278 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
Contents for August, 1868. 
Animals— The American Marten Illustrated. .203-204 
Barn Cellars for Manure Making 200 
Blackberries and Raspberries 207 
Boys 1 and Girls" Columns— OurNew Policemen — Ways 
of Getting a Living. No. 3— New Insect— Curiosities 
at the Museum — Pleasant Recollections — Anecdote 
of General Jackson— Don'l Wake the Baby— Filial 
Love Rewarded— Child's Idea— New Puzzles 
Illustrations. . 301—302 
Cabbages— CI tib-root in I/last rat. d.. 297 
Canada Thistles in the West 203 
Caper Family of Plants 205 
Cleomc spinosa Illustrated. 295 
Cohl Grapery in August 281 
Compass Plant or Rosin Weed Illustrated. .295 
Farm Work in August 278 
Flower Garden and Lawn in August 243 
Fruit Garden in August 270 
Grape Vine— How it Grows and What to Do with 
It 3 Illustrations. .296 
Grass Doctor— Scuffle Hoes 291 
Green and Hot-houses in August 281 
Hand Microscope— A stand for 3 Illustrations.. 297 
Hay Stacking with Horse Forks 2 111 'list 'rations . .200 
Hogs— How to Make Extra Fat Illustrated. .291 
Horses of All Work— The Percheron 2 lllustr. .287 
Household Department — Sea. side Fare — The Crab- 
Household Talks l, v Aunt. Hattie— Ginger Beer— 
Preservins Plnms -Sponge Caki — Bottling Peaches 
— Indiai Bal IPnddi -FlyTimc CookingVege- 
tahl. - i. pes! 0; in Carpet Warp.. 2 W. 209-300 
Kitchen Garden in Atlgnst 270 
Mal-formed Fruits Illustrated 297 
Market Reports 2S1 
Medicating Animals 202 
Odds aud Ends in Gardening 20(1 
Old-fashioned Shrubs and Flowers 295 
Orchard and Nursery in An. ii-l . 270 
Peat and Muck as Fertilizers. . 29] 
Possibilities in Dairying 203 
Salt Mud as a Fertilizer 293 
Shrubs with Showy Berries lllxistrated. .297 
Strawberries— Notes on -...207 
Strawberries— Starting in Pots 207 
Tillage During Giv.wih 292 
Trace — How to Mend Illustrated 291 
Tront Fishing Illustrated 277 
Varieties Produced by Pruning 297 
Walks and Talks on the Farm— No. 56.— Clover as 
Manure— Draining— Raising Lambs— Michigan V I 
< 'i.iii-L'e— I-Vcdiii:: Siieep— straw and Manure — Ma- 
nure Cellars 2-- ::iu 
Wheat 'Growing — A Buckeye Boy on.' -.'.id 
Whiflletree— Perfectly Safe SlBtatrationi 291 
Wistaria — The American 295 
INDEX TO "BASKET" OR SUor.TKn ARTICLES. 
1 Co 
f I': 
Bees j 
BestC 
Black ( 
Brace 
Biahn 
Breeding Water-tow 
Canada Thistles 
Canning Peaches 
Canning Peas and C 
Carbolic Acid. Paras 
Catching Hogs, etc . 
Check I'm- Clabbers.. 
College I ourant 
Corn Cobs 
Crops in Young Orel 
Curious Sheep Storj 
Dairy-maids 
Diarrhoea in Chicker 
Drilling Wheat. 
Early Tomato 
Farm-club Libraries . 
Fruit in X. E 
Fuller in German... . 
Gas-tar for Paint. . , 
Gas-tar Walks.... 
Glazed Tile I'.. 
G,,ais i n califi 
Goi 
.286 New England Fair 
.282 N.J. Slate Ag'l So 
.284 
Grape F 
Grazin j 
Guard a« 
Hanrestx 
Hedge I - 
Hen. En 
Hill's La 
How JIu 
■ ■; Sb (field Scient School .285 
-.'-.. Stacking Straw 285 
253 Strawberry Dr. Nicaiisc. 285 
282 Strawberry Named 282 
283 Sniped Bug 282 
254 Sugar Maples Die.. . 
28-1 Simdrv Humbugs 281 
2.80 Swarming. Artificial, eh.-;-:, 
28t Tanning Lice.. . > ; 
Outlets.. 281'. The Work-hop 2-3 
nia 2s:i Thills tor Horse-hoi . 286 
lis 286 Thinning Root Crops 283 
hi- .. ..281 Thrashing. Hint- Vln.ut 2-5 
v 28ii Thrashing Me lone 
plitting 286 Tomato Tivlii- , . 2s| 
236 Top-dressing. Mowing.. 283 
Mower.. 
