140 
AMEBICAB AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
Contents of this dumber. 
[Articles marked with a star (*) are illustrated; the fig¬ 
ure with the star indicates the number of illustrations.] 
Bee Notes for April .. .1-19 
Boys’ and Girls’ Columns : — The Doctor's Talks; 
Telegraph Alphabet and Reading-Amusing Mis¬ 
take ; A Postal Card from Japan ; Our Puzzle Box; 
The Home Museum ; A Basket of Cats and Kit¬ 
tens.4*..164-166 
“ Boys Day ” at “ Houghton Farm ”. . 145 
Brook Trout in April.*.. 139 
Cattle, Hereford.2*.. 151 
Chard, Swiss, or the Leaf Beet. *..159 
Christmas-Roses; Old and New.*..1G0 
Clematis, The Climbing Kinds of .*. .159 
Crusher, A Home-made Clod.*.. 157 
Cranberry Culture.. 161 
Exhibition, The Silk.153 
Experiments, Agricultural, The New Tork Station.. .149 
Experiments, Important.143 
Fodder Rations and Feeding Values.156 
Garden, Helps in the.144 
Granary Conveniences.3*.. 154 
Gumption on the Farm.154 
ISarrow, A Round or Ditch Cleaner.*. .153 
Harrow, A Square Frame. . 153 
House, Country, Costing $1,G00 to $2,000.7*.. 14(4-47 
Hen, How to Set .157 
Household Handy Cellar Window; Good Lunches 
and Good Lessons ; A Good Scrap Bag ; Not Sum¬ 
mer Yet; A Londoner on Bread; A Convenient 
Work Box; Felons—Boils—Simple Remedy ; Dear 
Potatoes—Substitutes ; Get Vaccinated ; A Case 
for Silver Spoons and Forks; Cream of Celery ; 
Canned Rhubarb.5*..162-163 
Hunflbugs, Sundry.144 
ILaw for Farmers.157 
Leveller, A Home-made. .*. .152 
Locust Tree Culture.161 
mill, A Farm. 4*.. 156 
Oats, Raising.150 
Pastures, Improvement of Rocky.149 
Peas, About Sweet.160 
Piggery, Ground Floor of.*. .155 
Poultry Feeding; Raising Chicks.154 
Produce Speculation Injuring the Country..147 
Rats and Mice.152 
Roller, A Cheap Field.*..157 
Roller Seat and Frame.*.. 155 
Sage, Cultivation of—Thyme.159 
Sanfoin, Something About.158 
Seat, A Wagon.*...149 
‘Seeds, How Field and Garden are Tested..3*.. 158 
JSeeds. Test all Now. 150 
Soil, Exhaustion of . 152 
Squashes—Vegetable Marrow.*. .150 
Sugar, Experiments in Making from Amber Cane.153 
Tomatoes in the Garden.160 
Trees, Protecting from Farm Animals.*..161 
Trees, To Prevent the Splitting of.2*.. 161 
Turkey Surgery . 157 
Wagon-Jack. A. *..152 
Weevil, The Bean.*.. 143 
INDEX TO “BASKET,” AND OTHER SHORT ARTICLES. 
