168 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mat, 
Contents of this Number. 
Among tiie Farmers, No. 40.—Our Milk Crop—Beaten 
by the West—The Market Fastidious—Retailing Onr 
■ Cheese—Training School for Butter anil Cheese- 
Makers. ..179-180 
Barns Without Cross Beams. Illustrated. .182 
Bee Notes for May .2 Illustrations. .176 
Boys and Girls’ Columns.—The Doctor’s Talks : Gravi¬ 
ty; Balls of Different Materials Fall Alike; The 
Guinea and Feather Experiment—Puzzle Box—Puz¬ 
zle-Picture—Answers to Puzzles—Can a Thing Move 
and Remain Still ’—The Doctor’s Correspondence ; 
Setting up Butterflies and Moths; How to Manage 
Beetles; About Artificial Coral—The American 
Devil Fish—The Dodo.12 Illustrations. .192-194 
Cattle.—Stanchions for Milch Cows. 3 III.. 180-181 
Compound Microscope. Illustrated..Ill 
Concentrated Foods. 1S4 
Creamery and Butter Dairy Prizes for Plans.171 
Daudelions—How to Sow Them. Illustrated.. 1S8 
Dogs—The Bench Show.0 Illustrations.. 1G7 
Draining, a Few Words on.181 
Durra or Sorghum.3 Illustrations. 184 
Experiments—Not too Late for..170 
Fanning Mill, “ The Rockaway.”. Illustrated.. 178 
Farm Work—Hints for April. l(iS 
Fences--Poultry Proof.2 Illustrations. .188 
Ferneries, Hardy, and Rock-work.7 Illustrations. .187 
Flower Garden and Lawn in May.... 170 
Fruit Garden in May.109 
Greenhouse and Window Plants.170 
Hints and Helps for Farmers.—Rests for Milk Strain¬ 
ers—Arrangement for Feeding Pigs—Wire Fence 
Tightener—Fence for Freshets—Levelling Drains— 
Calf Pens—A Simple Filter—Hay Feeding Rack. 
11 Illustrations .181-1S2 
Household—What Exercise Do Your Boys and Girls 
Take ?—A Compact Quilting-Frame—Home Topics: 
More Baby Talk; Baby’s Nights; Bread that is. 
Sweet; Graham Sticks; Soreness of the Feet; A 
Pretty Rug; Showy Tarts—The Fire-Place in Sum¬ 
mer.—Household Notes and Queries: Moths; Clean¬ 
ing Paint; Kalsomine; Borax and Cockroaches; 
Whitening Piano Keys.5 Illustrations. .189-191 
Humbugs, Sundry .174 
Indian Corn, Composition and Value.1S3 
Jute and Its Culture.2 Illustrations.. 1S5-186 
Kitchen and Market Garden in May..170 
Market Reports. 171 
Orchard in May.109 
Potatoes, Old and New in. Illustrated. .186 
Quince, Its Cultivation.189 
Raspberry—“The Grape-Vine”. 185 
Root Crops .ISO 
Rope—A Cat’s-Paw Knot in.2 Illustrations. 184 
Science Applied to Farming, No. 51—Fertilizers for 
Corn—Lessons from the Field Experiments _177-17S 
Sheep—Australian Merinos.2 Illustrations.. 179 
Steam-Engines for Farm Use. 178 
Swine—Pens and Yards for 150 Hogs. .5 Illustrations.. 1S3 
Testing Milk and Measuring Cream. ..4 Illustrations.. 182 
The Corn Crop—Fertilizers.170 
Thermometers.. Illustrated.. 1S9 
Tree-Label, Another. Illustrated.. 188 
Trees—The Kentucky Coffee-Tree.184 
Vines Used as a Screen. Illustrated. .188 
Well Covered for a Pump. Illustrated. 185 
INDEX TO “BASKET,” 
Am. Pom. Society. 
Australian Exhibitions.- 
Barn Weevils. 
Bean Weevil. ... 
Bee Notes. % 111... 
Bees and Fruit. 
Bookwalter Engine. 
Bull Calf. 
Cement for Floor.. 
Cotton-Seed Meal. 
Cover for Drain... 
Crops for Wet Land. 
Catalogues. 
Cistern for 30 Head 
Cosmoline. 
Currant Fruit Worm_ 
Dog Book, New... 
Dog Show. N. Y... 
Fountain Pump. 
Garden Reel. III.. 
