382 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



books and papers only ? Nay, verily. They are ex- 

 perienced farmers. They are men whose hands are 

 hardened by hard labor. They are men who have 

 selected rich land, paid for it, and have brought it 

 into a state of cultivation by years of incessant 

 toil. They are men who are experimentally taught 

 the knowledge of farming they impart to us on 

 paper. They are men who select and cultivate the 

 choicest qualities of farm produce. They are men 

 who select the choicest varieties of fruit trees ; and 

 by their own labor, they are trained and pruned. 

 In short, they are men who are acquainted with all 

 the branches of farming ; and it is such men only 

 that can produce sound discussions on agriculture. 



ITEW PUBLICATIOBTS. 



New American Farm Book. Originally by R. L. 

 Allen, Author of '•Diseases of Domestic Animals," 

 and formerly editor of ths "American Agriculturist." 

 Kevisert and enlarged by Lewis F. Allen, Author of 

 "American Cattle," Editor of the "American Short- 

 horn Herd Book. New York : Orange Judd & Co. 

 1869. Boaton : Nichols & Ha'l. 62b pages. Price 

 $250. F 



This volume treats of soils and their cultivation, 

 of manures and their composition, of grasses, 

 grains, fruit, farm buildings, animals, &c. Though 

 written in the form of a treatise, and not arranged 

 alphabetically, it is in fact an encyclopaidia of ag- 

 riculture, and by means of its full index may be 

 consulted as such, in the every day operations of 

 the farm. The original work was published twen- 

 ty-three years ago, and has been widely circulated. 

 The editor of the present edition is so well known 

 to farmers as to need no introduction or endorse- 

 ment by us. We may, however, say that he has 

 made anew book, and one that we think will please 

 farmers. It treats of general principles, and not, 

 like too many of our modern agricultural publica- 

 tions, of the good points of the herds of particular 

 breeders, or the implements of particular manufac- 

 turers. We do not see any indications of axe- 

 grinding in this volume. We wish we might close 

 our notices of all agricultural books with the same 

 remark. 



Three Season? in European Vineyards : Treat- 

 ins; of Vine Culture ; Vine Disease and its Cure ; 

 Wine- making and Wines, red and white; Wiue 

 drinking as alfecting Health and Morals, By William 

 J. FlaiTg With a Manual for the Sulphuring of Dis- 

 eased Vines. New York : Harper & Brothers. Bos- 

 ton : A. Williams & Co. 1869. Price $1.50. 332 

 pages. 



Though written in a chatty style, the author in- 

 forms us that his "chief aim has been to convey 

 information, both practical and theoretical bearing 

 on the important matter of wine-growing in Amer- 

 ica." He gives the following as a summary of the 

 results of his observation of the practice of Euro- 

 pean vineyardists : — long pruning is injurious; 

 drainage is necessary ; plains are preferred to hills ; 

 preference is given to low training without sup- 

 ports; red are better than white wines; sulphur 

 may be relied on as a cure for all vine diseases ; 

 each variety of vine needs a different culture for 

 each different soil, and again for each different 

 climate. 



In relation to the use of wine, it is assumed that 

 "the American people are in want of a drink." 

 "A nation has transplanted itself, but not its vines. 



from one hemispliere to another, and is thirsty." 

 Onr present American wines are characterized as 

 "a diluted alcohol flavored with grape acid, and 

 sometimes, too, colored with grape skins." These 

 it is admitted will not promote temperance ; still 

 it is insisted that when we learn to produce "good, 

 pure, wholesome wines at a cost of ten cents a gal- 

 lon" drunkenness will disappear. Others who 

 have visited wine countries and who have seen 

 perhaps as much of "wine bibbers" as the author 

 of this book, arrive at very different conclusions as 

 to the probable result of the free use of wines by 

 a people who dwell iu our "thirsty" climate. 



The book has an index, for which the author 

 makes a handsome apology. As we do not re- 

 member of ever having seen anything of the kind 

 before, we copy it. "Inasmuch," says Mr. Flagg, 

 "as the information conveyed in the volume has 

 of necessity got interwoven and somewhat en- 

 tangled throughout the whole texture of the nar- 

 rative, and might consequently be difficult to refer 

 to, I have added an index, which will help the 

 reader to search out what he may need to find." 



The Practical Poultry Keeper. A complete and 

 stai dard guide to the manaxem'intof Poultry, wheth- 

 tr for domestic use, the maikets or exiiibition. By 

 L. Wright. Third edition. New Vork: O. Judd 

 &Oo. Bo ton: A. Williams & Co. 1369. Price $2. 

 244 pages. Illustrated. 



This is an English work, and Johnny Bull's pos- 

 itiveness confronts us even on the title-page, — "A 

 Standard Guide;" to which the preface adds, "au- 

 thoritative." If the author's estimate of the profit 

 of keeping fowls on a large scale is "authoritative" 

 and a "standard guide," those who have fivith in 

 mammoth heneries will find aid and comfort in 

 this volume. On pages 240 and 241 — please re- 

 member the pages, as the book has no index to 

 facilitate reference — we find his estimates for an 

 establishment of ten thousand fowls. He figures 

 the necessary capital as follows : — 



10,000 fowls, at 50c each $5000 



Buildings, Fittings, Engine, Plant and Uten- 

 sils, including two horses and carts . . . 6750 



One month's food 760 



Spare cash working capital 2500 



Bay total capital $15,000 



His estimate of expenses aside from food, for 



the fowls, is as follows : — 



Rent— 100 acres, at $10 $1000 



Taxes 200 



Interest on capital of $15,000 at 5 per cent . 760 



Wages — 2 men with their families ICOO 



Hoi'se keep 300 



Fuel and attendance for engine 5u0 



Annual Expense $3750 



He does not give the items of the income, nor of 

 the food consumed, but assumes that "we are jus- 

 tified ia reckoning every fowl in the yard as rep- 

 resenting a gross profit, including manure, over 

 and above her food of 4s ($1) per annum." There- 

 fore, 

 Gross profit over food from say 9600 hens, 



at $1 per annum each, is $9600 



Expexises as above 3750 



Gross prolit one year $5850 



This looks well on papei*. It is a good specimen 

 of book fiirmlng. But so far as we know, all at- 



