself, 
and  his  lieits,  forever.  The  love  of  the  soil  be¬ 
comes  intensified  by  one  of  the  strongest  instincts 
of  human  nature.  Ownership  therein  is  the  badge 
of  personal  freedom  and  power.  It  is  but  a  step 
from  this  sentiment  to  the  idea  that  the  soil  is  the 
measure  of  that  freedom,  and  of  course  the  more 
land  a  man  owns,  the  greater  and  richer  he  is. 

Then,  in  this  country  at  least,  land  is  more 
readily  procured  by  the  poor,  than  almost  any  other 
species  of  property.  It  can  be  had  to  almost  any 
extent,  on  credit.  If  a  house  is  sold  thus,  it  may 
burn  down  the  day  after  sale,  and  the  seller  lose 
the  capital  invested  in  it,  by  the  inability  of  the 
purchaser  to  meet  his  notes.  If  money  is  lent, 
the  death  of  the  borrower  may  deprive  the  lend¬ 
er  of  his  security.  But  where  land  is  sold,  a 
mortgage  secures  the  capitalist.  He  has  the  fair 
prospect  of  an  increase  in  the  value  of  his  secur¬ 
ity,  from  year  to  year,  by  the  labors  of  the  pur¬ 
chaser,  who  has  the  strong  motive  of  ownership 
to  make  him  do  his  best  for  the  soil. 

The  motive  of  vanity,  also  has  something  to  do 
with  this  passion  for  land.  A  man  may  own  bank 
stock,  or  invest  in  notes  of  hand,  and  make  very 
little  show  of  his  wealth.  But  land  has  breadth 
of  surface.  It  lies  open  to  the  sunlight,  and  sus¬ 
tains  lofty  trees,  and  other  natural  objects,  court¬ 
ing  observation.  It  may  be  greatly  adorned, 
and  attract  the  gaze  of  all  passers  by.  It  is  a 
means  ot  measuring  personal  importance  by  the 
acre,  eagerly  grasped  by  multitudes  who  have 
no  other  claim  to  the  consideration  of  their  fel¬ 
lows.  This  motive  is  particularly  strong  in  the 
Anglo  Saxon  race, who  are  much  more  ready  to  pay 
taxes  on  double  the  amount  of  their  personal  and 
real  estate,  than  to  lie  under  the  imputation  of 
being  worth  a  dollar  less  than  their  real  value. 
John  Bull  and  Jonathan  both  luxuriate  in  the 
reputation  of  riches,  love  to  hear  the  ring  of  the 
metal  in  their  breeches  pocket,  and  point  to  the 
broad  acres,  that  herald  their  achievements. 
They  are  more  or  less  “  punkins  ”  themselves, 
in  their  own  esteem,  as  they  can  point  to  their 
fields  where  pumpkins  grow. 

The  ownership  of  the  soil,  always  furnishes  re¬ 
munerative  employment.  The  laborer  is  no  long¬ 
er  dependent  upon  others  for  the  means  of  sub¬ 
sistence.  The  industrious  mechanic,  or  laborer, 
may  not  always  find  work,  and  may  be  reduced 
to  great  straits  because  the  market  is  over  stock¬ 
ed  with  the  only  commodity  he  has  to  sell — his 
labor.  But  he  who  owns  an  acre  of  land,  has  the 
sure  prospect  of  bread  for  his  labor  before  him. 
His  destiny  and  temporal  comfort  are  put  in  his 
own  hands,  and  he  may  call  no  man  master.  This 
makes  the  industrious  poor  especially  eager  in 
their  desire  to  possess  the  soil. 

Then  there  is  a  passion  inborn  with  us  all,  to 


have  a  permanent  home,  which  is  temporarily 
gratified  by  ownership  in  the  soil.  The  man  who 
purchases  a  farm,  even  though  it  be  mainly  on 
credit,  may  look  forward  with  confidence,  to  un¬ 
disturbed  possession  for  some  years.  The  seller 
will,  ordinarily,  be  quiet  so  long  as  the  interest 
money  is  paid,  and  this  is  generally  done  without 
extraordinary  exertions.  Here  life  will  flow  on 
as  smoothly  and  securely,  as  if  he  owned,  free 
from  incumberance,  the  soil  that  he  tills. 

The  fancied  security  of  this  kind  of  property, 
also,  makes  it  a  favorite  form  of  investment.  The 
business  man  in  the  city,  worth  his  hundreds  of 
thousands,  loves  to  have  his  solid  bit  of 
soil,  worth  but  a  few  thousands  perhaps, 
put  beyond  the  contingencies  of  trade.  If 
business  fails,  the  land  will  not,  and  bread, 
at  least,  may  be  conjured  from  its  bosom, 
when  all  other  resources  dry  up.  “  The  land  will 
not  run  away,”  is  a  proverb  of  rural  life,  reflect¬ 
ing  somewhat  severely  upon  other  kinds  of  in¬ 
vestment.  Literally  this  may  be  true,  but  in 
many  cases,  the  land  depreciates  in  value,  in  a 
few  years,  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  per  cent,  so 
that  the  proverb  must  be  taken  with  several 
grains  of  allowance. 

All  these  causes  are  operating  more  or  less 
powerfully  to  lead  men  to  the  purchase  of  land. 
Some  buy  for  show,  some  for  fear  of  future  want, 
some  for  present  security,  while  only  a  few  pur¬ 
chase  to  subdue  and  cultivate.  “Only  so  much  land 
as  we  can  till  and  make  better,”  is  the  true  mot¬ 
to  for  every  farmer.  All  beyond  this  is  a  nui¬ 
sance,  that  calls  for  abatement. 

- — — — — - 

Michigan— Advantages  for  New  Settlers. 

We  give  below  a  communication  from  the 
Michigan  State  Commissioner  of  Emigration,  in 
regard  to  the  special  advantages  offered  by  that 
State  to  those  from  the  East,  or  from  Europe, 
who  contemplate  locating  at  the  West.  It  will  of 
course  be  understood  that  these  statements  can 
not  be  wholly  unprejudiced.  Mr.  Diebenbeck,  is 
specially  appointed  to  look  after  the  interests  of 
the  State,  and  he  would  fail  to  perform  his  duty 
if  he  did  not  make  every  honorable  effort  to  pro¬ 
mote  those  interests.  We  hesitated  at  first  to 
publish  his  communication,  deeming  it  more 
appropriate  to  the  advertising  columns,  for  Mich¬ 
igan  is  the  recipient  of  lands  from  the  general 
Government,  which  she  is  desirous  of  selling ; 
and,  like  a  private  owner,  the  State  should  ad¬ 
vertise  them.  Still,  it  may  interest  our  readers 
to  learn  something  of  what  is  now  doing  in  a 
State  to  which,  at  the  time  many  of  us  were  boys, 
all  eyes  were  turned  as  the  most  inviting  farming 
region  in  all  the  west.  A  large  section  of  the 
northern  part  of  Michigan  is  as  yet  an  unbroken 
wilderness,  and  doubtless  there  are  many  as  good 
localities  there,  as  can  be  found  in  a  similar  lati¬ 
tude  a  thousand  miles  further  west,  whither  one 
branch  of  the  tide  of  emigration  has  flowed  with¬ 
in  the  last  few  years.  But  no  person  intending 
to  locate  himself  and  family  in  any  new  home 
should  fix  his  permanent  residence  until  he  has 
gone  over  the  ground,  and  for  himself  examined 
its  advantages  and  disadvantages.  But  let  us 
hear  what  is  claimed  for  Michigan. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist  : 

The  surveys  preliminary  to  the  construction  of 
several  great  State  Roads  up  through  the  northern 
parts  of  Michigan,  have  added  much  to  what  was 
before  known  of  the  natural  features  and  resources 
of  this  State.  Previous  to  these  surveys,  large 
portions  of  the  northern  section  of  the  State  had 
never  been  explored.  The  reports  given  by  the 
several  Commissioners  under  whose  supervision 


the  work  has  been  done,  are  calculated  to  increase 
the  favorable  opinions  heretofore  entertained  con¬ 
cerning  both  Peninsulas.  That  part  of  the  Lower 
Peninsula  through  which  these  roads  run,  is  fully 
equal  to  any  other  section  of  the  State  in  natural 
beauty  and  fertility  of  soil,  and  the  Upper  Penin¬ 
sula  is  in  no  way  inferior.  The  establishment  of 
Public  Roads  in  these  sections,  under  the  super¬ 
vision  of  the  Executive  of  the  State,  will  do  much 
to  induce  the  immediate  settlement  of  the  con¬ 
tiguous  country,  and  thus  the  present  wilderness 
will  be  converted  into  flourishing  farms. 

Those  in  the  East,  who  purpose  to  change  their 
homes,  should  not  overlook  the  natural  advan¬ 
tages  of  Michigan,  nor  the  liberal  offer  made  to 
settlers  upon  these  new  lands  by  the  recent  acts 
of  the  State  Legislature.  In  addition  to  the  build¬ 
ing  of  the  Roads  above  referred  to,  an  offer  is 
made  to  every  actual  settler  of  a  donation  of  40 
acres  of  land  and  a  “  pre-emption  right  ”  to  anoth¬ 
er  section,  which  is  a  more  liberal  inducement 
than  is  held  out  by  any  other  State  in  the  Union. 
It  can  hardly  be  doubted  by  an  unprejudiced  per¬ 
son  who  is  acquainted  with  the  several  north¬ 
western  States,  that  none  of  them  possess  natur¬ 
al  advantages  equal  to  those  of  Michigan.  Their 
immense  prairies  may  be  more  easily  cultivated 
than  her  forest  lands,  but  she  is  superior  in  other 
respects.  Crops  are  more  certain  there  than  on 
the  prairies,  being  much  less  liable  to  be  destroy¬ 
ed  by  Spring  rains.  The  want  of  water  and  tim¬ 
ber  is  severely  felt  in  large  portions  of  the  Prai¬ 
rie  States  ;  the  cost  of  fencing  a  prairie  farm  is 
almost  as  much  as  that  of  clearing  a  Michigan 
farm,  and  taking  into  account  the  increased  cost 
of  fuel  and  building  materials,  the  forest  lands  are 
deeidedly  superior.  These  forests  also  shelter 
the  farms  from  the  sweeping  blasts  to  which  an 
open  country  is  exposed.  Again,  Michigan  is 
traversed  in  every  direction  by  streams,  and  dot¬ 
ted  all  over  with  never  failing  springs,  so  that  no 
farm  of  over  forty  acres  can  be  found  that  is  not 
well  watered[1]  The  lakes  and  rivers  abound  in 
fish,  of  fine  varieties,  and  there  are  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  acres  lying  within  a  few  miles  of  the 
water,  yet  open  to  settlers.  There  are  most  val¬ 
uable  mineral  deposits  in  both  Peninsulas.  At 
East  Saginaw,  a  new  salt  company  is  now  in 
operation,  and  careful  geological  survey  leaves 
little  doubt  that  the  Saginaw  Valley  is  the  center 
of  a  great  salt  basin  extending  ten  or  fifteen  miles 
each  way.  Salt  is  also  manufactured  at  Grand 
Rapids,  Kent  County. 

The  coal  fields  cover  at  least  one  third  of  the 
Lower  Peninsula.  The  mines  near  Jackson,  on 
the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  already  in  opera¬ 
tion,  are  very  productive  and  of  excellent  quality. 
On  the  Shiawassee  River,  a  shaft  sunk  twenty- 
eight  feet,  passed  through  one  vein  eighteen  inch¬ 
es,  and  terminated  in  a  vein  six  feet  in  thickness. 
The  quality  is  said  to  be  equal  to  the  best  “  Briar 
Hill.”  Coal  has  also  been  found  on  the  Cass  and 
Flint  Rivers.  Professor  Challis,  an  experienced 
geologist,  found  on  the  Cass  River,  large  deposits 
of  excellent  quality  of  Cannel  coal.  He  also  dis¬ 
covered  a  fine  vein  of  iron  ore  on  Flint  River, 
which  will  well  pay  for  working.  Some  of  the 
specimens  contained  70  per  cent  of  pure  iron. 
Good  specimens  were  also  obtained  by  him  on 
Cass  River,  and  from  the  shore  of  Ottaway  Bay. 
On  this  bay  he  found  large  deposits  of  Plaster, 
very  fine  and  white.  There  is  also  on  the  shore 
of  the  Bay,  lead  ore  of  great  purity. 

The  above  shows  some  of  the  inducements 
for  emigration  to  Michigan,  and  is  perhaps 
of  interest  sufficient  to  secure  it  space  in  your 
columns,  R.  Diebenbeck, 

Commissioner  of  Emigration  for  Michigan. 


373 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  152, 


A  U  T  U  M  N — THE  LAST  LOAD. — From  a  Painting  by  Jerome  Thompson. 


The  picture  presented  above  has  a  double  inter¬ 
est.  The  painting  from  which  it  is  taken  is  the 
work  of  an  artist  who  was  brought  up  on  a  New- 
England  farm.  His  earlier  practice  in  his  art 
while  a  boy  was  amid  the  usual  labors  incident 
to  rural  life.  The  moments  of  respite,  at 
“lunch  time,” ‘“noonings,”  and  while  the  plow 
team  was  resting,  he  devoted  to  sketching  upon 
his  slate  with  pencil,  instead  of  crayon  or  brush. 
Latterly  he  has  given  his  whole  attention  to  the 
pursuit  of  his  favorite  art,  but  the  occupations  of 
earlier  years  give  character  to  most  of  his  pro¬ 
ductions.  The  seasonable  sketch  above  presented 
is  an  illustration.  It  is  essentially  an  American 
scene,  peculiar,  perhaps,  to  particular  localities, 
where  the  final  gathering  of  the  corn  is  made  a 
festive  occasion,  in  which  the  maidens  join  their 
brothers,  cousins,  and  others,  in  celebrating  the 
close  of  the  harvesting  labors,  by  a  ride  upon  the 
“  last  load.”  The  last  red  ear,  carried  aloft,  is  in¬ 
dicative  of  the  coming  “  Husking-Bee,”  when 
the  fortunate  finder  will  claim  the  privileged  kiss 


from  ruby  lips.  Another  young  laborer  extends 
his  hat  for  his  reward — the  autumnal  fruit — val¬ 
uable  in  itself,  but  doubly  so  because  received  as 
a  token  from  a  fair  hand.  The  youngster,  lean¬ 
ing  against  the  docile  team,  seems  not  to  be  a 
participant  in  the  others’  sports,  but  while  try¬ 
ing  to  appear  unconcerned,  he  is,  perhaps,  think¬ 
ing  that  his  time  will  soon  come — “  when  he  is 
a  little  older.” 

There  is  an  air  of  quiet  over  the  whole  scene 
that  well  befits  the  season.  The  very  oxen  seem 
to  show  the  consciousness  that  a  time  of  rest  is 
at  hand.  Thanks  to  Mr.  Thompson,  and  to  his 
brother  artists,  who  thus  bring  out  these  pleasant 
features.  Country  life  is  too  often  felt  to  be  only 
one  of  toil  and  care.  But  while  it  has  its  share 
of  labor  and  annoyance,  it  has  also  its  full  meed 
of  enjoyment.  We  doubt  not  that  the  group  we 
have  here  pictured  are  enjoying  themselves  every 
whit  as  much  as  the  most  fashionable  gathering 
in  any  gilded  mansion  on  earth,  though  it  be  sur¬ 
rounded  with  all  the  artificial  trappings  of  wealth. 


“Selling  Out.” 

A  correspondent,  in  a 
recent  communication, 
thus  discourses  upon 
“  certain  things  to  be 
considered  before  selling 
out :”  Some  one  re¬ 
marked  in  a  late  num¬ 
ber  of  the  American  Ag¬ 
riculturist,  that :  “  The 
most  prevalent  disease 
among  farmers — the  one 
most  fatal  to  our  coun¬ 
try’s  prosperity— is  the 
willingness  to  ‘  sell  out’.” 
This  remark  applies  to 
many  localities.  Allow 
me  to  throw  out  a  few 
suggestions  which  may 
well  be  taken  into  ac¬ 
count  before  a  final  reso¬ 
lution  to  ‘pull  up  stakes’, 
and  go  “  out  West  ”  or 
in  any  other  direction,  to 
establish  a  new  Home. 

And  first  I  ask,  are  all 
the  advantages  of  the 
present  locality  fully  im¬ 
proved  1  Does  the  farm 
produce  all  that  can  be 
extorted  from  it  by  skill¬ 
ful  labor  1  Are  there  no 
more  ‘bush  lots’  or  rock 
beds  to  clear  out,  no 
swamps  to  drain,  no 
muck-beds  to  mine  which 
would  pay  largely  for  the 
expense  oftheirimprove- 
mentl  Have  the  acres 
lying  underneath  the 
surface,  been  brought  to 
yield  all  they  are  capable 
ofl  If  not,  would  it  not 
be  wiser  to  expend  the 
amount  necessary  to  ef¬ 
fect  a  removal,  in  secur¬ 
ing  the  benefits  within 
more  easy  reach  1 
Although  the  new  loca¬ 
tion  may  possess  promi¬ 
nent  advantages,  are 
these  not  more  than 
counterbalanced  by  its 
own  peculiar  disadvanta¬ 
ges  1  Though  the  soil  may  promise  greater  har¬ 
vests,  does  it  as  surely  redeem  its  promise  1  In 
many  sections  the  land  possesses  capabilities  of 
yielding  extraordinary  crops,  but  from  peculiar 
circumstances  of  climate,  such  as  subjection  to  ex¬ 
tremes  of  temperature,  wet,  or  drouth,  not  more 
than  one  year  in  three  proves  remunerative  ;  and 
thus  there  is  a  constant  struggle  to  make  one  year 
meet  the  losses  of  others  less  favorable.  Are 
there  good  markets  easily  accessible,  where 
you  think  of  locating  1  There  can  be  little  satis¬ 
faction  in  raising  one  hundred  bushels  of  grain 
per  acre,  if,  when  raised,  it  will  bring  no  more 
than  twenty-five  would  do  on  the  ‘old  place.’ 

Is  the  new  country  a  healthy  one  1  It  is  sad  to 
see  the  poor  wrecks  that  are  continually  drifting 
back  from  far  off  regions,  where,  though  every 
thing  else  that  could  constitute  an  agricultural 
Eden  was  present,  the  subtle  malaria  poisoned 
every  source  of  enjoyment.  The  life  of  one  of 
the  little  flock  is  more  dear  than  all  the  broad 
acres  that  can  invite  one  to  their  possession. 


Sept,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


973 


How  many  have  loved  ones  resting  beneath  the 
sod  in  distant  lands,  who,  but  for  their  change  of 
home,  might  doubtless  have  gladdened  their 
hearts  for  years. 

Are  the  social  advantages  of  the  new  region 
equal  to  those  at  present  enjoyed  1  Increased 
pecuniary  gain  can  but  poorly  repay  for  the  loss 
of  good  society,  schools,  and  churches.  A  family 
brought  up  in  an  immoral  community,  away 
from  educational  and  religious  influences,  will  be 
injured  rather  than  benefited  by  any  increase  of 
worldly  wealth.  Ponder  long  and  seriously  upon 
this  question  ;  it  is  one  of  great  importance  to 
your  own  happiness  and  that  of  your  family. 

Can  you  and  your  partner  who  must  share  your 
weal  or  woe,  reconcile  yourselves  to  the  break¬ 
ing  up  of  the  old  ties  that  have  rendered  the  fa¬ 
miliar  objects  about  you — almost  parts  of  your¬ 
selves  !  Are  you  ready  to  leave  the  circle  of 
sympathizing  friends  that  will  stand  by  you  in 
every  emergency,  for  the  companionship  of  dis¬ 
trustful  strangers  1  It  will  be  many  years  before 
the  new  home  can  become  the  scene  of  associa¬ 
tions  and  recollections  that  will  endear  it,  and 
long  time  will  elapse  before  familiarity  with  the 
habits  and  character  of  new  neighbors  will  make 
it  desirable  or  safe  to  form  intimacies. 

Finally,  is  it  not  a  restless  uneasiness,  a  dis¬ 
satisfaction,  or  rather  an  unsatisfaction,  pro¬ 
ceeding  from  within,  and  not  from  any  real  hard¬ 
ships  in  your  present  circumstances,  that  makes 
you  so  ready  to  listen  to  the  golden  accounts 
which  interested  parties  give  of  happy  lands,  ‘far 
away.’  This  is  true  in  thousands  of  instances. 
A  discontented  spirit  magnifies  the  inconveniences 
of  its  present  situation,  and  imagines  that  to 
leave  it  would  bring  improvement ;  and  so  it 
might,  if  the  poor  man  could  but  leave  himself  be¬ 
hind,  but  he  carries  with  him  the  bane  that  will 
blight  the  greenest  fields,  and  poison  the  best 
springs  of  enjoyment.  Let  him  resolutely  cast 
out  this  evil  spirit,  and  he  may  then  know  that 
“  There’s  no  place  like  home.” 

One  who  has  been  “  out  West.” 


About  the  Frazer’s  Silver  Fir. 

It  seems  now  to  be  quite  generally  conceded 
that  while  the  common  Balsam  Fir  is  an  excel¬ 
lent  tree  in  many  respects,  it  is  yet  objectionable 
to  the  eye  of  taste,  for  its  stiffness  and  more  es¬ 
pecially  for  its  leanness  and  shabbiness  as  it 
grows  older.  Several  newer  varieties  of  the  Fir 
family  are  being  introduced  by  planters,  of  which 
much  is  expected.  Siberian  Silver  Fir,  ( Picea 
Pichta,)  we  know  from  the  observation  of  sever¬ 
al  years,  to  be  hardy  and  very  beautiful  while 
young.  Does  any  one  know  what  its  habits  are 
when  old  1  Frazer’s  Fir,  ( Picea  Ffazeri,)  is  also 
highly  spoken  of.  Mr.  Sargent,  in  his  new  edi¬ 
tion  of  Downing,  says  that  it  is  a  variety,  proba¬ 
bly,  of  our  common  Silver  Fir,  a  little  lighter  in 
color,  and  supposed  to  have  originated  in  the 
mountains  of  Carolina  and  Pennsylvania.  Neither 
Carrion  nor  Gordon  seem  to  place  it  anywhere 
else ;  though  we  have  trees  sent  to  us  from  Ver¬ 
mont,  by  President  Wheeler,  of  Burlington,  which 
he  thinks  identical  with  the  southern  variety  ;  and 
we  must  confess  we  quite  coincide  with  him, 
though  they  may  prove  some  sort  of  our  ordinary 
double  spruce.  At  any  rate,  both  varieties  are  as 
hardy  as  possible.” 

We  learn  from  other  sources,  that  Frazer’s 
Silver  Fir  is  often  found  on  the  sides  and  top  of 
the  Alleghanies,  on  solitary  spurs  of  those  moun¬ 
tains  in  New-York,  and  sometimes  in  New-Eng- 
land.  Travelers  report  it  as  growing  around 
Willoughby  Lake,  and  in  other  sections  of  Ver¬ 


mont  and  New-Hampshire.  Some  patriotic  ama¬ 
teurs,  who  have  seen  it  when  about  fifteen  feet 
high,  declare  it  to  be  equal  to  the  Norway  Spruce 
in  depth  and  beauty  of  foliage,  and  think  it  will 
prove  to  be  the  best  of  all  American  evergreens  ! 
Don’t  they  forget  that  the  White  Pine  and  the 
Hemlock  are  American  trees  1  We  want  to  know 
more  about  Frazer’s  Fir  as  an  old  tree.  Does  it 
grow  old  gracefully]  Is  it  superior  in  this  re¬ 
spect  to  the  common  Balsam  Fir]  We  ask  for 
our  own  information  and  that  of  tbe  tree-plant¬ 
ing  public  generally. 

- »_« - «!»»■ - - 

The  Englishman’s  love  for  Evergreens. 

We  have  formerly  remarked  in  this  paper,  that 
in  foreign  countries,  and  especially  in  England, 
evergreens  are  planted  more  extensively  than 
with  us.  In  one  of  our  exchanges,  we  find  the 
following  letter  from  an  English  nurseryman  to 
a  friend  in  this  country:  “There  never  was  a 
time  when  the  demand  for  coniferous  trees  was 
so  general  as  at  present.  They  are  purchased 
largely  by  owners  of  great  estates,  and  they  are 
extensively  patronized  in  the  small  gardens  and 
pleasure-grounds,  wherever  the  atmosphere  will 
permit  them  to  live,  for  they  seem  to  like  pure  air 

as  well  as  any  plants  we  know . Araucaria 

imbricala,  the  Hemlock,  Spruce  and  the  Cuprcssus 
funebris  seem  now  to  furnish  an  indispensable 
portion  of  those  treasures.”  Will  American 
planters  please  note  the  honor  herein  paid  to  our 
common,  but  most  beautiful  Hemlock! 

- - - - - - 

How  to  make  a  Weeping  Larch- 

One  of  the  finest  illustrations  of  the  newer  de¬ 
ciduous  trees  in  Sargent’s  edition  of  Downing,  is 
the  sketch  of  a  weeping  larch  now  growing  on 
the  Editor’s  grounds  at  Fishkill.  That  tree  is  a 
Scotch  larch,  grafted  at  the  hight  of  ten  feet  with 
another  variety  which  has  a  pendulous  habit.  The 
operation  is  not  very  easily  performed.  Some  of 
the  specimens  we  have  seen  in  the  nurseries  are 
one-sided,  and  far  less  beautiful  than  the  one 
grown  by  Mr.  Sargent. 

We  have  lately  learned  a  new  mode  of  raising 
a  weeping  larch,  which  will  seldom  fail  of  success. 
Take  the  common  American  larch,  plant  it  in  an 
open  space  where  it  can  remain  permanently,  and 
let  it  get  a  vigorous  growth  twelve  feet  high. 
Let  it  stand  at  least  two  years  and  get  thorough¬ 
ly  established  before  it  is  operated  upon.  Then 
saw  off  the  top,  at  about  ten  feet  high,  and  trim 
up  the  lower  branches  to  about  eight  feet  from 
the  ground.  The  branches  left,  will  shoot  out 
horizontally,  and  then,  in  a  year  or  two,  they  will 
droop  to  the  ground.  Those  which  start  out  at 
the  top  and  try  to  ascend,  must  be  cut  off  with  a 
bold  hand,  from  year  to  year,  keeping  the  upper 
surface  shaped  like  an  opened  umbrella.  The  tree 
thus  raised,  will  live  longer  than  the  grafted  sorts 
found  in  the  nurseries.  Rustic  seats  look  well 
under  trees  of  this  description. 


History  of  the  Verbena. 


This  plant,  which  is  now  the  delight  of  every 
garden,  is  of  comparatively  recent  introduction. 
The  first  specimen  brought  into  this  country  was 
the  variety  known  as  the  Verbena  Molindres,  a 
scarlet  flower.  Mr.  Thomas  Hogg,  a  Florist  in 
New-York,  must  have  the  honor  of  its  introduc¬ 
tion,  in  the  year  1832.  Five  years  after,  anoth¬ 
er  sort  was  brought  out,  Verbena  Tweediana,  by 
Mr.  George  Thorburn  of  New-York,  and  a  nur¬ 
seryman  of  Philadelphia,  probably  Mr.  Buist. 
This  had  a  great  popularity,  and  was  rapidly  sold 


at  three  dollars  a  plant!  In  the  year  1838,  Mr 
Eyre,  brought  a  paper  of  Verbena  seed  to  the 
United  States  from  Buenos  Ayres,  out  of  which 
were  raised  several  new  varieties,  white,  rose, 
pink,  and  purple.  These  were  extensively  prop¬ 
agated  from  cuttings,  and  enjoyed  a  wide  sale 
here  and  in  England.  Other  cities  beside  Phila¬ 
delphia,  were  stimulated  to  originate  new  sorts, 
and  soon,  Boston,  New-York,  and  Baltimore  pro¬ 
duced  their  novelties. 

The  first  striped  variety  produced  in  this  coun¬ 
try  was ,  .Striped  Eclipse,  which  is  even  now  hard¬ 
ly  eclipsed  by  any  of  the  newer  favorites.  After 
this,  came  Madame  Lemonnier ,  then  Imperatrice 
Elizabeth,  and  then  Sarah  and  others  ;  and  the 
end  is  not  yet. 

In  the  production  of  new  varieties,  an  import¬ 
ant  point  to  be  aimed  at  is,  the  getting  of  sorts 
with  conspicuous  eyes,  white  or  crimson.  “.The 
flower,”  says  our  authority  in  this  article,  “must 
be  large,  round,  no  indentations,  twists  or  fringes. 
The  truss  in  the  form  of  a  corymb,  is  most  es¬ 
teemed,  and  for  bedding  purposes  an  ample  fo¬ 
liage,  not  subject  to  mildew,  and  with  free  growth, 
throwing  the  trusses  well  above  the  foliage.”  To 
this  we  may  add,  that  the  flowers  of  the  truss 
should  all  expand  together,  making  a  complete 
circle  of  bloom  at  once. 

• - -»  • - -MHS-S— - K  «- - - 

How  to  manage  the  Lantana. 

There  is  hardly  a  more  beautiful  bedding-plant 
than  this  in  its  varieties ;  and  yet  many  persons 
fail  to  get.  an  abundance  of  flowers  from  it.  This 
is  owing  partly  to  the  soil  in  which  it  happens  to 
be  set,  and  partly  to  the  peculiarities  of  the  sea¬ 
son.  Having  suffered  in  this  way  for  two  years, 
we  resolved  to  experiment  upon  it,  and  then  to 
discard  it,  if  unsuccessful. 

As  it  grew  rankly,  we  thought  that  checking 
its  wood-growth  would  promote  its  flowering. 
And  as  it  bloomed  least  in  wet  and  cool  weather, 
we  thought  that  by  giving  it  a  dry  and  hot  situa¬ 
tion,  we  might  overcome  that  difficulty.  So,  last 
year,  on  getting  our  Spring  supply  of  plants  from 
the  florist,  we  set  each  one  into  a  quart  pot,  in¬ 
stead  of  into  the  open  ground,  and  in  potting,  we 
used  the  poorest  soil  at  command.  Then  they 
were  plunged  in  the  border  of  the  flower  garden. 
This  confinement  of  the  roots,  and  this  poor  soil, 
we  hoped  would  check  the  wood-growth.  And 
in  plunging  the  pots,  we  chose  the  hottest  and 
driest  part  of  the  garden,  and  placed  small  stones 
under  the  pot  to  drain  off  any  excess  of  moisture. 
Our  experiment  was  entirely  successful.  The 
plants  bloomed  all  Summer  long,  rivaling  the 
verbenas  in  their  abundance  of  flowers. 

- - - - - 

Times  for  Sowing  Flower  Seeds. 

Many  persons  fail  in  raising  plants  from  seeds, 
through  ignorance  of  the  proper  time  for  sowing 
them.  To  meet  this  difficulty,  we  have  taken 
some  pains  to  classify  together  those  plants  whose 
seeds  should  be  sown  in  Spring,  Summer  and  Au¬ 
tumn.  Our  readers  should  keep  this  for  reference 
when  needed. 

Spring — The  hardiest  annuals  should  be  sown 
in  Spring,  as  soon  as  frost  is  out  of  the  ground  and 
the  soil  can  be  worked.  Of  these,  we  mention  as 
the  principal,  the  following  :  Asters,  Larkspurs, 
Purple  and  White  Candytuft,  Sweet  Peas,  Poppy, 
Eryssimum,  Petunias,  Escholtzia,  Convolvulus, 
Nemophilla  in  variety,  Phlox  Drummondii,  Clark- 
ia  pulchella,  Whitlavia  grandiflora,  Coreopsis, 
Cacalia  coccinnea,  Marvel  of  Peru,  Gailardia  pic- 
ta,  Linum  grandiflorum,  Lobelia  gracilis,  Sweet 
Sultan,  Chrysanthemum,  Euphorbia,  Gilia,  Gode- 


374 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


tia,  Hibiscus,  Lupin,  Evening  Primrose,  Portu- 
lacca,  Silene,  Mignonette,  etc. 

Autumn — There  are  some  which  should  be  sown 
in  the  Fall.  Every  person  at  all  observant  of  flow¬ 
er  gardens,  must  have  noticed  that  certain  annual 
flowers  come  up  in  Spring  from  seeds  self-sown 
the  previous  year ;  and  that  these  often  make 
very  vigorous  plants,  and  bloom  a  month  or  so 
earlier  than  those  of  the  same  sort  sown  in  the 
Spring.  This  shows  that  it  is  a  good  practice  to 
sow  some  seeds  in  the  Fall.  Of  those  which  are 
found  to  succeed  well  so  treated,  we  note  the 
following : 

Adonis,  Double  Balsam,  Larkspur,  Candytuft, 
Clarkia,  Eryssimum,  Mimulas,  Perilla,  Forget- 
me-Not,  Portulacca,  Petunia,  Coreopsis,  Sun¬ 
flower,  Calliopsis  Drummondii,  Delphinium 
ajacis  humile,  Escholtzia,  Nigella  Hiepanica,  etc. 
These  may  be  sown  any  time  in  the  latter  part 
of  August  and  to  the  middle  of  September. 

Then  there  are  certain  tender  annuals  which 
succeed  better  if  started  in  a  gentle  hot-bed,  and 
then  transplanted  into  the  open  garden,  after 
Summer  is  well  established.  But  even  many  of 
these  will  do  tolerably  well  if  sown  late  in  the 
open  ground.  They  will  not  be  so  sure  to  ripen 
their  seeds.  Of  these,  we  mention  several:  Am- 
aranthus  tricolor,  Ammobium  alatum,  Bartonia 
aurea,  Browallia,  Thunbergia,  Calandrina,  Bal¬ 
loon  Vine,  Indian  Shot,  Cockscomb,  Clintonia, 
Collinsia,  Commelina,  Didiscus,  Globe  Amaranth, 
Balsams,  Cypress  Vine,  Malope,  Sensitive  Plant, 
Salpiglossis,  Marigold,  Ageratum,  Ten  Week 
Stock,  etc. 

- - =»-. - - *-»- - 

The  Hose  and  Geology. 

Much  as  has  been  said  in  praise  of  the  Rose, 
its  charms  have  not  been  too  highly  lauded.  It 
must  ever  remain  the  queen  of  the  garden.  A 
fact  has  recently  come  to  our  knowledge  which 
seems  t.o  indicate  (if  we  may  reverently  say  so,) 
the  Divine  estimate  of  this  flower,  and  certainly 
illustrates  the  love  of  God  for  his  intelligent 
creatures.  We  now  refer  to  a  fact  mentioned  by 
Professor  Agassiz,  vjz.  that  no  fossils  of  the  rose 
family  have  ever  been  discovered  by  geologists. 
This  fact  is  regarded  by  scientific  men  as  proof 
that  the  introduction  of  these  plants  upon  the 
earth  was  coeval  with  or  subsequent  to  the  crea¬ 
tion  of  man,  and  was  designed  by  a  kind  Provi¬ 
dence  to  minister  to  his  happiness. 


“Dielytra  or  Diclytra.”— Dicentra. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

Your  correspondent  “  Mimosus,”  [Query — 
Mimosa  1 — No!  Ed.  J  asks  for  some  information 
concerning  the  true  name  of  the  popular  and 
beautiful  plant  commonly  and  incorrectly  called 
by  one  or  the  other  of  these  names.  If  he  were 
as  familiar  with  American  botanical  literature  as 
he  seems  to  be  with  that  of  Europe,  he  would  find 
that  the  proper  name  of  the  genus  is  Dicentra  ; 
from  the  Greek  dis,  double,  and  Kentron,  a  spur — 
alluding  to  the  spur-like  petals  of  some  species. 
r,’he  genus  was  originally  proposed  by  Borkhaus- 
en,  a  German  botanist  of  the  last  century,  but  by 
a  mistake  of  the  types  (the  setters  of  which  have 
many  sins  to  answer  for)  it  was  printed  Diclytra, 
an  error  which  was  perpetuated  by  De  Candolle, 
in  his  Prodromus.  Sir  William  Hooker,  in  his 
Flora  Boreali  Americana,  endeavored  to  amend 
the  nomenclature  and  made  it  Dielytra.  Prof. 
Asa  Gray,  in  his  Genera,  restored  the  proper  or¬ 
thography,  Dicentra,  which  should  be  adopted  by 
all  florists  who  keep  pace  with  the  science  so 
nearly  allied  to  their  calling.  It  is  exceedingly 


annoying  to  observe  how  the  grossest  errors  are 
continued  year  after  year  in  the  catalogues  of  our 
florists  and  nurserymen,  who — though  many  may 
be  very  apt  at  learning — are  wonderfully  slow  in 
unlearning.  One  would  suppose  that  they  would 
call  American  plants,  at  least,  by  their  right  names, 
yet  we  find  the  Mammoth  tree  of  California,  put 
down  as  Wellingtonia  Gigantea,  when  it  is  prop¬ 
erly  Sequoia  ;  and  the  so-called  “  California  Nut¬ 
meg,”  as  Myristica  Californiea,  it  being  a  species 
ofTorreya,  and  no  more  related  to  Myristica 
(the  true  Nutmeg)  than  it  is  to  a  cabbage.  T. 

New-York,  July  15 th,  1859 

[The  above,  which  came  too  late  for  our  Au¬ 
gust  issue,  is  from  high  authority,  and  settles  the 
question.  We  are  in  doubt  as  to  the  best  course 
to  get  the  right  name  into  general  use. — Ed.] 

Originating  Varieties  in  Plants  and  Fruits. 

• - o= - 

In  an  article,  several  months  ago,  on  the  “  Geo¬ 
graphical  Distribution  of  Plants,”  we  observed 
that  God  undoubtedly  created  each  plant  and 
placed  it  where  it  was  best  adapted  to  live  and 
flourish.  The  several  species  of  plants  then 
formed,  have  maintained  their  place,  and  their 
several  characteristics  almost  unchanged  from 
the  beginning  to  the  present  time.  Like  has  pro¬ 
duced  like,  from  age  to  age.  For  example,  the 
rock  maple  remains  a  rock  maple,  and  its  seeds 
produce  rock  maples  ;  so  of  the  soft  maple,  and 
the  ash  in  its  varieties,  and  the  oak,  and  the  elm, 
and  other  trees. 

This  is  the  general  law :  species  do  not  change. 
And  yet  there  are  variations  from  time  to  time. 
The  skill  of  man,  peculiarities  of  soil  or  climate, 
or  mere  accident,  may  produce  varieties  in  a 
species.  We  see  this  in  animals,  as  well  as  in 
plants.  Turn  a  drove  of  the  finest  Berkshire  pigs 
into  a  wild  forest,  and  compel  them  to  get  their 
living  by  rooting  for  nuts,  and  very  shortly  their 
shape  will  begin  to  change.  By  constant  use  of 
the  snout  in  rooting,  the  muscles  of  the  neck  will 
thicken,  the  snout  will  lengthen,  and  by  constant 
exposure  to  the  weather,  their  skin  will  become 
covered  with  a  thick,  soft  hair.  Their  short  legs 
will  also  become  long,  and  will  outrun  the  fleet¬ 
est  occupant  of  a  farm  pig-sty.  After  one  or 
two  generations,  they  will  not  be  known  as  Berk- 
shires.  Now,  the  same  law  holds  with  plants. 
An  elm-tree  grown  in  a  thick,  swampy  forest,  is 
very  different  from  one  grown  on  an  open,  fertile 
plain.  The  Arbor  Vitas  on  the  banks  of  the  Hud¬ 
son,  is  very  different  in  appearance  from  the 
same  species  growing  in  central  and  western 
New-York.  Along  the  shores  of  Hudson’s  Bay, 
the  White  Pine  is  a  mere  shrub,  but  in  this  cli¬ 
mate,  it  mounts  up  a  hundred  feet.  If  two  seeds 
from  the  same  pod  are  sown  in  different  soils, 
and  are  submitted  to  different  degrees  of  heat, 
light  and  moisture,  the  plants  will  show  the  dif¬ 
ference  of  their  treatment  in  their  appearance. 
Then  if  other  plants  are  propagated  from  these 
by  cuttings,  layers  or  buds,  the  same  variations 
will  be  perpetuated.  It  is  in  this  way,  that  our 
different  varieties  of  fruits  arc  perpetuated, 
whether  they  were  obtained  by  art  or  by  acci¬ 
dent.  But  if  we  sow  the  seeds  of  these  several 
varieties,  the  traits  of  the  original  stock  will  gen¬ 
erally  reappear,  showing  that  species  are  perma¬ 
nent,  while  varieties  are  transient. 

As  showing  the  influence  of  soil,  or  rather  the 
preference  which  different  trees  have  for  differ¬ 
ent  soils,  it  is  note-worthy  that  the  Cucumber 
Tree  ( Magnolia  acuminata ),  is  found  wild  in  New- 
Vork  State  only  along  the  “  Genesee  Valley,” 
and  thence  southward.  The  geologists  tell  us 
that  the  old  red-sandstone  formation  crops  out  in 


just  that  district.  Hence  it  would  seem  that  the 
tree  and  the  rock  had  some  affinity  for  each  oth¬ 
er.  The  Tamarick  tree  does  not  grow  on  the 
Catskill  Mountains,  though  it  is  found  both  north 
and  south  of  that  region.  The  Locust  and  Buck¬ 
eye  are  never  found  wild  within  fifty  to  a  hun¬ 
dred  miles  of  the  sea-coast.  The  wild  poplar 
flourishes  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Connecticut 
river,  but  not  on  the  east.  Yet  there  are  many 
trees  which  thrive  in  nearly  all  soils,  though  ex¬ 
hibiting  some  variety  of  appearance  in  different 
circumstances. 

But  we  must  not  wander  on  this  pleasant  top¬ 
ic.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  while  species  of 
plants  remain  ever  the  same,  varieties  may  be 
produced  indefinitely,  and  may  be  perpetuated  by 
human  skill.  A  broad  field  is  here  open  for  the 
skill  of  the  experimenter.  By  sowing  the  seeds 
of  any  fruit,  (as,  for  example,  the  pear  or  grape,) 
the  larger  portion  of  the  new  plants  thus  raised, 
may  show  the  tendency  of  nature  to  return  to  the 
original  wild  stock  ;  yet,  out  of  a  large  number, 
we  may  obtain  some  new  varieties  of  great  value. 
In  this  way,  the  Seckel  and  some  other  pears,  the 
Isabella  and  some  other  grapes  of  high  excellence, 
were  produced.  There  is,  however,  greater  like¬ 
lihood  of  success,  if  pains  be  taken  to  hybridize 
fruits  of  good  quality  with  each  other.  This  field 
is  open  to  everybody.  He  who  shall  originate  a 
pear  [and  make  it  live  and  bear  I]  combining  the 
flavor  of  the  Seckel  with  the  size  of  the  Bartlett, 
will  thereby  make  his  fortune  and  his  fame.  He 
who  shall  produce  a  grape  with  the  flavor  and 
other  excellences  of  the  Delaware,  and  the  size  of 
the  Concord,  will  be  equally  fortunate. 

Meanwhile,  let  us  be  thankful,  that  by  another 
law  of  nature,  [say  rather,  the  God  of  nature,]  the 
excellent  varieties  of  fruits  w'e  already  possess, 
may  be  perpetuated  forever. 

■»n  i  mi  J)  n  1 1  ■  ■  i  i  n 

Matthews’  Cureulio  Kennedy. 

Less  and  less  appears  to  be  said  of  the  so-called 
wonderful  discovery  assumed  to  have  been  made 
by  Mr.  Matthews,  for  extirpating  the  cureulio 
from  plum  trees.  And  yet,  a  few  of  his  friends 
who  have  been  let  into  the  secret,  continue  to 
claim  for  it  perfect  success.  They  claim  respect¬ 
ing  it :  that  the  remedy  needs  to  be  applied  only 
once  in  a  season,  while  the  old  remedies — such 
as  jarring  the  trees,  and  dusting  the  leaves  with 
lime,  syringing  with  oil-soap,  etc.,  have  to  be  ap¬ 
plied  every  few  days  for  several  weeks.  A  gen¬ 
tleman  in  Albany,  writes  that  he  tried  it  last  sea¬ 
son  on  part  of  of  his  trees,  and  with  so  great,  suc¬ 
cess  that  he  was  obliged  to  pick  off  part  of  the 
fruit  before  ripening,  to  prevent  the  tree  from 
breaking  down.  Those  which  he  treated  in  the 
old  w'ay,  produced  only  a  small  crop.  A  fruit¬ 
grower  in  Durhamville,  N.  Y.,  applied  the  new 
remedy  to  a  part  ofhis  trees,  and  those  so  treat¬ 
ed,  bore  abundantly;  those  managed  in  the  old 
way  of  jarring,  and  gathering  on  a  sheet  and 
burning,  yielded  but  little,  and  the  labor  was 
vastly  greater.  The  curculios  hovered  for  sever¬ 
al  weeks  about  those  trees  tried  by  the  first 
method,  and  were  daily  caught,  but  were  not  seen 
on  the  others  after  the  remedy  had  once  been  ap¬ 
plied. 

Mr.  Matthews  offers  a  wager  of  $100,  that  every 
tree  faithfully  managed  on  his  plan  shall  produce 
an  abundant  crop.  He  has  lately  set  out  a  plum 
orchard,  “  feeling  as  much  assurance  that  he  will 
raise  plenty  of  plums,  as  that  his  trees  will  blos¬ 
som.”  Pie  says  :  “  The  reports  from  various 

persons  to  whom  I  have  entrusted  the  remedy, 
fully  sustain  its  efficiency.  I  feel  assured,  if 
there  is  any  failure,  it  is  owing  to  some  depar- 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Q75 


ture  from  my  instructions,  and  I  hope  thatr.o  one 
who  has  not  adhered  to  them  strictly,  will  ven¬ 
ture  an  unfavorable  report.” 

So  much  for  one  side  of  this  subject.  If  Mr. 
Matthews  expects  to  reap  any  reward  or  honor 
for  his  discoveries,  he  should  take  more  active 
and  efficient  measures  to  have  its  merits  imme¬ 
diately  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  commu¬ 
nity,  and  also  to  bring  it  into  general  use  on  some 
terms.  It  is  no  satisfaction  to  the  large  multi¬ 
tude  of  persons  who  are  annually  losing  their 
fruit,  to  be  told  that  a  few  persons  have  a  secret 
remedy  for  the  loss.  The  continued  air  of  mys¬ 
tery  thrown  around  this  whole  matter  is  rapidly 
dispelling  not  only  public  interest,  but  also  the 
faintest  hopes  that  there  is  any  thing  to  be  look¬ 
ed  for  in  this  direction.  A  few  years’  more  delay, 
and  there  will  be  no  plum  trees  left  for  Mr.  Mat¬ 
thews  to  operate  upon. 


Small  Fruits— Humber  of  Plants  and  Cost 
per  Acre. 

(Prepared  for  the  American  Agriculturist  by  an  experienced 
Cultivator.) 

The  question  is  often  asked  “which  of  the 
smaller  fruits  is  the  most  profitable  ;  what  will 
it  cost  to  plant  an  acre ;  how  soon  will  they 
bear  ;  how  long  will  they  last  ?  ”  etc.  Of  course, 
it  is  impossible  to  answer  these  correctly  for 
each  individual,  as  the  price  of  the  plants  varies 
in  different  localities  ;  the  character  of  the  soil 
is  widely  different ;  circumstances  of  climate  will 
affect  the  yield,  and  the  value  of  the  crop  will  be 
increased  or  diminished  as  the  locality  is  near  or 
remote  from  a  large  market.  We  say  nothing 
about  the  cost  of  preparing  the  ground,  manuring, 
etc.,  as  each  one  can  calculate  that  for  himself. 
But  it  is  essential  that  the  land  be  in  good 
heart — rich  even — and  that  it  be  well  and  deep¬ 
ly  plowed,  subsoiled  if  possible  ;  and  unless  there 
is  a  natural  drainage,  artificial  should  be  resorted 
to.  As  it  is  impossible  to  fully  remedy  any  de¬ 
fects  in  preparing  the  soil,  after  the  planting  is 
done,  it  is  of  the  first  importance,  to  properly 
attend  to  it  while  the  ground  is  clear. 

Whatever  particular  variety  of  fruit  is  chosen, 
let  the  plants  be  strong  and  healthy,  and  expose 
the  roots  to  as  little  sun  and  air  as  possible 
while  transporting  or  transplanting.  In  some 
localities  a  neighbor  will  have  a  surplus  of 
plants,  and  they  can  be  obtained  at  less  than 
the  prices  affixed.  At  other  places  the  cost 
may  be  more  than  we  estimate.  Our  figures 
are  based  upon  the  advertised  prices  of  first 
class,  eastern  nurserymen,  and  the  calculation  is 
for  one  acre  of  each.  Beginning  with  the  earliest 
variety,  and  taking  them  as  they  successively 
come  into  bearing,  we  have  first  the 

Strawberry — which  may  be  planted  in  Au¬ 
gust  or  September,  or  even  in  October,  and  also 
in  April  or  May.  Set  in  Autumn,  something  like 
half  a  crop  may  be  looked  for  the  next  season, 
and  a  full  crop  the  following  year.  When  planted 
in  Spring,  which  is  usually  the  best  time,  every¬ 
thing  considered,  there  will  be  no  fruit  the  first 
year,  but  nearly  a  full  crop  the  second  season. 
Taking  the  strong  growing  Wilson’s  Albany, 
for  example — which  should  be  cultivated  in  hills 
18  inches  distant  each  way — and  turning  to  the 
table  on  page  36  of  the  February  Agriculturist , 
we  find  19,360  plants  are  required  for  an  acre, 
at  the  cost  o-f  about  $194,  calling  them  $10 
per  1000.  Arrived  at  a  good  bearing  state, 
every  three  plants  should  produce  a  quart  (two 
plants  will  frequently  do  it),  or  6,453  quarts  per 
acre.  Ten  cents  per  quart  is  a  low  price  for 
such  fine  berries  the  season  through,  which 


gives  $645  for  one  year’s  yield.  When  the 
ground  is  properly  prepared  at  first,  and  occa¬ 
sionally  top  dressed  with  fine  manure  afterwards, 
they  will  continue  in  profitable  bearing  five  or 
six  years.  [This  is  a  large  showing,  and  al¬ 
though  this  yield  may  often  be  greatly  exceeded, 
it  is  better  to  estimate  at  less  than  these  figures 
as  a  general  rule.  Most  of  the  established  va¬ 
rieties  can  be  obtained  at  $10  per  1000,  and 
many  of  them  less,  but  some  are  yet  held  at 
higher  rates.  Ed.]  Additional  plants  are  ob¬ 
tained  from  the  runners,  which  push  out  freely 
and  take  root  in  July  and  August ;  these  may 
be  transplanted  in  Fall  or  Spring. 

Raspberries  require  more  room.  Most  per¬ 
sons  prefer  to  plant  in  hills  4  feet  apart  each 
way,  putting  two  or  three  canes  in  a  hill.  Others 
set  in  hills  4  feet  apart,  putting  single  canes  2 
feet  distant  in  the  row,  two  of  which  are  tied  to 
one  stake,  placed  midway  between  them.  In  the 
former  way  they  can  be  worked  out  with  a  horse 
in  two  directions,  but  if  only  two  feet  distant  in 
the  row,  they  can  only  be  plowed  and  cultivated 
one  way.  This  plan  was  illustrated  on  page  182, 
vol.  17.  About  the  same  number  of  plants  will 
be  required  in  either  case — setting  but  two  in 
each  hill  when  4  feet  apart — or  say  5,400  canes, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $3  per  100,  or  $162  for  an  acre. 
A  little  fruit*  will  be  borne  the  first  year,  about 
the  same  the  second,  and  a  full  yield,  or  say 
3500  quarts,  the  third  year,  and  rather  increasing 
afterwards.  At  ten  cents  per  quart  the  gross  re¬ 
ceipts  for  one  acre  will  be  $350.  With  plenty  of 
manure  and  good  tillage,  they  continue  to  yield 
profitable  crops  for  many  years.  The  writer  of 
this  has  a  plot  of  raspberries,  a  portion  of  which 
was  planted  10  years  ago,  and  this  is  quite  as 
productive,  as  the  later  planted  portions.  As  most 
of  the  well  tried  sorts  require  Winter  protection, 
it  is  better  to  plant  in  the  Spring.  The  numerous 
suckers  or  new  shoots  annually  thrown  up,  may 
be  used  in  planting  new  grounds. 

Currants.  When  planted  4  feet  apart  each 
way,  to  be  worked  out  with  a  horse  in  both  di¬ 
rections,  2,722  bushes  are  required  to  the  acre. 
The  well  established  red  Dutch  variety  can  now 
be  had  for  $5  per  100,  or  $136  for  the  amount  re¬ 
quired  on  an  acre.  Early  Spring  is  the  best  time 
to  set  out,  and  the  plants  should  be  trained  in 
tree  form,  with  a  short,  single  stem,  rather  than 
as  bushes  with  innumerable  suckers.  No  returns 
should  be  looked  for  before  the  second  year,  and 
only  half  a  crop  then.  After  this  a  full  yield  may 
be  expected,  rather  increasing  for  a  year  or  two 
longer.  They  will  usually  need  renewing  after 
having  produced  about  six  full  crops,  although 
when  properly  pruned  and  tended,  they  some¬ 
times  bear  profitably  for  8  to  10  years.  To  in¬ 
crease  the  stock,  put  out  cuttings  in  the  Spring 
rather  than  try  to  divide  the  old  roots.  To  pre¬ 
vent  a  tendency  to  throw  up  suckers,  cut  out  the 
buds  below  ground,  and  for  a  few  inches  above. 
Calling  the  yield  one  pound  per  plant,  we  have 
on  an  acre  2,722  lbs,  worth  $190  at  7  c.  per  16. 

Blackberries.  These  require  more  room. 
They  may  be  planted  in  Spring  or  Autumn,  put¬ 
ting  canes  in  rows  8  feet  apart,  and  4  feet  in  the 
row,  to  be  trained  upon  a  wire  trellis.  This  will 
require  1,360  plants  per  acre — costing  about  $110, 
at  $8  per  100.  The  land  can  be  cultivated  with 
a  plow  between  the -rows,  and  even  cropped  with 
something  for  the  first  year  or  two.  Blackberries 
bear,  say  half  a  crop  the  second  year  from  plant¬ 
ing,  and  a  full  crop  the  third  year.  Each  well 
established  plant  of  the  New-Ilochelle  variety, 
with  such  ample  space,  is  good  for  two  quarts  of 
berries,  at  least,  which  is  $326  per  acre,  even  at 
12  c.  per  quart.  L'ke  the  raspberry  they  throw 


up  abundance  of  suckers  for  further  planting  oi 
for  sale.  The  sale  of  plants  has  heretofore  been 
so  profitable,  that  cultivators  have  bestowed  more 
care  upon  the  new  canes,  than  upon  the  crop  of 
fruit.  Properly  manured  and  well  cultivated  they 
will  yield  profitable  crops  for  many  years. 

Grapes.  Almost  every  vine  grower  has  his 
own  method  of  cultivation,  and  without  entering 
into  the  various  theories,  we  will  merely  state 
our  belief,  that  large  planters  cut  their  vines  too 
closely,  giving  the  root  an  undue  preponderance 
over  the  branches.  In  some  of  the  European 
grape  growing  districts  there  are  vineyards  in 
good  bearing  condition,  which  are  reported  to 
have  been  planted  100  years.  The  oldest  plan¬ 
tations  in  this  country  have  only  been  set  some 
25  years,  and  are  already  showing  sings  of  failure 
in  some  localities,  while  many  of  us  can  point  to 
individual  vines  ofgreat  age,  like  the  one  alluded 
to  on  page  81  of  the  March  Agriculturist,  extend¬ 
ing  over  a  building  or  trellis,  almost  at  random, 
and  bearing  from  50  lbs  to  100  lbs  each  year. 
Of  course,  there  are  extremes,  but  in  field  culture 
we  would  plant  in  rows  9  feet  apart,  and  set  the 
vines  10  feet  distant  in  the  row,  to  be  trained 
upon  wire  or  slat  board  trellises,  and  worked 
with  a  horse  in  one  direction.  This  will  take  484 
plants  per  acre,  and  if  of  the  well  proved  and 
standard  Isabella  or  Catawba  varieties,  can  be 
had,  in  quantity,  for  about  $20  per  100,  or  $97 
for  the  required  number.  But  little  fruit  should 
be  allowed  to  mature  before  the  third  year,  and 
a  full  crop  the  fourth  season.  Twelve  lbs  per 
vine  is  about  enough  to  ripen,  or  say  5,800  lbs. 
per  acre.  At  10  cents  a  lb.  the  crop  is  worth 
$580.  As  remarked  above,  they  may  reasonably 
be  expected  to  bear  good  crops  under  proper 
treatment  many  years. 

The  stock  is  increased  by  cuttings  taken  off  in 
Fall  and  Winter,  and  put  in  in  the  Spring,  or  by 
layering  the  new  growth  in  July  and  August. 


Mammoth  Gooseberries— Show  at  Pater¬ 
son,  K  J. 

Anybody  who  can  conveniently  call  at  the  of¬ 
fice  of  the  Agriculturist  will  be  treated  to  the  sight 
of  some  two  dozen  Gooseberries  which,  for  size, 
we  will  place  against  any  that  can  be  shown  in 
the  country.  The  smallest  one  measures  4  inch¬ 
es  around  at  its  least  diameter.  We  have  them 
preserved  in  diluted  alcohol.  They  were  receiv¬ 
ed  July  19th  from  Thomas  Graves,  of  Paterson, 
N.  J.,  who  gave  some  account  of  their  culture  in 
our  July  issue,  p.  218.  He  says  the  jar  full  sent 
us  was  too  small  to  weigh  at  their  show.  Mr. 
Graves  sent,  too  late  for  the  August  issue,  an  ac¬ 
count  of  the  Gooseberry  show  at  Paterson,  July 
18th,  from  which  we  extract  the  following: 

Our  show  of  Gooseberries  was  good  this  year, 
but  the  fruit  was  not  so  large  as  we  expected  by 
4  pennyweights  on  the  average,  owing  to  the  very 
hot  weather  followed  by  the  heavy  rain  on  Satur¬ 
day,  the  16th.  Hot  sun  injures  Gooseberries, 
shrinking  them,  and  they  require  protection.  Rain 
following  hot  weather  causes  them  to  burst.  We 
find  that  cow  manure  produces  more  or  less  mil¬ 
dew. 

At  our  show  we  first  weigh  for  the  “  maiden 
prize,”  that  is  for  those  who  have  not  won  a  prize 
at  any  other  show.  Those  competing  for  this  have 
two  chances  with  the  same  berry.  The  premi¬ 
ums  given  are  rather  novel.  The  first  a  maiden 
prize,  is  a  Teapot.  The  second  or  head  prize  is  a 
brass-kettle.  The  third, fourth, fifth  and  sixth  prizes 
are  each  a  Teapot.  The  rest  of  the  prizes  are 
given  in  money.  The  following  is  the  list  of  ber¬ 
ries  weighed  at  this  year’s  show.  [The  weight 


276 


AMERICAN  AGEIC  UIVTUHISIA 


is  given  in  the  usual  manner,  in  pennyweights 
and  grains.  For  convenience  of  reference  we 
also  add  in  the  last  column  the  total  weight  in 
grains;  the  avoirdupois  ounce  contains  437J 
grains. — Ed  ] 

Name  of  Grower.  Name  of  Berries.  Color.  dwls.  grs. 

H.  Isherwood. .  .Eagle . White. . . .  12 — 05=293 

II.  Wilkinson. ..  Conquering  Hero.. Red .  20—15=495 

13.  F  Ganside.  .Conquering  Hero. .Red . 17—13=421 

Isaac  Cocker _ Pilot . Yellow. . .  16—20—404 

James  Cocker. ..  Rough  Green . Green  — 13—01=313 

J.  Fairclough  ...Freedom . Wilite _ 12 — 20=308 

II.  Wilkinson. ..  Conquering  Hero.. Red . 19 — 11=407 

H.  Wilkinson. . .  Slaighter  Man _ Red . 18—12=444 

H.  Wilkinson. ..  Speed  well . Red . 16 — 15=399 

James  Cocker. ..  Useful . Red . 16—05 — 3S9 

George  Porritt  ..Seedling . Red .  13 — 22—334 

Isaac  Cocker  ...Companion . Red . 13 — 15—327 

George  Porritt ..  Seedling . Red . 13 — 13 — 325 

Isaac  Cocker. . . .  Lion’s  Provider. .  .Red . 12—10=298 

H.  Wilkinson. .  .Railway _ _  .  .  .Yellow. ..  19 — 19=475 

Isaac  Cocker _ Catherina . Yellow..  .16—10=394 

George  Porritt  ..Washington . Yellow. .  .16—10=394 

Isaac  Cocker.. . .  Pilot . Yellow. .  .16 — 00=384 

Isaac  Cocker. . .  .Leveler . Yellow. . .  14—22=358 

James  Cocker.. . Peru . Yellow. . .  14—04=340 

George  Porritt. .  Widow’s  Delight. .Yellow. . .  13 — 11=323 

George  Porritt.  .Seedling . Yellow. .  .13—11=323 

Isaac  Cocker _ Thumper . Green - 15—06=366 

Isaac  Cocker _ Green  Overall . Green - 14 — 15=351 

II.  Wilkinson.  .  .Queen  Victoria - Green _ 13 — 20=332 

Isaac  Cocker.. .  .Gretna  Green . Green  —  12 — 10=298 

J.  Fairclough  .  ..Scantling’s  Green  Green - 12 — 05=293 

George  Porritt. .  Paterson . Green - 11 — 23=287 

James  Cocker. .  .Rough  Green . Green - 11—14=278 

II.  Wilkinson. . .  Turnout . Green  —  10 — 14=254 

Isaac  Cocker- . . .  Careless . W hite. . . .  14 — 10=346 

Isaac  Cocker _ Eagle . White ....  14—16=352 

James  Cocker.. .  Cossack . White. . .  .14 — 02=338 

H.  Wilkinson. ..  White  Lion . White....  14 — 00=336 

Isaac  Cocker. .. .Gariside’s  White.  .White 14 — 00=336 

13.  F.  Gariside. .  .Snow  Ball . White.... 12 — 14=302 

B.  F.  Gariside. .  .Snow  Drop . White. . .  .11 — 1 1=275 

H.  Wilkinson. .  .Tally  Ho . White. . .  .11 — 02=266 


The  New-Rochelle  Blackberry. 


Each  successive  year’s  observation  and  ex¬ 
perience  hightens  the  favorable  opinion  of  this 
fruit,  which  we  have  hitherto  frequently  ex¬ 
pressed.  Five  years  ago  we  examined  it  care¬ 
fully,  and  published  in  the  American  Agricultur¬ 
ist  a  brief  statement,  setting  forth  its  good 
qualities,  and  expressing  a  pretty  strong  confi¬ 
dence  in  its  decided  superiority.  Our  article 
was  widely  copied  by  the  press  throughout  the 
country,  and  the  plants  have  been  disseminated 
about  as  fast  as  they  could  be  propagated.  Last 
year  an  advertisement  of  the  plants  was  order¬ 
ed  into  the  Agriculturist  “  for  the  season,”  but 
was  early  withdrawn,  because  the  parties  had 
sold  out  their  entire  stock  of  plants,  amounting 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  thousand,  we  believe. 
The  number  of  plants  already  disseminated  is 
probably  considerably  over  200,000 — perhaps 
twice  that  amount,  and  so  far  as  we  can  learn, 
they  are  giving  excellent  satisfaction.  At  first 
there  was  some  complaint  that  the  fruit  was 
too  acid.  This  arose  from  the  fact  that  the  ber¬ 
ries  turn  black  from  three  to  five  days  before 
they  are  fully  ripe,  and  those  persons  growing 
their  first  crop,  were,  and  still  are  generally  too 
hasty  in  gathering  the  fruit  as  soon  as  the  color 
changes. 

On  soils  only  moderately  good  the  canes  grow 
quite  large.  We  have  seen  them  in  several  lo¬ 
calities  this  year,  where  the  new  canes  of  the 
present  summer’s  growth  are  9  to  12  feet  in 
bight,  and  over  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  last 
summer’s  canes  are  everywhere,  so  far  as  we 
have  learned,  literally  loaded  down  with  fruit  of 
large  size  and  excellent  quality.  We  have  seen 
no  plot  on  which  mature,  well  ripened  berries 
•would  not  average  about  an  inch  in  diameter. 
They  have  few  seeds,  and  when  ripe  are  juicy,  ten¬ 
der,  and  as  sweet  as  would  be  desirable.  The 
productiveness  exceeds  the  belief  of  those  who 
have  not  seen  them  in  full  hearing. 

To-day  (Aug.  8)  we  made  our  sixth  annual 
visit  to  the  grounds  of  Messrs.  Geo.  Seymour 
&,  Co.,  at  South  Norwalk,  Conn.,  where  the 
New-Rochelle  Blackberry  is  largely  cultivated 


both  for  fruit  and  plants,  and  all  that  we  have 
before  said  of  them  at  that  place,  is  more  than 
verified.  It  is  worth  a  long  journey  to  see  the 
3)-  acres  now  in  bearing.  From  this  ground 
they  have  gathered  over  o.ne  hundred  and  fifty 
bushels  during  the  last  few  days,  and  the  canes 
are  still  heavily  loaded,  and  the  stranger  would 
scarcely  suspect  that  picking  had  commenced. 
One  hundred  bushels  to  the  acre  would  be  far 
below  the  true  estimate.  We  doubt  whether 
the  total  crop  on  the  3£  acres  will  be  less  than 
500  bushels.  They  are  sending  them  to  New- 
York  market  in  baskets,  holding  nearly  a  pint, 
or  say  5  baskets  to  2  quarts.  They  are  whole¬ 
saled  here,  and  thus  far  have  netted  fully  10  cents 
per  basket,  or  $8  per  bushel,  and  even  at  these 
rates  they  consider  it  quite  as  profitable  to  make 
them  into  blackberry  wine,  of  which  they  have 
put  up  as  many  as  8  barrels  in  a  single  day. 

For  a  40  gallon  cask,  25  gallons  (100  quarts) 
of  berries  are  crushed  and  pressed  in  a  hand 
cider-mill,  the  juice,  running  through  a  strain¬ 
ing  cloth,  is  put  into  the  cask,  and  110  lbs.  of 
“  B  ”  sugar  (common  refined  coffee  sugar),  dis¬ 
solved  in  water,  is  added.  The  cask  is  then 
filled  up  with  water,  allowed  to  stand  open  in 
the  cellar  for  a  week  or  so,  when  the  bung  is  put 
in,  a  small  vent  left,  and  nothing  more  is  done 
to  it.  It  is  not  racked  off  or  bottled,  but  care¬ 
fully  drawn  from  the  lees  when  wanted  for  use. 
We,  with  others,  tested  samples  fresh  drawn 
from  barrels  put  up  a  year  ago,  and  the  universal 
testimony  was:  “first-rate.”  Estimating  the  wine 
at  only  $1  per  gallon — it  will  sell  readily  at  much 
higher  rates — and  calling  the  110  lbs.  of  sugar  10 
cents  a  pound,  or  $11,  the  100  qts.  of  berries  (re¬ 
quired  for  40  gallons  of  wine,  at  $40)  are  worth 
$29,  or  29  cents  per  quart.  The  labor  of  making 
the  wine  is  less  than  preparing  the  fruit  for 
market. 

We  have  an  object  in  giving  these  figures, 
viz.;  to  show  that  for  wine  making  alone  there 
will  be  a  large  demand  for  the  berries,  at  rates 
very  profitable  for  the  producer.  But  the  mark¬ 
et  demand  will  be  immense,  and  unsupplied  for 
years  to  come.  Some  3000  quarts  are  daily 
brought  to  this  city  from  different  localities,  which, 
at  .first  sight,  would  seem  to  indicate  that  this 
market  will  be  soon  over  supplied.  But  3000 
quarts  are  hardly  a  pint  a  piece  for  the  grocery  and 
provision  stores  alone.  It  is  within  bounds  to  say 
that  a  hundred  times  as  many  could  now  be  sold 
in  this  city  daily,  at  prices  paying  a  large  profit 
upon  the  cost  of  producing  them.  And  a  similar 
demand  would  be  found  in  thousands  of  cities 
and  towns  throughout  the  country.  Chicago,  for 
example,  is  almost  entirely  unsupplied  with  home 
grown  fruits — most  of  the  smaller  fruits  sold  in 
that  city  are  brought  all  the  way  from  Cincin¬ 
nati.  Why  may  not  blackberries,  raspberries, 
and  strawberries  be  raised  for  Chicago  around  the 
city,  in  Illinois,  and  also  in  Western  Michigan, 
and  Northern  Indiana!  The  same  remark  applies 
to  a  multitude  of  other  cities  and  towns. 

But  aside  from  the  market  demand,  we  advise 
planting  the  New-Rochelle  Blackberry,  for  home 
use.  Every  farmer’s  table  may  well  be  supplied 
with  an  abundance  of  this  healthful,  delicious 
fruit.  It  is  readily  preserved  in  bottles  or  cans 
the  entire  year.  A  dozen  or  two  plants,  put  out 
in  the  Fall  or  Spring,  will  send  up  a  number 
of  bearing  canes  for  fruit  the  following  year. 
They  will  grow  on  any  good  soil,  if  not  too  wet  and 
clayey.  Naturally  rich  soil  will  need  little  or  no 
manure  ;  for  poor  soil,  we  advise  a  dressing  of 
manure  before  putting  out  the  vines.  They  may 
be  set  in  the  latter  part  of  October,  and  during 
November,  in  this  latitude — at  any  time  after  the 


Sc,.t, 


leaves  are  about  dead,  and  before  the  soil  freez¬ 
es.  Some  advise  early  Spring  planting  ;  we  pre¬ 
fer  Autumn,  because  the  roots  will  become  fixed 
in  the  soil,  and  be  ready  to  send  up  stronger 
shoots  the  next  Summer.  The  short  cane  left  m 
the  root  in  taking  up,  may,  or  may  not  live  over 
the  Winter,  but  if  not  standing  in  very  wet  soil, 
the  root  will  start  up  in  the  Spring.  As  the  canes 
grow  large,  a  good  distance  for  planting  is:  6  feet 
apart,  in  rows  8  feet  apart,  allowing  the  plants  as 
they  increase  to  fill  the  rows,  and  cultivating  the 
soil  between  the  rows.  Some  hoed  crop  may  be 
put  between  the  rows  for  the  first  season. 

We  have  received  no  advertisements  of  the 
plants  as  yet,  for  this  month,  (some  will  probably 
come  in  before  we  go  to  press),  and  we  do  hot 
know  what  price  will  be  asked,  but  they  are  so 
abundant  that  they  will  be  quite  cheap  this  year. 
The  better  way  for  obtaining  them  is,  for  several 
neighboring  fanners  to  club  together  and  get  from 
100  to  1000,  at  the  wholesale  rates,  as  this  saves 
expense  both  in  price  and  transportation.  Let 
the  ground  be  all  ready, and  set  them  out  as  soon  as 
received,  with  the  least  possible  exposure  to  sun 
or  wind  ;  and  If  honestly  packed  for  transportation 
there  is  very  little  risk  of  losing  them.  Having 
changed  our  location,  we  necessarily  sacrified 
our  splendid  bearing  plants,  but  we  intend  to  do 
this  very  Autumn,  what  we  advise  our  readers  to 
do,  viz.;  make  a  New-Rochelle  blackberry  plan¬ 
tation  to  raise  a  supply  of  this  magnificent  fruit 
for  home  use. 


Vegetables  for  next  Spring. 


bile  the  gardens 
are  filled  wit  h 
abundance,  a  n  d 
harvest  rather 
than  seed  time  is 
suggested  by  the 
huge  beets,  long 
carrots,  and  al¬ 
ready  drooping 
onions,  one  is  apt 
to  forget  that  even 
now,  this  very 
September,  some  of  the  vegetable  seeds  should 
be  sown  so  as  to  have  early  greens,  cabbages, 
onions,  etc.,  next  Spring.  Take  a  look  at  the 
early  spinach  bed,  and  notice  the  fine  plants  al¬ 
ready  up  from  seed  scattered  from  the  ripened 
crop.  These  plants  frequently  come  out  bright  in 
the  Spring,  with  no  care,  and  furnish  a  fine  sup¬ 
ply  of  “  greens,”  at  a  time  w’hen  the  gardener  is 
sowing  his  ordinary  vegetables.  It  is  not  advis¬ 
able  to  trust  to  this  chance  product,  but  select  a 
spot  where  an  early  crop  of  something  has  al¬ 
ready  been  gathered,  spade  in  a  good  coat  of  ma¬ 
nure,  rake  off  the  bed  and  sow  with  spinach.  In 
one  week  the  plants  will  be  up  and  will  need  hoe¬ 
ing  and  thinning.  Upon  the  approach  of  cold 
Winter  weather,  cover  rather  lightly,  with  straw, 
leaves,  evergreen  brush,  or  salt  hay,  and  remove 
it  in  April,  when  the  plants  will  come  out  bright 
and  fresh,  and  hray  be  gradually  thinned  out  for 
the  table.  In  the  vicinity  of  cities,  market  gar¬ 
deners  sow  acres  of  spinach  in  this  month,  for 
sale  during  the  late  Fall,  Winter,  and  early  Spring. 

Onions  may  be  sown  in  like  manner,  during  the 
latter  part  of  August  or  early  in  September.  The 
small  bulbs  will  frequently  keep  over  Winter 
without  covering,  but  it  is  belter  to  protect  them 
as  described  for  spinach.  They  are  usually  left 
quite  thick  till  Spring,  and  then  transplanted, 
furnishing  onions  for  the  table,  a  long  time  in 
advance  of  those  sown  in  the  Spring.  Garlic,  for 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


977 


those  who  like  this  vegetable,  may  be  treated 
precisely  like  the  onion. 

Cabbages  and  Cauliflowers  require  more  protec¬ 
tion  to  carry  them  successfully  through  the  Win¬ 
ter.  Prepare  the  bed  and  sow,  the  first  of  Sep¬ 
tember.  Cultivate  apd  thin  out  the  plants,  so 
that  they  will  fill  all  the  ground,  but  not  touch 
each  other.  When  Winter  approaches,  make  a 
frame,  by  nailing  boards  or  planks  together,  of  the 
size  of  the  bed,  one  foot  high  on  the  front  or 
south  side,  and  two  feet  high  on  the  back,  with 
slanting  or  beveled  ends  to  compare  with  the 
two  sides.  It  is  better  to  have  several  cross 
slats  upon  the  top  for  shutters,  or  sash  to  slide 
up  and  down  upon,  after  the  manner  of  hot-bed 
frames.  When  freezing  nights  approach,  place 
the  frame  upon  the  bed,  and  cover  with  boards, 
shutters,  or  hot-bed  sash.  Open  them  in  the 
morning  during  pleasant  mild  days.  They  should 
be  exposed  to  the  weather  as  much  as  possible, 
when  not  freezing,  so  as  to  harden  for  severe 
frosts.  When  it  is  evident  that  Winter  is  setting 
in  in  earnest,  bank  up  about  the  sides,  stop  any 
crevices,  and  cover  the  top  with  boards  or  shut¬ 
ters.  If  glazed  sash  are  used,  boards  or  shutters 
should  he  laid  over  them,  as  it  is  now  essential 
to  stop  both  cold  air  and  light,  leaving  the  plants 
to  Winter  in-  a  dormant  state.  Thus  preserved, 
they  will  even  then  probably  be  frozen,  but  in  the 
absence  of  light  and  sudden  changes,  the  frost 
will  finally  come  out  so  gradually  as  not  to  injure 
them.  Frequent  freezing  and  thawing  is  what 
destroys  out-door  cabbages.  If  covered  as  de¬ 
scribed,  when  they  once  get  frozen  they  remain 
so  for  a  long  time.  It  may  be  best,  when  the 
mercury  sinks  quite  low,  to  cover  with  old  mats, 
straw,  or  sedge,  to  further  exclude  the  cold  air, 
and  render  them  less  subject  to  changes  of  tem¬ 
perature.  During  a  succession  of  mild  days  in 
Winter,  the  covers  may  be  partially  removed  to 
air  the  plants,  and  in  Spring  they  should  be  un¬ 
covered  at  all  suitable  times, to  harden  off.  When 
settled  weather  arrives,  say  about  the  first  of  May, 
transplant  to  the  open  grounds,  and  you  will  have 
cabbages  and  cauliflowers  several  weeks  in 
advance  of  those  sown  in  the  Spring. 

- • - -BOB— - -  — - 

House  Plants  not  Unwholesome. 

The  notion  is  widely  prevalent  that  house-plants 
are  injurious  to  health.  And  the  opinion  has 
some  show  of  science  to  rest  upon.  It  is  known 
that  plants  in  a  growing  state  absorb  oxygen  and 
give  off'  carbonic  acid  gas  ;  and  that  oxygen  is 
necessary  to  the  support  of  human  life,  while  car¬ 
bonic  acid  is  injurious.  Hence  the  conclusion  is 
jumped  at,  that  all  vegetation  in  a  living  room 
must  be  hurtful  to  the  health.  But,  in  taking  this 
leap,  these  persons  jump  over  another  scientific 
fact,  viz  :  that  plants  also  absorb  carbonic  acid 
from  the  atmosphere,  and  throw  out  oxygen  into 
it.  From  the  humblest  mosses  up  to  the  oak  and 
palm  tree,  the  world  over,  uncounted  myriads  of 
leaves  are  busy  at  work  purifying  the  air,  and  fit¬ 
ting  it  for  the  use  of  animal  life.  The  carbonic 
acid  is  decomposed  in  the  leaves,  the  carbon  go¬ 
ing  to  build  up  the  structure  of  the  plants,  and  the 
oxygen  being  set  free  and  diffused  through  the 
atmosphere. 

This  great  process,  it  is  true,  is  somewhat 
checked  at  night,  and  a  small  portion  of  carbonic 
acid  passes  off  from  the  leaves  into  the  air.  For 
this  reason,  therefore,  and  for  others,  it  is  not  well 
to  sleep  in  rooms  containing  many  plants  ;  nor  is 
it  necessary  to  do  so.  The  fragrance  of  flowers, 
like  all  strong  odors,  freely  inhaled,  is  not  whole¬ 
some.  But  many  flowers  have  no  fragrance,  and 
others  have  only  a  little ;  so  that  it  is  not  neces¬ 


sary  to  exclude  all  plants  from  a  chamber  for  this 
reason.  In  the  case  of  plants  without  strong 
odors  at  least,  if  the  pots  and  shelves  are  kept 
clean,  and  the  foliage  is  vigorous  and  healthy,  no 
harm  will  come  from  their  presence  in  rooms. 
Nay,  more,  the  daily  care  of  such  pleasing  objects, 
the  sight  of  their  growth  and  blossoming,  and 
their  varied  forms  and  colors,  will  tend  very  much 
to  promote  not  only  cheerfulness  but  health. 


Turn-Table  Apple  Parer. 

Not  havisg  the  figures  at  hand,  we  will  not 
venture  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  apple  par- 
ers  patented  during  the  last  dozen  years.  We 
have  examined  at  least  twenty  different  kinds  in 
that  time  and  have  heard  of  a  large  number 
not  examined  ;  but  not  beyond  two  or  three  of 
these  have  appeared  to  he  worthy  of  recommen¬ 
dation.  The  one  shown  in  the  above  engraving 
was  patented  two  or  three  years  ago,  we  believe, 
and  sold  to  a  limited  extent  in  New-England,  and 
perhaps  elsewhere.  We  obtained  one  of  them  a 
month  since,  and  having  tested  it  pretty  thorough¬ 
ly,  we  think  it  is  superior  in  several  respects  to 
any  other  implement  of  the  kind,  we  have  tried. 
It  is  simple  in  construction,  is  made  entirely  of 
iron,  and  can  be  readily  attached  to  the  side  of  a 
table  or  shelf  It  is  small  and  compact  withal, 
and  may  be  put  into  a  box  4£  by  6  by  8  inches, 
without  taking  it  apart.  The  most  important 
thing,  however,  is,  that  it  works  well.  We  have 
tried  it  on  gnarly  apples,  and  found  the  flexible 
or  movable  knife  to  adapt  itself  admirably  to  the 
irregularities  of  the  fruit.  This  knife  cuts  upward 
instead  of  downward  or  horizontally.  Simply 
turning  the  crank  revolves  the  apple  on  the  fork, 
and  carries  the  knife  round  the  fruit  against  which 
it  is  kept  pressed  by  a  spring.  A  cam,  under  the 
turn-table,  throws  the  knife  lever  outward  as  soon 
as  it  has  completed  the  paring;  it  then  goes 
round,  and  back  to  the  starting  point,  ready  for 
another  apple.  By  continuing  to  turn  the  crank, 
the  apple  will  be  sliced  into  thin  parings,  if  de¬ 
sired,  for  drying  or  cooking.  The  implements  are 
not  expensive,  as  they  are  wholesaled  so  that 
they  can  be  retailed  at  $1  each  with  a  fair  profit. 

DRYING  AND  PRESERVING  APPLES 

will  now  be  in  order,  and  we  advise  those  who 
have  a  supply  of  this  fruit,  which  can  not  be 
marketed  to  advantage,  to  dry  as  many  as  pos¬ 
sible.  There  will  be  a  demand  for  them,  not  only 
in  cities  and  villages,  and  in  new  sections  of  the 
country  where  hearing  trees  are  not  yet  secured, 


but  also  in  many  localities  where  the  cro-p  has 
failed.  Remember  that  it  pays  to  prepare  and 
dry  the  fruit  carefully.  Clean,  well  pared,  well 
cored,  and  carefully  dried  apples,  sell  for  double 
the  price  of  those  poorly  prepared.  Two  shillings 
worth  of  time  and  care  in  preparing  a  bushel  will 
not  unfrequently  add  a  dollar  or  more  to  its  mark¬ 
etable  value.  Apples  may  be  quickly  dried  by 
shaving  them  wholly  into  thin  parings,  on  an  im¬ 
plement  like  that  des¬ 
cribed  above,  or  on  any 
common  parer,  and 
spreading  them  upon 
plates  or  earthenware 
“Apple 
as  it  is  some¬ 
times  called,  is  a  conve¬ 
nient  article.  It  is  made 
by  preparing  the  fruit  as 
if  for  sauce,  and  then,  af¬ 
ter  cooking,  spreading  it 
thinly  on  earthen  dishes 
and  drying  it  in  the  hot 
sun,  or  in  ovens  kept  at 
so  low  a  temperature  as 
to  avoid  all  danger  of 
scorching.  The  thin 
dried  sheets  thus  pre¬ 
pared  will  keep  a  long 
time  in  a  dry  room,  and 
he  ready  for  use  when¬ 
ever  they  are  wanted  by 
simply  soaking  them. 

For  home  use,  we  have  latterly  preserved  our 
apples  in  air-tight  bottles  or  cans.  The  fresh  ap¬ 
ples  are  pared,  cored,  cooked,  and  seasoned  ready 
tor  the  table,  then  put  hot  into  the  bottles,  and 
corked  and  sealed.  This  we  find  better  by  far, 
and  even  cheaper  than  the  dried  fruit ;  and  it  has 
the  advantage  of  being  always  ready  for  use — six 
or  twelve  months  after  putting  up. 

A  Talk  about  “Cancers.” 

A  subscriber  in  Indiana  County,  Pa.,  with  the 
best  of  motives,  doubtless,  sends  the  following 
recipe,  which  he  thinks  will  prove  beneficial  to  a 
multitude,  anil  he  “  hopes  its  publication  will  ena¬ 
ble  persons  to  prepare  the  article  themselves,  and 
thereby  avoid  the  liability  to  be  imposed  upon  by 
a  spurious  article 

“  Gather  during  the  month  of  August  a  quan¬ 
tity  of  sheep-sorrel — no  definite  amount.  Sort 
it,  stalk  by  stalk,  removing  the  roots  and  dead 
leaves,  and  all  foreign  substances.  Pound  on 
a  smooth  board  to  merely  mash  ;  put  into  a 
small  sack  or  bag,  and  squeeze  out  the  juice 
with  the  hands  into  a  pewter  dish  ;  set  the 
dish  where  the  sun  will  shine  upon  it  all  day, 
covering,  on  taking  it  in  at  night ;  as  it  dries 
around  the  edges,  work  it  in  towards  the  center, 
until  it  can  be  rolled  into  a  ball,  when  it  will  be 
ready  for  use.  Spread  it  nicely  over  a  piece  of 
muslin  the  size  of  the  sore,  and  apply  it.  Let  it 
remain  48  hours,  then  remove,  wash  the  sore,  and 
apply  a  new  plaster.  Ordinary  cases  of  two  or 
three  years’  standing  will  be  cured  with  from  three 
to  five  or  seven  applications.  When  the  sore 
has  been  eaten  out,  cure  it  up  in  any  manner 
thought  fit.  If  the  cancer  is  entirely  destroyed, 
the  sore  will  heal,  otherwise  it  will  not.  The 
preparation  should  be  kept  in  a  glass  vessel  with 
a  mouth  wide  enough  to  take  out  the  salve  easi¬ 
ly,  but  keep  it  stopped  to  exclude  the  air.” 

The  above  we  submitted  to  a  medical  friend 
who  writes :  “  This  recipe  has,  perhaps,  been 
handed  down  through  certain  channels,  from  a 


278 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


time  prior  to  Shakspeare.  That  poet  speaks  of 
the  shrub 

. ‘That 

By  moon-shine  do  the  green  sour  ringlets  make 
Whereof  the  ewe  not  bites’ Tempest, Act  v.,  Scene  I. 

The  properties  of  the  sheep-sorrel,  ( Rumex 
acelosella)  were  as  well  known  then,  as  now 
by  your  correspondent.  Externally  the  plant  has 
been  applied  in  various  forms  to  eruptions  and 
ulcerations  of  the  skin,  and  it  has  been  given 
internally,  both  in  the  form  of  medicine  and 
as  an  article  of  diet,  for  scrofulous  affections. 
The  expressed  juice  of  the  leaves,  swallowed, 
has  produced  poisonous  effects.  But  as  a 
cure  for  that  formidable  disease,  the  cancer,  it 
may  be  classed  with  the  tlrousand-and-one  use¬ 
less,  but  popular  remedies,  that  have  been  in  vogue 
at  various  times.  The  origin  of  the  popularity  of 
this,  and  other  remedies,  arises  from  the  fact  that 
the  ‘  laity,' — the  unskillful  mass  of  people — are 
accustomed  to  call  all  obstinate  sores  ‘  cancers.’ 
Your  correspondent  is  correct  in  observing  that : 

‘  if  the  cancer  is  entirely  destroyed  the  sore  will 
heal,  otherwise  it  will  not .’ 

Jos.  H.  Vedder,  M,  D.” 

Remarks. — The  popular  fear  of  “  cancers,”  and 
the  common  faith  in  self-styled,  self-puffed  “  can¬ 
cer  Doctors,”  who  abound,  the  world  over,  de¬ 
mand  a  word  or  two  more  on  this  subject.  There 
arc  comparatively  few  persons  who  have  not  at 
some  time  been  harassed  with  the  idea  that  either 
themselves,  or  some  of  their  friends  were  in 
danger  of  “  dying  of  a  cancer.”  Several  years 
since,  we  had  occasion  to  look  into  the  subject 
somewhat,  and  we  then  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  a  genuine  “  cancer  ”  is  one  of  the  rarest  hu¬ 
man  ailments,  and  we  have  since  seen  no  reason 
to  change  the  opinion  then  formed.  We  have 
known  at  least  a  score  of  cases  of so-called  “can¬ 
cer,”  but  we  have  never  known  more  than  one 
instance  where  the  sore  was  a  real  cancer.  We 
have  talked  with  many  physicians  of  long  prac¬ 
tice  who  have  never  seen  a  cancer.  The  truth 
is,  there  is  a  class  of  humbug  “  cancer  Doctors  ” 
who  go  prying  round  peoples’  faces,  hands,  and 
bodies,  hunting  up  sores,  and  working  upon  the 
credulity  of  the  community.  Every  little  pimple, 
or  sore,  is  magnified  by  them  into  a  “  malignant 
cancer  the  terrified  patient  is  ready  to  hand 
over  his  or  her  last  fifty,  hundred,  or  perhaps  five 
hundred  dollars  to  the  “  cancer  Doctor the 
sore  is  cured — it  would  have  got  well  without 
any  aid — and  the  “  Doctor”  thereupon  heralds  his 
wonderful  skill,  aided  by  the  certificates  of  the 
grateful  patient  who  verily  believes  himself  or 
herself  saved  from  a  yawning  grave.  This  is  the 
way  the  thing  works.  From  all  we  can  gather, 
we  believe  not  one  in  ten  thousand  of  these  cured 
“  cancers  ”  is  a  real  cancer.  Some  of  the  most 
experienced  medical  men  have  gravely  doubted 
whether  a  genuine  cancer  is  ever  radically  cured, 
though  in  skillful  hands  (not  those  of  quacks  and 
pretenders)  this  disease  has  been  at  least  greatly 
alleviated,  and  life  prolonged. 

Our  aim  in  these  remarks,  is,  to  allay  the  anxi¬ 
eties  and  fears  of  people  who  are  ever  living  in 
dread  of  cancers.  There  are  many  cases  of  ul¬ 
cerous  sores,  annoying  in  themselves,  and  some¬ 
times  fatal  in  result,  but  we  repeat  that  a  cancer 
is  one  of  the  rarest  of  all  diseases.  As  an  instruc¬ 
tive  example,  we  are  constrained  to  give  a  bit  of 
personal  experience.  We  formerly  lived,  for  a 
time,  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  “  Doctor  ”  who  had 
a  great  reputation  in  those  parts  for  curing  “can¬ 
cers,”  and  indeed  gave  his  whole  attention  to 
that  branch  of  doctoring — the  prevalence  of  can¬ 
cers  in  that  region  was  wonderful.  Well,  while 
at  the  burning  of  a  building  one  night,  we  came 
face  to  face  with  the  renowned  “doctor,”  and  he 


at  once  discovered  the  “  incipient  roots  of  a  can¬ 
cer  ”  on  the  side  of  our  nose  just  belpw  the  left 
eye,  and  advised  immediate  attention  to  prevent 
its  further  development.  He  urged  us  to  call  on 
him  the  next  morning  and  let  him  look  at  it.  We 
laughed  at  the  idea  at  first,  but  on  going  to  our 
room  and  making  a  close  examination  at  the  mir¬ 
ror,  we  discovered  a  red  spot,  not  noticed  before, 
having  certain  minute  red  spider-like  “  roots  ” 
running  out  in  every  direction.  We  confess  to 
have  laid  awake  for  a  time,  picturing  to  our  im¬ 
agination  how  we  would  look  with  nose,  eyes,  and 
half  the  face,  eaten  out  by  a  cancer.  We  were 
young,  unmarried,  and  had  some  regard  for  per¬ 
sonal  “looks.”  But  after  an  hour  or  two  we  fell 
asleep.  Our  dreams  we  can  not  recall.  Next 
morning  we  called  upon  the  sharp-eyed  “  Doctor,” 
and  he  at  once  went  into  a  lengthy  dissertation 
upon  cancers  in  general,  and  ours  in  particular, 
and  advised,  nay,  urged,  immediate  attention  to 
it.  As  it  was  only  in  its  first  stages,  and  “  con¬ 
sidering  our  circumstances,”  the  doctor  offered 
to  remove  it  for  $50,  though  “he  usually  charged 
$100  to  $500.”  He  advised  us  to  delay  not  a  day, 
and  named  4  P.  M.  for  us  to  call  and  have  the 
first  “  plaster  ”  applied.  Wre  promised  to  think 
about  it  and  left.  Calling  upon  a  regular  physi¬ 
cian  on  our  way  home,  he  at  once  reassured  us, 
by  pronouncing  the  statements  of  the  “  cancer 
doctor  ”  a  humbug.  On  our  suggesting  the  dan¬ 
ger  of  “  delay  ”  he  offered  that  should  the  thing 
ever  prove  a  “  cancer  ”  he  would,  at  his  own  ex¬ 
pense,  take  us  to  the  best  medical  men  in  New- 
York,  Philadelphia,  or  Boston,  and  see  it  cured. 
We  agreed  to  wait  further  developments . 

That  was  fifteen  years  ago.  We  can  not  now 
exactly  fix  the  location  of  the  “red  spot,”  and 
expect  to  live  several  years  before  the  coroner 
shall  report  upon  our  case  :  “died  of  a  cancer.” 
If  that  event  should  happen  we  will  send  a  line 
back  to  the  Agriculturist  through  some  “  spiritu¬ 
al  medium,”  and  let  our  readers  know  the  result. 

We  have  thus  given  this  instance  as  a  warning 
to  others.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  timely  advice 
of  a  regular  physician,  we  might  have  carried  to 
our  grave  a  scar  made  by  a  cancer  plaster,  and 
the  “Doctor”  pointed  to  us  as  a  living  example 
of  the  wonderful  effects  of  his  skill — to  say  noth¬ 
ing  of  the  fifty  dollars,  a  board  bill  at  the  “  Doc¬ 
tor’s,”  and  loss  of  time.  The  incident  led  us  to 
study  this  subject,  and  our  readers  have  the  ben¬ 
efit  of  our  conclusions. 


To  get  Rid  of  Moths. 

We  know  of  no  infallible  method.  It  is  said 
that  if  certain  offensive  substances  are  placed 
where  they  are  wont  to  lay  their  eggs,  during  the 
months  of  May  and  June,  they  will  be  repelled. 
A  few  drops  of  the  oil  of  wormwood  sprinkled  on 
an  old  cloth  and  then  laid  in  a  chest  of  drawers 
will  drive  off  almost  all  insects.  Camphor-gum 
scattered  along  and  under  the  edges  of  carpets, 
in  the  crevices  of  furniture,  and  among  the  folds 
of  clothing,  is  rather  disgusting  to  moths.  Where 
they  have  already  burrowed  in  carpets,  sprinkle 
a  little  water  over  the  infested  spots,  then  lay  on 
a  sheet  of  brown  paper  and  apply  a  hot  iron  vig¬ 
orously.  Vinegar  would  perhaps  be  even  more 
efficacious  than  water — but  both  of  these  appli¬ 
cations  may  injure  the  colors  of  the  carpet.  The 
steam  generated  will  be  too  much  for  the  moths. 

A  chamber  may  be  cleaned  of  vermin,  (and 
probably  of  moths,)  in  this  way  :  First,  remove 
all  furniture,  bedding  and  clothing  not  infested, 
put  a  little  sulphur  in  an  old  kettle  and  set  fire  to 
it,  and  set  it  in  the  chamber.  Close  every  door 
and  window,  and  keep  them  shut  until  the  smoke 
has  disappeared.  Then  ventilate  the  room  and 


the  vermin  will  have  been  repelled.  The  odors 
of  the  sulphur  will  penetrate  every  crevice  of  the 
wood-work  and  the  furniture,  and  every  fold  and 
seam  of  clothing,  and  be  a  great  offense  to  ver¬ 
min  of  all  sorts.  It  must  be  remembered,  how¬ 
ever,  that  the  sulphurous  acid  formed  when  sul¬ 
phur  is  burned  in  the  air,  has  considerable  bleach¬ 
ing  power,  and  will  often  destroy  the  colors  of 
clothing,  especially  if  they  happen  to  be  damp. 
We  are  not  certain  that  the  colors  on  furniture 
may  not  sometimes  be  injured.  Bonnets  and 
hats  are  bleached  white  by  moistening  them,  and 
then  surrounding  them  with  the  fumes  of  burning 
sulphur. 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 


Matches— Light. 

BY  ANNA  HOPE. 

In  my  travels  during  the  Summer  I  have  seen 
so  many  marks  made  by  matches  that  I  feel  dis¬ 
posed  to  say  to  my  readers  in  the  Agriculturist: 
Do  not  scrape  matches  on  the  wall.  The  hab¬ 
it  is  bad,  whether  you  live  in  a  log-house  or  in 
one  of  “  brown-stone.”  It  may  not  deface  the 
logs,  but  it  may  lead  you  to  do  the  same  thing  on 
your  neighbor's  paper,  or  clean,  white  walls,  or 
perchance  to  mar  your  own  new  house  when  you 
have  one.  I  well  remember  the  indignation  I 
felt  when  a  guest  of  mine  thus  injured  the 
pretty  buff  paper  on  the  room  he  occupied.  This 
was  not  a  sin  of  ignorance,  for  the  matches  were 
drawn  behind  the  toilet-table  that  the  marks 
might  not  be  seen.  They  annoyed  me  so  long  as 
I  lived  in  the  house,  and  they  are  the  only  un¬ 
pleasant  remembrances  of  that  dear  little  room. 
I  suppose  they  will  remain  there  for  years,  an 
indication  of  inexcusable  carelessness,  if  I  may 
call  it  carelessness,  in  one  who  knew  better.  I 
should  not  have  been  half  so  much  displeased  if 
they  had  not  been  behind  the  toilet,  for  that  look¬ 
ed  too  much  like  premeditated  injury,  A  fault  of 
ignorance  is  far  less  blameworthy  than  any  other, 
and  can  be  much  more  easily  borne. 

Matches  should  be  kept  in  a  box,  or  a  safe,  so 
that  they  need  not  be  scattered  about.  It  is  dan¬ 
gerous  to  have  them  lying  loosely  around.  I  have 
myself  known  two  fires  result  from  their  being 
carried  away  by  rats,  and  I  suppose  such  fires  are 
by  no  means  uncommon.  The  only  wonder  is 
that  they  are  not  more  frequent.  The  round 
wooden  match-safes,  thoroughly  sanded  out¬ 
side,  and  covered  with  a  tin  cap,  I  like  better 
than  anything  else  of  the  kind  I  have  ever  used, 
where  no  great  beauty  is  required.  They  are  al¬ 
ways  convenient,  and  it  is  more  easy  to  rub  the 
match  on  them,  than  on  anything  else.  It  is  a 
good  thing  to  remove  temptation  as  far  away 
from  us  as  possible. 

It  is  well  to  have  a  match-safe  in  every  room 
where  lights  are  used,  especially  in  one  appropri¬ 
ated  to  friends.  It  is  often  convenient  or  neces¬ 
sary  to  use  a  light  in  the  night,  and  no  visitor 
likes  to  disturb  a  family  by  groping  about  the 
house  for  means  to  procure  one. 

A  small  vase  of  some  kind  to  receive  the  burnt 
matches  is  desirable  as  a  companion  to  every 
match-safe.  It  gives  an  air  of  untidiness  to  have 
matches  lying  about.  A  shell  laid  upon  the  bu¬ 
reau,  or  suspended  near  it,  makes  a  very  pretty 
receiver.  The  little  tin  boxes  that  contain  spices, 
if  covered  with  pretty  paper,  look  well. 

It  is  desirable  to  keep  a  lamp  or  candle  in  a 
room  occupied  by  visitors  so  that  they  need  not 
be  obliged  to  ask  for  one  if  they  wish  it  for  any 
purpose.  It  is  always  pleasant  to  find  a  light  in 
one’s  room  in  the  evening— unless  mosquitoes  are 
in  the  neighborhood. 

Tallow  candles  are  not,  in  these  days,  much 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


379 


used  in  cities,  but  they  are  still  common  in  the 
country.  If  furnished  to  guests,  do  not  neglect  al¬ 
so  to  furnish  something  with  which  to  snuff  them. 
It  is  rather  discouraging  to  see  the  long,  black 
mass  accumulating,  with  no  means  of  disposing  of 
it  except  by  a  dexterous  pinch  of  the  fingers,  and 
this  requires  an  expert.  I  should  not  dare  ven¬ 
ture  on  such  an  experiment. 

It  is  bad  economy  to  sew  or  read  with  a  poor 
light.  Eyes  once  lost  are  lost  forever,  and  a  few 
dollars’  worth  of  gas  or  fluid,  oil,  or  tallow,  should 
not  for  an  instant  be  weighed  in  the  balance 
against  them.  It  is  better  to  go  to  bed  when  the 
chickens  do,  than  to  injure  the  eyes.  It  is  better 
even  to  wear  rags,  for  they  can  be  clean,  than  to 
lose  our  eyes  by  mending. 

A  burning-fluid  lamp  requires  less  trimming 
than  most  others  ;  but  it  gives  a  much  better  light 
if  the  wick  is  frequently  cut,  and  without  any 
greater  expenditure  of  fluid. 

- ■©-« — w-o - 

Schools  for  Housekeepers. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

The  idea  of establishing  a  school  expressly  for 
instruction  in  the  arts  of  housekeeping,  will,  per¬ 
haps,  appear  whimsical  to  many,  but  it  may  be 
doubted  if  there  is  an  institution  which  is  really 
needed  more.  Upon  the  proper  administration  of 
the  household  department  depends  much  of  the 
happiness  of  life  ;  for  there  are  centered  the  ob¬ 
jects  and  interests  that  most  nearly  affect  us. 
However  stormy  the  world  may  be  without,  a 
well  conducted  home  offers  a  constant  refuge, 
where,  day  by  day,  care  may  be  forgotten,  rest  ob¬ 
tained,  and  slrength  renewed  for  the  conflicts  of 
life.  There,  too,  are  the  incitements  arising  from 
the  desire  to  surround  and  fill  that  home  with  the 
comforts  of  life.  Where  the  household  arrange¬ 
ments  are  such  as  to  bring  discomfort  instead  of 
pleasure,  the  very  citadel  of  enjoyment  is  attack¬ 
ed,  and  no  other  resource  can  compensate  its  loss. 

Now,  very  much  of  the  satisfaction  which 
home  may,  and  should  afford,  depends  upon  the 
proper  performance  of  the  mere  details  of  house¬ 
work.  Neatness,  proper  arrangement  ot  furni¬ 
ture,  absence  of  confusion,  skill  and  care  in  the 
cooking  department,  requisite  attention  to  sleep¬ 
ing  apartments — these  and  other  similar  matters, 
though  consisting  of  operations  and  processes 
easily  performed,  are  yet  so  imperfectly  under¬ 
stood  and  practiced,  that  well  nigh  half  the  com¬ 
fort  that  a  home  should  give,  is  lost.  And  it  is 
sadly  true  that  much  of  alienation  from  home  du¬ 
ties  on  the  part  of  men,  arises  from  the  fact,  that 
other  resorts  furnish  greater  comforts  and  hence 
superior  attractions.  Nor  can  this  be  greatly  won¬ 
dered  at,  when  there  are  so  few  educated  to  the 
art  of  housekeeping.  Among  those  in  moderate 
circumstances,  one  or  two  of  the  older  daughters 
may  be  kept  at  home  to  assist  in  the  family  work  ; 
but  the  majority  of  the  girls  are  sent  to  school  to 
receive  an  education,  and  grow  up  ladies.  When 
the  latter  are  established  in  life,  they  can  not 
properly  conduct  a  household,  much  less  teach 
their  children  the  art.  Among  those  who  depend 
wholly  upon  servants,  there  is  often,  if  not  usu¬ 
ally,  an  almost  entire  want  of  knowledge  on  the 
subject.  But  even  supposing  each  family  to  pos¬ 
sess  sufficient  skill  in  housekeeping  to  secure  a 
fair  share  of  home  comfort,  there  is  in  almost 
every  family  a  different  system  of  housekeeping 
arrangements.  While  each  possesses  many  val¬ 
uable  arts  and  recipes  unknown  to  others,  each 
also  has  its  own  defects.  Housekeeping  knowl¬ 
edge  has  not  een  systematized  into  a  science. 
There  are  thousands  of  good  ideas  upon  the  sub¬ 
ject,  but  one  would  need  to  visit  a  thousand  dif¬ 


ferent  families  to  become  possessed  of  them.  If 
schools  devoted  to  instruction  on  this  subject 
could  be  established,  they  might  become  centers 
of  information  upon  all  matters  of  household  skill. 
The  demand  for  knowledge  on  the  subject,  crea¬ 
ted  by  such  schools,  would  soon  be  met  by  the 
industry  of  book  makers,  who  would  leave  scarce¬ 
ly  a  household  unvisited  in  their  search  for  valu¬ 
able  recipes  and  household  arts,  and  thus  the 
scattered  items  of  value  could  soon  be  molded 
into  solid  ingots  of  knowledge. 

The  advantages  which  such  schools  would 
present  to  young  women  desirous  to  improve  in 
accomplishments  especially  in  their  sphere,  are 
too  apparent  to  require  illustration.  Now,  a  young 
woman  not  fortunate  enough  to  be  born  in  a  family 
where  good  housekeeping  is  understood,  can  im¬ 
prove  herself  as  a  housekeeper,  only  by  vexatious 
and  costly  experimenting  upon  the  fragmentary, 
and  often  nonsensical  methods  and  recipes  she 
may  pick  up  from  irresponsible  sources,  such  as 
are  published  anonymously  in  ordinary  newspa¬ 
pers,  or  compiled  from  equally  unreliable  data  by 
book  makers. 

But  it  is  not  only  for  the  comfort  of  home  that 
I  contend.  Unskillful  housewives  and  careless 
servants  are  the  obstacles  that  prevent  thousands 
from  securing  a  competence.  The  old  saying  of 
“throwing  out  with  a  teaspoon  faster  than  can  be 
put  in  with  a  scoop-shovel  ”  is  verified  all  over 
the  land ;  and  yet  those  in  fault  are  rather  to  be 
pitied  than  blamed,  for  they  do  as  well  as  they 
know  how.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  enough 
could  be  saved  by  properly  instructed  housekeep¬ 
ers  to  doubly  pay  for  the  cost  of  their  tuition. 
The  experiment  of  such  a  school  is  already  being 
tried  in  England,  under  the  patronage  of  persons 
of  wealth  and  high  standing,  and  we  hope  to  see 
the  successful  introduction  of  such  establishments 
into  this  country,  where  at  least  equally  with  any 
other  land  we  need  Good  Housekeepers. 

Benedict. 

Remark. — We  should  have  no  objection  to  see 
a  trial  of  such  schools  as  “  Benedict  ”  proposes, 
but  we  can  not  attach  much  importance  to  them. 
Schools  of  this  character  might  be  supported  by 
the  wealthy,  but  how  few  of  this  class  would  send 
a  daughter  to  a  school  specially  devoted  to  in¬ 
struct  girls  in  household  labors.  The  nearest — 
and  the  best — approach  to  a  school  of  this  kind 
was  (and  for  aught  we  know  is)  the  Female  Sem¬ 
inary  at  Mt.  Holyoke,  Mass.,  where  the  young- 
ladies  give  most  of  their  time  to  the  usual 
scholastic  studies,  but  each  one,  without  excep¬ 
tion,  devotes  a  portion  of  her  time,  in  regular 
order,  to  the  practical  duties  of  the  culinary  and 
other  departments  of  the  Institution. 


Thing’s  not  Heat. 


[From  our  very  heart,  we  pity  the  poor  man 
who  wishes  us  to  print  the  following  summary  of 
“  things  not  neat.”  He  says  he  is  an  unfortunate 
boarder — having  no  home  of  his  own,  and  that  he 
has  himself  witnessed,  at  one  time  or  another,  the 
instances  of  untidiness  he  recounts.  Where  can 
the  man  have  passed  his  days  1  He  don’t  date 
his  letter.  We  advise  him  to  at  Qnce  seek  a  neat 
home  of  his  own.  Hear  him. — Ed.] 

It  is  not  neat  to  mix  bread  with  a  snuff-box  on 
the  table,  or  snuff  in  the  nose  ;  to  feed  the  dog  in 
the  frying-pan  ;  to  use  the  same  sheet  for  the  bed 
and  the  table-cloth  ;  to  clean  the  nails  with  the 
table-knife,  or  pick  the  teeth  with  a  fork  ;  to  use 
the  kneading-trough  for  a  cradle  ;  to  wash  dishes 
in  the  hand  basin  ;  to  put  half  chewed  quids  of 
tobacco  back  again  for  future  use  ;  to  cook  beans 
without  looking  them  over  to  pick  out  the  mice, 


(this  is  cruel  also) ;  to  use  the  sleeve  for  a  pock¬ 
et  handkerchief ;  to  use  the  wash  rag  for  a  dish 
cloth,  or  the  same  towel  for  dishes  and  hands  ;  to 
keep  cake  under  the  bed  ;  to  keep  the  swill  buck¬ 
et  in  the  pantry,  or  the  swill  barrel  in  the  kitch¬ 
en  ;  to  throw  dish  water  out  by  the  back  door  or 
slops  from  the  chamber  window  ;  to  cut  plug  to¬ 
bacco  with  your  jack-knife,  then  pare  apples  with 
it,  and  finish  by  wiping  it  upon  the  hair  or  the 
pantaloons.  D. 


For  the  Americ'an  Agriculturist. 

Eye  VS.  Mouth.— To  Nellie. 

It  is  the  same  old  war,  Nellie,  that  has  been 
raging  ever  since  the  world  began,  and  strange 
as  it  would  seem,  the  eye  has  ever  been  forced  to 
retire  from  the  field.  The  mouth,  the  organ  of 
mere  sensual  appetite,  must  ever  be  gratified, 
although  at  the  expense  of  the  eyes,  those 
“windows  of  the  soul,”  that  take  in  at  pleasure 
the  beauties  of  earth,  and  the  glories  of  the 
heavens.  We  hope  however  that  better  days 
are  at  hand,  when  the  pure  delight  which  comes 
from  tree,  and  leaf,  and  flower,  may  not  always 
be  met  and  counteracted  by  the  desire  of  the 
palate;  when  men  shall  not  forever  look  upon  a 
grand  old  tree  as  an  intruder,  because  it  takes 
from  them,  it  may  be  every  year,  one  whole  peck 
of  grain,  nor  reckon  how  much  more  profitably  a 
flower  bed  might  be  turned  into  a  bean  patch. 
I  could  almost  forgive  your  father  the  planting 
that  strawberry  bed  in  place  of  your  flower  gar¬ 
den,  but  certainly  I  think  he  could  have  found 
some  other  place  that  would  have  suited  as  well. 
I  wish  you  lived  in  this  vicinity,  Nellie,  for  the 
girls  about  here  are  great  florists,  and  the  man 
who  should  put  in  the  desecrating  spade  would 
meet  with  some  opposition.  Lover  of  the  Farm. 

—  -■  ■ . - -qi  j  — - 

Recipes. 

Au  «!il  Sasliioucd.  Posdtliajg;. 

A  correspondent  from  the  Far  West  asks  us 
for  a  recipe  for  a  boiled  pudding,  such  as  he  loved 
when  he  was  a  boy,  and  which,  from  his  descrip, 
tion,  we  judge  to  be  similar  to  what  is  often  wel¬ 
comed  upon  the  writer’s  table,  made  as  follows  : 
Stir  Indian  meal  into  warm  sweet  milk,  making 
it  rather  stiff;  add  a  little  salt,  and  two  or  three 
large  table-spoonfuls  of  molasses  to  each  quart  of 
the  mixture,  and  sliced  apples,  berries,  raisins  or 
currants,  as  many  as  will  make  it  sufficiently 
fruity.  A  little  suet  chopped  fine  may  also  be 
added— if  it  is  used,  put  it  in  the  milk  while 
warming.  Enclose  the  pudding  in  a  thick  cloth, 
or  tin  pudding  can,  and  boil  two  hours.  Serve  up 
with  butter  and  molasses  or  sauce. 

To  5?rej>&i-e  liomc-madc  Sami?. 

[This  and  the  following  were  contributed  to 
the  Agriculturist  by  Edith.] — Gather  ripe  ears  of 
corn  from  the  field,  and  with  a  carpenter’s  plane 
lightly  pressed  against  the  kernels,  take  off  shav¬ 
ings  of  the  grain  until  the  cob  is  reached;  the  re¬ 
mainder  can  be  scraped  off  with  the  back  of  a 
knife.  Put  it  into  four  times  its  bulk  of  hot  water, 
stir  it  until  the  mass  boils,  and  add  salt  to  the 
taste.  Cook  with  a  slow  fire  three  or  four  hours. 
Eaten  with  milk  it  is  a  rich  and  wholesome 
dish. 

To  cools  Summer  Squiisia. 

Place  the  squashes  whole  in  boiling  water  and 
cook  until  soft.  Spread  a  cloth  over  a  colander, 
and  carefully  lay  them  into  it.  Cut  a  small  piece 
from  each  end,  split  them  open,  and  remove  the 
seeds  with  a  spoon.  Mash  them  fine,  press  quite 
dry,  and  season  with  butter,  pepper  and  salt. 


No.  152. 


380 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Youth — “ You  needn't  he  afraid  madam — island  behind  me ." 


TIac  Kditor  with  liis  Young  Kcadcrs.  | 

Here  is  a  picture,  got  up  by  Mr.  Punch,  which  has 
amused  us  not  a  little.  It  has  also  suggested  several 
thoughts,  some  comical  and  some  serious  ones,  but  in¬ 
stead  of  printing  thorn,  we  propose  to  as  many  of  our 
young  readers  as  may  be  so  disposed,  to  write  out  their 
own  thoughts.  We  can  not  promise  to  print  what  you 
write,  for  w  e  might  not  have  room  for  a  hundredth  part, 
but  we  have  some  curiosity  to  know  what  you  think  of  that 
boy  in  the  picture.  Write  short,  that  is,  put  as  many 
thoughts  as  you  can  into  few  words.  Half  a  foolscap 
page  or  so  will  be  enough.  This  will  be  a  useful  exercise 
for  you,  in  more  ways  than  one. 

■USELESS  THINGS. 

How  many  times  do  people  ask,  what  flies,  weeds,  and 
many  other  apparently  worse  than  useless  things  were 
ever  made  for.  It  may  not  be  possible  to  answer  all  such 
queries,  yet  the  more  knowledge  we  obtain,  and  the  more 
enlarged,  comprehensive  views  we  can  take  of  the  works 
of  God,  the  more  reason  w'e  shall  have  to  conclude  that 
“  lie  has  made  nothing  in  vain.’’  Many  of  what  were 
once  termed  noxious  weeds,  have  proved  to  be  valuable 
plants,  and  such  discoveries  will  continue  to  be  made, 
until  perhaps  every  plant  will  be  found  useful  in  itself. 
These  weeds  that  are  ever  springing  up  on  vacant  spots, 
are  of  benefit  to  the  soil,  and  are  really  fitting  it  for  pro¬ 
ducing  other  plants  more  useful  to  man.  Flies  themselves 
are  scavengers,  gathering  up  avast  amount  of  decaying 
matter,  and  changing  it  into  a  kind  of  hard  flesh  (their 
own  bodies)  which  ultimately  dries  up  without  emitting 
unhealthy  effluvia.  Toads,  which  w'ere  once  considered 
a  disgusting  nuisance,  are  now  found  to  be  most  useful 
occupants  of  the  garden  and  field,  which  they  help  to  rid 
of  destructive  insects,  and  we  shall  yet  find  that  the  in¬ 
sects  they  destroy,  which  we  deem  noxious,  are  them¬ 
selves  of  some  use  to  man,  before  their  existence  is  cut 
short  by  the  toads.  Many  illustrations  of  this  character 
might  be  given,  but  with  this  hint,  we  will  now  tell  you  a 
story,  we  recently  heard  for  the  first  time,  about 

THE  GOOD  DONE  BY  ONE  LITTLE  FLY. 

Near  by  a  church  lived  a  very  wicked  man,  a  rum- 
seller,  by  the  way,  who  seemed  not  to  fear  God  or  regard 
man.  He  despised  all  good  things,  and  loved  to  do 
wrong  rather  than  right.  The  only  good  thing  he  de¬ 
lighted  in,  was  music.  It  happened  that  fhe  church  near 
him  was  remodeled,  and  an  organ  was  put  in,  and  there 
was  to  be  some  good  playing  in  it,  and  excellent  music 
by  the  choir  at  the  “  re-opening  ”  of  the  church.  This 
man  warned  to  hear  the  music,  but  he  did  not  want  to 
hear  the  sermon.  He  w'as  puzzled  for  a  time,  but  finally 


hit  upon  this  plan:  he  would  go  into  the  church,  take  a 
seat  in  an  obscure  corner,  and  listen  to  the  music,  but 
stop  his  ears  with  his  fingers  when  there  was  any  pray¬ 
ing,  preaching,  or  talking.  So  he  went  in  and  enjoyed 
the  singing  and  the  sound  of  the  organ,  but  when  the 
minister  prayed  he  stopped  his  ears  as  tightly  as  possible. 
When  prayer  was  over,  and  singing  commenced,  he  took 
his  fingers  from  his  ears,  but  stopped  them  again  as  soon 
as  the  minister  commenced  reading  a  chapter  in  the  Bible. 
While  he  sat  thus,  self-made  deaf,  a  fly  lit  on  his  nose  and 
began  to  run  round,  and  occasionally  it  stopped  and 
thrust  down  its  bill  as  if  to  take  a  bite  from  the  skin. 
The  man  bore  it  as  long  as  he  could,  and  then  involun¬ 
tarily  brushed  the  fly  off  with  his  hand,  leaving  one  ear 
unstopped  while  he  did  so.  Just  at  that  instant  the  min¬ 
ister  read  the  verse,  “  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him 
hear.”  The  words  struck  him  with  peculiar  force,  he 
thought  a  moment,  unstopped  his  other  ear,  and  listened 
to  the  rest  of  the  chapter  and  to  the  sermon  following. 
He  went  from  the  church  with  a  changed  purpose,  became 
a  good  man,  and  lived  many  years  trying  all  the  time  to 
do  all  the  good  he  could  to  others,  and  to  repair  the 
mischief  done  by  his  former  conduct.  The  improvements 
in  the  church,  the  organ,  the  attractive  exercises,  were  all 
instrumental  in  drawing  this  man  in  where  a  good  seed 
might  be  dropped  into  the  soil  of  his  mind,  but  that  little 
fly  was  also  necessary  to  unstop  his  ears. 

LEAVING  HOME. 

When  boys  are  restrained  from  having  their  own  way — 
as  they  often  need  to  be— they  often  say  to  themselves  : 
“When  I’m  a  man,  I’ll  do  as  I  please  and  there  are 
many  instances  where  this  feeling  lias  been  so  strong, 
that  they  have  run  away  from  home,  to  look  out  for  them¬ 
selves,  rather  than  submit  to  the  control  of  their  parents. 
We  knew'  a  lad  w  ho  did  this.  He  was  a  boy  with  many 
excellent  qualities,  but  very  headstrong,  determined  upon 
having  his  own  way  without  stopping  to  think  that  his 
parents  were  older  and  wiser  than  himself,  and  knew 
what  was  best  for  him.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  ran  aw'ay 
from  home  and  went  to  sea.  He  had  read  many  stories 
about  sailors,  and  thought,  as  some  of  you  may  do,  that 
they  led  a  happy  life,  without  caro,  and  that  upon  the 
ocean  he  could  be  free  as  a  bird.  It  required  but  a  little 
experience  to  show  him  his  mistake.  When  sea-sickness 
came  upon  him,  there  was  no  tender  mother  or  kind  sis¬ 
ter  to  care  for  him.  the  rough  sailors  only  laughed  at  him, 
and  instead  of  his  own  neat  and  quiet  little  bedroom,  he 
had  only  a  narrow  “bunk”  down  in  the  filthy  forecastle, 
where  the  sailors  were  smoking,  talking,  and  quarreling. 
He  soon  found,  too,  that  he  had  gained  nothing  in  freedom. 
He  was  made  the  servant  of  all  the  rest,  and  was  kicked 


and  cuffed  about  like  a  dog, 
often  without  cause.  The 
vessel  made  a  long  voyage, 
and  was  absent  three  years, 
lie  passed  through  many 
hardships,  and  when  the  ship 
returned,  he  hastened  to 
leave  it  and  went  immediate¬ 
ly  home.  But  the  mother  who 
had  loved  him,  and  had  not 
ceased  to  mourn  for  him,  was 
in  her  grave— on  her  dying 
bed,  she  had  prayed  for  her 
poor  wandering  boy.  His 
sister  had  married  and  re¬ 
moved  to  a  distant  part  of  the 
country,  and  his  father,  re¬ 
duced  almost  to  beggary  by 
reverses  of  fortune,  was 
w  orking  as  a  day-laborer  for 
his  support.  Had  George  re¬ 
mained  at  home,  his  mother 
might  have  lived  many  years, 
fur  those  who  knew  her  said 
fhe  was  worn  out, sorrowing 
for  her  son.  That  boy’s  re¬ 
collections  of  his  early  days 
w  ill  embitter  his  whole  life. 
If  ever  you  should  be  tempt¬ 
ed  to  leave  home  thus,  re¬ 
member  poor  George  R - - 

BUILDING  CASTLES. 

We  do  not  mean  by  this, 
putting  up  great  buildings  of 
stone  or  brick,  such  as  were 
erected  by  men  in  old  times 
to  keep  off  their  enemies. 
The  time  for  such  things  has 
passed,  in  this  country  at 
least,  and  men  can  rest  safe¬ 
ly  in  unfortified  houses.  But 
we  mean,  doing  what  little 
Johnny  was  so  busy  about,  as  he  lay  upon  the  grass  in  the 
shade  the  other  afternoon,  with  his  head  resting  upon  his 
hand,  and  his  eyes  directed  to  the  clouds  that  w'ere  float- 
ingslowly  past.  He  was  so  intently  engaged,  that  it  was 
necessary  to  call  him  several  times  before  he  could  hear, 
and  then  he  started  up  as  if  he  scarcely  knew  where  he 
was.  “  Oh  I”  said  he  “  what  made  you  call  me  then  1  I 
was  in  the  most  beautiful  place  you  ever  saw.”  “  Why 
Johnny,  where  have  you  been  1”  “  Oh,  up  in  the  clouds 
there— and  I  saw  the  brightest  fields,  and  the  finest  lakes 
with  splendid  boats  on  them,  and  great  fishes  swimming 
about,  and  there  were  glorious  mountains  all  full  of  gold 
and  silver,  and  I  had  such  a  splendid  palace  to  live  in  ! 
Oh,  I  wish  I  could  go  up  there  and  stay.” 

He  had  been  watching  the  clouds,  and  imagining  they 
were  what  their  curious  shapes  resembled — fields  and 
lakes,  and  mountains,  and  palaces — until  his  mind  became 
so  engaged  that  they  appeared  like  realities.  He  was 
“  building  castles  in  the  air.”  Young  people  do  this  very 
often.  It  is  not  necessary  to  have  the  clouds  as  materials 
for  building.  The  imagination  is  such  a  wonderful  work¬ 
man  that  it  can  use  anything  that  comes  to  hand — the 
waters  of  the  brook  or  the  ocean,  the  steam  from  the  ket¬ 
tle,  and  even  the  fire  in  the  fire  place  or  stove,  are  em¬ 
ployed  by  it  for  structures  more  beautiful  than  any  archi¬ 
tect  has  yet  been  able  to  erect.  Even  when  n®ne  of  these 
things  are  present,  the  mind  can  find  its  own  materials, 
and  we  can  “  make  up”  from  our  thoughts  most  won¬ 
derful  scenes,  and  in  imagination  see  most  delightful 
views.  It  is  quite  easy,  too,  in  this  way,  to  put  ourselves 
in  any  situation  we  choose.  We  may  be  as  rich  as  Astor 
or  Gerard,  as  powerful  as  Alexander,  and  as  brave  as 
Hercules,  and  pass  safely  through  as  many  adventures  as 
Sinbad  the  sailor,  or  Jack  the  Giant-Killer.  This  faculty 
of  the  mind,  the  imagination,  may  yield  us  great  pleasure 
and  be  of  much  profit  if  used  aright,  or  it  may  if  not  used 
properly,  make  us  quite  miserable.  It  is  not  well  to  busy 
the  imagination  with  improbabilities— for  instance,  to 
picture  to  ourselves  the  happiness  we  should  enjoy  by  be¬ 
coming  rich  suddenly.  After  a  day  dream  of  this  kind,  a 
person  will  feel  dissatisfied  with  his  present  circumstances, 
and  work  will  be  harder  and  more  unpleasant  than  ever. 
Novel  reading  is  injurious  from  this  cause.  The  mind  is 
kept  busy  with  improbabilities  until  that  which  is  real  loses 
its  interest,  and  gives  little  satisfaction.  Even  this,  how¬ 
ever,  is  not  so  foolish,  as  to  let  the  imagination  keep  us 
miserable  by  magnifying  the  little  trials  of  life.  Some 
seem  to  look  at  every  thing  through  black,  or  blue,  “spec¬ 
tacles.”  They  are  continually  afraid  of  poverty,  acci¬ 
dent,  disease  or  death,  and  they  seem  dissatisfied  unless 
they  aro  thoroughly  miserable.  Sometimes  persons  have 
become  insane  by  continually  indulging  such  ideas ; 


Sepl.,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


281 


there  are  very  curious  and  ludicrous  instances  of  insanity 
of  this  kind.  An  old  gentleman,  we  heard  of,  after  years 
of  this  imaginary  misery,  fully  believed  his  bones  were 
made  of  glass  and  moved  around  with  the  greatest  care, 
lest  he  should  be  broken  to  pieces.  One  day  a  mischiev¬ 
ous  young  man  who  was  visiting  him,  thought  he  would 
try  and  cure  him.  As  they  were  about  sitting  down  to 
dinner  he  stepped  behind  the  old  gentleman  and  slilv 
pulled  his  chair  away,  leaving  him  to  come  down  with  a 
crash  on  the  floor  !  He  was  terribly  frightened,  but  find¬ 
ing  himself  unbroken,  he  sprang  up  cured ;  his  insane  idea 
had  been  completely  jarred  out  of  him. 

ANSWERS  TO  PROBLEMS. 

There  were  so  many  other  matters  to  print  last  month, 
that  we  were  compelled  to  omit  the  puzzles,  and  also  the 
names  of  those  who  had  previously  sent  in  correct  ans¬ 
wers.  This  time  all  arrears  are  brought  up,  and  a  new 
start  made. 

no.  41 — A  genealogical  puzzle — The  Curious  Family. 

In  a  family  of  four  persons,  related  by  marriage  or  de¬ 
scent,  No.  1  was  his  own  grandson. 

No.  2,  the  son  of  No.  1,  was  his  own  grandfather. 

No.  3,  also  son  of  No.  1,  was  brother  to  his  own  grand¬ 
father. 

No.  4,  son  of  No.  2,  was  nephew  and  also  uncle  to  No. 
3— How  could  this  happen  ? 

This  has  not  been  correctly  answered  by  any  of  our 
young  friends.  Several  wrote  that  No.  1  married  his 
own  grandmother,  but  that  would  be  out  of  character. 
The  following  is  the  correct  explanation.  A  father,  (No. 
1,)  married  a  young  woman  ;  his  son,  (No.  2,)  married  the 
mother  of  the  young  woman  :  They  each  had  one  child, 
after  which  both  the  women  died,  leaving  only  four  in 
the  family.  Then,  by  marriage,  No.  1  was  the  son  of  his 
own  son,  and  hence  his  own  grandson.  In  the  same  way 
No.  2  being  father  to  his  own  father,  was  his  own  grand¬ 
father.  No.  3,  the  son  of  No.  1,  was  brother  to  No.  2, 
who  was,  by  marriage,  father  to  No.  1,  lienee  he  was 
brother  to  his  own  grandfather.  And  No.  4,  son  of  No.  2, 
is  nephew  to  No.  3,  because  No.  3  is  brother  to  No.  4’s 
father;  he  is  also  uncle  to  No.  3,  because  No.  3  is  No.  4’s 
mother’s  daughter's  child. 

The  following  sent  in  correct  answers  to  the  Labyrinth 
puzzle,  No.  40,  too  late  for  the  insertion  of  their  names  in 
the  July  No. :  Wm.  E.  Reiff,  Tomas  B.  Faust,  Emerick 
M.  Lindstrom,  II.  P.  Sandford,  W.  A.  Buckhout,  C.  II. 
Turner,  George  W.  Kilmer,  Laura  V.  Alban,  G.  II.  Ho¬ 
gan,  A.  L.  B. 

new  problems. 


Uii : 


a  y 


NO.  42— ILLUSTRATED  REBUS. 

If  this  be  read  aright,  it  will  give  you  a  proverb,  and  a 
very  good  one  too.  Don't  give  it  up  easily.  Remember, 
where  there’s  a  will,  there's  a  way,  and  keep  on  trying 
till  you  find  it  out. 

no.  43 — A  REBUS. 

a 

a  a 
a  a  a 

k  a  a  a 

a  a.  a 
a  a  ci  a  a  a 
a  a  a 

a  a  a 

a  a  a 

a  a  a  a  a  a  a  a  a 

The  above  is  a  new  rendering  of  an  old  Scotch  proverb, 
which  may  puzzle  you  somewhat. 


words,  using  only  the  letters  s-t-r-a-n-g-e.  Edmund  A. 
Gross,  Brow nington,  did  more  than  this.  lie  writes  that 
he  made  150  w  ords  from  these  letters. 


Grandmother  with  the  Little  Girls. 


S-t-r-a-n-g-e,  again.— C.  II.  Jones  writes  that  he  can 
tell  a  “  bigger  story”  about  this  word  than  was  contained 
in  the  April  Agriculturist.  He  has  made  135  different 


REPORTED  BY  COUSIN  MART. 

Dear  Mr.  Editor  :— Grandmother  gave  us  some  pret¬ 
ty  sharp  hits  this  afternoon,  but  I  suppose  we  deserve 
them  all.  I  was  half  a  mind  not  to  say  anything  about 
this  talk,  but  as  you  expect  me  to  report  her  conversations 
faithfully,  I  have  written  out  what  she  said,  pretty  much 
in  her  own  words.  Yours  truly,  Mary. 

I  do  love  to  see  my  girls  dressed  neatly.  I  do  not  mean 
only  w  hen  they  go  out,  or  when  they  have  company,  but 
always.  They  needn’t  put  on  their  best  clothes,  nor  be 
fixed  up  much,  but  what  they  do  wear  should  be  clean, 
whole,  and  in  good  order.  I’ve  seen  girls  rigged  out  with 
the  nicest  of  silks  and  laces,  but  they  were  so  puckered 
and  twisted,  and  mussed,  that  they  looked  as  if  they  had 
craw  led  through  a  mantua-maker’s  shop,  and  the  frag¬ 
ments  had  all  stuck  to  them.  Their  collars  were  on  one¬ 
sided,  and  their  skirts  the  other-sided  ;  their  bonnets  were 
twisted  askew,  and  it  almost  made  me  squint  to  look  at 
them.  Then  I’ve  seen  other  girls  dressed  only  in  calico, 
with  white  or  checked  aprons,  that  looked  as  neat  as  if 
they  had  just  grown  up  in  the  garden,  like  pinks  or  lilies. 
A  good  many  little  folks  and  some  large  ones,  too,  go 
about  home  looking  anyhow,  that  is  when  they  are  alone. 
Their  dresses  will  be  gaping  open  behind,  their  shoes 
slipping  off  at  the  heels,  and  their  stockings  going  down 
to  keep  them  company  ;  their  hair  will  look  as  if  each 
curl  had  a  quarrel  with  the  other  one,  and  altogether  one 
would  think  they  had  just  tumbled  out  of  the  rag-bag 
where  they  belonged.  Now  a  girl  always  thinks  more  of 
herself  when  she  is  dressed  neatly.  If  her  clothing  is 
carelessly  put  on,  she  will  be  apt  to  feel  careless  all  over, 
and  her  words  and  actions  will  show  it. 

If  a  girl  is  dressed  up  erer  so  much  she  needn’t 
feel  proud  about  it.  I  think  it  is  right  to  try  to  look  well. 
God  makes  the  birds  and  flowers  very  beautiful,  and  be 
meant  that  we  should  look  well  also.  There’s  no  sin  in 
wanting  to  appear  attractive.  But  girls  make  a  great 
mistake  when  they  put  on  airs  with  their  fine  things,  and 
nip,  and  twist,  and  fix,  and  fuss,  to  show  off.  I've  seen 
girls  act  in  this  way.  Their  actions  all  the  time  seemed 
to  say,  “  Do  look  at  me  ;  don’t  you  think  I’ve  got  on  a 
handsome  dress  ?  Don't  I  look  nice!  Don’t  you  wish 
you  had  such  fine  things  ?”  The  birds  don’t  do  so,  ex¬ 
cept,  perhaps,  the  peacock  and  the  turkey,  and  every 
body  laughs  at  their  silly  vanity.  When  a  girl  tries  to 
show  off  her  dress  in  this  way,  she  confesses  that  she  is 
not  worth  noticing  particularly,  but  that  her  clothes  are 
the  best  part  of  her.  Now  we  can  see  handsome  dr>- 
goods  in  the  store  windows,  and  anybody  with  money- 
enough  can  buy  them,  but  what  are  they,  compared  with 
a  girl  that  people  respect  and  love  for  what  she  is  herself. 
There  are  too  many  girls  worth  nothing  but  what  they 
have  on,  say,  perhaps,  twenty  or  even  fifty  dollars.  I’m 
sure  I  don’t  want  a  lot  of  clothes  frames  for  grand-daugh¬ 
ters. 

Although  a  nice  dress  may  make  a  girl  appear  well  at 
first  sight,  she  will  soon  be  found  out  if  that  is  all  she 
has  to  recommend  her.  Girls  must  learn  to  dress  up  the 
inside  handsomely,  and  the  beauty  will  be  sure  to  work 
out,  where  people  will  see  and  esteem  it.  Another  good 
thing  about  such  beauty  is,  it  will  wear  well.  In  a  few 
years  your  nice  dresses  will  all  have  to  go  to  the  rag-bag, 
but  real  worth,  like  pure  gold,  will  only  shir.e  the  brighter 


the  more  you  wear  and  rub  it.  Now  perhaps  you  will 
think  I’ve  given  you  hard  rubs  enough  for  once,  so  I’ll 
stop  and  give  you  time  to  think  over  what  I  have  said,  and 
to  try  and  practice  on  it. 


Chance  — It  was  once  remarked  in  the  hearing  of  a 
little  girl  of  thirteen,  that  all  tilings  came  by  chance,  and 
the  world,  like  a  mushroom,  sprang  up  in  a  night.  “I 
should  like  to  know,  sir,”  asked  the  child,  “where  the 
seed  came  from 

Insect  Life. — Some  one  says:  “Insects  generally 
must  lead  a  truly  jovial  life.  Think  what  it  must  be  to 
lodge  in  a  lily.  Imagine  a  palace  of  ivory  or  pearl,  witli 
pillars  of  silver  and  capitals  of  gold,  all  exhaling  such  a 
perfume  as  never  rose  from  human  censer.  Fancy  again, 
the  fun  of  tucking  yourself  up  for  the  night  in  the  folds  of 
a  rose,  rocked  to  sleep  by  the  gentle  sighs  of  a  Summer's 
air;  and  nothing  to  do  when  you  awake  but  to  wash 
yourself  in  a  dew-drop  and  fall  to  and  eat  your  bedclothes  ! 

A  Mouse  in  Liquor.— A  reformed  inebriate  gives  the 
following  as  an  apology  for  the  folly  of  drunkards .-  A 
mouse  falling  into  a  vat  of  beer,  besought  a  cat  to  pull 
him  out.  “What  good  will  lhat  do  you,”  said  the  cat, 
“  for  as  soon  as  I  get  you  out  I  shall  eat  you  up.” 
“  Well,”  says  the  mouse,  “I  had  rather  be  eaten  up  than 
drown  here.”  Puss  reached  over  and  seizing  t lie  mouse 
by  his  coat  pulled  him  out,  but  imbibing  some  of  thebeer, 
let  go  her  hold  for  an  instant  to  sneeze.  The  mouse  in 
the  meantime  skulked  into  his  hole.  Puss  appealed  to 
his  honor,  and  asked  if  he  did  not  promise  that  she  should 
eat  him  if  she  pulled  him  out  of  the  beer.  “  True,”  says 
the  mouse,  “but  you  know  I  ivas  in  liquor  at  the  time:’ 

“  I  never  complained  of  my  condition,”  says  tiie  Persian 
poet,  Sadi,  “but  once,  when  my  feet  were  bare,  and  I  had 
no  money  to  buy  shoes  ;  but  1  met  a  man  w  ithout  feet, 
and  was  contented  with  my  lot.” 


It  is  a  good  sign  to  see  the  color  of  health  upon  a  man’s 
face,  but  not  to  see  it  all  concentrated  in  his  nose. 


Into  which  are  thrown  all  sorts  of  paragraphs — such  as 
Notes  and  Replies  to  Correspondents,  with  Useful  or 
interesting  Extracts  from  their  Letters,  together  with  Glean¬ 
ings  of  various  kinds  from  various  sources. 

Erratum.— For  Hoppe  read  Bosse,  on  p.  211,  July  No, 

Campaign  for  1 860.— Attention  is  invited  to  the 
Publisher’s  proposals  on  a  subsequent  page. 

Native  Honeysuckle.— II.  K.  Spencer,  Morgan 
Co.,  Ind.  The  specimen  sent  to  our  office,  is  a  species 
of  the  Caprifolium,  or  Honeysuckle,  probably  the  C.  sem- 
pervirens,  which  is  frequently  met  with  in  its  wild  state, 
and  is  well  worth  introducing  into  the  flower  garden  as  a 
pretty  climbing  vine.  Were  it  to  be  obtained  only  fiom 
Japan ,  it  would  be  considered  a  “great  acquisition.” 

Northern  Fig's.—1 To-day  (Aug.  11)  we  have  re¬ 
ceived  some  beautiful  luscious  ripe  figs  from  Henry  Mil¬ 
ler,  which  he  raised  in  the  open  ground  on  his  place  at 
East  New-York,  on  Long  Island,  some  four  miles  east  of 
this  city.  His  trees  are  10  years  old  and  about  10  feet 
high.  They  are  bent  down  and  covered  with  earth  during 
Winter.  Each  tree  bears  from  a  peck  to  a  half  bushel 
annually.  The  fruit  resembles  in  size  and  form  the  Ty¬ 
son  or  the  Rostiezer  pears,  being  a  little  more  necked, 
and  having  the  calyx  full.  The  dried  fruit  gives  little 
idea  of  the  fresh  juicy  article  just  ripe.  They  ripen  in 
succession  on  the  same  tree,  from  July  to  October. 

Catalogues  of  Tree  ami  Shrub  Seeds. — 

We  have  before  us  T.  Meehan’s  sixth  annual  catalogue 
of  the  “  Tree  and  Shrub  Seeds,”  raised  at  bis  German¬ 
town  Nurseries.  In  it  we  find  enumerated  seeds  of  57 
varieties  of  Evergreens  ;  172  kinds  of  deciduous  trees  and 
shrubs,  together  with  an  assortment  of  climbing  vines. 
This  enterprise  on  such  an  extensive  scale  is  certainly 
worthy  of  a  liberal  patronage. 

What  are  Capers  7— F.  D.  Ludworth  Newport 
Co.,  R.  I.  Capers,  which  are  considered,  by  epicures,  a 
great  addition  to  sauces  for  meats,  fish,  etc  ,  are  ttie  flow¬ 
er  buds  of  a  small  prickly  shrub  cultivated  in  Spain,  Italy, 
and  Southern  France,  from  which  places  they  are  im¬ 
ported  into  this  country.  The  buds  are  gathered  before 
they  open,  and  pickled  in  strong  vinegar,  slightly  salted. 


Q82 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


Good  Rltiiliarlb. — Aug.  10,  a  neighbor,  Geo.  D. 
Kimber,  of  Flushing,  sent  us  a  bunch  of  1  ]  doz.  Linnmus 
Rhubarb  stalks,  which,  without  the  leaves  weighed  131 
pounds.  Other  kinds  may  occasionally  weigh  more,  but 
we  know  of  nothing  equal  to  this  for  excellence  and  long 
yielding.  Last  year  we.  used  it  nearly  all  of  September, 
and  shall  perhaps  do  so  this  year. 

Cslooal  way  off  SSiocliisis'  Cora. — F.  H.  Shan¬ 
non,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  describes  his  way  of  shocking 
corn  which,  though  not  new,  is  good.  The  tops  of  four 
contiguous  hills  are  fastened  together,  and  the  stalks  set 
up  in  the  corners,  leaning  slightly  inward.  The  standing 
stalks  brace  up  the  shock,  and  if  properly  bound  up,  it  will 
resist  very  heavy  winds.  The  open  space  in  the  center 
aids  materially  in  curing  the  stalks.  When  to  be  removed, 
the  inside  stalks  are  severed  with  a  knife. 

New  Koclielle  BBSacIcberry.  —  E.  Crosby, 
Gratiot  Co.,  Mich.  This  is  very  hardy  hereabouts,  and 
needs  no  protection.  We  think  it  would  flourish  well  in 
Central  Michigan,  and  probably  anywhere  in  the  South 
Peninsula.  See  page  276. 

IPaJteiit  Claurns. — “  Farmer,  ”  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  will 
find  the  information  he  asks  for  on  this  subject  in  the 
March  Agriculturist,  page  153. 

Cattle  and  SHieep  Saic. — By  reference  to  our 
advertising  columns  it  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  L.  F.  Allen, 
of  Black  Rock,  N  Y.,  will  offer  at  public  sale  on  Sept.  7, 
his  entire  herd  of  thorough  bred  Devons,  together  with  a 
considerable  number  of  Southdown  and  Cotswold  sheep. 
This  will  afford  a  good  opportunity  for  persons  to  furnish 
themselves  with  improved  stock.  Descriptive  Catalogues 
can  be  obtained  by  addressing  Mr.  Allen. 

Sale  off  Cattle  ia  5’etin, — We  have  received  an 
account  of  a  sale  of  stock  by  Jno.  Evans,  of  York,  Pa., 
but  not  accompanied  by  any  description  of  the  breeds,  or 
the  particular  quality  of  the  animals  offered.  One  half  of 
the  herd,  or  27  sold  for  $1609,-.  Eleven  of  them  ranged 
from  7  weeks  to  11  months  in  age;  ten,  from  12  to  21 
months  ;  one  heifer  31  months  ;  and  four  cows,  5,  7,  8  and 
10  years.  The  highest  price  paid  was  $185  for  the  cow 
Rosette,  7  years  old,  purchased  by  J.  Greyhill,  of  Lancas¬ 
ter.  A  calf,  “  Bonnie  Lesley,”  only  7  weeks  old,  was 
bought  by  Geo.  Leitner,  of  York  Co.,  for  $35. 

Steel-Hooped  Skirts. — If  the  dresses  of  ladies  must 
be  expanded  from  15  to  40  feet,  or  more,  in  circumference — 
to  gratify  the  demands  of  an  absurd  or  outlandish  fashion, 
we  by  all  means  recommend  the  use  of  the  light  steel 
“  hoops,”  as  they  are  infinitely  better  for  the  health  than 
“  40  odd  pounds  ”  of  cotton,  carried  round  upon  the  hips, 
unsupported  by  shoulder  straps,  as  all  garments  should  be 
On  this  account  we  have  regarded  with  much  favor  the 
enterprise  of  Messrs.  Douglass  &  Sherwood,  who  stand 
foremost  in  the  manufacture  of  superior  skirts,  ribbed 
with  any  desired  number  of  light  steel  hoops,  and  which 
give  the  largest  expansion  the  most  faithful  follower  of 
fashion  could  desire,  without  loading  down  the  wearer 
wilh  an  over  ponderous  load. 


Wanted— A  new  New-York  Agricultural 
Paper. 

We  are  continually  harrassed  by  three  classes  of  per¬ 
sons,  whose  attentions  we  would  gladly  escape.  The  first 
have  axes  to  grind  of  every  conceivable  form  and  dimen¬ 
sion,  from  a  3-cent  hoe  to  a  threshing  machine.  The 
second,  includes  a  considerable  number  who  believe  them¬ 
selves  abundantly  able  to  edit  or  publish  an  agricultural 
paper,  and  that  this  is  their  peculiar  calling.  They  are 
especially  anxious  to  do  our  editing,  and  have  us  furnish 
the  means,  and  attend  to  the  publishing.  The  third  class 
embraces  those  who  have  sundry  specious  humbugs,  in¬ 
cluding  patent  medicines,  artificial  manures,  etc.,  etc., 
which  they  wish  to  advertise  for  the  special  benefit  of 
farmers ! 

Now  we  propose  that  these  three  classes  unite  their 
forces,  and  hunt  up  some  fourth  party  or  parties  whom 
they  can  persuade  to  furnish  the  capital  under  the  expec¬ 
tation  of  profit,  and  then  start  an  agricultural  journal  for 
their  mutual  benefit.  The  first  class  could  thus  gain  their 
ends  ;  the  second  class  could  have  their  vanity  gratified  ; 
the  third  could  afford  to  pay  liberally  for  a  time — as  hum¬ 
bugs  are  usually  very  profitable— and  the  thing  would  go 
on  sw  immingly  until  the  money  and  patience  of  the  fourth 
party  should  give  out.  We  are  not  certain  that  all  the 
above  elements  combined  might  not  keep  a  new  paper  on 
ns  legs  for  several  months,  perhaps  a  year  or  two,  and 
we  shall  then  be  ready,  as  heretofore,  to  step  in  and  take 
what  few  subscribers  there  are  off  their  hands.  There  is 
certainly  a  field  open  in  N.  Y.  City,  for  such  an  operation 
as  the  above.  There  are  only  two  purely  agricultural 
papers  published  here — one  of  them  has  a  large  circulation, 


but  it  shows  no  favor  to  either  of  the  first  three  classes 
named  above— the  other  has  a  small  circulation,  and  is, 
moreover,  published  by  the  proprietor  of  a  sales-shop,  and 
of  course  he  must  advocate  his  own  business  interests. 

We  advise  prompt  attention  to  these  gratuitous  sugges¬ 
tions,  as  we  are  informed  that  one  of  the  second  class,  who 
has  been  in  half  a  dozen  enterprises  during  a  few  years 
past,  lias  already  engaged  persons  to  furnish  capital  to 
start  a  new  paper  (under  his  editorial  control)  with  the 
idea  that  it  will  be  profitable.  The  other  two  classes 
should  be  on  the  alert  and  have  a  hand  and  influence  in 
the  enterprize  at  the  start.  In  response  to  those  proposing 
to  furnish  capital,  who  have  directly  and  indirectly  in¬ 
quired  our  opinion  as  to  whether  the  thing  will  pay,  we 
have  only  to  say  that  it  all  depends  upon  the  character, 
energy,  and  fitness  of  the  person  at  the  head  of  the  enter¬ 
prise.  Not  one  in  fifty,  of  even  good  writers,  has  the  pecu¬ 
liar  tact  requisite  to  conduct  a  successful  journal  of  any 
kind.  And  further,  in  most  enterprises,  and  particularly 
in  that  of  publishing  a  paper,  those  pecuniarily  interested 
must  be  the  active  workers,  and  the  managers  of  its 
affairs.  If  it  be  thought  that  money  will  make  a  paper  go, 
it  may  perhaps  be  well  to  call  to  mind  that  some  four 
years  since,  a  worthy  gentleman,  a  good  writer  withal, 
came  to  this  city  with  abundant  means,  got  up  an  attract¬ 
ive  journal  for  cultivators,  scattered  20,000  copies  over  the 
country,  worked  hard,  advertised  liberally,  and  at  the 
end  of  a  few  months  closed  up,  six  or  seven  thousand 
dollars  or  more  out  of  pocket,  for  which  he  had  a 
subscription  list  of  less  than  two  hundred,  all  told — a  pretty 
fair  illustration  that  something  is  wanted  beyond  capital, 
ambition,  energy,  and  a  man  of  good  writing  capability. 
There  have  been  at  least  two  other  similar  failures  in 
this  city,  and  a  number  of  others  of  like  character.  But 
if  you  know  your  man,  and  know  he  has  the  right  tact,  go 
ahead— there  is  room  enough  for  half  a  dozen  papers,  if 
of  the  right  kind.  If  you  do  not  know  your  man,  better 
look  into  the  history  of  the  Agricultural  papers  hitherto 
started  in  this  city. 


the  strength  of  any  deceptive  expectations  of  an  import¬ 
ant  improvement  in  prices,  at  some  remote  and  indefin¬ 
ite  period  in  the  future.  In  this  market,  prices  have  fal¬ 
len  off  very  materially,  as  will  appear  from  a  comparison 
of  the  rates  current  at  the  close  of  our  last,  and  at  the 
present  time.  Yet  receivers  do  not  manifest  any  reluct¬ 
ance  to  sell  at  the  reduced  rates.  On  the  contrary,  they 
appear  to  be  as  eager  as  ever  to  dispose  of  their  supplies. 
Most  of  them  entertain  the  opinion  that,  with  such  crops 
as  have  been  secured  this  year,  in  Europe  and  in  this 
country,  it  would  be  utter  folly  to  strive  to  keep  prices 
above  the  point  at  w'hich  we  may  calculate  upon  an  ex¬ 
port  demand.  To  discourage,  or  exclude  shippers  from 
the  market,  would  be  only  to  lessen  materially  the 
chances  of  an  ultimate  sale  of  our  surplus  produce,  and 
to  increase  the  probabilities  of  even  more  serious  depres¬ 
sion  in  the  trade,  than  is  now  generally  felt.  There  seems 
to  be  no  other  course  for  the  producers  of  this  country 
than  to  recognize  these  altered  circumstances  of  the 
Breadstuff  markets,  and  hard  as  it  may  be,  to  dispose  of 
their  grain  at  the  best  present  prices  they  can  obtain.  In 
the  present  condition  of  the  country,  deeply  involved  in 
debt,  as  almost  every  one  is,  there  is  little  inducement  to 
hoard  grain  for  better  rales  in  the  future.  Western  Mer¬ 
chants  are  deeply  indebted  to  those  at  the  East,  and  the 
farmers  in  turn  to  the  local  merchants,  and  there  is  no 
hope  of  liquidating  this  enormous  indebtedness  until 
at  least  one  crop  is  sold.  The  condition  of  matte-is  can 
grow  no  belter  until  the  present  crop  goes  to  market ;  so 
the  sooner  it  is  disposed  of,  the  better  for  the  country  at 
large.  The  only  consolation  there  is  in  this  condition  of 
prices,  is,  that  while  two  bushels  of  surplus  grain  must 
now  be  sold  for  the  price  of  one  under  other  circumstan¬ 
ces,  the  bountiful  crop  has  put  into  our  hands  two  bush¬ 
els  of  surplus  instead  of  only  one.  It  is  certainly  better 
for  the  producer  to  have  on  the  same  ground  two  bush¬ 
els  to  sell  at  75  cents  per  bushel,  than  only  one  at  $1  25. . 
The  depression  in  the  Breadstuff  trade  has  extended  tc 
Provisions,  and  most  other  kinds  of  food— prices  of  which 
have  generally  declined — while  the  demand  has  been  re¬ 
stricted. . Cotton  has  been  in  moderate  request  at 

slightly  improved  rates . Hay  has  been  pretty  actively 

sought  after  at  essentially  unaltered  rates . Hemp, 

Seeds,  and  Tobacco  have  been  lightly  dealt  in ...  .Wool 
has  been  in  liveiy  demand  at  strengthening  prices. . .  .The 
changes  in  other  branches  of  trade  have  not  been  of  spec¬ 
ial  importance. 

Current  Wholesale  Prices. 


- >*»-« —  wn^tm  - »  e» 

ISeadl  tlie  Advertisements. 

A  large  amount  of  “Basket”  matter,  Notes  upon  Books, 
Notices  of  Exhibitions,  etc.,  prepared  for  this  number, 
has  been  crowded  out  by  the  unexpected  rush  of  adver¬ 
tisements  arriving  at  the  last  moment,  and  importuning 
admission.  We  give  these  place  the  more  readily,  from 
their  general  good  character,  and  the  amount  of  useful  in¬ 
formation  they  convey  at  this  opportune  season.  The 
reader  will  probably  be  repaid  for  a  careful  look  through 
the  whole  of  them. 

Please  Report  upon  tine  Seeds. 

This  year  we  have  distributed  among  our  subscribers 
some  200,000  or  more  parcels  of  seeds.  That  these 
seeds  have  all  been  good  we  have  occular  evidence,  as 
we  took  packages  at  random  from  those  being  sent  out, 
and  planted  them,  and  with  a  single  exception,  they  are 
now  all  growing  finely  on  our  own  grounds.  Owing  to 
wet  or  dry  weather,  or  mode  of  planting,  there  have  been 
occasional  failures  among  those  who  received  them,  but 
we  have  heard  of  very  few  such  cases.  Next  Winter  we 
propose  to  make  a  still  larger  distribution.  The  cata¬ 
logue  will  be  published  in  the  November  Agriculturist . 
The  list  of  this  year  will  be  in  part  retained,  with  addi¬ 
tions  of  sundry  new  kinds. 

We  would  be  glad  to  receive  as  early  as  possible,  but 
before  Oct.  10,  brief  notes  upon  the  seeds  distributed  this 
year.  Those  notes  should  be  upon  a  separate  slip  of  pa¬ 
per,  that  all  these  referring  to  one  variety  may  be  com¬ 
pared  together.  Any  suggestions  as  to  what  kinds,  new 
or  old,  will  be  most  valuable  and  most  desirable  to  a  large 
number  of  our  readers,  will  be  gladly  received. 

- «®-«  maaO,  Qtg~ *-©» - 

Market  Review,  Weather  Hotes,  &c. 

American  Agriculturist  Office,  ) 
New  York,  Thursday  Evening,  August  18,  1859.  ( 

As  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  our  tables  underneath, 
the  receipts  of  most  kinds  of  Breadstuff's  have  been  de¬ 
cidedly  heavier  during  the  past,  than  the  preceding  month. 
This  increase  has  disappointed  holders  who  did  not  look 
for  such  supplies  from  the  interior,  before  the  general  in¬ 
coming  of  the  new  crops.  The  effect  has  been  to  destroy 
the  confidence  of  receivers,  and  make  them  anxious  sel¬ 
lers,  regardless  of  prices.  This  unfavorable  reaction  has 


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July  18.  Aug.  18. 

FLOUR— Superf  to  Extra  State  $4  90  (a)  5  70  $3  95  (a)  4  50 

Common  to  Fancy  Western..  5  00  (a)  .0  50  3  90  (a)  4  20 

Extra  Western .  5  25  (a)  9  25  4  20  (cb  6  75 

Fancy  to  Extra  Genesee .  5  JO  ©  8  50  4  65  ©  6  75 

Super,  to  Extra  Southern .  5  85  ©  8  25  4  65  ®  6  25 

Rye  Flour— Fine  and  Super.  4  00  ©  4  75  3  50  ©  4  20 

Corn  Meal .  3  90  ©  4  40  3  90  ®  4  15 

Wheat— Canada  White .  None  offering.  1  10  ©  1  25 

Western  White .  1  35  ®  I  60  1  05  ©  1  30 

Southern  White .  1  45  ©  1  75  1  25  ©  1  45 

All  kinds  of  Red .  . 

Corn— Yellow . . . 

White . 

Mixed . 

Oats — Western . 

State . . 

Southern . 

Rye . 

Barley  . 

White  Beans . 

Hay,  in  bales,  per  100  lbs. . 

Cotton— Middlings,  peril) 

Rice,  per  100  lbs .  3  50 

Hops,  crop  of  1858  per  lb  : 

Pork — Mess,  per  bbl .  15  90 

Prime,  nerbbl .  12  25 

Beef — Repacked  Mess .  9  00 

Country  mess  . 

Hogs,  Dressed  corn,  per  lb  . . 

Lard,  in  bbls.  per  11» . 

Butter— Western,  per  lb . 

State,  per  lb . 

Cheese,  per  lb . . 

Eggs — Fresh,  per  dozen  . 

Poultry — Fowls,  per  lb . 

Turkeys,  per  lb . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  lb. 

Seed— Clover,  per  lb . 

Timothy,  per  bushel .  2  00 

Sugar/ Brown,  per  lb . 

Molasses,  New-Orleans,  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio, ’per  lb . . 

Tobacco— Kentucky,  &c.  pr  lb 

Seed  Leaf,  per  lb . 

WooL-Domestic  fleece,  per  lb. 

Domestic,  pulled,  per  lb . 

Hemp— Undr’d  Amer’n  pr  ton.  135 

Dressed  American,  per  ton - 190 

Tallow,  per  lb . 

Oil  Cake,  perton .  34  00 

Apples— Dried,  Per  ib .  7%(S) 

Dried  Peaches — pr  lb.,South’n  10  (cb 

Cucumbers,  per  100 .  2  00 

Green  Corn,  per  100 .  1  50 

Potatoes— Mercers,  p.  bbl... . 

Peach  Blows,  per  bbl . 

Sweet,  Virginia,  per  bbl . 

Cabbages,  per  100 .  3  00 

Onions,  Red,  per  bbl . 

Tomatoes,  per  bushel . 

Squashes,  Marrow,  p.  bbl . 

Apples,  p.  bbl  ,  N.  J.  &  L.  I. . . 

Peaches,  Jersey,  p.  basket _ 

“  Delaware  .....  . 

Plums,  Green  Gages,  p.  bush. 

Watermelons,  p.  100 . 

Muskmelons,  p.  bbl . 

transactions  at  the  n.  y.  markets. 
Receipts.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley.  Oats. 

27 bus.  days  thismon.  145,331  243.575  377.317  9,874  9  000  410.000 
25  bus.  days  last  mon  ,  138,700  110,000  302,000  3,600  7,700  290,000 


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also  been  accelerated  by  the  highly  encouraging  accounts 


Sales. 


Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye  *  Barley. 


respecting  the  crops,  not  only  in  this  country  but  in  most 
parts  of  Europe.  From  all  quarters,  the  reports  are  to 
the  effect  that  this  year’s  harvest  will  prove  unusually 
productive,  and  that,  as  a  consequence,  much  cheaper 
food  will  be  placed  within  reach  of  the  masses.  For  this 
result,  the  agriculturists  of  Europe  seem  to  have  prepared 
themselves,  resolving  to  be  governed  by  the  circumstan¬ 
ces  and  not  to  withhold  their  supplies  from  market:,  on 


27 business  davs  this  mont’h,  266.930  262.659  503.200  25  600  2,500 

26  business  days  last  mon,  213,610  167,000  575.500  30,000  5,500 

Breadstuff's  exported  from  N.  V.,  from  Jan.  1  to  Aug.  17. 


1858. 

1859. 

Whent  Flour,  bbls.  . 

.  919.211 

•419,467 

Rye  Flour,  bbls . 

.  4,538 

3,891 

Corn  Meal,  bbls . 

52,981 

Wheat,  bush . 

32,765 

Corn,  bush . . . 

150,411 

Rye,  bush . 

AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


383 


IV.  Y.  liive  Stock  Markets.— The  Cattle 

Markets  have  been  largely  supplied  since  our  previous 
report,  21,681  being  received  for  the  five  weeks  just  ended, 
or  an  average  of  4,336  per  week.  Prices  have  declined 
about  |c.  per  lb. ,  live  weight,  during  this  time.  A  large 
proportion  of  the  so-called  “beeves”  now  arriving  are 
light  half-fed  grass  cattle.  At  the  last  general  market. 
August  17th,  prices  ranged  at  101c.(a)10Je.  per  lb.,  on  the 
estimated  dressed  weight,  for  a  few  of  the  best,  or  prime 
animals:  9c. ®9jc.  for  medium  quality  and  all  the  way 
from  8c.  down  to  5c.  for  poor  and  “scalawag”  cattle. 
General  average  of  all  grades,  8ic. 

Veal  Calves. — The  receipts,  which  are  large  for  the 
season,  number  3,459  for  the  past  five  weeks.  They  now 
find  ready  sales,  however,  at  6c.®7c.  per  lb.  live  weight, 
for  prime  fat  veals,  and  41c.®5}c.  for  ordinary  to  fair 
qualities,  which  is  fully  Jc.  per  lb.  better  than  last  month. 

Sheep  and  Lambs.— Receipts  of  live  sheep  during  the 
last  five  weeks  have  exceeded  anything  we  have  previous¬ 
ly  seen.  They  were  :  July  20,  11,555  ;  27th  16,373  ;  Aug. 
2,  18,346  ;  9th,  12,592  ;  16th,  16,113,  giving  a  total  of  74,979. 
or  a  weekly  average  o(  14,996  head.  As  to  he  expected, 
prices  have  declined  materially,  and  large  numbers  have 
been  sent  out  to  pasture.  There  was  a  fine  opportunity 
for  farmers  and  graziers  to  stock  their  farms  with  store 
sheep,  either  to  fatten  for  a  late  Fall  market  or  Winter 
over.  Prices  improved  to  5c. ©51c.  per  lb.,  live  weight. 

Hogs —Receipts  for  the  five  weeks  just  ended  number 
19,490,  which  is  a  slight  increase  upon  previous  figures. 
The  markets  are  overstocked  and  trade  quite  depressed, 
but  will  doubtless  recover  with  the  present  cool  weather 
Good  corn  fed  hogs  sold  on  the  17th  at  5ic.©5jc.  per  lb. 
gross  weight,  or  more  than  lc.  per  lb.  lower  than  five 
weeks  ago.  The  sudden  termination  of  the  European 
war  has  affected  both  the  pork  and  beef  trade. 

'i'Jie  Wcatlicr  for  a  month  past,  has  been  fine  for 
the  season.  During  the  first  two  weeks  the  prevalence  of 
showers  interfered  considerably  with  the  harvesting  oper¬ 
ations,  though  sufficient  clear  weather  was  enjoyed  to  se¬ 
cure  the  bulk  of  the  crops  without  injury . Our  Daily 

Notes  Condensed  read:  July  19,  cool,  cloudy  A.  M., 
rain  P.  M. — 20  clear  A.  M.,  shower,  P.  M. — 21,  cool  and 
somewhat  cloudy— 22  cool  and  pleasant  with  shower  at 
night — 23  fine-24  very  pleasant— 25  temperature  moder¬ 
ate,  P.  M.  cloudy — 26  cloudy  A.  M.,  shower  P.  M. — 27 
clear  and  cool  A.  M.,  slightly  cloudy  P.  M.—  28  clear  and 

cool — 29,  30  clear  and  fine — 31  cloudy  and  mild - August 

1  and  2  clear  and  moderately  warm,  rain  is  needed — 3 
clear  and  warm  A.  M.,  showers  P.  M. — 4  warm  A.  M., 
heavy  showers  P.  M.  and  at  night —5  very  heavy  showers, 
settled  into  steady  rain,  doing  great  good— 6,  7,  8  and  9 
clear  and  fine — 10  clear  and  warm — 11  clear  A.  M.,  show¬ 
ers  P.  M — 12,  clear  A.  M.,  warm  rain  P.  M.— 13  clear  A. 
M„  showers  P.  M  • — 14,  15,  clear  and  fine— 16,  17,18.  clear, 
quite  cool  morning  and  evening — rather  cold  for  corn. 


GPTlie  circulation  of  the  Agriculturist  to  regular 
subscribers,  is  much  larger  than  that  of  any  other 
Agricultural  or  Horticultural  Journal  in  the  world. 


^ftbrtmnunts. 

Advertisements  to  be  sure  of  insertion  must  be  received  at 
latest  by  the  15th‘of  the  preceding:  month. 

TERMS  —  (invariably  cash  before  insertion): 

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Twenty-live  cents  per  line  of  space  for  each  insertion.  About. 

9  words  make  a  line,  if  undisplayed. 

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OUNT  PLEASANT  INSTITUTE,  Am- 

herst,  Mass.  A  Select  Boarding:  School  for  Boys.  (Es¬ 
tablished  1849.)  H.  C.  NASH,  A.  M  ,  Principal. 

The  Winter  Term,  of  20  weeks,  commences  on  Wednesday, 
Oct.  5th.  Circulars  may  be  obtained  of  Li.e  Principal  at  Am¬ 
herst,  Mass.,  or  Mr.  J.  A.  Nash,  55  Sands-st.,  Brooklyn,  L.  I. 

GENEVA  NUfSSF.I&Y. 

Fruit  aasd  OraarajaentraSi  Trees. 

W.  T.  &  E.  SMITH  take  pleasure  in  ottering  for  saie  for  the 
coming  Fall  a  fine  stock  of  Trees  and  Plants  grown  on  a  grav¬ 
elly  loam  with  clay  subsoil  of  dry  upland,  producing  vigorous 
and  hardy  Trees  for  transplanting.  Persons  about  planting  Or¬ 
chards  will  do  well  to  bear  this  in  mind.  Many  year’s  experi¬ 
ence  has  enabled  the  proprietors  to  make  selections  of  sued  va¬ 
rieties  worthy  of  general  cultivation: 

Apple,  standard,  grafted  on  seedling  stocks . 5  to  7  feet. 

Dwarf  Trees,  budded  on  French  stocks . to  3 

Pear,  standard,  budded  on  seedling  stocks . 4  to  6  •* 

Pear,  dwarf  trees,  budded  on  French  quince . 3  to  5 

Grapes,  (new  sorts,)  Delaware,  Diana,  Concord,  Rebecca. 

Hartford  Prolific,  including  the  older  sorts  in  large  quantities. 
Blackberries,  New  Rochelle  or  Lawton. 

Raspberries,  a  general  assort  ment  of  the  leading  sorts,  includ¬ 
ing  Doolittle’s  American  Black,  (improved,)  the  best  Rasp¬ 
berry  known  for  general  cultivation,  an  enormous  bearer,  and 
perfectly  hardy. 

Gooseberries,  best  English  sorts,  including  Houghton  Seedling, 
a  variety  that  never  mildews,  an  abundant  bearer. 

Currants,  Cherry,  Black  Naples.  English  Red  Dutch,  White  do. 
Rhubarb,  Linmeus,  Victoria,  Mammoth,  Prince  Albert. 
Strawberries.  Wilson’s  Albany,  Triomph  de  Gand,  Hooker. 
Scott’s  Seedling,  Longworth’s  Prolific.  $1.50  per  100;  $8  per 
1000.  Older  sorts  of  best  varieties  at  SI  per  100;  $6  per  1000. 
Ornamental  Trees,  H.  Chestnut,  M.  Ash,  Ca’alpa,  Silver  Ma¬ 
ple.  Altheis,  Snowball,  Golden  Chain,  Spireas,  Weeping  Trees. 
Evergreen  Trees,  a  fine  collection. 

Roses,  over  150  varieties  of  kinds. 

Bulbous  Roots,  Dahlias,  Hollyhocks. 

Hardy  Border  Plants,  Green  House  Plants,  a  choice  collection. 

W.  T.  &  E.  SMITH, 

Gene\a  Nursery,  Geneva,  N.  Y. 
Catalogues  sent  on  application. 


SUGAR  AND  MOLASSES 
From  flhc  Sorgho  and  Imphec. 

The  best  directions  to  sugar  makers  and  all  who  grow  or  use 
these  new  Sugar  Canes,  may  be  found  in 

Olcott’s  Sorgho  and  Imphee, 

A  new  edition  of  which  is  just  published,  with  a  supplement, 
giving  new  and  valuable  statistics  and  experiments  by  J,  S. 
Lovering  in  1858. 

PRICE,  ONE  DOLLAR. 

Sent  prepaid  by  mail  on  receipt  of  price. 

tSF"  A  Catalogue  of  one  hundred  Agricultural  Books  sent 
free  to  any  address. 

A.  O.  MOORE, 

Agricultural  Book  Publisher, 

140  Fulton-st.,  New-Yoik. 


mLLioig 

©F  THE 


STANDARD  SCHOOL-BOOKS, 

PUBLISHED  BY 

A.  S.  BARNES  &  BURR, 

51  &  53  JOHN  STREET, 

NEW  YORK. 

Descriptive  Catalogues  of  their  Publications 
sent  postpaid  to  any  part  of  the  U.  States. 


The  ^yracasse  Nurseries 

OFFER  FOR  SALE  FOR  THE  FALL  OF  1850, 

Tlie  folJMwiaag:  Trees,  PlaeBts,  <&c. 

Apple — 3,  4  and  5  years  old;  a  very  general  assortment. 

Dwarf;  2  years  old,  very  fine. 

Pear — 1  and  2  years  old;  Dwarf  and  Standard,  so  extensive  in 
variety  as  to  enable  us  to  fill  the  most  particular  or¬ 
der.  Also,  several  choice  varieties  of  hearing  age. 

Cherry— 1  and  2  year  old;  Dwarf  and  Standard,  beautiful 
Trees. 

Peach,  Apricot,  Plum  and  Nectarine— Best  varieties; 
trees  very  vigorous. 

Currants — White  and  Red  Dutch,  Victoria,  and  twelve  new¬ 
er  varieties;  quality  of  plants  unsurpassable. 

Gooseberries — Houghton’s  Seedling,  a  good  stock,  and  some 
of  the  best  English  sorts. 

Blackberries— Lawton  or  New  Rochelle,  Dorchester,  and 
Newman’s  Thornless. 

Raspberries  and  Strawberries — Assortment  especially 
large  and  desirable.  Prices  very  low. 

Grapes — An  immense  stock  of  Isabella,  Catawba,  and  Clinton, 

1  and  2  years  old,  exceedingly  strong  and  well  root¬ 
ed  ;  also,  veiy  fine  plants  of  the  Concord,  Delaware, 
Diana ,  Hartford  Prolific,  Northern  Muscadine,  Re¬ 
becca,  and  Union  Village ;  the  seven  for  $6. 

Evergreens — European  Silver  Fir;  American  and  Norway 
Spruce;  American  Arbor  Vit®;  Balsam;  Hem¬ 
lock;  Austrian,  Corsican,  and  Scotch  Pines;  rang¬ 
ing  from  2  to  6  feet. 

Deciduous — American  and  European  Mountain  Ash;  Weep¬ 
ing  Ash  ;  American  Elms ;  English  Weeping  Elms, 
(very  graceful);  Horse  Chestnuts;  Catalpas;  Euro¬ 
pean  Larch;  Silver  and  Sugar  Maples;  Linden; 
Tulip  Trees;  (Nursery  grown  and  very  fine,)  Black 
Walnut  and  Weeping  Willow. 

Shrubs — Altheas;  Fringe  Trees,  purple  and  white;  Double 
Flowering  Almond,  Cherry  and  Peach;  Honey¬ 
suckles;  Lilacs;  Snowballs;  Sweet-Brier;  Spireas; 
and  a  great  many  others.  See  Catalogue  No.  3. 

Roses— One  of  the  best  and  largest  collections  in  America  ; 
best  plants  of  the  Augusta  at  $1. 

Dahlias,  Pceonies,  Border  Plants,  Bulbous  Roots,  &c.,in 
great  variety. 

Rhubarb— Cahoon’s  Giant  and  Linnaeus  :  the  best  two  vari¬ 
eties  without  question ;  very  low  bv  the  dozen,  100 
or  1000. 

Asparagus — Very  strong,  1  and  2  year  old  roots. 

Hedge  Plants— Osage  Orange;  Honey  Locust;  Privit,  1  and 

2  years;  Red  and  White  Cedar. 

Our  articles  generally  are  of  the  finest  growth,  and  will  be 

sold  at  the  lowest  rates.  For  particular  information  see 
OUR  SEVERAL  CATALOGUES,  VIZ  : 

No.  1.— A  Descriptive  Catalogue»f  all  our  productions. 

No.  2. — A  Descriptive  Catalogued  Fruits. 

No.  3. — A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees, 

Shrubs,  Roses,  & c. 

No.  4. — A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Green  House, 

and  Bedding  Plants,  See. 

No.  5.— A  Wholesale  Catalogue  for  Nurserymen  and  Dealers. 

Forwarded  on  receipt  of  a  stamp  for  each. 

SMITH  &  HANCHETT. 

Syracuse,  August,  1859. 


CAfiSBOlS  ILIAJMIKATIKsG  OIL 
Is  aaoit  a  Coal  Oil, 

But  is  for  burning  in  Coal  Oil  Lamps,  and  is  made  by  distilla¬ 
tion  of  pure  Petroleum,  a  liquid  Mineral  Oil,  obtained  from  a 
boring  450  feet  deep,  in  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  near  Pitts¬ 
burg,  and  makes  a 

PERFECT  AND  SMOKELESS  OIL. 
srit  is  not  explosive  ;  and  is  entiiely  free  from  unpleasant 
odor ! 

^*Burns  a  high  flame,  without  smoke  or  crust !  ! 

ISo^Is  a  bright/clear  straw  color,  and  will  not  change  ! ! ! 
gJpWill  burn  as  long  as  tbe  best  coal  oil ! ! ! ! 

And  is  guaranteed  to  be  the  best  oil  ever  used  in  a  Coal 
Oil  Lamp;  and  it,  on  trial,  it  should  not  be  found  in  all  re¬ 
spects,  as  st  ated,  the  money  will  be  returned  to  the  purchaser. 
For  sale  at  Carbon  Oil  Co.’s  Depot,  191  Pearl-st.,  New-York. 


IMPORTANT  TO  FARMERS 

AND 

DAIRYMEN. 

We  would  respectfully  announce  that  we  have  become  the 
Publishers  of  that  Valuable  and  Beautiful  Work 

MILCH  COWS 

AND 

DAIRY  FARMING. 

The  Best  Book  Extant  on  the  Subject. 

Comprising  the  Breeds,  Breeding  and  Management,  in  Health 
and  Disease,  of  Dairy  and  other  Stock  ;  the  Selection  of  Milch 
Cows,  with  a  lull  explanation  of  Guenon’s  Method  ;  the  Cul¬ 
ture  of  Forage  Plants,  and  the  Production  of  Milk,  Butter,  and 
Cheese  ;  embodying  t  he  most  recent  improvements,  and  adant- 
ed  to  Farming  in  the  United  States  and  British  Provinces  , 
with  a  Treatise  upon  the  Dairy  Husbandry  of  Holland ;  to 
which  is  added  Horsfall’s  System  of  Dairy  Management. 

By  CHARLES  L.  FLINT, 

Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Board  of  Agriculture;  author 
of  a  “  Treatise  on  Grasses  and  Forage  Plants ,”  etc. 

FULLY  AND  BEAUTIFULLY  ILLUSTRATED  WITH 

130  ENGRAVINGS. 

12mo. — 116  pp.  Price  $1.25. 

The  chapter  on  the  Diseases  of  Dairy  Stock,  mostly  prepared 
by  Dr.  C.  M  Wood  and  Dr.  J.  H.  Dadd,  is  worth  many  times 
the  cost  of  the  Book 

OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

Milch  Cows  and  Dairy  Farming.— Charles  L.  Flint,  of 
Boston,  Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  aid  of  Agriculture, 
is  the  auihor  of  anew  work  upon  a  subject  never  before  fully 
treated  in  this  country,  which,  if  we  mistake  not,  will  prove 
the  most  valuable  hook  for  universal  use  among  farmers  that 
has  ever  been  published  in  this  couni ry.  There  is  scarcely 
anything  worth  knowing,  about  how  to  select  a  cow.  how  to 
treat  her,  and  how  to  make  butter  and  cheese,  that  can  not  he 
found  in  this  volume,  which  contains  numerous  illustrations, 
_esides  its  concise  language,  carefully  written  from  all  the  best 
authorities,  and  much  personal  observation.  It  is  a  work  that 
was  much  needed,  and  one  that  in  recommending  we  shall  do 
good  to  the  farming  interest.  It  is  published  on  good  paper, 
clear  type,  with  many  well  cut  wood  engravings,  and  contains 
over  400  pages,  and,  we  suppose,  will  sell  for  $1.25.— N.  Y. 
Tribune. 

This  work  is  marked  by  the  clearness  and  perspicuity  which 
have  characterized  Mr.  Flint’s  previous  productions  It  con¬ 
tains  an  account  of  the  most  enlightened  practice  in  i his  coun¬ 
try  ;  the  details  of  the  dairy  husbandry  of  Holland,  and  the 
most  recent  and  productive  modes  of  management  in  English 
dairy  farming,  embracing  a  large  amount  of  practical  and  scien¬ 
tific  information  not  hitherto  presented  to  the  American  public- 
in  an  available  form. — Salem  Gaz. 

We  recommend  the  work  to  every  one  who  keeps  a  cow,  or 
intends  to  do  so — Ohio  Farmer. 

We  recommend  it  as  a  matter  of  economy,  because,  if  studied, 
it  can  not  fail  to  impart  facts  of  more  value  to  most  dairy- men 
and  dairy-women  than  several  times  its  cost.— New -Eng land 
Farmer. 

It  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  owner  of  a  cow. — Vermont 
Stock  Journal. 

It  can  hut  rank  as  a  standard  American  Dairy  Book— the  best, 
we  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  yet  issued  upon  the  subject..— 
Country  Gentleman. 

The  more  we  examine  the  hook  the  better  we  like  it  To  say 
that  it  is  superior  to  any  work  hitherto  published  on  that  sub¬ 
ject,  is  not  enough  ;  it  is  a  better  book  of  its  kind  than  we  had 
hoped  to  have  an  opportunity  of  welcoming  to  the  shelves  of 
our  agricultural  library  —Wisconsin  Farmer. 

PUBLISHED  BY 

PHILLIPS,  SAMPSON  &  COMPANY, 

13  Winter  Street,  Boston. 

Solti  by  all  Booksellers  and  Periodical  Agents  throughout  the 
country. 

N.  B  —  Copies  will  he  sent,  postage  paid,  on  receipt  of  the  ad¬ 
vertised  price.  A  dollar  hill  and  eight  three-cent  stamps  may 
he  inclosed  and  sent  by  letter  to  the  publishers,  for  a  single 
copy.  Or  ten  copies  will  be  sent  to  any  address  in  the  United 
States,  postage  ox  freight  paid ,  for  ten  dollars. 

Any  Bookseller  Periodical  Agent,  or  Postmaster,  can  procure 

copy  by  mail,  if  requested,  at  the  wholesale  price. 


5®, OO©  Iloi’seuaiesn 

DAILY  CONSULT 

¥®U1TT  ON  THE  BI®RSE, 

HIS  STRUCTURE  AND  DISEASES  ; 

WITH  THEIR  REMEDIES.  ALSO, 

Practical  Rules  to  Buyers,  Breeders,  Breakers,  Smiths  etc 
with  notes  by  Spooner,  and  an  account  of  Breeds  in  the  Unitetl 
States,  by  H.  S.  Randall. 

One  Volume,  483  pp.  12mo..  60  illustrations.  Price  $1.25. 

I  his  is  the  only  complete  edition  published,  and  will  he  sent 
to  any  part  of  the  Union  free  of  postage,  upon  the  receipt  ot 
One  Dollar  and  Twenty-five  Cents.  Address 

C.  M.  SAXTON,  BARKER  &  CO.,  Publishers, 

25  Park-row,  New-York. 


A  Safe  aBj<l  Pa*©$itaMe  ISasmcss. 

THE  AUBURN  PUBLISHING  CO.  have  just  added  to  their 
list  FOUR  NEW  AGENTS’  BOOKS,  which  are  sold  only  to 
Subscribers,  and  for  which  they  wish  to  employ  canvassin- 
Agents  in  every  county  in  the  U.  S.  and  Canada.'  That  busi¬ 
ness,  with  their  bpoks,  is  very  profitable,  paying  from  SI  000  to 
$2,500  per  year,  and  of  whicli  their  circulars  furnish  the  most 
conclusive  evidence.  To  Teachers,  Mechanics,  Clerks.  Farm¬ 
ers,  &c.,  it  pays  more  than  triple  their  usual  compensation 
The  “  crisis  ”  is  past,  the  crops  are  good  and  the  times  are  now 
very  favorable,  rendering  the  profits  unusually  large  and  cer¬ 
tain.  Those,  therefore,  who  now  engage  will  find  the  business 
certainly  profitable.  They  will  send  their  new  circula-p,  con¬ 
taining  full  particulars  of  the  business,  and  “  Practical  Instruc¬ 
tions”  how  to  conduct  it,  free,  to  all  who  will  apply  to 
E  G.  STOKKE. 

_ Publishing  Agent,  Auburn,  N.Y 


THE  AUSTRALIAN  CAPTIVE, 

Published  this  day,  anew  edition  of  the  Life  and  Adventures 
of  William  Jackman  among  the  Australians  and  the  Cannibals 
of  Nuyt’s  Land.  An  authentic  and  thrilling  narrative,  with 
illustrations.  One  vol.  i2mo.  Price  $1.25. 

Also,  now  ready,  another  edition  of  COBDEN’S 

WHITE  SLAVES  OF  ENGLAND, 

Compiled  from  official  documents  with  twelve  spirited  illnstra- 
tions,  and  giving  a  graphic  picture  of  the  condition  and  tre#*- 
ment  ot  the  laboring  classes  in  the  factories  aud  mines  of  Gre** 
Britain.  One  vol.  12mo.  Price  S l  25. 

Sent  free  of  postage  upon  the  receipt  of  price. 

C.  M.  SAXTON,  BARKER  &  CO  ,  Publishers, 

25  Park-row,  New-York 


384 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Sep',. 


BOOKS  ON 

Agriculture  and.  Horticulture, 
For  sale  by  C.  SIIEPAHD  &  Co., 
397  Broadway,  W.  Y. 

Sent  any  where  -within  3000  miles  free  of  postage  upon  receipt 
of  price. 

American  Fanner's  Encyclopedia . 00 

American  Weeds  and  Useful  Plants .  J  *}” 

Allen’s  (R.  L  )  American  Farm  Book . . .  1  JJ1' 

Allen’s  (R.  L.)  Diseases  of  Domestic  Animals .  lo 

Allen’s  (L.  F.)  Rural  Architecture .  }  25 

Allen  (J.  Fisk)  on  the  Culture  ot  the  Grape .  1  UU 

•  ■  o  uo 


American  Architect. . .  .  . .  - 

American  Florist’s  Guide . 

Barry’s  Fruit  Garden .  1 

Bement’s  (0.  N.)  Rabbit  Fancier .  ™ 

Farmer  at  Home .  J 

Bousjdngault’s  (J.  B.)  Rural  Economy .  1  «•> 

Browne’s  American  Bird  Fancier .  3” 

Browne’s  American  Poultry  Yard . . .  .  1  "J 

Bridgeman’s  (Thomas)  Young  Gardener’s  Assistant.......  1  50 

Bridgemun’s  Kitchen  Gardener’s  Instructor . />  c  join  5J 

Bridgeman’s  Kitchen  Gardener’s  Instructor . L  ,  :r 

Bridgeman’s  Florist’s  Guide . A  0 j0;*1 

Bridgemau’s  Florist’s  Guide . . . U‘Xl0.|,  rt 

Bridgeman’s  Fruit  Cultivator’s  Manila . n 

Bridgeman’s  Fruit  Cultivator’s  Manual . cloUl  ™ 

Brock’s  Book  Of  Flowers . . . . ............... .  f  J" 

Buist’s  (Robert)  American  Flower  Garden  Directory.  ...  1-5 

Buist’s  (Robert)  Family  Kitchen  Gardener .  <5 

Cliorlton’s  Grape  Grower’s  Guide . 

Cole’s  American  Fruit  Book .  J" 

Cole's  American  Veterinarian . 

Dadd’s  Modem  Horse  Doctor . .  J 

Dadd’s  American  Cattle  Doctor —  •••••, . .  v  v  •  A 

Dadd’s  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  Horse... ....  •  H  am  -  00 

Dadd’s  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  Horse.  Col  d  plates  4  CO 

Bement’s  American  Poultry  Book.... . . . J  -J 

Downing’s  (A.  J.)  Landscape  Gardening,  (new  euition). ..  i  50 

Downing’s  (A.  J.)  Rural  Essays  ... ;. .........  . .  * 

Eastwood  (  B.)  on  the  Cultivation  oi  the  Cranberry .  50 

Elliott’s  Western  Fruit  Book .  1  yf 

Every  Lady  her  own  Flower  Gardener .  ^ 

Farm  Drainage .  J 

Field’s  Pear  Culture .  J  yJJ 

Fish  Culture .  J  ™ 

Flint  on  Grasses .  1  -j 

Guenon  on  Milch  Cows . 

Herbert’s  Hints  to  Horse-Keepers .  1  " 

Johnston’s  (James  F.  W.)  Agricultural  Chemistry..  .....  1  25 

Johnston’s  (J.  F.  W.)  Elements  of  Agricultural  Chemis¬ 
try  and  Geology . . ■  .  1  U'J 

Johnston’s  (J.  F.  W.)  Catechism  of  Agricultural  Chem- 

istry  and  Geology . . . . .  , 

Lang -troth .( Rev.  L.  L.)  on  the  Hive  and  Honey  Bee .  1  2.a 

Leuchars’  How  to  Build  and  Ventilate  Hot-Houses.  -  1  2> 

Liebig’s  (Justus)  Familiar  Lectures  on  Chemistry .  50 

Li  ns  ley's  Morgan  Horses .  . . . . . . .  1  yj| 

Mi:es  on  the  Horse’s  Foot  and  how  to  keep  it  sound .  o0 

Milburn  on  the  Cow  and  Dairy  Husbandry .  -j* 

Nash’s  (J.  A.)  Progressive  Fanner . . .  •  •  . . .  •  •  1,0 

Neill's  Practical  Fruit,  Flower  and  Kitchen  Gardener  s 

Companion . . . .  1  00 

Norton’s  (John  P.)  Elements  of  Scientific  Agriculture  ...  60 

Olcott’s  Sorglio  and  Implies,  the  Chinese  and  African 

Sugar  Canes .  1 

Pardee  (R.  G  )  on  Strawberry  Culture .  *  6J 

Pedder’s  (James)  Farmer’s  Land  Measure .  y0 

Persoz’  Culture  of  the  Vine .  25 

Phelps’  Bee-Keeper’s  Chart.  —  . .  25 

Quinby’s  Mysteries  of  Bee-Keeping  Explained .  I  00 

Kandad’s  (H.  S.)  Sheep  Husbandry  . . . . 1  25 

Remei in’s  (Clias.)  Vine  Dresser’s  Manual .  ob 

Schenck’s  Gardener’s  Text  Book .  50 

Shepherd’s  Own  Book .  * 

Stewart’s  S'  able  Book . . . . .  •  ■  }  -JJjJ 

Stray  Leaves  from  the  Book  of  Nature .  1  00 

Stephens’  (Henry)  Book  of  the  Farm . 4  00 

Mrs.  Crowen’s  American  Cookery . . .  •  1  0J 

Smith’s  (C.  H.  J.)  Landscape  Gardening,  Parks  and 

Pleasure  Grounds .  J 

Thomas’  (J.  J.)  Farm  Implements  . . .  1  00 

Thompson  (R.  D  )  on  the  Food  of  Animals .  io 

The  Rose  Culturist . - . . .  yO 

Turner’s  Cotton  P.anter’s  Manual .  l  te 

Warder’s  (J.  A.)  Hedges  and  Evergreens .  1  00 

White’s  (W.  N.)  Gardening  for  the  South  .  1  2.i 

YouaU  and  Martin  on  Cattle . .  1 

Youatt  on  the  Horse .  1 

Yon  art  on  Sheep .  7j 

Youatt  and  Martin  on  the  Hog. . . 


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THE  HORTICULTURIST, 

AND  JOURNAL  OF  RURAL  ART  AND  RURAL  TASTE, 

ESTABLISHED  BY  A.  J.  DOWNING  IN  18(6. 

Elditedl  Toy  3".  Uay  Suxitli. 

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Every  independent  farmer,  as  well  as  every  extensive  gard¬ 
ener  should  have  a  copy  of  this  monthly.  Its  hints  and  suggest¬ 
ions  on  raising  fruit  alone  are  worth  ten  times  the  subscription 
price — two  dollars. 

Published  Monthly  by  C.  M.  SAXTON, 

25  Park-row,  New- York. 


FARM  PRODUCE 

Sold  on  Commission, 

Such  as  Flour.  Butter.  Cheese,  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds, 
Grain,  Eggs,  Poultrv,  Game,  &c.  kc. 

HAIGHT  k  EMENS,  226  Front-st.,  New- York. 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

‘4  R.  IT.  Havdock,  Cashier  Market  Bank.  New-York. 


lireiported  White  Mediterranean 
SEED  WHEAT. 

A  small  quantity  just  received,  of  very  superior  quality. 
Price  $5  per  bushel. 

Also,  a  complete  assortment  of  Farming  Implements.  Horse 
Powers,  Threshers,  Grain  Mills,  Plows,  Hay  Cutter*,  Com 
Shelters,  kc.,  kc. 

Also,  a  large  assortment  of  Garden,  Field  and  Flower  Seeds, 
of  the  most  reliable  varieties.  R.  L.  ALLEN, 

New-York  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed-store, 

191  Water  st.,  New-York. 


COLORED  PLATES  OF  FRUITS,  FLOWERS,  &c. 
Over  300  varieties  carefully  Colored  after  Nature. 

Embracing  all  the  popular  kinds  sold  by  Nurserymen — Apples, 
Pears,  Peaches,  Plums,  Cherries,  Apricots,  Crab  Apples,  Nec¬ 
tarines,  Gooseberries,  Blackberries,  Currants,  Strawberries, 
Grapes,  Flowers.  Roses,  Shrubs.  Evergreens,  kc.,  kc.,  kc  — 
Catalogues  furnished  from  which  books  can  be  ordered  and 
made  up.  Specimens  of  4  plates  sent  on  the  receipt  of  $1. 
Address  orders  to  D.  M.  DEWEY, 

Horticultural  Bookseller.  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
N.  B. — Nurserymen  or  Agents  should  order  at  once  for  Books 
wanted  for  Fall  sales. 


TREES  AND  PE ANTS 
FOR  THE  AUTUMN. 

PARSONS  8l  CO. 

Flushing,  IV.  Y. 

INVITE  THE  ATTENTION  OF 

*3E*  DE3C  33  *2?  ZF8.  j3l.  jD  33 

TO  THEIR  LARGE  STOCK  OF 

EVERGREENS  AND  DECIDUOUS  PLANTS 

of  Small  Size. 

These  they  can  offer  at  such  rates,  as,  when  freight  charges 
and  risk  of  transportation  are  taken  into  account,  will  he  found 
to  be  much  lower  than  plants  of  equal  quality  from  Europe, 
AMONG  THEM  ARE  : 

Norway  Spruce.  1  ft.  and  up-  Pinus  monspeliensis. 

■wards,  transplanted,  $30  per  do.  strobus. 

1000,  and  of  smaller  sizes.  do.  sylvestris. 

Siberian  Arbor  Vitae.  Abies  orientalis. 

Junipers,  of  many  sorts.  Retinospermum. 

Cunninghaiiiia.  Taxodium  pendulum. 

Rhododendrons,  of  the  hardy  Podoearpus. 

sorts  only.  Cephalataxus. 

Taxus  erocta.  Cotoneaslcr. 

Ilex  opar.a,  by  the  1000,  kc.  kc. 

A  detailed  priced  list  of  the  large  variety  they  offer,  will  b» 
sent  on  application. 

We  tVould  ask  special  attention,  also,  lo  our  large  stock 
of  Delaware,  Logan  and  other  Native  (»ra.i>c  Vines. 
For  our  different  Catalogues  address  us  at 

FLUSHING,  N.  Y„  (near  New-York  City  ) 


SENECA  LAKE  HIGHLAND  NURSEIi- 

L?  jes,  Havana,  N.  Y.,  Established  1812. 

TREE  PLANTERS  can  he  supplied  from  these  Nurseries 
with  Fruit  Trees,  Standard  and  Dwarf  Ornamental  Trees  and 
Shrubs.  Vines,  for  Orchard  and  Yard  planting. 

KING  OF  TOMPKIN’S  CO.  APPLE,  genuine,  the  most 
valuable  variety  grown,  first  propagated  by  us.  m  large  or  small 
quantities  ;  a  plate  and  description  of  which  will  be  found  in 
our  new  catalogue.  ......  ~  T 

TREE  DEALERS  with  everything  in  the  Nursery  line. 
STOCKS  for  Nurscrv  Planting  of  the  Apple,  Pear,  Mnzzard 
and  Mahaleb  Cherry.  Horse  Plum,  Paradise.  Doucnin,  Quince, 
and  Evergreens  ;  Apple  one  and  two  years  from,  and  in  graft,  in 
large  quantities. 

SEEDS  AND  PITS  of  the  Apple,  Pear,  Plum,  and  Cherry, 
all  at  low  rates.  ,  ,  , 

Wholesale  and  retail  Catalogues  now  ready  for  gratuitous  dis¬ 
tribution.  E.  C  FROST. 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


2  85 


FRUIT  AND  ORNAMENTAL  TREES 

FOR  THE  AUTFMM  OF  1859. 

ELLWANGER  &  BARRY  have  the  pleasure  of  announcing, 
as  usual,  an  immense  stock  of  Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees, 
Shrubs,  and  Plants  fur  the  ensuing  Fall  trade,  and  solicit  early 
orders.  In  every  department  the  stock  is  of  the  finest  descrip¬ 
tion  vigorous,  healthy,  and  beautiful.  The  utmost  pains  have 
been  taken  by  the  proprietors  personally,  and  their  assistants,  to 
insure  accuracy,  and  to  this  point,  and  the  general  excellence  of 
the  stock,  E.  &  B.  solicit  especial  attention.  Prices  moderate 
and  terms  liberal,  as  -will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  Priced 
Catalogues  named  below.  Parties  interested  are  invited  to 
examine  the  stock  in  the  grounds,  and  consult  the  Priced  Ca  a- 

logues  before  purchasing  elsewhere. 

The  Fruit  Department  embraces  Standard  Fruit  Trees  for 
Orchards,  embracing  all  the  most  esteemed  and  valuable  sorts 

for  different  parts  of  the  country  .  ,  , 

Dwarf  Trees,  for  Gardens— all  tne  best  varieties  adapted  to 

garden  culture  in  this  form.  ..  . 

Grapes,  hardy  varieties,  including  all  the  new  ones  worthy  of 
cultivation.  (See  Special  Advertisement.) 

Grapes,  Foreign,  for  vineries,  including  the  Muscat,  Hambro  . 
Slockwood  Golden  Hamburg,  Lady  Downs,  and  other  new 
celebrated  sorts.  ,  „  . 

Strawberries — All  the  American  and  Foreign  varieties  of 
proved  excellence  in  this  country. 

Blackberries — Dorchester  and  New-Rochelle  or  Lawton  ;  oi 
the  latter  a  great  stock  of  strong  plants.  ,  r  . 

Gooseberries — the  best  English  sorts,  and  a  great  Stock  of  the 
American  Seedling,  that  bears  wonderful  ctops  and  is  exempt 
from  mildew.  ,  _ 

Currants— White  Grape  (the  largest  and  best  white  Currant), 
Cherry,  Victoria,  &c.,  &c. 

English  Filbets  and  Spanish  Chestnuts. 

Figs— several  finest  sorts. 

Rhubarb— Linnaeus,  Giant  Victoria,  and  several  new  and  fine 
English  sorts. 

Fruit  Trees  for  Orchard  House?. 

Dwarf  Maiden  Trees,  of  Apple,  Pear,  Plum,  Cherry,  Apri¬ 
cot,  &c.,  of  the  finest  sorts  for  pot  culture  or  orchard  houses. 
Suitable  selections  made  by  E.  &  B.  if  desired. 

ORNAMENTAL  DEPARTMENT. 

The  stock  of  this  department  is  the  largest  and  best  we  have 
ever  before  offeied,  and  embraces  everything  desirable,  new 
and  old,  among  which  are 

Deciduous  Ornamental  Trees,  Weeping  Trees ,  Evergreen 
Trees ,  Flowering  Shrubs,  Climbing  Shrubs,  Roses,  Pceonies , 
Dahlias ,  Phloxes,  and  all  the  most  Ornamental  Border  Plants. 
Bulbous  Roots,  including  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  Narcissus,  Cro¬ 
cus,  Lilies,  Gladiolus,  &o.,  &c. 

Stocks  for  Nurserymen. 

Pear  Seedlings,  our  own  growth,  1  and  2  years. 

Mazzard  Cherry,  1  year. 

