AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
FOR THE 
JTarm, Gra;Pd.erL, and Hoiasehold.. 
..^...... 
"AOnlOITLTiniE 18 THE MOST nEALTHPUL, MOST rSEFCL, AJJD MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OP MAjr."-Wnnmro. 
O RANGE JIIDD, A.OT 
PUBLISHER AND PROPRIETOR. 
O/Rce, 41 Park Row, (Times Buildings.) 
:.} 
ESTABLISHED IN 1842. 
Fablighed also in German at Ttvo Dollars a Vear. 
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SINGLE NUMBEH, 15 CENTS. 
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VOLUME XXIV— No. -7. 
NEW- YORK, JULY. 18G5. 
NEW SERIES— No. 222. 
Entered according to act of Congress in the year 18W, by 
Okaxgi Judd. in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of 
the Dnited States for the Southern District of New.fork. 
ly Other Journals are Invited to copy desirahle articles 
freely, i/each article be credited to American AgriciMurist. 
Contents for July, 1865. 
Agricultural BUre.iu— A Word to President Jolinson.232 
Bees— Apiary In July -SIM 
Boys and Girls' Department— Making Garden Woric 
Easy— Interesting Traditions of the Earliest Times 
—A Child's Question— Problems and Puzzles— 
"The Boys are coming Home again "-Friends 
among the Birds— A Calculating Hen... 3 III .523-224 
Celery— How to Raise 3 Illustrations . .2\i 
Cheese— Coloring without Annatto 221 
Citron— How Prepared 2 Illuatratims . .121 
Clay Lands— Crushing Clods 214 
Clover Hay— How to Cure 214 
Cold Grapery in July 204 
Cooliing without a Fire 222 
Currants— How to Preserve 2'22 
Drinks for Summer : 221 
Exhibition Tables at A gricuHurist Office 206 
Farm Work in July 201 
Flower Garden and Lawn in July 203 
Flower— Touch-me-not or Jewel Weed Illiist..m 
Fnx— The Red ( Viilpes /ulvus) Illustrated. .209 
Fruit Garden in July 203 
Garden— Kilchen in July 203 
Gai dening- Useful Implements for Illustrated. .219 
Grape Mildew and its Cure 2 Illustrations . .2\1 
Green and Hot-IIouses in July 203 
Hay Cured without Drying 211 
Hay— Drawing with a Rope Illustrated. .iVZ 
Hay Fork Attachment— Halsted's 2 Illustrations.. iK 
Hay Rigging for Wagon Illustrated. .1\2 
Hearth Rug— Home-made 222 
Hoed Crops— How to Cultivate 210 
Hoove in Cattle and Sheep— Prevention Sll 
Horse Power Defined 210 
Horses— Use of Chei'k Rein 211 
Manure— Liquid, and Pump for Raising 2//i..2I3 
Map of Fortifications around Petersburg 208 
Map of Vicinity of Petersburg and Richmond 207 
Market Report and Commercial Notes 226 
Mowing Machine Knives— How to Sharpen 211 
Notes and Suggestions for July 201 
Orchard and Nursery in July 202 
Oichard Grass— Further Notes on 214 
Pear Tree Blight— Causes and Cure 220 
Pear Trees— Double Working 218 
Plow Beams— Proper Length for 210 
Pmlltry Book— New- 215 
Poultry- Hints on Showing ; Exhibition at Museum. .206 
Poultry— Various Ne* Breeds.. .2 Illustrations . .1\S-2\6 
Recipes — Bread — Steamed Corn Bread — Butter Crack- 
ers—Lime Water for Sour Dough— Floating Island 
—Poor .Man's Jumbles — Tea Crackers— Omelet- 
Beet Hash 223 
Rake for Gatticrinq Scatterings Illustrated. .213 
Hake Tietli— Best Form fcU' Illustrated 210 
Rlio iodenilrons at Parson's & Co.'s 220 
Rose— Sport of , Illustrated. .iiO 
Rural Embellishments. Illustrated ,217 
Shackles Improved for Bulls and Bucks.///u#?rafed. 213 
Soap and Sr.ap Making 522 
Sparrows Eurooean in America .. , Illustrated. .m9 
Strawberry — .\griculturisl Plants for Premiums 232 
Strawberry Exhihitlon at Asriculturisl Office 232 
Strawberry Tiirie in New York 22:; 
Strawberries — Notes on 219 
Summer Fallows- Suggestions About 211 
Turnips— Raising on Heavy Soils, etc 209 
Vinecar Making Ilhtstrated. .I'll 
Vircinia Battle Fields 2 ///u»<ra(ionj..207-20S 
Washini-ton Monument— Is it a Humbug ? '232 
Western Agriculture- Letter from Western Boy 215 
Weed— The Common Groundsel Illustrated.. i2Q 
INDEX TO "basket," OR SHORTER ARTICLES. 