Hay Barracks. 
Hon. M. P. Wilder. 
Horse Radish Grater.IK 
AND OTHER SHOUT ARTICLES. 
173 Horses Teething.175 
173 Jersey Red Hogs.175 
200 Laurel Poison.199 
199 Lawn Mowers.175 
176 Light in Stable.199 
175 Mange in Dogs.200 
174 Melbourne Exhibition.. .174 
199 Milk Pail... Illustrated. .175 
175 Moles .175 
174 Muck for Manure.200 
199 Nervous Cows.200 
199 Premiums at Fairs.176 
200 Quinby’s New Book.174 
175 Romney Marsh Siieep. ..200 
175 Shaker Separator.175 
170 Sharpening Mowing Ma- 
174 chines.175 
173 Shoe Polish.199 
170 Stretches in Sheep.199 
176 Sunstroke in Horses. . .199 
176 Three-horse Evener.IS. .174 
174 Wheat Lodging.175 
174 Winchester Arms.175 
Bccs-TVax.- “ J. S.,” Pa. Wax is a secretion of 
the bee. If you examine bees at the time they are 
building comb, you will see beneath the rings on the 
under side of the abdomen of the bees minute scales of 
wax. In view of the large consumption of honey re¬ 
quired to produce wax, bee-keepers aid the bees by 
supplying them with “ Comb Foundation.” This, 
which is one of the great inventions of modern bee¬ 
keeping, is described in this month’s “Bee Notes.” 
Calendar for May, 1879. 
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26 
PHASES OF THE MUON. 
MOON. I BOSTON. 
N. YORK. 
WASU’N. 
CH A’STON | CHIC A G O. 
Full M’n 
8cl Quart. 
New M’n 
1st Quart 
n.|ir. m. 
6, 1 28 mo. 
12 9 52 ev. 
21 1 6 mo. 
28 6 52 ev. 
II. M. 
1 16 rao. 
9 40 ev. 
0 54 mo. 
6 40 ev. 
n. M. 
1 4 mo 
9 28 ev. 
0 41 mo 
6 28 ev. 
11. M. 
0 52 mo. 
9 16 ev. 
0 30 mo. 
6 16 ev. 
II. M. 
0 22 mo. 
8 46-ev. 
0 1 mo. 
5 46 ev. 
Hints for the Work of the Month. 
[The Hints and Suggestions in these columns are 
never copied from previous years, but are freshly pre¬ 
pared for every month, from the latest experience and 
observations, by practical men in each department.'] 
The Corn Crop, furnishes in May the chief employ¬ 
ment of the northern and western farmers. Planting 
earlier than the first week in this mouth is scarcely 
advisable, as a late frost may render it necessary to 
repeat the work. It is safer to leave the planting 
until the ground is warm and the weather settled. 
A crop planted in April, may be in June consider¬ 
ably behind one planted two weeks later.—Several 
articles on corn will be found in this paper. 
Replanting. —There is always more or less replant¬ 
ing of corn to be done, because of loss by cut 
worms, crows, and weak plants. It is well to have 
a bed made in a warm sheltered place, which may 
be planted thickly at the same time as the main crop, 
to provide plants to replace those lost. The vacan¬ 
cies in the field may be filled from this bed by trans¬ 
planting on a rainy day, or when the ground is wet 
after a warm rain. It is not generally known that 
corn may be successfully transplanted. 
Plowing for Com. —It is a question whether we 
could not advantageously let our grass lands remain, 
rather than plow them up for the corn crop. “A 
sod for corn,” has been the rule hitherto, but cir¬ 
cumstances beyond our control, are forcing new 
conditions upon us. One of these is the necessity 
for producing more meat, milk, cheese and butter, 
and less grain than formerly, and for these we need 
grass or other green crops. Corn is a grand crop 
and our climate suits it, hut the best corn we can 
grow is not so profitable as roots. Our practice 
must change as the times change, and it seems 
probable that we can no longer sacrifice an excel¬ 
lent sod for the corn crop. 
Corn on Stubble.—A general western practice is to 
plant corn on stubble land. The increasing use of 
artificial fertilizers, has shown that we may often 
ignore rotations, and repeat the same crops when 
we desire to do so. English farmers are depending 
less upon “rotation,” and our farmers are losing 
faith in the necessity for it. Experience is showing 
that we can supply the soil with the elements 
needed to grow any crop whatever, without regard 
to its previous condition ; and that as good and 
profitable a crop of corn may be grown upon stubble 
as upon a sod. The articles in the American Agricul¬ 
turist for April, page 127-’8-’9, may he profitably 
studied with reference to this. 