Mahaleb  do.,  1  and  2  years 
Quince  Stocks,  1  year  from  cuttings. 

For  full  and  detailed  information  respecting  the  stock,  prices, 
terms,  etc.,  we  refer  to  the  following  catalogues,  which  will  be 
sent  gratis,  pre-paid,  to  all  who  enclose  one  stamp  for  each  : 

No.  1. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Fruits. 

No.  2. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs, 
Roses,  &c.,  &c. 

No.  3. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Green-house,  and 
Bedding  Plants,  etc. 

No.  4. — Wholesale  Catalogue  for  Nurserymen,  Dealers,  and 
others  who  purchase  in  large  quantities. 

ELLWANGER  &  BARRY, 

Mount  Hope  Nurseries,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


TREES!  TREES!  TREES! 

For  tlie  Autumn  of  1859. 

The  subscribers  invite  the  attention  of  Nurserymen,  Dealers, 
and  Planters  to  their  large  and  fine  stock  of 

Apple  Trees— Standard  and  Dwarf.  One  to  four  years  old. 
Strong  and  well  grown. 

Pear  Trees— Dwarf.  80.000  two  and  three  years— fine, 
strong,  and  healthy  trees,  and  of  the  most  approved  sorts 
on  the  quince. 

Pear  Trees— Standard.  A  large  and  fine  assortment  of  the 
most  desirable  kinds. 

Cherry  Trees— Standard  and  Dwarf.  1,  2,  and  3  years 
— in  large  supply  and  beautiful  trees. 

Peach  Trees — one  year.  Plum— two  years.  Orange  Quince, 
Apricots,  and  Nectarines. 

Currants— Red  and  White  Dutch,  Victoria,  Cherry,  White 
Grape,  &c. 

Gooseberries— Houghton  Seedling,  and  best  English  sorts. 

Raspberries— The  leading  sorts  in  large  quantities. 

Blackberries— Lawton  largely — Dorchester  and  Newman’s 
Thornless. 

Rhubarb — Myatt’s  Linmeus,  Calioon’s  Mammoth,  and  Dow¬ 
ning’s  Colossal— mostly  Myatt’s  Linnaeus. 

Grape  Vines — With  the  best  facilities  for,  and  the  best  care 
in  propagating,  we  are  enabled  to  offer  Delaware,  Diana, 
Rebecca,  Concord.  Hartford  Prolific,  and  many  other  new 
and  old  sorts,  with  the  best  Foreign  Varieties  for  grow¬ 
ing  under  glass— strong  plants  by  the  dozen  or  hundred 
or  larger  quantities. 

Evergreens— Norway  Spruce.  Balsam  Fir,  Scotch.  Norway, 
and  White  Pines,  Red  Cedar,  Am.  and  Siberian  Arbor 
Vitse. 

Deciduous  Trees  and  Shrubs — Horse  Chestnut,  Mountain 
Ash,  Am.  Linden,  Maples.  Am.  Chestnut,  Am.  and  Euro¬ 
pean  Ash,  Judas  Tree,  Laburnum,  Snow  Ball,  Purple 
Fringe,  Altheas,  etc. 

Roses— Climbing  and  Hybrid  Perpetual? — a  fine  assortment 
of  strong  plants. 

Hedge  Plants— Am.  Arbor  Vitse,  Red  Cedar,  Privet,  and 
Osage  Orange. 

Stocks  for  Nurserymen — Anger’s  Quince,  Pear,  Plum, 
Mazzard  and  Mahaleb  Cherry,  1  year,  and  Apple  Stocks, 
2  years.  T.  C.  MAXWELL  &  BROS. 

Geneva,  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  August  1,  1869. 


STOCKS  FOR  FRUIT  TREES. 

The  Subscribers  desire  to  call  the  attention  of  the  trade  to 
their  large  assortment  of  STOCKS  for  next  Spring’s  planting, 
which  are  this  year  remarkably  fine  and  healthy. 
QUINCE  STOCKS.  Angers  and  Fontenay— first  choice. 
MAZZARD  CHERRY  SEEDLINGS— extra  fine. 
APPLE  SEEDLINGS,  one  and  two  years  old. 

The  above  can  be  furnished  in  LARGE  or  sinnll  quantities. 

H.  K.  HOOKER  &  CO  , 
Commercial  Nurseries,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


WM.  R.  PRINCE  &  CO.,  Flushing. 

N.  Y..  will  send  new  Descriptive  Catalogues  to  those 
who  remit  10  cents  for  each.  No.  1.  Fruit  and  Ornamental 
Trees;  No.  2.  Roses  and  all  Flowering  Plants;  No.  6.  Straw¬ 
berries  of  142  varieties  and  culture;  No  9.  Bulbous  Flowers, 
Pceonies  and  Dahlias;  No.  14,  Grapes,  160  Native  Varieties  and 
others,  Raspberries,  Currants  and  all  small  Fruits. 


FRUIT,  ORNAMENTAL  TREES,  PLANTS,  &C. 

A.  FROST  &  CO.,  Proprietors  of  the  Genesee  Valley  Nur¬ 
series,  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  cultivate  for  sale  every  description  of 
Frui's,  Ornamental  Trees,  Plunts.  Bulbs,  etc. 

Their  stock  is  well  grown,  and  most  extensive,  occupying 
THRER  HUNDRED  ACRES  of  fine  soil,  which  enables  them 
to  fill  all  orders  in  large  or  small  quantities,  in  a  most,  satisfac¬ 
tory  manner.  Plants  are  [nicked  so  that  they  will  reach  accessi¬ 
ble  places,  in  any  part  of  the  United  States,  in  perlect  order. 

The  following  Catalogues  contain  full  particulars  of  the  stock 
in  the  different  departments,  and  wilL  be  furnished  gratis  to  all 
applicants : 

No.  1. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Fruits. 

No.  2.— Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs, 
Roses.  &e. 

No.  3  —Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Verbenas,  Green¬ 
house  Plants,  &c. 

No.  4. — Wholesale  Catalogue  or  Trade  List. 

No.  5.— Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Flowering  Bulbs. 

Address,  A.  FROST  &  CO., 

Rochester,  N.  Y. 


TO  NURSERYMEN  AND  DEALERS.— 

5  miles  of  New- Jersey  Peach  Trees  ;  35,000  extra  vigorous 
and  healthy  No.  1  Peach  Trees ;  175.000  Native  and  Imported 
Evergreens,  are  offer e«l  to  the  trade  at  the  lowest  wholesale 
rates.  Send  for  a  Circular.  WM.  DAY,  Morristown,  N.  J. 


Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees. 

The  Subscribers  offer  for  sale  the  coming  Fall,  a  superior 
stock  of  Nursery  Products,  viz  :  30,000  Apple  Trets,  2  to  4 
years  from  the  bud.  30,000  Peach  Trees,  1  year  from  the  bud. 
Pear  Trees,  standard  and  dwarfs.  Cherry  do.  do.  do.  Hartford 
Pro'ific.  Isabella,  Concord,  Diana  and  Delaware  Grape  Vines. 
Norway  Spruce,  Balsam  Firs,  American  Arborvitces,  Hem¬ 
locks,  Larch,  Horse  Chestnuts,  Mountain  Ash,  Silver,  Norway, 
Ash-leaved  and  Sugar  Maples,  kc„  &c.  Also,  50,000  Sugar  Ma¬ 
ple  seedlings,  2  years  in  seed  bed,  (fine.)  50,000  Elm  do.  do.  do. 
and  a  general  assortment  of  other  Nursery  articles. 

Nurserymen,  Dealers  and  Planters  are  invited  to  call. 

STEPHEN  HOYT  &  SONS, 

Aug.  ’59.  New  Canaan,  Conn. 


Tree  and  Fruit  Seeds. 

MEEHAN’S  Fall  List  of  near  250  Kinds  is  now  ready. 
Other  Catalogues  of  his  great  variety  of  Trees,  Rare  Plants, 
and  general  Nursery  Stock,  gratis.  Postage  on  each  1  cent. 

GERMANTOWN  NURSERIES,  Pa. 


NEW-ROCHELLE  (OR  LAWTON) 

BLACKBERRY  PLANTS. 

PRICES  REDUCED  ! 

The  Subscribers,  thankful  to  their  friends  and  customers  for 
the  liberal  patronage  which  so  far  exhausted  their  former  sup¬ 
ply  of  plants  as  to  require  a  suspension  of  sales,  are  happy  to 
again  announce  that  they  have  now  growing  a  fair  supply  of 
first  quality  plants.  These  they  will  furnish  ready  packed  for 
transportation  at  the  following  prices  : 

One  thousand  Plants  for . $50  00 

Five  hundred  Plants  for . $25  00 

One  hundred  Plants  for . $  6  00 

Fifty  Plants  for . $  3  50 

Twenty-five  Plants  for . $  2  00 

N.  B  —  All  Plrnts  ordered  of  us  will  be  taken  up  and 
packed  with  the  greatest  care,  and  under  our  own  per¬ 
sonal  supervision.  Of  the  many  thousands  sent  out  by  us 
last  year,  we  have  heard  very  few  instances  of  failure,  notwith¬ 
standing  that  they  have  been  forwarded  to 

EVERY  PART  OF  THE  COUNTRY, 
and  the  setting  out  has  often  been  entrusted  to  unskillful  hands. 
Printed  directions  for  setting  and  cultivating  are  sent  with 
every  package. 

Also  for  sale  : 

CURRANT  PLANTS,  well  rooted,  of  hotli  the 
Cherry  and  White  Grape  Varieties,  at  $15  per  hundred. 

GEORGE  SEYMOUR  &  CO  , 

South  Norwalk,  Conn. 


The  Allen  Raspberry. 

The  best  hardtj  Raspberry  in  Cultivation— of  large  size,  high 
flavor,  and  very  productive. 

“  The  Allen  Raspberry  is  one  of  which  a  great  deal  may  be 
expected,  as  exhibited  with  us.  for  its  large  size,  bright  red 
color,  firmness  for  carriage,  uniformity  of  yielding,  and  com 
plete  hardiness .”  E.  J.  Hooper,  Sec.  Cincinnati  Horticultural 
Society  in  August  Horticulturist. 

The  “Allen”  took  the  first  prize  in  a  large  competition  of 
Rasoberries  at  the  Cincinnati  Show  in  June  last. 

Geo.  Seymour  &  Co.,  of  Norwalk,  Conn  — extensive  berry 
growers — after  trying  fifty  plants  in  bearing,  ordered  a  thousand 
plants  more  of  me,  remarking  that  “  for  all  good  qualities  com¬ 
bined.  the  “  Allen  ”  is  the  best  raspberry  we  have  seen  or  cul¬ 
tivated.” 

Win.  Parry,  of  Cinnaminson,  N.  J  .  near  Philadelphia,  ditto, 
substantially  to  Messrs.  Seymour  &  Co. 

“Our  agent,  one  of  the  oldest  fruit  denlers  in  Washington 
Market,  New-York.  informs  us.  that  no  better  raspberry  comes 
into  market  than  the  ‘Allen.’”  H.  &  J.  Carpenter,  Pough¬ 
keepsie,  N.  Y. 

Price  $40  per  1000  ;  $5  per  100;  $1  per  dozen  plants,  well 
packed,  and  sent  per  express,  or  other  conveyance,  as  directed, 
after  1st  October.  Orders  with  money  enclosed  will  bo  prompt¬ 
ly  answered.  LEWIS  F.  ALLEN. 

Black  Rock,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  1,  1859. 


PO’KEEPSIE  SMALL  FRUIT  NURSERY! 

STRAWBERRY  PLANTS. 

WILSON’S  ALBANY,  HOOKER,  PEABODY, 
McAVOY’S  SUPERIOR, 

And  all  the  leading  choice  varieties,  at  50  cents  per  dozen  ; 
$1  50  per  hundred;  $10  per  thousand. 

HOVEY,  and  all  the  old  favorite  varieties  at  $1  per  hundred; 
$8  per  thousand. 

TRIOMPH  DE  GAND.  TROLLOP’S  VICTORIA.  VI- 
compte  Henricart  De  Thurv,  Omer  Pacha,  SIR  HARRY, 
SWAINSTONE  SEEDLING,  &c.,  the  choicest  foreign  varie¬ 
ties,  at  75  cents  per  dozen,  $2  50  per  hundred. 

The  undersigned  devoting  his  personal  attention  to  the  culti¬ 
vation  of  the  above,  purchasers  may  rely  on  plants  being  vigor¬ 
ous  and  true  to  name. 

Plants  packed  with  great  care  for  any  distance. 

Send  for  a  Catalogue.  EDWIN  MARSHALL, 

Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

Also  a  fine  s*ock  of  LINNiEUS  RHUBARB  for  sale. 


STRAWBERRY  PLANTS. 
Parsons  &  Co., 

offer  for  Autumn  planting  a  fine  stock  of  the  choice  sorts,  both 
newer  and  older,  which  they  pack  carefully  for  transportation 
to  any  point. 

AMONG  THEM  ARE  : 

Wilson’s  Albany,  Triomphc  de  Gand, 

Hooker,  ’  Charles  Favorite, 

Peabody,  And  many  others. 

Our  Catalogue  will  he  sent  by  mail  on  application,  addressed 
to  FLUSHING,  N.  Y.,  (near  Ncw-York  City.) 


WILSON’S  ALBANY  SEEDLING. 
The  best  Strawberry  known, 

YIELDS  200  BUSHELS  TO  THE  ACRE !  ! 

This  fine  fruit  has  done  better  this  season  than  ever.  The 
largest,  best,  and  earliest  berries  were  marketed  this  season  by 
me.  Best  selected  plants  for  sale  in  any  quantity,  $10  per  1000; 
$5  for  400;  $1.50  for  100,  ami  $1  for  50.  packed  aiid  delivered  in 
Albany.  Circulars  sent  on  receipt  of  stamp.  Hooker’s  Seed¬ 
ling  Plants  at  same  prices.  WM.  RICHARDSON. 

Rivervicw,  Albany.  N.  Y. 


P 


REMIUM  STRAWBERRIES.  WM.  R. 

PRINCE  &  CO.,  Flushing,  N.  Y  Prince’s  Scarlet  Mag¬ 
nate,  largest  of  all,  sweet,  fine  flavor,  very  productive,  pistillate, 
$2  per  100,  $12  per  1000.  The  following  at  $1  per  100,  $4  to  $5 
per  1000.  Hovey,  Wilson’s  Albany,  Burr’s  Pine,  Iowa,  Long- 
worth’s  Prolific,  McAvoy’s  Superior  and  No.  l,  Moyamensing, 
Hudson,  Crimson  Cone,  Early  Scarier,  Genessee,  Orange  Pro¬ 
lific,  Rival  Hudson,  Scarlet  C  me,  Walker,  Jenny  Lind,  Climax, 
and  Boston  Pine.  The  following  at  38  Cts  per  Doz.,  $1. 50  per 
100.  Charles’  Favorite,  Durfee's,  Hooker,  Peabody,  Boyden’s 
Mammoth.  Primate,  Scarlet  Melting,  Prolific  Hautbois.  Alpine 
Monthly  Red  and  White.  The  following  50  Cts.  per  Doz.,  $2 
per  100.  Imperial  Scarlet,  Eclipse,  Globose  Scarlet,  Ladies 
Pine,  Western  Queen,  Triumph,  Montevideo,  Ward's  Favorite. 
These  are  75  Cts.  to  $1  per  Doz.,  $4  per  100.  Diadem,  Sunrema, 
Triumphant  Scarlet,  Wyoming,  Crimson  Perfumed,  Le  Baron, 
Glen  Albin,  Imperial  Crimson,  Scarlet  Prolific.  These  are 
foreign  Staminates,  small  crop,  50  Cts.  per  Doz.,  $2  per  100. 
British  Queen,  Eliza  Seedling,  Triomphe  de  Gand,  Omer 
Pasha,  Hericart  de  Thury,  Victoria,  Maidens  Blush,  and  20 
others. 

Rejected  Varieties.  Sir  Harry,  Monroe  Scarlet,  Swainstone 
Seedling,  Dundee,  Jenneys  Seedling,  and  70  others  condemned 
by  the  Pomological  Convert* ion. 

N.  B. — All  are  securely  packed  and  Express  Receipt  sent  to 
purchaser,  with  Descriptive  Catalogue  and  Directions  for 
Culture. 

J&STLawton  Blackberries  and  Linmeus  Rhubarb  by  100  or 
1000,  at  reduced  rates.  50,000  Native  Grapes  of  leading  va¬ 
rieties,  very  low  per  Catalogue. 


LAWTON  BLACKBERRY. 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

WM.  LAWTON.  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 


New  Hardy  Grapes. 

In  addition  to  a  very  large  stock  of  the  old  popular  varieties, 
such  as  Isabella,  Catawba,  Clinton,  &c.,  we  nave  a  moderate 
supply  of  the  following  The  Plants  are  all  strong  and  well 
rooted.  Prices  will  he  furnished  on  application  : 


Concord, 

Diana, 

Delaware, 

Rebecca, 

Hartford  Prolific, 

Northern  Muscadine, 
Monteith, 

Canby’s  August,  (supposed 
same  as  York  Madeira  and 
Hyde’s  Eliza,) 

Anna, 

Clara, 

Emily, 

Raab’e, 


Garrigues, 
Manhattan, 
Massachusetts  White 
Franklin, 

Elsinburg, 

North  Americo, 
Cassidy, 

Lincoln, 

Wright’s  Isabella, 
Union  Village, 
Mammoth  Catawba, 
Hensel’s  Early, 
Perkins, 

Winslow, 


Brinckle,  Black  German,  or  Marion  Port 

To  Kalon,  of  Ohio. 

Venango  (or  Miner’s  Seedling)! 

Many  of  these  wc  have  not  yet  fruited,  and  therefore  can  say 
nothing  of  their  quality. 

For  full  and  detailed  information  respecting  the  stock,  prices, 
terms,  Sic.,  we  refer  to  the  following  catalogues,  which  will  be 
sent  gratis,  pre-paid,  to  all  who  inclose  one  stamp  for  each  : 

No  1. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Fruits. 

No.  2. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs, 
Roses,  &c.,  &c. 

No.  3. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Green-house  and 
Bedding  Plants.  &c. 

No.  4.— Wholesale  Catalogue  for  Nurserymen,  Dealers  and 
others  who  purchase  in  large  quantities. 

ELLWANGER  &  BARRY, 
Mount  Hope  Nurseries,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


THE  NEW  GRAPES. 

Having  fine  facilities  for  propagating,  we  are  prepared  to 
furnish  unusually  thrifty  and  vigorous  plants  of  all  the 
new  hardy  grapes,  consisting  in  part  of  the  varie'ies  following: 

Delaware . $3  each.  Concord . Si  each. 

Logan . S3  “  Hartford  Prolific . SI  “ 

Diana .  $1  “  To  Kalon . SI  “ 

Rebecca . $1  “  Union  Village . $1  “ 

Garrrigues. . $1  “ 

For  a  more  extended  list  see  Catalogues.  The  vines  will  be 
securely  packed  and  deliyered  at  the  express  office  in  Rochester 
at  the  above  prices 

STRAWBERRY  PLANTS 

Can  now  be  furnished  for  Fall  planting,  securely  packed.  A 
large  and  complete  assortment. 

HOOKER  (the  best  for  family  use),  price  $2  per  100,  $15  per  1000. 

Wilson’s  Albany,  $i.50per  100,  $10 per  1000. 

besides  more  than  25  other  kinds,  including  every  desirable 

variety. 

JGSTOUIt  GROUNDS  COMPRISE  NEARLY  200  ACRES.  We  have 
constantly  on  hand,  and  are  able  to  supply  every  variety  of  nur¬ 
sery  productions  of  the  most  thrifty  growth.  Send  for  a  de¬ 
scriptive  catalogue.  H.  E.  HOOKER  &  CO., 

Commercial  Nurseries,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


Now  Native  Grapes. 

We  offer  for  sale  a  large  stock,  all  strong  well  ripened  plants, 
of  the  following  new  hardy  Native  Grapes,  suitable  for  trans¬ 
planting  to  the  open  ground  : 

Diana,  Delaware,  Bloods  Black.  Garrigues.  Hartford  Prolific- 
Concord,  Perkins,  Rebecca,  To  Kalon,  York  Madeira,  and 
many  other  varieties  of  Native.  Also  a  good  selection  of  For¬ 
eign  Grapes.  Descriptive  Priced  Catalogues  of  Grapes,  Black 
berries,  and  Strawberries,  sent  prepaid  to  all  applicants. 

HOAG  &  ORAINE, 

Wood  lawn  Nurseries,  Lockport,  N.  Y 


286 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


Foreign  Grapes  for  Vineries. 

ELLWANGER  &  BARRY 

Have  now  ready  for  sending  out,  a  fine  stock  of  Grapes  for  Vi- 
neries— strong,  healthy  vines  in  pots— raised  from  eyes.  They 
mainly  consist  of  the  leading  kinds,  but  include  a  moderate  sup¬ 
ply  of  the  most  celebrated  new  varieties,  such  as 
Muscat  Hamburg, 

Stock  wood  Golden  Hamburg, 

Lady  Downs, 

Canadian  Chief, 

Muscat  St.  Laurent, 

Muscat  Ottonel,  c&.,  &c. 

Plants  carefully  packed  and  forwarded  at  any  moment. 

For  full  and  detailed  information  respecting  the  stock,  prices, 
terms,  &c.,  we  refer  to  the  following  catalogues,  which  will  be 
sent  gratis,  prepaid,  to  all  who  enclose  one  stamp  for  each  : 

No.  1. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Fruits. 

No.  2.— Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs, 
Roses,  &c.,  &c. 

No.  3. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Green-house  and 
Bedding  Plants,  &c. 

No.  4. — Wholesale  Catalogue  for  Nurserymen.  Dealers,  and 
others  who  purchase  in  large  quantities. 

ELLWANGER  &  BARRY, 

Mount  Hope  Nurseries,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


A  New  Oorn  Planter. 

J.  H.  WIGGINS,  Esq.,  formerly  of  Boston,  now  a  Virginia 
Planter,  obtained  in  1858  letters  patent  for  a  Double.  Recipro¬ 
cating  Corn  Planter.  This  Planter  was  exhibited  at  the  U.  S. 
Agricultural  Fair  at  Richmond,  in  the  Fall  of  1858,  and  obtained 
the  first  premium  ov<-r  several  others  that  were  in  competition 
with  it.  The  machine  is  admirably  adapted  to  the  purpose  of 
planting  corn,  or  other  seeds,  required  to  be  in  rows  and  hills. 
It  plants  two  rows  at  a  time,  at  any  desired  distance,  and  marks 
the  line  of  a  third.  It  also  drops  any  fertilizer,  as  guano,  ashes, 
plaster,  or  superphosphate,  either  on  the  seed,  or  at  such  dis¬ 
tance  from  it,  as  the  person  using  it  judges  best.  It  covers  the 
seed  and  fertilizer  at  any  desired  depth,  and  presses  the  soil 
over  them  more  or  less  hardly  as  its  condition  at  the  time, 
whether  wet  or  dry.  heavy  or  light,  requires.  In  short,  it  is  the 
most  perfect  machine  yet  invented  for  the  purpose  of  planting 
and  manuring  at  one  operation  ;  and  with  a  nimble  span  or 
horses  will  easily  plant  and  manure  thirty  acres  a  day,  and  do 
the  work  better  than  it  can  be  done  by  hand. 

Mr.  Wiggins  having  betaken  himself  to  an  Eastern-Shore 
Plantation  in  Virginia,  has  left  the  disposal  of  rights  to  manu- 
iact.ure  and  use  this  machine  with  the  subscriber,  who  now  of¬ 
fers  them  to  the  public,  either  for  the  whole  Union,  or  for  sin¬ 
gle  States  Enterprising  mechanics  will  do  well  to  enquire,  as 
the  machine  has  so  manifest  advantages  over  all  others,  that  it 
cannot  fail  of  coming  into  general  use,  as  soon  as  known.  The 
Patentee's  right  is  unquestionable.  Perfect  titles  will  be  given 
by  him.  Address  J.  A.  NASH,  55  Sands-st., 

Brooklyn,  L.  I. 


Kussia  or  bass  mats,  selected 

expressly  for  budding  and  tying,  GUNNY  BAGS, TWINES, 
HAY  ROPES.  &c.,  suitable  for  Nursery  purposes,  for  sale  in 
lots  to  suit  oy  D.  W.  MANWARING,  Importer, 

218  Front  Street,  New  York. 


A  ll  kinds  of  agricultural  and 

HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS,  Guano,  Bone 
Dust,  Superphosphates  of  Lime,  Plaster,  &c  ,  &c. 

Grass,  Field,  and  Garden  Seeds,  all  warranted  as  represent¬ 
ed.  Please  give  us  a  call.  A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO., 
Agricultural  and  Seed  Store,  No.  54  Vesey-st.,  New-York, 
Between  Broadway  and  Greenwich-street. 
Remember  No.  54  Vesey-street. 


HICKOK’S  PATENT  PORTABLE 

Cider  amt  Wisse  Mill  assd  Press. 

This  sterling  machine,  which  from  the  test  of  several  years 
has  proved  itself  superior  in  point  of  simplicity  and  efficiency  ta 
anything  in  the  market,  is  now  ready  for  the  apple  harvest  of 
1859. 

It  is  made  if  possible  better  than  ever,  and  where  there  are 
no  agents,  farmers  will  do  well  to  send  to  the  manufactory  early 
for  acircular.  We  also  make  large  iron  press  screws  from  3-inch 
diameter  and  4  feet  long,  to  6-inch  diameter  and  8  feet  long,  at 
reasonable  prices.  Address 

W.  O.  HICKOK,  Eagle  Works, 

Harrisburgh,  Pa. 


H 


ICKOK’S  CIDER  MILL  AND  PRESS, 

with  all  the  latest  improvements,  sold  by 
GRIFFING,  BRO.  &  CO.,  60  Cortlandt-st.,  New-York. 


Portable  Cider  Mflls — For  sale  at  Agricul- 

tural  Depot,  100  Murray-st.,  N.  Y.  H.  F.  DIBBLEE. 

CIDER  MILLS  AND  PRESSES.— WINE 

PRESSES.  Cider  Screws,  of  various  best  patterns.  Horse 
Radish  Graters. 

Root  Cutters,  Apple  Parers,  Corers  and  Slicers. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


CIDER  OR  WINE  PRESSES  —Three 

sizes— For  sale  at  Agricultural  Depot,  No.  100  Murray- 
street,  New-York.  HENRY  F.  DIBBLEE. 


TO  FARMERS. 

The  great  Agricultural  warehouse 

No.  54  Vesey-street, 


PLOWS,  CAST  IRON  AND  STEEL,  for 

every  variety  of  use.  Harrows.  Cultivators  Hay  and  Stalk 
Cutters,  Grain  Mills,  Sugar  Mills,  Churns,  Pumps,  Sausage  Cut¬ 
ters  and  Fillers,  Fan  Mills,  Corn  Shellers,  Horse  Hoes,  Weeders, 
& c.  Carts.  Waggons,  Wheel  Barrows,  Store  Trucks,  Road 
Scrapers,  Horse  Powers,  Threshers,  Cotton  Gins,  Field  and 
Garden  Rollers,  Saw  Machines,  Hay  Presses.  Ox  Yokes,  Ve¬ 
getable  Cutters,  &c.,  &c.,  in  great  variety,  of  most  approved 
patterns,  and  at  very  lowest  price  that  articles  of  similar  qua¬ 
lity  are  or  can  bo  furnished.  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 

A18>jaBsy  Tile  Works, 

Cor.  CLINTON-AV.  and  KNOX-ST.,  ALBANY,  N.  Y. 
The  subscribers,  being  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of 
DRAINING  TILE  in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand, in  large 
or  small  quantities,  for  Land  Draining,  ROUND,  SOLE,  and 
HORSE-SHOE  TILE,  warranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this 
country,  hard-burned,  and  over  one  foot  in  length.  Orders  so¬ 
licited.  Price  List  sent  on  application. 

C.  &  W.  McCAMMON.  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Portable  Saw  Mills — For  sale  at  Agricul¬ 
tural  Depot,  100  Murray-st.,  N.  Y.  H.  F.  DIBBLEE. 

O'l'ATO  PLOW.— MY  POTATO  PLOW 

has  been  greatly  improved,  and  is  recommended  as  far  su¬ 
perior  to  any  other  in  use— it  will  dig  as  fast  as  thirty  hands 
can  pick  up — it  can  be  arranged  to  work  on  all  kinds  of  soil. 
Price  $10.  R.  L  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 

ORSE  POWERS — For  sale  at  Agrieul- 

tural  Depot,  100  Murray-st,  N.  Y.  H.F.  DIBBLEE 


H 


“ipRTFFING’S”  EXCELSIOR  FAN 

MILL  will  clean  60  bushels  per  hour.  All  who  use  it 
acknowledge  it  the  best  fanning  mill  in  use. 

Price  $25.  Manufactured  for  and  sold  by 

GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO., 

60  Courtlandt-street,  New-York. 

OWER  FEED  MILLS— For  sale  at  Ag- 

ricultural  Depot,  100  Murray-st.,  N.Y.  H.  F.  DIBBLEE. 


p 


Jngersoll’s  Patent  Hay  Press. 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  More 
than  500  of  them  have  been  sold  in  the  last  two  years.  Price  $50 
and  $75,  dolivered  in  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  satisfac¬ 
tion.  For  circulars,  containing  full  informat  ion.  Address 
FARMERS’  MANUFACTURING  CO., 
Green  Point  P.  O.,  (Brooklyn,)  N.  Y, 

Hay  presses.— a  very  superior 

ARTICLE. _ R,  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 

Y^egetable  Cutters — For  sale  at  Agricultur- 

V  al  Depot,  100  Murray-st,  N.  Y.  H.  F,  DIBBLEE, 

AY  AND  S  TALK  CUTTERS.— CORN 

SHELLERS,  FAN  MILLS,  in  great  variety. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


H 


FEED  CUTTERS — For  sale  at  Agrici 

tural  Depet,  100  Murray-st.,  N.  Y.  H  F.  DIBBLEE 


IeW-¥®rk, 

A.  F.  MAYHER  &  Co., 


Proprietors. 


We  would  call  the  attention  of  all  who  have  grain  to 
thresh  to  our  st  ock  of  Horse  Powers  and  Threshers  and  Com¬ 
bined,  Threshers  and  Winnowers.  We  have  the  sole  Agency 
in  New-York  of  several  different  patent  improved  Horse  Pow¬ 
ers  and  Threshing  Machines,  and  can  furnish  any  kind  that 
may  be  wanted.  We  keep  a  greater  variety  in  store  than  can 
be  found  in  the  City,  elsewhere,  altogether— of  both  the  Tread 
and  Lever  Powers.  Also,  both  Overshot  and  U rule  1  shot 
Threshing  Machines,  with  or  without  Separators  or  Shakers,  as 
desired.  If  you  think  of  buying  a  Threshing  Machine  or 
Horse  Power,  or  Agricultural  Implements  or  Machinery  of  any 
kind,  you  will  find  it  to  your  interest  to  call  on  us  before  pur¬ 
chasing  elsewhere. 

Remember  the  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed  Store 
No.  54  Vesey-st.,  near  Greenwich-st.,  New-York. 

XT  „  A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO. 

N.  B.— If  not  convenient  to  call  on  us,  send  for  a  Circular 
describing  the  machines  and  giving  prices. 

Horse  power.—1 taplin’s improv¬ 
ed  CIRCULAR,  0H6  to  six  Horse,  I  am  now  makin^ 
with  wood  or  iron  rim,  ns  preferred.  Are  the  lightest  running” 
simplest,  least,  liable  to  get  out  of  repair,  and  most  satisfactory 
Circular  Horse  Power  in  use.  Also,  ALLEN’S  ENDLESS 
CHAIN,  one  or  two  horse  power, strongly  and  well  made,  and 
works  with  the  greatest  case  to  the  team.  Also  Bogardus’ 
Hall’s,  Pitt's,  Wheeler’s,  Emery’s,  and  other  powers 
Threshers  and  Threshers  and  Cleaners  of  the  most  approved 
pattern,  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  AVaier-st. 


Horse  powers,  threshers, 

Saw  Machines,  with  Saw, 

“  Hickok’s  ”  Cider  Mills  and  Presses, 

Fanning  Mills, 

Dog  Powers,  Churns,  &c. 

A  large  assortment  on  hand  at  lowest  market  urines  at 
NORTH  RIVER  AGRICULTURAL  WAREHOUSE, 
_ 69  Cortlaiidt-street,  New-York. 


PREMIUM  FARM  GRIST  MILL. 

Send  for  descriptive  circular  Address 

WM.  L.  BOYER  &  BRO., 
Agricultural  Implement  Factory. 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


RODNEY  KELLOGCt, 

Nos.  201  an«l  205  Commerce-st., 
HARTFORD,  CONN., 

WHOLESALE  AND  RETAIL  DEALER 
In  all  kinds  of  AGRICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS  and 
MACHINES.  SEEDS  of  all  kinds.  FERTILIZERS,  HARD¬ 
WARE,  WOODEN  WARE,  BROOMS,  BASKETS,  and 
other  articles,  kept  in  similar  stores. 

MANUFACTURERS  will  please  send  their  lists. 


B 


YRAM’S  POTATO  DIGGER— We  have 

improved  t  his  implement  so  that  it  is  easily  converted  into 
a  Double  Mold-Board  Plow ,  which  makes  it  the  most  useful  im¬ 
plement  in  use.  As  a  Potato  Digger  it  has  no  equal. 

Price  of  Combined  Machine  $8. 

Manufactured  and  sold  by 

GRIFFING  BROTHER  &  CO., 

60  Cortlandt-st.,  New-York  City. 


A 


LBANY  TILE  WORKS.  Corner  Clin- 

ton-avenue  and  Knox-st.,  Albany,  N.  Y.— The  subscribers, 
being  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of 
DRAINING  TILE 

in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand,  in  large  or  small  quantities, 
for  Land  Draining.  Round,  Sole  and  Horse  Shoe  Tile,  war¬ 
ranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this  country,  hard-burned,  ami 
over  one  foot  in  length. 

Orders  solicited. 

Price  list  sent  on  application 

C.  &W.  McCAMMON, 

 Albany,  N.  Y. 


Bags  off  every  <5eseiipftiosi  for 

FLOUR,  GRAIN,  SALT.  Sic.,  &c. 

Plain  or  printed,  from  new  and  beautiful  designs. 
PAPER  BAGS  for  Grocers’  and  Druggists’  use. 

GUNNY  BAGS  from  12  to  13}£  cents. 

MANILLA  and  JUTE  ROPE.  Hay  Rope,  Bed  Cords.  8ic.,at 
the  lowest  manufactory  prices.  M.  VANDERHOOF, 

No.  171  West-st.,  New-York. 

25  lb.  Flour  Sacks  $50  per  1000—5)  lbs  $70 

Sheeting  Feed  Bags  10}<>  to  14  cents— Osnaburgh  14^  to  20c. 


PRATT’S 

PATENT 

SELF-VENTILATING 
Covered  Milk-Pan. 

This  is  an  enclosed  Milk- Pan. so  ar 
ranged  as  to  secure  the  supply  and  • 
circulation  of  air  required  for  the 
separation  and  rising  of  the  cream. 

By  reference  to  the  engraving,  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  pan  has  a  cover;  around  the  lower  rim  of 
this  cover  are  several  minute  perforations  for  the  air  to  enter, 
and  at  the  top  of  the  chimney,  (as  it  maybe  called,)  which 
rises  from  the  center  of  the  cover,  is  another  series  of  perfora¬ 
tions  for  the  air  to  escape.  When  new  milk  is  placed  m  this 
pan,  the  colder  external  air  presses  in  through  the  lower  range 
of  perforations  in  the  cover,  and  forces  the  warm  air  out  through 
the  perforations  above,  thus  producing  the  required  circulation. 
This  circulation  of  air  will  diminish,  as  the  cooling  process  goes 
on,  but  not  cease  ;  for,  gases  being  evolved  in  the  production  of 
cream,  their  lightness  will  still  cause  the  air  to  draw  in  through 
the  lower  perforations,  and  so  continue  the  process  of  ventilation. 

The  value  of  this  new  milk-pan  will  be  at  once  apparent. 
Dairymen  often  have  great  difficulty  in  protecting  their  open 
pans  from  gnats,  flies,  rats,  mice,  snails,  lizards,  &c.,  &c.,  and 
they  cannot  cover  them,  because,  if  the  air  is  shut  out,  the 
cream  will  not  separate  from  the  milk. 

But  not  alone  to  dairymen  is  the  invention  of  value.  In  every 
family,  milk  is  used;  and  with  one  or  more  of  these  self-venti- 
lating  pans,  the  best  condition  for  raising  cream  is  secured. 
Covered,  and  set  upan  a  shelf,  or  the  cellar  floor,  the  pan  is  en¬ 
tirely  free  from  molestation.  During  the  time  that  the  patent 
was  pending,  in  1858,  this  Milk-pan  was  exhibited  at  the  U.  S. 
Agricultural  Fair,  held  in  Richmond,  Ya.;  at  the  Pennsylvania 
State  Fair,  held  at  Pittsburgh ;  and  at  the  New-Hampshire 
State  Fair,  held  at  Dover.  In  each  case  DIPLOMAS  were 
awarded. 

ARTHUR,  BURNHAM  &  GILROY, 

Sole  Manufacturers. 

117  &  119  South  Tenth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Also,  Manufacturers,  under  the  Patent,  of ‘‘The  Old  Do 
minion”  Coffee  Pot,  and  Arthur’s  Self-Sealing  Fruit 
Cans  and  Jars. 


Metropolitans  Washing*  Machine. 

This  machine  gives  universal  satisfaction  vvheiever  used.  It 
is  admirably  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  South.  Agents  want¬ 
ed  in  Delaware.  Kentucky,  (except  Jefferson  County,)  North 
and  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Florida,  Alabama,  Mississippi, 
Louisiana,  Texas,  California  and  Oregon,  to  whom  liberal  dis¬ 
counts  will  be  made. 

N.  B.  Persons  in  the  above  Territories  are  cautioned  against 
purchasing  this  machine  unless  manufactured  by  me. 

DAVID  LYMAN. 

Middlefield,  Connecticut. 


PHOTOGRAPHY. 

A  COMPLETE  APPARATUS  FOR  S25. 

All  of  the  best  make  nml  finish.  Full  instructions  will  be 
sent  for  taking  Ambrotypes,  Melainotvpes.  Stereoscope  pictures, 
Stc.  The  process  is  so  easy  that  any  oi.e  can  produce  good  pic¬ 
tures  in  a  short  time,  the  cost  can  he  repaid  in  one  week  hy 
taking  the  pictures  of  acquaintances.  No  business  is  more  pro¬ 
fitable,  or  requires  so  small  a  capital.  Packed  and  sent  to  any 
part.  J 

C  J.  FOX,  681  Broadway,  New-York, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


287 


BLAKE’S  PATESf 

Fire  and  Weather  Proof  Paint, 

Which  in  a  short  time  after  being  applied,  turns  to  a  perfect 
SLATE  or  STONE,  protecting  whatever  is  covered  from  fire 
and  weather.  Beware  of  worthless  imitations.  The  genuine 
article  constantly  on  hand  and  for  sale  by 

CHARLES  B.  GRAINNISS. 

Successor  to  Win.  Blake,  Patentee,  205  Pearl-st.,  New-York. 


SPALBIWG’S  PI2EPAf£El>  GJLUE! 
SpaMIng’s  Prepared  QSase  ! 

SPALDING’S  PREPARED  GLUE! 

SAVE  THE  PIECES  ! 

ECONOMY ! ! !  DISPATCH ! ! ! 

EjP“A  STITCH  IN  TIME  SAVES  NINE.”.,SPia 

As  accidents  will  happen  even  in  well  regulated  families , 
it  is  very  desirable  to  have  some  cheap  and  convenient 
v/ ay  for  repairing  furniture,  toys,  crockery,  &c., 

SPALDING’S  PREPARED  GLUE 
meets  all  such  emergencies,  and  no  household  can  afford 
to  be  without  it.  It  is  always  ready  and  up  to  the  stick- 
tng-point.  There  is  no  longer  a  necessity  for  limping 
Shairs,  splintered  veneers,  headless  dolls  and  broken  cra¬ 
dles.  It  is  just  the  article  for  cone,  shell  and  other  orna¬ 
mental  work  so  popular  with  ladies  of  refinement  and 
taste. 

This  admirable  preparation  is  used  cold,  being  chemi¬ 
cally  held  in  solution,  and  possessing  all  the  valuable 
qualities  of  the  best  cabinet-makers’  Glue.  It  may  be 
used  in  the  place  of  ordinary  mucilage,  being  vastly 
more  adhesive. 

“USEFUL  IN  EVERY  HOUSE.” 

Price  25  cents. 

N.  B.— A  brush  accompanies  each  bottle. 

Wholesale  Depot,  No.  30  Platt-st.,  New-York. 

Address 

H.  C.  SPALDING, 

Box  No.  3, GOO  New-York- 


PUBLIC  SALE  OF 
DEVON  CATTLE  &  SOUTHDOWN  SHEEP, 

On  Wednesday,  7th  September  next,  at  10  o’clock,  A.  M.,  at 
my  farm  on  Grand  Island,  near  Buffalo,  I  will  sell  my  entire 
herd  of  thorough  bred  DEVON  CATTLE,  consisting  of  up¬ 
wards  of  thirty  cows,  heifers,  bulls,  and  bull  and  heifer  calves. 

I  will  also  sell,  at  the  same  time,  100  thorough  bred  South- 
down  Ewes  and  Rams.  Also  100  or  more  choice  grade  breeding 
Ewes  of  Cotswold  and  Southdown  crosses — the  best  class  of 
mutton  sheep. 

Also  half-a-dozen  superior  young  white  breeding  sows. 

The  sale  will  be  positive  a nd  without  reserve, if  there  be  purchas¬ 
ers  to  buy  the  stock,  as  I  am  going  out  of  stock  breeding  alto¬ 
gether. 

Terms — On  sums  over  $50,  and  up  to  S 1  CO,  six  months;  and 
on  sums  over  $100  a  year’s  credit  will  be  given,  on  approved 
notes,  with  interest,  or  a  liberal  discount  will  be  made  for  cash. 

The  stock  will  be  delivered  to  the  purchasers  at  either  of  the 
railroad  stations  in  Buffalo,  Black  Rock,  or  Tonawanda,  or  at 
the  steamboats  in  Buffalo,  if  required. 

Catalogues  of  the  stock  will  be  sent  by  mail  to  those  wanting 
them. 

A  steamboat  will  cross  the  river  every  hour  between  Lower 
Black  Rock  and  the  farm-  on  the  day  of  sale.  The  stock  can  be 
seen  at  any  time  previous,  by  calling  at  my  residence. 

LEWIS  F.  ALLEN. 

Black  Rock,  N.  Y.,  August,  1859. 


Thorough  Bred  Stock. 

I  have  always  on  hand  for  sale,  which  will  be  put  upon  the 
railroad  cars  and  sent  carefully  by  Adams’  Express  to  purchas¬ 
ers,  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE,  SOUTH-DOWN  SHEEP,  and 
SPANISH  HOGS.  C.  M.  CLAY. 

Address — “  Whitehall  Post  Office,”  Madison  County.  Ky. 


Domesticated  deer— a  few  pair  of 

yearlings,  bred  at  Springside,  may  be  had,  at  S30  per  pair. 
Po’keepsie,  July  1,  1859,  Apply  to  C.  N.  BEMENT. 


''THOROUGH  BRED  NORTH  DEVONS 

For  Sale— Twenty  head,  in  lots,  to  suit  purchasers.  Sev¬ 
eral  of  them  lately  import  ed.  Address 
ALFRED  M.  TREDWELL,  45  Fulton-st.,  New-York  City. 


WILD  TURKEYS,  Large  breed  ;  also, 

large  breed  of  common  Turkey,  and  other  Fancy  Poul¬ 
try,  all  of  pure  breed,  by  S.  SMITH, 

Darien  Depot,  Conn. 


Keep  yossBf  Feel  Bey 

AND 

Preserve  your  Health. 

The  long  sought  for  principle  of  making  leather  perfectly  wa¬ 
ter-proof,  without  injuring  it,  has  at  last  been  discovered. 

A.  BROWER’S  PATENT  WATER  PROOF  COMPOSITION 
FOR  LEATHER. 

makes  Boots,  Shoes.  Hose,  Harness  and  all  Leather  perfectly 
impervious  to  water  by  a  single  application,  and  warranted  to 
keep  so,  at  the  same  time  it  softens,  makes  the  leather  pliable, 
prevents  cracking,  will  polish  witli  blacking  better  than  before, 
and  leather  will  last  at  least  one-fourth  to  one-third  longer  by 
using  it.  For  sale  by  A  BROWER  &  CO.,  4  Reade-st., 
and  by  all  the  principal  Boot  and  Shoe,  Hardware,  Druggist.  Gro¬ 
cery  and  Yankee  Notion  houses.  A  liberal  discount  to  agents. 

N.  B.  None  genuine  unless  signed  by  A.  BROWER. 


rPHERMOMETERS,  BAROMETERS,  &c.,  of 

JL  reliable  quality  and  various  descriptions,  among  which 
are  those  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  register  the  coldest  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24  hours,  in  the  absence  of  the  observer.  For 
sale  by  D.  EGGERT  &  SON,  239  Pearl  st. 


Put  up  for  Dealers  in  Cases  containing  four,  eight,  and 
twelve  dozen,  a  beautiful  Lithograph  Show  Card  accom¬ 
panying  each  package. 

JTp3  A  single  bottle  of  SPALDING’S  PREPARED 
GLUE  will  save  ten  times  its  cost  annually  to  every 
household.t5J33 

Sold  by  all  prominent  Stationers,  Druggists,  Hardware, 
Furniture  and  House  Furnishing  Dealers,  Grocers  and 
Fancy  Stores. 

Country  merchants  should  make  a  note  of  SPALD¬ 
ING’S  PREPARED  GLUE,  when  making  up  their  Fall 
list.  It  will  stand  any  climate. 


PATENT  TURN-TABLE  APPLE  PARER. 

This  Machine  is  on  an  entirely  new 
principle.  It  has  no  snapping  or  reverse 
motion,  is  made  of  iron,  and  not  liable  to 
get  out  of  order,  is  so  simnle  in  construe 
l  ion  that  children  with  sufficient  strength 
to  place  an  apple  on  the  fork  and  turn  a 
crank,  can  operate  it  as  readily  as  adults. 
It  has  no  superior  for  paring  crooked,  un¬ 
even,  hard  or  soft  apples  of  any  size  or 
shape  Quinces  are  pared  as  readily  as 
apples.  The  success  of  the  parer  the  past 
t  wo  years,  has  established  the  fact  that 
it  is  the  best  machine  ever  invented. 
Every  machine  is  warranted  to  give  satisfaction.  The  proprie¬ 
tors  are  determined  to  make  a  perfect  machine,  the  work  being 
done  under  their  immediate  supervision,  and  will  be  sold  at 
reasonable  prices. 

A  supply  of  these  machines  can  be  obtained  at  the  Agricul¬ 
tural  and  Hardware  dealers  in  most  of  the  principal  cities,  or  of 
the  manufacturers. 

Call  for  the  41  Patent  Turn-Table  Apple  Parer.” 

LOCKAY  &  HOWLAND, 

Proprietors  and  Manufacturers, 

July  15,  1859.  Leominster,  Mass. 


©ppositioBS  !  Fare  SSedMced ! ! 

MERCHANT’S  LINE  OF  STEAMBOATS 
BETWEEN  NEW-YORK  AND  ALBANY.— 
The  steamer  KNICKERBOCKER,  Capt.  Wm. 
R.  NELSON,  leaves  the  font  of  Robinson-st.,  New-Yorlc  every 
Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday,  at  6  o’clock,  P.  M.  The 
steamer  HERO,  Capt.  J.  W.  Hancox,  every  Tuesday,  Thurs¬ 
day  and  Sunday. 

Returning,  will  leave  the  Steamboat  landing,  Albany,  Daily, 
Saturday  excepted,  at  7  o’clock  P.  M.  Travelers  will  find  it 
their  interest  in  calling  at  the  offices  of  the  Agents  of  this  Com¬ 
pany  before  engaging  passage  elsewhere. 

Freight  carried  at  reduced  rates  and  forwarded  p  omptly. 

ELI  HUNT,  Agent, 

Office  on  the  wharf,  New-York, 

C.  \V.  STEVENS,  No.  252  Broadway,  Albany. 


WHOLESOME  BREAD, 


JAMES 

pYLE’S 

DIETETIC 

SALERATUS. 


JAMES 

pYLE’S 

DIETETIC 

SALERATUS. 


JAMES 

pYLE’S 

DIETETIC 

SALERATUS. 


JAMES 

pYLES 

DIETETIC 

SALERATUS. 


JAMES 

pYLE’S 

DIETETIC 

SALERATUS. 


HOUSEKEEPERS ! 

ALWAYS  BUY  THE  BEST  ! 


This  SALERATUS  should  be 
found  in  the  culinary  department 
of  every  house  in  this  land.  Its 
unquestionable  purity,  and  excel¬ 
lence  in  producing  Good  Bread, 
must  bring  it  into  general  use. — 
The  wide-spread  reputation  it  has 
already  gained  is  the  result  of  real 
merit,  and  shows  the  ability  of  the 
American  People  to  discriminate 
in  favor  of  a  wholesome  article. 

There  are  thousands  of  sufferers 
from  dyspepsia,  decayed  teeth, 
and  other  derangements  of  the 
system,  brought  on  by  the  use  of 
common  Caustic  Saleratus.  It  is  a 
sad  spectacle,  too.  to  look  upon 
the  ‘‘puny-faced  child”  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  day.  without  constitution,  and 
with  its  teeth  all  eaten  out,  and 
think  of  the  cause  being  impurities 
in  food. 

How  much  longer,  good  mothers, 
is  this  state  of  things  to  last  ?  Ask 
for 

JAMES  PYLE’S 
DIETETIC  SALERATUS, 

which  IS  FREE  FROM  EVERY  IM¬ 
PURITY,  and  as  harmless  to  the 
stomach  as  flour  itself. 

If  you  want  nice  Biscuit,  Cake. 
&c,,  vou  can  find  nothing  to  equal 
it.  Tell  your  Grocer  you  want  no 
other.  No  doubt  he  will  tell  you 
it  is  no  better  than  any  other,  in 
order  to  get  rid  of  his  old  stock,  or 
something  on  which  he  can  realize 
larger  profit ;  but  persevere  until 
you  get  it,  and 

JUDGE  FOR  YOURSELF. 

BEWARE  OF  COUNTERFEITS 

The  readiness  of  unscrupulous 
rivals  to  imitate  our  labels,  signi¬ 
fies  much  in  our  favor.  The  genu¬ 
ine  is  done  up  in  pounds,  halves, 
and  quarters,  with  the  name  of 
‘‘James  Pyle”  on  each. 

Depot  346  W  ashington-street,  cor. 
Franklin-street,  New-York. 

Sold  by  Grocers  everywhere. 


SAPONIFIES, 

OR 

CONCENTRATED  POTASH. 

A  new  article  for  making  Soap,  warranted  to  make  Soap 
without  Lime,  and  with  but  little  trouble.  One  pound  will 
make  12  gallons  of  good  strong  Soft  Soap.  Manufactured  and 
put  up  in  1.  2,  and  4  lb  cans, "(in  small  lumps,)  at  the  Chal 
lenge  Chemical  Works,  New-York. 

E.  R.  DURKEE  &  CO.,  Proprietors,  161  Pearl-st.,  N.Y 

ALSO, 

FFffSE  POT ASM 

in  6  lb.  cans,  in  lumps,  for  sale  as  above. 


TO  HOUSEKEEPERS. 

SOMETHING  NEW.— B.  T.  BABBITT’S 

BEST 


68 

AND 

70 

68 

AND 

70 

68 

AND 

70 

68 

AND 

70 


BEST 

MEDICINAL  SALERATUS. 

Is  manufactured  from  common  salt,  and  is  pre¬ 
pared  entirely  different  from  other  Saleratus. 
All  the  deleterious  matter  extracted  in  such  a 
maimer  as  to  produce  Bread,  Biscuit,  and  all 
kinds  of  Cake,  without  containing  a  particle  of 
Saleratus  when  t.he  Bread  or  Cake  is  baked; 
thereby  producing  wholesome  results  Every 
particle  of  Saleratus  is  turned  to  gas  and  passes 
through  the  Bread  or  Biscuit  while  baking;  con¬ 
sequently  nothing  remains  but  common  Salt,  Wa¬ 
ter  and  Flour.  You  will  readily  perceive  by  the 
taste  of  this  Saleratus,  that  it  is  entirely  different 
from  other  Saleratus. 

It  is  packed  in  one  pound  papers,  each  wrapper 
branded,  *‘  B.  T.  Babbitt’s  Best  Medicinal  Salera¬ 
tus  ;”  also,  picture,  twisted  loaf  of  bread,  with  a 
glass  of  effervescing  water  on  the  top  When  you 
purchase  one  paper  you  should  preserve  the  wrap¬ 
per,  and  be  particular  to  get  the  next  exactly  like 
the  first — brand  as  above. 

Full  directions  for  making  Bread  with  this  Sal¬ 
eratus  and  Sour  Milk  or  Cream  Tartar,  will 
accompany  each  package;  also,  directions  for 
making  all  kinds  of  Pastry;  also,  for  making  Soda 
Water  and  Seidlitz  Powders. 

MAKE  YOU 02.  OWN  SOAP 

WITH 

B.  T.  BABBITT’S 

PURE  CONCENTRATED  POTASH. 

Warranted  double  the  strength  of  ordinary  Pot¬ 
ash  ;  put  up  in  cans — 1  lb..  2  lbs.,  3  lbs.,  6  lbs., 
and  12  lbs. — with  full  directions  for  making  Hard 
and  Soft  Soap.  Customers  will  find  this  the 
cheapest  Potash  in  market. 

Manufactured  and  for  sale  by 

B  T  BABBITT, 

Nos.  68  and  70  Washington-st.,  New-York, 
and  No.  38  India-st.,  Boston. 


68 

AND 

70 

68 

AND 

70 

68 

AND 

70 

68 

AND 

70 


YOUATT’S  CONDITION  POWDERS, 

For  the  radical  cure  of  heaves,  broken  wind,  coughs,  glanders 
and  all  diseases  which  affect  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  lungs, 
wind-pipe,  throat  and  head  of  the 

HORSE, 

Also,  to  expel  botts  and  worms,  loosen  the  hide,  improve  the 
appetite,  and  keep  the  animal  in  good  condition.  Equally  valu¬ 
able  for  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  swine. 

In  large  packages,  price  50  cents. 

1IARRAL,  RISLEY  &  KITCHEN, 
Druggists, 76  Barclay-st..  New-York, 
Wholesale  Agents  fof  the  United  States 


New-Jersey  CrreeaisaBid  Maul, 

Abounding  in  potash,  phosphorates,  sulphates,  and  silicates, 
and  eminently  adapted  for  the  restoration  of  worn  out  and  ex¬ 
hausted  soils,  is  the  cheapest  and  best  manure  offered  for  Win¬ 
ter  Grain  and  Grass  lands,  or  for  Fruit  Trees,  Grape  Vines,  &c. 
Each  bushel  of  the  Marl  contains  more  potash  than  the  same 
quantity  of  the  best  unleached  wood  ashes.  Price  SEVEN 
CENTS  PER  BUSHEL, delivered  on  board  vessel  at  the  Com¬ 
pany’s  wharf,  on  Sandy  Hook  Bay,  N.  J. 

Circulars  containing  full  information,  with  testimonials,  sent 
post  free  on  application  to 

CIIAS.  SEARS,  President ,  Riceville,  Monmouth  Co.,  N.  J. 

Tappan  Townsend,  Treasurer ,  No.  82  Nassau-street,  or  to 

Geo.  W.  Atwood,  Secretary,  No  16  Cedar-street,  N.  Y. 


GUANO!! — The  superiority  of  Phosphat- 

ic  over  Ammoniacal  fertilizers  in  restoring  fertility  to 
worn  out  lands,  is  now  well  understood.  The  subscribers  call 
the  attention  of  Fanners  to  the  SWAN  ISLAND  GUANO, 
which  for  richness  in  Phosphates  and  Organic  matter  and 
its  solubility  is  unsurpassed. 

For  sale  at  $30  per  ton  of  2,000  lbs.,  and  liberal  discount  will 
be  made  by  the  cargo. 

Circulars,  with  directions  for  use,  mav  be  bad  on  application 
at  our  office.  FOSTER  &  STEPHENSON, 

65  Beaver-street,  New  York. 
Agents  for  the  ATLANTIC  &  PACIFIC  GUANO  CO. 


AMFISSCM  GUANO. 

To  Farmers  and  Dealers  in  Guano. 

This  GUANO,  from  Jarvis  Island,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  con 
taming  80  per  cent  of  phosphates  and  sulphates  of  lime,  and  the 
most  valuable  fertilizer  known,  is  offered  for  sale  in  large  or 
small  quantities  at  about  two-thirds  the  price  of  Peruvian.  Foi 
full  information  and  particulars,  address 

C.  S  MARSHALL, 

President  of  the  American  Guano  Co.,  65  William-st.,  N.York. 


©rletl  Blood,  and  Wool  Manni'e. 

A  new  and  valuable  Fertilizer,  containing  a  larg-e  proportion 
of  nitrogenous  matter.  Price  $30  per  Ion,  in  barrels  containing 
200  lbs.  No  charge  for  package.  Also,  Peruvian  and  American 
Guano,  Bone  Dust,  Phosphates,  Plaster,  & c. 

R.  L.  ALLEN, 

New-York  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed-store, 

191  Water-st.,  New-York. 

BONE  MANUK 27, 

SAWINGS,  TURNINGS  AND  CRUSHED  BONES, 
for  sale  by  the  manufacturers,  in  large  or  small  quantities. 

A  LISTER  &  CO.. 

Tarrytowu.  Westchester  Co.,N.  Y. 


BONE  DUST — Fine  ground  Bone  Saw- 

ings  and  Turnings  and  coarse  bone  for  graperies — war¬ 
ranted  a  pure  article.  Also  Guano,  Phosphate,  and  Blood  and 
Wool,  for  sale  at  low  rates*  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st 


288 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Contents  for  September,  1859, 

Advertisements — Information  Gratis.  ..Ill . 26-1 

Advertisements— Note  on . 282 

Agricultural  Paper — New  one  Wanted  in  New-York.282 

Animals— Early  fattening  of . 2G3 

Apples— Drying  and  Preserving . 277 

Apple  Parer— A  good  One . Illustrated.. 277 

Autumn— The  Last  Load . Illustrated.  .272 

Bees — Apiary  in  September . 259 

Bees— Breeding  in  Winter .  263 

Bees — Consecutive  Swarms— Impregnation  of  Queens. 203 

Bees -Driving  from  Honey  Boxes . 263 

B.es— Rapid  ? warming  of . 263 

Blackberry — New- Rochelle  hardy . 282 

Blackberries — The  New-Rochelle  Profitable . 27G 

Boys’  and  Girls’  Columns— Picture  by  Punch— Edi¬ 
tor  with  his  Young  Readers— Useless  Things— 
The  Good  Done  by  one  Little  Fly — Leaving  Home 
—  Building  Castles  —  Answers  to  Problems — 
New  Problems—  Illustrated  Rebus  — Grandmother 
with  the  Little  Girls— Chance — Insect  Life — A 

Mouse  in  Liquor . 280-281 

Calendar  of  Operations  for  the  Month . 258 

Campaign  for  1800 . 291 

Cancers— A  Talk  about . 277' 

Capers— What  they  are . 281 

Cattle  and  Sheep— Sales  of . 282 

Churns— Patent . 282 

Corn— Good  Way  to  Shock . 282 

Corn — Select  Seed  this  Month . 259 

Cattle— Comforts  for . 267 

Cotton— How  Grown  and  Prepared  for  Market. .  III.  .261 

Dairy— Prize  Articles -No.  IX — Cheese  Making . 266 

Debt— Not  necessarily  an  Evil . 270 

Eye  vs.  Mouth — To  Nellie . 279 

Exhibilions-Agricultural-Time  and  places  of  holding.260 

Fallows — Winter . 262 

Farm— Work  for  September . 258 

Figs,  Northern . 281 

Flowers — Dielytra  or  Diclvtra — Dicentra . 274 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  in  September .  . 259 

Flowers — Native  Honeysuckle  . 281 

Flowers — The  Lantana — How  to  Manage . 273 

Flowers — The  Rose  and  Geology . 274 

Flow  ers — The  Verbena — History  of . 273 

Flowers — Times  for  Sowing  Seeds . 273 

Fruits — Small — Number  of  Plants  and  Cost  per  Acre. 275 

Garden — Kitchen  and  Fruit  in  September . 258 

Green  and  Hot-IIouses  in  September .  259 

Gooseberries — Show  at  Paterson,  N.  J.  .  . .  . . 275 

Hooped  Skirts-Steel  Preferable . 282 

Housekeepers — Schools  Proposed  for . 279 

Insects — Injurious  to  Wheat — The  “  Midge”-I1.2  III.  .269 

Insects — Matthews’s  Curculio  Remedy . 274 

Insects — Moths — To  get  rid  of . 278 

Insects — The  Currant  Moth . 269 

Insects — Walnut  Moth  or  Butterfly _ 3  Illustrations — 268 

Insects — Wheat  “Midge” — Remedy  for . 259 

Lantern  Blinks  XI — The  Infatuation  of  much  Land..  270 

Lawsuits — Folly  of . Illustrated.  .265 

Manures — Application  of . 262 

Market — N.  Y.  City— IIow  supplied  with  meat — III.. 267 

Market  Review,  Weather  Notes,  etc . 282 

Matches — Light — by  Anna  Hope . 278 

Michigan — Its  Advantages  for  new  Settlers . 271 

Milking— Hints  on . 266 

Neatness— Things  not  Neat . 279 

Orchard  and  Nursery  in  September . 258 

Pastures — Hints  on  their  Management . 265 

Plants  in  Houses  not  Unwholesome . 277 

Plants— Originating  Varieties  in . 274 

Poultry — Remarkable  Hens . 267 

Recipes — An  old  fashioned  Pudding— To  Prepare  Soup 

— To  Cook  Summer  Squash . 279 

Rhubarb— Good . 282 

Rose  and  Geology . .274 

Seeds— Meehan’s  Catalogue  of  Tree  and  Shrub . 281 

Seeds— Save  the  Vegetable . 259 

Seed — Select  Corn  this  Month . 259 

Seeds — Time  for  Sowing  Flower . 273 

Seeds— Reports  on,  Wanted . 282 

Selling  out . 272 

September— Suggestions  for  the  Month . 257 

Sleigh— Putting  away  for  Summer . 263 

Stables — Dark,  injurious . 263 

Swine— The  Hog  Nuisance . 270 

Tim  Bunker's  Hay  Crop— Reclaiming  Salt  Marsh _ 261 

Trees— Evergreens— Englishmen’s  love  for . 273 

Trees— Frazer’s  Silver  Fir .  273 

Trees— Weeping  Larch— How  to  Make . 273 

Varieties  of  Plants— How  Originated . 274 

Vegetables  for  next  Spring . 276 

Wheat  Sowing — Remedy  for  the  Midge . 259 

Wheat  Sown  after  Corn  without  Plowing . 259 


CAMPAIGN 

OF 

I860. 


3F1  X  iS  ■3?  Q-  XX  3NT  . 

[Preliminary.— Another  great  Presidential  Campaign 
will  largely  engross  the  attention  of  many  Politicians,  and 
of  a  few  other  people,  during  the  year  I860.  The  Publisher 
of  the  American  Agriculturist  intends  to  keep  an  eye  out, 
and  at  the  proper  time  vote  as  he  thinks  best  for  the 
country,  and  lie  advises  every  one  else  to  do  the  same. 

But  the  Agriculturist  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  com¬ 
mon  politics.  It  will  seek  to  promote  the  greatest  good 
of  the  greatest  number.  It  is  a  candidate  on  its  own  hook 
for  an  Election  by  the  people.  During  the  year  1S59  it  re¬ 
ceived  the  direct  vote  of  about./i fty  thousand,  and  the  in¬ 
direct  vote  (approval)  of  nearly  or  quite  half  a  million  of 
readers,  who  have  elected  it  as 

THE  PEOPLE’S  INSTRUCTOR, 

THE  PEOPLE’S  GUARDIAN, 

THE  HUMBUG'S  ENEMY. 

While  nearly  all  the  other  successful  candidates  for  po¬ 
pular  favor  have  met  with  constant  rebukes,  and  accusa¬ 
tions  of  malfeasance  in  office,  it  is  believed  that  the  Agri¬ 
culturist.  has  fulfilled  all  its  promises  made  before  election. 
(The  mail  depredators  have  abstracted  or  lost  occasional 
parcels  of  papers,  seeds,  etc.,  but  so  far  as  these  have 
been  heard  from,  they  have  been  replaced  by  the  publish¬ 
er  at  his  own  cost.) 

The  Agriculturist  is  determined  to  be  ahead  of  all  com¬ 
petitors,  Presidential  oy  other,  and  it  now  early  enters  the 
field  for  reelection  in  1  8  GO.  and  has  determined  to  merit 
at  least 

100,000  DIRECT  VOTES, 

AND  TO  GET  THEM  BY  FAIR  MEANS. 

Platform. — It  is  customary  for  candidates  to  go  be¬ 
fore  the  people  at  every  election  with  a  new  platform  (or 
promises).  But  such  platforms  usually  are  of  so  frail  a 
nature,  that  they  only  serve  for  the  candidate  to  stand 
upon  before  election— they  always  get  upset  during  the 
bustle  of  election,  and  the  successful  candidate  usually 
stands  upon  a  fence,  or  wherever  he  choses  after  elec¬ 
tion.  The  Agriculturist  lias  but  one  plank  in  its  platform, 
which  is  firmly  imbedded  in  the  soil,  and  can  not  be  up¬ 
set.  The  only  promise  it  has  to  make  for  the  future,  is, 
that  what  it  has  been  in  the  past,  it  will  be  in  the  future, 
only,  a  good  deal  more  so.  The  Agriculturist  aims  to  be 

A  thorough  going,  RELIABLE,  and  PRACTICAL 
Journal,  devoted  to  the  different  departments  of  SOIL 
CULTURE— such  as  growing  field  CROPS:  orchard 
and  garden  FRUITS;  garden  VEGETABLES  and 
FLOWERS:  trees,  plants,  and  floweiis  for  the 
LAWN  or  YARD;  in-door  and  out  door  work  around 
the  DWELLING;  care  of  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 
Ac  Ac. 

The  teachings  of  the  Agriculturist  are,  confined  to  no 
State  or  Territory,  but  are  adapted  to  the  wants  of  all  sec¬ 
tions  of  the  country— it  is,  as  its  name  indicates,  truly 
American  in  its  character. 

Private  Platlonii. — In  the  Agriculturist  private 
port-folio  it  is  written  down  : 

To  furnish  the  largest  and  best  possible  paper  for  the 
least  money. 

To  collect  the  greatest  possible  amount  of  hints  and  sug¬ 
gestions  from  every  available  source,  and  scatter 
them  among  the  people. 

To  adorn  its  pages  with  new,  beautiful,  and  instructive 
engravings  in  large  number. 

To  adapt  its  pages  to  the  entertainment  and  instruction 
of  every  member  of  llie  Rural  Household. 

To  keep  out  of  its  pages  all  deceptive  notices  and  ad*er- 
tisements. 

To  stand  between  its  readers,  and  Shams  and  Humbugs. 
Ac.,  Ac.,  Ac.,  Ac.,  Ac.,  Ac.,  Ac.,  Ac. 

In  short,  to  earnestly  and  honestly  endeavor  to  improve 
its  readers  in  pocket,  in  knowledge,  in  refinement,  in  com¬ 
fort,  and  in  happiness. 

A  STRIKE  FOIi  VOTES. 

As  an  inducement  to  new  voters,  and  as  a  reward  to  old 
ones  who  will  help  make  known  the  claims  of  the  Agricul¬ 
turist,  the  Publisher  proposes  to  devote  its  surplus  income 
to  valuable  premiums, etc.  These  will  consist  of  extra  cop¬ 
ies  to  new  subscribers,  (first  gun,  in  September)  ;  of  a  large 
list  of  liberal  premiums  to  those  who  make  up  clubs  of 
new  names,  (second  gun,  for  October) ;  and  a  large  free 
distribution  of  good  seeds  to  all  new  and  old  subscribers, 
(third  gun,  for  November). 


First  Gun. — Every  new  subscriber  for  1860  (vol. 
XIX.),  received  after  Sept.  1st,  will  be  furnished  free  of 
charge,  with  the  remaining  numbers  of  this  year,  thus: 

New  subscribers  for  1860,  received  from  Sept.  1  to  Sept. 
30,  will  be  furnished  with  the  Oct.,  Nov.,  and  Dec.  num¬ 
bers  of  this  year  free. 

Everv  new  subscriber  for  I960,  received  from  Oct.  1st 


to  Oct.  31st,  will  be  supplied  with  tho  Nov.  and  Dee. 
numbers  free. 

Every  new  subscriber  for  I860,  received  from  Nov.  1st 
to  Nov.  30th,  will  be  supplied  with  Dec.  number  free. 

Exception.  New  names  from  the  Pacific  Coast,  and 
other  remote  points,  will  be  furnished  with  these  extra 
numbers,  though  arriving  later  than  the  dates  named. 

N.  15.  These  extra  numbers  are  offered  to  all  new 
names,  whether  received  at  single  subscription  rates,  or 
as  members  of  clubs,  or  from  voluntary  agents  or 
canvassers,  or  from  Agricultural  or  Horticultural  So¬ 
cieties,  on  premium  lists. 

IV.  55.  All  names  furnished  by  canvassers  for  premi¬ 
ums  wTl  count  in  their  lists,  and  also  be  entitled  to  the 
extra  copies  offered  above. 

N .  B5 .  Those  preparing  to  obtain  lists  for  premiums , 
can  begin  their  work  at  once,  as  all  names  for  I860  will  be 
counted  in  their  lists ,  whenever  received. 

IV.  55.  Specimen  copies  and  Show-bills  forwarded 
free  to  those  desiring  them. 


gusmess 

Cy  Fifty  Cents  a  Line  of  Space. 

GROVER  &  BAKER’S 

CELEBRATED  NOISELESS 

FAMILY  SEWING  MACHINES, 

IVew  Styles  at  Kcdmccd  Prices. 

No.  495  Broadway,  New-York  ;  No.  18  Summer  st., 
Boston  ;  No.  730  Chestnut  st.,  Philadelphia ;  No.  181  Bal¬ 
timore  st.,  Baltimore ;  No.  58  West  Fourth  st.,  Cincin- 
nuti.  Agencies  in  all  the  principal  cities  and  towns  i?i  the 
United  States. 

“  Wheeler  &  Wilson’s,  Singer’s,  and  Grover  Baker’s 
Machines  all  work  under  Howe’s  patent,  and  are,  so  far, 
the  best  machines  made.  *  *  For  our  own  family  use 
we  became  fully  satisfied  that  Grover  4-  Baker's  is  the  best , 
and  we  accordingly  purchased  it. "—American  Agriculturist 

OPSEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR.,^ 

WHEELER  &  WILSON’S 
SEWING  MACHINES. 

“  None  are  better  adapted  to  Family  use.” 

American  Agriculturist,  Dec  ,  1858. 

Office  No.  505  Broadway,  New-York. 

SEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR. 


MINTON’S  ENCAUSTIC  TILES. 

FOR  FLOORS  OF  CHURCHES, 
PUBLIC  It  I'll,  1)1  N  (» S,  HALLS, 

conservatories,  dining  rooms  and  hearths  in  dwell 

INQS. 

Being  very  hard  and  strong,  as  well  as  ornamental, 
they  have  been  used  extensively  in  the  Capitol  extension 
at  Washington,  and  in  many  of  the  best  houses  in  all 
parts  of  the  country. 

ALSO, 

GARNKIRK  CHIMNEY  TOPS, 

suited  to  every  style  of  architecture,  and  recommended 
in  Downing’s  work  on  Country  Houses,  and  by  architects 
generally.  Also,  VITRIFIED  DRAIN  PIPE,  of  all 
sizes,  from  2  to  18  inches  in  diameter,  for  conducting  wa¬ 
ter.  For  sale  by  MILLER  A  COATES, 

No.  279  Pearl-st..  New-York. 


^meriran  Jgrirultnrisf, 

(ISSUED  IN  BOTH  ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN.) 

The  German  edition  is  of  the  same  size  an  1  price 
as  the  English,  and  contains  all  of  its  reading  matter,  and 
its  numerous  illustrative  engravings. 

TERMS— INVARIABLY  IN  ADVANCE 

One  copy  one  year . $1  00 

Six  copies  one  year . 5  00 

Ten  or  more  copies  one  year. ...  80  cents  each. 

An  extra  copy  to  the  person  sending  15  or  more  names, 
at  80  cents  each. 

Postage  anywhere  in  the  United  States  and  Territories 
must  be  paid  by  the  subscriber,  and  is  only  six  cents  a  year, 
if  paid  in  advance  at  the  office  where  received. 

The  paper  is  considered  paid  for  whenever  it  is  sent, 
and  will  be  promptly  discontinued  when  the  time  for  w  hich 
it  is  ordered  expires. 

All  business  and  other  communications  should  be  ad 
dressed  to  the  Editor  and  Proprietor, 

ORANGE  JUDD, 

No.  189  Water  st  .  New-York. 


Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture 


AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  —WASHINGTON 


OUAIGE  JUDD,  A.  M., 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR. 


$1.00  PER  ANNUM,  IN  ADVANCE. 
SINGLE  NUMBERS  10  CENTS. 


VOL.  XVIII— No.  10.1 


NEW- YORK,  OCTOBER,  1859. 


[NEW  SERIES— No.  153. 


jC^'Oi’fice  at  ISO  Water-st.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
J3P  Contents,  Terms,  Arc.,  on  paje  320. 


[copy  right  secured.] 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1859, 
by  Orange  Judd,  in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New-York. 

E1P3V.  51.— Every  Journal  is  invited  freely  to  copy 
any  and  all  desirable  articles  with  credit,  and  no  use  or 
advantage  will  be  taken  of  the  Copy-Right,  wherever 
each  article  or  illustration  is  duly  accredited  to  the 
American  Agriculturist.  ORANGE  JUDD,  Proprietor. 


American  Agriculturist  in  (German. 


The  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST  is  published  in 
both  the  English  and  German  Languages.  Both 
Editions  are  of  Uniform  size,  and  contain  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  same  Articles  and  Illustra¬ 
tions.  The  German  Edition  is  furnished  at  the 
same  rates  as  the  English. 


October. 


“  Distant  woods  and  hills 
Are  full  of  echoes,  and  each  sound  that  stiikes 
Upon  the  hollow  air,  lets  loose  their  tongues. 

The  ripples,  creeping  through  the  matted  grass, 

..  Drip  on  the  ear,  and  the  far  partridge  drum 
Rolls  like  low  thunder.  The  last  butterfly, 

Like  a  winged  violet  floating  in  the  meek 
Pink  colored  sunshine,  sinks  his  velvet  feet 
Within  the  pillar’d  mullein’s  delicate  down, 

And  shuts  and  opens  his  unruffled  fans. 

Lazily  wings  the  crow  with  solemn  croak 
From  tree-top  on  to  tree-top.  Feebly  chirps 
The  grasshopper,  and  the  spider’s  tiny  clock 
Ticks  from  his  crevice.”— Street. 

It  has  been  well  said  that  “  Nature  loves  to  die 
in  bright  colors.”  The  frost  has  hastened  the 
maturing  of  the  leaf  harvest,  and  the  foliage, 
that  began  to  look  “  sere  and  yellow  ”  in  the  last 
month,  is  now  all  aflame  with  the  brilliant  hectic 
flush  that  heralds  the  closing  scene.  Look  out 
upon  these  October  woods,  so  sadly  beautiful, 
and  yet  never  more  full  of  promise  and  life,  than 
when  life  seems  to  be  departing.  Here  stands  a 
grand  o!<!  maple,  every  green  leaf  faded,  as  we 
say,  but  really  brightened  with  all  the  cheerful 
hues  in  the  whole  circle  of  colors — flaming  scar¬ 
let,  crimson,  pink,  violet,  and  yellow.  It  seems 
to  have  caught  all  the  graces  of  the  sunset  hour, 
and  like  the  god  of  day  to  make  the  last  scene 
the  most  glorious  of  all.  The  pepperidge  is  not 
less  brilliant,  though  less  varied  in  its  coloring. 
The  deep  scarlet  prevails  over  all,  and  the  Virginia 
creeper  that  clings  to  its  mossy  trunk  and  limbs, 
rivals  the  gaudy  coloring  of  the  tree  it  has  over¬ 
grown.  Wherever  we  see  this  trailing  plant  now, 
clinging  to  trees,  climbing  up  the  face  of  perpen¬ 
dicular  rocks,  or  winding  through  deep  fissures  in 
the  ledges,  it  wears  t he  same  rich,  attractive 
dress.  Though  a  common  wild  plant,  and  widely 
distributed,  it  is  too  generally  overlooked  in  our 
ornamental  grounds.  Nothing  can  form  a  more 
beautiful  contrast,  at  this  season,  than  this  plant 
trailing  over  walls,  along  with  the  European  ivy. 
Here  is  a  hickory  grove,  rejoicing  in  the  so¬ 


berer  tints  of  brown  and  yellow,  and  making  all 
our  young  friends  rejoice  in  its  harvest  of  nuts. 
What  boy’s  heart  does  not  leap  up  at  the  goodly 
sight  of  the  shellbarks,  dispensing  their  treasures 
by  the  bushel.  Here  they  come,  a  whole  troop 
of  boys  and  girls,  with  bags  and  baskets,  to  se¬ 
cure  the  nut3,  which  the  last  storm  has  dislodged 
from  the  loaded  boughs.  There  the  nuts  lie  in 
bright  contrast  to  the  brown  shucks  that  enclosed 
them.  One  of  them  has  a  ladder  and  a  pole.  He 
will  climb  into  the  tree-top,  and  save  the  next 
storm  the  trouble  of  beating  off  the  nuts  for  his 
brothers  and  sisters.  Possibly,  too,  he  has  heard 
of  the  oid  proverb  “  A  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth 
two  in  the  bush,”  and  thinks  that  these  nuts  will 
be  a  great  deal  safer,  in  these  days,  in  his  bag 
than  in  the  tree  top. 

The  butternuts  are  close  by  on  the  hillside, 
stretching  out  their  broad  limbs  nearer  the 
ground,  and  are  easily  shaken  and  gathered. 
These  nuts  are  much  larger  than  the  hickory, 
and,  though  less  known  in  the  market,  are  by 
many  preferred  to  the  sliellbark.  Both  are  im¬ 
proved  by  cultivation,  and  we  are  glad  to  see 
that  our  gardeners  are  turning  their  attention  to 
them.  New  seedlings  have  been  procured,  im¬ 
proved  in  size  and  quality.  It  is  not  improbable 
that  this  field  of  improvement,  when  properly 
cultivated,  will  give  us  as  brilliant  results,  as 
have  been  attained  in  the  orchard  and  vineyard. 
It  is  hardly  twenty  years  since  the  improvement 
of  our  native  grapes  has  been  generally  attempt¬ 
ed,  and  already  we  have  numerous  seedlings, 
promising  candidates  for  public  favor.  These 
nuts,  to  our  taste,  are  quite  equal  to  any  thing  im¬ 
ported,  and  are  worthy  of  the  best  efforts  of  our 
amateurs  for  their  improvement. 

The  chestnut  is  a  more  magnificent  tree  than 
either  of  the  former  In  the  forest  it  attains  a 
great  hight,  and  is  particularly  valuable  for  its 
timber.  In  the  open  pasture,  where  it  has  ample 
room  and  good  soil,  it  forms  a  broad  expansive 
head,  making  a  striking  object  in  Ihe  landscape. 
The  ground  is  now  covered  with  its  burrs,  and 
the  brown  nuts  that  have  rattled  out  of  them, 
one,  two,  and  three,  from  each  prickly  encase¬ 
ment. 

In  the  southern  part  of  our  country  the  chinca- 
pin,  or  dwarf  chestnut,  is  now  shedding  its  nuts. 
The  tree  is  not  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
high,  and  the  nut  is  smaller  than  the  chestnut, 
but  has  the  same  delicious  flavor.  Here  also  the 
stately  pecan,  Carya  oliveeformis,  is  scattering  its 
treasures.  This  tree  belongs  to  the  hickory  fam¬ 
ily,  and  occupies  the  same  position  in  the  bottom 
lands  and  valleys  of  the  rivers  emptying  into  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  that  the  shellbarks  do  at  the 
North.  It  has  the  same  general  appearance,  but 
grows  to  a  larger  size,  and  makes  a  broader  head. 
The  nuts  are  oblong,  very  smooth,  an  inch,  or  an 
inch  and  a  half  long,  with  thin  shells.  They  are 
by  most  persons  regarded  as  superior  to  the  best 
shellbarks.  They  form  an  increasing  article  of 


trade  in  Texas  and  Louisiana.  Amateurs  in 
the  lower  Mississippi  valley  are  beginning  to  raise 
seedlings,  and  to  improve  them  by  cultivation. 

Now  also  the  hazels  along  the  walls  and  fences 
are  dropping  their  nuts  into  the  thick  bed  of 
leaves,  and  the  squirrels  are  rivaling  the  hoys  in 
gathering  them  up  for  Winter  stores.  The  fil¬ 
berts  of  commerce,  twice  or  three  times  the  size 
of  the  wild  nut,  are  simply  cultivated  hazel  nuts. 
They  are  a  good  example  of  the  results  of  art  be¬ 
stowed  upon  these  wild  nut-bearing  trees  and 
shrubs.  There  is  hardly  a  more  promising  field 
open  to  the  horticulturist,  than  the  improvement 
of  these  farinaceous  nuts,  with  which  our  country 
abounds.  By  selecting  seeds  of  the  best  varieties, 
planting  them  in  a  good,  rich  soil,  and  giving 
them  generous  cultivation,  the  most  gratifying 
results  may  be  anticipated,  none  the  les3  valu¬ 
able,  because  we  shall  have  to  wait  some  years 
for  the  harvest.  The  choicest  products  of  na¬ 
ture  are  slow  in  maturing. 

In  all  the  harvests  gathered  at  this  season,  we 
see  the  wisdom  and  benevolence  of  the  Creator, 
providing  for  man  and  beast.  “  These  wait  all 
upon  Thee,  that  Thou  mayest  give  them  their  meat 
in  due  season.”  In  the  fruits  and  grains  gather¬ 
ed  in  Summer,  we  have  juice  and  starch  prepon¬ 
derating  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  animal  nature, 
amid  heat  and  drought.  In  the  nuts  and  corn  we 
find  oil  largely  concentrated,  preserving  them 
from  decay,  and  furnishing  the  most  desirable 
food  for  the  cold  and  dreary  Winter.  Instinct 
teaches  the  squirrel,  and  many  other  tribes  of 
animals,  to  lay  up  these  oily  stores,  either  in 
holes  in  the  earth,  or  in  the  hollows  of  decaying 
trees,  and  rocks.  They  have  a  full  supply  of  the 
richest  food  all  through  the  Autumn  months,  and 
their  bodies  ar^  lined  with  a  thick  coat  of  fat,  to 
protect  them  against  the  cold.  Thus  they  go  into 
Winter  quarters,  fully  provided  for  all  emer¬ 
gencies. 

The  same  provisions  meet  the  higher  wants  of 
the  human  family.  Reason  takes  the  [dace  of  in¬ 
stinct,  builds  granaries  and  storehouses,  secure 
from  frost  and  rain,  wherein  we  hoard  our  Win¬ 
ter  stores.  Many  of  the  vegetable  oils  pass 
through  a  refining  process,  and  become  animal 
products,  before  they  are  deemed  fit  for  use. 
Thus,  butter  is  a  concentrated  oil  derived  from 
many  grasses  and  herbs  ;  and  mutton,  beef,  and 
pork  are  only  different  forms  of  supplying  the 
same  aliment  for  Winter  use.  In  the  great  grain 
of  our  country,  Indian  corn,  it  is  a  noteworthy 
fact,  that  the  proportion  of  its  oil  is  measured  by 
the  latitude  in  which  it  grows,  showing,  by  anal¬ 
ysis.  the  most  oil  in  Canada,  where  the  cold  is 
most  intense,  and  the  least  in  Florida,  where  the 
reign  of  Summer  is  hardly  broken.  The  wants  ot 
our  physical  natures  demand  a  larger  supply  of 
oleaginous  food  in  cold  climates,  and  the  neces¬ 
sity  is  met.  Thus  there  is  in  Nature  a  fulfill¬ 
ment  of  the  promise  of  “  strength  according  to 
our  day.” 


290 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  October,  1859 

Explanations.— /  indicates  th e  first ;  m  the  middle  ; 
and  l  the  last  of  the  month—  Doubling  ihe  letters  thusijf, 
or  mm,  or  It,  gives  particular  emphasis  lo  the  period  indi¬ 
cated. — Two  letters  placed  together,  as  fm  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  in  either  or  in  both  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked. fm.  indicates  that  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  the  Jirst  lo  the  middle  of  the  month.] 

Farm. 

October  brings  with  it  labor  enough  to  keep  the  farmer 
steadily  employed.  Before  the  end  of  this  month  most 
crops  will  need  to  be  harvested.  The  turnips  are  still 
growing,  and,  except  at  the  far  north,  may  be  left  in  the 
ground  until  next  month.  Some  of  the  corn  will  probably 
remain  unhusked  at  the  close  of  the  month,  but  it  is  al¬ 
ways  best  to  secure  ail  that  is  possible  before  cold  weath¬ 
er  and  late  Autumn  rains  set  in. 

We  are  not  quite  of  ihe  opinion  of  the  farmer’s  widow, 
who  wished  it  “  would  always  rain  on  nights  and  Sun¬ 
days,  so  that  hired  men  might  rest,”  but  we  think  the  oc¬ 
casional  rest  furnished  by  a  rainy  day  to  all  workers  on 
the  farm— proprietor  and  boys  as  w  ell  as  hired  men— is  a 
valuable  recuperative  of  strength  and  vigor.  Rainy  days 
should,  in  part  be  devoted  to  reading  and  thought ;  still, 
as  many  persons  w  ill  not  improve  the  time  thus,  and  as 
work  is  often  pressing,  it  is  well  to  provide  employment 
for  dull  weather,  by  having  under  cover  fence-posts  and 
rails  to  be  fitted,  gates,  or  portable  fence  to  make,  muck 
to  be  manipulated  with  manure,  grain  to  thresh  or  clean, 
apples  to  be  ground  into  cider  or  prepared  for  drying,  and, 
other  jobs  that  can  be  attended  to  when  field  work  is 
impracticable. 

Buildings— Wait  not  for  cold  storms  of  Winter  to  com¬ 
pel  outside  repairs.  The  windows  and  shutters  of  the 
house  need  examining,  the  roof  may  want  a  few  shingles, 
a  crevice  lets  in  the  storm  behind  the  cattle  stalls  of  the 
barn,  and  a  batten  is  off  nerr  the  horses.  Repair  them 
early,  and  make  provisions  for  sufficient  shelter  for  all 
the  live  stock  during  Winter. 

Beeves— Complete  fattening  and  kill  before  very  cold 
weather.  It  will  cost  less  in  warm  w  eather. 

Cattle— As  the  Fall  pastures  are  getting  short,  some 
feeding  will  be  needed.  There  is  much  refuse  about  the 
gardens,  such  as  half  grown  turnips,  and  their  tops,  cab¬ 
bage  trimmings,  small  beets  and  carrots,  unripe  tomatoes, 
cucumbers,  and  squashes,  the  remnant  of  the  corn  patch, 
etc.,  which  may  well  be  fed  out  now,  in  connection  with 
the  field  pumpkins. 

Cellars— See  that  the  directions  of  last  month  are  at¬ 
tended  to.  Look  to  the  drain,  that  no  water  be  allowed 
to  stand  in  the  cellar. 

Cisterns  should  be  provided  for  the  barn  if  no  well  or 
Spring  water  is  convenient.  Construct  them  before 
Winter  sets  in. 

Corn— Select  seed,  f,  if  not  already  done,  and  trace  it 
up  as  directed  on  page  251)  last  month.  Cut  and  shock 
any  fields  still  standing.  Husk  early  and  save  the  fodder 
in  good  condition  for  feeding.  Avoid  putting  the  corn 
in  a  green  or  wet  condition  into  large  bins  or  cribs,  with 
poor  ventilation.  Save  all  the  stalks  and  husks  for  Win¬ 
ter  feeding  of  cattle.  Hay  will  be  scarce  this  year. 

Draining— October  is  a  good  month  for  this  operation, 
and  the  sooner  it  is  now  done  the  better,  before  Fall  rains 
set  in.  See  that  open  ditches  on  wheat  and  rye  fields 
and  elsewhere,  are  clean  to  carry  off  the  surface  water 
during  Winter. 

Farmers’  Clubs— Now  Is  a  good  time  to  form  them,  as 
the  evenings  will  afford  a  good  opportunity  for  weekly 
meetings  to  discuss  important  agricultural  topics. 

Forest  leaves  make  a  good  manure,  and  also  a  fine  bed¬ 
ding  for  all  kinds  of  stock.  Collect  a  large  supply. 

Grain— Thresh  out  as  fast  as  practicable.  It  can  be 
kept  wiih  less  waste  after  it  is  threshed.  In  winnowing, 
take  especial  care  to  screen  out  cockle  and  other  foul 
seeds.  Save  the  straw  for  bedding  or  to  cut  and  mix  with 
ground  feed  for  cattle  and  horses  next  Winter.  It  is  too 
valuable  to  be  wasted. 

Hemp— Harvest,  ff.  in. 

U025_FHtten  early,  as  it  takes  less  food  to  do  it  in  mild 
weather  Grind  the  corn  and  cook  both  meal  and  veg¬ 
etables  before  feeding.  If  the  corn  can  not  be  ground, 
boil  it  until  soft.  Do  not  neglect  their  manure  apart¬ 
ments.  Make  the  hogs  pay  their  wav,  in  part. 

Ice  Houses— Construct  now  rather  than  leave  until 
near  the  time  for  filling.  They  need  cost  but  few'  dollars. 

Indoor  Work— While  butter  making  is  going  on  by  day, 
the  lengihened  evenings  allow  of  a  systematic  course  of 
reading,  or  the  younger  members  of  the  family  may  take 
up  a  series  of  studies,  to  very  good  advantage.  Give 
your  wife  a  sewing  machine,  now  that  the  Winter  cloth¬ 
ing  is  to  be  made  up,  and  dispense  with  the  annual  ser¬ 
vices  ot  the  seamstress,  who  has  usually  been  employed 
for  weeks  at  least,  at  this  season.  Paring  apples  is  an 
evening  operation  in  many  places.  With  a  good  machine 
the  work  may  be  much  facilitated.  The  implement  de 


scribed  last  month,  p.  277,  improves  on  acquaintance  and 
is  the  best  we  have  seen.  * 

Manures— Manufacture  all  that  is  possible,  drawing 
upon  the  muck  deposit,  pond  or  canal  sediment,  collect¬ 
ing  saw  dust,  spent  tan,  and  forest  leaves  as  absorbents. 
Turf  from  the  road  sides  or  headlands  may  also  be  ad¬ 
ded,  especially  to  the  compound  in  the  hog  yards, 
throwing  in  a  little  shelled  corn  to  induce  rooting  or 
turning  over  of  the  mass.  Continue  to  work  the  muck 
swamps  until  excessive  wet  drives  you  from  the  claim. 
We  have  even  seen  a  pump  rigged  in  a  pit  which  one 
worked  while  the  others  shoveled  out  muek.  Draw  a 
large  quantity  to  the  buildings  for  bedding  and  an  absorb¬ 
ent  of  liquids,  it  pays. 

Paint  Buildings  and  Fences  now,  rather  than  leave 
them  until  Spring.  There  is  less  danger  of  flies  and  dust 
now  and  the  paint  hardens  better  than  in  warm  weather 
Plow  stiff  or  clayey  soils,  m,  11,  turning  them  up  to  the 
action  of  air  and  Winter  frosts. 

Potatoes — Complete  digging,  f,  m,  before  frost  has  in¬ 
jured  them,  and  store  for  Winter  with  as  little  exposure 
to  sun  as  possible. 

Poultry  require  a  greater  supply  of  meat  or  fish  as  their 
insect  food  diminishes.  Cleanse  their  roosts  often,  and 
barrel  the  contents  fur  home  guano.  Pack  away  a  quan¬ 
tity  of  eggs  in  salt,  or  pickle  in  lime  w  ater  for  Winter  use 
and  market. 

Pumpkins  will  need  housing,  f,  in,  or  before  hard  frosts. 
By  keeping  them  in  a  cool,  dry  place,  under  cover,  until 
freezing  weather  sets  in,  and  then  in  a  dry  cellar  or  other 
place,  out  of  the  reach  of  frost,  pumpkins  may  be  kept  for 
table  use  until  inid-winter,  sometimes  longer.  Of  course 
they  should  be  handled  with  much  care.  Feed  plentiful¬ 
ly  to  milch  cows  and  other  stock,  if  the  crop  is  large. 

Roads  and  Lanes— Put  them  In  good  working  order  as 
recommended  on  another  page. 

Root  Cellars— If  there  is  not  room  to  store  turnips,  etc., 
in  the  house  or  barn  cellar,  a  good  place  can  easily  be 
made  by  digging  into  a  side  hill.  Fill  with  roots  and 
make  a  roof  over,  covering  with  several  feet  of  earth. 
Good  drainage  is  essential. 

Sheep — Supply  with  salt,  and  see  that  their  feed  is  suf¬ 
ficient.  Keep  the  buck  from  them  at  present,  except  at 
the  south.  Lambs  should  not  come  in  until  warm  settled 
weather  in  Spring. 

Sugar  Cane— Cut  and  manufacture  the  remaining  crop 
as  fast  as  may  be.  Let  the  boiling  be  done  in  the  open 
air,  or  at  least  with  a  good  draft  circulating  over  the  pans. 
Save  the  skimmings  for  vinegar. 

Tools— Put  away  in  a  dry  place  under  cover  any  which 
are  no  longer  w  anted,  first  cleaning  and  oiling,  or  coating 
steel  arid  iron  surfaces  with  lard  and  resin. 

Trees — Plant  for  ornament  and  shade  about  the  dwell¬ 
ings,  along  the  avenues,  and  in  the  pastures,  as  directed 
elsewhere. 

Winter  Grain  should  be  up  and  growing  finely  now.  It 
may  sometimes  be  sown  the  first  of  October  and  produce 
a  fair  yield.  From  the  10th  to  the  20ih  of  September  is 
the  best  time. 

©rc8iai*d  staid.  Nursery. 

October  is  the  Autumn  planting  month,  and  botli  tree 
planters  and  tree  growers  will  be  very  busy— the  former 
in  setting  out  trees,  and  the  latter  in  taking  up  and  send¬ 
ing  them  away  from  his  nursery,  it  is  usual  to  wait  for 
the  frost  to  strip  the  trees  of  their  foliage,  but  if  tiiat  op¬ 
eration  is  delayed  too  long,  the  leaves  rnay  be  pulled  off 
by  hand  and  the  trees  taken  up.  We  advise  planting 
early  in  Fall,  that  the  ground  may  become  settled  and  the 
tree  established  before  Winter  sets  in.  See  page  304. 

The  farmer  or  fruit  grower  is  also  now  busy  in  securing 
the  late  apples,  pears  and  quinces,  making  cider,  etc. 

Apples— Gather  Winter  keeping  sorts,  and  those  for 
marketing  with  care,  picking  by  hand,  and  laying  softly 
in  the  barrels.  Read  under  ‘‘Apple  Gathering,”  page 
304.  Pare  and  dry  a  good  supply  for  Winter  and  Spring, 
as  already  alluded  to  in  indoor  work  of  the  “Farm.” 
Save  seeds  for  planting,  and  put  in  boxes  of  earth  befoie 
they  dry  up.  Set  trees  in  thn  orchard,  along  the  lanes 
and  roads,  and  about  the  buildings.  A  few  apple  trees 
may  grow  about  the  yards  w  illiout  injury,  arid  be  orna¬ 
mental  and  profitable,  besides  making  a  fine  shade  in 
Summer. 

Cider — With  the  hand  or  power  mill  grind  and  press 
those  apples  which  keep  poorly  and  which  do  not  sell 
well.  Let  them  be  clean  and  sound.  Put  the  strained 
juice  in  clean  barrels  and  leave  the  bung  out  until  work¬ 
ed,  then  close  tightly. 

Evergreens  may  well  be  left  standing  until  Spring,  ex 
cept  in  special  cases,  where  they  may  be  moved  with  the 
roots  and  soil  around  them  little  disturbed. 

Insects — If  the  young  orchard  of  apple  or  peach  trees 
was  not  examined  for  borers  last  month,  attend  to  them, 
ff,  before  they  get  finally  arranged  in  their  Winter  quar¬ 
ters,  from  which  it  is  difficult  to  expel  them.  Destroy 
any  luose  cocoons  found  hanging  to  the  branches  or  par- 
'  tially  secreted  under  the  rough  bark. 


Labels — Allow  no  young  tree  to  be  set  aut  or  go  from 
the  nursery  without  being  marked.  See  that  labels  on 
standards  are  well  secured. 

Lands  for  Orchard  or  Nursery  planting— Manure  thor¬ 
oughly,  plow  and  subsoil  or  trench  well  drained  land  and 
prepare  it  for  early  Fall  or  Spring  planting. 

Manure  orchard  trees  by  spreading  about  them  a  com¬ 
post  of  yard  manure,  muck  and  lime,  or  ashes.  The 
Winter  rains  will  carry  it  to  Ihe  roots. 

Mice  are  sometimes  troublesome  both  in  the  nursery 
and  orchard.  Clean  tillage,  so  that  no  harbors  are  at 
hand  to  afford  them  protection,  is  the  best  preventive. 

Pears— Gather  late  ones  carefully  and  lay  them  away 
upon  shelves  to  ripen.  Where  only  a  few  of  a  choice 
variety  are  to  be  kept,  pack  them  in  cotton  batting,  or 
between  folds  of  w'oolen  or  flannel  cloth.  Put  up  in  bot¬ 
tles  or  cans  for  Winter  use.  We  value  them  highly  for 
putting  up. 

Pruning  may  still  be  done,  though,  as  formerly  stated, 
we  prefer  July  and  August. 

Quinces  will  need  gathering  and  using,  or  marketing, 
m.  They  make  a  fine  jelly,  preserve,  or  marmalade,  and 
a  little  added  to  stewed  apples  or  pears  gives  an  agree¬ 
able  flavor.  They  are  also  \  ery  nice  when  stewed  and 
put.  in  glass  bottles. 

Seeds  and  Stones  of  Fruit — Sow  early  or  put  in  boxes 
of  earth,  the  seeds  of  apples,  pears,  plums,  cherries, 
peaches,  walnuts,  chestnuts,  butternuts  filberts,  thorns, 
acorns,  holly,  beech,  ash,  maple,  etc.  Allow  none  of 
them  to  become  thoroughly  dry  before  planting. 

Mitclien  aud  Fruit  harden. 

The  professional  or  market  gardener  has  enough  to  do 
now.  With  a  few  exceptions  the  remainder  of  his  crops 
need  harvesting  and  marketing  or  they  must  be  put  into 
Winter  quarters,  besides,  much  of  His  land  intended  for 
early  planting  needs  digging  or  plowing  now,  especially 
if  inclined  to  clay,  so  as  to  expose  the  subsoil  to  Ihe  ac¬ 
tion  of  the  elements  during  Winter.  A  large  stock  of  ma 
nure  will  also  be  wanted  iirearly  Spring,  and  it  is  better 
lo  get  it  together  or  provide  composting  materials  now. 
The  work  in  the  farm  garden  is  of  a  similar  character. 
Asparagus— Make  and  plant  beds  as  directed  on  p.  307. 
Bean  Poles,  Raspberry  and  Blackberry  Stakes— Col¬ 
lect,  11,  and  put  away  in  Winter  quarters ’under  cover. 

Beets— Harvest,  m,  or  before  hard  freezing.  In  remov¬ 
ing  the  tops  do  not  wound  the  crown  to  cause  bleeding, 
and  consequent  decay. 

Blackberries— Plant,  in,  1.  See  page  307. 

Cabbages  and  Cauliflowers— Excepting  the  late  planted 
ones  which  are  still  growing,  the  crop  will  need  harvest 
ing,  11  Sel  young  plants  in  cold  frames,  in,  1.  * 

Carrots  are  done  growing  and  may  be  dug  and  stored, 
m,  I. 

Celery — Give  its  final  earthing,  ff,  so  as  to  finish  blanch¬ 
ing.  Tie  w  ith  soft  strings,  and  do  not  bruise  the  stalks. 
It  will  need  harvesting.  II,  in  most  looahues. 

Cold  Frames — If  noi.  in  readiness,  prepare  them,  m,  11, 
to  receive  lettuce,  cabbage,  cauliflower,  etc.,  for  protec¬ 
tion  during  ihe  Winter. 

Currants  and  Gooseberries  may  be  set  out,  rn,  1. 

Fruit  Trees— Plant  hardy  sorts  m,  I,  as’  directed  above. 
Grapes — Those  for  Winter  keep.ng  should  remain 
upon  the  vines  until  hard  frosts  are  expected.  Gather 
carefully  :  cut  out  defective  berries  and  pack  in  cotton 
batting  or  between  new spapers  even,  in  shallow,  close 
boxes.  Put  in  a  dry  place  away  from  frost,  and  ihey  will 
keep  until  January.’  Grape  roots  may  be  set  out,  m,  1. 

Mushrooms— Beds  may  be  made  any  time  during  this 
month.  Proiect  with  a  covering  of  straw  any  exposed 
beds,  upon  the  appioach  of  heavy  frosts.  New  beds  are 
better  made  undercover  at  tli  s  season.  For  full  direolions 
to  make  beds,  see  Volume  XVI,  page  262. 

Onions— In  colder  legions  cover  those  sown  last  month 
with  litter,  straw  or  brush,  11. 

Parsneps  keep  in  the  ground  over  Winter,  and  are  rath¬ 
er  improved  by  freezing.  Dig,  II,  and  burv  m  sand  in  the 
cellar,  such  as  will  ne  wanted  w  Hi ie  tile  ground  is  frozen. 

Raspberries — Hardy  varieties  may  be  planted,  in,  1,  and 
even  lender  sorts,  by  burying  them  atones.  We  prefer 
Spring  planting  for  iho’se  which  require  protection. 
Cover  with  earth,  II.  those  already  planted. 

Rhubarb —Plant  roots  or  crowns  of  the  Linnasus,  nnn, 
1.  A  few  may  be  set  in  the  cellar,  II.  or  next  month,  for 
early  forcing  in  the  Spring.  See  page  307. 

Salsafy — Treat  as  parsneps. 

Seeds — Continue  to  col lect  and  put  up  any  late  seeds 
now  ripening.  See  page  3»9. 

Spinach — Cover,  ll,  those  sown  last  month,  and  so 
seed,  f,  m,  hi  cold  frames.  Weed  and  linn  former  sow¬ 
ings,  cooking  file  surplus  plants. 

Squashes — Take  in  before  they  freeze,  and  keep  in  a 
cool  dry  place  as  long  as  may  be,  previous  to  putting  in 
the  celiar,  or  other  Winter  quaiters.  Handle  carefully 
and  they  will  keep  until  Spring. 

Strawberry  beds  may  still  be  set  out.  ff.  Cover  beds, 
li,  with  tree  leaves,  or  fine  manure,  to  afford  a  partial  pro¬ 
tection. 

Tomatoes— Continue  to  put  away  in  cans  or  bottles  for 
Winter  use  ;  they  will  be  very  acceptable  next  Winter. 
The  vines  or  brandies  are  often  killed  by  Irost.  leaving 
in  iny  sound,  green  tomatoes.  They  may  be  pickled,  or 
laid  away  on  shelves  in  a  warm  loom  where  they  will 
gradually  ripen. 

Turnips— Late  growing  sorts  u  ill  bear  much  frost  and 
may  lie  left  until  November.  Gather  early  varieties,  m,  11. 

Vegetables  lor  Seed— Rods  are  sometimes  scarce 
when  wanted  to  set  out  in  Spring.  Have  a  few  barrels 
of  i Hein,  in  the  cel  ar,  and  put  ill  a  good  supply  of  the 
finest  well  matured  vegetables  which  are  to  remain  un¬ 
molested  until  planting  time 


AMERICAN  AGE  ICULTURIST, 


391 


Winter  Cherries— Continue  to  collect  and  use  as  di¬ 
rected  last  month. 

Flower  Garden  ami  ILawsu. 

These  grounds  should  not  be  given  up  to  neglect,  as  is 
too  frequently  the  case  at  this  season.  If  properly  cared 
for,  there  is  stilt  a  richness  in  the  late  blooms  quite  attrac¬ 
tive. 

Bedded  Plants— Lift  before  heavy  frosts,  and  pot  for 
Winter  or  early  Spring  bloom.  Geraniums,  Verbenas, 
Fuchsias,  Petunias,  etc.  Cuttings  may  now  be  taken  to 
form  new  plants  of  each  of  the  above.  Place  them  in  pots 
at  once. 

Bulbs — Plant  crown  imperial,  hyacinth,  tulip,  crocus, 
lillies,  polyanthus,  ranunculus,  anemone,  oxalis,  tuberose, 
snow  drop,  etc.,  f,  in,  in  preference  lo  leaving  them  until 
November.  No  flower  garden  is  complete  without  a  good 
collection  of  bulbs.  See  page  308. 

Carnations,  Pinks,  Picotees,  and  Pansies — Pot  the 
rooted  layers,  and  remove  all  to  the  houses,  frames,  or 

^Chrysanthemums  now  make  a  fine  show  of  bloom,  and 
are  the  more  prized  as  annuals  and  other  plants  are  most¬ 
ly  out  of  flower.  Keep  neatly  lied  up,  and  only  cut  away 
when  actually  killed  by  frost. 

Lamias  and  Gladioli— Mark  as  directed  last  month,  and 
take  up  Oil  the  approach  of  freezing  weather. 

Licentras  0‘dielytras”),  pteomes,  lillies,  hollyhocks,  and 
other  perennial  flowers  do  belter  when  divided  and  reset 
in  the  Fall  as  soon  as  their  foliage  has  been  killed  by 
frost.  Especially  is  this  desirable  with  early  blooming 
plants. 

Frames  and  Pits— Prepare,  ff,  for  tender  plants  requir¬ 
ing  a  protection. 

Hedges— Plant  deciduous  trees  or  shrubs,  11. 

Seeds— Save  those  ripening  now,  and  label  them  for 
Spring  planting.  See  directions  with  illustrated  papers 
and  mixes  on  page  309.  ,  „  , 

Shrubs  -  Plant  Pyrus  Japonica,  Dwarf  Almond,  Hardy 
Azalias.  Sweet  Seemed  Shrubs,  Scotch  Broom,  Mezereon, 
Deutzias,  Honeysuckles,  Euonyinus,  Altneas,  Hydran¬ 
geas,  Gl>  cine,  Jasmine,  Privet,  Mahonias,  Synngos,  Flow¬ 
ering  Currants,  Purple  fringe,  Spirajas,  Snow nerry.  Li¬ 
lacs,  Viburnums,  Roses  and  Chinese  Wetgelia.  1  liese 
are  desirable  hardy  shrubs,  many  of  them  blooming  quile 
early  m  the  season,  and  on  this  account  do  test  with  Fall 
plaining.  „  ,  ,  ,, 

Stocks  and  Wall  Flovvers-Take  up  and  pot,  11,  remov¬ 
ing  to  the  greenhouse,  or  place  in  Irames  or  pits. 

Tender  Plants  either  in  borders  or  set  out  m  pots,  will 
all  need  removing  to  the  houses,  m,  II. 

Trees— Plant  in  the  lawn,  along  the  avenues,  walks, 
and  about  me  yards,  in,  L.  Combine  utility  with  beauty, 
by  using  a  few  cherry  or  pear  trees. 

Greesa  aantl  Mot  Mouses. 

Having  fully  attended  to  all  the  directions  of  last  month, 
the  principal  business  will  be  fitting  up  the  houses  and 
bringing  in  and  arranging  the  plants,  cleansing  the  pots 
and  adding  a  top  dressing  of  fresh  potting  soil. 

The  different  plants  should  be  grouped  with  reference, 
to  their  habits  by  placing  those  requiring  little  water  here, 
and  plants  from  the  torrid  zone,  which  need  a  high  de¬ 
gree  of  heat  in  another  room.  So  also  some  are  to  be 
rapidly  forced,  while  others  only  require  to  be  kept  from 
freezing.  With  several  houses,  or  divisions  of  one  house, 
all  these  requirements  can  be  attended  lo. 

The  houses  will  need  to  be  kept  open  much  of  the  time, 
especially  until  the  plants  get  acclimated  to  in-door  quar¬ 
ters  again. 

Moderate  fires  will  be  necessary  in  the  forcing  rooms, 
regulated  by  thermometers  in  each  department. 

Insects  should  not  be  allowed  to  establish  themselves. 
They  are  more  easily  kept  out,  than  expelled  alter  get¬ 
ting  a  foothold.  ,  ,  . 

It  is  well  to  syringe  the  walls  thoroughly  before  bring¬ 
ing  in  the  plants,  and  occasionally  afterwards,  to  keep  in¬ 
sects  from  harboring  in  the  crevices,  and  to  promole  a 
humid  atmosphere.  Newly  potted  plants  will  need  wa¬ 
tering  freely. 

Apiavy  In  Oct. 

BY  M.  QUINBY. 

To  avoid  “baf’  luck”  in  winteringbe.es,  it  is  important 
to  have  all  stocks  in  suitable  condition  to  begin  with. 
First.  See  that  all  the  colonies  are  strong— they  might 
be  strong  enough  to  repel  an  attack  of  robbers,  and  yet 
unsuitable  for  Winter-turn  back  the  hive  on  a  cool 
morning  to  get  a  look  between  the  combs  ;  the  bees  in  the 
best  ones  will  occupy  the  spaces  between  nearly  all  of 
them.  The  amount  of  honey  does  not  decide  this  point ; 
when  very  full,  the  bees  when  few,  will  be  near  Ihe  bot¬ 
tom  If  the  colony  is  deficient,  from  no  disease  or  other 
apparent  cause,  the  fault  is  probably  with  the  queen, 
which  should  be  removed,  and  another  one  substituted 

with  a  small  colony . When  doubtful  of  the  quantity 

of  honey,  it  can  be  determined  pretty  nearly  by  weighing 
the  hive  To  do  it  readily,  get  a  strong  cord  or  small 
rope  two  or  three  feet  long,  and  tie  the  two  ends  together 
forming  a  loop  long  enough  lo  go  across  the  top  of  the 
hive  diagonally  and  catch  under  the  two  corners— the  tops 
of  most  of  the  common  hives  project  enough  for  this  pur¬ 
pose.  The  hooks  of  steelyards  in  the  center  of  the  loop 
will  raise  the  hive,  and  give  the  weight.  A  little  smoke 
from  vi  burning  cotton  mg  will  keep  the  bees  peaceable 
during  the  operation,  if  done  quietly-  By  weighing  an 
empty  hive  of  similar  size,  the  contents  can  be  estimated, 
allowing  four  or  five  lbs.  for  bees,  combs,  etc.  Morethari 
this  should  be  allowed  for  the  extra  amount  of  bee-bread, 
when  the  bees  have  worked  without  a  queen.  A  colony 
of  Pees  have  been  wintered  on  fourteen  pounds  of  honey  ; 
but  this  amount  is  not  to  be  relied  upon.  Much  less  than 
twenty-five  pounds  is  not  safe  in  a  latitude  north  of  12° 

.  If  feeding  is  necessary  to  bring  the  Winter  stores  to 
the  required  amount,  honev  is  the  best  material.  That 
fiotn  the  West  Indies  will  do,  or  such  as  is  taken  from 
diseased  hives  ;  but  it  should  have  water  added,  to  pre¬ 


vent  burning,  and  then  scald  and  skim  it  thoroughly.  A 
handful  of  salt  in  about  len  pounds,  might  be  of  serv  ice. 
To  feed  only  such  as  need  it,  put  it  in  a  shallow  dish 
w ith  shavings  or  short  straw  to  prevent  ihe  bees  from 
drowning,  then  place  it  on  the  top  of  the  hive,  open  tile 
holes  and  cover  closely.  When  boxes  of  surplus,  part  full, 
are  on  hand,  and  this  is  preferred  lo  feed,  it  is  only  neces¬ 
sary  to  set  the  box  on  the  hive  ;  cells  that  are  sealed  should 
be  opened— after  the  honey  is  out  the  boxes  should  be  set 
away  wiili  the  combs  undisturbed  for  use  anolheryear. 
Any  combs  containing  honey  taken  from  a  hive  lluit  was 

too  light,  may  be  put  on  the  same  as  the  boxes _ The 

movable  combs  can  be  managed  with  much  less  trouble. 
It  is  quite  common  for  some  stocks  to  have  more  stores 
than  tire  really  needed,  when  an  exchange  of  a  frame  or 

two  with  a  light  one  will  benefit  both - All  healthy 

brood  is  generally  matured  by  this  time,  and  any  diseased 
that  escaped  notice  before,  may  be  readily  detected  now. 
The  empty  cells  left  by  this  maturing  brood,  make  the 
present  month  the  proper  time  for  feeding. 


Agricultural  Exhibitions  for  1859. 


[The  follow  ing  list  embraces  all  the  October  Exhibitions 
reported  to  the  office  of  the  American  Agriculturist .1 


STATE 

EXHIBITIONS. 

Place. 

Where  held . 

Date. 

Missouri  Central . 

.  Boonville . 

Oct. 

3—  8 

Michigan . 

•Detroit . 

4-  7 

New-York . 

.Albany . 

4—  7 

Nnw-Hampshire . 

5—  7 

Tennessee . 

.Nashville . 

5—  7 

South  East  Missouri.. 

.Cape  Girardeau 

6—  8 

Virginia  (Seabord) .  . . . 

.Norfolk . 

8—11 

Soulh  West  Missouri.. 

.  Springfield . 

11  —  14 

Connecticut . 

New- Ilaven.. . . 

11  —  14 

North  Carolina . 

.Raleigli . 

18-21 

Georgia  South  Central 

.  Atlanta . 

24— 2S 

Central  Virginia . 

Richmond . 

25—29 

Maryland . 

.Frederick  City.. 

25—28 

South  Carolina . 

Columbia . 

Nov. 

8-1 1 

Alabama..... . 

.Montgomery _ 

15-18 

COUNTY  EXHIBITIONS. 

ALABAMA. 


Tennessee  Valley. 

. .  .Tuscumbia . 

Oct. 

26—29 

CALIFORNIA. 

Alameda . 

...Oakland . 

4— 

Santa  Clara  . 

18— 

CONNECTICUT. 

Middlesex . 

Oct. 

5—  7 

ILLINOIS. 

Ogle . 

Oct. 

4-  6 

Bureau . 

4—  7 

Champaign . 

4—  7 

Lee  . . . 

4—  7 

Sangamon . 

4—  7 

Scot’  . 

5—  7 

Ra'.dolph . 

5—  7 

K  .nkakee . 

5—  7 

S.ielby . 

11  —  14 

Adams . 

12—14 

Brown . 

12-14 

INDIANA. 

Wells . 

Oct. 

4—  5 

Warwick . 

4-  8 

4-  9 

Miami . 

5—  7 

Wabash . 

. . .  Wabash . 

5—  7 

Morgan . 

5—  8 

.Marshall . 

12-14 

Boone . 

13-15 

Whitney . 

14-15 

Fulton . 

14—15 

De  Kalb . 

17—19 

Pulaski . 

...  Wmimac . 

25-26 

Posey . 

25—27 

MISSISSIPPI. 

Monroe . 

Oct. 

18-20 

Marshall . 

25—29 

KENTUCKY. 

Logan . 

Oct. 

11-14 

Springfield . 

11. .14 

Daviess . 

_ Owensboro . 

11—14 

Henderson,  Hopkins 

and  U  nion . 

18-21 

10  WA. 

Humboldt . 

.  .  Dakota  City . 

Oct. 

4—  5 

Delaware . 

....Delhi . 

4—  5 

Flovd . 

5—  6 

Appanoose . 

6—  7 

6—  7 

Cedar . 

_ M.  V.  Butler’s  . . . 

6-  7 

Iowa . 

6—  7 

6—  7 

Cerre  Gordo . 

10—11 

Lucas . 

_ Chariton . 

12—13 

Hamilton . 

19—20 

Shelby . 

27-28 

MAINE. 

Androscoggin.  . . 

_ Lewiston . 

Oct. 

4—  6 

North  Aroostook  . 

5—  6 

North  Penobscot. 

_ Lincoln . 

5—  6 

Franklin  . 

5—  7 

Kennebec . 

11—13 

Hancock . 

_ Ellsworth . 

11—13 

11-IS 

North  Somerset. . 

12-13 

Lincoln  . 

18—20 

Cumberland . 

19—21 

Hampden,  East. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

. Palmer . 

Oct. 

4—  5 

Plymouth . 

5—  6 

Barnstable . 

5-  6 

Berkshire . 

5—  7 

Martha's  Vineyard  ...West  Tisbury _ 

11—12 

Nantucket . 

12—13 

Hampshire . 

13-14 

Lenawee . 

MICHIGAN. 

Oct. 

5—  6 

Ingham . 

6-  T 

Macomb . 

. . .  Utica . 

10—12 

Washtenaw  .... 

H— 13 

Oakland . 

. Pontiac . 

— 13 

Hillsdale . 

12  -13 

Lapeer . 

18-20 

Wabashaw . 

MINNESOTA. 

Oct. 

13-14 

Polk . 

MISSOURI. 

Oct. 

4—  6 

Lawrence . 

4-  6 

Clay . 

4—  8 

Moniteau . 

10—13 

Chariton . 

11  —  14 

Green . 

11  —  14 

Lafayette . 

. Lexington .  . 

11-15 

Platle  . . . 

11-14 

Franklin . 

13—15 

Cedar . 

17-20 

Marion . 

20—24 

Bates..r . 

29-31 

Otoe . 

NEBRASKA. 

Oct 

5—  6 

York . 

NEW  BRUNSWICK. 

Oct. 

11—12 

Somerset . 

NEW  JERSEY. 

Oct. 

4-  7 

W  arren . 

11—14 

NEW-YORK. 

American  Institute. .  .New-York .  Sept.  21- 

-Oct.  28 

Seneca . 

Oct. 

12-14 

Yates . 

12—13 

TOWN  AND  DISTRICT  SOCIETIES. 

Dryden  (Tomp’s  Co.J.Drydcn . 

Oct. 

3—  5 

Camden  (Oneida  Co  )  Camden . 

6—  7 

Palmyra  (Wayne  Co). Palmyra . 

11  —  13 

Wilson  (Niagara  Co.)  Wilson . 

12— 

Hancock . 

OHIO 

Oct. 

3—  5 

Logitn . 

3—  6 

Mahoning . 

4-  5 

4—  6 

Cuyahoga . 

4—  6 

Clark . 

4-  6 

Ross . 

4—  6 

Butler . 

4—  ~ 

Licking  . 

5—  6 

Noble . 

. Sarahsville . 

5-  6 

Wo"d  . . . 

5-  6 

Muskingum  .. 

5—  7 

Lake . 

5—  7 

Sandusky  . 

5—  7 

Stark . 

5—  7 

Morrow . 

5—  7 

Harrison  . 

5-  7 

Wyandot . 

5—  7 

Wayne . 

5-  7 

Monroe . 

5-  7 

Montgomery  . . 

5—  8 

Delaware . 

11  —  13 

Coshocton . 

. Coshocton . 

12-14 

Ashland . 

12—14 

Trumbull . 

12-14 

Summit . 

12—14 

Morgan . 

12-14 

Craw  ford . 

.  Bueyrus  . 

12-14 

Hardin . 

12—14 

Fairfield . 

13-15 

Carroll . 

25—27 

Linn . 

OREGON. 

Oct. 

5—  6 

PENNSYLVANIA,. 
Conneaugh  Valley - Blairsville . 

Oct. 

4—  6 

Montgomery. . . 

. Lancaster . 

4—  7 

Lancaster - 

4—  8 

(  raw  ford . 

5-  7 

Clarion . 

5-  7 

Monongahela. . 

6-  7 

Unu: . 

6-  8 

Williamson ... 

TENNESSEE. 

Oct. 

4—  7 

Favelte _ 

4-  8 

5—  8 

Obion . 

11—14 

Henry . 

. Paris . 

12-14 

Western  Division - Jackson . 

18-22 

Warren . 

19-21 

Dver . 

20—29 

Carroll . 

27—29 

Weakly . 

27—29 

Campbell . 

VIRGINIA. 

Oct. 

18-22 

Manitowoc. . . . 

WISCONSIN. 

Oct. 

3—  4 

Washara . 

12—14 

Duplin . 

NORTH  CAROLINA. 

Dec. 

17—18 

Sampson . 

1—  3 

293 


AMERICAN  A<  tRICULT  URIST. 


October, 


Breeding  In-and-in. 


BY  C.  M.  CLAY . III. 

[The  following  article  was  designed  tor  the  September  Agri- 
eultu-ist,  bu'  through  some  delay  of  the  mail,  it  did  not  arrive 
until  just  as  we  were  going  to  press. — Ed  ] 

A  Cattle  Breeder's  3d  No.  (page  164.  June  No.)  is  before 
rae.  In  order  to  a  clear  understanding  of  the  controver¬ 
sy  I  must  restate  my  positions  upon  in-and-in  breeding, 
or  close  breeding  (Hie  latter  term  I  shall  hereafter  for 
brevity  use)  as  made  in  the  Ohio  Farmer  : 

“  Breeding  in-and-in,’’  that  is  to  say,  breeding  to  dam 
or  sire,  or  near  of  kin,  has  been  too  fully  discussed  by 
some  of  the  most  intelligent  men  in  this  country  and 
England,  for  furtherargument.  Its  advantages  are  :  1st. 
It  reduces  the  bone  and  gives  to  a  certain  extent,  more 
fineness  and  symmetry.  2nd.  It  produces  a  tendency  to 
early  maturity.  3J.  It  suits  an  indolent  breeder — he  gets 
at  home,  what  others  go  far  to  seek.  He  chooses  once 
for  all :  w  hile  others  make  a  yearly  choice  through  life. 
4lh.  It  is  urged  as  the  natural  order. 

Its  disadvantages  are  :  1st.  It  produces  idiocy,  blind¬ 
ness,  want  of  constitution,  disease,  and  impotency.  2nd. 
It  takes  away  all  the  advantages  of  a  wide  and  wise  se¬ 
lection  of  superior  animals.  3d.  It  is  practiced  now,  and 
always  by  that  large  class  of  mankind  who  never  have, 
and  never  will,  produce  any  thing  memorable.  4th.  It 
falsely  bases  all  improvement  upon  feeding  and  shelter  : 
ignoring  selection  of  superior  points.  5th.  It  is  not  the 
natural  order  as  alleged.  In  a  state  of  nature,  the  feeble 
creatures  of  in-and-in  breeding  are  driven  off  and  killed 
by  the  superior  types  from  all  sources:  When  man  at¬ 
tempts  to  keep  up  in-and-in  breeding,  he  violates  this 
great  law  of  selection,  and  Nature  closes  this  false  prac¬ 
tice  by  impotency,  disease,  and  death.  From  all  which 
I  conclude  the  rule — “never  breed  in-and-in,  when,  you 
can  get  an  equal  animal  of  the  same  race,  breed,  or  fami¬ 
ly.”  These  are  the  positions  which  A  Cattle  Breeder 
volunteered  to  attack  and  overthrow  in  his  first  No.  in  the 
Agriculturist.  In  reply  I  laid  down  8  bases  for  my  theo¬ 
ry.  1.  Argument  from  analogy  in  the  Human  Race.  2. 
Experience.  3.  Special  Proof.  4.  False  Proof:  Race 
Horses.  5.  False  Proof:  Bakewell.  6.  Coleman  on 
.-he  Dishleys.  7.  R.  L.  Allen's  “Domestic  Animals,  N. 
V.,  1842.”  8.  Jonas  Webb,  Southdowns:  and  the  Col¬ 
ling  theory.  These  bases  were,  some  in  substantiation 
of  my  argument ;  and  some  in  overthrow  of  my  oppo¬ 
nent’s  argument. 

Now  when  it  is  remembered  that  I  am  attacked,  in  my 
theory  by  A  Cattle  Breeder,  it  will  not  do  for  him  to  say 
in  this  3d  No.  that  “  he  will  not  be  led  off  on  an  issue  he 
himself  (I)  have  made.”  For  that  issue  is  one  of  the 
oases  of  my  theory  ;  and  if  he  can  not  overthrow  it, 
which  he  virtually  admits,  he  yields  its  truth.  1.  Analo¬ 
gy.  In  my  2nd  No.  on  analogy,  I  think  I  have  proved  all 
the  evils  which  I  predicated  of  close  breeding  in  man, 
beyond  controversy.  If  “  man  outside  of  mental  and 
sentimental  phenomena,  is  governed  by  the  same  phys¬ 
ical  laws  as  other  animals,”  which  A  Cattle  Breeder  in 
his  No.  3  does  not  again  attempt  to  refute  :  then  are  all 
the  evils  of  close  breeding  in  cattle  proved,  Q.  E.  D. 
But  my  opponent  attempts  to  elude  my  conclusion  by 
affecting  that  only  mental  and  sentimental  results  have 
been  proved— whilst  the  physical  law  is  ignored  in  dis¬ 
regard  of  my  lists  of  "  defective  ”  physically  !  Now  the 
best  Logicians  admit  that  we  know  nothing  of  the  modus 
qperandi  of  cause  and  effect  :  the  w  hole  subject  of  caus¬ 
ation  is  therefore  expressed  thus.  “  A  follows  B  always, 
under  similar  circumstances.”  If  madness  and  idiocy 
follow  the  generation  of  near  of  kin,  then  here  are  re¬ 
sults  of  a  pracl  ice  which  overthrow  nature’s  great  law,  that 
intelligence  and  bodily  development  in  a  normal  manner 
should  go  together.  For  nature  is  always  consistent  with 
herself,  and  therefore  such  practice  of  close  breeding  is 
wrong  and  should  be  abandoned. 

But  my  opponent  very  wisely,  for  successful  extension 
of  this  dispute,  escapes  at  once  from  this  logical  crucible, 
and  ventilates  once  more  his  historical  reading.  What  if 
the  Romans  were  as  corrupt  as  represented,  which  I  do 
not  deny  !  What  if  their  houses  were  covered  with  ob¬ 
scene  pictures,  and  every  utensil  ornamented  with  what 
all  modern  delicacy  leads  us  to  conceal!  Does  that 
.throw  any  light  upon  this  dispute  1  I  think  it  all  proves, 
if  any  thing,  just  the  contrary  of  what  .it  is  contended.  I 
think  it  proves  that  mental  licentiousness  and  physical 
degeneracy  go  hand  in  hand,  that  body  and  soul  are  too 
intimately  connected  for  the  one  to  suffer,  whilst  the  other 
flourishes.  And  if  all  this,  mental  pruriency  and  physical 
debauchery— entering  even  into  incest — were  so  common 
then  we  are  at  no  loss  to  see  at  once,  why  it  was,  that 
the  Goth  and  the  Vandal  crushed  out  the  once  conquer¬ 
ors  of  the  world  :  in  the  language  of  Gibbon — making  no 
effort  and  leaving  no  sign  of  ancient  manhood  !  But  let 
us  come  down  from  “these  sweeping”  and  “positive 
flourishes  ”  to  plain  facts.  Plutarch  gives  us  the  lives  of 
forty-nine  of  the  most  eminent  Grecians  and  Romans, 


embracing  all  classes.  Now  not  one  of  these  great  men, 
so  far  as  w  e  know,  was  the  fruit  of  incestous  intercourse. 
Many  of  them  were  not  only  men  of  great  intellect,  but 
most  of  them  as  we  are  told,  of  most  extraordinary  phys¬ 
ical  power  and  beauty  !  And  although  the  heathen  relig¬ 
ion  was  not  favorable  to  our  ideas  of  chastity,  yet  no¬ 
where  in  modern  times  do  we  find  more  domestic  delica¬ 
cy  and  devotion  and  purity  of  life,  than  is  evidenced  in 
the  lives  and  letters  and  tragical  events  in  the  career  of 
those  men.  I  say  again  then  that  Roman  and  Grecian 
History  does  not  bear  out  the  theory  of  A  Cattle  Breeder, 
but  amply  sustains  my  own. 

So  far  as  English  history,  and  especially  that  of  the 
Georges  is  concerned,  I  deny  that  I  admitted  they  were 
fine  “  physical  ”  specimens :  on  the  contrary,  I  think  that 
men  who  were  adulterous,  scrofulous,  and  mad  are  poor 
types  of  humanity,  and  such  as  do  not  commend  them¬ 
selves  to  me,  at  least,  as  examples  of  good  “  breeding  ”  ! 

2.  “  Experience”  :  and  “  Special  Proof  ”  3  :  seem  to  be 
conceded,  which  only  allows  me  an  opportunity  of  glanc¬ 
ing  at  the  first  part  of  No.  3d  article.  For  when  A  Cattle 
Breeder  comes  upon  the  “  Stud  Book  ”  again,  I  shall  be 
ready  to  meet  him. 

“  Special  Proof”  No.  4.,  is  amply  sustained  in  my  2nd 
No.  upon  the  Race  Horse,  and  is  not  yet  responded  to,  by 
my  opponent. 

5.  False  Proof.  I  think  A  Cattle  Breeder  is  indulging 
in  “  sweeping  flourishes,”  when  he  says  in  No.  2  ,  “he 
(Bakewell)  then  bred  intensely  in-and-in.”  In  my  first 
No.  I  showed  from  good  authority,  that  he  made  a  wide 
selection  of  not  only  “ Long  Wooled ”  sheep,  but  went 
into  specific,  or  quasi-specific  varieties— the  South  Downs: 
and  that  VV.  C.  Spooner,  good  authority,  says,  he  kept 
his  method  of  breeding  “a  profound  secret,  which  died 
with  him  !”  Now  my  opponent  puts  up  in  refutation  of 
this,  no  new  fact  or  authority,  but  indulges  in  “  sweeping 
flourishes  of  the  pen  !”  I  proved  that,  by  wide  and  wise 
selection,  Bakewell  carried  up  the  Dishleys — and  that  by 
“  close  breeding  ”  his  successors  carried  them  down!  I 
think  that  a  great  deal  more  than  “nothing:”  and  their 
“lack  of  brains”  was  in  deluding  themselves  with  the 
“  close  breeding  ” — the  “  concentrated  blood  ”  theory. 

With  regard  to  the  Bakewell  Long  Horns,  my  opponent 
agrees  that  “  he  found  them  in  an  advanced  stage  of 
perfection  so  far  as  symmetry  of  form  and  a  capacity  to 
take  on  flesh  were  concerned  "  :  now  these  are  the  qual¬ 
ities  which  I  admitted  in  the  Ohio  Farmer  (see  as  above), 
were  the  results  of  close  breeding,  when  not  pressed  to 
extremes  ;  but  it.  is  admitted  that  in  the  Long  Horns  he 
did  proceed  to  an  extreme  length  in  close  breeding.  What 
was  the  result  as  now  admitted  by  all  writers,  and  as 
shown  by  the  reports  of  the  Smilhfield  Market !  that  the 
Long  Horns  have  completely  run  down,  having  lost  that 
“  advanced  state  of  perfection  ”  which  they  once  had  ! 
Could  any  case  be  more  in  point  to  prove  my  theory? 

6.  Coleman  on  the  Dishleys.  A  Cattle  Breeder  “  de¬ 
clines  receiving  Coleman  as  authority  in  the  stock  line 
Now  the  reader  will  see  by  referring  to  my  former  arti¬ 
cle,  that  I  do  not  give  Coleman's  own  speculations  mere¬ 
ly,  but  his  authorities— -men  who  killed  and  sold  the  sheep 
in  the  Smithfield  Market— where  all  the  sheep  in  the 
United  Kingdom  come  together  with  their  hides  of!'!  If 
A  Cattle  Breeder  will  not  yield  to  such  authority  as  this, 
the  public  will ! 

7.  R.  L.  Allen.  A  Cattle  Breeder  “coincides  with  R. 
L.  Allen,  entirely,  coupled  with  the  conditions  which  he 
attaches  to  them  '’  Well  then  what's  the  use  of  more 
words  ?  Mr.  Allen,  as  quoted  by  me  uses  this  “  sweep¬ 
ing  and  positive  flourish  of  the  pen.” — “  It.  is  always  better 
to  avoid  close  relationship  by  selecting  equally  merito¬ 
rious  stock-getters  of  the  same  breed,  from  other  sources.” 
Indeed  !  then  what  becomes  of  the  famous  idea  of  the  in¬ 
fusion  of  the  “  concentrated  blood  ”  by  close  breeding  ?  I 
mean  no  disrespect  to  any  one  when  I  denounce  the 
whole  idea  of  “concentrated  blood”  as  an  illusion.* 

8.  Jonas  Webb.  A  Cattle  Breeder  will  insist  that  Jonas 
Webb  breeds  “in-and-in”  in  face  of  the  facts!  Mr. 

*  As  this  term  has  been  used  here  and  elsewhere  imposingly, 
let  us  strip  it  of  its  “sweeping  flourish.”  The  blood  of  a  “cold 
scrub”  has  the  same  quantity  of  nitrogen,  iron,  phosphate  of 
lime,  Sec.,  as  the  bloou  of  the  highest  11  concentrated  bloods  ” — 
it.  lias  the  same  specific  gravity  and  color— all  the  characteris¬ 
tics  of  blood  !  Brandy  mav  be  first.,  second,  or  third  proof,  more 
or  less  concentrated,  but  not  blood.  Does  a  “  Cattle  Breeder  ” 
mean  purity  of  blood?  then  let  him  use  the  terms. “pure” 
and  “  mixed  ”  bloods.  If  A  is  pure,  and  B  is  pure,  and  C  is 
pure — then  is  the  progeny  of  A,  li,  and  C  as  pure  as  the  progeny 
of  A  and  B  ;  for  purity  is  the  superlative  in  degree,  and  caii 
not  be  transcended.  In  mixed  bloods  there  can  bo  no  contest 
between  us.  One  or  the  o.licr  type  is  ever  contending  for  the 
ascendency— till  one  or  the  other  ultimately  triumphs  or  is  lost 
(if  a  new  mixed  type  of  mixed  bloods  is  possible)  in  an  interme¬ 
diate  development  1  So  here  my  opponent  is  found  using  a 
word  to  convey  an  impression  which  is  without  existence  ;  or  a 
term  without  a  meaning:  to  sustain  a  superiority  which  is 
baseless  !  I  know  it  is  generally  assumed  by  breeders  of  “  im¬ 
proved  stock,”  as  the  cant  plirnse  is.  that  a  high  hred  animal 
will  impress  his  offspring  with  his  characteristics  over  the 
“  common  stock  ”  That. is  true  only  when  the  high-bred  ani¬ 
mal  is  a  purely  hred  animal.  If  the  “common  stock  ”  is  pure,  of 
its  kind  :  and  the  improved  stock  impure,  then  the  common 
stock  will  most,  impart  its  characteristics  to  the  progeny!  This 
conclusion  I  defy  any  one  to  overthrow.  True,  it  may  he  con- 
tended  that  all  " common  ”  stock  or  “scrubs”  are  mongrels 
and  impure — that  may  be  ;  hut  it  must  first  be  proved  before  it 
can  be  made  the  basis  of  a  Philosophical  theory. 


Webb  I  learn  from  persons  who  have  conversed  with 
him,  divides  h:s  flock  into  3  classes  (now  five  I  suppose) 
for  the  express  purpose  of  avoiding  close  breeding.  If 
close  bree  ling  and  the  “concentrated  blood”  be  tho 
thing,  then  why  split  it  into  three,  and  now  into  five,  cold 
and  thin  dilutions  ?  M y  opponent  is  in  this  diiemma  with 
regard  to  Mr.  Webb  ;  if  he  admits  my  facts,  he  loses  his 
logic  :  and  if  he  admits  the  logic,  he  loses  his  facts  ! 

As  to  Mr.  Price’s  Hereford  Herd,  when  I  know  nothing 
I  think  it  “logical”  to  say  nothing!  It  is  not  logical 
however,  to  admit  a  single  example  cited,  with  none  of 
the  data  given,  to  stand  against  great  and  universal  prin¬ 
ciples  !  1  know  but  liltie  about  Hereford  Cattle.  They 

were  tried  by  Henry  Clay  and  others  in  Kentucky,  a 
“  long  time'  ago,”  but  are  now  run  down!  The  grade 
specimens  which  I  saw,  were  long-bodied,  long-legged; 
coarse-hided,  coarse-boned,  hard-feeders,  and  hard- 
handlers  ;  poor-milkers,  but  good  oxen.  My  friend  Wm. 
H.  Sotham,  brought  some  specimens  to  Kentucky  lately, 
said  to  be  thorough-bred,  which  corresponded  pretty  well 
with  the  grades  I  before  saw.  They  were  well  ribbed 
however,  and  good  in  the  girth,  and  in  the  crops.  Now 
if  close  breeding  (which  performs  to  some  extent  the 
offices  of  castration)  makes  finer  hone  and  a  tendency  to 
fatten,  which  I  admitted,  then  the  Herefords  of  Mr.  Price 
may  have  been  improved  somewhat  by  close  breeding; 
but  that  the  advantages  in  the  long  run  were  not  more 
than  lost  by  the  opposite  evils,  I  must  have  more  proof, 
before  I  shall  think  of  making  the  concession— even  in 
such  case  of  coarse,  hard,  and  rough  stock. 

With  regard  to  the  Collings,  as  I  have  very  elaborately 
discussed  that  subject  with  Ohio  gentlemen  in  the  “  Farm¬ 
er,”  I  will  briefly  state  in  reply  to  A  Cattle  Breeder,  that 
like  Bakewell,  the  Collings  made  choice  and  wide  selec¬ 
tions  of  Short  Horns  to  begin  with,  and  he  said  himself 
according  to  Mr.  Bates  and  others,  that  lie  (Charles), 
never  owned  better  cows  than  he  bought  of  others  !  Then 
he  never  improved  his  cattle  in  degree,  although  he  may 
have  done  so  in  quantity,  or  number.  That  Colling  was 
running  down  his  stock,  was  no  doubt  the  cause  of  his 
seeking  new  blood,  even  to  the  outrage  of  a  specific  cross 
with  an  inferior  breed,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Scotch  Gal¬ 
loway. 

I  will  not  go  into  particulars  about  the  Bates.  Booth, 
and  other  bloods  alluded  to  by  A  Cattle  Breeder  :  because 
that  stock  is  widely  owned  now  in  America,  and  what  I 
should  say  might  one  way  or  other  affect  the  value  of  it, 
or  at  least  bring  me  into  a  “muss,”  which  would  be 
neither  agreeable,  nor  short  lived  !  I  must  therefore  be 
allowed  to  indulge  in  “  sweeping  flourishes.”  The  result 
of  all  this  close  breeding  bears  out  my  whole  theory. 
Much  ot  this  stock,  with  here  and  there  fine  specimens 
which  have  cropped  out  in  spite  of  the  “concentrated 
blood,”  is  small  in  size,  barren  altogether,  or  at  early  ages, 
defective  in  the  chest,  unthrifty,  poor  milkers,  diseased,  and 
liable  to  early  death.  I  could  give  memorable  instances 
if  I  ventured. 

Tile  best  Short  Horns  are  now  coming  up  from  other 
than  the  celebrated  “  concentrated  bloods  ”  in  this  coun¬ 
try  and  England— because  like  the  English  nobility  they 
are  being  infused  w  ith  new  blood. 

A  great  deal  of  the  flourish  about  certain  herds  is 
“Barnttm  !”  kept  up  for  selfish  and  interested  purposes  ; 
but  the  time  is  at  hand,  when  cattle  must  stand  upon  their 
merits,  and  not  upon  prestige  or  puffs !  because  the 
knowledge  of  good  points  is  more  generally  and  bettei 
understood.  In  making  these  remarks,  I  do  not  aim  them 
at  a  Cattle  Breeder,  who  is  unknown  to  me,  or  any  other 
individuals  epecially.  I  am  willing  to  admit  that  superior 
intelligence  and  tact  should  have  their  reward  ,  and  don’t 
mean  to  set  myself  up  as  more  disinterested  than  others. 
But  I  speak  in  favor  of  Philosophical  progress,  when  I 
say  that  much  of  this  assumed  superiority  in  celebrated 
herds  is  exaggerated  ;  and  that  breeders  of  cattle  would 
do  well  to  look  to  the  cattle  themselves,  and  to  pure  pedi¬ 
grees,  rather  than  to  great  names,  or  the  reputation  of  any 
man  or  any  herd. 

The  further  remarks  of  a  Cattle  Breeder  upon  unifor¬ 
mity,  in  consequence  of  close  breeding  and  “  concentra¬ 
tion  of  blood,”  overlooks  the  objects  of  scientific  breed¬ 
ing,  and  the  whole  idea  of  progress  in  animal  develop¬ 
ment.  Every  now  and  then  certain  leading  breeders 
have  certain  colors  in  the  ascendency  ;  at  one  time  a 
roan  ;  at  another  a  red  ;  and  again,  a  red  and  white  ;  and 
then  a  pure  w  hite,  and  forthwith  all  Noodledom  runs  mad 
after  the  special  color!  For  my  part  I  repudiate  the 
whole  thing  of  “breeding  to  a  feather,”  as  unworthy  of  a 
sensible  man  of  taste.  All  colors  are  good  which  are  pe¬ 
culiar  to,  or  characteristic  of,  the  pure  breed;  and  so  far 
as  taste  is  concerned,  certainly  a  variety  in  color  in  herds 
is  a  large  element  of  the  beautiful.  And  the  question  now, 
is  not  whether  the  children  are  blondes,  or  brunettes, 
red,  black,  or  nuburn  haired  ?  but,  are  they  well  formed, 
healthy,  sensible,  and  beautiful?  So  of  cattle.  Have 
they  the  best  points  ?  Not  can  we  perpetuate  their  char¬ 
acteristics  to  “a  feather,”  but  can  we  improve  them,  in 
form,  size,  quality,  milk,  etc.,  etc.?  There  is  old  fogyism 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


993 


aiul  empiricism  inbreeding  as  well  as  in  poetics  and 
medicine  :  and  we  must,  as  progressives,  hold  fast  to  what 
is  good  in  the  past,  and  strive  for  the  “excelsior”  in  the 
future  ! 

Cattle  Breeder’s  No.  4. 

In  reply,  I  insert  Mr.  Bruce’s  letter,  which  I  conclude 
is  all  that  need  be  said.  Having  proved  my  theory  in  so 
many  instances— it  is  of  but  little  account  that  here  and 
there  exceptions  may  be  found.  C.  M.  C. 

Lexington,  June  3d,  1859. 

Dear  Sir  :  Yours  of  the  31st  ult.  was  received  yester¬ 
day.  I  can  give  you  some  instances  of  failure  from  in-and- 
in  breeding,  also  some  extracts  from  celebrated  writers 
upon  the  subject.  Experience  tells  us  that  the  greatest 
success  has  ever  attended  those  breeders,  and  that  the 
most  valuable  stock  has  resulted  therefrom,  who  have  ad¬ 
hered  to  remote  crosses.  The  finest  running  and  highest 
formed  horses  that  have  appeared  in  England,  were  bred 
from  the  union  of  two  distinct  stocks,  the  Herod  and 
Eclipse.  The  former  stock  was  invariably  remarkable  for 
stoutness  and  lastingness,  the  latter  for  speed,  and  by  the 
union  of  these  two  opposite  qualities,  (whereby  a  remote 
cross  was  kept  up,)  a  stock  was  obtained  in  which  was 
blended  a  sufficiency  of  the  requisite  qualities  of  both  to 
make  first  rate  racing  horses.  There  was  another  distinct 
stock  in  England  which  crossed  well  upon  the  Herod  and 
Eclipse  branches  ;  I  allude  to  the  Matchem  or  Godolphin 
Arabian  stock  ;  and  it  may  here  be  remarked  that  there 
has  scarcely  been  a  first  rate  runner  on  the  turf  in  Eng¬ 
land  for  the  last  century,  without  more  or  less  of  the  blood 
of  this  valuable  horse.  A  remote  cross  was  at  that  early 
day  considered  necessary,  yet  there  were  a  few  excep¬ 
tions  to  it  as  a  rule,  as  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
horses  in  England  were  bred  considerably  in-and-in ; 
Flying  Childers,  for  insiance,  considered  the  fleetest 
horse  of  the  world.  Old  Fox,  a  celebrated  racer  and  val¬ 
uable  stallion,  although  not  in-and-in  bred,  had  an  affini¬ 
ty  of  blood  in  his  pedigree,  as  also  other  high  formed  ra¬ 
cers  and  stallions.  But  these  exceptions  arose  in  Eng¬ 
land  in  the  earlier  days  of  breeding,  about  the  time  of  the 
importation  of  particular  Barb,  Turk  and  Arabian  horses, 
that  possessed  peculiar  and  extraordinary  properties  as 
stock  getters,  and  their  immediate  descendants  constitut¬ 
ed  the  best  racers  of  those  days.  In  later  days,  little  or 
no  success  has  attended  the  efforts  of  those  who  have 
bred  in-and-in.  The  Earl  of  Egremont  occasionally  tried 
it,  as  well  as  Lord  Derby,  (owner  of  Sir  Peter  Teazle,) 
but  with  no  encouragement.  Morland,  in  his  treatise  on 
the  genealogy  of  the  English  Blood-Horse,  expressly 
says,  that  incestuous  crosses  should  be  avoided.  “  Breed¬ 
ing  in-and-in  ”  is  an  exploded  doctrine,  that  has  been  put 
at  rest  in  England  by  the  experience  of  those  distinguish¬ 
ed  turfmen  named.  It  is  now  regarded  as  a  violation  of 
an  imperious  law  of  the  whole  animal  kingdom. 

By  reference  to  the  London  (old)  Sporting  Magazine  for 
Oct.,  1840,  the  Editor  remarks  that  many  instances  may 
be  noticed  of  the  bad  effects  of  too  near  a  consanguinity, 
a  few  cases  are  mentioned  for  the  purpose  of  conviction, 
viz :  We  find  by  the  pedigrees  of  Salute,  Solace,  and 
Vestment,  that  they  were  all  in-bred  and  bad  :  they  were 
out  of  Dulcamara  by  Waxey,  her  dam  Witchery  by  Sor¬ 
cerer  ;  Salute  w'as  by  Muley,  who  was  by  Orville  out  of 
Eleanor  by  Whiskey,  her  dam  the  Young  Giantess,  the 
dam  of  Sorcerer.  The  other  two  were  by  Longw'aist : 
Whalebone  was  his  sire,  and  got  by  Waxey,  the  sire  also 
of  Dulcamara.  The  Flydener  mare,  bred  by  Mr.  Can¬ 
ning  in  1817,  was  equally  bad.  Flydener  was  by  Sir  Pe¬ 
ter,  as  also  was  Coriolanus,  his  grandsire.  Mr.  Stirling's 
Aaronides  was  by  Aaron  out  of  Aaron’s  dam,  and  he  was 
considered  dreadfully  bad  ;  so  was  also  another  colt  bred 
by  the  same  gentleman,  got  by  Aaron  out  of  Miss  Mana¬ 
ger,  the  grandam  of  Aaron.  The  same  writer  remarks 
that  by  referring  to  the  Stud  Book  about  a  century  ago,  we 
will  find  many  of  the  best  horses  of  those  days  were  very 
closely  bred  ;  one  reason  for  which,  there  were  not  so 
many  horses  reared  at  that  time,  consequently  there  was 
not  l  he  choice  which  w  e  now  possess.  Whatever  bene¬ 
ficial  results  might  appear  to  have  arisen  from  breeding 
in-and-in  in  those  days,  may  be  attributed  to  the  fact  of 
its  being  a  combination  of  the  best  blood  of  which  our 
forefathers  could  avail  themselves,  It  is,  however,  very 
clear  that  it  will  not  produce  so  valuable  an  animal  as 
may  be  procured  from  the  various  sources  which  we  are 
now  in  possession  of. 

There  was  not  a  horse  in  “olden  time  ”  that  equals  the 
performance  of  Venison,  who,  at  three  years  old,  travel¬ 
ed  800  miles,  and  won  12  out  of  14  races  at  all  distances 
from  1  to  4  miles  ;  he  is  a  horse  with  a  free  pedigree,  un¬ 
til  we  go  back  to  the  fifth  generation  the  same  blood  does 
not  present  itself  ;  we  then  find  the  Herod  blood  on  both 
sides,  but  so  far  distant  as  not  to  be  objectionable.  Grey 
Momus  is  another  instance,  winning  seven  races  out  of 
nine  ;  Prosady,  bred  in  1818  by  Don  Cossack,  out  of  Mitre 
by  Waxey,  ran  for  a  succession  of  years,  winning  39 
times,  she  is  free  from  blood  too  nearly  related.  The  cel¬ 
ebrated  Euphrates  had  also  a  clear  pedigree,  there  are  no 
traces  of  consanguinity  till  we  get  back  to  the  Regulus 


blood,  which  is  fourand  five  generations  back.  Liston,  a 
celebrated  English  racer,  had  Highflyer  blood  on  both 
sides,  but  not  nearer  than  the  fourth  generation  ;  this  ex¬ 
traordinary  horse  won  51  races,  and  continued  to  race  un¬ 
til  he  was  thirteen  years  old.  Isaac,  another  celebrated 
racer,  won  19  races  in  1839,  besides  22  in  previous  years  ; 
he  had  no  traces  of  consanguinity  in  his  pedigree.  In 
our  own  country,  some  who  were  in-and-in  bred,  raced 
well,  but  have  been  total  failures  in  the  stud  ;  Trifle,  for 
instance,  one  of  the  gamest,  and  best  four  mile  nags  of 
her  day,  was  by  Sir  Charles,  he  by  Sir  Archey,  her  dam 
by  Cicero,  he  by  Sir  Archey,  she  was  a  total  failure  in  the 
stud,  never  having  produced  anything  of  note  ;  Coquette, 
by  Sir  Archey,  produced  Janette  and  Virginia  Taylor, 
both  capital  racers,  and  both  by  their  mother’s  sire  ;  the 
success  of  this  experiment  of  Col.  Johnson  induced  many 
others  to  try  the  same  ;  and  to  use  the  language  of  a  wri¬ 
ter  of  that  day,  after  this  followed  “  a  numerous  and 
rickety  offspring  of  diversified  incest ,  which  damned  this 
theory  to  certain  and  irretrievable  overthrow.”  It  was 
generally  remarked  that  the  deterioration  of  the  race¬ 
horse  of  Virginia  was  attributed  to  in-and-in  breeding. 
Flirtilla,  jr..  a  mare  of  fine  speed,  was  by  Sir  Archey  out 
of  Old  Flirtilla  by  Sir  Archey;  these  mares  have  pro¬ 
duced  nothing  of  even  mediocrity,  the  best  one  was  Cas¬ 
sandra,  by  imported  Priam  out  of  Flirtilla,  jr.  ;  Boston, 
the  most  remarkable  racehorse  of  our  own  country,  was 
by  Timoleon,  he  by  Sir  Archey,  he  by  imported  Diomede, 
his  dam  by  Balls  Florizel,  and  he  by  imported  Diomede, 
being  a  double  cross  of  Diomede ;  Boston  started  in  44 
races,  won  39, 31  of  them  4  at  mile  heats,  8  at  3  mile  heats; 
he  sired  Lexington,  Lecomte,  Bostona,  Tally-Ho,  all  of 
remote  crosses  except  Lexington,  whose  grandam  was  by 
Sumpter,  he  by  Sir  Archey,  not  what  would  be  styled  in- 
and-in  breeding.  Fashion,  the  best  mare  of  her  day,  and 
the  best  of  the  produce  of  her  dam,  is  by  imported  Trus¬ 
tee,  of  a  distinct  family,  whose  breeding  has  been  so  far 
a  total  failure,  attributed  to  the  fact  that  she  was  bred  to 
her  own  sire,  and  she  also  had  two  or  more  colls  by  her 
half-brother  Mariner,  who  were  delicate,  and  of  no  repu¬ 
tation  as  racers.  There  has  come  under  my  observation 
in  the  last  few  days,  a  mare,  who  became  accidentally 
impregnated  by  her  own  brother,  the  colt  was  illy  shaped, 
and  died  at  one  week  old.  I  fear  I  have  said  too  much, 
but  numbers  of  other  instances  might  be  cited,  to  prove 
that  in-and-in  breeding  will  not  do,  and  that  the  breeders 
of  the  present  day  avoid  it.  Yours,  S.  D.  BRUCE. 

C,  M.  Clay,  Esq. 

- - - — » tm.  - - - 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist. — Prize  Articles. 

The  Dairy — XI. 

Conclusion. 

The  preceding  articles  which  have  been  writ¬ 
ten  on  the  management  of  the  Dairy,  have  con¬ 
sidered  it  mainly  as  a  separate  branch  of  agri¬ 
cultural  production  ;  a  business  of  itself,  the  sole 
occupation,  or  engrossing  one  of  the  farm,  and 
which  it  should  be,  to  make  it  of  the  highest 
profit.  Yet,  both  butter  and  cheese  making  are 
practiced  as  incidentals,  with  many  small  farm¬ 
ers,  and  are  items  among  the  many  which  go  to 
make  up  the  aggregate  products  of  the  smaller 
farms  in  many  parts  of  the  country  where 
miscellaneous  husbandry  is  pursued.  Almost 
every  farmer  living  north  of  the  cotton  and  sugar 
growing  States,  makes  his  own  butter.  Many  in 
the  planting  States  do  the  same.  They  always 
should  do  so  where  grass  will  grow,  and  Winter 
forage  can  be  procured  for  cow-keeping.  For 
immediate  use,  no  matter  where  the  locality,  the 
butter  is  usually  good,  if  properly  made,  and  our 
directions  if  strictly  followed,  will  produce  the 
article.  With  cheese  it  is  otherwise.  Made  in  a 
poor  grass  country,  or  in  a  region  where  the  grass 
is  better  fitted  for  fattening  cattle  than  producing 
milk,  the  cheese  will,  of  necessity,  be  an  inferior 
article.  So,  too,  even  in  a  good  dairy  country, 
where  cheese  making  is  subsidiary  to  some¬ 
thing  else,  being  made  in  small  quantity,  it  will 
be  inferior.  We  never  tasted  a  first  quality  cheese 
from  a  small  dairy ,  unless  extraordinary  pains  and 
expense  attended  its  manufacture.  Not  that  we 
would  at  all  discourage  the  small  dairyman,  or 
household  cheese-making  for  family  use,  but  we 
wish  to  impress  it  most  strongly  upon  the  cheese- 
maker,  that  it  is  a  vocation  of  itself,  and  when 


undertaken,  requires  the  utmost  of  his  skill  and 
industry  to  succeed  in  its  best  possible  results,  as 
to  quality  and  profit.  Therefore,  if  you  make  the 
dairy  a  considerable  part  of  your  farm  production 
for  sale,  make  it  altogether  so,  or  to  such  extent 
that  your  other  productions  shall  be  subsidiary  to 
it.  We  believe  in  the  division  of  labor  on  the 
farm  as  much  as  in  the  factory,  where  it  £an  be 
done  to  advantage,  and  of  this  every  man  of 
common  understanding  can  assure  himself  in  a 
year's  time,  if  he  will  look  at  the  composition  ot 
his  soil  and  the  cultivation  practiced  by  the  good 
farmers  around  him. 

We  have  already  indicated  the  best  dairy  land — 
so  far  as  yet  proved— in  the  United  States.  We 
may  have  others  far  in  the  northwest  not  yet  de¬ 
veloped.  We  hope  so,  for  it  is  a  great  way  and 
a  great  expense  to  send  cheese  from  Buffalo,  or 
Cleveland,  to  Minnesota,  or  Pike’s  Peak.  To 
New-Orleans,  and  the  far  southwest  beyond,  it 
must  inevitably  go  from  the  north,  for  they  can 
not  make  a  good  article  in  that  distant  region  of 
fervid  suns,  and  parched  grasses.  Thus,  then, 
we  must  husband  our  northern  dairy  soils.  They 
possess  treasures  both  now  and  for  the  future 
which  we  have  not  yet  fully  appreciated,  and, 
with  the  great  majority  of  their  occupants,  will 
not  be  fully  appreciated  until  a  still  greater  de¬ 
mand  on  their  productions  has  taught  them  their 
value. 

We  have  preached  our  “  Sermon.”  We  pro¬ 
pose  now  to  make  the  “application.”  It  may  be 
supposed  that  all  good  grass  lands  are  fit  for  the 
dairy,  irrespective  of  climate,  and  that  all  good 
dairy  lands  are  equally  good  for  feeding  orfatten- 
-ing  cattle.  Such  supposition  is  a  great  mistake, 
and  in  that  mistake  large  amounts  of  labor  and 
capital,  in  the  aggregate,  have  been  lost  in  the 
misapplication  of  both.  For  instance  :  No  finer 
grass  countries  exist  than  large  portions  of  Ken¬ 
tucky,  Tennessee,  Ohio,  and  several  other  west¬ 
ern  States.  But  they  are  not  dairy  lends.  They 
are  “  grazing  ”  lands.  A  bullock  or  a  sheep  will 
fatten  astonishingly  there — a  bullock  to  an  acre 
of  Summer  pasture  in  many  cases — hut  there  is, 
comparatively,  as  we  have  spoken  of  the  profita¬ 
ble  market  qualities  of  the  articles,  neither  butter 
nor  cheese  in  that  grass,  while  of  beef,  mutton, 
and  tallow  there  is  an  abundance.  In  portions  of 
Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  New-York,  New-Jersey,  and 
the  Nevv-England  States,  on  the  contrary,  as  we 
have  already  stated,  there  is  any  quantity  of  the 
best  butter  and  cheese  in  their  grasses,  yet  but 
little  of  beef,  mutton,  and  tallow.  Still,  the  gras¬ 
ses,  in  their  species  and  variety,  are  the  same — 
the  climate  and  soils  alone  make  the  difference. 
Kentucky  glories  in  her  blue  grass.  Her  Short 
Horn  bullocks  reared  upon  it,  and  “  fed  off”  with 
their  gourd-seed  corn,  astonish  even  Englishmen 
in  our  Eastern  markets.  Yet  the  same  blue 
grass  grown  upon  our  northern  hills  fattens  few 
or  no  bullocks  at  all,  but  produces  a  cheese  which 
makes  the  Kentuckian’s  mouth  water,  and  a  butter 
which  will  go  round  the  world  and  come  back 
sweet  and  palatable.  Understand  us  :  by  Ken¬ 
tucky,  we  mean  all  that  broad,  rich,  western  ag¬ 
ricultural  region,  where  grasses  are  so  fertile  in 
their  animal  fattening  qualities. 

This  division  of  labor  we  must  come  to,  and, 
indeed  we  are  fast  arriving  at.  Railroads  have 
now  brought  our  far-away  western  farmers  into 
easy  communication  with  our  eastern  dairymen. 
The  cheese-maker  of  Cattaraugus,  Otsego,  or 
Oneida  Counties,  (N.  Y.,)can  buy  his  beef  cheap¬ 
er  in  the  selection  of  a  bullock  from  the  Illinois 
drover  at  the  nearest  railway  station,  than  to 
rear  it  on  his  own  farm.  He  can  even  do  so  with 
his  pork  and  mutton,  beyond  what  he  may  inci¬ 
dentally  feed  from  the  offal  of  his  dairy ;  and,  that 


Q94 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


ae  western  grazier,  and  stock  breeder,  has  al¬ 
ways  bought  his  cheese  from  the  eastern  dairies, 
vinces  not  only  his  good  taste  in  the  article  it¬ 
self  but  his  appreciation  of  the  right  kind  of  hus¬ 
bandry  in  another  line,  for  himself. 

In  an  economical  view,  we  consider  the  dairy, 
either  in  butter,  or  cheese,  the  most  permanent  in 
price  of  any  one  branch  of  our  wide-spread  ag¬ 
riculture.  Its  draw-backs,  or  hindrances  are 
somewhat,  to  be  sure  ;  yet  its  advantages  are 
many,  aside  from  the  uniformity  of  its  income. 
Let  us  see:  a  well  arranged  dairy  establishment 
requires  a  comparatively  large  capital  in  its  prop¬ 
er  outfit,  embracing  a  wide  range  of  land,  and 
corresponding  buildings.  It  demands  a  skill  and 
practice  in  its  own  peculiar  way.  In  its  season, 
and  that  not  a  short  one,  it  requires  unceasing, 
vigilant  attention,  and  diligent  labors.  On  the 
other  hand,  its  rewards  are  usually  sure.  Its 
products  are  not  immediately  perishable.  Its  la¬ 
bor  and  expenses  are  much  less  than  the  grain 
grower’s.  Its  localities  are  eminently  healthful  — 
pure  air  and  good  water  always  abounding.  Its 
associations  are  agreeable,  and  the  finest  taste  in 
the  way  of  improved  cows,  and  the  possession  of 
the  finest  models  of  their  race  may  be  indulged 
with  the  strictest  eye  to  economy.  The  amount 
of  labor  to  be  employed  is  regular,  and  not  sub¬ 
ject  to  sudden  or  extraordinary  emergencies.  The 
life  of  the  dairyman  is  eminently  pastoral,  quiet, 
and  retired.  His  gains  are  steady,  and  although 
not  usually  apt  to  run  up  to  famine  prices,  like 
that  of  the  grain,  or  beef  and  pork  produce,  they 
seldom  fall  to  the  nominal  prices  of  grain,  or 
meats,  in  an  over  stocked  market.  In  fine,  the 
occupation  of  a  dairyman  is  healthful,  and  satis¬ 
factory. 

Our  position — that  the  pursuit  of  the  dairyman 
should,  on  a  proper  soil,  be  that  of  the  dairy 
a]one — must  be  taken  with  allowance,  whatever 
he  can  produce  on  his  own  farm,  that  his  own 
wants  require,  no t  interfering  with  the  most  ■profit¬ 
able  product  of  the  dairy  itself,  he  should  produce. 
If  cheese  be  worth  eight  cents,  or  butter  sixteen 
cents  a  pound,  and  he  can  not  make  his  own  beef 
or  pork  short  of  eight  cents  when  he  can  buy  it 
in  the  neighboring  market  for  six,  he  should  not 
make  a  pound  of  either,  except  he  can  do  it  on 
the  “wash”  of  his  dairy.  And  so  in  other 
things — even  the  bread  for  his  family,  and  the 
grain  on  which  he  teeds  his  cows,  or  horses.  His 
hay  he  should  always  cut  on  his  own  farm,  as 
that  belongs  to  the  cow  keeping  department  as 
much  as  pasturage. 

We  have  said  enough.  With  industry,  and  a 
well  regulated  economy,  perfect  neatness,  sys¬ 
tem,  and  order  in  his  business,  the  dairyman  will 
surely  succeed,  soon  to  competence,  and  ulti¬ 
mately  to  positive  wealth. 

- - - - -»<*►«— — >  — - 

Save  the  Straw. 


Reports  from  many  sections  speak  of  an  unu¬ 
sually  light  hay  crop.  In  some  counties  in  the 
western  part  of  New-York,  and  northeastern 
Ohio,  farmers  are  disposing  of  their  stock  at  re¬ 
duced  prices.  An  intelligent  friend  just  returned 
from  a  visit  in  that  neighborhood,  expresses  the 
opinion  that  there  is  not  enough  hay  there  to 
winter  half  the  stock.  Fortunately  there  has 
been  grown  this  year  an  unusually  large  breadth 
of  grain,  and  straw  and  stalks  will  be  plenty.  If 
these  are  properly  secured,  and  fed  out  judicious¬ 
ly,  they  will  do  much  to  make  up  for  the  scarcity 
of  hay.  Straw  alone,  merely  piled  up  in  the 
yard  without  protection  from  the  weather,  and 
left  for  the  cattle  to  run  to  at  pleasure,  will  not 
keep  them  in  good  condition.  If  it  be  housed  or 


properly  stacked,  and  fed  cut,  mixed  with  a  little 
addition  of  roots,  bran,  shorts,  or  oil  cake,  it  will 
be  eaten  readily,  and  stock  will  thrive  upon  it. 
The  experience  of  all  who  have  used  a  straw- 
cutter,  proves  that  it  is  a  great  economizer  of 
food,  and  that  the  labor  required  to  cut  straw, 
stalks,  and  even  hay,  is  amply  repaid  by  the  sav¬ 
ing  effected,  and  the  greater  value  given  to  the 
feed.  By  cutting  and  steaming,  the  very  coarsest 
parts  of  stalks  may  be  prepared  for  mixture  with 
ground  stuff,  and  become  palatable,  nutritious  food. 

Let  those  who  think  of  selling  their  cattle  at  a 
sacrifice,  first  see  that  all  resources  of  this  kind 
are  counted  upon  ;  they  may  find  the  present  ne¬ 
cessity  a  real  benefit  in  teaching  them  how  to 
winter  stock  cheaply  and  well,  almost  without 
the  use  of  hay. 

- —  .  - — - - 

Sulphuric  Acids  for  Soils.— Phosphatic 
Guano. 

A  QUESTION  FOR  THE  AGRICULTURAL  CHEMISTS. 

Prof.  S.  W.  Johnson,  in  a  recent  report  to 
the  Connecticut  State  Agricultural  Society,  on 
phosphatic  guanos,  remarks:  “To  give  an  idea 
of  the  extent  to  which  the  manufacture  of  sul¬ 
phuric  acid  (oil  of  vitriol)  is  carried  on,  I  may 
quote  a  statement,  recently  made  by  a  German 
agriculturist,  who  says  that  one-half  of  all  the 
oil  of  vitriol  now  made,  is  applied  to  the  soil, 
chiefly  in  Great  Britain.” 

If  we  understand  Prof.  Johnson  and  other  agri¬ 
cultural  chemists,  they  do  not  attribute  any  spe¬ 
cial  value  to  sulphuric  acid  as  a  fertilizer  per  se , 
but  they  recommend  its  use  chiefly  to  dissolve 
bones,  phosphatic  guanos,  and  other  mineral  phos¬ 
phates.  Now,  though  we  have  devoted  not  a 
little  attention  to  the  practical  study  of  agricul¬ 
tural  chemistry,  we  are  a  little  diffident  in  calling 
in  question  the  views  of  those  who  make  chem¬ 
istry  a  profession,  but  there  are  a  few  questions 
we  would  like  to  propose  : 

1st. — If  the  good  effects  arising  from  burned 
bones,  and  the  phosphates  generally,  when  they 
are  applied  to  soils,  are  due  wholly,  or  nearly  so, 
to  the  phosphoric  acid  they  contain,  how  is  it  that 
these  substances  have,  in  practice,  proved  nearly 
valueless  until  sulphuric  acid  has  been  added  to 
theml  Is  it  reasonable  to  suppose  that  in  the  la¬ 
boratory  of  the  soil,  none  of  the  phosphoric  acid 
will  be  available  to  plants,  unless  it  is  previously 
rendered  “soluble”  by  the  addition  of  sulphuric 
acid!  There  have  been  abundant  experiments 
upon  various  crops,  with  burned  bones,  finely  di¬ 
vided,  to  prove  that  the  simple  phosphates  are 
nearly  or  quite  worthless. 

2d. — Simple  sulphuric  acid,  diluted  with  water, 
has  produced  a  good  effect  when  added  to  the 
the  soil.  Sulphate  of  lime  (Plaster  of  Paris), 
which  contains  a  large  amount  of  sulphuric  acid, 
has  often  proved  beneficial  where  no  other  lime 
compound  seemed  to  be  useful.  Why  then  may 
we  not  attribute  the  valuable  results  from  the  use 
of  superphosphates,  in  part,  or  chiefly,  to  the  sul¬ 
phuric  acid  they  contain  ? 

3d. — Admitting,  for  argument  at  least,  the  util¬ 
ity  of  the  sulphuric  acid,  why  would  it  not  be  bet¬ 
ter  to  apply  it  directly  to  the  soil,  diluted  of 
course  ;  or  mix  it  with  some  unexpensive  earth, 
always  at  hand,  rather  than  be  at  the  expense  of 
procuring  burned  bones,  or  any  of  the  phosphatic 
guanos,  for  compounding  with  it  1 

We  are  not  going  to  say  that  phosphoric  acid 
is  not  an  essential  element  in  plants;  and  of 
coutse  in  the  soil,  but  we  have  never  yet  seen 
the  analysis  of  a  soil,  good  in  other  respects, 
which  did  not  show  phosphoric  acid  enough  pre¬ 
sent  to  supply  the  exceedingly  small  amount 


found  in  the  ashes  of  plants.  To  us  it  certainly 
appears  that  some  chemists  have  fallen  into  a  sort 
of  phosphoric  acid  mania.  They  are  so  complete¬ 
ly  taken  up  with  the  theory  that  phosphoric  acid 
is  the  sine  qua  non — the  ehief  thing  to  be  looked 
after — in  cultivation,  that  they  seem  scarcely  to 
have  stopped  a  moment  to  inquire  whether  the 
common,  vulgar  sulphuric  acid  has  any  value  of 
itself  or  not.  But  of  this  another  time. 

We  confess  to  have  been  once  quite  taken  up 
with  the  theories  of  Liebig,  and  other  prominen 
chemists,  in  regard  to  the  mineral  elements  in 
plants,  and  the  value  of  mineral  fertilizers.  But 
our  practice  and  study  in  the  laboratory,  and 
especially  since  we  left  it,  have  led  us  into  a  little 
skepticism.  We  distrust  more  and  more  the 
dicta  of  agricultural  chemists  in  regard  to  the  ac¬ 
tion  of  this  or  that  fertilizer,  and  its  specific  or 
relative  value.  Nor  are  we  alone  in  this  feeling. 
Prof  Johnson  himself,  in  a  recent  able  paper, 
published  in  the  July  No.  of  the  American  Journal 
of  Science  and  Art,  makes  the  following  state¬ 
ments.  which  are  not  without  significance  : 

11  We  are  every  day  drifting  further  from  what  but 
a  few  years  ago,  was  considered  one  of  the  most 
fixed  and  beneficial  principles  of  agricultural  science, 
viz.  that  a  substance  is  chiefly  a  fertilizer  because  it 
directly  feeds  the  plant,  and  are  learning  from  the 
numerous  recent  and  carefully  conducted  experiments 
with  manures,  that  in  very  many  cases  we  can  not 
safely  venture  to  predict  what  will  be  the  influence  of 
a  given  application  ;  but  find  in  vraclice  the  strang¬ 
est  arid  most  discordant  results,  it  being  possible  to 
show  from  the  experiments  of  the  farm  that  almost 
every  fertilizer  in  use  has  in  some  instances  proved 
beneficial  to  every  cultivated  crop,  and  in  other  cases 
has  been  indifferent  or  even  detrimental .” 

- «— « - <3  B3» - *— «» - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Hatural  and  Artificial  Queen  Bees. 

I  have  recently  been  reading  some  of  the  writ¬ 
ings  of  Prof.  Siebold,  relating  to  the  reproduction 
of  the  honey  bee,  which  go  to  establish  Dzierzon’s 
theory,  namely,  that  in  the  production  of  workers 
and  queens,  connection  between  the  sexes  is  nec¬ 
essary,  but  to  produce  drones,  such  connection 
is  unnecessary.  To  substantiate  this  theory,  he 
brings  forward  the  case  of  several  insects,  which 
without  intercourse  of  the  sexes  produce  females. 
But  since  the  drones  are  males,  I  do  not  perceive 
the  relevancy  of  the  proof. 

In  relation  to  the  manner  of  producing  natural 
queens,  I  hold  that  it  is  on  this  wise:  The  work¬ 
ers  commence  a  royal  cell,  usually  on  the  edge 
of  the  comb,  and  when  about  one  third  finished, 
the  queen  bee  deposits  an  egg,  leaving  the  work¬ 
ers  to  complete  the  cell.  With  the  egg  is  depo¬ 
sited  a  substance  called  the  royal  jelly,  which,  in 
my  opinion,  is  neither  more  than  less,  than  the 
impregnated  semen  of  the  drones.  This  alone 
possesses  the  wonderful  power  of  changing  both 
the  physical  and  nervous  system  of  the  bee  ;  no¬ 
thing  collected  from  the  vegetable  kingdom  could 
produce  such  an  effect,  it  can  be  done  only  in  the 
natural  way,  which  the  Creator  has  devised  for 
the  reproduction  of  animal  life.  The  workers 
continue  to  feed  the  larvae  with  the  necessary 
food,  in  which  the  drones’  semen  forms  a  com¬ 
ponent  part ;  when  ready  to  cnange  from  the 
larvae  to  the  chrysalis  state,  they  close  the  cell 
with  an  over-supply  of  the  same  food.  When  the 
queen  is  perfected,  she  gnaws  off  the  cap  from 
her  cell,  thrusts  out  her  proboscis,  and  the  work¬ 
ers  feed  her.  In  a  few  days  she  flies  out  for  the 
purpose  of  having  her  receptacle  or  oviary  filled 
with  the  semen  of  the  drones,  then  she  returns, 
and  is  capable  of  laying  workers’  eggs. 

When  the  queen  of  the  hive  is  accidentally  lost 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


295 


or  destroyed,  an  artificial  queen  is  supplied  by  the 
workers  The  process,  as  given  by  most  authors 
is,  that  the  workers  take  the  egg  or  larva  of  a 
worker,  when  nut  more  than  three  days  old,  and 
out  of  this  they  make  an  artificial  queen  by  prepar¬ 
ing  a  suitable  cell,  and  feeding  it  with  royal  jelly  ; 
thus  ascribing  to  the  workers  the  power  of  creat¬ 
ing  a  distinct  bee,  entirely  different  in  form  and 
structure  from  themselves,  which  is  a  power 
possessed  by  the  Creator  alone.  According  to 
this  theory  the  change  of  sex  is  produced  by  the 
peculiar  food  given  them  in  their  embryo  state, 
called  royal  jelly. 

All  of  the  difference  between  the  manner  of 
making  an  artificial  or  a  natural  queen  is,  that  in 
a  natural  one  the  cell  is  commenced  and  about 
one  third  built,  before  the  egg  is  deposited,  but 
for  an  artificial  queen,  an  egg  is  selected  from 
among  the  worker  cells,  and  two  other  cells 
immediately  surrounding  it,  together  with  their 
larvae,  are  destroyed,  and  this  space  is  made  by 
the  workers  into  one  cell,  in  which  their  future 
queen  is  fed  and  raised,  the  change  from  a  work¬ 
er  egg  to  a  queen  bee  being  effected  by  the 
semen  of  the  drones. 

Dr.  Donhoff,  a  celebrated  German  writer, 
reared  a  worker’s  larva  from  a  drone  egg,  which 
he  had  artificially  impregnated  with  the  semen 
of  the  drone.  (See  Langstroth  on  the  Honey  Bee, 
pp.  41,42)  Huber,  by  introducing  some  royal 
jelly  into  cells  containing  worker  eggs,  obtained 
queens.  (Langstroth,  pp  191,  192  ) 

Dzierzon,  and  many  other  apiarians  hold  to  the 
same  opinion,  that  is,  that  this  peculiar  jelly, 
which  possesses  the  necessary  power  to  change 
the  sex  of  the  bee,  is  nothing  more  than  the  se¬ 
men  of  the  drone.  The  Creator  has  not  caused 
so  many  drones  without  their  use  in  the  repro¬ 
duction  of  their  race. 

I  submit  the  foregoing  for  the  careful  examina¬ 
tion  of  those  who  take  an  interest  in  the  sexes, 
or  the  practical  operations  of  the  bee.  E.  Kirby. 

Henrietta.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  9,  1859. 

Mr.  Kirby’s  theory,  that  the  semen  of  the  drone 
forms  a  portion  of  the  food  of  the  royal  larva,  is 
at  war  with  physiological  facts,  and  is  not  sup¬ 
ported  by  any  observations  with  which  we  are 
familiar.  It  is  also  inconsistent  with  the  produc¬ 
tion  of  artificial  queens  in  hives,  which  are  en¬ 
tirely  without  drones,  and  with  the  fact  that  the 
royal  eggs,  as  seen  in  observing  hives,  are  depo¬ 
sited  by  the  queen  without  the  accompaniment 
of  jelly. 

- -  i  —  o  ■— - - - - 

Consecutive  Swarms  of  Bees. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist 

In  the  August  Agriculturist,  page  231,  J.  B., 
mentions  an  instance  of  bees  swarming  on  two 
consecutive  days.  As  I  have  had  an  instance  of 
this  kind,  under  somewhat  different  circumstan¬ 
ces,  I  will  give  the  particulars,  as  I  wish  to  make 
inquiry.  June  20th  a  swarm  issued  and  cluster¬ 
ed  in  two  places.  A  neighbor  was  called  (being 
absent  myself)  and  the  swarms  hived  in  seperate 
hives.  One  returned  to  the  parent  hive  in  about 
an  hour,  the  other  is  now  a  good  swarm.  Twelve 
days  later,  piping  was  first  heard  in  the  parent 
hive  which  continued  to  the  fourteenth  day  from 
the  first  issue,  when  the  second  swarm  came  out 
and  was  hived.  The  next  day  (15th  day  from 
1st  swarm)  the  third  swarm  came  out,  was  hived 
and  i-s  now  (August  8th,)  doing  well.  As  the 
piping  of  at  least  two  queens  was  heard  after  the 
third  swarm  left,  I  watched  closely  for  another 
swarm  or  for  dead  queens.  Nothing  was  seen 
until  the  next  morning  (16th  from  1st  swarm), 
when  I  went  early  to  look  for  dead  queens,  and 
while  there,  saw  the  bees  drag  two  from  the  hives. 


I  afterwards  found  another,  and  witnessed  a  part 
of  the  deadly  conflict  between  the  4th  and  5th 
queens.  Now  as  there  must  have  been  at  least 
seven  young  queens  raised  in  this  hive,  I  would 
like  to  enquire  of  your  correspondents  if  they  can 
give  the  probable  condition  of  those  queen  cells 
at  the  time  the  old  queen  left.  I  make  this  in¬ 
quiry  for  information.  J.  F.  Lester. 

McHenry  Co.,  III. 

- -  I  .  Jg<gte- - MS - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Marketing  Grain. 


“  John,”  said  a  miller  to  his  youngest  son  (so  the 
story  runs)  “  go  and  take  toll  from  that  last  grist.” 
“  Yes  sir,”  answered  John.  Shortly  after,  Thom¬ 
as  came  in,  and  the  miller  sent  him  to  see  if 
John  had  tolled  the  grist.  Not  seeing  John,  he 
made  sure  by  tolling  it  himself.  Soon,  the  miller 
exclaimed,  “  I  can’t  trust  those  plaguey  boys,” 
and  thereupon  the  grist  was  tolled  the  third  time 
by  his  own  hands.  It  is  easy  for  the  farmer  to 
guard  against  such  accidents,  but  a  tax  like  this 
upon  his  every  grist,  would  be  light  compared 
with  the  amount  he  indirectly  pays  to  those  who 
stand  between  him  and  the.  consumer  of  his  sta¬ 
ples.  As  the  grain  business  is  conducted  at  pres¬ 
ent,  the  crop  usually  passes  from  the  farmer,  first 
to  the  local  speculator,  who  himself,  or  by  his 
agents,  visits  the  neighboring  towns  and  pays 
prices,  as  much  below  the  market  rates,  as  he  can 
persuade  farmers  to  accept.  Shrewd  and  un¬ 
principled  men  engaged  in  this  business,  use 
every  effort  to  hear  the  local  market,  that  is,  by 
false  quotations  of  rates  in  the  newspapers,  and 
other  tricks,  to  reduce  the  price  in  the  neighbor¬ 
hood  where  they  are  operating.  Combinations 
are  sometimes  made  by  operators  to  control  the 
prices  to  be  paid  in  the  district  where  they  are 
buying,  and  those  obliged  to  sell,  have  no  alterna¬ 
tive  but  to  pay  the  extra  “  toll.”  But  the  grain 
thus  purchased,  seldom  goes  direct  to  the  mill  or 
to  the  consumer.  Another,  and  sometimes  two 
or  three  sets  of  dealers,  one  above  the  other,  are 
operating  on  a  larger  scale,  purchasing  from  the 
local  speculators,  and  calculating  on  a  remuner¬ 
ative  profit.  Probably  two  thirds  of  the  grain 
raised,  thus  passes  through  the  hands  of  two  par¬ 
ties  before  it  comes  into  actual  use,  and  neither 
of  these  parties  adds  a  penny  to  its  value  by 
manufacture  or  otherwise,  although  they  do  add 
to  the  price.  It  is  said  in  defence  of  this  class  of 
buyers,  that  they  bring  a  market  to  the  produ¬ 
cer’s  door  ;  that  the  miller  and  those  of  whom 
the  consumer  buys,  can  not  attend  to  gathering 
up  the  scattered  parcels.  Now  if  the  farmers  of 
every  town,  or  of  several  adjoining  towns  would 
appoint  a  day,  say,  once  a  month  when  they 
would  meet  purchasers,  in  other  words  establish 
a  grain  fair,  millers  and  others  would  find  it  well 
worth  their  while  to  be  in  attendance,  and  the 
services  of  middle  men  could  thus  be  dispensed 
with.  Such  a  plan  would  also  insure  greater  uni¬ 
formity  of  prices.  Now,  each  individual  has  a 
kind  of  private  corn  exchange,  the  rates  of  which 
are  controlled  by  his  circumstances,  sources  of 
information,  etc.,  and  it  is  often  difficult  for  him 
to  know  what  a  fair  market  price  really  is.  By 
a  combination  as  above  suggested,  producers 
could  have  control  of  the  markets  sufficient,  at 
least,  to  meet  the  combinations  made  by  buyers, 
and  thus  stand  upon  equal  ground. 

„  Grain  Grower. 

Remarks. — There  is  some  truth  in  what  “Grain 
Grower  ”  asserts,  but  the  evil  is  not  quite  so  bad 
as  he  would  make  it.  The  grain  buyers  not  only 
bring  a  market  to  the  doors  of  the  producers,  but 
in  the  long  run  they  pay  about  as  much  to  them, 


as  they  could  possibly  ge4  by  any  other  means. 
The  grain  and  flour  dealers  sometimes  make 
money,  but  about  as  often  lose  it  by  paying  the 
producer  more  than  the  future  markets  will  bear. 
Take  the  past  twelve  months,  for  example,  and 
you  find  that  nine-tenths  of  dealers  have  lost 
money,  and  very  many  have  even  become  bank¬ 
rupt — they  paid  too  high  for  their  grain  and  flour 
— to  the  advantage  of  producers.  There  is  gen¬ 
erally  a  competition  among  buyers.  We  have  sat 
upon  many  a  load  of  wheat  in  the  street,  until  the 
buyers  ran  up  their  bids  for  it,  quite  above  the 
“reported  prices.”  The  “  fairs  ”  might  do  well, 
but  there  is  the  danger  that  so  many  sellers 
brought  together  might  be  apt  to  undersell  each 
other. — Ed] 

-  *xt  *  >-»■■■■ 

Letter  to  Esq.  Bunker  from  his  Neighbors. 

[We  are  rather  anxious  for  our  friend  Bunker.  We 
have  already  printed,  on  the  inside  sheet  of  this  number, 
page  303,  a  very  complacent  letter  from  the  ’Squire,  and 
we  fear,  he  will  be  rather  disturbed  by  the  follow  ing  let¬ 
ter,  which  comesjust  as  we  go  to  press.  There  is  trouble 
about  that  “  mash  ”  (marsh),  referred  to  last  month,  and 
to  be  fair,  we  must  give  the  aggrieved  gentlemen  a  chance 
to  speak.— Ed.] 

To  Timothy  Bunker  Esq. — You  are  getting 
people  all  by  the  hair,  up  here  in  Hookr.rtown, 
which  don’t  look  well  in  a  Justice.  Them  per¬ 
sonalities  must  be  stopped,  or  we  shall  have  to 
put  a  stopper  on  your  being  justice  of  the  pease, 
enny  mower. 

There  is  tew  sides  to  all  questions,  and  as 
many  as  tew  to  that  mash.  Jf  taint  a  humbug, 
it’s  a  grate  hobby,  and  is  bound  to  run  itself 
strate  intu  the  ground.  Then,  we  guess  some¬ 
body  else  will  be  riting  funny  things  in  the  pa¬ 
pers,  abeout  thare  naburs,  beside  Square  Bunker. 
One  of  ’em,  a  district  Committee  man,  who 
knows  all  abeout  skools,  sez,  that  he  never  knew 
a  mash  yet  that  dident  turn  Injun,  and  he  guess¬ 
es  Square  Bunker  cant  work  mirakles,  to  keep 
his’n  from  ’postatizing.  He  sez,  that  you've 
spent  a  deal  of  money,  and  it’s  nothing  but  mon¬ 
ey,  that  makes  this  mare  go,  as  in  other  kases. 
Bimebye  the  tide  gate  will  get  broke,  the  ditches 
will  fill  up,  the  clover  will  die  eout,  and  eel-grass 
begin  to  grow  again— and  some  fine  morning 
you’ll  be  looking  for  that  mash,  and  find  it  under 
water. 

Jake  Frink  sez,  that  crabs,  and  salt  water  tad¬ 
poles,  will  be  swimming  all  over  it  arter  a  little 
while.  Jake  feels  as  kross  as  Tophet,  a-t  being 
called  ny;k-names,  and  we  guess  he  ain’t  the  only 
ones  nuther.  His  son  Hezekiah,  that  you  have 
black-guarded  so  much,  isgwine  to  marry  a  ’spec- 
table  widder,  and  he  don’t  wan’t  to  be  nick-named, 
enny  mower. 

There’s  tew  of  your  naburs,  at  least,  who  take 
the  paper,  that  want  this  business  stopped. 
When  we  inquire  abeout  tide  gates,  or  enny 
sich  like  konsarns,  we  don’t  want  to  be  maid  fun 
of,  and  shant. — How  would  you  like  it  yer  self, 
Square  Bunker,  to  have  your  naburs  twit  you 
abeout  them  long-legged  boots,  or  that  old  hat, 
that  cum  deown  from  Noah’s  ark,  and  them  oth¬ 
er  klothes,  that  aint  exactly  the  rig  for  a  justice  ; 
or  abeout  Kier  Frink’s  beating  you  at  shooting 
musk-rats,  and  he  has  done  it  menny  a  lime.  Don’t 
you  kno’  yer  self,  that  twitting  on  facts,  riles  up 
people  dreddfully,  and  is  like  fire  and  brimstone 
on  the  raw  flesh  !  Neow,  ye  see,  Square,  folks 
as  lives  in  glass  houses  should  not  throw  stuns. 
We  jest  want  to  let  you  kno’,  that  we’ve  got 
stuns  to  throw,  and  shal  sartintly  throw  ’em  i« 
you  don’t  stop  them  personalities. 

Verry  Detarminedly,  Your  Naburs, 

Geo.  Washinoton  Tvcksr 
Benj.  Franrun  Jokes, 

Hookertown,  Ct.,  Sept.  10,  1859. 


996 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  153. 


Advertising  Information— Gratis. — IV. 

(Continued  from  page  264.) 

As  was  to  be  expected,  the  “information” 
given  in  these  articles,  is  not  relished  by  those 
who  prefer  darkness  to  light.  Attempted  person¬ 
al  abuse  is  poured  forth  without  stint,  and  with¬ 
out  the  slightest  regard  to  truth.  (Some  parties 
have  already  laid  themselves  open  to  “libel  suits,” 
were  the  game  worth  the  powder.)  One  pompous 
little  man  threatens  to  “  totally  extinguish  the 
insignificant  Agriculturist'’!  Complaint  is  made 
that  we  are  “  prying  into  other  people’s  business 
which  we  frankly  confess  to  be  doing,  but  only 
when  the  public  is  interested  in  that  “business.” 
We  are  more  than  ever  convinced  of  the  neces¬ 
sity  of  these  investigations.  The  multitude  of 
lettirs,  and  personal  expressions  of  approval,  daily 
received  from  our  readers,  show  unmistakably 
their  appreciation  of  these  efforts  to  put  them  on 
their  guard  against-  those  who  seek  to  take  their 
money  without  just  equivalent.  We  shall  fear¬ 
lessly  continue  the  course  we  have  begun,  so  long 
as  it  appears  to  be  needed,  and  needed  it  will  be 
until  people  are  so  far  initiated  into  the  secrets 
of  a  certain  class  of  plausible  advertisers,  as  to 
be  fully  shielded  from  their  impositions.* 

In  a  large  number  of  instances  where  we  have 
sent  “stamps”  or  money  to  advertisers,  no  an¬ 
swer  has  been  received — indeed  this  is  the  gen¬ 
eral  rule,  though  our  letters  are  mailed  at  vari¬ 
ous  country  post  offices.  Now  and  then  we  hit 
upon  parties  who  appear  to  be  bona  fide.  One 
class  of  advertisers  we  must  specially  caution  our 
readers  against.  Here  is  an  example  : 

(No.  10.) 

Two  parties,  one  in  New-Hampshire,  and  one 
in  Maine,  advertised  for  one  or  more  young  men 
as  agents  at  very  liberal  salaries.  We  addressed 
them  with  the  required  “  stamps,”  and  received 
in  return  a  showbill  of  a  reputed  “  Sewing  Ma¬ 
chine  Company,”  under  an  imposing  name.  They 
wanted  us  to  send  $15  for  a  sample  machine,  and 
try  our  luck  at  selling  it.  If  we  made  out  well 
for  a  month,  they  would  put  us  on  salary  at  $50 
to  $75  per  month  and  “  all  expenses  paid.”  If 
we  failed,  we  would  still  have  a  good  machine 
cheap  Now  this  all  appears  fair  ;  but,  first,  we 
are  not  certain  that  any  such  company  exists,  or 
that  we  should  ever  hear  from  our  $15  again  if 
we  sencLit ;  and,  second,  we  ought  to  have  our  first 
“  trial  machine  ”  at  the  wholesale  prices  which 
we  are  assured  is  $10.  A  young  man  In  Penn¬ 
sylvania  writes  us,  that  he  invested  $15  thus  in  a 
Northern  New-York  concern,  and  after  long  try¬ 
ing  can  not  hear  from  it,  but  on  the  contrary,  he 
hears  that  no  such  concern  is  known  except 
within  an  out-of-the-way  Post-office. . .  .We  have 
on  hand  many  investigated  cases,  including  large 
numbers  of  letters  from  subscribers  and  others, 
telling  how  they  have  been  duped  in  sundry  ways, 
but  we  have  now  only  room  for  the  following  : 

(No.  11.) 

Under  this  number  we  will  include  a  variety  of 
advertisements,  partly  clipped  from  newspapers, 
and  partly  sent  to  us  by  several  readers,  which  all 
emanate  from  the  city  of  Baltimore,  and  from  the 
same  establishment.  Some  of  them  are  signed 

*  Some  one  sends  us  a  marked  copy  of  a  scurrilous  sheet,  is¬ 
sued  by  one  of  the  pwri  ies  recently  menlioned  in  these  art  icles. 
Its  very  language  and  subterfuges,  exhibit  the  real  character 
of  the  writer,  and  the  justice  of  what  we  have  said  of  him  in 
the  connection  in  which  he  was  referred  10.  Every  point  at¬ 
tempted  lobe  made  in  his  manifesto,  is  either  sheer  fabrication, 
without  the  slightest  foundation  in  fact,  or,  a  tortured  state¬ 
ment  of  transactions,  which  no  other  person,  not  even  his  in¬ 
formant.  would  have  dreamed  of  considering  discreditable  to 
us.  With  this  general  statement  we  can  hardly  consider  it 
worth  whiie  to  enter  into  controversy  with  one  who  has  been, 
according  to  his  own  account,  in  constant  trouble  with  the 
press,  (never  before,  with  us).  If  any  one  of  our  readers,  fail¬ 
ing  to  see  t lie  character — the  animus— of  the  statements  put 
forth,  should  attach  the  slightest  importance  to  them,  we  shall 
be  happy  to  give  him  any  needed  explanation,  and  if  need  be, 
submit  for  inspection  sundry  letters  that  are  reaching  us. 


by  a  man,  (a  “  Dr.”),  and  some  by  a  woman  of  the 
same  name.  In  one  of  these  advertisements  a 
“  Honey  recipe”  is  offered  ;  in  another  a  “  Female 
Pill”;  in  another  a  “  Chemical  process  for  clean¬ 
ing  clothes  ”;  another  is  addressed  “  To  the  Suf¬ 
fering  and  Benevolent  another  announces 
“  Love  Powders  ”  for  sale  ;  another  offers  a 
“  Bread-Making  Recipe  ”  for  $1  ;  another  a  “Cele¬ 
brated  Matrimonial  Series  of  Books  ”;  and  soon. 
One  reads  thus : 

(No.  12.) 

(O.OOD  NEWS  FOR  LADIES— Any  Lady 

who  will  sent,  her  address  to  Mrs. - Baltimore  Cily 

Md.,  with  three  3-cent  postage  stamps  included,  will  receive 
by  return  mail  something  of  importance  to  her. — *‘  Woman, 
KNOW  THYSELF  AND  Be  HAPPY. ”  * 

A  Lady’s  address,  and  the  “three  stamps,”  were 
forwarded.  Under  one  of  the  stamps  came  back 
eight  different  slips  of  paper,  partly  manuscript, 
and  partly  printed.  The  disgusting,  criminal 
character  of  part  of  these  is  such  that  we  can  not 
pollute  our  pages  hv  a  description  of  them.  We 
hold  them  ready  for  the  use  of  the  authorities  of 
Baltimore,  who  should  abate  this  sink-hole  of  im¬ 
position  and  crime.  We  have  in  this  case,  as  in 
others,  suppressed  the  full  address,  to  avoid 
advertising  the- parlies  to  the  vicious,  but  we 
hope  what  we  have  said  is  sufficient  to  caution 
respectable  females  against  sending  their  names 
and  “stamps”  to  any  such  inviting  advertise¬ 
ment  as  the  above. 

(No.  13.) 

T.TONEY  !  THE  BEST  OP  HONEY— 

.S. ill  have  a  valuable  recipe  for  making  Honey,  which  I  will 
sen  i  to  any  person  upon  receipt  of  fifty  cents.  We  make  and 
use  in  our  family  at  half  the  cost,  and  consider  it  as  good  as  the 
best  article  of  genuine  bee  made  honey,  “  from  which  it  can  not  be 
told.”  Any  person  who  will  make  and  sell  it  can  clear  from  two 
to  three  dollars  a  day.  It  only  requires  4  articles  to  make  it,  and 
they  can  be  had  at  any  store  for  fifty  cents.  Every  family  may 
have  this  delightful  luxury,  for  any  lady  can  make  it  in  fifteen 
minutes  at  any  time.  Three-cent  postage  stamps  as  good  as 
money. — Add  i  ess,  etc. 