Pork n Da 
.281 
inkier. .2.-1 
Crops,. .281 
Illinois State Fair. ...".. .281 W 
Indiana State Fair 2S3 \Y 
Insects, Book on 2sl What is a Pullet v »s3 
Kentucky State Fair. ...281 Wheat. Crop -si 
Late Chickens 282 Wheat Prize- 2S1 
Locusts 2821 Wheat Screen in-- low l-2s-> 
M anele, A Good 2.82 When to Cut Timber ->si', 
Many-leaved Clover 282 When to shut up P 
Ma--, Hort. Society... 2S4 White Hellebi 
Mich. Board of Aglie'o. 2-li Whitlnck's E- 
Michigan Rose 281 Wild Goose p 
Milk Farming 2.83 Wild Mornin. 
Minn. State Fair .. . 2-3 Willow iv,.],. 
Mo. State Entomologist. .2sl Women Farn: 
Name of a Tree 2S2 Your Patent.. 
for Bi 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW-YORK, AUGUST, 1S6S. 
The meteorological character of this mouth va- 
ries greatly in different years, and the farmer's la- 
bors depend much upon the weather. In times of 
drouth, when pastures are low and when the brooks 
add watering places fail, the stock need constant 
attention and no little labor. Summer fodder crops 
will come in use, and arc of great value, not only in 
maintaining a, flow of milk, but in keeping dry 
stock in good condition. Summer fruits may be 
ready for marketing; spring grains will occupy the 
fanner's attention. Nevertheless, on the whole, 
August brings relief to the farmer; his labor is not 
so hard and usually be can make a few leisure days, 
if be will, to visit friends or take a trip with his 
wife to some mountain or sea-side resort, or one 
of inspection into some interesting agricultural 
section. Il is very agreeable to blend business with 
pleasure when the business is the most important 
thing, and this is the only way some men can ever 
take any recreation, — that is, by making believe it 
is in the way of business. But it is a great deal 
better for health and true recreation to drop busi- 
ness, cast lotJ.sc, and give one's self up to having a 
real good time, hunting, fishing, sight seeing, visit- 
ing, etc., if not In this month, then in September, 
or during the Fairs, if attending Fairs be not too 
much like business fir most tinners. 
Hints altout Hurl.. 
llarrrMiinj Spring 6Y./o*s takes place according to 
Hie character of the early part of the season, and 
time of sowing, earlier or later by two or three 
weeks. It is best to cut wheat, oats, and barley, and 
especially the last two, while the grain is doughy 
and soft; the straw in the case of oats is much more 
valuable L> feed, and the grain loses nothing. Bar 
ley needs especially rapid curing and protection 
against rain, for its price depends upon its. bright, 
clean look, and its adhering chaff is very sensitive 
to moisture and will quickly take a mildewy or 
ru-ty look. Out oats when the field appears pretty 
well yellowed, but before it whitens too much. Al- 
ways bind oats, if possible, for they take much less 
room in the barn or stack, and the straw cures and 
keeps brighter, and is probablj better feed. 
Buckwheat may be sown south of the latitude of 
New York up to the 10th of August with a reason- 
aide hope that the frosts will bold off long enough 
to enable seed to form. Still, the longer sowing 
is deferred, the more hazardous it is. 
Turnips may also be sown early iu the mouth. 
It is too late to get a crop from any but the com- 
mon white, although on good soil Rutabagas, or 
French turnips will produce a crop of nice, lit- 
tle table roots as large as a man's fist or larger, 
which are excellent fur winter use, and when select- 
ed uf uniform size, sell well. Fill spaces existing 
in rows of all root crops, and all spots not other- 
wise occupied, with turnips, cither by sowing the 
seed or transplanting. Tuck in the seed freely. 
Moot crops generally will need hoeing and thin- 
ning. As a rule, don't spare thrifty plants if crowd- 
ed, but thin them thoroughly, so that when mature 
the leaves will barely touch. Where spaces are 
very wide from any cause, two roots may be left 
nearer than would otherwise be admissible, but it 
is a poor plau to let them crowd one another. Car- 
rots make their principal growth after the first of 
August, and need thorough weeding and thinning 
at this time. If the ground be stirred frequently, 
they will be much benefited, and it is long before 
t he tops interfere with cultivation or make so dense 
a shade as not to suffer weeds to grow. 
