16i 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mat, 
Contents for May, 1873. 
Animals, High feeding Thorough-bred 170 
Bee Notes for Stay 1<» 
Boys and Girls' Columns — The Menagerie Prizes— 
Aunt Sin's Puzzle-Box— About Aunt Sue's Prizes— 
Our Menagerie Blustl died. 1ST, 1S8 
Boys and Gills, To 169 
Broom-Corn Culture 4 Illustrations.. 176 
Batter, What is Said of 179 
Castor-Brans 17C, 
Coaling-Moth— Wier'e Trap.. 3 Illustrations.. 184 
Cow at Home, Jersey 171 
Farmers and Railroads 1G9 
Farm Work for May 162 
Feed, Nutritive Value of 178 
Fence, A New Flood Illustrated. .17-2 
Flax, Cultivating.. 178 
Flowers for Cut ting 183 
Flower-Garden and Lawn for May 104 
Fruit Qardcn for May r 
Gardeners, Hint for Young Illustrated.. 169 
Grape-Vines 1S8 
Greenhouse and Window Plants for May 104 
Horse-Fork, Use of Illustrated. 176 
Horse's Broken Leg, Bow to Set a 17^ 
Household Department— A Boiled Knife— What to Do 
with Bleeding Wounds- -Rag-Bags- Home Topics- 
Steamed Corn-Bread i Illustrations. 185, 186 
Jersey Cattle for Beef 178 
Kitchen Garden for May 105 
Lettuce iu Greenhouses. Forcing 183 
Market Reports 104 
Marketing Produce 181 
Mocki ng-Bi rd Illustrated .113 
Moving-Bee Illustrated. 161 
Ogden Farm Papers, No. ^9— Manure on Clay Soil - 
Abortion in Cattle— Deep-Can System 1 TO 71 
Orchard and Nursery for May 63 
Pearl -Fishing in Vermont 3 Illustrations. .179 
Pear, Winter Nelis 2 Illustrations. .183 
Plants— Calla. A Native lUustrvXed. .181 
Plants, Ginseng Illustrated. .181 
Quicksands. Draining 173 
Roots a- Manure 175 
I ".xtierience with ..IBS 
Sheep, Dipping Uhtstrated. .175 
Steam-Motor, Pan-in' s . Illustrated. . 17-2 
i :i on the Farm Illustrated. .173 
Trout, Feeding Young .ITS 
and Talks on the Farm, No. 113— Curing Corn 
Manuring Land— Weeds— Wages 174, 175 
.Wheel for Irrigation Uhtstrated. .176 
Water-Cress Cultivation 183 
INDEX T" "basket," on SHOr.TFn. AIITICLES. 
Advertisemcnts,Read thelOT 
Arithmetical 107 
Ashes from Spent Tan- 
Bark 16S 
Basket.Thc Paragon.2i8.168 
Bermuda Coffee and 
other Products 10S 
Boring 107 
Br lediri :.Pro ' : for.l 18 
Bureau of Statistics 10' 
Bushel. Standard 160 
Calf. Weak Ev is in a. ..16' 
Catalogues Received 168 
Chopped Oats and Corn.. 108 
Clover. Al-ike 100 
Colt Feeding aYcarling.lff 
Colts. Management 108 
n.'s Snrorise Po- 
tato. etc 16fJfPlows, Swivel 
Con r I ■ Walls 1 
Corn for Fo : lcr, S iwed. 168 
Corn, 120 Bushels to the 
Acre 10G 
Contemporary's Opinion.l 15 
Cow, A Good Jersey 1C~ 
Cow-Peas, Culture ot 100 