Who  wouldn’t  send  the  paltry  sum  of  fifty  cents 
for  such  a  recipe  !  What  a  luxury  it  will  be  to 
always  have  good  honey,  “  as  good  as  the  best 
made  by  honey  bees.”  Why,  with  honey  so 
cheap,  we  could  have  company  at  tea  every  night, 
especially  if  somebody  would  help  us  to  get  up 
bread  at  “  half  price.”  We  were  rather  jealous 
for  the  credit  of  our  faithful  bees,  but  remember¬ 
ing  that  they  sometimes  sting  us  when  getting  at 
their  honey,  and  forgetting  how  often  we  had  got 
“  stung  ”  in  answering  advertisements,  we  posted 
off  the  “  fifty  cents,”  and  here  is  the  recipe  just 
as  it  came,  verbatim,  et  spellalim,  el  punctuoMm. 

“  Honey.” 

Take  H  tbs.  best  bee  honey  (without  comb)  ;  5  ibs.  best 
brown  sugar  (a  clean  bright  article) ;  ]•)  pints  pure  cold 
water  ;  2  ounces  of  cream  a  Tartar.  First  dissolve  the 
cream  a  Tartar  in  a  liltie  cold  water,  then  put  all  the  ar¬ 
ticles  together  and  boil  them  (in  a  tin  or  brass  vessel)  un¬ 
till  all  are  fully  melted  usually  from  12  to  15  minits,  stir 
while  boiling  and  skim  the  froth  that  may  arise  which 
may  be  used  in  the  family,  when  cold  ready  for  use,  but 
improves  much  by  age,  after  you  once  make  you  can  use 
of  the  honey  you  have  made  to  make  again  and  so  on. 

Then  follo  ws  a  puff  of  the  article,  including  the 
statement  that  this  is  the  “  best  article  in  the 
Baltimore  market,”  and  it  “sells  readily  at  31 
cents  the  lb.”  But  hold  !  what  a  “scrape”  we 
are  getting  into.  Right  after  the  above,  and  on 
the  same  letter  sheet  we  find  the  following  omi¬ 
nous  document. 

“  Baltimore  City  State  of  Maryland  s.s. 

To  all  whom  it  may  concern,  This  may  certify  that 

“ - - ”  (our  friend’s  name)  of  “ - ”,  " - 

Co.”  State  of  New-York,  has  this  day  bought  the  right  to 
make,  use,  and  sell,  as  much  honey  under  my  Patent  as 

she  may  wish,  but  in  no  case  can  said  “ - • — -,» 

give,  sell,  or  in  any  way  transfer  to  any  other  person  the 
right  to  make  said  honey,  without  an  infringement  of  my 
Patent  (this  being  a  family  right  only)  and  thereby  render 
himself  liable  to  prosecution  under  the  United  Stales  Laws 
made  for  the  Protection  of  Patentees,  which  (said  Laws) 
will  be  rigidly  enforced  by  J.  P.  Creager,  done  at  Balti¬ 
more  State  of  Maryland  this  9th  dav  of  September  1 859. 

Attest  Francis  M.  Creager,  for  Dr.  J.  P.  Creager,  Pa¬ 
tentee.” 

Well,  Dr.  J.  P.  Creager,  “  Patentee,”  go  ahead 
now  and  ‘  prosecute’  the  man,  no  the  lady,  as  you 
think,  to  whom  you  sent  the  above.  We  have 
omitted  her — his — name,  but  you  of  course  know 


it.  And  see  here,  Doctor,  while  you  are  about  it,  you 
may  as  well  prosecute  the  editor  of  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist  too,  for  he  published  the  above  “  recipe  ”  (with 
a  slight  variation)  two  years  ago.  See  Yoi.  XVI, 
page  161  (August  1857).  He  then  got  it  from 
another  “patentee.”  [The  proportions  then  giv¬ 
en  were  :  20  lbs.  coarse  sugar,  3  qts.  water,  C 
lbs.  good  honey,  1  teaspoon  (ill  essence  of  pep¬ 
permint,  and  only  one-fifth  ounce  of  cream  of 
tartar — a  better  recipe  than  the  above  we  sus¬ 
pect.] — Since  then,  an  advertisement  of  the 
“  honey  recipe  ”  has  been  offered  to  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  (but  refused)  ever  so  many  times,  by  ever 
so  many  “  patentees.” — You  can  pass  on,  now, 
“Dr.”  Creager,  but  don't  go  out  of  sight,  for  we 
are  quite  likely  to  want  you  again,  soon.  F.  S. — 
We  forgot  to  say,  “Dr.”  Creager,  that  our  friend 
thinks  he  (not  she)  can  make  money  enough  out 
of  your  “honey  recipe,”  and  lie  won’t  just  now, 
take  hold  of  those  other  splendid  “  rights,”  etc., 
etc.,  which  you  took  a  whole  second  page  of  fools¬ 
cap  to  describe  in  such  glowing  terms  to  him. 

(No.  14.) 

RHEUMATISM — I  desire  to  communi- 

cate  with  all,  old  and  young,  afflicted  with  Rheumatism, 
inflammatory  or  chronic  ;  I  have  a  sure' and  speedy  cure ;  will 
send  particulars.  Address  Dr. ,  — — , . 

The  above  appeared  in  the  “  advertising  items  ” 
of  a  weekly  paper  at  $1.25  per  line.  The 
“  particulars  ”  were  sent  for.  There  came  a  long 
circular  giving  the  discovery  of  a  root  which  has 
cured  sundry  persons.  The  doctor  don’t  tell  us 
anything  of  the  name  of  the  root  and  we  are 
wholly  in  the  dark  as  to  its  real  value..  So  we 
must  limp  along  with  the  “  rheumatics,”  or  send 
him  $2  for  the  remedy  in  liquid  form,  or  in  pow¬ 
der  enough  to  make  a  quart.  But  we  suppose 
this  is  all  right.  The  “  Dr.”  only  promised 
to  give  “  particulars,”  and  we  have  got  ’em, 

and, - are  satisfied. 

(To  be  continued  as  needed.) 

- - -»  . - ««»©•»»—  -  - - — 

Repair  the  Roads. 

Everybody’s  business  is  quite  apt  to  become 
nobody’s  business.  Travelers  through  almost, 
every  section  of  the  country  find  this,  often  to 
their  cost,  in  the  state  of  the  roads.  Jaded  horses, 
broken  vehicles,  mud  bespattered  clothing,  and 
limbs  weary  and  sore  from  incessant  jolts,  are  the 
almost  certain  attendants  of  any  extended  jour¬ 
ney  by  private  conveyance.  But  the  inconve¬ 
nience  of  had  roads  to  the  occasional  traveler  is 
trifling,  compared  with  the  loss  and  annoyance 
suffered  by  residents  of  the  neighborhood.  The 
discouraged  traveler  may  take  the  rail  car,  or  tlm 
steamboat,  but  there  is  no  escape  for  those  living 
in  the  locality.  Every  visit  to  a  neighbor,  every 
trip  to  mill  or  to  meeting,  involves  a  loss  of 
time,  comfort,  and  patience,  together  with  much 
useless  wear  and  tear  of  running  gear.  Very 
soon  the  Autumn  rains,  and  alternate  freezings 
and  thawings  will  render  roads  already  out  of  re¬ 
pair,  almost  impassable.  Do  not  neglect  bad 
spots  adjoining  your  premises,  because  your  road- 
tax  is  already  worked  out,  or  the  road-master 
is  remiss.  A  day’s  work  on  the  road  will  often 
save  a  costly  job  at  the  wagon  maker’s.  Exam¬ 
ine  all  bridges  and  sluices.  See  that  there  are  no 
obstructions  to  water  courses  that  will  cause 
dangerous  icy  slides  the  coming  Winter.  Take 
advantage  also  of  every  opportunity  to  turn  the 
rich  wash  of  the  road  upon  your  own  premises, 
and  so  arrange  channels  that  it  may  be  distrib¬ 
uted  widely,  and  not  form  an  unsightly  embank¬ 
ment  near  the  fence  where  it  empties  into  the 
field.  Let  every  body  see  that  h is  business  in  this 
respect  is  attended  lo,  and  then  nobody’s  will  be 
neglected. 


Get,  1859, 


297 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


The  design,  presented  herewith,  is  furnished  to 
sis  by  Messrs.  Saeltzer  &  Valk,  “architects -of  the 
Academy  of  Music,  Astor  Library,  ete.”  The  de¬ 
sign  did  not  strike  us  favorably  at  first,  nor  are 
we  greatly  pleased  with  it  after  a  closer  study. 
The  fault  may,  perhaps,  be  in  our  own  want  of 
due  appreciation,  and  we  therefore  give  the  archi¬ 
tects  an  opportunity  to  lay  their  plans  before  the 
public,  for  approval  or  condemnation,  as  the  re¬ 
sult  may  be.  With  a  few  unimportant  verbal 
changes  and  omissions,  we  give  the  architects’ 
own  claims  and  description  : 

“  The  conception  of  a  new  style  of  architecture 
is  a  matter  of  considerable  importance  to  the  ar¬ 
chitects  among  ottr  own  countrymen.  Why 
should  we  not  have  a  style  of  our  own,  truly 
American  in  its  characteristics,  though  it  may  not 
be  entirely  new  1  The  noble  minds  of  the  Gre¬ 
cians  produced  a  grand  and  noble  style  ;  the  lux¬ 
ury  of  the  Romans  one  of  magnificence  ;  the 
Arabians  a  fantastic  and  romantic  style;  the  Eng¬ 
lish  a  style  equally  as  characteristic  of  the  peo¬ 
ple  ;  and  yet  we,  with  all  our  ingenuity  and  love 
of  progress,  are  yet  unahle  to  acknowledge  a 
style  of  our  own.  Afier  four  years  of  study  of 
the  different  styles,  and  extensive  travels  in  other 
countries,  we  submit  the  above  design  as  being  as 
near  an  approach  to  an  exposition  of  American  • 
life  as  architectural  forms  can  represent.  The 
Italian  order  was  taken  as  the  foundation,  but 
revised  to  suit  the  different  purposes  and  wants 
required.  We  do  not  attempt  the  impossibility  of 
originating  an  entirely  new  style,  but  simply  to 
modify  former  styles  so  as  to  harmonize  with  the 
life  of  our  countrymen.  We  wish  it  understood 
that  the  above  is  only  one  example  and  one  plan. 

Description. — The  external  general  architec¬ 
tural  appearance  is  shown  in  the  elevation  plan 
above.  By  reference  to  this,  with  the  annexed 
ground  plan,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  entrance  is 
through  an  arbor  and  enclosed  piazza,  leading  to 
the  main  hall  which  communicates  with  the  par¬ 
lor,  library,  and  sitting  room.  The  main  stair¬ 
case  is  in  the  rear  of  the  main  hall.  The  parlor 
has  a  beautiful  bay-window  in  front,  and  a  com¬ 
municating  hall,  and  an  enclosed  piazza  on  the 
rear  which  has  steps  to  the  garden.  The  com¬ 
municating-hall  leads  to  the  dining-room  and  kit¬ 


chen.  This  location  of  the  dining-room  and  kit¬ 
chen  disconnects  them  from  the  other  rooms. 
The  dining-room  lias  the  various  conveniences, 
such  as  the  butler’s  pantry,  enclosed  piazza, 
(marked  P  2),  a  sitting  place  (S.  P),  etc.  The 
kitchen  has  pantry,  laundry,  rear  entrance,  and 
servants’  stair-case,  all  distinct  from  other  parts 
of  the  house  The  dimensions  of  the  principal 
rooms  are  all  marked  on  the  ground  plan  below. 

On  the  Second  Floor,  are  six  bed-rooms — each 


the  comforts  and  conveniences  combined,  this 
house  can  he  completed  for  $6,000.  The  great¬ 
est  economy  in  the  construction  has  been  con¬ 
stantly  kept  in  view  in  the  conception  of  thv 
style.” 

Remarks. — The  study  of  this  plan,  like  that  ol 
every  other  one,  however  perfect  or  faulty  in  it¬ 
self,  will  he  useful.  One  can  scarcely  examini 
any  plan  carefully,  without  discovering  some  use¬ 
ful  hint ;  and  as  almost  every  person  expects,  at 
some  time,  to  construct  or  improve  a  dwelling  ol 
his  own,  we  think  it  advantageous  to  give  fre¬ 
quent  illustrations  of  dwelling  houses,  even  those 
which  we  do  not  approve  as  a  whole.  In  the 
above  plan  we  think  there  are  several  prominent 
defects.  In  matters  of  taste,  what  will  please 
«ne  may  be  disagreeable  to  another,  and  neither 


GROUND  PLAN. 


having  closets  and  a  separate  communication — 
two  bath-rooms,  one  for  the  family,  and  one  for 
servants.  The  second  floor  rooms  are  similar  in 
size  to  those  on  the  fiist  floor,  the  smallest  bed¬ 
room  being  18  by  14  feet.  It  will  he  observed,  by 
reference  to  the  plan,  that  we  have  given  a  series 
of  beautiful  views  through  the  interior  of  the 
house ;  and  also  the  important  requis'te  of 
draughts  of  air  through  all  the  rooms.  With  all 


person  he  able  to  tell  exactly  why  he  is  pleased 
or  displeased.  Thus,  in  the  elevation  plan,  above, 
the  roof  of  the  main  or  center  structure  appears 
too  flat,  or  too  heavy,  or  too  scolloped  at  the 
edges — something  about  it  leaves  an  unpleasant 
impression.  The  cross-piece  and  scroll-work  at 
the  gable,  and  the  upright  ‘‘bed-post”  would  be 
better  left  off,  we  think.  The  cupola,  for  some 
reason  does  not  appear  to  stand  in  the  right  place 


Q98 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


The  pillars  and  mouldings  around  the  front  win¬ 
dows,  appear  proportionally  too  heavy.  The  large 
double  windows  at  the  right  end  of  the  library 
wing,  with  two  others  around  the  corner  very 
similar,  and  especially  the  two  smaller  square 
ones  on  the  same  side,  do  not  harmonize.  In¬ 
deed,  this  is  the  case  with  the  whole  front.  The 
commingling  of  arched  and  square  windows  arid 
entrances  destroys  the  harmony.  But  we  are 
not  professed  critics  in  matters  of  architecture, 
and  therefore  will  not  attempt  further  remarks,  as 
we  have  no  room  for  a  discussion  on  the  part  of 
the  architects.  So  all  we  will  say  is,  that,  individ¬ 
ually,  we  do  not  like  this  ■proposed  new  order  of 
“American  Architecture.”  But  if  it  harmonizes 
with  the  general  feelings  and  tastes,  it  will  come 
into  vogue,  notwithstanding. 

As  a  matter  of  practical  utility,  the  great  num¬ 
ber  of  angles,  side  roofs,  and  suh-roofs,  is  objec¬ 
tionable.  They  invite  leaks,  and  involve  con¬ 
stant  repairs  So  many  outside  doors  are  also 
undesirable.  One  front  entrance,  one  in  the  rear, 
and  one  side  entrance,  are  enough  for  any  ordi¬ 
nary  house.  Respecting  the  ground  plan,  the  ar¬ 
chitects  claim  some  advantages  which  are  real, 
but  are  on  the  whole  counterbalanced.  The  large 
parlor  runs  back  “  into  the  dark,”  it  being  lighted 
mainly  at  one  end.  The  parlor  in  the  center  of  the 
building  is  out  of  place  ;  it  is  the  least  used  room, 
and  yet  is  placed  between  those  most  used  To 
reach  the  oft  frequented  dining-room  from  the  sit¬ 
ting-room  or  library,  without  going  directly 
across  the  parlor,  requires  a  circuitous  route  and 
the  passage  of  at  least  four  doors.  A  “  sitting  ” 
or  family-room  should  be  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
kitchen,  that  the  mistress  of  the  house  may  be 
able  to,  at  least,  keep  an  eye  over  the  working  de¬ 
partment. 


Blinks  from  a  Lantern, . XII. 

BY  DIOGENES  IIEDIVIVUS. 

AN  EMIGRANT  FARMER. 

One  is  apt  to  suppose  that  nomadic  life  disap-- 
pears  with  tents,  and  the  introduction  of  fixed 
abodes  upon  free  homesteads.  But  so  far  as  this 
continent  is  concerned,  there  never  was  a  great¬ 
er  mistake.  The  farmer  of  to-day,  in  the  older 
States  at  least,  is  hardly  more  settled  than  the 
red  man,  who  tilled  his  patches  of  maize,  and 
hunted  buffalo  upon  the  same  soil,  three  hundred 
years  ago.  The  lodge  of  the  Indian  has  disap¬ 
peared,  and  the  light  of  his  council  fires  has  gone 
out,  but  a  race  quite  as  restless  and  nomadic  has 
succeeded  him.  The  wanderings  of  the  aborigi¬ 
nal  tiller  of  the  soil  were  in  some  measure  check¬ 
ed  by  the  limits  of  his  tribe,  and  by  the  fixed  hab¬ 
its  of  the  animals  upon  which  he  relied  for  food, 
as  well  as  by  the  very  narrow  limits  of  the  fields 
he  cultivated.  lie  dreaded  labor,  and  it  was  too 
much  trouble  to  clear  up  new  lands.  The  old 
fields  devoted  to  corn  were  never  suffered  to  re¬ 
lapse  into  forest.  Every  planting  season  brought 
them  round  to  the  same  locality  to  put  in  the  seed, 
and  the  necessities  of  the  crop  kept  them  in  the 
neighborhood  until  it  was  harvested.  The  salmon 
and  shad  made  their  appearance  at  the  falls  of  the 
rivers  about  the  same  time  every  year,  and  thith¬ 
er  they  flocke*  to  gorge  themselves  with  fish, 


and  to  lay  in  Winter  stores.  The  buffalo  and 
deer  were  fat  in  Autumn,  and  this  was  the  sea¬ 
son  for  the  grand  hunts  that  called  all  the  tribe 
together  for  the  yearly  reunion.  Thus  the  In¬ 
dian  roamed  within  narrow  limits,  and  though 
his  tent  was  movable,  his  homestead  was  perma¬ 
nent,  and  he  looked  forward  with  confidence  to  a 
resting  place  among  the  graves  of  his  fathers. 

But  his  successor  puts  up  a  permanent  home, 
calculated  to  last  for  several  generations,  and 
often  sells  it  before  the  putty  has  had  time  to  dry 
and  harden  in  the  windows.  He  opens  new  fields 
in  the  forest,  gathers  bountiful  harvests,  grows 
discontented  with  plenty,  and  sells  out  before  the 
stumps  have  had  time  to  rot  in  the  new  clearing. 
Sometimes  he  moves  into  the  next  parish  upon  a 
farm  not  half  as  good  as  he  sells  ;  and  again,  he 
starts  for  the  shores  of  the  Pacific,  with  unwav¬ 
ering  faith  in  cabbages  of  a  hundred  pounds 
weight,  individual  beets  measuring  a  bushel,  and 
potatoes  a  dozen  to  the  cart  load.  He  has  more 
curiosity  to  see  the  monster  vegetables,  than  the 
nuggets  of  gold,  though  the  latter  are  not  to  be 
despised  if  they  come  in  his  way.  He  quits  old 
associations,  the  homestead,  the  familiar  hills, 
the  school,  the  church,  with  as  little  regret  appa¬ 
rently  as  he  leaves  home  on  a  journey  of  a  week. 

This  spirit  of  unrest,  so  characteristic  of  the 
farming  population  of  this  country,  is  as  active 
now  as  ever,  though  the  form  of  it  is  somewhat 
changed.  Once  it  was  a  final  venture,  to  plunge 
into  the  wilderness  in  search  of  a  new  home.  It 
was  a  long  toilsome  journey  of  months,  by  the 
slow  ox  team,  carrying  all  thegoodsand  chattels, 
an  exodus  from  Egypt  from  which  there  was  no 
return.  A  thousand  miles  of  forest,  and  bad  roads 
and  bridgpless  rivers,  constituted  an  impassable 
gulf  that  the  emigrant  never  expected  to  recross. 
He  went  on  in  search  of  a  dwelling  place,  until 
sheer  exhaustion  or  some  providential  hindrance 
brought  him  to  a  stand.  There  he  built  his  log 
cabin,  and  located. 

Now  he  is  able  to  spy  out  the  land,  and  make 
choice  of  a  home  from  actual  observation  before¬ 
hand.  Four  days  take  the  traveler  from  almost 
any  point  on  the  seaboard  to  the  plains  and  for¬ 
ests  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  at  less  cost  than 
half  of  the  weary  journey  fifty  years  ago.  It  is 
not  a  last  venture,  now  ;  for  should  the  qualms  of 
homesickness  overtake  him,  or  his  wife,  the 
same  iron  steed  that  bears  him  into  the,  wilder¬ 
ness  will  bring  bim  back  again,  his  fortunes  little 
impaired,  and  his  soul  enriched  with  an  experi¬ 
ence  better  than  money. 

These  facilities  for  traveling,  and  the  ease  with 
which  a  bad  move  may  be  retraced,  are  among 
the  causes  that  bear  our  sea-board  population 
westward.  From  Maine  to  Florida,  there  are 
hundreds  of  planters  and  farmers  who  are  gath¬ 
ering  their  last  harvest  upon  their  present  acres. 
With  the  falling  leaves,  the  ties  that  bind  them 
to  their  present  fields  of  toil,  will  be  dissolved, 
and  the  opening  Spring  will  find  them  amid  fresh 
clearings  on  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Red  River, 
and  the  Arkansas,  or  on  the  prairies  in  the  val- 
Iies  of  the  Missouri  and  the  upper  Mississippi. 
A  chapter  from  the  experience  of  an  emigrant 
may  not  be  unprofitable  to  some  of  the  multitude 
whose  faces  are  turned  toward  the  setting  sun. 

Jeduthan  Sawyer  was  a  regular  born  Yankee, 
dwelling  upon  the  coast  of  Rhode  Island.  At  the 
ave  of  thirty,  he  was  in  possession  of  a  hundred 
acre  farm  somewhat  worn  down,  but  so  near  the 
sea,  that  he  had  the  means  of  reclaiming  it,  and 
making  the  whole  as  rich  as  a  garden,  at  small 
cost.  He  owned,  at  least,  a  half  mile  of  beach, 
on  which,  every  Autumn  storm  threw  up  great 
quantities  of  kelp,  eel-grass,  and  other  sea  weeds. 


On  the  west  side  of  his  farm,  a  cove  ran  up  for 
a  long  distance,  and  every  low  tide  laid  bare 
acres  of  mud  several  yards  deep,  the  accumula¬ 
ted  deposit  of  the  sea,  and  of  a  fresh  water 
stream.  Fie  had  the  best  facilities  for  making 
manure,  and  a' good  market  for  every  thing  his 
farm  could  produce,  within  three  miles  of  home. 
Fie  was  doing  pretty  well,  making  a  good  living 
and  saving  something  every  year,  yet  Jeduthan 
grew  uneasy,  and  wanted  to  do  better.  Some  of 
his  neighbors  had  gone  up  into  Connecticut  and 
settled,  and  sent  back  wonderful  reports  of  the 
cheapness  of  land,  the  extent  of  the  forests,  and 
the  chances  for  smart  men  to  make  their  for¬ 
tunes. 

He  sold  out,  and  went  into  one  of  the  border 
towns,  where  none  but  a  farmer  accustomed 
to  the  hardest  of  soils  could  see  any  good  land. 
He  bought  a  farm  of  three  hundred  acres,  run¬ 
ning  in  debt  for  one  half  of  it.  It  was  better  for 
the  dairy,  than  for  any  tiling  else,  having  rocky 
pastures  well  supplied  with  living  streams.  Three 
years  of  hard  work  got  the  pastures  all  cleared 
of  brush,  and  the. buildings  in  good  repair.  His 
wife  made  excellent  butter  and  eheese,  and  be 
could  get  two  cents  a  pound  more  than  any  of 
his  neighbors.  But  he  soon  discovered  that  he 
had  not  capital  enough  to  carry  on  so  large  a 
farm,  the  interest  money  bothered  him,  and  his 
faintly  grew  more  rapidly  than  his  substance. 
The  filth  year  he  sold  out,  and  bought  a  small 
farm  in  one  of  the  vallies  of  Vermont.  He  had 
around  him  some  of  his  old  friends  and  neigh¬ 
bors,  the  land  was  a  good  deal  better  than  any 
thing  be  had  ever  worked  before,  and  for  a  time, 
everything  seemed  to  go  smoothly.  He  could 
raise  as  much  corn  to  the  aere,  and  nearly  twice 
as  many  potatoes,  and  oats,  and  wheat,  of  the 
best  quality  But  Jeduthan  missed  the  ready 
market  for  bis  small  truck,  poultry,  lambs,  veal, 
apples,  peaches,  and  pears,  to  which  he  had  been 
accustomed  in  the  manufacturing  districts,  near 
the  shore.  He  could  stand  it  only  two  years 
among  the  Green  Mountains,  sold  out,  and  moved 
to  the  hills  of  Otsego,  out  west  of  Albany.  This 
was  a  charming  grazing  country,  all  the  hill  sides 
luxuriant  with  white  clover,  abounding  in  springs 
and  clear  cold  streams.  This  was  a  paradise  for 
dairywomen,  and  such  cheeses  as  Mrs.  Sawyer 
turned  out  of  her  hoops,  were  an  astonishment 
to  the  natives.  They  sold  beyond  the  market 
price,  but  still  much  below  what  they  would  have 
brought  in  New-England. 

After  considerable  figuring,  Jeduthan  discov¬ 
ered,  that  lie  had  hardly  so  much  ready  money 
at  the  end  of  the  year  as  he  was  wont  to  have  in 
his  first  home  by  the  shoie.  Nothing  hut  money 
would  pay  up  the  interest  due  on  his  farm,  and 
at  the  close  of  three  years  he  pulled  up  stakes  a 
fourth  time  and  started  for  Ohio. 

Recently,  I  was  out  in  Illinois,  and  had  occa¬ 
sion  to  stop  over  night  at  one  of  the  villages.  In 
the  edge  of  the  evening  an  emigrant  tram  of  three 
wagons  drove  up,  and  who  should  alight,  but  le- 
dutlian  Sawyer,  my  old  acquaintance  of  twenty 
years  ago,  with  bis  v.-ife  and  eight  children,  with 
ail  their  earthly  substance  bound  for  Kansas  ! 
He  bad  owned  and  worked  eleven  different  farms 
in  twenty  years,  bad  moved  fifteen  times,  and, 
like  other  rolling  stones,  bad  gaihered  no  moss. 
.Jeduthan  was  seedy,  and  his  wife  more  so  Tears 
stood  in  their  eyes  as  they  spoke  of  New-England. 
My  lantern  has  not  shone  upon  a  sadder  sight. 


Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  being  asked  how  lie  would 
personate  folly  in  a  painting,  replied  that  he 
would  represent  a  man  climbing  over  a  wall  at 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


399 


the  risk  of  breaking  his  neck,  vith  an  open  gate 
close  by, through  which  he  might  walk  with  ease 
and  safety. 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

The  Bright  Side  of  “Egypt.” 

This  name,  given  to  the  southern  section  of 
Illinois,  is  as  familiar  as  “  Household  Words,”  in 
all  the  Northern  States.  It  has  been  pictured  as 
a  land  of  swamps;  where  frogs,  mosquitoes,  and 
malaria  are  the  chief  products,  where  pccrle  bare¬ 
ly  live  long  enough  to  die  ;  the  few  remaining 
alive,  being  a  set  of  heathens,  who  have  had  brains 
just  sufficient  to  vote  for  Gen.  Jackson,  for  the 
past  twenty  years.  But  the  fine  crops  and  gen¬ 
eral  prosperity  of  the  people  are  fast  attracting 
attention  to  Southern  Illinois,  and  dissipating  its 
unfortunate  reputation.  Ge.ographically  consid¬ 
ered,  it  is  a  most  important  section  of  country, 
being  hounded  on  the  North,  by  the  Ohio  and  Mis¬ 
sissippi  Railroad,  on  the  East,  by  the  Wabash  and 
Ohio  Rivers,  on  the  South,  by  the  Ohio  and  Mis¬ 
sissippi,  on  the  West,  by  the  Mississippi,  beside 
being  divided  through  its  center  by  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad.  Its  latitude  is  favorable,  es¬ 
caping  the  cold  Winters  of  the  North,  and  the 
long  continued  heat  of  the  South,  while  it  has 
direct  access  to  the  three  great  markets  of  the 
West,  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  and  St.  Louis,  and 
also  with  New-Orleans,  at  the  South.  The  nor¬ 
thern  part  of  “Egypt”  is  well  divided  between 
prairie  and  timber ;  the  southern  part  is  mostly 
covered  with  timber,  excepting  where  openings 
have  been  made  for  farms.  It  is  quite  broken 
with  the  exception  of  the  bottoms.  So  far  as 
health  is  concerned,  the  higher  lands  are  as  salu¬ 
brious  as  those  of  New-England.  Immense  beds 
of  coal  underlie  much  of  this  southern  part  of  the 
State,  and  promise  a  glorious  future  for  this  por¬ 
tion  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  when  a  union  is 
formed  with  the  iron  ore  of  Missouri,  which  is 
about  being  consummated  by  the  new  process  of 
working  iron.  In  Randolph  County  alone  are 
seventy  thousand  acres  of  coal  lands. 

The  soil  of  Southen  Illinois  is  of  a  lighter  col¬ 
or  than  that  of  any  other  part  of  the  State,  and  in 
some  places  too  much  clay  prevails,  but  at  other 
points,  the  soil  at  a  depth  of  eight  feet,  after  being 
exposed  to  the  action  of  the  frost  and  atmosphere 
one  year,  will  produce  fine  crops  of  any  kind  ;  of 
such  are  the  bluff  lands  on  the  rivers,  having  a 
reddish  tint.  For  quality  of  wheat,  the  timber 
lands  of  “  Egypt  ”  will  bear  away  the  palm, 
though  occasionally  a  greater  yield  is  had  on  the 
prairies.  For  a  corn  crop,  Central  Illinois  leads 
any  other  part  of  the  State,  with  the  exception  of 
the  great  American  Bottom  opposite  to  St.  Louis, 
though  the  whole  of  “Egypt”  brings  fine  crops 
of  corn  if  Hie  land  is  plowed  deep  and  properly 
tilled  ;  while  her  level  lands  are  better  adapted  to 
tame  grasses  than  the  deep  black  soils — partak¬ 
ing  more  of  the  nature  of  the  celebrated  blue- 
grass  lands  of  Kentucky.  For  the  certainty  of 
the  wheat  crop  in  the  timber  lands  of  southern 
Illinois,  1  found  some  farmers  who  had  grown 
twenty  good  paying  wheat  crops  in  succession, 
and  those  who  had  been  less  fortunate  attributed 
i  heir  losses  to  their  own  neglect. 

The  bluff  lands  and  high  ridges  in  “Egypt,” 
near  the  railroads  and  rivers,  will  make  elysiurns 
for  fruit  growers  ;  in  fact,  there  is  no  business 
connected  with  the  farm  that  will  pay  better 
than  fruit  growing  in  this  part  of  the  State,  and 
in  time  it  will  tell  a  tale  of  success  and  become 
justly  noted,  as  it  will  have  the  St.  Louis,  and  up 
river,  Chicago,  and  Cincinnati  markets  at  com¬ 
mand  ;  while  these  same  high  lands  further  back 


from  roads  and  rivers  make  fine  homes  for  sheep. 

Tire  greatest  objection  to  the  Central  and 
Northern  part  of  Illinois,  is  the  too  frequent  sub¬ 
soil  of  blue  clay  which  holds  every  whit  of  water 
that  falls,  until  it  evaporates,  instead  of  allowing 
it  to  leach  off,  which  makes  the  land  cold  and 
wet  in  the  Spring  ;  and  the  large  prairies,  making 
It  cold  and  bleak  in  Winter.  The  prairies  of 
“  Egypt”  also  have  too  much  of  this  clay.  All 
the  good  points  and  facilities  are  not  centered  in 
anv  one  section  of  country,  but  as  a  whole  and 
without  the  slightest  personal  interest  to  warp 
my  opinion,  I  should  settle  in  Southern  Illinois, 
for  farming  purposes  in  preference  to  any  other 
portion  of  tiie  West;  and  this,  too,  after  four 
years’  experience  in  western  life,  during  very  lit¬ 
tle  of  which  time  I  have  been  stationary.  I  am 
no  fancy  farmer,  but  have  had  the  muscle,  back¬ 
bone,  and  head  experience,  and  would  not  picture 
an  Eden  any  where;  and  if  any  one  should  for  a 
moment  imagine  that  Paradise  is  located  in 
“Egypt,”  the  idea  would  soon  be  dissipated  by  a 
visit  to  the  country.  It  has  hitherto  borne  a  bad 
reputation  for  health  of  body  and  of  soul,  but  its 
future  will  be  as  bright  as  the  past  has  been  dim, 
and  for  the  next  ten  years  no  part  of  the  West 
will  show  a  greater  progress.  Many  Germans  are 
settling  in  this  portion  of  the  “  Sucker”  State,  and 
make  most  excellent  farmers,  and  are  fast  getting 
wealthy.  Much  of  this  section  bears  a  New- 
England  aspect,  but  with  a  far  milder  climate. 
Many  of  the  so  called  “  barrens  ”  that  are  cover¬ 
ed  in  part  with  timber,  with  a  little  labor  in  clear¬ 
ing  out  the  under  brush,  make  most  excellent 
sheep  ranges,  as  there  is  fine  grass  growing  all 
through  the  timber.  Wheat,  fruit,  and  sheep,  or 
wool  growing  will  be  the  leading  features  of 
Egvpt.  E.  G.  Chase. 

St.  Louis,  August,  1859. 

- -o  « -  rd^pg— - - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Are  you  going  to  the  Exhibitions? 

Rustic  life  is  too  apt  to  become  rusty  life.  The 
faculties  are  not  kept  bright  by  contact  with  oth¬ 
ers,  and  much  of  life’s  enjoyment  is  lost.  The 
almost  necessary  seclusion  of  farm  life  is  one  of 
its  disadvantages.  When  men  are  shut  up — eacli 
in  his  own  little  circle  of  observation,  and  having 
absolute  dominion,  they  are  in  danger  of  becom¬ 
ing  narrow  in  their  views,  and  conceited  in  their 
opinion's;  and  this  more  than  almost  anything else, 
hinders  progress  in  agriculture.  “  I  don’t  believe 
in  hook  farming,”  is  still  a  common  expression 
among  those  who  scarcely  understand  what  they 
mean  by  book-farming,  and  too  many  unproduc¬ 
tive  fields  bear  witness  to  the  truth  of  the  asser¬ 
tion.  The  motto  proposed  by  “  Punch,”  for  the 
building  in  which  the  “  World's  Exhibition  ”  in 
London,  was  held  a  few  years  since,  was  expres¬ 
sive  :  “  It  is  a  good,  thing  to  have  the  conceit  taken 

out  of  us.” 

Farmer  Blunt  boasts  that  he  has  always  stayed 
at  home  and  minded  his  own  business,  and  has 
plowed  and  sowed  as  did  his  fathers,  year  after 
year,  until  he  has  come  from  force  of  habit  to  feel 
that  there  is  but  one  way,  and  lie  knows  that  way 
perfectly.  If  he  can  be  persuaded  to  attend  an 
exhibition,  he  will  soon  find  that  there  are  many 
things  his  philosophy  never  yet  dreamed  of.  Un¬ 
der  the  influence  of  the  good  feeling  which  a 
large  assembly  inspires,  he  will  be  much  more 
ready  to  hear  and  attend  to  the  new  ideas  ad¬ 
vanced,  than  if  they  were  brought  to  him  in  his 
own  little  kingdom  at  home — especially  when  the 
fruits  of  improved  culture  are  present  to  sustain 
these  opinions  and  ‘compel  his  admiration. 
“There  may  be  something  in  it  after  all”  he  ex¬ 


claims,  as  he  won  'vs  at  the  report  of  the  com¬ 
mittee  oil  the  best  farm,  vvhich  report  details  the 
various  methods  of  culture  and  their  results. 

‘ Eighty  bushels  of  corn  per  acre”  is  an  argu¬ 
ment  whose  force  he  can  feel,  and  the  leaven  of 
a  new  idea  thus  obtained  will  work  good  results. 

There  can  hardly  be  a  more  appropriate  man¬ 
ner  of  closing  the  agricultural  year  than  by  the 
exhibitions  of  the  produce  of  farm  and  household 
industry,  and  it  is  well  that  these  exhibitions 
have  now  become  so  general.  The  partial  re¬ 
lease  from  severe  labor  which  this  season  brings, 
is  itself  an  occasion  of  rejoicing,  and  it  is  natural 
and  fitting  that  the  invitation  should  be  given  and 
accepted,  “  Come,  let  us  make  merry  together.” 
Were  no  other  end  to  he  gained  but  the  promo¬ 
tion  of  sociality,  we  should  urge  upon  all  to  at¬ 
tend  the  annual  gathering  at  the  faimers’  festival, 
the  agricultural  exhibition. 

The  managers  of  these  exhibitions  have  been 
censured,  justly  perhaps,  for  the  introduction  of 
features  that  have  made  a  mere  show  of  what 
ought  to  be  of  a  very  different  character.  It  may 
perhaps  be  said  in  their  defence,  that  they  resort¬ 
ed  to  questionable  means  for  securing  a  large  at¬ 
tendance,  only  because  there  was  not  interest 
enough  in  the  community,  in  what  is  really  bene¬ 
ficial,  to  sustain  the  enterprise.  Their  choice  was 
between  a  good  exhibition,  where  improvements 
were  to  be  brought  forward  and  their  merits  can¬ 
vassed,  coupled  with  the  prospect  of  a  slim  at¬ 
tendance  and  debt  incurred,  which  they  must 
pocket;  or  the  addition  of  the  racetrack,  female 
equestrian  display  and  other  “taking”  things, 
which  should  make  it  “  pay.”  Those  who  have 
done  nothing  to  support  the  County  and  State 
Societies  and  their  exhibitions,  ought  not  to  com¬ 
plain  if  the  officers  resort  to  such  measures  to 
sustain  themselves.  If  half  of  those  who  culti¬ 
vate  an  acre  of  ground  would  attend  the  exhibi¬ 
tion  as  a  matter  of  duty,  as  well  as  interest,  tak¬ 
ing  with  them  the  best  of  their  produce,  there 
would  soon  be  very  little  complaint  of  misman¬ 
aged  societies  and  useless  shows.  Let  this  year’s 
exhibitions  show  by  the  full  attendance  given, 
that  the  farmers  consider  these  institutions  as 
their  own,  and  the  managers  will  rejoice  to  make 
them  what  they  should  he,  both  the  signs  and  the 
source  of  agricultural  improvement. 

- - - 

Get  Ready  for  the  “Census  Man.” 

•Next  year  will  occur  the  great  decennial  Cen¬ 
sus  of  the  United  Slates,  made  by  the  General 
Government  Persons  will  he  appointed  for  every 
locality  in  the  Slates  and  Territories  to  gather 
statistics  of  the  inhabitants,  and  of  ail  the  agri¬ 
cultural  productions,  manufactures,  etc.  Every 
cultivator  will  be  asked  for  a  concise,  accurate 
statement  of  land  occupied  by  him,  the  number  of 
acres  and  the  amount  of  each  crop  raised  during 
the  year  ending  next  June,  etc.  Those  who  were 
called  upon  in  1850  doubtless  remember  the  diffi¬ 
culty  experienced  in  making  up  an  accurate  re¬ 
port  of  the  various  crops.  As  these  reports  will 
he  called  for  in  June,  it  will  be  necessary  to  give 
in  the  crops  gathered  this  year,  and  the  sugges¬ 
tion  we  would  now  make  is,  that  cultivators  write 
down,  while  fresh  in  mind,  the  number  of  acres 
under  cultivation,  including  the  wheat,  etc.,  al¬ 
ready  gathered.  The  number  of  acres  of  each 
kind,  the  amount  per  acre,  and  the  gross  amount, 
will  be  required.  The  milk  products  also,  and  the 
amount  of  pork,  beef,  etc.,  will  all  be  asked  for. 


Grasshoppers  are  degenerating  in  Virginia 
They  have  begun  to  chaw  the  tobacco. 

How  to  make  a  clean  sweep.  Wash  him. 


300 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


October, 


Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist.— Prize  Articles. 

Earn  Fencing . VII. 

In  addition  to  the  several  kinds  of  per¬ 
manent  fence  we  have  already  described,  there 
are  several  others  of  a  movable  character,  but 
which  may  be  made  permanent  by  substantial 
bracing.  Such  fences  may  be  conveniently  and 
economically  adopted  for  the  division  of  fields 
within  the  outside  enclosures  of  the  farm,  or  even 
for  outside  enclosures  themselves,  where  breaehy 
cattle,  horses,  or  swine,  are  not  permitted  to  run 
at  large. 

Of  this  kind  of  fence  we  have  seen  and  exam¬ 
ined  several  different  patterns,  most  of  them  pat¬ 
ented,  pretty  much  the  same  in  the  principle  on 
which  they  are  constructed,  but  varying  in  the 
mode  of  making  the  panel,  and  connecting  the  pan¬ 
els  together.  Some  of  these  we  propose  to  present 
to  the  reader,  with  illustrative  engravings,  which 
we  have  ourselves  got  up  without  the  knowledge 
or  assistance  of  the  patentees  or  their  agents.  In 
the  descriptions  we  have  adopted,  in  part,  the 
language  of  the  patentees.  We  think  that  in 
some  little  item  or  two,  we  could  improve  almost 
every  one  of  these  models,  but  it  would  be  only  in 
the  insertion  of  a  brace,  now  and  then,  from  the 
top  of  the  fence  to  the  ground,  to  give  them  more 
strength  to  resist  the  winds,  or  the  assaults  which 
might  be  made  upon  them  by  unruly  animals. 

These  varieties  offence  are  simply  of  boards, 
with  the  addition  of  now  and  then  a  joist  or  plank, 
as  the  plans  of  some  of  them  will  show.  They 
require  no  posts  set  into  the  ground,  and  only 
braces  at  occasional  distances  to  keep  them  in 
place.  They  will  conform  to  the  ordinary  ine¬ 
qualities  of  ground,  where  it  is  not  cut  up  by  the 
too  frequent  interruption  of  sharp  hills  and  gul¬ 
lies,  and  with  a  flat  stone  or  wooden  block  under 
each  joint,  or  connection,  to  raise  them  from  con¬ 
tact  with  the  ground,  they  will  keep  sound  from 
decay  many  years. 


Fig.  1.  Charles  Vandeiiark’s  Self-fastening  Porta¬ 
ble  ok  Field  Fence. 


This  was  patented  June,  1857.  The  inventor 
says  his  design  was  to  construct  a  cheap  but 
durable  fence,  which  could  be  readily  set  up  and 
taken  down,  and  when  pot  up,  should  not  be  lia¬ 
ble  to  derangement  by  the  falling  out  of  keys  or 
wedges,  from  exposure  to  winds  or  unruly  cattle, 
or  boys.  He  says  :  “ _ This  fence  is  so  sim¬ 

ple  in  its  construction  that  any  farmer  can  make 
it,  as  the  only  tools  necessary  are  a  band-saw  and 
hammer — thus  obviating  the  expense  of  procur¬ 
ing  a  carpenter,  as  is  in  most  cases  necessary  in 
the  construction  of  other  portable  fences.  It  is 
made  in  separate  panels,  which  are  so  construct¬ 
ed  that,  when  put  up,  the  fence  is  a  perfect  self¬ 
fastener,  without  the  necessity  of  either  posts, 
clamps,  keys,  wedges,  or  any  other  appendage, 
and  combines  more  strength  and  durability  than 
any  other  portable  fence  yet  introduced.  The 
panels  are  made  with  four  or  five  boards  or  rails 
of  equal  length,  the  top  and  bottom  rails  project¬ 
ing  more  or  less  according  to  the  angle  desired. 
Two  battens  or  cross  pieces  are  required  at  each 
end  of  the  panel — one  across  and  fastened  to  the 
end  of  the  two  projecting  rails,  and  the  other  at 
the  end  of  the  middle  rails — being  fastened  to  all 
the  rails  with  sufficient  space  to  receive  the  bat¬ 
ten  of  the  opposite  end  of  a  corresponding  panel, 
which  forms  the  lock  at  the  other  end  of  the  pan¬ 
el,  the  middle  rails  projecting  with  the  first  bat¬ 
ten  across  their  ends,  and  the  other  crossing  at 
the  ends  of  the  top  and  bottom  rails. — These  two 


end  battens  are  placed  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
panel,  being  reversed  at  the  twro  opposite  ends  of 
each. — When  put  together  and  strained  length¬ 
wise,  the  end  batten  of  each  panel  catches  on  to 
and  binds  on  the  second  batten  of  the  next  panel, 
and  thereby  each  corner  becomes  its  own  fasten¬ 
er  and  support,  capable  of  bearing  any  amount  of 
strain  consistent  with  the  strength  of  the  materi¬ 
al  used  in  the  construction  of  the  fence. — This  is 
designed  for  a  zig-zag  or  worm  fence,  but  for 
small  enclosures,  if  desired,  the  same  panels  by  a 
different  mode  of  locking  can  be  put  into  a  circu¬ 
lar  form,  or  can  be  drawn  into  a  straight  line  and 
supported  by  temporary  posts  or  stakes,  at  suit¬ 
able  distances  to  hold  it  irr  an  upright  position.. , 
It  is  recommended  that  the  panels  be  constructed 
of  full  1  inch  boards,  5  inches  wide,  and  14  feet 
long — cutting  4  feet  from  each  board  to  make  the 
battens ;  2i  or  3  inches  is  wide  enough  for  the 
end  battens  of  each  panel. . . 


Fig.  2— Robinson’s  Self-fastening  Portable  or 
Field  Fence.— Patented  April,  1858. 


Portability,  cheapness,  very  little  lumber,  and  of 
the  cheapest  quality — and  ease  of  building  and 
putting  up  are  claimed.  The  stability  is  secured 
by  putting  it  up  in  a  serpentine  or  worm  fence, 
and  locking  each  panel  into  the  next  one,  thus 
described  by  the  patentees  ;  ,  .Across  the  end 

of  each  panel  is  fastened  a  cross  bar,  and  beyond 
this  cross  bar  each  alternate  horizontal  bar  pro¬ 
jects,  as  seen  in  the  drawing.  Those  bars,  how¬ 
ever,  which  project  at  one  end  of  the  panel  do 
not  project  beyond  the  cross  bar  at  the  opposite 
end,  but  each  horizontal  bar  alternating  with 
those  in  the  first  set,  does  project,  and  ends  as 
does  the  first  in  a  projection  The  lock  is  formed 
simply  by  a  block  or  cleat  nailed  on  the  opposite 
side  from  the  end  cross  bar,  leaving  a  space  be¬ 
tween  the  two,  of  about  five  inches,  which  space 
may  be  more  or  less  according  to  the  desired  an¬ 
gle.  The  separate  panels  being  thus  constructed, 
the  fence  is  put  together  as  follows  :  As  only  the 
alternate  bars  project  beyond  the  end  cross  bars, 
alternate  spaces  will  be  left  to  receive  the  pro¬ 
jecting  ends  of  the  bars  of  the  next  panel.  These 
two  sets  of  projecting  bars  being  then  crossed 
and  passed  through  each  other,  as  seen  in  the 
drawing,  the  two  panels  are  drawn  as  near  into 
a  straight  line  as  possible,  when  the  projecting 
blocks  on  the  ends  of  the  projecting  bars,  will 
catch  on  the  cross  bars,  and  the  fence  will  be  ren¬ 
dered  firm  and  secure.  Other  panels  being  added, 
any  length  of  fence  may  be  put  up  in  a  short 
time.  A  fence  five  boards  high,  four  inches  wide, 
and  twelve  feet  long,  will  require  37  feet  of  lum¬ 
ber,  for  a  straight  rod — which  at  $10  per  1000 
would  cost  37  cents  per  rod.”. . .  .Directions  are 
also  given  for  adding  pickets  to  the  panels. 


Fig.  3— A.  B.  &  M.  Vandemark’s  Reversible  Locking 
Portable  Field  Fence.— Patented  Sept.,  1858. 

Special  advantages  are  claimed  generally,  and 
particularly  because  the  panels  can  be  adapted  to 
square  or  round  pens,  and  straight  or  zigzag  fences. 
The  inventor  says  :  It  has  “  . . .  .the  most  compli¬ 
cated  lock,  is  constructed  in  the  simplest  possible 
way,  the  rails  all  of  a  length,  the  battens  all  on  the 
same  side  of  the  rails,  and  the  panels  all  alike, 
which  obviates  the  difficulty  that  arises  in  mak¬ 
ing  and  using  all  portable  fences,  that  the  pan¬ 
els  are  required  to  be  made  in  pairs.  In  con¬ 
structing  this  fence,  if  either  of  the  corners, 
shown  in  the  drawing,  are  preferable,  you  will  ob¬ 
tain  the  preferred  corner,  by  placing  the  battens 
of  the  unpref'erred  corner  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  panels.  It  is  recommended  to  use  plump  inch 
boards  4  or  5  inches  wide,  and  14  feet  long,  cut¬ 
ting  four  feet  from  each  board  to  make  the  bat¬ 
tens.  The  angle  is  regulated  by  the  space  be¬ 
tween  the  end  battens,  which  should  be  about 
twice  the  thickness  of  the  lumber,  the  end  bat¬ 
ten  should  be  the  width  of  the  space  between  the 


battens  when  required  to  be  used  for  a  straight 
fence.  When  used  for  a  straight  fence,  it  is 
supported  by  a  brace,  constructed  of  the  same 
material  as  the  Fence,  and  in  the  form  of  a  triair- 
gle,  the  sides  of  the  brace  lap  together  over  the 
top  of  the  fence,  notched  in  the  peak,  and  also  ire 
the  centre  of  the  base,  to  admit  the  ends  of  the 
panels.’’ 


Fig.  4. — Cariiart’s  Portable  Zigzag,  and  Straight 
Field  Fence.— Patented.  March,  and  Sept.,  1858, 


Security,  adaptation  to  uneven  level  ground, 
cheapness,  easy  construction  in  Winter  under 
cover,  and  by  any  one  who  can  use  a  hammer  and 
saw%  ete.,  are  claimed  for  this.  The  following  is 
the  inventor’s  description  : 

“  The  sections  or  panels  are  constructed  of 
hoards  of  any  desired  number,  length,  width,  of 
thickness,  although  5  boards  12  feet  long,  4  inches 
wide,  and  TJ  inch  thick,  will  be  found  most  de¬ 
sirable  The  rails  project  beyond  the  batten  al¬ 
ternately,  from  5  to  &  inches,  as  the  thickness  of 
the  battens  and  rails  may  require,  and  in  these 
ends  a  groove  is  cut  at  one  end  of  the  panel  ore 
one  side,  and  on  the  opposite  side  at  the  other 
end.  The  grooves  are  ent  at  such  a  distance 
from  the  battens,  and  of  sncli  a  depth,  as  to  give 
the  fence  the  desired  angle.  When  put  together 
and  strained  lengthwise,  the  groove  in  the  end  of 
each  panel  hooks  on  the  batten  of  the  adjoining 
panel,  holding  each  in  a  firm  and  substantial  man¬ 
ner.  The  shoe  or  foundation  is  constructed  of 
plank,  with  a  triangular  piece  fastened  on  the  top 
so  as  to  fit  between  the  battens  of  the  panels,  in 
such  a  manner,  as  to  prevent  them  from  slipping. 
In  cutting  the  grooves,  the  distance  should  be  3§ 
inches  from  the  center  of  the  groove  to  the  bat¬ 
tens,  and  they  should  be  so  cut  that  every  two 
adjoining  panels  should  be  pairs,  that  is,  if  laid 
one  upon  the  other,  the  grooves  should  faeeeaeh 
other  at  one  end,  and  he  opposite  at  the  other  end 
of  the  panel 


Fig.  5. — Garlick’s  Portable  Field  Fence. 


Patented  May,  1857.  The  patentee  claims  ‘‘to 
have  invented  and  constructed  a  fence  without 
posts  set  in  the  ground,  at  a  cost  for  material 
of  only  forty  to  fifty  cents  per  rod,  and  which,  for 
durability,  simplicity,  and  cheapness,  is  believed 
to  defy  all  competition.  It  is  made  in  sections  or 
panels,  in  such  a  manner  that  it  can  he  set  upon 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  as  well  where  the 
ground  is  rough  and  uneven,  as  where  it  is  level, 
ft  is  so  constructed,  that  there  is  no  strain  on  the 
nails,  and  the  boards  are  so  bound  and  held  by 
means  of  keys  and  battens,  that  it  is  impossible 
for  them  to  be  torn  off.  Such  is  the  perfect 
method  of  fastening  the  corners,  that  it  can  be 
strained  to  the  ground  in  so  substantial  a  man¬ 
ner.  as  to  obviate  the  danger  of  its  being  blown 
down  by  the  wind,  as  has  heretofore  been  the.  case 
with  portable  fences.  It  can  be  readily  onened 
at  any  panel,  rendering  gates  unnecessary.  It 
can  easily  be  set  up  in  circles  or  squares,  form¬ 
ing  excellent  stock-pens,  as  well  as  temporary 
inclosures  for  sheep,  etc., and  as  it  is  taken  down 
and  put  up  with  little  difficulty,  must  meet  a  very 
general  want,  and  come  into  general  use.” 


Fig.  6. — West’s  Portable  and  Stationary  Field 
Fence. 


Patented  Feb.  15.  1859  The  inventor  says: 
“It  has  been  his  aim  to  make  as  cheap  a  fence 
as  can  be  made,  and  have  the  same  durable, 
completely  locked  and  self-supported,  without,  the 
use  of  posts,  keys,  wedges,  pins,  or  bolts  ;  and  at 
the  same  time  so  simple  that  any  ordinary  farmer 
can  make  it.  There  is  no  framing,  morticing 


4853. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


301 


■or  boring  required  Any  man  that  can  drive  a 
wail  and  saw  a  board,  can  make  it  readily  and 
quickly.  It  will  be  seen  by  Use  engraving  that 
she  fence  can  be  made  of  either  four  or  five 
boards  of  equal  length,  and  any  required  width. 
I  would  recommend  to  make  the  fence  of  five 
boards,  12  feet  long  and  4  inches  wide,  which 
with  spaces  4,  6,  8,  and  1-0  inches, make  a  panel 
4  feet  high;  saw  boards  of  the  same  dimen¬ 
sions  into  three  equal  lengths  for  battens.  Nail 
a  pair  of  battens  at  each  end  of  the  panel, 
8  inches  apart,  so  arranging  the  boards,  that 
the  top  and  bottom  board  shall  nail  to  three  of 
the  battens,  reaching  to  the  end  batten  at  one 
end,  and  only  to  the  inner  batten  at  the  other, . 
and  nail  the  three  intermediate  boards  to  the 
inner  batten  at  one  end,  aird  both  battens  at  the 
other.  To  strengthen  the  panel,  and  prevent  its 
rocking  and  working  the  battens  loose  fey  hand-, 
ling,  nail  a  diagonal  batten  or  brace,  about  6 
feet  long,  across  the  center,  and  the  panel  is 
finished.  To  support  the  fence,  make  a  jack  of' 
three  pieces  of  board,  4  feet  long,  setting  one 
up  edgewise  for  the  base,  and  nailing  another 
to  the  center  for  an  upright,  and  the  third  for  a 
brace,  nailed  to  both,  as  seen  hv  the  small  cut 
It  is  of  remarkable  simplicity  of  construction, 
and  corresponding  cheapness  of  cost  Very  little 
lumber  is  required,  and  the  boards  and  batten*  i 
being  all  of  uniform  length,  except  the  oblique 
ones,  there  is  no  waste,  and  but  little  work  in 
making  it,  while  the  principles  involved  in  the 
method  of  combining  and  securing  the  parts, : 
make  it  a  much  stronger  fence  than  many  others 
containing  double  the  quantity  of  material.  It 
is  readily  taken  down  and  pnt  up.  It  can  be 
set  up  in  any  desired  form,  from  a  triangle  to  a 
circle,  oblong,  or  square,  and  any  panel  can  be' 
taken  out  for  a  temporary  drive-way.  To  secure 
it  more  firmly  against  pressure  from  wind  or, 
other  causes,  drive  a  hooked  stake  down  on  the 
base  of  the  jack.” 


Fig.  7.  Prindle’s  Self-sustaining  and  Portable,  or 
Hurdle  Fence. 


These  panels  are  held  together  by  small  iron 
pins  or  keys  which  pass  through  the  posts  (the 
posts  are  made  of  common  3x4,  or  4x4  joists)  as 
shown  in  the  cut.  But  as  no  description  is  given 
with  it,  we  can  only  state  the  fact.  The  writer 
has  examined  the  small  wooden  model  shown  us 
by  the  patentee,  from  which  it  appears  to  he  a 
good,  practical  fence. 

In  addition  to  these  seven  different  models  we 
have  seen  another,  unpatented,  we  believe,  yet 
an  excellent  kind  of  fence — not  in  movable  pan¬ 
els  like  them — but  for  a  permanent  fence,  and 
dispensing  with  the  ground-inserted-post,  a  sub¬ 
stantial  one.  It  is  simply  the  common  board 
fence,  as  already  described  in  our  last  article,  with 
an  above-ground  post  instead  of  the  inground,  in 
this  wise: 


These  posts  are  in  three  parts,  or  pieces  made 
of  3x4  joists,  or  2x4,  according  to  the  strength  of 
the  wood  of  which  they  are  made.  The  sill  is 
2^  or  3  feet  long,  resting  on  a  couple  of  thin 
stones  or  blocks  on  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
Within  3  inches  of  one  end  the  upright  post  is 
spiked  on  to  the  sill,  as  high  as  required  for  the 
fence.  From  the  top  of  the  post  to  the  other  end 
of  the  sill  is  spiked  on  a  brace.  The  front  of  the 
sill,  post,  and  brace,  is  reversed  at  every  other  pan¬ 
el,  which  gives  a  support  of  5  or  6  feet,  Including 
both  sills,  as  the  length  of  sill  adapted  will  admit. 


These  panels  may  be  of  any  length,  from  8  to  16 
feet,  which  the  builder  may  choose — the  shorter 
the  stronger,  however.  Ten  to  twelve  feet  in  a 
locality  not  extraordinarily  windy  will  answer. 
This  is  a  straight  fence,  while  the  other  models 
we  have  given  are  zig-zag,  more  or  less,  or  made 
neatly  straight  by  the  additional  braces  given  to 
them. 

One  great  advantage  which  these  styles  of 
fence  have,  with  the  exception  of  the  last,  is  that 
they  can  be  made  indoors  in  Winter,  and  in  rainy 
days  when  out  door  work  can  not  be  done,  and  1 
carried  out  gnd  laid  up  with  great  rapidity  when 
required.  We  believe  in  portable  and  movable 
fences.  Almost  every  farmer  requires,  at  times, 
a  sub-division  of  his  larger  fields  into  smaller 
ones,  and  a  changing  of  their  shapes  and  sizes. 
These  kinds  of  fence  will  permit  him  so  to  ar-  ’ 
range  them  at  short  notice,  and  small  expense. 
We  express  no  preference  in  any  of  these  mod¬ 
els,  although  we  could  make  a  choice  for  -our 
own  use. 


The  Keller. 


The  roller,  though  seen  but  comparatively  sel¬ 
dom  in  use,  is  one  of  the  most  serviceable  imple¬ 
ments  for  farms  and  gardens.  On  soft,  loamy 
soils,  abounding  in  stones  too  small  for  gathering 
up  by  hand,  it  is  very  convenient  to  be  able  to 
sink  them  below  the  suiface  with  a  roller.  They 
will  then  be  out  of  the  way  of  the  scythe  and  the 
reaper  when  they  sweep  over  the  fields  gathering 
in  the  precious  harvest.  How  much  time  this 
will  save  in  scythe  grinding,  and  how  much  ill- 
temper,  the  tiller  of  the  soil  need  not  be  informed. 
Every  farmer  knows  that  the  roots  of  his  clover 
and  grass  are  often  thrown  out  of  the  ground  by 
frost,  and  if  not  killed,  are  much  weakened  in 
growth.  Passing  a  good  roller  over  such  fields  in 
the  Spring  would  settle  those  roots  back  into  the 
soil,  and  cause  them  to  start  vigorously.  The 
roller  is  useful  also  in  leveling  down  all  the  little 
hummocks  made  every  year  by  frost  and  other 
causes,  and  so  keeping  the  surface  smooth  and 
handsome.  On  soils  that  are  very  wet  and  adhe¬ 
sive,  it  should  be  used  with  moderation,  but  on 
all  others  it  may  be  used  with  great  benefit. 
Fields  on  being  sown  with  grass  seed  or  grain  are 
much  improved  by  the  roller.  It  breaks  down 
the  lumps  left  by  the  harrow,  presses  the  soil  fine¬ 
ly  about  the  newly  sown  seed  and  ensures  its  rap¬ 
id  germination.  It  sinks  the  loose  stones  below 
the  surface,  and  leaves  the  ground  in  a  better 
state  every  way  for  harvesting. 

For  the  gardener,  the  roller  is  scarcely  less 
useful  than  for  the  farmer.  It  is  hardly  possible 
to  make  a  good  lawn  and  to  keep  it  in  proper  or¬ 
der  without  this  implement.  It  levels  inequali¬ 
ties  of  surface,  it  keeps  the  roots  of  grasses  in 
their  place,  and  gives  the  turf  a  smooth,  velvety 
look  which  it  can  get  in  no  other  way.  It  is  very 
useful,  too,  in  making  gravel  walks,  and  in  keep¬ 
ing  them  smooth  and  hard  throughout  the  season. 

Farm  rollers  can  be  made  of  logs.  These  should 
be  cut  in  two  sections,  each  about  four  feet  long, 
with  iron  bands  around  the  ends  to  prevent  split¬ 
ting,  and  strong  shafts  running  through  them,  to 
which  the  frame-work,  etc.,  for  drawing  it  are  to 
be  attached.  They  are  sometimes  made  of  nar¬ 
row  planks,  two  inches  thick  and  four  inches 
wide,  forming  a  sort  of  drum.  They  are  also 
made  of  cast  iron.  Those  made  of  planks  are 
larger  than  the  log-rollers,  and  can  be  drawn  eas¬ 
ier.  They  generally  need  some  extra  weight  in 
the  box  above  them.  Those  who  have  tried  each 
sort,  prefer  the  cast  iron.  They  are  made  in 
several  sections,  tor  ease  in  turning  about,  and 


ease  in  draft.  They  almost  never  wear  out,  and 
are  always  in  working  order. 

Garden  rollers  can  be  made  by  any  one  skillful 
wit'll  tools.  A  round  log  with  a  handle  to  it,  will 
answer ;  hut  a  plank-drum  is  better ;  a  granite 
roller  is  still  better ;  and  a  cast-iron  roller  is  best 
of  all.  These  last  can  be  bought  at  any  agricul¬ 
tural  store.  Our  own  experience  in  the  use  of 
the  latter  has  confirmed  our  views  of  its  great 
value. 


Ornamental  Gateways. 

M.  W.  Phillips,  Hinds  Co.,  Miss.,  writes  that  he 
has  an  ornamental  gateway  of  his  own  designing, 
somewhat  like  that  described  on  page  229  in  the 
August  Agriculturist,  but  made  without  inarching. 
It  is  formed  by  trees  of  the  “Wild  Orange,” 
which  are  set.  about  six  feet  apart.  These  are 
kept  pruned  from  side  branches,  up  to  the  bight 
of  six  feet;  above  that,  the  limbs  are  trimmed 
to  form  an  arch,  the  tops  also  being  cut  to  circu 
iar  form.  The  trees  are  now  about  15  years  old, 
and  the  brandies  are  closely  interlocked,  forming 
a  very  ornamental,  natural  arch.  An  ingenious 
person  could  vary  the  shape  of  such  a  gateway  to 
suit  his  taste  or  the  location. 


Getting  Pure  Water  from  Sulphur  Wells. 

Mr.  Eliliti  Cox,  of  Randolph  Co.,  Ind.,  suggests 
a  plan  of  drawing  pure  water  from  wells  impreg¬ 
nated  at  the  bottom,  with  sulphur  or  other  impuri¬ 
ties.  The  annexed  engraving  from  a  sketch 
sent  by  him,  will  illustrate  the  proposed  meth¬ 
od.  W,  is  a  section  of  the  well;  P,  the  pump; 
T,  a  flexible  tube  of  India  rubber,  Gutta  percha, 
or  other  pliable  substance  ;  and  F,  a  wooden 
float  to  sustain  the  upper  end  of  the  tube  near  the 
surface.  The  theory  is,  that  the  water  impreg¬ 
nated  with  sulphur  is  heavier  and  remains  near 
the  bottom  of  the  well,  while  by  this  arrangement 
only  the  surface  water  enters  the  pump.  This 
plan  may  he  somewhat  effective,  but  we  suspect 
that  the  constant  ascending  and  descending  cur 
rents  in  all  bodies  of  water  would  keep  the  sul¬ 
phur  pretty  equally  distributed.  Experiments 
alone  can  fully  decide  this  question. 

- — — »»—  — >-*• - 

Trenching. 

In  this,  as  in  many  other  things,  extremes 
meet.  For  several  years  past,  the  exhortation  of 
every  book  and  journal  on  agriculture  has  been, 
trench,  trench And  the  exhortation  has  been 
heeded,  with  results  both  good  and  had.  Per¬ 
sons  who  have  trenched  or  subsoiled  in  an  intel¬ 
ligent  manner,  have  always  found  it  beneficial. 
Others  who  have  overdone  it,  or  done  it  blunder- 


302 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


ingly,  have  found  it  injurious.  'I  he  latter  have 
not  only  broken  up  the  subsoil,  but  have  brought 
it  to  the  surface  in  large  quantities  and  buried  the 
rich  top-soil  in  its  place.  The  consequence  has 
been,  that  their  plants,  trees,  or  crops  grown  in 
this  cold,  stiff  ground  have  been  almost  a  failure. 
And  the  failure  has  been  all  tbe  more  provoking 
because  of  their  high-raised  expectations.  Many 
of  these  unsuccessful  cultivators  have  become 
disgusted  with  book-farming,  and  now'  denounce 
every  new  thing  recommended.  All  they  now 
wish  to  know  or  to  practice  is,  “the  good,  old 
way.” 

Now,  is  not  this  as  foolish  as  was  their  hasty 
and  thoughtless  adoption  of  trenching  !  Trench¬ 
ing,  properly  understood,  is  generally,  the  simple 
breaking  up  of  the  stratum  of  soil  next  below 
that  which  is  commonly  plowed,  and  then  return¬ 
ing  it  to  its  place.  It  does  not  necessarily  mean 
the  bringing  of  it  to  the  top.  If  the  ground  is 
well  broken  up  to  a  good  depth,  and  perhaps  a 
little  manure  or  some  light  opening  substance 
mixed  with  it,  tiiis  will  tend  to  make  it  porous 
and  warm,  it  will  allow  the  surface  vVater  to  pass 
off,  and  the  roots  of  plants  to  descend,  if  they  so 
require.  In  the  case  of  old,  worn  out  soils,  espec¬ 
ially  in  gardens  cropped  for  generations  with  the 
same  vegetables,  it  is  well  to  bring  up  occasion¬ 
ally  to  the  top  a  little  of  the  virgin  soil  to  keep 
up  the  strength  of  the  surface.  This  should  be 
done,  however,  only  just  so  fast  as  it  can  be  pul¬ 
verized  and  ameliorated,  and  made  lit  lor  the 
purposes  of  vegetation.  With  these  qualifications 
our  mitlo  still  is,  “Trench,  trench  !” 

How  Rice  is  Grown  and  Prepared  for 
Market. . I. 

Prepared,  by  an  Editor  sojourning  at  the  South. 

Taking  the  New-Orleans  and  Opelousas  rail¬ 
road,  at  the  Gretna  Station,  opposite  to  the  city, 
fifteen  miles  of  travel  brings  you  to  Saint  Charles, 
one  of  the  principal  rice  growing  parishes  in 
Louisiana.  In  the  Plaquemme  parish,  also,  there 
is  a  rice  district,  lying  below  the  sugar  plantations, 
and  extending  thirty  miles  or  more  on  both  sides 
of  the  river. 

THE  RICE  REGIONS 

are  by  no  means  confined  to  these  parishes,  but 
it  is  here  that  we  find  the  largest  rice  plantations. 
There  is  hardly  an  acre  of  soil  in  the  whole  Delta 
that  could  not  be  profitably  cropped  with  this 
grain,  and  should  Cuba  ever  be  annexed  to  tiiis 
country,  and  the  sugar  trade  of  this  State  be 
transferred  to  that  island,  as  it  assuredly  would, 
the  cane  plantations  would  eventually  all  become 
rice  fields.  There  is  a  vast  belt  of  country,  ex¬ 
tending  a  hundred  miles  from  the  Gulf  and 
several  hundred  miles  across,  and  far  into 
Texas,  that  is  better  adapted  to  rice  than  any 
other  crop.  It  is  the  unanimous  testimony  of 
those  who  are  engaged  in  this  business  in  this 
region,  that  it  is  more  healthful  than  the  cultiva¬ 
tion  of  cotton  and  sugar,  the  periodical  flowing  of 
the  lands  checking  the  malaria  ;  and  that  it  is  en¬ 
tirely  free  from  the  malignant  diseases  which  make 
the  Atlantic  rice  districts  so  destructive  to  life. 

Rice  can  be  grown,  profitably,  in  all  the  South¬ 
ern  States,  and  if  the  miserable  policy  of  growing 
only  one  thing  upon  a  plantation,  is  ever  supplant¬ 
ed  by  an  economical  husbandry,  this  crop  will 
form  an  important  item  in  the  produce  of  every 
plantation  that  can  command  water  for  flowing. 
There  are  millions  of  acres  all  along  the  Missis¬ 
sippi,  and  its  branches  below  Memphis,  better 
adapted  to  rice  than  any  thing  else,  and  should 
the  demand  ever  be  made,- they  can  produce 
enough  of  this  article  to  feed  the  world. 


The  Atlantic  rice  district,  though  yielding  nine¬ 
teen  twentieths  of  all  that  is  produced  in  the 
country,  is  a  much  smaller  territory,  lying  along 
the  coasts  of  the  Carolinas  and  Georgia.  For  a 
distance  of  fifty  miles  inland,  cypress  swamps  and 
marshes  are  the  almost  uniform  scenery.  These 
are  flanked  by  a  narrow  sand  bar  or  beach, 
through  which  there  are  occasional  inlets,  giving 
access  to  the  tide,  which  twice  a  day  dams  the 
fresh  water  streams,  and  floods  the  lagoons  and 
swamps.  The  soil  of  these  swamps,  when  once 
reclaimed,  is  of  extraordinary  richness.  The 
great  rivers,  swollen  with  rains,  bring  down  from 
the  mountains  their  mineral  treasures,  and  the 
vegetable  spoils  of  the  forests  along  ther  banks. 
Every  tide  brings  in  tbe  silieious  wash  of  the  sea, 
and  the  rich  silt  of  the  salt  lagoons,  and  thus  we 
have  the  alternate  deposits  of  the  rivers  and  the 
tides,  and  such  a  mixture  of  mineral,  animal,  and 
vegetable  substances,  as  can  hardly  occur  under 
other  circumstances,  by  natural  agencies.  The 
result  is  a  deep,  rich  soil,  which  only  needs  re¬ 
claiming,  and  the  systematic  flowing  required  by 
the  wants  of  this  crop,  to  keep  it  in  the  highest 
state  of  fertility. 

CLEARING  FOR  A  RICE  PLANTATION. 

Whoever  has  seen  a  Cypress  swamp,  with  its 
strongly  buttressed  trunks,  and  its  endless  suc¬ 
cession  of  knees  and  knobs,  understands  some¬ 
thing  of  the  nature  of  this  work.  The  favorite 
location  is  one  adjoining  the  main  land,  or  the 
sandy  islands  which  are  left  nearly  dry  at  the 
ebb  of  the  water.  It  must  be  nearly  level,  or 
slightly  inclined  toward  the  natural  channels, 
through  which  the  tide  flows  ;  and  it  must  be  so 
far  from  the  sea  that  the  water  will  not  be  brack¬ 
ish,  as  salt  is  poisonous  to  this  crop. 

Having  laid  out  the  boundary  of  the  planta¬ 
tion,  the  first  business  is  to  clear  the  timber  and 
brush  for  about  three  rods  in  width  along  this 
line.  A  ditch  is  then  dug,  and  an  embankment 
formed  with  the  excavated  earth,  which  shuts  oft 
the  tide  water,  and  gives  the  laborers  undisturb¬ 
ed  possession  of  the  inclosure.  Inside  of  this,  a 
permanent  embankment,  or  levee  is  made,  to 
resist  the  heaviest  floods.  It  is  usually  five  or 
more  feet  high,  and  fifteen  broad,  and  all  wood 
and  stumps  are  carefully  removed,  to  guard 
against  accidents  from  holes  left  by  their  decay. 
The  eartli  for  this  levee,  is  mostly  obtained  from 
a  broad  ditch  inside  of  the  levee.  This  canal  an¬ 
swers  the  purpose  of  transportation,  as  well  as 
irrigation. 

As  the  levee-ing  goes  forward,  the  trees  arc  cut, 
or  girdled,  all  over  the  inclosure.  The  trees  and 
brush  are  diawn  into  piles  for  burning,  and  at  a 
dry  time  in  Spring,  they  are  fired,  making  enor¬ 
mous  bonfires,  in  which  the  negroes  take  great  de¬ 
light.  They  are  not,  however,  all  consumed,  and 
charred  stumps  and  logs,  and  the  rotting,  girdled 
trees  remain  for  many  years,  the  naked  skele¬ 
tons  of  the  once  noble  forests. 

The  cleared  land  has  several  sub-divisions,  to 
facilitate  the  work  of  flowing,  and  for  conve¬ 
nience  in  tillage.  The  lines  of  these  divisions 
are  formed  by  ditches  and  embankments  of 
smaller  size  than  the  main  ones  upon  the  out¬ 
side.  Commonly,  the  levees  are  seven  or  eight 
feet  wide  at  the  base,  and  about  three  feet  high, 
with  ditches  of  corresponding  size,  and  a  space 
of  eight  or  ten  feet  all  around  between  levee  and 
ditch.  Every  field  must  be  furnished  with  a 
trunk  and  gate,  to  let  in  and  pass  off  the  water, 
at  the  pleasure  of  the  cultivator.  At  high  tide, 
any  one  of  the  fields  can  be  flooded,  without  flood¬ 
ing  the  others;  at  low  tide,  it  can  be  drained,  and 
remain  so  as  long  as  the  crop  demands.  The 
fields  are  sub-divided  into  small  lots  of  a  half 


acre,  or  less,  each,  surrounded  with  small  nar¬ 
row  ditches  called  “  quarter  ditches.”  When  the 
gates  are  open  at  the  fall  of  the  tide,  the  water 
runs  out  rapidly  from  these  minor  drains  into  the 
outside  ditches  of  each  field,  and  from  these 
through  the  field  trunks  into  the  canal,  or  the 
main  embankment  ditch,  and  from  this  through 
the  main  trunk  into  the  river.  A  tide  gate  at  this 
point,  prevents  the  return  of  the  water,  unless  it 
is  artificially  lifted. 

From  this  plan  of  a  rice  plantation,  it  will  be 
seen,  that  those  nearest  the  sea,  can  not  alwavs 
be  drained  at  the  most  fitting  time,  on  account  of 
long  continued  high  tides,  while  those  most  re¬ 
mote  from  it,  in  case  of  long  continued  drouth, 
can  not  be  flowed,  on  account  of  low  water  in 
the  river.  These  are  also  liable  to  an  untimely 
overflow  in  case  of  freshets  in  the  river.  These 
facts  in  regard  to  the  location  of  the  plantations 
give  rise  to  the  terms 

“freshes”  and  “salts” 
in  the  vernacular  of  the  rice  districts.  In  time 
of  a  great  flood,  there  will  be  more  or  less  of  the 
plantations,  that  can  not  he  drained  for  some  days, 
or  weeks  perhaps,  and  if  this  occurs  at  a  critical 
time  of  the  crop,  it  is  greatly  damaged — and  the 
event  is  noticed  in  the  commercial  and  broker’s 
reports.  On  the  other  hand,  in  time  of  drouth, 
the  rivers  are  low,  and  the  salt  water  is  carried 
up  further  than  usual,  by  the  tides.  If  this  hap¬ 
pen  in  the  time  of  flowing,  the  plant  is  killed 
outright,  or  greatly  damaged.  It  will  he  seen  from 
this  tact,  that  rice  is  no  more  sure  than  the  other 
great  crops  of  the  south,  sugar  and  cotton. 

PREPARATION  FOR  SOWING. 

On  most  of  the  plantations,  this  is  still  done 
with  the  rude  clumsy  hoe,  which  is  the  usual  ac¬ 
companiment  of  negro  labor.  The  first  process  is 
termed  “chopping”  which  turns  and  mixes  the 
ground  about  three  inches  deep,  and  is  a  very 
poor  substitute  for  plowing,  if  this  were  practi¬ 
cable  in  such  soft  land.  The  hoeing  process  is 
repeated,  as  near  to  the  time  of  sowing  as  possi¬ 
ble,  when  all  the  clods  are  crushed  or  mashed  fine, 
and  this  is  technically  known  as  the  “mash.” 

The  planting  usually  commences  the  latter  half 
of  March,  where  the  state  of  the  land  allows  it. 
The  first  operation  is  the  opening  of  the  drills, 
which  is  here  termed  “trenching.”  They  have 
narrow  hoes  for  tiiis  purpose,  about  four  inches 
wide,  making  drills  the  same  width,  about  two 
inches  deep,  and  thirteen  inches  apart.  Tbe  most 
skillful  hands  in  the  field  set  the  first  trenches, 
making  them  as  straight  as  possible,  and  far 
enough  apart  to  allow  of  two  drills  between.  The 
common  hands  follow,  making  the  intermediate 
trenches.  The  accuracy  with  which  these  guide 
rows  are  laid  out,  with  the  eye  only  to  direct  the 
strokes  of  the  hoe,  is  truly  surprising. 

As  fast  as  the  trenches  are  opened,  light  hands, 
women  or  boys,  follow,  sowing  the  seed  Jt  is 
scattered  thickly  over  the  whole  breadth  of  ihe 
trench,  so  that  it  takes  from  two  to  three  bushels 
to  sow  an  acre.  Other  hands  lollow  immediate¬ 
ly,  covering  it  lightly  with  their  hoes,  and  com¬ 
pleting  every  field  on  the  day  it  is  begun. 


Guinea  Fowls  a  Protection  to  the  Poultry 
Yard. — A.  J.  Farnliam,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa  ,  writes 
that  Guinea  Fou  ls  are  nearly  a  protection  against 
the  depredations  of  hawks  in  the  poultry  yard. 
When  one  appears  they  set  up  their  peculiar  clat¬ 
ter  which  alarms  the  hawk,  and  lie  leaves  with¬ 
out  his  dinner.  This  may  be  so.  hut  we  should 
prefer  tbe  music  of  one  old  musket  to  that  of  a 
dozen  guinea  fowls  for  this  purpose — yea,  one  of 
them. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


303 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

The  Rogue’s  Gallery— Foul  Seeds. 

In  the  City  of  New-York,  and  some  other  large 
places,  I  believe,  there  is  kept  by  the  police  what 
is  called  the  “  Rogues’  Gallery,”  in  which  are 
preserved  tire  daguerreotypes  of  criminals  of  va¬ 
rious  grades,  who  have  been  detected  from  time 
to  time.  Its  use  is  quite  apparent,  and  many  of 
these  gentry  are  kept  in  eheck,  or  found  when 
wanted,  by  means  of  these  pictures.  The  culti¬ 
vator  can  take  a  hint  from  this  institution.  In  his 
fields  are  many  depredators,  vile  weeds,  that 
teal  in,  often  in  company  with  the  good  seed  he 
is  sowing,  and  purloin  the  fat  of  his  land,  to  the 
serious  damage  of  the  crops  and  their  owner. 
Let  each  fanner  and  gardener  make  a  collection 
of  seeds  of  the  various  weeds  that  infest  his  lo¬ 
cality,  label  them  distinctly,  and  preserve  for  ex¬ 
amination  arid  reference,  until  so  familiar  with 
their  appearance,  that  he  can  recognize  them  at  a 
glance,  in  any  company.  Then  he  may  depend  on 
his  own  eyes  when  he  visits  the  seed  store,  and 
secure  himself  from  the  disasters  occasioned  by 
the  ignorance,  carelessness,  or  dishonesty  of  deal¬ 
ers,  To  make  this  plan  fully  effective,  seeds 
gathered  thus  in  various  localities,  could  be  ex¬ 
changed  by  means  of  Farmers’  Clubs  or  otherwise, 
and  thus  all  be  on  the  look  out  for  the  arrival  of 
any  new  and  unwelcome  visitors.  A.  D.  M. 

Tim  Bunker  on  the  Shadtown  Parsonage 
—and  a  Grandson. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  told  you  at  the  time  we  fixed 
Sally  out  for  housekeeping,  that  I  should  proba¬ 
bly  have  something  to  say  about  the  young  folks 
after  the  wedding,  when  the  writers  of  stories 
generally  say  good  bye  to  their  heroes.  I  did  not 
think  then,  that  I  should  have  any  thing  special 
to  say  so  soon,  but  this  is  a  fast  age  of  the  world, 
and  any  writer  who  keeps  up  with  the  times, 
will  not  have  a  chance  for  his  ink  to  get  dry  in 
his  quill. 

Mrs.  Bunker  and  I  were  sent  for  last  week,  to 
come  down  to  Shadtown  and  make  a  visit,  not 
thinking  at  all  what  honors  awaited  us.  Shad¬ 
town  lies  on  the  river,  a  few  miles  from  here, 
and  is  one  of  those  homely  names  that  stick  to  a 
place  forever.  They  have  a  good  many  such 
names  up  here  in  Connecticut,  and  the  folks,  or 
at  least  a  part  of  them,  seem  to  glory  in  them,  as 
if  they  were  the  right  things  in  the  right  place. 
They  were  suggested  by  the  character  of  the 
country,  or  by  some  incident  in  their  early  histo¬ 
ry,  and  the  necessity  of  a  change  has  never  been 
felt.  Break-neck  hill  took  its  name  from  its  dan¬ 
gerous  character,  and  from  the  fact  that  a  man 
was  once  thrown  from  his  wagon  and  killed 
there.  Hard-Scrabble  is  a  very  poor,  rough  re¬ 
gion,  and  both  men  and  animals  have  to  scrabble 
to  get  a  living.  Bean  Hill  was  so  called  from  the 
fact  that  that  esculent  grew  in  great  perfection 
in  the  vicinity,  and  was  greatly  delighted  in  by 
the  inhabitants.  It  was  the  invariable  Sunday 
morning  breakfast,  the  year  round,  and  to  pro¬ 
fessors  even,  was  a  reliable  indication  of  the  day. 
Tradition  relates  that  the  Deacon  was  once  sad¬ 
ly  misled  by  the  failure  of  his  usual  dish,  the 
bean  bag  having  been  exhausted  unexpectedly. 
He  had  already  ground  his  scythe,  and  would  have 
gone  to  mowing,  but  for  the  timely  remonstrance 
of  his  good  wife.  This  may  have  been  a  scan¬ 
dal,  but  the  bean  eating  is  still  kept  up  by  the  peo¬ 
ple,  in  all  its  early  vigor. 

They  undertook  to  alter  the  name  of  the  place 
some  years  ago,  and  call  it  Myrtleville,  but  they 
could  not  make  it  go.  The  old  inhabitants  said 


that  “  beans  grew  there  and  Myrtles  did  not ;  and 
they  could  not  see  the  use  of  putting  a  name  to 
a  place  that  did  not  belong  to  it.”  Bean  Hill  they 
could  see  the  reason  of,  for  every  body  in  the 
place  ate  baked  beans,  and  the  crop  was  natural 
to  the  soil. 

Shadtown  was  so  called  from  the  abundance  of 
that  fish  caught  at  the  landing— a  name  handed 
down  from  the  first  settlement.  It  is  a  staid  par¬ 
ish,  and  the  people  boast  that  they  have  never 
dismissed  a  minister.  A  few  have  filled  up  their 
half  century  of  service,  and  all  have  died  among 
them.  They  are  about  as  proud  of  this,  as  they 
are  of  the  name  of  their  place.  Shadtown  was 
the  name  given  by  the  fathers,  is  honorable,  and 
is  therefore  to  be  honored,  and  had  in  reverence, 
for  all  coming  time.  The  man  that  should  pro¬ 
pose  to  change  it  to  Tivoli,  Arno,  or  any  other 
euphonious  name  would  be  mobbed,  if  that  thing 
were  possible  in  this  Commonwealth. 

At  the  time  Josiah  was  settled  here  a  couple 
of  years  ago,  the  people  made  a  stir,  and  built  a 
new  parsonage.  The  old  building  had  stood  over 
a  hundred  years,  and  had  accommodated  their 
last  three  ministers.  The  good  old  practice  of 
furnishing  the  pastor  with  a  parsonage,  and  glebe, 
has  always  been  kept  up  here.  As  the  country 
filled  up  with  people,  and  land  became  more  val¬ 
uable,  they  sold  off  a  part  of  it,  but  there  are  still 
ten  acres  left  of  this  fat  valley  land,  and  I  guess 
better  soil  does  not  lie  out  of  doors. 

They  built  the  new  parsonage  a  little  nearer  to 
the  meeting  house,  setting  it  back  further  from 
the  road,  and  throwing  a  part  of  the  fruit  trees 
into  the  front  yard.  They  made  the  house  every 
way  convenient,  put  in  a  furnace,  a  range,  a 
bathing  room,  and  all  the  fixings  that  a  woman 
needs  to  keep  house  easy  with.  They  enclosed 
a  large  yard,  nearly  an  acre,  with  a  nice  fence, 
and  planted  it  with  evergreens  and  shrubs,  so 
that  it  looked  about  as  inviting  as  any  house  in 
the  village. 

It  was  curious  to  see  what  a  great  variety  of 
fruits  had  been  planted  in  the  garden  and  or¬ 
chard,  by  the  good  men  who  had  lived  and  died 
upon  this  spot.  There  is  about  an  acre  devoted 
to  apples,  and  some  of  the  trees,  I  guess,  are  a 
hundred  years  old,  for  they  have  been  old  trees 
ever  since  I  can  remember.  Then  there  are  per¬ 
haps  twenty  old  pear  trees,  and  a  good  many 
younger  ones,  just  beginning  to  bear,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  dwarfs  that  Josiah  has  just  put 
out.  All  the  small  fruits,  currants,  gooseberries, 
strawberries,  raspberries,  and  blackberries,  have 
their  appropriate  place.  Grape  vines  run  along 
the  sides  of  the  barn,  and  on  arbors  built  on  pur¬ 
pose  for  them.  Plums  seem  to  flourish  here, 
the  soil  being  a  little  clayey.  The  peaches  have 
declined,  though  there  are  the  remains  of  famous 
trees,  at  least  forty  years  old.  There  are  cher¬ 
ries  and  quinces  in  abundance,  and  along  under 
the  wall,  pie  plant  and  asparagus  enough  to  stock 
the  neighborhood. 

I  learned,  from  Josiah,  that  his  predecessors  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  doing  this,  the  parsonage 
garden  being  a  sort  of  free  nursery  for  the  par¬ 
ish.  Seeds  of  flowers  and  vegetables,  and  grafts, 
and  young  plants  of  the  smaller  fruits  were  freely 
distributed  every  Spring  ;  so  that  almost  every 
garden  in  the  parish  had  its  mementos  from  the 
parsonage.  It  was  a  literal  sowing  of  good  seed 
on  good  ground,  for  it  almost  always  bore  fruit  to 
the  minister’s  advantage,  as  well  as  to  the  peo¬ 
ple’s.  The  whole  region  is  noted  for  its  good 
fruit,  mainly  originating  from  the  parsonage.  The 
finest  peaches  I  have  ever  seen  in  any  of  the 
markets  came  from  Shadtown.  The  parish  has 
always  been  remarkable  for  its  peaceful  char¬ 


acter,  and  for  its  religious  prosperity.  The  un¬ 
selfish  example  of  the  minister  seemed  to  be  con¬ 
tagious,  and  there  was  a  “  provoking  to  love  and 
good  works,”  not  always  manifest  among  good 
people.  The  minister  took  an  interest  in  the 
bodies  of  his  people  as  well  as  their  souls,  and 
diligently  looked  after  their  temporal  prosperity. 
All  appreciated  these  labors,  and  somehow,  what 
he  said  on  Sunday  struck  in  all  the  deeper,  for 
what  he  did  on  week  days.  The  children  might 
not  understand  his  theology,  but  they  did  under¬ 
stand  his  strawberries,  and  thought  that  the  doc 
trines  that  kept  such  company  were  good  enough 
for  them.  The  hardest,  points  in  the  catechism 
were  taken  on  faith,  and  Shadtown  has  always 
been  as  orthodox  as  it  has  been  peaceable  and 
united. 

Now,  I  am  not  much  of  a  philosopher,  but  1 
guess  tiie  characters  of  the  past  ministers,  being 
lovers  of  good  fruit,  as  well  as  of  good  men,  have 
had  someth ihg  to  do  with  the  prosperity  of  the 
parish.  Their  theology  grew  where  their  fruit 
did,  in  the  open  air,  and  sunshine  ;  and  I  guess 
light,  and  air  are  about  as  necessary  for  sermons, 
as  they  are  for  strawberries.  Bad  digestion 
makes  a  man’s  thoughts  about  as  sour  as  his 
stomach,  and  the  acidity  of  the  pulpit  often  leav¬ 
ens  the  whole  parish. 

The  folks  in  Shadtown  say  that  Josiah  is  walk¬ 
ing  in  the  footsteps  of  his  predecessors,  only  a 
little  more  so,  that  he  gets  all  the  new  pears 
and  strawberries,  and  as  soon  as  he  finds  they 
are  worth  cultivating,  he  sends  them  out  to  his 
neighbors.  I  found  John’s  milking  stools  had 
come  in  play,  and  the  butter  and  cheese  which 
Sally  had  made  with  her  own  hands,  were  about 
equal  to  any  thing  we  have  in  Hookertown.  Mrs. 
Bunker  says,  that  she  will  have  to  own  beat  on 
housekeeping  and  butter-making,  but  it  is  much 
safer  for  her  to  say  that,  than  it  would  be  for  any 
body  else — in  my  hearing.  She  was  very  much 
pleased  with  her  visit,  but  most  pleased  with  her 
first  grandson,  whom  they  have  named,  “Timothy 
Bunker  Slocum.”  Whether  the  child,  or  its  name 
made  her  absent  minded,  I  am  unable  to  say,  but 
I  noticed  her  spectacles  on  wrong  side  up,  twice 
in  one  morning,  and  that  the  knitting  was  entire 
ly  forgotten.  Yours  to  command, 

Timothy  Bunker,  Esq. 

Hookertown ,  Ct ,  Sept.  1,  1859. 

• - »  o - 

Give  the  Boys  a  Chance. 

One  of  the  surest  methods  of  attaching  a  boy 
to  the  farm,  is  to  let  him  have  something  upon  it 
for  his  own.  Give  him  a  small  plot  of  ground  to 
cultivate,  allowing  him  the  proceeds  for  his  own 
use.  Let  him  have  his  steers  to  break,  or  his 
sheep  to  care  for.  The  ownership  of  even  a  fruit 
tree,  planted,  pruned,  and  fyrought  to  bearing  by 
his  own  hands,  will  inspire  him  with  an  interest 
that  no  mere  reward  or  wages  can  give,  In  ad- 
diton  to  the  cultivation  of  a  taste  for  farm  life, 
which  such  a  course  will  cultivate,  the  practical 
knowledge  gained  by  the  boy  will  be  of  the  high¬ 
est  value.  Being  interested,  he  will  be  more  ob¬ 
servant,  and  will  thoroughly  learn  whatever  is 
necessary  for  his  success.  Another  and  equally 
important  advantage  will  be  the  accustoming  him 
early  to  feel  responsibility.  Many  young  men, 
though  well  acquainted  with  all  the  manual  oper¬ 
ations  of  the  farm,  fail  utterly  when  entrusted 
with  the  management  of  an  estate,  from  want  of 
experience  in  planning  for  themselves.  It  is  much 
better  that  responsibility  should  be  gradually  as¬ 
sumed,  than  that  a  young  man  should  be  first 
thrown  upon  himself  on  attaining  his  majority. 

- •-< - — - - - 

Diet  cures  more  than  tire  doctor. 


304 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


1 To.  153, 


Above  we  present  an  original  engraving  from  I 
a  painting  by  Jerome  Thompson,  the  designer  of 
the  picture  entitled  “  The  Last  Load,”  published 
in  the  Agriculturist  last  month.  This  scene,  even 
more  than  the  previous  one,  shows  the  familiari¬ 
ty  of  the  artist  with  farm  life,  and  also  his  happy 
choice  of  subjects  for  illustration.  An  apple  or¬ 
chard  in  full  bearing,  the  tempting  fruit  blushing 
among  the  foliage,  or  covering  the  ground  with  a 
profusion  of  golden  “nuggets”  such  as  no  mine 
can  yield,  has  a  fullness  of  beauty,  which,  while  it 
charms  the  eye,  appeals  not  less  successfully  to 
other  senses.  The  artist  has  treated  his  subject 
truthfully.  There  is  none  of  the  hurry  and  bus¬ 
tle  which  characterize  the  labors  of  the  farm  ear¬ 
lier  in  the  season  ;  the  work  is  not  pressing,  and 
affords  employment  in  which  the  female  part  of 
the  household  may  find  an  agreeable  change. 
The  introduction  of  the  two  figures  in  the  fore¬ 
ground  is  suggestive;  The  one  seated  upon  the 
basket  appears  to  be  a  visitor,  very  likely  a  citi- 
ten  who  has  escaped  from  the  tiresome  din  of 
the  town  to  enjoy  a  season  of  rest  in  the  country. 
The  attention  given  by  the  group  near  him, 
seems  to  indicate  that  they  are  much  entertained 
by  the  marvels  he  is  relating,  the  younger  fe¬ 
male,  particularly,  being  so  engrossed  as  to  en¬ 
tirely  forget  the  workman  above,  who  seems 
rather  impatient  at  this  interruption  of  his  work. 
Perhaps  he  is  uneasy  at  the  interest  she  mani¬ 
fests  in  the  stranger. 

The  light  hazy  clouds  overspreading  the  sky, 
and  the  smoke  slowly  ascending  from  the  quiet 
farm-house  in  the  back  ground,  tell  of  those  deli¬ 
cious  Autumn  days  when  the  softened  sunshine 
tempered  by  the  Autumn  breeze,  both  soothes 
and  strengthens  the  physical  frame,  so  that  but 
to  live,  is  a  luxury. 

The  farm-house  with  low  gable  and  double  por¬ 


tico,  the  long  well  sweep  and  “  old  oaken  bucket" 
present  little  to  attract  the  eye  of  the  architect, 
but  the  ample  wood-house  adjoining,  the  tidy 
farm-gate,  and  the  adjacent  orchard  are  indica¬ 
tions  that  it  is  a  home  of  comfort.  The  ample 
rooms,  well  filled  cellar,  and  capacious  fire-places 
(the  lungs  of  the  house)  give  a  breadth  of  simple 
and  natural  enjoyment,  which  make  the  wander¬ 
er,  however  successful,  sigh  for  his  old  “New- 
Etigland  Home.” 

A  full  supply  of  fruit  for  Winter  use  adds  im¬ 
measurably  to  family  comfort.  Who  does  not 
enjoy  sitting  around  the  fire  on  a  Winter  even¬ 
ing,  eating  nuts  and  apples  and  telling  stories'! 
The  housewife  too,  finds  it  easy  to  furnish  the 
table  with  delicacies  when  apples  are  plenty. 
Many  who  have  abundance  of  this  frnit  in  Fall 
and  early  Winter, fail  to  keep  a  supply  until  Spring, 
simply  from  want  of  proper  care  in  gathering  and 
storing  it.  The  apples  are  shaken  from  the  trees, 
picked  up  and  laid  in  heaps,  or  put  in  barrels  or 
bins  in  the  cellar,  the  bruised  and  defective  ones 
left  with  the  rest,  and  sorted  over  only  when  it 
is  discovered  that  a  large  part  of  them  are  decay¬ 
ing.  A  bruise  on  an  apple  is  a  fatal  injury,  sure 
to  result  in  its  loss.  All  fruit  intended  for  keep¬ 
ing  should  be  hand  picked,  and  sorted,  only  sound 
specimens  being  allowed  in  the  general  store. 
The  remainder  should  be  kept  separate  for  imme¬ 
diate  use.  Apples  when  first  gathered  have  a 
superabundance  of  moisture,  being  part  of  the 
sap,  not  appropriated  by  the  fruit.  This  in  a  few 
days  passes  to  the  surface,  and  the  fruit  is  said 
to  sweat.  If  they  are  barreled  up  before  this  pro¬ 
cess  is  complete,  rot  will  be  speedily  induced, 
and  the  fruit  lost.  They  should  be  spread  thin 
in  some  cool  place  under  cover  until  dry,  then 
placed  carefully  in  barrels  without  straw,  and 
kept  in  a  dry  place  at  as  low  a  temperature  as 


may  be,  without  freezing.  Some  prefer  placing 
them  in  barrels  at  once,  leaving  one  head  out  un¬ 
til  the  sweating  is  complete.  Treated  in  this 
manner,  they  may  be  preserved  through  the  en¬ 
tire  season  until  Spring  fruits  come  in. 

— - - '«B  #  —  *-•** - 

Plant  Fruit  Trees. 

Plant  them  new,  as  soon  a3  the  frost  has  nearly 
stripped  them  of  their  Summer  foliage,  and  in 
three  or  four  years  golden  rewards  may  he  reap¬ 
ed,  in  yellow,  juicy  apples,  and  luscious,  mellow 
pears,  to  say  nothing  of  the  stone  fruits.  The  lat¬ 
ter  are  more  safely  planted  in  Spring;  bat  do 
not  wait  until  Spring  to  set  out  apple  and  pear 
trees.  The  present  is  a  more  leisure  sea¬ 
son,  a  better  selection  can  usually  be  made,  and 
the  tree  is  in  its  place  and  ready  to  start  into 
growth  at  the  ordinary  leafing  time  in  Spring.  It 
can  also  better  withstand  the  drouth  of  mid¬ 
summer  than  when  planted  in  Spring.  Perhaps 
the  only  exceptions  to  successful  Fall  planting 
are,  first  where  the  soil  is  wet  and  the  contrac¬ 
tions  and  expansions  of  superabundant  moist¬ 
ure  destroy  the  root  fibers;  and  second,  in  the  case 
of  tender  varieties  which  are  liable  to  winter- 
kill.  A  tender  tree  moved  in  late  Fall  can  not 
withstand  the  extreme  cold  and  sudden  changes 
of  Winter  like  one  which  has  been  unmolested. 
On  this  account  it  is  usually  advised  to  plant 
peach,  nectarine,  apricot,  and  sometimes  tender 
plum  and  cherry  trees,  in  Spring.  A  few  of  the 
late  growing  and  tender  sorts  of  apple  trees  may 
also  be  left  until  Spring  in  the  northern  States  ; 
but  with  the  majority  of  trees,  and  especially  in 
this  latitude  and  southward,  Fall  planting  may 
well  be  commenced  with  the  fall  of  the  leaf. 

No  universal  “directions”  for  setting  out  trees 
can  be  safely  given.  As  a  general  thing,  it  is 


Oct.,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


805 


better  to  give  ail  trees  and  plants  abundant  depth  ; 
to  prepare  the  soil  under  them  so  that  they  can 
send  down  roots  where  moisture  will  always 
abound,  no  matter  how  parched  or  dry  the  sur¬ 
face  soil.  To  secure  this  it  is  advised  to  dig  a 
large  deep  hole  and  till  with  rich  surface  soil. 
With  a  single,  but  very  common  exception,  this 
rule  is  a  good  one.  We  refer  to  those  localities 
where  the  subsoil  is  clay  or  hard-pan  of  so  com¬ 
pact  a  texture  as  to  retain  water.  Even  on  these 
the  large-deep-hole  method  is  best,  if  proper  drain¬ 
age  be  provided  ;  but  in  most  cases  tree  planters 
will  not  take  this  trouble  or  expense.  If  on  such 
retentive  soils  the  tree  be  planted  in  a  deep  mass 
of  rich  earth,  its  roots  will  be  invited  downwards, 
and  they -will  literally  stand  in  a  basin  of  water. 
We  advise,  therefore,  that  in  planting  trees,  the 
soil  in  which  they  stand  he  loosened  and  prepared 
only  to  the  depth  to  which  it  may  be  kept  free 
from  standing  water.  If  a  thin  surface  soil  rests 
upon  a  retentive  subsoil,  break  up  the  latter  as 
deeply  as  possible  by  suhsoiling,  and  loosen  it 
where  the  tree  is  to  stand  but  little  deeper  than 
elsewhere.  A  deep  porous  soil  is  always  best  for 
fruit  trees,  but  such  a  soil  can  not  be  found  in 
every  locality,  and  where  not  found,  let  it  be  imi¬ 
tated  by  preparing  the  soil  at  hand  as  deeply  as 
may  lie.  If  plowed  nine  or  ten  inches  deep,  and 
subsoiled  six  or  seven,  it  will  then  be  loosened 
fifteen  or  sixteen  inches  deep,  and  the  hole  for  the 
tree  may  be  made  to  that  depth,  filling  it  always 
with  surface  soil  naturally  rich,  or  made  so  by 
the  addition  of  rotten  manure,  or  muck,  decayed 
leaves,  etc.  We  have  this  week  examined-apple 
and  pear  trees  fifty  to  a  hundred  years  and  more 
old,  which  stood  over  a  clay  subsoil,  but  the  roots 
were  spread  out  in  the  surface  soil  thirty  to  sixty 
feet  in  every  direction.  Usually  these  old  trees 
are  found  on  limestone  soils,  loose  and  porous 
deeply  down,  and  they  are  most  frequent  upon 
knolls,  hillocks  or  slopes,  having  a  dry,  deep, 
loamy  or  stony  subsoil. 

On  wet  soils  good  success  has  been  attained  by 
preparing  the  ground,  setting  the  tree  directly 
upon  the  surface — no  hole  being  dug — and  then 
placing  soil  around  and  upon  the  roots,  up  to  the 
collar  or  point  where  the  soil  reached  in  the  orig¬ 
inal  locality.  The  tree  then  stands  upon  or  in  an 
artificial  hillock,  and  sends  its  roots  out  into  the 
dry  surface  soil  thus  prepared.  A  general  rule 
may  be  stated  thus  :  Plant  the  tree  on  as  deep 
a  soil  as  possible,  but  avoid  putting  it  where  its 
roots  will  be  far  down  in  a  barren  subsoil  beyond 
the  reach  of  air  and  warmth,  surrounded  with 
stagnant  cold  water. 

In  transplanting  all  trees,  they  should  usually 
be  planted  only  as  deep  as  they  grew  in  their 
original  positions.  Heaping  the  earth  around  the 
trunk  higher  than  this  often  proves  fatal.  In 
planting  in  holes,  let  there  be  ample  room  for  the 
roots  to  be  spread  out  naturally,  and  drop  in  the. 
loose  soil  around  them,  packing  it  down  carefully. 


That  Wonderful  Tree  in  Oregon. 

Much  was  said,  several  years  ago,  about  a  new 
and  beautiful  tree,  then  lately  discovered  near 
Olympia,  in  Oregon.  Travelers  declared  that  it 
resembled  the  pear-tree  somewhat  in  foliage,  but 
had  a  clean,  smooth  trunk  like  the  orange-tree. 
The  upper  side  of  the  leaf  was  polished  and  a 
little  oily  to  the  touch,  and  the  foliage  was  fra¬ 
grant,  like  bergamot.  It  had  flowers  resembling 
the  white  jessamine.  The  trunk,  branches,  fo¬ 
liage,  and  flowers  were  all  such  as  to  recommend 
it  particularly  for  planting  on  highly-  finished 
lawns  and  near  the  windows  and  doors  of  a  house. 
One  of  its  most  remarkable  characteristics  was 


that  it  was  an  evergreen.  A  broad-leaved  ever¬ 
green  tree  growing  in  a  cold  climate !  It  was 
said  to  be  not  a  very  common  tree  in  tliat  vicin¬ 
ity,  and  was  not  known  to  exist  elsewhere. 

What  has  become  of  this  famous  tree  1  We 
have  searched  for  it  in  a  multitude  of  nursery 
catalogues,  in  vain.  Has  any  one  got  it  1  If  it 
actually  possesses  the  excellences  claimed  for  it, 
the  nurseryman  who  should  bring  it  out  would 
realise  a  handsome  fortune  from  its  propagation 
and  sale. 

- -  - - - *-W - 

Laying  Out  Grounds- 

Several  months  ago,  we  discoursed  upon  the 
“Choice  of  a  Site”  for  a  country  home;  and 
later,  upon  the  “  Preparation  of  Ground  ”  for 
planting  and  building.  We  now  propose  to  add  a 
few  words  upon  the  Laying  out  of  Grounds. 

And  here,  we  frankly  say,  that  if  any  one  of 
our  readers  has  no  time  or  taste  for  such  work,  lie 
would  do  better  to  employ  a  professed  landscape 
gardener  to  do  it  for  him  ;  since  all  we  can  say 
will  not  supply  so  great  a  deficiency.  But  it. 
may  be  presumed  that  most  of  the  readers  of  the 
Agriculturist  have  some  tastes  of  this  sort  which 
they  wish  to  cultivate,  and  that  they  consider 
their  time  well  spent  in  improving  their  homes. 

For  the  sake  of  definiteness  in  our  remarks,  we 
will  suppose  that  the  grounds  to  be  laid  out,  are 
from  one  acre  to  four  or  five  acres  in  extent,  such 
building-lots  being  common  in  the  outskirts  of  our 
villages  and  towns,  as  well  as  on  country  farms. 
The  position  of  the  house  within  the  premises 
will  be  determined  somewhat  by  circumstances. 
If  there  is  a  rise  of  ground  upon  it,  only  a  short 
distance  from  the  street,  that  will  undoubtedly 
be  the  best  spot  for  the  house,  because  it  will  af¬ 
ford  good  drainage  and  a  good  view  of  the  sur¬ 
rounding  country.  If  the  ground  is  level,  the 


A,  Fruits— H,  Vegetable  Garden — C,  C,  C,  Ornamental 
Grounds— D,  D,  Hedges— E,  Stable — H,  House. 

house  may  be  set  near  the  street  and  near  one 
corner,  so  as  to  devote  the  other. side  to  orna¬ 
mental  planting,  and  the  rear  to  fruit  trees  and 
kitchen  garden  ;  or  it  may  be  set  near  the  middle 
of  the  front  line,  but  retired  several  rods  from  the 
street.  The  sketches  herewith  may  just  indicate 
the  two  styles.  The  first  (fig  1)  is  quite  common 
among  the  English,  the  other  (fig.  2)  prevails 
more  in  this  country.  Whatever  method  is  chosen 
there  are  certain  general  principles  always  to  be 
regarded. 

First,  it  is  important  to  give  one’s  house  and 
the  premises  an  air  of  protection  and  seclusion. 
If  they  are  swept  by  every  rough  gale  in  Winter 
and  Summer,  and  if  they  are  open  on  all  sides  to 
the  gaping  curiosity  of  every  passer-by,  they  are 
sadly  wanting  in  some  of  the  important  features 
of  a  home.  Therefore,  let  the  place  be  encircled 
with  trees  and  shrubbery,  deciduous  and  ever¬ 


green  commingled — not  stiff  rows  like  a  battallion 
of  soldiers,  but  waving  lines,  now  running  up 
close  to  the  boundaries,  and  now  out  into  the 
premises,  now  high  trees,  and  now  low,  and  ol 
all  sorts  together,  just  as  they  are  seen  in  natur¬ 
al  landscapes.  We  by  no  means,  advise  the  plant¬ 
ing  of  trees  so  as  to  hide  any  desirable  views  ol 
neighboring  scenery.  Set  them  thickest  where 
there  are  no  views  worth  saving,  and  where  there 
are  offensive  objects  visible,  and  where  the  winds 
blow  most  violently.  Even  on  those  sides  where 
the  views  are  finest,  they  may  be  skillfully  set  so 
as  to  form  picture-frames  for  the  landscape.  For 
it  should  be  remembered  that  a  fine  view  is  more 
striking  when  seen  through  a  vista  of  grand  trees 
in  the  foreground,  than  when  it  lies  unrelieved,  in 
one  fiat,  monotonous  scene.  Nor,  let  it  be  for¬ 


Fig.  2. 

1.  House — 2.  Fruits— 3.  Vegetable  Garden— 4.  4.  4,  Orna 
mental  Grounds— 5,  5,  Hedges— 6,  Sutble. 

gotten  that  a  house  and  grounds  are  more  inter¬ 
esting  to  the  spectator,  when  seen  only  in  snatch¬ 
es  and  at  favorable  points,  than  when  all  is  spread 
open  to  the  sight  at  once,  for  the  imagination  al¬ 
ways  pictures  greater  beauty  in  what  is  conceal¬ 
ed.  It  is  an  excellent  plan  to  surround  one’s 
premises  with  a  hedge,  to  be  kept  the  usual  higlit 
of  a  fence.  Il'ihe  right  kind  of  hedge  plant  is 
chosen,  it  will  often  be  more  economical  than  any 
other  kind  of  fence.  It  is  at  least  very  desirable 
on  the  score  of  taste,  as  it  may  be  so  managed 
as  to  conceal  the  exact  limits  of  one's  premises, 
and  to  give  an  appearance  of  indefinite  extent  to 
the  pleasant  scene  it  encloses.  To  secure  this 
effect,  flowering  shrubs  and  low  trees  should  be 
set,  here  and  there,  in  masses  near  the  line  of  the 
’hedge,  to  relieve  its  stiffness. 

Having  planned  the  boundaries,  let  us  now  take 
another  step.  A  carriage  road  and  a  walk  will 
be  needed  from  the  street  to  the  house,  and  to 
the  garden  and  out-houses  in  the  rear.  Walks 
may  also  be  wanted  to  lead  to  a  flower-garden, 
and  to  other  parts  of  the  ornamental  grounds.  As 
a  general  rule,  these  should  not  he  laid  in  straight 
lines,  because  they  will  not  harmonize  with  the 
graceful  forms  of  the  foliage,  nor  with  the  gener¬ 
al  air  of  ease  and  freedom  of  gardenesque  scenes. 
And  besides,  if  the  carriage  road  is  to  be  used  fre¬ 
quently  for  heavy  teams,  it  will,  if  straight,  be 
more  liable  to  be  cut  up  into  ruts,  than  one  which 
is  a  little  curved.  (A  little  reflection  will  show 
why  this  is  so )  Yet  even  straight  roads  and 
walks  are  more  sensible  than  the  zig-zag,  per¬ 
petually  winding  lines  sometimes  seen  in  fash¬ 
ionable  grounds.  Both  extremes  should  be 
avoided.  Of  course,  these  roads  and  walks 
should  be  made  thoroughly.  It  will  not  answer 
to  spread  a  little  gravel  over  a  rich  mold  full  ot 
the  roots  and  seeds  ol  weeds,  to  he  a  perpetual 
annoyance  to  the  proprietor.  The  top  soil  should 
he  taken  off,  at  least  six  inches  deep,  the  space 
filled  with  old  bricks,  or  cobble,  <' r  broken  stone 


306 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


and  covered  with  gravel,  the  last  coat  being  quite 
tine.  A  heavy  roller  drawn  frequently  over  the 
surface  will  make  it  firm  and  smooth. 

In  setting  out  trees,  we  advise  to  plant  sparing¬ 
ly  and  well.  Many  country  places  are  planted 
like  orchards,  in  rows,  or  like  the  wild  forest, 
with  just  as  many  trees  as  the  space  will  hold. 
But  we  ought  to  have  something  beside  shade  : 
we  want  frequent  open  spaces  for  lawns,  where 
the  smiling  sun  may  shine  in,  where  grass  will 
grow  well,  and  where  shrubs  and  flowers  will 
bloom.  By  all  means,  leave  such  spaces,  and 
group  your  trees  around  them  at  unequal  dis¬ 
tances.  Here  and  there,  set  a  few  choice  trees 
singly,  with  ample  space  to  develop  themselves 
on  all  sides.  Have  a  care,  however,  not  to  set 
trees  in  the  face  of  your  fine  prospects.  Shrubs 
and  low  trees  may  be  set  here  and  there  by  the 
margins  of  your  road  and  walks. 

A  fine  effect  is  sometimes  produced  by  setting 
large  shrubs  in  occasional  masses,  so  as  to  con¬ 
ceal  views  of  a  portion  of  the  grounds  in  advance 
of  the  spectator.  If  he  sees  the  whole  of  your 
premises  at  the  first  glance,  his  curiosity  is  sated 
at  once;  whereas,  if  certain  parts  are  shut  out 
for  the  time,  his  curiosity  is  kept  constantly 
awake.  It  is  a  good  plan,  therefore,  to  set  groups 
of  shrubbery  and  low  screens  along  the  borders 
of  waits  and  at  their  intersections,  to  conceal 
views  before  the  visitor.  And  then,  the  walks, 
as  they  ramble  on  through  the  premises,  should 
lead  to  something  which  will  reward  the  curiosi¬ 
ty — as,  for  instance,  a  rustic  seat  here,  a  sundial 
there,  a  vase,  a  statue,  a  fountain,  a  bed  of  flow¬ 
ers,  etc  ,  etc. 

But  the  subject  of  our  essav  expands,  and  our 
space  diminishes  so  rapidly,  that  we  must  defer 
the  conclusion  to  another  time. 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Dwarf  Pears. 

The  extensive  failure  of  pears  on  the  quince 
stock,  is  leading  some  cultivators  to  inquire  if 
there  has  not  been  some  radical  error  in  their 
mode  of  cultivation.  A  common  practice  among 
those  who  have  taken  special  pains  with  their 
trees,  has  been  to  dig  holes  five  feet  square,  and 
three  feet  deep,  and  then  to  fill  them  with  a  mix¬ 
ture  of  rotted  sods,  stable  manure,  bones,  ashes, 
plaster,  night  soil,  etc.,  etc.  Trees  so  planted 
have  sometimes  succeeded,  but  very  often  have 
failed.  Many  cultivators  now  claim  that  this  is  an 
irrational  mode  of  treatment.  When  a  tree  is  first 
set  out,  they  affirm,  it  is  in  a  suffering  condition  : 
it  lias  been  rudely  torn  from  its  native  home,  and 
wants  time  and  quiet  to  recover  itself.  Why  com¬ 
mence  stimulating  and  over-taxing  it  at  once! 
Let  it  have  at  least  one  year  to  heal  its  wounds, 
and  regain  its  lost  strength.  After  this,  manure 
may  he  applied  in  sufficient  quantity. 

And  then,  instead  of  the  deep  holes,  and  the 
deep  manuring,  it  is  now  claimed  that  nearly  the 
opposite  treatment  should  be  given.  Spade  or 
plow  to  the  usual  depth  for  good  tillage,  and  set 
hut  the  tree  as  we  do  a  currant  bush.  Put  no 
manure  in  the  bottom  of  the  hole,  and,  least  of 
II.  animal  manures.  KTeep  the  roots  near  the 
surface  ;  they  will  strike  as  deep  as  is  for  their 
good.  If  the  roots  are  set  deep,  and  are  encour¬ 
aged  to  strike  lower  still,  the  buds  will  start  ear¬ 
lier  in  the  Spring  than  the  climate  will  warrant, 
thus  producing  leaf-blight  ;  and  then  in  the  Fall, 
the  warmth  of  the  lower  soil  will  continue  the 
growth  of  wood  so  late,  that  it  will  not  ripen  off 
well  before  frost  sets  in  ;  this  will  tend  to  pro¬ 
duce  frozen  sap  blight.  The  tree  ought  to  be  in 
a  state  of  repose  for  several  weeks  before  Win¬ 
ter  sets  in. 


As  to  manuring,  it  is  held  that  it  should  all  be 
applied  on  the  surface.  This  is  nature’s  way. 
Laid  on  the  surface  in  the  Fall,  it  protects  the 
roots  from  severe  frost,  and  may  be  forked  in 
slightly  in  the  Spring.  A  little  more  applied  in 
Spring,  becomes  a  good  mulching  for  the  Sum¬ 
mer.  This  manure,  as  it  gradually  decays,  sends 
down  its  fertilizing  properties  to  the  roots  in  a 
liquid  form— just  what  nature  demands — which 
is  far  better  than  putting  gross,  exciting  substan¬ 
ces  directly  in  contact  with  the  roots.  An  ex¬ 
cellent  compost  for  pears  and  other  fruit  trees 
may  be  made  of  burnt  or  rotted  sods,  mixed  with 
stable  manure,  which,  when  thoroughly  decom¬ 
posed,  may  be  treated  with  a  little  salt  and  lime 
or  potash.  For  a  simple  mulch,  coal  ashes  are 
sometimes  used  with  good  effect.  * 

- <»-< —  mo4)0"" - ►-«- - - 

How  to  promote  Fruitfulness  in  Barren 
Trees. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

Many  of  your  readers  are  not  aware  that 
“  heading  back  ”  fruit  trees  is  productive  of  fruit; 
as  well  as  a  similar  treatment  to  “  the  running 
vines,”  of  which  mention  is  made  in  the  August 
Agriculturist.  The  check  given  to  the  extension 
of  the  limbs,  by  removing  the  ends  of  vigorous 
shoots,  concentrates  the  sap  in  the  limbs,  which 
causes  them  to  prepare  fruit  buds.  Let  the 
“querist”  who  asks  “what  he  shall  do  for  his 
plum  trees,  etc.,”  try  this  plan,  and  not  “  cut  them 
down,”  but  “  spare  them  another  year  if  they 
are  trees  of  a  vigorous  growth,  I  doubt  not  that 
he  will  be  satisfied  with  the  result.  It  has  now 
become  so  late  in  the  season  that  they  may  not 
prepare  for  the  production  of  fruit  next  Summer, 
but  they  certainly  will  the  following  Summer. 
This  method  of  concentrating  the  sap,  besides 
being  pioductive  of  fruit  in  barren  trees,  will  also 
cause  young  trees  to  bear  much  sooner  than  they 
otherwise  would.  Dan.  Steck. 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Protect  the  Roots  of  Trees. 

Most  trees  in  this  latitude  will  receive  benefit 
by  Winter  protection.  Nature  provides  this  in 
forests  by  depositing  the  leaves  which  have 
formed  their  Summer  clothing,  upon  the  ground 
beneath  which  most  of  the  vitality  is  stored  in 
the  roots.  They  form  a  loose  covering  contain¬ 
ing  much  air,  thus  securing  several  degrees  of 
warmth  to  the  surface  below.  In  addition  to  the 
benefit  thus  derived,  the  decaying  of  the  leaves 
supplies  a  top  dressing  of  the  best  kind  of  nourish¬ 
ment  for  the  future  growth  of  the  tree.  Stable 
manure  affords  good  protection,  hut  is  not  so  well 
adapted  for  affording  nourishment.  A  compost, 
in  which  leaves  form  the  largest  proportion, 
spread  liberally,  at  least  an  inch  deep,  over  the 
whole  surface  finder  the  tree,  to  be  forked  in  the 
following  Spring,  will  be  highly  beneficial.  A  tree 
may  live  and  grow  without  these  precautions,  but 
its  thrift  will  be  greatly  promoted  by  observing 
them. 


The  Concord  Grape  at  the  South. 


It  is  gratifying  to  learn  that  this  grape  is  suc¬ 
ceeding  well  at  the  South  and  Southwest.  Per¬ 
haps  no  one  not  pecuniarily  interested  in  its  sale 
will  claim  that  it  is  a  first  class  grape  for  the  ta¬ 
ble  ;  it.  is  inferior  in  flavor  to  the  Diana,  Dela¬ 
ware.  Rebecca,  and  even  the  Isabella,  and  Cataw¬ 
ba.  Yet  it  must  be  acknowledged  to  rank  only  a 
little  below  these  grapes,  and  for  hardiness  and 
prolific  bearing  it  is  scarcely  excelled. 

It  is  now  being  tried  for  wine-making,  and  so 


far  as  we  have  seen  and  heard,  the  result  is  fa¬ 
vorable,  the  wine  having  a  very  agreeable,  fruity 
flavor.  As  an  eating  grape  and  for  wine,  it  is 
better  at  the  South  than  at  the  North.  The  Ger¬ 
man  vine  growers  in  Missouri  have  taken  it  in 
hand,  and  are  much  pleased  with  it.  A  Mr.  Hus 
man,  from  Herman,  Missouri,  writes  to  the  St 
Louis  Westliche  Post,  as  follows  :  “  The  Con¬ 

cord  grape  yielded  this  year  (1858)  for  the  first 
time  with  me,  and  seems  very  suitable  for  our 
climate  ;  fruits  admirably,  large  bunch  and  berry, 
ripens  a  fortnight  sooner  than  Catawba,  good  fla 
vor,  and  is  the  only  kind  in  our  vinevard  which 
was  not  touched  at  all  hv  rot  or  mildew.  In  a 
few  years,  I  think  I  shall  have  a  good  many  Con¬ 
cord  grapes  in  the  St.  Louis  market,  and  am  pret¬ 
ty  sure  that  they  will  fetch  twice  the  price  of 
Catawba.” — A  Concord  vine  we  planted  three 
years  ago,  at  our  place  12  miles  east  of  New- 
York  City,  is  now  bearing  abundantly,  and  the 
fruit  is  about  ripe,  while  the  Isabella,  near  by, 
has  scarcely  changed  its  color.  The  Hartford 
Prolific  Grape  standing  by  the  side  of  the  Con¬ 
cord  is  quite  as  vigorous  and  fruitful,  and  the  two 
are  ripening  at  the  same  time.  We  can  scarcely 
choose  between  them,  but  think  in  flavor  there  is 
a  slight  difference  in  favor  of  the  Hartford  pro¬ 
lific — to  our  taste. 

Root  Structure— Physiological  Curiosity. 

In  a  recent  article  in  the  Gardener’s  Chronicle 
(London),  it  is  very  pertinently  argued,  that  suffi¬ 
cient  attention  lias  not  heretofore  been  given  to 
the  nature,  laws  of  growth,  and  requirements  of 
the  roots  of  plants.  While  the  branches,  leaves, 
flowers  and  fruit  have  be^n  thoroughly  studied, 
the  parts  upon  which  these  depend  in  a  very  great 
degree  for  their  support,  have  been  allowed  to 
seek  their  living,  and  contend  with  their  enemies, 
almost  without,  the  aid  of  science,  at  least  so  far 
as  it  might  throw  light  upon  peculiarities  in  their 
structure,  and  requisites  arising  from  such  pecu¬ 
liarities.  Recently,  however,  the  subject  ap¬ 
pears  to  be  exciting  the  interest  of  vegetable 
physiologists.  The  Chronicle  announces  a  new 
discovery  made,  in  pursuance  of  researches 
in  this  direction,  by  parties  engaged  independ¬ 
ently  in  their  investigations,  viz.;  Professor  Hen- 
frey  in  England,  and  Messrs.  Garreau  and  Brau- 
wers,  in  France.  It  says  :  “  One  thing  spemsto 
have  been  already  made  out  by  these  careful  ob¬ 
servers,  namely,  that  the  growing  point  of  a  young 
root  is  always  protected  from  injury  by  a  natur¬ 
al  guard. 

It  has  long  been  known  that  in  certain  plants 
the  end  of  the  roots  is  covered  by  a  kind  of  cap 
or  hood,  within  which  the  process  of  growth  is 
carried  on.  Of  this  the  common  Duckweed  of¬ 
fers  a  familiar  example,  which  any  one  may  see 
with  the  aid  of  a  pocket  lens.  Another,  on  a  far 
larger  scale,  is  to  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  stout 
aerial  roots  of  the  Screw  Pin  e{Pandanus),  in  which 
it  looks  like  a  great  brown  cup.  It  now  appears 
that  the  structure  in  question  is  general,  not  ex¬ 
ceptional.  Mr.  Henfrey  finds  that  “  the  growing 
point  of  a  root  is  not  at  its  absolute  extremity, 
which  is  covered  by  a  cap-shaped  or  hood-like 
portion  of  epidermis  of  its  own,  continuous  like¬ 
wise  belting  with  the  cambial  structure.  This 
cap-like  sheath  of  the  point  of  the  root  may  be 
compared  with  the  head  of  an  arrow,  forming  a 
firm  body,  which  can  be  pushed  forward  by  the 
growing  force  behind,  to  penetrate  through  the 
resisting  soil.  This  cap  is  subject  to  destruction 
and  decomposition  by  external  agencies,  and  is 
less  distinctly  seen  in  roots  growing  in  earth  than 
in  those  of  aquatic  plants.  In  all  cases,  it  is  con- 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


307 


stantly  undergoing  renewal  by  cell-development 
at  the  back-part ;  and  when  it  remains  undis- 
solved,  as  in  many  water-plants,  it  becomes  very 
large  ;  when  it  undergoes  decomposition  in  pro¬ 
portion  as  it  is  renewed  behind,  it  presents  an 
irregular  ragged  appearance,  which  probably  gave 
rise  to  the  idea  of  a  spongy  structure  at  the  end 
of  the  rootlets. 

In  like  manner  Messrs.  Garreau  and  Brauwers 
find  that  the  ends  of  roots  undergo  a  process  of 
exfoliation,  (throwing  off  scales)  the  rapidity  of 
which  depends  upon  the  peculiar  constitution  of 
the  species,  and  the  temperature  and  moisture  to 
which  it  is  exposed.  This  exfoliation  is  connect¬ 
ed  with  the  formation  of  new  tissue  in  the  midst 
of  a  viscous  matter,  beneath  skins  or  hoods  of 
epidermis  which  are  eventually  thrown  off.” 


New-Rochelle  Blackberry.— Seed  for 
Distribution. 

We  are  glad  to  see,  in  our  advertising  columns 
of  last  number,  a  great  reduction  in  the  price  of 
New-Rochelle  blackberry  plants  this  year.  Only 
a  few  years  since  we  paid  50  cents  per  plant,  and 
would  do  the  same  now,  rather  than  be  without 
them  ;  but  good,  strong  rooted  plants  are  now 
offered  at  $6  per  100.  [It  should  be  understood 
'hat  ^New-Rochelle"  and  "Lawton1'  are  synony¬ 
mous  names  of  the  same  plant.  The  name  Law- 
ton  was  not,  in  our  opinion,  either  justly  or  legit¬ 
imately  applied.]  This  variety  of  the  blackberry 
has  been  so  long  and  thoroughly  tried  and  prov¬ 
ed,  and  is  so  valuable,  that  we  desire  to  see  it 
everywhere  introduced  among  our  readers.  By 
the  wav,  we  met  Mr.  Seymour  Sept.  8th,  and  he 
informed  ns.  that  up  to  that  date  they  had  pick¬ 
ed  over  500  bushels  of  berries  on  the  3£  acres  we 
referred  to  last  month  (page  276). 

We  advise  Fall  planting — at  anytime  after  the 
leaves  wither.  If  set  at  this  season,  they  get 
established  in  the  ground,  and  in  Spring  send  up 
larger  canes  for  the  next  year’s  bearing.  In  very 
cold  localities,  say  north  of  latitude  45°,  and 
even  south  of  that,  in  high  bleak  situations,  it 
may  he  safer  to  wait  until  Spring,  but  not  else¬ 
where,  as  a  general  thing.  The  plants  are  seldom 
injured  by  frost ;  those  full  grown  are  often 
broken  down  by  snow,  which  should  be  guarded 
against. 

Raising  from  Seed. — Blackberries  like  other 
fruits,  sport  when  raised  from  seed,  and  there  is 
no  certainty  of  getting  the  same  variety  ;  yet  the 
nlackberry  appears  to  sport  very  little.  In  all 
cases,  where  practicable,  we  advise  to  propagate 
by  the  roots  ;  but  in  remote  localities  where  it  is 
not  possible  to  get  rooted  plants  without  great 
risk,  trouble,  and  expense,  and  in  such  cases  only, 
we  think* it  well  “worth  while  to  plant  some  oftlie 
seed.  The  probability  is  that  the  true  New-Ro- 
chelle,  or  a  very  similar  variety  may  be  obtained, 
though  this  can  not  certainly  he  depended  upon. 
There  will  be  a  chance  of  getting  a  plant  or  two 
of  even  a  better  variety.  To  provide  for  our  sub¬ 
scribers  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  in  other  remote 
Territories,  we  have  secured  a  limited  supply  of 
the  true  New-Ilochelle  blackberry  seed,  which 
we  shall  offer  in  small  parcels  in  our  free  Seed 
Distribution  for  next  year — to  be  announced  next 
month. 


The  Bedfordshire  Prize  Cucumber,  the  seed 
oi  which  we  distributed  last  Spring,  appears  to 
be  much  liked  so  far  as  we  have  heard  from  it. 
A  subscriber  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  P. 
F.  Cady,  sent  us  in  a  specimen  raised  from  seed, 
received  from  the  Agriculturist  office,  which 
measures  nearly  twenty  inches  in  length  and  11 


inches  in  circumference  ;  and  this  he  says  is  the 
usual  size  of  such  as  are  left  to  mature. 

Rhubarb. 

This  vegetable  is  fast  gaining  favor  among  far¬ 
mers  and  gardeners,  the  growing  demand  for 
marketing  rendering  its  cultivation  quite  profita¬ 
ble.  The  modern  varieties,  Linnaeus,  and  Victo¬ 
ria,  are  very  unlike  the  small,  tough,  and  stringy 
stalks  of  old  sorts.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest  veg¬ 
etables  of  Spring,  and  comes  in  just  as  the  apples 
have  nearly  disappeared  ;  it  also  continues  in 
cooking  condition  all  Summer,  and  furnishes  a 
fine  Winter  dish  when  put  up  in  air-tight  cans  or 
bottles.  Just  now  is  the  best  time  to  set  out  the 
roots,  or  crowns  of  rhubarb,  so  that  they  may 
push  into  growth  at  the  first  opening  of  Spring. 
Make  the  ground  rich  and  mellow,  and  set  out 
roots  four  feet  apart.  Add  a  mulch  of  coarse 
manure,  late  in  the  Fall,  to  partially  protect  them 
from  hard  freezing,  and  cause  them  to  start  ear¬ 
lier  in  the  Spring.  Those  who  think  rhubarb  is 
too  acid  for  health,  or  requires  too  great  a  draft 
upon  the  sugar-bowl,  can  add  say,  one  teaspoonful 
of  saleratus  or  soda  to  sufficient  pie-plant  for 
two  pies.  The  alkali  of  the  soda  neutralizes 
much  of  the  acid  of  the  plant,  so  that  less  sugar 
is  needed.  The  flavor  of  the  sauce  or  pie  is  also 
improved,  for  those  who  are  not  fond  of  tart 
sweetmeats. 

- - — a-^-BTrr— - - 

Plant  an  Asparagus  Bed— It  Pays. 

We  actually  know  a  man  who  had  nearly  bar¬ 
gained  for  a  farm  some  ten  years  since,  but  the 
fact  that  lie  found  no  asparagus  bed  in  the  gar¬ 
den  was  the  make-weight  which  induced  him  to 
give  up  the  purchase,  and  buy  another  where 
this,  to  him  indispensable,  luxury  was  in  vigorous 
growth.  This  may  be  a  rare  case,  but  if  two 
farms  were  lying  side  by  side,  alike  in  all  re¬ 
spects  except  that  one  had  a  large  bed  of  vigor¬ 
ous  asparagus  growing,  and  the  other  none,  the 
former  would  he  chosen  at  once  by  any  one  ac¬ 
customed  to  this  vegetable.  It  is  a  real  luxury 
in  Spring  to  be  able  to  cut  a  daily  supply  of  as¬ 
paragus,  when  most  articles  of  food  are  of  the 
dry  kind.  Let  us  try  figures  :  A  large  family  dish 
of  fresh  home-grown  asparagus  is  certainly  wortii 
12  cents  at  the  very  lowest  estimate.  This  on 
every  other  day  fortwo  months,  amounts  to  $3.60, 
which  is  equal  to  a  good  interest  on  $50.  But  a 
capital  bed  of  asparagus,  large  enough  for  any 
family,  will  not  cost  $5,  preparation,  manure, and 
labor,  included.  Figures  won't  lie. 

Some  oftlie  books  and  newspaper  11  directions  ” 
make  the  preparation  of  an  asparagus  bed  a  labo¬ 
rious,  tedious,  costly  affair.  This  is  nonsense, 
we  well  know  by  more  than  one  trial.  You  can 
spend  as  much  time  and  money  as  you  like  on 
such  a  bed,  but  the  following  is  all  that  is  ordi¬ 
narily  needed.  Select  a  piece  of  fair  soil — not 
too  heavy — where  it  will  not  be  necessary 
to  disturb  it  by  plowing.  It  may  be  of  any  shape, 
long,  square,  or  round  for  that  matter.  The  size 
may  vary  from  one  square  rod  to  three  or  four — 
the  larger  the  better  if  your  neighbors  have  no 
home  supply.  An  old  bed  20  feet  square  supplies 
our  large  household,  and  some  to  spare 

Spade  the  ground  this  month  (Oct.)  18  inches 
or  more  deep,  digging  in  a  coating  of  four  to  six 
inches  of  stable  manure.  No  matter  how  many 
bones,  old  shoes,  rags,  etc.,  find  their  way  into  the 
bottom.  Rake  the  surface  and  the  bed  is  ready. 

Get  from  a  nurseryman,  or  seed  dealer,  some 
two-year-old  roots  ;  they  cost  75  cents  to  $1  per 
hundred  hereabouts.  Plant  these  about  one  foot 
|  apart  each  way,  covering  the  crown  or  head  of 


each,  say  4  inches  below  the  surface.  Smooth  off 
the  bed  and  it  is  ready  to  he  drawn  upon  for  half 
a  century,  more  or  less.  If  made  in  Autumn,  it 
will  yield  very  well  a  year  from  the  Spring  follow¬ 
ing,  and  grows  better  as  it  grows  older. 

If  roots  can  be  obtained,  it  will  save  a  yearoi 
two  in  time,  but,  at  remote  points,  any  one  may 
raise  the  roots  from  seed  sown  in  Spring  on  a 
warm  dry  bed  of  soil,  and  transplant  the  roots  in 
Autumn  of  the  next  year.  We  this  year  cut  large 
stalks  from  seed  sown  three  years  ago,  in  a  drill 
along  the  border  of  an  old  bed.  They  were  not 
transplanted.  Fair  stalks  were  obtained  last  year. 

In  Autumn  it  is  well  to  spread  two  to  five  inch¬ 
es  of  manure  over  the  asparagus  bed  arid  spade  it 
in  very  early  in  Spring.  This  protects  the  roots, 
hastens  the  growth,  and  enriches  the  plot. 


The  Vinegar  Plant. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

Mrs.  M.  J.  S  .  in  the  Agriculturist  for  August, 
asks  what  the  Vinr.crar  Plant  is.  I  answer,  it  is 
a  peculiar  state  of  a  kind  of  Mold-Fungus.  The 
Vinegar  Plant  is  the  same  as  the  Ferment- Plant, 
that  is,  the  plant  of  Yeast.  As  it  grows  in  ihe 
molasses  (or  any  other  sugary  or  farinaceous  mat¬ 
ter)  it  somehow  turns  the  latter  into  alcohol,  that 
into  aldehyde,  and  that  into  Vinegar.  If  we  wish 
to  make  beer  instead  of  Vinegar,  we  have  only 
to  make  the  fermentation  take  place  slower,  and 
m  a  cooler  temperature,  and  to  stop  ii  at  the  first 
of  these  stages. 

In  turning  the  sugar  into  alcohol,  carbonic  acid 
gas  is  given  off,  that  is,  the  sugar  is  decom¬ 
posed  into  alcohol  and  carbonic  acid  ;  the  latter 
makes  the  beer  frothy  and  pungent 

When  we  add  the  yeast  to  dough,  the  Yeast- 
Plant  grows,  lurns  some  of  the  starch  into  sugar, 
and  decomposes  that,  into  alcohol  and  carbonic 
acid,  and  the  minute  bubbles  of  the  carbonic 
acid  gas,  entangled  in  the  dough,  expand  with 
the  warmth,  and  still  more  with  the  heat  of  the 
oven  in  baking,  and  fill  the  bread  with  pores 
and  cavities,  i.e.,  make  the  bread  light. 

It  has  lately  been  ascertained  that  the  Vine¬ 
gar  Plant,  or  Yeast-Plant,  is  only  a  peculiar 
state  of  the  common  Bread-mold.  The  mold  on 
old  bread  or  other  farinaceous  matter  is  only  the 
Yeast-plant  going  to  seed.  G. 

- ->  - - ■««»• - -  •- - - 

The  Verbena  a  Uative. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Avierican  Agriculturist . 

From  your  article  in  the  September  Agricultur 
ist,  on  the  history  of  the  Verbena,  I  infer  that  it 
is  not  generally  known  to  be  a  native  of  the  Uni¬ 
ted  States.  I  think  there  has  been  some  dispute 
about  who  is  entitled  to  the  credit  of  having  in¬ 
troduced,  or  imported  the  Verbena.  It  is  growing 
wild  in  great  abundance  on  the  hills  of  this  vicin¬ 
ity.  Some  of  our  botanists  say  there  are  three 
distinct  varieties  oftlie  wild  Verbena  here.  I  atm 
not  certain  that  I  have  seen  more  than  one,  s 
specimen  of  which,  I  herewith  enclose  to  you 
[Specimen  received  is  a  genuine  Verbena  — Ed.’ 

We  have  a  great  profusion  of  most  beautifu. 
flowers  in  tin's  region,  many  of  them  choice  va¬ 
rieties  which  at  the  East  I  have  only  seen  culti¬ 
vated  in  gardens.  ’There  are  at  least  four  varie¬ 
ties  of  Phlox  growing  wild  here,  as  beautiful  as  1 
have  ever  seen. 

There  seems  to  be  a  great  passion  now-a-days 
for  foreign,  or  imported  articles,  sometimes,  nc 
doubt,  to  the  neglect  of  equally  choice  varieties 
of  natives.  I  hope  that  the  Verbena  will  not  de 
preciate  materially  in  value  when  it  become! 
known  that  it  is  a  native  American. 

St.  Louis  Co.,  Mo.  L-  D-  Morse. 


308 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


October, 


Preserving  Flowers  for  Winter. 


We  number  not  a  few  botanists  among  our 
readers,  and  a  still  larger  number  of  persons  who 
love  flowers  for  their  own  sake,  and  who  would 
like  to  preserve  them  with  more  or  less  fresh¬ 
ness  throughout  the  year.  This  can  be  done 
with  a  little  care.  All  that  is  required  is,  to  dry 
and  press  them,  and  then  to  fasten  them  witli  glue 
or  gum  to  the  pages  of  a  blank  book — attach  also 
the  names  of  the  flowers.  In  selecting  specimens 
for  preservation,  take 
those  of  average  size, 
with  no  parts  wanting, 

4nd  none  in  excess.  Get 
those  with  leaves  at¬ 
tached  to  the  flowers, 
and  with  stems  not  very 
thick,  else  they  will  not 
press  well,  nor  lie 
smoothly  within  the 
Heaves  of  the  book.  Get 
also  a  specimen  of  the 
seed  vessels,  if  you  have 
a  seed-hearing  plant. 

The  plant  -  gatherer 
should,  tf  possible,  go 
nut  into  the  woods  and 
fields,  equipped  with  a  bo¬ 
tanical  nox.  This  is 
nothing  more  than  a  flat 
tin  box,  s<x  or  eight  inch¬ 
es  wide,  t*nd  a  foot  or  fif¬ 
teen  incues  long,  and 
shaped  like  a  candle  box, 
only  thinner,  and  having 
a  lid  which  shuts  tight. 

This  will  keep  the  speci¬ 
mens  fresh  for  a  day  or 
two,  if  occasionally 
sprinkled.  He  should  also 
have  at  home  a  portfolio 
a  lit  tie  larger  than  the 
box,  for  receiving  the 
plants  at  the  close  of  each 

excursion,  and  for  drying  them.  The  paper  may 
he  any  common  unsized  sort,  such  as  the  poorest 
printing  paper,  or  grocer’s  white  tea-paper.  The 
newly  gathered  specimens  should  be  laid  separate¬ 
ly  between  the sheets  of  paper,  and  then  a  moder¬ 
ate  weight  he  laid  upon  the  closed  portfolio.  If  the 
specimens  are  quite  succulent  and  moist,  they 
should  he  placed  between  several  sheets  of  coarse 
orown  paper,  to  absorb  the  moisture  ;  and  it  may 
be  necessary  to  change  these  absorbers  daily  for 
a  week,  before  the  specimens  are  perfectly  dry. 

The  blank  book  for  receiving  the  dried  plants 
is  generally  called  a  Herbarium.  It  should  be 
made  for  this  specific  use.  The  best  size  is  about 
sixteen  incites  by  eleven.  Some  prefer  eighteen 
by  eleven.  The  great  botanist  Linnams,  used 
common  foolscap  paper,  eleven  by  seven  ;  but  he 
found  this  too  small.  The  best  kind  of  paper  for 
an  herbarium  is  a  neat,  rather  firm,  and  sized  pa- 
pur,  kept  for  such  purposes  at  most  bookstores. 
The  several  species  of  plants  should  be  placed  in 
sheets  by  themselves,  with  only  one  specimen  to 
a  sheet.  The  generic  and  specific  name  of  the 
plant  should  he  written  at  the  lower  right  hand 
corner  of  the  sheet,  together  with  any  other  items 
of  interest  connected  with  the  history  of  the 
plant ;  such,  for  instance,  as  the  place  and  time 
when  gathered,  or  the  friend  from  whom  it  was 
received,  etc  Then,  as  these  sheets  accumu¬ 
late,  they  should  he  gathered  into  covers,  (called 
by  botanists  “genus-covers,”)  made  of  a  thin  sort 
of  paste-board,  or  the  coarsest  drawing-paper,  and 
the  name  of  the  genus  written  on  the  outside. 
When  several  of  these  are  collected,  they  may 


be  put  into  a  thick  portfolio,  having  the  name  of 
the.  Order  on  the  outside.  The  portfolios  may 
be  kept  on  the  shelves  of  the  library.  Specimens 
should  be  dried  as  quickly  as  possible,  to  pre¬ 
vent  their  becoming  black  and  moldy.  As  many 
kinds  of  plants,  and  conifers  especially,  are  apt 
to  fall  in  pieces  when  dried,  this  maybe  prevent¬ 
ed  by  plunging  the  newly  gathered  specimen  fora 
minute  into  boiling  water.  We  know  of  few  re¬ 
creations  for  a  stormy  day  in  Fall  or  Winter,  more 
pleasant  than  examining  a  good  Herbarium. 


Bulbous  Flowers— Hyacinths  and  Tulips. 

October  is  the  best  month  for  making  beds  of 
hyacinths  and  tulips.  Other  bulbous-rooter’, 
plants  are  not  indeed  to  be  disparaged.  For  how 
could  one  get  along  without 

“  The  Snow  Drop,  which  in  habit  white  and  plain, 
Comes  on,  the  herald  of  fair  Flora’s  train 
or  the  crocus,  said  in  some  regions  to  be 

“  the  first  gilt  thing 

That  w  ears  the  trembling  breath  of  Spring.” 
or  the  Narcissus,  Gladiolus,  Tiger-flower,  the 
Lilies  and  many  others.  No ;  we  would  not 
breathe  a  word  against  them  ;  hut  just  now,  our 
thoughts  run  in  the  line  of  hyacinths  and  tulips. 

Does  any  one  forget  how  much  interest  was 
formerly  felt  in  these  flowers,  especially  the  tulip  1 
In  the  seventeenth  century,  the  latter  became  an 
important  article  of  commerce,  and  the  price  of 
favorite  bulbs  was  almost  incredible.  In  Holland 
and  Belgium,  several  thousand  francs  were  often 
given  for  a  single  root ;  and  in  1637,  the  whole 
amount  sold  amounted  to  several  millions  of 
francs.  A  piece  of  property  is  still  exhibited  in 
the  town  of  Lille,  which,  though  valued  at  $6,000 
was  once  exchanged  for  a  single  fancy  tulip  !  The 
following  story  is  told  on  good  authority  :  “  Dur¬ 

ing  the  tulip-mania  in  Holland,  a  merchant  gave 
a  herring  to  a  poor  sailor  who  had  brought  some 
goods  into  his  store.  The  sailor  seeing  some 
roots  lying  on  the  counter,  and  supposing  them 
to  be  onions,  took  some  of  them  unperceived  and 
ate  them  with  his  herring.  It  turned  out  that 
they  w  ere  very  rare  and  valuable  tulips,  and  the 
sailor’s  breakfast  cost  the  merchant  a  greater 


sum  than  if  he  had  entertained  the  Prince  ol 
Orange  !”  But  tilings  were  thus  getting  to  so 
bad  a  pass,  that  the  government  had  to  interfere 
and  prevent  this  spirit  of  speculation  :  laws  were 
passed  forbidding  more  than  200  francs  to  be  paid 
for  a  tulip.  That  sum  has  continued  to  be  given 
for  some  fancy  sorts  in  Holland,  to  this  day,  hut 
as  a  general  rule,  the  price  has  been  very  mucb 
reduced.  In  England,  we  understand  that  even 
now  a  large  and  first-class  collection  is  valued 
as  high  as  five  thousand  dollars,  sometimes  more. 

But  there  is  no  sense 
in  the  indulgence  of  these 
extravagant  fancies.  The 
poor  as  well  as  the  rich 
may  have  a  splendid  as¬ 
sortment  at  very  little 
expense.  And  how  gay 
a  scene  does  a  fine  bed 
of  tulips  present !  The 
form  of  the  flower,  its 
gorgeousness  of  color, 
and  the  variety  of  its 
markings  and  tints  fur¬ 
nish  one  of  the  finest 
floral  displays  of  the 
whole  year. 

Less  splendid,  perhaps, 
but  not  less  pleasing  to 
the  eye  of  taste  is  the 
hyacinth.  It  has  almost 
every  color  and  every 
shade,  from  fiery  red  to 
pale  rose ;  from  pale 
blue  to  blackish  purple  ; 
from  the  faintest  straw- 
color  to  a  reddis’h  salmon 
hue.  Then,  there  are 
whites,  with  red,  blue, 
and  purple  eyes  ;  some, 
again,  are  striped,  some 
shaded,  and  some  tipped 
with  green.  The  fra¬ 
grance  of  the  hyacinth  is 
not  its  least  attraction  ; 
and  then  it  is  perfectly  hardy  and  very  easy  ot 
cultivation.  Plainly,  too,  there  are  varieties 
enough  for  every  taste  ;  the  Dutch  catalogues 
number  upwards  of  two  thousand  sorts. 

The  treatment  for  the  tulip  and  hyacinth  is 
similar,  and  is  as  follows  :  Choose  an  open, 
moderately  dry  situation,  take  away  the  top  soil, 
if  very  stiffand  poor,  and  bring  in  better;  or  if 
good,  let  it  remain  and  be  further  improved.  The 
best  sort  of  earth  for  these  bulbs  is  a  mixture  of 
rotted  turf  and  sand,  and  old  cow-dung.  If  a  lit¬ 
tle  leaf-mold  is  added,  it  will  be  all  the  better. 
Mix  these  several  ingredients  thoroughly,  and 
then  rake  and  level  smooth.  In  bu/ing  bulbs, 
select  those  only  that  are  bright  and  sound.  Let 
no  seedsman  palm  off  spotted,  or  soft  and  half- 
rotted  roots  upon  you.  Refuse  roots  are  often 
thrown  upon  the  market,  and  the  uninitiated  are 
imposed  upon.  Good  bulbs  having  been  obtained, 
set  them  four  inches  deep,  and  eight  inches  apart. 
It  is  well  to  put  an  inch  of  sand  around  each  bull). 
The  different  colors  should  be  arranged  with 
some  care,  for  the  sake  of  pleasing  contrasts.  If 
one  wishes  (he  best  possible  effect  from  his  bed, 
he  should  make  a  plan  of  it  on  paper  beforehand, 
laying  down  on  it  every  root  with  its  name  and 
color,  arranging  them  according  to  known  laws 
of  combination.  He  will  then  know  just  how  his 
bed  will  look.  After  the  bulbs  are  set,  nothing 
more  will  be  required  for  the  present,  except  to 
cover  them  late  in  the  Fall  with  leaves  or  a  few 
inches  of  old  manure.  This,  of  course,  should  be 
removed  as  soon  as  the  frost  is  out  in  Spring. 

The  tulip  has  generally  a  stem  strong  enough 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


309 


to  support  its  flower  erect,  but  the  double  hya¬ 
cinths  often  need  small  stakes.  If  these  are 
peatly  made  and  painted  green,  they  look  well, 
and  prevent  the  stalks  from  being  broken  down 
by  the  wind,  or  falling  by  their  own  weight.  Some 
amateur  florists  and  nurserymen  stretch  an  awn¬ 
ing  over  their  finest  beds  during  mid-day,  and 
thereby  prolong  the  period  of  flowering,  a  week  or 
more.  As  soon  as  the  foliage  turns  yellow,  the 
roots  may  be  taken  up  and  laid  in  some  by-place, 
and  covered  with  a  little  earth.  They  will  he 
ripe  in  a  fortnight,  and  may  then  be  sorted  and 
put  away  in  dry  papers  till  Autumn.  Or  they  may 
remain  in  the  ground  two  or  three  years  without 
transplanting. 

In  the  choice  of  varieties,  tastes  differ.  Among 
tulips,  some  persons  prefer  the  Parrots  (variegated 
colors),  others  the  double  sorts  ;  but  the  more 
critical  declare  in  favor  of  the  single  varieties. 
These,  when  of  the  right  form  and  markings,  it 
must  be  confessed  rightly  bear  the  palm.  It  is 
desirable  to  have  some  of  the  early  and  of  the 
late  bloomers,  so  as  to  extend  the  flowering  sea¬ 
son  to  about  a  month.  The  Due  Van  Tholls  are 
among  the  best  of  the  early  bloomers.  Learned 
florists  classify  the  late  bloomers  into  Prime 
*Baguets,  Rigaut’s  Baguets,  Incomparable  Ver- 
poorts,  Byblcemens  or  Flamands,  Bizarres,  Paro¬ 
quets  and  so  on  ;  but  these  hard  names  add  noth¬ 
ing  to  the  beauty  of  the  flowers.  Among  hya¬ 
cinths,  the  double  varieties  are  generally  prefer- 
ed,  but  many  of  the  single  sorts  are  equally  as 
good,  for  they  have  a  greater  number  of  bells  and 
are  often  superior  in  color.  If  one  can  visit  a 
garden  having  a  fine  collection  in  bloom,  it  will 
afford  the  best  opportunity  of  making  a  choice  of 
the  best  varieties  ;  but  in  lieu  of  this,  he  may  send 
to  a  reliable  seedsman  or  florist,  for  as  large  an 
assortment  as  is  wanted,  and  he  will  be  quite 
likely  to  be  satisfied  with  his  investment. 

Again,  we  repeat  it,  now,  this  present  month  of 
October,  is  the  best  month  for  making  beds  of  tu¬ 
lips  and  hyacinths.  Whoever  follows  our  advice 
will  never  rue  it. 

Hyacinths  are  frequently  put  into  pots  of  earth 
and  kept  in  the  green  house,  or  cellar,  or  in  any 
cool  room.  During  the  Winter  they  are  carried 
to  a  warmer  place,  as  in  a  parlor  or  sitting-room, 
to  bloom.  They  can  be  brought  forward  to  bloom 
at  almost  any  time  during  Winter,  according  to 
the  degree  of  waimth  they  are  subjected  to  They 
may  also  be  placed  in  hyacinth  glasses  for  flow¬ 
ering.  This  process  we  described  on  page  371  of 
last  volume.  Our  illustration  at  the  head  of  this 
article  shows  some  choice  varieties  in  pots  and 
glasses. 

- ■  .  — e»— - *  — - 

For  the  Amtrican  Agriculturist. 

Seed  Papers. 

SIMPLE,  SAFE,  AND  CONVENIENT. 

At  this  season  of  the  year,  the  following  direc¬ 
tions  for  making  the  simplest  and  most  secure 
seed  papers,  for  collecting  and  preserving  flower 
seeds,  may  be  welcome  to  many,  at  least  to  ama¬ 
teurs  : 

No.  1. —  Collecting  Boxes. — Take  a  piece  of  let¬ 
ter,  or  cap  paper,  (a,)  about  half  longer  than 
wide,  (say  four  inches  by  six  inches,  or  6x9.)  and 
fold  up  first  both  short  ends  so  that  they  meet 
in  the  middle,  (A)  ;  now,  without  unfolding  this, 
fold  again  so  that  the  ends  may  meet  in  the 
middle,  (c).  Now,  keeping  this  flat  on  the  table, 
unfold  it  so  far  that  the  four  sides  form  four  ver¬ 
tical  walls,  two,  of  course,  will  be  found  to  be 
higher,  (d).  Bend  the  ends  of  the  lower  sides 
around  the  higher  ones,  (e,)  and  finally  turn  over 
the  protruding  higher  ends,  so  that  all  sides  are 
equally  high,  (/.) 


This  gives  a  neat  little  box,  two  of  which  can 
be  made  in  one  minute,  after  a  few  minutes  prac- 
a  b 


tice.  They  may  be 
placed  on  a  shelf  or 
board,  and  the  seeds, 
collected  with  their  seed- 
vessels,  deposited  in 
them  until  they  are  per¬ 
fectly  dry, or  until  Spring. 

On  the  over-lapping  ends,  the  name  of  the  seeds 
is  marked.  Two  boxes  may  be  placed,  one  upon 
the  other,  especially  to  retain  in  the  lower  one 
seed-vessels  which  spring  open  and  scatter  their 
seeds,  as  Pansies,  Balsams  and  others. 

No.  2. — Preserving  Capsules — For  keeping  the 
seeds  in,  after  they  are  cleansed  from  their  shells. 
Take  a  piece  of  writing-paper,  of  about  the  same 
proportions  as  that  used  for  the  box  No.  1  ;  one- 
sixteenth  of  a  common  sheet  of  letter-paper  wi 
answer  for  small  seeds,  one-eighth  for  larger 
ones,  and  one  fourth  for  the  largest.  Fold  it  up 


lengthwise, so  that  one  part  will 
protrude  not  less  than  an 
eighth  of  an  inch  over  the 
other,  (g).  Bend  this  longer 
end  close  over  the  shorter  one, 
and  turn  the  same  once  more 
over  at  the  same  width,  ( h  and 
i).  Then,  at  one  short  end,  bend  back  one  cor¬ 
ner — that  with  the  fold  (;) — and  at  right  angles, 
and  over  it  the  other  corner,  whose  point  is 
tucked  under  the  fold,  (k). 

The  seed  is  put  in  at  the  other  end,  and  this 
afterwards  closed  like  the  first.  When  the  thumb¬ 
nail  is  smartly  applied  while  folding  the  paper,  (or 
the  paper-knife  by  more  delicate  fingers),  and  the 
folds  and  corners  are  carefully  turned,  no  seed, 
however  fine  and  small,  can  possibly  escape  or  be 
shaken  from  these  papers.  They  are  quickly 
opened  by  thrusting  the  finger  tip  under  the  fold 
at  one  end,  (never  at  both) ;  a  slight  pressure 
with  the  thumb  and  forefinger  on  both  edges  of 
the  capsule  opens  it  fully,  for  the  reception  or 
pouring  out  of  seeds,  and  then  it  is  as  easily 
closed  again  ;  from  4  to  6  may  be  made  in  one 
minute.  It  will  be  found  most  convenient  to 
hold  the  paper,  while  folding,  in  the  same  positions 
before  you  as  shown  in  the  engraving.  They  are 
preferable  to  the  pasted  capsules,  which  often 
leak  out  at  the  lower  corners,  and  are  both  incon¬ 
venient  and  unsafe  in  their  opening  and  closing 
part,  besides  all  the  trouble  required  in  making. 
The  folded  papers  are  in  use  in  Europe  almost  ex¬ 
clusively,  and  some  seedsmen  have  adopted  them 
he-e,  but  they  have  generally  one  fault  in  their 
making:  that  of  leaving  too  narrow  a  turning-fold 
(a~  fig.  b),  whereby,  especially  when  filled  with 
larger  seeds,  the  whole  fold  opens  ami  lets  the 
seeds  out.  Mimosus. 


Saving  Flower  Seeds. 


Don't  forget  to  save  flower  seeds,  as  they  suc¬ 
cessively  ripen.  Many  careful  and  industrious 
gardeners  are  annoyed  every  Spring  by  thought¬ 
less  neighbors  coming  to  beg  seeds.  “I  had 
plenty  of  flowers  last  season,'1  they  each  say, 
“  hut  neglected  to  save  any  seed  ;  it  was  loo  great 
a  bore  to  do  it ;  please  give  me  a  few  of  several 
of  the  prettiest  kinds  of  flowers,  as  you  have  a 
plenty.”  And  so  it  happens  every  Spring  Now, 
the  only  way  to  treat  such  people  is  to  sa*  "No. 
save  your  own  seeds  ;  or  if  too  careless  «■*  indo¬ 
lent  for  that,  then  buy  them  !” 

There  are  cases,  indeed,  in  which  one  Devon 
may  ask  for  a  few  seeds  of  his  neighbor;  hut  no 
one  should  live  by  begging.  Every  person  who 
pretends  to  have  flowers,  should  make  it  a  regu¬ 
lar  part  of  his  Summer’s  business  to  save  seeds 
for  the  next  year’s  use. 

Some  persons  keep  all  their  old  letter  envelopes 
for  gathering  seed  ;  others  make  little  paper  bags 
for  the  purpose.  Or,  if  one  does  not  < boose 
either  of  these  methods,  it  is  well  to  have  an  old 
newspaper  always  at  hand  when  walking  m  the 
garden,  to  collect  any  seeds  that  may  be  ripe. 
Mark  the  name  on  the  margin  of  the  paper,  and 
lay  the  seeds  away  to  become  thorough"/  dry. 
On  rainy  days,  these  may  be  cleaned  of  chaff, 
done  up  in  small  packets,  and  laid  away  tvr  the 
season.  As  some  of  the  finest  of  the  late  flow¬ 
ers  are  now  ripening  their  seeds,  our  advic?  may 
be  followed  to  good  advantage. 

- —  - — - — — •»- - . - - - 

Keeping  Verbenas  and  Geraniums  in  Win¬ 
ter. 


Choice  Verbenas  and  Geraniums  are  often  lost 
during  the  Winter  for  want  of  proper  care.  Tilt- 
old  roots  are  taken  up  in  Autumn,  potted,  and  sei 
away  in  the  cellar,  only  to  come  out  in  the  Sprim 
thoroughly  dried  up,  or,  if  the  cellar  is  moist  they 
have  become  moldy  and  decayed.  It  has  beep 
recommended  to  take  them  from  the  ground,  ana 
hang  them  in  the  cellar  during  the  Winter.  They 
will  sometimes,  hut  rarely,  recover  when  set  out 
the  following  Spring. 

They  are  best  kept  in  a  green-house  or  pit ; 
but  if  one  has  no  such  conveniences,  he  may  pot 
the  layers,  or  recent  cuttings,  just  before  frost, 
and  either  keep  them  on  the  parlor  shelf,  or  in  the 
window,  where  they  will  grow  and  bloom  to¬ 
ward  Spring,  or  he  may  set  the  pots  in  a  warm, 
dry  cellar,  after  the  plants  have  become  well 
rooted,  and  let  them  go  through  the  Winter  in  a 
dormant  state.  The  earth  will  need  examining, 
and  watering  occasionally,  or  the  roots  will  be¬ 
come  so  dry  that  it  is  difficult  to  resuscitate  them 
in  the  Spring.  Of  course  the  foliage  drops  off, 
and  perhaps  only  the  root  survives;  but  that  4s 
sufficient  for  the  purpose  intended. 

- - -  - - 

Fruit  Preserved  in  Glass  Bottles  —An  Im¬ 
provement. 

On  page  214,  (July  Agriculturist)  we  de¬ 
scribed  minutely  the  process  of  putting  up  fruits 
in  glass  bottles.  On  the  plan  recommended  we 
put  up  a  good  supply  of  strawberries,  cherries, 
raspberries,  blackberries,  etc,  but  in  several 
cases  the  process  proved  a  failure.  Some  of  the 
strawberries  not  scalded  through  before  bottling 
or  sealing,  fermented  and  drove  out  the  corks.  In 
another  case  where  the  fruit  was  thoroughly 
scalded,  not  cooked  to  destroy  the  flavor,  fermen¬ 
tation  was  traced  to  an  air-hole  in  the  wax,  and 
in  two  other  cases  the  corks  were  driven  in  hr 


310 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


the  outward  pressure  several  days  after  putting 
up.  This  happened  because  they  were  set  in  a 
chamber  closet  near  the  kitchen  chimney,  and  the 
heat  from  this  during  the  hot 'weather  softened 
the  wax  so  much  that  the  wide  thin  corks  gave 
way  to  the  pressure  created  by  the  vacuum  with¬ 
in,  left  by  the  condensation  of  the  steam  when  the 
fruit  cooled. 

These  failures  were  annoying,  and  at  first, 
promised  to  partly  counterbalance  theadvantages 
of  glass  bottles  over  the  air-tight,  screw-top,  tin 
cans.  But  more  careful  and  thorough  heating  of  the 
fruits  put  up,  and  their  storage  in  a  cooler  room, 
and  a  thicker  double  coat  of  wax  promised  to 
remedy  further  difficulty.  Several  of  our  neigh¬ 
bors  following  our  first  method,  hut  storing  the 
cans  in  cool  cellars,  found  no  difficulty. 

But  we  soon  hit  upon  an  improvement  which  we 
like  much,  and  we  think  it.  will  render  the.  use  of 
glass  vessels  perfectly  practicable  and  desirable. 
Further,  we  can  now  dispense  with  even  the  bot¬ 
tles  having  a  shoulder  upon  the  inside  of  the 
neck,  though  this  form  is  desirable,  where  they 
can  he  readily  obtained,  and  at  reasonable  prices. 
Having  on  hand  several  wide-necked  bottles  of 
various  forms  and  sizes,  we  have  recently  used 
them  for  tomatoes  and  different  kinds  of  fruits. 
The  improvement  is  this.  We  procure  at  the 
tinners,  small  tin  dishes  commonly  called  “  pat- 
ty-pans.”  These  are 
simply  circular  pieces 
of  tin  pressed  into  the 
form  of  a  pan  or  plate. 

Those  we  use  are  a  lit¬ 
tle  more  than  £  inch 
deep;  the  flat  bottom,  is 
2|  inches  across,  and  flar¬ 
ing  out  to  3i  inches 
wide  at  the  top.  They 
are  therefore  about  the 
diameter  of  ordinary 
wide  bottles.  We  buy 
them  at  SI  50  per  gross, 
or  about  one  cent  each. 

The  glass  bottles  of  any 
size,  wide-necked  of  course,  to  admit  the  fruit 
readily,  are  filled  with  fruit  in  the  usual  manner 
and  corked.  A  coating  of  cement  is  added  and 
they  are  then  inverted  into  these  pans  and  melt¬ 
ed  cement  poured  in  around  the  neck  until  the 
“patty-pans”  are  one- half  or  two-thirds  full. 
The  annexed  figure  shows  one  of  the  bottles  filled 
and  set  away  either  end  up,  though  we  think  it 
better  to  let  them  stand  in  the  pans  bottom  up. 
The  tin,  of  course,  prevents  the  cork  from  be¬ 
ing  driven  inwards,  while  the  thick  layer  of 
cement  all  around  the  neck  perfectly  prevents 
any  access  of  air.  The  cement  is  cheap  and 
easily  made.  A  pound  of  resin  (“  rosurn  ^cost¬ 
ing  a  few  cents,  is  simply  melted  with  a  full 
an  nee.  of  tallow  or  lard.  As  this  cement  keeps 
jmy  length  of  time,  it  is  better  to  make  up  half  a 
dozen  pounds  at  once  in  a  tin  basin,  or  iron  ves¬ 
sel  which  can  he  set  on  the  stove  and  melted 
whenever  needed.  It  can  be  dipped  into  the 
patty-pans  with  a  spoon. 

This  process  of  putting  up  fruits  in  common 
glass  bottles,  (we  have  full  quarts  costing  but  6 
cents  each,)  anil  adding  the  tin  cup,  is  the  best 
and  cheapest  we  have  yet  found,  and  is  as  simple 
and  easy  to  be  performed  as  any  other.  We  may 
add  further,  that  having  some  wide-mouth  bot¬ 
tles,  and  no  corks  at  hand  to  fit  them,  we  filled 
them  to  the  top,  and  simply  tied  a  piece  of  thick 
cotton  drilling  over  the  neck,  coated  the  cloth 
with  cement,  inverted  the  bottle  in  the  pans,  and 
then  filled  them  nearly  up  with  cement ;  care  was 


taken  to  have  every  part  of  the  cloth  coated  with 
cement.  These  keep  as  well  as  those  with  corks. 

Now  is  the  time  to  lay  in  a  good  stock  of  ap¬ 
ples,  late  plums,  pears,  quinces,  etc.,  and  of  toma¬ 
toes  quantum  suffixit.  Cook  the  latter  well,  pre¬ 
paring  them  precisely  as  if  for  the  table,  pour 
them  hot  into  the  bottles,  previously  warmed  to 
prevent  cracking,  and  cover  as  above  described. 
The  cost  is  very  trifling,  and  you  then  have  in 
store,  always  ready  for  use,  an  article  that  will 
come  out  just  as  nice  and  fresh  as  when  first 
prepared.  We  have  put  up  many  bushels  of  to¬ 
matoes  in  this  way,  during  the  last  few  years, 
and  have  never  yet  lost  a  single  bottle. 

- <«►-« — =ssa  Otr®— •* - — 

For  tut  American  Agriculturist. 

How  to  Preserve  Cider. 


Prof.  Horsford  has  announced  a  method  to  ar¬ 
rest  the  fermentation  of  cider,  thus  keeping  it 
sweet  for  an  indefinite  period.  The  process  is 
simply  by  adding  Sulphite  of  Lime.  This  article 
is  now  extensively  advertised  by  druggists  for 
this  purpose,  and  represented  as  “  perfectly  harm¬ 
less,”  as  you  see  by  the  advertisement  inclosed. 
A  medical  friend  of  acknowledged  chemical  ac¬ 
quirements  and  acumen,  assures  me  that  this  ap¬ 
plication  forms  an  Acetate  of  Lime,  diuretic  in 
effect,  unnaturally  and  unfavorably  exciting,  and 
stimulating  the  action  of  the  kidneys,  and  that 
while  its  effects  would  not  be  noticed  by  all,  per¬ 
haps  directly  traced  only  by  a  few,  it  would  be 
decidedly  injurious  to  those  persons  predisposed 
to  a  disturbance  of  this  organ. 

There  is  a  growing  disposition  to  bring  the 
much  abused  article  of  cider  to  a  standard  of  per¬ 
fection,  that  shall  establish  its  claims  as  a  whole¬ 
some  beverage.  I  have  seen  a  notice  of  a  patent¬ 
ed  invention  for  this  purpose.  Liquids  spoil  or 
sour  by  contact  with  air.  To  avoid  this  a  “  Rub¬ 
ber  Bag”  of  appropriate  construction  is  fitted  to 
the  bung-hole,  which  prevents  the  access  of  ex¬ 
ternal  air,  and  when  the  liquid  is  drawn  off,  the 
bag  turns  inward  and  expands  to  cover  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  remaining  liquid,  and  prevent  contact 
with  the  outward  air. 

And  later  still,  I  see  it  recommended  to  use  a 
tube  or  syphon,  the  long  and  lower  end  termi¬ 
nating  in  a  vessel  of  water,  the  short  and  upper 
end  tightly  fitted  to,  and  just  entering  the  vent, 
which  permits  the  passage  of  the  gas  which 
should  and  must  escape  out  into  the  pan  of  water, 
and  at  the  same  time  excludes  the  ingress  of  ex¬ 
ternal  air,  thus  preserving  the  liquid  su-cet  until 
consumed.  This  I  think  a  most  sensible  sugges¬ 
tion  and  easy  of  application.  A.  M.  Ward. 

Hartford  Co  ,  Conn. 

- •»-* - —S3 ^OB— - - 

Preserving  Lima  Beans  for  Winter  Use, 


We  know  of  no  way  of  keeping  peas,  beans, 
corn,  etc.,  for  Winter  use,  superior  to  that  of 
cooking  them  thoroughly,  with  a  sufficient  quan¬ 
tity  of  salt,  and  sealing  them  while  hot,  in  air-tight 
cans  or  bottles,  as  described  in  the  July  Agricul¬ 
turist,  page  214.  When  properly  prepared  and 
preserved  in  this  manner,  they  lose  but  little  of 
their  original  excellence,  and  constitute  a  notable 
addition  to  the  table  supplies  lor  Winter.  They 
rpquiremuch  care  in  putting  up,  however,  or  they 
will  spoil  in  the  cans.  Where  they  are  not  kept 
thus,  some  vegetables  may  yet  be  made  very 
serviceable  by  drying.  Lima  beans,  particularly, 
are  good  when  dried.  Many  of  them  mature 
late  and  would  otherwise  be  lost — they  are  too 
valuable  a  vegetable  to  be  wasted.  The  common 
practice  is  to  shell  them  while  green  and  spread 
them  on  plates  or  tins,  and  dry  them  in  the  sun. 


A  correspondent,  A.  M.  Ward,  Hartford  Co.,  Ct., 
sends  the  following  directions  by  which  he  says 
the  beans  preserve  a  high  degree  of  excellence. 
“Gather  them  from  time  to  time,  just  as  the  pods 
begin  to  turn  yellow.  Leave  them  unshelled, 
and  spread  upon  the  garret  floor  to  dry.  Contin¬ 
ue  to  do  this  until  hard  frosts  entirely  check  the 
growth — they  will  continue  to  mature  under  light 
frosts.  When  (he  frosts  become  severe,  gather 
all,  including  the  half  ripened  ones,  and  spread 
them  with  the  others.  Then  in  December  shell 
all  out  and  put  up  in  hags.  The  most  immature 
should  be  put  up  by  themselves  and  used  first.” 

We  must  not  forget  to  add,  that  the  best  and 
earliest  ripening  pods  should  be  selected,  and 
saved  for  seed  another  year.  Those  designed  for 
this  purpose  should  be  allowed  to  ripen  well,  and 
be  kept  in  a  dry  place.  With  this  care,  and 
planting  upon  elevated  ridges  the  first  of  May, 
we  this  year  secured  Lima  beans  for  cooking 
much  earlier  than  many  of  our  neighbors. 


How  to  use  the  Apple-Pie  Melon. 

We  have  accounts  from  correspondents  relat¬ 
ing  their  experience  in  raising  this  melon,  and  in¬ 
quiring  what  to  do  with  it  now  it  is'  grown,  as 
they  are  found  not  fit  to  eat  uncooked.  The 
name  melon  has  probably  misled  some  as  to  its 
proper  use.  The  following  directions  from  one 
who  lias  used  it.  are  timely.  We  intend  trying 
them,  and  shall  then  he  able  to  speak  definitely  of 
the  merits  of  the  “  melon.” 

“When  ripe,  which  can  be  known  by  the  melon 
turning  yellow,  or  the  seed  black,  remove  the 
seed,  pare  and  slice  the  flesh  in  small  pieces,  and 
then  stew  it  in  water  just  enough  to  have 
it  like  stewed  appies;  when  done  add  sugar, 
spices,  and  a  little  acid.  Tartaric  acid,  or  lemon 
juice,  or  good  vinegar  may  be  used  ;  the  lat¬ 
ter,  however,  does  not  make  as  good  a  pie.  A 
tablespoonful  of  lemon  juice  to  four  pounds  of 
melon,  I  think  the  best,  proportion.  The  quantity 
of  sugar  must  be  in  proportion  to  the  acid 
Without,  the  acid  the  pie  is  tasteless.  Don’t  put 
the  sauce  in  a  copper  vessel.  California.” 

- -•-« iwa  <g)  ta—  ►  <»■ - 

Recipes. 

To  Pickle  Walnuts  and  55  ut  tcrniits. 

Take  the  nuts  when  a  needle  will  easily  pierce 
them— put  them  in  brine  that  will  bear  an  egg, 
let  them  remain  14  days  ;  put  them  in  fresh  brine 
14  days  more,  keep  close  covered  from  air,  drain 
them  well;  put  into  the  strongest  cider  vinegar 
for  a  month,  shifting  once.  Then  add  to  one-hall 
the  liquor  as  much  vinegar  as  will  cover  them. 
Set  it  over  the  fire,  and  when  it  is  just  ready  to 
boil,  add  for  every  hundred  nuts,  whole  pepper 
and  cloves  1  oz.  each,  mace  and  nutmegs  i  oz. 
each,  ginger  root  §  to  2  oz.,  bruise  the  ginger, 
nutmegs  and  pepper.  After  boiling,  keep  it  close 
covered  till  cold,  then  pour  it  over  the  nuts,  and 
cover  with  bladder  or  leather. 

Taiiiatii  Wine. 

Contributed  to  the  Agriculturist,  by  Jas.  H. 
Stout,  Ohio  Co.,  Va.:  To  a  bushel  of  sound,  ripe 
tomatoes  cut,  add  four  gallons  of  water.  Let  the 
mixture  stand  in  an  open  tub,  three  days,  stirring 
two  or  three  times  each  day,  then  strain  through  a 
sieve.  To  each  gallon  of  the  clear  liquid,  add  three 
pounds  of  brown  sugar,  stir  until  the  sugar  is 
thoroughly  dissolved,  after  which  it  is  not  to  be 
disturbed  for  three  days,  except  to  take  off  the 
scum  as  it  rises.  Then  strain  the  liquor  through 
muslin,  or  flannel  bags,  and  put  it  in  a  cask,  filled 
to  the  top  of  the  bung  hole  There  must  be  a  sur¬ 
plus  of  the  liquor  to  replace  what  fermentation 
throws  off,  as  the  cask  is  to  be  kept  full.  As 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


311 


soon  as  fermentation  becomes  feeble  (which  is 
usually  at  the  end  of  a  week  from  the  time  the 
cask  is  filled)  dissolve  half  an  oz.  best  Isinglass  in 
a  portion  of  the  liquor,  put  it  in  the  cask,  and 
bung  tightly.  Half  an  oz.  Isinglass  is  sufficient 
for  ten  gallons.  Place  the  cask  in  the  cellar,  with 
the  spigot  in,  so  that  the  wine  can  be  drawn  off 
for  bottling,  without  disturbing  the  sediment. 
The  proper  time  for  bottling,  is  the  following 
May.  The  wine  is  good  when  a  year  old,  but 
continues  to  improve  for  several  years.  Two 
and-a-half  bushels  of  to>natoes  will  make  ten  gal¬ 
lons  of  wine. 

- — — * - — a®®- - >-». - 

Hints  About  the  Teeth. 

BY  ANNA  HOPE. 

The  teeth  should  be  kept  scrupulously  clean. 
There  is  nothing  more  disgusting  than  filthy  teeth. 
The  brush  should  be  used  daily — twice  a  day  is 
better — and  after  every  meal,  better  still.  A  bit 
of  floss  silk,  or  of  soft  linen  should  be  passed  be¬ 
tween  the  teeth  after  brushing,  to  remove  every 
impurity  that  may  remain.  Tooth  powder  is  not 
often  necessary,  and  great  care  should  be  exer¬ 
cised  in  its  selection.  That  which  contains  an 
acid,  whitens  the  teeth  readily,  but  it  injures  the 
enamel.  Pulverized  pumice  stone  should  never 
be  used  except  by  a  judicious  Dentist  It  will 
ruin  the  teeth.  Fine  charcoal  is  well  for  those 
who  have  no  teeth  filled,  hut  when  teeth  are  filled 
it  will  be  found  in  time  to  darken  them  about  the 
filling.  Strong  acids,  like  lemon  juice,  are  very 
injurious  to  the  teeth.  Do  not  make  nut-crack¬ 
ers  or  ic*  picks  of  the  teeth.  Very  hot  food  in¬ 
jures  them.  Both  sides  of  the  mouth  should  he 
used  in  mastication.  It  is  better  for  the  teeth  to 
work  than  to  remain  idle.  It  is  important  to  se¬ 
cure  the  services  of  a  good  dentist,  especially 
when  teeth  are  to  be  filled,  for  a  tooth  once  lost,  is 
lost  forever.  A  few  dollars,  more  or  less,  in  a  den¬ 
tist's  hill  is  of  very  little  consequence  compared 
with  the  loss  of  a  tooth.  I  would  rather  live  on 
thread  and  water  from  the  first  day  of  January  to 
the  last  day  of  December,  than  to  have  my  chil¬ 
dren  lose  their  teeth.  I  know  a  young  lady  who 
has  deliberately  chosen  to  let  her  teeth  decay 
without  making  an  effort  to  save  them,  because 
she  is  unwilling  to  submit  to  the  pain.  In  a  few 
years  she  will  be  a  toothless  young  woman,  with 
here  and  there  an  ugly  stump,  and  a  harvest  of 
suffering  she  would  be  very  willing  to  escape. 
She  thinks  she  shall  be  very  well  satisfied  with 
such  teeth  as  a  dentist  can  furnish  her,  but  how 
much  better  would  be  those  God  gave  her,  if  she 
would  only  use  the  means  he  has  placed  within 
her  power  to  preserve  them.  It  is  not  particu¬ 
larly  pleasant  to  any  one  to  place  herself  under  a 
dentist’s  care,  and  I  do  not  wonder  that  children 
shrink  from  the  suffering,  hut  we  can  not  escape 
suffering  in  this  life  and  we  should  as  early  as 
possible  teach  our  children  to  hear  it  bravely. 
I  remember  nothing  concerning  my  father  more 
distinctly  than  the  resolute  firmness  with  which 
he  inspired  me,  when  it  was  necessary  to  have 
tight  teeth  extracted  to  make  room  for  others. 
I  shall  never  lose  the  influence  of  those  moments, 
and  I  have  often  felt,  as  my  children  have  had 
teeth  drawn  or  filled,  that  they  were  made  men¬ 
tally  and  morally  stronger  for  it,  and  yet  I  have 
known  one  of  them  suffer  so  much  that  he  has 
been  confined  to  the  bed  several  days  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  it.  If  your  friend  has  lost  the  teeth 
nature  gave  her,  and  has  for  them  substituted  the 
work  of  the  dentist,  it  is  neither  good  taste  nor 
good  manners  to  speak  to  her  about  it.  If  she 
wishes  your  opinion  of  them,  she  can  ask  you, 
but  none  but  a  very  intimate  acquaintance  should 


presume  to  allude  to  them,  and  she,  only  to  ex¬ 
press  satisfaction,  unless  some  desirable  improve¬ 
ment  may  be  suggested,  which  it  is  in  the  per¬ 
son’s  power  to  have  accomplished.  You  should 
not  even  appear  to  notice  them.  It  is  a  mark  of 
ill  breeding  to  do  so,  and  ill-breeding  is  poor 
Christianity.  Good  teeth  are  a  great  ornament, 
and  if  any  one  is  so  unfortunate  as  to  loose  them, 
she  has  reason  to  be  grateful  that  their  place  can 
be  supplied,  but  true  delicacy  would  lead  her  not 
to  wish  to  talk  about  them  to  every  one  and  on 
all  occasions.  I  do  not  think  there  is  necessa¬ 
rily  any  false  pride  in  this  chosen  silence,  or  any 
disposition  to  impose  upon  others. 


A  Point  of  Etiquette  Decided. 


Miss  Lottie  L.  Forbes,  Trumbull  Co.,  O.,  pro¬ 
posed  the  following  question  for  answer  in  the 
Agriculturist :  When  a  young  gentleman  meets  a 
lady  acquaintance,  which  should  recognize,  or 
speak  to  the  other  first  1  And  as  a  similar  inquiry 
lias  been  frequently  asked,  we  have  been  at  some 
pains  to  consult  good  authorities.  “  Aunt  Sue,” 
whose  experience  is  valuable,  and  whose  opin¬ 
ions  on  such  matters  may  safely  be  endorsed, 
writes  as  follows  : 

Mr.  Editor. 

Tell  Lottie  L.  Forbes,  not  on  any  account  to 
forego  her  privilege  of  being  the  first  to  acknowl¬ 
edge  a  gentleman  acquaintance  in  the  street. 
The  gentleman  waits  for  the  lady’s  recognition. 
I’ll  tell  you  why,  Lottie.  Suppose  you  are  intro¬ 
duced  to  one  of  the  ww-fair  sex,  whose  acquaint¬ 
ance  you  desire  not  at  all  ;  next  day  he  meets 
you  in  the  street  and  bows;  you  wouldn’t  have 
the  heart  not  to  return  the  salutation — leastways 
I  shouldn’t.  “  Ah  !”  says  Mr.  Un-fair,  “  I’ll  call 
on  the  young  lady  this  evening” — and  he  calls, 
and  you  are  obliged  to  entertain  him.  On  the 
other  hand  suppose  (if  possible  to  suppose  an  un- 
supposable  impossibility)  that  the  gentleman  does 
not  like  you  ;  he  meets  you  in  the  street,  you  bow 
to  him,  he  is  bound  in  courtesy  to  return  the  salu¬ 
tation,  but  there  it  may  end,  he  need  not  call 
upon  you  and  cultivate  the  acquaintance.  So  you 
see,  Lottie  dear,  it  is  very  desirable  that  it  should 
be  generally  understood,  that  the  ladies  give  the 
first  recognition,  either  by  bowing  or  speaking. 

Yours  truly,  Aunt  Sue. 
- - - - -  - 

Fashions— Magazines. 

Some  friend,  we  know  not  whom,  sends  us  a 
marked  copy  of  the  Olean  (N.  Y.)  Advertiser , 
which  we  find  has  a  “  Ladies’  Department,”  edit¬ 
ed  with  considerable  ability  by  Mrs.  R.  L.  Has- 
set.  We  congratulate  Mr.  Henry,  the  publishing 
editor,  on  having  an  appropriate  person  to  take 
care  of  the  “better  half”  of  his  journal.  Not 
every  journalist  can  afford  such  a  luxury.  But 
this  by  the  way.  In  the  paper  before  us  we  find 
an  article  which  we  feel  disposed  to  print  here, 
not  so  much  for  the  mention  of  our  own  journal, 
as  for  the  suggestions  it  contains.  It  is  proper  to 
say  that  we  knew  nothing  of  this  article  until  we 
saw  the  paper  in  which  it  appears,  and  we  do  not 
yet  know  the  writer.  VVe  copy 

“  THE  FASHIONS - A  DIALOGUE.” 

Mrs.  Lane. — What  Magazine  would  you  advise  me  to 
take  this  year,  Mrs.  Emory]  You  know  I  took  Godey’s 
and  Peterson’s,  last  year,  but  money  is  so  hard  to  obtain 
that  I  can  take  but  one  this  year ;  and  as  I  have  been  un¬ 
able  to  decide  between  the  many  good  ones,  I  have  not 
subscribed  for  any  yet. 

Mrs.  Emory.— If  you  ask  my  advice,  I  shall  probably 
advise  you  to  subscribe  for  the  one  which  I  am  taking,  as 
X  am  strongly  inclined  to  give  that  Ihe  preference. 

Mrs.  L.—l  have  the  utmost  confidence  in  your  judgment 
on  such  subjects,  and  I  presume  the  one  you  are  taking 
will  be  just  the  one  for  me. 


Mrs.  E.  —  l  think  you  would  be  pleased  with  it,  and  as 
you  spoke  of  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  money,  you  may 
be  glad  to  learn  that  you  can  obtain  it  for  the  low  price  of 
one  dollar  per  annum. 

Mrs.  L — What  I  a  good  Ladies’  Magazine  for  one  dol¬ 
lar?  Why,  I  have  had  to  pay  from  two  to  three  dollars 
for  the  magazines  which  I  have  taken.  Does  it  contain 
the  fashion  plates.  Mrs.  Emory  ! 

Mrs.  E.— Yes,  Mrs.  Larie  it  contains  the  fashions  and 
the  very  best  of  fashion  plates  ;  just  such  fashions  as  I 
wish  to  see  introduced  among  our  country  ladies. 

Mrs.  L. — Indeed  !  Then  I  hope  some  improvements 
have  been  made  of  late.  I  have  wi-hed,  for  a  lone  Time, 
that  they  would  bring  about  some  fashions  lhai  would  be 
less  expensive.  Emily  is  doting  on  a  new  silk  dress,  and 
insists  on  having  it  made  with  a  double  skirt,  as  that,  is 
“  all  the  go  ”  now.  If  we  get  one  for  Emily,  Maria  must 
haveone;  and  if  Emily  aid  Maria  have  silks,  then  Sarah 
and  Louisa  must  have  something  nearly  as  good  ;  and  if 
one  has  a  double  skirt,  ail  must  haw  the  same;  so  you 
see  we  are  “in  ”  for  eight  cosily  dresses,  or  what  amounts 
to  about  the  same  thing,  as  it  takes  nearly  two  to  make 
one. 

Mrs.  E  —I  can  sympathize  with  you,  Mrs  Lane,  so  far 
as  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  money  is  concerned  ;  t,nt 
ihe  necessity  of  purchasing  cosily  dresses  I  know  nothing 
about,  by  experience  ;  as  I  always  manage  to  keep  my 
wants  of  that  nature  entirely  within  oui  means.  And  1 
think,  M  re  Lane,  if  you  can  induce  your  girls  to  copy  the 
fashion  |  ivies  contained  in  my  Magazine,  you  will  not  be 
unde,  .he  necessity  of  incurring  such  expenses. 

Mrs.  L — Then  it  is  the  paper  for  me,  1  am  sure.  What 
is  Ihe  name  of  it? 

Mrs.  E. — It  is  the  American  Agriculturist,  published  by 
Orange  Judd,  189  Water-street,  Ne  w-York— and  the  fash¬ 
ion  plates  consist  of  very  neat  engravings  of  natural  flow¬ 
ers,  plants,  shrubs,  trees,  birds,  etc.,  etc. 

Mrs.  L.—  0.  I  understand  you  now  ;  but  I  fear  if  they 
should  learn  to  copy  such  fashion  plates,  that  their  love  of 
dress  would  not  be  diminished. 

Mrs  E.—l  think  it  would,  Mrs.  Lane.  Just  get  them 
thoroughly  engaged  in  beautifying  your  home  wiih  flow¬ 
ers  and  shrubs — interest  them  in  the  cultivation  of  a  great 
variety  of  plants  not  merely  ornamental,  and  1  think  it 
will  not  De  long  before  they  will  begin  to  find  that  they 
have  not  time  to  expend  so  much  labor  on  their  wearing 
apparel  ;  and  from  the  new  use  which  they  find  for  their 
time,  I  have  no  doubt  they  will  soon  see  ttie  folly  of  ex¬ 
pending  so  much  money  merely  for  the  gratification  of 
their  vanity.  Indeed,  they  will,  in  a  great  measure,  for¬ 
get  self,  in  their  admiration  of  nature;  and  gradually 
they  will  learn  to  set  a  higher  value  on  the  cultivation  of 
the  mind  and  heart,  than  on  mere  personal  decorations. 

Mrs  L.— Could  I  hope  for  such  a  result,  I  would  spare 
no  pains  to  bring  it  about ;  for  the  expenses  of  dress  are 
becoming  an  intolerable  burden  to  us.  My  husband 
dreams  of  nothing  else;. and  the  first  words  he  uttered 
this  morning  were,  “Those  dresses!  how  can  we  get 
them  ?  and  yet  the  girls  will  never  be  contented  without.” 

Mrs.  E — Yes,  this  excessive  love  of  dress  makes  mere 
puppet  shows  of  its  victims,  and  destroys  nearly  all  de¬ 
sire  for  the  improvement  of  the  higher  faculties  of  the 
mind.  If  you  will  send  your  girls  tome.  Mrs.  Lane,  I 
will  give  them  some  flower  seeds,  and  give  them  some  in¬ 
struction  in  regard  to  their  cultivation.  In  addition  to 
the  annuals  which  I  cultivated  last  year,  I  have  iust  re¬ 
ceived  five  neat  little  packages  of  choice  flower  seeds 
with  the  Agriculturist,  making,  in  all  I  have,  twenty-five 
or  thirty  varieties.  These  I  will  divide  with  the  girls,  and 
when  they  are  in  full  bloom,  if  you  do  not,  find  the  con¬ 
versation  to  be  more  about  the  flowers  than  ihe  new 
dresses,  then  I  am  neither  a  prophet  or  a  prophetess. 

Mrs.  L  — Yes,  I  will  send  them  to  you.  and  if  you  can 
do  anything  to  assist  us  in  checking  this  growing  love  of 
dress,  we  shall  be  your  grateful  debtors  through  life.  I 
know  we  ought  lo  have  influence  and  command  enough 
over  them  to  make  them  willing  to  exercise  a  little  self 
denial;  but  we  very  unwisely  allowed  them  almost 
unlimited  indulgence  in  such  matters,  while  times 
were  prosperous,  and  we  didn’t  feel  it.  It  seems  strange, 
now,  that  we  didn’t  consider  that  such  times  might  not 
always  last,  or  that  if  they  did,  we  were  doing  injury,  in¬ 
stead  of  good,  to  our  family,  by  such  excessive  indul¬ 
gence  ;  but.  you  know,  though  “experience  is  a  dear 
school,  fools  will  learn  in  no  oilier.” 

Mrs.  E. — It  is  true,  we  ought  at  all  times  to  have  com¬ 
mand  over  our  children  ;  but  if  we  have  allowed  them  to 
acquire  an  undue  fondness  for  finery  ;  it  may  be  better  to 
lure  them  by  degrees  into  another  path,  equally  pleas¬ 
ant,  than  to  begin  by  long  lectures  on  the  vanity  and  folly 
of  dress. 

- - ,  «- - 

Quaint  old  Fuller  says;  “Let  him  who  expects  ona 
class  of  society  to  prospef  in  the  highest  degree,  while  the 
other  is  in  distress,  try  whether  one  siue  of  his  face  can 
smile  while  the  other  is  pinched.” 


312 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  153. 


THE  FIRS 

The  Editor  with  his  Young  Readers. 

Did  ever  any  body  see  a  more  thoroughly  self  satisfied 
countenance  than  that  of  the  boy  in  the  above  picture. 
Ho  certainly  thinks  he  has  done  it.  True,  the  picture  he 
has  made  on  the  slate,  is  not  handsome  to  our  eyes;  it 
looks  very  little  like  a  human  figure,  but  this  boy,  who  is 
just  beginning  to  draw,  thinks  it  a  great  performance,  and 
is  as  happy  in  this  idea  as  Benjamin  West  could  be  over 
one  of  his  great  paintings.  This  is  probably  his  first  at¬ 
tempt  to  be  original.  He  has  before  copied  figures  from 
•  he  book  now  thrown  aside  on  the  floor,  and  this  picture  is 
l /:  Ms  own.  There  is  a  real  pleasure  in  such  a  feeling. 
You  have  no  doubt  experienced  it ;  perhaps  in  just  such 
an  exercise,  or  it  may  be  in  writing  a  composition,  or 
solving  a  hard  question  in  arithmetic,  or  you  may  have 
made  a  windmill,  or  a  box.  or  something  requiring  pains 
and  skill.  However  poorly  the  work  may  have  been 
done,  it  gave  great  pleasure  becau-e  it  was  your  own  work. 
We  should  be  encouraged  by  the  happiness  thus  afforded, 
to  try  and  succeed  by  our  own  efforts.  We  will  give  ibis 
hoy  a  word  ol  caution,  to  which  you  may  listen.  “  Very 
well  done  my  boy,  for  a  first  effort,  but  don’t  bo  too  proud 
of  it,  ;  don’t  be  satisfied  yet,  for  after  all  it  is  nothing  to 
what,  you  win  r>e  able  to  accomplish  by  repeated  trials.” 

This  is  a  poor  noy,  as  you  can  see  by  his  coarse  cloth¬ 
ing,  bis  rough  woolen  cap  and  his  clumsy  shoes.  He  ap¬ 
pears  to  be  in  a  cabin,  with  not  even  a  chair  to  sit  upon, 
and  vet  be  is  happy.  Ah  '  happiness  is  like  the  sunshine, 
w  hicb  beams  as  brightly  into  the  poorest  hut  as  through 
the  plate  glass  window  of  a  palace. 

When  tempted  to  repine  because  you  may  not  have 
some  privileges  which  others  possess,  think  of  this  boy 


T  EFFORT 

happy  with  only  a  slate  and  pencil,  and  learn  the  lesson, 
ihat  the  sources  of  enjoyment  are  in  ourselves,  and  not 
in  surrounding  objects,  as  most  persons  are  apt  to  think. 

“  OLD  PATCH.” 

Here  is  a  little  narrative  which  we  have  seen  in  print 
two  or  three  times,  but  it  deserves  stereotyping  :  A  poor 
boy  came  to  school  with  a  large  patch  on  his  knee.  One 
of  his  school  fellows,  who  was  a  little  haughty,  and  with¬ 
al  a  great  “  tease,”  began  to  nick-name  him  “  Patch,”  and 
finally  “Old  Patch.”  The  other  boys  who  had  perhaps 
suffered  in  the  same  way  from  the  teaser,  said  to  “  Patch,” 
“Why  don’t  yon  Mick  him!’  Yes,  give  it  to  him!  I 
wouldn’t  be  called  names  so  by  him  ;  I'd  give  it  to  him  1” 

- “Pooh!”  answered  the  boy  with  the  patch,  “you 

don’t  suppose  I'm  ashamed  of  my  patch,  do  you  ?  For  my 
part,  I  am  very  thankful  for  a  good  mother  who,  though 
poor,  toils  to  keep  me  out  of  rags.  A  neat  patch  looks 
much  better  than  a  slovenly  ragged  hole  in  my  pants. 

Yes  I  honor  this  patch  for  my  mother’s  sake.” - There 

was  a  true  and  noble  philosophy  in  this,  and  his  compan¬ 
ions  felt  it.  “There’s  no  getting  the  better  of  Patch” 
said  the  boys  ;  “  not  a  bit  of  false  shame  about  him.”  And 
now  tlie  boys  honored  him  for  it. 

WALKING  ON  THE  TIGHT  HOPE. 

A  great  deal  has  been  said  lately  about  Ihe  perform¬ 
ances  of  Mr.  Blondin.  who  as  you  have  probably  all 
heard,  has  several  times  walked  over  a  rope  stretched 
across  the  Niagara  river,  a  short  distance  below  the 
falls.  It  is  said  he  does  it  almost  or  quite  as  well  as 
an  ape  could.  Many  people  applaud  him  for  it,  and  he 
has  received  considerable  money  for  his  exhibitions  We 


should  not  have  taken  any  notice  of  the  matter,  but  in 
many  places  boys  are  imitating  his  example  by  trying  tc 
walk  on  the  tops  of  fences,  ropes,  and  other  Uangt-rous 
places.  Not  one  of  these  buys  can  ever  hope  to  equal  a 
cat  in  such  performances.  But  is  it  not  brave  to  perform 
such  feats?  No.  It  is  rashness,  foolish,  because  useless 
and  wicked,  because  trifling  wiih  life  Leave  such 
tricks  for  those  who  have  no  higher  aim  than  to  be 
mere  agile  animals. 

THE  UNKIND  WORD. 

