116 



Jis:riculture. 



Vol II. 



which little has been said, comparatively, and 

 which is but little understood. Have you 

 made any experiments upon their respective 

 value for hay or for pasture"? Do you prefer 

 sowing each variety of grass seed by itself, or 

 mixed] if the latter, what kinds do you sow 

 together? Have you tried tlie Santoin, Lu- 

 zerne, and Gama grasses, and with what suc- 

 cess? What is your method of curing hay; 

 and at what stage of its grow'th will grass 

 make the best hay? What is the average 

 weight of hay per acre on your farm and the 

 vicinity ? How does plaster and other ma- 

 nures affect your grass, and what is the best 

 mode of manuring our farms permanently in 

 grass ■? 



CORN, BARLE'y AND OATS. 



Any information on the culture of these 

 valuable crops will be acceptable. What is 

 the general time of planting with you ; and 

 how do you prepare your ground for the re- 

 ception of the seed? Do you guard your 

 sped against depredation by scaldmg and tar- 

 ring, or do you prefer planting from the ear? 

 What insect attacks corn, and how may they 

 be prevented? Which of the varieties in 

 use do you prefer for seed, and what are the 

 reasons for such preference ? But two kinds 

 of barley are cultivated to any extent among 

 us; the two and the six rowed. Different 

 opinions are entertained of their respective 

 value and productiveness, which our farmers 

 by a history of their experience in raising 

 this grain can decide. It is necessary and 

 right that it should be done. Will you assist 

 in doing it? Oats are the most extensively 

 grown of any of the small grain, and are 

 usually the most productive. There are 

 several varieties in cultivation, such as the 

 common oat, the Tartarian, the Siberian, 

 potatoe, and horse mane oat, and it would be 

 well to have their conflicting claims to our 

 preference decided. What is your experi- 

 ence in raising oats? What variety do you 

 prefer, and for what reasons ? Which is the 

 most profitable crop, spring wheat, barley or 

 oats. Is there any difference in their exhaust- 

 ing the soil, and if so, which has the most 

 injurious effect? Have you discovered in 

 these grains an inclination to smut, and have 

 you succeeded in preventing it ? 



THE ROOTS. 



The introduction of the culture of roots, 

 such as the turneps, mangel wurtzel, carrots 

 &LC. mto England, by rendering the soil more 

 productive, mcreasing the number of cattle 

 and sheep, and doubling the quantity of grain 

 produced, has at least added one-third to the 

 means of subsistence in that country; within 

 a very few years; and we may reasonably 

 expect corresponding benefits from the ex- 



tension of their culture in this. Potatoes 

 have long been considered an indispensable 

 article of consumption among us; and the 

 culture is better understood here than that of 

 the first-mentioned ; still there is abundant 

 room for improvement, both in the quantity 

 and quality of these roots. What is your 

 method of cultivating the above roots? 

 What do you find to be the average yield per ;j| 

 acre ; what kind of soil the most suitable for % 

 them ; what their value for feeding animals; 

 and have you ascertained by experiment 

 which of the kinds should be preferred by the 

 farmer. 



HORSES, CATTLE, SHEEP AND SWINE, 



These form much of the wealth of agricul- 

 turists; and any remarks respecting raisino-, 

 feeding, or fattening any^of these will be con- 

 sidered valuable. We want information re- 

 specting the best breeds, and surest method 

 of improving them, whether by importation, 

 or by crossing. The comparative value of 

 each to the farmer should also be made a sub- 

 ject of investigation ; and the history of their 

 diseases, with the best remedies for them, 

 should not be forgotten. So large a part oi 

 our country is adapted to the dairy business, 

 or the makmg of butter and cheese, and these 

 constitute such an item in our prosperity, as 

 well as comfort, that we particularly invite 

 contributions on any subject relating to this 

 branch of domestic economy. 



DEPREDATORS. 



Under this head may be included all those 

 beasts, birds, and insects that prey on the 

 productions of man's care and labor, and ma- 

 terially lessen his profits if not totally destroy 

 them. Of these depredators, insects, such as 

 the Hessian fly, the wheat worm, the wire 

 worm, the grub, the various families of the 

 plant louse, the tribes of caterpillars, in their 

 several ways are the most destructive, and 

 most deserve the investigation of the farmer 

 and the man of science. Any thing that shall 

 teach us how to prevent or destroy any of 

 these depredators cannot be otherwise than 

 acceptable to oui readers. 



We have barely touched on the multitude 

 of subjects that will suggest themselves to 

 the observing farmer, as topics of research 

 and investigation. Fruits, buildings, farming 

 implements, and articles of domestic economy, 

 are all worthy of a place in our columns,--' 

 in short, any thing that can conduce to the 

 prosperity, ease, lessening of severe labor 

 accumulation of intelligence, and moral re- 

 spectability of its professors, and the estab- 

 lishment of agriculture on a more elevated 

 basis than has heretofore been accorded to it, 

 shall be most cordially welcomed by us. 



It is not expected that any one individual 



