Agriculture is the 'most Jie- //In/, the most useful, anc 
1 the most noble employment of man. — Washington". 
VOL. IX. NEW YORK, DECEMBER, 1850. NO. XII. 
A. B. Allen & R. L. Allen, Editors. C. M. Saxton & E. Blanchard, Publishers. 
CONTENTS OF DECEMBER NUMBER. 
What are Birds Good for? 
Shorthorn Cattle G. A. D. ; Ashes are Deodorisers ; A } 
New Building Material ; Grape Cuttings j 
Management of Dairy Stock ; A Conversation with Mr. ) 
Boiling of Virginia, about Farming ( 
How to Mismanage a Garden 
Village Lectures, No. 2 
Transporting Seeds 
Letter from an Old Friend in Illinois ; Hand Cotton Gin ; ) 
The Cultivator — Subsoil Plowing, L. Durand s 
Root and Apple Grinder ; Maryland Farming — a Great I 
Turnip Crop i 
Carts, Drays, and Other Things, Solon 
Rough Notes by the Way, Samuel Allen ; The Monte- \ 
zuma Marshes ; School of Applied Chemistry ) 
Further Notes on Jefferson County, Solon Robinson ; The } 
Philosophy of Human Life, David Tomlinson \ 
Greenwood Cemetery ; Russian Superstition about Po- I 
tatoes, R J 
Ohio Cattle Show, A Visitor 
English Barley Culture 
Tool Shop for Farmers ; Georgia Burr Millstones 
Pruning and Budding Knives ; Cattle Shows and Fairs. . . 
Education of Farmers ; Grapes will Rot 
Sadies' Department. — Chemistry for Girls ; Washing ) 
Directions— From the Soap Man ; Milliners in Lon- > 
don ; Cleansing or Renovating Brine ; To Keep ) 
Door Knobs Clean ; To Remove White Spots from I 
Furniture ; Curious Penalty of the Arabs J 
Foreign Agricultural News 
Editors' Table 
Review of the Markets 
362 
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366 
367 
369 
370 
371 
372 
373 
374 
375 
376 
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378 
380 
381 
382 
TO SUBSCRIBERS. 
This number completes the ninth volume of 
the Agriculturist. With volume tenth, we shall 
introduce some improvements, which we hope 
will render our periodical still more acceptable 
to its numerous readers. 
Thanks to the valuable agricultural papers, 
which, for the past few years, have been scatter- 
ed broadcast throughout the land, a decided 
spirit of improvement is at length aroused. A 
better system of tillage has been practised the 
past year, in many parts of the country, than 
was ever before known ; quadruple the number 
of improved implements have been sold and put 
in use; improved stock is again in demand; 
standard works on agriculture are anxiously 
sought for and read with avidity ; agricultural so- 
cieties are forming in every direction, and those 
already established have been much better at- 
tended than heretofore. We congratulate the 
farmers 6f the United States on this great 
change, and hope most sincerely that >t may be 
progressive; for it cannot but add much, very 
much, to their worldly interests and general 
comfort and happiness. Continue to patronise 
agricultural publications, and add your best 
efforts to influence others to do the same; 
take heed to their precepts, and be assured that 
you will be the great gainers by this enlight- 
ened course of conduct. Every person ought 
to take one or more agricultural papers, and he 
who does not, depend upon it, will be the main 
sufferer from his neglect. 
SElF'The Agriculturist will be continued as 
heretofore, at one dollar per single copy, two 
dollars for three copies, and five dollars for 
eight copies, in advance. 
j^lF'Please address all subscriptions to the 
publishers, Messrs. Saxton & Blanchard, 123; 
Fulton street, (up-stairs,) New York. Money 
may be remitted at their risk. 
[glP'The law permits subscriptions to be sent' 
free through the Postmasters. Please to pay at- 
tention to this, as postage is a heavy item in the 
publication of our paper. 
