376 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
^grimlturisi 
New-York, Wednesday, August 23, 1854. 
Our XIII. Volume commences after two num¬ 
bers more, and we have bright prospects of a 
large addition to our present number of readers. 
We also have confidence to believe that all our 
present readers are so well satisfied and pleased 
with our paper, that they will each make some 
effort to extend its circulation among their 
neighbors. We wish also to form a previous 
acquaintance with others who will assist in 
spreading a knowledge of the paper, and we 
therefore make the following 
PROPOSITION: 
During the next weeic , every person send¬ 
ing in a subscription to begin with the next vol¬ 
ume, shall receive the remaining numbers of this 
volume free —to be directed either to themselves , 
or to any friend whose address they may give. 
For terms, see last page, and notice that in 
a year there are two complete volumes, each 
having 416 large pages with a full index. 
-- 
THE DROUTH---THE CORN CROP. 
We notice that the New-York Tribune and 
other leading journals of the country, contain 
alarming editorials on the above subject. We 
have had considerable experience, for many 
years past, in the partial observations and re¬ 
ports of interested parties, and are consequently 
in the habit of making large allowances for 
tbem. 
There is no doubt a severe drouth has long 
prevailed; and that the corn, and potatoes, tur¬ 
nips, and late grass have suffered materially, yet 
we do not believe sufficiently so to make a gen¬ 
eral scarcity, or very greatly enhance the price 
of these important products. 
When corn has become so well grown as to 
shade the ground on which it is growing, it suf¬ 
fers less in a drouth than any other crop. Corn 
generally throughout the county was sufficiently 
forward to do this before the drouth set in ; and 
we have reason to believe, judging from our 
own observations and advices—which up to this 
date have been extensive—that the corn crop 
throughout the United States will be nearly a 
full average. Add to this that the wheat, rye, 
barley, and oats have been judged to b eover an 
average, and that the European crops, so far as 
heard from, have turned out well. We think, 
therefore, that prices cannot in any event rule so 
high for eight months to come as they have the 
past eight months. 
It must be recollected that a much greater 
breadth of land has been sown and planted this 
year, in proportion to the population of the 
United States, than has ever before been done; 
and that the grain crops of the Southern States, 
(already harvested,) of California, Oregon, and 
British America, have never been any thing 
like so large as they are the present season. 
-© © c - 
Books. —We have on hand several books de¬ 
serving of notice, which we are obliged to defer 
for want of time to do them justice. Our rule 
is to read books before noticing them. We are 
unwilling to express an opinion of a book, when 
we have merely read the title page. 
-•»«—-— 
Advertisements. —We desire to call particu¬ 
lar attention to the recent advertisements in our 
columns, among which we enumerate, Messrs. 
Jewett & Co.’s announcement of Dr. Dadd’s 
valuable work on the Horse; the Imported 
Stock chosen by that veteran breeder, Dr. Ar¬ 
thur Watts, of Chillicothe, and Mr. A. Waddle, 
of Clark county, Ohio, embracing Short-Horn 
cattle, Long-Wooled and South-down sheep; 
that of Mr. Bolden, of Lancaster, England, of 
young bulls got by the celebrated Grand Duke , 
for some account of which, see notice of Mr. 
Thorne’s stock, page 369 ; the Short-Horns and 
sheep bred by Mr. Rotch, and for sale at Albion, 
Illinois; the Devon bulls of Mr. Faile, of West 
Farms, which we can recommend as very choice; 
the sheep of Mr. Clew, of this city. The United 
States Review, &c. 
Advertisers will please recollect that our pa¬ 
per is read by a large number of the most in¬ 
fluential, wealthy, and intelligent country gen¬ 
tlemen and farmers; and that it is generally 
said to be the great stock organ of the United 
States and Canada. 
GET WHEAT INTO THE GROUND E4RLY. 
Every year’s experience and observation, 
shows more and more plainly, the importance 
of sowing wheat early. In looking over hun¬ 
dreds of reports of the state of the wheat crop 
the present season, we have almost been sur¬ 
prised at the very frequent recurrence of these 
instructive words, “ Early sown wheat is good, 
but later sown was winter-killed,” or “ destroyed 
by insects.” We think we are safe in saying in 
respect to the past crop, that three-fourths of 
the better fields were those sown early, and the 
greater part of that destroyed or injured was 
late sown. 
