1865.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
105 
the above, any new subscriber may have a plant, if 5 cents 
be sent for expense of pactlnf; and postage— bat o;Wy on 
condition that the application comes icUft the subscription, 
(to saye looking np the name) 
BOOKS FOR FARMERS and OTHERS. 
[Any of the followlne boots can be obtained at the Of- 
fice of the Agriculturist at the prices named, or they will be 
forwarded by mall, post-paid, on receipt of the price. Theso 
prices are positively good only to May let.] 
Allen's (L.F.) Rural Architecture $ 1 50 
Allen"? (K. L.) Amerlcnn Karm Book 1 50 
Allen's Diseases of Domestic Animals 1 00 
American Bird Fancier 30 
Aiiiciican Rose Culturist 30 
American 'NVeeds and useful Plants 1 75 
Art of Saw Filing ... (Holly) 60 
Barry'a Fruit Garden 115 
Beecher's (Henry Ward) Fruit, Flowers and Farming., 1 25 
Bement's Poulterer's Companion 2 00 
Bemenfs Rabbit Fancier 30 
Blftke's Farmer's Encyclopedia 1 50 
Biidseman's Fruit Cultivator's Manual 75 
Bridceman's Young Gardener's Assistant.. — .* fO 
Bridseman'9 Kitchen Garden Instructor :"> 
Bridirenian's Florist's Guide 15 
Brandt's Ace of Horses (EngUsh and German) 50 
Breck'8 Book of Flowers 1 50 
Browne's Field Bonk of Manures 150 
Browne's Poultry Vara.. 1 25 
Bnist'8 Flower garden Directory 1 50 
Bulst's Family Kitchen Gardener 1 00 
Burr's Vesetablcs o{ America 4 50 
Carpenters and Joiners' Hand Book.. (H»Uy) 60 
Chorl ton's Grape-Grower's Guide 75 
Cobbett'9 American Gardener 75 
Cole's (S. W.) American Fruit Book 60 
Colman's Agriculture 5 00 
Copeland's Country Life 4 50 
Cottage Bee-Keeper 75 
Cotton Planters' Manual (Turner) 1 50 
Dadd's Modern Horse Doctor 150 
Dadd's (Geo. H.) American Cattle Doctor 1 50 
Dadd's Anatomy of the Horse.... (colored) 5 00 
Dana's Muck Manual 1 35 
Doff and Gun (Hooper's) 30 
Domestic Poultry 30 
Downlntr 8 Cottaije Residences. 2 50 
Downin^'s Fruits'and Fruit Trees of America 3 00 
Eastwood on Cranberry 75 
Elliott's Western Fruit Grower's Guide 1 50 
Emplovmentof ^omen— By Virginia Penny 1 50 
Every Lady her own Flower Gardener 30 
Fcssenden 8 Complete Farmer and Gardener 1 50 
Fl ax Cnltnre (Ready next month) 50 
French's Farm Drainage .... 1 50 
Field's (Thomas W.) Pear Culture 1 25 
Fish Culture 1 25 
Flint (Charles L.) on Grasses 2 00 
Flint's Milch Cows and Dairy Farming 2 00 
Fuller's Grape CuUurist 1 50 
Fuller's Strawberry Culturist 20 
Goodale's Principles of Breeding 1 OO 
Gray'sManual otBotany and Lessons In one Vol 4 00 
Gray's How Plants Grow 1 25 
Giipnon on Milch Cows 75 
Ilnll'e (Miss) American Cookery 1 25 
llaraszthy Grape Culture, &c 5 00 
