HISTORICAL SKETCH OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL PERIODICALS 



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Farmer, what is now counted as the second agri- 

 cultural paper in this country was started at 

 Albany. It was called the Ploughboy, and was 

 of the same size as the Farmer, though offered 

 at a lower price three dollars per annum (Fig. 

 34). The editor, who called himself "Henry 

 Homespun, Jr.," for the first few months, was 

 Solomon Southwick. The title was chosen so 

 the opening announcement says as conveying 

 "the idea of a real, unsophisticated American; 

 a virtuous, intelligent, brave, hardy and gener- 

 ous yeoman, who despises alike the trappings of 

 Royalty or Aristocracy ; abhors the idleness, 

 luxury and dissipation, which subvert private 

 happiness and public liberty ; and firm as his 

 native hills, wraps himself in the s.imple dignity 

 of his condition, and imitating his glorious an- 

 cestors, resolves to live free or to die." Not- 

 withstanding all this grandiloquence, the Plough- 

 boy ran successfully for at least twenty years, 

 and perhaps longer. 



The (first) New England Farmer made its 

 appearance at Boston, August 3, 1822, and 

 lived until June 24, 1846, when it was discon- 

 tinued, unfortunately for the agriculture of the 

 Northeast. It closely resembled its two prede- 

 cessors in form and style, but was even a lit- 

 tle cheaper than the Ploughboy, at least for 

 such subscribers as would pay in advance, the 

 price under that condition being two dollars 

 and fifty cents. 



The (first) New York Farmer was started in 

 the city from which it took its name, probably 

 about 1827, inasmuch as the sixth volume, 

 called also " New Series, Vol. I," began with 

 1833 (Fig. 36). At this time it was a monthly 

 of thirty-two quarto pages, Samuel Fleet editor, 

 D. K. Minor proprietor, three dollars per annum 

 in advance. It ran for several years beyond the 

 date given. 



Fifth and last of the now-known pioneers of 

 American agricultural journalism was another 

 monthly, the Southern Agriculturist, started at 

 Charleston, S. C., in 1828, by J. D. Legare, and 

 containing at first forty-eight, afterward fifty- 

 six, small pages, 5 x 8J inches (Fig. 37). The 

 subscription price appears to have been re- 

 garded as a detail not worth mentioning. It 

 was continued at least to the end of the year 

 1842, and probably longer. 



OLD PAPERS STILL PUBLISHED 



The agricultural press of the present day 

 dates from January 1, 1831, at which time was 

 established, at Rochester, N. Y., by Luther 

 Tucker, the older of the two papers now con- 

 solidated as the Country Gentleman. It was 

 called the Genesee Farmer, and closely resembled 

 the American Farmer, the Ploughboy and the 

 New England Farmer in general style, though 

 the subscription price was lower than that of 

 any of the others two dollars a year in ad- 

 vance. There was also a monthly edition at 

 fifty cents. Three years and two months later 