Wheat should get well rooted before frosts 
set in. The long roots will be far less likely to 
be thrown out by the heaving of the ground in 
freezing. Nature is a good teacher; as soon as 
the old crop is ripe, the seeds fall upon the 
ground and commence growing again. Where 
the ground is prepared by cultivation, less time 
is required for vigorous roots to be formed; but 
the very common error is that of deferring sow¬ 
ing till too late a season. North of latitude 42°, 
it would be better if every grain of seed wheat 
could be in the ground early in September. 
From 40° to 42° latitude, wheat sowing should 
be finished by the first week in October. 
;SQW HARDY VARIETIES OF WHEAT. 
Every locality has some kinds of wheat 
which have proved more hardy than others. 
This matter is abundantly worthy of the atten¬ 
tion of every wheat grower. He should hunt 
up these hardier varieties, and if possible secure 
them for seed, and not sow a less valuable kind 
because he happens to have it. He can usually 
exchange with a neighbor, giving wheat good 
for consumption or the market, for that which is 
more valuable for seed. It is much better to 
give two bushels for one, than not to use the 
best seed. A yield of two or three more bush¬ 
els per acre for the same labor in cultivating, 
will well pay for the additional expense and 
trouble of changing seed. 
Accounts from a large number of localities, 
indicate that the Red Mediterranean has excelled 
in hardiness, and in freedom from attacks of in¬ 
sects. In only two or three instances have we 
heard of this variety suffering greatly during 
the past season. One farmer writing from 
South-western New-York says, “our wheat has 
suffered greatly; even the Red Mediterranean 
has not entirely escaped.” 
We are only giving our own impressions in 
regard to this variety. If we are not correct 
we shall be happy to be set right, though our 
opinion is not hastily or carelessly formed. 
This variety does not produce quite so white 
flour as some others, and commands a trifie 
lower price in the market; but this drawback 
is more than counterbalanced by the advantages 
mentioned above. 
- s *-*- 
LOOK OUT IN SEASON FOR A WHEAT-DRILL. 
We believe that every person who cultivates 
twenty or thirty acres of grain crops, will make 
a good investment if he purchase a seed-sower. 
One machine, however, will answer for several 
small farms. Some of the advantages of drill¬ 
ing in wheat instead of sowing it broad-cast, are 
the following : 
The seed is put into the ground at a uniform 
depth, the plants come up evenly, grow evenly, 
and ripen at the same time. 
A much smaller quantity of seed is required, 
because no allowance need be made for portions 
of it left partially covered, or covered too deep¬ 
ly, or for a large number of seeds falling to¬ 
gether, as is the case in broad-cast sowing. 
Nearly a half bushel of seed may be saved from 
each acre. With the present price of wheat, 
this saving alone would pay the cost of a sower 
the first year upon a large farm, or where sev¬ 
eral small farmers unite with each other in pur¬ 
chasing one. 
Where the plants grow at uniform distances, 
the light and air enter more freely, and a more 
vigorous growth is secured. Direct experiments 
have shown that where heads of wheat stand 
apart from each other, the number of grains 
upon a head are often more than double the 
number found upon those growing closely to¬ 
gether, while the kernals are much larger. 
With the plants at equal distances, the roots 
occupy the whole of the soil, and do not inter¬ 
fere with each other. There is in this case a 
greater certainty of usiDg up all the fertilizers 
applied to the ground. 
Short-horn Cattle, Sheep, &c., for Sale.— 
We desire to call attention to the advertisement 
of Mr. Hudson, of Albion, Indiana, in our pre¬ 
sent number. His stock is from the celebrated 
herd and flocks of Mr. Francis Rotch, of Morris, 
Otsego county, N. Y., so favorably known all 
over the country for his superior importations, 
and celebrity as a breeder. It is an excellent 
opportunity for our friends at the west to supply 
themselves now with a few choice animals for 
the improvement of their herds and flocks. By 
taking them from Indiana they save much risk 
and expense in purchasing and removing from a 
great distance. Mount Vernon, on the river, is 
only 30 miles from Albion. 
