1878.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
275 
towing pertinent statement as to the loss caused by in¬ 
effective levees in the Southern States. He lives on a 
plantation that would produce 500 to 000 bales of cotton 
if the levees were perfect, but in their present imperfect 
condition only 200 to 300 bales can be produced. If*this 
loss occurs upon one plantation, what is the total 
loss in the whole of the river country? The question 
thus becomes one of more than individual importance; 
it is of great national interest. 
“ William Cullen Bryant, born Nov. 
3d, 1794; died June 12th, 1878,” was the simple inscrip¬ 
tion upon the coffin of one whose long life has been 
eulogized wherever the English language is spoken. 
Other journals have discussed his relations as poet, 
journalist, politician, etc. We record his death as one 
of our most intelligent horticulturists, and as one who, 
born amidst rural surroundings, never lost his love for 
country life, and who found in the forests and the flow¬ 
ers themes for his most enduring poems. While he is 
claimed as a bright example in other pursuits, we record 
our high esteem of him as a lover of nature, whether 
manifested in the more artificial products of the garden 
and orchard, or in those of the woods and fields. 
SSI© W-BIff.I.S for FAIRS.—Much of 
the success of Agricultural, as well as other Exhibitions, 
depends upon bringing them to the attention of the peo¬ 
ple attractively. A neat, speaking show-bill is effective 
for this. Officers of Agricultural Societies who may 
wish fine appropriate engravings for such bills, can ob¬ 
tain, at low rates, a selection from the largest and best 
assortment in this country, of Animals, Plants, Ma¬ 
chinery, etc., etc., by addressing the publishers of the 
American Agriculturist. The back volumes of the paper 
will 6erve as a guide for selection. 
Sowing Hungarian Grass.—“A. G. 
M.,” Shenandoah Co., Va. Hungarian grass is generally 
sown broadcast. The seed is very small, and half a bushel 
to three pecks per acre is sufficient. We know of nogood 
reason why it may not be sown with a drill along with a 
sufficient quantity of artificial fertilizer, unless it may be 
that the operation would be longer and the seed deposited 
deeper than if sown broadcast. This crop should not be 
sown until the soil is thoroughly warm, and all danger of 
cold rains has passed. When sown broadcast, apply 200 
jbs. per acre of some artificial fertilizer on the surface, 
after the seed has been sown upon the newly harrowed soil. 
Price of TIioroMgh.bred Cattle.— 
” S. K.” Cattle of the pure breeds are valued at all 
ranges of prices from $100 up to $50,000, according to 
their character for fancy points, or the consideration in 
which their owners hold them. Fair useful cows can bo 
purchased for $200 to $300, and bulls for $100 to $250. 
Siowiiog' Grass in Woodland.—“B. 
P. W.,” Raleigh, N. C. There are many opportunities 
of providing valuable pasture lots by seeding wood-lots 
down to grass. If the undergrowth and rubbish are re¬ 
moved, and the ground lightly broken up with the plow 
and harrow, it may be seeded without difficulty. Orchard 
grass, an 1 Kentucky blue-grass, thrive best under timber. 
A bushel of each may be sown per acre. 
WS&eat in Sontlla Awstralia. —The fol¬ 
lowing statistics of the wheat-crop in South Australia, 
will not only give interesting information regarding the 
agriculture of this British Colony, but will also tend to 
show that the low average of the American crop is 
even surpassed in lowness by that of Australia. The 
figures for the past four crops are as follows: 
Tear. 
Acres in 
Wheat. 
Produce bush. 
Average per 
Acre. 
Price 
per 
bush. 
1873-4 
784,784 
6,178,816 
7. 6 7ioo bus. 
$1.39 
1874-5 
839,633 
9,862,963 
11.“7 00 “ 
1.13 
•J 875-6 
898,820 
10,739,834 
ll. 5 7i°o “ 
1.25 
1876-7 
1.083,732 
5,857,569 
5, 24 /ioo “ 
1.50 
The Australian farmer can by no means rejoice over his 
American brother; on the contrary, the latter may con¬ 
gratulate himself that he is not the only, nor the worst 
sufferer, from small wheat-crops. 
SBasllet in Morse’s TTIiigia.—“ TV. L.,” 
•Crockett, Tex. To effect a cure of a wound caused by a 
rifle shot, the ball must be extracted, which can only be 
done by a surgeon. You had best call the ablest one in 
your neighborhood. Cast and confine the horse for him, 
and let him operate as if the patient were a man. 