Ante in the Closet.174 Lettuce and other Salads. 143 
Artichokes.174 Lime, How Much.174 
Asparagus Bed, Make Anl42jMeal, Cotton Seed.174 
Beans, English.14-iMusic Holder.*.. 175 
Beans. Snap and Shell... 113-Orchard Work.Ill 
Beats for the Garden_142 Peas, More, if you Please.143 
Blackberries.Distanceforl71 Pigs, Save and Care for.Ill 
Boots. Waterproof .174 Plaster and Lime.174 
Butter Packing.174 Population of tbe World.175 
Cabbages. Early and Late 142 Postage Stamps.174 
Canker Worm in Mo_145 Poultry, Drawn and Un- 
Cauliflower, Broccoli,etc. 142; drawn.175 
Celery, Sowing Seed.142 Publishers’ Department. 175 
Children, Public School..174 Rack. Hay.174 
Clover. Seeding to.141 Raspberries, TimetoSet.174 
Corn, Feeding Whole ...175 Rice for Poultry.174 
Corn, Hulled.174 Roots, a Crop of.139 
Cows, The Milcn.14! Rows.long, in the Gardenl43 
Crops. A Diagnosis of....139 Salsify,or VegetableOys- 
Cucumbers, Early.1421 ter.144 
Eggs, Keeping.175 Seeds, Germinate.174 
Fertilizers. How Apply.. 13:t,Seeds of Osage Orange.. 174 
Fodder Corn.175!Seeds, Test them Now. .141 
Forests and Census.,... 175 Sheep, the.141 
Fuel Question.175 Sorghum in New Jersey.174 
Garden, Don’t Neglect .. .142 Spring Wheat.141 
Greens, Wild & Cult.iv’edl43 Strawberries, the Newer.145 
Gooseberries Profitable... 174 Top-Dressing.139 
Grape, Farmers’.174 Vegetables not generally 
Grape VinesandCurrautsl41| Grown.144 
Hints, Sundry Seasonublel41j “ Well Begun — Half 
Horseradish..143| Done,”.139 
Horse Blanket.175 “ Wet Feet” for Crops.139 
Horses, Take good care of 1411W orms in a Well.174 
SSiT" The Publishers’ Special An¬ 
nouncements on pages 172 and 173, are 
Unusually Interesting this month, and 
will attract Immediate Attention. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, APRIL, 1882. 
Suggestions for the Season. 
“ W'ell Beg un .... Malf Done,” 
is true of most kinds of farm work. Previously 
well considered plans, and a good ready, with seed, 
implements, teams, harness, etc, so as to strike 
right into the work in hand, are large elements of 
success. We know some farmers who are always 
complaining of “bad luck,” poor soil, unfavorable 
seasons, etc. We have seen them start from the 
breakfast table at 6* to 7 o’clock, and frequently 
the 6un climbs half up the meridian before the 
teams and other working apparatus, are all got to¬ 
gether, and then, very often there is a missing link, 
or bolt, or screw.—Thinking, planning, arranging 
beforehand, taking time by the forelock, are just 
as important to tbe tillers of the soil, as to the 
man in any other business. Active spring work is 
upon us, or close at hand ; be all ready to strike 
the most effective blows at the very start: “Well 
begun—half done.” 
A “ Diagnosis ” of f he Crops. 
The first thing a physician does when called to a 
patient, is to make a careful “diagnosis” of tbe 
case, that is, to examine all sources and causes of 
the ailment, its manifestations, etc., and then de¬ 
cide what is to be done. Every one having a field 
of wheat, rye, grass—of any crop in the ground 
over winter—should now make a diagnosis of the 
condition of every part of each field. If the grow¬ 
ing crop of grain or grass is good in every part, that 
will be a satisfaction. If any fields, or parts of 
fields make a sickly or stunted show, the trouble 
most likely comes from one of two causes :—the 
plants may have “ wet feet,” or they may be starv¬ 
ing. In the former case surgery is needed ; in the 
latter, food, or medicine in the form of stimulants, 
that is a top-dressing of fertilizers. See the two 
items on “Making Land Dry,” and “Top Dressing.” 
Feeding Flsiuts at tlie Surface— 
Top-Dressing. 
If the “ diagnosis,” referred to above, shows 
that if winter grains, meadows, pastures or lawns 
need artificial food, or stimulants, we must resort 
to top-dressing, since we can not now disturb the 
soil. Well-rotted yard-manure scattered finely over 
growing grain and grass, uniformly, or more on 
poorer portions and less on vigorous portions, so 
as to even off the field, will always tell well, 
especially if this be done in time for the rains to 
wash the manure into the soil. It may be done at 
any time while the grass or grain plants are small, 
but the earlier the better, so as to receive more 
wasliing-in showers. Guano liasa similareffect, but 
being caustic it should be finedy divided and well 
scattered, and if possible be applied just before a 
coming rain. The same of unleached ashes, or 
German potash salts. The amount of manure per 
acre, or of guano (50 to 200 lbs. per acre), will de¬ 
pend upon the wants of the soil, and the available 
supply of fertilizers. Of ashes, use 20 to 40 bushels 
per acre, as needed. A mixture of guano with fine 
bone-dust, or superphosphate and potash salts, is 
a good top-dressing for grain or grass, especially 
the former: 100 lbs. to 250 lbs. per acre, according 
to the poverty of the soil. Some leading manu¬ 
facturers prepare and advertise special mixtures 
for different crops. Application of any of the 
above top-dressings on any but the richest soil, 
will generally bring back far more than the cost 
the first season, and contribute much to the future 
fertility of the soil.— The caution needed is, avoid 
killing grain or grass plants with caustic manures. 
