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Vol. X.IV-No. 2. ALBANY, N. Y.. JULY 14,186 9. Whole No. 840. 



Published by LtJTHER Tdoker & Son, 



AsaooiATs Bd., J. J. THOMAS, Union Sphinqs, N. T, 



AGENTS IN NEW. YORK : 

 Aoo. O. MoORB &. Co., Ag. Book PubllsherB, 140 Fulton-dt. 



Tbrms. — To Oity SubeorlberB, -whode papers are delt- 

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To Mail Subaoribors, $2.00 a year If paid In advance, or 

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KT The same publiahers iesuoTaK CoLTiviTOa, on the 

 flrat of each moiitb. It forms an annual vol. of about 40C 

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The Po-slai^e on this paper Is but GJ conta per quarter, 

 payable in advance, to any part of the United Stales ex- 

 cept the county of Albany, where it Koes free. 



Contents of this '.N umber. 



The Farm. 



Economy of Fodder— Saving Hay, 



Attendance at Fairs, 



Seeding Conflelds to Grass 



Plowing in Green Crops, 



More about the Wheel on the Plow, by W. H. B.,. .. 



Buggy Peas, Hesalan Fly, tc, by J. H. H., 



Monthly Market Days vs. Fairs, by Mikietebr, 



Advantages of Irrigation, by S. K. Smith, 



Ttaa Thousand' Legged Worm, by Jimbi Adaim— 



Answer to the same l>y Asa Kitou,. 



Llm« vs. Guaoo, by O. O. Rbid, 



Proper Depth for Coverlug Seed, b/M., 



Questions iil.nut Manure, by J. B, C. 



New- York Slate Agricultural College— Laying of 



Cornerstone, 



Not«8 for the Week, 



Inquiries and Answers, 



Trial of Mowers at Quildcrland 



The Gi-nzlcr. 



Errors in Rearing Calves and Raising Stock, 



Swine and Dairy Cows, by E. Cornell, 



Effeots of Climate on Wool, by D. A. A. NlOBOLS,.. 



Stretches In Sheep 



Ticks and Lice on Sheep and Cattle, by A Ueidsr,. 

 Dairy Huabandry, 



On Cheese Making, by Mrs. S. Jounbon, 



Mr. Hunt's Cow, by O. Host 



Summer Care of Cows, 



The Apiary. 

 Quinby's Work on Bees, by Ciiirlbs F. Morton,.. 

 Tlie iiPoultry-Yard. 



Construollon of Poultry Houses, by W. E. C, 



Horticultiirai Depart:tn«nt. 

 Rambling Calls at Noted Places, III— Montgomery 



Place, by ViiTOR 



Cheap Remedy forlhe Rose Slug, by C. T. Alvord 

 Wilson's Albany Slrawbery, by Jas. H. Hopkins,..' 



Heading Back Fruit Trees, tc, by Mobawe, 



Drainage for Orchards 



Tlie Flower Garden. 



Work for the Month, by G. B. H., 



Propagating BloimialB,by G. B. H., 



Fuohaias, by G. B. 11., 



Domeslio Bconoinr. 



Recipe for Currant Wine, by H. L. Y 



Drop Cakes, by L. E. R., !!!!!!!!!!!! 



Fireside Department. 

 Editorial Oorrespoudence, VI— The Ruined Castio of 



Heidelberg, by L. H. T., 



The Microacopist'e Companion,. 



Something about Birds-IV, "!!!!!!!!]! 



A Plea for the Squirrels, by S. B. Buoklet, ........ 



Jack Frost'B Recent Tour among the Flowers — 

 Brighter Prospects -Birds &. Snakes, by Mast 



News, markets, ice. 



Record of the Times 30 



Weather, Crops. &c., "'" 39 



Farm Produce Market [[][ 37 



Economy of Fodder — Saving Hay. 



Not a, very seasonable topic, the reader may think, 

 but still not out of time in the light we propose to look 

 upon it. Ln.st winter, (Co. Gont. Fob. 17, 1859,) wo 

 spoke of " managing it right" to make the winter store 

 of forage go as far as possible, by feeding without waste, 

 and by providing shelter, Ac., for the comfort of our 

 stock — now we propose to offer a few remarks on cut- 

 ting, curing, and storing the same, with a view to the 

 best economy of its value. 



With many of our readers, the hay crop of the pre- 

 sent year will bo a short one — Iho season having been 

 loss favorable to the growth of grass than usual in many 

 localities. So wo must save what there is — save it 

 closely and carefully — at the proper time. In a recent 

 number, (Co. Gent. Juno 23, 1859,) will be found a care- 

 fully considered article on the best methods of making 

 i good hay — to which wo would refer the interested read- 

 er. It is there shown that grass should be cut while a 

 largo share is yet in flower, and be cured in the shade 

 — in the swath and cock— in order to secure its best nu- 

 tritive qualities. It should neither bo over-ripe nor 

 over-cured, to form an article of winter fodder that will 

 *' spend well" and keep up the condition of the animals 

 which consume it. 