Cows far Draft Furpos s.166 
Cribbing 100 
Editor. An Enraged 105 
Encouraging froin.Tcxas.167 
En ine lor Thrashing- 
Machinc ..100 
Epizootic . . lit 
Estimate Wanted 108 
Feed RootsafterMilkingl67 
Fence- Wire 10' 
Garget 100 
Gophers. How to Kill.. .16' 
Gt ten Manuring 16' 
Guano. Peruvian 10' 
Harrowing 166 
Hay, Red-Top for 166 
Hay without Barn-Yard 
Manure 100 
Homoeopathic Veterinary 
Practice 108 
House, Plan for a 107 
IIumHues. Snndry 105 
Indian Tan 167 
[ron-Pipe, Galvanized. . .168 
Letters, No Anonymous. 165 
Lime and Manure 168 
Manure. Animal.... 107 
Manure-Eating Cows ...108 
Milk-Pails 166 
Mortar. Materials for 107 
No Name 165 
Petroleum. Crude 100 
Plaster on Spring Crops. 167 
Plows, Swivel '...100 
Potash as a Fertilizer . . . 107 
Potatoes— Early Peas... .108 
Poultry Profits 107 
Powder and Caterpillars. 167 
"Put it iu the April No. "165 
Rubber Paint. American. 108 
Russian Crabs 107 
St. Vitus Dance 168 
See ling Grass in Spting.166 
!, Do l bey Swallow 
their Young 1 105 
Society, National Colum- 
barian 165 
.Spavin. Bog 107 
Stable Manure, Baling.. .166 
Sulphuric Acid. Diluted. 108 
Taylor's Cattle Food 1113 
Tobacco Culture as to its 
Molality 168 
Variegated Leaves 168 
Wells. Artesian 167 
Wound. T'n healed 167 
Salt and Planter for Grass.— 
"H. P. M.." Walworth. Wis., asks if it will pay to use 
Fill and plaster for grass. The salt cost him ly, cent per 
1, mnd, and the plaster >. cent.— Use the plaster alone, 
100 pounds per acre. Try tile salt on a few rods, at the 
rite of one pound to the square rod. As a rule, it will 
not pay to use salt for manure at $30 per ton. 
Calendar for May. 
Doston.A'JEng- 
t'ind.y. }"./. 
State. Michi- 
gan. IViscon- 
sin, Imca. antl 
Oreaon. 
11 M 
! 55 
i 5i : 
4 is i 
4 IS ' 
4 47 ; 
4 IG1 
4 45 1 
4 44 \ 
1 IS 1 
4 i: ; 
i r ; 
I 40 7 
l 39 i 
1 : ■-■ ; 
t :;; ; 
4 : i 
4 16 ', 
4 35 ; 
4 "I i 
J 33 
! :■; - 
III' 
,43' 
4 OB 
4 29 
4 28 
1 '.'7 
4 86 
it -m n. 
7 lunin 
A". T.CiliJ. VI., 
Philadelphia, 
Xeio Jersey, 
I'enn.. Ohio. 
Indiana, and 
Illinois, 
10 
1 2 
3 1 3<i 
4 2 10 
:. -.' 15 
r. a 58 
7 a a 
I :: :.i 
4 II 
in 4 2: 
II i ! - 
IS rls - 
IS in ■■ 
II 11 8 
I; 11 59 
oi-'i 
23 
; :t set 
1 2 - 
7 21' 
7 27 
7 as 
T 28 
41 
1 ri 
1 17 
2 11 
2 :■;■. 
2 
; .- 
2 
9 
10 S 
10 56 
11 37 
- 
ii.M n.5i 
4 59 5C 
4 57 57 
4 56 6 5s 
I 5 1 ''■ 'il 
4 53 7 
4 52 7 1 
4 51 7 2 
4 50 7 " 
4 49 7 4 
I 48 7 5 
4 47 7 r, 
-i i, r t 
4 4". 7 s 
4 44 7 :> 
i 13,7 10 
i 12,7 11 
4 42 7 11 
4 41 7 18' 
4 4(1 7 12 
4 40 7 II 
4 It 7 15 
. 
I ::; 7 ". 
