172 
AMTCTiTQAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[May, 
Contents of this Humber. 
[ArtMes marked with a star (*) arts illustrated; the fig¬ 
ure with the stars indicates the number of illustrations.] 
Among the Farmers. No. 52.—“More Nice than Wise” 
—Earthen or Tin Milk Vessels—Peculiar Flavor— 
Granite Ware—Butter.7*.. 183-184 
Asparagus Bed, The.193 
Bee Notes for May.178 
Boys and Girls’ Columns:— The Doctor's Talks: 
Kites. Puzzle Picture. Our Puzzle Bos. Illus¬ 
trated Rebus. ARiverHunt. Another of the ’Olo- 
gies. Fishing and Fishers. 7*..198-108 
Butter Making Without Churning*.185 
Catalogues Received. 205 
Churn. To Fasten Down.2*. .185 
Corn Markers.185 
Cottage for the Country—Costing $1,800.4*..182 
Cotton Seed Meal.189 
Cow. The Famous Jersey, “ Alphea"*.183 
Crib, A Barn Corn.3*..185 
Diseases, Scrofulous, in Domestic Animals*.187 
Garden, Flower and Lawn.173 
Garden, Kitchen and Market. 173 
Garden. The Fruit .173 
Gate, An Irrigating*.185 
Grapes. Some of the Newer.2*.. 190-191 
Grass, Bogus Bermuda.2*..190 
Greenhouse and Window Plants.174 
Handle for Cross-Cut Saw.2*. .187 
Harrows and Harrowing. 188 
Hay Sweeps.2*..1S8 
Bints awl Helps for Farmers ; A Self Fastening Bolt— 
A Mending Clamp—A Litter Basket—A Cow Curry- 
Comb—Another Wagon Jack. .6*. .189 
Holder, A Ticket or Label*. 193 
Household: A Thermometer Frame. Borne Topics: 
Moving—Oiled Floors—Rag Carpets—Rag Peddlers. 
Out-Door Games. Lawn Tennis. Household Notes 
and Queries. 5*..194-195 
Humbugs, Sundry. .... 176 
Kennel, A Farm Dog*.186 
Ijabor, Distribution of, on the Farm. 186 
Lamp, Another Orchard*.193 
Line of Draught in Plowing*.189 
Links for Mending Chains.4*. .183 
Markets for May. 174 
Milk. Something About.181 
Moulds, The White, on Plants.5*.. 192 
Noon-Day, The, Hour*. 171 
Orchard and Nursery. . 173 
Phylloxera—Great Enemy to Grape Culture. .5*.. 192-193 
Pigs or Shoats for Villagers.183 
Poke. A Safe and Handy*. 188 
Salt for Live Stock*. 187 
8cience Applied to Farming, LVII.180 
Sheep, Revival of Interest. .187 
Sheep Washing.189 
Sled, A Manure. . 2*.. 187 
Soils, Exhaustion of. 182 
Stone Boats. 188 
INDEX TO “BASKET,” AND OTHER SHOUT ARTICLES. 
Barrels. Coal Oil.203|Name, Out of His.204 
Beet, The Sugar.175|Nebraska. Hortic’l in .. .179 
Borer. The Apple Tree..179 01eomargarino,Whatitisl75 
Butter, Adulteration of.. 179 Oranges, Bronzed.204 
Calves. Black Login_204 Plowing. 179 
Cholera, Chicken.176 
Column. The Weeklies 
Agricultural.178 
Corn Cobs . .204 
Corn, To Measure.179 
Cow, Keep Ono. .175 
Crop, The Corn.178 
Dakota, Winter in.176 
English Rentals.204 
Evergreen s,Tri m mi n g n pi 79 
Experiments, Our Field.204 
Farmers in Hard Times. 177 
Frost and Peach Trees. .177 
Hens Eating theirEggs.. 177 
Hoof, Contracted.203 
Power, Portable Sweep..177 
Rack, A Feed .2*..204 
Seeds, Buying of Strang- 
0C3. 204 
Seeds Enduring Coid_178 
Sheep Disease in Engl’d-203 
Sheep in Kansas .204 
Silica in Plants. 175 
SnakesSwallow’gToung.204 
Society,The M iss. Hort'1.178 
Society, The N.Y. Hort’1.178 
Farm, Wis. Going to La 204 Sorghum—Early Amber.177 
“Stagger Weed”.178 
Stamps, A Million .179 
Frosts, Late.177 1 Standard of Poultry.177 
Station, Expm’t'l N. J.. .179 
Suggestions. 173 
Horses, Balky.176 Sulphur for Ants .204 
Horses, Trotting.201 Teeth, Index of Ago.204 
Improvem’nt thro’ Males. 178 Tillage. Cost of.204 
Lawn Mowers.177 Toads Eating B-es.204 
Letters Not Answered.. .179 Tree, Peach, A Veteran 177 
Like Produces Like.179 Value, Increase in.178 
Merchants. Commission.179 Vegetation. Retaining, 
Milk. Feeding for .. .175 
Mucilage from Cherry 
Trees ...204 
Matter in Soil. 17 s 
Vine, An Unfruitful... .204 
Waste, A Great.178 
Australian Meat In England.— A steamer 
freighted with beef and mutton from Australia recently 
arrived in England after a successful voyage, the meat 
having been kept in excellent condition bv the cold air 
process used here in transporting dressed meat from 
Chicago to the Eastern markets. Naturally the English 
people will prefer to purchase of their own colonists 
provided it does not cost anything for the patriotism. 
This source of competition is a matter of special interest 
to the American raisers and exporters of meat. 
Calendar for May, 1880. 
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AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, MAY, 1880. 
Hints for tbs 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 .] 
