

DEVOTED TO AGRICULTUKE, HORTICULTUBE, AND KTWDKED ARTS. 



NEW SERIES. 



Boston, July, 1868. VOL. II.— NO. 7. 



R. P. EATON & CO., Publishers, 

 Office, 34 Merchants' Row. 



MONTHLY. 



SIMON BROWN, ) editors 

 S. FLETCUEU, i -'^mtors. 



WORK FOB JULY. 



U L Y is the 

 month of the 

 early harvest. 

 By the middle 

 of the month, 

 the upland hay 

 will be, or 

 ought to be de- 

 posited in the 

 barn. That 

 which remains 

 uncut will be 

 of much less 

 value for the 

 coming winter, than if 

 it had been stored be- 

 fore it became hard and 

 woody. We trust our read- 

 ers have given heed to the 

 advice we have already given 

 them on this subject. Hay 



got into the barn, while it retains the proper- 

 ties of grass, is both more palatable and more 

 nutritious, and for dairy purposes especially, 

 this is of the utmost importancei It should 

 be our object to cut it at such time, and make 

 it in such a manner as to retain these properties. 

 And now the mower and tedder must be laid 

 aside, and the reaper must come in their place. 

 The rye, the wheat, the barley and the oats 

 must be attended to in their season ; and as it 

 is with grass, so the grains should be cut be- 



fore they are dead ripe. If they stand too 

 long, more will be lost in harvesting. The 

 crop will not bear handling so rapidly or so 

 well, and the straw will be of greatly less value 

 as forage. Good bright, early cut wheat and 

 oat straw are being valued much more for 

 fodder than they were formerly among us. 

 Those who steam the food for their cows, and 

 their number is every year increasing, cut and 

 steam the straw and mix it with bran, oil cake, 

 cotton-seed meal, or other grain. They find 

 it nutritious and palatable food, and their 

 cows thrive on it, and yield a full flow of milk. 



Grain of all kinds, as soon as dry enough to 

 keep securely, should be put under cover. It 

 will be better both for the grain and straw. 

 If suffered to remain in the shook, it is ex- 

 posed to the rains, and in long storms the 

 grain will swell and sprout, as was the fact 

 with a large part of the western wheat the last 

 season, which is the principal reason why we 

 have had so much poor flour, and why good 

 flour has been so high. Our small crops in 

 New England can all be housed, and should 

 be, as soon as practicable. 



And now, too, we begin to get "aid and 

 comfort" from our labor in the garden. The 

 green peas and early potatoes and beets have 

 come, and soon the string beans and sweet 

 com will be on the table. The cold and 

 wet weather of May deferred the planting, 

 and the gardens are late ; but now those who 

 persevered and planted the seed, and have 