Artesian Wells.— “J. L. B.,” Grant Co., 
W. Ya. No one can say if an Artesian well can bo pro¬ 
cured except by testing the question by boring for the 
■water. On examination of the locality, a competent 
geologist might give an opinion as to the probability of 
success, but no certain promise. For snccess, one must 
strike a subterranean current which has its source above 
the level of the mouth of the well. To do this is not 
always possible, and rarely probable. The Driven Well 
is an excellent substitute for the Artesian, and will work 
in any locality where it can be put in without excavating 
boulders or ledges. 
B'roiilBictioii of the Best Cows.— 
“ H.” The best cows sold iu the New York City markets, 
and quoted at the highest prices, viz., from $60 to $S0, 
will give from 20 to 22 quarts daily. 
§aufoi d Coria.—“R. D. B.,” Bedford Co., 
Ya. We can not say where the Sanford corn, which is 
a kind very useful for fodder, can be procured. There 
have been many inquiries for it this season that we 
were unabie to reply to, for the reason that those who 
have it neglected to advertise it. 
TL'o Kitl ;i ISsurio of BEtits.—“A Sub¬ 
scriber.” The method is as follows : Procure several 
empty barrels, and put a quantity of bran or grain in 
them, and leave them for the rats to feed in without dis¬ 
turbance for a few days. Then remove the bran, and 
half fill the barrels with water, covering the surface with 
bran. The rats will go into the barrels without hesita¬ 
tion, and many will be caught. To prevent the increase 
of rats, avoid having any hiding places, leaving the floors 
open to the entrance of cats, raise all the Bheds and build¬ 
ings above ground on posts, and have no wooden floors. 
-- 
Huts and Nubbins. 
The Virginia bell-punch is not a thermometer—it is 
more like a bar-room-meter. 
It is said that sliding down hill was the direct cause of 
over six hundred deaths during the last winter. Moral— 
Always slide up hill. 
Statistics show that the nui#l>er of idiots is increasing; 
and yet some newspapers continue to make war on quack 
doctors. What is a quack doctor for but to kill off the 
fools ? 
A young man sent 60 cts. to a firm in Michigan that 
advertised a receipt to prevent bad dreams, ne received 
a slip of paper, on which was written: “Don’t go to 
sleep.” 
“I say, Jim, if five and a half rods make a perch, how 
many will make a pickerel ? ”—“ You just tell me, first, 
if two hogsheads make a pipe, how many will make a 
meerschaum? ” 
The manufacture of paper from wood has reached per¬ 
fection in Canada. The superintendent of a mill up 
there says a tree is cut down and shoved into one end of | 
the mill, and five minutes later there is a neighbor at the 
other end to borrow the paper. 
Franky L. was told to watch a cow feeding on the 
Common. After a while his mother went out to see if 
her darling wanted relief, but the cow was nowhere in 
sight. “Why, Franky 1” said she, “I thought I told 
you to watch the cow.”—“ And so I did, so long as she 
was in sight.” 
We have a bell in our private office. It is used to call 
one of our boys with. At least that is the popular legend 
connected with the article. When we want one of the 
boys we ring the bell, and then go out in the back office 
and hunt him up and tell him of the fact. It always 
pleases him to learn that we have been ringing. 
A man saw a ghost, while walking along a lonely high¬ 
way, at midnight. The ghost stood exactly in the middle 
of the road, and the wayfarer, deciding to investigate, 
poked at it with his umbrella. The next instant he was 
knocked twenty feet into a mud-hole. Moral—Never 
poke at a large white mule when its back is turned. 
A Connecticut editor shows his familiarity with agri¬ 
culture in the following: “’T is wheat to n-oat the pro¬ 
grass of the approach of spring. Onion-der hills and 
meadows nature is bean arrayed in all herb beauty. The 
farmer manifests corn cider-apple zeal in his effort to se¬ 
cure early field crops, while the gardens, with t-hay-r 
radish-ional work, are being carefully attended to.” 
A sharp trick for custom was played by two San Fran¬ 
cisco hackmcn the other night. As a theater audience 
was departing they stationed themselves at the door with 
large and open umbrellas. Without stopping to investi¬ 
gate, those who had umbrellas put them up, while those 
who had not put handkerchiefs over their heads and broke 
for the carriages, and the enterprising Jehus drove off 
with full fares. 