Hoed crops, other than roots, which include corn, 
potatoes, sorghum, broom-corn, etc., are or should 
be beyond tillage with plows, hoes or cultivators. 
Weeds, however, should be thoroughly pulled, and 
the ground kept clean, or one great advantage of 
these crops, namely, ridding the land of weeds, 
will be iu a great measure, if not entirely, lost. 
Weeds are plants growing out of place, it is said 
— and if this is true, an oak tree may be as much a 
weed as a mullein in a clover field. If we have 
hot, dry weather, make use of it to cut up weeds, 
to mow brush, lo clear up fence rows, and to clear 
up bush pastures and such land. All herbaceous 
plants that have not matured their seed are pecu- 
liarly sensitive at this season, and shrubs and trees 
hardly less so though their roots go deeper. 
Should these sprout again from the stumps, sheep 
will browse the shoots, or they may be trodden upon 
and rubbed off with case if not too numerous. 
Hatures. — Harrow lightly, sow and bush in 
White clover, Blue grass, and Red top seed, on up- 
land pastures at this season, accompanied by a 
dressing of plaster and ashes, and if the pasture be 
an old one, put on two to twenty barrels of bone- 
dust. An old past iin. treated thus will be rejuve- 
nated, if not fed off too close the rest of the season. 
Swamps and Bogs. — If the season be favorable for 
ditching in low grounds, lay out the drains and 
have the men at work every spare half day ; get out 
as much muck and peat as possible as you progress, 
throwing it out on one side only of the ditch. 
Even if the weather be wet the ditch will most likely 
dry the ground in the immediate vicinity, so that 
the muck can be hauled out as soon as dry. The 
drying of peaty land may be sometimes facilitated 
by thrusting smooth pules obliquely into the peaty 
mass on either side as far as possible, and at a level 
not much above the bottom of the ditch. Roots, 
brush, and tussocks of grass or brakes, may be laid 
up in piles to dry for burning by and by. The 
ashes will be an excellent dressing for the soil. 
Braining of uplands may proceed at this season 
if there is opportunity, and it often enables farm- 
ers to provide profitable work for their hands dur- 
ing a lull iu the pressure of regular farm work. 
Qrass seed may often be saved in sufficient quan- 
tity for one's own use, by observing where any Va- 
riety grows unmixed and allowing such to become 
ripe, cutting with a sickle, binding in bundles to 
be thrashed or rubbed out at leisure. Seeds of 
many of our best pasl tire and meadow grasses can 
only be bought at. very high price-, while a little 
care taken in gathering them would afford an 
abundant supply for borne use. if not for sale. 
Manure. — Com: ust heaps rapidly ferment and 
become homogeneous in character in hot weather. 
All sorts of vegetation in ils green state is adapted 
to be used in this way. Swamp grass and brakes, 
sod-, potato tops, and similar substances, arc valu- 
able ingredients. Lay them in alternate Layers with 
animal manure, or putting them in thin layers, 
sprinkle each thoroughly with lime, or ashes. 
If liquid manure can be pumped over the heaps 
the advantage will be marked. Muck and peat 
.should lie got out and laid up to dry before carting. 
Manuring Qra. s lands at this season or as soon as 
sown is productive of more good, both to the suc- 
ceeding crop and to the land, than at any other 
season. The clover and grass roots are vigorous 
and strike deep at the time the hay is cut off. A 
little encouragement at this time keeps them ac- 
tive, the sod will be close, the aftermath strong, 
and the grass crop next year much improved. 
Even a dressing of common loam from an adjoin- 
ing field will often make the difference of half a 
ton of hay to the acre on grass laud beginning to 
fail, if it be applied in July or August. 
Working Stock.— If the working cattle have been 
properly handled during the early summer, they 
Will be cai.able of doing much hard labor iu Au- 
gust, without sensibly feeling it. It is best, how- 
ever, to do the severest work in the early morning, 
—heavy plowing or hauling stones, for instance. 
Corns should have occasional change of pasture, 
not only for the goodof the grass, but. on their own 
account. If the pastures arc short, give a liberal 
feed of green corn fodder regularly, ouce, twice, or 
three times during the day. It is best if wilted. 
Calves and Colls.— It is usually best to wean 
calves and colts in August, that is, at four or five 
months old, if they have been suffered to run with 
