24,2 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
Contents for July, 1871. 
Agricultural Societies ami Fairs 249 
Aprons for Horses Illustrated. 256 
Arrow-head ■ .Illustrated. 2(11 
Barn Barrow for Fodder Illustrated . 256 
Birds— Great and Razor-billed Auks Illustrated. .253 
Bots in Horses 250 
Boys and Girls' Columns.— Setting Traps— Ingenuity 
of Rats— Aunt Sue's Puzzle Box— Waiting for a 
Bite * Illustration*. . 267-26S 
Buffalo Grass •••• Illustrated.. sail 
Carnations for Winter Blooming 202 
Cheese Presses Illustrated . .258 
Collecting Flower-seeds 202 
Color of Bulls 250 
Cttuntry Roads and Bridges 2 Illustrations 
Cranberry Bag, Where to look for 
Deep, Loose Soil Illustrated 
Farm Work for July 
9 in 
263 
256 
..242 
Flower Garden and Lawn in July 244 
Foot and Mouth Disease 251 
Fruit Garden in July 243 
Greenhouse an i Window Plants in July 244 
Grindstone Frame and Trough Illustrated. 256 
Horses in Summer 255 
Household Department— An Unpatented Trap— An 
Ironing Board— Home Topics— City Guests in the 
Country — Washing Dishes — Playthings for Chil- 
' dren— Salads and Salad Dressing — Ecouomy in 
Ice— Recipes 2 Illustrations. .265-266 
How to Get Thorough-bred Stock 259 
Implements for Moving Stone 3 Illustrations . . 257 
Kitchen Garden in July 243 
Market Reports 244 
Notes from the Pines — A Silver-Gray Edging— Gar- 
land-flower— Golden Yew— Dicentra Spectabilis alba 
— Names and Numbers — White Wiegela — How a 
Monarch Dies 261-262 
Ogden Farm Papers No. 19— Root Crops— Coloring 
Butter— Soiling with Rye— Sowing Oats with Grass- 
Experiments in Butter-Making 251 
Orchard and Nursery in July 243 
Pasque-flower Illustrated . .261 
Peach Borer, New Remedy for 263 
Pigs for Fresh Pork 249 
Poultry— An Egg Farm 6 Illustrations. .257-258 
Poultry— New Buff Cochins 2 Illustrations . .253 
Red Spider 262 
Riding on Horseback, No. 5 3 Illustrations. . 252 
Root Crops 259 
Saving Clover Seed 259 
Seed Sowing in Dry Weather 263 
Seed Wheats 256 
Sheep on a Poor Farm *. 250 
Strawberries for Next Spring 262 
Substitutes for Hay 259 
Summer Layering 263 
The " Rubbing Post " Illustrated 260 
Thrash the Grain Early 259 
Tussock-cutting Implement. Illustrated . .Ho6 
Two-leaved Solomon's Seal Illustrated . . 264 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 91 — Red-root — 
Dr. Voelcker's Experiments with Clover — Advice to 
a Young Farmer — Curry-combs — Chester Whites 
and other Breeds 254-255 
Wild Pink Illustrated . .264 
Woodc«ck's Feeding Ground Illustrated.. 241 
foung Trees in Hot Weather 262 
INDEX TO "BASKET," OR SHORTER ARTICLES. 
Calendar for July. 
Agriadturist as Pre- 
miums... 245 
American Pomological 
Society 245 
American Raisins 246 
Artificial Hatching 24S 
Bee Notes, July 248 
Bloody Milk 248 
Broken-winded Horse... 247 
Chester Co. Mammoth 
Corn 248 
Clover 24' 
Colic in Horses 247 
Manuring Cheap Land... 247 
Marsh Lands 247 
New Early Peach 245 
New Poultry Paper 248 
Peas for Manure 247 
Peter Henderson Ac Co. ..245 
Pinching Vines 246 
Plaster on Potatoes 246 
Plaster on Wheat 247 
Potato Bugs 245-246 
Potatoes Grow to Tops. .247 
Potatoes in New Ground. 247 
Prolific Graft 246 
Cocoa or Nut-grass 246'Pure Water 245 
Cucumber Brtgs 246 Red Corn 247 
Curing Clover 247 Salt-Fish Manure 247 
Curing Hay 247 Smut in Wheat 246 
Editorial Advertisements24S Southern Farmer 246 
Fairbank's Patent 216 
Farmer's Work-shop 248 
Fast Walkers 247 
First Bool; of Botany 246 
Four Calves at a Birth. ..248 
Gang Plows 247 
Grain Moth 245 
Grass Seeding 247 
Guano 247 
Horse Disease 245 
Sumach 246 
Sundry Humbugs 245 
Superphosphate on Mea- 
dows 247 
Sweet-Potato Bug 245 
Tanning Cat-Skin 248 
Tansy forCurraiit-Wonns246 
Testing Medicines 248 
Timothy Hay 247 
Traveling Shows 246 
Hot-bed 245iTuriiips and Cabbages... 245 
Humbugs, Sundry 215: Washing Trees 246 
Light Biahmas 248 Wet Meadow 248 
Lime on Stubble 247, Where to Locate 21s 
Locust for Posts 246Wire Fencing 247 
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PHASES OF THE MOON. 
MOON. 
BOSTON. 
N. YORK. 
WASH'N. 
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R. M. 
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S 23 111 
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7 46 m. 
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S 13 111 . 
3 l m. 
7 44 m. 
7 19 in. 
New Moon 
17 
43 ev. 
31 ev. 
19 ev. 
7ev. 
11 37 m. 
1st Quart. 
25 
1 7 m. 
55 ni. 
43 m. 
31 m. 
1 m. 
Full 
31 
4 33 ev. 