Many  children,  usually  good  tempered,  sometimes 
thoughtlessly  speak  in  a  cross  unkind  manner.  We  want 
them  to  read  this  little  story  we  found  in  the  S  S.  Ad¬ 
vocate.  Little  Nellie  was  such  a  girl,  and  allhough  she 
loved  her  sister  Katy,  dearly,  she  sometimes  grieved  her 
very  much  by  answering  her  crossly.  One  day  Nellie 
had  just  found  a  fine  large  apple,  and  Katy  who  was 
several  years  younger,  wanted  it.  She  asked  as  sweetly 
as  she  knew  how,  “  Please  give  it  to  me  Nellie”  But 
Nellie  quickly  refused  her  in  a  very  unkind  manner,  and 
Katy  turned  away  grieved  and  crying.  She  was  notoniy 
disappointed,  but  the  harshness  of  her  sister  made  her 
very  sad.  That  night,  poor  little  Katy  was  attacked 
with  croup.  She  suffered  severely,  and  the  next  day,  in 
spite  of  all  the  physician  could  do.  hereies  were  closed 
in  death,  and  her  sweet  voice  forever  hushed.  Then 
Nellie  bitterly  remembered  her  unkind  words.  “Ob'” 
cried  she,  “if  Dear  Katy  could  only  come  back  for  one 
minute  Ihat  I  might  ask  her  forgiveness.”  She  hung  upon 
her  neck,  and  kissed  her  again  and  again,  but  all  in 
vain — and  though  she  may  live  many  years,  therecollec 
tion  of  her  unkindness  will  always  give  her  pain.  If 
you  must  refuse  a  favor,  do  it  in  genlle  and  kind  words 
winch  leave  no  sting  behind. 

ABOUT  THAT  PICTURE— AND  POCKETS. 

We  have  been  much  interested  in  reading  the  letters 
w  hich  a  number  of  our  young  friends  have  w  ritten,  as  we 
requested,  about  the  picture,  (“Stand  behind  me,”)  in  the 
September  Agriculturist.  They  generally  agree  in  pro¬ 
nouncing  that  boy  a  good  specimen  of  young  .America. 
The  following  ietler  expresses  partly  what  we  thought, 
when  studying  the  engraving,  and  is  so  well  written,  that 
we  have  selected  it  to  fill  all  the  spaee  we  can  spare  : 
Mu.  Editor: 

Allhough  I  am  but  a  small  girl,  I  must  say  from  what  I 
can  see  in  the  picture,  that  I  am  strongly  inclined  to  like 
that  boy,  I  think  I  would  be  pleased  to  make  his  acquain¬ 
tance,  and  would  not  give  him  the  "mitten”  should  he 
ask  me  to  go  home  from  spelling  school,  or  singing  school, 
or  any  where  else.  I  don’t  think  it  fair  lo  make  fun  ol 
him  ;  lie  seems  to  be  kind  hearted,  he  speaks  respectfully 
to  the  old  lady.  I  don’t  care  if  they  do  say  he  is  bold  and 
forward — 1  call  it  courage  of  the  best  kind,  and  what  will 
make  him  a  more  than  common  man  in  the  world.  I  can' 
not  help  laughing  every  time  I  look  at  the  picture— still  I 
like  that  boy.  and  am  not  ashamed  to  own  it.  I  do  not 
see  why  little  boys  and  girls  should  be  laughed  at  when 
they  act  like  gentlemen  and  ladies  I  do  not  believe  Ihat 
boy  will  ever  be  seen  in  a  fight  with  other  boys,  although 
he  is  a  brave  boy.  I  would  like  to  have  seen  him  where 
he  was,  as  they  made  the  picture  of  him.  Sabah. 

Sandusky,  Vt.,  Sept.  1,  1859. 

Another  young  correspondent,  “John,”  criticises  the 
altitude  of  the  boy,  because  “  he  stands  wiih  his  hands  in 
his  pockets— a  habit  w  hich  our  editor  has  told  us  is  not  a 
polile  one.”  This  criticism  is  perhaps  a  just  one,  though 
in  the  picture  the  boy  seems  to  have  almost  accidentally 
got  his  hands  where  they  are,  rather  than  from  force  of 
habit.  No  boy  should  carry  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  nor 
put  them  there  except  to  withdraw  a  knife  or  key.  Nor 
should  the  pocket  be  turned  into  a  store-house  for  all 
sorts  of  things.  A  little  three-year-old  boy  may  be  ex¬ 
cused  if  he  makes  pretty  free  use  of  his  first  pocket,  for 
his  handsor  anything  else,  but  boys  who  have  got  beyond 

baby-hood  should  learn  better . A  Tennessee  friend  ol 

our  young  readers,  sends  the  following  which  has 

MORE  ABOUT  FACES. 

Children  read  people’s  faces  long  before  they  learn  to 
read  books.  This  makes  me  follow  up  what  was  said 
about  faces  in  the  August  Agriculturist.  There  are  no 
two  people  in  the  world  wiih  faces  exactly  alike;  and 
there  are  no  two  people  in  the  world  exactly  the  same  in 
character.  If  you  could  travel  all  over  the  world,  and 
talk  with  all  the  people  in  it,  you  would  not  find  one  per¬ 
son  who  thinks  and  feels  just  as  you  do.  Children  com¬ 
monly  think  and  feel  most  like  their  parents,  broi hers,  and 
sisters,  and  they  generally  look  most  like  them.  Tcose 
twins  who  look  so  much  alike  that  you  (•an  hardly  ted 
the  one  from  the  other,  are  very  much  alike  in  disposi¬ 
tion.  Y’ou  have  probably  heard  of  the  Siamese  twins. 
They  are  joined  by  a  tie  of  flesh  ami  blood,  which 
unites  their  bodies.  One  is  larger  than  his  brother,  but 
they  resemble  each  other  very  much.  If  they  weie  un¬ 
like  each  other  in  their  dispositions  and  actions  they 
would  be  very  uncomfortable,  for  they  are  co  iipelled  to 


Oct.,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


live  together.  But  in  some  things  even  the  Siamese 
twins  have  to  agree,  by  agreeing  to  disagree— that  is,  by 
agreeing  to  be  different.  Now  we  ought  not  to  wish 
other  people  to  be  exactly  like  ourselves.  If  all  people 
thought  and  felt  just  alike,  talking  to  others  would  be 
like  talking  to  one’s  self,  and  one  might  as  well  be  all 
alone  in  the  world.  How  foolish,  then,  for  children  to 
quarrel  with  each  other  because  they  can  not  agree. 

You  know  children,  that  by  learning  your  letters, 
and  how  to  spell  and  read,  you  can  read  all  kinds 
of  books.  So  by  learning  the  letters  of  the  face,  and 
how  to  put  them  together,  you  can  read  all  kinds  of 
faces.  The  letters  of  a  book  are  called  signs,  or  char¬ 
acters,  and  so  are  those  of  the  face.  Your  mother 
taught  you  some  of  these  signs  when  you  were  abate, 
and  you  will  learn  more  and  more  of  them  as  long  as 
you  live,  so  that  you  can  read  faces  better  and  better. 
When  your  mother  smiled 
upon  you,  she  showed  you 
the  sign  of  happiness,  and 
when  she  was  sad  she  could 
not  help  showing  in  her  face 
the  sign  of  unhappiness.  I 
will  describe  some  of  these 
signs  of  character. 

Here  is  a  picture  of  a  face 
with  the  mouth  turned  up  at 
the  corner.  What  turns  it 
up  ?  A  string  of  red  flesh, 
called  a  muscle,  which  comes 
from  the  corner  of  the 
cheek  bone  and  is  attached  to  the  corner  of  the  month, 
shortens  itself,  and  in  so  doing,  draws  the  mouth  up,  as 
you  see.  This  muscle  is  shortened  by  a  little  white 
cord,  called  a  nerve,  which  comes  from  the  brain,  and 
this  nerve  is  acted  upon  by  the  soul,  and  the  soul 
shows  in  this  way  how  happy  it  is.  You  now  know 
what  is  meant  by  the  upturning  of  the  corners  of  the 
mouth,  better  than  before  you  reflected  upon  it. 

Here  is  a  picture  of  a  mouth  turned  down  at  the  cor¬ 
ners.  What  does  this  mean  ? 

This  is  just  the  other  way 
from  the  other  sign,  and  it 
must  show  unhappiness, 
which  is  just  the  opposite  of 
happiness.  By  carefully  ex¬ 
amining  t'nesa  pictures,  vou 
will  see  that  they  are  exact¬ 
ly  alike,  with  the  single  ex¬ 
ception  of  the  corner  of  the 
mouth,  and  yet  how  different 
they  appear.  Look  out  and 
keep  the  corner  of  your 
mouths  always  turned  the  right  way. 

I  will  tell  you  more  signs  another  time,  perhaps. 
(Please  do.— Ed.)  By  learning  the  letters  of  the  face, 
you  can  read  it  like  a  book. 


ABOUT  TILE  PROBLEMS. 

No.  42,  Illustrated  Rebus. — Ans.  “  When  there  is  a 
will,  there  is  a  way.”  Correct,  readings  received  from: 
Lucian  J.  Limmere  ;  Tremaine  C.  Hurst ;  C.  A.  Ileilig  ; 
Bell  Banker;  Sarah  D.  Lord;  Lizzie  M.  Steele;  John 
D.  Sabine;  Wm.  Sharp,  (who  writes  some  good  things 
about  that  picture) ;  John  II.  Moore;  N.  II  A.  ;  Joshua 
Knight;  Charles  Flowers;  Ella  Red  Ion  ;  Lulie  Wool- 
ley;  Elroy  M.  Avery;  Samuel  S.  Myers;  Joseph  T. 
Brown  ;  T.  H.  and  A  L  Smith  ;  D  E.  Henry  ;  James  K. 
Frew;  C.  Flora  M’Clintock  ;  Barclay  Ejre;  I, ester  W., 
(thank  you  for  the  pains  taken  with  the  enigma,  but  we 
do  not  publish  that  kind  of  puzzles);  J.  S.  Downs;  Helen 
M.  Peck;  J.  T.  Reynolds;  Matilda  F.  Van  Houten  ;  T. 
Angelina  Munro;  W.  VV.  Stapler:  M.  R.  W.;  J.  Thornley. 

No.  43,  Rebus.  Ans.  “  Many  a  little  makes  a  mickle,” 
(much.)— Correct  answers  received  from  T.  Angelina 
Munro,  Joseph  T.  Brown,  C.  Flora  McClintock. 


Into  which  arc  thrown  all  sorts  of  paragraphs — such  as 
Notes  and  Replies  to  Correspondents,  with  Useful  or 
interesting  Extracts  from  their  Letters,  together  with  Glean¬ 
ings  of  various  kinds  from  various  sources. 

Premiums.— Numerous  inquiries  in  regard  to  these 
will  be  found  answered  in  another  part  of  this  paper.  The 
premiums  offered  will  he  found  worthy  of  attention. 

“  Indefinite  Questions  ”  again?  wiih 
Answers  lo  OTtMcli.— “  How  long  is  it  necessary  to 
be  on  a  farm,  with  the  aid  ofbooks  and  papers  to  farm  on 
my  own  hook  V’  Ans.— Until  you  know  enough  about  it. 
The  length  of  time  will  depend  on  ability  and  applica¬ 
tion.  “  Is  $4000  too  much  for  a  farm  and  buildings,  etc., 
in  Rockland  Co.?”  Ans,— Not  if  they  are  worth  the 
money. 

To  make  Caibbag’cs  Mead.— H.  Selleck,  Cook 
Co.,  Ill.,  writes  that  cabbages  which  are  backward  about 
forming  heads,  maybe  caused  to  do  so  by  dropping  a  small 
portion  of  fine  salt  into  the  inside  leaves.  (?) 

Season  for  Transplanting.— D.  Townsend, 
Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.  Nurserymen  are  divided  in  opinion 
as  to  whether  Autumn  or  Spring  is  the  better  season  for 
transplanting.  Trees  that  are  sufficiently  hardy  to  stand 
the  first  Winter,  will  probably  do  best  transplanted  in 
Autumn,  as  the  soil  packs  around  their  roots,  and  they 
are  ready  in  Spring  to  go  on  with  their  growth  without 
delay.  More  depends  upon  the  proper  manner  of  per¬ 
forming  the  operation  than  upon  the  season. 

Slow  far  apart  Should  Apple  Trees  be 

Set  ? — L.  E.  Benson,  Shelby  Co.,  Iowa.  Apple  trees 
may  be  set  25  to  35  feet  apart,  depending  upon  the  char¬ 
acter  of  the  tree,  and  the  scarcity  of  land.  Some  varie¬ 
ties  incline  to  great  lateral  growth,  others  aspire  perpen¬ 
dicularly.  Thirty  feet  each  way  does  very  well. 

Testing  Seedling’  Trees.— T.  S.  Warner,  Clin¬ 
ton  Co.,  Iowa.  Fruit  may  be  early  obtained  from  seed¬ 
ling  trees  by  inserting  scions  taken  from  them  into 
bearing  trees.  Treated  in  this  way,  varieties  of  slow 
growth  come  into  bearing  years  before  the  seedling  tree 
would  arrive  at  maturity. 

Cultivating  Filberts. — Geo.  J.  Dexter,  Tioga 
Co.,  N.  Y.  These  could  probably  be  easily  raised 
in  this  country.  They  are  already  grown  by  a  few  ama¬ 
teurs.  A  wild  variety  (hazel  nut)  is  very  common  in  the 
Northern  and  Middle  States.  Those  found  in  market  are 
chiefly  raised  in  Europe  ;  large  plantations  are  cultivated 
in  England.  We  cannot  say  as  to  the  profitableness  of 
the  crop. 

Cultivating  Merborvlcs  (“  Barberries.’’)— W. 
R.  Handy,  Mo.  These  are  very  easily  propagated  either 
by  seeds  or  roots.  Sow  the  seeds  in  Spring.  It  is  a  mis¬ 
taken  notion  that  the  berberry  blasts  wheat.  They  are 
usually  considered  a  pest  at  the  North.  The  fruit  makes 
a  nice  jelly  or  preserve. 

Protecting  Fruit  from  Ants.— S.  II.  B  ,  Van 

Buren  Co.,  Mich.  If  a  paper  be  tied  closely  around  the 
trunk  of  the  tree  and  covered  w  ith  tar,  it  will  probably 
prevent  the  ascent  of  the  ants.  Soft  soap,  applied  to  the 
trunks  of  trees,  will  be  beneficial  rather  than  injurious, 
unless  used  too  freely.  We  have  often  recommended  it 
for  the  removal  of  bark  lice,  moss,  etc. 


Will  Stiirlcy  turn  to  Oats  ?— Lewis  Neitgett., 
Belmont  Co.,  O.  We  answer,  decidedly,  no  1  The  oats 
whose  appearance  among  the  barley  has  caused  so  much 
discussion,  sprang  from  oat  seed  and  from  nothing  else. 
This  seed  may  have  been  among  the  barley  when  sown, 
or  may  have  been  scattered  otherwise,  which,  w  e  can 
not  determine,  but  it  is  a  fixed  fact  that  seed  of  grain  will 
remain  true  to  its  kind,  excepting,  of  course,  varieties  pro¬ 
duced  by  hybridizing  or  mixing  in  the  flower. 

Cardinal  Flower. — Miss  Ellen  M.  Davisson, 
Doddridge  Co.,  Va.  The  flower  you  enclosed  is  the  Lo¬ 
belia  cardinalis.  It  is  described  in  botanical  works  as  a 
very  showy  red  flower,  growing  in  moist  places,  from  one 
to  two  feet  in  hight.  It  makes  a  fine  addition  to  the  flow¬ 
er  border,  but  requires  watering  freely. 


No.  44.— New  Puzzle  — These  six  figures,  if  propeny 
arranged,  will  form  an  exact  square. 

S-t-r-a-n-o-e-st  of  all,  Elroy  M.  Avery,  Monroe  Co., 
Mich.,  sends  us  a  list  of  248  words,  actually  made  up 
from  the  letters  of  the  word  s-t-r-a-n-g-e. 


To  Eradicate  Brakes  ( Pteris  Aquilina?').—  G. 
W.  G.,  New-IIartford  Center,  N.  H.  Brakes  require  for 
their  growth  abundant  moisture  in  the  soil,  as  maybe 
seen  by  their  abounding  in  swampy  grounds.  Thorough 
drainage  will  11  dry  them  up.” 


318 


White  Poland  Oat*.— G.  H.  P.,  Eminence  Co., 
Ind.,  writes  that  while  other  varieties  of  oats  in  tnat  vi¬ 
cinity  have  failed  on  account  of  rust,. the  White  Poland 
is  uninjured.  He  also  thinks  the  grain  is  more  plump, 
and  the  straw  stronger  and  less  liable  to  lodge  than  the 
common  kind. 

Charcoal  Must  for  manure. — J.  Pott,  Fullon 
Co  ,  Pa.  Charcoal,  of  itself,  has  but  little  value  as  a  rna- 
nuro.  Though  it  is  composed  almost  wholly  of  organic 
matter  it  is  almost  imperishable,  remaining  in  the  soil 
year  after  year  without  apparent  decay.  But  it  acts  a 
very  important  part  in  the  soil  by  the  property  it  possesses 
of  absorbing  and  retaining  gases  given  out  by  other  de¬ 
composing  substances.  It  is  thus  a  storeroom  from  which 
the  rootlets  of  plants  may  draw  nourishment.  It  can  be 
used  as  a  top  dressing,  though  we  should  prefer  to  plow- 
it  in,  as  it  will  assist  in  lightening  the  soil.  Perhaps  the 
best  use  made  of  it  is  to  mingle  it  with  fermenting  ma¬ 
nures. 

'Treatment  of  Pasture  I.aiid. — J.  Hamilton, 
Hampden  Co.,  Mass.  A  very  full  article  on  this  subject 
is  contained  in  the  Agriculturist  of  last  year  (Vol.  XVII, 
June  No.,  page  173).  We  can  not  repeat  it,  at  least  not 
at  present. 

To  Protect  Trees  from  Rabbits.— H.  P. 

Danforth,  Monekee,  Kansas.  Tiees  may  be  protected 
fi@m  iniury  done  by  rabbits  in  gnawing  the  bark,  by  wrap¬ 
ping  paper  or  straw  around  their  trunks,  and  covering  it 
with  tar.  Where  a  large  nursery  is  infested,  they  might 
be  fed  with  apples  and  strychnine. 

To  ©cstroy  Ttloles. — R.  W.  Turner.  If  small 
pieces  of  lean  beef  are  sprinkled  with  strychnine  or  arsen¬ 
ic,  and  placed  in  the  burrows  of  moles  they  w  ill  be  de¬ 
stroyed.  Generally  we  should  spare  them,  as  they  feed 
upon  grubs  and  destructive  insects  found  in  the  soil.  In 
gardens  and  grape  borders,  however,  they  sometimes  be¬ 
come  a  nuisance,  w  hich  the  above  remedy  will  abate. 

Ice  Mouses — Mow  Made.— Several  subscribers, 
who  iiavo  made  inquiries,  will  find  full  directions  in  last 
November  Agriculturist,  page  251,  Vol.  XVII. 

Cement  Floors  for  a  ©airy.— S.  W.  Joy, 
Strafford  Co.,  N.  II.  A  floor  may  be  laid  with  small  stones 
and  hydraulic  cement,  the  latter  to  cover  the  stones  and 
be  laid  even.  This  is  as  goad  a  hard  floor  for  a  dairy  as 
can  be  made,  except  perhaps  w  here  large  flag  stones  can 
be  obtained.  It  is  not  as  liable  to  be  undermined  by  rats, 
or  to  break  up,  as  when  built  with  common  brick  and 
mortar. 

SSrtisli  Kindling.— A.  Jones,  Suffolk  Co.,  L.  I. 
There  is  a  machine  worked  by  horse-power,  for  cutting 
up  the  waste  brush  of  swamp  land.  You  will  find  an  ad¬ 
vertisement  in  the  present  number.  We  have  seen  the 
kindling  sold  in  this  eity,  and  judge  it  answers  a  good 
purpose. 

Cold  Frames.— J.  Smith,  jr.,  Susquehannah  Co.. 
Pa.  Your  queries  are  fully  answered  under  “Vegetables 
for  next  Spring,”  page  276,  September  Agriculturist. 

Protection  from  I,ig1ituiiig. — L.  D.  Fuller, 

Livingston  Co.,  Ill.  A  lightning  rod  is  said  to  protect  a 
space  each  way  from  its  base  equal  to  twice  the  hight  of 
the  rod.  As  it  is  often  difficult  to  carry  a  rod  very  high, 
it  is  usually  considered  more  convenient  to  have  several 
branch  conductors  made  of  light  rods,  terminating  in 
points  on  different  parts  of  the  roof.  The  points  should 
be  gilded  or  otherwise  kept  bright,  and  the  fastenings  of 
the  rod  to  the  building  should  be  insulated  with  glass  or 
other  non-conducting  material,  though  this  is  not  abso¬ 
lutely  necessary 

Gutla  Perclia  fov  Roofing.— II.  A.  Morrill, 
Licking  Co.,  O.  In  ihe  absence  of  any  reliable  informa¬ 
tion  on  this  subject  we  should  judge  that  it  must  be  too 
expensive  for  general  use,  particularly  as  some  process 
of  manufacture  must  be  adopted  to  enable  it  to  withstand 
the  heat,  which  would  otherwise  soften  and  render  it 
w  orthless  on  a  roof. 

Apparatus  for  Milicing  Cows.— Thomas 
Hartley,  Ohio  Co.,  Va.  Not  having  seen  the  cow-milker 
to  which  you  refer,  no  opinion  can  be  given  as  to  its  par¬ 
ticular  merits.  Sofaraswe  have  investigated,  there  aro,  as 
yet,  only  two  kinds  of  apparatus  for  this  purpose  in  which 
we  have  any  faith — a  calf’s  mouth  and  the  human  hand. 

Prescript  ions  for  ©iseaseil  Animals.— 
E  J.  Ellison,  Hamilton  Co.,  O  It  would  be  impossible 
to  prescribe  safely  for  your  horse  without  personal  ex¬ 
amination  of  his  case.  If  he  is  sufficiently  valuable, 
avail  yourself  of  the  best  veterinary  skill  within  reach- 
otherwise,  let  him  restand  take  his  chances.  He  may- 
only  need  a  little  more  letting  alone  both  in  doctoring  and 
working. 

Propel*  Age  for  Gelding’ Morses.— D.  A.  T., 
Dauphin  Co.,  Pa.  Horses  may  be  castrated  even  after 
they  have  grown  to  maturity,  but  the  operation  is  tbeu 


014 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


very  hazardous.  If  carefully  done  between  the  ages  of 
four  and  twelve  months,  there  need  be  no  great  risk. 

Carlson  OH. -This  has  been  used  for  a  year,  bolh 
in  our  office  and  at  home,  and  also  by  most  of  those  en¬ 
gaged  in  our  office,  as  well  as  by  several  friends  and 
neighbors.  We  like  it  better  than  any  other  burning  ma¬ 
terial  we  have  yet  tried.  Last  Winter  we  were  troubled 
to  get  a  supply,  owing  to  some  difficulty  at  the  petroleum 
fountain  whence  it  is  obtained,  and  we  are  glad  to  find  by 
our  advertising  columns  that  a  full  supply  is  available. 

Spjilding’s  Liquid  SUie. — Several  subset ibers 
ask  our  opinion  of  this  article  advertised  in  this  journal. 
We  have  had  occasion  to  use  it  but  little  as  yet.  So  far 
as  we  have  examined  and  tried  it,  it  appears  to  be  a  good 
preparation,  possessing  the  properties  of  common  glue, 
with  the  convenience  of  being  dissolved,  and  always 
ready  for  immediate  use.  Some  of  our  employees,  who 
have  used  it  in  “sticking  together”  sundry  household  ar¬ 
ticles,  speak  quite  strongly  in  its  favor. 

- cjiim— - - — 

Earning'  in  Pennsylvania— New  Railroad 
Facilities,  etc. 

During  the  past  month,  while  the  preceding  pages  of 
this  paper  were  passing  through  the  printer's  hands,  we 
made  a  week’s  excursion  for  observalion  through  a  por¬ 
tion  of  Pennsylvania,  which  we  had  before  only  passed 
across  or  around.  We  refer  to  the  splendid  Valley  run¬ 
ning  from  Easton,  nearly  southwest,  along  the  south  side 
of  the  “Blue  Mountain  Ridge.”— Allentown,  Reading, 
Lebanon,  Harrisburg,  Mechanicsburg,  Carlisle,  and 
Charnbersburg,  all  lie  in  this  Valley.  Few  better  farm¬ 
ing  sections  exist  in  the  world,  and  we  could  not  wonder 
that  the  most  of  these  lands  have  usually  been  occupied 
by  i he  same  families  and  their  direct  ancestors  since  Ihe 
first  settlement  of  the  country.  No  one  owning  a  home¬ 
stead  here,  could  hope  10  better  himself  by  a  removal.  We 
gathered  many  useful  observations  for  future  use. 

One  interesting  item  we  must  now  refer  to,  viz.;  the 
opening  of  the  East  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  from  Reading  to 
Allentown.  This  completes  an  important  route — one  im¬ 
portant  not  only  to  the  Valley  through  which  we  passed, 
and  to  other  portions  of  Pennsylvania,  but  to  the  entire 
West.  Starting  from  New-York,  the  route  is  by  the 
L.  J.  Central  to  Easton,  Pa.;  thence  via  the  Lehigh  Val¬ 
ley  R.  R.,  to  Allentown  ;  thence  via  the  new  Eastern 
Penn.  R.  R.  to  Reading;  thence  via  the  Lebanon  Valley 
Branch  of  the  Reading  R.  R.  to  Harrisburg.  These  sev¬ 
eral  roads  connect  so  as  to  really  form  an  unbroken, 
single  route.  From  Harrisburg!)  the  same  cars  can  con¬ 
tinue  southwest,  via  the  Cumberland  Valley  R.  R.,  to 
Charnbersburg,  and  soon  siill  further  south,  following 
the  above  great  farming  Valley  that  extends  across 
Maryland,  and  Virginia,  into  North  Carolina.  All  the 
Pennsylvania  portion  of  this  Valley  is  now  brought  into 
direct  connection  with  New-York,  which  with  the  pre¬ 
vious  triple  or  quadruple  connections  with  Philadelphia, 
will  give  direct  market  facilities  unsurpassed.  Passing 
by  the  advantages  for  forwarding  the  staple  grain  crops, 
these  new  facilities  should  stimulate  farmers  to  give  more 
attention  to  catUe  and  sheep  raising,  and  especially  to 
fruitgrowing.  Beef  cattle  from  the  counties  of  Franklin, 
Cumberland,  and  others  adjoining,  can  now  go  either  by 
cars  or  on  foot  to  Philadelphia,  as  hnherto,  or  be  sent  by 
cars  direct  to  the  N.  Y.  market,  as  may  be  desired.  We 
noticed  throughout  most  of  ihe  section  we  visited,  that 
fruit  trees  appear  to  flourish  well;  indeed,  though  this 
was  generally  called  a  poor  fruit  year,  vve  saw  more  and 
better  apples  than  any  where  else  this  season.  The  N. 
Y.  city  market  is  almost  always  poorly  supplied  with  this 
staple  fruit.  Note  on  the  next  page  the  present  wholesale 
prices  of  only  fair  apples.  From  the  very  location  of  N. 
Y\,  fruit  will  always  be  in  demand  at  high  prices.  This 
city  has  not  so  large  an  immediate  back-ground,  as  Phil¬ 
adelphia,  to  supply  fruit.  The  newly  opened  route  will 
furnish  one  additional  source.  We  sugest  to  the  farmers 
of  the  Valley  we  visited,  that  they  can  and  should  go  at 
once  into  the  culture  of  fruit  more  extensively.  They  will 
find  profit  in  it.  Let  there  be  a  host  of  young  apple  or¬ 
chards  put  out  this  very  Autumn.  We  were  glad  to  hear 
'avorable  reports  of  the  reliability  of  Miller’s  Nurseries, 
sear  Carlisle. 

We  have  omitted  to  mention  that  Ihe  new  route  ex¬ 
tends  westward  from  Harrisburg,  to  Pittsburg,  via  the 
Penn.  Central  R.  R.,_and  from  Pittsburg, by  railroads 
leading  all  over  the  Great  West  The  connections  are 
60  complete  lhat  Freight  cars  may  now  be  loaded  in 
Iowa  and  sent  here,  without  the  necessity  of  a  single 
xhange  of  bulk— a.  distance  of  more  than  1,200  miles!  Al¬ 
most  all  the  railroads  of  the  Great  West  are  directly  con¬ 
nected  with  this  route.  The  very  statement  of  these 
vast  and  increasing  facilities  of  communication,  is  one  of 
great  interest  to  fanners. 

Our  visit  in  Pennsylvania,  though  not  the  first  by  any 
means,  was  both  pleasant  and  profitable,  and  we  shall 
take  early  occasion  to  visit  other  portions  of  the  State 


which  is  entitled  to  be  called  the  “Keystone”  in  more 
respects  than  one.  The  names  of  more  than  ten  thou¬ 
sand  Pennsylvania  subscribers  upon  our  own  mail  books, 
are  strong  evidences  that  the  farmers  of  that  State  are 
alive  to  improvement. 

Our  thanks  are  due  to  a  number  of  gentlemen  who  con¬ 
tributed  not  a  little  to  make  our  journey  both  pleasant, 
and  profitable  m  the  observations  gathered.  Aiming  Olli¬ 
ers  we  ought  to  name  Mr  Kesler,  Ed.  of  Reading  Adler, 
Ihe  Prest.  of  Berks  Co.,  Agr.  Sue.,  and  Mr.  J.  L  Getz, 
Ed.  of  Reading  Gazette  :  Prof.  Marlatt,  Prest.  of  Irving 
Female  College,  at  Mechanicsburg,  and  Robert  Bryson, 
Esq.,  of  the  same  place  ;  Messrs.  I.  W.  Deal,  A.  Hurst, 
and  J.  S.  Nixon,  at  Charnbersburg;  and  others.  We  re¬ 
gret  that  being  straitened  for  time  prevented  a  visit-  to 
several  other  active  friends  of  the  Agriculturist,  at 
Ciiurchtown,  and  elsewhere. 


PREMIUMS! 


Improvement — Onward— Upward,  is  our  motto.  We  in¬ 
tend  to  make  each  succeeding  volume  better  than  its  pre¬ 
decessor,  in  every  respect.  During  1859  the  Agriculturist 
has  gone  into  more  than  20,000  new  families.  We  desire 
to  extend  its  sphere  of  usefulness  still  wider,  and  to  this 
end,  we  offer  the  following  premiums  to  those  who  will 
assist  in  the  work  of  extension.  In  selecting  the  articles, 
we  have  aimed  to  get  such  as  are  useful,  and  as  have  been 
most  frequently  called  for  by  our  readers.— Each  article 
offered  is  the  best  of  its  kind,  and  every  one  will  be  selected 
by  the  publisher  from  the  very  best  manufactured.  They  will 
be  even  better  than  ■ those  sold  in  the  market  at  the  prices 
named ,  when  possible  to  select  better.  Through  the  kind¬ 
ness  of  the  manufacturers  we  get  these  articles  for  pre¬ 
miums,  arid  for  ihese  only,  at  the  bare  cost  of  making,  or 
we  could  not  offer  them  as  we  do.  The  premiums 
are  certainly  liberal,  when  we  take  into  the  account 
the  cost  and  character  of  the  paper,  and  the  low  price  at 
which  it  is  furnished. 

N.  S5.  These  premiums  are  not  offered  for  competition, 
hut  as  direct  pay  for  time,  labor,  and  expense  incurred  by 
canvassers.  The  premiums  are  absolute  in  each  case,  and 
not  dependent  upon  what  some  unknown  person  is  doing. 
Every  canvasser  knows  just  what  he  or  she  is  working  for. 
fiSTSee  remarks  following  the  premiums,  especially  tile 
last  one. 

Premium  I.— A  liberal  distribution  of  valuable  seeds 
will  be  made  during  the  Winter,  to  all  regular  subscri¬ 
bers  alike,  whether  single  or  in  clubs,  and  whether  re¬ 
ceived  from  agents,  or  otherw  ise.  (A  seed  depository  will 
be  established  in  California  for  the  convenience  of  sub¬ 
scribers  on  the  Pacific  Coast.) 

Premium  !II.— Every  person  sending  in  a  club  of  10 
new  .subscribers  at  80  cents  each,  may  order  a  free  copy 
of  eitner  Vol.  XVI.  or  Vol-  XVIf,  or  Vol.  XVIII,  which 
w  ill  be  sent  in  numbers,  post-paid. 

Premium  IV _ -Every  person  sending  15  new  or  old 

subscribers  at  80  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  16  copies 
(lhat  is  one  extra  copy),  for  the  coming  year. 

Premium  V. — Every  person  sending  25  new  subscribers 
at  80  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  the  three  Volumes, 
XVI,  XVII,  and  XV11I,  sent  in  numbers  post-paid. 

Premium  VI.—  Every  person  sending  30  new  subscribers 
at  80  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  a  silver-cased  pocket 
Micros  ope— with  Coddington  lens.  Value  $4.  Sent  by 
mail  securely  packed  and  post-paid  (See  Premium  18.) 

Premium  VI!.— Every  person  sending  45  new  subscri¬ 
bers  at  80  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  a  copy  of  the 
large  new  Pictorial  Edition  of  Webster's  Unabridged  Dic¬ 
tionary.  Price  $6.50.  It  weighs  81  lbs,  and  can  go  by 
express,  or  be  sent  by  mail  at  1  cent  per  ounce  within 
30UU  miles,  or  2  cents  per  ounce  over  3040  miles.  (Ex¬ 
pense  after  leaving  the  city  to  be  paid  by  recipient.) 

Premium  EX. — Every  person  sending  144  new  subscri¬ 
bers  at  8U  cents  each,  (or  100  at  $1  each),  will  be  present¬ 
ed  with  one  of  Wheeler  &  Wilson’s  best  §50  Sewing’ 
USaclisnes,  new  from  the  factory,  and  of  the  very  best 
make.  There  is  no  belter  working  machine  than  this 
made,  as  we  have  proved  by  nearly  two  year’s  use  in  our 
own  family.  We  want  no  belter. — The  machines  will  he 
selected  at  Ihe  manufactory,  be  well  boxed,  and  forward¬ 
ed  without  expense  to  the  recipient,  except  for  freight 
charges  after  leaving  the  city.  Full  instructions  for  set¬ 
ting  up  and  using  go  with  each  machine. 

Premium  XII.  — To  every  person  sending  130  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  80  cents  each,  (or  95  at  $1  each),  we  will  pre¬ 
sent  Appleton's  New  American.  Encyclopaedia,  now  in 
course  of  publication,  consisting  of  fifteen  large  volumes 
of  770  pages  each.  This  is  a  magnificent  w  ork,  forming  a 
whole  library  embracing  every  topic  of  human  know¬ 
ledge.  Eight  volumes  are  now  ready,  and  the  remaining 
seven  will  be  furnished  as  fast  as  issued.  Publisher's 
price.  $45. 

Premium  XIII.— To  every  person  sending  260  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  $  1  each,  or  330  at  Ihe  lowest  club  price  (80  cts. 
each),  vve  will  present  one  of  Allen's  Mowing  Machines, 
with  sundry  improvements  now  being  added.  This  is  one 
of  the  best  vve  have  seen  in  operation.  Price  $115. 

Premium  XIV.— To  every  person  sending  65  new  sub¬ 
scribers,  at  8u  cents  each,  we  will  present  one  of  Hie  b  st 
Eagle  Plows  (2-horse).  Price  $11.  This  we  believe  is 
ihe  best  general  farm  plow  in  use. 

Premium  XV.— To  every  person  sending  55  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  80  cents  each,  we  will  present  the  best  Sub¬ 
soil  Plow  (two-horse),  price  $8;  or  one  of  the  best  Horse- 
Hoes,  price  $8  ;  or  one  of  the  best  Straw  and  Hay  Cutters, 
price  $8.  These  are  all  first  quality,  well-made,  and 
useful  implements. 

Premium  XVI.—1 To  every  person  sending  48  new  sub¬ 


scribers,  at  80  cents  each,  we  w  ill  present  one  of  the  bes! 
Steel-tooih  Cultivators.  Price  $7. 

Premium  XVII.— To  every  person  sending  45  subscri¬ 
bers  at  80  cents  each,  we  will  present  either  the  Diction¬ 
ary,  (premium  6),  or  one  of  tile  best  Hand  Corn  Shelters. 
Price  $6  50. 

Premium  XVIII.— To  every  person  sending  30  subscri¬ 
bers  at  80  cents  each,  vve  will  present  eil her  lilt  micro¬ 
scope,  (premium  3,)  or  a  Double  mold-board.  ( ridging ) 
Plow.  Price  $3.50. 

Premium  XIX. — Books.  Whenever  desired,  instead 
ol  other  premiums,  the  publisher  will  pay  premiums  in 
books  as  follows  :  Every  person  making  np  a  club  of  20 
nr  more  new  subscribers,  may  select  any  Agricultural  or 
Horticultural  Books  from  A.  O.  Moore’s  Catalogue, 
(which  is  advertised  on  page  316  of  this  month’s 
paper)  to  the  amount  of  10  cents  for  every  subscriber, 
sent  in  at  8U  cents  each.  Persons  making  uo  a  club  for 
any  of  ihe  premiums,  and  getting  some  names  over  the 
required  amount,  will  be  entitled  to  books  for  the  surplus 
names.  Tims,  a  person  getting  55  subscribers  can  take 
for  45  names  either  premium  VII.  or  XVII.  and  also  $1 
worth  of  books  for  the  extra  11)  names;  and  so  in  other 
cases. 

[SPECIAL  PREMIUMS  ] 

[Several  young  men  have  expressed  to  us  a  desire  to  se¬ 
cure  for  themselves  a  good  Watch.  There  has  been  so 
much  humbug  and  deeeplion  in  articles  of  this  kind  that 
vve  tiave  hnherto  declined  any  such  offers.  However,  lo 
meet  the  oft  repeated  requests,  we  have  concluded  to  for 
once  make  an  offer  of  ibis  kind.  The  American  Watch 
Company ,  of  Waltham,  Mass.,  are  putting  up  very  val¬ 
uable  and  reliable  lime-pieces,  which  we  can  offer 
with  .confidence,  and  we  have  arranged  with  the 
company  to  get  the  watches  we  desire,  direct  from  the 
manufactory,  of  the  best  possible  malje  and  bona  fide 
character.  Each  watch  will  be  accompanied  with  a  writ¬ 
ten  warrantee  direct  from  Ihe  Company;  so  lhat  the 
watches  we  give,  may  be  relied  upon  in  every  lespect.j 

Premium  XX.— To  every  person  sending  130  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  8i)  cents  each,  (or95  at  $1  each),  we  w  ill  present 
either  premium  XII,  or  a  $45  Silver  Lever  Watch,  made 
by  the  American  Company.  The  running  works  of  this 
watch  are  of  the  same  cl  iss  as  the  $l0()  gold  watches, 
jewel  ed,  and  chronometer  b  dance.  The  case  is  a  “  Hun¬ 
ter,”  or  closed  one,  the  face  opening  by  a  spring.  This  is 
as  good  a  watch  as  vve  would  wish  to  carry.  The  price, 
$45,  is  as  low  as  they  can  be  bought  at  retail  at  the  man¬ 
ufactory. 

Premium  XXI. — To  every  person  sending  250  new 
suhsc.i ibers  at  8u  cents  each,  (or  150  at  $1  each),  we  will 
present  a  $75  Gold  Lever  Watch,  of  ihe  same  make  as  the 
above.  The  case  is  gold,  Hunter,  and  engraved.  No  bet¬ 
ter  watch  than  this  can  be  obtained  for  $75  in  this  country. 

REMARKS. — 1.  The  above  premiums,  except  No.  TV, 
are  all  for  NEW  subscribers  only,  as  we  can  only  afford 
to  pay  premiums  for  once  on  the  same  subscriber.  Blit 
t ff°in  making  up  any  premium  lists,  three  renewals  of  old 
subscriptions,  collected  and  forwarded  by  t-lie  canvasser,  may 
always  be  counted  as  one  new  name.  fgp’TVames  need  not 
all  be  at  the  same  Post  Office. 

2.  Of  course  but  one  premium  can  be  paid  on  the  same 
name.  The  canvasser  will  choose  his  own  premium. 
Any  one  striking  for  a  higher  premium,  and  failing  to  get 
names  enough,  can  still  fall  back  upon  a  lower  one. 

3.  Every  person  collecting  names  for  premiums  can 
send  in  the  names  with  the  money  as  fast  as  received,  so 
that  the  subscribers  may  begin  to  receive  their  papers  ; 
but  if  designed  for  premiums,  a  double  list  of  each  lot  of 
names  should  be  sent,  one  of  them  marked  at  the  top, 
“  For  premiums,”  and  with  the  name  of  the  sender. 
These  duplicate  lists  will-be  kept  on  file  by  themselves  to 
be  referred  to  in  making  up  the  premium  when  any  person 
has  completed  sending  in  names  for  Volume  XIX. 

4.  The  above  premiums  are  offered  for  new  subscribers 
for  Volume  XIX  (I860),  whejjever  received.  Canvassers 
will  have  three  or  four  months  for  completing  their  lists, 
but  the  premium  will  be  paid  as  soon  as  any  list  is 
made  up. 

5.  The  offer  of  extra  copies  to  the  subscribers  them 
selves,  when  received  before  Nov.  1st.  will  greatly  facili 
tate  the  work  of  the  canvasser,  and  now  is  the  most  favor¬ 
able  time  to  begin,  the  work  of  gathering  names. 

- -o— - - *-•. - 

Market  Review,  Weather  Notes,  &c. 

American  Agriculturist  Office,  ) 
New  York,  MonUay  Evening,  Sept.  19,  1859.  ) 

Sales  of  Breadstuffs  have  been  more  extensive  during 
the  past  month.  Receipts  have  been  very  large  and  are  in¬ 
creasing.  The  demand  has  been  more  active.  The 
rapid  reduction  of  the  stock  of  old  Flour  and  Wheaton 
hand,  caused  an  advance  of  prices  during  the  early  part 
of  the  month.  The  heavy  receipts  of  the  new  crop  have, 
however,  checked  the  advance,  and  the  tendency  just  now 
is  to  lower  prices.  The  sales  are  mostly  to  the  home 
trade,  little  being  done  by  speculators.  Shippers  are 
Cautious  ;  they  are  wailing  for  lower  rates  before  buying 
freely.  The  Wheat  received  thus  far,  has  been  of  very 
good  average  quality,  and  is  received  generally  in  good 
condition.  The  quality  ol  new  Wheat  received  at  the 
principal  Western  marketj,  has  been  so  much  superior  to 
that  of  the  two  preceding  years,  that  the  Chicago  Board 
of  Trade  have  restored  the  old  standards  of  quality, 
which  had  been  lowered  to  conform  to  the  inferiority  o< 
the  receipts  of  those  years.  While  the  rvialitv  of  this 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


815 


year's  product  is  equal  to  what  was  anticipated,  it  is  now 
thought  that  the  amount  of  the  yield,  especially  in  Ohio 
has  been  overestimated.  This  circumstance  has  not  thus 
far  materially  affected  trade.  In  the  absence  of  an  active 
export  demand,  it  is  thought  that  its  influence  will  not 
be  greatly  felt,  since  the  receipts  have  continued  to  be 
heavy,  and  have  been  pressed  on  the  market  especially 

during  the  past  six  or  eight  days .  The  arrivals  of 

Com  have  not  equalled  the  demand  of  buyers,  and  an  ad 
vance  in  prices  has  resulted.  Some  disposition  to  specu¬ 
late  has  been  occasioned  by  the  accounts  of  injuries  by 

frost  to  the  growing  crop . In  the  North-western 

States  the  great  topic  of  interest  just  now  is  the  effect  of 
the  frosts  at  the  end  of  August  and  first  of  September.  It 
appears  that  they  extended  south  to  La  Salle  in  Illinois, 
and  were  very  severe  in  Michigan.  Northern  Indiana. 
Wisconsin,  and  Iowa.  Buckwheat  and  all  late  vines  were 
preily  weil.used  up.  Late  Corn,  especially  on  low  lands, 
was  cut  down  so  as  to  prevent  its  maturing  perfectly.  But 
it  is  believed  that  the  laigest^iortiou  of  the  Corn  crop, 
particularly  in  sections  where  it  forms  Ihe  great  staple, 
was  so  forward  that  frosts  would  do  but  little  harm.  The 
Country  lias  suffered  a  far  grealer  mss  in  the  drouth  of  the 
Summer  than  in  the  hosts  of  the  Fall  . .  Bye,  Barley, 
and  Oats  have  been  more  frequently  sought  after . .  ..  Cot¬ 
ton  has  been  moderately  inquired  for  at  easier  prices. 
The  annual  statement  of  the  irade  in  this  staple,  for  the 
yen'-  ending  the  Istof  September,  makes  the  crop 3,851,481 
Dales  against  3, 113, 962  bales,  the  crop  of  the  previous 
year . Provisions  have  fluctuated  consnlerab  y,  clos¬ 

ing  with  a  fair  general  inquiry  at  advancing  price-  tor  hop 

products . The  transactions  in  most  other  kinds  of 

Produce  have  been  of  average  magnitude,  without  oc¬ 
casioning  a..y  very  noticeable  alteration  in  prices. 

TRANSACTIONS  AT  THE  N  Y.  MARKETS. 

Receipts.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  A  ye.  Barley  Oats 

£7  has  davs/fosmon  .  252,744  289,316  320, uns  20,180  C5,r,60  346,509 
27  bus.  days  last  mull  ,145,331  243,575  377,347  9,871  9,003  410,000 

Sales.  Flour.  Wheal.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley 

27  husi  ness  days  thismon.  366  161  313,850  575,410  29  500  86,10 
27  business  days  last  month,  266,930  262,65'.)  503,200  25.600  2,5011 

Breadstuff's  exported  from  N.  Y.,  from  Jan.  1  to  Sept.  14. 


1858. 

1859. 

Wlieiit  Flour,  bbls . 

. 1,046.653 

481,941 

Rye  Flour,  bbls . 

.  4,683 

4,096 

Corn  Meal,  bbls . 

.  47,959 

58.910 

'Wheat,  bush . 

. 2,895,027 

32,765 

Corn,  bush . 

.  1,265.963 

163  922 

Rye,  bush . 

.  12,487 

'  - - 

Tlie  following  are  the  exports  of  the  principal  kinds  of 
ereadstuffs,  from  the  Atlantic  portsnf  i he  United  States, 
during  the  year  ending  Sept.  1st,  as  compared  with  the  an¬ 
nual  export  for  a  number  of  years  preceding : 

TO  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  IRELAND. 

From  Flour,  bhls.  Wheat, bush.  Corn  bush. 

New- York, .  98,753  4U3.742  314,956 

New-Orleans .  4,382  3,375  2,250 

Philadelphia .  2,029  20,281  14,081 

Baltimore . . . ,.7,677 

Boston .  1,293  -  - 

Other  Ports . .  11,612  3,949 

Total  exports  from  U.S.  106,457  439,010  342,013 


Year  ending 
Year  ending 
Year  ending 
Year  ending 
Year  ending 
Year  ending 
Year  ending 
Year  ending 
Year  ending 
Year  ending 
Year  ending 
Year  ending 


Sept,  1, 
Sept.  1, 
Sept.  1, 
Sept.  1, 
Sept.  1, 
Sent.  1, 
Sept.  1, 
Sept.  1, 
Sept.  I, 
Sept,  i, 
Sept.  1, 
Sept.  1, 


1858 

1857 

1856 

1855 

1854 

1853 

1852 

1851 

I860 

1849 

1818 

1847 


1,295,430 
849.600 
1,641,265 
175,209 
1.846.920 
1,600,449 
]  ,427.442 
1,559,584 
574  757 
1,137.556 
182,583 
3,155,845 


6,555,643 
7  479,401 
7,956,406 
324,427 
6,038,003 
4,823.519 
2.728,442 
1,496,355 
401,276 
1,140.194 
241,309 
4,000,359 


3,317.802 

4.740.278 
6,731,161 
6,679,138 
6,049,371 

1.425.278 
1,487,398 
2,205,601 
4,753.358 
12,685,260 

4,39u,226 

17,157,659 


Total  for  thirteen  years. .  .15,553,097  43,684,314  7 1  970,5471 
Averaging  yearly .  1,196,392  3,360,334  5,536,196 

ANNUAL  EXPORTS  TO  THE  CONTINENT  OF  EUROPE  FROM 
U.  S.  PORTS. 

Flour ,  bbls.  Wheat,  bu.  Corn,  bu .  Rye,  bu. 

Year  ending  Sept.  I, ’59  51,388  57,845  25,519  - 

Year  ending  Sept.  1, ’56  303.100  390,428  16.848  13.100 

Year  ending  Sept.  1 , ’57  4 1 3  344  2,875,653  5471.590  216,162 
Year  ending  Sept.  I,  ’56  748,408  2,610,079  282.083  1,975,478 
Year  endingSept.  1, ’55  7,763  4  972  308,428  35,569 

Year  ending  Sept.  1,  '54  791,028  1,904,893  99,556  318,882 

COMPARATIVE  COTTON  CROP  STATEMENT. 


Bales. 

Bales. 

1858—9 . 

. 3,851.481 

1840- 

-1 . 

1857 

8 . 

1839-40 . 

1856- 

-7 . 

. 2,939,519 

1838 

-9 . 

1855- 

-6 . 

.  3  527,845 

1837- 

-8 . 

1854 

-5 . 

. 2  847,339 

1836 

-7 . 

.  1,422,9.0 

1853 

-4 . 

1835 

-6 . 

1852- 

-3 . 

. 3,262,882 

1834- 

-5 . 

1851 

-2 . 

. 3,015,029 

1833 

-4 . 

1859- 

-1 . 

. 2, 3 >5,257 

1832- 

-3 . 

1849- 

-50 . 

. 2,096,71)6 

1831- 

-2 . 

.  987.547 

1848 

-9 . 

. 2,728,596 

1830- 

-1 . 

1847- 

-8 . 

. 2  347  634 

1829- 

-30 . 

.  976.845 

1846- 

-7 . 

. 1,778,651 

1828- 

-9 . 

.  870,41.5 

1845 

-6 . 

. 2,100,537 

1827 

-8 . 

.  727.593 

1844 

-5 . 

. 2  394,5113 

18  6 

— 7 

.  957,281 

1843 

-4 . 

. 2, 030, <109 

1825 

-6 . 

.  720,027 

1842 

-3 . 

. 2,378,875 

1824 

-5 . 

.  569,249 

1841 

-2 . 

. 1.683,574 

1823—4 . 

.  509,158 

EXPORT  OF  COTTON  TO  FOREIGN  PORTS. 

To  Great  To  To  North  Other 
Britain.  France,  of  Europe.  F.  Forts.  Total. 
Grand  total.... 2, 019, 252  450,696  330  012  221,443  3,021,403 
Total  last  year.l.8U9,966  384,002  215,145  181,342  2,590,455 


Increase .  209,286  66,694  114,867  40,101  430,948 


Current  Wholesale  Prices. 


Common  to  Fancy  Western. 


Super,  to  Extra  Southern  .... 
Bye  Flour— Fine  and  Super. 

Corn  Meal . . 

Wheat— Canada  White . 

West  era  While  . 

Southern  White . 

All  kinds  of  ked . 

Corn— Yellow . 

White . . . . 

Mixed . 

Oats — Western . 

State . 

Soul  hern . 

Rye . 

Barley  . 

White  Beans. 


Hay,  in  bales,  ner  100  Ills. . . . 
Cotton — Middlings,  perlb. . 


Hops,  crop  of  1859  per  lb 

Fork— Mess,  per  bbl . 13  67 

Prime,  per  bbl . 

Beep — Repacked  Mess .  . 

Country  mess  . 

Hogs,  Dressed  corn,  per  lb  . 

Lard,  in  bbls  per  lb . . 

Butter—  Western,  per  lb . 

State,  perlb.  . . 

Cheese,  per  lb . 

Eggs — Fresh,  per  dozen . 

Poultry— Fowls,  per  lb . 

Turkeys,  per  lb . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  lb. 

Seed — Clover,  per  lb . 

Timothy,  per  bushel . 

Sugar,  Brown  peril) . 

Molasses,  New-Orleans,  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio.  per  lb . 

rnnAOcn — tCeni  ueky,  &c.  pr  lb 

Seed  Leaf  per  lb . 

WoOL-Doniestic  fleece,  per  lb. 

Domestic,  [lulled,  per  II)  . 

Hemp — Umlr’d  Amer’ii  pr  ton. 
Dressed  American,  per  ton. . . . 

Tallow,  per  III. .  . 

Oil  Cake,  per  ton . 

4  pples — Dried,  Per  b . 

Dried  Peaches— pi  lb.,South’n 


Aug 

18. 

Sept 

19. 

$3 

95 

(a) 

50 

*  4 

15 

(cb 

55 

3 

90 

(a) 

20 

4 

15 

(3) 

50 

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fa) 

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1 cb 

50 

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4 

85 

(a) 

00 

3 

50 

(a) 

20 

3 

70 

(3) 

30 

3 

90 

(aj 

15 

3 

75 

(3) 

15 

1 

10 

(a) 

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1 

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(3) 

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(a) 

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(a) 

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(3) 

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38 

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(cb 

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30 

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75 

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(cb 

80 

55 

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55 

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11  %'cb 

1234 

11  %® 

12 

3 

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2 

87 

(a) 

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20 

(a) 

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11 

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15 

Sweet,  Virginia,  per  bbl. 
Delaware,  per  bbl . 


Tomatoes,  per  bushel . 

Squashes,  Marrow,  p.  bbl . 

Pii mips,  Rutabage,  per  bbl... 

Apples,  Winter,  per  bbl . 

Common,  per  bbl . 

Pears,  Bartlett,  per  bbl . 

Common,  per  bbl . 


Plums,  Green  Gages,  and  Dam¬ 
son  p  bush . 


13  67  ®13  75 

15  00 

®15  12% 

9  62  fa)  9  75 

10  50 

®I0  62% 

8  00  ®10  50 

7  50 

®  9  51) 

7  00  Ca)  8  00 

6  00 

®  7  00 

6  %®  7 

7%®  8% 

]0%®  11 

ln-%®  Hit 

12  fib  17 

12 

®  16 

14  (cb  20 

16 

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4  ®  1 9 

6 

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14  ><1®  15 

15 

®  16% 

10  (cb  12? i 

11 

®  14 

14  ® 

M 

®  16 

42  (cb  52 

42 

®  52 

8  ®  9% 

9 

®  9% 

2  00  ®  2  75 

2  00 

®  2  75 

4  %'a)  8 

5  %®  8 

39  ®  42 

3y 

(cd  42 

10  ®  11% 

10  Wa)  12% 

4%®  13 

4%(d)  12 

6  ®  25 

6 

(a)  25 

35  ®  55 

35 

( 5 )  55 

30  ®  50 

30 

.< a)  50 

140  ®150  J40 

(6)150 

190  ®2l0 

90 

(aj  2 10 

10 10% 

1054®  10% 

30  00  ® 36  50 

30  00 

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6 

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10  ®  13 

10 

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1  50  (cb  1  75 

1  25 

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2  00  ®  2  50 

1  60 

®  2  00 

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Grapes. Isabel  la&Cat  awba,p.lb 

IV.  "Y.  INve  Stoclv  OTspkets. — The  Cattle 
Markets  have  been  abundantly  supplied  for  the  past 
month  ;  the  very  large  number  of  19,530  were  received 
fertile  four  weeks  ending  Sept  14l,h.or  a  weekly  average 
of  4.884.  At  the  above  date  5.930  beeves  were  sold,  being 
the  largest  weekly  receipts  since  l he  Fall  of  1855.  Prices 
leclined  about  lc".  p  ib  at  the  general  market,  ranging  at 
10c  Olojc.  7p  lb  net,  for  the  best,  or  prime  animals  ;  8fc. 
®9jc.  for  medium  to  good  ;  7c  ®8o.  for  poor  slock,  arid 
5jc.fS6}c.  for  "seallawags,”  with  ageneial  average  of  8c. 
for  all  the  cattle  sold. 

Veal  Calves.— The  receipts  continue  about  as  last 
monlh,  being  2,495  for  the  past  four  weeks.  The  demand 
is  good,  and  prices  have  been  a  shade  higher,  or  6c.®7ic. 
7p  lb,  live  weight,  for  the  best,  and  5c.®51c.  for  common 
alves. 

Sheep  and  Lambs.— Receipts  of  live  sheep  during  the 
last  four  weeks  have  been  even  greater  than  for  the  pre 
vious  month,  reaching  the  before  unprecedented  number 
of  19,426  for  a  single  week  ;  69,398  for  the  month,  or  an 
avenge  of  15,1(10  per  week.  The  markets  have  been 
glutted  most  of  ihe  time,  and  farmers  wishing  to  buy  stock 
lor  Winter  feeding  have  been  more  fortunate  than  (hose 
having  to  sell.  In  sneb  an  overstocked  market  it  is  im- 
iossib  e  to  sell  by  weight.  Prices  range  at  $1  (a)  $2  per 
lead  for  poor  stock  ;  $2.50  (a)  $4.00  for  good  sheep.  A 
few  large,  fat  ones  bring  $5  (a)  $7  each.  These  prices  are 
about  equivalent  to  34-  (3)  41  c.  per  lb.  live  weight. 

Hogs. — Receipts  for  the  four  weeks  just  ended  number 
14,958,  which  is  a  slight  decrease  from  last  month.  The 
market  has  improved  in  briskness,  and  good,  fat,  corn-fed 
hogs  are  worth  6c.  (a)  6-fc.  per  lb.  live  weight,  or  fully  Jo. 
per  ib.  higher  than  one  month  ago. 

Tlae  WcatJier  during  the  past  four  weeks  has  been 
mostly  pleasant,  but  cool  for  Ihe  season,  rather  too  cool 
for  late  corn,  which  has  been  damaged  in  the  North  and 
Northwest  by  two  remarkable  frosts.  It  lias,  however, 
been  ve'y  favorable  for  Fall  work.  Our  daily  Notes, 
condensed,  read  thus :  August  19.  clear  A.  M.,  light  rain 
P.  M.— 20,  21,  22,  clear  and  fine— 23,  clear,  rain  at  night, — 
24,  cloudy,  A.  M.,  heavy  ram  P.  M  —  25,  heavy  rain  A .  M., 
clear  P.  M — 26,  clear  and  warm,  wit  It  showers  at  night 
—27,  clear  anil  warm  A.  M.,  showery  P.  M. — 28,  cloudy 
A.  \1,  clear  P  M.— 29,  30,  31,  and  Stptember  1,2,  clear 
and  cool,  frosts  North  and  Northwest — 3,  clear,  rain  at 
night — 4,  frost  at  Northwest,  clear  and  warm — 5.  cloudy 
A.  M  ,  slight  rain  P.  M.— 6,  7.  9,  9,  clear  and  fine — In, 
cloudy— 1 1,  drizzling  A.  M..  showers  P.  M.— 12,  clear  and 
fine  —  13,  cloudy  A.  Mr,  show ers  P.  M.—  14,  15,  clear  and 
cold,  hard  frost  North  and  West— 16,  cloudy  A.  M.,  rain 
P.  M.  and  at  night— 17,  severe  northeast  storm,  heavy 
rain,  high  wind,  prostrating  much  corn,  and  injuring  many 
shade  trees — 18.  storm  cleared  up— 19,  beautiful  day— 20, 
slight  rain,  A.  M.,  cleared  up  P.  M. 

- - — - ■»»  €> «— - 

Acknowledgement. 

We  have  received  numerous  invitations  to  address  Ag¬ 
ricultural  Societies  at  their  Annual  Gatherings,  also  many 
Complimentary  Tickets,  and  several  notices  of  election 


as  an  Honorary  Member.  So  far  as  practicable  we  have 
replied  personally  to  eaoh  ;  but  lest  we  may  have,  over¬ 
looked  arty,  or  any  communications  may  have  failed  to 
reach  us,  as  we  suspect  to  have  been  the  case  in  an  in¬ 
stance  or  two,  we  beg  to  here  tender  our  gra-teful  thanks 
for  the  kind  consideration  extended.  The  generous  ap¬ 
preciation  of  ihe  labors  of  this  journal,  will  lead  us  to 
Still  greater  efforts  to  merit  a  continuation  of  these  evi¬ 
dences  of  good  will  on  the  part  of  our  readers.  Our  mul¬ 
tiplied  office  labors  consequent  upon  an  extending  circle 
of  leaders  and  correspondents,  prevent  our  visiting  so 
many  of  the  Agricultural  Exhibitions  as  we  would  desire. 

IS6  The  circulation  of  the  Agriculturist  to  regular 
subscribers,  is  much  larger  than  that  of  any  other 
Agricultural  or  Horticultural  Journal  in  the  world. 

_  u  f  m  nu  it  b . 

Advertisements  to  be  sure  of  insertion  must  he  re¬ 
ceived  at  latest  by  the  15th  of  the  preceding  month. 

TERMS  (invariably  cash  before  insertion): 

FOR  the  ENGLISH  EDITION  ONLY. 

'lwenty-hoe  cents  per  line  of  space  for  each  insertion  About 
9  words  make  a  line,  if  undisplaced. 

One  whole  column  (145  lines)  or  more.  S30  per  column 
£3?  Business  Notices  bifty  cents  per  line, 

FOR  THE  GERMAN  EDITION  ONLY. 

Ten  cents  per  line  of  space  for  each  insertion. 

(Mte  whole  column,  (1311  lines),  or  more,  SI  I  per  column 
13?  Business  Notices  twenty  cents  per  line. 

FOR  BOTH  EDITIONS— ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN, 
rerty-one  cents  per  line  :  S38  tier  column. 

Business  Notices  S>xtt/  /ive  cents  per  line. 


AN  I  ED —  tty  a  respecialilt'  young  man, 

V  V  a  situation  with  some  practical  farmer.  Address 
_  F.  K.  EBB10T8.  115  East  Igtn-st  .  New- York. 


MUKSEKY  FOR  SALK,  OR  FOREMAN 

~  ’  WANTED.  Owing  to  poor  health  I  wish  to  dispose  of  a 
Nursery  of  12  acres,  containing  50, 'bu  young  and  thrifty  frees, 
besides  a  guod  assortment  ot  Shrubs  and  Plants.  3  lie  business 
has  been  estubh>hed  five  years,  bus  been  increasing  each  year, 
and  there  is  no  other  nursery  within  3i)  miles.  If  not  sold  with¬ 
in  a  few  months,  l  wish  to  employ  a  thoroughly  competent  man, 
with  good  references,  to  manage  the  same. 

Westeily,  K.  I.  JOHN  TAYLOR. 


t  VALUABLE  La  KM  LOR  SALE — Gne- 

— -A-and-a-half  miles  east  of  this  village  on  the  Clinton  river- 
J30  acres  ot  choice  land,  with  20U  acres  improved  ;  2  large 
b  tiis.  2  d  veil  mgs  ( I  of  brick)  2  orchards  of  choice  apples,  1  of 
pears,  plums,  cherries,  &c.  20  miles  from  Detroit,  by  plank 
road,  1%  Horn  railroad,  and  on  a  navigable  rive-  Address 
E.  WRIGHT  HALL, 

Mount  Clemens,  Macomb  Co.,  Mich. 


Mficlajgaaaa  i 

Great  advantages  arc  olt'ered  to  settlers,  xvhn  are  willing  to 
take  a  new  borne  in  tins  Slate.  Actual  landless  settlers  can  get 
a  donation  ot  forty  acres  of  valuable  land,  and  buy  another 
quarter  section  of  adjoining  State-land  at  the  price  of  SI  25  per 
acre,  with  the  term  of  ten  years  for  payment.  Any  furl  Iter  in¬ 
formation  will  be  given  by  RUDOLPH  DIEPENBECK, 
Michigan  Stale  Com’r  of  Emigration,  8<  Greenwich-st.  N.  Y 


FARM  PRODUCE 

S  ©  1  ©  n  ©  ©  ebb  m  i  s  §  I  ©  bs  , 

Such  as  Flour.  Butter.  Cheese.  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds 
Gram,  Eggs,  Poultry,  Game,  Sec,,  kic. 

HAIGHT  &  EM  ENS,  226  Front-st.,  New- York. 
Refers  to  thu  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

“  R.  H.  Havdock,  Cashier  (Market  Bank,  New-York 


F 


OR  BOOKS  ON  AGRICULTURE  AND 

HORTICULTURE,  .'■cut  by  mail  free  of  Postage,  see 
C  .SHEPARD  &  CO.'S 

Advertisement  in  the  September  number,  page  284. 


RAVENSW00D  FRUIT  GARDEN  AND  NURSERY. 
Ravenswood,  L.  I ,  (near  New-York,) 

II.  C.  FRE  E  M  A  N ,  (late  Freeman  8c  Kendall,)  offers  at  whole¬ 
sale  and  retail,  a  large  and  well  grown  stock  of  the  following 
desirable  plants,  viz : 

Brinckle’s  Orange  Raspberry. 

Hyatt's  Linn/EUs  Rhubarb. 

New  Rochelle  or  Lawton  Blackberry. 

Delaware  and  Rebecca  Grape  Vines. 

Cherry  Currants, 

Dwarf  Pear  Trees — of  the  best  selected  varieties,  very 
fine,  2  year  old  trees. 

Also,  Newman's  Thornless  Blackberry,  Black  Naples  Cur¬ 
rants,  &c.  Address  H.  C.  FREEMAN, 

Care  Andrew  Bridgeman,  378  Broadway,  N.  Y.  City. 


QHKKP  AND  PIGS. — For  sale  twenty 

Lie  Southdown  Ewes.  Also  a  few  pair  of  choice  Berkshire 
Pigs,  three  sows  6  months  old.  and  a  very  fine  boar  15  months 
old.  JOHN  B.  EDGAR,  Rahway,  N.  J. 


Profitable  Employsncagt. 

PLEASE  TO  READ  THIS! — Agents  Wanted  ! — Extra  in¬ 
ducements  for  1860.  All  pet  sons  IN  WANT  OF  EMPLOY¬ 
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On  receipt  of  the  Established  price,  Six  Dollars,  the  Pictorial 
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cepting  those  of  California,  Oregon,  and  Texas.  Our  books  are 
sold  by  canvassers,  and  are  we'l  known  to  be  the  most  saleable. 
Address,  postpaid,  ROBERT  SEARS,  Publisher, 

No.  181  William-street,  New-York. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


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^.GrXTLXOTJXj'X'-O’nLy^Xj 

PUBLISHED  BY 


BOOKS 


A.  O.  MOORE  &  CO., 

140  Fulton  street,  New  York 
Sent  by  mail  to  any  part  of  the  XT.  S.  on  receipt  of  price. 


American  Farmer’s  Encyclopedia — 

A  Work  of  great  value . .  4  00 

Allen’s  American  Farm  Book.. . 1  00 

Allen’9  Diseases  of  Domestic  Animals  75 

Allen’s  Rural  Architecture .  1  25 

Allen  on  the  Culture  of  the  Grape. ...  1  00 

American  Architect,  or  Plans  for 

Country  Dwellings .  6  00 

American  Florist’s  Guide .  75 

Barry's  Fruit  Garden .  1  25 

Uiake's  Farmer  at  Home .  1  25 

Boussingault’s  Rural  Economy . 1  26 

Browne’s  Bird  Fancier .  50 

Browne’s  Poultry  Yard .  1  00 

Browne’s  Field  Book  of  Manures .  1  25 

Bridgeman’s  Gardener’s  Assistant  . . .  1  50 

Bridgeman’s  Florist’s  Guide .  60 

BriJgeman’s  Kitchen  Gardener’s  In¬ 
structor .  60 

Bridgeman’s  Fruit  Cultivator's  Ma¬ 
nual . 60 

Breck’s  Book  of  Flowers . . . *1  60 

Buist’s  Flower  Garden  Directory .  1  25 

Bnist’s  Family  Kitchen  Gardener...  75 
Chiuese  SugarCane  and  Sugar  Mak¬ 
ing  . 25 

Chorlton’s  Grape  Grower’s  Guide...  60 

Cobbett’s  American  Gardener .  50 

Cottage  and  Farm  Bee-keeper .  25 

Cole's  American  Fruit  Book .  50 

Cole’s  American  Veterinarian .  50 

Dadd's  Modern  Horse  Doctor .  1  00 

Dadd’s  American  Cattle  Doctor .  1  00 

Dadd’s  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of 

the  Horse . 2  00 

Do.  colored  plates _ 4  00 

Dana's  Muck  Manual . . . 1  00 

Dana's  Prize  Essay  on  Manures .  25 

Darlington's  Weeds  and  Useful 

Plants . 1  50 

Domestic  and  Ornamental  Poultry..  1  00 

Do.  colored  plates . 2  00 

Downing’s  Landscape  Gardening. . ..  8  50 

Downing's  Rural  Essays .  8  00 

Eastwood’s  Cranberry  Culture .  50 

Elliott’s  Western  Fruit  Book .  1  25 

Every  Lady  her  own  Flower  Gardener  60 
Fessenden’s  Farmer  and  Gardener. .  1  25 
Fessenden’s  Am.  Kitchen  Gardener.  50 

Field's  Pear  Culture .  1  00 

Fish  Culture .  1  00 

Flint  on  Grasses .  1  25 

Guenon  on  Milch  Cows .  60 

Herbert’s  Hints  to  Horse-keepers _  1  25 

Hooper's  Dog  and  Gun .  25 

Hyde’s  Chinese  Sugar  Cane .  25 

Johnston’s  Agricultural  Chemistry..  1  25 


49 


50 


Johnston’s  Elements  of  Agricul¬ 
tural  Chemistry  and  Geology  _ _ _  1  00 

Johnston’s  Catechism  of  Agricul¬ 
tural  Chemistry  for  Schools .  25 

Langstroth  on  the  Hive  and  Honey 

Bee .  1  25 

Leuchar’s  Hot  Houses .  1  25 

Liebig’s  Familiar  Letters  to  Farmers  50 

Linsley’s  Morgan  Horses .  1  00 

Miner’s  Bee-keeper’s  Manual . 1  00 

Miles  on  the  Horse’s  Foot .  50 

Milburn  on  the  Cow .  25 

Moore’s  Rural  Hand  Books,  bound 

in  4  Series . each  1  25 

Munn’s  Land  Drainer .  50 

Nash’s  Progressive  Farmer .  60 

Neill’s  Gardener’s  Companion .  1  00 

Norton’s  Elements  of  Agriculture..  60 

Olcott’s  Sorgho  and  Imphee . 1  00 

Pardee  on  the  Strawberry .  60 

Pedder’s  Land  Measurer .  60 

Persoz’  New  Culture  of  the  Vine...  25 

Phelps’  Bee-keeper’s  Chart .  25 

Quinby’s  Mysteries  of  Bee-keeping..  1  00 

Rabbit  Fancier .  50 

Randall's  Sheep  Husbandry .  1  25 

Richardson  on  the  Horse .  25 

Richardson’s  Pests  of  the  Farm .  25 

Richardson’s  Domestic  Fowls .  25 

Richardson  on  the  Hog .  25 

Richardson  on  the  Honey  Bee .  25 

Richardson  on  the  Dog .  25 

Reemelin’s  Vine-dresser’s  Manual. .  50 

Shepherd’s  Own  Book .  2  00 

Stewart’s  Stable  Book .  1  00 

Stray  Leaves  from  the  Book  of 

Nature .  y  oo 

Stephens’  Book  of  the  Farm,  2  vols.  4  00 

Stockhardt’s  Chem.  Field  Lectures.  1  00 

Skillful  Housewife .  25 

Skinner’s  Elements  of  Agriculture..  £5 

Smith’s  Landscape  Gardening .  1  26 

Thaer's  Principles  of  Agriculture...  2  00 

Thomas’  Farm  Implements .  1  00 

Thompson’s  Food  of  Animals .  75 

The  Rose  Culturist .  25 

Topham’s  Chemistry  Made  Easy....  25 

Turner’s  Cotton  Planter’s  Manual..  1  00 

Warder’s  Hedges  and  Evergreens..  1  00 

Wnring’s  Elements  of  Agriculture..  75 

Week’s  on  Bees .  25 

Whito’s  Gardening  for  the  South...  1  25 

Wilson  on  Flax .  25 

Youatt  &.  Martin  on  Cattle .  1  25 

Youatt  on  the  Horse . . .  1  25 

Youatt  on  Sheep .  75 

Y'ouatt  on  the  Hog .  75 


riYHE  WATER-CURE  JOURNAL:  Devot- 

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ology  and  Anatomy ;  and  all  those  Laws  which  govern  Life  and 
Health.  Illustrated  with  numerous  appropriate  engravings.  $1 
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Two  complete  setts  and  a  few  single  volumes  of  thiswork  re¬ 
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ordinary  merit.  Inaugurated  i»y  the  late  Col  John  S.  Skinner, 
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imitation  of  nature 

“THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  WORLD,”  in  2  volumes,  octa¬ 
vo,  1,500  pages  ;  numerous  engravings  all  colored  by  hand,  with 
maps,  charts,  &c.  ,,  , _ 

“  THE  ILLUMINATED  HISTORY  OF  NORTH  AMER¬ 
ICA,”  in  1  volume,  octavo,  700  pages,  400  engravings,  many  of 
i hem  colored. 

“THE  PICTORIAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  WARS  OF  THE 
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“THE  NEW  WORLD,”  in  the  German  language,  and  the 
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months  for  S5  cents,  or  4  copies  for  SI. 

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PICTORIAL  EDITION! 

WE  HAVE  JUST  ISSUED  a  new  edition  of  Webster's  Un¬ 
abridged  Dictionary,  containing 

1500  PICTORIAL  ILLUSTRATIONS, 

Beautifully  executed. 

9,000  to  10,000  HEW  WORDS  in.  the  Vocabulary. 
Table  of  SYNONYMS,  by  Prof.  GOODRICH, 

in  which  more  than  two  thousand  words  are  carefully  dis¬ 
criminated,  forming  a  fuller  work  on  English  Synonyms, "of  it¬ 
self,  than  any  other  issued,  beside  Crabb,  and  believed  in  ad¬ 
vance  of  that. 

Table  giving  Pronunciation  of  Names  of  8,0C0  dis¬ 
tinguished  persons  of  Modern  Times- 
Peculiar  use  of  Words  and  Terms  in  the  Bible, 
With  other  new  Feature?,  together  with  ALL  THE 
MATTER  OF  PREVIOUS  EDITIONS. 

IN  CNE  VOLUME  OF  IV50  PAGES. 

SOLD  BYr  ALL  BOOKSELLERS. 

“ GET  THE  BEST.'’. ...GET  WEBSTER. 

G.  &  C.  MERRIAM, 

Springfield,  Mass. 


THE  HUMAN  VOICE  ;  its  right  Manage- 

ment  in  Speaking  and  reading;  Principles  of  True  Elo¬ 
quence — Functions  of  the  Vocal  Organs — Motion  of  Letters  of 
the  Alphabet — Cultivation  of  the  Ear — Disorders  of  Vocal  and 
Articulating  Organs — Origin  and  Construction  of  the  English 
Language — Proper  Methods  .of  Delivery — Remedial  Effects  of 
Reading,  Speaking,  &c. 

A  series  of  articles— to  he,  completed  in  four  numbers — Com¬ 
menced  in  the  WATER-CURE  JOURNAL  for  September. 

Articles  on  Water-Cure  in  France;  Hydropathy ;  Fever  ; 
Water-Cure  Explained-  Scrofula;  Sore  Eyes  ;  Nervous  Debili 
ty  ;  Piles  ;  Proper  Food  for  Women  ;  St.  Vitus’s  Dance.  &c.,  in 
Sept.  No.,  now  rendv.  Terms  Si  a  year,  or  10  cents  a  number. 

SPECIAL  OFFER— THE  WATER  CURE  JOURNAL  will 
be  sent  four  months  for  25  cents,  commencing  with  September. 
Add’ ess  FOWLER  &  WELLS,  No.  308  Broadway,  New-York. 


Every  farmer  should  possess 

“CARPENTRY  MADE  EASY,” 

It  teaches  a  new  System  of  Framing  for  Farm  House,  Barns, 
Bridges,  & c  .  in  plain  language,  so  that  any  farmer  can  be  his 
own  "carpenter.  Price  $3.  A  sample  copy  by  mail,  post  paid, 
$2.  J.  CH ALLEN  &  SON,  Philadelphia. 


Physiology  and  the  laws  of  life, 

given  in  t tie  WATER-CURE  JOURNAL  and  HERALD 
OF  HEALTH.  Sent  four  months,  on  trial,  for  25  cents. 


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will  be  sent,  on  trial,  four  months  for  25  cents 

FOWLER  &  WELLS,  New-York. 


Grape  vines.— Isabella,  oataw- 

ba,  and  Northern  Muscadine. — The  subscribers  being 
largely  engaged  in  the  Grape  culture,  now  offer  to  the  public 
several  thousand  Vines,  in  lots  to  suit  purchasers,  of  their  own 
raising,  with  prices  according  to  age  and  quality.  Particular 
attention  paid  to  the  forming  of  vineyards.  Address 

DEPEW’S  NURSERIES,  Nyack,  Rockland  Co.,  N.  Y. 
City  reference,  Mr.  John  W.  Towt,  No.  56  Beekman-st. 


FRUIT,  ORNAMENTAL  TREES,  PLANTS,  &C. 

A.  FROST  &  CO.,  Proprietors  of  the  Genesee  Valley  Nur¬ 
series.  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  cultivate  for  sale  every  description  of 
Fruits,  Ornamental  Trees,  Plants.  Bulbs,  etc. 

Their  stuck  is  well  grown,  and  most  extensive,  occupying 
THREE  HUNDRED  ACRES' of  fine  soil,  which  enables  them 
to  till  all  orders  in  large  or  small  quantities,  in  a  most  satisfac¬ 
tory  manner.  Plants  are  packed  so  that  they  will  reach  accessi¬ 
ble  places,  in  any  part  of  the  United  States,  in  perfect  order. 

The  following ‘Catalogues  contain  full  particulars  of  the  stock 
in  the  different  departments,  and  will  he  furnished  gratis  to  all 
applicants : 

No.  1— Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Fruits. 

No.  2.— Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs, 
Roses.  &c. 

No.  3  —Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Verbenas,  Green¬ 
house  Plants,  &c. 

No.  4 — Wholesale  Catalogue  or  Trade  List. 

No.  5. — Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Flowering  Bulbs. 

Address,  A.  FROST  &  CO., 

Roches!  er,  N.  Y. 


LARGE  STANDARD  PEAR  TREES  FOR  SALE, 

At  our  Nursery  we  have  a  quantity  of  extra  large  Pear  Trees 
of  the  most  approved  kinds,  very  thrifty,  and  all  of  them  have 
been  trimmed  and  .transplanted,  and  iherefore  have  splendid 
tops  and  roots.  We  also  have  a  quantity  of  Apple,  Cherry  ami 
Plum  Trees,  and  a  variety  of  other  trees,  vines,  Shrubs.  (as 
above,)  for  sale  by  WICKHAM  &  BLOODGOOD, 

Tioga,  Tioga  Co  ,  Penn. 


SUPERIOR  TREES,  SHRUBBERY,  GRAPES,  &C. 

WM  E.  PRINCE  &  CO  ,  Flushing,  N.  Y.,  offer  the  follow¬ 
ing  unrivalled  collection  at  the  lowest  rates  : 

Standard  ami  Dwarf  Fruit  Trees  of  every  class. 

Ornamental  Trees  and  Shrub's  of  every  variety. 

Boses  Flowering  Plants,  Chrysanthemums,  Pnlox  and  Car 

nations  of  every  variety  per  priced  Catalogues; 

Pi  um  Treks,  a  surplus  stock  of  30  000.  5  to  c  feet,  at  lowest 
rates.  Silver  Maples.  20  000,  4  to  G  feet,  very  cheap.  Stocks 
FOR  Engrafting!  Apple,  Pear,  Plum,  Cherry,  Mahaleb.  An¬ 
gers  Quince.  Paradise  Apple  and  Manetti  Rose.  Strawber¬ 
ries  see  September  Agriculturist.  Grapes,  & c.,  see  3  other 
separate  Advertisements  in  this  number.  Catalogues  gratis. 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


317 


NEW-ROCHELLE  (OR  LAWTON) 

BLACKBERRY  PLANTS. 

PRICES  REDUCED  ! 

The  Subscribers,  thankful  to  their  friends  and  customers  for 
the  liberal  patronage  which  so  far  exhausted  their  former  sup 
ply  of  plants  as  to  require  a  suspension  if  sales,  are  happy  to 
again  announce  that  they  have  now  growing  a  fair  supply  of 
first  quality  plants.  These  they  will  furnish  ready  packed  for 
transportation  at  the  following  prices  : 

One  thousand  Plants  for . $50  00 

Five  hundred  Plants  for . $25  00 

One  hundred  Plants  for . $  6  00 

Fifty  Plants  for . $  3  50 

Twenty-five  Plants  for . $  2  00 

N.  B.— All  Plants  ordered  of  us  will,  be  taken  up  and 
PACKED  with  the  GREATEST  CARE,  and  UNDER  OUR  OWN  PER¬ 
SONAL  supervision.  Of  the  many  thousands  sent  out  by  US 
last  year,  we  have  heard  very  few  instances  of  failure,  notwith¬ 
standing  that  they  have  been  forwarded  to 

EVERY  PART  OF  THE  COUNTRY, 
and  the  setting  out  has  often  been  entrusted  to  unskillful  hands. 
Printed  directions  for  setting  and  cultivating  are  sent  with 
every  package. 

Also  for  sale  : 

CUKHANT  PLANTS,  well  rooted,  of  both  the 
Cherry  and  While  Grape  Varieties,  at  $15  per  hundred. 

GEORGE  SEYMOUR  &  CO., 

South  Norwalk,  Conn. 


LAWTON  OR  NEW  ROCHELLE) 

NEW  ROCHELLE  OR  LAWTON  J  fl  ^ 

CAPRICES  REDUCED.^) 

The  undersigned,  Agents  for  Messrs.  George  Seymour  &  Co., 
Mid  other  first  class  cultivators,  offer  plants  of  the  above  re¬ 
markable  fruit,  at  the  following  very  low  rates  : 

1000  plants. . .  .$50  00  I  100  plants . $6  00  I  25  plants . $2  00 

500  plants _  25  00  |  50  plants .  3  50  | 

Warranted  genuine.  DREW  &  FRENCH, 

Produce  and  Com.  Merchants,  No.  6  Erie  Buildings. 
We  shall  issue  the  seven’ll  edition  of  our  pamphlet,  (16 
pages.)  on  the  Historv,  ('ulture,  and  Success  of  this  remarkable 
Fru  t,  containing  full  details  of  the  results  of  the  culture  of 
the  season  just  closed— which  we  will  forward  on  receipt  of 
nine  cents  in  postage  stamps. . 


LAWTON  BLACKBERRY. 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

WM.  LAWTON.  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 


A 


LLEN  RASPBERRY  and  LAWTON 

BLACKBERRY  PLANTS,  ( warranted  true.) 

Allen  Raspberry  Plonts,  $30  per  1000;  $1  per  100;  $2.50  per 
50  and  $1  00  per  16  plan’s. 

Lawton  Blackberry  Plants,  $50  per  1000  ;  $6  per  100;  $4  per 
50,  and  $1  per  dozen.  Sent  to  any  address  bv  express,  or  as  or¬ 
dered.  Address  JOHN  GOMAN,  Jr.,  84  Murray-st..  N.  Y. 

or  GEO.  W.  TAYLOK,  West  Bloomfield,  N.  J. 

The  Allen  Raspberry. 

The  best  hardy  Raspberry  in  Cultivation — of  large  size,  high 
flavor,  and  very  productive. 

*‘Tiie  Allen  Raspberry  is  one  of  which  a  great  deal  may  be 
expected,  as  exhibited  wiih  us.  for  its  large  size,  bright  red 
color,  firmness  for  carriage,  uniformity  of  vie  ding,  and  com 
plete  hardiness."  E.  J.  Hooper,  Sec.  Cincinnati  Horticultural 
Society  in  August  Horticulturist. 

The’*1  Allen”  took  the  first,  prize  in  a  large  competition  of 
Raspberries  at  the  Cincinnati  Show  in  .Tune  last. 

Geo.  Seymour  Se  Co.,  of  Norwalk,  Conn.*— extensive  berry 
growers — after  trying  fifty  plants  in  bearing,  ordered  a  thousand 
plants  more  of  me,  remarking  that.  “  for  all  good  qualit  ies  com¬ 
bined.  the  “  Allen”  is  the  best  raspberry  we  have  seen  or  cul¬ 
tivated.” 

Win.  Parry,  of  Cimiaminson,  N.  J  .  near  Philadelphia!  ditto, 
substantially  to  Messrs.  Sevmour  &  Co. 

“Our  agent,  one  of  the  oldest  fruit  dealers  in  Washington 
Market,  Mew- York,  informs  us,  that  no  better  raspberry  comes 
into  market  than  the  ‘Allen.’”  H  &  J.  Carpenter,  Pough¬ 
keepsie,  N.  Y. 

Price  $50  per  1000  ;  $6  per  100;  $1  per  dozen  plants,  well 
packed,  and  sent  per  express,  or  other  conveyance,  as  directed, 
after  1st  October.  Orders  with  money  enclosed  will  he  prompt¬ 
ly  answered.  LEWIS  F,  ALLEN. 

Black  Rock,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  1,  1859. 


PARSONS  &  CO. 

AT  FLUSHING-,  NEAR  NEW  YORK, 

Offer  a  general  assortment 

OF 

FRUIT  AND  ORNAMENTAL  TREES  AND  PLANTS. 


TE>e  AElu'isa  SSnspberry. 

We  again  offer  for  sale  a  few  thousands  Allen  Raspberry 
Plants  at  the  following  prices:  $1  per  dozen;  $5  per  100;  $10 
per  1000,  carefully  packed  and  forwarded  to  order  after  the  first 
of  October.  Another  year’s  trial  has  proved  them  not  only  per¬ 
fectly  hardy ,  but  better  flavored  and  more  productive  than  any 
other  Raspberry  we  raise.  The  fruit  is  large  and  firm. 

Mr.  James  Riggs,  of  Peekskill,  snys  :  *•  They  produced  twice 
as  much  as  the  Fas’olf,  and  are  much  better.”  Our  consignee 
in  New -York,  one  of  the  oldest  fruit  dealers  in  Washington 
Market,  says  “there  is  no  better  Raspberry  sold  in  this  mar- 
ke’  •” 

Also,  Hudson  River  Antwerp,  $2  per  100,  $15  per  1000. 

Brinkle’s  Orange,  75  cents  per  dozen,  $4  per  100. 

Fastolf,  75  cents  per  dozen,  $4  per  100. 

Lawton’s  Blackberry,  S'  per  dozen,  $6  per  100. 

Wilson’s  Albany  Strawberry.  $1  50  per  100.  $10  per  1000. 

Red  Dutch  Currant,  $1  per  d<>z..  $6  per  100,  $40  per  1000. 

Black  Naples  Currant,  $1  per  dozen,  SO  per  100. 

H.  &  J.  CARPENTER. 

Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  20,  1359. 


REWARD  Will  be  paid  to  any 

1  one  who  can  find  a  diseased  peach  tree  in  my  nur¬ 
series.  35,000  No.  1  Trees.  I  challenge  the  world  to  show 
more  vigorous  or  healthy  trees — present  stock  never  equalled. 

,  Also.  Apple,  Quince,  Peach  a>id  Mazz.  Cherrv  Seed. 

WM.  DAY,  Morristown,  N  J. 


M.  R.  PRINCE  &  CO.,  Flushing, 

*  »  N.  Y.,  in  addition  to  articles  specified  in  their  other  ad¬ 
vertisements  in  this  paper,  offer  the  following  : 

25,000  P/EONIES,  comprising  115  splendid  Tree  varieties,  and 
208  splendid  Herbaceous  varieties,  being  the  only  extensive  col¬ 
lection  in  the  Union.  Bulbous  Flower  Roots  of  every  class 
and  variety.  Dahlias,  select  and  beautiful  varieties,  all  as 
priced  in  a  Special  Catalogue. 

See  our  3  other  Advertisements  in  this  number. 


PEARS,  Dwarf,  of  very  fine  quality. 

PEARS,  Standard,  from  1  to  5  years.  " 

APPLES,  Standard  and  Dwarf,  of  fine  size  and  form. 
CHERRIES,  Standard  and  Dwarf. 

PEACHES,  PLUMS,  APRICOTS  and  NECTARINES. 
MULBERRIES,  FIGS,  WALNUTS,  and  FILBERTS. 

All  the  above  can  be  furnished  of  suitable  size  and  form  for 
training  on  walls  and  for  pot  culture. 

BLACKBERRIES  and  RASPBERRIES  in  quantity. 
CURRANTS  of  the  best  sorts. 

GOOSEBERRIES  and  STRAWBERRIES. 

RHUBARB  in  quantity. 

Our  GRAPES  are  this  season  of  very  fine  quality, and  we  are 
confident  will  give  entire  satisfaction. 

The  stock  for  Vineries  embraces  besides  the  old  favorite  sorts, 
also  many  choice  new  varieties.  Among  them  are 
Golden  Hamburg,  Lady  Downs’  Seedling, 

Muscat  Hamburg,  Trentham  Black, 

August  Muscat,  Marchioness  of  Hastings,  &e. 

These  are  all  grown  in  large  pots,  and  are  very  superior. 

The  collection  of  Hardy  Vines  embraces,  with  the  standard 
older  sorts,  also  plants  of  large  size  of 

Delaware,  Logan, 

Diana,  To  Kalon, 

Anna,  Union  Village, 

Canadian  Chief,  &c.,  &<*■.,  &c., 

Concord.  Hartford  Prolific,  Rebecca,  Isabella,  and  Catawba, 
we  can  offer  at  reduced  rates  by  the  thousand. 


To  our  ORNAMENTAL  DEPARTMENT  we  would  also 
invite  the  careful  attention  of  buyers. 

THE  TREES  FOR  AVENUES  AND  LAWNS 
are  of  fine  size  and  form,  and  are  well  known  to  thrive  in  many 
different  localities. 

Our  stock  of  FLOWERING  SHRUBS  and  VINES  is  very 
large,  and  we  can  supply  these  at  low  rates  by  the  quantity. 

EVERGREEN  TREES  AND  SHRUBS 
of  many  sizes  form  a  prominent  feature  in  our  establishment— 
and  in  addition  to  those  required  by  amateurs,  we  have  now  a 
large  stock  of  plants. 

OF  SMALL  SIZE, 

to  which  we  invite  the  attention  of 

THE  TRADE. 

We  can  ofier  these  at  such  rates,  as,  when  freight  charges  and 
risks  of  transportation  are  taken  into  account,  will  be  found  to 
be  lower  than  plants  of  equal  quality  from  Europe.  Of  the  large 
variety  we  can  here  name  only 

Norway  Spruce,  1  foot  and  Siberian  Arbor  Viue,  $70 

upwards,  $30  per  1000.  per  1000. 

Junipers  of  many  sorts.  Hollies,  $80  per  1000. 

Rhododendrons,  quite  hardy.  Yews,  quite  hardy. 
Retinospora.  Podocarpus, 

Taxodium  pendulum,  Wistarias.  &c.,  &c.,  &c. 

For  details  respecting  varieties,  prices,  &c  ,  we  refer  purchas¬ 
ers  to  our  Retail  and  Wholesale  Catalogues,  which  will  be  for¬ 
warded  on  application. 


The  Syracuse  Nurseries 

OFFER  FOR  SALE  FOR  THE  FALL  OF  1859, 

TSac  foBEowiaig'  Trees,  Plaaits.  &c. 

Apple — 3,  4  and  5  years  old;  a  very  general  assortment. 

Dwarf;  2  years  old,  very  fine. 

PEAR— 1  and  2  years  old  ;  Dwarf  ami  Standard,  so  extensive  in 
variety  as  to  enable  us  to  fill  the  most  particular  or¬ 
der.  Also,  several  choice  varieties  of  hearing  age. 

CHERRY— 1  and  2  year  old;  Dwarf  and  Standard,  beautiful 
Trees. 

Peach.  Aphicot,  Pj.um  and  Nectarine— Best  varieties; 
trees  very  vigorous. 

Currants— White  and  Red  Dutch,  Victoria,  and  twelve  new¬ 
er  varieties ;  quality  of  plants  unsurpassable 

Gooseberries — Houghton’s  Seedling,  a  good  stock,  and  some 
of  the  best  English  sorts. 

Blackberries — Lawton  or  New  Rochelle,  Dorchester,  and 
Newman’s  Thornless. 

Raspberries  and  Strawberries— Assortment  especially 
large  and  desirable.  Prices  very  low. 

Grapes — An  immense  stock  of  Isabella.  Catawba,  and  Clinton, 

1  and  2  years  old,  exceedingly  strong  and  well  root¬ 
ed  ;  also,  verv  fine  plants  of  the  Concord,  Delaware , 
Diana,  Hartford  Prolific ,  Northern  Muscadine,  Re¬ 
becca,  and  Union  Village  ;  the  seven  for  $6. 

Evergreens — European  Silver  Fir;  American  and  Norway 
Spruce;  American  Arbor  Vitae;  Balsam;  Hem- 
loclc ;  Austrian,  Corsican,  and  Scotch  Pines  ;  rang¬ 
ing  from  2  to  6  feet. 

Deciduous — American  and  European  Mountain  Ash;  Weep¬ 
ing  Ash  ;  American  Elms;  English  Weeping  Elms, 
(very  graceful);  Horse  Chestnuts;  Catalpas ;  Euro¬ 
pean  Larch;  Silver  and  Sugar  Maples;  Linden; 
Tulip  frees;  (Nursery  grown  and  very  fine,)  Black 
Walnut  and  Weeping  Willow. 

Shrubs— Altheas ;  Fringe  Trees,  purple  and  white;  Double 
Flowering  Almond,  Cherry  and  Peach ;  Honey¬ 
suckles;  Lilacs;  Snowballs;  Sweet  Brier ;  Spireas; 
and  a  great  many  others.  See  Catalogue  No  3. 

Roses— One  of  the  best  anil  largest  collections  in  America; 
best,  plants  of  the  Augusta  at  $1. 

Dahlias,  Pceonies,  Border  Plants,  Bulbous  Roots,  &c.,in 
great  varietv 

Rhubarb— Cahoon’s  Qiant  and  Linmeus  :  the  best,  two  vari¬ 
eties  without  question  ;  very  low  bv  the  dozen,  100 
or  1000. 

Asparagus — Very  strong.  1  and  2  year  old  roots. 

Hedge  Plants — Osage  Orniure;  Honey  Locust;  Privit,  1  and 

2  years;  Red  and  White  Cedar. 

Our  articles  generally  are  of  the  finest,  growth,  and  will  be 

sold  at  the  lowest  rates.  For  particular  information  see 
OUR  SEVERAL  CATALOGUES,  VIZ: 

No.  1.— A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  all  our  productions. 

No  2. — A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Fruits. 

No.  3.— A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Ornamental  Trees, 

Shrubs,  Roses,  &c. 

No.  4.— A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Dahlias,  Green  House, 

and  Bedding  Plants,  &c. 

No.  5.— A  Wholesale  Catalogue  for  Nurserymen  and  Dealers. 

Forwarded  on  receipt  of  a  stamp  for  each. 

SMITH  &  HANCHETT. 

Syracuse,  August,  1859. 


PRICED  Descriptive  CATALOGUES  of 

TREKS,  PLANTS,  &C.— WM  R.  PRINCE  &  CO., 
Flushi"g.  N  Y.,  have  just  issued  and  will  send  gratis  to  appli¬ 
cants,  the  following  Catalogues.  No.  1.  Fruit  and  Ornamental 
Trees.  Sec. — No.  2.  Roses  and  other  Flowering  Plants — No.  4 
Wholesale  Price  List  for  Nurserymen  — No.  G.  Strawberries  of 
146  varieties  and  culture.  No.  9  Bulbous  Plants,  Pieonies, 
Dahlias.  &c.  No.  14  Grapes  of  150  Native  varieties  and  others, 
Raspberries.  Currants,  and  all  small  Fruits. 

See  W.  R.  P.  &  Co.’s  3  o*her  Advertisements  in  this  No. 


Fruit  and  Ornaanental  Trees. 

The  Subscribers  offer  for  sale  the  coming  Fall,  a  superior 
stock  of  Nursery  Products,  viz:  30,000  Apple  Trets,  2  to  4 
years  from  the  bud.  30,000  Peach  Trees,  1  year  from  the  bud. 
Pear  Trees,  standard  and  dwarfs.  Cherry  do.  do.  do.  Hartford 
Pro'ific.  Isabella,  Concord,  Diana  and  Delaware  Grape  Vines. 
Norway  Spruce,  Balsam  Firs,  American  Arborvitces,  Hem¬ 
locks,  Larch,  Horse  Chestnuts,  Mountain  Ash.  Silver,  Norway, 
Ash-leaved  and  Sugar  Maples,  &c„,  &c  Also,  sn.nno  Sugar  Ma¬ 
ple  seedlings,  2  years  in  seed  bed,  (fine.)  50,000  Elm  do.  do.  do. 
and  a  general  assortment  of  other  Nursery  articles. 

Nurserymen,  Dealers  and  Planters  are  invited  to  call. 

STEPHEN  HOYT  &  SONS, 

Aug.  ’59.  *  New  Canaan,  Conn. 


TREES!  TREES!  TREES! 

For  tlie  Autumn  of  fl§5!>. 

The  subscribers  invite  the  attention  of  Nurserymen,  Dealers, 
and  Planter  to  their  large  and  fine  stock  of 

Apple  Trees— Standard  and  Dwarf.  One  to  four  years  old. 
Strong  and  well  grown. 

Pear  Trees— Dwarf.  80  000  two  and  three  years— fine, 
strong,  and  healthy  trees,  and  of  the  most  approved  sorts 
on  the  quince. 

Pear  Trees— Standard.  A  large  and  fine  assortment  of  the 
most  desirable  kinds. 

Cherry  Trees— Standard  and  Dwarf.  1,  2,  and  3  years 
— in  large  supply  and  beautiful  trees. 

Peach  Trees — one’year.  Plum— two  years.  Orange  Quince, 
Apricots,  and  Nectarines 

Currants— Red  and  White  Dutch,  Victoria,  Cherry,  White 
Grape*&c. 

Gooseberries— Houghton  Seedling,  and  best  English  sorts. 

Raspberries— The  leading  sorts  in  large  quantities. 

Blackberries— Lawton  largely' — Dorchester  and  Newman’s 
Thornless. 

Rhubarb — Myatt.’s  Linnaeus,  Cahoon's  Mammoth,  and  Dow¬ 
ning’s  Colossal— mostly  Mvatt’s  Linmeus. 

Grape  Vines — With  the  best  facilities  for,  and  the  best,  care 
in  propagating .  wo  are  enabled  to  offer  Delawaie,  Diana, 
Rebecca,  Concord.  Hartford  Prolific  and  many  other  new 
and  old  sorts,  with  the  best  Foreign  Varieties  for  grow¬ 
ing  under  glass— strong  plants  by  the  dozen  or  hundred 
or  larger  qnantii  ies. 

Evergreens — Norway  Spruce.  Balsam  Fir, Scotch.  Norway, 
and  White  Pines,  Red  Cedar,  Am.  and  Siberian  Arbor 
Vitae. 

Deciduous  Tree.^and  Shrubs— Horse  Chestnut.  Mountain 
Ash,  Am.  Linden.  JMaples,  Am.  Chestnut,  Am  and  Euro¬ 
pean  Ash,  Judas  Tree,  Laburnum,  Snow  Ball,  Purple 
Fringe.  Altheas,  etc. 

Roses — Climbing  and  Hybrid  Perpetual* — a  fine  assortment 
of  strong  plants. 

Hedge  Plants — Am.  Arbor  Vitte,  Red  Cedar,  Privet,  and 
Osage  Orange 

Stocks  for  Nurserymen — Anger’s  Quince,  Pear,  Plum, 
Mazzurd  and  Mahaleb  Cherry,  I  year,  and  Apple  Slocks, 
2  years  T.  0.  MAXWELL  &  BROS. 

Geneva,  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  August  1,  1859. 


Grapes,  currants,  and  all 

SM  ALL  FRUITS. — The  following  Grapes;  grown  in  open 
ground,  (not  forced  in  pots,)  at  the  lowest  prices  they  are  offer¬ 
ed  by  any  Nursery. 

Hardy  Natives.— August  Coral,  Diana,  Logan,  Rebecca, 
Concord,  Hartfi  rd  Prolific,  White  and  Amber  and  Mammoth 
Catawba,  Clinton,  Early  and  White  and  Wright’s  Isabella, 
York  Madeira,  Norton’s  Virginia,  Husmann,  Alexander,  Tay¬ 
lor’s  White,  Ontario,  Wilmington  White,  St  Catharine,  Allen's 
4  Hybrids.  Shurtleff,  Warren,  Herbemont,  Lenoir,  Missouri, 
Anna,  Brinckle.  Clara,  Emily,  Garrigues,  Perkins,  Raane,  To 
Kalon,  Union  Village,  Venango,  Marion,  Marion  Port.  Hyde’s 
Eliza  true,  Louisa",  Mary  Ann.  Franklin,  Cassady  Lincoln, 
Monteith,  Northern  Muscadine,  Elsitigburgh.  Manhattan,  Cre- 
velling,  Scuppernong  4  varieties.  Los  Angelos  8' varieties.  Kan¬ 
sas  4  varieties.  Gujgnard,  Earlv  Amber.  C-mink,  Godrnan, 
Shepherd,  Bland  true ,  Saluda,  Ozark,  Ohio  Prolific,  Albino, 
Hensels  Early,  Offer,  Early  Hudson.  White  Shonea,  White 
Transparent,  North  America,  Empire.  Post.  Oak,  Longwortli’s 
and  Imperial  Catawba,  Winslow  and  otoieis,  as  pi  iced  in  Des¬ 
criptive  Catalogue. 

Foreign  Grapes  —Delaware  (Swiss)  erroneously  called  Na¬ 
tive,  Canadian  Chief,  Child’s  Superb,  and  all  the  Chasselas. 
Muscat  and  Hamburgh  varieties,  Bowwood  Muscat,  Champion 
Hamburgh,  Golden  Hamburgh,  Ladv  Downes.  Madeira  Mus¬ 
cat,  Muscat  Fleur  d’Orange.  Sultanine,  Trentham  Black, 
White  Morocco.  Muscat  St.  Laurent,  Muscat  de  Sarbeile,  Mar¬ 
chioness  of  Hastings,  Geren  Madeira,  Early  Black  Hamburgh, 
Muscat  Ottonel.  &c 

Currants —Cherry,  Caucase.  Versaillaise,  Hatire  de  Ber¬ 
lin.  Fertile  Palluau,  Imperial.  White  Piovence  largest  of  all. 
White  Grape,  Victoria,  and  25  others. 

Raspberries.— Merveille  Red  and  White  Monthly,  Antwerp 
6  varieties,  Bagley’s  Perpetual.  Allen,  Catawissa.  &  all  others. 

Blackberries  — New  Rochelle,  Dorchester, Imperial,  Orange, 
Kentucky  White,  Newman’s,  Chrystul  Whites  Mulberry,  See. 

Gooseberries. — 50  finest  English  varieties,  &  6  Houghton 
Native  Varieties. 

Rhubarb. — Linnasus,  Prince  Albert,  Victoria  and  others. 
Premium  Strawberries.—  142  varieties,  see  advertisement 
in  last  month’s  Agriculturist. 

For  Catalogues  of  anv  Department,  of  Nurserv  Stock,  apply 
by  mail  to  WM.  R.  PRINCE  &  CO..  Flushing,  N.  Y. 
£sTSee  our  3  other  Advertisements  in  this  number 


------  - 

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fyMr  ,,,f|}^linm^lfflHIIII'^'lr'l';^l  \i 

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318 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


l>utcSa  1$oi5Skd>bds  Hoofs. 

Just  published  our  Fall  Catalogue  of  BULBS,  containing  our 
usual  extensive  assortment  of 
HYACINTH, 

TULIPS, 

LILIES 

CROCUS, 

NARCISSUS, 

CROWN  IMPERIALS,  &c.,  &c. 
Also  choice  assortments  of  the  above  for  from  $1  to  $10  each 
made  up.  Catalogues  mailed  on  application 

J.  M.  fHORBURN  &  CO  .  Seed  Warehouse, 

15  John-st.,  New-Yorlc. 


STOCKS,  STOCKS,  STOCKS, 
Seedlings  and  Trees. 

Angers  Quince.  Mazzard  Cherry,  Apple  !  and  2  year,  Pear, 
Plum.  Manetti  Ro.-e  Stocks,  voting  Evergreens  of  Norway 
Spruce.  Hem'ock,  Bal.  Fir,  Hed  Cedar,  White  Pine.  Malmnia. 

Roses — A  large  and  choice  collection  of  Hybrid  Perpetua  s, 
Bourhon.  Noiset  e.  Teas,  Climbing,  Moss,  at  'ow  figures. 

Also.  a  large  stock  of  Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees. 

G.ai  e  Vines  of  Delaware.  Concord,  Rebecca,  Hartford  Pro¬ 
lific.  Pinna,  with  the  older  sorts. 

Bu'bous  Roots,  S  raw  berry  Plants.  &c.,  &c. 

Catalogues  sem  on  application  by  enclosing  stamp. 

W  T  &  E.  SMITH.  Geneva  Nursery,  Geneva,  N.  Y. 


m  R.  F.  NICHOLS,  New-Orleans,  M 

d±=>  Importer  of  fine  Cattle,  and  Wholesale  Agent  for  e-2t=» 
several  Fruit  and  Flower  Nurseries. 
Consignments  and  orders  solicited. 


Tree  asaci  Fruit  Seeds. 

IVIEEHAN’S  Fall  List  of  near  25'*  Kinds  is  now  ready. 
Other  Catalogues  of  his  great  variety  «»f  Trees,  Rare  Plants, 
and  general  Nursery  Stock.' gratis.  Postage  on  each  1  cent. 

GERMANTOWN  NURSERIES  Pa. 


IMPORTED  WHITE  MEDITERRANE- 

-B  AN  WHEAT,  of  a  superior  quality.  Also,  Soule’s  white, 
and  red  Mediterranean. 

SEED  RYE. 

GRASS  SEED. — Timothy,  Red  Top,  Agrostis,  Stoloiiifera, 
Blue.  Orchard,  Sweet  Vernal,  Hungarian,  &c. 

CLOVERS  of  a -1  kinds. 

A  large  assortment  of  all  kinds  GARDEN,  FIELD,  FRUIT 
and  FLOWER  SEEDS,  for  sale  by  R.  L.  ALLEN, 

191  Water  st.,  New- York. 


Russia  oh  bass  mats,  selected 

expressly  for  budding  and  tying,  GUNNY  BAGS, TWINES, 
HAY  ROHES,  &c.,  suitable  for  Nursery  purposes,  for  sale  in 
lots  to  suit  by  D.  W.  MANWAKING,  Importer, 

248  Front  Street.,  New  York. 


Hags  ©S  ©very  descriptiosa  for 

FLOUR,  GRAIN,  SALT.  Sic.,  &c. 

Plain,  or  printed  from  new  and  beautiful  designs. 
PAPER  BAGS  from  l  to  14  lbs,  for  Grocers’  and  Druggists’ 
use.  1  lb.  $1.20  per  1000;  7  lbs.  $2.50  per  1000. 

GUNNY  BAG-L  extra  size,  13  cents. 

MANILLA  and  JUTE  ROPE.  Hay  Rope,  Bed  Cords.  &c.,at 
the  lowest  manufactory  prices.  M  VANDEHHOOF, 

No  171  West-st.,  New-York. 

25  lb.  Flour  Sacks  $.50  per  1000—5)  lbs  S~0 

Sheeting  Feed  Bags  10^  to  14  cents — Osnaburgh  14 to  20c. 


PATENT  TURN-TABLE  APPLE  PARER. 

This  Machine  is  on  an  entirely  new 
principle.  It.  has  no  snapping  or  reverse 
motion,  is  made  of  iron,  and  not  liable  to 
get  out  of  order,  is  so  simnl©  in  construc¬ 
tion  that  children  wit  h  sufficient  strength 
to  place  an  apple  on  the  fork  and  turn  a 
crank,  can  operate  it  as  readily  as  adults. 
It  lias  no  superior  for  paring  crooked,  un¬ 
even,  hard  or  soft  apples  of  any  size  or 
shape  Quinces  are  pared  us  readily  as 
apples.  The  success  of  the  purer  the  past 
two  years,  has  established  the  fact  that 
it  is  the  best  machine  ever  invented 
Every  machine  is  warranted  to  give  satisfaction.  The  proprie¬ 
tors  are  determined  io  make  a  perfect  machine,  the  work  being 
done  under  their  immediate  supervision,  and  will  be  sold  a\ 
reasonable  prices. 

A  supp'y  of  these  machines  can  be  obtained  at  the  Agricul¬ 
tural  and  Hardware  dealers  in  most  of  the  principal  cities,  or  of 
the  manufacturers. 

Call  for  the  ••  Patent  Turn-Table  Apnle  Parer.” 

LOCKEY  &  HOWLAND, 

Proprietors  and  Manufacturers, 

July  15,  1859.  Leominster,  Mass. 


CAlS'BOrtf  lLLUMIWATIISG  OIL, 

Ss  Ej©t  si  Coal  ©13, 

But  is  for  burning  in  Coal  Oil  Lamps,  and  is  made  by  distilla¬ 
tion  of  pure  Petroleum,  a  liquid  Mineral  Oil,  obtained  from  a 
boring  45"  feet  deep,  in  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  near  Pitts¬ 
burg,  and  makes  a 

PERFECT  AND  SMOKELESS  OIL. 

CSTIt  is  not  explosive  ;  and  is  enliiely  free  from  unpleasant 
odor ! 

BsSP* Burns  a  high  flame,  without  smoke  or  crust !  ! 
fi^Is  a  h  ighi.  clear  straw  color,  and  will  not  change  1  !  ! 
B5F*Will  burn  as  long  as  the  best  coal  oil !  ! ! ! 

Aud  is  guaranteed  to  be  the  best  oil  ever  used  in  a  Coal 
Oil  Lamp;  and  if.  on  trial,  it  should  not  be  found  in  all  re¬ 
spects,  as  slated,  the  money  will  be  returned  to  the  purchaser. 
For  sale  at  Ca  bon  Oil  Co.’s  Depot,  191  Fearl-st.,  New-York. 


MeU’opolitsiBa  Wasliimg1  Itlaclmae. 


PLOWS,  CAS  T  IRON  AND  STEEL,  for 

every  varietv  of  use.  Harrows.  Cultivators  Hay  and  Stalk 
Cutters,  Grain  Mills,  Sugar  Mills, Churns  Pumps.  Sausage  Cut¬ 
ters  and  Fillers.  Fan  Mills,  Corn  Shelters,  Horse  Hoes.  Weeders. 
&c.  Carts,  Waggons,  Wheel  Barrows,  Store  Trucks,  Road 
Scrapers,  Horse  Powers,  Threshers,  Cotton  Gins,  Field  and 
Garden  Rollers.  Saw  Machines,  Hay  Presses.  Ox  Yokes.  Ve¬ 
getable  Cdtiers,  &o.,  it o  ,  in  great  variety,  of  most  approved 
patterns,  and  at.  ver  y  lowest  ju  ice  t  hat  .articles  of  similar  qua¬ 
lity  are  or  can  be  furnished.  R.  L.  ALLEN.  191  Water-st-. 


TO  FARMERS. 

The  great  Agricultural  warehouse 

Ko.  54  Ves«y“Sta'©ei, 

Iew-¥©i'k, 

A.  F.  MAYI1EE  &  ۩., 
vs. 


We  would  call  tlie  attention  of  all  who  have  grain  to 
thresh  to  our  stock  o (Horse  Powers  and  Threshers  and  Com¬ 
bined  Threshers  and  Winnowers.  We  have  the  sole  Agency 
in  New-York  of  several  different  patent  improved  Horse  Pow¬ 
ers  and  Threshing  Machines,  aud  can  furnish  any  kind  that, 
may  he  wanted.  We  keep  a  greater  variety  in  store  than  can 
he  fou ml  in  the  City,  elsewhere,  altogether— of  both  the  Tread 
and  Lever  Powers.  Also,  both  Overshot  ami  Undershot 
Threshing  Machines,  with  or  without  Separators  or  Shakers,  as 
desired.  If  you  think  of  hying  a  Threshing  Machine  or 
Horse  Power,  or  Agricul'ural  Implements  or  Machinery  of  any 
kind,  you  will  find  ic  to  your  interest  to  call  on  us  before  pur¬ 
chasing  elsewhere. 

Remember  the  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed  Store 
No.  54  Vesey-st.,  near  Greenwich-st.,  New-York. 

A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO. 

N.  B. — If  not  convenient  to  call  on  us.  send  for  a  Circular 
describing  the  machines  and  giving  prices. 


B VRAM’S  PO  TATO  DIGGER — We  have 

improved  ibis  implement  so  that  it  is  easily  converted  into 
a  Double  Mold- Board  Plow ,  which  makes  it  the  most  useful  im¬ 
plement  in  use.  As  a  Potato  D/gyer  it  has  no  equal. 

Price  of  Combined  Machine  $8. 

Maniitac.ured  and  sold  by 

GRTFFING  BROTHER  &  CO., 

60  Cortlandt-st.,  New-York  City. 

POTATO  PLOW.— MY  POTATO  PLOW 

has  been  greatly  improved,  and  is  recommended  as  far  su¬ 
perior  to  any  other  in  use— it  will  dig  as  fast  as  thirty  hands 
can  pick  up— it  can  be  arranged  to  work  on  all  kinds  of  soil 
Price  $10. _ R.  L  ALLEN.  191  Water-st. 

All  kinds  op  agricultural  and 

HORIICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS,  Guano,  Bone 
Dust,  Superphosphates  of  Lime,  Plaster,  Stc  ,  &c. 

Grass,  Field,  and  Garden  Seeds,  all  warranted  as  represent¬ 
ed.  Please  give  us  a  call.  A.  F.  MAYHER  &  CO, 
Agricultural  and  Seed  Store,  No.  54  Vesey  st,..  New  York, 
Between  Broadway  and  Greenwich-street. 
Remember  No.  54  Vesey  street. 

“QRIFFiJjG’S-”  EXCELSIOR  FAN 

MILL  will  clean  60  bushels  per  hour.  All  who  use  it 
acknowledge  P  the  besf.  fanning  mill  in  use. 

Price  $25.  Manufactured  f or  anil  sold  by 

GK1FFING,  BROTHER  &  CO., 

60  Courtlandt-street,  New-York. 


m 


AY  PRESSES. 

ARTICLE 


-A  VERY  SUPERIOR 

R.  L  ALLEN,  19!  Water-st. 


ALBANY  TILE  WORKS.  Corner  Clin- 

ton-avenue  and  Knox-sL,  Albany,  N  Y.— The  subscribers, 
being  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of 
DRAINING  TILE 

in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand,  in  large  or  small  quantities, 
for  Land  Draining.  Round,  Sole  and  Horse  Shoe  Tile,  war¬ 
ranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this  country,  hard-burned,  and 
over  one  foot  in  length. 

Orders  solici'ed. 

Price  list  sent  on  application 

C.  &  W.  McCAMMON, 
Albany,  N.  Y. 


H 


AY  AND  STALK  CU  T  I’ERS.— CORN 

SHELLERS,  FAN  MILLS,  ill  great  variety. 

R.  L.  ALLEN.  191  Water-st. 


Aisiei’icasa  IPiirnp. 

This  Pump,  paten*  *d  April  5th,  1859,  is  a  double  acting  force 
pump,  without  chains,  pulleys,  packing,  suction,  or  guide  rods; 
simple,  cheap,  durable  ;  raises  from 5  to  6"  gallons  per  minute  ; 
forces  water  up  inclined  planes  to  great  elevations  with  unex¬ 
ampled  ease — either  by  hand,  wind,  water,  or  steam  ;  peculiar¬ 
ly  adapted  to  cisterns,  wells,  railroads,  engines,  &c. ;  will  not 
rust  or  freeze,  and  warranted  to  give  satisfaction.  Draw¬ 
ings  and  prices  sent  free.  JAMES  M.  EDNEY, 

No.  147  Chambers-st.,  New-York. 

Horse  powers,  threshers, 

Saw  Machines,  with  Saw, 

“  Hickok’s  ”  Cider  Mills  and  Presses, 

Fanning  Mills, 

Dog  Powers,  Churns,  &c. 

A  large  assortment  on  hand  at  lowest  market  prices,  at 
NORTH  RIVER  AGRICULTURAL  WAREHOUSE, 

60  Cortlandt-sireet,  New-York. 

ORSE  POWER  — TAPLIN’SIMPROV- 

ED  CIRCULAR,  one  to  six  Horse.  I  am  now  making 
with  wood  or  iron  rim,  as  preferred.  Are  the  lightest  running, 
simplest,  least  liable  to  get  out  of  repair,  and  most  satisfactory 
Circular  Horse  Power  in  use.  Also,  ALLEN’S  ENDLESS 
CHAIN  one  or  two  horse  power. strongly  and  well  made, and 
works  wi'h  the  greatest  ease  to  the  team.  Also  Bogardus’, 
Hall’s.  Pitt  's,  Wheeler’s,  Emery’s,  and  other  powers. 

Threshers  and  Threshers  and  Cleaners  of  the  most,  approved 
pattern.  R.  L  ALLEN,  191  Waier-st. 


qPHERMOMETERS,  BA 

X  reliable  quslily  and  various 


AROMETERS,  &c..  of 

_  . _ _ _  _  ousde.'Ctipt  ors  among  whioh 

„.-e  those  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  register  the  coldest  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24  hours,  in  the  absence  of  the  observer.  For 
sale  by  D-  EGGERT  &  SON.  239  Pearl  st. 


Can  be  worked  by  a  child— will  save  its  cost  in  the  wear  and 
tear  of  clothes  in  a  short  time.  Af'er  using  three  times  you 
would  not  part  with  it  lor  three  times  its  cost..  For  sale  by 
R.  L.  ALLEN.  191  Water-st. 


NEW  INVENTION. 


The  undersigned  begs  to  cal!  the  attention  of  farmers,  and 
persons  interested  in  agriculture  to  his  improved  Gang  Plough. 
This  plough  can  be  made  with  from  2  to  6,  and  more  shares,  and 
is  capable  of  ploughing  from  4  to  20  acres  per  day,  doing  the 
work  of  2  to  8  single  ploughs,  and  requiring  only  the  attend¬ 
ance  of  one  man.  I  he  saving  of  time  and  labor,  and  the  ex¬ 
cellent  work  it  does,  are  the  principal  features  of  this  plough, 
which,  compared  with  the  single  plough,  makes  it  one  of  the 
greatest  improvements  of  the  age. 

The  plough  rests  in  front  on  wheels,  placed  in  a  line,  parallel 
wi  h  the  line  of  shares.  On  the  top  of  the  [dough  is  a  long  seat 
for  the  driver,  running  parallel  with  the  same,  near  which  the 
mechanism  is  attached  to  work  the  shares  so  ns  to  lead  the 
same  in  and  out  of  the  ground,  and  to  regulate  the  position  of 
the  shares  to  cut  the  required  depth  of  furrows. 

Every  kind  and  description  of  shares  can  be  used  and  applied 
to  this  gang  plough,  the  same  by  single  ploughs. 

This  plough  has  gone  through  several  trials  already,  and  exe- 
cu'ed  its  work  to  the  general  satisfaction,  in  evidence  of  which 
I  am  permitted  to  use  t lie  following  certificates  from  some  of 
the  most  respectable  practical  farmers 

No  farmer  will  dispute  the  great  advantages  of  an  early  seed, 
which  is  always  preferable,  and  with  this  plough  every  man 
will  be  enabled  to  do  his  work  in  the  shortest  time  possible,  and 
at  much  less  expense. 

We,  the  undersigned,  hereby  testify  that  we  have  seen  Mr. 
Joseph  Sutter’s  Ga  g  HI. ugh,  witnessed  the  execu  ion  of  its 


work,  find  think  the  principle  of  it  to  he  the  best  of  all  which 
have  ever  came  to  our  notice.  We  also  think  it  to  be  a  great 
acquisition  to  farmers.  The  saving  of  labor  is  its  mam  fea'ure, 
an<!  e  think  it  has  come  up  to  all  anticipations  of  a  combined 
plough.  It  does  its  work  well,  and  saves  the  labor  of  several 
hands : 

C.  SANDFRS.  St.  Louis  Fruit  Farm. 

PH.  TCHWKRC^HS.  St.  Louis  County,  Mo. 

PETIT  ,T  PIERRE,  St.  Louis  County,  Mo. 

N.  THUR,  St.  Louis  County,  Mo 

C.  C.  McCLURE,  St.  Louis  County,  Mo. 

L.  W.  SMALLWOOD,  County  Clerk.  Lafayette  County, Mo. 

R.  FISHER,  Montgomery  County.  Mo 

BERNARD  BRECKRMAN,  Montgomery  County,  Mo. 

.T.  BATS,  St.  Louis  County.  Mo. 

ISAAC  CHANSLOR,  Lafayette  County,  Mo. 

GEO  A.  A.  RIGGS. 

WILLIAM  ROW. 

WILLIAM  CLOWDSLEY. 

A  model  of  my  improved  plough  can  be  soen  and  examined  at 
the  Patent  Office  of  HENRY  E.  ROEDER,  346  Broadway, 
New-York,  who  will  gixe  every  explanation  about  the  same, 
aud  about  the  prices  and  conditions  for  ft  inch  the  Patent 
Rights  for  the  different  States  or  Counties,  can  be  bought. 

JOSEPH  ^UTTFR.  Patentee. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


319 


Salle  of  SBbob'4  Horn  Cattle,  &c. 

I  will  offer  for  sale,  at  public  auction,  on  THURSDAY,  Oc¬ 
tober  13,  1839.  my  herd  of  Durhun  Short  Horn  Cattle,  and  some 
pure  Sou'hdown  Sheep.  These  cattle  are  Select  Herd  Rook 
Stock,  b  in"  choice  animals  reserved  at  my  former  sale  and  their 
produce.  The  herd  consists  of 

ELEVEN  BULLS  AND  SEVENTEEN  COWS  AND 
HtlFERS. 

Catalogues  of  the  Cattle  and  their  Pedigrees  may  be  had  by 
application  to  me  at  White  Hall  Post  Office,  Madison  Co  ,  Ky. 

TERMS  OF  SALE. -Six  months  crfedit  ;  negotiable  notes, 
with  approved  security,  payable  at  Northern  Branch  Bank,  at 
Richmond,  Ky.  C.  M.  CLAY, 

white  Hall,  Madison  Co.,  Ky. 


HIGKOK’S  PATENT  PORTABLE, 
Cldcs’  Jussi  Wins®  Mii3  a.ss4l  IP  2-ess. 

This  sterling  machine,  which  from  the  test  of  several  years 
has  proved  it.-elf  superior  in  point  of  simplicity  and  efficiency  to 
anything  in  the  market,  is  now  ready  for  the  apple  harvest  of 

It  is  made  if  possible  better  than  ever,  and  where  there  ar~ 
no  agon's,  farmers  will  do  well  to  send  to  the  manufactory  early 
for  a  circular.  We  also  make  large  iron  press  screws  from  3-inch 
diameter  and  4  feet  long,  to  6-inch  diameter  and  8  feet  long,  at 
reasonable  prices.  Address 

W.  O.  HICKOK,  Eagle  Word's, 

Harrisburgh,  Pa. 


TIICKOK’S  CIDER  MILL  AND  PRESS, 

_EL  JL  ciih  all  the  latest  improvements,  sold  by 

GRIFFING,  BRO.  St  CO  ,  6i)  Cortlandt-st.,  New-York. 


CIDER  MILLS  AND  PRESSES.— WINE 

PRESSES.  Cider  Screws,  of  various  best  patterns.  Horse 
Radish  Graters 

Root  Cutters,  Apple  Parers,  Corers  and  Slicers. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st 


Ingers oil’s  Patent  Hay  Press. 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  More 
than  5t<0  of  them  have  been  sold  m  the  last  two  vears.  Price  $50 
and  S7.5,  delivered  in  New-York.  Warrant ed' to  give  satisfac¬ 
tion,  For  circulars,  containing  full  information.  Address 
FARMERS’  MANUFACTURING  CO.. 

Green  Point  P.  O.,  ( Brooklyn,)  N.  Y, 


A  New  Corn  Planter. 

J.  H.  WIGGINS,  Fsq.,  formerly  of  Boston,  now  a  Virginia 
Planter,  obtained  in  1858  le  ters  patent  for  a  Double,  Recipro¬ 
cating  Corn  Pmner.  This  Planter  was  exhibited  at  the  U.  S 
Agricultural  Fair  at  Richmond,  in  ihe  Fall  of  1838,  and  nbta  tied 
the  first  premium  oy-r  several  others  that  were  in  competition 
wi'h  it.  The  machine  is  admirably  adapted  to  the  purpose  of 
planting  corn,  or  other  seeds,  req-.jred  to  be  in  rows  and  hills. 
It  plants  two  rows  at  a  time.  at.  anv  desired  distance,  and  marks 
the  line  of  a  third  it  also  drops  anv  fertilizer,  as  guano,  ashes, 
plaster,  or  superphosphate,  either  on  the  seed,  or  at  such  dis¬ 
tance  from  it.  as  the  person  u>ing  it  judges  best.  It  covers  the 
seed  and  fertilizer  at  any  de.*i  e<l  depth,  and  presses  the  soil 
over  them  more  or  less  hardly  as  its  condition  at  the  time, 
whet  he-  wet  or  dry  heavy  or  light,  requires.  In  short,  it  is  the 
m<>st  perfect  machine  yet  invented  for  the  purpose  of  planting 
and  manuring  at  one  operation;  and  with  a  nimble  span  oi 
horses  will  easily  plant  and  manure  t  hirty  acres  a  da vf  and  do 
the  work  better  than  it  can  he  done  bv  hand. 

Mr.  Wiggins  hiivin;  betaken  himself  r...  an  Eastern-Shore 
Plantation  in  Virginia,  has  left  the  disposal  of  rights  to  manu- 
lac,  ure  and  use  this  machine  wi'h  the  subscriber,  who  now  of¬ 
fers  them  to  the  public  either  for  ihe  whole  Union,  or  for  sin¬ 
gle  States  Enterprising  mechanics  will  do  well  to  enquire  as 
the  machine  hits  so  manifest  advantages  over  all  others,  that  it 
cannot  fail  of  coining  into  general  use,  as  soon  as  known  I  lie 
Patentee's  riAit  is  unquestionable.  Perfect  titles  will  he  riven 
by  him.  Address  J.  A.  NASH,  55  Sands  st., 

Brooklyn,  L  I. 


IRON  FINGER  NAILS 
or  Husking  Co 


r  n . 

GOULD'S  PATENT  HUSKING  THIMBLE  is  an  effectual 

corii  by 


remedy  for  the  excoriaiions  common  to  husk  in 
hand. — Scientific  American 


We  are  in  possession  of  more  than  200,000  letters  from  farm¬ 
ers  i  i  high  standing  (in  all  parts  of  the  United  States,)  equally 
as  na'termg  as  the  fo Towing.  Read  them  ye  who  have  corn  to 
husk,  or  wish  to  engage  in  t  he  sale  of  good  inventions  : 

J.  H  Gould  &  Co..— Sirs:  I  send  inclosed  cne  dohar  for  six 
pairs  of  your  Patent  Hushing  1  humbles.  I  used  a  pair  last 
year,  and  I  prefer  them  to  all  the  great,  small,  or  Little  Giant 
Corn  H ushers  Yours  truly,  A.  H  BELI 

Hillsboro,  Montgomery  Co  ,  III.,  Nov.  27,  1853.  ’ 

J  H.  Gould  &  Co.— Gentlemen  :  I  send  enclosed  $1  for  six- 
pairs  of  yojir  celebrated  Husking  Thimb’es.  I  bought  a  pair  of 
you  last  full,  and  have  usedihem  for  husking  ever  since  -  I  will 
never  tear  my  finger  nails  off  husking  whi  e  I  can  get’tbem  • 
they  will  out  wear  any  thing  of  ihe  kind  I  ever  saw,  and  for 
husking  they  can’t  be  beat.  Yours.  &c  WM.  MORROW 
Tiro,  Crawford  Co.,  Ohio,  Nov.  8,  1853. 

PRICES. 

We  send  bv  mail,  free  of  postage,  to  anv  P.  O.  address,  six 
pairs  of  Husking  thimbles,  assorted  sizes,  directions  for  usin" 
circular,  &c..  for  $1 ;  Circulars  for  one  s  amp.  Fifty  pairs  by 
express  for  $5  Wholesale  prices  made  known  to  applicants 
Agents  wanted.  Address  J.  H.  GOULD  &  CO.. 

Alliance.  Ohio. 

_  ,  Mt.  Union,  Ohio.  July  19,  1858. 

To  the  Public. — ' This  certifies  that  I  am  personally  acquainted 
with  J  H.  Gould,  of  Alliance  Ohio;  and  feel  fi ee  to  state  for 
the  benefit  of  those  whom  it  may  concern,  that  he  is  of  a  good 
business  character,  able,  honorable,  and  re  iable.  I  would  also 
s'  a' e  that  his  Invention,  uhe  H"ski’g  thimble.)  stands  very 
high  in  the  estimation  oi  agriculturists  in  this  vicinity 
This  Implement  will  doubtless  bear  the  scrutiny  of  science 
and  the  practical  operations  for  which  i-  is  designed. 

Very  respectfully,  Prof.  O.  N.  HARTSHORN, 

Pres.  Mt.  Union  College 


THE  MOST  VALUABLE  COLLECTION  OF  ROAD 
STOCK  EVER  OFFERED  AT  PRIVATE  SALE. 

About  to  discontinue  the  raising  of  Stock,  I  will  sell  my  en¬ 
tire  establishment — Stallions  vary  in  age  from  8  years  old  to  3 
months— Among  them  are,  Young  Trustee.”  arid  “Trojan.” 
also,  “  Seth  Warner,”  “  Sontng's  ”  2-year  bid  colt  r>y  “  Ethan 
Alien.”  (hied  with  more  speed  than  anv  young  stallion  living.) 
I  lie  brood  mares  are  equal  to  any  in  this  country,  and  are  all 
bred  to  “Toronto  Chief.” 

Among  the  Stock  are  a  few  fillies  and  driving  horses. 

“Toronto  Chief”  and  ‘-Sontag,”  (in  foal  by  him,)  I  will  not 
sell  uriiil  a  majority  of  ihe  stock  are  dispose  I  of.  Address 

S.  R.  BOWNE,  Flushing,  Long  Island. 

P.  S. — Most,  of  the  Stock  are  now  on  the  farm  a  Flushing. 


Thorough  Bred  Stock. 

I  have  always  on  hand  for  sale,  which  Will  be  put  upon  the 
railroad  cars  and  sent  carefully  bv  Adams’  Express  to  purchas¬ 
ers,  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE,  SOUTH-DOWN  SHEEP,  and 
SPANISH  HOGS.  C.  M.  CLAY. 

Address— “  Whitehall  Post  Office.”  Madison  County.  Ky. 


DOMESTICATED  DEER — A  few  pair  of 

yearlings,  bred  at  Springside,  may  be  had,  at  $30  per  pair. 


mgs 

Po’keepsie,  July  1,  1859, 


Apply  io  C.  N.  BKMENT. 


rPHOROUGH  BRED  NORTH  DEVONS 

-R  For  Sale— Twenty  head,  in  lots,  to  suit  purchasers.  Sev¬ 
eral  of  them  lately  imported.  Address 
ALFRED  M.  tREDWBLL.  45  FuUon-st  ,  New-York  City. 


BERKSHIRE  PlllS!  Of  pure  breed,  and 

at  a  low  figure;  delivered  free  in  New-York  City. 


WM.  J.  PETTEE.  Lakeville.  Ct. 


Aifoajuy  Tile  Works, 

Cor.  CLINTON-AV.  ami  KNOX-ST..  ALfeANY,  N.  Y. 

The  subscribers,  being  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of 
DRAINING  TiLE  in  the  Uni’ed  States,  have  on  hand, in  large 
or  small  quantities,  for  Lend  Draining,  ROUND,  SOLE,  and 
HOKSE-SHOE  TILE,  warranted  superior  to  anv  made  in  this 
country,  hard-burned,  and  over  one  foot  in  length.  Ordeis  so 
licited.  Price  List  sent  on  application.  ^ 

C.  &  W.  McCA  vlMON.  Albany,  NT  Y. 


NOW  IS  THE  TIME  TO  COMMENCE  IT. 

A  Good  Business. 

DANIEL’S  PATENT  GRANULAR  FUEL  is  Ihe  growth 
of  swamp  lands,  waste  trimmings  of  trees,  &c.,cut  into'small 
lengths  (1  inches  or  thereabouts.)  with 

DANIEL’S  PATENT  FUEL  CUTTER 
This  material,  which  for  centuries  lias  been  legarded  &s  worth¬ 
less,  uwxes  the  BEST  KINDLING  MATERIAL  IN  THE 
WORLD.  IT  HAS,  wherever  introduced,  SUPERSEDED 
THE  L  SE  OF  CHARCOAL,  or  split  pine  woou  for  kindling 
fires.  1  emg  cheaper,  cleaner,  and  far  more  converi  cut.  ITS 
AVERAGE  COS  I’ to  manufacturers  IS  LESS  THAN  THREE 
CENTS  A  BUSHEL  It  brings  readilv  10  and  12J^  cents  per 
bushel.  Certificates  without  number  from  the  must  respectable 
>urces,  show  *  that  two  bushels  of  Granular  Fuel  will  go  as 
far  as  three  of  charcoal.”  “  That  there  are  no  disadvantages  at¬ 
tendant  on  its  use.  on  the  cont  rary,  much  t  ime  ami  laborsaved,” 
also  certificates  from  the  various  manufacturers,  testifying  “  io 
a  steady  increase  ol  sales,  amounting  from  50  to  100  per  cent  per 
annum”  Atte'ntion  is  called  to  the  following  certificate.  For 
circulars  containing  further  facts  and  particulars,  and  for  rights 
for  territory  unsold,  address  B  D  WASHBURN, 

Taunton,  Mass.,  Proprietor. 
From  George  W.  Chapin.  Esq.,  Treasurer  of  Atlantic  Delaine 
Mills,  Providence ,  R.  I 

Dear  Sir:  Respecting  the  Granular  Fuel,  before  purchasing 
the  right  for  this  State  I  made  a  thorough  examination  of  ihe 
hide  matter,  and  satisfied  myself  wherever  it  has  been  intro¬ 
duced.  it  has  been  favorab.y  received,  and  found  superior  to 
charcoal. for  kindling,  and  much  more  economical.  The  una¬ 
nimity  of  expression  in  its  favor  actually  surprised  me. 

Very  truly,  GEO  W  CHAPTN. 

Seekonk,  June  4,  1859. 

Dear  Sir  :  In  relation  to  the  mantifactm  ing  of  Daniel’s  Pa¬ 
tent  Granular  Fuel.  I  would  say  that  I  find  no  difficulty  in  pro¬ 
curing  Brush  suitub'e  for  2  cen  s  a  bushel  I  have  now  3i»,  i  0 
bushels  on  hand,  which  was  delivered  at  that  price.  I  have  cut 
one  thousand  bushe  s  per  day  with  the  Patent  Fuel  Gutter.  I 
find  that  in  tracts  of  wood  land,  yielding  15  to  20  cords  to  the 
acre,  1,5  )0  to  2,000  bush- Is  of  Granular  Fuel  can  be  obtained 
fiom  the  waste  trimmings,  ( valueless  to  the  farmer  ) 

Yours  truly,  RAYMOND  H.  BURR. 

Worcester.  Mass..  July  4,  1859. 
Dear  Sir:  Daniel’s  Patent  Granular  Fuel  is  liked  in  this 
city  much  belter  than  charcoal,  and  in  no  one  instance,  where 
it  has  been  used,  have  the  parlies,  to  our  knowledge,  failed  to 
call  for  it  again.  I  he  machine  is  in  every  respect  perfect,  and 
is  capable  of  cutting  one  thousand  bushels  per  day.  with  proper 
oower,  ray  a  two-horse  treadmill  pow.r.  and  two  men  to  feed 
it.  This  Spring  we  have  erected  a  building  one  hundred  feet 
long  by  27  feet  wide  to  store  our  supplies,  and  shail,  without 
doubt,  sell  this  year  150,000  bushels  of  Granular  Fuel.  Under 
this  conviction  we  have  contracted  for  that  amount  Jt  is  very 
important  to  have  the  material  cut  between  the  seasons  of  Oc¬ 
tober  and  Mav.  Yours,  respectfully, 

W,  &  S.  C.  LANE. 

New-York,  July  8,  1859. 

Dear  Sir:  During  the  month  of  Mav  last  I  visited  Wey¬ 
mouth,  Brain'  ree,  Worcester,  Millhury.  New-Bedfordand  Fair- 
haven,  and  examined  in  the  Granular  Fuel  Business,  and  from 
conversations  with  many  disinterested  men,  I  did  not  hear  a 
single  opinion  dissenting  from  the  general  one  of  the  great  su¬ 
periorly  of  this  Fuel  over  charcoal  or  pine  wood,  and  I  have 
not  the  slightest  Hesitation  in  expressing  my  belief  that  where- 
ever  introduced,  ii  must  receive  the  preference  of  either  of  these 
articles,  and  all  the  manufacturers  ag  ee  as  to  the  business  be¬ 
ing  eminently  profitable,  at  prices  with  which  those  articles 
cannot  compete.  Yours  truly,  D.  McKENSIE 

Parties  purchasing  State  and  County  Rights  have  repeatedly 
sold  a  portion  of  their  territory  for  a  large  per  c.<  n\  over  the  cost 
of  the  whole  ;  Rights  invariably  advancing  in  neighbo>mg  counties 
from  3  to  400  per  cent ,  after  ihe  business  has  been  started. 

For  Territory  unsold  throughout  the  United  States,  address 
B.  D.  WASHBURN,  Proprietor. 


Keep  your  Feet  Dry 

AND 

Preserve  your  Health. 

The  long  sought  for  principle  of  making  leather  perfectly  wa¬ 
ter-proof,  without  injuring  it,  has  at  last  been  discovered. 

A.  BROWER’S  PATENT  WATER  PROOF  COMPOSITION 
FOR  LEATHER, 

makes  Boots,  Shoes.  Hose,  Harness  and  all  Leather  perfectly 
impervious  to  water  by  a  single  application,  and  warranted  to 
keep  so.  at  the  same  time  it  softens  makes  the  leather  pliable, 
prevents  cracking,  will  polish  with  b  acking  better  than  before, 
ami  leather  will  last  at  least  one  fourth  to  one-third  longer  by 
using  it  For  sale  by  A  BKOWF.R  &  GO..  4  Readc-sf., 
and  by  all  the  principal  Boot  and  Shoe,  Hardware.  Druggist.  Gro¬ 
cery  and  Yankee  Notion  houses.  A  liberal  discount  to  agents. 

N  B.  None  genuine  unless  signed  by  A.  BROWER. 

SAPONIFIER, 

OR 

CONCENTRATED  POTASH. 

A  new  article  for  making  Soap,  warranted  to  make  Soap 
without  Lime,  and  wi'h  bur  little  trouble  One  pound  will 
make  12  gallons  of  good  strong  Soft  Soap.  Manufact  nred  and 
put  up  in  I.  2.  and  4  ib  Cans,  (in  small  lumps.)  at  the  Chai - 
lenge  Chemical  Works,  New-York, 

E.  R.  DURKEE  &  CO.,  Proprietors,  161  Pearl-st.,  N.Y. 

ALSO, 

PF1SF  POTASH 

in  6  lb.  cans,  in  lumps,  for  sale  as  above. 


GUANO. 

We  would  call  the  attention  of  Guano  Dealers,  Planters,  and 
Farmers  to  the  article  which  we  have  on  hand  and  for  sale  at 

THIRTY  PER  CENT  LESS  THAN  PERUVIAN  GUANO 

and  which  we  claim  to  be  superior  to  any  Guano  or  fertilizer 
ever  imported  or  manufactured  in  this  country  This  Guano  is 
imported  by  WM.  H  WEBB,  of  New-York.  from  Jarvis’  &  Ba¬ 
kers’  Islands,  in  the  “South  Pacific  Ocean,”  and  is  sold  genu¬ 
ine  and  pure  as  imported.  It  has  been  satisfactorily  tested  by 
many  of  our  prominent  Farmers,  and  analyzed  by  the  most  em¬ 
inent  and  popular  Agricultural  Chemists,  and  found  to  contain 
(as  will  be  seen  by  our  circulars)  a  large  per  centage  of  Bone 
Phosphate  of  Lime  and  Phosphoric  Acid,  and  other  animal  organ¬ 
ic  matter,  yielding  ammonia  sufficient  to  produce  immediate 
abundant  crops,  besides  substantially  enriching  the  soil.  It  can 
be  freely  used  without  danger  of  burning  the  seed  or  plant  by 
coming  in  contact  with  it,  as  is  the  case  with  some  other  ferti¬ 
lizers;  retaining  a  great  degree  of  moisture,  it  causes  the  plant 
to  grow  in  a  healthy  condition,  and  as  experience  has  proved, 
free  of  insects.  For  ordeis  in  any  quantity,  (which  will  be 
promptly  attended  to,)  or  pamphlets  containing  full  particulars 
of  analyses  and  tests  of  farmers,  apply  to 

JOHN  B.  SARDY,  Agent, 

No.  58  South-st ,  corner  of  Wall-st.,  New-York. 


GUANO! ! — The  superiority  of  Phosphat- 

ic  over  Amnioniacal  fertilizers  in  restoring  fertility  to 
worn  out  lands,  is  now  well  understood.  The  subscribers  call 
the  attention  of  Farmers  to  1  lie  SWAN  ISLAND  GUANO, 
which  for  richness  in  Phosphates  and  Organic  matter  and 
its  SOLUBILITY  is  UNSURPASSED. 

For  sale  a'  $3u  per  ton  of  2,000  lbs.,  and  liberal  discount  will 
be  made  by  ihe  cargo 

Circulars,  with  directions  for  use,  may  be  bad  on  application 
at  our  office  FOSTER  &  STEPHENSON, 

65  Beaver-street,  New  York. 
Agents  for  the  ATLANTIC  &  PACIFIC  GUANO  CO. 


AMEffiiCAS  GUAM©. 

To  Farmers  and  Dealers  in  Guano. 

This  GUANO,  from  Jarvis  Island,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  con¬ 
taining  80  per  cent,  of  phosphates  and  sulphates  of, lime,  and  the 
most  valuable  fertilizer  known,  is  offered  for  sale  in  large  or 
small  quantities  at  about  two-thirds  t  he  price  of  Peruvian.  For 
full  information  and  particulars,  address 

C  S  MARSHALL, 

President  of  the  American  Guano  Co  ,  65  William-st.,  N.Yorlc. 

Peruvian  guano, 

SUPERPPIOSPH ATE  OF  LIME, 

BONE  DUST, 

FISH  GUANO. 

For  sale  by  A.  LONGETT,  34  ClilF  st.,  New-York. 


Mew-Jersey  Greeiu*jm<sl  Marl, 

Abounding  in  potash,  phosphorates,  sulphates,  and  silicates, 
and  eminently  adapted  for  the  restoration  of  worn  ou'  and  ex¬ 
hausted  soils,  is  the  cheapest  and  best  manu  e  offered  for  Win¬ 
ter  Grain  and  Grass  lands,  or  for  Fruit  Trees,  Grape  Vines,  &c. 
Each  bushel  <*f  the  Marl  contains  more  potash  than  the  same 
quant itv  of  ihe  best  unleached  wood  ashes.  Price  SEVEN 
CENTS  PER  BU>H EL, delivered  onboard  vessel  at  the  Com¬ 
pany’s  wharf,  on  Sandy  Hook  Bay,  N.  J. 

Circulars  containing  full  information,  with  testimonials,  sent 
pot  fiee  on  app'ication  to 

CHAS  SEaRS,  President ,  Riceville,  Monmouth  Co.,  N.  J. 

Tapp  an  Townsend,  Treasurer,  No  82  Nassau -street,  or  to 

Geo.  VV.  Atwood  Secretary,  No  16  Cedar- street,  N  Y* 


iL&a’Iedi  S5a©od  Wool  Manure. 

A  new  and  valuable  Fertilizer,  containing  a  large  proportion 
of  nitrogenous  matter.  Price  S30  per  ton,  in  barrels  containing 
200  lbs.  No  charge  for  package.  Also,  Peruvian  and  American 
Guano,  Bone  Dust,  Phosphates,  Plaster,  &c. 

R.  L.  ALLEN, 

New-York  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed-store, 

191  Water-st.,  New-York. 


SAWINGS,  TURNINGS  AND  CHUSHKD  BONES, 
for  sale  by  the  manufacturers,  in  large  or  small  quantities. 

A  LIS  I  ER  &  CO., 
Tarrytown,  Westchester  Co.,N.  Y. 


ONE  DUST — Fine  ground  Bone  Saw- 

and  Turnings  and  coarse  hone  for  graperies — war- 
ran'ed  a”  pure  article.  Also  Guano,  Phosphate,  and  Blood  and 
Wool,  for  sals  at  low  rates.  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st 


830 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


Contents  for  October,  1859. 

Adveitisements— Information  Gratis.  .IV . 296 

Animals— Prescriptions  for  Diseased . 313 

Apple  Gathering . Illustrated.  .304 

Architecture— New  Style  of . 2  Illustrations.  .297 

Asparagus- How  to  Make  a  Bed . 307 

Barley — Will  it  Turn  to  Oats . 313 

Beams,  Lima — Preserving  for  Winter  Use . 310 

Bees— Apiary  in  October . 291 

Bees — Consecutive  Swarms  of . 295 

Bees— Natural  and  Artificial  Queens . 294 

Berberries— Cultivation  of . 313 

Blackberry — New-Rochelle— Seed  for  Distribution _ 307 

Boys’  and  Girls’  Columns — The  First  Effort,  Illustra¬ 
ted— Editor  yvith  his  Young  Readers— “Old  Patch” 

— Walking  on  the  Tight  Rope— The  Unkind 
Word— About  that  Picture,  and  Pockets— More 
about  Faces,  2  Illustrations— Answers  to  Prob¬ 
lems— New  Puzzle . 4  Illustrations  .  .312 

Boys — Give  them  a  Chance . 303 

Brakes — To  Eradicate  .  . 313 

Brush— Kindling . 313 

Cabbages— To  Make  them  Head . 313 

Calendar  of  Operations  foe  the  Month . 290 

Carbon  Oil . 314 

Cattle — Breeding  In-and-in.  .by  C.  M.  Clay. .Ill . 292 

Census  of  1860— Prepare  for . 299 

Cider— How  to  Preserve . — . 310 

Cold  Frames . 313 

Crops — Reports  on.. . . 315 

Cucumber — Bedfordshire . 307 

Dairy— Prize  Article — No.  XX.  .Conclusion . 293 

“  Egypt”— The  Bright  Side  of— Prospects  of  So.  Ill..  .299 
Etiquette— A  Point  of  Decided— Letter  from  Aunt  Sue  311 

Exhibitions— Benefits  of  Attending . 299 

Exhibitions,  Agricultural— Time  and  Places  of . 291 

Farm— Work  for  in  September . 290 

Fencing— Prize  Article,  No.  VII . 8  Illustrations. .  300 

Filberts— Cultivation  of . . . 313 

Floors  of  Cement  for  a  Dairy . 313 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  in  October . 291 

Flower — The  Cardinal . 313 

Flowers,  Bulbous— Hyacinths  and  Tulips . Illust.  .308 

Flowers-Keeping  Verbenas  and  Geraniums  in  Winter. 309 

Flowers— Preserving  for  Winter . 308 

Flowers— The  Verbena  a  Native . 307 

Fruit  in  Glass  Bottles  — An  Improvement— Illust.  .309 

Garden— Kitchen  and  Fruit  in  October . 290 

Gate  ways—  Ornamental . 301 

Glue — Spalding’s  Prepared . 314 

Grain — M  arketing . 295 

Grapes  —  The  Concord  at  the  South— Hartford,  etc - 306 

Green  and  Hot- Houses  in  October . 291 

Guinea  Fowls  a  Protection  to  the  Poultry  Yard . 302 

Horses— Proper  Age  for  Gelding . 313 

Ice  Houses— How  Made . 313 

Insects— To  Protect  Fruit  from  Ants . 313 

Lantern  Blinks — XII— An  Emigrant  Farmer . 298 

Laying  out  Grounds -Suggestions  for.2  Illustrations.  .305 

Lightning — Protection  from . 313 

Magazines  and  Fashions . 311 

Manure— Charcoal  Dust  for . 313 

Manure— Sulphuric  Acid— Phosphatic  Guano . 294 

Market  Review— Weather  Notes,  etc . 314 

Melon,  The  Apple  Pie — How  to  Use . 310 

Milking— Apparatus  for . 313 

Moles — To  Destroy . 313 

Oats— White  Poland  free  from  Rust . 313 

October— Suggesiions  for  the  Month . 289 

Orchard  and  Nurseryin  October . 290 

Pasture  Land— Treatment  of . 313 

Pennsylvania  Farming . 314 

Premiums  for  Volume  19— List  of . 314 

Questions— Indefinite  Again . 313 

Railroads— New  Route  in  Penn,  and  to  the  West _ 314 

Recipes— To  Pickle  Walnuts,  etc. — Tomato  Wine... 310 

Rhubarb— Directions  for  Planting . 307 

Rice— How  Grown  and  Prepared  for  Market.  1 . 302 

Roads— Repair  the  . 200 

Roller — Use  of  the . 301 

Hoofing  of  Gutta  Percha . 313 

Root  Structure.  Physiological  Curiosity . 303 

Seeds — Foul — Rogues’  Gallery . 309 

Seeds— Papers  for  Putting  up! . 2  Illustrations.  .309 

Seeds— Saving  Flower .  309 

Straw — Save  Ihe  . 294 

Teeth — (lints  about,  by  Anna  Hope . .311 

Tim  Bunker— Letter  to,  from  his  Neighbors . 295 

Tim  Bunker  on  the  Shadtown  Parsonage— and  a 

Grandson . 303 

Trees — llow  far  apart  . 313 

Trees — Plant  now . 304 

Trees— Proper  Treatment  of  Dwarf  Pears . 306 

Trees — Protect  the  Roots  of . 306 

Trees— Season  for  Transplanting . 313 

Trees,  Seedling',  Testing . 313 

Trees— That  Wonderful  in  Oregon . 305 

Trees— To  Improve  Barren . 30q 

Trees  To  Protect  from  Rabbits . 313 

Trenching  Soils . 301 

Vinegar  Plant . 307 

Water — Getting  pure  from  Sulphur  Wells . Illust..  301 


CAMPAIGN 

OF 

1  8  6  O. 

SSSSOOrDO'ID  Gr  U  M. 

Heavily  loaded,  and  ready  to  be  fired  at  any  one  fur¬ 
nishing  the  fm-der.  For  the  kind  of  loading  see  Premium 
List  on  page  314. 

“A  BAKER’S  DOZEN.” 

All  new  subscribers  to  the  American  Agriculturist,  for 
I860,  (Vol.  XIX,)  received  during  this  month,  (October,) 
will  he  presented  with  the  November  and  December  num¬ 
bers  of  this  year  free,  as  all  new  subscribers  received  dur¬ 
ing  tlie  rest  of  this  year,  from  whatever  souree,  will  be 
put  down  paid  from  date  of  receiption  to  the  end  of  1860. 
Those  coming  in  this  month  will  therefore  get  a  “Baker’s 
Dozen,”  or  fourteen  numbers  for  the  price  of  twelve. 
Subscribers  from  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  other  distant  points 
will  have  due  allowance  made  after  Nov.  1st,  for  the  ex¬ 
tra  time  required  for  their  letters  to  reach  us.  The  ex¬ 
tra  numbers  thus  offered  for  this  year  will  be  valuable 
ones,  and  worth  a  little  timely  effort  on  the  part  of  can¬ 
vassers  and  the  subscribers  themselves. 

Glance  at  tlae  Premiums. 

We  invite  special  attention  to  the  large  list  of  premi¬ 
ums  offered  on  page  314.  These  are  peculiar.  In  most 
cases  such  premiums  are  offered  for  competition,  and  on¬ 
ly  one  person  can  get  a  particular  premium  ;  and  there  is 
always  an  uncertainly  as  to  whether  some  unknown  per¬ 
son  may  not  be  better  circumstanced  to  get  a  higher  list, 
and  a  frequent  suspicion  also  that  favoritism  may  be 
in  some  way  shown.  Our  premiums  are  absolute,  de¬ 
pending  only  upon  a  given  number  of  names,  and  every 
one  knows  just  what  he  or  she  is  aiming  at.  These  pre¬ 
miums  are  really  commissions  offered  to  canvassers  for 
time  expended  in  exhibiting  the  paper  to  those  not  ac¬ 
quainted  with  it.  With  the  single  exception  of  one  of  our 
old  office  clerks,  Mr.  Whitman,  we  employ  no  agents. 
Every  person  so  disposed  can  act  as  a  voluntary  agent 
among  acquaintances,  and  receive  as  compensation  the 
articles  offered  in  our  premium  list.  The  past,  year  over 
700  persons  have  earned  and  received  valuable  premiums 
from  this  office,  which  have  cost  them  no  money,  and 
comparatively  little  outlay  of  time.  We  shall  be  happy 
to  have  the  number  doubled  this  year,  for  although  no 
profit  is  derived  the  first  year  from  new  subscribers  when 
these  premiums  are  given,  yet  the  sphere  of  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  is  extended,  and  sufficient  remuneration  will  come 
by  and  by.  We  expect  to  make  the  paper  good  enough 
to  retain  the  patronage  of  all  its  readers,  and  in  the  end 
to  derive  a  living  profit,  which  is  all  we  desire. 

“  What  Is  the  Circulation  of  the 
American  Agriculturist?” 

The  number  of  subscribers  has  constantly  gone  upward 
from  the  day  we  first  obtained  full  proprietorship  until  the 
present  lime,  so  that  it  is  now  greater  than  ever  before. 
Some  interest  has  been  manifested  to  know  what  is  the 
Inna  fide  circulation,  and  efforts  have  been  made  in  some 
quarters  to  depreciate  the  amount.  We  propose  to  set 
all  queries  and  surmises  at  rest,  by  Ihe  statement  be¬ 
low  which  will  not  be  questioned.  Let  us  premise  that: 
1st,  we  seldom  send  out  gratuitous  copies;  2d,  that  hav¬ 
ing  stereotype  plates  on  hand  to  print  from,  we  only  print 
each  month  what  is  actually  required  ;  and  3d,  we  count 
full  thousands,  (not  two  reams  of  460  sheets  to  the  1000  as 
is  usually  done) our  paper  is  manufactured  expressly  for 
us  and  put  up  at  the  mills  in  reams  of  500  sheets  (not 
480). 

Steam  Press  Rooms,  16  &  18  Jacob-st., 
New-York,  September  16th,  1859. 

This  is  to  certify  that,  by  request  of  the  proprietor,  Mr. 
O.  Judd,  I  have  this  day  examined  my  books,  and  find 
that  during  the  past  twelve  months,  I  have  printed  of  reg¬ 
ular  copies  of  the  American  Agriculturist,  2.18G  Reams 
of  500  sheets  each  (1,083,000).  or  an  average  of  1  80  1-2 
Reams  per  month.  As  each  copy  contains  two  sheets 
this  is  an  average  of  Forty-five  t(iosi'>aii(l  one 
Iiuiiilresl  and  twenty-five  ( 45,1  25  )  perfect 
copies  per  month  JOHN  A.  GRAY. 

Affirmed  (sworn)  to  before  me,  this  16th  day  of  Septem¬ 
ber,  1859.  J.  O.  IIarger,  Commissioner  of  Deeds 

This  certifies  that  we  have  manufactured  the  paper  for 
ihe  American  Agriculturist  during  the  past  year,  and  our 
account  of  paper  furnished'  to  Mr.  O.  Judd,  corresponds 
with  the  above  statement  of  Mr.  Gray. 

SEYMOUR  &  CO.,  95  John-st.,  New-York. 

Note.— [To  give  a  fair  showing  of  the  past,  business  of 
this  journal,  we  have  exhibited  the  circulation  for  a 
whole  year,  arid  not  that  of  the  present  or  any  past  single 
issue  It.  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  make  out  a  much 
larger  show  by  getting  up  an  extra  edition  for  some  ad¬ 
vertiser,  and  publishing  the  circulation  of  one  number 


only  Thus,  owing  to  our  increased  circulation,  and  to 
the  demand  from  “baker’s  dozen ”  subscribers,  etc.,  we 
shall  print  not  less  than  75.000  to  80,000  of  our  very  next 
number  (Nov.),  but  tho'e  figures  would  riot’  give  a  fair 
exhibit  of  ihe  past  regular  business.  Judging  from  the 
last,  and  from  present  indications,  we  confidently  calcu- 
ate  upon  a  regular  edition  hereafter  of  70,000  to  80,000, 
and  anticipate  even  more. 

Owing  to  the  prevalent  opinion  that  newspapers  gene¬ 
rally  have  not  half  of  their  reputed  circulation,  w  e  think 
it  w  ould  be  policy  for  every  journal  having  a  respectable 
circulation  to  set  forih  an  attested  statement  of  their 
actual  business.  Especially  would  we  be  glad  to  see 
this  done  by  ihe  Agricultural  press,  whose  circulution  and 
influence  is  not  properly  appreciated. 


xxmxm 


Fifty  Cents  a  Line  of  Sface. 


GHOfEtS  &  ISAKEIi’S 

CELEBRATED  NOISELESS 

FAMILY  SEWING  MACHINES, 

New  Styles  at  Reduced  Prices. 

No.  495  Broadway,  New-York  ;  No.  18  Summer  St., 
Boston  ;  No.  730  Chestnut  st.,  Philadelphia  ;  No.  1§1  Bal¬ 
timore  st.,  Baltimore  ;  No.  58  West  Fourth  st.,  Cincin¬ 
nati.  Agencies  in  all  the  principal  cities  and  towns  in  the 
United  States. 

“Wheeler  &  Wilson’s,  Singer’s,  and  Grover  &  Baker’s 
Machines  all  work  under  Howe’s  patent,  and  are,  so  far, 
the  best  machines  made.  *  *  For  our  men  family  use 

we  became  f  ally  satisfied  that  Grover  <j-  Baker's  is  the  best, 
and  ice  accordingly  purchased  it  " — American  Agriculturist 
JgpSEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR.^ 

WHEELER  &  WILSON’S 
SEWING  MACHINES, 

“  None  are  better  adapted  to' Family  use.” 

Atneticnn  Agriculturist ,  Dec.,  1858. 

Office  No.  505  Broadway,  New-York. 

SEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR. 


MINTON’S  ENCAUSTIC  TILES, 

FOR  FLOORS  OF  CHURCHES, 
FSJBSbSC  KTJIIiBSNGS,  5SAX.LS, 
conservatories,  dining  rooms  and  hearths  in  dwell 

INGS. 

Being  very  hard  and  strong,  as  well  as  ornamental, 
they  have  been  used  extensively  in  the  Capitol  extension 
at  Washington,  and  in  many  of  the  best  houses  in  ali 
parts  of  the  country. 

ALSO, 

CARNKIRK  CHIMNEY  TOPS, 

suited  to  every  style  of  architecture,  and  recommended 
in  Downing's  work  on  Country  Houses,  nnd  by  architects 
generally.  Also,  VITRIFIED  DRAIN  PIPE,  of  all 
sizes,  /rom  2  to  18  inches  in  diameter,  for  conducting  wa¬ 
ter.  For  sale  by  MILLER  &  COATES, 

No.  279  Pcarl-st...  New-York. 


J  merit  an  ^jruulturbf. 

(ISSUED  IN  BOTH  ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN.) 

A  thorough  going,  RE  LIABLE ,  .Sind  PRACTICAL 
Jon  run  I.  devoted  to  the  different  departments  of  SOIL 
CULTURE— such  as  growing  field.  CRO  PS  ;  orchard 
and  gardf.n  FRUITS;  garden  VEGETABLES  arid 
FLOWERS;  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  for  the 
LAWN  or  YARD;  in-door  and  out  door  work  around 
the  DWELLING;  care  of  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 
&c  &c. 

The  teachings  of  the  Agriculturist  are  confined  to  no 
State  or  Territory,  but  are  adapted  to  the  wants  of  all  sec¬ 
tions  of  the  country —it  is,  as  its  name  indicates,  truly 
American  in  its  character. 

The  German  edition  is  of  the  same  size  and  price 
as  the  English,  and  contains  all  of  its  reading  matter,  and 
its  numerous  illustrative  engravings. 

TERMS— INVARIABLY  IN  ADVANCE. 

One  copy  one  year . $!  00 

Sixc.opies  one  year . 5  00 

Ten  or  more  copies  one  year _ 80  cents  each. 

An  extra  copy  to  the  person  sending  15  or  more  names, 
at  80  cents  each. 

jy^Tln  addition  to  the  above  rates;  Postage  to  Canaria  6 
cents,  to  England  and  France  24  cents,  to  Germany  24 
cents,  and  to  Russia  72  cents  per  annum. 

Delivery  in  New-York  city  and  Brooklyn,  12  cents  a  year. 

Postage  anywhere  in  the  United  States  nnd  Territories 
must  be  paid  by  the  subscriber,  and  is  only  six  cents  a  year, 
if  paid  in  advance  at  the  office  where  received. 

The  paper  is  considered  paid  for  whenever  it.  is  sent, 
and  will  be  promptly  discontinued  when  the  time  for  w Inch 
it  is  ordered  expires.  , 

All  business  and  other  communications  should  be  ad 
dressed  to  the  Editor  and  Proprietor, 

ORANGE  JUDD, 

No  189  Water  st  .  New-York. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture 

AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  —  Washington 


JfI©I>,  A.  M., 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR. 


mtmumm  m  tm. 


$1.00  PER  ANNDM,  IN  ADVANCE. 
SINGLE  NUMBERS  10  CENTS. 


VOL.  XVIII.— No,  11.] 


NEW- YORK,  NOVEMBER,  1859. 


[NEW  SERIES— No.  154, 


S^“0££iee  at  189  Water-st.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
jrg^Coiiif.eHts,  'jrcrms?  &C.,  osj  pag'C  353. 


[copy  right  secured.] 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1859, 
by  Orange  Judd,  in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New-York. 

ESP*  N.  Bi.— Every  Journalis  invited  freely  to  copy 
any  and  all  desirable  articles  with  credit,  and  no  use  or 
advantage  will  be  taken  of  the  Copy-Right,  wherever 
each  article  or  illustration  is  duly  accredited  to  the 
American  Agriculturist.  ORANGE  JUDD,  Proprietor. 

American  Agriculturist  iu  (Kerman. 

The  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST  is  published  in 
both  the  English  and  German  Languages.  Both 
Editions  are  of  Uniform  size,  and  contain  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  same  Articles  and  Illustra¬ 
tions.  The  German  Edition  is  furnished  at  the 
same  rates  as  the  English,  singly  or  in  clubs- 

November. 

“And  now  with  Autumn’s  moonlit  eves, 

Corn’s  harvest  time  has  come  ; 

We  pluck  away  the  frosted  leaves, 

And  bear  the  treasure  home. 

Where  the  wide  old  kitchen  hearth 
Sends  up  its  smoky  curls, 

Who  will  not  thank  the  kindly  earth 
And  bless  our  corn-fed  girls  ! 

Let  earth  withhold  her  goodly  root, 

Let  mildew  blight  the  rye, 

Give  to  the  worm  the  orchard’s  fruit. 

The  wheat  field  to  the  fly  : 

But  let  the  good  old  crop  adorn 
The  hills  our  fathers  trod  ; 

Still  let  us  for  this  Golden  Corn 
Send  up  our  thanks  to  God  !” 

Whittier’s  Huskers. 

Who,  of  the  millions  of  farmers 
in  our  land,  will  not  say  Amen  to 
the  aspiration  of  the  poet !  The 
corn  harvest,  the  last  of  the  ce¬ 
reals,  is  mostly  gathered,  and  with  it  there  comes 
a  fitting  pause  for  reflection  and  thanksgiving. 
All  over  the  land,  from  the  wooded  valley  of  the 
Aroostook,  to  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Delta  of  the 
Mississippi,  the  yellow  ears  have  been  stripped  of 
their  husks,  and  stored  in  cribs,  and  barns.  Pro¬ 
bably  a  thousand  millions  of  bushels  have  been 
harvested,  and  put  in  store  for  the  various  pur¬ 
poses  of  the  farmers — some  to  be  loaded  into  the 
wagon,  and  sent  off  to  the  market  town,  to  pay 
off  old  scores,  or  to  make  new  purchases  of  home 
comforts  for  wife  and  children— some  to  be  trans¬ 
muted  into  pork  and  beef  for  home  consumption, 
and  other  some  to  be  ground  into  the  golden 
meal  to  make  all  the  delicious  dishes,  into  which 
this  favorite  article  enters. 

A  native  product  of  our  continent,  and  flourish¬ 
ing  over  a  broader  belt  of  country  than  any  other 
cereal,  more  generally  cultivated,  and  adapted  to 
a  greater  variety  of  uses  than  any  other  grain,  it 
is  meet  that  we  should  sing  the  praises  of  Indian 
corn,  and  give  thanks  for  it;  and  its  accompany¬ 
ing  blessings.  It  was  the  custom  of  our  New- 


Engfand  fathers,  when  this  crop  was  gathered  in, 
to  keep  a  social  and  religious  festival,  under  the 
name  of  Thanksgiving.  It  was  the  most  joyous 
day  in  the  Puritan  year,  the  season  of  family  re¬ 
unions,  and  good  cheer.  The  absent  son  and 
daughter  in  the  city,  with  their  little  ones,  then 
returned  to  the  old  homestead,  once  more  to  greet 
the  mother  that  bare  them,  and  to  receive  the 
blessing  of  their  grey  haired  sire.  Those  were 
happy  days,  when  the  old  family  circle,  with 
many  new  links,  was  reconstructed,  and  the  aged 
couple  were  permitted  to  look  around  upon  chil¬ 
dren’s  children,  and  to  rejoice  in  their  welfare. 

For  many  years  this  honored  custom  was  con¬ 
fined  to  New-England,  and  her  sons  and  daugh¬ 
ters  removing  West  and  South  found  nothing  in 
their  new  homes  at  this  genial  season  of  harvest, 
to  remind  them  of  the  East.  The  mass  was  not 
yet  leavened,  and  the  times  were  not  ready  for  a 


'  THANKSGIVING  DINNER. 


national  Thanksgiving.  Gradually  the  institu¬ 
tion  passed  the  Hudson  and  the  Delaware,  the 
Potomac  and  the  Missouri,  until  now,  with  few 
exceptions,  it  has  become  an  established  usage  in 
all  the  States.  It  is  w’orthily  perpetuated,  for  its 
social  and  religious  ends.  A  score  or  more  of 
the  States  will  keep  the  festival  this  month. 

And  of  all  classes  in  this  wide  spread  land, 
none  have  more  occasion  for  gratitude  to  the 
Author  of  life,  and  all  its  blessings,  than  our  rural 
population.  We  who  have  permanent  possession 
of  our  homes,  and  can  look  out  over  broad  acres, 
and  call  them  ours,  and  point  to  lofty  oaks  and 
elms  with  the  growth  of  centuries  in  their  boughs, 
and  say  these  monarchs  of  the  wood  are  our  pos¬ 
session,  have  no  occasion  to  envy  the  luxurious 
lot  of  the  citizen,  who  dwells  in  hired  houses,  is 
ministered  unto  by  hired  servants,  does  business 
in  a  hired  establishment,  is  followed  to  his  grave 
by  hired  mourners,  and  whose  bones  are  thrust 
out  of  their  hired  sleeping  place  to  make  room 
for  a  new  street  or  a  new  hotel. 

We  have  the  most  healthful  occupation  in  the 


.world,  the  green  fields  and  the  free  air  ever 
around  us.  Our  climate  is  indeed  changeable, 
and  severe  in  its  influence  upon  those  who  are 
reckless  of  health.  But  for  those  who  will  adapt 
themselves  to  its  peculiarities,  and  live  soberly, 
and  industriously,  there  is  no  better  climate  in  the 
world  than  can  be  found  in  most  parts  of  our 
country.  There  is  something  exhilarating  to  the 
nervous  system  in  our  brilliant  skies  and  fresh 
breezes.  The  restless  activity  of  the  American 
character  is  no  doubt  in  some  measure  owing  to 
the  quality  of  our  atmosphere. 

Then  we  have,  what  is  wanting  in  the  popu¬ 
lous  countries  of  Europe,  cheap  land.  It  is  so 
abundant  and  cheap,  even  in  the  older  States, 
that  almost  any  industrious  man  can,  in  a  few 
years,  earn  more  acres  than  he  can  till.  We 
have  every  where  this  material  basis  of  happi¬ 
ness  within  our  reach.  The  man  of  willing  heart 
and  strong  arm  can  rear  his 
home  upon  his  own  free  acres, 
and  rejoice  in  the  full  reward  ef 
bis  toil.  To  appreciate  this  bles¬ 
sing  we  have  only  to  visit  lands 
where  the  rent  of  the  soil,  an¬ 
nually,  is  two  or  three  times 
more  than  its  whole  cost  with 
us.  The  poor  landless  emigrant 
of  ten  years  ago  is  now  the  pro¬ 
prietor  of  his  quarter  section 
— a  cleared  farm,  on  which  are 
the  comfortable  dwelling  and 
outbuildings,  with  herds  of  cat¬ 
tle  and  flocks  of  sheep. 

Our  country  is  the  paradise  of 
the  poor.  If  land  is  cheap,  labor 
is  dear,  and  all  who  have  that 
commodity  to  sell,  as  their  only 
fortune,  can  dispose  of  it  to  the 
best  possible  advantage.  The 
rudest  kind  of  labor  is  in  demand,  and  every  one 
who  can  lift  a  hoe  or  use  a  spade,  can  have  plen¬ 
ty  of  bread  as  soon  as  his  foot  touches  our  shores. 
He  leaves  behind  squalid  misery,  and  homeless 
mendicants,  to  take  his  lot  in  a  land  where  every 
native  is  ashamed  to  beg. 

Then,  this  labor,  which  is  so  abundantly  re¬ 
warded,  is  not  over  burdened  with  taxes.  The 
inevitable  tithes,  which  go  to  the  support  of  an 
established  religion,  in  many  lands,  are  here  all 
self  imposed,  and  no  man  pays  for  preaching  or 
pastoral  labor,  which  he  does  not  enjoy.  There 
are  many  rural  communities,  numbering  thou¬ 
sands,  whose  whole  tax  for  town  and  State  pur¬ 
poses,  does  not  equal  as  many  dollars.  When  it 
is  remembered  that  in  some  countries,  the  taxes 
eat  up  from  one  fourth  to  a  half  of  the  avails  of 
industry,  this  fact  will  be  appreciated.  It  should 
also  be  appreciated,  when  contrasted  with  the 
heavy  burdens  laid  on  tax-payers  in  large  cities. 

Then,  we  have  as  the  rich  inheritance  of  every 
American  citizen,  our  civil  and  religious  institu¬ 
tions — no  capricious  will  of  a  despot  foreed  upon 


80,0, 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


us  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  no  compulsory  ac¬ 
quiescence  in  a  creed  that  both  head  and  heart  re¬ 
ject.  Here,  every  right  is  guarded  by  constitu¬ 
tional  law,  and  protection  is  extended  to  reputa¬ 
tion,  property,  and  person.  Here,  every  man  in¬ 
terprets  the  Bible  for  himself,  and  holds  himself 
accountable  alone  to  God  for  his  religious  opin¬ 
ions.  This  freedom  is  no  doubt  sometimes 
abused  to  license  and  infidelity,  but  this  is  an 
evil,  infinitely  less  than  the  half  smothered  infi¬ 
delity  of  an  established  church,  and  the  grinding 
despotism  of  a  hierarchy. 

In  the  possession  of  all  these  rich  blessings, 
we  come  to  the  close  of  the  harvest,  and  the  an¬ 
nual  thanksgiving.  Whose  heart  does  not  swell 
with  gratitude  to  God,  as  he  remembers  his 
American  birthright,  if  he  be  free  born,  or  his 
adoption  into  this  favored  family,  if  he  have  come 
from  abroad  1  The  year  has  been  full  of  blessings, 
and  the  husbandman  has  more  occasion  than  all 
for  praise.  His  harvests  have  been  abundant. 
His  barns  are  filled  with  hay  and  grain,  his  bins 
with  wheat,  his  cribs  with  the  golden  corn,  his 
stalls  with  sleek  cattle,  and  his  sheds  with  the 
peaceful  flocks.  With  a  glowing  heart  he  may 
well  exclaim  in  the  beautiful  language  of  the 
Hebrew  poet  : 

“  Thou  crownest  the  year  with  thy  goodness  ; 
and  thy  paths  drop  fatness. 

They  drop  upon  the  pastures  of  the  wilderness  ; 
and  the  little  hills  rejoice  on  every  side. 

The  pastures  are  clothed  with  flocks  ;  the  val¬ 
leys  also  are  covered  over  with  corn  ;  they  shout 
for  joy,  they  also  sing.” 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  November,  1859- 

[We  note  down  sundry  kinds  of  work  to  be  done  during 
the  month,  not  so  much  to  afford  instruction  to  practical 
men,  as  to  call  to  mind  the  various  operations  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to.  A  glance  over  a  table  like  this  will  often  sug¬ 
gest  some  piece  of  work  that  might  otherwise  be  forgotten 
or  neglected.  Our  remarks  are  more  especially  adapted 
to  the  latitudes  of  38°  to  45°  ;  but  will  be  equally  applica¬ 
ble  to  points  further  North  and  South,  by  making  due 
allowance  for  each  degree  of  latitude,  that  is,  earlier  for 
the  North,  later  for  the  South. 

Explanations.— /  indicates  the  first;  m  the  middle; 
and  l  the  Inst  of  the  month. — Doubling  the  letters  thus iff, 
or  mm,  or  U,  gives  particular  emphasis  to  the  period  indi¬ 
cated. — Two  letters  placed  together,  as  fin  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  in  eithe.r  or  in  both  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked/m.  indicates  that  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  the  month-l 

Farm. 

November  is  the  finishing  month  ofthe  season.  Indeed 
very  little  farm  work,  save  digging  and  storing  the  late 
turnips,  should  be  left  until  now.  In  some  localities  a 
portion  of  the  corn  is  still  unhusked,  and  the  grain  not  all 
threshed.  Both  of  these  need  early  attention,  and  then, 
having  put  all  the  tools  away,  so  that  no  unlooked  for 
snow  shall  bury  one  here  and  another  there,  and  having 
repaired  the  buildings  against  the  biting  wind  and  frost, 
the  farmer  may  rest  quietly  even  if  the  sleet  comes  driving 
against  his  window  at  night.  He  is  prepared  for  Winter. 

Buildings,  including  those  for  man  and  beast,  should  be 
put  in  complete  Winter  order  at  once.  This  is  one  ofthe 
best  months  for  outside  painting  of  buildings  and  fences. 
See  more  full  directions  of  last  month. 

Cattle  are  now  almost  solely  dependent  upon  man  for 
their  food  at  the  North  :  let  it  be  given  them  with  regu¬ 
larity,  just  sufficient  for  their  wants,  but  none  to  waste. 
A  good  hay  or  straw  cutter  should  be  in  every  barn,  and 
if  capable  of  cutting  corn  -stalks,  so  much  the  better.  For 
twenty  or  thirty  cattle  and  pigs,  a  steaming  apparatus  will 
pay.  Complete  fattening  the  beeves  as  early  as  possible, 
before  half  the  food  is  exhausted  in  keeping  them  warm. 
Give  all  animals  a  good  bedding  of  some  sort,  both  to  pro¬ 
mote  comfort  and  increase  the  manure  heap. 

Cellars— Keep  ventilated  as  late  in  the  season  as  can 
be  done  with  safety.  See  that  the  water  drain  is  perfect. 
Towards  the  close  of  “the  month,  make  everything  se¬ 
cure  against  frost. 

Cisterns  and  Wells  for  house  and  bam  may  well  be 
built,  f,  m,  if  not  already  provided. 

Corn  If  any  is  standing,  cut  it  up,  ff.  Finish  husking 
as  soon  as  possible,  before  cold  weather  and  Winter  rains 
set  in.  Save  the  fodder  with  care,  and  put  away  the 
husked  corn  where  it  will  dry  thoroughly.  Seed  should 
have  been  saved  last  month.  If  omitted,  select  it  at  once. 


Draining  is  always  in  season,  when  the  ground  “is  not 
frozen  or  wet,  until  all  swales,  swamps,  or  low  grounds 
are  made  the  most  productive  portions  ofthe  farm. 

Forest  Leaves— Continue  the  gathering  commenced 
last  month  until  all  that  can  be  gathered,  are  stored  foe 
Winter  bedding  of  stock,  for  which  they  are  excellent, 
as  well  as  for  manure. 

Fruit — The  late  apples  and  pears  must  now  be  taken  to 
the  cellar,  as  a  cold  snap  might  freeze  them.  Keep  dry 
and  as  cool  as  convenient  without  freezing. 

Grain— Thresh  the  remaining  as  fast  as  practicable,  and 
save  all  the  straw  to  feed  or  bed  with  through  the  Winter  : 
it  will  be  needed  this  year.  Cut  straw,  moistened  and 
mixed  with  Indian  meal,  forms  excellent  feed  for  cat¬ 
tle  and  horses.  See  that  the  best  grain  is  kept  for  seed. 

Hedges— Plant  deciduous,  ff,  m,  if  the  soil  is  dry  ;  oth¬ 
erwise  leave  till  Spring. 

Hogs— As  with  beeves,  complete  their  fattening  early. 
This  will  be  the  killing  month  in  many  parts  of  the 
country  ;  let  the  animals  be  fat  when  slaughtered.  Pro¬ 
vide  for  early  pigs  by  turning  a  male  among  the  breeding 
sows,  m,  11. 

Horses  and  Mules— Feed  with  cut  hay  and  straw,  ad¬ 
ding  a  little  meal  or  carrots.  Have  them  well  shod  as 
icy  weather  approaches,  at  the  North.  Provide  blankets 
and  use  them.  Give  a  good  bedding  at  night.  If  standing 
on  a  plank  floor,  cover  with  several  inches  of  muck,  spent 
tan  or  sawdust  both  to  absorb  the  moisture  and  make  a 
soft  standing  place.  Ventilate  well,  using  plaster  to  take 
up  the  strong  smelling  ammonia. 

Ice  Houses— See  that  they  are  all  ready  to  receive  the 
first  thick  ice  of  the  season,  which  is  usually  the  best. 
It  is  not  too  late  to  construct  ice-houses  or  rooms. 

Indoor— The  long  evenings  and  stormy  days  give  an 
opportunity  to  read  and  think.  Get  down  the  back  num¬ 
bers  of  the  Agriculturist  and  re-read  those  articles  which 
a  more  hurried  season  caused  to  be  lightly  pondered  at 
the  time.  Sympathize  with  the  children  as  they  pore 
over  their  evening  lessons,  and  lend  them  the  assist¬ 
ance  they  require.  A  little  interest  in  their  studies  will 
be  of  material  benefit  to  them.  Make  home  so  attractive 
that  they  prefer  it  to  going  abroad  where  they  may  meet 
with  vicious  companions. 

Manures— Follow  the  directions  of  last  month,  adding 
large  quantities  of  muck,  tan,  leaves,  loam,  saw-dust, 
etc.,  to  the  contents  of  the  yards  and  stables. 

Permanent  improvements  may  now  be  made  to  good 
advantage,  while  waiting  the  approach  of  Winter-  A  few 
rocks  need  sinking  or  blasting  ;  stumps  may  be  removed  ; 
stones  may  be  picked  up  and  laid  into  permanent  fences, 
hedges  cleared  up,  etc.  These  labors  can  profitably  use 
up  all  the  spare  time. 

Plow  clayey  lands  just  before  the  Winter  sets  in.  In¬ 
sects  will  be  turned  up  to  frost,  and  the  freezing  and 
thawing  of  the  tops  and  sides  of  the  furrows  will  pulver¬ 
ize  the  soil. 

Poultry — Provide  them  with  warm  quarters  for  Winter. 
A  barn  or  other  cellar  where  they  can  have  gravel  to 
scratch  in,  is  desirable,  allowing  them  access  to  the  sun. 
Give  them  animal  food,  refuse  meat,  with  boiled  potatoes 
and  raw  cabbage.  Keep  roosts  clean.  See  article  on 
fattening  poultry  on  a  subsequent  page. 

Pumpkins— Feed  out  freely  to  fattening  animals  and 
milch  cows.  Put.  some  of  the  best  in  a  dry  place  and  be¬ 
yond  the  reach  of  frost,  for  Winter  keeping. 

Schools  are  about  commencing  for  the  Winter,  in  many 
places.  Have  the  out  door  work  in  condition  to  spare  the 
boys  at  the  beginning,  to  take  their  places  at  once  in 
classes.  Nor  should  they  be  kept  at  home  except  on  im¬ 
portant  occasions.  Regularity  is  essential  to  progress. 

Sheep  still  find  some  green  food  in  the  pastures,  but 
will  soon  need  a  foddering  at  night,  in  colder  localities. 
Let  them  begin  Winter  in  good  flesh.  Where  early  lambs 
are  desired,  turn  the  buck  with  the  ewes,  say,  m,  1. 

Stack  Yards — Instead  of  making  them  cattle  yards,  save 
time,  labor,  and  your  reputation  for  humanity,  by  carting 
the  contents  to  the  barn  to  be  fed  under  cover. 

Sugar  Cane— Complete  the  cutting  and  manufacturing, 
ff.  If  it  can  not  be  evaporated  sufficiently  fast,  put  some 
ofthe  stalks  under  cover,  to  be  ground  and  boiled  down 
as  needed.  A  moderate  freezing  does  little  injury  when 
syrup  only  is  made. 

Tools,  Implements,  Carriages,  Harness,  Sleighs,  Sleds, 
etc.— Put  away  those  no  longer  wanted,  first  repairing 
the  broken  ones.  Do  not  leave  a  plow  to  freeze  in  the 
furrow,  nor  any  tools  to  be  covered  by  a  premature  snow. 
Have  the  harness  cleaned  and  oiled,  and  put  sleighs  and 
sleds  in  running  order. 

Turnips— Dig  the  remaining  crop,  m,  1,  also  any  carrots 
left  out  until  now.  Store  them  in  pits  as  described  in  the 
“  basket,”  or  put  in  cellars  beyond  the  reach  of  frost. 

Water  pipes — Give  an  extra  covering,  11,  where  there  is 
danger  of  freezing. 

Winter  Grain— Permit  none  of  it  to  be  eaten  off  at  this 
season.  The  late  growth  is  needed  to  protect  the  roots. 
See  that  no  water  stands,  or  can  stand  on  the  field. 


Wood  for  fuel,  especially  “  down  stuff,”  may  be  col 
lected  and  piled  this  month  much  better  than  after  a 
covering  of  snow.  Pile  it  convenient  to  load  upon  a  sled, 
or  cart  it  home  upon  wheels  while  the  traveling  is  good 

OrclEard  ami  Wtsrsei-y. 

Gather  late  apples  and  pears  slill  hanging  upon  the 
trees,  ff,  and  then  having  scraped  offthe  rough  bark,  ma¬ 
nured  and  dug  over  or  plowed  the  ground,  there  is  little  to 
do  in  the  orchard  until  Spring.  In  the  nursery,  however, 
the  tree  grower  is  now  in  the  hight  of  his  semi-annual 
harvest,  and  we  hope  very  busy  in  taking  up,  packing, 
and  sending  away  trees  and  shrubs,  as  well  as  in  planting 
stocks  and  putting  every  thing  in  Winter  order. 

Apples— Plant  trees,  ff,  m,  both  for  a  new  orchard  and 
to  fill  vacancies  in  the  old.  Set  fruit  trees  also  along  the 
lanes,  avenues  and  road-sides,  planting  Winter  varieties  in 
exposed  situations. 

Cherry  Trees  may  now  be  set  in  this  latitude  and 
south.  We  prefer  Spring  planting  at  the  North,  on  ac¬ 
count  of  a  liability  to  Winter  kill. 

Cider— Finish  making  before  apples  freeze  or  decay 
and  put  the  juice  in  clean  sweet  casks  with  an  open  vent. 

Fruit— Gather,  ff,  any  still  upon  the  trees.  Examine 
pears  upon  the  fruit  shelves,  as  they  do  not  keep  long 
after  fully  ripening.  Keep  apples  in  a  dry  airy  place 
until  severe  weather,  when  they  must  go  into  Winter 
quarters.  No  fruit  keeps  well  in  a  damp  atmosphere. 

Grapes — This  (ff,)  is  one  of  the  best  seasons  to  plant 
grapevines.  Cover  the  tops  lightly  for  Winter  protec¬ 
tion,  and  lay  down  tender  varieties  fr'om  the  arbors 
and  trellises.  Even  the  Isabella  and  Catawba  do  better 
when  laid  upon  the  ground  during  Winter — a  light  cov¬ 
ering  is  still  better.  This  is  the  pruning  month  for  the 
vine.  See  fill!  directions  on  page  337.  Make  cuttings 
for  planting  while  pruning. 

Insects — Complete  the  destruction  of  borers  and  scale* 
that  there  be  no  stock  to  begin  with  next  season. 

Manure  both  orchard  and  nursery,  adding  lime  or  ash¬ 
es  to  the  compost.  Manure  applied  now  is  washed  into 
the  soil  during  the  Winter,  and  is  ready  to  be  taken  up  by 
the  roots  in  the  Spring. 

Mice— Bank  up  about  exposed  trees,  or  cover  the  lower 
part  of  the  trunks  with  tea-chest  lead,  tarred  cloth  or  pa¬ 
per.  Good  cats  are  about  the  best  protectors. 

Nursery  Rows— As  soon  as  you  are  done  taking  up 
trees,  go  through  with  a  plow  and  turn  furrows  towards 
the  trees  both  to  protect  them,  and  open  drains  to  carry 
off  surplus  water.  Transplant  as  many  as  possible  of  the 
seedlings  this  Fall. 

Orchard— After  planting  out  the  new  trees,  doctor  the 
old  to  keep  up  their  usefulness  awhile  longer.  Scrape  off 
rough  bark,  cut  away  dead  branches,  and  above  all  dig 
in  a  good  coat  of  manure  about  the  roots — not  for  3  feet 
merely,  but  over  a  circle  of  10  feet  each  way  from  the  trunk 

Pear  Trees  especially  need  thorough  manuring.  A 
mulch  of  coarse  manure  spread  over  the  roots  to  be  forked 
in  early  in  Spring,  serves  a  double  purpose.  Plant  more 
trees  of  select  kinds. 

Pruning — If  not  attended  to  in  the  Summer,  better  do 
it  now  than  next  Spring.  In  warm  climates,  the  present 
is  a  good  pruning  month . 

Quinces— Plant  trees,  ff,  m,  and  gather  fruit  now  upon 
the  trees,  making  a  portion  into  jelly  and  marmalade,  and 
putting  more  into  air-tight  cans  or  bottles. 

Scions— Cut  at  anytime  this  month,  when  not  frozen, 
and  bury  in  dry  earth,  either  out  doors,  or  in  the  cellar. 

Seeds  of  Apples,  Pears,  Quinces,  Plums,  Cherries, 
Peaches,  and  the  various  nuts  and  hard  shelled  seeds— if 
not  already  in,  plant,  ff,  m,  as  directed  last  month. 

Selling  Nursery  Trees— See  that  only  good  trees,  true 
to  name,  are  sent  out  properly  labeled  and  packed.  Bet¬ 
ter  burn  a  poor  tree  than  sell  it  for  half  price. 

Stocks— Transplant  all  the  hardy  ones  into  nursery 
rows.  You  can  spare  the  time  better  now  than  in  Spring. 
Others  may  be  heeled  in  over  Winter. 

Tender  Seedlings,  especially  evergreens,  need  some 
protection  in  the  nursery.  Sift  in  dry  sand  to  protect  the 
stems,  and  cover  with  forest  leaves,  straw,  or  evergreen 
boughs,  for  the  first  Winter. 

KitcSaesa  aiad  Frnit  harden. 

In  the  ordinary  farm  garden  there  is  something  yet  to  do, 
while  the  market  gardener  will  find  plenty  of  work,  in 
finishing  the  labors  of  the  present  season  and  preparing 
for  the  next. 

Asparagus— Plant  new  beds,  ff,  m,  and  sow  seed.  Cov¬ 
er  the  beds,  m,  1,  with  several  inches  of  coarse  manure. 

Bean  and  Hop  Poles,  Raspberiy,  Blackberry  and  other 
Slakes— Collect  and  store  under  cover  for  another  season. 

Beets  bear  but  little  freezing,  harvest,  ff. 

Blackberries  do  best  planted  early,  although  they  may 
be  set  as  long  as  the  ground  is  open. 

Caobages  and  Cauliflowers— Harvest  the  remainder  and 
store  in  Winter  quarters,  m,  1.  Place  t.ho  young  plants 
in  cold  frames,  ns  directed  below. 


823 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Carrots— Dig  and  store  the  remaining  crop,  f,  m. 

Celery — Continue  to  earth  up,  IT,  in  dry  weather.  Har¬ 
vest,  m,  1.,  and  cover  in  trenches,  or  better  on  level  ground, 
standing  it  upright. 

Cold  Frames— Have  in  readiness,  If,  and  set  in  them,  f, 
m,  the  cabbage,  cauliflower,  lettuce  plants,  etc.,  requir¬ 
ing  Winter  protection.  Cover  with  glass  or  shutters  dur¬ 
ing  cold  nights,  but  keep  open  by  day  as  long  as  the 
weather  will  admit.  When  Winter  sets  in  cover  securely, 
banking  up  about  the  sides,  and  put  straw,  leaves,  etc., 
over  them  to  exclude  frost.  Open  for  a  short  time  every 
mild  day  during  Winter. 

Compost  and  Manures  for  Spring  use— Prepare  a  good 
supply  as  opportunity  offers. 

Currants  and  Gooseberries— Plant  roots,  ff,  m.  Make 
cuttings  and  prune  old  bushes.  Remove  a  portion  of  the 
earth  from  bushes  preyed  upon  by  insects  and  replace  it 
with  distant  fresh  soil  and  compost.  The  larvse  will  thus 
be  destroyed  or  hatch  where  they  will  do  less  injury. 
Manure  the  plants  both  to  enrich  and  mulch  them. 

Drain  and  trench  stiff  heavy  soils  to  facilitate  early 
working  in  Spring.  They  may  be  planted  a  week  earlier, 
if  thoroughly  drained,  besides  standing  drouth  better. 

Figs— Bank  up  about  the  trunks  and  bend  and  cover  the 
branches  with  earth,  straw,  or  evergreen  brush. 

Fruit  Trees— Plant  in  all  suitable  places  as  directed 
under  “  Orchard.” 

GrapeVines — Plant  roots  and  layers,  ff,  m.  Prune,  at 
the  same  time  making  cuttings.  Lay  tender  sorts  upon 
the  ground  and  cover  with  earth.  Every  garden  should 
have  a  few  vines. 

Mice  rarely  trouble  the  vegetables  left  in  the  ground 
over  Winter,  if  no  rubbish  is  at  hand  for  them  to  harbor 
in  or  bury  beneath.  Set  traps  or  poison  in  cold  frames. 

Mushroom  Beds  may  still  be  made,  ff,  m,  in  the  cellar, 
or  under  cover.  Examine  former  beds,  protecting  those 
in  the  open  air  from  frost. 

Onions— Cover,  m,  those  left  in  the  ground  over  Winter. 

Parsneps,  salsafy  and  scorzonera  (black  salsafy),  are 
apparently  improved  by  freezing  in  the  ground.  Dig,  m, 

1-,  only  what  are  wanted  while  the  ground  is  frozen,  and 
cover  them  with  earth  in  the  cellar. 

Raspberries— Plant  out,  ff,  and  bury  canes  of  tender 
sorts,  f,  m. 

Rhubarb— Set  roots  and  crowns,  ff.  m.  Cover  with 
coarse  manure  to  enrich  the  soil  and  mulch  the  roots. 

Spinach — Cover  with  straw,  sedge,  or  evergreen 
boughs,  m,  1,  previously  hoeing  and  thinning  the  plants. 

Squashes— Carry  to  a  dry  cellar,  or  room  where  they 
will  not  freeze,  before  severe  weather.  The  Hubbard, 
and  eveh  the  marrow  variety  may  be  kept  until  near 
Spring— the  former  until  quite  that  time.  Save  seeds. 

Strawberry  Beds — Cover  lightly  with  manure,  as  a 
partial  protection  and  to  enrich  the  soil. 

Turnips — Harvest,  m,  to  1,  according  to  the  climate. 
Let  them  grow  until  there  is  danger  of  freezing. 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn. 

Put  every  thing  in  neat  order  to  preserve  all  the  at¬ 
tractions  j  ossible  during  the  Winter.  One  of  the  first 
things  will  be  to  take  in  the  remaining  plants  which  are 
too  tender  to  be  wintered  Out  of  doors. 

Anemones  and  Ranunculuses  do  better  when  covered 
during  the  Winter  with  coarse  manure,  or  forest  leaves. 

Bedded  Plants— Lift,  ff,  and  put  in  pits,  or  take  to 
Hie  houses,  clioiCG  geraniums,  carnations,  petunias, 
fuchsias,  salvias,  verbenas,  etc. 

Bulbs — If  still  out  of  ground,  plant,  ff,  hyacinths, 
crown  imperials,  tulips,  crocuses,  snow-drops,  etc.  They 
will  bloom  better  for  having  a  good  coating  of  coarse 
manure  and  leaves  during  Winter.  Pot  a  few  for  flow¬ 
ering  in-doors. 

Chrysanthemums— See  illustration  and  article  on  page 
310.  They  are  now  almost  the  only  plants  in  bloom. 
Transplant,  11. 

Climbers— Most  of  these,  like  the  clematis,  ivy,  honey¬ 
suckle,  climbing  rose,  etc.,  come  out  fresher  in  Spring 
when  taken  from  trellises  and  laid  upon  the  ground.  A 
light  covering  of  earth,  straw,  or  leaves,  will  still  fur¬ 
ther  protect  them. 

Dahlias.  Gladioli,  tuberose,  etc.,  should  be  taken  up 
as  soon  as  killed  by  frost.  Label  and  pack  in  boxes  of 
dry  sand  in  the  cellar,  or  where  they  will  not  freeze. 

Flower  stalks  and  rubbish  of  all  kinds  should  be  re¬ 
moved  from  the  grounds ;  walks,  beds  and  lawn  raked, 
that  clean,  neat  premises  may  always  welcome  the  sight. 

Frames  and  Pits— Place  all  the  plants  intended  for 
these  in  their  proper  places,  f,  m.  Admit  air  until  hard 
frosts,  when  they  should  be  covered  as  directed  for"  Cold 
Frames  ”  under  the  “  Kitchen  Garden.” 