Harris' Insects Injurious to Vegetation, plain 3 ?0 
do. do. do. do. colored plates... 4 50 
Ilorbert's Hints to Horsekeepers 1 75 
Hint's to Riflemen, by Cleveland 150 
Hop Culture (Ready April 15th) 40 
How to Fnv a Farm and Where to Find One. 1 75 
Jaques's Fruits and Fruit Trees 60 
.lennings on Cattle. Sheep, &c 1 50 
Johnston's Agricultural Chemistry 1 75 
'ohnston's Elements of Agricultural Chemistry 1 25 
Kemp's Landscape Gardenmg 2 00 
I.aniTstroth on the Honey Bee 2 00 
Loudon's (Downing's) Ladlea' Flower Garden 2 00 
L''nchar'5 Howto Build Hot-houses ^ 1 50 
Llphis's Familiar Letters on Chemistry. 50 
Liebig's Modern Agriculture 1 25 
Linslpy's (D. C.) Morgan Horses 1 50 
M;\nnal ol Agriculture by G. Emerson and C. L. Flint. 1 00 
Mavhew's Illustrated Horse Doctor 3 50 
Mavhcw's Illustrated Horse Management 8 50 
MrNlahon's American Gardener 2 50 
5(iles on the Horse's foot.. 75 
Morrell's American Shepherd 1 25 
My Farm of Edgewood: 2 00 
National Almanac and Annual Record 1 50 
Neill'B Practical Gardener. ...(Pardee) 150 
Norton's Scientific Asrlculture 75 
Olcott's Sorgho and Imphee 1 25 
Onion Culture 20 
Our Farm of Four Acres (bound) 60c (paper) 30 
Pardee on Strffwberry Culture 75 
Parsons on the Rose 125 
Phantom Bouquet, or Skeleton LeaTea. . .. 1 50 
Pedder's Land Measurer 60 
Ouinby's Mysteries of Bee keeping 1 75 
Rabbit Fancier SO 
Randall's SheepHusbandry 1 50 
Randall's Fine wool SheepHusbandry 1 00 
Rand's Flowers for Parlor and Garden 3 00 
Ki ve r»' O rchard Houses 50 
Rural Affalrs....(bound)....3 Vols ...each 1 50 
Saxton's Farmers' Library. .set of3 Vols .morocco 9 50 
do do do do 3 Vols, .cloth 8 50 
Pchenck's Gardener's Text Book 60 
Shepherd's own Book. 2 25 
Skillful Housewife 75 
Smith's Landscape Gardening 1 50 
Spencer's Education of Children ' 1 50 
Stewart's (Johnj Siable Book 1 50 
Ten Acres Enough 150 
Thaer's (A. D.) Principles of Agrlcolture 2 50 
Thomas' Fruit Cultunst 1 .50 
Thompson's Food of Animals 1 00 
Tobacco Culture 25 
Todd'» (S. E.) Young Farmer's Manual 1 50 
Tucker's Reeister Rural AlTairs 30 
Vaux's Villas and Cottages 3 OO 
W;il den's Complete Soil Culture 1 50 
Vardcr's Hedges and Evergreens 150 
Waring's Elements of Agriculture 1 00 
Watson's American Home Garden...., 2 00 
Wax Flowers (Art of Making) 1 50 
Wheat Plant (John Klinpart's) 1 50 
Woodward's Couutrv Homes 150 
Yale College Agriculturiil Lectures 60 
Touatt and Snooner on the Horse 1 50 
•Youatt and Xiartin on Cattle 1 50 
Youattoa the Hog 1 00 
Youatt on Sheep 1 00 
Youmans' Household Science 1 75 
fotunans' New Ciiemlstry 1 15 
"Cheap Lands on the Atlantic Coast." 
