TEDS GENESEE FARMER. 



109 



AMERICAN AGKICULTUEAL BOOKS.— No. 1. 



Wk have often wished that some one with the 

 requisite qualifications would write a review of the 

 numerous books on agi'iculture which, in our own 

 advertising columns and in those of other agricul- 

 tural periodicals, are indiscriminately offered for 

 sale to American farmers. Such a review is greatly 

 needed ; and while we can not ourselves undertake 

 the task, yot we have thought that a brief notice 

 of these works may not be altogether uninteresting 

 and useless. 



Allen'' 8 American Farm Boole* first published in 

 1846, under the title of "^ Brkf Compend of 

 American Agriculture^^'' and, after "a thorough 

 revision," again published under its present title, in 

 1849, is one of the most complete treatise on Ame- 

 rican agriculture that has yet appeared. The chap- 

 ter on Soils — their Mechanical and Chemical Char- 

 acteristics and Treatment — is quite valuable ; that 

 on Manures, in the main correct and well worthy 

 of careful perusal. Irrigation and Drainage are 

 intelligently and practically discussed, as are also 

 the various operations of tillage, ]»lowing, harrow- 

 ing, rolling, etc. There is a brief description of 

 nearly all the grains, grasses, clovers, and other 

 plants commonly cultivated in this country, accom- 

 panied with very fine engravings taken in the main 

 from Loudon's Encyclopedia, of Agriculture. The 

 remarks of the author in regard to their adaptibility 

 to this climate, are very useful. There are also 

 ©hapters on Fruit and Shade Trees, on Rotation of 

 Crops, Weeds, Farm Buildings, et«., forming, with 

 a very complete index, a volume of 325 pages that 

 should be in the hands of every American farmer. 



The American Fanner^ s Encyclopedia is a valua- 

 ble work of 1179 pages. It is mainly a re- print of 

 an old standard English work, by C. W. Johnsos, 

 revised and adapted to the. wants of tlie American 

 farmer, by Dr. Emerson, of Philadelphia. It was 

 published in 1843,;. and consequently is silent on 

 many improvements which, by the application of 

 cliemistry and ■ mechanical science to agriculture, 

 have been so happily inaugurated during the last 

 fifteen years. Still, it is a useful work, and one 

 which, in the absence of any other Encyclopedia 

 of Agriculture published in this country, we can 

 cheerfully recommend. A new edition has been 

 recently brought out, but it is in every reej^ect sim- 

 ilar to the one published in 1843. Price $4. 



*Tha American Fann Book, or Compend of American Agricul- 

 ture ; Being a Pructical Treatise on Soils, Manure*, Draining, 

 Irrigation, Grasses, Grain, Roots, Fruits, Cotton, Tobacco, Sugar 

 Cane, Eico, and every staple product oi the United States ; with 

 tho best molhods of plnntingr. CHltivating, snd preparing for market 

 liliwlratol h\ more than 100 •■iigraviugs. By B. L. Ai.LK»i,authiir 

 of '• Dortufstic AnimuU,^'' and editor of the " American AffricvU 

 n«t.^ . Kew York : A, 0. Mwkb. Price $1.00. 



Fessenderi's Complete Farmer and Gardener,"' 

 published in 1837, contains a mass of heterogenous 

 matter taken from a great variety of sources, with 

 little judgment, and thrown together without much 

 system. The author was for many years the editor 

 of the old New England Farmer, and seems to have 

 compiled his book from the current agricultural 

 literature of the day ; and as an embodiment of the 

 views then entertained, and as a chronicle of many 

 curious facts, the book will always possess a certain 

 degree of interest ; but it can not be taken as a guide 

 by the young farmer of the present day. It is the 

 last book we should think of referring to for correct 

 information on any practical or scientific subject. 

 The horticultural portion of the book contains<'200 

 pages, and was first published as a separate work, 

 under the title of The New American Gardener, in 

 1828. Like the agricultural portion, it contains a 

 great variety of matter, good, bad, and indifferent, 

 compiled from English and American authors and 

 newspaper writers, without ranch discrimination. 



BoussingauWs Rural Economyf is a work in 

 striking contrast with the above, and one which we 

 are sorry to say is far less popular. It is, without 

 exception, tJie lest worTc of the hind yet published. 

 The author is a French land-owner, a man of science, 

 and a practical farmer, who has devoted his time 

 and wealth to experimental investigations of varioup. 

 agricultural practices. This book contains tho re- 

 sults of these experiments, together with much 

 practical information derived from. other sourceF. 

 Those who have some knowledge of the principles 

 of agricultural chemistry, will find this book of the 

 greatest value. It treats of vegetable physiology, 

 soils, manures, culture of plants, tattening animal*', 

 meteorology, etc., in an eminently scientific as well 

 as in a very practical manner. 



The Principles of Agriculture,l by Albkht D. 

 Thaer, is also a work of much practical value. It 

 was written in 1815, before modern chemistry had 

 tlirown much light on the principles of agriculture. 



♦The Complete F.armer and Rural Economist; contfiininj; a 

 compendious epitome of the most important branches of Agricul- 

 tural and Rural Economy. By T. G. Fe88b:<dbx. New York : 

 A. O. Moose. Price $1.25. 



+ Rural Economy, In ii8 reJations with C^hemlstry, Physics, and 

 Meteorology; or Chemistry applied to Agriculture. By J. B. 

 Boc^sisoAULT. Xew York : A. O. MooBB. Price $1.28. 



X The Principle* of Practical Agriculture ; embracing the Theory 

 of the Soil ; Clearing of Land ; Plowing ; Manuring ; Draining 

 and Irrigation; Hedges and Foncea; Management of Meadow 

 and Pasture Land*; Ouluration of Wheat, Rye, Corn, Oats, 

 Barley, Buckwheat, Hops, Tobacco, Clorer and all the varieties 

 of grasses ; the Economy of Live Slock, Breeding and Feeding ; 

 the Management of the Dairy ; and the use of Marl, Peat, Lime, 

 and Gypaum, and the various, systems of CultivaUoa ; Keeping 

 .Touiuals and Farm Records, etc., oto. By Albert T>. TnAEs. 

 Translated by William Shaw Esq,, and C, \V, Johnson, Esq, 

 New York : A. 0. Moose. 



