Agriculture is tine most liealfcliy, tlie most useful, ami tlie most 
noble employment of Man.— Washington. 
Vol. 1. New- York, May, 1842. No. 2. 
A. B. Allen, and R, L. Allen, Editors. [36 park-row.] Geo. A. Peters, Publisher. 
- “THE AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST’ 
will be published Monthly, each number to contain thirty two pages, 
royal octavo. 
Terms.--One Hollar per annum payable strictly 
in advance. 
Six Copies will be sent for $5, if remitted at one time, free of 
postage, in funds current in Ncw-York, or in the States where the 
Subscribers reside. I 
Twenty five Copies will be sent for $20, if remitted as above- 
Editors of Newspapers noticing this Work, will be furnished a 
copy gratis, on sending such notice to this Office. 
Communications should be addressed to the Editors or Publisher, 
No. 36, Pork Row, New-York. 
ii Tlie American Agricultural Magazine.” 
A Work of the above title will be issued from this Office, as soon 
as a sufficient number of Subscribers shall have been obtained, to 
justify commencing the publication. It will consist of sixty-four 
pages monthly, of which the American Agriculturist will constitute 
a part, embellished with one or more fine engravings in each number, 
and in the selection from the most enlightened Foreign works, and 
a more enlarged discussion of matters pertaining to American Agri¬ 
culture, than can be given in our present columns ; it is intended to 
supply a place for the general Farmer, not afforded by any periodical 
now published. 
Terms.--$3 per aimnin, payable iu advance. 
Six or more Copies subscribed for at one time, subject to 
the same rate of discount as above. 
Advertisements will be inserted at $1, if not exceeding 
twelve lines, and in the same proportion if exceeding that number. 
Payment will in albcases be required in advance. 
tOKPostmasters are permitted by Law to en¬ 
close money for Subscriptions, free of postage. 
Each number of the Agriculturist contains but one sbeet, 
and will therefore be subject to newspaper post 
age only, which is one cent in the State, or within 100 miles 
of its publication, and one and a half cents if over loo 
miles without the State. 
The Improvement of Home-bred Stock, 
As it will be the object of the American Ag¬ 
riculturist to confer the greatest benefits on the 
greatest numbers, to save expense to its readers, 
as well as enable them to make the most out of 
their capital, to help the poor man and moderate 
farmer, equally with those of larger property, 
we shall in this number, point out some of the 
means which farmers possess for this object, 
leaving the fuller discussion of the subject to 
some future time. 
We assert that for the achievement of this 
most desirable object, every man has, to a cer¬ 
tain extent, the means in his own hands._ 
We would not be understood to say, that every 
I farmer in the country, can, at his option and 
without expense, procure the best roadsters or 
draught horses; or at once secure a herd of 
short horns, or Devons, or Ilerefords,. or Ayre- 
shires; that he can will his old flock of long 
legged, thin wooled miserable carcassed sheep 
into fine merinos, massive Southdowns, or Cots- 
wolds; or his razor-backed, bristly tribe into 
thorough bred Berkshires—but, that in the ex¬ 
ercise of a keen discernment and sound judg¬ 
ment, enlightened by the experience he will find 
abounding in judicious and practical works on 
agriculture, and which it will be the great pur¬ 
pose of our work to give and illustrate, he can 
proceed with greater or less speed, in the accom¬ 
plishment of an object so desirable to every man. 
We must except one class, if any such there 
be, from this remark, of otherwise general ap¬ 
plication ; and none are to be excepted, but such 
as have breeds already beyond the possibility of 
further improvement. Great caution on their 
part, however, is necessary, lest some misstep in 
their course, jostles them from the pinnacle, and 
subjects them again to the labor and delay of 
regaining it. Such must recollect that, “ facilis 
descensus averni&c., which rendered for our 
purpose simply is—it is easy enough to go 
down hill, but hard work to get back again. 
Beginning with what is now in the far¬ 
mers’ hands, we say, the first thing for the per¬ 
manent improvement of the constitution and 
character of stock is, to feed liberally and look 
well to it, especially while young. We give 
no countenance to the stuffing system, but on 
the contrary, we believe the unnatural forcing 
of any animal destined for breeding, the most 
pernicious and destructive to its constitution that 
can he practised j and if the only alternative 
were perpetual starvation, or perpetual surfeit. 