4 21 ev. 
4 9 ev. 
3 57 ev. 
3 27 ev. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, JULY, 1871. 
The American Agriculturist was one of the earliest 
advocates of the plan for communicating by tele- 
graph the state of the weather at different .points 
of the continent. We were fully satisfied of its 
importance to the farmers of the country. And 
we cannot hut rejoice that the Government is now 
furnishing daily reports to the papers. Probably a 
still more efficient system will, iu time, be inaugu- 
rated by the use of signal guns. But even now, 
those farmers who take a morning paper can re- 
ceive timely warning of the approach of a storm. 
We believe, however, that it would be well to tell 
us what the "probabilities" are for two or three 
days in advance. Farmers have not time to study 
out this matter every day for themselves, and we 
believe they would cheerfully excuse a good many 
mistakes if the meteorologist would give us his 
opinion of what the weather is likely to be for two 
or three days in advance. We do not expect cer- 
tainties, but would like to know the probabilities. 
And it is nearly as important for us to know that 
the indications are favorable for settled weather, as 
to know that a storm is approaching. No sensible 
farmer will leave his hay out any longer than he 
can help. If it is ready, he will draw it in whether 
a storm is approaching or not. What he most 
needs to know is whether he had better cut his 
grass to-day or wait until to-morrow. After it is 
cut, the meteorologist can help him but little. 
We are very differently situated in this respect 
from the Euglish farmer. He does not a6k when 
he shall cut his grass, but when he shall stir it. 
He often cuts iu a rain, thinking that by the time 
he is through cutting, the rain may be over, and 
he shall have fair weather to make the hay. As 
long as the weather is damp or rainy, the fresh cut 
grass will not be injured in the swath, but after it 
is stirred and partly cured, then rain or dew is very 
injurious. But with us, grass cures so rapidly that 
we cannot allow it to lie in the swath or spread 
out on the ground. When it is cut we must attend 
to it — dry it as rapidly as possible and get it iuto 
cock. After it is in cock, it is sometimes a ques- 
tion with us, as it is iu England, whether we had 
better open the cocks or let them remain as they 
are. It is at this point that we want to know what 
the weather is going to be for a few hours in ad- 
vance. If by opening the cocks we can get the hay 
dry, and there is time to draw it iu, it is best to 
open them ; but if the weather is uncertain and the 
hay is well cocked, it is better not to disturb it. 
Hints about Work. 
Haying and Harvesting are supposed to be the 
most important work for July. There is a sense, 
of course, in which this is true. But if those of 
our readers who keep a daily record of their farm 
operations will turn to them, they will find that 
gathering the crops constitutes, notwithstanding its 
traditional and real importance, a very small part 
of the actual work of the month. With mowers, 
reapers (we wish we could add binders), tedders, 
rakes, and unloading forks, all run by horses, har- 
vesting calls for the exercise of very different fac- 
ulties than it did when the farmer, notwithstand- 
ing his many cares, found it necessary to lead the 
mowers and cradles in the hay and wheat field. 
The most important work of thin month is doing 
those things which we are constantly tempted to 
neglect. Among these may be mentioned : 
The cellar, drains, siuks, privy, etc., must lie 
kept clean. Dry earth is the best and cheapest dis- 
infectant. For sinks and drains, use copperas or 
chloride of lime. The nights and mornings are 
frequently chilly. Make a little fire on the hearth, 
or in the stove. Go to bed early and get a plenty 
of sleep. 
The health of our Animals. — The sickness and 
death of stock constitutes one of thegreatestlosse~ 
and discouragements of the farmer. The immedi 
ate cause of their death maybe beyond our con- 
trol, but in nine cases out of ten, the disease, ii 
we search back far enough, might be traced to dys- 
pepsia, derangement of the bowels, and general 
debility. Improper and irregular feeding, over- 
work in a hot sun, going too long without water, 
and then giving too much, are among the causes 
of bad digestion and general ill-health. And these 
are under our control. 
Killing weeds is one of the most important labors 
on the farm, at this season. None should be suf- 
fered to go to seed, if it can be avoided without too 
great expense. At any rate, not a weed should be 
suffered in corn, potatoes, and other hoed crops. 
Summer-fallows for Wheat are apt to be neglected 
this month. A good plowing or cultivating dur- 
ing this dry, hot weather, will kill every weed that 
has germinated. Heavy, cloddy land, that can be 
reduced and pulverized when completely dry, will 
not forget it for years. 
Cultivating corn we regard as the most impor- 
tant labor of the month. There can no longer be 
any doubt that thorough and repeated cultivation 
will frequently add one-third to the yield, while the 
future condition of the land is greatly improved. 
Hoeing com is becoming less and less necessary, 
owing to the improvements in our horse-hoes and 
cultivators. We sometimes wish that the phrase 
"hoeing corn," or "hoeing potatoes," was ban- 
ished from our agricultural vocabulary. We try to 
impress it on our own men that we do not want 
them to "hoe the corn." We want them merely 
to hoe the weeds. They would get over twice as 
much laud in a day, if this simple idea could be got 
into their heads. We want every weed destroyed 
that the cultivator cannot reach — and that is all or 
nearly all that is required. Many men waste half 
their time faddling about the hills of corn, forget- 
ting that we have cultivators that will do the work 
of hilling nearly as well as it can be done with the 
hoe, and for one-third the cost. 
Hilling corn, notwithstanding so much has been 
said against the practice, still has many advocates 
among intelligent farmers. In our own case, we 
throw up a little soil to the plants early in July, in 
hopes of smothering some of the small weeds iu 
the hill. About the first of August we go over ihe 
field, and hoe out such weeds as have escaped, and 
the soil that has been thrown up can be hoed away 
without injury. 