The Need of Pronouncing Distinctly.— 
Guest at Hotel. —I want to get up at eight o’clock.— Hotel 
Clerk. —Want what, sir ?— Guest (emphatically).—I want 
to get up at eight o’clock.— Hotel Clerk.— We haven’t any 
such thing in the house, sir!— Guest (angrily).—What do 
you mean, sir?— Clerk. —I mean that we haven’t any such 
thing in the house as a “ potato-clock 1 ” 
WAKING’S 
Books FOR 
Farmers. 
DRAINING FOR PROFIT, 
AND 
DRAINING FOR HEALTH. 
By GEO. E. WARING, Jr., 
Engineer of the Drainage of Central Park, New York, 
CONTENTS. 
Land to be Drained ; How Drains Act; How to 
Make Drains ; How to Take Care op Drains ; 
What Draining! Costs ; Will it Pat? How to Makb 
Tiles ; Reclaiming Salt Marshes ; House and Town 
Drainage. 
He (the author) describes the action of draining upon 
the soil, the construction of single drains and systems of 
drains, the cost and the profit of thorough drainage, the 
making of tiles, and the reclaiming of sait marshes, 
treats sensibly of malarial diseases, and closes with a 
chapter which should be widely read, on house drainage 
and town sewerage in their relations to the jiublic health. 
A Book that ought to be in the hands of every Farmer. 
Price, Post-paid, $1.50. 
ELEMENTS OF AGRICULTURE, 
A BOOK FOR YOUNG FARMERS. 
By GEO. E. WARING, Jr. 
CAREFULLY REVISED. 
CONTENTS :— The Plant ; Soil ; Manures ; Me¬ 
chanical Cultivation ; Analysis. 
The foregoing subjects are all discussed in plain and 
simple language, that any farmer's boy may understand 
The book is written by a successful practical farmer, and 
is full of information, good advice, and sourd doctrine. 
Price, Post-paid, $1.00. 
T5BE SANITARY CONDITION OF 
City and Country Dwelling Houses. 
By GEORGE E. WARING, Jr. 
Contents : The Sanitary Condition of Country Dwelling 
Houses. The Sanitary Condition of City Dwelling Houses. 
Fludder’s System for the Yentilation of Soil Pipes. Cor¬ 
respondence. Price, post-paid, 50 cents. 
The Handy Book of Husbandry, 
Containing Practical Information In regard to Buying or 
Leasing a Farm ; Fences and Farm Buildings, Farming Im¬ 
plements, Drainage, Plowing, Subsoiling, Manuring, Rota¬ 
tion of Crops, Care and Medical Treatment of the Cattle, 
Sheep, and Poultry; Management of the Dairy; Useful 
Tables, etc. By Geo. E. Waring, Jb., of Ogdeu Farm, 
Author of “ Draining for Profit and for Health,” eic. New 
edition, thoroughly revised by the Author. With 100 Illus¬ 
trations, 8vo. Price, post-paid, $2.50. 
The Sanitary Drainage of 
Houses and Towns. 
By GEORGE E. WARING, Jr. 
A clear and admirable exposition of the evils which result 
from defective drainage, showing how they can be rem¬ 
edied. Col. Waring is ail experienced engineer, and dis¬ 
cusses in an able and forcible manner the best methods of 
house, town, and city drainage. Price, post-paid, $2.00. 
Earth-Closets and Earth-Sewage, 
By GEO. E. WARING, Jr. 
Including: The Earth System (Details).— 1 The Manure 
Question.—Sewage and Cess-pool Diseases.—The Dry-Earth 
System for Cities and Towns.— 1 The Details of Earth Sewage. 
—The Philosophy of the Earth System. 
WITH SEVENTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Paper Covers, Price, Post-paid, 50 cts. 
A FARMER^VACATION, 
By GEO. E. WARING, Jr. 
A series of papers describing and illustrating the life 
and methods of farmers in several countries. Profusely 
illustrated. Price, Post-paid, $3.00. 
Village Improvements & Farm Villages. 
By GEO. E. WARING, Jr. 
Contents: Village Improvements.—Village Sanitary 
Work.—Farm Villages.—Life and Work of an Eastern 
Farmer. The work is illustrated. Price, Post-paid, 75c. 
Either of the above books sent post-paid on receipt of 
price, by 
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 245 Broadway, N. Y. 