There are considerable tracts of uncultivated lands on 
the Atlantic Coast— in southwestern Massachusetts, on 
Long Island, in New Jersey, and further southward— 
which have never been brought under cultivation. Dur- 
ing a few years past these have been extensively ad- 
vertised, sometimes in large blocks, and at others cut up 
into small plots or farms. A question naturally arises, 
why have these lands lain so" long in a comparatively 
wild slate, if they are half as valuable as now repre- 
sented by parties interested in their sale, situated as they 
are near good markets, and surrounded with enterprising 
cultivators. This is a very reasonable question, and 
one which properly places them in the position of a sus- 
pected man, who is required to prove his good character 
before being admitted to confidence. There is this to be 
said, however, that portions of Ihem were purchased 
cheaply in large tracts, many years ago, by foreign pro- 
prietors who have given little or no attention to them in 
some cases, and in others the titles have been a long time 
in dispute, and it is only on the settlement of their owner- 
ship that they can be offered to the public. But in 
reality, a large proportion of them were not worth culti- 
vating, while cheap good lands could be obtained by 
going only a moderate distance westward, and while 
farm produce was less valuable than now ; and, further, a 
good deal of this kind of land Is not now, and never will 
be, worth buying for cultivation. It matters not at how 
low a price land maybe offered, nor how favorably it 
may be situated, if it will not give a reasonable return 
for the money, labor, manure, and seed expended on it. 
A prominent defect in these lands is their light, 
sandy character, not only upon the surface, but especially 
in the subsoil. The whole region referred to, good and 
bad, rests upon a bed of porous sea-sand of unknown 
depth. The top of this underlying sand bed is very 
uneven, sometimes comingup to the surface, and some- 
times five, ten, twenty, a hundred, a thousand feet, or 
more, below. For example, we have found it in one place 
by digging 10 feet, while less than a dozen rods dis- 
tant, it was not struck nearer than 18 feet from the top. 
A neighbor on one side, on much higher ground, found it 
within 12 feet of the top ; while one in the opposite di- 
rection, on much lower ground, fou*nd It 27 feet 
down. Its surface forms frequent basins, sometimes half 
a mile or more across, and sometimes only a rod or two. 
At different points on Long Island and New Jersey we 
have found the sand-bed running generally on or near the 
top, but with frequent depressions of from one to ten or 
fifteen feet. Wherever there is found, over this sand 
layer, a depth of five or more feet of good, firm soil, it is 
worthy of cultivation. Three feet may answer in an 
ordinary season, but not in a very dry one. The trouble 
is, that this sand-bed carries off the water reaching it. 
There must be over it a sufficient depth of firm, water- 
holding soil to supply moisture to plants during dry sea- ■" 
sons. It is this lack of moisture that produces the growth 
of short, stunted, dwarf forest trees and bushes on 
much of the land in question, eyen where there is a layer 
of good soil upon the surface. In examining these lands, 
the only safe rule is, to first find a gooi surface soil, and 
then dig into it at several points, or examine cellars, 
wells, and other recent excavations, to ascertain the 
actual condition of the sub-stratum. Right in the midst 
of a wide barren tract, one may find a small or large plot 
having a sufficient depth of good soil to make it valuable 
for cultivation. If there is not enough of this good land 
to make a farm, and if not near other good land, so as to 
form a neighborhood, it will be of little value. We advise 
any one prospecting or contemplating a purchase in any 
part of the regions referred to, to make thorough ex- 
amination of the subsoil by digging into it four or five feet 
at different points. If there is found within five feet of 
the surface a bed of gravel or sand, one may be cautious 
in making a purchase. It may be well for such persons to 
consult an article in the AffricuUurist for May, 1860, re- 
ferring to Long Island lands. The statements there ap- 
ply to a good deal of land along the Mid-Atlantic coast. 
-««« 
To Advertisers, and to Oar Eeaders. 
The business columns of this journal have become a 
veiy important department, both to the readers and to 
the advertisers. But for the additional income from this 
source, it would be utterly impossible to furnish, at the 
present subscription rates, so large and expensive a 
journal— one so carefully prepared, so well printed, and 
so fully illustrated. Further, the character of the adver- 
tisetnenls makes them of great value as a reliable source 
of information, in regard to supplies of seeds, plants, 
trees, implements, etc., etc. As our rules to advertisers 
are quite strict, we like to have our readers let them 
know that their advertisements are appreciat«d by 
noting where they were seen, when writing to tbem. 