Hedges  may  still  be  planted,  ff.  Leave  evergreen 
hedges  until  next  Spring. 

Lawn— Give  a  coating  of  fine  manure  to  protect  the 
roots  and  enrich  the  soil. 

Ornamental  Work,  such  as  Vases,  Baskets,  Urns, 
Wire  Work,  etc.,  should  now  be  stored  under  cover. 
Repaint  those  needing  it. 

Perennials,  such  as  paeonies,  dicentra,  hollyhocks,  fox¬ 
glove,  etc.,  can  now  be  separated  and  replanted.  They 
will  do  better  than  when  transplanted  in  the  Spring. 

Roses— Plant,  ff,  m.  Take  down  climbing  and  pillar 
sorts,  and  cover  all  tender  ones  with  a  few  inches  of  soil. 
Those  in  pots  should  now  be  returned  to  the  house  or 
conservatory. 

Shrubs  and  Ornamental  Trees— Plant,  ff,  m,  in  appro¬ 
priate  places  upon  the  lawn.  ‘They  usually  give  the  finest 
effect  when  set  in  clumps  or  masses. 

Tender  shrubs  and  small  Trees  require  some  Winter 
protection.  Strawing  up  is  usually  practiced,  but  branch¬ 
es  of  evergreens  set  up  about  them  and  drawn  in  with 
twine,  answer  an  excellent  purpose. 

Greens  ami  Mot  Hoiases. 

These  should  now  be  in  thorough  repair,  well  stocked, 
and  the  collections  intended  for  forcing  supplied  with 
stove  heat.  The  most  that  is  requisite  is  to  keep  an  even 
temperature,  air  freely,  and  water  occasionally. 

Annuals  sown  last  month  are  now  ready  for  potting. 


Bulbs— Put  a  few  in  the  curiously  shaped  pots  shown 
on  page  21  of  this  volume,  (Jan.  No.)  ff,  and  place  them 
in  a  warm  situation  for  forcing.  Others  may  be  kept  in  a 
cooler  location  to  succeed  them. 

Camellias  are  beginning  to  push  out  anew,  and  some 
of  the  flower  buds  are  w  ell  swollen.  Syringe  and  water 
more  freely,  giving  them  light  and  air. 

Chrysanthemums  and  other  plants  brought  in  flower 
from  the  borders,  require  some  heat  and  water. 

Fires— Start  them  only  as  needed  among  the  tender 
plants,  and  those  to  be  forced.  A  little  heat  may  be  ne¬ 
cessary  to  dispel  the  fogs  and  damps  of  this  season  from 
hardy  collections  even. 

Grapes— Prune  and  lay  down,  or  tie  up  vines  which 
have  ripened  their  wood.  Give  them  a  season  of  rest 
now.  If  ihe  roots  are  in  an  outside  border,  cover  it  with 
manure,  straw,  etc. 

Insects— Keep  them  down  by  syringe,  and  with  tobac¬ 
co  fumes.  It  is  far  better  and  much  easier  to  keep  them 
in  check,  than  to  exterminate  them  after  they  have  got  a 
strong  foothold. 

Pots,  Tubs,  and  Boxes  containing  growing  plants, 
should  be  frequently  examined.  Keep  the  drainage  open, 
remove  weeds  and  moss,  loosen  the  soil  and,  add  liquid 
manure  or  rich  earth  to  those  plants  which  are  flagging. 
Prune  or  pinch  to  a  good  form,  and  have  them  all  arranged 
in  a  convenient  handsome  order — the  lower  growing  va¬ 
rieties  in  front. 

Roses— Many  of  these  have  been  brought  from  the 
borders  while  in  bloom.  Strive  to  keep  them  so,  by  prop¬ 
er  warmth,  as  there  will  now  be  a  dearth  of  flowers. 

Soil  for  Potting— Have  a  large  quantity  mixed  under 
cover,  and  in  readiness  for  use. 

Verbenas,  Petunias  and  Pelargoniums— Make  provis¬ 
ion  lor  increasing  the  stock  of  plants.  Shift  a  few  to 
blooming  pots,  and  place  near  the  flues  for  forcing. 

Water— As  few  of  the  plants  are  now  growing  rapidly, 
only  moderate  waterings  will  be  needful. 

Apiary  isa  Mov. 

BY  M.  QUINSY. 

When  bees  are  properly  managed ,  there  is  less  to  be 
done  this  month  than  any  other.  They  do  not  even  re¬ 
quire  the  attention  that  is  necessary  in  the  Winter  months. 
The  first  severe  freezing  seems  to  chill  them  more  than 
the  severity  of  January,  and  any  one  that  was  deterred 
from  making  thorough  examinations  of  his  stocks  through 
fear  had  better  take  advantage  of  this  period  to  effect  it. 
Such  as  can  not  be  wintered  for  want  of  stores,  or  bees, 
had  better  be  taken  up  even  now.  The  benevolence  that 
would  avoid  taking  the  lives  of  bees  now,  and  then  al¬ 
low  them  to  starve,  or  freeze  on  account  of  the  small¬ 
ness  of  the  colony  before  Spring,  is  sadly  misdirected .... 
There  are  often  many  neglected  jobs  about  the  Apiary, 
that  should  now  be  attended  to.  The  surplus  empty  box 
es  that  are  left  on  the  hives  should  be  removed  to  some 
dry  place  before  they  become  moldy  or  rusty.  If  put  where 
the  mice  have  access  to  them,  set  the  holes  downward, 
to  keep  them  from  the  inside.  When  the  bees  are  not  to 
stand  out  through  the  Winter,  the  holes  in  the  top  of  the 
hives  may  be  closed,  and  the  covers  to  the  glass  boxes 
not  in  use  should  be  put  under  shelter.  The  weather  af¬ 
fects  them  more  while  lying  idle,  than  during  all  the  time 
they  are  really  in  use ....  Perhaps  in  the  absence  of  much 
necessary  work,  it  might  be  well  to  get  the  hives  for 
another  year  ready.  Such  hives  as  are  to  receive  a  coat 
of  paint,  can  not  have  it  put  on  too  long  beforehand,  that 
the  rank  smell  may  all  pass  off.  There  is  much  reason  to 
believe  from  the  frequency  that  bees  desert  newly  paint¬ 
ed  hives,  that  it  is  in  consequence  of  the  disagreeable 

odor _ It  is  not  my  province  to  dictate  in  this  place, 

what  hive  shall  be  used,  yet  a  little  advice  may  be  accept¬ 
able  to  beginners.  First.  Let  there  be  no  divisions  in 
the  apartmemt  used  for  brood  and  Winter  stores— It  should 
be  sufficiently  large  for  both  purposes.  An  arrangement 
for  receiving  the  surplus  honey  should  be  combined  with 
any  hive— the  top  seems  to  be  the  proper  place,  as  bees 
work  more  readily  there  than  at  the  side.  Whenever 
urged  to  buy  a  patent  hive,  and  as  an  inducement  to  do  so, 
you  are  told  that  m  consequence  of  its  peculiar  shape, 
bees  will  collect  fabulous  quantities  of  honey,  you  had 
better  signify  your  incredulity,  or  decline  the  purchase. 
One  hive  possesses  no  advantages  over  another  in  this  re¬ 
spect,  if  the  apartment  is  sufficiently  spacious,  and  allows 
the  bees  to  work  in  their  natural  order.  They  will  col¬ 
lect  as  much  honey  in  a  flour  barrel  as  anything.  The  im¬ 
provements  in  a  bee-hive  can  be  only  in  the  facility  of 
managing  the  bees,  dividing  the  surplus  honey  from  the 
Winter  stores,  examining  the  interior,  and  remedying 
any  defect  that  appears,  thus  prolonging  the  existence 
of  the  stock,  etc.,  thereby  indirectly  increasing  the  pro¬ 
duct  of  honey. 

- om - . — 

Breeding  In-and-in. 


BY  A  CATTLE  BREEDER. - NO.  V. 

to  Mr.  Clay’s  extended  reply  to  my  last  communica¬ 
tion  I  have  not  much  to  say,  as  no  new  line  of  argument 
or  additional  matter  to  what  he  has  before  asserted  is  set 
forth.  It  is  not  at  all  probable  that  either  of  us  will  con¬ 
vince  the  other  that  he  is  foiled  in  his  argument,  or  mis¬ 
taken  in  his  position.  To  one  remark  in  Mr.  C’s.  last,  let 
me  refer,  viz. :  the  close  breeding— as  he  prefers  that 
term— of  the  human  family.  That  was  introduced  by  Mr. 
Clay,  after  my  comments  on  his  article  in  the  Ohio  Farm¬ 
er— not  by  me.  I  denied,  from  the  first,  its  immediate  anal¬ 
ogy  to  the  brute  creation,  from  the  superior  mental  organ¬ 
ization  of  humanity  over  the  other  ;  and  what  I  have  re¬ 
marked  in  relation  to  the  human  family  has  been  inci¬ 
dentally,  rather  than  directly,  and  it  stands  for  what  it  is 
worth,  as  the  illustration  of  a  general  principle  in  animal 
physiology. 


Mr.  Clay  will  excuse  me  from  entering  upon  the  con¬ 
troverted  questions  of  the  superiority,  or  inferiority,  of  dif¬ 
ferent  existing  families,  or  bloods  of  imported,  or  improved 
stock,  touched  upon  in  his  last,  as  they  are  not  neces¬ 
sarily  connected  with  our  subject,  and  their  discussion 
would  be  of  no  particular  edification  to  the  public. 

Where  we  do  not  agree  as  to  matters  of  fact,  or  record, 
we  still  must  disagree,  denying  the  correctness  of  each 
other’s  premises  and  authority.  Our  readers  must  judge 
between  us,  and  draw  their  own  conclusions,  as  the  reas¬ 
sertion  of  our  previous  statements  or  positions  will  prob¬ 
ably  not  convince  a  single  reader  who  has  reasoning  pow¬ 
ers  of  his  own.  Therefore  I  will  close  the  subject  on  my 
part  with  a  few  general  remarks  and  illustrations. 

I  consider  it  to  be  perfectly  well  established  in  the  hu¬ 
man  family,  that  where  persons,  diseased,  either  consti¬ 
tutionally  from  birth,  or  chronic,  by  accident,  neglect, 
exposure,  or  other  cause,  produce  children,  those  chil¬ 
dren  will  in  a  majority  of  cases  inherit  such  disease  to 
more  or  less  extent.  It  may  not  appear  for  many  years, 
perhaps  not  at  all,  unless  some  extraordinary  exposure  or 
accident  draws  it  out,  or  develops  it.  Still  such  disease 
is  latent  in  the  system.  Consumption  is  among  such  dis¬ 
eases,  although  generally  supposed  to  arise  solely  from  ex¬ 
posure,  and  the  contraction  of  heavy  cold  in  the  system. 
Scrofula  of  various  kinds,  more  or  less  virulent,  is  anoth¬ 
er,  and  among  the  most  insidious  of  diseases — scarcely 
to  be  eradicated  at  all.  Syphilis,  even,  has  been  per¬ 
petuated  for  several  generations  in  families,  Dy  descent 
only ;  and  prominent  instances  of  the  fact  are  seen  in 
some  of  the  fragmentary  tribes  of  Indians  still  living  in 
our  older  settlements,  the  majority  of  these  on  whom  the 
curse  is  entailed,  dying  years  before  the  meridian  of  life 
is  attained,  so  neglectful  have  they  been  of  medical 
treatment,  and  wholesome  living.  And  all  these  diseases 
exist,  have  existed,  and  will  exist  irrespective  of  whether 
the  intermarried  be  cousins,  or  any- other  degree  of  con¬ 
sanguinity,  or  entire  strangers  in  blood  and  locality,  until 
brought  into  personal  relations  with  each  other. 

Yet,  as  I.have  before  observed,  imagination,  association, 
sympathy,  and  the  various  mental  qualities  with  which 
man  is  endowed,  may,  and  unquestionably  do  affect,  more 
or  less,  his  offspring,  from  the  moment  of  conception  to  that 
of  birth,  and  even  afterwards,  drawn  from  the  breast  of 
the  mother  into  the  child,  and  in  its  physical  organization 
made  a  part  of  its  constitution  and  nature.  Man 
thus  is  a  compound  of  animal  and  mind,  each  act¬ 
ing  through  its  natural  organization  on  the  other, 
according  to  their  separate  and  individual  strength, 
and  so  molding  the  character  of  both  body  and  in¬ 
tellect  to  an  extent  of  which  the  brute  is  physically  in¬ 
capable.  The  instances  I  have  already  given  of  the 
merely  animal  functions  of  the  human  family  being  dam¬ 
aged  by  the  intermarriage  of  blood  relations  under  fa¬ 
vorable  circumstances,  have  fully  substantiated  my  posi¬ 
tion,  even  in  this  line,  which  I  did  not  claim  as  within 
my  original  subject.  And,  to  show  how  widely  different 
is  the  descent  of  mankind  from  those  of  brutes,  I  will 
name  a  familiar  instance  within  my  own  observation. 

I  know  three  brothers  who  married  three  sisters,  and  a 
brother  of  the  sisters  'married  a  sister  of  the  brothers. 
They  were  all  healthy,  well  conditioned,  intelligent  per¬ 
sons,  born  and  brought  up  together  in  the  same  neighbor¬ 
hood.  The  four  families  thus  constituted,  all  had  chil¬ 
dren.  Each  family  of  children  resembled  one  another 
quite  as  much  as  children  of  the  samo  family  usually  do  : 
and  one  would  suppose  that  each  separate  family  of  chil¬ 
dren  would  much  resemble  the  others.  But  such  is  not 
at  all  the  case.  Neither  family  resembles  the  other  in 
feature,  or  idiosyncracy  of  character,  more  than  if  they 
were  entire  strangers,  although  the  four  parents  on  both 
sides  bore  a  marked  family  resemblance  each  to  the  oth 
er,  on  their  own  sides.  And  more  than  all  this,  a  couple 
of  these  double  cousins  have  intermarried,  without  prog 
eny,  as  yet,  but  which,  if  it  ever  appear,  I  shall  look  upon 
with  some  interest. 

Now,  such  a  variety  of  appearance  in  the  offspring  of 
the  brute  creation,  if  of  the  same  breed  or  variety— and 
from  such  only  have  we  a  right  to  expect  truth,  or  homo¬ 
geneousness  in  descent— can  scarcely  be  found.  It  be¬ 
longs  only  to  the  human  family,  and  the  reasons  for  which 
may  be  found  in  what  I  have  already  written  in  previous 
papers. 

In  my  last  paper,  giving  the  pedigrees  of  various  noted 
horses,  and  showing  many  of  them  to  be  very  closely  bred, 
either  in  themselves,  or  their  immediate  ancestry,  I  did 
not  analyze  their  degrees  of  relationship,  as  any  one  cu¬ 
rious  in  that  way  could  readily  do  so  for  himself ;  but 
these  were  full  brothers  and  sisters,  half-brothers  and 
sisters,  sire  and  foal,  and  most  other  degrees  of  relation 
that  could  exist  in  the  way  of  breeding— enough  so  to 
establish  my  position  as  to  the  good  effects,  or  at  least 
the  absence  of  bad  effects  under  proper  circumstances,  of 
breeding  animals  closely  in-and-in. 

I  will  give  still  further  instances.  Those  conversant 
with  the  domestic  history,  habits  and  taste,  of  the  Eng¬ 
lish  people,  have  read  of,  if  not  seen,  that  there  are  kept  by 


824 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Novembe- 


several  noblemen  and  others,  at  their  country  places,  ken¬ 
nels  of  hounds,  terriers,  spaniels,  setters,  pointers,  as  well 
as  other  domestic  fancy  animals,  to  whose  breeding  par¬ 
ticular  attention  has  been  paid.  Many  of  these  are  known 
as  the  Duke  of  so-and-so’s  breed,  or  the  Earl  of  that-and- 
so,  or  Lord  thus-and-so.  Buccleugh,  a  Scottish  Duke, 
has  hounds.  Earl  Derby,  whose  own  blood  traces  back 
to  the  Saxons  before  the  conquest,  and  his  titles  to  a  pe¬ 
riod  soon  after,  glories  in  the  superiority  of  a  gallant  breed 
of  game  cocks.  Lord  Bootley,  boasts  and  glories  after 
his  daily  dinner  over  the  beauties  of  his  dovecote,  in 
which  every  bird  has  its  perfect  complement  of  parti-col¬ 
ored  feathers  in  the  right  place ;  while  Sir  Launcelot 
Hare  wood,  is  quite  satisfied  that  he  has  now  bred  his 
long  eared  rabbits  to  a  degree  of  perfection  in  all  their 
furry  qualities,  hitherto  unattained  by  mortal  man ! 
Even  that  dirtiest  profligate, 
that  ever  disgraced  the  Brit¬ 
ish  throne,  the  third  Stuart, 
and  second  Charles,  could 
not  take  his  morning  walk  in 
a  London  park  without  a 
dozen  diminutive  Spaniel 
dogs  at  his  heels,  which 
down  to  this  day  are  known 
by  no  other  name  than 
“  King  Charles’.”  All  these 
varieties  of  creatures  have 
been  brought  to  their  distinct¬ 
ness  and  uniformity  of  char¬ 
acter  and  looks,  by  persistent 
in-and-in  breeding.  That  is 
their  history  for  untold  gen¬ 
erations  back. 

We  know  a  fine  flock  of 
domestic  pigeons,  descended 
from  two  pairs,  now  living 
on  an  island  secluded  from 
all  other  pigeons,  where  they 
have  lived  and  flourished 

for  years,  bred  in-and-in  continually,  and  as  perfect  in 
form  and  spirit  as  can  be.  We  knew  a  flock  of  beautiful 
China  geeso  on  the  grounds  of  a  friend,  which  are  descend¬ 
ed  from  a  single  pair  imported  from  China  direct  to  this 
country,  many  years  ago,  bred  in-and-in  closely  ever 
since,  and  not  a  single  cross  from  any  others,  now  as 
prolific  almost  as  ducks,  and  still  beautiful  and  vigorous 
as  ever.  To  go  back  to  pigeons,  it  is  well  known  that  the 
female  lays  but  two  eggs  for  a  setting,  and  that  these 
eggs  invariably  produce  a  male  and  female,  which  usu- 


cattle.  To  illustrate  more  fully  some  instances  of  their 
close  breeding,  I  find  in  the  1st  Vol.  American  Short 
Horn  Herd  Book,  a  diagram  of  the  breeding  of  the  bulls 
Favorite  and  Comet,  the  cuts  of  which  I  have  been  ena¬ 
bled  to  loan  from  that  work,  and  which  I  present  below. 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  arriving  at  the  Bull  Foljambe,  No. 
5,  he  is  coupled  with  the  Cow  Lady  Maynard,  No.  10,  and 
they  produce  the  Cow  Pliranix,  No.  11.  On  the  other 
sido  Foljambe  is  coupled  with  the  Cow  Young  Strawber¬ 
ry,  No.  6,  and  they  produce  the  ■•Bull  Bolingbroke,  No.  9, 
a  half  brother,  as  well  as  nephew,  to  Phcenix,  No.  11, 
both  being  got  by  Foljambe,  and  Bolingbroke  a  grandson 
also  to  Lady  Maynard,  No.  10  and  8.  Then  these  two 
last  named  (Bolingbroke  and  Phcenix,  closer  than  half- 
brother  and  sister)  are  coupled,  and  produce  the  Bull  Fa¬ 
vorite,  No.  13.  Then  this  same  bull  favorite  is  coupled 


EXPLANATION. 

1  Bull  Hubback. 

2  Dam  of  CowHaughton. 

S  Richard  Barker’s  Bull. 

4  Cow  Haughton. 

5  Bull  Foljambe. 

6  Cow  Young  Strawberry. 

7  Bull  Dalton  Duke. 

8  and  10  Cow  Lady  Maynard. 

9  Bull  Bolingbroke. 

11  Cow  Phcenix. 

12  Cow  Young  Phosnix. 

13  Bull  Favorite. 

14  Bull  Comet 


ally  pair  of  themselves  when  at 
their  young  In  turn.  Who 
ever  knew  of  an  imbecile,  or 
idiotic  pigeon,  however  bred? 
So,  too,  with  canary-birds, 
which  are  bred  by  thousands 
among  our  German  popula¬ 
tion  in  the  cities— not  in  the 
number  and  sexes  of  their 
eggs  and  young,  but  in  their 
interbreeding.  The  thing,  in¬ 
deed,  is  so  common  with  all 
small  creatures  as  to  cause 
no  remark,  or  even  excite  a 
question  as  to  the  entire  pro¬ 
priety  of  such  close  breeding. 

These  instances  show  that 
nature  breeds  in-and-in 
without  selection,  by  the  tri¬ 
umph  of  the  strong  over  the 
weak.  It  may  be  replied  that 
these  small  or  inferior  ani¬ 
mals  are  of  a  ruder  organiza¬ 
tion  than  the  nobler  classes  of 
farm  stock  ;  that  they  have 
less  intellect,  and  are  not  so 
easily  affected  by  consan¬ 
guinity  of  blood.  We  can 


maturity,  and  produce 


with  his  own  dam,  and  produces  the  Cow  Young  Phce¬ 
nix.  No.  12.  Again  is  Favorite,  No.  13,  connected  with 
his  own  female  progeny,  (out  of  his  own  dam),  this 
cow,  Young  Phoenix,  No.  12,  and  their  produce  is  Comet, 
No.  14,  the  most  magnificent  bull  in  all  England,  which 
Ch.  Colling  sold  at  his  great  sale  for  1000  Guineas=  $5,000! 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  everyone  of  the  animals  in 
this  genealogy  were  of  the  highest  repute  for  blood,  and 
quality.  The  diagram,  No.  2,  will  show  still  further 
and  more  pertinacious,  but  equally  successful  breeding 
by  Robert  Colling  on  his  in-and-in  system. 


Bull  Hubback. 

Son  of  Hubback. 

Cow  of  Son  of  Hubback. 
Bull  Favorite. 

1st  Cow  by  Favorite. 

2nd  ditto. 

3d  ditto. 

4th  ditto, 

only  answer,  that  all  brutes  under  the  dominion  of  man 
are  destitute  alike  of  those  finer  faculties  only  known  to 
humanity,  and  in  that  regard  are  upon  a  level.  Promiscu¬ 
ous,  unhesitating,  sexual  intercourse,  when  in  passion,  is 
their  wont,  and  they  can  only  be  prevented  from  its  in¬ 
dulgence  by  absolute  force.  Hence,  it  is  their  natural 
disposition,  and  the  only  mode  to  govern  the  character  of 
their  offspring,  is  to  properly  select  and  couple  them  in 
their  connection.  The  physical  power  and  habit  prevails 
over  every  other  in  their  conception,  growth  of  foetus,  and 
progress  after  birth,  unless  in  extraordinary  cases  of 
fright,  association  with  strange  objects,  or  accident  occur¬ 
ring  to  the  female  parent,  either  at  the  moment  of  concep¬ 
tion  or  during  pregnancy,  and  this  altogether  irrespective 
of  what  blood  relation  she  may  hold  to  the  siro  of  her  young. 

In  a  former  paper  I  spoke  of  the  in-and-in  system  of 
breeding  of  the  Colling  brothers  with  their  Short  Horn 


4  Favorite  again,  erandsirc  of 
Wellington,  the  Sire  of 
Clarissa.  No.  11  Favor¬ 
ite’s  own  6th  grand  daugh¬ 
ter  on  the  other  side. 

IS  Cow  Phoenix. 

17  Bull  Bolingbroke. 

IS  Grand-daughter  of  Hubback. 


EXPLANATION. 

9  5th  ditto. 

10  6th  ditto. 

11  Cow  Clarissa. 

12  Bull  Wellington,  Site  of 

Clarissa. 

13  Bull  Comet. 

14  Cow  Wildair. 

15  Cow  Young  Phcenix. 

In  this  diagram  it  appears  that  the  bull  Favorite,  No.  4, 

(on  the  right  hand)  was  coupled  with  the  cow  No.  3,  by 
son  of  Hubback,  No.  2.  (somewhat  related  to  Favorite, 
through  his  progenitor,  Hubback.)  Their  (Favorite  and 
cow  by  son  of  Hubback)  produce  was  the  1st  cow  by  Fa¬ 
vorite,  No.  5.  Favorite  was  put  to  this  cow  No.  5,  (his 
own  daughter)  and  produced  No.  6,  (his  grand-daughter 
by  his  offspring)  and  so  on  in  continuous  succession  for 
six  generations,  arriving  at  No.  10.  Then  this  cow,  No. 
10,  is  met  on  the  other  side  with  the  bull  Wellington,  No. 
12,  deeply  interbred  on  the  side  of  both  sire  and  dam  in 
the  blood  of  Favorite,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  diagram,  and 
the  cow  Clarissa  is  produced— a  capital  beast  in  quality, 
and  one  of  whose  daughters,  Restless,  became  afterwards 
a  breeding  cow  in  Sir  Charles  Knightly’s  herd,  one  of  the 
best  in  England.  In  all  these  cases — deeply  interbred 
from  the  start- a  continuous  success  in  the  quality  of  tho 


animals  was  the  result,  by  men  who  knew  what  kind  <y- 
animals  to  select  for  their  purposes,  and  having  selected, 
knew  how  to  use  them.  It  may  be  thought  by  my  read¬ 
ers  that  the  subject  is  exhausted.  If  so,  this  paper  will 
end  it.  I  leave  them  to  judge  whether  the  position  which 
I  first  assumed,  to  wit :  in-and-in  breeding  with  the  right 
kind  of  animals  is  not  prejudicial ;  but  on  the  contrary, 
properly  understood  and  practiced,  improvement  will  be  the 
result.  Further,  I  do  not  hesitate  so  say,  that  unskillful - 
ly  applied,  in-and-in  breeding  is  the  very  worst  practice  a 
stock  breeder  can  adopt. 


Bedding  for  Cattle. 


The  importance  of  this  is  conceded  for  the 
horse,  and  most  humane  owners  provide  straw 
or  refuse  hay  to  put  the  nag  at  his  ease  when  lie 
lies  down  in  his  stable.  It  is  quite  as  important 
for  all  the  ruminant  animals  that  we  have  domes¬ 
ticated.  Instinct  prompts  them  to  seek  the  dry- 
est,  warmest  spot  in  the  pasture  for  their  repose, 
and  Nature  spreads  for  them  the  soft  green  turf, 
quite  as  much  for  their  rest,  as  for  their  susten¬ 
ance.  The  wise  farmer  will  profit  by  Nature’s 
hint,  and  when  he  stables  his  cattle  for  the  Win¬ 
ter,  will  provide  dry  warm  beds. 

Bedding  favors  the  accumulation  of  fat  and 
muscle,  by  helping  to  retain  the  animal  heat,  and 
promoting  quiet  and  comfort.  It  also  promotes 
the  secretion  of  milk  in  cows,  for  the  same  rea¬ 
sons.  Any  one  can  satisfy  himself  on  this  point, 
by  experimenting  with  a  cow  a  week  in  a  well 
bedded  stable,  and  a  second  week  upon  the  bare 
ground  in  the  barn  yard.  Cows  in  milk  are  kept 
much  cleaner  with  a  good  bed,  and  this  is  an 
item  of  prime  importance,  with  all  who  love  clean 
milk.  Quite  a  variety  of  substances  are  used 
for  bedding.  Straw  and  hay  are  the  most  com¬ 
mon,  as  they  are  the  most  convenient,  especi¬ 
ally  to  farmers  who  raise  grain  largely,  or 
who  have  a  good  deal  of  swamp  land,  yielding 
poor  hay. 

In  cities  and  villages,  they  are  often  too  costly, 
and  this  has  led  to  various  substitutes,  some  of 
them  quite  as  good  as  straw,  and  having  this  ad¬ 
vantage,  that  they  add  very  much  to  the  manure 
heap.  Dry  saw-dust,  from  saw  and  shingle  mills, 
and  the  fine  chips  and  shavings  from  planing  mills, 
all  make  good  bedding.  Spent  tan  bark,  when 
dried  in  the  sun,  also  serves  the  same  purpose, 
and  makes  a  much  more  valuable  manure.  Eel- 
grass  is  also  much  used  for  this  purpose,  by  the  sea 
shore  farmers,  and  answers  well.  Leaves  from 
the  forest,  especially  those  of  hard  wood  trees, 
make  a  still  better  bed,  and  form  one  of  tho  best 
composts  for  the  garden  or  field. 

Dried  turf  from  a  salt  marsh  is,  on  the  whole, 
the  best  bedding  we  have  ever  used  in  our  sta¬ 
ble.  It  is  cut  in  Summer,  in  blocks  of  about  a 
cubic  foot  each,  dried  in  the  sun  a  few  weeks, 
and  then  stored  under  cover  for  use.  It  is  very 
light,  spongy,  and  absorbs  urine  better  than  any 
thing  we  have  ever  tried.  A  layer  of  it  under  a 
horse  will  last  about  two  weeks  before  it  is  sat¬ 
urated.  It  is  then  thrown  into  the  barn  cellar,  to 
undergo  fermentation. 

One  great  advantage  of  this,  and  of  the  saw¬ 
dust  and  tan-bark  is,  that  they  put  the  animal 
heat  of  the  stock  to  an  economic  use.  It  pro¬ 
motes  the  decomposition  of  the  vegetable  matter, 
and  swells  the  manure  heap  very  rapidly. 

Any  one,  or  all  of  these  materials  are  exceed¬ 
ingly  valuable  in  the  stable,  and  the  stock  owner 
should  use  them  as  largely  as  possible,  for  the 
purpose  of  increasing  his  stock  of  fertilizers. 

Chinch  Bug.— The  Ogle  County  (III.)  Reporter 
says  that  a  farmer  checked  the  ravages  of  the 
Chinch-bug  by  strewing  a  breadth  or  line  across 
his  corn  field  with  air-slaked  lime. 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


335 


We  present  above  a  section  of  an  original  plan 
for  a  room,  to  be  constructed  in  a  chamber  or  at¬ 
tic,  where  hams  may  be  cured  with  the  smoke  from 
a  common  chimney,  and  be  left  suspended  there 
for  keeping.  The  room  may  be  of  any  convenient 
size  and  bight— 5  or  6  feet  square  would  do 
Two  openings,  B  and  C,  are  made  in  the  side  of 
the  chimney,  one  near  the  bottom,  and  the  other 
near  the  top.  Sheet  iron  slides,  not  shown  in 
the  engraving,  serve  to  open  and  shut  these  aper¬ 
tures.  By  turning  the  damper,  d ,  and  opening  the 
slides,  the  smoke  is  turned  through  B  from  the 
chimney  into  the  smoke  room,  and  it  passes  into 
the  chimney  again  through  C.  The  hams,  or 
other  meats  to  be  smoked,  are  hung  upon  arms 
and  hooks  projecting  from  an  upright  shaft,  which 
turns  on  pivots  at  the  bottom  and  top,  so  as  to 
change  the  position  of  the  meat,  and  smoke  it  uni¬ 
formly.  To  be  perfectly  secure  against  fire,  the 
rooms  should  have  brick  sides,  and  a  floor  of  zinc, 
sheet  iron,  bricks,  or  stones.  Plastered  walls, 
without  base-boards,  might  be  safe  ;  the  only  dan¬ 
ger  being  from  sparks,  as  no  fire  is  needed  inside. 

■ -  ■<!»  <l  - . 

A  Corn  Cleaner 


The  accompanying  engraving  we  make  from  a 
sketch  and  description  sent  us  by  Geo.  A.  San¬ 
born.  The  implement  is  simple  in  construction, 
and  can  be  easily  made  by  any  one.  It  is  not 
patented.  Mr.  Sanborn  writes,  he  has  one  in  use, 
and  he  likes  it  much. 

Two  side  and  two 
end  boards  are  nailed 
together  in  the  form 
of  a  wagon  box.  The 
part,  a,  is  bottomed 
with  thin  boards,  and 
has  two  small  wings 
nailed  in  at  the  lower 
end,  to  throw  the  corn 
towards  the  middle 
of  b,  where  a  fine 
sieve  lies  upon  cleats. 

At  c,  a  coarser  sieve,  taken  from  a  common  fan¬ 
ning  mill,  is  laid  in.  The  lower  end  of  the  cleaner 
is  supported  by  the  wooden  bench,  and  the  upper 
end  by  the  upright  pieces,  g,  g.  The  corn  is 
thrown  upon  a  ;  it  slides  down  over  b,  which  is 
just  coarse  enough  to  let  the  chaff  drop  through. 
The  next  sieve,  c,  lets  the  corn  pass  through  it, 
into  a  bag,  but  retains  the  cobs.  The  whole  is  set 
at  such  an  angle  that  the  corn  and  cobs  will  readily 

slide  down  without  shaking. - This  apparatus 

may  be  useful  where  a  fanning  mill  is  not  at  hand, 
and  also  for  readily  carrying  to  the  crib  and  else¬ 
where  ;  but  for  ordinary  use  the  fanning  mill  will 
answer  every  purpose  ;  and  what  is  more,  blow 
out  the  fine  chaff  and  dust. 


Machine  for  Making  Drain  Tiles. 

Cultivators  have  become  so  generally  convinced 
of  the  immense  advantages  of  tile  drains,  that 
there  is  springing  up  all  over  the  country  a  de¬ 
mand  for  tiles — a  demand  which  is  very  inade¬ 
quately  met  by  the  few  scattering  manufacto¬ 
ries  located  here  and  there.  The  expense  of 
tiles,  including  a  high  price  paid  to  the  manufac¬ 
turers  and  especially  the  large  cost  of  transporta¬ 
tion,  still  stands  greatly  in  the  way  of  their  gen¬ 
eral  use.  Numerous  inquiries  are  constantly 
addressed  to  us  in  regard  to  the  best  kind  of  ma¬ 
chines  for  making  tiles,  their  cost,  etc. 

We  can  best  answer  these  inquiries  by  bring¬ 
ing  to  noiice  a  comparatively  new  machine, 
which  after  a  recent  careful  examination  of  its 
construction,  and  of  its  practical  working,  we  i 
think  to  be  the  best  machine  for  common  use, 
which  we  have  yet  seen — and  we  believe  we 


14  inches.  As  fast  as  formed,  tho  boards  arc 
taken  up  by  hand  and  carried  to  the  drying  racks. 
There  are  a  number  of  ingenious  contrivances 
for  opening  and  shutting  the  piston  box,  removing 
and  cleaning  the  screen,  etc.,  which  can  only  be 
understood  by  an  examination  of  the  machine. 

The  whole  apparatus  is  nearly  automatic— the 
rough  clay  is  shoveled  in,  and  the  team  or  other 
power  started  ;  the  clay  is  worked,  and  comes  out 
in  perfect  well  made  tiles,  and  all  without  the 
slightest  attention,  save  to  keep  the  team  in  mo¬ 
tion,  and  carry  away  the  ready  formed  tiles  to  the 
drying  sheds.  This  is  a  great  improvement  upon 
other  machines  now  in  use,  which  require  the 
clay  to  be  worked  in  a  separate  mill,  and  then 
screened  in  another,  involving  much  more  time 
and  labor. 

Pipe  tiles  are  burned  in  the  same  manner  as 
bricks,  and  this  machine  being  small,  and  com¬ 
plete  in  itself,  may  be  put  up  and  at  once  set  to 


DRAIN-TILE  MANUFACTORY. 


have  examined  all  the  various  machines  yet 
put  into  operation  in  this  country.  The  machine 
referred  to,  though  patented  18  months  since,  has 
not  been  brought  prominently  enough  before  the 
public,  owing  to  the  straightened  circumstances 
of  the  ingenious  and  indefatigable  inventor,  and 
on  this  account  we  take  the  more  pleasure  in 
speaking  of  its  merits.  We  refer  to  the  Tile 
Machine  constructed  by  F.  M.  Mattice,  now  at 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.  (formerly  a  resident  of  Ohio,  we 
believe). 

In  the  foreground  of  the  accompanying  engrav¬ 
ing  is  one  of  these  machines  in  operation.  On 
the  right,  the  unburned  tiles  are  shown  upon 
racks  for  drying,  from  which  they  are  transferred 
to  the  kiln  for  burning,  exhibited  in  the  left  of  the 
picture.  'The  machine  itself  is  a  very  ingenious 
one.  It  would  be  impossible  to  fully  explain  its 
operation  without  a  variety  of  engravings,  and 
much  more  space  for  description  than  we  can 
now  spare. 

In  general  terms  we  may  say  :  The  clay  is 
first  dug  and  thrown  into  a  heap,  sufficient  water 
being  added  to  give  it  the  proper  working  con¬ 
sistence.  It  is  then  shoveled  into  the  upright, 
drum  which  holds,  say  four  or  five  barrels.  Inside 
of  this  are  a  series  of  arms  and  knives,  so  to  call 
them,  which  cut  arid  work  the  clay  sufficiently 
for  molding.  At  each  revolution  a  portion  of  the 
low'er  part  of  the  clay  is  pressed  into  a  piston  box, 
standing  partly  under  one  edge  of  the  drum.  The 
box  then  closes,  and  the  piston,  or  follower,  forces 
the  clay  through  a  screen  which  takes  out  stones 
and  lumps,  and  tempers  it  still  more.  The  clay 
comes  together  in  a  mass  on  the  other  side  of  the 
screen,  and  is  then  forced  out  through  the  dies, 
in  two  or  three  long  tubes  of  any  desired  form. 
These  tubes  rest  upon  short  boards  lying  on  an 
endless  apron  A  frame  with  fine  wires  stretch¬ 
ed  across  it  at  proper  distances  cuts  these  tubes 
into  pieces  of  any  desired  length,  usually  about 


work  wherever  a  clay  bed  is  at  hand  with  fuel  for 
burning,  and  lumber  enough  to  construct  the  dry¬ 
ing  sheds.  For  particulars  as  to  form  and  cost  of 
sheds,  etc  ,  address  the  inventor  as  above.  These 
machines  will  be  furnished  complete,  set  up  and 
started  at  work,  satisfactorily,  for  from  $200  to 
$350  we  believe,  depending  upon  the  size,  capa¬ 
city,  distance  to  be  transported,  amount  ofgearing, 
etc.  The  one  we  saw  in  operation,  turned  out 
some  300  to  350  two-inch  tubular  tiles  per  hour, 
when  driven  at  the  slow  walking  gait  of  horses. 

It  will  be  more  convenient  to  use  the  machine 
in  connection  with  a  brick-yard  already  in  opera¬ 
tion,  for  the  purpose  of  having  burning  kilns,  and 
experienced  burners,  ready  at  hand,  but  as  above 
remarked,  it  may  be  set  up,  and  worked  at  any 
point  convenient  to  save  transporting  of  tiles. 
We  would  be  glad  to  see  one  in  every  township 
where  clay  is  accessible.  We  expect  to  put  down 
a  lot  of  tiles  soon  on  our  place,  12  miles  east  of  this 
city,  but  the  most  accessible  point  from  which 
we  can  obtain  them  is  at  Albany,  150  miles  up  the 
Hudson  river,  and  to  the  present  high  price  at 
the  manufactory  we  must  add  transportation,  as 
well  as  carting  and  handling  two  or  three  times, 
which  increases  the  cost  nearly  one-half ;  and 
"yet  we  are  not  so  badly  off  as  thousands  of  farm¬ 
ers  who  would  gladly  lay  dowm  considerable 
quantities  of  tile  at  this  time  if  they  were  to  be 
had.  This  fact  is  a  sufficient  excuse  for  the  space 
we  have  given  to  the  subject,  and  the  high  terms 
in  which  we  have  spoken  of  an  implement  that 
we  think  will  meet  a  great  want  of  the  country. 

— —  -  -  ■  -<o— 4  ■  i a ^ —  >-o»-  -  —  -- 

Bees. — A  large  number  of  letters  on  Bees  have 
come  in  at  a  late  date — too  late  to  be  examined, 
culled,  and  prepared  for  this  paper,  which  goes 
to  press  earlier  than  usual.  Articles  on  any  topic 
should  generally  be  on  hand  by  the  first  of  the 
month  preceding  publication  date,  as  we  then,  or 
before,  lay  out  the  work  for  the  next  issue. 


326 


AMERICAN  AGRICULT  URIST. 


Advertising1  Information— Gratis. . .  .Y. 

(Continued  from  page  296.) 

[As  this  paper  goes  to  a  large  number  of  new  readers, 
it  may  be  well  to  explain  that  the  object  of  these  articles 
is  to  inform  the  public  as  to  the  real  character  of  a  class 
of  taking  advertisements  afloat  all  over  the  country,  which 
are  so  worded  as  to  require  a  letter,  and  usually  stamps 
or  money  enclosed,  before  one  knows  whether  they  are 
deceptive  or  not.  Our  plan  is,  to  have  a  letter  written 
and  mailed  at  some  distant  P.  O.,  signed  by  some  friend, 
and  the  answer  is  then  forwarded  to  us,  and  the  result 
here  given.  In  this  way  one  single  letter  answers  for  all 
our  leaders.  We  have  abundant  evidence  thatinthis 
way,  and  by  guarding  people  against  the  traps  of  humbugs, 
we  have,  during  the  present  year,  saved  the  community  at 
least  $300,060,  or  more  than  six  times  as  much,  as  they 
have  paid  for  sustaining  the  Agriculturist.  Take  a 
single  item  only.  Plans  were  laid  deep  and  wide  for  the 
sale  of  that  “  Honey  Blade  Grass  ”  the  country  over.  A 
single  manufactory  was  to  make  100,000  of  the  $3  bags. 
Our  exposure  nipped  the  thing  almost  in  the  bud,  or  at 
least  when  only  13,000  bags  had  been  taken.  This  fact, 
which  we  have  but  recently  learned,  together  with  other 
items  of  similar  import,  indicate  that  our  article  saved 
the  country  from  100,000  to  200,000  dollars  in  one  item.] 

Safe  Rules. — Since  we  commenced  these  in¬ 
vestigations,  we  have  addressed  a  hundred  'or 
more  advertising  parties,  and  spent  not  a  few 
dollars,  and  “  stamps.”  As  the  result,  we  give 
the  following  advice :  Never  send  any  money 
or  postage  stamps,  nor  even  your  name,  to  any  ad¬ 
vertiser  who  does  not  come  out  fairly  and  square¬ 
ly  and  tell  exactly  what  is  the  character  of  his 
business,  what  it  costs,  etc.,  etc.  If  you  do,  you 
are  likely  to  be  swindled  in  some  unexpected  way. 
As  a  general  thing,  no  one  will  seek  your  address 
even,  unless  for  some  scheme  to  get  your  money 
without  an  equivalent.  It  is  perfectly  certain 
that  any  one  offering  a  great  fortune  for  a  trifling 
sum,  is  a  humbug.  No  one  would  sell  a  splendid 
money  making  chance  for  a  “  few  stamps,”  or  a 
few  dollars  even — he  would  himself  secure  the 
prize  if  there  was  one,  instead  of  selling  it  for  a 
song.  As  an  illustration  of  this  last  statement  let 
us  take  from  our  loaded  desk 

[No.  15  i 


This  portrait  we  transfer  from  a  “  Circular,” 

sent  to  a  friend,  by  a  Dr. - ■,  who  was  driven 

from  New-York  and  then  from  Philadelphia  by 
the  police,  but  who  now  hails  from  Cincinnati, 
whence  he  is  scattering  his  advertisements  and  cir¬ 
culars  broadcast  over  the  country,  and  by  his  spe¬ 
cious  pretences  is  gathering  money  from  the  trust¬ 
ing  simple-hearted  in  untold  sums.  He  publish¬ 
es  pretended  letters  and  statements  from  distin¬ 
guished  characters  and  societies,  to  convince  the 
unwary  that  he  his  able  to  tell  unerringly,  what 
tickets  to  buy  in  lotteries,  in  order  to  secure  im¬ 


mense  prizes.  He  offers  for  a  fee  of  $5  to  secure 
you.  a  prize  of  $100  to  $500  ;  and  soon  up  to  a 
prize  of  $30,000  for  a  fee  of  $120.  He  however 
modestly  invites  you,  if  at  all  doubting,  to  test  his 
ability  by  sending  $5  first,  but  says,  when  you 
get  the  prize,  for  that,  you  will  regret  that  on  ac¬ 
count  of  doubtfulness  “  you  have  ceased  the  For¬ 
tune  which  was  offered.”  (We  don’t  doubt  your 
regret  when  you  get  your  first  prize).  The  above 
cut  is  introduced  by  him,  we  suppose,  to  illustrate 
the  joy  of  the  one  who  invested  $120  with  this 
“  seventh  son  of  a  seventh  son,”  and  thereby  drew 
$30,000.  The  Doctor  must  have  sat  for  his  own 
portrait — those  teeth  indicate  the  biting  villain 
himself.  It  would  be  supposed  that  the  simplest 
hearted  man  alive  would  ask,  why  the  “  Doctor  ” 
does  not  help  himself  to  these  $30,000  prizes  ;  but 
we  have  evidence  that  multitudes  are  gulled  by 
his  specious  pretences — and  for  such  we  write. 
The  sick  need  a  physician.  We  will  not  dwell 
upon  the  Doctor’s  “  Magical  Electric  Stones  ” 
that  will  infallibly  point  the  purchaser  to  rich 
mines,  which  the  Dr.  generously  gives  to  those 
who  will  pay  him  $5.  We  invite  the  attention  of 
the  Cincinnati  authorities  to  this  “  seventh  son 
of  the  seventh  son,”  a  villain  of  the  49th  power, 
whose  name,  reputed  place  of  business  in  thatcity, 
and  other  items,  we  shall  be  happy  to  furnish. 
In  the  meantime,  let  our  readers  beware  of 
all  circulars,  etc,  purporting  to  come  from  any 
one  named  “  Roback.” 

[No.  15. 1 

TGWERY  Farmer  his  own  Tea  Grower. — 

-H— ^Capt.  Kayman  lias  arrived  from,  Hong  Kong  with  200 
healthy  tea  plants,  warranted  to  grow  in,  every  St;ate.  One  slip 
increases  in  two  years  to  5,000  pounds.  Price  $5,  with  direc¬ 
tions.  Immediate  applications  necessary.  Number  limited. 
Address,  etc. 

Wonderful  indeed  !— A  tea  plant  that  is  “  war¬ 
ranted  to  grow  in  any  State  ”  and  “  one  slip  will 
increase  to  5000  lbs.  in  two  years.”  Why,  these 
will  be  worth  two  thousand  dollars.  We  must 
have  the  Captain’s  whole  stock  of  200  plants,  and 
then  in  “  two  years  ”  we  shall  have  one  million 
pounds,  aye,  and  much  more,  for  a  single  “  slip 
will  yield  5000  lbs.”,  and  we’ll  cut  our  “  healthy 
plants  ”  into  a  hundred  “  slips  ”  each,  and  then  we 
shall  get  a  hundred  million  pounds  in  two  years  ! 
Whew  !  how  rich  we  already  feel. . .  .But,  like  the 
maid  of  the  milk  pail,  how  are  our  hopes  upset — 
our  chickens,  too,  are  yet  in  the  shell.  We 
promptly  wrote  the  “captain”  (per  a  friend),  of¬ 
fering  to  take  his  whole  lot,  or  any  part  of  them, 
and  begging  to  know  where  we  could  meet  him 
to  see  the  plants,  and  pay  over  the  cash.  (We 
didn’t  like  to,  and  didn't  enclose  the  $5.)  But 
up  to  this  hour  we  can’t  get  a  word  from  the 
captain,  nor  can  we,  after  diligent  search,  find  his 
whereabouts.  Capt.  Kayman,  answer  our  letter 
right  off,  or  we  shall  tell  the  world  the  truth,  to 
wit :  You  are  a  humbug  ! 

[No.  17.] 

AGENTS  WANTED.  No  humbug. 

Send  red  stamp  to - , - ,  Me. 

Sold  again,  but  not  badly.  One-third  of  our 
“  red  stamp  ”  paid  the  postage  back  on  a  long 
circular,  telling  us  of  fifty  ways  to  make 
money,  which  fifty  ways  we  could  have  for  33^ 
more  red  stamps,  or  $1.  The  secrets  you  offer, 
Mr.  Main-e(ac),  we  have  all  by  heart.  They  have 
been  offered  by  a  hundred  other  “  patentees,”  and 
many  of  them  we  have  already  published.  You 
can’t  have  our  “  dollar.” 

[No.  13.] 

QPC  RECTPES  and  a  BOOK  CATALO- 

sent  free.  Address - ,  Brasher  Falls,  N.  Y. 

Good.  No  “  stamps  ”  wanted  here,  and  25  re¬ 
cipes  gratis  with  a  “Booh  Catalogue.”  A  friend 
addressd  him,  and  got  the  25  recipes,  etc.,  for 
us,  all  printed  on  a  very  little  sheet.  Pshaw  ! 
they  have  mostly  been  published  in  this  paper, 


long  since.  Among  them  is  the  “honey  recipe” 
again.  Dr.  Creager,  “  Patentee,”  will  take  notice. 
(See  October  No.,  page  296.)  The  “  Book  cata¬ 
logue  ”  names  some  fair  books  sold  everywhere, 
some  indecent,  and  many  worthless  ones,  all  for 
sale  by  the  advertiser.  But  all  this  is  apparently 
only  a  cover  for  a  circular  enclosed,  of  the  most 
indecent  character,  too  much  so,  to  be  described 
even.  The  Postmaster  of  Brasher  Falls  will 
please  take  notice  that  this  advertiser  sends  aut 
two  circulars  under  one  penny  stamp. 

[No.  19  ] 

“"WONDERFUL  !  WONDERFUL  !  ” 

*  v  Full  instructions  by  which  any  person  can  master 
the  art  of  Ventriloquism  in  a  few  hours  practice.  Sent  free  to 
any  one  for  25c.  Address - ,  Philadelphia 

A  friend  enclosed  the  “  quarter,”  and  received 
a  printed  slip  with  the  “Full  instructions.”  It 
commences:  “ The  first  grand  secret  of  Ventri¬ 
loquism  is  speaking  with  the  mouth  closed."  (Such 
an  art  would  be  invaluable  for  some  folks  we  know 
of.)  A  little  further  on  we  read  :  “  A  little  open¬ 
ing  must  be  left  at  the  left  corner.”  “When  imi¬ 
tating  another  person,  you  must  try  and  force  the 
voice  into  the  belly  as  much  as  possible.”  (Won¬ 
der  if  talking  backwards  will  do  this.)  Finally, 
to  “  throw  your  voice  anywhere,  you  would  only 
have  to  think  how  it  would  sound,  and  imitate  it 
as  near  as  possible  ”  !  ! !  Accompanying  the  little 
slip  was  a  circular,  describing  a  book  called  the 
“Silent  Friend,”  which  professed  to  teach  all  things 
impossible,  with  not  a  few  indecent,  and  which 
would  be  sent  for  $1.  That’s  all. 

[No.  20.] 

HO!  FOR  FISHING! 

Those  fond  of  fishing:  will  address,  with  15  cents,  - - , 

North  Strafford,  N.  H. 

“  Fishing  ”  is  our  business  now,  so  we  just 
“  dropped  a  line  ”  to  North  Strafford,  baited  with 
15  cents,  in  hopes  of  good  sport.  For  a  long  time, 
nothing  came,  but  patience  is  the  fisherman’s 
virtue.  Ah  !  here  come  two  letters  from  Strafford 
at  one  haul,  one  written  the  other  printed.  Mr. 

- ,  keeps  our  15  cents,  without  any  equivalent, 

and  intimates,  that  the  bait  isn’t  heavy  enough. 
He  says  he  has  in  his  possession  several  arts  and 
secrets  by  which  all  kinds  of  fish  can  be  caught 
in  any  water,  as  fast  as  they  can  be  picked  up. 
He  has  five  ways  of  taking  them  with  a  hook, 
and  the  Chinese  art  for  taking  them  without  hook, 
or  net,  never  before  published  in  this  country.  (1) 
Send  him  $5  and  he  will  forward  the  recipes. 

Mr. - ,  you  slipped  that  15  cents  off  our  line  so 

nicely,  that  we  are  afraid  to  try  the  $5  bait. 
Your  Chinese  art,  however,  we  will  publish. 
We  “  hooked  ”  it,  not  from  you,  but  by  a  “  line  ” 
sent  out  West.  Here  it  is  : 

CHINESE  ART  OF  CATCHING  FISH.-Take  Coc- 
culus  Indicus ,  pulverize,  and  mix  with  dough,  then  scatter 
it  broadcast  over  the  water,  as  you  would  sow  seed.  The 
fish  will  seize  it  with  great  avidity,  and  will  instantly  be¬ 
come  so  completely  intoxicated  that  they  will  turn  belly 
up,  on  the  top  of  the  w  ater,  by  dozens,  hundreds,  or  thou¬ 
sands,  as  the  case  may  be.  All  that  you  now  have  to  do 
is  to  have  a  boat  or  other  convenience  to  gather  them  up, 
and  as  you  gather,  put  them  into  a  tub  of  clean  water, 
and  presently  they  will  be  as  lively  and  healthy  as  ever. 
This  means  of  taking  fish  and  the  manner  of  doing  it,  has 
heretofore  been  known  to  but  very  few.  Tile  value  of 
such  knowledge  admits  of  no  question.  This  manner  of 
taking  fish  does  not  injure  their  flesh  in  the  least.  [Yes  it 
does  poison  them. — Ed.] 


( To  be  continued  as  needed .) 


Agricultural  Humbug  at  Washington. — That 
stupendous  humbug,  the  so-called  “  Agricultural 
Department  of  the  Patent  Office,”  we  have  had 
frequent  occasion  to  show  up  in  these  columns, 
and  we  were  preparing  to  pay  our  respects  to  it 
again  on  the  assembling  of  Congress.  But  we 
are  saved  that  unpleasant  labor.  The  department 
is  closed.  The  sensible  Commissioner  of  Patents, 
finding  no  better  way  to  deal  with  the  incumbent 
D.  J.  Browne,  has  dismissed  him,  and  shut  up  the 
shop,  refusing  to  even  ask  Congress  for  further 
appropriations.  Let  Congress  now  establish  a 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


327 


new,  independent  “  Department  of  Agriculture,” 
and  put  at  the  head  of  it  some  honest ,  intelligent 
man,  and  we  may  then  have  something  that  will 
be  not  only  a  vast  benefit  to  the  country  at  large, 
but  a  credit  to  us  as  an  agricultural  people.  Of 
the  rumored  $100,000  defalcation  in  the  “Gov¬ 
ernment  Seed  Store,”  we  shall  have  more  to  say 
when  the  truth  is  known. 

- - =»-* - - - — 

Written  for  the  American  Agriculturist. — Prize  Articles . 

Farm  Fencing . VIII. 

In  addition  to  the  varieties  of  farm  fence  which 
we  have  described,  the  last,  and  as  yet  doubtful 
application  of  the  Wire  Fence,  remains  to  be  con¬ 
sidered.  Were  our  climate  more  equable  in  its 
temperature,  we  think  there  could  be  little  or  no 
question  of  the  entire  practicability  of  wire  being 
extensively  used  as  a  cheap  and  sufficient  substi¬ 
tute  for  boards.  The  writer  has  seen  it  adopted 
with  good  effect  on  some  farms,  and  on  others, 
under  like  apparent  circumstances,  it  proved  a 
failure.  Intense  frost  contracts,  or  excessive 
heat  expands  the  wire  in  length  ;  consequently 
there  is  a  difficulty  in  giving  the  wires,  as  they 
stretch  along  the  several  posts,  such  exact  de¬ 
grees  of  strain  or  tension,  as  will  contract  with 
the  frost,  without  breaking,  or  stretch  with  the 
heat  without  sagging  to  a  degree  of  preventing 
its  efficiency  against  unruly  cattle. 

It  is  our  opinion,  however,  that  a  good  wire 
fence  can  be  made  to  stand  ;  and  entertaining 
such  opinion,  we  proceed  to  describe  the  mode 
of  making  it  according  to  the  best  lines  of  fence 
that  we  have  seen,  and  which  have  thus  far  prov¬ 
ed  themselves  permanent  in  their  object. 

At  the  end  of  the  fence  line,  plant  a  stout,  dur¬ 
able,  heavy  post,  at  least  three  feet  in  the  ground, 
the  earth  well  tamped,  so  that  it  shall  stand  per¬ 
pendicular — and  if  there  is  any  doubt  about  it, 
brace  the  post  on  the  straining  side,  so  as  to  render 
it  secure.  Then  plant  a  line  of  common  sized 
fence  posts,  either  split  or  sawed — no  matter 
which — at  intervals  of  about  sixty  feet,  if  the 
whole  line  of  fence  does  not  extend  more  than 
four  or  five  hundred  feet.  If  the  line  is  a  very 
long  one,  say  half  a  mile  or  more,  let  a  post  like 
the  corner  or  commencing  one  be  inserted  at 
every  five  or  six  hundred  feet  distance,  on  which 
the  wires  can  be  effectually  wound  from  either 
way  as  a  permanent  fastening  for  the  whole  line 
of  wires  so  stretched.  Through  the  end  or  com¬ 
mencing  post,  bore  quarter,  or  half  inch  holes,  be¬ 
ginning  at  a  foot  from  the  bottom,  or  nearer  if  it 
be  necessary,  and  at  about  a  foot,  or  less,  or  more, 
distance  apart — depending  on  the  creatures  to  be 
fenced  against — until  it  is  as  high  from  the 
ground,  as  the  fence  is  wanted  when  finished. 
Thus  there  is  a  line  of  posts  in  range,  and  the 
first  one  bored  is  a  guide  for  all  the  others. 

As  to  the  Wire  and  its  size.  None  but  wire 
of  the  best  and  toughest  quality  should  be 
used,  and  the  size  may  vary  from  that  of 
a  common  goose  quill  down  to  a  rye  straw,  or 
about  number  9.  The  smaller  size,  we  think,  taken 
altogether,  is  as  good  as  the  larger,  besides  being 
much  cheaper,  and  easier  managed.  To  make 
the  wire  perfect  in  quality,  and  most  durable,  let 
it  be  annealed,  or  thoroughly  heated  to  near  or 
quite  red  heat  while  in  the  coil,  and  afterward 
boiled  or  scalded  in  linseed  oil.  The  heating  makes 
it  soft  and  pliable,  without  breaking  at  a  short 
bend  or  twist.  The  oiling  makes  it  impervious 
to  rust  for  some  years,  taking  the  place  of  paint. 

To  prepare  the  wire  for  stretching  into  the 
fence  after  annealed  and  oiled,  it  should  be  wound 
off  on  to  a  light  reel,  say  a  foot  in  diameter.  This 
reel  can  be  made  of  slats  nailed-  on  to  a  couple  of 
heads,  made  of  boards,  through  the  center  of 


which  holes  can  be  bored,  to  admit  a  round  stick 
on  which  the  reel  can  revolve,  to  let  off  the  wire 
as  it  is  stretched  along  the  line,  one  or  two  men, 
according  to  its  weight,  carrying  it  along.  Then, 
having  settled  the  distance  from  the  ground,  at 
which  the  first  wire  shall  be  drawn,  and  the 
distances  apart  for  the  other  wires,  take  a  stick 
the  hight  of  the  fence,  and  mark  it  at  such 
distances,  as  the  wires  are  to  be  apart.  Then 
have  a  hand  basket,  in  which  is  a  hammer,  a 
good  strong  pair  of  pliers,  and  a  quantity  of  small 
iron  staples  cut  and  bent,  with  the  ends  sharpen¬ 
ed  to  drive,  made  of  the  same  size  annealed  and 
oiled  wire,  as  the  stretchers  are.  Thus  prepared, 
run  the  first  end  of  the  wire  from  the  reel 
through  the  lower  hole  in  the  starting  post,  turn 
it  round  the  body  of  it,  and  fasten  it  with  your 
pliers.  Proceed  on  to  the  next  post,  the  man, 
or  men  carrying  the  reel,  which  revolves  as  you 
pass  along,  letting  off  the  wire.  When  arrived  at 
the  post,  measure  off  with  the  stick  already  de¬ 
scribed,  and  mark  the  places  where  the  wires 
are  to  be  secured,  then  laying  the  lower  wire  at 
its  place,  and  drawing  it  as  taut  as  possible  with 
the  hand,  drive  in  a  staple  over  the  wire  into  the 
post,  nearly  home,  so  as  to  keep  the  wire  well  in 
its  place.  Thus  go  on  for  half  a  dozen  posts  or 
so,  when,  if  the  wire  on  the  reel  is  not  all  used, 
it  may  be  cut  off,  and  a  turn  given  round  the 
principal  post,  (one  of  which  should  be  occasion¬ 
ally  set,  as  before  observed,)  and  secured  by  a 
twist  clinch  round  the  main  line  of  wire  for  the 
present.  Then  begin  with  a  new  wire,  secured 
as  the  first,  where  the  other  is  left  off,  and  follow 
to  the  further  end  post  in  this  line  of  fence. 

In  this  way  let  the  whole  line  of  the  lower  wire 
be  stretched.  Then  do  the  next  in  like  manner, 
and  so  on,  until  the  several  strands  are  com¬ 
pleted  as  high  as  you  wish  the  fence  to  be.  As 
it  now  stands,  you  have  a  line  of  wires  secured 
by  staples  to  every  post,  and  these  posts  fifty, 
sixty,  or  more  or  less,  feet  apart,  as  you  may 
choose.  The  wires  sag,  of  course,  and  by  a  little 
effort  almost  anything,  even  a  horse  or  cow, 
might  crawl  through  or  break  it.  Therefore  the 
fence  is  not  complete.  Now,  take  a  lot  of  stakes, 
either  split  or  sawed,  of  durable  and  hard  wood — 
pine  and  hemlock  are  too  soft  and  brittle — sharpen 
them  at  one  end,  divide  them  equi-distant  be¬ 
tween  the  posts  already  set,  say  ten  to  fifteen 
feet  apart,  according  to  the  strength  you  want 
the  fence  to  be,  and  drive  them  with  an  ax, 
sledge,  or  maul,  about  a  foot  into  the  ground¬ 
less  than  a  foot  will  do,  but  the  deeper  the  stakes, 
the  stronger  they  stand.  Then  measure  off  the 
distances  for  the  wires  apart,  on  these  stakes,  as 
was  done  on  the  posts,  drive  staples  over  them 
as  before,  and  this  part  of  the  job  is  completed. 

If  the  wires,  as  already  laid,  are  not  sufficient¬ 
ly  taut,  get  a  tool  somewhat  like  an  old  fashioned 
bed-winch,  and  go  to  one  end  of  the  wire  where 
secured  at  the  post,  either  at  the  end  or  along  the 
line  of  the  fence,  undo  it  with  the  pliers,  and  ap¬ 
ply  the  winch,  until  the  required  amount  of  ten¬ 
sion  is  obtained,  and  then  secure  the  end  of  the 
wire  by  turning  it  around,  as  before.  This  can 
be  done  with  every  different  strand,  bearing  in 
mind,  however,  that  all  the  wires  should  have  an 
equal  strain,  so  as  to  contract  and  stretch  as  near 
as  possible  with  the  changes  of  weather ;  and 
also  minding  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere 
when  the  stretching  is  done,  and  allowing,  accord¬ 
ing  to  your  judgment,  for  the  required  amount  of 
contra  dion  and  expansion.  In  this  way,  the 
wires  w.ll  be  somewhat  loose  in  extreme  hot 
weather,  but  kept  in  place,  and  at  their  proper 
levels  by  the  intermediate  stakes. 

In  addition  to  the  wires,  and  to-  secure  the  foot 
of  the  fence  better  against  breaches,  some  builders 


recommend  that  instead  of  the  bottom  wire,  a 
line  of  foot  wide  boards  be  nailed  on  to  the  posts 
and  stakes.  We  do  not  consider  this  board  an 
improvement,  only  as  defending  the  enclosure 
from  geese  and  other  small  animals,  as  the  wires 
are  quite  as  strong  as  the  board,  and  not  a  quarter 
so  expensive.  Others  may  prefer  to  bore  all  the 
posts,  and  let  the  wires  pass  through  these  holes  ; 
but  in  this  way  the  reels  holding  the  wire,  must 
be  stationary,  and  the  wire  by  one  end  drawn 
through  the  whole  series  of  posts.  We  do  not 
think  either  way  particularly  preferable,  only  as 
matter  of  convenience  in  putting  the  fence  up. 
The  holes  in  the  posts  will  cause  rot  sooner 
than  the  staples,  and  it  is  more  work  to  make  the 
holes  than  to  drive  the  staples.  After  all  the 
wires  are  made  taut,  and  the  strain  equalized,  the 
staples  may  be  driven  quite  home ,  and  thus  the 
wires  are  effectually  secured. 

It  will  be  seen  that  where  trees  stand,  either 
at  the  end  or  along  the  line  of  the  fence,  they 
may  be  used,  if  of  a  hardy  kind,  to  secure  the 
wires.  They  are,  of  course,  better  than  posts,  and 
will  save  expense.  In  a  very  considerable  part 
of  the  United  States,  where  timber  is  scarce,  and 
boards  dear  in  price,  wire  fence  can  be  adopted 
to  advantage. 

EXPENSE. 

This  may  be  more  or  less  according  to  the 
cost  of  posts,  and  stakes,  and  wire.  Altogether, 
the  expense  need  not  exceed  fifty  cents  a  rod,  nor 
should  it  cost  a  dollar.  Each  one  who  proposes 
to  make  wire  fence,  by  knowing  the  value  of  ma¬ 
terial  at  his  own  place,  can  determine  the  exact 
cost  for  himself.  As  to  the  efficiency  of.  the 
fence,  we  have  seen  herds  of  cattle  on  one  side  at 
pasture  for  weeks  together,  and  a  field  of  grain, 
with  other  plowed  crops,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  fence,  and  the  cattle  never  broke  through.  This 
was  the  cheapest  kind  of  wire  fence,  costing  not 
more  than  half  a  dollar  a  rod. 

We  make  the  further  qualification  as  to  the 
expediency  of  adopting  the  wire  fence  in  all  clim¬ 
ates.  Far  north,  the  contraction  by  cold,  and  ex¬ 
pansion  by  heat  is  greater  than  at  the  South, 
where  the  tension  of  the  wire  is  less  affected  by 
the  temperature.  The  climate  will,  therefore, 
somewhat  govern  the  expediency  or  economy  of 
its  adoption  for  general  fencing  purposes. 


Mammoth  Leghorn  Squash. — Mr.  W.  S.  Car¬ 
penter,  of  this  city,  has  a  country  residence  in 
Westchester,  where  he  carries  on  a  great  num¬ 
ber  of  experiments  with  new  plants  and  seeds  of 
various  kinds — for  the  love  of  it  rather  than  for 
profit.  In  a  recent  visit  to  his  farm  we  saw  many 
things  of  interest,  which  we  intend  to  examine 
further.  We  were  particularly  pleased  with  his 
growing  specimens  of  a  comparatively  new 
Mammoth  Squash,  called  the  “  Leghorn.”  They 
looked  like  large  white  smooth  boulders  scattered 
thickly  over  the  field.  We  were  so  well  pleased 
with  them  in  every  respect,  that  we  immediately 
prevailed  upon  Mr.  Carpenter  to  dispose  of  all 
his  seed  to  us,  to  be  distributed  free  among 
our  subscribers,  and  we  have  put  it  into  our  seed 
list,  as  No.  102.  Though  we  shall  have  a  con¬ 
siderable  supply  of  seed,  yet  should  the  demand 
be  large,  we  shall  not  be  able  to  send  more  than 

about  half-a-dozen  seeds  to  each  applicant _ 

enough  to  give  a  start,  however. 

Since  the  above  was  written,  Mr.  C.,  has  gath¬ 
ered,  from  six  hills,  62  squashes,  weighing  near 
4500  lbs.  in  the  aggregate.  The  largest  speci¬ 
men  weighed  105  lbs.  The  whole  crop  averaged 
about  70  lbs.  to  each  squash. 

■ ..  .  .  -  "•■BKfii  Swrnn  - -—■■■» 

Courtesy  on  one  side  only,  never  lasts  long. 


328 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


No.  154. 


Unloading  hay  in  a  barn  by  means  of  horse¬ 
power  pitchforks  or  elevators  is  becoming  quite 
common  in  some  sections  of  the  country,  and  will 
be  practiced  everywhere,  as  soon  as  farmers  un¬ 
derstand  the  operation,  and  its  advantages.  To 
pitch  off  a  load  of  hay  into  a  barn  bay,  or  on  a  high 
scaffold,  which  formerly  required  twenty  to  forty 
minutes,  and  much  hard  lifting,  can  now  be  done 
in  four  to  seven  minutes,  and  with  very  little  la¬ 
bor.  A  man  working  a  large  farm  in  Pennsylva¬ 
nia  said  to  us  the  other  day  :  “  I  would  quite  as 

soon  give  up  my  horse-rake  as  my  horse  pitch- 
fork.”  There  are  several  forms  of  this  imple¬ 
ment.  The  one  shown  in  the  accompanying  en¬ 
graving,  the  invention  of  C.  E.  Gladding,  of  Brad¬ 
ford  Co.,  Pa.,  is  the  best  we  have  seen  in  opera¬ 
tion.  The  fork  is  suspended  by  a  rope  running 
over  a  pulley  on  a  rafter,  or  high  beam — down  un¬ 
der  another  pulley  on  the  floor,  and  out  of  the  door 
in  a  horizontal  direction,  where  a  horse  is  at¬ 
tached  to  it.  The  fork,  set  in  the  manner  seen 
in  fig.  1,  is  thrust  into  a  mass  of  hay  by  the  man 
on  the  load,  and  the  horse  started.  A  large  mass 
of  hay  is  elevated,  the  fork  being  steadied  by 
holding  on  to  the  left  hand  portion  of  the  rope 
in  the  fork  handle.  When  at  the  desired  hight, 
the  hay  is  swung  into  the  mow,  and  then  by  pul¬ 
ling  the  other  part  of  the  rope  which  passes  along 
the  inside  of  the  fork-handle,  the  tines  are  loosen¬ 
ed  as  shown  in  fig.  2.  The  fork  is  then  lowered, 
and  readily  takes  the  position  of  fig.  1  again. 


To  Break  tie  Force  of  “Sudden  Jerks.” 

Every  one  who  has  used  a  lever  horse  power, 
is  aware  how  frequently  cogs,  or  other  parts  of 
the  machinery,  are  broken  by  the  sudden  starting 
of  the  team.  From  this  cause,  we  have  more 
than  once  had  threshing  brought  to  a  full  stop, 
and  a  dozen  men  delayed  for  a  whole  day,  or 
more,  while  a  new  wheel  could  be  obtained  from 


the  distant  manufactory.  Fig.  1  gives  an  outline 
of  a  simple  arrangement  we  have  seen  in  a  few 
localities  lately,  which  will  effectually  overcome 
the  difficulty  referred  to.  To  the  lever  or  arm, 
a,  a  pretty  strong  piece  of  tough  wood,  s,  is  at¬ 
tached  in  the  manner  shown  in  our  engraving.  A 
short  chain  from  the  whiffle-tree,  or  the  evener 
(“  double-tree  ”),  if  two  horses  be  used,  passes 
through  a  hole  in  the  end  of  the  arm,  a,  and  is 
attached  to  a  hook  in  the  end  of  the  spring,  s. 
In  pulling  with  moderate  force,  this  spring  stands 


as  seen  in  fig.  1,  and  if  sufficiently  stiff,  it  will 
break  the  force  of  any  sudden  “jerk”  at  starting. 
So  also  it  yields  to  the  uneven  motion  of  the  team, 
and  must  necessarily  equalize  the  draft,  and  les¬ 
sen  the  wear  upon  the  neck  of  the  animal.  This 
spring  is  very  easily  attached  to  any  horse-power, 
by  simply  beveling  one  end,  and  fastening  it  with 
bolts  or  clamps.  We  are  not  aware  that  this 
convenient  and  valuable  appendage  is  patented. 

A  similar  spring  might  be  readily  placed  upon 
the  forward  axle  of  a  wagon,  from  which  a  chain 
could  run  to  the  whiffle-tree,  or  evener.  This 
would  save  the  sudden  jerking  always  felt  by 
any  one  riding  after  a  spirited  or  fractious  horse 
— or  even  after  a  slow  team,  when  the  whip  is 
applied.  If  the  spring  be  placed  upon  the  axle, 
to  give  free  motion,  it  would  only  be  necessary 
to  have  the  bolt  pass  through  a  link  or  clevis, 
instead  of  through  a  hole  in  the  whiffle-tree,  or 
evener.  For  a  two-horse  wagon,  perhaps  a  better 
arrangement  would  be,  to  place  the  spring  on  the 
tongue,  the  raised  end  pointing  back.  If  put  on 
the  upper  side,  the  evener  would  best  be  placed 
on  the  under  side,  and  be  fastened  to  the  spring 
by  a  chain,  running  through  or  over  the  rear  end 
of  the  tongue.  Or  the  spring  may  be  put  on  the 
under  side,  and  the  chain  connect  it  to  the  evener 
in  the  same  manner. 


Fig.  2. 


We  have  also  seen  a  similar  attachment  to  a 
plow,  (patented,  we  believe),  to  break  the  sudden 
force  of  the  team,  when  the  implement  strikes  a 
fast  stone,  or  other  obstruction.  Not  having  at 
hand  one  of  the  plows  thus  fitted  up,  to  sketch 
from,  we  have  made  the  accompanying  illus¬ 
tration  (Fig.  2)  partly  from  memory,  and  partly 
from  imagination,  to  show  how  the  thing  works. 
In  practice  we  believe  the  “  angle  ”  under  the 
plow-beam  is  partly  set  up  into  the  beam,  so  as  to 
be  out  of  the  way.  If  patented,  and  the  patentee 
is  reasonable  in  his  charges,  this  attachment  must 
come  rapidly  into  general  use,  and  save  much 
wear  and  breakage  of  harness  and  “plow-points.” 


Balky  Horses. 

The  prime  requisite  for  the  successful  manage¬ 
ment  of  a  balky  horse,  is  perfect  self  possession 
and  patience  on  the  part  of  the  driver.  It  is  quite 
common  to  see  men  fly  into  a  passion  upon  the 
first  restive  symptoms  of  the  horse,  and  to  deal 
out  fierce  punishment  until  compelled  to  desist 
from  sheer  exhaustion,  after  which,  when  the 
driver  has  become  calm,  and  the  horse  recovered 
from  his  fright,  a  start  is  effected  and  the  trouble 
is  over.  Young  horses  before  they  are  completely 
broken,  may  stop  when  in  the  harness,  from  a 
feeling  of  inability  to  draw  their  load,  from 
fatigue,  from  misunderstanding  the  will  of  the 
driver,  or  from  an  excitable  disposition,  lead¬ 
ing  them  to  act  upon  the  impulse  of  the  moment. 
In  all  these  cases  there  is  necessity  for  care  and 
coolness  in  the  driver.  From  the  first,  and  for  a 
long  time,  the  load  of  a  young  horse  should  be 
such  as  he  can  draw  with  the  greatest  ease,  thus 
giving  him  confidence  in  his  own  powers.  A 
voung  horse  once  “  set  ”  will  thereafter  pull  with 
uncertainty — hence  with  only  half  a  will  ;  he  is 
then  discouraged  easily,  and  balks  at  trifling  ob¬ 
stacles,  or  if  he  be  of  spirited  disposition  he  will 
spring  to  it  with  might  and  main  whenever  he 
feels  extra  weight  behind  him,  and  if  not  allowed 


to  work  in  this  way  will  stop  at  once.  It  has 
been  noticed  that  the  worst  balks  usually  occur 
at  or  near  the  foot  of  hills,  and  this  may  explain 
how  the  horse  learns  the  habit.  The  driver 
should  anticipate  the  wish  of  the  horse  to  rest, 
by  allowing  even  more  frequent  intervals  than 
are  required.  This  practice  induces  the  habit  of 
obedience,  the  horse  willingly  stops  when  the 
word  is  given,  and  thus  is  accustomed  to  heed 
the  driver’s  command,  which  is  the  first  and 
great  requisite  in  his  education.  These  com¬ 
mands  should  be  given  in  a  way  that  can  readily 
be  understood.  A  well  trained  animal  shows  re¬ 
markable  intelligence  in  perceiving  his  master's 
wishes,  but  it  is  by  long  familiarity  with  his  ways 
that  this  ability  is  acquired. 

Balky  horses  are  usually  “  high  strung,”  pos¬ 
sessing  the  very  disposition  which,  if  properly 
treated,  will  give  the  best  style  and  action.  It  is 
stated  on  good  authority,  that  such  horses  may  be 
so  wrought  upon  by  a  single  harsh  exclamation, 
as  to  raise  the  pulse  ten  beats  a  minute.  What 
wonder  if  such  an  animal  should  prove  refracto¬ 
ry  upon  suddenly  feeling  the  lash  of  an  infuriated 
driver.  For  this  class  of  horses  a  whip  need  sel¬ 
dom  if  ever  be  used  when  breaking  them.  They 
yield  readily  to  kindness,  and  are  as  quick  to 
obo-y  when  properly  treated,  as  they  are  trouble¬ 
some  when  “  fooled  ”  with — we  use  this  term 
for  want  of  a  more  expressive  one.  These  re¬ 
marks  apply  more  particularly  to  the  prevention 
of  balking  by  proper  management  of  colts.  When 
the  habit  of  balking  is  fixed,  impatience  of  the 
driver  only  increases  the  difficulty.  The  treat¬ 
ment  then  requires  the  highest  common  sense, 
the  first  thing  men  lose  when  they  fly  into  a  pas¬ 
sion.  The  following  directions  given  by  Mr.  Ra- 
rey,  are  probably  as  sound  and  complete  on  this 
subject  as  anything  ever  published: 

“Almost  any  team,  when  first  baulked,  will 
start  kindly,  if  you  let  them  stand  five  or  ten 
minutes,  as  though  there  was  nothing  wrong,  and 
then  speak  to  them  with  a  steady  voice,  and  turn 
them  a  little  to  the  right  or  left,  so  as  to  get  them 
both  in  motion  before  they  feel  the  pinch  of  the 
load.  But  if  you  want  to  start  a  team  that  you 
are  not  driving  yourself,  that  has  been  baulked, 
fooled,  and  whipped  for  some  time,  go  to  them 
and  hang  the  lines  on  their  hames,  or  fasten  them 
to  the  wagon,  so  that  they  will  be  perfectly  loose  ; 
make  the  driver  and  spectators  (if  there  are  any) 
stand  off  some  distance  to  one  side,  so  as  not  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  horses  ;  unloose  their 
check-reins,  so  that  they  can  get  their  heads 
down  if  they  choose  ;  let  them  stand  a  few  min¬ 
utes  in  this  condition  until  you  can  see  that  they 
are  a  little  composed.  "While  they  are  standing, 
you  should  be  about  their  heads,  gentling  them  ; 
it  will  make  them  a  little  more  kind,  and  the 
spectators  will  think  that  you  are  doing  some¬ 
thing  that  they  do  not  understand,  and  will  not 
learn  the  secret.  When  you  have  them  ready  to 
start,  stand  before  them,  and,  as  you  seldom  have 
but  one  baulky  horse  in  a  team,  get  as  near  in 
front  of  him  as  you  can,  and,  if  he  is  too  fast  for 
the  other  horse,  let  his  nose  come  against  your 
breast ;  this  will  keep  him  steady,  for  he  will  go 
slow  rather  than  run  on  you.  Turn  them  gently 
to  the  right,  without  letting  them  pull  on  the 
traces  as  far  as  the  tongue  will  let  them  go  ; 
stop  them  with  a  kind  word,  gentle  them  a  little, 
and  then  turn  them  back  to  the  left,  by  the  same 
process.  You  will  then  have  them  under  your 
control  by  this  time  ;  and  as  you  turn  them 
again  to  the  right,  steady  them  in  the  collar,  and 
you  can  take  them  where  you  please.” 

- - - - — >-— • - 

Defile  not  your  mouth  with  impure  words. 


Nov.,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


829 


The  Steam  Plow. 


yv.  0/?a  -co. 


[We  had  planned  to  present  in  this  number  a 
magnificent  engraving  of  Fawkes’  Steam  Plow, 
on  a  scale  so  large  as  to  enable  all  our  readers  to 
understand  every  part  of  it,  and  for  this  purpose, 
declining  an  invitation  to  address  an  important 
Agricultural  Society,  we  remained  at  home  to 
direct  the  operations  of  first  class  artists,  whom 
we  had  engaged  to  be  on  hand  at  the  advertised 
time  of  the  arrival  of 
the  Plow  at  the  Amer 
ican  Institute.  But 
it  was,  unfortunately 
for  us  and  our  readers, 
delayed  at  the  West, 
and  on  the  road,  until 
too  late  to  carry  out 
our  design  in  full.  As 
the  only  resort  we 
were  obliged  to  use 
sketches  and  descrip¬ 
tions  previously  ob¬ 
tained,  and  we  present 
herewith  the  best  pic¬ 
ture  we  could  have 
engraved  in  season. 

As  much  inferior  to 
what  we  intended  as 
this  is,  it  is  still  the 
best  sketch  we  have 
seen  —  Mr.  Fawkes 
says  it  is  superior  to 
any  previously  made— 

From  the  engraving,  and  the  accompanying  de¬ 
scription  below,  and  also  on  the  last  column 
of  this  page,  the  reader  will  be  able  to  get  a 
pretty  clear  understanding  of  this  now  most  in¬ 
teresting  novelty  before  the  public.  We  have 
jost  compared  the  nearly  finished  engraving  with 
the  implement  as  it  now  stands  at  the  Palace 
Garden,  and  find  our  sketch  entirely  accurate, 
with  the  exception,  that  there  should  be  two 
steering  wheels  in  front  on  the  same  axle,  instead 
of  one- as  shown  in  the  cut.] 

We  believe  we  have  now  witnessed  the  ful¬ 
fillment  of  the  prediction  made  in  this  journal 
four  years  since  ;  viz:,  that  “notwithstanding  the 
great  interest  abroad  in  regard  to  the  application 
of  steam  power  to  the  plow,  we  predict  that  the 
man  who  will  first  successfully  attach  the  loco¬ 
motive  steam  engine  to  the  plow,  now  resides  on 
this  side  of  the  Atlantic.”  When  speaking  thus 
we  confess  we  had  a  suspicion  the  thing  would 
turn  up  somewhere  in  Yankee-dom  ;  but  we  are 
none  the  less  pleased  to  find  it  coming  from  the 
“  Keystone  State.”  That  Mr.  Fawkes’  engine 
is  not  yet  perfect,  none  is  more  ready  than  him¬ 
self  to  admit,  but  we  have  no  doubt  that  he  has 
hit  upon  and  applied  certain  principles,  which, 
when  fully  carried  out,  will  render  his  implement 
a  perfect  success.  In  fact,  it  is  already  success¬ 
ful,  and  should  no  other  improvements  be  made, 
we  believe  Fawkes’  plow,  in  the  form  we  have 
to-day  examined  it,  can  be  used  with  advantage 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  vast  prairies  at  the  West, 
and  in  other  comparatively  level  sections  of  the 
country. 

Passing  over  other  important  items  in  this  en¬ 
gine,  the  driving  wheel  is  a  point  of  special  in¬ 
terest.  This,  instead  of  being  like  ordinary  driv¬ 
ing  wheels,  consists  of  an  immense  drum,  six  feet 
long,  and  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  is  so  arranged 
as  to  bear  nearly  the  entire  weight  of  the  engine 
including  the  supply  of  fuel  and  water.  It  thus 
presents  a  great  amount  of  surface  to  the  ground, 
and  not  only  prevents  its  cutting  into  moist  or 
soft  soils,  but  also  gives  a  great  amount  of  trac¬ 


tion  or  propelling  power.  To  the  broad  surface 
of  this  driving  wheel  there  may  also  be  attached 
a  series  of  “  spuds  ”  or  points,  which  render 
slipping  on  the  surface  next  to  impossible,  and 
the  traction  or  drawing  power  of  the  engine  is 
therefore  only  limited  by  the  capacity  of  the  boil¬ 
ers  and  steam-chests,  and  these  may  be  increased 
to  any  desired  extent.  The  capabilities  of  the 
implement  for  propelling  or  drawing,  have  been 
already  severely  tested.  Eight  plows  of  full  size, 


FAWKES’  AMERICAN  LOCOMOTIVE  STEAM  PLOW 

vEwjravcd  for  the  American  Agrimltiimst. ) 

each  cutting  a  furrow  fully  a  foot  in  width  and 
eight  to  ten  inches  in  depth  have  been  drawn  with 
ease  and  rapidity  through  a  hard  soil. 

OF  ITS  EASY  MANAGEMENT, 

we  have  to-day  (Oct.  6th)  had  abundant  evidence. 

We  found  it  in  confined  quarters,  in  a  vacant 
city  lot,  and  surrounded  with  numerous  obstruc¬ 
tions.  Though  we  have  no  practical  experience  in 
handling  locomotives  or  steam  engines  of  any 
kind,  Mr.  Fawkes  freely  put  his  implement  under 
our  control,  as  engineer  and  helmsman.  We  found 
no  difficulty  in  moving  it  forward  or  backward, 
and  to  the  right  or  left,  and  we  actually  drove  it 
several  times  round  in  a  circle  2b  rods  in  diame¬ 
ter,  and  this  backward  as  well  as  forward.  We 
also  ran  it  into  narrow  corners  and  backed  it 
out,  and  around  and  by  the  side  of  fruit  trees 
where  there  was  but  just  room  for  its  passage. 

In  short,  after  ten  minutes’  experience,  we  felt 
quite  competent  to  drive  the  steam-horse  any 
where,  and  with  as  much  ease,  and  quite  as  much 
certainty,  as  we  could  manage  a  fractious  team 
before  the  plow,  where  we  would  have  live  mus¬ 
cles,  and  more  or  less  will  to  contend  with.  We 
merely  mention  this  experiment  to  indicate  the 
simplicity  of  its  construction  and  arrangement, 
and  the  ease  with  which  it  is  controlled.  For  the 
care  of  the  boilers,  and  other  mechanical  parts, 
an  engineer  with  some  instruction  and  experience 
would  be  required  with  this  as  with  other  steam- 
engines. 

It  is  hardly  to  he  expected  that  locomotive  en¬ 
gines  of  this  form,  or  of  any  other  form,  for  that 
matter,  will  be  constructed  so  small  and  so  cheap¬ 
ly,  as  to  be  available  on  every  farm  of  moderate 
size  only.  Nor  is  this  specially  desirable.  A  good 
threshing  machine,  with  its  complement  of  teams 
and  hands,  will  do  up  the  threshing  for  a  whole 
neighborhood.  So  one  good  steam  plow,  accom¬ 
panied  by  a  good  ehgineer  and  attendant,  will  be 
competent  to  plow  the  larger  fields  of  a  dozen  or¬ 
dinary  farms.  There  are,  however,  tens  of  thou¬ 
sands  of  persons,  particularly  at  the  West,  who 
have  each  a  domain  ample  enough,  to  give  almost 


constant  employment  to  one  or  more  steam  plows. 
The  engine  can  also  be  used  as  a  stationary 
power  for  driving  threshers,  saws,  etc.,  by  means 
of  a  band-wheel  connected  with  the  independ- 
ent'cog- wheel  seen  at  the  end  of  the  driving  drum. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  ENGRAVING. 

The  cut  gives  a  side  view  of  the  engine  with 
the  plows  attached.  The  plows  may  be  of  any 
form,  and  be  arranged  in  any  desired  order.  Aside 
from  these,  the  appara¬ 
tus  is  similar  in  some 
respects  to  a  locomo¬ 
tive  or  traction  en¬ 
gine.  The  principal 
weight  of  the  boiler, 
tender,  etc.,  is  nearly 
balanced  upon  the  axle 
of  the  large  drum  or 
driving  wheel,  refer¬ 
red  to  above,  of  which 
the  end  only  is  visible. 
The  forward  lowed 
end,  and  a  small  por¬ 
tion  of  the  weight,  rest 
on  a  movable  axle 
in  front,  upon  which 
are  two  light  guide 
1  wheels,  3£  feet  in  di- 
^  ameter,  and  15  inches 
wide  at  the  rim.  (Only- 
one  of  these  guide 
wheels  is  shown  in 
the  cut.)  The  guide 
wheels  are  easily  turned  to  run  in  any  desired 
direction,  by  means  of  an  endless  chain  run¬ 
ning  from  the  forward  axle  to  a  pulley  connected 
by  cogs  to  the  steering  wheel  in  the  left  hand 
of  the  man  standing  by  the  boiler.  Just  back 
of  the  man  at  the  wheel,  whom  we  will  call  the 
“  engineer,”  is  a  lever,  by  raising  or  depressing 
which  the  main  driving  wheel  is  thrown  out  of 
gear,  or  its  motion  reversed  at  will. 

In  the  right  hand  of  the  engineer  is  a  small 
valve  wheel,  for  letting  on  or  shutting  off  steam. 
It  will  be  seen,  then,  that  while  he  steers  with 
the  left  hand,  with  the  right  he  applies  or  shuts 
off  steam,  and  also  with  the  same  hand  applied  to 
the  lever,  he  sends  the  implement  back  or  for¬ 
ward,  or  throws  it  out  of  geer,  at  pleasure.  We 
saw  Mr.  Fawkes  run  full  tilt  within  a  foot  of  a  wall, 
and  when  every  one  thought  he  must  go  through, 
and  there  was  a  universal  holding  of  breath,  he 
brought  the  engine  to  a  sudden  stop,  and  started 
backward,  by  a  simple  motion  of  the  lever. 

There  are  two  steam  chests,  one  on  either 
side,  from  which  the  jointed  pistons  run  directly 
to  the  large  driving  drum.  The  piston  cranks,  on 
either  end  of  this  drum,  are  at  right  angles,  so 
that  there  are  no  “  dead  points.’’ 

The  engine  may  be  hitched  to  any  gang  plow, 
which  it  will  draw  in  the  same  manner  as  a 
team  of  horses  or  oxen.  Mr.  Fawkes  has  con¬ 
structed  an  arrangement  of  the  plows  in  a  frame 
of  peculiar  form,  which  is  suspended  by  chains 
passing  over  pullies  in  the  arms  projecting  from 
the  rear  of  the  engine.  One  of  these  arms  is 
longer  than  the  other,  extending  back  to  the  rear 
right  end  of  the  gang  frame.  The  suspending 
chains  are  wound  on  a  shaft,  connected  with  cogs, 
easily  thrown  into  or  out  of  gear  by  the  engineer, 
without  changing  his  position,  so  that,  whenever 
desired,  as  in  turning  at  the  end  of  a  field,  or 
traveling  from  place  to  place,  he  can  raise  the 
plows  entirely  from  the  ground.  The  plows  are 
each  supplied  with  a  gauge  wheel  in  front,  to  re¬ 
gulate  the  depth.  The  breaking  of  a  wooden  pin 
saves  the  plows  when  they  meet  fast  stones,  etc. 


330 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


An  Insane  Farmer  ! 

What !  insanity  in  the  rural  districts,  among 
‘the  bone  and  sinew  ’  of  the  land  !  It  don’t  sur¬ 
prise  us  to  hear  of  speculators  in  Wall-st.**  and 
other  fast  men  and  women  in  the  city  becoming 
deranged  ;  but  out  in  the  pure  air  and  amid  the 
peaceful  scenes  of  the  country,  it  fairly  shocks 
us  to  hear  of  lunatics.  And  then,  worse  still, 
they  say  this  man  was  driven  mad  by  reading  the 
Agriculturist.  That  brings  the  charge  to  our  own 
door  in  a  fearful  way.  He  was  upset,  not  by 
hard  midnight  study  of  mathematics,  metaphys¬ 
ics,  classics,  physic,  law,  or  divinity  ;  not  in  the 
vain  search  for  the  philosopher's  stone,  nor  by 
trying  to  square  the  circle,  or  to  invent  perpetual 
motion ;  not  by  any  of  these  exhausting  labors, 
but  simply  by  reading  our  quiet  pages,  at  the  cool 
of  the  day,  just  after  shouting  his  harvest  home. 

Not  a  real  case  of  insanity1.  Just  wait,  then, 
till  we  prove  it.  Here  is  the  evidence  :  On  the 
evening  aforesaid,  while  reading  this  paper,  he 
dropped  it  on  the  floor,  and  fell  into  a  deep  study, 
for  half  an  hour,  during  which  he  spoke  to  no  one. 
Then,  suddenly  rousing,  he  brought  his  clenched 
fist  down  upon  the  table  with  a  blow  which 
made  everything  rattle,  and  spoke  in  a  loud 
voice :  “  I’ll  do  it,  I  declare  I’ll  do  it,  and  I’ll  do 
it  at  once.”  Nobody  knew  what  he  meant,  and 
he  explained  himself  to  no  one.  But  next  morn¬ 
ing  he  went  out  before  breakfast  and  drove  down 
stakes  all  along  the  sides  of  the  highway,  and  all 
about  his  door-yard.  During  the  day,  he  was 
seen  walking  about  the  premises  in  front  of  the 
house,  examing  some  old  and  half  dead  poplars, 
and  was  heard  to  mutter  something  like  this  : 
“You  must  come  down,  old  gentlemen,  you  must 
come  down  and  make  room  for  your  betters.” 
And  some  old  stumps  and  piles  of  stones  and 
rubbish  he  saluted  in  the  same  way. 

Not  many  days  after,  he  called  his  son  and  his 
man  John  to  dig  holes  by  the  road  side,  and  in  the 
yard  where  he  had  driven  stakes.  “  What  pos¬ 
sesses  the  old  man1”  they  whispered  to  each 
other,  as  they  delved  away  at  the  unaccustomed 
work.  The  holes  being  dug,  he  ordered  the 
double  team  to  be  hitched  up,  and  all  parties  drove 
to  the  woods.  On  the  outskirts  of  the  forest,  the 
farmer  found  some  fine  young  elms,  maples  and 
ash  ;  he  bade  the  men  dig  them  up  carefully,  and 
then  haul  them  home  in  the  wagon.  This  work 
he  kept  up  for  several  days,  laboring  himself  in 
digging  up  and  setting  out,  and  enjoyed  the  work 
exceedingly.  By  the  road  side  in  front  of  the 
house,  he  set  rows  of  white  elms,  and  by  the 
street  leading  off  at  right  angles  to  this,  he  set 
maples,  mingling  the  hard  and  soft,  and  an  occa¬ 
sional  white  ash.  As  the  work  proceeded  from 
day  to  day,  he  would  sit  down  and  look  this  way 
and  that,  and  up  into  the  air,  in  a  sort  of  revery. 
Perhaps  the  crack-brained  man  was  thinking  that 
the  arching  elms  would  make  a  weird-looking 
canopy  over  kis  front  avenue,  and  that  the  gold* 
and  crimson  and  purple  hues  of  the  foliage  on 
the  side  street  would  look  quite  fantastic  in  Au- 
rumn.  His  wife  and  children,  looking  out  of  the 
windows,  occasionally,  exclaimed  to  one  another  : 
‘What  is  father  doing1”  “  Birnam-wood  has 
come  to  Dunsinane,”  laughingly  shouted  the  old¬ 
est  daughter,  who  had  read  Shakespeare  at  her 
boarding-school.  Ever  since  he  got  his  last  agri¬ 
cultural  paper,  his  head  has  been  full  of  something 
new. 

This  fit  of  transplanting  was  broken  in  upon 
for  several  days,  while  some  of  the  ordinary  field 
labor  called  for  attention.  During  this  time,  he 
saemed  perfectly  rational,  though  his  family  no¬ 
ticed  that  on  returning  from  his  work  at  evening, 


j  he  would  walk  around  among  the  newly-planted 
trees  and  mutter  something  to  them. 

But  after  this  work  was  finished,  the  disease 
set  in  again.  He  ordered  the  old  poplars  to  be 
cut  down  and  grubbed  up,  and  the  piles  of  stones 
and  rubbish  by  the  fence  to  be  cleared  away.  He 
then  went  to  a  neighboring  nursery,  and  bought 
several  ornamental  trees,  roses  and  shrubs,  and 
had  them  set  out  in  his  door-yard.  His  wife  and 
daughters  were  delighted,  and  aided  in  the  work 
of  planting  the  bushes  and  vines  ;  though  they 
rejoiced  with  trembling — it  seemed  so  strange. 
All  the  neighbors  admitted  that  the  farmer  was 
improving  his  homestead,  and  the  family  took 
new  pride  in  their  dwelling,  and  felt  increasing 
attachment  to  farm  life.  But,  then,  what  did  it 
all  mean1  He  never  acted  so  before.  Notone 
farmer  in  a  hundred  was  ever  known  to  do  such 
things.  There  must  be  a  screw  loose  somewhere. 
That  agricultural  paper  upset  him. 

Well,  we  can  not  now  relate  all  the  circum¬ 
stances  ;  but  matters  went  on  in  this  way  for  a 
long  time.  Meanwhile,  the  farmer  repaired  his 
house,  and  built'  a  new  front  fence,  and  had  them 
both  painted.  In  short,  the  whole  premises,  rear 
and  front,  put  on  an  altered  aspect.  Most  of  his 
neighbors  said  he  was  crazy.  But  he  replied, 
smiling,  that  he  saw  tokens  of  insanity  in  the 
neighborhood  ;  and  he  had  hem  deranged  hereto¬ 
fore,  he  confessed ;  but  now  had  come  to  his 
senses,  and  hoped  to  remain  so  the  balance  of 
his  days. 


How  to  Fatten  Poultry. 


This  is  a  matter  universally  practiced— after  a 
fashion — and  yet  but  imperfectly  understood  by  a 
great  many  people  who  fatten  poultry  both  for 
the  market  and  their  own  family  consumption. 
The  different  varieties  of  poultry  do  not  require 
fattening  alike.  We  will  give  our  plans  and  ex¬ 
perience  in  each. 

The  Turkey. — Being  a  rambling,  and  insect 
feeding  bird,  the  young  ones  should  run  at  large 
when  old  enough  to  do  so  with  safety,  until  the 
frost  has  killed  off  the  insects  of  the  season,  such 
as  grasshoppers,  beetles  and  grubs.  If  acorns, 
beech  nuts,  and  chestnuts,  abound  on  or  near 
your  premises,  they  may  still  range  on  them  until 
two  or  three  weeks  before  they  are  required  for 
market.  Then  they  should  be  taken  in,  and  con¬ 
fined  in  a  roomy  pen,  clean,  dry,  comfortable,  and 
well  ventilated,  and  darkened  during  the  day,  so 
as  to  make  a  twilight — -just  enough  for  them  to 
see  to  eat  their  food,  yet  prevent  them  from  gob¬ 
bling,  strutting,  and  fighting — for  turkeys  are  apt 
to  quarrel  vehemently  at  times,  when  they  have 
nothing  else  to  do.  Their  proper  food  then  is, 
any  kind  of  grain  ground  into  meal  and  thoroughly 
cooked,  or  if  fed  whole  also  boiled  until  it  be¬ 
comes  soft  and  will  easily  mash.  With  either 
the  cooked  meal  or  whole  grain  also  cooked, 
should  be  mixed,  say  one  fourth  in  quantity,  boiled 
potatoes,  carrots,  or  beets — carrots  and  potatoes 
are  best.  These  may  be  put  into  a  common  swill 
barrel,  and  if  you  have  skimmed  milk,  or  butter¬ 
milk  instead  of  water  to  mix  with  them,  so  as  to 
reduce  the  whole  mass  to  the  consistency  of  a 
thin  mash,  so  much  the  better,  as  milk  is  very 
palatable  and  fattening.  If  this  mixture  slightly 
ferments,  all  the  better,  provided  it  does  not  sour. 
Have  some  light  troughs  made  of  common  six 
inch  wide  boards  nailed  together  V  fashion,  set¬ 
ting  in  standards  made  of  bits  of  board  8  or  10 
inches  wide,  and  l£  or  2  feet  long,  placed  edge¬ 
wise  on  the  ground,  with  V's  cut  in  them  to  re¬ 
ceive  the  troughs — all  well  nailed  together.  Have 
also  a  trough  of  water,  or  milk  if  you  have  it  to 
spare,  near  by  ;  also  a  box  of  small  gravel  at  hand  I 


from  which  they  can  help  themselves — as  tur¬ 
keys  like  gravel  in  their  crops,  let  their  food  be 
what  it  may.  A  box  of  broken  charcoal — broken 
into  bits  the  size  of  acorns,  or  corn,  or  there¬ 
abouts — will  be  profitable  to  add  to  these,  char¬ 
coal  being  healthy  and  palatable  to  them.  You 
will  be  surprised  to  see  the  thrift  of  your  birds 
thus  treated,  and  they  will  fatten  in  half  the  time, 
and  at  half  the  expense  as  when  fed  on  whole 
raw  grain,  and  running  at  large.  There  is  a 
choice  in  grains — Indian  corn,  barley,  shrunken 
wheat  (good  wheat  is  too  expensive),  rye  and 
buckwheat — and  if  all  of  these  are  mixed  in  about 
equal  proportions,  with  a  few  oats,  are  the  best. 
Oats  are  chaffy,  and  there  is  little  fattening  quali¬ 
ty  in  them,  especially  when  fed  whole  and  dry. 
No  salt,  o*f  course,  is  needed.  It  will  hurt  poul¬ 
try,  while  it  will  benefit  pigs,  sheep  and  cattle. 

In  killing  turkeys,  if  all  are  not  wanted  at 
once, select  the  fattest.as  they  will  not  fatten  equal¬ 
ly,  and  feed  the  leaner  ones  a  few  days 
longer,  or  until  they  are  ready  for  slaughter.  The 
flesh  will  thus  be  found  fat,  delicate,  and  deli¬ 
cious  in  flavor,  and  much  superior  to  that  fed  on 
raw  grain,  and  running  at  large.  The  reason 
for  not  feeding  whole  grain  is,  that  it  must  be 
cooked  for  mastication  in  the  crop — a  labor  taxing 
the  physical  capacity  of  the  bird  heavily,  and  ex¬ 
pending  much  of  its  nutriment  in  the  operation. 
Sixpence  worth  of  fuel  for  cooking  will  save  half 
a  dollar’s  waste  of  flesh  in  the  bird  itself,  while 
the  time  and  manual  labor  consumed  in  the  pro¬ 
cess  is  next  to  nothing  in  a  well  ordered  house¬ 
hold.  A  common  iron  boiler,  which  every  farm¬ 
er’s  family  ought  to  have,  will  answer  all, purposes. 

Chickens. -^Serve  these  exactly  according  to 
the  above  directions,  only  that  they  require  less 
room  ;  but  that  room  must  be  equally  well  venti¬ 
lated  and  perches  must  be  also  made  for  them 
to  roost  upon.  There  should  be  just  light  enough 
for  a  cock  to  crow  by  in  the  morning,  and  noth¬ 
ing  more,  as  excessive  crowing  is  as  fatal  to  a 
young  cock’s  fattening  as  is  a  turkey’s  gobbling 
and  strutting.  A  change  of  food  by  an  occasion¬ 
al  scattering  of  whole  dry  grains  of  soma  sort 
may  be  given  to  chickens,  and  also  turkeys,  but 
they  will  after  a  little  time  prefer  the  mash,  as 
above  described,  and  to  much  greater  advantage. 
We  may  also  add  that  with  both  chickens  and 
turkeys  an  occasional,  say  daily,  ration  of  cab¬ 
bage  leaves,  or  turnip  tops  may  be  given  them. 
They  like  these  as  a  change  or  salad.  They 
are  also  palatable,  and  although  there  is  little  fat¬ 
tening  quality  in  them,  they  promote  digestion, 
and  do  them  good,  though  not  absolutely  neces¬ 
sary. 

Geese.— Confine  and  feed  them  as  with  tur¬ 
keys  and  chickens,  but  give  them  cabbage  leaves, 
or  turnip  tops  daily,  and  plenty  of  clean  water  in 
a  large  trough,  well  washed  out  every  day.  They 
need  no  roosting  poles,  of  course. 

Ducks. — Treat  them  like  the  geese,  exactly, 
with  the  daily  addition  of  a  small  quantity  of  flesh 
either  raw  or  cooked,  if  convenient  and  cheap. 
Tallow  chandler’s  scraps  are  good,  well  chopped 
up,  and  cheaper  than  any  other  flesh,  unless 
butcher’s  offal  can  be  obtained.  Ducks  are  great 
flesh  eaters,  when  they  can  get  it.  Fish  are  bad, 
as  they  give  the  flesh  a  fishy  taste. 

Without  ventilation  and  cleanliness  so  impor¬ 
tant  in  fattening,  no  perfectly  good  poultry  flesh  can 
be  obtained.  We  know  it  is  quite  common  with 
many  people — particularly  country  tavern  keep¬ 
ers — to  cram  their  chickens  and  other  poultry  into 
narrow  and  close  boxes,  or  coops,  throw  whole 
grain  in  any  quantity  upon  the  floor,  with  a  sau¬ 
cer  or  little  basin  of  water  once  a  day,  and  think 
they  will  fatten  well  on  that.  But  they  are  won- 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


331 


derfully  mistaken.  The  air  they  breathe  is  foetid 
with  the  stench  of  the  fowls  ;  the  food  fairly 
smells  before  they  eat  it,  and  the  whole  flesh  is 
tainted  with  the  foul  food,  foul  air,  and  foul  wa¬ 
ter.  We  have  sat  down  to  a  table  with  such 
poultry  cooked  upon  it,  and  the  smell  was  as  bad 
as  that  of  the  coop  they  inhabited  before  slaugh¬ 
ter,  and  this  too,  was  in  the  finest  corn  and  poul¬ 
try  regions  in  the  world,  where  the  best,  and  very 
perfection  of  dressed  and  cooked  poultry  should 
abound. 

We  state  the  above  methods  as  the  best  way  of 
fattening  poultry.  Poultry  may  be  fattened,  we 
admit,  and  very  well  too,  by  letting  them  run  at 
large,  and  giving  them  plenty  of  whole  grains, 
but  not  half  so  cheaply,  or  readily,  as  by  our  pro¬ 
cess;  and  when  we  consider  the  enormous  quan¬ 
tities  of  poultry  raised  in  the  United  States,  both 
for  market  and  home  family  consumption,  and  the 
great  quantities  of  food  expended  in  the  fattening 
process,  the  increased  aggregate  expense  of  the 
common  loose  way  of  doing  it  over  ours,  is  mil¬ 
lions  of  dollars  annually. 

The  killing  and  preparing  poultry  for  market  is 
also  an  important  item  of  saving -and  profit,  in 
which  our  last  volume  has  given  ample  direc¬ 
tions,  and  we  may  possibly  refer  to  them  in  our 
next  number. 

i  *Q--  I)  -MU  I  H  IgS*—-"  . .  - 


Blinks  from  a  Lantern. . XIII, 

BY  DIOGENES  REDIVIVUS. 

A  GRAND  HEN  SPECULATION 

Since  that  grand  practical  joke  of  classic  days, 
the  presenting  of  a  plucked  rooster,  as  a  happy 
illustration  of  the  philosopher’s  definition  of  a  man, 
viz.  “a  featherless  biped,”  there  has  been  no  such 
hen  speculation  as  Higgins  has  just  brought  to  a 
successful  issue.  Your  readers  will  recollect  this 
gentleman  farmer,  as  the  sagacious  individual 
who  imported  “land  pike”  from  Great  Britain, 
with  extra  bristles,  as  a  rare  breed  of  swine,  and 
fed  ruta-bagas  at  the  rate  of  three  bushels  a  day 
each,  to  bullocks,  to  test  their  value  as  an  article 
of  food,  giving  them  nothing  else. 

Last  Fall,  a  new  idea  struck  Higgins,  and  as 
luck  would  have  it,  it  was  just  at  the  close  of  a 
successful  shipment  of  cotton,  bringing  him  in  a 
couple  of  thousands  in  clean  cash,  that  he  had  no 
immediate  use  for.  He  had  the  means  of  imme¬ 
diate  realization,  and  Higgins  went  out  to  his 
country  seat,  happy  as  a  lien  over  a  new  laid  egg. 
He  had  seen  in  one  of  his  agricultural  papers — for 
he  takes  a  half  dozen,  and  reads  them — a  splendid 
account  of  “  profits  on  poultry,”  based  upon  the 
success  of  a  small  farmer’s  wife,  out  in  Rhode 
Island.  She  kept  twenty  hens  according  to  the 
statement,  raised  a  hundred  chickens,  and  sold 
two  hundred  dozen  eggs,  clearing  fifty  dollars 
above  expenses  by  the  operation.  The  hens  were 
attended  to  at  intervals  of  time,  when  Mrs.  Smith 
had  nothing  else  to  do,  so  that  she  could  look 
upon  her  roll  of  fifty  dollars  as  so  much  clear  gain. 

Higgins  was  an  excellent  accountant,  and  he 
immediately  made  a  calculation  of  raising  poul¬ 
try  upon  a  large  scale.  If  with  twenty  hens, 
worth  not"  to  exceed  ten  dollars,  fifty  dollars  could 
be  made,  then  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  could 
be  made  with  a  hundred  hens — and  twenty-five 


hundred  dollars  with  a  thousand  hens.  The  stock 
would  cost  not  to  exceed  five-hundred  dollars, 
and  the  necessary  buildings  and  fences,  not  over 
fifteen  hundred  more.  Making  a  large  allow¬ 
ance  for  disasters,  which  he  could  not  foresee, 
he  could  hardly  fail  to  clear  two  thousand  dollars 
by  the  operation  every  year.  This  was  a  better 
business  than  any  shipping  he  was  ever  engaged 
in,  and  it  would  have  this  advantage,  if  success¬ 
ful,  that  he  could  live  at  home  with  his  family,  in¬ 
stead  of  being  off  in  the  city  half  of  the  time  or 
more. 

To  make  the  thing  sure,  so  that  there  could  be 
no  mistake  about  it,  he  put  it  upon  paper,  thus  : 

1000  Stock  fowls .  $500. 

Rentand  intereston  buildings  worth  $1500. .  150 

Feed  of  fowls  for  a  year,  say .  750. 

Wages  of  a  woman  to  attend  them .  100. 

$1500. 

On  the  balance  sheet  he  might  safely  calculate 

at  the  end  oftheyearon  1000  fowls . $  500. 

1000  chickens  worth .  500. 

100,000  eggs  at  one  cent  and-a-ha'lf  each. .  1500. 

Manure .  100. 

Total  value  of  sales  and  stock  on  hand. .  .$2600. 
Deduct  expenses,  as  above .  1500. 

Profit . $1100. 

This  was  figuring  very  low,  and  only  allowing 
less  than  half  the  profit  realized  by  the  Rhode- 
Island  woman.  He  really  expected  to  do  much 
better,  for  he  would  have  his  hen  palace  so  warm¬ 
ly  built,  that  the  hens  would  lay  all  through  Win¬ 
ter,  when  he  could  realize  from  thirty  to  forty 
cents  a  dozen  for  them.  He  expected,  too,  to 
raise  two  thousand  chickens  instead  of  one,  and 
meant,  if  possible,  to  make  them  shell  out  over 
a  hundred  thousand  eggs.  He  had  known  hens 
to  lay  two  hundred  eggs  a  year.  Higgins  was  so 
well  pleased  with  this  speculation  upon  paper, 
that  he  determined  to  carry  it  out  at  once.  He 
selected  the  southern  slope  of  a  hill,  covering 
about  an  acre,  and  inclosed  it  with  a  high  picket 
fence,  so  that  no  intruders  should  rob  him  of  his 
expected  treasures.  In  the  middle  he  erected 
bis  hen  palace,  a  two  story  building,  with  an  un¬ 
derground  apartment,  well  lighted  upon  the 
south,  for  Winter  accommodation.  It  was  fur¬ 
nished  with  any  quantity  of  nests,  lined  with 
clean  straw,  and  with  capacious  boxes  holding 
bushels  of  eggs.  The  peak  of  the  roof  was 
mounted  with  a  tower,  full  of  pigeon  holes  and 
boxes.  On  top  of  the  tower  a  huge  gilt  cock  was 
perched,  a  very  ornamental  and.  useful  bird  ;  for 
at  the  hour  of  twelve,  noon,  he  regularly  clapped 
his  wooden  wings,  calling  all  hands  to  dinner. 
This  device  greatly  astonished  the  natives,  and 
whatever  might  be  thought  of  Higgins  and  his 
speculation  by  his  neighbors,  this  gilt  rooster  was 
a  revered  institution.  A  town  clock,  in  the  shape 
of  a  bird,  was  a  novelty  even  in  this  part  Ox 
Yankee  land. 

Higgins  had  heard  that  there  was  danger  of 
crowding  hens  into  too  narrow  quarters,  and  to 
prevent  this  calamity,  he  ran  out  two  cheap  wings 
from  the  main  building,  two  hundred  feet  long 
each,  and  divided  them  up  into  ten  apartments 
each,  so  that  he  could  separate  them,  in  case 
disease  should  make  its  appearance,  among  the 
fowls — a  calamity  that  he  did  not  at  all  antici¬ 
pate. 

The  two  thousand  dollars  were  at  length  ex¬ 
pended,  the  hen  homestead  completed,  and  stock¬ 
ed  with  a  thousand  fowls.  Higgins  was  not  par¬ 
ticularly  select  in  his  stock,  a  hen  being  a  hen 
with  him,  whether  Dorking,  Shanghai,  Chitta¬ 
gong,  Black  Spanish,  Jersey  Blue,  Creole,  or 
Leghorn,  or  a  mixture  of  all  these  with  the  Dung¬ 
hill  bird  of  the  natives.  He  had  few  thorough 
breds,  except  a  lot  of  Game  fowls,  which  he  in¬ 
troduced  on  the  second  week  of  the  experiment. 


The  Game  rooster  treated  the  rest  of  the  cocks 
as  game,  and  killed  four  of  them  the  first  day  he 
was  in  the  yard,  before  Higgins  had  time  to  in¬ 
terfere.  This  disaster,  however,  was  soon  rem¬ 
edied  and  the  fowls  did  remarkably  well,  until 
they  had  consumed  all  the  grass  in  the  yard, 
and  laid  out  the  litters  that  had  been  conceived 
in  their  old  homes,  where  they  had  plenty  of  room. 
Higgins  was  jubilant  for  a  couple  of  months,  and 
eggs  were  sent  off  by  the  barrel,  to  the  New- 
York  market,  during  the  months  of  October  and 
November,  last  year.  As  the  Winter  set  in,  and 
the  fowls  begin  to  feel  the  effects  of  their  con¬ 
finement,  the  laying  began  to  grow  “  small  by  de¬ 
grees  and  beautifully  less,”  until  a  dozen  a  day 
was  the  utmost  laying  capacity  of  the  whole  es¬ 
tablishment.  A  cold  snap  came  on  in  January, 
and  all  the  egg  fountains  were  sealed  up,  as  tight 
as  the  water  in  the  fish  pond.  “  Nary  egg  ”  was 
the  stated  morning  report  of  Bridget,  for  three 
weeks.  The  roosters  crowed  lustily,  and  the 
hens  clucked  and  cackled,  as  if  they  were  getting 
ready  to  do  a  big  business,  but  they  did  not  shell 
out. 

As  the  .Spring  opened,  the  egg  fountains  were 
again  opened,  but  in  diminishing  numbers.  The 
hens  indeed  laid,  some  of  them  eggs,  and  other 
some  laid  low.  Many  of  them  were  minus  toes, 
badly  frost  bitten,  some  were  lame,  and  a  great 
many  were  diseased  with  the  staggers,  and  flut¬ 
tered  about  as  if  they  were  badly  corned.  The 
result  of  the  speculation  comes  out  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  conversation,  which  occurred  as  I  alight¬ 
ed  from  my  wagon  at  Higgins’  door,  lantern  in 
hand. 

“  I  thought,  Diogenes,  that  you  gentlemen  of 
the  agricultural  press,  represented  poultry  rais¬ 
ing  as  a  highly  pleasing  and  profitable  business  ; 
that  no  stock  on  the  farm  began  to  pay  so  well.” 

“  That  is  true,  if  you  know  how  to  take  care 
of  them,  and  do  not  get  so  many  on  hand,  as  to 
have  them  interfere  with  one  another.” 

“  Well,  I  tried  it  last  Fall,  got  all  the  fixings 
ready,  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand  dollars,  had 
plenty  of  eggs  for  two  months,  and  then  the  fowls 
begun  to  droop,  and  I  have  had  more  or  less  of 
them  sick  ever  since.  One  hundred  and  fifty  died 
in  the  course  of  the  Winter,  and  they  have  been 
dying  ever  since.” 

“  Why  didn’t  you  sell  them,  Higgins  1” 

“Nobody  would  buy,  because  they  were  afraid 
of  diseased  fowls,  and  I  dare  not  eat  them  my¬ 
self,  for  the  same  reason.  I  am  now  in  a  pretty 
fix,  can’t  sell,  can’t  give  away,  with  as  pretty  a 
hospital  on  hand  as  any  doctor  would  like  to  at¬ 
tend.  Guess  I  will  lose  five  hundred  dollars  by 
the  experiment,  clean  cash  ;  glad  to  get  off  so.” 

“Boarding  is  excellent  business,  Higgins,  but 
you  should  not  put  a  hundred  people  into  rooms 
meant  for  ten,  some  of  them  might  leave.” 

“  Just  so,  I  see,  half  of  mine  have  left  already.” 


Bees  and  Tin  Pans  Again. 


I.  S.  Wise,  of  Norfolk  Co.,  Va.,  writes  to  the 
Agriculturist-.  If  a  young  swarm  seem  inclined 
to  leave  the  old  homestead,  get  up  the  best  pos¬ 
sible  imitation  of  a  coming  storm.  The  instincts 
of  bees  prompt  them  to  settle  at  once  in  a  clus 
ter  (if  on  the  wing)  for  protection.  This  can  be 
done  by  firing  a  gun,  beating  a  drum  or  tin  pan 
and  throwing  water.  An  absconding  swarm  may 
generally  be  stopped  in  this  way,  but  I  have  no¬ 
ticed  that  such  runaways  seldom  do  well,  so  I 
now  just  let  them  go.  Bees  (unlike  the  lords  of 
creation)  will  not  leave  their  home  without  cause. 
Seek  rather  to  find  out  and  remove  the  cause, 
than  to  detain  them  by  trickery. 


O  O  O 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


November, 


Farm  Gates. 


Few  things  give  more  character  to  'he  general 
appearance  of  a  farm,  than  a  handsome  gate  at 
the  entrance.  “  A  man  is  known  by  the  company 
he  keeps  ”  is  true  in  reference  tohis  gates,  fences, 
and  outbuildings.  If  these  are  in  good  form  and 
repair,  there  is  evidence  of  taste  and  thrift,  and 
a  favorable  opinion  is  formed  of  the  proprietor. 
Said  a  valued  friend,  “  Show  me  good  fences, 
gates,  outbuildings,  with  fields  free  from  brush, 
nriars,  and  weeds, and  I  will  show  a  good  farmer.” 

A  plain,  well-made  gate,  in  keeping  with  its  sur¬ 
roundings,  is  usually  the  most  pleasing,  but  there 
is  generally  room  for  at  least  one  gate,  in  the  con¬ 
struction  of  which  there  may  be  taste  and  skill 
displayed.  No  stereotyped  form  would  be  desir¬ 
able.  Merely  as  a  specimen  of  what  may  be 
done,  and  as  suggestive  of  other  forms,  we  pre¬ 
sent  herewith  a  sketch  of  a  gate  emblematical 
of  the  farmer’s  profession. — It  is  not  a  fancy 
sketch  merely,  for  the  original,  from  which  this  is 
drawn,  stands  at  one  of  the  entrances  to  “  Wod- 
enethe,”  the  picturesque  and  unique  residence  of 
H.  W.  Sargent,  opposite  to  Newburgh,  on  the 
Hudson  river. — It  is  constructed  of  wood,  and 
every  part  of  it,  even  to  the  latch,  is  the  repre¬ 
sentation  of  some  implement  used  in  agriculture. 
These  are  weapons  with  which  the  virgin  soil 
can  be  made  to  yield  up  its  golden  treasures,  and 
fill  the  granaries  and  barns,  and  the  home  with 
luxuries  from  its  rich  store-house.  The  spade, 
mattock,  and  hoe,  have  been  praised  in  song. 

“  It  was  not  the  sword  that  won  our  best  battle, 
Created  our  commerce,  extended  our  trade, 

Gave  food  to  our  wives,  our  children,  our  cattle  ; 

But  the  queen  of  ail  weapons— the  spade,  boys,  the 
spade.” 

And  thus  we  might  sing  of  all  the  various  im¬ 
plements,  which  the  cultivator  of  the  soil  should 
feel  are  his  weapons,  and  have  an  honest  pride 
in  using  them.  The  above  figure  can  be  easily 
imitated,  and  the  implements  of  the  cultivator  be 
made  of  the  various  curiously  formed  branches  of 
trees  that  abound  in  our  forests.  We  hope  ere 
long  to  see  more  of  our  farmers  with  these  gate¬ 
ways,  thus  fashioned  in  tasteful,  rural  style. 
When  we  see  homes  ornamented  and  beautified, 
we  have  the  best  evidence  that  such  a  home  is 
permanent.,  and  that  happiness  is  found  within. 
’Tis  then  the  cultivator  feels  that  there’s  a  richer 
reward  than  money  can  give  for  labor,  for  he  has 
found  the  aim  of  life,  happiness — and  he  beholds 

“  Yellow  sheaves  from  rich  Ceres  the  cottage  had 
crowned, 

Green  rushes  were  strewed  on  the  floor  ; 

Tlie  casement’s  sweet  woodbine  crept  wantonly  round, 
And  decked  the  sod  seats  at  the  door.” 

Gates  should  always  be  substituted  for  bars  at 


every  entrance  much  used.  Test  this  by  figures: 
To  let  down  and  put  up  bars  requires  at  least  two 
minutes  more  time,  than  to  open  and  shut  a  gate. 
Allowing  the  gate  to  be  passed  twice  a  day  for  a 
year,  or  once  a  day  for  two  years,  and  there  is 
a  loss  of  more  than  two  whole  days  to  the  farmer 
and  his  team,  and  men  with  him.  This  would 
certainly  more  than  pay  for  a  gate.  Another  has 
estimated  the  ordinary  loss  of  time  by  a  man  and 
team  equivalent  to  6£  days  a  year,  which  would 
pay  a  large  interest  on  the  cost  of  the  best  gate. 

Self-opening  and  self-shutting  Gates  have  ex¬ 
cited  not  a  little  interest  of  late,  and  at  least  a 
dozen  forms  have  been  patented.  It  is  very  con¬ 
venient  to  be  able  to  drive  up  to  a  gate,  which 
will  open  at  your  approach,  and  close  after  you. 
Some  of  these  are  operated  by  a  kind  of  crank 
which  the  wheel  passes  over  before  and  after  go¬ 
ing  through.  Others  are  opened  and  shut  by 
weights,  set  in  motion  by  a  string  which  hangs 
so  as  to  be  pulled  by  a  person  in  a  carriage  or  on 
horseback.  [We  have  seen  at  this  year’s  Agricul¬ 
tural  Exhibitions  at  least  three  forms,  which  are 
simple,  cheap,  and  perfectly  practicable.  Illus¬ 
trations  and  descriptions  of  one  or  more  of  these 
will  appear  in  the  Agriculturist  shortly. — Ed.] 

Spring  side.  C.  N.  Bement. 

- m  *  - 

Simple  mode  of  Suspending  Slaughtered 
Animals. 

There  are  a  great  number  of  little  convenien¬ 
ces  in  use  here  and  there  through  the  coun¬ 
try,  but  not  generally  known.  We  are  always 
on  the  watch  for  such  items,  and  have  published 
many  of  them,  but  we  greatly  desire  our  readers 
to  assist  in  this  work  of  collecting  and  scatter¬ 
ing  more  widely  a  knowledge  of  how  the  sim¬ 
plest  operations  are  performed.  Our  artists  are 
always  ready  to  develop  the  least  hint  given. 
Please  let  us  have  a  hundred  such  for  the  coming 
volume.  A  rough  sketch,  or  description  even,  is 
usually  all  that  is  necessary.  Here  is  an  exam¬ 
ple.  A  subscriber,  (James  Darlington,)  says  he 
found  in  common  use  in  Saratoga  County, 
N.  Y.,  a  method  of  hanging  up  a  beef  carcass 
when  slaughtered,  in  the  absence  of  a  tackle  or 
other  convenient  apparatus,  which  he  rightly 
thinks  is  not  generally  known.  From  his  notes 
sent  to  the  Agriculturist  we  make  the  following 
engravings  and  description  : 


Fig.  1. 


In  fig.  1,  B  is  a  beam  or  joist  in  the  barn  or 
other  out-house.  From  this  two  ropes  are  let 
down,  having  a  short  loop  or  noose  in  the  lower 
ends.  The  loops  are  brought  round  the  gambrel  G, 
and  two  small  levers,  L,  L,  thrust  in  as  shown  in 
the  cut.  It  will  be  seen  that  simply  turning  these 
round  will  wind  the  ropes  around  the  gambrel  G, 
and  shorten  the  suspending  cords  with  great 
power.  With  barrels,  or  other  supports  to  stand 


upon,  these  ropes  can  be  wound  up  to  the  beam. 
The  amount  of  force  required  will  of  course  de¬ 
pend  upon  the  size  of  the  gambrel  G,  and  the 
length  of  the  levers  L. 


Fig.  2. 


In  fig.  2  the  carcass  is  shown  drawn  up  by 
winding  the  rope,  and  is  held  at  the  desired  hight 
by  throwing  a  rod  across  behind  the  ropes  and 
before  the  levers.  The  power,  it  will  be  seen,  is 
very  great,  as  the  short  arm  of  the  lever  is  only 
half  the  diameter  of  the  gambrel,  and  the  long 
arm  two,  three,  or  four  feet.  A  man,  with  a  boy 
to  handle  the  lever  at  the  other  end,  may  readily 
raise  up  the  largest  animal.  We  are  obliged  to 
Mr.  Darlington  for  this  useful  hint,  and  again  re¬ 
quest  our  readers  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  to 
send  us  as  many  such  suggestions  as  they  can. 

- —- • — — «©— — - . 

Carrying  Power  by  Compressed  Air— A 
Novel  Proposition. 


We  have  been  much  interested  in  a  recent  ap¬ 
plication  by  Messrs.  Debain,  Botton  &  Zellier,  to 
the  authorities  of  Paris,  for  permission  to  lay 
down  iron  pipes  to  introduce  compressed  cold 
air.  They  propose  to  construct  outside  of  the  city 
an  immense  engine  to  compress  air  into  pipes. 
These  pipes  are  to  lead  to  all  parts  of  the  city, 
like  gas  and  water-pipes.  Wherever  power  is 
wanted  for  driving  machinery  it  will  only  be  ne¬ 
cessary  to  tap  the  underground  pipe  and  let  the 
compressed  air  escape  through  an  engine,  just  as 
condensed  steam  is  used.  By  means  of  a  simple 
stop-cock,  this  air  may  be  let  out  in  small  quan¬ 
tities  to  blow  the  fire  in  a  blacksmith’s  furnace, 
or  in  a  stove  or  grate.  This  plan  appears  feasi¬ 
ble,  and  if  practicable,  will  do  away  with  a  mul¬ 
titude  of  furnaces,  and  the  annoyance  of  smoke, 
and  the  disasters  resulting  from  the  explosions  of 
scalding  steam.  We  may  soon  be  printing  the 
Agriculturist  by  air-power,  generated  up  at  Har¬ 
lem,  or  over  in  New-Jersey,  or  out  on  Long 
Island,  instead  of  the  huge  boilers  that  now  stand 
in  close  proximity  to  the  press  that  prints  these 
letters  upon  this  page. — We  shall  see. 


That  “Mule  Race.” — Our  readers  will  not 
soon  forget  that  picture  of  a  mule  race,  we  gave 
in  last  year’s  Agriculturist,  and  the  proposed  im¬ 
provement  upon  modern  agricultural  races  at 
“  Fairs  viz.  that  the  competitors  should  each 
ride  another  man’s  beast,  and  the  prize  should  be 
given  to  the  last  in.  Of  course,  each  man  would 
push  ahead  as  fast  as  possible,  so  as  to  have  his 
own  beast,  riden  by  another,  come  in  last.  We 
see  by  various  exchanges  and  letters,  that  the 
hint  has  been  pretty  widely  acted  upon  this  year. 
About  the  best  affair  of  the  kind  occurred  at 
Wheeling,  Va.,  where  one  little  brown  mule 
wouldn’t  go  at  all  for  coaxing,  or  whip,  or  kicks 
and,  of  course,  received  the  prize  of  $25. 


1859 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


833 


Kindness  vs  Whip  and  Spur. 

The  adage  says  :  “A  merciful  man  is  merciful 
to  his  beast.”  And  is  not  the  wise  man  so,  like¬ 
wise.  from  notions  of  economy  1  If  I  kick,  beat  or 
otherwise  wrong  my  horse,  or  cow,  or  ox,  in  the 
stable,  he  will,  of  necessity,  become  sour  and  ill- 
natured.  He  will  not  enjoy  his  food,  or  get  all 
the  benefit  out  of  it.  And  if  he  kicks  back,  or 
bites,  or  crowds,  or  in  other  ways  injures  his 
cruel  master,  will  he  not  become  less  valuable  as 
property  1  So,  if  I  overwork  any  of  my  domestic 
animals,  or  whip  them  unnecessarily  while  work¬ 
ing,  or  assail  them  with  shouts  and  curses,  they 
will  not  work  as  well  as  they  would,  if  treated 
kindly  and  spoken  to  in  a  pleasant  voice.  They 
will  be,  for  much  of  the  time,  in  a  state  of  ex¬ 
citement  or  irritation,  and  when  their  work  is 
done,  they  will  go  to  their  stables  chafed  and  ex¬ 
hausted.  Any  one  who  lias  studied  the  nature  of 
animals,  knows  that  in  the  respect  now  noticed, 
there  is  a  wonderful  sim¬ 
ilarity  between  them  and 
man.  What  they  do 
cheerfully  they  do  well 
and  easily,  what  they  do 
by  compulsion  they  do 
poorly  and  with  difficulty. 

Any  excess  of  loading 
which  a  horse  or  ox  is 
compelled  to  draw  by  fear 
of  the  lash,  is  usually  a 
waste  and  injury  to  him. 

Any  excess  of  speed  in 
riding  or  driving,  got  by 
spur  or  whip,  beyond 
what  the  animal  can 
easily  accomplish,  wears 
upon  his  strength  and  his 
permanent  health.  If  a 
person  must  needs  draw 
very  heavy  loads,  let  him 
buy  horses  or  oxen  that 
can  draw  them  without 
being  forced  to  it  by 
fear  of  brutal  whipping.  If  he  wants  to  drive  a 
fast  horse,  let  him  buy  a  fast  horse,  and  not  com¬ 
pel  a  slow  one  to  make  a  speed  which  he  can  not 
do  without  being  overtaxed  and  injured.  There 
is  much  to  be  learned  yet,  in  our  treatment  of  do¬ 
mestic  animals.  Mercy  to  them,  no  less  than  to 
our  fellow-men,  is  twice  blessed,  blessing  him 
that  gives  and  him  that  receives  it. 


Cruelty  of  the  Check-rein. 

There  are  some  apologies,  we  know,  for  the 
use  of  this  contrivance.  It  may  help,  at  times,  in 
the  management  of  a  young  unbroken  colt.  In 
the  case  of  carriage  horses,  too,  it  improves  their 
appearance  ;  and  when  they  are  to  be  driven  at 
only  a  moderate  pace,  it  may  perhaps  do  no  harm. 
It  is  held,  also,  that  horses  which  are  not  sure¬ 
footed  are  less  apt  to  stumble,  if  checked  up,  and 
if  they  stumble,  are  less  liable  to  fall.  But  at 
best,  it  seems  to  be  an  unnatural  and  cruel  piece 
of  apparatus,  especially  for  team-horses.  In  the 
endeavor  to  haul  his  load,  the  horse  naturally 
throws  his  head  forward  and  downward,  so  as  to 
get  a  sort  of  leverage  ;  or,  as  one  expresses  it, 
he  tries  to  “  throw  his  weight  into  what  he  has 
got  to  do.”  What,  then,  if  his  head  is  girded  up 
into  the  air  1  He  works  at  very  great  disadvan¬ 
tage. 

When  a  man  has  hard  work  to  do,  he  natural¬ 
ly  rids  himself  of  all  unnecessary  ligatures, 
clothing,  and  weights.  He  does  the  same,  if  he 
is  going  to  run,  walk  a  long  distance,  fight,  or  re¬ 


create  in  any  way.  He  seeks  to  get  free  play  of 
muscle  and  free  respiration.  Now,  why  should 
he  treat  his  faithful  horse  differently,  unless  he 
wishes  wantonly  to  oppress  or  injure  him  1  The 
N.  E.  Farmer  is  hardly  too  severe  in  saying  that 
“  any  person  whose  attention  has  been  called  to 
the  subject,  and  who  still  persists  in  the  use  of 
the  tight  check-rein,  ought  to  have  his  own  head 
placed  in  a  similar  position  for  a  considerable 
time.  If  I  were  the  Grand  Sultan,  every  man 
who  tormented  his  horse  with  a  check-rein, 
should  hold  his  arm  at  right  angles  with  his  body 
for  an  hour  at  a  time,  once  in  twenty-four  hours, 
as  long  as  he  continued  the  check-rein.  For 
working  horses,  Ihe  use  of  this  pernicious  strap 
is  especially  cruel.  The  horse,  in  endeavoring  to 
put  forth  his  strength,  needs  the  free  natural  use 
of  his  head  and  neck.”  And  any  thing  which 
cramps  and  restrains  him  is  both  cruel  to  the 
animal,  and  makes  him  less  serviceable  to  his 
owner. 


White-breasted  Nuthatch  (Sitta  Carolinensis.) 


[til  tho  letter  containing  the  notes  below,  came  a 
beautifully  prepared  specimen,  made  by  skinning  the 
bird,  and  pasting  one  side,  or  half  of  the  skin,  neatly  upon 
a  card.  The  feathers  were  all  in  place,  and  even  the  bill, 
and  skin  of  the  feet.  At  a  little  distance  it  had  all  the 
appearance  of  the  live  bird.  A  few  pencil  marks  upon 
the  card  filled  out  the  representation  of  the  brandies,  etc. 
In  the  accompanying  picture  we  give  an  exact  sketch  of 
the  specimen,  except  the  color,  which  could  not,  of 
course,  be  shown  with  black  printing  ink.  The  original 
itself  we  shall  preserve  enclosed  in  a  glass  case.  We 
shall  be  much  obliged  for  directions  how  to  prepare  these 
specimens.  Our  younger  readers  could  engage  in  no 
more  pleasant  exercise,  than  in  preparing  similar  ones 
from  various  kinds  of  birds. — Ed.] 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

The  bird  named  Sap-sucker  by  “  Young  Agri¬ 
culturist”  in  the  August  number,  page  251, 1  sus¬ 
pect  to  be  the  White-breasted  Nuthatch  (Sitta 
carolinensis),  which  has  a  general  lead  color,  with 
the  head  and  neck  black  above,  and  pure  white 
underneath.  Length  5$-  inches.  The  foot  has 
three  toes  before  and  two  behind — the  true  wood¬ 
pecker  has  only  two  before  and  two  behind.  This 
bird  resides  here  (Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.)  both  Sum¬ 
mer  and  Winter,  and  probably  also  in  all  the 
sugar  maple  and  heavy  timbered  districts  of  the 
United  States.  [We  have  seen  them  in  large 
numbers  in  Maine,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut, 
AYestern  New-York,  Ohio  and  Michigan.  Their 
general  form  is  shown  in  the  picture  which  is  the 
exact  size  of  the  full  grown  bird.  From  the  mode 
of  preparing  the  specimen,  the  eye  and  toes  are 
not  perfect,  and  the  engraver  has  not  given  these 


accurately.  By  remembering  that  the  general 
color  is  lead,  the  reader  will  readily  recognize  this 
bird,  and  especially  from  the  fact  that  it  is  one  of 
the  tamest  of  wild  birds,  and  is  rtiost  frequently 
seen  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree  with  its  head  down¬ 
ward. — Ed] 

The  Nuthatch  is  a  friend  and  old  acquaintance 
of  ours.  True,  he  does  tap  trees  ;  we  have  seen 
him  tapping  them  in  the  cold  month  of  January, 
when  the  “sap  and  mucilage  ”  were  frozen  hard 
as  adamant ;  and  we  have  seen  him  tap  them  in 
the  hot  month  of  August,  when  the  sap  would 
not  run.  We  have  seen  him  tap  hemlock,  spruce, 
beach,  birch,  ash,  and  indeed  every  thing  else  that 
came  in  his  way,  from  a  rail  fence  to  a  rotten 
stump.  This  will  amuse  your  young  readers,  and 
well  it  may,  for  if  sugar  making  be  his  business, 
instinct  here  is  greatly  at  fault.  Closet  natural¬ 
ists  say  that  he  lives  on  nuts,  and  hence  his  name. 
But,  whatever  may  be  the  habits  of  the  European 
Nuthatch,  our  American  AVhite-breasted  Nut¬ 
hatch  never  takes  any 
other  food  than  insects 
and  their  larva.  It  may 
occasionally  wash  down 
its  food  from  the  sap 
spouts.  If  any  of  our 
young  friends  want  an 
introduction  to  this  beau¬ 
tiful  young  climber,  we 
will  give  them  the  pass 
word  and  sign  ;  let  them 
go  to  the  sunny  side  of 
the  wood  or  orchard,  if 
they  are  clean  and  tidy, 
and  have  no  smell  of 
gunpowder  about  them, 
and  he  will  walk  down 
the  body  of  the  tree,  head 
foremost,  and  meet  them 
with  a  thousand  wel¬ 
comes.  (This  is  a  Blon 
dinian  feat,  which  no 
Woodpecker  ever  dare 
attempt.)  Your  boys  and 
girls  may  call  him  “Nuthatch,”  and  give  a  reason 
for  so  doing.  Though  his  name  is  a  libel  on  his 
habits,  we  must  be  content ;  his  christening  was 
orthodox,  performed  with  due  pomp  and  solemni¬ 
ty  by  our  savans  of  the  R.  N.  H.  S.  (Royal  Nat¬ 
ural  History  Society.)  John  Marsden. 

Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y. 

- -0-4 -  W5-$'C3I  - *-«* - 

Tim  Bunker  on  Dress— in  Eeply  to  his 
Neighbors. 

Mr.  Editor. — I  was  considerably  astonished 
to  see  the  letter  from  Tucker  and  Jones  in  your 
last  paper.  I  did  not  suppose  that  I  had  said  any 
thing  to  break  the  peace,  or  to  stir  up  my  neigh¬ 
bors,  and  even  that  letter  don’t  fairly  convince 
me.  You  see  it  is  a  great  country,  where  it 
takes  two  folks  to  write  a  letter — and  soch  a  let¬ 
ter  !  Any  body  that  knows  those  two  men,  knows 
that  they  did  not  write  that  letter.  It  is  not  in 
them,  and  what  is  not  in  a  man,  can’t  come 
out  of  him  anyway.  I  took  the  paper  right  to 
Tucker,  as  soon  as  it  come,  and  says  I  to  him, 
says  I, 

“  Tucker,  do  you  know  who  wrote  that  letter.” 
“  No  I  don’t  Square,”  says  he,  “  blam’d  if  I  do.” 

And  neighbor  Jones  said  the  same  thing.  If 
they  told  a  whopper,  it  probably  is  not  the  first 
one  they  have  told,  for  though  I  say  it,  that  should 
not,  their  reputation  don’t  stand  any  the  highest 
for  speaking  the  truth. 

I  suspect  they  either  got  somebody  to  write 
the  letter  for  them,  or  some  envious  person  who 
wants  to  get  hold  of  my  piece  of  reclaimed  marsh, 


834 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


wrote  it  in  their  name,  meaning  to  run  it  down, 
so  as  to  get  it  as  cheap  as  possible.  That  is  about 
the  drift  of  thejetter,  as  far  as  I  can  see  any  in 
it.  But  I  may  as  well  say,  first  as  last,  that  that 
piece  of  land  is  not  in  the  market.  Land  that 
will  cut  three  tun  of  hay  to  the  acre,  or  pasture  a 
cow  through  the  whole  season,  is  about  good 
enough  to  keep.  The  marsh  has  turned  the 
heads  of  some  people,  and  I  have  had  a  lot  of 
folks  from  abroad  to  see  it,  and  to  learn  how  the 
trick  was  done.  A  fellow  called  the  other  day, 
from  way  down  beyond  Boston.  He  had  a  pro¬ 
ject  in  his  head,  to  reclaim  three  thousand  acres, 
and  make  a  mint  of  money  out  of  it.  It  can  be 
done  just  as  easy  as  to  flip  a  cent,  if  he  has  the 
money  to  do  it  with. 

That  letter  tried  to  make  it  out  that  I  had  spent 
a  great  deal  of  money  on  my  marsh.  This  shows 
how  little  the  writer  knows  about  it.  I  have  got 
more  than  muck  enough  out  of  the  ditches,  to  pay 
for  all  the  improvements  and  top  dressings  ap¬ 
plied  to  it ;  so  that  I  am  a  good  deal  in  debt  to 
that  land  to  day.  The  principal  part  of  the  ex¬ 
pense  of  such  an  improvement  is  in  the  embank¬ 
ment,  and  that  was  all  made  in  this  case. 

As  to  this  marsh  ever  going  back  again,  of 
course  it  will,  if  it  is  not  taken  care  of.  Any  fool 
can  see  that  if  the  tide  gate  is  not  kept  in  order, 
the  sea  water  will  come  in,  and  the  salt  grasses 
will  grow  again.  But  any  fool  in  Hookertown, 
will  tell  you  that  Tim  Bunker  knows  enough  to 
keep  a  tide  gate  in  order,  and  to  shut  out  “  crabs  ” 
and  “eel  grass.” 

The  letter  tries  to  make  a  handle  out  of  my 
dress,  and  on  this  subject  I  guess  I  am  posted 
about  as  well  as  some  of  my  neighbors.  I  be¬ 
lieve  in  people’s  dressing  according  to  their  char¬ 
acters,  and  their  business.  If  there  is  any  thing 
better  than  rubber  boots  for  a  ditch  half  full  of 
water,  I  should  like  to  see  it.  I  have  not  got 
above  my  business  of  farming  yet,  and  don’t  ex¬ 
pect  to  very  soon.  Some  folks,  I  suppose,  like 
Tucker  and  Jones,  if  they  should  be  made  a  Jus¬ 
tice,  or  elected  to  any  high  office,  would  not  wear 
any  thing  but  calfskin,  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. 
And  thereby  I  think  they  would  show  that  the 
calf  was  a  little  more  than  skin  deep. 

You  see,  Mr.  Editor,  this  matter  of  dress  is  of 
more  importance  than  most  people  think.  It 
makes  or  ruins  a  multitude  of  people,  and  has  a 
great  deal  to  do  with  these  crashes  that  you  have 
in  the  city,  every  few  years.  And  to  begin  with, 
as  Mr.  Spooner  would  say,  there  is  a  great  deal 
in  dressing  folks  up  with  the  right  kind  of  names, 
when  they  start  in  life.  I  don’t  think  your  cor¬ 
respondents  were  as  lucky  in.  their  names  as  they 
might  have  been.  George  Washington  Tucker, 
anil  Benjamin  Franklin  Jones,  sound  considera¬ 
ble  grand,  and  fixed  up,  as  if  a  man  would  have 
to  stoop  some  when  he  come  into  the  room 
where  such  people  lived.  But  I  guess  if  you 
knew  the  folks  that  wear  them,  as  well  as  I  do, 
you  would  not  think  there  was  much  call  for 
manners.  You  see,  Tucker’s  father  was  never 
worth  a  red  cent  in  the  world,  above  the  clothes 
he  had  upon  his  back,  and  his  mother  had  more 
pretensions  than  any  woman  of  her  size  I  ever 
knew.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade,  and  spent  all  his 
earnings  upon  broadcloth  and  silk,  for  himself 
and  wife.  I  remember  when  parasols  first  came 
round,  Tucker  got  one  for  his  wife,  and  she  was 
so  anxious  to  show  it,  that  she  carried  it  to  meet¬ 
ing  with  her,  and  hoisted  it  in  meeting  time,  just 
as  Mr.  Spooner  begun  his  sermon,  as  much  as  to 
say  “  Tucker's  wife  is  some  pumkins  arter  all.” 
The  way  the  minister  looked  at  her  was  a  cau¬ 
tion  to  all  peacocks,  dogs,  and  other  vermin. 
Deacon  Smith  had  to  come  over  and  tell  her  to 
take  down  that  windmill,  for  he  hadn’t  seen  one 


before  and  he  did  not  know  what  to  call  it.  Mrs. 
Bunker  said  “she  thought  she  would  have  sunk 
into  the  earth.” 

Well,  you  see,  when  their  first  child  was  born, 
thinking,  I  suppose,  that  they  would  not  have 
much  else  to  give,  they  gave  him  the  name  of 
Geo.  Washington  Tucker.  Now  what’s  the  use 
of  dressing  up  a  poor  boy,  with  such  a  big  sound¬ 
ing  name.  You  see,  it  makes  too  heavy  a  load 
for  an  ordinary  mortal  to  carry  through  life.  If 
he  ever  makes  any  thing,  becomes  a  business 
man,  it  is  a  great  waste  of  paper  and  ink  to  have 
to  write  so  long  a  name.  And  if  he  don’t  make 
any  thing,  he  becomes  a  standing  joke  like  the 
present  George  Washington  Tucker.  Fie  has 
always  lived  in  a  hired  house,  and  worked  hired 
land,  when  he  worked  any.  To  tell  the  plain 
truth,  he  has  never  hurt  himself  with  work  of 
any  kind,  and  though  a  farmer,  has  been  about  as 
shy  of  the  dirt  as  his  father  was  before  him.  I 
suppose  it’s  wicked,  but  I  never  see  him  in  meet¬ 
ing  without  thinking  of  that  parasol  forty  years 
ago.  The  green  of  that  silk  went  as  straight  into 
that  boy  as  if  he  had  grown  on  a  mulberry  tree, 
instead  of  being  born  like  other  mortals. 

Jones  came  of  a  better  family.  His  father, 
Gen’l.  Jones  was  flourishing  forty  years  ago.  He 
had  a  good  deal  of  money  left  him  by  his  father, 
and  married  rich.  The  General  was  mighty  fond 
of  cocked  hats,  epaulettes,  and  other  military  fix¬ 
ings,  and  his  wife  was  fond  of  French  fashions, 
and  extravagant  dress.  They  used  to  drive 
through  the  street  in  Hookertown,  in  a  splendid 
carriage,  drawn  by  a  pair  of  black  horses,  with 
harness  glittering  with  silver  buckles  and 
mountings.  Nobody  held  their  heads  higher  than 
the  Joneses  of  the  last  generation.  The  Gener¬ 
al’s  house  was  crowded  with  gay  company  from 
the  city,  his  wife  and  daughters  dressed  splendid¬ 
ly,  and  gave  brilliant  parties,  where  the  wine 
flowed  like  water,  and  the  dance  and  song  lasted 
till  morning. 

The  Gen'l.  died  a  bankrupt  when  the  present 
Benjamin  Franklin  Jones  was  a  boy  of  ten.  Of 
course  the  property  had  to  be  sold,  and  Ben.  had 
to  go  to  work  for  a  living,  which  was  the  best 
thing  that  ever  happened  to  him,  or  any  other 
man,  according  to  my  notion.  He  however  had 
got  some  high  notions  in  his  childhood,  that  has 
prevented  him  from  succeeding  in  life.  He  has 
never  loved  work,  like  one  who  has  grubbed  in 
the  dirt,  from  the  time  he  could  grasp  a  hoe  han¬ 
dle.  You  must  begin  early  with  the  boys,  if  you 
want  to  make  them  love  work.  Ilub  their  noses 
in  it,  as  soon  as  they  can  run,  and  they  will  al¬ 
ways  love  the  smell  of  mother  earth,  as  long  as 
they  live.  But  if  you  dress  them  in  fine  clothes 
until  they  are  ten,  and  twelve,  and  then  try  to 
break  them  in,  it  is  just  like  breaking  in  a  six 
year  old  pair  of  cattle — mighty  hard  work. 

To  state  the  case  just  as  it  is,  Benjamin  Frank¬ 
lin  Jones  is  too  much  afraid  of  dirtying  his  clothes, 
to  get  along  in  life.  And  these  are  the  kind  of 
folks,  you  see,  that  are  laughing  at  Tim  Bunker's 
old  hat,  and  long  legged  boots,  and  talking  of 
throwing  stones  because  I  live  in  a  glass  house. 
They  have  the  advantage  of  me  in  flinging  stones, 
for  they  haven’t  got  any  houses  at  all,  of  their 
own,  if  I  should  want  to  throw  back  again.  My 
hat  is  old,  as  they  say,  but  it  is  paid  for,  which  is 
more  than  can  be  said  of  the  hats  of  my  illus¬ 
trious  neighbors,  George  Washington  Tucker, 
and  Benjamin  Franklin  Jones.  One  was  won  in 
a  bet  at  the  last  presidential  election,  and  the 
other  has  been  charged  in  the  merchant’s  book — 
for  more  than  three  years. 

Yours  to  command, 

Timothy  Bunker,  Esq. 

Hookertown,  Ct.,  Oct.  12,  1859. 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Muck  and  Lime  united  as  a  Manure. 


A  correspondent  enquired  in  a  former  number 
of  the  Agriculturist,  whether  slacked  lime,  if  mix¬ 
ed  with  the  vegetable  production  found  in  our 
swamps,  termed  muck,  would  prove  beneficial  to 
the  soil  as  a  manure  1  This  will  in  some  degree 
depend  upon  the  quality  of  the  soil,  but  as  a  gen¬ 
eral  rule,  the  answer  would  be  in  the  affir¬ 
mative  ;  and  I  should  confidently  recommend  the 
process  whenever  it  becomes  practicable.  The 
reason  why  this  vegetable  material,  when  min¬ 
gled  with  the  soil  in  its  pure  condition,  has  some¬ 
times  proved  of  so  little  utility,  is  owing  to  the 
circumstance  of  its  containing  a  considerable 
quantity  of  resinous  matter  in  its  composition, 
which  prevents  it  from  undergoing  so  ready  a  de¬ 
composition  as  is  necessarily  required  ;  it  being 
insoluble  in  water.  But  by  the  application  of 
slaked  lime,  or  any  other  alkaline  ingredients, 
even  such  as  is  contained  in  ashes,  they  are 
found  immediately  to  combine  with  the  resins  em¬ 
braced  in  the  muck,  and  readily  produce  a  soap 
which  is  perfectly  soluble  in  water  ;  it  then  easi¬ 
ly  becomes  washed  from  the  woody  fibers,  and 
leaves  the  hitherto  undecaying  malerials  to  the 
free  action  of  moisture,  and  those  other  atmos¬ 
pheric  agents  which  facilitate  its  decomposition. 
Slaked  lime,  then,  united  with  muck  should  be 
recommended ;  but  it  will  not  answer  so  well  to 
mix  it  with  other  manures  which  may  owe  their 
fertilizing  properties  to  nitrogen,  as  in  this  case 
ammonia  will  be  produced,  and  speedily  pass  off 
to  be  dispersed  in  the  atmosphere.  J.  E. 


A  Common.  Error  in  Drainage. 


The  most  of  the  draining  yet  attempted  in  this 
country  is  with  open  ditches,  and  in  swamps. 
Three  cases  have  recently  come  under  our  ob¬ 
servation,  in  which  the  failure  is  traceable  to  a 
common  cause. 

Mr.  A - ,  reclaimed  a  swamp  of  twelve  acres. 

It  was  thickly  covered  with  brush,  and  had  made 
a  very  heavy  turf  of  roots  and  moss,  a  foot  or 
more  thick.  A  deep  wide  ditch  was  run  through 
the  middle,  with  a  few  side  ditches  running  at 
right  angles  to  the  main  ditch.  There  was  no 
ditch  put  around  the  border  to  cut  off  the  springs 
from  the  side  hill.  There  was  a  good  fall,  and 
these  ditches  took  off  all  the  water  from  the  pond 
and  made  the  whole  swamp  ready  for  the  plow. 
In  1856  he  had  good  crops,  and  in  1857  still  bet¬ 
ter,  some  of  the  stoutest  corn  in  town.  In  1858, 
the  corn  was  not  as  good,  even  with  the  applica¬ 
tion  of  manure,  and  in  1859  the  corn  crop  is  a 
decided  failure.  The  land  had  settled  somewhat 
hy  the  decay  of  the  roots  and  vegetable  matter 
in  the  soil,  and  had  become  so  compact  that  the 
water  from  the  sides  could  not  readily  escape 
into  the  ditches. 

Mr.  B - ,  drained  some  four  acres  with  tile 

running  from  the  edge  of  the  swamp  into  a  main 
open  ditch,  in  the  middle.  The  tile  were  put  four 
rods  apart,  and  even  with  this  imperfect  drain¬ 
age,  the  land  was  very  productive  for  four  or  five 
years,  bearing  good  hoed  crops,  and  still  better 
grass.  Last  year,  it  was  taken  up  a  second 
time,  and  the  corn  was  a  failure,  owing  to  the  ex 
cessive  moisture  of  the  land.  No  border  ditch 
had  been  made  to  cut  off  springs  from  the  upland. 

Mr.  C - ,  had  some  ten  acres  of  low  wet  land, 

underlaid  by  a  hard  pan,  the  soil  in  no  place  more 
than  eighteen  inches  deep  A  small  brook  run 
through  the  middle.  The  bed  of  this  was  lower¬ 
ed  some  two  feet,  and  two  other  ditches  at  a 
distance  of  about  ten  rods  were  dug,  going  no 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


deeper  than  the  hard  pan.  There  was  no  border 
ditoh — and  besides  this  error,  Mr.  C.  fell  into  two 

0t\ievs _ having  only  one  ditch  where  the  land 

needed  three— and  digging  only  eighteen  inches, 
where  he  should  have  gone  down  three  feet.  The 
land  lies  on  an  inclined  plain,  has  a  good  fall,  and 
might  easily  be  made  to  produce  two  tuns  of 
good  herdsgrass  to  the  acre.  Instead  of  that, 
the  wild  sour  grasses  have  never  been  eradicated, 
and  it  has  never  yielded  over  three  quarters  of  a 
tun  of  hay  to  the  acre. 

These  gentlemen  are  somewhat  inclined  to 
look  upon  drainage  as  a  humbug,  when  that  term 
is  more  appropriately  applied  to  the  style  of  their 
works.  It  was  not  more  than  half  done.  A  bor¬ 
der  drain  is  indispensible,  in  all  cases  of  reclaim¬ 
ing  swamp  land.  This  cuts  off  the  enemy  from 
the  outside,  and  leaves  the  other  ditches  to  dis¬ 
pose  of  the  surface  water. 

These  open  ditches  are  but  a  poor  substitute 
for  thorough  drainage,  at  best,  but  they  are  the 
first  advances  toward  the  improvement  of  wet 
land,  likely  to  be  made  by  most  farmers.  It  is  of 
great  importance  that  the  errors  pointed  out  in 
these  cases  should  be  avoided. 

- - ^0-4 -  - - - - * 

How  &ice  is  Grown  and  Prepared  for 
Market. . II. 

Prepared  by  an  Editor  sojourning  at  the  South. 

FLOWING  AND  CULTIVATION. 

However  dreary  and  monotonous  the  aspect  of 
a  rice  plantation  in  Winter,  nothing  can  be  more 
charming  than  the  broad  expanse  of  living  green 
in  Summer.  Immediately  after  the  sowing  of  a 
field,  already  described,  which  is  usually  com¬ 
pleted  on  the  same  day  it  is  begun,  the  tide-gate 
of  the  trunk  communicating  with  the  river  is 
lifted,  and  the  water  flows  in  at  the  next  rise  of 
the  tide,  covering  the  whole  ground.  The  design 
of  the  first  flow  is  to  assist  the  seed  in  germina¬ 
ting,  and  it  is  hence  called  the  “  Sprout  flow.’ 
The  water  remains  upon  the  fields  for  one  or  two 
weeks  according  to  the  warmth  of  the  season. 
When  the  sprouts  begin  to  show  themselves  in 
the  drills,  the  water  is  drawn  off,  and  the  ground 
suffered  to  dry. 

After  the  plants  are  well  up,  showing  their 
points  the  second  flooding  is  given,  called  in  the 
technical  language  of  the  district  ‘’the  point  flow.  ’ 
The  object  of  this  is  not  only  to  aid  the  growth 
of  the  crop,  but  to  kill  the  weeds,  which  can  not 
live  in  the  water,  and  thus  to  save  the  labor  of 
hoeing.  The  water  remains  on  until  the  plants 
are  about  four  inches  high,  and  strong  enough  to 
withstand  the  birds  with  which  the  rice  region 
is  infested.  After  the  water  is  drawn  off,  and 
the  land  is  dried,  the  whole  field  is  hoed,  and  after 
remaining  dry  two  weeks,  or  more,  it  is  hoed  a 
second  time.  As  soon  as  the  weeds  are  killed, 
after  the  second  hoeing,  the  third  flowing  is  made, 
and  the  water  is  raised  several  inches  above  the 
tops  of  the  rice,  so  that  all  the  dried  weeds  ris¬ 
ing  to  the  surface,  may  float  off,  and  be  gathered 
up  upon  the  levee  for  burning.  The  water  is  then 
lowered,  so  that  the  plants  may  just  appear  above 
the  surface-  The  plants,  at  this  time,  are  from 
six  inches  to  a  foot  high,  according  to  the  for¬ 
wardness  of  the  season.  The  water  remains  on 
the  field  for  two  or  three  weeks,  and  from  this 
circumstance  it  is  called  the  “  long  flow.” 

The  drawing  off  of  the  water  at  the  close  of 
this  flow  is  determined  by  a  particular  stage  of 
the  growth  of  the  crop,  which  is  only  learned  by 
experience.  Much  of  the  success  of  the  rice  crop 
depends  upon  good  judgment  at  this  juncture. 
When  the  ground  is  in  condition  for  tillage,  the 
crop  is  again  hoed  a  third  time,  and  after  an  in¬ 


terval  of  two  or  three  weeks,  a  fourth  time,  the 
ground  remaining  meanwhile  dry.  Now  comes 
the  last  flowing,  and  the  water  remains  on  just 
below  the  heads  of  the  rice,  until  the  harvest. 
The  hands  are  now  kept  busy  in  wading  between 
the  drills,  pulling  out  any  weeds  that  may  have 
escaped  earlier  notice,  and  the  ‘‘volunteer  rice.” 
This  name  is  given  to  the  scattering  rice  seed 
that  remains  out  over  Winter,  and  comes  up  of 
its  own  accord.  It  is  known  by  its  feebler  growth. 
The  kernels  are  of  inferior  quality,  and  though 
they  would  add  something  to  the  bulk  of  the  crop, 
they  would  very  much  damage  its  sale.  After  the 
rice  is  headed,  the  water  is  raised  a  little  to  sus¬ 
tain  the  increasing  weight,  and  to  prevent  the 
tangling  of  the  crop  by  the  wind.  Thus  it  remains 
until  it  is  ready  for  the  sickle. 

This  is  the  ordinary  process  of  sowing  and  cul¬ 
tivation,  varied  somewhat  by  the  ingenuity,  and 
the  circumstances  of  particular  planters.  It  will 
be  seen  that  the  flowing  plays  a  very  important 
part  in  the  cultivation  of  this  plant,  and  it  may 
hence  be  thought,  that  it  is  essential  to  its  suc¬ 
cess.  But  crops  nearly  as  large  are  grown  in  the 
upland  districts,  though  with  a  great  increase  of  la¬ 
bor.  A  prime  object  of  the  flowing  is,  to  save 
labor  in  hoeing  and  tillage.  It  also  lengthens 
the  season  of  sowing,  as  no  allowance  has  to  be 
made  for  the  contingency  of  drouth,  the  river 
furnishing  moisture  just  when  it  is  wanted.  Thus 
successive  fields  can  be  sown  over  a  period  of 
two  months,  upon  the  same  plantation,  and  a 
much  smaller  force  is  required  upon  a  given  num¬ 
ber  of  acres,  than  would  otherwise  be  necessary. 

THE  HARVESTING 

generally  begins  in  the  early  part  of  September. 
After  the  water  is  drawn  off,  a  hand  takes  three 
or  four  rows  at  a  time,  and  cuts  them  with  a 
sickle.  The  stubble  is  left  about  a  foot  high  and 
upon  this  the  tops  are  carefully  laid  in  thin  lay¬ 
ers  to  dry.  With  good  weather,  it  is  sufficiently 
cured  in  a  day  or  two,  and  is  then  bound  in  small 
sheaves,  and  immediately  carried  to  the  stack,  or 
barn,  which  of  course  must  be  located  at  a  dis¬ 
tance,  often  a  mile  or  more.  The  usual  method 
of  transportation,  for  this  long  distance,  is  upon 
the  heads  of  the  negroes.  This  labor  being  per¬ 
formed  under  the  open  sun,  at  the  hottest  season 
of  the  year,  and  amid  the  recent  mire,  tells  even 
upon  the  African  constitution.  The  white  over¬ 
seers  are  much  less  exposed,  but  nothing  is  more 
common  among  them  than  chills  and  fever,  pneu¬ 
monia,  and  other  diseases,  incident  to  a  miasmat¬ 
ic  district.  The  method  of  culture  as  now  pur¬ 
sued  upon  the  Atlantic  coast,  keeps  the  whole 
region  in  the  condition  of  a  recently  cleared 
country.  The  whole  atmosphere  at  the  harvest 
season  is  steaming  with  rapidly  decaying  vege¬ 
table  matter.  Whites  slay  as  little  as  possible 
in  the  infected  regions,  and  none  but  the  accli¬ 
mated  can  remain  over  night,  without  peril  to  life. 
The  mortality  to  human  life  fully  justifies  the 
reputation  of  the  rice  districts.  They  are  the 
terror  of  the  negro  race. 

On  some  of  the  plantations,  where  there  is  a 
canal  in  the  rear  of  the  plantation,  water  carriage 
is  substituted  for  hand  labor,  in  bringing  home 
the  crop.  A  hand  cart  or  truck,  with  broad 
wheels  has  also  been  recently  introduced  in  some 
places,  for  the  same  purpose.  When  brought 
home,  it  is  neatly  stacked  in  round  stacks,  and 
thatched  to  shed  rain. 

THRESHING 

commences  immediately  after  the  harvest,  and 
unless  the  horse  power  threshers  have  been  in¬ 
troduced,  as  is  the  case  on  some  of  the  planta¬ 
tions,  it  is  a  long  and  tedious  process  of  several 
months.  Nothing  could  be  more  primitive  than 


the  process  of  threshing  and  cleaning,  on  some 
of  these  plantations.  The  floor  is  prepared  by 
beating  the  earth  down  hard  and  smooth.  The 
rice  is  then  spread  and  beaten  with  the  flail,  in 
the  old  fashioned  way  of  threshing  rye  and  oats, 
which  has  mostly  disappeared  at  the  North. 
The  chaff  and  dust  are  separated  from  the  grain, 
by  carrying  it  up  on  to  a  platform,  about  twenty 
feet  high,  on  the  heads  of  negroes,  and  pouring  it 
down  slowly  ;  the  rice  falling  in  a  heap  beneath 
the  platform. 

Steam  and  horse  power,  however,  are  slowly 
intruding  npon  these  primitive  processes,  and 
their  economy  is  so  great  that  they  must  event¬ 
ually  come  into  general  use.  Already,  threshing 
mills,  separators,  fanners,  elevators,  and  other 
labor  saving  machinery  are  to  be  found  in  the 
rice  districts,  as  perfect  as  any  other  agricultural 
region  can  boast. 

HULLING. 

The  coating,  or  shell  adheres  to  this  grain  with 
the  greatest  tenacity,  and  it  can  only  be  removed, 
by  a  machine  that  cracks  the  hull,  without  break¬ 
ing  the  kernel  within.  But  where  these  machines 
have  not  already  been  introduced  upon  a  planta¬ 
tion,  it  is  found  to  be  better  economy  to  sell  the 
crop  in  the  rough  state.  In  most  of  the  large 
cities,  whither  the  crop  is  sent  to  market,  there 
are  hulling  machines  of  more  perfect  construc¬ 
tion,  and  the  cleaning  is  done  better  and  cheaper 
on  a  large  scale  than  it  can  be  on  the  plantation. 
It  is  probably  true,  also,  that  the  commission  mer¬ 
chant  finds,  that  the  article  makes  a  voyage  in 
better  condition  in  the  rough  state,  and  that  it  is 
more  inviting  and  saleable,  when  it  comes  fresh 
from  the  hulling  mill. 

The  product  of  an  acre  in  rice  is  from  thirty  to 
sixty  bushels,  and  sometimes  as  high  as  a  hun¬ 
dred.  The  usual  price  in  the  rough  state,  in  the 
three  rice  ports,  Charleston,  Savannah,  and  Wil¬ 
mington,  is  from  eighty  cents  to  a  dollar.  Fac¬ 
tors  residing  in  these  cities  are  employed  to  make 
the  sales,  and  this  is  usually  done  by  samples. 

Is  the  Horse-Chestnut  Hardy? 

It  will  surprise  many  to  have  this  inquiry 
started.  They  have  supposed  it  as  hardy  as  the 
elm  or  oak  But  we  confess  to  having  formed  the 
opinion  that  it  is  not  perfectly  hardy.  Its  Asiatic 
origin  would  suggest  the  probability  that  it  might 
suffer  from  the  vicissitudes  of  our  climate.  For 
the  last  five  or  six  years,  we  have  noticed  nu¬ 
merous  specimens  of  diseased  and  mutilated 
Horse-chestnuts.  The  tree  suffers  from  a  kind  of 
blight,  affecting  its  bark  on  the  sides  exposed  to 
the  sun,  resembling  the  blight  of* the  cherry-tree; 

It  first  appears  on  trees  six  or  eight  feet  high, 
and  within  one  foot  or  eighteen  inches  from  the 
ground.  It  begins  in  the  form  of  cracks  in  the 
bark,  which  increase  in  size  and  number  for  sev¬ 
eral  years,  until  at  length  the  bark  falls  off;  ex¬ 
posing  the  wood  and  producing  rottenness  in  it. 
Sometimes  the  wound  heals  over,  but  more  often 
the  blight  extends  until  the  tree  succumbs,  and 
falls  to  the  ground. 

As  this  blight  always  appears  on  the  south  and 
south-west  sides  of  the  tree,  and  generally  is  first 
seen  in  the  early  Spring,  it  is  probably  owing  to 
the  combined  action  of  sun  and  frost.  Some 
careful  planters  are  beginning  to  guard  their  trees 
in  Spring  by  setting  a  board  on  the  exposed  sides. 
We  have  used  a  section  of  bass-wood  bark,  a 
little  larger  than  the  tree  to  be  protected,  fasten¬ 
ing  it  with  strings  to  the  tree,  and  removing  it 
during  the  Summer.  A  tree  of  so  great  general 
excellence  as  the  Horse-chestnut  should  receive 
all  needful  care  to  preserve  it  in  health  and  vigor. 


336 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


No.  154. 


The  “Big  Trees”  of  California. 

Far  up  among  the  recesses  of  the  Sierra  Nev¬ 
ada  (snowy  mountain  ridges),  which  were  unvisi¬ 
ted  by  civilized  man  before  the  search  for  gold 
sent  prospecters  into  every  hidden 
corner  of  the  mountains,  stand  iso¬ 
lated  groves  of  giant  trees  which  are 
wonderful  even  in  California,  that 
country  of  remarkable  productions. 

Indeed,  for  size  and  magnificence, 
they  are  unequaled  by  any  in  the 
world.  What  Niagara  is  among 
cataracts,  or  Mount  Blanc  among 
mountains,  these  noble  evergreens 
of  California  are  among  trees — 
the  grandest  of  their  kind.  Other 
trees  may  have  the  charm  of  histor¬ 
ic  association,  like  the  cedars  of 
Lebanon  ;  or  like  the  famous  Ban¬ 
yan,  be  remarkable  for  the  peculiar¬ 
ity  of  their  growth  ;  but  these,  with 
their  wide  spread  bases  and  their 
lofty  tops  reaching  heaven-ward, 
seem  to  typify  the  solid  character 
and  onward  progress  of  the  vigorous 
young  state  in  which  they  are  found. 

Near  the  head  waters  of  the  Cala¬ 
veras  river  is  found  one  of  the  most 
noted  groves  of  these  forest  giants 
or  “  big  trees  ”  as  they  are  termed 
in  California,  a  group  of  which  is 
represented  in  our  engraving.  These 
three,  known  as  the  “  Three  Sisters  ” 
are  each  about  ninety-two  feet  in  cir¬ 
cumference  at  the  base.  Figures  we 
know  are  rather  uninteresting,  but 
as  neither  our  engraving  or  descrip¬ 
tion  can  give  a  proper  idea  of  the 
immensity  of  these  trees,  let  the 
reader  take  for  comparative  meas¬ 
urement  the  size  of  the  house  he 
occupies,  or  the  hight  of  the  nearest 
church  spire  or  some  other  familiar 
object  as  a  standard  of  comparison, 
and  he  will  then  be  able  to  form 
some  correct  notion  of  their  grand 
proportions.  A  friend  of  ours,  whose 
statements  are  perfectly  accurate, 
visited  the  Calaveras  grove  just  after 
one  of  the  largest  trees  had  been 
felled.  He  paced  the  circumfer¬ 
ence  of  the  stump  of  this  tree  and 
found  that  it  took  thirty  one  paces 
(of  three  feet  each)  ;  while  the  pros¬ 
trate  trunk  measured  three  hundred 
feet  in  length.  Of  course  a  tree  of 
this  size  could  not  be  cut  down  in 
the  ordinary  way,  with  the  ax;  so 
recourse  was  had  to  boring  with 
large  pump-augers.  It  took  five  men 
twenty-two  days  to  bore  through  and 
through  until  the  connection  was 
completely  severed  ;  even  after  this 
was  accomplished  the  tree  stood  un¬ 
moved,  the  monarch  that  had  with¬ 
stood  the  mountain  storms  of  centuries  was  not 
to  be  so  easily  dethroned.  Two  more  days  of 
hard  work  at  driving  large  wedges  with  a  batter¬ 
ing-ram  were  required  to  bring  him  down.  This 
tree  was  felled  by  a  party  of  speculators  who 
wished  to  procure  a  section  of  the  trunk  for  ex. 
hibition,  a  most  wanton  act  of  destruction,  and 
one  which  we  are  rejoiced  to  hear  did  not  pay  as 
a  speculation.  The  trunk  of  this  tree  lays  where 
it  fell,  but  the  stump  has  been  leveled  off  and 
serves  as  a  dancing  floor  for  the  use  of  the  nu¬ 


merous  parties  who  visit  the  grove.  Near  the 
tree  of  which  we  have  spoken  grew  another,  of 
still  greater  size,  which  was  many  years  ago 
prostrated  by  the  joint  action  of  fire  and  wind. 
This,  at  three  hundred  feet  from  the  but,  is  forty 


been  proposed  for  it,  but  it  is  found  to  belong  to 
the  old  genus  Sequoia,  to  which  the  celebrated 
Redwood  of  California  belongs.  The  wood  of 
the  big  tree  resembles  the  Redwood  (which  is 
very  much  like  our  Red  Cedar).  The  nearest  re¬ 
lation  to  the  California  tree,  now  liv¬ 
ing  in  the  Atlantic  States  is  the  Cy¬ 
press.  Mr.  Greely,  who  lately  visi¬ 
ted  the  Calaveras  grove  received 
the  singular  information  that  the 
trees  produced  neither  “seed-cone 
nor  nut.”  The  friend  whom  we 
have  above  quoted  says  that  when 
he  was  there,  in  May,  the  ground 
was  completely  covered  with  fallen 
cones  and  seeds.  The  cone  is  about 
the  size  of  a  pullet’s  egg,  and  very 
hard  and  woody. — Much  has  been 
written  concerning  the  age  of  these 
trees  and  the  various  estimates  have 
ranged  from  eighteen  hundred,  to 
many  thousands  of  years.  One  wri¬ 
ter  makes  them  out  to  have  been  of 
considerable  size  at  the  time  Moses 
was  found  in  the  bulrushes  !  A  sec¬ 
tion  of  the  trunk  of  the  tree  which 
was  cut  down  was  carefully  exam¬ 
ined  by  Prof.  Torrey,  who  counted 
all  the  rings  and  could  only  make 
about  eleven  hundred.  Though  the 
true  statement  destroys  some  of  the 
fanciful  ideas  with  which  writers 
have  invested  them,  they  are  still  of 
sufficient  age  to  command  a  respect 
which  shall  prevent  their  further  de¬ 
struction  and  allow  them  to  stand  in 
future  ages  as  they  are  now,  the 
most  wonderful  representatives  of 
the  vegetable  kingdom. 


THE  "THREE  SISTERS," 

feet  in  circumference,  and  must  have  been  be¬ 
tween  four  hundred  and  fifty,  and  five  hundred 
feet  in  length  !  The  trunk  of  this  tree  is  hollow, 
with  an  opening  so  large  that  a  man  on  horseback 
can  pass  through  it  without  inconvenience  :  our 
friend,  when  asked  if  he  tried  this  novel  ride,  re¬ 
plied  that  he  could  not  “  as  there  was  a  river  go¬ 
ing  through  just  then  ” — his  visit  being  in  the 
rainy  season.  The  botanists  have  given  the  name 
of  Sequoia  gigantca  to  the  big  tree  ;  other  names 
such  as  Washingtonia  and  Wellingtonia  have 


Autunmal  Foliage. 

Again,  the  Fall  is  with  us.  It  is 
the  fall  of  flowers  in  the  garden,  ot 
fruit  in  the  orchard,  of  nuts  in  the 
woods,  of  leaves  everywhere.  Ex¬ 
pressive  old  Saxon  word,  the  “Fall.” 
How  noiselessly  and  almost  un¬ 
perceived,  this  season  has  been  ush¬ 
ered  in.  While  we  were  engaged  in 
summer  toils,  or  summer  enjoyments, 
the  wheels  of  nature  kept  on  their 
rapid  revolution  until,  ere  we  were 
aware,  the  flowering  season  had  fled 
away.  At  the  axil  of  every  leaf,  on 
eveiy  tree  and  shrub,  Summer  packed 
away  her  next  year’s  wardrobe,  in 
little  oval  cases,  water-proof  and 
frost-proof.  She  prepared  her  seeds 
of  grain,  and  grass,  and  flowers,  and 
did  all  the  other  work  expected  of 
her,  and  then  sat  down  to  rest.  Even 
before  this  was  accomplished,  a  care¬ 
ful  observer  could  see  that  Autumn 
was  just  at  hand.  A  russet  hue 
tinged  the  forest ;  here  and  there  a 
maple  branch  turned  crimson,  and  ripened  leaves 
from  other  trees  rustled  to  the  ground.  Then,  not 
long  after,  came  the  Frost  King,  and  with  magic 
brush  painted  all  the  hills.  Say  rather,  he  gath¬ 
ered  all  the  rainbows  of  Summer  and  threw  them 
in  broken  fragments  upon  the  earth.  O,  the  gor¬ 
geous  woods  !  What  a  brilliant  pageant  do  our 
eyes  behold  !  Is  it,  indeed,  reality,  or  some  fair 
vision  of  dream-land  1 

The  striking  displays  of  American  foliage  in 
Autumn,  have  long  been  the  poet’s  theme,  and 


Nov.,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


337 


the  painter’s  study.  In  England  and  on  the  Con¬ 
tinent,  such  scenes  are  unknown.  Foreign  poets 
tell  us  of  “sallow  autumn,” 

“  Shade  deepening  over  shade,  the  country  round 
Imbrown  :  a  cloudy  umbrage,  dusk  and  dun, 

Of  every  hue,  from  wan  declining  green 
To  sooty  dark.” 

With  us,  how  different  the  scene.  Almost  ev¬ 
ery  tree  contributes  a  distinct  and  peculiar  shade 
to  the  picture.  The  chestnut  and  birch  present  a 
a  golden  hue  ;  the  sweet  gum  is  Vermillion  ;  the 
pepperidge  and  white  ash  furnish  several  shades 
of  purple ;  the  bass-wood  is  orange  ;  the  tulip- 
tree  lemon ;  the  sumach  fiery  scarlet ;  and  the 
maples,  gayest  of  all,  present  nearly  every  color, 
running  through  yellow,  pink,  scarlet,  crimson, 
purple,  and  sometimes  all  of  them  commingled 
on  a  single  tree.  The  oaks,  in  stately  dignity, 
about  the  last  to  change,  are  brown,  gray,  choco¬ 
late,  red,  and  sometimes  purple. 

As  to  the  natural  cause  of  this  phenomenon, 
scientific  men  are  not  wholly  agreed.  Plainly,  it 
is  not  entirely  the  work  of  frost ;  for  some 
leaves  change  color  before  frost  comes,  and  gird¬ 
ling  or  bruising  a  limb  will  produce  similar  effects. 
Yet,  obviously,  this  is  the  principal  agent.  The 
change  produced  by  frost  is  purely  a  chemical  one, 
and  is  well  exhibited  in  the  following  sentences  : 
“  When  a  tree  or  plant  is  in  full  activity,  its  foli¬ 
age  absorbs  carbonic  acid,  and  disengages  oxygen. 
When,  now,  through  the  influence  of  a  sufficient¬ 
ly  low  temperature,  or  from  any  other  cause,  the 
functions  of  vegetable  life  are  suspended,  and  the 
fluids  cease  to  circulate,  the  leaves  no  longer  dis¬ 
engage  oxygen,  but  in  common  with  all  dead 
bodies,  absorb  this  gas,  which,  forming  an  acid, 
changes  the  color  of  the  leaves,  either  to  yellow, 
red,  or  some  intermediate  shade,  depending  on 
the  quality  of  the  matter  present  in  its  leaves.” 
It  has  also  been  asserted  that  this  acid  can  be 
neutralized  by  an  alkali,  and  the  green  restored. 
We  hope  this  explanation  is  perfectly  satisfactory 
to  our  philosophic  readers  ;  but  we  must  confess 
that  such  a  scientific  analysis  of  a  scene  of  beau¬ 
ty  adds  very  little  to  our  enjoyment  of  it. 

- - - - - «-•— - - 

Winter  Protection  of  Trees  and  Plants. 

Fruit  and  ornamental  trees  planted  this  Fall, 
are  benefitted  by  a  mound  of  earth  a  foot  high, 
thrown  up  around  the  trunk.  Let  this  earth  be 
brought  to  the  tree  from  another  quarter,  not 
taken  off  from  the  extremities  of  the  roots,  and 
so  exposing  them,  as  is  too  often  done.  Such  a 
mound  will  keep  the  trees  steady  against  the 
wind,  and  protect  the  trunks  from  the  inroads  of 
^mice.  Cunning  as  these  vermin  are,  they  don’t 
know  enough  to  ascend  a  bank  of  fresh  earth  in 
search  of  green  fodder.  For  pear-trees,  subject 
as  they  are  to  frozen  sap-blight,  we  would  sug¬ 
gest  the  additional  defence  of  a  light  board  or 
section  of  bark  set  up  against  the  south  side  of 
the  trunks.  A  hay-band  wound  on  loosely,  an¬ 
swers  a  good  purpose.  Dwarf  pears  need  special 
care  in  Winter,  if  the  ground  continues  bare. 
Their  roots  need  a  covering  of  manure  or  a 
mound  of  earth. 

As  to  cherry  trees,  do  the  best  you  can,  and 
even  then,  expect  some  injury  and  loss  in  the 
northern  States.  For  the  splitting  of  the  trunk 
so  common,  the  protection  recommended  for  the 
pear  tree  is  worthy  of  trial. 

Grape  vines  not  perfectly  hardy  should  be  laid 
on  the  ground  and  fastened  there,  and  then  cov¬ 
ered  with  litter  or  a  few  inches  of  soil.  So  of 
tender  roses  and  shrubs ;  they  may  be  bundled 
up  in  straw,  or  covered  with  matting  or  ever¬ 
green  boughs,  but  they  are  generally  safer  ifbent 
to  the  ground  and  covered  with  a  little  earth. 


Prune  Grape  Vines  Now. 

This  is  the  best  month  of  the  year  for  pruning 
the  grape.  It  can  not  well  be  done  in  Winter  at 
the  north,  because  the  vines  are,  (or  ought  to  be,) 
laid  on  the  ground  and  tucked  up  for  the  season. 
Neither  can  it  well  be  done  in  the  Spring,  because 
the  sap  begins  to  flow  very  early,  and  profuse 
bleeding  would  ensue.  If  done  early  in  Novem¬ 
ber,  the  wounds  become  healed  before  Winter, 
and  the  buds  left  on  the  canes  gather  up  a  good 
supply  of  elaborated  sap  for  next  year’s  use.  It 
is  also  a  pleasant  time  to  work,  and  the  pruning 
will  more  likely  be  well  done,  than  it  would  amid 
the  storms  and  benumbing  frosts  of  Winter. 

1.  Is  your  vine  a  young  one,  and  do  you  pro¬ 
pose  to  try  the  “renewal”  method  1  Then,  if 
it  has  two  stout  canes,  six  or  eight  feet  long,  (see 


Fig.  1.)  cut  each  of  them  off  to  about  four  feet, 
and  tie  them  down  to  the  lower  bar  of  your  trel¬ 
lis.  (See  Fig.  2.)  One  or  two  buds  on  each  cane 
may  be  allowed  to  throw  up  branches  next  year, 
and  the  buds  on  each  end  may  send  off  branches 
for  extending  the  horizontal  cane  at  the  base. 

Or,  possibly,  your  vine  is  five  or  six  years  old,  has 
this  year  borne  fruit  on  several  upright  branch¬ 
es,  and  has  meanwhile  sent  up  as  many  more 
new  shoots  between  the  old  (Fig.  3.).  Then,  all 
you  will  have  to  do  this  Fall,  is  to  cut  off  those 
bearing  branches  down  to  the  horizontal  canes  on 
the  lower  bar  of  the  trellis.  At  the  foot  of  those 
branches,  you  will  undoubtedly  find  several  plump 
buds  which  will  throw  up  new  branches  next 
year,  to  fill  the  places  of  those  cut  off.  The 
branches  of  the  present  year’s  growth  may  now, 
if  stout  and  healthy,  be  cut  off  at  the  top  of  the 
trellis,  if  weak,  considerably  below  that  (Fig.  4.). 
The  branches  which  pushed  out  from  buds  at  the 
ends  of  the  horizontal  canes  may  now  be  short- 


. 

_ _ 

Fig.  2. 

ened  back,  leaving  two  or  three  new  buds  of  the 

new  wood,  and  then  tied  down  to  the  lower  bar. 

2.  Some  persons  prefer  the  spur-method  of  prun¬ 
ing  ;  and  perhaps  our  present  reader  does.  If  so, 
possibly  you  have  a  young  vine,  something  like 
Fig.  1.  All  you  will  have  to  do  this  Fall,  is  to 
shorten  the  canes  about  one  half  their  length,  and 
cut  off  any  lateral  branches  that  may  have  shot 
out  from  them. 

Or  the  vine  may  be  several  years  old,  and 
may  have  been  trained  systematically  into  the 
shape  of  Fig.  3.  Then,  your  work  now  is  to  cut 


Fig.  3. 

out  any  thin  watery  shoots  that  may  have  sprung 
up  between  the  bearing  branches,  robbing  them 
of  their  strength  and  shading  the  fruit.  The 


bearing  canes  should  always  be  kept  two  feet 
apart,  to  allow  room  for  the  side-spurs  to  shoot 
out  and  mature  their  fruit  without  being  overrun 
with  superfluous  wood.  Finish  your  work,  now, 
by  cutting  back  the  spurs  on  the  upright  canes  to 
one  or  two  buds.  These  buds  will  bear  fruit  next 
year,  if  properly  cared  for. 


Or  your  vine  may  have  taken  a  more  irregular 
shape,  and  looks  something  like  Fig.  5.  below. 
You  must  then,  as  before,  simply  cut  out  all  weak, 
succulent  shoots  which  have  sprung  up  from  the 
root  or  sides  of  the  stock,  and  thin  out  the  canes 
all  over  the  trellis,  so  as  to  leave  them  evenly 
distributed  over  its  surface,  about  two  feet  asun¬ 
der.  Shorten  in  also  the  spurs  on  the  sides  of 
the  old  wood  to  one  or  two  buds.  If  here  and 
there  an  old  cane  has  lost  its  buds,  it  should  be 
cut  clean  out,  and  a  young  and  healthy  one  train¬ 
ed  up  in  its  place. 

For  partially  tender  vines  like  the  Diana,  this 
last  method  of  training,  (Fig.  5.)  though  less 
pleasing  to  a  gardener’s  eye,  is,  on  some  accounts, 
preferable  to  the  other,  (Fig.  3.),  because  the 
canes  can  be  more  easily  bent  to  the  ground  in 
the  Fall  for  Winter  protection. 

Pruning  having  now  been  accomplished,  all  the 


vines  may  be  untied  from  the  trellis  and  laid  upon 
the  ground.  Be  careful,  while  doing  this,  not  to 
break  off  the  buds.  If  in  a  very  cold  region,  it 
may  be  well  to  remove  the  soil  a  few  inches, 
fasten  down  the  canes  with  stakes,  and  throw  on 
a  few  inches  deep  of  soil.  In  central  New-York, 
a  little  rubbish  from  the  garden  and  an  old  board 
or  two,  to  keep  the  canes  flat  on  the  ground,  is 
all  the  covering  required. 

- — < — »— - »-« - 

When  to  Transplant  Trees. 

This  is  one  of  the  “  vexed  questions  ”  in  hor¬ 
ticulture,  and  it  is  sure  to  come  up  with  every 
returning  Spring  and  Fall.  The  nurserymen,  who 
have  acres  of  trees  to  sell,  maintain  that  both 
seasons  are  the  best.  Planters  who  have  had 
their  best  success  in  one  particular  season,  declare 
that  that  is  the  best.  And  if  we  should  collect  a 
mass  of  testimony  from  all  quarters,  we  should 
find  a  large  number  ranged  on  both  sides. 

Let  us  look  at  this  disputed  question  awhile, 
both  in  principle  and  practice. 

1.  So  far  as  theory  is  concerned,  there  is  a  good 
deal  to  be  said  in  favor  of  Fall  planting.  A  tree 
newly  dug  up,  is  very  much  in  the  condition  of  a 
cutting  which  the  gardener  wishes  to  “  strike.” 
The  cutting  is  placed  in  a  light  soil  a  few  degrees 
warmer  than  the  surrounding  atmosphere.  Over 
the  cutting  a  bell  glass  is  set  to  prevent  exces¬ 
sive  evaporation  from  bark  and  leaf.  The  bottom 
heat  excites  the  forces  of  the  shoot,  causing  it 
first  to  form  a  callus  over  the  wound  and  then  to 
emit  roots,  before  the  leaves  push  from  the  top. 
So,  in  setting  out  a  tree,  we  wish  first  of  all,  to 
heal  over  the  wounds  made  in  digging  it  up,  and 


838 


AMERICAN  AGKRIC  QLTURIST. 


then  to  get  new  roots  to  supply  the  loss  of  those 
cut  off  by  the  digging  spade.  Of  course,  then, 
we  should  plant  the  tree  at  that  season  when  the 
earth  is  a  little  warmer  than  the  air  above  ground, 
and  when  the  branches  will  suffer  least  from 
evaporation.  Now,  is  not  that  time  in  the  Au¬ 
tumn,  before  cold  weather  sets  in  1  Moreover,  the 
experiment  has  been  tried,  and  it  has  been  found 
that  trees,  set  out  early  in  the  Fall  and  then 
taken  up  again  on  the  verge  of  Winter,  have 
formed  a  mass  of  fibrous  roots,  and  have  become 
so  well  established  in  the  ground  that  they  would 
have  grown  the  following  year  with  considera¬ 
ble  vigor. 

It  should  be  considered  that  the  prevailing 
dampness  of  the  air  in  the  Fall  months  is  more 
favorable  to  the  health  of  the  tree,  than  the  cold, 
dry  winds  of  Spring.  Then,  again,  the  ground  is 
generally  in  a  better  condition  for  working  in  the 
Fall  than  in  the  Spring.  Autumn  is  also  a  sea¬ 
son  of  greater  leisure  than  the  Spring,  and  so  en¬ 
sures  the  better  performance  of  the  work.  It  can 
not  be  repeated  too  often  or  too  emphatically, 
that  the  greatest  cause  of  the  failure  of  newly 
planted  trees  at  any  season,  is  the  hasty  and  im¬ 
perfect  manner  in  which  the  holes  are  dug  and 
the  soil  prepared  for  filling  in  around  the  roots. 
The  long  mild  days  of  Autumn  afford  just  the 
needful  time  for  making  all  this  preparation  be¬ 
fore  the  trees  are  dug  up.  Then,  again,  if  one  is 
to  purchase  his  trees  from  a  nursery,  he  has  a 
better  assortment  to  choose  from  in  the  Fall  than 
in  the  Spring. 

2.  Let  us  now  turn  the  tables.  Admitting  all 
that  has  been  said  in  favor  of  Fall  planting,  it  yet 
remains  true  that,  tender  trees  and  plants  can  not 
be  removed  at  this  season  as  well  as  in  the  Spring. 
The  process  of  digging  up  trees,  whether  hardy 
or  tender,  carefully  as  it  may  be  done,  destroys  a 
multitude  of  roots  and  fibers  on  which  the  life  and 
health  of  the  tree  so  much  depend.  But  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  seven-eighths  of  all  trees  dug  up 
are  not  taken  up  with  care  ;  the  roots  are  chop¬ 
ped  off  with  a  merciless  spade,  and  more  or  less 
split  and  bruised,  and  after  that  they  are  left  ex¬ 
posed  for  a  considerable  time  in  the  sun  and  wind. 
The  work  of  re-planting  is  often  done  in  the  same 
barbarous  fashion. 

Again,  trees  are  not  generally  set  out  early 
enough  in  the  Fall,  to  enable  them  to  heal  over 
the  wounds  made  and  to  form  new  roots  before 
the  setting  in  of  cold  weather.  If  planted  late, 
they  can  not  form  a  living  connection  with  the 
soil,  but  stand  all.  Winter  very  much  in  the  condi¬ 
tion  of  a  post.  Or  again,  if  heavy  rains  fall,  after 
planting,  the  ground  becomes  soft  like  mortar,  in 
which  the  tree  blows  about,  making  a  hole  around 
the  trunk,  exposing  the  roots  to  the  wind  and  to 
subsequent  frosts.  It  frequently  happens,  also, 
that  when  the  tree  sways  about  in  Winter  against 
the  frozen  sides  of  this  hole,  the  bark  is  chafed 
off  completely.  Moreover,  if  the  soil  is  stiff  and 
subject  to  standing  water,  the  dormant  roots  be¬ 
come  gangrened  and  perish,  or  are  thrown  out  by 
the  frost. 

3.  On  the  whole,  then,  (if  we  venture  any  ad¬ 
vice,)  we  should  say  if  one  has  much  planting  to 
do,  he  had  better  divide  his  work  between  Fall 
and  Spring.  But  if  he  plants  in  the  Fall,  he  should 
see  to  it  that  his  ground  is  well  drained  and  the 
soil  well  pulverized.  If  planting  an  orchard,  the 
whole  surface  should  be  plowed  and  manured. 
He  should  take  up  his  trees  as  early  as  possible 
after  the  frost  checks  vegetation,  not  waiting  for 
all  the  leaves  to  fall :  strip  them  off  if  they  are 
very  abundant.  He  should  protect  his  trees  in 
some  way,  against  being  blown  about  by  the 
winds.  This  may  be  done  by  fastening  them  to 


stakes  with  wisps  of  straw,  or  leather  bands,  so 
as  not  to  chafe  the  bark.  A  very  good  method  is 
to  make  a  hillock  of  dirt,  a  foot  high  around  the 
collar  and  spread  over  the  roots.  This  will  keep 
the  tree  steady,  guard  it  from  excessive  frost,  and 
against  the  girdling  of  mice.  The  mound  should 
be  removed  in  Spring.  Among  the  trees  most 
suitable  for  Fall  planting,  are  the  apple,  pear, 
cherry,  plum,  and  native  forest  trees  generally. 

If  one  has  not  time  to  plant  all  his  trees  in  this 
thorough  manner,  he  had  best  leave  a  part  until 
Spring.  Half-hardy  varieties,  and  evergreens  in 
particular  should  not  be  disturbed  in  the  Autumn. 
If  for  any  reason  it  becomes  necessay  to  remove 
the  first  named  in  the  Fall,  they  should  be  “heeled 
in  ”  in  some  dry,  sheltered  spot  for  the  Winter, 
where  they  will  not  be  exposed  to  bright  suns  or 
to  piercing  winds.  They  should  then  be  set  out 
early  in  the  following  Spring,  before  the  growth 
commences.  Those  trees  which  generally  suc¬ 
ceed  best  in  Spring  planting,  are  the  peach, 
dwarf-pear,  apricot,  quince,  all  tender  ornament¬ 
al  trees  and  shrubs,  and  evergreens.  Hardy,  early 
starting  plants,  such  as  pajonies,  dicentra,  rhu¬ 
barb,  currants,  etc.,  should,  of  course,  be  set  in  the 
Fall. 

- O-i - =»os®-$r5aE33»— - ca- 

What  Varieties  of  Fruit  to  Plant. 

In  our  last  (October)  number,  we  gave  an  arti¬ 
cle  entitled  “  Plant  Fruit  Trees.”  We  now  talk 
of  w hat  varieties  to  plant.  And  first,  we  will 
name  the  Atple,  as  this,  after  all,  is  the  great 
and  universal  staple  of  the  farmer’s  fruit  crop. 
Other  tree  fruits  are  so  local  in  their  extent  of 
cultivation  for  market,  beyond  what  are  wanted 
for  mere  family  use,  that  we  postpone  their  dis¬ 
cussion  for  a  future  number. 

For  market  purposes  the  farmer  wants  a  varie¬ 
ty  of  apple  which  is  hardy  in  the  tree,  a  constant 
bearer,  if  possible,  vigorous  in  growth,  and  a 
popular,  as  well  as  decidedly  good  fruit  in  its  sea¬ 
son.  As  to  the  season  of  ripeness,  he  must  adapt 
that  to  the  demands  of  his  market.  Early  apples 
are  perishable;  therefore  he  must  only  have  such 
a  number  of  early  trees  as  will  give  a  supply  for 
two,  three,  or  four  weeks  in  succession.  So 
with  the  Autumn  apples  ;  but  their  season  being 
longer  by  a  few  weeks,  the  number  of  trees  can 
he  greater  than  that  of  early  or  summer  apples. 
Next  follow  the  winter  varieties,  and  if  a  market 
be  easily  and  cheaply  accessible,  one  can  scarce 
have  too  many  trees,  or  pay  too  much  attention 
to  their  cultivation. 

Now  as  to  the  sorts.  Find  out  which  the  public 
most  want,  or  which  are  most  salable  in  mar¬ 
ket,  and  if  you  can  grow  these  varieties,  put 
three-fourths,  or  even  nine-tenths  of  your  trees 
into  them  alone.  Let  the  others  be  of  any  “  fan¬ 
cy  ”  variety  you  like,  but  let  your  “  crop  ”  be 
alike — sure,  only,  that  it  is  good.  Two  varieties 
are  enough  for  early  fruit — one  acid,  the  other 
sweet.  Wherever  they  will  grow,  the  Early  Har¬ 
vest,  and  Sweet  Bough  are  the  best,  and  most 
popular.  If  you  can  not  grow  these,  get  the  next 
best  varieties  corresponding  to  their  season,  and 
so  on,  caring  for  no  others,  only  by  way  of  experi¬ 
ment,  or  for  variety.  Your  apples  become  known, 
and  the  demand  is  always  sure.  You  will  find 
your  account  in  it. 