May is a very busy month, and there is so much 
work crowded into it that a farmer is in danger of 
being in a hurry. Every hour of work should be 
so planned that it will tell most effectually, and this 
requires considerable thought in order to do the 
most urgent and important work first, and leave 
undone those things which may be done almost as 
well bye and bye. As we sow so do we reap, and 
as this is the month of sowing, the work now will 
in great measure determine what the harvest of the 
year shall be. Keep pushing on, but with a plan. 
Labor .—It must be admitted by every ov.e famil¬ 
iar with farm work, that the labor problem is a 
difficult one, and it may fairly, from Its importance, 
claim the first consultutlon in deciding upon the 
plan of operations for the year. The largest possi¬ 
ble crops may not return a profit, if the labor in 
their production has not been well planned. One of 
the most important advantages obtained from a 
systematic rotation of crops, consists in the judic¬ 
ious distribution of labor throughout the year so 
that there may not be a surplus at one time, and a 
deficiency at another that will require the employ¬ 
ing of extra hands at the higest wages. 
Corn .—In the Northern and Western States, corn 
planting will be the leading occupation of the 
month, but this should not prevent a fair share of 
attention to other crop6 that will be needed as a re¬ 
serve when pastures are getting short, as well 
as to furnish a variety of feed for winter’s 
use. A soil in high condition, and thoroughly 
prepared, will give the best promise of a good— 
paying—crop of Indian Corn. The previous crop¬ 
ping of the soil, will have an influence upon the 
crop, which is nearly as important as the immediate 
application of manures. A good clover sod, or a 
grain, or a root crop, immediately after a fair 
crop of clover, may be followed by com with a 
good prospect of success. 
Plowing .—The plowing, and all subsequent prepa¬ 
rations of the soil for the seed, should be done In 
the best possible manner. In turning a sod for 
corn, any breaks or “balks” in the work will 
prove an annoyance in after cultivation, and should 
be avoided. In many localities, especially at the 
West, the Kentucky Blue Grass (Boa protends), is- 
a troublesome weed in a corn crop, and It can 
only be subdued by careful and thorough tillage. 
Manures.— Cora, unlike the other cereals, will 
bear t.he direct application of mannre in liberal 
quantities. For immediate results, well rotted 
manures are always best, but that taken unfer¬ 
mented from the barn-yard may be applied to corn. 
Long manure may be placed under, while short ma¬ 
nure may be spread upon the surface and worked 
into the soil by the harrow and cultivator. 
The Time of Panting Com will of course vary with 
the locality, but it will be better, as a rule, to secure 
n thorough preparation of the soil before putting 
in the seed, even if it somewhat delays the time of' 
planting. Late planted com, in a warm well pul¬ 
verized soil will usually take the lead of that which 
has been struggling from an early start under un¬ 
favorable conditions. 
Insects .—The Potato Beetle has become such a» 
abundant and troublesome pest that it should bo 
given no quarter—not even from the start. By 
combined effort in the early portion of the season- 
the “ bugs ” may be kept in check and thus do very 
little damage. Paris Green has been so long and 
successfully employed that it is scarcely necessary 
to explain its mode of application. Suffice it to 
say that the liquid method is the one now generally 
practised, that is, mix the Paris Green with water 
and sprinkle it upon the vines. A coffee pot may 
be converted into a sprinkler by providing the spout 
with an extension and a rose at the end. The only 
source of danger is in the careless handling, and 
the poison should bo kept and used with a full' 
knowledge of its nature. 
Hills or Drills .—On clean land drills may give tho 
best returns, but if weeds are plenty, hills will be 
better, as they allow of cultivation in two directions. 
Seed about which there is any doubt, should be 
tested before planting to ascertain whether it will 
grow. Badly kept seed often causes disappoint¬ 
ment from its failure to germinate. 
Mangels may bo sowu early this month. Our 
practice has been to sow in drills 30 inches apart,, 
using six pounds of seed per acre. A liberal supply 
of seed is required to secure an even stand, and the 
plants should be thinned by striking a broad hoe di¬ 
rectly across the drills so that single plants will 
stand 12 to 16 inches apart. Root crops are often 
a failure from defective thinning. 
Clover .—An early rolling of clover to settle the 
roots that have been raised by frost will bo espec¬ 
ially appropriate after the open winter just passed. 
Fifty pounds of plaster per acre will often have aft 
good effect as the larger doses of 100 and 200 lbs. 
that are recommended. Wood ashes on many soils- 
will be found an useful application. 
Meadows .—Pick up any stones that may have 
been raised above the surface from the action of 
frost. The roller may be used to bring the sur¬ 
face into good shape for the mower. Meadows are 
frequently injured by the tread of cattle before the 
ground is fairly settled. The grazing of meadows 
in spring is at the expense of the hay crop. It is 
better to keep cattle in the barn until the pastures 
nre ready to furnish them a full ration. 
New Fodder Crops .—The American Agriculturist 
has called attention to the new fodder crops as they 
have appeared. It is very desirable to have a plant 
that, with no more trouble in cultivation than fod¬ 
der com, shall yield 3 to 6 times as much from the 
same land. The most promising plants for the Nor¬ 
thern States are the different varieties of “Durra," 
called Egyptian and China Com, Pampas Rice, etc.,, 
and the Pearl or Cat-tail Millet. Experiments with 
these on a moderate scale may be useful, while as 
Fodder in the Southern States the Guinea Cora 
(Sorghum Halepense) is esteemed by many, and the 
Teosinte ( Euchlctanaluxurious) described in January 
last, promises to be of great value. It is not too 
late to form an estimate of its value, and should it 
be desirable, to raise a stock of seed for next year. 
