AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
FOR THE 
ITarixi. GrarcLen, and. HouseliolcL 
“AGUjUULTUKE IS THE MOST HEALTHFUL, MOST USEFUL, ASI) MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAH.»—Wiiimnn 
ORAKffiE in>B, A.M., 
EDITCH AND PBOPBIETOB. 
Ofiire, II P.i j is How. (Times Buildings.) 
VOLUME XXIII—No. 7. 
Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1SG3, by 
Orange Judd, in tire Clerk’s Office of the District Court of 
the United States for the Southern District of New-York. 
SB' - Other Journals are invited to copy desirable articles 
freely, if each article be credited to American Agriculturist. 
American Agriculturist in German. 
Each number of this Journal is published in both 
the English and German Languages. The two Edi¬ 
tions are similar, arid. contain, as nearly as possible, 
the same Articles and Illustrations. The German Edition, 
is furnishjd at the same rates as the English, singly or in 
.clubs. A club may be part English, and part German. 
In July wc expect scorching hot weather, and 
very likely some weeks of drouth, with thunder¬ 
storms, varying the monotony now and then, 
and refreshing all nature. A week of rain we 
do not expect, but may get it. Hail storms may 
come too, as they did in June, and damage the 
fruits. The ravages of insects will of course 
continue, some kinds giving place to others, one 
corps relieving another; and if perchance one 
army of eaters be withdrawn altogether from 
our immediate front, we shall soon find the 
scouts and pickets of another, with a new base 
of supplies; not now depending upon the cu¬ 
cumbers and melons, hut rioting upon the cab¬ 
bages or the carrot fields. July brings with it 
much that is grand, majestic, and destructive, 
and very appropriately the Lion (Leo) is . the 
sign for this part of the zodiac. The constel¬ 
lation is marked by a beautiful group of stars, 
situated in the head of Leo, one being very 
bright; they form distinctly the outline of a 
sickle or reaping-hook,—very appropriate to the 
season. Man’s labors are arduous, but be goes 
to the field with the clash of machinery, and 
with the strong muscles of horses and oxen, to 
lighten his toil. The careful drivers guide their 
teams with the rush of clattering knives and 
rattling gearing behind them, round and round 
thousands of fields of grass and grain. The 
tedding machine follows in many fields tossing 
the grass into the air, like the spray from a 
ESTABLISHED IN 1842. 
Published both in English and German. 
NEW-YORK, JULY, 1864. 
stern-wheel steamer. Horses rake it, horses 
may load it,*horses lift both hay and grain to 
the mow and stack. The corn and root crops 
are cultivated, the grain is threshed, the fodder 
is cut, and every thing possible is done by 
horse-power. To relieve the horses from the 
hardest drudgery of the farm the steam plows 
are multiplying upon the prairies, and the past 
season has seen the first really successful steam 
plowing and prairie breaking in this country. 
All this goes on, and at the very same time 
500,000 farmers face the enemies of their coun¬ 
try, and with bayonet and saber crowd the 
traitor host to their fens and fastnesses. In this 
field, too, the labor of the horse is indispensable, 
and they number 200,000. "When we consider 
the amount of labor thus withdrawn from the 
farms of the country, it is hard to frame words 
of advice to guide those who remain, their labors 
are so peculiar. The necessity of constantly 
planning to do with less labor, or to accomplish 
more by the same outlay, by the aid of. ma¬ 
chinery, liorse-power, and various other contri¬ 
vances, lias been gradually increasing, till now it 
would seem to have reached a climax. It is the 
farmer’s great problem this year, and many are 
manfully and successfully working it out. 
Work for the Farm, Barn, and Stock Yard. 
Always keep the entire “ situation ” in mind. 
This involves good generalship. The farmer 
must know his resources,—what crops will need 
labor, how much they will need, where they 
need it, how to shift his labor from one part of 
the farm to another economically, how to bestow 
his own presence and labor and attention where 
it will be of most avail, as presence and as labor. 
