515 



to their emploj-ers, not lesa tliau to themselves. Tiie dronght causiMl 

 the lacking' to be earlier than in an ordinary season, and lience the new 

 crop begins to arrive at the receiving ports earlier — a fact by which 

 merchants at a distance are liaT)le to be misled, since in seasons 

 free from drought, v,iiich make cotton through August, early receipts 

 are indicative of a large yield. On the other hand, in estimating the 

 amount of the crop, it should be remembered that in dry seasons like 

 this, 100 pounds of seed-cotton will gin more lint than in an ordinary 

 season, because the seed is lighter. Our correspondent concludes as 

 follov/s : 



The iuforiuation, icspeutiiij;" l\n- coMaii croj), g:it:"iei-;Ml by the Djpartuiout of Agricul- 

 tuvc is becominj^ reUablo, auil tlierelbre valuable to tlie i)biiit8va. Tlie seed most valu- 

 able to growers is that of the liuest variety of multiboll cotton. Tlie fairs ought to 

 ulVer prc'iuiuuis for cottou-stalks -with tlie bolls on them and the cottou in the bolls, 

 uot for clean cotton in the bale. Tlie latt(>r indicates nothing but " pains taking," v.hich 

 may bo done by any one, and a premium for it results in no l)euelit to agriculfciue. But 

 the seed of a line variety of cotton is to cotton-growing what tlio importation of hue 

 stallions or bnlls is to stock-raising. They may improve all the stock of the State and 

 thoir oflspring become immensely valuable. Our reliable cotton-belt is between 32^ 30' 

 and 35°. This belt grows the short- sta]ile and the bulk of our crop. The long-staple 

 crop -with us is very small. Asia and Africa have cotton climates, but not the seasons 

 and the intelligence. Egypt grows a good quality of what we may call long-staple, 

 but not ec[ual to our islands oii' the coast of Georgia. We have the finest cotton coun- 

 try in the world, and are the most intelligent people who grow cotton. We must, 

 therefore, make our own seed. It cannot come from anywhere else. Our best niulti- 

 boll seed must be produced in our own fields. Selections and crossings continued long 

 enough will secure the desired result. Hence the propriety of offering i)remiiims for 

 ■seed at our fairs. 



An Active Farmers' CliTb. — The Concord (Massachusetts) Farm- 

 ers' Club now nujnbers thirty active members, nearly all of Avhom are 

 directly engaged in farming. The club holds weekly meetings at the 

 houses of the members, a subject for discussion being assigned for each 

 meeting. The following is a list of the subjects to be discussed, iu the^ 

 order named, during the coming winter: 



Wool and mnttou — can they be grown profitably by C<mco!d farmers ? marketiu^ 

 and care of milk; potato crop ; pastures; resources of the farm in fertilizing material ; 

 alternation of crops reduced to a system ; milk — how much does it cost to make a can 

 iu summer and winter i farming to-day compared with twenty years, ago ; insects ; 

 position of the American farmer ; means for improving the soil, and the l»est method of 

 com]iosting manures ; care of milch cows, and best method of feeding ; crops of 1872 

 compared with former years, and their money-value; hay and its substitutes; best 

 method of curing and feeding ; theory and practice of agriculture; a summers experi- 

 ence iu gardening; soils, A-avietj-, and to what best adapted; advantages of a country 

 home; asparagus; trees of Concord, indigenous and introduced; thunder-showers; 

 history of agriculture ; roots — best method of raising them, and their value for feed and 

 market; improvement iu houses. 



Farmers' Clues in ]S"ova Scotia. — An act has been passed by the 

 ])rovincial legislature of Nova Scotia for ijromoting the formation of 

 farmers' clubs tlioughout that province"^ The board of agriculture of the 

 province has for the purposes of the act been constituted a bureau of 

 agriculture, and has been authorized to establish societies, to be called 

 farmers' clubs, in all the different counties of Xova Scotia. • The clubs are 

 required to pre]iare statistics in all the branches of agricultural and 

 horticultural industry in their several counties, and to publish, in such 

 manner as to secure the widest circulation, all such reports, essays, and 

 other information as they may procure and adjudge suitable for publica- 

 tion. The bureau is to prepare papers from time to time for the consid- 

 eration of clubs, embracing such subjects as drainage, fertilizers, improve- 

 ment of swamp-lands, rotation of crops, lands best adapted for cereals, im- 

 provement ot stock, &c. Premiums arc to be ofiared for essays on ques- 

 tions of scientitic inquiry relating to agriculture and horticulture ; on 

 4 



