258 



EDITOR'S TABLE. 



these advantages exist in an uncommon degree. The work- 

 ■sng of coal and iron depoaita creates a reliable home mar- 

 ■ket of equal certainty and value. This market is improv- 

 ing from year to year, and adds largely to the value of 

 farming lands. The farms and wild grazing lands in the 

 mountain districts from the Hudson Iliver to the Mississippi. 

 in Western Tennessee, have local advantages not yet duly 

 ■appreciated wherever coal, iron, copper, lead, or gold is 

 found in a workable state. The gold mines in Upper 

 Georgia have been sufficiently rich to induce Congress to 

 establish a U. S. Mint there fur coining the precious metal. 

 Granite soils, or rocks rich in gold, are generally quite ste- 

 rile for agricultural purposes ; yet as all laborers, and oth- 

 ers in such places must eat, tliey create a first rate market 

 for all that an industrious cultivator can prodnce. It is 

 on this principle that farming in California has paid better 

 than mining ; and our observations in Pennsylvania, Mary- 

 land, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, (all of 

 which abound in coal,) lead us to believe that in each, skil- 

 ful farming pays better than digging into the eartli for any 

 mineral. In all these States, cheap grazing lands still 

 abound ; and fortunes can be made by raising cattle, horses, 

 mules, sheep and wool, hogs, and by making butter and 

 cheese. 



Before railroads penetrated tlie Allegany Mountains, in 

 almost every State through which they extend, there was 

 some difficulty in getting produce to distant markets ; but 

 now, where the home [market fails, any surplus is easily 

 sent io any of the Atlantic cities. Mules sell high in all 

 the planting States, from Delaware to Texas, and the 

 breeding and rearing of them can be carried on in a moun- 

 tainous region, where any dtsirable quantity of grass for 

 pasturage and hay may be grown for less than a dollar an 

 Acre. If " all flesh is grass," as it certainly is, then grass, 

 ■where pure springs and rivulets abound, is certainly an im- 

 portant element of rural wealth. There are many young 

 men of energy and laudable ambition, who have not the 

 means to purchase and pay for old or improved farms, and 

 yet they would gladly make a few thousand dollars by 

 rearing stock on cheap lands which they could buy for a 

 song. Every part of the United States has its advantages 

 and disadvantages. Poor men should not attempt to be- 

 come landholders, except on a small scale, when land is 

 dear ; but where it is very cheap, such is the rapid increase 

 of population, and the extension of inland trade and com- 

 merce, that any land that will make "flesh," will soon 

 double and quadruple in value, in the possession of one who 

 has either industry in his hands, or brains in his head. 



Wet Harvest — Grown Wheat. — The harvest this 

 season is unusually late ; and up to the I9th of July, but 

 'Very little wheat was cut. Just as the farmers were about 

 to put their whole strength into the harvest field, it com- 

 menced raining, and rained powerfully and almost inces- 

 santly for eight days — from the evening of the 19th, to the 

 evening of the 26th of July. I>uring a good portion of 

 this time it has been very warm, and the consequence is 

 that much of the wheat has "grown." The amount of the 

 injury cannot now be estimated. Many farmers think fully 

 ^ne-half is badly grown. Wishing to satisfy ourselves 



somewhat on this point, we made an examination of twel 

 fields on the last afternoon of the storm, all within sev 

 miles of the city. In two of the twelve we could find i 

 grown wheat. Of 20 ears taken promiscuously from eai 

 of the other ten fields, from four to six were ** growr 

 some very badly, and others Just started. IIow wid 

 spread has been this storm, and how great the injury, ' 

 cannot now say. Since the clearing up of the storm (yc 

 terday,) farmers look more cheerful and talk more encou 

 agingly. 



July 2Sth. — After one fair day, we are again visited wi 

 heavy showers, and the worst fears of farmers may yet 

 realized. There is much grass and clover cut, and lyii 

 in the fields, blackened and rotting. 



Tents fob Agricultural Fairs. — We call the atte 

 tion of officers of Agricultural Societies to the advertis 

 ment of Tents, hy E. C Williams. Mr. W. has beam 

 ful new Tents, which he will sell to Agricultural Societii 

 or rent for their fall exhibitions. The officers of our Sta 

 Society, and all who have dealt with Mr. Williams, ha 

 been highly gratified with the manner in which he serv 

 them. In fact he is one of those foolish kind of men wl 

 would rather suffer wrong than do wrong, and consequer 

 ly just the kind of a man to deal with. In cases whe 

 County Societies have not permanent buildings for thf 

 exhibitions, one of these tents should be secured by 

 means. 



Ventilatino 5traw and Hay Stacks. — The editor 

 the Country Gentleman says the British farmers have 

 metliod of ventilating their barley, oat and hay stacks whi 

 we may adopt this year with advantage ; and in stacki 

 corn-stalks it would be always beneficial. They fill a lar 

 bag, say 3.J feet high, and 20 inches in diameter, with stra 

 and place it vertically in the centre of the stack, putti) 

 the barley, or oats, or hay, whichever it may happen to I 

 round it. As the stack rises, they lift the sack ; and so 

 to the top. In this way there is a chimney formed in t 

 centre of the rick or bay, into which the steam and gas 

 generated, find their way and escape readily. 



To Raise Early Potatoes in the Garden. — Pla; 

 as early as possible — just as soon as the ground can 1 

 worked. Plant in rows quite thick — say the rows one fo' 

 apart, and the potatoes sown nine inches apart in the row 

 As soon as the potatoes are fit for use, dig every alterna. 

 row, and lay the tops between the rows that are left, co' 

 ering the ground as well as possible. The potatoes le 

 will give an excellent crop. The early June is a good p<« 

 tato, but the gardners here have a kind they call the Man 

 ly : it is small, but ripens earlier than the June. 



UuuAL Annual and Horticultural Directory.- 

 By an advertisement in this number, it will be seen that y\ 

 are about to publish a little book with this title for the bee 

 efit of all tree planters and cultivators of fruit. It willb 

 just the book that buyers and growers of fruit trees shoul 

 have. Send in your orders. 



