The American Cultivator still holds its own as 
one of the foremost agricultural periodicals of the 
age. Fresh, crisp and spicy in its editorials, thor¬ 
oughly practical in its advice to farmers and stock 
breeders, and fully trustworthy as to its market re¬ 
ports, everything in it betokens a thorough knowledge 
of the needs of the American cultivators and is fully 
entitled to the generous support which it receives. 
Published weekly at Boston, Mass., at $2.00 a year. 
Gleanings in Bee Culture, monthly, published 
at Medina. Ohio, contains much of interest besides 
that which is “devoted to Bees and Honey/’ Every 
page has something of interest, and while some of 
the theories of its editor are occasionally upset, the 
fact he appears to be in dead earnest in every good 
work he undertakes, even if at a loss to himself, 
makes the reader feel a friendly interest in all he 
says and does. He who takes Gleanings a year 
can’t stop. $1.00 a year. 
The Cottage Hearth, published monthly at Bos¬ 
ton, Mass.. is a finely illustrated magazine of home 
arts, and home culture. It contains more reading of 
practical domestic worth to the home circle, than any 
other magazine of its price with which we are ac¬ 
quainted. Portraits and sketches of distinguished 
men. superior home music and poetry, choice floral 
;wticles, &c., fill each number. $1.50 per year, or 
with Seed-Time and Harvest at $1.00. 
Rural Record is the name of a sprightly rural 
magazine published at Chattanooga, Tenn., If a pa¬ 
per of 16 quarto pages filled with articles for the fam¬ 
ily circle, farm and plantation, children and household 
generally, by the best writers, (besides the covers, > 
make a good paper, then this fills the bill. The peo¬ 
ple of our Central Southern States should give it a 
hearty support. $1.00 per year, or with Seed Time 
and Harvest. $1.25. 
The Poultry Monthly comes filled with just such 
articles as will be of most use to the breeders and 
raisers of poultry, pigeons and other pet stock. It is 
finely illustrated each month, a prominent feature 
being photographic portraits of specimens of the va¬ 
rious breeds of poultry as bred by the best fanciers 
in the country'. It is published by the Ferris Publish¬ 
ing Co.. Albany. X. Y., at $1.25 per year, and is a mod¬ 
el of typographical neatness. 
The American Bee Journal, published weekly at 
Chicago. Ill., is regarded as the standard authority 
on “scientific bee-keeping” in the United States. The 
best writers on the subjects involved, contribute to 
its pages the results of their labors. Every progres¬ 
sive bee-keeper who wishes to know all about what 
is being done in the honey producing world, should 
he a subscriber. $2.00 a year, or with Seed-Time 
and Harvest $2.25. 
City and Country, published at Columbus. Ohio, 
comes out enlarged to 24 pages, having added two 
pages to its Agricultural Department and two more 
pages of advertising. Its editorial department is 
equal to the emergency, and in general appearance 
and make-up it will compare favorably with many of 
the higher priced monthlies. 50 cents a year. 
NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
While the quality of commercial fer¬ 
tilizers has been raised more than 100 per 
cent, and the price has receded in a like 
proportion, yet the relative cost of the pur¬ 
chased article, and that which may be ob¬ 
tained at first cost at Nature’s laboratory 
by the cultivation of nitrogen-absorbing 
plants, and a greater economy in caring for 
the manures of a farm, exhibit still to wide 
a difference and the cultivation of clover is 
therefore making a most rapid advance. 
This is noticable in the potato growing dis¬ 
tricts where a clover sod is held of first 
choice, an old potato raiser informing me 
that he held that there was fully 100 pounds 
of potash available for his potatoes in every 
acre of clover. —J. G., Western Reserve, O. 
We have several times called attention to 
the importance and also given hints as to 
the best manner of accomplishing an im¬ 
provement in seed corn. The idea is so 
plainly and concisely given in The American 
Gvltivator . that we copy it : — “In order to 
make permanent improvements in corn, 
and one upon which every one can rely, first 
obtain the best possible seed: then plant 
half an acre of well fertilized land, and bo 
sure to give the corn the best of culture; 
examine it very carefully till the tassels 
show themselves clear of tlie stalk, then 
remove all the tassels from that of inferior 
growth, allowing none but the very best to 
remain, l’lie polen of the tassels left will 
be sufficient to fertilize the whole. The 
advantage in this method is to make cer¬ 
tain that the whole is impregnated with 
only the very best seed. An ear of corn in 
itself may be to all appearance pei feet but 
having been fertilized by pollen from a 
less perfect stalk it may produce when plan¬ 
ted and grown a more im bet feet specimen. 
But if having been fertilized by pollen from 
the best of stalks oniv’ there is a degree of 
certainty that the perfect ears will produce 
corn as productive and as perfect as the 
seed from which it is produced. By pursu¬ 
ing such a course fora few seasons, not 
only will the corn be greatly improved, but 
with a certain degree of safety it can be 
warranted that the produce from the setjd. 