Articles, Publishing 2041 Broom Corn, Dwarf.. ...205 
.\sparagii? Beds 2o.'i| Bultonwonds 205 
Azalea, Fine 205 Canada Thistles 205 
Beef for Government... 206 Carrots. Wild 206 
Beef. Price of 206l Cider .Mills.. 206 
Bones, Breaking 204 Clothes-Wringers 205 
Bones. Use of 204 Corn Fodder 204 
Broccoli 206| Dianhoea Remedy 206 
Everlasting Flower 205 
Fairb.anks' Scales 205 
Farms, Southern 204 
Flower Beds. Form 205 
Fruit, Bottling 206 
Fruit, Preserving 206 
Fruit Stains 206 
Fuchsia, Defective 205 
Grape Vines in Pots 205 
Grapes and Wine 205 
Hungarian Grass 205 
Lightning Rods 205 
Loi-u st Suckers 205 
Lotle -y Humbug 206 
Manu e, Liquid 204 
Melons, Training 205 
Microscope Humbug. . . .206 
Missouri Lands 204 
Muck and Lime 206 
Mushroom Culture 206 
Nurserymen, Reliable. ..204 
Papaw'Bark 205 
Persimmon Seed 205 
Photographs of Lincoln, 206 
Plants Named 206 
Plants for Shade 205 
Plaster, etc., for Land.. .204 
Poudrelte Museum 205 
Sandy Land, Improving. 204 
Soap and Caterpillars. ..205 
Squashes, Mixing 205 
Tree Protectors 205 
Turnip Seed per Acre... 205 
Vine Culturif,t 205 
Notes and Snggestions for the Month. 
July, if the weather be only what we hope 
for, will give the farmer but little time for 
readiug. His labors begin early and close late, 
to be renewed with the next dawn. Men are 
very likely to overwork, and over-ambitious 
boys, by too hard mowing or pitching, or by 
doing "the work of a man" in some other way, 
injure themselves for life. Many a farmer is 
undersized, crooked, or one-sided, because he 
was ambitious, when a boy, of being told that 
he was worth as much as a man in the harvest 
field. They only realize when too late, that 
they will never be worth so much again. 
Drouths may come, and constant working of 
the surface, mellowing the soil, deeply as pos- 
sible, without injury to the roots of the growing 
crop, is the cure which almost all may apply. 
A fine mellow surfiice absorbs water from the 
air. We can not too often urge irrigation. 
The brooks and streams which can be conducted 
over meadows and lower-ground, are of almost 
inestimable value, and yet it is hard work to 
make farmers believe it. Every man m.ay have 
a demonstration of the advantages to him in a 
fortnight's time, if he will only conduct a small 
stream over his grass land. The time is not far 
dist.ant when many farms will have irrigated 
meadows, yielding three, four, or five crops of 
luxuriant grass during a single season. 
Barns. — Cle.an out thoroughly during rainy 
weather. Begin at the top and sweep down 
all spider webs, chalf and mouse litter from tlie 
beams and girders. Turn over loose botirds on 
the ground floors, and brush out wire-worms, 
sowbugs, centipedes, and all other insects that 
exist there and in cracks. Where there are large 
cracks in the upper sides of beams, fill them 
with coal tar, and then scatter clean sand over 
them, so that it will settle into the tar. This 
preserves the timber and also repels insects. 
Barley. — Cut before it is dead ripe, and cure 
with care, as the grain will be heavier and 
brighter, and command a greater price in mar- 
ket; and the straw will furnish a great amount 
of fodder. When hay caps are not used on the 
barley shocks, to protect them from rain, the 
long straight bunches of straw should be placed 
carefully all over the tops of the shocks to turn 
the water as much as possible, and save the grain. 
Beans. — Field beans may be planted as late as 
the middle of this month, where early potatoes 
have been dug, or where Indian corn has failed. 
Buckii)he<it. — Sow as soon as the middle 
of the month in this latitude. Where there is 
danger of early frost, put in the seed sooner. 
Do not sow more than one bushel per acre. 
Twenty-four quarts of good seed is sufficient. 
Buckwheat may be sowed after barley, in many 
localities, and ripen before frost. Sow the seed 
very evenly, and roll the ground where there 
are any sm.all stones or clods, in order to have 
a smooth surAice on which to harvest the grain. 
Butter. — See that milk pails and pans are 
thoroughly scalded; that those who milk have 
clean hands; that the milk is kept in a cool and 
airy place; that the cream is skimmed off at 
the right time; that churning is done often; 
that clean salt is used, and that the butter well 
worked and neatly packed in inodorous vessels. 
Cabbages. — Where the ground is rich, nice 
heads may be raised before winter from plauts 
set any time in July, if they are kept well hoed. 
Corn. — Keep the horse-hoes and cultivators 
in motion among the growing corn. Use a 
short whiffle-tree when the stalks are so larg<^ 
as to break off easily. Straighten up .all hills 
that are not disposed to grow erect. Hot 
weather is the best time to work among grow- 
ing corn. Better pull than to cut large weeds ; 
Indian corn does not need root pruning. 
Calves. — See that they have a good supply of 
clean fresh water, during the hot weather. Let 
them have access also to a tub containing salt. 
Wean them gradually. It is very injurious to 
withhold a full supply of milk, abruptly, and 
confine them to grass and water. It often 
stunts them so that they never recover from it. 
Clover. — Read the articles on clover seed, and 
making clover hay, in this and previous num- 
bers. Where clover has got the start of stock 
in pastures, it is better to mow it off and let a 
new crop grow, than to let it go to seed, as ani- 
mals do not relish it when it is old and tougli. 
Draining. — Look out for, and give early or- 
ders for good tiles. Round or pipe tiles are best, 
if well made and burned. Never use soft ones. 
A well burnt tile ought to ring like a bell when 
struck, and a soft one will not unfrequently be 
crushed by the weight of earth settling over it. 
Fallows. — Read the remarks on summei fal- 
lows on page 211 of this number. Rather lb in 
allow a good soil to lie exposed to the bunii'ig 
sun for several months, sow three or fi'iir 
bushels of Indian corn per acre. In six weeks 
there will be a good burden of gi'een manure to 
plow under. Let fathers repeat it to their sons, 
and let them impress it upon their posterity, 
that fallowinggood land tends to impoverish it. 
Chain. — Make timely calculations to cotn- 
mence harvesting grain before it is dead ripe. 