That this medium is valued by business men is abun- 
dantly shown, not only by the crowd of unsolicited good 
business cards, especially from those who have been the 
longest and largest advertisers, but also by numerous 
incidental statements that reach us. Here is one ex- 
ample; Mr. R. C. Browning writes, March 14, " The 
t^OQ paid the Agriculturist in lS6i, brought me more an- 
swers to the advertisement of the ' Universal Clothes 
Wringtrj* than were received from the $10,000 spent in ad- 
vertising the same article in other papers.''* 
Messrs. Biiss, Parsons, and many others, speak similar- 
ly. This is not at all surprising to us, as from the best 
information we could gather at the close of the y&ar, the 
circulation of the Agriculturist probably exceeded the 
combined circulation of all other agricultural and hor- 
ticultural papers in this country ; while from the censor- 
ship exercised, the readers are tlie more ready patrons of 
those who are admitted to our business department. 
And here let us call the attention of advertisers to our 
rules: I. We want no patent medicines, and nothing of 
a secret character. No remedy, for man or beast, or 
other compound, "can be admitted, until we know and ap- 
prove the ingredients. — II. Doubtful or suspicious enter- 
prises, involving much hazard, cannot be admitted. — III. 
Distant parties, or those unknown to the Editors per- 
sonally, or by good repute, are expected to furnish satis- 
factory references, or other evidence that they will 
honestly and promptly perform all they advertise to do. 
We do not of course undertake to decide that any thing 
and every thing here advertised is worth the price asked 
for it, but we desire to have sufficient well-grounded con- 
fidence in every advertiser admitted, to warrant us in 
sending or advising our friends to send him orders or 
money, if we wanted his articles at the price asked. 
Containing a great variety of Items, including many 
good Hints and Suggestiotis which we throw into small 
type and condensed form, for want of space elsewhere, 
CLUBS can at any lime be increased, by remitting, 
for each addition, the price paid by the original members, 
if the subscriptions all date at the same starting point. 
The back numlsers will of course be sent to added names. 
Another Extra I\muber,— Lest any of 
our jealous contemporaries shouldnot be so prompt, as 
they were last year, to inform the unobserving readers of 
any slight change in size of this journal, we wouUl direct 
their attention to the fact that this number, like the pre- 
vious one, contains 36 pages '. We add these extra pages 
in order to give the valuable prize Essay on Flax, with- 
out curtailing the usual variety. If any other journal 
furnishes an equal amount of valuable, original matter, 
for the same money, we would be glad to see it, 
Cro"wded Out. — Notwitlistandiug tlie iu- 
creased size of this number, the long Flax article crowds 
out a large number of "Basket" articles, already in 
type, which we will try to make room for soon, if paper 
enough can be found in the market to print them on, 
"^VlKen?— All Subscriptions Oate at 
the beginning of the volume (January), unless otherwise 
specially ordered, and the back numbers are forwarded. 
These are printed from stereotype plates as needed. 
Xhe Oerman Edition oftlus Jour- 
nal, {Der Amerikanische Agriculturist,) coftlains all the 
principal articles and illustrations of the English edi- 
tion, and, in addition, a Special Department edited by 
Hon. Frederick Muench, of Missouri, a well known and 
popular writer and cultivator. The pape^- is of special 
value to all Germans who cannot read the English Ian 
guage, and particularly so to new comers from Germany. 
It is, we believe, the only such Agricultural and Horticul- 
tural paper published in this country. We shall be glad 
to have our readers call the attention of Germans to the 
matter. Many take this edition for their German gar- 
deners and farmers. Price $2 a year ; four copies $7. 
Fr.AX and HOPS, hoTr to €}row 
them ! — We have in the printer's hands two most 
valuable woiks on these subjects, giving full details of 
every part of the treatment, from preparing the soil to 
harvesting and marketing the crop, being the practical 
directions of a large number of experienced cultivators 
residing in different parts of the country. No equal 
works on these subjects have ever been issued. They 
will be in cheap form, on large octavo pages, with many 
illustrative engravings. Price of Flax Culture, 50 Cts, ; 
Hop Culture, 40 Cts, Sent post-paid, also, at these prices, 