Hills or Brills. —It has been proved that by plant¬ 
ing in drills, a larger yield of corn can be produced 
than from hills. In place of hills 3 ft. apart each, 
way, make drills 31 feet apart, and drop the seed 
every 18 inches. In the first case there are 4,840 hills 
and in the latter 8,400 to the acre. Two stalks may 
he grown in each hill, or if there are 3 stalks 
in the former case, there will be 14,520 stalks, 
and 16,800 in the latter, with one good ear to a 
stalk—which is possible—there will be 145 bushels 
in the one case, and 168 in the other to the acre. 
If this is possible, aud there is no doubt of it, why 
should it not be attempted ? 
Fertilizing in the Hill.—A small quantity of active 
fertilizer applied in the hill at planting will be ben¬ 
eficial. A handful of a mixture of 100 pounds of 
fine bone dust, 1 barrel of wood ashes and 1 barrel 1 , 
of poultry manure, thrown near but not on the seed: 
and well mingled with the soil, will hasten the- 
young growth. The earlier the start and the more- 
vigorous the young growth, the more rapidly the- 
crop will mature. 
Grass Lands. —Rolling the meadows with a heavy- 
roller will level the surface by reducing the hum¬ 
mocks, sinking stones and sticks, or roots, and com¬ 
pact the soil about the roots and so strengthen 
the grass. A light dressing, 100 lbs. nitrate of soda, 
per acre, for instance, will encourage the growth and 
add largely to the yield. 
Clover Fields will be benefited by the application! 
of a bushel or two of plaster, as early this month 
as possible. There is no better place on the farm, 
to put wood ashes than on clover. Circumstances,, 
already referred to, are tending to make clover a 
more important crop than we have regarded it, as a 
preparation for wheat and for green feeding. For 
this use some of the annual varieties may be sown. 
Roots are the most valuable product we can grow. 
One acre of mangels or beets may be made to feed’ 
2 or 3 cows for a whole year. This is more than 
can be done from an acre of any other farm pro¬ 
duct. To grow mangels successfully, they should 
he sown this month, before the 20th if possible. 
After mangels, come sugar beets and blood beets, 
which may be sown early in June, hut are better 
sown in May. There are several varieties of yel¬ 
low-fleshed mangels, which are thought more valu¬ 
able than the red varieties. Webb’s Yellow Globe, 
the Yellow-fleshed Tankard, the Long Yellow, and 
some other varieties of this color, are already in¬ 
troduced here, and are found to succeed well. 
They are more solid than the large red varieties. 
Fodder Crops. — After the April-sown fodder 
crops, will come the early kinds of Sweet Corn to 
be cut in June and July, after the clover has beeu 
fed off, as a change, or to follow early-sown oats.. 
During May, winter rye will he cut and fed, and 
meanwhile a portion of the clover should he pushed 
ahead to follow- the rye. Some early varieties of 
Cabbages, of which the writer finds Fottler’s Early 
Drumhead the best for this purpose on his soil,, 
should be planted out as soon as possible for the-- 
cows. A head of this variety, weighing 20 lbs. is a 
good mid-day lunch for a cow when the grass is 
failing. As the fodder rye is cut off, in strips 
through the field, the ground may he plowed and 
re-sown immediately with Sweet Corn, a second 
sowing of Oats, or set with Cabbages. 
Insect Pests. —No quarter should be given to the- 
insect pests which remain year after year simply he- I 
cause we permit them. The Potato Beetle exists so 
plentifully, because some careless farmers actually | 
breed myriads of them. Many fields of potatoes-- ; 
were abandoned to them last year, and the neigh¬ 
boring country was thus stocked for this year;. 
This is one insect that might be abolished by a com- i 
hined effort for a year or two. Another is the cat- I) 
tie Gad-fly, which may he found now in the hacks j I 
of the cows and oxen in small lumps or tumors, I 
called warbles. The grubs may be squeezed out of 
these tumors through the breathing holes, and de¬ 
stroyed. Otherwise they will escape, change to 
flies, and continue the mischief. 
Horses. —A moderate quantity of green rye will 
be very acceptable to the horses. It will have a ! 
healthful effect, and will cool the system as well a& | 