4 37 7 1^ 
4 Sfi 7 19 
4 35 7 19 
4 35 7 20 
! 31 ; 2: 
4 33 7 as 
I ... . 3 
n. si. 
morn 
13 
56 
1 33 
2 6 
2 38 
2 56 
3 19 
:; :.i 
4 1 
4 25 
4 52 
iSPS 
9 57 
11 3 
11 53 
innrn 
39 
1 15 
1 45 
a io 
2 3s 
: 1 
:; 1 
sels 
7 56 
9 3 
10 2 
10 49 
11 31 
morn 
Washington, 
Maryland, 
Virginia.Ken- 
luckg. Hissou- 
ri, and Gall 
fovnia. 
n. M 
5 2 
5 1 
5 (J 
I 58 
4 57 
4 M 
I 55 
4 51 
i 5 
4 5.' 
4 51 
4 .'" 
I 49 
4 4S 
4 47 
4 46 
4 46 
4 45 
4 41 
4 44 
4 42 
1 IS 
4 j: 
4 42 
I 41 
4 4'i 
1 111 
4 39 
4 39 
1 2s 
4 37 
Il.M II. K. 
6 58 morn 
6 53 6 
6 54 
6 55 
i'. 5'. 
6 57 
6 58 
6 59 
7 
7 1 
7 2 
49 
1 28 
2 1 
2 29 
2 54 
:: 18 
:; 29 
4 3 
4 as 
4 56 
4 rises 
5 9 50 
6 Id 55 
7 11 47 
7 morn 
8 34 
9 1 II 
10 1 42 
10 2 11 
11 2 38 
12 3 5 
13 3 31 
14 set- 
I' 7 51 
16' 8 56 
161 9 55 
11 10 43 
18 11 25 
15 12 
I ft ASKS OF THE MUCIN. 
MOOX. 
BOSTON*. 
X. YORK. 
WASU'X. 
CHA'STONICHtOAGO. 
1"- 
It. M. 
II. 31. 
II. M. 
II. M. 11. 51. 
1st Quart 1 
7 I'' 11'. 
7 31 m. 
7 25 111. 
7 13 m. 6 43 111. 
Full M'n 12 
6 34 111. 
G 22 le. 
6 10- 111 
5 -8 111. 5 J- 111. 
3d Quart.! 19 
6 15 m. 
6 4 m. 
5 52 111. 
5 10 111. 1 5 10 m. 
New M'n 20 
4 30 m. 
4 34 m. 
t 12 m 
1 4 m. 3 SO in 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, MAY, 1873. 
We are sometimes asked, "How early will it do 
to sow this or that crop?" A more important 
question with many of us is, " How late will it do 
to sow or plant ? " On our own farm, we aim to 
tret in our crops as early as possible. If the land 
is in good working order, we bave never sustained 
any injury from too early sowing or planting. But 
it is a rare season when we are able to sow as early 
as we wish. As a rule, do what we will, it is not 
an easy matter to get in the seed at what we consi- 
der the best time. And \ve have to run more or 
less risk from late sowing and planting. In look- 
ing over our diary, we find that we commenced 
sowing barley in 18G6 on the 12th of April, the 
land being, according to the i-eeord, " in prime 
order." But after this, owing to rainy weather, 
the work dragged ; and we did not finish sowing 
until May 1st. TVe sowed field peas May 1st and 
2d; planted potatoes May 5th to 11th ; corn, May 
17th to 22d. 
In 1867.— Commenced plowing April 12th. Drill- 
ed iu barley April 18th. Planted field potatoes 
May 17th-25th. Commenced to plant corn June 
5th, and finished June 12th. Planted potatoes (in 
another field) June 16th — and had a good yield. 
Planted beans June 15th. Commenced cutting 
clover June 2Sth ; wheat, July 16th. 
In 1868.— Commenced plowing on corn-stubble 
for barley March 26th. Fiuished the field of 15 
aeres March 29th. Commenced sowing March 31st. 
This was a remarkably early season ; but we did 
not get through sowing our spring grains (barley, 
oats, and peas) until April 25th. " May 3d, aspara- 
gus just coming through the ground." Com- 
menced planting potatoes May 6th — finished June 
4th. Set out tomato plants from pots May 23d. 
Commenced planting corn May 28th ; finished 
June 2d. " First green-peas from garden, Carter's 
First Crop, June 19th." Planting field beans 
June 11th. Commenced cutting clover June 34th; 
wheat. July 16th. 