He must he prepared for emergencies, for storms, 
for sick animals, for hands failing, for liis own 
necessary absence; he ought to he ever ready 
with devices to keep hands and animals oc¬ 
cupied,—not for the sake of keeping the men 
at work, hut for the sake of having the work 
done; and this the men must be able to see 
clearly. If the farmer.grudges the men a spare 
half hour, just because they are enjoying his 
time, it will make the best of men eye-servants; 
but if the pressure of wolk previously laid out 
makes eveiy man feel that there is no time to 
waste, he renders his service more willingly. 
Buildings .—If barn roofs need repairing, see 
to it when there is no hay in the bays. The 
nails that fall through, if they lodge in the hay, 
are very often swallowed by cattle to their 
serious injury. Clear out empty hays thorough¬ 
ly before putting new hay into them. Plan to 
make such a disposition of crops as they come 
into the buildings, as to save steps and labor in 
feeding out during the winter. 
Buckwheat .—Put in a good breadth if other 
grain crops are not promising. It will follow 
either winter or spring grains or potatoes, or 
occupy land where any crop has failed ; it may 
be put in any time this month. See page 206. 
$1.00 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE i 
SINGLE NUMBER, 10 CENTS. 
For Contents, Terms, etc., see page 321-. 
NEW SERIES—No. 210. 
Puffer.—See notes for last month. Present 
and prospective high prices for good butter 
make pains-taking pay. Poor butter is worth 
but little more than good lard—good butter 36 
to 45 cents per pound at retail. 
Cabbages .—There are few surer ana more 
profitable crops on new land. UnfortULately 
this plant has so many enemies in old ground 
that its culture is often uncertain and attended 
with much annoyance, hut on reclaimed swamp 
ground or on land recently cleared, or in soil 
which has been exposed to a good heat by 
burning brush or hogs, it is sure and remunera¬ 
tive. It is not too late to sow for transplanting 
Cattle .—Look to it that they have abundant, 
water in the pastures, a constant supply of salt, 
and feed enough. Cows and especially young 
heifers should have the service of the best bulls 
their owners can afford to own or hire. 
Cellars —Give thorough, constant ventilation; 
keep clean and free from decaying substances. 
Cheese .—Aim to secure uniform excellence, and 
uniformity in size, weight and color. The market 
for good cheese can never he glutted ; it is not 
only a nutritious and favorite article of diet 
for home markets, but there is an increasing 
foreign demand. We counsel farmers to inform 
themselves of the benefits of associated dairies 
and cheese factories by personal inspection. The 
field is so large and the markets so hungry, 
there is little jealousy, and should be none. 
Clover Seed .—Give the cleanest part of a 
clover field a top-dressing of ashes and plaster, 
(and a little fine manure from the barn yard or 
compost heap will do no harm.) This will give 
the clover a good start and vigorous growth, so 
that it will blossom and go to seed before the 
grass and weeds show their heads above it. The 
more rampant weeds may he pulled, or cut with 
the “ spud” (a chisel on a long handle), if neces¬ 
sary. If headed at the proper time it will fur¬ 
nish clean and heavy seed. 
• Draining .—This is always on hand when other 
work is not pressing. It cures the evils both of 
drought and excessive water, and of both com¬ 
bined which often occurs on the same land at 
different periods of the same year. 
Grain ..—Cut when the kernel is between 
“milk” and “dough.” 
Grass .—Cut in the blossom for the best hay— 
a little later to save work in curing. See articles 
on haymaking in June number, and on manuring 
grass lands in this, page 203. 
Hay Mows .—Ventilate large mows of hay or 
grain by making perpendicular air passages 
through them, with openings below. 
Hedge-rows and fence corners , those nurseries 
for weeds, ever encroaching on the tilled land, 
should be kept clean with the hook and scythe. 
Sheep, when they can he used, make very 
clean work at exterminating brush. 
Hoeing .—Keep the ground loose and open by 