Crops Suffer from “Wet Feet.” 
Next to lack of nourishment (plant food), in the 
soil, both grain and grass, and other cultivated 
crops, in field and garden, trees and flowers in¬ 
cluded, all suffer from standing in soils that hold 
too much water. Spade a hole a foot deep, and if 
it contains water four days after a rainfall, plants 
in that soil will suffer more or less from “ wet feet.” 
Water standing in the soil keeps it cold and clammy; 
it prevents the entrance of air to act upon the ele¬ 
ments contained, and fit them for plant food ; it 
often keeps iron salts in a poisonous form. Let 
all dead furrows and their outlets he carefully 
cleaned now with spade or hoe. An hour’s work of 
this kind may add twenty to forty bushels or more 
to the yield of a field. If any soil, in a whole field, 
or in any part of it, is wet from holding its own 
catch of rain, or from water flowing or soaking 
from a higher to lower levels, and it is not under¬ 
drained, it is best to run deep double or triple 
plowed furrows through it, down the grade, to car¬ 
ry off excess of water in rainy weeks, and then 
at harvest run the mowers and reapers parallel with 
these open ditches. 
Wliere and How to Apply Fer¬ 
tilisers. 
It is often difficult to decide—for barn-yard or 
stable manures, or for any artificial fertilizer— 
whether to put it in the hill or broadcast it; and 
whether to apply it on the surface, or bury it deep¬ 
ly. Here is a hint or two. If not strong enough 
to injure the first tender roots, a little manure near 
at hand gives the plant a good send off, like nour¬ 
ishing food to the young calf or other animal; the 
aftergrowth is muelf better if the young animal or 
plant is not dwarfed by imperfect and insufficient 
diet. Therefore, drilling innocuous hand fertil¬ 
izers in with the seed is useful, as is putting 6ome 
well-rotted manure or leached ashes into hills of 
com, potatoes, indeed with all planted seeds.—But 
there are good reasons for distributing most of the 
manures or fertilizers all through the soil , and as 
deeply as the plant roots can possibly penetrate. 
The growth and vigor of all plants or crops depend 
chiefly upon a good supply of strong roots that 
stretch out far, and thus gather food over the widest 
extent of soil. If a flourishing stalk of corn, 
grain, or grass, be carefully washed, so as to leave 
all its roots or rootlets attached, there will be found 
a wonderful mass of hundreds and even thousands 
of roots to any plant, and they extend off a long 
distance, frequently several feet—the farther the 
better, to collect more food and moisture. Put 
some mauure or fertilizer in place two feet away 
from a corn or potato hill, or from almost any 
plant, and a large mass of roots will go out in 
that direction. So if we mix manures or fertil¬ 
izers well through the whole soil, they attract 
these food-seeking roots to a greater distance ; 
and they thus come in contact with more of the 
food already in the soil, and find more moisture in 
dry weather. A deeply stirred soil, with manure at 
the bottom, develops water-pumping roots below 
the reach of any ordinary drouth, and the crops 
keep right on growing—all the more rapidly on ac¬ 
count of the helpful sun’s rays that would scorch 
a plant not reaching a deep reservoir of moisture. 
A Crop oi Boots. 
Mangels and Sugar Beets are most valuable as 
a farm crop. For these the ground needs to be 
prepared this month. A lomse friable soil is best 
suited to mangels, but they can be grown with 
profit in all good farming soils. All root crops re¬ 
quire deep culture that the roots may meet with no 
obstruction to their downward growth. If the soil 
is new and rich, no fertilizer will be needed, other¬ 
wise manure should be applied. Nothing is better 
than thoroughly rotted stable manure, but if this is 
not at hand use bone dust, superphosphate or gu¬ 
ano, sown on the surface, and after plowing, har¬ 
rowed in. The rows should be far enough apart to 
admit of horse cultivation, or from 24 to 30 inches, 
the plants being thinned to 8 inches in the rows. 
The best time to sow manarels in the latitude of 
New York is from May 1st to the 15th, before corn 
is planted. Among the best varieties are “Webb’s 