Meadows may be sometimes obser^'ed, in which DO 

 economy of fodder seeoos to have been thought of. A 

 great deal of grass remains noout— the fault generally 

 of poor mowers, and a considerable share of that cut lias 

 been left in gathering, for want of better attention to 

 raking. It is worth while this year, at least, to cut all 

 our gross, and to rake clean what wo have cut, and will 

 cost but a trifle more in labor. A man who cannot leaiii 

 to mow closely and evenly, should not be allowed to use 

 the scythe, and the fariuor who hurries so fast as to 

 leave gaps enough unrakcd to pay another hand, should 

 slack his unthrifty rate of speed for one savoring of a 

 bettor economy. 



In stacking hay, large losses are often incurred by 

 small stacks with a good deal of surface exposure, and 

 by ill built stocks, which fail to secure the hay from the 

 weather. For stacking, hay needs to be well cured ; 

 then, should heavy rains occur, the stack, if well built, 

 will settle firmly, and the moisture on the outside will 

 not combine with that within to spoil the hay before it 

 can dry again. We have known instances in which 

 this occurred — in which hoy sufliciently dry for the barn 

 became almost entirely spoiled by a driving rain falling 

 upon the stock soon after its completion. Large stacks 

 should be the rule for out-door storage, in all cases in 

 which barn room cannot be given. 



To hay of inferior quality it is woU to add a sprink- 

 ling of salt occasionally, when mowing away, as it will 

 increase its palotablcnesss for stock, and the same " sea- 

 soning" should be given to all hay which we have rea- 

 son to think insufficiently dry for storing. This furnishes 

 on© of the most convenient methods of supplying salt 

 to stock during the winter season, and is very generally 

 practiced by provident farmers. It is said that a mix- 

 ture of salt and lime, sprinkled freely over hay, will 

 enable one to store it away with less curing than would 

 otherwise be safe, and that fodder treated in this man- 

 ner is much liked by catttlo, Ac, and that the mixture 

 promotes the health and thrift of all stock kept upon it. 

 Of this wo have had no personal experience. 



Economy of fodder, every year, leads some farmers 

 to cut the grass along the fences in their grain fields, 

 and all out-of-the-way spots producing grass not other- 

 wise brought into service. It is a good plan, not only 

 only on this account, but as destructive of many weeds 



which otherwise soon give a " border-ruffian " appear- 

 ance to our forms, and stock the whole neighborhood 

 with troublesome occupants. We trust this matter will 

 be attended to by every farmer, and with greater par- 

 ticularity this year than ever before. 



No doubt tho render con see upon his own farm, 

 chances for economizing in the matter of saving fodder 

 beyond what we 'have pointed out. We hope no ono 

 will forget to finish up as he goes — not only cut all the 

 grass he con, but cure it well and store it safely against 

 the wants of the coming winter. 



Attendance at Fairs. 



As the season is rapidly approaching when our an- 

 nual exhibitions of the various Agricultural Societies is 

 to take place, it may be well to say a word or two upon 

 it at this tirao. 



A great many fanners and their families live so re- 

 mote from places where exhibitions are to take place, 

 that thoy can only attend one day out of the three or 

 four devoted to the whole show, and to make the most 

 of a brief time should he the prime object with all. 



It is generally the ctise with those who attend fairs, 

 that on coming into the grounds, they begin to " see 

 what is to be seen " in the most imperfect and bur- 

 ned manner possible. They pass through the several 

 departments of hones, stock, implements, and in the 

 tents of manufactured uticles, with a rush ; not stop- 

 ping to look at anything a minute, but gazing at the 

 whole with a hurried and superficial glance. So they 

 pass from one point of interest to another, and at length 

 they hove jammed through the crowd and seen the 

 whole ! But what do they know of what they hove 

 seen, or what can they tell of a single article ? Ask 

 them, (after the Fair,) if they noticed such an object — 

 a machine of curious and peculiar workmanship— and 

 they will answer, " No." " Why you should have seen 

 that," is the response ; but in the bustle and crowd they 

 hurried along — sow a good many things, but noticed 

 nothing. The only thing connected with the exhibition 

 which they remember, was, they saw a great ninny peo- 

 ple, and wore in a hurry and crowd all the time. 



Now lot us toll you how to see oil that is really worthy 

 of particular attention— even at the State Fair— in a 

 brief space of time. 



In tho first place, settle the fact before storting, that 

 all cannot bo soon. To be bbttor understood, if you 

 wero to give any degree of attention, or even note, to 

 every article presented for exhibition, it would take you 

 a whole month, and then perhaps it would not be ac- 

 complished. So we mean simply this : moke up your 

 mind to give attention to the really valuable and inter- 

 esting objects, and pass by thoso which are ordinary or 

 common-place. If you are interested in the depart- 

 ment of cattle, pass by the good stock ; but when you 

 see something more than that — something extra, or 

 having some remarkable features,— moke a brief note 

 of it and pass on. In this way go through all the de- 

 partments — which con in this manner be accomplished 

 in less time than one would suppose. Have a note-book, 

 or a slip of paper, and where nn article of greater im- 

 portance presents itself, note it down. In this, you 

 economize your time — have a better idea of the whole 

 exhibition, and come away with much proctical knowl- 

 edge of tho affair, and with a good idea of some inter- 

 esting features, which were worthy of special attention, 

 and not with a confused moss of objects, about which 

 you know nothing. 



The great object and chief end of our agricultural 

 fairs, should not be lost sight of. They are indeed, tho 