For  Autumn  fruit,  commencing  early  in  Sep¬ 
tember,  and  ending  early  in  December,  three,  or 
at  most  four  varieties,  are  sufficient — one  or  two 
sweet,  the  other  one,  two,  or  three,  sub-acid,  or 
tart,  each  following  the  other  in  the  season  of 
ripening.  The  varieties  of  apple  best  suited  to 
the  soil,  position,  and  climate,  are  so  various, 
that  we  shall  hardly  venture  to  recommend  any 


particular  ones  as  best  for  all  localities,  and  there¬ 
fore  will  only  advise  you  to  select  popular  fruits 
where  you  live,  or  where  your  market  is,  and 
stick  to  them  almost  without  exception.  Cook¬ 
ing  into  pies,  tarts,  sauces,  baking,  as  well  as 
drying,  are  the  chief  uses  of  the  Autumn  apples, 
and  for  these  purposes  they  should  be  of  good 
size,  fair  in  shape  and  appearance,  of  agreeable 
color — red  or  yellow',  usually — with  crisp,  and 
juicy  flesh,  and  well  flavored.  Such  are  also 
good  for  cider,  if  you  make  the  article. 

As  Winter  varieties,  and  carrying  them  further 
into  the  Spring,  or  even  early  Summer  eating, 
two,  three,  or  four  sorts  are  enough  ;  as  the 
Rhode  Island  Greening  for  early  and  mid-winter, 
the  Spitzenberg,  and  Baldwin,  for  late  winter  and 
early  spring,  and  the  Roxbury,  and  Golden  Rus¬ 
sets  for  late  spring  and  early  summer.  We  do 
not  recommend  these  varieties  solely,  but  as 
samples  of  succession  in  ripening,  and  which  are 
widely  cultivated  in  the  Northern  States.  Fur¬ 
ther  South,  and  West,  are  many  local  varieties 
better  suited  to  the  soils  and  climates  than  these, 
which  we  would  have  in  their  places  ;  but  the 
succession  should  be  the  same.  A  sweet,  as  well 
as  a  tart  apple  should  be  in  each  season — the 
former  for  baking,  being  usually  preferred,  while 
the  latter  is  most  popular  for  cooking  in  pies, 
sauces,  or  dumplings. 

Thus,  a  dozen  varieties,  at  the  extent,  are  all 
that  even  the  most  extensive  orchardist  need  cul¬ 
tivate,  and  less  would  be  quite  as  well.  In  fact, 
he  who  grows  hut  two,  or  at  the  extent,  three 
kinds  of  good  winter  apples,  finds  his  account  in 
it  better,  usually,  than  he  who  grows  half  a  dozen 
sorts.  We  have  often  gone  into  a  large  orchard, 
and  found  half  the  fruit  worthless,  or  wasting, 
near  a  large  winter  market,  because  the  apples 
were  of  the  wrong  kinds,  being  an  over-crop  ot 
Summer  and  Autumn  varieties,  when  if  every 
single  tree  had  been  a  winter  apple,  a  brisk  de¬ 
mand  would  clear  every  tree  of  its  burthen  at  a 
round  profit.  We  know  it  is  hard  to  resist  temp¬ 
tation  in  multiplying  varieties.  Some  esteemed 
friend  will  recommend  a  certain  kind  he  cultivates, 
or  has  seen  growing  elsewhere,  as  “  so  good 
or  your  own  eye,  and  taste,  will  be  so  tempt¬ 
ed  by  a  new  thing  that  you  yearn  to  “  try  ”  them. 
But  pay  no  attention  to  these,  if  you  already 
have  satisfactory  kinds.  We  don’t  believe  that 
we  have  a  really  superior  apple  in  our  orchard,  ol 
a  variety  less  than  fifty  years  old,  unless  it  be  one 
which  has  sprung  up  as  a  seedling  in  a  newly  set¬ 
tled  district.  A  friend  of  ours,  planting  largely, 
some  years  ago,  was  so  taken  up  with  a  new  ap¬ 
ple  which  had  lately  been  brought  into  notice,  and 
so  widely  puffed  in  the  pomologieal  papers,  that 
he  grafted  it  into  near  half  the  trees  in  his  or¬ 
chards,  and  after  cultivating,  coaxing,  pruning, 
and  trying  them  for  a  dozen  years,  and  getting 
but  two  or  three  satisfactory  crops  in  the  whole 
time,  while  his  long  established  varieties  were 
yielding  their  annual  crops  in  abundance,  he  had 
to  go  back,  head  down  his  new-fangled  things,  and 
graft  in  the  old  sorts,  losing  hundreds,  if  not 
thousands  of  dollars  by  his  folly. 

Better  winter  apples  need  not  be  desired,  when 
they  will  grow,  than  the  Newtown  Pippin,  the 
Spitzenberg,  the  Rhode  Island  Greening,  the 
Swaar,  the  Roxbury  and  Golden  Russets,  among 
the  sub-acids,  and  the  Talman  Sweeting  among 
the  sweet  ones.  \Ve  know  it  is  hard  work  to 
keep  our  fingers  off  the  whole  of  these,  but  if  we 
were  to  grow  apples  for  a  livelihood,  we  would 
confine  ourselves  to  two  or  three  of  them  alone. 


If  the  brain  sow  not  corn,  it  plants  thistles 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


339 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

One  Season  why  Apples  fall  before  Eipe. 

During  the  month  of  June  a  small  brown  moth, 
called  the  codling  moth,  lays  its  eggs  upon  the 
blossom  end  of  the  young  fruit.  From  these  eggs, 
a  minute  worm  is  hatched,  which  immediately 
burrows  into  the  substance  of  the  apple,  and 
makes  its  way  to  the  core.  This  causes  the  fruit 
to  ripen  before  its  time,  and  it  is  easily  shaken 
from  the  tree  by  the  wind,  when  only  half  or  two- 
thirds  grown,  and  worth  little  or  nothing.  When 
fully  grown,  the  worm  leaves  the  apple,  and 
creeps  into  a  chink  of  the  bark  of  the  tree,  or 
other  secure  place,  spins  his  cocoon,  and  waits 
till  the  season  for  coming  forth  arrives.  In  some 
instances  this  takes  place  the  same  season,  and 
thus  Autumn  fruit  is  frequently  much  injured  by 
the  second  crop  of  worms.  By  keeping  the  loose 
rough  bark  scraped  from  the  trees,  they  are  less 
liable  to  be  infested,  as  they  afford  less  shelter  for 
the  worm.  The  worm-eaten  fruit  should  be 
gathered  and  fed,  or  otherwise  disposed  of  to  de¬ 
stroy  the  worms.  Orchardist. 

“  '  '  4  1  pBWwf1  ■  ■  ■ 

What  Variety  of  Apple  Seeds  to  Plant. 

To  the  inquiries  of  Mr.  Jno.  Strong,  Huron 
Co.,  O.,  we  answer :  If  it  is  intended  to  raise 
seedling  trees  to  obtain  new  varieties  of  apples, 
it  is  advisable  to  procure  seeds  of  the  best  known 
varieties  of  fruit,  as  these  will  be  more  likely  to 
yield  superior  kinds.  Where  the  object  is  to 
raise  stocks  for  grafting  with  improved  fruit,  it  is 
better  to  sow  seed  from  natural  fruit.  The  stocks 
will  be  more  likely  to  grow  up  hardy  and  vigorous. 

■ - - >-<&* - - 

How  we  got  our  first  Crop  of  Plums. 

It  was  upon  a  loose  gravel,  where  that  slippery 
rascal,  the  curculio,  revels,  sweeping  every 
thing  before  him,  as  clean  as  the  locusts  of  Egypt. 
The  varieties  were  Green  Gage,  and  Imperial 
Gage,  young  vigorous  trees,  hut  old  enough  to 
have  borne  fruit  three  years  ago.  They  had 
blossomed  and  set  fruit,  several  years,  but  not  a 
specimen  had  escaped  the  fatal  incision  of  the 
little  Turk. 

Last  Spring,  we  determined  upon  a  vigorous 
warfare  with  the  enemy,  resolved,  that  if  he  got 
the  fruit,  this  year,  he  should  earn  it.  We  pro¬ 
cured  a  barrel  of  air-slaked  lime,  and  as  soon  as 
the  blossoms  began  to  fall,  and  the  fruit  was 
fairly  set,  began  to  shower  the  tree  with  the 
powdered  lime  dust  every  morning,  while  the 
dew  was  on.  This  we  followed  up  for  three 
weeks,  until  all  danger  was  past.  The  plums  set 
well,  grew  well,  and  the  most  of  them  matured 
in  tip-top  condition,  large  greenish  yellow,  juicy 
fruit — where  never  a  plum  grew  before. 

We  have  pretty  much  made  up  our  minds  that 
many  men  are  too  slothful  to  grow  this  very  fine 
fruit.  It  requires  a  little  attention  every  day, 
early  in  the  morning,  before  a  good  many  people 
are  astir.  The  essential  thing  is,  we  apprehend, 
to  follow  up  the  enemy  with  sharp  practice,  and, 
we  think,  almost  any  remedy  that  involves  this 
disturbing  of  the  trees,  every  day,  will  succeed. 
The  instinct  of  the  curculio  leads  her  to  seek  a 
quiet  place  to  deposit  her  eggs.  This  is  seen  in 
the  fact  that  she  drops  upon  the  sheet  as  soon  as 
the  plurn  tree  is  jarred,  or  disturbed,  in  any  way. 

The  sprinkling  of  lime,  or  ashes,  or  dry  dirt, 
upon  the  trees,  alarms  the  insect,  and  leads  her 
to  seek  some  more  quiet  place,  for  her  deposit. 
The  application  of  whale-oil  soap,  or  the  salt  and 
lime  mixture,  or  sulphur  water,  accomplishes,  in 
part,  the  same  purpose.  It  may  be  that  these  ap¬ 
plications,  both  dry  and  wet,  have  something  of¬ 


fensive  in  them,  which  hastens  her  departure, 
but,  we  think,  the  main  thing  in  all  curculio  rem¬ 
edies,  is  the  disturbing  of  the  trees,  and  making 
the  quarters  of  the  enemy  too  hot  for  him. 

At  any  rate,  the  lime  did  the  work  for  our  little 
torments,  and  we  bagged  the  plums  with  as  much 
satisfaction  as  if  they  had  been  nuggets  of  gold. 
Nobody  but  smart  people  can  expect  to  eat  plums 
raised  on  a  sandy  or  gravelly  soil.  Get  a  barrel 
of  lime,  this  Fall,  take  out  one  head,  and  let  it 
stand  in  any  dry  place,  until  next  Spring,  and  it 
will  be  ready  for  use.  * 

- - 4  m  a  <©-51 5>— <3t» - 

Eoot  Structure— A  Hew  Discovery  in 
England,  an  old  one  Here. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist • 

I  have  just  read  the  article  in  your  October 
number  entitled  :  “  Root-Structure — Physiologi¬ 
cal  Curiosity  being  an  abstract  of  an  article  in 
the  (London)  Gardener's  Chronicle,  about  some 
new  discoveries  of  Prof.  Henfrey  in  England, 
concerning  the  formation  and  growth  of  the  root. 
Now  the  greatest  physiological  curiosity  about 
the  matter,  as  it  appears  to  me,  is,  that  what  has 
been  (or  ought  to  have  been)  familiarly  known  in 
this  country  for  the  last  ten  years,  should  be  her¬ 
alded  in  England  at  this  late  day  as  an  important 
“  discovery."  I  send  you  an  extract  from  a  pret¬ 
ty  well-known  school-book,  from  an  edition  pub¬ 
lished  in  the  year  1850,  which  your  readers  may 
compare  with  the  article  in  question  : 

“  It  (the  growth  of  the  root)  begins  by  the  production 
of  a  quantity  of  new  cells  (by  division)  at  the  extremity 
of  the  radicle  ;  not  on  its  surface ,  however ,  but  beneath  its 
thin  epidermis  and  the  superficial  cells.. .  .In  this  way  the 
root  grows  onward  by  continual  additions  of  new  materi¬ 
al  to  its  advancing  extremity  ;  lengthening  from  the  lower 
end  entirely  or  chiefly,  so  that  this  part  of  a  growing  root 
always  consists  of  the  most  newly-formed  and  vitally  ac¬ 
tive  tissue.  The  new  cells ,  however ,  do  not  occupy  the  very 
point,  as  is  commonly,  but  incorrectly,  stated.  This  is 
capped,  as  it  were,  by  an  obtusely  conical  mass  of  older  cells, 
consisting  of  the  superficial  tissue  of  the  end  of  the  radi¬ 
cle,  pushed  forward  by  the  cell-multiplication  that  com¬ 
menced  behind  it,  as  already  mentioned.  As  the  original 
cells  of  this  apex  wear  away  or  perish,  they  are  replaced 
by  tile  layer  beneath  ;  and  so  the  advancing  point  of  the 
root  consists,  as  inspection  plainly  shows,  of  older  and  dens¬ 
er  tissue  than  that  behind  it.  The  point  of  every  branch  of 
the  root  is  capped  in  the  same  way.  It  follows  that  the  so- 
called  spongiolcs  or  spongelets  of  the  roots  have  no  ex¬ 
istence.  Not  only  are  there  no  such  special  organs  as 
are  commonly  spoken  of,  but  absorption  evidently  does 
not  take  place,  to  any  considerable  extent,  through  the 
older  tissue  of  the  point  itself.” — Gray's  Botanical  Text 
Book,  3d  edition,  1850,  p.  81. 

As  a  following  number  of  the  Gardener's  Chron¬ 
icle  goes  on  to  speak  of  the  root-hairs  or  fibrils, 
and  their  use  in  absorption  by  the  roots,  as  an¬ 
other  important  novelty,  just  brought  to  notice  by 
Prof.  Henfrey,  and  by  Messrs.  Garreau  and  Brau- 
wers, — it  may  be  well  to  continue  the  quotation 
from  the  Botanical  Text  Book,  which  proceeds 
thus  (omitting  the  references  to  the  original  fig¬ 
ures  which  illustrate  the  subject): 

“  As  to  absorption  by  roots,  the  inspection  of  the  root  of 
a  germinating  plantlet,  or  of  any  growing  rootlet,  even 
under  a  low  magnifying  power,  shows  that  they  must  im¬ 
bibe  the  moisture  that  bathes  them  by  endosmosis  through 
the  whole  recently-formed  surface,  and  especially  by  the 
hair-like  prolongations  of  the  exterior  layer  of  cells,  or  fi¬ 
brils,  as  they  may  be  termed,  which  are  copiously  borne  by 
all  young  roots.  These  capillary  tubes,  of  great  tenuity 
and  with  extremely  delicate  walls,  immensely  increase 
the  surface  which  the  rootlet  exposes,  and  play  a  more 
important  part  in  absorption  than  is  generally  supposed  ; 
for  they  appear  to  have  attracted  little  attention.”  p.  82. 

_ _ _  ^ _  G. 

Blackberries  from  Seed. 

To  several  queries  called  out  by  the  offer  of 
seed  in  the  October  Agriculturist,  we  reply  :  The 
seed,  sown  in  Spring,  will  send  up  oniy  small 
plants  the  first  year.  On  these  there  may  he  a 
few  chance  berries  the  next  season.  The  Spring 


after  planting  a  number  of  pretty  strong  canes 
will  be  sent  up,  if  the  soil  be  of  good  quality,  and 
these  will  yield  a  fair  crop  of  fruit  the  next  Sum¬ 
mer,  besides  an  abundance  of  plants  for  fruiting 
the  following  season.  Plants  put  out  in  Autumn 
should  yield  a  fair  growth  of  canes  the  next  sea¬ 
son  for  fruiting  the  following  year.  Plants  set  in 
Spring  will  not  produce  so  large  a  growth  of 
canes,  usually,  as  if  set  in  Autumn,  so  as  to  be 
ready  to  grow  on  the  first  opening  of  the  ground. 
By  setting  the  roots  instead  of  planting  seed, 
there  is  a  gain  of  one  year  in  obtaining  fruit,  and 
usually  of  two  years  in  getting  a  large  yield.  So 
it  is  always  preferable  to  secure  the  roots  when 
possible.  Our  design  in  offering  seed  is  only  to 
put  it  in  the  power  of  those  who  can  not  get  the 
roots,  to  secure  plants  by  waiting  a  year  or  two 
longer.  We  desire  to  have  every  reader  of  the 
Agriculturist  supplied,  as  early  as  possible,  with 
the  luxury  of  a  home  supply  of  the  magnificent 
New-Ilochelle  Blackberries. 


Fall  Work  in  the  Kitchen  Garden. 

I.  Cleaning  up. — Potato  tops,  beet  and  carrot 
tops,  bean,  melon,  cucumber,  and  squash  vines, 
and  in  short,  all  rubbish  of  this  sort  should  he 
gathered  up  neatly  and  thrown  into  one  corner, 
for  use  in  the  compost-heap,  or  for  protecting  ten¬ 
der  plants.  Pea-brush,  bean-poles,  frames  for  to¬ 
mato  vines,  boxes  for  melons,  and  all  such  per¬ 
ishable  materials  should  be  well  housed  before 
Winter.  They  will  then  last  several  years.  Nor 
will  it  be  waste  time  or  labor,  to  give  the  whole 
surface  of  the  garden  a  good  hoeing,  to  extirpate 
the  weeds  which  have  sprung  up  in  beds  and  al¬ 
leys,  during  the  fall  rains. 

II.  Protecting.— Every  good  garden  has  some 
plants  which  need  this  care  ;  for  instance,  sev¬ 
eral  of  the  best,  kinds  of  strawberries,  raspberries 
blackberries  and  grapes.  Over  the  first,  spread  an 
inch  or  twro  of  manure,  or  leaves,  or  tan-baik. 
This  will  prevent  the  heaving  out  of  the  roots 
and  the  blasting  of  the  fruit-buds.  Such  rasp¬ 
berries  as  the  Red  Antwerp  and  the  Brinckle’s 
Orange  should  be  bent  to  the  ground  and  pinned 
down  with  stakes ;  then  lay  over  them  a  little 
rubbish  (mentioned  above,)  and  throw  over  this  a 
few  inches  of  dirt.  The  New-Rochelle  blackberry 
is  benefited  by  the  same  treatment  north  of  lat. 
42°.  These  fruits  may  sometimes  go  through 
the  winter  unprotected  without  injury,  but,  to 
make  sure  of  a  crop  every  year,  they  should  be 
slightly  protected.  Most  of  the  better  sorts  of 
grapes  now  planted  are  hardy,  yet  it  is  best,  some¬ 
time  in  this  month,  to  untie  them  from  the  trellis, 
and  lay  them  carefully  on  the  ground,  and  throw 
over  a  little  litter  or  dirt.  Even  if  the  danger  of 
loss  is  not  very  great,  one  feels  better  during  the 
vicissitudes  of  winter,  to  know  that  his  choice 
vines  are  snugly  sheltered  ;  and  when  in  Spring 
one  lifts  up  his  canes  and  ties  them  to  the  trellis, 
lie  feels  quite  sure  that  they  will  yield  him  a 
bountiful  crop.  And  when  he  gathers  the  beauth 
ful  clusters,  he  feels  repaid  for  his  labor  a  thousand 
fold. 

III.  Ridging  up  the  Ground. — For  light. sandy 
soils,  this  is  not  necessary,  but  for  all  soils  it  is  very 
useful.  Dig  the  trenches  two  feet  deep,  throwing 
up  some  of  the  subsoil  to  the  action  of  the  frost. 
This  will  pulverize  it,  and  prepare  it  for  growing 
plants.  Ridging  up  also  exposes  the  seeds  and 
roots  of  many  weeds  to  the  frost,  and  upsets 
many  growing  families  of  noxious  insects.  It 
serves,  too,  to  drain  a  garden  ;  when  Spring  opens, 
the  ground  dries  off  much  sooner  than  it  would 
if  it  had  lain  a  dead  level,  and  is  ready  much  ear¬ 
lier  for  receiving  the  first  crops. 


340 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


November, 


Crysanthemums  — V  alue— Cultivation. 

Everybody  should  have  Chrysanthemums. 
“Why!”  Because  they  are  beautiful,  are  very 
easily  grown,  and  what  is  their  highest  recom¬ 
mendation,  they  are  in  full  bloom  late  in  the  sea¬ 
son,  long  after  other  flowering  plants  have  been 
cut  down  by  frost.  Even  when  the  snows  of 
Winter  have  fallen,  the  chrysanthemum,  a  soli¬ 
tary  occupant  of  the  flower  border  still  lifts  its 
head  gay  with  a  profuse  bloom  of  yellow,  pink, 
rose,  red,  white,  purple,  and  intermediate  colors. 
Some  of  them  are  of  a  single  color,  while  others 
sport  various  tints  on  a  single  flower.  As  Octo¬ 
ber,  November,  and  even  December  wear  away, 
and  its  companions,  one  by  one,  yield  their  fra¬ 
grance  and  their  petals  to  the  rude  winds  and 
biting  frosts,  and  are  disrobed  of  all  their  beauty, 
the  perennial  chrysanthemum  braves  both  storms 
and  frosts,  frequently  until  mid-winter. 

As  a  lenglhcncr  of  the  floral  season,  therefore, 
this  plant  is  to  be  highly  prized,  apart  from  its 
own  inherent  beauty.  Nor  is  it  w'anting  in  the 
latter  quality;  a  collection  of  choice  varieties — 
whether  of  the  older  tall-growing  sorts,  or  of  the 
more  recently  introduced  pompones — forms  as  at¬ 
tractive  a  show  as  can  well  be  found  among  tbe 
earlier  bloomers.  They  thrive  under  such  neg¬ 
lect,  even,  as  scarcely  another  plant  will  endure. 

Until  recently  only  a  few  coarser  sorts  were 
cultivated,  often  under  the  name  “Artemesia;” 
but  we  nowr  have  more  than  200  varieties  named 
and  figured  in  the  catalogues  of  florists,  includ¬ 
ing  many  dwarfs  or  pompones,  called  bv  ihe  Chi-  I 


nese  “  Chusan  Daisy.” 
The  large  flowering 
kinds  grow  from  2  to  4 
feet  high ;  the  pompones, 
6  to  12  inches  only. 

Most  of  the  varieties 
can  be  obtained  of  the 
nurserymen  at  25  cents 
to  50  cents  per  root. 
Some  of  the  newest  and 
rarest  sorts  are  higher 
priced,  at  first.  These 
roots  may  be  set  out  in 
Autumn  or  Spring,  at 
any  time  when  the 
ground  is  unfrozen. — 
They  are  increased  from 
year  to  year  by  dividing 
the  roots  into  a  number 
of  parts  and  resetting 
each.  The  commercial 
nurserymen  increase 
them  rapidly  by  taking 
the  stalks,  cutting  them 
into  slips  4  to  6  inches  in 
length,  and  setting  these 
slips  into  pots  filled  with 
prepared  soil,  even  in  any 
light  garden  soil.  They 
usually  take  root  readily 
with  a  little  care  as  to 
shade  and  moisture,  but 
ordinarily  for  home  cul¬ 
ture  it  is  safer  to  propa¬ 
gate  by  dividing  the 
roots.  Two  or  more 
neighbors  may  well  pro¬ 
cure  each  a  different  as¬ 
sortment,  and  then  ex¬ 
change  with  each  other. 
Though  very  hardy, 
and  adapted  to  general 
out- door  culture  in  al¬ 
most  any  climate,  chrysanthemums  are  also  suited 
to  pot-culture,  in  the  green-house,  parlor,  or  con¬ 
servatory  where  they  are  usually  trained  in  sin¬ 
gle  stalks  pinched  back  to  form  a  bushy  head. 
They  also  force  well,  and  can  be  brought  into 
bloom  at  any  season  of  the  year,  or  at  all  seasons. 
I, ike  dahlias,  the  names  of  varieties  are  so  nu¬ 
merous  that  it  is  difficult  to  advise  what  to  select. 
The  catalogues  of  dealers  usually  give  short  des¬ 
criptions  of  the  different  kinds  from  which  a  se¬ 
lection  may  be  made.  Some  further  information 
may  be  found  on  page  52  of  this  volume  (Feb.  No.) 


Protecting  Roses  for  the  Winter. 


Almost  every  kind  of  rose  is  bonefitted  by  pro¬ 
tection.  in  Winter.  A  few,  like  the  old  Cinnamon, 
may  go  through  unscathed,  hut  most,  even  of  the 
hardy  June  roses,  are  killed  back  several  inches, 
and  the  flower-buds  of  the  remainder  seriously 
injured.  To  make  sure,  therefore,  of  a  good 
bloom,  every  year,  it  is  best  to  give  all  roses 
suitable  protection. 

The  tall  Prairie  roses  should  be  loosened  from 
their  frames,  poles,  or  verandas,  and  laid  flat  upon 
the  ground,  and  fastened  there  with  stout  pegs. 
If  one  has  no  care  for  looks,  he  may  simply  lay  a 
stick  or  twm  of  wood,  or  a  few  boards,  on  the 
branches  to  keep  them  down.  The  common  gar¬ 
den  or  June  roses  should  be  fastened  to  the 
ground  in  tbe  same  way.  As  some  of  them  are 
hybrids,  with  a  little  tender  blood  in  them,  it  is 
well  to  throw  a  few  leaves  and  a  few  shovelfulls 


of  dirt  over  them.  Hybrid  Perpetuals,  or  Re- 
montants,  are  a  little  tenderer,  and  should  have  a 
thicker  blanket.  After  pegging  them  to  the 
ground,  draw  up  a  little  bank  of  good  soil  around 
the  collar  of  each  plant,  throw  over  the  branches 
an  inch  or  two  of  forest  leaves  or  other  litter,  and 
then  finish  with  a  little  soil  over  the  whole. 

The  Bourbons,  Chinas,  Noisettes,  and  Tea 
roses,  are,  as  a  general  rule,  too  tender  to  be  win¬ 
tered  out  of  doors,  north  of  New- Fork.  In  the 
writer’s  own  experience,  in  Central  New-York, 
the  hardiest  among  the  Bourbons  are  Hermosa, 
Bon  Queen,  Mad.  Bosanquet  and  a  few  others  ; 
while  those  fine  varieties,  Malmaison,  Jupiter 
and  Paul  Joseph,  very  often  die,  or  come  out  in 
Spring,  half  dead.  Among  the  Chinas  :  Agrippina, 
Sanguinea,  and  the  Pink  Daily,  are  the  most  ro¬ 
bust,  yet  these  perish  every  few  years.  Among 
the  Noisettes  :  Aimee  Vibert,  Champney’s  Pink 
Cluster,  and  Caroline  Marinesse,  are  some  of  the 
hardiest.  The  Tea  rose  must  be  wintered  within 
doors.  If  one  has  a  green-house  or  cool  pit  with 
glass  frames,  all  the  Bourbons,  Chinas,  Noisettes 
and  Teas  are  best  transferred  thither  in  Novem¬ 
ber,  and  kept  in  pots,  or  “  heeled  in  ”  until 
Spring. 

But  for  those  who  have  not  such  conveniences, 
we  give  the  following  method  which  we  have 
practiced  with  considerable  success  :  Early  in 
this  month,  bend  the  tops  to  the  ground  and  cover 
them  with  leaves  several  inches  thick,  put  a 
mound  of  old  manure  around  the  collar  of  each 
bush,  and  set  two  boards  over  every  plant,  nailed 
together  at  the  edges,  so  as  to  form  a  roof  for 
shedding  water.  If  the  ground  has  been  well 
drained,  this  method  will  answer  a  very  good  pur¬ 
pose.  South  of  New-York,  even  less  than  this 
care  is  sufficient.  In  Pennsylvania,  Virginia, 
and  southward,  a  few  evergreen  boughs  have 
been  found  an  excellent  protection. 

- - - - — o—  .  ». - - 

Flower  Pit. 


For  want  of  a  suitable  place  to  keep  perennial 
flowering  plants,  many  persons  leave  their  choice 
bloomers  in  the  ground  over  Winter,  with  the 
certainty  of  their  being  destroyed,  and  an  uncer¬ 
tainty  of  obtaining  others  of  equal  beauty  anoth¬ 
er  Spring.  Few  know  how  easily  and  how  cheap¬ 
ly  a  protecting  pit,  like  the  one  here  represented 


can  be  made.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  select  a  dry 
spot  of  the  garden,  dig  a  hole  three  feet  deep,  and 
of  the  size  required  to  contain  the  plants.  Board, 
stone  or  brick  up  the  sides,  put  in  the  plants,  and 
cover  the  whole  with  boards  and  straw,  or  earth, 
and  it  is  complete.  The  form  should  be 
a  parallelogram,  not  over  five  feet  wide,  and  as 
long  as  may  be  needed.  If  there  is  any  probabil¬ 
ity  of  water  settling  in  at  the  bottom,  make  a 
drain  to  carry  it  off.  To  make  it  doubly  secure 
against  freezing,  an  inside  lining  of  boards  is 
sometimes  used.  If  only  for  a  temporary  pit, 
tbe  sides  may  be  made  of  posts  and  boards  with¬ 
out  the  stone  or  brick  work.  Having  placed  ten- 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


341 


THE  LIT  T  L  E  HOUSEKEEPER. 


der  roses,  geraniums,  verbenas,  fuchsias,  petu¬ 
nias,  etc.,  in  them,  upon  the  approach  of  freezing 
weather,  cover  with  boards,  and  as  it  grows  still 
colder  add  straw  or  leaves,  and  finally  earth,  if 
needful.  Do  not  shut  out  the  air  entirely,  until 
absolutely  necessary,  and  ventilate  at  all  suita¬ 
ble  times  during  the  Winter.  Remove  the  cov- 
ering  gradually  in  the  Spring,  to  harden  the  plants. 


Preparing  Cuttings. — Now,  before  hard  frosts 
set  in,  gather  cuttings  for  next  Spring’s  use. 
Take  them  from  the  currant,  gooseberry,  grape¬ 
vine,  and  from  such  ornamental  shrubs  as  the 
syringo,  tartarian  honeysuckle,  deutzia,  etc.  ; 
bury  them  in  light  dry  soil,  either  in  the  garden 
or  cellar,  and  let  them  lie  until  the  opening  Spring. 


[This  department  does  not  suit  us  this  month— there  are 
too  few  practical  hints  and  suggestions.  The  “  Fairs  ” 
have  kept  us  busy.  But  while  we  can  and  shall  do  more, 
we  want  the  help  of  our  fair  readers.  Almost  every  one 
of  them  could  and  would  give  at  least  one  useful  hint  to 
any  sister  housekeeper,  if  she  met  her  for  an  afternoon’s 
chat.  If  we  could  send  an  invisible  reporter,  wherever 
two  or  more  good  housekeepers  meet,  we  are  quite  sure 
he  would  always  bring  back  some  suggestion  that  would 
be  now  to  thousands  of  others.  But  such  a  reporter  is 
out  of  tho  question,  and  we  want  to  ask  of  our  readers, 
that  whenever  any  one  gets  a  new  idea  in  any  depart¬ 
ment  of  household  labor,  it  be  noted  down  and  forwarded 
to  the  Agriculturist .” 


A  Moss  Vase. 


The  cut  below  represents  a  vase  for  holding 
flowers,  which  is  of  novel  construction,  and  so 
simple  that  any  one  can  make  it.  The  frame,  as 
seen  on  the  left,  is  made  of  two  pieces  of  board, 
the  lower  one  ten  inches  or  a  foot  square,  the 
other  an  inch  smaller,  with  an  upright  square  or 
round  stick  fastened  to  the  middle.  It  will  be 
firmer  if  let  into  a  hole  in  the  base.  For  the  top, 
take  a  common  straw  hat  with  rather  a  low 
crown,  and  sew  a  piece  of  wire  around  the  rim  to 
stiffen  it.  Another  piece  may  also  be  sewed 
around  the  top  of  the  crown,  on  the  inside. 
Cover  the  wire  and  edge  of  the  rim  with  green 
ribbon,  which  may  be  put  on  with  gum.  Set  the 
hat,  crown  downward,  on  the  upright  stick,  so 
that  it  will  be  supported  by  its  center.  Lay  a 
small  piece  of  leather  in  the  crown  over  the 
stick,  and  fasten  the  hat  down  with  small  nails 
driven  through  the  leather.  This  completes  the 
frame.  The  whole  is  then  to  be  covered  with 
lichens,  (th e  flat  moss  that  grows  on  trees,  rocks, 
etc.)  These  are  fastened  on  with  glue.  Mosses 


cannot  be  fastened  as  well  as  lichens,  but  a  trim¬ 
ming  of  them  fastened  around  the  edge  of  the 
rim  would  look  tasteful.  The  lichens  are  of  dif¬ 
ferent  colors,  green,  red,  and  yellow,  and  may  be 
arranged  to  look  very  neat.  We  have  seen  sev¬ 
eral  specimens  like  the  above.  The  idea  came 
originally,  we  believe,  from  a  valuable  little  work 
on  “  Leaf  and  Flower  Pictures,”  already  noticed. 


Here  is  a  pretty  picture,  from  a  painting  by  the 
French  artist,  e.  frere,  which  has  pleased  us 
exceedingly,  and  we  gladly  share  that  pleasure 
with  our  readers,  by  re-engraving  the  sketch  for 
these  columns.  The  utensils  are  slightly  differ¬ 
ent  from  those  in  use  here.  A  lady  friend  of  ours, 
who  has  traveled  much  in  France  and  Germany, 
recently  described  to  us  the  household  arrange¬ 
ments  of  those  countries,  picturing  almost  precise¬ 
ly  such  a  room  as  the  one  we  see  in  the  engrav¬ 
ing.  There  are  the  stove,  the  universal  big  mar- 
mitc  or  soup  kettle,  the  water-jug,  basin,  milk-can, 
lantern,  vegetable-basket,  etc.,  just  in  the  order 
w'e  should  find  them  in  half  the  houses  abroad. 
The  attitude  of  the  little  maiden  is  life-like.  Note 
her  childish  gravity  and  importance  as  she  is 
wholly  absorbed  in  skimming  the  soup.  Many  a 
housekeeper  will  be  forcibly  reminded  of  her  first 
essays  in  the  kitchen. 

In  addition  to  the  interest  awakened  by  the  pic¬ 
ture  as  a  work  of  art,  and  the  associations  it  re¬ 
calls,  it  suggests  a  subject  so  often  discussed  in 
these  columns,  and  so  ably  treated  by  our  cor¬ 
respondents,  that  we  hardly  need  to  add  a  word 
here;  viz.:  the  education  of  girls  in  a  knowl¬ 
edge  of  household  duties,  and  this,  too,  early  in 
life.  The  French  people  are  in  advance  of  us  in 
this,  for  though  perhaps  more  devoted  to  dress 
and  fashionable  amusement  than  any  other  peo¬ 
ple,  there  are  proportionally  fewer  ladies  there 
than  elsewhere,  who  are  not  practically  acquaint¬ 
ed  with  all  kinds  of  household  labor.  Here  we 
make  “  dolls”  of  our  daughters,  from  the  cradle  up, 
little  ladies  we  call  them,  and  they  too  often  con¬ 
tinue  11  dolls .”  through  life — fragile  dolls  that  are 
broken  (“broken  down”)  by  the  slightest  collis¬ 


ion  they  may  chance  to  meet  with.  If  not  spoiled 
by  wrong  notions,  little  girls  usually  desire  to 
learn  to  do  “  as  mother  does.”  We  always  love 
to  see  them  play  housekeeping,  and  it  is  wise  to 
early  cultivate  this  propensity.  The  mother  should 
more  frequently  notice,  and  take  an  interest  in 
these  childish  sports,  and  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment  entrust  the  little  one  with  some  respon¬ 
sibility.  If  even  to  the  six-year-old  damsel  there 
be  allotted  the  care  of  a  room,  or  other  labor, 
however  light,  she  will  feel  her  responsibility  and 
more  rapidly  acquire  knowledge  which  will  be 
practical,  and  never  be  forgotten,  whatever  her 
future  station  in  life. 


How  to  Paper  a  Room. 

Unless  wall  paper  is  put  on  neatly,  a  room  will 
not  look  well,  however  beaut  iful  the  pattern  of  the 
paper  may  be..  It  should  lie  perfectly  smooth,  the 
joints  should  be  closed,  and  the  pattern  be  exact¬ 
ly  matched  where  the  pieces  meet.  A  profes¬ 
sional  paper-hanger,  whom  we  have  to-day  watch¬ 
ed  pretty  closely  while  papering  one  of  our  office 
rooms,  proceeded  as  follows:  (This  room  is  divided 
from  another  by  a  wooden  or  plank  partition.)  To 
prevent  the  breaking  of  the  paper,  by  the  shrink¬ 
ing  of  the  wood,  a  coarse  cheap  unbleached  muslin 
was  nailed  on,  nails  being  used  only  at  the  join¬ 
ings  of  the  cloth.  The  ceiling  which  is  of 
planed  boards,  was  also  prepared  for  paper  by 
nailing  on  muslin.  Each  roll  of  paper  was  first 
trimmed,  by  cutting  off  the  superfluous  paper 
from  one  edge,  leaving  the  other  to  receive  the 
piece  to  be  lapped  over.  The  ceiling  was  pa¬ 
pered  first.  Enough  cf  the  paper  to  cover  it  was 


343 


AMERICAN  AGRICULT  URIST. 


cut  of  the  right  length,  allowing  enough  to  have 
about  two  inches  to  turn  down  around  the  sides 
of  the  room.  Care  was  taken  to  cut  these  pieces 
so  that  they  would  match  when  put  up.  I  he 
pieces  were  then  all  laid  together  upon  a  table, 
spread  out  one  over  the  other,  with  the  figured 
side  down.  The  paste  was  made  of  flour  and  wa¬ 
ter  with  a  piece  of  alum  the  size  of  a  walnut  to 
each  pailful.  After  boiling,  it  was  thin  enough 
to  spread  very  easily.  Paste  for  this  purpose  is 
usually  made  too  thick  or  stiff.  A  wide  brush 
like  a  whitewash  brush,  but  without  a  handle,  was 
used  for  spreading  the  paste.  About  two  thirds 
the  length  of  the  top  piece  was  covered  evenly 
with  paste,  and  doubled  together,  except  a  few 
inches  of  the  end.  Then  the  other  end  was 
treated  in  the  same  manner.  The  paste  that  run 
over  the  edge  came  upon  the  back  of  the  next 
piece,  and  thus  no  harm  was  done  by  it.  The 
doubling  was  for  convenience  in  handling  without 
touching  the  pasted  side,  and  the  ends  were  left 
not  turned  down,  to  take  hold  of  readily,  when 
separating  the  pasted  sides.  The  operator  then 
supported  the  paper  on  the  left  hand,  and  with  the 
right  commenced  laying  the  edge  of  the  paper 
even  with  the  edge  of  the  ceiling,  passing  the  hand 
lightly  outward  at  the  end,  and  then  along  the 
length  of  the  piece.  When  one  end  was  thus 
fastened,  the  other  was  opened,  part  at  a  time  ; 
and  put  up  in  the  same  manner.  A  brush  broom 
instead  of  a  cloth  was  then  passed  over  the 
whole  to  take  out  the  wrinkles.  Thus  each  piece 
was  put  up  until  the  ceiling  was  finished.  The 
long  pieces  for  the  sides  were  then  cut,  folded, 
and  laid  on,  commencing  at  the  top  and  working 
downward.  The  odd  corners  and  pieces  were 
put  on  last.  Finally  the  border  was  added,  and 
the  job  nicely  completed.  This  is  a  simple  opera¬ 
tion  to  describe,  but  from  the  particulars  given, 
any  one  unacquainted  practically  with  papering, 
may  probably  derive  a  hint  or  two. 


How  to  Do  your  Own  Soldering. 


“  Bridget,  get  your  things  all  ready  to  wash  on  Mon¬ 
day.”—"  The  boiler  leaks,  mum,  there’s  a  hole  in  the 
side.”— “  Why  didn’t  you  tell  me  before  ?”— 1 “  I  forgot  it 
Well,  we  must  put  off  washing  until  Tuesday. 
Husband,  that  boiler  must  be  sent  to  town  on  Monday.” 

I  can’t  spare  any  one  to  go,  wife,  the  men  and  boys 
must  hurry  up  the  haying:  You  must  put  a  rag  into 
the  hole.  Really  I  wish  X  had  learned  the  tinner’s  trade, 
there’s  so  many  leaks  coming  into  the  boilers,  the  basins, 
the  pails,  the  milk  pans,  etc.,  etc.  Two  minute’s  work 
would  stop  that  leak  in  the  boiler,  but  I  must  send  it 
half-a-dozen  miles,  and  perhaps  wait  an  hour  or  two,  to 
have  it  fixed.  I  wish  there  was  a  good  substitute  for  tin 

ware,  it’s  so  much  bother.” - What  family  has  not  had 

some  such  experience  as  the  above? 

When  a  tin-worker  is  near  at  hand,  it  is  usual¬ 
ly  more  convenient  to  employ  him  to  execute  the 
various  items  of  soldering  that  occur  in  every 
family.  But  a  large  number  of  families  live  re¬ 
mote  from  a  regular  tin-worker.  Especially  is 
this  the  case  with  those  in  the  newer  sections  of 
the  Country  Moreover,  the  great  majority  of 
farmers  live  from  one  to  five  or  more  miles  from 
a  tin-worker,  and  it  is  no  small  inconvenience  to 
carry  to  the  shop  the  toiler,  the  tea-kettle,  the 
tin-pan,  the  wash-basin,  the  cups  and  platters,  and 
other  kitchen  utensils,  every  time  a  leak  occurs. 
The  cost,  of  mending  is  usually  of  less  account 
than  the  trouble  of  carrying  an  article,  waiting 
for  it,  and  bringing  it  home,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
inconvenience,  and  the  loss  of  its  use  until  “it 
can  be  attended  to.”  And  still  further,  many 
utensils  are  quickly  spoiled,  or  thrown  aside  as 
useless,  when  a  single  drop  of  solder  applied, 
would  preserve  them  many  weeks  or  months. 

But  we  need  not  dwell  on  this — every  house¬ 
keeper  knows  the  trouble  experienced  with  tin¬ 


ware.  The  remedy  we  would  offer,  is  to  give  a  few 
plain  simple  directions  which  will  enable  any  per¬ 
son  to  do  up  at  home  most  of  these  little  jobs 
without  cost,  and  with  a  fifth  part  of  the  time  and 
trouble  required  to  carry  an  article  to  the  tin¬ 
smith.  We  give  the  following  suggestions  partly 
from  experience  and  partly  from  the  opportune 
letter  ot  a  correspondent  who  has  furnished  us 
with  full  details.  (We  have  ourselves  had  not 
a  little  experience  in  soldering,  while  making 
galvanic  batteries,  electric  machines,  and  other 
philosophical  and  chemical  apparatus.]  Common 
tin-ware  is  not  really  tin,  but  thin  sheets  of 
iron  coated  upon  each  side  with  a  film  of  pure  tin 
to  protect  the  iron  from  rusting,  and  to  give  a 
bright  clean  surface.  When  the  tin  coat  is  worn 
off  on  either  side,  the  iron  soon  rusts  through,  and 
the  tin  upon  the  opposite  side  is  speedily  broken, 
leaving  a  hole.  The  remedy  is  to  melt  on  a  bit 
of  solder.  So  also  where  a  joint  occurs,  or  the 
original  solder  was  imperfect,  or  has  been  melt¬ 
ed  or  worn  off,  new  solder  must  he  applied. 

In  the  absence  of  other  convenience,  it  is  usu¬ 
ally  practicable  to  scrape  the  surrounding  surface 
smooth  or  bright,  drop  on  a  little  resin  (“  rosum  ” 
as  it  is  commonly  called),  lay  on  a  bit  of  solder, 
and  melt  it  with  a  hot  iron — the  heated  tongs,  or 
even  a  lively  bright  coal  A  piece  of  “  pewter  ” 
spoon,  or  old  teapot,  may  be  used  for  solder,  and 
we  have  often  “  stopped  a  leak  ”  by  such  simple 
process.  But  a  neat  job  can  not  he  made  in  this 
way,  nor  is  it  always  successful. 

A  simple  copper  soldering  tool,  (called  a  “  sold¬ 
ering  iron,”)  and  a  piece  of  good  solder,  are  more 
convenient,  and  are  worthy  a  place  in  every 
country  family.  A  good  soldering  copper  can  be 
bought  in  almost  any  village  for  a  few  shillings. 
Fig.  1,  is  a  very  convenient  form  for  general  pur¬ 
poses. 

C,  is  a  round  piece  of  copper,  weighing  say,  1£ 
lbs.,  and  H  inches  in  diameter,  with  one  end 
drawn  out  nearly  to  a  point ;  i,  is  an  iron  rod  ;  h, 
a  wooden  handle.  One  of  these  is  readily  made. 
The  larger  the  size,  the  longer  will  it  retain  heat 
for  work.  Purchase  the  copper  bar,  c,  costing  30 
to  40  cents  a  pound.  Have  it  pointed  by  a  black- 


h  i  q 


Fig.  1. 


smith,  warning  him  not  to  heat  it  beyond  a  dull 
red;  i,  is  to  be  inserted  by  cutting  a  screw  thread 
on  the  end,  and  fitting  it  into  a  screw  socket 
made  in  the  blunt  end  of  the  copper  before  point¬ 
ing  it,  and  add  the  wooden  handle  by  simply 
driving  it  on  to  the  iron  rod  previously  pointed,  or 
by  boring  a  gimlet  hole  in  the  wood  and  driving 
it  on.  The  iron  rod  may  be  attached  to  the  cop¬ 
per  in  various  ways,  one  of  which  is  shown  in 
fig.  1.  With  no  practical  knowledge  of  black- 
smithing,  we  have  made  a  very  good  soldering 
iron  of  this  kind.  For  heavy  work,  a  correct 
form  is  shown  in  fig.  3,  where  the  end  of  the  cop- 


Fig.  2. 


per  is  simply  flattened  out,  leaving  a  wide  edge. 
But  the  form  shown  by  fig.  1,  is  sufficient  for  all 
common  operations  of  the  unexperienced. 

The  next  thing  after  buying,  or  making,  the 
soldering  iron,  is  to  coat  the  beveled  end  with 
solder.  To  do  this,  file  it  smooth  ;  then  heat  it, 
not  red,  hut  just  so  that  it  will  melt  a  piece  of 
solder;  then  file  it  bright  quickly,  and  immediate¬ 
ly  rub  it  upon  a  piece  of  solder  laid  on  a  hoard 
hollowed  out  a  little,  or  better  still,  upon  a  piece 
of  tin.  Pounded  resin  must  be  placed  with  the 


solder  to  keep  out  the  air  which  would  otherwise 
rust  the  heated  copper  and  prevent  the  free  union 
of  the  solder.  Until  after  a  little  practice,  it  may 
he  necessary  to  heat  the  copper  several  times  and 
file  it  bright  where  not  coated,  before  a  perfect 
coat  will  be  obtained.  When  once  coated,  it  will 
remain  so,  provided  you  never  heat  it  to  redness, 
which  burns  off  the  solder.  If -this  is  done  by 
accident,  it  must  be  again  coated  as  at  first.  Our 
first  essays  were  made  without  instruction,  and 
it  was  some  time  before  we  learned  that  to  coat 
the  copper  well,  it  must  be  kept  at  the  lowest 
melting  heat,  and  be  filed  bright,  after  heating ; 
and  that  to  preserve  its  coating,  it  must  never  be 
heated  very  hot. 

The  soldering  metal  we  have  usually  bought;  hut 
we  have  made  it  by  melting  together  block  tin 
(pure  tin  metal)  and  lead,  taking  say  about  8 
ounces  of  lead  to  6  ounces  of  the  block  tin.  There 
are  many  articles  of  pewter  and  brittania 
ware  which  are  of  about  the  right  composition. 
This  composition  of  tin  and  lead  melts  easily  and 
flows  readily.  Neither  tin  nor  lead  alone  answers 
to  solder  with.  It  is  usually  better  for  the  un¬ 
skillful  to  buy  a  ready  made  soldering  iron,  and 
a  pound  or  two  of  solder  to  keep  on  hand.  The 
solder  costs  about  25  or  30  cents  per  lb.,  hut  a 
pound  or  two  will  last  several  years  for  common 
family  use. 

To  mend  or  solder  Tin  Ware. — Scrape  the  sur¬ 
face  to  be  covered  or  joined,  clean  and  bright,  and 
sprinkle  on  a  little  powdered  resin.  Heat  the 
implement  {not  to  redness )  so  that  it  will  readily 
melt  off  the  end  of  the  rod  or  piece  of  solder. 
Before  using,  draw  each  side  of  the  copper  brisk¬ 
ly  over  a  wet  cloth  to  wipe  off  ashes  and  any  ox¬ 
ide  (scum)  on  the  surface  of  the  tinned  end.  Then 
melt  off  some  drops  of  solder,  letting  them  fall 
upon  the  place  to  be  soldered,  and  apply  the  im¬ 
plement,  holding  it  on  until  the  solder  flows,  and 
then  draw  it  across  the  place  to  be  mended, 
holding  the  vessel  so  that  the  melted  metal  will 
run  in  as  thick  a  mass  as  may  be  desired  at  any 
point.  Draw  or  lift  the  soldering  iron  off  quietly, 
and  the  melted  metal  will  flow  evenly,  and  as  it 
cools,  leave  a  bright  smooth  surface,  unless  the 
copper  has  become  so  cool  as  to  leave  the  solder 
not  hot  enough  to  flow  readily. 

Keep  always  in  mind  not  to  get  the  copper  too 
hot.  The  degree  of  heat  will  very  soon  be  learn¬ 
ed  by  frequently  removing  the  copper  from  the 
fire  and  holding  it  near  the  face.  In  heating  a 
soldering  iron,  it  is  better  to  lay  the  shoulder  or 
large  end  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  coals,  letting 
the  pointed  or  tinned  end  lie  beyond  the  coals. 
When  using  a  hard  coal  stove,  we  thrust  the  cop¬ 
per  down  through  the  coal,  letting  the  pointed 
end  stand  in  the  grating  below,  where  it  is’  less 
apt  to  be  burned.  It  must  be  watched  or  it  will 
get  red-hot  in  a  coal  fire,  and  spoil  the  tinning. 

To  solder  Copper  or  Iron  Surfaces. — These  may 
be  joined  or  mended  the  same  as  tin,  by  filing 
them  bright  and  using  resin  freely  ;  but  inexperi¬ 
enced  hands  generally  fail,  and  old  tinmen  find  it 
better  to  apply,  in  addition  to  the  resin,  (and  be¬ 
fore  the  latter  is  sprinkled  on)  either  sal  ammo¬ 
niac,  or  chloride  of  zinc.  A  lump  of  sal  ammoniac 
obtained  at  any  druggists  for  three  or  four  cents, 
will  answer  every  purpose  and  last  for  years. 
Wet  this,  and  rub  it  upon  the  cleaned  or  bright¬ 
ened  iron  or  copper,  then  sprinkle  on  the  resin, 
and  the  soldering  is  then  just  as  easy  as  if  upon 
a  tin  surface.  When  a  piece  of  tin  ware  is  badly 
worn,  as  upon  the  bottom  of  a  basin,  the  solder¬ 
ing  is  facilitated  by  rubbing  on  the  sal  ammoniac. 

Instead  of  sal  ammoniac,  we  have  usually  used 
chloride  of  zinc.  This  we  p  epare  by  putting  into 
a  phial  or  bottle  a  handful  ot  bits  of  zinc — old 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


340 


sheet  zinc,  scraped  clean  and  cut  up  will  do — and 
pouring  upon  this  half  a  gill  or  a  gill  of  muriatic 
acid  (hydro-chloric  acid)  with  three  or  four  times 
as  much  water.  The  cork  is  left  out  until  effer¬ 
vescence  ceases.  The  fluid  will  become  saturated 
with  zinc  in  an  hour  or  two,  and  the  fluid  thus 
obtained  may  stand  loosely  corked  to  keep  out 
dust,  and  is  always  ready  for  use.  A  drop  or  two 
of  this  applied  with  a  slick  to  wet  the  surface 
where  copper  or  iron  is  to  be  soldered,  is  quite  as 
good  as  sal-ammoniac.  In  soldering  pewter, 
grease  is  applied  to  the  surface  instead  of  resin. 
Much  practice  and  skill  are  required  to  mend 
brittannia  or  pewter  successfully,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  these  articles  are  so  nearly  like  solder  in 
composition,  that  they  melt  easily,  and  are  liable 
to  be  melted  down  without  special  care. 

We  have  given  all  needful  particulars,  follow¬ 
ing  which,  any  one  will,  with  a  little  practice,  be 
able  to  do  a  great  deal  of  “tinkering,”  at  no  little 
aving  of  time,  expense,  and  annoyance. 

■  ■  ■  -«tt— < >-<& - ■ 

Hints  on  Cooking,  etc. 

liCmon  Clieese  Cake. 

Contributed  to  the  Agriculturist  by  Mrs.  S. 
Wagstaff,  N.  T.  To  1  lb.  of  lump  sugar,  pounded, 
add  6  eggs,  leaving  out  two  of  the  whites,  the 
juice  of  three  lemons,  the  rinds  of  two  grated, 
and  £  lb.  of  butter.  Put  all  the  ingredients  into  a 
pan,  and  stir  them  gently  over  a  slow  fire  until 
the  mixture  becomes  thick,  and  looks  like  honey. 
Line  the  smallest  size  of  patty  pans  with  puff 
paste,  put  in  a  teaspoonful  of  the  mixture,  and 
bake.  The  mixture  will  keep  twelve  months,  in 
a  jar  covered  with  paper,  and  set  in  a  dry  place. 
Soda  Cake. 

Nice  for  the  tea  table  ;  by  the  same  :  Mix  1  lb. 
of  flour,  1  lb.  Zante  currants,  £  lb.  sugar,  £  lb.  of 
butter,  £  pint  of  buttermilk, a  teaspoonful  of  carbon¬ 
ate  of  soda,  spice  to  your  taste;  bake  half  an  hour. 

[The  following  five  recipes  for  cakes  were  con¬ 
tributed  by  Lucy  E.  Cady,  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Some  of  them  we  have  tested  and  found  good.] 
Iiemon  Cake. 

To  3  cups  of  flour  add  2  of  sugar,  £  cup  butter, 

1  of  sweet  milk,  4  eggs,  l  teaspoonful  soda,  2 
cream  tartar,  1  extract  lemon. 

Belscate  Cake. 

2£  cups  flour,  It  of  sugar,  £'  of  butter,  £  of  sour 
milk,  the  whites  of  three  eggs,  £  teaspoonful 
soda,  1  extract  lemon. 

Sponge  Cake. 

2  cups  flour,  1£  white  sugar,  1  of  sweet  milk, 

£  of  butter,  3  eggs,  I  teaspoonful  cream  tartar,  1 
of  soda. 

Caroline  Cake. 

2  cups  .flour,  2  of  sugar,  1  of  sweet  milk,  whites 
of  5  eggs,  3  tablespoonfuls  butter,  £  teaspoonful 
cream  tartar,  £  of  soda,  flavor  with  lemon. 

CUeap  Cake. 

2  cups  flour,  1  of  sugar,  1  of  sweet  milk,  5 
tablespoonfuls  butter,  2  eggs,  1  teaspoonful  cream 
tartar,  £  of  soda. 

SEng'HisJii  Plum  Pudding. 

By  Mrs.  Wagstaff.  1  lb.  of  sultana  raisins,  1  lb. 
dried  currants,  1  lb.  suet  chopped  fine,  1  lb. 
flour,  1  lb.  bread  crumbs,  a  little  pounded  spice, 

1  oz.  candied  lemon  peel,  orange,  and  citron, 

1  nutmeg  grated,  £  lb.  sugar.  Mix  all  together, 
rubbing  it  well  with  the  hand  ;  than  add  eight 
eggs  well  beaten,  £  pint  new  milk,  and  two  wine 
glasses  of  brandy,  stir  it  up  well  with  a  wooden 
spoon,  be  careful  not  to  make  it  too  wet,  put  it  in 
a  mold  or  cloth,  and  boil  four  hours ;  serve 
with  wine  sauce.  [An  English  friend  at  our  elbow 
says,  it  should  be  boiled  six  hours,  then  allowed 
to  cool,  and  afterward,  say  in  a  day  or  two, 


boiled  six  hours  again,  using  a  cloth  always,  not 
a  mold.  His  mother  used  to  make  it  so  at  home, 
and  he  knows  it  was  good. — Ed  ] 

Sweet  Potatoes  matte  o£  Erisli  Potatoes. 

Steam  them  well,  and  wring  them  in  a  towel  to 
make  them  mealy  ;  mash  till  there  are  no  lumps 
left,  and  sweeten  with  good  brown  sugar  to  the 
taste.  They  are  now  ready  to  be  baked,  fried,  or 
made  into  puddings.  At  least,  so  says  Oregon 
Farmer. 

IBaked  Eg'g'  Plawt. 

This  vegetable  is  usually  cut  in  slices,  and  fried 
in  butter  or  lard.  When  cooked  in  this  way,  it 
absorbs  too  much  fat  to  be  easily  digested,  and 
can  not  safely  be  eaten  by  those  inclined  to  dys¬ 
pepsia.  We  have  recently  heard  of  the  following 
method,  by  which  this  difficulty  is  avoided.  Let 
the  plants  be  very  nearly  ripe  ;  cut  them  in 
halves,  and  remove  part  of  the  middle  pulp.  Pre¬ 
pare  dressing  as  for  stuffing  a  turkey,  fill  the 
plants  ;  put  the  halves  together,  and  bake  them. 
This  is  said  to  make  an  excellent  dish. 

Eg'g  Tea  or  €o££ee. 

Mrs.  C.  0.  Brown,  Calhoun  Co.,  Mich.,  directs 
to  :  Beat  the  yolk  of  an  egg,  with  1  tablespoon¬ 
ful  of  sugar  and  put  into  it  a  cup  of  cold  tea  or 
coffee.  Add  £  a  cup  of  cold  water  in  Summer, 
or  boiling  water  in  Winter.  Put  in  cream  to  suit 
the  taste.  Then  whip  the  white  of  the  egg  to  a 
froth,  and  stir  it  in;  this  is  nice  for  an  invalid. 

A  First-rate  Corn  Bread. 

It  is  hard  to  conceive,  what,  as  a  nation,  we 
should  do  without  our  great  staple  Indian  Corn, 
of  which  about  a  thousand  million  bushels,  or 
more  than  fifty  thousand  million  pounds  !  !  are  now 
annually  produced  in  our  country.  What  crop 
would  take  its  place  !  As  an  article  of  food  it  is 
both  healthful  and  nutritious,  and  is  hardly  ex¬ 
celled  even  hy  wheat.  Yet  comparatively  few 
families  make  any  account  of  it  in  the  culinary 
department.  The  hasty-pudding  or  mush,  poorly 
made,  and  not  half  boiled,  the  Johnny  Cake  (jour¬ 
ney  cake  1)  made  essentially  of  meal,  salt,  and 
water,  or  a  little  milk,  are  the  chief  articles  of 
diet  prepared  from  corn,  in  three  families  out  of 
four.  No  wonder,  children  grow  up  with  a  dis¬ 
like  of  it,  and  in  after  life  feel  as  an  old  gentleman 
remarked  to  us  recently :  “  I  don’t  want  any  ‘  In¬ 
dian  ’  in  my  family,  I  had  enough  of  it  while  a 
boy.”  But  this  should  not  be  so  ;  there  is  an  al¬ 
most  infinite  variety  of  wholesome,  nourishing, 
healthful  preparations  to  be  made  of  Indian  corn, 
which  are  both  pleasant  to  the  taste,  and  econom¬ 
ical  withal.  (A  pound  of  meal  usually  costs  less 
than  half  the  price  of  a  pound  of  flour,  while  it 
contains  about  the  same  amount  of  nutriment) 
We  have  given  several  recipes  for  the  prepara¬ 
tions  referred  to,  some  cheap,  and  some  more 
expensive,  and  we  shall  give  many  others.  Here 
is  one,  partly  meal  and  partly  flour,  which  we 
have  used  for  a  few  months,  and  which  to  our 
taste  is  first-rate  : 

To  one  quart  of  thick  sour  milk,  or  of  butter¬ 
milk,  add  1£  teacupfuls  of  molasses  ;  3  cups  fine 
meal  ;  3£  cups  of  flour  ;  1  teaspoonful  of  salt, 
and  2  teaspoonfuls  of  soda.  (Sweet  milk  may  be 
used  as  well,  by  adding  only  l£  teaspoonfuls  of 
soda,  and  3  of  cream  of  tartar  )  Stir  well  together; 
put  into  a  basin,  and  steam  three  hours,  than  bake 
one  hour.  It  is  moist  and  delicious,  and  will  keep 
good  for  several  days.  The  steaming  may  be 
done  in  a  regular  steaming  vessel,  or  in  any 
kettle,  by  simply  setting  the  basin  upon  a  brick 
block,  to  support  it  above  the  boiling  water — just 
as  bread  is  steamed.  The  kettle  will  need  to  be 
covered,  of  course. 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

About  the  Hair. 

Every  one  knows,  of  course,  that  a  lady’s  good 
appearance  depends  not  a  little  upon  the  care  be¬ 
stowed  upon  the  hair,  and  I  need  not  say  that  ne¬ 
glecting  to  have  the  hair  neatly  brushed  and  kept 
in  proper  bounds,  indicates  want  of  taste  more 
than  almost  anything  else.  On  the  contrary,  the 
danger  is,  that  the  hair  will  be  injured  hy  the  ex¬ 
cessive  or  injudicious  treatment  it  receives,  with 
the  hope  of  improving  its  appearance.  From  ill 
health,  arising  from  the  use  of  tea  and  coffee,  and 
from  a  thousand  other  causes,  the  head  is  often 
hot  and  feverish,  and  the  hair  becomes  harsh  and 
dry.  It  will  not  then  lie  smoothly,  and  resort  is 
had  to  oil  or  grease  in  various  forms.  The  sale 
of  manufactured  “  hair  oils  ”  is  enormous,  show¬ 
ing  their  extensive  use.  These,  whatever  names 
they  may  bear,  are  almost  all  made  from  sweet 
oil,  or  lard,  perfumed  with  various  extracts,  and 
they  yield  an  immense  profit.  But  their  use  is  in 
most  cases  positively  injurious.  When  the  body 
is  in  health,  nature  supplies  the  scalp  with  an 
abundance  of  oil,  exactly  fitted  for  the  hair,  and 
when  not  in  health,  no  external  application  of  ar¬ 
tificial  oil  can  take  the  place  of  the  natural.  On 
the  contrary,  these  artificial  hair  oils,  in  spite  of 
the  perfumes  they  contain,  become  rancid,  and  do 
more  harm  than  good.  They  clog  up  the  natural 
oil  ducts,  the  skin  becomes  still  more  dry,  and 
scales  off  in  the  small  particles,  called  “  dandruff.” 
Then  resort  is  had  to  “  hair  washes,”  which  con¬ 
sist  chiefly  of  alcohol.  These  dissolve  the  dan¬ 
druff,  and  stimulate  the  scalp,  and  at  first  seem 
to  be  beneficial,  but  in  the  end  they  only  aggra¬ 
vate  the  difficulty. 

There  is  only  one  application  that  is  safe  and 
beneficial  under  all  circumstances,  and  this  is 
cold  water.  No  soap  should  ever  be  used  with  it, 
as  this  dissolves  off  the  natural  oil,  and  renders 
the  hair  dry  and  stiff.  But  pure  water  washes 
out  dandruff  Without  removing  the  oil,  and  leaves 
the  skin  cool  and  clean,  and  thus  promotes  the 
growth  and  health  of  the  hair.  Some  persons 
take  cold  in  using  cold  water,  but  this  may  be 
prevented  by  wiping  the  hair  as  dry  as  possible, 
using  two  or  three  towels,  and  then  putting  on  a 
covering — a  warm  cap  or  a  handkerchief  tied  on — 
until  the  head  is  nearly  dry.  Ladies  having  thick 
hair,  complain  that  it  does  not  dry  out.  But 
thorough  rubbing,  with  a  warm  cloth,  if  need  be, 
will  generally  dry  it  so  that,  the  heat  of  the  head 
will  drive  off  any  remaining  moisture. 

Morning  is  the  best  time  to  wash  the  hair.  At 
night,  the  system  is  tired  and  debilitated,  and  if 
one  then  lies  down  with  the  hair  wet,  the  eva¬ 
poration  may  produce  a  cold.  The  writer  speaks 
from  experience.  When  ‘formerly  bathing  both 
the  head  and  body  at  night,  a  cold  was  the  usual 
consequence  ;  but  latterly,  a  morning  bath,  taken 
as  quickly  as  possible,  followed  by  a  brisk  rubbing 
with  towels,  is  indulged  one,  two,  or  three  times 
a  week,  with  no  resulting  cold,  but  greatly  to 
the  promotion  of  health.  When  the  hair 
needs  anything  to  -make  it  lie  smooth,  whether 
after  bathing  and  drying  it,  or  at  other  times, 
it  is  put  in  place  with  a  brush  dampened 
simply  with  pure  water,  which  is  quite  a-s  effec¬ 
tual  as  oil,  and  far  neater  and  more  healthful. 
Let  any  one  try  cold  water  on  the  hair,  for  six 
months,  with  the  precautions  above  indicated,  and 
they  will  never  return  to  any  other  “  hair  oils,” 
or  “hair  washes” — at  least  so  thinks 

Onr  who  has  tkied  it. 

- - *-o» - - 

How  many  cold,  gloomy  homes  might  be  en¬ 
livened  by  the  exercise  of  those  small,  sweet 
courtesies  of  life,  so  easily  given,  and  so  magical 
in  their  effects. 


344 


No.  154. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Tine  Editor  with  his  Young:  Headers. 


During  the  past  month  we  have  enjoyed  frequent  per¬ 
sonal  chats  with  many  of  our  young  friends  at  the  Ex¬ 
hibitions  and  elsewhere,  and 
we  often  wish  we  could 
gather  around  us  the  hun¬ 
dreds  of  thousands  of  those 
who  read  these  pages ;  for 
we  could  then  talk  faster 
and  longer  than  when  speak¬ 
ing  by  signs.  But  even  this 
chit-chat  is  infinitely  better 
than  eold  silence.  And 
talking  by  signs  is  not  so 

bad.  Let's  see,  all  talking  is 
Dy  signs.  When  you  wish 
to  express  a  thought  to  us, 
you  use  various  ink  marks, 
the  meaning  of  which  we  all 
understand  ;  and  we  also  use 
these  printing-ink  marks  to 
convey  our  thoughts  to  you. 

When  we  talk  we  use  sound 
signs,  and  every  one  uses 
tlie  same  sounds  or  combina¬ 
tion  of  them  for  a  parti¬ 
cular  thought.  The  Deaf 
use  finger  signs  which  also 
represent  thoughts.  Tel¬ 
egraph  operators  use  dot  and 
mark  signs;  thus:  this — .. 
is  their  character  for  A,  or  a, 

or  a  ;  _ stands  for  b ; 

this  .  for  e  ;  this  . .  for  i ; 
luis  ...  for  s;  etc.  They 
also  use  and  understand  the 
sounds  made  by  the  instru¬ 
ment  when  it  is  putting 
marks  like  these  on  paper. 

Birds  and  other  animals  use 
signs  of  their  own.  Some¬ 
times  these  signs  are  audible 

— we  can  hear  them — and  sometimes  they  are  made  with 
the  eyes  or  limbs.  Did  you  ever  watch  two  birds  talking 
together?  If  not,  try  it,  and  you  will  be  interested. 

STINGY  FOLKS — SAVING  MONEY. 

Are  you  acquainted  with  any  stingy  people  ?  Perhaps 

to,  but  it  may  be  you  have  not  judged  rightly  about  them. 
A  person  is  not  stingy,  merely  because  he  does  not  give 
o  every  one  who  asks  him.  We  know  rich  men  who  are 
really  liberal,  giving  for  good  objects  all  they  can  afford, 
jut  who  have  the  name  of  being  covetous,  miserly,  and 
otingy,  merely  because  they  are  careful  in  saving,  and 
choose  to  give  according  to  their  own  judgment,  but  they 
do  give  liberally.  We  have  known  boys  call  a  playfellow 
clingy,  because  he  did  not  spend  his  money  foolishly  for 
candy  and  other  nice  things  to  treat  his  companions. 
There  are  misers,  but  net  often  among  boys.  Their  fault 
usually  is  carelessness  with  money.  It  seems  to  burn  in 
their  pockets,  and  make  them  unhappy  until  expended. 
The  pennies  which  most  boys  receive  from  time  to  time, 
if  saved,  would  amount  to  quite  a  handsome  sum  by  the 
time  of  reaching  manhood,  often,  enough  to  give  them  a 
capital  to  start  in  business.  This  picture  represents  the 
business  room  of 


the  bank.”  He  will  have  much  more  pleasure  in  looking 
at  his  bank  book  in  which  the  clerk  gives  him  credit, 
than  he  would  in  thinking  w  hat  a  fine  orange  he  ate  a 
few  days  ago,  if  his  money  had  been  spent  in  that  way. 


A  S.lV.NGS  BANK, 

where  people  may  lay  by  the  money  they  wish  to  keep. 
The  officers  of  the  bank  receive  the  small  sums  brought 
in,  put  them  together  and  lend  them  to  persons  who  pay 
intesest  for  their  uso.  Within  a  few  years  Savings  Banks 
have  been  established  for  boys  and  girls,  and  thousands 
of  dollars  have  been  kept  for  them.  The  litt  le  fellow  in  the 
picture  feels  quite  proud,  no  doubt,  to  have  “  business  at 


CEYLON  CROWS  AND  THE  DOG. 

A  boy  who  thus  forms  the  habit  of  saving,  starts  right  to 
become  a  rich  man.  It  is  not  necessary  to  put  the  money 
in  such  a  bank.  A  pine  box  or  an  earthen  jug  will  keep 
it  just  as  well,  if  the  cover  be  kept  down — though  in  the  lat¬ 
ter  case  it  will  of  course  draw  no  interest. 

We  do  not  say  put  every  cent  in  the  box  or  bank.  That 
would  deprive  you  of  the  pleasure  of  doing  good  with 
some  of  the  money  ;  and  there  is  no  way  in  w  hich  it  can 
bring  so  much  enjoyment  as  this.  The  best  way  we  know 
of  is  to  work  by  rule — say  devote  one  tenth  of  all  you  re¬ 
ceive  to  benevolent  objects,  one  half  to  the  savings  box, 
and  spend  the  rest  in  the  very  best  manner  possible. 

ABOUT  THE  PICTURE  OF  THE  CROWS  AND  DOG. 

This  picture  is  interesting.  You  will  easily  understand 
it.  The  story  which  it  illustrates,  is  a  pretty  hard  one 
to  believe,  but  it  is  said  to  be  a  literal  truth,  and  if  so, 
we  shall  readily  believe  the  assertion  that  the  crows  in 
Ceylon  are  very  cunning  and  sensible,  more  so  than  our 
own,  which  are  somewhat  larger,  and  have  not  quite  so 
glossy  black  coats.  However,  we  give  our  American 
crows  considerable  credit  for  “  cuteness,”  and  they  can 
talk  in  their  own  way  too.  We  once  thought  the  crows 
did  more  harm  than  good  (we  think  differently  now),  and 
we  often  tried  to  trap  and  shoot  them.  Sometimes  we 
could  catch  one,  by  covering  a  steel  trap  with  chaff,  near 
a  dead  animal,  but  they  almost  always  seemed  to  under¬ 
stand  our  game.  Anybody  who  has  tried  to  shoot  crows, 
knows  how  annoying  it  is  to  cautiously  creep  around  be¬ 
hind  trees  or  bushes,  and  get  just  ready  to  take  aim  at  a 
flock,  when  an  old  sentinel  crow  perched  on  a  tree  top 
will  ring  out  his  caw  1  caw!  caw  !”— and  away  go 
your  intended  victims,  making  the  air  ring  with  their 
cawing  over  your  discomfiture.  We  have  sometimes 
blazed  away  at  them  when  on  the  wing  and  at  a  safe  dis¬ 
tance,  just  in  return  for  the  fun  they  were  poking  at  us. 
The  story  of  our  picture  is,  that  one  of  these  Ceylon 
crows  wanted  to  share  a  bone  in  possession  of  a  dog,  but 
the  latter  gave  him  a  growling  notice  that  he  wanted  it  all 
himself.  f«o  the  crow  quickly  called  a  companion,  and 
after  a  little  cawing  together  on  the  subject  as  if  laying 
their  plans,  the  second  crow  flew  down  and  gave  the  dog’s 
tail  a  sharp  pinching.  The  dog  of  course  turned  round  to 
look  out  for  his  tail,  and  then  the  first  crow  seized  the 
bone  and  made  off  with  it.  The  story  don’t  tell  us  wheth¬ 
er  he  divided  the  booty  with  his  companion  who  had  as¬ 
sisted  him,  but  we  are  bound  to  believe  he  did,  for  we 
never  heard  of  a  mean  act  in  a  community  of  crows. 
They  always  appear  to  bo  on  the  best  of  terms.  Who 
ever  saw  or  heard  of  two  crow’s  fighting  or  quarreling?  In 
this  respect  they  are  an  example  to  other  animals— in¬ 
cluding  those  w  hom  Old  Diogenes  called  “  bipeds  without 
feathers.”  . 


THE  IIEN  AND  PIG — THE  CAT  AND  SQUIRREL  . 

There  is  a  side  scene  in  our  picture  worth  looking 
at  the  hen  who  has  taken  charge  of  a  poor  motherless 
little  pig.  This  fact  is  vouched  for  by  an  English  writer 
who  owned  the  animals. 
Perhaps  it  is  true.  We  know 
a  cat  that  lost  her  kittens, 
and  she  actually  adopted  a 
young'  squirrel  and  nursed 
and  reared  it.  The  little  fel¬ 
low  frisked  around  his  foster 
mother  and  played  many 
amusing  pranks.  When  he 
became  too  troublesome,  she 
would  give  him  a  sharp  pat 
with  her  paw,  and  away  he 
would  scamper  out  of  pussy’s 
reach,  and  not  return  until 
she  mewed  for  him,  when  he 
would  run  down  and  nestle 
up  to  her  : 

THE  CAT  AND  THE  HORSE. 

In  a  livery  stable  in  this 
city,  there  is  a  cat  that  was 
reared  in  company  with  a 
horse.  When  he  is  at  home, 
she  usually  sits  upon  his 
back,  and  always  shows 
great  pleasure  when  he 
comes  in  after  a  drive,  by 
rubbing  against  his  legs  and 
purring  loudly.  The  horse 
too  seems  to  be  very  fond  of 
her,  and  to  be  pleased  to  have 
her  take  her  accustomed 
place  to  sleep. 

GATHERING  CHESTNUTS. 

f  A  western  artist  has  fur¬ 
nished  us  with  original 
sketches  of  the  Chestnut,  the 
Beech,  and  the  “Buckeye,” 
By  the  way,  can  any  of  the 
i  Ohio  boys  tell  us  why  the  people  of  that  State  are  called 
“  Buckeyes  ”?  Below  we  have  a  twig  of  the  chestnut, 
with  four  plump  burs,  two  of  them  cracking  open,  almost 
ready  to  let  the  ripe  nuts  drop  rattling  among  the 
brown  leaves  below,  there  to  be  hunted  for  by  the  Boys 
and  Gills,  or  to  be  quickly  snapped  up  by  the  sharp-eyed 
active  squirrel.  It  makes  us  feel  young  again  to  look 
at  them.  Back  we  go.  twenty  years  and  more  at  a 
bound,  to  the  woods  and  fields  on  “Father’s  farm,” 
where  we  have  hunted,  and  pelted,  and  climbed  for 
the  treasures.  There  stood  a  famous  old  tree  on  one 


side  of  an  apple  orchard  on  the  old  homestead,  and  many 
a  feast  of  nuts  and  apples  we  have  had  there.  And  then, 
when  nutting  season  was  over,  what  good  times  there 
were  around  the  old  fashioned  hearth  where  the  fire  was 
roaring,  and  we  were  popping  chestnuts  in  the  hot  ashes, 
and  telling  stories.  On  one  such  evening  we  had  quite 
an  adventure;  we  took  the  basket  to  go  down  cellar  for 
some  apples  to  have  a  good  time  with  brothers  and  sis¬ 
ters.  Just  as  we  reached  the  apple  bin,  the  candle  drop¬ 
ped,  and  it  was  as  dark  as  a  pocket.  The  basket  was  soon 
filled,  and  we  started  for  the  stairs,  but  somehow  or  other 
got  “  turned  around  ”  and  actually  lost,  down  cellar.  To 
have  called  for  a  guide,  would  have  made  us  the  joke  o. 
the  evening,  so  round  we  went  groping  and  feeling  for 
some  familiar  object  by  which  to  steer  to  the  stairs. 


Nov,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST 


345 


Bump  went  our  head  against  a  low  beam,  frightening 
a  rat  some— and  us  more— he  scampered,  and  we  rub¬ 
bed  our  head.  Next  we  discovered  a  barrel,  and  ex¬ 
ploring  it,  plush  went  our  hand  into  the  soft  soap,  and 
immediately  after  into  a  pan  of  milk.  That  gave  a  land 
mark,  and  we  stumbled  along  to  the  stairs,  and  reached 
home  safely,  after  an  absence  of  some  fifteen  minutes. 

WHAT  IMAGINATION  WILL  BO. 

While  looking  over  what  we  wrote  for  the  boys  and 
girls  in  September,  about  ‘building  castles,”  and  the 
freaks  of  imagination,  and  the  misery  it  often  leads  us 
into,  we  are  reminded  of  several  incidents  illustrating  the 
power  of  this  faculty  of  the  mind.  A  French  criminal, 
condemned  to  death,  was  given  to  the  medical  men  to 
experiment  with,  on  condition  they  saved  his  life.  They 
informed  him  that  he  was  to  be  bled  to  death.  They 
brought  in  large  vessels  as  if  to  catch  the  blood,  showed 
their  instruments,  then  bandaged  his  eyes,  tied  up  his 
arm,  and  pricked  it  as  if  lancing  a  vein.  A  stream  of 
warm  water  was  poured  upon  his  arm  to  drop  off  into 
the  basin,  and  sound  like  running  blood.  As  the  ex¬ 
periment  went  on,  they  felt  of  his  pulse,  talked  about  the 
large  amount  of  blood  drawn,  and  spoke  to  each  other  of 
his  being  nearly  gone.  The  result  was,  the  man  actually 
died,  though  not  an  ounce  of  blood  was  drawn. — In  an¬ 
other  case  a  deserter  from  the  army  was  condemned  to 
be  shot,  but  afterward  reprieved.  Wishing  to  punish 
him  somewhat,  the  officers  did  not  inform  him  of  his 
pardon,  but  at  the  previously  appointed  time,  led  him 
out  before  the  drawn  up  file  of  armed  men,  bandaged  his 
eyes,  made  him  kneel  down,  and  then  had  the  soldiers 
fire  over  his  head.  Though  entirely  untouched  the  man 
fell  dead.  So  it  is,  we  imagine  a  thousand  evils,  and  suffer 
as  much  as  if  they  were  realities.  Don’t  let  this  faculty 
of  the  mind  run  away  with  you  ,  and  lead  you  into  wild 
vagaries. . .  .Don’t  cultivate  it  unduly  by  reading  novels  or 
works  «f  imagination. 

MORE  SCARED  THAN  HURT. 

Appropos  to  the  above  we  will  relate  a  circumstance 
that  came  under  our  own  observation.  A  man  was  cut¬ 
ting  wood  in  the  forest  ;  his  ax  glanced  upon  his  foot  mak¬ 
ing  a  hideous  gash.  He  saw  the  gaping  wound,  quickly 
bound  it  up  with  his  handkerchief,  dragged  himselfto  the 
sleigh,  and  w  ent  home  almost  fainting  with  fear.  Reach¬ 
ing  Ihe  house,  he  called  for  help,  w  as  carried  in  and 
placed  upon  a  bed,  where  he  lay  groaning  as  if  in  extreme 
pain.  While  the  physician  was  sent  for,  his  wife  re¬ 
moved  the  boot.  The  gash  was  indeed  a  severe  one,  but 
only  to  his  boot  and  stocking,  which  being  thus  cut,  ex¬ 
posed  to  his  frightened  view  some  red  flannel  in  which 
he  had  wrapped  his  feet  that  morning  to  keep  them 
warm,  and  which  he  had  thus  mistaken  for  his  own  flesh. 
His  groaning  was  soon  changed  into  laughter,  in  which 
all  present  joined  very  heartily. 

ABOUT  THE  PROBLEMS. 

Correct  answers  to  Rebus  42  were  received— too  late  to 
be  noticed  in  the  Oct.  No.— from  John  E.  Zeublin,  J.  M. 
Bradbury,  (Thank  you  for  your  efforts  to  get  subscribers), 
Rena  S.  Tibbals,  (Rebus  sent  is  good  for  a  beginner.)  Fi¬ 
delia  R.  Lord,  E.  F.  Pearsall,  and  Ann  Walton. 


Fig.  1. 

No.  44.  To  arrange  the  pieces  in  Fig.  1  to  form  a 
square.  Answered, 
as  in  Fig.  2,  by : 

Harry  La  Fetra, 

(Your  pleasant  let¬ 
ter  is  on  file  for  at¬ 
tention),  W.  Row- 
ena  Noble.  The 
following  have 
found  two  other 
ways  of  placing  the 
pieces  in  a  square, 
which  we  have  not 
room  to  iRust-ate  : 

Caspar  W.  Dean, 

CorneliusVan  Hou- 
ten,  Joannah  Cre- 
mer,  S.  H.  Ward, 

Jno.  H.  Thompson, 

(The  puzzles  sent 
are  very  neat),  Ed-  Fig.  2. 

ward  W.  Marsh,  C. 

II.  Clark,  Mary  Campbell,  William  D.  Aivcry,  Jonathan 
E.  Jones,  John  Smith,  Mary  Wilson,  John  E.  Schluter. 


New'  Problems.— No.  45.  Illustrated  Rebus.  This  is 
very  difficult,  and  has  puzzled  old  heads  to  w  hom  we  have 


showed  it.  There  will  be  all  the  more  credit  in  reading 
it.  It  is  a  line  of  poetry. 


AGRICULTURAL  ENIGMA. 

I  am  composed  of  16  letters  : 

My  10,  12,  14,  6.  8,  is  produced  on  every  farm. 

My  6,  9,  15,  and  12,  11,  3,  4,  is  necessary  to  the  growth 
of  all  vegetables. 

My  1,  2,  7,  16,  8,  5,  is  the  product  of  the  dairy. 

My  2.  5,  15.  is  a  bird  found  on  almost  every  farm. 

My  13,  11,4,  often  holds  the  farmer’s  dinner. 

My  whole  is  an  imported  plant  frequently  spoken  of  in 
the  American  Agriculturist.  Aunt  Sue. 


(Sraiidmotlicr  with  l!»e  ILittle  Girls. 

REPORTED  BY  COUSIN  MARY. 


Dear  Mr.  Editor: — Grandmother  has  just  returned 
after  being  away  on  a  visit  for  several  weeks,  and  you 
may  be  sure  we  were  all  glad  to  see  her  again.  We  had 
a  great  many  things  to  tell  her  about  ourselves  and  our 
companions.  While  we  were  rattling  away  twm  or  three 
at  a  time,  she  began  to  laugh,  and  upon  our  asking  the 
cause,  she  gave  us  the  following  pleasant  talk. 

ABOUT  THE  TONQUE  AND  SO  FORTH. 

“  I  love  to  hear  your  cheerful  voices  again  my  dear 
girls  ;  they  are  pleasanter  to  me  than  the  prettiest  notes  of 
the  robin  or  the  canary,  but  you  are  all  so  eager  to  be 
heard  and  all  have  so  much  to  say,  that  it  sounds  more 
like  the  twittering  of  a  flock  of  birds,  than  anything  else. 
If  you  talk  just  to  hear  yourselves,  I  suppose  it  will  do 
very  well,  but  if  you  wish  me  to  hear,  it  will  be  neces¬ 
sary  for  only  one  to  speak  at  a  time.  You  haven’t  learn¬ 
er  how  to  keep  your  tongues  in  proper  bounds  yet.  In¬ 
deed  I  don’t  know  many  people  who  have.  I  don’t  un¬ 
derstand  anatomy,  but  I  think  the  nerves  and  muscles 
that  move  the  tongue  must  be  connected  with  every  part 
of  the  brains,  for  the  very  minute  anything  pops  into  the 
head  it  seems  to  set  the  tongue  going,  and  it  takes  a  long 
schooling  to  control  it. 

I  don’t  believe  what  some  folks  say,  that  little  girls 
should  be  seen  and  not  heard.  I  wouldn’t  have  them 
dumb  for  anything ;  but  I  want  them  to  know  how  to  talk, 
znilwhen  to  be  silent. 

I  wish  I  could  invent  something  to  put  in  people’s 
mouths,  like  what  I  saw  fastened  on  to  a  water  pipe  the 
other  day.  They  called  it  a  filter.  The  water  was  quite 
muddy,  but  when  it  passed  through  the  filter  it  came  out 
as  clear  as  crystal.  Oh  !  if  we  could  only  strain  out  all 
the  naughty,  passionate,  careless,  silly  and  unkind  words 
from  conversation,  what  a  pleasure  it  w'ould  be  to  listen. 
I’m  afraid  some  people  would  not  have  much  to  say,  and 
I’m  quite  sure  the  filter  would  want  cleansing  pretty 
often. 

It’s  curious  how  people’s  tongues  will  run  when  they 
talk  about  others.  I’ve  been  in  company  sometimes,  and 


all  was  quiet  and  dull,  nobody  knowing  what  to  say,  until 
a  remark  was  made  about  some  absent  person,  and  then, 
my  !  what  a  rattling.  It  made  me  think  of  dogs  hunting  rab¬ 
bits.  They  run  round  among  the  bushes  very  quietly  un¬ 
til  one  of  them  spies  the  game  and  gives  a  bark,  and  then 
they  all  seem  to  try  out-bark  each  other.  If  you  will  try 
my  dear  girls,  to  see  how  much  good  you  can  say  about 
your  companions,  you  will  find  it  far  pleasanter.  One 
secret  of  happiness  is  to  look  on  the  bright  side  of  things, 
and  every  body  has  a  bright  side.  How  foolisii  it  would 
be  to  walk  through  a  garden  and  look  only  at  the  weeds, 
leaving  the  beautiful  roses  and  pinks  and  other  flowers 
unnoticed.  There  a  good  many  weeds  among  people  in 
this  W'orld,  but  for  my  part  I  prefer  looking  for  and  talking 
about  Ihe  flowers.  Speaking  well  of  others  will  also 
make  us  many  friends,  while  tattlers  and  gossips  are 
always  getting  into  difficulty.  But  I  see  you  begin  to 
think  I  have  talked  enough,  and  you  would  like  a  chance 
yourselves,  so  I’ll  keep  what  more  I  have  on  this  subject 
until  another  time. 


A  Preinitamii  So r  Boys  and  Girls. 


Many  premiums  have  hitherto  been  given  to  our  young¬ 
er  readers  for  getting  new  subscribers,  and  nothing  has 
given  us  more  pleasure  than  to  pack  up  and  send  off  to 
some  distant  boy  or  girl  one  of  those  splendid  Unabridged 
Webster’s  Dictionaries.  This  book  is  more  attractive  and 
useful  than  ever,  as  it  has  recently  been  still  further  en¬ 
larged  by  the  addition  of  many  hundreds  of  illustrations, 
engravings,  tables  of  synonyms  (words  of  similar  meaning) 
besides  many  thousands  of  new  words.  In  its  old  or  new 
form  it  is  a  prize  worth  having,  and  we  shall  be  glad  to 
distribute  hundreds  of  copies  the  coming  Winter,  partic¬ 
ularly  to  our  young  friends.  Many  of  them  can  with  a 
little  effort  get  45  subscribers  at  80  cents  each,  or  25  at 
$1  each,  which  will  secure  the  Dictionary. 

- 4 - - 

Our  Exposure  of  Humbugs.  —  A  physician,  who 
stands  among  the  first  in  his  profession,  and  who  edits 
a  leading  Medical  Journal,  writes:  “....Allow  me  to 
thank  the  Agriculturist  for  exposing  the  cheats  of  adver¬ 
tising  humbugs.  So  far  as  they  are  in  the  medical  line, 
they  do  not  harm  the  medical  profession  ;  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  these  advertised  quack  medicines  really  make 
more  work  for  physicians  ;  and  yet  we  can  not  but  regret 
that  so  many  persons  waste  in  the  use  of  such  nostrums 
all  that  time  in  which  a  cure  is  possible  bjr an  intelligent 
physician.  But  the  “  laity  ”  do  not  believe  us  when  we 
tell  them  such  homely  truths,  because  they  think  (that  we 
think)  our  craft  is  in  danger.  You  they  will  hear— perhaps 
Professional  Pomposity  on  both  sides. — 

English  Dentist — “Well  mariner,  what  dental  organ 
do  you  wish  to  have  extracted  1  Is  it  a  molar  or  incisor? 

Sailor  (sharply  and  short)— I  want  you  to  pull  that 
marline-spike  sticking  out  in  the  upper  tier  on  the  lar¬ 
board  side.  Bear-a-hand,  you  swab,  for  it  is  nipping  my 
jaw  like  a  lobster. 


Into  which  are  thrown  all  sorts  of  paragraphs— such  as 
Notes  and  Replies  to  Correspondents,  with.  Useful  or 
interesting  Extracts  from,  their  Letters,  together  with  Glean¬ 
ings  of  various  kinds  from  various  sources. 

BEiisimcss  Questions. — A  great  number  of  these 
in  regard  to  Premiums,  Seeds,  extra  numbers,  etc.,  will 
be  found  answered  in  sundry  business  notes  on  pages 
348,  349,  and  352  of  this  number,  to  which  please  refer. 

ESeliintl  Time.— An  unusual  number  of  communi¬ 
cations  on  various  topics  have  come  in  since  the  pre¬ 
ceding  pages  were  provided  for,  and  planned  out. 

Millet.— J.  E.  Hall,  Westchester  Co  ,  N.  Y.  The 
seed  stalk  you  sent  is  evidently  a  species  of  millet,  but 
what  kind  wrn  cannot  quite  determine,  without  seeing  the 
ripened  grain.  W’e  judge  it  will  make  a  good  fodder,  if 
cured  as  hay. 

Oil  for  Harness.-J.  D.  Bristeau,  Dubuque  Co., 
Io.  Neat’s  foot  oil  is  the  best  application  that  we  know 
of  for  keeping  harness  pliable.  The  leather  should  be 
washed  clean  and  left  well  dampened  before  putting  on 
the  oil.  This  oil  is  obtained  by  boiling  feet  of  cattle. 

Planting'  Seeds  off  Forest  (Trees.—  H.  A.  B. 

Douglas  Co.,  Nebraska.  The  seeds  of  most  forest  trees. 


846 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


including  walnut,  chestnut,  butternut,  beech,  oak,  locust, 
etc.,  should  be  sown  in  the  Fall  before  they  have  become 
dry  and  hard.  By  putting  in  boxes  of  earth  they  may  be 
kept  until  early  Spring,  and  then  planted  or  sown.  We 
advise  raising  most  of  these  in  nursery  rows,  and  then 
transplant  where  they  are  to  grow  permanently. 

Moving  Hearing  Pear  Trees.— R.  Sewell, 
Baltimore  Co.,  Md.  Your  Seokel  and  other  pear  trees  in 
bearing  condition,  may  be  transplanted  safely  if  done  with 
sufficient  care.  Where  the  ground  freezes  in  Winter,  it 
would  be  better  to  remove  them  at  that  season,  taking  up 
a  large  mass  of  frozen  earth  without  disturbing  the  roots. 
Ordinarily,  small  trees  suffer  removal  less,  and  overtake 
in  growth  those  transplanted  when  of  a  larger  size. 

Michigan  SeecUing  Grapes.— Mrs.  E.  F. 
Haskell,  Monroe  Co.,  Mich.  The  lot  of  Grapes  forward¬ 
ed  came  to  hand,  the  Haskell’s  Seedling  rather  over  ripe, 
somewhat  foxy  and  too  much  pulp  for  a  fine  grape.  The 
“Peninsular,”  with  less  pulp,  more  juice  of  a  vinous 
flavor,  though  somewhat  acid,  suits  us  better.  The 
“  Michigan  Seedling  ”  to  our  taste  appears  to  be  better 
than  either  of  the  others,  although  not  fully  ripe.  Its 
large  clusters  and  sweeter  berry  are  also  in  its  favor. 
They  may  also  improve  as  the  vines  attain  age.  The 
soecimens  were  all  rather  too  mnch  jammed,  a  trifle 
soured,  which  prevented  a  fair  estimate  of  their  intrin¬ 
sic  as  well  as  relative  merits. 

How  Sparkling  Wine  is  Obtained.— S.  F., 
Mahoney  Plain,  Pa.  Sparkling  wine  if  pure,  owes  its 
peculiar  property  to  the  kind  of  fruit  used  in  the  manufac¬ 
ture.  Those  who  manufacture  wines  from  whiskey  (most 
wine  so  called  is  thus  made)  hare,  we  suppose,  various 
drugs  which  will  impart  the  desired  sparkle,  but  they  are 
secrets  known  to  themselves,  and  will  remain  so,  for  any 
thing  we  shall  publish.  The  less  that  is  known  of  such 
arts  the  better. 

44  Some  Onions.” — Phineas  Mahan,  of  Philadel¬ 
phia,  presented  us  this  morning,  (Sept.  23,)  with  a  white 
onion  rather  hard  to  “  beet.”  It  weighs  two  pounds, 
measures  151  inches  round,  and  set  upright,  stands  six 
inches  high,  and  is  nearly  a  globe  in  shape.  He  has  a 
larger  one,  but  not  quite  so  perfectly  globular.  He  brought 
two  dozen  of  these  from  Southampton,  (England,)  where 
they  were  just  landing  from  Portugal.  We  have  always 
known  that  Portugal  was  great  on  onion  raising,  but  this 
is  the  best  occular  evidence  we  have  had  of  what  they 
raise  to  send  abroad  as  an  ordinary  market  product,  for 
these  onions  are  a  common  article  of  sale  in  London  gro¬ 
cery  stores.  Their  flavor  is  said  to  be  as  superior  as  their 
size,  but  we  must  take  this  on  hearsay,  as  our  specimen 
must  be  saved  for  seed.  It  can  be  seen  at  our  office  for  a 
month  or  two. 

Cultivation  off  Mushrooms. — M.  R.  W. 

Chagrin  Falls,  O.  Full  directions  for  raising  Mushrooms 
are  given  in  the  November  Agriculturist,  Vol.  XVI. 

AVhy  make  Compost  ?— J.  Pott,  Fulton  Co.,  Pa, 
The  benefit  attained  by  composting  leaf-mold,  tan-lRrk, 
lime,  etc.,  is  that  the  ingredients  are  brought  into  closer 
contact,  and  act  upon  each  other  more  readily  than  if  each 
article  was  applied  to  the  soil  separately. 

Also  for  tl untrained  Swamps.— W.  H.  Nel¬ 
son,  C.  West.  Cranberries  are  adapted  to  undrained 
swamp  lands.  “  Huckleberries  ”  do  better  on  upland. 

Fever  and  Ague.— E.  P.  Riley,  Morgan  Co.,  O. 
You  are  probably  right  in  supposing  the  cause  of  this  dis¬ 
ease  in  your  family  to  be  the  decaying  vegetable  matter  in 
the  cellar.  Any  decaying  vegetable  matter  sends  off  a  ma¬ 
laria,  or  poisonous  exhalation,  which,  when  received 
through  the  lungs,  may  cause  disease,  usually  fevers,  es¬ 
pecially  if  the  general  health  be  not  robust. 

Description  off  BSreeds  off  Cattle. — W.  L. 
Adams,  Clark  Co.,  Ill.  A  series  of  articles  with  full  de¬ 
scription  of  the  various  noted  breeds  of  cattle,  extending 
through  six  numbers,  was  published  in  the  Agriculturist 
last  year,  1858,  Vol.  XVII. 

Grubs  in  tlie  backs  off  Cattle.— John  Wil¬ 
son,  Clarion  Co.,  Pa.,  writes  that  rubbing  the  backs  of 
cattle  with  a  strong  brine  of  salt  and  water  will  effectually 
kill  the  grubs.  It  would  probably  be  well  to  squeeze  them 
out  even  if  killed,  as  they  might  otherwise  cause  unpleas¬ 
ant  sores. 

To  Exterminate  Fleas.— J.  W.  Alder,  Prince 
William  Co.,  Va.  These  can  be  expelled  from  rooms, 
and  from  clothing  by  sprinkling  with  a  little  oil  of  worm¬ 
wood.  The  sheds  or  pens  where  they  breed,  should  be 
thoroughly  cleansed,  all  loose  dirt,  chips,  and  rubbish  re¬ 
moved,  and  a  good  coat  of  whitewash  applied.  A  quan¬ 
tity  of  tansy  and  wormwood  scattered  about  might  aid  in 
driving  them  away. 

To  Get  Rid  off  Weevil.— C.  J.  Thomas,  Fulton 
Co.,  Pa.— The  insect,  ( Calandria  Granaria)  described  in 


the  August  Agriculturist,  page  210,  may  be  killed  by  kiln 
drying  the  grain.  Most  of  them  may  also  be  expelled  by 
running  the  grain  through  a  fanning  mill.  No  grain 
should  be  stored  for  several  years  in  buildings  infested  by 
them,  and  thus  they  will  be  starved  out. 

Silk  Worms  ffter  Eurcpe.-A  disease  among 
the  Silk  Worms  of  Europe  and  Asia,'  seriously  threatens 
the  prosperity  of  the  Silk  manufactories,  and  has  ad¬ 
vanced  the  price  of  Silks  materially.  Unsuccessful  efforts 
have  been  made  to  get  healthy  worms  in  Turkey,  in 
Asia,  in  Persia,  India,  and  China,  and  attention  is  now 
turned  to  this  country.  Enquiries  from  abroad  have  been 
addressed  to  this  Qffice,  and  we  shall  be  thankful  for  any 
information,  as  to  where  healthy  worms  can  be  obtained 
of  choice  varieties,  the  quantity,  price,  etc. 

Italian  BSees. — Considerable  has  been  written 
within  a  few  years  past  in  regard  to  these  bees.  Their 
practical  value  in  this  country  is  now  in  a  fa.r  way  to  be 
tested.  In  the  steamship  New-Yokk,  which  landed  here 
Sept.  22d,  14  swarms  were  received  direct  from  Europe. 
Of  these,  6  swarms  were  brought  by  Phineas  Mahan,  of 
Philadelphia,  on  his  own  account.  He  started  with  10 
swarms,  but  lost  4  by  the  rough  weather  on  the  ocean. 
The  other  8  swarms  were  imported  by  Samuel  Wayne,  of 
York,  Pa.,  on  account  of  himself,  and  L.  L.  Langstroth, 
Richard  Colvin,  R.  C.  Otis,  and  one  or  two  others.  We 
are  glad  to  note  this  enterprise,  and  shall  watch  the  re¬ 
sult  with  interest.  The  design,  we  believe,  is,  to  raise 
queens  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  introduce  them  into  na¬ 
tive  swarms. 

Ferrets.— J.  Flanagan,  Cumberland  Co.,  N.  J.,  and 
others.  We  know  of  none  in  market.  Parties  raising 
them  for  sale  should  advertise  the  fact. 

Are  Head  Water  Pipes  Poisonous  ?— E. 
B.  Good,  York  Co.,  Pa.  Water  in  contact  with  lead  will 
dissolve  and  hold  in  solution  the  oxide  (rust)  of  the  met¬ 
al,  which  is  poisonous.  Where  the  water  is  constantly 
running  through  the  pipe,  the  quantity  taken  up  is  too 
small  to  produce  serious  effects,  but  where  the  water  is 
allowed  to  stand  some  length  of  time  in  the  pipe  there  is 
danger  of  its  becoming  charged  with  the  poison  to  a 
dangerous  degree.  Whenever  drinking  water  passes 
through  lead  pipes,  it  is  always  well  to  draw'  of  what  has 
been  standing  in  the  whole  length  of  pipe,  before  catch¬ 
ing  any  for  use. 

Mow  Mucli  Capital  to  Com  Hit  em.ee  Farm- 
ins'.— To  Young  Farmer,  New-York  City.  Much  de¬ 
pends  upon  the  location.  This  will  of  course  determine 
the  amount  necessary  to  expend  for  land.  For  properly 
stocking  a  farm  of  100  acres,  with  plenty  of  animals,  and 
improved  implements,  from  §1000  to  $1500  or  more  will 
be  needed  for  a  beginning.  The  value  of  the  stock  and 
implements  upon  a  well  conducted  farm  of  this  size,  in 
full  operation,  will  range  all  the  w  ay  from  $1000  to  $3000. 

Keeping  Turnips.— J.  Sawyer,  Mahaska  Co. 
Iowa.  Where  there  is  no  cellar  for  storing  roots  they 
can  be  kept  in  good  condition  by  burying  them  with  earth 
as  shown  in  the  cut.  It  is  difficult  to  take  them  out  dur¬ 
ing  the  Winter,  except  when  the  ground  is  not  frozen. 


Make  a  windrow  of  the  roots  upon  the  level,  or  better 
on  slightly  elevated  ground,  piling  them  up  to  a  sharp 
point  at  the  top.  Cover  with  a  few  inches  of  straw  and  a 
foot  of  earth,  taking  the  soil  from  each  side  of  the  heap 
leaving  a  sort  of  trench  to  carry  off  water.  Dry  or  sandy 
soil  is  best. 

Cubic  Contents  off  a  Tun  off  Hay.— The 

size  of  a  tun  of  hay  will  vary  much  with  the  variety  of 
grass  and  the  condition  as  to  being  pressed,  etc.  A  tun 
of  clover  hay  may  be  estimated  at  from  300  to  325  cubic 
feet,  say  a  load  13  feet  long,  5  feet  wide,  and  4f-  to  5  feet 
high.  A  tun  of  hay  from  the  meadow,  will  average  about 
270  cubic  feet,  say  13  feet  long,  5  feet  wide,  and  4  feet  3 
inches  high.  If  taken  from  a  mow  or  stack  which  is  well 
settled,  about  230  cubic  feet,  or  say  13  feet  long,  4(- feet 
wide,  and  4  feet  liigh,  will  make  a  tun. 

Cooks’s  Sugar  Evaporator.— This  apparatus 
which  is  described  and  illustrated  on  page  205  of  this 
Vol.  (July  No.),  we  have  recently  seen  in  operation,  and 
have  formed  a  high  estimation  of  its  value,  not  merely 
for  making  sugar  from  the  Chinese  sugar  cane,  for  which 
it  was  originally  contrived,  but  especially  for  manufac¬ 


turing  maple  sugar,  as  well  as  that  from  the  common 
Southern  oane.  Every  person  making  200  or  300  lbs.  of 
maple  sugar  annually,  will  do  weLl  to  look  into  its  merits. 

TJie  New  American  Cyclopedia.  —  We 

have  already  referred  to  this  magnificent  work,  now  be¬ 
ing  published  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  of  this  city.  We 
have  before  us  Vol.  VII,  which  contains  792  2-column 
quarto-pages,  and  extends  down  the  alphabet  from  EDW 
to  FUE,  embracing  1413  different  topics,  which  average 
nearly  a  whole  column  each  The  more  important  sub¬ 
jects  are  treated  at  length.  There  is  no  conceivable  topic 
from  Edw.  to  Fue.,  which  is  not  here  discussed  as  fully 
as  most  persons  would  care  to  find  it.  From  these  notes 
upon  a  single  volume,  the  reader  can  form  an  idea  ol 
what  will  be  embraced  in  the  entire  15  volumes  The 
work  is  furnished  at  $3  per  volume.  (It  will  be  found 
offered  in  our  premium  list.  See  page  348.) 

Monthly  Strawberries.  E.  E.  Low,  Provi¬ 
dence  Co.,  R.  I.  There  are  varieties  of  Strawberries 
bearing  monthly,  but  they  are  of  little  value,  as  other 
fruits  are  abundant  and  preferable,  out  of  the  regular 
Strawberry  season. 

Supcr-pbosplaate  Manures.— -These  are  in 
dustriously  pushed  upon  farmers  by  means  of  specious 
names,  false  statements,  ingenious  theories,  and  the 
teachings  of  so-called  agricultural  papers  in  the  interest 
of  manufacturers.  We  do  not  speak  at  random  when  we 
advise  cultivators  to  let  them  alone,  unless  they  have 
money  to  throw  away.  There  may  be,  now  and  then,  and 
doubtless  is,  a  good  article  made  from  unburned  bones,  but 
a  super-phosphate,  “  nitrogenized  ”  or  un-nitrogenized, 
which  is  worth  half  the  price  asked  for  it,  is  so  rare  a 
thing,  that  a  safer  rule  Is  to  avoid  them  all.  Certain 
it  is  that  some  of  those  most  puffed,  and  most  widely  ad¬ 
vertised,  are  not  worth  ten  dollars  a  tun,  though  sold  at 
$35  to  $45  or  $50.  We  have  yet  to  hear  of  a  dozen  men 
who  have  not  been  satisfied  with  one  or  two  trials.  But 
new  victims  annually  come  forward  to  fill  the  purses  of 
the  manufacturers. 

Prince  Albert  Potatoes — T.  S.  Clarkson,  of 
Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  sends  us  four  specimens,  which  are 
7i  inches  long,  and  average  15  ounces.  We  noticed  at 
the  Conn.  State  Fair  a  bushel  of  similar  size.  They 
shame  our  own  crop,  which  this  year  took  pattern  after 
bantam’s  eggs,  few  being  equal  to  hens’  eggs.  We  have 
formerly  considered  them  as  among  the  best,  but  our  own 
experience  this  year,  and  that  of  some  acquaintances  is 
rather  against  them.  Others  speak  of  them  in  the  high¬ 
est  terms.  The  “  Peach  blows"  have  rotted  badly  the 
present  season  in  our  vicinity,  as  well  as  in  some  other 
sections  of  the  country. 

Keep  on  Trying1.—' T.  H.  B.  H.,  Ottawa  Co. 
Mich.,  may  succeed  in  writing  a  very  acceptable  piece  by 
continued  practice.  It  will  require  many  trials,  and 
many  disappointments  may  be  experienced  before  finding 
any  thing  “in  print,”  but  it  can  be  done  in  time.  Select 
some  plant  or  process  in  cultivation,  for  a  topic,  observe  it 
carefully, find  something  new  about  it,  and  when  you  suc¬ 
ceed,  all  readers  will  be  glad  to  hear  from  you. 

Brown  informs  the  Boston  Post,  that  of  twenty-three 
men  whom  he  helped  to  a  cigar-light,  or  loaned  a  news¬ 
paper,  twenty  said  “  Thank  you,  sir.”  Of  nineteen 
women  to  whom  he  paid  a  courtesy— such  as  giving  up 
his  seat— picking  up  a  dropped  veil,  shawl,  or  the  like, 
only  seven  said,  “  Thank  you,”  and  two  of  those  were 
“  furriners.”  Brown  must  be  a  crabbed  disappointed 
bachelor— the  ladies  say. 

A  man  was  once  relating  a  story  of  being  on  a  locomo¬ 
tive  that  struck  a  cow  standing  on  the  track,  and  threw 
her  several  rods  into  the  field,  where  she  lit  squarely 
upon  her  feet,  with  her  head  towards  the  train,  and  strange 
to  tell,  “  she  wasn’t  hurt  a  mite.”  “But  didn’t  she  ioolc 
seared!”  inquired  a  listener.  “Well,  I  don’t  know 
whether  she  was  scared  or  not,  but  she  looked  a  good  deal 
discouraged .” 

“Many  hands  make  light  work,”  said  a  farmer  as  he 
was  raking  hay  at  the  head  of  half  a  dozen  “  hands." 
“  Then  father,”  said  his  boy  who  was  tugging  away  lo 
keep  up,  “  suppose  you  come  and  rake  behind.” 

A  priest  said  to  apeasant  whom  he  thought  rude.  “You 
are  better  fed  than  taught.”  “  Shud  think  I  was,”  re¬ 
plied  the  clodhopper,  “  as  I  feeds  myself  and  you  teaches 
me.” 

Scratched  out.— A  man  asked  to  be  excused  from 
duty  on  a  jury,  without  giving  his  reasons ;  but  under  a 

semi-compulsion  from  the  judge,  stated  that  he  had  the 

itch.  The  judge  in  a  solemn  and  impressive  tone  ex¬ 
claimed  :  “  Clerk,  scratch  that  man  out !  ” 

What  word  is  that  which,  if  you  take  away  the  first  let¬ 
ter,  all  will  still  remain  ? 

The  best  way  to  curb  a  wild  young  man.  is  to  bridle 
(bridal)  him. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


347 


State  Agricultural  HxIiiMtioms  of  Peim- 

eylvauia,  New- Vork,  and  Connecticut. 

We  were  able  to  snatch  a  day  or  two  from  pressing 
office  business  to  attend  each  of  the  above  Exhibitions 
tins  year,  and  were  well  repaid  for  the  time  spent.  All 
three  may  be  reported  as  the  most  successful  ever  held 
in  the  respective  States — successful  not  only  in  money 
receipts,  but  also  in  the  extent  and  value  of  the  various 
productions  exhibited. 

The  Show  at  Philadelphia,  was  far  ahead  of  the  pre¬ 
vious  one  held  at  the  same  place.  The  fast-horse  track 
was  not  this  year  the  only  point  of  interest,  but  we  no¬ 
ticed  that  there  was  a  greatly  increased  attention  on  the 
part  of  visitors  to  an  examination  of  the  animals,  imple¬ 
ments,  and  other  results  of  labor  and  skill,  and  of  course 
more  individual  profit  was  derived. 

The  N.  Y.  State  Exhibition  we  think  has  never  been 
excelled  on  this  continent,  in  the  large  well  arranged  as¬ 
sortment  of  live  stock,  and  the  products  of  agricultural, 
horticultural,  and  mechanical  labor.  In  short,  it  was  all 
that  could  be  expected.  The  receipts  this  year  were 
larger  by  some  $3000  than  in  any  previous  year.  If  we 
were  in  Col.  B.  P.  Johnson’s  place,  we  should  be  tempt¬ 
ed  to  resign,  lest  so  proud  a  position  should  never  be 
reached  again.  Of  course  the  Col.  can  not  be  spared 
from  his  useful  field  of  labor ;  too  much  of  the  success  of 
the  past  Exhibitions  has  been  due  to  his  untiring  zeal  in 
behalf  of  the  Agricultural  Society  of  the  Empire  State. 

The  Connecticut  Exhibition  was  likewise  a  good  one. 
The  attention  to  the  horse-track  was  rather  marked  for 
the  dwellers  in  the  “land  of  steady  habits”  ;  but  aside 
from  this,  the  show  was  excellent  in  nearly  every  depart¬ 
ment,  and  we  were  glad  to  observe  a  large  attendance  of 
those  who  came  to  learn  as  well  as  to  see,  and  who  did 
learn.  We  congratulate  the  indefatigable  Secretary, 
Henry  A.  Dyer,  Esq.,  who  has  labored  night  and  day  in 
tlie  enterprise,  on  a  success  this  year  which  is  likely  to 
stop  the  mouths  of  certain  croakers  who  have  done  al 
possible  to  retard  the  success  of  this  important  Society. 
The  Society  may,  this  year,  at  least,  feel  a  little  independ¬ 
ent  of  those  who  would,  from  parsimoniousness,  or  polit¬ 
ical  demagogism,  withhold  the  countenance  and  sup¬ 
port  of  the  State  government  from  the  most  important 
organization  in  the  State. 

- a.  , - — - *-*, - 

Market  Review,  Weather  Notes,  &c. 


American  Agriculturist  Office,  ) 
New  York,  Wednesday  Evening,  Oct,  19,  1859.  5 

We  are  glad  to  announce  material,  though  partly  unex¬ 
pected  improvement  in  prices  of  Breadstuffs  during  a 
month  past,  and  especially  during  the  last  week  or  two, 
though  this  improvement  is  not  so  gratifying  as  it  would 
be,  had  it  not  been  brought  about  by  diminished  receipts, 
owing  in  part  to  breaks  in  the  Erie  Canal.  These  breaks 
have  been  repaired  and  boats  are  moving  Eastward  with 
more  rapidity,  and  dealers  are  looking  for  larger  supplies, 
and  a  consequent  lower  range  of  prices.  This  expecta¬ 
tion  produces  a  dullness  in  the  market  the  present  week. 
Most  sales  have  been  to  the  Home  trade  ;  but  there  has 
also  been  a  fair  inquiring  shipment  to  Great  Britain,  chief¬ 
ly  of  “  Extra  State  ”  brands.  Foreign  prices  have 
ranged  too  low  for  an  active  export  demand.  The  table 
of  prices  below,  indicates  the  rise  in  the  market  value  of 
flour  during  the  month.— Of  Wheat  and  Corn  the  sup¬ 
plies  are  unusually  small,  and  there  are  no  large  lots  im¬ 
mediately  available.... Rye  and  Oats  are  als®  rather 
sparingly  offered  in  this  market  ;  the  demand,  however, 

is  not  urgent  or  active _ Barley  is  plentiful  and  dull  of 

sale  with  a  downward  tendency  in  prices.... Cotton  has 

been  in  limited  demand,  and  declined  L  cent  per  lb . 

Provisions  have  been  freely  offered  and  purchased.... 
Hog  products  are  dearer  than  they  were  a  month  ago. . . . 

Beef  is  cheaper _ Butter  and  Cheese  have  advanced. 

....  An  active  inquiry  has  prevailed  for  Hay,  at  full  rates, 
as  well  as  for  Hops  and  Wool,  at  improved  prices  ... 
Rice  has  been  in  fair  demand - Seeds  have  been  mod¬ 

erately  sought  after,  but  at  reduced  prices. .. .Tobacco 

has  attracted  less  attention _ Hemp  has  been  quite  dull. 

The  transactions  in  most  other  kinds  of  Produce  have 
been  of  average  magnitude,  with  no  very  noticeable  alter¬ 
ation  in  prices. 

TRANSACTIONS  AT  THE  N.  Y.  MARKETS. 

Receipts.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley.  Oats. 

26hus.  days  thismon., 410,270  513,128  251,924  37,961  65.411  357.700 
27  bus.  daysfasl  muii.,  252,724  289,316  320,003  20,180  65,060  346,509 

Sales.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley. 

26  business  days  this  month,  428,215  613,850  400,250  66,100  74,600 

27  business  days  last  lliou,  366,160  343,850  575,400  29,500  88,100 

Breadstuffs  exported  from  N.  Y.,  from.  Jan.  1  to  Oct.  12. 


1858. 

1859. 

Wheat  Flour,  bbls . 

567,918 

Rye  Flour,  bbls . 

.  5,484 

4,630 

Corn  Meal,  bbls . 

63,711 

Wheat,  bush . 

38  761 

Corn,  bush . 

170,118 

Rye,  bush . 

— 

Sept 

19. 

Oct 

19. 

Flour— Superf  to  Extra  Stateg 

4 

20 

to) 

65 

$4  65 

® 

4 

95 

Common  Western . 

4 

20 

(a) 

1  55 

4  70 

® 

4 

80 

Extra  Western . 

4 

50 

(a)  8  50 

4  85 

(a) 

8 

50 

Fancy  to  Extra  Genesee . 

4 

90 

(a) 

50 

4  95 

(a) 

7 

25 

Super,  to  Extra  Southern . 

5 

()() 

Co) 

00 

5  40 

(cO 

7 

25 

Rye  Flour— Fine  and  Super. 

3 

70 

(a) 

;  30 

3  70 

(CO 

4 

40 

Corn  Meal . 

3 

85 

(a) 

:  15 

4  05 

(a) 

4 

35 

Wheat— Canada  White . 

1 

10 

(a) 

25 

1  25 

(a) 

1 

27 

Western  White . 

1 

10 

(al 

30 

1  27  %® 

1 

42% 

Southern  White . 

1 

20 

t cO 

40 

1  25 

(a) 

1 

45 

All  kinds  of  Red . . . 

75 

(a) 

18 

93 

(cO 

1 

28 

Corn — Yellow . . . 

92 

(a) 

96 

98 

(cO 

1 

00 

White . 

92 

t a) 

95% 

98 

fa) 

i 

00 

Mixed . 

92 

(al 

93 

98 

(a) 

1 

00 

Oats — Western . 

39 

1 al 

42 

43 

fa) 

44 

State . 

38 

(a) 

42 

42 

fa) 

43% 

Southern . 

32 

(al 

37 

37 

fa) 

41 

Rye . 

81 

(al 

83 

88 

fa) 

90 

Barley  . 

60 

(al 

85 

75 

fa) 

83 

White  Beans . 

80 

(al 

87% 

75 

fa) 

82% 

Hay,  in  bales,  per  100  lbs . 

60 

fa) 

90 

65 

fa) 

90 

Cotton — Middlings,  perlb _ 

ll%f a) 

12 

ii%'® 

11% 

Rice,  per  100  lbs . 

2 

87 

(a) 

00 

3  00 

(a) 

4 

25 

The  following  are  the  exports  of  the  principal  kinds  of 
breadstuffs,  from  the  Atlantic  ports  of  the  United  Slate#, 
since  Sept.  1  : 

TO  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  IRELAND. 

From  To  date.  Flour,  bbis.  Wheat, bush.  Corn  bust, 

New- York,  ..  ..Oct.  7, ’59..  " 

New-Orleans  Sept.  24,  ’59.. 

Philadelphia.  .Sept.  28,  ’59.. 

Baltimore . Sept.  29,  ’59. . 

Boston . Sept.  29,  ’59.. 

Other  Ports. .  .Sept.  23,  ’59.. 

Total  from  Sept.  1,  ’59. . 

To  about  same  period,  1858.. 

To  about  same  period,  1857.. 

To  about  same  period,  1856 . . 

Current  Wholesale  Prices. 


11,425 

"  8ii> 

2,900 

661 

12,901 

2,900 

36,326 

117,105 

86,105 

55,580 

906,964 

241.55; 

53,593 

2,603,244 

1,111,721 

Hops,  crop  of  1859  per  lb. 


It 


. . .  f a)  15 

Pork— Mess,  per  bbl .  15  87  ®16  no 

Prime,  old,  oer  bbl .  10  80  (®10  90 

Beef— Repacked  Mess.. .  7  50  ®  9  50 

6  00  (cO  7  00 


12  to)  18 
15  12%  5)15  25 
10  68  ®10  75 
6  00  (a)  8  50 
5  00  (a)  5  50 


7%® 

8% 

7%® 

8% 

10  %(c0 

11% 

11  (a) 

11% 

12  (a) 

16 

12  (a) 

18 

14  ® 

20 

.  15  ® 

21 

6  ( a) 

9% 

7%® 

10% 

15  (a) 

16% 

15  (5) 

18 

11  (a) 

14 

13  (a) 

14 

14  (SO 

16 

13  (a) 

16 

12  (a) 

13 

45  (a) 

55 

46  ® 

54 

8%® 

9 

8  %® 

9% 

2  12  '5)  2  62 

2  25  (a)  2  37% 

5  %® 

8 

5%® 

8% 

39  (a) 

42 

40  ® 

45 

10%® 

12% 

10  %® 

12% 

4 

12 

4%® 

12 

6  (a) 

25 

5%® 

25 

35  ® 

55 

38  (a) 

60 

30  ,® 

50 

32  fa) 

52 

(a)  150 
0210 


140 

190 


0150 

0210 


io%® 

10% 

10%® 

U 

30 

00 

®37 

00 

30 

00 

®36 

50 

6 

(a) 

7% 

6 

ao 

7% 

10 

(a) 

14 

11 

(SO 

13 

1 

25 

(SO 

1 

75 

1 

25 

(SO  1 

75 

1 

50 

(SO 

2 

00 

1 

50 

(a)  1 

75 

2 

25 

(cO 

1 

38 

®  1 

50 

2 

(ii) 

(SO 

2 

50 

2 

00 

(SO  2 

25 

2 

50 

(SO 

3 

00 

2 

00 

(cO  4 

00 

1 

25 

(SO 

1 

50 

1 

25 

fS)  1 

50 

31 

(SO 

50 

38 

(SO 

50 

88 

(SO 

1 

00 

75 

(SO 

88 

1 

00 

(SO 

1 

25 

75 

(SO 

88 

2 

00 

(SO 

2 

50 

2 

00 

(SO  2 

50 

1 

25 

(cO 

1 

75 

1 

00 

(3)  1 

25 

12 

00 

®18 

00 

2 

50 

(a) 

3 

50 

2 

50 

®  4 

00 

10 

(cO 

15 

10 

00 

®15 

00 

2 

00 

f®  5 

00 

9 

00 

®16 

00 

Markets.— 

■The 

Cattle 

Country  mess 

Hogs,  Dressed  corn,  per  lb  . . 

Lard,  in  bbls.  per  lb . 

Butter— Western,  per  lb . 

State,  per  lb . 

Cheese,  per  lb . 

Eggs — Fresh,  per  dozen . 

Poultry — Fowls,  per  lb . 

Turkeys,  per  lb . 

Venison,  per  lb . 

Feathers,  Live  Geese  per  lb. 

Seed — Clover,  per  lb . 

Timothy,  per  bushel . 

Sugar,  Brown,  per  lb . 

Molasses,  New-Orleans,  prgl 

Coffee,  Rio,  per  lb . 

Tobacco— Kentucky,  Stc.  pr  lb 

Seed  Leaf,  per  lb . 

WooL-Domestic  fleece,  per  lb. 

Domestic,  pulled,  per  lb .  30 

Hemp— Undr’d  Amer’n  pr  ton.  140 

Dressed  American,  per  ton - 190 

Tallow,  per  lb . 

Oil  Cake,  per  ton . 

Apples— Dried,  Per  lb . 

Dried  Peaches— pr  lb.,South’n 
Potatoes — Mercers,  p.  bbl... .  1  25 

Peach  Blows,  per  bbl .  1  50 

Sweet,  Virginia,  per  bbl .  2  25 

Delaware,  per  bbl .  2  00 

Cabbages,  per  100 . 

Onions,  Red,  per  bbl . 

Tomatoes,  per  bushel . 

Squashes,  Marrow,  p.  bbl . 

Turnips,  Rutabaga,  per  bbl... 

Apples,  Winter,  per  bbl . 

Common,  per  bbl . 

Pears,  Virgalieus,per  bbl — 

Common,  per  bbl . 

Grapes.  Isabella&Catawba,p.lb 

Quinces,  p.  bbl .  . 

Cranberries,  per  bbl . 

N.  Y.  ILive  Stock 
Markets  have  been  more  largely  supplied  than  ever, 
during  a  month  past.  Receipts  of  Beeves  for  four  weeks 
ending  Oct.  12th,  20,247 — an  average  of  5,062  per  week, 
or  an  excess  of  1,386  over  the  weekly  average  of  last  year. 
At  the  last  sales  day  (Oct.  12th),  prices  ranged  at  10c. (a) 
10ic.  per  lb.,  net  or  dressed  weight,  for  Prime  animals ; 
8Io.(®9Ie.  for  Medium ;  6c.(S)8c.  for  poor  to  ordinary ; 
general  average  of  all  sales,  8ic. 

Veal  Calves.— Receipts  for  four  weeks  just  ended, 
3,019,  against  2,495  last  month.  Good  calves  sell  readily 
at  6}c.®7c.  per  lb.  live  weight;  ordinary  at  5e.®6c.;  and 
“  bobs  ”  at  $1,50®  $2, 50  per  head— they  can  not  be  sold  by 
weight.  There  is  a  large  supply  of  “  bobs  ”  or  “kittens” 
(calves  but  a  few  days  old,  really  not  fit  for  veal). 

Sheep  and  Lambs. — Receipts  of  live  sheep  during  the 
last  four  weeks  have  been  fair,  but  less  than  last  month, 
and  prices  have  advanced  at  least  50c.  per  head.  Receipts 
for  the  four  weeks  ending  Oct.  12th,  56,823  head,  besides 
large  numbers  of  dressed  carcases.  Good  Sheep  now 
command  4c.®5o.  per  lb.  live  weight.  Fat  lambs  are 
worth  about  5c.  Store  Sheep  for  Winter  feeding  are  in 
demand  at  $2®$3  per  head. 

Hogs.— Receipts  for  the  four  weeks  just  ended  number 
29,129  against  14,958  last  month.  The  market  has  been 
evenly  supplied,  and  prices  have  varied  but  little.  They 
were  all  sold  at  the  last  general  market  at  6c.®6(c.  per 
lb.  live  weight,  for  corn  fed  hogs  ;  and  5}-c.®5ic.  for  dis¬ 
tillery  fed.  The  demand  for  good  hogs  is  very  fair. 

'A’Ue  Weather  during  the  past  four  weeks  has  been 
generally  mild,  but  rather  wet,  especially  the  first  week 
or  two.  Our  Daily  Notes  condensed,  read  thus  :  Sep¬ 
tember  20,  21,22,  rainy — 23,  cloudy,  rain  at  night -24, 
cloudy,  ground  wet— 25,  showery — 26,  27,  28,  clear  and  fine 
—29,  cloudy — 30,  clear.  October  1,  clear  A.  M-.  cloudy  P. 
M.  and  rain  at  night — 2,  cloudy  A.  M.,  clear  P.  M.— 3,  4, 
5,  6,  7,  clear  fine  weather— 8,  9,  cool  and  cloudy,  rain  at 
night— 10,  rain  A.  M.,  clear  P.  M. — 11,  12,  13,  clear,  fine 
and  warm — 14,  cloudy,  light  rain  at  night— 15,  16,  clear 
and  cool— 17,  cloudy— 18,  rain  A.  M.,  clear  P.  M>  Bixs 


IMim. 

Fifty  Cents  a  Line  of  Space. 

A  uric  ul  Sural  Publishing  House. 

Having  purchased  the  entire  stock  and  business  of  A.  O. 
Moore  &  Co.,  Agricultural  Publishers  and  Book¬ 
sellers,  (formerly  C.  M.  Saxton  &  Co.,)  and  united  the 
san.o  to  our  business  as  heretofore  conducted,  we  now 
offer  to  the  public  the  most  extensive  assortment  of  works 
on  Agriculture,  Horticulture,  Rural  Art,  and  Do¬ 
mestic  Economy,  that  can  be  found  in  the  world. 

it  will  be  our  purpose  to  keep  constantly  on  hand  a  full 
supply  of  everything  in  our  line,  and  all  orders  and  in¬ 
quiries  addressed  to  us  will  receive  prompt  attention. 

Complete  Catalogues  of  our  publications,  which  em¬ 
brace  the  Biographical  Series  and  Miscellaneous 
Works,  formerly  published  by  Miller,  Orton  <(  Co.,  will  be 
forwarded  to  any  address  upon  application. 


C.  M.  SAXTON,  BARKER  &  CO., 
Agricultural  Publishers  and  Booksellers,  and  Publish¬ 
ers  of  “  The  Horticulturist,’’  25  Park  Row,  New- York 
Having  disposed  of  my  interest  in  the  Agricultural  Book  busi¬ 
ness  to  Messrs.  C.  M.  Saxton.  Barker  &  Co.,  (my  friend,  Mr 
C.  M.  Saxton,  having  been  formerly  my  partner,)  I  ran  cordial¬ 
ly  commend  my  successors  to  the  Agricultural  public,  with  the 
assurance  that  the  cause  for  which  Mr.  Saxton  and  myself  have 
for -years  conjointly  and  separately  labored,  will  not  suffer  by 
this  transfer.  A.  O.  MOORE. 

New-York,  Oct.  20,  1859. 


GKOVER  &  BAKER’S 
CELEBRATED  NOISELESS 

FAMILY  SEWING  MACHINES, 

New  Styles  at  Reduced  Prices. 

No.  495  Broadway,  New- Fork ;  No.  18  Summer  st., 
Boston;  No.  730  Chestnut  st.,  Philadelphia;  No.  181  Bal¬ 
timore  st.,  Baltimore ;  No.  58  West  Fourth  st.,  Cincin¬ 
nati.  Agencies  in  all  the  principal  cities  and  towns  in  the 
United  States. 

“  Wheeler  &  Wilson’s,  Singer’s,  and  Grover  &  Baker’s 
Machines  all  work  under  Howe’s  patent,  and  are,  so  far, 
the  best  machines  made.  *  *  For  our  own  family  use 

we  became  fully  satisfied  that  Grover  <(•  Baker's  is  the  best, 
and  we  accordingly  purchased  it." — American  Agriculturist 
I2PSEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR.^]! 

WHEELER  &  WILSON’S 
SEWING  MACHINES. 

“  There  is  no  better  machine  than  this  made,  as  we  have 
proved  by  nearly  two  year’s  use  in  our  own  family.” 

American  Agriculturist,  Oct.,  1859. 
Office  No.  505  Broadway,  New-York. 
send  for  a  circular. 


MINTON’S  ENCAUSTIC  TILES, 

FOR  FLOORS  OF  CHURCHES, 
PUBUC  BU1L.BJNGS,  HALLS, 
conservatories,  dining  rooms  and  hearths  in  dwell¬ 
ings. 

Being  very  hard  and  strong,  as  well  as  ornamental, 
they  have  been  used  extensively  in  the  Capitol  extension 
at  Washington,  and  in  many  of  the  best  houses  in  all 
parts  of  the  country. 

ALSO, 

GARNKIRK  CHIMNEY  TOPS, 

suited  to  every  style  of  architecture,  and  recommended 
in  Downing’s  work  on  Country  Houses,  and  by  architects 
generally.  Also,  VITRIFIED  DRAIN  PIPE,  of  all 
sizes,  from  2  to  18  inches  in  diameter,  1  ar  conducting  wa¬ 
ter.  For  sale  by  MILLER  &  COATES, 

No.  279  Pearl-st.,  New-York. 


PATENT  OFFICES. 

A  pamphlet  of  instruction, 

“HOW  TO  SECURE  LETTERS  PATENT,” 
for  new  Inventions,  carefully  prepared  by  the  Editor  of 
the  Scientific  American,  furnished  free  on  application  to 
MUNN  &  CO., 

Solicitors  of  American  and  European  Patents, 

37  Park-row,  New-York. 


©aiion  Culture. 

A  PAMPHLET  CONTAINING  SEVENTEEN  ESSAYS  BY  PRAC¬ 
TICAL  GROWERS. 

This  valuable  work  contains,  in  addition  to  the  full, 
practical  directions  for  Onion  Culture,  an  interesting 
illustrated  article  on  the  Onion  Fly  and  its  Prevention, 
by  a  distinguished  Entomologist.  It  will  be  worth  many 
times  the  price,  to  every  one  who  raises  this  vegetable. 

Sent  post-paid  for  21  cents,  (seven  3-cent  P.  O.  stamps.) 
Address  Publisher  of  American  Agriculturist. 


348 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


November, 


.  “Giving-  Away  Papers.” 

An  old  subscriber  in  Pennsylvania,  who  “  is  anxious  for 
the  success  of  J 1  is  favorite  Agriculturist,"  inquires  “  if  the 
publisher  has  not  been  caught  napping ;  for,”  he  says, 
“  I  saw  them  at  our  State  Fair  giving  away  twenty  thou¬ 
sand  copies  of  a  paper  published  in  New  York,  and  as 
many  more  of  another  new  paper,  but  I  saw  none  of  your 
agents  on  hand  scattering  the  Agriculturist.  Won’t  they 

get  ahead  of  you?....” -  We  are  not  alarmed,  good 

friend,  and  moreover,  if  we  were,  what  should  we  do? 
The  Agriculturist  is  published  for  its  readers  and  paid  for 
by  them,  and  copies  can  not  be  thrown  away  at  random. 
If  w  e  had  a  profitable  agricultural  Warehouse  of  our  own, 
to  advertise  and  puff,  and  were  engaged  in  making  a  ma¬ 
nure  costing  but  little  (and  w  orth  but  little),  but  sold  at  a 
high  price,  we  too  could  give  away  papers  to  anybody  that 
would  take  them  just  as  we  would  distribute  advertising 
handbills.  So  also  if  we  gave  10  pages  of  hastily  thrown 
together  reading  matter,  and  filled  the  other  16  pages  with 
advertisements,  we  could  give  away  quite  an  edition. 

Cut  llio  fact  is,  we  persistently  eschew  all  other  busi 
ness,  in  order  that  we  may  be  able  to  write  and  speak 
independently  of  all  personal  interest,  and  of  course  more 
reliably.  So,  also,  we  reject  a  large  number  of  the  ad¬ 
vertisements  offered,  and  especially  those  we  deem  un¬ 
reliable,  and  thus  save  a  large  space  for  reading  matter, 
which  we  endeavor  to  fill  with  choice,  carefully  prepar¬ 
ed  information.  Our  paper,  engravings,  and  workman¬ 
ship,  are  all  of  the  best  and  most  expensive  character, 
and  we  look  to  the  sale  of  papers  for  remuneration.  Our 
friend  referred  to  above,  would  not  expect  to  see  pearls 
and  diamonds  thrown  around  loosely.  But  neither  he  nor 
others,  need  have  any  fears  for  the  Agriculturist,  as  we 
have  none.  We  always  mean  to  get  up  a  paper  that  all  can 
rely  upon,  and  value  for  its  own  sake,  and  we  have  too 
much  faith  in  the  good  sense  and  good  judgement  of  cul¬ 
tivators,  to  doubt  theii  full  appreciation  and  support. 
When  we  do  not  deserve  this,  we  ought  not  to  have  it. 

Show  Kills. 

We  have  a  new,  large  and  beautiful  Agriculturist  show¬ 
bill  for  I860,  illustrated  with  42  engravings.  Copies 
have  been  sent  to  several  Post-Offices.  Other  copies  will 
be  forwarded,  post-paid,  to  News  Dealers,  or  others  who 
may  desire  to  use  them  in  procuring  subscribers. 


Improvement— Onward— Upward,  is  our  motto.  We  in¬ 
tend  to  make  each  succeeding  volume  better  than  its  pre¬ 
decessor,  in  every  respect.  During  1859  the  Agriculturist 
has  gone  into  more  than  20,000  new  families.  We  desire 
to  extend  its  sphere  of  usefulness  still  wider,  and  to  this 
end,  we  offer  the  following  premiums  to  those  who  will 
assist  in  the  work  of  extension.  In  selecting  the  articles, 
we  have  aimed  to  get  such  as  are  useful,  and  as  have  been 
most  frequently  called  for  by  our  readers.— Each  article 
offered  is  the  best  of  its  kind,  and  every  one  ivill  be  selected 
by  the  publisher  from  the  very  best  manufactured.  They  will 
be  even  better  than  those  sold  in  the  market  at  the  prices 
named,  when  possible  to  select  better •  Through  the  kind¬ 
ness  of  the  manufacturers  we  get  these  articles  for  pre¬ 
miums,  and  for  these  only,  at  the  bare  cost  of  making,  or 
we  could  not  offer  them  as  we  do.  The  premiums 
are  certainly  liberal,  when  we  take  into  the  account 
the  cost  and  character  of  the  paper,  and  the  low  price  at 
which  it  is  furnished. 

N.  Eff.  These  premiums  are  not  offered  for  competition, 
hut  as  direct  pay  for  time,  labor,  and  expense  incurred  by 
canvassers.  The  premiums  are  absolute  in  each  case,  and 
not  dependent  upon  what  some  unknown  person  is  doing. 
Every  canvasser  knows  just  what  he  or  she  is  working  for. 

mSTSee  remarks  following  the  premiums,  especially 
the  first  and  last. 

Premium  i.— A  liberal  distribution  of  valuable  seeds 
will  be  made  during  the  Winter,  to  all  regular  subscri¬ 
bers  alike,  whether  single  or  in  clubs,  and  whether  re¬ 
ceived  from  agents,  or  otherwise.  (A  seed  depository  will 
be  established  in  California  for  the  convenience  of  sub¬ 
scribers  on  the  Pacific  Coast.) 

Premium  HI _ Every  person  sending  in  a  club  of  10 

new  subscribers  at  80  cents  each,  may  order  a  free  copy 
of  either  Vol.  XVI,  or  Yol.  XVII,  or  Vol.  XVIII,  which 
will  be  sent  m  numbers,  post-paid. 

Premium  IV.— Every  person  sending  15  new  or  old 
subscribers  at  80  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  16  copies 
(ihat  is  one  extra  copj ),  lor  the  corning  year. 

Premium  V. — Every  person  sending  25  new  subscribers 
at  8-1  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  the  three  Volumes, 
XVI,  XVII,  and  XVIII,  sent  in  numbers  post-paid. 

Premium  VI — Every  person  sending  30  new  subscribers 

i.t  80  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  a  silver-cased  pocket 
Microscope—  with  Coddington  lens.  Value  $4.  Sent  by 
mail  securely  packed  and  post-paid.  (See  Premium  18.) 

Premium  VII.— Every  person  sending  45  new  subscri¬ 
bers  at  89  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  a  copy  of  the 
large  new  Pictorial  Edition  of  Webster's  Unabridged  Dic¬ 
tionary.  Price  $6.50.  ii  weighs  8)  lbs,  and  can  go  by 
express,  or  be  sent  by  mail  at  1  cent  per  ounce  within 
30UU  miles,  or  2  cents  per  ounce  over  3090  miles.  (Ex¬ 
pense  after  leaving  the  city  to  be  paid  by  recipient.) 


Premium  IX.— Every  person  sending  144  new  subscri¬ 
bers  at  80  cents  each,  (or  100  at  $1  each),  will  be  present¬ 
ed  with  one  of  Wheeler  &  Wilson's  best  $50  Sewing' 
iVS  acini  lies,  new  from  the  factory,  and  of  the  very  best 
make.  There  is  no  better  working  machine  than  this 
made,  as  we  have  proved  by  nearly  two  year's  use  in  our 
own  family.  We  want  no  belter. — The  machines  will  be 
selected  at  the  manufactory,  be  well  boxed,  and  forward¬ 
ed  without  expense  to  the  recipient,  except  for  freight 
charges  after  leaving  the  city.  Full  instructions  for  set¬ 
ting  up  and  using  go  with  each  machine. 

Premium  XII.— To  every  person  sending  130  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  80  cents  each,  (or  95  at  $1  each),  we  will  pre-' 
sent  Appleton's  New  American  Encyclopaedia,  now  in 
course  of  publication,  consisting  of  fifteen  large  volumes 
of  770  pages  each.  This  is  a  magnificent  work,  forming  a 
whole  library  embracing  every  topic  of  human  know¬ 
ledge.  Eight  volumes  are  now  ready,  and  the  remaining 
seven  will  tie  furnished  as  fast  as’issued.  Publisher’s 
price,  $45. 

Premium  XIII.— To  every  person  sending  260  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  $  1  each,  or  330  at  ihe  lowest  club  price  (89  cts. 
each),  we  will  present  one  of  Allen's  Mowing  Machines, 
with  sundry  improvements  now  being  added.  This  is  one 
of  the  best  we  have  seen  in  operation.  Price  $115. 

Premium  XIV.— To  every  person  sending  65  new  sub¬ 
scribers,  at.  80  cents  each,  we  will  present  one  of  Ihe  btst 
Eagle  Plows  (2-horse).  Price  $11.  This  we  believe  is 
the  best  general  farm  plow  in  use. 

Premium  XV.— To  every  person  sending  55  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  80  cents  each,  w'e  will  present  the  best  Sub¬ 
soil  Plow  (two-horse),  price  $8  ;  or  one  of  the  besl  Horse- 
Does,  price  $8  ;  or  one  of  the  best  Straw  and  Hay  Cutters, 
price  $8.  These  are  all  first  quality,  well-made,  and 
useful  implements. 

Premium  XVI.— To  every  person  sending  48  new  sub¬ 
scribers,  at  80  cents  each,  wc  w  ill  present  one  of  the  best 
Steel-tooth  Cultivators.  Price  $7. 

Premium  XVII _ To  every  person  sending  45  subscri¬ 

bers  at  SO  cents  each,  we  will  present  either  the  Diction¬ 
ary,  (premium  C),  or  one  of  the  best  Hand  Corn  Shelters. 
Price  $6  50. 

Premium  XVIII — To  every  person  sending  30  subscri¬ 
bers  at  80  cents  each,  we  will  present  either  the  micro¬ 
scope,  (premium  3,)  or  a  Double  mold-board  ( ridging ) 
Plow.  Price  $3.50. 

Premium  XIX. — Books.  Whenever  desired,  instead 
of  other  premiums,  the  publisher  will  pay  premiums  in 
books  as  follows :  Every  person  making  tfp  a  club  of  20 
or  more  new  subscribers,  may  select  any  Agricultural  or 
Horticultural  Books  from  A.  O.  Moore’s  Catalogue, 
(which  is  advertised  on  page  316  of  this  month’s 
paper)  to  the  amount  of  10  cents  for  every  subscriber, 
sent  in  at  80  cents  each.  Persons  making  up  a  club  for 
any  of  ihe  premiums,  and  getting  some  names  over  the 
required  amount,  will  be  enlilled  to  books  for  the  surplus 
names.  Thus,  a  person  getting  55  subscribers  can  take 
for  45  names  either  premium  VII.  or  XVII,  and  also  $1 
worth  of  books  for  the  extra  10  names;  and  so  in  other 
cases. 

[SPECIAL  PREMIUMS.] 

[Several  young  men  have  expressed  to  us  a  desire  to  se¬ 
cure  for  themselves  a  good  Watch.  There  has  been  so 
much  humbug  and  deception  in  articles  of  this  kind  that 
we  have  hitherto  declined  any  such  offers.  However,  to 
meet  the  oft  repeated  requests,  we  have  concluded  to  for 
once  make  an  offer  of  this  kind.  The  American  Watch 
Company ,  of  Waltham,  Mass.,  are  putting  up  very  val¬ 
uable  and  reliable  time-pieces,  which  we  can  offer 
with  confidence,  and  we  have  arranged  with  the 
company  to  get  the  watches  we  desire,  direct  from  the 
manufactory,  of  the  best  possible  make  and  bona  fide 
character.  Each  watch  will  be  accompanied  with  a  writ¬ 
ten  warrantee  direct  from  the  Company ;  so  that  the 
watches  we  give,  may  be  relied  upon  in  every  respect.] 

Premium  XX.-* 1 * * * * * * To  every  person  sending  130  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  80  cents  each,  (or  95  at  $1  each),  we  will  present 
either  premium  XII,  or  a  $45  Silver  Lever  Watch,  made 
by  the  American  Company.  The  running  works  of  this 
watch  are  of  the  same  class  as  the  $100  gold  watches, 
jewelled,  and  chronometer  balance.  The  case  is  a  “  Hun¬ 
ter,”  or  closed  one,  the  face  opening  by  aspring.  This  is 
as  good  a  watch  as  we  would  wish  to  carry.  The  price, 
$45,  is  as  low  as  they  can  be  bought  at  retail  at  the  man¬ 
ufactory. 

Premium  XXI. — To  every  person  sending  250  new 
subscribers  at  8u  cents  each,  (or  150  at  $1  each),  we  will 
present  a  $75  Gold  Lever  Watch,  of  the  same  make  as  the 
above.  The  case  is  gold,  Hunter,  and  engraved.  No  bet¬ 
ter  watch  than  this  can  be  obtained  for  $75  in  this  country. 

IlEMAHKS. — 1.  The  above  premiums,  except  No.  IV, 
are  all  for  NEW  subscribers  only,  as-  we  can  only  afford 
to  pay  premiums  for  once  on  the  same  subscriber.  But 
Igjffin  malting  up  any  premium  lists,  three  renewals  of  old 
subscriptions,  collected  and  forwarded  by  the  canvasser,  may 
always  be  counted  as  one  new  name.  |5pIYanies  need  not 
all  be  at  the  same  Post  Office. 

2.  Of  course  but  one  premium  can  be  paid  on  the  same 
name.  The  canvasser  will  choose  his  own  premium. 
Any  one  striking  for  a  higher  premium,  and  failing  to  get 
names  enough,  can  still  fall  back  upon  a  lower  one. 

3.  Every  person  collecting  names  for  premiums  can 
send  in  the  names  with  the  money  as  fast  as  received,  so 
that  the  subscribers  may  begin  to  receive  their  papers  ; 
but  if  designed  for  premiums,  a  double  list  of  each  lot  of 
names  should  be  sent,  one  of  them  marked  at  the  top, 
“  For  premiums,”  and  with  the  name  of  the  sender. 
These  duplicate  lists  will  be  kept  on  file  by  themselves  to 
be  referred  to  in  making  up  the  premium  when  any  person 
has  completed  sending  in  names  for  Volume  XIX. 

4.  The  above  premiums  are  offered  for  new  subscribers 


for  Volume  XIX  (1860),  whenever  received.  Canvassers 
will  have  three  or  four  months  for  completing  their  lists, 
but  the  premium  will  be  paid  as  soon  as  any  list  is 
made  up. 

5.  The  offer  of  extra  copies  to  the  subscribers  them¬ 
selves,  when  received  before  Dec.  1st,  will  greatly  facili¬ 
tate  the  work  of  the  canvasser,  and  now  is  the  most  favor¬ 
able  time  to  begin  the  work  of  gathering  names. 

— - ^-4 - iiig’-^tttt—  —  »— O- - - 

Catalogue  of  Seeds  for  Free  Distribution 
in  1860. 

Each,  person  whose  paid  subscription  to  the  American 
Agriculturist  extends  beyond  February,  1660,  willbe  entitled 
to  select  four  or  five  parcels  of  seeds  from  the  general  list 
given  in  the  next  column — if  the  following  conditions  be 
complied  with. 

A.  It  is  of  absolute  importance  that  the  following  di¬ 
rections  be  strictly  followed,  even  to  the  minutest  partic¬ 
ulars.  We  have  93  distinct  varieties  of  seeds,  to 
be  distributed  among  70,0(  0  or  mote  persons  scattered  all 
over  the  country,  which,  at  the  best, will  involve  immense 
labor  ;  and  some  mistakes  must  unavoidably  occur,  unless 
each  subscriber  take  special  pains  to  facilitate  the  work. 

EE.  The  seeds  can  be  called  for  at  the  office,  or  be  sent 
by  express,  or  in  ready  prepared  envelopes  to  be  furnished 
by  the  subscribers,  as  described  below. 

€.  Subscribers  at  different  points  can  estimate  whether 
they  can  receive  their  seeds  cheapest  by  Mail  to  separate 
individuals,  or  in  a  package  by  Express. 

ES.  If  to  goby  Express,  no  envelopes  will  be  needed 
In  that  case,  simply  send  us  a  written  list  of  the  names, 
marking  against  each  name  the  kinds  of  seed  desired, 
using  the  numbers  in  the  Catalogue.  Keep  a  copy  of  the 
list  sent,  and  give  particular  directions  on  each  list,  how 
the  packege  is  to  be  forwarded,  and  to  whom  directed. 

B3.  If  to  go  by  mail,  the  applicant  will  (of  course)  fur¬ 
nish  prepaid  envelopes,  of  ordinary  size,  which  should 
be  prepared  as  in  the  engraving  here  given— that  is  :  Put 
the  figures  correspond¬ 
ing  to  tho  Catalogue 
plainly  on  the  upper  left 
hand  of  the  envelope, 
and  put  all  the  postage 
stamps  upon  the  right 
side  of  the  envelope — 

one  above  the  other 
when  two  or  more  are  needed,  as  shown  in  inis  pattern. 
This  will  prevent  the  seeds  being  crushed  in  the  stamp¬ 
ing  process,  in  the  Post-Office.  One  ordinary  envelope 
will  generally  hold  the  amount  of  seed-packages  carried 
by  two  or  three  stamps.  The  amount  of  stamps  can 

be  calculated  from  the  Catalogue.  Single  \-cent  stamps  on 
letters  are  of  no  valve,  unless  there  be  even  threes  of  them, 
as  letter  postage  is  rated  by  the  half  ounce. 

F.  Let  all  letters  referring  to  seeds  be  as  brief  as  pos¬ 
sible,  and  yet  plain.  All  such  communications  are  re¬ 
ferred  directly  to  the  clerk  superintending  that  department. 
It  especially  desirable  that  whatever  relates  to  seeds 
should  be  on  a  separate  slip  of  paper.  (We  shall  probably 
distribute  over  three  hundred  thousand  packages,  and  a 
minute’s  time  saved  on  each  of  these  would  amount  to 
500  working  days  of  10  hours  each— or  nearly  two  years!) 

G.  Canada  subscribers  will  need  to  substitute  10-cent 
stamps  in  all  cases  where  3-cent  stamps  are  named  in  the 
catalogue.  When  several  send  together,  it  will  usually 
be  cheaper  to  receive  seeds  by  Express.  (Postage  is  not 
necessarily  prepaid  here,  on  Canada  letters.) 

J(S£3“  Subscribers  on  the  Pacific  Coast  will  find  special 
directions  in  regard  to  their  seeds  on  page  352. 

Iff.  Always  put  the  stamps  upon  the  envelopes,  and 
not  drop  them  loosely  into  the  enclosing  letter. 

I.  It  is  always  better  lo  send  envelopes  6f  the  ordinary 
size,  and  made  after  what  is  called  the  ‘‘Government 
pattern,” — that  is,  those  in  which  the  back  comes  under 
the  piece  lapping  over  ;  these  seal  up  more  firmly.  This 
point  is  not  essential,  however. 

Jf.  Usually,  the  lighter  the  envelope  the  better,  that 
more  seeds  may  go  under  the  same  stamps. 

K.  Send  only  the  number  of  stamps  required  for  post¬ 
age  on  the  seed.  We  have  no  seeds  of  any  kind  to  sell. 

Ii,  Those  forwarding  unpaid  envelopes  will  of  course 
not  be  disappointed  if  they  do  not  return.  We  offer  seeds 
free,  but  cannot,  m  addition,  afford  to  pay  postage  also. 

M.  All  seeds  sent  by  mail  are  put  up  at  our  country 

residence,  and  each  package  is  there  mailed  direct,  f 
avoid  its  being  overhauled  at  the  Distributing  offices. 

N.  BTjF8  We  shall  take  time  to  mail  all  the  seeds  care¬ 

fully  and  regularly.  This  will  occupy  the  entire  months 
of  January  and  February.  Those  going  to  distant  points 


JOHN  JONES. 

BARRY  ISM 
DA  HE  CO. 
wis.  : 


1359. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


349 


and  to  the  Southward  where  the  seasons  are  earlier,  will 
bo  mailed  first. 

LIST  OF  SEEDS. 

Field  Seeds. 

2— Improved  King  Philip  Corn— Single,  double,  or 
triple  packages,  as  may  be  desired,  requiring  one,  two,  or 
three  3-cent  stamps. 

S — Stowell’s  Sweet  Corn — Same  packages  as  No.  2. 

94 — Crystal  Flint  or  Hominy  Corn— Same  as  No.  2. 

G — Ashcroft’s  Swedish  Turnip— Half  of  3-cent  stamp. 

7—  River’s  Swedish  Stubble  Turnip—  do.  do. 

70 — Waite’s  London  purple-top  Swede  Turnip — do. 

5)S  —  Long  Red  Mangold  Wurtzel — One  3-cent  stamp. 
101— Improved  Long  Orange  Carrot— 1  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 

Vcg-clable  or  (Harden  Seeds. 

8 —  Daniel  O’Rourke  Pea — Packages  same  as  No.  1 . 


9— Champion  of  England  Pea- 

One  3-cent 

stamc. 

99— Prince  Albert  Pea — 

do. 

do. 

57 — Eugenie  Pea- 

do. 

do. 

58— Napoleon  Pea — 

do. 

do. 

1  2— Green  Kohl  Rabi— One-third  of  a  3  cent  stamp. 

13— Enfield  Market  Cabbage- 

do. 

do. 

16 — Mammoth  Cabbage  Lettuce- 

-  do. 

do. 

63— London  Particular  Long  Scarlet.  Radish- 

-do. 

64 — Extra  Red  Round  Turnip  Radish— 

do. 

160— Early  Purple  Cape  Broceli- 

-  do. 

do. 

21— Winter  Cherry- 

do. 

do. 

95— Hubbard  Squash- 

do. 

do. 

102— Mammoth  Leghorn  Squash 

—do. 

do. 

tOS  —Mammoth  Pumpkin — 

do. 

do. 

109— Mammoth  Red  Tomato- 

do. 

do. 

72— Imported  Brussels  Sprouts — 

do. 

do. 

76— Musk  Melon — 

do. 

do. 

77— Water  Melon — 

do. 

do. 

103— Sage- 

do. 

do. 

104— Thyme- 

do 

do. 

105— Chili  Red  Pepper- 

do. 

do. 

106— Sweet  Marjoram— 

do. 

do. 

1 7— Red  Strap-Leaf  Turnip — One-half  of  a  3-cent  sta 

74 — Solid  White  Celery — 

do. 

do. 

75— Green  Curled  Endive — 

do. 

do. 

55— White  Globe  Onion — 

do. 

do. 

7 1— Long  White  French  Turnip — One  3-cent  stamp. 

1  07— Giant  Asparagus —  do.  do. 

Flower,  Fruit,  and  Ornamental  Seeds. 

89—  Cotton  Plant  (2  kinds)— One  3-cent  stamp. 

90—  Norway  Spruce  Seed— One-half  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 

9 1 — Arbor  Vita;  Seed —  do.  do. 

1  1  2— Broad-Leaved  Laurel —  do.  do. 

til — Castor  Oil  Bean—  do.  do. 

fl  HO*— New- Rochelle  Blackberry — I  of  a  3cent-starnp. 

*  (No.  110  is  offered  only  in  very  small  quantity,  and 
only  to  those  distant  from  access  to  the  roots.) 

On  an  average  about  Jive  of  the  following  40  varieties 
will  go  under  a  3 -cent  stamp. 


S3— Snap  Dragon. 

84 —  African  Marigold. 

85—  Gaillardia,  mixed. 


23 — Mignonette. 

25— Mixed  Nasturtiums. 

27- Extra  Cockscomb. 

29—  Double  Balsams, mix’d.  8G— Euphorbia,  mixed. 

30—  Tassel  Flower.  87— Coreopsis. 

31—  Chinese  Pink.  ii3— Double  Sun  Flower. 

32 —  Portulaccas,  mixed.  114 — Mixed  Petunia. 

33—  Cypress  Vine.  115— Mix.  Dbl.  Hollyhocks 

34—  China  Asters,  mixed.  1 1G— Mourning  Bride. 

35—  German  Asters,  mixed. 1 17— Mix.  Dbl. Wallflower. 

38— Sweet  William.  118  — Bee  Larkspur. 

40— Escholtzia  Californica.l  1 9— M’dChrysanlhemurns 
42— Foxglove.  120— Clematis  (Climber,) 

47 — Morning  Glory,  mixed. 121 — Trumpet  Creeper. 

49 —  Candytuft.  122 — M’d  Canterbury  Bells 

50—  Schizanthus.  123— Gilia  nivalis. 

51—  Phlox  Drurnmondii.  124 — Whitlavia. 

78— Ageratum  Mexicanum.125— Ipomopsis  (standing 

80—  Yellow  Hawkweed.  cypress). 

81 —  Canary  Bird  Flower.  1 26— Long-tubed  Centran- 

82—  Thunbergia.  thus.  \ 


Agricultural  Lectures,  Discussions,  etc,, 
at  'STale  College,  oil  a  Grand.  Scale, 


We  are  happy  to  announce  the  completion  of  the  ar¬ 
rangements  which  have  been  in  progress  during  many 
months  past,  for  a  grand  agricultural  gathering  at  Yale 
College,  the  coming  Winter.  It  is  proposed  to  have  what 
may  be  termed  a  great  agricultural  “  protracted  meeting” 
to  last  through  the  month  of  February,  or  longer — say 
about  thirty  working  days.  The  exorcises  are  to  consist 
of  lectures  by  leading  reliable  mon,  eminent  in  the  differ¬ 
ent  departments  of  agriculture,  horticulture,  stock  raising, 
etc.  About  a  hundred  lectures  are  provided  for,  two  to 
four  a  day,  each  lecture  being  followed  during  the  day 
and  evening  by  conversational  exercises,  questions  to  the 
lecturers,  and  discussions.  Twenty  gentlemen  have  been 
addressed,  and  have  consented  to  take  part  in  the  exer¬ 
cises  as  lecturers  and  teachers,  including  Cassius  M.  Clay, 
and  Frederick  Roche,  etc.,  on  Cattle  ;  Dr.  Gulliver,  on 
Horses;  C.  L.  Flint,  and  others,  on  the  Dairy  ;  Dr.  Asa 
Fitch,  on  Entomology ;  the  Hon.  M.  P.  Wilder,  Dr. 
Grant,  and  Mr.  Barry,  on  Fruits;  Professor  Porter,  on 


Organic  Chemistry  ;  Prof.  S.  W.  Johnson,  on  Agricultural 
Chemistry  ;  Jno.  Stanton  Gould,  on  Grasses  and  Irriga¬ 
tion;  Judge  French,  on  Draining;  Professor  13  ewer,  on 
Commercial  Plants  (flax,  hemp,  tobacco,  etc.)  ;  Geo.  B. 
Emerson,  on  Forest  Trees  ;  Dr.  Comstock,  on  Fish  Cul¬ 
ture  ;  Donald  G.  Mitchell  (Ik  Marvel,)  on  Rural  Econo¬ 
my  ;  &c.,  &c.  • 

The  exercises  are  to  take  place  in  the  old  Medical  Col¬ 
lege  buildings,  now  being  newly  fitted  up  with  large  lec¬ 
ture-rooms,  for  the  use  of  the  Scientific  Department  of 
Yale  College.  The  arrangements  are  under  the  auspices 
of  the  College.  The  w  hole  is  to  be  free,  except  the  nom¬ 
inal  charge  of  say  ten  dollars,  or  less,  to  meet  the  neces¬ 
sary  traveling  expenses  of  lecturers,  and  other  incidentals. 

The  plan  reflects  great  credit  upon  the  originator,  Prof. 
John  A.  Porter,  (Professor  of  Organic  Chemistry,  at.  Yale 
College,)  who  may  be  addressed  at  Nevv-Haven,  Conn., 
for  full  particulars.  The  occasion  will  doubtless  be  one 
of  great  interest  to  cultivators  generally,  and  call  togeth¬ 
er  a  very  large  attendance  Irom  all  parts  of  the  country. 

- - — «*E3  EZXtt- - *-<5* - 

Circulation  of  the  Agriculturist. 

The  number  of  subscribers  has  constantly  gone  upward 
from  the  day  we  first  obtained  full  proprietorship  until  the 
present  time,  so  that  it  is  now  greater  than  ever  before. 
Some  interest  has  been  manifested  to  know  what  is  the 
bona  fide  circulation,  and  efforts  have  been  made  in  some 
quarters  to  depreciate  the  amount.  To  set  all  queries 
and  surmises  at  rest,  we  present  the  statement  be¬ 
low  which  will  not  be  questioned.  To  make  out  a  fair 
show  of  tho  past,  we  give  the  average  for  a  whole  year. 
The  present  circulation  is,  of  course,  much  larger  (80,000 
are  to  be  printed  of  this  November  No.) 

Steam  Press  Rooms,  16  &  18  Jacob-sl.,  ) 
New-York,  September  16th,  1859.  j 

This  is  to  certify  that,  by  request  of  the  proprietor,  Mr. 
0.  Judd,  I  have  this  day  examined  my  book n,  and  find 
that  during  the  past  twelve  months ,  I  have  printed  of  reg¬ 
ular  copies  of  the  American  Agriculturist,  2,166  Reams 
of  500  sheets  each  (1,08:1,000),  or  an  average  of  180  1-2 
Reams  per  month.  As  each  copy  contains  two  sheets, 
this  is  an  average  of  Forty-i'ivo  thousand  one 
hundred,  and  twenty-five  (45,125  )  perfect 
copies  per  month  JOHN  A.  GRAY. 

Affirmed  (sworn)  to  before  me,  this  16th  day  of  Septem¬ 
ber,  1859.  J.  0.  IIargeb,  Commissioner  of  Deeds. 


S^brtmmntfs. 

Advertisements  to  be  sure  of  insertion  must  be  re¬ 
ceived  at  latest  by  the  1 5th  of  the  preceding  month. 

TERMS  —  (invariably  cash  before  insertion): 

FOR  THE  ENGLISH  EDITION  ONLY. 

Twenty-five  cents  per  line  of  space  for  pnch  insertion.  About 
9  words  make  a  line,  if  undisplayed. 

One  whole  column  (145  lines)  or  more.  S30  per  column. 
Business  Notices  Fifty  cents  per  line. 

FOR  THE  GERMAN  EDITION  ONLY. 

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One  whole  column,  (130  lines),  or  more,  Sll  per  column 
tsf  Business  Notices  twenty  cents  per  line. 

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Thirty-one  cents  per  lino  ;  S38  per  column. 

Business  Notices  Sixty-five  cents  per  line. 


A  STOUT  AMERICAN  BOY  of  15  wish- 

es  to  put  himself  with  a  truck  farmer  who  raises  enrly 
vegetables  for  market.  He  has  some  knowledge  of  farming. 
Apply  to  Mr.  J.  T.  SHEPPARD,  17  Spruce-st.,  New-York. 


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and  interesting  tales,  sketches,  science,  essays  on  given  subjects, 
useful  receipts,  amusing  pastimes.  The  voung  chess  player,  &c. 

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SCHOOL  TEACHERS  WANTED.— The 

►^subscriber  wishes  to  engage  the  services  of  a  few  School 
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FORT  EDWARD  INSTITUTE,  a  Board- 

ing  Seminary,  for  ladies  and  gentlemen,  superb  brick 
buildings. 

Winter  Term  opens  December  1st,  1839. 

Spring  Term  opens  March  23,  1860. 

Board  at  $2  per  week.  Tuition  at  corresponding  rates. 
Superior  facilities  for  Music.  Painting  anu  French.  Ladies 
graduating  are  guaranteed  desirable  situations  to  teach. 
Students  received  at  any  time,  and  charged  only  for  the  residue 
of  the  term.  For  Catalogues  address 

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Fort  Edward,  N.  Y. 


Farmers  and  gardeners  sending 

their  P.  O.  address  to  us  will  receive  by  mail  gratis,  our  il¬ 
lustrated  Almanac  for  1860,  and  information  concerning  Agri¬ 
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P.  O  address  of  good  farmers  in  your  town. 

GRIFFING  BROTHER  &  CO..  60  Cortlandt-st.,  N.  Y. 


NOW  READY  for  delivery  SEV- 

eral  pairs  of  superioi  Essex  Pigs,  bred  from  st^ck  of  my 
own  importation.  SAML.  THORNE, 

Thorndale,  Washington  Hollow,  Dutchess  Co  ,  N.  Y 


THE  NEW  YORK  OBSERVER, 

THE  LARGEST  NEWSPAPER  IN  THE  WORLD 
NATIONAL,  CONSERVATIVE,  RELIGIOUS; 

BELONGING  TO  NO  PARTY  IN  POLITICS,  AND  TO  NO  SECT  IN 
RELIOION. 

Edited  by  a  Cprps  of  Clergymen  and  Laymen  of  large  experi¬ 
ence,  having  the  most  Eminent  Writers  of  the  day 
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eign  Correspondence  unrivaled. 

It  is  the  most  complete 

FAMILY  NEWSPAPER 

that  can  be  made ;  is  published  weekly  on  a  large  DOUBLE 
she*t— equal  in  the  quantity  of  matter  and  paper  weekly,  to  the 
Agriculturist — so  that  it  may  be  separated,  making 
TWO  DISTINCT  PAPERS, 

pfa/1  ^or^ec^  *n  itself.  No  other  newspaper  is  made  upon  this 

The  Secular  sheet  contains  a  full  report  of  all  the  News  of 
the  Day ;  a  vas?  amount  of  miscellaneous  reading;  poetry  and 
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world— giving  the  latest  reports  of  the  Money.  Produce,  anu 
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making  a.  delightful  Sabbath  companion,  and  furni>hing  a  vol- 
umn  of  interesting  and  instructive  reading  every  week.  The 
best  and  most  accomplished  Clergymen,  Presidents  and  Profes¬ 
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THE  BUILDING  NEWS, 

A  WEEKLY  JOURNAL 

FOR  THE  BUILDER,  ARCHITECT,  FARMER,  AND 
DEALER  IN  REAL  ESTATE. 


fflfTwo  Bkollsai’s  pea*  AEaaiaaiaa  ^3 


Published  by  JOHN  HILLYER, 

120  John- street,  New-York. 


Every  fSeadev  «f  tSae  Agriculturist 

Will  please  send  for  our  new  Catalogue  of 
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mailed  free  to  all  applicants. 

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350 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


THE  PLANTING  SEASON  FOE  TEEES 

HAVING  ARRIVED, 

PARSONS  &  COMPANY 

invite  the  attention  of  those  about  planting, to  their  large  col- 
lection  at  _  _ 

FliUSKIIG,  li.  S. 

Our  FRUIT  TREES  AND  PLANTS  are  of  vigorous  growth, 
and  the  best  quality,  and  the  Ornamental  Department  contains 
EVERGREEN  AND  DECIDUOUS  TREES, 
in  great  variety  and  of  handsome  form. 

Those  commencing  or  adding  to  their  stock  of 
GREEN-HOUSE  PLANTS, 

will  find  with  us  all  that  they  need.  Wehave  now  a  large  and 
very  choice  collection  of 

©rein  ids, 

many  of  them  of  great  variety  and  beauty. 

We  deliver  goods  at  Fulton  market  wharf  free,  and  we  invite 
purchasers  to  visit  our  grounds,  or  to  select  from  the  different 
Catalogues,  which  will  be  forwarded  by  mail,  and  can  also  he 
obtained  at  179  Broadway,  New-York. 


LAWTON  OR  NEW  ROCHELLE  )  Trail,,  -  hpawv 
NEW  ROCHELLE  OR  LAWTON  J  11  $ 

GsF'PRICES  REDUCED.^} 

The  undersigned,  Agents  for  Messrs.  George  Seymour  &  Co., 
and  other  first  class  cultivators,  offer  plants  of  the  above  re¬ 
markable  fruit,  at  tlie  following  very  low  rates : 

1000  planls _ $50  00  |  100  plants . $6  00  I  25  plants .  $2  00 

500  plants _  25  00  |  50  plants .  3  50  | 

Warranted  genuine.  DREW  &  FRENCH, 

Produce  and  Com.  Merchants,  No.  6  Erie  Buildings. 

'(3?*  We  have  issued  the  seventh  edition  of  our  pamphlet,  (22 
pages.)  on  the  History,  Culture,  and  Success  of  this  remarkable 
Frn  t,  containing  full  details  of  the  results  of  the  culture  of 
the  Season  just  closed— which  we  will  forward  on  receipt  of 
nine  cents  in  postage  stamps. 

REW  ROCHELLE  OR  LAWTON 

BLACKBERRY  SEEL. 

We  offer  for  sale  to  those  living-  at  a  distance,  several  quarts 
of  the  above  Seed  of  the  past  season’s  growth. 

We  have  reproduced  the  fruit  from  seed,  several  times,  and 
in  all  cases  it  has  proved  fully  equal  to  the  original. 

Price  per  qnart . $6  00 

Price  per  package  of  2000  seeds . $1  00 

GEO.  SEYMOUR  St  CO. 

South  Norwalk,  Ct.,  Sept.  21,J859^ _ _ __ 

LAWTON  BLACKBERRY; 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

WM.  LAWTON,  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 


The  Allen  Raspberry. 

The  best  hardy  Raspberry  in  Cultivation — of  larg-e  size,  high 
flavor,  and  very  productive. 

“  The  Allen  Raspberry  is  one  of  which  a  great  deal  may  be 
expected,  as  exhibited  with  us,  for  its  large  size,  bright  red 
color,  firmness  for  carriage,  uniformity  of  yielding,  and  com 
plete  hardiness E.  J.  Hooper ,  See.  Cincinnati  Horticultural 
Society  in  August  Horticulturist. 

The  “  Allen  ”  took  the  first  prize  in  a  large  competition  of 
Raspberries  at  the  Cincinnati  Show  in  June  last. 

Geo.  Seymour  &  Co  ,  of  Norwalk^  Conn.-— extensive  berry 
growers — after  trying  fifty  plants  in  bearing,  ordered  a  thousand 
plants  more  of  me,  remarking  that  “  for  all  good  qualities  com¬ 
bined,  the  “  Allen”  is  the  best  raspberry  we  have  seen  or  cul¬ 
tivated.” 

Wm.  Parry,  of  Cinuaminson,  N.  J  .  near  Philadelphia,  ditto, 
substantially  to  Messrs.  Sevmour  &  Co. 

“  Our  agent,  one  of  the  oldest  fruit  dealers  in  Washington 
Market,  New-York,  informs  us,  that  no  better  raspberry  comes 
into  market  than  the  ‘Allen.’”  H.  &  J.  Carpenter,  Pough¬ 
keepsie,  N.  Y. 

Price  $40  per  1000;  $5  per  100;  $1  per  dozen  plants,  well 
packed,  and  sent  per  express,  or  other  conveyance,  as  directed. 
Orders  wit  h  money  enclosed  will  be  promptly  answered. 

LEWIS  F,  ALLEN. 

Black  Rock,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  1,  1859. 


RUE  ALLEN  RASPBERRY  PLANTS, 

Lawton  Blackberry,  Linnaeus  Rhubarb,  Peach  trees,  etc. 
For  sale  low.  Address  EDWIN  ALLEN, 

New-Brunswick  Nurseries,  N.  J. 


T 


Milton  or  north  river  Ant¬ 
werp  RASPBERRY  PLANTS  for  sale,  at  $11  per  1000 
plants.  This  is  the  largest  and  best  variety  for  market  use. 
Address  E.  S.  WOOLSEY,  Milton.  Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y. 

BY  MAIL  —  POST-PAID  —  GRAFTS, 

VINES  and  PLANTS,  packed  in  moss  or  oiled  silk  •. 

Grafts  of  the  Baker  Apple  at . $0  50  per  dozen 

Concord  Grape  Cuttings .  1  20 

Concord  Grape  Vines,  suitable  for  mailing - 0  60  cts.  each 

Delaware  Grape  Vines . 2  50 

New  Rochelle  or  Lawton  Blackberry  Plants  ...  0  75  per  dozen 

Cahoon  Pie  Plants,  crowns . 1  00 

Peabody.  Wilson’s  Albany.  McAvoy’s  Superior 

and  other  choice  strawberries . 0  75 

Cash  or  stamps  must  accompany  orders,  which  will  be  filled 
as  soon  as  the  season  will  admit.  F.  A.  ROCKWELL. 
Ridgefield,  Conn.,  Nov.  1859. 

Hardy  Frsiil  Trees. 

HIGHLAND  NURSERIES,  SYRACUSE,  N.  Y. 
50,000  very  fine  2  yr.  Stand,  and  DVvarf  Pear,  $20  to  $30  per  100. 
10,000  extra  fine  2  yr.  Stand  Cherry,  $12  per  100. 

20,000  Isabella,  Catawba,  and  Clinton  Grape,  strong,  $50  to  $80. 
10,000  New  Rochelle  Blackberries,  $40  to  $60  per  1000. 

200,000  Apple  Roots,  grafted  to  order,  10,000  for  $50  in  Spring. 
600.000  Stocks — Apple  1  yr.  $3  ;  2  yr.  $4  ;  extra,  $6.  Cneriy,  $5 
to  $6.  Pear,  $8  to  $12.  Anger’s  Quince.  $10  to  $12. 
Plum  $12. 

Also,  Apple,  Plum,  and  Peach,  Quince,  Currants,  Raspberries, 
Strawberries,  Roses,  Mount,.  Ash,  Horse  Chestnut,  Shrub¬ 
bery,  Bulbous  Roots,  &c.,  for  sale  cheap  by 

COWLES  &  WARREN. 

LARGE  STANDARD  PEAR  TREES  FOR  SALE, 

At  our  Nursery  we  have  a  quantity  of  extra  large  Pear  Trees 
of  the  most  approved  kinds,  very  thriftv,  and  all  of  them  have 
been  trimmed  and  transplanted,  and  therefore  have  splendid 
tops  and  roots.  We  also  have  a  quantity  of  Apple,  Cherry  and 
Plum  Trees,  and  a  variety  of  other  trees,  vines,  Shrubs,  & c.,  (as 
above,)  for  sale  by  WICKHAM  &  BLOODGOOD, 

Tioga,  Tioga  Co.,  Penn. 


IOXA  ISLAX©  VIWES. 

A  new  edition  of  Descriptive  Catalogue  will  be  ready  by  the 
15th,  wh  -h.  will  be  sent  to  applicants  sending  a  three  cent 
stamp.  It  contains  additional  information  relative  to  planting, 
training,  an.:  the  management  of  vines,  with  a  full  and  accu¬ 
rate  descnpti  a  of  all  the  valuable  varieties  with  which  I  am 
acquainted  that  are  now  in  market. 

My  facilities  for  propagating  ( including  nearly  an  acre  of  glass) 
are  extensive,  and  in  consequence  my  plants  generally,  and  es¬ 
pecially  the  Delaware  Vines,  are  this  season  of  much  better 
quality  than  I  have  before  been  able  to  offer. 

Of  Large  Diana  Vines  my  stock  is  limited,  but  of  surpass¬ 
ing  excellence.  Of  Anna,  the  stock  is  also  small,  but  plants  of 
best  quality  ;  chiefly  large  layers  ready  for  bearing. 

For  prices  and  full  particulars  see  Catalogue. 

Of  Delaware  Vines,  besides  very  large  Layers,  I  have  a 
good  stock  of  exceedingly  Vigorous  plants  grown  in  the  open  air, 
for  such  as  may  prefer  them.  Of  these  the  wood  and  roots  are 
very  strong,  and  will  he  thoroughly  ripened  early  in  the  season. 

I  would  recommend  the  Herbemont  as  a  most  delicious  grape, 
and  a  great  acquisition  to  all  gardens  having  a  sheltered  expo¬ 
sure  not  more  than  one  degree  north  of  latitude  of  New-York. 
A  small  stock  of  very  large  layers  ready  for  bearing  now  for  the 
first  time  offered. 

Concord,  a  small  stock  of  remarkably  large  layers  for  imme¬ 
diate  bearing,  as  well  as  small  vines.  A  good  stock  and  very 
large  plants  of  Rebecca.  Canby’s  August,  which  is  synony¬ 
mous  with  Cape,  Alexander,  York  Madeira,  Hyde’s  Eliza 
Schuylkill  Muscadel,  Baldwin’s  Early,  etc.,  a  few  layers.  O  * 
the  following  a  very  limited  supply 

Allen’s  Hybrid,  (a  white  grape  equal  to  Chasselas.)  Logan  To 
Kalon,  (synonymous  with  Wvman,  etc  ,)  Cassidy,  Louisa  El 
singburg,  Clara,  Raabe,  Lenofr,  U  Village,  Early  Hudson  Gai 
rigue’s,  Hartford  Prolific,  Emilv 

Foreign  Vines,  a  good  stock — plants  vigorous. 

Downing’s  Everbearing  Mulberry,  a  small  stock  of  superioi 
plants,  1  and  2  years  old. 

Newman’s  Thornless  Blackberry,  (best  garden  variety)  a  few 
hundred. 

Wholesale  Catalogue  ready.  C.  W.  GRANT, 

Iona  Island,  near  Peekskill,  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y. 


PREMIUM  GRAPES. 

THE  GENUINE  NORTHERN 
MUSCADINE  ©RAPE 

Has  taken  the  First  Premium  at  the  State  Fair,  Albany,  1859, 
for  producing  four  entire  different  qualities  of  rich  high  flavored 
wine,  without  the  addition  of  any  thing  save  a  little  sugar  and 
water;  five  quarts  of  berries  producing  one  gallon  of  wine,  as 
we  make  it;  the  vine  perfectly  hardy,  verp  productive,  matur¬ 
ing  four  weeks  earlier  than  the  Isabella.  We  have  repeatedly 
been  offered  $8  per  gallon  for  the  wine,  and  20  cts.  for  tlie  fruit. 
Will  warrant  no  roots  genuine  that  we  do  not  raise  in  our  own 
Nursery,  as  many  have  been  sold  under  that  name,  entirely 
worthless. 

All  orders  for  this  truly  remarkable  Wine  Grape,  for  setting 
vineyards,  either  tins  Fall  or  next  Spring,  will  he  filled  in  rota¬ 
tion  as  they  are  received.  Liberal  discount  to  those  purchasing 
in  large  quantities.  Roots  mostly  two  and  three  years  old 
Price  Irom  One  Dollar  to  Three  Dollars  a  single  root,  intended 
to  produce  fruit,  if  set  this  fall,  next  season.  Cash  to  accom¬ 
pany  the  order.  J.  LEWIS,  )  Ap.PTlt«, 

D.  C.  BRAINARD,5  A&enls* 
New  Lebanon,  Columbia  County,  N.  Y. 


Grape  vines.— Isabella,  cataw- 

ba,  and  Northern  Museadine. — The  subscribers  being 
largely  engaged  in  the  Grape  culture,  now  offer  to  the  public 
several  thousand  Vines,  in  lots  to  suit  purchasers,  of  their  own 
raising,  with  prices  according  to  age  and  quality.  Particular 
attention  paid  to  the  forming  of  vineyards.  Address 

DEPEW’S  NURSERIES,  Nyack,  Rockland  Co.,  N.  Y. 
City  reference,  Mr.  John  W.  Towt,  No.  56  Beekman-st. 


(OH 

V^nat 


EAP  GRAPE  VINES  —Ail  the  best 

native  and  foreign  vines  at  low  prices.  A  large  stock  of 
Diana  and  Childs’  Superb  vines,  two  years  old.  One  good  plant 
each  of  the  Anna,  Delaware,  Diana,  Concord ,  Hartford  Prolific , 
Louisa ,  and  Rebecca ,  for  only  $ 5 !  Send  for  a  priced  Circular. 

D.  S.  HEFFRON,  Utica,  N.  Y. 


ARTFORD  PROLIFIC  GRAPE — War- 

ranted  genuine—  Cuttings,  $1.00  per  dozen,  (say  40  eyes  ); 
$2.00  per  2%  dozen,)  say  100  eyes.)  Vines,  1  year,  25  to  100  cts. 
each;  2  yrs.  $1.50  to  $2.00.  D.  S.  DEWEY,  Hartford,  Conn. 


H 


RAVENSWOOD  FRUIT  GARDEN  AND  NURSERY. 
Ravenswood,  L.  I.,  (near  New-York.) 

H.  c.  FREEMAN,  (late  Freeman  ft  Kendall,)  offers  at  whole¬ 
sale  and  retail,  a  large  and  well  grown  stock  of  the  following 
desirable  plants,  viz : 

Brinckle’s  Orange  Raspberry. 

MYatt’s  Linnaeus  Rhubarb. 

New  Rochei»e  or  Lawton  Blackberry. 

Delaware  and  Rebecca  Grape  Vines. 

Cherry  Currants, 

DwaRf  Pear  Trees— of  the  best  selected  varieties,  very 
fine,  2-year  old  trees. 

Also,  Newman's  Thornless  Blackberry,  Black  Naples  Cur¬ 
rants,  &c.  Address  H.  C.  FREEMAN, 

Care  Andrew  BRidgeman,  878  Broadway,  N.  Y.  City. 


JObbIcIb  BitlExms  Moots. 

just  published  our  Fall  Catalogue  of  BULBS,  Containing  our 
usual  extensive  assortment  of 
HYACINTH, 

TULIPS, 

LILIES. 

CROCUS, 

NARCISSUS, 

CROWN  IMPERIALS,  fee.,  fee. 
Also  choice  assortments  of  the  above  for  from  $1  to  $10  each 
made  up.  Catalogues  mailed  oh  application. 

J.  M.  THORBURN  &  CO.,  Seed  Warehouse, 

15  JohU-st.,  New-York. 

m  R.  F.  NICHOLS,  New-Orleans,  Ct 

Importer  of  fine  Cattle,  nnd  Wholesale  Agent  for  a3£=* 
several  Fruit  and  Flower  Nurseries 
Consignments  and  orders  solicited. 


AMDKE  ILEHOT’S  Nttrscries, 

AT  ANGERS,  FRANCE. 

The  proprietor  of  these  Nurseries,  the  most  extensive  in  the 
world,  has  the  honor  to  inform  his  numerous  friends  and  the 
public  that  his  CATALOGUE  OF  FRUIT  AND  ORNA¬ 
MENTAL  TREES,  SHRUBS,  ROSES,  SEEDLINGS, 
FRUIT  STOCKS,  &c.,  for  the  mesent  season  is  now  ready, 
and  at  their  disposal.  Apply  as  heretofore  to 

F  A.  BRUGUIERE, 

51  Cedar-street,  New-York. 


FAEI  PlfcOUtTCE 

Sold  o  sa  C  o  m  im  i  s  $  i  o  is , 

Such  as  Flour.  Butter,  Cheese,  Laid,  Ptov^ons  of  all  kinds, 
Grain,  Eggs,  Poultry,  Game,  & c.  &c- 

HAIGHT  &  EMENS,  2?6  In  out  St ,  New-York 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  AgnculturisU 

“  R.  H.  Haydock,  Cashiei  Market  Ba4tk,  New-York. 


A  VALUABLE  FARM  FOR  SALE— One 

and-a-half  miles  east  of  this  village  on  the  Clinton  rivei , 
330.  acres  of  choice  land,  with  200  acres  improved;  2  laige 
barns,  2  dwellings  (l  of  brick).  2  orcha’ds  ot  choice  apples,  1  oi 
pears,  plums,  cherries,  &c.  20  miles  horn  Dtflioit,  by  plank 
road,  1&  from  railroad,  and  on  a  navigable  liver  Address 
E.  WRIomr  HALL, 

Mount  Clemens  Macomb  Co  ,  Mich 


ILLINOIS  FARMS. — 3,000  acres  supe- 

rior  prairie  lands,  700  under  cultivation,  can  make  15  tp  20 
small  farms.  Two  railroads  within  5  miles,  and  only  86  miles 
from  Chicago.  Bargains  ofiereil  JOHN  W.  IIEDENRERG, 
Box  1462,  St.  Louis,  Mo _ 

NURSERY  FOR  SATE ,  OR ~FOR K M AN 

L  v  WANTED.  Owing  to  poor  health  I  wish  to  dispose  of  a 
Nursery  of  12  acres,  containing  50,000  voung  and  thrifty  Trees, 
besides  a  good  assortment  of  Shrubs  and  Plants.  The  business 
has  been  established  five  years,  has  b^en  increasing  each  year, 
and  there  is  no  other  nurserv  within  30  htii'es  If  not  sold  with 
in  a  few  months,  I  wish  to  employ  a  thoroughly  competent  man 
with  good  references,  to  manage  ihe  same. 

Westerlv,  R.  I  .T'Vl{N  TAYLOR 


Garden,  field,  herb,  flower, 

and  FRUIT  SEEDS. — The  subscriber  offers  a  large  as¬ 
sortment  of  Garden,  Field,  Flower,  Herb,  and  Fruit  Seeds  of 
American  and  Foreign  growth,  among  which  will  he  found 
FRUIT  SEED^ — Apple,  Pear,  Quince,  Plum,  Apricot,  Cher 
ry,  Currant,  Gooseberry,  Raspberry,  Strawberry,  Peach,  &c. 

HEDGES — Honey  Locust,  Yellow  Locust,  Buckthorn,  Osage 
Orange,  Arbor  Vitas,  &c. 

GRASS  SEEDS— Timothy,  Red  Top,  Orchard,  Blue,  Rve  or 
Ray,  Fowl  Meadow,  Sweet  Vernal,  Sanfoin,  Agrostis  Stoloniffe- 
ra,  Hungarian,  Millet,  Lawn,  Fescue,  &c. 

CLOVERS -Of  all  the  varieties. 

SCOTCH  OATS-SPRING  WHEAT— SPRING  RYE,  &e. 
DUTCH  BULBOUS  ROOTS— Of  all  kinds,  furnished. 
FRUIT,  ORNAMENTAL  TREES  and  SHRUBS  procured 
to  order,  (true  to  kind)  from  the  most  reliable  sourses,  and  for¬ 
warded,  carefully  packed,  to  any  part  of  tlie  country. 

BOOKS — All  works  furnished  at  publisher's  prices. 

Especial  care  is  taken  that  allseeds  are  fresh  and  true  to  their 
kind. 

Orders  by  mail  carefully  attended  to. 

Send  for  a  Catalogue.  For  sale  by 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st.,  N.Y. 


Russia  or  bass  mats,  selected 

expressly  forbudding  and  tying,  GUNNY  BAGS.T  WINKS, 
HAY  ROPES.  &c.  suitable  for  Nursery  purposes,  for  sale  in 
lots  to  suit  by  D.  W.  MAN  WARING,  Importer, 

248  Front  Street,  New  York. 


Caiutart’s  Portable  Zigzag,  and  Straight  Field  Fence. 

Patented  March  and  Sept.,  1858. 

Awarded  the  First  Premium  at  the  United  States  Fair  held 
this  year  at  Chicago,  Ill.,  also  at  the  N.  Y.  State  Fair,  held  at, 
Syracuse,  Oct.  5th,  1858.  where  all  the  Portable  Fences  referred 
to  in  the  October  Agriculturist,  page  300*  were  exhibited  and  in 
competion.  ,  .  ,  , 

For  Descriptions,  Terms,  &c.,  see  Circulars,  which  may  be 
had  of  CARHART  BRO’S,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


H 


AY  PRESSES. - 

ARTICLE. 


-A  VERY  SUPERIOR 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


H 


AY  AND  STALK  CUTTERS.— CORN 

■  SHELLERS,  FAN  MILLS,  in  great  variety. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


B 


YRAM’S  POTATO  DIGGER— We  have 

_ _  improved  this  implement  so  that  it  is  easily  converted  into 

a  Double  Mold-Board  Plow,  which  makes  it  the  most  useful  im¬ 
plement  in  use.  As  a  Potato  Digger  it  lias  no  equal. 

Price  of  Combined  Machine  $8. 

Manufactured  and  sold  by 

GRIFFING  BROTHER  &  CO., 

61)  Cortlandt-st.,  New-York  City.  * 


PLOWS,  CAST  IRON  AND  STEEL,  for 

every  variety  of  use.  Harrows,  Cultivators,  Hay  and  Stalk 
Cutters,  Grain  Mills,  Sugar  Mills,  Churns,  Pumps,  Sausage  Cut¬ 
ters  and  Fillers.  Fan  Mills,  Corn  Shellers,  Horse  Hoes.  Weeders. 
&c.  Carts,  Waggons,  Wheel  Barrows,  Store  Trucks,  Rond 
Scrapers,  Horse  Powers,  Threshers,  Cotton  Gins, Field  nnd 
Garden  Rollers,  Saw  Machines  Hay  Presses,  Ox  Yokes,  Ve¬ 
getable  Cutters,  &c.,  &c.,  in  gieat  variety,  of  most  approved 
patterns,  and  at  very  lowest  price  that  articles  sl™llar 
lity  are  or  can  be  furnished.  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


Ingersoll’s  Patent  Hay  Press. 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  More 
than  500  of  them  have  been  sold  in  tlie  last  two  years.  Price  S:.0 
and  $75,  delivered  in  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  satisfac¬ 
tion.  For  circulars,  containing  full  ii|f|YI"“Uon.  Address 
FARMERS'  MANUFACTURING  CO., 
Green  Point  P.  O.,  (Brooklyn,)  N.  Y, 


rPHERMOMETERS,  BAROMETERS,  &c.,  of 

L  reliable  aualily  and  va  rious  descriptions,  among  which 
arc  those  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes. 
Which  register  the  coldest  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  luring  the  24  hours,  in  the  absence  of  the  observer,  lor 
sale  by  D.  EGGEaT  &  SON,  2S9  Pearl  st. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


351 


PARKER  SEWING  MACHINE  CO. 
Family  Sewing  Macliisees. 
PRICE  $40.  COMPLETE. 

VERNON  &  CO., 

This  is  a  new  First  Class  Machine,  making  the  celebrated 
Grover  &  Baker  Stitch. 

BY  AUTHORITY  OF  THE  GROVER  &  BAKER  CO. 

These  machines  are  noiseless— run  rapidly— sew  from  two 
spools,  and  form  a  seam  of  unequalled  strength,  beauty,  and 
elasticity,  which  will  not  rip,  even  if  every  fourth  stitch  be  cut. 
They  are  unquestionably  the  best  in  the  market  for  family  use. 
They  will  HEM,  FELL,  STITCH,  RUN  and  BIND. 

THEY  WILL  DO  ANY  THING  THAT  ANY  OTHER 
MACHINE  CAN  DO.  .  ,  .  , 

Machines  highly  finished  in  calunets.  Heavy  machines  for 
manufacturing  purposes.  Hemmers  and  Binders  extra. 

WE  DESIRE  AN  ACTIVE,  EFFICIENT  AGENT  IN 
EVERY  CITY  AND  TOWN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

53^- SEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR.  All  orders  and  letters 
must  lie  addressed  VERNON  &  CO., 

CHARLES  PARKER,  Meriden,  Ct.,)  469  Broadway, 

President.  1 _ Ncw-York. 

M‘  ETALLIC  BAROMETERS.— Patented 

June  14,  1859. — Portable,  durable,  and  handsome.  One 
instrument  sent  by  express  on  receipt  of  five  dollars.  Warrant¬ 
ed  to  arrive  safe,  and  exchanged  if  not  satisfactory.  Descrip¬ 
tion  sent  by  mail.  VICTOR  BEAUMONT, 

No.  175  Center-st.,  New-York. 


Iron  Amalgam  Bells. 

We  are  offering  a  superior  class  of  cheap  Bells,  which,  while 
possessed  of  the  excellence  of  tone  and  sonorous  qualities  of 
brass  ones,  are  yet  made  of  an  amalgam  (chiefly  iron),  which  is 
afforded  a*  about  one-fourth  the  price  of  ordinary  bell  metal. 

. ~~  ’  ’  "tandard.  Price  $5. 

do.  8. 

do.  12. 

do.  18. 

The  latter  is  especially  adapted  to  Academies  and  Small 
Churches,  and  mav  be  distinctly  heard  three  miles.  On  receipt 
of  price  we  will  deliver  free  on  board  cars,  steamboats,  or  the 
Express  Co  .,  marked  to  any  address.  . 

HEDGES,  FREE  &  CO.,  No.  6  Mam-st.,  Cincinnati,  O. 


50  pound  Bell 

with  Yoke 

75 

do. 

do. 

100 

do. 

do. 

150 

do. 

do. 

Exeelsim’  Burr-stone  Mill. 

AGENCY  NO.  45  GOLD-STREET,  NEW-YORK. 


Mc/.S 


The  above  cut  represents  the  interior  of  our  farm  and  planta¬ 
tion  mill,  it  is  offered  for  sale  with  ihe  firm  conviction  that  it 
perfectly  meets  the  wants  of  farmers  and  planters,  does  splen¬ 
did  work  with  any  lior-e  power,  ami  will  last  a  life  time;  is  so 
perfect. y  simple  that  any  man  of  ordinary  intelligence  can  run 
and  kesp  it  in  order. 

Buv  no  mill  without  examining  the  merits  of  tlns.- 

Descriptive  circulars  sent  from  this  agency. 

Circulars  describing  Sanford’s  Anti-friction  Horse  Power- 
now  for  the  first  time  offered  for  sale— also  sent  hv 

J.  A.  BENNET,  Sole  Agent. 


RIFFING’S  ” 

xJTj 


EXCELSIOR  FAN 

r MILL  will  clean  60  bushels  per  hour.  All  who  use  it, 
acknowledge  it  the  best  fanning  mill  in  use. 

Price  S25.  Manufactured  for  and  sold  by 

■  GRIFFING,  BROTHER  &  CO., 

60  Court lamlt-street.,  New-York. 


CIDER  MILLS  AND  PRESSES.— M  INE 

PRESSES,  Cider  Screws,  of  various  best  patterns.  Horse 
Radish  Graters. 

Root  Cutters,  Apple  Parers,  C^ers^gmers. 


H 


ICKOK’S  CIDER  MILL  AND  PRESS, 

with  all  the  latest,  improvements,  sold  by 
GRIFFING,  BRO.  &  CO.,  60  Cortlandt-st.,  New-York. 


HORSE  POWER.— TAPLIN’SIMPROV- 

ED  CIRCULAR,  one  to  six  Horse.  I  am  now  making 
with  wood  or  iron  rim,  as  preferred.  Are  the  lightest  running, 
simplest,  least  liable  to  get  out  of  repair,  and  most  satisfactory 
Circular  Horse  Power  in  use.  Also,  ALLEN’S  ENDLESS 
CHAIN,  one  or  two  horse  power, strongly  and  well  made,  and 
works  with  the  greatest  ease  to  the  team.  Also  Bogardus', 
Hall’s,  Pitt's,  Wheeler’s,  Emerv’s,  and  other  powers. 

Threshers  and  Threshers  and  Cleaners  of  the  most  approved 
pattern.  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


Horse  powers,  threshers, 

Saw  Machines,  with  Saw, 

“  Hickok’s  ”  Cider  Mills  and  Presses, 

Fanning  Mills, 

Dog  Powers,  Churns,  &c. 

A  large  assortment  on  hand  at  lowest  market  prices,  at 
NORTH  RIVER  AGRICULTURAL  WAREHOUSE, 
60  Cortland t-street,  New-York. 


A  LBANY  TILE  WORKS,  Corner  Clin- 

ton-avenue  and  Knox-st.,  Albany,  N.  Y.— The  subscribers, 
being  the  most  extensive  manufaeturersof 
DRAINING  TILE 
in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand,  in  large  or  small  quantities, 
for  Land  Draining,  Round,  Sole  and  Horse  Shoe  Tile,  war¬ 
ranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this  country,  haid-burned,  and 
over  one  foot  in  length. 

Orders  solicited. 

Price  list  sent  on  application 

C.  k  W.  McCAMMON, 
Albany,  N.  Y. 


Important  to  Farmers. 
LEAVEKWOUTII 
CORN  HUSKER 


PRICE  3 

The  Subscriber  would  respectfully  call  the  attention  of  Far¬ 
mers  and  Dealers  in  Agricultural  implements  to  this  simple 
yet  important  invention. 

Having  made  arrangements  for  the  exclusive  right  to  manu¬ 
facture  and  sell  this  Husker  for  the  State  of  New-Jersey,  the 
Counties  of  Westchester,  Putnam,  Richmond,  Kings,  Queens, 
and  Suffolk,  in  the  State  of  New-York,  he  is  now  prepared  to 
furnish  them  to  Farmers  and  Dealers  in  quantities  to  suit. 

Having  been  engaged  for  the  last  twelve  years  in  the  sale  of 
Agricultural  Implements,  he  flatters  himself  of  his  ability  to 
distinguish  between  a  useful  invention  and  one  of  no  practical 
utility,  and  confidently  thinks  that  the  Farmer  will  coincide 
with  him,  (after  seeing  the  Husker  in  operation,)  in  pronounc¬ 
ing  it  the  most  simple  and  best  Husker  invented. 

it  combines  with  its  simplicity  the  most  perfect  work  of  any 
machine  yet  invented  for  this  purpose,  anil  the  extreme  low 
price  for  which  it  can  be  afforded,  (3  dollars,)  brings  it  within 
the  means  of  small  as  well  as  large  Farmers. 