1S69. — April 15th, sowed three bushels ArnautUa 
spring wheat from Department of Agriculture — a 
miserable crop. April 16th, plowing for and sow- 
ing oats. April 17th, four teams plowing in fall- 
fallow for bailey April 22d, drilled in the barley. 
This was quite as good a crop as that sown in 
March, 1868— over 50 bushels per acre. April 27th, 
harrowing winter wheat and sowing clover seed. 
May 1st, drilling in oats. May 10th, planting po- 
tatoes. May 12th, plowing for corn. May 13 I 
commenced drilling in corn, close up to the pi 
Finished planting corn June 2d. June 22d, first 
green-peas from garden. July 5th, commenced 
cutting clover. July 19: h, gathered the turnip seed. 
July 29th, commenced cutting wheat with two 
reaping-machines. July 31. cutting sis-rowed 
barley. August 3d, thrashing wheat as it was 
drawn in from the field. 
1S70. — Commenced plowing April 14th, but the 
frost was not fairly out of the ground, and had to 
stop. May 18th, planting corn. May 20th, plant- 
ing potatoes, and finished May 28th. 
1871. — April 10th, drilled in ten acres of oats and 
peas — three bushels of peas and one bushel of oats 
per acre. April 12th, two teams plowing on fallow 
for mustard and rape. April 22d, weighed five 
grade Cotswold-Merino lambs, nine weeks old- 
average 49 lbs. each. April 25th, cultivating fall- 
plowed corn-stubble land for mangel-wurzel. 
April 25th, sowed Montana spring wheat, also 
Rocky Mountain spring wheat, received from De- 
partment of Agriculture (both a failure). April 
26th, began plowing for corn. May 8th, ridging 
for mangels ; finished sowing mangels May 12th. 
May 19th, a few mangel plants, the first sown, just 
commenced to break the ground. May 22d, plant- 
ing potatoes and corn. May 29th, sowed plaster 
and ashes on the corn, which is just up. June 1st, 
commenced to hoe mangels; owing to tl.e dry 
weather, tbey came up very irregularly. June 6th, 
planted corn on low land. June 9ih, plowing fal- 
low second time. July 3d, commenced cutting 
clover. July 15th, commenced cutting wheat 
with one machine ; cut and bound 12 acres the 
first day. July 20th, plowing fallow third time, 
and sowing rape. July 86th, sowed white mustard. 
July 28th, commenced cutting oats and peas — at 
first wilh short-bladed scythes, but found it slow 
work; tried a Johnston reaper, and found that the 
machine cut the crop, which was a very heavy one, 
quite as well as we could cut it with scythes. 
La?t year the spring was about two weeks later 
than the year before. We did not sow mangels 
uutil about the first of June, but we soaked the 
seed, and the plants were ready to single out quite 
as early as the crop of 1871, sown three weeks 
earlier. 
We will not trouble our readers wilh further de- 
tails. We give these brief extracts from our diary 
to show the usual range of the sowing and plant- 
ing season on our own farm. 
Hiuts about Work. 
These monthly Hints are written on the farm 
alluded to above, but we aim to make them gene- 
rally useful. If some of our readers are harvesting 
wheat when we are talking about plantiug corn, 
they must bear in mind the difference in climate. 
Sow to JPtow and Plant admits of greater diversity 
and a far greater chance for improvement than 
total to plant. The seasons are, to a great extent, 
beyond our control, but the chemical and median? 
ieal principles of agriculture are everywhere the 
same, and we should study to adapt them to the 
character of the soil and climate. Much of our 
success will depend on ornr ability to economize 
our own strength and energy and the strength of 
our men and teams. The more thoroughly we 
study scientific and mechanical principles the 
greater will be our ability to save labor. 
"Much Work with Little Labor" should be the 
motto of every intelligent American farmer. 
High Wages are a great blessing, provided the 
men can cam them. Temporary high prices, whe- 
ther of wages or of commodities, obtained by 
strikes or combinations which check production, 
are a curse to individuals and communities. 
The Best Men are the Cheapest.— Every experienced 
farmer knows this to be the case: and yet it is rare 
