THE FARMERS' CABINET, 



DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY. 



Vol. 1. 



Philadelphia, July 1, 1S36. 



No. 1. 



Pul>ll>»Hcd "by 

 BIOORE &, AVATERHOUSE, 



Ao. 67 South Second St. Pliila. 



THE FARMERS' OABXITET.. 



In presenting this work to the public, the 

 Editor would simply say that it is designed 

 to promote the interests of practical husband- 

 ry. He is aware that great objections exist 

 among many to what is denominated book 

 farming — all however will admit that great 

 and astonishing improvements have taken 

 place in agriculture within the last twenty 

 years, and that these improvements are fairly 

 to be attributed to repeated experiments, and 

 the diffusion of light and knowledge among 

 the agricultural classes of our land. 



It will be his object to furnish the patrons 

 of the Cabinet, with valuable extracts from 

 papers treating on all the various branches of 

 agriculture; and it would afford him no little 

 pleasure, if practical farmers would furnish 

 him with their opinions on agricultural sub- 

 jects, the results of experiments, &c. By this 

 means, great improvements instead of being 

 confined to individual practice, or to a neigh 

 borhood, would be widely diffused to the 

 benefit of many. 



We make no great promises — we are 

 willing to restthe success of the enterprise on 

 the merits of the work, sensible that if de- 

 serving of patronage, it will be liberally sus- 

 tained by that enlightened and independent 

 class of citizens to whose interests it is de- 

 voted, and to whose fostering care it is com- 

 mended. 



The Cabinet will be published on or about 

 the 1st and 15th of each month. Each number 

 will contain 16 octavo pages on good paper 

 and fair type. The subjects will be illustrat- 

 ed by engravings on wood whevever they 

 can be appropriately introduced. 



Terms. — $1 per year payable in advance. 



For the accommodation of those who wish 

 to subscribe for six months only, the twelfth 

 number will be accompanied by a title page 

 and index in order for binding. 



Any person remitting us five dollars, will 

 be entitled to six copies of the work for one 

 year, or twelve copies for six months. The 

 Cabinet is subject only to newspaper postage,- 

 that is one cent on each number within the 

 state, and within one hundred miles of Phi- 

 ladelphia out of the state, — one cent and a 

 half on each number to any other part of the 

 United States. Gentlemen, disposed to pro- 

 mote the interests of the work, are not only 

 requested to use their iuflnence in promoting 

 its circulation, but also to aid it by their com- 

 munications. 



We have adopted the octavo form as it is 

 more readily preserved by stiching the num- 

 bers as received, than any other size; it also 

 makes a good sized vol ume, and can be bound 

 at a much less expense than the quarto or 

 folio size. 



On Irrigating nieadou^s. 



Irrigation is extensively practised, and in- 

 deed is essentially necessary in southern 

 climates, such, for instance, as Spain, Portu- 

 gal, Italy, Egypt, &c., where the heat is un- 

 remitted, and the land seldom visited by 

 rains in summer. It is a great improvement, 

 but happily it is not necessary to any great 

 extent in our highly favored country. The 

 main, and indeed, we may say the only ob- 

 jection that can be urged against this branch 

 of improvement, is the great expense neces- 

 sarily attending systematic irrigation, as the 

 entire surface is required to be graduated in 

 order that the water may not only be spread 

 over but completely taken off the surface as 

 occasion may require. 