It  husks  corn  on  the  stalk  as  well  as  when  taken  off,  affording 
a  comfortable  seat  to  the  operator,  and  weighing  only  18  pounds; 
it  can  be  carried  in  one  hand  from  place  to  place  with  perfect 
ease.  A  boy  of  ten  years  being  able  to  do  the  work  as  well  as 
a  man. 

The  operator  has  merely  to  grasp  the  small  end  of  the  ear 
with  the  left  hand,  place  the  butt  against  the  gauge,  and  with 
the  right  hand  carry  forward  the  lever  with  a  quick  motion, 
loosen  the  hold  on  the  ear  and  carry  forward  the  lever  the 
length  of  the  arm.  By  this  simple  operation  the  ear  is  taken 
out,  leaving  the  husk  on  the  stalks,  and  corn  and  husks  are 
thrown  in  separate  piles. 

All  persons  wishing  to  purchase  machines,  will  address 
H.  R.  WESTERVELT  or  E.  H.  REEVES, 
with  JOHN  McNALLY, 
Agricultural  Warehouse,  197  Water-st.,  New-York. 

ff&F  Caution— All  persons  are  cautioned  against  purchas¬ 
ing  or  using  Leavenworth’s  Corn  Husker  in  the  above  territoiy, 
without  the  name  of  “  H.  R.  Westervelt,  N.  Y,”  branded  on 
each  Machine,  as  none  will  be  sold  by  him  without  the  name 
burnt  on,  and  no  others  can  be  sold  without  infringement. 


IRON  FINGER  NAILS 
For  Husking  Corn. 

GOULD’S  PATENT  HUSKING  THIMBLE  is  an  effectual 
remedy  for  the  excoriations  common  to  husking  corn  by 
hand. — Scientific  American. 

We  are  in  possession  of  more  than  200,000  letters  from  farm¬ 
ers  ia  high  standing  (in  all  parts  of  the  United  States,)  equally 
as  flattering  as  the  following.  Read  them  ye  who  have  corn  to 
husk,  or  wish  to  engage  in  the  sale  of  good  inventions : 

J.  H.  Gould  &  Co.,— Sirs;  I  send  inclosed  one  dollar  for  six 
pairs  of  your  Patent  Husking  Thumbles.  I  used  a  pair  last 
year,  and  I  prefer  them  to  all  the  great,  small,  or  Little  Giant 
Corn  Huskers.  Yours  truly,  A.  H.  BELL, 

Hillsboro,  Montgomery  Co.,  Ill.,  Nov.  27,  1858. 

J.  H.  Gould  &  Co.— Gentlemen :  I  send  enclosed  $1  for  six 
pairs  of  your  celebrated  Husking  Thimbles.  I  bought  a  pair  of 
you  last  fall,  and  have  used  them  for  husking  ever  since  ;  I  will 
never  tear  my  finger  nails  off  husking  while  I  can  get  them  ; 
they  will  out  wear  any  thing  of  the  kind  I  ever  saw,  and  for 
husking  they  can’t  be  beat.  Yours,  &c.  WM.  MORROW. 

Tiro,  Crawford  Co.,  Ohio,  Nov.  8,  1858. 

PRICES. 

We  send- by  mail,  free  of  postage,  to  any  P.  O.  address,  six 
pairs  of  Husking  thimbles,  assorted  sizes,  directions  for  using, 
circular,  &c..  for  $1 ;  Circulars  for  one  stamp.  Fifty  pairs  by 
express  for  $5.  Wholesale  prices  made  known  to  applicants. 
Agents  wanted.  Address  J.  H.  GOULD  &  CO.. 

Alliance.  Ohio. 

Mt.  Union,  Ohio,  July  19,  1858. 

To  the  Public. — This  certifies  that  I  am  personally  acquainted 
with  J.  H.  Gould,  of  Alliance  Ohio;  and  feel  free  to  state  for 
the  benefit  of  those  whom  it  may  concern,  that  he  is  of  a  good 
business  character,  able,  honorable,  and  reliable.  I  would  also 
state  that  his  invention,  (the  Husking  Thimble.)  stands  very 
high  in  the  estimation  of  agriculturists  in  this  vicinity. 

This  Implement  will  doubtless  bear  the  scrutiny  of  science 
and  the  practical  operations  for  which  it  is  designed. 

Very  respectfully,  Prof.  O.  N.  HARTSHORN, 

Pres.  Mt.  Union  College 


Keep  yowr  Feet  ©ry 

AND 

Preserve  your  Health. 

The  long  sought  for  principle  of  making  leather  perfectly  wa¬ 
ter-proof,  without  injuring  it,  has  at  last  been  discovered. 

A.  BROWER’S  PATENT  WATER  PROOF  COMPOSITION 
FOR  LEATHER. 

makes  Boots,  Shoes,  Hose,  Harness  and  all  Leather  perfectly 
impervious  to  water  by  a  single  application,  and  warranted  to 
keep  so,  at  the  same  time  it  softens,  makes  the  leather  pliable, 
prevents  cracking,  will  polish  with  blacking  better  than  before, 
and  leather  will  last  at  least  one-fourth  to  one-third  longer  by 
using  it.  For  sale  by  A  BROWER  &  CO.,  4  Reade-st., 
and  by  all  the  principal  Boot  and  Shoe,  Hardware,  Druggist.  Gro¬ 
cery  and  Yankee  Notion  houses.  A  liberal  discount  to  agents. 

N.  B.  None  genuine  unless  signed  by  A.  BROWER. 


ITALIAN  BEES.  (“Apis  Ligurtica.'’)  1 

am  happy  to  announce  to  the  Bee  Keepers  of  the  U.  S.,  that 
I  have  arrived  safely  with  a  few  colonies  of  the  purest  Italian 
Bees  10  he  found  in  Europe.  I  will  he  prepared  to  furnish  the; 

gueens  in  the  ensuing  season  at  the  very  low  price  of  $12.50. 

very  order  must  he  accompanied  with  $2.50  to  insure  sincer¬ 
ity.  Due  notice  will  he  given  when  they  are  ready  to  send,  at 
which  time  the  $10  must  be  sent.  It  would  not  be  advisable 
for  persons  using  the  common  Box  Hive,  or  any  of  the  many 
swindle  traps,  called  patent  Bee  Hives,  as  they  can  not  without 
great  care  and  attention  be  kept  pure  in  such. 

The  Langstroth  Hive  is  the  only  one  adapted  to  preserve  the 
insect  in  its  original  purity.  Orders  when  received,  will  be 
numbered,  and  filled  exactly  as  received,  without  favor. 

P.  J.  MAHAN 

No.1720  Chestnut-st.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Cashmere  Croats. 

Persons  interested  in  the  history,  intioduction,  or  propaga¬ 
tion  of  these  rare  and  valuable  animals,  will  be  furnished  with 
a  pamphlet  free  of  charge,  on  application  by  letter  to 

RICHARD  PETERS,  Atlanta,  Georgia. 


CHOICE  FOWLS— I  can  spare  a  few 

of  each  of  the  following  varieties,  at  reasonable  prices, 
viz.:  White-faced  Black  Spanish,  Grey  Dorking,  true  Earl  Derby 
Game  with  white  legs  and  feet,  English  Black-breasted  Red 
and  English  Black  Gam^s.  Also,  Aylesbury  and  Rouen  Ducks, 
Bremen  and  brown  China  Geese,  and  a  few  of  the  large  Im¬ 
proved  Domestic  Turkey.  Send  for  priced  Circular. 

D.  S.  HEFFRON.  Utica,  N.  Y! 


FEMALE  ALDERNEYS,  and  Ayreshires, 

thorough  bred.  For  sale  bv 

ALFRED  M.  TREDWELL,  45  Fulton-st.,  N.  Y. 


S.  §.  Pease, 

MERIDEN,  CONN. 

Has  for  sale  a  few  pairs  pure  bred 

BLACK  SPANISH  FOWLS. 


Thorough  Bred  Stock. 

I  have  always  on  hand  for  sale,  which  will  be  put  upon  the 
railroad  cars  and  sent  carefully  by  Adams’  Express  to  purchas¬ 
ers,  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE,  SOUTH-DO  WN  SHEEP,  and 
SPANISH  HOGS.  C.  M.  CLAY. 

Address—”  Whitehall  Post  Office,”  Madison  County.  Ky. 


Domesticated  deer— a  few  pair  of 

yearlings,  fired  at  Springside,  may  be  had,  at  S30  per  pair. 
Po’keepsie,  July  I,  1859,  Apply  to  C.  N.  BEMF.NT. 


SAPONIFIER, 

OR 

CONCENTRATED  POTASH. 

A  new  article  for  making  Soap,  warranted  to  make  Soan 
without  Lime,  and  with  but  little  trouble.  One  pound  will 
make  12  gallons  of  good  strong  Soft  Soap.  Manufactured  and 
put  up  in  1.  2,  and  \  lb.  cans,  (in  small  lumps,)  at  the  Chal¬ 
lenge  Chemical  Works,  New-York. 

E.  R.  DURKEE  &  CO.,  Proprietors,  181  Pearl-st.,  N.Y 
also, 

PUKE  POTASH 

in  6  lb.  cans,  in  lumps,  for  sale  as  above. 


GUANO. 

We  would  call  the  attention  of  Guano  Dealers,  Planters,  and 
Farmers  to  the  article  which  we  have  on  hand  and  for  sale  at 

THIRTY  PER  CENT  LESS  THAN  PERUVIAN  GUANO 

and  which  we  claim  to  be  superior  to  any  Guano  or  fertilizer 
ever  imported  or  manufactured  in  this  country.  This  Guano  is 
imported  by  WM.  H.  WEBB,  of  New-York, from  Jarvis’  &  Ba¬ 
ker’s  Islands,  in  the  “South  Pacific  Ocean,”  and  is  sold  genu¬ 
ine  and  pure  as  imported.  It  has  been  satisfactorily  tested  by 
many  of  our  prominent  Farmers,  and  analyzed  by  the  most  em¬ 
inent  and  popular  Agricultural  Chemists,  and  found  to  contain 
(as  will  be  seen  by  our  circulars)  a  large  per  centage  of  Bone 
Phosphate  of  Lime  and  Phosphoric  Acid ,  and  other  animal  organ¬ 
ic  matter,  yielding  ammonia  sufficient  to  produce  immediate 
abundant  crops,  besides  substant  ially  enriching  the  soil.  It  can 
be  freely  used  without  danger  of  burning  the  seed  or  plant  by 
coming  in  contact  with  it,  as  is  the  case  with  some  other  ferti¬ 
lizers;  retaining  a  great  degree  of  moisture,  it  causes  the  plant 
to  grow  In  a  healthy  condition,  and  as  experience  has  proved, 
free  of  insects.  For  orders  in  any  quantity,  (which  will  be 
promptly  attended  to,)  or  pamphlets  containing  full  particulars 
of  analyses  and  tests  of  farmers,  apply  to 

JOHN  B.  SARDY,  Agent, 

No.  58  Sonth-st.,  corner  of  Wall-st.,  New-York. 


GUANO!  ! — The  superiority  of  Phosphat- 

ic  over  Ammoniacal  fertilizers  in  restoring  fertility  to 
worn  out  lands,  is  now  well  understood.  The  subscribers  call 
the  attention  of  Farmers  to  the  SWAN  ISLAND  GUANO, 
which  for  richness  in  Phosphates  and  Organic  matter  ana 
its  solubility  is  unsurpassed. 

For  sale  at  $30  per  ton  of  2,000  lbs.,  and  liberal  discount  wiR 
be  made  by  the  cargo. 

Circulars,  with  directions  for  use,  may  be  had  on  application 
at  our  office  FOSTER  &  STEPHENSON, 

65  Beaver-street.  New-York. 
Agents  for  the  ATLANTIC  &  PACIFIC  GUANO  CO. 


Dried  Blood  and  Wool  Manure. 

A  new  and  valuable  Fertilizer,  containing  a  large  propt>rt'*M 
of  nitrogenous  matter.  Price  $30  per  ton,  in  barrels  c^nt^n** 
200  lbs.  No  charge  for  package.  Also,  Peruvian  and  America* 
Guano,  Bone  Dust,  Phosphates,  Plaster,  &c. 

R  L.  ALLEN, 

New-York  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed-store, 

191  Watcr-ot.,  New-York. 


BONE  MANFRE. 

SAWINGS,  TURNINGS  AND  CRUSHED  BONES 
for  sale  by  themanufactnrers,  in  large  or  .mall  quantities. 

A  LISTER  &  CO., 
Tarrytqirn,  Westchester  Co.,N.  Y. 


BONE  DUST — Fino  ground  Bone  Saw- 

ings  and  Turnings  and  coarse  bone  for  graperies— -war¬ 
ranted  a  pure  article.  Also  Guano,  Phosphate,  and  Blood  ihv.I 
Wool,  for  sale  at  low  rates.  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st 


352 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


THE  §EJE3»  ©SSTSeiBUTIOW. 


Contents  for  Hovember,  1859. 


Advertising — Information  Gratis. .  V . Illustrated. .  326 

Air— Compressed  as  a  Motive  Tower . 332 

Animals— Kindness  vs.  Whip  and  Spur . 333 

Apples— Falling  Before  Ripe . 339 

Apples-  What  Seeds  to  Plant . 339 

Apples— What  Varieties  to  Cultivate . 338 

Bees — Italian . 346 

Bees — Apiary  in  November . 323 

Bees  and  Tin  Pans  again . 331 

Bees— Noto  to  Correspondents . 325 

Blackberries— New-Rochelle,  from  Seed . 339 

Books— New  American  Cyclopaidia .  346 

Bound  Volumes— Binding— Covers . 347 


Boys’  and  Girls’  Columns— Editor  with  his  Young 
Readers— Stingy  Folks— Saving  Money— Savings 
Bank— The  Crows  and  Dog — The  Hen  and  Pig — 
Tho  Cat  and  Squirrel — The  Cat  and  the  Horse 
— Gathering  Chestnuts — What  Imagination  Will 
Do — More  Scared  Than  Hurt —  About  the  Prob¬ 
lems — Illustrated  Rebus — Agricultural  Enigma- 


Grandmother  .  .  .7  Illustrations  .  .344,  345 

Calendar  of  Operations  for  the  Month . 322 

Capital  Required  for  Farming . 346 

Cattle— Bedding  for .  324 

Cattle-Breeding  In-and-in.  .by  Cattle  Breeder.  .V. .  .323 

Cattle — Description  of  Breeds . 346 

Check  Rein — Cruelly  of . 333 

Corn  Cleaner— A  Simple  Contrivance _ Illustrated.  .325 

Corn,  Use  for  food — A  First  Rate  Corn  Bread . 343 

Cuttings  for  Next  Spring . 341 

Drainage — A  Common  Error  in . 334 

Draining— Machinery  for  Making  Tiles. .Illustrated.  .325 

Exhibitions  in  Penn.,  N.  Y  ,  and  Conn . 347 

Farmer — An  Insane . 330 

Farm — Work  for  in  November . 322 

Fencing — Prize  Article  No.  VII t...  Wire  Fence . 327 

Ferrets  Wanted . 346 

Fever  and  Ague . 346 

Fleas— To  Exterminate . 346 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  in  November . 323 

Flower  Pit . Illustrated .. 340 

Flowers — Chrysanthemums,  Cultivation.  Illustrated.  .340 

Foliage— Autumnal . 326 

Garden — Fall  Wor  k  in . 339 

Garden — Kitchen  and  Fruit,  in  November . 322 

Gates  lor  the  Farm . Illustrated.  .332 

Grape  Vines — Prune  Now . 5  Illustrations. .  337 

Grapes — Michigan  Seedling . 346 

Green  and  Hot  Houses  in  November . 323 

Hair — Hints  on  Proper  Treatment  of . 343 

Harness — Oil  for . 345 

Horses — Management  of  Balky . 328 

Housekeeping — Girls  Should  Learn . Illustrated — 341 

Humbug — Agricultural  at  Washington . 326 

Humbugs,  Our  Exposure  of . 345 

In-Door  Work . .* . 341 

Insects— Grubs  in  Cattle  . 340 

Insects— To  Destroy  Weevil . 346 

Insects — Prevention  of  Cnroulio . 339 

Insects — Remedy  for  Chinch  Bug . 324 

Lantern  Blinks.  .XIII.  .A  Grand  Hen  Speculation. .. .331 

Manure — Muck  and  Lime . 334 

Manures— Superphosphates . 346 

Manure — Why  make  Compost . 346 

Market  Review,  etc . 347 

Millet . 345 

Mule  Race  in  Virginia . 332 

Mushrooms— Cultivation  of . 340 

November— Suggestions  for  the  Month.. .  Illustrated .  .321 

Onions  — Large  . 346 

Orchard  and  Nursery  in  November . 332 

Papers— “  Giving  away  ” . 348 

Papering  a  Room — Hints  on .  341 

Pitchfork — Gladding’s  Horse  Power .  Illustrated.  .328 

Plow — Fawkes’  Locomotive  Steam . Illustrated.  .329 

Plums — Securing  from  Curcuho . 339 

Potatoes— Prince  Albert  . 346 

Poultry — How  to  Fatten . 330 

Premiums  for  New  Subscribers . 348 

Premium  for  the  Boys  and  Girls . 345 

Professional  Pomposity . 345 

Protection  of  Trees  and  Plants  in  Winter . 337 

Prune  Grape  Vines  Now . 5  Illustrations.  .337 

Recipes — Cakes,  Lemon  Cheese,  Soda.  Lemon,  De¬ 
licate,  Sponge,  Caroline,  and  Cheap — English 
Plum  Pudding — Sweet  Potatoes  from  Irish  Pota¬ 
toes — Baked  Egg  Plant — Egg  Tea  or  Coffee . 343 

Rice — How  Grown  and  Prepared  for  Market.. II . 335 

Root  Structure — “Discovery”  in,  Not  New . 339 

Roses — Protection  for  Winter . 340 

Sap-Sucker — White  Breasted  Nuthatch.  .Illustrated. .333 

Seed  for  Di stribution— List  of . 348 

Silk  Worms  for  Europe . 346 

Slaughtered  Animals — Suspending. .  .2  Illustrations.  .332 

Smoke-Room  in  the  Attic . Illustrated.  .325 

Soldering — Practical  Instruction . 2  Illustrations.  .342 


Squash — Mammoth  Legtiorn . 327 

Strawberries— Monthly  . 346 

Sugar  Evaporator— Cook’s . 346 

Swamps— Use  for  Undrained . 346 

Tiles — Machinery  for  Making . Illustrated.  .325 

Tim  Bunker  on  Dress — In  Reply  to  His  Neighbors  .  .333 

Treat — An  Insane  Farmer . 330 

Trees — Is  the  Horse  Chestnut  Hardy! . 335 

Trees — Planting  Seeds  of . 345 

Trees— Removing  Pears  . 346 

Trees — The  Mammoth  of  California . Illustrated.  .336 

Trees — When  lo  Transplant . 337 

Tun  of  Hay — Cubic  Contents  of . 346 

Turnips— How  to  Keep . Illustrated.  .346 

Vase  Made  of  Moss . Illustrated.  .341 

Water  Pipes  — Lead  Poisonous  . 346 

Wine— How  Sparkling  is  obtained . 3i6 

Writing— Note  to  Beginner . 346 

Vale  College— Agricultural  Lectures,  etc . 349 


Again  vvc  have  the  pleasure  of  offering  to  our  subscri¬ 
bers  for  next  year  a  list  of  seeds  (embracing  93 
kinds)  from  which  every  one  is  invited  to  select  four  or 
five  parcels.  (See  page  348.)  Sinco  wo  originated  this 
plan  of  distributing  seeds  free,  nearly  half  a  million  par¬ 
cels  have  been  sent  out  by  us,  and  we  know  that  much 
has  thus  been  done  to  diffuse  the  germs  of  useful  plants, 
and  beautiful  flowers,  all  over  tho  country'.  A  very  few 
seeds  soon  multiply  and  spread  over  a  neighborhood,  and 
thence  still  wider.  Our  parcels  are  necessarily  small,  but 
in  every  case  there  is  enough  to  lay  the  foundation  of  fu¬ 
ture  abundance.  We  spare  no  pains  to  get  the  purest  and 
best  seeds  of  each  kind,  which  can  be  obtained  both  in 
this  country  and  on  the  other  side  of  tho  Atlantic. 

Many  New  Seeds  (Nos.  96  to  126)  are  added  to  our  former 
list  which  will  be  described  more  particularly  in  the 
first  number  of  the  next  Volume.  We  also  retain  in  our 
list  the  more  valuable  varieties  hilherto  offered,  for  those 
who  have  not  had  them,  and  especially  for  those  living  in 
the  remote  States  and  Territories  w  here  seeds  of  any  kind 
are  difficult  to  be  obtained.  The  seeds  will  be  sent  out 
during  January  and  February,  to  subscribers  for  1600. 
We  offer  them  thus  early  that  those  renewing  their  own 
or  sending  in  new  subscriptions  may  at  the  same  time 
send  for  the  seeds. 


Seeds  for  4!ie  Pacific  Coast. 

To  Subscribers  in  California  and  Oregon,  and  in 
Washington  Territory. 

To  save  the  heavy  postage  on  seeds  to  the  Pacific 
Coast,  we  propose  to  establish  a  Seed  Depot  in  Cal¬ 
ifornia,  from  whence  the  postage  to  Post  offices  in  Califor- 
nia  and  Oregon,  and  in  Washington  Territory  will  onlv 
bo  3  cents  per  half  ounce — the  same  as  given  in  our  list. 
If  subscribers  in  those  States  will  each  send  to  us  the  list 
of  such  seeds  as  they  desire  (4  or  5  parcels  eacti)  with  the 
required  amount  of  postage  (as  given  in  the  list)  the  seeds 
will  be  put  up  and  mailed  in  California,  to  which  place 
they  will  bo  forwarded  in  bulk  by  express  at  our  own  ex¬ 
pense.  The  seeds  will  be  forwarded  by  the  steamer 
of  Jan.  20th,  (or  perhaps  Feb.  4th)  and  application  should 
be  made  before  that  date,  as  none  but  those  actually 
applied  for  can  be  sent  at  that  time.— N.  B. — Each  subscri¬ 
ber  sending  for  seeds  to  go  in  this  package  should  write 
his  or  her  name  and  full  Post  office  address  on  a  slip  of  pa¬ 
per,  and  note  on  it  the  numbers  in  our  list  standing  against 
the  several  kinds  desired,  and  enclose  with  it  the  amount  of 
postage  needed  for  the  seeds.  Of  course  any  number  of 
persons  at  one  Post  office  can  enclose  their  slips  and 
stamps  to  us  in  the  same  letter. 

We  trust  this  effort  to  supply  them  with  seeds  at  an 
extra  cost,  will  be  reciprocated  on  the  part  of  our  distant 
Western  friends,  by  large  additions  of  new  subscribers. 

• - —A - - -  — - - 

“  THE  BAKER’S  D02EN” 

One  Month  More. 

We  can  not  well  afford  to  change  the  offer  that  was 
made  last  month,  in  regard  to  extra  numbers  ;  but  we 
are  earnestly  requested  to  continue  the  “  Baker’s  Dozen” 
offer,  by  a  large  number  of  persons  now'  engaged  in  get¬ 
ting  up  clubs  of  new  subscribers,  who  say  that  they  have 
commenced  by  promising  the  extra  numbers,  but  have  not 
yet  completed  their  lists,  and  they  ask  for  a  little  more 
time.  We  see  no  better  way  to  accomodate  all,  than  to 
hold  open  this  offer  for  about  a  month  longer,  though  we 
hope  all  who  can  do  so,  will  send  in  their  lists  early  this 
month,  that  the  names  may  be  properly  enrolled,  and  the 
November  number  forwarded,  before  we  begin  mailing 
the  Dec.  No. 

JC5TPleaso  let  it  be  understood  then  : 

The  November  and  December  number  of  this  year  will 
be  presented,  without  charge,  to  all  new  subscribers  for 
1860  (Vol.  19),  whose  names  reach  us  before  Dec.  1st. 
This  will  stilt  give  new  subscribers  a  "baker’s  dozen,” 
or  14  months  for  the  price  of  12. — After  Dec.  1st  only  one 
number  will  be  presented,  and  none  after  January  1st. — 
Exception.  Due  allowance  will  be  made  in  giving  ex¬ 
tra  numbers,  for  the  extra  time  required  for  new  subscri¬ 
bers  to  come  from  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  other  very  dis¬ 
tant  points. 

Explanatory. — We  have  three  motives  for  the  above 
offer  of  extra  numbers  : — 1st,  as  apremium  or  inducement 
to  new  subscribers— 2nd,  the  extra  numbers  thus  sent  out 
early,  are,  by  so  far,  specimens,  and  those  w  ho  receive 
them  usually  show  them  to  others,  anh  thus  more  new 
subscribers  are  obtained — 3d,  by  thus  drawing  in  early 
subscriptions,  we  have  more  time  to  have  them  properly 
arranged  in  our  books  by  our  regular  force  of  experienced 
clerks,  than  when  all  rush  in  at  the  beginning  of  the  year, 
involving  the  extra  expense  and  trouble  of  temporary  in¬ 
experienced  clerks. 


©ver  at  tSsc  Premiums. 


We  invite  special  attention  to  the  large  list  of  premi¬ 
ums  offered  on  page  348.  These  are  peculiar.  In  most 
cases  such  premiums  are  offered  for  competition,  and  on¬ 
ly  one  person  can  get  a  particular  premium  ;  and  there  is 
alw  ays  an  uncertainty  as  to  whether  some  unknown  per¬ 
son  may  not  be  better  circumstanced  to  get  a  larger  list, 
and  a  frequent  suspicion  also  that  favoritism  may  be 
in  some  way  shown.  Our  premiums  are  absolute,  de¬ 
pending  only  upon  a  given  number  of  names,  and  every 
one  knows  just  what  he  or  she  is  aiming  at.  These  pre 
miums  are  really  commissions  offered  to  canvassers,  for 
time  expended  in  exhibiting  the  paper  to  those  not  ae 
quainted  with  it.  With  tho  single  exception  of  one  of  our 
old  office  clerks,  Mr.  Whitman,  we  employ  no  agents. 
Every  person  so  disposed  can  act  as  a  voluntary  agent 
among  acquaintances,  and  receive  as  compensation  the 
articles  offered  in  our  premium  list.  The  past  year  over 
700  persons  have  earned  and  received  valuable  premiums 
from  this  office,  which  have  cost  them  no  money,  and 
comparatively  little  outlay  of  time.  We  shall  bo  happy 
to  have  the  number  doubled  this  year,  for  allhough  no 
profit  is  derived  the  first  year  from  new  subscribers,  whin 
these  premiums  are  given,  yet  the  sphere  of  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  is  extended,  and  sufficient  remuneration  will  come 
by  and  by.  We  expect  to  make  the  paper  good  enough 
to  retain  the  patronage  of  all  its  readers,  and  in  the  end 
to  derive  a  living  profit,  which  is  all  we  desire. 

- — - - - -  «» - 

An  Interesting  Announcement. 

While  the  Agriculturist  is  chiefly  devoted  to  subjects 
directly  connected  with  out  door  and  in-door  rural 
labor,  we  think  two  or  three  of  its  ample  pages  may  bo 
profitably  alloted  to  matter  of  a  miscellaneous  but  instruc¬ 
tive  character.  So,  while  24  to  26  pages  of  each  number 
are  given  up  to  the  immodiate  subjects  of  agriculture, 
and  horticulture,  yet  by  cutting  down  the  advertisements 
to  the  lowest  practicable  limit,  we  shall  still  have  two 
to  four  pages  for  other  matters  of  especial  interest  to  all, 
farmers  as  well  as  others. 

In  this  connection  we  have  the  pleasure  to  announce 
that  we  have  made  arrangements  with  a  leading  writer  and 
editor  in  one  of  our  most  popular  and  widely  circulated 
Magazines,  to  prepare  for  the  Agriculturist  a  scries  of  il¬ 
lustrated  chapters,  from  one  to  two  pages  in  each  num¬ 
ber,  giving  plain,  simple,  but  interesting  and  instructive 
descriptions  of  bow  various  things  in  common  use  are 
maile,  with  all  needful  engravings  to  make  tiie  subjects 
plain  even  to  children.  Thus,  the  chapters  will  describe: 
How  Pins  are  made;  How  Needles  are  made  ;  IIow  Nails 
are  made  ;  How  Matches  are  made  ;  How  Paper  is  made  ; 
How  Glass  is  made;  How  Wire  is  made;  Ilow  Soap  is 
made;  How  Candles  are  made;  How  Starch  is  made; 
How  Gun-Powder  is  made  ;  How  Coal  Gas  is  made  ;  and 
so  on  of  Hats,  Porcelain,  and  many  other  articles. 

With  the  skill  of  the  writer,  and  our  facilities  for 
procuring  good  engravings,  etc.,  we  beiieve  that  this  de¬ 
partment,  though  occupying  comparatively  but  a  small 
portion  of  the  paper,  will  alone  be  esteemed  far  beyond 
the  small  subscription  price,  by  every  class  of  readers. 


^nurirait  ^gnntlkrbf. 


(ISSUED  IN  BOTH  ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN.) 

A  thorough  going,  RELIABLE,  and  PRACTICAL 
Journal,  devoted  to  tire  different  departments  of  SOIL 
CULTURE— such  as  growing  field  CROPS;  orchard 
and  garden  FRUITS;  garden  VEGETABLES  and 
FLOWERS;  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  for  the 
LAWN  or  YARD;  in-door  and  out  door  work  around 
the  DWELLING;  care  of  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 
&c  &c. 

The  teachings  of  the  Agriculturist  are  confined  to  no 
State  or  Territory,  but  are  adapted  to  the  wants  of  all  sec¬ 
tions  of  the  country— it  is,  as  its  name  indicates,  truly 
American  in  its  character. 

The  German  edition  is  of  the  same  size  and  price 
as  the  English,  and  contains  all  of  its  reading  matter,  and 
its  numerous  illustrative  engravings. 

TERMS— INVARIABLY  IN  ADVANCE. 

One  copy  one  year . $1  00 

Six  copies  one  year . 5  00 

Ten  or  more  copies  one  year _ SO  cents  each. 

An  extra  copy  to  the  person  sending  15  or  more  names, 
at  80  cents  each. 

I^In  addition  to  the  above  rates  :  Postage  to  Canada  6 
cents,  to  England  and  France  24  cents,  to  Germany  21 
cents,  and  to  Russia  72  cents  per  annum 
Delivery  in  New-Yorkcity  and  Brooklyn,  12  cents  a  year. 

Postage  anywhere  in  the  United  States  and  Territories 
must  be  paid  by  the  subscriber,  and  is  only  six  cents  a  year, 
if  paid  in  advance  at  the  office  where  received. 

The  paper  is  considered  paid  for  whenever  it  is  sent, 
and  willbe  promptly  discontinued  when  the  time  for  which 
it  is  ordered  expires. 

All  business  and  other  communications  should  bo  ad 
dressed  to  the  Editor  and  Proprietor, 

ORANGE  JUDD, 

No.  189  Water  st ,  New-York. 


Designed  to  improve  all  Classes  interested  in  Soil  Culture 


AGRICULTURE  IS  THE  MOST  HEALTHFUL,  THE  MOST  USEFUL,  AND  THE  MOST  NOBLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  MAN  — Washinqtoh 


OISANOE  JUDD,  A.  HE., 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR. 


$1.00  PER  ANNUM,  IN  ADVANCE. 
SINGLE  NUMBERS  10  CENTS. 


VOL.  xviii.  No,  12.]  NEW- YORK,  DECEMBER,  '1859.  [new  series-No.  155. 


flJiip’OS’l'icc  lit  18!)  Water- §t.,  (Near  Fulton-st.) 
IlgPCon tents,  Tcinis,  <fcc.,  on  pace  37G. 


[copy  eight  secured.] 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1859, 
hy  Orange  Judd,  in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New-Ydrk. 

N.  IS.— Every  Journal  is  invited  freely  to  copy 
any  and  all  desirable  articles  with  credit,  and  no  use  or 
advantage  "ill  be  taken  of  the  Copy-Right,  wherever 
each-  article  or  illustration  is  duly  accredited  to  the 
American  Agriculturist.  ORANGE  JUDD,  Proprietor. 


American  Agriculturist  in  ©erman. 

The  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST  is  published  in 
both  the  English  and  German  Languages.  Both 
Editions  are  of  Uniform  size,  and  contain,  as 
nearly  as  possible,  the  same  Articles  and  Illustra¬ 
tions.  The  German  Edition  is  furnished  at  the 
same  rates  as  the  English,  singly  or  in  clubs. 


December. 


'On  blithesome  frolics  bent,  the  youthful  swains, 

While  every  work  of  man  is  laid  at  rest, 

Pond  o’er  the  river  crowd,  in  various  sport 
And  revelry  dissolved  ;  where  mixing  glad, 

Happiest  of  all  the  train  1  the  raptured  boy 
Lashes  the  whirling  top.  Or  where  the  Rhine 
Branched  out  in  many  a  long  canal  extends, 

From  every  province  swarming,  void  of  care, 

Batavia  rushes  forth  ;  and  as  they  sweep 
On  sounding  skates,  a  thousand  different  ways, 

In  circling  poise,  swift  as  the  winds,  along, 

.  The  then  gay  land  is  maddened  all  to  joy.— Thompson. 

December  is  here  knocking  at  the  door.  The 
new  month  comes  ;  not  as  in  Springtime  with  its 
hesitating  verdure  and  swelling  buds  ;  not  as  in 
Summer  with  its  garland  of  roses,  its  ruddy  ber¬ 
ries,  and  its  perfumed  breath  ;  not  as  in  Autumn 
with  its  purpling  clusters,  its  golden  harvest 
fields,  and  its  bursting  horn  of  plenty  ;  but  with 
sere  fields,  gathered  harvests,  and  threatening 
skies.  The  work  of  the  season  is  finished,  the 
forest  has  shed  its  leaves,  and  spread  a  thick 
warm  covering  over  the  tender  plants  and  flow¬ 
erets  beneath.  Active  labors  in  the  field  are  end¬ 
ed,  the  potatoes  are  dug,  and  the  corn  is  husked, 
and  garnered.  The  stock  are  in  comfortable 
quarters,  and  the  fatlings,  both  in  stall  and  sty, 
are  waiting  for  the  butcher.  Chill  winds,  fierce 
storms,  driving  snows,  have  taken  possession  of 
the  outer  world. 

But  there  is  an  admirable  compensation  in  all 
the  arrangements  of  “  Providence,”  and  what 
we  lose  in  one  direction,  we  gain  in  another  at 
this  cheerless  season.  The  frost  works  almost 
as  charmingly  as  the  sun,  and  the  snow  wreaths 
along  every  fence,  and  the  glittering  crystal  by 
every  Winter  stream,  open  to  us  such  worlds  of 
beaut}’,  as  make  us  forget  the  garlands  and  glo¬ 
ries  of  Summer. 

At  this  season,  too,  social  life  puts  on  new  as¬ 
pects,  in  city  and  country,  and  the  flowers  of  the 
heart  unfold  in  more  than  Summer  beauty.  It  is 
a  period  of  comparative  leisure  upon  the  farm, 
and  the  lads  and  lasses,  rallying  from  many  miles 


around,  gather  at  apple  parings,  quiltings,  bees, 
and  social  entertainments.  Families,  too  busy  to 
visit  in  Summer,  form  reunions  at  this  season, 
and  among  the  young  folks  unions  of  a  more  per¬ 
manent  character  often  date  from  these  Winter 
evening  parties" 

Tliis  month  brings  also  the  Christmas  holidays, 
a  season  of  social,  as  well  as  religious  enjoyment, 
to  a  large  class  of  our  population.  Whether  we 
have  the  true  date  of  the  birth  of  Christ  at  this 
festival  or  not,  it  is  well  that  we  celebrate  it  now. 
The  artificial  Spring  time,  that  the  Christmas 
greens  make  in  the  old  church,  is  all  the  more 
appreciated  that  it  comes  amid  Winter  snows. 
There  is  a  charm  about  the  box  and  the  myrtle, 
the  fir  and  the  cedar  that  we  weave  into  stars 
and  wreaths  to  adorn  the  pillars  and  arches  of  the 
sanctuary,  that  they  would  not  have  amid  the 
verdure  of  Summer.  And  the  social  enjoyments 
of  the  days  that  follow,  are  all  the  more  appreci¬ 
ated,  that  they  come  when  there  is  a  dearth  of 
out  door  delights,  and  a  season  of  rest  between 
the  toils  of  the  old  year,  and  the  labors  of  the  new- 

There  is  an  increasing  attention  paid  to  recre¬ 
ation  in  our  country,  that  we  regard  with  satis¬ 
faction.  That  wo  have  been  behind  the  European 
nations,  in  this  respect,  is  easily  accounted  for. 
A  century  is  but  a  short  time  in  the  life  of  a 
nation,  and  we  are  not  yet  out  of  this  period  of 
infancy.  It  was  natural  and  right,  that  we  should 
regard  the  necessities  of  life  first.  Our  fathers 
were  busied  in  laying  the  foundations  of  an  em¬ 
pire,  and  in  making  their  own  pecuniary  fortunes. 
They  had  the  forests  to  clear,  the  marshes  to 
drain,  the  school  houses  and  churches,  the  high¬ 
ways  and  bridges  to  build,  and  all  the  necessa¬ 
ries  and  conveniencies  of  their  social  and  religi¬ 
ous  life  to  create.  There  was  no  aristocracy 
among  us,  and  very  little  hereditary  wealth, 
even  in  the  oldest  part  of  the  country  ;  for  the 
wealth  of  every  generation  mainly  went  to  es¬ 
tablish  a  second  generation  in  a  new  region 
where  the  same  difficulties  were  to  be  encounter¬ 
ed.  A  people  thus  situated  are  almost  inevitably 
overworked.  The  sharp  features  and  care-worn 
expression,  the  imperfect  physical  development 
in  man  and  woman,  which  are  our  national  char¬ 
acteristics,  are  in  part  the  result  of  our  circum¬ 
stances  as  pioneers. — But  we  begin  to  see  our 
shortcoming  in  that  respect,  and  to  inquire  for  a 
remedy.  Young  America  will  not  long  be  content 
to  go  through  life  with  dyspepsia,  and  to  anticipate 
decrepitude  and  old  age  at  fifty.  He  will  profit 
by  the  experience  of  the  past,  and  husband  his 
energies  for  the  future.  He  will  not  live  so  fast 
in  youth,  that  he  may  live  a  little  less  fast  in  old 
age.  A  change  has  already  come  over  the  popular 
mind  in  this  respect,  and  has  taken  strong  hold 
of  our  cities,  villages,  and  seats  of  learning.  A 
gymnasium,  with  all  its  appliances  of  physical  de¬ 
velopment  and  training,  is  becoming  an  essential 
appendage  of  every  well  appointed  college. 
There,  the  men  who  are  to  control  public  opin¬ 
ion  a  few  years  hence,  are  taught  systematical¬ 


ly  to  develop  their  muscles,  and  to  take  care  ol 
their  bodies.  The  importance  of  this  four  year’s 
discipline  upon  the  future  professional  men  of  the 
country,  can  hardly  be  over-estimated.  The 
farmers’  sons  who  go  up  to  these  institutions,  (the 
great  majority  of  collegiates  hail  from  the  farm) 
are  enabled  to  retain  that  stamina  and  vigor 
which  they  have  gained  upon  the  soil,  and  to  car¬ 
ry  it  with  them  into  professional  life.  All  the 
students,  from  city  and  country  alike,  find  their 
health  conserved  by  these  exercises. 

The  gymnasium  and  riding  schools  are  becom¬ 
ing  city  institutions ;  and  lean  mechanics,  and 
cadaverous  clerks  are  cultivating  wicket  and 
base  ball  in  the  suburbs.  Out  door  sports  and 
amusements  are  becoming  fashionable,  and  the 
gentler  sex  are  aspiring  to  thick  soled  shoes,  long 
walks,  horsemanship,  boat  rowing,  and  skating. 

This  increasing  taste  on  the  part  of  our  women, 
for  out  door  exercise  in  broad  day  light,  is  one  of 
the  most  hopeful  signs  of  the  times.  The  distaff, 
the  spinning  wheel,  and  the  loom  are  gone  ;  and 
our  daughters  may  no  more  strengthen  theit  own 
muscles  as  they  beat  up  the  woof  of  homespun. 
It  will  be  some  compensation  for  the  loss  of  that 
golden  age,  if  amusement  can  be  made  to  do  for 
them,  what  work  did  for  their  mothers.  Outdoor 
recreations  must  be  pursued  in  daylight^  and 
this  will  have  a  tendency  to  draw  them  away 
from  the  midnight  parties  and  dissipation  which 
are  the  bane  of  our  social  life.  Late  hours,  las¬ 
situde,  and  liquors,  are  a  trinity  hard  to  be  sep¬ 
arated.  Any  thing  is  welcome,  that  will  draw  the 
young  to  rational  amusements,  to  the  pure  air 
and  sunlight,  to  the  associations  of  the  day,  and 
not  of  the  night. 

There  is  no  cordial  to  sound  lungs,  like  that 
of  the  atmosphere,  no  tonic  like  sunshine,  and 
woman  needs  them  quite  as  much  as  man. 
Skating  was  largely  patronized  the  last  season, 
and  we  trust  it  will  have  a  still  better  run  among 
the  ladies  the  present  Winter.  There  is  no  more 
charming  sight  in  the  whole  circle  of  our  social 
enjoyments,  than  a  company  of  skaters  gaily,  but 
chastely,  and  appropriately  attired  on  a  bright 
Winter’s  day.  The  crystal  pavement  reflecting 
happy  faces,  the  circling  throng  on  wings  of 
wind,  the  flashing  steel  throwing  jets  of  powdered 
ice  from  the  skater’s  heel,  rival  any  picture  of 
joy  in  the  more  genial  season  of  Summer. 

Preserve  the  Numbers. 

The  Index  necessarily  occupies  considerable  space 
in  this  number.  It  is  so  arranged  that  it  can  be  taken 
off,  and  laid  away  for  binding,  when  it  should  be  placed 
on  the  front  of  the  volume.  (Seepage  376  for  notes  on 
binding)  Fora  small  sum  any  book-binder  will  stitch 
and  put  a  good  cover  upon  the  numbers  for  a  year,  and 
you  will  then  have  a  neat  volume  of  384  large  pages,  filled 
with  a  great  variety  of  information,  and  ornamented  with 
a  large  number  of  beautiful  engravings.  The  engravings 
alone  in  a  single  volume,  if  preserved,  will  be  worth  more 
than  the  cost  of  the  whole.  One  can  hardly  appreciate 
the  vast  amount  of  articles  and  illustrations  there  are  in 
a  single  volume,  until  they  are  all  brought  together. 


854 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Calendar  of  Operations  for  December,  1859- 


[We  note  down  sundry  kinds  of  work  to  be  done  during 
the  month,  not  so  much  to  afford  instruction  to  practical 
men,  as  to  call  to  mind  the  various  operations  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to.  A  glance  over  a  table  like  this  will  often  sug¬ 
gest  some  piece  of  work  that  might  otherwise  be  forgotten 
or  neglected.  Our  remarks  are  more  especially  adapted 
to  the  latitudes  of  38°  to  45°  ;  but  will  be  equally  applica¬ 
ble  to  points  further  North  and  South,  by  making  due 
allowance  for  each  degree  of  latitude,  that  is,  earlier  for 
the  North,  later  for  the  South. 

Explanations.— f  indisates  the  first  ;  m  the  mid'dle  ; 
and  l  the  last  of  the  month.— Doubling  the  letters  thus:.//; 
or  mm,  or  U,  gives  particular  emphasis  lo  the  period  indi- 
cated.—T  wo  letters  placed  together,  as  fm  or  ml,  signifies 
that  the  work  may  be  done  in  either  or  in  both  periods  in¬ 
dicated  ;  thus,  work  marked/m.  indicates  that  it  is  to  be 
attended  to  from  the  Jirst  to  the  middle  of  the  month.] 

Farm. 

The  farm  work  of  this  month,  differs  little  from  that 
noted  in  the  Calendar  for  November.  Re-read  and  fol¬ 
low  out  the  hints  there  given. 

The  close  of  the  year  is  an  appropriate  time  to  balance 
the  farm  accounts,  and  make  a  new  inventory.  This 
■will  show  your  standing  from  year  to  year,  and  enable  you 
at  a  glance  to  see  whether  farming  pays.  If  it  does  not 
pay,  with  lantern  in  hand,  Diogenes  like,  search  for  and 
stop  the  leaks.  And  while  balancing  the  farm  accounts, 
you  may  as  well  balance  the  grocer’s  account  current, 
and  any  other  items  or  bills.  Excepting  those  with  whom 
you  have  a  sort  of  barter  account— furnishing  them  with 
a  portion  of  surplus  produce— it  is  not  desirable  to  keep 
open  accounts.  “  Pay  as  you  go,”  is  a  good  and  safe 
rule,  which  many  persons  have  regretted  violating. 

Although  but  little  active  labor  is  carried  on,  out  of 
doors,  in  the  northern  States,  which  seems  to  bring  cash 
returns,  yet  the  farmer  who  recollects  that  “to  husband 
is  to  earn,”  can  save  a  great  deal  by  proper  care  and  at¬ 
tention,  that  would  otherwise  go  to  waste.  At  the  south 
much  of  what  we  call  “  Spring  work  ”  is  now  done. 

Cattle  require  special  care  now.  See  page  364. 

Cellars  may  need  additional  guarding  against  frosts. 

Christmas— May  it  be  a  merry  one  to  all,  and  a  feast  of 
fat  things,  in  which  the  poor  are  not  forgotten. 

Fencing  Materials— Collect  from  the  woods  and 
swamps  now  that  they  are  frozen  over,  Rails  may  be 
split  and  posts  prepared  far  another  season. 

Fodder  Racks— See  that  the  feeding  yards  are  piovided 
with  them  to  keep  the  hay,  straw,  etc.,  from  being  tram¬ 
pled  under  foot.  Cattle  food  is  valuable  now. 

Forest  Leaves— If  any  of  these  are  accessible,  collect  as 
many  as  possible  for  bedding  and  manure.  They  are 
very  valuable  for  both. 

Hogs — Kill,  ff,  m,  any  now  fattening.  Keep  stores  in 
good  thrift,  providing  for  an  increase  at  the  appropriate 
season. 

Ice  Houses  may  be  filled  in  some  places,  11.  The  first 
ice  is  usually  the  best. 

Irrigation— Some  of  the  meadows  and  intervales  can  be 
overflowed  for  a  short  lime  to  their  manifest  advantage. 
Cranberry  meadows  are  improved  by  keeping  them 
flooded  during  the  Winter. 

Lumber,  Timber,  etc.— This  may  now  be  got  from  the 
forests  and  taken  lo  the  saw-mill.  The  early  snows  usu¬ 
ally  make  the  best  sledding  for  this  purpose. 

Manures— Push  the  manufacture  of  these  at  this  season. 
Use  muck,  loam,  leaves  and  straw  to  absorb  all  the  li¬ 
quids  of  the  yards  and  stable.  Cart  a  large  heap  of  muck 
from  the  swamp  to  the  stables  for  Winter  use.  A  free 
bedding  of  it  under  horses  to  absorb  the  urine,  will  make 
twice  as  much  manure  as  w  ould  be  saved  where  liquids 
are  allowed  to  run  to  w  aste,  with  no  absorbent. 

Marketing  Produce— Some  of  the  surplus  productions 
may  now  be  sold,  unless  it  is  evident  higher  prices  will 
prevail  in  the  Spring.  Farmers  are  apt  to  hold  on  to 
grain  and  other  produce  until  the  best  market  has  gone  by. 

Poultry  require  the  same  treatment  as  last  month,  with 
protection  from  the  cold,  and  gravel  or  sand  to  scratch  in. 
Give  meat  scraps  from  the  kitchen. 

Schools  are  now  in  session  in  most  districts.  Let  the 
children  attend  as  steadily  as  possible,  and  show  them, 
by  frequent  visits,  that  you  take  a  lively  interest  in  their 
success.  See  page  372. 

Sheep— Provide  racks  for,  and  feed  under  cover  during 
storms.  Keep  horned  cattle  and  horses  from  them.  Give 
turnips  or  carrots,  instead  of  all  dry  feed.  See  that  they 
are  supplied  with  salt,  and  provided  With  a  good  buck,  of 
an  improved  breed,  if  possible. 

Tool  Houses— Look  over  the  implements  stored  here, 
during  the  stormy  days  of  this  month.  Some  of  them 
may  need  repairing,  and  a  few  want  replacing  with  new 
ones  which  can  now  be  made.  See  that  nothing  is  left 
to  rust,  and  decay,  or  be  buried  by  unexpected  snows 

Turnips— Harvest,  ff,  any  still  in  the  ground.  Give  pits 
an  additional  covering  and  close  the  ventilators  at  night 
if  there  is  danger  of  freezing. 

AVater  Pipes  and  Pumps  may  need  protection  from 
frost,  m,  11. 


Winter  Grain  Fields— Allow  no  water  to  stand  upon 
them  nor  should  cattle  or  sheep  graze  them  at  this  season. 

Wood — Make  early  preparations  for  cutling  and  haul¬ 
ing  a  full  supply  for  the  coming  year.  In  snowy  coun¬ 
tries  it  is  better  to  cut  in  convenient  lengths  for  handling, 
and  pile  both  “  down  stuff  ”  and  the  standing  trees,  so 
that  the  first  fall  of  snow  may  be  improved  to  sled  it  home. 

©rcSsard  aatd  Nant’sery, 

If  the  directions  given  last  month  have  been  fully  car¬ 
ried  out,  the  orchard  needs  little  care  now.  Excepting 
at  the  South  we  would  not  urge  planting  during  this 
month.  Compost  may  still  be  applied  about  old  trees  to 
advantage. 

To  forward  the  labors  of  the  hurried  season  in  Spring, 
a  good  supply  of  stakes  and  labels  should  be  prepared  for 
nursery  use.  They  can  be  made  during  stormy  days, 
and  painted  ready  for  use.  The  head  and  division  stakes 
in  the  nursery  rows  need  looking  to,  that  none  of  them 
are  removed  or  displaced,  and  if  any  of  the  plots  or 
squares  are  not  registered  in  a  book,  let  it  be  done  now. 
It  is  not  enough  to  trust  to  stakes  and  memory.  Let  a 
plain  record  be  kept  of  both  orchard  and  nursery. 

Pruning  is  out  of  season  at  the  north.  Better  leave  the 
remaining  branches  until  next  Summer.  We  would 
rather  remove  them  now,  however,  than  in  Spring. 

Scions  may  very  properly  be  cut  at  this  season,  while 
the  shoots  are  not  frozen.  Bury  in  dry  earth  out  of  doors, 
or  in  sand  in  t  he  cellar.  Mark  them  carefully. 

Transplanting  may  still  be  done,  ft,  m,  but  as  remarked 
last  month,  we  much  prefer  the  first  of  November,  or 
even  the  latter  part  of  October. 

Trench,  or  subsoil  and  underdrain  lands  intended  for 
early  planting  in  the  Spring.  Besides  permanently  im¬ 
proving  them,  they  can  be  planted  much  earlier. 

MlJclaeia  aM  FosSt  Sardesa. 

Little  can  be  done  in  the  Northern  gardens  at  this  sea¬ 
son,  except  making  drains  when  frost  or  snow  does  not 
prevent.  At  the  South,  later  garden  work  can  yet  be 
attended  to  such  as  gathering  root  crops,  etc.  Much 
work  may  also  be  done  to  facilitate  early  operations  in 
Spring.  Bulbs,  blackberries,  strawberries,  currants, 
etc.,  can  be  planted  where  the  ground  is  still  unfrozen. 
Everywhere,  North  and  South,  it  is  well  to  now  layout 
plans  for  ground,  location  of  beds,  etc.,  so  that  you  will 
be  ready  to  go  to  work  without  delay  when  the  proper 
season  comes.  It  is  very  convenient  to  lay  out  an  entire 
garden  in  a  plan  upon  a  sheet  of  paper,  and  mark  down 
the  exact  location  of  every  variety  of  vegetables.  The 
following  directions  are  in  part  applicable  everywhere. 

Asparagus  beds  not  covered  should  be  protected,  ff. 

Bean  and  Hop  Poles,  Raspberry  stakes  and  Pea  brush 
may  be  collected  from  the  frozen  swamps  and  stored 
away  for  the  more  busy  season  of  planting. 

Cabbages,  Cauliflowers  and  Celery — If  any  o.f  these  are 
still  in  the  ground,  harvest,  If,  and  store  as  directed  in 
November. 

Cold  Frames  require  especial  care  during  this  month. 
They  should  be  aired  at  all  suitable  times,  guarding 
against  the  sudden  changes  and  severe  freezings  by  extra 
covering.  When  steady  cold  weather  sets  in,  cover  with 
plenty  of  straw  or  mats,  and  place  boards  over  to  turn  the 
rain  or  molting  snows.  Leave  them  in  this  situation  un¬ 
til  it  moderates.  Snow  Tailing  upon  them  need  not  be 
shoveled  off. 

Compost  and  Manures— Now  is  the  time  to  make  and 
collect  these.  Keep  every  receptacle  or  manufactory  at 
work  by  supplying  the  hogs,  cattle,  horses,  sheep,  poultry 
and  privies  with  material  to  absorb  the  liquid  and  gasses. 
Too  much  muck  can  scarcely  be  used  for  these  purposes. 
Decayed  leaves  also  form  an  excellent  ingredient  in  gar¬ 
den  soils.  Prepare  materials  for  early  hot  beds. 

Cutting  of  Currants,  Gooseberries,  Grapes  and  Quinces 
may  be  made  at  the  present  time.  Collect  them  when 
they  are  not  frozen  and  bury  in  dry  sand  In  the  cellar,  or 
in  dry  earth  out  of  doors. 

Grape  Vines— Prune,  ff,  those  not  trimmed  last  month. 
Lay  tender  vines  upon  the  ground  and  cover  with  earth, 
boards  or  straw.  With  no  covering  they  are  much  less 
liable  to  winter-kill  when  lain  upon  the  ground. 

Raspberry  Canes  of  the  tender  sorts  not  covered  in 
November  should  be  protected,  If. 

Spinach— See  that  all  is  covered  with  straw  or  sedge, 
If.  A  light  protection  is  sufficient. 

Turnips— Harvest  and  store,  ft',  any  still  in  the  ground. 
Look  to  those  covered  in  pits,  and  bank  up  as  the  weather 
demands,  closing  the  ventilators  at  the  top. 

Vegetables  and  Roots  for  seed— See  that  a  good  slock 
of  the  finest  is  properly  secured  for  Spring  planting. 

Flower  iGaB’dcsi  ami  Eawu. 

Active  out  door  labors  in  this  department  were  nearly 
brought  to  a  close  last  month.  A  little  general  care  is 
all  that  is  absolutely  necessary  now.  If  there  are  any 
unfinished  jobs,  such  as  protecting  tender  plants,  putting 
in  bulbs,  or  fixing  the  walks  and  lawn  for  Winter,  com¬ 


plete  them  at  once.  Perhaps  new  grounds  are  to  be  laid 
out  in  the  Spring.  If  so,  do  not  leave  all  calculations 
until  that  time,  and  then  commence  by  planting  one  tree 
here  and  another  there,  laying  out  a  drive  in  one  place 
and  grading  the  earth  in  another.  If  you  do  not  call  in 
the  services  of  a  professed  landscape  gardener,  at  least 
map  your  grounds  upon  paper,  lay  out  the  avenues  and 
walks,  locate  the  grass  plats,  groups  of  trees,  flowerbeds, 
shrubbery,  etc.,  and  imagine  how  the  whole  will  look  ten 
years  hence.  If  the  first  attempt  is  not  satisfactory,  make 
a  second  and  third  trial  with  the  pencil.  It  is  far  easier 
to  grade  and  plant  on  paper  than  in  a  lawn,  and  mistakes 
are  more  readily  corrected  on  the  former. 

Chrysanthemums  are  just  succumbing  to  the  repeated 
frosts.  The  roots  may  be  divided  and  reset  as  long  as  the 
ground  remains  open. 

Evergreen  Trees  and  Shrubs — Shake  off  any  accumu¬ 
lations  of  snow  to  prevent  the  Branches  from  being  broken. 

Frames  and  Flower  Pits-Keep  closed,  and  covered 
with  straw,  mats,  etc.,  during  cold  and  inclement  weath¬ 
er.  They  need  not  be  opened  during  the  month  unless  a 
succession  of  fine  days  occur. 

Roses  may  stiil  be  set  out  where  there  is  no  frost  in  the 
ground.  Protect  tender  sorts,  ff,  as  directed  last  month. 

Shrubs  and  Trees,  except  evergreen,  can  be  planted  at 
any  time  until  the  ground  freezes.  They  do  better  when 
planted  earlier  but  if  left  till  now,  set  out,  ff.  Protect  ten¬ 
der  sorts  by  strawingup,  or  better  still,  surrounding  them 
with  evergreen  brush,  neatly  secured  with  twine. 

<&a’eeci>=M©asses. 

If  there  are  hot  or  forcing  houses  for  tropical  plants, 
and  those  intended  for  Winter  flowering,  the  green-house 
pioper  oniy  contains  a  collection  of  plants  wliich  are  too 
tender  to  withstand  the  rigors  of  Winter  unprotected,  or 
those  which  are  to  be  kept  growing  slowly  for  forcing  at 
any  time  desired.  The  temperature  should  never  fall  be¬ 
low  35°  nor  rise  during  the  present  month,  above  50°.  To 
maintain  this  warmth  a  little  fire  heat  will  occasionally 
be  needed,  both  to  resist  cold  and  dry  up  dampness  during 
wet  and  foggy  days.  Oniy  resort  to  fire  heat  when  abso¬ 
lutely  necessary.  Place  the  shutters  on  early  at  night, 
and  even  keep  them  on  during  very  severe  or  snowy 
weather— taking  them  off  as  soon  as  practicable  to  give 
the  plants  light.  Admit  air  also  at  all  proper  times. 
Very  litlle  water  will  be  required,  but  an  occasional 
sprinkling  and  syringing  during  clear  mild  weather,  will 
be  beneficial.  Keep  everything  neat  and  clean,  removing 
decaying  leaves  and  moss  from  the  surface  of  pots  and 
tubs.  Bulbs  that  were  put  in  the  ground  until  this  sea¬ 
son,  should  be  potted,  ff,  and  kept  in  a  cool  part  of  the 
house  to  be  carried  to  blooming  apartments  as  needed. 

Sff©t>II©M§e§  amt  <D©asGk"Sratoi'iies. 

These  require  especial  care  during  the  changeable 
w  eather  of  December.  A  warm,  sunny  day  is  frequently 
followed  by  a  piercing  cold  night,  the  wind  finds  its  way 
through  every  crevice,  and  particular  attention  must  be 
given  to  the  fires,  or  the  temperature  of  the  room  will  fall 
below' a  healthy  point.  Sometimes,  in  guarding  against 
this,  too  much  fire  is  left  burning  and  a  scorching  heat  in¬ 
jures  the  plants.  A  thermometer  and  frequent  visits  to 
the  house  are  requisite.  Willi  extensive  collections  the 
houses  are  divided,  or  separate  buildings  are  erected  for 
plants  requiring  different  degrees  of  heat,  moisture,  light, 
etc.,  such  as  a  camellia  house,  one  for  the  cacti,  anoth¬ 
er  for  lichens,  one  for  grapes,  etc.  We  can  only  give  a 
few'  general  directions  applicable  to  all. 

Most  of  the  plants  have  become  well  established  in  their 
Winter  pots,  and  accustomed  to  their  present  quarters. 
They  are  beginning  to  grow  vigorously  and  many  of  them 
are  forming  flower  buds.  They  therefore  require  more 
water,  and  fresh  supplies  of  pure  air,  each  day  if  practi 
cable.  Do  not  open  both  upper  and  lower  ventilators 
which  would  create  a  cold  draft.  Opening  the  upper 
ones  a  few  inches  will  be  sufficient.  Close  early,  and  if 
the  night  promises  to  be  sharp  or  snowy,  cover  the  glass 
with  w  ooden  shutters  provided  for  the  purpose. 

Keep  every  growing  plant,  and  the  pot  which  contains 
it  in  a  clean  healthy  state.  No  decaying  leaves  should 
taint  the  atmosphere,  nor  should  fungus  be  permitted  to 
grow  upon  the  outside  of  the  pots.  Soap  and  water  is  an 
antidote. 

Some  of  the  early  forced  bulbs  are  beginning  to  bloom, 
and  others  may  be  brought  in  from  cooler  apartments  to 
prepare  them  for  a  succession  of  flowers.  Change  the 
water  in  hyacinth  glasses,  once  a  week,  at  least. 

Grapes  require  different  treatment  according  as  early 
or  late  forcing  is  to  be  practiced.  Some  vines  are  still 
laid  up,  in  an  inactive  state,  others  are  breaking  into 
growth,  whi le  it  is  possible  to  have  them  in  bloom,  or 
even  setting  fruit.  Pot  culture  of  grapes  is  fast  gaining 
favor. 

Insects  should  be  kept  in  check  by  thoroughly  smoking 
with  tobacco.  Syringe  the  Walls  occasionally  to  dislodge 
millers  secreted  there. 

Roses,  verbenas,  pelargoniums,  petunias,  etc.,  should 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


355 


De  extensively  propagated  for  Spring  planting.  Cuttings 
can  be  started  at  any  time. 

Plants  which  have  completed  their  bloom  should  be  set 
upon  aback  shelf,  giving  place  to  others. 

Apiary  in  H>ecera»5>®r. 

BY  M.  QUINBY. 

Bees  which  are  to  be  housed  in  Winter  should  have  the 
privilege  of  flying  until  Winter  begins  in  earnest,  to  short¬ 
en  their  period  of  confinement  as  much  as  possible. 
Upon  the  first  heavy  snow,  put  all  in  order  for  the  season. 
Stocks  to  remain  out  should  now  occupy  the  Winter 
stand,  sheltered  from  prevailing  winds  and  where  the  sun 
will  strike  the  hive  a  short  time  each  day.  This  is  nec¬ 
essary  in  order  that  combs  unoccupied  with  bees  may  be 
sufficiently  warmed  to  melt  the  frost  or  ice  upon  them — 
otherwise,  when  the  bees  have  consumed  the  honey  in 
the  space  where  they  cluster,  they  will  perish  while  seek¬ 
ing  food  from  the  frozen  combs.  More  would  probably  be 
lost  in  this  manner,  than -from  falling  on  the  snow  during 
warm  days.  Thorough  ventilation  must  be  secured; 
otherwise,  the  melting  frost  may  form  an  air  tight  sealing 
around  the  bottom  of  the  hive,  and  the  bees  be  smother¬ 
ed,  or  the  moisture  remaining  on  the  combs  may  cause 
them  to  become  moldy.  The  hive  should  be  slightly 
raised,  and  a  hole  an  inch  in  diameter  made  near  the 
center  of  the  front  side.  Open  the  holes  at  the  top,  and 
cover  with  a  box  to  receive  the  rising  moisture  and  keep 
out  rain  or  snow.  Exclude  mice  (which  should  now  he 
trapped)  by  covering  the  openings  with  wire  gauze, 

leaving  only  space  enough  for  bees  to  enter . Never 

close  the  hive  entirely,  longer  than  a  few  hours  in  very 
coid  weather.  For  wintering  in  the  house,  the  room 
should  he  warm  for  reasons  given  above.  A  large  cold 
room  will  require  at  least  fifty  stocks  to  warm  it  suffi¬ 
ciently.  The  room  should  be  kept  perfectly  dark.  Per¬ 
fect  ventilation  must  be  secured,  to  get  rid  of  moisture.. 
With  the  movable  frames  it  will  pass  off  by  opening  the 
passages  to  the  honey  boxes.  With  the  common  box 
hive,  unless  there  is  an  opening  between  every  two  combs, 
the  moisture  will  condense,  and  mold  the  combs.  It  is 
better  to  invert  them  on  small  sticks.  The  objections  to 
this  method  are  less  than  those  against  moldy  combs. . . . 
A  dry  cellar  is  as  good  as  a  room  above  ground.  A  large 
number  of  stocks,  might,  perhaps,  bo  safe  in  a  damp 
cellar. 

- - ...n-sS-Q-Csn— - »— C=- - - 

Crystal  Flint  or  Hominy  Corn. 

This  variety  has  given  very  good  satisfaction. 
We  planted  on  fresh  sod,  not  turned  under  until 
May  15,  and  with  no  manure  except  a  little  bone 
sawdust  put  in  with  the  seed.  The  stalks  aver¬ 
aged  nine  to  ten  feet  in  hight,  with  two  and  even 
three  ears  on  many  stalks  where  the  soil  was  at 
All  favorable.  Owing  to  late  planting  it  did  not  all 
ripen  fully,  though  most  of  it  escaped  the  early 
frost.  It  requires  about  the  same  length  of  sea¬ 
son  for  growth  as  other  varieties  of  corn.  The 
ears  are  of  good  size,  well  and  compactly  filled. 
The  kernel  is  of  medium  size,  a  pearl  white,  mak¬ 
ing  beautiful  hominy  or  meal.  It  will  probably 
not  be  adapted  to  the  most  northern  corn  regions 
where  the  seasons  are  very  shovt,  but  wherever 
the  common  varieties  mature,  it  will,  we  think, 
be  found  worthy  of  general  culture.  Owing  to 
the  beauty  of  the  kernel  it  will  doubtless  com¬ 
mand  a  good  price  in  the  market  especially  for 
making  samp,  hominy,  and  meal.  The  parcels 
offered  in  our  seed  distribution  (No.  44)  will  give 
those  desiring  to  introduce  it,  opportunity  to  raise 
a  moderate  supply  of  seed  the  present  year.  We 
have  none  to  sell;  our  stock  will  probably  all  be 
needed  for  the  general  distribution  in  parcels. 
Very  little  has  yet  been  produced  in  the  country. 
We  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  the  few  persons 
who  received  the  late  samples  from  us  last  Spring. 


Improved  King  Philip  Corn. 


This  variety  both  with  ourselves  and  with  oth¬ 
ers,  so  far  as  we  have  heard,  has  done  very  well 
the  past  season  We  found  it  ten  days  to  two 
weeks  earlier  than  the  common  varieties,  and  this 
is  its  chief  merit.  It  grows  larger  than  the  old 
King  Philip,  and  does  not  mature  quite  as  soon. 
The  ears  are  long,  and  of  but  medium  size,  though 


they  shell  out  well,  the  cob  being  quite  small. 
The  kernel  is  brown  and  heavy.  We  do  not  re¬ 
commend  it  for  localities  where  the  large  com¬ 
mon  varieties  mature  well,  except  for  late  plant¬ 
ing,  and  for  filling  in  vacant  spots  ;  hut  where 
the  seasons  arc  usually  short,  it  is  worthy  of  ex¬ 
tensive  introduction.  We  have  enough  of  our 
own  raising  to  supply  our  seed  distribution. 


Hungarian  Millet  or  “Grass.” 

For  some  reason  very  little  has  been  heard  the 
past  season  respecting  the  culture  of  the  so-called 
Hungarian  Grass,  which  was  palmed  off  last 
Spring  as  “Honey  Blade  Grass,”  at  the  rate  of 
$10  per  bushel.  A  few  scattering  reports  speak 
favorably  of  it  as  a  forage  crop,  for  which  purpose 
it  may,  perhaps,  be  a  little  better  than  the  old 
common  millet.  We  sowed  one-fourth  of  an 
acre  on  sod  turned  over  in  May,  using  on  a  part 
the  seed  obtained  from  Illinois  as  “Hungarian 
Grass,”  and  on  part  some  of  that  “Honey  Blade 
Grass,”  for  which  we  paid  $3  per  15  lb.  bag. 
Both  kinds  were  alike — one  and  the  same  thing. 
They  grew  slowly,  and  the  weeds  got  the  mas¬ 
tery.  To  avoid  a  crop  of  weed  seeds,  we  cut  and 
fed  the  millet  when  about  a  foot  high,  and  sowed 
the  ground  to  turnips.  This  was  not  a  fair  trial, 
of  course,  and  we  shall  base  no  opinion  upon  what 
we  have  seen  or  experienced.  Those  who  have 
tried  it  under  favorable  circumstances  should 
give  their  experience,  whether  favorable  or  un¬ 
favorable. 

Advertising  Information— Gratis — VI. 

( Continued  from  page  320.) 

Our  efforts  in  this  line  have  been  somewhat 
expensive  the  past  month,  and  not  very  satisfac¬ 
tory.  Dollar  after  dollar  has  gone  in  answer  to 
advertisements  and  private  circulars  received, 
but  nothing  has  come  of  it — except  some  experi¬ 
ence.  The  advertisements  of  doubtful  character 
are  being  driven  from  the  newspapers,  but  secret 
circulars  are  still  dispatched  in  great  numbers. 
There  are  in  several  places,  parties  who  make  a 
business  of  gathering  the  names  of  persons  a’l 
overthe  country,  and  lists  of  these  names,  witht'.ie 
Post  Office  address  of  each,  are  sold  for  so  much 
per  thousand.  Attractive,  plausible  circulars  are 
then  mailed  in  great  numbers,  describing  some 
wonderful  money  making  operation,  and  the 
profits  on  the  small  sums  obtained  from  persons 
foolish  enough  to  entrust  their  money  to  unknown 
parties,  are  large  enough  to  cover  the  cost  of  the 
circulars  and  enrich  the  swindlers.  We  can  sel¬ 
dom  get  hold  of  this  class  of  circulars  except 
when  they  are  sent  to  us  from  those  who  receive 
them.  A  number  of  such  have  been  forwarded 
from  time  to  time,  and  our  readers  will  facilitate 
the  end  aimed  at  in  these  articles  by  continuing 
to  enclose  them  to  us. 

We  intend  to  follow  up  these  chapters  during 
next  year,  devoting  only  so  much  space  to  the 
subject  as  may  seem  to  be  required.  We  have 
also  on  hand  quite  a  number  of  cases  of  dealers 
in  plants,  trees,  manures,  etc.,  those  who  keep 
themselves  before  the  public  with  a  show  of  re¬ 
spectability,  but  who  grossly  cheat  those  trust¬ 
ing  their  orders  to  them.  These  cases  are  more 
difficult  to  investigate  than  some  of  the  more 
open  instances  of  gross  swindling.  But  we  shall 
not  hesitate  to  look  after  them,  let  the  consequence 
be  what  it  may.  We  therefore  invite  full  de¬ 
tails  from  parties  who  have  been  cheated  in  the 
purchase  of  trees,  plants,  and  manures.  Let  us 
have  plain  statements  of  facts  only — facts  that 
can  be  proved — not  mere  surmises  of  fraud.  We 


do  not  promise  to  attend  to  eacli  case,  or  to  take 
upon  ourselves  the  duty  of  an  attorney,  and  to 
try  to  recover  damages,  but  simply  to  collect  facts 
of  the  past  transactions  of  parties  which  may 
serve  as  a  warning  to  others.  Here  is  a  case:  A 
subscriber  in  Ohio,  sent  $10  to  a  nurseryman  for 
some  grape-vines  of  a  particular  kind.  When  re¬ 
ceived,  they  were  charged  at  a  higher  rate  than  ad¬ 
vertised;  and  though  they  all  came  duly  labeled  as 
being  the  kinds  ordered,  they  proved  to  be  entire¬ 
ly  different — and  not  at  all  wanted.  Here 
was  a  direct  swindle  of  $10.  When  enough  of 
sucli  instances  are  collected  to  show  habitual 
fraud  or  carelessness  in  any  nurseryman,  he  de¬ 
serves  to  be  shown  up.  'Whether  it  be  expedi¬ 
ent  to  publish  the  names  of  sucli  parties  will  de¬ 
pend  upon  the  circumstances  in  eacli  case,  but 
this  end  will  at  least  be  gained,  viz.:  we  shall  be 
able  to  shut  out  of  our  advertising  columns  un¬ 
worthy  persons.  So  much  has  even  already  been 
gained.  We  have  refused  the  advertisements  of 
several  parties  whom  we  should  have  admitted 
but  for  these  oft-repeated  reports  of  their  mis¬ 
deeds.  Though  we  can  not  be  responsible  for 
what  persons  say  themselves  in  our  business  col¬ 
umns,  yet  we  aim  to  admit  nothing  from  parties 
whom  we  iiave  reason  to  believe  will  not  deal 
honestly  with  the  public,  and  do  at  least  all  they 
promise  in  their  advertisements. 

We  will  now  give  a  few  specimens  taken  at 
random  from  our  large  collection  : 

[No.  21.] 

A  LL  Farmers  and  Horse  Dealers  will  be 

-Ijsl- greatly  benclitted  by  addressing  Box  17 - ,  Monroe 

Co.,  N.  Y. 

This  is  in  our  line,  and  being  ready,  nay  desir¬ 
ous  of  being  “  greatly  benefited  ”  we  furnished 
an  address  to  the  above  named  box.  Tiie  adver¬ 
tiser  took  the  trouble  to  write  us  a  manuscript 
letter  in  which  “  he  begs  leaf  to  call  our  atten¬ 
tion  to  four  invaluable  recipes  that  should  be  in 
the  hands  of  every  farmer  and  horse  dealer.” 
The  first  is  to  cure  the  “  heaves.”  The  second  is 
to  cure  “  thistaloes  and  pollevils  and  all  sores 
where  pipes  are  formed  this  is  a  safe  and  infalli¬ 
ble  remedy.”  The  third  is  “  to  make  a  lineament 
that  is  not  equeled  for  galleds  sprains  bruises 
and  flesh  wounds  on  horses,  etc.”  The  fourth  is 
“  to  make  an  ointment  that  will  cure  scrofula 
kings-evil  or  any  running  sore,  etc.”  He  “  will 
send  eatlier  of  the  above  named  receipts  for  pre¬ 
paring  and  using  for  75  cents  two  of  them  for  $1 
or  four  for  $1.25”.  He  adds  in  a  postscript: 
“  I  send  you  a  receipt  gratus  that  will  take  off  a 
ring-bone  without  fail  no  mater  how  large  or 
small  it  may  be  ” - Here  it  is  : 

“To  take  off  a  ring-bone  wash  well  with  oil  of  spike  for  four 
days  then  bind  on  a  large  warty  toad  at  the  end  of  twelve  hours 
examine  the  foot  and  if  the  ring  bone  is  not  off  put  on  another 
toad  two  will  never  fail  after  the  ring  bone  is  off  apply  some 
healing  ointment.” 

That’s  all  of  that  advertisement,  and  having 
given  the  “Information”  we  leave  our  readers 
to  govern  themselves  accordingly.  We  can  put 
our  toads  to  better  use — viz  :  catching  insects  in 
the  garden. 

[No.  23.] 

“The  Voice  of  Franklin.” — Several  copies  of 
a  paper  under  this  name  have  been  forwarded  to 
us  by  different  persons  to  whom  they  have  been 

sent.  A  copy  before  us  is  dated  “ - ,  N. 

Y.,  Oct.  19,  1B59,  ‘and  called’  Vol.  3,  No.  23.” 

It  purports  to  be  issued  by  a  “  Dr. - .” 

It  contains  about  eight  times  the  reading  space 
of  a  page  of  the  Agriculturist ,  and  is  filled  with 
money-making  offers  of  various  kinds,  gift  enter- 
prizes,  matrimonial  powders  and  books,  female 
diseases,  and  male  diseases,  offers  to  give  direc¬ 
tions  for  changing  base  metals  into  gold,  etc., 
etc.,  and  includes  things  of  an  obscene  and  crimi¬ 
nal  character.  We  can  hardly  believe  there  is  so 


356 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


ATo.  155. 


Dig  a  fool  left  in  the  land  as  to  be  taken  in  by  this 
affair,  and  yet  the  so-called  “  Dr.”  find3  support 
enough  to  publish  and  circulate  such  a  sheet — 
and  we  know  not  how  much  more  he  gets.... 

The  good  people  of  - ,  will  consult  their 

own  respectability  by  hunting  out  this  villain  and 
if  lie  can  not  be  legally  locked  up,  then  drive  him 
from  their  town.  Yet  we  can  hardly  advise  the 
latter  course,  for  he  would  turn  up  somewhere 
else  under  a  different  name,  and  carry  on  his  ne¬ 
farious  operations.  All  we  can  do  is  to  advise 
every  one  receiving  a  copy  of  “  The  Voice  of 
Franklin,”  to  at  once  take  it  in  a  pair  of  tongs  and 
put  it  in  the  fire.  We  are  not  done  with  this 
man  yet.  Those  who  have  been  swindled  by  him 
may  aid  our  future  efforts  by  sending  further  spe¬ 
cific  details  of  his  operations. 

[No.  24.] 

Lotteries. — Many  persons  have  sent  us  lot¬ 
tery  schemes  which  have  been  forced  upon  them. 
It  is  not  practicable,  nor  necessary,  to  take  these 
up  in  details.  The  lottery  managers  will  continue 
to  forward  their  “  grand  schemes  ”  for  acquiring 
sudden  wealth,  whenever  they  can  get  the  names 
of  persons  to  send  to.  No  prudent  person  will 
ever  buy  a  lottery  ticket  of  any  kind.  There 
have  been  cases  where  persons  have  drawn  prizes, 
but  the  chance  is  so  exceedingly  small,  that  it  is 
absolutely  foolish  to  throw  away  the  smallest 
sum.  Let  it  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  lottery 
managers  do  not  give  anything  like  an  even 
chance.  They  first  so  arrange  their  tickets  as  to 
positively  reserve  a  large  percentage  of  the  sums 
invested  hy  purchasers.  They  take  enough  out 
to  pay  large  sums  to  any  State  Government  that 
will  so  far  sacrifice  its  dignity  or  honor,  as  to  sell 
a  license  for  swindling;  then  enough  more  to  meet 
enormous  sums  expended  in  printing,  advertising, 
and  especially  in  postage ;  and  finally  enough 
more  to  make  themselves  rich.  The  small  bal¬ 
ance  that  remains  is  given  out  to  one  or  more 
parties,  and  the  good  fortune  of  the  recipient  is 
then  heralded  as  an  example  of  what  is  in  store 
for  all  others.  We  do  not  stop  to  discuss  the 
moral  effect  of  buying  lottery  tickets  upon  those 
who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  dazzled  by  the 
descriptive  “schemes”  sent  to  them;  but  we 
repeat,  that  the  application  of  the  simplest  arith¬ 
metical  rules  is  enough  to  show  the  utter  absurd¬ 
ity  of  parting  with  money  in  hand — even  the 
smallest  sum — for  the  most  splendid  chance  held 
forth  by  the  fairest  lottery  in  the  world. 

A  subscriber  gives  one  mode  of  getting  names 
by  lottery  dealers.  A  circular  came,  offering  a 
copy  of  a  valuable  weekly  paper  to  any  one  fur¬ 
nishing  the  names  of  100  persons.  A  boy  sent 
on  the  names,  and  received  in  return  a  Balti¬ 
more  paper,  followed  soon  after  by  lottery  circu¬ 
lars  addressed  to  the  names  sent  on. 

A  subscriber  recently  wrote  to  know  if  we  fur¬ 
nished  his  name  to  a  noted  nurseryman,  for  he 
and  others  in  his  neighborhood  thought  some  cir¬ 
culars  received  could  only  have  come  through 
our  aid.  We  answer;  that  though  frequently 
offered  large  sums  to  do  so,  we  never  furnish 
names  to  any  person  for  any  purpose.  In  arti¬ 
cles,  basket  notes,  etc.,  in  the  paper,  we  only  give 
the  county  of  residence,  purposely  omitting  the 
town,  or  P.  O.  to  save  them  from  these  annoying 
circulars.  We  endeavor  to  treat  all  subscribers 
in  this,  and  indeed  in  all  other  matters,  as  we 
would  personal  friends. 

[No.  25.] 

CENTS  and  one  red  stamp  will  pro- 

cure  particulars  for  making:  $1200  a  year.  Address 
A.  &  W.,  Lumbcrtsville,  N.  J. 

Twelve  hundred  dollars  a  year  are  certainly 
worth  “  25  cents  and  a  red  stamp.”  Wonder  if 
50  cents  and  two  red  stamps  wouldn’t  bring 


$2400  a  year  1  We  tried  the  first  named  sum 
almost  a  month  ago  (Oct.  22),  but  nothing  comes 
back.  Perhaps  A.  &  W.  think  it  is  worth  $1200 
a  year  to  a  man,  to  learn  that  “  a  fool  and 
his  money  are  soon  parted,”  and  so  will  send  us 
nothing  more.  See  here  !  Messrs  A.  &  W.,  if 
we  don't  hear  from  you  soon,  we  shall  think  you 
are  no  better  than  forty  other  parties,  who  have 
silently  kept  our  money,  lately. 

[No.  26.] 

A  WHOLE  LOT  OF  THEM. 

P.  S.— One  of  the  advertising  fraternity  has 
been  helping  us  amazingly.  He  has  sent  for 
every  kind  of  recipe  arid  money-making  chance 
offered  in  the  country,  and  now  he  advertises 
IFTY  Methods  of  Making  Money. — A 

competency  secured  for  $1,  etc.,  etc. 

We  have  been  after  him  with  our  dollar  hr  ten 
days  past,  and  just  as  we  go  to  press  have  cor¬ 
nered  him  and  got  the  “  fifty  methods,”  through  a 
distant  assistant.  He  professes  to  have  sent  us 
all  that  has  yet  been  advertised.  Well,  we  must 
have  a  full  page  for  this — so  save  your  dollars, 
and  look  out  for  the  whole  grist  in  our  next  pa¬ 
per.  If  the  several  advertisers  are  to  be  be¬ 
lieved,  this  single  document  is  cheap  at  $50.  Our 
readers  will  get  it — gratis. 

Johnson  on  Manures  —  Mapes’  “  Super- 
Phosphates.” 

Prof.  S.  D.  Johnson,  of  Yale  College,  who 
also  holds  the  appointment  of  Chemist  to  the 
Conn.  State  Agr.  Society,  has,  during  two  or 
three  years  past,  been  making  pretty  thorough, 
and  somewhat  extensive  chemical  investigations 
upon  muck,  peat,  etc.,  and  also  of  various  manu¬ 
factured  fertilizers,  sold  to  the  farmers  of  that 
State.  These  investigations  are  published  offi¬ 
cially  by  the  Society  in  the  Homestead.  In  a 
recent  number  (Oct.  6)  we  find  a  report  upon 
some  of  Mr.  Mapes’  “  Super-phosphates,”  which 
are  sold  under  the  following  imposing  names  : 

Price  per  tun. 

A.— Mapes’  Nitrogenized  Super-phosphate  of  Lime _ $50 


U— Mapes’  No.  1  Super-phosphate  ol  Lime .  45 

C — Mapes’  Super-phosphate  of  Lime .  40 

1> — Mapes’  Cotton  and  Tobacco  Super-phos.  of  Lime..  40 

12 — Mapes’  Potash  Super-phosphate  of  Lime .  35 

JT — 1  lb.  Sample  Cans  of  A. 


The  last  (F),  is  left  at  the  stores  to  be  given  away, 
for  trial  by  farmers.  Specimens  of  four  of  these 
fertilizers  were  obtained  from  stores  where  they 
were  on  sale,  and  submitted  to  careful  double 
analyses,  with  the  following  results.  (We  give 
the  average  of  the  two  analyses  of  each  kind, 
omitting  the  second  decimal  figure) : 

III  100  parts.  A  FBI) 

Moisture  expelled  at  boiling  heat.  .90.6  14.3  18.8  13.5 

Matters  expelled  at  red  heat . 19  8  24.  25.2  17  4 

Sand  and  insoluble  matter . 12.3  12.6  13.6  18. 

Lime . 16.4  19.4  18.  23.0 

Insoluble  phosphoric  acid .  8.1  10.6  8.  8.1 

Soluble  phosphoric  acid — a  trace..  .6 

Potash,  none . 

Potential  ammonia .  2.1  3.9  1.9  1.7 

Calculated  value  (per  2000  lbs.) . $13  $221  $12]  $12 

Selling  Price . $50  §50  $45  $40 

We  do  not  fully  endorse  the  mode  of  estimat¬ 
ing  the  value  of  ingredients  of  manures,  adopted 
by  Prof.  Johnson — W’e  think  he  places  too  high  a 
value  upon  phosphoric  acid,  potash,  etc. — but  ad¬ 
mitting  his  estimates,  we  find  by  the  analyses, 
that  F,  which  is  given  out  in  cans  as  specimens 
of  A,  is  nearly  twice  as  valuable  as  A,  when  it 
is  sold  under  the  same  name.  Further,  accord¬ 
ing  to  Prof.  Johnson’s  calculations,  the  highest 
value  of  any  one  of  the  articles  sold,  is  only 
$13  per  tun,  though  the  price  ranges  from  $40  to 
$50. 

Another  interesting  feature  is,  that  A,  B,  and 
D,  though  sold  under  different  names,  arc  essenti¬ 
ally  one  and  the  same  thing  !  Again,  though  pot¬ 
ash  is,  according  to  Mr.  Mapes’  own  theory,  an 


essential  ingredient  in  the  ashes  of  tobacco,  yet 
D,  has  no  potash  in  it. 

Prof.  Johnson  alludes  to  the  nonsensical  doc¬ 
trine  of  Mr.  Mapes  regarding  the  “  progression  of 
primaries  ”  viz.,  that  there  is  a  progressive  in¬ 
crease  in  the  value  of  the  ingredients  of  a  fer¬ 
tilizer,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  times  these 
ingredients  have  formed  a  part  of  an  animal 
or  plant ;  and  it  is  asked  if  the  elements  in 
Mapes’ manures  are  so  far  “ progressed  ”  that 
they  are  worth  three  or  four  times  as  much  as 
the  same  ingredients  in  other  manures.  Again, 
referring  to  analyses  of  Mapes’  super-phosphates, 
which  in  1852  showed  twenty-one  per  cent  ot 
phosphoric  acid,  and  in  1857  thirteen  per  cent,  and 
now  in  1859,  only  eight  per  cent,  it  is  asked  if  the 
ingredients  have  “  progressed  ”  so  rapidly,  that 
8  per  cent  now,  is  as  valuable  as  13  per  cent  in 
1857,  and  21  per  cent  in  1852. 

The  above  statements  scarcely  need  a  word  of 
comment.  Every  year,  multitudes  of  farmers 
have  been  paying  large  sums  for  these  manures. 
They  have  been  led  to  do  this  by  the  plausible 
statements  and  theories  of  Mr.  Mapes,  than 
whom  we  scarcely  know  a  more  ingenious  and 
plausible  man.  His  opinions  have  carried  more 
weight  from  the  appendages  to  his  name,  as  it 
has  been  prefixed  hy  a  “Prof.”,  and  suffixed  'with 
a  “LLD.”  In  this  connection  we  desire  to  repeat 
a  question,  asked  three  or  four  years  since  by 
the  Country  Gentleman,  but  never  answered  sc 
far  as  we  have  seen,  viz. :  “  Who  first  gave  Mr. 
Mapes  the  title  of  ‘Professor’  and  ‘LLD.’? 
Was  it  done  by  any  respectable  Institution  hav¬ 
ing  a  chartered  right  to  bestow  such  titles,  or 
were  these  titles  self  assumed?”  Until  this 
question  is  answered  we  must  continue  the  plain 
title  of  “  Mr.” 

1  •  '  —  <  '  ■  — >  »  ■  —  -  — ■— 

Taking  Cold. 

A  “Cold  ”  is  not  necessarily  the  result  of  low 
or  high  temperature.  A  person  may  go  from  a 
hot  bath  directly  into  a  cold  one,  or  into  snow 
even,  and  not  take  cold.  He  may  remain  out  in 
the  coldest  atmosphere  until  chilled  through,  and 
still  not  take  cold.  On  the  contrary,  he  may  take 
cold  by  pouring  a  couple  of  tablespoonfuls  of  wa¬ 
ter  upon  some  parts  of  his  dress,  or  by  standing 
in  a  door,  or  before  a  stove,  or  sitting  near  a  win¬ 
dow  or  other  opening,  where  one  part,  of  the 
body  is  colder  than  another  part.  Let  it  be  kept 
in  mind  that  uniformity  of  temperature  over  the 
whole  body  is  the  great  thing  to  be  looked  after. 
It  is  the  unequal  heat  upon  different  parts  of  the 
body  that  produces  colds,  hy  disturbing  the  uni¬ 
form  circulation  of  the  blood,  which  in  turn  in¬ 
duces  congestion  of  some  part.  If  you  must 
keep  a  partially  wet  garment  on,  it.  would  perhaps 
be  as  well  to  wet  the  whole  of  it  uniformly.  The 
feet  are  the  great  source  of  colds,  on  account  of 
the  variable  temperature  they  are  subjected  to. 
Keep  these  always  dry  and  warm,  and  avoid 
draughts  of  air,  hot  or  cold,  wet  spots  on  the  gar¬ 
ments,  and  other  direct  causes  of  unequal  tem¬ 
perature,  and  keep  the  system  braced  up  by  plen¬ 
ty  of  sleep,  and  the  eschewing  of  debilitating 
foods  and  drinks,  and  you  will  be  proof  against  a 
cold  and  its  results. 

Tea  Leaves  for  Burns.— Mrs.  F.  E  Dixon, 
Monroe  Co.,  Mich.,  writes  that  tea  leaves  slightly 
steeped,  cooled,  and  laid  on  a  burn,  will  quickly 
relieve  the  pain  and  inflammation.  They  will 
doubtless  help  to  do  this  for  a  few  minutes  at  least, 
until  flour  can  be  applied.  In  all  cases  where  the 
burn  breaks  the  skin,  a  coat  of  wheat  flour,  put  on 
dry,  is  the  very  best  application. 


Dec.,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


S57 


PRIZE  RABBITS. 


The  above  illustration  (re-engraved  for  the 
Agriculturist,  from  an  English  sketch)  gives  the 
portraits  of  two  rabbits  which  received  the  high¬ 
est  prizes  at  a  late  Show  of  Poultry,  Pigeons,  and 
Rabbits,  in  the  Crystal  Palace,  London.  The 
peculiarity  which  will  be  noticed  at  once,  is  the 
remarkable  size  of  the  ears.  The  ears  of  the  one 
in  the  foreground  measured  22  j  inches  long,  and 
inches  wide  ;  and  those  of  the  other,  21f  inch¬ 
es  long,  and  4^  inches  wide.  This  is  said  to  be 
the  greatest  size  of  ear  yet  attained  by  any  breed¬ 
er.  They  exceed  even  those  of  the  animal  which 
Pat  called  the  grandfather  of  all  rabbits,  when  he 
first  saw  a  donkey.  To  one  uninitiated  in  the  sci¬ 
ence,  and  tastes  of  rabbit  “  fanciers,”  or  “finan¬ 
ciers,”  as  Mrs.  Partington  calls  them,  this  length 
of  ear  would  seem  to  have  no  particular  merit, 
but  it  is  considered  the  sine  qua  non,  the  first 
requisite  of  excellence.  It  is  a  harmless  fancy, 
however,  and  the  results  attained  in  this  direc¬ 
tion,  forcibly  illustrate  what  can  be  done  by  care¬ 
ful  breeding.  If  instead  of  long  ears,  long  legs 
were  aimed  at,  it  would  not  be  many  years  before 
skillful  breeders  would  show  rabbits  set  up  like 
the  kangaroo,  ready  to  spring  twenty  feet  at  a 
bound.  By  similar  care  in  raising  other  and  more 
important  animals,  our  present  improved  breeds 
of  cattle  and  horses  have  been  obtained,  and  the 
limit  to  which  improvement  may  be  carried  is 
not  yet  reached  or  known. 

I  The  rearing  of  rabbits  for  the  table  is,  in  Europe, 
quite  an  important  branch  of  business.  The  wild 
rabbit  is  preferred,  as  having  a  game  flavor,  and 
extensive  “  warrens  ”  (enclosures  of  unim¬ 
proved  land,)  are  carefully  kept  for  this  purpose. 
Belgium  is  most  noted  in  this  line,  thousands  of 
rabbits  being  shipped  at  Ostend  for  the  London 
market. 

j  The  domestic  rabbit  is  not  a  favorite  with  our 
farmers,  from  the  mischief  they  are  apt  to  make 
in  the  garden  and  fruit  yard  ;  but  by  providing  pro¬ 
per  quarters  for  their  reception,  this  can  be  avoid¬ 
ed.  There  is  hardly  a  more  attractive  pet  for  the 
younger  members  of  the  family,  and  the  occasion¬ 
al  treat  of  rabbit  pie  upon  the  farmer’s  table 
would  doubtless  be  appreeiated.  On  small  farms, 
near  cities,  we  should  judge  raising  them  might 
be  made  profitable.  They  are  easily  kept,  and 
live  mostly  upon  the  refuse  of  the  garden  and 
field,  and  breed  with  very  great  rapidity.  At 


present  there  are  very  few  engaged  in  the  busi¬ 
ness.  Wild  rabbits  are  not  unfrequently  brought 
to  this  city,  and  find  a  ready  sale  at  restaurants, 
eating  houses,  and  hotels.  We  shall  be  glad  of 
any  definite  information  from  those  who  have 
had  sufficient  experience  in  raising  them  for  sale 
to  speak  of  their  profitableness — or  the  contrary. 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Water  the  Stock. 

Plenty  of  water  is'as  necessary  to  the  thrift  of 
stock  as  a  sufficiency  of  food.  The  value  of  food 
itself  depends  largely  upon  the  water  it  contains. 
Were  it  practicable  to  expel  all  moisture  from  it, 
there  would  remain  a  substance  possessing  nutri¬ 
tive  properties,  but  in  such  form  as  to  be  almost 
valueless  for  the  consumption  of  animals.  Grass 
owes  its  superiority  over  hay,  however  well  cured, 
principally  to  the  water  it  contains,  making  it 
more  readily  assimilable  by  the  digestive  organs. 
Bread  is  better  fitted  than  grain  for  man’s  stom¬ 
ach,  principally  because  of  the  water  incorpor¬ 
ated  with  the  nutritious  parts  during  the  process 
of  cooking.  And  it  is  generally  understood  that 
cooked  food,  that  is  food  which  by  the  applica¬ 
tion  of  heat  has  received  a  larger  proportion  of 
water,  is  far  more  valuable  than  in  a  raw  state. 
It  follows  that  where  the  supply  of  water  in  the 
food  is  diminished,  as  in  the  use  of  straw,  hay 
and  grain,  the  animal  will  need  a  more  liberal 
supply  of  fluid.  But  it  does  not  generally  follow 
that  they  get  it.  Instead  of  leaving  cattle  to 
obey  their  instincts,  by  having  water  accessible 
at  all  times,  a  large  proportion  of  farmers  stint 
them  to  a  supply  twice  a  day.  Often  the  animals 
are  compelled  to  go  for  water  quite  a  distance 
from  shelter,  exposed  to  driving  winds,  and  floun¬ 
dering  through  drifts,  the  weaker  animals  being 
kept  back  by  the  stronger,  and  the  whole  hurried 
away  by  the  impatience  of  the  man  or  boy  in 
charge.  No  animal  can  thrive  well  with  such 
treatment.  Now,  before  the  Winter  sets  in,  if  it 
be  a  possible  thing,  let  running  water  be  intro¬ 
duced  into  every  barn  yard,  and  arranged  so  that 
horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  swine  may  indulge  freely 
in  “  something  to  drink.”  It  will  pay. 

“  Farmer.” 

Remarks. — '*  Farmer,”  is  not  correct  in  some 
of  his  theories.  Grass  does  not  owe  its  superior¬ 


ity  so  much  to  the  water 
it  contains,  as  to  the 
fact  that  it  contains  more 
starch,  gum,  and  sugar, 
which  are  changed  to  in¬ 
digestible  woody  fiber  in 
ripened  dried  hay.  So 
also  grass  is  more  tender 
and  being  better  masti¬ 
cated,  is  more  readily  di¬ 
gested  than  ripened  dried 
hay.  A  given  amount  of 
grass,  cut  green  and 
cured  in  the  cock,  is  just 
about  as  nutritious  as  the 
same  quantity  consumed 
in  a  green  state.  Nor  is 
bread  more  nutritious 
than  grain,  simply  on 
account  of  the  greater 
amount  of  water.  The 
grinding  process  fits  it 
better  for  digestion,  and 
the  heat  in  bah  ing  seems 
to  fit  it  better  for  nutri¬ 
tion,  though  it  is  probable 
that  a  pound  ofgrain  sim¬ 
ply  mashed  or  ground, 
will  yield  as  much  actual  nourishment  before,  as 
after  baking. ..  .We  readily  endorse  all  that 
“  Farmer,”  says  of  the  economy  of  providing  wa¬ 
ter  in  abundance,  and  at  convenient  and  accessi¬ 
ble  points  for  stock.  In  a  great  majority  of  cases, 
tenfold  more  flesh  is  lost  in  running  after  water 
than  would  repay  the  cost  of  providing  it  in  or 
near  the  yards.  Frequent  watering — a  little  at  a 
time — is  also  far  better  than  large  draughts  of 
cold  liquid  taken  into  the  stomach  once  or  twice 
a  day.  In  the  latter  case,  the  system  is  reduced 
below  its  normal  temperature  for  the  time  being, 
and  a  temporary  paralysis  is  produced — not  usu¬ 
ally  serious  in  results,  though  the  chill  often  ends 
in  a  bad  “cold.” — Ed.] 


Sawdust  in  Stables- 


There  are  at  least  two  opinions  about  the  use¬ 
fulness  of  sawdust  in  stables.  One  is,  that  it  is 
an  excellent  article  to  absorb  the  urine  of  ani¬ 
mals,  and  so  save  it ;  and  likewise  to  prevent  the 
effluvia  of  stables,  which  is  so  disagreeable  to 
man,  and  so  unpleasant  and  hurtful  to  beasts. 
And  besides,  it  is  an  excellent  ingredient  in 
the  compost  heap,  decaying,  and  becoming  a 
manure  itself.  Consider,  too,  that  it  is  easier  to 
manage  than  straw  litter,  in  cleaning  out  the 
stalls  ;  easier  also  to  shovel  over  in  the  compost 
heap,  and  easier  to  spread  upon  the  soil  and  to 
mix  thoroughly  with  it. 

Another  opinion  is,  that  it  is  not  so.excellent  an 
article  for  the  stable,  because  its  great  dryness 
causes  it  to  absorb  not  only  the  urine  from  the 
floor,  but  also  the  natural  and  healthful  moisture 
from  the  hoofs  of  horses,  and  renders  them  brit¬ 
tle  and  liable  to  crack.  But  how  can  it  absorb 
moisture  from  a  hoof,  any  more  than  a  sponge 
would  absorb  it  I  The  urine  and  sawdust  may- 
produce  fermentation,  and  so  inflame  the  horse 
feet.  But  frequent  cleaning  of  the  stalls  would 
obviate  that  difficulty. 

It  is  also  objected  that  when  sawdust  is  thrown 
out  with  the  dung,  a  violent  fermentation  is  pro¬ 
duced,  which  sends  off  the  ammonia  into  the  air, 
and  a  dry  heat,  or  “  fire-fanging”  succeeds, 
which  is  very  injurious  to  the  manure.  Trifling 
harm  of  this  sort  will  ensue,  if  a  little  plaster,  or 
brine,  or  muck,  or  any  common  soil  be  occasion¬ 
ally  thrown  upon  the  manure-heap,  or  if  the  heap 


858 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


is  now  and  then  turned  over  and  trodden  down. 
Let  the  hogs  have  access  to  the  heap. 

Plainly,  much  more  can  be  said  in  favor  of  the 
use  of  sawdust,  than  against  it.  For  those  who 
have  not  an  abundance  of  straw,  peat,  or  other 
absorbents,  this  article  may  be  used  to  very  good 
advantage.  * 

- -a— - - - - 

How  much  Manure  to  the  Cow  ? 


Mr.  Quincy,  of  Massachusetts,  who  is  an  ear¬ 
nest  advocate  of  the  soiling  system,  stated  at  a 
meeting  of  the  N.  Y.  State  Agricultural  Society, 
that  a  cow’s  manure  was  of  equal  value  with  her 
milk.  He  showed  from  his  own  experiments, 
which  have  been  conducted  over  a  long  series  of 
years,  that  a  cow  voids  about  3£  cords  of  solid 
fasces  and  as  mu  ;h  more  in  value  of  liquid,  mak¬ 
ing  seven  cords  This  he  composts  with  twice 
its  bulk  of  mu  tc,  making  twenty-one  cords.  This 
would  be  wr  th  from  fifty,  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars,  according  to  the  price  of  manure  in 
different  m  .rkets.  He  keeps  muck  in  the  trench¬ 
es  behind  the  cows,  and  when  saturated,  it  is 
thrown  'ato  a  barn  cellar. 

But  without  endorsing  Mr.  Quincy’s  valuation 
by  one-half,  there  is  no  doubt  that  in  our  older, 
and  ;ndeed  in  many  new  regions  of  country,  the 
manure  from  a  single  cow,  the  liquid  as  well  as 
the  solid,  will  if  properly  preserved  be  worth 
many  dollars — often  quite  as  much  as  the  milk 
products  will  sell  for.  There  are  now  before  us 
about  six  months  of  foddering,  and  if  cattle  are 
stabled,  a  very  large  amount  of  manure  may  be 
made.  Every  farmer  can  try  the  experiment  for 
himself.  With  abundance  of  muck  for  bedding 
and  composting,  twenty  loads  of  good  manure 
may  be  made  from  every  cow,  ox,  or  horse,  kept 
in  the  stable  between  December  1st  and  June  1st. 
This  will  not  only  pay  for  the  labor  of  getting 
muck,  but  for  a  considerable  part  of  the  hay  and 
grain  consumed.  If  this  experiment  were  tried, 
it  would  begin  a  new  era  with  many  farmers. 
They  want  manure,  more  manure,  most  manure. 
It  is  a  superlative  want  of  all  poor  farms,  and  this 
manure  we  can  make  ourselves. 

— - ■  - 

The  best  Kind  of  Hay. 

There  is  probably  as  much  difference  in  the 
nutritive  properties  of  the  grasses,  as  there  is  in 
grains  or  fruits.  Analysis  shows  this,  and  the  in¬ 
stinct  of  cattle  indicates  quite  as  much.  Analysis 
may  not  always  agree  with  instinct,  but,  in  the 
main,  the  animal  taste  verifies  the  decisions  of  the 
laboratory.  Thus,  herd’s-grass  stands  among 
the  best  varieties  of  grass  according  to  the 
chemists,  and  cattle  show  a  decided  preference 
for  it,  when  it  is  put  in  competition  with  other 
kinds. 

Some  farmers  seed  all  their  land,  both  meadow 
and  pasture,  with  herd’s-grass.  They  say  that  all 
cattle  are  not  only  more  fond  of  it,  but  they  fatten 
mote  rapidly  than  upon  any  other  grass.  In  con¬ 
firmation  of  this,  the  writer  noticed  this  Fall,  in 
turning  in  heifers  to  eat  up  the  after-feed  upon  a 
meadow  seeded  with  several  grasses,  that 
the  herd’s-grass  patches  were  the  favorite  feed¬ 
ing  ground.  Some  of  the  second  growth  of  this 
grass  had  gone  to  seed,  and  though  past  its  prime, 
it  was  grazed  more  closely  than  any  other  part  of 
the  field.  As  the  cattle  have  the  grass  and  hay 
to  eat,  it  is  but  fair  that  their  appetites  should  be 
suited  with  the  best. 


Mice  in  the  Treadmill. — A  foreign  journal 
says  .  An  ingenious  Scotchman  has  trained  a 
paii  of  mice  to  turn  a  small  reel  for  twisting 


twine.  They  run  about  ten  miles  per  day,  and 
reel  108  to  120  threads.  A  half-penny’s  worth  of 
oatmeal  lasts  a  mouse  five  weeks,  and  the  clear, 
annual  profit  of  each  animal  is  computed  at  six 
shillings  sterling  ($H).”  This  story  looks  well 
on  paper,  and  we  are  not  going  to  deny  its  truth. 
It  is  another  illustration  of  what  we  firmly  believe, 
viz.,  that  nothing  is  made  in  vain.  If  mice  pay 
a  profit  of  $1.50  per  year,  they  must  be  worth  at 
least  $10  per  head.  We  will  engage  to  have  a 
few  millions  collected  at  a  much  less  price. 


Simple  Implement  for  Breaking  Down 
Corn  Stalks. 

It  is  frequently  desirable  to  break  down  corn 
stalks,  or  the  stumps  of  stalks  remaining  in  a  field, 
to  prepare  the  ground  for  plowing.  R.  H.  Hodg¬ 
son,  of  Chester  County,  Pa  ,  sends  to  the  Agri¬ 
culturist  a  description  of  a  simple  and  effective 
implement  he  uses  for  the  above  purpose.  A 
heavy  scantling,  say  4  by  6  inches,  and  18  feet 
long,  is  fitted  with  two  staples  driven  into  one  of 
the  narrow  sides,  say  four  feet  from  either  end, 
or  five  feet  on  each  side  of  the  center.  Two  log- 
chains  are  fastened  to  the  staples  and  brought  to¬ 
gether  forward  of  the  center,  and  a  span  of  horses 
attached.  This  implement  driven  rapidly  over  the 
field  when  the  ground  is  frozen  hard,  will  effectu¬ 
ally  break  down  the  stalks  and  leave  them  ready 
to  be  plowed  under  in  the  Spring. 


Putting  Corn  to  Bed. 


It  is  a  little  out  of  season,  just  now,  we  know, 
to  think  of  cultivating  Indian  corn  ;  but  a  fact  has 
just  come  to  our  knowledge  which  we  beg  to 
mention  before  it  is  forgotten.  It  is  this:  A 
farmer  in  Massachusetts,  feeling  quite  certain, 
from  the  sharpness  of  the  air  one  afternoon  in 
May,  that  his  corn  would  be  nipped  with  frost 
that  night,  called  all  his  hands  together,  and  cov¬ 
ered  about  an  acre  of  young  blades  with  dirt,  by 
simply  hoeing  a  little  soil  over  each  hill.  The 
frost  came,  and  the  next  day  was  so  cold  that  he 
left  the  corn  covered.  Next  day,  on  removing 
the  dirt,  the  blades  looked,  he  said,  “  as  if  they 
had  lain  in  bed  two  nights  with  their  clothes  on,” 
but  in  a  day  or  two  they  recovered,  and  grew 
again  as  if  they  had  not  been  touched.  The  re¬ 
mainder  of  his  field  and  his  neighbors’  fields  were 
cut  to  the  ground. 


Wintering  Cabbages. 


One  way  is  the  Indian  method  of  burying  the 
heads  and  leaving  the  heels  in  the  air.  An  im¬ 
provement  on  this  is  to  dig  a  trench,  lay  scant¬ 
ling  or  narrow  strips  of  board  on  the  bottom,  and 
set  the  heads  on  them,  gather  straw  around  the 
stumps,  and  cover  the  whole  with  soil  enough  to 
exclude  hard  frosts.  Small  holes  for  ventilation 
should  be  left  at  the  end  of  each  row  of  cabbages. 

Adopting  such  a  method  for  a  part  of  the  stock, 
another  mode  may  be  used  for  the  remainder. 
Just  before  the  setting  in  of  Winter,  take  half  the 
number  of  your  cauliflowers  and  cabbages  into 
the  cellar,  and  stack  them  up  loosely  between  the 
outer  and  inner  doors.  They  will  doubtless  be 
frozen  occasionally  in  very  severe  weather,  but 
being  in  the  dark,  and  thawing  out  quite  gradu¬ 
ally,  it  will  do  them  no  harm.  We  have  kept  a 
good  Winter’s  supply  in  this  way  with  perfect 
success.  It  is  no  light  recommendation  of  this 
plan  over  most  others,  that  the  cabbages  are  so 
accessible  to  the  cook’s  hands  every  day  of  the 
Winter.  Instead  of  being  obliged  to  wade  through 
the  snow,  and  dig  out  your  vegetables  with  numb 
fingers,  all  you  have  to  do,  is  to  open  your  cellar 
door  from  the  inside,  and  take  your  pick.  ___ 


A  Good  Parmer  in  a  Neighborhood. 

In  looking  over  some  recent  remarks  by  Hon. 
Z.  Pratt,  on  taking  the  chair  at  the  formation  of 
the  Prattsville  Farmer’s  Club,  we  find  the  follow¬ 
ing  suggestive  paragraph  :  “ . A  good  farm¬ 

er  in  a  neighborhood  is  a  great  blessing  ;  and  let 
him  go  to  what  Mill  or  Meeting  he  likes,  his 
mode  of  farming  and  his  improvements  will  be 
adopted . ”  This  is  very  true,  and  it  is  en¬ 

couraging  to  every  one  who  is  trying  to  bring 
about  a  better  husbandry  on  his  own  farm  and 
among  those  who  are,  and  are  to  be,  his  neigh¬ 
bors  and  companions.  Whatever  may  be  a  man’s 
political  opinions  or  his  personal  preferences, 
if  his  example  be  good,  if  he  show  on  his  own 
farm  better  tillage,  better  crops,  better  animals, 
and  better  profits,  his  methods  will  be  looked  into 
by  those  who  know  him,  and  will  be  imitated  ; 
and  thus  improvement  will  go  on. 

■-  -  -  tiff  ^  -tttttiO  O  IF*1-71"*  P  fffu 

Horse-Racing  at  Fairs. 

It  is  reported  in  several  journals  that  the  Grand 
Jury  of  Chittenden  county,  Vermont,  have  indict¬ 
ed  the  State  Agricultural  Society  as  a  nuisance, 
for  violating  the  State  law  against  horse-racing. 
We  know  nothing  of  the  particulars  in  this  case, 
but  if  the  racing  on  the  occasion  in  question  was 
carried  to  the  extent  that  we  have  seen  it  done 
at  some  fairs  elsewhere,  the  indictment  of  the 
jury  was  as  proper  as  if  directed  against  the 
same  racing  when  not  under  the  auspices  of  a 
professedly  agricultural  society.  We  are  unable 
to  see  what  difference  it  makes,  whether  the 
owners  of  a  regular  race  course  offer  a  prize  of 
$1000  for  the  fastest  horse  brought  upon  their 
grounds,  for  the  purpose  of  making  money  from 
those  who  come  to  see  the  trotting  or  running,  or 
whether  the  managers  of  an  agricultural  society 
do  the  same  thing  with  a  similar  object  in  view. 
The  latter  seems  to  be  the  more  reprehensible  of 
the  two  ;  for  while  the  already  demoralized  class 
will  constitute  the  principal  attendants  to  the  reg¬ 
ular  race  course,  a  different  class  will  naturally 
gather  at  the  Fair  grounds,  and  a  taste  will  be 
developed  for  fast  horses,  among  those  who  would 
otherwise  be  uncontaminated. 

- r.  — - - - - 

For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

What  Shall  be  Done  with  the  Boys  ? 

They  are  growing  rapidly,  some  of  them  have 
already  the  deep  voice  of  their  hastening  man¬ 
hood  ;  a  decision  as  to  their  future  calling  should 
soon  be  made.  This  is  too  serious  a  matter  to 
leave  to  mere  chance.  Too  many  boys  have  been 
put  to  a  particular  trade  or  business  merely  be¬ 
cause  when  old  enough  to  do  something  for  them¬ 
selves,  a  vacancy  occurred  in  that  business,  and 
nothing  else  offering  at  the  time,  the  place  was 
taken.  Too  often  they  have  been  like  stones 
thrown  into  a  wall  without  being  fitted  to  a  place  ; 
they  have  rested  uneasily,  “  rolled  ”  frequently, 
and  gathered  very  little  “  moss.”  Rather  let  the 
boy’s  disposition  be  studied,  see  for  what  he  is 
best  adapted,  and  let  that  be  his  calling. 

But  few  have  deliberately  chosen  to  make 
farmers  of  their  boys,  especially  if  they  showed, 
or  were  supposed  to  show  more  than  average 
talent.  Nor  can  this  be  wondered  at.  So  long  as 
farming  was  chiefly  mere  manual  labor,  however 
favorable  it  might  be,  it  could  never  take  rank 
with  those  professions  that  called  out  the  powers 
of  the  mind,  and  there  is  consequently  a  surplus 
engaged  in  professional  callings. 

Agriculture  is  now  taking  rank  as  a  science. 
Improved  implements  take  off  the  burden  of  la¬ 
bor,  and  brains  are  doing  what  brawn  formerly 
accomplished.  There  need  therefore  be  no  lies!- 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


359 


tation  in  choosing  farming  as  a  vocation  for  boys, 
and  in  educating  them  to  this  end.  The  time  is 
hastening  when  educated,  thinking  farmers  alone 
can  expect  great  success,  and  those  who  are  wise 
will  prepare  their  sons  accordingly,  if  it  be  de¬ 
cided  that  this  shall  be  their  business. 

The  boy’s  own  choice  should  have  some  weight 
in  selecting  a  calling,  but  it  is  unwise  to  be  gov¬ 
erned  by  that  alone.  The  fancies  and  whims  of 
youth  are  too  unsafe  for  a  matter  involving  much 
of  the  prosperity  of  after  life.  A  wise  parent  will 
so  inspire  his  son  with  a  love  for  what  is  thought 
best  for  him,  that  he  will  enter  upon  it  from 
choice.  Let  this  matter  be  duly  considered.  It 
may  well  be  a  subject  for  thought  and  discussion 
during  the  long  evenings  of  the  approaching  sea¬ 
son.  Pater. 


fore  the  freezing  of  the  ground,  and  then,  if  for 
early  use,  put  into  a  dry  store-room,  and  filled  in 
and  around  with  dry  sand  or  earth.  For  keeping 
through  Winter,  the  following  plan  is  practiced. 
Select  a  dry  spot,  and  raise  the  earth  for  a  hed 
six  inches  high,  and  a  foot  or  so  wider  than  is  re¬ 
quired  for  the  heap.  Spread  on  a  bed  of  straw 
8  or  10  inches  deep,  and  put  on  a  layer  of  pota¬ 
toes,  a  foot  high.  Over  them  put  a  layer  of  straw 
like  the  first,  and  over  this  put  a  covering  of  15 
or  18  inches  of  earth.  Boards  or  old  canvas  may 
then  be  put  over  the  whole,  to  shed  off  rain,  as  it 
is  important  to  keep  them  dry.  In  this  manner 
they  may  be  kept  until  wanted  in  Spring. 


Experiments  with  Potatoes. 


A  ¥ew  Basket  for  Small  Fruits. 


The  immense  number  of  baskets  required  for 
gathering  and  marketing  small  fruits,  renders  any 
improvement  in  the  construction  or  cost  of  such 
baskets  a  matter  of  no  little  interest.  At  two  or 
three  of  the  recent  Agricultural  Exhibitions,  we 
saw  specimens  of  baskets  on  a  new  plan,  invent¬ 
ed  and  patented  by  David  Cook,  of  Conn.,  which 
appear  to  be  superior  to  anything  we  have  before 
noticed.  The  accompanying  engraving  gives  the 


general  form  of  a  quart  basket  we  have  in  pos¬ 
session.  Those  of  larger  and  smaller  sizes  are 
precisely  like  this  in  form.  The  bottom  is  a  thin 
circular  board.  The  sides  are  smooth  strips  of 
basswood  not  quite  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  thick¬ 
ness,  and  slit  in  the  manner  shown  in  the  en¬ 
graving.  A  hoop  of  tin  around  the  bottom,  with 
a  small  nail  through  each  of  the  upright  strips 
holds  them  firmly  in  place.  The  upper  ends  are 
also  held  firmly  by  a  tin  hoop  bent  or  doubled  over 
the  top,  and  fastened  to  the  strips  with  double¬ 
headed  nails  or  rivets.  The  baskets  are  spread  at 
the  top  so  as  to  nest  or  pack  together.  The  fruit 
is  also  supported  in  part  by  the  flaring  sides. 
These  baskets  are  very  strong  and  firm,  and  quite 
cheap  withal — those  holding  a  full  pint  being  sold 
at  S3  per  hundred,  and  the  quart  sizes  at  $5  per 
hundred.  They  will  doubtless  be  advertised  as 
soon  as  a  supply  is  ready  for  market. 

- O  «  ■  I  ce>- - —  - 

Keeping  Sweet  Potatoes. 

From  a  plot  of  24  hills,  on  rather  heavy  ground, 
we  this  year  obtained  about  bushels  of  very 
fair  sweet  potatoes  ;  the  success,  under  the  cir¬ 
cumstances,  will  warrant  us  in  planting  more 
largely  next  year.  While  fresh  dug,  they  were 
quite  good,  but  by  mistake  most  of  them  were 
dug  too  early,  and  simply  put  in  a  barrel  in  a 
warm  cellar.  The  result  is,  those  unconsumed 
after  ten  days  from  digging,  are  mostly  decaying. 
They  should  have  been  dug  at  the  latest  day  be¬ 


Wm.  F.  Heins,  of  this  city,  furnishes  for  the 
Agriculturist  an  account  of  some  careful  experi¬ 
ments  with  potatoes  made  by  him  the  present 
year  on  his  place  in  Westchester  County,  N.  Y., 
from  which  a  few  suggestions  may  be  derived  by 
the  reader.  Five-eighths  of  an  acre,  or  100  square 
rods,  were  set  apart  for  the  experiments,  and  di¬ 
vided  into  three  plots  of  40,  30,  and  30  rods. 
The  entire  area,  which  had  been  used  for  potatoes 
during  two  years  preceding,  was  thoroughly  and 
deeply  plowed  and  harrowed.  Three  weeks  be¬ 
fore  planting,  twelve  loads  of  manure — two-thirds 
from  the  horse  stable,  and  one-third  from  the  cow 
stable — were  spread  over  the  whole  and  lightly 
plowed  in. 

Plot  No.  1,  containing  40  rods,  planted  with 
Prince  Albert  potatoes,  was  treated  to  an  addi¬ 
tional  manure  made  up  thus :  onc-half  of  bone- 
dust,  ivory  filings  and  whalebone  chips  ;  one-fourth 
of  Plaster  of  Paris  and  wood  ashes  ;  onc-cigluh  of 
an  earthy  mixture  of  decaying  potato  vines  and 
wreeds ;  and  one-eighth  Peruvian  Guano.  This 
compost  was  put  into  the  drills,  and  covered  with 
a  little  rotten  stable  manure,  and  the  seed,  cut  in 
1  and  2  eye  pieces,  put  directly  on  the  manure. 

Plots  No.  2  and  3,  of  30  rods  each,  received  no 
extra  manure  in  the  hill,  but  were  cultivated  in 


other  respects  with  the  same  care  as  No.  1.  Plot 
No.  2,  was  planted  with  Mercers,  and  No.  3  witli 
a  variety  called  red  Chili  potatoes.  No  rot  ap¬ 
peared  among  any  of  the  potatoes.  The  result¬ 


ing  crop  was  as  follows  : 


No.  l. 
No.  2. 
No.  3. 


Ground. 
40  rods. 
30  rods. 
30  rods. 


Varieties.  Seed,  Planted. 
Prince  Alberts. ]5  bushels. 
Mercers.  2  bushels. 

Red  Chili.  2  bushels. 


Product. 
78  bushels. 
18  bushels. 
24  bushels. 


Reckoning  these  results  by  the  acre  we  have 
the  following : 


Seed.  Product. 


Whole 

Cost. 


Value  of  crop 
at  15c.  pr  bu. 
$234 
72 
96 

The  larger  yield  of  No.  1  is  due  to  two  causes, 


No.  ) 

Pr.  Alberts|20  bu. 

312  bu. 

$87.76 

No.  2 

Mercers. 

103  bu. 

96  bu. 

55.68 

No.  3 

Red  Chili. 

]  103  bu. 

128  bu. 

55.68 

viz  :  the  larger  quantity  of  seed,  and  the  higher 
manuring  received.  The  experiments  would  have 
been  more  complete,  had  there  been  other  plots 
planted  with  the  same  proportion  of  seed  of 
each  variety,  but  with  the  different  manuring, 
and  also  different  amounts  of  seed  of  each  variety, 
with  the  different  manures.  All  these  condi¬ 
tions  should  be  taken  into  account  in  making  com¬ 
parative  experiments. 

Taking  the  three  plots  together,  the  total  outlay 
was  as  follows : 


12  loads  of  stable  manure  at  $1.50  per  load., . . $18.00 

1  bag  of  Peruvian  Guano . . .  . .  4.50 

Mixture  of  bone  dust,  ivory  filings,  etc . .  3.75 

9  bushels  of  seed  at  $1  in  the  Spring .  9.00 

Plowing,  harrowing,  planting,  and  hilling .  4.50 

Potato  Digger,  very  handy,  still  good  for  many  years  12.00 
Digging  and  putting  in  pits,  complete .  8.25 


Total  outlay . . . $60.00 

We  have  included  the  whole  cost  of  the  Dig¬ 
ging  Implement,  allowing  its  after  value  to  coun¬ 
terbalance  the  rent  or  use  of  the  ground.  We 


have  also  allowed  $1  per  bushel  for  the  value  of 
the  seed  potatoes  last  Spring.  All  these  esti¬ 
mates  of  expenses  are  rather  too  high,  but  this 
will  not  affect  the  point  we  are  aiming  to  illus¬ 
trate.  At  the  above  estimate  the  120  bushels, 
the  product  of  the  three  plots,  cost  50  cents  per 
bushel.  But  they  are  now  worth  75  cents  per 
bushel,  being  a  profit  on  the  whole  of  $30,  or  at 
the  rale  of  $48  per  acre. 

But  now  take  Plot  No.  1,  and  charge  it  with  its 
proportionate  expenses  thus  : 


5  loads  of  manure . . .  $7  50 

Bag  of  guano  . .  4.50 

Compost  (bone  dust,  ivory  shavings,  etc.) .  3  75 

Tillage  of  1  acre  .  j  '50 

Digging  and  Storing . 3^50 

Use  of  land  and  of  digger,  say .  5  25 


Total  cost  of  i  acre . $26.00 


The  product  of  78  bushels,  then  cost  33^-  cents 
a  bushel.  At  75  cents  per  bushel,  this  plot  gives 
a  profit  on  the  78  bushels  of  $32.60,  or  $130^0 
profit  per  acre.  The  point  we  would  specially  en¬ 
force  is,  that  plenty  of  seed,  and  particularly, 
plenty  of  good  manure  pays.  Thus  by  looking 
over  the  results  on  plots  No.  2  and  3,  where  only 
yard  manure  was  used  and  that  moderately,  we 
find  that  the  42  bushels  cost  about  60  cents 
per  bushel,  while,  all  other  treatment  being  the 
same,  the  addition  of  the  guano  and  the  compost, 
on  No.  1,  reduced  the  cost  to  33£c.  This  is  only 
another  instance  going  to  prove  what  we  have  so 
often  urged,  that  it  is  far  more  profitable  to  till  a 
small  quantity  of  land  well ,  than  to  go  over  a  large 
space,  poorly  manured,  or  otherwise  poorly  culti¬ 
vated.  We  are  not  certain  but  Mr.  Heins’  object 
in  giving  us  these  figures  was  to  show  the  supe¬ 
rior  productiveness  of  the  Prince  Albert  potatoes  ; 
but  as  above  remarked,  the  entirely  different  treat¬ 
ment  and  amount  of  seed,  leave  us  no  chance  to 
compare  the  relative  yield,  and  we  have  therefore 
chosen  to  turn  these  experiments  to  account  in 
another  way. 

- rysSMS-BBa**—..  >  - - 

Potato  Fly,  ( Cantharis  vittala.) 

J.  M,  B.,  of  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  sends  several 
specimens  of  a  beetle,  which  he  says  has 
done  considerable  damage  to  the  leaves  of  vari¬ 
ous  garden  vegetables— chiefly  ihe  potato  and 
beet,  and  asks  from  those  who  have  had  ex¬ 
perience,  what  they  are,  and  the  best  means  of 
stopping  their  ravages.  The  beetles  we  readily 
recognize  as  the  Cantharis  vittala  or  potato  fly. 
They  are  about  £  inch  in  length  ;  thorax  or  chest 
quite  long  ;  wing  covers  black,  with  white  lines  on 
margin  ;  general  color  dark  or  black  ;  resemble 
a  common  house-fly,  but  much  longer  in  propor¬ 
tion  to  bulk.  We  leave  the  further  query  of  our 
correspondent  to  be  answered  by  others,  witli  the 
remark  that  unleached  wood  ashes  or  air-slaked 
lime,  sown  upon  the  tops  of  vegetables  while  the 
dew  is  on,  is  distasteful  to  insects  generally. . . . 
We  may  add  that,  where  in  great  numbers,  these 
potato-flies  may  be  turned  to  account  by  shaking 
them  into  a  pan  of  hot  water  ;  then  collect 
and  dry  them  on  sheets  of  paper,  and  sell  them 
to  your  apothecary  for  blister  flies.  They  are  real 
blister  flies,  being  first  cousins  to  the  Cantharis 
hispanica,  so  extensively  imported  for  making 
blistering  salve. 


A  past  People. — At  a  late  agricultural  show 
in  England,  an  American  exhibited  a  fast-trotting 
American  horse,  which  cantered  and  trotted  re¬ 
markably  well,  but  which  was  a  bad  walker.  A 
person  looking  on,  after  having  admired  the  trot¬ 
ting  and  cantering,  asked,  “  How  about  the  walk¬ 
ing  1”  “  Walking  1  ”  said  Jonathan,  “  well,  really 
I  don't  know  about  that ;  we’re  not  so  slow  in  the 
States  as  to  notice  that.” 


360 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


December, 


Sorghum  (Chinese  Sugar  Cane)  Success¬ 
ful— A  Manufactory  Described. 


Three  years  since,  when  there  was  no  little 
excitement  in  regard  to  this  plant,  and  specula¬ 
tors  were  monopolizing  the  little  seed  in  the  coun¬ 
try,  and  selling  it  at  various  prices  up  to  50  cents 
an  ounce,  we  promptly  procured  a  large  amount 
jof  seed  from  France,  then  the  only  available 
source  of  supply,  and  sent  it  in  small  parcels. 
without  charge,  to  all  our  subscribers 
applying  for  it.  During  a  few  months, 
three-fourths  of  a  tun  were  thus  dis¬ 
tributed  by  us,  ail  over  the  country, 
and  during  the  year,  more  persons 
received  seed  from  this  office,  than 
from  all  other  sources  taken  to¬ 
gether.  The  cry  of  humbug  was 
raised,  and  certain  jealous  cotempo¬ 
raries  have  continued  the  cry  down 
to  the  present  lime.  We  subsequent¬ 
ly  published  a  variety  of  statistics 
gathered  from  our  subscribers  who 
tried  the  seed,  and  we  expressed 
confidence  that  the  crop  would  u 
imately  prove  successful  in  some 
measure  at  least,  and  also  urged 
our  readers  to  experiment  further. 

This  much  done,  we  waited  awhile 
for  experiments,  and  passed  on  to  other  topics, 
but  watched  the  result  with  the  Sorghum. 

The  third  season  of  experiment  has  now  passed, 
and  from  all  we  can  gather  this  year,  we  feel 
warranted  in  congratulating  the  readers  of  the 
Agriculturist  upon  the  success  of  the  sorghum  as 
a  profitable  source  of  molasses,  or  syrup,  in  the 
Middle  and  a  portion  at  least  of  the  Northern 
States.  Large  plots  have  been  cultivated  the 
past  season,  especially  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illi¬ 
nois,  and  manufactories  of  considerable  extent 
are  already  erected.  We  have  samples  of  sugar 
made  at  a  profit  as  compared  with  the  Southern 
and  West  India  sugar  ;  but  we  will  not  as  yet 
speak  positively  as  to  the  profitable  manufacture 
of  sugar.  In  reference  to  liquid  sweets — molas¬ 
ses  and  syrup — there  is  no  longer  room  for  doubt. 
Tens  of  thousands  of  gallons  have  been  made  this 
year,  notwithstanding  the  unusual  frosts,  ex¬ 
tending  almost  to  mid-summer,  and  beginning 
again  before  the  close  of  September.  As  a  rule, 
Sorghum  will  succeed  in  all  those  localities, 
where  corn  is  a  sure  crop.  The  certainty  of  its 
production  being  established,  as  well  as  the  fact 
that  it  contains  a  sufficient  quantity  of  saccharine 
matter  in  its  juice  to  be  available,  perfection  in 
the  mode  of  manufacture  and  a  corresponding 
improvement  in  the  quality  of  the  products  will 
soon  result.  We  shall  now  be  justified  in  placing 
this  among  other  farm  products,  and  giving  it  a  due 
share  of  attention  in  these  columns.  Any  informa¬ 
tion  in  regard  to  the  culture  of  the  plant,  and  the 
processes  of  manufacture  will  be  gladly  received. 

One  of  our  associates,  while  in  Central  Ohio 
recently,  passed  a  day  or  two  at  the  house  of  a 
wealthy  farmer,  and  he  thus  writes  :  Seeing 
upon  the  table  some  fine  molasses,  we  asked  its 
kind.  “  It  was  produced  on  our  own  farm,”  was 
the  reply.  “  We  raised  quite  a  little  crop  of 
Sorghum  this  year,  and  had  it  worked  up  by  one 
of  our  neighbors  who  has  put  up  a  manufactory  ; 
and  here  is  the  result.” 

Anxious  to  see  the  “  mill  ”  in  operation,  our 
friend  drove  us  over.  We  found  a  roughly  en¬ 
closed  one  story  building,  at  the  foot  of  a  gentle 
declivity.  This  contained  a  ground  floor,  about 
40  by  20  feet,  which  constituted  a  receiving  and 
storage  room.  Sundry  barrels  of  syrup  were 


different  samples  of  the  syrup  put  up  in  barrels, 
and  found  them  all  of  excellent  quality.  They 
were  held  by  the  manufacturer  at  50c.  to  62c. 
a  gallon.  We  considered  it  so  much  better  than 
INew-Orleans  or  W  est-India  molasses,  that  we 
ordeied  a  barrel  for  our  own  use,  and  for  dis¬ 
tribution  among  some  of  our  friends. 

At  this  mill  it  is  manufactured,  for  those  who 
delivei  their  cane  cut  and  stripped  of  leaves,  at 
25  cents  per  gallon,  or  for  half  the  product,’  as 
may  be  desired.  Most  of  the  cane 
was  quite  imperfect,  not  being  full 
grown,  while  more  or  less  of  it  was 
frost-bitten  in  the  upper  joints.  Much 
of  the  cane  that  we  saw  and  ex¬ 
amined  was  mouldy,  and  some  sour- 
when  brought  to  the  mill,  yet  it 
out  a  good  syrup.  It  had  suf¬ 
fered  at  both  ends — having  been 
t  when  very  young  by  the  June 
frost,  and  then  again  by  the  .Sep¬ 
tember  frost,  heforo  it  was  matured. 
Had  it  been  fully  ripened,  the  yield 
would  have  been  much  greater,  and 
the  quality  better.  Indeed  it  is  sur¬ 
prising  that  such  cane  should  make 

syrup  at  all . Two  important 

items  of  profit  should  be  named. 

The  liquid  part  of  the  “  skim- 
mings  ”  makes  an  excellent  vinegar  ;  while  the 
thick  syrupy  residuum  is  said  to  be  an  excel¬ 
lent  food  for  swine.  The  “bagasse,” — that  is 
the  ground  stalks— is  not  valuable  for  cattle  food, 
as  has  been  asserted  by  some  persons.  But 
when  dried,  it  makes  fuel  for  the  boilers,  and  for 
the  furnace  when  steam-power  is  used.  For  the 
latter  purpose  it  may  he  used  in  its  freshly  crush¬ 
ed  state,  as  wet  tan  hark  just  out  of  the  vats  is 
burned  by  the  aid  of  blowers. 

While  returning  from  the  Sorghum  factory,  we 
passed  another  concern  of  the  kind,  so  primitive 
in  its  construction,  that  we  stopped  to  take  a  look 
at  it.  It  went  with  a  sweep  drawn  by  a  pair  of 
horses,  like  the  other  ;  but  instead  of  the  three 
iron  rollers  lying  horizontally,  there  were  two  rude 
wooden  ones,  about  18  inches  in  diameter,  set  per¬ 
pendicularly,  and  standing  about  18  inches  in 
bight.  The  cane  was  run  through  twice  to  get 
out  all  the  juice.  A  common  half-barrel  tub 
stood  underneath  to  receive  it  from  the  rollers. 
This  was  dipped  out  with  common  water  pails 
by  hand,  and  poured  into  a  sheet-iron  kettle, 
built  over  a  rough  arch  of  cobble-stones  and  clay. 
The  scum  was  dipped  off  by  hand,  and  when  suf¬ 
ficiently  boiled  into  syrup,  the  fire  let  down,  the 
syrup  ladled  out,  and  put  into  barrels.  It  was  a 
very  tolerable  article,  as  we  proved  by  tast¬ 
ing.  The  whole  affair  was  as  rude  as  possible, 
with  no  covering  over  it;  and  when  we  asked  (he 
man  who  worked  it,  if  he  could  make  it  profit¬ 
able,  he  replied,  “  if  the  cane  had  been  of  only  the 
usual  good  quality,  he  would  have  cleared  a  hun¬ 
dred  dollars  for  a  few  weeks’  work.”  His  whole 
establishment  could  not  cost  fifty  dollars.  He 
did  the  work,  while  another  very  cheap  hand 
drove  the  horses,  and  fed  the  mill.  There  are  a 
large  number  of  such  rude  mills,  as  well  as  of 
better  ones,  scattered  all  over  the  western  Slates. 

Such  is  our  present  view  of  the  Sorghum  en- 
terprize.  It  is  but  little  more  labor  to  work  an 
acre  of  cane,  than  one  of  corn  ;  it  is  planted  and 
tended  in  the  same  way,  and  will  yield  according 
to  soil,  season,  and  cultivation,  200  to  400  gal¬ 
lons  of  syrup  to  the  acre. 


If  you  wish  a  thing  done,  go  ; 
Imitate  a  good  man,  but  never 


compartments, or  communicating  middle  divisions. 

The  mill  stands  still  further  up  the  slope,  and 
the  cane  juice  as  fast  as  expressed,  runs  down  in 
a  small  spout  to  a  large  tank,  whence  it  is  con¬ 
veyed  to  the  boiler  in  a  continuous  stream 
through  a  faucet,  by  means  of  which  the  flowing 
is  regulated  to  keep  the  boilers  just  full  enough. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  the  raw  juice  flows 
into  the  pan,  and  is  evaporated  as  it  passes  on 
slowly  through  the  several  channels,  until  it  fi¬ 
nally  passes  out  at  the  other  end  as  thick  syrup  or 


Fig.  2. 

molasses.  (Of  the  self-skimming  operation  of 
this  pan,  it  may  be  explained  that  the  greater 
heat  along  the  middle,  causes  the  liquid  to  boil 
rapidly,  which  throws  off  the  scum  to  either  side; 
this  arrangement  operates  admirably.)  The 
mill,  fig.  2,  has  three  horizontal  rollers,  moved 
by  a  wooden  sweep  over-head,  12  feet  long,  to 
which  a  pair  of  horses  are  attached.  Such  are  the 
simple  arrangements  of  this  manufactory,  the 
whole  costing  perhaps  $1000,  and  serving  for  a 
considerable  number  of  persons  growing  the 
Sorghum  on  a  moderate  scale.  We  examined 


stored  here,  and  here  also  was  a  receiving  tank  to 
which  the  finivhed  syrup  flows  from  the  boiler. 

Next  to  this,  on  the  more  elevated  ground,  is 
the  boiler  and  furnace,  in  an  open  shed — a  sim¬ 
ple  affair,  yet  fully  competent  for  its  work.  The 
boiler  is  a  rocker  like  that  recently  illustrated  in 
the  Agriculturist,  [we  again  give  an  engraving 
of  reduced  size  ;  see  fig.  1].  This  boiler  is  a  self¬ 
skimmer,  so  to  speak,  the  abundant  green-colored 
scum  flowing  off  to  the  sides  of  the  successive 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


361 


For  the  American  Agriculturist. 

Still  Slops— Their  Uses. 

I  abominate  “swill  milk”  as  much  as  any 
body,  and  readily  concede  that  it  causes  all  the 
disorders  to  children  and  others  who  consume  it 
either  in  its  natural  or  cooked  condition,  as  set 
forth  in  the  various  reports  made  upon  it  by  ei¬ 
ther  official  or  private  authorities.  The  evils  of 
“  swill  milk,”  and  the  wretchedly  disordered  con¬ 
dition  of  the  cows  yielding  it,  are  owing,  howev¬ 
er,  to  the  fact  that  the  cows  get  nothing  else  but 
the  “  slops,”  and  are  confined  in  filthy,  close 
stables,  breathing  a  pestilential  atmosphere,  and 
having  little  or  no  hay,  or  straw,  with  which  to 
form  a  “cud.”  Thus,  the  acrid  qualities  of  the 
slops  acting  on  a  stomach  contracted  for  the  want 
of  a  distending  food  like  hay,  straw,  or  grass,  the 
cow  immediately  becomes  unhealthy, and  of  course 
■permanently  diseased,  and  that  disease  as  a  con¬ 
sequence  affects  the  quality  of  her  milk.  Thus 
you  will  see  I  heartily  agree  with  the  “  Swill 
milk  Committees”  of  New-York  and  Brooklyn. 

But,  conceding  the  truth  of  what  I  state  above, 
still  slops  are  a  very  useful  and  profitable  food 
when  fed  rightly,  and  to  the  proper  animals. 
“  Still-fed  ”  pork  is  well  known.  It  is  a  soft, 
greasy,  slippery  article,  as  commonly  barreled,  and 
so  is  the  lard  of  such  pork.  Yet  the  hams  and 
shoulders,  properly  cured,  are  good,  and  not  easi¬ 
ly  distinguished  from  those  which  are  corn  fed. 
Still-fed  beef  is  oftentimes  of  the  first  quality, 
when  abundance  of  light  straw  and  good  hay  are 
given  to  the  cattle  with  the  slops,  and  the  slops 
not  fed  hot.  I  have  made  the  best  of  mutton  with 
still-slops,  giving  the  sheep  meantime  all  the  good 
hay,  or  pasture  (if  in  the  pasture  season)  they 
wanted.  They  are  very  fond  of  it,  and  will  suck 
it  down  with  the  greatest  gusto ;  or  it  may  be 
economically  fed  upon  cut  hay,  straw,  or  oats  in 
the  sheaf,  putting  on  all  the  slops  it  will  take.  I 
have  fed  it  to  my  cows  at  pasture  when  the  grass 
got  dry  and  short.  It  increased  the  yield  of  milk 
largely,  without  detriment  to  the  quality  of  the 
cream  or  butter,  or  the  taste  of  the  milk  itself. 
Geese  and  ducks  will  fatten  rapidly  upon  it,  when 
fed  thick,  that  is,  the  sedimentary  portion,  like 
thin  mush.  But  it  is  not  so  good  for  hens,  and 
turkeys,  unless  it  is  mixed  with  Indian  meal  and 
cooked  potatoes,  yet  when  it  is  so  mixed  it  is 
better — using  about  half  slops,  and  half  meal. 

Understand  me :  I  am  not  advocating  distil¬ 
leries  at  all,  but  simply  discriminating  how,  and 
in  what  manner  the  slops  may  be  fed  to  manifest 
advantage  and  profit.  I  have  no  interest  in  a 
distillery  at  all — pecuniary,  or  otherwise,  but  there 
being  a  large  one  erected  in  my  immediate  vi¬ 
cinity  a  year  or  two  ago  (sufficiently  far  away  as 
not.  to  be  offensive),  I  commenced  to  use  its  slops 
as  I  could  get  them  at  a  low  price,  and  as  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  information  give  this  testimony,  A.  R.  B. 


Variety  in  the  Food  of  Animals. 

No  man  is  contented  with  the  same  dish  for  din¬ 
ner  every  day,  neither  will  he  thrive  as  well  for 
confining  himself  to  one  article  of  diet,  however 
wholesome  it  may  be.  The  Creator  has  provided 
a  constant  variety  of  ripening  fruits  and  grain  to 
correspond  with  man’s  desire  for  change.  Ani¬ 
mals  have  the  same  want  and  to  some  extent  the 
same  provision.  The  ox  ranges  over  the  field  to 
find  out  different  varieties  of  grass.  Animals  in 
the  yard  will  nose  over  the  refuse  heap  to  pick 
out  something  different  from  their  accustomed 
food.  The  pig  turns  from  his  regular  meal  of 
corn,  to  root  for  nuts,  bulbs,  and  other  tit-bits. 
These  facts  should  be  kept  in  mind  in  the  Winter 


care  of  stock.  An  alternation  of  roots,  cut  feed, 
oil  meal,  etc.,  with  an  occasional  treat  of  grain  and 
shorts,  will  please  their  palates,  keep  up  appetite, 
promote  digestion  and  general  thrift.  Hogs  as 
well  as  other  animals  need  such  a  change.  The 
sweepings  of  the  barn,  which  contain  clover 
heads,  seeds,  bits  of  hay  and  straw,  etc.,  should 
be  thrown  into  the  pen  where  they  will  be  eager¬ 
ly  devoured,  and  will  contribute  not  a  little  to 
the  health  as  well  as  the  comfort  of  the  animals. 


The  Beech  Tree. 


A  Western  Artist  was  commissioned  to  pre¬ 
pare  for  the  American  Agriculturist  some  original 
sketches  of  native  forest  trees,  and  among  others 
we  received  the  accompanying  group  of  Beeches 
( Fagits ).  Though  beautiful  as  a  picture,  the  sketch 
does  not  give  a  full  representation  of  the  peculiar 
characteristics  of  the  Beech  tree  as  it  grows  wild, 
thickly  studding  many  extensive  forests  that 
abound  on  the  fertile  soils  of  the  Northern  and 
Western  States.  As  we  have  usually  seen  it,  it 
has  a  straight,  tall  trunk,  the  bark  smooth,  with 
scattering  small  branches  shooting  out  in  every 
direction,  beginning  at  a  hight  of  from  five  to 
thirty  feet  from  the  ground.  In  the  forest  the 
main  branches  are  usually  from  fifteen  to  twenty, 
and  sometimes  forty  feet  from  the  ground. 
Wherever  this  tree  abounds,  it  is  a  favorite  one 
with  the  new  settler  for  the  construction  of  log- 
houses. 

It  bears  an  abundance  of  fruit,  beech-nuts,  of 
triangular  shape,  or  three-sided,  and  not  unlike 
buckwheat  kernels  in  form  and  even  in  color, 
though  the  beech-nut  is  of  course  much  larger. 
(The  name  Buckwheat  is  derived  from  beech¬ 
nut,  or  beech-wheat,  from  its  resemblance  to  the 
nut.)  Beech-nuts,  called  mast,  or  leech-mast,  are 
very  nutritious  and  serve  to  fatten  a  vast  number 
of  hogs  in  the  newer  countries.  Hogs  and  other 
animals  thrive  well  upon  them,  but  two  or  three 


weeics  ot  nnai  leeuing  upon  corn  are  required  to 
give  solidity  to  the  pork,  though  we  have  assist¬ 
ed  in  slaughtering  many  hogs  immediately  after 
driving  them  in  from  the  forest,  when  further 
feeding  was  shut  out  by  deep  snows,  and  the  pork 
was  found  to  be  delicate  and  good  for  home  use, 
though  not  well  adapted  for  strong  salting  for  dis¬ 
tant  markets.  The  nuts  are  pleasant  eating,  and 
in  our  boyhood  days  a  bushel  or  two  of  beech-nuts 
were  considered  no  mean  addition  to  the  gar¬ 
ret  stores,  especially  when 
the  hickory  nuts  and  black- 
walnuts  chanced  to  yield 
poorly.  The  nut  grows  in  a 
bur  which  opens  and  drops 
out  the  kernels  after  a  severe 
frost,  while  the  burs  still 
clinging  to  the  trees  present 
a  pretty  appearance  in  Win¬ 
ter.  The  wood  of  the  beech 
ranks  next  to  the  oak  and 
maple  for  fuel.  It  is  of  close 
texture  but  unfitted  fortitnber 
in  exposed  situations,  owing 
to  its  liability  to  decay.  It  is 
admirably  fitted  for  many 
mechanical  purposes,  and  is 
much  used  for  making  planes, 
shoe-lasts,  saw  and  other 
tool-handles,  wooden  screws, 
rolling-pins,  butter  stamps, 
etc.  The  Beech  has  a  dense 
foliage,  and  makes  a  pretty 
ornamental  shade  tree  for 
standing  singly  upon  the 
lawn,  or  in  groups.  The 
Weeping  Beech,  ( Fagus  pen - 
dula),  with  its  long  pendent 
branches  hanging  down  near¬ 
ly  to  the  ground,  is  scarcely 
excelled  in  beauty  by  any 
other  tree.  There  are  sever¬ 
al  varieties  of  this  tree — the 
red  beech  ( Fagus  ferruginea), 
and  the  white  beech,  Fagus 
sylvatica,)  being  the  most 
common  in  the  northern  por¬ 
tions  of  our  country.  The  former  is  thus  de¬ 
scribed  by  Gray  :  Leaves  oblong-ovate,  taper- 
pointed,  distinctly  and  often  coarsely  toothed  : 
petioles  and  midrib  soon  nearly  naked  ;  prickles  of 
the  fruit  recurved  or  spreading ;  common,  es¬ 
pecially  northward,  and  along  the  Alleghanies 
southward. 

^  - — 

How  Hemp  is  Grown  and  Prepared  for 
Market- 

Hemp  is  one  of  the  minor  crops  of  the  country, 
like  hops  confined  to  a  few  localities,  very  impor¬ 
tant  in  the  limited  districts  where  the  cultivation 
is  understood,  and  generally  bringing  a  fair  re¬ 
turn  for  the  capital  and  labor  invested  in  it. 
Kentucky  and  Missouri  are  the  only  States  in 
which  hemp  is  grown  on  a  large  scale,  and  in 
these  it  is  confined  mainly  to  the  region  around 
Lexington,  in  Kentucky,  and  to  Howard,  Lafay¬ 
ette,  Jackson,  Saline,  Clay,  and  Platte  Counties, 
in  Missouri ;  these  counties  all  lie  upon  the 
Missouri  river,  in  the  western  part  of  the  State. 
It  was  a  favorite  crop,  with  the  great  statesman, 
Henry  Clay,  and  he  labored  steadfastly,  during 
his  life,  to  encourage  its  production  in  this  country, 
so  as  to  exclude  the  use  of  the  foreign  article. 

The  Hemp  Plant,  ( Catinalis  Saliva,)  belongs 
to  the  nettle  tribe,  and  is  often  seen  as  a 
weed  about  farm  houses  in  the  older  States, 
though  its  cultivation  as  a  crop  has  long  since 


362 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


ceased.  It  grows  from  five  to  fifteen  feet  high, 
according  to  the  strength  of  the  soil,  and  the 
length  of  the  season.  It  belongs  to  the  rude 
stages  of  agriculture,  and  is  grown  to  the  great¬ 
est  extent  in  Russia,  where  it  is  cultivated  by  the 
peasants,  in  small  plots  of  ground. 

The  plant  requires  a  deep,  rich,  vegetable  loam, 
such  as  is  found  in  alluvial  districts,  and  river 
bottoms.  It  flourishes  best  in  virgin  soils,  where 
it  frequently  yields  ten  or  twelve  hundred  pounds 
per  acre.  In  the  longer  cultivated  districts,  it 
should  follow  the  grass  crop,  especially  clover, 
which  has  a  tendency  to  restore  the  fertility  of 
lands  exhausted  by  hard  cropping.  If  it  can  not 
have  these  conditions,  manuring  will  be  neces¬ 
sary  to  produce  a  remunerative  crop.  In  turning 
under  a  green  sward,  the  ground  should  be  plow¬ 
ed  and  thoroughly  harrowed,  or  cross  plowed,  to 
reduce  it  to  as  fine  a  tilth  as  possible.  A  fine  soil 
is  as  much  needed  as  in  flax  culture.  Winter 
plowing  is  also  recommended,  no  crop  being  more 
benefited  by  thorough  preparation  and  careful 
husbandry  than  this. 

Much  more  attention  is  paid  to  the  raising  of 
seed  in  this  country,  than  in  Europe.  A  piece  of 
land  is  devoted  expressly  to  this  purpose,  so  that 
seed  perfectly  ripe,  and  selected  from  well  grown 
plants,  may  alone  be  used  for  the  general  crop  de¬ 
signed  for  the  fiber  or  lint.  The  seed  plot  is  sown 
in  drills  three  or  four  feet  apart.  As  soon  as  the 
plants  are  well  in  blossom,  so  that  the  sex  can  be 
determined,  the  male  plants  are  pulled  and  the 
female  plants  thinned  out  to  six  or  eight  inches 
apart  in  the  drill.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to 
pull  the  staminate  plants,  until  they  have  dis¬ 
charged  all  their  farina,  and  fertilized  the  pistil- 
lates. 

The  plants  being  thinned,  the  ground  is  kept 
under  tillage,  between  the  drills,  with  the  plow  or 
cultivator,  and  the  drills  are  cleaned  with  the 
hoe.  After  the  first  light  frosts,  the  plants  are 
gathered,  and  carried  to  the  barn  for  threshing. 
They  shell  so  easily,  that  a  damp  day,  or  the  early 
morning  should  be  selected  for  carting  them,  oth¬ 
erwise  much  of  the  seed  will  be  lost.  The 
stalks  of  these  plants  are  usually  too  large  and 
coarse,  to  be  used  for  lint.  The  seed  should  be 
carefully  and  thinly  spread  upon  a  well  aired 
floor,  and  thoroughly  dried,  before  it  is  put  away 
for  use  ;  and  seed  of  the  previous  year’s  growth 
alone,  should  be  used  for  sowing. 

THE  SOWING 

takes  place  any  time  in  the  month  of  May.  The 
plant  is  rather  feeble  and  tender  when  it  first 
comes  up,  and  if  sown  earlier,  it  is  liable  to  be 
cut  off  by  the  frosts.  If  the  seed  time  is  deferred 
later,  it  is  more  likely  to  be  hindered  from  ger¬ 
minating  by  dry  weather.  It  is  of  great  ad¬ 
vantage  to  select  a  wet  time  for  sowing  to  secure 
a  good  even  start  to  the  plants.  The  seed  is  sown 
broad-cast  like  oats,  and  at  the  rate  of  about  two 
husbols  to  the  acre — the  quantity  however  differ¬ 
ing  somewhat  with  planters,  according  to  the 
strength  of  the  land,  and  the  thoroughness  of  the 
preparation.  It  is  put  in  with  the  harrow  or 
the  plow,  and  these  are  sometimes  followed  with 
the  roller  to  break  the  lumps  of  earth,  and  to  make 
a  smooth  even  surface.  If  the  season  of  sowing 
is  favorable,  and  the  plants  come  on  well  for  the 
first  month,  and  cover  the  ground,  the  crop  is 
pretty  sure,  as  it  stands  the  drouth  better  than 
most  cultivated  crops. 

HARVESTING. 

The  earliest  sown  hemp,  is  usually  ready  to 
harvest  about  the  middle  of  August,  and  later 
fields  will  ripen  in  the  order  in  which  they  have 
been  planted.  This  crop  however  does  not  suf¬ 
fer  so  much  as  some  others  from  a  little  delay. 


If  cut  a  little  before  the  leaves  turn  yellow  the 
lint  is  not  materially  damaged,  and  if  delayed  a 
couple  of  weeks  its  market  value  is  not  affected. 

There  is  a  diversity  of  practice  as  to- the  mode 
of  harvesting.  The  old  method  was  to  pull  it  up 
by  the  roots,  and  this  process  has  this  advantage 
to  recommend  it,  that  it  saves  some  four  or  five 
inches  in  the  length  of  the  fiber,  where  it  is  thick¬ 
est  and  best.  The  process  is  the  same  as  in  flax 
gathering,  the  laborer  grasping  a  handful  and  with 
a  quick  jerk  pulling  it  out  by  the  roots.  The 
old  method  is  still  followed  by  the  majority  of 
planters,  though  cutting  has  its  advocates,  and 
they  are  yearly  increasing.  In  this  method,  the 
laborer  uses  an  old  knife  something  like  a  sickle, 
cutting  a  handful  at  a  time,  and  as  near  the  ground 
as  possible. 

In  either  case,  the  plants  are  laid  on  the  ground 
with  great  care,  and  left  for  a  few  days  to  cure. 
They  are  then  gathered  and  put  in  shocks,  and 
tied  in  a  cap  at  the  top,  with  a  wisp  of  hemp. 
From  the  shock,  which  is  made  up  of  small  bun¬ 
dles  they  are  sometimes  taken  near  the  barn,  and 
stacked  to  remain  a  year.  Where  prices  are  not 
satisfactory,  and  the  planter  is  able  to  hold  his 
crop  over,  this  is  frequently  done,  and  in  the 
stack  the  plants  undergo  a  heating  process,  which 
improves  the  quality  of  the  lint ;  and  adds  to  its 
value  enough  to  repay  loss  of  time  in  marketing. 

Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  remove 
the  woody  fiber  from  the  lint,  by  machinery  with¬ 
out  the  loss  of  time  involed  in  rotting,  but  with¬ 
out  success.  The  thing  has  been  done,  but  the 
lint  for  some  reason  does  not  last  as  long  and  its 
market  value  is  damaged.  For  some  purposes, 
the  water  rotted  hemp  is  much  the  best,  and  com¬ 
mands  the  highest  price.  That  used  for  ships’ 
cordage  goes  through  this  process.  Notwithstand¬ 
ing  the  advantage  of  water  rotting,  planters  come 
very  slowly  into  the  practice,  from  the  fact  that 
it  is  more  troublesome,  requires  more  skillful 
handling,  and  oftentimes  convenient  streams  are 
dry  at  the  usual  season  of  rotting — in  the  early 
Autumn.  There  is  also  a  strong  prejudice  against 
working  the  hands  in  the  water  at  this  season,  as 
it  aggravates  the  tendencies  of  the  climate  to  pro¬ 
duce  chills  and  fever. 

In  dew  rotting,  the  hemp  is  spread  out  in  thin 
layers  upon  the  ground,  usually  in  the  month  of 
October,  and  suffered  to  lie  from  six  to  ten  weeks, 
according  to  the  wetness  and  warmth  of  the  sea¬ 
son.  The  object  is  to  rot  the  woody  fiber  of  the 
plant,  so  that  it  can  be  detached  from  the  lint.  It 
is  sometimes  spread  upon  the  ground  where  it  is 
grown,  but  this  is  not  so  good  as  a  green  sward, 
the  dew  collecting  on  the  grass  very  much  aiding 
the  process  of  decomposition,  When  the  plants 
are  sufficiently  rotted  is  determined  by  ex¬ 
periment.  If  the  plants  are  rubbed  in  the  hand, 
and  the  lint  separates  freely,  the  crop  is  ready  for 
the  brake.  If  taken  up  too  soon,  the  process  of 
breaking  is  made  very  difficult,  and  the  lint  is  not 
pliable.  If  it  remains  spread  too  long,  the  lint  is 
made  tender,  and  its  value  is  injured.  If  the 
weather  remain  cold,  however,  it  is  not  damaged 
by  remaining  a  week  or  two  longer  than  is  ab¬ 
solutely  necessary. 

Some  practice  snow  rotting,  and  this  is  nearly 
as  good  as  water  rotting,  making  a  very  soft  fine 
lint,  without  affecting  its  toughness.  It  requires 
much  longer  time,  and  the  weather  is  often  un¬ 
comfortable,  so  that  the  increased  expense  of  this 
process  hardly  compensates  for  the  extra  price. 
After  rotting,  the  plants  are  again  gathered,  and 
put  in  shocks  or  stacks,  or  what  is  still  better, 
stored  under  a  shed  to  wait  for  breaking. 

■  CS-<  »  P- -  ■■  ■  -- 

Why  should  a  hen  enjoy  perpetual  daylight  1 
Because  her  son  never  sets. 


Blinks  from  a  Lantern. . XIV. 

BY  DIOGENES  RED1VIVUS. 

A  PRESUMPTUOUS  FARMER. 

Another  candidate  for  the  hon¬ 
ors  of  my  lantern  has  recently 
made  his  appearance.  He  thinks 
I  am  a  very  slow  coach  to  be 
looking  so  long  for  a  farmer.  He 
thinks  he  is  just  the  man  I  am 
seeking  and  presents  a  statement 
of  his  farm  products,  hoping  that 
they  will  pass  muster,  and  that 
he  may  be  duly  installed  in  the  niche  of  fame,  as 
the  accepted  of  Diogenes.  If  there  are  any  leaks 
left  in  his  style  of  husbandry,  he  would  like  to 
know  how  to  stop  them. 

In  his  statement,  he  shows  a  farm  of  seventy 
acres  worth  $8000,  or  a  little  over  a  hundred 
dollars  an  acre.  The  gross  products,  as  he 
estimates  them,  amount  to  $1,450.15.  On 
the  other  hand  he  does  not  state  the  cost  of  pro¬ 
duction,  and  yet  he  wants  to  know  if  he  is  not 
doing  a  pretty  smart  business.  The  statement 
is  not  lucid  enough,  for  a  philosopher  even,  to 
determine  whether  he  is  making  or  losing 
money.  For  instance  he  puts  down  the  hay  crop 
at  $300,  and  then  the  use  of  7  cows  at  $210. 
If  the  cows  eat  up  the  hay,  as  is  probable, 
there  would  seem  to  be  little  propriety  in  giving 
the  farm  credit  for  the  product  of  hay.  Then 
again,  the  product  of  corn  and  potatoes  is  put 
down  at  $300,  and  the  beef  and  pork  at  $92. 
A  part  of  the  corn  and  potatoes  were  proba¬ 
bly  used  to  make  this  meat.  If  so,  it  should  be 
deducted  from  the  credit  account.  This  should 
be  reduced  at  least  $300  to  make  allowance 
foj-  errors  in  calculations.  We  have  then  as  the 
gross  value  of  the  products,  $1150.  The  neces¬ 
sary  labor  to  secure  these  crops,  aside  from 
the  farmer’s  own  time,  I  will  put  down  at 
$400.  Now  I  will  suppose  the  farmer  to  have 
a  family  of  the  average  number,  five  individuals, 
and  that  it  costs  a  hundred  dollars  each  to  feed, 
clothe,  and  warm  them  upon  the  farm,  an  esti¬ 
mate  that  would  be  rather  small  in  a  region 
where  land  is  worth  a  hundred  dollars  an  acre. 
We  shall  have  then  to  balance  the  credit  ac¬ 
count,  interest  on  $8000  at  7  per  cent  $560, 
labor  $400,  support  of  family  $500,  making 
$1460,  leaving  our  farmer  $310  in  debt  at  the 
close  of  the  year.  In  other  words  he  loses  all  his 
own  time,  which  ought  to  be  worth  four  hundred 
dollars,  and  pays  $310  for  the  privilege  of 
working  his  highly  productive  farm.  This  may 
be  cheap  enough,  for  the  blessings  of  good  air  and 
country  life,  if  a  man  is  a  gentleman  of  wealth, 
and  can  afford  the  luxury,  but  it  is  rather  a  poor 
specimen  of  farming.  The  cultivator  wants  to 
manage  land  so  as  to  get  legal  interest  for  the 
money  invested  in  it,  to  pay  for  the  cost  of  culti¬ 
vation,  including  his  own  time,  and  to  leave  a 
handsome  profit.  If  he  can  not  do  this,  fanning 
is  no  better  than  other  kinds  of  business. 

My  correspondent  needs  to  bring  up  bis  farm 
to  a  production  of  crops  worth  two  thousand  dol¬ 
lars,  with  his  present  amount  of  labor,  before  he 
can  show  any  skillful  management  worth  talking 
about  in  the  papers.  He  will  probably  have  to 
stop  some  leaks  before  he  can  accomplish  this. 

As  he  asks  suggestions  upon  this  topic,  Dioge¬ 
nes  would  modestly  insinuate  that  the  most  dan¬ 
gerous  hole  in  the  bottom  of  the  farmer’s  vessel,  is 
the  idea  that  he  has  reached  the  limits  of  perfection, 
and  has  nothing  to  learn  in  his  business.  I  think 
about  half  the  farmers  have  this  notion,  and  they 
are  already  water-logged,  and  in  danger  of  sink¬ 
ing  with  it.  Go  to  almost  any  one  of  the  twenty 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


363 


thousand  farmers  in  this  State,  who  take  no  agri¬ 
cultural  paper,  and  you  will  find  that  they  have  no 
idea  that  they  need  light  upon  the  methods  of  hus¬ 
bandry.  They  are  routine  farmers,  and  pursue  the 
same  course  now, in  all  essential  respects, that  they 
did  twenty  years  ago.  They  do  not  reflect  at  all 
upon  the  philosophy  of  their  occupation, and  pursue 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  as  if  it  were  not  an  im¬ 
provable  art.  They  see  their  lands  running  out, 
year  after  year,  but  propose  no  remedy  but  to 
desert  them,  and  seek  a  new  home  in  the  West. 
If  in  the  wheat  region,  and  the  insects  diminish 
this  crop,  they  make  no  war  upon  them,  but  turn 
their  attention  to  barley  or  rye.  These  are  the 
men  that  plow  four  inches  deep,  and  despise  the 
radicalism  of  subsoiling  and  underdraining.  They 
make  a  little  manure,  and  use  it  upon  the  soil  as 
if  it  were  medicine,  instead  of  food  for  plants. 
Their  stock  is  lean  and  pot-bellied,  either  refuse 
that  nobody  would  purchase  from  them,  or  bought 
of  others  because  they  were  cheap.  They  think 
they  understand  their  business  thoroughly,  and 
do  not  want  John  Johnson  or  any  other  believer  in 
tile,  to  tell  them  to  make  a  crockery  store  of 
their  farm.  They  do  not  believe  in  book  farm¬ 
ing  and  do  not  want  to  read  any  thing,  that  an 
editor,  stuck  up  in  the  city,  can  write  about 
their  business.  Their  fathers  were  farmers, 
and  they  have  always  got  a  living  out  of 
the  soil,  and  they  would  like  to  know  what 
more  could  be  expected  of  them. 

There  are  other  self-satisfied  souls,  but  entire¬ 
ly  of  another  type.  They  take  the  papers,  and 
read  them,  are  some  of  them  gentlemen  of  means, 
and  buy  every  book  they  can  lay  hands  on,  which 
treats  of  agriculture  and  the  kindred  sciences. 
They  quote  Liebig  and  Johnston,  talk  of  the  ex¬ 
periments  of  Lawes,  and  the  transactions  of  the 
Royal  Agricultural  Society,  and  then  leave  all 
their  farm  operations  to  a  foreman  who  is  about 
as  well  fitted  for  a  forestick,  as  to  direct  farm 
labor.  He  plants  corn  in  April,  and  sows  oats  in 
June,  makes  fences  and  digs  ditches  when  the 
hay  harvest  is  waiting  to  be  gathered,  picks  Win¬ 
ter  apples  in  August,  and  lets  all  his  beets  and 
root  crops  stand  out  till  December.  With  such  a 
foreman,  the  head  of  the  establishment  of  course 
has  no  occasion  to  learn  anything.  His  farm  is 
only  a  big  sieve,  and  his  money  wastes  through 
it  gently  as  April  showers — chiefly  valuable,  as 
it  gives  employment  to  needy  laborers,  and  il¬ 
lustrates  the  necessity  of  a  man’s  understanding 
his  business,  if  he  would  make  money  by  it. 

|  There  is  another  class  still,  who  suppose  that 
large  crops  are  necessarily  profitable.  They 
have  large  means  accumulated  in  other  employ¬ 
ments,  or  are,  perhaps,  actively  engaged  in  busi¬ 
ness  in  the  city,  while  they  resort  to  farming  as 
a  pastime.  They  literally  play  the  farmer.  They 
buy  a  suburban  property  of  fifty  or  a  hundred 
acres,  and  do  all  manner  of  fantastic  things  with 
it,  just  to  see  how  much  money  can  be  expend¬ 
ed  upon  a  play-thing.  They  spend  a  hundred  dol¬ 
lars  in  manure  and  labor  upon  an  acre  of  land,  to 
get  a  crop  of  corn  worth  seventy  five  dollars. 
Seventy  bushels  of  corn  is  a  large  yield,  but  it 
should  not  cost  over  fifty  dollars  to  make  it  a  good 
sample  of  farming.  If  the  cultivator  sinks  twenty 
five  dollars  an  acre  in  his  fancy  crops,  he  becomes 
a  Pyrrhus  in  agriculture,  and  a  few  such  victo¬ 
ries  will  ruin  him.  Diogenes  has  discovered 
quite  a  number  of  farmers  of  this  stamp,  and  ad¬ 
mired  their  elegant  “  residences,”  and  their 
splendid  barns.  These  are  all  well  enough  in 
their  places,  but  are  not  to  be  taken  on  faith  as 
good  farming.  Diogenes  hopes  that  his  corres¬ 
pondent  makes  farming  pay,  but  he  is  unable  to  see 
it,  even  with  the  help  of  figures  and  his  lantern. 


Rural  Life  for  Consumptives. 

[The  Agriculturist  is  not  a  Medical  Journal.  We  refuse 
to  even  advertise  medicines— except  an  occasional  gratis 
“notice”  of  medical  humbugs — and  our  general  advice  is  to 
“  throw  physic  to  the  dogs.”  If  we  need  a  house  built, 
or  one  repaired,  we  go  to  the  professional  builder— the 
best  one  we  can  find.  So  if  this  body  of  ours  be  out  of 
repair  we  go  direct  to  the  best  man  we  can  find  who 
makes  it  his  life’s  business  to  study  into  and  assist  in  re¬ 
pairing  this  “house  of  the  soul.”  We  once  attended  a 
course  of  medical  lectures— for  the  science  of  the  thing, 
not  with  a  view  to  practice — and  learned  enough  of  the 
mechanism  of  that  curious  and  wonderful  structure,  th'e 
human  body,  to  be  afraid  to  tinker  with  it,  any  more  than 
we  would  undertake  to  mend  a  locomotive  engine.  This 
may  be  a  sufficient  excuse  for  not  publishing  the  thousand 
and  one  “  recipes  ”  and  “  cures  ”  continually  sent  to  us. 
There  are,  however,  common  sense  matters  relating  to 
health,  which  are  not  out  of  place  in  these  columns,  and 
we  may  occasionally  throw  out  items  of  unprofessional 
advice  for  the  preservation  of  health,  with  advantage  to 
our  readers.  Before  us  is  the  following  from  one  of  our 
regular  contributors,  who  has, we  believe,  been  himself 
snatched  from  a  consumptive’s  grave,  supposed  to  be 
yawning  near  at  hand  ;  and  as  “pulmonary  consumption” 
is  one  of  our  country’s  most  dreaded  scourges,  we  insert 
the  article  for  the  many  valuable  suggestions  it  con¬ 
tains.— Ed. I 

Dear  reader,  you  who  are  depressed  with  fore¬ 
bodings  of  early  dissolution,  let  us  look  at  your 
case.  You  have,  perhaps,  a  narrow  chest,  a  pale 
face,  occasional  darting  pains  in  the  side,  and 
above  all,  a  cough.  Hence,  your  doctor  has  mark¬ 
ed  you  in  his  books  as  a  consumptive.  And  you 
have  made  up  your  mind  to  that  effect,  especial¬ 
ly  as  you  inherit  pulmonary  tendencies.  But  here, 
remember  for  your  encouragement,  that  all  chil¬ 
dren  of  consumptive  families  do  not  inherit  the 
taint  alike  ;  and  statistics  show  that  the  children 
of  such  households,  who  exercise  freely  in  the 
open  air,  have  two  chances  of  escape  to  one  of 
those  who  follow  sedentary  pursuits. 

Perhaps,  you  are  a  dyspeptic  student,  and  have 
overworked  your  brains,  and  robbed  your  stom¬ 
ach.  Or  you  are  a  merchant,  who  in  early 
struggles  for  w'ealth  have  given  ten  minutes  to 
dinner,  and  very  often  gone  without  it  altogether. 
Or  you  are  a  poor  seamstress,  singing  the  “  Song 
of  the  Shirt,”  with  a  hacking  accompaniment. 
Perhaps  you  are  a  vegetarian,  and  in  spite  of  your 
canine  teeth,  have  abjured  meat,  and  have  wilted 
like  the  plants  you  have  eaten.  Or  you  are  a 
tailor,  sitting  on  your  board  night  and  day,  like  a 
Turk — though  more  crooked — in  confined  air, 
and  with  little  or  no  exercise.  Or,  it  matters  not 
how,  you  have  run  down,  have  lost  your  natural 
strength,  and  seem  to  be  in  “a  decline.” 

Now,  let  us  cast  about  a  little,  and  see  what 
can  be  done.  The  gist  of  what  the  doctors  teach 
us  in  regard  to  the  cause  of  consumption  is  this  : 
depraved  nutrition.  Poor  food,  poor  air,  poor  chyle, 
impoverished  blood,  followed  by  the  fatal  sedi¬ 
ment  of  tubercles  deposited  in  the  lungs.  Can 
anything  be  done  to  help  you!  ’Doubtless  there 
can.  If  you  have  hereditary  tendencies  to  this 
disease,  you  can  be  fortified  against  it.  Call  all 
your  forces  Into  play.  Every  known  cause  of  de¬ 
bility  must  be  avoided — such  as  foul  air,  exhaus¬ 
tive  work,  late  hours,  hard  study,  poor  diet,  indo¬ 
lence,  pining  grief,  and  reckless  exposure  to  the 
vicissitudes  of  climate.  Never  attempt  morning 
walks  or  work  of  any  kind  on  an  empty  stomach, 
whatever  the  “  knowing  ones  ”  may  say  about 
early  rising  and  exercise  in  the  so-called  pure 
morning  air.  Do  not  sit  or  stand  in  a  draught  of 
cold  air.  Then,  of  course,  bring  into  play  the  op¬ 
posite  causes.  Above  all  things,  make  sure  of 
fresh  air  and  generous  food.  “Life  itself,”  says 
one,  “may  depend  on  good  dinners  and  time  to 
eat  them.”  And  we  will  add  to  this,  flannel  worn 
next  the  skin,  and  dry  feet. 

Now,  we  wish  to  show  (and  we  speak  from  ex¬ 


pedience)  that  country  life  is  eminently  favorable 
for  avoiding  the  occasions  of  disease,  and  for 
warding  off  its  attacks.  In  the  country,  there  is 
no  need  of  breathing  impure  air.  You  need  not 
inhale  the  stench  of  foul  gutters,  nor  the  fumes 
and  ashes  of  anthracite  coal  from  myriad  chim- 
nies  and  forges,  nor  the  escaping  gas  from  the 
vast  net-work  of  pipes  above  ground  and  below, 
nor  the  ten  thousand  “  well  defined  and  separate 
smells  ”  with  which  city  air  is  always  redolent. 
You  need  not  eat  poor  food.  Instead  of  depend¬ 
ing  entirely  on  the  public  markets  for  your  sup¬ 
plies,  uncertain  of  their  purity  and  freshness,  you 
may  have  the  fat  of  the  land  in  its  very  best  con¬ 
dition.  Vegetables  you  can  have,  just  plucked 
from  the  garden  ;  and  meats  of  the  best  quality 
from  healthy  animals  properly  fed.  Fruits  you 
may  gather  and  eat,  from  bush  and  tree,  with  the 
bloom  and  dew  upon  them. 

So  in  reference  to  exercise.  Would  you  ride 
on  horseback  1  In  the  country  there  is  ample 
room,  and  every  variety  of  scene— in  hill  and 
dale,  wood  and  open  plain— to  interest  the 
thoughts.  Much  might  be  said  in  favor  of  this 
kind  of  recreation.  Nearly  two  hundred  years 
ago,  the  learned  Sydenham  declared  :  “  Of  all 
the  remedies  for  phthisis  (consumption,)  long  and 
continued  journeys  on  horseback  bear  the  bell.” 
And  the  experience  of  the  two  centuries  since, 
confirms  his  position.  The  benefit  seems  to  be 
connected  with  the  amount  of  vigorous  exercise 
gained  with  so  little  fatigue  ;  the  happy  effect  of 
the  jolting  upon  the  liver;  the  abundance  of 
fresh  air  inhaled  ;  the  fine  edge  it  gives  to  the 
appetite,  and  the  cheerfulness  it  imparts  to  the 
spirits.  Gallop,  then,  ye  weakly  ones,  over  the 
hills  and  far  away,  and  at  every  prance  of  your 
steed,  breathe  in  new  vigor  ! 

Farming  and  gardening  also  afford  excellent 
exercise.  We  should  hardly  advocate  either  of 
these  for  consumptives,  where  hard  exhausting 
labor  is  required.  But  the  superintendence  of 
a  farm  or  garden,  and  the  doing  of  light,  volun¬ 
tary  labor,  would  be  very  beneficial.  What  can 
be  more  soothing  to  excited  nerves  and  depressed 
spirits,  than  these  light  occupations  1  What  more 
inspiring  of  hope  and  cheerfulness  and  trust! 
Every  muscle  of  the  body  is  brought  into  play, 
yet  none  are  necessarily  overtaxed.  Exercise  is 
got  without  thinking  of  it,  and  appetite  and  good 
digestion  ensured.  Ask  the  cook  if  it  is  not  so. 
How  much  better  this  than  a  long,  forced  walk, 
dragging  one’s  self  through  weary  streets  ;  how 
much  better  than  violent  antics  in  a  gymnasium, 
just  for  the  sake  of  so  much  exercise,  measured 
by  the  clock ! 

Horseback  riding  has  undoubtedly  saved  many 
persons  from  the  grave,  but  hardly  more  than 
farming  and  gardening.  For  ladies,  especially, 
this  last  mode  of  exercise  is  very  beneficial.  The 
artificial  in-door  life  of  most  females  now-a-days, 
is  sadly  breaking  down  their  constitutions.  Em¬ 
broidery,  painting,  music,  novel-reading,  late 
hours,  and  confinement  in  close,  over  heated 
rooms  are  enough  to  destroy  the  best  health. 
Now,  if  the  ladies  could  be  imbued  with  a  love 
of  gardening— not  gardening  with  satin  slippers 
and  white  kid  gloves,  but  practical  gardening — 
making  it  a  daily  employment  for  an  hour  or  two, 
it  would  go  far  to  counteract  the  evils  we  have 
mentioned.  Let  them  go  out  properly  shod,  and 
with  sun-bonnet  and  rubber  gloves.  Then,  let 
them  sow,  and  plant,  and  train,  and  weed,  and 
prune  ;  and,  as  surely  as  there  is  truth  in  any 
thing,  they  will  avoid  most  of  the  ills  to 
which  female  flesh  is  heir,  coughs  will  seldom 
be  heard  among  them,  and  they  will  become,  to 
the  despair  of  the  doctors,  “ distressingly  healthy." 


384 


No.  155. 


AMERICAN  AGHICULTUBIST. 


(Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist.) 


Winter  has  come  again  in  earnest,  and  over 
much  of  the  northern  territory  of  our  country  the 
fields  are  clothed  in  a  white  mantle  of  snow. 
But  Winter  has  its  pleasant  scenes,  one  of  which 
is  sketched  above.  The  artist  is  not  exactly  a 
practical  farmer,  or  he  would  doubtless  have  in¬ 
troduced  a  better  style  of  buildings,  and  better 
feeding  arrangements.  But  the  picture  is  cheer¬ 
ful,  and  the  contented  look  of  the  sleek  animals, 
and  of  the  feeders  as  well,  will  please  every  one. 

. .  .How  can  we  begin  the  work  of  the  ensuing 
winter  months  better  than  by  a  word  or  two  on 

THE  CARE  OF  STOCK  IN  WINTER. 

“A  righteous  man  regardeth  the  life  of  his  beast ; 
but  the  tender  mercies  of  the  wicked  are  cruel.” 
Every  farmer  knows  that  the  health  of  his  cattle 
next  Spring  will  depend  much  upon  their  man¬ 
agement  through  the  Winter.  Their  treatment 
for  about  six  months  to  come,  shut  up,  and  fed  on 
dried  food,  is  an  artificial  one,  and  needs  to  be 
well  conducted.  It  is  said  that  more  than 
$600,000,000  are  invested  in  live  stock  in  this 
country ;  is  not  that  investment  worth  looking 
after  1  It  is  held  too,  that  it  costs  about  half  the 
value  of  the  stock  to  Winter  it ;  hence,  there  are 
some  three  hundred  millions  of  dollars  to  be  fed 
out,  between  this  month  (December)  and  next 
May.  Now,  if  that  sum  can  be  reduced  by  good 
economy,  would  it  not  be  a  great  benefit  to  the 
farming  community  1  Wc  believe  that  some  of 
that  money  can  be  saved.  How  saved  1 

1.  By  providing  good  shelter  for  stock.  Every 
man  knows  that  exposure  to  a  cold  wind  in  Win¬ 
ter  (even  though  he  does  not  exercise  much) 


gives  him  an  enormous  appetite.  The  carbon  in 
his  system  is  expended  in  keeping  up  his  vital 
heat,  and  he  needs  a  new  and  large  supply  of  food 
to  restore  the  waste.  So  with  animals.  If  they 
are  kept  out  of  doors,  exposed  to  severe  winds 
and  frosts,  they  will  be  compelled  to  eat  much 
more  to  keep  themselves  warm,  than  they 
would  if  well  housed  in  sheds  and  stables.  If 
they  have  only  fodder  enough  to  keep  up  their 
animal  heat,  they  will  decline  in  flesh,  and  of 
course  in  value.  Farmers  not  at  all  given  to  ex¬ 
aggeration,  assure  us  that  they  find  it  a  loss 
of  one  third  of  their  fodder  to  try  to  Winter 
their  stock  without  adequate  shelter. 

2.  Consider,  too,  the  waste  of  food  by  its  be¬ 
ing  trampled  into  the  wet  ground,  by  irregular 
feeding  as  to  quantity  and  time,  also  the  effect 
of  lying  on  cold,  wet  ground,  with  little  or  no 
bedding,  and  other  wasteful  practices  which  gen¬ 
erally  accompany  the  neglect  of  providing  shel¬ 
ter.  Do  not  cow's  give  more  and  better  milk ; 
do  not  horses  and  oxen  work  better ;  do  not 
sheep  improve  more  in  flesh  and  wool ;  and  do 
not  pigs  fatten  quicker,  if  kept  in  comfortable 
quarters  and  well  fed,  than  if  treated  with  neg¬ 
lect  1  We  have  seen  horses  and  cattle  that  bore, 
for  several  years,  the  marks  of  bad  treatment  for 
a  single  Winter.  They  were  stinted  in  their 
growth,  or  they  contracted  diseases  from  which 
they  never  fully  recovered.  “  Penny  wise  and 
pound  foolish,”  as  Dr.  Franklin  would  say. 

Horses  are  not  as  apt  to  be  neglected  as  other 
stock  ;  but  even  they  sometimes  suffer  from  being 
kept  in  too  close  and  foul  stables,  and  in  being 


irregularly  blanketed  and  curried.  Their  stalls 
should  be  cleaned  twice  every  day,  and  supplied 
with  good  dry  litter  at  night.  Provision  should 
be  made  for  letting  in  fresh  air  on  the  least  windy 
side  of  the  barn,  and  the  opening  not  very  near 
to  the  horse-stalls.  The  curry-comb  should  not  be 
allowed  to  rust  for  want  of  use,  and  this  should 
be  followed  by  a  good  wisp  of  pea-straw  and  the 
brush.  If  the  horse  is  blanketed  at  all,  it  should 
be  done  the  Winter  through,  by  no  means  neglect¬ 
ing  the  times  w'hen  he  is  heated  after  working. 

Cows  should  have  special  care.  Those  with 
calf  should  have  no  sort  of  harsh  treatment  from 
men,  or  dogs,  or  other  cattle.  Their  food  should 
be  plentiful  and  nutritious.  Remember  that  their 
own  future  condition  and  that  of  the  coming  calf 
depends  on  their  management  at  this  critical  time. 
By  no  means,  deny  them  the  comfort  of  a  stable 
by  night.  Milch  cows  should  have  an  abundance 
of  food  and  pure  water — that  from  a  running 
spring  being  better  than  water  from  a  well. 
They  should  be  fed  and  milked  at  regular  hours. 
Roots  should  form  a  stated  part  of  their  fodder, 
and  if  these  give  out,  they  should  have  messes  of 
shorts,  meal  and  flax-seed  cake.  If  their  hides 
get  an  occasional  carding,  it  will  do  them  no  hurt. 

Cattle  and  sheep  should  not  be  neglected,  either 
as  to  shelter  or  food,  if  you  would  have  them  re¬ 
turn  a  profit.  And  so  endeth  our  first  lesson. 


“  What  becomes  of  old  horses  1”  asked  a  man 
of  an  investigating  turn  of  mind  of  our  friend 
George.  “  Why,”  said  George,  thoughtfully, 
“  the  final  end  of ’em  is,  that  they  get  traded  off” 


Dec.  1859. 


AMEBIC  AN  AGKRICULTUBIST. 


365 


Rural  Embellishments. 


By  rural  embellishments,  we  now  refer  not  so 
much  to  lawns,  shrubs,  flowers  and  the  like,  as 
to  architectural  and  sculptural  ornaments,  such  as 
terraces,  vases,  sun-dials,  fountains,  and  similar 
ivorks  of  art.  We  are  not  insensible  to  the  sim¬ 
ple  beauty  of  rustic  ornaments — and  in  recent 
volumes  have  recommended  them  to  general  at¬ 
tention— but  at  present,  we  wish  to  speak  of 
embellishments  of  a  different  sort. 

Terraces.— One  great  defect  of  many  country 
places  is  the  want  of  a  proper  connection  be¬ 
tween  the  house  and  the  grounds  about  it.  The 
^building  itself  may  be  very  fine,  but  it  seems  set 
down  on  the  soil  without  any  architectural  union 
with  it,  no  pleasing  transition  from  the  edifice  to 
the  scenes  amid  which  it  stands.  To  the  eye  of 
taste,  there  seems  to  be  a  demand  for  something 
like  a  raised  platform  of  smooth  turf,  which  shall 
play  an  obvious  part  in  the  architectural  design. 
If  the  house  be  large  and  elaborately  finished,  the 
terrace  may  be  of  corresponding  size  and  finish. 
It  may  be  broad  enough  to  contain  a  wide  walk 
of  smooth  flagging  stones  or  gravel ;  it  may  be 
surrounded  by  a  low  parapet  or  balustrade  made 
of  stone  or  of  wood;  and  this  balustrade  may 
have  pedestals  at  the  corners  and  at  various  in¬ 
tervals,  for  vases  of  flowers.  Or,  it  may  be  sim¬ 
ply  a  terrace  of  grass,  raised  a  foot  or  more  above 
the  surrounding  land,  and  kept  neatly  shorn 
throughout  the  Summer.  In  either  style,  it  an¬ 
swers  an  excellent  purpose.  It  is  appropriate  in 
connection  with  every  order  of  architecture, 
though  perhaps  better  suited  to  the  Italian  and 
Grecian,  and  happily  carries  out  their  design  and 
expression.  As  some  writer  observes  :  “  The  ter¬ 
race  prevents  us  from  launching  at  once  from  the 
threshold  of  the  symmetric  house,  in  the  most 
abrupt  manner,  into  a  scene  wholly  composed  of 
the  most  unsymmetric  and  desultory  forms  of 
mere  nature,  which  are  totally  out  of  character 
with  the  mansion,  whatever  may  be  its  style  of 
architecture  and  furnishing.” 

Vases. — From  terraces,  the  transition  is  natur¬ 
al  to  ornamental  vases.  These  may  be  set  on 
raised  pedestals  along  the  balustrade,  or  on  sim¬ 
ple  square  stones  or  plinths  at  the  corners  of  the 
terrace.  Like  the  terrace  itself,  they  answer  the 
purpose  of  connecting  the  house  and  grounds  ; 
they  show  that  the  architectural  idea  is  carried 
a  little  beyond  the  residence,  and  that  the  senti¬ 
ment  of  taste  is  diffused  over  all  the  surround¬ 
ings  of  the  home. 

Mr.  Loudon  highly  recommends  the  use  of 
these  embellishments.  When  set  near  the  house, 
he  says,  “  they  harmonize  admirably  with  the 
masonry  and  architectural  forms  with  which  they 
are  surrounded.”  When  placed  at  a  little  dis¬ 
tance,  “  they  give  pleasure  by  their  contrast  to 
the  beautiful  works  of  nature  amid  which  they 
stand.”  He  also  says  :  ‘‘they  tend  to  create  a 
taste  for  natural  beauty  in  the  spectator,  since, 
paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  yet  true,  that 
we  can  only  be  instructed  in  the  beauties  of  na¬ 
ture  through  those  of  art . The  setting  of 

beautiful  vases  before  a  person,  is  to  familiarize 
him  with  beautiful  forms,  which  he  cannot  help 
contrasting  with  ordinary  shapes  ;  and  according 
to  his  natural  capacity  for  discerning  forms,  he  will 
find  in  the  vase  a  unity  of  tendency  in  the  lines, 
a  symmetry  in  its  forms,  and  a  richness,  an  intri¬ 
cacy  and  a  character  of  art  in  its  sculptured  de¬ 
tails  which  will  induce  him  to  search  for  those 
qualities  in  other  objects  of  art,  and  to  observe 
every  tendency  towards  them  in  the  works  of 
nature.  He  will  find  within  him  insensibly  grow¬ 
ing  a  new  interest  in  architecture  and  sculpture 


and  painting,  and  all  objects  of  beauty  in  the 
world  around  him.” 

As  to  the  proper  position  of  vases,  every  one 
must  agree  that  they  belong  near  the  house. 
They  are  architectural  or  sculptured  objects,  and 
should  appear  to  have  some  connection  with  the 
forms  and  lines  of  the  edifice  ;  or  at  least,  be  so 
near  that  the  one  naturally  suggests  the  presence 
of  the  other.  Accordingly,  they  may  be  placed 
by  the  sides  of  the  door-step,  or  on  the  terrace, 
or  on  the  adjoining  lawn,  or  at  the  intersections 
of  walks  further  off,  if  they  are  within  near  view 
of  the  house.  Where  the  grounds  are  all  kept  in 
high  condition,  vases  may  be  distributed  more  re¬ 
mote  from  the  dwelling,  than  would  otherwise  be 
allowable.  “  To  place  a  beautiful  vase,”  says 
Downing,  ‘‘in  a  distant  part  of  the  grounds, 
where  there  is  no  direct  allusion  to  art,  and  where 
it  is  accompanied  only  by  natural  objects,  as  the 
overhanging  trees  and  the  sloping  (and  unmown) 
turf,  is  in  a  measure  doing  violence  to  our  reason 
and  taste,  by  bringing  two  objects  so  strongly 
contrasted  in  direct  union.” 

Vases  should  always  be  set  upon  a  firm  pedes¬ 
tal,  or  a  block  of  hewn  stone.  Without  some  solid 
foundation  of  this  sort,  they  have  a  temporary  and 
insecure  appearance-^they  “  seem  to  have  been 
left  out  by  mistake.”  The  base  of  cut  stone 
should  rest  upon  a  solid  abutment  of  quarry  stones 
laid  below  frost.  So  placed,  they  will  always  re¬ 
main  in  a  perpendicular  position,  and  will  have  a 
dignified  and  artistic  aspect. 

Marble  vases  are  too  expensive  for  the  major¬ 
ity  of  country  residents  ;  but  patterns  of  the  finest 
classical  vases  may  be  had  in  cast  iron,  or  terra¬ 
cotta,  at  a  moderate  cost.  They  can  be  bought 
in  all  our  large  cities,  at  prices  ranging  from 
$2.50,  up  to  $100,  according  to  size,  and  style  of 
finish.  The  iron  vases  are  intended,  of  course, 
to  be  painted  white  in  imitation  of  marble,  or 
some  soft,  neutral  tint  to  represent  stono. 

We  have  more  to  say  on  this  general  subject, 
hut  must  defer  it  to  another  number  of  our  paper. 
- - - - -»o<~ - -  - - 

The  Frazer’s  Silver  Fir. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Agriculturist : 

This  tree  about  which  you  inquire,  in  your 
September  issue,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of 
our  native  evergreens,  and  ought  to  be  better 
known  by  our  nurserymen,  and  rural  improvers. 
I  have  frequently  seen  it,  both  under  cultivation, 
and  in  its  native  localities,  and  can  confirm  all 
that  has  been  said  in  its  praise,  by  those  who  are 
acquainted  with  it. 

It  was  first  discovered  by  Frazer  in  the  moun¬ 
tains  of  Carolina,  but  is  not  confined  to  that  lo¬ 
cality.  It  is  found  upon  the  summit  of  Grey 
Locke,  near  Williamstown,  Mass.,  at  an  eleva¬ 
tion  of  3,500  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  a  few 
miles  from  Burlington,  Vt.,  in  a  swamp,  not  much 
above  the  level  of  lake  Champlain.  It  is  also 
found  near  Willoughby  Lake,  in  the  same  state. 
It  is  probably  found  all  along  the  Green  Moun¬ 
tains,  and  Alleghany  range,  and  only  needs  the 
exploration  of  botanists  to  bring  it  to  light.  In 
the  localities  mentioned,  the  tree  is  abundant, 
and  might  be  procured  in  quantities  by  those  de¬ 
sirous  of  transplanting  them,  either  in  the  nur¬ 
sery,  or  in  ornamental  grounds. 

I  saw  the  tree  under  cultivation,  some  fifteen 
years  since,  in  the  college  garden  at  Williams¬ 
town,  Mass.,  and  in  the  grounds  of  the  late  Prof. 
Lasell,  of  that  institution,  who  took  a  good  deal 
of  interest  in  it.  More  recently  I  have  seen  it  in 
the  grounds  of  Dr.  John  Wheeler,  of  Burlington, 
Vt.,  who  considers  it  one  of  our  finest  evergreens, 
arc  has  taken  some  pains  to  bring  it  to  the  no¬ 


tice  of  amateurs.  Nothing  can  exceed  the  beau¬ 
ty  of  the  trees  in  his  grounds,  in  the  freshness  of 
their  early  Summer  foliage.  Full  grown  trees  are 
to  be  seen  in  the  forest,  near  his  residence.  It 
has  a  more  thick  massive  foliage  than  the  com¬ 
mon  fir,  and  is  considered  by  all  cultivators,  with 
whom  I  have  conversed,  as  a  much  finer  tree. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  of  its  hardiness,  and 
adaptation  to  all  the  northern  parts  of  our  country. 
It  is  not  yet  cultivated  generally,  by  nurserymen. 
The  man  who  shall  multiply  it  and  introduce  it 
to  our  rural  improvers,  will  do  the  public  a  ser¬ 
vice,  and  find  a  sure  reward  for  his  enterprise. 


Connecticut. 
- ■' 


A  Summer-House  Grape  Arbor. 


In  one  of  our  recent  excursions,  we  saw  a 
very  simple,  easily  made,  cheap,  and  yet  pretty 
structure,  which  answered  the  double  purpose  of 
a  Grape  Arbor,  and  a  tight  roofed  Summer-House. 
The  accompanying  engraving  is  as  correct  a  rep¬ 
resentation  as  we  can  give  from  a  hasty  pencil 
sketch  made  on  the  spot,  and  from  memory. 
(This  structure  is  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Mumma, 
just  west  of  Mechanicsburg,  Cumberland  Co  ,  Pa.) 

Four  posts  are  set  up  about  10  feet  apart,  to 
form  the  corners  ;  these  are  of  undressed  cedar, 
if  we  remember  rightly.  At  the  hight  of  eight  or 
nine  feet,  small  timbers  for  plates  are  spiked  on, 
and  a  four-sided  roof,  somewhat  flat,  runs  to  the 
center.  Lattice  work  occupies  about  one-third 
of  the  space  between  the  corners  and  also 
around  the  top  of  the  two  arched  entrances 
on  each  of  the  four  sides.  The  four  corner 
posts  are  carried  up  five  or  six  feet  above  the 
plates,  and  horizontal  strips  are  nailed  from  cor¬ 
ner  to  corner.  Tbe  top  edge  of  the  upper  strip  is 
made  wider  and  cut  a  little  ornamental.  From 
the  peak  of  the  roof,  in  the  center,  a  square  shaft 
rises  a  few  feet,  terminating  in  four  points,  be¬ 
tween  which  stands  a  rod  supporting  a  weather¬ 
cock.  A  grape-vine  upon  each  of  the  four  sides 
runs  up  along  the  lattice  work,  and  spreads  out 
upon  the  horizontal  strips.  These  were  well  load¬ 
ed  with  fruit  when  we  saw  them.  The  floor 
consisted  of  a  bed  of  dry,  spent  tan-bark. 

The  whole  structure  has  a  light,  airy  appear¬ 
ance,  and  when  adorned  with  the  fruitful  vines  is 
certainly  ornamental.  No  great  amount  of  labor 
or  expense  is  needed  to  put  up  such  a  structure, 
and  one  of  this,  or  similar  form  and  make,  might 
well  be  erected  in  a  multitude  of  gardens.  The 
more  rustic  the  posts  and  other  work,  the  better. 


366 


AMEBICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Mistakes  in  Names  of  Evergreens. 


Whoever  has  carefully  noticed  the  language  of 
planters,  or  read  much  in  books  and  papers  about 
evergreens,  must  have  observed  that  considerable 
confusion  exists  in  the  nomenclature  of  this  class 
of  trees.  For  example  :  the  Arbor  Vita;  is  often 
called  the  white  cedar,  while  in  fact  the  two  are 
very  different  trees.  The  foliage  of  the  arbor  vitas 
is  flat  and  fan-like,  while  that  of  the  white  cedar 
is  clustered  and  irregular,  and  more  delicate. 
The  cedar  is  a  larger  tree  than  the  arbor  vitee, 
often  rising  to  sixty  and  seventy  feet.  It  re¬ 
sembles  the  red  cedar  and  the  common  Juniper 
more  than  any  other  tree.  Its  natural  habitat, 
like  that  of  the  Southern  deciduous  cypress,  is 
cold,  mossy  swamps,  where  few  other  trees  will 
live.  The  botanical  name  of  this  tree  is  Cupres- 
sus  thyoides;  that  of  the  American  Arbor  Vila;  is 
Thuja  occidentalis.  The  white  cedar  abounds  in 
Massachusetts,  but  the  arbor  vitae  is  seldom  seen 
there,  except  where  artificially  planted. 

The  other  mistakes  to  which  we  will  now  re¬ 
fer,  respect  the  names  of  pines,  firs,  and  spruces. 
The  Scotch  pine  is  often  styled  the  Scotch  fir. 
Mr.  Keon,  in  his  book  on  landscape-gardening, 
makes  this  blunder.  So  does  that  very  respect¬ 
able  English  author,  Mr.  Kemp.  The  Norway 
Spruce  is  often  called  the  Norway  Fir,  and  some¬ 
times  the  Norway  Spruce-Fir.  The  Hemlock  is 
called  the  Hemlock,  then  Hemlock  Spruce,  then 
Hemlock  Spruce-Fir.  The  Balsam  Fir  is  often  styl¬ 
ed  Abies  balsamea,  instead  of  Picea  balsamea,  etc. 
It  must  be  admitted  that  there  is  some  botanical 
authority  for  several  of  these  different  usages. 
Some  botanists  range  the  Pines,  Firs,  and  Spruces 
under  the  order  Abietine^e,  and  make  only  three 
Genera  under  it,  viz.  :  Pinus,  including  all  the 
pines  ;  Abies,  including  all  the  spruces  and  firs  in 
one  family  ;  and  Larix,  including  all  the  larches. 
But  soma  later  writers,  and  practical  men  of  real 
scientific,  close  knowledge  and  observation,  find  so 
great  a  difference  between  the  Spruces  and  Firs, 
that  they  choose  to  separate  them  into  distinct 
families,  viz.  :  Abies  and  Picea.  And  this,  we 
must  say,  even  if  not  scientifically  accurate,  we 
much  like.  There  is  an  obvious  practical,  if  not 
botanical,  difference  between  the  two.  The 
leaves  of  the  firs  are  quite  dark,  and  generally  of 
a  bluish  cast ;  while  those  of  the  Spruces  are  of 
a  decidedly  greenish  hue,  except  those  of  the 
White  Spruce  which  are  a  light  gray.  The 
cones  of  the  firs  stand  erect  on  the  branches  un¬ 
til  Winter,  when  they  fall  to  pieces,  scale  by 
scale ;  while  those  of  the  spruces  are  pendent, 
and  fall  from  the  tree  entire.  The  leaf-buds  of 
the  spruces  are  covered  with  dry  scales,  while 
those  of  the  firs  are  covered  with  turpentine. 
The  foliage  of  the  firs  is  more  decidedly  in 
two  rows  than  that  of  the  spruces.  The  foliage 
and  the  whole  general  appearance  of  the  Pine  are 
so  unlike  that  of  other  conifers,  that  we  wonder 
they  were  ever  confounded.  The  pines  have 
their  leaves  in  bundles  of  two,  three,  or  five,  and 
their  needle-like  leaves  are  much  longer  than  those 
of  other  evergreens. 

Mr.  Downing,  in  his  “  Landscape  Gardening,” 
makes  only  two  divisions,  viz.:  Pines  and  Firs, 
including  the  spruces  under  the  firs.  Mr.  Sar¬ 
gent,  in  his  “  Supplement,”  classifies  them  as 
Pinus  (Pines),  Abies  (Spruce- Firs),  and  Picea 
(Silver-Firs).  Dr.  Warder,  in  his  little  work, 
makes  three  divisions,  viz.,  Pines,  Firs,  and 
Spruces.  Mr.  Meehan,  author  of  “  Hand-Book  of 
Ornamental  Trees,”  does  precisely  the  same. 
Most  of  the  catalogues  of  our  leading  nurserymen 
make  the  same  classification.  And  we  trust  that 
for  the  sake  of  brevity,  simplicity,  and  clearness, 


these  latter  divisions  may  be  generally  adopted. 
The  confusion  of  names  is  annoying  to  all  clas¬ 
ses,  and  especially  is  it  so  to  the  multitude  of 
persons  who  are  now  just  beginning  to  study 
the  character  of  our  evergreens  and  their  uses. 


The  Delaware  Grape, 

Much  as  has  been  written  and  said  about  this 
grape,  its  superior  excellence  entitles  it  to  con¬ 
tinued  and  repeated  notice.  It  was  first  intro¬ 
duced  to  public  attention,  we  believe,  by  Alexan¬ 
der  Thompson,  of  Delaware,  Ohio,  about  the  year 
1853.  For  some  time  previous  to  that,  it  had 
been  known  to  many  persons,  here  and  there,  but 
not  extensively  propagated  and  sold.  At  the 
time  above-mentioned,  Mr.  Thompson  forwarded 
specimens  of  the  fruit  to  several  leading  pomolo- 
gists  at  the  East  and  West,  asking  their  opinions 
of  its  merits,  and  inquiring  whether  it  was  iden¬ 
tical  with  any  known  variety  then  in  cultivation. 
Mr.  Longwortli,  the  veteran  grape-king  of  the 
West,  submitted  it  to  several  of  his  most  intelli¬ 
gent  vine-dressers,  then  fresh  from  “  Faderland.” 
They  were  divided  in  opinion  about  it.  Some 
said  it  was  the  Red  Resling ,  others  the  Traminer, 
and  others  the  Rose-Chasselas.  The  majority  de¬ 
clared  it  the  Traminer,  the  most  celebrated  wine- 
grape  of  Germany. 

Critical  judges  elsewhere,  disagreed  with  these 
Germans,  forming  their  opinion  from  a  view  of 
the  wood  and  leaf,  as  well  as  of  the  fruit.  And 
moreover,  the  fact  that  the  vine  flourished  so 
well  in  our  climate,  seldom  mildewing,  or  casting 
its  leaves  prematurely,  and  being  so  hardy — was 
enough  to  throw  great  doubt  upon  its  foreign 
origin. 

We  cannot  tell  the  history  of  its  origin,  and  no 
one  can  with  any  assurance  of  certainty.  One 
story  is,  that  it  was  first  found  in  the  hands  of  a 


Mr.  Maxfield,  living  between  Trenton  and  Phila¬ 
delphia,  and  that  he  brought  it  from  Lisbon,  call¬ 
ing  it  the  “  Lisbon  wine  grape.”  Another  is  that 
it  was  one  of  a  lot  of  vines  sent  more  than  fifty 
years  ago,  to  a  gentleman  in  New-Jersey,  by  his 
brother  residing  in  Italy. 
Thence,  it  found  its  wav 
to  Delaware,  Ohio, where 
it  was  christened,  and 
whence  it  has  been  wide¬ 
ly  disseminated.  These 
and  the  like  stories  seem 
to  strengthen  the  belief 
of  its  foreign  origin.  But 
the  careful  scrutiny  of 
seven  or  eight  years  has 
at  length  satisfied  nearly 
all  intelligent  fruit-grow¬ 
ers  that  it  is  a  native. 
“If  it  is  a  foreigner,” 
says  Mr.  Longworth, 
“  it  is  the  first,  out  of 
many  hundred  foreign 
sorts  which  I  have  im¬ 
ported,  that  succeeds 
well  in  this  country.” 
Mr.  Alexander  Thomp¬ 
son  says,  “  My  own  de¬ 
cided  opinion  is,  that  it 
is  an  accidental  seedling, 
originating  in  a  garden 
where  foreign  vines  were 
growing,  and  possibly 
of  foreign  parentage.” 
This  history  of  its  ori¬ 
gin  is  very  interesting, 
but  after  all,  the  great 
question  in  most  minds 
will  be, — what  is  the 
quality  of  the  fruit,  and 
what  the  characteristics 
of  the  vine  1  That  it  is 
sufficiently  hardy,  no 
one  can  well  doubt  who 
knows  anything  about  it.  Last  winter,  (which,  in 
Central  New-York,  was  quite  open  and  changea¬ 
ble,)  we  laid  down  our  largest  vine,  but  left  a 
portion  of  several  canes  exposed.  Those  ex¬ 
posed  were  uninjured,  and  bore  fruit  the  past 
summer  abundantly.  It  is  not  a  rampant  grower. 
For  the  first  year  after  planting,  it  is  apt  to  lag, 
and  sometimes  for  the  second  year  its  slow 
growth  discourages  the  impatient  horticulturist ; 
but  after  it  has  become  well  established,  it  grows 
freely,  and  ripens  its  wood  to  the  very  extremi¬ 
ties.  It  is  not  easy  to  propagate,  and  will  there¬ 
fore  be  somewhat  scarce  and  expensive  for  a 
year  or  two  more.  But  ere  long  it  will  find  its 
way  into  every  good  garden. 

As  to  the  quality  of  the  fruit,  we  find  it  diffi¬ 
cult  to  speak  in  measured  terms.  We  doubt  if  it 
has  a  superior  among  hardy  grapes,  unless  it  be 
the  Rebecca.  It  is  sweet,  juicy,  aromatic,  refresh¬ 
ing,  never  cloys.  “  Little  bags  of  wine,”  says 
some  enthusiastic  taster.  The  berries  are  not 
large,  but  Nature  often  does  up  her  choicest 
things  in  small  packages.  We  rest  satisfied  with 
Mr.  Barry’s  happy  comparison,  that  it  holds  the 
same  rank  among  grapes,  that  the  Seckel  does 
among  pears.  That  is  saying  just  enough. 

We  give  above  an  engraving  of  an  average 
size  well-grown  cluster,  furnished  by  Dr.  Grant, 
who  is  now  raising  this  variety  extensively  on  a 
pretty  island  of  seventy-five  acres,  named  Iona, 
located  in  the  Hudson  River  just  above  Peekskill. 
W'e  have  now  on  our  table  a  cluster  of  our  own 
raising,  which  measures  5£  inches  in  length,  and 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


367 


the  shoulder  three  inches  long.  Diameter  with¬ 
out  the  shoulder,  two  and  a  half  inches.  We 
annex  Mr.  Downing’s  description  :  “  Bunch 

small,  very  compact,  and  generally  shouldered. 
Berries  smallish,  round  when  not  compressed. 
Skin  thin,  of  a  beautiful  light-red  or  flesh-color, 
very  translucent,  passing  to  wine-color  by  long 
keeping.  It  is  without  hardness  or  acidity  in  its 
pulp,  exceedingly  sweet,  but  sprightly,  vinous  and 
aromatic.  It  ripens  nearly  or  quite  three  weeks 
before  the  Isabella.  Its  bunches  arid  berries  are 
greatly  increased  in  size  by  high  culture.” 

- -qP-<  ■  ■  i  H!5-Q-tSae=— - VHS- - - 

Dr.  R.  T.  Underhii.iJs  Grapes  are  still  fine, 
though  we  think  the  Isabella  hardly  up  to  what 
they  have  been  in  this  market  for  several  years 
past.  The  Catawba  this  year  appears  better  than 
usual.  We  judge  wholly  from  what  we  see  of 
them  in  our  market,  and  from  a  fine  basket  full 

sent  us  by  Dr.  U . Since  the  above  was  put 

in  type,  we  have  received  a  note  from  Dr.  Under¬ 
hill,  in  which  he  accounts  for  the  short  crop  of 
Isabellas  this  year  from  the  fact,  that  they  blos¬ 
somed  during  the  long  cold  easterly  storm  in 
June.  The  Catawba  blossomed  a  week  later,  in 
dry  weather,  and  gave  a  fine  crop.  He  protests 
against  the  reports  started  at  the  (so-called) 
Farmers’  Club  of  N.  Y.,  that  the  Isabella  has  be¬ 
come  unhealthy,  and  must  be  abandoned,  and 
says,  he  shall  plant  this  year  more  than  ever. 

The  Rebecca  Grape. — We  received,  Oct.  21st, 
a  box  of  very  fine  clusters  of  Rebecca  grapes 
from  Wm.  Brocksbank,  Hudson,  N.  Y.  Could 
we  secure  a  fair  growth  of  such  delicious  sweet 
grapes,  we  should  scarcely  wish  to  cultivate  any 
other  for  our  own  use.  But  the  Rebecca  vine 
grows  very  slowly  and  fruits  but  little  with  us. 
Some  others  have  had  better  success,  though 
there  seems  to  be  considerable  doubt  as  to  the 
vigor  and  hardiness  of  the  vine.  We  should  ad¬ 
vise  every  lover  of  grapes  to  try  a  few  plants, 
and  increase  the  number  wherever  they  are  found 
to  thrive. 


Grapes  in  Western  New-York. 


At  the  recent  Annual  meeting  of  the  Western 
New-York  Fruit  Growers’  Society,  the  Diana 
Grape  was  highly  praised,  and  unanimously  re¬ 
commended  for  genereal  cultivation. — The  Hart¬ 
ford  Prolific  was  well  spoken  of  as  an  early  grape, 
but  objected  to  by  several  for  marketing,  because 
of  a  tendency  of  the  fruit  to  drop  from  the  bunch¬ 
es.  The  Concord  had  several  advocates  as  an 
early  and  very  hardy  variety,  but  its  quality  not 
considered  good  enough  to  place  it  in  very  high 
estimation. — The  Rebecca  was  generally  declared 
too  tender,  and  also  liable  to  bad  “burning”  in 
Summer. — The  Delaware  was  highly  prized  so  far 
as  known,  but  decided  not  to  have  been  sufficient¬ 
ly  tested  in  that  region,  to  be  yet  recommended 
for  general  cultivation. 

There  was  a  diversity  of  opinion,  yet  a  general 
concurrence  in  the  utility  of  shortening-in  bear¬ 
ing  shoots,  and  thinning  out  the  fruit.  Some  of 
the  leading  cultivators  advocated  removing  all 
small  shoots  not  bearing,  and  pinching  the  bear¬ 
ing  stems  to  within  five  leaves  of  the  bunches. 


Material  for  Grape  Trellises. 

This  is  a  matter  of  greater  importance  than  it 
may  at  first  seem.  The  posts  are  often  made  of 
hemlock  scantling,  whereas  they  should  be  of  ce¬ 
dar  or  other  stuff  equally  durable.  The  writer  of 
this  hastily  put  up  a  grape  trellis,  several  years 
ago,  using  hemlock  for  posts,  intending  to  replace 
them  with  something  better,  before  they  should 


decay.  This  intention  was  a  good  one,  but  un¬ 
fortunately,  it  was  not  carried  out.  Last  Sep¬ 
tember,  the  trellis,  being  covered  with  vines,  and 
loaded  with  grapes  just  ready  for  gathering,  was 
blown  down,  many  of  the  clusters  were  mashed, 
and,  worse  than  all,  the  largest  and  best  vine  was 
broken  clean  off  at  the  surface  of  the  ground 
and  killed !  That  insecure  trellis  might  have 
been  replaced  by  one  day’s  work ;  but  it  will 
take  six  years  to  replace  that  vine. 

We  therefore  urge  the  use  of  the  best  materials 
for  the  posts  of  grape  frames.  Wire  may  be  used 
from  post  to  post,  instead  of  wooden  slats  ;  but 
when  used,  it  is  well  to  connect  the  posts  at  the 
top  by  a  single  slat,  to  keep  the  frame  in  a  good 
shape. 

- t  .«cn  O  Pen  — fr—es* - 

Effect  of  Ringing  the  Grape  Vine. 

INTERESTING  AND  INSTRUCTIVE  EXPERIMENTS. 

One  year  ago,  we  spoke  of  the  effect  upon  grape 
vines  and  fruit  trees,  of  ringing  the  branches  (re¬ 
moving  a  ring  of  bark).  It  was  then  shown  that 
this  process  hastens  the  maturity  Of  the  fruit,  and 
enlarges  it  considerably  beyond  ifs  natural  size. 
Of  its  effect  on  the  quality  of  the  fruit,  we  were 
not  able  then  to  speak  with  certainty.  During  the 
last  Summer,  we  made  several  experiments, 
which  confirmed  our  previous  observations,  and 
led  us  to  believe  that  the  effect  upon  the  quality 
of  the  fruit  is  not  beneficial.  Let  our  garden 
journal  speak : 

“June  15th,  1859.  To  day,  girdled  several 
grape  vines,  by  taking  out  circular  sections  of 
bark,  an  inch  wide. 

“August  10th.  The  effect  of  ringing  is  now  ap¬ 
parent  in  the  increased  size  of  the  berries  over 
those  on  canes  not  girdled. 

“Aug.  20th.  Delaware  grapes  girdled  are  col¬ 
oring,  while  the  others  are  still  green.  Dianas 
girdled  have  a  mellow  golden  hue,  while  others 
are  green.  Isabellas  under  treatment  have  a 
slight  blue  haze  ;  others  not.  All  sorts  operated 
on,  are  much  above  the  usual  size. 

“Aug.  28th.  Several  bunches  of  the  Delaware 
on  the  girdled  canes,  arc  ripe;  others  not.  Dianas 
a  week  behind,  but  coloring  finely  ;  Isabellas  fast 
behind  the  Diana. 

“  Sept.  10th.  Delawares  girdled  are  fully  ripe, 
Dianas  nearly  s.o. 

“  Sept.  25th.  All  the  clusters  on  the  Dela¬ 
ware  vine  are  ripe,  and  have  been  gathered.  The 
Dianas  need  ten  days  or  a  fortnight  longer  to 
complete  the  ripening  of  all  the  clusters :  the 
girdled  portions  are  fully  colored.  The  Isabellas 
lag  a  week  behind.” 

From  this  experiment  and  others  which  have 
been  tried  before,  it  would  seem  that  ringing 
causes  the  fruit  to  mature  ten  or  more  days  ear¬ 
lier  than  it  would  otherwise  have  done  ;  and  that 
it  enlarges  the  fruit  considerably  beyond  its  nat¬ 
ural  size. 

But  not  the  least  important  part  of  our  experi¬ 
ment  remains  to  be  recounted.  On  tasting  the 
several  varieties  as  they  successively  matured, 
we  were  struck  with  the  difference  in  flavor  be¬ 
tween  those  operated  on  and  those  not.  Those 
ringed  were  sourer  than  those  not  touched.  In 
some  cases,  the  clusters  on  the  ringed  canes, 
though  colored  finely  and  very  large,  were  sourer 
than  those  near  by,  not  ringed,  and  less  ripe. 
Being  determined  not  to  be  mistaken  in  this  mat¬ 
ter,  we  repeated  the  tasting  and  the  compari¬ 
sons  for  several  days,  and  called  in  three  other 
mouths  to  taste  likewise,  but  did  not  mention  to 
them  our  suspicions.  The  three  other  mouths 
gave  the  same  verdict  as  our  own. 

We  attempt  now,  no  scientific  explanation  of 


this  second  effect  of  ringing.  Perhaps  it  may  be 
said  that  the  cutting  oft'  the  downward  flow  of 
sap  somehow  prevented  the  perfect  elaboration 
of  the  saccharine  element  ;  but  this  is  only  stat¬ 
ing  the  simple  fact  in  longer  words,  without  re¬ 
ally  explaining  it.  Of  this,  however,  we  feel  as¬ 
sured,  that  ringing  enlarges  the  fruit  and  hastens 
its  maturity,  but  injures  its  quality.  For  the 
student  of  vegetable  physology,  it  affords  an  in¬ 
teresting  experiment ;  and  for  the  amateur  and 
the  exhibitor  at  public  Fairs  it  will  ensure  large 
and  highly  colored  specimens  ;  but  otherwise,  it 
is  of  no  practical  use.  Nature  has  had  long  ex¬ 
perience  in  fruit-growing,  and  will  not  allow  man 
to  interfere  with  her  ancient  processes  altogeth¬ 
er  with  impunity. 


A  Word  for  the  Curculio. 


It  is  sometimes  supposed  that  the  Curculio  at¬ 
tacks  not  only  the  fruit  of  the  plum  and  cherry- 
tree,  but  also  the  limbs  of  the  tree  itself,  where  it 
produces  the  black  knot  and  the  gummy  protu¬ 
berances  common  on  these  trees. 

This  must  be  a  mistake,  because,  as  old  fruit- 
raisers  will  remember,  the  fruit  was  punctured 
for  twenty  or  thirty  years  in  succession  before  the 
black  knot  was  heard  of.  And  can  any  one  be¬ 
lieve  that  the  Grand  Turk  would  take  up  a  new 
habit  after  thirty  years  of  different  behavior  1 
Besides,  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  trees  on 
which  there  are  no  tumors,  and  yet  where  the 
fruit  is  marked  with  the  fatal  crescent.  And 
again,  some  trees  are  found  with  the  black  wart, 
and  yet  with  unpunctured  fruit. 

It  may,  indeed,  be  true  that  the  eggs  of  the, 
curculio  are  sometimes  deposited  in  the  excres¬ 
cence,  but  this  does  not  produce  the  excrescence. 
It  would,  then,  be  better  to  charge  the  warts  to 
some  other  insect,  or  to  a  diseased  condition  of 
the  tree.  The  curculio  has  enough  sins  to  bear 
already,  in  being  every  where  regarded  as  the 
grand  destroyer  of  the  plum-crop.  From  this 
charge  he  cannot  escape. 


Protection  of  Strawberries  in  Winter. 

In  protecting  the  Strawberry  there  may  he  too 
much  of  a  good  thing.  All  varieties  of  this  fruit 
that  we  have  ever  experimented  with,  are  bene¬ 
fited  by  covering.  They  come  out  in  the  Spring 
earlier,  and  seem  to  start  stronger.  But  many 
who  are  not  acquainted  with  the  habits  of  the 
plant,  kill  them  with  kindness.  They  pile  on 
coarse  manure,  straw,  leaves,  or  fine  sea-weed, 
until  the  plants  are  smothered.  While  the  plant 
is  in  its  inactive  state,  there  is  little  to  prevent  it 
from  decomposing,  by  the  action  of  heat  and 
moisture,  like  other  vegetable  matter.  An  ex¬ 
amination  of  a  plant  taken  from  under  a  manure 
heap,  would  show  that  the  leaves  and  crown  had 
rotted. 

The  strawberry  in  its  uncultivated  state  grows 
among  the  grasses,  which,  in  their  decay,  form 
all  the  protection  the  plant  needs.  Nature  pro¬ 
vides  but  a  light  covering  to  shield  it  from  the 
sudden  changes  of  the  atmosphere.  For  this  pur¬ 
pose  almost  any  coarse  litter,  pea  or  bean  vines, 
corn  stalks,  or  sea-weed,  kept  in  place  by  poles 
or  brush,  are  good  enough.  They  must  have  air 
in  Winter  as  well  as  in  Summer. 

- «v  .  .  «. - 

Nothing  is  easier  than  for  any  man,  even  one 
of  strong  mind,  to  render  himself  insane  by  for¬ 
ever  dwelling  upon  one  idea  and  disregarding  all 
the  other  multifarious  duties  which  God  has  re¬ 
quired  of  him  in  this  life. 

Cheerfulness  is  perfectly  consistent  with  piety. 


368 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


December, 


In-Door  Gardening. 


At  this  bleak  season,  out-door  gardening  is  of 
course  out  of  the  question.  Where  but  recently 
a  bloom  of  beauty  greeted  the  eye,  we  now  look 
only  upon  frozen  ground,  covered  perhaps  with  a 
sheet  of  snow,  and  there  are  only  dried  broken 
stems,  with  here  and  there  a  few  evergreen 
shrubs.  But  the  “  gude  housewife  ” — to  whose 
care  the  flower  garden  and  borders  generally  owe 
their  chief  attractions  in  Summer — has,  we  trust, 
foreseen  the  present  season,  and  provided  for  it. 
Her  floral  pets  have  not  all  been  left  to  die  at  the 
first  approach  of  the  frosts  of  Autumn.  We  have 
visited  many  a  dwelling,  where,  neatly  arranged 
upon  shelves  or  stands — an  economical  and  conve¬ 
nient  form  of  which  is  a  quarter  circle  in  the 
corner — were  rows  of  pots  containing  choice  ver¬ 
benas,  petunias,  salvias,  pelargoniums,  begonias, 
cinerarias,  fuchsias,  callas,  carnations,  cactuses, 
abutilons,  camellias,  tender  roses,  pots  and  glas¬ 
ses  of  flowering  bulbs,  while  near  them  were  tubs 
containing  the  orange,  lemon  and  oleander,  sug¬ 
gestive  of  the  green-house  itself.  These  have 
already  commenced  a  vigorous  growth,  and  flow¬ 
er  buds,  even,  may  be  seen  upon  some  of  them. 
Our  present  purpose  is  to  give  a  few  directions 
for  their  management,  while  the  “frost-king” 
is  holding  external  vegetation  in  check,  and  even 
disputing  the  possession  in  the  house  itself. 

It  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  to  flourish  well, 
all  kinds  of  plants  need  air,  moisture,  warmth  and 
light.  The  living  room  contains  an  atmosphere 
combining  these  four  requisites,  and  in  which 
plants  will  thrive.  A  little  extra  attention  should 
be  given  to  ventilation,  when  plants  are  kept  in 
a  room,  for  these  consume  a  portion  of  the  oxy¬ 
gen,  as  well  as  human  lungs,  fires  and  lights. 

Where  a  close  stove  is  used,  the  upper  sash  of 
the  windows  should  be  frequently  lowered,  to  ad¬ 
mit  fresh  air  as  well  for  vegetable,  as  human 
health  and  life;  but  a  chilling  draft,  when  surround¬ 
ed  with  heat,  is  alike  injurious  to  both.  The  ordi¬ 
nary  temperature  of  the  room  will  suit  the  grow¬ 
ing  plants,  providing  only  that  this  warmth  is 
kept  up  during  cold  nights.  The  windows  will 
afford  sufficient  light,  although  the  tendency  of 
growing  plants  to  incline  towards  the  strongest 
light  is  such  that  the  pots  may  need  an  occasion¬ 
al  turning  to  keep  the  shoots  in  an  upright  posi¬ 
tion.  Almost  every  one  has  observed  this  incli¬ 
nation  in  plants  to  lean  towards  a  window,  and  if 
not  frequently  turned,  the  stems  will  be  quite 
crooked. 

The  pots  should  have  a  saucer  appendage  to 
stand  iri,  that  no  water  escape  upon  the  floor. 
The  water — which  should  be  of  the  temperature 
of  the  room  —may  be  poured  into  the  saucers,  and 
will  be  “sponged”  up  through  the  hole  in  the  bot¬ 
tom  of  the  pot.  Beginners  in  this  kind  of  garden¬ 
ing  are  a  pi  to  use  too  much  water.  Bear  in  mind 
that  the  earth  is  not  kept  soaked  with  rain,  the 
flower  borders  of  the  garden  often  appearing  quite 


dry,  although  the  plants  thrive  well.  To  imitate 
the  out-door  dews,  sprinkle  upon  the  foliage  oc¬ 
casionally  through  a  fine  rose  (water  pot  sprink¬ 
ler),  or  syringe.  The  common  practice  of  throw¬ 
ing  upon  plants  a  little  water,  every  now  and 
then,  as  may  happen,  packs  the  surface  earth, 
keeps  out  the  air,  and  is  every  way  injurious. 

Every  thing  should  be  kept  neat  and  clean, 
dusting  the  foliage,  removing  decayed  leaves, 
moss  and  weeds,  and  pinching  the  leading  shoots 
so  as  to  form  a  compact,  bushy  head.  The  sur¬ 
face  of  the  soil  should  not  be  allowed  to  bake  or 
crust.  Pick  it  over  with  a  sharp  stick  or  a  knife. 
If  any  plant  lags,  give  an  occasional  watering  with 
one  pound  of  guano  to  five  or  eight  gallons  of 
water.  If  guano  is  not  at  hand,  some  of  the 
liquid  running  from  the  manure  heap,  may  be 
used.  If  it  is  not  quite  weak,  add  water  enough 
to  render  it  so  ;  it  should  be  only  of  a  brownish 
tinge — not  very  dark  colored.  If  this  does  not 
have  the  desired  effect,  cut  back  to  a  mere  stub, 
and  let  it  come  out  anew.  A  wet  soft  cloth  is 
the  best  thing  to  remove  dust  from  the  foliage. 
Besides  leaving  a  lively  gloss  upon  them,  it  im¬ 
parts  a  grateful  moisture  quite  beneficial  to  the 
plant. 


Convenient  Appendage  to  a  Wash  Stand. 

While  recently  stopping  with  one  of  our  read¬ 
ers  for  a  night,  we  noticed  in  the  room  allotted 
to  us,  two  very  simple  appendages  to  a  wash  stand, 
which  may  be  common  for  aught  we  know, 
but  they  were  new  to  us,  and  will  probably  be 
so  to  at  least  some  others.  While  waiting  for 
breakfast  we  made  a  pencil  sketch  which  is  pre¬ 
sented  herewith.  The  stand  itself  is  of  a  com¬ 
mon  form,  closed  by  doors  in  front,  with  marble 
top,  and  a  small  marble  shelf,  ilf,  at  the  back,  (for 
soap  dish,  brushes,  etc.,)  which  is  elevated  3  or  4 
inches  by  marble  brackets.  A  mirror  is  support¬ 
ed  in  an  ornamental  frame  at  the  back.  But  the 
appendages  specially  referred  to  are  :  1st,  a  sliding 


towel  rod,  B,  projecting  from  the  left  front  upper 
corner,  which  when  not  in  use  slips  into  a 
groove  under  the  top  of  the  stand  ;  and  2d  on  the 
right  side  a  sliding  shelf,  S,  is  arranged  to  be 
drawn  out  from  under  the  rear  part  of  the  mar¬ 
ble  top.  When  not  in  use  both  the  shelf  and  the 
towel  rod  are  shoved  in  entirely  out  of  sight, 
except  the  small  knob  upon  the  outer  end  of  each. 

It  occurred  to  us  that  these  appendages,  or  es¬ 
pecially  the  towel  rod,  might  be  added  to  every 
variety  of  wash  stand,  of  however  cheap  and  rude 
construction.  A  rod,  thus  drawn  out  horizontal¬ 
ly,  is  more  convenient  and  neat  than  the  side 
arms  in  common  use,  which  are  seldomdorn ament 
al  or  convenient  for  hanging  the  towel  upon,  be¬ 
sides  the  disadvantage  of  having  a  wet  towel 
hanging  down  against  the  side  of  the  stand. 
Half  a  dozen  such  rods  might  be  shoved  under 


the  cover  of  a  single  stand.  They  may  be 
made  round,  or  square,  or  of  |  inch  stuff  one 
to  two  inches  wide.  The  sliding  shelf  refer¬ 
red  to  is  convenient  for  setting  a  lamp  upon,  at  a 
little  distance  from  the  wash  basin. 


-»■ 


Hand  Lamp  for  Coal  Oil. 


The  various  “  carbon  ”  and  “  coal  oils  ”  re¬ 
cently  thrown  into  market,  are,  almost  without 
exception,  an  improvement  upon  the  old  fashion¬ 
ed  whale  oil,  and  burning  fluids.  The  common 
burning  fluid,  which  is  simply  a  mixture  of  alco¬ 
hol  and  camphene  (oil  of  turpentine),  is  danger¬ 
ous,  not  so  much  from  its  explosiveness  as  from 
its  inflammability  when  a  lamp  chances  to  be 
broken  or  upset.  It  also  gives  a  poor  light,  and 
is  dear  at  any  price.  During  two  years  past  we 
have  used  for  stationary  lamps  the  well-known 
“  Carbon  Oil  ”  which  is  obtained  from  Petroleum 
wells,  and  which  we  consider  purer  and  yielding 
less  offensive  odors  than  the  manufactured  coal 
oils  including  “kerosene”  and  others.  But  for 
small  portable  hand  lamps  to  be  carried  around 
the  house,  we  have  until  recently  been  compelled 
to  retain  the  fluid.  We  are  glad  to  say  that  we 
have  now  found  a  portable  hand  lamp  which  burns 
the  carbon  oil  well  without  a  glass  chimney.— 
The  same  lamp  also  burns  other  coal  oils,  or  the 
better  kinds  of  them.  After  a  month’s  trial  of  the 
new  lamp,  our  fluid  lamps  have  gone  to  the 
store-room  for  “old  metal,”  at  least  those  to 
which  we  could  not  add  the  oil  burning  top. 

The  accompanying  engraving  we  have  prepared 
to  illustrate  the  operation  of  our  new  lamp.  The 
main  body  of  the  lamp  may  be  of  any  desired 
form.  The  cap  consists  of  two  parts  :  a  is  the 
inner  part  having  the  screw  to  fit  into  the  body 
of  the  lamp,  and  the  two  wick  tubes.  Over  this 
is  fitted  the  hollow  brass  cap,  b.  This  cap  soon 
heats  and  produces  an  upward  flow  of  air  which 
passes  up  betiveen  and  around  the  tops  of  the 
wick  tubes,  and  is  sufficient  to  burn  the  fluid  and 
prevent  smoke.  The  draft  is  similar  to  that  ob¬ 
tained  by  the  common  glass  chimney.  By  sliding 
the  cap  up  or  down,  the  wick  tubes  are  brought 
nearer  together,  or  spread  apart,  and  the  flame  is 
thus  regulated.  After  a  little  experience  in  reg¬ 
ulating  the  wicks,  a  clear  bright  light  is  obtained, 
with  no  smoke.  We  have  been  experimenting 
somewhat,  and  find  that  one  gallon  of  carbon  oil 
lasts  in  one  of  these  lamps  at  least  400  hours,  with 
a  much  better  light  than  can  be  obtained  from  a 
whale  oil  or  fluid  lamp  of  two  round  wicks,  or  the 
best  candle.  The  only  difficulty  is,  that  as  with 
all  wicks  not  charred  in  burning,  the  flame  is 
rather  easily  extinguished  by  brisk  currents  of 
air,  but  one  soon  becomes  careful  enough  to  avoid 
this  inconvenience.  We  shall  use  no  other  hand 
lamp — at  least  not  until  something  belter  is  in¬ 
vented.  The  apparatus  is  simple — the  lamps 
costing  little  if  any  more  than  the  old  forms  ;  and 
these  now  caps  can  be  fitted  to  any  old  lamps. 
Messrs.  Dietz  &  Co.,  are  the  patentees,  and  we 
presume  the  lamps  will  soon  be  on  sale  through¬ 
out  the  country. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


SGO 


How  to  Choose  and  Wear  a  Bonnet. 

A  correspondent  who  seems  to  have 
looked  into  the  bonnet  question,  writes  . 

Mr.  Spurgeon,  the  celebrated  London 
preacher,  once  said  to  the  ladies  of  his 
congregation,  “  My  beloved  sisters,  I  have 
been  requested  to  reprove  the  present 
style  of  bonnets.  I  would  do  so — but  upon 
my  word,  I  don't  see  any.”  He  was  nearly 
right — but  yet,  there  is  enough  of  the  bon¬ 
net  left  to  make  it  worth  some  attention. 

Let  me  give  the  lady  readers  of  the  Agri¬ 
culturist  a  few  points  which  will  aid  them 
in  suiting  themselves — and  their  tasteful 
husbands  or  lovers — with  a  bonnet.  They 
are  to  bear  in  mind  : — 1.  That  pink  bon¬ 
nets  are  mostly  unfavorable  to  fair  com¬ 
plexions,  because,  although  the  amount  of 
color  reflected  (except  upon  the  forehead) 
is  generally  but  trifling,  yet  what  is  thus 
imparted  to  the  face,  gives  it  a  greenish 
cast.  A  green  bonnet  is  to  be  preferred 
to  a  pink  one  for  a  -pale  complexion,  be¬ 
cause  it  will  give  to  the  face  a  roseate 
tinge. — 2.  Yellow  or  violet  bonnets  are 
also  unfavorable  to  fair  complexions.  Yel¬ 
low  reflects  a  violet ,  and,  on  the  contrary, 
violet  reflects  a  yellow  hue  upon  the 
features  and  hair. — 3.  White  flowers,  or 
blonde  ruche,  in  a  pink  bonnet,  improve  it. 

They  isolate  or  separate  the  face  and  hair, 
and  interpose  between  them  and  the  ugly 
green  reflected  from  tbe  bonnet. — 4.  A 
Hack  or  dark  bonnet  with  white  feathers, 
flowers,  or  other  trimmings,  will  be  found 
to  suit  a  fair  complexion  ;  and  this  be¬ 
cause  black  and  white  afford  good  con¬ 
trasts,  and  because  the  black  isolates,  and 
the  white  / lightens  the  color  of  face  and 
hair.  A  black  bonnet  is  less  adapted  to 
a  dark  complexion,  as  there  is  a  want  of 
contrast,  and  the  absence  of  a  ground  for 
the  hair.  White  trimmings  will  supply 
this  defect  to  some  extent. — 5.  Brunettes 
can  best  wear  a  white  bonnet,  as  this  will 
supply  a  good  contrast,  and  a  suitable 
setting  for  the  features  and  hair  ;  and  this 
especially,  if  the  bonnet  be  trimmed  with 
red,  orange,  cerise,  or  saffron-colored  flow¬ 
ers  and  ribbons. — Finally  :  When  the  face 
is  round,  the  bonnet  should  be  worn  so 
far  forward,  as  to  cover  part  of  the  cheeks. 

Should  the  lower  part  of  the  faee  be  broad, 
this  defect  may  be  entirely  concealed 
by  bringing  the  bonnet  in  a  sloping  direction 
towards  the  point  of  the  chin.  If  on  the 
contrary  the  face  is  thin,  the  bonnet  should 
be  worn  so  as  to  display  as  much  of  the  cheeks  as 
possible.  Bonnets  are  more  becoming  if  worn 
slightly— but  very  slightly — off  the  head,  and  this 
because  if  the  oval  of  the  face  and  the  oval  of 
the  bonnet  stand  in  the  same  or  parallel  lines, 
there  results  an  ugly  stiffness,  while  if  the  two 
ovals  are  skillfully  made  to  cross  each  other, 
a  harmonious  combination  of  lines  is  produced, 
which  insensibly  pleases  the  eye.  Dora. 

—  « - — *  d  »«— - >«»■■■■ 

Transparent  Cement  for  Glass.  —  Dis¬ 
solve  one  part  by  weight  of  India  Rubber  in 
64  of  Chloroform  ;  then  add  16  to  24  parts 
powdered  gum  Mastic.  This  should  be  kept 
warm  for  two  days,  and  shaken  frequently.  It  is 
applied  with  a  camel’s  hair,  or  other  fine  brush. 

- — ■ «  —  »p— — - 

Good  words  cost  nothing,  but  are  worth  much. 

Care  to  be  good,  whatever  evil  may  surround. 


SENT  TO  SCHOOL. 

{Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist.) 


This  sketch  was  designated  by  the  artist : 
“  Going  to  School.”  We  think  “  Sent  to  School,” 
a  more  appropriate  title,  or  perhaps  better  still, 
“  Coaxed  to  School.”  The  youngster  can  hardly 
be  said  to  be  going  to  school — certainly  not  in 
the  sense  of  doing  a  cheerful  act.  Nor  is  he 
sent  there  by  a  command  uttered  to  be  obeyed. 
He  has  been  told  to  go,  but  he  starts  in  a  sullen 
mood,  and  his  countenance  w'ell  indicates  that  he 
knows  what  will  be  the  reward  of  his  sulkiness. 
The  mother,  in  mistaken  kindness,  brings  out 
the  tempting  apple,  and  literally  hires  him  to 
obey  a  just  command,  instead  of  requiring  im¬ 
plicit  compliance.  The  picture  is  introduced  fora 
double  purpose.  In  the  first  place  it  is  pleasing 
as  a  work  of  art.  Every  one  must  admire  the 
naturalness  of  expression  brought  out.  The  atti¬ 
tude  of  the  mother,  the  easy  position  of  the  in¬ 
fant,  the  evidence  of  the  conflicting  emotions  de¬ 


picted  in  the  boy’s  countenance,  and  even  shown 
by  his  feet  and  his  satchel  dragging  upon  the 
ground  ;  indeed  the  tout  ensemble — the  entire  pic¬ 
ture — can  hardly  fail  to  arrest  the  attention  of  the 
most  careless  observer.  And  in  the  second 
place,  the  sketch  will,  we  hope,  impress  upon 
mothers,  more  strongly  than  mere  words  could 
do,  the  fact  that  the  boy  and  not  the  mother,  has 
in  this,  as  in  similar  instances,  obtained  the  vic¬ 
tory.  He  is  “  pouting,”  but  there  is  that  in  his 
countenance,  which  as  plainly  as  if  spoken,  says : 
“  I  have  conquered  her,  and  after  a  little  more 
fretting  I  will  condescend  to  compromise  and 
accept  her  apple  as  a  token  of  her  submission.” 
The  apple  is  offered  under  the  promptings  of  ma¬ 
ternal  love  and  sympathy,  but  at  this  moment  her 
kindness  is  mis-directed.  How  much  better  to 
require  prompt  and  complete  acquiescence  in 
her  commands,  and  then,  after  due  time  for  re- 


370 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


flection  on  his  part,  and  the  manifestation  of  a  bet¬ 
ter  temper,  perhaps  not  until  his  return  from 
school,  to  bestow  the  token  of  favor  with  kind 
words  and  acts  which  should  make  him  feel  that 
he  enjoys  her  love  and  confidence.  How  diffi¬ 
cult  a  task  it  is  for  us,  as  parents,  to  know  how 
tightly  to  draw  the  reins  of  government  upon 
those  committed  to  our  care,  and  to  act  out  our 
better  judgments.  Reasoning  from  what  we  have 
observed  of  the  effect  of  discipline  in  various 
families,  we  should  say  at  once:  “Better  rule 
with  a  rod  of  iron  than  not  to  rule  at  all.”  As  a 
general  result,  children  brought  up  under  strict 
family  government,  turn  out  better  in  the  world, 
and  make  better  citizens, than  those  suffered  to  run 
wild.  Yet,  those  parents  who  maintain  a  firm 
discipline,  too  often  fail  to  develop  the  senti¬ 
ments  of  kindness  and  love.  It  is  not  well  to 
say  to  our  children  that  we  restrain  them  through 
love — this  they  can  not  appreciate — but  the 
greatest  care  should  be  taken  to  inspire  them 
with  a  consciousness  that  they  are  loved.  We  can 
not  better  express  the  idea  we  would  inculcate, 
than  by  repeating  a  paragraph  from  a  former  ar¬ 
ticle  on  this  topic  :  How  many  parents  make  a 
sad  mistake  in  considering  their  duty  done  if  they 
reprove  or  correct  their  children  when  in  fault. 
They  go  upon  the  principle  that  to  do  right  is  no 
more  than  the  child’s  duty,  needing  no  praise. 
A  word  of  approval  for  a  good  act,  often  does 
more  to  encourage  its  repetition  than  a  thou¬ 
sand  reproofs  for  a  contrary  course.  The  dis¬ 
tinguished  painter,  Benjamin  West,  referring  to 
the  fact  that  his  mother  kissed  him  eagerly  w’hen 
he  showed  her  a  likeness  he  had  sketched  of  his 
baby  sister,  remarked  :  “  That  kiss  made  me  a 
painter.”  We  knew  a  little  farmer  hoy,  whose 
impulses  were  good,  but  he  had  been  accustom¬ 
ed  to  hear  his  trivial  faults  spoken  of,  and  he  fi¬ 
nally  came  to  consider  that  the  only  acts  he  could 
do  worthy  of  notice  were  bad  ones,  and  he  lost 
all  ambition  to  try  to  do  well.  But  on  one  occa¬ 
sion  the  boy  overheard  a  conversation  in  an  ad¬ 
joining  room,  between  his  mother  and  the  family 
physician.  The  physician,  partly  in  flattery  to  the 
mother  it  is  true,  remarked  that  “her  boy  was 
a  bright  lad,  with  good  sympathies,  and  would 
doubtless  make  a  good  and  great  man,”  or  words 
to  that  effect.  The  expression  sunk  deep  into 
the  child’s  heart.  The  fact  that  one,  for  whose 
opinions  he  had  great  respect,  thought  it  possi¬ 
ble  for  him  to  accomplish  anything  worthy,  stirred 
his  ambition,  and  he  made  a  new  resolve  to  be 
not  only  great  but  also  good.  He  has  since  filled 
many  stations  of  usefulness  in  society  and  in  the 
church,  and  we  have  often  heard  him  attribute  all 
efforts  he  had  made  to  do  right,  to  those  simple 
words  of  the  physician. 


To  Fasten  Knife  Handles. 


In  well  made  table  cutlery  the  handles  are 
riveted  to  the  shank  of  the  blade,  and  will  re¬ 
main  fixed  with  ordinary  care.  These,  though 
costing  more  at  first,  will  prove  cheapest,  and  we 
would  purchase  no  other.  When  knives  or  forks 
have  come  off  the  handle  from  being  carelessly 
put  in  hot  water  or  otherwise,  a  cement  made  as 
follows  will  be  useful  to  refasten  them  :  Take  of 
Gum  Shellac  two  parts,  and  prepared  chalk  one 
part ;  reduce  them  to  powder  and  mix  thoroughly. 
Fill  the  opening  in  the  handle  with  the  mixture, 
heat  the  shank  of  the  knife  and  press  it  in.  Then 
keep  the  handle  out  of  hot  water.  So  says  the 
Chemical  Gazette. 


Every  man  that  is  capable  of  doing  a  secret  in¬ 
jury  is  a  coward. 


A  Wedding  among  Tim  Bunker’s  Neigh¬ 
bors. 


The  connection  between  city  and  country  is 
getting  to  be  so  intimate,  by  means  of  railways  and 
steamers,  that  the  change  of  customs  is  almost 
as  complete  in  the  rural  districts,  as  in  the  me¬ 
tropolis.  All  along  the  great  thoroughfares,  the 
Paris  fashions  are  as  omnipotent  as  in  this  good¬ 
ly  city  of  Gotham.  Marriage  ceremonies  arc  cel¬ 
ebrated  with  about  as  much  pomp  and  show,  and 
as  little  good  sense,  as  in  the  higher  circles  of 
city  life.  There  are,  however,  quiet  nooks  in 
the  older  States,  remote  from  the  sound  of  steam¬ 
er  and  locomotive,  where  the  stream  of  life  flows 
on  with  hardly  a  ripple  upon  its  surface.  There, 
people  by  scores  boast  that  they  have  never 
seen  a  steamer,  and  have  never  been  inside  of 
a  rail  car.  They  have  come  little  in  contact  with 
the  outside  world,  and  maintain  a  freshness  and 
individuality  of  character,  rarely  met  with  in  our 
times.  There,  the  social  parties  all  have  utility 
as  their  basis,  and  the  flowers  of  the  heart  come 
up  blooming  around  the  edges  of  quiltings,  apple- 
parings,  and  Dorcas  sewing  societies.  There,  the 
“meeting-house”  is  the  orthodox  name  for  the 
church  edifice,  and  the  social  as  well  as  the  re¬ 
ligious  center  of  the  parish.  There,  the  rural  pop¬ 
ulation  gather  on  Sundays,  in  costume,  not 
squared  to  the  fashionable  cut,  and  hats  and  bon¬ 
nets  of  the  venerable  age  of  ten  years  and  up¬ 
wards  are  still  visible.  There,  sparks  lit  up  be¬ 
tween  services,  or  even  during  sermon,  are  pro¬ 
longed  into  Sunday  night  sparking,  and  the  nine 
o’clock  bell  reminds  lovers,  as  well  as  more 
sleepy  people,  that  it  is  time  to  be  at  home. 
There,  courtship  makes  haste  slowly,  and  a  love 
affair  is  not  suffered  to  blossom  into  marriage,  un¬ 
til  it  is  fully  discussed  by  all  the  gossips  in  town. 

Hookertown  is  on  the  borders  of  such  a  quiet 
region,  and  there  may  be  seen  occasionally  in  the 
street  of  that  somewhat  noted  village,  natives  of 
the  unsophisticated  rural  districts — men  and 
women  who  preserve  the  freshness  and  simplicity 
of  fifty  years  ago,  who  insist  upon  marrying  their 
daughters  very  much  as  themselves  were  wedded 
in  the  good  old  times.  Esquire  Bunker  has  giv¬ 
en  us  occasional  glimpses  of  this  past  age,  in  his 
letters,  and  it  is  with  a  view  to  furnish  us  another 
sample  of  this  Arcadian  life,  we  presume,  that  he 
sent  us  the  following  note  a  few  days  ago. 

Hookertown,  Nov.  10th,  1859. 

Mr.  Editor. — When  your  reporter  was  up  here 
in  Hookertown,  last  year,  to  take  notes  on  clover 
fields,  and  stumbled  on  a  wedding  at  my  house, 
he  was  considerable  tickled  with  the  way  they  do 
up  such  things  in  the  country,  and  thought  he 
should  like  to  come  again.  Now,  if  that  fellow 
has  any  kind  of  hankering  to  see  a  real  country 
wedding,  let  him  come  up  and  see  Kier  Frink 
married  next  week.  Hookertown  has  got  a  good 
deal  corrupted  by  city  folks  cqming  in  among  us, 
especially  since  I  begun  to  write  for  the  paper, 
and  I  guess  half  of  the  people  dress  about  as 
smart  as  the  common  run  of  folks  in  the  city.  But 
there  is  a  region  up  around  Smithville,  where 
they  do  up  things  just  as  they  did  when  I  was  a 
boy.  Kier  has  been  a  courting  ever  since  the 
eighteen-year-old-fever  came  on  him,  and  they 
say  he  had  been  out  a  sparking  when  he  let  the 
cattle  into  my  corn  field  last  Summer.  At  any 
rate,  things  have  come  to  a  crisis,  and  he  has  just 
told  John  that  he  was  “going  to  be  tied  next 
week,”  and  given  him  an  invite  to  the  wedding. 
John  will  take  your  man  over  if  he  comes. 

Yours  to  command, 

Timothy  Bunker,  Esq. 

We  looked  after  the  matter,  and  here  follows  a 


CONDENSED  REPORT  OF  “  OUR  OWN  REPORTER.” 

“Frink,  Faqins.— At  th®  Whiteoaks,  Ct.,  on  Thurs¬ 
day,  Nov.  17th,  by  the  Rev.  Jacob  Spooner,  Hezekiah 
Frink,  of  Hookertown,  to  Widow  Jerusha  Fagius,  of  the 
former  place.” 

The  above  announcement  in  the  Hookertown 
Gazette,  of  this  week,  will  attest  that  the  joyful 
event,  which  called  your  reporter  away  from  the 
city,  has  transpired.  The  “  White  oaks,”  you 
must  know,  is  not  a  distinct  township,  but  a  neigh¬ 
borhood  name,  attached  to  one  of  the  school  dis¬ 
tricts  in  Smithtown,  whereof  Smithville  is  the 
commercial  center ;  the  grocery  being  located 
there,  where  the  good  housewives  barter  butter 
and  eggs,  for  sugar,  tea  and  molasses.  The 
Whiteoaks  being  remote  from  the  social  center 
of  the  town,  and  without  religious  privileges,  has 
always  been  a  hard  neighborhood,  and  never 
seemed  t'o  belong  to  Connecticut.  Men  ofbroken 
down  fortune,  and  men  who  never  had  any  for¬ 
tune  of  any  kind,  gravitated  thither  as  naturally 
as  crows  toward  a  dead  carcass.  It  was  the  par¬ 
adise  of  horse  jockeys,  loafers,  gamblers,  and 
drunkards.  The  people  lived  partly  by  farming, 
partly  by  burning  charcoal,  and  partly  by  their 
wits.  They  were  always  ready  to  swap  horses 
and  oxen  when  they  had  any,  and  the  juvenility 
of  the  breed  of  cattle  raised  in  these  parts,  was 
always  a  marvel.  A  horse  was  never  owned 
among  the  Whiteoakers,  acknowledged  to  be 
over  eight  years  of  age,  but  always  sound  and  well 
broken  to  both  harness  and  saddle,  whether  he 
had  ever  been  inside  of  thills  or  not.  In  this  in¬ 
teresting  region,  where  law  and  morals  take  care 
of  themselves,  lived  a  year  since  Theophilus 
Fagins  and  his  wife  Jerusha,  with  about  a  fair 
average  of  the  happiness  allotted  to  the  White- 
oak  community.  Between  coaling,  horse  trading, 
and  drinking  in  the  neighboring  village,  Theo¬ 
philus  came  to  an  untimely  end  last  Winter,  leav¬ 
ing  a  disconsolate  widow  and  six  children.  She 
had  reached  the  mature  age  of  fifty,  but  had  not 
outlived  the  tender  passion  as  the  sequel  shows. 

While  her  love  lay  a  bleeding,  in  the  suscepti¬ 
ble  days  of  Spring,  Kier  Frink  was  introduced  to 
her  by  one  of  the  coal-men  returning  from  Hook¬ 
ertown,  Kier  was  charmed  with  Whiteoak  so¬ 
ciety,  and  particularly  with  the  blandishments  of 
the  widow,  who  did  every  thing  to  make  his  visits 
agreeable.  There  was  no  rigid  Sabbath  keeping, 
and  not  much  going  to  meeting,  but  plenty  of  to¬ 
bacco  and  cheap  rum,  with  an  occasional  shooting 
match,  or  horse  race,  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
widow  had  a  house  and  small  farm  left  her,  and 
it  seemed  to  Kier,  that  his  fortune  would  be  easily 
made,  if  he  could  step  into  the  shoes  of  the  de¬ 
parted  Theophilus. 

This  he  essayed  to  do,  and  notwithstanding  his 
youth  and  bashfulness,  he  was  accepted  by  the 
widow,  and  the  nuptials  were  appointed  at  an  early 
day.  I  learned  from  John  Bunker,  who  took  me 
over  to  the  Whiteoaks,  that  Jake  Frink  had  no 
objections  to  the  match,  though  the  woman  was 
old  enough  to  be  Kier’s  mother.  Jake  was  accus¬ 
tomed  to  say,  “  Tain’t  every  young  man  that  can 
marry  a  ’spectable  widder  with  a  farm  of  50 
acres,  well  watered  and  timbered.  I  allers 
knew  Kier  would  come  to  suthing,  and  now  ye 
see.” 

A  short  horse  is  soon  curried,  and  this  wedding, 
being  the  briefest  we  ever  attended,  is  soon  de¬ 
spatched.  It  appeared  to  excite  about  as  much 
attention  in  the  neighborhood  as  a  horse  trade, 
and  the  parties  themselves  manifestly  looked  upon 
it  as  an  every  day  business.  We  shall  leave  to 
your  imagination,  to  picture  Kier,  with  the  down 
of  youth  upon  his  chin,  leading  the  widow  with 
her  blooming  charms  to  the  altar,  clasping  of  un¬ 
gloved  hands  after  a  ludicrous  fumbling  for  the 
dexter  digits,  the  few  words  of  the  minister  that 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


371 


made  the  twain  one,  the  snickering 
of  the  young  ones,  to  whom  the  sight 
of  a  marriage  ceremony  was  a  nov¬ 
elty,  the  awful  pause  that  followed 
the  prayer,  and  the  final  dispersion  of 
the  company.  The  most  impressive 
part  of  the  proceedings  was  the  dis¬ 
tribution  of  molasses  gingerbread, 
which  answered  for  the  bridal  loaf, 
and  the  manifest  appetite  of  the 
groom  for  that  admirable  confection. 

The  widow  Fagins  had  learned  the 
special  weakness  of  her  betrothed 
and  provided  for  the  occasion.  In 
this  instance,  a  wedding  is  about  as 
nearly  stripped  of  its  poetry,  as  we 
ever  remember  to  have  seen  it. 

Connecticut  is  a  great  country,  con¬ 
taining  a  good  many  types  of  people. 

The  Whiteoakers  are  a  nation  by 
themselves.  I  had  to  tell  Esq.  Bun¬ 
ker,  that  my  hankering  to  see  a  Si¬ 
mon  pure  country  wedding  was 
mired  up.  The  minister’s  fee  was 
seventy-five  cents,  all  in  quarters. 

Tour  Reporter. 

Remares. — We  suspect  Squire 
Bunker  must  have  influenced  our  re¬ 
porter  somewhat,  for  he  (our  report¬ 
er)  generally  looks  upon  the  bright 
side  of  every  occurrence.  A  “simon 
pure  country  wedding”  always  has  its 
pleasant  features — though  in  this 
case  it  is  but  just  to  say,  in  excuse  of  our  re¬ 
porter  that  we  should  have  found  it  rather  diffi¬ 
cult  to  keep  out  of  our  thoughts  the  character 
of  Kier  Frink,  his  bringing  up,  etc.  The  history 
of  this  young  man  and  its  finale,  is  instructive  to 
parents,  and  on  this  account  we  have  given  it  a 
prominence  which  would  otherwise  be  question¬ 
able. — Ed.] 


“Wrong  End  Up.” 

Dear  Aunt  Sue  :  I  often  read  your  friendly 
information  for  young  folks  in  our  Agriculturist, 
and  am  encouraged  to  write  to  you,  and  beg  you 
to  help  me  out  of  a  quandary.  When  I  travel 
with  my  Pa,  in  what  he  calls  ‘■Down  East,’  I  find 
on  the  tables,  everywhere,  in  big  ho¬ 
tels  and  in  little  cottages,  the  tea¬ 
spoons  put  into  a  glass  tumbler  in  such 
a  way  that  I  cannot  take  one  out  with¬ 
out  touching  the  mouth-part  of  the  spoon 
with  my  fingers.  The  handle  is  down 
at  the  bottom,  and  the  mouth-piece  up! 

Is’nt  this  wrong  1  When  I  say  to  Pa  :  “ lopsy - 
lurvey  again !”  he  only  says  :  “  Hush,  boy  (yet 
I  heard  him  say  to  Ma,  once,  that  he  would 
head  a  subscription  for  a  monument  to  the  inven¬ 
tor  of  that  fashion,  if  he  could  find  out  his  name.) 
Now,  my  Ma  taught  me  never  to  touch  a  spoon, 
or  fork,  or  knife,  but  on  their  handle’s  end  ;  pray 
tell  me,  dear  Aunt,  how  do  you  get  out  such  a 
spoon  in  a  proper  way  1  or,  if  you — as  I  suppose 
— cannot  do  this,  please  tell  the  peo¬ 
ple,  down  there,  to  put  their  spoons  into 
the  glass  in  such  a  manner  that  well- 
bred  little  gentlemen  can  take  one  out, 
without  blushing,  or  sacrificing  their 
feeling  of  delicacy.  You  can  tell 
them,  Aunt  Sue,  you  are  a  lady  ;  but 
I  can’t,  you  know,  and  if  I  could,  Pa  wouldn’t 
let  me.  Your  affectionate  Mimosus,  Ju. 

TO  WHICH  AUNT  SUE  REPLIES. 

Fain  would  I  help  you  out  of  your  quandary, 
friend  Mimosus,  jr.,  but  I  can  only  sympathize 
with  you.  Let  us  at  least  propose  to  those  of 
our  “  Down  East  friends  ”  who  persist  in  invert¬ 
ing  their  spoons,  that  they  shall  either  provide  us 
each  with  tongs  wherewith  to  fish  up  our  parti¬ 
cular  spoons,  or  suffer  us  to  eat  with  the  handles, 
or  have  a  little  trap-door  made  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  tumbler,  through  which  we  may  handle 
them  legitimately.  These  remarks  may  appear 
rather  spooney,  but  for  my  part  I  desire  not  any 
‘I flavor  of  thumb”  in  the  spoons  I  use.  Yet  would 
I  not  forego  the  “  apple  sass  and  fixins  there¬ 
fore,  dear  friends  and  cousins,  when  you  invite 
me,  as  of  course  you  will,  to  some  of  those  nice 
little  tea  parties,  be  kind  enough  to  place  the 
spoons  in  the  tumbler,  bowls  down,  and  oblige 
Yours  truly,  Aunt  Sue. 


LAE\  RINTH— By  Aunt  Sue.— To  go  from  the  outside  into  the  house  in  the  center  without  crossing  a  line. 
Tlie  Editor  with  liis  Young  Headers. 


Well  young  friends,  the  last  day  of  School  has  come 
again.  With  this  number  we  close  the  exercises  of  the 
year.  The  great  Class  of  pupils  to  whom  it  has  been  our 
pleasure  to  act  as  Teacher  for  the  year  1859,  will  now  be 
dismissed.  But  a  New  Term  of  our  School  is  to  open 
immediately,  and  we  are  already  putting  down  the  names. 
The  past  year  has  been  so  agreeable  to  us,  and  we  hope 
to  you  all,  tha!  we  shall  look  for  almost  all  our  present 
pupils  back  again,  and  man y  new  ones,  too.  Let  them 
come  along  w  ith  you— invite  them  to  come.  Our  School 
room  is  as  large  as  the  Continent,  and  there’s  room  for  all. 
We  shall  have  a  great  many  new  subjects  to  talk  about 
the  coming  year,  and  we  hope,  as  we  are  now  well  out  of 
that  “  corner  ”  which  the  doctor  got  us  into  at  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  1859,  we  shall  keep  out.  We  are  not  going  to  tell 
you  now  of  all  the  fine  things  we  have  in  store  for  you  — 
that  would  spoil  some  of  the  pleasure — besides  many 
new  subjects  of  interest  will  come  up  every  month.  A 
few  of  our  pupils  may  perhaps  be  deprived  of  the  privi¬ 
lege  of  coming  to  our  school  next  year,  by  some  untoward 
circumstances,  but  we  are  sure  the  number  of  absentees 
will  be  very  small — perhaps  none  at  all — and  so  we  will 
not  stop  to  say  any  parting  words.  Hoping  to  be  invited 
to  all  your  homes  again  before  New-Year’s  Day,  we  will 
now  only  commend  you  to  the  best  attention  of  our  friend, 
Santa  Claus,  and  wish  you  a  “  Merry  Christmas,”  with 
plenty  of  nice  things  to  make  it  so. 

ONE  BRICK  WRONO. 

Workmen  were  recently  building  a  large  brick  tower, 
which  was  to  be  carried  up  very  high.  The  architect  and 
the  foreman  both  charged  the  masons  to  lay  each  brick 
with  the  greatest  exactness,  especially  the  first  courses 
which  were  to  sustain  all  the  rest.  However,  in  laying  a 
corner,  by  accident  or  carelessness,  one  brick  was  set  a 
very  little  out  of  line.  The  work  went  on  without  its 
being  noticed,  but  as  each  course  of  bricks  was  kept  in 
line  with  those  already  laid,  the  tower  was  not  put  up 
exactly  straight,  and  the  higher  they  built,  the  more  in¬ 
secure  it  became.  One  day,  when  the  tower  had  been 
carried  up  about  fifty  feet,  there  was  heard  a  tremendous 
crash.  The  building  had  fallen,  burying  the  men  in  the 
ruins.  All  the  previous  work  was  lost,  the  materials 
wasted,  and  worse  still,  valuable  lives  were  sacrificed, 
and  all  from  one  brick  laid  wrong  at  the  start.  The  work¬ 
man  at  fault  in  this  matter  little  thought  how  much  mis¬ 
chief  he  was  making  for  the  future.  Do  you  ever  think 
what  ruin  may  come  of  one  bad  habit,  one  brick  laid 
wrong,  while  you  are  now  building  a  character  for  life  1 
Remember,  in  youth  the  foundation  is  laid.  See  to  it 
that  all  is  kept  straight. 

“there's  always  room  up  stairs.” 

A  young  man  who  was  thinking  of  studying  iaw  :  said 
to  Daniel  Webster,  “  Mr.  Webster  I  understand  the  pro¬ 
fession  of  law  is  quite  full,  and  that  there  are  more  lawyers 
than  are  needed  ;  do  you  think  there  is  any  chance  for  me?” 
“  There  is  always  room  up  stairs ,”  was  the  reply — and  as 
true  as  it  was  ingenious.  Only  a  few  persons  reach  the 
high  places,  and  these  are  always  in  great  demand— 
“there’s  room  enough  up  stairs.”  First  class  farmers 
and  mechanics,  as  well  as  physicians,  lawyers,  etc.,  al¬ 


ways  find  plenty  of  room,  plenty  of  work  and  good  pay. 
Whatever  calling  you  choose,  and  it  matters  little,  if  it  be 
an  honest  one,  resolve  to  go  into  an  upper  story  ;  but  don’t 
try  to  jump  there  by  a  single  leap  or  you  may  fall  disabled. 
Rather  begin  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  and  patiently 
step  upon  each  round. 

HOW  A  TOAD  UNDRESSES. 

Lobsters,  crabs,  and  other  shell-fish,  as  well  as  snakes, 
shed  their  skins  once  a  year  or  oftener,  as  their  bodies  in¬ 
crease  in  size.  It  is  said  that  toads  do  the  same,  but  we 
are  not  quite  so  sure  of  this.  Snake  skins  are  often  found, 
but  who  ever  found  a  cast  off  toad  skin?  But  to  ac¬ 
count  for  this  it  is  asserted  that  the  toads  eat  up  their  own 
skins.  We  don’t  know  about  that.  Are  there  not  a  num¬ 
ber  of  observers  among  our  young  readers  who  can  collect 
information  on  this  and  many  other  topics  of  natural  his¬ 
tory  ?  A  gentleman  sent  to  the  New-England  Farmer,' 
an  amusing  description  of  “  How  a  toad  takes  off  his  coat 
and  pants."  He  says  he  has  seen  one  do  it,  and  a  friend 
has  seen  another  do  the  same  thing  in  the  same  way. 
“About  the  middle  of  July,  I  found  a  toad  on  a  hill  of 
melons  and  not  wanting  him  to  leave,  I  hoed  around  him  ; 
he  appeared  sluggish,  and  not  inclined  to  move.  Present¬ 
ly,  I  observed  him  pressing  his  elbows  hard  against  his 
sides,  and  rubbing  downwards.  He  appeared  so  singular, 
that  I  watched  to  see  what  he  was  up  to.  After  a  few 
smart  rubs,  his  skin  began  to  burst  open,  straight  along  his 
back.  Now,  said  I,  old  fellow  you  have  done  it ;  but  he 
appeared  to  be  unconcerned,  and  kept  on  rubbing  until 
he  had  worked  all  his  skin  into  folds  on  his  sides  and  hips  ; 
then  grasping  one  hind  leg  with  both  his  hands,  he  hauled, 
off  one  leg  of  his  pants  the  same  as  any  body  would,  then  • 
stripped  the  other  hind  leg  in  the  same  way.  He  then 
took  this  cast  off  cuticle  forward,  between  his  fore  legs5 
into  his  mouth,  and  swallowed  it ;  then,  by  raising  and: 
lowering  his  head,  swallowing  as  his  head  came  down, 
he  stripped  off  the  skin  underneath,  until  it  came  to  his  fore 
legs,  and  then  grasping  one  of  these  with  the  opposite 
hand,  by  considerable  pulling  stripped  off  the  skin  ;  chang¬ 
ing  hands,  he  stripped  the  other,  and  by  a  slight  motion  of 
the  head,  and  all  the  while  swallowing,  he  drew  it  from 
the  throat  and  swallowed  the  whole.  The  operation 
seemed  an  agreeable  one,  and  occupied  but  a  short  time. 
how  “old  jim”  kept  fat. 

A  friend  relates  the  following  incident,  which  occurred 
on  his  own  farm.  One  of  his  horses  “Old  Jim,”  was 
noted  for  his  cunning.  When  going  from  home  he  has 
often  feigned  lameness,  limping  pitifully,  until  a  few 
smart  strokes  of  the  whip  cured  him.  He  would  open 
the  stable  door,  let  down  bars  with  his  teeth,  and  do  many 
similar  acts.  During  one  Summer,  when  the  pasture  was 
quite  poor,  it  was  noticed  that  “  Old  Jim,”  although  kept 
hard  at  work,  continued  in  first-rate  condition,  while  the 
other  horses  in  the  same  field  were  poor,  and  it  quite 
puzzled  our  friend  to  account  for  it.  He  had  often  observed 
when  the  horses  were  turned  out,  that  Jim  quietly  strayed 
off  from  his  companions,  and  one  evening  he  watched  him. 
He  edged  along  the  lower  corner  of  the  lot,  where  it  adjoin¬ 
ed  afield  of  oats,  and  then  nimbly  bounded  over, but  quickly 
bounded  back  again  when  he  found  himself  discovered. 
The  oats  were  entirely  eaten  off  from  that  part  of  the 
field.  Jim  had,  for  a  long  time,  jumped  the  fence  at  night, 
eaten  his  fill,  and  returned  before  morning,  for  he  was 
always  found  in  the  pasturo,  all  right,  when  wanted. 


37& 


AMERICAN  AGRIC'CLtCtRIST, 


No.  155. 


YOUNG  NURSES  —  Fbom  a  Painting  bt  W.  Hemsley. 
{Engraved  for  the  American  Agriculturist.) 


A  rather  odd  picture  this,  young  friends,  but  we  shall  be 
disappointed  if  you  do  not  like  it  better  and  better,  the 
longer  you  look  at  it,  and  the  more  you  study  its  details. 
Before  you  read  further,  examine  every  part  of  it,  and 
make  up  a  description  of  your  own— a  mental  one  if  not 

a  written  one . The  mother  is  away  just  now,  and 

these  children  are  playing  house-keeping  in  earnest.  That 
coarsely  dressed  boy  makes  a  pretty  good  nurse,  does  he 
not  ?  He  looks  very  serious.  He  has  set  down  his  spade, 
turned  the  turnips  out  of  his  basket,  which  makes  a  good 
seat.  He  holds  the  baby  just  as  if  he  knew  how,  and  we 
guess  he  does.  He  grasps  the  wooden  spoon  firmly,  lest 
it  should  be  moved  by  the  little  hand  thrown  up.  His 
sister  perhaps  thinks  she  could  do  the  feeding  better,  but 
she  appears  contented  to  let  her  stronger  brother  try  it, 
though  she  is  anxiously  watching  the  result,  as  if  half  in 
doubt  whether  this  is  exactly  the  way  the  thing  should  be 
done.  That  chubby  little  boy  looking  on,  enjoys  the  fun 
very  much,  and  well  he  may— we  enjoy  it  too.  How 
pleasant  it  is  to  see  these  poor  peasant  children  exhibit  so 
much  love  for  and  so  much  interest  in  their  baby  brother, 
and  this  is  the  great  charm  of  the  picture — love  and  affec¬ 
tion  are  always  beautiful.  Boys  generally  have  an  aver¬ 
sion  to  “tending  baby  ”— it  is  beneath  their  dignity.  A 
great  mistake  this,  when  they  will  spare  no  pains  in 


nursing  and  rearing  a  puppy,  or  other  animal,  and  esteem 
it  quite  manly.  What  is  a  puppy,  or  calf,  or  colt,  com¬ 
pared  with  a  little  baby-man  or  woman  ?  Not  long  since 
we  heard  a  mother,  who  was  herself  weakly,  say  to  a 
friend  she  was  visiting  :  “  I  get  along  very  well  with  my 
work  alone,  my  boys  help  me  much.”  How  much  better, 
we  thought,  than  if  she  had  been  compelled  to  say : 
“  I  am  almost  discouraged,  my  boys  are  so  much  trouble.” 
This  single  expression,  carelessly  dropped  in  a  conver¬ 
sation,  gave  us  a  very  high  opinion  of  those  boys,  and  we 
could  not  but  feel  that  they  would  grow  up  to  be  useful 
men.  They  helped  their  mother !  Noble  boys  !  They  did 
not  wait  to  be  asked  to  do  this  or  that,  or  grumble  about 
it  when  asked,  but  they  watched  for  every  opportunity  to 
lighten  her  labors..  That's  the  way  to  do,  boys,  and  girls 
too.  Your  parents  are  toiling,  day— and  night  too  peihaps 
— to  provide  you  a  home  and  its  comforts,  and  to  lay  by 
something  that  you  may  need  in  sickness,  or  in  a  day  of 
trouble.  By  and  by  they  will  be  taken  from  you,  and 
you  will  fill  their  places.  You  will  soon  be  full  grown 
men  and  women  ;  you  can  scarcely  imagine  how  much 
pleasure  it  will  then  give  you  to  think  over  the  efforts  you 
have  made  to  lighten  their  labors.  Our  own  parents, 
wearied  out  in  life’s  long  and  toilsome  journey,  have  laid 
down  to  rest  in  the  grave,  and  how  many  times  have  we 


desired  to  call  them  back 
that  we  might  repay  in  some 
measure  the  ten  thousand 
cares  and  anxieties  they  en¬ 
dured  for  us,  and  to  make 
up,  by  redoubled  kindness, 
for  every  negligence  of  our 
boyhood  days.  And  so  you 
will  all  feel  when  you  grow 
up,  and  your  parents  are  tot  . 
tering  with  age,  or  quietly 
slumbering  in  the  chambers 
of  death.  Remember  this 
now,  and  do  what  you  can 
for  them.  Boys,  don’t  let 
your  selfishness,  or  your  love 
for  play,  or  any  false  notions 
of  dignity,  keep  you  from 
helping  your  father,  and 
your  mother  too.  Always 
keep  in  mind  that  the  high¬ 
est  praise  that  can  be  given 
to  a  boy  or  man  is  to  say : 
“He  is  kind  to  his  mother!” 
BOYS  EABNINO  $5  A  DAY 

Yes,  $5  a  day— and  no  hum¬ 
bug  about  it  either.  One  of 
the  lovers  of  boys  and  girls, 
who  sometimes  writes  for 
these  columns  in  the  Agri¬ 
culturist,  thus  figures  out 
how  a  boy  can  make  $5  a 
day  while  attending  school, 
oreven  studying  at  home  this 
Winter  :  A  man  can  general¬ 
ly  make  money  at  farming 
as  well  as  in  the  various  pro¬ 
fessions,  in  proportion  to  the 
knowledge,  and  the  well  dis¬ 
ciplined  mind  he  has.  It  is 
almost  certain  that  a  man 
able  to  think  and  plan  well, 
can  make  $1000  a  year  more 
than  the  one  who  has  not 
this  faculty.  Now  close  study 
is  just  the  thing  to  make  one 
skillful  in  thinking  and  plan¬ 
ning.  Or,  we  will  say  that 
the  thoroughly  educated  man 
can  make  $1000  a  year 
while  the  uneducated  man 
gets  but  $400.  But  $600  is  a 
low  interest  on  a  capital  of 
$10,000.  So  the  educatedman 
has,  in  reality,  a  capital  of 
$  10,000  more  than  the  unedu¬ 
cated  one.  Well,  to  get  this 
capital  (this  knowledge  and 
thinking  power)  may  require 
a  boy  to  study  from  the  age 
of  S  to  18,  or  10  years,  say 
five  days  a  week,  and  forty 
weeks  in  a  year  ;  that  is  2000 
days  in  all.  Now  then,  his 
2000  days  of  study  give  him 
what  is  equal  to  an  invested 
capital  of  $10,000,  or  $5  for 
each  day.  Remember  that 
this  result  is  just  as  certain  if 
you  live  a  farmer,  as  if  you  follow  any  other  profession— 
indeed  we  think  a  good  education,  a  good  thinking  power 
pays  on  the  average,  quite  as  well  in  farming  as  in  any 
other  occupation.  Talk  this  over  with  your  father  and 
mother,  work  over  the  problem  with  them,  and  then  all 
keep  in  mind  that  everyday  of  absence  from  school,  or 
frittered  away  in  idleness,  or  useless  occupation,  is  $5  ab¬ 
stracted  from  your  future  capital  in  life— is  so  much  irre¬ 
trievably  lost.  But  this  is  only  the  money  part  of  the  cal¬ 
culation.  The  pleasure  a  man  may  derive  from  learning, 
the  nobility  it  gives  him,  can  not  be  estimated  in  figures, 
for  “  wisdom  is  more  precious  than  much  fine  gold.” 

- _ - -•«*— — - 

Showers.— A  clergyman  met  a  little  boy  of  his  ac 
quaintance  on  the  cars,  and  said  to  him  : 

“  This  is  quite  a  stormy  day,  my  son.” 

“Yes  sir,”  said  the  boy,  “  this  is  a  very  wet  rain.” 

The  clergyman,  thinking  to  rebuke  such  hyperbole, 
asked  if  he  ever  knew  of  other  than  wet  rain.  The  boy 
answered  that  he  had  read  in  a  certain  book,  of  a  time 
when  it  rained  fire  and  brimstone,  and  he  guessed  that 
was  not  a  wet  rain. 

The  Chinese  say  a  drunkard’s  nose  is  a  light-house, 
warning  us  of  the  little  water  that  passes  underneath. 


l)cc.,  1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


373 


. . ' 

Seeds  for  Free  Distribution  in  1860. 

Each  person  ichose  paid  subscription  to  the  American 
Agriculturist  extends  beyond  February ,  1660,  will  be  entitled 
to  select  four  or  five  parcels  of  seeds  from  the  general  list 
given  in  the  next  column — if  the  following  conditions  be 
complied  with. 

A.  It  is  of  absolute  importance  that  the  following  di¬ 
rections  be  strictly  followed,  even  to  the  minutest  partic¬ 
ulars.  Wo  have  93  distinct  varieties  of  seeds,  to 
be  distributed  among  70,0t0  or  moie  persons  scattered  all 
over  the  country,  which,  at  the  best, will  involve  immense 
labor,  and  some  mistakes  must  unavoidably  occur,  unless 
each  subscriber  take  special  pains  to  facilitate  the  work. 

B3.  The  seeds  can  be  called  for  at  the  office,  (after 
Jan.  15)  or  be  sent  by  express,  or  in  ready  prepared  en¬ 
velopes  to  be  furnished  by  the  subscribers,  as  described 
below. 

C.  Subscribers  at  different  points  can  estimate  whether 
they  can  receive  their  seeds  cheapest  by  Mail  to  separate 
individuals,  or  in  a  package  by  Express. 

JO.  If  to  go  by  Express,  no  envelopes  will  be  needed. 
In  that  case,  simply  send  us  a  written  list  of  the  names, 
marking  against  each  name  the  kinds  of  seed  desired, 
using  the  numbers  in  the  Catalogue.  Keep  a  copy  of  the 
list  sent,  and  give  particular  directions  on  each  list,  how 
the  package  is  to  be  forwarded,  and  to  w  hom  directed. 

E.  If  to  go  by  mail,  the  applicant  will  (of  course)  fur¬ 

nish  prepaid  envelopes,  of  ordinary  size,  which  should 
be  prepared  as  in  the  engraving  here  given — that  is  :  Put 
the  figures  correspond¬ 
ing  to  the  Catalogue 
plainly  on  the  upper  left 
hand  of  the  envelope, 
and  put  all  the  postage 
stamps  upon  the  right 
side  of  the  envelope- 
one  above  the  other 
when  two  or  more  are  needed,  as  shown  in  this  pattern. 
This  will  prevent  the  seeds  being  crushed  in  the  stamp¬ 
ing  process,  in  the  Post-Ofiice.  One  ordinary  envelope 
vs  ill  generally  hold  the  amount  of  seed-packages  carried 
by  two  or  three  stamps,  The  amount  of  stamps  can 

be  calculated  from  the  Catalogue.  Single  l-ccnt  stamps  on 
letters  are  of  no  value,  unless  there  be  even  threes  of  them, 
as  letter  postage  is  rated  by  the  half  ounce. 

F.  Let  all  letters  referring  to  seeds  be  as  brief  as  pos¬ 
sible,  and  yet  plain.  All  such  communications  are  re¬ 
ferred  directly  to  the  clerk  superintending  that  department. 
It  is  especially  desirable  that  whatever  relates  to  seeds 
should  be  on  a  separate  slip  of  paper.  (We  shall  probably 
distribute  over  three  hundred  thousand  packages,  and  a 
minute’s  time  saved  on  each  of  these  would  amount  to 
500  working  days  of  10  hours  each— or  nearly  two  years!) 

G.  Canada  subscribers  will  need  to  substitute  10-eent 
stamps  in  all  cases  where  3-cent  stamps  are  named  in  the 
catalogue.  When  several  send  together,  it  will  usually 
be  cheaper  to  receive  seeds  by  Express.  (Postage  is  not 
necessarily  prepaid  here,  on  Canada  letters.) 

EJ.  Always  put  the  stamps  upon  the  envelopes,  and 
not  drop  them  loosely  into  the  enclosing  letter. 

I.  It  is  always  better  lo  send  envelopes  of-the  ordinary 
size,  and  made  after  what  is  called  the  ‘‘  Government 
pattern,” — that  is,  those  in  which  the  back  comes  under 
the  piece  lapping  over  ;  these  seal  up  more  firmly.  This 
point  is  not  essentia1,  however. 

J.  Usually,  the  lighter  the  envelope  the  better,  that 
more  seeds  may  go  under  the  same  stamps. 

K.  Send  only  the  number  of  stamps  required  for  post¬ 
age  on  the  seed.  We  have  no  seeds  of  any  kind  to  sell. 

ti.  Those  forwarding  unpaid  envelopes,  will,  of  course, 
not  be  disappointed  if  they  do  not  return.  We  offer  seeds 
free,  but  cannot,  in  addition,  afford  to  pay  postage  also. 

M.  All  seeds  sent  by  mail  are  put  up  at  our  country 
residence,  and  each  package  is  there  mailed  direct,  to 
avoid  its  being  overhauled  at  the  Distributing  offices. 

N.  Jap*  We  shall  take  time  to  mail  all  the  seeds  care¬ 
fully  and  regularly.  This  will  occupy  the  entire  months 
of  January  and  February.  Those  going  to  distant  points, 
and  to  the  Southward  where  the  seasons  are  earlier,  will 
be  mailed  first. 

Seeds  for  tlie  Pacific  Coast. 

To  Subscribers  in  California  and  Oregon,  and  in 
Washington  Territory. 

To  save  the  heavy  postage  on  seeds  to  the  Pacific 
Coast,  we  propose  to  establish  a  Seed  Depot  in  Cal¬ 
ifornia,  from  whence  the  postage  to  Post  offices  in  Califor¬ 
nia  and  Oregon,  and  in  Washington  Territory  will  only 
be  3  ccnls  per  half  ounce— the  same  as  given  in  our  list. 


If  subscribers  in  those  States  will  each  send  to  us  the  list 
of  such  seeds  as  they  desire  (4  or  5  parcels  each)  with  the 
required  amount  of  postage  (as  given  in  the  list)  the  seeds 
will  be  put  up  and  mailed  in  California,  to  which  place 
they  will  be  forwarded  in  bulk  by  express  at  our  own  ex¬ 
pense.  The  seeds  will  be  forwarded  by  the  steamer 
of  Jan.  20th,  (or  perhaps  Feb.  4th)  and  immediate  appli¬ 
cation  should  be  made,  as  none  but  those  actually 
applied  for  can  be;  sent  out. — N.  B. — Each  subscri¬ 
ber  sending  for  seeds  to  go  in  this  package  should  write 
his  or  her  name  and  full  Post  office  address  on  a  slip  of  pa¬ 
per,  and  note  on  it  the  numbers  in  our  list  standing  against 
the  several  kinds  desired,  and  enclose  with  it  the  amount  of 
postage  needed  for  the  seeds.  Of  course  any  number  of 
persons  at  one  Post  office  can  enclose  their  slips  and 
stamps  to  us  in  the  same  letter. 

We  trust  this  effort  to  supply  them  with  seeds  at  an 
extra  cost,  will'be  reciprocated  on  the  part  of  our  distant 
Western  friends,  by  large  additions  of  new  subscribers. 

LIST  OF  SEEDS. 

Fidel  Seeds. 

2—  Improved  King  Philip  Corn — Single,  double,  or 
triple  packages,  as  may  be  desired,  requiring  one,  two,  or 
three  3-cent  stamps. 

3—  Stowell’s  Sweet  Corn — Same  packages  as  No.  2. 

94 — Crystal  Flint  or  Hominy  Corn— Same  as  No.  2.  ■; 

G — Ashcroft’s  Swedish  Turnip— Half  of  3-cent  stamp. 

7 — River’s Sw  edish  Stubble  Turnip—  do.  do. 

70 — Waite’s  London  purple-top  Swede  Turnip — do. 

9S  —  Long  Red  Mangold  Wurtzel — One  3-cent  stamp. 
101— Improved  Long  Orange  Carrot— i  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 

Vegetable  or  (Garden  Seeds. 

S— Daniel  O’Rourke  Tea— Packages  same  as  No.  2. 

9— Champion  of  England  Pea  — One  3-Cent  stamp. 


99— Prince  Albert  Pea — 

do. 

do. 

57— Eugenie  Pea- 

do. 

do. 

58— Napoleon  Pea — 

do. 

do. 

1  2- Green  Koltl  Rabi— One-third  of  a  3  cent  stamp. 

1  3— Enfield  Market  Cabbage — 

do. 

do. 

1  5— Mammoth  Cabbage  Lettuce  — 

•  do. 

do. 

G3—  London  Particular  Long  Scarlet  Radish- 

-do. 

64— Extra  Red  Round'  Turnip  Radish— 

do. 

IOO— Early  Purple  Cape  Broccoli- 

-do. 

do. 

21— Winter  Cherry — 

do. 

do. 

95— Hubbard  Squash — 

do. 

do. 

102— Mammoth  Leghorn  Squash- 

-do. 

do. 

808  -Mammoth  Pumpkin- 

do. 

do. 

109-  Mammoth  Red  Tomato — 

do. 

do. 

7  2 — Imported  Brussels  Sprouts— 

do. 

do. 

76— Musk  Melon- 

do. 

do. 

77— Water  Melon— 

do. 

do. 

1  03— Sage  — 

do. 

do. 

1 04— Thyme- 

do. 

do. 

105— Chili  Red  Pepper — 

do. 

do. 

806— Sweet  Marjoram — 

do. 

do. 

1  7— Red  Strap-Leal  Turnip— One-half  of  a  3-cent  stamp. 

74 — Solid  While  Celery- 

do. 

do. 

75  -Green  Curled  Endive — 

dQ. 

do. 

55— White  Globe  Onion — 

do. 

do. 

7  8  — Long  White  French  Turnip- 

•One  3-cent  stamp. 

107— Giant  Asparagus— 

do. 

do. 

Flower,  Fruit,  and  Ornamental  Seeds. 

89 —  Cotton  Plant  (2  kinds)— One  3-cent  stamp. 

90—  Norway  Spruce  Seed— One-half  of  a  3-eent  stamp. 

98— Arbor  Vitas  Seed —  do.  do. 

112 — Broad-Leaved  Laurel—  do.  do. 

Ill — Castor  Oil  Bean —  do.  do. 

1 10*— New-Rochelle  Blackberry— I  of  a  3cent-stamp. 

*  (No.  110  is  offered  only  in  very  small  quantity,  and 
only  to  those  distant  from  access  to  the  roots  ) 

Oa  an  average  about  Jive  of  the  following  40  varieties 
will  go  under  a  3 -cent  stamp. 

23— Mignonette.  8  3  — Snap  Dragon. 

25 — Mixed  Nasturtiums.  84— African  Marigold. 

27- Extra  Cockscomb.  85— Gaillardin,  mixed. 

29—  Double  Balsams, mix’d.  8G— Euphorbia,  mixed. 

30—  Tassel  Flower.  87— Coreopsis. 

31—  Chinese  Pink.  1  1  3  — Double  Sun  Flower. 

32 —  Portulacoas,  mixed.  114 — Mixed  Petunia. 

33—  Cypress  Vine.  115— Mix.  Dbl.  Hollyhocks 

34—  China  Asters,  mixed.  1  1  G— Mourning  Bride. 

35—  German  Asters,  mixed.  1 17— Mix.  DbL  Wallflower. 

38— Sweet  William.  118  — Bee  Larkspur. 

40-Escholtzia  Californiea.l  8  9— M’dChrysanihemums 
42— Foxglove.  1  20— Clematis  (Climber,) 

47 — Morning  Glory,  mixed.121 — Trumpet  Creeper. 

49—  Candytuft.  1  22 — -MM  Canterbury  Bells 

50—  Scliizantlius.  123— Gilia  nivalis. 

51—  Phlox  Drummondii.  12  4— Whitlavia. 

78—  Ageratum  Mexieanum.l  25— Ipomopsis  (standing 

50—  Yellow  Hawkweed.  cypress). 

51 —  Canary  Bird  Flower.  1 26— Long-tubed  Centran- 

82— Thuubergia.  thus. 

lid  each  select  liis  own  Seeds 

A  number  of  persons  sending  in  their  names,  have  re¬ 
quested  us  to  select  and  forward  their  seeds,  and  in  some 
cases  the  postage  has  not  been  forwarded.  Please  read 
the  regulations  of  the  Seed  Distribution  again.  For  us  to 


select  from  93  varieties  just  the  kinds  most  valuable  to  a 
distant  unknown  person,  would  be  utterly  impossible. 

- - - -aoua- - -  o- - - 

Wait  patiently  for  tlic  Seeds. 


Large  numbers  of  envelopes  for  seeds  are  already  re¬ 
ceived,  and  some  persons  urge  us  to  send  them  on  at 
once.  We  can  not  comply  with  this  request.  The  seeds 
are  being  collected  from  different  parts  of  the  country — 
many  from  Europe— and  it  will  be  utterly  impossible  to 
get  them  all  together,  and  properly  arranged  and  put  up, 
so  as  to  begin  the  distribution,  until  'about  the  second 
week  in  January.  It  will  require  a  large  force  for  several 
weeks  to  send  all.  But  all  will  be  got  off  in  time  to  be  used 
in  different  localities,  if  the  envelopes  are  received  soon 


PREMIUMS! 


Improvement— Onward — Upward,  is  our  motto.  We  in¬ 
tend  to  make  each  succeeding  volume  better  than  its  pre¬ 
decessor,  in  every  respect.  During  1859  the  Agriculturist 
has  gone  into  more  than  20,000  new  families.  We  desire 
to  extend  its  sphere  of  usefulness  still  wider,  and  to  this 
end,  we  offer  the  following  premiums  to  those  who  will 
assist  in  the  work  of  extension.  In  selecting  the  articles, 
we  have  aimed  to  get  such  as  are  useful,  and  as  have  been 
most  frequently  called  for  by  our  readers. — Each  article 
offered  is  the  best  of  its  kind,  and  every  one  will  be  selected 
by  the  publisher  from  the  very  best  manufactured.  They  will 
be  even  better  than  those  sold  in  the  market  at  the  prices 
named,  when  possible  to  select  bitter.  Through  the  kind¬ 
ness  of  the  manufacturers  we  get  these  articles  for  pre¬ 
miums,  and  for  these  only,  at  the  bare  cost  of  making,  or 
we  could  not  offer  them  as  we  do.  The  premiums 
are  certainly  liberal,  when  we  take  into  the  account 
the  cost  and  character  of  the  paper,  and  the  low  price  at 
which  it  is  furnished. 

N.  li.  These  premiums  are  not  offered  for  competition, 
but  as  direct  pay  for  time,  labor,  and  expense  incurred  by 
canvassers.  The  premiums  art  absolute  in  each  case,  and 
not  dependent  upon  what  some  unknown  person  is  doing. 
Every  canvasser  knows  just  what  he  or  she  is  working  for. 

D5T See  remarks  following  Ihe  premiums,  especially 
the  first  one. 

Premium  I.— A  liberal  distribution  of  valuable  seeds 
will  be  made  during  i tie  Winter,  to  all  regular  subscri¬ 
bers  alike,  whether  single  or  in  clubs,  and  whether  re¬ 
ceived  from  agents,  or  otherwise. 

Premium  III.— Every  person  sending  in  a  club  of  10 
new  subscribers  at  80  cents  each,  mav  order  a  free  cony 
of  either  Vol.  XVI,  or  Vol.  XVII,  or  Vol.  XVIII,  w  hich 
will  be  sent  in  numbers,  post-paid. 

Premium  IV — Every  person  sending  15  new  or  old 
subscribers  at  80  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  16  copies 
(that  is  one  extra  copy),  for  the  coming  year. 

Premium  V — Every  person  sending  25  new  subscribers 
at  80  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  the  three  Volumes, 
XVI,  XVif,  and  XVIII,  sent  in  numbers  post-paid. 

Premium  VI — Every  person  sending 30 n«io subscribers 
at  80  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  a  silver-eased  pocket 
Microscope—  wilh  Coddington  lens.  Value  *4.  Sent  by 
mail  securely  packed  and  post-paid.  (See  Premium  18.) 

Premium  VII.— Every  person  sending  45  new  subscri¬ 
bers  at  80  cents  each,  will  be  entitled  to  a  copy  of  Ihe 
large  new  Pictorial  Edition  of  Webster's  Unabridged  Die 
tionary.  Price  $6.50.  ft  weighs  84  tbs,  and  can  go  by 
express,  or  be  sent  by  mail  at  I  cent  per  ounce  within 
3000  miles,  or  2  cents  per  ounce  over  3000  miles.  (Ex¬ 
pense  after  leaving  the  city  to  be  paid  by  recipient.) 

Premium  IX — Every  person  sending  144  new  subscri¬ 
bers  at  80  cents  each,  (or  li  0  at  $1  each),  will  b<-  present¬ 
ed  wilh  one  of  Wheeler  &  Wilson’s  best  §59  Sewing 
ill  aclii  lies,  new  from  the  factory,  and  of  the  very  best 
make.  There  is  no  belter  family  machine  than  this 
made,  as  we  have  proved  by  nearly  two  year’s  use  in  our 
own  family.  We  want,  no  belter.— The  machines  will  be 
selected  at  Ihe  manufactory,  be  well  boxed,  and  forward¬ 
ed  without  expense  to  the  recipient,  except  f,r  freight 
charges  after  leaving  the  city.  Full  instructions  for  set¬ 
ting  up  and  using  go  w  ith  each  machine. 

Premium  XII.— To  every  person  sending  130  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  80  cents  each,  (or  95  at  $1  ene.li).  we  w  ill  pre¬ 
sent  Appleton's  New  American  Encyclnpiodia,  now  in 
course  of  publication,  consisting  of  fifteen  large,  volumes 
of  770  pages  each.  Tins  is  a  magnificent  w  orli,  forming  a 
whole  library  embracing  every  topic  of  human  know¬ 
ledge.  Eight  volumes  are  now  ready,  and  the  remaining 
seven  will  be  furnished  as  fast  as  issued.  Publisher’s 
price,  $45. 

Premium  XIII.— To  every  person  sending  260  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  $1  each,  or  330  at  the  lowest  club  price  (80.cts. 
each),  we  will  present  one  of  Allen's  Mowing  Machine g, 
W  ith  sundry  improvements  now  beingadded.  This  isohe 
of  the  best  w  e  have  seen  in  operation.  Price  $115.  Oth¬ 
er  kinds  of  Machines  of  the  same  price,  will  be  substi¬ 
tuted,  when  specially  desired,  if  satisfactory  arrange¬ 
ments  can  be  made  with  the  manufacturers. 

Premium  XIV.— To  every  person  sending  65  new  sub 
scribers,  at  80  cents  each,  we  will  present  one  of  l lie  h  st 
Eagle  Plows  (2-horse).  Price  $11.  This  we  believe  is 
ihe  best  general  farm  plow  in  use. 

Premium  XV.— To  every  person  sending  55  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  80  cents  each,  we  w  ill  present  the  best  Sub¬ 
soil  Plow  (two-horse),  price  $8  ;  or  one  of  the  best  Horse- 


JOHN  JONES. 

BARRY 


DANE  CO. 
WIS. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


87T 


Hoes ,  price  $8  ;  or  one  of  the  best  Straw  and  Hay  Cutters, 
price  $8.  These  are  ail  first  quality ,  well-made,  and 
useful  implements. 

Premium  XV?.— To  ever)'  person  sending  48  new  sub¬ 
scribers,  ill  80  cems  each,  we  wiU  present  one  of  the  best 
Steel-tooth  Cultivators.  Price  $7. 

Premium  XVH _ To  every  person  sending  45  subscri¬ 

bers  at  80  cents  each,  we  will  present  either  the  Diction¬ 
ary,  (premium  6),  or  one  of  the  best  Hand  Corn  Shelters. 
Price  $6.30. 

Premium  XVIII _ To  every  person  sending  30  subscri. 

bars  at  80  cents  each,  we  will  present  either  the  micro¬ 
scope,  (premium  3,)  or  a  Double  mold-board  {ridging) 
Plow.  Price  $3.50. 

Premium  XIX.— Boohs.  Whenever  desired,  instead 
of  other  premiums,  the  publisher  will  pay  premiums  in 
books  as  follows:  Every  person  making  up  a  club  of  20 
or  more  new  subscribers,  may  select  any  Agricultural  or 
Horticultural  Books  from  A.  O.  Moore’s  Catalogue, 
(which  is  advertised  on  page  310  October  Agricul¬ 
turist)  to  the  amsuntof  10  cents  for  every  subscriber, 
sent  in  at  80  cents  each.  Persons  making  up  a  club  for 
any  of  the  premiums,  and  getting  some  names  over  the 
required  amount,  wilt  be  entitled  to  books  for  the  surplus 
names.  Thus,  a  person  getting  55  subscribers  can  take 
for  45  names  either  premium  VII.  or  XVII,  and  also  $1 
worth  of  books  for  the  extra  10  names;  and  so  in  other 
cases. 

[SPECIAL  PREMIUMS.] 

[Several  young  men  have  expressed  to  us  a  desire  to  se¬ 
cure  for  themselves  a  good  Watch.  There  has  been  so 
much  humbug  and  deception  in  articles  of  this  kind  that 
we  have  hitherto  declined  any  such  offers.  However,  to 
meet  the  oft  repeated  requests,  We  have  concluded  to  for 
one  make  an  oiler  of  this  kind.  The  American  Watch  Com¬ 
pany  of  W allliatn,  Mass.,  are  putting  up  time-pieces,  which 
we  can  ofTer  with  confidence,  and  we  have  arranged  with 
the  company  to  get  the  watches  we  desire,  direct  from  the 
manufactory,  of  the  best  possible  make  and  bona  Jlde . 
character.  Each  watch  will  be  accompanied  with  a  writ¬ 
ten  warrantee  direct  from  the  Company.] 

Premium  XX.-To  every  person  sending  130  new  sub¬ 
scribers  at  8U  cents  each,  (or  95  at  $1  each),  we  will  present 
either  premium  XII,  or  a  $45  Silver  Lever  Watch,  made 
by  the  American  Company.  The  tunning  works  of  this 
Watch  are  of  the  same  class  as  the  $100  gold  watches, 
jewelled,  and  chronometer  balance.  The  case  is  a  “  Hun¬ 
ter,”  or  closed  one,  the  face  opening  by  a  spring.  The 
price,  $45,  is  as  low  us  they  are  retailed  at  the  manu¬ 
factory. 

Premium  XX5T— To  every  person  sending  250  new 
subset ibers  at  80  cents  each,  (or  150  at  $1  each),  we  will 
present  a  $75  Gold  Lever  Watch,  of  the  same  make  as  the 
above.  The  case  is  gold,  Hunter,  and  engraved. 

REMARKS.— 1.  The  above  premiums ,  except  No,  IV, 
are  alt  for  NEW  subscrideiis  only,  as  we  can  only  afford 
to  pay  premiums  for  once  on  the  same  subscriber..  But 
malting  up  ahy  premium  lists,  three  renewals  of  old 
subscriptions,  collected  and  forwarded  by  the  canvasser,  may 
always  be  counltd  as  one  nB  w  name.  l^’Names  need  not 
all  be  at  the  same  Post  Office. 

2.  Of  course  but  one  premium  can  be  paid  on  the  sa«ie 
name.  The  canvasser  will  choose  his  own  premium. 
Any  one  striking  for  a  higher  premium,  and  failing  to  get 
names  enough,  can  still  fall  back  upon  a  lower  one. 

3.  Every  person  collecting  names  for  premiums  can 
send  in  the  names  with  the  money  as  fast  as  received,  so 
that  the  subscribers  may  begin  to  receive  their  papers  ; 
but  if  designed  for  premiums,  a  double  list  of  each  lot  of 
names  should  be  Sent,  one  of  them  marked  at  the  top, 
“  [Tor  premiums,”  ahd  with  the  name  of  the  sender. 
These  duplicate  lists  will  be  kept  on  file  by  themselves  to 
be  referred  to  in  making  up  the  premium  w  hen  any  person 
lias  completed  sending  in  names  for  Volume  XIX. 

4.  The  above  premiums  are  offered  for  new  subscribers 
for  Volume  XIX  (I860),  whenever  received.  Canvassers 
will  have  three  or  four  months 'for  completing  their  lists, 
but  the  premium  will  be  paid  as  soon  ns  Any  list  is 
made  up. 

5.  The  offer  of  an  extra  copy  to  the  subscribers  them¬ 
selves,  when  received  before  Dec.  31st.  will  greatly  facili¬ 
tate  the  work  of'the  canvasser,  and  now  is  the  most  favor¬ 
able  time  to  begin  the  work  of  gathering  names. 


64  Stirred  ETp.’? 


It  is  gratifying  to  find  so  many  of  our  cotemporaries 
moved  by  the  success  of  the  Agriculturist  to  special  eXer- 
tiors  in  extending  their  circulation.  There  are  not  yet 
me  quarter  of  the  agricultural  papers  taken  that  there 
ought,  to  be.  It  is  also  pleasant  to  know  that  this  “pro¬ 
voking  one  another  to  good  works”,  is,  for  the  most  part, 
taken  with  entire  kind  feelings— those  engaged  in  such 
publications  being  generally  sensible  enough  to  discover 
that  there  is  pleniy  of  room  for  all,  without  treading  on 
one  another.  They  appreciate  tile  truth,  that  the  best 
way  to  success  is  to  make  their  own  journals  the  most 
attractive  by  making  them  the  most  useful,  and  not  by 
attempting  to  pull  others  down  lower  than  themselves. 

One  poor  fellow  ‘-Out  West”,  however,  feels  bad— feels 
mad,  we  think.  His  conduct  indicates  rather  strongly, 
that  his  patrons  are  leaving  nnd  going  elsewhere,  because 


they,  poor  souls,  think  they  can  do  better.  In  a  ferociously 
funny  article  he  has  afforded  us  a  good  laugh,  and  to  the 
article  generally  we  can  make  no  objection.  But  at 
the  close,  he  oversteps  the  bounds  of  truth  and 
honor  by  insinuating  (he  dare  not  assert  it)  that  the 
proprietors  of  other  journals  do  not  fulfil  their  prom¬ 
ises  to  their  subscribers.  He  even  stoops  so  low  as  to  at¬ 
tempt  to  destroy  the  value  of  show-bills  which  two  or 
three  other  publishers  have  been  at  the  expense  of  distrib¬ 
uting  through  the  country.  This  is  as  mean — as  downright 
robbery — as  if  he  had  rode  his  “fast  horse”  through  the 
country,  and  tom  down  all  these  bills  with  his  own  hands, 
to  make  room  for  his  oivn.  We  can  see  no  difference,  in 
the  principle  of  the  tiling,  between  a  man’s  attempting  to 
destroy  the  value  of  a  thousand  handbills  that  have  been 
put  up  to  legitimately  advertise  our  business,  at  an  ex¬ 
pense  of  $10,  and  his  stealing  that  sum  from  our  pocket. 

Leaving  others  to  speak  for  themselves,  we  can  only 
say  that  we  at  least  try  to  fulfill  all  our  promises  to  the 
public  to  the  very  letter— or  even  more.  We  have  in¬ 
tended  to  stir  up  the  public,  but  our  sharp  stick,  it  ap¬ 
pears,  went  a  little  too  deep,  and  let  out  from  this  man 
what  he  would  probably  rather  conceal— his  envy. 


Market  Review,  ¥/eather  STotes,  etc. 


American  Agriculturist  Office,  [ 
New.  York,  Saturday  Evening,  Nov.  ID,  1659.  ) 

Our  tables  of  receipts,  sales,  and  prices— given  below— 
indicate  some  remarkable  changes  in  the  course  of 
trade  in  Breadstuff,.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  receipts 
and  sales  have  been  much  heavier,  than  during  the  pre¬ 
ceding  month.  The  demand  for  Flour  and  Wheat  has 
been  quite  brisk.  The  regular  Eastern  and  local  buyers 
of  Flour  have  purchased  freely.  The  inquiry  from  ship¬ 
pers  and  especially  from  speculators,  has  been  active,  and 
prices  have  improved  materially.  Within  a  few  days, 
however,  the  regularity  and  magnitude  of  Ihe  arrivals 
from  the  West  have  lessened  the  eagerness  to  buy. 
Speculators  have  partially  withdrawn.  The  home  traders 
are  not  disposed  to  purchase  more  than  they  immediately 
need,  nor  are  exporters  inclined  to  make  heavy  ventures. 
Holders  manifest  considerable  anxiety  to  sell,  and  are- 
action  downward  has  occurred  in  prices.  As  with  Flour, 
so  it  has  been  in  the  main  with  Wheat.  Speculators 
made  very  extensive  purchases  partly  on  Western  ac¬ 
count,  at  advancing  prices,  early  in  the  month.  Toward 
the  close,  they  generally  retired,  leaving  holders  depend¬ 
ent  on  the  inquiry  from  shippers  and  millers.  The  wants 
of  these  are  too  moderate  to  sustain  the  markets,  and 
with  free  offerings,  partly  of  lots  previously  purchased 
on  speculation,  prices  now  tend  strongly  downward.  We 
may  here  remark  that  the  low  grades  of  N.  Y.  State  and 
Western  Flour,  especially  the  former,  and  Spring  Wheat 
have  met  with  the  most  favor  among  buyers,  during  the 
month.  The  general  anticipation  at  the  present  time  is, 
that  by  the  close  of  inland  navigation,  we  shall  have  am¬ 
ple  Winter  supplies,  and  with  this  prospect,  operators  do 
not  feel  encouraged  to  proceed  in  buying  freely  on  spec¬ 
ulation.  ..  .In  Corn  a  very  moderate  business  has  been 
transacted,  though  a  high  range  of  prices  have  been  sus¬ 
tained',  chiefly  by  the  scarcity  of  desirable  lots.  Receipts 
of  new  crops  of  Jersey  and  Southern  Yellow  are  now 
steadily  increasing,  and  begin  to  exercise  a  depressive 
influence  on  prices.  The  lots  received  have  been  mostly 
quite  damp,  hence  they  have  been  sold  comparatively 
low,  or  within  a  range  per  bushel  of  from  80  to  90c.,  ac¬ 
cording  to  quality.  The  quotations  in  our  tables  are  for 
old  crops.  Mixed  Western  is  much  wanted,  and  would 
command  very  satisfactory  prices. . .  .Rye  opened  heavily, 
but  is  now  more  inquired  for,  and  prices  favor  sellers. . . 
Barley  has  been  in  active  request,  and  prices  tend  upward. 
Oats  have  attracted  more  attention,  partly  from  specula¬ 
tors,  and  prices  are  buoyant. ..  .Cotton  has  been  more 
sought  after,  at  irregular  quotations,  however.  The  mar¬ 
ket  closes  heavily.  This  year’s  crop  is  now  estimated  at 
4,000,000  bales.  The  receipts  at  the  Ports  show  an  excess 
of  106,000  bales  over  the  largest  quantity  ever  before  re¬ 
ceived  up  to  a  corresponding  date,  and  this  after  the  kil¬ 
ling  frost,  Oct.  29,  30  and  31.  The  Southern  rivers  are 
all  low,  which  may  check  receipts  into  the  shipping  ports, 
and  check,  for  awhile,  the  high  estimate  of  the  crop  — 
Provisions  have  been  in  fair  demand,  at  variable  prices, 
however _ Hay,  Hops  and  Rice,  have  been  in  good  re¬ 
quest  and  have  been  held  with  more  firmness _ Hemp, 

Seeds,  and  Tobacco,  have  been  very  moderately  dealt  ill 
at  drooping  rates. . . .  Wool  lias  been  less  actively  sought 
after,  owing,  mainly,  to  the  reduced  supplies  available, 
and  the  high  prices  claimed  for  desirable  lots,  especially 
of  domestic _ Groceries  have  been  inquired  for  at  firm¬ 

er  rates.  Some  new  crop  Nevv-Orleans  Molasses  has 
been  received,  and  sold  ©52 c.  per  gallon.  Same  to  arrive 
brought  50c.  per  gallon.  A  small  lot  of  new  crop  New- 
Orleans  Sugar  also  arrived,  and  found  buyers,  ®8J-c.  per 
lb.  ...  The  transactions  in  most  other  kinds  of  Produce 


have  been  of  average  magnitude,  with  no  very  noticeable 
alterations  in  prices. 

Current  Wholesale  Prices. 

Oct.  19. 

Flour—  Saperf  to  Extra  State  $4  65  (5)  4  95 

Common  Western .  4  70  ®  4  30 

Extra  Western .  4  85  ®  8  50 

Fancy  to  Extra  Genesee .  4  95  (a)  7  25 

Super,  to  Extra  Soul  hern .  5  40  (a)  7  25 

Rye  Flour— Fine  and  Super.'  3  70  (ci)  4  40 

Corn  Meal .  4  05  (a)  4  35 

Wheat— Canada  White .  1  25  (a)  l  27 

Western  White  .  1  27)4©  1  42M  135 

Southern  White .  1  25  ~(3>  1  45 

All  kinds  of  Red .  93  (a)  1  28 


4  95 

5  05 
5T3 
5  40 

3  60 

4  00 
1  30 


Corn— Yellow 

White . 

Mixed . 

Oats— Western 

State . 

Southern . 

R  v  r, . 

Barley  . 

White  Bealls. . ,  . . 

Hay,  in  bales,  per  100  Ills .  65  ® 

Cotton— Middlings,  peril) _  11%® 

Rice,  per  too  lbs  .  3  00  <5>  4  25 

Hops,  nop  of  1859  per  lb .  12  ®  18 

Pork— Mess,  per  bbl _ : .  1.5  !2}<s  StI5  25 

Prime,  old,  uei-hhl .  10  68  '©10  75 

Beef— Repacked  Mess .  6  00  ©  8  50 


98  ©  1  00 
98  ©  1  00 
98  ©  1  00 
43  ©  44 

42  © 

37  © 

88  © 

75  © 

© 


4314 

41 

90 

83  . 
82)4 
90 
11)5 


45)5 
42 
86  % 


Country  mess 
Hogs,  Dressed  coni,  per  lb  .. 

Lard,  in  bills,  per  lb . 

Butter— Western,  per  lb . 

State,  per  11) . 

Cheese,  pin-  ll> . 

Eggs— Fresh;  per  dozen . 

Limed—  r‘  “  . 

Poultry— Fowls,  per  lb . 

Geese,  pet  11) . 

Ducks,  per  lb  . 

Turkeys,  per  lb . 

Venison,  per  lb  . .  . 

FeaTHBrs,  Live  Geese  per  lb. 
Seed — Clover,  per  l!) 


5  00  ©  5  50 
7  i<©  8L£ 

11  © 

12  © 

15  © 

7)5© 

15  © 


13 


II  % 
18 
21 
m 
■  18 


13  © 
12  fit) 
•16  © 

8)i© 


14 


Nov.  19. 

S4  9H  ©  5  15 
©  5  00 
®  7  50 
©  7  00 
©  7  25 
©  4  35 
©  4  50 
©  1  42 
®  1  47)4 
1  37)5®  1  50 
1  08  ©  I  35 
1  00  ©  1  02 
)  00  ©  I  01 
None  offering, 
44)5®  45)5 

41)5® 

38  © 

85  fa 
75  © 

1  00  ©  1  10 
75  ®  1  00 
H  11% 
3  50  ©  4  50 
13  ©  IS 
15  00  ©15  12 y, 
10  50  ©10  62)0 
9  00  ©10  00 
5  00  ®  5  3-y. 

7  ®  754 

10)5  © 

11)5® 

11  ® 

8  © 

© 

® 

© 

© 

© 

© 

© 

© 

© 


11 

18 

21 

11 

20 

17 

111 

10 

12 

12 

12 

53 

8% 


Timothy,  per  bushel  .  2  25  ©  2  37)5  2  12)5®  2  4.) 

Sugar.  Brown  per  lb .  5)5®  Shi  0  ©  8)5 

Molasses.  New-Orleans,  prgl  40  ©  45  39  ©  45 

Coffee,  Rio,  per  11) .  10%©  12)5  10%©  13 

Toiuoco— TCeni  uoky,  &c.  pr  lb  4)5®  12  4  ©  12 

Seed  Leaf,  per  lb .  5%®  25  6  '  ©  25 

WooL-Domestio  fleece,  per  lb.  38  ©  60  37)5©  02)5 

Domestic,  pulled,  per  lb  .  32  ®  52  3(1  ".©  53* 

Hemp — Uudr’d  Amer’npr  ton.  1-1  n  ©150 


Dressed  American,  per  ton. .. .  190  ©210 

Tali.ow,  peril) .  10%®  11 

Oil  Cake,  perron .  30  00  ©36  50 

A fi’i.f.s — Dried,  Per  b.. 


120 

170 

11 

28  00 


©145 

©200 

© 

©35  50 


Squashes,  Marrow,  p.  bbl. . . 
Turnips,  Rutabaga,  per  bbl. 


Chestnuts,  pe.  bushel. 
Hickory  Nuts,  “  .. 


6 

(a) 

7 14 

6 

( ct)  7% 

1  11 

fa) 

13 

10 

©  16 

.  1  25 

®  1 

75 

1  50 

©  1  75 

.  1  50 

©  1 75 

1  00 

ffi  1  50 

.  1  38 

©  t 

50 

1  25 

®  1  75 

.  2  00 

(a)  2  2  5 

2  00 

fa)  2  50 

.  2  00 

(a)  4 

00 

2  50 

©  1  50 

.  1  25 

©  1 

50 

1  75 

©  1  87 

1  75 

©  2  25 

75 

® 

88 

1  00 

©  1  25 

75 

(a) 

88 

88 

Cd)  * 

.  2  00 

®  2  50 

2  50 

©  5  00 

.  1  00 

©  1 

25 

2  25 

®  3  00 

.  2  00 

fa)  5  00 

3  00 

©  5  no 

.  9  00 

@16  00 

12  00 

©15  no 

4  50 

®  5  00 

1  12 

©  0  50 

THE  N.  Y. 

MARKETS. 

Wheat. 

Com.  Rye.  Barley.  Oats 

Receipts.  f 

27  bus  davs  this mon  731 ,590  1.405,650  160,700  116  500  552,1.50  597,900 
2Gbus.  days  last  mon., 410, 270  513,128  251,924  37,961  65.414  357,701 

Sales.  Flour.  Wheat.  Corn.  Rye.  Barley 

27husiness  days  this  mon,  020,375  968,500  282.000  135,050  407.751 
26  business  days  last  month,  428,215  613,850  100, 250  66, TOO  71,601 
Breadstuff's  exported  from  N.  Y.,  from  Jan.  1  to  Nov.  10 


1858. 

1859 

Wheat  Flour,  bbls . 

.  ....  J  209,387 

712,63? 

Rye  Flour,  bbls . 

.  3,989 

4.951 

Corn  Meal,  bbls . 

.  58.82!) 

70.019 

Wheat,  bush . 

183.014 

Corn,  bush . 

.  1,621.220 

176,449 

Rye,  bush . 

— 

The  receipts  of  the  principal  kinds  of  Breadstuff's,  by  iho 
Erie  Canal,  at  tide-water  on  the  Hudson  River,  from  the 
opening  of  navigation  to  the  31st  of  October,  in  each  of 
the  last  two  seasons,  compare  thus  : 

Flour,  bids. 

1858.  ...1.557,986 
1859....  511,628 

Less  in  ’59.  MIC, 358'  4,663,153  3, 080, 945 


Wheat,  bush. 
7,208,919 
2,545,766 


Indian  Com,  hush 
(1,033,874 
2.353.829 


N.  Tf.  Efivc  Siocft  Mtavlscts. — The  Cattle 
Markets  have  been  even  more  largely  supplied  than 
last  month.  For  ihe  five  weeks,  ending  Nov.  15,  the 
very  large  number  of  25,717  were  received  at  the  city 
yards,  which  is  an  average  of  5,143  IP’  week.  During  the 
week  ending  Oct.  25,  6,118  animals  were  offered  as  beef, 
which  was  the  largest  number  we  have  ever  known  for  a 
single  week.  Prices  have  ruled  low,  and  are  now  about 
|e.  >P  ft.  less  than  quoted  at  our  last  report  They 
ranged,  at  the  last  week’s  market,  Nov.  15,  9ie.©10o. 
ft.,  net  or  dressed  weight,  for  best ;  8c.@8Jc.  for  'medium; 
flic  ©7c.  for  poor ;  and  4c.® 5 1 c.  for  the  the  lean  “scal- 
lawags,”  of  which  many  have  been  offered  of  late. 
General  average  of  all  sales  7fc.  Market  closed  heavily, 
with  a  few  hundred  left  over. 

Veal  Calves.— Receipts  for  five  weeks  just  ended, 
foot  up  3,441,  which  is  a  gradual  falling  oif,  as  usual, 
upon  ihe  approach  of  Winter.  They  are  now  worth 
6ic..®7ic.  ip  live  weight,  for  the  best  calves  ;  4c® 
5fc.  for  medium  ;  and  $1  50® $2  50  each  for  “  bobs,”  or 
calves  of  less  than  a  week  old. 

Sheep,  and  Lambs.— Receipts  of  live  sheep  during  the 
past  five  weeks  number  74,262  wuich  is  quite  a  gain  over 
the  previous  mouth.  In  addition  to  these,  a  large 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST, 


i  i  1 1  iii  umiminm-n-r-^T— 

amount  of  dressed  mutton  is  brought  in  by  boats  and 
railroads.  Sales  have  been  rather  slow  of  late,  but  were 
Drisker  on  the  15th,  when  good  sheep  were  worth  4fc. 
©45c.  ^  lb.,  live  weight ;  ordinary,  3)e.®4c. 

Hoas.— Receipts  were  large  during  the  fore  part  of  the 
month,  but  have  fallen  off  since.  For  the  five  weeks 
ending  Nov.  15,  5G,G12  were  brought  in  for  sale.  Nov.  1, 
with  1 G .500  for  a  single  week,  prices  ruled  low  ;  but  on 
the  16th,  when  but  7, 1 19  were  on  sale  for  the  week,  there 
was  a  marked  advance,  and  sales  were  brisk,  at  5Se.® 
Gc.  ip  lb.,  gross  or  live  weight,  for  corn-fed  hogs,  and 
61c. ©51c.  for  distillery-fed  hogs. 

TSic  Weather  during  the  past  four  weeks  has  gen¬ 
erally  been  fine,  with  one  light  snow'  storm  in  this  vicini¬ 
ty,  and  not  much  freezing  weather.  The  season  has  been 
very  favorable  for  completing  the  Fall  work,  and  prepar¬ 
ing  for  Winter,  the  more  so,  as  but  little  rain  has  fallen. 
Our  Daily  Notes  condensed,  read  thus:  October  18. 
19,  20,  21,  clear  and  cool — 22,  23,  still  cool  but  cloudy— 
24  coldest  morning  thus  far,  mercury  at  32°— 25  cool  and 
fine— 26  cloudy  A.  51.,  snow  I’.  M.— 27  about  three  inches 
snow  upon  the  ground,  although  constantly  melting: 
clear  P.  M. — 28.  29,  mostly  clear  and  cool — 30,  31,  still  cool 
but  cloudy.— November  1  to  9,  clear,  fine,  warm,  Indian 
Summer  weather  ;  ground  getting  quite  dry  and  streams 
failing — 10  cloudy  with  a  sprinkling  of  rain  at  night — 11 
clear  and  fine— 12  light  rain— 13  first  heavy  rain  for  nearly 
a  month— 14  clear  and  cool,  ground  frozen— 15  coldest 
day  of  the  season,  mercury  30°— 10,  17,  clear,  warm  and 
fine — 18  rainy  day. 


’JTJic  Aitic  SirtoR C"I5.oom  —  figured  and  de¬ 
scribed  in  our  last,  page  325,  should  have  been  credited 
to  Mr.  I.  Lamborn,  of  Chester  County,  Pa.,  who  fur¬ 
nished  the  original  design.  We  drew  up  the  sketch  and 
description  from  memory.  Having  just  discovered  his 
original  letter,  we  make  this  correction,  unasked. 

Ossaifc  Ora.itg-0  groan  Cuttings.  —  E.  R. 
Sprague,  Baltimore  Co.,  Md.  Cuttings  of  this  plant  can 
be  made  to  grow,  as  the  French  works  mention.  In  prac¬ 
tice,  however,  it  is  found  cheaper  to  raise  them  from  seed, 
and  established  plants  can  bo  secured  almost  as  soon — 
only  one  year  behind,  at  most.  More  skill  is  required  with 
cuttings,  and  there  will  be  many  failures  with  the  most 
successful.  Sow  seed  in  early  Spring.  Plants  of  one 
year’s  growth  can  be  bought  of  the  nurserymen  at  $8.00® 
$10.00  per  1000. 

Quince  Stociis  for  t.Jae  TPear.— C.  II.  Hoff¬ 
man,  Dauphin  County,  Pa.  Tile  Angers  stock  is  found 
to  be  much  better  than  the  common  quince  for  working 
the  pear  upon.  The  fruit  of  the  Angers  quince  is  of  lit¬ 
tle  worth,  while  the  apple  quince  which  produces  good 
fruit,  is  unsuited  for  pear  stocks. 

Polutul  Wisent— MaiaiBO.li  Kye.— W.  W. 
Bristow,  Lane  Co.,  Oregon.  The  head  of  large  grain 
forwarded,  called  “  Goose  Wheat”  with  you,  appears 
identical  with  wliat  was  received  from  Europe  a  few  years 
ago  under  the  name  of  “  Poland  Wheat,”  and  lias  been 
sold  in- some  places  as  “  Mammoth  Rye.”  Wfe  can  not 
answer  as  to  the  success  of  cultivating  it,  but  shall  be  glad 
to  bear  from  you  after  further  trial  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Plums  in  Oregon.— The  Portland  (Oregon) 
News,  of  August  25,  speaks  of  seeing  32  Imperial  Gage 
plums  averaging  4  inches  in  circumference,  all  occupying 
less  than  four  inches  of  space-on  the  stem.  (Mr.  or  Mrs. 
Curculio,  will  please  take  notice.)  They  were  grown  by 
David  D.  Preltyman,  from  whom  v  e  received  the  pho¬ 
tograph  of  the  Snake  Cucumber,  published  on  page  73  of 
this  volume  (March  No.).  By  the  way,  the  cucumber  seed 
sent  us  grew  true  to  the  picture,  and  our  specimens  are  a 
curiosity,  though  they  do  not  appear  to  be  of  any  practi¬ 
cal  value— at  least  we  have  not  ventured  to  eat  the 
“  sarpents.” 

ESonrs  of  Work. — I.  K..  of  Ill.  These  must  de¬ 
pend  w  holly  upon  circumstances,  and  no  definite  rule  cah 
be  laid  down.  As  a  general  thing  it  is  healthier,  more 
economical,  and  every  way  better,  to  begin  work  with 
the  first  dawn,  and  rest  sufficiently  during  the  day,  not  to 
De  entirely  exhausted  at  nightfall.  There  is  nothing  gain¬ 
ed  in  silting  up  by  lamplight,  and  sleeping  away  sunlight. 
Every  one  should  have  sleep  enough,  the  more  the  better. 
“  Early  to  bed,  and  early  to  vise,  makes  a  man  healthy, 
wealthy,  and  wise,”  runs  the  old  adage,  and  truly ;  but 


“  Late  to  bed,  and  early  to  rise,”  will  just  as  truly  “  make 
a  man  sickly,  and  poor,  and  give  him  bad  eyes.” 

©ruisr.iiig'  Moasey  from  Cembs.-Wm.  R. 
Foster,  Fountain  Co.,  Ind.  If  l he  caps  of  the  combs  are 
sliced,  off  with  a  sharp  knife,  and  the  comb  laid  over  a 
vessel  in  a  moderately  warm  place,  most  of  the  honey 
will  drain  out,  leaving  the  combs  to  be  used  again  by  the 
bees.  The  lit  tie  honey  left  in  the  cells  will  not  be  lost. 

Bees— StaJiali,  etc.— II.  M.  M.,  Tioga  Co.,  Pa. 
Your  communication  came  too  late  for  insertion  in  its 
regular  place,  and  besides  it  is  too  strong  a  “puff”  for 
reading  columns.  The  hives  we  have  frequently  pro¬ 
nounced  good.  The  special  value  of  the  Italian  bees  in 
this  country  is  yet  to  be  tested. 

Eimbits  aS  (Use  Qtiecsi  Bee.—  J.  Boner,  For¬ 
syth  County,  N.  C.,  writes,  that  having  observed  the 
habits  of  bees  for  thirty  years,  he  disagrees  with  the 
theory  that  the  queen  leaves  tile  hive  to  be  fertilized  by 
the  drone  in  the  air.  He  has  never  known  her  to  go  out¬ 
side  the  hive,  except  when  driven  thence,  as  sometimes 
happens  where  there  is  a  surplus  of  queens.  Huber 
contracted  the  entrance  of  the  hive,  to  prevent  her 
egress,  and  all  the  eggs  laid  by  the  queen  thus  confined 
produced  drones.  Mr.  Boner  thinks  this  was  due  to  the 
unnatural  state  of  the  hive  when  thus  nearly  closed, 
which  intimidated  the  queen  from  allowing  the  natural 
fertilization  in  the  hive.  Ho  asks  for  information  whe¬ 
ther  any  bee-keeper  lias  ever  actually  seen  the  queen 
“  meeting  the  drones  in  the  air  V’ 

binaiit  for  RSnsBure. — E.  C.  S.,  Coburn’s  Store, 
N.  C. ,  writes,  that  smut  cleaned  from  grain  is  equal  to 
guano  as  a  manure.  RmUt  being  a  vegetable  fungus, 
there  would  be  danger  of  its  propagating  and  destroying 
the  grain  in  a  season  favorable  to  its  growth.  Expe¬ 
rienced  farmers  advise  not  to  cultivate  grain  on  land 
where  smut  has  prevailed  the  previous  year. 

Essays  on  Eeat,  MntcSs.  asul  tlosssmercial 
Plata  uPes.— By  S.  W.  Johnson,  Professor  of  Analyti¬ 
cal  and  Agricultural  Chemistry  in  Yale  College,  and 
Chemist  to  the  Conn.  State  Agricultural  Society.  This 
book  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  Agriculture  of  our 
country,  containing  more  of  original  investigation  than 
half  a  dozen  Patent  Office  Agricultural  Reports.  We  dif¬ 
fer  with  Prof.  Johnson,  on  many  topics  of  Agricultural 
Chemistry,  but  we  think  no  one  can  read  this  book  with¬ 
out  deriving  profitable  instruction.  The  investigations 
upon  peat  and  muck  are  the  best  we  have.  The  analy¬ 
ses  of  commercial  manures  will  save  to  farmers  large 
sums  which  they  would  otherwise  be  likely  to  invest  in 
these  articles.  We  are  sorry  to  find  Prof.  Johnson,  plac¬ 
ing  the  value  he  does  upon  certain  phosphatic  guanos. 
He  will  find,  we  believe,  that  in  this  instance  practice 
will  not  sustain  the  apparent  indications  of  science.  The 
book  is  published  by  Brown  &  Gross,  of  Hartford,  and  is 
on  sale  by  Saxton,  Barker  &  Co-,  N.  Y.  Price  $1.  17S 
pp,  octavo. 

Agricultural  Bools  Bublisaalug. — The 
largest  establishment  of  this  kind  in  this  country  is  that 
of  Messrs.  C.  M.  Saxton,  Barker  &  Co.,  of  this  city. 
Mr.  Saxton  originally  established  this  as  a  distinct  branch 
of  business,  and  afterwards  soid  out  to  his  partner,  A.  O. 
.Moore.  Failing  health  compelled  Sir.  Moore  to  retire 
irom  active  exertion,  and  Mr.  Saxton,  with  his  partners, 
including  j\i  r.  Barker,  late  of  the  firm  of  Miller,  Orton  & 
Co.,  have  taken  the  entire  business.  We  are  sorry  to 
part  with  Air.  Moore,  as  he  has  shown  good  taste  in  the 
selection  and  getting  up  of  books.  The  fine  contributions 
from  his  pencil  to  the  Agriculturist ,,  and  to  the  books  he 
has  published,  will,  we  hope,  be  increased  now  that  he 
has  more  leisure. 


,875 

■V 


list,  which  will  be  described  more  particularly  in  f.hs 
first  number  of  llte  next  Volume.  We  also  retain  in  our 
list  the  more  valuable  varieties  hitherto  offered,  for  those 
who  have  not  had  them,  and  especially  for  those  living  in 
the  remote  Slates  and  Territories  where  seeds  of  any  kind 
are  difficult  to  be  obtained.  The  seeds  will  he  sent,  out 
during  January  and  February,  to  subscribers  for  I860. 
We  offer  them  thus  early  that  those  renewing  their  own 
or  sending  in  new  subscriptions,  may  at  the  same  time 
send  for  the  seeds. 


ILools.  over  tine  Ps'easaaeastfis. 

We  invite  special  attention  to  tire  list  of  premiums  offer 
ed  on  a  preceding  page.  These  are  peculiar.  In  most 
cases  such  premiums  are  offered  for  competition ,  and  on¬ 
ly  one  person  can  get  a  particular  premium  ;  and  there  is 
always  an  uncertainly  as  to  whether  some  unknown  per¬ 
son  may  not  be  better  circumstanced  to  get  a  larger  list, 
and  a  frequent  suspicion  also  that  favoritism  may  bo 
in  some  way  shown.  Our  premiums  are  absolute,  de- 
pending  only  upon  a  given  number  of  names,  and  every 
one  knows  just  what  he  or  she  is  aiming  at.  These  pre¬ 
miums  are  really  commissions  offered  to  canvassers,  for 
time  expended  in  exhibiting  the  paper  to  those  not  ac¬ 
quainted  with  it.  With  the  single  exception  of  one  of  our 
old  office  clerks,  Mr.  Whitman,  we  employ  no  agents. 
Every  person  so  disposed  can  act  as  a  voluntary  agent 
among  acquaintances,  and  receive  as  Compensation  the 
articles  offered  in  our  premium  list.  The  past  year  over 
70U  persons  have  earned  and  received  valuable  premiums 
from  tiiis  office,  which  have  cost  them  no  money,  and 
comparatively  little  outlay  of  time.  We  shall  be  happy 
to  have  the  number  doubled  next  year,  for  although  no 
profit  is  derived  the  first  year  from  new  subscribers  when 
these  premiums  are  given,  yet  the  sphere  of  the  Agricul¬ 
turist  is  extended,  and  sufficient  remuneration  will  come 
by  and  by.  Wo  expect  to  make  the  paper  good  enough 
to  retain  the  patronage  of  all  its  readers,  and  in  the  end 
to  derive  a  living  profit,  which  is  all  we  desire. 


wmm  ttotim 


1ST  Fifty  Cents  a  Line  of 'Space. 


IVew-tTork  iifsate  ff’aiv, 

awarded  its  Diploma  to  M.  VANDEllIIOOF,  171  West 
st.,  New-YorK,  for  best  GRAIN,  FANCY  FLOUR  and 
SALT  SACKS. 

See  advertisement  page  378. 

WHEELER  &  WILSON’iT 

SEWING  MACHINES. 

“  There  is  no  better  machine  than  this  made,  as  we  have 
proved  by  nearly  two  year’s  use  in  our  own  family.” 

American  Agriculturist,  Oct.,  185'J. 

The  Editor  of  the  Agriculturist,  in  response  to  a  recent 
inquiry  why  another  party  claimed  a  similar  recommen¬ 
dation,  said:  “That  opinion  Was  given  (over  two  years 
ago)  when  we  had  used  but  one  machine,”  and  lie  goes  on 
to  say  that  “  more  recent  experience,  with  both  machines 
in  daily  use,”  is  in  favor  of  the  Wheeler  Wilson  Ma¬ 
chine. 

Office  No.  505  Broadway,  New-York- 

SEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR 

&  BASilil’S 

CELEBRATED  NOISELESS 


SltBW  E3H5k. 


FAMILY  SEWING  MACHINES, 


We  have  anew,  large  and  beautiful  Agriculturist  show¬ 
bill  for  I860,  illustrated  with  42  engravings.  Copies 
have  been  sent  to  several  Post-Offices.  Other  copies  will 
be  forwarded,  post-paid,  to  News  Dealers,  or  others  who 
may  desire  to  use  them  in  procuring  subscribers. 

Onr  ®eetl  iMstrlfoiElioira. 

Again  we  have  the  pleasure  of  offering  to  our  subscri¬ 
bers  for  next  year  a  list  of  seeds  (embracing  1*3 
kinds)  from  which  every  one  is  invited  to  select  four  or 
five  parcels.  (See  page  318.)  Since  we  originated  this 
plan  of  distributing  seeds  free,  nearly  half  a  million. par¬ 
cels  hdi>e  been  sent  out  by  us,  and  we  know  that  much 
has  thus  been  done  to  diffuse  the  germs  of  useful  plants 
and  beautiful  flowers  all  over  the  country.  A  very  few 
seeds  soon  multiply  and  spread  over  a  neighborhood,  and 
thence  stilt  wider.  Our  parcels  are  necessarily  small,  but 
in  every  case  there  is  enough  to  lay  the  foundation  of  fu¬ 
ture  abundance.  AVe  spare  no  pains  to  get  the  purest  and 
best  seeds  of  each  kind,  which  can  be  obtained  both  in 
this  country  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

Many  New  Seeds  fNos.  96  tb  120)  are  added  to  out  former 


New  Styles  at  S&edttccii  Pi-Ices. 

No.  495  Broadway,  New- York  ;  No.  18  Summer  st., 
Boston  ;  No.  730  Chestnut  st.,  Philadelphia  ;  No.  1S1  Bal¬ 
timore  st.,  Baltimore ;  No.  58  West  Fourth  st.,  Cincin¬ 
nati.  Agencies  in  all  the  principal  cities  and  towns  in  the 
United  States. 

“Wheeler  &  Wilson’s,  Singer’s,  and  Grover  &  Baker’s 
Machines  all  work  under  llowe’s'patent,  and  are.  so  far, 
the  best  machines  made.  *  *  For  aw.  own  family  use 
we  became  fully  satisfied  that  Grover  4-  Baker's  is  llie  best, 
and  we  accordingly  purchased  it." — American  Agriculturist. 
fgpSEND  FOR  A  CIRCULAR:-,^ 

©Mobb  ©Mltnrc. 

A  PAMPHLET  CONTAINING  SEVENTEEN  ESSAYS  BY  PRAC¬ 
TICAL  GROWERS. 

This  valuable  work  contains,  in  addition  to  the  full, 
practical  directions  for  Oniou  Culture,  an  interesting 
illustrated  article  on  the  Onion  Fly  and  its  Prevention, 
by  a  distinguished  Entomologist,  It  will  be  worth  many 
times  the  price,  to  every  one  who  raises  this  vegetable. 

Sent  post-paid  for  21  cents,  (seven  3-eent,  I’.  O.  stamps.) 
Address  Publisher  of  American  Agriculturist. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


Contents  for  December,  1859. 

Advertising  Information  Gratis. .  VI.  Lotteries,  etc. ..355 

Animals— Care  of  in  Winter . 364 

Animals— Variety  of  Food  for . 361 

Animals — Water  the  Stock . 357 

Arbor— Summer  House — Grape . Illustrated.  .365 

Basket — New,  for  small  Fruits . Illustrated.  .359 

Bees— Apiary  in  December  . 355 

Bees— Habits  of  the  Queen . 375 

Bees— Italian . 375 

Bonnet— Howto  Choose  and  Wear  . 369 

Books— Johnson  on  Peat,  Muck,  and  Manures . 375 

Books— Publishers— Agricultural .  .375 

Boys’  and  Girls’  Columns-  Labyrinth— Editor  with  his 
Vou..g  headers— One  Brick  wrong— “Room  up 
Stairs” — How  a  Toad  undresses — How  “Old  Jim” 
kept  fat— Young  Nurses— Boys  earning  $5  a  day 

— Showers . 2  Illustrations  ..371-372 

Boys— What  shall  be  done  with  them  . 358 

Burns— Tea  Leaves  for . 356 

Cabbages— Wintering . 358 

Calendar  or  Operations  for  the  Month . .354 

Cattle — Still  Slops  for . ."BOl 

Cold— How  taken . 356 

Consumptives — Rural  Life  for .  ...363 

Corn— Crystal  Flint  or  Hominy . 355 

Corn — Improved  King  Philip  . 355 

Corn— Putting  to  Bed .  358 

Corn  Stalks— Implement  for  Breaking  down . 358 

December— Suggestions— Recreation . 353 

Embellishments— Rural . 365 

Evergreens — Mistakes  in  Names  of . 366 

Farm— Work  for  in  December . 354 

Farmers— Influence  of  Good . 358 

Flower  Garden  and  Lawn  in  December  . 354 

Gardening— In-door. . . . . Illustrated . .  368 

Garden— Kitchen  and  Fruit  in  December  . 354 

Grape  Vine— Effect  of  Ringing . 367 

Grapes— Delaware .  .  .Illustrated  .  .366 

Grapes— Dr.  Underhill’s . 367 

Grapes  in  Western  New  York . 367 

Grapes— Rebecca . 367 

Green  and  Hot  Houses  in  December . 354 

Hay— The  Best  Kind  . 358 

Hemp— How  Grown  and  Prepared  for  Market  . 361 

Honey— Draining  from  Combs . 375 

Horse  Racing  at  Fairs  . 358 

Hours  of  Work . 375 

Insects— Borer  in  Apple  Trees . 375 

Insects — Curculio— A  Word  for .  . 367 

Insects — Potato  Fly . 359 

Indoor  Work . 368 

Lar.-P — Hand  for  Coal  Oil  . . Illustrated. .368 

Lantern  Blinks.  XIV.— A  Presumptuous  Farmer - 262 

Manure— How  much  to  a  Cow . 358 

Manure— Smut  for . 375 

Manures— M apes’  Super-phosphates . 356 

Mice  in  the  Treadmill  . 358 

Millet— Hungarian  or“Grass” .  356 

Orchard  and  Nursery  in  December  . 354 

Osage  Orange  for  Cuttings . 375 

Papers— Preserve  the  numbers  .  353 

People — A  Fast . 359 

Plums  in  Oregon . 375 

Potatoes— Experiments  with  . 359 

Potatoes— Keeping  Sweet . 359 

Premiums— List  for  I860  . - . 373 

Problem  — Labyrinth .  Illustrated.  .371 

Rabbits — Prize . Illustrated. .  357 

Receipts  for  Subscriptions,  not  needed . 376 

Recipe — Glass — Transparent  Cement  for . 369 

Recipe— To  Fasten  Knife  Handles . 370 

Sawdust  in  Stables  . 367 

School— Sent  to .  Illustrated. .  369 

Seeds— Let  each  select  his  ow  n . 373 

Seeds — List  for  18611 . 373 

Seeds— Wait  patiently  for . 373 

Smoke — Room— Attic . 375 

Spoons,  Wiong  and  Right . 2  Illustrations.  .371 

Still  Slops  for  Cattle . 361 

“  Stirred'  up  ” . 374 

Strawberries— Protection  of . 367 

Sugar— Manufactured  from  Sorghum.  .2  Illustrations.  360 

Tim  Bunker— Wedding  among  his  Neighbors . 37(1 

Trees— Beech . Illustrated  ..381 

Trees— Frazer’s  Silver  Fir . 365 

Trees — Mistakes  in  Names  of  Evergreens . 366 

Trees— Partly  Buried . 375 

Trees — Pear — Quince  Stocks  for . 375 

Trellis- Materials  for  Grape . 367 

Wasli  Stand— Convenient  Appendage _ Illustrated. . 368 

Wtieat,  Poland— in  Oregon .  ■ . 375 

Winter  Scene .  •  Illustrated . . 364 


An  Interesting  Announcement. 

While  the  Agriculturist  is  chiefly  devoted  to  subjects 
directly  connected  wilh  out  door  and  in-door  rural 
labor,  we  think  two  or  three  of  its  ample  pages  may  be 
profitably  alloted  to  matter  of  a  miscellaneous  but  instruc¬ 
tive  character.  So,  while  24  to  26  pages  of  each  number 
are  given  up  to  the  immediate  subjects  of  agriculture, 
and  horticulture,  yet  by  cutting  down  the  advertisements 
to  the  lowest  practicable  limit,  we  shall  still  have  two 
to  four  pages  for  other  matters  of  especial  interest  to  all, 
farmers  as  well  as  others. 

In  this  connection  we  have  the  pleasure  to  announce 


that  we  have  made  arrangements  with  a  leading  writer  and 
editor  in  one  of  our  most  popular  and  widely  circulated 
Magazines,  to  prepare  for  our  next  volume  a  series  of  il¬ 
lustrated  chapters,  from  one  to  two  pages  in  each  num¬ 
ber,  giving  plain,  simple,  but  interesting  and  instructive 
descriptions  of  how  various  things  in  common  use  are 
made,  with  all  needful  engravings  to  make  the  subjects 
plain  even  to  children.  Thus,  the  chapters  will  describe: 
How  Pins  are  made;  How  Needles  are  made  ;  How  Nails 
are  made  ;  How  Matches  are  made  ;  How  Paper  is  made  ; 
How  Glass  is  made  ;  How  Wire  is  made  ;  How  Soap  is 
made;  How  Candles  are  made;  How  Starch  is  made; 
How  Gun-Powder  is  made  ;  How  Coal  Gas  is  made  ;  and 
so  on  of  Hats,  Porcelain,  and  many  other  articles. 

Wilh  the  skill  of  the  writer,  and  our  facilities  for 
procuring  good  engravings,  etc.,  we  believe  that  this  de¬ 
partment,  though  occupying  comparatively  but  a  small 
portion  of  the  paper,  will  alone  be  esteemed  far  beyond 
the  small  subscription  price,  by  every  class  of  readers. 

A  Olii'isimas  or  New-Year’s  Present. 


As  hitherto,  many  persons  will  desire  to  send  the  Agri¬ 
culturist  for  1860  (Vol.  19),  as  a  holiday  present  to  a  rela¬ 
tive  or  friend.  Sometimes  one  man  has  subscribed  for 
ten  copies  at  the  club  price,  and  distributed  them  among 
his  friends  and  acquaintances.  In  such  cases,  when  de¬ 
sired,  we  send  to  the  recipients,  along  with  the  firstnum- 
ber,  a  receipt,  showing  who  made  the  present. 

“  Sliort  Baker’s  Bozen.” 

The  presentation  of  two  extra  copies  of  this  paper  (the 
long  “  baker’s  dozen  ”)  to  new  subscribeis  for  1860,  will 
be  discontinued  with  this  date  (Dec.  1st) — except  to  those 
coming  from  distant  points.  But  this  December  number 
will  be  presented  to  all  new  names,  received  up  to  the 
25th.  This  w  ill  give  new  subscribers  the  “  short  baker's 
dozen,”  or  13  numbers. 


A  Special  Favor  Asked. 

We  repeat  the  usual  request  at  this  season,  that  names 
for  next  year  be  sent  in  very  early  this  monlh.  It  is  a 
matter  of  great  convenience  and  economy  to  us,  to  get 
our  mail  books  all  arranged,  and  the  w  rappers  all  written, 
so  as  to  send  off  the  January  number  before  Jan.  1st.  The 
moment  the  Dec.  number  is  mailed,  our  clerks  will  be 
ready  to  prepare  for  the  next  number.  The  kind  expres¬ 
sions  received  from  every  quarter, indicate  that  all  our  pres¬ 
ent  subscribers  will  renew  their  own  subscriptions,  and 
send  along  a  host  of  new  names.  They  are  already 
pouring  in,  and  have  been  for  some  time  past. 


Kcceipts  irot  needed. 

When  subscriptions  are  taken  at  our  office  desk,  we 
usually  give  a  receipt,  and  when  particularly  desired,  re¬ 
ceipts  are  sent  by  mail,  but  this  is  unnecessary.  As  con¬ 
stantly  announced  in  our  Prospectus,  ihe  paper  is  only 
sent  where  ordered  and  paid  for,  and  is  stopped  w  hen  the 
lime  expires.  The  arrival  of  the  paper  may  be  consider¬ 
ed  as  an  acknowledgment  of  money  received.  Under 
the  above  regulation  no  one  w  ill  need  to  have  any  fear  of 
ever  receiving  a  bill  for  papers  he  has  already  had. 

Sending  Money. 

—  o— 

Bills  on  all  specie  pnying  Banks  in  the  United  States 
and  Canadas  will  be  received  at  par,  for  subscriptions. 
Surnsof  ten  dollars  and  upwards  it  is  usually  better  to 
send  in  the  form  of  a  Draft  on  a  New-York  Bank,  paya¬ 
ble  to  ihe  order  of  the  publisher  ;  this  no  one  else  can 
use  even  if  it  be  abstracted  from  the  mails.  We  are  al¬ 
ways  willing  to  divide  the  small  expense  of  a  draft  with 
the  sender,  or  pay  Ihe  whole  when  it  does  not  exceed 
one  per  cent,  which  may  be  deducted  from  the  amount 
forwarded. 

Gold  coins  should  always  be  securely  fastened  in  a 
card,  or  between  two  thick  pieces  of  paper,  by  pasting  or 
stitching,  before  putt i n u  them  into  a  letter.  Letters  en¬ 
closing  money  should  always  be  well  fastened,  clear  to 
the  corners,  to  prevent  money  from  slipping  out,  and  also 
to  prevent  iheir  being  opened. 

Always  be  .sure  that  you  have  actually  put  the  money 
in  before  sending,  and  that  Ihe  outside  direction  is  right, 
and  also  that  your  name,  Post  Office,  and  State  be  given 
inside.  Very  many  letiers  come  to  us  with  one  or  more 
of  these  items  omitted. 


Missing)  Numbers  Supplied. 

Any  copy  of  the  Agriculturist,  failing  to  reach  a  sub¬ 
scriber  through  the  carelessness  in  the  mails,  will  be 
cheerfully  replaced  without  charge.  Copies  received, 
and  afterwards  lost  or  spoiled,  will  be  supplied  at  the  re¬ 
gular  rates. 


NoJes  on  IPoslage. 

— o— 

No  Postmaster  has  any  legal  right  to  charge  over  Six 
Cents  a  year  postage  on  the  American  Agriculturist.  The 
paper  is  manufactured  expressly  with  reference  to  having 
each  number  weigh  a  trifle  less  than  three  ounces,  when 
weighed  dry  and  without  the  wrapper,  as  the  law  directs  ; 
and  the  law  is  explicit  that  periodicals  w  eighing  not  over 
three  ounces,  shall  be  charged  one-cent  each,  if  sent 
singly,  and  only  half  this  rate  w  hen  the  postage  is  paid 
quarterly  in  advance  at  the  office  where  the  periodical  is 
received.  On  all  papers  to  Canada  and  to  foreign  coun¬ 
tries,  and  on  all  irregular  copies  sent  out,  we  ini  ariably 
prepay  the  postage  here.  On  copies  sent  regularly  to 
subscribers  in  the  States  and  Territories  we  can  not  pre¬ 
pay  the  postage. 


Bound  Volumes— Binding)— Covers. 


As  soon  as  this  number  is  issued,  we  shall  hind  up  complete 
seis  of  Ihe  cn'ire  volume  (XVIII),  in  neat  muslin  covers,  with 
gil'  lettered  hacks. 

We  shall  also  bind  sets  of  Yol.  XVII  and  Vol.  XVIII  in  one 
cover.  We  have  also  bound  and  unbound  copies  of  volumes 
XYI  and  XVII  singly,  and  the  two  bound  t>  gel  her. 

PRICES  AT  THE  OFFICE. 

Vo’s.  XVI,  XVII,  or  XVTTT.  unbound . Sl.00  each. 

Vols.  XVI,  XVII.  or  XVIII,  bound . SI. .00  each. 

Vo’s.  XVI  and  XVII.  botli  hound  In  one  cover .  S2.60. 

Vols  XVII  and  XVIII,  lio’.h  hound  in  one  cover. .  .$2.69. 
SENT  POST-PAID  BY  MAIL. 

(  They  can  not  go  unpaid.) 

Vols.  XVI,  XVII,  or  XVIII.  unhound.  .  . SI. 12. 

Vols.  XVI,  XVII.  or  XVIII,  bound . S2.00. 

Of  Voi.  XV,  we  have  no  copies,  and  unfortunately,  no  stereo¬ 
type  plates. 

Of  Vols.  X1T,  XIII  and  XIV,  we  have  sonic  sets  hound  and 
unbound,  at  the  same  prices  as  named  above  for  Vols.  XVI, 
XVII,  and  XVIII.  # 

Binding. — Sets  of  numbers  brought  to  this  office  will  he 
hound  up  neatly  (in  our  regular  style  of  binding  the  Agricultur¬ 
ist)  for  50  rents  a  volume.  Two  volumiis  will  he  bound  together 
in  one  cover  for  GOc-nts 

Prepared  Covers — Stamped  Muslin  Covers,  neatly  made, 
wilh  title,  fee  ,  gilt  upon  the  hack,  and  ready  forthe  msertiua 
of  ihe  sheets  bv  any  hook-hinder,  can  he  furnished  for  Vols. 
XII  lo  XVIII  inclusive,  at  25  cents  per  cover.  Covers  can 
not  go  by  mail—  tiicy  would  he  spoiled. 

Circulation  of  the  Agriculturist. 


The  number  of  subscribers  has  constantly  gone  upward 
from  the  clay  we  first  obtained  full  proprietorship  until  the 
present  time,  so  that  it  is  now  greater  than  ever  before. 
Some  interest  has  been  manifested  to  know  what  is  the 
bona  fide  circulation,  and  efforts  have  been  marie  in  some 
quarters  to  depreciate  the  amount.  To  set  all  queries 
and  surmises  at  rest.,  we  present  the  statement  be¬ 
low  which  will  nrrt  be  questioned.  To  make  mil  a  fair 
show  of  the  past,  we  give  the  average  for  a  whole  year. 
The  present  circulation  is,  of  course,  much  larger. 

Steam  Tress  Rooms,  16  &  18  Jacob-sl.,  ) 
New-York,  September  !6ih.  1859.  i 
This  is  to  certify  that,  bv  request  of  the  proprietor,  Mr. 
O.  Judd,  I  have  this  day  examined  my  books,  and  find 
that  during  the  past  twelve  months.  I  have  printed  of  reg¬ 
ular  copies  of  the  American  Agriculturist.  2.1GG  Reams 
of  500  sheets  each  (1,083.01  0),  or  an  average  of  1  80  1  -2 
Reams  per  month.  As  each  copy  contains  two  sheets, 
this  is  an  average  of  Forty-five  tlinusand  one 
hundred  and  twciil  y-five  (  4  5.1  25  )  perfect 
copies  per  month  JOHN  A.  GRAY. 

Affirmed  (sworn)  to  before  me,  this  16lh  day  of  Septem¬ 
ber.  1859.  J.  0.  Haroer,  Commissioner  of  Deeds. 


American:  Agriculturist. 

(ISSUED  IN  BOTH  ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN.) 

A  thorough  going,  RELIABLE,  and  PRACTICAL 
Journal,  devoted  to  the  different  departments  of  SOIL 
CULTURE— such  as  growing  field  CROPS;  orchard 
and  oarden  FRUITS;  garden  VEGETABLES  and 
FLOWERS:  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  for  the 
LAWN  or  YARD;  in-door  and  gut  door  work  around 
the  DWELLING;  care  of  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS 
&o  &c.  ,  . 

The  teachings  of  the.  Agriculturist  are.  confined  to  no 
State  or  Territory,  but.  are  adapted  to  the  wants  of  all  sec¬ 
tions  off  the  country — it  is,  as  its  twine  indicates ,  tiuly 
American  in  its  character. 

The  German  edition  is  of  the  same  size  an  l  price 
as  the  English,  and  contains  all  of  its  reading  matter,  and 
its  numerous  illustrative  engravings. 

TERMS -INVARIABLY"  IN  ADVANCE. 

One  copy  one  year . . $1  00 

Six  copies  one  year . 5  00 

Ten  or  more  copies  one  year. ...  80  cents  each. 

An  extra  copy  to  the  person  sending  15  or  more  names, 
at  80  cents  each. 

p/pTn  addition  to  the  above  rates:  Postage  to  Canada  6 
cents,  to  England  and  France  24  cents,  to  Germany  24 
cents,  arid  to  Russia  72  cents  per  annum. 

Delivery  in  New-York  city  and  Brooklyn,  12  cents  a  year. 

Postage  anywhere  in  the  United  States  and  Territories 
must  be  paid  by  the  subscriber,  and  is  only  six  cents  a  year, 
if  paid  in  advance  at  tbe  office  where  received. 

The  paper  is  considered  pant  for  w  henever  it  is  sent, 
and  w  ill  be  promptly  discontinued  w  hen  ihe  time  for  w  Inch 
it  is  ordered  expires.  , , 

All  business  and  other  communications  should  be  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  Editor  and  Proprietor, 

ORANGE  JUDD, 

No  189  Water  st ,  Now-Yrork. 


1859. 


AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 


m 


EIPTlie  circulation  of  the  Agriculturist  to  regular 
subscribers,  is  much  larger  than  that  of  any  other 
Agricultural  or  Horticultural  Journal  in  the  world. 


^bhrtmmettb. 

Advertisements  to  be  sure  of  insertion  must  be  re¬ 
ceived  at  latest  by  the  1 5th  Of  the  preceding  month. 

TERMS  —  (invariably  cash  before  insertion): 
you  THE  ENGLISH  EDITION  ONLY. 

Twenty-five  cents  per  line  of  space  for  each  insertion.  About 
9  words  make  a  lino,  if  undisplaved. 

One  whole  column  (115  lines)  or  more.  $30  per  column. 

CJT  b  nsiness  Notices  Fifty  cents  per  line. 

roil  THE  GEIiMAN  EDITION  ONLY. 

Tm  cen's  per  line  of  space  for  each  inseriion. 

One  whole  column,  (130  lines),  nr  more,  Sll  per  column. 

Kb1’  B  usiness  Notices  twenty  cents  per  line.  m 

FOIt  BOTH  EDITIONS— ENGLISH  AND  GERMAN’. 
'Ih.irty-one  cents  per  line  ;  S38  per  column. 

Business  Notices  Sixty  five  cents  per  line. 


Bees  for  California.— i  am  pre¬ 
pared  to  put  up  in  Movable  Comb  Hives  of  a  new  construc¬ 
tion  any  number  of  Colonies  of  Bees  to  ship  to  California  or 
Oregon  1  will,  under  all  reasonable  circumstances,  guarantee 
90  per  cent  to  arrive  in  good  order.  My  plan  is  superior  to  any 
yet  devised.  If  2<'0  (or  over)  hives  are  ordered,  I  will  accom¬ 
pany  and  superintend  them  for  a  consideration. 

P.  J.  MAH  AN,  720  Chestnut-st  ,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


SMALL  FARM  WANTED  of  about  12 

acres,  within  80  miles  of  New-York,  and  within  a  few- miles 
of  the  Hudson  River  preferred.  Address,  stating  full  particu¬ 
lars,  character  of  soil,  and  lowest  cash  price,  H.  S.  this  office. 


A  VALUABLE  FARM  FOR  SALE— One- 

and-a-half  miles  east  of  this  village  on  the  Clinton  river; 
330  acres  of  choice  land,  with  200  acres  improved  ;  2  large 
barns,  2  dwellings  (I  of  brick).  2  orchards  of  choice  apples,  1  of 
pears,  plums,  cherries,  kc.  £0  miles  from  Detroit,  by  plank 
road,  1  Y>  from  railroad,  and  on  a  navigable  river  Address 
K.  W BIGHT  HALL, 

4  Mount  Clemens,  Macomb  Co.,  Mich. 


LjYARIYI  FOR  SALE,  situated  in  Morris 

-tt-  County,  New-Jcrsey.  about  four  miles  from  Drakesville 
Station,  on  the  Morris  and  Essex  Railroad*  (one  of  the  healthi¬ 
est  locutions  in  the  county,)  containing  about  120  acres  ;  a  good¬ 
ly  portion  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  buildings  con¬ 
sist  of  a  large  frame  house,  bain,  and  a.1 1  necessary  buildings. 
For  further  particulars  enquire  of  JOHN  W.  DOUGLASS, 
191  Water-street,  New-York  City. 


AORTA  ISILAND  VINES. 

A  new  edition  of  Descriptive  Catalogue  is  now  ready,  and 
will  be  sent  to  applicants  sending  a  three  cent  stamp.  It  con¬ 
tains  additional  information  relative  to  planting,  training,  and 
ho  management  of  vines,  with  a  full  and  accurate  descrip- 
*on  of  all  the  valuable  varieties  with  which  I  am  acquainted 
hat  are  now  in  market. 

My  facilities  for  propagatingfincludingnearly  an  acre  of  glass) 
re  extensive,  and  in  consequence  my  plants  generally,  and  es¬ 
pecially  the  Delaware  Vines,  are  this  season  of  much  better 
quality  than  I  have  before  been  able  to  offer. 

Of  Large  Diana  Vines  my  stock  is  limited,  but  of  surpass¬ 
ing  excellence.  Of  Anna,  the  stock  is  also  small,  but  plants  of 
best  quality  ;  chiefly  large  layers  ready  for  bearing. 

For  prices  and  full  particulars  see  Catalogue. 

Of  Delaware  Vines,  besides  very  large  Layers,  I  have  a 
good  stock  of  exceedingly  vigorous  plants  grown  in  the  open  air, 
for  such  as  may  prefer  them.  Of  these  the  wood  and  roots  are 
very  strong,  and  will  be  thoroughly  ripened  early  in  the  season. 

I  would  recommend  the  Herbemont  as  a  most  delicious  grape, 
and  a  great  acquisition  to  all  gardens  having  a  sheltered  expo¬ 
sure  not  more  than  one  degree  north  of  latitude  of  New-York. 
A  small  stock  of  very  large  layers  ready  for  bearing  now  for  the 
first  time  offered. 

Concord,  a  small  stock  of  remarkably  large  layers  for  imme¬ 
diate  bearing,  as  well  as  small  vines.  A  good  stock  and  very 
large  plants  of  Rebecca.  Canby’s  August,  which  in  synony¬ 
mous  with  Cape,  Alexander,  York  Madeira,  Hyde’s  Eliza 
Schuylkill  Muscadel,  Baldwin’s  Early,  etc.,  a  few  layers.  Of 
the  following  a  very  limited  supply  : 

Allen’s  Hybrid,  (a  white  grape  equal  to  Chasselas.)  Logan,  To 
Kulon,  (synonymous  with  Wyman,  etc.,)  Cassidy,  Louisa,  El- 
singburg,  Clara,  Raabo,  Lenoir,  U.  Village,  Early  Hudson,  Gar- 
rigue’s,  Hartford  Prolific,  Emily. 

Foreign  Vines,  a  good  stock — plants  vigorous. 

Downing’s  Everbearing  Mulberry,  a  small  stock  of  superior 
plants.  1  and  2  years  old. 

Newman’s  Thornless  Blackberry,  (best  garden  variety)  a  few 
hundred. 

Wholesale  Catalogue  ready.  C.  W.  GRANT, 

Iona  Island,  near  Peekskill,  Wcstehester  Co.,  N.  Y. 

OUNG  NURSERY  STOCIv^A  large 

lot  of  Apple  and  Cherry  Seedlines,  extra  quality,  Apple 
Root  Grafts,  assorted  to  order;  Pear.  Plum,  and  layered  Quince 
Stocks,  Dwarf  Pears  in  bud,  for  sale  bv 

COWLES  k  WARREN,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


SaexToa-d’s  Mcalcrs, 
PORTABLE  OR  SET  IN  BRICK, 

Are  pronounced  by  most  competent  judges  to  be  the  best ,  giving 
the  lareesl  amount  of  heat,  with  a  small  quantity  of  fuel— ow¬ 
ing  to  their  being  so  constructed  as  to  burn  the  gases  and 
smoke,  and  with  the  largest  radiating  surface  so  arranged  as 
to  warm  the  air  rapid' y  to  a  soft  summer  heat. 

Eight  sizes  adapted  to  warming  only  one  or  two  rooms,  or  a 
whole  house,  churches,  academies,  public  halls,  &c. 

THEY  ALWAYS  PLEASE. 

Send  for  testimonials  (free)  to 

SANFORD  TRUSLOW  k  CO.,  Manufacturers, 

239  Water-slreo*,  New-York. 


COAL  OIL  LAMPS 


©a*  was  Ha  ©ant  a 

The  subscribers  offer  to  the  public  a  largo  and  splendid  as¬ 
sortment  of  Coal  Oil  Lamps  and  Chandeliers.  Also  a  new 
Coal  Oil  Lamp  for  burning  Coal  Oil  without  a  Chimney,  r"d 
Coal  Oil  of  superior  Quality,  at  very  low  prices  for  cash. 

DIETZ  k  CO., 

Sole  owners  and  manufacturers  of  Dietz  Patent  Coal  Oil 
Lamps.  132  William-st.,  New-  York. 


FARM  FR0IMJCE 
gold  «  la  C  t>  aaa  taa  i  s  s  i  o  la  , 

Such  as  Flour.  Butter.  Cheese.  Lard,  Provisions  of  all  kinds, 
Grain,  Eggs,  Poultry,  G  mi**,  kc.  kc. 

"  HAIGHT  &  EM ENS.  226  Front.-st.,  New-York. 
Refers  to  the  Editor  American  Agriculturist. 

“  R.  H.  Haydock,  Cashier  Market  Bank.  New-York. 


ITALIAN  BEKS.  (‘Apis  LigurticaT)  I 

thank  the  Bee-keepers  for  the  patronage  thus  far  extended 
to  me  There  is  an  immense  number  of  orders  received  of 
which  I  cannot  enter— as  my  terms  are  not  complied  with.  I 
have  made  a  rule  which  I  will  not  deviate  from.  Interested 
parties  will  please  send  for  a  Circular  of  terms,  kc. 

H  P.  J.  MAHAN, 

No.  720  Chestnut  st..  Philadelphia.  Pa. 


ICpQRT  EDWARD  INSTITUTE,  A  Board 

B.  iiig  Seminary,  for  ladies  and  gentlemen,  superb  brick 
buildings. 

Winter  Term  opens  December  1st,  1859. 

Spring  Term  opens  March  23,  1860. 

Board  at  $2  per  week.  Tuition  at  corresponding  rates. 

Superior  facilities  for  Music,  Painting  and  French.  Ladies 
graduating  are  guaranteed  desirable  situations  to  teach. 
S:  indents  received  at  any  time,  and  charged  only  for  the  residue 
of  the  term.  For  Catalogues  address 

Rev.  JOSEPH  E.  KING,  A.  M..  Principal, 
Fort  Edward,  N.  Y. 


>oys’  and  Girls’ OWN  Magazine,  publish- 

*  cd  monthly.  75c.  per  year,  or  5  copies  $3  :  10  copies  $5.50. 

WILLIAM  L.  JONES,  152  Sixth-av..  N.Y. 


Farmers  and  gardeners  sending 

their  P.  O.  address  to  us  will  receive  by  mail  gratis,  our  il¬ 
lustrated  Almanac  for  1860,  and  information  concerning  Agri¬ 
cultural  Implements  and  Fertilizers.  Send  ns  the  name  and 
P.  O  address  of  good  farmers  in  your  town. 

GRIFFING  BROTHER  &  CO..  60  Cortlandt-st.,  N.  Y. 


A  VALUABLE  GIFT  for  any  Boyor  Girl: 

afib.  The  Boys  and  Girls  own  Magazine,  containing  nearly  400 
pages  of  the  choicest  reading,  and  illustrated  with  over  100  hue 
wood-cut  illustrations,  bontul  in  muslin,  with  gilt  stamp  on 
back  and  side,  price  9  c.,  sent  anywhere  free  of  postage  on  re¬ 
ceipt  of  that  amount.  WM.  L.  JONES,  Publisher, 

152  Sixth  av.,  New-York. 


SCHOOL  TEACHERS  WANTED. 

^'-'subscriber  wishes  to  engage  the  services  of  a  fe’ 


The 

age  the  services  of  a  few  School 
Teachers  to  act  as  ’raveling  Agents  in  introducing  his  publica¬ 
tions.  For  particulars  anplv  immediatelv  to 

HENRY  BILL.  Publisher,  Norwich,  Conn. 


PROFITABLE  Employment,  may  be  had 

by  addressing  (post  paid  •  R.  SE  ARS  181  William-st,  N,  Y. 


Boys’  and  Girls’  OWN,  anew  Juvenile  for 

the  Holidays.  Price  90c  ,  sent  post  free  on  receipt  of  that 
amount  in  P.  O.  stamps,  by  WM.  L.  JONES,  152  Sixth-avenue. 


^EVEN  FIRST  RATE  BOOKS  for  every 

^Library,  and  for  all  Agents  and  Booksellers  : 

1st— Copeland's  Country  Lif*-,  price  $2.50. 

2d— Alcott’s  Forty  Years  Among  Pills  and  Powders— $1. 

3d — Dr.  Dadd’s  New  Cattle  Doctor— SI. 

4th — Alcott's  Physiology  of  Marriage— $1. 

5th —  "  Courtship  and  Marriage — $1. 

6'h—  '•  Laws  of  Healih— SI. 

7th— Dunallon,  or,  Know  What  You  Judge— $1. 

Published  by  JOHN  P  JEWETT  k  CO., 

20  Washington  street,  Boston,  Mass. 


Now  Ready — Single  Copies  sent  by  mail,  post-paid  for  Twen¬ 
ty-five  cents— Ond  Dozen  Copies,  post-paid,  for  Two 
Dollars.  Agents  Wanted. 

THE  ILLUSTRATED 

ANNUAL  REGISTER  OF  RURAL  AFFAIRS, 

SPoik*  3.060. 

THE  STXTH  NUMBER  of  this  work  is  now  ready,  and 
presents  features  of  no  less  attractiveness  and  value  than  its 
predecessor.  The  following  abstract  of  its  contents  together 
witn  the  fact  that  they  are  Illustrated  by  no  less  than  One 
Hundred  and  Sbvbnty-bight  Engravings,  will  afford  bet 
ter  evidence  of  i his  than  anything  the  Publishers  ean  sav 
T.  ORNAMENTAL  PI, ANTING — Thirty-six  Engravings. 

II.  COUNTRY  DWELLINGS— Twenty-five  Engravings 

—Eight  Original  Designs. 

***This  is  a  Chapter  which  will  prove  serviceable,  especial¬ 
ly  to  those  who  wish  suggestions  as  to  neat  and  inexpensive 
structures  for  practical  purposes,  which  with  some  taste  and 
considerable  extent  of  accommodations,  combine  great  conveni¬ 
ence  of- interior  arrangement 

III.  HEDGES— Thirteen  Engravings. 

IV.  FENCES  AND  FENCE  MAKING— Fifteen  Engrav¬ 

ings. 

Y.  FARM  GATES— Fifteen  Engravings. 

Vr.  BARNS  AND  ST ABLES— Twenty-five  Engravings. 
VII  IvlPLEMENTS  OF  TILLAGE— Twenty-one  En¬ 
gravings. 

VIII— OTHER  NEW  IMPLEMENTS— Six  Engravings. 
IX.  FRUITS  AND  F RUIT  CUL  !  URE-Sevf,n  Engravings. 
X  SRPPLEMENI  ARY  LIST  OF  NURSERIES. 

XI.  RURAL  MISCELLANY— Twelve  Engravings. 

This,  preceded  by  the  usual  Calendar  pages  and  Astronomical 
Calculation.-',  forms  a  hook  which  is  certainly  cheap  at  its  retail 
price,  while  the  Publishers,  in  order  to  promote  its  extensive 
circulation,  are  prepared  to  offer  the  most  liberal  Ter»»s  for  its 
introduction  in  qualities,  either  to  Agents,  Agricultural  So«-i- 
e’ies,  Nursprvmen.  Dealers  in  Implements  and  Seeds,  or  any 
oihers  who  take  an  interest  in  the  dissemination  of  useful  read¬ 
ing,  and  in  the  promotion  of  Rural  Improvement. 

Address  all  orders  or  inquiries  to 

LUTHER  TUCKER  k  SON. 

Albany,  N.  Y. 

WHO  ALSO  PUBLISH 

THE  COUNTRY  GENTLKM  AN— A  Wccklv  Journal  for  the 
Farm,  the  Garden,  and  the  Fireside — Two  Dollars  a 
Year,  and 

THE  CULTIVATOR— Monthly— Fifty  Cents  a  Year. 
Sample  Copies 

Of  these  Journals  sent  free  to  all  applicants. 


he 

“  IT  IS  NOT  A  LUXURY,  BUT  A  NECESSITY.” 

FOR  THIRTY  YEARS  THE  STANDARD. 

I860, 

The  unanimous  voice  of  the.  Ladies  of  America  and  the  public 
press  throughout  the  United  States  have  pronounced  ’ 
GOIDEV’S  ILAJOY’S  BOOK 
“iiot  a  luxury,  but  u  necessity,”  in  every  well  regulated  house¬ 
hold. 

SIXTIETH  AND  SIXTY-FIRST  VOLUMES. 

And  the  Thirtieth  Year  of  its  Publication  by  the  same  Pub¬ 
lisher, 

WILL  CONTAIN 
1,200  Pages  of  Reading  Matter,  24  pages  of  Music,  12  Colored 
Steel  Plates,  containing  at  least,  50  figures,  11  Steel  Engrav¬ 
ings,  720  Wood  Engravings,  780  Articles  by  the  h^st  authors 
of  America.  And  all  these  will  be  given  in  1860,  at  prices 

IFUUH  EXTREMELY  LOW  CLUB  RATES. J&f 

The  Oldest ,  the  Best ,  and  the  Cheapest  Magazine. 

USEFUL,  ORNAMENTAL,  AND  INSTRUCTIVE. 

THE  ONLY  LADY’S  BOOK  IN  AMERICA. 

THE  LI TER A  TURE 
In  the  Lady’s  Book  is  by  the  first  writers  in  the  country,  and 
the  stories  are  always 

MORAL  AND  INSTRUCTIVE. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  articles  in  the  Book  : 

A  SPLENDID  STEEL  ENGRAVING 
A  SPLENDID  COLORED  FASHION  PLATE,  contain- 
ig  at  least  four  figures. 

D  ess. — How  to  adorn  the  Person. 

Blunders  tn  Behavior  Corrected. 

A  Whisper  ’o  a  Newly  Married  Pair.  From  a  Widowed  Wife. 
The  Crotchet  Flower  Rook. 

The  Art  of  Knitting  Imitations  of  Natural  Flowers. 

The  Art.  of  Knitting  Imitations  of  Natural  Berries  and  Fruit. 
Gardening  for  Ladies. 

A  Musical  Department— two  pages  of  new  music  each  month. 

A  Health  Depaitment,  conducted  by  Dr.  Wilson  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  Georgia. 

Articles  that  can  be  made  for  Presents  or  Fancy  Fairs. 
NOVELTIES. 

We  have  agents  in  Fiance,  England,  and  Germany,  that  for¬ 
ward  us  every  novelty  that  appears  in  those  countries, that  is  in 
any  way  suitable  for  Godey. 

The  Art  of  Ornamental  Hair-Work. 

We  have  also  articles  upon  -‘The  Kitchen,”  “The  Laun¬ 
dry,”  “  Confectionery,”  “The  Nursery.”  etc.,  etc. 

Drawing  in  all  its  Variety. 

Model  Cottages. 

Dress  Patterns.—  Infants’  and  Children’s  dresses,  with  des¬ 
criptions  how  to  make  them. 

GODEY’S  INVALUABLE  RECEIPTS 

UPON  EVERY  SUBJECT, 

Indispensable  to  every  family,  worth  more  than  the  whole  cost 
of  t  he  Book,  and  a  great  saving  of  expense  to  all  those  who 
take  the  Book. 

In  the  various  numbers  for  1860  will  be  found  the  newest  de- 
signs  for — 

Window  Curtains,  Brnderie  Anglaise,  Slippers,  Bonnets.  Caps, 
Cloaks,  Evening-Dresses.  Fancy  Articles,  Head-dresses. 
Hair-Dressing,  Rohes  de  Chamhre,  Carriage-Dresses,  Brides’ 
Dresses,  Wreaths,  Mantillas,  Walking-Dresses,  Riding  Hab- 
i's,  Morning-Dresses,  Chemisettes,  Collars,  Undersleeves, 
Embroidery  Patterns,  Patchwork,  and  Crochet  and  Netting 
Work, 

TERMS,  CASH  IN  ADVANCE. 

One  copy  one  year,  $3.  Two  copies  one  year,  $5.  Three  coidos 
one  year,  $6. 

Five  copies  one  year,  and  an  extra  copy  to  the  person  sending 
the  club,  making  six  copies,  $10. 

Eight  copies  one  year,  anil  an  extra  copy  to  the  person  sending 
the  club,  making  nine  copies,  $15. 

Eleven  copies  one  year,  and  an  extra  copy  (o  the  person  sending 
the  club,  making  twelve  copies,  $20. 

And  the  only  magazine  that  can  he  introduced  into  any  of  tho 
above  clubs  is  Arthur’s  Home  Magazine.  One  or  more  of  lhat 
work  can  be  included  in  a  club  in  the  place  of  the  Lady’s  Book, 
if  preferred. 

SPECIAL  CLUBBING  WITH  OTHER  MAGAZINES. 

Godey ’s  Lady’s  Book  and  Arthur’s  Home  Magazine  both  one 
year  for  $3  50. 

Godey’s  Lady’s  Book  and  Harper’s  Magazine  both  one  year  for 
$4  50. 

Godey’s  Lady, s  Book,  Harper’s  Magazine,  and  Arthur’s  Home 
Magazine  one  year,  $6  00. 

Notes  of  all  solvent  banks  taken  at  par. 

A  Specimen  will  be  sent  direct  to  any  person  making  the 
request. 

Subscribers  in  the  British  Provinces,  who  send  for  clubs,  must 
remit  36  cents  extra  on  every  subscriber,  to  pay  the  Americaa 
postage  to  the  lines. 

Be  careful  and  pay  the  postage  on  your  letter. 

Address  L.  A.  GODEY, 

 323  Chestnut-street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


THE  CORNER  CUPROARD, 

Or, 

FACTS  FOR  EVERYBODY. 

BY  TIIE  AUTHOR  OF  “  INQUIRE  WITHIN,”  THE  “  REASON 
WHY,”  ETC. 

Large  12mo.,  400  pages,  cloth,  gilt  side  and  Bark.  Price  $1. 
ILLUSTRATED  WITH 

OVER  ONE  THOUSAND  ENGRAVINGS. 
Embracing  Facts  about— I  Things  not.  generally  known.  II. 
Tilings  that  ought  to  lie  known.  III.  Things  worth  knowing. 
THE  CORNER  CUPBOARD  IS 


A  Complete  Practical  Confec¬ 
tioner 

A  Complete  Practical  Cook. 

A  Complete  Family  Doctor. 

A  Complct  e  Prac  ical  Gardener 
A  Complete  Father’s  Book. 

A  Complete  Mother's  Book. 


A  Comp  ete  Lady’s  Boole. 

\  Complete  Gent  leman's  Book. 
A  Complc'o  B**y’s  Book. 

A  Complete  Girl’s  Book. 

A  Complete  Master’s  Book 
A  Complete  Servant’s  Book. 

A  Complete  Family  Book. 


A  FRIEND  AT  EVERYBODY’S  ELBOW  IN  TIME  OF 
NEED. 

Whether  in  the  Parlor  or  the  Kitchen,  the  Chamber  or 
the  Boudoir,  at  Home  or  Abroad,  it  may  be  verv  appropriately 
called  the  ' 

T  ,  FAMILY’S  READY  ADVISER, 

Published  by  DICK  &  FITZGERALD, 

No*  13  Ann  st.,  New-York. 
Also  for  sale  by  all  Booksellers  in  this  place. 

Copies  ot*  the  above  Book  sent  by  mail  to  any  address  free  of 
postage,  on  receipt  of  One  Dollar. 

NOW  READY— PAPER  FLOWERS,  and 

how  to  makf  them.  No  4.  price  50  els 

WILLIAM  L  .TONES,  152  Sixth-Avenue. 
_ CL  A  UK.  AUSTIN  &  SMITH,  No.  3  PuiU-vow. 


ANTED. — Experienced  Book  Agenls 

v  V  are  wanted  in  each  County  in  the  United  Stales  and 
Canada  to  introduce  The  New  Illustrated  Encyclopedia  of  all 
Nations ,  one  thousand  engravings,  many  of  them  colored  m 
charts.  &c.  For  an  appoint.meu'  and  fi>r  further  informal 
apply  immediately  to 


Ps 

. all  on 

IlENRV  BILL,  Norwich  (Vzji, 


„>y8 


AMERICAN .  AGRICULTURIST. 


All  kinds  o£  Agricultural  Books 

PUBLISHED  AND  FOR  SALE  BY 

C.  EE.  SAXTOET,  BARKER  &  Co., 

27c  25  Park-row,  New-York. 

INCLUDING  YHC.  FOLLOWING  WORKS  : 

Riril  Fauciovs,  Rabbit  Fanciers  Fish  Culture,  Bee-Keep.rr  s 
Manual,  Domestic  Fowls,  Domestic  Animals,  Cattle  Doctor, 
Horse  Doctor,  Bam  Book,  Stable  Book,  Farm  Implements, 
Treatises  on  Grasses,  Grains,  Weeds,  and  Useful  Plants  ;  Ma¬ 
nures,  Muck  Manual,  Hedges  and  Evergreens,  Farm  Drainage, 
Letters  to  Farmers,  Agricultural  Chemistry,  Rural  Handbooks, 
Landscape  Gardening,  Rural  Dwellings,  Rural  Essays,  Gar¬ 
dener’s  Assistant,  Flower-Garden  Directory,  Culture  of  the 
Rose,  Grape  Culture,  Strawberry  Culture,  Cranberry  Culture, 
Pear  Culture,  Fruit  Rooks,  Receipt  Books  and  Cook  Books,  &c. 

Books  sent  by  mail  to  any  part  of  the  country  on  receipt  of 
price.  Catalogues  furnished  on  application  io 

C.  M.  SAXTON,  BARKER  &  CO., 
Agricultural  Booksellers  and  Publishers  of 

the'  horticulturist. 

No.  25  PARK-ROW,  NEW-YORK. 


PEAK  SEP!  !  PEAK  §SE®  !  ! 
FRESH,  AND  OP  SUPERIOR  QUALITY. 

American  Grown  Seed,  at  $3.50  per  lb. 

Imported  Seed,  at  $2.00  per  lb. 

And  at  reduced  rates  to  Nurserymen  and  others,  ordering 
large  quantities. 

Also 

Fresh  Apple  Seed.  40  cts.  per  quart,  $7.00  p.  bushel. 

Black  Mazzard  Cherry  Pits,  50  c.  p.  qt.,  $10.00  p.  bush. 
Apricot  Pits,  75  cts.  per  qt. 

Strawberry  Seed  (12  Varieties),  $2  per  oz. 

Quince  Seed,  $3  per  lb. 

Weymouth  Pine  Seed,  $3  per  lb. 

Honey  Locust  do.,  75  cts.  per  lb. 

Yellow  do.  do.,  75  cts.  per  lb. 

Balsam  Fir  Seep,  $3.00  per  lb. 

Together  with  the  choicest' and  most  extensive  collection  of 
Garden,  Field,  Flower,  Tree,  and  Shrub  Seeds,  in  the 
Union. 

Our  New  Catalogue  of  Vegetable  and  Agricul¬ 
tural  Seeds  will  be  ready  by  the  1st  of  January.  We  will 
also  publish  a  preliminary  TREE  AND  SHRUB  Seed  CATALOGUE 
on  or  about  the  15th  of  December. 

We  are  prepared  to  supply  the  trade  with  Seeds  of  the  finest 
stocks  in  large  quantities  at  very  low  rates. 

J.  IVI.  THORBUHN  &  CO.,  Growers  and  Importers  of  Seed, 
15  John-st..  New-York. 

N.  B. — Just  harvested  a  limited  supply  of  genuine  Broad 
Leaf  Connecticut  Tobacco  Seed,  25  cts.  per  oz.,  §3.50  p.  lb. 


AKDI1S  J-,B3K.©Y’§  Naarscs-aes, 

AT  ANGERS,  FRANCE. 

The  proprietor  of  these  Nurseries,  the  most  extensive  in  the 
world,  has  the  honor  to  inform  his  numerous  friends  ami  the 
p'i'5  m  that  bis  CATALOGUE  OF  FRUIT  AND  ORNA¬ 
MENTAL  TREES,  SHRUBS,  ROSES,  SEEDLINGS, 
FRUIT  STOCKS,  &c.,  for  the  present,  season  is  now  ready, 
and  at  their  disposal.  Apply  as  heretofore  to 

F.  A.  BRUGUIERE, 

51  Cedar-street,  New-York. 

LARGE  STANDARD  PEAR  TREES  FOR  SALE. 

At  our  Nursery  we  have  a  quantity  of  extra  large  Pear  Trees 
of  the  most  approved  kinds,  very  thrifty,  and  all  of  them  have 
neen  trimmed  and  transplanted,  and  therefore  have  splendid 
tops  and  roots.  We  also  have  a  quantity  of  Apple,  Cherry  and 
Plum  Trees,  and  a  variety  of  other  trees,  vines.  Shrubs,  &c.,  (as 
above,)  for  sale  by  WICKHAM  &  BLOODGOOD, 

Tioga,  Tioga  Co  ,  Penn. 


iPi  ARDEN,  FIELD,  GRASS,  FRUIT,  and 

'OTfLOWER  SEEDS.— I  am  now  supplied  with  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  complete  assortment  of  Seeds  ever  offered  to 
the  public.  My  stock  has  been  made  up  with  much  care.  A 
large  proportion  are  of  borne  growth,  benig  grown  expressly  for 
me,  whicn  I  can  recommend  as  true  to  name,  and  of  the  best 
quality.  Care  has  been  taken  to  have  them  perfectly  clean. 

Among  my  assortment  may  be  found  all  the  improved  varie¬ 
ties  of  CORN  for  Garden  and  Field  culture. 

POTATOES,  early,  and  for  general  crop. 

BEANS — Early  Bush  and  Snap  short. 

Large  Lima  and  Horticultural  Pole  Beans. 

CABBAGE — Both  early  and  late  of  American  growth. 

CARROT— Early  Horn,  Long  Orange,  Altringham,  White 
Belgian,  of  American  growth. 

TURNIPS — Early  Dutch,  Red  Top,  Strap  Leaf,  Long  White 
French,  White  Globe,  Yellow  Aberdeen,  Purple-top  Ruta-baga, 
11  of  American  growth. 

SQUASH— Huobard  and  Boston  Marrow,  &c. 

OATS— Choice  varieties,  both  American  and  imported. 

SPRING  WHEAT— Canada  Clubb,  China  Tea,  Golden  Drop 
or  Sco'  ch  Fife. 

SPRING  RYE— SPRING  BARLEY. 

GRASS  SEEDS.— Hungarian,  Timothy,  Orchard,  Kentucky 
Blue,  Rav,  Fowl  Meadow. 

CLOVERS— Large  Red,  Medium  Red,  White  Dutch,  Lu¬ 
cerne,  Trefoil. 

SPRING  VETCHES  OR  TARES,  &c. 

Catalogues  furnished  on  application. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st.,  New-York. 


BMW  ROCHELLE  OR  LAWI’ON 

BLACKBERRY  SEEL. 

We  offer  for  sale  to  those  living  at  a  distance,  several  quarts 
of  the  above  Seeil  of  the  past  season’s  growth. 

We  have  reproduced  the  fruit  from  seed,  several  times,  and 
in  all  cases  it  lias  proved  fully  equal  to  the  original. 

Piice  per  quart . $6  00 

Price  per  package  of  2000  seeds . $1  00 

GEO.  SEYMOUR  &  CO. 
South  Norwalk,  Ct.,  Sept.  21, 1859. _ 

L AAvTOI'T  BLACKBERRY. 

For  the  original  variety,  for  Circulars  free,  address 

Wit.  LAWTON,  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 


nn O  WHOLESALE  DEALERS  IN  GAR- 

-S-  DEN,  FIELD,  and  GRASS  SEEDS.— I  have  taken  the 
greatest  care  in  raising  and  selecting  a  large  and  pure  stock  of 
every  variety  of  Seeds  required  by  the  Gardener,  Farmer,  and 
Planter,  and  purchasers  may  depend  on  their  being  fresh  and 
true  to  name 

Sales  will  be  made  in  bulk,  by  the  ounce,  pound,  quart,  bush¬ 
el.  or  in  papers  distinctly  labelled. 

My  Seeil  Just  contains  all  the  old  varieties,  and  many  new 
kinds,  all  of  the  very  best  quality,  and  are  principally  raised 
for  me. 

My  prices  areas  low  as  any  others  for  the  same  quality  of 
seeds.  Send  for  a  price  list. 

Orders  by  mail  will  be  attended  to  with  exactness  and  prompt- 
Undo.  ’  It.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-s‘,  New-York. 


ggs  R.  F.  NICHOLS,  New-Orleans, 

-Lsa  Importer  of  tine  Cattle,  and  Wholesale  Agent  for 
several  Fruit  and  Flower  Nurseries. 
Consignments  and  orders  solicited. 


■STEEP  your  feet  dry— 

^Abrowet’8  patent  water-proof  compost- 

TION  FOR  LEATHER,  makes  it  last  half  as  long  again,  and 
renders  it  impervious  to  snow-water.  Agents  wanted. 

A.  BROWER  &  CO.,  4  Reade-street,  New-Yoik. 


131GHTS  FOR  SCHOOLEY’S  PRESER- 

JLU/VATORY  in  New-York  and  Pennsylvania,  for  sale  by 
J.  L.  ALBERGER,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Send  for  Pamphlet. 


WEW-YORIv  state  agricultural 

-L  v  SOCIETY,  1859,  awarded  Premium  to  M.  VANDER- 
HOOF,  171  West-st.,  New-York.  for  best 

GRAIN,  FANCY  FLOUR  and  SALT  SACKS, 

Bags  of  every  kind,  made  and  beautifully  printed. 

Paper  bags,  1  to  14  lb.  from  $1.20  to  $3.50  per  1000. 

Gunny  Bags,  Hay  Rope,  Manilla  and  Jute  Rope  and  Bed 
Cords,  at  the  lowest  prices. 

A  new  style  of  Bags,  shape  of  seamless,  $16  per  100,  will  hold 
2  bushels,  or  100  lbs.  Flour.  Buyers  are  invited  to  call. 


Russia  or  bass  mats,  selected 

expressly  forbudding and  tying, GUNNY  BAGS. TWINES, 
HAY  ROPES,  &c.,  suitable  for  .Nursery  pur  poses,  for  sale  in 
lots  to  suit  by  D.  W.  MANWARING,  Importer, 

248  Front  Street,  New  'fork. 


'THERMOMETERS,  BAROMETERS,  &c.,  of 

reliable  quality  and  various  descriptions,  among  which 
are  those  particularly  suited  for  Horticultural  purposes, 
which  register  the  coldest  and  warmest  degree  of  tempera¬ 
ture  during  the  24  Ilnurs,  in  the  absence  of  the  observer.  For 
sale  by  U.  EGGBRT  &  SON,  239  Pearl  st. 


H 


AY",  LARD,  and  all  other  PRESSES. — 

Very  superior.  R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


Excels!©®1  Agricultural  Works, 

ALBANY,  N.  Y. 

CHARLES  E.  PEASE,  Proprietor. 

Farmers  and  Dealers  in  Agricultural  Ma¬ 
chines  will  find  it  to  their  interest  to  patronize 
this  establishment,  where  they  oan  be  supplied 
with  the  very  best  Endless  Chain  Horse  Pow¬ 
ers  for  one  or  two  horses;  Lever  or  Sweep  Horse 
Powers;  Improved  Threshers  and  Separators 
and  Cleaners;  Circular  Saw  Mills  for  cord 
wood;  Cross  Cut  Saw  Mills  for  cross-cutting 
lumber;  Krauser's  Patent  and  Philo's  Cider 
Mills ;  Corn  Sheilas ;  Clover  Hullers ;  Dog 
Powers  for  churning,  &c.,  &c.  ;  Hay  Cutters , 
Wilson’s  Patent,  &c. 

Manufacturing  none  but  the  most  approved 
implements  that  have  been  thoroughly  and 
practically  tested,  I  am  enabled  to  give  a 
most  liberal  warranty  on  all  my  implements, 
knowing  i hat  they  cannot  but  work  as  repre¬ 
sented.  I  have  just  received  the  first  premium 
at  the  New-York  State  Fair ,  held  here  Oct.  4 
to  7th,  for  the  best,  most  durable ,  useful  ami 
cheapest  Agricultural  Machines  on  exhibition. 
Orders  will  receive  prompt  attention,  and  Cir- 
vculars  sent  gratis  on  application.  Address 


Hay  and  straw  cutters,  stalk 

CUTTERS  AND  CRUSHERS —The  Improved  Cylinder, 
price  $! 6 — also  Daniels,  Cummings,  the  Universal,  the  Yankee 
self- sharpener,  the  Hide  Roller,  and  every  other  approved  Hay, 
Straw  and  Stalk  Cutter. 

WILLARD’S  PATENT  ROOT  CUTTER.— This  is  a  sub¬ 
stitute  for  the  English  Pulping  Machine.  Also  other  approved 
Root  Cutters. 

SAUSAGE  CUTTERS  AND  FILLERS  for  family  and 
butcher’s  use. 

CORN  SHELLERS.— Every  variety  of  hand  and  power 
Corn  Shelter,  including  the  new  and  greatly  Improved  Eagle 
Sheller,  for  both  hand  and  horse  power. 

R.  L.  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. ,  New-York. 


ALBANY  TILE  WORKS,  Corner  Clin- 

-L\- ton- avenue  and  Knox-st.,  Albany,  N.  Y. — The  subscribers, 
being  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of 
DRAINING  TILE 

in  the  United  States,  have  on  hand,  in  large  or  small  quantities, 
for  Land  Draining,  Round,  Sole  and  Horse  Shoe  Tile,  war¬ 
ranted  superior  to  any  made  in  this  country,  hard-burned,  and 
over  one  foot  in  length. 

Orders  solicited. 

Price  list  sent  on  application 

C.  &  W.  McCAMMON, 
Albany,  N.  Y. 


Ingers oil’s  Patent  Hay  Press. 

Now  is  the  time  to  buy  these  truly  valuable  machines.  More 
than  500  of  them  have  been  sold  in  the  last  two  years.  Price  $50 
and  §75,  delivered  in  New-York.  Warranted  to  give  satisfac¬ 
tion  For  circulars,  containing  full  informat  ion.  Address 
FA  RM  E  liS’ '  M  A  N  U  F  A  CT  U  RI N  G  C  O . , 
Green  Point  P.  O.,  (Brooklyn,)  N.  Y, 


ORSE  POWER.— TAPLIN’SIMPROV- 

ED  CIRCULAR,  one  to  six  Horses.  I  am  now  making 
with  wood  or  iron  rim,  as  preferred,  are  the  lightest  running, 
simplest,  least,  liable  to  get  out  of  repair,  and  most;  satisfactory 
Circular  Horse  Power  in  use.  Also,  ALLEN’S  ENDLESS 
CHAIN,  one  or  two  horse  power, strongly  and  well  made,  and 
works  with  the  greatest  ease  to  the  team.  Also  Bogardus’, 
Hall’s,  Pitt’s,  Wheeler’s,  Emery’s,  and  other  powers. 

Threshers  and  Threshers  and  Cleaners  of  the  most  approved 
pattern,  II.  L.  ALLEN,  19 L  W;uer-st. 


FANCY  FOWLS. — A  few  pairs  of  Golden 

and  Silver-spangled  Plamburg,  Golden  and  Silver-spangled 
Bantams,  Smooth-legged  white  and  black  African  do.,  Chested 
Hamburg,  Black  Java  and  Albinos,  Grey  and  Speckled  Dork¬ 
ings,  Dominique  fowls.  Apply  to  C.  N.  BEMENT. 

Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


Thorough  bred  north  devon, 

Ayrshire  and  Aldernev  Bulls,  Cows  and  Heifers.  For 
sale  by'  ALFRED  M.  TREDWELL,  45  Fulton-st.,  N.  Y. 


CHINESE  GEESE.— We  can  spare  one 

pair  Brown  and  three  pair  White  Swan  Geese;  Rouen, 
Aylesbury,  and  Java  Ducks.  Apply  to  C.  N.  BEMENT, 

Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


Tlie  most  efieetiml  and. 
wliolcsome  Ssileratus  ever 
fssktrostaced. 

FOE  SALE  by  GROCERS  Everywhere* 

MANUFACTORY, 

845  Washington  St.,  eor.  Franklin  St., 
NEW  YORK. 


SAPONIFIEE, 

OR 

CONCENTRATED  POTASH. 

A  new  article  for  making  Soap,  warranted  to  make  Soap* 
without  Lime,  and  with  but  little  trouble.  One  pound  will 
make  12  gallons  of  good  strong  Soft  Soap.  Manufactured  and 
put  up  in  1.  2,  and  l  lb  cans,  (in  small  lumps,)  at  the  Chal¬ 
lenge  Chemical  Works,  New-York. 

E.  R.  DURKEE  &  CO:,  Proprietors,  ISI  Pearl-st.,  N.Y. 

ALSO, 

jpuiie:  POTASS! 

in  6  lb.  cans,  in  lumps,  for  sale  as  above. 


GUANO. 

We  would  call  the  attention  of  Guano  Dealers,  Planters,  and 
Farmers  to  the  article  which  we  have  on  hand  and  for  sale  at 

THIRTY  PER  CENT  LESS  THAN  PERUVIAN  GUANO 

and  which  we  claim  to  be  superior  to  any  Guano  or  fertilizer 
ever  imported  or  manufactured  in  this  country.  This  Guano  is 
imported  by  WM.  H  WEBB,  of  New-York,  from  Jarvis’  &  Ba¬ 
ker’s  Islands,  in  the  “  South  Pacific  Ocean,”  and  is  sold  genu¬ 
ine  and  pure  as  imported.  It  has  been  satisfactorily  tested  by 
many  of  our  prominent  Farmers,  and  analyzed  by  the  most  em¬ 
inent  and  popular  Agricultural  Chemists,  and  found  to  contain 
(as  will  be  seen  by  our  circulars)  a  large  per  centage  of  Hone 
Phosphate  of  Lime  and  Phosphoric  Acid,  and  other  animal  organ¬ 
ic  matter,  yielding  ammonia  sufficient  to  produce  immediate 
abundant  crops,  besides  substantially  enriching  the  soil.  It  can 
be  freely  used  without  danger  of  burning  the  seed  or  plant  by 
coming  in  contact  with  it,  as  is  the  case  with  some  other  ferti¬ 
lizers;  retaining  a  great  degree  of  moisture,  it  causes  the  plant 
to  grow  in  a  healthy  condition,  and  as  experience  has  proved, 
free  of  insects.  For  orders  in  any  quantity,  (which  will  be 
promptly  attended  to,)  or  pamphlets  containing  full  particulars 
of  analyses  and  tests  of  farmers,  apply  to 

JOHN  B.  SARDY,  Agent, 

No.  58  South- st.,  corner  of  Wall-st.,  New-York. 


tO  UANO!  ! — The  superiority  of  Phosphat- 

^vJTic  over  Ammoniacal  fertilizers  in  restoring  fertility  to  | 
worn  out  lands,  is  now  well  understood.  The  subscribers  call.; 
the  attention  of  Farmers  to  the  SWAN  ISLAND  GUANO,  j 
which  for  richness  in  Phosphates  and  Organic  matter  and 
its  solubility  is  unsurpassed.  J 

For  sale  at  $30  per  ton  of  2,000  lbs.,  and  liberal  discount  will 
be  made  by  the  cargo  jjl 

Circulars,  with  directions  for  use,  mnv  he  had  on  application 
at  our  office.  FOSTER  &  STEPHENSON, 

65  Beaver-street,  New  York,  j 
Agents  for  the  ATLANTIC  &  PACIFIC  GUANO  CO. 


©raed  mad  W©©1  jffiffiUUB’©. 

A  hew  and  valuable  Fertilizer,  containing  a  large  proportion 
of  nitrogenous  matter.  Price  $30  per  ton,  in  barrels  containing 
200  lbs.  No  charge  for  package.  Also,  Peruvian  and  American  \ 
Guano,  Bone  Dust,  Phosphates,  Plaster,  &c. 

R.  L.  ALLEN, 

New-York  Agricultural  Warehouse  and  Seed- store, 

191  Water-st.,  New-York.  | 


BONE  pAWCOSE. 

SAWINGS,  TURNINGS  AND  CRUSHED  BONES, 
for  sale  by  the  manufacturers,  iinanm^orsmaU 

Tarrytown,  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y. 


BONE  DUST — Fine  ground  Bone  Saw¬ 
ing,  and  Turnings  and  coarse  bone  for  graperies— war- 
rail' cd  a  pure  article.  Also  Guano, Phosphate,  and  Blood  and 
Wool,  for  sale  at  low  rates.  R.  1..  ALLEN,  191  Water-st. 


14